Sunday December 14, 2014 Paul Hunsberger

Theme:  "Eureka Moments" - Common phrases are re-interpreted as what the inventor did when/before/after he invented the said item in the clue.

 23A. In inventing his elevator, Otis __ : ROSE TO THE OCCASION

31A. Nervously testing his new invention, the Aqua-Lung, Cousteau __ :

TOOK A DEEP BREATH

 54A. In inventing the hot air balloon, the Montgolfier brothers __ : GOT CARRIED AWAY. I like this entry the most.

 89A. Tired, but pleased to have invented the air conditioner, Carrier __ : COOLED HIS HEELS

105A. Proving his invention of the joy buzzer to be a complete success, Adams __ :

SHOCKED EVERYONE

118A. Immediately upon inventing the box camera (but not the lens cap), Eastman __ :

SNAPPED HIS FINGERS. This kind of "His" dupes are allowed in the theme selection.

16D. After inventing the forerunner to the modern toilet, Harington __ :

FLUSHED WITH PRIDE. So I did not know who Harington is, and googled "Flushed with Pride", and this guy Thomas Crapper came up. Gosh, what a name!

 39D. To celebrate inventing his revolutionary engine, Watt __ : BLEW OFF SOME STEAM

I'm so in awe of Paul's creativity in coming up with 8 long theme entries and his skill in designing and filling this grid with only 140 words and 70 black squares.

There are total 124 theme squares. The two Down 16's intersect two of the long Across entries. I could not imagine what would happen if Rich nixed one of his theme answers. This grid would be extraordinarily hard if he could not make the intersection happen. The gridding would be a nightmare.

  

Across:

1. Squabble : TIFF. Or SPAT.

5. "Dr. Strangelove" subject : A-BOMB

10. Packs again, at the checkout : RE-BAGS

16. Tasseled top : FEZ

19. Shivering state : AGUE

20. Lite to the max : NO-CAL. In the old days, I'd put down ??EST first.

21. Sellers of used texts : ALUMNI. Used text books, right? Unheard of in my college days. Our textbooks were very cheap.

22. Vientiane local : LAO

26. Troop-lifting gp. : USO

27. 1985, for Marty McFly : PRESENT. Needed crossing help. I never watched Back to the Future series.

28. Producer of steamy fare? : WOK. Sweet clue. Do you own a wok, D-Otto?

29. Some dorm rooms : MESSES

37. Open, as a deadbolt : UNBAR

 41. Oscar winner Sorvino : MIRA. She speaks Chinese.

42. Square on a game square : TILE. I like this clue also.

 

43. Winning the lottery, for most : DREAM. Our old neighbor won $100K and ended up bankrupt.

46. Soft wood : BALSA

47. Saw logs : SNORE

49. Periodontist's concern : GUMS

51. Old Norse poetry collection : EDDA

52. Black Sea port : ODESSA

57. Old Sony brand : AIWA

58. GoPro product, briefly : CAM. They're everywhere.

60. New branch : SHOOT

61. Thin plate : LAMINA

62. Enterprise counselor : TROI.  Star Trek.

63. Fonda's title beekeeper : ULEE. Ulee's Gold. Great movie. Detoxing is hard.

65. Concert finish? : INA. Concertina.

66. Banned bug spray : DDT

67. Slew : TON

68. Roadside light : FLARE

70. Vein locales : MINES

72. Hal who produced Laurel and Hardy films : ROACH. Also Our Gang.

74. Striped-shirt wearer : REF

76. Too easy : LAX

77. Emmy winner Arthur : BEA

78. Rail vehicle : TRAM

80. Doing business : OPEN

83. 1970s-'80s FBI bribery sting : ABSCAM. As in American Hustle.

85. Firewater : HOOCH. I did not know the meaning of "Firewater".

87. Certain screecher : OWL

88. Janis' comics husband : ARLO

 

92. Attendees of Connecticut's Battell Chapel : YALIES. OK, the chapel is inside Yale, Jayce's alma mater.

94. Orange-nosed Muppet : ELMO

95. Boomers' kids : XERS. Gen Xers.

96. "__ in Provence": Mayle best-seller : A YEAR. I loved the book. I bet many people visited France simply because of this book.

98. Bog flora : SEDGE

99. Take-off programs? : DIETS. Not the take-off I had in mind.

101. Middling grades : CEES

103. Deli offering : HERO

104. Low pair : TREYS. I can never remember this word.

109. 2009 World Series MVP Hideki : MATSUI. Fun guy. Very generous also.

111. How-to letters : DIY

112. Big memory unit : TERABIT. Gimme for TTP and Anon-T.

117. Can : AXE

124. Hot brew : TEA

125. Filled pastry : ECLAIR. Want to taste my Chocolate Bundt with hot fudge?

126. Singer John : ELTON

 127. Stink : REEK

128. Scary film street : ELM

129. Pickup game side : SHIRTS. And Skins.

130. Outfielder's "I don't got it!" : YOURS. I had ?OURS and still could not nail it. Dumb!

131. Additions : ANDs.

Down:

1. Campsite cover : TARP

2. Helper with a hunch : IGOR

3. Combine : FUSE

4. Bank statement entries : FEES

5. Not allowed : A NO-NO. Better without the "Not" in the clue.

6. Toast starter : BOTTOMS. Up.

7. Scot's "Crikey!" : OCH

8. West of "I'm No Angel" : MAE

 

9. Poison carriers : BLOW DARTS. Not a familiar term to me.

10. Hullabaloo : RACKET

11. Portuguese pronoun : ELA

12. Tour vehicle : BUS

13. Burgundy bud : AMI

14. "Harry Potter" garden pest : GNOME

15. Singer O'Connor : SINEAD. Known for her Nothing Compares 2 U.

17. Facility : EASE

18. Menageries : ZOOS

 

24. Pet shop fish : TETRAS

25. Miler Sebastian : COE

 

30. Transmit continuously, as video : STREAM

32. Checkers cry : KING ME

33. Buck back? : AROO. Buckaroo.

 

34. Where to go whole hog? : PIG ROAST. Great clue/answer. Nothing tastes as delicious as the small ration of pork we got at each Spring Festival.

