Monday March 19, 2018 Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

Theme: DOUBLE DATES (61. Two-couple outings ... and what the answers to starred clues are?) - Both words in each theme entry can precede "date".

 20A. *Begin preparing an evening meal : START DINNER. Start date. Dinner date.

 11D. *Downpour : HEAVY RAIN. Heavy date. Rain date.

 35D. *Steaming morning mugful : HOT COFFEE. Hot date. Coffee date.

Boomer here.

Good morning or afternoon (as the case may be) and a shout out to our normal Monday morning quarterback, Argyle, under care in the hospital.  Best wishes and I am sure the crossword enthusiasts that frequent this blog hope you are back soon, so they won't have to put up with me.
  
Across:
        
1. Bird's crop : CRAW

5. Pols with a donkey symbol : DEMS - I cannot imagine two more questionable logos than a donkey and an elephant but it is what it is.  I think Seinfeld jokes about it.

9. Specialized, committee-wise : AD HOC - I believe this is Latin for something.  But Latin is a dead language, as dead as dead can be.  First it killed the Romans, and now it's killing me.  (From my high school days).

14. Operate with a beam : LASE 

15. Natural burn soother : ALOE - Of course.  What would a crossword puzzle be without a four- letter word with three vowels ?

16. Set of beliefs : CREDO - more Latin

17. "__ That a Shame" : AIN'T - I think Fats Domino said it first.  Is Fats his real first name?

18. "Hold your horses!" : WHOA

19. Cybercommerce : E-TAIL - a clever spin word (not really a word) selling things on the internet (Like maybe on eBay which is not really a word either)

23. Nov. 11 honoree : VET - Yes I am and thankful for all the freebies offered on that day.

24. Capital of Minn. : ST PAUL - We Minnesotans had no trouble with this clue.

25. Taxi driver : CABBY

27. Many a '50s pompadour sporter : GREASER - I don't know.  A pompadour is more like a Bryce Harper do while a greaser is more of a Fonz'.

30. Catastrophic 2017 hurricane : IRMA

33. "The fresh air is delightful!" : AAH - Or the first part of a sneeze.

36. Suffix with Jumbo : TRON - Seen now at most Ballparks

37. Spreads apart, as one's fingers : SPLAYS

39. Hunt like a cat : PROWL

41. Internet connectivity delay : LAG - Or Tiger Woods laying up on a par five.

43. "The Waste Land" poet T.S. : ELIOT

44. Tennis great Gibson : ALTHEA. Ann Marie Johnson's role In the Heat of the Night.

46. Starlet's goal : FAME

48. Org. with Bulls and Bucks : NBA - Chicago/Milwaukee connection.

49. Bonkers : LOCO

50. Tart plant stalk diced for pie filling : RHUBARB - A conversation between Earl Weaver and Ron Luciano.  (May they rest in peace)

53. A : Z :: alpha : __ : OMEGA - We just returned from an OMEGA reunion in Las Vegas.  It stands for Older More Energetic Graybar Associates.

55. Originate (from) : DERIVE

59. Arctic toymaker : ELF - I thought Santa made the toys, The elves just helped.  But I have never been to the North Pole.  But I live in Minnesota - weather is the same.

64. Civilian attire : MUFTI

66. Wordsmith Webster : NOAH - I think it was clued this way because no one knows if that other Noah had a surname.

67. Hertz fleet : CARS

68. Spring for a meal : TREAT

69. Fish in some cat food : TUNA - Cat Food ????  I don't like the clue.  I grew up on tuna sandwiches, tuna casserole, and tuna salad, and I never meowed once.  So there.

70. Otherwise : ELSE

71. Oozes : SEEPS

72. "Don't go" : STAY

73. Actress Cannon : DYAN - Was married to Cary Grant but it only lasted about 3 years.

Down:

1. Yearbook section : CLASS - "And the class of all of us was just part of history".

2. Grammy winner Bonnie : RAITT. She loves Minnesota and will be here for a concert this June.

3. "It's __": "No problem" : A SNAP - Sounds like an insurance company with a duck spokesman.

