Friday, July 17, 2020 Nancy Stark & Will Nediger

"Artificial Replacements"


17. Minty green cocktail?: ASTROTURF HOPPER.   Grasshopper.

27. Easier to swallow?: ASPARTAME COATED.  Sugarcoated.    Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth: Alternative Sugars

49. Puritan preacher involved in the Salem Witch Trials?: POLYESTER MATHER.    Who ?    Cotton Mather.

65. 1934 Oscar-nominated film whose title hints at the wordplay in three other long answers: IMITATION OF LIFE.

Library of Congress - National Film Preservation Board - The importance of the film

Learning moments:  Cotton Mather and his father Increase Mather, and then reading various articles about the film Imitation of Life. 

Across:

1. Sticking point?: CRAW.

5. Mixed __: MEDIA.  " The term “mixed media art” is a broad definition that covers many arts and crafts, including collage, assemblage (both 2D and 3D), altered objects, including books and boxes, handmade greeting cards, artist trading cards (ATCs) and tags, art journalling and book making.

The “mixed media” used includes paints, papers and board of all descriptions, glues, buttons, fabrics, found objects, photos, metal bits, fibres, things from nature, inks, pencils, crayons, markers, pastels and polymer clays, to name a few."  - Mixed Media Art . Net

10. Surveillance network, briefly: CCTV.    Closed Circuit TV

14. Adonis: HUNK.

15. Finals, e.g.: EXAMs.

16. Vibe: AURA.

20. Plunging neckline type: DEEP V.

21. Island chain: LEI.

22. Annoying: PESKY.

23. Not an exact fig.: EST.  

25. __ King Cole: NAT.

36. Panache: ELAN.

37. Número after cero: UNO.   Numbers zero and one, in Spanish.

38. "Gypsy" (2008) Tony winner: LUPONE.   At the point in time, I was missing the last two vowels, so I and O went in.  Fortunately worked out Lupone instead of Lupino.

39. Airs: SONGs.    Back in the early days of my solving experiences, we had a clue Troubador' s offering and the answer was AIRS.   Here are the responses in the blog comments that day.

41. Pinnacle: TOP.

43. "The Goldfinch" novelist Donna: TARTT.   No idea.  Perps.  The 2014 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Fiction

44. Code prohibiting singing?: OMERTA.   The Mafia code of silence, to anyone outside of the organization, but especially to authorities.

46. Trashy newspaper: RAG.

48. Hard to find: RARE.

52. Old records: LPs.

53. Bobs and weaves: DOs.   Female hairstyles.   Butches and flattops for males.

54. Eye color: HAZEL.

58. "Barry" channel: HBO.    No idea, but the O was in place, so it was probable that it would be SHO or HBO.

"Barry follows Barry Berkman, a former Marine from Ohio who works as a hitman. Lonely and dissatisfied with life, he travels to Los Angeles to kill a target and ends up "finding an accepting community in a group of eager hopefuls within the L.A. theater scene"

60. Major religion of Indonesia: ISLAM.

68. Rackets: DINs.   My father nicknamed my niece Rachael  "Racket" when she was about two.

When Madame Defarge referred to her granddaughter as "The Blonde Tornado" back in 2016, I immediately understood.

69. Yankee Candle emanation: AROMA.

70. Retailer with a meatball recipe to make at "höme": IKEA.

OK, then let us translate from Finnish as well:

The Swedish version sounds more appealing.  

71. Nervous: EDGY.

72. Frisky swimmer: OTTER.

73. Whimper: MEWL.

Down:

1. Libya neighbor: CHAD.  Testing your geography knowledge, as well as country names.

2. Deceptive ploy: RUSE.

3. Poker entry fee: ANTE.   "Feed the kitty" followed by "Pot's right. Deal."

4. Sitcom radio station: WKRP.  The show was inspired by a Harry Chapin song.

12 fascinating facts about WKRP in Cincinnati

5. Brave adversary?: MET.   For the non sports solvers:  Major League Baseball.   Each is a player or coach on one of the two National League East teams.

6. Over the moon: EXULTANT. 

7. Take a risk: DARE.

8. "Feeling good": I'M FINE.


