Tuesday, June 12, 2018 C.C. Burnikel

"SPICE MIX"

16. Area behind velvet ropes, often: VIP SECTION.

60. Former "SNL" regular known for Sinatra impressions: JOE PISCOPO.

10. Commercial rental property: OFFICE SPACE.

24. Beverage-named Denver arena: PEPSI CENTER.

And the reveal:
35. Curry powder, e.g. ... and what each set of puzzle circles contains: SPICE MIX.

C.C. mixes in some spice to season this sumptuous repast.

I was puzzled at the top because I typed in VIP SEaTIng on the across run.  Everything was going swimmingly on the down run until I got to 7 and 8 down.

Across:

1. Condition before a storm: CALM.

5. Secure at the pier: LASH.

9. Swamp croaker: TOAD.


13. Hand lotion ingredient: ALOE.

14. Triangular Greek letter: DELTA.

15. Jackson 5 hairdo: AFRO.


18. Sci-fi hoverers: UFOs.

19. Cul-de-__: SAC.

20. Completes a sentence?: DOES TIME. 

22. Cholesterol-inhibiting drug: LIPITOR.   Atorvastatin.

26. Smokey Bear TV ad, e.g.: PSA.   Here's a collection of them:


27. Scoundrel: CAD.

28. Sports drink suffix: ADE.

29. Stockpile: AMASS.

31. JFK's predecessor: DDE.

Meeting between President Dwight D. Eisenhower (DDE) and President-elect Kennedy

33. Favoring relatives in hiring: NEPOTISM.  How Stuff Works: Nepotism

35. Richter scale event: SEISM.  Seism; A shaking of the Earth's surface; an earthquake or tremor. - Wiktionary.  Jayce's arena.  Here's some reading about Richter scale from How Stuff Works.

37. Pinch in a recipe: DASH.

38. Tourney winner: CHAMP.

40. Rotisserie rod: SPIT.

 Be careful - the spit and forks are blazing hot.

42. Pride members: LIONS.  Matt Patricia is the new head coach of the Detroit Lions.

The Pride of Detroit

44. Baggage claim bag: SUITCASE.

46. John of "Star Trek" (2009): CHO.

47. Word of choice: WHICH.

48. So-so grade: CEE.

49. Tribute in verse: ODE.  The first ode I heard was to Billie Joe:


51. Yellowfin tuna: AHI.

53. Book buyers: READERS.  Or non-prescription reading glasses. Wilbur uses those for reading the blog.  I have 20-40 vision with my glasses on.  New glasses should be here soon.  Hopefully, less blurry vision  and fewer headaches will ensue.

55. Not-so-subtle verbal nudge: HINT HINT.

58. "O Sole __": MIO.

59. Relaxing soak, or a financial soaking: BATH.

65. Draft classification: ONE A.  1-A.   Selective Service Classifications

66. Building extension: ANNEX.

67. Be acquainted with: KNOW.


68. Knitter's purchase: YARN.  Madame Defarge enjoys knitting, as did my MIL. 

69. Rock group: BAND. Was going to link their Rock and Roll Band song, but this 1990 international hit would be the most famous song of this German rock group that started plying their trade at the height of Beatlemania.  The video has 574M views.


70. Planted, as seed: SOWN.

Down:

1. Cleveland NBAer: CAV.   The Cavaliers.  The star player of the Cavs is LeBron James.  Marc Stein of the NY Times wrote of LeBron James, "Just don’t forget that it’s James’s unwavering brilliance, above all, that convinced the Warriors — after a 73-win season in 2015-16 — that they had to do anything they could to add (Kevin) Durant to Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala to ensure they could beat this one guy."

2. "Moonlight" Oscar winner Mahershala __: ALI.

More at IMDb

3. Chop off: LOP.

4. Argentine soccer superstar Lionel: MESSI.   Star forward playing for FC Barcelona.

Forbes Profile

5. Net judge's call: LET.

6. "Put __ on it!": A LID.

