Wednesday January 31, 2018 Ed Sessa

Theme: TRAIL MIX (63. Hiker's snack that's literally found in 17-, 29-, 39- and 47-Across). Anagram of TRAIL is hidden inside each familiar phrase.

 

17A. Five-time NBA championship-winning coach : PAT RILEY

29A. Same old story : FAMILIAR TUNE

39A. Finger painting? : NAIL ART

47A. Captain's choice at the Super Bowl : HEADS OR TAILS

Hello everyone, Boomer here. Visiting you live from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and safe Groundhog Day. Hopefully, Punxatawny Phil will not see his shadow and we might have less than six weeks of winter left.

But in any case, 48 hours after Groundhog Day, Minneapolis will be visited by the Superb Owl at U.S. Bank Stadium. The NFL is hoping that Mr. Owl will not fly into the glass panels at "The Bank" and be injured.  Whether you are a fan of the Eagles or the "Brady Bunch" I hope you  enjoy the game.  The Vikings were eliminated drastically last week but I still plan to tune in the game because I usually enjoy the commercials. 

Across:    

1. Heist : ROB - Mr. Petrie on the Dick Van Dyke show

4. Pasta nutrient : CARB - Not sure if this is actually a nutrient but they will make your blood glucose go higher. 

8. Archie Bunker types : BIGOTS

14. Statement softener, in emails : IMO - In My Opinion

15. Command to Silver : HI YO - I am sure Clayton Moore hollered "Hi Ho" Silver.

16. Shangri-la : UTOPIA

19. Find hilarious : ROAR AT

20. No votes : ANTIs - All in favor of this answer say AYE, all opposed NAY

21. Half an oz.? : ZEE.

23. Olympian Lipinski : TARA - I think she was the first to perform a triple jump

24. German wheels : OPELs - I actually drove one of these once.  It was like a roller skate.

27. Seize the opportunity, sunshinewise : MAKE HAY - Think about it.  Can you actually make hay, or should you let the sun do it and then bale?

32. Metal corrosion : RUST

  

33. Part of a biathlete's gear : SKI

34. 2017 award for Emma Stone : OSCAR - Yup, the Academy Awards are know as Oscars, but I do not know why.

38. Yale email address ender : EDU

42. "Deadwood" channel : HBO - I do not subscribe to HBO but I have been to Deadwood, SD.  really crummy casinos there

43. A little lit : TIPSY - And thank you for not driving.

45. Hellenic "H" : ETA

46. All hands on deck : CREW - Military haircut

51. Italian rice dish : RISOTTO

54. Transparent soap brand : PEARS - some kind of glycerin concoction that I never heard of and probably would not spend the money to buy.

55. "I'm __ you!" : ONTO

56. "Hunh!?" : WHA - I really object to non words in puzzles.

58. Harvard's is "Veritas" : MOTTO 

61. Excited reply to "Who wants dessert?" : I DO, I DO - I think you need to say this when you get married.  The second one comes when your future wife kicks you.

66. Evening meal : DINNER

67. John known for overlapping diagrams : VENN - I googled this guy and if he were alive today he would be 184 years old.  How are we supposed to know him?

68. Loved, with "up" : ATE

69. Agrees : SAYS OK

70. Air Quality Index factor : SMOG - This is a combo of smoke and fog. We don't have much of that here in the frozen tundra.

71. Owen, to Stephen King : SON

Down:

  

1. Morning co-host with Seacrest : RIPA - Live with Kelly and Ryan.

2. Muscat's country : OMAN

3. "Cheers!" : BOTTOMS UP! - Where everybody knows your name! Don't get tipsy though.

4. Sculptor's tool : CHISEL

5. Be under the weather : AIL - Did you get your AIL shot this year??

6. Grass in a J.D. Salinger title : RYE - required reading in ninth grade. I thought it was "Catch her in the Rye."

7. R&B's __ II Men : BOYZ

8. Part of a bedroom set : BUREAU - I always called it a dresser.  I call the FBI a bureau.   

9. "What am __ do?" : I TO - I suppose you could clue the Simpson trial judge but we have all seen that before.

