36D. Military uniform jacket : ARMY COAT. Surplus favorite.
Argyle here. This is Robert's third puzzle so far this year. An easy puzzle in a complicated grid. Five sections with little connections and yet the themes interlock while the cheese, I mean unifier, stands alone.
Across:
1. Ancient calculators : ABACI
6. Off-ramp : EXIT
10. Makes a quick getaway : LAMS. Lam can be a verb or a noun.
14. Low-ranking noble : BARON
15. Move to another town, for short : RELO
16. Sheltered, at sea : ALEE
19. Bolivia neighbor : PERU
20. Open just a crack : AJAR
23. Point a finger at : ACCUSE
25. Clears a whiteboard : ERASES
26. English sculptor Henry : MOORE. “Man Enters the Cosmos”
40. Dagger in "Macbeth," e.g. : PROP. As in a stage production of the play.
41. Negotiator's goal : PACT. Had DEAL first.
43. Whopper : LIE
44. St. Petersburg neighbor : TAMPA. FLA., not RUS.
45. Local dialect : PATOIS. From French, as you might expect.
47. "Let's wait" : "NOT YET"
51. Cartel acronym : OPEC. (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)
52. Excess : GLUT
57. German "a" : EINE
58. Actor Grant : CARY
59. San Antonio shrine : ALAMO
61. Banjo spot : KNEE So 40D. 61-Across bone : PATELLA. (knee cap)
62. Brit's bye-byes : "TA TA"s
Down:
1. Law gp. : ABA. (American Bar Association)
2. Emeril interjection : "BAM!"
4. Pull out of thin air, seemingly, with "up" : CONJURE
5. Words before "of emergency" : IN CASE
6. Goof : ERR
7. TV warrior princess : XENA
8. Robert who played a Soprano : ILER
9. Flourless cake : TORTE
10. Argentina's Río de __: River of Silver : LA PLATA
11. Yankees' div. : AL EAST
12. River to Liverpool Bay : MERSEY. Not a lip sync!
13. "Hop on Pop" author : SEUSS
18. Bauxite, e.g. : ORE
22. Award-winning detective fiction writer Robert : CRAIS. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, Quincy, Miami Vice and L.A. Law. - Wikipedia
23. Bullets and such : AMMO
24. Poised under pressure : COOL
27. Up (to), as a task : EQUAL
28. Branch of Islam : SUNNI
29. Baseball Hall of Famer Satchel : PAIGE
32. Unlike this ans. : ACR. (not down, across)
33. Hwy. : RTE.
35. Room accessed via ladder, maybe : ATTIC
37. Knucklehead : DOPE
38. Squabble : SPAT
39. Vespa, for one : SCOOTER
41. Talking parrot in a 1998 film : PAULIE. I did not watch it.
42. Bring into harmony : ATTUNE
44. '60s cartoon feline : TOP CAT. I did watch it.
45. Book parts : PAGES. So simple it's hard.
46. Hanging loosely : SLACK
47. Name, in Paris : NOM. As in NOM de plume.
49. Mongolia's __ Bator : ULAN. Population: 1.132 million (2010)
50. Like Hubbard's cupboard : BARE
54. Kind of whiskey or bread : RYE. A toast for Tinbeni.
55. Nashville awards org. : CMA. (Country Music Association)
56. Fight enders, briefly : KOs...and I'm down for the count.
Argyle
Note from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to Montana! Below is a picture of her birthday gathering in July. She said:
"...Mid-July was more convenient than August for work schedules. My CT son rented a 10 bedroom condo in Vail, CO and invited all his siblings to come with their families. We had never all been at the same place at the same time before. It was a wonderful gift to me!..."
Please clickherefor more pictures. Montana had to have furnace on the past few days. Are you still planning your autumn visit to Dudley area?
My 5 children celebrated my 2014 birthday in Vail, CO
Theme: No lyin' - but lots of other entertainment from under the Big Top.
17A. Schoolroom cutup : CLASS CLOWN
27A. Pachyderm in stereotypical hallucinations : PINK ELEPHANT
47A. PDF file creation program : ADOBE ACROBAT
61A. Performances in a big tent, where you'd see the ends of 17-, 27- and 47-Across : CIRCUS ACTS
Argyle here with the latest Dynamic Duo. Well done.
Across:
1. "Around the World in 80 Days" navigator Phileas : FOGG
5. Lou of soul music : RAWLS
10. Immediately, in memos : ASAP
14. Folk singer Guthrie : ARLO
15. "Such a tease!" : "OH YOU!"
16. Lecture location : HALL
19. Concerning : AS TO
20. Often sculpted anatomy parts : TORSOs
21. Campus email suffix : .EDU
23. Logician's abbr. : QED. (quod erat demonstrandum)
24. First African-American major-league coach Buck : O'NEIL. (1962) It would be almost ten more years before the first black major league manager.
25. Condé Nast fashion monthly : GLAMOUR
31. Yale student : ELI
34. Membership fees : DUES
35. Ravi Shankar's instrument : SITAR
36. French peak : MONT
38. Volga region native : TATAR. We read the Tatar Paper yesterday.
41. Two times tetra- : OCTA. Greek prefixes for 4 and 8
42. Nickname for Wrigley Field hero Ernie Banks : MR. CUB
44. Condo division : UNIT
46. The Beatles' "__ Jude" : HEY
51. System for blind readers : BRAILLE
52. Peeled : PARED
56. Leb. neighbor : SYR. Lebanon/Syria
57. Actress Peeples : NIA
58. "Marry me!" : "BE MINE!"