9. E-cig's lack: ASH.   First thought was tar. 

10. Sleeveless garment: CAPE.  First thought was vest.

11. Starbucks stack: CUPs.   First thought was lids, then CapS, then finally CUPS.

12. Cause of blisters, perhaps: TREK.

13. Your mileage may __: VARY.   In text: YMMV.

18. Word after bowl or blow: OVER.

19. Decline to participate: OPT OUT.    Last Thursday, we had "Refuse to participate" in Stella Zawistowski's crossword.

24. Early Beatle Sutcliffe: STU.   In the very early days, when they were a five-piece band.

26. Oft-torn knee part: ACL.    Anterior Cruciate Ligament.   The ACL is tissue that connects the thighbone to the shinbone, at the knee.

27. "Lion's share" originated from a story of his: AESOP.    The moral is "Might makes right" and the fable is The Lion's Share

28. NBA replay aid: SLO-MO.

29. Group of pundits: PANEL.

30. Seeing red: ANGRY.   Irritably needing food ?    Hangry.

31. Demi of "Ghost": MOORE.


14 Things You Might Not Know About Ghost

32. Separated: APART.   Role to play: A PART.

33. Word from the Hebrew for "teaching": TORAH.

34. __ nous: ENTRE.   Listen, do you want to know a secret ?  Do you promise not to tell ?

35. Discourage: DETER.

40. Designer McCartney: STELLA.    Daughter of Paul and Linda McCartney.   She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2013 for services to fashion.

42. "Please repeat that?": PARDON ME ?.

45. Egyptian viper: ASP.

47. Controversial food letters: GMO.    Genetically Modified Organism

50. Many a souvenir: T-SHIRT.

51. "That'll be the day!": AS IF.    "You have to be kidding me !"

54. Conceal: HIDE.

55. Surrounded by: AMID.

56. "Oh snap!": ZING.

57. Handmade goods website: ETSY.

59. Abrupt dismissal: BOOT.

61. __ to none: bad odds: SLIM.   Muhammad Ali famously quipped about Joe Frazier's chances, "Frazier's got two chances. Slim, and none. And Slim just left town."

62. Go for: LIKE.

63. Several: A FEW.

64. Event with courses: MEAL.  No-brainer, but my mind strayed to golf.   Specifically,  The Pebble Beach Pro-Am, played on three different courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, and Monterey Peninsula Country Club.

66. Eastern "way": TAO.

67. Shell mover: OAR.  Rowing 101

Thursday, July 16 2020 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Sleuthing - use the reveal to hunt down the genre and thence the author:

58A. Literary genre often associated with the writer concealed in 16-, 32- and 40-Across: DETECTIVE STORY.

16A. A step up from a carport, perhaps: UNHEATED GARAGE. You probably don't need any heating in the garages in my neck of the woods unless you have a very delicately-dispositioned car. A/C perhaps if you're using it as a workshop.

32A. Limitation-of-freedom metaphor: BALL AND CHAIN. And a British slang word for a spouse (not exactly complimentary.)

40A. Ding-a-ling or ding-dong: ONOMATOPOEIA. What a great word, this is, and a treat to find it in the crossword. I wonder if this was the "seed" entry that gave Jeffrey the idea for the theme? I'm guessing it may have been.

Cool theme from Jeffrey, and I like how the reveal clues the genre to get to the author, a minor plot twist if you will. The construction is neat - a lot of both "themeage" and "stackage" give some satisfying larger areas of white space.

Let's have a tiptoe through the tulips and look at the fill:

Across:

1. Some munchies: CHIPS.

6. Asks to be excused, with "off": BEGS.

10. Latin initialism on a cross: IHS. I always thought it was INRI, but what do I know?

13. WWII riveter: ROSIE. Sun's Out, Guns Out! "We Can Do It".

14. Relating to body structure: ANATOMIC.

18. Come to terms: SETTLE.

19. Electronic dance music genre: TECHNO. This really is music you need to dance to.

21. Org. that's not lax at LAX: T.S.A. I think that's being generous to the T.S.A. They're not exactly gaffe-proof. Nice clue though.

22. Interval: LAPSE.

26. Space: GAP.

27. German brewing surname: STROH. Founded in Detroit in the 1850's. The company was taken over and broken up in 2000, but some of the brand names survive under new ownership.

30. Common Korean surname: LEE. Very common, about 15% of Koreans have the name. It is derived from the common Chinese name Yi, and shares the same character 李

31. Extremely dry: SERE.

36. Doubled, perhaps: GOT A HIT. Play ball!

39. Corrida figures: TOREROS. All matadors are toreros, but not all toreros are matadors. Also "toreador" was allegedly invented by Bizet for the opera "Carmen".

