Saturday, Apr 30th, 2016, Derek Bowman

Theme: 15x16 Triple-stack Debut~!(?)

Words: 75 (Pangram~!)

Blocks: 38

  Quite an effort for a debut (at least a debut for the LA Times).  I did not recognize the author's name, and I do not see his name on the blog list of constructors.  I dove right in and didn't see the triple-stack in the center, but I did sense that the grid was slightly w-i-d-e-r than our normal fare.  And a pangram, to boot~!  I finished under my personal time, but I have to confess two Google look-ups; both proper names.  Oh well, still a good solve, and a fun puzzle as well.  Just a tad too many proper names, I thought.  The triple-stack;

34. Capital near Las Vegas : SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO - it fit, so I went with it, and it was a good guess

41. Popular software for gamers : ADOBE FLASH PLAYER - a bit deceptive, since I am not a gamer, but I need the software to view certain YouTube videos

42. Variety show on which "The Honeymooners" began as a skit : CAVALCADE OF STARS - my house mate Garry was standing over my shoulder while I was solving, and at 69 years old, didn't know this one - until I told him the answer later.  It filled via perp(endicular)s

ACROSS:

1. Protests by not taking any courses? : FASTS - I tried SIT IN, as in students who audit classes, but don't "take" them

6. Floorboard hardware item : BRAD - as a carpenter, I end up using brads in most finishing work

10. Cloaks : VEILS

15. Top dog : ALPHA - my supervisor at UPS is a mere 21 years old, but he's got a need to prove he's the "alpha" male on the line; it's not working for him

16. Western city with an annual balloon race : RENO - filled via perps

17. She slugged a sheriff in "Selma" : OPRAH

18. Pick up : LEARN

19. Big story : EPIC - dah~! Not SAGA

20. With 13-Down, "Unfaithful" Oscar nominee : DIANE; 13. See 20-Across : LANE

21. Waits on hand and foot : CATERS TO - I pondered this, but waited

23. "Pity" : TSK

25. Proof letters : Q.E.D.

26. Not much power : ONE WATT - Garry owned "Go Solar" before retiring; everything is about watts and volts in his business

27. "Never Cry Wolf" author Farley __ : MOWAT - cheat #1; I had MO_AT

29. "__ tree falls ... " : IF A - if a man speaks, and there's no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong~?

30. Significant period : ERA

31. __ moment : A-HA

43. Buddy : MAC - argh~! Not PAL

44. Former court gp. : ABA - American Bar Association; I looked on Wiki, but couldn't find out why it is "former"

45. Big name in outdoor gear : REI - this has become a popular crossword clue/answer

46. Pope John Paul II's given name : KAROL

48. "Ready for business" sign : NOW OPEN

52. Toon that debuted in the 1954 cartoon "Devil May Hare" : TAZmanian Devil

55. "Hyde Park on Hudson" subj. : FDR - the movie starred Bill Murray

56. Peak : HIGH NOTE

57. Hardly warm : ALOOF

59. Comet competitor : AJAX

61. Secretary of war under Teddy : ELIHU - look up #2

62. Language that gives us "mako" : MAORI

63. Accept : TAKE

64. Tears down, in 65-Across : RASES - the British version of RaZes

65. North Sea county : ESSEX - when it's at the bottom of the grid, it's a safe guess to go with ESSEX, which is letter-friendly

66. Inspected : EYED - I'm a licensed Home Inspector, and a free-lance leg inspector....

67. Decorative pitchers : EWERS - another letter-friendly bottom answer

DOWN:

1. Gandolfini's TV wife : FALCO - "The Sopranos", which I didn't watch, but I knew the stars; made me change my NW across answers

