Monday, June 17, 2019 Jacob Stulberg

Theme: NO ENTRY (39. "Keep out!" sign ... or, in three parts, each answer to a starred clue)  - Each theme entry is in the pattern of N* O*:

17A. *Home of the NFL's Saints: NEW ORLEANS.

24A. *Dentist's "laughing gas": NITROUS OXIDE.

49. *Admiral, e.g.: NAVAL OFFICER.

 

62A. *Slipping into slumberland: NODDING OFF.

Boomer here. 

NO problem. I lived through another bone strengthener treatment. I assume my bones are stronger but my tee shots are still shorter. Last Saturday was Joe Mauer Day at Target Field and Joe's number 7 was retired by the Minnesota Twins. Well deserved Joe!!  One of my all time favorite players.  I began collecting Joe's baseball cards in 2002 and I own his rookie card as well as about 300 different Mauer cards, including the autographed one below.  

Across:

1. Number-picking bar game: KENO.  A Las Vegas favorite.  Years ago you could enter a casino restaurant and a young lady would take your ticket and money. Then the lighted board near your table would show you how your picks did.  I don't see too many Keno runners in Vegas anymore.

5. Story on a stand: ALIBI.  I didn't do it.  I was playing golf.

10. Smear (on): DAUB.  In some casinos the attendant would daub your Keno number picks.

14. '70s embargo gp.: OPEC.  I don't know about any recent embargo, but gas prices sure go up and down.  Recently, our Minnesota pumps are around $2.55 per gallon.

15. Family car: SEDAN.  Still around but many families now opt for SUVs.

16. Teen's skin woe: ACNE.

19. Cry hard: BAWL.  If you try hard it could be "BOWL"

20. Blue Cross rival: AETNA.

21. URL letters: HTTP.

23. Cartoon frame: CEL.  Some of the older Disney ones are collector's items.

28. Showy houseplant: BEGONIA.

31. Mideast's Dead __: SEA.  Pebble Beach is by the SEA. I saw a lot of SEAls there this past weekend basking and not worried about an errant golf ball.

32. Scent: ODOR.  Jake ODORizzi is performing well for the Twins this year.  Can you say "Cy Young Award"?

33. L.A. commuter org.: MTA.  I thought the MTA was in Boston.  "Let me tell you the story of a man named Charlie on a tragic and fateful day.  He put ten cents in his pocket, kissed his wife and family, went to ride on the MTA."  the Kingston Trio.  - et tu Charlie?

35. Cause increasing bitterness: FESTER.  Reminds me of Uncle Fester on the Addams family.

38. Darth, as a youth: ANI.

41. '90s Indian prime minister: RAO.

42. Sought election to: RAN FOR.  A whole bunch of Democrat candidates are heading for their first debate soon.

44. "Gotcha!": AHA.

45. Architect Saarinen: EERO.

46. Yak it up: GAB.  I wonder if this was Gabby Hayes first name.

47. Insect colony with a queen: ANT NEST.  I have not heard of a queen ant.  I thought it was queen bee.  Then of course Andy Taylor and Opie had an Aunt Bee.

54. Sch. with a Providence campus: URI.

55. Christmas season: YULE.  Don we now our yuletide carols, Fa La La Fa La La La La La.

56. Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA.  Incredible performer. Holds five Olympic gold medals.

60. Very serious, as straits: DIRE.

65. Shifting choice: GEAR.

66. Take as one's own: CO-OPT.  Not sure I agree with this clue.  Our Homeowners Association is deemed a cooperative.  All they take is our money every month.

67. "What __ is new?": ELSE.

68. She, in Sevilla: ELLA.  I did not know this.  My Grandma's name was Ella.

69. Accounting giant __ & Young: ERNST.

70. Put in a hold: STOW.  Always worry about our luggage when we fly.

Down:

1. Hawaiian coffee region: KONA. Is Hawaiian coffee better than our South American stuff ?  Better than four bucks a cup Starbucks ?

2. Fencing weapon: EPEE.

3. Small salamander: NEWT.  Former House Speaker Mr. Gingrich.

4. Former justice Sandra Day __: O'CONNOR.  Retired from the court in 2006 at age around 75 years old.  Something I might recommend to some of the Geezers on the court now.

