Thursday September 2, 2021 George Jasper

 

 

 22A Rocker since the '60s, familiarly: STONE.  

We interrupt this review to bring you a special report on a STONE known familiarly as Charlie, and the news of a MILESTONE in music history, the passing of Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021), jazz bandleader and also the drummer for the Rolling Stones.  Charlie died with Shirley, his devoted wife of 57 years, by his side. He was the quiet CORNER STONE of the "World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band".  He was no "Jack Flash", but rather the gentile, soft-spoken, and in fact humble STONE.   Here is the interview Dash T posted on the Corner on the day Charlie died.  Below is Part 1 of an interview with him by drummer Chad Smith: 

May Charlie Rest in Peace.

And now we return to our regular programming, a review of

PUZZLEUS INTERRUPTUS

George Jasper is a regular contributor to the Corner, last appearing here on July 12th of this year.  His theme for today is  ...

65A. Interrupt ... and a hint to each set of puzzle circles: CUT IN.  I've heard this phrase used most often to interrupt a couple dancing with a gentle tap on the shoulder and a polite request to dance with one of the partners.  A CSO to YellowRocks for any other etiquette she might add.

However George explores several other usages of the phrase, some of which are not so polite:

17A. Rubber in the kitchen?: BRILLO PAD.  LOP, as for example to pruning a tree or bush.  Unpunned we have:

Accept no substitutes!

24A. Major seen annually in Paris: FRENCH OPEN.  CHOP might be applied to a tree, firewood, or perhaps a cut of steak.  The French Open, officially known as Roland-Garros, is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France, beginning in late May of each year.  Roland Garros was a WWI aviator and hero:

38A. "C'est la vie": THAT'S THE WAY IT IS.  Today's French lesson, and a life lesson.  May be said to the losers at 24A.  HEW is something usually done to trees. 

48A. Ones skilled at making deductions: TAX EXPERTS.  An AXE is usually used to HEW trees.  I'm beginning to think that George may be a Dendrophobiac.😠   But come to think of it DW and I have two 75' tall twinned Tulip Poplars within 30'  of our house and sometimes I fear that they may fall on our bedroom one night.  On the other hand our arborist regularly LOPS off weak limbs and has connected the twin trees with a high-tensile-strength steel cable, and he assures us that everything is okay.😊

61. White House nickname: HONEST ABE.  STAB? Now I'm really worried.  Tree limbs, trunks, and veal chops are not the usual targets for STABS.

Here's the grizzly grid:

Have no fear.  We'll soldier on, despite the theme:

Across:

1. Nest egg, perhaps: CACHE.  Stored under the mattress?  Not a good ROI.  I hope Ron is feeling better and can weigh in on this.

6. One of the Tide's rivals: VOL  The Tennessee VOLUNTEERS, not this:

9. Marine supports: MASTS.

14. Literary musketeer: ATHOS.  Athos is the oldest of Alexander Dumas' Three Musketeers:
 

15. Kind of moment: AHA.  Cornerites have many of these every day!
 
16. Fancy tie: ASCOT.  Also the name of a racecourse in Berkshire, England.  And the venue for  the introduction of Miss Eliza Doolittle to English high society:

19. European river: RHONE.  The Rhône is a major river in France and Switzerland, arising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea.  Also a reference to the Rhone Wine Region for wines grown along the river valley:

20. Overly suave: OILY.  Or - a dirty rotten scoundrel:

21. Driver's warning: FORE.  FINES?, FIRES?, FORE.  A CSO to all the golfers on the Corner - "What's your recommendation if you find yourself the target of a FORE?"

23. Smidge: TAD. 

26. Pedi places: SPAS.  A perhaps pedestrian description of SPAS.  They were traditionally situated near mineral springs, and people would visit them to "take the waters".  My parents used to have a house outside the SPA town of Berkeley Springs, W.Va., and our family would visit there every Fall for the Apple Butter Festival.

29. "Atlas Shrugged" author Rand: AYN.  I believe this is the third time I've blogged novelist and philosopher AYN Rand.  I guess it's because she's so gluey.

30. Will of "Blue Bloods": ESTES.  William Estes Nipper (born October 21, 1978) is an American actor known for his role on CBS police drama Blue Bloods as Jameson "Jamie" Reagan.

32. They may be fine: ARTS.  See also 13D.

35. Remained on the shelf: SAT.

42. Country E of Cyprus: SYR.  Since East is abbreviated, the answer is abbreviated.
 

43. Edward G.'s "Little Caesar" role: RICO.  Edward G. Robinson of course, and the role was Caesar "Rico" Bandello, an  aspiring small-town criminal:

44. Light on one's feet: AGILE.

45. "Breaking Bad" org.: DEA.  "In 2013, Breaking Bad entered the Guinness World Records as the most critically acclaimed show of all time. 'Breaking Bad' is binge worthy. Once you get rolling, you won't be able to stop."  Apparently a very popular show, although I've not seen it.

This past June the "War on Drugs" celebrated it's 50th birthday.

47. Islamic official: IMAM.  The word "imam" in the Koran (the Muslim sacred text) refers to Abraham and other leaders. ... Imams are Muslim clergy (religious leaders) in mosques (Islamic places of worship) and in Muslim communities. They lead prayers, deliver sermons, and provide religious education and counseling.

