Tuesday, October 20, 2020 Roland Huget

Hello, Goodbye.  The last few letters of each theme answer is another word one might use when departing.

20-Across. Bach mini comic opera about a beverage addiction: COFFEE CANTATA.  October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

25-Across. Modern car receivers: SATELLITE RADIOS.  Today's Spanish Lesson.

47-Across. He played the interviewer in "Interview With the Vampire": CHRISTIAN SLATER.

And the unifier:

53-Across. Last parting, or what can literally be found in 20-, 25- and 47-Across: FINAL FAREWELL.  The last 4 or 5 letters of each theme answer is another word for saying "Farewell".

Across:
1. Play divisions: ACTS.

5. Citrus coolers: ADES.  Hi, Lemonade!

9. Caroline, to Bobby Kennedy: NIECE.

14. Site of many a college party: FRAT.

15. Vatican leader: POPE.

The New Pope, played by John Malovich.

16. Garden trimming gadget: EDGER.

17. Singer __ Amos: TORI.  Tori Amos (née Myra Ellen Amos; b. Aug. 22, 1963) is a classically trained musician.

18. Stuffed shirt: PRIG.

19. Pastry with tea: SCONE.

23. Pillow filler: FOAM.  My pillows are stuffed with feathers.

24. Anthem contraction: O'ER.

33. Letter-shaped plumbing trap: U-BEND.

34. Shade tree: ELM.  I hear people have Nightmares on Elm Street.

35. Layer on a stagnant pond: SCUM.

36. Opp. of 56-Down: MAN.  //  And 56-Down. Works-by-itself setting: AUTO.  Think of Manual transmission and Automatic cars.

37. Secretly: SUB ROSA.  Sub rosa is a Litin phrase that means "under the rose".  In ancient times, the rose was a symbol for secrecy.

41. Denver-to-Chicago dir.: ENE.  One must go East-NorthEast to get from Denver to Chicago.

42. Beginning on: AS OF.

44. Hide-hair connector: NOR.  The phrase, "neither hide nor hair" dates back to the time of Chaucer.  It alludes to the fact that the outside of an animal is made up of hide and hair, which therefore constitute its entirety. The negative version, nearly always meaning that something or someone cannot be seen or found, became common in the mid-nineteenth century.

45. German camera: LEICA.  The Leica Camera company has been around since 1869.  It was founded by Ernst Leitz (Apr. 26, 1843 ~ Sept. 12, 1920).  The word Leica is derived from the first three letters of the founder's surname, Leitz, and the first two letters of the word Camera.

Ernst Leitz

51. Yellowfin tuna: AHI.

52. Very often: ALOT.

59. Liberty Bell flaw: CRACK.  The Liberty Bell traveled across the country in 1917.  I have never actually seen the Liberty Bell.  I have a friend in Philadelphia.  Maybe when it is safe to travel again, I can go visit her and the Bell.

60. Artificial bait: LURE.  They come in all shapes and sized depending upon what you are fishing for.

61. "The First __": holiday song: NOËL.  This word is derived from the Latin verb Nasci, which means, to be born.

63. "Voices Carry" co-songwriter Mann: AIMEE.  Below is Aimee Mann's solo version, not the one made famous by 'Til Tuesday.

64. Perched on: ATOP.  Not going to have my picnic lunch perched upon a construction beam.

65. Impulse: URGE.

66. Models strike them: POSES.

67. Acknowledges applause: BOWS.

68. Mexican bread?: PESO.  More of today's Spanish lesson.  1 Peso equals 0.047 US Dollars.

Down:

 
1. Back on board: AFT.  Hi, Spitzboov!

2. Gator's cousin: CROC.

3. Poi source: TARO.

4. React to an insult, maybe: STIFFEN.

5. Legal challenge: APPEAL.  The United States Supreme Court has the final word on appeals in this country.

6. Scale starters: DO RE MI.

7. Grand-scale production: EPIC.

8. Genesis creator: SEGA.  Maker of video games.

9. Snapple rival: NESTEA.

10. They're often swiped at work: ID CARDS.  Poor Leslie.  She is a non-essential employee.

11. Entertainment awards acronym: EGOT.  This acronym has been making quite a few appearances in the crossword puzzles recently:  Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.  To date, there have been 16 EGOT winners.

