Tuesday, December 25, 2018 Mark McClain

"A CHRISTMAS CAROL"


17. Film character #1 (played by George C. Scott in 1984): EBENEZER SCROOGE.


25. Film character #2 (played by Leo G. Carroll in 1938): JACOB MARLEY.

43. Film character #3 (played by Kermit the Frog in 1992): BOB CRATCHIT.


55. Novella that introduced the three film characters: A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Why Does Charles Dickens Use Staves Instead of Chapters in A Christmas Carol ?

An appropriate puzzle for the day. 

Across:

1. Clever or stylish: SMART. 

6. October gem: OPAL.

10. Most eligible, draftwise: ONE A in crossword puzzle answers.  1-A in the Selective Service classification system that was used from 1948 - 1976.  

14. Temple scroll: TORAH.

15. "The X-Files" agent Scully: DANA.

Dana Scully at FANDOM

16. Gym specimens: BODS.

20. Non-commercial TV commercial: PSA. Public Service Announcement


21. Order (around): BOSS.

22. Canadian province with a French motto: QUEBEC.  Figured Quebec, but didn't know the motto.  It is "Je me souviens" which translates to "I remember."

23. New Mexico art hub: TAOS.

24. Little bears: CUBS.

29. Polished off: ATE.

32. Go along (with): AGREE.

33. Spot for an AirPod: EAR.

 An audiophile review

34. The Grinch's dog: MAX.

35. Meadow bleats: BAAS.

36. Fronts of hands: PALMS.

38. __ torch: party light: TIKI.

 Mele Kalikimaka

39. Commercial URL suffix: BIZ.  Phonetic abbreviation for business.  This Top Level Domain ( TLD. e.g. .com, .edu, .gov, .net etc), was introduced in 2001 to relieve some of the demand for the .com (commercial) TLD. 

40. Sac fly result: RBI.

41. Makes simpler: EASES.

42. No particular one: ANY.

46. Like many breakfast bars: OATY.

47. Resound: ECHO.

48. Long-eared dog: BEAGLE.  "Large dogs in small packages"


51. Height: Pref.: ALTI. Altitude

52. Fed. law known as Obamacare: ACA. Affordable Care Act.

58. Shade provider: TREE.

59. Jog: TROT.

60. Geometric truth: AXIOM.

61. Totals: SUMS.

62. Drink with sushi: SAKE.

63. Plumbing issues: LEAKS.

Down:

1. How-to instruction: STEP.

2. Unruly crowds: MOBs.

3. Geometric product: AREA.

4. Sought office: RAN.

5. George Herman Ruth's nickname: THE BABE.

6. Ukrainian city: ODESSA.

7. Golf scorecard numbers: PARs.

8. Q&A part: Abbr.: ANS.

9. Glossy coatings: LACQUERs.

10. Orchestral reeds: OBOEs.

11. Rookie, in gaming: NOOB.

12. Sharp part of a sheet of paper: EDGE.

Why Paper Cuts Are the Worst

13. "Just __!": A SEC.

18. Repeated Mazda ad word: ZOOM.

19. Shade of red: RUBY.

23. Wiggled digits: TOES.

24. Chowder morsel: CLAM.

25. Hutt in "Star Wars": JABBA.

26. "Time and __": illustrated Jack Finney novel: AGAIN.

27. Outlandish, as an idea: CRAZY.

28. Artifact: RELIC.

29. Barn-raising sect: AMISH.


30. "Oh Myyy!" memoirist George: TAKEI.

31. Be real: EXIST.

36. Some public demonstrations: PROTESTS.

37. First name in advice: ABBY. "Dear Abby..."  Syndicated advice column started in 1956.  

38. Tex-Mex snack: TACO.

41. Principled: ETHICAL.

43. Indonesian resort island: BALI.

44. "I can __": words of empathy: RELATE.

