Monday November 5, 2018 Frank Virzi

Theme::  BEDSPREAD (66. Quilt, e.g. ... and a hint to the circled letters) - Twin, Queen, Double & King are spread out in theme entries.

  

17. What "bosun" is short for: BOATSWAIN.

24. Necessities: REQUIREMENTS.

40. Maxwell Smart catchphrase: WOULD YOU BELIEVE.

52. October holiday in Canada: THANKSGIVING.

Boomer here.  

October is in the rearview mirror.  I hope we are all looking forward to Thanksgiving.  Let me say this about that. I HATE all the Black Friday ads, almost as much as the Medicare supplement ads.  And I will not shop at stores that ignore the holiday and open their doors on Thanksgiving evening.  Also C.C. and I will be at our polling place early Tuesday morning. I hope all of you will take the time to vote.  Thank you.

Across:

1. Gillette razor introduced several years after the Trac II: ATRA. Not sure where these names for razors come from. Maybe from the same guys that name car models.

5. Sleety road concern: SKID.  "When you go into a skid, turn in the direction of the skid".  Words to live by in Minnesota winters.

9. Spherical: ORBED.  Army cot or bed ?

14. Cook, as cavatelli: BOIL.  Hard or soft egg?

15. Alien-seeking org.: SETI.

16. "SNL" producer Michaels: LORNE.  Bonanza boss Mr. Greene

19. Words to the audience: ASIDE.

20. God of the Quran: ALLAH.

21. Minute part of a min.: NSEC. There are a billion nanoseconds in one second.  I did not count them, I googled it.

23. Voiced: SAID.

27. Town mentioned in "Sloop John B": NASSAU.  "My grandfather and me"  Beach Boys

30. Give permission to: LET.  Allow a new serve without penalty.

31. CPR expert: EMT.  Electrical Metallic tubing.  aka thinwall pipe.

32. Kind of sax: ALTO.

36. When some news shows air: AT TEN.  I remember news at six and ten.  Now CNN and MSNBC have it all day and all night (Marianne)

44. Knee-to-ankle bone: TIBIA.

45. Elevator name: OTIS. Elisha Otis invented the elevator about 150 years ago.  I wonder how many multi-story buildings there were back then.

46. A half-dozen: SIX.

47. Cinnabar or hematite: ORE. Mining is an industry in Northern Minnesota.  That's where 3M got its name" Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing.

49. How dishes are often sold: AS A SET.  How tennis is played also.

58. Draws a bead on, with "at": AIMS. Sign in a public men's room. "We aim to please, you aim too, please".

59. Centers of activity: LOCI.

60. Ventricular outlet: AORTA.

64. Bronze or beige: SHADE.  Golden Gopher helmets are sometimes a shiny shade of gold.

68. Sagal of "8 Simple Rules": KATEY.

69. Vicinity: AREA.

70. First chip in the pot: ANTE. Actually, everyone in the game must toss in a chip to play.

71. "Goosebumps" author R.L.: STINE.

72. U.K. mil. medals: DSOS. Distinguished Service Order,  (plural)

73. "The Americans" FBI agent Beeman: STAN.  I've never heard of Stan Beeman, but who could forget Oliver Hardy's buddy?  "Hard boiled eggs and nuts".

Down:

1. Palindromic Swedish band: ABBA.  "Dancing Queens" from Sweden don'tcha know.

2. Saw, for one: TOOL.

3. Iranian money: RIAL.  I've never been to Iran but it sounds like an odd name for money.

4. Rite sites: ALTARS.

5. Opposite of NNE: SSW.

6. Reeves of "John Wick": KEANU.  Dogstar is an odd name for a band, but so was Beatles and the 5th Dimension

7. Formal answer to "Who's there?": IT IS I.  Is this a knock knock joke ?

8. Home fries server: DINER.  Kind of like French Fries only chunky.

9. Suffix with Cray-: OLA. Crayola no longer sells a color they called "Dandelion".  If you have one, put it on eBay.

10. "Goblin Market" poet Christina: ROSSETTI.

11. "Monty Python's Life of __": BRIAN.

