Saturday, January 19, 2019, Ryan McCarty

Themeless Puzzle by Ryan McCarty

 Going to the movies can be a great to mediocre event but the one constant of going is the beguiling smell of popcorn. Today we celebrate this simple delight on National Popcorn Day. A Univ. of Cal. at Irvine prof figured it cost $.10/oz to make and is sold for way more per oz. than a filet but how can you resist?

Popcorn comes in infinite varieties but for me, I'll take plain old yellow popcorn in real oil, salted and lightly buttered! Keep your chocolate, cinnamon, cheese and jalapeño flavors!

Our constructor today is Princeton grad Ryan McCarty ’14. Ryan info from the last write-up I did of one of his puzzles.

Ryan's puzzle drove me crazy as some of the clueing was two steps beyond fiendish but turned out to be really fun in the end, like getting that caraway seed out from between your teeth! I'll complain comment in my write-up of this puzzle where I quickly filled in the NE and then had a wonderful slog to the finish line at the DNIESTER River.

BTW, I think the grid design was incredible and very elegant! Ryan used only 22 blocks and only 62 words! Wow, those are some very impressive numbers!

All right, let's see what else popped into Ryan's head (ya had to see that comin'!) 

Across:

1. Barber's "Adagio for Strings" is in it: B FLAT MINOR - Oh, not a bigger musical work but the key in which it was written. Ryan!

11. Hits with a charge: ZAPS - "Don't tase me bro!"

15. Kerry Washington's "Scandal" role: OLIVIA POPE - I had to look up her and the show and same goes for 40. "Clown Prince of Hip-hop" Biz __: MARKIE. Biz MARKIE

16. Jukebox opening: SLOT - One of the first

17. Sang: NAMED NAMES - Film maker Elia Kazan joined the Communist Party in 1934 for a year-and-a-half.  Sixteen years later he NAMED NAMES of others who had joined the party to the HUAC committee so he could keep working. Most other Hollywood types kept quiet and Elia's party invitations diminished.

18. Villa-studded Italian lake: COMO - Ho una villa sul Lago di Como (I have a villa on Lake Como)

19. Salon boards: EMERIES - Emery boards

20. One taking things literally?: REPO MAN - 22. Angry: HEATED Matt Burch from short-lived Operation REPO TV show has a discussion with a car owner with delinquent payments.

23. Part of a football game-ending tradition: GATORADE - Coach Saban does not seem to be pleased with his GATORADE bath

24. Rear attachment: ENDER - Texting while drive can cause a REAR-ENDER car accident

25. Worked together: PARTNERED - When these two PARTNERED together, they became the #1 passing/receiving duo in NFL history 

26. Nailed, test-wise: ACED.

27. "Rabbit ears" antennae, e.g.: DIPOLES - We had a TV with the aforementioned devices that looked like this

28. Pixie and flip: DOS - HairDOS

29. Wheat whackers: SICKLES - Undoubtedly, someone with a scythe or SICKLE cut this wheat but these wheat whacking women in Punjab, India are not using either to thresh the grain 

30. Poor: BAD.

33. Washington team: HUSKIES - Oh, Washington University (UDUB) in Seattle   3,000 miles away from D.C.

34. Goat-man of myth: FAUN - Is this the right shot for Match.com? 

35. Rocks below bridges?: NOSE STUDS - This one below her nose's bridge are magnetic 

38. Cabinet member under Dubya: CONDI - The owner of the Cleveland Browns talked about hiring lifelong fan CONDI Rice as their new head coach. 

39. See 43-Across: OLD CHAPS - Our cheerleaders back in the stone age had a cheer: 43. With 39-Across, "Listen up, lads": "I SAY (clap, clap), OLD CHAP(S) (clap, clap),  Take the ball (clap, clap), fight back (clap, clap)". No really!

41. Boards around the house: DECKING - We switched out real wood for synthetic DECKING

42. Rocky Mountain rodents: MARMOTS.

44. Ones sniffing out trouble: CANINE UNIT - A valued member of the UNL CANINE UNIT

46. Reactor meltdown site: CORE - Not a geographic location but where the fission takes place

47. Old cooking show with a Creole theme: EMERIL LIVE  - BAM!

48. Outcomes: ENDS - That arm is merely a means to an END to this kitty

49. "Gotta split!": SEE YA LATER - I'm not saying alligator, you can't make me!