10. Buffalo Bill and Charles Dickens wore them : GOATEES - Colonel was sad to be overlooked.

11. "60 Minutes" part-time correspondent : OPRAH

12. Prom queen's crown : TIARA

13. Thai snack : SATAY - Chicken on a stick.

18. Hit the ball hard : RIP IT - Bowling coach's last words,  "Grip it and rip it"

22. Defib expert : EMT - We talked about this last time. I am a Graybar Electric Vet and EMT is Electrical Metallic Tubing - thin wall conduit!

25. Bart's brainy sibling : LISA

26. Munro pen name : SAKI. H. H. Munro.

28. Pretzel shape : KNOT - Sorry but I think a pretzel shape is not a knot.

29. Ridge on a neck : FRET

30. German wheels : AUDI - High quality with my apologies to those who own Opels.

31. Makes mad : RILES

35. Present time? : CHRISTMAS 46. 35-Down song : CAROL

36. Eve's second : ABEL

37. Theater seating arrangements : ROWS

39. Putin's no : NYET - "NYET collusion, NYET Collusion!"

40. Perched on : ATOP

41. Like a double eagle in golf : RARE - A double eagle is sometimes used to define an Albatross.  A hole in one on a par four, or a two on a par five. It really makes no sense though, since an eagle is a score of 2 under par on a hole, (or a Philadelphia player) so a double eagle would be four under par on a hole - (or a requirement for a Brady sack.) 

44. Sure victors : SHOO-INS - I would go with Shoe In, however I learned that this is also a horse racing term.

48. On the clock : AT WORK

49. "How stupid am I?!" : DOH

50. Title job for Shakespeare's Petruchio : TAMING - The only Shakespeare I ever read was Julius Caesar, and it was pretty boring.  "How many eggs did you have for breakfast this morning, Caesar ?"  Et tu Brute

51. PEDs, in slang : ROIDs - I wonder if Barry Bonds, Roger Clemons, and Sammy Sosa called them that.

52. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" locale : INDIA - I have never been to India, but I drove through Indiana once.  Does that count?

53. Poker-faced : STONY

57. Off-rd. transports : ATVs

59. Bandleader Puente : TITO

60. Team on a field : OXEN - Good old English language. Most every plural ends in "S", except several oxes.

62. __ volente : DEO

64. Sleep phase : REM

65. Mexican year : ANO

  

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

Happy birthday to dear Bill G, who's been with this blog for over 9 years. Bill is always gentle and warm, even to mean anons. I feel like I've "had" some Cuban food because of Bill.

Bill and his wife Barbara

Tuesday, January 30, 2018 ~ David Liben-Nowell

Theme: Basketball Stat - Three phrases that graphically represent this desirable B-ball statistic.

54A. Ten or more points, rebounds and assists in one game, in hoops lingo ... and a literal feature of 20-, 33- and 43-Across: TRIPLE DOUBLE

20A. Played the Samaritan: DID A GOOD DEED

33A. Ones who once shared quarters: FORMER ROOMMATES

43A. Love sugary snacks, say: HAVE A SWEET TOOTH

Argyle here. Rows: 16, Columns: 15. David's second puzzle for us. The gimmick was obvious but needed the reveal to make sense of it.

Across:

1. Vulgar: LEWD

5. Cancel, as a mission: ABORT

10. Leave in a hurry: BAIL

14. Gobi Desert continent: ASIA

15. Calf-roping event: RODEO

16. "The __ Duckling": UGLY

17. Writer Ayn: RAND

18. Harmless garden slitherer: GREEN SNAKE

22. Italian automaker: FIAT

23. "The Big Bang Theory," for one: SITCOM

27. Big bang: BLAST

29. Rock band staple: AMP

32. Gush: SPURT

36. Juicy Fruit, e.g.: GUM

37. Cause of shrinking beaches: EROSION

38. Delivers the news: REPORTS

40. Cup o' mud: JOE

48. Up in the air: ALOFT

49. Ukr., until 1991: SSR. Ukraine, a former Soviet Socialist Republic.

50. Many Middle Easterners: ARABs

51. More alluring: SEXIER

53. App symbol: ICON

60. Minor infraction: PETTY CRIME

63. Special forces mission: RAID

64. Ointment additive: ALOE

65. Fertile desert spot: OASIS

66. Thomas __, 9/11 Commission chairman: KEAN. Former Governor of New Jersey.

67. Snowy day toy: SLED

68. Hilton rival: HYATT. Hotels.

69. Poet Pound: EZRA. List of his works.

Down:

1. Cooking fat: LARD

2. Morales of "NYPD Blue": ESAI

3. Collection of energy-producing turbines: WIND FARM

4. Avant-garde art movement: DADAISM

5. Specialized jargon: ARGOT

6. NYC division: BORO. (borough)

7. Took too much, briefly: ODed

8. Clarinet insert: REED

9. Shades of color: TONES

10. Baker's ring-shaped mold: BUNDT PAN

11. Turkish honorific: AGA

12. Type: ILK

13. Caustic chemical: LYE

19. Earthquake prefix: SEISMO

21. Garden entrance: GATE

24. Piece of the action, or a shout that stops the action: CUT. Best entry, IMHO.

25. Valuable underground find: ORE

26. Peaks: Abbr.: MTs

27. 2016 film based on a Roald Dahl novel, with "The": BFG. "Big Friendly Giant"

28. Baseball's Gehrig: LOU

29. Archery ammo: ARROWS

30. Poet Marianne and actress Julianne: MOOREs. Unlikely pairing.

31. Dorm decoration: POSTER

34. Workout count: REPS. Short for repetitions.

35. Waterfall spray: MIST. CSO Niagara Falls.

38. Updated, as factory equipment: REFITTED

39. Diner, drive-in or dive: EATERY

40. 1969 Woodstock folk singer: JOAN BAEZ. I can't say as if I ever heard this one before.

41. Gambling venue letters: OTB. (Off Track Betting)

42. "I didn't hear you" sounds: EHs?

43. Gives birth to: HAS

44. Pub brew: ALE

45. __ populi: popular opinion: VOX

46. Food truck fare: TACO

47. Political satirist P.J.: O'ROURKE

52. Copier maker: RICOH. Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company.

53. That is, in Latin: ID EST

55. Ask for divine guidance: PRAY

56. Pop singer Loeb: LISA. I prefer the Cass Elliot version. The first recording was done by Ozzie Nelson! Give a listen.

57. Discharge: EMIT

58. Perjurer: LIAR

59. Writer Ferber: EDNA

60. __ de deux: PAS. (in ballet) a dance for two people.

61. Pipe bend: ELL

62. Digit on a foot: TOE

Argyle

Monday, January 29, 2018 ~ John Guzzetta

Theme: Do Effects Affect You? - Place the word, EFFECT beside the last word of the theme answers.

17A. "Blueberry Hill" R&B singer: FATS DOMINO. The domino effect, when one event sets off a chain of similar events.

23A. Title passenger train with an "ever-lovin' light": MIDNIGHT SPECIAL. Special effect, usually plural. Some movies seem to be made just to show off the special effects.

37A. Cho-Cho-San story on which a Puccini opera was based: MADAME BUTTERFLY. The butterfly effect, when a minute local change can have large effects elsewhere.

48A. Body of water bordering most of Connecticut's coast: LONG ISLAND SOUND. Sound effect, again often plural, can be silly, like tires squealing on dirt.

59A. Undesired medication consequence ... and what can literally go with the end of 17-, 23-, 37- and 48-Across: SIDE EFFECT

Argyle here. Three spanners plus two more; big for a Monday. John has been busy but not with LAT of late.

Across:

1. Pearl Harbor site: OAHU

This photo of USS Arizona Memorial is courtesy of TripAdvisor

5. Breaks under pressure: SNAPS

10. Fabric woven with metallic threads: LAMÉ

14. Dec. 25: XMAS

15. Aerosmith frontman Steven: TYLER. Here with daughter, Liv.

16. Apple tablet: iPAD

19. Telephoto, for one: LENS

20. Had lunch, say: ATE

21. Cry from one who's all thumbs: "OOPS!"

22. Boot camp nickname: SARGE. Sir! Not in my boot camp, Sir!

27. Integer after zero: ONE

28. Bank job: HEIST

29. Frosty coat: HOAR

32. Plant's sticker: THORN

34. Arabic "son of": IBN

41. "Total Request Live" network: MTV. (an initialism of Music Television)