12. Wrestler John: CENA.  John Felix Anthony Cena, Jr. (b. Apr. 23, 1977) got married just last week to his 2nd wife, Shay Shariatzadeh.

13. Prior to, in poems: ERE.

21. Tosses in one's cards: FOLDS.

22. Expected outcomes: NORMS.

25. The "poison" type contains the skin irritant urushiol: SUMAC.

26. Disconcert: ABASH.

27. Pavarotti, for one: TENOR.  As was recently noted, the anniversary of Luciano Pavarotti's 85th birth (Oct. 12, 1935 ~ Sept. 7, 2007) would have celebrated last week.  I saw him perform many years ago in Boston.

28. Earth, to Cato: TERRA.  Today's Italian lesson.

29. "Xanadu" rock gp.: ELO.  As in the Electric Light Orchestra.

30. Seal the deal: ICE IT.  Sorry, Tin!

31. Prevention measure?: OUNCE.  A reference to the adage, An Ounce of Prevention is worth a Pound of Cure.

32. Makeup streak: SMEAR.

38. "Open __ 9 p.m.": store sign: UNTIL.

39. Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er __": BOI.

40. Give permission: ALLOW.

43. Bride-to-be: FIANCÉE.

46. Wiped out by excess costs, as profits: EATEN UP.

48. Burger joint drinks: SHAKES.

49. Limited in scope: NARROW.

50. Grabs some shuteye: SLEEPS.

53. Cold, in Cádiz: FRIO.  More of today's Spanish lesson.

54. Brand with a paw print in its logo: IAMS.

55. Love handles, so to speak: FLAB.

57. Old stories: LORE.

58. Relay race segments: LEGS.

59. Spending limit: CAP.

62. Sign of summer: LEO.

Here's the Grid:

Monday October 19, 2020 Craig Stowe

Theme: TWIST TOPS (64. Easy-to-remove caps ... or one way to get the starts of the answers to starred clues?)  - The first words are all anagrams of TOPS.

17. *Chooses not to partake in: OPTS OUT OF.

25. *Random quality-control measure: SPOT CHECK.

30. *Often herky-jerky animation technique: STOP MOTION.

45. *Rainbow-end rewards: POTS OF GOLD.

Boomer here. This is a TOPS of a puzzle.                                                                     

I have been hinting for a while, and we finally pulled the trigger on a new Hyundai Santa Fe.  We were looking at a white one, but when I sat behind the wheel, I could not resist shouting "Hi Oh Silver!"  I also called the sales person Tonto. So C.C. decided that Navy Blue might be a better choice. The vehicle has all wheel drive which may come in handy after a Minnesota snowfall.  

Speaking of Minnesota weather, it is 34 degrees this morning so I am giving my golf clubs a rest.

 

Across:

1. "I get it!": AHA.

4. Swamp, briefly: QUAG.  Is this not a MIRE??

8. Trails through the woods: PATHS.  Not sure if golf carts have all wheel drive.  Maybe "Carts on paths only" is the rule of the day.

13. Zero, in soccer: NIL.  I think NIL is between SLIM and less than NONE

14. "Star Trek" communications officer: UHURA.

16. Crosswise, shipwise: ABEAM.  Only drove in the daytime so far so I have not used the ABEAM.

19. Cocoon occupant: LARVA.

20. Six-sided state: UTAH.  I've driven through on I-80.  Nice lake to the north.

21. What the big hand indicates: HOUR.  TV news show "60 Minutes."

22. Part of PTA: Abbr.: ASSOC.  Also part of our townhome management company.

23. North or South Asian country: KOREA.  I think our vehicle is made in the good old USA, but the parent company is in South Korea.

