Theme: Celebrity Coupling - An "in language" pairing is reimagined with the first word representing a famous person and the second a comestible.
20A. Photo caption for Condoleezza with a bowl of pintos? : RICE AND BEANS
36A. Photo caption for Chris with a sandwich bun? : ROCK AND ROLL
42A. Photo caption for NFL Hall of Famer Sam with a pastry shell? : HUFF AND PUFF
58A. Photo caption for Kevin with his Easter basket? : BACON AND EGGS
Argyle here and a four row theme grid. No reveal needed but you have two things to solve; who the celeb is and what the food is. Slight weakness in that two of the second words don't change meaning from the base pair (BEANS, EGGS) and the other two do change. (ROLL, PUFF) The first pairing gave it way but I still needed perps to confirm my people. A secondary result is the initials are somewhat famous, too. R&B, rhythm and blues; R&R, military time off; H&P, medical use, History and Physical examination; B&E, police speak for Breaking and Entering. Pretty sure it's unintentional; you can take almost any *&* and find it has a meaning.
Across:
1. "The Aviator" actor Alan : ALDA
5. Subtle attention-getter : "PSST!"
9. Charge the quarterback : BLITZ
14. Enter : GO IN
15. Indian princess : RANI
16. Haunting : EERIE
17. Boot out : OUST
18. __ before: deadline words : ON OR
19. Gone up : RISEN
23. Take for granted : ASSUME
24. Neptune's domain : SEA
25. White lie : FIB
28. Fillable flatbreads : PITAs
31. Ultimatum words : "OR ELSE!"
33. "__ as directed" : USE
38. Headlights-in-fog effect : HALO
40. Put on television : AIR
41. Film spool : REEL
47. Farm pen : STY
48. Joins : UNITEs
49. Uncomplaining type : STOIC
51. Chewie's shipmate : HAN
52. Like many a morning coffee: Abbr. : REG.ular
54. Fake : UNREAL
61. Jeweler's unit : CARAT
64. Fat used in baking : LARD
65. Bellini's "Casta diva," e.g. : ARIA
66. Love : ADORE
67. Not busy : FREE
68. Become softened by cuteness : MELT
69. Study aids : NOTEs
70. Whole bunch : SCAD
71. Canonized mlles. : STE.s French saints.
Down:
1. Greek marketplace : AGORA
2. Jazzman Armstrong : LOUIS
3. Spinal column components : DISCS
4. Poker dealer's request : "ANTE UP"
5. Characterized by : PRONE TO. Some poker players are characterized by their failure to "ANTE UP" and are PRONE TO being called out on it.
20A. Chicago bluesman nicknamed for the creek he played in as a child : MUDDY WATERS
56A. Ill-gotten gains : FILTHY LUCRE
11D. Greeting from an affectionate dog : SLOPPY KISS
29D. Fast one : DIRTY TRICK
Argyle here. SLOPPY doesn't quite match up with the other three themes but this such a smooth puzzle, it can be forgiven. This should be a fair test for our tyros but otherwise a fun solve. Four long pinwheel arms with a good size block of white in the middle. Janice had quite a run this month. (4)
Across:
1. Discussion : TALK
5. Untidy situation : MESS
9. Zodiac transition points : CUSPS
14. "The Time Machine" people : ELOI
15. Fairly large fair : EXPO
16. Guitarist Eddie Van __ : HALEN
17. Reddish horse : ROAN
18. Birthstone for many Libras : OPAL
19. Stopped snoozing : AWOKE
23. "The Raven" poet : POE. Edgar Allan Poe
24. Tenth of ten in a race : LAST. It took a bit for this to sink in.
25. Harvest machine : REAPER. "Don't fear the reaper".
27. Filled with cargo : LADEN
30. Wise guy sometimes "wearing" pants? : SMARTY. (smarty pants)
32. Magnate Onassis : ARI
33. Fancy wineglass : GOBLET
36. Pretty good : OKAY
39. Little more than : MERE
41. Find another purpose for : REUSE
42. Biker's distance unit : MILE
43. Enjoys a buffet : EATS
44. Walked proudly : STRODE
46. Mo. city on the Miss. : STL. St. Louis.
47. New Haven alumni : YALIES
49. "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" storyteller : AESOP
51. Daily food allowance : RATION
53. Bungee __ : CORD
55. Bus station abbr. : ARR. (arrival time)
62. Damp : MOIST
64. Fifth of 13 popes : LEO V. There was 13 popes named Leo. Also, 34D. Family name of three popes : ORSINI
65. Use gentle persuasion on : COAX
66. Game show host : EMCEE
67. Soft French cheese : BRIE
68. Work the copy desk : EDIT
69. Bare : NAKED
70. Agile : SPRY
71. Family rooms : DENS
Down:
1. School session : TERM
2. Matty of baseball : ALOU. Just one of the Alou family.
3. Washer capacity : LOAD
4. Reader with Paperwhite and Fire models : KINDLE. A given for some.
5. Kitty cries : MEOWS
6. Political exile, for short : EXPAT. Expatriate.
7. Tiny tiff : SPAT
8. Shoe bottom : SOLE
9. Beer drunk after a shot : CHASER
10. Detroit labor gp. : UAW. (United Automobile Workers)
1954 Olds concept car
12. Black tea variety : PEKOE
13. Disdainful grin : SNEER
21. Yin partner : YANG
22. Not family-friendly, moviewise : R-RATED
26. Molecule part : ATOM
27. Flimsy, as an excuse : LAME
28. Wallpaper hanger's calculation : AREA
30. Fails to enunciate : SLURS
31. "You've Made __ Very Happy": 1969 Blood, Sweat & Tears hit : ME SO
35. __ noire : BÊTE
37. Range above tenor : ALTO
38. Sharp cry : YELP
40. Actor Morales : ESAI
45. British peer : EARL
48. Hit high in the air : LOFTED
50. Drew out, as latent talent : EDUCED
51. Japanese noodle dish : RAMEN
52. Dunkin' Donuts emanation : AROMA
53. "You're preaching to the __!" : CHOIR
54. Yiddish "Egad!" : "OY VEY!"
57. Barristers' degs. : LL.B.s (Bachelor of Laws)
58. Maryland athlete, for short : TERP. Terrapins
59. Morse creation : CODE
60. Ball game delayer : RAIN
61. Nos. requested by receptionists : EXTs. (Extension)
Theme: - "Pool Party" - The last word can precede "pool".
25A. Try : GIVE IT A WHIRL. Whirlpool.
31A. Track runner? : TROLLEY CAR. Carpool. Great clue.
46A. Removable engine : OUTBOARD MOTOR. Motorpool. Same as "carpool", isn't it?
63A. Pickup spot : BOX OFFICE. Office pool.
79A. Undeveloped ability : RAW TALENT. Talent pool.
96A. Certain trait carrier : RECESSIVE GENE. Gene pool.
110A. Pond prohibition : NO SWIMMING. Swimming pool.
121A. Unscrupulously competitive : DOWN AND DIRTY. Dirty pool.
Basic theme. The key word meaning in the original phrase mostly remains unchanged when pool is added. We don't often see words that precede/follow theme type on Sundays. They're mainly the early week domain. Not easy to get a "Go ahead" from Rich with this type.
So
nice to see Pancho Harrison back. He was the very first constructor
when we shifted to the L.A Times Daily Crossword. He and Barry Silk will
always have a special place in my heart. Hopefully Barry will come back to us in a few months.
8. Frat house letter : SIGMA. Not DELTA, KAPPA or THETA.
13. Lowers oneself : STOOPS
19. Org. with a caduceus in its logo : AMA. Wiki says caduceus is "a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings." Hermes's staff.
20. 1847 novel with the chapter "What Happened at Hytyhoo" : OMOO. Easily guessable.
21. Rocking the stadium : AROAR
22. Chinese restaurant offering : HOT TEA. Chinese seldom drink iced tea, unless you're in Hong Kong, where Iced Lemon Tea is hugely popular.
23. Lacking benefits, perhaps : PART TIME. I thought this might be a theme entry.
27. Pakistani language : URDU
28. Collars : ARRESTS
30. "Spellbound" malady : AMNESIA. About this old movie?
34. Graduation hanger : TASSEL
36. Took a verse alone : SOLOED. OK, sang alone.
37. Travesty : FARCE
39. Romance novel emotion : LUST. Not LOVE, Splynter! Hope love finds you in the summer.
43. Mostly shaved style : MOHAWK. Hair style. Still remember the "Mohawk Guy"?
50. Oklahoma native : OTO
51. "Sorry, you __ me" : LOST
54. Suffix with proto- : ZOA
55. Minuscule part of a min. : NSEC
56. Mont. neighbor : IDA
57. Arcade pioneer : ATARI
59. Lowest points : NADIRS
61. MTV's parent company : VIACOM
65. Old auto named for an explorer : DE SOTO
69. Purina rival : IAMS
70. Pacino title role : SERPICO. I should watch the movie again.
72. Germinates : SPROUTS
74. Kipling's Rikki-Tikki-__ : TAVI
77. "Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it's __": Anthony Bourdain : A START. 6-letter partial.
83. Like some surprise endings : IRONIC
85. Sweater pattern : ARGYLE. Hi there, Santa!
87. Mythical servant : GENIE. Got via crosses.
88. Young Skywalker's nickname : ANI
89. Pickup at a stand : FARE
92. Rapa __: Easter Island : NUI
93. One of TV's Mavericks : BRET. Also via crosses.
95. Dockworker's org. : ILA
100. President, e.g. : LEADER
102. "Modern Family" daughter : ALEX. Gimme for Bill G, probably.
103. More agreeable : NICER
104. Sportscaster Ahmad : RASHAD
107. Bunch : PASSEL
114. "We're headed for overtime!" : IT'S A TIE
117. Really cool : AWESOME. Oh, TTP/PK, the lilies Boomer bought from Walmart are indeed not Tiger Lilies. They're Asiatic lilies. Your wife rocks, TTP!
120. Naysayer : ANTI
123. Orchestrator, perhaps : ARRANGER
126. Maroon : ENISLE. Not a word I use.
127. Coffee maker brand : BRAUN
128. KOA patron : RV'ER
129. Night school subj. : ESL
130. Sights along old Route 66 : MOTELS
131. Gelatin garnish : ASPIC. My grandma always had fried Tofu in her aspic.
132. Many millennia : AEON
133. ACLU issues : RTS (Rights)
Down:
1. On the fritz : KAPUT
2. Astrologer Sydney : OMARR. Learned from doing crosswords.
3. NBC-affiliated announcer in nine different decades : PARDO (Don)
4. AI game competitor : BOT. AI = Artificial Intelligence. I got via crosses also.
5. "__ dreaming?" : AM I
6. Deli order : NO MAYO
7. Compel by force : COERCE
8. Bacharach collaborator Carole Bayer __ : SAGER. Unfamiliar figure to me. She looks gorgeous.
9. Georgia O'Keeffe subject : IRIS
10. Bond issuer: Abbr. : GOVT
11. Podium tapper, at times : MAESTRO. I was picturing someone who's giving a speech.
12. D-backs, on scoreboards : ARI
13. Phonies : SHAMS
14. "Chinatown" screenwriter Robert : TOWNE. Also an unknown figure to me. Wiki says he also wrote the first two Mission Impossible films.
15. The lord in "O beware, my lord, of jealousy!" : OTHELLO
16. Soulful Redding : OTIS
17. Prefix with scope : PERI. Used to be clued as "Persian fairy" in our old Tribune days.
18. Room next to la cocina, maybe : SALA
24. Oral Roberts University city : TULSA
26. Electrode shooters : TASERS
29. Pricey watch : RADO. I fail to see their appeal.
32. Reprobate : LOWLIFE
33. Nevada city on I-80 : ELKO. Not RENO.
35. Open __ of worms : A CAN
37. Former Calif. base : FT ORD
38. Belittles : ABASES
40. City near Syracuse : UTICA
41. Doomed Genesis city : SODOM. Also43. Ancient Dead Sea kingdom : MOAB
42. Monorail transports : TRAMS
44. Conductor Klemperer : OTTO. Hello D-Otto!
45. Put-on : HOAX
47. Compact automatic weapon : UZI
48. Reverent : DEVOUT
49. Old AT&T rival : MCI
52. Salon sounds : SNIPS. Also90. Did a salon job : RINSED
53. Implied : TACIT
58. Cellist's need : ROSIN
60. Twice penta- : DECA. Prefix for "ten".
62. Flier's option : AISLE. Boomer's choice.
64. Melee : FRACAS
66. Nimble : SPRY
67. Big name in dental care : ORAL B
68. Control __ : TOWER. Not FREAK.
71. Disneyland's county : ORANGE
73. Ring pair : TAG TEAM. Boxing ring. (Correction: Wresting ring. Thanks, Robert!)
74. Wonder Woman accessory : TIARA
75. Synthetic fiber : ARNEL. We see NYLON or ORLON more often.
76. NBC musical reality show, with "The" : VOICE
78. More accurate : TRUER
80. Geraint's wife : ENID
81. Shade of green : NILE
82. Go like crazy : TEAR
84. Consideration complications : IFs. Tricky clue for a little word.
86. __ mill : GIN
91. '60s pop singer Sands : EVIE
94. K thru 12 : EL-HI. Gluey entry.
97. Wide-open space : EXPANSE
98. Pastries made with choux dough : ECLAIRS
99. Switch add-on : EROO. Gluey entry. Hard to make clean Sunday puzzles.
101. Clio contender : AD MAN
105. Capital of Eritrea : ASMARA
106. Change course suddenly : SWERVE
108. To any extent : AT ALL
109. Trig ratios : SINES
110. Boy band with an acronymic name : NSYNC
111. Actress Stevens : INGER. Forgot. We had her before.
112. Explosive trial : N TEST
113. Lena Dunham HBO series : GIRLS
114. Footnote word : IDEM
115. __ avail : TO NO
116. Houlihan portrayer on "M*A*S*H" : SWIT (Loretta)
This is my second SJSJ puzzle, the last one being back in Jan of '13.
Very similar grids, with a crossing spanner and climber, triple
10-letter corners in the across, but today we have triple 8's in the
down. I did not get my "ta-DA~!" because of one letter, and switching
to red-letters revealed one other mistake - at the crossing of proper
names, which was the only fun-sponge today. The long answers:
35a. Dynamo's asset : BOUNDLESS ENERGY
8d. Brand with a Magicube : KODAK INSTAMATIC
ON(3-day weekend)WARD~!
ACROSS:
1. Instruments mentioned in the Beatles' "Back in the USSR" : BALALAIKAS - the line is at 2:12 of the clip; my Moscow girl did not get out to the USofA....and a semi-clecho at; 19a. USSR component : SOVIET
11. Arguably biased, briefly : UN-PC
- I saw this "politically incorrect" sign going to get my power painter,
and I had to drive back and snap a pic. I wonder what they
discussed....
15. Resolving : IRONING OUT - well, I hope they ironed out the trouble at Hartwood....
16. Nebula Award winner Frederik : POHL - filled via perps
17. Hanging aid : STUD FINDER
- I can't keep one in my tool box or van, because I keep setting it
off....oh, come on, that's funny. At least C.C. appreciates it~!!
