Friday, August 28, 2020, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: AX me no questions...

It is the not uncommon double dose of Jeffrey and me. I have never understood Rich's scheduling parameters, but looking back I only know that I have written up back to backs before. As we take the day to recover from the fun and frolicking associated with celebrating my 72nd birthday we are treated to an "add a bigram" and make everyone laugh puzzle. This is among my favorite of JW's silly puzzles. He once again uses the 15 x 16 grid to feature a central themer and to avoid using any cheater squares. He also blended in such fun fill as ERASERS, FLEXION, MALAISE, PLUNGES, POPE LEO,  ROSETTE, BENTO BOXES, and DIVVYING UP. Again, the ones in red are major puzzle originals.

On to the tour.

19A. False claim about one's pioneer ancestors?: WESTWARD HOAX (12). Things I learn blogging. Did you know Westward Ho! is a seaside village near Bideford in Devon, England? Steve? This is a reference to the generic call for the early Americans to go west. HOAX is too political a word to comment.

25A. Medieval German spendthrift?: PRODIGAL SAXON (13). The Bible tells us of the Prodigal Son, a son who receives his inheritance and travels to a distant country, wastes all his money in wild extravagance, becomes desperately poor, returns to his father, and is received with open arms. Saxons were a group of early Germanic peoples who fought the Anglos.

41A. Transmitted documents with Red Riding Hood's location?: FAXED TO THE WOLVES (16). Fed to the wolves was the plan for Red, but the image of the wolf in the forest receiving a facsimile transmission showing the way to gramma's house is priceless.

52A. Beauty treatment for poultry?: CHICKEN WAXING (13). Thinking of taking a simple chicken wing and adding two letters to create the image of a big fat chicken at the salon getting her bikini wax...(Brazilian) disturbing.

63A. Big-screen entertainment for angels?: IMAX IN HEAVEN (12). You lose an apostrophe to get this wonderful fill, picturing the angels watching the movies.

And the rest.

Across:

1. Quick blow: JAB. A quick start and a "J.'

4. Weary worker's sigh: TGIF. Thank God It's Friday.

8. Dives: PLUNGES.

15. 4 x 4, briefly: UTE. Utility vehicle.

16. Six-ton predator: ORCA.

17. Leopard spot: ROSETTE. My last fill; I learned that many of the spots are not spots at all, but clusters of black, yellow, and tan markings called “rosettes”. These patterns are unique to each leopard, like a human fingerprint.

18. ICU staffer: LPN. Licensed Practical Nurse.

21. Taking courses?: EATING. Haha.  Eating a three-course meal.

23. Crest box abbr.: ADA. American Dental Association.

24. Crafty: SLY.

30. Honey, in slang: BAE. This is a common fill.

31. Zip: PEP.

32. Lot choice: SEDAN.

36. Wall St. event: IPO. Initial Public Offering.

38. Enforcer of some ACA provisions: IRS. Affordable Care Act.

39. Vague unease: MALAISE.

45. Bending movement: FLEXION. The action of bending or the condition of being bent, especially the bending of a limb or joint.

46. __ clear: ALL. on the western front.

47. Large receptacle: VAT.

48. Nods, maybe: YESES.

49. It was precious to conquistadores: ORO. There's gold in them there clues.

50. Oliver Twist or Tiny Tim: BOY. So simple, this was hard.

58. Half-hearted: WAN. This was a stretch that took perps.

61. "There's __ in team": NO I.

62. Laundry employee: IRONER. A real word. Meh.

68. Hurdle for srs.: GRE. Graduate Record Examinations.

69. First religious leader of his title to be called "The Great": POPE LEO. Thank you, Joe Deeney and HG for teaching me this Saturday. This is another silly dupe with 57D. Rich does not seem to care.

70. Guy: MALE.

71. Charlottesville sch.: UVA. University of Virginia. My brother dated a woman who was teaching at the medical school.

72. Tools for some crossword solvers: ERASERS. Or backspace.

73. 500-mile race: INDY. The Indianapolis 500.

74. Furry friend: PET.

Down:

1. Derby cocktail: JULEP. Churchill Downs has promoted Mint Juleps since 1938. Each year around 120,000 this classic mint julep recipe are served over the 2 day race period. That’s a lot! While Woodford Reserve is the official whiskey of the Kentucky Derby, we chose another Kentucky Bourbon, Knob Creek, which is one of our favorites.

2. For face value: AT PAR.

3. Japanese takeout orders: BENTO BOXES. They are popular in Thailand as well. We had some at Zen,  2 Mahidol Rd, Hai ya Subdistrict | Central Airport Plaza Level 1, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand

4. Many an off-campus local: TOWNIE. Initially, I read this as "locale." In prep school, there were great conflicts with the townies.

5. An Allman brother: GREGG. He was no Duane, but he did marry Cher.

6. Suffix with robot: ICS. -ics. a suffix of nouns that denote a body of facts, knowledge, principles, etc., usually corresponding to adjectives ending in -ic or -ical: ethics; physics; politics; tactics.

7. Budgetary excess: FAT. Politics.

8. Fendi rival: PRADA. A learning week as I bet you didn’t know that in 1999, the LVMH group and Prada purchased 51% of Fendi.

9. Seuss activist: LORAX. Geopolitical STORY.
"Unless someone like you
Cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better.
It’s not."

