Tuesday, January 11, 2022 Rebecca Goldstein

Hidden Talents:

17-Across. Iron or lead: METALLIC ELEMENT.

22-Across. Home of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks: STAPLES CENTER.  The clue should read as Former Home ... the arena is known know as the Cryoto.com Arena.

49-Across. Flat-topped South African landmark: TABLE MOUNTAIN.  I was not familiar with this South African mountain, which overlooks Cape Town, South Africa.  It is, indeed, quite flat.

55-Across. Giving 110%, say: TOTAL COMMITMENT.

And the Unifier:

36. With 38-Across, unpublicized skill found in each set of circles: HIDDEN.  //  38. See 36-Across: TALENT.  The word Talent is Hidden in the circles in each theme answer.

Across:

1. Attempts, with "at": HAS A GO.  Meh!

7. Apple on a desk: iMAC.  My iMac looks like this.  It is quite old, but it still works.

11. Endorses: OKS.

14. Refrigerator, once: ICE BOX.

15. Wax Ready-Strips maker: NAIR.  Ouch!

16. By way of: VIA.

20. Annoying noise: DIN.

21. Unclean: DIRTY.

27. Eight, in Ecuador: OCHO.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Hi, Lucina!

29. Nowhere near appropriate: SO WRONG.

30. Dental care brand: ORAL B.  This brand appears often in the puzzles.  The company now makes  the trendy electric toothbrushes.

32. "The Constant Gardener" Oscar winner Rachel: WEISZ.  Rachel Weisz (née Rachel Hannah Weisz; b.  March 7, 1970), was born in England, but became a naturalized US Citizen in 2011.  She is married to James Bond (Daniel Craig) in real life.

33. Public transit option: BUS.

40. Pigs' digs: STY.

41. Lavished affection (on): DOTED.

45. Justice Sotomayor: SONIA.  Sonia Sotomayor (b. June 25, 1954) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

46. Early IHOPs, structurally: A-FRAMES.

48. Mesa or Boulder: CITY.  If this was a clue last Sunday, would the answer have been AZCO?

53. Contact info item: E-MAIL.  It should be phone number, as I get more text messages than e-mails when someone wants to contact me.

54. Form 1099 org.: IRS.  It's beginning to be that time again when we think of getting our tax information together to send to the Internal Revenue Service.

63. Cal. neighbor: ORE.  Not the ore that is mined, but the State of Oregon.  An interesting scholarly paper on the origin and meaning of Oregon.

64. Greek liqueur: OUZO.  Ouzo is an anise-flavored aperitif that is clear until it comes in contact ice, when it becomes milky opaque.

65. __ de Rossi of "Arrested Development": PORTIA.  Portia de Rossi (née Amanda Lee Rogers; b. Jan. 31 1973) appeared recently in a puzzle.  //  And 46. Actress Shawkat of "Arrested Development": ALIA.  Alia Shawkat (b. Apr. 18, 1989) portrayed Maeby Fünke on Arrested Development.  Neither the actress nor the character are Tuesday puzzle names.  Interestingly, however, there is an interview Alia Shawkat in this week's New Yorker.

David Cross and Portia de Rossi

Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat

66. Stark in "Game of Thrones": NED.  Although he is a fictional character, his full name was Lord Eddard Stark.  I never watched the show and I tried to read the book, but found it difficult to plow through.

67. __ Virginia: WEST.  Everything you wanted to know about the West Virginia statehood, but didn't know to ask.

68. Faux: ERSATZ.  This word was clued as "Like a bad copy" in last Tuesday's puzzle.

Down:

1. That guy: HIM.

2. Perfect service: ACE.

3. "Quiet on the __!": SET.

4. Lawyer's org.: ABA.  As in the American Bar Association.

5. Meir of Israel: GOLDA.  Golda Meir (née Golda Mabovitch; May 3, 1898 ~ Dec. 8, 1978) was a remarkable woman.

6. Yellow primroses: OXLIPS.  Such pretty flowers.

7. Company abbr.: INC.

8. Astronaut Jemison: MAE.  Mae Carol Jemison (b. Oct. 17, 1956) was the first Black woman to venture into Space.  She was a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Endeavor in September 1992. 

9. Be unwell: AIL.

10. Dining room pieces with cupboards: CREDENZAs.  I think of a credenza as being more of an office piece of furniture.

11. Not at all subtle: OVERT.

12. Kunta in "Roots": KINTE.  Kunta Kinte was a character in Alex Haley's 1976 book, Roots.  It was later made into a mini-series, which aired before the days of taping shows to watch later.  In the mini-series, Kunta Kinte was portrayed by LeVar Burton (b. Feb. 16, 1957).

