Tuesday, November 9, 2021 Michael Wiesenberg and Andrea Carla Michaels

Chopped Salad with Sliced Veggies.  The letters in the circle spell out a vegetable that is "sliced".  I'm not sure I would consider "slicing" maize, but the word itself is sliced in half.

20-Across. December holiday mailing: CHRISTMAS CARD.  CHARD.

28-Across. Orca: KILLER WHALE.  KALE

46-Across. Significant other: MAIN SQUEEZE.  MAIZE.

And the unifier:

57-Across. Salad crudités ... and a hint to each row of circled letters:  SLICED VEGGIES.

Across:

1. "__: Ragnarok": 2017 superhero film: THOR.  I just learned from watching the sit-com Ghosts, that the word Ragnarok basically is interpreted to mean the "final destruction of the world."

5. Mob boss: CAPO.

9. Popular pudding brand: JELL-O.  If you want to know more about Jell-O and its various products, you can visit the Jell-O Museum in Le Roy, New York.

14. Fit for harvesting: RIPE.

15. Six-sided state: UTAH.

16. Be of use to: AVAIL.

17. Suitable for all __: game rating: AGES.

18. Actress Petty: LORI.  Lori Petty (b. Oct. 14, 1963) was in the 1992 movie A League of Their Own, and more recently in the Netflix show Orange is the New Black.

19. Event site: VENUE.

23. "__ do it": "Sorry": I CAN'T.

24. Arthur with two Emmys and a Tony: BEA.  Be Arthur (née Bernice Frankel; May 13, 1922 ~ Apr. 25, 2009), makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  She also served as a Staff Sergeant in the Marines.

25. CO winter hrs.: MST.  As in Mountain Standard Time.

33. Indian music style adopted by the Beatles: RAGA.

37. "All in favor" vote: AYE.  //  And 30-Down. Bleaching agent: LYE.  I liked how these two rhyming words crossed.

38. Undercover cops may wear them: WIRES.  Did anyone watch The Wire?  We binged on this show during the Covid shutdown.

39. Flowerlike sea creature: ANEMONE.  They are beautiful creatures.

41. Airport kiosk printout: E-TICKET.  They are convenient when they are working properly.

43. Prefix with state or net: INTER-.  As in Interstate and Internet, both of which I seem to use daily.

44. __ Kippur: YOM.  Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement in Judaism.  Yom means "day" in Hebrew.  Kippur is translated to mean "Atonement", however, there is actually no literal translation to this Hebrew word.

45. Former fast fliers: Abbr.: SSTs.  We used to see these SuperSonic Transports in the crossword puzzles on a frequent basis.

50. Overnight option: INN.

51. Pence and Harris: Abbr.: VPs.  Mike Pence (né Michael Richard Pence; b. June 7, 1959) is the IPVP  (Immediate Past Vice President) and Kamala Harris (née Kamala Devi Harris; Oct. 20, 1964) is the current Vice President.  Enough said.

52. Letter after beta: GAMMA.

62. "Piece of cake," e.g.: IDIOM.

64. Diner sign element: NEON.

65. Actor Guinness: ALEC.  That's Sir Alec, to you.  Alec Guinness (né Alec Guinness de Cuffe; Apr. 2, 1914 ~ Aug. 5, 2000) was a great stage actor, but most of us recognize him as Obi Wan Kenobi from the Star Wars movies.

66. Patient no longer: FED UP.  I am Fed Up with FedEx!  Packages are delayed, and when they are delivered, the packages are all dented and partially ripped open.

67. Tyne of "Judging Amy": DALY.  Tyne Daly (née Ellen Tyne Daly; b. Feb. 21, 1946) asp stared in Cagney & Lacey.  Her brother is actor Tim Daly (né James Timothy Daly; Mar. 1, 1956).

68. Fascinated by: INTO.

69. Luge vehicles: SLEDS.

70. Mex. miss: SRTA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Hi, Lucina!

71. Tree house: NEST.

Down:

1. "Baywatch" actress Bingham: TRACI.  I never watched Baywatch and I don't recognize Traci Bingham (b. Jan. 13, 1968).

2. Note for a soprano: HIGH-C.  //  Not to be confused with 32-Down. Minute Maid drinks: HI-Cs.

3. Rossini work: OPERA.  Gioachino Antonio Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792 ~ Nov. 13, 1868) wrote nearly 40 operas before he was 40 years old.

4. Varnish component: RESIN.

5. Like many midnight movies: CULT.  The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a classic cult film.

6. Quark place: ATOM.

7. Sunday school story: PARABLE.

8. "Yes, it's clear now": OH, I SEE!

9. Morning cup: JAVA.  Hi, Java Mama!

10. At any point: EVER.

11. Big Ben and the Golden Gate Bridge, e.g.: LANDMARKS.  How many world landmarks have you seen from this list?

12. Greater N.Y. school: LIU.  As in Long Island University.

13. Bullring "Bravo!": ¡OLÉ!  More of today's Spanish lesson.

21. NASDAQ buy: STK.    As in Stocks.

22. Jeep or Jetta: CAR.

26. Dangerous precipitation: SLEET.

27. What the doctor ordered: TESTS.

29. Golf commentator __ Baker-Finch: IAN.  Ian Baker-Finch (b. Oct. 24, 1960) is an Australian golfer and sports commentator.

31. 1910s conflict, briefly: WWI.  World War I lasted from July 28, 1914 until November 11, 1918.

33. Spider-Man films director: RAIMI.  Sam Raimi (né Samuel Raimi; b. Oct. 23, 1959) has been directing films since the late 1970s.

34. Kofi of the U.N.: ANNAN.  Kofi Annan (Apr. 8, 1938 ~ Aug. 18, 2018) served as the 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations, from January 1997 through December 2006.

35. Pick a lock, say: GET INSIDE.  Hmm... So it's not a crime?

36. "__ to that!": AMEN.

40. Surg. areas: ORs.  As in Operating Rooms.

41. Want-ad letters: EOE.  As in Equal Opportunity Employer.

42. Harvey Levin's online tabloid: TMZ.  Who knew?

44. Sighed agreement: YES, DEAR.

47. Home shopper's channel: QVC.  Quality Value Convenience.

48. Flips: UPENDS.

49. Silly Putty holder: EGG.

53. "Let's take it from the top": AGAIN.

54. Pooh creator: MILNE.  A.A. Milne (né Alan Alexander Milne; Jan. 18, 1882 ~ Jan. 31, 1956) write the Winnie-the-Pooh stories.  The backstory.

55. Runs into: MEETS.

56. Knotted neckwear: ASCOT.  This neckwear is becoming a crossword staple.

58. Overly bright, fashionwise: LOUD.

It's just wrong!

59. Rascals: IMPS.

60. Battery unit: VOLT.

61. Irish New Ager: ENYA.  Enya (b. May 17, 1961) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  Her given name is Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin, so you can see why she goes by Enya.

62. They aren't sure things: IFs.  If it doesn't rain tomorrow, I will go for a run.  NOT!

63. Ctrl-Alt-__: DEL.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday November 8, 2021 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: CHANCE ENCOUNTER (60. Bumping into someone, say ... and what the end of each answer to a starred clue can have?) - The last word can precede "chance".

17. *Swing from the get-go: COME OUT FIGHTING. Fighting chance.

23. *Well-made: BUILT TO LAST. Last chance.

30. *Early pudginess usually lost by one's teens: BABY FAT. Fat chance.

43. *Continue to avoid, as alcohol: STAY OFF.  Off chance (Thanks, Tony Express). Never had much of a desire for the stuff.  The doctor did not hurt my feelings when he told me to STAY OFF because it does not agree with my meds.

47. *"Don't go yet": WAIT A SECOND. Second chance.

Boomer here.  

Yep, a fighting chance describes me trying to pick up a ten pin.  There is never a second chance in the same frame.  The opponents generally think "fat chance" that I will make it.  It's their "last chance" before they shut up.  I hope everyone remembered to turn their clocks back an hour yesterday to get some extra sleep.

Across:

1. Fictional hero raised by apes: TARZAN.

7. URL letters after two slashes: WWW.  I know it's the World Wide Web but I also think it has something to do with pro wrestling.  Speaking of which, did you know that when I moved to Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, the mayor was Jesse (the body) Ventura.  A few years later he became governor of the whole state of Minnesota.