42. Bedouins, e.g.: ARABS

43. 90 degrees from norte: ESTE. (Spanish, north / east)

44. Ear-related: AURAL

46. 007 creator Fleming: IAN

55. Ancient Peruvians: INCAs

56. Place to order a Reuben: DELI

57. __ Paulo, Brazil: SAO

Museu de Arte ( Museum of Art)

58. Chow or lo follower, in Chinese cuisine: MEIN. Just American Chinese, C.C.?

62. Marching musicians: BAND

63. Opinion pieces: OP-EDs

64. Fishing decoy: LURE

65. Gold medalist Korbut: OLGA

66. Bottom-of-the-barrel: WORST

67. Copies: APEs

Down:

1. Britain-based relief agcy.: OXFAM. Oxfam was founded in 1942 as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief. More

2. Prized violin: AMATI

3. Abhorrent: HATED

4. Navy sub initials: USS

5. Moe, Curly or Larry: STOOGE

6. Lorelei, for one: NYMPH

7. Roster of invited celebs: A-LIST

8. Signer's writer: PEN

9. Sign of a sellout: SRO. (Standing Room Only)

10. Purple flowers: LILACS

11. Pre-dinner drinks: APÉRITIFs

12. Japanese comics: MANGA

13. '50s Ford flop: EDSEL

18. Bump off: DO IN

22. River through Paris: SEINE. Running a little high right now.

24. Screenwriter Ephron: NORA. (1941-2012) Alma mater: Wellesley College.

25. Attempts to score, in hockey: SHOTS. Noun.

26. Saucy: PERT

29. "I'm thinking ... ": "HMM ... "

30. Grain in Quaker cereals: OAT

31. Getting promotions: ADVANCING. Ah, the Peter Principle. Wiki

32. Little League precursor: T-BALL. Pitchers and catchers report mid-February.

33. Center of a wheel: HUB

35. Sandwich letters: BLT

36. "Science Guy" Bill: NYE

38. Roger who broke Babe's record: MARIS. On October 1, 1961, but the season was eight days longer than when Ruth set his record.

39. Times often named for presidents: ERAs

40. Alternative to Vegas: RENO

45. Where Amin ruled: UGANDA. The Rwenzori Mountains(surprised? I am.)

46. Least active: IDLEST

47. "Yeah, right!": "AS IF!"

48. Dance under a bar: LIMBO

49. Tatum of "Paper Moon": O'NEAL

50. Puff __: snake: ADDER

51. Requires: NEEDS

52. Exhaust: USE UP

53. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE

54. Adores to death, with "on": DOTES

59. Spread, as discord: SOW

60. NYSE debut: IPO. Stocks(initial public offering)

61. Ga.'s southern neighbor: FLA.

Argyle

Sunday January 28, 2018 Matt Skoczen

Theme: "On the Road"- Six different anagrams of GEARS span across each theme entry.

23A. One of three presidents who served in 1881 : JAMES GARFIELD. ESGAR.

35A. It's just outside the Oval Office : ROSE GARDEN. SEGAR.

44A. Kitchen gadget : CHEESE GRATER. SEGRA.

74A. Private company paperwork : STOCKHOLDERS' AGREEMENT. SAGRE,

103. Certain sci-fi superfan : STAR WARS GEEK. ARSGE.

111. "Awesome!" : THAT'S GREAT! SGREA.
  
130A. Unexpectedly changing one's attitude ... and what's literally hidden in six long puzzle answers : SHIFTING GEARS

We often see four-letter anagrams. Five-letter is a little trickier, fortunately the letters here are all relatively common.

Chunky upper right/lower left corners. Those 7*7 are not easy to fill cleanly. Love the lower left corner.

Across:
     
1. Distinguished : ENNOBLED

9. One in on the deal? : CARD. Nice clue.

13. 1984 Martin/Tomlin film : ALL OF ME. Never saw it.

20. Wetsuit substance : NEOPRENE

21. Feng __ : SHUI. Literally "water". Feng = "wind".

22. Causes of tots' tears : BOO BOOs

25. Dignitaries working abroad : CONSULS. You can find US Consulates in five major cities in China.

26. Wife of Wang Lung in "The Good Earth" : O-LAN. Great book about the old village life in China.

27. Joke closing? : STER. Jokester.

28. A fancy one may not include prices : MENU. Tiny dupe with 63. Asian menu assurance : NO MSG. I finally figured out why the Vietnamese carrot and daikon pickles in our local Asian grocery store is so much better than my own, Anon T. They put MSG in theirs.

