Tuesday August 23, 2022 Stella Zawistowski

Moving Up the Ranks:

16-Across. Intimate meeting with an important person: PRIVATE AUDIENCE.

22-Across. Rum brand with a pirate logo: CAPTAIN MORGAN.

48-Across. Significant parts of family budgets: MAJOR EXPENSES.

58-Across. United Nations body: GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Across:

1. Covertly includes on an email: BCCs.  As in Blind Carbon Copy.  A term that originated back in the day when correspondence was on paper.

5. "You're a winner!" email, often: SCAM.

9. "In that case ... ": IF SO.

13. Chills-inducing: EERIE.

14. Tom yum soup cuisine: THAI.  Tom Yum Soup must be good because it has YUM in its name!  Hi, Lemon and Oo.

15. Spanish hundred: CIEN.  Hi, Lucina!

19. Tax-collecting agcy.: IRS.  The dreaded Internal Revenue Service.

20. Pool float filler: AIR.

21. Stock up on: AMASS.  //  And 37-Across. Hoarder's heaps: PILES.

27. Big-eyed bird: OWL.

28. Pride newborn: LION CUB.

31. Stager of live shows: IMPRESARIO.

36. Like some off-price merchandise: Abbr.: IRR.  As in Irregular.

38. Roomy family car, for short: SUV.

39. Last Greek letter: OMEGA.  Also the name brand of an expensive watch that makes occasional guest appearances in the puzzles.  //  65-Across. Pricey watch brand: ROLEX.  Another expensive watch.  What's the difference?

41. Gulf st.: ALA.  Alabama is one of the American Gulf States.  It has a some nice beaches. 

42. Didn't mind one's own business: INTERFERED.

44. Hotel pricing information: DAY RATE.

47. Former U.K. record label: EMI.  The history of the Electrical and Musical Industry name. 

54. Birch who had a recurring role on "The Walking Dead": THORA.  I have never seen The Walking Dead, and am not familiar with Thora Birch (b. Mar. 11, 1982).  It took this long in the list to come to the first name in the puzzle.  [Name # 1.]

56. Rock's __ Speedwagon: REO.

57. Prefix in some genre names: ALT.  Short for Alternative.  

63. Makes really mad: IRES.

64. Javier's "Being the Ricardos" role: DESI.  Javier Bardem (né Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem; b. Mar. 1, 1969) is a Spanish actor.  He is married to fellow Spanish actress, Penélope Cruz (b. Apr. 28, 1974).  [Name # 2.]

66. Racing legend A.J.: FOYT.  This name did not ring a bell for me.  A.J. Foyt (né Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr.; b. Jan. 16, 1935) won the numerous races including the Indy 500 four times in the 1960s and early 1970s.   [Name # 3.]

67. Garden of Genesis: EDEN.

68. Prayer ender: AMEN.

Down:

1. Quotable catcher Yogi: BERRA.  Although he was a professional baseball catcher, Yogi Berra (né Lawrence Peter Berra; May 12, 1925 ~ Sept. 22, 2015) is probably best known for his unintentionally funny quotes.  [Name # 4.]

2. Like raw celery: CRISP.  Because Crunchy was too many letters.

3. Western __: history class, briefly: CIV.  As in Western Civilization.  Is this even taught in school these days?

4. Salty expanse: SEA.

5. Oktoberfest mug: STEIN.

6. Bracelet ornament: CHARM.  Charms are also found on the Charivari that men attach to their lederhosen at Ocktoberfest.

7. Non-pro sports org.: AAU.  As in the Amateur Athletic Union.

8. Prefix with Atlantic: MID.

Mid-Atlantic States

9. "Top Gun" moniker: ICEMAN.  Val Kilmer (né Val Edward Kilmer; b. Dec. 31, 1959) portrayed Lt. Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in the movie Top Gun.

