Wednesday, September 28, 2016 Timothy L. Meaker

Theme: OUT OF SIGHT, MAN.  Five two-word theme entries all relate to someone or something whose identity or existence is covered up.  The non-reveal is in the first word of each phrase.

17. Old-time bandits : MASKED MARAUDERS.   I'm not sure this is a generic expression.  Specifically, there is a so-named villain in the Marvel Comics universe who is the main antagonist in the Daredevil title.  Also, this.

26. Narc's quarry : HIDDEN STASH.  Some quantity of drugs that narcotics agents want to confiscate.  But where is it?

38. Special forces mission : COVERT OPERATION.  This is a military or espionage action that is planned and executed in such a way that the sponsor's identity is not revealed, or plausible deniability is maintained.

46. Anonymous holiday gift giver : SECRET SANTA.  A community or other group of people randomly choose individuals to whom they will give a Christmas present.

60. Air marshal's possession : CONCEALED WEAPON.   Air marshals are highly trained marksmen who blend in with other passengers and serve to deter terrorism and protect the flying public.

Pretty straight forward concept in this thematically rich entry, built with three grid spanners and two more theme fill checking in at 11 characters each.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here to uncover the secrets of today's puzzle.  Let's have a peek behind the curtain.

Across

1. Gain experience (from) : LEARN.  Always important; not always pleasant.

6. Leg muscle : CALF.  The back of the lower leg.

10. World Golf Hall of Famer Karrie : WEBB. [b 1974] Australia's most successful female professional golfer.

14. First host of "The Tonight Show" : ALLEN.   Steve, [1921 - 2000] an American actor, writer, comedian, composer and musician.

15. Like some history : ORAL.  Not written down.

16. Original thought : IDEA.

20. "The Time Machine" race : ELOI.

21. Goes out : EBBS.   Like the tide.

22. First extra inning : TENTH.  A regulation baseball game lasts for 9 innings.  If the score is tied, they keep playing until one team wins.

23. Dallas Mavericks org. : NBA.  National Basketball Association.

25. Old Mideast alliance: Abbr. : UAR.  United Arab Republic.  A political union between Egypt and Syria that lasted from 1958 until 1961.  Egypt continued to use the name for another decade.

32. Nova Scotia hrs. : AST.  Atlantic Standard Time.  This time zone is one step to the east of the continental United States, 4 hours off Greenwich Mean Time.  It includes New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia in Canada, as well as Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands

35. City SW of St. Augustine : OCALA.  At ca. 57,500 [2013 census] it ranks as the 45th most poplous city in FLA.

36. Young boys : TADS.   Or LADS, but SLOIC ruined that concept.

37. Place for a pedicure : SPA. A commercial establishment offering health and beauty treatments.

42. Bi- halved : UNI-.   Bi- is a combining form meaning two or twice.  Except when attached to time units, when it might mean either "every two" or "twice per."  Back on topic, consider bi- and uni- -cycles or -valves.  

43. Cambodian cash : RIEL.  Most Cambodians prefer foreign currency.

44. Polar explorer : PEARY.  Robert [1865-1920] might or might not have been the first person to reach the north pole in his 1909 expedition, if he even got there at all.  He might have missed by 60 miles.  Nothing about this is certain.

45. Butter-on-hot-griddle sound : SSS.  Sizzle.

48. Bowl-shaped cookware : WOK.  A versatile round-bottomed cooking vessel of Chinese origin.

49. __ in: surround : HEM.    Specifically to surround in a restrictive manner.

50. Delta rival, as it was once known : USAIR.   Since merged with American Airlines.   The USAIR brand name was discontinued on Oct 17, 2015.

53. Tosca's "Vissi d'arte," e.g. : ARIA.   A vocal solo in the context of a larger work, such as an opera or oratorio.

56. Magic charm : MOJO.  Or spell.

63. "The Mod Squad" role : LINC.   Lincoln "Link" Hayes, portrayed by Clarence Williams III.