4. Counter-wiping aid : WET RAG - I guess two three letter words are okay.

5. Procrastinator : DAWDLER

6. Pre-college, briefly : EL-HI - Short for Elementary and High School, but I have never heard it.

7. Cow's hurdle, in rhyme : MOON - Where Alan Shepard played golf.

8. Mystical gathering : SEANCE

9. Severe, as criticism : ACERB

10. "__ & the Women": 2000 Gere film : DR T

12. "Garfield" dog : ODIE - Good old crossword Odie, another four letter word with three vowels

13. Future stallion : COLT - OR an Indianapolis football player.

21. Slowpoke in a shell : TURTLE

22. Body parts that may be pierced : EARS - I am so old that I remember when ears were the ONLY thing that people had pierced.  Just two extra holes in the head.

26. List of charges : BILL - OR a Buffalo football player

28. Big name in ISPs : AOL - An acronym for "America on Line".  Internet pioneers for sure.

29. Chaotic mess : SNAFU - I am sure every high school graduating class had a fellow with this nickname, and I don't think he liked it.

31. "Butt out," for short : MYOB. Mind Your Own Business. True, but I like Ben Franklin's motto "Mind your Business" which was used on a coin.

32. Dog in old whodunits : ASTA - From "The Thin Man" Movie.  I am not old enough to remember the movie, but I seem to remember a TV series of the same name, with a dog of the same name also.

33. "C'mon, be __!": "Little help, please!" : A PAL

34. Woody's son : ARLO - Take the "City of New Orleans" train to "Alice's Restaurant" and get anything you want.

38. Looked closely : PEERED - OUCH - for a moment I thought this was another two- three letter word answer.

40. "To __ it may concern" : WHOM

42. Yak it up : GAB

45. 2012 Affleck thriller : ARGO. I did not see the movie, but I have corn starch of the same name in my cupboard.

47. Seized the opportunity : MADE HAY - and speed it up will ya'

51. Favorite hangouts : HAUNTS

52. Prepared (oneself), as for a jolt : BRACED - You may leave he orthodontist this way.

54. Does film splicing, say : EDITS

56. Lombardy's land : ITALY. Change the Y in the clue to an I and you have Green Bay Wisconsin.

57. Vice __ : VERSA

58. German steel town : ESSEN - I never visited this town,  I was further North in a small town called Hardheim.

59. Rescue squad VIPs : EMTS - I keep posting that EMT is Electrical Metallic Tubing but nobody listens.

60. Light, to a moth : LURE - NO, NO, This an implement used to catch fish (not tuna) in Minnesota !!

62. Match in a ring : BOUT - I remember when these were on free TV every Friday night.  I think it was sponsored by Gillette.

63. Singer Del Rey : LANA

65. Bojangles' dance genre : TAP - Nope, Mr. Bojangles did a soft shoe dance.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

I still have not been able to talk to Argyle. The phone is still off the hook. But Jennifer, Argyle's friend, told me that he is getting clearer and stronger. He even asked about me yesterday. So it's all good and comforting. She said they don't know how long he'll be in the hospital, but the next step is a rehab facility.

Sorry I don't have more information. I"ll let you know the exact surgery once I get Argyle's OK.

Dear Santa

Sunday March 18, 2018 Matt McKinley

Theme:   "PT Exercise" - P is converted into T, changing spelling as needed.

23A. Most highly regarded seasoning? : TARRAGON OF VIRTUE. Paragon of virtue.
 
46A. Brusque orchestral violinists? : TERSE STRINGS. Purse strings.

67A. Actress Helen with her personal programmer? : HUNT AND TECH. Hunt and peck.

91A. Kids responsible for breakfast bread? : TOASTER GIRLS. Poster girls.

114A. Well-ventilated chef's hat? : TOQUE FULL OF HOLES. Poke full of holes.
  
36D. Chocolate-loving gang? : COCOA TOUGHS. Cocoa puffs.

42D. Measurement for meat rotating on a spit? : ROAST TORQUE. Roast pork.
   
Four first-word changes. Three last-word changes. All went through considerable spelling changes while the sound remain the same. So consistent. Very creative approach.

I never head of "Poke full of holes", I figured it's "Pocketful of holes", which actually has plenty of  Google support. Then I asked D-Otto about the extra sound drop.

Across:       


1. Peaks : ACMES

6. Two-letter pop group : ABBA

10. Prepares potatoes, in a way : WHIPS. Here is how D-Otto prepares his potatoes. Authentic! Boomer said the dumplings we had in one of the buffets were made of potato flakes.

