Theme: LEADING QUESTION (62A. It's designed to elicit a
certain answer ... or where the end of 17-, 25- and 47-Across may be
found) -The end of each theme entry can precede "Question".
17A. Made it possible (for) : LEFT THE DOOR OPEN. Open question.
25A. Reason for "Fahrenheit 451" fires : BOOK BURNING. Burning question.
47A. Achieved desired results : DID THE TRICK. Trick question.
Boomer
here. Pleasant thoughts for Argyle and best wishes to all for a
pleasant Easter season. Here in nasty old Minneapolis, we had about
three inches of the white stuff on Saturday with a harsh cold wind.
Still waiting for Spring.
Across:
1. Smallest chess piece : PAWN -
I have to admit that I have watched "Pawn Stars" on the history channel
a few times. Chumlee is pretty disgusting as well as the old man. I
drove by the place a few years ago when in Las Vegas, and there was a
line to get in. Curiosity seekers I suppose. Back to chess - if you
can get that pawn to the other side of the board, it becomes a queen ! A
much biffer piece.
5. Intl. alliance with a phonetic alphabet : NATO - A treaty formed by 29 nations. I think Russia is ticked off because they won't let them in.
9. Test for fit : TRY ON
14. Where to find Columbus : OHIO -
I am not so smart so I googled this and found that there are nine
states in the US with a city named after Christopher. One is in
Minnesota! Don't ask me where, I was surprised to learn this.
15. Surrounded by : AMID
16. Like a wolfman : HAIRY - Not Wolfman Jack of American Graffiti fame, and definitely not Harry Truman.
20. Bit of campaign ugliness : SMEAR - It was pretty ugly in 2016, could get worse in the future.
21. In a jittery way : NERVOUSLY
22. Food storage cover : LID - I use mine to cover my eyes at night.
24. Big pic from a small neg. : ENL - sigh, abbreviations
31. Yr.'s dozen : MOS - This is also an acronym for your job in the military service. Stand for Military Occupation Specialty, I think
34. Smoothie berry : ACAI
35. Pet store cry : MEOW - There is a pet store in a mall near our home, but all I ever see in there is dogs. Maybe the cats are in a cradle ??
36. Resell exorbitantly, as tickets : SCALP
- I guess this is now legal and can be done on line. For the recent
Super Bowl in Minnesota, I think some tickets were going for over $3000.
38. Iowa crop : CORN - Since Iowa is just South of me, I have been there many times. The corn fields stretch for miles.
39. Extreme fear : PANIC
41. First website page : HOME
42. Last Greek letter : OMEGA
- There is that word again. The acronym for older, more energetic
Graybar Associates. (Gathers every year around February at the Orleans
in Las Vegas.)
44. Lucy's sitcom partner : DESI - It's interesting how sitcoms of yesteryear differ from today. I think Archie Bunker changed things.
45. Neighborhood : AREA
46. Stark in "Game of Thrones" : NED
50. Math basics: Abbr. : NOS -- Another Abbreviation !
51. Tweeter's titter : LOL - I think "Laughing out loud" preceded twitter by 15 years or more.
52. White ursine critter : POLAR BEAR
- You crossword experts must have known what Ursine is. I thought it
was something you asked a prospective date regarding the month that they
were born.
58. Hand prettifiers : MANIS - Another strange animal not found in Minnesota.
64. Dickens' Drood : EDWIN
65. Garage goop : GUNK
66. Opponent : ANTI
67. Hit __: ran into trouble : A SNAG - I thought this was something that occurred in nylon stockings. Do women wear them anymore ??
68. Wise, as advice : SAGE - I call this a spice that I load up into turkey stuffing.
69. Twice-monthly 7-Down : NEAP -
It's amazing how the moon affects the ocean. What's even more amazing
is how they came up with a word like neap to describe it.
Down:
1. Seasoned senators, say : POLS
2. "If I may say something ... " : AHEM
3. Edith, to Archie : WIFE - Boy the way Glen Miller played, Songs that made the hit parade, guys like us we had it made, Those were the days.
4. Teacher's "Shh!" : NO TALKING -
In high school when the room got a little noisy, I had a teacher that
would say, (" I don't think I said talk, I might have, I'm not sure.")
5. "Uh-uh" : NAH
6. Confirmation from the congregation : AMEN
7. Ocean phenomenon : TIDE - Named for the Tide brothers, Spring and Neap.
8. Reason for a diaper change : ODOR - A second baseman for the Texas Rangers. If you think that surname stinks, his given name is Rougned.
9. Big crowds : THRONGS
10. Phantom's rival, in "The Phantom of the Opera" : RAOUL
11. Pet store cries : YIPS - I knew they had puppies in those places.
12. Baseball's Hershiser : OREL
- Probably more amazing than even Sandy Koufax. I still remember 1988
when Hershiser went 59 INNINGS without allowing a run ! He passed
former Dodger Don Drysdale who had 58 2/3. Orel went to the playoffs
that year and threw 8 more zero innings but they are not a part of the
official record. There was a debate about whether the streak could be
extended into 1989, but Hershiser ended the issue when he gave up a run
in the first inning of 1989.
13. Big Apple address letters : NY NY. Start spreading the news.
18. Chicago paper, for short : TRIB
19. Toaster __ : OVEN
23. Dilapidated joint : DUMP
- I thought the clue was about my knees. I have never heard a dump
called a joint. (Although there are several beer joints which could be
called dumps).
25. Breakfast partner of 55-Down : BACON. 55. See 25-Down : EGGS - Forgot the hash browns and pancakes.
26. "__, all ye faithful ... " : O COME - More of a Christmas clue than an Easter Monday clue.
27. Rowed : OARED
- I am sorry but I never heard anyone say they oared a boat. P.J.
Fleck, new football coach of the Minnesota Gophers is using "Row the
boat" as a team spirit slogan. I'm sure if decided on "Oar the boat" he
would be looking for a job.
28. Verify, as totals : RE-ADD
- In restaurants, to verify the bill. Many people do it on their
phone. I remember when phones had dials and were used to talk to
others, from your home or office. NOT WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING YOUR CAR
!!!!
29. Octet plus one : NONET
30. "If only" : I WISH - When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are... Jiminy Cricket.
31. New Zealand native : MAORI
32. Early Mesoamerican : OLMEC
33. "Bark, Bowser!" : SPEAK
- Jon Bauman is a baby boomer, only six weeks older than I. You may
know him as "Bowser" the lead singer of the group Sha Na Na.
37. Phony : CHARLATAN
40. Sky over Paris : CIEL
43. Loving and devoted, as fans : ADORING
48. Library vol. ID : ISBN - an acronym for book identification that is news to me.
49. Gobbling guys? : TOMS - Wasn't Turkey Lurkey a pal of Henny Penny ?
50. Gymnast Comaneci : NADIA - Everyone remembers Nadia. I am surprised we don't see Olga in puzzles much.
52. Ardent request : PLEA
53. Voluminous syn. and etym. sources : OEDS. Oxford English Dictionary.
54. Mowed expanse : LAWN - Golf course has too many letters. I would not call my lawn an expanse.
56. Water color : AQUA
57. Ladder step : RUNG
- May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung, and may
you stay... forever young. (Minnesota's own Robert Zimmerman. You may
know him better as Bob Dylan)
59. 29-Down count : NINE
60. Kappa preceder : IOTA - Finally, a four letter word with three vowels
61. Barbershop sound : SNIP
63. Barely make, with "out" : EKE
Boomer