12. Split up: END IT.  Banana's and ice cream in a high dish.

13. Monopoly cards: DEEDS.  "Title Deeds" to be exact.  Take a ride on the Reading.

18. Mr. Met's former stadium: SHEA. When the Mets first appeared in the National League, they played at the Polo Grounds.  Former famous home of the New York Giants.  I think the Mets lost 120 games that first year.

22. Cartoon frame: CEL.

25. Wharf: QUAY.

26. Word after Happy or square: MEAL.  Why do they call it a square meal when hamburgers are round.

27. Politico Gingrich: NEWT.

28. Mine, in Amiens: A MOI.

29. Retained part of a paycheck: STUB.  Or a ticket.  I have five stubs from the 1987 World Series. (Yup, I saw game 5 in St. Louis)

33. Canterbury commode: LOO.  Our Minnesota race track is Canterbury Downs.  Out there they call them "rest rooms".

34. Tsk relative: TUT. I think he was an Egyptian King.

35. Kimono sash: OBI.  Mr. Wan Kinobi of "Star Wars" fame

37. Hardy's "__ of the D'Urbervilles": TESS.

38. Songwriter Sands: EVIE.

39. Bakery call: NEXT.  I don't know about a bakery, but this is the call at the government center when you go to renew a license.  However they don't call it anymore.  There's a video hanging from the ceiling that says "Now Serving".

41. Simba's home: LION'S DEN. I remember being in Cub Scouts and being part of a den.

42. Like the night, usually: DARK. A Star horse in the 1953 Kentucky Derby.  Nipped Native Dancer at the wire.

43. Morales of "La Bamba": ESAI.  Lieutenant Rodriguez on NYPD Blue.

48. Immigrant's subj.: ESL.

50. Easy thing to do: SNAP.  We used to love candy coated licorice rounds called Snaps.

51. Old Greek gathering places: AGORAS.

52. "Honey do" list items: TASKS.  Is there also a "Honey Don't" list ??

53. Drum kit cymbals: HI HAT.

54. Valuable viola: AMATI.

55. Spoil: GO BAD.

56. Cupcake-topping workers: ICERS.  Never knew why people called frosting icing.  I suppose that frost can turn into ice.

57. YouTube clip: VIDEO.  I have plenty of VHS videos, but nothing to play them with.

61. __-a-car: RENT.  We do this in Las Vegas, but never from "Dollar".  Long story.

62. "Later," stylishly: TA TA.

63. Yemeni seaport: ADEN.

65. Watching organ: EYE.  I would not call an eye an organ.  You cannot play church music on an eye.

67. Flier to Oslo: SAS.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

Here is Boomer ready for the All Saints' Day mass at Benilde St. Margaret's High School where he coaches the kids' bowling team. Click on it to enlarge. He's wearing four different pins.

Boomer, Nov 1, 2018

Sunday November 4, 2018 Mark McClain

Theme:  "Alphabetical Order" - AB, CD, EF.... YZ starts each them entry.

22. First-aid kit brand: ACE BANDAGE.

24. Reprimanded: CALLED DOWN.

36. Liz Taylor's husband before Richard Burton: EDDIE FISHER.

39. One whose mouth shouldn't be examined?: GIFT HORSE.

56. Disloyal crimes: INSIDE JOBS.

62. One of three planetary motion principles: KEPLER'S LAW.

70. Raised a ruckus, say: MADE NOISE.

80. Source of zest: ORANGE PEEL.

84. What a texter usually expects: QUICK REPLY.

99. Donut ... or the consequence of eating too many of them?: SPARE TIRE.

104. Car on craigslist: USED VEHICLE.

118. Ways to detect fractured trapeziums: WRIST X-RAYS.

120. Restricted parking area, perhaps: YELLOW ZONE.

Quite often constructors can move theme entries around in the gridding process. Not today's grid though. AB/CD/... YZ dictated the strict order and put lots of pressure on Mark in his designing and filling process.

Except the middle M* N*, all the other entries are placed in the same row separated by one black square.  This makes the theme gimmick easy to spot visually.

Across:

1. "College Football Live" channel: ESPNU.

