Friday, October 5, 2018, Paul Coulter

Title: I see the sea, see?

More Corner prescience, as Steve referenced the difficulty in putting theme fill next to each other. Paul is back with one of the most difficult Fridays for me in a very long time.  It is a strange puzzle, with 84 words, 60 of which are 3 or 4 letters long. Just because the fill is not long does not mean it was easy. HENNAING and  LIE-ABEDS are the only long fill outside of the grid-spanning reveal  - 42A. Result of polar ice melt graphically shown by the second part of six two-part puzzle answers: RISING SEA LEVELS (15). This made the theme sort of easy to spot, and I saw that if 63A BAL  moved up next to 57A TIC, it named a sea I was familiar with (BALTIC). Likewise, ARAB and IAN (ARABIAN)  but from there it was a learning experience made more challenging by the US failure to teach geography. The (2) and (1) made finding the remaining pairs easy. There are six pairs, and I only was sure of those two. Well, I really look forward to Paul's comments today, and all of yours. My information is from various sources online.

The theme:

Pair one- 25A. Univ. aides (1): TAS (3). 20A. "Wow!" (2): MAN (3). The TASMAN SEA is a section of the southwestern Pacific Ocean, between the southeastern coast of Australia and Tasmania on the west and New Zealand on the east; it merges with the Coral Sea to the north and encloses a body of water about 1,400 miles (2,250 km) wide and 900,000 square miles (2,300,000 square km) in area.

Pair two- 28A. Damage (1): MAR (3). 22A. Actress Kate (2): MARA (4). The MARMARA SEA is an inland sea located entirely within Turkey's borders. It separates Turkey's Asian and European parts by connecting the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea. It does so by connecting the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea via the Bosphorus Strait and the Aegean Sea to the Marmara Sea via the Dardanelles Strait. The Marmara Sea is the world's smallest sea covering only 4,380 square feet.

Pair three- 30A. Helpless? (1): SOLO (4). 24A. Cal. column (2): MON (3). The SOLOMON SEA is a portion of the western South Pacific Ocean, bounded on the west by New Guinea, on the north by New Britain, and on the east by the Solomon Islands. With an area of 280,000 square miles (720,000 square km), the sea contains the Louisiade Archipelago, New Georgia, and Guadalcanal Island.

Pair four- 58A. Happy hour spot (1): BAR (3). 54A. Sinusitis docs (2): ENTS (4). The BARENTS SEA, a marginal sea of the Artic Ocean, was once known as the Murmanskoye Morye by the Russians. It appears as such in a 1595 atlas. The basin countries of the Barents Sea are Russia and Norway (they drain into this body of water).

Pair five- 61A. Many an Omani (1): ARAB (4). 56A. Author Fleming (2): IAN. The ARABIAN SEA's largest islands include Yemen's Socotra, Oman's Masirah Island, India's Lakshadweep, and Pakistan's Astola Island. Countries that have coastlines along the Arabian Sea include India, the Maldives, Pakistan, Oman, Yemen, and Somalia.

Pair six- 63A. Remaining loan amt. (1): BAL (3). 57. Sign of nerves, maybe (2): TIC (3). The BALTIC SEA is the youngest sea on our planet, emerging from the retiring ice masses only some 10,000-15,000 years ago. Governed by special hydrographical and climatic conditions, the Baltic Sea is one of the planet’s largest bodies of brackish water. It is composed of salt water from the North East Atlantic and fresh water from rivers and streams draining from an area four times larger than the Sea itself

Again the reveal:
42A. Result of polar ice melt graphically shown by the second part of six two-part puzzle answers: RISING SEA LEVELS (15).

Well if you are not all worn out, let's solve all the rest.

Across:

1. Take to the cleaners: HOSE. We start with a tricky slang verb- slang : to deprive of something due or expected : TRICK, CHEAT.

5. Lay low: HID. After hosing them you need to.

8. Pretty companion?: PLEASE. With a cherry on top.

14. Windows alternative: UNIX. UNIX is an operating system which was first developed in the 1960s, and has been under constant development ever since. By operating system, we mean the suite of programs which make the computer work.

15. Drop the ball: ERR.

16. Dragster's wheels: HOT ROD. Some history. LINK.

17. Wedding ring?: HORA. Very tricky, but literally a dance in a circle and popular at Jewish weddings.

18. Class-conscious org.?: NEA. More tricky cluing, class like in school. National Education Association

19. Charge: ACCUSE. For me, it brings to mind J'ACCUSE.

32. Infamous Amin: IDI. Amin (in Arabic أمين) is an Arabic and Persian male given name that means "faithful, trustworthy"

33. Constriction of the eye's pupil: MIOSIS. I did not know this. I think of plants.

35. Apple's apple, e.g.: LOGO. Another fun clue.

39. Hail, to Hadrian: AVE. He built a wall in Rome.




40. All over again: ANEW.

41. "I'll second that": AMEN.

47. Isn't idle: ACTS.

48. Deep blue: ANIL. The indigo shrub; or the indigo dye obtained from the plant

49. Track meet segment: LAP.

50. Authenticity emblem: SEAL. Still used by courts and clerks.

51. Parlor furniture item: SETTEE. The settee, a precursor to the sofa and type of love seat, is characterized by a straight back, room for two people, and founded atop four legs.

