Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Craig Stowe

Shuffle the Word.  Rearrange/shuffle the letters of the word Take will give us Alternatives of that word.

16-Across. *   Ground-beef-and-gravy dish: SALISBURY STEAK.

25-Across. *     Penny-pincher: CHEAPSKATE.

36-Across. *     "Ode to a Nightingale" poet: JOHN KEATS.  It's a long poem, but you can read it here.

50-Across. *     Hung in the balance: WAS AT STAKE.

And the unifier:

59-Across. Different points of view ... and a hint to the ends of the answers to starred clues: ALTERNATE TAKES.

Across:

1. Tie named for an annual race venue: ASCOT.  The horse race is also the event where women were very elaborate and outlandish hats.

6. Destroy, as one's hopes: DASH.

10. Spanish hero El __: CID.  El Cid (né Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar; 1043 ~ 1099) was a Castilian knight in medieval Spain.  The Moors referred to him as El Cid, which is the name that has been passed down in history.

13. Land at the water's edge: SHORE.

14. Look at rudely: OGLE.

15. Genetic messenger: RNA.

19. Out of sorts: ILL.

20. Ginormous: HUGE.

21. Actor Eckhart of "Sully": AARON.  Aaron Eckhart (né Aaron Edward Eckhart; b. Mar. 12, 1968) played the First Officer Jeff Skiles in the movie about Sully Sullenberg and the plane rescue on the Hudson.

23. Hefty slice: SLAB.

28. Completely wrecks: TOTALS.

30. Pastry with a crust: PIE.  Yummers!

31. Long-jawed fish: GAR.  Everything you wanted to know about the Gar, but didn't know to ask.  Not to be confused with Picard's crush, Teri.

32. Shorthand crackerjack: STENO.  As in a Stenographer.

33. 2019 comedy "__ It Romantic": ISN'T.

35. Cuban coin: PESO.

39. Numbers game: KENO.

42. Where about one-third of Istanbul residents live: ASIA.  Cross the Bosphorus going east and you leave Europe and enter Asia, without entering a new country..

43. Yellowjackets, e.g.: WASPS.  Are Yellowjackets really Wasps?  I was stung twice by a wasp the other day while working in my garden.  The creatures had built a nest in one of my shrubs as I was trimming it back.  Ouch!  Fortunately, I didn't experience an allergic reaction.

47. George Harrison memoir "__ Mine": I ME.

48. Only partner?: ONE.  But One is the Lonliest Number!

49. "Border" breed: COLLIE.

54. Cat breed from an Irish Sea isle: MANX.

55. 101 course, typically: INTRO.

56. Commanded: BADE.

58. T'ai __: CHI.

63. NFL receivers: TEs.  As in Tight Ends.

64. "Crikey!" is a mild one: OATH.

65. Soccer shoe: CLEAT.

66. Dreyer's partner in ice cream: EDY.  Edy's Ice Cream has become a crossword staple.  It's slow churned.

67. Miss Muffet fare: WHEY.

68. Flocks' relatives: HERDS.

Down:

1. Basketball stats: ASSISTS.  Some of the greatest assists in NBA history?  You be the judge.

2. Bulb in a vinaigrette: SHALLOT.  Sometime an onion can be substituted for a shallot.

3. Collect and put in order, as document pages: COLLATE.

4. "You do it, __ will!": OR I.

5. Radio host John: TESH.  John Frank Tesh (b. July 9, 1952) also tries his hand as singing.

6. Bread-to-be: DOUGH.  I am thinking of trying my hand at making sourdough bread.

7. See eye to eye: AGREE.

8. Wily: SLY.

9. Fellows: HEs.  Meh!

10. Sound from an old staircase: CREAK.

11. Steamed up: IN A RAGE.

12. Montana neighbors, with "the": DAKOTAs.  An interesting history on why there is a North and South Dakota.

17. Tampa NFL team: BUCs.  Hi, Tin!

18. Shock, as a perp: TASE.

22. Emperor after Claudius: NERO.

24. Steve Martin's instrument: BANJO.

26. Sleep clinic study: APNEA.  People with sleep apnea often use a C-PAP to help them sleep.  The new C-PAP model by Philips is being recalled due to the noxious gas that it can produce.

