Monday March 11, 2019 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: WATER BREAK (58. Time for a drink at the gym... or what can literally be seen in 17-, 24-, 35- and 49-Across) - WATER bookends each theme entry.

 

17. Movie buff's collectible: WALL POSTER.

24. Warm winter wear: WOOL SWEATER.

35. Tool for whacking unwanted grasses: WEED EATER.

49. Looked after: WATCHED OVER.

Boomer here. 

"Cool Clear Water - Oh Dad can't you see that big green tree, where the WATER's runnin' free and it's waitin' there for you and me." 

In my travels around Minnesota, of course I can not go too far without noticing water in one of our 10,000 lakes. However, another thing catching my eye are mammoth apartment buildings being erected everywhere. I lived in an apartment for about ten years of my life, but it was a small building with eight units. I was just in Ramsey MN last week and I swear I saw two individual buildings that will hold about 400 apartments each. Ramsey is a community of many square miles of prairie land and I cannot see why anyone would want to live piled one on top of another. What's it like where you live?

One footnote regarding last week. I do not have any brothers, but three great sisters. One older and two younger.  I am sure they all wanted to kill me at one time or another, but I am still here.

Across:

1. Jet trail: VAPOR.

6. Torino ta-ta: CIAO. My sister speaks Italian and ends her emails with this strange word.  We used to say it in the Army when it was time to eat, but I don't think we spelled it that way.

10. Lima or soya: BEAN.

14. Conductor Seiji: OZAWA.

15. Poker hand buy-in: ANTE.  We used to play for nickels when I was a caddy.  Sometimes we would carry a bag and earn $4.00 then get in the card game and go home with $8.00. (or nothing).

16.  Rifle range supply: AMMO - Drop an "M" and you have the first Latin word I ever learned. 

19. Like spider webs: SPUN.  "Oh what a tangled web we weave."

20. Trees devastated by a "Dutch" disease: ELMS.  I don't think the disease is Dutch, I think the tree is.

21. Go kaput: DIE.

22. Manually clutch: GRASP.  This clue reminds me of the manual transmission Chevy we had when I was learning to drive.  Yeah, I think my dad GRASPED something. (Especially on the left turns)

23. Late July zodiac sign: LEO.  Could be a lion or a Pope

27. Popeye, for one: SAILOR.  " I would gladly pay you Tuesday for some spinach today."

29. Ramen : Japan :: __ : Vietnam: PHO.

30. Med. care group: HMO.  Is this really a Health Maintenance Organization or just a fancy acronym for health insurance ??

31. Croat or Serb: SLAV.

32. Capri or Wight: ISLE.  "Every summer we can build a cottage in the Isle of Wight" - when I'm Sixty-four.

34. All in favor: AYES. Opposed? Nay

38. Puppies' bites: NIPS.  Hey, I like cheese nips and I don't have a dog.

41. Friend in battle: ALLY.  Add an "E" and you have a car path behind a bowling CENTER !

42. Damon of "True Grit" (2010): MATT. Matt Fitzpatrick did well at Arnie Palmer's Tournament this weekend.

45. "__, please": box office request from a single patron: ONE.

46. Orlando-to-Miami dir.: SSE. These direction clue and ans. are usually the only ones I get immediately.

47. Some October babies: LIBRAS.  Not me, I am a Scorpio.  (And now I am a Cancer too),

53. High dudgeon: IRE.

54. "Aw, shucks!": OH GEE.  Wasn't Oh Gee Wan Kenobee in Star Wars ?

55. No-winner situation: TIE.  I have many in my closet.  Some are winners, I think.

56. Start of a play: ACT I.

57. Betting group: POOL. We used to pool money when the Power Ball got in the millions. I think once we won $50,  so everyone got about $1.50 back for the $5.00 we each bet.

61. Airline with an all-kosher menu: EL AL.  I have trouble wondering why anyone would eat airline food. I never liked it when it was included in the ride. I just figured it was there to keep the flight attendants busy.

62. "Close one!": WHEW.

63. Copy, briefly: REPRO.

64. Driving range barriers: NETS.  I never hit it far enough to hit the net.  (But I have hit a few parallels on the side of the range).

65. Ironically, some are "civil": WARS. What are they good for?  Absolutely nothing.

66. Caravan stops: OASES.

Down:

1. The word "America" has four of them: VOWELS.

2. Rhododendron shrubs: AZALEAS.

3. Saturated vegetable fat: PALM OIL. If you have it, you might want to wear gloves when you bowl or play golf.

4. Big-eyed birds: OWLS. WHO ??

5. Drake genre: RAP.

6. Electronic calculator pioneer: CASIO.  I remember my first one. Wiped out 4 years of grade school math.

7. Pentium processor maker: INTEL.

8. Gobbled up: ATE.  Oh You Turkey!!

9. "__ the ramparts ... ": OER.  Speaking of which - I wish guests at sporting events would sing the National Anthem with reverence and stop trying to make it a Broadway production.

