Tuesday, May 17, 2022 Doug Peterson

Two for the Price of One:  Today's theme answers give us two pairs of pants.

17-Across. *   Saddle attachment for a tall jockey?: LONG STIRRUP.  Long Pants and Stirrup Pants

Long Pants and Long Legs

Stirrup Pants

28-Across. *   Stevedore school instruction?: CARGO TRAINING.  Cargo Pants and Training Pants

Cargo Pants

(Need to) Pull-Up Pants

46-Across. *   Relaxing exercise for skydivers?: PARACHUTE YOGA.  Parachute Pants and Yoga Pants

Parachute Pants

Yoga Pants

And the unifier:

61-Across. Trousers, and what the answer to each starred clue literally is: PAIR OF PANTS.

Across:

1. Item sold with an envelope: CARD.

5. Olive Garden selections: PASTAs.

11. "Dropped" drug: LSD.  Short for Lysergic acid diethylamide.  Tune in and Drop out.

14. Nabisco cookie: OREO.  The company keeps on making variations on a theme.  You can often find Oreos with all sorts of weird fillings.

15. Wool source: ALPACA.  What's the difference between an Alpaca and a Llama?

16. Reverent feeling: AWE.

19. "__ I help you?": CAN.  Grammatically speaking, the question should be "May I help you?"  You probably physically can help me, but do I really want you to?

20. Supplement: ADD TO.

21. Sweet potato kin: YAM.  Do you know the difference between a Yam and a Sweet Potato?

22. Targets: AIMS.

23. Oodles: ALOT.

26. "I Dream of __": JEANNIE.

32. "A Sorta Fairytale" singer Tori: AMOS.

33. Shop __ you drop: 'TIL.

34. Thaw, as a wing: DE-ICE.

37. Familial nickname: SIS.  Last Tuesday, the family nickname was a Sib.

38. Billiards stick: POOL CUE.

41. Org. with seven teams in Canada: NHL.  Hi, CanadianEh!  Can the rest of us name all 7 Canadian teams in the National Hockey League?

42. One-named "Hello" singer: ADELE.  Adele (née Adele Laurie Blue Adkins; b. May 5, 1988), just celebrated her 34th birthday.  Hello is a good song, but my favorite is the one below.

44. Swiss peak: ALP.

45. Air conditioner nos.: BTUs.  As in British Thermal Units.  Everything you wanted to know about BTUs, but didn't know to ask.

50. Beach scavenger: SEAGULL.  Been there, done that.

52. Tusked beast: BOAR.

53. See 69-Across: WARS.  //  And 69. With 53-Across, "The Mandalorian" franchise: STAR.  Together we get Star Wars.

54. "WandaVision" actress Dennings: KAT.  I am not familiar with Kat Dennings (née Katherine Victoria Latwack; b. June 13, 1986).

56. Thesaurus name: ROGET.  Peter Mark Roget (Jan. 18, 1779 ~ Sept. 12, 1869) led a very interesting life / existence / essence / viability.

60. Pretty-picture link: AS A.

64. Albertan's last letter: ZED.  Another CSO to CanadianEh!  What's the difference between Zee and Zed?

65. __ milk: ALMOND.  What's the difference between Cow Milk and Almond Milk?

66. Polling results, say: DATA.

67. Project conclusion?: -ILE.  As in a Projectile.  My first thought, however, was Projection.

68. Title usually abbreviated: MISTER.  That's Mr. Mister to you!

Down:

1. Fast-food beverage: COLA.  It was either going to be Soda or Cola.  Or the generic Coke, if you live in the South.

2. Three-time A.L. MVP: A-ROD.  We haven't seen A-Rod (aka Alex Rodriguez; b. July 27, 1975) in a while.

3. Tear apart: REND.

4. Military IDs: DOGTAGS.  Did you know that the dogtags were used in the American Civil War?

5. Basketball coach Summitt in the Hall of Fame: PAT.  Pat Summitt (née Patricia Susan Summitt; June 14, 1952 ~ June 28, 2016) was the head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols from 1974 until 2012.

6. "Baby Cobra" comedian Wong: ALI.  Ali Wong (née Alexandra Dawn Wong; b. Apr. 19, 1982) appeared recently in a puzzle.  Her stand-up routines are not suitable for family viewing.

