Tuesday, July 2, 2019; Emily Ludoph & Jeff Chen

Oh, Say Can You See ...   

Invisible Tape

18-Across. Invisible impediment in the workplace: GLASS CEILING.  A Glass Ceiling is an unofficial barrier to advancement in a profession.  This especially impacts women and minorities.

58-Across. Invisible impediment in the sky: SOUND BARRIER.  Here is an explanation and some  photographs of jets smashing the Sound Barrier.

12-Down. Invisible impediment in the theater: FOURTH WALL.  The Fourth Wall is the conceptual barrier between the actors and the audience.  The audience can see "through" the wall, but the actors are oblivious to the wall.  The television sit-com show, The Office, would allow the actors to break through the fourth wall and speak directly to the audience.

29-Down. Invisible impediment in science fiction: FORCE FIELD.

Across:

1. Former NFL running back Jennings who won "Dancing With the Stars" in 2017: RASHAD.  I didn't get off to a good start with today's puzzle, as I am not familiar with RASHAD Jennings (né Rashad Andre Jennings; b. Mar. 26, 1985).  In 2009, he was drafted by the Jackson Jaguars.  He later played for the Oakland Raiders and the New York Giants.  In 2017, he was on Dancing with the Stars.  The following year, he joined the show as a judge.

7. Cuban dance: RUMBA.  Origins of the Rumba:

12. Govt. Rx watchdog: FDA.  As in the Food and Drug Administration, which is housed within the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

15. Give in (to): ACCEDE.

16. Thorny plant: BRIAR.

17. Belonging to us: OUR.  This Blog is OUR Happy Place.

20. The Pac-12's Trojans: USC.  As in the University of Southern California.

21. Solar phenomena: SUN SPOTS.  Sun Sports are the darker areas that appear in the sun's surface. They are the "cooler" areas on the sun.  You can learn more from The National Weather Service.

22. Kooky traits: QUIRKS.

One of these birds has a quirk.

24. Flub it: ERR.

25. Able to speak easily, as a language: FLUENT.  How many languages can you speak?

27. Badly mistaken: OFF BASE.

31. Average schlub: JOE SCHMO.  I think of a Joe Schmo as being a bit of a jerk.

34. 53-Down noise: CROAK.  //  And 53-Down:  Pond critter:  FROG.

35. Not worth debating: MOOT.  //  And 11-Down. Participates in a debate: ARGUES.

36. Is in the red: OWES.

37. Civil suit cause: TORT.  A tort is just a civil wrong.  Not to be confused with the dessert, which is spelled with an "e".

Sacher Torte.

38. Predators in pool halls: SHARKS.

40. Designer Jacobs: MARC.  Marc Jacobs (b. Apr. 9. 1963) is probably best known for his line of handbags.  They are a tad out of my price range.

41. Set in stone, say: ETCH.

42. Benevolent: KIND.

43. Hägar's wife: HELGA.  A reference to the comic strip Hägar the Horrible.

44. Paul Newman caper film: THE STING.

46. Comedian Elayne: BOOSLER.

Elayne Boosler (b. Aug. 18, 1952)

48. Full of moxie: FEISTY.

49. Theater segment: ACT.  Tricky.  I initially thought we were looking for a section of seating in the theater.

50. "Reservoir Dogs" co-star Harvey: KEITEL.  Harvey Keitel (b. May 13, 1939) has starred in a number of films.  He usually portrays a tough-guy.  I never saw Reservoir Dogs, but it is known for its violence.

52. Find at a dig: ARTIFACT.  Here is an artifact recently discovered from an excavation in the City of David in Jerusalem.

57. Blackjack eleven: ACE.

61. Twitter guffaw: LOL.  Textspeak for Laughing Out Loud.  Jimmy received the following text from his mother:  "Your professor called to say you failed your math exam.  LOL.  Mom".  He called his mother and said, "What's with the LOL?"  She replied, " I just wanted to sent you Lots of Love, because I knew how disappointed you would be with failing the test."

