Tuesday, September 21, 2021 Chris Sablich

Same Word, Different Meaning.  As we wind down the baseball season (Game 1 of the World Series is scheduled for October 26), let's take a look at some of the sport's figures.

20. Football-shaped gem: MARQUISE DIAMOND.

Baseball Diamond

Marquise Diamond

28. Get revenge: EVEN A SCORE.

And the Red Sox Win!

48. Retriever retriever, perhaps: DOG CATCHER.

Carlton Fisk, former Red Sox Catcher

Here's the Unifier:

54. Estimates, and what the last parts of 20-, 28- and 48-Across are, in different ways: BALLPARK FIGURES.

2021 Red Sox figures

As you read today's commentary, I will be somewhere between New Jersey and the D.C., area as I make my trek back home after spending the past 2 months in New England.  Thus, this will be a somewhat abbreivated commentary.

Across:
1. Unit of parsley: SPRIG.

6. Gridiron gear: PADS.

10. Souvenir of a ticket: STUB.  Can it really be 25 years ago that I went to this Stones concert?

14. 2000s first lady Bush: LAURA.  Laura Bush (née Laura Lane Welsh; b. Nov. 4, 1946) married George W. Bush (b. July 6, 1946) in 1977.

15. Sheltered, at sea: ALEE.

16. Overblown publicity: HYPE.

17. Perpendicular to the keel: ABEAM.

18. Travel aimlessly: ROAM.

19. Monopoly token replaced by a cat: IRON.  I rather liked the Iron.

23. "The Addams Family" cousin: ITT.  A new Addams Family movie is coming out in October.

24. Switch positions: ONs.

25. Winter sports footwear: SKIS.

35. Author Rand: AYN.  Ayn Rand (née Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum; Feb. 2, 1905 ~ Mar. 6, 1982) was born in St. Petersburg, Russia.  She moved to the United States in the 1920s.  Her best known works are The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.

36. "__ the Falling Snow": Enya song: AMID.

37. Gas up: REFUEL.  I will have may refueling stops on my drive from New England to Louisiana.

38. Train making all the stops: LOCAL.

40. Assist: AID.

42. Column-bottom number: TOTAL.

43. Right away: AT ONCE.

45. Danson and Nugent: TEDs.  Ted Danson (né Edward Bridge Danson, III; b. Dec. 29, 1947) is a former model and actor.  Ted Nugent (né Theodore Anthony Nugent; b. Dec. 13, 1948) is a musician.

47. Hudson Riv. engineering school: RPI.  As in the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  Hi, Spitzboov!

50. Own (up): 'FESS.

51. Vietnamese soup: PHO.

52. Anti-discrimination initials: EEO.  As in the Equal Employment Opportunity.

63. Side squared, for a square: AREA.

64. Zippo: NONE.

65. By oneself: ALONE.

66. Thailand, once: SIAM.

67. Dealing with the issue: ON IT.

68. Pasta wheat: DURUM.  Everything you wanted to know about Durum, but didn't know to ask.

69. Angel's instrument: HARP.

70. After normal hours: LATE.

71. "Austin Powers" genre: SPY-FI.  A pun on Sci-Fi.

Down:

1. Grand __: SLAM.

2. Old sunscreen ingredient: PABA.  Para-Aminobenzoic Acid (PABA) is not used so much in sunscreen products, in part because it is a strong sensitizing agent and can cause allergic dermatitis.  

3. Remorseful one: RUER.  You'll rue the day ...

4. Baghdad natives: IRAQIs.

5. Entire spectrum: GAMUT.

6. What birdies barely beat: PARs.  A golfing reference.

7. Skin soother: ALOE.  A crossword staple.

8. Perfectly accurate: DEAD ON.

9. Business training session: SEMINAR.

10. Leveling wedge: SHIM.  This word is becoming a crossword staple.

11. Beginner: TYRO.  Can you use this word in a sentence?

12. Stratford-__-Avon: UPON.  This city is best known for being the birthplace of Willie the Shakes.  (Hi, OMK!)

13. Curve in the road: BEND.

21. Checkout counter unit: ITEM.

22. Portfolio listings: ASSETS.

25. Dish with greens: SALAD.  My favorite salads are Caesars.

26. Former capital of Japan: KYOTO.  The city of Kyoto is known for its Buddhist temples, Shinto Shrines and beautiful gardens.