6. Apple-order link: PIE.

9. Turner's device: LATHE. Turn-er.

14. Start-the-day ABC talk show, familiarly: GMA.

17. Govt. red tape reduction: DEREG. Deregulation.

18. Parched: ARID.

20. Burger add-on: ONION. I only like green onions.

21. Smooth, in a way: IRON.

26. More achy: SORER.

27. Harassed impertinently: HECKLED.

29. "Bolero" composer: RAVEL.

30. Palais resident: ROI. Palace.

32. Piece of land: TRACT.

34. Antipoverty agcy.: OEO. Office of Economic Opportunity.

35. "__ was I?": WHERE.

43. "__ there, done that!": BEEN.

44. Blowhard: GAS BAG.

46. NYC area above Houston Street: NOHO. North of Houston Street.

47. Nickname usually related to hair color: RED.

50. Drew __, Patriots' quarterback before Brady: BLEDSOE. Unknown to me.

52. Upscale retailer: SAKS.

64. Menlo Park initials: TAE. Thomas Alva Edison.

65. Opera outburst: BRAVO.

66. Green-lights: OKS.

67. __ Sketch: ETCH-A.

68. Ward (off): STAVE.

74. Song of worship: PSALM.

75. Indulge: HUMOR.

76. U.N. workers' agcy.: ILO. International Labour Organization.

77. Slow, on scores: LENTO.

79. Humdinger: PIP.

86. N.C. neighbor: TENN.

87. "Sacré bleu!" kin: MON DIEU. My god.

89. Extra NHL periods: OTS.

90. To the __: maximally: HILT.

91. Himalayan native: SHERPA.

95. Small cells: AAAS.

107. Jazz pianist Chick: COREA.

108. Can cover: LID.

110. Shop: STORE.

111. La. neighbor: TEX. Texas Tom. Chicago Tom. That's how Boomer and I discuss our two Toms at home.

112. One on a trail: HIKER.

113. Song title words before "for Miles": I CAN SEE.

116. Connection points: NODES.

124. Top-drawer: A ONE.

125. Nemo's creator: VERNE.

126. Falco of "The Sopranos": EDIE.

127. Words of domination: I RULE.

128. Waze ways: Abbr.: STS. Waze is the GPS navigation app. So sorry you missed the annual lunch, Agnes!

129. Dot in the ocean: ISLET.

130. Pampering place: SPA.

131. Components of fences: GATES.

Down:

1. Author LeShan: EDA.

2. Bama's conf.: SEC.

3. Act the chair: PRESIDE.

4. Mount from which Moses saw the Promised Land: NEBO.

5. Lorre's "Casablanca" role: UGARTE.

6. Two-time British Open champ Harrington: PADRAIG. Gimme for me.

7. Keogh plan rel.: IRA.

8. Pizzas slices, commonly: EIGHTHS.

9. Age of Reason philosopher: LOCKE.

10. Not digital: ANALOG.

11. Shower wall item: TILE. We'll probably cave in to Plumb Right to fix the bathtub and the tiles sometime next year. 

12. Hang onto: HOLD.

13. OKC-to-Tulsa dir.: ENE.

14. Muppet prone to eschewing contractions: GROVER

15. Lawn machines: MOWERS.

16. Shakers founder: ANN LEE.

19. Not a good mark: DEE.

21. Sun Valley state: IDAHO.

23. Soft toy brand: NERF.

25. BBC time traveler: DR WHO.

28. Reef material: CORAL.

30. Hoops stat.: REB. OK, rebound.

31. Tribute in verse: ODE.

33. Breakaway nation: Abbr.: CSA.

37. Crucifix letters: INRI. Latin for "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews".

38. Pulls back: EBBS.

40. Brit. police rank: INSP.

41. Trick: FOOL.

42. "... I __ wed": THEE.

45. "Wall Street" antagonist: GEKKO (Gordon)  48. Stefan of tennis: EDBERG.  53. Li'l Abner drawer: AL CAPP. 54. Poet Gibran: KAHLIL. A bit name heavy in a few Down spots.

49. __ Spiegel: German magazine: DER.

51. Arnaz-Ball studio: DESILU.

52. Bygone boomers: SSTS.

55. Like England's "the Fens": SWAMPY.

56. "Turn on the AC!": IT'S HOT.