10. Port in southeastern Iraq: BASRA.

11. Capacity to relate: EMPATHY.

12. "Say something funny!": AMUSE ME.

13. Amateurs: NON-PROS.

18. Smell: ODOR.  Rougned of the Rangers, you're wanted in a crossword.

22. Nat __ Wild: cable channel: GEO.

24. Worked on a loom: WOVE.  When I was a kid, we made potholders on them.  I never saw a real fancy loom though.

25. Spread out, as fingers: SPLAY.

26. Stimulate: WHET.  There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza.  So whet the knife, Henry and fix it!

28. Felons violate them: LAWS. 

32. Ran in neutral: IDLED.  In the old days we always warmed the car up in the winter.  Now I guess it's not necessary.

33. Poivre partner: SEL.

34. Graceful horse: ARAB.

36. Lack of difficulty: EASE.

37. Kuwait potentate: EMIR.  Our Gophers have Amir Coffey.  He does not have the money of an Emir, but he could get there in the NBA.

38. Sign on a new store: NOW OPEN.  I am waiting for that sign on the Minnesota golf courses.

39. Losing big at the casino, say: IN A HOLE. (See above - I'll bring my putter.)

40. Bleating companion: PET GOAT.  Remember Pontiac?  Those who owned a GTO were said to have a pet goat.

43. "Three-headed" arm muscle: TRICEPS.

44. Raw steak style: TARTARE. Raw fish - needs a lot of tartar sauce.

46. Ship's pronoun: SHE.

47. Creepy look: LEER.

48. Japanese watches: SEIKOS.  Got my mother one for Christmas in 1990.  Still keeps time.

50. Rooms behind bars?: CELLS.  I don't think you can call it a room unless it has a rug or a coffee pot.

51. Playful marine animal: OTTER.  Remember Eric Stratton in "Animal House"?  Otter, played by Tim somebody.

52. Vantage points: VIEWS.

56. Office space calculation: AREA.

58. Letters in a URL: WWW.  World Wide Wrestling??

59. ''Now I get it!'': AHA.

60. Dude: BRO.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

JD sent me this wonderful pictures of her grandsons. She said:

"Last evening the league had their opening ceremonies. The boys have just completed their flag football and basketball, and now....even though it is still chilly and rainy...the baseball season is upon us. Watched 1st game this morning with a few showers. As you can see, Grady and his brother Truman are on the same team. Dylan has no desire for any team sport yet. He needs a bicycle team. Time just flies by."

Sunday March 10, 2019 Jim Holland

Theme: "EU Trade" - E sound is replaced by a short U sound, changing spelling as needed.

23. Red misplays?: CINCINNATI BUNGLES. Cincinnati Bengals. Red refers to the Cincinnati Red.

37. Golf pro's instructive stroke?: TEACHER'S PUTT. Teacher's pet.

  

52. Loser who finds a silver lining?: GRATEFUL DUD. Grateful Dead.

70. Mysteriously-appearing debris?: RUBBLE WITHOUT A CAUSE. Rebel Without a Cause.

95. Groans from a Russian egg producer?: FABERGE UGHS. Faberge eggs. Ah, "egg" should not be in the clue. 

104. Big Apple mongrels?: NEW YORK MUTTS. New York Mets.

127. Confusion about who really won an international competition?: OLYMPIC GOLD MUDDLE.

Olympic gold medal.

  

All the key words experienced spelling changes. Very consistent.

As I said before, this type of letter change theme requires skills and imagination. I sure can't do it. Jim is a skilled wordsmith.

 

Across:

1. Dutch actress Verbeek of "Outlander": LOTTE. Unknown to me.

6. Chews (on): GNAWS.

11. "Point Break" plot, e.g.: CAPER.

16. One coming out: DEB. Not GAY.

19. Type of eye layer: UVEAL.

20. 348-seat Parisian body: SENAT.

21. __ drab: OLIVE. Is this olive drab?

22. Talkative fighter: ALI.

26. Three sheets to the wind: LIT.

27. Completely: IN TOTO.

28. Lab do-over: RE-TEST. We also have 67. Follow again: RE-TRACK.

29. Gophers and gardeners, say: ENEMIES. They sure are.

31. Word from the French for "clear the table": DESSERT. Dictionary says it's "derivative of desservir to clear the table". Dis-serve. Good to know. 

