Thursday, February 10, 2022, Bruce Haight

 

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the good news.  No, our salty aquatic friend, above, is not swimming through the neighborhood distributing copies of "The Watchtower" but, rather, sharing the GOOD NEWS from today's veteran puzzle-setter, Bruce Haight.  Here is a link to a 2015 interview for those interested in learning a bit more about him.  Bruce Haight Interview

At five places within the grid Bruce has deployed answers that are idiomatic expressions for very good outcomes.  He (and/or Rich) has cleverly clued those answers with references to occupations/activities.  There is no unifier/reveal so let's start with those five clues and answers:

18  Across:  Good news for the clean-up crew?: TIDY PROFIT.  If you clean up something up you make it TIDY.

24 Across:  Good news for the elephant trainer?: HUGE SUCCESS. An elephant is HUGE.

40 Across:  Good news for the curling team?: SWEEPING VICTORY.  Curling is a sport that uses brooms to steer the stones by SWEEPING the ice ahead of the sliding stone .

53 Across:  Good news for the baker?: BREAD WINNER.  Bakers may bake bread.  A BREAD WINNER brings income into a family.  As Publishers Clearing House used to say, "You may already be a WINNER."  That said, I have never heard anyone call a successful outcome a "bread winner" so this one may be a wee bit different from the other four.

63 Across:  Good news for the horror film producer?: MONSTER HIT.  A Monster Smash?  How about a Monster's Mash:

Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Cryptkickers

Across:

1. The Scotch kind might be double-coated: TAPE.  A initial bit of misdirection for this fan of uisge-beatha.  Others were much more likely to have instantly been on the puzzle-setter's wave length.

5. Poor benefits: ALMS.

9. Ludwig wrote für her: ELISE.  Für Elise is one of Ludwig von Beethoven's most famous and popular compositions.

Bill & Ted "Recruit" Beethoven . . .and others

14. Genesis plot: EDEN.  Two weeks ago this answer was clued as "Biblical Plot".  Again, it's a place and not a cabal.

15. Christmas Eve no-no: PEEK.   We send Santa a list and are then supposed to act surprised.

16. Places for curlers: RINKS.  Not the hair salon.  Ice rinks.  See 40 Across, above or, er below?  Two curling references in a single puzzle.  Cool!

17. Rock's Lofgren: NILS.  NILS Lofgren is a well-known musician.  A member of both Crazy Horse (Neil Young) and Bruce Springsteen's E Street band.

20. Get ready to drive: TEE UP.  A golf reference.

22. Brewery letters: IPA.

23. Scruff: NAPE.

28. Title for Nick Faldo: SIR.  SIR Nicholas Alexander Faldo is an English professional golfer and commentator.

29. [Ah, me!]: SIGH.  Alas would have fit.  So would several other four-letter words.

30. Winningest baseball southpaw: SPAHN.  Southpaw is baseball lingo for a left-handed pitcher.

Why is a baseball game a good place to go on a hot day?  Because there are lots of fans.

32. Delta's primary hub: Abbr.: ATL.  Delta Airline's hub is in ATLanta.

35. Taylor of "Mystic Pizza": LILI.

38. Sends out: EMITS.

44. Quarters with stories: HOTEL.  This one took a while to suss out because a hotel can be a single-story building.

45. Clearance caveat: AS IS.

46. 1, 2, 3, etc.: Abbr.: NOS.  Numbers

47. Choice cut: FILET.  An animal protein reference.

49. Water-diverting feature: EAVE.

All About Eaves

52. Word with tip or tub: HOT.  Word with tamale or sauce.

59. Thereabouts: OR SO.

61. Ma's his sis: UNC.  UNCle   Clever clue.  A bit of a punt of an answer.

62. Prayer hands, e.g.: EMOJI.

67. Scrapes (out): EKES.  Not to be confused with EEKS!  MICE!

68. "The __ Holmes Mysteries," series about Sherlock's teenage sister: ENOLA.  Often clued with reference to the airplane that dropped the A-Bomb.

69. Accident report?: OOPS.  The ? tips us off to something whimsical.

70. __ burn: cutting remark, in slang: SICK.  A learning moment.