53. Hot time in Haiti: ETE. Summer.

65. Individually: APIECE.

67. Dug, with "up": ATE. Did you eat up this puzzle?

69. Big times: ERAS.

73. A through E, at times: WIDTHS. Shoes.

74. Sprout: LAD. Two very old-fashioned words.

75. Courteous: NICE.

76. Snares with a loop: LASSOS.

77. Med. show locales: ERS.

78. Serve sparingly, with "out": DOLE.


Down:

1. "Say what?": HUH.

2. Dedicatee of Lennon's "Woman": ONO. Yoko next to...

3. McCartney's title: SIR. Paul.

4. Checkup: EXAM.

5. Applying a temporary tattoo: HENNAING. Very big in Key West.

6. Boiling state: IRE.

7. Scotch serving: DRAM. Poor Hamish Macbeth has to dole out many a wee dram.

8. Seven Wonders lighthouse: PHAROS. A long HISTORY.

9. One from town: LOCAL. We always called them townies.

10. "Yada yada yada" letters: ETC. Thank you George Costanza.






11. Jack-in-the-pulpit family: ARUM. We are talking PLANTS not about a preacher named Jack.

12. Fair: SO SO.

13. First place?: EDEN. Not leading the league, but where it all began.

21. Mideast capital: AMMAN. Jordan.

23. Faulkner's "__ Lay Dying": AS I. His writing is very respected and his novel the subject of much DISCUSSION.

25. Pageant toppers: TIARAS.

26. It may be unsolicited: ADVICE.

27. Daybreak?: SIESTA. More misdirection, a break during the day not dawn.

29. Agile deer: ROES. This is a small, agile Old World deer, Capreolus capreolus, the male of which has three-pointed antlers. CUTE.

31. Norse patron: OLAV.

34. Hard work: SWEAT. Blood, sweat and tears.

36. Fare filled and folded: OMELET.

37. Trattoria desserts: GELATI. The plural. Gelato is simply the Italian word for ice cream, but in English, it has come to mean specifically Italian or Italian-style ice cream.

38. With no guarantee of payment: ON SPEC. Spec homes are still popular here in South Florida where an older home is torn down and replaced with a much bigger house.

43. Cartography dot: ISLE.

44. Against: ANTI.

45. Reluctant risers: LIE-ABEDS. An old-fashioned word that has appeared in much literature.
LINK.

46. Barack's 2010 High Court appointee: ELENA.  Please no more politics. KAGEN.

51. Emphasize: STRESS.

52. That, in Tijuana: ESA.

55. Snack chip: NACHO.

58. Much more than a sniffle: BAWL.

59. Samoa's capital: APIA. A better clue than, "Either Lindstrom or Zadora."

60. Purges (of): RIDS.

62. One may be stored in a barn: BALE. Is that anyway to treat this man?

64. Advance: LEND.

66. Sci-fi staples: ETS. Extra-terrestrials.

68. Blacken, in a way: TAR. Not La Brea today.

70. Copacabana city: RIO.

71. Commonly torn ligament, briefly: ACL. The anterior cruciate ligament is one of the key ligaments that help stabilize your knee joint. The ACL connects your thighbone (femur) to your shinbone (tibia).

72. Note: SEE.

A very different puzzle from our own PC, and of course I am curious to know what you all think. I always enjoy a when a constructor combines visual elements. I found it hard but satisfying. Happy week-end all. Lemonade out.

Thursday, October 4th 2018 Wendy L. Brandes and Martha Jones

Theme: Car Wars - auto-fighting for parking spots.

20A. Spotify category for courageous Motown lovers?: INTREPID SOUL. Dodge Intrepid (Thanks for the correction, Big Easy) and a Kia Soul. I like the fresh "Spotify" reference in the clue - a music streaming service where you can pick your flavor of playlist.

28A. One hiking in a Maine national park?: ACADIA EXPLORER. GMC Acadia and a Ford Explorer. I'm not sure I was familiar with "Acadia", neither the park nor the vee-hick-el, but crosses filled it in for me just fine. Beautiful spot here in the park:

47A. Weekend in the Hamptons, say?: SUBURBAN ESCAPE. Chevy Suburban, Ford Escape. Dearborn gets 50% of the auto sales in this puzzle, I'm sure they'd be delighted if that was the case in the real world.

53A. Like a delivery truck blocking your car, maybe ... and a hint to 20-, 28- and 47-Across: DOUBLE-PARKED

Oh no - things were going so well until the reveal. There are two cars, fore-and-aft in each theme entry and .. they're tandem parked, not double-parked. Double-parked in the puzzle would be stacked, above and below. Still possible in a crossword construct - tricky, but possible. Just changing the reveal entry to TANDEM PARKED and everyone (well, pedants like me!) would be even happier.

Wendy and Martha are, I believe, a mother-daughter partnership and are certainly debutants in the LAT. They were published this last August in the WSJ which I'm pretty sure was their first "major". Congratulations to them on their LAT opening salvo - we look forward to many more. Stop by and introduce yourselves if you have time!

Across:

1. Abruptly end a relationship with by ignoring texts, calls and such: GHOST. A fresh new term from the "yoot". But "... with by ..."? I thought that was a typo at first. If the relationship involved a Norwegian named "Frøm", you could have said "... end a relationship with Frøm by avoiding ..", thus making more sense and nailing the ablative with a trifecta. Maybe a comma for readability would help?