57. Mother __: NATURE.

58. Low naval rank: SEAMAN. Our Spitzboov retired as a Commander.

59. Fruity spread: JAM.

60. Egg cells: OVA.

61. Able or full follower: BODIED.

63. Think tank output: REPORT.

66. Tokyo-born Yoko: ONO.

69. World Cup skiing champ Lindsey: VONN. Born here in St. Paul.

71. Perry of fashion: ELLIS.

72. Due times tre: SEI. 2 times 3.

73. Bus. letter insert: ENC.

78. Ref's call: TKO.

81. Send forth: EMIT.

82. __ sci: POLI.

83. __'acte: ENTR.

84. Q&A part, briefly: QUES.

85. Morales of "Jericho": ESAI.

88. Israeli prime ministers Barak and Olmert: EHUDS. And 101. Acting father and son: ARKINS.

90. Ticker: HEART.

92. Works on a lawn: RESEEDS.

93. Calif. summer hrs.: PDT.

94. "Anne of Green Gables" setting: AVONLEA.

96. Pantomimes: ACTS OUT.

97. Pub pint, perhaps: ALE.

98. __ symbol: SEX.

99. Pair in "awaken": SCHWAS. The two vowel sounds.

100. "Little grey cells" detective: POIROT.

102. Piece maker?: REESE.

103. Funny Boosler: ELAYNE.

105. Buck back?: EROO. Buckeroo.

106. Harry Potter's owl: HEDWIG.

109. Map within a map: INSET.

113. More than annoys: IRES.

114. Poet Sandburg: CARL.

115. Hurricane feature: EYE.

117. Cornell founder Cornell: EZRA.

119. Driving age in old Rome?: XVI. Drive a chariot.

121. Gloss target: LIP.

122. Div. with Braves: NLE. NL East.

123. Some RPI grads: EES.

Boomer struggles with this back brace. We'll see if his doctor has other options early next week. We're also going to meet with the radiation oncologist next Friday for a consultation. Hopefully the radiation can start the week after.

C.C.

Saturday, November 3, 2018, Brian E. Paquin

Themeless Saturday By Brian E. Paquin

What better holiday to observe after last week's National Beer Day than today's National Sandwich Day? November 3 is that holiday and we can celebrate with culinary concoctions that are easily washed down with suds or other beverages.

My favorites sandwiches would include BLT's, Clubs and French Dips and I know we all would like to know what your favorite(s) is/are.

Today's constructor is Brian E. Paquin. I have previously blogged two of his Saturday themeless puzzles this year.



Now let's see what ingredients Brian has used today to make our Saturday literary nosh:

Across:

1. "No problem": I CAN DO THAT.

11. You can only get one if you're near home, briefly: RBI - This batter is briefly near home when he hits the ball but is not going to get an RBI until the runner from second scores and the batter will probably then be on second or third

14. "What are you asking?": NAME A PRICE - Mike and Frank find "rares" on American Pickers and tell the owner to NAME A PRICE

15. Salon inventory: GELS - those salons probably don't carry Brylcreem 

That all you got?

16. Taunts on the field: TRASH TALKS 

17. Doing business: OPEN.

18. Fast period: LENT  - I have given up giving up anything for LENT. 

19. Loiter: MILL ABOUT.

21. Showing a 'tude: SASSY.

24. Emotional: TEARY.

25. Confused conditions: HAZES - Several HAZES here at a "legalize pot" rally

27. Social media movement since 2017: ME TOO - Long overdue

31. Bat coating: PINE TAR - George Brett was incensed when he had a home run taken away from him for using a bat with too much PINE TAR on it. That infamous bat is now enshrined the Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown, NY

36. Like Dorothy's slippers: RUBY RED - Speaking of famous items on display in institutions 

34. D12 comedy hip-hop song produced by Eminem: MY BAND - Google the lyrics if you have an appetite for misogyny and obscenity

35. One of two raised when rearing: FORELEG - I flipped a mental coin to choose between Silver and Trigger. Cue the William Tell Overture 