10. Amer. capital: USD. Money.

11. Bk. before Esther: NEHEMIAH

12. Classic muscle cars: GTOS. Gran Turismos.

13. Shorthand for unlisted items: ET AL.

14. Alluring: SEXY.

20. With 35-Down, papery construction best left alone: WASP. 35D. See 20-Down: NEST. A wasp nest is made from chewed wood that gives them their distinctive papery walls.

22. Filmmaker Lupino: IDA. Her IMDB.

26. Blacksmith wear: APRON.

27. For fear that: LEST.

28. Capital on a fjord: OSLO. CSO to our Norwegian friends.

29. Patricia of "Hud": NEAL. Paul Newman's wife.

33. Tending to, as the loot: DIVVYING UP.
Dividing up.

34. Like pirates, often: ASEA.

36. Uncertain: IFFY.

37. Part of IPA: PALE.

38. Midori in a rink: ITO. Time flies.

39. Gourd fruit: MELON. An anagram of LEMON...

40. Piercing tool: AWL.

42. Corner off. occupant: EXECutive.

43. Share juicy details: DISH.

44. Fabled braggart: HARE. The tortoise and...

49. Dust Bowl migrant: OKIE.

50. Dancing dinosaur: BARNEY. And I learned so much more about THIS.

51. Kitchen gadget maker: OXO.

53. __ circle: INNER. When I was representing AXE before they got their record deal, they rehearsed at SIR Studio in NYC and INNER CIRCLE was also their rehearsing.

54. Pacific salmon: COHOS. Sockeye is an oilier fish with deep red flesh, sockeye salmon also high in heart-healthy omega-3s but has a stronger flavor and stands up well to grilling. Coho is milder and often lighter in color

55. Brandish: WIELD.

56. Guts: NERVE.

57. "That's what I'm talking about!": GREAT. More greatness.

58. Sanitizing cloth: WIPE. The be-all and end-all of MONK.

59. Latin love: AMOR.

60. California tourist valley: NAPA.  Don't whine. This VALLEY.

64. Kisses, in love letters: XES. And OOs. And at my house.

65. Paris' __ de la Cité: ÎLE. Tourists flock to Notre Dame, located on Île de la Cité, but few take the time to discover the island’s many parks, shops, and cafés.

66. "What __ missing?": AM I. Looks like the French AMI.

67. FedEx fleet member: VAN.

You may get a week off next week, but we never know. I really had a great !~ time on this one and I hope you all did. So much to learn. Thanks, Jeffrey and thank you all, Lemonade out.

Thursday, August 27th 2020 Andy Morrison

Theme: Caddy-sack - what your caddie gets when you ask him for a sand wedge and he brings you a Philly Cheesesteak. 

 
20A. Sandwich in Denver?: MILE HIGH CLUB. Editor Rich getting a little racy here! The Mile High city. I've actually had a club sandwich in Denver. I didn't spot the fun pun at the time of consumption.

35A. Sandwich on the briny?: MARINE SUB. I looked sideways at this entry at first, but then realized the clue was referring to a member of the Marine Corps, not the "submerging" vessel.

40A. Sandwich in the neighborhood?: LOCAL HERO. A charming movie with a wonderful soundtrack composed by the guitar great Mark Knopfler, founding member and creative genius of Dire Straits. Here's the theme track played live in London in 2017.

52A. Sandwich at a church concert?: ORGAN GRINDER. The grinder is a close relative of the sub and the hero, "regionally" New England. Some say that if the ingredients are hot, it's a grinder, but cold, it's a sub.

Nice theme from Andy. Some tricky cluing in the fill too which livened things up. It took me quite a bit longer than a typical Thursday due to a couple of unknowns and some nice misdirection.

Let's go for a wander ...

Across:

1. "Amanpour & Co." network: PBS. For some unknown reason, I had "CBS" here at first, which eventually left me wondering about "CLUMP" and whether it was rather rude to call a zaftig lady "clumpy" or "a clump". 

4. Enough and then some: AMPLE.

9. Strand during a hail storm, say: ICE IN.

14. GPS finding: LAT. itude.

15. Take it easy: RELAX.

16. "__ Rae": NORMA. Actress Sally Field won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Norma Rae in the eponymous 1979 movie.

17. Put to work: USE.

18. Small earthen pot: CRUSE. I'd never heard of this, a nice learning moment.

19. Huge success: SMASH.

23. Astronomical octet: PLANETS.

24. River Foyle's province: ULSTER. Northern Ireland, or "Norn Iron" if you want to sound like Rory McIlroy. Try it.

28. Form 1099 agcy.: I.R.S.

29. Japanese sandal: ZORI. I read and re-read "scandal", not "sandal" and was going to read up on who Zori was and what transgression he or she was involved in.

31. Hullabaloo: ADO.

32. Puts up, as drapes: HANGS.

37. Scott of "Big Little Lies": ADAM. Thank you, crosses. I know of Adam Scott the golfer - the one who, in my opinion, cheats with a long putter. 

38. Examined in court: TRIED.

39. Metric prefix: DECI.

42. Like a soufflé, if everything goes well: RISEN. And not collapsed. It's one thing to get a soufflé to rise, it's another thing to get it to stay riz.