 

35. Spill, with "out" : BLURT

36. Do followers : RE MI

37. German sub : U-BOAT

38. Low point : NADIR

40. Besiege : ASSAIL

44. Hersey's bell town : ADANO. A Bell for Adano.

45. Mesoamerican language family : MAYAN

48. Coneflower genus : ECHINACEA. This is one of the ingredients in the hot tea recipe Sandy sent to me for my flu two weeks ago. It boosts your immune system.

50. Infrequently, to Dickinson : SELDOMLY. A boring 8-letter fill.

53. Luxury SUV : ACURA MDX. Nice consonant clusters in the end.

55. Tiptop : A-ONE

56. Census info, e.g. : DATA

59. Drummer Van Halen : ALEX

64. Like some seals : EMBOSSED. Not the aquatic seals.

66. Tie : DRAW

69. Latin wings : ALAE

71. The "I" in I.M. Pei : IEOH. Tricky spelling even to me. You won't find such spelling in any Chinese name nowadays. So old.

73. Fossil fuel transport : COALER. Learning moment to me also. It's a ship.

74. Hustled : RACED

75. Carlo Levi's "Christ Stopped at __" : EBOLI

79. Prayer counter's beads : ROSARY

81. Poetic lament : ELEGY

82. Holders of glasses : NOSES. Nice clue also.

84. Cleaning supplies : CLOTHS

85. Payroll addition : HIREE

86. Fat Albert catchphrase : HEY HEY HEY. Big learning moment to me.

90. "Shucks" : HECK

91. Unwelcome look : LEER

93. Opposite of ahead : ASTERN

97. Cheer on : ROOT FOR

100. They're loaded : SOUSES. Life is hard for an alcoholic. Been there.

102. Matzo meals : SEDERS

106. Piece of cake : CINCH

107. YouTube find, for short : VID

108. Helmut's denials : NEINS

109. Partner : MATE

110. Eponymous skater Paulsen : AXEL

113. Indian tourist city : AGRA

114. "Where've you __?" : BEEN

115. Inflamed : IRED. A bit strained.

116. Tut relatives : TSKS

119. Woodcutter Baba : ALI

120. Ryder Cup number : PAR

121. Service station of a sort : PIT. OK, like pit stops.

122. U.N. workers' group : ILO (International Labor Organization)

123. Early Beatles bassist Sutcliffe : STU

C.C.

Friday March 28, 2014, Paul Hunsberger

Theme: The Feme is TH-FRONTING. LINK.

I guess Steve would have been the ideal blogger for this one, as saying "F" in place of "TH" is apparently very common in parts of the British Isles. This is my first time reviewing Paul, though he has had a few LAT's and a few NYT's, half of which have been Sunday puzzles. I always enjoy the puzzles that use sound, so this was in my wheelhouse. The 4 theme answers are all long, cramming 58  letters in the theme. Lots of nice words like AL DAVIS, ANILINE, GLORY BE, MCMUFFIN, UV FILTER, HOT AND COLD, STARS ON ICE, as well as some very difficult cluing make this feel like a real Friday. Well let's get to work.

17A. Guys with plenty of time for child care? : FREEMEN AND A BABY. (15). (Three Men and a Baby). The Tom Selleck, Ted Danson movie. WATCH. (1:12)

26A. Lament following an Elizabethan wardrobe malfunction? : THE FRILL IS GONE.(14). The Thrill is gone. I love the tying of the frilly clothes of the distant past with a modern event, so named from the famous Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson Super Bowl event.

41A. Like Barney with his pal? : HANGING BY A FRED. (14)  (Hanging by a thread). A Flintstone sighting; how cool even if the fill is a bit tortured.

53A. Got locked out of a Finnish sauna during winter? : FROZE IN THE TOWEL.(15) (Throws in the towel). This is a nice visual, but the "th" in "the" makes the fill more confusing to me.

Across:

1. Dominion : REALM.  An odd word where the "A" is completely silent.

6. Food on a stick : KEBAB. This for me is the correct spelling, but you need to be flexible.

11. Olympus OM-2, briefly : SLR. Single Lens Reflex. I have this clue/fill so often.  36D. Outdoor camera user's accessory : UV FILTER.  To dampen the sun.

14. Templo Mayor builder : AZTEC. This temple built in what is now Mexico City. LINK.

15. Home to some mollusks : ATOLL.  My favorite is the BIKINI ATOLL,
"The island's English name is derived from the German colonial name Bikini given to the atoll when it was part of German New Guinea. The German name is transliterated from the Marshallese name for the island, Pikinni, "Pik" meaning "surface" and "Ni" meaning "coconut", or surface of coconuts(Per wiki). I wonder what people have to pay to visit there.

