Saturday, May 26, 2018, Kyle Dolan

A Themeless Saturday Puzzle on Sally Ride Day 


Today we celebrate the birthday of America's first woman in space, Dr. Sally Ride. Her mission came 20 years after the Russians put Valentina Tereshkova into orbit in 1963. She is remembered as a true American hero and pioneer who died too young and this NASA educator is very pleased to acknowledge her contributions to the space program


30. They often display two years: GRAVE STONES

Dr. Dolan's challenging Saturday puzzle required that I get footholds in each quadrant. I strongly suspected I was going to have to go back and do some fudging and corrections in the southwest corner but ISLAY, ASYLA,  HEY YA and HER gave way to give me an enjoyable, solo "got 'er done."

As you can see by Kyle's Tweet at the right, he was excited about getting this puzzle published in the LA Times today.

Here are the rest of Kyle's entries. I may have given short shrift to some proper names but am confident in your search capabilities if you decide you are even remotely interested.


Across:

1. Tipping point: LAST STRAW.

10. "The Screwtape Letters" author: LEWIS - Calvin's Miss Wormwood is named for the apprentice devil in C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters

15. Nixon, in John Adams' "Nixon in China": OPERA ROLE - I wonder if Nixon's big aria is I Am Not A Crook!

16. Public perception: IMAGE - We all know what happened to the IMAGE of the guy above

17. Smoking choices: CLAY PIPES - These were found along the banks of the Thames and some date back to the 1580's

18. Confuse: MIX UP.

19. Org. with a tepee-shaped logo: KOA - We stayed in this KOA campground that had a lovely view of the Grand Tetons

20. Cowboy handle: TEX.

21. Keep things as they are: SIT PAT - I'm more familiar with STAND PAT when you have a good poker hand and don't want to take more cards

22. Seekers of a better life, perhaps: EMIGRES and what some of them seek 56. Safe places: ASYLA.

25. 18th Dynasty Egyptian ruler, familiarly: TUT - Lord Carnarvon , the 5th Earl of Carnarvon (right),  financed the Howard Carter (left) dig that found TUT. The Lord occupied Highclere Castle that was used in Downton Abbey and later died under mysterious circumstances. Some think it was the curse of TUT.

26. Japanese flier that sponsors an LPGA major tournament: ANA - All Nippon Airways

27. Scottish landscape feature: BRAE - Hillsides

28. Director Wiseman: LEN - I didn't recognize any of his work in the IMBd but I do recognize his wife Kate Beckinsale. 

29. Colorful gem: OPAL.

34. "Broad City" co-star: ILANA GLAZER - Talk about not knowing her - I had every letter of her name except the first L and then GAG LAW furnished that.

35. Concert pieces: GRAND PIANOS

36. Cry for attention, maybe: MEOW - My de reguier kitty picture! Awww...

37. Horsefeathers: ROT 

38. Source of tweets: NEST - I wonder if our robins are sending messages from their NEST outside my window

41. Wayfarer's rest: INN - Confidently putting in NADIRS for Low Points gave me A _ _ which held off INN for awhile 

42. 2013 Spike Jonze film: HER - Okay

43. It often involves getting a card nowadays: CHECK-IN - Disney now offers a wrist band that unlocks your resort door instead of a Key Card.

46. Family tree entry: NEPHEW - I sub for mine a lot

48. Kaitlin's "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" role: DEE - Okay

49. Chicago-to-Lansing dir.: ENE - It appears to be a 3.5 hr drive with the first part around the lake

50. Southernmost of the Inner Hebrides: ISLAY - It is just off the coast of Scotland, known as The Queen Of The Hebrides and known for a good single malt, uh, scotch

13. Lesser Antilles lizards: IGUANAS - Where they are and what they are. 

Geography lesson for today - Upper Midwest, the Inner Hebrides and The Lesser Antilles.

51. Ringer's workplace: BELL TOWER - Quasimodo played for Notre Dame at this workplace

54. Easily crumbled: MEALY  - "MEALY-mouthed" more familiar to you?

55. Leading by a lot: WELL AHEAD - Jockey Ron Turcotte on Secretariat looks back to see where the other horses are in the finish of the 1973 Belmont 

57. "What a terrible shame": I'M SO SORRY - I'M SORRY, SO SORRY. The little girl with the big voice and some puppies!

Down:

1. Age of Enlightenment thinker: LOCKE- He had much to say on being tolerant of other religions, people retaining rights over government and the rearing of children

2. Composure: APLOMB.

3. What's inspired by the ocean?: SEA AIR - inspired/expired for inhaled/exhaled

4. Whirl: TRY - "Aw come on, give it a whirl!"

5. Drain: SAP - Don't let her cut your hair Samson!

6. Lacking originality: TRITE - Nothing here from Dr. Dolan

7. Things to learn, with "the": ROPES - You learn the ROPES of teaching by teaching

8. "A Clockwork Orange" antihero: ALEX.

