Monday April 20, 2020 Joe Kidd

Theme:  MAD SCRAMBLE (59. Frantic rush, or a hint to each set of circles)

17. Like a versatile wardrobe: MIX AND MATCH.

28. Partner for the big high school dance: PROM DATE.

 

35. Seafood-based party bowlful: CLAM DIP.

38. Chess game blunder: BAD MOVE.

48. Dined: HAD A MEAL.

Boomer here. 

I am not "MAD" at all. Our Minnesota governor, Tim Walz decided that the golf courses in Minnesota may open up.  Covid-19 rules apply. One person per cart, no ball washers, no rakes in bunkers, and modified holes so you can retrieve your ball without touching the pin. We had a 60 degree day Saturday here in the land of 15,000 lakes and the courses were busy.  I talked with one of my golf buddies on Saturday and we decided to wait a couple of weeks and let the grass turn green.  Six feet distancing still applies.

Across:

1. Open spaces: GAPS.  We have a GAP store in Maplegrove and C.C. also found one a few years ago in Las Vegas.

5. Ancient Roman orator: CICERO.

11. Tablet download: APP.

14. "This doesn't look good!": UH OH.  A 7-10 split ?

15. "The old-fashioned way" to make money, in an old ad: EARN IT.  Or stay at home and wait for your stimulus $$$ to show up.

16. Hawaiian welcome: LEI.

19. Implore: BEG.  Excuse me for saying this, but I really do not like the ASPCA ads on TV.

20. Mark of Zorro: ZEE.

21. Gloomy thinkers: BROODERS.

23. Sub detection device: SONAR.  You can detect a submarine or also find out how deep is the water.

26. Devious: SLY.  "And the family Stones."

27. The "E" in Q.E.D.: ERAT.  Latin for "WAS".  I have no idea about Q and D.

30. Full of pluck: GRITTY.  Is this NITTY ??

32. Place for a bud or a plug: EAR.  What?  I can't EAR you.

33. Solves, with "out": FIGURES.  Sorry, I just cannot FIGURE OUT these puzzles.

42. Hastily donned: THREW ON.  Sure would like to watch a new MLB game this summer.

44. Geese flight formation: VEE.  We have a grocery chain from Iowa called "Hy-Vee". Last Monday they were out of milk!!

45. Alabama seaport: MOBILE.

51. 2010 Apple debut: IPAD.

52. Butter serving: PAT.  A name for Patrick or Patricia, or a tap on your behind.

53. Young women: GIRLS.

54. Sell for: RETAIL AT.  The Mall.  They have high rent, they have to gouge you.

57. Bikini top: BRA.

58. Little hill crawler: ANT.

64. Hair-stiffening stuff: GEL.  Wow, it's been years since I used that stuff.  "A little dab'll do ya".

65. Not ready to eat, as fruit: UNRIPE.  I am not so old...I still buy green bananas.

66. Fairway club: IRON.  I carry a 3,5,7,and 9 Callaway metal woods.  I only use irons when I get within about 75 yards.  I know it sounds crazy, but I am old.

67. Before, in verse: ERE.

68. Up-and-down playground fixture: SEESAW.  Teeter totter, bread and water ...

69. Auction-ending word: SOLD.  Going Once, Going Twice ...

Down:

1. Chewing __: GUM.  Did you know that Judy Garland of Grand Rapids Minnesota, (Not Michigan) was named Frances Gumm ?

2. Sushi tuna: AHI.

3. Quaint curse: POX.   Sounds like a TV network.

4. Captain Marvel's magic word: SHAZAM.

5. Formally hand over: CEDE.  I give up!

6. Beatles' "__ the Walrus": I AM.

7. Seafood item needing to be cracked: CRAB LEG.  I have never tried them.  I usually have shrimp for lunch on Fridays.

8. Way to get in: ENTRY.  Or a lottery chance to win a dollar. That's all we ever win.

9. Puerto __: RICO.  I have not heard much about Covid-19 from Puerto Rico.  They got whacked by a hurricane a couple of years ago.  I hope they are all safe.

10. Roman emperor for three months: OTHO.

11. Physicist Einstein: ALBERT.  Was he FAT??

12. View with interest: PEER AT.

13. Pen for porkers: PIG STY. I seem to remember my Mother using that name to describe my bedroom.

18. Unhip type: NERD.  Lambda, Lambda, Lambda got their revenge

22. Reason-based faith: DEISM.

23. Blueprint detail, briefly: SPEC.

24. Daunting exam: ORAL.  Open wide.

25. Romance writer Roberts: NORA.  Crummy DA on Law and Order.

26. R.E.M. frontman Michael: STIPE.

29. Blazing: AFIRE.  Jack London wrote a story about how not to build one.

30. Three-legged piano: GRAND.

31. Color of Hester Prynne's "A": RED.

34. WWII naval threat: U BOAT.

36. Crete's highest pt.: MT IDA.  Remember Charley Weaver from Mount IDY ??

37. UPS competitor: DHL.  Maybe so, but I do not think UPS is worried.

39. Mind-matter link: OVER.

40. __ marsala: Italian restaurant choice: VEAL.  I am stuck on pork chops and hamburger.  Worried about all the processing plant closures in the U.S.

