Friday, December 21, 2018, Paul Coulter

Title: Where the 'ell is the L? There is no end to it!

I continue in pig heaven with today's fun, challenging puzzle from one of Rich's stable of consistent Friday winners. Very simple theme but it took unraveling HELIOSTAT to get me going in the right direction. I love that the reveal was both tricky and very helpful. It also was a parsing of words that took a skilled eye. I so admire the minds that spot these opportunities and make them into crossword puzzles.  Paul also includes FITNESS,  NEWAGER,  ONESHOT,  SHINDIG, the aforementioned HELIOSTAT, and MISS ELLIE.  I know you are anxious to finish wrapping presents, so-on with the show.

17A. Cartoon drawing of Rip Van Winkle?: SLEEPER CELL (10). Cartoons are made up of cels, very different from a terrorist cell whose members work undercover in an area until sent into action, as featured in this TV SHOW. I never heard of it, but I do know this ACTOR from NCIS. Since he has lots of credits, maybe he can replace the awful OD'ed in puzzledom. He really was born in Tel Aviv.

24A. Decoration for a Tinseltown party gift?: HOLLYWOOD BOWL (12). A Bow is a common part of packaging a gift. Since its opening in 1922, the Hollywood Bowl has been the premier destination for live music in Southern California, hosting everyone from Billie Holiday to The Beatles to Yo-Yo Ma under the iconic silhouette of its concentric-arched band shell. It was renovated in 2000. Wiki I think.

39A. Dismiss a disobedient film computer?: FIRE HALL (7). In the US and Canada, this is more commonly called a fire station, but they are the same thing. I like the image of firing the out of control 2001 Space Odessey whose full name is HAL Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer9000. 

51A. Dixie hospitality, e.g.?: SOUTHERN DRAWL (12). This is fun, I guess it means that hospitality is the reason why people are Drawn to visit the South. Whenever I would go to Alabama to visit my then wife's family I morphed into a Southern boy with a draw, y'all.

64A. Allowing use of, as a library does ... or, in three parts, a hint to four puzzle answers:  L ENDING OUT (10). They often are called  Lending libraries; here, however, it the "L" as the ending of each of the theme phrase that comes out. Brilliant!

Across:

1. Spite: VENOM. Isn't there a movie? I still can't believe Stan Lee is gone.

6. Don't believe it: MYTH. Is as good as a mile?

10. Lying lion in "The Lion King": SCAR.

14. Colleague of Samuel and Sonia: ELENA.
Alito, Sotomayor, and Kagan of the  SUPREMES. The clecho, 12D. Colleague of Kagan and Kavanaugh: ALITO. 1st names, then last names.

15. Yorkshire river: OUSE. A CSO to Steve and a challenge as there are 4 rivers in the UK with this name.

16. In fine fettle: HALE. And often hearty unless you are a golfer, then you are just HALE.

19. Camera part: IRIS. Like any eye, it opens and closes. LINK.

20. Blackens: TARS. Meh.

21. "We need to get a cat!": EEK. A very cute clue for a mouse.

22. Set off: IGNITE. From Latin ignitus, past participle of igniō, ignire (“to set on fire, ignite”); we also get ignition for our automobile.

27. Seat for a shot: STOOL. In the doctor's office? Sounds dirty.

30. Piedmont province: ASTI. Spumante.

31. Orchestral gong: TAM-TAM. I see it written both with and without the hyphen, Chau gong (Tam-tam) The familiar "Chinese" gong is the Chau gong or bullseye gong. Large Chau gongs, called tam-tams have become part of the symphony orchestra. Wiki. This one is made by the same people who make the best cymbals.

33. Salem winter hrs.: PST.

34. Hat-removing event: GUST. We are having 50 mph gusts today.

38. Be off base: ERR. But it is human.

42. Future fish: ROE. Do roe row?

43. "Oliver Twist" type: WAIF. Words change; it began as meaning
"person (especially a child) without home or friends" first attested 1784, from legal phrase waif and stray (1620s), from the adjective in the sense "lost, strayed, homeless." Neglected children being uncommonly thin, the word tended toward this sense. Connotations of "fashionable, small, slender woman" began 1991 with application to childishly slim supermodels such as Kate Moss. oed.