64. Automation prefix : ROBO-.  As in ROCO-call.  So looking forward to November 9.

65. Superman's makeup? : STEEL.  He's known as the "Man of STEEL," but this is probably hyperbole.  I suspect he really made of bronze.

66. __ code : AREA.  The regionally assigned 3 digit [in North America] prefix to your telephone number.

67. Mess offering : MEAL.  Through Middle English via Old French this word traces back to the Latin missum, meaning "something put on the table."  In modern times it most typically refers to a location where a specified group of people, such as in the armed forces, take their meals together.

68. Brits' boob tube : TELLY.  Teevee, stateside.

Down

1. Pathetic, as an excuse : LAME.  Or as many of my jokes.

2. Airline to Jerusalem : EL AL.

3. In addition : ALSO. Too

4. Put the spark back into, as a relationship : REKINDLE.

5. Salem-to-Portland dir. : NNE.

6. It may help with a mop : COMB.  For an unruly head of hair.  Good luck.

7. Many a Syrian : ARAB.  Ethnicity inhabiting several middle eastern countries and many cross word puzzles.

8. Metallica drummer Ulrich : LARS.   I have no idea how I know this.  I think their music is ghastly.

9. St. with a panhandle : FLA.  Florida.  Other states with panhandles, formally called salients, are Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia, which has two of them.

10. Three-lane, vis-à-vis two-lane : WIDER.  Larger in the lateral dimension.

11. "I Dream of Jeannie" star : EDEN.  Barbara [b 1931] star of the show which ran for 5 seasons starting in Sept,  1965.  

12. Buddy of Kermit : BERT.  Muppets.  I can't find a vid where they appear together, so I'm not sure how this buddy thing is working.

13. Big party : BASH.  Seems like the word BEER belongs in there somewhere.

18. Leader with a .edu address : DEAN.  The faculty head of a department.

19. Beehive State : UTAH.  This emblem was chosen in 1848 to symbolize the pioneer virtues of thrift and perseverance, long before UTAH became a state in 1896.

24. Animal symbolizing the 25-Down : BEAR.  This symbol of Russia [and by extension the USSR] has been used in cartoons, articles and drama since the 16th century.

25. World power inits. until '91 : USSR.  Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, aka the Soviet Union.

26. Magical start : HOCUS.  Pocus.   Feel the magic.

27. Tappable cellphone images : ICONS.  Used to launch various apps.

28. "Miles Smiles" trumpeter : DAVIS.   I can find the whole album on YouTube, but not just this song, as played by Miles, so no link.   There are covers, but that just feels wrong.

29. Poker-faced : STOIC.  Indifferent to either pleasure or pain, referring to the Ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism, founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium.  The IDEA is that the highest good comes from knowledge, and living in harmony with divine reason allows one to disregard fortune, pleasure and pain.

30. Come to a point : TAPER.

31. Fred's dancing sister : ADELE.  Astaire siblings.  Sadly, I can't come up with a video of her dancing.

32. Chinese or Japanese : ASIAN.  Originating in that continent.

33. Hurling or curling : SPORT.  Hurling, similar to field hockey, is the regional game of Ireland and is thousands of years old.  Curling is played with flat stones slid on an ice surface into a target circle.

34. Tucker of country : TANYA.

39. Taxing trip : TREK.

40. Semicircular church section : APSE.  Traditionally, the dome covered recess where the altar is located.

41. One who might go to bat for you? : TEAM MATE.  Baseball reference.

46. Achy : SORE.  Hurting.

47. January warm spell : THAW.  When the ice melts, for a while.

48. Modern witch's religion : WICCA.  A modern pagan belief system with no central authority that exists in many variations, generally based on a god and goddess duality.

50. Home of the NCAA's Bruins : UCLA.   College sports.

51. Evening in Quebec : SOIR.   French.

52. Klein of fashion : ANNE.   [1923 - 1974] Clothing and accessories.

53. Lotion additive : ALOE.  Ubiquitous in skin care products and cross word puzzles.

54. Singer McEntire : REBA. [b 1955, McAlester, OK ] While in high school, she and her siblings sang on local radio and at rodeos. Her performance of the National Anthem at the Oklahoma City rodeo in 1974 got her invited to Nashville, where she signed with Mercury records.  In 1984 she signed with MCA Nashville, and took over creative control of her recordings.