41. Sniggler's catch: EELS.

43. Doodad: WHATSIS.

45. Desert illusion: MIRAGE.  Nice hotel in Las Vegas.  Expensive buffet though.

46. First game in a series: OPENER.  Still waiting for the MLB.  Of course we will need to see 6 feet of distance between fans.

47. War movie scene: BATTLE.  "In 1814 we took a little trip, along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississippi."

49. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.

50. Great Lakes natives for whom an Ohio county is named: MIAMIS.

52. Mission priest: PADRE.  San Diego MLB player.

55. Irreverent Don of talk radio: IMUS.  Never listened to him.

56. Turnpike division: LANE.

57. Make, as tea: BREW.  Milwaukee Baseball team, "The BREW Crew".

60. Tax whiz, briefly: CPA.

61. Sis' sib: BRO.

62. Online "Ha-ha!": LOL.  Not funny.

63. Come to a close: END.  This is it.  We made it.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Dear Agnes lost another sibling. Her sister Mary passed away last Monday. Here is the obit page. Thanks for the Legacy page, Spitzboov!. Here are the happy sisters at St Patrick's Day in 2019.

L-R: Anne, Agnes, Eileen, Mary, and Peggy.

 

Friday, April 12, 2019, Joe Kidd

Title: Do you speak Thai Oo? KA!

We have the first 2019 puzzle from Mr. Kidd after he had 6 last year. His specialty seems to be to add letters and today is no exception. The bigram "KA" is inserted at the beginning of a word in a two-word phrase to create a new and whimsical fill. The cluing is also all fun. This week the consistency is A-B-B-A, with 11-10-10-11 letter themers. The base phrases are Friday hard to parse but once you got one, they all should fall in place. He also includes ALOOFLY. BACKRUB, MIDTERM, ONE BALL, TRAFFIC COPS, and SUPER MODELS as sparkly long fill. Getting these words in the grid is what makes gridding the trickiest part of puzzle creation, to me. Time to review the theme and the rest of the creation.

17A. Energetic jug band performer?: KAZOO ANIMAL (11). We have had a few jug band references lately, and I still do not have any great link, but here you can LEARN HOW.

29A. Skewered food cooked vertically?: PLUMB KABOB (10). We have the kebab/kabob hurdle to overcome, and you must know about the art of the PLUMB BOB.

46A. Doesn't get fixed?: STAYS KAPUT (10). A phrase no one would ever use, but I think we all know the concept from the German kaputt, perhaps via Yiddish קאַפּוט (kaput, “lost, dead”). The same word has also been borrowed by many other languages.

56A. Wile E. Coyote purchases from Acme?: KABOOM BOXES (11). My favorite for so many reasons, including our new recurring theme of Wile E. and his efforts to blow poor Roadrunner to smithereens. WATCH. I also like smithereens. 

Across:

1. Building unit: ACRE. A tricky 1A, as lot size is not the first thing to come to mind.

5. "Oh yeah?": THAT SO? Missing an "IS"?

11. Pranks, in a way, for short: TPS. Toilet papers. I never understood the joy of wrapping houses in toilet paper.

14. Industrial portmanteau: SMOG. Smoke/fog.

15. Movie leads, often: HEROES. A vague answer that took a bit of perpage.

16. Narrow inlet: RIA. We have this very often.

19. Mtn. stat: ALT. Mountain statistic - altitude.

20. Lodge: INN.

21. With indifference: ALOOFLY. Not a word I ever use.

23. Western formation?: POSSE. A clip from THE LAST POSSE.

26. "See ya later": TATA. Did you all see this MOVIE?

28. Some distance away: AFAR.

31. Caine and Connery: SIRS. Michael and Sean.

32. __ rally: PEP. The ones I attended were not this fancy.

33. What snobs may put on: AIRS. And Birkenstocks?

34. "Up to 3,000 lights" brand: BIC. Well flic my bic!

35. Do business with: SELL TO. Buy from?

37. Mississippi source: ITASCA. Itasca is a word coined by Henry Schoolcraft as a name for Lake Itasca, the source of the Mississippi River. Schoolcraft coined the name from a combination of the Latin words veritas ("truth") and caput ("head").