Down:

1. Unthinking, as a mistake: BONE HEAD - #78 Leon Lett celebrated too early and hustling #82 Don Beebe made him fumble before he got a touchdown which 4. Staved off: AVERTED the Cowboy's scoring a touchdown

2. Spanish steps?: FLAMENCO - Why do I remember the name José Greco after all these years?

3. Fruity refreshments: LIMEADES.

5. Larger, as a sum: TIDIER - A sorta variation on "a TIDY sum" 

6. Like gnus: MANED - I'm not saying "I already GNU that", you can't make me!

7. Draft choices: IPA'S - Englishman George Hodgson made a lighter colored Pale Ale by using coke-fired malt and he exported it to India where it became very popular. Hence...

8. __ de guerre: NOM - An assumed name under which one writes, paints or fights such as

9. Macbeth and Otello: OPERA ROLES - Both these OPERA ROLES created by Giuseppe Verdi (Joe Green in English) call for baritones

10. Puts down new roots: RESETTLES - The second generation of Hispanics whose families have RESETTLED in our town are really adapting 

11. Standard deviation measures: Z-SCORES - A Z-SCORE of +1 means one standard deviation above the mean (average) and a -1 means... Of course, it is figured by z = x – μ / σ,

12. Baseball family name: ALOMAR - Sandy, Sandy Jr. and Roberto

13. Salon stuff: POMADE - Johnny Cash's choice

14. Hopped-up: STONED.

21. Johnnycakes: PONES - Johnnycake. Johnnycake (also called journey cake, Shawnee cake, corn PONE or johnny bread) is a cornmeal flatbread. Johnny is thought to be a corruption of Shawnee Cake. Wiki

23. Retailer specializing in youth fashion: GAP KIDS - Had to erase GAP BABY

25. Impromptu competition: PICK UP GAME - Getting picked last is a trauma that lasts a long time

27. Golfer's yardage book data: DISTANCES - I don't write down the distances, I use this

29. Bar food: SUSHI - What? No bar nuts?

30. "There's no doubt about this": BANK ON IT - I can hit that green shown here on the Golf Buddy over the water from 123 yards out! I said I can, not that I will.

31. Hearing-related: AUDITIVE - Ryan!

32. River to the Black Sea: DNIESTER - Essentially from Kiev to Odessa

33. "Why, sure!": HECK YES - Do we get a lot of European Rivers in crossword puzzles?

34. Conventional writing method: FORMULA - TV sitcoms come to mind if you aren't talking about chemistry formulae - Lame sarcastic lines filled in with laugh tracks 

35. "Uh-uh": NO DICE.



36. "Little House" antagonist Nellie __: OLESON - Alison Arngrim, then and now

37. Digital camera insert, briefly: SDCARD - Scan Disk CARD

38. Steve of "Foxcatcher": CARELL - He recently lamented that his famous show, The Office, could never be made in today's PC climate. No matter what is written, someone will take offense. 

40. Craze: MANIA.

42. Like wetlands: MIRY - Ryan! 😏

45. Alumni newsletter word: NEE - I am totally okay with a woman retaining her birth surname. 

All this talk just gave me an idea. I'll be pop back to read your comments after a visit with Orville Redenbacher and the microwave! 

Friday, January 18, 2019, Bruce Haight

Title: Letter sounds

One of our regular Friday contributors is back with a puzzle, which I expect will be debated. The clues give you a hint of what is going. For example, the "B" in 17 A is read as "BE" which makes "EZR" the interpretation "EASIER." Once you get the idea then the puzzle is not too difficult for a Friday. But you need to get the push from the crosses. We have had various letter sound puzzles before, but none quite like this one. I related to 4 of the themers, but I struggled with sounding out JQZ. Which is a significant fill because it was the cornerstone of making this puzzle a pangram using three of the least used letters. Of course, once I sussed the sound, it was one so obvious. There really are so many types of HOT TUBS, I like the fact that the clue with a letter/word let us know the fill will also need the same. With two grid-spanners and 29 other blocks used in the theme, it is awesome to also get  COZUMEL, ERITREA, HURTLED, I LOST IT, MENORAH, ONEONTA, PETTILY, PLATOON, SENEGAL, and SILENT C. Heavy on geography again. Damn, I wish I had studied harder.

17A. Likely to B surprisingly difficult: EZR SAID THAN DONE (15). Easier said than done is something that is easy to suggest, but much more difficult to make happen. Like keeping CED's cats of the furniture.

23A. One might Q Shamu: NML TRAINER (10). Q - cue. An animal trainer worked with Shamu who was the first killer whale (orca) which appeared in shows at SeaWorld San Diego in the mid/late 1960s.

38A. U can soak in one: JQZ HOT TUB (9). Jacuzzi jets provide serious therapeutic benefits. 

54A. Something to C at Carnegie Hall: PNO RECITAL (10). "Piano" was only easy to grok because of the word recital. Of course, there is only one way to get to Carnegie Hall for a PIANO RECITAL.  Practice!