45. Farm mom: SOW.

46. It may be held or bitten: TONGUE. Generally a good idea.

48. "Insecure" Emmy nominee __ Rae: ISSA. I was not aware of this TV series which she created, produces, writes and stars in much like a modern-day George Burns. She did change the character name from Issa Rae to Issa Dee.

50. Bad looks: LEERS. Deceptive.

57. Dig: TUNNEL. This took a minute to see.

58. Macabre monogram: EAP. Edgar Allan Poe.

59. Name of two of Henry VIII's wives: ANNE. Which is Boleyn and which Cleves? *



63. Massachusetts motto opener: ENSE.  This has appeared very often. "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty." "Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem."

67. First-rate: ACES.

68. Angry: IRED. I am tired of ired; nobody says this.

69. Busybody: YENTA. Yenta or Yente (Yiddish: יענטאַ‎) is a woman who is a gentlewoman or noblewoman - genteel/gentle. But because the matchmaker in Fiddler on the Roof was named Yenta, the idea of it meaning gossip or busybody took control.

70. Two-time World Series champs: METS. 1986 World Series vs Boston Red Sox; 1969 World Series vs. Baltimore Orioles.

71. Like falling off a log?: EASY.

72. Boorish: CRASS.

Down:

1. Protective wear, often: VEST. Bulletproof hopefully.

2. Self-titled 1969 jazz album: ELLA.

3. Poetic negative: NE'ER.  I never use this in my poetry.

4. Not to be repeated: ONESHOT. This was a Friday clue/fill.

5. Blueprint: MAP.

6. Culinary mushroom: MOREL. The old picture for the Corner.

7. Foul: YUCKY. Eventually, C.C. decided it was.

8. "Ash Wednesday" poet's monogram: TSE. T.S. Eliot comes to us in so many ways.

9. Device that generates solar power: HELIOSTAT. An instrument in which a mirror is automatically moved so that it reflects sunlight in a constant direction. It is used with a pyrheliometer to make continuous measurements of solar radiation. It is from helios, the Greek word for sun, and stat, as in stationary. various.

10. Bash: SHINDIG. Or old TV

11. West Indies native: CARIB. This very misleading. They are members of an indigenous South American people living mainly in coastal regions of French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, and Venezuela. Island Caribs, are an indigenous people of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean.

13. Alter with thread: RESEW.

18. Unagi, e.g.: EEL. C.C. shout out.

23. Nabbed: GOT.

25. Kiddie lit count: OLAF. Count Olaf is the main antagonist of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

26. Clean with soap: WASH.

27. Brood: STEW.

28. Twelve Oaks neighbor: TARA. GWTW home. next to Southfork. I got to play on the set one night; what a great party, but I did not take pictures to show you all. Drat. It was before camera phones.

29. Katz of "Dallas": OMRI. He played John Ross III. It is an adjoining clecho to help parse...32D. Mother of J.R. and Bobby: MISS ELLIE.

33. Row of seats: PEW.

35. Advocate: URGE.

36. Whiskey __: SOUR.

37. Cafepress.com offerings: TEES. And so much more. Look them up.

40. Big laugh: ROAR.

41. 1970 Kinks hit: LOLA. First the Animals now the KINKS. Timely link.

44. Gym goal: FITNESS.



47. Hard-to-define spiritualist: NEW AGER. I disagree the world wide web says DEFINITION.

49. Cow, for one: SHE.

51. Cook, as clams: STEAM. So many choices. LINK.

52. Not a heavy weight: OUNCE. I like the cadence of this clue.

53. Up in the air: UNSET. Literal.

54. Bogotá babies: NENES.

55. Family nickname: DADDY. Warbucks?

56. N.Y. engineering sch.: RPI. Back again for another CSO.

60. Actress Gaye of "Ali": NONA. Daughter of Marvin.

61. Bar freebies: NUTS.

62. Itinerary info: ETAS.

65. Victorian __: ERA.

66. 9/11 Memorial site: Abbr.: NYC.