6. European airline: SAS. Scandinavian Air Services. Not the only airline to do this, but they had a chain of hotels in Europe also; they figured if they needed hotels to overnight their aircrews, they might as well own the hotels.

9. Uninspiring: VAPID

14. Pizazz: OOMPH

15. Flightless bird: EMU

16. Not in the dark: AWARE

17. Prickly shrub: BRIAR

18. Prefix with match or fire: MIS-

19. One with no hope: GONER

23. Alpine lake: TARN. More a pond, but I'll let it go. Tarn Geneva?

24. Fair-hiring initials: EOE

25. "The Waste Land" monogram: TSE. T.S. Eliot - "Let's not be narrow, nasty and negative". Wise words, pay attention out there.

32. Org. for the Williams sisters: W.T.A. Women's Tennis Association. Founded by the redoubtable Billie-Jean King in a bid for more equitable prize money as offered to the men. That certainly worked out.

33. Blood fluids: SERA

34. Damascus native: SYRIAN

35. Says 22-Down, perhaps: ERRS

37. Octane Booster brand: STP. Is every car and driver in NASCAR sponsored by STP? Or just my brief forays into that world make it appear so?

39. Loan figs.: A.P.R'S Annualized Percentage Rates. I've never fathomed out the difference between interest paid annually at a certain rate, and an APR, but that's just me finding more interesting things to do.

40. "Field of Dreams" actor: LIOTTA. Actor Ray.

43. Cy Young stats: ERA'S

46. Final: Abbr.: ULT

50. Pinafore letters: H.M.S. Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta, one of their most popular, certainly on the "Greatest Hits" list. I'd pay good money to see a performance of "The Pirates of Penzance" if any impresario is reading. If only for the Major General with an sly reference to "Pinafore".

51. Hebrew for "day": YOM

52. Small fruit pie: TART

58. Gulf States inlet: BAYOU. Linda Ronstadt is going back to a blue one.

61. Bagel go-with: LOX

62. Flower child's greeting: PEACE

63. Track meet part: EVENT

64. Cooperstown winter hrs.: E.S.T.

65. Legally bar: ESTOP. Seen the word, understand it, still hate it.

66. Sees regularly: DATES

67. Rehab issue: DT'S

68. Angioplasty implant: STENT

Down:

1. Mongolian desert: GOBI

2. Traffic sound: HORN. Hoot, honk, howl (of an engine?) would also fit, so wait for the crosses.

3. Jump over: OMIT

4. Ancient Peloponnesian state: SPARTA

5. Winds (one's way) through: THREADS

6. Some advanced college courses: SEMINARS

7. Surrounded by: AMID

8. Prince Harry's dukedom: SUSSEX. Sussex had to stagger along, dukeless, between the death of Prince Augustus Frederick in 1843 and Prince Harry just this year picking up where Fred left off. Now Sussex is proudly re-Duked, with a Duchess thrown in for good measure. I'm sure the honest burghers of Brighton are dancing on the streets, on the pier, and jauntily on the nude beach.

9. Without much detail: VAGUELY

10. MPs' concern: AWOL

11. Bad review: PAN

12. Steam: IRE

13. German article: DER. The D on it's own isn't enough to choose which gender article you need.

21. __-dieu: PRIE. I call it a kneeler. I like that you can get padded versions to take the pain out of prayer.

22. Unwelcome word from a barber: OOPS

25. Catch in a lie, say: TRIP UP

26. NutraSweet developer: SEARLE

27. Accounting giant __ & Young: ERNST

28. Courtyard that may feature glass elevators: ATRIUM. A bank I worked at in London was owned by a Scottish family, the Flemings (Ian Fleming was part of the family). The building had a lovely glass-enclosed atrium where a bagpiper would play each morning to serenade you into work. The building also had it's own pub, the "Scottish Pound", with a street entrance for the general hoi-polloi, and a back entrance directly from the offices into the bar for the staff. Ah, happy days ... the pub is no more - the bank was sold to Chase in the early 2000's.

29. Pod-bearing trees: CAROBS. Carob is turned into a quite pleasant chocolate substitute to be ...

30. Consumed: EATEN

31. 60 minuti: ORA

32. __ corgi: WELSH

36. R-V link: STU. You either like this one, or dislike it intensely. An alphabet progression with the subtle misdirection in the R-V clue.

38. Excuses: PRETEXTS. Very nice.

41. Casting calls: TRYOUTS

42. "__ Ben Adhem": ABOU

"What writest thou?"—The vision raised its head, 

And with a look made of all sweet accord, 

Answered, "The names of those who love the Lord." 

"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so," 

Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low, 

But cheerly still; and said, "I pray thee, then, 

Write me as one that loves his fellow men." 

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night 

It came again with a great wakening light, 

And showed the names whom love of God had blest, 

And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. 

Leigh Hunt

"Write me as one that loves is fellow men" is the epitaph on Hunt's gravestone in Kensal Green cemetery in London. It's not the most peaceful place in the world, the main railway line from London to the midlands and Manchester is just over the fence.

44. "Stat!": ASAP!

45. Skins, as a knee: SCRAPES

48. Strolled: AMBLED

49. Taking it easy: AT REST

53. Finished: DONE. At rest when you're done. Some nicely-done proximal answers today.

54. In need of guidance: LOST

55. "This Is Us" role for Chrissy Metz: KATE. No clue, thank you crosses.