62. Chose (to): OPTED.

63. Bit of ramen: NOODLE.  Several years ago, Blue Iris, one of our Blog members, provided a recipe for a Bird Seed Salad that uses Raman Noodles.  I make this salad on occasion when I need to bring something to a potluck dinner.

64. Football lineman: END.

65. Prerequisites: NEEDS.

66. "Communist Manifesto" co-author with Marx: ENGELS.  Karl Marx (May 5, 1818 ~ Mar. 14, 1883) and Friedrich Engels (Nov. 28, 1820 ~ Aug. 5, 1895) wrote the Communist Manifesto in 1848.  Engels died of laryngeal cancer at age 74.

Engels and Marx

Down:

1. Garb for many a Dickens waif: RAGS.

2. Rights-defending org.: ACLU.  As in the American Civil Liberties Union.

3. Read quickly: SCAN.

4. Gas brand with toy trucks: HESS.  I initially tried Esso, but that didn't fit well with the perps.

5. Marketing jargon: AD SPEAK.

6. Interior designs: DECORS.

Star Wars Living Room Decor

7. Grand slam quartet, in baseball shorthand: RBIs.  As in Runs Batted In.

8. Internet address letters: URL.  The Uniform Resource Locator makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.

9. 1002, in old Rome: MII.  Roman Numerals.

10. Regal meals: BANQUETS.

13. Nightfall: DUSK.  Dusk technically applies to that period between the darkest twilight and complete darkness.

14. Curved sections: ARCS.

19. French "to be": ÊTRE.  Here it the verb conjugated in the present tense:

           Je suis  //  Nous sommes
           Tu es  //  Vous êtes
           Ils / Elles est  //  Ils / Elles sont 

23. Workers' earnings: INCOMES.

25. Scandinavian cruise sight: FJORD.  Some beautiful sights of Norway.

26. "Please understand ... ": LOOK.

27. Eight-member ensemble: OCTET.  A String Octet typically consists of 4 violins, 2 violas and 2 cellos, but I will give you an example of an octet for wind instruments.

28. Suds: FROTH.  I had _ROTH, and all I could thing of was Broth, but that didn't make sense.  Then the lightbulb went on.

30. Packaged buy including shower curtain, towels, etc.: BATH SET.

32. Join the flow of traffic: MERGE.  In the ideal world ...

33. Basketball Hall of Famer Robertson: OSCAR.  Oscar Palmer Robertson (b. Nov. 24, 1938) had a long career in the NBA, first playing for the Cincinnati Royals, then the Milwaukee Bucks.  He was also the plaintiff in the 1970 anti-trust lawsuit, Robertson v. National Basketball Association.  The lawsuit settled in 1976 and resulted in today's current free agency rules.

35. Like some stray mutts: MANGY.

38. Slalom setting: SKI SLOPE.

39. Clue: HINT.

43. Producer of curls: HOT IRON.  My hair is just wash and wear.

45. Attaches with rope: TIES ON.

46. Cutting remark: BARB.

47. Number on a pump: OCTANE.  Think gasoline.

50. Curly leafy green: KALE.  Hubby is not a fan.  I could take it or leave it.

51. Micro or macro subj.: ECON.  As in Micoreconomics or Macroeconomics.

52. Tacks on: ADDS.

54. Staff helper: AIDE.

55. Phone in a pocket: CELL.

56. "__ chic!": TRÈS.  More of today's French lesson.

59. Sporty truck, briefly: UTE.

60. Nancy Drew's beau: NED.  Ned Nickerson was Nancy Drew's beau.  They used to get around in a roadster.  I loved this mystery stories when I was a in grade school.  The stories were so exotic to this 4th grader.