61A. Possible reason Y lights get turned off: NRG CONSERVATION (15). Energy conservation is a political subject these days. I pass.

Across:

1. Figura de __: Spanish skating move: OCHO. The figure eight which is a skating move translated to Spanish. A CSO to our dear departed Clear Ayes and a winsome friend Robin.

5. Besides: ALSO.

9. Cut back a lot: SKIMP. Skimp and save. No comment considering the times.

14. It might not be proper: NOUN. An oldie but goodie clue/fill combo.

15. Secular: LAIC. Adjective for the lay = non-cleric.

16. Edmonton athlete: OILER. The greatest, Wayne Gretsky, started there.

20. __ space: OUTER. Could be inner, also.

21. Spring bloom: IRIS. The iris family is closely related to the lily and amaryllis families, differing from them in having three stamens rather than six. A shout out to our representative from Delaware.
A repeat from yesterday - clued differently.                                                   
22. __-fa: set of musical syllables: SOL. Do re mi ...

26. Cycle starter: TRI. Here in So.Fla. the look like this...

27. Place to drive from: TEE. A CSO to Gary and George and more.

28. Not irr.: STD. A standard clue/fill.

29. Affirmative reply: YES I AM. No, I am not.

32. "The Aviator" (2004) Oscar nominee: ALDA.

34. Buffoons: OAFS.

37. "The fool __ think he is wise ...": "As You Like It": DOTH.  Will S. two days in a row.
As You Like It, Act 5, Scene 2: "The fool doth think he is wise but the wise man knows himself to be a fool"

41. Biblical hunter: ESAU. As Jacob and Esau grew older, Esau liked the outdoors and became a good hunter, while Jacob lived the quiet life of a shepherd.

43. It was originally called a "Biscuit": OREO. Since its maker was the NAtional BIScuit CO., this should not be a surprise. When the cookie was first introduced in 1912, it appeared as an Oreo Biscuit, which changed in 1921 to Oreo Sandwich.

44. They're mostly on the phone: APPS. I like this clue/fill though no hint to it maybe being an abbreviation.

48. Bygone predators: T-REXES. I still find this scene captivatingly frightening.

50. Long-legged runner: EMU.

52. Bulldog booster: ELI. Yalie from Jeopardy Thursday night.

53. Component of a sweep, maybe: WIN.

58. Downed: ATE.

59. Countenance: MIEN.

60. Lenya of "From Russia With Love": LOTTE. Quite a lady.

65. They're changed on the road: GEARS. Like 44A, I loved this very nice clue for simple fill.

66. Sandwich staple: TUNA. I am a fan.

67. Frequently: A LOT.

68. French greeting: SALUT. A French shalom.

69. Reach: SPAN. Fighters have their's measured.

70. Out of __: SYNC.

Down:

1. College town WSW of Albany: ONEONTA. Another shout out to upstate New York contingent.
The COLLEGES. Geography 1.

2. Island resort near Cancún: COZUMEL. Cozumel is an island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. G 2.

3. Went like a runaway train: HURTLED.

4. It's a start: ONSET. Again, simple but tricky.

5. Lord of the ring?: ALI.

6. Brit's bud: LAD. Steve, still used?

7. Sub (for): SIT IN. A CSO to Gary.

8. Earthy tone: OCHRE. This is an earthy pigment containing ferric oxide, typically with clay, varying from light yellow to brown or red. Also, OCHER is acceptable.

9. Juniors, maybe: SONS. In families, not schools.

10. Razz: KID.

11. "My temper got the best of me": I LOST IT.

12. Holiday candle holder: MENORAH. It is much more than that. LINK.

13. Heat at a meet, for short: PRELIM. Preliminary round.

18. LAX landings: ARRS.

19. Opposite of stuffy: AIRY.

24. Entire range: A-TO-Z.

25. Shoshone Falls state: IDAHO. They are higher than Niagara. LINK. G 3.

30. Academic address ending: EDU. EDUcation.

31. Nagano noodle: SOBA. Soba noodles are Japanese noodles that are made from buckwheat flour.  Their nutty flavor works well as a base for stir-fries and salads. Oo like them in soup.

33. "Iliad" warrior: AJAX. I had one red betta and I named him Ajax. See above.

