Tuesday, December 1, 2020 Bruce Haight

Say Cheese!  Each three word phrase FINISHes with a word that can mean a PHOTOgraph.  In English, one is encouraged to say "Cheese", because that word is hard to pronounce without the mouth forming into a smile.  Other languages use different words and phrases to elicit a smile.

17-Across. Drain a basketball three-pointer, say: MAKE THE SHOT.

Robert Parish makes the Shot!

26-Across. "Understand?": GET THE PICTURE.  This phrase is usually said somewhat sarcastically.

41-Across. Mess up a football hike: FUMBLE THE SNAP.

And the unifier:

54-Across. Very close race, and what 17-, 26- and 41-Across have in common: PHOTO FINISH.

Across:
1. Fountain orders: COLAs.  I tried Sodas, then Cokes, before settling on Colas.

6. Embarrass: ABASH.

11. Zig counterpart: ZAG.

14. Full of energy: ALIVE.

15. Ultra-masculine: MACHO.  Sorry!

16. Rage: IRE.  This has become a crossword staple.

19. Peter of Neverland: PAN.

20. Like a medium steak that was ordered rare: OVER DONE.

21. "We'll see": MAYBE.

23. __ Paulo: SÃO.   São Paulo, Brazil is one of the largest cities in the world.

24. Richard's running mate: SPIRO.  Spiro Theodore Agnew (Nov. 9, 1918 ~ Sept. 17, 1996) was Richard M. Nixon's running mate and became the 39th Vice President of the United States.  He was the 2nd Vice President to resign the position, but the 1st to resign due to a scandal.

31. Beauty at a ball: BELLE.

33. Back forty's forty: ACRES.

34. Road furrow: RUT.

35. Brit's "Goodness!": I SAY.

36. Way up or down: STAIR.

37. Flutter by like a butterfly: FLIT.

38. Sibs, uncs, etc.: FAM.  Siblings and uncles are members of a family.

39. Treasure holder: CHEST.

40. One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters": IRINA.  Russian playwright Anton Chekhov (Jan. 29, 1860 ~ July 15, 1904) wrote Three Sisters in 1900.  It was first performed in 1901.  As the title suggests, it focus upon the 3 Prozorov sisters: Olga, Maria and Irina.  There is also Andrei, the brother in the family, but the play isn't entitled Three Sisters and a Brother.

44. __-Turkish War, 1911-12: ITALO.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the Italo-Turkish War, but were afraid to ask.

45. Prefix with center or dermal: EPI.  As in Epicenter or Epidermal.

46. "Don't wimp out, bro!": MAN UP.

48. Start of a partial concession: I'LL ADMIT.  Okay, I'll admit that I have fun creating this commentary.

53. Bearskin floor covering, e.g.: RUG.

57. Dot follower, on campuses: EDU.  Check out LSU.

58. British noblemen: EARLS.  More than you ever wanted to know about British Titles.

59. Juliet's love: ROMEO.

60. Super Bowl party bowlful: DIP.  Yummers.  I'll take the dip, but pass on the Super Bowl.

61. Harped (on): DWELT.

62. Rodeo ride: STEER.

Down:
1. Hunting outfit, for short: CAMO.

2. Norse king: OLAV.  There have been several Norse kings named Olav (sometimes spelled as Olaf).  The first was Olav I, who reigned from 995 to 1000.  The most recent was Olav V (July 2, 1903 ~ Jan. 17, 1991), who reigned from 1957 until his death 33 years later.

3. Facebook response: LIKE.

4. In opposition: AVERSELY.

5. Fixed appointment: SET DATE.  Once couples SET a DATE for their wedding, they often send out Save the Date cards to friends and family before sending the official wedding invitation.

6. "You said it!": AMEN.

7. Loyal political group: BASE.

8. German gripe: ACH!

9. HBO rival, briefly: SHO.  Home Box Office vs Showtime.

10. They might capture embarrassing comments: HOT MICS.  Often these are political comments, so we'll skip the videos.

11. "Shh!": ZIP YOUR LIP.