37. Tough situations: TRIALS - One of my favorite PP&M songs

38. Oprah, at times: ACTRESS.

39. Linguine sauce: PESTO - Ingredients for zucchini basil PESTO

40. Non __: GRATA - Substitute teachers are persona non GRATA (person not appreciated) in a teacher's lounge

41. Largest USA steel producer: NUCOR - NUCOR plants in America 

43. Subway gate: STILE - Do STILE jumpers ever get caught?

47. Foxglove: DIGITALIS  - All parts of this beautiful plant are poisonous as they contain digitalis glycosides that can affect the heart. Ironically, parts  of foxglove can be processed into a medicine to combat congestive heart failure

51. Part of rock's CSNY: NASH - Graham Nash was with The Hollies before he joined Crosby and Stills who later added Young (clarification)

53. Corner piece: ROOK - These castles prowl the ranks and files of the chess board

54. Causes second thoughts: GIVES PAUSE.

57. Off-rd. transports: ATVS - This beautiful young girl and champion swimmer at the school where I sub lost her arm in an ATV accident two summers ago but has maintained a great attitude

58. Fair: EVEN-HANDED  - This cultural philistine interprets this line from Macbeth to say "what goes around comes around"

59. Friend of Wyatt: BAT - Masterson probably with liquor but sans PINE TAR

60. Relaxed: RESTED EASY.


Down:

1. JFK __ Airport: INTL - How 'bout this INTERNATIONAL route from JFK to Hong Kong

2. Worries: CARES.

3. Big brand in appliances: AMANA  - Amana refrigerators are still made in the historic Amana Colonies in central Iowa. BTW, this in NOT an Amish enclave as they are always asked. That is in Kalona, Iowa 32 miles south of there

4. Anthills and beehives, e.g.: NESTS.

5. Morse character: DAH - The "long" sound below

6. Go (for): OPT - I don't care who you OPT for Tuesday, just make these 44. Nonsensical: INANE. ads stop!!

7. Airport transport: TRAM - We use Uber to and from the terminal and never need the TRAM

8. Attention-getting marker: HI LITER - They can really be effective

9. "Supernatural" co-star Jensen __: ACKLES - Okay

10. Electric car maker: TESLA - Add $5,ooo for the extension cord

11. Former security, for short: REPO - Your Tesla is no longer security for you if you miss payments and the REPO man secures it from you

12. French flag couleur: BLEU - Rouge, Blanc et BLEU

13. "__ that special?": ISN'T.

15. Depart, in totspeak: GO BYE BYE

20. Base kid: ARMY BRAT  - e.g. Faye Dunaway, Newt Gingrich, Martin Lawrence, Shaquille O'Neal, Tiger Woods, Reese Witherspoon, et al

22. Spend, often begrudgingly: SHELL OUT - Some are SHELLING OUT more and more for college

23. Eastwood's "Rawhide" role: YATES - Clint played Rowdy YATES on the TV series

26. Half an upwind sailing route: ZAG.

28. Sailors: TARS - Our resident sailors didn't say anything about being called TARS but definitely did not care for being called swabs

29. People: ONES.

30. Roulette choice: ODD - Betting on an ODD number has a 48.6% chance of winning on a European roulette wheel (single zero) and 47.4% on an American roulette wheel (zero and double zero slots) not 50/50

31. Sweater outlet?: PORE - If I sweat, it's coming out of one of my PORES. Fun clue!

32. Eye part: IRIS - This kitty's IRISES (or IRIDES) are two different colors 

33. They're constantly picking up: NEATNIKS - I live with one. My wife does not.

34. Their ancestry is often uncertain: MUTTS - Are MUTTS healthier than pure bred dogs?

35. Data transfer initials: FTP - File Transfer Protocol. That's enough for me to know

36. Co. that introduced the 45-rpm record: RCA  - Here's their first commercially produced 45 RPM

38. Makes it: ARRIVES.

40. Cut to a field reporter: GO LIVE - Here's one faking wind issues

42. One eying a basket: CAGER - Old name for basketball players. See below:

45. Three-time Formula One World Drivers' Champion Niki __: LAUDA - Okay

46. Sassafras foursome: ESSES - SASSAFRAS

47. Uninspiring: DRAB - How you look when you don't have an 48. Very small bit: IOTA of style

49. Type of agcy.: GOVT.

50. Shipped: SENT.

52. Lamarr of early Hollywood: HEDY - Beautiful and brilliant HEDY collaborated with her Hollywood neighbor to design a "frequency hopping" device to keep torpedoes from being jammed. It is said she drew up the plans on a napkin

55. Anonymous seashore vendor?: SHE.

56. Bachelor __: PAD.

Friday, November 2, 2018, Ed Sessa

Title: It's November, and that means time to fall back.