5. Syst. for the hearing-impaired: ASL.  What?? Hello??

6. Big name in jeans: LEE.  A big name in jeans was Lee Majors.

7. Montana neighbor: IDAHO.  Montana is a big state with many neighbors.  I wish someone could explain to me how a beautiful and huge state has such a sparse population. I have only been to Billings, but I feel it is a great place to live. Here is C.C. and me on our way to Billings, Montana for the USBC bowling tournament in 2002.

C.C. & Boomer, July 2002, Roosevelt National Park

8. Language of southern Africa: BANTU.

9. MIT and Brookings: INSTS. Located in Washington D.C. but has nothing to do with Brookings S.D. or Mel Brooks.

10. Little bit of gel: DAB. Famous line of Brylcreem.  A little dab will do ya. (If you are a greaser).

11. Giraffes eat its leaves: ACACIA TREE.

12. Not married: UNWED.  AVAILABLE did not fit.

13. Beauty at a ball: BELLE.  Beauty at a ballgame, Joe Mauer, number 7.

18. Reason for a ball game delay: RAIN.  OR 30 minutes of accolades for a former catcher.

22. Giants catcher Buster __: POSEY.  Here's another MLB catcher who may be headed to the Hall of Fame.

25. Island whose eastern half is a sovereign state: TIMOR.

26. Interest percent: RATE.

27. Ballot markings: XES.  In MN, we need to blacken a circle on the ballot.

28. Dull-sounding pig: BOAR.

29. "Show Boat" novelist Ferber: EDNA.

30. Spreading like crazy online: GOING VIRAL. It really appears that Amazon is trying to drive local retail out of business.

34. Santa __ winds: ANA.  Of course there was Santa Anna, a Mexican who led his army to the Alamo and killed Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.  But later, Sam Houston kicked his butt out of Texas so now Desper-otto has a safe place to live.

35. Old Marseille money: FRANC.  I guess it's all euro now.

36. Rabbits have big ones: EARS.  Back in the 50s and early 60s, rabbits had TV antennae named after their ears.

37. Rummage (around): ROOT.  Makes me remember Alex Haley's book and movie.

39. In a gallant manner: NOBLY.

40. Asian takeout option: THAI.

43. U.S. regulating org. with a wing in its logo: FAA. Still wondering what's happening with the 737 MAX.  It's gotta be killing the airlines that own them.  Imagine buying a Cadillac Escalade and being told you cannot drive it because it might crash.

45. Infuriates: ENRAGES.

48. Nashville's st.: TENN.  Home of the Grand Old Opry.

49. Gentle push: NUDGE. New York Yankee Aaron - Here comes the NUDGE, Here comes the NUDGE

50. Cartoon mermaid: ARIEL.

51. Part of a pound: OUNCE.

52. It may be tiled or carpeted: FLOOR. Chairs with wheels do not roll easily on carpeted floors. 

53. Made a meal of: FED ON.

57. Nincompoop: DOLT.

58. "In that case ... ": IF SO.

59. Some: A FEW.  Gesundheit !

61. Horse and buggy __: ERA.  What's wrong with a pitcher's stat??  too easy??

63. Two-outs-in-a-single-AB stats: DPS.  Double plays. Brutal for a hitter.

64. Hairy Addams cousin: ITT.  A favorite of crossword constructors.

Boomer

Sunday, June 16, 2019 Matt McKinley

Theme: "Low-Tech Glossary"- Punnily rephrasing some computer software terms.
 
23A. Part of a parallel parking lesson?: BACKUP PROCEDURE.

46A. Cookie recipe?: BATCH FILE.

65A. Déjà vu?: VIRTUAL MEMORY.

87A. Spider-Man?: WEB MASTER.

112. What a jittery camera operator may be having?: TROUBLE SHOOTING.

32D. "I'll skip it, thanks"?: PASS WORDS.

35D. Poirot's note-to-self about locating the Orient Express murder weapon?: SEARCH ENGINE.

39D. Meteorologist's rainfall prediction measure?: CLOUD STORAGE.
  
57D. Tide table?: FLOWCHART.

I think there's no extra layer. Just software terms, right? TTP will explain the theme better than I do.

I like how the middle entry crosses two Downs. Often the ease up filling. Sometimes it creates expected knotty spots.

Across:

1. Next to nothing?: CENT. It's indeed next to nothing: 0.99

5. New newts: EFTS.

9. Trying to break a tie, briefly: IN OT.

13. Battle zone journalist: EMBED. Sebastian Junger stopped reporting on war after his partner died. Sebastian also wrote "The Perfect Storm" and "Tribe".