71. Attach, as a patch: SEW ON.  My mother used the iron-on kind.  They didn't stay in place for very long.

72. Kindle competitor: NOOK.  An E-book reader made by Lenovo and sold by Barnes & Noble.

73. Roles, metaphorically: HATS.

Down:

1. Like J, in a way: TENTH.  J is the tenth letter of our alphabet.

2. Sayonara kin: ADIEU.  Now, where did I put my Japanese / French dictionary?

3. Co-owner of the Pequod: PELEG.  Captain Bildad and Captain PELEG were the owners of the whaling ship at the heart of Herman Melville's Moby Dick.

4. Comes later: ENSUES.  Pun enters a bar.  A fight ENSUES killing almost a dozen people.  Pun in.  Ten dead.

5. Like the name Robin Banks, for a yegg: APT.  Robbing Banks.  Yegg is slang for a burglar, particularly a safecracker.

6. Hula hoop?: LEI.  A Hawaiian reference.

7. MASH worker: MEDIC.  Mobile Army Surgical Hospital

8. FaceTime rival: SKYPE.  We have all become more familiar with SKYPE and ZOOM over the past couple of years.

9. Stumble: ERR.

10. Meaning of "Simba" in Swahili: LION.  Disney introduced many of us.

11. Trendy: IN FASHION.

12. Command to bypass pre-TV-episode material: SKIP INTRO.  A streaming reference.

13. Aromatic compound: ESTER.  An fragrant organic compound often detected in crossword puzzles.

19. Mountain __: PASS.  Mountain HIGH, Mountain BIKE, Mountain LION, Mountain  GOAT.  Which did you first think of?

21. Chi follower: PSI.  I should have paid more attention in school when the Greek alphabet was discussed.

25. Not-so-cute fruit: UGLI.

26. Table tennis powerhouse: CHINA.  Where, or where, has "Ping Pong Diplomacy" led us!?

27. Bit of design info: SPEC.  INFOrmation is abbreviated, so, therefore, is SPECification.

31. Oz. or lb.: AMT.  AMounT

32. Firing result: ASH.  At first I thought it would be something work related.  A bit of an odd use of the word "firing".  Ceramic ASHtray would have made more sense.

33. Sale phrase: TWO FOR ONE.  Similar to BOGO.

34. When tripled, a holiday song: LET IT SNOW.  Lyrics by Sammy Cahn.  Music by Jule Styne.  Recorded by just about everyone.  Sinatra?  Dean Martin?  Michael Buble?  Boyz II Men?  Jessica Simpson?  Nah, let's go with Leon Redbone:

36. Some smartphones: LGS.  Some TV's, too.

37. Like Wrigley Field's walls: IVIED.  Another baseball reference.  Right up there with curling, today.  This clue/answer made me think of Tom Lehrer's line about ivy covered professors in ivy covered halls.

39. __ admin: computer boss: SYS.   SYStem Administrator.  More abbreviations.

41. Unadon fish: EEL.  A sushi reference.  Unagi would not fit.

42. Working-class Roman: PLEB.

43. "__ the Light": 1972 hit: I SAW.  This one led to some post-answer head scratching because the clue refers to the date of the Todd Rundgren song.  Hank Williams wrote, and recorded, a song of the same name decades earlier.  One with which us sea creatures are far more familiar.

48. Loyal: TRUE.  An Axiom is something believed to be TRUE without question.  You can trust me on this one.

50. Battle: VIE.  I have a friend who is a big fan of the works of Karl Marx.  If that makes her a Communist then So Vie T.  What, no Dracula?

51. Tangle up: ENMESH.

52. Lakes mnemonic: HOMES.  Also, SuperMan Helps Every One, Sally Made Henry Eat Oreos and SHO ME.

54. 2001 bankruptcy: ENRON.  Likely the largest, most complicated and most notorious accounting scandal of all time.   Arthur Anderson, LLP was the auditor.  That firm is no longer in business.

55. Blessing lead-in: ACHOO.  The response to a sneeze is often "Bless You".  This custom dates back to a time when it was thought that when someone sneezed their soul left their body therefore requiring protection lest the Devil snatch that soul.