2. "Yond Cassius has __ and hungry look" : A LEAN

3. Sudden rush : SPATE

4. Obeyed a fishing regulation : THREW IT BACK

5. Marin County seat : SAN RAFAEL

6. Football's Favre : BRETT

7. Tow job, for short : REPO

8. Singer DiFranco : ANI

9. BBC hero since 1963 : DOCTOR WHO

10. Screwdriver part : VODKA - I went with "BLADE" - the tool, not the drink. 

11. Commercial prefix with Pen : EPI - EPIpen

12. Big oil exporter : IRAQ

14. Lose : SHED - like pounds; today I'm at 180, about the lowest I've been in 25 years - lost the long hair, too

22. It may be swiped at work : STAFF CARD - I have an ID card to get on the UPS property, but I don't swipe it

24. Lowland amphibian : SWAMP FROG

27. 1980s attorney general : MEESE

28. Attorney's specialty : TAXATION LAW

32. Simple greeting : "HI-YA~!"

33. Big name in PCs : ACER

34. Ink __ : SAC - took too long to dawn on me

35. Actor Driver of "Girls" : ADAM - my mind was stuck on Minnie

36. Salmon choice : NOVA

37. Involved : ELABORATE - the adjective; this is an involved construction

38. Athlete known as "The King of Clay" : NADAL - I knew we were looking for a tennis star, but I don't watch enough to know which one is the 'king of clay'

39. Absent : ELSEWHERE

40. Logical operators : ORs

47. Pin, say : AFFIX - the verb

48. Rejected : NIXED

49. Self-confidence : POISE

50. Wild blue yonder : ETHER

51. City across the Rhine from Düsseldorf : NEUSS

52. Hardly boundary-pushing : TAME

53. "Poor me!" : ALAS

54. Places with exhibits : ZOOS

56. Cod relative : HAKE

58. Mt. Hood setting : OREgon

60. Colorful flier : JAY

Splynter
 

Note from C.C.:

I can't believe Splynter's transformation. Here he is a few years ago.
 

 

Here is the 180-pound Splynter. Click to enlarge. New face. New hair. What's the logo on your shirt, Splynter?

Friday, April 29, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: Cereal killer on the loose...

Wow! Three JW puzzles in succession and each one a completely different look. Today is totally silly, taking a single letter out of a cereal name to create a very foolish sounding concoction. If he had some deep meaning for the theme I missed it. I found this just plain fun. Lots of substantial and original fill with some Friday words interspersed and his usual multiple word fill. PARFAIT,  ON A RIDE,  LAVORIS,  FLORIST,  I'LL HIDE,  CLEANER, SETTERS, TRADE IN,  PLANARIA, DERRIERE,  INCHOATE,  ROPE KNOT, ON RECEIPT and  ARTICHOKE are all great. So get your milk, and pull up a chair.

18A. Knockoff cereal? : FROSTED FLAKES (12). They're grrrreat.

28A. Cold cereal? : PUFFED RICE (9). Tasted like air.

37A. Recalled cereal? : FROOT LOOPS (9). Pure sugar.

48A. Prohibited cereal? : RAISIN BRAN (9). The healthy alternative.

57A. Mystery cereal? : SHREDDED WHEAT (12). The classic.

Across:

1. Did a gondolier's job : POLED. Venice (Vennis) anyone?

6. Wedding planner's contact : FLORIST. I loved our wedding flowers.

13. Like antique watches : ANALOG. Not digital.

15. Freshwater flatworms : PLANARIA.  Ucky but interesting to study WORMS.

16. Hiker's challenge : RAVINE. A deep narrow steep-sided valley, esp one formed by the action of running water.

17. Caboose : DERRIERE. Not of the train, but of the body. French.

20. Swift's medium : AIR. Tom Swift?

21. Runner in the Alps : SKI. Nice misdirection.

22. Expire : CEASE.

26. "And if __, no soul shall pity me": King Richard III : I DIE. They did not pity RIII even after Shakespeare tried to help. RGIII anyone?

32. Charged wheels : TESLAS. Electric cars.

35. With 24-Down, course for future pundits : POLI. 24D. See 35-Across : SCI. Political Science.

36. Hägar creator Browne : DIK.

40. "Get off the stage!" : BOO. Hiss.

43. Corrida figure : TORO. The bull.

44. Philosophers' subject : ETHICS.

51. "Ex's & Oh's" singer King : ELLE.

52. MetLife competitor : AFLAC. Insurance companies.

53. Span of note : ERA.

56. Court mulligan : LET. The odd tennis do over on your first serve.

62. Disorganized : INCHOATE. Really more unformed than disorganized, especially in the law.

65. Emmy-winning role for Julia : ELAINE Benes.

66. Mooring hitch, for one : ROPE KNOT. As opposed to a rope loop?

67. More thoughtful : KINDER.

68. Deal on a lot : TRADE IN.

69. Round components, maybe : BEERS. Whew, half done, let me get this round.

Down:

1. Baskin-Robbins offering : PARFAIT. I never knew they had these.

2. Enjoying the amusement park : ON A RIDE.

3. Brand that's swirled, not swallowed : LAVORIS. From my childhood; kids in school drank it for the alcohol content. Scope really derailed this brand, I think.