30. Surprise from a lamp : GENIE

31. 1983 Streisand film : YENTL

33. Scratches (out) : EKES

38. Caveman Alley : OOP

40. Mich. NBA team : DET. Detroit Pistons. Can't be clued as short for detective due to 41. Sam Spade type : TEC

42. Word on a fast food sign : THRU

43. "Billy Budd" captain : VERE. Unknown to me.

50. Subj. for some newcomers : ESL

51. "__ to you, matey!" : 'ERE'S. Gluey.

52. Thumbs-up cry : A-OK. And 84. Thumbs-up cry : YES

53. Biblical name meaning "hairy" : ESAU

54. Cone filler : ICE CREAM. Boomer (diabetic) is happy with the sugar-free ice cream at Walmart.

57. Discipline with poses : YOGA

59. Sagan's sci. : ASTR. Also 114. Suffix from the Greek for "world" : COSM

61. 21st of 24 : PHI

62. Fired up : GUNG-HO. From Chinese "Gong He", literally "working together".

67. It measures rpm : TACH

69. Pennsylvania railroad town : ALTOONA

73. More achy : SORER

79. Some bar food : SUSHI. And 110. 79-Across fish : EEL. Love eel rolls.

80. USA Today owner : GANNETT. I think they once owned our Star Tribune also.

81. Somme spouses: Abbr. : MMEs

82. Move, as artwork : RE-HANG
 
85. "Ozark" actor Morales : ESAI

87. Cartagena cat : GATO

91. Stop one's horse, in England : DRAW REIN. New expression to me.

95. Envelope-pushing : EDGY

97. Half a dance : CHA

98. Passion-ate composer? : BACH. See here. I drew a blank.

102. __ trip : EGO

106. Dos cubed : OCHO. 2/8. Also 71. Uno e due : TRE

107. Pinup's asset : GAMs. We also have 6. Staying power : LEGS

109. Sold-out letters : SRO. Standing Room Only.

117. Role for Dustin : RATSO. "Hey, I'm walking here!"

121. King or queen : TITLE. 11. King or queen : RULER

122. Taunting word usually repeated : NYAH

124. Persian for "king" : SHAH

126. Ostrich cousin : RHEA

127. The Beatles' last studio album : LET IT BE

133. 50-50 shot : EVEN BET

134. Hendryx who was part of the "Lady Marmalade" trio Labelle : NONA

135. Alienate : ESTRANGE

136. Allergy symptom : RED EYES

137. Big refs. : OEDs. Oxford English Dictionary.

138. Aficionados : DEVOTEES

Down:

1. Fancy : ENJOY. Been enjoying this Shea body butter Jim (JimmyB) sent to me. So rich and healing.

2. Author Zora __ Hurston : NEALE

3. "__ is an island": Donne : NO MAN

4. Sandal feature : OPEN TOE

5. Abbr. in home sale ads : BRs
 
7. Related on mom's side : ENATE. Have not seen this fill for a long time.

8. Literature Nobelist Walcott : DEREK. Wiki says he's an "Saint Lucian poet and playwright".

9. "__: Cyber": 2015 spin-off : CSI

10. "May I speak?" : AHEM
 
12. Quick denial : DID NOT

13. Pie equivalent, in a simile : ABC

14. Canterbury commode : LOO

15. Half a strait-laced pair? : LONG A. Oh, two long A sounds in strait-laced.

16. Witness : OBSERVE

17. Stumble, as a horse : FOUNDER. Learning moment for me.

18. "L'ecole des femmes" playwright : MOLIERE

19. Reputed Dead Sea Scrolls transcribers : ESSENES. This has become a gimme.

24. "Band of Gold" singer Payne : FREDA. Never heard of her.