43. Busy mo. for the 28-Across: APR.

44. Senate staffer: AIDE.

45. Some MIT grads: EES.

46. Wright who quipped, "Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time": STEVEN.

48. Elaborate wardrobe: ARMOIRE.

55. Left: SPLIT.

58. Bugs with weapons: MORAN.

59. Oral health org.: ADA.

60. Musical work: PIECE.

61. Revise: EMEND. "Emend" is to correct an error, "amend" is to improve something by modifying it.

62. Casual greetings: HI'S.

63. Gets the kitty going: ANTES.

64. They may be pressing: NEEDS.

65. Neruda verse: ODE.

Maru Mori brought me

a pair

of socks

which she knitted with her own

sheepherder hands,

two socks as soft

 as rabbits.

from "Ode to My Socks"

Down:

1. Zaftig: PLUMP. Not clump, then.

2. Pho garnish: BASIL. Food! There's some tremendous Vietnamese food places here in LA. My local one is Pho NoHo, which is a shame as "NoHo" doesn't actually rhyme with "pho". Here's pho (pronounced fuh), basil garnish and all.

3. Inscribed pillar: STELA.

4. Quiver carriers: ARCHERS.

5. Rates: MERITS.

6. Promotes: PLUGS.

7. Mascara target: LASH. Scurvy-ridden deckhands are targets too, me hearties!

8. Corp. bigwig: EXEC.

9. Pancreatic hormone: INSULIN.

10. "The Gift of the Magi" gift: COMBS. O. Henry short story published in 1906, and a very touching story it is.

11. Stat for Clayton Kershaw: E.R.A. A baseball pitcher's stat - Earned Run Average, the lower the number the better. 

12. Online chats, briefly: IM'S.

13. "Hard pass": NAH. 

21. "The Imitation Game" encryption machine: ENIGMA. Cracking of the German coded messages in WWII by cryptanalysts at Bletchley Park in the UK was the primary basis for the movie.

22. Shockingly vivid: LURID.

25. Zaps: TASES.

26. Elicit: EDUCE.

27. Sign of spring: ROBIN.

29. Former name of the Congo: ZAIRE. 

30. Cookie with a Tiramisu Flavor Creme variety: OREO. Didn't I say last week that it's time to declare a period of Crossword Lent for "OREO"? I know it's handy and all to constructors, but it's a little stale. Nothing like a stale Oreo, now is there?

32. "Papa Bear" of football: HALAS.

33. Take on: ADOPT.

34. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE.

35. TV's talking horse: MR ED.

36. Acquirer of more than 1,000 patents: EDISON.

38. Doohickey: THING. Closely related to a whatsit and a thingummy-jig.

41. Ophelia's brother: LAERTES. "Hamlet" characters. Laertes killed Hamlet with a poisoned sword. I suppose it was a belt-and-braces appoach in case the sword slashing or stabbing didn't do the trick, although in most cases poisoning would just add insult to injury. Although Laertes did poison himself with said sword, so I suppose justice was served.

42. Does some jogging?: REMINDS. Another nice clue. Jogging someone's memory.

45. Task for a gofer: ERRAND. There was something wrong with my clue-parsing today. I was wondering what task a golfer might be assigned other than hitting a couple of buckets of balls at the driving range.

47. Word with mail or box: VOICE.

48. Say yes: AGREE.

49. You can cross it in about an hour on I-90: IDAHO. I tried MAINE first. Having no idea where the 90 starts or ends it seemed a reasonable guess.

50. Fixed up: RE-DID.

51. Remove all traces of: ERASE.

53. Grace period?: AMEN. I like this clue - "period" as in the end-of-sentence designator.

54. Alaskan seaport: NOME.

55. Place for a peel: SPA.

56. Map insert: PIN.

57. Service to redo: LET. Tennis.

And there we have it!

And here we have the grid!

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

 

Happy 72nd birthday of dear Lemonade (Jason), who's been been guiding us on Fridays for over a decade. He started his first blog post in March 2010. Thank you so much for your hard work, Lemonade! This is a picture from his trip to Oo' homeland a few years ago. Happy birthday, the king!

Oo and Lemonade

Happy Birthday to the wise man Vidwan827 also! So glad to see you on the blog regularly now.

Wednesday, August 26, 2020 Mike Peluso and Joe Krozel

 Theme: Step in time.  Because that's what you do when you dance.

And today, we are all about dancing.  Or dancing about. or something like that.  

Here is the two-part unifier.

24 D. With 31-Down, hoedown activities, and a hint to the circled letters: SQUARE.

31. See 24-Down: DANCES.

For this to make any sort of sense, you'd have to have the circles in your puzzle, highlighting the four clustered letters that form the names of today's dances.

17 A. Building emergency exit: FIRE ESCAPE.  A staircase or other apparatus used for escaping a building on fire.
20 A. Natural skill: TALENT.  Ability.
Not only do you need the circles, you also need to read these letters in a loop: hence REEL, a folk dance of Scottish origin, and also a word that indicates spinning.  We're off to a good start.

19 A. Takes too much for oneself: HOGS.  Keeps or uses something in an unfair or selfish way.
21 A. Ark landing site: Abbr.: MT. ARARAT.  Cf Genesis 6 through 9.
The HORA is a circle dance that originated in the Balkans, and is also found in several other countries.

53 A. "Spring Symphony" composer: SCHUMANN.  Robert [1810-1846] was a German composer pianist and music critic.  This was his first full orchestral work, composed in 1841.
61 A . West Virginia resource: COAL.  From under ground. 
The HULA is Polynesian dance form existing in various styles, with a complicated history.

57. Be released: GO FREE.  
62. They're holstered in old Westerns: LOADED GUNS.  Hence many shot off toes, I would imagine.
The FRUG is a dance craze from the 60's.  I was there, might even have done it [though, to be honest, probably not]  but now can't find anything definitive or helpful, other than it was energetic.