55. Star adored by many : IDOL.   

57. Autobahn auto : OPEL.   German subsidiary of G. M. headquartered in Rüsselsheim.

58. "Piano Man" man : JOEL.   For six months in 1972, William Martin JOEL [b 1949] worked at the Executive Room piano bar on Wilshire Blvd in L. A.  This sad song, released in 1973, commemorates that time.

59. __ child : ONLY.   My sister and I are 6 1/2 years apart.  It's almost as if our parents had 2 ONLY children.

61. Branch : ARM.   Extension.

62. Approx. repair cost : EST.   Who establishes this ESTimate?

Well, that wraps it up, but does not put it under wraps.  Hope you enjoyed unraveling all the mysteries.

Cool regards!
JzB

Note from C.C.:

Our own Peg (C6D6 Peg) made today's WSJ. You can click here to print out the PDF. Congratulations,  dear Peg!

Peg and her husband Steve

Tuesday, September 27, 2016 Lonnie Burton and Nadine Anderton

Theme: Jumbles - Take a word, change up the letter order and hide it an answer.

18. Churchgoer's "If it's meant to be": LORD WILLING, and the creeks don't rise.

26. Another name for the gladiolus: SWORD LILY, because of their sword-shaped leaves.

38. Post-Cold War hierarchy ... and what is literally contained in the circled squares: NEW WORLD ORDER

51. Out-of-the-office assignment: FIELD WORK

60. They're often passed on the road: SLOW DRIVERS

Argyle here...or is it Garley? First LAT puzzle for Lonnie and a debut for Nadine. Sure'd be nice if they dropped by.

Across:

1. Civil __: WAR

4. Tropical fish with large peepers: BIGEYE. "I've got my eye on you."

10. Add to the staff: HIRE

14. Jungle swinger: APE

15. Rapper whose professional name sounds like a candy: EMINEM

16. Sport, for ports: Abbr.: ANAG. Nag a ram.

17. Kindled: LIT

20. Explorer Ericson: LEIF

22. Kitchy-__: KOO

23. Blame taker: GOAT. A scapegoat.

24. Curtain material: SCRIM. The term scrim has two separate meanings in terms of fabric. For curtains, it is the light gauzy material.

30. Cable box display: TEEVEE

32. Dispensable candy: PEZ

33. High bond rating: AAA

34. Geological epoch in which mammals arose: EOCENE

37. Leave __: reward the waiter: A TIP

42. Mortar carriers: HODs

43. __ Fables: AESOP'S

44. Nonprofit URL ending: ORG.

45. Adherent's suffix: IST. Cruciverbalist.

47. Muscat residents: OMANIs

55. Point of view: SLANT

56. Peau de __: satin-weave cloth: SOIE

57. Wide shoe width: EEE

59. In any way: EVER

64. Holiday threshold: EVE

65. Starting course: SOUP

66. Austrian capital: VIENNA

67. "__ Misérables": LES

68. Chris of "The Good Wife": NOTH

69. First female Shuttle pilot __ Collins: EILEEN

70. H.S. 12th-graders: SRs

Down:

1. NYSE locale: WALL ST. (New York Stock Exchange/Wall Street)

2. Per unit: A PIECE

3. Head to bed: RETIRE

4. Brussels' land: Abbr.: BEL. (Belgium)

5. "Don't worry about me": "I'M OK"