27. Actress Behrs of "2 Broke Girls": BETH.

29. Wide shoe size: EEE.  A Duck foot??

35. DNA test kit item: SWAB.  Also used to test for the nasty virus.

39. Scarecrow material: HAY.  "I could while away the hours, conferring with the flowers, consulting with the rain.  And my head I'd be scratchin' while my thoughts they'd be hatchin' if I only had a brain". "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

40. Stinker: SO AND SO.

42. Hurry, to Shakespeare: HIE.

43. Angry cat's warning: HISS.  I may have heard a snake say this once or twice.

47. Cobbler's punch: AWL.

49. Small stream: RILL.

50. *Lickety-split: POSTHASTE.  Sounds like a brand of toothpaste.

56. Front-end wheel alignment: TOE IN.  Instruction on a pair of boots??

59. Second half of most musicals: ACT II.  I learned "Sound of Music" only had 2 acts.

60. Kansas city: IOLA.  Right off U.S Highway 169 which happens to run North South about a mile west of our home.

 

 

62. Youngest Brontë sister: ANNE.

63. Showed again: RERAN.  I watch a lot of "Law and Order" reruns during the afternoon. 

66. Panfry: SAUTE.

67. Cocktail garnishes: ZESTS.  Two or more bars of soap.

68. Boy king: TUT.

69. Key above Shift: ENTER.  Only on the right side.  I checked and "Caps Lock" is on the left. 

70. Roof problem: LEAK.

71. UFO crew, they say: ETS.

Down:

1. Aimée of "8 1/2": ANOUK.

2. Aware of: HIP TO.  "For a long time now I've been aware, that I'm so HIP the rest of the world is square." Chad Mitchell Trio.

3. Young acolytes: ALTAR BOYS.  I never signed up for this job.  I had many friends who did.

4. Quid pro __: QUO.

5. "Not a chance": UH UH.

6. Parking lot occupants: AUTOS.  Lots of shiny new Hyundais on the dealer lot we visited.

7. Word after study or social: GROUP.

8. Royal residence: PALACE.

9. Embarrasses: ABASHES.  You may get these if someone burns your ABS.

10. To the point: TERSE.

11. Wreak __: cause mayhem: HAVOC.  Like a Viking's game.

12. Hit hard: SMACK.

15. Curly hairdo: AFRO.  I do not have enough hair.  Erik Agard and Kyle Troup (PBA Bowler) are very close.

18. Animal sheared for wool: SHEEP.  Wake up!  Little boy Blue!

24. Casino cash dispensers: ATMS.  Gosh, who would have to use an ATM in a casino??

26. Stretching muscle: TENSOR.

28. Flashy publicity: HOOPLA.  "Though it never made the New York Times, in the Daily News the caption read."  Simon and Garfunkel.

30. "Button it!": SHH.

31. Mai __: cocktail: TAI.

32. Confucian path: TAO.

33. Loan pmt. part: INT.  I have no interest in loans with interest.  I have paid enough.

34. Pigs out (on): ODS.

36. Musical symbol with no stem: WHOLE NOTE.

37. Feel sick: AIL.  Luckily with all my AILments, I only felt sick once all summer.

38. Word with room or board: BED.

41. "Think nothing __": OF IT.

44. Quench: SATIATE.

46. Be a bad winner: GLOAT.  No worries for me on the golf course.  I never won anything.

48. Crybaby: WHINER.  I never WHINED about not winning.

50. Break down, as a sentence: PARSE.

51. Arctic or Atlantic: OCEAN.  Who might remember the first "Ocean's 11" with the Las Vegas "Rat Pack"??

52. Walk proudly: STRUT.  Not me, I use a cart.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              53. __ bath: therapy treatment: SITZ.  Not a bath, but on a recent visit to the doctor I have been complaining about leg weakness.  The doctor had me sit on the edge of a bed and he held my legs and asked me to push.  I nearly knocked him off his chair, so he decided my legs were okay.  

54. Sauna wrap, often: TOWEL.

55. Beethoven's "Für __": ELISE.

57. Contribution to the discussion: INPUT.

58. Egg holders: NESTS.

61. Whodunit pooch: ASTA.  The Thin Man's dog.

65. Disapproving sound: TSK.  You need three of these.

Boomer

Sunday, Oct 18, 2020 Gary Larson

Theme: - "Driver's Ed" - ED is added to the first word of each familiar familiar phrase ending with a car model.