4. Eero Saarinen and others : ELIS. More references to Yale University; he graduated from their school of architecture in 1934.

5. They're forbidden : DON'TS.

6. Little nipper : FLEA. Too many choices.

7. Frolic : LARK.

8. How some deliveries are paid : ON RECEIPT. COD?

9. Brought up : RAISED.

10. Choler : IRE.

11. Mr. Bumble, to Oliver Twist : SIR.

12. __ Bo : TAE.

14. "The Big Bang Theory" figure : GEEK. Rhymes with 25D. "That's scary!" : EEK. 54D. Be offensive, in a way : REEK. Did you watch GOT and the REEK?

15. Freebie from Adobe : PDF. Portable Document Format.

19. Go down : DIP. Love these two together.

23. Prop up : AID.

27. Middle-earth figure : ELF.

29. __ point: with limitations : UP TO A. A partial?

30. Rock's __ Fighters : FOO. When Cobain died, his drummer founded THEM.

31. Penguin's perch : FLOE. Sorry Tin, but it is ice.

33. Edible thistle : ARTICHOKE. Man there is so much more to this thistle (say that fast) than just using it as part of a dip. It has HEART. We miss you marti.

34. "Just another minute" : SOON.

38. Spheroid : ORB. JW tends to bunch his threes to get long fill in the other direction.

39. Ewe or sow : SHE.

40. It may be wired : BRA.

41. Boor : OAF.

42. Peanut product : OIL.

45. Offer to a potential seeker : I'LL HIDE. I did love hide and seek in the back yard.

46. Dry __ : CLEANER.

47. English and Irish : SETTERS.

49. Like some beauty contest winners : SASHED. JW used this image recently.

50. Neighbor of Homer : NED. Flanders on the Simpsons.

55. Response to a heckler : AD LIB.

58. Indian royal : RANI.

59. "The most private of private schools," to Hugh Laurie : ETON.

60. Rizzoli of "Rizzoli & Isles": Abbr. : DETective.

61. Decrease : WANE.

62. NYC subway : IRT.  Interborough Rapid Transit was a private company until bought by the city in 1940.

63. "__ will I" : NOR. Talk about your obscure clue/fill combos. Am I missing a famous quote?

64. IRS employee : CPA. Certified Public Accountant.

Back from a wonderful brief vacation in Denver with both sons, dil and granddaughters. This lighthearted effort is just what I needed coming back on short rest. I hope you had fun and enjoy the rest of April. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Here are a few great photos from Lemonade's Denver trip.

My day started with this

Thursday, April 28th 2016 C.C. Burnikel

Theme:

3D. Singer whose last name is Pig Latin for a slang word for "money" : ANITA O'DAY. The crosses filled most of entry for me, but it took me the longest time for the penny to dop - I was trying to figure out the slang word DANITAO and why I'd never heard of it. Then I saw "last name" in the clue and D'OH! - "dough". Cool clue.

7D. Toyota Center team : HOUSTON ROCKETS. I know only a few any of the sponsored arenas beyond the ones in my own city, but a few crosses and I can usually get the team pretty quickly. I know that the baseball Houston Astros play at Minute Maid Park, but that's because I was at a hotel last year two steps from the stadium and I could see it from my room.

14D. Activity for some ex-presidents : LECTURE CIRCUIT. I'm sure they're all tremendously interesting.

34D. London locale that's a music industry eponym : ABBEY ROAD. I've done the famous "Beatles Walk" on the pedestrian crossing outside the studio, but, (of course) when I was younger and lived a mere two miles away I was way too cool for school to do that. Ah, the ignorance of youth! Here's a setup shot:

and the reveal:

23D. Appears unexpectedly, and a hint to this puzzle's circles : CROPS UP.

Nice one from C.C. - some great long downs and two sets of double-stacked 9's in the acrosses. Both ANITA O'DAY and LECTURE CIRCUIT are first-timers to appear in the LAT, you can't get much fresher than that. However - one quibble. If I were to ask a farmer what crop he was growing, I'd be happy to hear RICE, CORN and RYE, but if I was told OAT I'd wonder how many milli-ounces of yield was expected. However, I tend to forgive quibbles about circle entries (cirquibs?)  because they don't affect the clue or the answer.

Let's see what else catches the rye - I mean eye:

Across:

1. Detergent with Oxi Booster : ERA. If you say so. I'm not brand-conscious with laundry detergent, I get whatever is discounted at Ralph's when I need some.

4. DVD precursor : VHS

7. Scout, to Tonto : HORSE

12. "Face the Nation" group : PANEL

15. "My mom's gonna kill me!" : I AM SO DEAD. Fun entry.

17. Uncle relative? : I GIVE

18. Golden Globe, e.g. : STATUETTE. Awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for excellence in film and TV.

19. Nail care target : CUTICLE

21. Congressional period : SESSION

22. Vocal quartet member : ALTO

23. Use WhatsApp, say : CHAT

24. Junior nav. officer : ENS. Naval Ensign, from the old French "enseigne". Also the flag flown from the stern of a ship.

25. Long time follower : AGO

27. Manipulator : USER

29. Cut : LOP

31. Roll of dough : WAD

32. Popular weekend destination for many Northern Californians : RENO. Across the border in Nevada. Gamblin' an' boozin' an' such.

33. Deceitful : SNEAKY

37. Remove : ERASE

39. Drop (out) : OPT

41. Russian lettuce? : RUBLE

42. Fog machine substance : DRY ICE. Carbon Dioxide cooled to around -110F.

No self-respecting 70's rock band would be seen dead on stage without it. Here's Led Zeppelin rocking the CO2.

44. Average : SO-SO

46. Ballerina's hairdo : BUN

47. Prohibit : NIX,  Funny, I used Pig Latin "ixnay" in the blog last week.

48. Offensive to some, for short : UN-PC. People get offended by MacBooks? Oh - wait. Not politically-correct.

49. Rescue squad initials : EMS

50. ___ Fridays : TGI

53. Speak harshly : RASP

55. ''Fine by me'' : OKAY

57. Salon piece : ARTICLE. Wig? Toupée? Oh - "salon" in the literary gathering sense.

59. Swallowed one's pride : ATE CROW

62. Chinese cooking staple : PEANUT OIL

64. "__ were the days" : THOSE

65. Not working : AT LEISURE

66. "Lone Survivor" military group : SEALS. From the movie adaptation of the book by Marcus Luttrell. Many current and ex-members of the elite forces are upset by the proliferation of "insider" books being published as they feel it damages the esprit de corps without which the units could not function.

67. Speak, old-style : SAY'ST,

Quince: What say'st thou, bully Bottom?

A Midsummer Night's Dream, I, iii William Shakespeare

68. Not strict : LAX

69. One of two in Pompeii : DOT. I missed this until the write-up - the crosses filled it in for me. Funny clue - two dots over two "i"s.

Down:

1. "Paradise Lost," e.g. : EPIC

2. Marinara brand : RAGU. I never buy it, it takes about 60 seconds to make your own. A can of San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, chilli pepper, salt, dried oregano, give it a whizz with your stick blender and bingo! Cleanup takes 20 seconds. No-brainer.

4. Workshop gadget : VISE. Spelt VICE in England. This bilingual thing is tough.

5. Derby or boater : HAT

6. Huge success : SMASH

8. Laudatory verses : ODES. Sometimes written on Grecian urns. No?

9. Tighten, as laces : RETIE

10. Kept quiet : SAT ON

11. Paradises : EDENS

13. Really bad : EVIL

16. Good buys : STEALS

20. Get rid of : LOSE

25. Knocked out : AWED

26. "Tootsie" actress : GARR. Thank you, crosses.

28. Co-producer of the art rock album "High Life" : ENO. Busy chap, Brian.

30. Little, in Marseille : PEU. Stumped me for a moment - not petit/petite? Ah - a small amount, un peu. You can also have "un petit peu" if you're going extra-small.