6. Copter predecessors: GIROs or GYROs.

7. Provide with funding: ENDOW

8. Evergreen that's a homophone of a vowel: YEW

9. Political refugee: ÉMIGRÉ

10. Judaism: kosher :: Islam: __: HALAL

11. Start: INITIATE

12. Took part in a marathon: RAN

13. Cake mix need: EGG

19. City southwest of Warsaw: LODZ. Łódź.

21. Reporter's quintet of questions: FIVE W's. Who, What, When, Where, Why.

25. Ask for Whiskas, perhaps: [MEOW?]

27. Opinion columns: OP EDs

28. Lion's den: LAIR

29. Jabber: YAP

31. Prefix with friendly: ECO. (Environmentally friendly)

35. Muse of poetry: ERATO

36. Marlins' MLB div.: NLE. (National League East)

37. Source of media revenue: AD SALE

38. "Me neither": "NOR I"

39. Barely beats: EDGES OUT

40. Valentine card hugs: OOO. XXX - kisses.

41. LP measures: RPMs. (vinyl records)

42. Baseball inst. in Cooperstown: HOF

45. "__ it my way": I DID

46. Turn sharply: SWERVE

48. Orange choices: NAVELs

49. "Well, __!": "What an outrage!": I NEVER

50. Blood pressure elevator: STRESS

52. Acid test outcome, possibly: LOW PH. Conversely, alkaline test outcome, possibly: HIGH PH.

53. Party hearty: REVEL

54. Nancy Drew creator Carolyn: KEENE. Somewhat bogus clue. The Nancy Drew books were written by ghost writers, all of them given the name Carolyn Keene. The mystery fiction series was created by publisher Edward Stratemeyer.

58. White-tailed coastal bird: ERNE. We see his name but never the bird.

60. Nine-digit ID: SSN. (social security number)

61. Lav, in Bath: LOO

62. Three on a sundial: III

63. __ Antonio: SAN

Argyle

Monday, September 26, 2016 Lila Cherry

Theme: Tickets, Please - A night at the opera.

17A. End that "I face," in Sinatra's "My Way": THE FINAL CURTAIN

30A. It has 32 pieces and a 64-square board: CHESS SET

37AA. Prepare to fly: SPREAD ONE'S WINGS

44A. Vital phase: KEY STAGE

58A. Broadway do-or-die philosophy, and a hint to the ends of 17-, 30-, 37- and 44-Across: THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Argyle here with Lila Cherry, an anagram for "Really Rich", showing us what a Monday should look like. You didn't stop looking for themes after the three spanners, did you? (I'd understand.) Parts of a theater theme is easy enough but Rich did add some nuggets to munch on. (Like 1-Across)

Across:

1. First assassin to attack Caesar: CASCA. The few I knew wouldn't fit.

6. Marvel Comics mutants: X-MEN

10. Folk singer Joan: BAEZ

14. Arctic or Indian: OCEAN

15. Bit of trickery: RUSE

16. In the style of, in ristorantes: ALLA. Penne Alla Vodka With Chicken.

20. Feudal laborer: SERF

21. Popeye's Olive: OYL

22. Given to giving orders: BOSSY

23. Grounded Aussie birds: EMUs. Flightless.

25. Twirl or whirl: SPIN

27. Gentlemen's partners: LADIES

34. Surrounded by: AMONG

35. __ accompli: FAIT. A thing that has already happened or been decided before those affected hear about it, leaving them with no option but to accept

36. Often rolled-over investment: IRA. (individual retirement account)

41. Kind: ILK

42. Self-images: EGOs

43. Gold bar: INGOT

47. Decadent, as the snobs in a historic Agnew speech: EFFETE

48. Blessed: HOLY

49. Get-out-of-jail money: BAIL

50. Drinks with floating ice cream: SODAs

53. Windy City summer hrs.: CDT. Central Daylight Time)

54. Jersey or Guernsey: ISLE. Islands in the English Channel.

62. Informal negative: AIN'T

63. "No __!": "Easy!": PROB. (problem)

64. Brief: SHORT

65. Activist Parks: ROSA

66. Words meaning the same thing: Abbr.: SYNs. (synonyms)

67. Furry swimmer: OTTER

Down:

1. Emergency shelter beds: COTS

2. Throb: ACHE

3. Fortuneteller: SEER

4. The jolt in joe?: CAFFEINE. Joe is slang for coffee.

5. "Give me __!": start of a Hoosier cheer: AN INDIANA

6. Diagnostic tests: X-RAYS

7. Ponder (over): MULL

8. Top-left PC key: ESC. (ESCAPE)

9. Modern, in Munich: NEU

10. Twirled sticks: BATONS

11. "That's a shame": "ALAS"

12. Yale alumni: ELIs

13. Madcap: ZANY

18. We, to Henri: NOUS

19. Grand slam homer quartet, briefly: RBIs. (run batted in) 3 runners already on base plus the batter.

24. Prefix with hit or store: MEGA

25. Backs up in fear: SHIES. Often said of a horse.

26. Cats and dogs: PETS

27. Eye surgery acronym: LASIK. (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis)

28. More than enough: AMPLE

29. Foolish, in slang: DORKY

30. Easily tipped boat: CANOE

31. Burn slightly: SINGE

32. Rye grass disease: ERGOT

33. Try, as food: TASTE

35. Swimming in pea soup?: FOGGY

38. Hand out cards: DEAL

39. Coffeehouse connection: WiFi

40. Like airplane services: INFLIGHT

45. California peak: SHASTA

46. British balderdash: TOSH

47. Food, in diner signs: EATS

49. Buffalo Wild Wings nickname based on its initials: B-DUBS. Catch ya'? BWW - Bee Double U Double U. B-Dubs® is sports bar. Web page

50. Marquee name: STAR

51. Cincinnati's state: OHIO

52. Family rooms: DENS

53. "Let's get goin'!": "C'MON!"

55. Chimney sweep's sweepings: SOOT

56. Passed-down knowledge: LORE

57. __'acte: intermission: ENTR

59. Covert or black doings: OPS. (Operations)

60. Droll: WRY

61. Chinese menu general: TSO. Spicy.

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy birthday to Dennis, who helped me greatly with this blog the first few years. JimmyB and I talked about the days when you used to post first, Dennis. Hope it's a fantastic day! 

2) Best of luck on your first day at the new office, Barry! I hope they'll let you work from home again soon. Our blog is not complete without your daily comments. 

Sunday, September 25, 2016, C.C. Burnikel

TITLE: BRAND RECOGNITION

C.C., our leader here at Camp Crossword, has presented us with a lovely Sunday puzzle where nine theme entries are two word phrases where the first word starts with a T and the second with an M. Therefore her reveal also had this characteristic:

108. Corporate identifier whose symbol is common to nine other puzzle answers : TRADE MARK - with the themed TM on the symbol

Here are C.C.'s  nine TM entries

23. Alternative to Samoas : THIN MINTS - All right, Morgan, you know we're taking 5 boxes of THIN MINTS. What else ya got?

25. Model S automaker : TESLA MOTORS - Plug and go! Founded by 48. 25-Across CEO Musk : ELON

36. Where many races are run : TRACK MEET - Usain's going about 28 mph! He'd give that TESLA a race for a while!

54. Hunting guide of a sort : TREASURE MAP - You can buy a replica of the TREASURE MAP and the Emerald from Romancing The Stone online.

73. It starts at love : TENNIS MATCH - Gotta love this clue! Omahan Andy Roddick's 150+mph serves got the match off love (zero) quickly!

90. Flier with striped wings : TIGER MOTH - Also see 21 Across below

105. Place for emoji : TEXT MESSAGE - Mom might have to look for an I'm Sorry emoji for her last entry

38. "Utopia" author : THOMAS MORE - Some say Sir Thomas's book of this mythical island was a prototype for a communist society with no private property or competition. Others think it was a satire of 16th century society.

43. "Now!" : THIS MINUTE - A handy parental phrase

Here is the rest of C.C.'s TRADEMARK sparkling fill:

Across

1. "I Am __": recent Jenner documentary : CAIT 

5. Parlor order : MALT

9. Home of Spaceship Earth : EPCOT - The ® means it is a registered ™

14. Choker part : CLASP

19. Hanging out, say : IDLE

20. Many a Jordanian : ARAB

21. Touches the clouds : SOARS - de Haviland's TIGER MOTH as it SOARS into the sky (alt. for 90 Across theme answer)

22. Constraint : LIMIT

27. Fights : GOES AT IT - There was a lot of pain for those who chose to GO AT IT with with 81. Legendary fighter : ALI

28. "__ do it!" : LET'S - I had to abandon Nike's JUST

29. Online handle : USER ID

30. Anxious med. condition : OCD 

31. Coffee shop amenity : FREE WIFI

33. Flower from the Greek for "star" : ASTER

35. Overtime causes : TIES

38. Vocal syllable : TRA

41. Madness may involve one : METHOD

44. Bread sometimes dipped in dal : NAAN - NAAN and Dal Nirvana

45. Hit the runway : LAND - Sully tells the story where the plane did LAND but, uh, not on LAND

46. China problem : CHIP

47. Cookout leftovers : ASHES

48. Gobbles up : EATS

49. Complete : END

50. Ice cream alternative, casually : FROYO

51. Mai __ : TAI

52. Snow house : IGLOO

57. Sound of disapproval : HISS - A melodrama staple

59. "Take your time" : NO HURRY - NO HURRY, Mom!

61. __ spray : NASAL

62. Versace headquarters : MILAN

64. Equine color patterns : ROANS

66. Tips that are often dropped : HINTS

67. Bathroom fixture : BIDET - Tired on waiting for my SIL, my BIL brushed his teeth using water from one in Assisi! 

68. "Four Quartets" poet : T.S. ELIOT

70. Blue books? : SMUT

77. "The Princess Bride" co-star : ELWES

79. Nebraska native : OTO - Bronze statues in Ft. Calhoun, NE commemorating the 1804 Council between Lewis and Clark and the OTO people

80. Flu symptoms : AGUES

82. Bass part : GILL

83. "We'll always have __": Rick, to Ilsa, in "Casablanca" : PARIS

85. Shame : PITY

86. Stud starter : ANTE - If you're gonna play stud poker for money, ya gotta ANTE!

87. Exercises on a path : JOGS

88. Holey bread : BAGELS

89. Dallas-to-Memphis dir. : ENE 

92. Barcelona-born surrealist : MIRO and 37. Bauhaus artist : KLEE - Artistic members of our group will immediately know which man painted Harlequin's Carnival

93. "King Kunta" rapper Kendrick __ : LAMAR - I googled the lyrics...

94. Reaction to an insult, maybe : ICY STARE

96. See 35-Down : ACT 35. With 96-Across, bad thing to be caught in : THE 

99. Remington of '80s TV : STEELE

102. "My Way" lyricist : ANKA - Paul said he was moved by the depth Elvis brought to this song

103. Newspapers, radio, etc. : OLD MEDIA - Now it's http://www.zip recruiter.com and others

109. Peace Nobelist Root : ELIHU 

110. Unexpected, in a way : EARLY

111. __ Alto : PALO

112. Click sources : MICE

113. Dished (out) : METED - In Thomas More's UTOPIA, all were METED out the same amount

114. Uses a keyboard : TYPES

115. Layered haircut : SHAG

116. Many are named for presidents : ERAS


Down

1. "Fueling Good" gas brand : CITGO

2. For a specific purpose : AD HOC

3. Ashamed admission : I LIED

4. Column of numbers : TENS

5. Bistro bigwig :  MAITRE D'   

6. __ Army: Palmer's fans : ARNIE'S

7. Starbucks offering : LATTE - It's not a MIRO or KLEE, but it looks pretty!

8. "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee" channel : TBS 

9. Gloria of pop : ESTEFAN

10. Like some justice : POETIC - In Shawshank Redemption, innocent Andy Dufresne escapes after 20 years in prison and gets the corrupt warden arrested for money laundering. Yay!