35. Behind: FOR.

36. Handle the wheel: STEER.

39. Ont. neighbor: QUE. Ontario - Quebec. G 4.

40. Heavy reading?: TOME.

41. Coastal East African country: ERITREA. G 5.             

  ↢ West Africa                                                    East Africa  ↣

42. Coastal West African country: SENEGAL. G 6.

45. In a small-minded way: PETTILY.

46. Army outfit: PLATOON.

47. Bit of obscenity?: SILENT C. A witty way to hide the answer. No controversy here from me.

48. Musical saw sounds: TWANGS. You decide.

49. Bias: SPIN. Doctor?

51. Pauley Pavilion Pac-12 team: UCLA. Where the basketball team plays.

55. Fits one within another: NESTS. Nesting dolls are back.

56. Best: ONE UP.

57. Frat letters: IOTAS.

59. Guinness book adjective: MOST.

62. French vineyard: CRU.  A vineyard or wine-producing region in France. 2. A grade or class of wine: premier cru.

63. Biological chain letters: RNA. Ribonucleic acid is a polymeric molecule implicated in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes. RNA and DNA are nucleic acids, and, along with proteins and carbohydrates, constitute the three major macromolecules essential for all known forms of life.

64. Moving aid: VAN.

Speaking of moving, it is time for me to be moving on. I hope you had as much fun as I did. Thanks, Bruce and all of you who read our words.

                                                   Bonus geography from our trip.

Thursday, January 15 2019 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Axed - The five theme entries all relate to our tree-felling brethren:

17A. Lumberjack's favorite pirate phrase?: SHIVER ME TIMBERS. Walking the plank springs to mind here too.

22A. Lumberjack's main interest in naval records?: CAPTAIN'S LOG. Did you know that the Enterprise had two captains in the first season of Star Trek - Captain James T. Kirk and Captain Slog? He made the opening announcement in every episode "Captain Slog, Stardate 22117.1 ....."

36A. Lumberjack's way to punch an opponent?: RIGHT IN THE CHOPS.

45A. Lumberjack's preferred ABC News reporter?: DIANE SAWYER

55A. Lumberjack's reaction to an overly hard crossword?: I'M REALLY STUMPED. Happily, I didn't echo the lumberjack today.

Smooth theme today and with a lot of theme squares in the grid. Often that density can lead to a somewhat scrappy fill, but Jeffrey managed to stay away from the clunky stuff for the most part.

Let's take a mosey through the rest:

Across:

1. Fear of spiders, usually: PHOBIA. Arachno. Me. Those little buggers bother me.

7. Google Earth predecessors: ATLASES

14. Aesthetic feature?: SILENT A. This didn't really work for me, I sound the "A", more like "ace-thetic". I'm not sure if that's a British English thing or just me mispronouncing.

16. Hillary supporters: SHERPAS. Sir Edmund Hillary, who jointly made the first ascent to the summit of Everest back in 1953 with Sherpa Tenzing.

19. Theater award: TONY. The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre. Note the spelling of the last word! I go to the movie theater, but to the theatre to see a stage show.

20. Actor Holm: IAN. A good excuse to play the theme from "Chariots of Fire", Ian Holm took the role of athletics coach Sam Mussabini in the movie.

21. Slender Olive: OYL

27. Eero Saarinen's father: ELIEL. Crosses all the way! He was an architect too, I discover.

30. Many Sinatra recordings: LPS

31. Pipe shape: ELL

32. Quick cuts: TRIMS

33. Gig gear: AMPS

35. "__ pinch of ... ": recipe words: ADD A

39. Reverberate: ECHO

40. Baltic capital: RIGA

41. Store __: HOURS

42. Small matter: NIT. Very few in the crossword today.

43. Toon crime-fighter __ Possible: KIM. I didn't know this, but it was a fun guess that made me grin.

44. Check phrase: PAY TO

49. Civil War soldier: REB

50. __ of the woods: mushroom type: HEN. Such an odd name. Funniest-looking hen I've ever seen:

51. Athlete who wrote a history of African-American athletes: ASHE. Tennis legend Arthur.

60. Track foundation: ROAD BED. Usually ballast. They call it a track bed in the UK because, well, it's the bed for the track. Odd folk, those Brits.

61. French's product: MUSTARD. Where would we be without French's mustard on a hot dog? I do use Coleman's English Mustard for dipping asian foods like dim sum though - it's got a nice fiery quality to it.

62. Bottomless pits: ABYSSES

63. Ignore: PASS BY

Down:

1. Sideways whisper: PSST!

2. Crackers once sold in a red box: HI-HO. I tried HO-HO for absolutely no good reason and was happy until SOLENTA looked odd.

3. Actress Lena: OLIN. She crops up in the crosswords quite frequently. Swedish actress. She probably makes the "Shortz List" of a celebrity who appears more often in the crossword than in the regular paper. ERLE Stanley Gardner leads the list.

4. Quail group: BEVY

5. Having four sharps: IN E

6. Pertaining to a heart chamber: ATRIAL

7. PEI setting: AST. Prince Edward Island up there on Atlantic Standard Time.

8. Meteorologist's scale: Abbr.: THI. This one I had to look up once I'd solved the puzzle. Temperature-Humidity Index. Seems a tad obscure.