59. Dunked cookie : OREO
64. One often lost in the laundry : SOCK
65. "That's it for me" : "I'M OUT". The poker table would be one spot you might hear this.
66. Vichyssoise veggie : LEEK. The soup is traditionally served cold but can be eaten hot.
67. Pantry pests : ANTS
68. So far : AS YET
69. Misses the mark : ERRS
Down:
1. Ex post __: retroactively : FACTO
2. Lightweight synthetic : ORLON
3. Blinding light : GLARE
4. Talk around the water cooler : GOSSIP
5. Giant birds of myth : ROCs. They were so big, they could have carried of our circus elephant.
6. Minor league rink org. : AHL. (American Hockey League)
7. St. in which most of Yellowstone is located : WYO. (Wyoming)
8. Poet Amy : LOWELL
9. Cherry-topped treat : SUNDAE
10. ''Now I get it!'' : "A-HA!"
11. Bigfoot's other name : SASQUATCH
12. Take turns : ALTERNATE
13. Walk heavily : PLOD
18. State of matter : SOLID
22. Calls the game : UMPS. Verb.
25. Fist pump or high-five, e.g. : GESTURE
26. Cleveland's state : OHIO
28. Cashew or pecan : NUT
29. Mauna __ : KEA
30. Waiter's carrier : TRAY
31. Actress Stone of "The Help" : EMMA
32. "She Walks in Beauty" poet : LORD BYRON
33. Wrong : INCORRECT
37. Brass band bass : TUBA
39. 2014, por ejemplo : ANO. All Spanich.
40. "Spare" cut of meat : RIB
43. '60s hippie gathering : BE IN
45. VCR inserts : TAPES
48. "The Good Wife" attorney Florrick : ALICIA
49. Says assuredly : CLAIMS
50. Mexican food in a corn-husk wrap : TAMALE
53. Potato press : RICER. Old timer.
54. "Come on in!" : "ENTER!"
55. Many talk show hosts sit at them : DESKS
56. Slugger Sammy : SOSA
58. Cigar remains : BUTT. Remains are something that is left like the butt of a cigar.
60. Brief approvals : OKs
62. Cowboy Rogers : ROY
63. Signal to an actor : CUE
Argyle
Notes from C.C.:
1) Steve Marron is our Wednesday Sherpa Steve. Congratulations on your debut, Steve! Read the first sentence in TTP's comment when Jazzbumpa (Ron) had his puzzle published.
2) Husker Gary also took a few pictures of our gathering last week. He also treated me my very first Earl Grey tea, Abejo!
Left to Right: Boomer, Gary, C.C. & Joann
I feel like a Huskers' first round draft pick.
3) Spitzboov (Al) met with Argyle last Saturday at the Washington County Fair. Al mentioned that this was his first visit to the fair in 40 years. He said "I was pleasantly surprised by how much the fair has grown over 4 decades."
Spitzboov, Betty & Argyle
(In case you wonder, it's Bloomin' Onion with horseradish & Ranch dipping sauces)
Spitzboov and Argyle with John (Deere)
Please click here for more. I'm so pleased that they finally met each other. Spitzboov's family from Virginia, Massachusetts & Delaware had a big gathering at the fair.
110A. Volga Region daily? : TATAR PAPER. Tar paper.
118A. Bees battling over nectar? : HONEY COMBAT. Honeycomb. The only one-word base phrase.
33D. Swindler at a New York zoo? : BRONX CHEATER. Bronx cheer.
42D. Gave stars to kippers? : RATED HERRING. Red herring.
Easy puzzle, yes? Gail always makes the smoothest Sunday grids. She's not going to shock and awe young solvers with edgy & trendy phrases. Her focus is always her overall solvers.
Were you bothered by the HAS OPEN (105A. Didn't fill yet, as calendar slots) clue? I had ?AS OPEN and wanted WAS OPEN due to the tense.
Across:
1. China problem : CHIP. And 14. China setting : FAR EAST. China clue echo. I nailed CHIP immediately.
5. Brought to Broadway : STAGED. Also 115. Fakes being : ACTS
11. Clothing fold : CUFF
15. TV talk pioneer : PAAR (Jack)
19. Like some bears' market predictions : DIRE. Not DOWN. Also 22. Bear overhead : URSA
20. Happened next : ENSUED
21. New Balance competitor : AVIA. Got easily with the crossing 12. Iris locale : UVEA. Quite a few 4-letter sneaker brands.
25. Barely burn : SEAR
26. Reactions to mice, maybe : EEKS
27. Acct. earnings : INT
28. 2010 title role for Denzel : ELI.The Book of Eli.
31. Simply not done : TABOO
34. Trying experiences : ORDEALS
36. Catamaran mover : SAIL
37. Emergency supplies delivery method : AIR DROP. Wish we could eradicate those ISIS thugs. Bloody Jihadists.
39. Coll. drilling group : ROTC
41. Ball game delayers : STORMS
45. "As I see it," in texts : IMO. Also 57A. Intimate modern message : SEXT. Slight clue/answer dupe. I thought of our passionate PK when I readthesesteamy letters.
51. "How relaxing!" : AAH
52. Periscope part : LENS
54. Wood shop tools : LATHES. Hi there, Splynter/Jerome!
55. Mid-Atlantic st. : DEL
56. Sight from the Sicilian village of Taormina : ETNA. Gimme for long crossword solvers.
58. Clipped, in a way : SHORN
59. Shrill cry : YELP
61. Race : TEAR. Not an easy clue.
62. Corn or cotton : CROP
64. Bores for ore : MINES
67. Fairy tale food : PORRIDGE. I call my morning oatmeal "porridge" too.
69. Rival of Brom in an 1820 novel : ICHABOD. Ichabod Crane/Brom Bones. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". I drew a blank.