45. Doesn't just sit there: ACTS.

46. Fairy tale beasts: OGRES.

48. Dugout rack items: BATS.

49. Earth tone: ECRU.

50. "Excuse me ... ": AHEM.

51. Run __: go wild: AMOK.

52. Puccini solo: ARIA. Let's have some Bach instead


53. Kitchen worker: COOK.

54. Help for the poor: ALMS.

56. Refrain syllable: TRA.

57. Firefighter's tool: AXE.

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to dear Yellowrocks (Kathy), whose strength and persistence have been a source of inspiration for me over the years. Thanks for being here for us, Kathy!

Yellowrocks and son David, Sept 2016

2) Happy 80th Birthday also to Lorraine (Fermatprime), who's been with the blog since Nov 2009. 

Thanksgiving, 2015

3) Have to share with you this sweet picture JD sent me last night. JD lost her Blogger password and could not get back to the blog. If any of you know how, please let us know in the Comments section.

Brothers and Cousins: Truman, 11, Dylan, 5, Cameron, 8, Grady, 9

Monday December 24, 2018 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: SUGAR SUBSTITUTE (38. Artificial sweetener ... and what the end of 17-, 26-, 48- and 58-Across is, literally) - The first word of each theme entry is a type of sugar.

17. Pieman meeter of rhyme: SIMPLE SIMON. Simple sugar.

26. Toronto NHL team: MAPLE LEAFS. Maple sugar.

 

48. Iconic hat-shaped L.A. restaurant: BROWN DERBY. Brown sugar.

58. George Washington hairpiece: POWDERED WIG. Powdered sugar.

Boomer here.  

"Beat the drum, and hold the phone, the sun came out today." (John Fogarty, "Centerfield")  Left out Beet sugar, but that is spelled differently. I would get kicked off this blog. 

I am back bowling again!! Good news and bad news. Monday I shot a three game set of 599.  Thursday I ran into a dry condition on the lanes, left a lot of splits, and only managed 424 (I used to get that in two games). But I am not discouraged, but extremely happy to be back participating in the sport I love.  Plus my Thursday teammates cut me some slack.  They are happy to have me back, and "I'm happy to be here … I just want to help the ball club".  (Crash Davis to Nuke LaLoosh in Bull Durham).

And at this joyful time of year it is my pleasure to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas from C.C. and me.  Fa la la la la , la la la la. 

Across:

1. Pumpkin-growing place: PATCH.  "Down by the river that flows by the graveyard"  Dickie Lee said Patches lived there.

6. Bitter: ACRID.

11. Heat in the microwave: ZAP.  Have you ever seen those cages with a goofy light in them?  You hang it outside on the deck and it zaps mosquitoes.

14. How a timely stage entrance is made: ON CUE.

15. Letter after eta: THETA.  I had to think.  This was Greek to me.

16. "Strange Magic" band: ELO.

19. Jack of "Barney Miller": SOO.  Nick Yemana was a favorite of mine on a great show.  Sadly he passed away in 1979. 

20. Persian Gulf ship: OILER.  I believe this is an NFL Houston player, or a skater for Edmonton eh.

21. Croc's cousin: GATOR. University of Florida teammate.

23. Bovine baby: CALF.

29. Upper crust groups: ELITES.  No team name that I can think of, however the New York Yankees were fairly elite in my lifetime.

31. Corp. kingpin: EXEC.  Kingpin is an all time favorite for me.  I loved Woody Harrelson, and hated Bill Murray.

32. Baseball's Doubleday: ABNER.  Absolutely!  And he was not 'Lil.

33. Pad __: Asian noodles dish: THAI.

35. Bank acct. addition: DEP. I think the clue should tell us if it is an abbreviation. Or should I read "acct." into it ?

42. Moody music genre: EMO.

43. Scheme: PLOT.  If you scheme a mobster you may need a plot.

44. Capital of Morocco: RABAT.

45. Motown music genre: SOUL.  I used to enjoy the Platters, Temptations, and other Motowners.  Sorry, I do not like the Rap of today.