7. Nimble: SPRY.

8. __ P. Henson of "Empire": TARAJI.  I am not familiar with Taraji P. Henson (née Taraji Panda Henson; b. Sept. 11, 1970).

9. Keen insight: ACUMEN.

10. Tree goo: SAP.

11. Giving an earful: LACING INTO.  Lace into synonyms.

12. Hindu teacher: SWAMI.

13. Tightly packed: DENSE.

18. Recital piece: SOLO.

22. Novelist Tyler: ANNE.  Anne Tyler (b. Oct. 25, 1941) is an American novelist from Minnesota.  She has written over 20 novels, most recently French Braid, which was published just this year.

24. Miranda of "Homeland": OTTO.  Miranda Otto (b. Dec. 15, 1967), is an Australian actress who portrayed Alison Carr, the CIA Station Chief in Berlin and was a double agent in the television series Homeland.

25. Rascal Flatts, e.g.: TRIO.  Rascal Flatts was a country music band.  I believe the band disbanded last Fall.

27. Deputy: AIDE.

28. Where to find a cocina: CASA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Hi, Lucina!  My מִטְבָּח is in my בַּיִת.

29. In a group of: AMID.

30. Annual floral procession in Pasadena: ROSE PARADE.  The first Rose Parade was held over 130 years ago.

31. God to more than two billion: ALLAH.

35. Guzzle: CHUG.

36. "Frozen" sister: ELSA.  I recently saw a stage production of Frozen.

38. Chile neighbor: PERU.

39. Driver or putter: CLUB.

40. Capable of: UP TO.

43. Drops back: LAGS.

45. Detour routes, often: BY-ROADS.  Also known as Byways.  There are lots of scenic byways in Louisiana.

47. High-pH compound: ALKALI.  Time for a Chemistry Lesson.

48. Insurance filings: CLAIMS.

49. Wyatt of the Old West: EARP.  Wyatt Earp (né Wyatt Berry Strapp Earp; Mar. 18, 1848 ~ Jan. 13, 1929) was a lawman and a bit of an outlaw.  He is probably best associated with the infamous shootout at the OK Corral.

50. Language of Southern Africa: SWAZI.  Everything you wanted to know about Swazi but didn't know to ask.

51. Artist's stand: EASEL.

55. Brisk pace: TROT.

57. Puny pest: GNAT.

58. Blues legend James: ETTA.  We haven't seen Etta James (né Jamesetta Hawkins; Jan. 25, 1938 ~ Jan. 20, 2012) in quite a while.  She often makes guest appearances in the puzzles.

59. Russian sovereign: TSAR.  The Russian Tsar visited us last Tuesday.

61. Nonstick spray brand: PAM.  It comes in all sorts of flavors.

62. Common Scrabble tile value: ONE.

63. Pres. on a dime: FDR.  As in Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Jan. 30, 1882 ~ Apr. 12, 1945).

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday May 16, 2022 Bruce Venzke

Theme:  "Glad to help!"

17. Response to "Thanks": GLAD TO DO IT.

27. Response to "Thanks": YOU'RE WELCOME.

48. Response to "Thanks": ANY TIME AT ALL.

64. Response to "Thanks": MY PLEASURE.

Boomer here.

I guess I always just use "You're welcome", but I also usually just say "Thank you".  Except when I am responding to my good Graybar friend Joe LaMotte, in which case I say "Thanks a lot".

Across:

1. Blackjack player's request to a dealer: HIT ME.  In a casino, just brush your cards on the felt.

6. Mouth off to: SASS.  Guilty!

10. Punxsutawney celebrity: PHIL.  Groundhog Day.  Punxsutawney comes up frequently on trivia game shows and I am amazed how many contestants do not know him.

14. Fairy tale monsters: OGRES.

15. Tattoo parlor supplies: INKS.  Yes I am a veteran but I never spent money on INK.

16. "iZombie" actress McIver: ROSE.  Once we stopped at Pete Rose shop in Las Vegas.  Everything for sale was at least triple figures BEFORE the decimal point.

