Monday February 25, 2019 Ed Sessa

Theme: 50. WHERE'S THE FIRE. ("What's your hurry?" ... and a literal hint to what's hiding in 20-, 27- and 42-Across)

20. Tricolor flier in Dublin: FLAG OF IRELAND.

27. Quality sound reproduction: HI-FI RECORDING.

42. "And suppose my answer is no?": WHAT IF I REFUSE.

Boomer here.

Hello Everyone from the frozen tundra. It's been a rough February here in Minnesota, We have shattered the old February snow record and received about four feet of new snow just this month! It is piled high wherever the plows can find room, but it makes driving a bit treacherous because it's hard to spot ongoing traffic. I have spent 69 of my 71 years here so I guess I am up to it, but I don't think C.C. is liking it too much. We are keeping warm in our igloo.

Across:

1. Sources of nuclear energy: ATOMS. An atom is so tiny and yet you can split one and blow something up.

6. Wolf call: HOWL.  Our Timberwolves had a howl moment this past Friday.  Karl A. Towns was injured in a car accident.  Not sure how long he will be out.

10. Banned pollutants, briefly: PCBS. Nasty chemicals.  I cannot spell the name poly something or other.

14. Exodus mount: SINAI.

15. Author Wiesel: ELIE.  Author of 57 books.

16. "I smell trouble": UH OH.

17. Tavern mug: STEIN.  "Here's to the fellow who couldn't think small …" Ode to Billie Sol.

18. Get off the lawn, as leaves: RAKE.  Don't have to rake leaves here yet.  Please pass the shovel.

19. Noncurrent currency of Italy: LIRA.  It would take 1700 lira to buy one dollar.  ( I am not that smart, I Googled it. )

23. Longtime forensic drama: CSI.

25. The first "T" in TNT: TRI.  I thought it was "TURNER",  I watch a lot of TV.

26. Bitcoin, notably: E MONEY.  I never did understand the bitcoin phenomena. I know a lot of money was made - or lost.

31. Prefix with violet: ULTRA.

32. Shipshape: NEAT. Order of 86 proof Scotch.

33. Mineral hardness scale: MOHS.

34. "The game is __": Sherlock Holmes: AFOOT.  When is a sock not a sock ?

36. "Alas!": AH ME.

40. Waves to ride on: SURF. "Let's go surfin' now, everybody's learnin' how"  Beach Boys.

41. Hit that barely gets over the infield: BLOOP.  Spring training has started. "Batter up !"

46. Panini cheese: ASIAGO. Sounds like a night club across the Pacific "Asia a Go Go"

48. "Alice" diner owner: MEL.  Not a diner I would like to have a meal.  In fact I don't think I would like any place called a "Diner"

49. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.

54. Stereo preceder: MONO.  Right on.  I am old enough to remember mono players.

55. Length times width: AREA.

56. Erode: EAT AT.  Not at Mel's Diner.

59. Blue dye: ANIL.  Never heard of this.

60. Storm-producing weather systems: LOWS. And when the storm hits it produces depression.

61. Wharton's Ethan: FROME.

62. Must have: NEED.  I need a shovel.

63. Crafter's website: ETSY.  Never bought anything from them, I wonder if they sell etsy betsy teeny weenie bikinis

64. Brown-toned photo: SEPIA.

Down:

1. Stubborn animal: ASS.  Blame the poor donkey.  I could think of better clues, but I won't. 

2. Chickadee relative: TIT.  I could think of better clues, but I won't.

3. 20% expressed as a fraction: ONE FIFTH.  A bottle of liquor.

4. Snail or junk follower: MAIL. Newman says there is no junk mail.

5. "New York, New York" crooner: SINATRA.  "Start spreadin' the news."

6. Valiant: HEROIC.

7. Disney snowman: OLAF.  We have a famous St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN.

Olaf

8. User-edited site: WIKI.  Known for their leaks.

9. Eyed wolfishly: LEERED AT.

10. Don, as boots: PULL ON.  I don't wear boots.  Socks are tough enough to pull on.

11. China's __ Kai-shek: CHIANG.  "Civil rights leaders are a pain in the neck.  Can't hold a candle to Chaing Kai shek.  How do I know? I read it in the Daily News."  -  Tom Paxton.