42. Zilch: NADA.

43. Greater N.Y. school: L.I.U. It looks like you have to be careful at one end of the soccer field not to paste yourself onto the wall, Looney Tunes-style.

44. Orchestra section: BRASS.

48. Chicago airport code: ORD. Orchard Field, originally, hence the odd acronym for "O'Hare".

49. "Golden Boy" playwright: ODETS. Oscar de la Hoya was nicknamed "Golden Boy" in his fighting days, now runs Golden Boy Promotions.

51. Hotel amenity: SPA.

52. President of Princeton, then the U.S.: WILSON.

55. Stride affectedly: SASHAY.

62. One happy to have no class?: GRADUATE. Its not just graduates who have no classes at the moment!

63. Arabian, for one: HORSE.

64. DE Dec. setting: E.S.T. Eastern Standard Time in Delaware in December. That's a lot of abbreviations packed into one small space.

65. What might take a while?: ERST. As in "erstwhile". Nice clue.

66. Fencing blades: EPÉES.

Down:

1. Pizza party leftovers: CRUSTS. Cold pizza for breakfast - lovely!

2. "Really": HONEST.

3. Eponymous goddess of a 1987 film flop: ISHTAR. This movie passed me by. I didn't miss much by the look of it, Roger Ebert wrote "Ishtar is a truly dreadful film, a lifeless, massive, lumbering exercise in failed comedy" and his compadre Gene Siskel remarked it was "shockingly dull" and "dim-witted".

4. Painter Mondrian: PIET.

5. Stop from leaking: SEAL.

6. Sweetie, in recent slang: BAE. I'll take a leaf out of Siskel's book and describe this as "dim-witted". It's a shortening of "baby" although "before anyone else" is claimed, although that's a "backronym".

7. Stop: END.

8. Joke: GAG.

9. Hawaii, e.g.: STATE.

10. Apple desktop: IMAC. I wonder how many iMacs are now sold other than to graphic designers?

11. A condition of maximum activity: HIGH GEAR. Not "top gear"? That says "maximum" to me. High gear just suggests a higher work rate.

12. Hypothetical account: SCENARIO. Interesting, I hadn't considered scenario to be hypothetical situation, but on reflection a scenerio can play out into reality. Good one to mull over.

15. Kate Brown is its gov.: ORE. Oregon.

17. Business card no.: TEL.

20. Bids first: OPENS.

23. Considered in full: ALL TOLD.

24. Tiny soup base: PEA. Odd clue, is pea the "base" of pea soup? I'd call it the main ingredient. And a pea isn't really tiny. I must be missing something here.

25. Mailed, as invites: SENT OUT.

28. "The Audacity of Hope" author: OBAMA.

29. "I'm amused": HA HA. Usually used sarcastically in my experience.

31. Gather wool from: SHEAR. There's a joke about a Kiwi and an Aussie sheep farmer involving "shearing sheep" which I won't say any more about.

33. Set ablaze: LIT.

34. Female ruminant: DOE.

35. Nursery item: CRIB.

36. First big song success for The Moody Blues: GO NOW. A song that's survived the test of time, methinks. Here's a reminder.

37. Positioned for ambush, as in many Westerns: ON A RIDGE.

38. Two-year-olds, say: TODDLERS.

41. Dessert choice: PIE.

45. Like sailors on leave: ASHORE. Unless you're serving on a shore-based station, and you go on a cruise for your vacation.

46. Spread out: SPARSE.

47. Agree: SAY YES.

49. At the proper moment: ON CUE.

50. Montreal-to-Boston dir.: S.S.E. I liked the compass-point-opposites we had a couple of weeks ago with a pair of NNE/SSW entries, but I guess we're firmly back to random-place-to-random-place clues. At least let's think about something to link the two place names together?

53. RBI or ERA: STAT. Baseball loves stats.

54. Venerable ref.: O.E.D. The Oxford English Dictionary. The day "bae" qualifies for an entry is the day that I cancel my (not-existent) subscription.

56. Queens tennis venue honoree: ASHE.

57. Where to get off: STOP. The great thing about the old Routemaster buses in London was that they had an open platform at the back so you jump on and off wherever you liked. Worked like a charm until some bureaucrats decided that it was dangerous, and you couldn't operate the bus with just a driver to collect fares as it forced passengers got on at a designated stop. Caused more congestion than you can imagine. Just a couple of years ago the Routemaster-style buses were reintroduced on certain routes.