35. "America's Got Talent" judge Heidi : KLUM. One of my friends sometimes handles security for her. He says she's completely down-to-earth. Here she is wearing a body-paint swimsuit for "Sports Illustrated".

36. Deep desires : YENS

38. Lust, e.g. : SIN

40. Weigh station unit : TON

43. Praises : EXALTS

45. Pick out of a crowd : SPOT

50. Spanish appetizers : TAPAS. They were originally simple slices of bread you put over your wine glass to keep the flies out, then the bars started dressing 'em up with a smear of this and that. "Tapa" means "cover".

51. Actress Scacchi : GRETA

52. Birthplace of the violin : ITALY

54. Peninsular capital : SEOUL

56. Icy Hot target : ACHE

58. Supermodel Sastre : INES. Crosses. I'm not too up on my supermodels, although Heidi Klum is in my "known" category.

59. Longtime teammate of Derek : ALEX. I tried A-ROD first. Gong! Wrong!

60. Nobel Peace Center locale : OSLO

61. From Green Bay to St. Paul : WEST

63. Often rolled-over item : IRA

Here's the grid, with the circles for those of you who didn't get them:

Have a great day. I'm going to "The Happiest Place on Earth" today (Disneyland, not my kitchen!) with my daughter who is visiting from London. 

Steve

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 Mike Doran

Theme: Homophonic Quartet.  Four Two-word phrases have like-sounding second words, all spelt differently.    Straight forward theme idea.

17. Equipment for picnic competitions : POTATO SACKS.   Used for monopodic races.

23. Embryo development sites : AMNIOTIC SACS.   The fluid-filled membrane container where embryos reside and develop until birth or hatching in reptiles, birds and mammals.

51. Big name on Wall Street : GOLDMAN SACHS.  New York based multinational investment banking firm.

62. Lisa Simpson's instrument : BARITONE SAX.   The bari is distinguished by the tubing bend that extends higher than the mouth piece.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here.  The challenge with this kind of theme is first finding a quartet of homophones, then fitting them into symmetric pairs of in-the-language phrases to build a grid around.  This one is really well done.  With the sound-alikes behind us, lets see what else is in store.

Across

1. Bumper car, at times : RAMMER.   The fun of bumper cars is to have as many collisions as possible.  Still, rather an awkward opener.

7. Cookbook author Rombauer : IRMA.  (1887 - 1962) Author of The Joy of Cooking.

11. Smoke : CIGarette.  The thing that is smoked becomes a smoke.  Language is funny that way.  I tried to smoke a fish once, but couldn't keep it lit.

14. Lancelot's unrequited lover : ELAINE. Of Astolat, who dies of grief for her unrequited love, as related in the versions of the Arthurian legend by Mallory and Tennyson.  She is also the inspiration for Tennyson's The Lady of Shalott.

15. Assam products : TEAS.  Dried leaves, boiled in water.  Just that.   As I pointed out last week, we have a cuppa most afternoons.

16. Barcelona bear : OSO.  Note the alliteration.

19. Grabbed a chair : SAT.

20. Melee : SET TO.  Brawl.

21. Ballet bend : PLIE.  At the knees, with the feet positioned just so.  

PLIES and thank you

22. State with five national parks : UTAH.   The Bee Hive State, home to last week's Antelope Island.

26. Priestly vestment : ALB.

From the Latin for "White"

29. Right Guard rival : BAN.   Underarm deodorants.

30. Old anesthetic : ETHER.

31. Willy Loman, in a 1949 play : SALESMAN.  Multiple Tony Award winner Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, adapted for the silver screen in 1951, and nominated for many Oscars.

34. Architect Jones : INIGO.   B 1573 - D 1652, which might be why none of us have ever heard of him.  Unlike this guy.

37. McDonald's founder : KROC.   Ray (1902-1984) Little known factoid - He chose the name McDonald's because Krocburgers are only popular in Florida.

38. Make really happy : ELATE.

41. Nobel Prize subj. : ECONomics, the dismal science.

42. "Cheers!" : SKOAL.  A Scandinavian toast, not involving knackebrod.

44. Connections traced on ancestry.com : HERITAGE.   Anything passed down from previous generations.

46. Tiny amounts : DRAMS.  Each dram is 1/16 oz. or 1.7718451953125 grams.  Scarcely enough for a decent SKOAL.

49. Chill in the air : NIP.   A word with many meanings, one of which might be accompanied by a SKOAL.

50. Denials : NOS.  Opposite of yeses, not abbreviated numbers.

55. French friends : AMIS.   French buddies would lose the alliteration.

56. Elevator option : DOWN.  Also a duck option.  And one may duck DOWN.  Neat how that all fits.  But DOWN as an across fill?!?  Is that even legal?

57. Horseshoe-shaped letter : OMEGA.   Only in its upper-case version (capital: Ω, lowercase: ω; Greek Ωμέγα.)    Last letter of the 24 character Greek alphabet.

61. Tried to get into an office : RAN.   Political office.  Moving right along  .  .  .

64. With 43-Down, what a criminal might be on : THE.   We'll defer completing this until we get to 43 D.

65. Augusta National's __ Corner : AMEN.   Too long a story to relate.  You can read about it here.

66. British Invasion star : BEATLE.  Back in my 'ute.  What - no love for The Troggs?!?

67. Doesn't lack : HAS.  Round about clue for possesses.

68. Nothing more than : MERE.

69. Its flag features a six-pointed star : ISRAEL.  I had a star flag last week too.  This is getting spooky.

Zion

Down

1. Weight room count : REPS.  Repetitions of a lifting maneuver.  Typically 8 to 12 REPS to a set, 3 sets to a routine.

2. Burn soother : ALOE.  Plant juice.  ALOE, my name is INIGO  .  .  . 

3. Damon of "The Martian" : MATT.

Stranger in a Strange Land

4. Mazda roadster : MIATA.

Available since 1989

5. Inters : ENTOMBS.  Alternative to underground burial.

6. Classic auto : REO.

Subtly understated

7. Novelist Calvino : ITALO.   [1923-1985] Italian journalist, author of short stories and novels, occasional crossword resident.

8. Deliver from memory : RECITE.    Do you know your lines?

9. Succeed : MAKE IT.    OK - but where?

10. In the Gospels, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on one : ASS.  As in donkey.

11. San José denizen : COSTA RICAN.  Do you know the way?

12. First name in gravity : ISAAC.   Newton.

13. Some black-clad teens : GOTHS.   Who knew this was still a thing?

Puts Severus Snape in a whole new light - or perhaps dark

18. "This Is __ Tap" : SPINAL.   Rock documentary parody from 1984.

22. Early Web forum : USENET.   Worldwide distributed discussion system that debuted in 1980.

24. Title : NAME.  These do not strike me as being equivalent.

25. City with two MLB teams : CHIcago.  Also, one each of football, basketball and hockey.

26. More than wonders : ASKS.  Another odd clue. Asking is not wondering raised to a higher level.

27. Carefree adventure : LARK.

28. Connections traced on ancestry.com : BLOODLINES.  Familial relationships, and a rare full multi-word chleco.

32. Modern birthday greetings : E-CARDS.   We are so retro we send the paper ones via the USPS.

33. "Can't help ya" : NAH.  A generic negative response.

35. Disco adjective : GO-GO.

36. Tip jar fillers : ONES.  Dollar bills.

39. Lease signer : TENANT.   Apartment renter.

40. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" writer Carle : ERIC.

Picture puzzle

43. See 64-Across : LAM.  Apparently this is an old word meaning to beat or thrash.  So to go on THE LAM is literally to beat it.

45. Galaxy alternatives : I-PHONES.  Hand held communicating and computing devices.

47. Title for Bovary : MADAME.   Emma, the eponym for Gustav Flaubert's first novel.

48. Distracting bedmate : SNORER.  Let's not get personal.

51. "Party on, Wayne" speaker : GARTH.   From Wayne's World on SNL.

52. City on the Missouri : OMAHA, Nebraska -- Gary?

53. Sty denizens : SWINE.   Big piggies, little piggies, sows.

54. Ugly campaign tactic : SMEAR.   We'll have none of that here.

58. "¿Cómo __?" : ESTA.   How are you?

59. "The Wizard of Oz" family name : GALE.  

60. Skater's maneuver : AXEL.  Available in single up to at least quad varieties.

62. Impact sound : BAM.  Or pow!  Yet another rerun from last week.

63. Geisha's sash : OBI.

Elaborate

OK, that wraps it up.  I had a few nits, but over-all a good Wednesday offering, with a bit of deja vu at no extra cost.   Looks like this might be an L.A. Times debut for Mike Doran.  Congrats, Mike. Nicely done.

SKOAL!
JzB

Tuesday, April 26, 2016 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Multiple Use - Various meanings for the same word.

20A. Keep in suspense : LEAVE HANGING. Hanging File.

35A. Department store fixture : DISPLAY CASE. Case File. Often found in a hanging file.

42A. Shingle securer : ROOFING NAIL. Nail File. (relevant at 2:50)

59A. It may be affixed to an email ... and, literally, what the last word of 20-, 35- and 42-Across can have : ATTACHED FILE

Argyle here with Gail and Bruce. Pretty straight forward Tuesday puzzle.

Across:

1. Doorbell sound : DONG. Mrs. Wiggins is the DING.

5. Radio switch : AM/FM

9. Pop out of the CD player : EJECT

14. "Young Frankenstein" helper : IGOR

15. "Deck the Halls" syllables : FA LA la la la, la la la la.

16. Use crayons : COLOR

17. "The West Wing" actor Alan : ALDA

18. Fed. agent : G-MAN

19. Best way to sing : ON KEY

23. Maker of Fiesta Flats taco shells : ORTEGA

24. Gorilla who learned sign language : KOKO

25. "__ you for real?" : ARE

28. Half a Mork-to-Orson farewell : NANU. There is an interesting connection between Robin Williams and Koko.

30. Symbol : EMBLEM

32. Suffers from : HAS

38. Tunnel effect : ECHO

40. Actor's prompt : CUE

41. "We gotta move!" : "C'MON!"

47. Roulette bet : ODD

48. Like a spoiled child : BRATTY

49. Didn't need to guess : KNEW

51. Weekly NBC offering since 1975, briefly : SNL

52. Takes notice of : SEEs

55. Like some country songs : TWANGY

61. Drummer Ringo : STARR

64. Sheepish smile : GRIN

65. First name in bike stunts : EVEL Knievel.

66. Japanese verse : HAIKU

67. Tupperware tops : LIDS

68. Harvest : REAP. Wild oats?

69. Kentucky Derby racer : HORSE

70. Sporting weapon : ÉPÉE

71. Lacking, in Lorraine : SANS. Sans Souci (French for "no worries" or "carefree")

Down:

1. Old way to place a collect call : DIAL O. While Mother's Day has the highest number of phone calls, the most collect calls are made on Father's Day.[

2. Creepy admirer : OGLER

3. Signal silently to : NOD AT

4. Sculptured, as an image : GRAVEN

5. Kabul native : AFGHANI

6. Wee one's word : MAMA

7. __ steak : FLANK

8. Tropical fruit : MANGO

9. Political debate topic : ECONOMY

10. "Fear of Flying" author Erica : JONG. She's 74 and living in Manhattan.

11. Antlered animal : ELK

12. Two-time 1500-meter gold medalist Sebastian : COE

13. Give it a whirl : TRY

21. "My stars!" : "EGAD!"

22. Maker of NORDLI furniture : IKEA

25. Texas tourist spot : ALAMO

26. Fix a green : RESOD

27. Revise : EMEND

29. Shoreline protection gp. : USCG. (United States Coast Guard)

31. Discreetly send a dupe email to : BCC. (Blind Carbon Copy)

32. Chef's flavorings : HERBS

33. Oak-to-be : ACORN. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

34. Sandbar : SHOAL

36. Lewis Carroll specialty : PUN. Favorites?

37. Security issue : LEAK

39. Time and again, to a bard : OFT

43. "Honest!" : "IT'S TRUE!"

44. Kremlin rejection : NYET

45. Passionate : INTENSE

46. R-rated, perhaps : LEWD

50. Thin cookies : WAFERS

53. Sharp-eyed flier : EAGLE

54. Rx, for short : SCRIP

56. Skin lotion brand : NIVEA

57. Collect incrementally : GLEAN

58. Sounds from a kennel : YELPS

59. Sacred chests : ARKS

60. Hole up : HIDE

61. Librarian's warning : [SHH!]

62. Confucian "path" : TAO

63. Go public with : AIR

Argyle

Monday, April 25, 2016 C.W. Stewart

Theme: Check your inventory - You can't SELL what you don't HAVE.