16. Plus : TOO.

20. Stirling topper : TAM. Back in the British Isles, this is the biggest CITY in central Scotland, home of the Tam O'sahnter.

21. One in Marseille : UNE. Straight French, no trickiness at all ( not to be confused with...).

22. Is gaga over : ADORES.

23. Astern : AFT.

24. They're established : GIVENS. Of course, that is a given!

31. Hei-tiki wearers : MAORI. Tiki is the Maori Adam.

32. Passes between peaks : COLS. A  complete unknown and learning experience for me. It is the literal name for passes which exist between mountains.

33. "Stat!" : NOW. Nurses love this.

34. Pop star John : ELTON. Olivia Newton would not fit.

35. Sched. producer : IRS. Internal Revenue Service.

36.  Tie together : UNITE.

38. Island R&B derivative : SKA.

39. "Dragonwyck" author Seton : ANYA. I was familiar with Foxfire, not this one. LINK.

40. Resolution targets : VICES. I like this clue, though I do not do New Year's resolutions.

45. "Twisted" actress Richards : DENISE. Charlie Sheen's ex, perhaps most famous for her scene with Neve.

46. Short life story? : BIOgraphy. This is how I like my three letter clues and fill. Snappy.

47. Small power source : AA CELL.

49. The lot : ALL.

50. Banff Upper Hot Springs, e.g. : SPA. Heh Canadian Eh!

57. Feel rotten : AIL.

58. End of __ : AN ERA.

59. Remove : ERASE.

60. Gnarly relative : RAD.

61. Greek salad features : FETAS. The cheese, please.

62. Lets : RENTS. Again more common over the pond, having a room to let.

Down:

1. Slew : RAFT. A fun, tricky secondary meaning for raft 2 (raft) n. Informal: A great number, amount, or collection: "As the prairie dog goes, conservation biologists say, so may go a raft of other creatures" (William K. Stevens).

2. University founder Cornell : EZRA. A slam dunk for our resident Cornell grad.

3. "Up and __!" : AT 'EM. Always reminds of this WEIRDNESS. (1:41).

4. Sheltered side : LEE. Not from Robert E.

5. Nationwide sandwich debut of 1972 : MCMUFFIN. I only found the ad from 1978. (0:31).

6. Citizen of Little Salem, Colorado : KANE. The award winning movie with Orson Welles and Rosebud.

7. Flight stat : ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.

8. It's good for Michel : BON. Just a French translation, signaled by the name.

9. NFL owner who moved the Oakland Raiders to L.A. and back : AL DAVIS. A true pioneer,  innovator and force in the AFL. Also, apparently a crazy man who wanted to control every decision. His son now runs the team.

10. 11-Down supporters : BLADES. The in word for skates.

11. Show founded as a vehicle for Scott Hamilton : STARS ON ICE. I did not know this was why they started this troupe.

12. Ear piece : LOBE.

13. Acuff and Orbison : ROYS. Two wonderful singers and my father's nickname.

18. __'acte : ENTR. More French, between the acts.

19. Big Ben sound : BONG. Onomatopoeia.

23. Prefix with ballistic : AERO. I almost went ballistic trying to make sense of this one. I guess I do not shoot enough guns or missile launchers.

24. "Hallelujah!" : GLORY BE. Fun phrase, and the first of four such fill. I enjoyed them all, even if they took a while.

25. "That's for sure!" : I'LL SAY.

26. __ blue streak : TALK A. Why blue? The suggestion was either (a) like lightening, or (b) face turning blue from forgetting to breathe.

27. Inconsistent way to run : HOT AND COLD. So many people are this way.

28. Baker's creations : ICINGS. Another easy answer I found very difficult, because I was looking for a result not an ingredient, or part of the process.

29. Pointed out : NOTED.

30. Milk sources for Pecorino cheese : EWES. Many who love this cheese do not know it comes from SHEEP.

31. Fit together well : MESH.

37. Actor Robert De __ : NIRO. Hard to remember he was ever young.

39. Dye compound : ANILINE. Read all about IT.

42. "Holy moly!" : GEEZ. A marti word.

43. Greening up : IN LEAF. I know this is legit (Idioms 17. in leaf, covered with foliage; having leaves: the pale green tint of the woods newly in leaf. Dictionary.com ) but I cannot imagine any of us ever actually saying this.

44. Willing cohort? : ABLE. Cute, from the phrase "ready, willing and able."

47. Way out there : AFAR.

48. Musical highlight : ARIA. This fill appears in so many puzzles.

49. Cries of discovery : AHAS.

50. Sibelius' "The __ of Tuonela" : SWAN. Not my area of expertise, I will let JzB and others discuss, but here it is by the Norwegian Radio Orchestra LINK. (9:00).

51. Unwanted visitor : PEST. In every sense of the word.

52. Some pints : ALES. Yeah beer! Hi Tinman. Supporting my children. The taproom my son manages just received this: LINK.

54. Fishing aid : NET.

55. Musical syllable : TRA. La la.

56. Profitable rock : ORE. Or Dwayne Johnson?

Well I had to refresh my recollection using the dictionary to make sense out of some of the fill that the perps provided, but in the end it was done and another Friday in the record books and another month gone by. Spring really is here, it just may snow some more. Enjoy, Lemonade out.