Here's the Grid:

I'll leave you with a QOD:  Prohibition didn’t work in the Garden of Eden.  Adam ate the apple.  ~  Vincente Fox (b. July 2, 1942), President of Mexico

Monday July 1, 2019 Brock Wilson

Theme: CHECKLIST (62. To-do items to tick off ... and what the starts of the answers to starred clues comprise) - The first word means "check" in a different way.

17A. *Cold one from a tap: DRAFT BEER.

38A. *Nuclear restraint pact: TEST BAN.

11D. *"Ghostbusters" co-star: BILL MURRAY.

28D. *Attractiveness when viewed from the street, to a Realtor: CURB APPEAL.

Boomer here.

Can anyone explain how "Draft" belongs to a "checklist"?  My guess is that if you write a check I suppose it could be called a bank draft.  However when I see draft, I think of closing a window,  We FINALLY are realizing summer in Minnesota. After a long cool spring, weather forecasters are issuing heat warnings and keeping me off the golf course.

Speaking of golf, The 3M Open is at the TPC Blaine this week. The Senior PGA used to have a tournament there ((3M Championship) about this time of year. C.C. and I attended many days. However, they have shunned the seniors and now the regular PGA Tour has the first stop in Minnesota in 50 years.  The Champions Tour stop was no charge.  Now there are pricey tickets.

Boomer, 3M, 2016

Across:

1. Six-legged picnic invaders: ANTS.  I never counted the legs on an ant.

5. Nasty film: SCUM.

9. Like a mad dog: RABID.  You don't want to mess with any animal with rabies.

14. Bossa __: dance: NOVA.  Blame it on the Bossa Nova.

15. Really bugs: IRKS.  I have to listen to Bert Blyleven's comments on Twins telecasts for about 50 of them.

16. Fail to pronounce, as the "g" in an "-ing" word: ELIDE.

19. Room in le chalet: SALLE. De La Salle High School was our arch rival in High School.

20. Disdainful glance: SIDE-EYE.  If you got that from a teacher, you knew you were in trouble.

21. "Something wrong?": PROBLEM.  No problem here.

23. Hesitates: BALKS.  Sometimes a pitcher will fake home and throw to first.

25. Economist Smith: ADAM.  Thinking more of Adam Sandler, "Happy Gilmore" !

26. Playground time at school: RECESS.  Yup, I remember in grade school they would send us out in freezing cold weather.

29. __ Beta Kappa: PHI.

31. Call to the sled dogs: MUSH.  Remember Cream of Wheat or Malt-O- Meal ?

34. Like two right-triangle angles: ACUTE.  This does not seem to be A CUTE clue.

35. Poker pot promises: IOUS.  I would not play poker with anyone who has no money.

36. __-Navy game: annual football rivalry: ARMY.  Many of these players become Generals or Admirals.

37. Road surface goo: TAR.

41. Fabric flaw: RIP.  Mr. Van Winkle fell asleep for 20 years.  They did not have alarm clocks in the early 1800's.  Only roosters.

42. Sun circlers: ORBS.

44. Dieter's count: FATS.  "I found my thrill, on blueberry hill." His real name was Antoine Domino.  I don't think it's kosher to call anyone "Fats" anymore.

45. Make deliveries to large groups?: ORATE.

47. Bismarck's st.: N DAK.  One of my favorite movies was "FARGO".  Probably because of the local flavor.

48. Whiskey sour whiskey: RYE.  I am not a whiskey expert.  I think I remember that a whiskey sour was any kind of whiskey with a lemon sour mixer.

49. Game competitor: PLAYER. "The Black Knight"  Mr. Gary Player.

50. Flammable pile: PYRE.

52. Show shown over: RE-RUN.  Like "Law and Order" on about three cable channels.

54. Oft-framed college memento: DIPLOMA.  If you have one, does that make you a diplomat ??

57. Alan who played Snape: RICKMAN.

61. Fitness motto opening: USE IT.

64. Large Dallas suburb: PLANO.  I think the Southfork Ranch is near Plano, making TV's "Dallas" location famous.

65. "Have a __ day": NICE.  A bit overused, but still pleasant. 