18. Gin flavoring : SLOE
20. Direction at sea : ALEE
22. "Cat __ Hot Tin Roof" : ON A
23. It can be added to a million but rarely to a thousand : AIRE - millionaire, thousandaire
24. Ham's transport? : ARK - oh, I thought I was so clever putting in RYE, too. This is Noah's son, however, and I thought "EGG" was a good answer, as well
26. Woodworking tool : PLANER - don't have one, would like one - and a lathe, too.
28. Adopt : USE - I tried "OWN"
29. Atheist activist Madalyn : O'HAIR - never heard of her, and my first proper name problem; her Wiki
31. Mil. squad leaders : S-SGTs
32. Phys ed teacher Leonard for whom a band was named : SKINNER
- Lynyrd Skynyrd for those who did not know; I learned it from the VH-1
rockumentary. I did not, however, remember how to spell his name, or
the band's, for that matter....
34. Maximum : PEAK
39. Tolstoy title first name : ANNA
40. Be less critical of : LET UP ON
41. Narrow landforms : NECKS -there's lots of land forms called necks here on Long Island
43. Do doer : SALON - I pondered BRUSH
44. Baker's amt. : TSP
47. Hailing from Changwon, say : KOREAN - half perps and WAG
49. Hood et al.: Abbr. : MTs
50. Mascot Misha of the 1980 Olympics, e.g. : BEAR - более России (more Russian)
51. Madrid Mrs. : SRA
52. Groups for biologists : TAXA
54. Italian road : STRADA
56. Internet letters : HTTP
58. On tap : AT THE READY
60. Yet to be settled : OWED
61. Gives up : CRIES UNCLE - I had -----UNDER to start, slowed down the SE
62. Start of a tennis point : TOSS - dah~! Not LOVE
63. One to follow : PACE SETTER
DOWN:
1. Half an African country, or its capital city : BISSAU
2. Half a beer? : ARTOIS - Stella being the other half
3. Where the Mona Lisa smiles : LOUVRE - le Frawnche musée
6. Subject of the 2013 documentary subtitled "Speaking Truth to Power" : ANITA HILL - the other proper name that got me
7. Slot in a car: Abbr. : IGNition - took too long to figure out
9. Writer of really old stories? : AUEL - did not know her; I do recall the title "Clan of the Cave Bear". I just read The Golden Compass, and now I am on to book II; side note, two stars from the movie also appeared in Casino Royale
10. Throat trouble : STREP
11. Increases : UPs -OK, I shall up this week's leg picture, by request, to a non-skinny, "gams with meat" girl
Charlotte~!
12. Not anymore : NO LONGER
13. Frustrating sequence : PHONE TAG
14. Blue forecast : CLEAR SKY
21. "The Big Easy" of golf : ELS - good WAG
25. Eastern royals : RANEES
27. Winter X Games host : ASPEN
- I was not sure if this was the "X" games, or the tenth Olympic games -
which, as I looked later, were held in Grenoble, France, 1968
29. Approved : OK'D - OKed, IDed/ID'd, I sometimes wonder which one is "OK"
30. Outcome : RESULT
32. Charmer's target : SNAKE - snake charmer
33. Take back : REPOSSESS
35. Strategy involving a cushion : BANK SHOT - ah, billiard table cushions
36. Less than a few : ONE OR TWO
37. Opens at the warehouse : UNCRATES
38. Confrontational start : NON - non-confrontational
42. Met : SAT
44. Legislation opposed by the Sons of Liberty : TEA ACT
45. Burden : SADDLE
- I got "saddled" with sorting this week at UPS, so that a trainee
could work my assignment; I think he should have been trained before
this holiday week. I am just glad to have reached my first three-day
weekend of the year - but now we're into Cidiot Season....
46. Slight chance : PRAYER
48. Org. founded on the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth : NAACP - seems fitting
50. Sportscaster Musburger : BRENT
53. More, in ads : X-TRA
55. In alignment : TRUE
- gotta keep my studs level and true - the bathroom project progresses,
and yesterday I began the process of moving in to my new space~!
57. APB senders : PDs - All Points Bulletin, and Police Departments
59. Half a bray : HEE - did you try the other half, HAW~??
Roland Huget appears in his 4th LAT, and his first Friday. This minimalist puzzle seems to have just three theme fill all references out of the 60's with a common thread of "shhh"and no reveal. It is very unusual for a Friday to have only three theme answers. If there is more to this effort I missed it. Of course there is the inclusion of the entire English alphabet (A PANGRAM!). Is this a themeless gone bad? In any event, there is quite a bit of fresh intermediate fill, with THE MET, HIPPIE, ROASTS, TRACES, ED MEESE, ST. SIMON, DEFANGS, BEANERY, FISH TAIL, NETIZENS, RANGE WAR (odd with all the peace and quiet) and TAX HAVEN. Well let us see what Roland has done to befuddle us. If you do not know references the theme does not help.
17A. '60s executive order creation : PEACE CORPS (10). HISTORY.
35A. Societal change begun in Quebec during the '60s : QUIET REVOLUTION (15). HISTORY.
52A. '60s aviation nickname : WHISPERJET (10). HISTORY.
Across:
1. Man of many words : ROGET. Thesaurus guy.
6. Course designer : CHEF. Not a golf course, one part of a meal.
10. Hiker's map, briefly : TOPOgraphic. A legitimate word, but unsatisfactory fill for me. LINK.
14. Words spoken on a star? : I WISH. I may, I wish I might.
15. Virna of "How to Murder Your Wife" : LISI. A movie I remember.
16. Organic compound : ENOL.
19. Combine : MELD. Pinochle, anyone?
20. Locks in a zoo : MANE. Those kind of locks.
21. Human Be-In attendee : HIPPIE. Were any of you a human bein' in the 60's?
23. 1988 Cabinet resignee : ED MEESE. An underrated political SCANDALNo comment.