56. Micro or macro subj.: ECON. I took an Economics class at school and loved it. Back then, an economics degree was a BA, not a BSc. It wasn't viewed as "proper" science, more, as Disraeli put it, "Lies, damn lies and statistics".

57. Cabinet div.: DEPT. Dept. of Econ?

58. __ Bath & Beyond: BED. They send me "20% Off" coupons every week. They officially have an expiry date, but in actual fact they never expire.

59. "Selma" director DuVernay: AVA

60. Nevertheless: YET

I'm done - yet, here is the grid:

Steve

Wednesday October 3, 2018, Craig Stowe

Someone Keeps Moving My Chair!

 

The first word of each starred theme answer describes a specific type of chair.

3-Down. *Life of affluence: EASY STREET.   Think of an Easy Chair.  This one doesn't really look terribly comfortable.

9-Down. *Specialty: WHEELHOUSE.  Think of a Wheel Chair.

17-Down. *Magician's riffled prop: DECK OF CARDS.  Think of a Deck Chair.  We called these Adirondack Chairs, but they go on a Deck.

25-Down. *Swimming option: SIDE STROKE.  Think of a Side Chair.  This is a Queen Anne Side Chair.

And now for the Unifier: 27-Down. Perches for tots, and what the answers to starred clues literally contain: HIGH CHAIRS.  If you notice, all of the theme answers go down, so that the "chair" can be "high" in the answer.

This is now an old-fashioned high chair, but looks like the one we had when we were growing up.

Thank goodness, Mr. Stowe didn't slip in the dreaded Dentist Chair!

From where I sit, this was a fun puzzle.  So pull up your favorite chair, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Across:

1. Party with a piñata: FIESTA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Fiesta is Spanish for Party.

7. Tin alloys: PEWTERS.  Pewter is an alloy of tin and other metals, which may include, silver, copper, antimony or bismuth.  In the olden days, Pewter also contained lead, but that could be toxic.

14. Online icon: AVATAR. Also the name of a movie.  

15. Expo entry: EXHIBIT.

16. Begrudge: RESENT.  Not to be parsed as Re-Sent.

17. 31-day month: DECEMBER.  Or, as my hubby calls it, the Month of Susan.  //  And:  47-Down: Month after 17-Across, south of the border: ENERO.  More of today's Spanish lesson.

18. Jabber: YAK.

19. Surge protector?: LEVEE.  People in Louisiana know all too well about Levees.  The levees ostensibly protect against a storm surge.  In New Orleans, a very complex system of canals and other structures are needed to help protect against potential surges from hurricanes.

20. __-Cat: winter vehicle: SNO.

21. "That wasn't nice of you": TSK!  Often repeated as in Tsk! Tsk!

22. Italian tenor Andrea: BOCELLI. Andrea Bocelli is an Italian singer who just celebrated his 60th birthday on September 22.

24. Cricket club: BAT.  I sat through the 2001 movie Lagaan, which was about a cricket game in India.  The game was played over several days.  It felt like I sat in the movie for several days just watching the film.  Cricket is not a fast moving game!

25. Went down: SANK.  I initially tried Fall.

26. Dander reaction, perhaps: AH CHOO!

30. 1979 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee: ORR.  Bobby Orr (né Robert Gordon Orr; b. Mar. 20, 1948), makes frequent guest appearances in the crosswords.  He had a long career with the Boston Bruins.

31. Shakespearean bad guy: IAGO.  Iago is the main antagonist in Othello.

32. __ the line: TOEING.

33. Word with dating or skating: SPEED.  As in Speed Dating or Speed Skating.  I have done neither.

35. Airport NW of LAX: SFO.  As in the San Francisco International Airport, which is NorthWest of the Los Angeles International Airport.

37. Egged on: URGED.

38. Strainers: SIEVES.  I had a boss who had the attention span of a sieve.

40. 2018 Stanley Cup champs, familiarly: CAPS.  As in the Washington Capitals, which is a hockey team.

42. Yard tool: HOE.

43. Swear (to): ATTEST.

44. Tennis immortal Arthur: ASHE.  As in Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. (July 10, 1943 ~ Feb. 6, 1993).  There is a new biography about him entitled Arthur Ashe: A Life.

45. "Fareed Zakaria GPS" network: CNN.  Fareed Zakaria (b. Jan. 20, 1964), is an Indian-American journalist.  He hosts a television show about public affairs from around the world.

46. Took the helm: STEERED.  Hi, Spitzboov!

48. Revolutionary icon: CHE.  As in the revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara  (June 14, 1928 ~ Oct. 9, 1967).  He went to medical school before becoming a revolutionary.

49. Butter square: PAT.  Why a Pat of Butter?  More than you ever wanted to known.

52. Marmalade morsels: RINDS.  My favorite marmalade is orange marmalade.  I have a kumquat tree in my backyard.  Maybe I will try making some kumquat marmalade.

53. Feathery accessory: BOA.

54. Marine animals named for flowers: ANEMONES.  One is the flower and the other is the sea creature.

56. Nabokov novel: LOLITA.   A 1955 novel by Vladimir Nabokov (Apr. 22, 1899 ~ July 2, 1977) about a middle aged literature professor obsessed with a young girl.  It was made into a 1997 movie starring Jeremy Irons.  I saw it in London.  That's all I remember of the film.