15. Card in a wallet : VISA

19. Zagreb native : CROAT

20. Vanishing sound : POOF

21. Seating option : AISLE. Boomer's spot. He needs to stretch often. So I'm always in the middle.

22. It gives you the big picture : IMAX

26. Side : EDGE

27. Call for icing, maybe : SWELL UP

28. Author Binchy : MAEVE

29. Limo amenity : MINI BAR

31. Literally, "shady side" : YIN. So in winter, I eat adzuki bean soup (Yang). In summer, I have mung bean soup (Yin). I don't really see the differences, but I was told to do so from an early age.

32. Like two Beethoven piano sonatas : IN E

33. Groom on a 1952 Life cover : ABNER. Stumper.

34. B, in a sandwich : BACON

37. Bridget Riley's "Movement in Squares," e.g. : OP-ART

40. 23rd of 24 : PSI. Greek alphabet.

41. Gets more friendly, with "up" : WARMS

45. __ collar : ETON

49. Alley in comics : OOP

50. Soft shoe : MOC

51. Portends : BODES

52. Bush boss : REAGAN. Bush Sr. So sad his reputation is tainted now.

53. Singer DiFranco : ANI

54. Card game shout : UNO

55. "Trinity" novelist : URIS

56. "__ Not There": Zombies hit : SHE'S

58. Child with a sponsor, maybe : GODSON

60. Homer's "Northeaster," for one : SEASCAPE

62. Wall covers : PANELS

65. Quick quality : WIT

66. Italian noble family : ESTE

70. One of a program dozen : STEP. Now AA has branches in China. We also have 78. Lit : SOUSED
 
73. Big-eyed bird : OWL

75. "Tristram Shandy" author : STERNE

76. Bag by the barbecue : CHARCOAL. Also in my face wash.

 
81. Honey beverage : MEAD

82. "Hamilton" award : TONY

83. 97-Across output : RTE. And 97. See 83-Across : GPS

84. Holiday drink : NOG

85. Knockoff hr. : FIVE PM. Mine is often 4:00pm.

88. Glittery rock : GEODE

89. Logician's letters : QED

90. Granite St. campus : UNH. University of New Hampshire.

94. Town : BURG

95. Low choristers : BASSI
 
98. Golf bag set : IRONS

99. "Not a chance!" : MY EYE

100. Pie nut : PECAN. Do you have Sweetgreen in your area? We don't. They have so many nice & hearty salad bowl choices.

102. Kiss at the mall, briefly : PDA

103. Security briefing org. : CIA

104. Lunch with fish : TUNA SUB

107. Large crosses : ROODS

109. Head honcho, e.g. : MAGNATE

113. Finished : OVER

117. It's often stained : DECK. Oh hey, I fixed our deck hole last year at the guidance of D-Otto and TTP.

118. Language that gives us "kayak" : INUIT

119. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" author : AUEL

120. Old Eurasian rulers : TSARS

121. Wine adjective : OAKY

122. Ideal areas : EDENS

123. Letters before Q? : LGBT. LGBTQ.

124. Limited-choice, as a question : YES-NO. Big Easy, at The Orleans, the extremely slow internet connection is part of the "Resort fee". You can also pay an extra $10/day, then you can have faster connection, download speed up to 25 Mbps. I think TTP has the fastest download speed in our corner.

Down:

1. John follower : ACTS

2. Sticking point? : CRAW

3. Extra : MORE

4. Near the start : EARLY ON

5. Yalta Conference notable : STALIN

6. Informal pricing words : A POP

7. __ vivant : BON

8. High time : BOOM

9. __ de coeur: amorous relationship : AFFAIRE. Funny how we write "heart" so differently.