12. Spirited horse: ARAB.  The history of the Arabian Horse.

13. Chromosome carrier: GENE.

18. Partner of holler: HOOT.  Who know that there were so many different owl hoots?

22. Museum collection: ART.

24. Lemon-lime drink since 1961: SPRITE.

25. Place to tie up: PIER.

26. Making more alluring: GLAMMING UP.  David Bowie, Glamming it up.

27. Really would rather not: HATE TO.

28. PayPal payment, e.g.: E-CASH.

29. Spoil: RUIN.

Ruins of Ancient Rome.

30. James of blues: ETTA.  Etta James (née Jamesetta Hawkins; b. Jan. 25, 1938 ~ Jan. 20, 2012), makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  Here is a taste of her music.

31. "Back to the Future" bully: BIFF.  Biff was played by Thomas Wilson (b. Apr. 15, 1959). 

Biff, then and now.

32. Isaac's eldest son: ESAU.  In the Biblical book of Genesis, Jacob and Esau were the fraternal twins of Isaac and Rebekah.  Although Esau was older, he sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentils.

36. Author Silverstein: SHEL.  Sheldon Allan Silverstein (Sept. 25, 1930 ~ May 10, 1999) was known for his cartoons and children's stories.  Some of his best known books are The Giving Tree and A Light in the Attic.

37. "Sorry, no can do": 'FRAID NOT.

39. Turned (on) remotely, as the lights: CLAPPED.  Order Now!

40. How ark creatures boarded: IN PAIRS.  Did you know that there are actually two narratives in Genesis telling of Noah getting the animals on the ark?  In the first narrative, Noah is commanded to bring two of every kind of animal, male and female, onto the ark.  A few verses later, Noah is told to bring seven pairs of clean animals and one pair of animals that are not clean onto the ark.

42. Utility bill meas.: BTU.  Short for British Thermal Unit.

43. __-esteem: SELF.

46. TV horse who "will never speak unless he has something to say": MR. ED.  A horse is a horse, of course, of course ...

47. BMW rival: AUDI.

48. "__ cost you!": IT'LL.

49. Driving around in circles, maybe: LOST.

50. Silent performer: MIME.

51. "Gotcha": I SEE.

52. Superhero with a hammer: THOR.

55. Hem partner: HAW.

56. Iron __: ORE.

Here's the Grid:

Yesterday marked the end of the 2020 Hurricane season.  It has been quite a season.  There were 30 named storms in the Atlantic Ocean, the most ever recorded.  Twelve of those storms hit the continental United States.  Five of those 12 named storms hit Louisiana.  Thirteen of the 30 named storms reached hurricane categories.  After running through the 21 Atlantic list of names, we had to go to the Greek alphabet, where 9 of those letters became named storms.

Monday November 30, 2020 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Phrases with numbers at the start are literally itemized.

17. Big burger chain, literally?: GUY GUY GUY GUY GUY. Five Guys.

27. "I Can't Help Myself" R&B group, literally?: TOP TOP TOP TOP. Four Tops.

44. Many a sports car, literally?: SEATER SEATER. Two-seaters

58. Exec's dressy suit, literally?: PIECE PIECE PIECE. Three-piece.

Boomer here. "Eight Days a Week" - The Beatles - Day Day Day Oh never mind.  I only do the blog comments on one or two days.  Hope your Thanksgiving went well.    

Across:

1. Two-wheelers: BIKES.  Yes I had one. Years ago "Two wheeler" was a common term when one graduated from a tricycle.

6. Haunted house sound: MOAN.  I am old.  Does not MOANing aches and pains count?

10. Stick a fork in: STAB.  Between the "R" Tab and the "T" Tab.

14. Standing at attention, say: ERECT.  Or build a metal Ferris Wheel with your set.  I could never do it.

15. Oscar winner Paquin: ANNA. Won Oscar at 11 for "The Piano".

16. Soft drink nut: KOLA.  Odd looking and terribly expensive.  I get cashews at Fleet Farm.

20. Yale student: ELI. 

21. Homes for bears: DENS.  I was a young Cub Scout back when IKE was President.  We had meetings in the den of the pack leader's home.

22. Con jobs: SCAMS.

23. __ strength: ability to withstand stretching: TENSILE.

25. On the briny: ASEA.  "We sail the ocean blue, in our saucy ships of beauty."  Gilbert and Sullivan.

32. Honors with a fancy party: FETES.

35. "Wild Blue Yonder" mil. group: USAF.  I was in the Army.  I suppose I would have to serve more than two years in the Air Force to get a jet.

