Tuesday, December 18, 2018 Gerry Wildenberg

"FIRE SIDES"

17. *Entrance protection from the elements: STORMDOOR.  Firestorm and Fire door.

24. *Monopoly utility: WATER WORKS.  Firewater and Fireworks.

35. *Lotto America, since 1992: POWERBALL. Firepower and Fireball - Never heard of Lotto America, but am aware of Powerball. 

51. *Home security system: HOUSE ALARM. Firehouse and Fire Alarm

60. Warm, cozy places ... and a hint to what can precede both parts of the answers to starred clues: FIRESIDES.

Across:

1. Zsa Zsa's older sister: MAGDA.  Two of the three Gabor sisters.  The other of course was Eva.  "Between the three of them, they had 20 marriages, 19 husbands, and one child."    19 Husbands ?  Oh, Magda married one of Zsa Zsa's ex-husbands. 

6. NYC winter hours: EST.

9. Italian city known for its cheese: PARMA. We're getting our fill of PARMA lately. Husker Gary had Prosciutto di PARMA Saturday. Kraft and other dairy product makers create their own "Parmesan Cheese", but the real deal Parmesan is Parmigiano-Reggiano. Prosciutto di Parma, Parmesan, and Parmigiano-Reggiano are PDOs in Europe.

14. How French fries are fried: IN OIL.

15. Sgt., e.g.: NCO.

16. Knight's horse: STEED.

19. Moneyed group: HAVES.

20. "You're asking too much": IT'S A LOT.

21. Yankee or Oriole, for short: AL'ER. American League baseball player.

22. __-deucey: ACEY.

27. Metal fuel holder: GAS CAN.  I had to replace the gas tank on my 5 y.o. snowblower a few weeks ago.  It was leaking at the seam where the two halves are joined.  The cap on the new tank says no E-85 fuel.  Perhaps the corrosive action of the ethanol destroyed the seal.  IDK.

29. "Honestly!": I SWEAR.  Also, a pretty country song: John Michael Montgomery - I Swear

30. John at a piano: ELTON.  'Classically trained, but married to rock’n’roll"



31. Winter wear: COAT.  Winter coating: hoar.

34. Wall and 42nd, in NYC: STS. Streets.   Also a couple of movie titles.   42nd Street and Wall Street

39. Egyptian snake: ASP.

42. They're drawn in pubs: ALES.

43. Western law group: POSSE. 

47. Shallow sea areas: SHOALS.  Muscle Shoals is a city in Alabama on the Tennessee River.  Learned about it from lyrics in this song by Lynyrd Skynyrd, mentioned about 3 minutes in.


50. Trouser measure: INSEAM.

55. Furry "Star Wars" creature: EWOK.

56. Chicago daily, familiarly: TRIB une.

57. Pigged out: OVERATE.

59. Pierce, as an hors d'oeuvre: SPEAR.

63. Slowly, in music: LARGO.

64. Fla. neighbor: ALA.

65. Love, Italian-style: AMORE.  Love American Style


66. Director Welles: ORSON.

67. Light brown: TAN.

68. Cylindrical pasta with pointed ends: PENNE.   It's best with a good ragu or Bolognese and cheese.

Down:

1. Prefix with print: MIS. Misprint.

2. Hill crawler: ANT. 

3. Most sticky, as a sweet treat: GOOIEST.

The Recipe

4. Corrupt policeman: DIRTY COP.

5. Donation to the poor: ALMS.

6. WWII bomber __ Gay: ENOLA.

7. Dart: SCOOT.

8. Rich cake: TORTE.

9. Disbelieving cries: PSHAWS.

10. Having bottomed out, as prices: AT A LOW.

11. Worships: REVERES.

12. Kalahari mongoose: MEERKAT.

13. Much of the Sunday paper: ADS.

18. Rooster's wake-up time: DAWN.

22. Have more birthdays: AGE.

23. Berkeley sch.: CAL.

25. Actress Hayworth: RITA. The Love Goddess


26. H.S. grads-to-be: SRS.

28. Year, in Yucatán: ANO.

31. Disney collectible: CEL.

32. Iron source: ORE.

33. Tummy muscles: ABS.  The abdominal (and oblique) muscles. Abdominal Muscles Location and Function

36. Ice Cube's "It __ Good Day": WAS A. 

37. Hosp. staffer: LPN.  Licensed Practical Nurse

38. Get stuck in traffic, say: LOSE TIME.

39. Campfire residue: ASH.

40. Had a good day on the links: SHOT PAR.

41. Sommeliers, often: POURERS.

 A Master Sommelier Explains The Rationale Behind Each Component Of Wine Presentation

44. Attached by thread: SEWED ON.

45. __ Paulo: SAO.

46. Longtime Mass. senator's monogram: EMK. Edward M. (Ted) Kennedy. 

48. Italian cheese: ASIAGO.  More Italian cheese !  Asiago can range in texture from soft and creamy to dry and crumbly.  Here's a quick primer on Parmesan, Asiago and Romano.

49. James of the Lakers: LEBRON.  Arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, and still active.

50. '50s Hungarian premier Nagy: IMRE.  Perps.

52. Diet-friendly: LO-FAT.

53. Hometown of St. Teresa: ÁVILA.  - "The City of Saints and Stones"  - A UNESCO World Heritage site.  Ávila de los Caballeros.

Where it's at:

Essence of Spain Tour

54. Showed once more: RERAN.

58. On the double, in memos: ASAP.

59. __-mo: SLO.


61. Suffix with west: ERN.   You might have got a hint to this answer with the clue at 43A.

62. Set eyes on: SEE.

Monday December 17, 2018 Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: Let's Get Going - Sequential order in each answer.

20. Well-to-do: SITTING PRETTY.

25. Instruction to a bank to make periodic payments: STANDING ORDER.

 

45. Pink slip: WALKING PAPERS.

51. Ship's required nighttime illuminators: RUNNING LIGHTS.

Boomer here.

Hello everyone. I saw the doctor last Wednesday. I have been through many treatments but it seems that everything did what was expected. I just need a few blood draws over the next three months and then return to see the doctor in March. Best news - I am cleared to resume bowling! I assume I am also cleared for golf,  but it's tough to find a course open when it's twenty degrees.  I'm happy to settle for bowling now.  I'll check in and let you know how I did.  Hard to predict after 8-10 weeks on the bench.

Across:

1. Hindu royals: RAJAS.

6. Tool with jaws: VISE. Is this considered a tool?  I thought it was a clamp to hold something you want to whack at.

10. Mixer with Scotch: SODA. Mud in your eye, baby do I feel high oh me oh my!

14. Lightweight vacuum first sold to hotels: ORECK.

15. Pianist Gilels: EMIL. Mr. Skoda in "Law and Order" played by J.K. Simmons

16. Eve's second son: ABEL.  Adam and Eve were ABLE to raise CAIN!

17. Peppy-sounding cracker brand: ZESTA. - I prefer RITZ - Everything tastes better when it sits on a Ritz. Thank you, Agnes, for your delicious seed crackers, mixed nuts and other tasty goodies.

18. El __: ocean current: NINO. A phenomenon occurring in the 90s and beyond.  The Storm company named a bowling ball after it.  I had one but I donated it to my pro shop dealer. 

19. Completely occupy, as an arena: FILL.  Something I do to my gas tank weekly.  I saw $2.19 per gallon today.  What's going on at your part of the country??

23. Above, to poets: O'ER. The land of the free, and the home of the brave!!

24. Drinks with crumpets: TEAS.  There is a tea expert in our home.  It's not me, I am the coffee expert.

31. Loving squeezes: HUGS.

32. Beer whose logo suggests a prize winner, initially: PBR.  I have been to MILLER park in Milwaukee.  I wonder if they sell PBR there.

