Friday, March 15, 2019, Susan Gelfand

Beware the Ides of March!

Title: I've heard that before.

Susan is back for her 10th LAT publication and second Friday. her first PUZZLE that I blogged also relied on ordinary phrases not tampered with, only redefined for humorous effect. This type can be difficult to get a foothold on because there are no tricks. You just need to let your imagination run free. The let a few perps get you started. The long fill is also varied and sparkly with ALTOONA, EMANATE, HASIDIM, ROACHES, BLUEMOON, and HYSTERIA all good. I may be a little brief today as I had my colonoscopy yesterday afternoon. I like to think of it as my spring cleaning, but enough of that let's solve.

20A. High-quality tennis venue?: SUPERIOR COURT (13). The TRIAL COURT in many states is repurposed.

34A. Well-known boxing venue?: FAMILIAR RING (12). This time an idiom is repurposed. To sound like something one has heard before. I must have read this before—the words in the opening paragraph have a familiar ring to them.

41A. Virtual golf venue?: ONLINE COURSE (12). My massage therapist got her Bachelor's of Alternative Medicine at this local UNIVERSITY. 

56A. Attractive soccer venue?: MAGNETIC FIELD (13). Do you what a MAGNETIC PERSONALITY is?

Speaking of personalities, this is my tenth year blogging with most of my work on Friday, and with a few new things in my life, I am going to be sharing the duties starting next week, but I will let C.C. fill in the details. I appreciate all the wonderful words and friendships from this venue. But let us go back to work.

Across:

1. No-way man?: JOSE. I was going to start week this with the old joke about the National Anthem at the ballpark but remembered the joke was recently used. "Jose, can you see?"

5. Shade-loving plant: HOSTA. Similar sound.

10. Brainiac: WHIZ. Often associated with "kid."

14. At Dodger Stadium, briefly: IN LA. Back to baseball. Hello, left-coasters.

15. Playwright Fugard: ATHOL. I already had him once this year.

16. London's __ Park: HYDE.  Hyde Park is a Grade I-listed major park in Central London. It is the largest of four Royal Parks that form a chain from the entrance of Kensington Palace through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, via Hyde Park Corner and Green Park past the main entrance to Buckingham Palace. It was created by Henry VIII.

17. Walk, e.g.: GAIT.

18. Electrical problem: SHORT. Electrician talk for a short circuit, where the electricity is diverted from its intended path. One of my nephews is a master electrician who started his own business this year as Florida's building boom returned.

19. "Makes sense to me": I SEE.

23. Made amends: ATONED. Early days for me, as Yom Kippur is months away, but we are in Lent.

24. Fireplace shelf: HOB. This is a flat metal shelf at the side or back of a fireplace, having its surface level with the top of the grate and used especially for heating pans. Wiki, I think.

25. Noteworthy stretch: ERA.

28. Earned: WON.

29. Legal tender with an 8-Down: DIME. On the obverse. 8D. Statue of Liberty feature: TORCH.

32. Kind of network: NEURAL.

36. Udon cousin: SOBA. Not a cousin but a related FOOD. Oo uses both.

39. Texting format, briefly: SMS. Short Message Service (SMS) is a text messaging service component of phone, Web, or mobile communication systems. It uses standardized communications protocols to allow fixed line or mobile phone devices to exchange short text messages.


40. Infatuated: GAGA. You want a song?

46. Early morning hr.: FOUR AM. Three thirty four AM here, now.

47. Catch sight of SPOT.

48. Maple output: SAP. We harvested the sap when I was at boarding school and made our own maple syrup. When I went back for my 50th reunion, they are still making it, but the bottles and labels are prettier.

51. Art nowadays?: ARE. Tricky three letter fill.

52. MLB player nickname since 2005: NAT. The Washington Nationals are a Major League Baseball team formed in 1969 as the Montreal Expos. In 2005, the Expos moved to Washington, D.C. and were renamed the Nationals. The franchise has never won a World Series or National League pennant but has won its division five times. We also have 68A. Trade shows: EXPOS.

54. Em, for one: AUNTIE. Go, Dorothy. We never learn Emily's last name, in the book or movie.

60. Declare: AVOW. Not AVER today.

62. Starting word containing five of the letters of what it starts: ALEPH. ALPHABET, and the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet.

63. Street __: CRED.

64. Fashionable Christian: DIOR. Cute clue.

65. Curt: TERSE.

66. Ship's spine: KEEL. We must have some music.

67. Like the Marx Brothers: ZANY.

69. Loudness unit: SONE. I know decibels, not Sone, which is a unit of loudness. Loudness is a subjective characteristic of a sound (as opposed to the sound-pressure level in decibels, which is objective and directly measurable). Consequently, the sone scale of loudness is based on data obtained from subjects who were asked to judge the loudness of pure tones and noise. Well, that cleared it up for me. Not!

Down:

1. Something to put together: JIGSAW. Not a puzzling clue at all.

2. Running by itself: ON AUTO. Pilot?

3. Comfy shoe: SLIP ON.

4. Polished off: EATEN.

5. Orthodox Jewish sect: HASIDIM. The plural of  Hasid - pronounced. Chas·sid  (KHä′sĭd). 

6. Emperor after Galba: OTHO. In the year of four emperors. I also get him often but I learned when my oldest was studying the classics.

7. Toots in a restaurant: SHOR. No doubt a soon to be forgotten figure, as baseball is no longer king. LINK. My brothers and I ate there a couple of time with my father when we were kids just to see who we would see.

9. Pennsylvania railroad city: ALTOONA. Home of the Railroader MUSEUM. I am not sure I knew it was called "railroad city", but with the A, I plunked in Altoona.

10. Spinning sound: WHIR. Onomatopoeia. Damn, I spelled it right!

11. Frenzied state: HYSTERIA. A good definition for a fun fill.

12. Suffix with ox-: IDE.

13. Middle of Venezuela?: ZEE. The Middle of Venezuela is not a place I would want to be.

21. "The Scarlet Letter" letter: RED A.

