Tuesday, January 18, 2022 Paul Coulter

Animal Sounds that Aren't.

16-Across. Antidote fraud that doesn't come from a duck?: QUACK CURE.  What does the duck say?

28-Across. Social media barrage that doesn't come from a bird?: TWEETSTORM.  What does the bird say?

43-Across. Voguish term that doesn't come from a bee?: BUZZ PHRASE.  What does the bee say?  Also known as Buzz Words.

58-Across. Fabric made from tree exteriors that doesn't come from a dog?: BARKCLOTH.  What does the dog say?  Hand up if you knew what Barkcloth is.

Across:

1. Broke off, as talks: ENDED.

6. Retired flier: SST.  We haven't seen the SST Concorde in the sky since its retirement in October 2003.

9. Lola's nightclub, in song: COPA.

13. To a degree, informally: SORTA.  I'm sorta okay with clues and answers like this.

14. Lyndon Johnson girl beagle: HER.  And the boy dog was named Him.

15. Breakfast sizzler: BACON.

18. Northeast express train: ACELA.  This train line appears with some frequency in the puzzles.

19. Swipe: STEAL.  I was thinking of "swipe right" or "swipe left" instead of actually theft.

20. Pub with suds and entertainment: BEER HALL.

22. Jog or racing gait: TROT.

24. Caught in the act: SEEN.

25. Bat's home: CAVE.

33. German river: EDER.

34. Gets really high: SOARS.

35. Asian language: LAO.

36. Director Wertmüller: LINA.  Lina Wertmüller (née Arcangela Felice Assunta Wertmüller von Elgg Spanol von Braueich; Aug. 14, 1928 ~ Dec. 9, 2021) was an Italian film director best known for her art-house films from the 1970s.  She died just over a month ago at age 93.

37. Rock gp. sometimes joined by Young: CSN. With Young, the band is known as CSN&Y.

38. __ stick: bouncing toy: POGO.

39. Wide shoe spec: EEE.

40. "When I Need You" singer Leo: SAYER.

42. Hunchbacked lab assistant: IGOR.

46. Daly of "Judging Amy": TYNE.  Tyne Daly (née Ellen Tyne Daly; b. Feb. 21, 1946) is the older sister of actor Tim Daly (né James Timothy Daly; b. Mar. 1, 1956).

47. Three-vowel African river: UELE.  Everything you wanted to know about the Uele River, but didn't know to ask

48. Bit of bickering: TIFF.  If the tiff is big enough, it might result in a gift from Tiff's ...

50. Military "pineapples": GRENADES.

54. Wikipedia policy: NO ADs.

57. Archaeological find: RELIC.

Sad, but true.

61. __ worse than death: A FATE.

62. Downed: ATE.

63. Arm bones: ULNAE.  The plural of Ulna.

64. Ho Chi __ City: MINH.  Formerly known as Saigon.

65. "Sure": YEP.

66. Certain NCOs: SSGTs.  As in Staff Sergeants.  This abbreviation appears with some frequency in the puzzles.

Down:

1. Letters on a law office door: ESQ.  Esquire it the title one can use after passing the bar exam.

2. We, to one who says "oui": NOUS.  Today's French lesson.

3. "Dang!": DRAT.

4. And so on: ET CETERA.  Today's Latin lesson.

5. Senegal's capital: DAKAR.  It's also a port city.

6. Moo __ pork: SHU.  You, too, can make this at home.

7. Balkan native: SERB.

8. Certain surgeon's "patient": TREE.  Cute clue!

9. Prestige: CACHET.

10. Cousteau's field: OCEANOLOGY.  Jacques-Yves Cousteau (June 11, 1910 ~ June 25, 1997) was a pioneer in ocean and marine conservation.

11. Gallup specialty: POLL.

12. Fastidious to a fault: ANAL.

15. Exposes: BARES.

17. Thickens, as cream: CLOTS.  You can purchase clotted cream across the pond.

21. Approximate nos.: ESTs.  As in Estimates.

23. Like a good-sized garage: TWO CAR.

25. People focus, for short: CELEB.  

26. "Bye" that's bid: ADIEU.  Another clever clue.  And more of today's French lesson.

