Tuesday, December 29, 2020 Catherine Cetta

Double Your Fun!  The word Double can be placed before each word in the theme answer to give a new concept.

20-Across. City street spot you usually have to back into: PARKING SPACE.  Double Park and Double Space.  Double Space in typing means that there is a full space, the equivalent to the full height of a line of the text, between rows of words in a document.  Most computer texting programs default to single spacing.

This is just wrong!

33-Across. Unfavorable impression: NEGATIVE TAKE.  Double Negative and Double Take.

Double Take

42-Across. Winter clock setting: STANDARD TIME.  Double Standard and Double Time.

Double Standard.

And the unifier:

56-Across. In 2020's MLB season, each game of one was seven innings ... and what each word of three long answers can have: DOUBLE HEADER.  The Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on Major League Baseball this year.

Across:

1. Like new dollar bills: CRISP.  //  And 19-Across. Singles: ONES.

6. Instruction unit: STEP.

10. Last year's frosh: SOPH.  Last year's Freshman is this year's Sophomore.  According to Webster's, the word Frosh for a first year student may derive from the German word for Frog, which is what a student is called before entering the university.

14. Mediterranean mayonnaise: AIOLI.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

15. Place for pews: NAVE.  There has been much discussion on the church nave recently.

16. Crosby, Stills & Nash, e.g.: TRIO.  Crosby, Stills & Nash were a folk rock group formed in 1968.  A year later, Neil Young joined the group and the band became known as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. 

17. Raced toward: RAN AT.

18. One cutting staff: AXER.  Axer isn't in the Scrabble dictionary, but if it was, it would be worth 11 points.

23. TSA __Check: PRE.  Getting the Pre-Check on my airline ticket always makes me smile.

26. "Annabel Lee" poet: POE.  Edgar Allen Poe (Jan. 19, 1809 ~ Oct. 7, 1849) is known for his tales of mystery and poetry.  I don't think I had ever read Annabel Lee before.

27. Result of a coup, perhaps: OUSTER.

28. Sea surrounding Santorini: AEGEAN.  Santorini seems to be on the outer edge of the Aegean Sea,

30. Relate, as a story: TELL.  William Tell had a Tale to Tell.

32. Silly starter?: ESS.  Silly Goose!  It's the letter S.

36. HEATH Bar competitor: SKOR.

37. "Bel Canto" author Patchett: ANN.   Ann Patchett (b. Dec. 2, 1963) has written several novels.  Bel Canto is loosely based on the Japanese embassy hostage crisis of 1996-1997, which occurred in Lima, Peru.  By coincidence, I took this book along with me to read while I was traveling in Peru about 10 years ago.  I highly recommend this book.

38. Many an Omani: ARAB.

47. UFO operators: ETs.  As in ExtraTerresterials.

50. Iowa college town: AMES.  Iowa State University is located in Ames, Iowa.

51. Egg-coloring holiday: EASTER.  Tsars Alexander II and Nicholas II had Fabergé jeweled eggs made for their wives as Easter gifts.

52. Useless: NO HELP.

54. Coll. entrance exam: SAT.  The SAT exams were formerly known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

55. Business card abbr.: EXT.  Think of the telephone extension number.

60. James of jazz: ETTA.  Etta James (née Jamesetta Hawkins; Jan. 25, 1938 ~ Jan. 20, 2012) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

61. See-the-sights travel option: RAIL.  //  And 1. See-the-sights travel option: CAR.

62. Banana cluster: BUNCH.

66. Came down: ALIT.

67. Poet Pound: EZRA.  Ezra Pound (né Ezra Weston Loomis Pound; Oct. 30, 1885 ~ Nov. 1, 1972) was not without a lot of controversy.

68. Vowel-rich farewell: ADIEU.  Today's French lesson.

69. Surrealist Magritte: RENÉ.  René Magritte (Nov. 21, 1898 ~ Aug. 15, 1967) was a Belgium artist who is known for creating amusing images.

70. Burpee purchase: SEED.  The Burpee Seed company was founded by Washington Atlee Burpee (Apr. 5, 1858 ~ Nov. 26, 1915) in the 1870s.  The company is still going strong today.