My next to the last blog of 2018, and a wonderful way to go. Paul is not only prolific but he has so many styles and so much wit. Thank you, Paul and all. One more and on to 2019. Lemonade out.

* Speaking of Henry VIII and his six wives; today is the 4 year anniversary of my marriage to my sweetheart Oo. It has been very good.

Thursday, December 20th 2018 Frank Virzi

Theme: The Buck Starts Here: Slang terms for the mighty dollar bill head up five down entries, as the reveal explains:

35D. Highest price, and what five Down answers have: TOP DOLLAR. The dollar term is on the top of the answer, hence the need to have the themers running vertically, not horizontally.

3D. Uncovered, in a way: BUCK NAKED. Those Duluth Trading commercials have certainly had an impact, like them or not. That was the first thing I thought of when I filled this in.

6D. Grade-school formation: SINGLE FILE.

9D. Personal, as a talk: ONE-TO-ONE. I had one-ON-one first, that didn't work out so well.

31D. Political commentator who wrote "Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball": GEORGE WILL.

"Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona."

39D. Beach cookout: CLAMBAKE. Food! Now you're talking. Here's a New England version:

From New England to Old England, where I'm currently enjoying some typical British rain weather. Fun puzzle from Frank, the theme worked nicely and an absence of any "clunk" in the fill made for a smooth solve.

Let's see what else we've got to talk about:

Across:

1. Goes out: EBBS.

5. Car ad fig.: MSRP. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. I'm not quite sure how realistic the MSRP on cars actually is, no dealer ever sticks to their MSRP guns. Maybe Tesla?

9. Poppy extract: OPIUM.

14. Stretched to the max: TAUT.

15. Cambodian cash: RIEL. The British conveniently forget that trading giant Jardine Matheson was founded on the opium trade.

16. Italian grandma: NONNA.

17. West Coast gas acronym: ARCO. Atlantic Richfield Company. Known for cheap gas. I don't put it in my car, the engine doesn't like it.

18. Violation of trust: INFIDELITY.

20. Kipling's Rikki-__-Tavi: TIKKI. The mongoose in Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book:

22. __ Dane: GREAT. What happened to the little dane? The great dane is certainly aptly-named.

23. Familia member: TIA.

24. Really get to: NETTLE. Tried NEEDLE, changed it.

26. Beeps and peeps: NOISES.

28. Fluffy neckwear: BOA.

30. Acts charitably: DOES GOOD.

32. Ararat lander: ARK.

33. "__ be married, / My grave is like to be my wedding bed": Juliet: IF HE.

34. Potentially offensive, briefly: NOT PC.

38. Bumbling one: BEE.

39. MDX ÷ X: CLI. Your Roman math. Ten into 1510 gets you 151.

40. Unlock, in verse: OPE.

42. Bit of soccer support: OLÉ.

43. Feature of some Gene Autry songs: YODEL.

45. Pasternak heroine: LARA. From "Doctor Zhivago". Inspired by the real-life Olga Ivinskaya, Pasternak's great love and literary support (or manipulative self-server, depending on who you believe).

47. "An everyday spud is a commentator," e.g.: PUN. Pretty awful, this one. "Common 'Tater".

48. Super Soaker, e.g.: WATER GUN.

51. It starts in Mar.: DST. Daylight Saving Time. Californians voted to keep daylight savings time year round this November. Sensible folk, no more springing and falling.

52. Distressed damsel's cry: SAVE ME! I went for HELP ME! first and made a virtual ink-blot fixing it.

55. Do business with: SELL TO.

57. Takeout menu general: TSO.

58. Moisten: BEDEW. Very poetic.

60. Tops off: FILLS.

63. Too high for people to catch?: ULTRASONIC. Not sure what I was thinking with "HYPERSONIC", but it seemed OK at the time.