Hi Gang.  JazzBumpa here.  I would have played for some dancing this year, but, alas, those events got cancelled.  While we're on the subject, here is a collection of dance clips featuring granddaughter Amanda.

Now let's step our way through this puzzle and see what else we can discover.  

Across:

1. Half a poverty-to-wealth metaphor: RAGS.  The rest is to riches.

5. Shows affection, dog-style: LICKS.  Happy tonguing.

10. Amt. rarely paid by a car buyer: MSRP.  Manufacturer's Suggester Retail Price.

14. Came down: ALIT.  Landed

15. Puget Sound, e.g.: INLET.  An indentation of a shoreline, usually long and narrow, such as a small bay or arm, that often leads to an enclosed body of salt water, such as a sound, bay, lagoon, or marsh.  Sounds about right.

16. Elevator name: OTIS.  An American company with world wide operations, founded in 1853.

23. P&L part: LOSS.   As opposed to profit

25. Injure badly: MAIM.  Causing permanent damage to a body part.

26. Pay: WAGES.  Fixed regular payments to employees, generally based on an hourly rate.

29. Letters at the end of a proof: QED.  An abbreviation of the Latin words "Quod Erat Demonstrandum" which loosely translated means "that which was to be demonstrated".

32. Fish with a net: TRAWL.

35. German gent: HERR.

36. Stalin-era prisons: GULAGS.  A system of labor camps maintained in the Soviet Union from 1930 to 1955 in which many people died.

38. Green acres: LEA.  A meadow.

39. Some nest egg components: IRAS.  Individual Retirement Accounts.

40. Only monosyllabic U.S. state: MAINE.  Remember that.

41. Weighty Brit. references: OEDS. Oxford English Dictionaries.   

42. Tease: RIB.  More fun for the ribber than for the ribee.

43. "Ars Poetica" poet: HORACE.  The Art of Poetry is an epistle written in hexameter verse by Horace in CE 19 to the Roman Senator Lucius Calpurnius Piso and his two sons.  It contains about 30 maxims for young poets, but is not a systematic treatise on theory.

44. Craving: URGE.  A strong desire or impulse.

45. Time off: LEAVE.  Authorized absence from duty or employment.

47. From S.F. to Vegas: ESE.  East South-East.

48. Aquarium cutie: OTTER.  A playful carnivorous aquatic mammal.

49. Math subj.: CALCulus.  The mathematical study of continuous change.

51. Palm starch: SAGO.  It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Moluccas,

64. Forget to include: OMIT.  I left out a comment here.

65. Connoisseur: MAVEN.  An expert or connoisseur.

66. Provide the bank blueprints for, say: ABET.  Encourage or assist someone to commit a crime.

67. Even civil ones aren't friendly: WARS.  Civil here is relating to the state and its citizenry, rather than indicating politeness.  WARS are organized armed conflicts between political entities.

68. Bedding component: SHEET.  a large rectangular piece of cotton or other fabric, used on a bed to cover the mattress and as a layer beneath blankets. 

69. Flu fighters: SERA.  Fluids containing antibodies against a certain disease.

Down:

1. Finn conveyance: RAFT. From The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, an 1885 novel set along the Mississippi River in the anti-bellum American South.

2. Et __: and others: ALIA.  Literal, from Latin.

3. "Atta __!": GIRL.  Exclamation of encouragement and/or recognition of success.

4. Heinz Field NFL team: STEELERS.  Pittsburgh's entry in the National Football League.

5. Grocery shoppers' aids: LISTS.  Memory aids for anyone.

6. Ltd. relative: INC.  Legal definitions for business entities.

7. Refuse to talk, with "up": CLAM.  Act in the manner of a marine bivalve that can tightly close its two-part shell.

8. Didn't give away: KEPT.  Not necessarily HOGGED, but maybe.

9. Iron output: STEAM.  Here, the iron is a household device for removing the wrinkles from clothing, not the metal of the same name.   The steam helps.

10. Angora goat fabric: MOHAIR.  Why doesn't this come from Mos?

11. Severe weather warning: STORM ALERT. Self explanatory.

12. Latvian capital: RIGA. It is set on the Baltic Sea at the mouth of the River Daugava.

13. Sibilant "Hey!": PSST.   [Presumably] subtle manner of getting a person's attention.

18. First chimp in orbit: ENOS.  He was the second chimp launched into space, achieving 2 orbits of the earth on Nov. 29, 1961

22. "Peanuts" word of frustration: RATS.   Often uttered by the often frustrated Charlie Brown. 

26. Pirouette: WHIRL.  Spin. More specifically, an act of spinning on one foot, typically with the raised foot touching the knee of the supporting leg.

27. Elevated dwelling: AERIE.  A large nest of a bird of prey, typically built high in a tree or on a cliff.

28. "Sit, sit": GRAB A CHAIR.  Take a load off.

30. Sports bureau co-founder Al or Walter: ELIAS.  This company, founded in 1913 provides sports statistics to newspapers, magazines, websites, and broadcasters covering MLB, NBA and NHL broadcasts.

33. Golfer's "pitching" club: WEDGE.  A club with a more steeply slanted face than a 9 iron, designed to hit the ball with more loft.

34. Surgical cutter: LASER.  one of many such tools, and one of many such uses.

36. Controversial crop alteration, for short: GMO.  Genetically Modified Organism.  These are designed at the cellular level to enhance certain properties, such as resistance to certain pests or pesticides.