40. Seminarian's subj.: RELigion.

41. Like-minded group: BLOC. I have had this a few time this year.

42. It's worn with a kimono: OBI. What do you get when Alec Guiness loses his sash - a Wan Kenobi?

44. Himalayan priest: LAMA. The one L.

49. Off-kilter: ALOP. perhaps my least favorite "A" word.

50. Weymouth of Talking Heads: TINA. This is a bit obscure, but the letters filled themselves.

51. Oxidizes: RUSTS. In case you wondered where rust comes from, it is a reddish- or yellowish-brown flaky coating of iron oxide that is formed on iron or steel by oxidation, especially in the presence of moisture.

52. Like some elections: MIDTERM. We had some last year.

54. "This is __ chance": OUR. No, it is your chance to write whatever you want, except religion, politics or personal attacks.

55. Cooler cooler: ICE. Cute clue- sorry Tin.

62. Zero, to Man U: NIL. British...CSO to all of our over the pond contributors.

63. Online investment service: ETRADE. In 1982, William A. Porter and Bernard A. Newcomb founded TradePlus in Palo Alto, California, with $15,000 in capital. In 1991, Porter and Newcomb founded E-Trade Securities, Inc., with several hundred thousand dollars of startup capital from TradePlus.

64. Loan default risk: REPO.

65. Remote cells: AAS. Yes, lost remotes use these.

66. One who's determined to lose: DIETER. Or those who buy Powerball tickets.

67. Server's edge: AD IN. Advantage.

Down:

1. Suggest, as a price: ASK. If you are doing business with someone.

2. Org. that voted Keith Urban 2018 Entertainer of the Year: CMA. Apparently, the result was shocking even to Australian Keith.

3. "Monsters, Inc." raspy-voiced undercover agent: ROZ. I watched the movie, but remember nothing from it.

4. "I" swelling?: EGOISM. Another cute clue.

5. Word of comparison: THAN.

6. Farm female: HEN. It is time the chicken got some props.

7. Jackie O's second: ARI.

8. Original V8 base: TOMATO. This has led to CONTROVERSY.

9. Aquanaut's workplace: SEALAB.

10. Nobel Institute city: OSLO.

11. They sometimes help relieve congestion: TRAFFIC COPS. A very nice misleading Friday clue/fill combo.

12. Vertical Parthenon component: PILLAR. Column has the same number of letters.

13. Mythical man-goats: SATYRS. In Greek mythology, a satyr, also known as a silenos, is a male nature spirit with ears and a tail resembling those of a horse, as well as a permanent, exaggerated erection. But in Roman representations, they are depicted as a man with a goat's ears, tail, legs, and horns

18. Yellow pool table item: ONE BALL.

22. Caravan stopover: OASIS. A must on all your desert adventures,

23. Maximally soft, in music: PPP. This term equals pianississimo. New to me.

24. Fútbol cheers: OLES.



25. Celebs on runways: SUPERMODELS. I do not think there are any real ones any more, just media creations.

26. Poi plant: TARO.

27. Hunk's pride: ABS.

30. Build-it-yourself buy: KIT. Hey, Dennis, how are you?

34. Massage parlor service: BACKRUB. We do not mention this subject around Robert Kraft.

36. Sprang: LEAPT.

37. Three-time NHL All-Star Kovalchuk: ILYA. An unknown, but here he is.

38. Talking-__: lectures: TOS.

39. Be up against: ABUT.

41. Disallow: BAN.

43. "__ a deal!": ITS.

44. Thin layer: LAMINA. Latin -a thin layer, plate, or scale of sedimentary rock, organic tissue, or other material.

45. Jodie Foster's birth name: ALICIA. Jodie Foster was born Alicia Christian Foster on November 19, 1962, in Los Angeles.

46. Low clouds: STRATI. Latin -  a cloud of a class characterized by a gray, horizontal layer with a uniform base, found at a lower altitude than altostratus, usually below 8000 feet.

47. Musical tone quality: TIMBRE. This is a nice word, characteristic quality of a musical sound, from French timbre "quality of a sound," earlier "sound of a bell,

48. Natural light show: AURORA.

53. Barely managed, with "out": EKED.

54. Traditional Passover barley offering: OMER. A very timely clue/fill. READ.

57. Granola kernel: OAT.

58. Keats creation: ODE.

59. Marked, as a ballot: XED.

60. Prefix with -logue: EPI. Not the center this time.

61. Male issue: SON.

Joe was all over the place with this one, but once again it is in the record books. We still do not know his story but he can make a fun puzzle. A rose by any other name. Thank you JK. Thank you all who read and write here at the corner.

Note from C.C.:

Happy 74th birthday to WikWak! Hope all is well, Chuck. 

Abejo, WikWak, Madame DeFarge & TTP 7/19/2018

Sunday December 16th, 2018 Joe Kidd

Theme:  "In Other Words" - Each word highlighted in red is an anagram of the clue. The other word in the theme entry is an indicator of the anagram gimmick.
 

23A. EARTH: HEART BROKEN. We've seen BROKEN HEART clued as "Earth" before. Or "Hater".

25A. AIDE: CRAZY IDEA.