Imams

54. Hagen of Broadway: UTA.  Uta Thyra Hagen (12 June 1919 – 14 January 2004) was a German-American actress and theatre practitioner. She originated the role of Martha in the 1962 Broadway premiere of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee.  She also plays minor roles in crossword puzzles, because of the high ratio of vowels to consonants in her first name.

Uta Hagen

After being blacklisted for her association with Paul Robeson, she devoted considerable time to teaching acting.  If you don't have time to read the Wiki above, see at least the section subtitled "Students of Uta Hagen".  You might recognize some of the names.

57. Some nerve?: OPTIC.  The exquisite structure of the OPTIC NERVE, the intricacies of the EYE, their complex integration with the rest of the NERVOUS SYSTEM lead me to be highly skeptical of simplistic Darwinian explanations for how they evolved.  To say more would be to venture into scientific POLITICS.

 

58. Fixer's need: TOOL.  We hear a lot of chatter on the Corner about fixing things. Man has been called "Homo Faber" ("Man the Maker"). And because of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, the things that men and women make eventually need to be FIXED, and this requires TOOLS.  The universe of  TOOLS is virtually infinite, and they are explored in this link and this clip:

59. Not good, as a chance: SLIM.   I pass.

60. Asking __: PRICE. "He knew the price of everything and the value of nothing" - Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan.

63. Criticizes to excess, with "on": PILES.

64. Supplement, with "out": EKE.  Never heard this definition for EKE, but then here it is.
 

66. Iditarod vehicles: SLEDS.  The first Iditarod was run in 1925, but it was a race against time to bring diphtheria serum to Nome, Alaska, and the hero that race was TOGO, the lead sled dog.  Here are two trailers for a feature length cartoon about the race called "BALTO", a mutt much beloved by my grandchildren.  BALTO is pure fiction, and TOGO appears nowhere in it.  To add insult to injury, there is actually a bronze statue of BALTO, not TOGO, in Central Park, NY! 

67. Trip taker's vehicle: LSD.  One of the common forms of transportation in crossword puzzles - Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).  The drug was first synthesized, and its psychedelic properties discovered, by Albert Hofmann at Sandoz Laboratories in Basel, Switzerland.

Albert Hofmann

His discoveries also let to a better explanation of the epidemics of Egotism in the Middle Ages.  One of the symptoms of these epidemics were mass hallucinations, that were traced to Lysergic acid found in the Ergot fungus of spoiled rye.

68. Brainstorming output: IDEAS.

Down:
1. Northwest Passage seeker: CABOT.  John Cabot (Italian: Giovanni Caboto; c. 1450 – c. 1500) was an Italian navigator and explorer, who was the first European to reach the entrance to the Northwest Passage, reportedly landing at Cape Bonavista in Newfoundland

The Northwest Passage

2. Sunlit courts: ATRIA.

3. Temple, for one: CHILD STAR.  Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; (April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat who was Hollywood's number one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. As an adult, she was named United States ambassador to Ghana and to Czechoslovakia, and also served as Chief of Protocol of the United States.

Shirley Temple in 1948

4. Sanctified: HOLY.

5. Immigrant's subj.: ESL.  English as a second or foreign language is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. Language education for people learning English may be known as (1) English as a second language, (2) English as a foreign language, (3) English as an additional language, or (4) English for speakers of other languages.  A CSO to any Cornerites with experience as a Teacher of English as a Second Language to share your experiences.

6. Jet trail: VAPOR.  Jets leave white trails, or contrails, in their wakes for the same reason you can sometimes see your breath. The hot, humid exhaust from jet engines mixes with the atmosphere, which at high altitude is of much lower vapor pressure and temperature than the exhaust gas. The water vapor contained in the jet exhaust condenses and may freeze, and this mixing process forms a cloud very similar to the one your hot breath makes on a cold day.

7. Midway alternative: O'HARE.  Only if I can't avoid it!  OTOH this airport IS sometimes impossible to avoid if you are a cruciverbalist, as constructors delight in testing our knowledge of airport codes, which in this case is ORD.  So why ORD?

O'Hare Airport (ORD)

8. Freight-filled, say: LADEN.  As we learned last week, a freight container's weight when UNLADEN is called the TARE.  GROSS wt. - TARE wt. = FREIGHT wt.

9. Like the Okefenokee: MARSHY.  The Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 438,000-acre (177,000 ha), peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida line in the United States. A majority of the swamp is protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee Wilderness.

Okefenokee Swamp

10. He played Steve in "Jobs": ASHTON.  Christopher Ashton Kutcher (born February 7, 1978) is an American actor, model, producer, and entrepreneur.  Last Saturday he was in That 70's Show, this week he is the star and producer of the movie Jobs.   Big shoes to fill, but the film didn't exactly get rave views, although it was a modest box office success.

11. Reporter's coup: SCOOP.  Given the rapidity with which news is discovered and propagated these days, I think this usage is rapidly becoming an anachronism.  So whad'ya think TTP?

12. Metric unit: TONNE.  A unit of weight equal to 1,000 kilograms (2,205 lb)

13. Rembrandt contemporary: STEEN.  Jan Havickszoon Steen (c. 1626 – buried 3 February 1679) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century. His works are known for their psychological insight, sense of humor and abundance of colour.  And because his name has an "EE", he is often sought out by those engineering crossword puzzles.

Jan Steen

18. Plural word attached to rip or send: OFFS.

25. Durango digs: CASA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  There is also a Durango in Colorado, but presumably George meant this one:

Durango, Mexico

27. Adoptee, maybe: PET.  Also stands for a diagnostic test called Positron Emission Tomography.  A good friend of mine had a PET scan for cancer, and I'm happy to report that her test results were negative.