12. Carried: BORNE.

13. Shielded from the sun: SHADY. There's a Shady Oak Lake in Hopkins, MN, and a Shady Lady Saloon in Sacramento, CA.

21. College sr.'s exam: GRE.

22. Send out: EMIT.  Doesn't seem right.  Did you "EMIT" Christmas cards?

23. Buddy: CHUM.  I remember Chum Gum, (You could share with a friend.)  and goofy Chum Lee on the "Pawn Stars" show.

24. Grain storage area: SILO.  Lot of silos in Minnesota full of soybeans, waiting for prices to rise.

28. Tax-collecting agcy.: IRS. Yes, I've heard of them. Just sent them about five pages.

29. Like most light switches: ON/OFF.  You cannot have both.  Pick one.

30. Classic roadster: REO.

34. Used car lot event: AUTO SALE.  I keep seeing these "Carvana" ads.  Order a car or sell a car online.  Has anyone tried them ?

35. The "F" in TGIF: Abbr.: FRI.  Okay - Is the "G" for God or Goodness ?

36. Furry sitcom ET: ALF.

37. Landing site for Santa's sleigh: HOUSETOP. "Up on the housetop reindeer paws, out jumps good old Santa Claus."

38. Dance in a pit: MOSH.

39. Olympic fencing event: EPEE.  So, if there is a lot of people with swords, is that an "epeedemic"?

40. Wise one: SAGE.  Also a spice you put in turkey stuffing.

41. Opinions: BELIEFS. "I believe that children are our future.  Teach them well and let them lead the way."  Whitney Houston - "Greatest Love of All".

42. Dog at a cookout: WIENIE.  A teenie one could be a bikini.

43. Ramis of "Ghostbusters": HAROLD.  Liked him better with Bill Murray in "Stripes".

44. "Doesn't bother me at all": I'M EASY.

45. NFL official: REF.  And NBA and NHL.  But MLB has UMPs.

46. "Oh, no, bro!": AW MAN.

47. Dazzled: SHONE.

51. Relaxed running pace: TROT.  We have a trotters track in the Northern suburbs.  I have never been there.  Horses are unpredictable. I prefer Dice.

52. Fells with an ax: HEWS.

53. Steak order: RARE.

57. Mate, across the Channel: AMI. Or -- could be the end of a chess match.

58. Tazo product: TEA.  C.C. favorite thirst quencher.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

1) Dave 2 called me yesterday. He is finally back to his assisted living apartment, but he has no internet connection yet. He was so happy that his friends missed him! Hopefully he's back online soon.

2) Please keep Nina's (Inanehiker) brother in your thoughts and prayers. He's having prostate cancer surgery today down at the VA hospital in San Antonio, Texas.

Sunday February 24, 2019 Gail Grabowski

Theme: "Prep-positioning"-  Different prepositions are inserted into eight theme entries.
 
23A. Revenue for a monarchy?: KINGDOM INCOME. Kingdom come.

39A. Kids nagging parents about lack of air conditioning?: HOT OFFSPRING. Hot spring.

58A. Bungalow inundated with vacationing relatives?: OVERRUN HOME. Run home.

85A. Funny BBQ scene that got cut?: SPIT OUTTAKE. Spit take.

101A. Unlikely winner of a trite joke contest?: CORN UNDERDOG. Corn dog.
 
123A. Group unhappy with election results?: DOWNCAST PARTY. Cast party.

16D. Preview from St. Peter?: AFTERWORLD TOUR. World tour.

52D. "You're a big girl now"?: MATURITY UPDATE. Maturity date.

Such a simple but fresh theme. There's an art to Gail's simplicity, whether theme choice or grid design. She works hard to avoid uncommon abbreviations or strange names to make her entries easy.

I don't recall seeing 146-word Sunday grid. Looks like Rich allows it now. Great news.

Across:

1. Cheese companion: MAC.

4. Brewery fixtures: VATS.

8. Minute dispute: SPAT.  Small "minute".

12. Sandal features: T STRAPS.

19. "Barefoot Contessa" cook Garten: INA. An Instagrammer I know bumped into her in Paris a few months ago.

20. Journalist Larson: ERIK. Learning moment for me.

21. Pro shop purchase: POLO.

22. Group bar orders: CARAFES.

26. Crêpe cousin: BLINTZE. With blackberry sauce.

27. "My mom is gonna kill me!": I'M DEAD.

28. San Simeon family: HEARSTS. Hearst Castle.

30. Sleep __: MODE.

31. Running total: TALLY.

32. "The Hurt Locker" backdrop: WAR.

33. Upscale automaker: AUDI.

35. It might be generic: DRUG. When I was a kid, we paid about 0.15 cents for each doctor visit. Drugs were free. How China has changed!