33. Chopping down: AXING.

36. Ocean east of N.C.: ATL.  I've seen the Atlantic and the Pacific but the Pacific isn't terrific and the Atlantic isn't what it's cracked up to be. Sorry, that's a Navy Ballad, I was in the Army.

37. Central Illinois city: DECATUR.

40. Funny Tina: FEY.  She did a great Sarah Palin on SNL.

41. Rep's sales target: QUOTA.

43. + or - particle: ION.

44. Criticize sternly: SLAM.  If this is grand, it's a four-run home run.  Here's an oddity.  I have been to the only two Twins games where a player hit three triples. (Lyman Bostock and Denard Span).

However, I have only witnessed one major league grand slam (Dan Gladden) in person.

49. Picnicker's worry: RAIN.  James Taylor saw this and Fire.

50. Spanish "that": ESA.

57. __ B'rith: BNAI. I coach the bowling team of the Catholic high school from which I graduated.  (More years ago than I want to admit).  There is a synagogue now, next to the school and they sometimes have combined religious services held by a priest and a rabbi in the HS gym.  I tell this story because I am proud to be associated with this merge of religions.

58. "Paula's Home Cooking" host: DEEN.

59. Extremist sects: CULTS.  This word always reminds me of Jonestown in Guyana. Ugly times.

62. Puts frosting on: ICES.  I know this is about cake, but you ought to see my driveway in January.

63. Tall and skinny: LANK.

64. Audibly: ALOUD. What ?

65. Pageant body band: SASH.

66. Greek Cupid: EROS.  No runs, no hits, no EROS, and nobody left on base.

67. Body areas that may be irritated by shirt tags: NAPES. I agree, I hate shirt tags.

Down:

1. "Frasier" role: ROZ.

2. "All bets __ off": ARE. Please ! a few more bucks on the pass line.  I need to get even.

3. Zooey's "New Girl" role: JESS.

4. They "speak louder than words": ACTIONS. This is an odd clue for a crossword puzzle.  Makes me think I should tear it up and stomp out of the room. 

5. Did figure eights, say: SKATED.  Great winter fun in Minnesota.  We have a huge rink less than a mile away, but I am too old.

6. Start of Caesar's boast: VENI. He came, he saw, he conquered.  They named a salad after him, (And a Las Vegas hotel).  

7. "Sign me up!": I'M IN.

8. Woo with a tune: SING TO. "Don't worry if it's not good enough, for anyone else to hear."

9. One who gets hitched in a hurry: ELOPER. This could be a shortened title of an elevator operator.

10. Sensitive high school health lesson: SAFE SEX.

11. Last bio: OBIT.

12. Shoulder muscle, briefly: DELT. I have had a deltoid muscle pulled in my right shoulder.  It really wrecked my bowling for awhile. 

13. Partner in war: ALLY.

21. Poppycock: TRIPE. Edible stomachs from cows and sheep.  No thank you, I'll stick to brats.

22. Storm-tracking device: RADAR.  Better known as a speed tracking device. 

25. Former NBA big man, familiarly: SHAQ.  Still a big man. I see him four times a week on commercials.  (I watch too much TV.)

26. Ballet skirt: TUTU.

27. Beaming: AGLOW.

28. "SNL" network: NBC. Some of the "too much TV" is MSNBC,  Their spinoff news channel.  Chris Mathews hollers way too much.

29. Not enough salt to taste, perhaps: GRAIN. What does this clue mean? I don't get it.

30. Hunter's weapon: RIFLE.  I agree although I am not a hunter.  However, why is it still legal to own an AR-15 in the U.S.?

34. Within shouting distance: NEAR.

35. Places with elliptical trainers: GYMS.  We have many fitness centers in Minneapolis and suburbs.  I don't go - have no reason to pay for pain.

37. __ Lama: DALAI.