28. Pack animal: ASS. 

30. UFO operators: ETS.  The government recently released a report on the more PC term Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, but the jury is still out on whether they're operated by ETS.

31. Like one sitting alone at the dance, probably: SHY.  Wallflower wouldn't fit.

32. Sashimi selection: AHI. Japanese fast food, Sashimi (not to be confused with Sushi) consists simply of slices of very fresh raw fish.  AHI is the name of a variety of raw tuna.   Other selections might be Salmon, Yellowtail, Octopus, or Whitefish (the green blob on the lower right is called Wasabi, a condiment made of  type of "hot" radish):

Another type of Sushi are Maki rolls, rice and sliced fish wrapped in seaweed (Nori) and sliced into bite sized pieces.  Popular varieties are California Rolls (with all cooked ingredients) and my favorite, the Rainbow Roll (Ahi, Salmon, and avocado).

As Sushi chefs keep their fish ultra-fresh, it is a misconception that it tastes "fishy", and in fact some varieties of it are even cooked.  If you haven't tried it you should put it on your bucket list, but get a Sherpa to guide you in selecting and eating it.  You can even sit at the bar and watch the chef make your order.  Thus endeth the Sushi sermon.

33. VCR button: REC. 

34. Bill featuring Jefferson: TWO.  Looks like this if you haven't seen one lately.

35. Jump-start: STIMULATE.

36. Come down with something: AIL.

37. "Four Quartets" monogram: TSE.  Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM (26 September 1888 – 4 January 1965) was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor.  He is probably most popularly known for Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, but Eliot regarded Four Quartets as his masterpiece, and it is the work that most of all led him to being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

 
39. Corner: TRAP.

40. Orange edible: YAM.  No not a Clementine, but a tuber (the one on the left doesn't look very orange to me):

Yam or Sweet Potato

41. Supermarket franchise initials: IGA.

45. Cleared, in a way, as plane wings: DEICED.

46. More than needed: EXCESS.  This blog is like a smorgasbord.  Don't feel like you have to eat more than you need! 😉

47. Chain link?: ISLE.  An island chain perhaps?
 

48. Trading cards giant: TOPPS.  Hello Boomer!  10 of the Greatest and Most Expensive Topps Baseball Cards. 

And more breaking news!  I predict that this will backfire on MLB and only drive up the price of TOPPS cards.

49. Arbor Day month: APRIL.  National Arbor Day is always celebrated on the last Friday in April, but many states observe Arbor Day on different dates throughout the year based on the best tree planting times in their area.  Here's a good resource for tree huggers:
 

50. Scrabble 8-pointer: X TILE.

51. Lucy's landlord, in old TV: ETHEL.  Vivian Roberta Jones; July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979. Here Ethel (with the help of her old buddies), says goodbye to the hometown theatre that gave her her start:

52. Pieces that castle: ROOKS.  The rook (/rʊk/; ♖, ♜) is a piece in the game of chess resembling a castle. Formerly the piece (from Persian رخ rokh/rukh, meaning chariot) was alternatively called the tower, marquess, rector, and comes (count or earl) (Sunnucks 1970). The term castle is considered to be informal, incorrect, or old-fashioned, although it is still a part of the name of a special chess move.

53. High-__: pretentious: TONED.

55. Knee-to-ankle bone: TIBIA.  Tibia, also called shin, inner and larger of the two bones of the lower leg in vertebrates—the other is the fibula.

56. Agreeing chorus: AMENS.  AMEN has a Semitic root connoting “firm,” “fixed,” or “sure,” and the related Hebrew verb also means “to be reliable” and “to be trusted.” The Greek Old Testament usually translates amen as “so be it”; in the English Bible it has frequently been rendered as “verily,” or “truly.”

59. Poker choice: STUD.  Stud poker is any of a number of poker variants in which each player receives a mix of face-down and face-up cards dealt in multiple betting rounds.  Not only are there a number of poker variants, but there are a number of stud poker variants.  This presenter demonstrates what he calls the "traditional way":

62. It may be natural: Abbr.: SCI. Here's one way to tell if it is not Nat:  "Any field that has the word 'Science' in its name is not a Science", or words to that effect.

 

waseeley

 

And special thanks to my DW Teri for proof reading and making several constructive suggestions for improving this post:

Cheers,

Bill

Wednesday, September 1, 2021, Paul Coulter

Theme:  THE HALF OF IT

17. With 18-Across, symbolic goal: FINISH.

18. See 17-Across: LINE.

20. With 22-Across, daily Wall Street signal: CLOSING.

22. See 20-Across: BELL.

52. With 53-Across, concluding phase: HOME.

53. See 52-Across: STRETCH.

56. With 57-Across, farewell effort: LAST.

57. See 56-Across: HURRAH.

36. Perm problem, and a hint to the four two-part answers: SPLIT ENDS.

Melissa here. The gimmick here makes for a theme-heavy puzzle, with eight theme answers, plus the reveal. Each two-part answer makes a different phrase meaning the end of something. FINISH LINE, CLOSING BELL, HOME STRETCH, and LAST HURRAH.

Across:

1. Dine at home: EAT IN.

6. Eye obtrusively: OGLE.

10. Flight coordinators: Abbr.: ATC. Air Traffic Control.

13. Brawl: FRACAS. "A noisy disturbance of quarrel." Has anyone actually heard or used this word in conversation? I only see it in crosswords or books.