66. Yale students: ELIS.

67. Pursuer of snakelike fish: EELER.  If you catch one, you will need a feeler for your peeler. 

68. Ambulance staffers, for short: EMTS.

69. Hunk of beef: SLAB.  Beef is something to eat, but I have heard of a slab of concrete.

Down:

1. "No ifs, __ or buts": ANDS.

2. Sushi seaweed: NORI.

3. Prime-time spot: TV AD.  Doesn't matter if it's prime time or not.  I think I sit through 100 or more every day.

4. Sure thing: SAFE BET.  There's really no such thing, unless you cheat.

5. Old Greek prophets: SIBYLS.

6. Small stream: CREEK.  Lots of creeks in Minnesota,  They name golf courses after them.  C.C. and I used to play at "Cedar Creek".

7. Luau strings: UKE.  I am so old that I remember Arthur Godfrey playing his on TV. (black and white of course).

8. Car sticker no.: MSRP.  I wonder who makes these up.  Every new car has one, and no one pays that price.

9. Fill in, as a lawn bare spot: RE-SOD.  Normally I just use seed.  Sod is heavy and dirty. 

10. Gulf of Mexico state: ALABAMA. A red state with a blue senator.  But I don't think we have heard the last of Roy Moore.
 

12. Not working: IDLE.  "An idle brain is the devil's workshop."  Professor Harold Hill.

13. Regard: DEEM.

18. Service with cups and saucers: TEA SET.  I think all three of my sisters had one when we were kids.  Or maybe they shared the same one.

22. Gorbachev's wife: RAISA.

24. Helper during gym practice: SPOTTER.

26. Boca __, Florida: RATON.  Looks inviting, on the eastern beach on the Atlantic.

27. Online b'day wish: E-CARD.

30. Central airports: HUBS.  Still have not heard much about the 737 MAX.  I saw that Dallas has a new Airbus 220.  Take a ride?

32. Whack, biblically: SMITE.

33. Bursting with energy: HYPER.

35. Dr. Watson exclamation: I SAY. Elementary.

39. Violinist Zimbalist: EFREM.  Interesting name.  I used to think he played the cymbals.

40. Frustrated searcher's news: NO LUCK.  Should have made a SAFE BET.

43. City panorama: SKYLINE.  Used to be one of my favorite JIGSAW puzzle themes.

46. Irritates: RANKLES.

49. What shoppers compare: PRICES.  Maybe - but sometimes the better watermelons cost a little more.

51. Copter blade: ROTOR.

53. Standing upright: ERECT.  I used to have an Erector set that came in a red metal case.  Are they still on the market??

54. Put one over on: DUPE.

55. Site in shipwreck cartoons: ISLE.  The skipper, the movie star, the Billionaire and his wife.  The professor and Mary Ann here on Gilligan's Island.

56. Clearasil target: ACNE.

58. Pepper grinder: MILL. The ONLY way to add pepper to your food!

59. One side of the Urals: ASIA.

60. Govt. crash investigator: NTSB.  These are always sad.  Last week we had a medical helicopter go down in bad weather and we lost a nurse and the pilot.

63. That guy: HIM.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Thanks for the birthday wishes, everyone. Boomer prepared our special occasion meal: baked Canadian walleye and wild rice (perfectly cooked: chewy and tender). I also had a plate of mini cucumber salad topped with the additive Target Crazy Fresh Pico de Gallo. And some fresh lychees, which Boomer declined to taste. He's not an adventurous eater. He had some fruit salad and a few slices of the sweet watermelon. Just a perfect meal on a very hot humid day.

Sunday June 30, 2019 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "Can You Digit?" - Anagrams of 1-9 span across each theme entry.

