Tuesday December 28, 2021 Henry Lin-David

A Perfect Cuppa Tea.  

17-Across. Teatime: AFTERNOON REPAST.

41-Across. Tee time: GOLF RESERVATION.

65-Across. T-time: DRESS-DOWN FRIDAY.

Across:

1. Whack with a folded newspaper, say: SWAT.

5. Nile serpents: ASPs.

9. Kama __: SUTRA.

14. Number of Greek Muses: NINE.  The Greek Muses are believed to be the sources of inspiration for the arts and sciences.  Can you name them all?

15. Owl's call: WHOO.

16. Fireplace glower: EMBER.

20. Contraption: GIZMO.

21. The Stooges, e.g.: TRIO.  Hi, Chairman Moe!

22. Shailene's "Divergent" role: TRIS.  Shailene Diann Woodley (b. Nov. 15, 1991) is the actress who plays Tris Prior in the Divergent movie.

23. Track on a DVD: SONG.

25. What might be granted after begging one's pardon?: AMNESTY.

27. Triangular sail: JIB.

30. Soft mineral: TALC.

32. Secret advantage "up one's sleeve": ACE.

33. Twistable cookie: OREO.

35. Singer Anthony: MARC.  Marc Anthony (né Marco Antonio Muñiz; b. Sept. 16, 1968) was the 3rd husband of Jennifer Lopez (née Jennifer Lynn Lopez; b. July 24, 1969).

37. Common sprain site: ANKLE.

44. Big glitch: SNAFU.

45. Captain Hook's right hand: SMEE.  Characters from Peter Pan.  See makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

46. For experts, as a game: HARD.

47. __-cone: SNO.  It's 80 F here as I write this, so I could really use a snow-cone today.

49. "Doubtful": AS IF.

51. Certain sib: SIS.

52. Lustrous sheet fabrics: SATEENS.  Sateen or Egyptian Cotton?

56. Treble __: music symbol: CLEF.

58. Turkish military leader: AGHA.

59. Bachelor ending: -ETTE.  As in Bachelorette.

61. Wake up: ARISE.

68. Fable writer: AESOP.  You can read some of Aesop's 600+ fables here.

69. Take for a __: scam: RIDE.

70. Musical pitch: TONE.

71. Minuscule: TEENY.

72. Prince William's school: ETON.  Prince William (b. June 21, 1982) and Eddie Redmayne (b. Jan. 6, 1982) were classmates at Eton, as seen in the back row of this photo.

73. Auto pioneer Ransom __: OLDS.  Ransom Eli Olds (June 3, 1864 ~ Aug. 26, 1950) makes occasional appearances in the puzzles.  The Oldsmobile and the REO car brands were named after him.

Down:

1. Surprise problem: SNAG. 

2. Coffeehouse amenity: WI-FI.

3. 1998 film with talking bugz?: ANTZ.

4. Swarms: TEEMS.

5. Wheat bristle: AWN.

6. Pony in a bar: SHOT GLASS.  The Pony explained.

7. Destitute: POOR.

8. Justice Sotomayor who swore in Vice President Harris: SONIA.  Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor (b. June 24, 1954) swore in Vice President Kamala Harris (b. Oct. 20, 1964) on January 20, 2021.

9. "What did I tell you?": SEE!

10. Latest in an endless series of occurrences: UMPTEENTH.

11. Some ski lifts: T-BARS.  Goes well with today's theme.

12. Convene again: RESIT.  Awkward!

13. Like craft shows: ARTSY.

18. Tooth anchor: ROOT.

Anatomy a tooth

19. Capital of Italia: ROMA.  Today's Italian lesson.  Or, as we say in America: Rome.

24. "__ it": "Whatever you want": NAME.

26. Sweet Sixteen org.: NCAA.  As in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.  Everything you wanted to know about college basketball's Sweet Sixteen.