7. Hunches over: STOOPS.

8. Underwear brand: HANES.

9. Tightly drawn: TAUT.

11. Candle shop allure: AROMA.  This place sells over 1200 candles scents and fragrances if you are into making your own.  This household has enough scented candles.  They seem to multiply like Tribbles.

12. Provided with medicine: DOSED.

14. "Wonder Woman" publisher: DC COMICS.

17. Bother a lot: EAT AT.

21. Marquis de __: SADE.  Who Was the Marquis de Sade?

22. Arrive onshore: LAND.

23. Perfect example: IDEAL.


25. Reckless: RASH.

30. Roaring success: SMASH.

32. Blu-ray buy: DISC.

34. "Looks like trouble!": OH OH. Mercy, look what just walked through that door.


36. Unlikely GoFundMe donor: MISER.

39. "ABC World News Tonight" anchor David: MUIR.  David Muir, Lester Holt and Jeff Glor.

 Wikipedia says WNT is the "most watched newscast in America" but the cited reference is for the week of August 14th, 2017.  A little research led to this Forbes article.

41. Casual shirts: TEES.

43. Ark builder: NOAH.

45. Bangkok natives: THAIs.

47. Ryder of "Edward Scissorhands": WINONA.  Winona Ryder starred opposite Johnny Depp.

 Named after the nearby city of Winona

49. "Yippee!": OH BOY.

50. Mythical hunter: DIANA.  In Roman Mythology.  More here.

52. Muslim woman's headscarf: HIJAB.

54. Comes to port: DOCKS.

56. Larger __ life: THAN.

57. Ky. neighbor: TENN.  Speaking of getting to know you:


61. One on foot, in signs: PED.

62. Musician Yoko: ONO.

 Yoko Ono to Receive Songwriting Credit on John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’

63. "Kaboom!": POW.

64. Part of MYOB: OWN.  Mind Your Own Business.  Alternatively - for those with teenagers - Make Your Own Bed.

Monday June 11, 2018 Matt McKinley

Theme: Blow by Blow, from Freeze to Gale.

17A. "That was easy!": WHAT A BREEZE.

26A. Move to Canada to avoid military service: DODGE THE DRAFT.

 

45A. Top-10 1978 hit for Kansas: DUST IN THE WIND.

61A. Girl who went to Oz: DOROTHY GALE.

Boomer here. 

"The wind began to switch, the house to pitch".  Hope this puzzle was a breeze to you all.  I could have done it, "If I only had a brain".  I have a complaint. Saturday morning my newspaper said post time at the Belmont was 5:30 PM Central time.  NBC always runs a 2 1/2 hour program to show a two minute horse race so I watched pro bowling on ESPN then tuned to NBC at 5:30. 47 commercials later they were "OFF" at about 5:55.  Canterbury Downs was built in Minnesota around 1985 and I made a few trips there back then. I won a few bucks on a ride by Mike Smith occasionally so I applaud his success.  I wonder if NBC can JUSTIFY the time discrepancy. 

Across:

1. Speechless performers: MIMES.

6. Love to bits: ADORE.

11. Hem and __: HAW. Famous TV reruns HEE ___.  I have to admit I watch it.  Where did you think I get all these stupid one liners ?

14. Overplay the scene: EMOTE.

15. NBA coach Pat who trademarked "three-peat": RILEY.  Who might remember William Bendix in "The Life of Riley" ?

16. Hole-in-one: ACE.  I have never had one of these on the golf course.  Came as close as 6 inches once.  But I have had one in a pair of socks.

19. "__ Loves You": Beatles: SHE. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.  I just learned Saturday that the Beatles chose their name in respect of Buddy Holly's "Crickets". Oh Boy !