36. __ de Janeiro: RIO.  Home of the 2016 Olympics.

37. Dutch cheese: EDAM.  On the river between the "D Dam" and the "F DAM". 

38. Worker in a shaft: MINER.

40. Curve in a road: BEND.

41. Round Table title: SIR. "How do you thank someone, who has taken you from crayons to perfume?" - Lulu.

42. Locker room powder: TALC.  This is the stuff that Johnson and Johnson is getting sued about.  Maybe they can make it up by selling vaccine.

43. Walrus features: TUSKS. "I am the egg man, they are the egg men, I am the Walrus goo goo g'joob."  The Beatles.  I had to Google the last three words.  I thought it was "coo, coo, kachoo."

48. Floor space calculation: AREA.  Length times width.

49. Sticks around: LINGERS.

53. Big rigs: SEMIS.

56. Bowling targets: PINS.  And on LANES not ALLEYS.

57. Animal doc: VET.

62. One of 12 in a foot: INCH.

63. Farm size unit: ACRE.

64. Confess: OWN UP.  I confess - I forgot what a bowling target was.  The only time I have picked up a ball since last March was to get at my golf clubs.  Where is that vaccine everyone is talking about?

65. Classic grape soda: NEHI.  I believe RADAR on M*A*S*H drank it.

66. Hair colorings: DYES.

67. Handy carryalls: TOTES.

Down:

1. Procreate: BEGET.

2. "Go, me!": I RULE.

3. Enter, as data: KEY IN.  We used to call it typing.

4. Cardio readout: ECG.  AKA EKG.

5. Small apartments: STUDIOS.  Sleep in the living room - between the TV and the computer.

6. Wall calendar : nail :: shopping list : __: MAGNET.

7. Burden: ONUS.  Some times a puzzle becomes a burden ON US.

8. "__ further discussion?": ANY.  Yeah, we have more clues to kick around.

9. Old horse: NAG.

10. Airport porter: SKYCAP.  They were busy last weekend, even though governors asked people not to go.

11. Forum wear: TOGA.  Did someone say "Animal House"? 

12. High school reunion attendee, briefly: ALUM.  Skipped my 55th.  It was cancelled due to virus.

13. Howls at the moon: BAYS.  I used to love fishing in these parts of our 10,000 lakes.  Water was calm and fish were always biting.

18. Puppy's cry: YELP.  Also a company in San Francisco that spies on businesses.

19. Make __: employ: USE OF.

24. Flower holder: STEM. Or VASE.

25. Semicircular cathedral area: APSE.  I often wonder why Catholic Churches have really high ceilings.  This is Minnesota.  The buildings are impressive but heat in winter and AC in summer are not cheap. 

26. Lead actor or actress: STAR.

28. Postal scale unit: OUNCE.

29. "__ bien!": TRES.  "Je ne sais pas". 

30. Sty cry: OINK.  That's the way we spell it, not the way pigs yell it.

31. Snow pea holders: PODS.

32. Come clean, with "up": FESS.  "Davy, Davy Crockett, King of the wild frontier."  FESS Parker.

33. Falco of "The Sopranos": EDIE.

34. Butler's quarters?: TARA. Rhett Butler. "Gone With the Wind".

38. Female horse: MARE.  The old gray one "Ain't what she used to be".

39. "Casablanca" heroine: ILSA.

40. Town: BURG.

42. Wasting few words: TERSE.

43. Sawbuck: TEN SPOT.  "Sawbuck" is a bit of an insult to Alexander Hamilton.  We call a $100 a Benjamin, we call a $20 a Jackson, and we call a $50 bad luck in Las Vegas.

45. Meditative martial art: TAI CHI.

46. Restaurant in an Arlo Guthrie hit: ALICE'S.  "You can get anything you want" there.  And you can get a year older if you can recite the entire ditty.

47. Fork prong: TINE.

50. Discus or pole vault: EVENT.

51. Prompt, as a forgetful actor: RECUE.

52. Staircase divisions: STEPS.  Down is no problem but I have to take my time going up.

53. "Wheel of Fortune" choice: SPIN.

54. German article: EINE.  Rhymes with WINE.  Only 50 cents a bottle over there in 1969.

55. Kind of drawing: Abbr.: MECH. Mechanical.

56. Dijon dad: PERE.

59. Note-taking aid: PAD.  I don't think anyone uses them any more.  Just record the note on a phone.

60. Aloof: ICY.  Anyone who think ICY is aloof, never landed on their butt taking the garbage can out to the street in the winter.