17A. *Sing on key : CARRY A TUNE

40A. *Try, with "at" : HAVE A GO

64A. Make available, as merchandise ... and a hint to the start of the answers to starred clues : KEEP ON HAND

11D. *Underestimate : SELL SHORT

35D. *Cattle enterprise : STOCK FARM

Argyle tending the store. A somewhat antiquated business model in this age of zero inventory but still viable if you are selling goods to the public. Certainly a doable Monday with a pinwheel grid. Throw in a couple of eight-letter climbers for good measure.

Across:

1. One capsule, say : DOSE

5. Metaphorical sticking points : CRAWS. Hard to swallow.

10. Jacob's twin : ESAU

14. App that connects riders with drivers : UBER. In the news a lot.

15. Hard pattern to break : HABIT

16. Prominent giraffe feature : NECK

19. Skedaddle : FLEE

20. "Please, I've heard enough," in texts : TMI. (too much information)

21. Speaker on a soapbox : ORATOR

22. Cutlass automaker : OLDS. Bygone.

23. Jungle adventure : SAFARI

25. Store with Kenmore appliances : SEARS

27. Sloppy : MESSY

30. Corsage flower : ORCHID

33. Players in a play : CAST

36. Severely injure : MAIM

38. Crystal-bearing rock : GEODE. Looks like an orchid.

39. Illuminated : LIT

42. Civil War soldier : REB

43. Desert building brick : ADOBE

45. Fashion magazine that's also a French pronoun : ELLE

46. In-flight predictions: Abbr. : ETAs. (estimated time of arrival)

47. Trickery : DECEIT

49. Discourage : DETER

51. 24-__ gold : KARAT

53. Draft choices : LAGERS

57. Whitewater ride : RAFT. So close to DRAFT.

59. One with a bleeping job : CENSOR

62. Feel sorry about : RUE

63. Notable periods : ERAs

66. Law business : FIRM

67. Entices : LURES

68. Continent explored by Marco Polo : ASIA

69. "__ old thing" : SAME

70. Lyric poem : EPODE

71. Neighbor of Kent. : TENN. (Kentucky/Tennessee)

Down:

1. Tear conduits : DUCTS

2. Bush successor : OBAMA

3. Sans __: type style : SERIF

4. Make a mistake : ERR

5. Compelling charm : CHARISMA

6. Pro __: in proportion : RATA

7. Share a border with : ABUT

8. Lushes : WINOs

9. Hi-fi system : STEREO

10. Implement, as laws : ENFORCE

12. Breezed through, as a test : ACED

13. Luau instruments : UKEs

18. Days of old : YORE

24. Tsp. or tbsp. : AMT. (amount)

26. Constellation named for a mythological ship : ARGO. Argo Navis was a large constellation in the southern sky that has since been divided into three constellations. ~ Wikipedia

28. Rescue : SAVE

29. On-ramp sign : YIELD

31. Original thought : IDEA

32. Belles at balls : DEBS

33. Not naked : CLAD

34. Teacher's helper : AIDE

37. Bachelor party attendee : MALE

40. Estate beneficiary : HEIR

41. Warm up for the game : GET LOOSE

44. "I'm baffled" : "BEATS ME"

46. Unit of work : ERG

48. Bring down the running back : TACKLE

50. Make, as a living : EARN

52. Prepare to drive, as a golf ball : TEE UP

54. Wipe clean : ERASE

55. Altercation : RUN-IN. I ran into trouble finding the derivation of "run-in". See 44-Down.

56. Family auto : SEDAN

57. Foul callers, at times : REFs

58. Operatic song : ARIA

60. Fictional sleuth Wolfe : NERO

61. Went like the wind : SPED

65. It may be tipped by a gentleman : HAT

Argyle

1) George Barany and Friends just released this tribute puzzle about a true Minnesotan original.

1) Happy Birthday to Kazie (Kay), who has been contributing to our blog a few months after I started. Kay grew up in Australia, met her husband while traveling in Spain. She still travels to Europe frequently. Her son and their beautiful family live in Germany right now.

Kay and her husband Barry on Tamborine Mountain, overlooking Brisbane