Wednesday August 7, 2019 Mark McClain

Theme: PLUMBERS (60. '70s covert White House intelligence group ... and, in a more conventional sense, a hint to the starts of the answers to starred clues)

17. *Secret stage exit: TRAPDOOR.

25. *Forte of Savion Glover and Gregory Hines: TAP DANCING.

35. *Impractical hope: PIPE DREAM.

51. *Pass/fail metaphor: SINK OR SWIM.

Boomer here, filling in another blog gap.

Hail, Hail the gang's all here. We are still concerned about a wicked hail storm we had on Monday this week.  Hoping our new replaced roof from last spring was not damaged.

Across:

1. "__ your age!": ACT.  If someone told me that, I would need to walk bent over and drool.  Maybe I could fall and not get up.

4. Many 4WD autos: SUVS. Got a Grand Caravan right now, but C.C. and I are considering an SUV.  I went through a Bronco and two Explorers in years gone by, but the van is providing us with dependable service, so we might wait a year or two. Vehicles are expensive and I really do not like the back and forth when buying a vehicle. Do any of you own a Hyundai Santa Fe?

8. Oafish: CLUMSY.

14. Feel badly about: RUE.  Wasn't she one of the Golden Girls??

15. Slightly: A BIT.  The plumber might need to change a bit to drill a hole in the wall.

16. 100-lawmaker group: SENATE.  After this weekend, I hope they can get together and pass some gun control legislation, but I don't have a lot of hope.

19. Gets ready to drive: TEES UP.  That is me about 10:00 AM today. Fore!!

20. Tempe sch.: ASU.

21. Out of the wind: ALEE.

23. A, in many orgs.: ASSN.

24. Frosts, as cupcakes: ICES. Not just cupcakes. You should see our 10,000 lakes in about 5 months.

28. Comes clean?: BATHES.  Taking advantage of the plumbing.

30. Persuaded: WON OVER.

31. Northern Iraqi city: MOSUL.

32. Indian flatbread: NAAN.

34. Botch the job: ERR.  To ERR is human, but it could cause an unearned run.

39. Brief writer, briefly: ATT. Boo! CBS is having some dispute with AT&T's DirecTV so I am unable to watch the end of PGA tournaments.  Hope they settle before the NFL season starts .

42. Blew away: AWED.

43. Pick up the tab: TREAT.  Are you hungry for a treat.  Want food that's fun to eat.  Then go to the Golden Arches, in your neighborhood ...

47. Low-cost product: CHEAPIE. We get great deals on watermelon at Aldi, but be careful.  Sometimes if you go for the Cheapie, you get what you asked for.

50. Midsize Chevy: IMPALA. My family had a 1962 model back then.  Two door hardtop, nice car.

54. Cruise stopover: ISLE.  Right in our Minneapolis city of lakes we have "Lake of the Isles".  You may have seen it on the intro of the Mary Tyler Moore show.  C.C. and I have walked that path many times.

Boomer, Lake of the Isles, 2016

55. Night in Paris: NUIT.

56. Array in a British pantry: TINS. I don't think you have to be British, although we don't have a pantry. We keep them in a drawer.

57. Lobster dinner accessory: BIB.

58. Become fond of: WARM TO.

63. Singer who was 15 in 2009 when his debut EP "My World" was released: BIEBER.  Of course I am into baseball cards, and I have to mention that Topps made a huge error on Cleveland pitcher Shane Bieber's 2019 baseball card, referring to him as "Justin" on the back of the card.

64. "Downton Abbey" title: EARL.  I think he was a Duke.

65. Droop: SAG.

66. Passions: ARDORS.

67. Salon colors: DYES.  Too strong, just use a tint.

68. "Inside the NBA" network: TNT. NBA has their own DirecTV channel but Ted Turner has a piece of everything.

Down:

1. Sotheby's showing: ART.  I cannot believe the prices they get at some of their auctions.

2. Liqueur named for an island: CURACAO.

3. Dollhouse dishes: TEA SETS.  I have three sisters. I believe each of them had one or two of these.

4. Downcast: SAD.

5. WWII subs: U-BOATS.

6. It's tuned an octave higher than a cello: VIOLA. Twins pitcher Frank helped win the World Series in 1987.  I was there.

