Tuesday, November 17, 2020 Craig Stowe

Winter's Coming!

The circles spell out words that remind us that Winter is just around the corner.  Technically, the words Ice, Sleet, Hoar and Rime are terms-of-art that have slightly different meanings, but you get the (snow) drift.

17-Across. Words from a vacillator: I CAN'T DECIDE.  Ice.

25-Across. Bedtime wish: SLEEP TIGHT.  Sleet.

39-Across. Crusade: HOLY WAR.  Hoar.

51-Across. Fastest-ever performance, as in a race: RECORD TIME.  Rime.

And the Unifier:

63-Across. Spiky, bleached hairstyle ... or what the puzzle circles represent: FROSTED TIPS.

Across:

1. Deputized Western group: POSSE.  The word Posse comes from the Latin phrase posse comitatus, which means the "force or power of the country".

6. African capital near ancient Carthage: TUNIS.  When my sister was in the Peace Corps, she was sent to Tunis.

11. __-pitch: SLO.

14. Milo of "Romeo and Juliet" (1968): O'SHEA.  Milo O'Shea (June 2, 1926 ~ Apr. 2, 2013) portrayed Friar Laurence in this movie.

15. Ten sawbucks: C-NOTE.  Technically a C-Note is a 100 dollar bill.  Webster's offers a possible explanation of the origin of how the Sawbuck came to mean a $10 bill.

16. Bench press target: PEC.  //  And 56-Across. Workout count: REPS.

19. Snitch: RAT.

20. Golf bunker contents: SAND.  //  And 22-Across. Golfer's goof: SLICE.

21. "__ fair in love ... ": ALL'S.  The phrase "All's fair in love and war" is attributed to the 16th Century English poet, John Lyly (1550s ~ Nov. 1606), who wrote “The rules of fair play do not apply in love and war.” 

24. Cogito __ sum: ERGO.  More of today's Latin lesson.  Technically there should be a comma between the first and second word of this phrase.  Translated into English, this phrase means: I think, therefore I am.

27. Hurry: RUSH.  //  And 18-Down. Sprint: DASH.

29. Detroit NFLer: LION.

30. Religion: FAITH.

32. Swing and Disco: ERAs.

34. Casino gratuity: TOKE.  In this context, Toke is short for Token of Appreciation.

38. Feel out of sorts: AIL.

42. Neither's partner: NOR.  Although the United States Postal Service has no official motto, the words "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" are found on the 8th Avenue Post Office in New York City.

43. Marvel superhero: X-MAN.  There are several X-Men, so you can take your pick.

45. Peace signs: VEEs.

46. Up and at 'em: ASTIR.

48. __ fail: unexpected disaster: EPIC.  Apparently in Spain, anyone can be an art restorer.

The Before and After the EPIC fail.

50. Pandora's box, e.g.: MYTH.  Apparently, some one opened Pandora's Box this year.

59. __ acid: AMINO.

60. Part of RBG or LBJ: Abbr.: INIT.  Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Mar. 14, 1933 ~ Sept. 18, 2020) and Lyndon Baines Johnson (Aug. 27, 1908 ~ Jan. 22, 1973), the 26th President of the United States.  I always though LBJ was so old, and yet he was only 64 when he died.

61. Inter __: among others: ALIA.  More of today's Latin lesson.  This phrase had become a crossword staple.

62. Doze (off): NOD.

66. Colorado tribe: UTE.

67. Word with peace or turmoil: INNER.  As in Inner Peace and Inner Turmoil.  Complete opposites.

68. Ancient letters: RUNES.

69. __ capita: PER.

70. Individual preference: TASTE.

71. Salon board abrasive: EMERY.

Down:

1. Self-assurance: POISE.

2. Subject of a seasonal buzz or nod: OSCAR.  The official name of the of the Oscar is the Academy Award of Merit.  Legend has it that it was called Oscar because the Academy librarian thought the statuette looked like her Uncle Oscar.  The statuette is 13 1/2 inches tall and weighs 8.5 pounds.

3. Utopia in "Lost Horizon": SHANGRI-LA.  I read Lost Horizon by James Hilton (Sept. 9, 1900 ~ Dec. 20, 1954) when I was in high school.  I remember I really liked the novel.