71. Transplant to a new container: REPOT.

Down:

2. River inlet: RIA.

3. Na+ or Cl-: ION.  Together, these ions form table salt.

4. Word with happy or dash: SLAP.  As in Slap Happy or Slap Dash.

5. Rain-on-the-roof sound: PIT-A-PAT.

6. Asp or adder: SNAKE.

7. Cab: TAXI.

8. Like every other integer: EVEN.  2, 4, 6, 8, ...

9. Vine-covered walkway: PERGOLA.  A pergola can also be a covered sitting area.  We build a pergola in our back yard a couple of years ago and I spent many hours there during this pandemic season.  The word Pergola comes from the Latin, meaning projected eave.

10. Dots on a transit map: STOPS.

11. Highly decorative: ORNATE.  The mosaics at the Alhambra Palace are very ornate.

12. Concert choices: PIECES.

13. Uncouth types, in Canadian slang: HOSERS.  Hi, CanadianEh!

21. Rice-A-__: RONI.  It's the San Francisco treat and it comes in many flavors.

22. Pout: SULK.

23. Thumbs-down reviews: PANS.

24. Really smell: REEK.

25. Thick & Fluffy waffle brand: EGGO.  L'Eggo my Eggo!  They, too, come in several flavors.

29. All __: listening: EARS.

30. Takes care of: TENDS.

31. Sicilian smoker: ETNA.  Since 2013, this volcano has been periodically been showing some eruptive action.

34. Wind indicator: VANE.  The word Vane comes from an old English word, Fane, which means Flag.

35. Grub: EATS.

39. Baptism, for one: RITE.

40. Plastic choice, briefly: AMEX.  Nice misdirection:  American Express.

41. Ernie's Muppet pal: BERT.

43. Like unlikely tales: TALL.

44. Current units: AMPERES.  The Ampere is named after André-Marie Ampère (Jan. 20, 1775 ~ June 10, 1836), French mathematician and physicist, considered the father of electromagnetism.

45. Enjoy a novel: READ.  I have read just under 50 books this year, most of which were novels.

46. Baked treat that sounds like a place to meet: DATE BAR.

47. Make precious: ENDEAR.

48. Play the flute: TOOTLE.  Flute playing in the year 2020.

49. Locked up: SHUT IN.

53. Online money-back offer: E-BATE.

54. Dinner course: SALAD.  In Israel, Salads are a common breakfast food.

57. Thin fog: HAZE.

58. The Emerald Isle: EIRE.

59. Impolite: RUDE.

63. Puppy's bite: NIP.

64. Head of the corp.: CEO.  As in the Chief Executive Officer.

65. Shack: HUT.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

No matter what or how you celebrate the holidays, please respect everyone.  We are all fragile and we need to look out for the health and welfare of all.  Please wear your mask and social distance.  We want to be able to hug next holiday season.  

May 2021 bring Health and Happiness!

Monday December 28, 2020 Alex Eaton-Salners

Theme: Weekdays

17. It follows Thanksgiving weekend: CYBER MONDAY.

24. Time of the week for Mexican food: TACO TUESDAY.

34. Seuss book about a weekly period with strange events, like an earthworm chasing a bird: WACKY WEDNESDAY.

50. Pre-Lent feast: FAT THURSDAY. Whoa!  The Pre-Lent day is FAT Tuesday.

57. Time for Hawaiians to be laid-back at work: ALOHA FRIDAY.

Boomer here.  

I certainly hope that all off you had a happy a safe Christmas DAY and join me in looking forward to 2021.  Last Wednesday I did not have to go to Dairy Queen and order a Blizzard.  One was delivered to C.C. and me right in the front yard of our home!  "Minnesota, hats off to thee !"  

Across:

1. "Aladdin" monkey: ABU.

 

4. Songlike piece: ARIOSO.

10. Combat vet's affliction, briefly: PTSD.

14. Daiquiri liquor: RUM.  "Away, Away with RUM by gum, the song of the temperance Union."  Chad Mitchell Trio.

15. Side-to-side measurement: BREADTH.  May be confused with width, or an inhale.

16. "In __ of gifts ... ": LIEU.  You never know what Santa left.

19. Greek god of war: ARES.

20. Cookbook maven Rombauer: IRMA.  She wrote "The Joy of Cooking in 1953",  That's about the same time I took up the joy of eating. 

21. Sign of a sellout: SRO. Standing Room Only. 28. Part of 21-Across: ONLY.

22. Sudden pull: YANK.  Not a good idea if you are tying a necktie.

23. Wineglass feature: STEM.  The kind of wine I used to drink?  Any glass would do.

29. Baking chambers: OVENS.  Never called it a chamber.  I spent a few years in front of pizza ovens.  Not a bad place to work in the Minnesota winter.