27. Apostle known as "the Zealot" : ST SIMON.
28. Facetious tributes : ROASTS. Do you all watch Comedy Central? I now listen on the radio.
29. Steady : BEAU. From the French for handsome.
30. Comfort and others : INNS.
31. Avid surfers : NETIZENS. A portmanteau of Internet and Denizens.
39. Money-saving refuge : TAX HAVEN. Anyone do business in the CHANNEL ISLANDS?
49. It's not widely understood : IN JOKE. I guess this is intended as an abbreviation of Inside Joke.
50. Small flaw : WART.
51. Cozy spot : NOOK.
58. Quattro competitor : ATRA. An off semi-clecho with 59. Quattro, e.g. : AUDI. No mention of SUZI who is missing a "T"
60. 2013 One Direction hit : DIANA.
61. Victor's "Samson and Delilah" co-star : HEDY. Lamar
62. Line holder for a cast : REEL. Fishing, not acting.
63. Lustrous synthetic : RAYON. Lustrous...a regenerated, semisynthetic textile filament made from cellulose, cotton linters, or wood chips by treating these with caustic soda and carbon disulfide and passing the resultant solution, viscose, through spinnerets.
Down:
1. Swindle, with "off" : RIP.
2. Run a tab, say : OWE.
3. 1998 Angelina Jolie biopic : GIA. Lots of nudity.
4. F1 neighbor : ESC. Know your keyboard.
5. It's across from Alice Tully Hall : THE MET. Don't get LOST.
6. One of many in "Orphan Black" : CLONE. This actually looks interesting.
7. Engage : HIRE.
8. Sixth of five? : ESP. Did you make sense of this clue?
9. Skid : FISH TAIL. Out of control.
10. Largo and presto : TEMPI. More than one Tempo.
11. Matinee hr. : ONE P.M.
12. March of Dimes' original crusade : POLIO.Now we march for all babies.
13. Ancient : OLDEN.
18. Mama in music : CASS.
22. Trooper's outfit? : ISUZU. A very tricky clue as this automobile has been out of production since 2002 and the Company out of the US since 2009. Poor Joe.
23. La Salle of "ER" : ERIQ. A fellow Connecticut native who continues to work.
24. Fried treat : DONUT.
25. Obsession : MANIA. Donuts?
26. Thomas Cromwell's earldom : ESSEX. He was important to HENRY VIII but then he was not. His descendant (through his sister Katherine) Oliver Cromwell also had his day in the British sun.
27. Determined about : SET ON. Which do you like better, this or ________Hall?
29. Oblique cut : BEVEL.
31. Half a Caribbean federation : NEVIS.
32. Tom's "Mission: Impossible" role : ETHAN. Time to work on our Italian? LINK.
33. Reunion attendee : NIECE. Pick any family member ...
34. More put out : SORER.
36. "__ heaven" : THANK. I always think of this LINK. Of course now that I am older, it seems creepy.
37. American West conflict : RANGE WAR.
38. Overly curious : NOSY.
42. Former Blue Devil rival, briefly : TERP. Maryland in the ACC before they moved to the Big Ten.
43. Not suitable for kids : RATED R. No links from me.
44. Shore show of the '70s : DINAH. A classic CLIP.
45. Modern message : ENOTE.
46. Alaskan cruise sight : FJORD. Fjocus? 54. 46-Down kin : RIA. A fjord is created by inundation of a valley formed by a glacier. They typically have very steep walls and very deep floors allowing ocean-going vessels to navigate them. A ria is a former river valley that has subsided below sea-level and flooded. It is usually shallower than a fjord and often become estuaries with little fresh-water flow into them.
47. Jim-dandy : A OKAY.
48. Pizza sauce herb : BASIL. I like both Italian and Thai basil.
50. Off-target : WIDE. "Wide right!" Mean anything to any college or pro football fans out there?
53. Color distinction : HUE.
55. Magpie relative : JAY. Oh not again.
56. "Microsoft sound" composer : ENO.
57. Brown shade : TAN. A perfect way to end this Friday frolic. Did you all appreciate the pangram? Welcome to my world Roland and have a great holiday weekend all. With the beer and brats do remember all who have passed while serving our country and all of us. Lemonade out heading to the beach.
I leave you with some pics from the restaurant where Oo is working
Bon Appetit! On the left spicy oxtail soup
On the right, shrimp, bacon and lychee.
Theme: Old McDonald. The theme entries have a farm animal "split" out at the start and finish of the phrase.
18A. *Steinbeck novel set in Monterey : CANNERY ROW. Cow. Beautiful part of the state, although it wouldn't have looked quite so charming in Steinbeck's time. The locals seemed friendly though.
23A. *Starter : HORS D'OEUVRE. Horse. Pedantically speaking (who, me?) one of a number of appetizers before the meal, not a starter.
35A. *China server : GRAVY BOAT. Goat. Many gravy boats are quite startling examples of kitsch. This, one, for example. Do a Google search and see what you think of the man-eating tiger variations.