4. Emit: SEND OUT.

5. Dog-dog connection?: EAT.  It's a Dog Eat Dog world.

6. Immune system agent: T-CELL.  Everything you wanted to know about T-Cells but were afraid to ask.

7. "I give up!": UNCLE.  This has become a crossword staple.

8. Regulations affecting loud parties: NOISE LAWS.

9. "__ be an honor!": IT'D.

10. Deals with: SEES TO.

11. Hint of mint: SPRIG.

12. Extract, as lye from ashes: LEACH.

13. The planets, since Pluto's demotion: OCTET.  I was very reluctant to remove Eight.

Before Pluto's demotion.

23. Dryer trap fuzz: LINT.

26. Leaning Tower city: PISA.

28. Exam proctor's reminder: SHH!

30. Copier function: FAX.  Does anyone still use a fax?

31. Intention: AIM.

32. Primaries, say: ELECTIONs.  Thank goodness the elections are over.

33. Manhattan liquor: RYE.  How to make a Manhattan.

35. At risk: ON THE LINE.

36. Pond carp: KOI.

37. Slip up: ERR.  To ERR is human ...

40. "Metamorphoses" poet: OVID.

41. Bit of sunshine: RAY.  A CSO to our own Ray-o-Sunshine.

44. Gas in signs: NEON.

47. Layer: STRATUM.

49. Monetary gain: PROFIT.

50. Parcel (out): METE.

51. Accumulated, as debts: RAN UP.

52. Act with great passion: EMOTE.

53. Fall beverage: CIDER.

54. Map within a map: INSET.

55. British bishop's headdress: MITRE.  The word, whether spelled the British way or the American way, comes from a Greek word meaning Headband or Turban.  Justin Welby (b. Jan. 6, 1956) is the current Archbishop of Canterbury.

57. "Pied" folklore guy: PIPER.  The Pied Piper was supposedly hired to rid the German town of Hamelin of its rats.  Unfortunately, the towns people failed to pay him, so he took revenge by took the away, never to be seen again.

58. Given to insolence: SASSY.  If I sassed back to my grandmother, she would wash my mouth out with soap.  It happened to me more than once.  I must have liked the taste of the soap.

64. "Messenger" letters: RNA. 

65. Beats by __: audio equipment brand: DRE.  I was not familiar with this company.  Apparently, it was founded by the rapper Dr. Dre (né Andre Romelle Young; b. Feb. 18, 1965), who makes occasional appearances in the crossword puzzles.  Since 2014, it has been a subsidiary of Apple.

Here's the Grid:

Monday November 16th, 2020 Mark McClain

Theme: RECYCLE SHOP (54. Earth-friendly retailer ... and a hint to the circled letters) -SHOP is scrambled inside each theme answer, moving one letter at a time.

 17. "Fingers crossed!": HERE'S HOPING.

 24. American addition to Chinese cuisine: CHOP SUEY.

 34. Vessel carrying soldiers: TROOP SHIP.

 46. Steph Curry hoops specialty: JUMP SHOT.

Boomer here. 

It's a little early for Christmas SHOPping but "Black Friday" will soon be upon us.  I believe it got the name when retailers profits got into the black on that day. Might be a long SHOP (I mean long shot) this year .

Across:

1. Wedding party escort: USHER.  Unfortunately these parties are being blamed for a lot of positive COVID tests.

6. Witch's incantation: SPELL.  "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!"  As much as I liked Costner's "Bull Durham", "Wizard of Oz" is still my favorite.

11. Image file suffix: JPG.

14. Garden-guarding spirit: GNOME.  We have a couple of glass owls to scare the squirrels.  They don't do the job however.

15. Free-for-all: MELEE.  Vikings verses Bears tonight ?? 

16. Poetic "before": ERE.  "And I heard him exclaim ERE he drove out of sight."

19. Golf starting point: TEE.  You get to the TEE and put your TEE in the ground then TEE off.

20. Cattle identifier: EAR TAG.  Female cattle get rings.

21. Puts dressing in, as a turkey: STUFFS.  Coming soon to a Thursday near you.

23. Painter or sculptor: ARTIST.

26. Face cover: VEIL.  These days we might just call it a MASK.

27. Hawaii's Mauna __: LOA.

28. Watch over: TEND.

29. Shakespearean rumpus: ADO.  "Much ADO about nothing."

30. Sad on the Seine?: BLEU.  This word refers to BLEU cheese also.  Cheese is not Blue so if you spell it blue, you BLEW it. 