29. Theater work : USHERING

32. Be outscored : LOSE

34. Alien-seeking gp. : SETI

36. Highland tongue : ERSE

37. Solzhenitsyn subject : GULAG

39. Passover : PESACH. Also a new word to me.
 
44. Great Barrier Reef feature : CAY

45. Boo mate? : HOO. Boo hoo.

46. Heart doc's readout : EKG

47. Guzzler on the road : GAS HOG. Great 6-letter fill.

48. Hard thing to get out of : RUT

49. Share on Facebook, as a picture : RE-POST

55. Complete, in law : CHOATE. Lemonade/Hahtoola might know it. Not me.

56. Paris's __ Rodin : MUSEE

58. "Right back __" : AT CHA

60. Curtin castmate : RADNER

64. Masters prog. entrance criterion : GRE

65. Female lobster : HEN

66. Uneaten bit : ORT

68. "There's __ of Hush": Herman's Hermits hit : A KIND

70. They can make things clearer : LENSES
 
72. Philip II's fleet : ARMADA

74. Bygone cartography initials : SSR

75. Third col., usually : TUE. Column.

76. __Kosh B'gosh : OSH

77. Female nonclericals : LAYWOMEN

78. Asylum seeker : EMIGRE

83. Shorthand pioneer : GREGG

86. Stitch : SEW

88. One may be high or low : ACE

89. With 104-Down, what bosses rule : THE. And 104. See 89-Down : ROOST

90. Wood used to age spirits : OAK

92. Preserves thickener : AGAR. Widely used in Asian desserts. Vegetarian gelatin.

93. "__ a date!" : IT'S

94. Buster? : NARC. Bust-er.

96. 1914 battle river : YSER

98. Soft drink manufacturer, e.g. : BOTTLER. We sent to a Pepsi bottler once. Very complicated procedure.

99. Get by effort : ACHIEVE

100. Exchanged texts, say : CHATTED. Such a luxury not to own a smart phone. Or on social media.

101. Emergency phone link : HOTLINE
 
105. Quietly show anger toward : GLARE AT

108. Disagrees : SAYS NO

112. Put on ice : SET BY

113. Sierra Nevada resort : TAHOE

115. Backed (away) : SHIED

116. Parson's place : MANSE

118. __ of Glamis: Macbeth : THANE

119. Worsted variety : SERGE

120. Resting places : OASES

123. Rear : HIND

125. Cable channel for remodelers : HGTV

128. Queen's subject : BEE

129. French connections? : ETs. Just French for "and". Toi et moi.

131. Fourth notes : FAs

132. Miracle-__ : GRO

If you're struggling with cough from the flu, try Robitussin. It finally brought me peace last Wednesday. The Formula 44 did not work at all. Thank God I don't need codeine, Picard/Big Easy!

C.C.

Saturday, January 27, 2018, Andy Kravis

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?

Andy's very challenging but fair Saturday puzzle left me playing a mental edition of this game:

The puzzle came down to an obvious vowel for the crossing of these two words:

10. Official cocktail of New Orleans : SAZERAC - Made with SAZERAC Rye Whiskey and assorted goodies

27. Court dance : PAVANE - A slow, processional dance of 16th century Europe. I wonder if Cole Porter could have written When They Begin The PAVANE if he were alive in 1588.

Suffice it to say "I" made a bad pick but had a good time. Two stacks of nine-letter words and twin ten and eleven letter stacks looked very impressive to this humble blogger!  Well let's see what other treats Andy has for us:


Across

1. Longtime employer of 26-Down : ABC SPORTS and 26. "Miracle on Ice" commentator : AL MICHAELS - Al called out, "Do you believe in miracles?" when the USA beat the  46. "Miracle on Ice" loser : USSR

10. Double shot? : STUNT - Fabulous clue! Here's Johnny Depp with his STUNT Double

15. "Geek sighting!" : NERD ALERT - Name calling abates when you really need one!