61. __ Jima: IWO.

 I didn't know I have friend with friends in high places.

Janet Yellen with Graybar CEO Kathy Mazzarella. Kathy with Boomer

Boomer

Sunday, November 29, 2020 C.C. Burnikel

 Theme:  "History Lesson" - The last word of each theme entry can follow "Social".

 22A. *Cuddly toy: STUFFED ANIMAL. Social animal.

 37A *Layered lunch: TURKEY CLUB. Social club.

 60A. *Braves outfielder who was the 1990 N.L. Rookie of the Year: DAVID JUSTICE. Social justice.

 83A. *Webmaster's concern: DATA SECURITY. Social security.

 106A. *Cuts a school period: SKIPS CLASS. Social class.

 15D. *Jackson or Lincoln: STATE CAPITAL. Social capital.

 63D. *"We'll need a better solution": THAT WON'T WORK. Social work.

 Reveal:

125. Field including history, and a hint to the ends of the answers to starred clues: SOCIAL STUDIES.

I originally had GO THE DISTANCE as one of the theme entries and "Social Studies" as the puzzle title. Rich said "SOCIAL DISTANCE, as it turns out, has another meaning, a very different one from SOCIAL DISTANCING. I'm not sure how familiar that meaning is ..." 

He proposed that I use SOCIAL STUDIES as a reveal and suggested "History Lesson" as a title. As always, lots of clues are Rich's. So in awe of his YEAS (86. Passing words?)

Grid-wise, I was excited to make the four theme entries intersect. I always try, but often I can't make it happen.

Across:

1. Readily available: ON TAP.

6. Arabian Peninsula natives: OMANIS. They use RIAL.

12. Declines: SAYS NO.

18. __ apart: WORLDS.

20. 1998 Winter Games city: NAGANO. Tara Lipinski won her Olympics gold medal there at age 15, youngest in figure skating history.

21. Place for retiring?: PIT STOP.

24. Was behind: RAN LATE.

25. April 4, in 2021: EASTER.

26. "99 Luftballons" singer whose name is an anagram of two of Henry VIII's wives: NENA. Rich added the anagram part. Not a common name, hence Rich's helpful hint, I think.

27. Texter's "If you ask me": IMO.

28. Q's value in Scrabble: TEN.

29. "Solve for x" subj.: ALG.

31. Harbor bobber: BUOY.

33. Feudal workers: SERFS.

35. Pieces with views: OP-EDS.

41. Popular fact source: ALMANAC.

43. Hunter seen at night: ORION.

44. Rami's role on "Mr. Robot": ELLIOT. Elliot Alderson. Malek also played Freddie Mercury.

47. Sch. with a Lima campus: OSU.

48. Swingers' tools: BATS.

51. Attend to a boxer, maybe: PET SIT. 57. Litter box emanations: ODORS. And 92. Where kitties get pampered: CAT SPA.

53. Ill will: ENMITY.

55. Irrefutable truth: GOSPEL.

62. "Ex on the Beach" channel: MTV.

64. Actress Hatcher: TERI.

66. Half a film genre portmanteau: ROM. Com.

67. Workplaces for RNs: ORS. We had 9,040 new cases yesterday. Quite scary. Wear better masks, guys. The cloth masks do not offer enough protection.

68. Tiny bit: TAD.

69. Cheery greeting: HI HO.

70. __-free: cleaning cloth term: LINT.

72. Market: SELL.

74. Bowlers, e.g.: HATS.

75. Menu preposition: A LA. I've been enjoying Kenchin soup lately. Warm and comforting.

76. Palais pal: AMI.

78. Aides for profs: TAS.

80. Check, with "in": REIN.

82. __ Miss: OLE.

87. Financial liabilities: DEBTS.

89. Ailing: UNWELL.

90. Performed a concerto's cadenza: SOLOED. Rich's clue.

96. Substandard: POOR.

97. __ de parfum: EAU.

99. Beaux of old: SWAINS.

102. Civil rights icon John: LEWIS. I did not realize his achievements until he passed away. What a great guy!

103. "Close, but no cigar": NICE TRY.