9. Veal piccata chef's needs: LEMONS. I wanted CAPERS so badly that it took me ages to see this one.

10. Contrary to popular belief, its name is not derived from its trademark sandwich: ARBY'S. The popular belief is that "RB's" is from "Roast Beef". It actually comes from Leroy and Forrest Raffel, the founders - the Raffel Brothers.

11. Described in detail: SPELLED OUT

12. "For all in vain comes counsel to his __": Shak.: EAR. The Duke of York, advising John of Gaunt to keep his breath for staying alive, rather than giving advice which will be dutifully ignored by Richard II,

13. Old draft org.: SSS. Selective Service System. The website is still up and running though, seems odd.

15. Jane Hamilton's "__ of the World": A MAP

18. Med. specialist: E.N.T.

22. "__ la vie!": C'EST

23. A, as in Athens: ALPHA

24. __ dixit: unproven claim: IPSE

25. One who knows the ropes: OLD PRO

26. Tumbler, e.g.: GLASS

27. 13th-century Norwegian king: ERIC II

28. Sensor that detects objects using closely spaced beams: LIGHT ARRAY. This was tough to parse - I had RAY in place and tried to find some kind of ray to fit.

29. Texter's modest intro: IMHO

32. How things are going: TREND

33. Jungian concept: ANIMA

34. Corp. get-together: MTG.

35. Mate's greeting: AHOY! Lots of nautical timber-shivering and hailing going on today.

37. Bearded flower: IRIS

38. Burn a bit: CHAR

43. Food on sticks: KEBABS. Food! Also kabobs, kebobs and any variation between. The Kebab Machine was a chain of fast-food places in London (a couple still exist) which were open late at night to catch the pub crowd turning out after 11PM closing. The doner kebab in a pita bread with shredded cabbage and hot sauce was a favorite. I woke up with one stuck to my face once, but that's a story for another day.

44. Repressed: PENT UP

46. Cries out for: NEEDS

47. "Please explain": WHY? Parental reply: "Because."

48. Cowpoke's polite assent: YES'M

51. Tsp. and oz.: AMTS

52. Places to unwind: SPAS

53. Cilantro, e.g.: HERB

54. Watery swirl: EDDY

55. Nest egg acronym: IRA. Three musicians in close proximity: Herb Alpert, Nelson Eddy and Ira Gershwin.

56. __ rule: MOB

57. Novelist Harper: LEE

58. Mormon initials: LDS. Latter Day Saints.

59. Mex. neighbor: U.S.A.

Picket line duty for me again this morning.

Here's the grid:

Steve

Wednesday, January 16 2019, Susan Gelfand

Theme: CHOP SHOP. A model of car is tucked in the interior of each answer.


20. "The Iceman Cometh" playwright: EUGENE O'NEILL.

28. Sir Winston Churchill's ancestral home: BLENHEIM PALACE.

39. Victim of Artemis, in some accounts: ORION.

47. Cocoa butter treat: WHITE CHOCOLATE.

57. Passenger compartments, and an apt description of this puzzle's circles: CAR INTERIORS.

Without the circles, I never would have seen the cars. It must have taken maxima focus for Ms. Gelfand to roundup this theme. Such a clever word wrangler and explorer. She's a real trooper.

Across:

1. Aesop's "The __ in the Lion's Skin": ASS. Read it here.

4. Rips off: ROBS.

8. Batter's position: STANCE.

14. Phone ringing onstage, perhaps: CUE. Not enough letters for prop.

15. "Star Wars" critter: EWOK.

16. More homey: COZIER.

17. "Don't know yet," on skeds: TBA. To Be Announced.

18. iPad model: MINI.

19. Ways to go: ROUTES.

23. Emmy category: DRAMA. 2018 winner for outstanding drama series was Game of Thrones.

24. Fed. accounting agency: OMB. Office of Management and Budget.

25. Winery vessel: VAT.

33. Pulled in different directions: TORN.

34. High-end watch: ROLEX.

35. Quick punches: JABS.

42. Cream of the crop: BEST. Be cream of the crop.

43. Pungent: ACRID.

45. "NFL on CBS" sportscaster Gumbel: GREG.

53. Stage background: SET.

54. "__-ching!": CHA.

55. Single-handed: ALONE.

61. Italian sub meat: SALAMI.

64. Facility: EASE. Don't see this usage often, "a natural aptitude."

65. Stroller rider: TOT.

66. Gets dolled up: PRIMPS.

67. British singer __ Ora: RITA.

68. "True Detective" network: HBO.