15. Author Hubbard: L. RON. He wrote the book Dianetics, and founded the Church of Scientology.

16. John, to Ringo: LOO. Great clue, even though we see it a lot. Ringo Starr, and john as slang for toilet, or the British version, LOO.

19. Landlocked land in S.A.: BOL. BOLivia is the fifth-largest country in South America.

23. False god: IDOL.

26. Went (for): VIED.

27. Berlin's Maxim __ Theater: GORKI. The oldest concert hall building in Berlin. Interesting history.

28. Guys working on lines: WIREMEN. They get a charge out of it. Are women who work on lines also called WIREMEN?

30. Colorful disc-shaped candy: SMARTIE. Popular in trick-or-treat bags.

32. Fed. fiscal agency: OMB. Office of Management and Budget. Description.

33. "Ah, me!": ALAS.

35. __ a time: ONE AT.

38. Flat: STALE. Don't usually refer to flat soda as STALE, or stale bread as flat, but okay.

40. Chemical formula for lye: NAOH. Sodium hydroxide.

41. Antipollution org.: EPA. Environmental Protection Agency.

44. Pro tennis designation since 1968: OPEN ERA. The Open Era of tennis began in 1968 when most world-class tournaments first allowed professional players as well as amateurs to enter.

46. Sparkle: GLITTER.

48. Law school class: TORTS. A tort is a civil claim where a claimant has suffered damages due to the actions of another party.

49. City near Colombia's coastline: CALI. City southwest of Bogotá. It’s known for salsa dancing.

 

51. Canal zones?: EARS. Nice.

55. Quarterback Manning: ELI. Sixteen seasons with the New York Giants.

61. Cartoon canine: REN. The Ren and Stimpy Show.

62. African bovines: GNUS. What's GNU?

63. Spots to remove: STAINS.

64. Indian honorific: SRI.

65. Best Upset, e.g.: ESPY. Best Upset ESPY Award.

66. Uppity sort: SNOOT.

Down:

1. Gee preceder: EFF. Alphabet: F, G.

2. "Exodus" hero: ARI. Otto Preminger directed a 1960 film based on the novel, featuring Paul Newman as Ari Ben Canaan. It focuses mainly on the escape from Cyprus and subsequent events in Palestine.

3. Summer shade: TAN. Not much time left for tanning this year.

4. Pointy, cold formation: ICICLE.

5. Former FC Edmonton org.: NASL. North American Soccer League.

6. Skate park move: OLLIE. The story of the ollie.

7. Monotonous routines: GRINDS.

8. Like marathons: LONG.

9. Charlotte-to-Raleigh dir.: ENE.

10. Medicine Hat's province: ALBERTA. Medicine Hat experiences the lowest combined tax rate in Canada, the lowest utility rates in Alberta and an enviable climate. Known as the "oasis of the prairies," Medicine Hat is also Canada's sunniest city.

11. Carpenter's collection: TOOLKIT.

12. Lassie, for one: COLLIE.

14. December driveway clearer, to a Brit: SHOVELLER. Not sure why the Brit distinction is noted here, as both shoveler and shoveller seem accepted spellings in both the U.S. and Britain. Besides one who shovels snow, it is also the name of a type of duck in the northern hemisphere.

21. Moses' mount: SINAI. Where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

22. Tiresome types: BORES. Zzzzzzz.

23. WWII battle site, for short: IWO. One of the Japanese Volcano Islands, and where this iconic image was captured.

24. Faint: DIM.

25. The Sun, say: ORB. From the latin word orbis, meaning circle or disk. Not sure why Sun is capitalized here.

27. Biopic that was 1982's Best Picture: GANDHI. Starring Ben Kingsley.

29. Syrup sources: MAPLES.

31. The Sphinx et al.: MONOLITHS. A geological feature that has only a single massive stone or rock.

34. Subway stop: Abbr.: STN.

36. "¿ votre __!": SANTE. French for "to your health," often used as a toast.

37. Bird on old quarters: EAGLE. Washington quarters.

38. Printing program: SPOOLER. A computer utility that regulates data flow by receiving data (as from a word processor), queuing the data in a buffer, and then transmitting it (as to a printer) with increased efficiency.

39. Subway system extremes: TERMINI.

41. Pilot's approx.: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.

42. Part of mpg: PER. Miles per gallon.

43. Horace's "__ Poetica": ARS. See here.

44. Significant ones?: OTHERS. As in, "his significant other."

45. Doesn't behave: ACTS UP.

47. Mideast capital: TEHRAN.

50. Dilettantish: ARTSY. Merriam Websters includes this as a dated definition: "an admirer or lover of the arts." The first definition is "a person having superficial interest in an art or branch of knowledge : dabbler."

53. Lacking: SANS.

54. Skips class: CUTS.

56. Clothing dept. size: LGE.

58. __ Grande: RIO. RIO means river in Spanish.

59. Enero begins it: ANO. Spanish. Enero = January; ANO = year.

60. 33rd pres.: HST. Harry S. Truman. U.S. President from 1945 to 1953. His middle initial, "S", honors his grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young.

Tuesday Aug 31, 2021 Kurt Krauss

Theme: WATERFRONT (62. Like oceanside resort property ... and what the starts to the answers to starred clues can have?)

17A. *It often runs through the center of town: MAINSTREET. Water main.