21. Unite in a common cause: DRAW TOGETHER. Two.
 
26. Unobstructed view: LINE OF SIGHT. One. Should have avoided ONE THIRD (41. Eight hours per day?)

35. Place to find a hack: TAXI STAND. Six.

46. Post-Civil War economic growth period: THE GILDED AGE. Eight.

62. Fortuitous: HEAVEN-SENT. Seven.

64. On a lark: JUST FOR FUN. Four.

74. With no time to spare: UNDER THE WIRE. Three.

90. Front door, usually: MAIN ENTRY. Nine.

95. What "I don't wanna" do, in a Zayn/Taylor Swift hit: LIVE FOREVER. Five.

Reveal:

104. 5½ and 8¾, e.g. ... and a hint to this puzzle's circles: MIXED NUMBERS.

I bet Pam tried to put those numbers in order, but could not make it happen.

10 theme entries is quite challenging to grid, esp when all the theme entries are placed in Across. 

Across:

1. Prepared for a selfie: SMILED.

7. Pizzeria chain, familiarly: UNOS.

11. Grey Cup gp.: CFL. Canadian Football League.

14. ER figures: DRS.

17. What worms help do, soilwise: AERATE.

18. Rowling teacher: SNAPE. Harry Potter's potions professor.

19. Brewpub choice: ALE.

20. Silk on the Seine: SOIE.

23. Extinct bird: MOA. Here in MN, it stands for Mall of America.

24. Duds: TOGS.

25. Official fuel of NASCAR since 2004: SUNOCO.

29. You, in the Bible: THOU.

32. Mustard, e.g.: Abbr.: COL. Colonel Mustard.

33. Bruins legend: ORR.

34. Lacking freshness: TRITE.

38. Blood prefix: HEMA. Boomer's hematocrit and hemoglobin are both low. The doctors check these two numbers every month. No idea why is hema, one is hemo.

40. Problem for the weary: NO REST.

42. Nods from NASA: A-OKS.

43. Loner of a fish?: SOLE.

44. Prospecting tool: PAN.

45. Laryngitis docs: ENTS.

51. Food service trade org.: NRA. Had to google: National Restaurant Association.

52. Midsummer arrivals: LEOS. I was picturing lychees. They've arrived here in the US. Only available for a very short period. I still have a few in the fridge. Precious!

53. Vintage autos: REOS.

54. Kid __: reading genre: LIT.

55. Shopper's indulgence: SPREE

58. Newspapers: PRESS.

60. Lord's domain: FIEF.

61. Audi's rings, e.g.: LOGO.

66. Co-star with Goldie, Ruth, Henry, et al.: ARTE (Johnson). "Laugh-In".

67. Courtroom attention-getter: OYEZ.

68. Reference volumes: TOMES.

69. Musical markings: NOTES.

70. Toon bartender: MOE. "The Simpsons".

71. Circle makers: ARCS.

72. Sham: FAKE.

73. Phishing target, briefly: SSN.

77. Nero's 902: CMII.

79. Six-pack muscles: ABS.

82. "__ Walked Into My Life": "Mame" song: IF HE.

83. Love interest of 58-Down: EROS. 58. Love interest of 83-Across: PSYCHE.

84. Liability: HANDICAP.

86. Aussie leaf munchers: KOALAS. Also 94. Barcelona bears: OSOS.

89. "Yeah, right!": I BET.

91. Week attachment?: ENDER. Weekender.

92. Banned bug spray: DDT. And 106D. 92-Across banner: EPA.

93. Fla. NBA team: ORL.

99. Crew member: SAILOR.

102. Butcher's cut: LOIN.

103. __ Today: magazine for teachers: NEA.

109. RSVP cards, say: ENCS.

110. Terrible start?: MAL.

111. "Come-faithful" filler: ALL YE.