69. Certify: ATTEST.

70. No longer fizzy: FLAT.

71. "Uh-huh": YEP.

Down:

1. Played the part: ACTED.

2. Commuter's destination: SUBURB.

3. Action star Steven: SEAGAL.

4. Leftover: REMNANT.

5. Toddler's scrape, to the toddler: OWIE.

6. Irish singer/philanthropist: BONO.

7. Onion exterior: SKIN.

8. Act frugally: SCRIMP.

9. Handy strip of computer icons: TOOLBAR.

10. Blue, in Barcelona: AZUL.

11. Insect egg: NIT.

12. Chute opening?: CEE. Can't fool me with "opening" any more.

13. Stumbling sounds: ERS.

21. Suffix with morph: EME.

22. Around the 30th: Abbr.: EOM. End of Month.

25. Low-lying area: VALE.

26. Breezes through: ACES.

27. Written words: TEXT.

29. Follower of boo, woo or yoo: HOO.

30. Choose answer (a) instead of (b), say: ERR.

31. "The Princess Bride" swordsman __ Montoya: INIGO. Click below to see Mandy Pitinkin's favorite line from the classic movie. (1:50)

32. Arcing shot: LOB.

35. Top-grossing film of 1975: JAWS.

36. Ice pack target: ACHE.

37. Tube rider, perhaps: BRIT. Interesting. (3:38)

38. Grab a chair: SIT.

40. Tolkien creature: ORC.

41. "The Matrix" hero: NEO.

44. Literally pulls up stakes: DECAMPS. Relocates.

46. Give the evil eye: GLARE AT.

48. Resurrection figure: CHRIST.

49. Japanese yes: HAI.

50. "True Detective" star Mahershala __: ALI.

 

51. Like some grins: TOOTHY. See above.

52. Dress for the choir: ENROBE.

56. Legally prohibit: ESTOP. "A legal bar to alleging or denying a fact because of one's own previous actions or words to the contrary."

57. Got to the party: CAME.

58. Lightweight ball brand: NERF.

59. Shadow: TAIL.

60. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA. Spanish: How are you?

61. Massage venue: SPA.

62. Hotel lobby display: ART.

63. Illuminated: LIT.

Tuesday, January 15, 2019 Gary Larson

"Make Certain"

17. Single-digit temps, for most: COLD SPELL.  Spell check  - Worth the read. 

24. 1984 Prince hit: PURPLE RAIN.  Rain check

36. Body of water between Connecticut and southeastern New York: LONG ISLAND SOUND.  Soundcheck.   SRV Soundcheck

52. At close range: POINT BLANK.  Blank check

61. Grandmaster's last word ... and what the last word in 17-, 24-, 36- and 52-Across can be: CHECKMATE.   An indisputable victory.

Across:

1. Half-__: coffee with a little less kick: CAF.

4. Chocolate-making bean: CACAO.

9. Polynesian people: MAORI.

14. Darth, as a youth: ANI.  Star Wars stuff.  The Wookieepedia at Fandom.

15. Suspect's excuse: ALIBI.

16. Muslim religion: ISLAM.

19. Exams for would-be attys.: LSATS.

20. Try to whack: HIT AT.

21. Jazz great Blake: EUBIE.


23. Cabinet dept. concerned with nukes: ENER.

29. Picket line participant: STRIKER.  Or a forward in soccer.

31. Fierce public protest: OUTCRY.

32. Jot down: NOTATE.

35. Napkin's place: LAP.  Napkin Etiquette

42. Skater Midori: ITO.  Master of the triple jump.

43. Muscle injury: STRAIN.

44. Small river: STREAM. 

48. Tribulations: ORDEALS.

55. Bushels: A LOT.  Gobs.

56. Ponzi scheme, e.g.: FRAUD.

57. Ann __, Michigan: ARBOR. The town plat was filed under the name of Annarbour.  Home of the University of Michigan.

58. California/Nevada resort lake: TAHOE.

64. Milky gemstones: OPALS.

65. Breed that's Welsh for "dwarf dog": CORGI. The Cardigan and the Pembroke


66. Fresh: NEW.

67. George of "Cheers": WENDT.  Norm !


68. Trap during a winter storm, say: ICE IN.

69. Dozens of mos.: YRS.

Down:

1. Secret supplies: CACHES.

2. Bless using oil: ANOINT. 

3. Color-altering camera lens accessory: FILTER.

4. Actors in a show: CAST.

5. European mountain: ALP.

6. Paris corp.: CIE.  Company abbr = co.     Compagnie abbr = cie.  

7. More adept: ABLER.

8. Prepare to shine in a bodybuilding contest?: OIL UP.

9. Cultural setting: MILIEU.

10. State with conviction: ASSERT.

11. Suffix with pay: OLA. 

12. Templeton in "Charlotte's Web," e.g.: RAT.

13. Cyberchats, briefly: IMs.   Instant Messages.  Also,  IM is the abbreviation sometimes used here at the corner for our dear and caring Irish Miss, so CSO !  