10. Forgo : WAIVE

11. Put on : HIRE

12. Musician's suffix : IST. Oh, like pianist.

13. Pipes and such : PLUMBING

14. Welcome : SEE IN

15. Former "Today" co-host : VIEIRA

16. Source of film trivia : IMDB

17. Complex story : SAGA

18. Lumberyard supplier : AXER. Gluey fill.

24. Staple __ : GUN

25. Doesn't hold back : VENTS

30. Ski resort refreshment? : NEW SNOW. Still plenty of snow on our ground. No more please!

33. It borders three oceans : ASIA

34. Mystify : BEMUSE

35. Does penance (for) : ATONES

37. Rex in the classics : OEDIPUS

38. It may be given with a bow : PRESENT

39. Saddlebag carrier : ASS

40. Radio tuning shortcut : PRESET. Our Chrysler van clock loses a few minutes every year, so weird.

43. Like many Bing Crosby records : MONO

44. Slant : SPIN

46. Sacred scroll : TORAH

47. Got hot online : TRENDED. I figure those bitcoin mining machines get hot all the time, since mining is a 24/7 job.

48. Joke : GAG

51. Florida NFLer : BUC

56. Words often about details : SPARE ME. Guilty of oversharing at times. Forgive me.

57. Yogi Bear co-creator : HANNA

59. CD part : DISC

61. Bastes, say : SEWS

63. Talking point? : LECTERN. Great clue.
 
64. Educates : SCHOOLS

68. Lures : TEMPTS

69. Straights and flushes : HANDS

71. Place to grab a bite : EATERY. Really miss those neighborhood dim sum places in Guangzhou. So affordable. So fresh.

72. Promise : PLEDGE

74. Randy Johnson and Aroldis Chapman : LEFTIES. Kids these days probably don't know Sandy Koufax. We also have 88. Nats pitcher González : GIO

77. Deli choice : RYE

78. Oscar __ : SNUB

79. O'Neill's daughter : OONA

80. Giuseppe's god : DIO. Italian for "god".

86. Wanderer : VAGABOND

87. 80%-Disney-owned channel : ESPN
 
92. Done with : RID OF

93. Slow and steady : GRADUAL. My speed.
 
94. Just barely, at the track : BY A NOSE

96. Animated : SPARKY

99. Powerful : MIGHTY

101. Adorable one : CUTIE. Do you have these sweet Cuties in your local grocery store?

102. "Dead __ Society": 1989 film : POETS

103. Half-__: coffee order : CAF

104. Stink : TO DO

105. Middle eye layer : UVEA

106. Part of the woods? : NECK. Neck of the woods.

107. Really mess up : RUIN

108. Hit hard : SLUG

109. Shed : MOLT

110. Start of a sad tale : ALAS

111. Bird related to the noddy : TERN. Unfamiliar with "noddy". Jet black.

112. Brand that's a homophone of its company's initials : ESSO. Standard Oil.

115. N.Y. neighbor : QUE

116. Where some pounds are spent: Abbr. : LEB. I thought Lebanese use lira.

I'm so glad that PK's grandson Aaron has bounced back and Agnes' brother Jack (a retired firefighter) is responding better to the new antibiotic. Also relieved that Santa's surgery went smoothly and he's stable. Thanks for the love and care you've shown to our blog regulars. This means a lot to me.

I've removed last Sunday's puzzle from the cloud. Just email me (crosswordc@gmail.com) if you still need the PDF file. Please don't blame Rich Norris. It's the paper's fault. Rich won't make mistakes like this.

C.C.

Saturday, March 17, 2018, Alan Olschwang

A THEMELESS SAINT PATRICK'S DAY SATURDAY WITH ALAN OLSCHWANG

Another worthy Saturday puzzle! I fell for the bait and switch mode as the entire top tier fell easily after which I found I was in for a real fight. The triple stack of grid spanners was very impressive and helpful. I was so proud I got 39. Event on a fall highlight reel : INTERCEPTED PASS with

 I _ T _ _ _ _ P _ _  D P _ A _. 

Interestingly, those spanners made for a disproportionate number of Down clues as the 45 cells of the spanners didn't leave room for the usual number of horizontal entries.

Here is an interview in 2009 with Alan conducted by C.C. where he reveals he is a retired lawyer who developed his love of crosswords by watching his Dad do them in ink so he, of course, eschews using a pencil.

I hope this St. Patty's Day finds you in fine fettle and that you got the same pleasure out of the puzzle that I did!

Let's start with the wonderful stacked grid spanners:

29. Hose : PAIR OF STOCKINGS - Each Radio City Rockette here is sporting a lovely PAIR OF STOCKINGS! 

38. "Mom," e.g. : SITUATION COMEDY - Of all the SITUATION COMEDIES available, Alan chose this one

39. Event on a fall highlight reel : INTERCEPTED PASS - Some think this Malcom Butler INTERCEPTED PASS was the most important of all time as it won Super Bowl XLIX (I'm not sure why 49 is not IL). Some also say it was the dumbest play call in history.