38. Get dolled (up): TOG.

39. Remove a fastener from: UNPEG.  15 two, 15 four, a pair is six and nobs is 7.  Count it.

42. Become discolored, as silverware: TARNISH.  Careful by the table.  Don't tarnish the varnish.

44. Diner flipper: SPATULA.  I worked for a Perkins long ago, and the head cook called it a spat.  Sounded funny to me.

46. Amazon e-reader: KINDLE.

47. Out of neutral: INGEAR.  Do NOT rev the engine while taking it out of neutral.

48. Trash holder: ASHCAN.  This is kind of an old word for garbage can.  When I was age 1-4, I lived in a home heated by coal.  We had an ashcan out back.

51. Sluggers' stats: RBIS.  Sometimes known as Ribbies.

52. Donald Duck, to his nephews: UNCA.

53. Glasgow denials: NAES.

54. Jay with a TV "Garage": LENO. Always enjoyed his "Tonight Show" opening stand up routine. 

55. Tattoo artist's supplies: INKS. Also enjoyed Jimmy Durante's "Inka Dinka Do".

56. Sty fare: SLOP.  This is also when you barely hit the head pin, get a strike and leave four or five pins on the lane.

60. Election Day day: Abbr.: TUE.  Not every Tuesday, just once every two years.  Except in North Carolina.

61. Militant '60s campus org.: SDS.  Students for a Democratic Society.  Protested the war in the 60s.  I was not in favor of the war, but I don't like these militant complainers.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

Here is a picture of Boomer and me at the Annual Graybar Retiree Christmas Luncheon last Thursday.  Do you like his tie?

Boomer and C.C., December 13, 2018

Sunday December 16th, 2018 Joe Kidd

Theme:  "In Other Words" - Each word highlighted in red is an anagram of the clue. The other word in the theme entry is an indicator of the anagram gimmick.
 

23A. EARTH: HEART BROKEN. We've seen BROKEN HEART clued as "Earth" before. Or "Hater".

25A. AIDE: CRAZY IDEA.

49A. CRANED: EXOTIC DANCER.

83A. MISO: I'M SO CONFUSED.
  

106A. AMOUNT: ODD MAN OUT.

109A. FIENDISH: FINISHED OFF.

31D. SMITE: TROUBLED TIMES.

35D. RESIST: TWISTED SISTER.

When I spot the first theme clue, I thought this might be a definition type, which often has clues in caps.

This is a classic Sunday grid, with 8 entries totally 90 theme squares. Very manageable themage.

Across:

1. Pole, e.g.: SLAV.

5. Old toon feline with an alley gang: TOP CAT. Never heard of it.

11. Pro Football Hall of Fame state: OHIO. Canton, Ohio.

15. Moonwalker Shepard: ALAN.

19. Pad starter: HELI.

20. Stir up: AROUSE.

21. Early sci-fi captain: NEMO. Captain Nemo (Jules Verne).

22. Travels randomly: GADS.

27. Muss up, as hair: TOUSLE.

28. Soup kitchen service: FREE MEAL.

30. Leave slack-jawed: STUN.

32. Shrub with a purple fruit: SLOE. Looks like blueberries.

34. Lab dish eponym: PETRI.

38. Workout aftermath, often: SORENESS.

42. Grizzled seafarers: OLD SALTS.

47. Harmless cyst: WEN.

48. Eastern path: TAO. Literally "way". Same character as the "do" in Judo, which means "Gentle way".

51. You take them at your own risk: TIPS.

52. Kwik-E-Mart owner: APU.

53. Belief system: CREDO.

54. Bar assn. member: ATTY.

55. "Strange __ may seem ... ": AS IT.

56. Impediment: RUB.

57. Sugar portions: CUBES. Someone noticed the Snickers wrapper in my VA picture. So observant.

58. Bookstore adjuncts: CAFES.

60. Inscription on a spine: TITLE.

61. Tickled pink: PLEASED.

63. Tijuana toast: SALUD. SALUT in French.

64. Nursery rhyme girl: BO PEEP.

65. "Snowy" sight in Florida: EGRET.