20. Beethoven's "Moonlight," e.g.: SONATA.

21. Lawn mower housing: TOOL SHED.  If you don't have one, leave it in your garage.

23. Come to a close: END.

25. Actor Cage, in tabloids: NIC.

33. Sea of __: Black Sea arm: AZOV.

35. Midwestern tribe: OTOE.  I have a big toe and a little toe on each foot.  Never heard of an Otoe.

36. Finalize, as a deal: SEW UP.

37. Smart-alecky: CUTE.  So is a bug in a rug a smart aleck?

38. Aired again on TV: RERAN. See HEE HAW above. Plus I have most of the "Law and Order" and "Seinfeld" shows memorized.

40. Policy expert: WONK.

41. Give a heads-up: ALERT. Also means you have only one lert.

43. NASCAR's Yarborough: CALE.  Very popular NASCAR champion with many wins.

44. Bothers a lot: IRKS. One of my Mom's favorite expressions.  I guess I irked her a lot.

48. Nest egg acronym: IRA.

49. Prefix with appear: DIS.  I might DISagree with this clue.

50. Longtime bubble gum wrap: WAX PAPER.  This is an all time misnomer!  Paper is not made from wax.  It should be called Waxed paper.

55. Slowly diminished, as strength: SAPPED.  Warren Sapp was a defensive tackle with Tampa Bay and Oakland.  Many quarterbacks got Sapped.

60. Smooth machinery sound: HUM.

63. Mine extraction: ORE. Also the abbreviation for a state south of Washington.  The Beavers took care of our Gophers on the baseball diamond this weekend.

64. Cream of the crop: ELITE.

65. George's fiancée on "Seinfeld": SUSAN. Yes I would know this without using Google or a blog.

66. Fellow: MAN.

67. Brand for nasal congestion: SINEX.

68. Australian gems: OPALS.  I think this is the October birthstone.

Down:

1. Kitten cries: MEWS. Sounds like MEOW to me.

2. Texter's "As I see it ... ": IMHO. In My Humble Opinion.

3. Pained sound: MOAN.

4. Soul singer James: ETTA. 

5. Helped by an usher: SEATED.  They have Ushers in church and at ballparks. They don't seem to seat many people, just stand in the back and chat with other ushers.  (Sorry if I offended any ushers out there).

6. LAX incoming flight: ARR.

7. Food restriction: DIET.  I have lots of restrictions, but Diet Pepsi is okay.

8. Toast topper: OLEO.  This is Margarine, a corn oil product.  It was popular in Iowa, but not sold in America's Dairyland, Wisconsin.  At one time it was white and looked like Crisco.  Then I remember it in a bag with a little red button.  You needed to squeeze the button and massage the bag to turn it yellow.  Hey, I never see SQUEEZE in a crossword - 25 points in Scrabble!

9. Change the district boundaries of: REZONE.

10. Peepers' closers: EYELIDS.

11. Corned beef concoction: HASH.  Hash always seems to have a Corned Beef tagalong. When I was a kid, we had one of those metal things with a crank handle and made hash out of roast beef, etc.

12. Pain: ACHE.  I won't bother you with mine.

13. Lawn invader: WEED.  C.C. likes dandelions the most.

18. Maine city: BANGOR.

22. Attach to a light bulb socket: SCREW IN.  "Clear Choice" dental work.

24. Find out about: DETECT.

26. Showers affection (on): DOTES.  Mairzy dotes and Dozey dotes and little lambs eat Ivy.  

27. Be exorbitant with the gratuity: OVER-TIP. Many may over-tip the bartender and then tip over.

28. Hebrew scroll: TORAH.

29. Restored to health: HEALED.

30. "I need to tell you something": A WORD.  Reminded me of "Let me tell you something!"  A famous intro on TV from Pro Wrestler Jesse Ventura. (Before he became governor.)