A wonderful and timely puzzle from Dr. Sessa, as a reminder to set your clocks back one hour this Sunday, November 4, 2018.  In another Friday 16 x 15 supersized puzzle,  each of the three themers describes a time an hour earlier than the common expression. Dr. Ed works in 2 four-letter bonus fill as well as two 16 space grid-spanners. He also references so many things that are fun for me, if not for everyone. Hey, I am happy. It is nice to have Dr. Sessa back with clues like Make the cut and Off the plate and some sparkly fill HARPOON, PH SCALE, SCISSOR, and SNOOPER.  Well enjoy- time to get to work.

18A. Commonly bristly covering: FOUR O'CLOCK SHADOW (16). Five O'clock Shadow has a great HISTORY.

29A. Christmas celebration: ELEVEN PM MASS (12). Midnight Mass is a little more of a stretch. 

36A. With 37-Across, an apt reminder: FALL (4).

37A. See 36-Across: BACK (4).

51A. Last-minute deadline: THE TENTH HOUR (12). The Eleventh Hour is a phrase meaning at the last moment, taken from a passage in the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard in the King James Bible, didja know? 

And the reveal-

61A. "Things are different now" ... and an apt hint to three other answers: TIMES HAVE CHANGED (16). They haven't yet, but they are about to. 

Across:

1. Service calls: AMENS. Another fun clue/fill- not tennis.

6. Emotionally bother: GET TO.

11. Sonic the Hedgehog maker: SEGA. SErvice GAmes of Japan has had a troubled HISTORY.

15. Miller's salesman: LOMAN. Arthur, not the beer maker. I think Lee J. Cobb was the best.
ACT I 

16. Audibly awed: AGASP. A word.

17. Dirt handful: CLOD. It is the earth equivalent of a clot; "lump of earth or clay," Old English clod- (in clodhamer "the fieldfare," a kind of thrush), from Proto-Germanic *kludda-, from PIE *gleu- (see clay). Also, the pejorative from 1590s; that of "blockhead, dolt, stupid fellow" is from c. 1600 (compare clodpate, clodpoll, etc. in the same sense). And no you know.

21. "Settle down!": COOL IT.

22. Watch name: OMEGA. Bond, James Bond.

23. Black shade: JET. The clecho- 60D. Black shade: ONYX.

26. Positive aspects: PROS. This list- pros/cons.

27. Make the cut?: SCISSOR. Scissor as a verb (why is that "c" there?) transitive verb: to cut, cut up, or cut off with scissors or shears.

32. Sock part: TOE.

33. Innate abilities: FLAIRS.

34. Ginsburg colleague: ALITO. Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader and Samuel.

39. Pile: HEAP.

43. Off the plate: EATEN. Literally true.

46. Mooch: SPONGE.

48. SHO sister channel: TMC. The Movie Channel, which costs money; not Turner Classic Movies.

54. Whaling weapon: HARPOON. Think Moby Dick.

56. Narrow inlets: RIAS.

57. Friend of Frodo: SAM. Samwise "Sam" Gamgee is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Samwise is one of the main characters of The Lord of the Rings, in which he fills an archetypal role as the sidekick of the primary protagonist, Frodo Baggins.

58. Red flag: ALARM.

59. World Heritage Site org.: UNESCO. LINK.

67. Long-billed wader: IBIS. Oddly the mascot of the Miami Hurricanes. Down here we have many Egrets which look very much like them.



68. Like Stout's Wolfe: OBESE. Nero is back. My favorite character and sidekick- Archie Goodwin.

69. Former National Endowment for the Humanities chair Cheney: LYNNE. This WOMAN is the wife of former VP Dick Cheney.

70. Great balls of fire: SUNS. You must listen to one of my all-time favorites who came to play at the Great Southern Music Hall when I lived in Gainesville.