27. Caracas native: VENEZUELAN.  Caracas is another port city.

29. Snap course: EASY A.

30. Writer Hemingway: ERNEST.  Ernest Miller Hemingway (July21, 1899 ~ July 2, 1961) wrote many books that are considered classics.  I had to read some when I was in high school.

31. Make fun of: RAG ON.

32. Mandy of "This Is Us": MOORE.  Mandy Moore (née Mandy Leigh Moore; b. Apr. 10, 1984) is also a singer.

38. Traps for the unwary: PITFALLS.  Pitfall was also the name of a relic of a Atari video game.  At the time it seemed really state-of-the-art.

40. Lawn tool storage building: SHED.

41. Sign again: REINK.  Meh!

44. Highest point: ZENITH.  Zenith was also an American company that manufactured televisions.  The company sold its shares to LG in 1995.

45. "Peyton __": PLACE.  Before it was a television show, Peyton Place was the 1956 novel by Grace Metalious (née Mary Grace DeRepentigny; Sept. 8, 1924 ~ Feb. 25, 1964).  The novel was quite scandalous when it was first published as it delved into the dark secrets of adultery, incest, lust, abortion and murder in a small New England town.

49. Concentrate: FOCUS.

50. Fat unit: GRAM.

51. Bank offering, briefly: RE-FI.  As in Refinance.

52. "Buy It Now" site: EBAY.

53. Fill to the max: SATE.

55. Bell sound: DONG.  I tried Ring and Gong before settling on Dong.

56. PDQ, in the ER: STAT.

59. Sales agent: REP.  As in a Representative.

60. Cock and bull: HEs.  Both a Cock and a Bull are male animals.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

And Now I will Bid you Adieu!

Monday January 17 2022 Catherine Cetta

Theme:  CODE SWITCH (60. Say "See you mañana," e.g. ... and a hint to each set of circles)

18. Coen Brothers' "Best Original" Oscar-winning output for "Fargo": SCREENPLAY. Penal code.

24. Weather warning on your cellphone, e.g.: TEXT ALERT. Tax code.

39. Informal name for the classic painting "Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1": WHISTLER'S MOTHER. Morse code.

50. Sleight-of-hand swindle: SHELL GAME. Legal code.

Boomer here.  

In Minnesota, CODE rhymes with COLD and that's what we get in the North Star State. I have a couple of visits to the VA this week for sessions in physical therapy and occupational therapy.  I am pretty sure I can limp through the first one, and since the only occupation I have now is the Monday blog, we will see how the therapy works. Next week ---- Radiation !

Across:

1. Toon frames: CELS.  We just do not see as many cartoons on TV as when I was a kid.

5. Honking birds: GEESE. I do remember these guys honking up at North Star Lake.

10. U.S. state that hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics: UTAH.  Famous for the Mormon religion.

14. Declare openly: AVOW.

15. Comparable to a beet: AS RED.  Or as a radish.

16. Prefix with physics: META.

17. Like collectible coins: RARE.  Like a sirloin steak too.

20. Roll with the punches: ADAPT. Cassius Clay was the Greatest. 

22. Egypt's Mubarak: HOSNI.

23. Before, to a bard: ERE.  "And I heard him exclaim ERE he rode out of sight, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night,"

26. Lukewarm: TEPID.  That would be me, using my walker.

28. Detroit labor gp.: UAW.  United Auto Workers. They get a lot of attention.  Prices of cars are going through the roof right now.

29. Amtrak express: ACELA.  I have never been on Amtrak.

31. Add, as to a list: APPEND.

35. To's counterpart: FRO.

36. "__ girl!": encouraging words: ATTA.

42. Ships' records: LOGS.  Need a few for our fireplace.

43. Yalie: ELI.

44. Like favorite car radio stations: PRESET.  I have one station PRESET, but mostly I listen to Simon and Garfunkel, courtesy of  Desper Otto.  Our new Santa Fe does not have a CD player.

