Tuesday, June 28, 2022, Taylor Johnson

 

Younger Cornerites, those of you who get your tunes from Spotify, Apple Music, or the ever edgy Pandora (I wouldn't open it if I were you!)  may not have heard of the hipster who is the subject of today's theme.  Those of us of a certain age may remember musician Spike Jones, who here reminds us of a time when music was streamed over the radio or at a sock hop by an R&R impresario known as the

Disc Jockey ...

 

 ... aka the "Dee Jay" or simply "DJ".  Our Dee Jay today is constructor Taylor Johnson, who first appeared in this venue on May 22, 2022, and who has arranged for us a revealing

40A. Dance club compilation, and what the answers to the starred clues literally are: DJ MIX.

He accomplishes this through 2 pairs of two-word themers.  The first pair consists of an Across and a Down clue, each word beginning with the letters D and J respectively:

17A. *"Let me enjoy my guilty pleasures!": DON'T JUDGE.  I'm sure many of our parents heard words to that effect from us when we were listening to rock and roll.

30D. *Move that captures two checkers: DOUBLE JUMP.  As the Spotify generation may not have ever played this game, here are the rules.

... and just to mix things up, the second pair of themers consists of an Across and a Down clue, each word beginning with the letters J and D respectively:

63A. *"Feelin' fine!": JUST DANDY.  "Candy's dandy, but liquor's quicker!".  Another phrase often heard during the DJ era.

11D. *Fruity treat often dusted with powdered sugar: JELLY DO-NUT.  A favorite food of the "Boys in Blue" and maybe a clecho to 43A?

To make this all work you might have to turn the puzzle upside-down for the vertical clues, much easier to do if you're solving on paper. 🙄

Here's the grid:
 

Here's the rest of the word mix ...

Across:

1. "Nope": UH UH.

5. Pointers: TIPS.  I wanted dogs.

9. City in northwest Missouri, informally: ST JOE.  St. Joseph, Missouri was named after the town's founder Joseph Robidoux and the biblical Saint Joseph.  St. Joseph is home to Missouri Western State University. It is the birthplace of 20th-century rapper and songwriter Eminem, but who grew up in and has made his career in Detroit, Michigan. In the nineteenth century, it was the death place of American hero Jesse James (a "dirty little coward" didn't quite see him quite that way). It was also the starting point of the Pony Express serving the West.

14. Kind: SORT.  Oh, THAT kinda SORT.

15. Words after count or sleep: ON IT.  After plugging away at a Saturday crossword early in the morning, sometimes I have to SLEEP ON IT before I can finish, but I can't always COUNT ON IT, because the puzzle's usually pretty wrinkly by the time I get up.

16. Sports complex: ARENA.

19. Shouts: YELLS.

20. Website revenue source: AD SPACE.   Space on a web page reserved for ads.  Somebody has to pay for all of those web developers and it turns out to be us..

21. Director Craven: WES.  Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Due to the cultural impact and influence of his work, Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre.  I have not seen any of his films, but I understand that he's a scary guy.  He doesn't look very scary here though:
 

Wes Craven 2010

23. Chemical in potent drain cleaners: LYE.  Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), used not only for cleaning drains but for soap making.  My plumber tells me that LYE based drain cleaners corrode not only the goop in your drains, but also the pipes themselves, both metal and PVC.  He recommends an enzymatic cleaner, however it's a lot more expensive.

24. Ankle-length skirt: MAXI.  It turns out that the selection, care, and filling out of MAXI dresses can be very confusing.  Here's some help.
 

Maxi Dress

26. PlayStation maker: SONY.

28. Contributes: ADDS IN.

32. Ready to go trick-or-treating, say: MASKED UP.   Or ready for a Masquerade Ball, say.  Here's a mask our son brought us back from a trip to Venice, Italy after college:
 

And here is The Vision Dance Co. performing a Masquerade Ball years later in that same city:

36. Figure of speech: TROPE.  Isn't this what constructors do?  Is this really a Tropeword Puzzle?
 

Oxford Languages Dictionary

37. Ginger __: ALE.  There is also Ginger BEER.  What's the difference?

38. Love who co-hosted "The Real": LONI.  Loni Love (born July 14, 1971) is an American comedian, television host, actress, author, and former electrical engineer.  Here's the real deal on The Real.   And here's LONI:

Loni Love

39. Pixar film about a jazz pianist: SOUL.  Soul is a 2020 American computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.  In this clip jazz pianist Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) zones out during a pickup jam session, and leaves it to quickly find himself in an even stranger zone, where people go to get their personalities before birth:

42. Little cut: SNIP.  The above grid, as well as some of the other images were created with the utility SNIP and SKETCH.