66. Edible pockets: PITAS. Xi'an style. Best sandwich ever. The pork meat is slow-cooked for hours, with a few spices.

67. Carried on: WAGED.

68. Starts over: RE-DOES. Dupe: 116. No longer fastened: UNDONE.

70. Fixed looks: GAZES.

71. Vague discomfort: MALAISE. Low blood pressure people know how this feels.

73. They aren't pros: ANTIS.

74. More fetching: CUTER.

75. Some court pleas, for short: NOLOS. Nolo contendere.

76. Forbes rival: INC.

78. Hindu titles of respect: SRIS.

79. Party or movie ending: GOER.

80. City on the Ruhr: ESSEN.

81. Weekly talk with a msg.: SER. Sermon.

82. "Mad Men" actor Jon: HAMM.

87. La-la lead-in: TRA.

88. Clothing dept. size: LGE.

89. Like many an injured arm: IN A SLING.

90. Fail big-time: LAY AN EGG. I enjoyed the continued boiled egg thread in our blog. TTP is a serious foodie now.

92. Simple type of question: YES/NO.

94. La., once: TERR. OK, Louisiana Territory.

96. Less than hardly: NARY.

97. Like much FM radio: IN STEREO.

102. Keats and Shelley: ODISTS.

114. Aviation-related prefix: AERO.

115. Troll's cousin: OGRE. There's a lady in our flea market who sells these ugly trolls. Some are quite pricey.

117. Region: AREA.

118. Like positive outlooks: ROSY. 

119. Heckles: BOOS.

120. Tennis wear: SKORTS.

121. Oz. and lb.: QTYS.

Down:

1. Hospital reminder, perhaps: SHH. And 108. Hosp. personnel: DRS.

2. Protected side: LEE.

3. In the way of: A LA.

4. Patience, they say: VIRTUE.

5. House of Dana fragrance: TABU.

6. Rink star and a "Catch-22" pilot: ORRS.

7. Backyard party centerpiece: POOL.

8. Pickled veggies: CUKES. Graybar hosted the annual retiree Christmas luncheon on Thursday. I had some chicken noodle dish. Can you see the yellow flower decoration on the upper left? What's it called?

Boomer's Steak

9. Enzyme suffix: ASE. And 17. Soothing suffix for a hot day: ADE.

10. Like an increase from six to sixty: TENFOLD.

11. At some former time: ONCE.

12. "__ we go": HERE.

13. Mosque leader: IMAM.

14. Move like molasses: OOZE. Spitzboov eats oatmeal with molasses every morning.

15. Deft: AGILE.

16. Bloke: LAD.

18. Code-breaking org.: NSA.

24. Metric weight: TONNE.

26. Sounds at pounds: YAPS. Rhymes.

29. Hawthorne cover image: RED A.

30. Get all sudsy: SOAP UP.

33. El Pollo __: southwestern restaurant chain: LOCO.

36. Stack again: RE-PILE.

37. Boot part: INSTEP.

38. Take the main part: STAR.

39. They may be lame: EXCUSES.

40. Between-courses serving: SORBET. This looks refreshing.

41. Silver, for one: STEED.

43. Goof-ups: SNAFUS.

44. Made a scene?: ACTED. Great clue.

45. "Why don't we?": LET'S.

46. Crack: TRY.

50. Some entrance requirements: IDS.

51. Asian island capital: TAIPEI. Below are Chinese characters. The top is how Taipei is written in Taiwan. The bottom is how it's written in Mainland China.

57. Gives a hoot: CARES. Boomer loved the email from Janet (Prairie Woman on our blog). Fighting cancer is indeed very much a mental game.

58. Do wedding work: CATER.

59. Word said with a sigh: ALAS.

60. Senate wear: TOGAS. Roman Senate.

62. Conceit: EGOISM.

63. Concern for a tailor: SIZE.

64. "Horsefeathers!": BALONEY. Another great fill.