59. Paving stuff: TAR.

60. "__ nothing new": IT'S. A rule if you're not sure about using an apostrophe with "it": "It's an apostrophe".

61. Nov. honoree: VET. Veteran's Day.

Well, there we have it. Here's the grid, and I just noticed 1A which reminds me to get a bowl of chips to crunch on with a beer.

Cheers!

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

Al Hollmer (Spitzboov) and I made today's Universal puzzle. You can solve it here.  It's edited by David Steinberg. The puzzle was years in the making. Thanks for the patience, Al!

Also go to USA Today for the "Front Wheels" (Wednesday 7/15/2020) puzzle Hahtoolah (Susan) and I created. It's edited by Erik Agard.

Wednesday, July 15, 2020 Ed Sessa

Theme - Isn't It Romantic - brought to you by Darmon Meader, who would have been our guest artist this Spring, except all the music events got cancelled.

Let's go with the unifier, to make sense of the circles - if you got them.

51 A. Like some conventional romances, as illustrated by each set of circled letters: BOY MEETS GIRL.  The first word each 2-word theme entry ends with the letters of a common male name, and the second word starts with the letters of a common female name - hence the meeting of BOY and GIRL.  There is actually a rather short list of generic plot types for stories, and this is one of them.

20 A. Sweets in an edible bouquet: CANDY FLOWERS.  Confections molded into the shapes of blooms and buds.  It's almost a shame to eat them. Here our romantic pair are ANDY and FLO.  I hope for his sake that it's not the annoying lady from the Progressive Insurance ads.  Our tour guide on a long ago white water rafting adventure was named FLO.  Our motto was "go with the Flo." [I am not making this up.]

27A . Birth of a baby: BLESSED EVENT.  I don't know the origin of this phrase, but it does keep the human race going.  I hope ED and EVE have a long and happy marriage that commenced before the blessed event took place.

43 A. Government bonds are part of it: NATIONAL DEBT.  This is the current total of all government borrowings.  I hope AL and DEB don't have too much of this sort of thing hanging over their heads.

Hi Gang, it's JazzBumpa, your matchmaker making today's introductions.

Across:

1. Esau's twin: JACOB.  These brothers got into a stew in an early disfunctional family.

6. Latticework piece: LATH.  A thin, flat strip of wood with various uses in construction.

10. Anew Skinvincible maker: AVON.

14. Act unceremoniously?: ELOPE.  Run away and get married, presumable avoiding a wedding ceremony.

15. Boo-boo: OWIE.  Minor injury, usually on a minor

16. Start to suction?: LIPO- .  A surgical procedure that uses suction to remove fat cells from specific areas of the body.  I think this type of affix clue uses suction.

17. Improvised container for roses: WINE CARAFE.  OK.  I suppose you could also use a catsup bottle

19. Aspiring DA's exam: LSAT.  The form of standardized test used specifically for admission to a law school.  It has long been established that there is scant - if any - correlation between standardized  test score and academic performance.  IMHO, the whole thing is a sham.

22. Urgent PD call: APB.  All Points Bulletin.  A broadcast from a law enforcement agency to its personnel or other such agencies, generally containing information about a wanted suspect or person of interest.

25. Sport-__: UTE.  A Sport utility vehicle - a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis.

26. Deceives: LIES TO.  Prevaricates.

31. Hanukkah pancake: LATKE.  Potato pancake.

32. Chance: RISK.  Specifically, the chance that some sort of loss or harm may ensue.

33. Mosquito-eating critter: BAT.  The only mammal capable of true flight.    Bats are more maneuverable than birds,

36. DIY website: ETSY.  An American e-commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies.

37. Seafood boil staple: CLAMS.   Any of several kinds of bivalve molluscs. The word is often applied only to those that are edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the seafloor or riverbeds.

