Thursday, July 17, 2014 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Extra Terrestrials?

20. Protection from a bowler : CRICKET HELMET. I thought, "What does bowling have to do with cricket?" (Oh - the bowler is the one who throws the ball in cricket.)

41. Mozart and Brahms each wrote a notable one : CLARINET QUINTET. BAM!  Right off, I get a two-fer link! Mozart 34:37  Brahms 36:46

58. "Deny thy father and refuse thy name" speaker : JULIET CAPULET. Act II, Scene 2.

And the reveal:

73. Classical rebuke, and a homophonic hint to 20-, 41- and 58-Across : ET TU? "ET" x 2 ending each theme entry word. Funny, I did not notice the name of the constructor, but was speeding through and thought, "Wow, am I ever on this guy's wavelength!"  At the reveal, the thought flashed across my mind, "Wow, where do these guys come up with such great ideas?" Of course!  Our own C.C. nails it again.


Across

1. Short cuts : BOBS. Great misdirection. The short haircuts, not the the routes that your significant other always insists are "faster!"

Katie Holmes

5. Soup usually drunk directly from the bowl : MISO. I loved how this one crossed 7-Down. __ bar : SUSHI.

9. Key designation : MAJOR. Fill in the M**OR and wait for perps!

14. Common mirror shape : OVAL.

15. Load to bear : ONUS.

16. Grown : ADULT.

17. Ward with awards : SELA. You may have been surprised to see 69-Across. Hospital wing : WARD. in the same puzzle. C.C. is very careful about dupes, so I'm guessing the 17-A clue was edited by Rich.  I wonder if she originally cross-referenced them as "With 69-Across, 'Once and Again' Emmy winning actress."

18. They're hopeless : LOST CAUSES.

22. Floors in the ring : KOs. Knock-outs.

23. Tax-deferred plan, for short : IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

24. Place of luxury? : LAP. Cute clue!

27. Chanced upon : MET.

30. Mike and __: candy : IKE. Jelly beans meet Good & Plenty.

32. Calder creation : MOBILE.  I think I have seen this one at the Tate Museum.

35. French bread : EURO. Nailed it!

37. Notion : IDEA.

40. Mooring area : BASIN.

44. Closing passages : CODAS. Gimme.

45. Ball or strike, e.g. : NOUN. Of course, we needed a baseball reference if this were to be a "true" C.C. puzzle!

46. Dancer Kelly : GENE.

47. Contract negotiators : AGENTS.

49. Get ready to fire : AIM.

51. ISP choice : DSL. Internet Service Provider. Digital Subscriber Line (originally "loop.")

52. Isr. neighbor : SYR. Israel / Syria.

53. She played Fantine in "Les Misérables" (1998) : UMA. Thurman.

56. Sports bar array : TVs.

65. Honolulu Harbor beacon : ALOHA TOWER. WAG.

67. 12-time NFL Pro Bowler Junior : SEAU. I looked at "Bowler" and thought, "Huh?  He played football, not bowling!" (DUH - Pro Bowl choice!!!) (I was getting bowled over by this puzzle, I guess.)

68. False front? : PSEUD-. As in PSEUDonym, meaning "false name."

70. Scientific acad. : INST.itution.

71. Aggressive : PUSHY.

72. Mmes., in Cuba : SRAs. Madames and señoras. French and Spanish equivalents of "mistress." And also 9-Down. Polite address : MA'AM. Madam.

Down

1. Pear variety : BOSC.

2. CBer's "Back to you" : OVER.

3. Island near Java : BALI. Just a stone's throw away. Map.

4. Not taut : SLACK.

5. Fabric used in adhesive pads : MOLESKIN.

6. How ties may be broken, briefly : IN OT. Overtime.

8. Cuisinart rival : OSTER.

10. Together, in music : A DUE.

11. New, in real estate ads : JUST LISTED.

12. World Cup shout : OLÉ.

13. They may be constitutional: Abbr. : RTs. Rights.

19. Symbol of happiness : CLAM. Lark also fit...

21. Ornamental fish : KOI.

25. "Men in Black" targets : ALIENS.

26. Click-N-Go pen maker : PENTEL.

27. Tourist draws : MECCAS.

28. Memorial tribute : EULOGY.

29. Food chain whose employees wear Hawaiian shirts : TRADER JOES. Consumer Reports ranks them in the top three in the nation, along with Wegman's and Publix.

31. Perfect place : EDEN.

33. Sash often tied with a butterfly knot : OBI.

34. [Just like that!] : BANG.