18. Courier alternative: ARIAL. Font.

20. Area below Greenwich Village: SOHO.

21. Equivalent of neener: NYAH. When repeated.

22. Weeper of myth: NIOBE. You can see her face at here at Turkey's Weeping Rock.

26. "I might": MAYBE.

27. Redundant modifier of "bit": TEENY.

28. Sealskin boot: MUKLUK.They don't look comfortable.

29. Castle defense: MOAT.

31. City west of Boise: NAMPA. Third-most populous city in Idaho.

33. "__ for Alibi": Grafton novel: A IS.

34. Sch. in Manhattan: KANSAS ST. Manhattan, Kansas.

38. One of Mary Stuart's people: SCOT.

40. When one might have a late lunch: AT TWO. We have lunch around 11:00am. How about you?

42. Pet store array: CAGES.

43. Lead-in for worm: EAR.

44. Hesitates: FALTERS.

48. 1977 Steely Dan album: AJA.

49. Pleasing application: ALOE. The fresh aloe juice stings.

50. Nonfiction piece: ESSAY.

52. Mayall of "Drop Dead Fred": RIK. Unknown to me.

53. Go right to the top?: PRAY. Ha.

54. Monetary promises: IOUs.

55. Pretty pitcher: EWER. Here is a Chinese ewer.

56. Starbucks order: DECAF.

58. Stats for NFL defensive linemen: SACKS.

59. Fishing __: ROD. And 45. Land with a 59-Across: REEL IN.

60. Tar Heel State campus: ELON. Our standard pre-Musk clue.

61. Corporate agreement finalizer: SEAL.

62. Basic security feature: LATCH.

64. USN rank: ENS.

68. Shore bird: ERN.

71. Graph's depiction: TREND.

73. Schulz's "psychiatric help" dispenser: LUCY.

74. Tot's scrape: OWIE.

75. New beginning: NEO.

76. Devious intentions: PLOTS.

78. Scrap: SET-TO.

80. Soft shoes: MOCS.

81. PC scrolling key: PGDN. Page Down.

82. Not often seen: RARE.

83. "What __ the odds?!": ARE.

84. Get clean: BATHE.

85. Board game with a lawsuit card: LIFE.

86. Org. with a two-leaved flower logo: EPA.

91. Best way to play, teamwise: AS A UNIT.

93. Wrinkly-faced dog: PUG.

94. Bars on the road: AXLES. Great clue. We have two more bars: 104. Springfield bar: MOE'S. "The Simpsons". Also 111. Bar order: BUD.

95. Actress Samantha: EGGAR.

97. Tax-evasion agts.: T-MEN. And 101. Not quite first-stringers: B TEAM. And 41. Skier's aid: T BAR. A few letter openers.

98. Deceptively convincing: SPECIOUS.

100. Bearded bovine: GNU.

103. Fords whose initials didn't actually stand for anything: LTDS.

104. West Coast surfing mecca: MALIBU.

106. Musical symbols: CLEFS.

109. Just not done: TABOO. In China, we never share a pear, homophone of "separation".

116. Candy heart words: I LUV U.

117. Barely made it, with "by": EKED.

118. Where Zeno taught: ELEA.

119. Cellphone group pic, in slang: WEFIE. Most still call selfie.

120. Military rookie: CADET.

121. Upbeat: ROSY.

122. Snippy return: SASS.

123. Macy's div., e.g.: DEPT.

Down:

1. Locomotive compartment: CAB.

2. Q.E.D. word: ERAT.

3. "Impressive!": NICE.

4. What most do in class: TAKE NOTES. Do kids still take notes by hand these days?

5. Medium power?: ESP.

6. Configuration: FORMAT.

7. Bank heist unit: THOU. Thousand.

8. Save, as money: SOCK AWAY.

9. Pakistan's longest river: INDUS. Originating in Tibet.

10. Stooge laugh: NYUK.

11. Row: OAR.

12. Travelers celebrated annually: THE MAGI.

13. How tour groups move: EN MASSE.

14. Mazda two-seater: MIATA.

15. Youngster: BOY.

16. Go out on the beach?: EBB. New clue angle.

17. Bad mark: DEE.

19. Crescent-shaped: LUNATE. Spell check does not like this word.

24. Poe title stowaway: PYM. Refers to "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket".

25. Jennyanydots' creator: ELIOT. Cats.

30. Turow memoir: ONE-L.

34. "The Trial" author: KAFKA.