43. Idris of "The Wire": ELBA.  This award winning series, starring English actor Idris Elba, was filmed in my hometown.  I've never seen it because we don't subscribe to HBO, but more importantly because it has contributed to making Baltimore THE icon for THE dysfunctional American city.  As if it doesn't have plenty of competition.  Here are some zingers from the series (trigger warning - life is not pretty out on the streets):

44. "Insecure" star Issa: RAE.  Jo-Issa Rae Diop (born January 12, 1985), credited professionally as Issa Rae, is an American actress, writer, producer, and comedian.  Rae first garnered attention for her work on the YouTube web series Awkward Black Girl. Since 2011, Rae has continued to develop her YouTube channel, which features various short films, web series, and other content created by black people.  She was married just last year to Louis Diame in the South of France:

Issa Rae 2021

45. GPS suggestion: ROUTE.

46. Elite athletes: ALL STARS.

48. Moderate gallop: CANTER.  Here's a short video of my granddaughter learning how to CANTER on a horse.

49. Website with tutorials: EHOW.  See 24A for an EHOW on MAXI dresses.

50. Overly confident: SMUG.

52. JFK successor: LBJ.  Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an Texas politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969, assuming that position after the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22nd, 1963.

Lyndon Baines Johnson

54. Chicken __ king: ALA.

56. "Suppose so": I RECKON.  What LBJ said to JFK when the latter asked the former to to be his running mate.

61. Minestrone and chowder: SOUPS.

65. Allow to enter: ADMIT.

66. Italian bubbly: ASTI.

67. Apollo project destination: MOON.  On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced to a special joint session of Congress the goal of sending a man to the Moon before the end of the decade, thus launching the Apollo Program.  LBJ is on the left behind JFK.  I'm not sure but I believe the fellow to the right is John W. McCormick, then Speaker of the House.

The Decision to Go to the Moon

68. Uses a keyboard: TYPES.

69. Sunbeams: RAYS.  A CSO to Ray - O. 

70. Humble reply to a compliment: I TRY. And a lot of my friends agree that "I'm very TRYING!"

Down:

1. Organic certifying gp.: USDA.  Growing organic food is no longer a niche industry, but one that is rapidly growing.  Here's a place to start if you're considering becoming an organic grower.

2. Parka feature: HOOD.

3. Footed vases: URNS.  The most storied of these is the Sosibios Vase, the subject of poet John Keats' famous ODE.  Looks a little wobbly to me:

Sosibios Vase

Keats' actual sketch of the vase.  Ideals are always more beautiful than reality:

4. URL intro: HTTP.  As I blogged the same clue and fill less than a week ago,  I refer you to clue 61A of my June 23rd review.

5. Bird on Froot Loops boxes: TOUCAN.  Kellogg Company recently announced that it will split into three companies, thus anything I say about FROOT (sic) LOOPS may quickly become obsolete.  But it sounds like the TOUCAN, the product's iconic logo, will almost certainly survive its adoptive company.  Its conservation status of Least Concern is actually benefiting from the ongoing deforestation of the Amazon basin, due to the bird's preference for open areas.

Toucan

6. Handy list in the back of a book: INDEX.  Works of fiction seldom have one, and not all non-fiction books have one.  Without an index the latter are not very handy.  After the Table of Contents, I usually read the Index next, before starting the main text.

7. Swine: PIG.  After the Three Little Pigs, the second most favorite swine is Babe, the sheep herder.

8. Hearty bowlful: STEW.  I think maybe the Goose in Babe might have ended up in one.

9. Gives permission: SAYS OK.

10. Three, in Italian: TRE.

12. "This is __ a test": ONLY.  They used to say that to us in the 6th Grade when we had to duck under our desks.  Too many times of late, it has not been a test.

13. Loosen (up): EASE.

18. Foxx who voices the pianist in 39-Across: JAMIE.  He plays Joe Gardner.

22. English county on the North Sea: ESSEX.  Essex is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Greater London to the south and south-west.  Sounds like it's surrounded.

Essex County, England

25. 11-Down eater's dismayed cry: IM A MESS.  DO NOT eat JELLY DO-NUTS without a NAPKIN!

27. Country singer Willie: NELSON.  Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American musician, actor, and activist.  He is considered by many to be the greatest Country singer of all time:

Willie Nelson

Here he is, On the Road Again at the Grand Ole Opry (lyrics)

28. Gone fishing, say: AT SEA.

29. Dryly humorous: DROLL.

31. Frolic in the pool: SPLASH.  Or a 1984 movie about a Mermaid:

33. "Always Be My Maybe" actress/writer Wong: ALI.  Alexandra Dawn "Ali" Wong (born April 19, 1982) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. She is best known for her Netflix stand-up specials Baby Cobra (2016), Hard Knock Wife (2018), and Don Wong (2022).  She starred in the film Always Be My Maybe (2019), on which she also served as a writer and producer.  I reviewed several of her videos, and if you want to see one they can be had on YouTube; but I'm sorry to say that none passed Margaret Farrar's Sunday morning breakfast test.  The preceding link, by Maestro Will Shortz, may also be relevant to other discussions recently heard on the Corner.

Ali Wong

34. Bring together: UNITE.

35. Peter, the pickled-pepper picker: PIPER.

40. Feature of some Southern accents: DRAWL.  The Deacon at my Church tells a story about when he was practicing Homiletics (sermonizing) in Seminary.  His instructor had placed a 10 minute limit on the sermons, but Steve kept running over, and finally he was called out for it.  "But professor", Steve said, "it really is a ten minute sermon, but I'm from Hopewell, Virginia and we just talk slower down there".

41. Pickle container: JAR.  Where Peter kept his pickled-peppers.

45. Threw a tantrum: RAGED.

47. Browns lightly: TOASTS.

48. Mayfield of R&B: CURTIS.  Curtis Lee Mayfield (3 June 1942 – 26 December 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.  He first achieved success and recognition with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted group The Impressions during the civil rights movement of the late 1950s and the 1960s, and later worked as a solo artist.
 

Curtis Mayfield

Here's his Move on Up from his debut album Curtis (8:49 min) (lyrics):

Here's a shorter version released on a single (2:46 min) (no lyrics)

51. A bit foggy: MISTY.  A not at all foggy CSO to our Misty.

52. Future atty.'s exam: LSAT.

53. __ language: BODY.  Body language is a type of communication in which physical behaviors, as opposed to words, are used to express or convey the information. Such behavior includes facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, touch, and the use of space.  Strictly speaking it is not really a language, as it doesn't have a formal grammar, and it is subject to interpretation.  The "language" suffix is modern, having been added by popular culture.  But body language has been around for a long time:

The Tiff
Frances Carlyle, 1902

55. Slightly open: AJAR.  "When is a door not a door"?  "When it's a pickle container!"

57. Sleeveless top, for short: CAMI.  We had this last Wednesday and it's back by popular demand.

OOPS!  I almost completely forgot!  Today is Tuesday and Hahtoolah will be back soon.  What will she ever think!?

58. Pretzel shape: KNOT. 
 

59. Stench: ODOR.

60. Pt. of a B'way address: NY NY.

62. __ chart: PIE.

64. Mex. neighbor: USA.   Sorry, I couldn't find any cartoons on Mexico and its neighbor to the North sans politics.

waseeley

And as always my thanks to Teri for proofreading and for her constructive criticism.

And finally my thanks to our constructor for his puzzle mix:

 

Taylor Johnson, you are invited to post anything you'd like to share about this puzzle, its evolution, the theme, or whatever, in the Comments section.  We'd love to hear from you.

Monday June 27, 2022 Will Pfadenhauer

Theme: HOLY TRINITY (59. Christian doctrine of divinity, and the starts of the answers to 18-, 29-, and 45-Across?) - Holy can precede the first word of each theme answer.

18. Age-old method of long-distance communication: SMOKE SIGNAL. Holy smoke!

29. Triple-A baseball team based in Ohio: TOLEDO MUD HENS. Holy Toledo!

45. Atmospheric patterns that resemble fish scales: MACKEREL SKIES. Holy mackerel!

Boomer here. Congrats on Will Pfadenhauer's LA Times debut!

Another week of healthcare appointments coming up.  Our round trip to the VA medical center is about 60 miles.  The Hyundai is fairly frugal on gas, and our price at the pump is around $4.70.  This week will be 5 trips but I'll deal with it.  Maybe grab lunch at the cafeteria again.

Across:

1. Sandwich made with Peter Pan and Welch's, for short: PBJ. No Welch's for me.  I use strawberry J. 

4. Like an unruly kid: BRATTY. My son's name is Bret, not Brat.

10. Open-handed hit: SLAP.  A hockey player may use both hands.

14. Flamenco shout: OLE.

15. Nanny who may live in an in-law suite: AU PAIR.

16. "Field of Dreams" state: IOWA.  I visited there once.  Kevin Costner is one of my favorites.

17. Macadamia __: NUT.  Sometimes you feel like a NUT.  Sometimes you don't. Almond Joy.

20. Bus terminal: DEPOT.  We have made a number of purchases at Home DEPOT.

22. Each: PER.

23. "Been __, done that": THERE.  Here THERE and everywhere.

24. Computer that generates Bitcoin, e.g.: MINER.  Bitcoin drives me nuts.  Every time I go to CNBC they are constantly showing changes.

26. Younger of the NBA's Curry brothers: SETH.

28. 45-Down, e.g.: RED.   45. Dry wine choice: MERLOT.  I do not care for wine.

32. __ goo gai pan: MOO.

33. Mont Blanc, e.g.: ALP. Never been there.

34. Director Roth: ELI.

35. Some summer workers: INTERNS.  Quite a few at the VA.

38. Find My iPhone logon need: APPLE ID.

42. Kanga's joey: ROO.

43. Dean's list no.: GPA.  Grade Point Average.  I was never smart enough to figure mine out.

44. DVR forerunner: VCR.  Obsolete.

49. Female sheep: EWE.

51. Lotto variant: KENO.  About ten legal casinos in MN. Most do not have keno. Las Vegas seems to have deleted the game also.

52. Sends with a stamp: MAILS.  We finally used up our Yogi Berra stamps.

53. Midafternoon: THREE.  Blind Mice.

55. "Dear old" parent: DAD. 43. Reacted to a joke told by 55-Across, probably: GROANED. Hope all DADs had their day last Sunday.

57. Pulls hard: YANKS.  I heard that Aaron Judge settled last week.

62. Grab a bite: EAT. If you grab it, it may not be edible.

63. __ vera: ALOE.

64. Route: AVENUE.  We live on a street.

65. Pigpen: STY.  But not in a sty.

66. Lacrosse targets: NETS.

67. Pie servings: WEDGES.  Also for a shot less than 100 yards.

68. Netflix's "__ Education": SEX.

Down:

1. "On Golden __": Hepburn film: POND.  A wedge can get you over it.

2. Brewer known for its Belgian White ale: BLUE MOON.

3. Many a "Top Gun" aviator: JET PILOT.  I heard that Airlines are having trouble staffing pilots.  Many cancellations at MSP airport recently.

4. Kept moist, as a roast turkey: BASTED.

5. __ and Coke: RUM.  Away, Away with rum by gum ...

6. Each, informally: A POP.

7. Starts, as a new hobby: TAKES UP.  Try baseball cards, rewarding!

8. Like tall wedding cakes: TIERED.  Most baseball parks.

9. 12-mo. periods: YRS.

10. Weary sound: SIGH.  I do this sometimes working a crossword.

11. Folks who keep to themselves: LONERS. Add an A and its a bank.

12. Cognizant (of): AWARE.

13. Lost some color: PALED.

19. Service provided by the Geek Squad: IT HELP.  Best Buy.

21. Unspecified person: ONE. For the money, two for the show.

25. Southwest Virginia city: ROANOKE.  Interesting name for a city.

27. Steakhouse chain with a skinny tree in its logo: THE PALM.

29. Texter's "Sorry, did I overshare?": TMI.

30. L.A. Galaxy's org.: MLS. Major League Soccer

31. Nada: NIL.  Nothing

36. Timeline stretch: ERA.  Earned Run Average.

37. Simple firework: ROCKET.  Red glare, bombs bursting in air.

38. __ Escape: PlayStation game featuring monkeys: APE.

39. Depravity: EVILNESS.  Losing 1-0.

40. Item of equipment for the NCAA's Frozen Four: ICE SKATE.  I think every kid in Minnesota had a pair.  I had mine.

41. ER staffers: DRS. Seen many. VA ER found my cancer in 2018.

46. Curly salad green: ENDIVE.

47. Verbally approve: SAY YES. Or just nod your head.

48. Korean automaker: KIA.  A brother of Hyundai.

49. Actor Hawke: ETHAN.

50. Complete: WHOLE.  She's got the whole world, in her hands!

54. Looks over: EYES.

56. Minor dent: DING.  Minor dents are no longer cheap to fix.

58. River of Hades: STYX.

60. Like sashimi: RAW.

61. Election time: Abbr.: TUE.  Coming soon for governors.

Boomer

Sunday June 26, 2022 Roland Huget

 

Theme: "Stretches Across" - Time units are orderly hidden inside each theme entry.

26. *Terms for tenants: LEASE CONDITIONS.

45. *Question in a famous balcony scene: WHEREFORE ART THOU ROMEO.

68. *Southeastern evergreen that sounds like a college: FLORIDA YEW.

73. *"Tennessee Waltz" composer: PEE WEE KING.

95. *"Leave this to me": I'M ON THE CASE.

112. *Financial report section: QUARTERLY EARNINGS.

Reveal:

91. Schedule component, and what the answers to the starred clues literally contain: TIME SLOT.

A rare Sunday with left/right symmetry. Notice how most of the theme entries are odd-numbered?

I made this puzzle for the Universal a while ago and I fully appreciate how difficult it was for Roland to come up with those hidden time units. And in second to year order. Just amazing!

Across:

1. Lake skimmer: JETSKI. Sparkly start.

7. Bitterly harsh: ACERBIC.

14. In flames: ABLAZE.

20. Free bakery treats?: AROMAS. Sometimes I open the fridge door at the Asian grocery store just to smell durian. Ah, the hot summer days in Guangzhou. Durian, lychee, fish in banana leaf.

21. "Orphan Black" star Maslany: TATIANA.

22. Prim partner: PROPER.

23. Uses a salamander, perhaps: BROILS. Not familiar with the salamander broiler.

24. Hand sanitizer ingredient: ETHANOL.

25. Glossy fabric: SATEEN.

29. "Great" detective of kid-lit: NATE.

32. QBs and DHs: ATHS. Athletes. Quarterbacks and Designated Hitters.

33. Winter coaster: SLED.

34. Kerfuffles: ADOS.

38. Prefix with tourism: ECO.

39. Back up: SAVE.

41. Refer to: CITE.

44. Stop dithering: OPT.

53. Emission from radioactive decay: BETA RAY.

54. Wrestling legend Ric: FLAIR.

55. NYC film festival locale: TRIBECA.

56. Actor Epps: OMAR.

57. Ocelot, e.g.: WILDCAT.

59. Harmon series: NCIS. Mark Harmon.

60. __-O-Honey candy: BIT.

62. Bud: PAL.

63. "Mudbound" director Rees: DEE. From Wikipedia: Her achievements include being the first Black woman nominated for an Oscar for adapted screenplay. We also have 94. "Queen Sugar" creator DuVernay: AVA.

65. Bag-screening org.: TSA.

77. Run-down theaters: FLEA PITS.

78. Be a little shy?: OWE. Gimme for regulars.

80. Admit defeat: SAY UNCLE.

81. Fury: RAGE.

82. Test run: TRIAL.

84. Fictional sleuth Wolfe: NERO.

85. Well-known: FAMED.

88. Device that may display awkward moments on the jumbotron: KISS CAM.

90. Abalone eater: OTTER.

99. Quick qualifier: IMO.

100. Court dividers: NETS.

102. Wear a long face: MOPE.

103. Not good at all: EVIL.

104. Radiate: EMIT.

105. Lugs around: SCHLEPS. Consonant-rich.

107. Sandwich letters: BLT.

110. Motorless aircraft: GLIDERS.

117. "The Night Watchman" Pulitzer winner Erdrich: LOUISE.

119. Marshmallow-filled treat: MOON PIE.

120. Bible book with 150 poems: PSALMS.

123. "__ Restaurant": classic Guthrie song: ALICE'S.

124. Quarterback who was MVP of Super Bowls XLII and XLVI: MANNING. Eli.

125. Pabst brand: STROH'.

126. Smartphone screen borders: BEZELS.

127. Supplemented: ADDED TO.

128. "For Your Eyes Only" singer Sheena: EASTON.

Down: 

1. Snarky remark: JAB.

2. Drop the ball: ERR.

3. Excessively: TOO.

4. Graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier about a girl with braces: SMILE. This clue is very Patti. Even if you don't know the novel, the clue is helpful and you learn something.