52A. *Refinery job : PIPE FITTING. Pig. "Red sky at night, the refinery's alight". Refineries have lots of pipes which require fitting, I guess.
58A. Wall Street announcement ... or a hint to the circled letters : STOCK SPLIT.
G'day! Neat enough theme from Gareth. He likes to toss a couple of African references into his puzzles - we've got CAIRO and AFRICA (and African in the CAIRO clue) so check that box.
MEGS/SHO/RDS/SEPT/SAE/CRT/SSN/SGT/SLC/PMS/GPO felt like a lot of abbreviations - probably no more than the norm, it just felt like a couple too many.
Let's see what else we've got.
Across:
1. Teeth setting : GUMS
5. Parts of gigs : MEGS. Lots of bytes. When I started out in the computer industry, an IBM mainframe disk drive had a capacity of around 320Mb and cost somewhere north of $100,000. The solid-state disk that I put in my laptop has a capacity of two terabytes (almost 7,000 times as much) and cost less than $900.
9. Golf club part : SHAFT. I'd like to see a tournament where the pros use old-style clubs with hickory shafts, and persimmon heads on the woods.
14. Parrier's tool : EPÉE
15. Rent-a-car choice : AVIS
16. African city that hosts an annual international film festival : CAIRO
17. Lacks being : ISN'T
20. "Homeland" airer, briefly : SHO. Showtime on pay TV.
21. GPS options : RDS.
22. Stick homes : NESTS
27. "__ the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" : IT'S
29. Stumped : AT A LOSS
30. Viennese "a" : EIN
31. Ale serving : MUG
32. "Git!" : SHOO
33. Story __ : ARC
34. Michaelmas mo. : SEPT. September 29th is the feast day of St. Michael and all Angels in the Christian calendar. Michael is top banana in the angel organization.
39. Guy friends : BROS
42. Like a few hours after midnight : WEE
43. Wait patiently : BIDE
46. Dark side : YIN. Best clue/answer of the day, in my ever-so-humble opinion.
47. Bill encl. : S.A.E. Your paper bills usually come with a self-addressed envelope for your payment.
48. Texas home of Hardin-Simmons University : ABILENE. Ah yes, that famous educational heavyweight institution. Home of the fearsome sporting Cowboys (and Cowgirls).
51. All Hallows' __ : EVE
54. "Four Quartets" poet : ELIOT. I find TSE's poetry to be a bit of a slog, to be honest.
56. Obsolescent PC component : CRT. The now-defunct cathode ray tube in the display.
57. With respect to : FOR. Really? I can't think of a sentence where I could interchange "with respect to" and "for" and have it sound correct. Anyone else?
60. Poke fun at : GIBE
61. New Orleans feature : LEVÉE. That e-acute is getting a workout today. You drive Chevys to levées, per Don Mclean
62. Self-defense spray : MACE. I carry a little can with me when I go hiking very early in the morning on a couple of my routes - there are two mountain lions who've staked a claim to the territory. They lie low during the day and hunt at night. I'm not sure how much use it would be, but it makes me feel better. This is the one who hunts near the Hollywood sign.
63. Skin : PELT
64. Salad green : CRESS
65. Rigel or Arcturus : STAR
66. Some lyric works : ODES
Down:
1. Tea ceremony participant : GEISHA
2. Results : UPSHOTS
3. Hanukkah symbol : MENORAH
4. Solidified, as plans : SET
5. Modern shortcuts : MACROS. Computer lingo.
6. Gets around : EVADES
7. "Never needs sharpening" brand : GINSU. I can never remember this, it's always crosses for me.
8. Tax form no. : S.S.N.
9. Project at the theater : SCREEN. The verb, not the noun form of "project".
10. "Airplane!" actor Robert : HAYS
11. Advertiser's purchase : AIRTIME
12. Become covered with rime : FROST UP. In Tennyson's Rime of the Ancient Mariner, did you know he tried out for a goalkeeper job but wasn't very good?
"IT is the ancient Mariner
and he stoppeth one of three"
13. Drag behind : TOW
19. Physicist Fermi : ENRICO. He created the world's first nuclear reactor, poetically named "Chicago Pile 1".
24. Arduous jobs : SLOGS
25. Way out : DOOR
26. Action word : VERB
28. Cpl.'s superior : SGT.
33. Word to a captain : AYE
34. Support for the circus? : STILT
36. Is in store : AWAITS
37. Ford, but not Lincoln : VEEP. No "familiarly"?
38. Slightly : A BIT
39. Sports schedule advantage : BYE
40. Rosie, notably : RIVETER. If it's not going to be SPOKESCOW, it's going to be this.
41. Bob Marley song with the lyric "Let's get together and feel all right" : ONE LOVE
44. Put on a pedestal : DEIFIED
45. Raise up : ENNOBLE
47. Bike wheel parts : SPOKES. Not on this bike:
48. Where the Zambezi flows : AFRICA
49. Caustic : BITTER
50. "Snowy" birds : EGRETS
53. Showiness : ÉCLAT
55. Gets done in a bakery : ICES
58. Utah metropolis, initially : S.L.C.
59. The U.K.'s Pitt the Elder and Pitt the Younger : P.M.'S. Prime Ministers in the 1700's.
60. Mail hub: Abbr. : G.P.O. General Post Office. This is my local post office. I'm not sure what the turrets are for!
And ... here's the grid.