66. Security guard's duty: PATROL.

67. Solidarity leader Lech: WALESA. Won Nobel Peace in 1983. 

68. Without thinking: RASHLY.

69. Cause to turn red, maybe: ENRAGE.

70. Stab: GUESS.

71. Iraqi city on the Tigris: MOSUL.

72. "E" in a classic equation: ENERGY.

74. Extended time out?: COMA. We normally see the "Food ___" clue angle.

75. Abbr. on a bounced check: NSF.

77. Rocky outcropping: CRAG.

79. Collins ingredient: GIN.

80. Software pro, in want ads: ENGR.

84. Name in a footnote: CITE.

85. A trusted friend: ONE OF US.

86. "Inferno" poet: DANTE.

89. New Rochelle college: IONA.

91. Tech-heavy exchange: NASDAQ. Still up for the year.

93. "In Search of..." host: NIMOY. Unaware of the series.

95. Lively movement: RONDO.

98. Pretentious sort: SNOB.

99. Like drive-thru orders: TOGO.

100. Mark's replacement: EURO. German Mark.

101. Fwys., e.g.: RTES.

103. Couture giant: DIOR.

104. "It __ my fault": ISN'T.

105. Hens and heifers: SHES.

106. Galley need: OAR.

107. __ volente: DEO.

110. Press agent's goal: INK.

111. Scrap for Rover: ORT.

112. "30 Rock" creator: FEY (Tina)

113. B-flats in an F major scale: FAS.

Boomer Updates:

We met Dr. Thomas Downs on Wednesday. Boomer's PSA is now 3.29. It was 11.25 on Nov 14, 2018. We're very happy with the progress.

Boomer will have another blood draw on Dec 27th and every month in 2019. They need to closely monitor his liver and kidney due to Zytiga (chemo drug), which Boomer will continue to take every day.

The radiation is still working. Boomer's back continues to feel better. He'll be back to his beloved bowling lane tomorrow morning.

C.C.

Saturday, December 15, 2018, Greg Johnson

Themeless Saturday by Greg Johnson

Today marks the celebration that is well appreciated by a man who has always had a cat in his household and has taught and traveled with adolescents for over 40 years - National Cat Herders Day!

One story credits the  genesis of this phrase to IT expert Dave Platt who remarked, "Managing senior programmers is like herding cats."  The site Wellcat took the phrase and declared it a national day.

Our constructor today is Greg Johnson and I can only find this [insert adjective] picture of him from my last write-up of his work and no other info

Let's see what Greg has conjured up to herd us cats here at our word sandbox:

Across:

1. Brakes: SLOWS UP - To SLOW UP from 17,000 mph the shuttle had to fire retro rockets ahead, enter the atmosphere whose friction made the bottom 3,000˚F, make big sweeping turns and then finally deploy drag chutes. The process began over Australia to land at KSC

8. Do a sauce preparation job: DEGLAZE - Adding wine or stock to particles in the bottom of the pan (called fond) after searing or cooking.

15. Wedding employee: LIMOUSINE DRIVER

17. One always looking up: ETERNAL OPTIMIST - Mitzi Gaynor as Nellie Forebush declared I'm A Cockeyed Optimist

18. Meander: WEND.

19. 42nd's second: GORE is closely associated with 31. Global warming concern: ICE CAPs

20. Food buyer's consideration: TASTE and 27. Pizza party purchase: SODA - Do all SODAS TASTE the same?

21. Polish removers: ACETONES  - We used Windex and elbow grease to get polish out of our carpet

24. One of 20 in many books: MATCH- For our striking friends 

28. Stress-free locale, ideally: SPA.

33. Private dining area: MESS TENT - Can you find this famous one?

36. "Death at a __" (2010 comedy): FUNERAL - Just check out the cast!