32. Migratory salmon: SMOLTS.  Reminds me of Braves pitcher John Smoltz.

 

36. Directs (to), as a specialist: REFERS.

39. Fibbed: LIED.

40. __ moment: revelation: AHA.  I know you don't yell it, but many of you think it when you fill a word that you were stumped on.

43. Yemeni port: ADEN.

44. Bumped into: MET.  New York's AMAZIN' players in 1969.

45. Hoity-toity sort: SNOB.

49. Draw idly: DOODLE.  "I'm a Yankee DOODLE Dandy !"

51. College grounds: CAMPUS.  I have only seen a few, but they all seem very elite.

52. Lighthearted banter: LEVITY.  Sure, I get to 52-Across and get called a word.

53. See 53-Down: PAL.53. With 53-Across, money transfer app: PAY.

57. Consumed: ATE.  The same letters are EAT.  Thanksgiving is coming.

58. Stay away from: AVOID.  AVOID too much turkey and stuffing. Pumpkin pie is okay.

59. Offends the nose: REEKS.

60. "Spot on!": YES.

61. Dots on a map: TOWNS.  Timberwolves Karl Anthony TOWNS - AKA KAT.

62. Doctrinal belief: TENET.

Down:

1. "This tastes awful!": UGH.

2. Smiled with disdain: SNEERED.

3. Fictional captain Hornblower: HORATIO.

4. "Bam!" chef: EMERIL.

5. Takes ten: RESTS.  Bowls a strike, then rests.

6. Air quality issue: SMOG. Our suburban Minneapolis air is pretty fresh.  But occasionally full of white stuff.

7. __ talk: team motivator: PEP.

8. "Happy Endings" actress Cuthbert: ELISHA.  ELISHA GRAY along with Enos Barton founded  Western Electric which became Graybar in 1929 when the employees purchased the distribution and sales portion of the company.  I owe them a lot! 

9. Largo relative: LENTO.

10. Assistance, with "a": LEG UP.

11. Propellant for a flying fighter: JET FUEL.  Is it unleaded ?

12. Roll call response: PRESENT.  Or you may start purchasing some on Black Friday.

13. "Who knew?": GEE.  WHIZ.

18. __ trick: hockey player's three goals in a game: HAT.  And everyone tosses theirs on the ice.

22. SLR setting: F STOP.

23. "Selma" director DuVernay: AVA.  Also Ms. Gardner.

24. Rhyming pair: COUPLET.

25. NFL stats: YDS.  Viking Dalvan Cook has a bunch.

27. Zodiac feline: LEO.  I was once in a bowling league with LEO Mann.  The guy was a PBA member but once in awhile I might sneak out a win. 

30. "Turn on the heat!": BRR.  We had warm weather a couple of weeks ago, but this week it's "Welcome to Minnesota". 

31. __ Angeles: LOS.

32. "... __ loves me not": SHE.

33. Prefix with night: MID.

34. Local news hr.: TEN PM.  Also Five and Six. More commercials for us all.

35. Obedience school command: SIT.  I like the lactose free milk commercials where the guy says "If it wasn't real milk then those aren't real cows."  Then he tells them to "SIT ... I said SIT. "

36. Friend of TV's Sheldon and Leonard: RAJ.

37. Provide schooling for: EDUCATE.  This is a real hassle for schools this year.  Especially with the recent spike in cases, I'm not sure I would send school age kids to school.  I do coach bowling to High School kids but that has been delayed until spring, Or maybe next year.  Pfizer has hinted that a vaccine is coming, but needs to be stored at minus 80 degrees C.  Wow???

38. Ewes and does: FEMALES.

40. "Subsequently ... ": AND THEN.  "AND THEN Along came Jones"  - Ray Stevens.

41. Mount __: oldest Seven Sisters college: HOLYOKE.

42. Civil War prez: ABE.  back when Minnesota was a new state. 

44. Red Square city: MOSCOW.

45. "It's pretty obvious": SO I SEE.