27. Undercover, informally: INCOG.

29. By way of: VIA.

30. Archie's spouse: EDITH.  A reference to All In the Family. 

31. Corp. money manager: CFO.  As in the Chief Financial Officer.

32. Bizarre: OUTRÉ.  The word comes to us from the French

33. Brings in at harvest time: REAPS.

34. Clothing designer Perry: ELLIS.  Perry Ellis (né Perry Edwin Ellis; Mar. 3, 1940 ~ May 30, 1986) was a fashion designer.

36. Li'l Abner creator: AL CAPP. Al Capp (né Alfred Gerald Caplin; Sept. 28, 1909 ~ Nov. 5, 1979) created Li'l Abner in 1934.

39. Mandela's org.: ANC.  As in the African National Congress.

41. Low grade: DEE.  Not a good grade.

44. Fuel additive: ETHANOL.

46. Eins plus zwei: DREI.  Today's German lesson: 1 + 2 = 3.

49. Popular Mexican beer: CORONA.  Not to be confused with the Corona Virus.

50. Make a mess of: FOUL UP.

53. "Yipes!": EGADS!

54. Wild party: BASH.

55. Opera highlight: ARIA.  Aria from Carmen.

56. Shakespeare's mad king: LEAR.

57. Genie's abode: LAMP.

58. Work with needles: KNIT.  A CSO to some of our regulars.

59. Big bash: FÊTE.

60. Golfer McIlroy: RORY.  Rory McIlroy (b. May 4, 1989) is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland.

61. Sufficient, in texts: ENUF.

62. Game before the finals: SEMI.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Notes from C.C.:

1) Safe travels, Hahtoolah!

2) Please send your prayers and positive thoughts to Agnes (Irish Miss), who was just released from hospital yesterday. She continues to feel weak and worn out from various tests. Feel better soon, Agnes our sunshine!

 

 

Eileen (Agnes's sister) and Agnes

 

Monday September 20, 2021 Steve Faiella

Theme: The Four Seasons

18A. It follows 35-Down: SPRING. Symmetrical partner: 66A. In 2021, it begins September 22nd: AUTUMN. This grid has a left/right pattern.

28D. It precedes 66-Across: SUMMER. Symmetrical partner: 35D. It follows 66-Across: WINTER.

48A. Semiannual occurrence that begins 18- and 66-Across: EQUINOX. Intersecting 26D. Semi-annual occurrence that begins 28- and 35-Down: SOLSTICE.

Boomer here. Good Morning to one and all.  

This theme reminds me that WINTER will be here in chilly Minnesota in a couple of months. I cannot say I am looking forward to it however after the 85 degree plus days of the past several months up here in the northland, new weather will at least offer us a change of clothes. 

Across:

1. Simon __: kids' game: SAYS. Do this.

5. Not for kids, moviewise: RATED R.  I never understood who does these rating systems.

11. Small amount: DAB.  A little one will do ya. Brylcreem,

14. Shopper's memory aid: LIST.  Yes I always keep a LIST but then when we go to the grocery store, sometimes I forget it at home.

15. Aviator Earhart: AMELIA.  I don't believe she needed a Covid test before she got on the plane.

16. Skating surface: ICE.  We will have plenty of this here in MN in a few months. 

17. "I had no __!": IDEA.

19. Milk grain: OAT.  Mares eat them and Does eat them but little lambs eat ivy.

20. Imitative bird: PARROT.

22. Pioneering game consoles: ATARIS.  Yup, I played for hours back in the nineties.

24. Reaction to a strange object: WHAT'S THAT?  It's a bird, No it's a plane,.... No it's a bird.

28. Lengthy tales: SAGAS.

31. e__: online instructional guide: HOW.