36. "Solve or spin?" host: SAJAK.

37. Cafeteria staples: TRAYS.

38. Swinging-doors site: SALOON.

42. Gum source: CHICLE. Wiki says "The word chicle comes from the Nahuatl word for the gum, tziktli , which can be translated as "sticky stuff".

44. Renaissance __: FAIRE.

47. Like many shakes: CREAMY.

51. On its way: SENT.

53. Ms. __-Man: PAC.

56. Car battery pioneer: DELCO.

58. Apt rhyme for "eye": STYE.

60. Times to prepare: EVES.

61. Cooks in oil: SAUTES.

63. Happens: ARISES.

66. Michelob diet beers: ULTRAS.

67. Like arguments no longer worth having: MOOT.

69. European perch: REDFIN. With red fins.

70. A chamber work by Louis Spohr was the first to bear this title: NONET. No idea. Wiki says
"Spohr was a noted violinist, and invented the violin chinrest, about 1820."

72. W. Coast's 101, e.g.: RTE.

76. Jobs before the main job: PREPS.

77. Really enjoy: LAP UP.

79. Eponymous chair maker: EAMES. So low. Boomer won't be able to get up.

80. "CSI" actress Helgenberger: MARG.

81. Crashed: PLUMMETED.

84. Enchants: BEGUILES.

87. Bide one's time during, as a storm: WAIT OUT.

88. Bk. after Genesis: EXOD. Exoducs.

89. Much ado about nothing: BLUSTER.

90. Workout wt.: TEN LB.

92. As far down as it's been: AT A LOW.

96. Rule violations: ABUSES.

99. Garlic unit: CLOVE. Steve probably has tried black garlic.

100. Overly showy: GAUDY.

102. Prefix with tourist: ECO.

105. Composer Bartók: BELA.

107. Wind similar to a piccolo: FIFE.

108. Small cut: SNIP.

109. Involuntary habit: TIC.

110. Phrase on a menu: A LA.

113. "Top Hat" studio: RKO.

114. Already acquired: HAS.

115. Acquire: GET.
 

Here is the Pisa guy I was looking for last week. Once you meet Gary and hear his voice, you'll never forget him.

Husker Gary

Here is a picture of dear Bill G and his wife Barbara "at our favorite restaurant, Il Fornaio, celebrating our 54-year anniversary". Congratulations, Bill!

Barbara and Bill G

C.C.

Saturday, June 15, 2019, Craig Stowe

Themeless Saturday Puzzle By Craig Stowe

Today marks the the celebration of a big source of renewable energy - Wind. As you can see by the accompanying chart, wind turbines are sprouting up at a good clip out here on the Great Plains. 

My daughter and her family just returned from a vacation in Palm Springs, CA two days ago and were amazed when they saw this huge wind farm on I-10 near there

The main issue of course, is how to store this energy when the wind is not blowing. This is being addressed in many ingenious ways

Today, Craig Stowe has blown up a challenging puzzle to solve. Let's see "watt" he has done:

Across:

1. Word with H or I: BEAM.

5. Key of Chopin's Étude Op. 10, No. 3: E MAJ - Gee, I'd love to hear some of that

9. Wont: HABIT - It is my wont to blog every Saturday 

14. Old: OUT OF DATE.

16. "The Faerie Queene" woman: IRENA - IRENA appeals to "The Faerie Queen" for help in Edmund Spencer's 1590 epic poem

17. U.S. gross national debt units since 1981: TRILLIONS - and the beat goes on...

56. Disproportion: IMBALANCE - Speaking of which

18. Fictional musket wielder: ATHOS - He was one of The, uh, Three Musketeers

19. Ready for action: HOT TO TROT 

20. Medieval feudal lord: THANE - Macbeth as the Thane of Glamis

21. Prepare quickly, with "up": WHIP.

22. Shudder: QUIVER - The master

23. Some partygoers: STAGS.

27. Aristotle in the 20th century: ONASSIS - Mr. Jackie O

29. River in Tuscany: ARNO - The ARNO 15. Runs: FLOWS  out of the Apennines, goes through Florence and empties into the Ligurian Sea at Pisa. There are no boat rides on the ARNO as much of it is not navigable  

30. "Middlemarch" author: ELIOT - An 1871 novel of provincial English life by George ELIOT (Mary Anne Evans)

32. Low digits: TOES.

34. YMCA leader and Peace Prize co-Nobelist John: MOTT - His Bio.

35. Coup group: JUNTA.

36. Normandy department: ORNE - France's NW Region of Normandy is divided into five Administrative Departments seen below. The beaches of Calvados were much celebrated nine days ago.