31. Dejected spell: FUNK.  Fred Funk is a good golfer with an odd name

32. Toll rds.: TPKS.

33. Air Force sch.: ACAD.

34. NATO alphabet ender: ZULU.

39. Fairly recent: NEWISH.  This seems like a newish word, made-up.

42. Long rants: TIRADES.

46. City SE of Roma: NAPOLI.  Italian for Naples I suppose.

47. Mom's emphatic words after "Because": I SAY SO.

50. "For __ the Bell Tolls": WHOM

51. Surrounding glow: AURA.

52. Marvel Comics superheroes: X-MEN.

53. The Emerald Isle: ERIN.

54. Mechanical learning method: ROTE. Kyle Rote was a running back for the New York Giants when I was a kid.

56. Scrolling PC key: PGUP.  This sounds like a gurgle before throwing up.

57. "¿Qué __?": PASA.

58. Airline with only kosher meals: EL AL.

59. TV-watching rooms: DENS. I watch mine in the basement.  It's cooler down there.

62. One of two sts. with bordering panhandles: TEX.

Boomer

Sunday June 10, 2018 Pawel Fludzinski

Theme: "Seabees"- Each theme entry is in the pattern of C* B*.

24A. Subject of an 1857 Elizabeth Gaskell biography: CHARLOTTE BRONTE.

40A. Organization that really counts: CENSUS BUREAU.

57A. Tribute group: COVER BAND.

78A. Microbrewery choice: CRAFT BEER.

96A. Bletchley Park analysts: CODE BREAKERS. Enigma machines.

109A. Ghee, e.g.: CLARIFIED BUTTER.

3D. Team that hasn't won a Super Bowl in its 50-year existence: CINCINNATI BENGALS.

13D. It's seen on carousels: CHECKED BAGGAGE.

37D. Amateur sport since 1893: COLLEGE BASKETBALL.

51D. Perp processing area: CENTRAL BOOKING.

Simple theme. But holy smokes, just look at this answer grid. Fantastic intersection, Pawel!

As I mentioned before, it takes luck and skills to make this happen. You've got to have an ample supply of C* B* phrases, and you've got the chops to design the grid. Let me pull a low-degree Husker Gary trick and put the Answer Grid in front.

Across:

1. Scrabble accessories: RACKS.

6. Long-grained rice: BASMATI. Hindi for "fragrant". Picard's favorite rice. Oo likes Jasmine rice. I like short-grained white rice.  

13. Cajun crustacean: CRAWDAD. Never had it.

20. Target reader of a series of guides, facetiously: IDIOT. Complete Idiot's Guides.

21. Odysseus, e.g.: ITHACAN.

22. Struck a chord: HIT HOME. Great fill.

23. Kids' eager query: CAN WE?

26. Seal predator: ORCA.

27. Really enjoy, with "in": BASK.

28. '80s police show partner: LACEY.  "Cagney & Lacey".

29. Better, to a rapper: ILLER.

31. Proprietors' places: INNS.

35. Generous limit?: SKY.The sky's the limit.

36. "I'm __": "Dragnet" line: A COP.

43. Meet with privately: SEE ALONE.

45. Tearjerker need: HANKIE. Been ages since I last used a handkerchief.

46. Enriched: FATTENED.

48. Nautical time units: BELLS. Hi there Spitzboov!

49. Actor Morales: ESAI. Always remember him as Tony.

50. Tourism prefix: ECO.

52. Mojito flavoring: LIME.

53. Like some portrait photos: BACK-LIT.

55. Unyielding: SET. Santa was sure stubborn at times. 

56. Having four sharps: IN E.

59. Phoenix-to-Albuquerque dir.: ENE.

60. Gill openings: SLITS.

62. Like the Valkyries: NORSE.

64. "No Limit Top __": 1999 rap album: DOGG.

65. Stress, they say: AGER.

66. Shows obvious anger: BRISTLES.

68. Teddies, e.g.: LINGERIE.

70. Seehorn of "Better Call Saul": RHEA.

72. Diamond stats: ERAS.

73. R&B singer __ Marie: TEENA.

74. __ Dumbledore, Hogwarts headmaster: ALBUS. Forgot. We had him before.