13. Mythical man-goat: SATYR.

18. Like a bicycle climbing a hill: IN LOW.

19. Vase-making dynasty: MING.  So beautiful.

22. Not on the level: SHADY.

23. Tattled: TOLD.

24. Lamb's mom: EWE.

25. __ Lanka: SRI.  The tear-drop shaped country off the coast of India.

26. "An arm and a leg" is a high one: COST.  It's also an idiom.

27. Sounds of awe: OOHs!

28. Lit __: CRIT.

31. Strange one made by politics?: BEDFELLOW.

33. Porto-Novo's land: BENIN.  Benin is a small country in West Africa to the left of Nigeria.  Hand up if you knew this country.

34. Condo, e.g.: UNIT.

35. Remain: STAY.

37. Standard: NORM.

39. Points in math class: LOCI.

42. Eastern "way": TAO.

43. Bird in Liberty Mutual ads: EMU.  Those ads are so annoying.

44. Acid-washed jeans fabric: DENIM.

47. Zebra feature: STRIPE.

49. Wyoming's __ Range: TETON.  Today's French lesson.

50. Love, in Sicily: AMORE.  Today's Italian lesson.

51. With __ breath: tensely anticipatory: BATED.  Bated or Baited?.

52. Fur tycoon for whom a northwest Oregon city was named: ASTOR.  I just read an interesting novel entitled The Social Graces by Renée Rosen, which is about the New York Astors and Vanderbilts in the late 1800s.  When the novel takes place, the Astors are considered "old money" because they were over 3 generations from when their money was made by "dirty" hands in the fur trade, whereas the Vanderbilts were nouveau riche.  Their money was made by The Commodore Vanderbilt, who was just a generation away and was considered coarse and crass.

56. Billiards stick: CUE.

57. Quarter-lb. quarters: OZs.  As in Ounces.

58. One-liner: MOT.  More of today's French lesson.  Most often paired with Bon.  Bon Mot = witty remark.

59. __ America Pageant: MRS.  Apparently, there is still a Mrs. America Pageant for married women.  Ladies, if you are interested, here's how to apply.  No age limit, but you do have to be married.

60. GPS prediction: ETA.  The GPS will give you an Estimated Time of Arrival, just like at the airport.

61. Little point to pick: NIT.

62. Toon devil: TAZ.  They are formidable creatures.

If you have found your Hidden Talent, can you tell it what it is?

חתולה

 

Monday January 10 2022 Daniel Bodily

Theme: STRIKE ZONE (59. Home plate ump's concern ... or what the answer to each starred clue can be?)

17. *Sensei's studio: KARATE DOJO.

22. *Loud, wet weather event: THUNDERSTORM.

37. *Source of crude: OIL WELL.

49. *Site of spares and splits: BOWLING ALLEY.

Boomer here. 

Yup, it's really me. I begged my way out of the hospital last Monday and now I let C.C. think she is taking care of me. I need to use a walker but beside that life goes on with three meals per day and some of the coldest Minnesota weather.  

Also, I imagine that 17A, 22A, and 37A could possibly produce a STRIKE, but I have never heard of 49A.  The ALLEY is outdoors, usually behind the Bowling Center.

Oh another bit of shocking news,  When I checked out of the hospital they weighed me at 160 pounds.  I used to be 237, and when I got diabetes I went down to 185.  I guess the malignant tumor that  they whacked out of me, must have weighed 25 pounds?

 Across:

1. It may be acute, obtuse or right: ANGLE.

6. Lee with desserts: SARA.  "Everybody doesn't like something, but nobody doesn't like Sara Lee."

 

10. Way cool, in the '90s: PHAT.  As above, maybe I was PHAT in the 90's

14. High school experiment site: SCIENCE LAB.  Ours was Chemistry, and it always smelled like smoke and fire.

16. Mishmash dish: HASH.  Not my favorite.  At least the hospital did not try that on me.

18. Poker pot starter: ANTE. Five cents in the caddy shack.

19. Khan of Khan Academy: SAL.

20. Greek T: TAU.

21. Rage: ANGER.  After two weeks I had to hold it in.  Finally a great occupational therapy doc was on my side and fixed me up with a discharge without an AMA (Against Medical Advice).

26. Big jets: JUMBOS.  747, a great 3 game score.

29. Fictional lawyer Perry: MASON.  A favorite show in the 1950s.  I still watch reruns.

30. Leave red-faced: ABASH.

31. Central points: FOCI.

33. Hat-tipper's word: MA'AM.

36. Beer barrel: KEG.  KEG parties were big when I was younger.  However I never acquired a taste for beer.

40. Edible hero: SUB.  I pass by the SUBWAY fast food.  My mouth is not that big,

41. Stonestreet of "Modern Family": ERIC.

43. Climbing plant: VINE.

44. "In __, there is always too much singing": Debussy: OPERA.  Noye's Fludde by Benjamin Briton. See also 10. "The __ of the 44-Across": PHANTOM.

46. Game with settlers: CATAN.

48. Noisy quarrel: FRACAS.  The MLB channel has many reruns.  Managers always lose to the men in blue.

53. Fed. security: T NOTE.  Not in my portfolio.

54. What the ewe said: BAA.  Poor little lambs who have lost their way.

55. Cashew or almond: NUT.  Or Boomer?

58. Emerald Isle: EIRE.

63. "High Voltage" band: AC/DC.  I think they were popular in the 90s.  But not for me.

64. Places for astronomy buffs: PLANETARIA.  Plural of planetarium. I think we visited a place like this in San Francisco, years ago.

65. Screen door stuff: MESH.

66. Wile E. Coyote's supplier: ACME.

67. Funny sketches: SKITS.  Been there, done that.

Down:

1. More than wonders: ASKS.

2. Final Four org.: NCAA.  The big tournament is coming soon, unless COVID won't let it.

3. One of a group who "just wanna have fu-un": Cyndi Lauper: GIRL. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun".

4. Meadow: LEA. Minnesota has a city named Albert LEA.  I never knew the LEA meant meadow.

5. Sinus doc: ENT.

6. Four-door, usually: SEDAN.  You do not hear this much any more.  SUVs have taken over.

7. Not whispered: ALOUD.  What?

8. Koothrappali on "The Big Bang Theory": RAJ.

9. Blood type letters: ABO.  I am O negative.  They say that is universal.

11. "Wait, I'll be right there!": HANG ON A SEC.  I just call C.C. and she helps me move.

12. Daisylike flower: ASTER.

13. Unit of heat energy: THERM.  Not many of these flying around Minnesota the past few days.   Brrr!

15. Whale constellation (anagram of CUTES): CETUS.

21. Stubborn animal: ASS.  No comment.

22. "American Dad!" channel: TBS.   I watch it sometimes.  I think it is out of Georgia.

23. Santa's jolly syllables: HO HO.  OH OH, we won't see him again soon.

24. Awards show host: EMCEE.

25. Skateboard park feature: RAIL.

26. Actor Gyllenhaal: JAKE.

27. __ Eats: delivery service: UBER.  We had to use Uber when I left the hospital.  I did not want to leave the Santa Fe in the VA parking lot for two weeks.

28. Abracadabra et al.: MAGIC WORDS.  "You are free to go home" were the MAGIC WORDS for me.

31. Casual love affair: FLING.

32. Accept blame for: OWN.  I am not accepting blame for the cancer, but I guess I own it.

34. Celestial glow: AURA.

35. CFOs' degrees: MBAS.  Master of Business Administration.

38. Lendl of tennis: IVAN. 61 years old now.

39. Campfire stories, say: LORE.

42. Pasadena engineering sch.: CAL TECH.

45. Fork over: PAY.  I have Medicare and my VA card.  I guess I still have to fork over a bit.

47. Reason for extra innings: TIE.

48. Snow speck: FLAKE.  We have seen plenty this year, I would not call them SPECKS.

49. Second-string squad: B TEAM.

50. Chilling: ON ICE.  The Wild played one at Target Field last week - below zero!

51. The "A" in James A. Garfield: ABRAM.

52. Singer Frankie: LAINE.

55. Sushi roll wrap: NORI.

56. Inch or yard: UNIT. 

57. Tazo products: TEAS. for TWO?

59. Pampering place: SPA.  The hospital did not have a SPA.

60. Pampering, initially: TLC.  Tender Loving Care.

61. UFO crew: ETS.

62. Drummer Starkey, son of Ringo: ZAK.

Boomer

Sunday January 9, 2022 John-Clark Levin

Theme:  "Across America" - The first word in each theme entry consists of state abbreviations.