30. Gets on in years: AGES.

31. Note after fa: SOL.  "SOL a needle pulling thread, LA, a note that follows SOL, TI a drink with Jam and bread."  The hills are alive, with the Sound of Music. 

32. Decked in a fight: KO'D.

33. Golf instructor: PRO.  I play with a few guys who think they are instructors. but trust me, they are not PROS.

41. River, to Roberto: RIO.  Jane Iro's first name.

42. Earth-friendly prefix: ECO.

43. Delivery vehicle: VAN.  We had back to back Dodge vans for 20 years.  I like the SUV better. 

45. Like guitar strings: TAUT.

47. Song of praise: PAEAN.  "We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year."

49. Skin opening: PORE.

52. "High Voltage" band: AC/DC.  I know they are famous and I worked in the Electrical industry, but I could never adopt this band.  I am too old I guess. 

53. Knighted Guinness: ALEC.  Obi-Wan Kenobi.  And "The Empire Strikes Back".

54. "Not so hot": MEH.

55. Hoppy brews, for short: IPAS.

56. Hardly thrilling: BLAH.  "A woman from the supermarket ran to call on cop, The force can't do a decent job cause the kids have no respect for the law today, 'And BLAH BLAH BLAH' - Save the life of my child".  Simon and Garfunkel.

62. Misplace: LOSE.  Or bowl against me.

63. Pulitzer winner Lin-Manuel __: MIRANDA.

64. Soccer cheer: OLE.  "Sven's buddy."

65. Flock members: EWES.

66. Marcos of the Philippines: IMELDA.  I cannot remember how many pairs of shoes she owned.

67. Stitch together: SEW.  Or use a Singer.

Down:

1. Softball pitch path: ARC.  I played slow pitch in my younger days and yup, I was a pitcher.  The motion is similar to bowling but the ball is lighter.  C.C. came and watched one of Graybar's games near the end of my career.  

2. Etailer's come-on words: BUY IT NOW.  Used a lot on EBAY.

3. Something held up in the rain?: UMBRELLA.  I carry a big one in my golf bag.

4. Shortstop's asset: ARM.  And Glove.

5. Old Olds auto: REO.  I owned a 1955 and a 1961 sedans.  I liked Oldsmobiles bur I don't remember the REO.  Sounds like something I would not fit into.

6. Actor McKellen: IAN.

7. Likely, bet-wise: ODDS-ON.  We have a horse racing track south of Minneapolis.  I've been there and been burned by many ODDS-ON favorites.  I have not been there for over 15 years.  I prefer the craps table or machines in Las Vegas.  There the odds are consistent.  

8. Begins: STARTS.

9. "Silly goose!": OH YOU.

10. Acts like the Almighty: PLAYS GOD.  The year I played Noah (Noye) in High school play "Noye's Fludde" another guy played GOD.  He took most of the wisecracks.  "Can you turn my sandwich into a steak??" 

11. Angry outburst: TIRADE.

12. Considered to be: SEEN AS.

13. Like evening: DUSKY.

15. Victoria's Secret purchase: BRA. I've been to Victoria's Secret a few times with someone you may know.

18. Sitcom award: EMMY.

23. Plea at sea: SOS. ... --- ...

24. East Asian capital: TOKYO.

25. State openly: AVOW.  I maintain that everything I report on this blog is true.

26. Formally let go: CEDE.

27. Corn servings: EARS.  I have had many, but they don't look like EARS.  Now I just open a can.

33. Indiana's state flower: PEONY.  Very colorful.  We need to find a couple for our garden next year.

35. Supports after knee surgery: CRUTCHES.  Both my older sister and I survived polio in the late 1940's.  I had no after effects but she needed CRUTCHES for months.

36. __ and kin: KITH.

37. One of 28 Monopoly cards: DEED.  Boardwalk was the best but I liked the railroads.

38. Final Four org.: NCAA.  The NCAA basketball Tournament came to U.S, Bank Stadium in Minneapolis a few years ago.

39. Guacamole makings: AVOCADOS.  I had one of these last week.

40. Pre-moving driveway event: YARD SALE.  It's been awhile since we've had one of these.

44. Japanese chip maker: NEC.

45. Soapmaking ingredient: TALLOW.  Never had homemade soap.  I like Irish Spring.

46. Drill sergeant's "Relax": AT EASE.  They said it, but they really didn't mean it.

47. Heat at a race: PRELIM.

48. Back from cruising, say: ASHORE.  If your boat was a Chevrolet you could probably Dine ASHORE.  

49. Red Sox star Big __: PAPI.  David Ortiz.  Also played for the Minnesota Twin's.

50. Aesop creation: FABLE.

51. MSG taste: UMAMI.  I have NEVER heard of this.  I thought it might be a city in Florida.

55. Golden yrs. fund: IRA.

58. "2001" computer: HAL.