32. Shoot well under par, in golf lingo: GO LOW.  I have never had to use that lingo.

36. App purchaser: USER.

37. Serious criminal: FELON.  "His capacity for innocent enjoyment, is just as great as any honest man."

39. Actress Anderson: LONI.  Burt Reynolds and LONI lasted about 5 years.  Obviously two millionaires cannot get along.

40. Everest and K2: Abbr.: MTNS.  "To the prairies, to the oceans, white with foam... God Bless America." 

41. Out of practice: RUSTY.  My first try back on the lanes a couple of weeks ago, but I'm getting a little better.

42. Lender's claim: LIEN.

43. Stick-in-the-__: MUD.

44. Make like new, as old furniture: RESTORE.

46. Tater __: deep-fried potato morsel: TOT.  One of my favorites, but I cannot eat just one.

47. Parisian season: ETE. Summer.

49. Opposite of WSW: ENE.  Could it also be WNW or ESE ??

50. Showed again: RERAN.

52. Bandage brand: ACE. Is the place with the helpful hardware man.  -  I watch too much TV and it has way too many commercials.

53. Less adulterated: PURER.

55. Summoned, as the fiddlers three: CALLED FOR.  "Beer, Beer, Beer said the privates, happy men are we.  There's none so fair as can compare to the fighting infantry."

58. Comfy shoe pad: INSOLE. "Where my SUV was hatched??"

61. With milk, as café: AU LAIT.

65. Crystal ball gazer: SEER.  Was Crystal related to Lucille ??

70. Place to de-stress: SPA.

71. Turkey neighbor: IRAN.  Chickens did not fit in the grid.

72. In twos, like socks: PAIRED.  One for each foot.

73. Nosh: EAT.

74. Fathers' boys: SONS.  MacMurray had three of them, I only have one.

75. Gets hot on Twitter: TRENDS.

76. Many pop-ups: ADS.

Down:

1. Lose one's footing: SLIP.  Did I mention winter was coming?  It happens.

2. Musical based on an opera: AIDA.

3. Belgian river: YSER.  Y'Sir lieutenant.

4. Movie with R2-D2: STAR WARS.  On the trivia shows they ask for the star closest to the earth.  The contestants always answer Alpha Centauri, but of course the correct answer is the good old SUN.

5. Dreads sporter: RASTA.

6. Excite, with "up": AMP.  A little bit of electricity.

7. Thrice, in Rx's: TER.  Take, Eat, Regurgitate.

8. New Haven alum: ELI.  Mr. Whitney invented Cotton Gin.  It made the Martini taste terrible.

9. Kitchen dweller of song: DINAH.  "See the USA, in your Chevrolet!"  Okay Ms. Shore.

10. Motley: RAGTAG.  My first week of bowling.  I played so much golf this summer that I forgot the object of the bowling game is to go high.

11. Designer Christian: DIOR.

12. Smoothie berry dubbed a superfood: ACAI.

13. Wagers: BETS.  We bet a quarter on the poker game every Monday.  A card for every mark, High hand wins. 

21. "I see" words: OHS. and AHS

23. Ring-shaped reef: ATOLL.

25. "Same drink as always": THE USUAL.  Same meal at the Ballpark? Hot Dog.

27. Black-and-white, e.g.: TWO-TONED.  A Newspaper, Black and White and Read all over.

29. Sharp-witted: ASTUTE.

30. Word with role or identity: GENDER.  There's always a 50/50 chance of being right.

33. Hang around: LOITER.

34. Common soccer deadlock: ONE ONE.  Also true of Hockey and Baseball.  Never Football though.

37. MHz measure: FREQ. Frequency.

38. "Eli's Coming" songwriter Laura: NYRO.

44. Kidney-related: RENAL.

45. Describes in detail: EXPOUNDS.

51. Squirrel's haul: ACORNS.  Interesting - We have those doggone squirrels all over the backyard and yet there is not an oak tree within miles of our home. 

54. Web address letters: URL.

56. Jumped: LEAPT.

57. Widely known: FAMED.  From Babe Ruth to Albert Pujols.

58. Wife of Osiris: ISIS.   Say that fast three times.  ISIS OSIRIS ?

59. Fiddling emperor: NERO.

60. Actor Connery: SEAN.  Goldfinger.

62. Away from port: ASEA.  If you are writing about Prince Harles, you need to add ASEA.

63. Apple tablet: IPAD.

64. Body art, casually: TATS.  "TATS ALL FOLKS !"

67. Former Mideast org.: UAR.

68. Deadlock: TIE.

69. Keats' "Ode on a Grecian __": URN.

Boomer

Sunday September 19, 2021 Paul Coulter

Theme:  "Support Groups" - Words that can precede "band" turn backward and up. See this Answer Grid.