11. Mama of pop : CASS

12. Magic, on sports tickers : ORL

13. PreCheck org. : TSA - With TSA Pre√, you can avoid this

14. Place for skeletons? : CLOSET - They won't stay there if you run for office!

15. Fanta size : LITER

16. Don Juan's love : AMOR

17. Microsoft : Cortana :: Apple : __ : SIRI

18. Combat vet's affliction : PTSD - It was probably Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that greatly changed my  grandfather after service in France in WWI 

24. Family members? : MAFIOSI

26. Not bright, as colors : MUTED

28. Istanbul coins : LIRAS

32. Serena Williams has been its year-end #1 player since 2013 : WTA TOUR - Women's Tennis Association Tour

33. Name on the range : AMANA

34. Ships : SENDS

39. Saudi money : RIYAL - A Whopper meal costs SR20.00 in Jeddah

40. Per unit : A POP

41. "Do the __!" : MATH

42. Morales of "Criminal Minds" : ESAI

44. Lye, in the lab : NAOH - Sodium Hydroxide or NaOH

46. Wave parts : CRESTS

50. "Social Studies" author Lebowitz : FRAN

53. Pesky swarm : GNATS - They've been terrible this summer and seem to like OFF

54. Odor source : TRASH

55. Ex-Cub Sandberg : RYNE

56. Get together : UNITE - Haley Mills sang Let's Get Together in the cheesy Disney movie Parent Trap in 1961. I had such a crush on her!

58. Oscar winner Poitier : SIDNEY

60. Campus cadets' org. : ROTC

63. Fragrant necklaces : LEIS

65. Where to see runners : SLEIGHS

66. Call of the wild : HOWL

67. Get going : BEGIN - The hardest part of some projects

69. Societal problems : ILLS

71. Elec., e.g. : UTIL - I wonder what Clark Griswold's Elec. Util. bill is in December

72. Eighty-six : TOSS - There are many fun ideas about the origin of this phrase

73. Crime scene barrier : TAPE

74. Comics read vertically : MANGA - Japanese comic form traditionally read right to left. Now found all over the world.

75. Crop in a lab, say : ALTER

76. Stadium section : TIER

78. "Oh, puh-leeze!" : SPARE ME

82. Prankster's cry : GOT 'YA

84. "A long time __ in a galaxy ... " : AGO

86. Rock singer Mann : AIMEE

87. Burdens for horses : JOCKEYS - This is where you guys get off!

88. Spaniel, for one : BIRDDOG - Also a fun song by the Everly Brothers

90. Yeshiva reference : TALMUD

91. Work the crowd : MINGLE

92. Youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate __ Yousafzai : MALALA - If you need a hero, may I offer this young woman who stood up to the Taliban in Pakistan for the right to educate women

93. Underworld river : LETHE - A tributary for the Styxx?

95. Yeshiva reference : TORAH

96. Storied firefighter Red : ADAIR

97. Roughly : CIRCA

98. Viewpoints : TAKES - Brilliant SNL parody

99. Cherry throwaway : STEM

100. Cast lead-in : TELE

101. Way out : EXIT

102. Group concerned with aging : AARP

104. Palindromic plus-size model : EMME - EMME Aronson

106. Prepared : SET

107. For example : SAY

108. Pulls a Charmin shenanigan, briefly : TPS

Feel free to contribute to the electronic TOWN MEETING that is TAILOR MADE for wit and wisdom

Notes from C.C.

1) Thanks for the fantastic wrap-up, Gary! You added so much sparkle.

2) Boomer and I met with long-time blog reader Jim Bordoni and his lovely wife Diane yesterday. It's fun talking with Jim about our blog and the regulars. Jim keeps track of his solving time for each LAT puzzle. He has met Garlic Gal and Chickie in person. Chickie knows Diane's mother, small world! 

Jim used to have his own winery and gifted me and Boomer this special bottle of wine. Now he coaches high school cross country running. Their son (graduate student at Georgia Tech) was here in Minneapolis running the Roy Griak Invitational (cross country meet). Both Jim and Diane are avid runners. Diane runs 5 times (3 miles minimum) a week!