18. Adventurous: DARING.

22. Rain-__ bubble gum: BLO.    Gobs of bubble gum balls.   The flavor matches the color.

24. Animals at home: PETS.

25. Eurasian border mountains: URALS.

26. Rights advocacy org.: ACLU.

27. "Reading Lolita in Tehran" setting: IRAN.  "Heather Hewett of the Christian Science Monitor notes the book's "passionate defense of literature" that will "resonate with anyone who loves books, or who wants (or needs) to be reminded why books matter." - Wikipedia

28. Big Apple law gp.: NYPD.

30. Japanese carp: KOI.

33. Skin pic: TAT.

34. Noted 2001 bankruptcy: ENRON.  Financially devastating to so many.

36. Talk like Daffy: LISP.

37. Director Preminger: OTTO.  Cruciverbalist Desper- ______

38. More formal "Me neither!": NOR I.

39. Lacking light: DARK.

40. Bully in the "Toy Story" films: SID.  Phillips.  The antagonist. 

41. Like challenging push-ups: ONE ARM.   Strength and balance are required.

45. Surround: ENFOLD.

46. Taking a break: AT REST.

47. Management deg.: MBA.

49. Capital on the Hudson: ALBANY.  "Albany is known for its rich history, commerce, culture, architecture, and institutions of higher education."


50. Thief during a riot: LOOTER.

51. Scatters, as seeds: STREWS.

53. Soap star Susan: LUCCI.

54. For a specific purpose, as a committee: AD HOC.

57. Comparable (to): AKIN.

58. Aid for a disabled auto: TOW.

59. Big lug: APE.

60. Solo of "Star Wars": HAN. More Star Wars.

62. Before, in verse: ERE.

63. Cinematic FX: CGI.  Computer Generated Imagery.  As seen in Star Wars etc.

Note from C.C.:

Another sweet treat for us. Here's a picture from JD's 75th birthday celebration.

Monday January 14th, 2019 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: ISH (62. "Give or take" suffix ... that can be added to the end of 18-, 23-, 51- and 60-Across to form a sort of set) - ISH can be added to the last word in each theme entry to form a language.

 

18. Recall ability: MEMORY SPAN. Spanish.

23. Well-groomed guy: DAPPER DAN. Danish.

51. One making a living in government, briefly: CAREER POL. Polish.

60. Knockout drink, in old gangster movies: MICKEY FINN. Finnish.

Boomer here. Makes me think of Denard Span and Dan Gladden of the Twins. And Mickey Mantle had a great Career.

Good morning everyone and I hope you enjoyed the nitty-gritty of football winding down soon to the Superb Owl.  Bowling is getting better. This weeks scores for the three game sets were Monday - 585 and Thursday - 583.  (note to TTP) I only missed one ten pin in the 6 games. I left at least a dozen.

Across:

1. Parks who wouldn't give up her bus seat: ROSA. I wish I could have met her. She had spunk!

5. Jewel box item: CD ROM. Compact Disc and a Real Old Man. 

10. Colored eye part: IRIS.

14. Cartel acronym: OPEC. Organization of Petroleum Exporters. Iraq, Iran and others. I bet they are flush with cash to pay their help.

15. Prizefight venue: ARENA. Prize fights don't seem to have the attraction that they once had.  (When Ali was "The Greatest").  It seems that the arenas are now filled with All Star Wrestling.

16. Brit's "Later!": TA TA.

17. Version to debug: BETA.  I just remember when beta competed with VHS.  Not me.  Anyone want to buy my VHS tapes ?

20. Blew like Etna: ERUPTED.  Sorta like the KC Chiefs erupted over the Colts at Arrowhead.

22. Black as night, e.g.: SIMILE.

26. __ XING: crosswalk sign: PED.  Short for pedestrian.

27. Noteworthy period: ERA.  Earned Run Average.  Pitchers with low ones are getting huge raises for 2019.  Take me out to the ballgame.

28. Removes, as a cork: POPS.  Did anyone ever call their Dad Pops ?

30. Nowhere close: FAR. "She wore it for her soldier who was far, far away." Marching tune.

33. Places to swim: POOLS.  If your SLOOP turns over, you may be in a pool.

36. Geek's cousin: NERD.  These guys got revenge on "Animal House".

37. Fodder storage site: SILO.  There's one of these on every barn.  I am not sure if they are used much anymore.  South Minneapolis has miles of grain elevators.