59. Athletic shoe: SNEAKER.  Do people really call athletic shoes sneakers?

60. Island group that includes São Miguel: AZORES.  My sister frequently vacations in the Azores.

61. Italian Riviera resort: SAN REMO.

62. Triple Crown winners: HORSES.

Down:

1. Many miles: FAR.

2. "Now __ seen it all!": I'VE.

4. It might be rare: STEAK.  My favorite clue of the puzzle.

5. Fail big-time: TANK.  I initially tried Fall.

6. "The creation of beauty is __": Emerson: ART.  A quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 ~ Apr. 27, 1882)

7. Complaint: PEEVE.  A Pet Peeve is not to be confused with a Pet Rock.

8. Show a real talent for: EXCEL AT.

10. "Humble and Kind" singer McGraw: TIM.  Tim McGraw (né Samuel Timothy McGraw; b. May 1, 1967) was born in Delhi, Louisiana.  His father was Tug McGraw (Aug. 30, 1944 ~ Jan. 5, 2004), a major league baseball pitcher.

11. Falls back: EBBs.

12. Nothing, in Quebec: RIEN.  Today's French lesson.

13. Texas ballplayer, to fans: 'STRO.  As in the Houston Astros.

19. Yearns (for): LONGS.

21. La Brea attraction: TAR PIT.  All together, now:  La Brea Tar Pit is redundant.

22. Barnyard bleat: BAA.  As in the sheep.

23. Bakery employee: ICER.

24. __ nova: BOSSA.  The Bossa Nova is a genre of Brazilian music.

28. Common soccer score: ONE / ONE.  I don't believe I have ever seen a soccer game.

29. Nash who wrote "Parsley / Is gharsley": OGDEN.  As in Ogden Nash (né Frederick Ogden Nash; Aug. 19, 1902 ~ May 19, 1971)

34. Big nights: EVEs.

36. Desert refuges: OASES.  Midnight at the Oasis.

39. "Revolution From Within" writer Gloria: STEINEM.  As in Gloria Steinem (b. Mar. 25, 1934).  I can't believe she is 84 already!

41. Prof.'s degree: Ph.D.  As in a Doctor of Philosophy.  What is the difference between an M.D and a Ph.D.?    * Answer below.

48. __ scheme: COLOR.  What is the Color Scheme of your living room?

49. Bridge call: PASS.  I have never played bridge, but I have heard some of the terms.

50. LPGA golfer Nordqvist: ANNA.  Anna Nordqvist (b. June 10, 1987) is a Swedish golfer.

51. Video game rating: TEEN.

53. Nincompoop: BOZO.

55. Spoil: MAR.

56. "Well, __-di-dah!": LAH.

57. Ball holder: TEE.

58. Pack animal: ASS.

Sit back in your comfy chair and give us your thoughts on today's fare.

 

* Answer:  An M.D. buries his mistakes; the Ph.D. must live with his mistakes.

Tuesday, October 2, 2018 Roland Huget

"Let's Play Cards"

 17. Tool for cutting stone and concrete: DIAMOND SAW.   ♦

25. Garden digging, e.g.: SPADEWORK.  ♠

35. Richly upholstered seat: CLUB CHAIR.   ♣

48. Prilosec target: HEARTBURN.  ♥

Given the pattern of the theme answers, the reveal would be an open form compound word, and it was:

56. Carry on the same way ... and what the ends of 17-, 25-, 35- and 48-Across do: FOLLOW SUIT.

I just happened to notice that each of the theme answers were compound words, and that they alternated from open form to closed form.   Nice to see that the reveal followed suit.

Spitzboov, our resident bridge player, probably plays with a four color deck.   I learned these decks are are called "no-revoke" decks, and are given different colors to make the suits more distinct from each other.

 Across:

1. Gulf States prince: EMIR.  For instance, Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

5. Macy's competitor: KOHL'S.

10. Eucharist celebration: MASS.

14. See 62-Across: TIME,  50D. See 62-Across: UPON A, and 62. With 50-Down and 14-Across, fairy tale opening: ONCE.  ONCE UPON A TIME.  If still active on the blog, Barry G would have commented about this threesome.  He doesn't care for clues that make you have to read another clue. 

15. Boise's state: IDAHO.  "The City of Boise operates the largest direct-use geothermal system in the entire country."  - livboise.org.   "Idaho is called the "Gem State" because nearly every known type of gemstone has been found in the state of Idaho.  More than 72 different precious and semi-precious gemstones are mined from Idaho" - ikeydata.com

16. Israeli airline: EL AL.

19. River of Cairo: NILE.

20. Playing surface surrounded by boards: RINK.  Sports lingo - Ice Hockey Dasher Boards

21. Access charge: USER'S FEE.

23. Chinese menu promise: NO MSG.  Monosodium glutamate

26. Abandoned building, say: EYESORE.

28. Jules who created the Nautilus: VERNE.  Little-Known Facts About Jules Verne

29. Form a union: WED.  Betroth.

30. Passé reception aid: AERIAL.

34. Love personified: AMOR.

37. Nobel Peace Prize city: OSLO.   The Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine and Literature are awarded in Stockholm.

40. Toxic substance: POISON.

41. Snapshot, briefly: PIC.

44. "SNL" alum Cheri: OTERI.

46. Dancer Duncan: ISADORA.    Didn't know of her.     Needed the I to complete the puzzle.

52. Caught with a lasso: ROPED.

53. Old-fashioned printing machine: LINOTYPE.


54. Champagne brand: MOET.

55. Got on in years: AGED.

60. __ majesty: high treason: LESE.