Here's the balance of the former barrister's clues 

Across

1. Surfers' banes : WIPEOUTS - Talk about spectacular!

9. Figures in Spanish skating : OCHOS - Figure 8's. Cool cluing!

14. Caught : IN A SNARE

15. Concord, for one : GRAPE - Not a PLANE as it turns out

16. NBC slogan that covered "Hill Street Blues," among others : MUST SEE TV - When I watched this scene from Hill Street my jaw dropped when Belker delivered this "best ever TV line" starting at 1:00. Worth the wait!

18. Took on cargo : LADED

19. Orchestra area : PIT

20. Some functionally limited applications : SHAREWARE - SHAREWARE all kids were playing in the late 70's - Lemonade Stand

22. WWII camp : STALAG - Some thought Hogan's Heroes set in STALAG 13 came out too soon after WWII

26. Feature of some lights : LESS TAR

27. NL West team : ARI - ARIZONA Diamondbacks

28. Wee : SMA - Here  is SMA in a Burns stanza with an explanation I truly needed!

40. Zebra kin : ASS - Speaking of kin that are ASSES...


41. "Blueberries for __": kids' book awarded a 1949 Caldecott Honor : SAL - Last Saturday SAL was the name Jack Kerouac took for himself in On The Road.

42. Newsletter editor's filler : CLIP ART - My first, although limited, access to images  for my files

47. Has an online chat with : SKYPES - We SKYPED our granddaughter in Grenoble, France last year. That sill amazes me!

51. Like evil villains : REDUNDANT - e.g. Absolutely essential, Fewer in number, Merge together... Others?

54. Skeletal start? : EXO - Great lobster meat lies beneath one which requires a nutcracker to break through 

55. Sluggish : INERT

56. One who's not at all graceful : SORE LOSER

60. Put on : STAGE - Speaking of losers...

61. Popular Canadian beer : LAKEPORT - New to me

62. Opposite ends : POLES

63. License requirements, perhaps : EYE TESTS - It took about 15 seconds for me last year. Not what you would call an exhaustive process

Down

1. Timid types : WIMPS

2. Arctic inhabitant : INUIT

3. Ristorante regular? : PASTA

4. World-record finish? : EST - The margins of victory for Usain Bolt, the FASTEST man in the world, in successive Olympics

5. Switch statuses : ONS - Switches have ONS and OFFS I guess. C.C. would call this "gluey fill" as it is less than desirable but is necessary to hold the puzzle together

6. Gulf states fed. : UAE - United Arab Emirates

7. Tijuana trio : TRES - Por favor, dénos TRES margaritas (Please give us three margaritas)

8. Newborn mentioned in Genesis 4:25 : SETH - Said to have been born after the death of his brother Abel 

9. Gives more than the once-over : OGLES

10. Crows' crops : CRAWS - Like this gull, a crow has a Crop or CRAW where excess food is stored for later digestion or feeding young

11. Attacked : HAD AT

12. Work often with subtitles : OPERA - My favorite aria with Italian and English subtitles

13. Where the same questions are asked annually : SEDER - A ritual Jewish passover feast held on the 15th of Nisan

17. 1989 Firth/Bening movie : VALMONT - Also a huge world-wide manufacturer of center pivot irrigation systems 10 minutes from here in Valley, NE

21. Log onto after a crash, say : REACCESS - Computer speak

23. "CSI: Miami" actress Eva : LARUE - Did Lash have grandchildren? 😏

24. Like the arena after the home team's winning goal : AROAR - Our old friend Marty hated the "A" words

25. Present with many options : GIFT CARD

28. Timetable listings : STOPS - I once asked a concierge in downtown Chicago what STOP I should look for on the Red Line to get out for the Cubs game. He looked at me and said, "If can't figure that out, you're the dumbest SOB in world! Just get out when everybody else does!" Uh, it was the Addison Ave. STOP.