27. Falafel holder: PITA.  Yummers!

29. John in the Albert Hall: LOO.  Cute clue!

33. Atlas enlargement: INSET.

34. Enjoy the slopes: SKI.

35. Song of praise: PSALM.

37. Oscar-winning composer Zimmer: HANS.  Hans Florian Zimmer (b. Sept. 12, 1957) won an Oscar for his score in the 1995 movie The Lion King.

38. Weeks in a fortnight: TWO.  Origin of the word Fortnight.

39. New Zealander: KIWI.  Why New Zealanders are called Kiwis.

40. Flow (from): EMANATE.

41. Cuddled up: NESTLED.

44. One shirking work: SLACKER.

45. "Angels dancing" site, in a theological question: PINHEAD.

46. Gender-biased sorts: SEXISTS.

48. Oklahoma tribe: OTOE.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

49. Formally give up: CEDE.

51. Pretentious: ARTSY.

52. Let up, as a storm: ABATE.

53. "My Life on the D-List" comic Griffin: KATHY.

57. Carve in stone: ETCH.  Or an Etch-A-Sketch.

60. Use oars: ROW.

Oars in a Row

61. "Don't think so": NAH.

62. Microbrewery brew: ALE.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Congratulations on your debut yesterday, Chairman Moe!

Monday October 4, 2021 Chris Gross

Theme: ENDS IN A TIE (59. Concludes with no clear winner ... and what each answer to a starred clue does?)

17. *Yellow tomato with red swirls: BIG RAINBOW.

27. *"Our group doesn't agree": WE THINK NOT.

44. *Phillie Phanatic, notably: TEAM MASCOT.

Boomer here. Chris Gross is our own Chairman Moe, who blogs the Friday puzzles for our blog. This is the LA Times debut for Moe. Congrats!

Moe and his girlfriend Margaret

    

Congrats to the Benilde Saint Margaret's High School Bowling team for chalking up a few victories in the best of five matches on Fridays. I get to be one of the coaches.

Across:

1. Card that loses to a trey: DEUCE.  Unless it is wild!

6. Equine control: REIN.

10. Dazzled: AWED.

14. Boo-boo: ERROR.  I miss those stupid ten pin spares frequently but I don't call it a Boo Boo.

15. Besides that: ELSE.  Nothing ELSE is more frustrating. Especially since I just bought a new plastic spare ball from Greg of A-Z Pro Shop.

 Greg & Boomer 9/28/2021

16. Waterslide cry: WHEE.  A bit East of Minnesota is a place called "Wisconsin Dells".  They have huge water park slides that I am afraid of but I like the Miniature Putt Putt golf.

19. Dismiss from work: FIRE.  You should not have started that FIRE in your waste basket!

20. __ coffee: cool drink: ICED.  Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis liked it HOT!

21. Anonymous Jane: DOE.  A Deer, A female deer.  Sound of Music.

22. One-on-one teacher: TUTOR.  I am ONE for about 12 young bowlers.

23. Mortarboard hanger: TASSEL.  Congratulations graduates!

25. Flier's seat choice: AISLE. You can use your cell phone to find the AISLE for the stuff you want to buy.

31. Heed, with "by": ABIDE.

35. Couple's pronoun: OURS.  Not always - "What's hers is hers and what's mine is hers too."

36. Currency for 19 states: EURO.  I bought a few of these when they were first issued.  I thought they might be worth something but they are lying in a box.

38. Dull movie, say: BORE.  "Go off to see the Wizard"  Never a dull moment!

39. "Spider-Man" actress Kirsten: DUNST.

40. Staircase part: STEP.

41. Fish that complains a lot?: CARP.  Catch one in Minnesota?  They are not good to eat but you are not allowed to toss them back into the lake. 

42. One less than nona-: OCTA.  Then how come OCTober is the tenth month?

43. Liability offset on a balance sheet: ASSET.  Seems as though September 2021 reduced a few sheets this year.

47. Environmentally friendly: GREEN.  A place to putt.

48. Highway divider: MEDIAN.  Much safer than a double yellow line.

53. Opposite of old age: YOUTH.  I am really offended clues with "Old Age" in them.

55. Long, long time: EON.  "What more could I do, I'm so inspired by you, I haven't been there for the Longest Time".  Billy Joel.

57. About, on a memo: IN RE.

58. Inuit word for "house": IGLU.  I used to spell it IGLOO.

62. Bosc or Anjou: PEAR.  Bosc and Anjou are a PAIR of PEARS.

63. Snail __: letter carrier's burden: MAIL.  It is not as bad here as it is in say rural Montana, but sometimes we get our MAIL around ten o'clock AM and the next day maybe at suppertime? 

64. Golfer Sam: SNEAD.  A little before my time, but I have some neat Arnie Palmer postage stamps.

65. Arid: SERE.  Is this the lady in the cell phone that tells others where to go?

66. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO.

67. Singer __ Rae Jepsen: CARLY.

Down:

1. Ledger entry: DEBIT.  Wall street hands them out frequently.

2. "Fear of Flying" author Jong: ERICA.

3. Impulses: URGES.  I get them twice a week, to BOWL.

4. Firewood units: CORDS.  As I have mentioned before, I do not use the basement fireplace in our home anymore.  Not worth the mess.

5. Victorian or Elizabethan: ERA.  We older folks are in the IRA ERA.

6. Janet __, attorney general after Barr: RENO.  Great Bowling Center, Buffets, and casinos, but it ain't that other city further south.  

7. Hamburg's river: ELBE.

8. Prefix with metric: ISO.

9. Never been used: NEW.  Now I know "What's New"?

10. Terrible quality: AWFULNESS.  Just throw it away and take the loss.

11. Low-visibility snow events: WHITEOUTS.  We have those in Minnesota.  A little rough on the driving but nowhere near the catastrophe of hurricane IDA in the South and East. 

12. Gateway Arch designer Saarinen: EERO.

13. Bucks in a forest: DEER.  Those are the animals with the horns.  You are not allowed to shoot DOES in Minnesota..

18. Doing nothing: IDLE.  I cannot remember the last time I did nothing.

22. "For shame!": TSK.

24. Meadow mom: EWE.  Those are the sheep without horns.

25. Respiratory cavity: AIR SAC.  Do not let Covid get in them.

26. MIT's "I": Abbr.: INST.

28. Froot Loops mascot __ Sam: TOUCAN.  Kellogg's seems to haff forgooten how to spell Fruit.

29. Fox-and-hounds pursuits: HUNTS.

30. Shade provider: TREE. We just had our back yard elm tree thinned out. It seems to have been providing too much shade.

31. Alphabet sequence symbolizing ease: ABC.  Monday puzzles for our faithful are found to be as easy as ABC. Not me.

32. Word with row or sail: BOAT.  "Gently down the stream",

33. Imperfect, as sale goods: IRREGULAR.

34. Arrival's opposite: DEPARTURE.  At least you do not have to go through a TSA line after an Arrival .

37. Choose (to): OPT.

39. Capitol feature: DOME.  Our Twins and Vikings used to share the Hubert H. Humphrey MetroDOME but it's gone now and both teams have new places to play.  No snow at U.S. Bank stadium in the late fall, but you never know about the Twins in open air Target Field.

43. Absorbed, as a cost: ATE.  I Absorbed breakfast this morning.

45. [Yawn]: MEH.

46. Upscale hotel: OMNI.

49. Ross or Rigg: DIANA.

50. Prefix meaning "between": INTER.  I thought an INTERSTATE Highway meant both states.

51. Sans-serif font: ARIAL.

52. Impoverished: NEEDY.

53. Golfer's putting jitters, with "the": YIPS.  I can miss putts without having YIPS.

54. Curved molding: OGEE.  OH GEE, I missed another ten pin.

55. Do some prose-tightening: EDIT.

56. Nobel Peace Prize city: OSLO.  Norway seldom receives headlines.  Many of my ancestors are from there.

59. Big Aussie bird: EMU.  I really do not like Liberty Mutual commercials!

60. Indian bread: NAN.

61. Pres. advisory group: NSC.  North and South Carolina??

Happy wishes to our sweet Irish Miss - may the doctors and meds bring a smile to your face and ours. 

 

Boomer

Sunday October 3, 2021 Mark McClain

Theme:"Preparing for Takeoff" - Last words orderly describe a plane trip.

23. *Attraction with exotic animals: SAFARI PARK.

33. *Former NASA project: SPACE SHUTTLE.

47. *Jump-start connection point: BATTERY TERMINAL.