108. Prefix with league: INTER.

110. Some video files: MPEGS.

113. Israeli statesman Abba: EBAN.

114. Washington MLBer: NAT.

115. "Right this instant!": NOW.

116. Global fiscal org.: IMF. International Monetary Fund.

118. Piece of cake: SNAP. We have a tiny slice of pumpkin pie left. Still plenty of turkey though. Have you tried turkey with wasabi & soy sauce? Delicious!

120. Paid off: BRIBED.

123. Sweetums: POOPSIE.

129. Poland neighbor: UKRAINE.

130. Entering words: I'M HERE. Rich's clue.

131. Thin piece: SLIVER.

132. "Shame on you!": TSK TSK.

133. Raised: REARED.

134. Topples (over): KEELS.

Down:

1. Cries of pain: OWS.

2. "Just kidding!": NOT.

3. 2010 Coen brothers remake: TRUE GRIT. One the first entries I put into the grid earlier on.

4. __ Romeo: ALFA. Hi Tony!

5. Some downloaded docs: PDFS.

6. Hot: ON A ROLL.

7. Superhero suffix: MAN.

8. Opposin': AGIN.

9. Identifies: NAMES.

10. Cockamamie: INANE.

11. Discontinued Camry model: SOLARA.

12. "The King and I" kingdom: SIAM. The King and Oo.

13. When two hands come together?: AT NOON.

14. Luxury bag monogram: YSL. No idea why women all love bags.

16. Prominent: NOTED.

17. Warms up the crowd: OPENS.

19. Hold in reserve: SET BY.

21. Beam benders: PRISMS.

23. Court tie: DEUCE.

29. Straddling: ATOP.

30. Tempt: LURE.

32. Festive time: YULE.

34. Name on the 1979 album "The Wall": FLOYD. Rich's clue.

36. MillerCoors rival: PABST.

38. Part of the former Yugoslavia: KOSOVO.

39. City west of Tulsa: ENID.

40. Tough situation: BIND. And 104. Tense situation: CRISIS.

42. Portend: AUGUR.

45. "The Wire" antihero __ Little: OMAR. Unfamiliar to me. Rich's clue.

46. Saves for later viewing: TIVOS.

49. Mexican town known for its beer, which is now a Heineken brand: TECATE. Also Rich's clue. I did not know the beer was named after a town.

50. Winter hillside sights: SLEDS.

52. Kid: TOT.

54. Track official: TIMER.

56. Spy org. created by FDR: OSS. Office of Strategic Services.

58. Dig find: RELIC.

59. Asian honorific: SRI.

61. ''Maleficent'' actress: JOLIE.

62. City west of Venezia: MILANO. And  94. Birthplace of Galileo: PISA. My favorite Pisa guy.

65. Opening remarks: INTRO.

69. Invited to the skybox: HAD UP.

71. Flip sides?: TAILS.

73. Was in charge of: LED.

74. Low-cost stopover: HOSTEL.

76. __ interpreter: press conference figure: ASL.

77. Fighting word from the French for "mixture": MELEE. Also Rich's clue.

79. Store: STOW.

81. "The Good Place" network: NBC.

84. EagleCam spot: AERIE.

85. Seize illegally: USURP.

86. Passing words?: YEAS. So original. So Rich. He's a true wordsmith.

88. Poolroom powder: TALC.

91. What Brinker's boy plugged with a finger: DIKE. Hans Brinker. Read the story here.

93. Graceful vertical entrance: SWAN DIVE.

95. Mgr.'s helper: ASST.

98. Cost of withdrawal: ATM FEE.

100. Ate in small bits: NIBBLED.

101. Exchanges verbal jabs: SPARS.

105. Private agreement?: YES SIR.

107. Agitated states: SNITS.

108. Two cents: INPUT.

109. Partners of crannies: NOOKS.

111. Grimm creature: GNOME.

112. Actor __ Baron Cohen: SACHA.

117. Stole stuff: MINK.

119. Docking place: PIER.

121. Cheapest way to buy, with "in": BULK.

122. "Nurse Jackie" star Falco: EDIE.

124. Gentle touch: PAT. Do any of you have this type of shiatsu shoulder massager? Does it really work?

126. Exist: ARE.

127. Fish in unadon: EEL. I have not had uadon for ages. Grilled eels over steamed rice.

128. Yearbook gp.: SRS.

C.C.