Saturday, July 23, 2016

Sunday, July 24, 2016, C.C. Burnikel

Title: Getting Connected 

Our lovely leader has made a fun puzzle whose gimmick was finding two-word phrases where the first word ended in US and the second word started with a B. This yielded the now ubiquitous computer connection acronym of USB (Universal Serial Bus).  Our crafty constructor C.C. also hid the reveal in the very last clue in the puzzle:


120. PC connection found in this puzzle's eight longest answers : USB


Husker Gary here and I am, as Lemon put it once, sherping for C.C. and revealing that I needed the reveal because


128. "I'm an idiot!" : DOH!


The back of this PC shows many common connection options including  6 USB ports




Theme  Fills:


21. Omaha Steaks Private Reserve product : ANGUS BEEF - I'm sure you've got a great steak outlet 20 min from your house  like I do!




27. 2009 recession response : STIMULUS BILL - Staying apolitical, I'll let you decide if it works for you


14. Sacred conviction : RELIGIOUS BELIEF - Staying areligious, I'll let you decide if it works for you


43. Gillette razor for women : VENUS BREEZE -  Gel Bars obviate the need for shaving cream, I read.


92. Eponymous explorer of the Aleutians : VITUS BERING - A 1981 Russian stamp honoring the 300 birthday of Bering  in Denmark. He joined the Russian Navy  in 1704




111. Department of Commerce division : CENSUS BUREAU - Very interesting projection from the Bureau



119. Apple Store support station : GENIUS  BAR- Sheldon, in Big Bang Theory, said this job devalues the word GENIUS and is as mundane as a toll booth operator or waitress 



42. Not something to kid about : SERIOUS BUSINESS


Let's see other connections our brilliant Minneapolis friend has for us:


Across


1. Abbr. for an unfilled slot : TBA

4. Limber : AGILE


9. Literally meaning "stick," it's the first word in a California city named for a 1,000-year-old redwood : PALO - PALO (Stick) Alto (Tall). Learning for me.




13. Bowler's edge : BRIM -  My favorite bowler donner and doffer 



17. Hotfooted it : RAN


18. Merged oil giant : MOBIL


19. Contentious encounter : RUN IN


20. Soft leather : SUEDE - Why were Carl and Elvis so sensitive about these?



23. "Love it!" : I LIKE

24. Dealt __: devastated : A BLOW


25. One doing a bank job? : PERP


26. Protest topics: Abbr. : RTS and 35. Folk legend Joan : BAEZ - She famously sang We Shall Overcome in support of Civil RTS


29. #1 thriller on AFI's "100 Years...100 Thrills" : PSYCHO - As we learned here recently, Bosco was used for blood




31. Stepped to the plate : BATTED


32. Thick carpet : SHAG


33. Bloomingdale's rival : SAKS


36. Mom in the woods : DOE


37. Boiling state : IRE - Different from 49 Across's scale




40. Start to sing? : ESS


47. Hustle : SCOOT


49. Celsius, e.g. : SWEDE - Not a SCALE. It's recently been around 37˚C here. Ugh!


51. Blond shade : ASH


52. Try to quiet, as a persistent squeak : REOIL


54. Jamaican spirits : RUMS


55. Caesar's land : TERRA - 200 years after Caesar, Ptolemy made this map of the world and TERRA Incognita




56. Poorly paid workers : PEONS


59. Parks on a bus : ROSA - The only tired I was, was tired of giving in


60. Best Play, e.g. : ESPY - This year's winner was the Packer's Hail Mary pass to beat the Lions




61. Morphine is one : OPIATE


63. Sailor's guardian : ST ELMO


65. Easygoing sort : TYPE-B


67. Dockside activity : STOWING


69. Shower with flowers, say : WOO by a 94. Steady : BEAU?


70. Incline to a higher level : SLOPE UP - This is a modern day picture of what is called the Music Box Stairs in LA. I'll bet you remember famous comedy team that used them in a 1932 movie and what they were moving up these stairs.




73. Let loose : UNTIE


74. "Knock that off!" : STOP IT - Rare is the parent who hasn't uttered these words!


77. Artemis' twin brother : APOLLO


78. Private place? : BASE


80. Subj. for a future vet : ANAT


82. Enclose, as livestock : PEN IN  Now wait a minute...




84. Work outfits for many : SUITS - It started that way in teaching but has devolved into Goodwill chic


85. Pop foursome formed in Stockholm : ABBA


86. E! Online subject : CELEB


88. "Get it?" : SEE - Edward G. Robinson said "SEE" but not "Yeah, SEE"


89. Development areas : UTERI


90. Unfocused images : BLURS - Does  this 48. Give you the willies : CREEP OUT?




96. Oft-chewed item : FAT


97. "You got it!" : YES - The rain in Spain does stay mainly in the plain!


