Wednesday, October 28, 2020, Frank Virzi

Theme: CUT THAT OUT!

3. School outing: CLASS TRIP. 

7. Griddle tenders: SHORT ORDER COOKS. 

9. One in danger of going off: LOOSE CANNON. 

24. Unofficial means of communication: BACK CHANNEL. 

33. Superior to ... and what can go with the starts of 3-, 7-, 9- and 24-Down: A CUT ABOVE.

Cut class. Cut short. Cut loose. Cut back. 

Melissa here. Fun seeing down theme answers, including the grid-spanner SHORT ORDER COOKS. Lots of foreign words today - Spanish and Italian.

Across:

1. Word with support or enemy: ARCH.

5. Dance wildly: MOSH. Haven't seen that as a verb before.

9. Miller's salesman: LOMAN. Willy Loman, in Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman. 

14. Princess loved by Hercules: IOLE. Greek mythology.

15. "Have __ Right?": Honeycombs hit of 1964: I THE.

16. Maine town on the Penobscot: ORONO.

17. Graceful swimmer: SWAN.

18. Tommy Dorsey, e.g.: TROMBONIST.

20. Bonny one: LASS.

21. Paving supply: TAR.

22. How silverware is often sold: AS A SET. Tricky.

23. USN rank: ENS. Ensign is the entry-level commissioned officer's rank in the U.S. Navy, and is equivalent to the rank of Second Lieutenant in the other armed services. 

24. __ man: BEST. 

25. Agree to less: SETTLE.

26. Word with more or less: THAN.

28. Tabled, for now: ON ICE.

30. Bernie Taupin's forte: LYRICS. Elton John's songwriting partner of 50  years.

32. Flor del amor: ROSA. Flower of love, in Spanish. Rose.

33. Face on a fin: ABE. The $5 bill is sometimes nicknamed a "fin." The term has German/Yiddish roots and is remotely related to the English "five," but it is far less common today than it was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

36. Car with a tri-shield logo: BUICK.

37. IRA options: CDS.

38. Shell lining: NACRE. Mother of pearl. So pretty.

40. Like give and take: Abbr.: OPP. Nice clue - opposites.

41. Tony Hillerman detective Jim: CHEE. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, Navajo tribal police officers in the southwest USA. Series has been taken over by author's daughter, Anne Hillerman, after his death.

43. Like year-end financials: ANNUAL.

44. Utter: SHEER.

45. Navy Midshipmen's mascot Bill, e.g.: GOAT. Bill the Goat.

46. Coffeehouse orders: MOCHAS.

49. Either "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" filmmaker: COEN. The Coen brothers.

51. Obamacare, briefly: ACA. Affordable Care Act.

54. Sci-fi invaders: ALIENS.

55. Hogwarts mail carrier: OWL. Harry Potter's owl is Hedwig.

56. "Riiiight!": I BET.

57. Flowerlike marine animal: SEA ANEMONE. Great fill.

59. Knucklehead: DODO.

60. Spot for a pot: STOVE.

61. Barely gets (by): EKES.

62. Bakery fixture: OVEN.

63. Stand in a studio: EASEL. Noun not verb.

64. Ukr. and Est., once: SSRS.

65. News article intro: LEDE. The opening sentence or paragraph of a news article, summarizing the most important aspects of the story.

Down:

1. Chapel divider: AISLE.

2. Martin's TV partner: ROWAN. Rowan & Martin's Laugh In.

4. Little chicken tenders?: HENS. Haha.

5. Snowsuit clip-ons: MITTENS.

6. Others, in Tabasco: OTRAS. Spanish.

8. Verbal hesitation: HEM.

10. Richly decorated: ORNATE.

11. Humid, say: MOIST.

12. First name in photography: ANSEL. Adams.

13. Dark time in Pisa: NOTTE. Italian for night.

19. Foundation for an argument: BASIS.

27. Juice box brand: HI-C.

29. Turndowns: NOS.

30. WSJ news item: LBO. Leveraged Buyout.

31. "Sho' 'nuf": YUP.

34. Maidenform product: BRA.

35. Slithery swimmer: EEL.

37. Head of Cuba?: CEE. The letter.

39. Prefix with -gram: ANA.

42. "Steppenwolf" author Hermann: HESSE.

43. Forever young, it seems: AGELESS.

44. Bundle on the farm: SHEAVE.

46. Tricky pool shot: MASSE.

47. "Get Here" singer Adams: OLETA.

48. Torino farewells: CIAOS. Italian.

50. One with a deed: OWNER.

52. Gave up formally: CEDED.

53. Observe Yom Kippur: ATONE.

56. Object of adoration: IDOL.

58. Abril, por ejemplo: MES. Spanish, month.

Tuesday, June 16, 2020 Frank Virzi

My House is Your House (If you can find it).  A type of an abode can be found "divided" in the circles of each theme answer.

20-Across. Tenderloin often served with Béarnaise sauce: CHATEAUBRIAND.  CABIN.

A Chateaubriand is a very expensive filet mignon.  It was named after a French aristocrat and writer named François-René de Chateaubriand (1768 ~ 1848).

33-Across. Rockies resort town: VAIL, COLORADO.  VILLA.

41-Across. Sub on a plate: HERO SANDWICH.  RANCH.

There are many variations on a RANCH style house.

And the Unifier:

56-Across. Biblical phrase in Lincoln's historic 6/16/1858 speech, and what each set of circled letters contains: A HOUSE DIVIDED.  This bibilcal reference appears in the Gospel of Mark (3:25) where Jesus said, "If a House be Divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand." (Revised Standard Version).  I am familiar with Lincoln's speech.   I did not know, however, that it was a Biblical reference.

Across:

1. Single-celled creature: AMEBA.

6. Cab alternative: UBER.  Oh, literally a cab.  I was thinking of our usual misdirection of a Cabernet wine.

10. Partner of aid: ABET.  Partners in crime: Aid and Abet.

14. Disinterested: BORED.

15. Georgetown athlete: HOYA.  Did you know that a Hoya is a genus of tropical plants?  That is not, however, the origin of the Georgetown Hoya, which apparently derived from Greek and Latin words.  The Georgetown mascot is Jack, the Bulldog.  Anyway, that's their story, and they're sticking to it.  I rather like the flower, though.

16. Hot under the collar: SORE.

17. Pricey violin, for short: STRAD.  A violin Stradivarius violin was created from the shop of Antonio Stradivari (1644 ~ Dec. 18, 1737).

18. Did some weeding: HOED.  This answer appeared in yesterday's puzzle and was clued as "worked the soil".

19. Start of a spell: ABRA.

23. Prince Valiant's boy: ARN.  He appears with some frequency in the puzzles, but I can never remember his name.

24. Highest degree: NTH.  You known the answer has to be either Nth or Ph.D.

25. Kindergarten art item: CRAYON.

28. Squeaked by: MADE DO.

30. Smeltery refuse: SLAG.

32. Inc. kin: LLC.  As in a Limited Liability Company.

36. Rifle range supply: AMMO.

39. Federation in OPEC: UAE.  The United Arab Emirate is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Company.

40. Les __ les autres: one another: UNES.  Today's French lesson.

46. Court players' gp.: ATP.  As in the Association of Tennis Professionals.

47. Disapproving sounds: TSKs!

48. Like a one-lane bridge: NARROW.  I wanted a Covered Bridge, but that was too many letters.

52. Topiary tool: SHEARS.

54. "http" often begins one: URL.

55. Lemon finish?: ADE.  Hi, Lemonade!

60. River seen from the Leaning Tower: ARNO.

62. Old bread problem: MOLD. 

63. Breezing through: ACING.

64. Rain cats and dogs: POUR.

65. "Do it, or __!": ELSE.

66. Eco-friendly word: REUSE.  We saw this word last Friday.

67. Falafel holder: PITA.  Yummers!  Street food in Jerusalem.

68. Letter opener: DEAR.  Fun clue.

69. Those in favor: YESES.

Down:

1. '70s-'80s scandal that inspired "American Hustle": ABSCAM.  Abscam was an FBI sting.

2. Lepidopteran foe of Godzilla: MOTHRA.  This creature has appeared in the puzzles before.

3. Quick post office run, say: ERRAND.

4. Outplay: BEAT.

5. Back-of-the-book supplements: ADDENDA.

6. "You betcha!": UH, HUH!

7. Blockhead: BOOB.  Hmm ...  //  Not to be confused with 34-Down. Blockhead: LUNK.

8. Watcher: EYER.

9. Politically extreme: RADICAL.  In chemistry, a radical is an atom, molecule or ion that has an unpaired valence electron.

10. Yoga posture: ASANA.

11. "Blowin' in the Wind" singer/songwriter: BOB DYLAN.  The answer my friend ...

12. Make a mistake: ERR.

13. Sri Lanka export: TEA.

21. Yours, to Yves: À TOI.  More of today's French lesson.

22. Legendary Greek ship: ARGO.

26. Ye __ Shoppe: OLDE.

27. Some mil. drillers: NCOs.  As in Non-Commissioned Officers.

29. Cruet filler, to Rachael Ray: EVOO.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil also appeared in last Friday's puzzle.

30. Tons: SCADS.

31. MGM co-founder Marcus: LOEW.

Marcus Lowe (May 7, 1870 ~ Sept. 5, 1927)

35. German industrial region: RUHR.

36. Cries of insight: AHAs!

37. Protestant denom.: METH.  As in Methodist.

38. Monocled food mascot: MR. PEANUT.  Mr. Peanut has undergone many changes in his 100 + year existence.  I think this year's Super Bowl did him in.

42. Houston MLBer: 'STRO.  As in the Houston Astros.

43. Took as a given: ASSUMED.

44. 45-Down inscription: INRI.  //  And  45-Down. Site of the Crucifixion: CALVARY.

49. The "r" in pi-r-squared: RADIUS.  Pi-r-squared?  Pi r not squared, pi r round!

50. Danish seaport: ODENSE.

51. Wood-splitting tools: WEDGES.

53. Now, in Nogales: AHORA.  Today's Spanish lesson.

54. Cow's milk source: UDDER.

57. Only: SOLE.

58. Film lioness: ELSA.

Elsa with Joy Adamson

59. Slushy drink brand: ICEE.

60. iPhone purchase: APP.

61. French king: ROI.  Our final French lesson for the day.

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  The greatest value of a picture is when it forces us to notice what we never expected to see.  ~  John Tukey (né John Wilder Tukey; June 16, 1915 ~ July 26, 2000), American mathematician

Monday January 27, 2020 Frank Virzi

Theme:  TAILLIGHT (35D. Rear warning lamp, and what can go with the end of each answer to a starred clue) - Last word in each theme entry can precede "light".

17A. *Mystery/soap (1956-'84) that ultimately dropped "The" from its title: EDGE OF NIGHT. Night light.

37A. *One of the four Seven Sisters magazines that are still in print: WOMAN'S DAY. Daylight.

 63A. *Televised panelist shown from the shoulders up: TALKING HEAD. Headlight.

 

5D. *Infielder typically between second and third: SHORTSTOP. Stoplight.

Boomer here.  Welcome to all of you crossword enthusiasts. I heard that you have company. Word is that some of our U.S. Senators were doing crossword puzzles during the impeachment talks. I can't say I blame them. I watch MSNBC for an hour or so and then I have to change the channel.

I have bowling news this week.  In my Thursday league, the bowling center was giving me trouble with sparse oil conditions on the lanes.  Since the oil pattern was similar to 1970s I pulled a 45 year old plastic ball out of the garage.   It took me a game to figure out how to work it, but my scores were 155 - 257 - 220 - for a 632 set.  My second 600 since my diagnosis, but guess which ball I will be using there next week.

Across:

1. Tibetan monks: LAMAS.  I have a story about a Tibetan monk.  He entered a monastery where the head monk could speak freely but the members were only allowed 2 words every five years. After 5 years the monk was called to a meeting. "I'm hungry," he said. The superior responded that a larger portion of food would be given.  After 5 more years, "I'm cold," he said.  The superior answered that he would be issued more blankets.  After five more years he said "I Quit".  The head monk replied, "Well that does not surprise me brother. You have done nothing but complain since you got here!"

6. Rise up against authority: REBEL.  Johnny Yuma was one,

11. U.S. interstate, e.g.: RTE.  I have always been appreciative of the Interstates.

14. Grind, as teeth: GNASH.  My family once had a 1952 Nash - without the G.

15. Amazon Echo Dot's voice service: ALEXA.  Siri's competitor.

16. West end?: ERN. Western.

19. Pilot-licensing org.: FAA.

20. "Grrr!" is one: SNARL.  If you hear one in the woods, change direction.

21. Understood by a select few: ESOTERIC.  Proceed to left field to understand some of this stuff.

23. Garden shed tool: HOE.  I only have a shovel.  We will prepare the garden when the snow melts.  I was going to grow seedless watermelon, but I don't know what to plant.

24. Smidge: TAD.  We'll plant a TAD of tomatoes.

26. Give in: RELENT.  Bowlers never relent, we just change balls.

27. Light-circling insects: MOTHS.

29. Send out: EMIT.  Won't be long and we will be EMITTING golf balls.

32. "Got it": I SEE.  "I see" said the blind man, but he really didn't. 

33. Start, as of symptoms: ONSET.I hope there is no ONSET of the coronavirus in your area. Our news paper says odds are slim in Minnesota.

34. John Brown's eulogist Stephen Vincent __: BENET.  John Brown was notable in our history.  He was an abolitionist and his raid at Harper's Ferry is linked to the Civil War.  He was hanged in 1859 and his eulogy was attended by John Wilkes Booth.  I cannot imagine what it was like to live in the USA 160 years ago.

36. "If only __ listened": HE'D.

40. H.S. equivalency test: GED.  I doubt if it is equivalent to four years of Christian Brothers.  (Sorry Brother Albert - just kidding). 

43. Hopscotch: POTSY.  How about Richie Cunningham's pal Potsie Weber.

44. Sonnet line quintet: IAMBS.

48. Chrysler Building architect William Van ___: ALEN.  You would probably have to be Lee Iacocca to know this.

50. Campus official: DEAN.  Angel's Pitcher Dean Chance.

51. Longest river in France: LOIRE.

52. As found: IN SITU.

54. Cartoon frame: CEL.  I think that is short for cellophane so they could make a movie.

56. Prefix with gender: CIS.

57. Christmas saint: NICHOLAS.  Jolly old St. Nicholas, lean your ear this way!

60. Quarterfinalists' count: EIGHT.  Not sure about this but EIGHT is enough.

62. Suffix with alp: INE.

66. Opposite of oui: NON.  If you are French

67. Under-the-roof room: ATTIC.  We don't have a room in ours. Just some insulation and a lot of dust. I did look up there once after an original Honus Wagner card was found in an attic out east somewhere.  I think it was sold by Sotheby's for a lot of money.

68. Prefix for sun: HELIO.

69. Clock-setting std.: GST.

70. Sierra __, Africa: LEONE.

71. Prom attendees: TEENS.  "Sarge I'm just Eighteen, I gotta ruptured spleen and I always carry a purse."  (Who else but the Chad Mitchell Trio - "Draft Dodger Blues")

Down:

1. Tee size: Abbr.: LGE.  I go through a few tees when playing golf.  None are large.

2. "... et cetera": AND SOON.

3. Fridge stickers: MAGNETS.  I have a lot of these.  Most are souvenirs of places I have been.

4. On the briny: ASEA.

6. Campaigned: RAN.  It's leap year.  We'll be hearing a lot this year.

7. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE.

8. Pleads: BEGS.

9. Urged strongly: EXHORTED.

10. Barista's creation: LATTE.  Fancy coffee.  I've never tried it. I am too cheap and lattes are overpriced.  My best part of waking up, is Folger's in my cup.

11. Browser update button: REFRESH.  You may also REFRESH  Folger's with a little fake sugar and a spoonful of milk.

12. New employee: TRAINEE.  Richard Gere to Louis Gossett in "An Officer and a Gentlemen".

13. Passed, as a bill: ENACTED.  or touchdown as a football.

18. Miami's st.: FLA.  I've been there twice to play golf in February.  Went to Epcot and Disney World.  Nice place to visit but I would not want to live there. No hurricanes in MN.

22. Yale student: ELI. I thought they were Little Lambs.

23. Med. care plan: HMO.  These are getting a bit expensive.  I am sure we will be promised better before the election.  I receive health care from the VA.  Stay healthy C.C.

25. Campaign face-off: DEBATE.  We have already lived through a number of DFL debates. Can't wait until this summer when the going gets tough.

28. Use an axe on: HEW.  Or Chop.

30. High-IQ group: MENSA.

31. Simpatico (like Justin Timberlake's band?): IN SYNC.

38. Soften, as one's voice level: MODULATE.

39. Ex-NBA star Ming: YAO.  An impressive 7ft 6" Chinese ballplayer.  His career began in China but he was signed by the Houston Rockets.  I believe he looked down on Shaq.

40. Opposite of losing, weightwise: GAINING. Not me. When I turn sideways you can hardly see me.

41. Weather-changing currents: EL NINOS.  "The answer my friend, is blowin' in the wind."  Peter, Paul and Mary 

42. Climber's downward journey: DESCENT.  The DESCENT speed is greater than ASCENT.

45. "Glee" star Lea __: MICHELE.  Michelle Wie has an extra L.  We saw her a couple of times in Minnesota tournaments.  She was touted to be the next Annika.  Never happened.

46. Great __: London's island: BRITAIN.  No longer home to Harry and Meghan.

47. French possessive: SES.

49. Medical research org.: NIH.

53. Bottom line: TOTAL.  Before or after taxes?

55. Dusk, in poetry: EEN.

58. Choral part: ALTO.

59. Organ that may itch: SKIN.  We get mosquito bites in the summer here.

61. Indian butter: GHEE.

64. __ cream soda: ICE.  We get plenty of ICE in the winter.  Sometimes guys play hockey on it.

65. Spanish two: DOS.

Boomer

Tuesday, January 29, 2019 Frank Virzi

"Paper Cutter"

16. *Killjoy: PARTY POOPER.  A wet blanket.

20. *Face consequences for poor decisions: PAY THE PIPER.  More on that in the review.

34. *Furniture restorer's chemical: PAINT STRIPPER.   I've stripped more furniture than Carter has pills. 

50. *Airborne unit member: PARATROOPER.   All U.S. military paratroopers go to "Jump School" at Ft. Benning, GA. 

55. Stationery supply with a blade ... and a hint to the answers to starred clues: PAPER CUTTER.

BTW,  Frank created one of my favorite puzzles.  It's one that every Chicago Cubs fan should solve and frame for their man cave or diva den. 


Let's slice up today's puzzle and see what we got.

Across:

1. Tricky road curves: ESSES.

6. Too hasty: RASH.   The upshot of making a rash decision might be paying the piper, possibly leading to the following self criticism:
10. "Boy, am I dumb!": DUH.

13. Bowl over: SHOCK.  Technically, pins are inanimate objects, but Boomer shocks them and sends "ten in the pit" quite frequently.

14. Valpolicella wine brand: BOLLA.   Where's Chairman Moe when you need him ?   Selling wine of course.   I'll leave descriptions to the oenophiles.   Please chime in if you've tried this wine.

 A classic Italian Red Wine

15. Suffix with project or percent: ILE.

18. Metro stop: Abbr.: STA.   There are 242 stations served by Metra in the Chicagoland area.

19. State south of Wash.: ORE.   I read the history of the Tucker Sno-Cat.   It is made in Medford,  Oregon.

22. Like Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial: SEATED.

24. Yom Kippur observers: ATONERS.

25. Italian wine hub: ASTI.   Another Italian wine reference from Frank.

26. South African golfer Ernie: ELS.   Nicknamed "The Big Easy" due to his physical size and fluid golf swing.   CSO to our own Big Easy here at the Corner who also loves golf.

28. Make a wool cap, say: KNIT.   Hello Madame !  Here's a link to William Safire's  The Fumbelrules of Grammar.    I had to look it up the other day after you mentioned it.

29. MLB exec Joe who was the Yankees' manager for 12 seasons: TORRE.   Joe Torre bio at MLB.com

32. Wrangler's ropes: LASSOS.

37. Wild cards, maybe: DEUCES.

38. Arrive at: GET TO.

39. "At Last" singer James: ETTA.

40. Charged particle: ION.

41. Recipe amts.: TSPS.  Teaspoons. 

45. Polar expedition vehicles: SNO-CATS.

 "... Sir Vivian Fuchs’s 2,158-mile 1958 Trans-Antarctic expedition, a journey that constituted the first land crossing of Antarctica..."

48. '70s-'80s FBI sting: ABSCAM.   One U.S. Senator, five U.S. House Representatives, and five other state and local politicians paid the piper for accepting bribes in the undercover operation. 

53. Tijuana gold: ORO.

54. "__ little teapot ... ": I'M A.  short and stout.

57. Min. part: SEC.  Minute (short i, stress on the first syllable) or minute (long i, stress on the second syllable) is an example of a heteronym.  ie, same spelling, different pronunciation and meaning.    I think Rich employs heteronyms for misdirection and to amp up the difficulty of clues when editing, especially later in the week.   Do you recall the "Flower in la Seine" clue in C.C.s Sunday puzzle ?    Here's a RECKord of heteronyms to diLIBerATE. 

58. Companionless: ALONE.  Again, naturally.   Remember Biz Markie from the other day ?   The judgement that changed the hip hop recording industry. 

59. Quai d'Orsay's river: SEINE.  Whoa !   Thank you perps.    I learned that it's an area on the left bank of the Seine.   There's a street there with the same name that houses many French government offices.  Consequently,  the French use Quai d'Orsay to refer to the French government, similar to the English referring to Downing Street for English government.    

60. WNW opposite: ESE.

61. Swiss watch brand: RADO.  Nice looking watches.   I'm not a watch wearer and have no idea where they rank.

62. Trial rounds: HEATS.

Down:

1. Señor's wife: ESPOSA.

2. Stock market purchases: SHARES.

3. Furious with: SORE AT.

4. Outer: Pref.: ECT.

5. Video conferencing choice: SKYPE.

6. Carrot or turnip: ROOT. 

7. Dominant dogs: ALPHAS.

8. Wintry pellets: SLEET.

9. Marx brother with a horn: HARPO.


10. Mete out, as PEZ candy: DISPENSE.


11. Hidden, as motives: ULTERIOR.

12. Publishing family: HEARSTS.

14. __ Wonder: Robin: BOY.   The Dynamic Duo superheros Batman (Bruce Wayne) and the Boy Wonder Robin (Dick Grayson) thwart evil villains in Gotham.  

17. Note-taking aid: PAD.

21. Classic '30s-'50s vocal quartet, with "the": INK SPOTS. I don't think I'm familiar with any of their songs. This one was apparently one of the famous ones:


While listening to it, I scanned the comments and came across this remark,    "I remember the first time I heard this song: I was sippin' an egg cream with some doll at some greasy-spoon diner in the Bowery.  Some mug came in and served me more lip than his face could handle.  After a little chin music, I paid my nickel, grabbed the dame and took it on the lam."    Sounds like lines out of a film noir.