45. Ibsen's "__ Gabler": HEDDA. Or Ms. Hopper.

47. Actor Stephen: REA.

48. Siri counterpart: ALEXA.  Ask and she will tell you where to go.

56. Green expanse: LEA.

57. Greek i's: IOTAS.  Too small to count.

59. Shipwreck site: SHOAL.

63. Rice-like pasta: ORZO.

64. Small bills: ONES.  The first ONES were issued in 1862 with a Salmon Chase photo

65. Freeze over: ICE UP.  I am sure that every lake in Minnesota had this feature today 

66. Resign, with "down": STEP.  I can think of a name or two, but nooo politics.

67. Senator's helper: AIDE.

68. Mississippi quartet: ESSES.  YESSSS indeed.

69. Stun with a zapper: TASE.

Down:

1. Diamond weight: CARAT.

2. Sidestep: EVADE.

3. "I speak for the trees" Seuss character: LORAX.

4. Won every game: SWEPT.

5. Fuel from a pump: GAS.

6. Abstain from: ESCHEW. If you had trouble with 68 across, maybe you might CHEW on a few ESSESS

7. There's one in "beleive": ERROR.  I before E, except after C or when sounded like A like in Neighbor and Weigh.  4th grade spelling.

8. Reel from a bang on the head: SEE STARS.  Too cold here to sleep under the STARS.

9. Biblical garden: EDEN.  Home of previous Vikings Coach Bud Grant, EDEN Prairie Minnesota.

10. Strike caller: UMP.  Casey at the Bat was dealing with a blind one. 

11. Mind readers: TELEPATHS.

12. Gaming brand since 1972: ATARI.  I wasted many hours playing on mine.

13. Cut and collected in bales: HAYED.

19. After-dark period, in ads: NITE.  Crossword spelling. Can't you write NIGHT??

21. Tease: TAUNT.

25. Served, as soup: LADLED.  I just tip the pan into the bowl.

27. Delight to the max: ELATE.

30. Force, as to do something: COMPEL.

31. Boring tool: AWL.  We sold these at Graybar but I was never sure why an electrician needed one.

32. Vietnamese soup: PHO.

33. Stubborn in a porcine way: PIG-HEADED.  Again NOOOO politics.

34. Southeast England county: ESSEX.

35. Thu. follower: FRI.  The end of the work week for many.

37. Golf driving aid: TEE.  I have hundreds in the bag.  I use wood, not plastic.

38. Part of MoMA: ART.

40. Stretchy things: ELASTICS.  In the hospital the VA gave me STRETCHY socks that had little pieces of rubber sewn into them for a grip on the floor.  They did not work!  I had to be very careful getting out of bed.

41. Grad school grillings: ORALS.

46. Speaker's stand: DAIS.

47. Save: RESCUE.

48. Big name in foil: ALCOA.  I am sure everyone uses aluminum foil.  But there is also a market for huge diameter Aluminum Wire. 

49. "Madam Secretary" star Téa: LEONI.

51. Despises: HATES.  Not a word in my vocabulary.  Unless you are talking about Cancer.

52. Halloween sheet wearer: GHOST.  Bad for trick-or-treaters,  They need to SEE where they are going.

53. Big blood vessel: AORTA.  Thankfully mine still works.  I cannot say that for my other body parts.

54. Lab rats' challenges: MAZES.

55. Say "I do" without the ado: ELOPE.

58. Bruise, to a tot: OWIE.  I seem to have an OWIE in my left instep.

61. Opposite of WNW: ESE.  "East is East and West is West"

62. Some PCs: HPS.  Short for HICCUPS?

Boomer

Sunday January 16, 2022 Darryl Gonzalez

 

Theme:  "I Have a Dream" - Last word in each theme entry can precede "free".

23. *Like one of two parents, often: STAY AT HOME. Home free.

32. *When many grab a bite: COMMERCIAL BREAK. Break free.