23A. *Hotel convenience: PARKING ARAG. Backed up to 7D. "Good grief!": EGAD. Parking garage. Garage band.

40A. *Address essential details: GET DOWN TO ARB TACKS. Backed up to 12D. Stand-up types: CLASS ACTS. Get down to brass tacks.  Brass band.

56A. *Wannabe lawyer's milestone: PASSING THE AB. Backed up to 54D. Dorm figs.: RAS. Passing the bar. Bar band.

85A. *Keep one's identity secret, say: STAY UNDER VOC. Backed up to 72D. Overhaul: REVAMP. Stay undercover. Cover band.

96A. *Prepare emotionally for, as something unpleasant: ETS ONESELF AGAINST. Backed up to 80D. Beat it: FLEE. Steel oneself against. Steel band.

Reveal:

118. Miami Sound Machine and others, and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters: BACKUP BANDS.

Complex theme from Paul. We normally just see back or just up approach. Not such a combo. 

I hope your local paper have circles. It would be too difficult to figure out the theme without circles. 

Across:

1. Part of a sea urchin's diet: KELP. Mine too. I use kelp for my miso soup broth. And wakame too of course.

5. Rest of the afternoon: SIESTA.

11. "Beat it!": SCAT.

15. Big first for babies: STEP.

19. Wellsian race: ELOI.

20. "Life of Pi" director: ANG LEE. We had him last Sunday.

21. "Boo'd Up" singer __ Mai: ELLA. Just not many ways to clue ELLA.

22. Mani mate: PEDI. And 25. Manicurist's assortment: NAIL FILES.

27. Beholden: INDEBTED.

28. George who plays Stokes on "CSI": EADS.

30. Minneapolis' Target Center, e.g.: ARENA. Home to the Timberwolves & Lynx. We also have Target Field for the Twins. Target is headquartered in Minneapolis of course.

31. Roger of "Cheers": REES.

32. Stand: BEAR. Can't stand it, e.g.

34. Hotel offerings: SUITES.

37. Cat's attention-getter, maybe: PAW.

45. Caspian feeder: URAL.

47. Novelist Rita __ Brown: MAE.

48. Pitcher John on three different MLB championship teams: LACKEY. Wikipedia says his career ERA is 3.92.

49. Bonanza find: ORE.

50. Scholars: LITERATI.

54. Roofing support: RAFTER. Always amazed to see guys working on the roof without some sort of support.

55. Really cool: EPIC.

59. Most clever: SLICKEST.

61. Brian of rock: ENO.

62. Evening affairs: SOIREES.

63. NYC congresswoman, in headlines: AOC. Her Met Gala dress.

64. Saint-Saëns's "__ Macabre": DANSE.

66. Paid informer: FINK.

67. EPA-banned chemicals: PCBS.

71. Swing site: PORCH.

75. RN workplaces: ERS. VA is offering Boomer a booster shot. We'll take it next week.

77. Nantucket arrivals: FERRIES.

79. "... __ he drove out of sight": Moore: ERE.

80. Board game bonus: FREE SPIN.

87. Big name in chips: LAY'S. Beijing duck flavor.

88. Enmity: ANIMUS.

90. Place for an anchor: NEWSCAST. Remember Harry Smith? My collaborator for a NYT puzzle.

91. Denver-to-Omaha dir.: ENE.

92. Eyepiece: OCULAR.

93. Reverence: AWE.

95. Kid's retort: AM SO.

102. What "/" may mean: PER.

103. Prepared for cooking, as corn: HUSKED.

104. Consort of Psyche: EROS. Aka Cupid.

105. Yours, to Yvette: A TOI.

107. Carry away: ELATE.

109. Biblical scribe: EZRA.

111. Exhibits unease, maybe: STAMMERS. Not STUTTERS. Remember Medavoy?

115. Harbormaster's chart: TIDE TABLE.

121. On deck, perhaps: ASEA.

122. High-tech workers: BOTS.

123. Words from behind a door, maybe: IN HERE.

124. Blue hue: CYAN.

125. Go on: LAST.

126. Acronym on a protective vest: SWAT. Special Weapons And Tactics. Daryl Gates of LAPD  created his SWAT teams after the Watts riot. 