23. Lake on the border of Bolivia and Peru: TITICACA.  10 Interesting Facts About Lake Titicaca

26. Critical-care ctrs.: ERs.

27. Release: LET GO.

30. Queen's "Another __ Bites the Dust": ONE.


31. Shares again on Twitter, briefly: RTS.

32. Set a match to: LIT.

33. Befitting: APT.

34. Love handles?: PET NAMES.

35. Grand Prix, e.g.: AUTO RACE.

36. Han and Leia's son Kylo __: REN.   Star Wars stuff.

37. Loathe: DESPISE.

40. 14-legged crustacean: ISOPOD.

42. Nova __: SCOTIA.     One of the Canadian provinces.  Halifax is the capital and the timezone is AST.   Crosswords reinforce some bits of knowledge.

43. Mother or father: PARENT.

44. Gooey campfire treats: SMORES.  The Girl Scouts are selling cookies now.   I don't understand why they sell them in January.   I bought Thin Mints and whatever they call the peanut butter cookies.  Not the S'mores though.    

46. For face value: AT PAR.   Typically used in accounting and finance.  The face (stated) value of  a stock, bond or financial instrument.

47. Song syllables: TRA LA.

48. NRC forerunner: AEC.  Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Atomic Energy Commission.  The AEC was responsible for both promotion and regulation of nuclear energy.   Both critics and supporters of nuclear energy agreed that the regulatory function should be separated.  In 1974, the NRC was created with the passage of the Energy Reorganization Act.  - Paraphrased from NRC.gov-about-history.     

49. Hair salon staple: BRUSH.

51. Winery prefix: OENO.   A wine sub theme today.

52. Opposite of post-: PRE.

56. Shirt with a V-neck, perhaps: TEE.

Thursday, December 20th 2018 Frank Virzi

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

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

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

6D. Grade-school formation: SINGLE FILE.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Across:

1. Goes out: EBBS.

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

9. Poppy extract: OPIUM.

14. Stretched to the max: TAUT.

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

16. Italian grandma: NONNA.

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

18. Violation of trust: INFIDELITY.

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

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

23. Familia member: TIA.

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

26. Beeps and peeps: NOISES.

28. Fluffy neckwear: BOA.

30. Acts charitably: DOES GOOD.

32. Ararat lander: ARK.

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

34. Potentially offensive, briefly: NOT PC.

38. Bumbling one: BEE.

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

40. Unlock, in verse: OPE.

42. Bit of soccer support: OLÉ.

43. Feature of some Gene Autry songs: YODEL.

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

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

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

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

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

55. Do business with: SELL TO.

57. Takeout menu general: TSO.

58. Moisten: BEDEW. Very poetic.

60. Tops off: FILLS.

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

66. Meh: BLAH.

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

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

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

70. Nobel, for one: SWEDE.

71. Rights org.: ACLU.

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

Down:

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

2. Italian port: BARI.

4. Stir up: STOKE.

5. Hosp. test: MRI.

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

8. Move in a tutu: PLIÉ.

10. Party pro: POL.

11. Monogram ltrs.: INITS.

12. Loosen, as laces: UNTIE.

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

 

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

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

25. Work up a sweat: TOIL.

27. Altar words: I DO.

28. Treat with supreme care: BABY.

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

36. +: PLUS.

37. Lowest price: CENT.

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

44. Girl in a pasture: EWE.

46. Poison in some whodunits: ARSENIC.

49. Tight ends?: TEES.

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

52. Small earrings: STUDS.

53. Heaps: A SLEW.

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

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

59. Persian Gulf capital: DOHA.

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

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

64. Rosy: RED.

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

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

And finally the grid:

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

1) Hi Steve, hello from the other side!

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

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

Jaelyn is going to be a big sister in may!