71. Herd butters: GOATS. A little head-butting humor.

72. Radiate: EXUDE.

Down:

1. 1980s TV ET: ALF. Alternate Life Form.

2. Call from Mrs. O'Leary's barn: MOO.
The cow that burned down thew town.

3. Dingo prey: EMU.

4. Cop making a traffic stop?: NARC.
Drug traffic- well-done
misdirection.



5. Nosy sort: SNOOPER. Love Gladys.

6. Mustang's rate of speed, at times: GALLOP. The horse, not the car.

7. Selfishness: EGOISM. Often is in conflict with...

8. Delicacy: TACT. Which causes people to express...

9. Sound of disapproval: TSK. Seldom just one.

10. Special __: OPS.

11. Ponzi schemes, e.g.: SCAMS.

12. Firstborn: ELDEST. And some famous ones. 40D. Genesis grandson: ENOS. Talk about literary license; Enos, son of Seth, grandson of Adam,  was ninety when he begat Cainan, his eldest. After Cainan, Enos had other sons and daughters and lived for another eight hundred and fifteen years. The Bible Timeline charts his birth at 3769 BC and death at 2864 BC.

13. Like lovestruck eyes: GOO GOO. I am told the phrase has something to do with the old comics (1919) character Barney Google, who had protruding eyes (I know, hardly a flattering version) called Googley eyes.

14. Pop-up source: ADWARE.

19. Reasons to take painful steps?: CORNS. What exactly are corns on the foot? Corns generally occur at pressure points, typically the bottom of the feet and the sides of toes. They can be painful. A hard corn is a small patch of thickened, dead skin with a central core. A soft corn has a much thinner surface and usually occurs between the 4th and 5th toes. WebMD.

20. Verb in the song "Sloop John B": HOIST. The chorus...
So hoist up the John B's sail
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the Captain ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
I want to go home, yeah yeah
Well I feel so broke up
I want to go home

23. Mutt's companion: JEFF. More old-time comic characters. 1907.

24. "First Lady of Song": ELLA. Hard to believe she has been gone more than 20 years. LINK.

25. Colorful duck: TEAL. Yes, but they taste terrible.

27. Polio vaccine pioneer: SALK. I have told my polio vaccine story too often, but it was a special time for my brothers and me.

28. TV forensic series: CSI. Crime Scene Investigation.

30. Nasty: VILE.

31. Cheese go-with: MAC.

35. "Trouble ahead!": OH OH.

37. "It's __ fun": BEEN.

38. Farm crawler: ANT.

41. Water en un lago: AGUA. Water in the Spanish lake.

42. Salon offering: PERManent. Those with straight hair want curls; those with curls want straight.

44. Scintillas: ATOMS.

45. Short still?: THO. Yet or again, short tells you it is not a full word.

46. Squirrel away: STASH.

47. Range on which 7 denotes neutrality: PH SCALE. Acidic and basic are two extremes that describe a chemical property chemical. Mixing acids and bases can cancel out or neutralize their extreme effects. A substance that is neither acidic nor basic is neutral. The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. Elmhurst Colleg.

48. Strictly speaking: THAT IS.

49. "Two and a Half Men" beach setting: MALIBU.

50. Pack without an inch to spare: CRAM IN.

52. First name of a literary "Papa": ERNEST.

53. Family reunion attendees: NIECES. The 29th was my first grandchild, Charlotte's birthday, and the day my newest grand-niece (by way of Oo) was born.

55. Persist, with "on": PRESS.

59. Pigmented eye area: UVEA. Did you know uveal pigment
Melanin in the choroid layer of the eye, the ciliary processes, and the posterior surface of the iris. Uveal pigment absorbs light within the eyeball to prevent glare.

62. "Sooey!" responder: HOG.

63. Blood classification letters: ABO. The HISTORY.

64. Beast that rhymes with zoo: GNU. Who knew?

65. Word with living or dead: END. The living dead are not the living end.

66. When doubled, a Ramone: DEE. Dee Dee and Joey Ramone TALK.


Golly gee, we have reached November and the end of another write-up of a Dr. Ed Sessa puzzle. I hope you had as much fun as I did. Lemonade out.