27. Runs leisurely: JOGS.

28. Steel, mostly: IRON.  More than you wanted to know about the Composition of Steel.

29. "Romanian Folk Dances" composer Bartók: BÉLA.  Béla Bartók (Mar. 25, 1881 ~ Sept. 26, 1945) was a Hungarian composer and is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th Century.

31. Espresso topper: CREMA.  More of today's Italian lesson.  Everything you wanted to know about Crema, but didn't know to ask.

34. Winter at the Jersey Shore, say: OFF SEASON.

36. Increase in loudness: CRESCENDO.

38. Korean exports: KIAs.

39. "Queen of QVC" Greiner: LORI.  I am not familiar with Lori Greiner.

40. What means may justify: ENDS.  The Ends Justify the Means is an idiom that, per Webster's means "that a desired result is so good or important that any method, even a morally bad one, may be used to achieve it."  

42. Mystical old letter: RUNE.

43. Bride's face cover: VEIL.  A history of the Bridal Veil.

48. Harry Styles' band, to fans: ONE D.  Harry Edward Styles (b. Feb. 1, 1994) is in the band One Direction.  He is also known for his modeling in Vogue magazine.

50. Dread: FEAR.

52. 1978 Peace co-Nobelist Anwar: SADAT.  Egyptian Anwar Sadat (Dec. 25, 1918 ~ Oct. 6, 1981) and Israeli Menachem Began (Aug. 16, 1913 ~ Mar. 9, 1992) were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work in negotiating a peace agreement between their two countries.  Sadly, Sadat was assassinated in 1981.

53. Concur: AGREE.

54. The ones here: THESE.

55. Mall unit: STORE.

57. Corn chip: FRITO.  Yummers!  My guilty pleasure.

60. Silly goose: TWIT.

62. Cher or Adele, e.g.: IDOL.  Cher (née Cheerily Sarkisian; b. May 20, 1946) and Adele (née Adele Laurie Blue Adkins; b. May 5, 1988) are both know by only their first names.

63. Beach cover: SAND.

64. A mantis has five of them: EYES.  Everything you wanted to know about the mantis eyes, but didn't know to ask.

Can you see all 5 eyes?

66. Secret agent: SPY.

67. Swampy area: FEN.

חתולה

Happy New Year everyone and All the Best for 2022!

Monday December 27, 2021 Catherine Cetta

Theme: FLAT BROKE (58. Totally out of funds ... and what each set of circles shows, casually) - FLAT is broken up in each set of theme answers.

17. Become light-headed: FEEL FAINT.

24. Reason for a track race do-over: FALSE START.

36. Choose love over money, say: FOLLOW ONE'S HEART.

46. Finished version, as of a document:FINAL DRAFT.

C.C. here. Hopefully Boomer will be back next Monday. He enjoys writing the Monday posts and is always eager to read your comments. 

Ideal Monday theme. Consistent set. Each answer start with F and ends with T, with L & A somewhere in the middle.

Across:

1. Maine's __ Bay: CASCO. Looks stunning.

 

6. Miner's find: ORE.

9. Rotisserie rod: SPIT.

13. __ the time: on every occasion: ALL OF.

14. Jinx: HEX.

15. Saturn's largest moon: TITAN.

19. Cream of the crop: ELITE.

20. Former Montreal MLBer: EXPO. Now Nationals. Also 33. Batter's stat: RBI. And 29. Like the crowd after a home team homer: AROAR.

21. Mauna __: Hawaiian for "long mountain": LOA. The other is Mauna KEA,  meaning "white mountain".

22. "Rolling" rockers: STONES.

23. H.S. hurdles: SATS.

26. Wing measurement: SPAN.

28. "Famous" cookie maker: AMOS.

32. Similar (to): AKIN.

40. Driver's aid: TEE. Tee drive. LPGA great Laura Davis never uses a tee. Just a clump of dirt.

41. Pea places: PODS.

42. Ward off: AVERT. And  43. One who saves the day: HERO. Very grateful to have Dr. Nina on our blog.

44. __ Spumante wine: ASTI.

50. Some canine retrievers: LABS.

54. In equal amounts: EVENLY.

55. Nest egg initials: IRA.

56. Stick-to-it-iveness: GRIT.

57. Mournful melody: DIRGE.

60. Passover meal: SEDER.

61. Sleep stage: REM. Tiny clue/answer dupe with 3. Was dreaming, perhaps: SLEPT.

62. Singer/songwriter Mann: AIMEE.

63. Lat. and Ukr., once: SSRS. Soviet Socialist Republics.

64. "__ to Joy": ODE.

65. Watchdog's warning: SNARL.

Down:

1. Streetside lunch spots: CAFES.

2. Amazon's virtual assistant: ALEXA.

4. Humongous: COLOSSAL.

5. Aptly named bug spray with an exclamation point: OFF. Boomer and I used to do flea market at Annandale. The bugs there were brutal early in the morning. It's on a a big farmland.

6. Akron native: OHIOAN.

7. Kidney-related: RENAL.

8. Phone routing no.: EXT.

9. Top of Texas?: STETSON HAT.  Nice clue/answer.

 

10. Cockpit occupants: PILOTS.

11. "Proud Mary" singer's memoir: I, TINA.

12. Spud: TATER.

16. Where many eggs hatch: NEST.

18. __ Romeo: sports car: ALFA. Hi there, Tony!

22. Final Four round: SEMIS.

25. "Oh, for heaven's __!": SAKE.

27. B-29 movers: PROPELLERS.

29. Rear at sea: AFT. Glad Ray was able to attended Spitzboov's funeral.

30. Sushi garnish: ROE.

31. Bullfight cheer: OLE.

32. Reply to a ques.: ANS. Answer.

33. Issa of "Insecure": RAE. Super talented.

34. "It's cold in here!": BRR. Real winter here in Minnesota.

35. "The Addams Family" cousin: ITT.

37. Hardly succinct: WORDY.

38. Skunk's weapon: ODOR.

39. Villainous smile: EVIL GRIN. Another great fill.

43. Closet accessory for a coat: HANGER.

44. Ski lodge style: A FRAME.

45. "Immediately!" in the ER: STAT. Those nurses at the ER and the hospital are all so nice and friendly.

46. Govt. agents: FEDS.

47. Yale and Penn: IVIES.

48. "The Big Bang Theory" crowd: NERDS.

49. Stayed home in bed, say: AILED. Can you guys believed that Boomer still bowled on Dec 16th? He had 334 I think, the worst game he's ever had. He could hardly walk then.

51. Smell: AROMA.

52. Pedal pusher: BIKER.

53. Alloy that symbolizes strength: STEEL.

58. To's partner: FRO.

59. English lit degs.: BAs

We're hopeful that Boomer will get his PT today. It's ordered by the neurosurgeon. He'll probably also be visited by the radiation guy and the oncologist for the the next steps.

C.C.

Sunday December 26 2021 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Going Green" - Different trees are hidden in 8 theme answers, plus a PLANT A TREE reveal.

3D. Round jewelry item: HOOP EARRING.

4D. Yuletide entrée: CHRISTMAS HAM.

13D. Solemn periodic Vatican event: PAPAL MASS.

16D. Sub fillers: DELI MEATS.

61D. Subject never quite resolved in "When Harry Met Sally...": PLATONIC LOVE.

68D. "Oh Happy Day" genre: GOSPEL MUSIC.

78D. Atlas feature: MAP LEGEND.

80D. Adidas Yeezy collaborator: KANYE WEST. Ye now.

Reveal:

54. Read: PERUSE.

59. Legal scholar Guinier: LANI.

63. Ease, as one's mind: SET AT REST.

73. __ Goose vodka: GREY.