66. Meh: BLAH.

67. Jacobi of "Murder on the Orient Express" (2017): DEREK.

68. UNC Chapel __: HILL. University of North Carolina.

69. Shakespearean schemer: IAGO. From Othello. Here's Laurence Fishburne and Kenneth Branagh from the 1995 movie version:

70. Nobel, for one: SWEDE.

71. Rights org.: ACLU.

72. 1990s-2010s slugging nickname: A-ROD.

Down:

1. Californie or Floride: ÉTAT. State, in yer French, of course.

2. Italian port: BARI.

4. Stir up: STOKE.

5. Hosp. test: MRI.

7. Browser button with a curved arrow icon: REFRESH. Ah, I've got one of those. I didn't see the HOME button last week, but my refresh button is right there.

8. Move in a tutu: PLIÉ.

10. Party pro: POL.

11. Monogram ltrs.: INITS.

12. Loosen, as laces: UNTIE.

13. Uxmal inhabitants: MAYAS. Important Mayan site on the Yucatan peninsula:

 

19. Five-O nickname: DANO. "Book 'em, Dano!"

21. "__ be an honor!": IT'D.

25. Work up a sweat: TOIL.

27. Altar words: I DO.

28. Treat with supreme care: BABY.

29. McFlurry flavor: OREO. I've never had a McFlurry. Do they do other flavors? Speaking of Oreos, I travelled to the UK with a roll-on sized bag full of Oreos and M&M's. My family are addicted to the more unusual flavors which they can't get this side of the pond.

36. +: PLUS.

37. Lowest price: CENT.

41. Songwriter with John: PAUL. Very few of the Lennon/McCartney songs were true collaborations.

44. Girl in a pasture: EWE.

46. Poison in some whodunits: ARSENIC.

49. Tight ends?: TEES.

50. Viet Cong org.: NLF. National Liberation Front.

52. Small earrings: STUDS.

53. Heaps: A SLEW.

54. "À __ santé!" : VOTRE. Cheers! To your good health!

56. Calf neighbor: TIBIA. One of your lower leg bones. A very close neighbor to your calf.

59. Persian Gulf capital: DOHA.

61. Mar-a-__: Florida estate: LAGO. Lago and Iago today.

62. Flip-flopped?: SHOD. Who was it who blew out a flip-flop? Ah yes ... Jimmy

64. Rosy: RED.

65. Gulager of "The Virginian": CLU. William Martin "Clu" Gulager to give him his full moniker. His nickname was given to him by his father, after the clu-clu birds, or martins, nesting at the family home.

That about does it for me. Time to find out if the rain has stopped! Here's the grid, and a picture of the old mill at dusk in Lower Slaughter, the charmingly-named village I'm staying in tonight (there's an Upper Slaughter as well!)

And finally the grid:

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

1) Hi Steve, hello from the other side!

2) Here are two pictures of Melissa's sweet granddaughter Jaelyn, who's going to be a big sister next year.

Jaelyn was a pink flamingo for Halloween. you can see her black eye - she was accidentally kicked in the face by an exuberant cousin just before trick-or-treating.

Jaelyn is going to be a big sister in may!

Wednesday, December 19 2018, Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme:WHAT ON EARTH?

17. Flowering plant also called May bells: LILY OF THE VALLEY.

35. 1960 King Coleman dance song: DO THE HULLY GULLY.

25. Pig out: GORGE ONESELF.

43. "Galveston" singer: GLEN CAMPBELL.

59. Title subject of a children's song that ends with "cheese stands alone": FARMER IN THE DELL.

Each theme answer hides a geological feature. The three grid-spanners (impressive) have the hidden word at the end, and the other two at the beginning, which is part of what threw me off in parsing the theme. I also got stuck on the L's, thinking they meant something. Nope. As usual, it seems obvious after the light is turned on.

Across:

1. Quite puzzled: AT SEA. I can relate.

6. Often-painted body part: NAIL. Often chipped, too.

10. Those with privileges, briefly: VIPS. When singular, it's Very Important Person. Plural would technically make it Very Important People, so the S is superfluous, no?

14. Sturm und __: DRANG. From britannica.com: (German: “Storm and Stress”), German literary movement of the late 18th century that exalted nature, feeling, and human individualism and sought to overthrow the Enlightenment cult of Rationalism. Goethe and Schiller began their careers as prominent members of the movement.