Steve
Notes from C.C.:
1) The fifth Minnesota Crossword Tournament will be held at the Landmark Center in St. Paul on June 12th, 2016 Sunday.Please clickhere for more details. Here is the direct registration link. Entry fee is only $20 per person.
Don G and I teamed up again this year. Other contributors (all LAT/NYT constructors) include George Barany, Victor Barocas (also our editor), Tom Pepper, Andrea Carla Michaels, David Liben-Lowell, Michael David, Johanna Fenimore, Andrew J Ries and our own Jeffrey Wechsler, who is flying from New Jersey to volunteer for the event.
2) Peg Slay (C6D6 Peg on our blog) and I made today's WSJ "Play Ball" puzzle. You can click here to print out the PDF file.
Congratulations
to Peg on her WSJ debut! She's so talented & fast-thinking. I'm
inspired by her attention to details & intuition as well. Thank you
for a wonderful collaborative experience, Peg!
Theme: Ate a picle, feeling sicle - now how about an icicle? The fragment -ICLE is added as a suffix to four in-the-language phrases, yielding new, humorous constructions.
20 A. Bond portrayer Daniel's BuzzFeed piece? : CRAIG'S LISTICLE. The referent is James Bond actor Daniel CRAIG, who also starred in the Jon Favreau SF/Western mashup Cowboys and Aliens. A LISTICLE is an internet article presented as a numbered or bullet point list. Since Daniel also starred in the incomprehensible Dream House, his could be a rank-ordered filmography.
26 A. Leftover bit of a physics experiment? : SPARE PARTICLE. This is my favorite theme entry. A SPARE PART is an item kept on hand to replace a lost or damaged machine PART. A PARTICLE in a physics experiment is generally something smaller than an atom - proton, neutron, quark, etc. SPARE PARTICLES might be used in subatomic games of bowling.
46 A. Ezine feature? : MODERN ARTICLE. MODERN ART includes a variety of styles from the 19th century through the 1960's, including Bauhause, surrealism, impressionism, op art, etc. A MODERN ARTICLE would be published in a modern venue like an Ezine, for sure. But for my money, this entry is too close in surface meaning to the first one we encountered.
55 A. Beantown treat? : BOSTON POPSICLE. Beantown is a common name for BOSTON, dating back to colonial times when local Puritans typically had a Sunday meal of previously prepared beans and brown bread, to avoid cooking on the sabbath. With Summer drawing nigh, a POPSICLE is an inviting treat that the Puritans would probably have considered sinful.
There's your theme, folks. Hope you don't think its ICLE.
Hi, gang, Jazzbumpa here to provide a quicle tour.
1. Observe Ramadan, in a way : FAST. Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, during which the faithful avoid [among other things] eating food between dawn and dusk.
5. __ and terminer: criminal court : OYER. From the Anglo-French meaning "to hear and to determine."
9. Tapered fastener : SCREW. Threaded, too.
14. Scratch the surface? : ETCH. Engrave a surface by any one of several means.
15. Sub spot : DELI. Big sandwiches there.
16. "Glee" club : CHOIR. "Glee" is derived form the old English word for song.
17. "Sharknado" actress Reid : TARA. I never saw this movie, but it's generally considered to be pretty bad.
18. Banish to Hades, say : DOOM. The modern meaning is to be relegated to some horrible fate. The Old English meaning is closer to "judgment."
19. Like most tarantulas : HAIRY. These are hairy spiders to which I will not link.
23. That guy : HIM. Some fella'.
24. Stay-at-home __ : DAD. I went with MOM first. Does that make me old?
25. Bonfire residue : ASH. Any fire, really.
33. Yes, on Talk Like a Pirate Day : AYE. Avast, matey!
34. Love god : EROS. Greek mythology.
35. Seagoing mil. group : United States Navy.
36. "__ you!" : TOLD. Rubbing it in.
39. Source of 20s : Automatic Teller Machine.
40. Icky buildup : CRUD. A chunk of it is a CRUDICLE.
41. Sydney school : UNI. Near as I can tell, this refers to the UNIversity of Sydney in Australia. Maybe I'm missing something, but this entry seems to lack specificity.
42. Charlatan : FAKE. An imposter - one who claims to be something he isn't, while typically on a quest for some type of personal gain. Usage for this word peaked around 1940.
44. 18%, often : TIP. I tip 20% minimum. It's easier to calculate.
50. "Collages" novelist : NIN. Unlike most of her other work, this is a dreamy, experimental novel with many characters wandering in space and time.
51. Chest-beating beast : APE.
52. Marked, as a ballot : XED.
60. Real pip : BEAUT. A Beauty - can be intended literally or sarcastically.
61. Trompe l'__ : OEIL. An optical illusion in France.
62. Online urban music magazine : VIBE. Where one might read a LISTICLE or other MODERN ARTICLE.
64. Mantel piece : VASE. An open container, often decorative, suitable for holding flowers or uncle Henry's ashes.
65. Molecule component : ATOM. Made up of sub-atomic PARTICLES.
66. Perp subduer : TASER. A weapon that fires electrical probes to deliver a debilitating shock.
67. Help for the poor : ALMS. From Old English, via late liturgical Latin, and ultimately tracing to Greek roots indicating both money and compassion.