77. Poetic time: EEN.

80. Play date: GIG.

82. RSA ruling party: ANC. African National Congress.

83. "Yeah, so?": BIG DEAL.

85. Logician's "E": ERAT.

86. Either of baseball's Griffeys: KEN. Untarnished by any steroid scandal. Cool and clean.

87. Food stamp?: USDA. Nailed it.

88. How the euphoric walk: ON AIR.

89. "The Godfather" catchphrase: BADA BING. Remember him?

92. Lost intentionally: TANKED.

94. Rockefeller, e.g.: OIL BARON.

98. Trueheart of comics: TESS.

99. Bass ending: OON.

100. Business bigwig: EXEC.

101. Worshiping figure: ORANT. Regular in our old Star Tribune Daily days.

102. One of a deck's pair: JOKER.

104. "Star Trek" villain: KHAN.

106. Scottish resort town known for its whisky: OBAN. Looks charming.

116. Low area: SWALE.

117. Settled accounts, so to speak: GOT EVEN. Another  solid fill.

118. Big wardrobe: ARMOIRE. Great also.

119. Almost off: ON LOW.

120. Salad choice: ICEBERG. In Guangzhou, iceberg is often cooked, with oyster sauce.

121. Low-quality material, idiomatically: SOW'S EAR.

122. Castaway's place: ISLET.

Down:

1. Bad guy in the song "Copacabana": RICO. Learning moment for me.

2. Month before Nisan: ADAR.

4. Brando's "A Streetcar Named Desire" role: KOWALSKI. Stanley.

5. Chateau __ Michelle winery: STE. No idea. It's in Washington.

6. Antacid option: BICARB.

7. Olympians, e.g.: Abbr.: ATHS. Athletes.

8. One-named Colombian singer: SHAKIRA.

9. Scuff, e.g.: MAR.

10. Often-injured knee part, briefly: ACL.

11. Confucian path: TAO.

12. IOC part: Abbr.: INTL.

14. Marbled cut: RIB EYE.

15. "Give it __": A TRY.

16. One of many Seuss village residents: WHO.

17. Put on: DON.

18. Product, say: Abbr.: AMT. Got via crosses.

19. Capital of Denmark?: DEE. Denmark.

25. Nice cup?: TASSE. Just French for cup. Also 30. Him, to Henri: LUI. 54. Sylvie's seraph: ANGE. Angel in French. And 90. Year abroad: ANNEE. For Splynter.

27. Consult with the doctor: BE SEEN. Not fond of this answer or BE LATE last time. Command phrases are fine: BE CAREFUL, BE SEATED, BE BRIEF etc.

32. Figure in red: NET LOSS.

33. Indigenous: NATIVE.

34. Defiant challenge: SUE ME.

36. Fashion model Wek: ALEK. Look at her long legs.

38. Connected, in a way: ON LINE.

39. Annoy: PESTER.

40. Mating game: CHESS.

41. Flip chart holder: EASEL.

42. Roswell sighting: UFO.

44. Sequence sung like "Twinkle twinkle": A B C D.

47. Less cool: NERDIER.

56. "It __": formal self-identification: IS I.

57. Reached an apex: CRESTED.

58. Cold War capital: BONN. West Germany's capital.

61. Singing syllable: TRA.

63. "Frozen" snowman: OLAF.

65. Catch a bug: AIL.

67. Evening on Etna: SERA.

68. Small fishing boat concern: LEE TIDE. Also 76. Boatloads: SCADS.

69. Taunt: RAG.

70. Recover from a crash: REBOOT. Computer crash.

71. Bum: HEINIE.

73. Place to keep leaves: TEA BOX. My friend Carmen just introduced this Dates, Longan, Goji berry tea to me. A few months ago, Carmen was in the same island (Sanya, Hainan) D-Otto visited in the 1980s. Very very few foreigners ventured into Hainan then. My friends were all in awe that D-Otto even stayed at the resort hotel Chairman Man favored.