47. Nursery rhyme dieter: SPRAT.  "Jack SPRAT could eat no fat"

48. Spanish omelet ingredient: HUEVO. Egg.

49. Joe Biden's st.: DEL.  What did DELAWARE - She wore a brand NEW JERSEY.

50. Unconcealed: OVERT.

52. Certain TV screens: LCDS.

55. Yang's counterpart: YIN.

56. Wash. winter hours: PST.  State, not D.C.

Boomer

Sunday, November 15, 2020 Lee Taylor

Theme: "Workplace Superstitions"  - Various superstitions are punnily reinterpreted, somewhat fitting the profession in each clue.

22A. Weather forecaster's "Don't"?: OPEN AN UMBRELLA INDOORS.

29A. Beautician's "Don't"?: BREAK A MIRROR.

67A. Carpenter's "Do"?: KNOCK ON WOOD.

99A. Ice skater's "Don't"?: STEP ON A CRACK.

109A. Banker's "Do"?: FIND A PENNY AND PICK IT UP.

15D. Pianist's "Do"?: CROSS YOUR FINGERS.

38D. Construction worker's "Don't"?: WALK UNDER A LADDER.

I'm not familiar with "Don't step on a crack". Winters in Minnesota are brutal, impossible to avoid cracked roads when we walk.

In China, we have a few superstitions: Don't share a pear with others. Pear & "separation" have the same pronunciations in Chinese. Don't clip your fingernails at night. You're inviting ghosts. 

And of course, everyone eats fish for Spring Festival. Fish sounds like "surplus". So you won't be poor  next year.

Across:

1. Street fights: SCUFFLES.

 

9. Skimpy skirt: MINI.

 

13. Diacritic for a long vowel sound: MACRON. Like this.

19. Caltech city: PASADENA. Rose Bowl! By the way, Gary, we don't follow the Lynx. Boomer watches the Timberwolves from time to time.

20. Low-pH material: ACID.

21. Italian innkeeper: PADRONE. New word to me.

25. Throw away: TOSS.

26. Batter's stat: RBI. Tiny dupe: 89. Baseball stat: RUN.

27. Caesar's rebuke: ET TU.

28. Manuscript marking: STET.

34. Pink Floyd's Barrett: SYD.

35. Boarding aid: JETWAY. The bridge.

39. "American Idol" fixture until 2010: SIMON. Had a terrifying motorcycle accident a few months ago.

40. Other side: ENEMY.

42. Gave a sigh: EXHALED.

44. Words heard shortly after many a marriage pronouncement: NOW KISS. "You may now kiss the bride".

46. Major artery: AORTA.

50. Exercise, as power: WIELD.

51. Kimono ties: OBIS.

53. Tolkien talking plant: ENT.

54. 17th/18th-century British ruling house: STUART.

55. Little guy: TYKE.

56. "__ Misérables": LES.

57. Home security co.: ADT. Our neighbor used to have a ADT sign in their yard. Now it's gone. But when I walk closer to their yard on my way to our mailbox, something beeps. I'm just trying to avoid the icy patches on the road.

58. Indigenous Nepal mountain people: SHERPAS.

59. Bear genus: URSUS.

61. "Narc" co-star Ray: LIOTTA.

63. Bona __: FIDE.

64. Big name in romance fiction: AVON.

70. Brainchild: IDEA.

71. Vulcan mind __: MELD. This concept happens in some Chinese fantasy novels also.

72. Start of a play: ACT ONE.

73. Versatile game piece: QUEEN.

75. Comprehensive: IN DEPTH.

77. Wanna-__: BES.

78. Snack item: NUT. And 85. They're often tapped out: BEERS.

79. Corp. leaders: MGMT. Management.

82. After-dinner party: SOIREE. This sounds so surreal right now. Boomer and I just live in our two-person "Disney Bubble".

83. Heartache: WOE.

84. Christmas tune: NOEL.

87. Bit of character assassination: SMEAR.

88. One hanging at a food court: MALL RAT.

90. Had a longing: YEARNED.

92. Sucked (in): LURED.

94. Spring bulb: TULIP. I don't think these are ginger roots, Jayce. Some of you mentioned that they might be iris or daffodils bulbs. I clipped the picture from a Japanese lady who was visiting her grandma in the countryside last week. I originally thought they might be taro roots.She had no captions.