23A. Wrecked Mitsubishi SUVs?: TOTALED ECLIPSES.

36A. Followed Chevy SUVs?: TRAILED BLAZERS.

66A. Found spots for Ford pickups?: PARKED RANGERS.

97A. Selected classic VWs at an online auction?: CLICKED BEETLES.

112. Pointed the way for Subaru SUVs?: DIRECTED ASCENTS.

15D. Took Honda SUVs for demo drives?: TESTED PILOTS.

61D. Cleaned the interiors of Geo compacts?: DUSTED STORMS.

Such a perfect title. Very Husker Gary!

Super tight theme. Different car makes. No Hyundai though, its models are not friendly to wordplay here. But after three years of talking and talking, we finally got our Santa Fe. It's quite smart. The front passenger seat is a bit low for me. And I can't raise it up. Have any of you encountered similar passenger seat problems? Can you all raise your front passenger seat?

Across:

1. Rush job notation: ASAP. Sometimes Boomer gets STAT order at the VA blood draw.

5. Lose one's way at the podium: RAMBLE.

11. Wild guess: STAB.

15. Eastern "way": TAO.

18. Valley with vines: NAPA. Affected by the Glass Fire.

19. Court: ATRIUM.

20. Cry out loud: WAIL.

21. "__ Luna": Allende novel: EVA.

22. "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" singer Leo: SAYER.

26. End-of-page abbr.: PTO.

27. 1998 animated bug film: ANTZ.

29. "And how!": SURE DO.

30. Eponymous lab dish inventor: PETRI. Petri dish is named after bacteriologist Julius Richard Petri.

31. Iconic '60s-'70s TV caretaker: AUNT BEE. "The Andy Griffith Show".

33. Skein formers: GEESE.

35. Response to "Shall we?": LET'S. Hyundai offers 5-year interest-free financing.

41. Worn: USED.

43. Made: EARNED.

44. Inflexible: RIGID.

45. Indian term of respect: SRI. Chinese "Sri" is "xian sheng". So you'll call Jayce as "Jayce Xian Sheng". You put the address after the person's surname.

46. Modern office staples: PCS.

49. Foundry waste: SLAG.

50. Kept adding to, as a tab: RAN UP.

51. Choice for the kitchen: FLOOR TILE.

54. Thrust: ESSENCE.

57. Like-minded group: BLOC.

58. Greenwich who co-wrote songs for the Ronettes and Crystals: ELLIE. Unknown to me. Wiki says "She wrote or co-wrote "Be My Baby", "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Leader of the Pack", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", and "River Deep – Mountain High", among others. "

59. Tar: OLD SALT.

62. Head cases?: CRANIA. Nailed it. We had this clue before.

64. Tricks: CONS.

65. Fraternity letter: TAU.

71. Tiny songbird: TIT. Keith has a good story.

72. Eject: OUST.

74. Simple to manage: WIELDY.

75. Pepper named for a state: TABASCO. Do you like Tabasco sauce?

77. "What the Butler Saw" playwright: ORTON.

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

80. Indian spice mixtures: MASALAS.

83. "The Dirty Dozen" star: LEE MARVIN.

85. Comic strip frame: PANEL.

86. José's home: CASA.

90. Put the kibosh on: END.

91. Sock part: TOE.

92. Poker Flat creator: HARTE (Bret).

93. Seals' singing partner: CROFTS. Seals and Crofts.

95. Building for tools: SHED.

100. Partnership for Peace gp.: NATO. According to Wiki, "the Partnership for Peace is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) program aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former Soviet Union; 20 states are members."

102. Leftovers wrap: SARAN.

104. Crossword solver's smudge: ERASURE.

105. Something in the air: AROMA.

107. Tenant: RENTER.

110. Series finale: Abbr.: ET AL.

111. Youngster: TOT.

115. They cast no votes: ANTIS.

117. Dr. Seuss' Sam-__: I-AM.

118. Former slugger Martinez: TINO. The other Martinez was a Hall-of-Fame pitcher.

119. Weapons cache: ARMORY.

120. Wasn't straight: LIED. Now I have a better understanding of car dealerships. They don't really lie. But you can be misled.