75. Over-__: sports wager: UNDER.

78. Michael of "Arrested Development": CERA.

79. Prepare for impact: BRACE.

81. Summer hire, perhaps: INTERN.

84. Claim to call: DIBS.

86. Erstwhile CIA rival: KGB. What's their current rival?

87. Algebra staples: UNKNOWNS.

91. Casual Friday casualty?: NECKTIE.

93. Bond rating: AAA.

95. One whose business is mostly overhead?: ROOFER. Nice clue.

97. Lion or tiger: ROARER.

102. Banter: JIVE.

103. Nutritional stds.: RDAS.

105. Mother of Ares: HERA.

107. Ointment additive: ALOE. My aloe vera is still alive. Indoor plant now. I can't risk the unexpected rain again.

108. Mature eft: NEWT.

109. Pixar Studios' specialty, for short: CGI. Computer-Generated Imagery.

110. __ cit.: footnote abbr.: LOC.

111. Bore, as a cost: ATE.

112. Yank's opponent: REB.

113. "Dude!": BRO.

114. Underground org.?: UMW. United Mine Workers.

115. How-__: instruction books: TOS. TTP is a natural, a walking encyclopedia. 

116. "__ lied": SO I.

C.C.

Saturday, June 9, 2018, Greg Johnson

Themeless Saturday Puzzle by Greg Johnson

Today is National Donald Duck Day. Walt Disney was looking for a friend for Mickey and one with some negative characteristics to contrast with his famous rodent's more pleasant demeanor. It was then that short-tempered Donald was created in 1934 and he has appeared in more Disney movies than any other character and more comic books except for super heroes.

His defining feature of course was his distinctive speech that is very difficult to imitate. One of my grade school classmates could do it perfectly and we who couldn't were in awe of him when he said something in that hilarious voice. Can you do it? Go ahead, give it a shot!


I had a Greg Johnson puzzle the day before Mother's Day this year but this one today fell much faster although my first real toehold was in the SE corner which filled in a hurry with ADESTE, NO DEAR, PYRE, ERODE and MEAT. Sigh, any port in a storm.

Then like the Phoenix I rose and finished with SCARES, META, etc. The entire experience was very satisfying. 

Now eschewing Donald's "fowl" attitude, let's see what else Greg has for us:

Across:

1. Exercise activity: SWIM - If sinking counts as exercise, count me in

5. Foolish: DIPPY - In describing Major Burns' time in command, Hawkeye offers three adjectives and then Radar adds a fourth as an aside

10. Dance term literally meaning "thrown": JETE and a prime display of 16. Stylish energy: ELAN.

14. Officer's verb: CITE - I have been CITED for speeding three times by three different officer's

15. "That's so sweet!": OH YOU.

17. Exec's hire, perhaps: ASST - An advert by the British Lancashire County Council was looking for a "temporary part-time libraries North-West inter-library loan business unit administration ASSistanT."

18. Unlikely to become a decorator: COLOR BLIND - A test for red/green color blindness. And the number is...

20. ESPN.com post: RECAP.

22. Theoretical parallel world access: PORTAL - Mom is trying stop Carolyn from being drawn into a PORTAL in Poltergeist 

23. Trip approx.: ETA - Are we there yet?

24. Debt securities: LIENS.

26. Source of ancient wisdom: TORAH.

30. In order to: SO THAT.

32. Muffin topper: PAT

34. Full-body animal costume: APE.

35. Part of a gift that needs to be returned: CASSEROLE DISH - One way to remind people of the origin of a casserole

39. "I figured as much": WHAT A SURPRISE - Gee, Gary has a kitty picture below in his write-up! Sarcasm par excellence.