16. "Mad TV" alum Lange : ARTIE - You might know troubled ARTIE better as this guy's sidekick if you go for that type of entertainment

17. Runway-ready : DRESSED UP - Models properly adorned taking off down the runway


18. Boarding pass data : ZONES - Seating areas like this flight from Jeddah to Cairo

19. Pay stub abbr. : YTD - Year To Date

20. Kid gloves, so to speak : CARE - Parents have to know when to treat their child with kid gloves.

21. Turn down : REJECT

22. City on Lake Michigan : GARY - Or your humble Saturday blogger

23. African capital formerly called Salisbury : HARARE - Salisbury, Rhodesia became HARARE, Zimbabwe as the British Empire continued to shrink

24. "Cool, dude!" : GNARLY - Beach lingo

28. Hard-to-count quantity : PILES - PILES are much harder to count than stacks

29. Emit a powerful magnetic force? : OOZE CHARM - Delightfully phrased by Alan Jay Lerner and wonderfully sung by Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady describing a pompous Turkish man who dances with Liza

32. It's all downhill from here : ACME

33. Hoofed it : HIKED

34. Comics pooch : ODIE - Here with his best friend

35. They're matched by foundations : SKIN TONES - Foundation/SKIN TONE match chart

37. Take forcibly : WREST

38. Like milk of magnesia : CHALKY - Mg(OH)₂

39. "You Gotta Be" soul singer : DES'REE

40. Old-time feature film preceders : SHORTS - "One-reelers"

41. Corduroy feature : WALE - The "ridges" in the material that can make that swoosh sound when walking

42. Rose __: reddish mineral : QUARTZ

43. Big name in hair trimmers : WAHL - I bought one because Paul Harvey was pitching them. Meh... 

44. Big Ten sch. that competes for the Paul Bunyan Trophy : MSU - Naturally enough, the other team is Michigan

47. Singer __ Marie : TEENA - Claimed to be a black artist with white skin

48. Exposes to public scorn : PILLORIES

50. Goldbrick : IDLER - Is Beetle Bailey the most famous one?

51. Ruins things? : ARTIFACTS - Pompeii is nothing but these

52. Pains : PESTS

53. 1790s political powder keg : XYZ AFFAIR - Our young country refused to pay a bribe

Down

1. "Honey, I'm Good" singer Grammer : ANDY - Not on my playlist but I think I've posted enough pictures of singers I don't know

2. "Sesame Street" roommate : BERT - He of the paper clip collection

3. Street __ : CRED - Short for credibility which can be gained by some overt act

4. '60s protest org. : SDS

5. Units of pressure : PASCALS 

6. Owner of a legendary lantern kicker : O'LEARY - Most say her cow did not start the Chicago fire but it makes for a good story

7. Put through the wringer again? : REDRY

8. "Can't argue with that" : TRUE

9. Brand sold at Pep Boys : STP

11. Agent that undermines from within : TROJAN HORSE - Modern day application 

12. "Cure Ignorance" magazine : UTNE READER - I only know this from crosswords. My ignorance is probably incurable anyway. 

13. Victoria, to William IV : NIECE - Yup! William IV had a brother named Edward and Edward's daughter was Victoria 

14. One of many taken in school : TEST

21. Rhapsodized : RAVED

22. Britt Reid's alter ego : GREEN HORNET - See alter egos below

    Chen Zhen       Britt Reid      Bruce Wayne      Dick Grayson

23. Shore weather phenomena : HAZES 

24. Med school admissions data : GPA'S

25. __ of time : NICK - When the superheroes above appear 

27. Cooler : POKEY - Colorful name for a jail

29. Hog calls : OINKS - For calling hogs at this school  it's SOOIE!

30. Obey a court order : RISE - When Officer Byrd says RISE for Judge Judy, you'd better or he will 31. Parcel (out) : METE out a big time glare

33. 1980s-'90s Notre Dame football coach Lou : HOLTZ - A great coach and speaker but a horrible TV football analyst

36. Medieval Turko-Mongol settlers : TARTARS

37. Comfortable : WELL OFF

39. National flower of Mexico : DAHLIA

40. Jacket material : SUEDE - Jerry Seinfeld muses about why water can hurt Suede when it comes from cows who stand out in the rain.

41. Strauss piece : WALTZ - Professor Higgins and Liza doing just that

42. Common applicator : Q-TIP

43. Like an Irish Terrier's outer coat : WIRY

44. Flaky mineral : MICA

45. Long-distance calling org.? : SETI - The best movie about Search for Extra  Terrestrial Intellligence scientists 

48. __ Romana : PAX - Sometimes it was PAX Romana or else!

49. Battle of Britain gp. : RAF - Royal Air Force

Your take?

DA GRID