39. Wait patiently: BIDE.  A good old Anglo-Saxon word meaning to wait or stay.

40. Singer Orbison: ROY.  [1936-1988] From 1960 to 1966, 22 of his singles reached the top 40.

Boy loses Girl

41. Tallow source: SUET.  SUET is the raw hard fat from beef or mutton.  Tallow is the fat portion of SUET, removed from the fibers and membranes by melting

42. Dealership inventory: AUTOS.  Cars, and also trucks.

46. Italian fashion giant: ARMANI.  An Italian luxury fashion house founded by Giorgio Armani in 1975.

49. Fashioned after: A LA.  In the manner of ---

50. "Big Eyes" singer Lana Del __: REY.   Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (b. 1985), known by her stage name Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter and poet. Her music is noted for its stylized cinematic quality; its themes of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia; and its references to pop culture, particularly 1950s and 1960s Americana.

Girl leaves Boy

55. Wile E. Coyote's supplier: ACME.

It never ends well

56. Hardware store gadget that creates the perfect color: PAINT MIXER.

60. Cardamom-flavored Indian tea: CHAI.

61. She asked Sam to play "As Time Goes By": ILSA.

Boy meets Girl's Husband

62. Writer Zola: EMILE.  Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola [1840-1902] was a French author, playwright, journalist and political activist.

63. Mild-mannered Clark: KENT.  Superman, by another name.

64. Vaping device, casually: E-CIG.  An electronic gadget that simulates smoking by generating an aerosol vapor from a heated liquid.

65. Jeans material: DENIM.  A sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads.  Now that is something that you know.

Down:

1. Moses, for one: JEW.  Kind of an important one, actually.

2. Boxing legend: ALI.  Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. [1942 – 2016] was an American professional boxer, activist, and philanthropist.   He is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time.

3. Hornswoggle: CON.  Gain an advantage over someone by cheating and deception.

4. Crude gp.?: OPEC.  Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies.

5. "__ I said so!": BECAUSE.  Do as I say!

6. __ it over: ruled: LORDED.  Dominated.

7. Off in the distance: AWAY.  Afar

8. Small spat: TIFF.  A petty quarrel between friends or lovers.

9. Like gravity wedges: HEELLESS.  I never knew.



10. Full of baloney: ALL WET.  Saying ridiculous things.

11. Woodshop grippers: VISES.  A metal tool with movable jaws used to hold a work piece firmly in place

12. Reality-bending paintings: OP ART.  Short for optical art,  a style of visual art that uses optical illusions.

13. "You're mistaken": NOT SO.    Possibly full of bologna.

18. Feed the kitty: ANTE.  At the start of a card game.

21. Trough grunt: OINK.  Pig talk.

22. More proficient: ABLER. Anything you can do, I can do better.

23. "Allegory of the cave" philosopher: PLATO.  Pondering belief vs knowledge.  More here.

24. "Breaking Bad" actress Brandt: BETSY.  [b 1973] She is an American Actress.

28. Star-spangled expanse: SKY.  The firmament.

29. Muse for poets: ERATO.

30. Vigor's partner: VIM.  If you take your vitamins.

33. Dog to beware: BITER.   I think I had this cur the last time.  Wary or not, I can't avoid it.

34. Sun-dried brick: ADOBE.  Made from clay.

35. Out of sorts: TESTY.  Irascible.

37. Cupcake: CUTIE PIE.  Affectionate terms that might not go over so well these days.

38. Wreath of plumeria blossoms: LEI.  A garland necklace.

39. Chum: BUD.  Pal.

41. Sensible: SANE.  Rational.

42. Protected from burglars: ALARMED.  But I would be ALARMED if the ALARM were to make a sound.

43. "Your call": NAME IT. What ever you like.

44. "Stop reminding me!": NAG NAG.  Give it a rest, already.

45. Touched down: ALIT.  Landed.

46. Taken __: ABACK.  Recoiling from surprise or shock

47. Tamiflu producer: ROCHE.  F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG is a Swiss multinational healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Its holding company, Roche Holding AG, has bearer shares listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The company headquarters are located in Basel.  Tamiflu is an oral antiviral medication used to treat and prevent influenza A and influenza B.

48. "Bro!": MY MAN.  Chum, bud, pal.

52. Soft mineral: TALC.  Hydrated magnesium silicate.

53. Spanish ayes: SI SI.  Yes, Yes, as we all say to C.C.

54. Mojito fruit: LIME.  A traditional Cuban cocktail, made with 5 ingredients.  The other 4 are white rum, sugar, soda water and mint.

57. Mark, as a survey square: X IN.  Indicate with an X or a check mark.

58. Manning who announced his retirement in 2020: ELI.  Quarterback for the New York Football Giants.

59. Sleep cycle: REM.  Rapid eye movement - when you are dreaming.

That wraps it up for today.  Wishing you all sweet, romantic dreams.

Cool regards,
JzB

Tuesday, July 14, 2020 Craig Stowe

Epic Failure!  The last word of each theme answer can describe a failure or BOMB.

18-Across. *  Athletic brand for yoga class: LULULEMON.  Lululemon is especially known for its expensive yoga clothes.  There is a Lululemon about a mile from my house.  I went in there once just for giggles.  I did not walk out of the store with a pair of $200 yoga pants.  The $15 pair I got from Walmart work just fine.

24-Across. *   Beachgoer's footwear: FLIP FLOP.  Every summer we used to get a new pair of Flip Flops.  We lived near the beach, so we wore them every day.  I don't live near the beach now, but since the lockdown, they are my still footwear of choice.

39-Across. *   Stops smoking suddenly and entirely, say: QUITS COLD TURKEY.

51-Across. *   Raid with a K-9 unit, perhaps: DRUG BUST.

And the Unifier:
61-Across. Specialized unit seeking explosives ... or what the ends of the answers to starred clues comprise?: BOMB SQUAD.

Across:

1. Poindexter: DWEEB.  Apparently, the use of the word Poindexter as meaning a Dweeb or Nerd came from the cartoon Felix the Cat.

6. Co. known for music compilations: K-TEL. K-Tel appears occasionally in the crossword puzzles.  It's a Canadian company that was founded in 1962, so we have a CSO to CanadianEh!

10. Sign of things to come: OMEN.

14. Scarlett in love with a Butler: O'HARA.  No further comment necessary.

15. Folk singer Guthrie: ARLO.  Arlo Davy Guthrie (b. July 10, 1947) just celebrated his 73rd birthday.  He is the son of Woody Guthrie.

16. Funeral rite heap: PYRE.

17. __ spray: decongestant: NASAL.

20. Iron mine output: ORE.  A crossword staple.

21. Look creepily (at): LEER.

23. Get up: ARISE.

27. More, for Miguel: MAS.  Today's Spanish lesson.

28. Smidgen: BIT.

29. Like the simplest instructions: ONE STEP.  One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind.  Betcha didn't think I was an astronaut!

33. Portfolio item: ASSET.

36. Having all one's marbles: SANE.

38. Rap sheet abbr.: AKA.  As in Also Known As.

43. Coffee dispenser: URN.

44. Cheers for matadors: ¡OLÉs!  More of today's Spanish lesson.

45. Must-haves: NEEDS.

46. Kabul native: AFGHANI.   An Afghan is also a knitted or croched blanket.

49. PC-to-PC system: LAN.  As in Local Area Network.

50. Chair support: LEG.

56. "Let __ be light": THERE.  A Biblical reference found in Genesis 1:3.

58. "No __": "Beats me": IDEA.  Sometimes when I read a clue, I have No IDEA of the answer.

59. Whiskey barrel wood: OAK.

64. Poke fun at: TEASE.

66. Mine, in Montreal: À MOI.  Today's French lesson.

67. Chomp or nip: BITE.

68. Like recycled bottles: EMPTY.

69. Italy's capital: ROME.

70. Blacken on the grill: SEAR.

71. Medicine amounts: DOSES.

Down:

1. "__ harm": Hippocratic Oath principle: DO NO.  It is commonly believed that the first words of the Hippocratic Oath begins with the words "First do no harm ..."  These words, however, do not appear in the original Ionic Greek.  An English translation can be found here.  Interestingly, Millennial physicians are opting out of the Hippocratic Oath.

2. Pier: WHARF.

3. Canvas holder: EASEL.

4. Historic period: ERA.

5. Kids' play boxes with plastic spheres: BALL PITS.  Hand up if you knew what this is.

6. Superman's birth name: KAL-EL.  The name Kal-El comes from the Hebrew words קל-אל, which can be taken to mean "voice of G~d."  Superman had been portrayed by a number of actors over the years.

7. Cape Cod town: TRURO.  Truro is near the tip of the Cape.

8. Building wing: ELL.

9. Comical Costello: LOU.  Lou Costello (né Louis Francis Cristillo; Mar. 6, 1906 ~ Mar. 3, 1959) was half of the comedy team Abbot and Costello.  They are best known for their Who's on First routine.

10. Verdi works: OPERAS.

11. "I stand corrected": MY MISTAKE.