40. Skeptical words: THIS I GOTTA SEE.

41. It may look like a great deal: CON - You can't CON this kitty

42. It folds for easy storage: COT.

43. Textron Aviation brand: CESSNA = Kansas farm boy Clyde CESSNA started his company to build this cantilevered winged aircraft in 1927 that "could carry a half-ton load at 100 mph on a 110 hp engine"

46. __ touch: MAGIC - Any day is improved with the Platters

48. Bacon output: ESSAY - Aroma didn't cut it

51. User-created video game alteration: MOD - A mod (short for "modification") is an alteration that changes some aspects or one aspect of a video game, such as how it looks or behaves. Mods may range from small changes and tweaks to complete overhauls, and can extend the replay value and interest of the game. You're Welcome.

52. River rat: NUTRIA - A poor man's ermine

54. Take the edge off?: ERODE - Niagara has been ERODING this area for a long time

56. Kids may use them to make turkeys: HAND PRINTS.

60. Wad embellishers: ONES - The "Wad" inside could well be only ONES

61. Skin-healing aid: ALOE.

62. Get 'em all right: ACE IT - Some Nebraska honor students with the Governor 

63. Good source of protein: MEAT.

64. It followed a postwar boom: GEN-X 

65. Noticeably bored: YAWNY - I see lots of "teachers" in front of children that elicit this "gluey" response 

66. Ceremonial pile: PYRE - "And our love become a fun'ral PYRE, C'mon baby light my fire"


Down:

1. Halloween inevitabilities: SCARES - Noun not verb. why do we seek these out?

2. Not tricked by: WISE TO.

3. Comment about contagion: IT'S CATCHING - My siblings and I went through the mumps and measles as a unit!

4. Like a movie about filmmakers making a movie: META - Okay

5. Animated miner: DOC - Which shirt would best represent you?

6. Longing words: I HOPE.

7. Aviation guide: PYLON -  Racing markers or a structural component. The second PYLON might be 36. Things few understand: ESOTERICA. 

8. One unlikely to shake hands: POOR SPORT - This losing MLS soccer coach was upset about the other team's play and refused to shake hands

9. Nomadic shelter: YURT - Here are some YURTS in Ulan Bato

10. Kraft Foods trademark: JELLO.

11. Fan of the Bulldogs: ELI.

12. Summer vacation "souvenir": TAN

13. Extreme: END.

19. Dark background that makes a pitched baseball easier to see: BATTER'S EYE - This one in Wrigley field is made up of juniper bushes

21. Party holder: PLASTIC CUP - I once needed some ping pong balls for my physics lab and was so surprised to be told they were over by the PLASTIC CUPS!

25. "We've got clearance": IT'S A GO - Var. - After the meteorologists gave him clearance on June 5, 1944 by saying the weather had broken, Ike said "OK,, Let's Go" for June 6

27. Holds a benefit, say: RAISES MONEY - On GoFundMe.com you can request money for your cause. I wonder how many thought this was a worthy cause.

28. Basilica recess: APSE.

29. Chuckle bit: HEH - HEH, HEH, HEH!

31. PGA Tour Champions golfer Jay: HAAS.

33. Wool source: ALPACA - Let's leave a little for cuteness. p.s. I thought ALPACA had two "C's"

37. Evidence of frequent travel: RUT.

38. Injection molding inventory: DIES - Can you even imagine how many DIES LEGO uses?

39. Stop on the trail: WHOA.

40. "Silent Sunday Nights" network: TCM - The director could shout at them all he wanted during shooting 

44. Affectionate turndown: NO DEAR.

45. Holiday hymn opener: ADESTE - ADESTE, fideles, Laeti triumphantes, Venite, venite in Bethlehem!

47. Organize, in a way: INDEX - Rapid "unindexing" and any librarian's nightmare

49. Strength: SINEW.

50. Prom gown material: SATIN - Some today are using much less material than they used to!

53. Lunch __: TRAY -  An alternate use

55. Easy win: ROMP.

56. Witch: HAG.

57. Maugham's "Cakes and __": ALE - Same book with two different publishers who had two different ideas about how to sell it. Title comes from a Shakespeare line in Twelfth Night.

58. Exclusion prefix: NON.

59. Place for a mud bath: STY.