112. Clavell's "Shogun" sequel: TAI-PAN.

113. Deli choice: RYE.

114. People fixers: Abbr.: EDS. People magazines.

115. TV's "New Girl": JESS. Played by Zooey Deschanel.

116. Involve: ENTAIL.

Down:

1. Hangdog: SAD.

2. Cousteau's sea: MER.

3. Nest egg letters: IRA.

4. Action in a legal thriller: LAWSUIT.

5. Words from Caesar: ET TU.

6. Cole of "Angie Tribeca": DEON. Unfamiliar to me.

7. Incalculable: UNTOLD.

8. "Guess again": NAH.

9. GM subsidiary until 2017: OPEL.

10. LPGA star Pak in the World Golf Hall of Fame: SE RI. She opened the door for all the Korean golfers.

11. Smartphone feature: CAMERA.

12. It's underfoot: FLOOR.

13. Foliage element: LEAF.

14. Dr. Howser of '80s-'90s TV: DOOGIE.

15. They involve responsibilities: RIGHTS.

16. Largish combo: SESTET. Six.

18. Difference between winning and losing, maybe: SECONDS.

20. Word in an iconic cocktail order: STIRRED. "Shaken, not stirred."

22. Small racer: GO CART.

27. Asian menu promise: NO MSG. MSN never caused me any trouble.

28. Inedible wraps: STOLES. Cute clue.

29. 'Vette roof option: T-TOP.

30. Maui's scenic __ Highway: HANA.

31. Babe's relatives: OXEN. Babe the pig. (Correction: Babe the Blue Ox. Thanks, Jinx!)

36. Wilson of "Walker, Texas Ranger": SHEREE.

37. Brown of publishing: TINA. Rival of Anna Wintour for many years.

38. Snack cake brand: HOHOS.

39. Scratches (out): EKES.

40. React to a boring speech: NOD OFF.

42. "This is only __": A TEST.

43. Comes down hard?: SLEETS.

47. Angelou's "And Still __": I RISE.

48. Up in the air: ALOFT.

49. Movement in some Bach suites: GIGUE. Rooted in "Jig".

50. Stiff collars: ETONS.

51. Snow in le Alpi: NEVE. French for "snow"?

52. Kay of "Rich Man, Poor Man": LENZ. Never heard of her.

55. Longtime SeaWorld orca: SHAMU.

56. Eva of Argentina: PERON.

57. Used Yelp, maybe: RATED.

59. Baseball's Pee Wee: REESE.

60. Blow one's top: FUME.

61. Scientologist Hubbard: L RON. Did you know that Scientology has its own prison? It's called "The Hole".

63. Bridge positions: NORTHS.

64. Stand-up fare: JOKES.

65. Risky kind of kick: ONSIDE.

68. Mystic's deck: TAROT.

71. Kennel double talk?: ARF ARF.

72. Let go: FIRE.

73. __ Féin: SINN. Left wing Irish political party.

75. Actresses Brennan and Davidson: EILEENS.

76. Vehicle for Hulu and Roku: WEB TV.

77. Pretense: CHARADE. Great fill.

78. E-file alternative: MAIL IN.

79. Talent show entries: ACTS.

80. Pressure: Pref.: BARO. Barometer.

81. Northern __: apples: SPYS. This looks like our Honeycrisp.

85. How much space debris travels: IN ORBIT.

86. Sullivan's pupil: KELLER.

87. Like some bagels: ONIONY.

88. It may be unwanted: ADVICE.

89. Things to aspire to: IDEALS.

90. Walks unhurriedly: MOSEYS.

92. Hardly look forward to: DREAD.

96. Bar words that make you smile: ON ME.

97. Key with four sharps: Abbr.: E MAJ.

98. Tick off: RILE.

100. Renaissance instrument: LUTE.

101. Yemen neighbor: OMAN.

105. Tee sizes: XLS.

107. Bollywood star Aishwarya __: RAI. Very pretty.

108. Popular skit show, for short: SNL.

C.C.