61. Diarist Nin: ANAIS.  "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."

63. Newspaper section with many reviews: ARTS.

64. Horizontal graph lines: X-AXES.

65. Enthusiastic: KEEN.

Down:

1. Takeoff approx.: ETD.

2. 1002, to Caesar: MII.

3. Gun carrier's warning: I'M ARMED.

4. Careless: REMISS.

5. Garden hose obstruction: KINK.

6. Unmatched: ODD.

7. Welcomes to the treehouse: HAS UP.

8. __ apso: little dog: LHASA.  Video courtesy of Animal Planet


9. Scattered, as seed: SOWED.

10. Department store section: MENSWEAR.

11. Wing-shaped: ALIFORM.

12. Port near Naples: SALERNO.

13. More streamlined: SLEEKER.

18. Like an accurate soccer shot: ON GOAL.

22. Gun, as an engine: REV.

23. Just out: NEW.

24. Santana's "__ Como Va": OYE.     Hey, how is it going ?



25. __-Croatian: Slavic language: SERBO.

27. Do another stint: RE-UP.   Reenlist. 

31. Here, in Haiti: ICI.

32. Twain/Harte play: AH SIN.   Totally unknown to me.   The perps were solid, but still wasn't certain how to parse it.   Took a couple of Google searches to find a reference, and learned along the way that Twain Harte is a census designated place in California.   Anyway,  read Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Pioneer Fiction, and a Play Gone Wrong

33. Vientiane's country: LAOS.  The economic center and capital of Laos.


35. Becomes rusted: CORRODES.

36. Lined up: IN A ROW.

37. "C'est magnifique!": OOH LA LA.

38. "The Pawnbroker" actor Rod: STEIGER.

39. Least fatty, as corned beef: LEANEST.

41. Many a Top 40 song: POP TUNE.

42. Cork's country: Abbr.: IRE.

43. Heel: CAD.

45. Hairy Addams cousin: ITT.

47. Is moderately successful: DOES OK.

49. How some documents are sent: BY FAX.

51. Kick back: RELAX.

54. Forest floor plant: MOSS.

57. Golf ball position: LIE.

58. Cocktail cooler: ICE.

59. Down-for-the-count count: TEN.

Monday October 1, 2018 C.C. Burnikel,

Theme:  ZITI (64. Tubular pasta ... and a phonetic hint to 17-, 23-, 51- and 60-Across) - Each theme entry is in the pattern of Z* T*.

17. Complete quickly, as a test: ZIP THROUGH.

23. Predecessor to Millard Fillmore: ZACHARY TAYLOR.

51. Strict rule-enforcement policy: ZERO TOLERANCE.

60. Buddhist meditation sites: ZEN TEMPLES.

Boomer here.  

Well, normally I try to think of something clever to relate however this past week has been extremely forgettable.  I know C.C. has been relaying some of my aches and pains and I have been treating arthritis without good results. Finally on Tuesday I developed a severe pain in my shoulder and I said enough is enough. On Wednesday, C.C. and I went to the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis and after several hours of tests, we were told that bone cancer has invaded my body.  We are determined to follow all doctors' instructions and fight this thing like crazy.  Thank you for caring.  

 

Across: 

1. Crispy fried chicken part: SKIN. Washington NFL Team ??

5. Foolish sort: TWIT.  Not me, but millions of folks go on Twitter to Tweet.  Are they Twits?

9. Neeson of "Silence": LIAM.

13. Cancún currency: PESO.  The peso has lost a bit of ground to the dollar.  I think a peso is worth about a nickel

14. Nonspeaking street performer: MIME.  Do mimes always paint their faces white?

15. Cellist Casals: PABLO.

16. "__ it first!": I SAW.

19. Spring melts: THAWS.  The favorite part of a Minnesota spring.  Trust me, I know.

21. Lake crossed traveling from Ohio to Ontario: ERIE.  I think this great lake supplies most of the snow for the spring thaw in Buffalo NY.

22. Golf course standard: PAR.  Did you have a look at the Ryder Cup course?  Making pars was a challenge on some of those holes.

27. "Later, Jacques": ADIEU.  "I'll hang my harp on the weeping willow tree, and may the world go well with thee."

28. Northern sky sight: AURORA.

31. Mixed-breed barker: MUTT.  Mindful of the "Mutt and Jeff" comics of long ago.

34. Isl. of Australia: TASM. Tasmania. Home of the Tasmanian devil which looks like a little bear.  But there was also a Tasmanian comic devil who looked like he could have a role in "Star Wars"

36. Remove mist from, as a windshield: DEFOG.  I wonder if there was a lot of these clever accessories in the early days of automobiles or if you needed a rag on your front seat.

37. Sushi tuna: AHI.

38. Grabbed a chair: SAT.

39. Praiseful poem: ODE. "It was the third of June, the day Billie Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge."