49A. CRANED: EXOTIC DANCER.

83A. MISO: I'M SO CONFUSED.
  

106A. AMOUNT: ODD MAN OUT.

109A. FIENDISH: FINISHED OFF.

31D. SMITE: TROUBLED TIMES.

35D. RESIST: TWISTED SISTER.

When I spot the first theme clue, I thought this might be a definition type, which often has clues in caps.

This is a classic Sunday grid, with 8 entries totally 90 theme squares. Very manageable themage.

Across:

1. Pole, e.g.: SLAV.

5. Old toon feline with an alley gang: TOP CAT. Never heard of it.

11. Pro Football Hall of Fame state: OHIO. Canton, Ohio.

15. Moonwalker Shepard: ALAN.

19. Pad starter: HELI.

20. Stir up: AROUSE.

21. Early sci-fi captain: NEMO. Captain Nemo (Jules Verne).

22. Travels randomly: GADS.

27. Muss up, as hair: TOUSLE.

28. Soup kitchen service: FREE MEAL.

30. Leave slack-jawed: STUN.

32. Shrub with a purple fruit: SLOE. Looks like blueberries.

34. Lab dish eponym: PETRI.

38. Workout aftermath, often: SORENESS.

42. Grizzled seafarers: OLD SALTS.

47. Harmless cyst: WEN.

48. Eastern path: TAO. Literally "way". Same character as the "do" in Judo, which means "Gentle way".

51. You take them at your own risk: TIPS.

52. Kwik-E-Mart owner: APU.

53. Belief system: CREDO.

54. Bar assn. member: ATTY.

55. "Strange __ may seem ... ": AS IT.

56. Impediment: RUB.

57. Sugar portions: CUBES. Someone noticed the Snickers wrapper in my VA picture. So observant.

58. Bookstore adjuncts: CAFES.

60. Inscription on a spine: TITLE.

61. Tickled pink: PLEASED.

63. Tijuana toast: SALUD. SALUT in French.

64. Nursery rhyme girl: BO PEEP.

65. "Snowy" sight in Florida: EGRET.

66. Edible pockets: PITAS. Xi'an style. Best sandwich ever. The pork meat is slow-cooked for hours, with a few spices.

67. Carried on: WAGED.

68. Starts over: RE-DOES. Dupe: 116. No longer fastened: UNDONE.

70. Fixed looks: GAZES.

71. Vague discomfort: MALAISE. Low blood pressure people know how this feels.

73. They aren't pros: ANTIS.

74. More fetching: CUTER.

75. Some court pleas, for short: NOLOS. Nolo contendere.

76. Forbes rival: INC.

78. Hindu titles of respect: SRIS.

79. Party or movie ending: GOER.

80. City on the Ruhr: ESSEN.

81. Weekly talk with a msg.: SER. Sermon.

82. "Mad Men" actor Jon: HAMM.

87. La-la lead-in: TRA.

88. Clothing dept. size: LGE.

89. Like many an injured arm: IN A SLING.

90. Fail big-time: LAY AN EGG. I enjoyed the continued boiled egg thread in our blog. TTP is a serious foodie now.

92. Simple type of question: YES/NO.

94. La., once: TERR. OK, Louisiana Territory.

96. Less than hardly: NARY.

97. Like much FM radio: IN STEREO.

102. Keats and Shelley: ODISTS.

114. Aviation-related prefix: AERO.

115. Troll's cousin: OGRE. There's a lady in our flea market who sells these ugly trolls. Some are quite pricey.

117. Region: AREA.

118. Like positive outlooks: ROSY. 

119. Heckles: BOOS.

120. Tennis wear: SKORTS.

121. Oz. and lb.: QTYS.

Down:

1. Hospital reminder, perhaps: SHH. And 108. Hosp. personnel: DRS.

2. Protected side: LEE.

3. In the way of: A LA.

4. Patience, they say: VIRTUE.

5. House of Dana fragrance: TABU.

6. Rink star and a "Catch-22" pilot: ORRS.

7. Backyard party centerpiece: POOL.

8. Pickled veggies: CUKES. Graybar hosted the annual retiree Christmas luncheon on Thursday. I had some chicken noodle dish. Can you see the yellow flower decoration on the upper left? What's it called?

Boomer's Steak

9. Enzyme suffix: ASE. And 17. Soothing suffix for a hot day: ADE.

10. Like an increase from six to sixty: TENFOLD.

11. At some former time: ONCE.

12. "__ we go": HERE.