22. Means of getting around town: UBER. I prefer Lyft.

26. Summoned, in a way: RANG. From last week.

27. Pond growth: ALGA.

30. Odds-and-ends abbr.: MISC.

31. St. __ Fire: ELMOS. We have this often.

33. Craving: URGE.

34. More susceptible to sunburn: FAIR. I have been blessed with skin that does not burn unless I really overdo it.

35. Bats: IS UP.

36. Sectional __: SOFA. We had one in our house after my father re-did the living room.

37. Words before before: ON OR. I like the clue clue.

38. Very long time: BLUE MOON. A blue moon is an additional full moon that appears in a subdivision of a year: either the third of four full moons in a season or a second full moon in a month of the common calendar. The phrase has nothing to do with the actual color of the moon, although a literal "blue moon" may occur in certain atmospheric conditions: e.g., if volcanic eruptions or fires leave particles in the atmosphere of just the right size to preferentially scatter red light. Wiki.

42. Da __, Vietnam: NANG.

43. Spring (from): EMANATE.

44. Raid targets: ROACHES.

45. Word after Double in a cookie name: STUF. The Alabama defensive lineman who ran the fastest 40-yard dash for a 300+ pound person at the NFL combine ate 4 as part of his prerun breakfast.

48. Assembly with speakers?: STEREO.

49. Quinn of "Annie": AILEEN. I could not find anything but a two-hour link, so I chose this clip.

50. Hawk: PEDDLE. "to sell in the open, peddle," late 15c., back-formation from hawker "itinerant vendor" (c. 1400), agent noun from Middle Low German höken "to peddle, carry on the back, squat," from Proto-Germanic *huk-. Related: Hawked; hawking. Despite the etymological connection with stooping under a burden on one's back, a hawker is technically distinguished from a peddler by use of a horse and cart or a van.

53. Fax ancestor: TELEX. I still remember my first office fax machine in 1984.

55. Steals, in British slang: NICKS. A gimme for this lover of British fiction and BBC TV, A backhanded shout out to Steve and our other uncommon Commonwealth people. A good DISCUSSION of its history.

57. Out of kilter: AWRY.

58. Md. athlete: TERP. Back again.

59. __ facto: IPSO. A law term.

60. Wood shaper: ADZ.

61. Routing term: VIA.

So there you have it, another puzzle and another Friday. Nobody was stabbed in the Senate and I withstood another colonoscopy. I will avoid all the bad puns and wish you all a quick solve and great weekend. Lemonade out. Thank you Susan G.

Thursday, March 14th 2019 Alan Olschwang

Theme: Scrambling - the four theme entries contain scrambles of the word "EIGHT", as the reveal succinctly explains:

63A. Simple card game, and what's hidden in the answers to starred clues: CRAZY EIGHTS

17A. *Like power lines: HIGH-TENSION. There's some debate around whether living close to power lines is bad for your health. They can look pretty in the right setting though:

24A. *End an engagement?: GET HITCHED. The best way to end an engagement.

38A. *Teddy kin: NIGHTIE. I'm not sure I knew the difference between the two, but arduous research over an extended period of time on various lingerie websites reveal that a teddy combines a top and panties. The things I go through for this blog.

51A. *Feature items in some annual sales: WHITE GOODS. Refrigerators and the like, although sometimes used to describe linens.

I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle, it was quite a challenge. I didn't check my time, but I know it took longer than most Thursdays. I like having to slowly work through, unpicking as I go. The theme reveal definitely helped with a couple of the white spaces which were left. Some smart cluing, nothing in the fill I'd call a clunker, some nice longer entries - definitely an "A" today. One of my favorite puzzles of the year so far, Alan checked all the boxes. Let's see what else:

Across:

1. Grammy category word: ALBUM. Album of the Year at this year's Grammys - Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves

6. "And here it is!": VOILA!

11. Pickup spot, perhaps: BAR

14. Take a break: PAUSE

15. "Return of the Jedi" forest moon: ENDOR. The moon Endor is forested, and the home of the Ewoks.

16. Fashion or sense preceder: IN A

19. Band booking: GIG

20. Conspiring (with): IN LEAGUE

21. Cake invitation Alice accepted: EAT ME. The grow-tall cupcakes.

23. Does, say: DEER. The noun, not the verb. I like these kinds of misdirections.

27. Alternative rock genre: EMO

29. "Come on in!": ENTER!

30. Any member of ABBA: SWEDE

33. What a birdie beats: PAR. Golf, one under par.

34. Aromatic herb: DILL

37. '90s game disc: POG

42. One of the fire signs: LEO

43. Pull a fast one on: FOOL

45. Served, as time: DID

46. Brilliance: ÉCLAT. From the French éclater - to burst out.

48. One-footer, e.g.: TAP-IN. I've seen them missed. I've missed one (at least!) myself.

50. Gray shade: ASH

55. World-weary words: AH ME!

59. Up: RISEN

60. Babe __, only woman in ESPN's Top 10 North American Athletes of the 20th Century: ZAHARIAS. Quite the athlete. She won gold at the 1932 Olympics in the 80-meter hurdles with a world-record time, and also won Javelin gold with an Olympic record throw. She won silver in the high jump with a world-record equaling effort. She then moved on to professional golf where she won 10 LPGA major championships, which ranks her 4th all-time.

62. Life-saving pro: E.M.T.

66. __-disant: self-styled: SOI. From the french. The French also use it in the "so-called" sense, e.g. a so-called improvement.

67. Ancient Aegean region: IONIA

68. "The Wreck of the Mary __": DEARE. I read the book by Hammond Innes when I was young and I was rapt - I went on to read quite a number of his novels. The movie is probably better-known. I love the tag line in the center of the poster, rather dates it!

69. Channel that airs many RKO films: TMC. Turner Classic Movies. The one above doubtless shows up from time to time.

70. __ closet: LINEN

71. John of "The Addams Family": ASTIN. He's also Sean Astin's father - Sean played Samwise Gamgee in "The Lord of the Rings" and Rudy in the eponymous movie of the Notre Dame football walk-on.