12. God with a bow: EROS.

13. Hawaii's state bird: NENE.  I learned of this bird from doing crossword puzzles in the Boston Globe back in the 1980s.  The word appeared with some frequency back then.

19. Poor, as an excuse: LAME.

22. Young salamander: EFT.  A crossword staple.

25. "Dream on!": I BET!

26. Lily pad habitats: PONDS.  We saw some giant lily pads in the Peruvian Amazon.

30. Ice hockey target: NET.

31. __ out a living: EKED.

32. Forks over: PAYS.

33. Color akin to turquoise: AQUA.

34. Steak : turf :: lobster : __: SURF.

35. Divorced female parent: SINGLE MOM.

36. State of matter: SOLID.

37. Part of IPA: ALE.  The history of India Pale Ale.

40. Fast one, so to speak: CON.

41. At full strength: UNABATED.

42. Contact lens solution brand: RENU.

47. Grammy-winning jazzman Hancock: HERBIE.  Time for a musical interlude with Herbie Handcock (né Herbert Jeffrey Hancock; b. Apr. 12, 1940).

48. Grows older: AGES.

49. L, on clothes: Abbr.: LGE.  As in Large.

52. Gaucho's rope: RIATA.  I learned this word from doing the crossword puzzles.

53. Milker's handful: UDDER.

54. Serialized daytime TV: SOAPS.

55. Sample, as food: TASTE.

56. Vanishing ski lift: T-BAR.

57. __ sapiens: HOMO.

60. They open doors: KEYS.

62. Gridiron VIPs: QBs.  As in Quarter Backs.

63. 180-degree turn, in slang: UIE.  Our least favorite clue and answer.

65. Fall Out Boy genre: EMO.

And now for the Grid:

Stay inside, Isolate, Practice Social Distancing, Clean Yourself.  Oh, no!  I've become a House Cat!!!

Monday July 13, 2020 Paul Coulter

Theme: SET LIST (35A: Itemized concert songs in playing order ... and what all the words in answers to starred clues comprise) - Both parts of each theme entry can precede SET.

 

17. *Rock group since the '80s with the worldwide hit "Creep": RADIOHEAD. Radio set. Head set.

 

25. *0-0, in tennis: LOVE ALL. Love set. All set.

28. *Improving trend: UPSWING. Upset. Swing set.

42. *The two-engine F-15 Eagle, e.g.: TWIN JET. Twin set. Jet set.

44. *Greeting card for an ailing friend: GET WELL. Get set. Well-set.

56. *Lack of subtlety: HEAVY HAND. Heavyset. Hand set.

Boomer here. 

Good Morning or afternoon all as whatever the case may be. Years ago, I bought cases of bulk baseball cards (no gum) from Topps and I would collate them into complete SETS.  Now I spend most of my time in our basement watching the TV SET.  Okay, ready, SET, GO

Across:

1. Come or go, e.g.: VERB. I remember my second grade phonics.

5. Port in Yemen: ADEN.

9. Cheese with holes: SWISS.  Best used on a Reuben sandwich.

14. Side squared, for a square: AREA.

15. Jackson 5 brother: TITO.  "I'll be There" - Album way back.

16. Foolish one: NINNY.

19. Like Keebler's animated bakers: ELFIN.

20. 2020 amt. so far, on paychecks: YTD.  Sadly, also used to tally coronavirus cases by state.

21. Exams: TESTS.  C.C. and I seem virus free, knock on wood. The tests are not widely available in Minnesota at this time, though our positives are piling up.  I have a VA appointment this month but I think they just take my temperature.

22. Upper crust: ELITE.  Okay, but for me it's just a piece of bread.

23. Turns loose: FREES.  I have heard that many convicts are being released as a result of the virus. 

24. "East of Eden" son named for Moses' older brother: ARON.  Not to be confused with "All Rise" Aaron Judge who I have seen recently in a fast food commercial. Told you I watch too much TV.

31. Fed. power dept.: ENER.  Our electric power provider is Xcel Energy. Very dependable.  I think we have had only one power outage in the last ten years, and that was only a couple of hours.

32. Most draftable: ONE A.  We no longer have a draft, but maybe we still have the designation.  I was ONE A in 1968 and away I went.

33. Only Canadian MLB city: TOR.  Montreal Expos moved to Washington eh.

34. Author Beattie: ANN.

38. Here, in France: ICI.

39. Stew holder: POT.  I think I remember something else that might be called POT.

40. Had too much, briefly: OD'ED.

41. Elliptical: OVAL.  I wonder if golf might be more fun if they adopted OVALs on the green.

47. Bird on Canada's dollar coin: LOON.  Our Minnesota "LOONS" is a lacrosse program for kids.  Of course, when my family had a cabin on North Star Lake, the loons were sure to wake us up every morning with their funny call.

48. Poet Elinor or author Philip: WYLIE.

49. Longtime SeaWorld attraction: SHAMU.  A killer Whale in the late sixties and early seventies.

51. Rip to pieces: SHRED.  How I dispose of my scorecard after every round.

52. Enjoy Aspen: SKI.  We have a few ski slopes here in MN, Nothing like Colorado.

55. Peter, pumpkinwise: EATER.  Had a wife but couldn't keep her.

58. Online finance firm: E-LOAN.

59. One-named Deco artist: ERTE.

60. Adored singer, say: IDOL.  Billie's name was William Broad.  No wonder he changed it.

61. Harbor towns: PORTS.  Any PORT in a storm.

62. Caught in the act: SEEN.

63. Wet with morning moisture: DEWY.  Not to be confused with Thomas E.Dewey who ran for president of the United States in 1944 and 1948.  FDR was very popular in 1944, However Harry Truman sneaked out a close victory in 1948.  I was one year old and could not vote, however I remember the newspaper photo of Harry holding up a paper with the headline "Dewey Defeats Truman" 

Down:

1. Fluctuate: VARY.

2. The "E" in Q.E.D.: ERAT.

3. Foxx of "Sanford and Son": REDD.  REDD Foxx's real name was John Sanford, hence he chose the title "Sanford and Son" for his TV show on which he played Fred Sanford.

4. Ling of "The Crow": BAI.

5. Like an obedient dog on a walk: AT HEEL.

6. Semi fuel: DIESEL.  I think there are other vehicles on the road that run on DIESEL.  I notice it is now sold at most gasoline stations in town.

7. French states: ETATS.  Spell it backwards and it is one U.S. State.

8. Agreeing gestures: NODS.  I think Congress members have to say YEA.

9. Shows contempt for: SNEERS AT.

10. "Weeping" tree: WILLOW.  They are a bit in the way.  I am glad we do not have one in our yard.

11. It's split in Captain Kirk's "to boldly go": INFINITIVE.

12. Agitated state: SNIT.

13. "Auld Lang __": SYNE.  "Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind".

18. Other, to Ortiz: OTRA.

23. Votin' yes on: FER.  The opposite of "Agin".

24. Copies: APES.  Harry was a hairy one.

25. Jumped: LEAPT.

26. Currently airing: ON NOW.  The golf tournament in Dublin Ohio was ON over the weekend.

27. Device providing fresh air: VENTILATOR.  Providing life hopefully to serious Covid-19 victims.

28. Prefix with form or brow: UNI.  I notice that many major league UNIs now include a face covering.

29. Lite to the max: NO-CAL.  I have to use fake sugar and diet pop because of diabetes, but I have not gained back the weight I lost two weeks ago when I thought playing a par 72 - 18 hole course was a good idea in 92 degree weather.

30. Cook over coals: GRILL.  Great outdoor activity.

32. "__ King Cole": OLD.  King Cole hollered "Who you callin' OLD" at me.

35. Temporary stays: SOJOURNS.

36. Barbara of "I Dream of Jeannie": EDEN.  I used to like the show, but I guess I outgrew it.

37. Hanoi holiday: TET.

41. Be indebted to: OWE.  I have to say I OWE my oncologist a lot more than the VA charges me for their care.

43. Vegetarian credo: NO MEAT.  Fridays during Lent.

44. Whirl on the dance floor: GYRATE.

45. High dice roll: ELEVEN.  Roll it on the "Come out" roll and your Pass Line bet wins one to one.

46. Neat: TIDY.

48. Word of location: WHERE.

49. Ooze: SEEP.

50. Angel's topper: HALO.  A very famous manufacturer of recessed lighting fixtures.

51. Cows and sows: SHES.

52. Marquis de __: SADE.

53. Don't have to ask: KNOW.  I know nothing, I always have to ask.

54. In a shiftless way: IDLY.

57. Ducked out of sight: HID.  Frequently my golf balls are "HID" in the woods.

Boomer