We've seen a few hidden tree gimmicks (in the middle or TREETOP style), but never without the extra PLANT A TREE stand reveal.

Heavy themage, with 8 long entries and the extra layer in the middle.

Across:

1. [Yawn]: MEH.

4. "My __ Amour": Stevie Wonder hit: CHERIE.

10. Transition point: CUSP.

14. Old PC platform: MS-DOS. I probably won't upgrade to Windows 11 until the last minute.

19. Antacid brand since the 1800s: ENO. New to me. But Ed is a doctor.

20. Mark who plays Luke: HAMILL. This puzzle is a bit name-heavy.

21. Avalon contemporary in pop music: ANKA (Paul). Frankie Avalon.

22. "Einstein on the Beach," e.g.: OPERA.

23. Dove's call: COO.

24. Road safety feature: RUMBLE STRIP.

26. Eponymous engineer Ray: DOLBY.

27. Climactic Wembley Stadium event: CUP FINAL.

29. Big name in camping gear: COLEMAN.

31. Make up partner: KISS.

32. Like some illegal employment practices: AGEIST.

33. Lure into a lair: ENTRAP.

35. SoFi Stadium NFLer: LA RAM.

37. Mine feature: SHAFT.

38. Looked at too long: STARED.

39. Select members for, as a jury: IMPANEL. My sister-in-law Connie served on a jury earlier this month.

41. Swab over: RE-MOP.

43. Petting zoo animal: PONY.

44. Academic hiatuses: GAP YEARS.

46. Disconcert: JAR.

48. Sorkin of "Days of Our Lives": ARLEEN. Stranger to me.

50. Dinsmore of kid lit: ELSIE. Another new clue angle.

51. Inclusive word: TOO.

52. Form 1040 fig.: AGI. Adjusted Gross Income.

53. Circus barkers: SEALS.

56. "Well, __ that special!": "SNL" catchphrase: ISN'T.

57. Oater sound effects: GUNSHOTS.

60. Mole, maybe: SPY.

62. Aqua __: gold dissolver: REGIA. I think I learned this from a Jeffrey puzzle.

67. Nigerian seaport: LAGOS.

71. HBO rival: TMC.

74. Large green-winged flier: LUNA MOTH.

76. Open ones are welcoming: ARMS.

79. Honey-do-this response: OK DEAR. Boomer has been good, eating most of the veggies at the hospital. The nurses give him this Ensure drink every day. I probably should get some for him when he's back.

82. Baron Cohen's Kazakh journalist: BORAT.

83. Name in alphabetical order?: STU.

84. Intl. broadcasting initials: VOA. Voice of America.

85. Letter-shaped track segment: I RAIL.

86. Hope that one may: SEEK TO.

87. See 105-Across: POT. 105. Make more tempting, as the 87-Across: SWEETEN.

88. Swiss winds: ALPHORNS.

90. Maine, to Macron: ETAT. Also 100. The same, on the Seine: EGALE.

92. Start of a few choice words?: EENIE.

94. Bird migration routes: FLYWAYS.

95. Elegy for one voice: MONODY. Another new word for me.

97. Five Pillars faith: ISLAM.

101. Ivanhoe's love: ROWENA. Lady Rowena.

102. Trattoria entrée: SCAMPI.

103. Jellystone Park bear: YOGI.

107. Ad campaign components: MAIL-OUTS.

109. "Not __ out of you!": "Shh!": A PEEP.

111. Signed, as an agreement: ENTERED INTO.

113. Canine order: SIT.

114. Greek-American New Ager: YANNI.

115. Headliner: STAR.

116. One of three in "Macbeth": SCENE V.

117. "__ seen worse": I'VE.