33. It's usually the hit: SIDE A.

34. DDE's domain: ETO.

35. Cry during an argument between siblings: MOM.

43. Hard shoe: SABOT.

48. Inventory acronym: FIFO. First In, First Out.

50. Greek portico: STOA.

51. Slaughter of old baseball: ENOS.

55. Online marketplace: ETSY.

58. "__ Believer": '60s hit: I'M A.

59. Prius producer: TOYOTA.

60. Becoming an item, maybe: DATING.

63. Worrisome engine sound: SPUTTER.

65. __ Paulo: SAO.

66. Furious state: IRE.

68. Thieves' home?: DEN. Gimme for regulars.

69. Major Hindu deity: RAMA.

78. Mark not to play: REST.

79. Red or Black: SEA.

80. Red Baron's conflict, briefly: WWI.

81. Berlin article: EIN.

83. Like Earth: BIPOLAR.

86. Call for assistance: HELP ME.

89. Annoying type: NOODGE. Not a word I use. I'm a NOODGE to those who always answer my "Help Me" emails.

92. "__ du lieber!": ACH. Literally "Oh you dear", right, Spitzboov?

93. The littlest bit: A TAD.

97. Virginia __: REEL.

99. End notes: CODA.

102. Level-headed: SANE. What D-Otto is. Always so calm.

103. Takeoff times?: DIETS. Why "times?".

108. Easy mark: SAP.

110. Short brew?: IPA.

111. Indian wraps: SARIS.

113. Lowered in dignity: DEBASED.

119. Marshmallow-filled snack: MOON PIE. Never had it.

123. Medium condition?: TRANCE. Psychic "medium".

125. Looking up: ROSIER.

126. Many get snacks during them: ADS.

130. Med. lab letters: LDL.

131. "So long": SEE YA.

132. Small-truck company: TONKA.

133. Freshwater bulrushes: TULES. New word to me. We also have 76. Marsh plant: SEDGE.

134. Menu general: TSO. You won't find General Tso's chicken in China. Or Orange Chicken. Or Egg Foo Young. They were all created by early Chinese immigrants.

135. Pelé's first name: EDSON.

136. Snidely Whiplash look: SNEER.

137. Playoff rankings: SEEDS.

Down:

1. Clear: LUCID.

2. Sheepish?: OVINE.

3. Big tops, e.g.: TENTS.

4. Folded food: TACOS.

5. Upper crust: ELITE.

6. "Catch 21" airer, initially: GSN. Game Show Network.

7. Approaching: NEAR.

8. Starts a pot: ANTES.

9. Stay put until the storm ends: WAIT IT OUT. Sparkly fill.

10. "Venerable" Eng. monk: ST BEDE.

11. Something in your eye: CONTACT. Lens.

12. Mor. neighbor: ALG. OK, Morocco. Algeria.

13. Stack: PILE.

14. Score-tying shot: EVENER.

15. Starts over: RESETS.

16. "Lobster Telephone" artist: DALI.

17. Tahari of fashion: ELIE. Like his works?

18. Pieces' partners: BITS.

24. Regular at Sam's bar: NORM.

25. "__ directed": USE AS.

30. Gloomy Gus: MOPE.

32. Vegan staple: TOFU. When I was a kid, there was a marketplace closer to our home. We went there every day for fresh veggies and a block of Tofu.

36. Fungal plant coating: MILDEW.

38. Low-tech weed whacker: HOE.

39. Consumes without cooking: EATS RAW.

40. __ price: UNIT.

41. One in a researcher's stack: TOME.

42. Title derived from "Caesar": TSAR.

43. Some NCOs: SGTS.

44. Like a delirious crowd: AROAR.

45. Catfish habitat: BAYOU. I tried catfish once. Too fishy for me.

46. Nebraska native: OTO.

47. Saigon holiday: TET. Same day as Chinese Spring Festival.

49. OTC drug regulator: FDA.

53. Is unsuccessful in: FAILS AT.

54. Finished 50% (of): DID HALF.

56. Typographer's concern: SPACING.

57. Arizona county or its seat: YUMA.

61. Classical beginning: NEO. Neoclassical.

62. African antelope: GNU.

64. 19th Greek letter: TAU.

71. Frat guy: BRO.

72. Composer Bartók: BELA.

73. Language suffix: ISH.

74. Good place for driving: TEE. Tee pad.

75. Some junior high students: TWEENS.

77. Word before ball or after figure: EIGHT.

82. Untouchables leader: NESS.

83. Old MacDonald surely had one: BARN.

84. Big name in frozen treats: ICEE.

85. Sound of relief: PHEW.

87. Choosing to skip: PASSING ON.

88. Many a CEO's credential: MBA.

90. 20-volume ref.: OED.