56. Finnish tech giant: NOKIA.

57. Oust: EJECT.  One of the prerequisites for becoming a Kamikaze pilot was a fear of EJECTion.

58. Hazards: RISKS.

60. 1952 Olympics host: OSLO.  We often visit OSLO in our puzzles.  It has been clued many different ways.

64. Color like khaki: TAN.  Why did I divide  SIN by TAN?  Just COS.

65. Wall St. event: IPO.  Initial Public Offering  Street is abbreviated hinting at an abbreviation for the answer.  The last of eight abbreviated answers in today's puzzle.

66. Scolding syllable: TSK.  Whether it turns out to be TSK or TUT we can fill in that leading T.

___________________________________________________

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Wednesday, February 9, 2022 Peter A. Collins

Theme: The Heat is on.  Each theme clue has a HOT answer.  Sewn together, they make an article of clothing.

24 A. *1977 Rod Stewart hit: HOT LEGS.

They had way too much fun making this.

26 A. *Difficult spot: HOT SEAT.  The position of someone who is in trouble or is being asked many difficult or embarrassing questions.  Many examples there days, but we won't go there 

45. *Microwaveable turnovers: HOTPOCKETS.  Thinking a lot about nutrition these days.  These are probably not the best.

71. Sexy '70s fad ... and where the answers to starred clues might be found?: HOT PANTS. Here is a brief view.

Hi, Gang - Jazzbumpa here to set the fashion trend for today's adventure.  This theme brings back fond memories of long ago.  Before we dive into the rest of the puzzle, let's take note of some of the unusual features of today's grid.  First, the longest fill is not a part of the theme.  You almost never see that.  Rows 9 and 10 have long strings of dark blocks. The symmetry is only bilateral around a vertical center line.  Grids often have rotational symmetry as well. 

OK, let's get going.  Wear you summer clothes - things are going to get HOT. 

Across:

1. Kid lit elephant: BABAR.

Wikipedia

6. Lend support to: HELP.

10. Outdoor sitting area: PORCH.  A covered area adjoining the entrance to a building.

15. Love: ADORE.

16. Dunkable snack: OREO.  Crosswords' favorite trear

17. Leave no trace of: ERASE.  Wipe out completely

18. Feature that 4-Down lacks: SERIF.  A slight projection finishing off a stroke of a letter in certain typefaces.  

19. Prefix with type: LINO.  LINOTYPE  is a composing machine producing lines of words as single strips of metal, used chiefly for newspapers. It is now rarely used.

20. Some pastries: TARTS.  Small filled pastries without top crusts.

21. Measure used by navigators: NAUTICAL MILE.   Nautical miles are used to measure the distance traveled through the water. A nautical mile is slightly longer than a mile on land, equaling 1.1508 land-measured (or statute) miles. The nautical mile is based on the Earth's longitude and latitude coordinates, with one nautical mile equaling one minute of latitude.  Also, this puzzle's longest fill

29. NYSE debut: IPO.  Initial Public Offering.

30. Versed in creative writing: LITERATE.That's one definition.  Another is simply able to read and write.

33. Turkish title: AGA.   A military commander or official.

34. Semester: TERM.  A fixed time period.

36. Usually dramatic symphony ending: FINALE.  The last part of a piece of music, a performance, or a public event, especially when particularly dramatic or exciting.

37. "Miracle on 34th Street" hero Kringle: KRIS.  Aka, Santa Claus.

38. More than unkind: CRUEL.   Evil, mean and wicked, bad and nasty.

40. Part of Batman's outfit: COWL.  His head covering.

41. Owner's document: TITLE. This is probably more that you care to know.

42. Horse-drawn cab: HANSOM.  A kind of horse-drawn carriage designed and patented in 1834 by Joseph Hansom, an architect from York.