37. "Golly!": GEE.  Gosh.

41. Too tired to go further: OUT OF GAS.  Too pooped to participate.

43. Big wheel on a ship: HELM.  The device used to steer the craft, not the person operating it.

46. Gymnast's jumps: VAULTS. These are accomplished by leaping or springing while supporting or propelling oneself with one or both hands or with the help of a pole.

48. Prayer opener: O GOD.  . . . . . Amen.

50. Settles: CALMS.  

52. Contract negotiator: AGENT.  one acting in behalf of another person or a group.

53. Flat-bottomed garbage hauler: SCOW.  A particular type of flat bottomed barge

54. Deep sleep: COMA.  A deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened; fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light, or sound; lacks a normal wake-sleep cycle; and does not initiate voluntary actions.

55. Builder who lived to be 950: NOAH.  He built a big boat and filled it with animals.  Then the rains came.

56. Central church part: NAVE.  The central part of a church, intended to hold most of the congregation.

58. Cartoonist Goldberg: RUBE.  Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg (1883 – 1970), known as Rube Goldberg, was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor.  He is best known for his popular cartoons depicting complicated gadgets performing simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. 

59. The "E" in DOE: Abbr.: ENERgy.

60. Spanish pronoun: ESTA.

63. Actress Wallace of "E.T.": DEE.  She played the mom.

Not exactly a cake walk, but about right for a Wednesday.

Cool regards!

JzB

Tuesday, August 25, 2020 Gary Larson

On the Home Front:  While the men were off fighting, the women worked on the Home Front.  The last word of each theme answer can be placed before the word Home to give us a new concept.

17-Across. Crowdfunding website: KICK STARTER.  Starter Home.

25-Across. Recliner part: ARM REST.  Rest Home

49-Across. Sprint rival: T-MOBILE.  Mobile Home

59-Across. "The Silence of the Lambs" Oscar-winning actress: JODIE FOSTER.  Foster Home

And the Unifier:
35-Across. Civilian activity site during wartime ... and what the end of 17-, 25-, 49- and 59-Across can be: HOME FRONT.

Across:

1. Massage reactions: AHs!

4. Hungarian stew: GOULASH.  Here's recipe for traditional Hungarian Goulash for those inclined to cook.

11. Watch chain: FOB.

14. Watch: SEE.

15. Entertainer: ARTISTE.

16. Make fun of: APE.  A crossword staple.

19. Medicinal bath site: SPA.  Lots of Europeans travel to the Dead Sea Spas for the bath and mud spas.

20. Starts a poker pot: ANTEs.

21. Fabled loser: HARE.  A reference to Æsop and his fable about the Tortoise and the Hare.

22. Sporty Pontiacs: GTOs.

1968 Pontiac GTO

23. "__ here": "The place is empty": NO ONE'S.

27. Surly mutt: CUR.

28. Squalid: SEAMY.  //  Which crossed with 24-Down: "It's not how it __": SEEMS.  Maybe it's not as Squalid as it Seems!

31. Stand for an oil, say: EASEL.

32. Superman's symbol: ESS.  As in the Letter "S".

33. Notable period: ERA.  //  Rearrange the letters, and you get 29-Down: "__ you joking?": ARE.  Note that these two answers also cross.

34. Sinclair Lewis preacher Elmer __: GANTRY.  Elmer Gantry is a satarical novel written by Sinclair Lewis (né Harry Sinclair Lewis; Feb, 7, 1885 ~ Jan. 10, 1951) in 1927.  Elmer Gantry was the fictional evangelical minister with a taste for chasing women, power and money.  When it was first published, it created quite a furor and was banned in several cities.  The books of Sinclair Lewis are surprisingly readable and relevant 100 years later.

38. Sultans' groups of wives: HAREMS.

41. Non-neutral atom: ION.

42. Covert missions: OPs.

45. Deck out: ADORN.

46. Can't stomach: HATES.

48. Zodiac critter with horns: RAM.

51. Wander from the talking point: RAMBLE.

53. Virtual video game people: SIMS.  Anyone out there play this game?

54. Food for horses: OATS.

57. Magician's cry: VOILÀ!

58. "Mork & Mindy" planet: ORK.  Mork and Mindy was a sit-com that ran from September 1978 through May 1982.  Robin Williams (July 21, 1951 ~ Aug. 11, 2014) played an extraterrestrial from Ork.

61. Service charge: FEE.

62. Like many bazaars: OPEN AIR.

63. Had a bite: ATE.

64. Cook in oil: FRY.

65. Oppressive rule: TYRANNY.

66. What Dr. Leary tripped on: LSD.

Down:

1. Suspicious way to look: ASKANCE.

Sophia Loren is looking ascance at Jayne Mansfield.

2. Shockingly evil: HEINOUS.

3. Circle parts, in geometry: SECTORS.

4. Hydrogen and oxygen: GASSES.

5. Uneaten morsel: ORT.

6. Nevada neighbor: UTAH.

7. Old Roman money: LIRA.  Not ancient Roman money, just the currency before the Euro.

8. Off the mark: ASTRAY.

9. Navigate: STEER.

10. Sailor's pronoun: HER.

11. First to the finish: FASTEST.

12. One against: OPPOSER.

13. Really awful, as weather: BEASTLY.

18. Barbie's beau: KEN.

22. President with fitting initials: GRANT.  Ulysses S. Grant (Apr. 27, 1822 ~ July 23, 1885) given name was actually Hiram Ulysses Grant.  The "S" was a clerical error that was written on his nomination to attend West Point.   But, that error eventually led to his being known as US Grant, hence the fitting initials.  Other interesting facts about President Grant.