41. Angsty music genre: EMO.

42. Lovestruck teen from Verona: ROMEO. Wherefore art thou? Or is this the first name of a car named Alfa?

44. Houston MLBer: STRO.  If this slang is OK, then the Minnesota team would be nicknamed "Wins".  I doubt it.

46. Unexpected problem: SNAG.  Anyone ever fix stockings with clear nail polish?

47. Angelic figure: CHERUB.

49. Transplant to a new container: RE-POT.

56. Margaret of stand-up: CHO.

58. Chilly: COOL.  This is the favorite word of the entire "Pawn Stars" cast.

59. Get the better of: ONE UP. Was a typical Ryder Cup score, before it got worse.

65. Geometry calculations: AREAS.

66. Brazilian soccer legend: PELE.  Everyone has heard of this Soccer star, but I have never attended a soccer match.  I am still a little ticked off when they tore down a bowling center in St. Paul to build a soccer stadium.

67. Actor Baldwin: ALEC. I enjoy his parody of President Trump on SNL.  I don't think the Prez likes it much, though.

68. Sore throat sign: RASP.

69. Part of GPS: Abbr.: SYST.

70. Some cameras, for short: SLRS. Single lens.

Down:

1. Dog group that includes the Akita: SPITZ.  Mark was an Olympic swimmer, and has a nice gold medal collection.

2. "Tik Tok" singer: KESHA.

3. Author Asimov: ISAAC.  His trivia quizzes appear in our paper daily.  I just do Sudoku.

4. "Yet another problem?": NOW WHAT.  One of my dear mother's exclamations.

5. Tabloid TV debut of 2007: TMZ.

6. Xbox 360 competitor: WII.  I never owned one of these, but I heard they had a fun bowling game.

7. Driving force: IMPETUS.

8. Colorful aquarium fish: TETRA.

9. Poet __-tzu: LAO.

10. Active ingredient in Advil: IBUPROFEN. I have a full pharmacy on my dresser.  Got to read every label to see what fights with what.

11. Pond growth: ALGA.  This is a singular form of algae.  I don't think you will ever see any alga alone on a pond.

12. Jay of "Last Comic Standing": MOHR.

15. Musical intro: PRELUDE.  Most famous was Lawrence Welk popping his cheek with a finger.  I think you need to be my age to remember.

18. "Howdy there!": HI YA.

20. Pathetic: SAD.

24. Beatles' meter maid: RITA. May I inquire discreetly? When are you free to take some tea with me?

25. First Irish Literature Nobelist: YEATS. 1923.

26. Miner's strike: ORE. St. So. of Wash.

29. Egg-shaped tomato: ROMA

30. Spellbound: AGOG.

31. Artist Chagall: MARC.

32. "Looks like trouble!": UH OH.

33. Mountain and Pacific, e.g.: TIME ZONES.  So if you leave the East Coast at noon and fly to Las Vegas, do you have to eat lunch again?

35. Gourmet mushroom: MOREL.

38. Reporter's contacts: SOURCES.  Mostly anonymous, but everyone always wants to know.

40. Info: DOPE.  Also slang for one who has no info.

43. Before, poetically: ERE.

45. Streetcar: TROLLEY. Generally gets power from an overhead source. Not like the SF cable cars.

46. Sonnet sections: STANZAS.

48. Market upswing: BOOM.  My nickname is Boomer, sometimes my friends will shorten it.

50. Gold, to José: ORO.  We used to use this as an acronym for "Our Records Only".

52. Big name in trading cards: TOPPS.  I have a long history with Topps.  I love their "Heritage Chrome" and my 1955 Topps Doubleheader set.

53. Sam of "Jurassic Park": NEILL.

54. More adorable: CUTER.

55. Heroic sagas: EPICS.

56. Industry mogul: CZAR.

57. Zeus' jealous wife: HERA.

61. Touch lightly: TAP.  Bowl and leave a ten pin on a pocket hit.

62. Lolling trio?: ELS.  Golfer Ernie.  Not invited to the Ryder Cup because he is from South Africa.

63. Erector __: SET.  Of course I had one as a kid.

Boomer

Sunday September 30, 2018 Peter Koetters

Theme:  "Power Play"- The first word in each theme entry is a type of penalty in hockey.

23A. *Electric vehicle need: CHARGING STATION.

39A. *Having a blowout sale: SLASHING PRICES.

59A. *Fish story theme: HOOKING THE BIG ONE.

81A. *Like a man resisting the urge to argue: HOLDING HIS TONGUE.

96A. *"Dead Poets Society" setting: BOARDING SCHOOL.

 

16D. *Pressurized undersea compartment: DIVING BELL.

74D. *Camping out, say: ROUGHING IT.

Reveal:

117. Temporarily disqualified due to an infraction that begins any of seven answers to starred clues: IN THE PENALTY BOX.

   

Bonus fill:

118. Apt sports org. for this puzzle: NHL.

Sorry, Peter and all readers, no write-up today. If you have any question regarding the theme or certain entry, please click on Comments at the end of this write-up. Your questions will be answered by our capable regulars.

  

After a scary visit to the ER last Wednesday, Boomer was diagnosed with bone cancer. We had a biopsy last Thursday and more tests and visits to the VA clinic and hospital ahead. Boomer is a tough guy with high pain threshold. But with even Oxycodone, he's still in pain. If anyone has experiences or advice handling bone cancer or the side effects of those drugs, please share on the blog or email me crosswordc@gmail.com.

I'll be back next Sunday. Thank you!

Across:

 1. Kick off the flight: BUMP.

5. "Nixon in China" composer John: ADAMS.