47. Highly adorned: ORNATE.  Has everyone "Ornated" their Christmas tree?

53. Hershey's nibble: KISS. I am not a big fan of commercials, especially insurance and drugs.  But I am overjoyed by the ten Hershey's Kisses playing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".

54. Goldbricks: LOAFS.

55. "Fame" singer Cara: IRENE.  Good night.

57. Six-pack muscles: ABS.

64. Tiny source of teen angst: ZIT.

65. __ Lauder: ESTEE. I'm sure their sales are good this time of year.

66. Debonair: SUAVE.

67. USN rank: ENS. "He joined the Navy to see the world.  But what did he see, he saw the sea."

68. Light beer brand: COORS.  I never acquired a taste for beer.  I cannot tell the difference between Coors and Miller...Unless we're talking ball parks.

69. Binge: SPREE.

Down:

1. Stamp sellers: Abbr.: POS. Post Offices.

2. Singer DiFranco: ANI. Monday word?

3. Film buffs' channel: TCM.  Turner Classic Movies .

4. Brit's hot "spot": CUP OF TEA.  I had one with my meal tonight.  (It makes C.C. happy).  Mine was called green tea, but it looked brown to me.

5. Prefix with port: HELI.  Where choppers park.

6. Totally lost: AT SEA.  See 67 Across.

7. Nest tweet: CHIRP.  Do birds tweet on their cell phones?

8. Sleep stage: REM.

9. Simpson trial judge Lance __: ITO.  I don't know how many cases this magistrate heard, but this one made him forever famous.

10. Hang down: DANGLE. "Your head Tom Dooley, Hang down your head and cry."  Kingston Trio.

11. Keebler cracker: ZESTA.  I still like Ritz better.

12. Socially chilly: ALOOF. Christmas turkey stuffing.  Don't forget ALOOF of bread.

13. Standard & __: POORS.  The performance recently is making some folks Poorer.

18. Shade trees: ELMS.  I remember there was a nightmare on this street.

22. Former nuclear agcy.: AEC. Atomic Energy Commission.

23. Stop: CEASE.

24. LP record: ALBUM.

25. Jargon: LINGO.  I have heard that this is a slang term for a Brit who voted for Brexit.

27. Fewest: LEAST.

28. Way off the highway: EXIT.  Also a way out of the European Union.

30. Miscalculate: ERR.  To do this human, to forgive - divine.

33. Bridal gown netting: TULLE. I have never worn a bridal gown.  How an I supposed to know this?

34. "The Deuce" network: HBO.  Old time acronym for Home Box Office.  And you will pay to watch it!

35. Persian Gulf emirate: DUBAI.  Dubai is friendly to the U.S.  Tiger Woods plays golf there.

36. French states: ETATS.  Imagine if France spelled all English words backwards.

37. "For __ sake!": PETE'S. I have heard this.  I wonder who Pete is!

39. Tater: SPUD. "When you say BUD, you've said a lot of things that Spuds cannot say"

40. Like damaged mdse. on sale: IRR.

41. Really drunk: TANKED UP.  Don't look at me - I am on the wagon.

45. Personal ad woman: Abbr.: SWF.

46. Unsolicited, as a manuscript: ON SPEC.

47. __ and terminer: criminal court: OYER.

48. Burn brightly: BLAZE.  There's a place called "Blaze Pizza" in Minneapolis.  Funny name for a Pizza restaurant,  I have never tried it.

49. Batman's sidekick: ROBIN.  To the Bat Cave, to get the Batmobile, and drive someone Batty.

50. Brewers' kilns: OASTS. It could be in the dugout at Miller Park on a cold Milwaukee Spring day.

51. Successful hitchhiker: RIDER. Chuck Willis hit named after C.C.

52. Saints quarterback Drew: BREES.  When He goes Marchin' in, There's trouble.

56. Storied loch: NESS.  FBI famous detective Eliot

59. Baja bear: OSO.

60. Intl. commerce group: WTO.  ITOA - I'm Tired of Acronyms.

61. Basic card game: WAR.  Played this easy game for hours, then I turned 11 and discovered Cribbage.

62. "__ been thinking ... ": I'VE. been workin' on the railroad

63. "Golly!": GEE.

Boomer

Sunday December 23, 2018 C.C. Burnikel

Theme:  "Quick Visit" - STOP spans across each theme answer.

23A. *Chances that slipped away: LOST OPPORTUNITIES.

62A. *True view: HONEST OPINION.

70A. *Often the best choice, in retrospect: FIRST OPTION.

82A. *Swindlers: FAST OPERATORS.

124A. *Ristorante appetizers: ANTIPASTO PLATTERS.

16D. *Former Chilean dictator: AUGUSTO PINOCHET.

45D. *Bending over backward, say: ANXIOUS TO PLEASE.

Reveal:

103. Visit briefly ... and a hint to the answers to starred clues: STOP IN.

Very simple theme, with three different STOP split.

I originally has EID in 34-Across and NEIL in 25-Down. Rich was concerned that the crossing would creative a tricky square, even if I clued NEIL as obvious as possible. So a change was made.

I do hope EID appears in LAT soon. 

Across:

1. Bowling pin wood: MAPLE.

6. Princess Charlotte, to Harry: NIECE.

11. Hornets, e.g.: WASPS.

16. 2008 TARP beneficiary: AIG. Founded in Shanghai.

19. Think tank nuggets: IDEAS.

20. "The Thin Blue Line" director Morris: ERROL. Unknown to me. Rich's clue.

21. Mexican month: ENERO.

22. Stage coach Hagen: UTA.

26. Tricky bit: GAG.

27. Type of well: ARTESIAN. I learned from doing crosswords.

28. Fulda tributary: EDER.

29. Griller's flipper: SPATULA. I use wooden ones. I stir-fry every day.

31. Bird hangout: NEST.

32. Romance novelist Hilderbrand: ELIN. Alternative to Tiger's ex.

34. Gate datum: Abbr.: ETD.

35. Windows forerunner: MS DOS.

36. Type of jam in Sacher tortes: APRICOT. Never had apricot jam.

39. One of the original Warner Bros.: SAM. Learning moment also. Rich's clue again.

41. Sporty car roof: T-TOP.

44. Long story: SAGA.

46. Way to go: Abbr.: DIR.

48. Frees: LETS LOOSE.

52. Platform site: Abbr.: STN.

53. Twitter forwards, on Twitter: RTS. Retweets.

56. Kings Peak state: UTAH.

58. Just __ bit: A WEE.

59. Ramallah-based org.: PLO. Palestine Liberation Organization.

60. Make an ad spicier, say: SEX IT UP. Husker Gary would be a great ad writer.  I still can't get over his "Squeeze Play" title for a puzzle I made for WSJ a while ago. Genius!

65. Shower unit?: RAINDROP.

67. Gives someone a hand: CLAPS.

68. Flake or Duckworth: Abbr.: SEN. Tammy Duckworth. Jeff Flake, ex-senator.

69. Gin flavor: SLOE.

74. Catcher's place: HOME. And 4. Reason to challenge an out call: LATE TAG. And 8. Boot the ball: ERR.

77. Good times: UPS. Splynter used to be very busy during this period.

79. Bring down: LOWER.

80. One often includes a colon: EMOTICON.

87. Hearing range: EARSHOT.

88. Surreal ending?: IST. Jazzbumpa hates this type of clue: Surrealist. 

89. __ song: FOR A.

90. Trash: RUIN.

91. Pronoun for a princess: SHE.

92. "Mr. Blue Sky" band: ELO.

93. They can yield immediate results: SPOT TESTS.

96. Poker great Ungar: STU.

97. PlayStation handheld game: VITA. We had this clue a few months ago.

99. Baking amts.: TSPS.

100. Autobahn winter hazard: EIS. Ice.

102. Take no side: ABSTAIN.

106. Tibetan monks: LAMAS. Some very simple truths in Tibetan Buddhism.

110. Sports radio host Patrick: DAN.

112. Editor's retraction: STET.

113. Salinger character who says to the story narrator, "I don't think I shall tell you my full name": ESME. Rich's clue also.

117. First name in exploration: AMERIGO.

119. Noteworthy stretches: ERAS.

121. Fruit-flavored frozen treat: OTTER POP. Favorite treat at D-Otto's home.

123. Showy wrap: BOA.

127. Overhead rumblers: ELS.

128. "I'm with you": ME TOO.

129. Links hero, familiarly: ARNIE. Palmer.

130. __ Blue: old laundry soap: RINSO.

131. Graphic top: TEE.

132. "Uh-uh!": I WON'T.

133. Bonkers: LOONY.

134. Packed away: EATEN. I've been enjoying these roasted Asian sweet potatoes.

Down:

1. Lombardy's capital: MILAN. Look at some of the street scenes there.

2. Place on a pedestal: ADORE.

3. Raid targets: PESTS. The spray Raid.

5. Those, in Tabasco: ESOS.

6. Sherpa, usually: NEPALI.

7. Like a typical O. Henry story: IRONIC.

9. Dove's digs: COTE.

10. Slip past: ELUDE.

11. "Mandatory Fun" parodist, familiarly: WEIRD AL.

12. Red or army follower: ANT.

13. Earthshaking event: SEISM. Hi there Jayce!

14. Gets ready: PREPS.

15. "Such a pity": SO SAD.

17. Leaning type: Abbr.: ITAL.

18. Lady on stage: GAGA. Lady Gaga.

24. Place to tie up: PIER. Also Rich's clue.

25. Court dividers: NETS.

30. "... and your little dog, too!" dog: TOTO. I just told my friend Carmen (based in Guangzhou) to watch "The Wizard of Oz". She never heard of it.

33. "Ya think?": NO DUH.

37. Medicare prescription drug section: PART D.

38. Jackson 5 member: TITO.

40. Hearty pastry: MEAT PIE.

42. Capital on a fjord: OSLO.

43. Menial laborer: PEON.

44. Big bargain: STEAL.

47. Spiteful: RANCOROUS. This one connects three themers.

49. Masters Tournament weekend groupings: TWOSOMES.

50. Qtr.-ending month: SEP.

51. Luau souvenirs: LEIS.

52. Much of Eastern Eur., once: SSRS.

54. Tough's territory: TURF.

55. Unwelcome giveaways: SPOILERS.

57. Emergency menu: HELP. Computer. Keith, it's TTP who found the diagonal puzzle for you. I merely emailed it to you.

61. Butterfingered: INEPT.

63. Tended tots: SAT.

64. Classic grape sodas: NEHIs.

66. Divide fairly: PRORATE.

71. Giant among low-cost carriers: Abbr.: SWA. Southwest Airlines. We use Sun Country for our  Vegas trip (annual Graybar retiree gathering). They have the best price. Bad service.

72. Four: Prefix: TETR.

73. Biblical builder: NOAH.

75. Dough: MOOLA.

76. Opposite of exo-: ENTO.

78. Like comfy slippers: SOFT.

81. "Three Coins ..." fountain: TREVI.

82. Punch deliverer: FIST.

83. Venomous vipers: ASPS. I wonder if ancient Egyptians ate asps. Snakes are popular food in Guangzhou. Restaurants have live snakes in cages. You just pick up the snake you want, they'll prepare for you. 

84. "The Black Cat" author: POE.

85. "On the Bus With Rosa Parks" poet Dove: RITA.