38. Cooling-off period: DETENTE - America's DETENTE with the U.S.S.R. has ebbed and flowed since the 60's

39. A, often: FRONT ROW - A hilarious Bob Uecker commercial 

41. Hemsley's role on the sitcom "Amen": DEACON - Maybe so, but this is the role Sherman played that helped change TV and the world

42. Hill climber: ANT.

43. What happy concertgoers want: MORE.

45. Perfect places: EDENS.

46. Deeply saddens ... or delights: MAKES CRY 

48. Parting sentiment: PEACE - The first Today Show host Dave Garroway's signature was saying PEACE with his hand upheld

52. Little, playfully: ITTY.

53. First name in late-night talk: DAVE and 61. First name in late-night talk: ARSENIO - Letterman and Hall worked the other side of the clock Garroway had worked

57. Bar association concern: AMBULANCE CHASER - Walter Matthau played AMBULANCE CHASER "Whiplash Willie" in this fun movie

60. Top dog?: PICK OF THE LITTER - How in the world could you pick from (let alone herd) this litter?

62. Shower components: METEORS

Down:

1. Host: SLEW - There's a SLEW of meteors shooting through the atmosphere above

2. For calorie counters: LITE.

3. Predictor, sometimes: OMEN.

4. Conduct may have it on either end: WORD ACCENT - With the WORD ACCENT up front - CON DUCT is how one behaves. With the WORD ACCENT at the back - CON DUCT is how electric wires behave. 

5. Bright star: SUN - The answer to an old bar bet, "What star is closest to the Earth?"

6. Data plan number: USAGE - Verizon has told me how many GB/month I can use without paying more but I can't remember the number

7. American workers: PILOTS - American was the first airline to fly the DC-3 which made it able to make a profit by only carrying passengers while others 8. Counted (on): DEPENDED on carrying mail and freight

9. August hrs. in Augusta: EDT.

10. Breakfast food mentioned in court in "My Cousin Vinny": GRITS - A very funny minute of video

11. Green bean: LIMA.

12. "It's Your Space" sloganeer: AVIS - Remember when it was, "We're #2, we try harder"

13. Cocktail garnish: ZEST - Here's a pile of lemon ZEST

14. Art Deco designer: ERTE - Great for crosswords not so much for Scrabble®

16. Space observation: NO ROOM - A great observation about the space in the Sistine Chapel

22. Pie __: CHART - Speaking of cell phone usage

23. Left carefully, with "out": EASED.

24. Tick off: MIFF.

25. Luxury auto: ACURA - I put my first guess of LEXUS back in the word garage

26. Carpentry joint component: TENON - We had TENON Saw last Friday

28. Bae or boo, to former generations: STEADY DATE - Saccharine pet names 

29. Pound parts: PENCE - A British pound equals 100 PENCE (1p) or 50 TUPPENCE (2p)

30. Playwright Chekhov: ANTON - Cultural idiot me is not familiar with ANTON's plays but I do know who Yogi Berra's backup catcher was (* see at bottom :-) 

32. Prosciutto di __: PARMA - Very thinly sliced cured ham whose superior taste is obtained by the wonderful air in Parma, Italy and 46. Fruit served with prosciutto: MELON

34. Direct: STEER.


35. Some bills: TENS - If you have this  1863 TEN, you should 37. Investigate: LOOK INTO  how much it is worth

40. "Amazing Grace" figure: WRETCH - John Newton, a former captain of a slave ship, wrote the poem in 1779 but never heard the melody which was applied to it 50 yrs later. It can be played using only the black keys.

44. Highly regard: ESTEEM.

47. Spin, say: CYCLE.

48. Storied bear: PAPA - A name I treasure 

49. 2018 White House visitor from Qatar: EMIR - Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is the current EMIR of Qatar

50. Kids' curriculum: ABC'S

51. Garden veggie: CUKE - Our garden ranneth over!

54. Regarding: AS TO.

55. Suddenly turn: VEER - In the VEER FB offense, either the QB or one of the HB's will try to VEER through the defense 

56. Messes up: ERRS 

58. "100 Years...100 Movies" org.: AFI - American Film Institute 

59. Battleship success: HIT - How 'bout Battleship Beer Pong for the pool?

Now I'll try and herd all of you cats to the comment page:

* Yogi's backup had very few stats as Yogi hardly ever took time off.