98. Children's advocate LeShan : EDA


100. Will of "The Waltons" : GEER - Grandpa Walton


101. Indian bread : NAAN


103. Shakespearean deceiver : IAGO - Edwin Booth as IAGO in 1871. Yup, he was that guy's  brother




105. Bewhiskered test subject : LAB RAT 


107. Cue : PROMPT


114. Look good on : FIT


116. Taverna sandwich : GYRO - Here ya go...




117. Type of daisy : OXEYE


118. Readily available : ON TAP


121. Basilica recesses : APSES


122. Can't stop loving : ADORE


123. Itty-bitty bits : ATOMS


124. Periodontist's org. : ADA


125. Like many a cause : LOST


126. Madre's hermanos : TIOS - Mi madre tenía tres hermanos (Mom had 3 brothers). Por lo tanto yo tenía tres tíos (Therefore, I had 3 uncles)


127. Brightest star in Cygnus : DENEB





Down


1. "The Sound of Music" family name : TRAPP


2. Ruinations : BANES


3. Ticked off : ANGRY


4. Morning hrs. : AMS


5. Lose it all : GO BROKE


6. "Yeah, right!" : I BET


7. Polygraph blips, perhaps : LIES - "Yes, I'll still respect you in the morning!"




8. Tolkien race member : ELF


9. Prize administered by Columbia University : PULITZER


10. Cartoon style : ANIME


11. Party headed by Netanyahu : LIKUDHebrew for consolidation


12. First-year J.D. student : ONE-L


13. Two-time Masters champ Watson : BUBBA - After winning $1.6M at the 2012 Master's, "plain eating" BUBBA celebrated that night at a Waffle House leaving a $148 tip




15. Much-loved star : IDOL


16. Kitten cry : MEWL


19. Cowboy singer Tex : RITTER


20. Military bands : SASHES


22. Lines at Walmart? : UPC'S - I miss prices on items a little


27. 9-5 automaker : SAAB


28. Troop entertainment gp. : USO - In season 10, they made it to M*A*S*H 4077




30. Dig in : HAVE AT IT


31. Air rifle ammo : BB SHOT


34. Easy A, say : SNAP


36. Paine and Hugo, philosophically : DEISTS - Reading Paine's Age Of Reason might challenge your RELIGIOUS BELIEFS


38. Lopsided win : ROMP - The Husker's undefeated 1995 National Champions  41. Won every game : SWEPT in 12 ROMPS


39. Crafts website : ETSY - For a long time, I wanted this to be E-[something] that made sense


40. These, to Luis : ESTOS


44. Puts to work : USES


45. Architect Saarinen : EERO - I'll bet you recognize this wonderful EERO design




46. Madhouse : ZOO


50. Close in : DRAW NEAR 


53. Clapton classic : LAYLA


57. Eye of __: "Macbeth" witches' ingredient : NEWT - Let me be the first...




58. Regatta racer : SLOOP


62. Pioneering computer : ENIAC - Only one Scrabble letter above 1 point


64. Wear a long face : MOPE - Advice to Washington Senators from the Broadway stage - You gotta have hope, Mustn't sit around and MOPE!


66. Lifestyle website targeting female millennials : POPSUGAR 




68. Palais des Nations locale : GENEVA


71. Extreme : ULTRA


72. Assume as fact : POSIT


74. "Ignore this change" : STET - "Forget 87 and put Fourscore and Seven back in"


75. Many a Sunday magazine : INSERT 


76. Coliseum section : TIER


78. Crib sheet user : BABY


79. __-bodied : ABLE


81. Baba or a boxer : ALI


83. "Fat chance, Friedrich!" : NEIN


87. Sources of irritation : BUGBEARS - Nowadays, Dungeons and Dragons heavies 




91. Seamless changes : SEGUES


93. Colorful wrap : SERAPE - Not a Muumuu as it turns out


95. Part of a preschool schedule : NAP TIME


99. Peruvian pair : DOS


102. Yuletide drinks : NOGS - For years mom made this for me at Yuletide because she thought I loved it. Uh, not so much.


104. Until now : AS YET


105. Day after dimanche : LUNDI - "Subway, Work, Sleep" "Like a typical Monday" 



106. Mischievous droid, familiarly : ARTOO - The surname is DETOO


108. "Sorry about that" : MY BAD


109. Home of Velázquez' "Las Meninas" : PRADO - Madrid Museum




110. Holy scroll : TORAH


111. Its burning is a major source of Beijing smog : COAL


112. Fair : EXPO


113. Place for a row : BOAT


114. Big bash : FETE


115. Aware of : IN ON


119. Roam (about) : GAD


Now for some CHIVALROUS BANTER from the GRACIOUS BUNCH that frequent this littleftype Kool-Aid word stand of ours:



GRID: