Tuesday, July 19, 2022 Nancy Serrano-Wu

So Long, Farewell ... 

How do you say "Good-bye" to a wild critter?

20-Across. Wild "adios"?: MAÑANA PIRANHA.  Tomorrow Piranha.  Piranha are surprisingly small fish, but they have seriously sharp teeth.

24-Across. Wild "goodbye"?: LATER ALLIGATOR.

41-Across. Wild "auf wiedersehen"?: TSCHÜSS OCTOPUS.  Bye-bye, octopi.

47-Across. Wild "au revoir"?: ADIEU COCKATOO.  Toodle-loo, Cockatoo!

Across:

1. Use a swizzle stick: STIR.

5. Soothes to sleep: LULLS.  I hope this puzzle and commentary doesn't lull you to sleep.

10. Poker pot starter: ANTE.

14. Skin opening: PORE.

15. Starting lineup: A TEAM.

16. Read, as a QR code: SCAN.  Did you know that the QR stands for Quick Response?

17. Wide-eyed with anticipation: AGOG.

18. Hollywood headliners: MOVIE STARS.

22. "Cornflake Girl" singer Amos: TORI.  Tori Amos (née Myra Ellen Amos; b. Aug. 22, 1963) is a singer-songwriter and pianist.

23. Dodge pickup truck: RAM.

31. All-important: VITAL.

32. + or - particles: IONS.

33. "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel" cable network: HBO.   Bryant Gumbel (né Bryant Charles Gumbel; b. Sept. 29, 1948) was born in New Orleans.  He was a co-host of the Today show for 15 years before hosting the HBO sports show.

34. Targets of Terro bait traps: ANTS.  I am not familiar with this particular brand of bait traps, but it was easy enough to find the Ants.

35. Popovich who is the winningest coach in NBA history: GREGG.  Gregg Charles Popovich (b. Jan. 28, 1949) is the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.

37. Track competition: MEET.

38. Emulate Eileen Gu and Lindsey Vonn: SKI.  Eileen Gu (née Eileen Feng Gu; b. Sept. 3, 2003) is a Chinese-American Olympic gold medalist.  She competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics for China.  Lindsey Vonn (née Lindsey Caroline Kildow; b. Oct. 18, 1984) is also an Olympic gold medalist.

39. __ and rave: RANT.

40. Hunts, with "on": PREYS.

45. "Big Blue" on the Big Board: IBM.  Why Big Blue?

46. Fill a position: HIRE.

53. Sign of stress?: ACCENT MARK.  Accent Marks found in French

ç – the cedilla (la cédille)

é – the acute accent (l'accent aigu)

â/ê/î/ô/û – the circumflex (l'accent circonflexe)

à/è/ì/ò/ù – the grave accent (l'accent grave)

ë/ï/ü – the trema (l'accent tréma)

55. French Quarter city, informally: NOLA.  New Orleans, Louisiana.

56. Skinny tropical tree: PALM.

57. Take place next: ENSUE.

58. Bryce Canyon state: UTAH.

59. "Good point": TRUE.

60. Cook in the oven: ROAST.

61. Pad thai protein option: TOFU.  Yummers!  You, too, can make your own pad thai.

Down:

1. Canned meat used in Hawaiian cuisine: SPAM.  You can even find spam treats at the gas station stores in Hawaii.

2. "Julius Caesar" costume: TOGA.

3. Multivitamin ingredient: IRON.

4. Meets on the river?: REGATTAS.  The Head of the Charles rowing event in Boston will take place in October.

5. Actress Hedy in the National Inventors Hall of Fame: LAMARR.  Hedy Lamarr (née Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler; b. Nov. 9, 1914 ~ Jan. 19, 2000) was not only a movie star, but an inventor.  Tinkering was one of her hobbies.  During World War II, she learned that radio-controlled torpedos could easily jam and go off course.  So, she and George Antheil devised a radio frequency-hopping system that couldn't be jammed.  The invention was granted a patent in 1942.  This later became the basis for the technology used in wireless telephones and Wi-Fi.  In 2014, fourteen years after her death, Hedy Lamarr was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

6. Paradise: UTOPIA.  The word Heaven also fits into the spaces provided.

7. Jeans maker Strauss: LEVI.  Levi Strauss (né Löb Strauß; Feb. 26, 1829 ~ Sept. 26, 1902) began making jeans for gold miners in San Francisco in 1853.