19. Jazz great Fitzgerald: ELLA.  My grandma's name was Ella.

20. Gardener's bagful: SOIL.  Getting to be time to plant flowers.

21. Penny: CENT.

22. Milk source: UDDER.  I would never UDDER a word about cows.

23. Last non-AD yr.: ONE BC.

25. Prefix meaning "all": OMNI.

33. Bubble bath spot: TUB.  We got a new bathtub a few years ago. Now it's a big step-over to get into it.

36. Eurasian border river: URAL.

37. Laugh nervously: TITTER. No, Elon Musk did not buy this.

38. Festoon: ADORN.

40. Energy: PEP.  These boys might change your oil.

42. Relatively cool heavenly body: K STAR.

43. Krispy Kreme products: DONUTS.  These Krispy guys left most of Minnesota.  I think their donuts were too expensive for the land of 10,000 lakes.

45. Nick at __: NITE.

47. Slip-__: shoes without laces: ONS.  I used to call them loafers.

51. Meat Loaf's "Bat Out of __": HELL.  Will it ever freeze over?

52. Big name in hotels: HYATT.

55. Iridescent gems: OPALS.

58. Too: ALSO.

61. __ school: PREP.  Before you go to college.

63. Muted, as colors: PALE.

66. Self-images: EGOS.

67. Retired tennis pro Kournikova: ANNA.

68. "Big Little Lies" actress Witherspoon: REESE.  Dodger Pee Wee.

69. Brooklyn NBA team: NETS.  Okay, why is the LA team called Lakers?

70. Exam: TEST.

71. Ill-fated Ford: EDSEL.  I remember that model when it first came out. I think 1959.  I think the big nose did it in.

Down:

1. "You can't have any!" types: HOGS.

2. Aptly named cooler brand: IGLOO.  Also a small ice fishing shelter in Minnesota.

3. "How to __ Your Dragon": TRAIN.

4. Sampling of songs: MEDLEY.  "Who will buy this wonderful morning?"

5. Inexact no.: EST.

6. Agree (with): SIDE.  Travel along, singin' our song, SIDE by SIDE !

7. Unknown composer, for short: ANON. Anonymous.

8. Chairlift alternative: SKI TOW.  Closed for the summer.  MN has quite a few.

9. Former Air France jet, for short: SST.  It was a very quick one.

10. Foretells: PREDICTS.

11. Wait on the phone: HOLD.  I hate this.

12. Cruise stopover: ISLE.  I have never been on a cruise.  Those ships are something else.

13. Shakespearean king with three daughters: LEAR. Also a jet.

18. Take place: OCCUR.

22. Not probable: UNLIKELY.  That the Twins will win the World Series.

24. Generous bonuses: BOUNTIES.  Nothing much in the current stock market.

26. Bumped into: MET.  NY National League player.

28. Knock: RAP.  None of that so-called music in my home !

29. Supreme Court justice Kagan: ELENA.

30. "The Simpsons" bus driver: OTTO.  Not to be confused with AUTO.

31. Cruel: MEAN.  MEAN Gene used to be the pro wrestling announcer in Minneapolis.

32. Slips up: ERRS.  Infielders do it.

33. "Look what I did!": TA DA.  Congratulations!

34. Japanese soup noodles: UDON.

35. Super skinny: BONY.  Not my favorite kind of chicken.

39. Without mercy: RUTHLESS.  Like the 1935 New York Yankees.

41. Avocado center: PIT.  Looks like a big seed to me.

44. Tee sizes, briefly: SML.  My tees are all about two inches long.

46. California/Nevada resort lake: TAHOE.  Been there.  Beautiful lake a short drive from Reno.

49. Comedian Boosler: ELAYNE.

50. Expired, as a subscription: LAPSED.  Nope, I just renewed our Star Tribune. Need to keep the paper coming to see C.C.'s puzzles.

53. Brings into alignment: TRUES.  Miss the potholes in the road to help.

54. Not long-winded: TERSE.

55. Inviting store window sign: OPEN.

56. Numbered book part: PAGE.

57. "That was __ of fun!": A LOT.  Thanks A LOT ! Joe LaMotte!

59. ICU caregivers: LPNS.  I have seen plenty at the VA hospital.

60. Picket fence piece: SLAT.

62. Take (off): PEEL.  Peel me a grape

64. Little rug: MAT.

65. "You __ My Sunshine": ARE.  My only sunshine.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Boomer's surgery this morning was canceled. The surgeon tested positive for COVID yesterday. We'll know a new date soon.

Sunday May 15, 2022 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "Major League Divisions" - Eight different teams bookend the theme entries.