118. Pilgrim John: ALDEN. First man to step off the Mayflower.

119. Kitchen amts.: TSPS.

120. "Forrest Gump" actor: SINISE (Gary)

121. Rogue: CAD.

Down:

1. Tourist draws: MECCAS. My hometown Xi'an (13 million people) is now under a strict lockdown. Andy has to have COVID test every day. They set up a testing center at the gate of every neighborhood. Every family can only have one person going out to buy food every two days. And you must show a negative result, otherwise, you can't get food.

 

2. "I've had it!": ENOUGH. Chinese are very cooperative people. Most Asians are.

5. Frequent: HAUNT.

6. Austen title heroine: EMMA.

7. Barbecued morsel: RIBLET.

8. Needing TLC, say: ILL.

9. Kind of microscope: ELECTRON.

10. Angela Martin, e.g., in "The Office": CATLADY.

11. Intl. delegate: UN REP.

12. Brush (over): SKIM.

14. '60s chic: MOD.

15. Gonzaga University city: SPOKANE.

17. Bubbles and blueberries: ORBS.

18. Comes out with: SAYS.

25. "Either/Or" author Kierkegaard: SOREN. Regulars in our Tribune Media Daily days.

28. Wind with a drum: FIFE.

30. Dover diapers: NAPPIES.

34. Shaving spots: NAPES.

36. Comical Martha: RAYE.

38. Evidence of egg toss errors: SPLATS.

39. House, in Inuit: IGLU. Igloo.

40. Dianetics creator Hubbard: L RON. Scientology founder.

42. Treat often eaten filling-first: OREO.

45. Lush: SOT.

46. 13-time NHL all-star Jaromir __: JAGR. From the Czech Republic.

47. Flu symptom: AGUE.

49. "What __ can I do?": ELSE.

50. New York canal: ERIE.

54. British pop: PATER.

55. Eliza's 'elper 'iggins: ENRY.

56. Start of Popeye's credo: I YAM.

58. Is in session: SITS.

59. "__ Croft: Tomb Raider": LARA.

64. Neutrogena shampoo brand: T GEL. Anti-dandruff.

65. Gin flavor: SLOE.

66. Clunker: TURKEY.

69. Bart's bus driver: OTTO. Hi there D-!

70. Open-and-__ case: SHUT.

72. Rounds up: CORRALS.

75. Kid-lit's __ the Great: NATE.

76. "Selma" director DuVernay: AVA.

77. Massage deeply: ROLF. Our Melissa used to be a massage therapist. 

81. Talk trash about: DISS.

82. Back at Belmont: BET ON.

85. Sioux City state: IOWA.

86. Rationality: SANENESS.

89. Healthy routine: HYGIENE. I wonder why the VA hospital keeps the room temperature so low. With the thin gown, most patients will not be comfortable. Boomer does have an extra blanket, but he misses the warmth of our house.

91. Airport fixture: TOWER.

93. World Golf Hall of Famer Aoki: ISAO. Old regular.

96. "The Omen" child: DAMIEN.

98. '90s-00s IBM PC: APTIVA.  TTP's field. I have no idea.

99. Sprayed gently: MISTED.

101. Put another hole in, as a keg: RE-TAP.

102. Web or camp follower: SITES.

103. DaCosta of "Chicago Med": YAYA.

104. Iridescent gem: OPAL.

106. Rhinitis docs: ENTS.

108. Years in Caesar's time: ANNI.

110. Stick with it: PIN.

112. Rank of Brit. TV sleuth Morse: DCI. OK, Detective Chief Inspector.

Boomer is making progress. He still needs to press the button to call the nurse to go to the toilet. He's not allowed to go alone in his walker. His legs are still too weak. They're afraid he'll fall.

The neurosurgeon checks on him every day. The VA chaplain visited him yesterday. He gave Boomer a wafer and they shared a prayer. The VA nurses also gave him a nice Christmas card. He teared up reading the card to me.

Hopefully he'll start his PT today. If he's doing well, he might be out of the hospital next Thursday or Friday. 

Thanks again for keeping Boomer in your thoughts and prayers.

C.C.