7. Penicillin target: STREP.

8. Omaha winter hrs.: CST.  Same as Minneapolis and my friend Husker Gary.

9. Womack of country: LEEANN.  Leeann Chin is an Asian restaurant chain famous in Minnesota but has expanded to about 50 locations throughout the Midwest.

10. Worldwide cultural org.: UNESCO.

11. Enormous: MASSIVE.

12. Major upset, say: STUNNER. Even the 1962 Mets won 40 games. Lost 120, finished 60 games behind the pennant winning Giants, but got revenge in 1969.

13. Slangy "Sure": YEP.

18. Pecs builder: PUSHUP.  I was never able to do more than 30, now I would struggle to do 3.  Richard Gere did pretty well in "Officer and a Gentleman".

22. Name of eight English kings: EDWARD.  The Royals keep naming their kids after themselves.

24. PC pioneer: IBM.  They used to have a hand in everything electronic.  Now I think IBM stands for International BIG Machines. 

26. Tops: A-ONE.  I don't think I was ever A-ONE.  However in 1968 I was ONE-A and then I was Drafted.

27. Watchdog warning: GRR.

29. New Haven collegian: ELI.

32. Most recent: NEWEST.  Twins NEWEST member Sam Dyson, already on the IL with sore biceps.  He needs to get well and lower his 91.00 ERA.

33. Fruit drink suffix: ADE.  LemonADE in the shade.

36. Pliers unit: PAIR.  Never knew why they were called pairs since they are one piece. Not like shoes, socks, gloves, or dice.

37. Bill-filled device: ATM. My bank only dispenses 20s, In Las Vegas you can get 100s then you go to the craps table and turn them into 20s.

38. Onetime Dr Pepper rival: MR PIBB.

39. Apt. coolers: ACS.

40. Vanishing point?: THIN AIR.  See 100s in 37-Down.

41. Like many veteran professors: TENURED.  I am a tenured baseball card collector.  C.C. is a tenured crossword constructor.

44. Least challenging: EASIEST.

45. High-fiber Kellogg's cereal: ALL-BRAN. I have also seen their 40% Bran Flakes.  Makes about as much sense as if General Mills had 40% Cheerios.

46. __ kwon do: TAE.

48. With hands on hips: AKIMBO.

49. Wizard with a scar: POTTER.  M.A.S.H. Colonel Sherman Potter played by Harry Morgan.  I remember him from "Dragnet" also.

50. Confident reply: I'M SURE.

52. Cleaned with a cloth: WIPED.  I get fairly wiped out trying to finish Saturday's puzzles.

53. Woodwork pattern: INLAY.  I have not heard much about the Cathedral Notre Dame.  I am sure it had many INLAID treasures.

58. Fighters' org.: WBA.

59. "Grey's Anatomy" sets, briefly: ORS.  My father served in the Pacific islands as a medic in WWII. We had a copy of "Grey's Anatomy" on the bookshelf at home.  I never opened the book, I could not even pronounce the title. 

61. D.C. United org.: MLS.  I see kids playing soccer on the local fields, but I WILL NEVER attend a major league soccer game because they tore down one of my favorite bowling centers to build a stadium for the team.

62. Police dept. rank: SGT.  SGT. Joe Friday played by Jack Webb in "Dragnet"

Boomer

Tuesday, August 6, 2019, Craig Stowe

Vowel Progression:  A E I O U and Sometimes Y.

18-Across. MI5 headquarters named for a London river: THAMES HOUSE.  Built in 1930, the building has housed M15 only since 1994.

23-Across. TV show intro tune: THEME SONG.

33-Across. Amount defined by a small sewing gadget: THIMBLEFUL.

42-Across. Boss Tweed's caricaturist: THOMAS NAST.  Although he was born in Germany, Thomas Nast (Sept. 27, 1940 ~ Dec. 7, 1902) is considered the Father of the American Cartoon.  He created many political cartoons, especially of Boss Tweed during the 1870s.    He is also credited with creating the GOP Elephant and the modern version of Santa Claus.

53-Across. Pushed-in bulletin board hardware: THUMB TACK.  Also known as Push-Pins.

61-Across. Bouquet garni bunch: THYME SPRIGS.

Across:

1. Cuba, por ejemplo: ISLA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Cuba is an Island.

5. Uncanny: EERIE.

10. Hard-to-describe sensation: VIBE.  It could be an eerie sensation.

14. Évian evening: SOIR.  Today's French lesson.  Évian is a brand of mineral water Évian from sources near Évian-les-Bains, in eastern France.

15. Levels of society: STRATA.

16. A party to: IN ON.

17. Facial feature with a bridge: NOSE.  Cute clue.

20. From Canada's capital: OTTAWAN.  Hi, CanadianEh!

22. Genre that represents things as they are: REALISM.

26. Asian kebab: SATAY.  Satay is a Southeast Asian dish of skewered, seasoned grilled meat.  I have also heard of a vegetarian version of the dish.

27. "Who wants my jellyfish? / I'm not sellyfish!" poet: NASH.  Ogden Nash (né Frederic Ogden Nash; Aug. 19, 1902 ~ May 19, 1971), was an American poet, best known for his humorous poetry.  He even rated his own US postage stamp.

28. Seeker of "the way": TAOIST.

31. Door hardware: HASP.  I first tried Knob.

37. Play a part (in): ACT.

38. Boardroom VIP: CEO.  As in the Chief Executive Officer.

40. The Beatles' "__ Mine": I, ME.

41. Santa __ winds: ANA.  [Note:  There should be no tilde over the N in the word Ana.]

46. Splash sound: PLOP.

47. On the same wavelength: IN SYNC.  If you drop the "I", you get the boy band 'N SYNC.

48. Meticulous to a fault: ANAL.

50. Humana rival: AETNA.  Both are health insurance companies.

57. Stars and __: STRIPES.

60. Dragster, e.g.: RACE CAR.

64. Maggie Simpson's sister: LISA.  What would a crossword puzzle be without a reference to The Simpsons!

65. Avatar of Vishnu: RAMA.

66. Chef's array: SAUCES.

67. Browse (through): LEAF.

 68. What "lama" has, as opposed to "llama": ONE L.  Another snippet from Ogden Nash.  The poem goes as follows:

The one L Lama, he's a priest

The two L Llama, he's a beast

And so I'll bet my silk pyjama

There isn't any three L Llama

Legend has it that a fire chief replied that his department occasionally responded to a three L Lllama.

69. Implant (in): EMBED.

Scorpion embedded in amber.

70. Type of prof.: ASST.  As in an Assistant Professor.  A new Ph.D. must work her way through the ranks of Assistant, then Associate, before becoming a full professor at a university. 

Down:

1. Childish comeback: IS NOT!

2. Truth, to Shakespeare: SOOTH.

3. Hears out: LISTENS TO.

4. Tourist's guide: AREA MAP.

5. Prefix with centric: ETHNO-.  As in Ethnocentric.

6. Historic time span: ERA.

7. Los Angeles NFLer: RAM.

8. Old Roman road: ITER.  In present day, ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is the international fusion research and engineering magaproject.

9. Let up: EASE.

10. Break, as laws: VIOLATE.

11. Aleut relative: INUIT.

12. __ nova: Brazilian dance: BOSSA.  João Gilberto (June 10, 1931 ~ July 6, 2019), a Brazilian musician, was known as the "Father of the Bossa Nova."  The bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music that became popular in the 1950s and 1960s.

13. Foe: ENEMY.

15. Hidden loot: STASH.

19. Red tape, e.g.: HASSLE.

21. Director Craven: WES.  Wes Craven (né Wesley Earl Craven; Aug. 2, 1939 ~ Aug. 30, 2015), is best known for his horror films, such as Scream and Nightmare on Elm Street.

24. Utmost degree: Nth.

25. Moo goo __ pan: GAI.  Moo goo gai pan is an Americanized version of a Cantonese dish.

29. Fail to include: OMIT.

30. "Big Blue": IBM.  As in International Business Machines.

31. Bowler or derby: HAT.  Did you know that the Bowler and the Derby are the same hat?  The Derby Hat is the term used in the US, while across the pond, the term is Bowler Hat.

32. Otto's "Oh!": ACH.  Today's German lesson.

33. Theater award named after Antoinette Perry: TONY.  I didn't know this, however, having the first name in the clue, it was easy enough to get to Tony.  Antoinette Perry (née Mary Antoinette Perry; June 27, 1888 ~ June 28, 1946 ) was an American actress and stage director.  She was the co-founder of the American Theatre Wing, which is an organization to support the theater.  It is this organization the now presents the Tony Awards.

34. Misconceptions: FALLACIES.

35. Game with Wild Draw Four cards: UNO.

36. Drink like a cat: LAP.  My cat would always barf after drinking milk, so we never gave her milk.

38. Savory finger food: CANAPÉ.  Yummers!

39. Wits' end?: ESS.  The last letter of the word "Wits" is an "S".

43. Least possible: MINIMAL.

44. Tiny army crawler: ANT.

45. It might be elementary: Abbr.: SCH.  As in an Elementary School.

46. Kneecap: PATELLA.  About 20 years ago, I was in a car accident and shattered my Patella.

48. Stockpile: AMASS.

49. "Will & Grace" network: NBC.

50. The Jetsons' dog: ASTRO.

51. Wharton's "__ Frome": ETHAN.  This book is on my To-Be-Read list, but is so far down on the list that I probably never will read it.

52. "I'm almost afraid to tell you" response: TRY ME!

54. Encouraged: URGED.

55. Barcelona abodes: CASAS.  More of today's Spanish lesson.

Casa Milá / Milá House in Barcelona

56. Cheez Whiz maker: KRAFT.

58. In __: existing: ESSE.

59. Inbox annoyance: SPAM.

62. Spice mix for ribs: RUB.  I make my own rub for fish.

63. Limited-life sculpture material: ICE.  Nice clue.

Here's the Grid:

I'll leave you with a QOD:  If you can convince yourself that you look fabulous, you can save yourself the trouble of primping.  ~  Andy Warhol (né Andrew Warhola; Aug. 6, 1928 ~ Feb. 22, 1987)

Monday, Aug 5, 2019 Ed Sessa

Theme: THE WHOLE SHEBANG (60. What the ends of 17-, 29- and 46-Across figuratively comprise) - Lock, stock and barrel end the three theme answers.

17. Wall safe access: COMBINATION LOCK.

29. Base for many soups: CHICKEN STOCK.

 

46. Classic country store container: PICKLE BARREL.

Boomer here.

And Happy August to all.  Coming soon to Minnesota is "The great Minnesota get together" where a fried dill pickle is sold $9 each.  Also known as the State Fair.  C.C. and I attended it each year until two years ago when parking was all messed up, and we skipped last year when my back was all screwed up. It's a pretty good fair though.

Across:

1. Tea service carrier: CART.  It also carries two senior citizen golfers.

5. Club in a Manilow title: COPA.  I think Ricky Ricardo sang there.

9. Shirk work: DOG IT.  Is this spelling missing an "sh" ?

14. Isaac's eldest son: ESAU.  Twin brother of Jacob.  Neither was a Minnesota Twin.

15. Tel __: AVIV.

16. Berlin Olympics star Jesse: OWENS.  Jesse broke world records as often as most people break bread.

20. Not yet bug-free, as software: IN BETA.

21. Smelling __: SALTS.

22. Lion in the sky: LEO.  Leo is Latin for lion, but the constellation order of stars looks more like a swan.

23. Grand __: wine label words: CRU.  I used to occasionally drink wine in Germany because it cost 2 marks (about 50 cents) a bottle back then.

25. Tijuana aunt: TIA.

26. Part of 24-Down: LOS. 24. Home to the NCAA Bruins: UCLA.  Famous for John Wooden's efforts at winning NCAA final four tournaments.  Thanks to Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton, Reggie Miller and others.

32. PC fixer: TECH.

35. Yale student: ELI.

36. Country divided in 1945: KOREA.

37. French friend: AMIE.

38. Part of a French toast: SANTE.  I have French toast for breakfast now and then, but I don't remember the SANTE.  Is that syrup?

41. Opposite of sloppy: NEAT.

42. Pool game call before "Polo!": MARCO.  Or a GEICO commercial.  (With a llama in it, I think.)

44. __ number on: confound: DO A.

45. Hathaway of "Ocean's 8": ANNE.  How many "Oceans" were there ??  

50. Tavern offering: ALE.  "Away, Away with rum by gum - The song of the temperance union"

51. Musical pair: DUO. DUET did not fit in the squares.

52. Paving material: TAR.  This is going on all over the place.  C.C. and I drove over to the Dam on the Mississippi the other day and we needed to walk a half mile just to get to the river.  They were repaving the parking lot.