72. Pops in the fridge : SODAS
74. Hoisting devices : WINCHES. New word to me, Santa! Met with Spitzboo yesterday?
75. Wildly excited : FRENETIC
77. Classic pops : NEHIs
79. Solidify : CAKE. I don't think I've used CAKE as a verb before.
80. Frog's kiddie-lit friend : TOAD
81. Condescending sort : SNOB
83. Photoshop developer : ADOBE
85. Mother of the Valkyries : ERDA. I had E?DA, then I waited.
88. Makeshift shelters : HUTS
89. "Mr. Blue Sky" band, briefly : ELO
90. Future litigator's study : PRE-LAW
91. Airport transport : TRAM
92. Virtuoso : ACE
97. Ristorante suffix : INI
98. Upheaval : THROES
100. Call for : NEED. Joann told me she enriches their garden with Miracle-Gro every two weeks. Maybe I should try that also.
101. Puts on the right track : ORIENTS
103. Evil sitcom organization : KAOS. Get Smart.
109. They may be rough : EDGES
114. Sharp turn : ZAG
115. __ premium : AT A
116. Traveling : AWAY
117. Cantina cooker : OLLA. It's similar to the traditional Cantonese soup pot.
123. "In your dreams" : NOPE
124. Wiped out : DEAD
125. Friendly court contest : ONE SET. Tennis.
126. Toledo's lake : ERIE
127. Delighted : GLAD
128. Three-part figs. : SSNs
129. Mouth formations : DELTAS
130. Identical : SAME
Down:
1. They may be writable : CDs
2. Fanny pack spot : HIP. Here is our Yellowrocks. Thanks for the book recommendations yesterday.
3. Portfolio element, for short : IRA. And44. Portfolio units : SHARES
4. Game division : PERIOD
5. Reserved __ : SEAT
6. Demolition aid : TNT
7. Sunflower relative : ASTER. My daises bloomed for a very short period this spring.
8. Artisan group : GUILD
9. Like many King novels : EERIE
10. RMN was his VP : DDE. Nixon.
11. Analytical write-up : CASE STUDY
13. Punto and Bravo : FIATS. All crosses.
15. Colorado county or its seat : PUEBLO
16. Geometry figure : AREA
17. Sets a price of : ASKS
18. Reckless : RASH
24. Vast, in verse : ENORM
29. Voting coalition : BLOC. They did not ask for my ID when I voted in the primary two weeks ago. I did see the $10,000 fine warning for vote fraud.
30. Baptism, e.g. : RITE
31. Formal affair wear : TAILS
32. Singer Mann : AIMEE
34. Media mogul with a Presidential Medal of Freedom : OPRAH. I just cannot warm up to her.
35. Mars, to the Greeks : ARES
38. Drips on the driveway : OIL SPOTS
40. Move like ivy : CREEP
43. Run : MANAGE
47. Elementary bit : ATOM
48. Matthews of "Hardball" : CHRIS. Very aggressive.
49. Fab Four name : LENNON
50. Sanction : ALLOW
53. Leaves high and dry : STRANDS
56. Flier's printout : E-TICKET
60. Competition with slashing : PRICE WAR. Oh, price slashing.
63. 2001 honor for J.K. Rowling : OBE. Order of the British Empire.
65. Suffix with stamp : EDE
66. Much of Libya : SAHARA
68. Genetic messenger : RNA
69. "Maybe even less" : IF THAT. Can you give me an example of how the clue & answer match?
70. Catching position : CROUCH
71. Enjoyed some courses : DINED
73. It's usually not a hit : SIDE B
76. 2014 U.S. Senior Open winner Montgomerie : COLIN. Surly & annoying at times.
78. Diva highlights : SOLI
82. Jerks : BONEHEADS. Lovely entry.
84. Relay stick : BATON
86. Poet who feuded with Pope Boniface VIII : DANTE. Easy guess.
87. Off the mark : AMISS
90. Advanced degs. : PhDs
93. Bring up : REAR
94. 14-legged crustaceans : ISOPODS. I didn't know they have 14 legs.
95. Equipment : GEAR
96. Connect with : TIE TO
99. Signed off on : OKAYED
102. One of four singing brothers : ED AMES. All crosses.
104. Corporate division : SALES
106. Form of oxygen : OZONE
107. Comic strip frame : PANEL
108. Spew out : EGEST
110. Strong flavor : TANG
111. Mil. no-show : AWOL
112. Appetizer in una taberna : TAPA
113. Not leave things to chance : PLAN
118. Mortar trough : HOD. This little word used to stump me.
119. Word of support : YEA
120. One may be padded : BRA. Have you been in a relationship where the guy loves shopping bras with you?
Well, I have to say I just smoked through this Silkie~! The cluing was
relatively unobscure, and there weren't too many cryptic answers,
either. It could be argued that I was on Mr. Silk's wavelength
today....Triple 10-letter corners, with two 12-letter climbers on the
inside today;
10. Significant butter component : SATURATED FAT - fairly certain it was going to end with "FAT"
20. 2005 National Toy Hall of Fame inductee : CARDBOARD BOX - it's a prize for some kids, and cats....link away~!