38. Novelist Waugh: ALEC.

44. Which one: WHO.

45. Predator and Iconia computers: ACERS. My monitor is Acer.

47. Jack Reacher creator Child: LEE.

48. Dept. formed under Carter: ENER.

49. Bread grain: OAT.

50. Agassi rival: SAMPRAS (Pete)

53. Muses' domain: ARTS.

55. Massage offering: OIL RUB.

57. Important span: ERA.

63. __ column: concrete-filled steel support: LALLY. Another learning moment for me.

64. Rope in: ENTICE.

66. Quite a stretch: EONS.

67. Freshly stained: WET.

68. Dr. Leary's turn-on: LSD.

69. Sullen: DOUR.

70. Old Venetian coin: DUCAT.

72. Capital that's home to the Potala Palace: LHASA. Dalai Lama used to live in the Potala Palace.

74. "This is my __": STOP.

77. Dodge logo critter: RAM.

79. Poor, as excuses go: SAD.

80. Ghee-brushed bread: NAAN. Xi'an style Naan. The Muslim Quarters has the best food.

81. Unwitting victim: STOOGE.

83. Puts the worm on: BAITS.

88. It's often bookmarked: URL. This is what I love about Firefox. Very neat bookmarking system.

89. Be there: ATTEND.

91. Decorative jug: EWER.

92. It may be lit during the holidays: FIR TREE.

94. Withdrawn: SHY.

95. They may be wireless: BRAS.

98. Ristorante suffix: INI.

99. Links army leader: ARNIE. Arnie Palmer.

100. Loan letters: IOU.

104. Vicksburg soldiers: REBS.

108. One of Tom Brady's three: ESPY. Guess how many Tiger Woods has?

110. "JAG" spin-off: NCIS.

111. Has too much: ODS.

112. Piazza De Ferrari city: GENOA.

113. Humorist Barry: DAVE.

115. Takes care of a toy?: PET SITS. Nice fill/clue.

119. "To conclude ... ": LASTLY.

120. Govt. water-testing sites: EPA LABS.

125. SoCal daily: LA TIMES. Oh, hey, shout-out.

126. Pre-calc course: TRIG.

127. Rich deposit: LODE.

128. Job ad abbr.: EOE.

129. Pose a greater climbing challenge: STEEPEN.

130. "I'll get this one": ON ME.

131. Chuck: TOSS.

132. Chekov's orig. "Star Trek" rank: ENS.

Down:

1. NHL Hall of Famer Stan: MIKITA. Stranger to me.

2. Dog or dogie: ANIMAL.

3. It may be scented: CANDLE.

4. WWII surrender celebration: VE DAY. Victory in Europe Day.

5. 2016 MLB retiree: A-ROD.

6. Virginia senator Kaine: TIM. Clinton's running mate.

7. Vail toppers: SKI HATS.

8. Gp. advocating adoption: SPCA.

9. Substandard: POOR.

10. Charity: ALMS.

11. Line dance step: TOE TAP.

12. On the job, initially: TCB. Taking Care of Business.

13. "Rebel Without a Cause" actor: SAL MINEO. With James Dean and Natalie Wood.

14. The Bee Gees, e.g.: TRIO.

15. New-product div.: R AND D.

17. Candy invented in Austria: PEZ. There's a guy in our flea market who specialized in Pez dispensers.

18. Dallas-to-Houston dir.: SSE.

24. Easy pill to swallow: GEL CAP.

25. Pianist Peter: NERO.

29. Confident: SURE.

32. Less favorable: WORSE.

34. Unpleasant noise: DIN. I love the quietness in winter.

36. DIY mover: U HAUL.

37. Sidestepped: GOT BY.

39. Flung with force: HEAVED.

40. Put on conspicuous display: FLAUNT.

41. Seedless plants: FERNS.

42. Green of "Robot Chicken": SETH. Read more about it here.

43. Question doggedly: GRILL.

46. Shoe with lots of holes: CROC. Never tried Crocs.

50. Tourney ranking: SEED.

51. River of Pisa: ARNO.

54. "Who cares?": SO WHAT.

56. Roundup catcher: LASSO.

59. Postgame staple: RECAP.

60. Band aide: ROADIE.

61. Should have said: MEANT.

62. Area 51 creatures, it's said: ETS.

65. Doggone mad: IRATE.

71. Battleship letters: USS.

72. Hugh of "House": LAURIE. Also a novelist.

73. "Just __": ASKING.

75. Fiend of fantasy: OGRE.

76. Legendary soccer star: PELE.

78. "Morning Joe" network: MSNBC.

80. Ad infinitum: NO END. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

82. Hatcher of "Desperate Housewives": TERI.

83. Jazz count: BASIE.

84. Pal of Aramis: ATHOS.

86. Relative who shares your birthday, perhaps: TWIN. Our blog twins.

Joann's sister Joyce, their mother Martha and Joann

87. "Hair" styles: AFROS.

90. Queen's mate: DRONE BEE.

93. Mother canonized by Pope Francis: TERESA.

96. Hammer throw trajectory: ARC.

97. Impudent sort: SNIP.

99. Pasta water prep instruction: ADD SALT.

102. Did, but doesn't now: USED TO.

103. Campus recruiting gp.: ROTC.

105. Dining selection: ENTREE. Do you have Port of Subs in your area?

106. Balladeer Michael: BOLTON. "How can we be lovers if we can't be friends?"

107. Give the okay: SAY YES.

109. Bush or Clinton, once: YALIE.

112. Rubbernecks, with "at": GAPES.

114. Seductive sort: VAMP.

116. Struggling to decide: TORN.

117. Triathlon component: SWIM.

118. "Picnic" playwright: INGE (William)

119. Bygone Fords: LTDS.

120. 2015 Payne Stewart Award honoree Ernie: ELS.

121. Touch gently: PAT.

122. Return ID: SSN.

124. Great Lakes' __ Canals: SOO.

C.C.

I failed to reach Fermet Prime on Friday and Saturday. Her friend Malcolm said she might be released from the hospital next Monday February 25. He said "The hospital would like Lorraine to go to a rehab situation, they object to her going back to her house unless she has twenty-four hour help."  

In the meantime, we can send cards to:

Lorraine Foster

8735 White Oak Ave.

Northridge, CA 91325

C.C.

Saturday, February 23, 2019, Jim Quinlan

Themeless Saturday by Jim Quinlan

On the last Saturday in February we celebrate National Tongue Twister Contest Day. So let's see how you would do with these two beauties. For this contest let us know which you think, the Guinness or MIT nomination, is the winner of hardest limerick ever.

Guiness Candidate               M.I.T Candidate

Today's constructor is Jim Quinlan. I could not find much about him on the web but did run across this "musing" from him that sounds like something that crosses my mind on many occasions:

I can't help but anagram and make wordplay with stop signs when I'm driving. It's annoying. Those big white letters just ask to be messed with. POTS, TOPS, SPOT, OPTS. Am I alone in this? I hope so. Anyway, "Stop Sign" sounds an awful lot like "Stop Sighin'!" ["Quit feeling sorry for yourself!"]  or "Stop lyin! [Quit telling falsehoods!] 

Four speed bumps for me:

26. "A Farewell to Arms" setting: Abbr.: WWI - I wasted time trying to think of a country. I associate Hemingway with the Spanish Civil War but that book would have been For Whom The Bell Tolls not this one set in Italy

33. Strauss creation: LEVIS - I wasted time with OPERA before LEVI's riveted blue jeans came to mind  

32. Start to stop?: NON - I wasted time with ESS

51. "Wow!": OOH - I wasted time with GEE

Let's what else Jim has for us before I have to go see Sally selling seashells by the seashore.

Across:

1. Like some VIP treatment: ALL ACCESS - I think I'd rather have gone to Crystal's party

10. Global Chic designer: IMAN - The now 63-yr-old widow of David Bowie

14. Dog trainer's hand signal, say: VISUAL CUE - Awww

15. It'll blow over soon: CRAZE - Cabbage Patch Kids, fidget spinners, hula hoops, etc.

16. Running smoothly: IN A GROOVE - I'm sure Boomer has been in one of these frequently for his many high scores in bowling

17. Schindler with a list: OSKAR - I've said it before, it's a movie where I couldn't stay until the end

18. Stings: SET UPS - Real movie fans will remember when Johnny Hooker and Henry Gondorff SET UP Doyle Lonnegan Give me my money back! (4 min.)