10. Prefix meaning "huge": MEGA.  Very large

14. Single-celled creature: AMOEBA.  Very Small

15. "So I was right all along": AHA.  "I learned that our government must be strong, It's always right and never wrong.  Our leaders are the finest men and so we elect them again and again"   (Tom Paxton)

16. Pizza cooker: OVEN.  I was once a pizza BAKER and the oven was 500 degrees.

20. Bonuses for the waitstaff: TIPS.  Also advice at the racetrack.

21. Whitewater ride: RAFT.

22. Mookie of the Dodgers: BETTS.  Maybe he goes to casinos ??

25. Make amends: ATONE.

29. Wallach or Whitney: ELI.

33. Go out, as the tide: EBB.  Happens every day when the moon comes up.

35. Econ. yardstick: GDP.  Gross Domestic Product.

38. Timeworn phrase: BROMIDE. Read more here.

39. In the same family: RELATED.

41. Dined: ATE.  Notice that ATE and EAT have the same letters.

42. Can metal: TIN.

44. Pigs out (on), briefly: OD'S.

46. Bird homes: NESTS.  I usually cheat when the golf ball lies in what looks like a bird NEST.

54. Lou Grant portrayer Ed: ASNER.  Everyone remembers Lou Grant, however Mr. Asner also was the captain of the slave ship in "Roots" 

55. __-Rooter: ROTO.  We bought a new toilet from them and they did a very poor job installing it.

56. Worker protection org.: OSHA.  Their rules and regulations seemed to be a pain to establish but I guess it was for the better.

63. Clark at the Daily Planet: KENT.  I wonder what brand of cigarettes he smoked.

64. NW corner key: ESC.  We have one but I have never heard it called that.

65. __ versus nurture: NATURE.

66. Valuable rocks: ORES.  I think they come from Oregon.

67. 5G __: mobile standard: LTE.

68. Eats into: ERODES.  I guess I ERODE a bowl of cereal every morning. 

Down:

1. Diplomat's asset: TACT.  And diplomacy.

2. Mine, in Metz: A MOI.

3. Blowout victory: ROMP.  The Braves took home that trophy with the flags in a circle. Congratulations!

4. Pizzazz quartet: ZEES.  Some kind of Pizza that I never made.

5. Blood-typing letters: ABO.  I am O Neg and the VA sneaked some out of my inside elbow last Friday.  Of course I asked the lady to use the same hole as previous.

6. Tiny Pacific republic near the equator: NAURU.

7. Pancake cousin: WAFFLE.  We have a great WAFFLE baker.  I make them instead of pancakes all the time.  No syrup though - only fake sugar.

8. Wood shavers: WHITTLERS.  I have never done this.  I guess I am not old enough.

9. What happy tails do: WAG.

10. Roadside overnight stop: MOTEL.  We do not use these much anymore.  I think the last time is when C.C. and I took a golf trip years ago and drove to Myrtle Beach.

11. Broadway role played by Madonna in film: EVITA.

12. Restroom label: GENTS.  Must be upscale.  All I ever see is "MEN".

13. Common teen phase: ANGST.

18. Mai __: TAI.

19. "His Dark Materials" channel: HBO.  I think I have this channel but I don't remember ever watching it.

23. Are suited for: BEFIT.

24. Dalai Lama's land: TIBET.  A region in East Asia occupied by holy monks. 

25. Palindromic "SOS" pop group: ABBA.

26. Sharp-tasting: TART.

27. Bassoon relative: OBOE.

28. "Miracle" NL team of 1969, on scoreboards: NYM.  The "Miracle Mets" managed by Gil Hodges beat the heavily favored Orioles 4 games to 1.

31. Farewell to Felipe: ADIOS.

32. Most easily chewed, as meat: TENDEREST.  Tenderloins are pretty expensive.

34. Not at all spicy: BLAND.

35. Sporty Pontiacs: GTOS.  Sometimes called a GOAT.  Greatest Of All Time?

36. Nimble-fingered: DEFT.

37. Some emailed files: PDFS.

40. Sailor's yes: AYE.

45. Wall-mounted light: SCONCE.

47. Amusingly eccentric: WACKO.  Okay, who is attacking my blog entry.

48. Son of Jacob: ASHER.

49. Silly: INANE.

50. Campers' shelters: TENTS.  Years ago I had occasions to sleep in a sleeping bag in a tent.  No more thank you.

51. Joan of __: ARC.

52. Not Rx: OTC.  Over the Counter.  I buy aspirin and vitamins.  The VA sends me the expensive stuff.

53. "... said __ ever": NO ONE.