on-(Back?)-ward ~
ACROSS:
1. Pitcher's goal : SALE - Good start for me; I did not go with the baseball version
5. Natural wisdom : HORSE SENSE - Too bad there's little COMMON sense around these days
15. Pearl Buck heroine : OLAN - Forced readng in Junior High, and a crossword staple
16. Agents : EMISSARIES
17. Key not used alone : CTRL - on your computer
18. Great Pyramid of Giza material : LIMESTONES - eh, I wanted LIMESTONE, and it was too short - and this is not LIME STONES - those would be called 'seeds'
19. Tapped item : KEG - ah, not ALE
20. Gary, e.g. : CITY - In Indiana, e.g.
21. "I'm here to help" : "USE ME"
22. Like gross wages, e.g. : PRE-TAX
24. Plot component : ACRE - Oh, very good - I was thinking story plot, and the "R" filled via perps
26. Racing family name : UNSER
27. Ottoman officer : PASHA
29. Tripe : ROT - my first thought, but I did not fill it in
32. Measured roughly : PACED - HA~! I "PACED" off the area for
the benches, and came up with 39 feet; fortunately, I have a survey tape
( bought at a garage sale for $1 ), and I used that to verify - only
36' 6" of space. The finished unit comes in at 36' 5" - HA~!
33. Surprise of a sort : UPSET - in sporting events usually
34. First name in Notre Dame football history : ARA
35. Collaborative educ. group : PTA - Saturday cluing
36. Initiate by purifying : BAPTIZE - Nailed it
38. Ringo Starr's drummer son : ZAK - I have linked him before - plays for A.S.a.P. - the side project of Adrian Smith, the guitarist from Iron Maiden
39. Fish with no pelvic fin : EEL - I went with "GAR"
40. Final notices : OBITs - Obituaries; I guess this is so common now that 'abbr.' is not needed
41. Buzz : DRONE
43. "Four Quartets" poet's monogram : TSE - T.S. Eliot
44. Appropriate : ALLOT - the verb, not the adjective
45. Seat of Cass County, North Dakota : FARGO
46. Mil. field rations : MREs - Meals, Ready-to-Eat
47. Slight arch : CAMBER - the only CAMBER I know is the automotive tire alignment version
48. Use as an excuse : PLEAD
51. Coll. senior's exam : GMAT
53. Old Ford : LTD
54. Wedding figure : RING BEARER - there was a bridal shower at
the restaurant Thursday night - skirts, legs and heels overload for me -
sweated more watching them parade in than I did building the benches
57. Diet : FARE
58. Reasonably soon : IN GOOD TIME - Great fill
59. River to the Baltic : ODER - perps and a crossword regular
60. Certain copier supply : XEROX TONER - the second "X" was there from "...BOX", and once I put "PRIX" in, this was a gimme
61. Queen's subjects : BEES - not the one in England - er, well, there could be a queen bee there, too....
DOWN:
1. Shari Lewis creation : SOCK PUPPET - the Wiki on "Lamb Chop"
2. Subs : ALTERNATES - Substitutes, that is
3. Epic : LARGE SCALE
4. Like mil. volunteers : ENListed
5. Spring, perhaps : HELIX
6. Skip : OMIT - WAG
7. Frosted : RIMY - Wow; an extreme WAG that stayed
9. Slalom path segment : ESS - Ah; went with "LEG"
11. Jagged : EROSE
12. The digits in all but one of its two-digit multiples add up to it : NINE
- OK, I got this, but I am not sure of the "one"; 18 (1+8), 27(2+7),
36(3+6)....so are we talking about 90(9+0)? - or 09? Even three-digits,
108 = 1+0+8 = 9, etc.
13. Appear : SEEM
14. __ quam videri: North Carolina motto : ESSE
23. Basic top : TEE
24. It's worth one point in hockey statistics : ASSIST - God, only 6 weeks to go....
25. Bistro awning word : CHEZ
27. Ones who have class? : PUPILS - Har-Har
28. Is __: likely will : APT TO
29. It may be disposable : RAZOR BLADE - Nailed it - OK, the "Z" was there already
30. Grove grower : ORANGE TREE - the thing, not the farmer
31. Wait at the diner, perhaps : TAKE ORDERS - the staff that waits, not the customer
50. Software pro, in want ads : ENGR - eh, OK. ENGineeR
51. Beam : GRIN
52. Hand raiser's cry : "ME~! ME~!"
55. Va. summer setting : EDT
56. From __ Z : A TO
57. Watch chain : FOB
Oh, and one more thing - I have to add this pic, as there was some controversy over the use of "this" word in crosswords; seeing it on the package made me smile~!
Splynter
Notes from C.C.:
1) Happy Birthday to Tinbeni! Hope
your gal pal makes it extra special for you today. Did you sneeze
yesterday? Gary and I talked about you, of course! Thanks for the daily toast at sunset.
2)
Boomer and I met with Husker Gary and his lovely wife Joann yesterday.
Now I know why his students loved him. Just as he is on the blog, Gary
is warm & witty. He also has a deep & resonant voice, very Joe
Buck-y! Joann is a master gardener. They have an abundance of cucumbers
and tomatoes this year. I've yet to see my first cucumber. Thanks for
the great time, Gary, also for the red Go Big Red Huskers T-shirt. I felt your hug also, Marti!
Theme: Cross-referential Olympics; where is FORD LUXURY MODEL (15) when you need it?
I
happened to solve Mr. McCoy's debut puzzle last November in the NYT and
read his comments about referential clues, so I was somewhat prepared
for this style of cluing where there is a hidden word which is the clue
for all of the theme answers. The theme fill are not clued at all until
you get 23 down, MERCURY, which also has no independent clue. There are
many puzzles being constructed where there is a "meta" solution, a
style which is embraced by many especially MATT GAFFNEY.