23. Tournament pairings in Fort Wayne, Denver and Kennebunkport?: IN CO ME BRACKETS.

33. Regular observance in Bangor, St. Louis, Providence and Mobile?: ME MO RI AL DAY.

50. Bread spread in Montgomery, Jefferson City and Fargo?: AL MO ND BUTTER.

66. Tableware in Boston, South Bend, Baton Rouge and Bismarck?: MA IN LA ND CHINA.

86. What can capture Santa Barbara, Grand Forks and Boise?: CA ND ID CAMERA.

98. Olympiads in Little Rock, Fresno and Dover?: AR CA DE GAMES.

114. Traffic cone color in Quincy, Minot, Bentonville and Bloomington?: MA ND AR IN ORANGE

Wow, I'm so impressed by the theme and the execution, esp those 8-letter entries. Just amazing. There are some state dupes, unavoidable for a Sunday grid.

The fill is also so good. Look at those stacked 10's in Downs.

Across:

1. Band with horns: CHICAGO. Three horns.

8. Some fits: SPASMS.

14. "Or perhaps less": IF THAT.

20. Go on a rampage: RUN RIOT.

21. November pardon recipient: TURKEY. Google shows that JFK was the first president to pardon a turkey.

22. End of a sentence: PAROLE.

25. Without delay: AT ONCE.

26. Personnel groups: STAFFS.

27. A 20-sided one may be used in Dungeons & Dragons: DIE.

28. Bit of Lab love: LICK.

30. Pericles foe: CLEON. Wikipedia says he was an "Athenian general during the Peloponnesian War."

31. Hot Wheels item: TOY CAR.

35. Grandpa Simpson: ABE.

38. Cheering noise: RAH.

39. Fill up: SATE.

40. They may have EIKs: APTS. EIK = Eat-In Kitchen. Xi'an is still under strict lockdown. Total 42 cases yesterday. Several officials were fired already. Here the officials are picking up the vegetable package for residents. I can see Napa cabbage, daikon radish & green onions. Staple in Xi'an winter cooking.

41. They may be uncut: GEMS.

43. __ Díaz de Vivar (El Cid): RODRIGO. I only know El Cid, not his real name.

46. Reddit Q&A sessions: AMAS. AMA = Ask My Anything.

47. Bagel topping: LOX.

52. Showed the way: LED.

53. "Murder, She Wrote" setting Cabot __: COVE. Is this gimme to you?

54. Formal topper: TIARA.

55. Screenwriter James: AGEE.

56. Fronts divide them: AIR MASSES.

58. Cleave: HEW.

59. Hilton rival: OMNI. I don't remember seeing one Omni in Minnesota.

61. Ancient Dead Sea kingdom: MOAB. In modern-day Jordan.

64. Far less friendly: ICIER.

65. "A Wrinkle in Time" director DuVernay: AVA.

70. Old draft org.: SSS.

72. Amazon's sector: E-TAIL. Boomer likes this walker I got from Amazon. He needs it to get around our house. It has a seat in the middle. Thanks again for the recommendation, Nina!

74. Did: APED.

75. Base opposite: ACID.

76. Cable station for 45 yrs.: SHO.

77. "Shape of You" Grammy winner: ED SHEERAN. British singer.

80. Moderate, with "up": EASE.

82. Religion of Mecca: ISLAM.

84. Some Kias: RIOS.

85. Gadot of "Wonder Woman": GAL.

89. Journalist Curry: ANN.

90. Cry hard: BAWL.

91. Pasta order: AL DENTE. I start to like Thin Spaghetti, thicker than Angel Hair.

92. Shoe part: HEEL.

93. Route-finding app: WAZE.

94. Writer Bombeck: ERMA.

95. Contractor's no.: EST.

97. Power-washing meas.: PSI. Pounds per Square Inch.

102. Modesto Nuts' baseball level, historically: CLASS A.  Affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.

105. Tackle neighbor: GUARD.

106. Giants manager Kapler: GABE.

107. Orc, to an Elf: FOE.

108. JFK's 109: PT BOAT.

112. Name of six popes: ADRIAN. When Boomer was at the VA hospital, two chaplains visited him regularly.

117. Supply: SELL TO.

118. Big Easy cuisine: CREOLE. I never had jambalaya or gumbo.

119. Coffeehouse job: ROASTER.

120. Implored: PRAYED.

121. Patronizing words, maybe: OK DEAR.

122. Mountain wind: ALPHORN.

Down:

1. NFL analyst Collinsworth: CRIS.

 