68. What's going on : NEWS. Indicating new information obtained via a print, video, or on-line medium.
Down
1. Sell for : FETCH. A hot item might FETCH a pretty penny.
2. Game company formerly named Syzygy : ATARI. I did not know that.
3. Beats it : SCRAMS. Makes one's self scarce.
4. Asian language with 44 consonants : THAI. ODDS ARE that's more than I can pronounce.
5. "Probably ... " : ODDS ARE. A favorable bet.
6. Shoppe descriptor : YE OLDE. Of course we all know that the "Ye" is really "The" with the initial consonant sound rendered by the rune "thorn" (Þ, þ) rather than the digraph "Th." The rune was often represented with a slanted slash coming from the right rather than the closed loop, hence the similar appearance to the modern letter "Y."
7. Weena's race, in "The Time Machine" : ELOI. Occasionally, the other race - Morlocks - would eat them. In the 1960 movie version, Weena was played by Yvette Mimieux.
8. What swish shots don't touch : RIMS. A basketball shot that gets nothing but net. Still only 2 points, but more pleasing to the eye and ear.
9. Flaky metamorphic rocks : SCHISTS. Mica, talc and graphite are examples.
10. Joanie's love : CHACHI. Played by Scott Baio, opposite Erin Moran's Joanie Cunningham from the TV show Happy Days and later it's spin-off featuring them.
11. Bubble and churn : ROIL. Agitate something physically, and by extension emotionally. If one become red-faced dong this, it is known as a ROIL flush.
12. Green land : EIRE. The Emerald Isle, notably not the location of the Emerald City.
13. Seinfeldesque : WRY. A la the humor of the TV show about nothing.
21. Wagga Wagga welcome : G'DAY. This is a city in New South Wales, Australia, Mate.
22. Starchy tuber : TARO. A perennial tropical plant cultivated for its starchy tuber.
27. Shock absorber : PAD. A thick section of soft material.
28. Saint at a gate : PETER. In Matthew 16: 13-19, Jesus renames Simon son of Jonah as PETER, and gives him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.
29. Operational branch : ARM. A subgroup dedicated to a particular purpose.
30. Mongrel : CUR. Mutt.
31. "Geaux Tigers" SEC school : Louisiana State University. Faux-French influenced slogan.
32. Wind down or wind up : END. Slang terms "for bring to a close." But a pitcher's wind up or winding up a spring-actuated mechanical device, such as the toy we will met shortly, gets things going. One more reason to love the English language.
36. Belly, to a tot : TUM. Possibly derived from stomach.
37. Sean Lennon's middle name : ONO. After his mum.
38. Jack-in-the-box flipper : LID. Child's box-shaped toy with a crank used to start the action by winding up, and ends with a clown figure popping out through the LID.
39. Police blotter letters : Also Known As, indicating the use of an alias.
40. Lowest-ranking NCO : CPL. Corporal is the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer.
42. Fried corn cake : FRITTER. Any of several deep-fried, batter coated items, such as fruit, vegetables, or even meat.
43. __ Domini : ANNO. The Year of our Lord, presumably starting with the birth of Jesus Christ, indicating a dating system that originated in the early middle ages. But somewhere along the line, there was a mistake. Jesus was born during the reign of King Herod, who died in 4 B. C.
44. Has a few : TIPPLES. Indulges in alcoholic beverages, and not as in 44A..
45. Treats, as a sprain : ICES. Tin Man - note here an acceptable use for ice; to reduce swelling of a muscle injury.
47. Make certain : ENSURE. Why do we have this word, along with "assure" and "insure?" They came into Old English from Norman French, so that's who I blame.
48. Lao-tzu's philosophy : TAOISM. Meaning the way, path or principle. Greatly simplified -- living in harmony with all that exists.
49. Whip up : EXCITE. As a crowd, or mob.
53. Fight (through), as a crowd : ELBOW. Not so gently nudging others out of the way. Not very TAOIST.
54. Considers : DEEMS. Tracing back to an Old English root meaning to judge, the same as DOOM.
55. Composer Bartók : BELA. Hungarian composer (1881 - 1945). The shortest clip I could find (6:20) is is setting of Romanian folk songs for violin and piano.
56. Klutzes : OAFS. An OAF is a stupid, uncultured or clumsy person. Strangely, the word traces back to the old Norse word for elf. The original meaning was "elf's child" [I'm assuming changeling,] later "idiot child," later still, how we use it today.
57. Stellar phenomenon : NOVA. A cataclysmic nuclear explosion occurring on a white dwarf star.
58. Ring out : PEAL. Specifically, the ringing of bells.
59. Nobelist Pavlov : IVAN. (1849 - 1936) Russian psychologist famous for his work on classical conditioning.
60. Ball club : BAT. You might think of a sports team, but that is a clever misdirection, and doesn't fit. In baseball, the ball is clubbed with the BAT. The example below is from a couple years ago. Miggy seems to have his stride back, and has done something similar a couple times in the last week.
There you have it, a wandering in space and time, including a couple excursions into the English of our past, a dystopian view of the far future, a dollop or so of French, and finally back to current reality with some down-to-earth baseball. Despite my earlier criticle nits, a pretty nice journey.
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