10. Venture capitalist, e.g.: FINANCIER.

11. Min. parts: SECs.  60 Seconds make up one Minute.

12. Dollar bills: ONES.

13. Large-scale tale: EPIC.

17. Coin toss choice: TAILS.

18. Othello's false friend: IAGO.  Iago is a fictional character from Willie the Shakes' play Othello.  Iago hates Othello and plans to destroy him.  [Name # 5, fictional]

23. Ripped: TORE.  

24. Fills with wonder: AWES.

25. Tapenade fruit: OLIVE.  Tapenade is an olive spread that is common in southern France.

26. __ de Janeiro: RIO.

29. Compulsion: URGE.

30. "Country Nation" singer Paisley: BRAD.  As you can probably tell by the name of the song, Brad Paisley (né Bradly Douglas Paisley; b. Oct. 28, 1972) is a country music musician.  [Name # 6.]

31. Apple tablet: iPAD.  How did I ever survive without my iPad?

32. Actress Kunis: MILA.  Mila Kunis (née Milena Markovna Kunis; b. Aug. 14, 1983) was born in the Ukraine when it was a Soviet state.  Since 2015, she has been married to Ashton Kutcher.  [Name # 7.]

33. Bills included with some board games: PLAY MONEY.

34. Ed who plays Santa in "Elf": ASNER.  Ed Asner (né Eddie Asner; Nov. 15, 1929 ~ Aug. 29, 2021) is probably best known for his portrayal of Lou Grant on the Mary Tyler Moore shows.  He died just about a year ago at age 91.  [Name # 8.]

35. Dirt road furrow: RUT.

39. "All __": John Legend #1 song: OF ME.

40. Lo __: noodle dish: MEIN.  Yummers!

42. Judge featured in a season of "American Crime Story": ITO.  American Crime Story is a television story featuring true life crimes.  Its first season focused on the murder trial of OJ Simpson.  Judge Lance Ito (né Lance Allen Ito; b. Aug. 2, 1950) is best known for presiding over the trial. [Name # 9.]

43. Some towed cars, for short: REPOS.  Anyone see the 1984 movie Repo Man?

45. Hardest to find: RAREST.

46. Open just a crack: AJAR.  When is a door not a door?

49. Totally remove: ERASE.

50. Marks, as a ballot: X'ES IN.  Awkward!

51. Black fur: SABLE.  The black sable ferret is a cute little critter.

52. Pompeo of "Grey's Anatomy": ELLEN.  Ellen Kathleen Pompeo (b. Nov. 10, 1969) portrayed Dr. Meredeth Grey on the television series, Grey's Anatomy.   [Name # 10.]

53. River that made Achilles (mostly) invincible: STYX.  When Achilles' mother dipped him into the River Styx, she held him by his heel.  He became invincible, except for that portion of his foot held by his mother.

54. "Bring on the weekend!" letters: TGIF.  Also the name of a restaurant chain.

55. Courageous one: HERO.

59. Fruit drink suffix: ADE.  Hi again, Lemonade!

60. Was on top: LED.

61. Important time: ERA.

62. Cry during an argument between siblings: MOM.

חתולה

I will be taking a brief hiatus next week, but I know you will be in good hands.

Monday August 22, 2022 Rebecca Goldstein

Theme RANDO (R and O) (53. Total stranger, or a three-word hint to the answers to the starred clues) - Each theme answers starts with R* and O*.

16. *Playful semiaquatic mammal: RIVER OTTER.

24. *Seafood served on the half shell: RAW OYSTER.

36. *Really get down to the music: ROCK OUT.

38. *Floral perfume ingredient: ROSE OIL.

47. *Request with a tight timeline: RUSH ORDER.

59. *"Only the Lonely" singer: ROY ORBISON.

Boomer here. 

RO, RO, RO, Your boat gently down the stream, merrily, merrily. merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.  No medical appointments last week, hoping that's a good sign.

Across:

1. Ongoing drama: SAGA.

5. Sounds of revelation: AHAS. Gotcha !

9. __ bean: FAVA.  

13. Cereal coveted by a silly rabbit: TRIX.  I cannot have them. They are only for kids.

14. Garlic piece: CLOVE.  Not a great taste. I remember there used to be a CLOVE chewing gum!

15. Baaing mamas: EWES.

18. Merit: EARN.  Not much EARNing going on these days on the market.

19. "__ the Force, Luke": USE.  May the force be with you.