8. Villain's hideout: LAIR.

9. Using questionable campaign tactics: SMEARING.

10. Inhaler user's malady: ASTHMA.

11. Campus sports gp.: NCAA.  As in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

12. Road goo: TAR.

13. USN rank: ENS.  As in Ensign.

19. Unexpected hiccups: SNAGS.

21. Yuletide song: NOEL.

24. Clickable connections: LINKS.

25. High point of a home tour?: ATTIC.  Cute clue!

26. Deliberately deceive: LIE TO.

27. Ship captain's journal: LOG.

28. Org. exited in Brexit: THE EU.  As in the European Union.  Can you name all the countries in the EU?

29. Minds: OBEYS.

30. Turns rancid: ROTS.

31. Seemingly limitless: VAST.

35. Utility gauge: GAS METER.

36. Many ICU professionals: RNs.  Registered Nurses will be found in the Intensive Care Units.

37. Snack food mascot with a monocle: MR. PEANUT.

39. Apply by massaging, as barbecue spices: RUB IN.

40. Politically motivated spending: PORK.  An appropriate clue to follow the barbecue spices.

42. Fugitive's plea: HIDE ME!

43. Repeated song part: CHORUS.

44. Unwelcome windshield item: TICKET.

47. Rights advocacy gp.: ACLU.  The American Civil Liberties Union has been around for over 100 years.

48. "Let's ... never do that": UM ... NO.

49. The Madrigal family home in "Encanto," e.g.: CASA.  A continuation of today's Spanish lesson.  Hi, Lucina!

50. Dog in Oz: TO-TO.

51. Norwegian saint: OLAF.  Before he was known as a saint, Saint Olaf was known as Olaf II Haraldsson, King of Norway (995 ~ 1030).

52. Pearl Harbor site: OAHU.

53. Well-put: APT.

54. Catmobile, e.g.: CAR.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

 

Monday July 18, 2022 Howard Barkin

Theme:  DOLLAR MENU (57. Budget option at a fast-food joint that the answers to the starred clues could all belong to?) - The first word of each food item is also a slang for money.

17. *Fried seafood appetizer: CLAM STRIPS.
 

27. *Sandwiches with leafy exteriors: LETTUCE WRAPS.

43. *Starchy and eggy dessert: BREAD PUDDING.

Boomer here. 

 

I had a great visit with the VA last week.  After a blood draw and X-ray, I met with orthopedics and they gave me a good report on the shoulder.  I need to continue physical therapy and the huge sling is on the shelf for now. Next stop oncology. The doctor prescribed new pills and hope to bring the cancer under control.  

 

Thanks to all for your kind words of encouragement.  Maybe next week I might be able to type this blog with two hands again.

Across:

1. Karaoke devices, for short: MICS.  I was a really good Karaoke singer in the bar after work.  Can you say "Mac the Knife"??

 

5. Chip maker __-Lay: FRITO.  Not my favorite.  I like regular potato chips.

10. Big rig: SEMI.  Why do they call them SEMIs when they are whole trucks?

14. Dept. of Labor div.: OSHA.  I remember when this was passed.  Changed a lot of high storage in warehouses.

15. First name of Yankee manager Boone and Yankee slugger Judge: AARON.  Number 99 in pinstripes.

16. Mimicked: APED.

19. Small container in a chemistry lab: VIAL. Or a test tube.

20. Stage hog: HAM.  Easter dinner with eggs.

21. Blackjack cards: ACES.  Need a face or 10 to go with them.

22. Frozen spike: ICICLE.  We grow a lot of them off our roof in the winter.

24. Savanna antelopes: IMPALAS.  I remember driving a 1965 Chev IMPALA years ago.

26. Emotionally detached: ALOOF.  I sometimes need to buy a LOOF of bread.

31. "Catch those villains!": GET 'EM.

34. Cooking vessels: PANS.  This clue is a SNAP

35. Debtor's letters: IOU.

36. "We try harder" car rental chain: AVIS.  Never used them in Las Vegas.  They seem to try harder to charge more money.

37. Faceplanted off a skateboard, say: ATE IT.

39. Unmitigated joy: GLEE.  Proud member of my high school GLEE club many years ago.

40. Sleep stage letters: REM.

41. Pizazz: ELAN.  ELON is the guy who decided he does not want Twitter.

42. Bridge positions: EASTS.  I never knew my position until I read the column in the paper.

47. Zero: AUGHT.  It's a round number.

48. Takes down, as a flyer: UNTACKS.

52. Know-it-all's taunt: TOLD YA.  Here's my wisecrack. "I have been fighting cancer for 4 years, but now it's starting to fight back."

54. Fashion monthly: ELLE.  My Grandmas name was ELLA.

55. Canyon edge: RIM.

56. Love, in Spanish: AMOR.  Never took Spanish.  My Catholic high school required Latin.

60. Walking aid: CANE.  I have one in the garage.  Hope I can get back to it and leave the rolling walker home.

61. Initial stage: ONSET.

62. Contributes: ADDS.  Two and two are four.

63. Hoops long shot: TREY.  Trey and Trey are six.

64. Honking birds: GEESE.

65. Luxurious: POSH.  A lot of SUVs are in this category,  Also pretty spendy.

Down:

1. Chewy rice cake: MOCHI.

 

2. Ramadan faith: ISLAM.

3. Tourney winner: CHAMP.  In all the years I spent knocking down pins, I never won a tournament.  Maybe top ten a few times,

4. "You Send Me" singer Cooke: SAM.  Darlin' you do OOOHHHOOH

5. Big shot with big bucks: FAT CAT.  Most of them will be in the All-Star game tomorrow. Thanks for your comments on our puzzle yesterday.

6. Least likely to be found: RAREST.  A $20.00 bill on the sidewalk.

7. Colorful eye part: IRIS.

8. Spinning toy: TOP.

9. Like a cellphone in a theater, hopefully: ON SILENT.  Shh!

10. Knight in shining armor: SAVIOR.  Relief pitcher sometimes.

11. Major faceplants: EPIC FAILS.

12. Brunch, e.g.: MEAL.  People say BRUNCH. How come they never say Lupper ?

13. Inactive: IDLE.  Car at a red light.

18. Oregon capital: SALEM.  Also a brand of smokes.

 

23. Dairy farm animals: COWS.  Moo!

25. Gastropub pours: ALES.  I like Canada Dry ginger.

26. Smoothie berry: ACAI.

28. Flip over: UPEND.  Sometimes painful to do in bed.

29. Maya Angelou, for one: POET. She's a poet and don't know it.

30. Seeks damages from: SUES.

31. Attire: GARB.  Are bowling shirts in this category?

32. Happily __ after: EVER.

33. Chance to unwind and read a book, perhaps: TIME ALONE.  Not a book. On the internet.

37. Pack leader: ALPHA DOG. A dog with a Greek letter.

38. Lacking slack: TAUT.  Pull those shoelaces tight.

39. "Born This Way" singer Lady __: GAGA.

 

 

41. Tense and irritable: EDGY.

42. Word near a maze arrow: ENTER.

44. "Sabrina" actress Hepburn: AUDREY.  Famous for "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

 

 

45. Airport serving the D.C. area: DULLES.  Named for John Foster Dulles.  Ike's Sec of State.

46. Arriving after curfew: IN LATE.  Better late than never.

49. Statement of faith: CREDO.

50. "It takes all __": KINDS.

51. Flatten: SMUSH.

52. Social finesse: TACT.  I don't have much... Sorry.

53. "Doctor Zhivago" actor Sharif: OMAR. Also Ilhan OMAR.  Troublesome Rep from Minnesota.

54. "What __ can I say?": ELSE.  I once knew a man named Merle ELSE.

58. Individual: ONE.

59. Atlas page: MAP.

Boomer

Sunday July 17, 2022 Doug Burnikel & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "All-Star Break" - Seven stars are broken up by the black squares.

21. Stopped suddenly: SCREECHED TO A HALT. And 24. Makes public: AIRS. (Altar)

30. Summons for a certain assistant: HEY SIRI. And 32. Medication warning: USE AS DIRECTED (Sirius)

48. "Marie Antoinette" director: SOFIA COPPOLA. And 53. Gets higher: RISES. (Polaris)

69. Zen temple feature: ROCK GARDEN. And 72. Tide fluctuation: EBB AND FLOW. (Deneb)

87. Thyme unit: SPRIG. And 89. Many a Pro Bowl player: ELITE ATHLETE.  (Rigel)

109. News program format: LIVE BROADCAST. And 113. Dessert with a crushed cookie crust: OREO PIE. (Castor)

119. Glowing review: RAVE. And 120. Get an advantage over: GAIN THE UPPER HAND. (Vega)

Boomer came up with this idea during one of our All-Star talks. We brainstormed together and I made this skeletal grid and sent to Patti for a query. In case you don't know, she's a diehard Mets fan.

 

As you can see, the final 3rd and 5th entry spots were not where they were in the grid we sent to Patti. I moved them a bit for better fill. Quite a bit of theme material. 

 

Boomer is excited to make this L.A. Times debut. My sister-in-law Barbara & a few Graybar friends solve the LAT puzzles every day.

Across:

1. Lab warning: BARK.

5. Provence city that inspired van Gogh: ARLES. This is on the cover of my compact mirror.

10. Duolingo, e.g.: APP. Language-learning app.

13. One in a onesie: BABY.

17. Mystical glows: AURAE.

18. __ kebab: SHISH.

19. Utter delight: GLEE.

20. Ohio border lake: ERIE.

25. Initials between names: AKA.

26. Dada: PAPA. Baba in Chinese.

27. "Black Dog" singer Parks: ARLO. British singer.

28. Avoided a deer in the road, say: VEERED.

35. "Let's do this!": IT'S ON.

36. New Year celebrated with bánh chu'ng: TET. I showed this on the blog once. So tasty. Our Asian store carries this during Tet/Chinese New Year period. Sticky rice with mung beans.

38. Bic Clic __ pens: STIC.

39. Truly bizarre: OUTRE.

40. JFK alternative: LGA.

42. Princess who wields a chakram: XENA.

45. Place for a catnap: SOFA.

47. Statue bottom: BASE.

55. Vietnamese soup: PHO.

56. "I did it!": TA DA.

57. Comfy slip-ons: MOCS. Never had a pair. I wear these slides all-year long. 

 

59. Writer Anaïs: NIN.

60. County fair animal: PIG. Our state fair starts August 25 this year.

63. Stop on the Taj Express: AGRA. Taj Express is named after the Taj Mahal of course.

65. The least bit: ONE IOTA.

67. Jujitsu kin: AIKIDO. The ending "do" is the same as Chinese dao/tao, path.

75. Work boot tip: TOECAP.

76. Climbing needs: LADDERS. Got a nice one at the Home Depot, at D-Otto's recs.

78. "Pretty please?": CAN I.

79. Toss into the mix: ADD.

80. "You hate to see it": SAD.

82. Attempt: STAB.

83. Schedule info: ETAS.

86. Director Browning: TOD. Director for the original "Dracula".

92. Paul who plays the Riddler in "The Batman": DANO.

95. Cat costume part: TAIL.

97. "My goodness!": EGAD.

98. "Who, me?": MOI.

99. Like some watches: SMART.

101. Maasai Mara antelopes: GNUS. Game reserve in Kenya.

103. School in L.A.: USC.

105. Author Evelyn: WAUGH.

115. President after Jack: LYNDON.

116. Per person: EACH.

117. Court plaintiff: SUER.

118. Ohtani's team, on scoreboards: LAA. Boomer really likes Shohei Ohtani. Shotime!

124. Western Shoshone neighbors: UTES.

125. Colonnade trees: ELMS.

126. Borden spokescow: ELSIE.

127. Malt-drying kilns: OASTS. Never saw one in person.

128. Gets in a pool: BETS.

129. Ginger paste amt.: TSP. Used widely in Japanese cooking. Indian also.

130. Bench planks: SLATS.

131. Gumdrops brand: DOTS.

Down:

1. Fried chicken container: BUCKET. Have any of you tried Taco Bell's Cheesy, Double Meat burritos? $2. Boomer really loves them. 

 

2. Ordered displays: ARRAYS.

3. Issa of "Hair Love": RAE.

4. Persevering with: KEEPING AT.

5. Barbecue receptacle: ASH PIT.

6. Seehorn of "Better Call Saul": RHEA.

7. Kimchi jar top: LID. I always get the real deal at the Korean store. But you can find this at Walmart.

8. "¿Cómo __?": ESTAS.

9. Clambake locale: SHORE.

10. Pie __ mode: ALA.

11. Stabilizing appendage for a shark: PELVIC FIN.

12. Fizzle (out): PETER.

13. Grizzly youngsters: BEAR CUBS.

14. Short operatic piece: ARIETTA. Don't confuse it with Jake ARRIETA.

15. Cardinals' followers, say: BIRDERS. Not Pujols' team.

16. "You betcha!": YES.

17. Sapporo competitor: ASAHI. Meaning "morning sun" in Japanese. I have no idea why it's said "spicy" on the bottle. Are you still there, MitziMouse?

 

19. Cuts off contact with: GHOSTS.

22. Jam ingredient?: CAR. Traffic jam.

23. "What a shame!": ALAS.

29. Fair-hiring letters: EEO.

31. Recital high points: SOLI. Sorry. Gluey. SOLOS please.

32. Sch. that hosts the Sun Bowl: UTEP.

33. J'adore perfumer: DIOR. I like Miss Dior Rose N'Roses these days.

34. "Bessie" director Rees: DEE. I wonder if she solves the LAT every day.

37. Open more stores, say: EXPAND. I know a TV star who solves the LAT every day.

41. Obamacare, initially: ACA.

43. Propose for an award: NOMINATE. That TV star was once nominated for an Emmy.

44. __ tikki: potato patties: ALOO. Literally "potato".

46. From China, e.g.: ASIAN. Also 68. Largest fast-food chain in China: KFC.

48. City-state known for its austerity: SPARTA. Hence Spartan.

49. "Happy to hear it!": OH GOOD.

50. Not natural: FORCED.

51. What hydrogen lacks: ODOR.

52. Feigned toughness: ACTED BIG.

54. Oklahoma city: ENID.

58. "¿Quién __?": Spanish "Who knows?": SABE.

60. "Jesus Christ Superstar" character: PILATE.

61. Emphatic denial: I DO NOT.

62. Miss a field goal attempt, say: GO WIDE.

64. "Best in Show" org.: AKC. 73. 64-Down concern: BREEDS.

66. Fish in Hamburg Aalsuppe: EELS. Eel soup from Hamburg.

70. Sound of surprise: GASP.

71. Not together: APART.

74. "The Thin Man" dog: ASTA.

77. Glass artist Chihuly: DALE.

81. Bishop's paths: DIAGONALS.

84. 20s source: ATM.

85. Bathroom fixture: SHOWER ROD. Our bathroom is probably safer than yours. We have 4 grab bars.

87. Post-marathon feeling: SORENESS. Also 111. Dull pains: ACHES.

88. "Suits" actress Torres: GINA.

90. Stretched tight: TAUT.

91. "Fuller House" actress Ashley: LIAO. Hope her name did not cause you trouble. Chinese uses "liao" a lot. See those characters when I type in "Liao"? It can mean "chat" (liao tian), or "understand" (liao jie), depending on the tones. It can also be a sign of past tense, which is always placed at the end of a sentence. Like "wo chi liao" (I ate already), or "wo shi guao liao" (I tried already).

Let me type in "Liao"

92. Cable alternative: DSL.

93. "Is there still time?": AM I LATE.

94. Former Seabee, say: NAVY VET. D-Otto is one.

96. Cough drops brand: LUDENS.

100. Not yet settled, briefly: TBD. To be decided.

102. "Get lost!": SCAT.

104. Two-door cars: COUPES.

106. Batting ninth: UP LAST.

107. Titans: GIANTS.

108. Coin flip choice: HEADS.

110. Word often used as a synonym for "thesaurus": ROGET.

112. Snail's home: SHELL.

114. "The Pioneer Woman" host Drummond: REE. Hugely popular.

117. Rotisserie part: SPIT.

119. Tofu steak coating: RUB.

121. Little rascal: IMP.

122. Erin Jackson's Olympic team: USA. Erin Jackson won a gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Wikipedia says "She is the first Black American woman to medal in speed skating".

123. "Ni __": "Hello," in Hangzhou: HAO. Hangzhou is a very beautiful city. There's a saying in China: "上有天堂，下有苏杭", meaning "In heaven there is paradise; on earth there are Suzhou and Hangzhou".

 

Boomer's ortho doctor is happy with the x-ray result. Now we just need more time and PT sessions to regain his range of motion. 

Boomer also received the Denosumab injection last Monday and started the oral chemo Olaparib last Tuesday.  

His legs are getting weaker. They suddenly caved behind the cart when we were checking out at our grocery store on Friday. Luckily I caught him. With the help of the checkout lady, we were able to pull him up. Then he had a few more wobbly moments behind the walker on Saturday.

We'll just keep fighting. Thanks for being here supporting us.

C.C.