Friday, May 24, 2019, Evan Kalish

Double Meanings.  Each clue can be interpreted literally, or can have another meaning, as evidenced by the puzzle's answer.  Two of our entries span the16*15 grid.

18. Mission statement?: REMEMBER THE ALAMO!  (1) A Mission Statement is a formal summary of the values of a company or organization.  (2) The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas was originally a Spanish Mission and fortress built by Catholic missionaries to educate and convert Native Americans to Christianity.  The Mission was secularized in the late 1790s, and later became under military control.  During the Texas Revolution, a group of Texan soldiers (including James Bowie and Davy Crockett) defended the Alamo against the Mexican army.  The Texan soldiers were all defeated and killed.  Remember the Alamo! then became the rallying cry for Texas independence.

31. Position statement?: YOU ARE HERE.  (1) A Position Statement is a formal statement that lets others know where a company or organization stands on a particular topic.  (2) A map showing you where you are, generally in a public area, such as a mall.

43. Impact statement?: OW!  THAT HURT.  (1) An Impact Statement is a short summary that used to explain and inform stakeholders of a company or organizations work.  (2) Being hit from an outside source or Impact may hurt.

56. Closing statement?: COME BACK TOMORROW.  (1) A Closing Statement is a concluding statement at the end of a trial to emphasize the important arguments of the case for the trier of fact.  (2) At Closing time, the store may ask you to return the next day to finish your shopping.

Across:

1. Muscle at one end of the Achilles tendon: CALF.  The CALF is actually made up of two muscles: (1) the Gastrocnemius, which is the larger muscle that forms the visible bulge beneath the skin; and (2) the Soleus, which is a smaller, flat muscle that is under the Gastrocnemius muscle.

5. Dream __: TEAM.  The 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team was known as the Dream TEAM because it was the first American Olympic team to be made-up of professional basketball players.

9. Ground-hitting sound: SPLAT.

14. __ 2600, Class of 2007 National Toy Hall of Fame inductee: ATARI.  It looks so old-fashioned today.

16. Ebb: WANE.

17. Alaska governor after Murkowski: PALIN.  Sarah Palin (née Sarah Louise Heath; b. Feb. 11, 1965), served as the Governor of Alaska from December 2006 until she resigned in July 2009.  Her predecessor as Governor was Frank Mursowski (né Frank Hughes Murkowski; b. Mar. 28, 1933).  She was also the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election.  She could see Alaska from her house.  But, you knew that.

21. Bandies words: SPARS.

22. Baseball mascot originally titled "Lady": MRS. MET.

23. La, in the key of E: C SHARP.

25. Ballet move: PLIÉ.

27. Drink suffix: -ADE.  CSO to our own LemonADE.

28. For nothing: GRATIS.  From the Latin word for Favor.

29. Get gas: FUEL UP.

33. Black fur: SABLE.   A SABLE is a small species of a marten that lives in northern Asia.  The animal was historically hunted for its soft, fine fur.  Coats made from sable can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

37. Big name in big trucks: MACK.

38. Restoratives: TONICS.  Nothing is more refreshing that a Gin and TONIC on a hot summer day.

40. Lead-in to bake or shell: CLAM.  Lots of CLAM Shells at a CLAM Bake.

41. Lid maladies: STYES.  This has become a crossword staple.

45. __ best: SUNDAY.  Do people really dress up for Sunday church anymore?  I was at a funeral recently and was shocked to see people dressed in such casual wear.  They looked like they just came in from the forest after chopping wood.

47. What many dress in during winter: LAYERS.

48. Tricky person: WAG.  //  Not to be confused with 61-Down:  Locks lacking keys = WIG.

51. Looking up: ROSY.

52. Gently towel off: PAT DRY.

53. Author Allende: ISABEL.  Isabel Allende (b. Aug. 2, 1942) is a Chilean writer.  She was related to Salvador Allende (June 26, 1908 ~ Sept. 11, 1973), who was the President of Chile from Nov. 1970 until Sept. 1973, when he was ousted in a coup.

55. Clean __: SLATE.

62. First name in Fighting Irish history: KNUTE.  KNUTE Rockne (né Knute Kenneth Rockne; Mar. 4, 1888 ~ Mar. 31, 1931) was born in Norway, but immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 5 years old.  Although he earned a degree in chemistry, he never worked in that field, and instead became a football coach, ultimately becoming the head coach at Notre Dame.  He was killed in a plane crash at age 43.

63. Vacation home asset: VIEW.

64. Arabian Peninsula resident: OMANI.

65. Go after: SET AT.

66. Board-making aids: SAWS.

67. Sun blocker: SMOG.  Schools were closed in Mexico City recently because of the smog.

Down:

1. A dealer might flip one: CAR.

2. Adored, with "up": ATE.

3. Escape: LAM.

4. New perspectives: FRESH TAKES.

5. Squirt: TWERP.

6. Wheat spikes: EARS.  The EAR is the grain-bearing part of the stem of a cereal plant.  I generally think of an Ear of Corn, but it applies to wheat as well.

7. Critter with three left legs: ANT.  I misread this clue as a Critter with Three Legs Left.  I wondered what type of critter could hop about with three legs.

8. "Doesn't do it for me": MEH!

9. "We have enough details, thanks": SPARE US!  This seems rather rude.

10. Buds: PALS.  Buds as in friends, not flower buds.

11. High-altitude pack animal: LLAMA. (From C.C.: . Guess who this beautiful lady is?)

12. Prepared with a cue: AIMED.  I initially tried Aided, because I was thinking the "cue" referred to a stage assist, as in a play, not a pool cue.

13. Low-risk investment: T-NOTE.  As in a Treasury Note.

15. Affect adversely: IMPAIR.

19. Mixologist's tools: BAR SET.

20. Expressionist painter Nolde: EMIL.  Emil Nolde (né Emil Hansen; Aug. 7, 1867 ~ Apr. 13, 1956) makes occasional guest appearances in the crossword puzzles ~ enough so that I recognize his name, if not his work.

23. Slovene neighbor: CROAT.

24. Pert: SAUCY.

25. Ingot valuation factor: PURITY.

26. Parasite: LEECH.

28. Places for some rats: GYMS.

29. Ted Williams' field: FENWAY.  Ted Williams (né Theodore Samuel Williams; Aug. 30, 1918 ~ July 5, 2002), had a long baseball career with the Boston Red Sox. When I lived in Boston, I lived about 2 blocks away from Fenway Park.

The Green Monster at Fenway Park.

30. Large animals whose taxonomic order is obsolete: PACHYDERMS.  Why is the term Pachyderms now obsolete?  Who knew?

32. Brit's bonnets, in the States: HOODS.  Bonnet sound so much nicer than Hood.

34. Downer?: BLUER.

35. David who voiced George Steinbrenner on "Seinfeld": LARRY.  Larry David (né Lawrence Gene David; b. July 2, 1947), was the co-creator, along with Jerry Seinfeld, of the sit-com Seinfeld.  He also created and starred in Curb Your Enthusiasm.

36. Mobile lifesavers: EMTs.  As in Emergency Medical Technicians.

39. Peace in the Middle East?: SALAAM.  The Arabic word for Peace.  I initially tried Shalom, which is the Hebrew word for Peace.

42. Can't-miss wager: SURE BET.

44. Bit of needlework: TATTOO.  Why?  Just Why?

46. Tulane's home, informally: NOLA.  Tulane University is in New Orleans, Louisiana.  NOLA has become a crossword staple.

48. Burning needs?: WICKS.

49. In unison: AS ONE.

50. Full range: GAMUT.

52. Pickup attachments: PLOWS.

54. Pre-release stage: BETA.

55. All-in-one dinner: STEW.

57. Rite Aid rival: CVS.  Both are drug stories.

58. Optima, for one: KIA.

59. Big name in pickups: RAM.  Big wheels, too.

60. Palindromic peace activist: ONO.  A new clue for our crossword friend, Yoko ONO (b. Feb. 18, 1933).

Here's the Grid:

I will leave you with a QOD:  Hating people is like burning down your own house to get rid of a rat. ~ Harry Emerson Fosdick (May 24, 1878 ~ Oct. 5, 1969)

Thursday May 23rd 2019 Joe Schewe

Theme: Scramble  - as the nicely-placed reveal tells us:

60A. Simple salad ... and what the starts of the five other longest answers are?: MIXED GREENS. I like it when the reveal is placed towards the bottom of the puzzle, it gives you a chance to figure out the theme before you get to it. This time, it was key to me going back and unlocking some of the theme entries, SEGA and VOILE in this case.

17A. U.S. gaming release of 1989: SEGA GENESIS. Sage green. I'd never heard of the console, mainly because it was marketed as the Mega Drive in Europe.

24A. Chiffon-like materials: VOILE FABRICS. Olive green. Often used for sheer window drapes.

33A. Future first lady wed in 1842: MARY TODD Army green. Crosses all the way here. Mary Todd before she married Abraham Lincoln. She had a tough life, not only did she witness her husband being assassinated, but out of four children only one outlived her.

41A. Foam toy: NERF BALL Fern green. The brand is now owned by Hasbro, and annual Nerf sales are estimated at more than $400 million. Enthusiasts claim that the name is an acronym for "non-expanding recreational foam".

49A Rocky Mountains nickname: MILE HIGH CITY Lime green. Denver, home to Denver International Airport terminal which is more than half a mile long, and I always seem to arrive at Gate 95 and have to walk the 0.66 miles to Gate 17 for my LAX connection. (Gate 17 is the first gate in Terminal B, for reasons unknown to me).

Joe returns for what I think is his fourth LAT appearance. Straightforward theme once you tumble to the gimmick, some of the theme entries were obtuse enough that I needed the reveal, as I mentioned above. Let's see what else catches the eye:

Across:

1. Analyze critically: PARSE

6. Counting gadgets: ABACI. "Counting" seems a little simplistic for what you can do with an abacus.

11. Business address abbr.: STE. Suite.

14. Michener novel with astronauts: SPACE. Never heard of the book, crosses all the way.

15. Answer an insult with an insult, say: REACT

16. Short flight: HOP. The shortest commercial flights I have taken were between LAX and Carlsbad, about 80 miles as the crow flies. You'd think it would be better to drive, but the traffic between LA and San Diego is so unpredictable I'd have kept missing meetings. The airport is so tiny that almost everybody waits in a bar called "The Landings" about 20 feet from the terminal until they open security, usually about ten minutes before the flight is scheduled to depart. The planes that land there aren't exactly big:

19. It often follows you: ARE. I am, you are, he/she/it is.

20. Ivan or Nicholas: TSAR

21. Actor Chaney: LON

22. Windy home, probably: AERIE. Nice cluing.

28. Left the country?: SECEDED. Another nice clue. Some inventive stuff today.

31. Piccadilly Circus statue: EROS. Except it's not. The statue is commonly referred to as Eros, but actually it depicts his brother, Anteros. The statue is a memorial to the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, and Anteros, "the God of selfless love" symbolizes the Earl's philanthropy and his efforts to replace child labor with school education. It's a total waste of time trying to tell people this, however, but I still like to try.