39A. *Sleeveless shirt: TANK TOP. Water tank.

11D. *Monopoly property three squares before Go: PARK PLACE. Water park.

 

35D. *Bit of wishful thinking: PIPE DREAM. Water pipe.

Boomer here again. Hahtoolah will be back on the blog soon. Please accept C.C. and my deepest sympathy regarding the loss of you father.

This puzzle's water theme came right on time.  Last week Minnesota received a ridiculous amount of rain including thunder and lightning.  It gave C.C. and I pause to visit the Mississippi River Dam a few miles from our home.  The water gushes through the dam and supplies electricity to many of suburban residents on the North side of Minneapolis.  While we visited however, we did notice a huge expanded shoreline on each side of the river.

Boomer 8/25/2021

Across:

1. Country singer McCann: LILA.

5. Chose: OPTED.  We OPTED to walk down a half mile of shoreline rather than hike along the dam. 

10. Imitates: APES.  Harry was a hairy one.

14. Poet's "in a trice": ANON.

15. Legendary crooner Mel: TORME.  Known as the "Velvet Fog" I remember an episode on "Seinfeld" in a goofy act with Kramer.

16. Red inside: RARE.  After a big league ball game the home plate umpire may go to a restaurant and Raise his right arm in the air order loudly "STEAK RARE"

19. H.S. math class: TRIG.  Roy Rogers pet name for his horse.

20. Year at the Sorbonne: ANNEE.

21. Spare in a boot: TYRE.  This must be for someone with a flat foot.

22. DIY furniture giant: IKEA.  A favorite word in crosswords.  This outfit sells bare furniture.

23. Took five: RESTED.  Don't tell - sometimes I take more than five.

25. Clutch: GRASP.  I had to remember how to grasp the bowling ball yesterday.  It's a little heavier than a golf club. 

27. Stereo knob: TREBLE.

30. Corporate department: SALES.  Years ago I had a SALES job with Graybar.  But I ended up as a coordinator supporting the entire sales department.  They liked me because I increased profits which increase everyone's salary.

33. Apartment overseer, informally: SUPE.  We have a townhome paid up with an Association SUPE.  It's about the same except I pay dues but no rent.

36. "Homeland" org.: CIA.

37. Fruit in a split: BANANA.  Yes, we have some BANANAS !!

38. Japanese sash: OBI.  Star Wars' Wan Kenobi's first name.

41. NYSE listings: COS.

42. Undo legislatively: REPEAL.  So much on the news these days.  REPEALING some past mistakes and mask mandates.  We are still wearing our masks indoors.

44. Place for a ring: EAR.  I have always kept my EARS Naked

45. "Winter Song" musician John: TESH.

46. Nottingham's river: TRENT.  Not Familiar with it.  I favor our Mississippi.

47. Goofs: ERRORS.  I usually get to watch TWINS ERRORS nearly every day. Sad.

49. Stuff, as a turkey: DRESS.  Around Thanksgiving I will usually stuff the turkey, but I put it in the oven Naked.

51. Zero chance: NO HOPE.  My Mom's name was HOPE and I had aunts named Faith and Charity.  My Grandmother was very religious.

55. Root for a luau: TARO.   What position does he play ??

57. Supply-and-demand sci.: ECON.

60. Turkish coins: LIRAS.

61. Cheese couleur: BLEU.  Looks like they spelled it wrong.

64. Football's QB rating, for one: STAT.  Our Vikings QB Cousins stat is NO Vaccine yet.

65. Modeling adhesive: EPOXY.

66. Arrogance, in slang: TUDE. Attitude.

67. Fleshy fruit: POME.  Never tried one.  Bananas and Pineapple for me. 

68. Tivoli's Villa __: DESTE.

69. Headliner: STAR.  No STARS on the Twins roster.  They traded two away.

Down:

1. Rapper Kendrick: LAMAR.

2. Mindless: INANE.

3. Meat cuts: LOINS.  SirLOIN, Tender LOIN, and Hamburger LOIN.

4. "Being Julia" co-star Bening: ANNETTE.

5. Old-time baseball slugger called "Master Melvin": OTT.  Of course I only know of him.  He played for the New York Giants long ago.  That's right, the team that moved to the west coast years ago.  Mel hit 511 major league home runs.  He was joined in the 500 club last week by Miggy Cabrera who now has 501.

6. Dessert wine: PORT.

7. It beats a deuce: TREY.  Funny, when I play golf and beat a deuce I write down three. 

8. Come forth: EMERGE.  The bowling centers are beckoning to "Come Forth" and I am emerging.

9. Put a damper on: DETER.  Reminds me of a shortstop for the Yankees.

10. Craftsperson: ARTISAN.

12. Toledo's lake: ERIE.  Is this the smallest of the five?

13. Big name in computer games: SEGA.

18. Fortuneteller: SEER.  I am sure they charge a fortune to tell you yours.

24. Image-transfer item: DECAL.

26. "Now!": ASAP.  I think this means "As soon as possible" so Later will be okay.

28. Coal holder: BIN.  Osama's middle name.

29. Staples Center player: LAKER.  Of course they got the name LAKERS when they played in the land of 10,000 LAKEs.  Devean George played with them for awhile.  He graduated from Benilde St. Margaret's where I now help coaching bowling. And speaking of bowling, I play in the same league as Devean's father, Eddie George.