37. Lofty verse: EPOS - Here ya go!

38. Glyceride, for one: ESTER - Here ya go!

39. Tabula __: RASA - Latin for Tablet Erased

40. Japanese electronics giant: HITACHI.

42. "Black Velvet" singer Alannah: MYLES - Some nice Saturday listening/viewing

43. Sovereign: DYNAST - Yes, I suppose a DYNAST would have a dynasty

44. Early one-named Velvet Underground vocalist: NICO - 60's vintage

47. Great service providers: ACERS - They can make for tennis matches played with few strokes

48. Looked raptly: STARGAZED - Mine would be more directed at the heavens than anything terrestrial 

53. Photo finish: MATTE.

54. It may be a stretch: LIMOUSINE - At Disney Studios, Rock 'n Roller Coaster is a ride in a "stretch LIMOUSINE" at 57mph into a black light adventure with Aerosmith blasting in your ears! I'd allow "awesome" as a description!

55. Colorado's __ Park: ESTES.

57. Origins: SEEDS - 800 miles south of the North Pole lies the Svalbard Global Seed Vault that stores nearly a million seeds from around the world

58. Nudnik: PEST.

59. Hit, as with snowballs: PELT.


Down:

1. Choice when you can't decide?: BOTH - An old commercial about this dilemma

2. Prefix with vision: EURO - Need more info?

3. Working: AT IT.

4. Shed: MOLT.

5. Bunker on Hauser Street: EDITH - Jeanne Stapleton won an Emmy for her wonderful portrayal

6. "The Piano" extra: MAORI - In this movie the MAORI unload Ada's piano on the beach in western New Zealand 

7. Never: AT NO POINT IN TIME.

8. Kid: JEST.

9. Break: HIATUS - Kids and teachers are on one now

10. Subject including the Renaissance: ART HISTORY.

11. Type of economics: BEHAVIORAL - Five interesting examples

12. From that perspective: IN ONE SENSE.

13. Cop show shocker: TASER.

22. Doha's country: QATAR - Doha is a 2-hr flight from Baghdad 

23. Word of equality: SAME.

24. Cup holder: TROPHY CASE.

25. Name wrongly associated with cake: ANTOINETTE - Most feel Marie never said "Qu’ils mangent de la brioche" (Let them eat cake) in response to hearing the peasants had no bread. However it became a rallying cry for French revolutionaries 

26. Took the first step: GOT STARTED - Debate continues on how attribution to Marie Antoinette of "Qu’ils mangent de la brioche" GOT STARTED

28. One on a staff: NOTE - This NOTE is the top of my range

30. Kick out: EJECT.

31. Green: LUSH - Redux from last Saturday

33. Tranquility and Serenity: SEAS - A lunar reconnaissance orbiter caught site of the Apollo 11 landing site in the SEA of Tranquility 45 years later. (Yeah, we really went!)

41. Rate: ASSESS.

42. Big kahuna: MOGUL 

43. Some royal wedding guests: DAMES - DAME Judi Dench became the first woman to play James Bond's boss, M. Her role was modeled on DAME Stella Rimington, the real-life head of MI5 between 1992 and 1996

45. Feet in a meter?: IAMBS - Ba BUM, Ba BUM, Ba BUM, Ba BUM, Ba BUM (each "ba BUM" is an IAMB and of course there are five in this smart aleck's answers)

46. Balkan native: CROAT.

48. Err: SLIP.

49. Pronto: ASAP - Add Stat in a hospital 

50. E-__: ZINE - Not an online magazine but just for fun-  What time is it in EZINE, Çanakkale, Turkey right now?

51. Letter-bottom abbr.: ENCL - The ENCL can be a S.A.S.E. for an R.S.V.P.

52. Bugs' bane: DEET - The EPA now says DEET is safe when used as directed but this product advertises it is DEET FREE

Now the person in this house could comment on his computer that is powered by WIND and solar energy!