53. __ Baba: ALI.

56. Doc's order to a pharmacist: SCRIP.  I had a conversation with my pharmacist last week.  I think he prefers the word prescription.

58. Use, as a scratching post: CLAW AT..

64. "West Side Story" heroine: MARIA.  "And suddenly that name, will never seem the same to me.  Say it loud and there's music playing, say it soft and it's almost like praying." 

65. New York canal: ERIE.

66. "In __ of gifts ... ": LIEU.

67. Titleholder: CHAMP.  See UCLA Basketball.  They have taken a step back since John Wooden.

68. Confers knighthood on: DUBS.  Hey, How did some of my golf hits get into this puzzle ?

69. Website for crafty people?: ETSY.

Down:

1. Director DeMille: CECIL.

2. All together: AS ONE.

3. Role for Stallone: RAMBO.  A bit of a Rocky role.

4. London underground: TUBE.  Used to have some lake fun on these.  Now the lakes have e coli!

5. Yellow songbirds: CANARIES.  They have some islands named after them off the east coast of Africa.

6. Egg cells: OVA.

7. Cherry discards: PITS.  Reminds me of Mr. Pitt in Seinfeld.  Had to have new socks right away.

8. Fly a plane: AVIATE.  I often wonder how Mr. Lindbergh felt as he aviated the Atlantic.

9. "Let's not talk about that": DON'T ASK.  "Don't tell"

10. Barn hooters: OWLS. Went to sea with pussycats.

11. Old Metro automaker: GEO.

12. End of many co. names: INC.  They need to incorporate to include this in your title.  Many corporations have red INK on their bottom line.

13. Cluck of disapproval: TSK. I thought this came in pairs.

18. Thing to scratch: ITCH.  "And suddenly the hinges started to unhitch. Just then, the witch, to satisfy an itch, went flying on her broomstick, thumbing for a hitch.  And Oooh what happened then was rich !"

19. Lena of "The Reader": OLIN.

26. Oscar winner Sophia: LOREN.  Best Actress twice in the 60s.

27. Atlantic or Pacific: OCEAN.

28. It can have wheels or blades: SKATE.  I used to have a pair of ice skates but I haven't used them for years.  I thought they were somewhere in the garage, but maybe I gave them away.

29. Cash alternative: CHECK. I still use the checkbook for some bills, but most of my bills are settled with ACH.  Saves a stamp. 

30. In a way, slangily: KINDA.

31. Having a key, in music: TONAL.

32. City on Florida's Gulf Coast: TAMPA.  I played golf at Grenelefe, went to Disney World, and got down to Tampa to visit Graybar.  Great City!

33. Computer message: EMAIL.  Another one of those new words that was created in the 90s.  "do you remember then?"

34. Homeric temptress: CIRCE.

39. Civil wrong: TORT.  I guess so.  I thought it was a lemon pastry, that must be a TART.

40. Divers' maladies: EARACHES.  What?

43. Addressee of many a Brit's "I say": OLD CHAP.

47. Current Italian currency: EURO.  When they first were approved and minted, I bought a bunch to sell at the flea market.  I think I made 75 cents,  I'm not sure.

48. Heated to bubbling: BOILED.

49. Author Gardner with many plots: ERLE.  His middle name was Stanley.  Not sure what Perry Mason's middle name was, but I thought Ham Burger was a clever name for the D.A.

53. Anticipate: AWAIT.

54. Highway divisions: LANES.  NO, NO!  These are synthetic boards made to look like wood that you roll a 15 pound ball at 10 pins and maybe knock down nine of them.

55. PC fixer: IT GUY.

56. Do pool laps, say: SWIM. I remember these at the high school pool.  Had to do 20 laps and get a life saver badge

57. Country where "Raiders of the Lost Ark" begins: PERU.

59. Blessed with the necessary skills: ABLE.

60. SHO sister channel: TMC.  Sorry, I don't pay for either one.  My TV bill is high enough and now DirecTV won't show CBS so I cannot watch the rest of the PGA tournament.

61. "I knew it!": HAH.

62. Significant period: ERA.  This is a significant pitcher's stat.  Twins just traded for Sam Dyson of the Giants, and he already laid two eggs.  I think his ERA for the Twins is about 19.00. 

63. Sis, to her sis: SIB.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Here is a little clip of our corner blogging team.