9. Jazzman Montgomery: WES.

10. Contain: LIMIT - The job of relief pitchers is to come in and LIMIT the damage already done

11. Release: EMIT.

12. Roll in a pantry: WAX PAPER - A really great use for WAX PAPER. You can see it on the ground at the end of the clip.

14. Of a dividing membrane: SEPTAL - My ENT tells me the SEPTUM in my nose is crooked but to leave it alone for now

21. It might end at the sleeves: SUNTAN - Marines after 7 months in the desert

23. Expression suppression: GAG LAW - These never seem to work with our members of Congress. GAG ORDER seems more common

24. Put on again: RERAN - Seinfeld and I Love Lucy lead the pack

25. Model 3 automaker: TESLA - Here's one rolling out of a charging station in Rocklin, California. Will these soon be ubiquitous? 

28. For real: LEGITimate

29. "Be right there!": ONE SEC - ONE SEC, we just had that yesterday!

31. First name of two U.S. presidents: ANDREW - Jackson and Johnson

32. Mist: VAPOR.

33. Pungent gas: OZONE.

34. Part of a golfer's skill set: IRON PLAY - A harder skill to manage because you don't use a tee in the fairway as Michelle Wie shows here

35. Commencements: GENESES - Plural of genesis 

36. Low points: MINIMA - Ah yes, College Algebra

39. One that might hold tips: SKEWER - Beef tips and much more on SKEWERS

40. Failure to make good notes?: TIN EAR - There are others with this same opinion 

42. 2003-'04 OutKast chart-topper: HEY YA - If you like obscenity-laced, mysoginistic "music", he's your guy! 

43. Barred rooms: CELLS

44. Adele hit that won three Grammys: HELLO - Every kid I asked in a H.S. math class knew instantly!

45. Like oversized glasses, to some: NERDY - Name this non-NERDY actor in oversized glasses and the movie where this was one of the last scenes. Answer below the grid.

47. Dining area: HALL - MESS seemed right at first

48. Think: DEEM - If you DEEM it necessary, please comment

51. Airport near D.C.: BWI - Baltimore Washington International

52. Grad student jobs: TA'S.

53. "What have we here?!": OHO - To quote this lovely lady in Minneapolis we know,  "Gluey fill"


Feel free to comment (see 48 Down) on this paradoxical day - Dr. Ride and Dr. Dolan are the pair 'o docs

The big glasses wearer is Robert Di Nero and the movie was Casino where he was a mob guy who ran a casino and no one dared call him a NERD.

Friday, May 25, 2018, Winston Emmons

Title: Anagrams bug me!

So John Lampkin, my favorite entomologist, what do you think? Hope to see you soon. We have what I believe is the second LAT for Winston Emmons who debuted on Agnes' birthday last month. We have a very consistent insect anagram theme, with what was for me,  an unnecessary and weak reveal. This was an odd solve for me, as it is part of an ongoing déjà vu. I feel like I wrote this blog before. Oh well, as is the recent trend, a Friday without any long words other than the themers with SOMEDAY, TAVERNA, CONSISTS, and PACIFIER as the added features.  There is a lot of humor in the theme phrases and impressive skill in picking the ones that work that are both real anagrams and insects.
So here we go...

20A. Competition among insects?: GAME OF HORNETS (13). Game of THRONES.

29A. Rule by generations of insects?: GNAT DYNASTY (11). TANG Dynasty.

47A. Tiny but impressive insect?: HECK OF A MITE (11). Heck of a TIME.

57A. Deceptiveness of insects?: FLEAS PRETENSE (13). FALSE Pretense. 

And the little reveal, 

56D. Ones that have infested four puzzle answers: PESTS.

Across:

1. Actress Gilbert of "The Big Bang Theory": SARA. More famous from Roseanne, where she first worked with Johnny Galecki. They DATED?

5. "Lucky Jim" author: AMIS. The first novel of KINGSLEY.

9. "Be silent," in scores: TACET. Musical scores (as a direction) indicating that a voice or instrument is silent.

14. Stagecraft aid: PROP. Clecho- 65A. Stagecraft arrangements: SETS.

15. Email category: SENT.

16. House: ABODE.

17. App opener: ICON. Click on the icon.

18. Director Preminger: OTTO. This Austrian born DIRECTOR and actor was a major influence on Hollywood and film noir.  He was a big deal when I was young.

19. 66-Across, e.g.: VENUE.

23. 2000 NBA MVP: O'NEAL. If you did not know or have forgotten, look at the statistics for SHAQ in the 2000 playoffs. He is one of the GOAT in basketball. Kobe was averaging 15 points a game.

24. Part of ENT: EAR. Nose and Throat are the rest.

25. Cartesian conclusion: I AM. Cogito ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. This is Dualism, as explained by Rene Descartes.

28. Pit stuff: TAR. Brea.

34. City north of Memphis: CAIRO. Memphis, city, and capital of ancient Egypt and an important center during much of Egyptian history. Memphis is located south of the Nile River delta, on the west bank of the river, and about 15 miles (24 km) south of modern Cairo

35. "The Lord of the Rings" actor: ASTIN. Samwise Gamgee became a fan favorite as played by Astin.