2. Track: HUNT.

3. Atahualpa, e.g.: INCA. Atahualpa was the last Inca Emperor.

4. Lara of "Tomb Raider" games: CROFT.

5. Try to achieve: AIM FOR.

6. Homers, in baseball lingo: GOES YARD.

7. Gambling initials: OTB. Off-Track Betting.

8. Part of a flight: STAIR.

9. Purplish shade: PUCE.

10. Target of Indy's quest: ARK.

11. He-Man nemesis: SKELETOR.

12. Relaxing bubble bath, say: ME TIME.

13. Food service giant: SYSCO. Jeannie, who commented on our blog in the earlier days, worked for Sysco.

14. Pub pick: IPA.

15. Campaign funders: FAT CATS.

16. Online harassers: TROLLS. Thank you for ignoring them. You make my and TTP's life easier.

17. Worked to perfect: HONED.

18. Big name in metal: ALCOA. Stock symbol AA.

19. Itsy-bitsy: TEENY.

24. Food label fig.: RDA.

29. "Seinfeld" doofus: KRAMER.

32. Greek-style yogurt brand: CHOBANI. Sometimes we see OIKOS, the Dannon brand.

33. Old wizard: MAGE.

34. Small tablet: IPAD MINI. Agnes might be on iPad Mini 5 or 6.

35. First name in mystery: AGATHA.

36. Trusted: BELIEVED IN.

37. Hermione Granger portrayer: EMMA WATSON. Argyle liked her.

39. Browsing blueprint: SITE MAP.

42. Campus org.: SOR.

44. Started eating: DUG IN.

45. Hwy., e.g.: RTE.

46. Clay became him: ALI.

47. Worries too much (over): LOSES SLEEP. Stacked with 48. Evokes a "TMI," say: OVER-SHARES.

49. Strikes (out): XES.

51. "Moonlight" actress Harris: NAOMIE. British actress. She was also in a few Bond movies.

53. TV forensics letters: CSI.

56. Easy as __: ABC.

57. Maine coastal park: ACADIA.

60. Feminist film-criticism subject: MALE GAZE. And 99. Less tactful: RUDER.

62. __-horse town: ONE.

63. Riders, e.g.: ADDENDA. Legislative riders.

67. Office PC linkup: LAN.

68. Invites over: HAS IN.

69. Summer quencher: ICED TEA. Hong Kong-style. Plenty of lemon slices. Sugary.

71. Kenyan's neighbor: SOMALI.

73. "I see" reactions: AHS.

77. Important period: ERA.

78. Caesar salad dressing ingredient: RAW EGG. Wow, really? I never made Caesar salad dressing.

79. Tie word: ALL. One-all.

81. Gator's tail?: ADE. Gatorade.

83. Texter's "No way!": SMH. Shaking My Head.

86. Lurched: CAREENED.

87. Donation to the poor: ALMS.

88. Corruption metaphor: CESSPOOL. The Ryan Reynolds movie is "Deadpool".

90. Disappointing social outing: BAD DATE.

93. In a watchful way: WARILY.

94. Head to sea: EMBARK.

96. Sandal style: T-STRAP.

98. Audibly shocked: AGASP.

100. "Cheers" waitress: CARLA. Played by Rhea Perlman. 

101. Big name in transmission repair: AAMCO.

102. Apple pie-making tool: CORER.

103. Welcoming garland: LEI. Lucky to have received a bouquet of fresh lei.

104. Bring shame to: ABASH.

107. FDR's Scottie: FALA.

109. Not duped by: ONTO.

110. New __: AGER.

111. Migratory seabird: TERN.

113. Quiet go-ahead: NOD.

115. One looking for a buck?: DOE. Great clue.

116. Food service trade org.: NRA.

 

 

Boomer left the VA hospital last Monday, earlier than what was recommended, but he was so frustrated. It's unfortunate that he landed there during the holiday periods. VA kept a skeleton crew and PT just took a few days off. Thankfully the kind doctor did not put AMA (Against Medical Advice) on his discharge papers. 

We went back to VA last Thursday (1/6/2022) for a consultation with the radiation doctors. Boomer was tattooed and he'll have 5 sessions of radiation from Jan 24th to Jan 28th to shrink the bad cells (impossible to eradicate them). After that, he'll have new chemo. He had been taking oral chemo every day.

Next Tuesday, Dr. Downs will let us know more details. The week after, Boomer will have a few sessions with the PT and the OT.

I'm sure we have a rough road ahead. Please continue to keep Boomer in your thoughts and prayers.

C.C.