96. Follows: ENSUES.

97. Doo-wop group __ Na Na: SHA.

102. Copied: APED.

103. Henry __: VIII.

104. Ages and ages: EON.

105. "An Essay on Criticism" poet: POPE.

116. Russia, vis-à-vis Crimea, in 2014: ANNEXER.

117. "__ it a rest!": GIVE.

118. Prepare for conflict: EMBATTLE. I've only used the form "embattled".

119. Brought up: REARED.

120. Eject: SPEW.

121. Final shot: LAST HOPE. Properly placed in the grid.

Down:

1. Catch a glimpse of: SPOT.

2. Guitar gadget: CAPO.

3. Plays for a fool: USES.

4. Some coolers: FANS.

5. Big Pharma watchdog: Abbr.: FDA.

6. Sportscaster Berman: LEN.

7. Harden: ENURE.

8. South American dances: SAMBAS.

9. Put a dent in: MAR.

10. __ fishing: ICE. Hardy soul. 

11. Zippo: NIL.

12. One stuck in traffic, at times: IDLER.

13. Fertilizer ingredient: MANURE.

14. Say further: ADD.

16. Difficult to hoe: ROOTY. Look, I uprooted this tree.

17. When rights may be restricted: ON RED.

18. Fit together compactly: NEST.

21. Climbing equipment: PITONS.

23. Two-piece suits: BIKINIS.

24. Words in Newton's first law: AT REST. Copy from NASA:  Newton's first law states that every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force. This is normally taken as the definition of inertia. ... If that velocity is zero, then the object remains at rest.

29. Son of Odin and Frigg: BALDER.

30. Deli option: RYE.

31. "Famous" cookie maker: AMOS.

32. Work on a green, say: MOW.

33. Entered permanently: INKED IN.

35. Bar mitzvah celebrant: JEW.

36. Red sign over a door: EXIT.

37. Nonbinary gender pronoun: THEY. Singular they. The example Wiki gives:

"This is my friend, Jay. I met them at work. They are a talented artist."

41. Deckhand: MATE.

43. Grab a bite together: DO LUNCH. Nope. Need to stay in our "Disney Bubble". See also 80. Restaurant window posting: MENU.

45. Being dragged along: IN TOW.

47. Speedy: RAPID. Hope your mom has fully recovered, Nina!

48. Fantasy football deal: TRADE.

49. Lost completely: AT SEA.

52. Utterly infatuate: BESOT.

54. Relief from the heat: SHADE.

57. Lotion ingredients: ALOES.

58. With determination: STOUTLY.

60. Take to the rink: SKATE.

62. Chef's hat: TOQUE. Happy chef.

64. Not quite right: AMISS.

65. Spiteful feeling: VENOM.

66. Classic tune: OLDIE.

68. Early programming acronym: COBOL. Tony probably knows it, but he's more of the modern programming wizard.

69. Show reverence for, as a deity: KNEEL TO.

74. Confine with a dike, say: EMBANK.

76. Northern neighbor of Chile: PERU.

78. Took in: NOTICED. Boomer and I were stunned to see these wild turkeys at the VA hospital.

81. Corner, in a way: TREE.

83. Attack with enthusiasm, as a project: WADE IN.

84. "The Lion King" lioness: NALA.

86. '60s radical gp.: SDS.

88. Area of expertise: METIER.

91. Common Market initials: EEC.

93. Promised to attend, perhaps: RSVPed.

95. Drive forward: PROPEL.

97. Title holder: SPINE. I mentioned before. One of our blog readers actually read this classic Chinese book. I was stunned. It was so complicated for me.

98. Temporary tattoo dye: HENNA.

100. Sonar sounds: PINGS.

101. Jungian archetype: ANIMA. Learned from doing crosswords.

102. Hardly in the neighborhood: AFAR.

105. Core: PITH.

106. Chicago Bulls forward __ Porter, Jr.: OTTO.

107. Feature of some orange juice: PULP.

108. Sport in which the entire body is a valid target: EPEE.

110. Firefighting tool: AXE.

111. Pup's protest: YIP.

112. Michigan in Chicago: Abbr.: AVE.

113. Word before age or year: NEW.

114. "60 Minutes" airer: CBS.

115. Dennings of "2 Broke Girls": KAT.

C.C.