36. Brand once pitched by Garfield, oddly: ALPO. It was for their CAT FOOD so it was not so odd.

39. Fabric-dyeing technique: BATIK. Batik is a "resist" process for making designs on fabric. The artist uses wax to prevent dye from penetrating the cloth, leaving "blank" areas in the dyed fabric. The process, wax resist then dye, can be repeated over and over to create complex multicolored designs. A complicated tie-dye. Various.

42. "¿Cómo __?": ESTA. Hi Lucy, hope you feel all better.

43. Macy's competitor: SEARS. Really?

45. Minneapolis suburb: EDINA. When I started reading this blog, this was common fill. In fact, it appears in a PUZZLE from just over 10 years ago. As you can see the comments and the cast have changed. I think it was how I learned C.C. lived in Minnesota.

50. One on first?: WHO. The complete routine.

53. "__ tu": Verdi aria: ERI. Sung by a 27-year-old. LINK.

54. Fairy queen of folklore: MAB. You may need to READ this article.

55. Bee-related: APIAN.

62. Gathered intelligence: SPIED.

64. Israeli carrier: EL AL.

66. Barclays Center, for one: ARENA.  Clecho 2- 67A. Barclays Center team: NETS.Basketball in Brooklyn.

68. Cherry or pear: TREE.

69. Inclined to ramble: WORDY. Oops, was this here to shut me up? Just don't...

70. Stun, in a way: TASE. me, bro!

71. In __: aligned: SYNC.


Down:

1. Peg in a cask: SPIGOT. My ex-wife hated her name being shortened to Peg.

2. One of two tarot card groups: ARCANA. I am not up on Tarot, having learned fortune telling from my French grandmother using a regular deck of cards.

3. Small-space renter: ROOMER. I was thinking of storage units.

4. Sleep disorder: APNEA.

5. Starting: AS OF. May 25, 2018.

6. "Breaking Bad" contraband: METH.

7. Enthusiastic about: IN TO.

8. Saved: STORED.

9. Greek restaurant: TAVERNA. Greek: ταβέρνα is a small Greek restaurant, similar to a tavern, that serves Greek cuisine. Who does not love tzatziki: yogurt with cucumber and garlic purée, used as a dip?

10. Help badly?: ABET. I think we have seen this before, but it is still cute misdirection.

11. Is made up: CONSISTS. Not fabricated, but fabricated.  Needed an"of."
1. to make by art or skill and labor; construct:
2. to make by assembling parts or sections.
3. to devise or invent (a legend, lie, etc.).
4. to fake; forge (a document, signature, etc.).

12. Vanderbilt domain: EDU. The domain for Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.

13. Where many a drive begins: TEE. Some golf for HG and others.

21. Memorable first name in Olympic gymnastics: OLGA. Ms. Korbut.

22. Vote against: NAY.

26. Arguing: AT IT.

27. Mimic on a perch: MYNA.

30. Pen part: NIB.

31. Coach Parseghian: ARA. He won NCAA football titles with Notre Dame; how long will puzzle solvers remember this man? Lou Holtz is already fading.

32. Tribal symbol: TOTEM.

33. Whaling, say: ASEA.

34. Ireland's largest county: CORK. Didn't we have this recently? See déjà vu.

36. Tennis legend: ASHE. Arthur appears often on Friday.

37. Lascivious look: LEER. In this modern environment, not a good idea.

38. Binky: PACIFIER. My youngest used to keep one in his mouth and one in each hand.

40. Uganda's Amin: IDI. The last King of Scotland is back.

41. Modeling enthusiast's purchase: KIT. A CSO to past participants?

44. Eventually: SOMEDAY.

46. Picked-up: NEAT.

48. Runway safety org.: FAA.  Federal Aviation Administration.

49. Away: ABSENT.

50. Vintage locale: WINERY. Cute clue, not an old location.

51. Hurry: HASTEN. Hasten Jason...

52. "Hold on": ONE SEC. This is one of those phrases which should be banned, it is never just one second.

58. Advance: LEND. Dad, can I get an advance on my allowance?

59. Court bargaining chip: PLEA. I guess the prosecutor uses the offer of a plea as a bargaining chip.

60. "Darn!": RATS.

61. Otherwise: ELSE.

62. Adage: SAW. Most often seen as "old saw."

63. Ace: PRO.

An interesting trek with lots of proper names and some intriguing Friday cluing. I think we will be seeing more of Winston who has been published in the CHE and WSJ. I also can "see'  comments from WE. Thank you, and thank all who read the Corner. Lemonade out.

Thursday May 24 2018 David Poole

Theme: Fleet of Funnies -  Aquatic vessels clued unexpectedly:

17A. High-end eye makeup?: LUXURY LINER. I got this one right off the bat, I had a couple of crosses in place with the downs, and LUXURY pretty much filled itself in. LINER came naturally, then I was off to the races.

27A. One sterilizing Ping-Pong equipment?: PADDLE STEAMER. Proud Mary? Let's rock ...

48A. Squad car for soprano Kathleen?: BATTLE CRUISER. I chuckled at this one. Plus-sized divas in UK slang might be described as "having a bit of the battleship about her". Kathleen Battle, however, does not fit the description. Here with Wynton Marsalis:

64A. Worthless stuff from Beijing?: CHINESE JUNK. I saw many junks running local deliveries in Hong Kong harbor. Still highly practical.

Fun theme, some nice long downs, crisp fill, nice puzzle!

Across:

1. Outdated: PASSÉ

6. Calf-length dresses: MIDIS

11. Streaming alternative: DVD

14. Let up: ABATE

15. Hacienda material: ADOBE. I always want ADOBO - it's those smoked chipotle chilis in adobo sauce. Food!

16. Crew's control?: OAR. Some crew just use the oar for power, and leave it to the cox at the back to steer. I think the coxless four is probably the finest example of oarsmanship, power and control. Try to watch some events at the next Summer Olympic games.

19. Hollywood SFX: CGI. Movie Special Effects - SFX - Computer Generated Imagery - CGI.

20. Part of a process: STEP

21. "Pomp and Circumstance" composer: ELGAR. Edward. I thought he might get a quick cameo performance at last weekend's nuptuals.

22. Concert souvenir: STUB. Quick, where are my U2 stubs from last year? I swear just saw them.

23. First words of "Green Eggs and Ham": I AM. I'm at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas this week. It's my last chance to approach the Dr. Seuss booth with a witty sales pitch. Any ideas?

25. Creeps: TIPTOES. Ah, those find of creeps! I love noun/verb clue-play

32. Supermarket chain with a m ostly red oval logo: IGA. When I saw this and the crossing 28D I was already holding up my hands in a (personal) Natick defeat. But finally, the Ghosts of Puzzles Past bailed me out of a hole.

33. Con man?: ANTI. Pro - Con. Fer - Anti. Opposite sides of the voting spectrum.

34. Switches: SWAPS

37. Adorkable one: NERD. Clue of the day. I love it. Didn't take a second to latch on, but awesome world play.

39. Emcee duty: INTRO

42. Flute or reed, on an organ: STOP. Always wanted to have a crack at one of those huge church organs.

43. Tibetan legends: YETIS

45. Fireside stack: LOGS

47. Org. concerned with emissions: E.P.A.

52. Sign of fall: SCORPIO. Nice clue for this Zodiac sign. October 23rd - November 22nd.

54. Fish-eating eagle: ERN

55. Romp: PLAY

56. Old autocrats: TSARS

59. Historic times: AGES. The Age of .... Enlightenment/Aquarius/etc.

63. Place for a bud: EAR

66. It may be financial or legal: AID

67. Skin dye used in some wedding celebrations: HENNA. I henna'd my hair in my teens. Here is me, playing one of Winchester's "disaffected youth" occupying the historical Buttercross. Just like we did every weekend, it wasn't "Che" revolutionary, we just needed somewhere to sit when we were kicked out of the coffee shop above for not actually buying anything. I hemmed the jeans myself on my mom's Singer sewing machine

68. Overdue: TARDY

69. Measures for long-distance runners: Abbr.: KMS. One kilometer isn't even a warm-up for these folks. Coast-to-Coast - aim for 42 days to beat the record, and expect to run around 4,800 km give or take a few bathroom breaks or wrong turns.

70. Mystery award: EDGAR. Mr. Edgar Allan, and how apt it that?

71. Entertain: AMUSE

Down:

1. More than casual acquaintances: PALS

2. Touch on: ABUT

3. __-Coburg: former Bavarian duchy: SAXE

4. Idiotic: STUPID

5. "If __ I loved her, all that love is gone": Shakespeare: E'ER. Demetrius telling Lysander he's welcome to Hermia:

Lysander, keep thy Hermia. I will none.

If e'er I loved her, all that love is gone.

My heart to her but as guest-wise sojourned,

And now to Helen is it home returned,

There to remain.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III sc. ii

6. __ of America: MALL

7. "Got it, man": I DIG! Probably not been heard since the 60's, but I could be wrong.

8. Give: DONATE

9. Gibraltar's peninsula: IBERIA. Shared with Spain and Portugal. Maybe a slice of Andorra too.

10. Sun. delivery: SER. mon. The sermon at last weekend's "royal" wedding caused a little bit of a stir.

11. High degrees: DOCTORATES

12. Ill-defined: VAGUE

13. Small amounts: DRIBS

18. Aden native: YEMENI

22. Simmers: STEWS

24. Fashioned after: À LA

26. Canadian VIPs: PM'S. Prime Ministers.

27. Like some Christmas candles: PINY

28. Tommie of the Amazin' Mets: AGEE

29. They're stuck in pubs: DARTBOARDS. At some point in dim and distant history, the numbering sequence became accepted. I understand 1-20-5, risk/reward, but I've hit 17 aiming for 19. I won my first competitive darts match by hitting double-17. Happy days.

30. RR depot: STN. 

31. IMDb search category: TITLE

35. Bishop of Rome: POPE

36. Sail support: SPAR

38. Private account: DIARY

40. Mythical bird: ROC

41. Fiona, after Shrek's kiss: OGRESS

44. Auto additive with a mostly red oval logo: STP

46. __ La Table: Williams-Sonoma rival: SUR. Ignore all these guys, find a restaurant supply store near you and get everything you need at one-tenth of the price.

49. Gave religiously: TITHED

50. Dieting successfully: LOSING

51. Stuck: IN A JAM

52. Command to Fido: SPEAK

53. GEICO submission: CLAIM

57. "Mom" co-star Faris: ANNA

58. Stern: REAR. Aft, Abaft, so many nautical terms for the blunt end.

60. Wise adviser: GURU. It's an honorific of respect in India. I've been addressed as "Steve Guru", which made me awkwardly uncomfortable until I realized it was a show of manners, and one I could embrace. I love Indian culture.

61. Objectives: ENDS

62. Inner Hebrides isle: SKYE.

"Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,

Onward! the sailors cry;

Carry the lad that's born to be King

Over the sea to Skye."

64. "The Motorcycle Diaries" revolutionary: CHE. One of my friends named her cat after the motorcycle - Fuser. Who knew that Marxists were so fond of their bikes that they gave them a name?

65. In-flight update: ETA. Did you know that an on-time departure mean that as long you push back from the gate on the appointed minute, regardless of whether you spend two hours on the tarmac fixing the fuel pump, waiting for the lightning to clear or holding in line behind 30 other planes? Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics!

Steve

Wednesday May 23, 2018 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme:  LIGHT-HEADED (60. Feeling woozy ... and a hint to the first words of the answers to starred clues)- Synonym theme. 

17A. *Precarious position: SHAKY GROUND.

38A. *1979 boxing sequel: ROCKY II.

 

11D. *Hall of Fame pitcher with the 1930s Cardinals: DIZZY DEAN.

31D. *Very small chance: FAINT HOPE.

C.C. here, filling in a Wednesday blogging gap.

From the byline, we can see that this puzzle's idea was Gail's. Constructor who dreams up the theme normally has her/his name come up first in byline order. So, this is a GAB puzzle (Gail and Bruce). If Bruce's name comes up first, then we'll have BAG (Bruce and Gail) puzzle. That's their code.

Some of you know I have low blood pressure. When the numbers get too low, I feel DIZZY. I don't use ROCKY to describe light-headedness though. I'm a happy person if I can make 92/65. Tough job! Very odd problem for someone who loves all kinds of pickled stuff. 

Across:

1. Italian fashion label: PRADA. Two more five-letter candidates: FENDI & GUCCI.

6. Invasive Asian vine: KUDZU.

11. CSI lab sample: DNA.

14. "Cosmos" host: SAGAN (Carl).

15. Symphonic winds: OBOES.

16. + or - particle: ION.

19. Zoo opening in Britain: ZED. Just the opening letter: Zoo

20. Long-lasting needlework?: TATTOO. Cute clue.

21. Hero of Uris' "Exodus": ARI.

22. Business magnate: CZAR.

23. Lowest in fat: LEANEST. We also have 28. Most coquettish: COYEST Also .46. Not as clear: HAZIER.

25. "And __ off!": THEY'RE.

27. Take it easy: REST. So glad you're now "clean as a whistle", dear Spitzboov!

Spitzboov, Betty & Argyle 

28. Grade-schooler: CHILD.

29. Fido's poodle amie: FIFI.

32. Classification prefix meaning "arrangement": TAXO. Learning moment for me.

34. What candidates "press" a lot of: FLESH.

37. Time division: ERA. FYI, Dave 2, "Lucy Baines" is a song by Chad Mitchell Trio. D-Otto burned a special CD for Boomer, who's been blasting those songs.

40. Wanted poster letters: AKA.

41. Do an airport maintenance job: DE-ICE.

43. Eager about, with "on": KEEN.

44. Foul mood: SNIT.

45. __ Ark: NOAH'S.

47. "Get outta there!": SCAT.

49. Bronchial woe: ASTHMA.

51. Totally puzzled: AT A LOSS. For words.

54. Journalist Paula: ZAHN. Have not watched anything by her after her CNN days.

55. It has a dozen signs: Abbr.: ZOD. OK. Zodiac.

57. Low clouds: STRATI.

59. "Evil Woman" band, briefly: ELO.

62. Knock: RAP.

63. Former Houston hockey team: AEROS. Houston Aeros (1994–2013). Wiki said they were the "AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild. The team is now the Iowa Wild." I forgot. I don't follow the Wild.

64. Tequila plant: AGAVE.

65. Citrus suffix: ADE.

66. __-Roman wrestling: GRECO.

67. Doled (out): METED. 

Down:

1. Subtle summons: PSST.

2. 1986 Indy 500 champ Bobby: RAHAL. Not UNSER.

3. Colorful quartz: AGATE.

4. '60s TV show whose title means "doctor" in Swahili: DAKTARI. Unknown to me.

5. "Do I have a volunteer?": ANYONE? Anyone?

6. "MASH" setting: Abbr.: KOR. Korea.

7. WWII sub: U BOAT. Sometimes it's E-BOAT.

8. Gloomy: DOUR.

9. Apex: ZENITH.

10. Amer. money: USD.

12. Lack of musical skill: NO EAR.

13. Agassi of tennis: ANDRE.

18. Heads for: GOES TO.

22. Honeycomb unit: CELL. I'm loving Aldi's raw honey lately.

24. Puts into piles: STACKS.

26. LP player: HI FI.

29. Gave grub to: FED. Here is a typical kitchen in Guangzhou. My friend Carmen's home. One light soy sauce, one dark soy sauce, olive oil, peanut oil, white pepper, salt and sugar. Oh, Jayce, I just learned yesterday that 胡椒粉 and 花椒粉 are different. Carmen, you and Boomer use 胡椒粉. But my brother uses 花椒粉  (Sichuan peppercorns powder).

 

30. Anger: IRE.

33. Jaguar model: XKE.

35. Hit the slopes: SKI.

36. Fez, e.g.: HAT. Hi, Abejo!

38. Scold, with "out": REAM.

39. One way to pay: IN CASH.

42. "Walking in Memphis" singer Marc: COHN.

44. Attic function: STORAGE. Gotta 50's baseball cards there?

48. Chi. White Sox or Bos. Red Sox: AL TEAM.

49. Hyundai sedan: AZERA.

50. Tossed __: SALAD.

51. For a special purpose: AD HOC.

52. '70s-'80s Egyptian president: SADAT.

53. Actor Carell: STEVE. Or [L.A. Times Crossword Corner blogger Marron]. Such a cool picture!

56. Folklore brute: OGRE.

58. Carded at a club, briefly: ID'ED.

60. Fall behind: LAG.

61. Chinese menu surname: TSO.

C.C.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018 Debbie Ellerin

"Cookies"

Debbie drops these baked goods into our thoughts to sweeten our day.

16. Bed buyer's concern: COMFORT, and 17. Still on the plate: UNEATEN.   FORTUNE cookie.

23. "Oliver Twist" criminal: FAGIN, and 25. "Sommersby" star Richard: GERE.  GINGER cookie.

45. Bump up against: ABUT, and 47. Coastal flock: TERNS.  BUTTER cookie.

53. Massage technique meaning "finger pressure" in Japanese: SHIATSU, and 55. Stocking attachments: GARTERS.  SUGAR cookie.

34. With 36-Across, mass-produced ... and what each of four black squares in this puzzle is?: COOKIE CUTTER.

Across:
1. Far from homogeneous: DIVERSE.

8. Fight back: RESIST.

14. Threatening: OMINOUS.

15. Red hot chili pepper: CAYENNE.  Add a half-teaspoon or more to your next batch of chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies.  Don't knock it until you try it. 

18. Suffix for Gator: ADE.  Gatorade.  Developed by researchers at the University of Florida.

19. Like cactus-friendly climates: ARID.   The Prickly Pear is the official state plant of Texas.

Tender cactus leaves (nopalitos) are nutritious substitutes for green beans, okra, squash, and bell pepper. Its top production occurs in the summer months when other vegetable plants are out of season. Texas Cactus Council

20. "__ making a list ... ": HE'S.

21. Family guy: SON.

26. Deeply absorbed: RAPT.

27. Clickable pic: ICON. 

Anonymous T borrowed this familiar image to use as the desktop ICON for a Windows program he wrote for use by C.C.'s blogging team.   The program eliminated repetitious pre-blogging work.  Great job Anon T !   Thanks again !

28. Skippy rival: JIF.

Jif vs Skippy

29. Roadie's load: AMP.

30. San Antonio Spurs coach Popovich: GREGG.

PK would know he's called "Pop" or "Coach Pop"   He is the longest tenured coach in the NBA and in all major sports leagues in the United States.   He has a record-setting 21 consecutive winning seasons, and has won 5 NBA Championships as the head coach of the Spurs.

31. Worth having: OF USE.

37. "Spun" tales: YARNS.  Madame Defarge knows about yarns that do not include dubious amounts of exaggeration. 

38. Arm bone-related: ULNAR.

41. News letters: UPI. 

42. Trike rider: TOT.

43. Having no slack: TAUT.

44. Soft French wheel: BRIE. Why Some Cheeses Come in Wheels and Others in Blocks

48. Blues-rocker Chris: REA.

49. Somerhalder of "The Vampire Diaries": IAN.

IMDb Entry on Ian Somerhalder

50. Two in a row?: OARS.

51. Prompt on stage: CUE.

59. Rodeo ropes: LASSOES.

60. Massachusetts site of Phillips Academy: ANDOVER.  Prestigious university prep school that is named in many rankings as the best high school in the country.  About $54K/yr if you can get your child or grandchild accepted.   I scanned the alumni list.  Didn't get past the B's.  The Bush's,  Bill Belichick, Edgar Rice Burroughs and Humphrey Bogart...  although the Casablanca actor was expelled.

61. This one or that one: EITHER.

62. Dangerous wave: TSUNAMI.


Down:
1. Bashful pal: DOC.  They of Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs

2. Texter's "If you ask me": IMO.

3. Vigor's partner: VIM.

4. "Terrible" French kid: ENFANT.  "Enfant terrible, which literally means "terrifying child" in French...could be anyone - young or old - whose behavior shocked others. Now the term is also often applied to young, successful newcomers who shock or scare old-timers with their new approaches, easy successes, or disregard for tradition."   Paraphrased from Merriam Webster.

5. Crucifix: ROOD.

6. Foolproof: SURE FIRE. "What's a sure fire way to fail your driving test ?"


7. Guinness suffix: EST.

8. Carted off to jail: RAN IN.

9. Looked at closely: EYED.

10. "The __ is calm tonight": "Dover Beach" opening: SEA.  Summary and Analysis

11. Coming up: IN THE FUTURE.

12. Show contempt: SNEER.  Emotional body language - Sneer explained

13. Present perfect, for one: TENSE.

15. Saving one's bacon?: CURING.  Fun clue. 

19. Really excited: AGOG.

21. Polynesian nation: SAMOA.

22. One who strikes while the iron is hot: OPPORTUNIST. 

24. Top pitcher: ACE. Nat Max Scherzer 7W - 1L,  1.78 ERA,  104 SO, 0.85 WHIP.  Those are ACE stats.

25. Birthday present: GIFT.

26. Risqué: RACY.

28. Soup du __: JOUR.


30. Essence: GIST.

32. Vintage hue on a photo app: SEPIA.

33. Scary-sounding lake: ERIE.

35. Nautical speed unit: KNOT.

36. Cross-sectional X-rays: CATSCANS.

38. Development site: UTERUS.

39. Metallica drummer Ulrich: LARS.

40. Woman with a habit?: NUN.

44. Nantes native: BRETON.

Nantes is a city on the Loire river and is the capital of Brittany, a region of  France. 

Bretons are an ethnic group located in this region.




45. Flier's window alternative: AISLE.

46. Iranian faith: BAHAI.

47. Stun gun brand: TASER.

50. Winnebago relative: OTOE.

Native Heritage Project - Oto Indians

52. Pakistan's national language: URDU.

54. Mt. St. Helens output: ASH.

55. Mobster's piece: GAT.

56. "2 Fast 2 Furious" actress Mendes: EVA.   Eva and partner Ryan Gosling

57. Sleep acronym: REM.  "Rapid eye movement sleep (REM sleep, REMS) is a unique phase of sleep in mammals and birds, distinguishable by random/rapid movement of the eyes, accompanied with low muscle tone throughout the body, and the propensity of the sleeper to dream vividly." Wikipedia.

58. Indian title: SRI.  "...a polite form of address, like "mister" in English, or as an epithet for the names of Hindu deities."  Yogapedia

Here's the grid:

Monday May 21, 2018 Jake Braun

Theme: INSIDE JOKE (61. Humor shared by a select few ... and by this puzzle's circles) - Three synonyms of jokes are hidden in three theme entries.

17A. Like #1 hits: TOP RANKING.

29A. Stands for sheets with notes: MUSIC RACKS.

44A. For a full license, it's 17 or 18 in most states: DRIVING AGE.

Boomer here.  

Good morning all.  I am sure you were able to CRACK a GAG while you solved this puzzle.  Much simpler Monday offering than last week. We finally got two new doors on our humble home last week.  Now C.C. can open them with one arm, and I can open them without the colorful language.

 

Across:

1. Pet adoption org.: ASPCA.

6. Sore after exercise: ACHY. Billy Ray Cyrus had a Breaky Heart

10. Landlocked African nation: CHAD. Okay, but my clue would have been Mr. Mitchell of the famous 60s Trio.

14. They're entered in court: PLEAS.

15. One of Pittsburgh's three rivers: OHIO. What is round on the ends and High in the middle?

16. Hawaii County seat: HILO. A song of love is a sad song, Hi Lili, Hi Lili, Hilo.

19. Wide-eyed: AGOG.

20. Buffet fuel: STERNO. This would be a backwoods buffet.  Most casino buffets use steam tables.

21. Sewn medical treatment: STITCHES.

23. 36 inches: YARD.  How many were in Tom Brady's passing stats this year?

25. "So that's your game!": OHO.