36. Algerian seaport : ORAN. William Schneider is one of the thousands of soldiers who passed through ORAN on his way to the front in Italy during Operation Torch in WWII.  You can read the interview about his wartime experience here.

38. Zone for DDE : ETO. European Theater of Operations. This, of course, was north of where Schneider and his group landed.

39. Blue shade : AQUA.

42. Follower's suffix : IST. Are you a dedicated Crossword Corner-IST?

43. Acrobats' garments : UNITARDS.

48. Business outfit : SUIT.

50. A.L. or N.L. honoree : MVP. American League or National League Most Valuable Player.

54. Catty remarks : MEOWS. Love it! (Except when my cat starts in at 4:00 AM!)

55. Battling it out : AT WAR.

57. Sleepyhead in an Everly Brothers hit : SUSIE. Here's an earworm for you...2:11

59. "Not a chance!" : UH-UH.

60. Lord's partner : LADY.

61. "Juno" actor Michael : CERA. He co-starred with Ellen Page, who played Juno. Quirky, fun movie.

62. Advanced : LENT. Money, that is.

63. Sunup point : EAST.

64. Skirt in a Degas painting : TUTU.

Classic image

65. iPad download : APP.

66. SEC school : LSU. CSO to Hahtoolah.

That's it from me for this week!

Marti

Note from C.C.:

 

Here is a sweet bonus puzzle from Marti. Rich could not use it because he had just scheduled one with similiar gimmick. Marti thought it's similar to last Friday's LAT. To me, the approaches are very different.

We could not provide Across Lite file because this grid has unnumbered squares. Please click here to solve on line. I hope the font and setup are clearer this time. Spitzboov had trouble with my last upload. Click here for a PDF copy (See Download on the upper right corner?). Click here for Answer Grid.

We hope you enjoy the puzzle and look forward to your feedback. 

Wednesday, July 16, 2014 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: An ordinary, unexceptional, prosaic, standard-issue, run of the mill Wednesday at The Corner.  The first word of today's theme entries can be combined with the unifier word GARDEN to present a VARIETY of in-the-language pairings.  Often with this kind of theme the generated phrase is original, clever and humorous.  Today, true to the spirit of the theme, the resulting phrases are of the GARDEN VARIETY.

The unifier first.  36 A. Commonplace, and what the start of 17-, 24-, 51- or 60-Across is : GARDEN VARIETY.  The first recorded use in a figurative sense is from 1928.   The evident reference is to something that might be found in anyone's home garden, hence, not special, unique nor exotic.  The meaning has expanded a bit to imply mediocrity.

17. Green Day's "American Idiot," e.g. : ROCK OPERA.  Released 10 years ago. A sample follows, if you're into that sort of thing.   A ROCK GARDEN, cleverly enough, is an an area landscaped with ROCKs and plants suited to that environment.

Source

24. NASCAR winner's celebration : VICTORY LAP.  One turn around the track at low speed to allow the winner to bask in the adulation of her/his adoring fans.  VICTORY GARDENs were vegetable and herb gardens planted at private residences or public parks in the U.S. and several other countries during WW II.  They took considerable pressure off of the public food supply and contributed to morale on the home front.

51. 1995 Stephen King novel : ROSE MADDER.  Story about abuse, with the main character ROSE Daniels, in which the pigment ROSE MADDER plays a peripheral role.  There are many ROSE GARDENs.  One of the famous ones borders the Oval Office and West Wing of the White House.  It was established in 1913 by First Lady Ellen Loise Axson Wilson.

 60. Spare tire : BEER BELLY.   Two slang expressions denoting excess in the midriff region, aka Dunlop's Disease, 'cuz when you sits down, yer belly done lops over yer belt.  A BEER GARDEN is an outdoor area, usually associated with a pub or restaurant where beer and food are served.  The history is quite interesting.

This clever theme presents us with four quite different VARIETIES of GARDENS.   Mediocre?  I think not.

Hi, gang, it's JzB your humble GARDEN VARIETY trombonist.  Let's see what else Robert has planted for us. 

Across

1. Place to wipe your boots : MAT.  On the floor by the door.

4. Vice squad strategies : RAIDS. 

9. "Darn!" : SHOOT.  I'm guessing this is a not-quite-sound-alike substitute for a less polite word.

14. Sister of Zsa Zsa : EVA. The third sib is Magda.

15. Flynn of film : ERROL.  Famous buckler of swashes in Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Sea Hawk and many more.