32. Plain text: PROSE

37. It's all around us: AIR. Depends on whether you happen to be on dry land or not.

38. Hangs on a line?: WAITS. Seems a good excuse to revisit this Blondie hit from 1978.

40. Word from a bull: BUY

44. Line to the audience: ASIDE

46. Took the bus: RODE

47. Becomes a burden: IMPOSES

53. Give a speech: ORATE

54. Longing: YEN

55. Cheese with an edible rind: BRIE. Pretty much all cheese rinds are edible, except those made from wax or other such stuff. I always eat the rind.

59. Beans or baloney: ROT. Beans? I didn't see this until now, the crosses filled it in for me. I'd not heard of the synonym "beans" before. Webster's list about 60 synonyms for "baloney".

64. Aardvark snack: ANT

65. European woman's name meaning "peace": IRENA. Common in Russia and Poland, hence the "European" part of the clue.

66. Safe places?: BANKS

67. Caustic chemical: LYE

68. State of northeast India: ASSAM. Famous for its tea - strong and favorful. I usually blend it in with some Earl Grey for the bergamot flavor.

69. Temporarily unavailable: IN USE

Down:

1. "Hey!": PSST!

2. Gibbons, e.g.: APES

3. Music featuring sitars: RAGA

4. Often colorful accessories: SCARVES

5. Neurologist's printout, briefly: EEG. I always get mixed up with EKG. This instance was no exception - SPACE fixed my error, SPACK didn't look quite right.

6. "Dover Beach" poet: ARNOLD.

The sea is calm tonight. 

The tide is full, the moon lies fair 

Upon the straits; on the French coast the light 

Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand, 

Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay. 

That's a cross-channel ferry in the background of this picture. The Dover-Calais crossing is the shortest of the routes across the English Channel.

7. __ Bag: eponymous '70s designer label: BEENE. Geoffrey Beene created the brand in 1974 as a low-cost alternative to his haute couture offerings.

8. Remote batteries: AAS. Not always, one of my TV remotes uses AAA batteries.

9. Third-century date: CCI. 201 A.D.

10. Delivery announcement: IT'S A BOY!

11. Puppeteer Lewis: SHARI

12. Tire-shaped: TORIC. I tried OVOID at first, which didn't really make a ton of sense.

13. They're heavier than foils: EPÉES. In Olympic fencing, the foil's target is limited to the torso. In the epée competition, you can hit your opponent anywhere, including the head and feet, recreating the fighting capabilities of the weapons in actual combat.

18. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.

23. Once, old-style: ERST

25. Poem of homage: ODE

26. Skillful deed: FEAT

27. SFO postings: ARRS. Arrivals at San Francisco International airport.

28. Time period: SPAN

29. Buffalo's county: ERIE

30. Irish pop group family name: CORR. I haven't heard much from this musical family recently. Four siblings, here's one of their singles from 2009.

33. End of a corporal's URL: MIL. Reserved for the U.S. Department of Defense.

34. Sapporo sashes: OBIS. The city, not the beer.

35. "Seriously, man!": DUDE!

36. Adds highlights to, perhaps: DYES

38. Arabian arroyo: WADI. I learned this from my Dad, who was posted to North Africa during WWII. He was a gunner in the Royal Artillery, but transferred to the Medical Corps when he discovered he would earn an extra sixpence a week.

39. Words after shake or break: A LEG

42. Worry: FRET

43. Czech Republic region: BOHEMIA. Leading moment for me. I always assumed, for no good reason, that it was somewhere in Germany.

44. Likely: APT

45. Nutrient-rich legume: SOYBEAN

47. Winter eave buildup: ICE DAM. I'd never heard of this before. Here's an example:

48. "Merciless" Flash Gordon foe: MING. Thank you, crosses. No clue.

49. Story lesson: MORAL

50. Device common on "Seinfeld": IRONY. Don't talk to Alanis Morissette about this. She was teased mercilessly that all the situations she described in her song "Ironic" were not, actually, ironic.

51. Starbucks order: LATTE

52. Spotted African predator: HYENA

56. OPTI-FREE rival: RENU. Contact lens cleaners. I don't have contacts, so I'd not heard of either of them.

57. Contents of many cartridges: INKS

58. To be, to Brutus: ESSE

61. Apr. addressee: I.R.S. Nice clue, I enjoyed this one. See how you can get cunning with what seems to be simple fill?

62. Crosses (out): X'ES

63. Slugger's stat: RBI. No explanation needed? Runs Batted In in baseball.

And with that, I think I'm done, save for posting the grid.

Steve

Wednesday, May 22, 2019 Roland Huget

Theme: LABOR.  The Circled letters spell various kinds of paid gigs.

17 A. Car engine part: CRANKSHAFT.  A SHAFT constructed of a series of CRANKS and CRANK pins that attach to the connecting rods of an engine. A CRAFT is a skill used in making items by hand.

24 A. "Tell me about it": JOIN THE CLUB.  A commiserating phrase along the lines of "I feel your pain." A JOB is a paid position of regular employment.

34 A. Custodian: CARETAKER. Someone assigned to look after a person, pet, property, or entity, depending on context.  A CAREER is a long-term occupation with opportunities for progress.

50. Lonely Planet publication, e.g.: TRAVEL GUIDE.  A book of information about a location designed for visitors and tourists.  A TRADE is a skilled job usually involving manual skills and special training.

58. Temporary fix, or what's found in this puzzle's circles: WORK AROUND.  A method for overcoming a problem or limitation is a system or program.  In the theme, various synonyms for types of WORK book-end the theme fill, so WORK goes AROUND the completed answer.

Hi, Gang - JazzBumpa here, as we WORK our way through this puzzle.  Let's get on the job!

Across:

1. Receives at one's roof garden: HAS UP.  I had to ponder this one. To receive visitors, you HAVE them into your home.  So, you could have them up to your roof garden, should you be fortunate enough to possess such a thing.

6. "Shoot!": DARN. Exclamations of disappointment.