121. Pack critter: ASS.

122. Getaway spots: SPAS.

123. Fannies: TUSHES.

124. Listening devices: EARS.

Down: 

1. Note in an E scale: A NATURAL.

2. Parting word: SAYONARA. "Hello" is "Konnichiwa". Or you can just greet with "Ohayou gozaimasu". Add "Oishii", you can travel to Japan.

3. Wild way to go: APE.

4. Good Samaritan story, say: PARABLE.

5. Betrayed, with "on": RATTED.

6. Familiar gamut: A TO Z. So, what's the best thing you bought on Amazon?

7. 1980s Peppard co-star: MR T. George Peppard of "The A-Team".

8. Partiality: BIAS.

9. Whopper: LULU.

10. Broke the surface: EMERGED.

11. Borg and Bergman: SWEDES.  Bjorn Borg. Ingmar Bergman.

12. Snacks in shells: TACOS. Mexican food is not that popular in Guangzhou. No idea why.

13. Afflict: AIL.

14. Minor disruption: BLIP.

16. Ward off: AVERT.

17. Spring locale: OASIS.

22. Sudden outbursts: SPATES.

24. Bucks in the woods: DEER.

25. Soccer immortal: PELE.

28. Obligation: NEED.

32. Slight touches: TINGES.

34. Multinational money: EURO.

37. White rice's lack: BRAN. I never saw anyone eat brown rice when I was in China. Carmen told me that even in Cultural Revolution, they did not eat brown rice. Always white rice.

38. "The Mod Squad" cop with an Afro: LINC.

39. Feverish feeling: AGUE.

40. Energy: ZIP.

42. Bring into being: SIRE.

45. Like some norms or ills: SOCIETAL.

47. Medical center: CLINIC. We went into the CT scan room at the VA hospital about 2:30pm. There was an lady waiting for her son. She said she had been in the hospital since 8:00am that morning. Her 53-year-old son had one lung removed and has a few other health issues. We later saw them leaving the room together and I was so moved.

48. Takes care of: SEES TO.

50. Work with a hunter, perhaps: RETRIEVE.

51. Spanish dessert: FLAN. Help yourself.

52. Yearn: LONG.

53. Coddling for a comrade, briefly: TLC. Everyone in my dad's factory was called Comrade. Comrade Wang, Comrade Chen, etc.

55. Weaken: SAP.

56. Picnic staple: SLAW.

57. Product of Bali: BRA.

59. "Lawrence of Arabia" star Peter: O'TOOLE.

60. MLB Network sportscaster __ Shehadi: LAUREN.

62. Weep: CRY.

63. Decimated Asian sea: ARAL.

67. "The Americans" co-star Russell: KERI. Loved her "Felicity".

68. Pizzazz: ELAN.

69. Banned pesticide: DDT.

70. Govt. org. that aids entrepreneurs: SBA.

73. Barnyard male: TOM. Chicago or Texas?

76. Fancy ties: ASCOTS.

78. Rapper cousin of Snoop: NATE.

80. Target: MARK.

81. Required pot contribution: ANTE.

82. Start of an idea: SEED.

84. Fishing gear: RODS.

85. Super __: PAC.

87. Quivering: AFLUTTER. Fun word to say.

88. Focus of a 1990s-2000s baseball "era": STEROIDS. So sad. This made so many cards from that era worthless.

89. Stocks and such: ASSETS.

92. Implies: HINTS AT. 👍, ATLGranny!

 

93. Michael of "Arrested Development": CERA.

94. Naturally carbonated brew: REAL ALE.

96. Main Web page: HOME.

97. Doctrines: CREDOS.

98. Young Clark's love: LANA.

99. Ross and DeVos: BETSYS.

100. Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA. Stunning.

101. Opera solos: ARIAS.

103. __ football: ARENA.

106. Takes steps: ACTS.

108. Linen hue: ECRU.

109. Radiation measures: REMS.

110. To be, in Tours: ETRE.

113. "Let me give you a __ ... ": TIP.

114. Japanese drama: NOH. Literally "talent". Like Chinese "Neng".

116. Long of "Empire": NIA.

C.C.