26. Intend: MEAN.

30. Underworld society: MAFIA.

34. One who's done for: GONER.

35. Kitchen rack lineup: HERBS.  Because Spices was too many letters.

36. '70s-'80s Dodge model: OMNI.  Last week Omni was a Hotel Chain.

37. Nonsense: ROT.

38. "Let's tip our caps (to) ... ": HATS OFF!

39. Fan who might be secret: ADMIRER.

40. Item a hotel guest might forget to return on leaving: ROOM KEY.  When you stay at a hotel with a key like this, you don't forget it in your pocket upon leaving.

42. Relating to a planetary path: ORBITAL.

43. Portable warehouse platforms: PALLETS.

44. Ruined the reputation of: SMEARED.

46. Aptly named soccer shot: HEADER.

47. Like umami's taste: SAVORY.

50. Eccentric: LOOPY.

52. Yr.'s 12: MOs.  There are 12 Months in a Year.

55. Singer Turner: TINA.  Tina Turner (née Anna Mae Bullock; b. Nov.26. 1939) is retired now.

56. Penn name: SEAN.  Sean Penn (né Sean Justin Penn; b. Aug. 17, 1960) was once married to Madonna.  He just celebrated his 60th birthday.

59. Write quickly: JOT.

60. Half a sawbuck: FIN.  A Fin is slang for a $5 bill, and a sawbuck is slang for a $10 bill.

Here's the Grid:

And on the Home Front, just when you think the year can't get any weirder, we continue the year 2020:

Monday August 24, 2020 Jerome Gunderson

 

Theme: AVIAN (38. Bird-related ... four of them have landed at the ends of the answers to starred clues) - The last four letter of each theme entry is a bird.

17A. *A total failure "goes over like" one: LEAD BALLOON.

57A. *Hotel chain with a geographical name: BEST WESTERN.

3D. *Last Supper cup: HOLY GRAIL.

34D. *Monastic hood: MONK'S COWL.

Boomer here. The LOON is Minnesota's state bird. No, we are not Loonies. I did not know that a RAIL was a bird.  I thought it was something I hold on to while climbing stairs. 

 

With that, I wish to extend best wishes and good health to all friends in California as fires are devastating the state.  I have two sisters in the Bay Area and I am told that it is difficult to breathe.  I also want to extend hope and happiness to our friend Desper-otto and Tony as hurricane Laura is traveling toward Eastern Texas.  Best of luck and best wishes for health and happiness to all in range of of this nastiness.      

Across:

1. LBJ's vice president: HHH.  Indeed, Hubert Horatio Humphrey from Waverly Minnesota.  I have fished in Lake Waverly a few times, great for panfish.

 

4. Sponsor's tube spot: TV AD.  Too many on the golf channel.  I keep using my remote to try to avoid commercials.

8. Dracula stabber: STAKE.  A pile of cash for poker?

13. Tic-tac-toe winner: OOO.

14. Glow: SHINE.  "SHINE, SHINE, who wants a SHINE"

15. One-on-one teacher: TUTOR. Schools are working hard to make things work. TUTORS are expensive 

16. Fifth scale note: SOL. "SOL, a needle pulling thread." Sound of Music.

19. Arena overhead view provider: SKYCAM.

21. Cowpoke's "okay": YUP.  Have I ever poked a cow?? NOPE

22. Tattoo artist's array: INKS.  I never bought a tattoo.  Some look pretty good, others are too much.

23. Stares open-mouthed: GAPES.

25. Violent storm: TEMPEST.  Comes in a teapot.

27. Eaten away by rust, say: CORRODED.  Sounds like my 1955 Oldsmobile.

30. More, in Mexico: MAS.

31. Once more: AGAIN.

32. Weather guy Al: ROKER.  Not my favorite.  I remember he was on "Seinfeld" once.

34. __ and cheese: MAC.  I have a box in the cupboard. Seems like a good side dish but I never get around to it.

37. Smooth-tongued: GLIB.  Lots of smooth tongues on some of those TV ads mentioned earlier.

39. April 1 "honoree": FOOL.

40. Slim fish often smoked: EEL.  Terrible!  Lake Waverly by Hubert's house yielded many Sunfish and Crappies.  Crappies are not crappy). 

41. Itty-bitty: TEENY.  "It was an itsy bitsy, TEENY weenie, yellow polka dot bikini".

42. Joltless java brand: SANKA.  Sorry, I really like caffeine.

43. Tips container: JAR.  My golf course clubhouse has a glass cup for tips.  They stopped charging me for a cart, so I dropped a couple of Sacagawea golden dollars in one day.

44. Leather bookbinding material: GOATSKIN.

46. Type of pub named for its unglamorous appearance: DIVE BAR.  Most of them may be named Covid distribution centers.

50. Blind pieces: SLATS. We have vertical which work very well.  Yes, sometimes there is morning sun in Minnesota.

51. Greek goddess of discord: ERIS.

52. Greek T: TAU.

54. Financial word before year or policy: FISCAL.

60. Beer named for Washington's capital, briefly: OLY.  Oh, I thought it was named after Sven's buddy.

61. Prefix with national: INTER.  Or STATE which is a big highway.

62. Covers with asphalt: PAVES.  Normally the surface of the above big highway.

63. Was victorious: WON.  Twins have WON more than they lost so far, but it's a strange season.

64. Wet-eyed: TEARY.

65. Roe source: SHAD.

66. __ Luthor, Superman nemesis: LEX.