15. Midshipman-to-be: Abbr.: USNA CADET. US Navy.

19. "That's precious!": ITS A GEM.

20. Big name in riding mowers: DEERE.

21. Actress Arthur: BEA. And then there's Maude.

22. __ Lingus: AER. Irish airline.

24. Leftover food bit: ORT.

31. Equipment: GEAR.

33. Like the light at twilight: DIM.

34. Small, in a small way: LIL. Cute clue.

40. Whitewater rafter's need: OAR.

41. Quarterback Manning: ELI. New York Giants.

42. Proof word: ERAT. Wiktionary says: "third-person singular imperfect active indicative of sum." Sure! Let's try it this way: Sum = “I am.” Erat = “he/she/it was.” For example “Caesar imperator erat” would mean, “Caesar was a general."

48. Caveman Alley: OOP. 

 Also a basketball term. Per Wiki: "an offensive play in which one player throws the ball near the basket to a teammate who jumps, catches the ball in mid air and puts it in the hoop before touching the ground." It also says the term is derived from the French term allez hop!, the cry of a circus acrobat about to leap."

49. Wasn't active: SAT.

50. "A Wrinkle in Time" director DuVernay: AVA.

53. Bewitch: CHARM.

56. Rhodes __: SCHOLAR.

63. Underpass concern: CLEARANCE.

64. Renée's "Chicago" role: ROXIE. Zellweger.

65. Corporate symbol: SEAL.

66. Bit of news: WORD.

67. Floorboard repair nails: BRADS.

Down:

1. Many a Robin Williams bit: AD LIB.

2. Overused: TRITE.

3. Taquería bowlful: SALSA.

4. "Orinoco Flow" singer: ENYA.

5. Flabbergasted: AGOG.

6. Grated spice: NUTMEG.

7. Tree with "helicopter" seeds: ASH. Seeds that spiral through the air during dispersal. Interesting aerodynamics.

8. Suffix with salt: INE. Saline.

9. Loo: LAV. Loo is British slang. Lav is shortened version of Lavatory, is that equivalent? I guess so, both are primarily used by Brits, although one is shortened and one is not. Ew.

10. Restaurant workers with lots of keys: VALETS.

11. Not occupied: IDLE.

12. __ review: PEER.

13. Lid inflammation: STYE.

16. Specially trained group: CADRE.

18. "Then live, Macduff. What need I __ of thee?": Macbeth: FEAR.

23. Facial features in many cosmetics ads: RED LIPS.

24. "__ honor!": "Promise!": ON MY. I will do my duty ...

25. Cry of frustration: GAH.

26. Natural resource: ORE.

27. Natural resource: OIL. Clecho.

28. First name in jazz vocals: ELLA.

29. Bouncy tune: LILT. Don't remember seeing this word as a noun before.

30. Word with house or horse: FLY.

31. Score on the ice: GOAL.

32. French 101 infinitive: ETRE. "Be."

35. 2018 Chinese New Year animal: DOG. 2019 is pig.

36. Disorganized pile: HEAP.

37. Einstein's birthplace: ULM.

38. Salon goop: GEL.

39. Result of Googling: URL.

44. As expected: NORMAL.

45. Rising star: COMER.

46. Like juicy turkeys: BASTED.

47. Mark for good: ETCH. Dig this clue. I bought my son a new iPod for Christmas this year, and discovered you can now get them engraved for free.

50. One taking home orders?: ALEXA. Amazon's virtual assistant.

51. Not expired, as a license: VALID.

52. Van Gogh's "Bedroom in __": ARLES.

53. Ozone-depleting chemicals, briefly: CFCS. Chlorofluorocarbons.

54. Spy Nathan: HALE.

55. Environs: AREA.

57. Catnip, e.g.: HERB.

58. Air Wick target: ODOR.

60. Unprocessed: RAW.

61. Italian diminutive suffix: INO. Bambino - masculine. Feminine is Bambina.

62. ATM giant: NCR.

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.