Theme: SEESAWS (39. Vacillates ... or what you can do when you look at the starts of the answers to starred clues?)
17A. *Trendy terms: BUZZWORDS. Buzzsaw.
60A. *Popular cause to jump on: BANDWAGON. Band saw.
11D. *Mall anchors: CHAIN STORES. Chainsaw.
25D. *Game with paddles: TABLE TENNIS. Table saw.
Boomer here.
Hello everyone. Last week we ventured into Western Wisconsin for a birthday trip and to SEE a casino. Instead we SAW beautiful landscape and fall colors as we crossed the St. Croix river. The St. Croix Casino was nothing that we have not SEEn before, but we had a good time.
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| Boomer, St Croix Casino Turtle Lake, 10/26/2021 |
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9. Young fellow, in Ireland: BUCKO. The casino machines accepted a BUCK. Sometimes it paid back 50 cents.
14. Square footage, say: AREA. I watch a bit of NFL football, I am amazed at the AREA taken up by some of these stadiums. The playing field, then the seating for the ticket holders, and the parking AREA.
15. Mama's mate: DADA.
16. Rapper Ice Cube's first name: O'SHEA. Jackson.
19. Cardinals and Orioles: TEAMS. Talkin' baseball. The Washington Football team does not have a name.
20. Runs in, cop-style: ARRESTS. George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis. Two of the cops involved are still awaiting trial
22. Ready for picking: RIPE. A great time of year for apples and other fruit.
23. Passage in a personal journal: ENTRY. I have never used a journal. Now at my age I do not remember everything.
26. Runs at full speed: SPRINTS. I certainly do not do this anymore.
28. College courtyard: QUAD.
29. Guerrilla Guevara: CHE.
32. Curtain holders: RODS. I remember installing in our home twenty or more years ago. They are still up so I must have done something right.
33. Cities, informally: URBS. I don't know about this. I thought they were called "BURBS".
34. "(Marie's the Name) __ Latest Flame": Elvis hit: HIS.
35. Dutch beer brand: AMSTEL. When you say BUD you've said a lot of things nobody else can say.
38. Silent communication syst.: ASL.
41. Mine find: ORE. Or a state south of Washington.
42. Eyed lecherously: LEERED.
44. Rose of Guns N' Roses: AXL.
45. Not kosher: TREF.
46. Elevated on a peg, as a golf ball: TEED. TEED off when you hit it, and TEED off when you miss the putt.
47. Hoped-for response to a marriage proposal: YES.
48. Splinter group: SECT.
49. Mongoose family member: MEERKAT.
52. Needing practice: RUSTY. My bowling has been a bit RUSTY but I am working on it. Time off for Covid was brutal.
53. Luxury hotel: OMNI. Tiny Dodge in the 1980s
54. Ketchup-and-mayo dressing: RUSSIAN. I've never heard of Russian dressing.
58. Title film cousin: VINNY. Gambini with Joe Pesci
64. Formal "Just me": IT IS I. IT IS what it is.
65. Lake with the same first and last letter: ERIE.
66. Long skirt: MAXI.
67. German steel city: ESSEN. Population over half a million.
68. Pro __: in proportion: RATA.
69. Fan favorite: IDOL. Pop singer Billy with punk rock hair.
Down:
2. Christian sch. in Tulsa: ORU. Oral Roberts University.
3. States, slangily: SEZ. Just SAYS spelled wrong.
4. Ventures, as a guess: HAZARDS. Ponds and Sand Traps.
5. Skunk's defense: ODOR. I consider to be lucky to have never encountered a SKUNK.
6. Naked: BARE.
7. Betting ratios: ODDS. I believe the ODDS at the Casino we visited were are quite a bit in the casino's favor.
8. Divisions for the Yanks and Mets: EASTS.
9. Automated spam sender: BOT.
10. Log-in needs: USER IDS. I tried to develop passwords that were easy to remember but I cannot remember everything!!
12. Well-groomed: KEMPT.
13. Desert havens: OASES.
18. Dryly humorous: WRY. A crossword talking about me ??
21. Spreads out one's arms and legs: SPRAWLS. Great activity on a beach of one of Minnesota lakes. Not too much fun in the winter though.
23. Math sign: EQUAL. I used to always say it with an "S".
24. Hospital worker: NURSE. A thankless job, especially with the pandemic going on.
27. CD-__: data holders: ROMS.
29. Cracker cheese: CHEDDAR. I always need a little on top of the Mozzarella on a pizza.
30. Rush, old-style: HIE.
31. Op-ed piece, e.g.: ESSAY. I always skip the Op-eds in the Minneapolis paper. Not interested in others' opinion.
36. Upright: ERECT.
37. Southpaw: LEFTY. Great reference which never made any sense.
39. Search for: SEEK.
40. Chopping tool: AXE.
43. Get the rest of the soap out of: RE-RINSE. I need to perform this task because I still have real hair.
45. Tidal wave cousin: TSUNAMI.
49. Theater feature: MOVIE. It's been a long time since C.C. and I have attended a movie. Normally you can wait a few months and it's on TV.
50. Radiates: EMITS.
51. Potato or yam: TUBER. Odd name for a vegetable.
52. Uncooked: RAW.
55. __ Lee: dessert brand: SARA. Everybody doesn't like something, but nobody doesn't like Sara Lee.
56. Sulky state: SNIT. I will not mention politics.
57. "Good thinking!" thought: IDEA.
59. Yang's partner: YIN.
61. Wander (about): GAD.
62. Kitchen tool brand: OXO. A line in a tic tac toe puzzle.
63. Naught: NIL.
Boomer