31. Slaughter on the diamond: ENOS.  Another great Cardinal.

32. Pageant body band: SASH.  I wear something like a SASH for back support.  It's a "Copperfit."

33. Database command: SORT.  A tireless activity if you own baseball cards.

34. Above, in Berlin: UBER.  Sounds like a Taxi.  I was in Hardheim, never got to Berlin.

37. B in chem class: BORON.

39. London art gallery: TATE.

40. Old salt: TAR.  We got new TAR paving a road near our home.  I take it as a route to TARGET. 

43. On the way: EN ROUTE.  "Get it ???"

45. Vacation souvenirs: T SHIRTS.  I used to get mine at a Kids for Kids garage sale for 50 cents.  They have not had one for a year or two.  Nasty Covid.

47. Break out: ESCAPE.  C.C. and I continue to try to ESCAPE the Delta Version.

48. Massage therapeutically: ROLF.

50. Put in stitches: SEWED.

52. "Are you in __?": OR OUT.  Yup, I am OUT in seven more clues.  Have a good week.

53. Bamboo muncher: PANDA.  I once visited the San Diego Zoo.  I think they had a couple of them.

54. Aromatic compound: ESTER.

55. 1/2 fl. oz.: TBSP.

56. Choir part: ALTO.  Still higher than me.  I was also a Bass.  Not to be confused with BASE, I played centerfield.

58. Platte River people: OTOS.

59. Preceded in line by only one person: NEXT.

63. Bar staple: RYE.  Dark brown bread.  

Boomer

Monday August 30, 2021 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: PRICE CUTS (51. Markdowns, and what 17-, 23- and 46-Across all exhibit) - PRICE is cut in three different ways.

17. Special access for celebrities: PRIVATE ENTRANCE.

23. Mass communication?: PRAYER SERVICE.

46. Popular Chinese takeout dish: PORK FRIED RICE.

Boomer here. 

I've been messing around with some of my older baseball cards on eBay but maybe I am asking a little too much.  I suppose I might look at a PR ICE CUT.  Interesting, if the offer expires after 7 days, eBay automatically relists it and cuts the price for me.  I don't think grocery stores do this every week.

Across:

1. To-do list entry: TASK.  C.C. does not make a list for me.  She just has To ASK.  

5. Largely seasonal Golden Arches sandwich: MCRIB.  Sounds pretty good. I have not been to McDonald's in years. My first job after caddying was working at a McDonald's competitor called Jay's.  Pretty much the same prices except hamburgers were 10 cents on Tuesday.  

 

10. Mimicked: APED.

14. Not doing much: IDLE.  Our Santa Fe seems to totally stop running while stopped for a red light.  I suppose that saves gas but it seems weird.

15. "The Vampire Diaries" protagonist: ELENA.

16. Sleeveless top, briefly: CAMI.

20. Slender fish: EELS.  Are these really fish ??

21. Boxer Laila: ALI.

22. Garfield's dog frenemy: ODIE.

26. Fire up, as a motor: REV.  I suppose I could do this to keep the Santa Fe running.

27. Thumbs-up vote: YEA.

28. Superman foe Luthor: LEX.  Cadillac Foe LEXus.

31. Fill drink orders: TEND BAR.  For me it was a VO Manhattan on the rocks with cherry juice,  Now it's a Diet Pepsi.

35. Navigational aid letters: GPS. 

38. Winter glider: SLED.  Those were the days in Minnesota.  Every kid on my block had a SLED.

40. Greet at the door: SEE IN.

41. Well-organized: NEAT.  Still working on the baseball cards.  I have them pretty well organized, but there are always details.

42. Presidential biographer __ Kearns Goodwin: DORIS.

44. Ctrl-__-Del: ALT.  I am not too good at computer keys.

45. Heats, as water for pasta: BOILS.  I am pretty good at boiling Rotini.

49. Praise highly: EXTOL.

50. Freeway vehicles: AUTOS.

55. Modern hotel amenity: WIFI.  I am pretty sure that the Orleans in Las Vegas has this.  I don't know how to use it and I am too old to learn.  Also too busy at the Craps machine.

58. Word from the Yiddish for "expert": MAVEN.

59. Stereotypical techie: NERD.  Booger got his revenge (1984)

63. Fencing sword: EPEE.

64. Like milk on the floor: SPILT.  Don't cry over it.

65. Nabisco cookie: OREO.  I used to like these but diabetes limits me to maybe once a month.

66. "Easy __ it": DOES.

67. Screams: YELLS.  Plenty of that going on at Twins and Vikings games.  It does not do any good though.

68. Negotiator's asset: TACT.  Maybe people should YELL TACTfully. 

Down:

1. Helpful hint: TIP.  A little extra for the waitress if you don't mind.

2. Madison Ave. figure: AD REP.

3. More cunning: SLIER.

4. Body armor fiber: KEVLAR.  I never had one of these, thankfully.

5. Got together with: MET.  Years ago the Twins played at Metropolitan Stadium, and of course it was called the MET.  Does Chicago call their ballpark the WRIG ??  This reminds me: Years ago, back when the hair on a ballplayers head all fit under their cap and they shaved every morning, I visited Chicago to attend a baseball card show and was able to find all six of the 1955 Topps double headers to complete my set, I took time out to visit the "WRIG".  I paid about $10.00 to park on someones front lawn and went to the ball game.  All I remember is all of the seats had ABC (Already been chewed) gum on the bottom underneath.  I think they have replaced all the seats but I am not sure if they still sell gum at the concession stand.