Down:

1. Bulky "Bonanza" brother: HOSS.  The biggest Cartwright.  Dan Blocker died at age 43.

2. "Peter Pan" captain: HOOK.  Played by Dustin Hoffman I think.

4. Focused on a subject, as a crossword: THEMED.  I generally say a few CROSS WORDS when I can't figure out the theme.

5. By way of: VIA.

6. Artist Warhol: ANDY.  He has a museum in New York.

7. First appearance: DEBUT.  Ryan Jeffers made a DEBUT as catcher last week when Mitch Garver got hurt.  Jeffers singled and drove in a run in his first at bat.  I am sure that baseball is on a shelf in his home.

8. Cards, in box scores: STL.  Twins played them early.  Before they had some positives.

9. "Tiptoe Through the __": TULIPS.

10. Make things right: ATONE.  Let me know if I irritate you. I will sing you A TONE.

11. Goofballs: KOOKS.

12. Dadaist Max: ERNST.

14. Apply carelessly: SLAP ON.  Looks like a hockey shot to me.

18. Theoretical missing links: APE-MEN.

20. West Indies native: CARIB.

24. Dish up, as a dish: SERVE.  Or whack a tennis ball or slap a volleyball.

26. St. Patrick's mo.: MAR.  This also happens to be the month when I put the bowling ball in my bag and it is sitting lonely in the garage,

27. Zoo enclosure: CAGE.  I never knew why a basketball player is called a CAGER.  I am not old enough to remember when basketball was played in a CAGE.

28. Look at creepily: OGLE.

29. Washing, as the dishes: DOING.

33. Bout-ending blows: KAYOS.  Knock it off.

35. Golfer Isao: AOKI. You won't find him at the Northern Trust PGA in Boston or even Champions Tour these days.

36. Scottish family: CLAN.

38. Fizz up, as water: AERATE.  Actually to me it means - punch a whole bunch of little holes in a green.

39. Protests by not eating: FASTS.  We used to do this during Lent, it was not a protest, just a ritual.

41. Saloon bill: TAB.  I never liked Coke products,  I drink Diet Pepsi and not TAB.  I'm not even sure if TAB is still around.

42. Oil leak blemishes: STAINS.  The best way to clean them off the garage floor is use Coke.

43. Court clown: JESTER.  It was cancelled this year, but Minneapolis usually has an "Aquatennial festival and parade".  The clowns are called Aqua JESTERS.

45. Director Hitchcock: ALFRED.  Interesting Q and A, since the theme of this puzzle is "THE BIRDS".

46. Kind of bank card: DEBIT.  We don't use ours since the bank kicks us back a few cents on our credit card purchases.

47. Goodnight woman of song: IRENE.  "I'll see you in my dreams".

48. Panoramic view: VISTA.  Sometimes we visit the Electrical Dam near our home on the Mississippi River.  It is a very panoramic site.

 

 

49. Carpenter's files: RASPS.

53. Home of the Jazz: UTAH.  Jeopardy had a category where the clues asked for team names that were not plural.  Jazz was one of the answers.

55. Natural burn balm: ALOE.

56. Bobcat, e.g.: LYNX.  Our WNBA Minnesota team was another clue.

58. Dryly humorous: WRY.  I try to be dryly humorous on this site, but sometimes I cannot help getting wet.

59. Little __, singer of the #1 hit "The Loco-Motion": EVA. "Do it nice and easy now and don't lose control."

Boomer

Sunday August 23, 2020 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Tutti Frutti" - One word in each familiar phrase is replaced by a sound-like fruit name.

22A. Prime growing month for a citrus fruit?: KUMQUAT MAY. Come what may.

30A. Song sung by a French fruit lover?: MY CHERRY AMOUR. My Cherie Amour.

47A. "No juice in my mojito, please"?: HOLD THE LIME. Hold the line.

62A. Vintner's prospects?: GRAPE EXPECTATIONS. Great Expectations.

79A. One removing fuzz from fuzzy fruit?: PEACH COMBER. Beachcomber.

91A. Fruit farm's cash flow?: CURRANT INCOME. Current income. Total homophone.

107A. Write-up on a fruit?: PEAR REVIEW. Peer review.

Sweet offering from Ed. CURRANT INCOME is a total homophone. The others are all soundalike changes. 

Short write-up today. We let go of the legacy blog format in the middle of last night. Can't imagine what a mess it would be without Anon-T and TTP's converter. Thanks again, guys!