5. Iron-rich leafy vegetable: KALE.

6. Rae of "The Lovebirds": ISSA.

7. Unsteady, quaintly: ATEETER.

8. "Coming at you!": CATCH.

9. Cultural values: ETHOS.

10. "Knives Out" writer/director Johnson: RIAN. Friendly letter combo. Just remember him.

11. Rock groups: BANDS.

12. How sun-dried tomatoes may be packed: IN OIL.

13. Pasadena engineering sch.: CAL TECH.

14. Lhasa __: APSO.

15. Breakfast cereal fiber: BRAN.

16. Much, informally: LOTSA.

17. Big monkey: APE.

18. Snooze symbol: ZEE.

19. East end?: ERN. Eastern.

27. London luxury hotel that opened in 1889: SAVOY.

28. __-proof: IDIOT.

29. Rookie, casually: NEWB.

30. Tooth trouble: ACHE.

31. Duking it out: TOE TO TOE.

35. Not imported: DOMESTIC.

36. Gp. with reserves: OPEC.

37. Ancient portico: STOA. Like this.

39. "Buona __": Italian greeting: SERA.

40. Over yonder: AFAR.

42. Go bad: TURN.

43. "Heart & Soul" country singer Church: ERIC.

46. Male sheep: RAM.

47. IRS convenience: E-FILE. Thank God for D-Otto.

48. The works: ALL.

49. "Gnarly, dude!": RAD.

50. __-tac-toe: TIC.

51. Swap: TRADE.

52. Kimono sash: OBI. Stunning.

57. Styles: WAYS.

58. Concert mementos: TEES.

60. Fave bud: BFF.

61. "__ be darned!": I'LL.

62. Hors d'oeuvres spread: PATE.

64. "Fargo" actor McGregor: EWAN. Scottish actor.

66. Weekly NBC show with a musical guest: SNL.

67. Go gray, maybe: AGE. I've been having white hairs in my eyebrows the past two years. I plucked them, but they grow back white again.

69. Burger order: RARE.

70. Apple TV+ device: IPAD.

71. "Comprende?": DIG.

72. Razzie Award adjective: WORST.

73. Nobel category: PEACE.

74. Needle hole: EYE.

75. Tip of the Alps?: EURO. Nice clue.

76. Macramé unit: KNOT.

79. Coin-in-a-fountain thought: WISH.

82. Sticking point: TINE. Fork.

83. Frilly trim: LACE.

85. Autograph hounds: FANS. Gary's son-in-law Brendon is an avid baseball fan.

86. "Sans" opposite: AVEC.

87. Test for solvers: MATH QUIZ.

88. Keystone figure: KOP.

89. Big D hoopster: MAV. The Dallas Mavericks.

92. Abu Dhabi ruler: EMIR.

93. Goes bad: ROTS.

95. Wow: IMPRESS.

96. Part of MVP: MOST.

97. Talk with one's hands: SIGN.

98. Orbital circuit shape: ELLIPSE.

101. Water channel: SLUICE.

104. Literary awards named for a Baltimore writer: EDGARS.

106. "The Joy of Painting" prop: EASEL.

107. Fair, in a way: BLOND.

108. Jeff of the Traveling Wilburys: LYNNE.

109. Lukewarm: TEPID.

111. Prefix with gram or cart: INSTA.

113. "Room" novelist Donoghue: EMMA. Wikipedia says "Room" is a finalist for the Man Booker Prize. Brie Larson won an Oscar for her "Room" role.

 

114. Map line: ROAD.

115. "It __ over till it's over": AIN'T.

116. __ Park: Queens area: REGO. Learned from doing crosswords.

117. Forensic facility: LAB.

118. World Cup chant: OLE.

121. Old conductance unit: MHO. Ohm spelled backwards.

122. ID with two hyphens: SSN.

Boomer had a full-body bone scan at the North Memorial on Friday. The result is not promising. Bad cells are widely scattered. 

Tomorrow morning we start our 5 sessions of daily radiation on his left shoulder at the VA hospital in Minneapolis. Then we have one more CT scan on Wednesday afternoon. We meet with his oncologist again on Friday and Boomer receives his bone strengthener infusion afterwards.

The good news is that Boomer's left shoulder gets better. He started to type with his left hand again, though not for long, but it's a start. His PT lady is really good. We'll see an OT next Thursday.

C.C.