63. *IT executive's concern: NETWORK SECURITY.

84. *Berlin monument that's a symbol of Germany's reunification: BRANDENBURG GATE.

97. *Something to go back to when things aren't working out: DRAWING BOARD.

113. *Brew pub sampler: BEER FLIGHT.

This describes nicely our annual trip to Las Vegas in February. No shuttle in Minneapolis though. We use Sun Country. After we park, we take an elevator and arrive at the terminals. After we arrive in Vegas, we do need to take a shuttle to the car rental place.

Super smooth grid from Mark. He's not one of the constructors who go low on word count or black square count. I actually don't recall a Saturday grid from Mark. He won't stump you with strange Abbr. or obscure names. Total pro!

Across:

1. Brownie group?: BATCH. Mark wants to trick you with TROOP.

6. Francis, most recently: POPE.

10. Scornful comment: TAUNT.

15. Self-righteously proper sort: PRIG.

19. Fancy to extremes: ADORE. Argyle used to visit Agnes and sat in one of those chairs. He'd then email me about how neat Agnes's house was.

Agnes's Home

20. Caspian Sea feeder: URAL.

21. Come after: ENSUE.

22. Single: LONE.

25. It may be skipped: STONE. And maybe CLASS too, for these kids.

26. SLR setting: AUTO.

27. Self-absorbed: SMUG.

28. Works in a museum: OILS. Noun "Works".

29. Oops provoker: SLIP. Thanks for the various buttons, D-Otto! You're just a genius!

30. Got rid of: TOSSED.

32. Knob-handled tools: AWLS.

35. Range option: AMANA.

38. Massage therapist's employer: SPA. Our Melissa used to be a massage therapist. We also have 77. It may need massaging: EGO.

39. Dismiss casually, with "at": SNEEZE.

40. Piece of land: TRACT.

41. Release predecessors: BETAS.

43. Embellished: ADORNED.

52. Word on an Irish euro: EIRE.

53. Basics: ABCs

54. Tickle pink: ELATE. Friendly combo, hence its frequent appearance.

55. Silent __: White House nickname: CAL.

56. Pet store rodent: GERBIL.

58. "Grey's Anatomy" showrunner Rhimes: SHONDA. Her company is called Shondaland.

60. Flier in a show: AEROBAT.

62. Bishop's purview: SEE.

68. Go downhill fast: SKI.

71. Obsolescent wrong number cause: MIS-DIAL.

72. Omelet request: ONE EGG.

75. Move stealthily: TIPTOE.

78. Brown shade: BEIGE.

81. "Sunday Night Baseball" nickname: A-ROD. Now he co-owns Timberwolves. Why didn't he just buy a baseball team?

83. Jazz home: UTAH.

87. Sleeping bag alternative: BEDROLL. Never used it. Not a camping person.

90. Wonderland cake instruction: EAT ME.

91. Café lightener: LECHE. Spanish for "milk". Looks like this in Chinese. Most Chinese just drink soy milk.

92. Contemptible: ODIOUS.

95. Trauma ctrs.: ERS.

96. Causes of much yawning: BORES.

101. Moved like the wind: BLEW.

103. Potato color: RUSSET. We use Yukon Gold for potato salad.

104. Crop unit: ACRE.

105. Fireplace duct: FLUE.

106. Forget where one put: LOSE. Boomer always puts his keys and wallet over the fridge.

110. Golden rule word: UNTO.

111. Bert's chum: ERNIE.

115. Wise adviser: GURU.

116. Its code is BOS: LOGAN.

117. Murray with a star on both the Canada and Hollywood Walk of Fame: ANNE.

118. Judge who excelled in the Field of Dreams game: AARON. Boomer has riffed on his names many times. Here comes the Judge.

119. Notice: SPOT.

120. Avocet cousin: STILT.

121. Puts in: ADDS.

122. Climate activist Thunberg: GRETA. If she does not win Nobel Peace this year, then it's the WHO. We'll know next Friday.

 

Down:

1. String section instrument: BASS.

2. Fall figure: ADAM. The fall of man.

3. Vegan protein source: TOFU. My grandma used to make tofu & chives dumplings every Saturday when I was home from college.