59. "Wait, there's more": AND.  No, I think we are done now.

60. Med. device approver: FDA.  Thank you for approving the vaccines.  Still waiting for my turn.

61. Archery wood: YEW.  YEW betcha!!

Boomer

Sunday December 27, 2020 Mike Peluso

Theme: "Eye Exam" - Letter I is inserted into each familiar phrase.

24A. Workplace movie screen?: OFFICE IMAX. OfficeMax.

43A. Apple product for unmarried men?: BACHELOR IPAD. Bachelor pad.

53A. List of PGA players with pictorial links to their bios?: PROS AND ICONS. Pros and cons.

73A. Order to a construction worker?: RAISE THE I-BAR. Raise the bar.

82A. Apple media player for silly songs?: LOONEY ITUNES. Looney Tunes.

104A. Brew with a hint of chocolate?: HERSHEY IPA. Hershey PA.

36D. Perfect one of three meals?: SQUARE IDEAL. Square deal.

39D. Kauai breakfast restaurants?: ISLAND IHOPS. Island hops.

Ideally we just have an iPad or iTunes, not both, since it's the same iThing. But Mike's choices are quite limited. Words like IRAN, IRON just won't work.

ICON & IDEAL works perfectly since they share no root with the original CON or DEAL.  

Mike Peluso

 Across:

 

1. Bend in pointe shoes: PLIE.

5. Style: MODE.

9. Dark film genre: NOIR.

13. __ Sticks: drain-cleaning aid: SANI. Never tried this. Good?

17. Sweet-talk: COAX.

18. Barn-raising group: AMISH.

20. Worth a rave review, in show biz: BOFFO. Learned from doing xwords.

21. University near Durham, NC: ELON. Give MUSK a break. 

22. Half-off sale acronym: BOGO. Buy One, Get One free.

23. Destination for aficionados: MECCA.

26. Small Kia SUV: SPORTAGE. Can the front passenger seat be raised?

28. Street show: RAREE.

30. "Dust in the Wind" rockers: KANSAS.

31. Tampico abode: CASA. It's JIA in Chinese. Wo Jia Zai Minnesota (I live in Minnesota).

32. Silas with a loom: MARNER.

33. Chicago-to-Indianapolis dir.: SSE.

34. Good news, in a metaphor: MUSIC.

37. Chill-inducing: EERIE. And 109. Cleveland's lake: ERIE.

38. Prepared for surgery, in a way: STERILE.

42. Titles for attys.: ESQS.

47. Frites seasoning: SEL.

48. Generate, with "up": DRUM.

49. "I Left Something Turned __ Home": 1997 Trace Adkins hit: ON AT.

50. Côte d'__: AZUR.

51. Court game word: ALAI. Jai alai.

52. Actress Lupino: IDA.

57. Fist bumps: DAPS. Like this.

58. Action movie staple: CAR CRASH.

60. Worked with a crew, maybe: OARED.

61. Utah range: UINTA. Google shows that "Uinta is derived from the Ute word Yoov-we-teuh, which means pine tree or pine forest." We also have 77. Utah Valley University city: OREM.

62. Upper class: ELITE.

63. Graceful: FLUID.

64. Checked out in advance: CASED.

66. Trojan king: PRIAM. Father of Hector and Paris.

68. Some steaks: LOINS. Click here for D-Otto's legendary potato dumplings. Very labor-intensive.

69. Contentious filings: LAWSUITS.

72. Swimsuit designer Gernreich: RUDI. We just had him before.

76. __ polloi: HOI.

78. Corrida cries: OLES.

79. Diamond's opposite, on the Mohs scale: TALC. 1 on the Mohs scale. 10 for diamond.

80. Parachute necessity: CORD.

81. Ovine cry: BAA.

86. __ facto: IPSO.

87. E.T.'s Earth pal: ELLIOTT. "E.T., stay with me"

89. Eat away: ERODE.

90. Day of the PGA: JASON. Here he is. Hi Lemonade!

91. Arrest: NAB.

92. "Which one will it be?": CHOOSE.

94. Cheater's device: CRIB.

96. Emulate Earhart: AVIATE.

99. "Silent Night" et al.: HYMNS.