10. Bounces on the waves: BOBS.  Like a cork.

14. Food safety concern: E COLI.  Coliform bacteria that can be a food contaminant.

15. Miracle Mets outfielder Tommie: AGEE. [b 1942] He played for Cleveland and Chicago before the Mets.  The Miracle refers to their 1969 World Series win over the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles.  This was the 8th year of existence for the Mets, and their first year with a winning record.  AGEE is credited with making two of the greatest and most critical catches in World Series history in game 3, with the series tied.  He also led off the game with a home run.

16. Bell town in a Longfellow poem: ATRI.  You can read about it here.

19. Like racehorses: SHOD.  Having shoes.

20. __ Bora: Afghan region: TORA.  A cave complex in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan.

21. Roman 151: CLI.  Roman numerals.

22. Prolonged assault: SIEGE.  A tactic of surrounding the enemy's position to cut off supplies in hope of getting them to surrender.

23. U.K. honor: O.B.E.  Order of the British Empire, awarded for outstanding contributions to arts, sciences or public service.

27. Numbers to crunch: RAW DATA. Data in an unprocessed form.  Processing then leads to information.

29. Veer off course: YAW.  Twist around a vertical axis.

30. Poe's "Annabel __": LEE.

31. Stately horse: STEED.

32. Orbit segment: ARC.

33. Alpha-Bits cereal maker: POST.

38. Talk show host Cavett: DICK. [b. 1936]

41. Zamboni surface: ICE.  The Zamboni machine smooths the ice surface for hockey or figure skating.

42. Stretches out for a bit: RESTS.  Takes 5.

46. Bat wood: ASH. The best choice, but other woods are also used.

47. Aromatic garland: LEI.  Flowers strung together to be worn as a necklace.

48. Bob Cratchit's son: TINY TIM.  From A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

53. Zodiac feline: LEO.  From July 23 to August 22.

54. Relaxed: EASED.  Let up.

55. Salem-to-Portland dir.: NNE.  As the crow flies

56. Gardener's bagful: SOIL.

57. Outdo: BEST.  Perform better than someone.

61. Came to rest: ALIT.  Landed.

62. First name in stunts: EVEL.  AKA Robert Craig Knievel [1938-2007]

63. Superachievers: ELITE. A-list performers in some activity

64. Get out of bed: RISE. Even if reluctantly.  Can be alarming.

65. Obsolete demo medium: TAPE. A musical demo presented for possible publication or professional recording.

66. Cap bill: VISOR.  For shading one's eyes from the sun.

Down:

1. Strong-arms: HECTORS.  To bully, intimidate or browbeat,

2. Cirque du Soleil performer: ACROBAT.

3. "Us, too": SO ARE WE.  JOIN THE CLUB!

4. Radius neighbor: ULNA. The two long bones of the forearm.

5. Dental suffix with Water: PIK.  Device for cleaning teeth and massaging the gums.

6. Mexico's national flower: DAHLIA.

Decorative

7. From the top: AGAIN.  One more time.

8. Sports replay reviewer: REF.  Always trying to get it right.

9. After-tax: NET.  What is remaining after all charges and deductions have been removed.

10. Not advanced: BASIC. The A-B-C's.

11. The lord in "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!": OTHELLO.  From Shakespeare's play about jealousy and betrayal.

12. Irish accents: BROGUES.  I wasn't able to come up with better information.

13. Extra gambling action: SIDE BET.  An additional bet beside the main wager, generally involving a related issue.

18. Highlander: SCOT.  One likely to speak with a burr instead of a BROGUE.

22. Clinch, with "up": SEW.  Nail it down.

24. "Gotham" actress __ Pinkett Smith: JADA. [b. 1971]

Mom and actress

25. Supermodel Banks: TYRA. [b. 1973]

Now a producer, as well

26. Access illegally, as a computer: HACK.  To get unauthorized access to stored data or documents.

28. Swabbing site: DECK.  Naval activity

32. Tucked away: ATE.

33. One being hunted: PREY.

35. Cambodian currency: RIEL. .00025 U. S. Dollar.

36. Vaping product, briefly: E CIG.  It provides a mist containing nicotine, without burning tobacco.

37. Sea eagle: ERNE.  Old school crossword entry.

38. Baked snack with dried fruit: DATE BAR.  A cookie or cake-like item with fruit chunks or filling that is baked and then cut into bars.

39. Lod native: ISRAELI.  Lod is a city of 75,000 located 9 miles south-east of Tel Aviv, near Ben-Gurion airport.  The area has been inhabited since 5,000 B.C.

40. Car's supporting frame: CHASSIS.  The base frame upon which the body and other componentry is located

43. Midwest city named for a French king: ST. LOUIS.  In Missouri.

44. Connect with: TIE INTO.

45. Do a slow burn: SMOLDER.

47. Took charge of: LED.

48. Wind chime sound: TINKLE.  Tinkle, tinkle, little chime, playing in a windy time.

49. Creative spark: IDEA.

51. Sporty Chevy: VETTE.  Corvette, more formally.

52. Gen. Assembly member: U. N. REP.

56. Etudes, e.g.: SOLI.  An etude is an instrumental study piece designed to improve technique.  As such, it is a solo.. SOLI is the plural.

58. Not just damp: WET. On a spectrum from moist through inundated.

59. In vitro supply: OVA. Unfertilized eggs.

60. Race in the driveway: REV.  To 'race" an engine is to give it gas [REV] while it is not in gear.

That, my circle of friends, wraps up another Wednesday.  Hope you found the work to your liking.