Thursday, February 20, 2014 Paul Hunsberger

Theme: "I'm Drawing a Blank"

19. Blank : EXPRESSIONLESS.

24. Blank : HOLD SCORELESS.

43. Blank : LINE ON A SURVEY.

48. Blank : EMPTY CARTRIDGE.

This is a "definition puzzle."  Usually in this type of puzzle, all of the theme entries have the same clue. In this case, not only do the four long entries have the same clue, but every clue in the puzzle has a "fill in the BLANK."  So that's an impressive 179 squares with theme entries. Has that ever been topped in a weekday puzzle?  Kudos to Rich for seeing the brilliance of this one!

OK, since I can't review all the "theme" entries, let's play a little psychology game with this one.  Say the first thing that pops into your mind when you read each clue (whether the # of letters fits or not!!)  Let's have some fun!! My first thoughts are in caps, in parentheses. But bear in mind, most of my answers are tongue-in-cheek.

Across:

1. __ Club : SAMS. (BOOK)

5. Eat __ : CROW. (SHIT)

9. Film __ : NOIR. (STAR)

13. Sleep __ : APNEA. (IN)

14. Mata __ : HARI. (HARI)

15. "I'm __ you!" : ON TO. (BEGGING)

16. "__ to please!" : WE AIM. (Sign in the men's restroom: YOU AIM TOO, PLEASE!)

17. __-steven : EVEN. (CAT)

18. SWAT __ : TEAM. (FLIES)

22. __ of bounds : OUT. (OUT)

23. Electric __ : EEL. (GUITAR)

31. "It __ to reason" : STANDS. (STANDS)

33. "You're taking a big __" : RISK. (BITE)

34. __-TURN : NO U.  (U)

35. Good for what __ you : AILS. (AILS)

36. Costa del __ : SOL. (MAR)

37. __ Elevator Company : OTIS. (OTIS)

38. "I Like __" : IKE. (IT LIKE THAT)

39. __ the scales : TIPS. (TIPPED)

41. San Diego __ : PADRES. (CONVENTION CENTER)

46. Hopping __ : MAD. (TOAD)

47. Jacqueline Kennedy __ Bouvier : NEE. (She had another name???)

56. Quod __ demonstrandum : ERAT. (ERAT)

57. __ to one's senses : CAME. (COME)

58. Shed __ : A TEAR. (BLOOD)

59. __-Honey : BIT-O. (God, i loved those things when I was a kid. But I haven't had one in ___ ...)

60. "Rock of __" : AGES. (...AGES)

61. From beyond the __ : GRAVE. (UNKNOWN)

62. __ nuts : BEER. (CHOCK FULL O')

63. "__-a-Cop": 1988 film : RENT. (RENT)

64. "Jane __" : EYRE. (DOE)

Down:

1. X-Ray __: U.K. punk band : SPEX. (VISION)

2. Take __: doze : A NAP. (A NAP)

3. Golda __ : MEIR. (MEIR)

4. "It's the __ story" : SAME OLD. (SAME OLD)

5. __ of drawers : CHESTS. (CHEST)

6. __ Shankar : RAVI. (RAVI)

7. __ Cakesters : OREO. (OREO)

8. __ circle : WINNERS. (ARCTIC)

9. __ motel : NO TELL. (ROACH)

10. "A Room of __ Own" : ONE'S. (ONE'S)

11. "Take __ a compliment" : IT AS. (IT AS)

12. CD-__ : ROM. (PLAYER)

13. "I'm in __": "Wow!" : AWE. (FRONT)

20. Soap __ : SUDS. (OPERA)

21. __ and potato soup : LEEK. (LEEK)

24. Van __ : HALEN. (GOGH)

25. Carry-__: luggage : ONS. (FORWARD) (Hey, it's tax season!!)

26. Victoria __ : CROSS. ('s SECRET)

27. Olive __ : OIL. (OYL)

28. __-level : ENTRY. (SPLIT)

29. Peau de __: satin-weave cloth : SOIE. (SOIE)

30. __ 22-Across: solve : SUSS. (huhhh??)

31. Set __ : SAIL. (THE TABLE)

32. __ torch : TIKI. (CARRY A)

36. Day __ : SPA. (-O, DAY-O, DAYLIGHT COME AND ME WAN' GO HOME)

37. "__ to Joy" : ODE. (ODE)

39. Suit __ : TO A T. (CASE)

40. __ Series: auto races : INDY CAR. (No clue…wait a minute while I check the perps.)

41. __-à-porter: ready-to-wear : PRET. (PRET)

42. __ Joe : AVERAGE. (AVERAGE!  On the Crossword Corner!!)

44. Caveat __ : EMPTOR. (EMPTOR)

45. Civil __: protest : UNREST. (RIGHTS)

48. __ Canal : ERIE. (ROOT) 

49. __ for life : MATE. (FIGHT)

50. Rib __ : CAGE. (EYE STEAK)

51. "__ to that!" : AMEN. (AMEN)

52. "Lord knows __!" : I TRY. (I'VE TRIED)

53. __ Abby : DEAR. (DOWNTON) (I know, I know - it's "abbey")

54. __ birth to : GAVE. (GIVE)

55. "... __ I saw Elba" : ERE. (ERE)

56. __ and flow : EBB. (EBB)

So, how did you do?  I think I matched about a third of them immediately, which helped fill in the others big time.

Happy Thursday!

Marti

Note from C.C.

Happy Birthday to dear Santa Argyle, my trusted adviser & friend, who's always, always there for me when I'm in trouble.

Sunday October 6, 2013 Paul Hunsberger

Theme:  "Epicenters" - All 10 theme entries have odd-numbered letters so EPI falls exactly in the very center of each theme answer, hence perfect symmetry for the 10 EPI's.

34A. Bearded impressionist : CAMILLE PISSARRO

49A. Near East product : RICE PILAF. This looks like fried rice. What do you call that spoon?

65A. It may be a sign of chilling : GOOSE PIMPLE. I call them "Goose bumps".

82A. Swatch, e.g. : TIMEPIECE

98A. "Call me" : LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH

9D. Peter Sellers film that began production after his death : TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER

11D. Figure skate feature : TOE PICK. New term to me.

24D. "Capisce?" : GET THE PICTURE?

48D. TV prototypes : PILOT EPISODES
 

86D. Rock bottom : THE PITS

This  puzzle  reminded me of the "Middle Child" puzzle I did a while ago, where TOT falls exactly in the middle. It made me appreciate Paul's puzzle that much more.

Plus, his 10-themer grid design is beyond brilliant. Every theme answer intersects at least one more theme answer. And the middle Down intersects 3 Across theme entries. Notice how two EPI are located in the exact middle of the grid? And all the 10 EPI's are in perfect symmetry.

Across:

1. Band booster : AMP

4. Fig. that rarely exceeds 4 : GPA

7. "Drive for show, __ for dough": golf adage : PUTT. So true. A long drive is good for men's ego.

11. Steam whistle sound : TOOT

15. Fútbol cheer : OLE

18. Rapper Big __ : BOI. Of OutKast.

19. Sinuous swimmer : EEL

20. Cross letters : INRI

21. They may be even or long : ODDS

22. 106-Across rival, for short : UAL. 106. Atlanta-based airline : DELTA

23. Italian dressing herb : OREGANO

25. ESPN datum : STAT

26. James Joyce accessory : EYE PATCH.  Our Misty wrote a couple books about James Joyce.

28. Nearly 40 inches : METER. I'm 5'4'' or 1.63 meters.

29. Masseur's bottleful : HOT OIL. Has anyone had hot oil massage?

31. End-of-missive extras, for short : PSS

32. Scope opening? : PERI. Periscope.

33. Fly, in fly-fishing : BAIT

37. "The Art of War" author : SUN TZU. Just spelled Sun Zi in Mandarin.

39. Montreal-based shoe retailer : ALDO

40. Mountaineer's tool : ICE AX

41. Mogul-dodging path : ESS. Everyone who reads this blog on Thursdays should nail it.

43. Brutal : HARSH

45. Evil-smelling : FUNKY

47. "Not interested" : I PASS

53. Poetic monogram : TSE. T. S. Eliot.

54. Evening affair : SOIREE

55. Sound-activated infomercial gadget : CLAPPER

56. It's a real knockout : ETHER. We've seen similar clues before.

58. Webmaster's code : HTML

59. __ circus : MEDIA

60. "__ Shoes": 2005 Cameron Diaz film : IN HER. Liked the movie.

61. Abstains from : LAYS OFF

64. Monet subject : PARC. Tricky crossing with RCMP (49D. Law gp. in red serge tunics). 

68. O'Hara home : TARA

70. Construction site sights : DETOURS

72. Moon-related phenomena : TIDES

73. Postgame postmortem : RECAP. Tiny dupe with the clue in SUM (83D. "To recap ..." )

74. Gorbachev's land: Abbr. : USSR

75. Perfume, as at High Mass : CENSE

76. Parts of some baby splits : TWO PINS.  3-10 (or 2- 7 for lefties).

78. Laundry supply : STARCH

81. 2012 Stanley Cup champs, initially : LA K. LA Kings. Do they use LAK in scoreboards, Splyner?

84. Port of Crete : CANEA. Total stranger to me.

85. It can be used in dating : STAMP. Great clue.

87. Baseball teams : NINES. Boomer at our backyard yesterday. The Morneau shirt is sold by his fan club. I'm not sure it's legit for them to produce these shirts, TTP.

88. Ducked down, say : HID

89. Some IRAs : ROTHs

91. Some hieroglyphic squiggles : ASPS

94. Top parts : CROWNS

102. "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" singer : DION (Céline)

103. Grimm menace : OGRE

104. Maple yield : SAP

105. Plays guitar chords, in a way : STRUMS. For Bill G. Don't miss this cute clip he linked a few days ago.

107. Sandwich order : PASTRAMI

109. Flimsy : THIN

110. Biweekly stub, perhaps : PAYSLIP

112. Somme summer : ETE

113. "Sometimes you feel like __ …" : A NUT

114. Let use for now : LEND

115. Fruity quencher : ADE. Hello Charlotte!

116. Post-op stop : ICU

117. Retreat : DEN

118. Welcome center offerings : MAPS

119. Work measures : ERGs

120. Go-ahead : NOD

121. Talk Like a Pirate Day mo. : SEP

Down:

1. Los Alamos test subjects, informally : A-BOMBS

2. Wells' island doctor : MOREAU. Dr. Moreau.

3. Baker's container : PIE TIN

4. Transmission selection : GEAR

5. Pocket protector insert : PEN

6. Tropical hi : ALOHA

7. Flower part : PISTIL

8. Not yet shared : UNTOLD

10. Spine line : TITLE

12. Epic with a trip home to Ithaca : ODYSSEY

13. Texas oil city : ODESSA

14. Kitchen meas. : TSP

15. Where to catch the sound of music? : OUTER EAR. Got me.

16. Game with meshed sticks : LACROSSE

17. Pre-coll. : EL-HI. Yeah, yeah, I know it's not a good fill. Compromises are made in every  puzzle.

27. Busy time for a CPA : APR

30. __ Steaks : OMAHA

34. Nobelist of 1903 and 1911 : CURIE

35. Missing person? : PINER. I like this clue also.

36. Universally accepted principles : AXIOMS

38. "Valley Girl" co-songwriter Frank or Moon : ZAPPA

42. Toronto-to-D.C. dir. : SSE

44. 35mm shooter : SLR

46. They're often email addresses : USER IDS

50. "The Life __": "Mary Poppins" tune : I LEAD

51. Leadership nucleus : CADRE

52. Swamps : FENS

54. Cause of eyelid redness : STYE

57. What one may be taken for? : THE TEAM. Take one for the team.

58. "I'm sorry, Dave" speaker of sci-fi : HAL

60. Moths with colorful eyespots on their hind wings : IOS. I wonder if those Apple guys are aware of these moths.

61. CD precursors : LPs

62. Prima __ case : FACIE. I got it. But I don't know what it means, Hahtoola/Lemonade.

63. Euro forerunner : FRANC

65. Spout : GUSH

66. Boston Garden legend : ORR (Bobby)

67. Convene : MEET

69. Cathedral part : APSE

71. Nominees for them are announced in January : OSCARs

73. Rodeo performer : ROPER. I wanted RIDER.

75. Brooch fastener : CLASP

76. Texter's "Don't go there!" : TMI (Too Much Information)

77. Barmaid, to the Bard : WENCH

78. Learning ctr. : SCH

79. Pickup feature : TAILGATE

80. Guam Air Force base : ANDERSEN. Named after General Andersen who died in a aircraft accident in 1945, says Wiki.

85. Anger : STEAM UP

90. 1994 Olympic gold medalist skater Baiul : OKSANA. Got via crossings. Sounds Japanese.

92. Piano part : STRING

93. Hits with force : POUNDS

95. Award-winning sci-fi writer Connie : WILLIS. Wiki said "She has won eleven Hugo Awards and seven Nebula Awards for particular works —more "major awards" than any other writer". I feel bad not knowing her.

96. Perceive : NOTICE

97. Buy quickly : SNAP UP

99. Vietnamese holiday : TET

100. Basketry fiber : ISTLE. Classic crosswordese.

101. Place to follow politics : C-SPAN

103. Page with sentiments : OP-ED

106. Applied henna, e.g. : DYED

108. Colorado State athlete : RAM

111. Bustle : ADO

C.C.

PS: Check out Splynter (Left) in this YouTube clip.

Wednesday August 21, 2013 Paul Hunsberger

Theme: SEVEN (49D. Number of consecutive letters without 2-Down in this puzzle's four longest answers) - A cluster of 7 consecutive non-A E I O U letters span across each theme entry.

18A. "The Meaning of Life" comedy group : MONTY PYTHON. Splynter likes them.

32A. Menace that isn't very menacing : EMPTY THREAT. Like those from Lil' Kim.

40A. Eric Carmen power ballad covered by Celine Dion : ALL BY MYSELF

56A. Title magical caretaker in a 2005 film : NANNY MCPHEE. Never saw it. Starring  Emma Thompson and Colin Firth.

2D. Facetious sequence? : A E I O U. As Spitzboov told us before, A E I O U is sequentially contained in the word Facetious.

49D. Number of consecutive letters without 2-Down in this puzzle's four longest answers : SEVEN

C.C. here. Jazzbumpa was ready to entertain you, but "Cruciverb is STILL out to lunch. That's three days running. Grrrr" (Thanks, Dudley). Jazz will be back next Wednesday.

 

A rather unique theme. We've seen puzzles with orderly AEIOU letter strings. Would be more impressive if there were no Y involved, as all of the 6 Y's in the theme entries are vowels. It might not be doable.

Across:

1. Half-__: 50-50 coffee : CAF

4. Near the back, nautically : ABAFT. Always want STERN. Why does ABAFT exist when AFT already has the same meaning?

9. Flora and fauna : BIOTA

14. Poet's "atop" : O'ER

15. Root vegetable : TUBER. Have you ever seen taro plants in person? Huge.

16. Deck out : ADORN

17. Routing word : VIA

20. Ages and ages : EONS

22. Vote of confidence : YEA

23. Events marked by good-natured insults : ROASTS

24. Occasion to pull together? : TUG O' WAR. Nice clue

26. Backfire noise : BANG

27. Present-day Persia : IRAN

28. Statue of Liberty supporter : PEDESTAL. So literal.

35. Chopper : AXE

36. Open stretches : LEAs. Here is our pretty little one.

Kazie's Granddaughter Lea

37. Gut reaction? : OOF

38. Assemble-it-yourself company : IKEA

39. Hostel : INN

44. Inanimate carousel rider : SUITCASE. And 10D. 44-Across attachments : ID TAGS. I imagine Steve travels light.

46. Traditional Cockney delicacies : EELS. Jellied eels. See here. I only like pickled herrings.

47. St.-John's-__ : WORT. Do you believe in herbal medicine?

48. Stalemate : IMPASSE

51. Aussie gal : SHEILA. Where is our Aussie Dave?

54. Flash drive PC port : USB (Universal Serial Bus). Anon T, is your given name Tom also? We've got two Toms (TTP & D-Otto) with computer background.