6. Easily understood: CLEAR.

7. Film spools: REELS.  Or something to hold your fishing line in the boat.

8. Concave navel: INNIE.

9. Softball club: BAT.  Softball usually allows aluminum BATs, but baseball is always wood.  Louisville Sluggers Ash are the best. 

10. Northeasternmost U.S. national park: ACADIA.

11. Terrified reaction: PANIC.

12. Game show host, e.g.: EMCEE.  I watch the game show channel a lot and I dislike all of the EMCEEs.  They continue to ham it up.

13. Fizzle out: DIE.

18. To date: AS YET.

19. Mars explorer: ROVER.  Red Rover, Red Rover, send Venus right over.

24. Pre-holiday nights: EVES.  Christmas and New Years have EVES.  No sure about any other.

25. "Late Night" actress Amy: RYAN.

28. Hallucinogenic drug: LSD.  (1965)  LBJ took the IRT Crossed the USA, what did he see ?? The youth of America on LSD.

29. Skip the big wedding, maybe: ELOPE.

30. It's a copy and a company: XEROX.  What would an office do without it?

32. At hand: NEAR.

33. Shop with a slicer: DELI.

34. Quick meal: BITE.  I grab a BITE most evenings.  Sleep better.

35. Company with a spokeslizard: GEICO.  One of many Insurance companies that have STUPID Commercials.

36. Goes white from fright: PALES.

37. Ave. crossers: STS.  We live on a ST.

39. Desserts topped with gummy worms: DIRT PIES.  I am sure that I am not allowed to eat a piece of this.

41. "Wrong-o!": NO IT'S NOT.  YES IT IS !!!!

43. Chocolate-and-toffee bar: SKOR.  I can't eat this either.  Crosswords sure have a lot of food.

45. Champagne variety: BRUT.  Also a men's cologne.  I don't use it, too expensive.

47. Weak, as an excuse: FLIMSY.

48. Discourages: DAUNTS.

52. Magician's garb: CAPE.

53. Bad to the bone: EVIL.  As you read this, I am probably bowling. I hope I am not this bad!

54. Solar panel component: CELL.  Many of these near our home.  I believe they are providing electricity to our city hall and family center.

55. Tied the knot: WED.  C.C. and I got married with no strings attached.

56. Debut on the NYSE: IPO.

57. Consultant's payment: FEE.  Golf course and bowling center payment.

60. Named time span: ERA.  I think some Twins pitchers have double digits before the decimal point.

61. Remote button: REC.

62. Speck in a URL: DOT.  Or Department of Transportation.

Boomer

Sunday August 29, 2021 Mark McClain

Theme: "Begone" - B is removed from the each theme entry.

22A. Sports venue where the home team hasn't won in years?: RINK OF DISASTER. Brink of disaster.

44A. Cattle farm run by bigwigs?: EXECUTIVE RANCH. Executive branch.
 

71A. Epithet for Henry Ford?: FATHER OF THE RIDE. Father of the bride.

 

100A. Advice for runners' practice sessions?: RACE YOURSELVES. Brace yourselves.

128A. Powerful fall cleanup tools?: HYDRAULIC RAKES. Hydraulic brakes.

16D. TV weather promo about a storm threat?: RAIN TEASER. Brain teaser.

78D. Quarters for a spell caster?: WITCH'S ROOM. Witch's broom.

In all theme entries, B is removed from the start of the key word. Very consistent. And there's no stray B's in the grid.  The professionalism of Mark McClain, who has generously helped me and many other constructors with various crossword questions.

Mark is also a regular contributor to Newsday crossword, which Splynter solves every day.

Across:

1. Impressive sights at affairs: SPREADS.

8. Fendi rival: PRADA. Beautiful. Miranda Kerr.

13. Paved: TARRED.

19. Victim of river diversion in Asia: ARAL SEA.

20. Like some R-rated films: EROTIC.

21. Comfortable: AT EASE.

24. Boulevard feature: MEDIAN.

25. Invoice no.: AMT.

26. Brainstorm: IDEATE. Not a word I use.

27. Dreyfus defender: ZOLA. Émile Zola. "J'Accuse…!"

29. Heavy weight: ONUS.

30. Hubbub: HOOPLA.

33. Trimming plans: DIETS.

35. Industrial site: PLANT.

37. Like memories to smile about: FOND.

39. Sock part: TOE.

41. Hottest, in a way: SEXIEST.

51. __ Stephens: 2017 US Open Women's Singles champ: SLOANE. Followed by 52. Tennis feature: NET.

53. Isolated work group that hinders corporate efficiency: SILO.

54. Bone near a calf: SHIN.

56. Belgian artist James: ENSOR. Here is his "Christ's Entry into Brussels".

57. Chews like beavers: GNAWS.

60. "I __ noticed": HADN'T.

62. Change for a ten: ONES.

64. Drop the ball: ERR.

65. Bird rarely on the wing: RATITE.  Like emu or ostrich. Copying Gary's picture.

67. Pitt URL ending: EDU.

68. Toys"R"Us giraffe mascot: GEOFFREY.

76. Stayed to the bitter end: SAW IT OUT. Great entry.

79. NBA impossibility: TIE.

80. Hide out: LIE LOW.

84. Sushi bar order: AHI. Have any of you tried Trade Joe's sushi rolls?

85. Company named for the exaggerated height of its tallish bottles: NEHI.

87. Bowling headache: SPLIT. And 95. Pain pill target: ACHE. Boomer!  The amount of pain he endures every day.

90. "Crazy" vocalist: CLINE.