44. Cuts needing stitches: GASHES.  Long, deep cuts or wounds.

50. Not out: SAFE.  Able to reach a base in baseball.

53. Minor, as a sin: VENIAL.  A relatively slight sin that that does not entail damnation of the soul.

54. Twin Falls-to-Sioux Falls direction: EAST.  Map lore.

58. Old Route 66 city: TULSA.  In Oklahoma

60. Gets some sun: TANS. Body baking.

61. Army leader sometimes seen in a bunker?: ARNIE.  Golfer Arnold Palmer.  His fans were called Arnie's Army.

62. Crest box abbr.: ADA. American Dental Association.

63. Sat atop: RESTED ON.

66. Bother: VEX.  Annoy

67. Wheel edge: RIM.  

68. Petitioner: CLAIMANT.  A person making a claim, especially in a lawsuit or for a government-sponsored benefit.

69. Food store letters: IGA.  Independent Grocers Alliance.  Where we get groceries on vacation.

70. Tip of a wing tip: TOE.  Front end of a shoe.

72. "__ MisÈrables": LES.  a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.  Also adapted into movies and a long running musical drama

Down:

1. Humanities degs.: BAs.  Batchelors of Arts.

2. Fruit drink suffix: -ADE.

3. 1975 Springsteen hit: BORN TO RUN.  

4. No-frills typeface: ARIAL. Looks like this.

5. Fill 'er up ... again: REFUEL. 

6. Like mind-and-body medicine: HOLISTIC.  Characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of a disease.

7. __ the Red: ERIC.  Erik Thorvaldsson, known as Erik the Red, was a Norse explorer, described in medieval and Icelandic saga sources as having founded the first settlement in Greenland.  This happened while he was in the midst of a 3 year exile as a result of disputes involving murder and mayhem. 

8. Horne of jazz: LENA.  Not a saxophone.

9. Shark's hangout: POOL HALL.   A pool shark is one whose goal is to con money out of others by using a combination of deception, talent, and straight coercion, combined with the game of billiards, to take advantage of susceptible players.

10. Diminutive: PETITE.  Also, PETITE clothing is specifically designed for women whose frames are 5'4” and under, and the clothing has been cut proportionally to fit and flatter the petite women's frame.

11. Postgrad tests: ORALS.  A test involving spoken questions and answers.

12. Promethium's element class: RARE EARTH.  These are chemically similar metallic elements comprising the lanthanide series and (usually) scandium and yttrium. They are not especially rare, but they tend to occur together in nature and are difficult to separate from one another.

13. Chicago hrs.: CST.  Central Standard Time.

14. Bulls and bucks: HEs.  Male of any species.

22. "Yay, the weekend!": TGIF.  Thank God It's Friday.  Oops - it's only Wednesday.  Lo siento.

23. Tiny bit of dust: MOTE.  A single particle

24. Snag: HITCH.  What could possibly go wrong?

25. Soap __: OPERA.  A television or radio drama series dealing typically with daily events in the lives of the same group of characters.  So called because the sponsors were often commercial cleaning products.

27. Nimble: AGILE.  Spry

28. Shocks, in a way: TASES.  In a bad way.

31. Brian of ambient music: ENO.  Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno RDI [Royal Designer for Industry; b 1948] is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his pioneering work in ambient music and contributions to rock, pop and electronica

32. Cold and rainy: RAW.  Stormy weather.

 

 35. Interacts well: MESHES.  Fits nicely

37. One fond of smooching: KISSER.  Well - yeah.

39. Place to go in Gloucester: LOO.  Lavatory.

41. Bit of arm art: TAT.  Body ink.  My friend lets his wife color in his tats whenever she's upset.  She just needs a shoulder to crayon.

43. 1981 cable debut: MTV.  An American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks, a division of ViacomCBS.

44. Pompadour need: GEL.  Hair glop.

46. Cared for a cat, say: PET SAT. 

47. How stock may be bought: ON A TIP.  Usually not the best decision.

48. Movie house: CINEMA.

49. "The Big Chill" director: KASDAN.  Lawrence Edward Kasdan [b1949] is an American filmmaker. He is the co-writer of the Star Wars films The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, and Solo: A Star Wars Story.

50. Maze word: START.  

Don't get lost.

51. Zoom meeting component: AUDIO.  Also video.

52. Lover: FLAME.   finally - some heat!

55. Blacksmith's block: ANVIL. An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal, with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck. Anvils are as massive as is practical, because the higher their inertia, the more efficiently they cause the energy of striking tools to be transferred to the work piece.  It appears at ca. 1:05 and 2:18.

56. Lengthy assault: SIEGE.

57. Where to find Katy and Austin: TEXAS.  Katy is just west of Houston.  Austin is about 2 1/2 hours northwest of Katy via US 290.

59. Part of a foot: ARCH.  The foot has three arches: two longitudinal (medial and lateral) arches and one anterior transverse arch. These arches are formed by the tarsal and metatarsal bones and are supported by the ligaments and tendons in the foot.

"So -- There are 3," he said, archly.

61. Colony members: ANTS.  Th hill, you say!

64. "Xanadu" rock gp.: ELO.  Electric Light Orchestra.

 

 65. Neighbor of N.Y. and Minn.: ONTaro, eh.

This wraps up another Wednesday.  Hope you didn't get scorched, or wind up hot and panting.

Hot regards!

JzB

Tuesday, February 8, 2022, Jeff Stillman

I Felt the Earth Move.

The letters in the circles spell out one of the 7 Continents, but the letters are not consecutive, but rather they have Drifted to give us a Continental Drift.

18-Across. Stringed instrument played by Jerry Garcia in the intro to CSNY's "Teach Your Children": PEDAL STEEL GUITAR.  Asia.

29-Across. Have high aspirations, despite being warned not to: GET YOUR HOPES UP.  Europe.

49-Across. "Based on what they tell me ... ": AS FAR AS I CAN SEE.  Africa

63-Across. Land movement spanning millennia ... or what each set of circles suggests: CONTINENTAL DRIFT.

Across:

1. Salon tool: COMB.

5. Bay of Naples isle: CAPRI.   Also mid-calf pants.

10. Underworld boss: SATAN.  Not the Mafia boss ...

15. Actor Sharif: OMAR.  Omar Sharif (né Michael Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub; Apr. 10, 1932 ~ July 10, 2015) was an Egyptian actor who was fluent in 5 languages: Arabic, English, Spanish, French and Italian.

16. Setting for some van Gogh works: ARLES.

17. Salad fruit: OLIVE.  Not in your typical fruit salad, although this recipe for a blood orange salad with olives looks interesting.

21. Says, "We're through!": ENDS IT.

22. Aspire laptop maker: ACER.  I learned about this computer from doing the crossword puzzles.  Then I noticed that it is the computer used by the receptionist at my doctor's office.

23. Jar top: LID.

24. Silky to the touch: SMOOTH.

26. Flip chart holders: EASELS.   //  6-Down. Class with easels: ART.

33. Environmental prefix: ECO-.

34. __ kwon do: TAE.  A form of Korean martial art.

35. Say over and over: ITERATE.

38. Model Campbell: NAOMI.  Naomi Elaine Campbell (b. May 22, 1970) is a British model and actress.

41. Stumble: TRIP.

43. Protection: AEGIS.

44. Home of the NBA's Magic: ORLANDO.  Basketball.

46. Nintendo's Super __: NES.

48. CPR specialist: EMT.  The Emergency Medical Technicians make frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  I hope no one here needs one.

53. Water depth unit: FATHOM.  As a noun, Fathom is a unit of length equal to 6 feet.  As a verb, I can fathom that.

55. Newspaper space measurement: LINAGE.  Keep Linage in mind when writing your obituary.  Longer the obit, the more costly to your heirs.

56. Laudatory verse: ODE.  Anything can be the subject of an Ode.

57. Cries of discovery: OHOs!

59. Regal domains: REALMS.

67. Like a loud crowd: AROAR.

68. In unison: AS ONE.

69. Hebrides hillside: BRAE.  Today's Scottish lesson.

70. Author Carroll: LEWIS.  Lewis Carroll (né Charles Lutwidge Dodgson; Jan. 27, 1832 ~ Jan. 14, 1898) has a rather creepy interested in young children that probably wouldn't be tolerated today.

71. Warning opening: DO NOT!

72. Rural agreement: YES'M.

Down:

1. Deal with it: COPE.

2. Gathering clouds, maybe: OMEN.  It was a dark and stormy night ...

3. Anti-DUI acronym: MADD.  As in Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

4. Like trumpet music: BRASSY.

5. Remove, as a demon: CAST OUT.

7. Synthetic sofa portmanteau: PLEATHER.  Pleather is faux leather made from Polyurethane, hence the "P" in its name.

8. Bounce back again: RE-ECHO.

9. Archipelago part: ISLE.  Another little dupe.  See 5-Across.

10. Trifling amount: SOU.

11. Boxing legend: ALI.  Mohammad Ali (né Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.; Jan. 17, 1942 ~ June 3, 2016).