 

127. Battery terminals: ANODES.

128. Back talk: SASS.

Down:

1. Visored French cap: KEPI.

2. Brio: ELAN.

3. Byron's title: LORD.

4. Stingy sort: PIKER.

5. Important coastal drainage river in South Carolina: SANTEE. Wikipedia says it's named after the  Santee tribe.

6. Swallow: INGEST.

8. 35mm camera type: SLR.

9. Leaves in a cup: TEA.

10. Sea at one end of the Dardanelles: AEGEAN.

11. Texter's button: SEND.

13. "Aladdin" prince: ALI.

14. 1960s chess champ Mikhail: TAL.

15. Ornamental shrub: SPIREA. Pretty.

16. Astronomer's tool: TELESCOPE.

17. Fall place: EDEN.

18. Galileo's birthplace: PISA.

24. "__ your pardon": I BEG.

26. Like many rich foods: FATTY. I like all kinds of pickled and fried food.

29. School room encouraging creativity: ART LAB.

32. Fancy neckwear: BOA.

33. Dolly, for one: EWE.

35. "Family Matters" nerd: URKEL.

36. Spain's peninsula: IBERIA.

37. Mashed, as oranges: PULPED.

38. Grande dame of pop: ARIANA. Ha. Dame.

39. Doyle's narrator: WATSON.

41. Composer Shostakovich: DMITRI.

42. Big galoot: OAF.

43. Singer Kristofferson: KRIS.

44. Breakaway group: SECT.

46. Arles article: LES.

51. Choir supports: RISERS.

52. Mayo is in it: ANO. Mayo the month.

53. "Hooray, the weekend!": TGIF.

55. Big name in kitchenware: EKCO. What does EKCO stand for?

57. Chick magnet?: HEN. Cute clue.

58. Distressed cry: EEK.

60. Thickets: COPSES.

65. Goes out with: SEES.

67. One in a pod: PEA. Have you tried wasabi peas?

68. Call out: CRY.

69. Asian sultanate: BRUNEI.

70. Cosecant's reciprocal: SINE.

73. Game stick with a net: CROSSE.

74. Jamie of "Bosch": HECTOR. Unknown to me.

76. "In the Bedroom" Oscar nominee: SPACEK (Sissy)

77. Some mil. bases: FTS. Forts.

78. One of eight Eng. kings: EDW. Edward.

81. Carry on: RANT.

82. Antiglare wear: EYE SHADES.

83. Occupied: IN USE.

84. Alexandria's area: NILE DELTA.

85. One often seen in curls: SURFER. OK, Google shows that curl is "The actual portion of the wave that is falling or curling over when the wave is breaking"

86. TV pioneer: RCA.

89. __ de mer: MAL.

92. Attack: ONSET.

93. Back: AGO.

94. Is no longer: WAS.

97. Best at putting things away?: OUTEAT. Another great clue.

98. World's largest peninsula: ARABIA.

99. Mother of note: NATURE.

100. Middle ear bone: STAPES. Also new to me.  I don't really know my ears.

101. Archaeological find: TOMB.

106. Apple varieties: IMACS.

107. List-ending abbr.: ET AL.

108. Three-time WNBA MVP __ Leslie: LISA.

110. Gusto: ZEST.

111. List of appts.: SKED. Schedule.

112. "Only Time" songwriter: ENYA.

113. Old food label nos.: RDAS.

114. IRS IDs: SSNS.

116. Sit-up targets: ABS.

117. Fiddle stick: BOW.

119. Taylor of fashion: ANN.

120. Sulu portrayer John: CHO. On the left.

In case you're not aware, MM & his girlfriend Valerie met with Picard and his wife last Tuesday in Santa Barbara. Here's the picture. Happy faces.

 

Left to Right: Valerie, MM, Merlie & Picard 9/14/2021

Chair Moe (Chris) made today's Universal puzzle, click here to solve.

C.C.