This is not a metapuzzle because the solution is part of the puzzle,
but it is conceptually based on the same skills. So the strategy
becomes, solve 23 down and then it is a simple definition puzzle. We had
a run of Friday puzzles which were variations of the definition puzzle
at this time last year (including one from marti, and one similar to
today's from Mr. Wechsler)
so you all should be ready. Once again we get a Friday with an
intricate theme but high word count and many 3/4 letter fill to balance the inherent difficulty. In the
longer fill, PEACOCK, SKEWING, WRESTLE, CORAL SEA, LEBANESE,
ANTEROOMS, ESCAPE KEY stand out. This is Mr.
McCoy's LAT debut (he has 5 solos at NYT since last November) and I hope
he likes the environment and appreciates his audience. He was kind enough to provide some commentary on this puzzle and its genesis, which follows this writeup. Knowing this
group and its opinion on cross referential puzzles, I expect many
Thumper comments, and a few who will appreciate the simplicity of this
grid, with all four theme answers being grid spanners which fill in
nicely once you crack the code. It is Friday, so let us all put on our
long pants and get to work.
17A. See 23-Down : NEIGHBOR OF VENUS (15). A planetary reference for Mercury. Study: First rock from the Sun. It orbits the sun in 88 days.
27A. See 23-Down : BAROMETER FILLER (15). An elemental reference for Mercury. Review:
80 on the periodic table. A neighbor from my childhood murdered his
wife injecting mercury into her Nissen doughnuts. (Is the factory closed
marti?) She was a big eater. He fed small amounts to himself and his child
and he was free until he got drunk and bragged.
45A. See 23-Down : ROCK STAR FREDDIE (15). A pop culture reference for Mercury. Listen: (2:17) The voice of Queen, he died young, replaced by Adam Lambert who is a...fine singer.
58A. See 23-Down : DIVINE MESSENGER (15). A pagan mythological reference for Mercury. Learn: Usually referenced as the 'winged messenger' because of the ankle wings.
and the 'reveal:
23D. Clue for 17-, 27-, 45- and 58-Across : MERCURY (7). They all work.
Across:
1. Draft order : PINT. Well Tin, we start right off with some Ale, and not an order to report for duty. Nice clue for 1A on a Friday.
5. "__-A-Lympics": '70s Hanna/Barbera spoof : LAFF. Really had to dig deep and use some perp help. I would imagine the cross with AKON might be a Natick for some. LINK.
9. "Wicked!" : SWEET. A really appealing clue/fill combo for our New England contingent. The " marks give it away.
14. It's pressed in a corner : ESCAPE KEY. I really liked the visual here. 54A. PC key : ALT. Once again we have our clue and a fill with the same word used in the same context (computer key).
16. Feature of some stickers : AROMA. Scratch and Sniff anyone?
19. "__ So Fine": Chiffons hit : HE'S.
20. Turkic flatbread : NAN. A variant spelling from what we are more accustomed to seeing. No Bobbsey twin on a Friday.
21. Conks out : DIES. Cars, engines etc., hopefully not people.
22. Disadvantage : CON. Pro vs. Con, are any of you list makers for decisions?
23. Cohort of Larry and Curly : MOE. Chairman, who did you pay for so much publicity this week?
24. Sound of disapproval : TSK. Back again so soon; I like to see the pair.
33. Hadn't settled yet : OWED.
Being a NYT veteran, the cluing style is heavy with the less common
definition of words, but we are all familiar with settling our debts.
34. Paul McCartney title : SIR.
35. Sierra __ : LEONE. An interesting country and history, now the center of the EBOLA outbreak with more than 250 deaths. LINK.
37. Showy flier : PEACOCK.I have never seen one fly in person though we have many here, and especially at Lion Country Safari. Really pretty sight.
40. Anguish : WOE. I am Friday's child.
41. Tickle : AMUSE. Now where do you keep your fancy?
43. ET carrier, supposedly : UFO. Unidentified Flying Object.
44. Graybacks : REBS. Not a term I know, but easy to guess since we all know the blue and the gray.
49. Elizabeth Darcy __ Bennet : NEE. Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen has her own WIKI.
50. Whatever : ANY. Three letters but I needed the perps.
51. Toy power sources : AAS. batteries.
52. Joint high-tech project : WIKI.
A vague NYT type clue that is easy only if you have perped the W and
the I, the K and the I. Is an online anything considered high-tech?
55. Altar line : I DO. It does alter your life.
63. Downed water, say : DRANK. Tin?
64. Some entryways : ANTEROOMS. I think all entryways are anterooms, not all anterooms are entryways.
65. Having bite : TANGY. I like horseradish.
66. Sister of Luke : LEIA. Star Wars' misguided twins. Mini-theme 26D. "Star Wars" surname : KENOBI. Obi Wan.
67. Tom, Dick and Harry, e.g. : TRIO. I liked these better. Before you go further, who are they?
Down:
1. See 15-Down : PENH. Wow more cross-references. At least there is a clue.15D. With 1-Down, Mekong River capital : PHNOM. Anyone been to Cambodia?
2. "That makes sense to me now" : I SEE said the blind the man.
3. Investigator in the USS Cole attack : NCIS. Not
4. Place for a price : TAG. My grandmother made tags in a factory in Southbridge after her husband died.
5. Some Tripoli natives : LEBANESE. Really interesting. The good news is LIBYANS is too short, but they both start with L.
6. One-named "Lonely" singer : AKON. His real name is Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Bongo Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam. LISTEN.
7. Supportin' : FER. Not agin. More Lil Abner like speaking.
8. Author Dostoyevsky : FYODOR. Of all of his books , Notes from the Underground was my favorite even if Crime and Punishment is more well known.
9. Except : SAVE.
Another NYT type clue, where it is quite correct, but not the usual
definition of save. For all our resident poets, I would say it is
artistic, "All was quiet, save the chirping of a single cricket."
10. Have difficulty dealing (with) : WRESTLE. I wrestled in grammar school, high school and college.
11. Length of a boring class, so it seems : EON. A new (vague) clue for a crossword staple.
12. Green-egg layer : EMU. I was unaware of this fact; now I know where Dr. Seuss got his inspiration. Kazie, did you have green eggs with your ham?
18. Feudal land : FIEF. The word is the basis of the legal term Fee Simple, for real property ownership. If you want to read the HISTORY.
22. Whiting cousin : COD. Another fishy clue. Cod being the base of most fast food fish dishes.
25. Impeded : SLOWED.
27. Claylike : BOLAR. My learning moment of the day, all perps. The word has not appeared in any puzzle since 1987!
28. "Pleeeeease?" : AW C'MON. Are their enough sports fans here to appreciate THIS. (2:49)
29. Turn down : REDUCE. It took a while, but it is like the volume on you car radio.
30. Don Quixote's aunt : TIA. Just Spanish for aunt.
31. Category : ILK.
32. Rizzuto's Brooklyn counterpart : REESE. Phil and PeeWee, Yankee and Dodger shortstops in the 50's and 60's. They were short but good. HOF material.
37. Foot, in anatomy : PES. Latin word, root word for pedicure, pedestrian etc. No sugar coated knowledge dispensed here.
38. Not quite right : OFF. I am feeling a tad off today; maybe it was breathing in all the bug spray?
39. Great Barrier Reef setting : CORAL SEA. Off the NE corner of Australia, hopefully Kazie has some stories to tell.
42. Distorting : SKEWING.
I hope I don't skew this up; from the old French escuier: to shy away
from. "When ESPN does polls, the the results are always skewed."
44. Short streets? : RDS. Roads, 'short' meaning abbreviation.
46. Filming unit : TAKE. As in take a picture.
47. Sponge, e.g. : ANIMAL. Living creature.
48. Café customer : EATER. Man, I would rather see this clued Purple People ___.
53. Black : INKY. Another Pac-man shout out?
54. Italian wine region : ASTI. Spumante anyone?
55. Harpsichordist Kipnis : IGOR. Nope not on my radar.
56. Prefix meaning "half" : DEMI. So she is half dark-skinned.
60. From, in Dutch names : VAN.
When people started having surnames, they were often about what they
did, who their father was or where they were from. De, Von and others.
61. Suffix with ethyl : ENE. She lived next door to Lucy.
62. "Kidding!" : NOT. I really loved when this fad was in. NOT!
I
never know what Friday will bring, and once I got Mercury in the
middle, I found this went quickly, overall a challenge and different
cluing perspective. Welcome Mr. McCoy and be nice, I want to
collaborate with him with a puzzle where Walter Brennan and Richard
Crenna are theme answers. Lemonade out. Read his words....
Constructor notes:
I’m
absolutely thrilled to make my LA Times debut!
In
the original submission, the theme entries were NEIGHBOR OF VENUS, DIVINE
MESSENGER, QUEEN LEAD SINGER, and METALLIC ELEMENT. Rich Norris pointed
out that METALLIC ELEMENT is not specific enough to make for a very good entry
and that QUEEN LEAD SINGER doesn’t work because it really needs to include the
name FREDDIE. The original grid also lacked MERCURY as an answer, which Rich
realized could be placed in the center intersecting two themers. Therefore, I
owe him a big thanks for improving the quality of the theme so much!
17-Across. Tarot card representing union : TWO OF CUPS.
24-Across. Brightening near a sunspot : SOLAR FLARE.
35-Across. Mixer? : BAR KEEPER. Great clue! And this is a scene with my favorite mixer.
49-Across. Ingredient that mimics the flavor of an edible fungus : TRUFFLE OIL. It really doesn't, though. I prefer real truffles, but have only had them on rare occasions.
And the reveal:
58. Checkers' speech? (or what are hidden in 17-, 24-, 35- and 49-Across) : DOG SOUNDS. Checkers is perhaps the most famous dog who never lived in the White House.
Very nice! Well-hidden dog vocalizations: three split between two words, one hidden totally in the first word. I seem to have had a run of easy puzzles for the past few Thursdays. There may have been a couple trouble spots, but eventually perps revealed the correct answers.
Across
1. Travelocity user's request : AISLE. Nope, I prefer the window.
6. Get too personal : PRY.
9. Prepare a spread for : CATER.
14. Word after open, in retail : UNTIL.
15. Duvall's role in "Gods and Generals" : LEE. The movie focuses on Stonewall Jackson.
16. Rap sheet entry : CRIME.
19. Hobbles : LIMPS.
20. Wind that can be controlled : HORN. And then we have 18-Down. Trumpet protector : CASE. I sense a CSO to Jazzbumpa!
21. Chowed down : ATE.
22. Prairie home : TEEPEE.
23. Fertility lab supply : OVA. Singular ovum.
26. Genre that evolved from ska : REGGAE. Not to be confused with "raga."
29. Spanish article : LAS.
30. Wordless okay : NOD.
31. __ preview : SNEAK.
32. Leveling piece : SHIM.
34. Spruce cousins : FIRS.
38. Auto club amenities : MAPS.
41. Work for : EARN.
42. See 5-Down : SANTA. And 5-Down. 42-Across helper : ELF. Not much to go on here, except 5-letters and three-letters, with "helper," will almost always point to SANTA and his ELF. CSO to Argyle!
46. Mountain ending : EER. Mountaineer.
47. Inclined : APT. I am apt to agree...
48. Pantomime : ACT OUT. Oh, so that's what the little brats are doing at the supermarket when they can't get the candy they want?
53. Citi Field player : MET. Citi Field replaced Shea Stadium.
54. Set of devotional prayers : ROSARY.
55. Genetic stuff : RNA.
56. React to yeast : RISE. You won't get a rise out of me, yeast!
57. Time piece? : ISSUE. Cute misdirection. The magazine, not the watch.
60. Nickel and dime : COINS. Straight-forward, but nice misdirection as well.
61. Lennon's love : ONO.
62. Swindler : CHEAT.
63. Cut drastically : SLASH.
64. Youngster : TOT. The ones doing pantomimes at the supermarket.
65. Low cards : TREYS. Three OF CUPS? It's meaning is joyful camaraderie.
Down
1. King and Queen : AUTHORS. Great misdirection. Stephen KING. Ellery QUEEN was actually the pen name of two cousins: Frederic Dannay and Manfred Lee, which were assumed names of Daniel Nathan and Manford Lepofsky. (Quiz, later.)
2. Meshed together : INWOVEN. This answer didn't mesh at first.
3. Place to put things : STORAGE. Simple!
4. Beast in the Royal Arms of England : LION. Lucky WAG.
6. Second-most-massive dwarf planet : PLUTO. The New Horizons probe will visit it next July.
7. Force back : REPEL.
8. __-man : YES. Or in Reggae, "Yeah, mon."
9. Symbols seen in viola music : C CLEFS.
10. "The Tempest" spirit : ARIEL.
11. Percussion instruments : TIMPANI.
12. Beethoven's last piano concerto, familiarly, with "the" : EMPEROR. Officially titled "Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73," it was dedicated to his patron Archduke Rudolf. It was the English publisher who called it "The Emperor" concerto. I only linked a portion - the full concerto is 45 min. long, and I am sure you would finish reading this post long before it was over!
13. Deals with a patchy lawn : RESEEDS.
22. __ steamer : TRAMP. TRAMP ships carry goods from one port to another, without any fixed schedule. They are still used today, but they no longer are powered by steam.
25. Stranger : ALIEN.
27. Yaks : GABS.
28. Letters in a dossier : AKA. Also Known As.
32. Do lutzes, say : SKATE. Here's an incredible quadruple lutz by Brandon Mroz. Now, that's skating! 0:19
33. The Beatles' "And I Love __" : HER.
34. Host of some off-campus parties : FRAT. With beer kegs and togas.
36. Wedding invitation request : REPLY.
37. "Abort!" key : ESC.ape.
38. Poet's art : METRICS.
39. Spray : AEROSOL.
40. Frederick the Great's realm : PRUSSIA.
43. Party choice : NOMINEE.
44. Time associated with graceful children : TUESDAY. I'm a Wednesday child. You?
Theme: PUZZLING PROVERB PARTS. Portions of proverbs are clued with slightly askew hints at their missing segments. I went on a quest to determine what the differences are among the PROVERB, aphorism and adage, and found nothing definitive, or even worth a link. They all are various pithy, often quip-like sentences that literally or figuratively capture some bit of truth, wisdom or belief.
17. Proverbial flying companions? : BIRDS OF A FEATHER flock together. You can judge them by the company they keep, on land or in the air.
24. Proverbial pavers? : GOOD INTENTIONS. The road to hell is paved with them, it's said. This can either suggest that “The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, Gang aft agley,” or be an admonition not to let your good intentions languish due to lack of action. Which meaning do you take?
42. Proverbial loser? : HE WHO HESITATES is lost. On the other hand, look before you leap. So - who ya gonna believe?
56. Proverbial pyrite? : ALL THAT GLITTERS is not gold. This could be interpreted as meaning that gold does not glitter. As a child, I found that to be confusing. In German, IIRC, it's Alles ist nicht Geld was glänzt, or all is not gold that glitters. Not so easy to misinterpret. Pyrite, iron sulfide, is a yellowish glittery mineral, called fool's gold.
Hi gang, JzB here. Let's boldly plunge into this puzzle. After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained., and fortune favors the bold. So onward - there's no time like the present. I've included some pictures and videos, thereby saving thousands of words.
Across
1. House of Dana fragrance : TABU. Perfume.
5. Hiccups cure, so they say : SCARE. BOO!
10. Wilson's predecessor : TAFT. U. S. Presidents. Is the plural of POTUS POTI?
14. Economist Greenspan : ALAN. Famous quote from the emeritus Fed Chairman. "Clearly, sustained low inflation implies less uncertainty about the future, and lower risk premiums imply higher prices of stocks and other earning assets. We can see that in the inverse relationship exhibited by price/earnings ratios and the rate of inflation in the past. But how do we know when irrational exuberance has unduly escalated asset values, which then become subject to unexpected and prolonged contractions as they have in Japan over the past decade?"
— "The Challenge of Central Banking in a Democratic Society", 1996-12-05
15. Senate aides : PAGES. To the best of my knowledge, they are not characterized as recto and verso. They serve primarily as messengers, distribute copies of The Congressional Record and other relevant documents, and assist in other ways.
23. __ Miguel, largest of the Azores : SAO. This scenic archipelago is an autonomous region of Portugal, located in the north Atlantic, about 850 miles off the coast of continental Portugal.
33. Fencing equipment : EPEES. Dueling swords, not pickets.
34. Bow (out) : OPT. To OPT is to make a choice among various possibilities. This clue is far too specific.
36. Real bore : DRAG. Time DRAGs when you're bored.
37. Station : DEPOT. For trains or buses.
38. Sorority letters : PHIS. Though groups could OPT for other letters, such as alpha and gamma. The letters are the initial letters of the organization's motto or slogan in the Greek language, which is often a secret.
39. Tended little ones : SAT. Baby sitting.
40. President before and after Medvedev : PUTIN. Hero or villain, depending on which position you OPT for
41. Move stealthily : SLINK. Sneaky.
45. Sue Grafton's "__ for Outlaw" : O IS. One book of the Kinsey Millhone [English] alphabet mystery series. I got bored with it somewhere around E.
46. Ocasek of the Cars : RIC. You know what he wants.
47. Unskilled workers : PEONS.
50. Lose it : GO BANANAS. Or berserk, have a fit, hit the ceiling.
58. Muse of history : CLIO.
59. Gauchos' gear : BOLAS. South American cowboys alternative to the lariat.
60. Whistle-blowing Brockovich : ERIN. She built a case against Pacific gas and Electric for contaminating drinking water with highly toxic hexavalent chromium.
61. Great Smokies st. : TENNessee.
62. "I'm at your disposal" : USE ME. Could be a dangerous offer.
63. Lays down the lawn : SODS. Green side up. Nice word play. A clue can be both straight-forward and clever.
Down
1. Keep __ on: observe : TABS. To keep "tabs" (or "a tab") on someone, is short for "tablet" in the sense of "writing tablet," i.e., an account book or written record. Thus, when Santa Claus is described as "making a list and checking it twice," he is "keeping a tab" (or "tabs") on all those naughty and nice kiddies. This use of "tab" is relatively recent, first appearing in the late 19th century. The same sense of "tab" meaning "written account" is found in "tab" meaning "restaurant check." [Edited quote from here.]
2. Came down to earth : ALIT. Remember when returning astronauts ALIT ASEA?
4. Long shot : UNDERDOG. Proverbial loser. Occasional winner.
5. Already claimed, with "for" : SPOKEN. The meaning is clear enough, I guess, but I can't find any history on this usage.
6. Stylish eatery : CAFE. This comes from the French word for coffee, and can indicate a small restaurant selling light meals and drinks, not necessarily upscale.
7. Biology lab gel : AGAR. A gelatinous material obtained from red sea weed.
8. Officiates, briefly : REFS. At a sporting event. Briefly indicates a shortened form of referee.
9. Jargony suffix : ESE. I guess this means the suffix indicates jargon, as in legalese, rather than being jargony itself.
10. Parlor art : TATTOO. Skin decoration. Pick an image.
11. Stadium named for a tennis great : ASHE. Arthur, 1943-1993, winner of three grand slam titles.
12. Late charges, e.g. : FEES. Also payments made for services rendered.
13. Lemony : TART. Sour.
18. Nightie material : SATIN. A smooth glossy fabric. Pick an image.
19. Diarist Nin : ANAIS. She was free-spirited before it was cool, acted in movies, was a pioneer in female erotica, for which she was supremely qualified and had two simultaneous marriages in New York and California. Must have been tiring.
23. Never mind, to an editor : STET. Let it stand as written.
24. Meanders : GADS. To meander is to take a winding route to your destination. To GAD about is to visit many pleasurable places, while avoiding other duties and responsibilities. I don't see the equivalence.
28. "Silas Marner" foundling : EPPIE. "The narrator describes her as 'a creature of endless claims and
ever-growing desires, seeking and loving sunshine, and living sounds,
and living movements'; she loves flowers and butterflies, and
birds and animals. Basically, she's the exact opposite of Silas."
29. Glowing signs : NEONS. Light bulbs in which ionized gases [not necessarily NEON] emit light via fluorescence.
30. Like four Sandy Koufax games : NO-HIT. A baseball game in which one team finishes without reaching base via a hit.
31. Book back : SPINE. Writing there usually identifies the title and author. But don't judge a book by its SPINE.
37. Teams on police shows, often : DUOS. They usually travel in pairs
38. Calms using concessions : PLACATES. Only works for a little while. Then they want more.
40. Scam using spam, perhaps : PHISH. Internet slang for an attempt to fraudulently obtain confidential information or personal data. The scammer wants to snag you like a fish.
41. Stretch in the service : STINT. The length of time a member of the armed forces commits to serving.
43. Chinese dumpling : WONTON. I think every nationality has their equivalent.
44. Hold 'em declaration : I RAISE. Poker term for raising the stakes of a bet on a given hand.
47. Kyoto Protocol, e.g. : PACT. A formal agreement among the involved parties.
55. Some employee IDs : SSNS. Social Security Numbers.
57. __ Dhabi : ABU. The largest of the seven emerates in the United Arab Emirates, a country at the Southeast end of the Arabian peninsula, and also the name of the capital city. Plus it's almost as much fun to say as Kuala Lumpur.
OK. That's it. Hope you kept your nose to the grindstone. If not, don't cry over spilt milk. You'll live to fight another day.