12. Book names are on them: TITLE PAGES.

13. Benefit: AVAIL.

14. Comic-Con attendees: NERDS.  Comic-Con is a comic book convention.  If you are interested, here is a list of some up-coming dates.

19. Fancy airport ride: LIMO.

20. Say hi to: GREET.

25. Soapbox speaker: ORATOR.  Why a soapbox?

27. Between ports: ASEA.  The dreaded "A" word.

28. "You bet!": SURE.

29. UConn women's basketball coach __ Auriemma: GENO.  Geno Auriemma (né Luigi Auriemma; b. Mar. 23, 1954) isn't your usual Tuesday guest celebrity.  He was born in Montella, Italy, and came to the United States when he was 7 years old.  He has been at the University of Connecticut since 1985.

30. Plug-in vehicle, briefly: E-CAR.

31. "You missed your chance": TOO LATE NOW.

32. Supply, as Muzak: PIPE IN.

36. It's up at the end of the test: TIME.

37. Sunrise dirección: ESTE.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Hi, Lucina!

39. Sitcom set in Korea: M*A*S*H.

40. Scoop: INFO.

42. Be emphatic about: INSIST ON.

45. Private Ryan portrayer Matt: DAMON.  Saving Private Ryan was a 1998 film that starred Tom Hanks who was tasked {Spoiler Alert!} with going behind enemy lines to find Private Ryan who's three brothers had been killed in combat.

47. Hester Prynne's letter color: SCARLET.

50. "The Tempest" king: ALONSO.  From the play by Willie the Shakes.

51. Like much brandy: AGED.

52. Close at hand: NEAR BY.

53. Kind of point: FOCAL.

54. Be gaga over: ADORE.  The link between Lady Gaga and Queen.

58. Noggin: HEAD.

60. Old Pisa dough: LIRE.  Pre-Euro.

61. Advanced lit. degrees: MFAs.  As in Master of Fine Arts.

62. Academic acronym: STEM.  As in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

64. __ chi: TAI.

65. E-file agcy.: IRS.  As in the dreaded Internal Revenue Service.

66. 2022, por ejemplo: AÑO.  More of today's Spanish lesson.

חתולה

Monday February 7, 2022 Andy Wang & C.C. Burnikel

 

Theme: LINCOLN CENTER (58. Home of the Metropolitan Opera ... and a hint to the "honest" guy hiding in 20-, 32- and 45-Across) - ABE is in the very center of each theme entry.

20. Gets trounced: TAKES A BEATING.

32. Cubs' caretakers: MAMA BEARS.

45. Veggies from Peru: LIMA BEANS.

Boomer here.  

Happy Birthday, ABE! (February 12).  When I think of Lincoln Center, of course I think of a five dollar bill. Usually I complain about Minnesota winter weather, but this week I send sympathy out to any of our blog members who live in the 24 state area stretching from Texas to Maine.  

I cannot imagine travel on highways that are strewn with cars in ditches and semi trucks jackknifed backing traffic for hours. And don't take a plane. About 3000 flights were canceled. Minnesota managed to escape the snow, but International Falls on the Canadian border woke up to 42 degrees Below zero last Thursday. Brrr.  

Across:

1. Has a balance due: OWES.  I OWE, I OWE, so off to work I go.

5. Fish with valuable roe: SHAD.  These are edible, but nothing beats Minnesota walleye.

9. Jeweler's weight unit: CARAT.  Not a California rat.

14. Extra-long dress: MAXI.

15. ''Those __ the days!'': WERE.  My friend, we thought they'd never end, We'd sing and dance, forever and a day.

16. Sister company of Enterprise Rent-A-Car: ALAMO.  Car rentals are very spendy in Las Vegas.  Our reunion was cancelled this year.

17. Wide smile: GRIN.  And bare it.

18. Arab League dignitary: EMIR.

19. "The Thinker" sculptor: RODIN.