55. Tool holder : SHED

59. Hail, to Caesar : AVE

60. Up until now : AS YET

61. Gas leak warnings : ODORS

62. Contract signer's tool : PEN. So I caught Pete Weber smoking outside Treasure Islands (MN) last Sunday. He's so friendly in person. Signed my PBA program and pin. But the happiest moment is to meet with Walter Ray Williams, arguably the greatest bowler of all time.

C.C. & Walter Ray Williams

63. Moon aspect : PHASE

64. Use a divining rod : DOWSE

65. Minnesota twins? : ENS. This self-referential clue tends to bother Jazzbumpa. And Twins beat his Tigers last night.

Down:

1. Really want : COVET

3. Fragrant flower used in leis : FRANGIPANI. Wiktionary said this word is "from an Italian noble family, a sixteenth-century marquess who invented a plumeria-scented perfume. The name comes from frangi "breaking" + pani "bread," a reference to the family's distribution of bread in time of famine." Good to know.

4. 24-hr. cash source : ATM

5. Tending to float : BUOYANT

6. Daisy Mae's guy : ABNER

7. Spanakopita cheese : FETA. Yellowrocks likes Spanakopita.

8. Give it a go : TRY

9. Sharp weapon : BAYONET

11. Sounds of awe : OOHS

12. Word after fox or turkey : TROT

13. Raggedy dolls : ANNs

19. "The Devil Wears __" : PRADA. Loved the movie. Not enough words to describe Meryl Streep. Genius.  

21. Organizes : SORTS

25. "I'm on my __" : WAY

26. Muscular : BEEFY

28. Seriously look into : PROBE

29. Materializes : TAKES SHAPE. Great entry. Lots of nice fill in this grid.

30. Skating jump : AXEL

31. Table extender : LEAF

32. Bulldogs' supporters : ELIs. Yale.

33. Carte du jour : MENU

34. "The Planets" composer : HOLST (Gustav)

38. Mallorca y Cuba : ISLAS. English Majorca.

40. Church candle lighter : ACOLYTE. Needed the crossings.

41. Former Anaheim Stadium NFLer : LA RAM (1946 to 1994). This often stumps non-sports fans. They're now St. Louis Rams.

42. Country club crowd : MEMBERS

43. "Roger that" : YEP

45. Twisted threads : TWINES

48. 1995 R&B hit "This __ We Do It" : IS HOW

50. Blissful environs : EDENS

51. Huddle follower : SNAP

52. Diner breakfast order : HASH

53. Big name in New Age music : ENYA

54. High style : UPDO

57. Grand Banks fish : COD. I wonder if cod tastes great pickled.

58. Legal ending? : ESE. Legalese.

C.C.

Sunday August 4, 2013 Paul Hunsberger

Theme: "Lip Service" - X is removed from each theme entry.

 23A. Intuition of some "Star Wars" villains? : THE SITH SENSE. The Sixth Sense.

34A. Weaknesses of a prof's helper? : TA LIABILITIES. Tax liabilities.

 59A. Holiday elves who can't get along? : ARCTIC FOES. Must be Santa's fault! Arctic foxes.

 

81A. Coughing and sneezing? : STATE OF FLU. State of flux.

98A. Fashion collaboration of actor James and a one-named rock-'n'-roller? : MASON-DION LINE. Mason–Dixon line. James Mason & Dion.

 

22D. "Stop adding milk and sugar to these brews!"? : DON'T MESS WITH TEAS. Exactly how I drink tea. Only tea. Don't Mess with Texas.

32D. Dutch South Africans in need of exercise? : HEAVYWEIGHT BOERS. Heavyweight boxers.

115A. Unexpected affection, and an alternate title for this puzzle : STOLEN KISSES

Another grid with theme entry intersection. Lovely. Seldom can I make this approach work, so I'm always in awe when others make it happen.

Also loved the fact that the constructor stole all the kisses away. You can find 25 letters in this grid. Just no X. Tough love!

Across:

1. Sphere of influence : AMBIT. Not an easy start for me.

6. Making waves? : ROWING. great clue.

12. Inbox clogger : SPAM

16. Solstice mo. : DEC

19. Video game princess : ZELDA. And 80. "Super Mario" brother : LUIGI. And 10D. 19- and 80-Across letters : NES.

20. One making bread : EARNER

  

21. Wiry-coated terrier : AIREDALE

25. Bullied : HECTORED 

26. Airport pickup concern, briefly : ETA

27. Good things to keep about you : WITS. Keep your wits about you. 

28. Bob or weave : COIF

30. Actress Campbell : NEVE. Loved "Party of Five".

31. Lint roller target, maybe : CAT HAIR

39. Stage direction : ENTER

41. Back : REAR

42. Purell target : GERM

43. Showy display : ECLAT. There is a booth at the flea market yesterday with "Free Tattoo" sign on. I'm going to explore more next week.

46. Church official : DEACON

48. Penniless one : HAVE NOT

52. Surrendered : WAIVED. Look what's in his hands? Ready to surrender! Dudley, maybe Dave or Gary can teach you how to upload pictures. Or you can just open a blogger account.

CrossEyedDave

54. Hibachi residue : ASH

55. Help-wanted ad periods : AFTs

57. Not all : SOME

58. Daytime __ : EMMY

63. Mane character in Narnia : ASLAN

64. Gush : SPEW

65. Posthumous 2009 George Harrison album : LET IT ROLL. No idea. Wiki said "The track list was selected by George's widow, Olivia Harrison, with some assistance from close friends and family."