Down:

1. Agricultural pest: APHID

2. "Rawhide" singer: LAINE. Let's have us some Frankie.

3. Taps player: BUGLE

4. Brought (in): USHERED

5. Like a footnote that explains footnotes: META. The crosses filled this in for me. I'm sure some of you are familiar with "meta" crossword puzzles which feature a hidden (often very hidden) theme and unifier.

6. Locale: VENUE

7. Early stage: ONSET

8. Dictator played by Forest: IDI. Amin, as portayed by Whitaker.

9. Leicester toilet: LOO

10. Journalist Peter: ARNETT. The ex-CNN reporter was one of the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists for his Vietnam war reporting for the Associated Press. He, David Halberstam and Neil Sheehan were all contrarian members of the press corps who repeatedly questioned the official line.

11. Time of one's life: BIG THRILL

12. Cartoon genre: ANIME. It has a very distinct style.

13. Continued unabated: RAGED

18. "The one who makes it, takes it" breakfast brand: EGGO

22. Breezed through: ACED

25. Recipe verb: HEAT

26. Crucifix letters: INRI. From the Latin "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum" - "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews".

28. Fellows: MEN

30. Beach letters: SPF. Sun-tan lotion's protection factor.

31. Try to attract: WOO

32. Lacking humility: EGOTISTIC

33. Third deg.?: PH.D. I like the clue, I think it was used recently if I recall correctly.

35. Verdant patch: LEA

36. Auction unit: LOT

39. "Gotcha!": I DIG!

40. Singer Vannelli: GINO. Canadian singer from the 70's & 80's. He had some big hair!

41. Some RIT grads: E.E.S. I'm guessing Electrical Engineers from Rochester Institute of Technology?

44. After-hours: LATE

47. Supplies power to: CHARGES

49. #2, for one: PENCIL. I know them as "HB" pencils from the European grading system.

50. '60s-'70s tennis great Arthur: ASHE

51. Extract forcibly: WREST

52. Bleachers sign: HI MOM!

53. David and Ricky's dad: OZZIE. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, as I'm sure you all know.

54. Israeli hero Moshe: DAYAN. "He would wake up with a hundred ideas. Of them ninety-five were dangerous; three more had to be rejected; the remaining two, however, were brilliant." Ariel Sharon

56. Drum kit part: HI-HAT

57. Motherly introduction?: MATRI-. Matriarch, for example.

58. German steel center: ESSEN. I learned this from school German classes. Our textbook Mr. Müller and his family lived in Essen. You never know when this stuff is going to come in handy.

61. Operatic princess: AIDA

64. Versailles monarch: ROI

65. Taylor of fashion: ANN

I didn't come across anything "terribble" this week, but then again, I didn't last week either, that was the problem!

Just let me double-check I've got the correct squares highlighted ...... yup, all's good .... and I'm done!

Steve

Wednesday, March 13, 2019 Ed Sessa

Theme: Well, there was this guy  .  .  . and this other guy  .  .  .   Or - What's in a name? Famous men's names are linked across and within theme entries, from the generic to the specific.

First the generic:

18 D. Generic guy: TOM.
34 D. Generic guy: DICK.
50 D.  Generic guy: HARRY.
These are generally considered as a collective, referring to any guy you're likely to run into.  So to encounter every TOM, DICK and HARRY separately here made it a little hard to suss.  Of course, these given names could have been clued in a variety of other ways.  But with this theme, it's important to clue them this way, leaving them, in a sense, open ended.

67 A. 18-, 34- __ 50-Down: AND.  To bring them all together

As an aside, the most common names for boys born in 2018 were Jackson,  Liam, Noah, Aiden, Caden, Grayson, Lucas, Mason, Oliver and Elijah.  The old expression might need to be reconsidered, because nowadays, every Tom Dick and Harry is named Jackson, Liam or Noah.

Then the specific:

20 A. After 18-Down, actor/golfer combo: ARNOLD PALMER.  So we get the actor TOM ARNOLD [b 1959] and the golfer ARNOLD PALMER [1929-2016].  Tom's first wife was the now increasingly unhinged Roseanne Barr.  He is currently getting divorced from his fourth wife.  At some point you might just as well quit.  ARNOLD PALMER was, and remains, an icon in the world of golf.  Once, at his Bay Hill golf club, I had lunch with him.  Granted, we were at different tables, at opposite ends of the room, but we were eating together.  Or at least at the same time. His name could also have been clued as a soft drink made by mixing lemonade and iced tea.

37 A. After 34-Down, crime writer/poet combo: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.  Here we have DICK FRANCIS [1920-2010], a former steeplechase jockey whose novels focus on crime in the world of British horse racing, along with FRANCIS SCOTT KEY [1779-1843] who composed the poem Defense of Fort M'Henry in September, 1814, after witnessing the battle there.  It was soon set to music, and became our unofficial national anthem.  This was made official by an executive order from President Wilson in 1916. There are good reasons why the third verse is never sung.

55. After 50-Down, president/novelist combo: TRUMAN CAPOTE.  This gives us the 33rd President [1945-1933] of the U. S., HARRY TRUMAN [1884-1972] and author TRUMAN CAPOTE [1924-1984.] President Truman implemented the Marshall Plan, benefiting Western Europe after WW II and was involved in establishing NATO.  TRUMAN CAPOTE was a novelist, playwright and actor.  At least 20 of his works have been made into movies.  The best known are probably Breakfast a Tiffany's and the non-fiction murder story In Cold Blood.

Hi Gang.  JazzBumpa here.  As you can probably tell, I had a hard time figuring out how to characterize and deal with this clever and unusual theme.  Proper names, in general, are not top notch fill.  But when they become the theme, it's a whole new ball game.  And Ed has given the idea - quite literally - a new dimension.  So - kudos for that.  Let's see what else we have.

Across:

1. Cascades peak: SHASTA.  A currently inactive [but who knows?] volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Northern CA,  with a max. elevation of 14, 179 ft.

7. Cap'n's aide: BOS'N.   A contraction of boatswain, also known as the chief petty officer.

11. Classic British sports cars: MGs.  The Initials of Morris Garages.  MG is the marque for vehicles marketed as such by its parent company, Shanghai based SAIC Motors.

14. Character builder?: AUTHOR. A writer, in this case of fiction stories, where each character ought to be built of relatable human characteristics. Unless that character is Ramsey Bolton.

15. __ Domini: ANNO.  Latin for "in the year of our Lord," designating the most recent 2019 years of human history.  This idea has its own complicated history which the interested reader may perhaps pursue at one's leisure.

16. Vein contents: ORE.  Mining for minerals

17. Not yet proven: THEORETICAL.  Sometimes the theoretical can yet be proven.  All it takes are extraordinary capability and decades of single-minded devotion.

19. __ drop: MIC.  I have a mental block about pronouncing mic as Mike.  Anyway, the expression refers to a literal or figurative gesture at the end of a speech or performance indicating triumph.

22. Wrestling duo: TAG TEAM.  A two person wrestling team, only one of which is in the ring at any given time.  A replacement can only be made if the one in the ring can physically touch, or TAG, his partner.

25. Innocent: NAIVE.  Due to lack of experience with all the pitfalls, travails and villains one encounters in the real world.

26. Charlottesville sch.: UVA. University of Virginia.

27. Like a cool cat: HEP.  From Wikipedia: Hipster or hepcat, as used in the 1940s, referred to aficionados of jazz, in particular bebop, which became popular in the early 1940s. The hipster adopted the lifestyle of the jazz musician, including some or all of the following: dress, slang, use of cannabis and other drugs, relaxed attitude, sarcastic humor, self-imposed poverty, and relaxed sexual codes.

30. Edible root: BEET.  When it comes to borscht, you can't beet soup!

31. Depended (on): RELIED.

35. Sunlit lobbies: ATRIA.  Entrance areas or central courts of buildings or complexes that are either open roofed or glass covered.  I once had the opportunity to crawl around on one with a glass roof.  And, yes, I am acrophobic.  Good times.

42. Worthy of a standing O: SOCKO.  Stunningly effective or successful.

43. Pay for one's crime: DO TIME.  Go to prison.

44. Suisse peak: ALPE.  Une montagne en Français.

47. Sisters, say: KIN.  It's all relative.

48. Spam holder: TIN.  A metal can containing [presumably] food stuffs.

49. "American Horror Story" actress Paulson: SARAH. Never watched it.

From season 1

51. Contents of a teacher's key: ANSWERS.

59. TV buying channel: HSN.  Home Shopping Network

60. Host of a Friars Club event: ROASTMASTER.  Portmanteau of ROAST and MASTER, modeled after "toastmaster, " to designate an MC at a comedy roast, in which a person is honored by being the butt of pointed jokes.

64. One of a comic trio: MOE.  Along with Larry, Curly, and Shemp.  I know - that makes 4.  Sometimes life ain't easy.

65. Invite feedback?: RSVP.  Formal request to respond to an invitation.

66. Nissan sedan: ALTIMA.  A mid-size sedan.

68. Votes for: YEAS.  All opposed say Nay.

69. Oppressive ruler: DESPOT.  A ruler with absolute power.  Power corrupts.

Down:

1. Minded the kids: SAT.  As in baby sat.

2. "What the?!": HUH.  Eh?

3. Pigged out, say: ATE.  Too much.

4. Little pig: SHOAT.  Especially one who was newly weaned.

5. Yankee manager before Girardi: TORRE.  Joe [b 1940] ranks 5th in MLB history with 2326 wins as a manger.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

6. __ rock: Queen genre: ARENA.  I did not know this was actually considered a genre of pop music.  Music designed to be played in large spaces before large audiences.

7. Attend to a leaking boat: BAIL.  Scoop water out of the boat with buckets.  Might be a losing battle.

8. How some data is stored: ON CD.  Increasingly less likely these days.

9. Sound made using two fingers: SNAP.  There's more than one way to do it.

10. "The Dark Knight Trilogy" director Christopher: NOLAN. [b 1970]  An English film director, screen writer and producer who holds duel British and American citizenship.

11. Family nickname: MOMMIE.

12. Mourn: GRIEVE.  Emotional distress.

13. It's not for everyone: SECRET.  Keep it under your hat.

21. Canadian brewery: LABATT.  Founded in 1847 by John Kinder Labatt in London, Ont.  Now part of international conglomerate Inbev.

22. Steak metaphor seen on menus: TURF.  Along with SURF.  What wine goes with that?

23. State with conviction: AVER.  Or AVOW.  Always need perps.

24. Charity event: GALA.  A social event with entrtainmnet.

27. Wears: HAS ON.  Is clothed with.

28. "There's more" letters: ETC.  List shortener.

29. Jab to keep them dogies rollin': PROD.  For cattle.

32. Slacks measure: INSEAM.  The seam from the crotch to the bottom of a pant leg, or its length.

33. Prefix with car: ECO.  ECoCAR is a competitive event in which engineering students design and build advanced vehicles with leading edge technologies.

36. "How was __ know?": I TO.  Somebody tell me.

38. Maneuver through moguls: SKI.  This short video shows how to do it.

39. Flier on a string: KITE.

40. Mideast mogul: EMIR. A clecho, and a different sense of the word mogul, here meaning an important or powerful person.

41. Strong desires: YENS.  Urges.  I thought about going to Japan, but didn't have he YEN to travel.

44. Bronchial disorder: ASTHMA. A chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways.

45. "The Far Side" cartoonist Gary: LARSON.  [b.1950]  Seeking to avoid what he termed "the graveyard of mediocre cartoons, he retired at the beginning of 1995 at age 44.

Found here

46. Tended to topiary: PRUNED.  Selected trimming away of branches from trees or shrubs.

51. Germane: APT. Appropriate or suitable to the situation.

52. Desert wanderer: NOMAD.  One with no permanent home, traveling from place to place to find fresh areas for livestock grazing.

53. Like many bad jokes: STALE.  Old and used up.

54. Bridge positions: WESTS.  Positions at the bridge table are named for the four main cardinal directions.

56. Bridge position: NOSE.  Another clecho, and another sense of the word bridge.

More here, if you're nosy

57. Vena __: major blood line: CAVA.  Either of two veins returning deoxygenated blood to the heart.

58. Sacred symbols on pyramid walls: ASPS.  The depiction of an Egyptian cobra.

61. Reward for waiting: TIP.  Not for Godot, unless he has arrived and is at the table where you are serving.

62. Confessional music genre: EMO.  Similar to punk, but having more complex arrangements, typically dealing with angst and other deep emotions.

63. Maze scurrier: RAT.  In a laboratory.

That wraps it up for another Wednesday. Good puzzle.  I didn't have any nits.  Hope you enjoyed it.

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, March 12, 2019 Gary Larson

SIDE BY SIDE


17. *Wall-hidden sliding portal: POCKET DOOR.  Side pocket and door side. 

39. *Serve, as stew: DISH OUT.  Side dish and outside.

11. *Fixture on a ceiling rail: TRACK LIGHT.  Sidetrack and sidelight.

28. *Google Maps option: STREET VIEW. Street side and sideview.

60. Together, and a hint to both parts of the answers to starred clues: SIDE BY SIDE.

I guess we could also have side door, track side and side street.  Any others ?

Across:

1. "We burger as good as we pancake" chain: IHOP.   The International House of Pancakes' publicity stunt of changing their logo to IHOb and using social media to create the buzz turned out to be marketing magic.  Hamburger sales quadrupled and same-store sales increased nearly 1 percent.


5. Ring-shaped reef: ATOLL.

10. www code: HTML.   An initialism for Hypertext Markup Language.   Click the blue hypertext link to read the Wikepedia article on the co-inventor of the concept of markup languages.

14. The "M" of MSG: MONO.  Monosodium glutamate.  The flavor enhancer.   The MSG Symptom Complex - No definitive evidence.

15. Greek played by Anthony Quinn: ZORBA.


16. Badly damaged Asian sea: ARAL.

19. Food truck snack: TACO.  and 5d,  Ancient Mexican: AZTEC.   Aztec Dave's is a popular rolling cocina Mexicano in Chicago.

20. Prepared (oneself), as for a difficult task: STEELED. 

21. Planned with little detail: SKETCHY.

23. Thanksgiving Day Parade sponsor: MACY'S. 

25. Pedaled in a triathlon: BIKED.   Swim, cycle and run.

26. Trowel wielder: MASON.  My friend enlisted in the Air Force and signed up for electronics.  Testing revealed he was shade blind, so they made him a mason instead.  After the Air Force he became a programmer.  He still denies that he is shade blind.  The colors clash on the walls in his home.

29. Remove the rind from: UNPEEL.


32. Letter-routing abbr.: ATTN.

33. "The Bathers" painter: RENOIR.  Easily perped.  Wouldn't have known it from the clue.

35. Suppositions: IFs.  A few IFs in this Easy Listening song:


38. Feb. follower: MAR.

40. Old Prizm maker: GEO.  Under the trimmings, the Prizm was basically a Toyota Corolla

41. Sports drink suffix: ADE.

42. Wedding venues: ALTARS.  According to Wikipedia, the aforementioned song by Bread, If, became very popular at weddings and receptions.

43. Back in the day: THEN.

44. Writer Hemingway: ERNEST.

46. Like craft shows: ARTSY.  Etsy is full of artsy creations.  You knew that.

47. Sean who played a hobbit: ASTIN.  He played Samwise Gamgee.  Wilbur Charles probably knew that. 

49. Reef explorer's gear: SCUBA.  My first exposure to scuba was on the TV program Sea Hunt, starring Lloyd Bridges. 

52. Split, as the loot: DIVVY UP.  Chicagoans and her suburbanites know Divvy as the bicycle sharing program.

55. Oyster season, so they say: R MONTHS.  Months that have the letter R.

59. "Would __ to you?": I LIE.   The Eurythmics.  Annie Lennox and David Stewart.  Synthopop and R&B.   Jinx referenced another hit song for the Eurythmics yesterday in his comments.  That was their "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" song.  


62. Above: OVER.

63. Gladden: ELATE.   Dan Gladden of the Minnesota Twins elated fans with his Game 1 Grand Slam in the '87 World Series, and with his aggressive base running that led to the only run scored in Game 7 of the '91 World Series.   The Twins won both World Series, besting the Atlanta Braves each time in 7 games.   The 1991 World Series has been hailed by ESPN as the Greatest World Series of All Time.

64. "My treat": ON ME.

65. Wood cutters: SAWS.

66. Meal with matzo: SEDER.

67. "Downton Abbey" employee: MAID.

Down:

1. Rascals: IMPS.

2. Laugh-a-minute: HOOT.

3. __ and for all: ONCE.   Expressed using other words...  "Now, and for the last time."

4. Critters hunted in a 2016 mobile app: POKEMON.  Pokemon Go was an augmented reality game that launched in 2016.  Wildly popular among gamers,  it was much criticized by authorities as trespasses, accidents and fatalities ensued.

6. Hot spiced drink: TODDY.   Irish Whisky, Honey, Lemon and a dash of Cloves.

7. "__ y Plata": Montana motto: ORO.

8. Wall St. deals: LBOs.  Leveraged Buyouts at Investopedia.

9. Small songbird: LARK.

10. McDaniel of "Gone With the Wind": HATTIE.  No idea. Perps.

12. Papier-__: MACHE.  Fun for children and the artsy-crafty people that sell on Etsy.

13. Frank __ Wright: LLOYD.

18. Panache: ELAN.  As exhibited by the 2019 Supra that will be coming to showrooms later this year.

22. Movie critic Roger: EBERT.

24. Broad-brimmed beach bonnets: SUN HATS.    I don wide-brimmed straw hats when mowing the lawn and gardening.  Yeah, that sounds awkward.  "I wear " sounds better.   Just don't forget to doff your hat to the ladies.

26. Cry from a crib: MAMA.

27. Just barely: A TAD.  

30. American-born Jordanian queen: NOOR.  Queen Noor of Jordan at Biography.com

31. Name of 12 popes: PIUS.  The list is copied from Wikipedia.

There have been 12 Roman Catholic Popes named Pius.  Click the links if you want to learn about each papacy.

• Pope Pius I (c. 140–154; officially listed as 142/146 – 157/161)
• Pope Pius II (1458–1464)
• Pope Pius III (1503)
• Pope Pius IV (1559–1565)
• Pope Pius V (1566–1572)
• Pope Pius VI (1775–1799)
• Pope Pius VII (1800–1823)
• Pope Pius VIII (1829–1830)
• Pope Pius IX (1846–1878)
• Pope Pius X (1903–1914)
• Pope Pius XI (1922–1939)
• Pope Pius XII (1939–1958)

 33. Really anger: RILE.

34. Appraisal amts.: ESTS.  Amounts / Estimates.

36. Professional charges: FEES.

37. PlayStation maker: SONY.  Is this the the original ?

39. "__ Boy": Irish song: DANNY.  

43. Narrow window: TRANSOM.   Typically over doors and windows, as shown here with a pair of sidelights adjacent the door.

45. Mississippi and Missouri: RIVERS.  A couple of ems, and a lot of esses and ies.

46. "It's __!": nursery cry: A BOY.

47. Pablo's parting: ADIOS.  Actually,  Pablo was bi-lingual, and had crossed the Pyrenees to visit friends in France.  Upon leaving, he bade his friends adieu.   That's my excuse for having to change the answer when the perps didn't fit.

48. Thriller writer Daniel: SILVA.  No clue for me, but the perps were solid.   Daniel Silva Books: The Complete Listing

50. Minos' kingdom: CRETE.   It's all Greek (mythology) to me.   Only a passing interest.

51. "Raw" pigment: UMBER.  Originally from the region of Umbria, Italy.  

53. Applications: USES.

54. Heap: PILE.

56. Singer Turner: TINA.  Here with Ike singing Proud Mary:


57. Port on many TVs: HDMI.   High-Definition Multimedia Interface.   The proprietary digital implementation replacing analog video signals.

58. Start of a flower: SEED.

61. Family man: DAD.

Monday March 11, 2019 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: WATER BREAK (58. Time for a drink at the gym... or what can literally be seen in 17-, 24-, 35- and 49-Across) - WATER bookends each theme entry.

 

17. Movie buff's collectible: WALL POSTER.

24. Warm winter wear: WOOL SWEATER.

35. Tool for whacking unwanted grasses: WEED EATER.

49. Looked after: WATCHED OVER.

Boomer here. 

"Cool Clear Water - Oh Dad can't you see that big green tree, where the WATER's runnin' free and it's waitin' there for you and me." 

In my travels around Minnesota, of course I can not go too far without noticing water in one of our 10,000 lakes. However, another thing catching my eye are mammoth apartment buildings being erected everywhere. I lived in an apartment for about ten years of my life, but it was a small building with eight units. I was just in Ramsey MN last week and I swear I saw two individual buildings that will hold about 400 apartments each. Ramsey is a community of many square miles of prairie land and I cannot see why anyone would want to live piled one on top of another. What's it like where you live?

One footnote regarding last week. I do not have any brothers, but three great sisters. One older and two younger.  I am sure they all wanted to kill me at one time or another, but I am still here.

Across:

1. Jet trail: VAPOR.

6. Torino ta-ta: CIAO. My sister speaks Italian and ends her emails with this strange word.  We used to say it in the Army when it was time to eat, but I don't think we spelled it that way.

10. Lima or soya: BEAN.

14. Conductor Seiji: OZAWA.

15. Poker hand buy-in: ANTE.  We used to play for nickels when I was a caddy.  Sometimes we would carry a bag and earn $4.00 then get in the card game and go home with $8.00. (or nothing).

16.  Rifle range supply: AMMO - Drop an "M" and you have the first Latin word I ever learned. 

19. Like spider webs: SPUN.  "Oh what a tangled web we weave."

20. Trees devastated by a "Dutch" disease: ELMS.  I don't think the disease is Dutch, I think the tree is.

21. Go kaput: DIE.

22. Manually clutch: GRASP.  This clue reminds me of the manual transmission Chevy we had when I was learning to drive.  Yeah, I think my dad GRASPED something. (Especially on the left turns)

23. Late July zodiac sign: LEO.  Could be a lion or a Pope

27. Popeye, for one: SAILOR.  " I would gladly pay you Tuesday for some spinach today."

29. Ramen : Japan :: __ : Vietnam: PHO.

30. Med. care group: HMO.  Is this really a Health Maintenance Organization or just a fancy acronym for health insurance ??

31. Croat or Serb: SLAV.

32. Capri or Wight: ISLE.  "Every summer we can build a cottage in the Isle of Wight" - when I'm Sixty-four.

34. All in favor: AYES. Opposed? Nay

38. Puppies' bites: NIPS.  Hey, I like cheese nips and I don't have a dog.

41. Friend in battle: ALLY.  Add an "E" and you have a car path behind a bowling CENTER !

42. Damon of "True Grit" (2010): MATT. Matt Fitzpatrick did well at Arnie Palmer's Tournament this weekend.

45. "__, please": box office request from a single patron: ONE.

46. Orlando-to-Miami dir.: SSE. These direction clue and ans. are usually the only ones I get immediately.

47. Some October babies: LIBRAS.  Not me, I am a Scorpio.  (And now I am a Cancer too),

53. High dudgeon: IRE.

54. "Aw, shucks!": OH GEE.  Wasn't Oh Gee Wan Kenobee in Star Wars ?

55. No-winner situation: TIE.  I have many in my closet.  Some are winners, I think.

56. Start of a play: ACT I.

57. Betting group: POOL. We used to pool money when the Power Ball got in the millions. I think once we won $50,  so everyone got about $1.50 back for the $5.00 we each bet.

61. Airline with an all-kosher menu: EL AL.  I have trouble wondering why anyone would eat airline food. I never liked it when it was included in the ride. I just figured it was there to keep the flight attendants busy.

62. "Close one!": WHEW.

63. Copy, briefly: REPRO.

64. Driving range barriers: NETS.  I never hit it far enough to hit the net.  (But I have hit a few parallels on the side of the range).

65. Ironically, some are "civil": WARS. What are they good for?  Absolutely nothing.

66. Caravan stops: OASES.

Down:

1. The word "America" has four of them: VOWELS.

2. Rhododendron shrubs: AZALEAS.

3. Saturated vegetable fat: PALM OIL. If you have it, you might want to wear gloves when you bowl or play golf.

4. Big-eyed birds: OWLS. WHO ??

5. Drake genre: RAP.

6. Electronic calculator pioneer: CASIO.  I remember my first one. Wiped out 4 years of grade school math.

7. Pentium processor maker: INTEL.

8. Gobbled up: ATE.  Oh You Turkey!!

9. "__ the ramparts ... ": OER.  Speaking of which - I wish guests at sporting events would sing the National Anthem with reverence and stop trying to make it a Broadway production.

10. Port in southeastern Iraq: BASRA.

11. Capacity to relate: EMPATHY.

12. "Say something funny!": AMUSE ME.

13. Amateurs: NON-PROS.

18. Smell: ODOR.  Rougned of the Rangers, you're wanted in a crossword.

22. Nat __ Wild: cable channel: GEO.

24. Worked on a loom: WOVE.  When I was a kid, we made potholders on them.  I never saw a real fancy loom though.

25. Spread out, as fingers: SPLAY.

26. Stimulate: WHET.  There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza.  So whet the knife, Henry and fix it!

28. Felons violate them: LAWS. 

32. Ran in neutral: IDLED.  In the old days we always warmed the car up in the winter.  Now I guess it's not necessary.

33. Poivre partner: SEL.

34. Graceful horse: ARAB.

36. Lack of difficulty: EASE.

37. Kuwait potentate: EMIR.  Our Gophers have Amir Coffey.  He does not have the money of an Emir, but he could get there in the NBA.

38. Sign on a new store: NOW OPEN.  I am waiting for that sign on the Minnesota golf courses.

39. Losing big at the casino, say: IN A HOLE. (See above - I'll bring my putter.)

40. Bleating companion: PET GOAT.  Remember Pontiac?  Those who owned a GTO were said to have a pet goat.

43. "Three-headed" arm muscle: TRICEPS.

44. Raw steak style: TARTARE. Raw fish - needs a lot of tartar sauce.

46. Ship's pronoun: SHE.

47. Creepy look: LEER.

48. Japanese watches: SEIKOS.  Got my mother one for Christmas in 1990.  Still keeps time.

50. Rooms behind bars?: CELLS.  I don't think you can call it a room unless it has a rug or a coffee pot.

51. Playful marine animal: OTTER.  Remember Eric Stratton in "Animal House"?  Otter, played by Tim somebody.

52. Vantage points: VIEWS.

56. Office space calculation: AREA.

58. Letters in a URL: WWW.  World Wide Wrestling??

59. ''Now I get it!'': AHA.

60. Dude: BRO.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

JD sent me this wonderful pictures of her grandsons. She said:

"Last evening the league had their opening ceremonies. The boys have just completed their flag football and basketball, and now....even though it is still chilly and rainy...the baseball season is upon us. Watched 1st game this morning with a few showers. As you can see, Grady and his brother Truman are on the same team. Dylan has no desire for any team sport yet. He needs a bicycle team. Time just flies by."

Sunday March 10, 2019 Jim Holland

Theme: "EU Trade" - E sound is replaced by a short U sound, changing spelling as needed.

23. Red misplays?: CINCINNATI BUNGLES. Cincinnati Bengals. Red refers to the Cincinnati Red.

37. Golf pro's instructive stroke?: TEACHER'S PUTT. Teacher's pet.

  

52. Loser who finds a silver lining?: GRATEFUL DUD. Grateful Dead.

70. Mysteriously-appearing debris?: RUBBLE WITHOUT A CAUSE. Rebel Without a Cause.

95. Groans from a Russian egg producer?: FABERGE UGHS. Faberge eggs. Ah, "egg" should not be in the clue. 

104. Big Apple mongrels?: NEW YORK MUTTS. New York Mets.

127. Confusion about who really won an international competition?: OLYMPIC GOLD MUDDLE.

Olympic gold medal.

  

All the key words experienced spelling changes. Very consistent.

As I said before, this type of letter change theme requires skills and imagination. I sure can't do it. Jim is a skilled wordsmith.

 

Across:

1. Dutch actress Verbeek of "Outlander": LOTTE. Unknown to me.

6. Chews (on): GNAWS.

11. "Point Break" plot, e.g.: CAPER.

16. One coming out: DEB. Not GAY.

19. Type of eye layer: UVEAL.

20. 348-seat Parisian body: SENAT.

21. __ drab: OLIVE. Is this olive drab?

22. Talkative fighter: ALI.

26. Three sheets to the wind: LIT.

27. Completely: IN TOTO.

28. Lab do-over: RE-TEST. We also have 67. Follow again: RE-TRACK.

29. Gophers and gardeners, say: ENEMIES. They sure are.

31. Word from the French for "clear the table": DESSERT. Dictionary says it's "derivative of desservir to clear the table". Dis-serve. Good to know. 

33. It's usually the hit: SIDE A.

34. DDE's domain: ETO.

35. Cry during an argument between siblings: MOM.

43. Hard shoe: SABOT.

48. Inventory acronym: FIFO. First In, First Out.

50. Greek portico: STOA.

51. Slaughter of old baseball: ENOS.

55. Online marketplace: ETSY.

58. "__ Believer": '60s hit: I'M A.