20. Looked over: EYED.  Hey look me over, lend me an ear!

21. Green shade named for a fruit: OLIVE.  Popeye's girlfriend.

22. Electric car maker: TESLA. Is he gonna buy Twitter or what?

27. Flower starter: BUD. St. Louis' favorite beer.

28. Thompson of "Thor: Love and Thunder": TESSA.

29. Parcel of land: TRACT.  We live in a townhome so we do not own the land.  That means I do not have to mow!

31. Mammal with elephant and leopard varieties: SEAL.

32. Chiding sounds: TSKS.

40. Black as night: INKY.

41. Sail the seven __: SEAS. I never sailed. Flew over one once.

43. Spiteful, as gossip: CATTY.  The chatty doll is CATHY.

44. Baseball Hall of Famer Stengel: CASEY.  At the bat.

46. Campfire residue: ASH.  What Casey's bat was made from.

51. Broadcast again: RE-AIR.

54. Incredible bargain: STEAL.  Not sure that I like this clue.

55. Verdi opera: AIDA.

57. Hotel at JFK named for a defunct airline: TWA.  Trans World Airlines.

58. Turn sharply: VEER. Sometimes in northern Minnesota you may have to VEER your drive to avoid hitting a deer.

62. Stiffly proper: PRIM.

63. Helps in a heist: ABETS.  I placed a few bets in Danbury Wisconsin a few weeks ago.

64. "Do you __?": MIND. Your manners.

65. Moral lapses: SINS.  I have found that it is difficult to SIN while fighting cancer for four years. 

66. Fail to notice: MISS. The "'OL" state

67. Miranda of "Homeland": OTTO.

Down:

1. Walk like a peacock: STRUT.  From the foul line after that twelfth strike.

2. Pop up: ARISE.  ALL RISE was on the back of Aaron Judge's jersey once.

3. Volunteers in the community one grew up in, say: GIVES BACK.  Generally this will happen if you win a little at a casino.

4. Cord cutter?: AXE.  Wrestler Larry "The Axe" Henning.

5. Take in or let out: ALTER.  Also front and center at church.

6. Reason to get all gussied up: HOT DATE.

7. "__ Maria": AVE.  "Hail Mary" in Latin.   

8. Spanish verb similar to "estar": SER. To be.

9. Is completely comfortable: FEELS AT EASE.  I'm feeling a bit better, but my legs are still a problem.

10. Anticipate: AWAIT.  Social Security is going up a bit.  AWAIT until January,

11. Vivacity: VERVE.

12. Ed who played Lou Grant: ASNER.  WJM-TV in Minneapolis.  I still remember Mary Tyler Moore walking along Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis.  C.C. and I took that path many times.

Boomer, The Mary Tyler Moore House, 8/16/2017

14. Playfully shy: COY.

17. Share a bedtime story with: READ TO.

21. Kvetching cries: OYS.

23. "Magically delicious" cereal: LUCKY CHARMS.  I sort of stick to Grape-Nuts and Chex.

25. Has on: WEARS.  Some times the puzzle WEARS me out.

26. Norwegian city with a Viking Ship Museum: OSLO.  We have Vikings here. No museum.

29. Prefix with athlete: TRI.

30. "Apollo 13" director Howard: RON.  Long career, right Opie?

31. Fine equine: STEED.

33. "Really? There's no more?": SO THAT'S IT?.  Wrong - there's 15 more clues.

34. Tool set: KIT.

35. Wily: SLY.  Fox.

37. Cold War initials: USSR.  I wish they would leave Ukraine.

39. Egyptian beetle: SCARAB.

42. Long-fingered lemurs of Madagascar: AYE AYES.  Yes Sir!

45. "You've got mail" ISP: AOL.  We get ours from a mail box.

47. Politely declines, maybe: RSVPS.  I'll be there.

48. Development sites: UTERI.

49. Greet and seat: SEE IN.

50. Very funny folks: RIOTS.  Lots of campaigns coming soon.

52. Terse refusal: I WON'T.  I will vote.

56. Rx writers, often: DRS.  Some got into trouble for prescribing opioids.

59. Animal logo on a Dodge truck: RAM.  Don't RAM another car or truck with it.

60. __-Wan Kenobi: OBI.

61. Caveat in a text: IMO.  In My Opinion.

Boomer

Sunday, August 21, 2022 Samuel A. Donaldson & Doug Peterson

Theme: "We've Moved!" - The "us" sound from the top four theme entries are moved to the bottom four entries.

23. Command to Alexa?: YOU CAN NOT BE SIRI. You can not be serious.

32. Like one who nailed the Kylie costume?: JENNER TO A FAULT. Generous to a fault.

48. Stocking stuffer for Fido?: CHRISTMAS BONE. Christmas bonus.

64. Roman who tried to stop Brutus?: CAESAR'S PAL. Caesar's Palace. The only "us"less us sound.

73. Pumice stones, emery boards, etc.?: CALLUS TECH. Caltech.

89. Headline about Condoleezza's gaffe?: RICE ERRONEOUS. Rice-A-Roni.

107. Rucker's song catalog?: DARIUS PRODUCTS. Dairy products.

119. Painting depicting angels?: PIECE OF THE PIOUS. Piece of the pie.

Ah, you know I'm lousy with sound change theme. I had to ask D-Otto to get the "we" and "us" connection. You really need creativity and imagination to create this type of puzzle.

Sam and Doug are both veteran constructors. They've collaborated on many puzzles over the years.
 
Across:

1. WWE officials: REFS.

5. More deadpan: DRIER.

10. "Coffee Cantata" composer: BACH. Google shows that Coffee Cantata is a comic opera about a "young vivacious woman named Aria who loves coffee."

14. Girl Scout cookie also called Caramel deLite: SAMOA.

19. Indian tourist city: AGRA.

20. Playground rejoinder: I AM SO.

21. __ vera: ALOE.

22. Gives off: EMITS.

26. "The Bachelorette" props: ROSES.

27. Like many martinis: STIRRED. Not Bond's.

28. Bug: IRK.

29. Gather around: ENCIRCLE.

31. Blue drop in emoji: TEAR. I don't ever want to risk a "Nope" from D-Otto or a "Thumper" from Agnes.

35. Bathroom rug: MAT.

37. Tree-loving Seuss character: LORAX.

39. "Bosch" star Welliver: TITUS. Stranger to me.

40. Midsummer arrivals: LEOS.

41. "Pronto!": ASAP.

43. Academia's "Ancient Eight": IVIES.

46. Ming things: VASES.

52. "Yummers!": DELISH.

57. Couch kin: SETTEE.

58. Rhino kin with long snouts: TAPIRS.

60. Teegarden of "Friday Night Lights": AIMEE.

61. "A Wrinkle in Time" genre: FANTASY.

67. __ butter: SHEA.

70. Head-slapping cry: DOH.

71. National Back to School Mo.: AUG.

72. Bubbly Italian: ASTI.

77. Kerosene: LAMP OIL.

80. Leaning one way: ATILT.

81. Unable to see the big picture: MYOPIC.

83. __ Translate: GOOGLE. I finally threw away my old Chinese-English dictionary.

87. Short trailer: TEASER.

92. Princess Charlotte's aunt: PIPPA. Middleton.

95. Sports bar fixture: TV SET.

96. Disney hero with a "superbark": BOLT. We also have 128. Some boxers: DOGS.

97. Islamic leader: IMAM.

101. Not a soul: NO ONE. You don't normally see "not" in a NO answer.

103. Brainstorms: IDEAS.

106. "Physical" singer __ Lipa: DUA.

111. "__ company ... ": TWO'S.

113. Strike: CROSS OUT.

114. Skater Midori: ITO.

115. Ruin, as a garden: TRAMPLE.

118. Not obtuse: ACUTE. Angle.

123. Choir stand: RISER.

124. Holding insured by the FDIC: ACCT.

125. Daiquiri garnishes, often: LIMES.

126. Bunker: TRAP. I love watching pros holing out from a green-side bunker.

127. Monopoly stack: DEEDS.

129. Tour of duty: STINT.

130. Floor: STUN.

Down:

1. Tampa Bay team: RAYS.

2. Four-award acronym: EGOT.

3. Colorful dessert: FRUIT TART.  Lovely.

4. "__ bleu!": SACRE.

5. Mexican bread: DINERO. And 6. South African bread: RAND. All money.

7. Texter's qualification: IMO.

8. Ballpark fig.: EST.

9. Wright of "House of Cards": ROBIN.

10. Hoops score: BASKET.

11. "Paper Girls" actress Wong: ALI.

12. First name in civil rights: CORETTA. Scott King.

13. Shockingly evil: HEINOUS. And 15. Unconcerned with right and wrong: AMORAL.

14. Font line: SERIF.

16. Errant pool shot: MISCUE.

17. Verdi work based on a Shakespeare work: OTELLO.

18. Balance sheet listing: ASSETS.

24. With 49-Down, body that was once the world's fourth-largest lake: ARAL. 49. See 24-Down: SEA.

25. West end?: ERN. Western.

30. Checked out for a job?: CASED. Bank job.

32. Jakarta's island: JAVA.

33. Has a life?: EXISTS.

34. Mariano who leads the MLB in career saves: RIVERA. His cards are pretty cheap.

35. Apple Store offerings: MACS.

36. Tennis icon Arthur: ASHE.

38. Glass edge: RIM.

42. Hidden dangers: PITFALLS.

44. AuctionWeb, since 1997: EBAY.

45. Drench: SOP.

47. Brown quickly: SEAR.

50. Looks after: TENDS.

51. Zoe's partner in fashion: NIC. Never tried this brand.

53. "Feel What U Feel" Grammy winner: LISA LOEB. Doug once made a NYT puzzle with her.

54. Little rascals: IMPS.

55. Usher's offering: SEAT.

56. Port opening?: HELI. Heliport.

59. Coal formation: SEAM.

62. Sandbox player: TOT.

63. "Beg pardon": AHEM.

65. "How's it goin'?": SUP.

66. Disco era term: AGOGO.

67. "Shoo!": SCAT.

68. Detest: HATE.

69. Director Kazan: ELIA.

74. The Miners of the NCAA: UTEP. University of Texas at El Paso.

75. "For a great nose indicates a great man" speaker: CYRANO.

76. __ polloi: HOI.

77. Actor Schreiber: LIEV. Husband of Naomi Watts.

78. Nails the exam: ACES IT.

79. H+, e.g.: ION.

82. Pie chart no.: PCT.

84. One who plays well with others: GOOD SPORT. Great fill.

85. Real doozy: LULU.

86. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA.

88. Bygone detergent brand: RINSO. So I tried CLR for the first time last week. I much prefer vinegar.

90. Cabs and zins, e.g.: REDS.

91. GPS offering: RTE.

93. Surfing annoyance: POP-UP AD.

94. Colonnaded entryway: PORTICO. I just call it a porch.

97. TSA request: ID CARD.

98. Peppermint Patty's pal: MARCIE.

99. Pique: AROUSE.

100. Sprayed gently: MISTED.

102. Official orders: EDICTS. Whenever there are a few COVID cases in Xi'an, everybody will have to get tested. Poor Andy often has to get up at 5:00am to get his test.

104. Not going anywhere: AT REST.

105. Give and take: SWAP.

108. App buyers: USERS.

109. Pac-12 player: UTE.

110. Sits on a windowsill, say: COOLS.

112. Skips over: OMITS. If you skip over your COVID test, your cellphone health code won't be green. You can't get on a bus or a train or go to a store.

115. If so: THEN.

116. Where lei people party?: LUAU. Ha.

117. "30 for 30" network: ESPN.

120. Heart test, for short: ECG.

121. In top form: FIT. Last Wednesday Boomer was visited by a 80-year-old Eucharistic Minister named Bill, who's in top form.

122. "OMG, enough!": TMI.

We applied and were approved for the VA Home-Based Primary Care in June after Boomer's surgery. They did not have enough nurses, so Boomer had been on a waiting list. Two days ago we finally got the OK call. Next Thursday we'll have a consultation.

C.C.