13. Mosque leader: IMAM.

14. Move like molasses: OOZE. Spitzboov eats oatmeal with molasses every morning.

15. Deft: AGILE.

16. Bloke: LAD.

18. Code-breaking org.: NSA.

24. Metric weight: TONNE.

26. Sounds at pounds: YAPS. Rhymes.

29. Hawthorne cover image: RED A.

30. Get all sudsy: SOAP UP.

33. El Pollo __: southwestern restaurant chain: LOCO.

36. Stack again: RE-PILE.

37. Boot part: INSTEP.

38. Take the main part: STAR.

39. They may be lame: EXCUSES.

40. Between-courses serving: SORBET. This looks refreshing.

41. Silver, for one: STEED.

43. Goof-ups: SNAFUS.

44. Made a scene?: ACTED. Great clue.

45. "Why don't we?": LET'S.

46. Crack: TRY.

50. Some entrance requirements: IDS.

51. Asian island capital: TAIPEI. Below are Chinese characters. The top is how Taipei is written in Taiwan. The bottom is how it's written in Mainland China.

57. Gives a hoot: CARES. Boomer loved the email from Janet (Prairie Woman on our blog). Fighting cancer is indeed very much a mental game.

58. Do wedding work: CATER.

59. Word said with a sigh: ALAS.

60. Senate wear: TOGAS. Roman Senate.

62. Conceit: EGOISM.

63. Concern for a tailor: SIZE.

64. "Horsefeathers!": BALONEY. Another great fill.

66. Security guard's duty: PATROL.

67. Solidarity leader Lech: WALESA. Won Nobel Peace in 1983. 

68. Without thinking: RASHLY.

69. Cause to turn red, maybe: ENRAGE.

70. Stab: GUESS.

71. Iraqi city on the Tigris: MOSUL.

72. "E" in a classic equation: ENERGY.

74. Extended time out?: COMA. We normally see the "Food ___" clue angle.

75. Abbr. on a bounced check: NSF.

77. Rocky outcropping: CRAG.

79. Collins ingredient: GIN.

80. Software pro, in want ads: ENGR.

84. Name in a footnote: CITE.

85. A trusted friend: ONE OF US.

86. "Inferno" poet: DANTE.

89. New Rochelle college: IONA.

91. Tech-heavy exchange: NASDAQ. Still up for the year.

93. "In Search of..." host: NIMOY. Unaware of the series.

95. Lively movement: RONDO.

98. Pretentious sort: SNOB.

99. Like drive-thru orders: TOGO.

100. Mark's replacement: EURO. German Mark.

101. Fwys., e.g.: RTES.

103. Couture giant: DIOR.

104. "It __ my fault": ISN'T.

105. Hens and heifers: SHES.

106. Galley need: OAR.

107. __ volente: DEO.

110. Press agent's goal: INK.

111. Scrap for Rover: ORT.

112. "30 Rock" creator: FEY (Tina)

113. B-flats in an F major scale: FAS.

Boomer Updates:

We met Dr. Thomas Downs on Wednesday. Boomer's PSA is now 3.29. It was 11.25 on Nov 14, 2018. We're very happy with the progress.

Boomer will have another blood draw on Dec 27th and every month in 2019. They need to closely monitor his liver and kidney due to Zytiga (chemo drug), which Boomer will continue to take every day.

The radiation is still working. Boomer's back continues to feel better. He'll be back to his beloved bowling lane tomorrow morning.

C.C.

Friday October 26, 2018, Joe Kidd

Title: There may be no I in "team", but the I must be added!

After being confronted with a 4 letter addition last week, we only have one little letter and some very amusing clue/fill combinations. This is my first exposure to Joe Kidd, perhaps a Nom de Plume of a shy constructor who likes Clint Eastwood. It is also his 6th LAT to go with a single NYT, for which no picture was run. He sticks in some nice fill like  HOGTIED, I MADE IT, NATALIE and TURN OFF but shines with two that are new to the Corner since the change to the LAT - CREATE A STIR and INCOME TAXES. I do not think I have had a puzzle with 5 eleven space theme fill before. Overall, it seemed easy, with many toeholds, but YMMV.

17A. Cheeky server?: FRESH WAITER (11). The base phrase - FRESH WATER -  I like the cheeky server.

26A. Bro on the go?: MOBILE HOMIE (11).  The base phrase - MOBILE HOME - I love mobile homie!

37A. European auto left out in the rain?: SATURATED FIAT (13). The base phrase - SATURATED FAT -Cute.

49A. Food for thought? : BRAIN MUFFIN (11). The base phrase - BRAN MUFFIN - A RECIPE. Or THIS.

58A. Result of a yank prank?: WEDGIE ISSUE (11). The base phrase - WEDGE ISSUE - a divisive political issue, especially one that is raised by a candidate for public office in hopes of attracting or alienating an opponent's supporters. I have seen nothing but attack ads, with no attempt to put forth a platform. If you have never had your underwear tugged, this would be obscure.

Across:

1. Decision-making tool: COIN. I flip you for it.

5. Slips in pots: CHITS. A chit is a tab or an IOU, a record of money owed. Your neighborhood deli might give you a chit the end of each week, letting you know how much you owe for your daily bagels.

10. Assure, as victory: ICE.

13. One of four on a keyboard: ARROW. Just to the right of the letters.

15. Comics unit: PANEL.

16. Nice handle?: NOM. The French city misdirection.

19. Call from a cote: COO.  I think they mean the birdhouses built for doves (pigeons) but I would prefer this cooing.

20. Former Rocket Ming: YAO. My Oo is actually named Thongyao.

21. Hanoi holiday: TET. More Asian information.

22. "NBC Nightly News" anchor Lester: HOLT.

23. Sgt.'s underling: PFC.

29. Alienate: TURN OFF. Extreme.

31. Creator of many word lists: ROGET. Mr. Thesauras.

32. Sailing: ASEA.

33. Stately shaders: ELMS. "The stately Elm spreads its arms, rejoicing in its strength."

36. '40s Giant manager: OTT. Melvin Thomas Ott, nicknamed "Master Melvin", was an American professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball as a right fielder for the New York Giants, from 1926 through 1947. He was a very successful PLAYER as well.  His puzzle counterpart is 2D. Nine-time NHL All-Star: ORR.

41. Draw at a pub: TAP. Beer is back on Friday.

42. Weight adjustment factor: TARE. Tare weight is accounted for in kitchen, analytical (scientific), and other weighing scales which include a button that resets the zero of the scale display when an empty container is placed on the weighing platform, in order to subsequently display only the weight of the contents of the container. Dict.

43. One no longer serving: EX-GI.

45. Prove to be untrue: BELIE.

47. Late arriver's cry: I MADE IT.

52. Airport near OAK: SFO. Oakland and San Francisco are easy MSY is hard.

53. Outwit, as a tail: LOSE.

54. Taker of ppm measurements: EPA. Parts Per Million. Environmental Protection Agency.

55. Dorm room, perhaps: STY. I am so tired of this FEBREZE commercial.

57. Bad picnic omen: ANT. That seems harsh; you go sit where they live.

63. B.S. part: Abbr.: SCIence.

64. Oven setting: BROIL. I wondered why when you wanted to roast the turkey you set the oven to broil.

65. Put an end to: CEASE. And desist.

66. Rocky outcropping: TOR. A word I learned from puzzles, which is also known by geomorphologists as either a castle koppie or kopje, is a large, free-standing rock outcrop that rises abruptly from the surrounding smooth and gentle slopes of a rounded hill summit or ridge crest. Wiki.

67. AAA and NRA: ASSNS.

68. Bar shelf lineup: RYES. I have never seen an array of rye whiskey in any bar.


Down:

1. Half-__: coffee choice: CAF. Half-assed?

3. Aran Islands country: Abbr.: IREland. The Aran Islands are located just off Galway and Doolin. A true Irish experience awaits, locals, speak Irish as well as English in a setting of Celtic churches of historical significance including World Heritage site Dun Aonghasa which is set on a dramatic 300 ft cliff edge.

4. Prone to prying: NOSY.

5. Many an IRS e-file user: CPA.

6. 1492 landing site, now: HAITI. The HISTORY of this island called AYTI by the natives is more complex than most know.

7. Gathering of spies: INTEL. Not where but what.

8. Show instability: TEETER. Totter.

9. Hasselblad product: SLR. Single Lens Reflex.

10. 5-Down's concern: INCOME TAXES.

11. "Chillax!": COOL IT.

12. Act to excess: EMOTE. I have never liked this clue/fill.

14. Hula Hoop manufacturer: WHAMO.

18. Sound system component: WOOFER. Tweeter before the twits took control.

22. Rendered immobile: HOGTIED. The hogtie when used on pigs and cattle has it where three of the four limbs are tied together, as tying all four together is difficult and can result in harm to the animal. More rodeo, see 45D.

23. Student advocacy gp.: PTA.

24. Ruckus: FUSS. Next to

25. Shake things up: CREATE A STIR. Quite a nice phrase, though all I can find online is Cause a Stir.

27. Key of Beethoven's Second Piano Concerto: B-FLAT.

28. Horseshoe holder: HOOF. I nailed this answer.

30. Merchant of 10,000 Maniacs: NATALIE. And much more. LINK.

34. Kingston Trio hit with the lyric "Fight the fare increase!": MTA. Poor Charlie.

35. Letter enhancement: SERIF. Serifs are semi-structural details or small decorative flourishes on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols. An example would be the Times New Roman font. Sans serif does not have these details or flourishes. An example would be the Arial font.

38. Go __ smoke: UP IN.

39. End that may be untimely: DEMISE. An odd clecho with...

40. End-of-week exclamation: TGIF.

44. Midori on the ice: ITO.

45. Bouncy ride, to say the least: BRONCO. It is kind of fun when the horse wins.

46. Arab bigwigs: EMEERS.

48. Bit of tomfoolery: ANTIC. If you give in to your wild side, you will often have a ...

49. Rollicking good time: BLAST.

50. Prom night coifs: UPDOS.

51. Dickens bad guy: FAGIN.  This fictional character is one of the villains in Charles Dickens’s novel Oliver Twist (1837–39) and one of the most notorious anti-Semitic portraits in English literature.

56. River in western Belgium: YSER. Made famous in World War I. LINK.

58. Org. for pugilists: WBA. The World Boxing Association is the oldest and one of four major organizations which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the IBF, WBC, and WBO. wiki.

59. They, in Tours: ILS. Just some more French.

60. "Suppose ... ": SAY.  These three letter fill are not simple/

61. Play for a fool: USE.

Joe Kidd was back and no Kidding around. Like I said, I went pretty fast for a Friday but had a good time. Maybe Mr. Kidd will overcome his shyness and come to the Corner to say hi. If not, we will soldier on. Thank you all and until next time- Lemonade out.

Sunday Jul 15, 2018 Joe Kidd

Theme: "Watt's Happening"- W is added to each theme entry.

24A. Unsteady walk while using social media?: TWEETER TOTTER. Teeter-totter.

38A. Lowly short-order cook?: FRYING PAWN. Frying pan.

58A. Bawdier Bavarian britches?: LEWDER HOSEN. Lederhosen.

79A. Beefcake's breakfast: BRAWN FLAKES. Bran flakes.

98A. Return from a salamander farm?: NEWT PROFIT. Net profit.

116A. Drawback of the best place to watch the fight?: RINGSIDE SWEAT. Ringside seat.

3D. Dessert for a large legal firm?: TRIPLE-LAWYER CAKE. Triple-layer cake.

42D. Number for the weight-conscious?: LOW-CAL ANESTHETIC. Local anesthetic.

Can anyone explain the title to me? I don't get it.

We have a relative theme-heavy grid again. Total 100 theme squares. Themage under 95 probably won't cut it for Rich these days.

40 three-letter entries is a bit high. Rich prefers them to be in the low 30s.

Across:

1. Beginning: OUTSET. Apt start.

7. Arnold's Terminator, e.g.: CYBORG.

13. Arboretum feature: SHADE.

18. Some ski lodges: A-FRAMES.

20. Longhorn rivals: SOONERS.

22. __ Island: CONEY.

23. Pratt & Whitney helicopter engine with two power sections: TWIN-PAC. Learning moment for me.

26. Fuel for a lorry: PETROL.

28. Leslie Caron title role: LILI.

29. "Count me in!": I'M THERE.

30. Field in acting: SALLY.  Sally Field.

32. Detroit labor org.: UAW. United Automobile Workers. We also have 2D. Agric. labor group: UFW. United Farm Workers.

34. Prefix meaning "billionth": NANO.

36. In reserve, with "on": ICE.

37. It tops a deuce: TREY.

41. 24 minutes, in the NBA: HALF.

44. Tommy's kid brother on "Rugrats": DIL. Wiki says "The show focuses on a group of toddlers, most prominently Tommy, Chuckie, twins Phil and Lil, and Angelica, and their day-to-day lives..."

45. Marquis __: DE SADE.

46. Enjoy courses: EAT.

48. 1840s Rhode Island rebellion leader Thomas: DORR. Unknown to me.

50. In short order: ANON.

52. Nasty storm: NOR'EASTER.

56. Popeye's __'Pea: SWEE.

57. Victorious shout: I WON.

60. X x XXX: CCC. Fun clue.

61. Storage compartments: BAYS. New meaning to me.

62. Sandburg's "little cat feet" arrival: FOG.

63. Mauna __: KEA.

64. Trembling: ASHAKE. Not a word I use.

66. Intellectual: IDEAMONGER. Not a word I use.

70. Deficiencies: SHORTFALLS.

73. Words with a gift: FOR YOU. So in love with this cleansing balm.

74. Lambaste: RIP.

76. Yield as a return: PAY.

77. Fannie __: securities: MAES.

78. Frodo pursuer: ORC.

84. Ilsa __: "Casablanca" heroine: LUND. Such a sweet movie.

85. "... giant __ for mankind": LEAP.

87. Like top Michelin ratings: THREE-STAR. Never been to a Michelin-rated place. You?

88. Toondom's Le Pew: PEPE.

89. Flood barrier: DIKE.

90. "Ahem" relative: HEY.

91. Spoke: ORATED.

93. Maple extract: SAP. Santa loved their locally produced maple syrup.

96. Big top, for one: TENT.

102. Work unit: Abbr.: FT LB.

103. __ Bo: TAE.

105. Stadium reaction: ROAR.

106. PC hookup: LAN.

107. Thai currency: BAHTS. They don't pluralize Baht in Bangkok. Ask Oo.

108. Easily bent: PLIABLE.

112. Kristen of "Bridesmaids": WIIG. She will be in the next "Wonder Woman".

114. Nullify: NEGATE. Also 125. Contradictory word: WASN'T.

119. Dispute decider: ARBITER.

122. En pointe, in ballet: ON TOE.

123. Give an oath to: SWEAR IN.

124. Enlarging, as a hole: REAMING.

126. Some Dadaist paintings: ERNSTS.

127. Brings honor to: GRACES.

Down:

1. Bit in a horse's mouth?: OAT. Spitzboov has oatmeal every morning.

4. In a reasonable manner: SANELY.

5. What "E" may mean: EMPTY.

6. Get emotional, with "up": TEAR.

7. Wisconsin winter hrs.: CST. D-Otto grew up in Marion, WI.

8. Distressed cry: YOWL.

9. Enola Gay manufacturer: BOEING.

10. Track circuit: ONE LAP.

11. Eye layer: RETINA.

12. M.A. seeker's hurdle: GRE.

13. Ben Nevis, e.g.: SCOTCH. Not familiar with the brand. 

14. Easily riled types: HOTHEADS. Boomer is one.

15. It's tossed into a pot: ANTE.

16. Road sign ruminant: DEER. We spot a deer roaming in Springbrook trails a few times. Haven't been there after Boomer tripped on a tree root and fell down a few weeks ago. Too many tree roots there.

17. Thornfield Hall governess: EYRE.

19. Searches carefully: SCOURS.

21. Indian term of respect: SRI.

25. "Didn't wanna know that!": TMI.

27. Bomb big-time: LAY AN EGG.

30. Like A/C in most cars: STD.

31. Radio host Shapiro: ARI. "All Things Considered" co-host.

33. Heiress, perhaps: WIDOW.

35. Have credit from: OWE TO.

38. Marshland: FEN.

39. Uncool one who lately is sort of cool: NERD. GEEK too.

40. Scot's nots: NAES. Also 51. Lack of influence: NO SAY.

43. Like Howdy Doody's face: FRECKLED.

45. Crime boss: DON. We also have 67. Crowd around: MOB.

47. Accord: TREATY.

49. Judge's announcement: RECESS.

53. Comics scream: EEK.

54. Warring son of Zeus: ARES. God of war.

55. Bygone Persian title: SHAH. Abejo worked in Iran for some time. Was the Amazon job too stressful, Abejo?

57. "Don't change anything!": I ADORE IT.

58. Actor Chaney: LON.

59. Disturbing bank msg.: NSF.

61. Like some closet doors: BI-FOLD. OK, like this.

62. Last down: FOURTH.

65. Exaggerate on stage: HAM UP.

68. Coastal raptor: ERNE.

69. Overflowing: RIFE.

71. Met regular: OPERA FAN. We have different kinds of operas in China. The most famous is Beijing opera. We also have local operas in Guangzhou and Xi'an. They sing in Cantonese and local Xi'an dialect.

72. Dorm VIPs: RAS.

75. Polite online letters: PLS.

80. "Two owls and __": Lear limerick line: A HEN.

81. More twisted: WRYER.

82. Suffix for fabric: ATOR. Just fabricator. Not a suffix that meaning "fabric".

83. Pope John Paul II's given name: KAROL. Forgot.

84. Went before: LED.

86. Big brass container?: PENTAGON. Another great clue.

88. Favored one: PET.

92. Karaoke performer's problem: TIN EAR.

94. PC key under Z: ALT.

95. "Masterpiece" airer: PBS.

97. Word processing function: TAB SET.

99. Humdinger: WOWSER. Same letter count as DOOZIE.

100. Formosa, now: TAIWAN. Jayce's old haunt. Taiwan has the best snacks. Guangzhou has the best food.

101. Buttinskies: PRIERS.

102. Bluebeard's last wife: FATIMA. Did not know the name. Read the story here. Quite scary.

104. Rooter for the Bulldogs: ELI.

107. Picture book pachyderm: BABAR.

108. Figurehead spot: PROW.

109. Director Wertmüller: LINA.

110. QBs' stats: INTS. Intersections. (Correction: Interceptions.)

111. Mag honchos: EDS.

113. Walk or trot: GAIT.

115. Norman on the links: GREG. "The Shark".

117. Girl in the pasture: EWE.

118. Shipping wts.: TNS.

120. Vegas-to-Denver dir.: ENE.

121. Some NFL linemen: RGS. Right guards.

Here is a selfie of Big Easy's grandson Joshua with the new Wimbledon Singles champion Angelique Kerber. The picture was taken a few months ago when Joshua met Kerber in Miami.

Does anyone have a tip on how to get rid of a small yellow food stain on white pants? I tried baking soda, vinegar, even spray on with WD 40, the stain is still there. I don't even know how I got the stain. I don't eat curry or use turmeric in cooking.

C.C.