Cool Regards!
JzB

Tuesday, May 21, 2019 John-Clark Levin & Jeff Chen

"Tiny Bubbles"

4. It's often worn with a hood and mortarboard: ACADEMIC ROBE.  10^-6 or 0.000001

10. Computer screen array: DESKTOP ICONS.  10^-12 or 0.000000000001

25. Longtime late-night host: CONAN OBRIEN.  10^-9   or 0.000000001 

26. Don Ho's signature song ... and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters: TINY BUBBLES.


The circled answers are three of the twenty metric system "unit prefixes" used in the International System of Units (SI).   The prefixes are used for multiples or  fractions of the seven base units of measurements, which include second for time, meter for length, kilogram for mass, etc.   In case you missed the news, big changes occurred yesterday, May 20, 2019 as the redefinition of the base units went into effect.

However, the theme is Tiny Bubbles, and we have:

• Microbubbles - Used in biomedical imaging and for targeted drug delivery.
• Nanobubbles - Change the characteristics of water molecules, with widespread potential uses.
• Picobubbles - Being studied to improve extraction in phosphate production.  

Who knew ?  I only knew of microbubbles, and that led me to see if there were indeed, nanobubbles and picobubbles. 

If you aren't buying in, just count all of those zeros in the SI unit prefixes as Tiny Bubbles.

Moving on...

Across:

1. Fur-protesting org.: PETA.  People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

5. Criminals, to cops: PERPS.  Perpetrators.   Perps, to cruciverbalists:  perpendicular answers.

10. Idiotic: DUMB.

14. With, in France: AVEC. 

15. Paying careful attention: ALERT.

16. Biblical twin: ESAU.  The hirsute one that sold his birthright.

17. California county known for vineyards: NAPA.

18. JFK Library architect: I.M. PEI.  As you are aware, he died last week at 102.  Jackie Kennedy chose an unknown architect named I.M. Pei to design the Kennedy Library

19. Talked like a rat?: SANG.

20. Shoe brand with a three-stripe logo: ADIDAS.

22. Jabbing rudely: POKING.

24. Rescue helicopter: MEDEVAC.

26. Something for serving the English breakfast?: TEA TRAY.

27. Spanish hand: MANO.  Anatomy.  Mano a Mano: hand to hand. 

28. Crushing on: INTO.  Adoring on, or idolizing. 

29. Fronton game word: ALAI.  Didn't know the word fronton.  Had the clue been "Cesta game word" jai alai would have come to mind.   As it was, perps provided the answer.   If you are looking for a venue where you can watch a match, here's a list:  Frontons in the USA

32. Like about-to-be-toppled dominoes: ON END.

34. Surreptitious summons: PSST.

38. Branded wares, informally: MERCH.  Merchandise.

40. American gymnast Raisman with three Olympic gold medals: ALY.  Three Golds, Two Silvers and a Bronze in Olympic competition:

41. Magazine name: TITLE.  Caught me thinking of masthead names. 

42. Preface, briefly: INTRO. 

43. Tip of a quill: NIB.

44. Ensure the win: ICE IT.

45. "The Tempest" king: ALONSO.  Shakespeare.  That's about all I know about it. 

47. Send to iCloud: UPLOAD. 

49. "Doctor Who" airer, familiarly: THE BEEB.    "...a nickname originally coined by Peter Sellers...and popularised by radio DJ Kenny Everett."

50. Smoothie maker: BLENDER.

52. Gained altitude: ROSE.

53. "Survivor" faction: TRIBE.  If interested, here's a list of the tribes of "Survivor" through the years.  I think I've watched perhaps a total of 10 minutes of it in the 38 "seasons" it has been on TV.  They must average about two seasons a year, since Wiki tells me it has been on since 2000.   Apparently it's a very popular reality series.

55. Stud farm stud: SIRE.

56. Latin art: ARS.

57. Not yet sleeping: STILL UP.

59. Chicago ballplayer: CUB.


60. Show on which Tina Fey co-starred for six seasons: SNL. 

61. Cooks' prep tools: PEELERS.

62. India pale __: ALE.

63. "Yo!": HEY !

64. Bar tender in Tokyo?: YEN.  Two words for the currency clue rather than the singular word for an occupation.

65. For instance: SAY.  FREX, as JzB would abbreviate FoR EXample.

66. Blanc who voiced Bugs: MEL.


Down:

1. Former Delta rival: PAN AM.  Never flew Pan Am, but was a Delta frequent flyer member.  The only thing I got from them in return was lost and misrouted luggage at Hartsfield.   Still have my card

2. Give the slip: EVADE. 

3. Lukewarm: TEPID.

5. Italian chum: PAISANO. 

6. Massachusetts state tree: ELM.   They also have a state rock.  It's called Plymouth. And a state cream pie and terrier dog, both called Boston.

7. U.S. House member: REP.

8. Cursor beginning?: PRE.  Precursor - a person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner.

9. Grad student's income: STIPEND. 

11. Delta rival, as it was once known: US AIR.  US Airways, nee Allegheny Airlines, merged with American Airlines.   I remember the expansions of Pittsburgh International in the 70s and 80s, largely to support Allegheny / US Air.   TWA was the other major carrier that had a hub at Pittsburgh.

12. Exodus food: MANNA.

13. Glitch-ridden, as software: BUGGY.   Hopefully the bugs are caught in Beta Testing.

21. "Selma" director DuVernay: AVA.

23. Bread grain: OAT.

29. "What __ missing?": AM I.

30. "Stormy Weather" singer: LENA HORNE.


31. In a naive way: ARTLESSLY.

33. Giants QB Manning: ELI.  The New York Giants of the National Football League.

35. Stabilizer for movie shooters: STEADICAM.   Invented by Garret Brown.  He also invented Skycam, "the robot camera that flies on wires over sporting events."

 Description

36. Outmoded calculator: SLIDE RULE.

37. Hanoi New Year: TET.

39. Sharpen: HONE.

41. Shower wall piece: TILE.

46. Divan kin: SETTEE.

48. Thorax membrane: PLEURA.  More anatomy.  Thank you perps.   The Crossword Corner's  resident physician wouldn't need to look these up, but I had to.  The last anatomy class I had was in high school...