4. Rocky projection: CRAG.

5. HRH part: HER.

6. Eye opening: PUPIL.

7. Rigorous exams: ORALS.

8. Scorecard standards: PARS. We used to have a couple's season ticket for Ceder Creeks. I was not long but I was always straight.

9. Moose cousin: ELK.

10. Model 3 maker: TESLA. Does anyone on our blog own a Tesla?

11. Marxian activities: ANTICS. OK, it refers the Marx brothers.

12. Arthur Ashe Stadium is its main court: US OPEN. The next largest is the Louis Armstrong Stadium. We also have 36. 12-Down contest: MATCH.

13. Sister: NUN.

14. Achieved a baby milestone: TEETHED.

15. Classic wall worker: PLASTERER. TTP is one. Total DIYer.

16. Awaken harshly: ROUST.

17. Mole's collection: INTEL.

18. Crystal-bearing rock: GEODE.

24. Hoover was the only president born there: IOWA. Gimme! No president was born in Minnesota.

29. Twitch, say: SPASM.

31. Taverna aperitif: OUZO.

32. Meridian opening: ANTE.Antemeridian. Before noon.

33. Trunk item: SPARE.

34. Aquatic carnivore: SEAL.

35. Iraqis, mostly: ARABS.

37. Doesn't ignore: ACTS ON.

38. Editor's "keep it": STET.

40. Sched. uncertainty: TBA.And  42. GPS projection: ETA.

41. Club rules: BYLAWS.

44. Avian bills: NIBS.

45. Pennsylvania county or its seat: ERIE. Hello, Abejo, can you see us?

46. Editor's "cut it": DELE.

48. "Power" accessory, perhaps: RED TIE.

49. Cold treat brand: ICEE.

50. Dealer's pursuer: NARC. Drug dealer.

51. First Dominican MLB manager Felipe: ALOU.

56. Somersaulting dive: GAINER.

57. Kitchen suffix: ETTE.

59. Dory's friend: NEMO. Voiced by Ellen DeGeneres in "Finding Nemo".

60. Gestural comm. syst.: ASL.

61. Sturdy shoe: BROGUE.

64. River through Frankfurt: ODER. Along the German/Poland border.

65. Capital of Latvia: RIGA.

66. Particle also called a K meson: KAON.

67. Sound barrier breaker Chuck: YEAGER.

68. E-ticket's lack: STUB.

69. __-Eating Tree: "Peanuts" phenomenon: KITE.

70. 2010 Apple debut: IPAD. I first saw an iPad when Boomer's daughter-in-law visited us.

73. Common prayer: GRACE.

74. Invaders of ancient Rome: GOTHS.

76. Discards: THROWS OUT.

78. Trimming target: BEARD.

79. Thyroid MDs: ENTS.

80. "Big Blue": IBM.

82. Actor Billy __ Williams: DEE.

84. Poster's medium: BLOG.

 

85. Company with an antlered animal logo: DEERE.

86. Pleasant feeling: GLOW.

88. Pooch with a large tongue: ODIE.

89. Horizontal door beams: LINTELS. Directly over the door.

93. Congo tributary: UBANGI.

94. __ media: SOCIAL. In Chinese WeChat, you can see who likes your posts and who comments, but no one else can, unless it's from a mutual friend. For any of Carmen's posts, I can't see who likes or comments, unless it's from Lesley, since Lesley is also a friend of mine.

96. Major Nebraska product: BEEF.

97. Puts under: DRUGS.

98. Accumulate: RUN-UP.

99. Houston MLBer: ASTRO.

100. Ain't perfect?: AREN'T.

101. Barista's creation: BLEND.

102. Entices: LURES.

105. Ward (off): FEND.

106. Wearer of hot pants?: LIAR. Liar, pants on fire.

107. Fairy tale monster: OGRE.

108. Useless, now: SHOT.

109. Sicilian mount: ETNA.

112. Hogwash: ROT.

113. Shearing day sound: BAA.

114. Jet __: LAG. Proper ending!

Some extra notes:

1) Come here tomorrow for an exciting LAT debut of a regular on our blog!

2) Thank you so much for the cards and best wishes for our sweet Agnes! She's very encouraged. She's seeing her doctor on Wednesday then her oncologist on Thursday. Hopefully we'll know more about the next steps then. 

The road ahead will be tough, and she'll need our thoughts and prayers and songs.

C.C.