66. To the sky : UPWARD

67. British heiress __ Khan : JEMIMA. Lots of tabloid coverage when she dated Hugh Grant, who's now dating a Chinese.

69. Stud spot : EAR

70. Find on the dial : TUNE IN

72. Ten-armed species : SQUIDs

74. Goalie's protective wear : NECK GUARD. For Splynter. Did you listen to our advice and give up the Home Depot girl?

77. See 85-Across : TRUE. And 85. With 77-Across, "Amen!" : TOO

82. Flashy promotion : HYPE

83. Hardly hard up : RICH

84. Wisecrack : JEST

86. Call for : ENTAIL

88. Cowboy hat : STETSON

90. Doyle's narrator : WATSON

93. Wee : EENSY

94. Tug or tub : BOAT

95. Roof rim : EAVE

96. Led Zeppelin's "Whole __ Love" : LOTTA

103. Much-kneaded treatment? : MASSAGE. Nice clue also.

107. Up to it : ABLE

108. Little cut : NICK

109. Like eyes "you can't hide," in an Eagles song : LYIN

111. Time chunk : ERA

112. "Ghastly grim and ancient" poem title critter : THE RAVEN

120. Jersey output : COW'S MILK. Jersey cows. Like HEN'S EGG I saw in a grid sometime ago, COW'S MILK strikes me as redundant, as I connect milk with cows, and eggs with hens. GOAT MILK/GOAT'S MILK is fine.

121. Fancy : ORNATE

122. Verbatim line : QUOTE

123. MD office posting : HRS

124. Skip over : PASS. Good advice to some grumpy anons. Skip over! We like our tomato & pizza & mundane talks.

125. Monster's nickname : NESSIE

126. Flower part : SEPAL

Down:

1. Montezuma subject : AZTEC

2. Maestro Zubin : MEHTA. He's an Indian Parsi. Freddie Mercury is another one. Vidwan said Parsis are very talented or some other adjective.

3. Pasture cry : BLEAT

4. Dog tags, say : IDs

5. __ chi ch'uan : TAI

6. Put back to work : RE-HIRED

7. Brewer's kiln : OAST

8. Pull with effort : WREST

9. Country stopover : INN

11. Like Keats's urn : GRECIAN

12. Indian title : SAHIB

13. Battles with thrown weapons : PIE FIGHTS

14. Orbit bit : ARC

15. 49-Down, as a rookie : MET. And 49. Holder of numerous pitching records who never won a Cy Young Award : NOLAN RYAN. You all nailed this, right? At least, TTP did. I asked on the blog a few months ago how many Cy Young Awards Nolan Ryan won.

16. "Is this too big a chance?" : DARE I

17. French student : ELEVE

18. Hands over : CEDES
24. Noodlehead : TWIT

29. Boathouse item : OAR

33. Get in the game : ANTE

35. Pritzker Prize winner : ARCHITECT. Their Nobel. The Pritzker family owns the Hyatt hotels.

36. Name of 13 popes : LEO

37. Green expanses : LEAs

38. Journalist Kupcinet : IRV

40. Chemical experiment substances : REACTANTS

43. Pasture moms : EWES

44. Tent site : CAMP

45. Gimlet ingredient : LIME JUICE. I like lemon, but not lime.

47. European wine region : ASTI

50. General Bradley : OMAR

51. Lean : TEND. I don't get how these two are equivalents.

53. Some surrealist works : DALIs

55. IM pioneer : AOL

56. Was embarrassed : FELT A FOOL

60. Sleep lab letters : REM. Rapid Eye Movement.

61. Coot relative : CRAKE. Learning moment for me.

62. Overlooked : FORGOTTEN

63. O'Neill's "The Hairy __" : APE

66. Inordinate : UNDUE

68. Early 16th-century date : MDI. 1501.

71. High-tech address : URL

72. Some 35mm cameras : SLRs

73. Pack it in : QUIT

75. Scarf down : EAT

76. Crop circle makers, supposedly : UFOs

78. "Breaking __ Hard to Do" : UP IS. I used to think Neil Sedaka has Japanese roots because of his surname.

79. Long and slimy : EELY

81. Guards : SENTINELS

84. Fonda's "The Grapes of Wrath" role : JOAD

87. Acrobats' gear : NETS

89. Lamont, to Fred Sanford : SON. Sanford and Son.

90. Continues strolling : WALKS ON

91. Prefix with fauna : AVI

92. One who is honored and hopeful : NOMINEE

95. Cause of an env. bulge : ENC. Mine is mainly because of baseball cards inside.

97. Do miserably, in slang : TANK

98. Stick in a box : MATCH. D'oh moment.

99. Not fancy at all : ABHOR

100. Gobs : SLEWS

101. Porcine patter : OINKS. This meaning of "patter" is new to me. I thought it's just a made-up word (one who pats).

102. Those girls, in Oaxaca : ELLAs

104. Memorable moralist : AESOP

105. Actress Scacchi : GRETA. Never heard of her. Italian-Australian.

106. Gallery item : EASEL

110. "Tintin in Tibet" creature : YETI. Onager guess.

113. "MTV Unplugged" lack : AMP

114. Through : VIA

116. Uno e due : TRE

117. Clip-__: ties : ONs

118. High nos. for rocket scientists? : IQs

119. Try to take to the cleaners? : SUE

C.C.