26. Auto loan default result: REPO.

35. Key with one sharp: Abbr.: E MIN. I think this was my grade on my first Latin test.

36. Rice field: PADDY. A fixture in Vietnam, but also Paddy O'Furniture is a famous Irish furniture store.  Is Irish furniture always green?

37. Shirt with a slogan: TEE. First time I've seen this word in a puzzle without a golf reference.

38. School basics: ABCS.

39. Pub beer orders: PINTS.

40. Cup of joe: JAVA. How many names can you think of for coffee?

41. Writing desk room, perhaps: DEN.

42. Classic orange soda: FANTA. A Coca Cola Company product - comes in many flavors but I don't see it in stores around Minnesota.

43. Inch or mile, e.g.: UNIT. Also a term for an Army Company.  Add a "wit" and it's what the sergeant called any one of us.

47. Macy's department: MEN'S. - History lesson.  Macy's in Minnesota was once Dayton's, owned by the family of our current Governor, Mark.  Dayton's was very popular years ago.  Macy's is high class but a bit on the pricey side.

48. LeBron, e.g., briefly: CAV. Looks like the Celtics are handling Mr. James pretty well in the playoffs.

49. Nose-in-the-air type: SNOB.

51. Challenging words: I DARE YOU. Sometimes you get "Double Dared"

56. Privy to the scheme: IN ON IT.

60. Sushi seaweed: NORI. This is seaweed that people eat! Not me.

63. Leg joint: KNEE.

64. Litter yippers: PUPS.

65. Sufferer healed by Jesus: LEPER.

66. Apt "ayes" anagram: YEAS. All in favor ?

67. Exxon, formerly: ESSO.

68. Substitutes' squad: B TEAM.  As opposed to the team of George Peppard and Mr. T who called everyone "Sucka", not lollipop. 

Down:

1. Tenants' qtrs.: APTS.

2. Vegas machine: SLOT.  Remember the old machines where you put coins in the slot.  Now they only take paper money.

3. Le Pew of skunkdom: PEPE. A famous skunk created in the 40s.  I think he fell in love with Penelope Pussycat.

4. Bags you don't check: CARRY-ONS.  I really hate it when people carry on bags that my bowling balls would fit into, then stuff them overhead. Two other cross-referenced answers: 31. 4-Down attachments: ID TAGS. 34. 4-Down may be stored under them: SEATS.  Not the bowling ball size though.

5. Yoga position: ASANA.

6. Hunky-dory: A-OK.  NASA talk in Houston I believe.

7. Letters after phis: CHIS. It's Greek to me.

8. Dash, as of a spice: HINT.

9. Quotable Berra: YOGI.  One of my all time favorite Yankees.  "When you get to a fork in the road, Take it."  Finished his career as a Met.

10. "One, two, one-two-three" dance: CHA CHA.

11. Like more efficient gas: HIGH OCTANE. Since Octo is eight in Spanish and ten in Month number, why is high octane 89-92 ? 

12. Botanical balm: ALOE.  Add VERA and we have a plant on our deck.

13. Kennel barkers: DOGS.

18. Usual: NORM. After the movie "Psycho" I think people stopped naming their sons, Norm. (Apologies to any Normans here on the blog today).

22. Whig rival: TORY.  I think people believe that Whigs and Tories became Republicans and Democrats, however after the big wedding Saturday, I think there's a bit of Whig in all of us.

24. Fooling: DUPING.

26. Check, as an invoice: RE-ADD.

27. Fireplace glower: EMBER.

28. Park place with tables: PICNIC AREA.

30. North Pole letter recipient: SANTA. Memories of Argyle here.

32. DJ's assortment: CDS.

33. Actor Costner: KEVIN.  One of my favorites, especially as Crash Davis in "Bull Durham".  I think he bought into a casino in Deadwood, SD but it did not do well.

39. Flying Peter: PAN.

40. 747, e.g.: JUMBO JET. We don't see them much any more.  The 737 seems to be the jet of choice these days.

42. Pentagon side count: FIVE.  Hand slap gimme.

45. Isn't the same for everyone: VARIES.

46. Oklahoma city: ENID.

50. 16 oz.: ONE LB.  Okay - Libra is Latin for scale. That is how "pound" got the "LB" abbreviation.  This is why Latin drove me insanis.

51. Pitch-black: INKY.  I once scored 208,000 on a Pac Man machine at Great America Amusement Park in Northern Illinois.  When I finally lost there were about ten people behind me watching.  Inky was one of the characters in the game.  I think he was the blue one.

52. All finished: DONE. Almost

53. "Jeepers!": YIPE.

54. Heavy burden: ONUS.

55. Govt. mail agency: USPS. - We have 80,000 people in Brooklyn Park.  The mail gets delivered, but not always on time.

57. "Uh-uh": NOPE.

58. Flat-package furniture chain: IKEA. We have a huge IKEA store near the Mall of America. 

59. Senate six years: TERM.  33 seats are up for grabs in 169 days!

62. Prefix with metric: ISO.

Boomer