91. Mountain gap: NOTCH.

94. Blood bank fluids: SERA. Boomer's going to get the hormone shot in 2 weeks.

96. Blackthorn fruit: SLOE.

97. FD employee: EMT.

98. Magnate: TYCOON.

105. Feeling guilty: ASHAMED.

107. Ducks org.: NHL.

108. Frozen Four org.: NCAA.

109. Tough goings: SLOGS.

110. Like some promises: EMPTY.

114. Swan dive revelation: ARMPIT. Not sure if you guys heard of this 14-year-old diver Quan Hongchan. She scored two perfect dives at Tokyo. She's from Guangdong Province. Guangzhou is the capital city of Guangdong.

118. Expected result: NORM.

120. Cause for a claim: LOSS.

123. Not as relaxed: TENSER.

125. Smeltery input: ORE.

126. French star: ETOILE. Our state moto is "L'etoile du Nord" ("Star of the North") .

132. Having a twist: IRONIC.

133. Bug, for one: INSECT.

134. Gets back to business: RE-OPENS. I just can't believe how long this stupid COVID lasts.

135. Sorrowful tune: LAMENT.

136. Free-for-all: MELEE.

137. Red Sea land: ERITREA.

Down:

1. Mother of Isaac: SARAH.

2. First-class: PRIMO.

3. Totaled: RAN TO.

4. Reindeer cousin: ELK.

5. Japan's Mount __: ASO. Aso-san. San is just mountain in Japanese.

6. Disobedient: DEFIANT.

7. Org. concerned with youth substance abuse: SADD. Students Against Destructive Decisions.

8. Ramble on: PRATE.

9. Egyptian site of a historic 1799 discovery: ROSETTA. The Rosetta Stone.

10. NFL passing stat: ATT. Attempt.

11. Nueve y uno: DIEZ. 9 +1 =10.

12. Bat prefix: ACRO.

13. Spicy food truck items: TAMALES. 14. Had some 13-Down: ATE. Here's the Guangzhou tamale. It's called "lo mai gai", sticky rice & chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed. So tasty.

15. Purplish veggie: RED ONION.

17. Biblical twin: ESAU. And 20. Actor Morales: ESAI.

18. Entertainment center sites: DENS.

23. Iraq War weapon: Abbr.: IED.

28. Vinyl revival items: Abbr.: LPS.

31. Low USMC rank: PFC.

32. MLB Hall of Famer Brock: LOU. Boomer just sold a Lou Brock patch card on eBay. Also a Pujos patch card. A few dollars. Patch cards are not popular. Rookie cards rule!!

34. Family guys: SONS.

36. Bar on a truck: AXLE.

38. Chef's creation: DISH. This is called Cai Jia Mo, a popular Xi'an street food.  I never found similar bread in the US.

 40. Cavern phenomenon: ECHO.

42. [Bo-ring!]: SNORE.

43. Absorbent fabric: TERRY.

44. Many an MIT grad: ENGR. Engineer.

45. Lawless role: XENA. Lucy Lawless.

46. Coup d'__: ETAT.

47. Routing word: VIA.

48. Respected figure: ELDER.

49. Concerto finale, perhaps: RONDO.

50. Depend: HINGE.

55. Poetic contraction: NE'ER.

58. Hot spot service: WIFI.

59. ER demand: STAT.

61. Research university with a Boston campus: TUFTS. And 66. School near Windsor: ETON.

63. Agronomist's concern: SOIL.

69. Org. created by the 1933 Banking Act: FDIC.

70. Sense: FEEL.

72. Shades: HUES.

73. Early number?: ETHER. Parse it as Numb-er.

74. Buzzed: TIPSY.

75. Familiar greeting: HELLO.

76. Fall mall hiree: SANTA. Here's our Santa with Spitzboov. They were at a local county fair. Here's my state fair John Deere.

77. Ship-to-ship greetings: AHOYS.

81. Actor Schreiber: LIEV.

82. "I'm buying!": ON ME.

83. Moistens: WETS.

86. Country whose name ends in the same three letters as its capital: IRAN. Tehran.

88. Debtor's note: IOU.

89. Gull relative: TERN. Reminds me of D-8's Buoys and Seagulls picture dilemma.

92. Lynn's father worked in one: COALMINE. Loretta Lynn, the "Coal Miner's Daughter".

93. Primate genus: HOMO.

99. Ignore: NEGLECT.

101. Provider of shade: ELM TREE.

102. Harder to get: SCARCER.

103. Corn unit: EAR.

104. Fast flight: LAM.

106. U.K. military award: DSO. Distinguished Service Order.

111. Goal of an accord: PEACE. Tiny clue/answer dupe: 116. Peace goddess: IRENE.

112. Flanged fastener: T NUT.

113. Fashion initials: YSL.

115. __ face: POKER.

117. "The Gondoliers" bride: TESSA.

118. Playwright Simon: NEIL. He wrote "The Odd Couple".

119. Sierra's "other": OTRA.

121. Carpenter's wedge: SHIM.

122. "Auld Lang __": SYNE.

124. Cork's home: EIRE.

127. Maya __, Vietnam Veterans Memorial designer: LIN. Lin means "forest" in Chinese.

129. ISP option: DSL.

130. French king: ROI.

131. Just right: APT.

C.C.