86. Slights: SNUBS.

94. Nicholas, for one: TSAR.

95. Bet money an "all in" player can't win: SIDE POT. Rich's clue also.

98. Loafer's quality: INERTIA.

101. Actress Gilbert: SARA.  Executive producer for both "Roseanne" and "The Conners".

104. Bigelow alternative: TETLEY.

105. Lead-in to girl or boy: ATTA.

107. "Scarface" setting: MIAMI.

108. '60s-'70s veep: AGNEW (Spiro).

109. __ voce: softly: SOTTO.

111. Twangy-sounding: NASAL.

114. Tuckered out: SPENT.

115. Man with a code: MORSE.

116. Nagano-based printer giant: EPSON. Ours is HP Envy 4500.

117. Provide fake cover for, e.g.: ABET.

118. Sleeper agent: MOLE.

120. Texas MLBer: STRO.

122. To be, to Benoît: ETRE.

125. Non-neutral atom: ION.

126. "Wish Tree" artist: ONO.

Happy 74th birthday to our sweet Misty! Her kindness and compassion shine through in each of her blog posts. Here is a picture of Misty and her husband Rowland celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary in 2009.

Boomer Updates:

No doctor visits the past week, though there was a glitch in getting Zytiga, which can't be refilled and needs a monthly prescription. Boomer is going to get another blood draw next Thursday. His alkaline phosphatase has been high and creatinine is a bit low. Not unusual for bone cancer patients, according to Dr. Downs' assistant.

He continues to feel better and sleeps much better. His re-starter's luck at bowling alley quickly ran out last Thursday night, Inanehiker! He'll probably share with you his scores tomorrow.

C.C.

Saturday, December 22, 2018, C.C. Burnikel

Themeless Saturday Puzzle by C.C. Burnikel

Since 1999, December 22nd has been the day to celebrate Abilities Day. The school where I sub has a girl who lost her right forearm in a ATV accident. Here you can see her as she is competing in a recent swim meet where she won two events. If you need a hero, she would be someone you should consider.

C.C. has a Saturday themeless for the third time in two months and made me feel like I had limited abilities! It took me only 15 minutes to get to this NE corner and then I took a detour on the Natick Turnpike.  I had no shot on 10, 11 and 12 Down and 14 Across and had wrong answers on 20 and 24 Across. After another fifteen minutes, I threw in the towel and got help from the U.S.S. Google! I still had fun and humble pie is not fattening!

Personal note - It has been one year since I became the regular Saturday blogger and I appreciate C.C. giving me the chance and for you to not giving me the boot.

And now let's see C.C.'s many abilities on this wonderful Weekend puzzle:

Across:

1. Hypoallergenic wool: ALPACA While similar to sheep’s wool, ALPACA fiber  is warmer, not prickly, and has no lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic (unlikely to cause an allergic reaction)

7. Chinese way of life: TAOISM 

13. Be the victim of a slaying?: ROAR AT - Good comedians are said to "slay" the audience who are probably ROARing AT them

14. Taiwanese drink originally made with milk and tapioca pearls: BOBA TEA - I had no idea but here is the finished product and a kit to make said beverage

15. Sports cheaters: DOPERS - Jose Canseco's book blew the whistle on this practice

16. Series of celebratory visits: PUB CRAWL - This ritual seems to be de rigueur for some 21st birthdays

17. Squeeze (out): EKE.

18. Fixes, as a pump: RESOLES - C.C. loves shoes and I'm sure has many pairs of pumps

20. Green span: LEA - A wonderful play on Alan Greenspan for an old cwd friend

21. Convention: NORM - The NORM at this site is educated discourse 23. Because it fits: APTLY to the subjects at hand

24. Cat's hangout: SILL - Not the cat in its LAIR but the kitty on the window SILL

25. Prominent parade brass: TUBAS - If you're a musician you probably already know which of the below is a TUBA and which is a Sousaphone. If you aren't you probably don't care. Here's the difference

27. The Cuban?: LAS - A Cuban speaking Spanish would know LAS Vegas literally means "THE Meadows"

28. Wolf in "The Jungle Book": AKELA - The Disney Wolf was voiced by this gentleman. AKELA was also the name of the leader in our cub scout pack.