59. Prius producer: TOYOTA.

60. Becoming an item, maybe: DATING.

63. Worrisome engine sound: SPUTTER.

65. __ Paulo: SAO.

66. Furious state: IRE.

68. Thieves' home?: DEN. Gimme for regulars.

69. Major Hindu deity: RAMA.

78. Mark not to play: REST.

79. Red or Black: SEA.

80. Red Baron's conflict, briefly: WWI.

81. Berlin article: EIN.

83. Like Earth: BIPOLAR.

86. Call for assistance: HELP ME.

89. Annoying type: NOODGE. Not a word I use. I'm a NOODGE to those who always answer my "Help Me" emails.

92. "__ du lieber!": ACH. Literally "Oh you dear", right, Spitzboov?

93. The littlest bit: A TAD.

97. Virginia __: REEL.

99. End notes: CODA.

102. Level-headed: SANE. What D-Otto is. Always so calm.

103. Takeoff times?: DIETS. Why "times?".

108. Easy mark: SAP.

110. Short brew?: IPA.

111. Indian wraps: SARIS.

113. Lowered in dignity: DEBASED.

119. Marshmallow-filled snack: MOON PIE. Never had it.

123. Medium condition?: TRANCE. Psychic "medium".

125. Looking up: ROSIER.

126. Many get snacks during them: ADS.

130. Med. lab letters: LDL.

131. "So long": SEE YA.

132. Small-truck company: TONKA.

133. Freshwater bulrushes: TULES. New word to me. We also have 76. Marsh plant: SEDGE.

134. Menu general: TSO. You won't find General Tso's chicken in China. Or Orange Chicken. Or Egg Foo Young. They were all created by early Chinese immigrants.

135. Pelé's first name: EDSON.

136. Snidely Whiplash look: SNEER.

137. Playoff rankings: SEEDS.

Down:

1. Clear: LUCID.

2. Sheepish?: OVINE.

3. Big tops, e.g.: TENTS.

4. Folded food: TACOS.

5. Upper crust: ELITE.

6. "Catch 21" airer, initially: GSN. Game Show Network.

7. Approaching: NEAR.

8. Starts a pot: ANTES.

9. Stay put until the storm ends: WAIT IT OUT. Sparkly fill.

10. "Venerable" Eng. monk: ST BEDE.

11. Something in your eye: CONTACT. Lens.

12. Mor. neighbor: ALG. OK, Morocco. Algeria.

13. Stack: PILE.

14. Score-tying shot: EVENER.

15. Starts over: RESETS.

16. "Lobster Telephone" artist: DALI.

17. Tahari of fashion: ELIE. Like his works?

18. Pieces' partners: BITS.

24. Regular at Sam's bar: NORM.

25. "__ directed": USE AS.

30. Gloomy Gus: MOPE.

32. Vegan staple: TOFU. When I was a kid, there was a marketplace closer to our home. We went there every day for fresh veggies and a block of Tofu.

36. Fungal plant coating: MILDEW.

38. Low-tech weed whacker: HOE.

39. Consumes without cooking: EATS RAW.

40. __ price: UNIT.

41. One in a researcher's stack: TOME.

42. Title derived from "Caesar": TSAR.

43. Some NCOs: SGTS.

44. Like a delirious crowd: AROAR.

45. Catfish habitat: BAYOU. I tried catfish once. Too fishy for me.

46. Nebraska native: OTO.

47. Saigon holiday: TET. Same day as Chinese Spring Festival.

49. OTC drug regulator: FDA.

53. Is unsuccessful in: FAILS AT.

54. Finished 50% (of): DID HALF.

56. Typographer's concern: SPACING.

57. Arizona county or its seat: YUMA.

61. Classical beginning: NEO. Neoclassical.

62. African antelope: GNU.

64. 19th Greek letter: TAU.

71. Frat guy: BRO.

72. Composer Bartók: BELA.

73. Language suffix: ISH.

74. Good place for driving: TEE. Tee pad.

75. Some junior high students: TWEENS.

77. Word before ball or after figure: EIGHT.

82. Untouchables leader: NESS.

83. Old MacDonald surely had one: BARN.

84. Big name in frozen treats: ICEE.

85. Sound of relief: PHEW.

87. Choosing to skip: PASSING ON.

88. Many a CEO's credential: MBA.

90. 20-volume ref.: OED.

91. Francine's "For sure": OUI.

94. __ Pérignon: DOM.

96. Part of CD-ROM: READ.

98. With 122-Down, Eagles classic: LYIN. 122. See 98-Down: EYES.

100. One involved in a sweeping gesture?: DUSTPAN. "One" made me think of a person.

101. Pong maker: ATARI.

105. Hinder: OPPOSE.

106. Complained: RAILED.

107. Expanses of land: TRACTS.

109. Salon offering: PERM.

112. Quick bread choice: SCONE. Have some sweet potato scones.

114. Ring features: BOUTS.

115. When required: AS DUE. Can you give me an example of how the clue matches the Answer?

116. Move like a crab: SIDLE. I've learned to move like a penguin on icy roads. We had a few more inches of snow yesterday. Will continue today. I told Brad (a solver based in Nebraska) that I looked forward to seeing patches of green on our lawn. He said "Mid-June!".

117. Fished with pots: EELED.

118. Scold, with "down": DRESS.

119. Parlor purchase: MALT.

120. What gamblers weigh: ODDS.

121. Scandinavian capital: OSLO.

124. Sommer of cinema: ELKE.

128. Prefix with cardial: MYO. Meaning "muscle".

129. Patriotic org.: DAR.

No more spots for the Cru Dinner. You can ask Mike to put you on the wait list, in case someone cancels at the last minute.

Below is a picture of the proud grandpa Mike and his cute grandson Luca, who is a little over 3-month old. Mike took these fantastic pictures of Marti and Rich a few years ago. 

If you attend the Cru Dinner, say "Hi" to Mike and take a picture to share with us. Our Jeffrey Wechsler will be the tournament judge again, though I'm not sure he'll swing by the Cru Dinner this year.

Mike and Luca