Across:

1. More than a little unkind: MEAN.

5. Tolkien monsters: ORCS.

9. One hanging in a 2000 election: CHAD.

13. Tiny tweet: PEEP.

17. Leaking slowly, as a faucet: ADRIP. Also 73. Visually rapt: AGAZE.

19. Pacific salmon: COHO.

20. Juno's Greek counterpart: HERA.

21. Sassy "Cheers" waitress: CARLA.

24. Culturally affected: ARTY.

25. Broadcast booth sign: ON AIR.

26. Sources of current information: OCEAN MAPS.

27. Recon pro: SCOUT.

28. Take a dip: BATHE.

29. Belgrade resident: SERBIAN.

33. First fruit site: EDEN.

35. Fields for fillies: LEAS.

36. New Balance rival: AVIA.

37. Fast-food chain with a cowboy hat logo: ARBY'S.

41. Starts the show: OPENS.

43. Gulf of __: Arabian Sea arm: ADEN.

44. Comics impact: BAM.

50. Duck Hunt console, briefly: NES.

51. Trait carrier: GENE.

52. Chef lead-in: SOUS.

53. Midwest native: OTOE.

54. Mideast potentate: EMIR.

56. Masters of allusion: POETS.

57. Verse sometimes sung: ODE.

58. Kid's punishment: NO TV.

59. Mosquito mating maneuver: SWARM.

61. Not too sharp, as an image: LOW-RES.

66. Lack on some gowns: STRAPS.

68. Toy line?: LEASH.

69. Temporary pause: LULL.

70. Styron protagonist Turner: NAT.

74. 1987 Best New Artist Grammy winner Watley: JODY.

75. Tortilla dough: MASA.

76. "Carpe diem," in textspeak: YOLO. You Only Live Once.

77. Wood shop tool: VISE.

78. Paul on guitar: LES.

82. Leadoff double?: EFS. Leadoff.

83. Bit of power: WATT.

84. How some items are auctioned: BY LOT.

85. Explorer da Gama: VASCO.

86. Sorority letters: PHIS.

87. Intangible quality: AURA.

88. Drink brand with a lizard logo: SOBE.

96. "Little Shop of __": HORRORS.

101. First African-American major-league coach Buck: O'NEIL.

102. General and private: RANKS.

103. Hip-hop label co-founded by Jay-Z: ROC-A-FELLA. Wow, picture link is not as friendly as the legacy blog.

105. Barrel component: STAVE.

106. Painter Nolde: EMIL.

108. Solution strength: TITER.

109. Busy as __: A BEE.

110. Cream color: ECRU.

111. Kirsten of "Spider-Man": DUNST.

112. Reserved __: SEAT.

113. Fail to make contact with: MISS.

114. VA concern: PTSD. Our local VA has this poster on the wall: "Strong Enough to Serve. Strong Enough to Recover".

115. Chile money: PESO.

Down:

1. Mighty sharks: MAKOS.

2. Draw out: EDUCE.

3. Emmy-winning producer of "The Fugitive" Alan __: ARMER.

4. Muslim face covering: NIQAB.

5. Pump figure: OCTANE.

6. Runaway victory: ROMP.

7. Deep fissure: CHASM.

8. Vegan protein source: SOY.

9. Dances with shuffle steps: CHA CHAS.

10. Medal awardees: HEROES.

11. Keyboard contemporary of Vladimir: ARTUR.

12. Market speculator: DAY TRADER.

13. Hat that originated in Ecuador, strangely: PANAMA.

14. Keats' Muse: ERATO.

15. Yale of Yale fame: ELIHU.

16. Fruit lover's gadget: PARER.

18. Most weak: PUNIEST.

21. Kurt of Nirvana: COBAIN.

23. Make __ dash: A MAD.

27. Play setting: SCENE.

31. Primordial substance, in physics: YLEM.

32. Designer __ Saint Laurent: YVES.

34. Bad blood: NO LOVE LOST.

37. "I get it": AH SO.

38. Crucifix: ROOD.

39. Lawn choice: BLUEGRASS.

40. Abbr. on a teeing ground sign: YDS.

42. Fruit-filled dessert, often: PIE.

43. Circus highlights: ANIMAL ACTS.

44. Self-appointed pub experts: BEER SNOBS. Not sure if D-Otto is one.

45. Pay to play: ANTE.

46. It calls for sweeping action: MESS.

48. Court game: HOOPS.

49. Kitchen add-on?: ETTE. Kitchenette.

51. One may come with a train: GOWN.

54. Apiece: EACH.

55. "I pity the fool" speaker: MR T.

56. Billiards type: POOL.

58. It's at one end of the back: NAPE.

59. Do a vet's job: SPAY.

60. Jazz guitarist Montgomery: WES.

61. Purple hue: LILAC.

63. Wreck with a ball: RAZE.

64. Marked on a ballot: X'ED.

65. Behind: TUSH.

66. File menu option: SAVE.

67. Letters for one with weekend plans: TGIF.

71. Knighted Guinness: ALEC.

72. Snowblower maker: TORO.

74. So-called "river of wind": JET STREAM.

75. "Little Red Book" writer: MAO.

76. Vocalist Sumac: YMA.

78. Placed: LAIN.

79. Compulsive fire starters, informally: PYROS.

80. Jack of old oaters: ELAM.

81. Like plump pets, perhaps: OVERFED.

83. Pequod, for one: WHALER.

84. Belt parts: BUCKLES.

86. Ornamental hedge shrub: PRIVET.

87. "__ Song": John Denver hit: ANNIE'S.

89. "Dang it!": OH CRUD.

90. Dull-sounding critter: BOAR.

91. Runs, moneywise: COSTS.

92. Let loose: UNTIE.

93. Spanish lasso: REATA.

94. Poetic pairs: IAMBI.

95. Build: ERECT.

97. Gun, as an engine: REV UP.

98. NFL pass blockers as a unit, in football lingo: OLINE.

99. Like "Harvard Yard," as spoken by some locals: RLESS.

100. Took care of: SAWTO.

104. Scull crew: OARS.

107. Get-up-and-go: PEP.

Happy birthday to the always cheerful Tinbeni, who's been with this blog for over 10 years. Wish you a very special day, Tinbeni!

C.C.