39. *Inverness native: HIGHLAND SCOT. Scot-free.

52. *Software design considerations: LOOK AND FEEL. Feel free.

66. *Cube in a bowl: LUMP OF SUGAR. Sugar-free.

79. *Bridge holdings sufficient to start the bidding with: OPENING HANDS. Hands free.

 85. *Cardiologist's dietary concern: HYDROGENATED FAT. Fat-free.

 98. End of an iconic speech ... and what the ends of the answers to starred clues can have?: FREE AT LAST.

So timely. Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr. Day

This reminds me of the FREE AT LAST puzzle Agnes and I made for the NYT a few years ago. Ours is a synonym approach. 

Congrats on your Sunday LAT debut, Darryl! A big milestone.

Across:

1. Felt: WAS.

4. Snuck: CREPT.

9. Venomous snake: MAMBA. Can be black or green.

14. ER readouts: EKGS.

18. Env. insert: ENC. Enclosure.

19. Art movement since the '70s: HIP HOP. Tiny dupe with 81. Trendy type often parodied on "Portlandia": HIPSTER.

21. In different places: APART.

22. Sty fare: SLOP.

25. Turkish bread: LIRAS.

26. Correct the pitch of: TUNE.

27. Maria __ Trapp: VON.

28. Beyond repair: TOTALED.

30. Insurance giant: AETNA. Quite a few 5-letter choices: AFLAC, CIGNA or GEICO.

31. Drei squared: NEUN. 3/9.

35. Four-time Grammy-nominated metal band: PANTERA. Unfamiliar to me.

37. "Dies __": hymn: IRAE.

38. Amazon and others, locally: RIOS. Not E-tails.

42. Large green moth: LUNA.

43. Bio or chem: SCI.

46. Pre-revelry nights: EVES. I'll never forget Boomer's face when I visited him in the VA hospital on New Year's Day. Big, sweet smile.

 47. Navel variety: INNIE.

48. Unchains: LIBERATES.

50. United: WED.

51. "... without trying to change me": AS I AM.

54. Makes less dense: THINS.

55. Break down: PARSE. Also a pricey restaurant.

56. Gram prefix: TELE.

57. Partaking of: HAVING.

59. Big celebrations: FETES. I made Boomer some walleye last Friday. He loved it.

60. Rio Grande city: LAREDO.

63. Green-skinned "Return of the Jedi" girl: OOLA.

 

64. Snacks: BITES.

65. Underground conduit: SEWER.

70. Credited in a note: CITED.

71. Windy City rail initials: CTA. The Chicago Transit Authority.

74. Wrestling foes: GRAPPLERS.

75. Iranian language: FARSI.

76. Many hybrid dogs, casually: POOS.

77. Jack or jenny: ASS.

78. Zest: TANG. Also the big dynasty in China. Tang's capital was Xi'an, which is still under a lockdown now. They had 8 new cases yesterday. But they don't need to have a COVID test every day. Andy is still cooped up at home, but at least, he can order veggies and other stuff again. The delivery services are back.

82. Eighteen-wheelers: RIGS.

83. Raison d'__: ETRE.

84. "You better believe I'll fight!": OH IT'S ON.

91. They know the ropes: PROS.

92. Ames native: IOWAN.

93. Bob Hope venue: USO TOUR. Did you know that  Bob Hope was born in London?

94. Luke, to Darth: SON.

95. Sonny & Cher hit: DUET. I only know their "I Got You Babe".

96. "Chase those guys!": GET 'EM.

103. Mystery's Gardner: ERLE. Old regular.

104. Sunlit courts: ATRIA.

105. Fired at the table?: FLAMBE.

106. Once named: NEE.

107. On a pension: Abbr.: RET'D.

108. Rimes of country: LEANN.

109. Cool giant: S STAR.

110. Ecru relative: TAN.

Down:

1. Director Craven: WES.

2. Queen's subject: ANT. Good old clue.

3. Picked around in, as a junkyard: SCAVENGED.

4. English __: CHANNEL.

5. Slowing, to an orch.: RIT. Ritardando.

6. N.T. book: EPH. Ephesians.

7. Start to finish?: PHOTO. Photo finish.

8. May bouquet words: TO MOM.

9. Shopping area loiterer: MALL RAT.

10. Each: APIECE.

11. Lundi follower: MARDI. Monday/Tuesday.

12. Lingerie item: BRA. So many cute bralettes these days.

13. @@@: ATS.