10. Underground invader: WEED.

14. Fragrant wood: CEDAR.

19. Goatee-stroking words: I SEE.

20. Bank built for a rainy day: LEVEE.

21. Pal of Grover: ELMO.

22. It's pressed for oil: OLIVE.

26. Stirred: MOVED.

27. Puppet extension?: EER.

28. Suffix with gymnast: ICS.

29. Leveling wedge: SHIM.

30. Hot belt, with "the": TROPICS.

32. "God Bless America" landscape word: PRAIRIES.

35. Punishment with a grounding: NO TV.

38. Many a Snapchat user: TEEN.

43. Long-nosed fish: GAR.

46. 1977 medical thriller: COMA.

49. From head __: TO TOE.

50. More than cool: ICY.

51. A deal may be made under it, with "the": TABLE.

53. Military order: AT EASE.

56. Neatnik's possible condition, briefly: OCD.

57. Crunched figures: DATA.

58. Minute critter: AMEBA.

63. Blackmailed: BLED.

64. Green: NEW.

65. Herd voices: MOOS.

66. Road crew worker: PAVER.

67. Became clear: JELLED.

69. Border: ABUT.

70. Source of a Pasadena parade aroma: ROSES.

71. "Little Beau __": 1952 toon about a skunk: PEPE.

72. Auto safety device: AIR BAG.

75. Asgard group: AESIR.

76. Some lighters: BICS.

77. Canceled, as an event: OFF.

80. Mess maker: SLOB.

85. "Taxi" dispatcher: LOUIE.

87. ATM feature: SLOT.

88. Apple platform: IOS.

89. Fireside treats: SMORES.

90. Christmas tree topper: ANGEL.

91. Fifth-century nomad: HUN.

92. Log: ENTER.

94. Waist container?: BELT.

95. Casual "Pass": NAH.

101. Target of adoration: IDOL.

103. Ages and ages: EONS.

104. Aroused: TURNED ON.

108. Powerful: SINEWED.

111. Swear: CUSS.

114. Arthur of "The Golden Girls": BEA.

115. Israeli heat?: UZI.

116. Get decked out: TOG UP.

122. Rival of ancient Carthage: UTICA.

123. Pump, e.g.: SHOE.

124. Culture dish media: AGARS.

125. Compos mentis: SANE.

126. Passé: DATED.

127. Piece of dirt: CLOD.

128. "I'll think about it": MAYBE.

129. Wasn't straight: LIED.

Down:

1. __ curls: BICEP.

2. Arena worker: USHER.

3. Stiller's partner: MEARA.

4. Pricing word: PER.

5. "Tomb Raider" star Vikander: ALICIA.

6. Most populous: DENSEST.

7. DJIA part: Abbr.: AVG.

8. __ hall: MESS.

9. Third face of Eve?: SETH.

10. Tool needing wringing: WET MOP.

11. Bulldogs fan: ELI.

12. Rock subculture: EMO.

13. Stern warning: DON'T.

14. "How goes it, José?": COMO ESTA.

15. Split to be tied?: ELOPE.

17. Nice with?: AVEC.

18. Cherry and crimson: REDS.

24. Birth announcement word: GIRL.

25. NBA exec Danny: AINGE.

31. Bus path: Abbr.: RTE.

33. "Wicked Game" singer Chris: ISAAK.

34. Tries to score: SHOOTS.

36. Disaster site procedures: TRIAGES.

37. Spoils recipient: VICTOR.

40. Craving: ITCH.

41. Unreturnable, as a bottle: NO DEPOSIT.

42. Blue hue: CYAN.

44. "Tiny Alice" dramatist: ALBEE.

45. Check, in a way: RE-ADD.

46. "High Hopes" lyricist: CAHN.

47. Plains native: OTOE.

48. Persian call: MEOW.

52. Mosey: AMBLE.

54. Lion king: SIMBA.

55. Once, sometimes: ENOUGH.

57. Going every which way: DIVERGING.

60. Came down with: GOT.

61. Sink: BASIN.

62. Throws out: EJECTS.

68. __ salts: EPSOM.

69. Counterculture icon Hoffman: ABBIE.

70. __ Beach: L.A. suburb: REDONDO.

71. Gumshoes, for short: PIS.

72. Lion king: ASLAN.

73. Actress Massey: ILONA.

75. Enticement: ALLURE.

76. Halve: BISECT.

77. Fiendish sort: OGRE.

78. Tank filler: FUEL.

79. Ending for gab or talk: FEST.

82. Fed. workplace watchdog: OSHA.

83. Red __: spicy candies: HOTS.

84. Like neon: NOBLE.

86. Bit of roller derby protection: ELBOW PAD.

92. Come after: ENSUE.

93. Stalks in a pie: RHUBARB.

97. Corrida cry: OLE.

98. Slowly crept: INCHED.

99. Promise of dire consequences: OR ELSE.

100. Go __ great length: ON AT.

102. Ad preceder?: DEUCE.

105. Burj Khalifa's city: DUBAI.

106. Endangered layer: OZONE.

107. Put the kibosh on: NIXED.

108. Ear decoration: STUD.

109. Scintilla: IOTA.

110. Slipped __: DISC.

112. Cybernuisance: SPAM.

113. Genesis creator: SEGA.

119. In addition: TOO.

120. House of Commons vote: NAY.

121. Designer monogram: YSL.

Happy Birthday to our dog lover Pat and her husband, who were born in the same day and same year. Pat was a few hours older than her husband. Have a wonderful day, Pat!