56. Aware of, as a plot: ONTO.

57. Kind of poker: STUD.  Normally five cards and you do not get a draw.

58. "__ we go again!": HERE.  THERE did not fit.

59. Greek war god: ARES.

61. Electric fish: EEL.  I don't think these are fish.

62. Former Egypt-Syria confed.: UAR.  United Arab Republic.

Boomer

Sunday November 7, 2021 John-Clark Levin

Theme: "Shh!" - Part of each theme entry is a car model. Clues only refers to the non-car parts.

23. *Discerning: EDGEWISE. Ford Edge.

24. *Building manager: SUPERCHARGER. Dodge Charger

37. *Performer's period on the job: CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. Honda Civic.

53. *Electricity: BEETLE JUICE. VW Beetle.

67. *Apportion: CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. Lincoln Continental.

84. *Follow: TRAILBLAZER. Chevy Blazer.

94. *Work a side hustle: MOONLIGHT SONATA. Hyundai Sonata.

113. *Infatuated with, with "on": SOUL-CRUSHING. I don't quite get this. Can you give me a sentence? Kia Soul.

Reveal:

116. Place for Amtrak passengers to unwind ... and a hint to how to interpret eight puzzle answers: QUIET CAR.

I'm not a car person. I can only tell a few car models. Here we have 8 car models from 8 different car makers, right? 

Our Santa Fe is pretty good, except the passenger seat which can't be raised. It's very smart. It beeps at you when you cross the lane lines.

Here's President Xi Jinping's luxury car: Hongqi, literally "red flag".

 

Across:

1. Dried meat snacks: SLIM JIMS. Had quite a bit of dried fruit when I grew up. Never dried meat.

9. Whitewater craft: CANOES.

15. Son of Abraham: ISAAC.

20. Got emotional: TEARED UP.

21. Greek island named for a storied flier: ICARIA. Named after Icarus, whose wings melted in the sun.

22. Rousey who was the first American woman to win an Olympic judo medal: RONDA. Gimme!

26. "Little Red Book" writer: MAO. My dad could recite the whole book. He served in the Chinese Army.

27. Author Tolstoy: LEO. Carmen just mentioned "War and Peace". I never read it.

29. Land between hills: VALE.

30. Mensa prereq: IQ TEST.

31. Big __: Red Sox nickname: PAPI. He was so so with with the Twins.

34. Truckers' loads: HAULS.

36. Call, old-style: DIAL.

43. "A Hymn to __": "My Fair Lady" song: HIM.

46. Not attentive: ASLEEP.

47. Bauxite, to aluminum: ORE.

48. Conquer a hero?: EAT. Hero sandwich.

50. Chaplin accessory: CANE.

51. Decked out: CLAD.

52. Victoria's Secret purchase: BRA.

57. Is down with: HAS.

58. Smelting by-product: SLAG. Hot!

60. Corp. alternatives: LLCS.

61. Unwitting test taker: LAB RAT.

62. Longtime U.K. record label: EMI.

63. Greek fabulist: AESOP.

65. Bilbao bear: OSO.

66. Locks in a barn: MANE. Horse barn.

72. Point after deuce: AD IN.

73. Sticking point?: RUT. Stuck in a rut.

74. Jefferson Memorial column type: IONIC.

75. Catch a few winks: NAP.

78. Handles clumsily: PAWS AT.

81. Give up: CEDE.

82. "__ la France!": VIVE.

83. "The History of the Standard Oil Company" author Tarbell: IDA.

86. Neighbor of Ill.: WIS. Where D-Otto grew up. So you have to change this sign every 4 years?

87. Obstacles to good teamwork: EGOS.

88. Picnic crashers: ANTS.

89. Play it by __: EAR.

90. Many Ph.D. students: TAs.

91. Reminder: PROMPT.

93. Make out: SEE. Such a comfort to SEE Irish Miss on the blog!

99. __ old age: RIPE. What is exactly the age for ripe old age?

103. Poppycock: HOOEY.

104. Votes in favor: AYES.

105. Rod user: ANGLER. Fishing rod.

107. Teeny, tiny bit: IOTA.

108. Kind of PC port: USB.

110. Place for a mask: SPA. Facial mask.

120. Fiji neighbor: TONGA. Just had their first COVID case.

121. Tenant: ROOMER.

122. Paragon of prestige: CLASS ACT. Harmon Killebrew came to mind. He was so nice to every fan, unlike Rod Carew.

123. Mork's leader: ORSON.

124. Hider's revelation: IN HERE.

125. Fish with the largest brain: MANTA RAY. Good to know.

Down:

1. Originate (from): STEM.

2. Mother of Castor: LEDA.

3. "Aladdin" parrot: IAGO.

4. GI chow: MRE. Meals Ready to Eat for Chinese soldiers.

5. Yom Kippur observer: JEW.

6. Despot Amin: IDI.

7. Fabric from Iraq: MUSLIN. MADRAS has the same letter count. It's from India. We also have 15. Baghdad native: IRAQI.

8. Graf __: WWII ship: SPEE.

9. Opposite of trans: CIS. Cisgender.

10. Contact lens giant: ACUVUE. Might be tough for those who don't wear contact lens.

11. Morning smell in "Apocalypse Now": NAPALM.  "I love the smell of NAPLAM in the morning".

12. Vague threat: OR ELSE.

13. Emerald Isle: EIRE.

14. Egg container: SAC.

16. In a way, informally: SORTA.

17. Thin 77-Down: ANGEL HAIR. And 77. 17-Down, e.g.: PASTA. Do you see this brand in your area? 

18. Fruity thirst-quenchers: ADES.

19. Horse preceder, when things are amiss?: CART. Cart before the horse.

25. Laid low: HID.

28. "Gone With the Wind" family name: O'HARA.

31. Blotchy: PIED.

32. Team's #1 pitcher: ACE.

33. Get-up-and-go: PEP.

35. Sit in casks, say: AGE. I just sit in a chair and AGE.

37. Secret supply: CACHE.

38. Faith with Sunni and Shia branches: ISLAM.

39. Pickle brand with a stork mascot: VLASIC. Nothing compares to Claussen.

40. Medusa, for one: GORGON.

41. Neighbors of the Knicks: NETS.

42. Latvian chess champ Mikhail __: TAL.

44. Atahualpa subject: INCA.

45. Track competition: MEET.

49. Mideast port on the Mediterranean: TEL AVIV. Full name. We often just see TEL or AVIV as fill-in-the-blank.

50. Like chicken-fried steak: CUBED.

52. Washroom fixture: BASIN.

53. Police record: BLOTTER.

54. "Frozen" sister: ELSA.

55. Cause for a romaine recall: E COLI.

56. Muppet who plays lead guitar in the Electric Mayhem: JANICE. Learning moment for me.

58. Flip-flop: SANDAL.

59. The Beatles' last studio album: LET IT BE.

64. Rosie of "Do the Right Thing": PEREZ.

66. Tiny Oreos: MINIS.

68. Place of refuge: OASIS.

69. Manet's "Olympia," e.g.: NUDE. How many of you have seen this painting in person?

70. Anti-war: DOVISH.

71. "The Imitation Game" encryption machine: ENIGMA.

76. Rescue from a shelter: ADOPT.

78. K-12 fundraising gps.: PTAS.

79. "Rule, Britannia" composer Thomas: ARNE. Learned from doing crosswords.

80. Pool party arsenal: WATER GUNS.

81. Italian "dear": CARO.

85. Run for it: LAM.

86. Sought-after Japanese beef: WAGYU.

87. Ages and ages: EONS.

90. Dressy accessory: TIE.

91. "Gangnam Style" rapper: PSY. How times flies. Now it's all about BTS.

92. Sushi topping: ROE.

95. "Pick me! Pick me!": OH OH OH.

96. A jiffy: NO TIME.

97. Repair shop offer: LOANER.

98. __ rasa: blank slate: TABULA.

100. Volunteer's offer: I'LL GO.

101. Type of pie popular in Southern cuisine: PECAN. Thanksgiving is coming!

102. Mess up: ERR.

105. In the matter of: AS TO.

106. American-born Jordanian queen: NOOR.

107. Airs now: IS ON.

109. Area meas. about the size of a pinkie toenail: SQ CM. Square centimeter.

110. Part of the navel is one: SCAR.

111. Guinea pig look-alike: PACA.

112. Affectedly cultured: ARTY.

114. New England sch.: URI. University of Rhode Island.

115. Future Ph.D.'s test: GRE.

117. McKellen who played Gandalf: IAN.

118. February Va. hours: EST.

119. Flight safety org.: TSA.

C.C.