29. Kicks back: TAKES IT EASY

32. Place for a frozen treat: GELATO STAND - A ubiquity in Rome

34. Response to a welcome return: WE MISSED YOU - A common sentiment when a former blogger returns to our fold 

36. Apps with errors: BETAS - Fortunately, now they've got all the bugs out 😅

39. Avril follower: MAI - Les averses d'avril apportent des fleurs de MAI (April showers bring May Flowers)

40. Stopped lying: AROSE - As opposed to started telling the truth

42. Drained of color: ASHY.

43. Sharp picker-upper: TALON.

45. Put under: DRUG.

46. Early Melotone Records competitor: RCA -Melotone

47. Produce aisle option: ORGANIC - Is it really better?

49. Turn sharply: ZAG - After a zig

50. Factor in exit velocity, in baseball: BAT SPEED

52. Wore thin: GOT OLD - Remember the political ads this fall?

54. Life-saving devices, at times: EPIPENS 

55. In a calm manner: EVENLY.

56. Make drinkable, in a way: DESALT - This Carlsbad DESAL(T) plant will provide 7% of San Diego's water from the ocean

57. Two-day trip, often: RED EYE - Guide to conquering Red Eye Flights


Down:

1. Deeply devoted: ARDENT.

2. Guard: LOOKOUT - Bikers must LOOKOUT in the 33. Hazardous area for a bicyclist passing a parked car: DOOR ZONE 

3. Checkout choice: PAPER BAG - Or in the Dr.'s office

4. Equal: ARE.

5. __ Fire: 230,000-acre Northern California conflagration of 2018: CARR.

6. Bewildered: AT SEA.

7. Maguire of "Spider-Man": TOBEY.

8. Early lesson: ABC'S - Here's where you can begin!

9. Boat mover: OAR.

10. Ballet's birthplace, to Parisians: ITALIE - The word ballet comes from the country of ITALIE (French for Italy) where the Italian word ballade meaning to dance. C.C. at her best!

11. "Black Beauty" author: SEWELL - My Dad said, "That is the only book I ever remember reading"

12. __ Fund: org. supporting girls' education founded by a 2014 Nobelist: MALALA - Another hero!

14. Informal discussion: BULL SESSION.

16. Side with a dog: POTATO SALAD - Substitute CHIPS for SALAD for me










19. Elmore Leonard novel whose title overlaps itself on some covers: SPLIT IMAGES - Yup.

22. Step aside: MAKE WAY.

24. "Sweet Home Alabama" band, familiarly: SKYNYRD - (Lynyrd SKYNRD). That and Georgia On My Mind are two great songs about states

26. Four-time Australian Open champ: SELES - Monica the tennis player

28. Carne __: ASADA - Literally "meat grilled" because those pesky Spanish have the adjective follow the noun

30. Finger-pointing uncle: SAM  - Now 101 years old

31. Enjoyed a roll: ATE.

35. By and large: USUALLY.

36. Like fishhooks, as a rule: BARBED.

37. Pen pals' plan?: ESCAPE - Debate continues whether these penitentiary pals make it

38. "In other words ... ": THAT IS - Fourscore and seven, THAT IS, eighty seven years ago

41. Dip popular at Easter: EGG DYE.

43. 16th-century council site: TRENT - An 18 year series of meetings in TRENTo, Italy where Pope Paul III tried to end corrupt practices in the Catholic Church. Hmmm... 

44. African country with rich uranium deposits: NIGER - So far this month we have had Gabon, Burkina Faso and now NIGER

47. German auto: OPEL - 1964 Opel Ad. I wonder what the words Economisch, Rulm, Pitting and Handig below the picture mean

48. Dock setting: COVE.

51. Mother's Day destination: SPA.

53. Talk acronym: TED - Are you up to a 12 minute M.I.T.  TED talk about puzzles and constructors?