91. Francine's "For sure": OUI.

94. __ Pérignon: DOM.

96. Part of CD-ROM: READ.

98. With 122-Down, Eagles classic: LYIN. 122. See 98-Down: EYES.

100. One involved in a sweeping gesture?: DUSTPAN. "One" made me think of a person.

101. Pong maker: ATARI.

105. Hinder: OPPOSE.

106. Complained: RAILED.

107. Expanses of land: TRACTS.

109. Salon offering: PERM.

112. Quick bread choice: SCONE. Have some sweet potato scones.

114. Ring features: BOUTS.

115. When required: AS DUE. Can you give me an example of how the clue matches the Answer?

116. Move like a crab: SIDLE. I've learned to move like a penguin on icy roads. We had a few more inches of snow yesterday. Will continue today. I told Brad (a solver based in Nebraska) that I looked forward to seeing patches of green on our lawn. He said "Mid-June!".

117. Fished with pots: EELED.

118. Scold, with "down": DRESS.

119. Parlor purchase: MALT.

120. What gamblers weigh: ODDS.

121. Scandinavian capital: OSLO.

124. Sommer of cinema: ELKE.

128. Prefix with cardial: MYO. Meaning "muscle".

129. Patriotic org.: DAR.

No more spots for the Cru Dinner. You can ask Mike to put you on the wait list, in case someone cancels at the last minute.

Below is a picture of the proud grandpa Mike and his cute grandson Luca, who is a little over 3-month old. Mike took these fantastic pictures of Marti and Rich a few years ago. 

If you attend the Cru Dinner, say "Hi" to Mike and take a picture to share with us. Our Jeffrey Wechsler will be the tournament judge again, though I'm not sure he'll swing by the Cru Dinner this year.

Mike and Luca

Saturday, March 9, 2019, C.C. Burnikel

Themeless Saturday Puzzle by C.C. Burnikel

In 2005 a man named Jeff Goldblatt was having trouble getting over a recent romance that ended badly and so he declared National Get Over It Day. He felt it apt to be between Valentine's Day and April Fool's Day and thus he settled on March 9.

The intent is well summarized below the sign shown here and like many, I am better at dispensing this advice than taking it. We occasionally get a naysayer here at the blog (Oh really, Gary?) and perhaps they could follow this course of action. Even critical submissions can be couched in diplomatic terms free of negativity. 

If you linked to my CARPOOL KARAOKE video two weeks ago where Paul McCartney told said that he came up with the song Let It Be when his mother told him to let his anger go and everything will work itself out. This is very similar.

C.C.'s puzzle today challenged me to the max but, as always, I had a very satisfying experience after IDNO, EDER and ONE-K gave up the ghost via perps (I got over it!!).  Listing blind alleys I traversed early on wouldn't really help all that much.

This week someone linked us to a C.C. puzzle in USA Today and I solved her light and breezy puzzle. However I noticed as the constructor she was listed as Zhouqin Burnikel and not C.C.  I wrote and asked her why that was so and she replied all the other sites require her legal name. She further told me "I use C.C. in real life. Zhouqin is just so tricky and hard to pronounce and write. Most people just add an U after the Q."

Let's see what C.C. (aka Zhouqin) has for us today.


Across:

1. Sign words suggesting a bad shortcut?: ROAD ENDS - There was no sign but the ROAD definitely did END for the two women in their eponymous movie.

9. Mental grasp: UP TAKE - When I started at this, I'm sure C.C. thought I was slow on the UPTAKE 😕

15. See to the door: USHER OUT - When done with great force, it might be called "The Bum Rush"

16. Cruise woe: NAUSEA - Cruises are having many woes these day besides NAUSEA

17. "Let's get started!": THAT'S A GO.

18. Take shelter, with "down": HUNKER - Did anyone else do a HUNKER DOWN exercise in school?

19. "¿Quién __?": SABE.

20. Green card fig.: ID NO - Latika's is 0018-5978

22. Tanning salon equipment: LAMPS.

23. What unGlue helps parents and kids manage: SCREEN TIME - An app that allows parents to 26. Decide one will: OPT TO to let their kids use their phone but budget their time there and not use a 66. Big group: PASSEL of hours 

29. Linda of Broadway: EDER - Her info

30. Film lioness: ELSA - Born Free is the story of orphaned ELSA and her new "Mom" Joy Adamson

33. Course standard: PAR 

34. Deal with, in a way, as ads: ZAP - I've seen enough of that dang Gecko!

36. Nebraska's official soft drink: KOOL-AID - KOOL-AID was invented here in Hastings, NE

38. Lifts up: ELATES - Hmmm... if you put EV after the L... 

40. Slightly touched: PATTED.

41. Small stingers: RED ANTS - Yikes!

43. Adoptee, maybe: PET - We had International Cat Rescue Day last Saturday

44. Second person?: EVE - Made from one of Adam's ribs so the story goes

45. Mideast port: ADEN - Aden, Yemen is not on our vacation list

46. "The Moor already changes with my poison" speaker: IAGO - The Moor’s mind has already become infected with my poisonous suggestions.

48. Texted the wrong person, say: ERRED - "OMG, I sent that to my mom, not my girlfriend" 

50. Sign of confusion: BLANK STARE - is what you might get from Simon Cowell if you are 65. Unable to hit a pitch: TONE DEAF 

53. Part of a case: STAIR - Does your yacht have a spiral (edit) STAIRCASE like this one does?

55. Figure (out): SUSS - We've got some pretty good SUSSERS here

56. Copper: CENT - After 1982 pennies were over 97% zinc

60. Home of Tumnus, in fiction: NARNIA - Here 'ya go!

62. Angry overstatement, usually: I HATE YOU - "Hey, be cool! Today is LET IT GO Day!"

64. Ideally: AT BEST.

67. Visited overnight: STAYED AT - We STAYED AT  lovely hotels on our Pacific Coast Highway Tour from Seattle to San Francisco except the one in Gold Beach, OR. Yikes!


Down:

1. Sticking points?: RUTS - Not Shakespearean RUBS (Ah there's the RUB) it turns out

2. Org. with a QuickTakes online newsletter: OSHA - I'm sure it's a real electronic page turner

3. Model for Hook: AHAB - J.M. Barrie modeled Peter Pan's Captain HOOK after Herman Melville's Captain AHAB in Moby Dick

4. Not fancy at all: DETEST - In the U.K. you could get dumped by someone who doesn't FANCY you and will probably tell you 54. Word on the way out: TATA 

5. Med. show locales: ERS 

6. Outer space feature: NO AIR - Richard Branson's rocket will launch very soon and it can go over 3,000 mph because it will fly in space where there is NO AIR resistance 

7. Found inner strength: DUG DEEP - I think I can, I think I can...

8. High: STONED - The synonym de jour for "under the influence"

9. The Wildcats of the America East Conf.: UNH - There it is in Durham, NH, just below our cwd friend, the Black Bears in Orono, ME

10. Physics Nobelist Wolfgang __: PAULI - At one time I halfway understood his Pauli Exclusion Principle 

11. Hot lunch order: TUNA MELT.

12. "Not now": ASK ME LATER.

13. Preserve: KEEP. 

14. All __: EARS 

21. RAM unit: ONE-K - ONE KB is 1,024 bytes

24. Cheat: COZEN - In your vocabulary?

25. Irony, say: TROPE - This trope occurred in High Noon when Gary Cooper's life is saved by his non-violent Quaker wife who shoots the man that was going to kill him

26. Play with music: OPERA - I'll take Jesus Christ Superstar

27. Showed fear, perhaps: PALED.

28. Spar: TRADE BARBS - Ever watched senate hearings where they take verbal 43. Bit of sparring: POTSHOTS at each other?

31. It won't hold water: SIEVE.

32. Topped with, say: ADDED.

35. Sean of "Rudy": ASTIN - Here he is with his mom Patty Duke. He was adopted by Patty's husband John Astin

37. Film on the range: OATER - These cowboy movies used to be Sunday Morning TV fare for me

39. Tropical vacation souvenirs: TAN LINES.

42. Barneys rival: SAKS - I first thought of Rowland MACY and BARNEY Pressman

47. Gear for some test pilots: G-SUITS - These pilots wear these tight suits to keep blood from piling up in their boots on steep climbs

49. Move away: RECEDE - The less said about my hairline...

51. Spring up: ARISE 

52. Mountain Pose is a standing one: ASANA - A yoga pose

53. Piece of cake: SNAP - or "Easy as pie"

57. Observed: EYED.

58. Weather-tracking org.: NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

59. Thread cluster: TUFT

A TUFT of woolen thread 

61. Icel. surrounder: ATL - Yeah, I suppose the ATLantic Ocean does surround ICELand 

63. "Miss Pym Disposes" author: TEY - Josephine TEY was a pseudonym for Elizabeth MacKintosh

Now take a deep breath and in the spirit of Let It Go Day feel free to make some constructive comments: