Sunday November 20, 2022 Doug Burnikel & C.C. Burnikel

Theme:  "Place Setting" - Each theme entry is literally rephrased as if it's a "place".

23A. Park place?: COMMUTER LOT.

25A. Busy place?: BEE COLONY.

39A. First place?: GARDEN OF EDEN.

73A. Hard place?: GRAVEL PIT.

107A. Private place?: MILITARY BASE.

124A. Last place?: SHOE STORE.

126A. Remote place?: SLEEPER SOFA.

38D. Safe place?: BANK VAULT.

54D. Sesame place?: BAGEL SHOP.

Ha, no theme clue change. I'm getting better :-)

COMMUTER LOT & MILITARY BASE are Patti's suggestions. Boomer and I started the brainstorming with MOUNT KILIMANJARO 16 [High place?]. Patti felt it was arbitrary, since it could be any mountain. So, go general if you have similar ideas.

This is the last puzzle Boomer and I made together. These days, he only has enough energy for his Monday blog.

 Across:

1. "Is anybody here?": HELLO. In Chinese, it's just "Wei".

 

6. "Get outta here!": SCAT.

10. Box office receipts: GATE.

14. People with all-access passes: VIPS. Guess how many 4-letter entries in this grid?

18. Short and sweet: BRIEF.

19. Head lights?: HALOS.  Also 88. Surrounding vibe: AURA.

21. "Really?": IT IS.

22. Taquería freebie: AGUA.

27. Patriotic chant: USA USA. We attended the Solheim Cup in Edin a while ago. Very patriotic crowd.

28. Hangout for hog lovers: BIKER BAR. Also 34. They could use a welcome sight: SORE EYES. I like both fill.

30. Shots on the green: PUTTS. Also 69. Duffer's do-over: MULLIGAN.

31. Cost of living?: RENT.

33. To be, in Marseilles: ETRE. Gluey.

36. Hailed wheels: CABS.

42. Bother: ADO.

43. "Barefoot Contessa" host Garten: INA.

44. List that may drop down or pop up: MENU.

45. __ West-Allen: "The Flash" character: NORA.

 

46. Sunflower part: STEM.

48. Semi unit: TON.

49. Beginning stage: ONSET.

51. The Vitamin Shoppe rival: GNC.

53. Many Mecca residents: ARABS.

56. Calligrapher's container: INK POT. We used to bring this to school for Chinese calligraphy.  Abacus too. So ancient.

58. Aria, e.g.: SOLO.

61. Dress seen on Indian runways: SARI. Pretty.

63. Marathon, e.g.: RACE.

65. Vice __: VERSA.

67. Precious rocks: GEMS.

71. Words of empathy: I CARE.

76. Chemically inactive: INERT.

77. Quivers in fear: SHUDDERS. to think.

79. Composer Stravinsky: IGOR.

80. Eye shade: HAZEL.

82. Hindu spring festival: HOLI.

83. Five-star review: RAVE.

85. Mil. truant: AWOL.

87. Volkswagen sedan: PASSAT.

90. In __: before birth: UTERO.

92. Faux __: PAS.

94. Reason for celeb damage control: BAD PR. Also 115. Promo pro: AD REP.

96. Choice on a color chart: HUE.

97. Like a play about a play: META.

99. Often-ignored email: SPAM.

102. Not so hot: MILD.

103. "For You" singer Rita: ORA. Married to Taika Waititi.

104. "__ about that!": HOW.

110. Some PwC employees: CPAS. PricewaterhouseCoopers.

111. League for Guardians and Angels: AMERICAN. Hi there Janice!

113. __-Alt-Del: CTRL.

114. Go a few rounds: SPAR.

116. Closer's goal: SALES.

117. Wasn't honest: MADE IT UP.

120. Translator's challenges: IDIOMS.

128. Girl: LASS.

129. One with star power: IDOL.

130. Thompson of "Westworld": TESSA. 

131. Director Coen: ETHAN. Going solo now.

132. Where el sol rises: ESTE.

133. Colorful salamander: NEWT.

134. Put into storage: STOW.

135. Entertainer's crew: POSSE.

Down:

1. Spelman, e.g.: Abbr.: HBCU. Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

2. God with wings: EROS.

3. Peru's largest city: LIMA.

4. Madagascar primates: LEMURS.

5. Functional: OF USE.

6. __ shed: SHE.

7. Pasta or bread, e.g., for short: CARB. I used to have the upper left one for breakfast. Youtiao.

8. In a partnership: ALLIED.

9. Rested a while: TOOK TEN.

10. Disco family name: GIBB. The Bee Gees.

11. Totally relaxed: AT EASE.

12. Steering system parts: TIE RODS.

13. Key hit in panic: ESC.

14. Hold in high regard: VALUE.

15. Successful prankster's cry: I GOT YA.

16. Gave up, in a way: PUNTED. I watched a little bit of Vikings' game last Sunday. Very confusing. 

17. States as fact: SAYS SO.

20. Camper's fuel: STERNO.

24. Digressions: TANGENTS.

26. Doubleheader half: OPENER.

29. Corp. shuffling: REORG.

32. Catches some rays: TANS.

35. Target field: RETAIL. This clue probably does not mean much to those who don't know Target Field.

36. __ Field: Mets ballpark: CITI.

37. Unknown author, for short: ANON.

40. Bitterly regrets: RUES.

41. Support group?: FANS.

44. Secured in a slip: MOORED.

47. "Semper Fidelis" group: MARINES.

50. Lady Justice's garb: TOGA.

52. Sleeveless top, briefly: CAMI.

55. Permanent mark: SCAR.

57. Business trip allowance: PER DIEM.

59. Stubbs of the Four Tops: LEVI. Patti's clue. Learning moment for me.

60. Roar __ Roar: "Monsters University" frat: OMEGA. Patti's clue also. Another learning moment for me.

62. Negga of "Passing": RUTH.

64. Med. specialty: ENT.

66. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.

68. __ food movement: SLOW.

70. Komodo dragon, e.g.: LIZARD.

71. "Thereabouts": ISH.

72. Jay of "The Green Hornet": CHOU. Taiwanese. His CHOU is the same as my Zhou.

74. Answer an invite: RSVP.

75. "No __!": "Sure thing!": PROB.

78. Steamy: EROTIC.

81. Baked dessert: APPLE PIE. 98. 81-Down order: A LA MODE.

84. All-Star side: EAST.

86. Tibetan priest: LAMA.

89. Tazo products: TEAS.

91. Careless: REMISS.

93. Setting of the Sandra Bullock film "Gravity": SPACE.

95. Talk trash about: DISS.

100. Oil producer?: ARTIST.

101. Fragrant shrubs: MYRTLES.

104. Pain in the neck: HASSLE.

105. Nebraska natives: OMAHAS.

106. "They outplayed us": WE LOST.

108. Consecutively: IN A ROW.

109. Like the most clear sky: BLUEST.

110. Monte __ sandwich: CRISTO.

112. Actress Witherspoon: REESE.

118. Triangular shoulder muscle, for short: DELT.

119. Monterrey jack?: PESO.

121. Sounds amazed: OOHS.

122. Degs. for curators: MFAS.

123. Levelheaded: SANE.

125. Foil metal, once: TIN.

127. Pussy foot: PAW.

Boomer received an Army Black Knights sweatshirt, but we could not figure out who sent it. Must be someone on our blog. Thank you, you!

We had good days and bad days. Mostly good. On Tuesday Father Tom Kadera visited us and gave Boomer the Sacrament of the Sick and the Apostolic blessing. Then on Saturday Tom Pepper braved the snow and wind and helped us install a floating shelf. Tom has a tool bag with all kinds of stuff. Pretty Taskrabbit-y.

C.C. 

Saturday, November 19, 2022, Kate Chin Park, Brooke Husic

 Saturday Themeless by Kate Chin Park and Brooke Husic

Let's start on this fun puzzle with 23 Down - 23. Column crossers: ROWS 

Across:

1. Certain pronouncement?: THAT'S FACTS - "That's a fact, Jack!" The actual fill is also a title to a rap song with "explicit" lyrics

11. Some scanners: HP'S - I'm sure Hewlett Packard makes nice scanners but this is what I do:

14. Pity parties?: SORE LOSERS - The NHL is the only North American sports league that makes players shake hands after a game 

15. Tender in Tehran: RIAL - $1.00 = ﷼42,484

16. "Don't I know it": ALL TOO TRUE. 

17. Survey opción: OTRO

         ¿Comida rápida favorita? 

     A) McDonalds 

     B) Burger King 

     C) OTRO

18. Brazilian city: RIO - Extreme poverty exists very close to extreme wealth in RIO de Janeiro 

19. Ballet bends: PLIES - You can find them working out in the gym or watching The Nutcracker 

20. Act big, so to speak: EMOTE.

21. Mud: JOE and 34. Noggin: BEAN. - Slang names for coffee and head respectively 

22. Like wrap heels: STRAPPY - It appears that she 24. Tolerates: STANDS the pain

27. Neither partner: NOR.

28. Rx overseer: FDA and 58. Rx items: MEDS.

30. See-__: THRU - The Glass Frog of Ecuador. 

 
31. Some high-occupancy vehicles: CLOWN CARS.

35. Greek city that's one of the oldest in Europe: ARGOS - Evidence of a settlement going back 7,000 years has been found at the foot of Aspida Hill in ARGOS shown here.

36. Mid-month day: IDES - The passage from Julius Caesar

37. Resident of the highest-altitude U.S. capital: SANTAFEAN- Yeah, I'm the only one who thought of Denverite

39. Assessment: TEST.

40. "Arthur" network: PBS.

41. Heated state: IRE.

42. Way out: EGRESS - At the top of Launch Pad 39 A & 39 B, NASA has what they call an "Emergency EGRESS System" that is a basket on a wire that can carry the astronauts to safety in the event of a malfunction at the top of the pad

45. Opposite of coy: UPFRONT.

48. Swift album with "All Too Well": RED.

49. One with a clipped ear, perhaps: STRAY - Cat fight souvenir 

50. Talking point: TOPIC.

52. Swiatek who won the French Open in 2020 and 2022: IGA - Our familiar grocery store chain cluing gives way to Polish tennis champion IGA Natalia Świątek

55. Busy, busy, busy: AT IT.

56. One doing spit takes?: WINE TASTER - This allows the TASTER to remain sober and better sample the wine. Not this.

59. Technology swiped by millions: SMART PHONE - 😀 No intellectual property thievery, just the motion we use for cellular navigation.

60. "__ we good?": ARE.

61. Retro footwear made from PVC: JELLY SHOES.

Down:

1. Pre-revolution ruler: TSAR - It did not end well for the Romanovs 

2. Spring celebration with colored powder: HOLI - I was happy to learn that Holi (pronounced how-lee) is a Hindi festival  that celebrates the end of winter and the arrival of spring. 

3. "Collapsed in Sunbeams" singer Parks: ARLO - Here ya go. Arlo Guthrie joins the IGA Grocery chain on the Saturday crossword bench.

4. New Year celebrated with thit kho trung: TET - Vietnamese caramelized braised pork ribs with eggs. Speaking of Saturday cluing for familiar crossword fill...

5. Apply generously: SLOP ON.

6. Got: FOOLED - Gotcha!

7. Bubbly locale: ASTI - The producers dropped the name Spumante when they reformulated the wine in 1993 to differentiate it from being called "the poor man's champagne".

8. Demeter's Roman counterpart: CERES - Goddesses of agriculture

9. Advice for a plant: TRUST NO ONE - This plant is an undercover agent placed in the enemy's camp 😀

10. Dir. from Beverly Hills to Long Beach: SSE - It appears to be a 38 minute 21. Day trip, maybe: JAUNT on the 405. I wonder if our California posters think that is a realistic time.

11. Some flat caps?: HI TOP FADES.

12. Eye-catching number: PARTY DRESS.

13. Gin berry: SLOE.

15. Frolic: ROMP.

20. Get well?: EARN - Obtain legitimately? 😀

24. Ingredient in many L'Occitane creams: SHEA BUTTER - The Butyrospermum ParkII (Shea Butter) is listed as the fourth ingredient.

25. Movement celebrated with a blue, pink, and white flag: TRANSPRIDE - These participants at a TRANS PRIDE event in Las Vegas wore shirts instead of carrying flags.

26. Hours limited by parents: SCREEN TIME - It is possible to set a passcode-protected SCREEN TIME limit on your child's phone.

29. PDA part: Abbr.: ASST - The Personal Data ASSisatanT has been largely supplanted by cell phones

30. Largest of a certain kitchen set, for short: TBSP.

32. NYC hub: LGA - The cost of a one-way flight from OMAha to LaGuardiA today

33. Gave credit: CITED.

35. Hairstyle for Misty Knight: AFRO - A Marvel Comics character

38. Open, in a way: AIRY.

43. Philadelphia Flyers mascot: GRITTY - Gritty makes an entrance

44. Short accounts: RECAPS.

46. Domino's starter?: FATS - ANNO did not work because I read Domoni instead of DOMINO.

47. Like many Asian languages: TONAL - We English speakers have some of this like when we say, "Dude". However this is a lesson about Mandarin Chines and TONAL language. 

49. "For __": Oscar-nominated documentary set in Aleppo: SAMA.

51. Programming language named for a gem: PERL.

52. "Am __ late?": I TOO.

53. Hand-me-down piece?: GENE 😀

54. Truculent god: ARES.

56. Financial daily, initially: WSJ.

57. Silent bid?: SHH.