• Thorax - "the part of the body of a mammal between the neck and the abdomen, including the cavity enclosed by the ribs, breastbone, and dorsal vertebrae, and containing the chief organs of circulation and respiration; the chest.
• Pleura - "each of a pair of serous membranes lining the thorax and enveloping the lungs in humans and other mammals."

49. Garbage: TRASH. 

51. Defy authority: REBEL.

54. __-at-ease: ILL.

57. MI6 agent: SPY.

58. "Gangnam Style" musician: PSY.   The video, if you care to watch it.   Now with 3,349,033,725 views and counting.   That's 3.349 billion  (10⁹⁾  or 3.349 gigaviews,  if one were to use the SI unit prefix.

Monday May 20, 2019 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: OBIE (56. Theater award ... and a phonetic hint to the answers to starred clues) - Each theme entry is in the patter of O* B*.

 

17A. *Bread with a schmear: ONION BAGEL.

61A. *Annual Florida football game: ORANGE BOWL.
 

11D. *Coastal North Carolina resort area: OUTER BANKS.

24D. *Source of free drinks: OPEN BAR.

29D. *Séance prop: OUIJA BOARD.

Boomer here.

Bad weather here again.  I had to go Out Back to make sure rain had not damaged our garden.  Also on Thursday I went Out Bowling to defend my title in the Minneapolis 700 club 4 game tournament.  I started with 193-197-215 -- 605.  It was my first 600 set since the Big C damaged my back.  However my 4th game was only 157 and I placed 7th out of about 30 entries.

Across:

1. Like some private communities: GATED.  We have one of these in the metro area out by the famous Hazeltine Golf Club.  I am pretty sure that everyone living there is a multi-millionaire so we are not planning to move there. 

6. Really dull: DRAB.  I think that was the color of a '53 Dodge I once owned.

10. Second-year student: SOPH.  Since this is an abbreviation, shouldn't there be an abbreviated clue??

14. Ex-Yankee manager Joe: TORRE. Lots of career catchers seem to make the best managers.  I think it's because they can tell when a pitching change is necessary.

15. Goldberg who drew complex "machines": RUBE.

16. Make healthy: CURE.  Hormel Company of Austin Minnesota makes a Cure 81 Ham.  It is pretty good.  Much better than another Hormel product Spam.  Yuk.

19. __ Ant: tiny toon superhero: ATOM.  a cartoon by Hanna Barbera a long time ago.  Never gained the fame of Fred and Wilma. 

20. Therapy visit: SESSION. Add another "S" and you have a former Attorney General.

21. "Honor Thy Father" author Gay: TALESE.

23. Parody: SPOOF.

26. Fire engine signal: SIREN. A famous city in Western Wisconsin. My dad was born there, and my great uncle lived on a road, which is now named Burnikel Road.

27. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" singer Jim: CROCE.  Lot's of hits.  He had to say "I love you" in a song.

31. Can opener: POP TAB.  Wow. I am sooo old I remember when they first came out.  The tab came totally separated from the can.  Fishermen would open their beer and toss the tab into the lake where fish would eat them and die.  Finally a government agency in charge of fish killing litter told soda and beer makers to clean up their act.

33. Chief Greek god: ZEUS.

34. Mono successor: STEREO.  Yeah, I am old enough to remember the early ones.

36. __ Lingus: AER.

39. Somewhat: A BIT.

40. Hint of color: TINGE.

41. Escape key function: UNDO.  Also a function of a pull top on a can.

42. Friend of TV's Sheldon and Leonard: RAJ.

43. "For my next __ ... ": singer's intro: NUMBER.  And now, we have a group whose biting satire has gained popularity …. (Chad Mitchell at the Bitter End).

44. Pass over: SKIP. to my Lou

45. "Lawrence of __": ARABIA. A star studded cast including Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guiness, and Anthony Quinn.  The movie lasted almost 4 HOURS !!  Yup I am old enough to remember that one too.

47. "Beau __": GESTE.

48. Scheming group: CABAL.

50. Serious play: DRAMA.

53. Roberto or Sandy of baseball: ALOMAR.  They were brothers. Sandy Jr. was a catcher for a number of teams, (Not all at the same time.)  Robbie played second base mostly in Toronto and was voted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Roberto Alomar and Sandy Alomar Jr.

55. Deep regret: REMORSE.  I had a bit of deep regret that I decided to play golf last week.

60. Line through the middle of a circle: Abbr.: DIAM.

64. To be, to Balzac: ETRE.

65. Mexican's zilch: NADA.  Okay but I have heard many Americans use this word also.

66. Primary foe: RIVAL.  I watched Brooks make his rival Tiger look pretty bad last week.

67. Lincoln in-law: TODD.

68. From __: all-inclusive: A TO Z.

69. Take care of: SEE TO.

Down:

1. Classic Pontiac muscle cars: GTOS.  I never had one, but they made my Mustang look silly.  Sorry, no more Pontiacs from GM.

2. Top-notch: A-ONE.  I have never had A One on my golf scorecard.  (Except when it precedes two other numbers in the total column.)

3. "Divergent" films heroine: TRIS.  Also Hall of Famer Mr. Speaker. NO I am not old enough to remember him.  I have only heard about him.

4. Greek god of love: EROS.

5. Actress Richards: DENISE.

6. Clog-busting brand: DRANO. I have heard it contains dangerous lye.  We use Liquid-Plumr.

7. "Area" floor covering: RUG.  We have several throw rugs in our home.  I think the big ones are called carpet.