19. Academic acronym: STEM.

21. The past, in the past: ELD - An archaic use, better known now as the root for ELDER

22. Beat but good: ROUT  and 58. Shut out, in a game: BLANK

48. Writer of anthropomorphic tales: AESOP - AESOP's tortoise did ROUT the hare

24. Absorption processes: OSMOSES

29. Algerian seaport: ORAN - Where America started WWII in across the Atlantic in November of 1942 during Operation Torch 

31. __ Pig: British preschool TV show: PEPPA - I landed on this show once as it is near ESPN on our channels. It is a syrupy departure from the Looney Tunes, et al of my ute

35. Mexican president after Calderón: NIETO.

37. Gets all mushy: BREAKS INTO TEARS.

40. Kipling's "Lone Wolf": AKELA.

41. Feudal servants: SERFS - Not peons this round

42. Daffy depiction?: CEL - hurry, only one left!

43. Can't get enough of: ADORE.

45. Abounding: RIFE.

46. Anti-discrimination initials: EEO.

47. Mexico's largest lake: CHAPALA - Just south of Guadalajara 

49. Cunning: ARCH - Iterations of Batman's most attractive ARCHENEMY (Halle Berry's my fav)

52. Passed on: OKED -  _ _ E D was not DIED. I then OKED the correct fill

54. Very little: A TASTE.

60. "Pardon, sir ... ": SAY MISTER - "SAY MISTER Burnikel, did you get this one?"

62. Salon option: RINSE.

63. Counting-out rhyme opening: ONE POTATO - ONE POTATO, two potato, three potato, four...

64. Flexible, in a way: AC/DC - We have this radio and it can go either way

65. Secretly communicate in class, pre-texting: PASS NOTES - I see very little of this in 2019 schools post-texting


Down:

1. Dollar competitor: AVIS - EURO currency gave way to a rental car company

2. Feature of a busy amusement park: LINE - Everyone says how they "hate" the It's A Small World Ride at Magic Kingdom, but even it has very long LINES

3. What needs to be passed on the way to the bar, briefly?: LSAT.

4. Foretell: AUGUR - Shakespeare's Sonnet CVII - "And the sad AUGURS mock their own presage; Incertainties now crown themselves assured" says these foretellers aren't always successful

5. Musical "Late Late" segment: CARPOOL KARAOKE - A lovely 23 minute version with Sir Paul singing his timeless music in the car while touring Liverpool with a big finish!

6. Snowstorm news: CLOSURES - This last big show is going to happen today on a weekend so NO CLOSURE. Sorry teachers, er, kids!😏

7. Prefix with tourism: ECO - ECOtourists and ECOwarriors are frequent puzzle visitors

8. Explorers, e.g.: SUVS - Ford's version

9. Manage: SEE TO 

10. Gp. concerned with cheaters: IRS 

11. Stops the fight: MAKES PEACE - Teddy won the Nobel Peace Prize for helping MAKE PEACE and end the Russo-Japanese War in 1906

12. Rhododendron family bloomer: AZALEA TREE - AZALEAS ring the famous 12th hole at the Master's and are a sure harbinger of spring

13. __ out: gets excited in a geeky way, in slang: NERDS

15. Popular place for lurking trolls: COMMENT SECTION - Our COMMENT SECTION follows my diatribe. Trolls should remain under the bridge

20. Psychic's claim: ESP.

23. Former TV talk show host Smiley: TAVIS - TAVIS has some issues these days

25. Taylor tot: OPIE - That's sheriff Andy's boy

26. Sun and Sky org.: WNBA - I just blogged these two teams two weeks ago and still got fooled for a while. Arrrggghhh!

27. Unlikely "TGIF" exclaimer: WORKAHOLIC.

28. "Little help?": I NEED A HAND - The clue is short for, "Can I get a little help here?"

30. Pilot's digit: NINER - Can you see the 29 on the runway amid the tire marks. Runway 29 is short for a heading of 290 (WNW) where the 0 is dropped and we get Runway Two-NINER

34. Narrow furrow: STRIA - Nourison's twilight, twister, STRIA carpet

36. 2017 Tony winner about the '90s Israel-PLO accords: OSLO The Playbill

38. Somewhat off: ALOP - Merriam Webster Dictionary says, "Huh?" Oxford English says, "Lopsided"

39. Cloverleaf segments: OFF RAMPS.

44. Mammal with a rack: ELK - That's one... 

47. G.I. Joe nemesis: COBRA.

50. Lacks choices: HAS TO.

53. Perfumery that created Tabu: DANA - DW's fragrance when we were dating. Ahhh...

55. Bit of sports trivia: STAT - "Whose home run record did Babe Ruth break when he hit 60 in 1927?" (*Answer at the bottom)

56. French bean?: TETE.

57. Winged god: EROS.

59. Situation Room gp.: NSC - The National Security Council was formed by President Harry Truman

61. Assent: YES.

Time for you to toot your own horn:

* Babe broke his own record of 59 home runs in 1921

Note from C.C.:

Happy 80th Birthday to dear  Keith Fowler (Ol' Man Keith), longest-living Fowler on record. How are you celebrating this milestone, Keith?

  This picture is more recent.