29. Meas. checked at a garage : PSI - The low PSI warning light led me to find a nail in my tire last month

30. River to the Rhone : AIN - Europe seems full of rivers that are full of water and vowels

31. Former comm. giant : ITT

32. Shuteye sessions : SIESTAS


33. Brownie maker : KODAK - The camera of my ute!

34. Suggest : IMPLY

35. "Great Public Schools for Every Student" org. : NEA

36. Whse. filler : GDS - Hey, those are my initials as well as an abbr. for GOODS

37. __ admin : SYS  SYStem Administrator

42. Like fresh lettuce : CRISP

43. Slow tempo : LENTO - Not LARGO I guess

44. As good as it gets : IDEAL - Don't let IDEAL get in the way of possible

45. Completely cleanse : PURGE - His name is synonymous with that word to me

46. Asks for a hand? : ANTES - Ya gotta pay to play!

48. Monterrey jack : PESOS - Ah the euphemisms for money

49. Apply : EXERT

50. Gets ready to file : SORTS

52. NCAA 'Cane's rival : NOLE - The Seminole Nation Of Florida fully supports the use of SEMINOLE as Florida State's athletic nickname. Below tribe members are shown with the FSU homecoming king and queen

53. Airplane platform? : TRAY

57. Supplement, with "out" : EKE

58. Give leave : LET - I give you leave to comment on Alan's fine puzzle

59. "... thus wide I'll __ my arms": "Hamlet" : OPE - So spoke Laertes 

DA GRID

Tabhair do thuairim dúinn! (Please give us your opinion! in Gaelic)

 
Notes from C.C.:

Tried many times still could not reach Argyle yesterday. His friend Jennifer said Argyle had the phone off the hook by accident. She also said Argyle is still very tired and still groggy from medicine, but he's stable and doing OK. I'll update you when I have more news. Miss you, Santa!

 

Friday, March 16, 2018, Roland Huget

Title: Bassackwards.

Roland presents a challenging workout, with a classic theme that I have seen in a few Sunday puzzles, where you generally have a title rather than a reveal. A quick look at the record books shows this PUZZLE from the pre-Will Shortz NY Times. That cluing was much easier. The most impressive thing about this version is that Roland took two single words- SHORTSTOP + OVERHEADS and made them two-word themers and took 2 two word phrases and made them a single word. Then we have the rest of the puzzle. Triple stacks of 7 letter down fill with many of the words very sparkly such as ALANINE, ENTOMBS, HABITAT, JOCKEYS, MORTARS, NAIROBI, ONE COAT, SCABBED, SHYSTER, USER FEE, WALKURE as well as E-TICKETS and ICE SKATE. This took me longer than most Fridays. YMMV.

17A. *Prepares to pass the football: BACKDROPS (9). A quarterback DROPS BACK to pass. LINK.

21A. *Baseball position: STOP SHORT (9). A SHORTSTOP is placed between 2nd and third base. LINK.

38A. *Strokes in tennis: HEADS OVER (9). OVERHEADS are the smash of tennis. LINK.

59A. *Basketball strategy: BREAKFAST (9). The FAST BREAK is where a team gets a rebound and attempts to make it downcourt before the other team can get back to play defense. LINK.

65A. Fair play? ... or the key to understanding the answers to starred clues: TURNABOUT (9). It can be one or two words. The phrase has been in existence since at least 1755.

Okay now on to some very Friday clues/fill.

Across:

1. Fifth pillar of Islam: HAJJ. If you want more information READ.

5. Puts on a patch, say: SEWS. Does anyone patch clothes anymore?

9. Intestinal tract division: ILEUM. This is the third portion of the small intestine, between the jejunum and the cecum.

14. Moises of the 2002-'04 Cubs: ALOU. He was the outfielder in the famous Bartmann Cubs loss to the Marlins and he was a very good PLAYER as well as being related to the Alou brothers- dad Felipe,  uncle Matty and uncle Jesus.

15. Card in a baby straight: TREY. Baby straight:  ace, deuce, trey, four and five.

16. Playground retort: CAN SO. Cannot.

19. Butyl acetate, e.g.: ESTER.  I will let our scientist handle this one. Chemistry.

20. Graphic novel artist: INKER. The page is drawn in pencil, then the lines inked, colored and the talk bubbles lettered. 4 people plus the author and editor.

23. Is connected: TIES IN.

25. Water__: dental brand: PIK.

26. Curator's deg. : MFA. Masters of Fine Arts.

27. Word with idea or luck: ANY. Random.

28. Gaucho's weapon: BOLA. We get this about once a year.

31. Schmoozing sort: GABBER.

33. Hardy heroine: TESS. d'Urbervilles.

35. Sweeping: VAST.

37. Shocks, in a way: TASES.

41. Uppity sort: SNOOT. So - informal: a person who shows contempt for those considered to be of a lower social class.

44. Hospital fluids: SERA.

45. Hair adornments: BOWS.

49. Aerobic regime, familiarly : CARDIO.

51. Many a Black Friday worker: TEMP.

53. Casual negative: NAH.

54. First _ _: AID.

55. Two-timer: CAD.

57. 100 percent: PURELY. Not 99 and 44/100 percent?

63. Big haulers: MACKS. The trucks.  For SALE in Miami.

64. Comedic pianist Victor: BORGE. So entertaining.

67. "Sneak Previews" co-host: EBERT. It started more than 40 years ago. LINK.

68. Niagara Falls source: ERIE. A CSO to Abejo and others.

69. Empty: BARE. This came to mind.
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To give the poor dog a bone;
But when she came there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.

70. Pranks: DIDOS. 1.  a mischievous or capricious act: prank, antic —often used in the phrase cut didoes. Not a word I remember.

71. It may be payable monthly: DEBT.

72. Bodily passage: ITER. Anatomy. 1. a canal or passage.

Down:

1. Natural environment: HABITAT. Also the chosen name for Habitat for Humanity.

2. Amino acid used in protein biosynthesis: ALANINE. More CHEMISTRY that I have forgotten or never knew.

3. Derby VIPs: JOCKEYS. Both in Kentucky and the ORIGINAL race.

4. Diner devices, familiarly: JUKES. Jukeboxes. Did you know restaurants are supposed to pay mechanical rights to the publishers? The LAW.

5. Orch. section: STRing.

6. Piccadilly Circus statue: EROS.

7. Turned on the waterworks: WEPT.

8. Network admin: SYSOP. While it was an abbreviation, it may no longer be one - LINK.

9. One of many seen at the NCAA's Frozen Four: ICESKATE. The hockey version.

10. Mascara target: LASH.

11. Puts to rest: ENTOMBS.

12. Cover charge relative: USER FEE.

13. Pestle partners: MORTARS.

18. Smidgen: DRIB. Dribs and drabs.

22. Barnyard rooter: PIG.

24. Stellar phenomenon: NOVA.

29. Fellows: LADS.

30. Corporate machinery, e.g.: ASSET.

32. Caustic remark: BARB.

34. Like racehorses: SHOD. Clecho with...

36. Went like racehorses: TORE.

39. Modern concert conveniences: E-TICKETS.

40. Mae West persona: VAMP.

41. Crossed a picket line: SCABBED. I do not like this as verb.

42. Capital east of Lake Victoria: NAIROBI. You might want to go, use this TRAVEL GUIDE.

43. Requested at a drive-thru: ORDERED.

46. Primer application: ONE COAT. Not necessarily. READ.

47. Wagner's "Die __": WALKURE. It is pronounced like Valkurey (Valkyrie) a gimme for our German speakers.

48. Lawyer to avoid: SHYSTER. More German: mid 19th century: origin uncertain; perhaps related to German Scheisser ‘worthless person.'

50. Clumsy one: OAF.

52. Big cat: PUMA. We have them in Florida. They are endangered,  they arecommonly known as the cougar, mountain lion, puma, panther, native to the Americas.

56. Old hat: DATED.

58. Religious leader: RABBI.

60. Prefix with industry: AGRO.

61. Unwavering: SURE.

62. Salt Lake daily, familiarly: TRIB. The daily TRIBUNE.

66. Realize: NET. How much profit did you realize?

Well, I profited from another entertaining Friday presentation from Roland and have enjoyed unraveling the theme - easy; the fill - not so much. Hope you all enjoyed and thanks for stopping by. Lemonade out.

Notes from C.C.:

I was not able to talk to Argyle yesterday. He is still out of it due to pain meds, but he's stable.

Several have asked me about where to send the get-well cards to Argyle, here is his home address. 

 
Argyle will be in the hospital for a few days, so Agnes (best wishes to your brother Jack!) helped me get the hospital address:

D. Scott Nichols
Saratoga Hospital

211 Church St.

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Thank you for your kindness, prayers and thoughts. I just cannot stop sobbing after learning his surgery.