38. Hauls with effort: SCHLEPS.

40. Japanese warrior: SAMURAI.

42. "Right back __!": "Me, too!": AT YA. George Bush was a student AT Yale.

43. Flashy promotion: HYPE.

45. Turn topsy-turvy: UPEND.  Maybe FLIP,  His son is now coaching the Timberwolves.

46. Water-testing digit: TOE.

47. "__ With the Wind": GONE.  Pee Wee Reese describing a Mickey Mantle fly ball.

48. Map app path: Abbr.: RTE. "Get your kicks on RTE 66"

49. Cantina condiment: SAL.

56. Small piano: SPINET.  What Pat Sajak tells contestants to do to the Wheel of Fortune. 

59. Motivate: INSPIRE.  INSPIRE could inspire you to clean energy.  (Wind Power)

63. Puma rival: AVIA.  These tennis shoes cost more than $4.95. 

64. Australian gem: OPAL. October Birthstone.

65. So last year: PASSE.

66. Cafeteria staffer: COOK.  Chef fits too.  I think it was Nixon who said "I am not a cook".

67. Heredity carrier: GENE.  I think of Gene Rayburn on "The Match Game".  He thinks he's funny but he's not. 

68. "Some __ time": "Not now": OTHER.

69. RR stops: Abbr.: STNS.  Take a ride.  If you pass GO, collect $200.

Down:

1. Dressed like a judge: ROBED.

2. Mozart work: OPERA.  Not to be confused with "You get a car" Oprah.

3. Arrange in advance: SET UP.  Paul Newman and Robert Redford did this in 1973.  They called it a Sting.

4. Like singing sans instruments: A CAPPELLA. I will be singing "Lucy Baines" at the retirees reunion soon.

5. GoPro product: CAMERA.  "Old Friends"  I have a photograph.  Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you.  - Simon and Garfunkel

6. "Judge __": Stallone film: DREDD.

7. Sleep acronym: REM.  Rapid Eye Movement.  But it was also the name of a rock band years ago.

8. Lennon's love: ONO. Oh no, not another Yoko Clue

9. Red planet: MARS.  At night sometimes, you can see Mars in the sky, but it is not red, it looks yellow/orange.

10. "Who's there?" reply: IT'S ME.

11. In quick succession: RAPID FIRE.  Like the questions on "Jeopardy".

12. Emphatic type: Abbr.: ITAL.

13. Fit to be tried: SANE.  Fit to be Tied would probably be INSANE.

19. Puppy's barks: YIPS.

21. Succinct: TERSE.

24. Orangutan, e.g.: APE.  I'll bet his name is Hairy.

25. Swedes' neighbors: NORSE. Ya Shure, I have Scandinavian heritage Don'tcha know.

29. Kissing at the mall, for short: PDA.

31. Actor Cumming: ALAN.

32. __ rage: bodybuilder's concern: ROID.  They have a preparation for that.

33. H.S. junior's exam: PSAT.  I'd like to meet the genius that writes these questions.  I would ask him a few bowling questions, or what is a Square D Wiggy.

34. Numerical prefix with -pus: OCTO. The month of my birthday.

35. Self-affirming retort: OH YES I CAN.

36. "Bye Bye Bye" band: NSYNC.  Very tough to pronounce.

37. Large political spending gps.: SUPER PACS. Our new congressman Dean Phillips would not take their money.  I wonder how long that will last.

39. Rice noodle soup: PHO. Vietnamese noodle soup.

41. Trumpet mufflers: MUTES.

44. Veggie in a pod: PEA. Split it and it could go in soup.

47. Sheer joy: GLEE. Indeed, in high school I was in the Glee Club.  I think they call it choir now.

48. Jeremy of "The Avengers": RENNER.

50. Often-twisted joint: ANKLE.

52. Washer cycle: RINSE.  Wash, Wash, Wash the Blue Cheer way, Rinse, Rinse, Rinse the dirt away.

53. Whirl on one foot: PIVOT.

54. Hunter constellation: ORION.  Constellation are so interesting.  We looked forever into the night sky.  The only one that made sense was the Big Dipper.  Then I found out it was actually supposed to be a Bear.  Ursa Major - I told you I had four years of Latin.

55. Plumbers' problems: LEAKS. We finally got our bathroom fixed. No more leaks into the garage!!!

56. Air quality concern: SMOG.

57. Frosty's corncob accessory: PIPE.  And a button nose, and eyes made out of coal.

8. Autocorrect target: TYPO.

61. Budgetary excess: FAT. I am sure those poor federal workers do not have this problem this month.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear JD, who joined our blog not long after I started it. It always brings me joy to see the pictures of her grandkids.

JD & Bob