Source

16. Main artery : AORTA. Literally, the main artery of the blood stream.

19. Govt.-backed bond : T-NOTE.  T is for Treasury. These notes are issued in terms of 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years.

20. Secretary of the Interior under FDR : ICKES.  Harold L., progressive Republican deeply involved in Chicago politics, who was recruited by FDR to appeal to middle-of-the-road [Garden Variety?] voters.  No politics at The Corner, but you can read about him here.

21. Navel type : INNIE. There are two varieties.  Check them out [or in] here.

23. Commuting start? : TELE. Telecommuting. Working from home via an electronic device. 

29. First-class : STELLAR.  The best - probably because this word in its literal sense refers to stars, and they are brilliant.

31. Sales incentive : REBATE.  Money back from the seller can be STELLAR.

32. Send to the statehouse : ELECT.  In this case, as the governor.

35. "¿Cómo __?" : ESTA.  How are you, amigo?  Lots of Spanish today.

41. Shade of green : JADE.  Green-blue hue named for a gem stone.

42. German steel city : ESSEN. This western German city dates from the 9th century.  For the last 400 years it has been associated with the Krupp steel company.

43. __ energy : ATOMIC.  Kinetic, potential, chemical, mechanical, magnetic, thermal -- the list goes on.

46. Sleeveless shirt : TANK TOP.   Here's one in JADE green.

Source

54. Prefix with space : AERO.  A refreshingly honest prefix clue referring to efforts in science, engineering and business to fly in the atmosphere of Earth (aeronautics) and surrounding space (astronautics). [Wikipedia]

55. English Channel port : DOVER.  In a region famous for it's white cliffs, as in this WW II era song.

56. Fashionista Mary-Kate : OLSEN.  I guess M-K and her twin sis Ashley have become celebrities, which one wag defined as people well-known for being famous.

57. Bolt on a track : USAIN.  Love this clue.  Bolt means [among other things] to move fast, and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt certainly does that.

Source

63. Red Sea peninsula : SINAI.  A region of Egypt between the Red Sea to the south and the Mediterranean to the north.  To the East, it borders Israel.  It is mostly separated from the rest of Egypt by the Gulf of Suez.

64. Pi, for one : RATIO.  Specifically, the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.

65. Tempe sch. : ASU.  Arizona State University.

66. Prop for a clown : STILT.  Nice double meaning.  Looks harmless.

 Source

67. Hacienda brick : ADOBE.  Straw reinforced bricks of clay or mud, dried in the sun.

68. Fall mo. : SEPtember.

Down

1. Inherent rights and wrongs, as of a case : MERITS.  Perhaps our legal beagles can elaborate.

2. Long-legged shore bird : AVOCET.  This had me so stumped for a while, that I doubted the perp EVA.  Finally had to go googling.

Source

3. Take on, as a challenge : TACKLE.

4. Vintage cars : REOS.  It seems that Ransom Eli Olds enjoyed naming cars after himself.  I don't think he has anything to do with this, though.

5. Dadaism founder : ARP.  Jean or Hans, depending on his audience, a French-German sculptor, painter, poet, and abstract artist.  Dada [a word of uncertain origin] rejected reason and logic, prizing nonsense, irrationality and intuition.

6. Rage : IRE. Anger.

7. Greek architectural style : DORIC. The plainest of the three classic support column styles.

Source

8. Viewpoint : SLANT.  Everybody has one.

9. "The Colbert Report" stock-in-trade : SATIRE. Political.

10. Winged stinger : HONEY BEE.

11. Gold, in Guadalajara : ORO.  Spanish gold.

12. Polo Grounds hero Mel : OTT.  Most famous crossword baseball player.

13. __ Bo : TAE.  a total body fitness system that incorporates Martial Arts techniques.  This phrase is both a portmanteau and a backronym.  I am not making this up.

18. Ship stabilizer : KEEL. Either the backbone of a ship or a vertical projection from the bottom of a boat.  It lowers the center of gravity to help keep the vessel upright, and also aids forward motion by resisting side-slipping. 

22. "... a borrower __ a lender ...": "Hamlet" : NOR.  I thought it came from Ben Franklin.  Live and learn.

24. Low-lying land : VALE.

25. "Me, Myself & __": Jim Carrey film : IRENE.   I wanted EILENE.  That's my mom.  IRENE is her twin sister.

26. In the cellar, sportswise : LAST.   Surprisingly, where the Red Sox are at the moment.

27. ABA member : ATTY.  American Bar Association and ATTorneY.

28. Pot pie veggie : PEA.  I like them, but not everybody does.

30. Was in front : LED.  Like the K. C. Royals did briefly in mid-June.

33. Rite Aid rival : CVS.   Drug stores

34. Sample : TASTE.  Is it in good taste to taste a TASTE?

36. Chihuahua cat : GATO.   Mas Español.

37. Ruckuses : ADOS.   Not often seen in the plural. 

38. Like some skill-building classes : REMEDIAL.  These classes are intended to correct a deficiency.

39. __ admiral : REAR.  The lowest of the admiral ranks.

40. Bed-and-breakfast, e.g. : INN.  Establishment offering food and lodgings.

41. Moonshine container : JAR.  I had JUG at first.

44. "Consider the job done!" : I'M ON IT.   As with this puzzle, but I'm not done yet.

45. Cleveland NBAer : CAValier.

47. Cabbagelike plant : KALE.  A leafy green.

48. Electric cars named for a physicist : TESLAS.

49. Ultimatum words : OR ELSE.  Sounds like a threat.

50. Fork over what's due : PONY UP.   The meaning is clear.  The origin - not so much.

52. Actress Winger : DEBRA.  Her break-through role was in Urban Cowboy (1980.)

Source

53. Profound fear : DREAD.

56. Clarinet cousin : OBOE.  I don't think this is valid.  Cylindrical vs conical bore is simply too great a difference in my mind, let alone single vs double reed.  But you can check it out and draw your own conclusions.

57. Naval letters : USS.  United States Ship.  I just recently learned that SS means Steam Ship.

58. Grab a stool : SIT.  In a bar or a barn?

59. "Give me __!": start of a Hoosier cheer : AN I.  For Indiana.  Why Hoosier?  There's more here than I cared to read.

61. WWII arena : ETO.  European Theater of Operations.

62. Tease : RIB.  Another word uncertain origin, perhaps from something funny being rib-tickling.

Quite a nice puzzle, despite a couple nits, and fun to blog.  Hope you all enjoyed it.

Cool regards!
JzB  

Tuesday, July 15, 2014 C.W. Stewart

Theme: Animal Punnies

17A. Store where Yogi shops? : BEAR MARKET

27A. Hangout for Mickey? : MOUSE PAD

44A. Language that Porky studies? : PIG LATIN

57A. Corn for Bugs? : RABBIT EARS

11D. Trash in Sylvester's room? : CAT LITTER

34D. Ping-Pong tool for Goofy? : DOG PADDLE

Argyle here. This one had me laughing from the get-go.

Across:

1. Unwanted email : SPAM

5. "Star Trek" genre : SCI-FI

10. Con job : SCAM

14. Actress Jessica : ALBA

15. Falcon's weapon : TALON

16. It's filled and folded : TACO

19. Mediterranean volcano : ETNA

20. Resin used in varnish : LAC

21. Visual aids : EYEs

22. It's folded and filled : OMELET

24. Some Alaska natives : ESKIMOs

26. Funny Cheri : OTERI. Echo from yesterday.

29. Bygone airline letters : TWA

32. Small piece of gossip : TIDBIT

35. Abbr. on a business card : TEL.

36. Big name : STAR

37. French love : AMOUR

38. Degree for many a prof : PHD

39. At the ready : ALERT

40. See 26-Down : PAGE

41. Poor grade : DEE

42. Braininess : SMARTS

43. Sound booster : AMP

46. Precincts : AREAs

48. Bureaucratic tangle : RED TAPE

52. Trying to avoid detection : HIDING

54. Works on the road : TARS

55. Afternoon party : TEA

56. Track figures : ODDS

60. __ Decor: home fashion mag : ELLE

61. Be useful to : AVAIL

62. Party wheel : BRIE

63. Understands : SEES

64. Choreographer Cunningham : MERCE. Unknown to me.

65. Something to settle up : BILL

Down:

1. Luxurious fur : SABLE

2. Answers in court : PLEAs

3. Startling way to be taken : ABACK

4. Scuff or scratch : MAR

5. Sign on a moping teen's door : STAY OUT!

6. Loving touch : CARESS

7. Varieties : ILKS

8. One opposed : FOE

9. All together : IN TOTAL

10. Take the wheel : STEER

12. Complexion woe : ACNE

13. Castle security : MOAT

18. Personal record : MEMOIR

23. __ school : MED

25. Suffuse, as with color : IMBUE

26. With 40-Across, place to see views : OP ED

28. Lucy's sidekick : ETHEL

30. Target of Dr. Scholl's Freeze Away : WART

31. Partner of letters : ARTS

32. Spanish hors d'oeuvre : TAPA. Usually, tapas.

33. Muslim leader : IMAM

36. Lean one way or another : SLANT

38. Places to hang hats : PEGS

39. Surrounded by : AMIDST

41. How-to book feature : DIAGRAM

42. More than just clean : STERILE

44. Farm enclosure : PEN

45. Middle East language : ARABIC

47. Goes up : RISES

49. Video game pioneer : ATARI

50. Problem for Pauline : PERIL. The early version of "Fast and Furious"?

51. Prop for a painter : EASEL

52. Goes after weeds : HOES

53. Like some chatter : IDLE

54. Lift up the slope : T-BAR

58. "__ Maria" : AVE

59. Outward flow : EBB

Argyle

Monday, July 14, 2014 Jeff Stillman

Theme: Easy as A, B, C - But that D might get you.

18A. Fun runs, often : ONE-K RACES

26A. Mobile phone system that introduced SMS texting : TWO-G NETWORK. (second-generation network) (SMS - Short Message Service)

41A. Film that requires special eyewear : THREE-D MOVIE

54A. Youth organization with a clover emblem : FOUR-H CLUB

Argyle here. I'd say three out of four clues are Monday level, but oh! that fourth.

Across:

1. Makes wet : DAMPS

6. Second half of a record : SIDE B

11. "Alley __" : OOP. OOP OOP OOP

14. Praise mightily : EXALT

15. Former "American Idol" judge Abdul : PAULA

16. Depot: Abbr. : STA. (station)

17. One-over-par score : BOGEY

20. Miffed state : SNIT

21. The "I" in MIT: Abbr. : INST. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

22. Target rival : KMART

23. 1989 French Open winner Michael : CHANG. When he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17 years and 4 months, he became the youngest male player to win a Grand Slam singles title.

25. Illinois city symbolizing mainstream America : PEORIA. "Will It play in Peoria?"

29. In the know : AWARE

30. Dinghy pair : OARS

31. Spanish sun : SOL

34. 1492 ship : NINA

35. Spot for a bracelet : WRIST

37. Smokes, for short : CIGs

38. "__ be an honor!" : IT'D. (It would be)

39. Literature Nobelist Bellow : SAUL

40. World-renowned : FAMED

44. Arrive on horseback : RIDE UP. More breakfast friendly than the other kind of "ride up".

47. Of the ear : AURAL

48. Suggestion box suggestions : IDEAs

49. Comfy and cozy : SNUG

51. Tibetan priest : LAMA

56. Put on the tube : AIRED

57. Inc. kin : LLC. (limited liability company)

58. Wear away slowly : ERODE

59. Triangular river formation : DELTA. Formed by upstream erosion.

60. Language ending : ESE

61. Knight mare? : STEED

62. Laundromat appliance : DRYER

Down:

1. Belles at balls : DEBs. (debutantes)

2. Nerve cell transmitter : AXON

3. Potter's stick? : MAGIC WAND. It was Potterhead weekend on AMC.

4. Superabundance : PLETHORA. Ollivander's Shop has a plethora wands.

5. Messy digs : STY

6. Dish cleaner : SPONGE

7. Fleming and McKellen : IANs. An author and an actor.

8. Song for two : DUET

9. Yellowstone Park grazer : ELK

10. Carnival pitchmen : BARKERS

11. Tinseltown trophy : OSCAR

12. Cheri of "SNL" : OTERI

13. Linguini or fettuccine : PASTA

19. Wild way to run : AMOK

21. Roadside shelter : INN

24. __ of Reason : AGE. The Age of Reason; Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology is a pamphlet, written by Thomas Paine and published in three parts.

25. Seaside city : PORT. Not every port is seaside nor is every seaside city a port.

26. Twerp : TWIT. No need to call names.

27. Picturesque fabric : TOILE

28. "Who __ that masked man?" : WAS. "That was the Lone Ranger!" "Hi-Yo, Silver!"

29. "Wheel of Fortune" buy : AN I

31. Likewise : SIMILARLY

32. S-shaped molding : OGEE

33. It made Leary bleary : LSD

35. Hypothetical time irregularity : WARP. Funny, coming right after LSD.

36. Be contrite about : RUE

37. Cleveland NBA player : CAVALIER. As of Saturday, so is LeBron James.

39. Tells to be quiet : SHUSHes

40. Part of FWIW : FOR. (For What It's Worth)

41. Scotch tape target : TEAR. Double-sided can be used to hold green dresses in place.

42. Did some finger painting : DAUBED

43. Coffee holder : MUG

44. Hunting weapon : RIFLE

45. Objects of devotion : IDOLS

46. "Little __ Coupe": Beach Boys hit : DEUCE

49. Gin fizz fruit : SLOE

50. Naked : NUDE

52. Apportion, with "out" : METE

53. Hebrew winter month : ADAR

55. Old PC monitor : CRT. (cathode ray tube)

56. Toss into the mix : ADD

Argyle

Sunday July 13, 2014 Garry Morse

Theme:   "Lo and Behold!" -LO is inserted into each theme answer.

23A. Tango involving gates? : SLALOM DANCING. Slam dancing.

33A. Most shameful nonstudio films? : LOWEST INDIES. West Indies.

52A. Opinion piece by a sot? : LOOPED COLUMN. Op-ed column. Who's your favorite columnist?

69A. Song about a guy with his jug of wine? : FOR ME AND MY GALLO. For Me and My Gal.

90A. Vivaldi's styling business? : SALON ANTONIO. San Antonio. Antonio Vivaldi.

104A. Time for a weekly parade? : FLOAT TUESDAY. Fat Tuesday.

122A. Hit homers batting left- and right-handed? : CLOUT BOTH WAYS. Cut both ways.

No Garry Morse in our blog label, must be a debut. Quite a feat to make a debut on Sunday, as the grid is much more demanding. Tiny dupes like this happen often:

119A. Former : ONE TIME

103D. "Have an hors d'oeuvre" : TRY ONE

Rich & Patti normally do not allow those dupes.
 

Across:

1. Get at : IMPLY

6. Work with ice, perhaps : SCULPT. We also have 125. Ice removal tool : SCRAPER. Stunning

12. Gossip components : TIDBITS. Sohu (China) has an insane amount of gossip.

19. Sierra Nevada resort : TAHOE

20. Pennsylvania railroad town : ALTOONA. Is this an Indian name also?

22. Busts a gut over : ROARS AT

25. All together : EN MASSE

26. There's one next to Ventnor Ave. in Monopoly : UTIL

27. Musical liability : TIN EAR. That's what I have.

28. The ANC's country : RSA. ANC is the African National Congress.

30. Digs of twigs : NEST

31. Outcasts : PARIAHS

37. Cue : PROMPT

40. Typical Popstar! reader : TEEN

41. Reject : NIX

42. Peter Lorre role : MR MOTO. Wiki said the author "initially created the character for the Saturday Evening Post, which was seeking stories with an Asian hero after the death of Charlie Chan's creator Earl Derr Biggers".

45. Burning : LIT

47. Tear into : ASSAIL

49. Tax pro, briefly : CPA

55. Was humbled : ATE CROW. Or DIRT.

57. Test sites : LABS

58. Author __ Rogers St. Johns : ADELA. Also the girl in "A Passage to India".

59. Word of woe : ALAS

61. Fail to keep : LOSE

62. Magazine VIPs : EDs

63. Letters on a Cardinal cap : STL

65. Jungian inner self : ANIMA

67. Throws out : EJECTS

73. Pepperdine University site : MALIBU. Not familiar with Pepperdine University.

76. Followers : SHEEP. English is irrational. With sheep & deer.

77. "The X-Files" subj. : UFO

78. Red Guard leader : MAO. He encouraged those red guards to stir up some trouble.

81. Keats works : ODES

82. "House" actor : EPPS (Omar)

84. Truman's Missouri birthplace : LAMAR

87. The Taj Mahal, e.g. : TOMB

88. Like fine wine : VINTAGE

93. Close : END

94. 1939 Buck Rogers player : CRABBE (Buster)

97. "Just __" : ASK

98. Not back, perhaps : OPPOSE

99. Key letter : PHI

100. Cambodian capital : RIEL. Sihanouk died in Beijing. The international section of our evening news always had heavy coverage of Khmer Rouge & Gaza Strip & The Base (Al-Qaeda).

102. Loathing : HATRED. And 6. Extreme cruelty : SADISM. Dexter Filkins called those ISIS guys psychopaths.

109. Symbol of love : RED ROSE

113. Pool regimen : LAPS

114. ABBA's homeland: Abbr. : SWE

115. Saunters : MOSEYS

118. Crafts partner : ARTS

126. Choking cause : TENSION. Bases loaded with two outs situation, correct?

127. London length : METRE

128. Quarterly arrivals : SEASONS

129. "Tristram Shandy" author : STERNE (Laurence). Have you read the novel?

130. Creme-filled snacks : OREOS

Down:

1. "__ to you" : IT'S UP

2. Smallest European Union country : MALTA

3. Singer Liz : PHAIR. Splynter's type of girl.

4. Rewards for kids : LOLLIPOPS

5. USN clerk : YEO. Yeoman.

7. Highlands family : CLAN

8. __ Reader : UTNE

9. It makes all the stops : LOCAL

10. "Egocentric little creep" of a detective, according to the author who created him : POIROT. Again, from Wiki: "By 1930, Agatha Christie found Poirot "insufferable", and by 1960 she felt that he was a "detestable, bombastic, tiresome, ego-centric little creep". 

11. Old Opry network : TNN

12. Reward for a pet : TREAT. He loves his Kong.

13. K+, e.g. : ION

14. Farm female : DAM

15. Unnamed competitor, in ads : BRAND X

16. Japanese immigrant : ISSEI. The first-generation Japanese-American.

17. Café cup : TASSE

18. Editorial changes of heart : STETS

21. Goes along : AGREES

24. View from Portland, Ore. : MT. HOOD

29. IRS form entries : SSNS

32. Comic Johnson : ARTE

34. Withdraw : WEAN

35. Per se : IN ITSELF

36. "Aida" backdrop : NILE. And 56. Queen of the 36-Down, familiarly : CLEO

38. Slog : PLOD

39. Ceramic piece, perhaps : TILE

42. Fr. miss : MLLE

43. Country __ : ROAD

44. Surrounds en masse : MOBS. This dupes the previous EN MASSE answer. Hard to spot in a huge grid.

46. School severely damaged by Katrina : TULANE

48. Org. with towers : AAA. Tow-ers.

49. Swamp snapper : CROC

50. Mail : POST

51. Leaves open-mouthed : AWES

53. Relax : CALM

54. "Long Walk to Freedom" autobiographer : MANDELA. Iraq needs a Mandela.

59. Five-time Oscar nominee Adams : AMY. So pretty.

60. Fall back : LAG

63. Cry hard : SOB

64. Wayne's Oscar film : TRUE GRIT

66. Savanna grazer : IMPALA

68. Self-titled best-selling album of 2001 : J. LO

69. It may be pumped or bumped : FIST. First bump is called DAP.

70. Psychic's claim : ESP. And 72. It may be detected by a psychic : AURA

71. Relaxed responses : AHS

73. Relocate : MOVE

74. Court advantage : AD IN

75. Give conditionally : LEND

78. Like most pre-'60s recordings : MONO

79. "The Information" author Martin : AMIS

80. Slim woodwind : OBOE

83. Soup veggie : PEA. I love sugar peas.

85. Dance in a pit : MOSH

86. "She's a Lady" songwriter : ANKA

87. Excellent : TOP DRAWER. Top entry!

89. Sieben und eins : ACHT. I did not know Sieben is German for 7.

90. Tourney ranking : SEED

91. Beef from the weary : NO REST

92. Pranked, in a way : TP'ED

95. Tea or coffee : BREW

96. Divide equally : BISECT

99. Ristorante offerings : PASTAS

101. __ Cranston, a.k.a. "The Shadow" : LAMONT. Also new to me.

104. Oral-B product : FLOSS

105. Tilting pole : LANCE

106. Dvorák's "Rusalka," e.g. : OPERA

107. Netizens, say : USERS

108. Brooklynese pronoun : YOUSE. Plural of "you".

110. Declaim : ORATE

111. Start to foam? : STYRO. Styrofoam.

112. Assisi trio? : ESSES

116. Ruin Bond's martini : STIR

117. Jet-black, in verse : EBON

120. Newsworthy NYSE event : IPO

121. Fathers and sons : MEN

123. "__ Miz" : LES

124. Wellness gp. : HMO

C.C.

Saturday, Jul 12th, 2014, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing F,J,X)

Blocks: 29

   Yep, I felt we were getting a Silkie today~!  I liked this one - just enough of a challenge without being jammed up with a lot of proper names and vague references.  Triple 7's in the Downs, triple 11's in the Across - missed the date ( 7-11 ) by one day....Two other long fills on the inside as well, and a stair pattern at the center, plus a low block clount.  Some of the longer fill:

15a. 1959 Fabian hit : TURN ME LOOSE - Link away, because I knew this one growing up

 65a. "Mission: Impossible" actor : PETER GRAVES - Also "Captain Clarence Oveur"

Onward....

ACROSS:

1. Strategy rarely involving a power hitter : SQUEEZE PLAY - Some baseball for C.C., right off the bat - pun intended

12. Class fig. : GPA - Not EST. - my graduating class was 791 students

16. Art of MGM? : ARS - Ars Gratia Artis - seems WAY too easy, especially for Mr. Silk

17. Oil field workers : ROUSTABOUTS - according to the dictionary, it's an Americanism, and isn't limited to oil fields - any unskilled laborer

18. 1909 ballet "__ Sylphides" : LES - sensible WAG, but I waited on perps

19. Portuguese is its official lang. : ANG - ANGOLA, Africa

20. Scotland's __ Awe : LOCH - DAH~!  I had PESTERS in at 8d., so I did not see this at first

21. Static, e.g. : NOISE - my first thought, and I hesitated

23. Not surprising : USUAL - my first thought, and I hesitated again

26. Personal question? : WHO

27. Gulf sight : OILER - Seen in Edmonton, too

28. '60s Navy project : SEALAB - there were three; more from Wiki

30. Sharp turn : ELL - Dah~!  I tried ZIG

32. Riga native : LETT - Got it, but spelled it LATT first

33. Touch screen accessory : STYLUS

34. Liability-limiting order : STOP-LOSS - investment market security measure - sounds like I know something, but I just looked it up

36. Cheater's tool : CRIB - Cliff's Notes didn't fit

38. "J'accuse" writer : ZOLA - Perps and WAGs

39. Ios and Naxos are in them : CYCLADES - I have heard of this place, but I was thinking along the lines of asteroids in the belt - it's all Greek to me....

43. Fast ballroom dances : MAMBOS - I have this Perry Como song in my MP3 player - from "Ocean's Eleven" - but we would change the lyrics to "Pablo Loves Mangos"

47. Second : AIDE

48. American __ : ELM - OK, who else went with "PIE"~!?

49. Home of the 3M Company : ST. PAUL - More for our Minnesotan (doesn't sound right)

50. "SportsCenter" brief : RECAP

52. USSR successor : CIS - Commonwealth of Independent States - perps

54. Extend an invitation for : ASK TO

55. Santa __ : CLARA - first thought, but I waited, again...tsk-tsk

56. 7, for N : AT. No. - Atomic Number - nailed it

58. Latin is often heard in it : LAW

59. Pitches : ADS

60. Vision : MENTAL IMAGE

64. Holy mlle. : STE

66. Desperate letters : S.O.S.

67. "It's about time they all left!" : "ALONE AT LAST~!"

DOWN:       

1. "Salome" composer : STRAUSS

2. __ hut : QUONSET - It's great to get the 11-letter fill at 1a. - makes all the downs that much easier~!

3. First FIFA World Cup winner : URUGUAY - sure, when you have the U-----Y in place

4. Inning trio? : ENs - iNNiNgs

5. CPR provider : EMT

6. Fire : ZEAL - again, with the "Z" there....

7. Pasta shape : ELBOW

8. Hounds : POOCHES - PESTERS was a good fit, too

9. Longtime college football coach who is now an ESPN analyst : LOU HOLTZ - Last to fill, and a WAG

10. Bermuda hrs. : AST - Atlantic Standard Time

11. Offering only two choices : YES/NO

12. First spacecraft to orbit Jupiter : GALILEO - VOYAGER fit, but that just flew past

13. Radio buttons : PRESETS

14. Claims : ASSERTS

22. Light sources : OIL LAMPS

24. Safety announcement : ALL CLEAR

25. Preminger noir classic : LAURA

29. Surprise hit, maybe : B-SIDE

31. They have shuttles and treadles : LOOMS

35. Montana motto word : PLATA - Oro Y Plata - Gold & Silver

37. Singing style in Rossini operas : BEL CANTO - Beautiful Singing in Italian

39. Lifeless form : CARCASS - Nice way to define this

40. Accept : YIELD TO

41. Jewel boxes : CD CASES

42. In love : SMITTEN - Like this....I found this funny, too

 

44. Filo pastry dessert : BAKLAVA - really good; used to get some after having a gyro

45. Storm consequences : OUTAGES - Tis the season, at least around here

46. Last to finish : SLOWEST - makes sense when it's filled in....

51. Argentine grassland : PAMPA

53. Bag : SNARE

57. First name in Russian gymnastics : OLGA

61. Sushi choice : EEL - DAH~! not AHI

62. Lexington Ave. line : IRT -

63. Practice leader? : MAL - Malpractice

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

Happy 84th Birthday to dear Sallie! Are your sons visiting you for the special occasion, Sallie? Hope all is well with you.