8. Prez on a fiver: ABE. No I am not old enough to remember Abe, and neither are you.  But I have a lot of respect for his contribution to our country.  (Even though Mary Todd is known to throw potatoes at him).  Abe also replaced a Native American on the copper penny designed by Victor D. Brenner in 1909.

9. Pants holder-upper: BELT.  I took off a few pounds this past year so I might need a new one or two.  Sizes are confusing.  I ordered a couple from Dr. Leonard's and they were NOT the size that the catalog said.  I am not ordering blind through the mail any more, (except maybe baseball cards.)

10. Justice replaced by Gorsuch: SCALIA.  With all due respect to Neil, I think it should have been Judge Merrick Garland.

12. It's not poetry: PROSE.

13. Macho guys: HE MEN.

18. Jazz genre: BOP.  Reminds me of the restaurant in "Happy Days".

22. Regarding: AS TO. Two short words.

25. Valley __, Pa.: FORGE.  History was never my best subject, but this city is in the historical hall of fame.  A year or so after the Declaration of Independence, and after George III had time to digest it, George Washington led a large unit of brave men at Valley Forge and defeated a large number of men of the British Army. Now - the city is loaded with historical memories and a national park.   (NO I am not old enough to have been there.  I think I read about it in National Geographic.) 

27. Business magnate: CZAR.

28. Country star McEntire: REBA.  Mostly country music, I believe she has appeared at the Minnesota State Fair more than once.

30. Ill. winter hours: CST.  Minnesota is also on Central time.  I hate when the Twins are on the West Coast and games start around 9:00 PM - CST.

32. Equal: PEER.  If you PEER into the past you may see a Norwegian, PEER Gynt.

34. Ticket remnant: STUB.  Some stubs may fetch a few bucks.  I have 5 of the 1987 World Series stubs of the games I attended.  (Four at the Metrodome and one at Busch Stadium, St. Louis).

Boomer's World Series Stubs

35. Shy: TIMID.

37. Polish a manuscript: EDIT.

38. Dogie catcher: ROPE.

41. Take advantage of: USE.

43. Simba's mate: NALA.  "The Lion King's lady"

46. Smashed into: RAMMED.  I wonder why Dodge Trucks are called "RAM",  Have they been smashed into, or did they do the smashing.  Or maybe it is what happened to the Vikings last year when they visited Los Angeles.

47. Online players: GAMERS.  About the only thing I game on line is FreeCell Solitaire.

48. Military academy student: CADET.

49. Samuel of the Supreme Court: ALITO.  I respect our Supreme Court, but why does it take so long for them to make up their mind and why are decisions seldom unanimous?

51. Desi of "I Love Lucy": ARNAZ.  Yes, "I Love Lucy" was a great sitcom in the 50's and I am old enough to remember watching it on our 19 inch black and white console TV.  But then in the sixties, Desi did not love Lucy any more.

52. Bit of computer RAM: MEG.  No Dodge Truck there also.

54. Gossip columnist Barrett: RONA.  I am just not interested in Gossip.

57. Roam: ROVE.

58. Smack, as a fly: SWAT.  Special Weapons and Tactics.  I use them when I bowl.

59. Cockney greeting: ELLO.  Where the "H" is the "H"??

62. Stool pigeon: RAT.  James Cagney's favorite word.

63. Big fuss: ADO.  Adieu, Adieu my friends Adieu, yes Adieu.  I can no longer stay with you, Stay with you.  I'll hang my harp on the weeping willow tree, and may the world go well with thee.

Boomer

Sunday May 19, 2019 Ross Trudeau

Theme:  "Elimination"- EL is removed from each theme entry.

22A Cracked river barriers?: DAMS IN DISTRESS. Damsels in distress.

40A. What a generous mechanic might do after a wreck?: THROW IN THE TOW. Throw in the towel.

50A. David or Saul?: JEW IN THE CROWN. Jewel in the crown.

68A. Request to the local marriage oath writer?: CAN I BUY A VOW. Can I buy a vowel?

89A. Variety headline for director Lee's U.S. debut?: ANG'S IN AMERICA. Angels in America.

97A. Magician's tote?: EVERYTHING BAG. Everything bagel. Should have avoided BAGEL CHIP (63D. Crunchy snack)

118A. Talks about woks?: PAN DISCUSSIONS. Panel discussions.

I wonder if Ross's original title was "Noel", which describes the gimmick better.

EL is removed from the end of each key word, so very consistent. Ross is also known for his long sparkling fill. Today's grid is a great example. Lots of nice Downs, including a few never-been-seen debut entries.

Across:

1. __ vu: DEJA.

5. Command from Kirk: BEAM ME UP.

13. Drink word for "strained": COLADA. "Pina colada" means "strained pineapple".

19. [Sigh]: ALAS.

20. Unsuccessful competitors: ALSO-RANS.

21. One-footed creature: UNIPED. Like what?

25. Spiced up: ZESTED.

26. Sign of contempt: SNEER.

27. In a lab, it's often white: RAT.

28. "Yesterday!": STAT.

30. Cart count: ITEMS. Do you prefer Walmart or Target?

31. Pop by: STOP IN.

33. Org. with quarantine authority: CDC.

35. Western alliances: POSSES. I was thinking of NATO-style alliances.

37. How the satisfied stand: PAT.

39. "Psych!": NOT.

44. Indistinct mass: BLOB.

46. Deck-enclosing option: SCREEN.

48. Brainchild: IDEA.

49. Mani-pedi locale: SPA.

53. "Sunday Morning" channel: CBS.

55. __-de-sac: CUL.

56. Felt: SENSED.

57. Greek X: CHI.

58. Jolly syllables: HO HO. Dear Spitzboov and Santa, who loved the blooming onion. So glad they met.

60. Words of defeat: I LOST.

62. Chipotle alternative: QDOBA.

64. Kind of artery: RENAL.

65. DNC chair Tom: PEREZ. He beat the then Minnesota congressman Keith Ellison for the position. Ellison (right) is now our Attorney General.