23. Groups for aspiring grandmasters: CHESS CLUBS. Cubs.

25. Vocalists who combine musical styles: RAP SINGERS. Rangers.

37. Weekend trips for two, e.g.: ROMANTIC GETAWAYS. Rays.

66. Frequent changes of direction: TWISTS AND TURNS. Twins.

73. Films that may follow a band on tour: ROCKUMENTARIES. Rockies. The only one-word entry. I just could not find a multi-word candidate.

101. Well-balanced people?: TIGHTROPE WALKERS. Tigers.

119. Unusual sorts: RARE BREEDS. Reds.

122. Music festival setups: MERCH TENTS. Mets.

I originality had a set of all National League teams, but two of the entries (GINGER PLANTS and PIECE RATES) were not quite solid, so I came up with this new set of 4 AL teams and 4 NL teams.

Patti redid the 37-, 38- and 57-Down area, here's my original grid. I think I know the problem. Can you guess why?

Some of you may not know this: Patti has been the editor for the Crossword Club for many years. She also constructed many Sunday grids herself. She has a keen eye for clue/answer dupes. As you can see from my write-up below, she caught a few of my goofs.

 Across:

1. Pre-eruption lava: MAGMA.

6. Country where Inca Kola originated: PERU. Guessable even if you don't know the answer, right?

10. Remy's brother in "Ratatouille": EMILE.

15. Brahma and Vishnu: GODS.

19. Pungent: ACRID.

20. John of "Coming 2 America": AMOS.

21. Chart a new course for: REMAP.

22. Samoa's biggest city: APIA.

27. Pump part: HEEL.

28. Selling points: ASSETS.

30. Govt. prosecutors: DAS.

31. Elsie Fisher's "Despicable Me" voice role: AGNES. Shout-out to our dear Agnes.

32. Sign gas: NEON.

34. CBS News correspondent Barnett: ERROL. My original clue is [Documentarian Morris]. See how it partially dupes the 73A entry? Patti caught it!

36. Hardly holy: EVIL.

43. National Organ Donor Day mo.: FEB.

45. Steer clear of: EVADE.

46. Test prep giant: KAPLAN.

47. Neglected to mention: OMITTED.

50. "Kapow!": BAM.

51. Knightley of "Colette": KEIRA. Colette wrote "Gigi".

53. Website subunits: PAGES.

55. __ Fridays: TGI.

56. Clerical vestments: ALBS.

58. Kissing in a crowd, say: PDA. Public Display of Affection. When I grew up, couples did not even hold hands in public.

59. Poland Spring competitor: DASANI. From Coca-Cola.

62. "Let me put it this way ... ": I MEAN.

64. Swedish autos: SAABS.

69. Drain nuisance: CLOG. I've learned to comb my hair before I take a shower.

71. Starts a pot: ANTES.

72. Purrfect Delicacies brand: IAMS.

78. Chrome or silver: METAL.

81. Clear the board: ERASE.

82. One millionth of a meter: MICRON.

83. Garlic paste amt.: TSP.

85. __ musubi: meat-and-rice snack: SPAM. Wrapped with nori of course.

87. ESPN broadcaster Shriver: PAM.

88. Forge worker: SMITH.

90. Taquería bowlful: SALSA.

92. Gp. with a tour: PGA. The PGA Tour. They might lose Phil Mickelson.

93. Woke up late: SLEPT IN.

95. __ waist: EMPIRE.

98. Item that's made to measure: RULER.

100. Garment with hooks: BRA.

105. Land division: ACRE.

107. "Wonderwall" Britpop band: OASIS. Not familiar with the song. I used the desert clue.

108. Lopsided victory: ROUT.

109. Sticky-footed lizard: GECKO.

111. Topological abbr.: MTN.

112. Audio interference: STATIC.

116. In __ of: LIEU.

124. "I hate to break up __": A SET.

125. To any extent: AT ALL.

126. "Pearls" Grammy winner India.__: ARIE. No other way to clue this entry.

127. Flared dress style: A-LINE.

128. Topiary evergreens: YEWS. Pretty.

129. Many a Twitch streamer: GAMER.

130. "Ain't happening": NOPE.

131. Navajo Nation tablelands: MESAS.

Down:

1. Supersonic unit: MACH.

2. Tiger Balm target: ACHE.

3. Bright African snake: GREEN MAMBA. Venomous!

4. Send down the wrong path: MISLEAD.

5. Show stoppers?: ADS.

6. Chums: PALS.

7. Fast-running birds: EMUS.

8. Spa wrap: ROBE.

9. One of the largest tenants of Pittsburgh's tallest building: US STEEL. I wrote "the largest". Patti fact-checked!

10. Make a blunder: ERR.

11. Place for a lark: MEADOW.

12. Antelope whose name means "gazelle" in Zulu: IMPALA.

13. Highlands girl: LASS.

14. Prefix with center: EPI.

15. Present presented for fun: GAG GIFT.

16. Martin Luther King Jr.'s message from Birmingham Jail, for one: OPEN LETTER.

17. Desperate: DIRE.

18. Smart talk: SASS.

24. "__ win 'em all": CAN'T.

26. Pt. of USNA: NAV.

29. Mlle., in Managua: SRTA.

33. Short race, for short: ONE-K. And 35. Did a 33-Down, say: RAN. Close cross-reference by Patti.

36. "Hanna" actress Creed-Miles: ESME. Another "Hanna" star is Mireille ENOS. So happy with the new clue opportunities for these two entries.

37. Country star McEntire: REBA.

38. Cameo shapes: OVALS.

39. "Just joking!": I KID.

40. Unit in gemology: CARAT.

41. College application fig.: GPA.

42. Tantra specialist: YOGINI.

44. Kicked off: BEGAN.

48. "Am I the only one?": IS IT ME.

49. Loud noises: DINS.

52. Dr Teal's Pure __ Salt: EPSOM. I like the one with Vitamin C. Smells amazing.

53. So yesterday: PASSE.

54. Actress de la Reguera: ANA.

57. Stats for NFL defensive linemen: SACKS.

59. Tunisian currency: DINAR.

60. Four-footed Jetson: ASTRO.

61. Beer garden mug: STEIN.

63. Necessities: MUSTS.

65. Toni Morrison's "The __ Eye": BLUEST.

67. Timepiece: WATCH.

68. Softens, as sound: DAMPS.

70. Sign of spring: GEMINI. I had "Twins in the sky", which duped the key team TWINS.

73. Powerlifter's units: REPS.

74. Maker of Glide floss: ORAL B.

75. People who take the shots: CAMERA CREW.

76. Minor quibble: NIT.

77. Unblinking look: STARE.

79. Fruit-flavored cocktails: APPLETINIS.

80. Golden brew: LAGER.

84. Whole lot: SLEW.

86. Land of Opportunity?: MARS. Capitalized O.

89. Tiny arachnid: MITE.

90. Tentative taste: SIP.

91. "The Good Dinosaur" dinosaur: ARLO.

94. Sugar holders: PACKETS. Boomer can't have sugar or fake sugar or coffee tomorrow morning to prep for the surgery. Water is OK though. The tough part is no ibuprofen or Oxycodone for 5 days before surgery.

95. UFO beings: ETS.

96. Diagnostic pics: MRIS.

97. "Please Mr. __": POSTMAN.

99. Tiki bar instrument: UKULELE.

102. Pep rally shout: GO TEAM.

103. Pump part: HANDLE.

104. Curved structure: ARCH.

106. "Catastrophe" writer/star Delaney: ROB. Not familiar with him. I used [Rip off].

109. Slate-colored: GRAY.

110. Smooth sailing: EASE.

111. Parent company of Facebook: META.

113. Sleek, in car lingo: AERO.

114. Take a tumble: TRIP.

115. Slushy treat: ICEE.

117. Europe's tallest volcano: ETNA.

118. Puts into play: USES.

120. Cleaning cloth: RAG.

121. Canon choice, briefly: SLR.

123. Cap with a toorie: TAM.

We had a busy week: X-ray on Monday morning, then meeting with the orthopedic doctor, who said a surgery was needed. Then we visited Boomer's new oncologist, who postponed all of his cancer treatments until early June. He might try a new oral chemo on Boomer. 

We went back to the VA for more procedures to prep for the surgery: meeting with the  anesthesiologist, an EKG test, meeting with the pre-op nurse, registering for the pre-admission, one more CT scan to see if there are bad cells in his left shoulder area. Pretty exhausting, but Boomer handled them well.

We're checking in tomorrow morning at 7:30am for Boomer's surgery at the VA hospital in Minneapolis. They'll put a metal ball inside his left shoulder.

VA Ortho, 5/9/2022