23. Crime scene clue exposed by dusting: PRINT.  Wear gloves.

24. Candied veggie: YAM.  Sweet potato.

25. Apple operating system: IOS.

26. "I get it now!": AHA

27. Palindromic man's name: OTTO.  Otto Graham was a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns many years ago.

30. Royal flush card: TEN.  Goes well with a Jack, Queen. King. and Ace.

35. Foamy hot drink: LATTE.  Is this any good?? Or is it just a fancy word for coffee so Starbucks can charge more ?

39. "College GameDay" channel: ESPN.  Lots of sports.

40. Vinyl collectible: ALBUM.  I use these for my best baseball cards.

42. Pork or beef: MEAT.  Crash Davis called Tim Robbins MEAT in "Field of Dreams".

43. Tree houses: NESTS.  Okay, but we would build real tree houses when I was a kid.

47. Approx. landing hr.: ETA.  Airlines across the country needed an approx. taking off hour.

49. Ripped apart: TORE.

50. Cloud's place: SKY.

51. Govt. Rx watchdog: FDA.  The Feds have an administration for nearly everything.

54. Fútbol cheer: OLE.  Sven's buddy.

56. Caribbean cruise stops: ISLES.

62. Like much beer at a bar: ON TAP.  "I say first, medicinal wine from a teaspoon, then beer from a bottle" Trouble in River City - the Music Man.

63. "Et voilà!": TA DA.

64. Slack-jawed look: GAPE.

67. Salary increase: RAISE.  Social Security isn't really salary, but we all got a RAISE this year.

68. Managed, with "out": EKED.   And we all EKE out with the SS check.

69. Brainstorm: IDEA.

70. Like a javelin's path: ARCED.

71. Russo of "Tin Cup": RENE.  "Gimme another ball"  Costner.

72. Russian autocrat: TSAR.

Down:

1. "Can u believe it?!": OMG.

2. Card-vs.-card game: WAR.  We played a lot when we were kids.

3. Highway turnoffs: EXIT RAMPS. Many were blocked last week.

4. Red Sea peninsula: SINAI.

5. Sugary Southern beverage: SWEET TEA.  I prefer coffee.

6. Blouse edges: HEMS.

7. Operatic solo: ARIA.  Did this in NOYE's FLUDDE.

8. Churchill Downs race: DERBY.  Coming in May.  I have never gone to one in person.

9. Milky Way ingredient: CARAMEL.  And lots of sugar.

10. Tons: A LOT.  Number of fans at the Super Bowl 

11. Diameter halves: RADII.

12. Essential acid, familiarly: AMINO.  A source of protein

13. Salad bar pair: TONGS.

21. Etch A Sketch control: KNOB.  I had an Etch -A-Sketch many years ago.  Too hard to make it work.

22. Have a bite: EAT.

23. Temporary stage: PHASE.

26. "I feel the same way!": AMEN.  Church on the weekends.

28. Starbucks size after Short: TALL.  But is it any better than what we brew at home??

29. Planet's path: ORBIT.  I don't think Pluto is a planet any more.  but I don't think it completed one orbit since I was born.

31. Birth certificate entry: NAME.  I do not know where mine is.

33. Initial poker stake: ANTE.

34. Osaka wrestler: SUMO.

36. Promos to pique interest: TEASER ADS.  These are all over cable TV.  I really hate Liberty Mutual and Medicare ads.

37. Homes for pet fish: TANKS.  My car's home for gas.

38. Site with homemade gifts: ETSY.  Never been there or used it.

41. Pre-grilling sauce: MARINADE.

44. Bent down: STOOPED.  I used to be able to do this 20 years ago.

46. Second to none: BEST.  We spend a few bucks at BEST Buy each year.

48. Every one: ALL.

51. Plant life: FLORA.  Nothing around our home this time of year.

52. Bahrain currency: DINAR.

53. Playful prank: ANTIC.

55. Large keyboard key: ENTER. Not as big as the space bar though.

57. On the level: LEGIT.  Really!!

59. Social worker's assignment: CASE.  You should put the CASE files in a a CASE just in CASE.

60. Birthday candle holder: CAKE.  Happy Birthday President Lincoln !

61. Genesis garden: EDEN.

65. Split __ soup: PEA.

66. Organ with a canal: EAR.  What ??

Boomer