100. The NFL had two of them in 2018: TIE GAMES. Why didn't they go overtime?

106. Gets a ride, but not a Lyft: UBERS.

108. Jazz club group: TRIO.

110. Dorm diet staple: RAMEN. Instant noodles just became popular when I entered college in 1990.  KFC entered Xi'an shortly after. It was cool to eat at KFC or have instant noodles for lunch. So dumb.

111. Puerto Rico's third-largest city: PONCE.

112. U. of Maryland athlete: TERP.

113. Like Span. o-ending nouns: MASC. El Nino.

114. Nor. neighbor: SWED.

115. Test for jrs.: PSAT.

116. Summer quaffs: ADES.

Down:

1. EPA-banned toxins: PCBS.

2. Chicago district, with "the": LOOP.

3. "Othello" villain: IAGO.

4. Event in a classic William Peter Blatty novel: EXORCISM. Not a fill we see often.

5. Half a '60s quartet: MAMAS.

6. Last of 24: OMEGA. Greek alphabet.

7. Cut into cubes: DICE.

8. Upper left key: ESC.

9. Like some ATM withdrawals: NO FEE. And 54. "True dat!": NO LIE.

10. Proposal: OFFER.

11. "__ had known ... ": IF I.

12. Standouts in a field: ROCK STARS.

13. One with net income?: SEINER. Seine net.

14. Charity: ALMS.

15. Weather-monitoring gp.: NOAA. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

16. "Devil Inside" band: INXS.

19. African capital once known as Salisbury: HARARE. Capital of Zimbabwe. Known as Salisbury until 1982.

 

20. Island east of Sumatra: BORNEO.

25. Alleviated: EASED.

27. It may be an X or an O: TAC.

29. Seed pod: ARIL. These pomegranate seeds are called arils.

32. Conductor Zubin: MEHTA.

34. "M*A*S*H" figure: MEDIC.

35. Vitamin spec: USRDA. U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances.

37. Bitcoin, e.g.: E CASH.

38. Twirled: SPUN.

40. Vaulted: LEAPT.

41. Donovan of "Clueless": ELISA.

43. Title Kazakh in a 2006 spoof: BORAT. Played by Sacha Baron Cohen.

44. Win by __: A NOSE.

45. Beat anxiously: RACED.

46. Brand that once sported a crocodile: IZOD.

51. Bye that's bid: ADIEU.

53. Stiffly proper: PRIM.

55. Intimidate: DAUNT.

56. Type of whiskey: IRISH. Hi there Irish Miss!

59. Assert: CLAIM.

61. Cold War enemy: USSR.

63. "All That Jazz" choreographer: FOSSE (Bob)

64. Suspension bridge support: CABLE.

65. Surveillance plane acronym: AWACS. Airborne Warning and Control System.

66. Investigation: PROBE.

67. Like much of Nebraska: RURAL. Anyone else from Nebraska other than Husker Gary, Avg. Joe and Brad?

68. Form of security: LIEN.

69. Balaban of "Definitely, Maybe": LIANE. Stranger to me. Beautiful.

70. Trunk: TORSO.

71. Lebanese port: SIDON. Another learning moment.

73. Dad's and Mug: ROOT BEERS.

74. Much: A LOT.

75. Chopin work: ETUDE.

80. Holey Italian bread: CIABATTA. For panini.

82. Reluctant: LOATH.

83. Loyal servant: YEOMAN.

84. Press: IRON.

85. 50-50 chance: TOSS UP.

88. "Hang on ... ": IN A SEC.

90. It may be up, with "the": JIG.

92. Opine, with "in": CHIME.

93. Promoted to excess: HYPED.

94. Around: CIRCA.

95. Trip odometer function: RESET.

96. Throaty attention-getter: AHEM.

97. Aloe __: VERA.

98. Flower from the Greek for "rainbow": IRIS. We used to have a regular named Iris, right, Agnes?

100. Second place?: TENS. Column, right?

101. "A horse is a horse" horse: MR ED.

102. Cork's home: EIRE.

103. Absorbs, with "up": SOPS.

105. Deviate from a course: YAW.

107. Conk: BOP.

Happy Birthday to Dudley, a regular on our blog a few years ago. Dudley started the "Rabbit, Rabbit" tradition. This picture was taken during Montana's visit to Northeast in September, 2013. How time flies!

Left to right: Marti, Dudley, Hondo & Montana

C.C.