14. Fragrant compounds: ESTERS.

15. 1971 Fonda/Sutherland film: KLUTE.

16. Plannin' to: GONNA.

17. Jargon ending: SPEAK. OK, like teenspeak.

20. Rodents on wheels, perhaps: PET MICE.

24. Some hostel visitors: YOUTHS.

29. Dynamic start?: AERO. Aerodynamic.

30. On the train: ABOARD.

31. None too worldly: NAIVE.

32. Food preservation method: CANNING.

33. Island that's the first word of The Beach Boys' "Kokomo": ARUBA. Also unknown to me.

34. Strong textile: LINEN.

35. "What a relief!": PHEW.

36. Gorp bit: RAISIN.

40. Genetic carriers: DNAS. Spell check does not like the plural form.

41. __City: computer game: SIM.

42. Facebook option: LIKE.

43. Knight's ride: STEED.

44. "Heart Blanche" rapper Green: CEELO.

45. Atoll, say: ISLE.

48. L in a box score: LOSS.

49. Word before party or math: AFTER.

51. Sushi-grade tuna: AHI. Our local Aldi carries ahi tuna.

52. "See ya": LATER.

53. Rock groups?: ORES. Great clue.

54. Sling on a phone: TV APP.

55. Animal rights org.: PETA.

57. Doctor's office posting: HOURS.

58. Salamanca souls: ALMAS. Spanish for "souls". Salamanca is a city in Spain. According to Wiki: The University of Salamanca, founded in 1218, is the oldest university in Spain and the third oldest western university."

59. Mulberry family fruit: FIGS.

60. "We should just skip it": LET'S NOT.

61. Barely clear of the bottom: AWEIGH.

62. __ state: RED.

63. First name in '70s Olympics gymnastics: OLGA. Korbut

64. Town: BURG.

65. Virtual name that means "beautiful woman who leads you to victory" in Norwegian: SIRI. Good to know.

67. Sales rep's upsell: OPTION.

68. Fannie of "Fried Green Tomatoes" fame: FLAGG. We had her before.

69. Feeling: SENSE.

70. Has the ability to: CAN.

71. One of 21, or sometimes 20: CONSONANT. Due to Y.

72. Brouhahas: TO-DOS.

73. Trade gp.: ASSN.

75. Get energy from: FEED OFF.

76. Girl Scout group: PATROL.

79. Den piece: OTTOMAN.

80. __-à-porter: ready-to-wear: PRET. This loom is similar to my grandma's. She would then make cotton bed sheets and shirts for us. It felt a bit rough on the skin.   

 
82. For mature audiences: R-RATED.

83. Enter with caution: EASE IN.

85. It's quarry: HIDER. I was thinking of the stone pit quarry.

86. "Now __ talking!": YOU'RE.

87. Obsessed (on): DWELT.

88. __Sweet: sugar substitute: NUTRA.

89. Rolls and binds: FURLS.

90. Zones: AREAS.

96. Eight pts.: GAL. Gallon.

97. Tour de France saison: ETE. It's called Xia Ji in Chinese. So scrabbly.

99. Vitals checker, briefly: EMT.

100. Law school accrediting org.: ABA.

101. Cruiser's milieu: SEA.

102. Highest Scrabble tile point value: TEN.

C.C.

Boomer have 3 appointments next week with the the PT and the OT, then his radiation starts on 1/24. We'll go to VA on 1/8/2022 for an appointment regarding chemo infusion. 

Thanks again for your caring email and cards. Your messages bring tears, love and encouragement to us. Thanks for supporting us during these challenging times.

C.C.