66. Pittance: SOU.

72. Some dishwashers: GES. Ours is Samsung. We do have have a GE stove. The "Burner On" glitch is annoying.

73. Gap rival: J CREW.

75. Memoir, for one: GENRE.

76. Odist's inspiration: ERATO.

78. Rib: TEASE.

79. Best Female Athlete, e.g.: ESPY.

80. Eur. country in the Olympics since 1992: CRO. Croatia.

82. Dulles alternative: REAGAN.

86. Place to stay: INN.

87. Business card no.: TEL.

92. Calf spot: LEG.

93. With 66-Down, when Lady Macbeth says, "Leave all the rest to me": ACT I. 66. See 93-Across: SCENE V. 

95. Nonprofit reporting app: AP NEWS.

96. Coal carrier: TRAM.

101. Clancy's "The __ of All Fears": SUM.

103. More-than-stretchy statement: LIE.

104. "The Yodeling Cowgirl" in "Toy Story" films: JESSIE.

105. Novelist Rand: AYN.

106. Rodeo contestants, at times: ROPERS.

108. Quiet order: SHUSH.

110. Run smoothly: PURR.

112. It's dropped for emphasis: MIC.

113. Implied: TACIT.

116. Pioneer 35mm cameras: LEICAS.

122. Shmoo creator: AL CAPP. Nice to have his full name. We see CAPP often.

123. Tapered cigar: PERFECTO.

124. __ Brasi, "The Godfather" enforcer: LUCA.

125. Frank: WIENER.

126. Regular guys?: STEADIES. Nice clue.

127. Headliner: STAR.

Down:

1. Some diaper changers: DADS.

2. Panache: ELAN.

3. 1607 settlement: JAMESTOWN.

4. Selling point: ASSET.

5. Abolish: BAN.

6. Spooky: ELDRITCH. Never heard of word. Looks like Tiger's real name.

7. Like about 25% of Russia's population: ASIAN.

8. Part of MVP: MOST.

9. "The A-Team" muscle: MR T.

10. Singer's skill: EAR.

11. World Heritage Site org.: UNESCO. Italy is the leader with 54 sites. China has 53, one of them is in my hometown.

12. Subtle "Over here!": PSST.

13. Member of the fam: CUZ.

14. Flexible lunch hour: ONEISH.

15. Directory name: LISTEE.

16. College Bd. result using a 1-to-5 scale: AP TEST SCORE. Also 61. Creations with colorful blocks: LEGO ART.91. "Oh, that's adorable!": AW SO CUTE. All debut entries. Lovely.

17. Consider: DEEM.

18. Throws in: ADDS.

23. Golfer's wedge, e.g.: IRON. Most of Boomer's clubs are hybrids.

24. Delicious: SAPID.

29. Musical timbre: TONE COLOR.

32. Ph.D.'s next hurdle: POSTDOC

33. French sweetie: CHERI.

34. Crab Key villain: DR NO. Google shows that "Crab Key is a fictional island off the coast of Jamaica that served as the stronghold of Dr. Julius No."

36. Wild attempt: STAB.

37. Lunchbox staples, initially: PBJS. Standard Chinese lunch box. Lots of plain rice. Paleo diets won't work for me.

38. Protected while sailing: ALEE.

40. Silicon Valley field: TECH.

41. Ryder of "Stranger Things": WINONA.

42. Works: OPUSES.

43. Chopin work: WALTZ.

45. Creamy soups: BISQUES. This looks delicious.

47. Mends, as a rattan chair: RE-CANES.

51. Stark in "Game of Thrones": NED.

52. Muffet fare: WHEY.

54. Nurse: SIP.

59. "Try it": HAVE ONE.

64. Regret: RUE.

67. Breakfast staple: ORANGE JUICE. 11-letter non-theme entry!

69. Hurting: IN PAIN.

70. __ Mawr College: BRYN.

71. Gets ready to play: WARMS UP.

73. Scrabble 8-pointer: J TILE. What's the score of your name? Try here. I (Zhouqin Burnikel) probably beat most of the regulars on our blog.

74. Rainy: WET.

77. Driving aid: TEE.

80. It covers the House: C SPAN.

81. Encircle: RING.

83. Thin Mints seller: GIRL SCOUT. This cookie selling is very American.

84. Trendy berry: ACAI.

85. Finger: NAME.

88. Has: EATS.

90. "Girls" Emmy nominee Hoffmann: GABY. Unknown to me.

94. Make a mess of, as traffic: TIE UP.

98. Swipe again?: RE-SCAN.

99. Slingshot feature: Y SHAPE.

100. January birthstone: GARNET.

102. Queens squad: METS.

106. 2014 Lizzie Borden portrayer Christina: RICCI.

107. Flight safety equipment?: RAILS. What a great mislead.

108. Crunchy side: SLAW.

109. Port opener: HELI.

111. See 119-Down: RAPS. 119. Dr. who 111-Down: DRE.

112. Advanced teaching deg.: MSED.

114. Machu Picchu denizen: INCA. Hahtoolah was there. She and Kazie are globe-trotters. JD too.

115. Peter the Great, e.g.: TSAR.

117. Mar. arrival, in theory: SPR.

120. "__ tree falls ... ": IF A.

121. USCG reception: SOS.

I heard from Dudley a few days ago. He said he gave up doing the puzzle in March when Cruciverb had a prolonged glitch and he had not returned since. Dudley told me "I'm actually kind of surprised that, after 20 years of the LAT and about 10 years at the Corner, I don’t miss puzzle solving."

I'm glad his absence is not health-related. I do hope he continues to solve the puzzles and visits us from time to time.

C.C.