Wednesday Dec 20, 2017 Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: WHAT'S FOR DESSERT? (59A. Dinner table question answered by this puzzle's circled letter)- Torte, Pie, Sorbet and Flan are hidden in each theme entry.
 
17A. Polygraph procedure : LIE DETECTOR TEST 

23A. Aunt Bee's boy : OPIE TAYLOR - PIE is contained in one word.

38A. Five-card draw variation : JACKS OR BETTER-

48A. Tract : PLOT OF LAND -

Boomer here.

I just want to start by wishing all of you faithful blog visitors a very Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah as the case may be, and a prosperous New Year 2018!!! 

Across:     

1. Jeans joints : SEAMS - Seams like old times

6. Big coffee holders : URNS -  Every morning I yearn for a coffee urn

10. Window unit : PANE - A window can be a pane in the glass !

14. Major deity in Indonesia : ALLAH

15. Sentence structure element : NOUN - No un ever called a noun an element.  An Element is a mini Honda SUV.

16. Entry on a list : ITEM

20. Boots from school : EXPELS - Here in Minnesota in December kids wear boots to school.

21. Latte option : MOCHA - Most of these coffee names make no sense to me.  I think Starbucks named them so they could charge more bucks per cup.

22. Small swallow : SIP - Do people really swallow sips?  I thought we were looking for a small bird flying in to Capistrano !

28. Jicama or ginseng : ROOT - Root, root, root for the home team, if they don't win it's a shame!

31. Two-time Oscar-winning director Lee : ANG

32. Stock market debut, initially : IPO - IPOs should do well in this bull market, and that ain't no bull!

33. Racket : NOISE

35. St. Peter holds its keys : HEAVEN - Time out. A fellow named Tony passed away and was met by St. Peter and was issued a harp and wings.  He asked St. Pete if he knew a friend of Tony's, Sam Fink who had passed earlier.  Peter said no, but he could check down at the other place.  Tony went down and found his friend running a nightclub discotheque. They had a long chat but then Tony returned to the pearly gates.  St. Peter stopped Mr. Bennett and asked about something missing.  "Oh my gosh" said Tony, "I left my harp in Sam Fink's Disco."  

41. Professional pursuit : CAREER

42. Sidekick who rode Scout : TONTO - "Who was that masked man, I wanted to thank him."  I bowled a tournament now and then at the now closed West Side Lanes in St. Paul.  They had a back dining room with hundreds of autographed 8 X 10s, one of which was Clayton Moore.  I often wondered if he had a silver bowling ball.

43. Ventilate : AIR - I supposed there was not room in the puzzle for AIR OUT.

44. Article in Der Spiegel : EIN - The first word Army soldiers stationed in Deutschland learned.  The second word was bier

45. Veterinarian's subj. : ANAT

53. Tease : RIB - Adam traded one in for his wife.

55. "I understand!" : GOT IT

56. Disney World's county : ORANGE - Absolutely !  Minnesota Twins used to hold Spring training in Orange County but they moved to Lee. (I wonder if they make Jeans with Seams there).

63. No longer here : GONE

64. Ancestry.com diagram : TREE - Their commercials drive me crazy.  Who pays money to find out where their great great grandpa was from?  Apologies to any of you who have done it.

65. Pop by: VISIT

66. They catch fish : NETS - Terrible, give the fish a chance.  Use a rod, reel, hook, line and sinker like most of us Minnesotans do.

67. "Size matters not" Jedi master : YODA - Not the best looking, but at least the most intelligent.

68. Out of style : PASSE - Or this could be in Tom Brady's play book, right after Pass A, B, C, and D.
  
Down:
  
1. Black Friday events : SALES - We survived this over- advertised promotion to shoppers,  The only black Friday I ever experienced was November 22, 1963.

2. Magical mixture : ELIXIR

3. Syrian city on the Silk Road : ALEPPO-Chris Matthews of MSNBC made a mockery of Gary Johnson when he was not familiar with Aleppo

4. Conjured up : MADE

5. Author Silverstein : SHEL - Famous for his work in Playboy Magazine.

6. One, for Monet : UNE

7. Mythical big bird : ROC - I am a Roc, I am an Island !

8. Apple pie spice : NUTMEG - I am no baker but cinnamon seems more appropriate,  I guess there were not enough spaces for a longer word.  Shows you what I know about crossword puzzles.

9. Supercilious type : SNOOT - I believe there are too many "O"s in this answer.

10. Brief and forceful : PITHY

11. Totally creamed : ATE ALIVE - Hey watch your third grade grammar.  Should be "EATEN ALIVE".

12. Video game letters : NES - Nintendo Entertainment System.  "Legend of Zelda" will drive you crazy.  How do you think I got this way?

13. Life-saving pro : EMT - This is an acronym for something.  My Graybar Electric career taught me that EMT was electric metallic tubing. aka thin-wall pipe.

18. General on Chinese menus : TSO

19. Early TV maker : RCA - Also early phonograph maker, advertised famously by Nipper.

24. __ Robles, California : PASO - See Tom Brady's list above.

25. Subject of Newton's first law : INERTIA - What goes up, must come down.

26. "0" button letters : OPER - Remember when you had to dial "O" to get an operator to assist you on a long distance call.  This must be an Agnes clue.  C.C. is not old enough to know why OPER is on the "0" button.

27. Director Howard : RON - A repeat reference to OPIE TAYLOR.  Famous for American Graffiti, Happy Days and lots of good stuff.

29. It may be enough : ONCE - It could also be upon a time.

30. Dealer's tip : TOKE

34. Negev Desert land: Abbr. : ISR

35. Lady bird : HEN - No Way !  Claudia Johnson would be unhappy with that response.  Lyndon and Lucy Baines may not like it either.

36. Soul singer James : ETTA

37. Oceans : A TON - I am sure that oceans weigh more than that

38. "Just Visiting" Monopoly square : JAIL - Of course.  Tell the truth in comments if you have a Monopoly game in your home.  Some of the newer versions are fascinating.

39. Overbearing : ARROGANT

40. City on the Rhine : BONN

41. Gas tank cover : CAP - Well, the CAP really does not cover the tank.  My clue would have been "Anson of the Chicago White Stockings".

44. Matador's opponent : EL TORO - This is Bull

46. "Gunsmoke" star James : ARNESS - Matt Dillon of "Gunsmoke" fame was born in Minneapolis Minnesota in 1923.  The most popular Western aired for 20 years and is now rerun regularly on cable and satellite TV.  PS. Dennis Weaver did not really have a limp.

47. Mosul Dam's river : TIGRIS - Euphrates River runs parallel and said to host the Garden of Eden.  Whaddya think?

49. Convenient bags : TOTES

50. Some NHL endings : OTs

51. Old Glory's star count : FIFTY - One for each state,  But a U.S Grant bill is said to be bad luck in Las Vegas.

52. Female deer : DOE - A deer, a female deer, Re, a drop of Golden sun, Mi, a name I call myself, Fa, a long, long way to run.  Sol, a needle pulling thread, La, a note that follows sol, Ti, a drink with jam and bread, that will bring us back to Do.  And the hills are alive, with the Sound of Music.

54. Davis of "All About Eve" : BETTE

57. Invitation request : RSVP - This is an acronym for French - "Let me know if you are coming or not.

58. Much of the Silk Road is in it : ASIA

59. Chicago-based cable superstation : WGN - Too bad, they no longer have White Sox or Cubs games.  I guess Fox Sports pays more money to the team at Guaranteed Rate Field, or the gum chewers at Wrigley.

60. Tool that gets ground up : HOE - Clever clue, I was thinking of coffee.

61. Flushed : RED - I may have clued the "Galloping Ghost" (Mr. Grange.)

62. Org. in the 2000 film "Traffic" : DEA - That would be the Drug Enforcement Agency. I think they only deal with PEDs and Opioids.  My Metformin is safe.

Boomer

Tuesday, November 28, 2017 ~ Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle, or Mutilate - Okay, these four entries you can FOLD.

17A. Sunbather's spread: BEACH TOWEL. Shake your beach towel well be for folding.

29A. Cards to bet on: POKER HAND. LOL, you fold your poker hand if you don't have the cards to bet on.

45A. Brunch dish: HAM OMELET. Please mix the ham with the eggs before you fold it.

61A. Coupe-back contraption: RUMBLE SEAT. Folded up when not in use. Good place for backseat drivers.

39D. Instructions next to a perforated line ... or a hint to 17-, 29-, 45- and 61-Across: FOLD HERE

Argyle here. I have started my Christmas season with this present from Irish Miss and C.C.

Across:

1. "House" actor Epps: OMAR. See yesterday's puzzle.

5. Plant-sucking insect: APHID

10. Gala affair: BALL. Could be a BAsh.

14. Went by bus: RODE. No rumble seat but ... .

15. Wear away: ERODE

16. __ Day VitaCraves Multivitamins: ONE A

19. Spelling contests: BEEs

20. Intended: MEANT

21. Lend support to: AID

23. Wrestling surface: MAT

24. "In case you weren't listening ... ": "AS I SAID ... "

26. Like lambs: OVINE

28. Pat-on-the-baby's-back intended result: [BURP!]. I like that intended result.

32. Cut and pasted, say: EDITED

35. New York Harbor's __ Island: ELLIS

36. Penpoint: NIB

37. Tough problem: DILEMMA

39. Evergreen tree: FIR. Got your Christmas tree yet?

42. Jelly beans, e.g.: CANDY. Alternate clue: Canes for your fir.

43. Waiting for customer support, often: ON HOLD

49. Singer Fitzgerald: ELLA

50. Speak from the soapbox: ORATE

51. "Help!"-ful pot scrubbers?: S.O.S PADS

54. Texter's "I'm shocked!": [OMG!]. (Oh My Goodness)

55. Down in the dumps: SAD

58. Glee: MIRTH

59. Movie "Citizen": KANE

65. Yet again: ANEW

66. "Ditto": "ME, TOO!"

67. Try to persuade: URGE

68. "Women and Love" writer Shere: HITE. A book report.

69. What Buffy does: SLAYS. TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and she does.

70. Lowly worker: PEON

Down:

1. Poet's planet: ORB

2. Stooge with Larry and Curly: MOE

3. Tracy/Hepburn battle-of-the-sexes comedy: ADAM'S RIB

4. Proof of purchase: RECEIPT

5. Insurance giant: AETNA

6. Bit of expert advice: PRO TIP

7. "__ about that!": HOW

8. It's in your head: IDEA

9. Cold-cuts seller: DELI

10. Songwriter Dylan: BOB. HO, Ho, Ho! He didn't wrte this one.

11. Iron-poor blood condition: ANEMIA

12. Womack of country: LEE ANN

13. Withstood wear and tear: LASTED

18. Consumes: HAS

22. Wilde's "The Picture of __ Gray": DORIAN. First published complete in 1890. Wiki LINK

24. German automaker: AUDI

25. Large, innocent-looking peepers: DOE EYES

27. VCR format: VHS. (VideoCassette Recorder/Video Home System)

28. Batman player Affleck: BEN. Don't tell anyone but he's really Bruce Wayne.

30. Dutch airline: KLM. Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.

31. Red Muppet: ELMO

33. "My Cup Runneth Over" singer: ED AMES

34. Eat in style: DINE

38. Cholesterol letters: LDL. (Low-density lipoprotein) Bad one.

40. Afflictions: ILLS

41. Nutritionist's fig.: RDA. (Recommended Dietary Allowances)

42. Camp bed: COT

44. Warms, as canned soup: HEATS UP

45. Pipe smoked in trendy bars: HOOKAH. If a hookah smoking caterpillar has given you the call ... Call Alice 555-4321

46. Fashion designer Giorgio: ARMANI

47. Fridge sticker: MAGNET. But not the ones with stainless steel doors.

48. Peppermint Patty, for one: TOMBOY. "Guess what, Chuck. Disaster time. Our teacher wants us to read a book during Christmas vacation."

52. Farm facilities: SILOs. Just down the road from me.

53. Opposite of post-: PRE

56. Hugging limbs: ARMS

57. Paces-and-pistols encounter: DUEL

60. Meadow mom: EWE

62. LIRR overseer: MTA. (Long Island Rail Road/Metropolitan Transportation Authority)

63. In the past: AGO

64. Boxing count: TEN. "He's out!"

Argyle

Tuesday, October 17, 2017, Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Play Fair

17A. Leg-strengthening exercise : CALF RAISE

35A. Aviator's military branch : AIR FORCE

42A. Altercation broken up by bouncers : BAR FIGHT. Not BAR BRAWL


11D. Big eater's fast-food request, maybe : EXTRA FRIES. One letter short of SUPERSIZE ME.

27D. Get the wood-burning stove going : START A FIRE

63A. Equitable treatment ... and what's literally found in each set of circles : FAIR SHAKE. The word SHAKE indicates an anagram.  Another joint effort by two of our own - congratulations!

Across  
      
1. Theater accessory : PROP

5. Home of the Pac-12's Bruins : UCLA

9. Ejects, as lava : SPEWS

14. Deflect, with "off" : FEND

15. Chunk of bacon : SLAB. Anyone else feeling hungry?

16. Like most income : TAXED

19. Prefix with violet : ULTRA

20. "Austin Powers" genre : SPYFI

21. Bath rug : MAT

22. Retired Yankee Jeter : DEREK

23. Suitcase tie-on : ID TAG

25. Supermodel Banks : TYRA

26. Silent speech syst. : ASL. American Sign Language

28. Pig Latin rejection : IX-NAY

30. Advanced lit. degrees : MFAS

33. Something to blow off or let off : STEAM

37. Actress Peeples : NIA

38. Spearheaded : LED

40. Pat softly : DAB

41. Party host's bucketful : ICE. First thought was apples.

45. More likely to be on Santa's good list : NICER

47. Penny-__: trivial : ANTE

48. In flight : ALOFT

50. Madrid mama bear : OSA

51. Swim __: do one full pool circuit : ALAP

53. Penne or ziti : PASTA. Know your pasta shapes.

55. Rapids runners : RAFTS

57. Nervous mannerism : TIC

58. Golden Arches pork sandwich : McRIB. No thanks. I'll stick with the bacon and what's coming up in 7D.


62. Self-storage rentals : UNITS

65. Creepy : EERIE

66. Like __ of sunshine : A RAY

67. All square : EVEN

68. Cleaned with a broom : SWEPT

69. Country's Lovett : LYLE

70. Pants rear : SEAT

Down

1. USMC one-stripers : PFCS. Private First Class.

2. "As ye sow, so shall ye __" : REAP

3. Sole : ONLY. Not LONE.

4. Email attachment format : PDF FILE

5. Country with an eagle on its Great Seal: Abbr. : USA

6. Story's high point : CLIMAX

7. Layered noodle dish : LASAGNA. More noodles. Should have waited for the perp - entered an E at the end first.

8. Distract the security guards for, say : ABET

9. Book-lined room : STUDY

  
10. Sicily's capital : PALERMO

12. Used to be : WERE

13. Mt. Rushmore's state : SDAK

 
18. Free (of) : RID

24. Interval : TIME GAP

25. Ruthless rulers : TYRANTS

26. From Laos, e.g. : ASIAN

29. Help out : AID

31. Capital of Ghana : ACCRA. Good crossword fill.


32. Observe : SEE

34. Woodcutter Baba : ALI

36. J. Edgar Hoover Building org. : FBI

37. Pro hoops gp. : NBA

39. Global shipping company : DHL

43. Sharpie feature : FELT TIP

44. Horticultural art : TOPIARY

46. Athletic instructors : COACHES

49. Spa beauty treatment : FACIAL

52. Valuable holding : ASSET

54. Many corp. logos : TMS. Trademarks.


55. Regrets : RUES

56. Once again : ANEW

57. Giant in nonstick pans : T-FAL

59. "Don't miss it" review : RAVE

60. Swedish furniture maker : IKEA

61. Like knees when squatting : BENT

64. Manhattan whiskey : RYE

Melissa

Tuesday, August 1 2017, Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: STRAIGHT As

17. *Quick checkout choice : EXPRESS LINE
. A-LINE.

57. *Wedding gown attachment : BRIDAL TRAIN
. A TRAIN. How Duke Ellington took The A Train.

 11. *Social networking site with a math sign in its logo : GOOGLE PLUS
. A PLUS.

 
29. *"Want to try it?" : ARE YOU GAME
. A GAME.

     


38. Hollywood's crème de la crème ... and where to find the ends of the answers to starred clues? : A LIST


Melissa here. This seemed much more like a Tuesday level to me than last week. Straightforward, clean theme, no major snags. An A-list puzzle from A-list constructors.

Across

1. Pose in yoga studios : ASANA
. A-Z Asana Guide.

6. Personal histories : PASTS


11. Belly : GUT


14. Bus stop : DEPOT
. This is the food court in the Vadodara bus station, serving the city of Vadodara in Gujarat, India.

15. Portion out : ALLOT




16. Bear, in Barcelona : OSO

19. Rower's blade : OAR




20. Wall St. index : NYSE


21. Molecule part : ATOM




22. Longtime first name in morning talk shows : REGIS




24. Wide assortment : ARRAY




26. "Sure thing!" : WILL DO


27. Flowering shrubs associated with Augusta National Golf Club : AZALEAS


30. Pocahontas' husband John : ROLFE
. Always have trouble remembering this name.

31. Little women : GIRLS


32. Solo : ALONE


34. Asian noodle soup : PHO
. Pronounced "Fuh." So good.

 37. "__-dokey!" : OKEY


39. Raindrop sound : PLOP




40. Part of LGBTQ : GAY




41. Desert plant used to make tequila : AGAVE


42. Resort island near Venezuela : ARUBA
.  Dutch Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela.

43. Eyed wolfishly : OGLED


45. Forest-scented cleaning product : PINESOL


47. Take the __: risk it : PLUNGE


49. Not proficient in : BAD AT
. Funny.

50. Scoundrel : ROGUE




51. Surrealist Joan : MIRO


 

 52. Govt. workplace watchdog : OSHA


56. "I figured it out!" : AHA


60. Beaver's creation : DAM




61. In a snit : RILED


62. High-end chocolatier : LINDT


 

63. Dollar bill : ONE




64. Ease up : ABATE


65. Soap units : CAKES


Down
 

1. Yemen port : ADEN


2. Like hunks and knockouts : SEXY


3. Cellphone downloads : APPS


4. "Honest, it's true!" : NO REALLY


5. Gobbled up : ATE




6. Macaroni side dish : PASTA SALAD


7. Brass or bronze : ALLOY


8. Slender : SLIM


9. Heavy weight : TON


10. Like sealed medical supplies : STERILE


12. Federal humanitarian org. : US AID


13. Upper body : TORSO


18. "The Talk" co-host Gilbert : SARA


23. Tiny toymaker : ELF


 25. High-__ graphics : RES


26. Refuses to : WON'T


27. Really excited : AGOG


28. Virus of concern at the Rio Olympics : ZIKA

30. New Year's Day floral procession : ROSE PARADE


33. Actress Ullmann : LIV


35. Boxcar hopper : HOBO


36. October birthstone : OPAL


38. "The African Queen" screenwriter James : AGEE


39. South African city where Mandela was inaugurated : PRETORIA




41. Math with x's : ALGEBRA


42. Santa __ winds : ANA




44. Bearded grassland grazer : GNU


46. Superstar : IDOL


47. Madrid art museum : PRADO
. Have you been? From Wikipedia: The collection currently comprises around 8,200 drawings, 7,600 paintings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures, in addition to a large number of other works of art and historic documents.  Exhibitions.

48. Actress Lindsay : LOHAN


49. Bathroom fixture : BIDET


51. Actress Kunis of "Bad Moms" : MILA




53. Went under : SANK


54. __-and-seek : HIDE


55. Picnic critters : ANTS


58. Curved bone : RIB


59. Attention from Dr. Mom : TLC

Thursday, July 20 2017 Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: My advice to you is to start drinking heavily ...

63A. 1978 misfit comedy ... and something hidden in each answer to a starred clue : ANIMAL HOUSE

And thus we find:

17A. *Felt-covered gaming equipment : CRAPS TABLES. I think this is pretty cool - have you ever tried to play Craps on an unstable table? Usually for-charity fun, but I like the solid lean-on-with-the-elbows tables in Vegas. I usually don't like the eventual outcome.

39A. *What may be moved by a fan : COOL AIR. I had my A/C replaced last month. Now I have cool air, not hot and humid air. Came at a price, but I'm not complaining.

11D. *Dr Pepper Museum locale : WACO, TEXAS Thank you, crosses. TEXAS emerged pretty quickly, WACO took a while due to some half-a**ed attempts at 19A and 22A that were so off the mark I can't even remember what I was thinking.

32D. *Result of a Merlot mishap : WINE STAIN. Fun clue. Cabernet catastrophe? Pinot ... ?

Darn, I wish I thought of this theme. Acrosses, downs, a theme reveal and all sorts of fun in the fill. Agnes (aka Irish Miss) takes the lead role in this collaboration with C.C. I ran through this one counter-clockwise and finally ended up at CON. A circuitous route indeed.

I'm coming off ten days of antibiotics due to some dental scraping and poking and not a glass of wine to be seen, so tonight is my first-thought theme night. I'll go lightly though.

Let's take a tour:

Across:

1. Held in check : AT BAY. Took my check? eBay.

6. Spot for a Fitbit : WRIST. My wrist usually sports a Koa wood and titanium bracelet from Hawaii which was given to me as a birthday gift when I was on Maui. I love it.

11. Practical joker : WAG

14. __ diem : CARPE. I can't see this without remembering Robin Williams in "The Dead Poets' Society".

15. Shade-loving ornamental : HOSTA

16. Polished off : ATE

19. Hoodwink : CON

20. Reality TV host Mike : ROWE. He also narrates "Deadliest Catch". With a great theme song. Mike is a talented dude.

21. Fit to __ : A TEE. Speaking of which, The Open Championship tees off today. Any early picks for the winner? I'm torn.

22. Grey Goose rival : STOLI. Super-minor grump, but "Stoli" is not the name of the vodka, it's an affectionate moniker. If I'm in a bar, I'd be offered "Goose" or "Stoli". Actually, let's elevate this to a minor grump  because I took the clue literally and tried to make "Siroc" work. B-Minus.

24. Coca-Cola Company headquarters : ATLANTA

26. Seuss' shelled reptile : TERTLE Thank you, crosses. Update: YERTLE

27. Daughter of Michelle and Barack : SASHA. First Daughter?

29. "Hard __!": sailor's cry : A-LEE! Shorthand for "We're toast! Put the stern into the wind and hope that we don't take the mast off with a gybe!" Bon Chance.

30. Not as many : FEWER. Quick! Supermarket checkout - Ten Items or ...... which? Less? Fewer?

33. Team on the field : OXEN. My high school soccer team. We were slow.

35. Midterm, e.g. : EXAM

38. NPR's Shapiro : ARI

42. Bio stat : AGE

43. Grammy : NANA. Not a music award? Dang!

45. UPS driver's assignments : RTES. Splynter and my brother know all about these.

46. Match play? : ARSON. Fun clue

48. Nights before : EVES - Christmas, New Year - more fun than the actual holiday

50. Home of Aleppo : SYRIA

52. Where to find wheels and deals : CASINO. Roulette wheels and card dealers. I know a bartender at the Universal City Hilton who was a dealer in Las Vegas. He keeps a deck of cards under the counter. Ask him to deal you a flush, or a pair, or an Ace-King and off he goes. Amazing.

54. Capelike garments : PONCHOS

58. Collar attachment : ID TAG. Pooches, not combatants.

59. Jessica of "Hitchcock" : BIEL

61. ATM output : CASH. Beats the "Insufficent Funds" receipt.

62. Tazo product : TEA. Starbucks, I think? Tea, not Coffee.

66. Nutmeg State collegian : ELI. Yale, in Connecticut. Which I now learn is the "Nutmeg State". Excuse me while I read the fascinating story of this nickname.

67. Big dos : GALAS. Darn! Tried "FETES", wasn't.

68. Ancient Anatolian region : IONIA

69. Rubio's title: Abbr. : SEN.

70. Foe : ENEMY

71. Type in : ENTER

Down:

1. African capital near the prime meridian : ACCRA. 350-odd miles away, close enough:

2. Fortune-teller? : TAROT. I had a set in my younger days. Wrapped the deck in purple silk as per instructions. Smoked some weed. Put Pink Floyd or Genesis on the record deck. Told fortunes. Was wrong. Don't underestimate the experts (equally wrong).

3. Barroom mix-up : BRAWL. Now you're talking. An Irish tradition. Two of my uncles had a minor contretemps at my Dad's wake. Blows were not quite (quite!) struck.

4. Pacify : APPEASE. See above. Two minutes later, all was forgotten.

5. "That's right" : YES!

6. "Too funny!" : WHAT A HOOT!

7. Loungewear item : ROBE. Not me. Hugh Hefner?

8. Man or Manhattan : ISLE. How do you spell "heeeehuuughhhhhhh maybe?" Manhattan Island. Isle of Man. I know they're both "Isles" but ach - let's let this one go.

9. Jeanne d'Arc, e.g.: Abbr. : STE. If she was a man, she'd be Jean D'Arc and an St. I'm watching the Tour de France at the moment while I'm on the treadmill for inspiration - what a beautiful country.

10. Top of a cornstalk : TASSEL. Had the British TASSLE/TASSEL conflict. Guessed right.

12. Ring-shaped coral reef : ATOLL

13. Garage door opener brand : GENIE. Open, Sesame! And put some lox and cream cheese on that sesame bagel. And some red onions while you're about it. And a slice of tomato. Oh, and some scrambled eggs and chopped scallions on the plate. Can I get some black pepper please? Finally, breakfast is served. Food! Oh - where's my coffee?

18. Puddies, to Tweety : TATS. I tawt ....

23. Family __ : TREE

25. Certain undercover cop : NARC

26. Golfer Tseng who's the youngest player to win five major championships : TANI. Update: YANI. crosses, thank you. Here she is, the immensely-talented golfer:

28. Car bars : AXLES. Fun clue.

30. One of the faithful : FAN. I'm a Chelsea fan, I'm not sure I'm one of a few these days, but back in the 70's there were a hardcore few of us watching a losing team in the rain at the wrong end of the Fulham Road. I think the Dog Track that surrounded the pitch made more money than the professional soccer team. How times change.

31. Reliever's stat : ERA. Hey C.C!

34. "Piece of cake!" : EASY PEASY! Lemon Squeezy!

36. Gone by : AGO

37. Popes and cardinals, but not nuns : MEN

40. Approximately : OR SO

41. Drops from above : RAIN

44. Nike competitor : AVIA

47. Rocky in a Beatles title : RACCOON. OK. A throwaway song? There were plenty, for all the adoration the Beatles attracted.

49. Captivate : ENGAGE

51. Get moving : ROLL

52. Quotes : CITES. I've been writing some academic papers recently. I'm really quite done with citations. I never want to see the APA Publication Guide again in my life. Really.

53. Simpson of fashion : ADELE.

55. Place to hang : HAUNT

56. Actor Davis : OSSIE

57. Shave, as sheep : SHEAR. Complete the first part of this joke:
...
...
Wow, mate, back in NZ we shear our sheep!!
Nah mate, here in Oz we're got plenty for one each!

Badaboom. I'm here all week.

59. Anger : BILE

60. Muslim holy man : IMAM

64. Chicken vindaloo go-with : NAN. Food! Near and dear to my heart, I can't not post a picture:

65. Make tracks, old-style : HIE

Blog? Check.
Grid? Check.
Theme Expo? Check.

Steve? Hasta Proxima Semana! Homework done? Check!

Wednesday, July 5, 2017, Agnes Davidson and C.C. Burnikel

TITLE: NOT HITTING ON ALL CYLINDERS

Husker Gary here reporting for the fifth time on work by the construction firm of Davidson and Burnikel. Our Irish Miss and C.C. have a two-level w/circles type of exercise today as you can see below. 

They placed the  word ILL in circles under three types of weather precipitation phenomena.  But wait, there's more! Neither the literal meanings of the word ILL nor the actual meteorological  use of the weather event were part of the theme fills. Land O' Goshen, that's makes for a fun Wednesday exercise!

My search for their devious gimmick was futile until I got the reveal at:

64. Not up to par ... or, aptly, what this puzzle's circled letters are : UNDER THE WEATHER which could also be shown in Wacky Wordie style (*solution to this at the bottom of the write-up)

I'll send out a persona "atta boy"/"atta girl" who got the theme without the circles

Theme answers:

20. Warble : TRILL UNDER 17. Overindulge (someone) at birthday time : SHOWER WITH GIFTS - GIFTS SHOWERED upon Kim Kardashian and her pending event of giving birth 

39. Nabisco snack brand : NILLA UNDER 34. Last-ditch gridiron pass : HAIL MARY - The Huskers beat Northwestern on this fabulous HAIL MARY pass from Ron Kellogg III to Illinois native Jordan Westerkamp 

50. Road incline : HILL UNDER 45. "I'm Moving On" country singer : HANK SNOW - Check out one of his opening acts who is billed with Onie Wheeler but below Slim Whitman

Now let's see what else these two fine ladies have "rained down" on us today:


Across

1. Go straight to the top? : PRAY - Sorry son, I don't think any deity really cares...

5. Crawling carpenters : ANTS - A $4 tube of MaxForce in a syringe got rid of ours

9. Made into a bundle : BALED - Round and rectangular BALES are now "high art" here on the prairie. 

14. Sport for the supersized : SUMO - Marie Osmond won't sell much product to them

15. "Unfaithful" co-star Richard : GERE

16. Join forces : UNITE

21. Figuratively : SO TO SPEAK

22. Circular power tool : SAW

24. Tarzan player Ron : ELY

25. Tetra- times two : OCTA


29. Set one's sights on, with "at" : AIMED - I love this cartoon about Lewis Grizzard's Hilarious book

31. "So long!" : BYE

36. Periodic pay : SALARY

40. And so on: Abbr. : ETC

42. Avant-garde jazzman who named himself after an Egyptian god : SUNRA - Right after I finished this puzzle, I googled this man because all the perps fit. It's amazing how few avant-garde jazz people I know

43. Country Style Steak Fries maker : OREIDA - Anybody got that phone # for Marie Osmond?

47. Pindar work : ODE - Not familiar with this Grecian odeist/odician/odeaphile... 

48. Charlotte __: creamy dessert : RUSSE

51. Permit : LET

52. Crumpets companion : TEA

54. Head honcho : TOP BANANA - George always acknowledged that Gracie was the TOP BANANA in this act

59. Starbucks flavor : MOCHA

66. Send (to) for a second opinion : REFER - George often REFERRED to Gracie as job security 

67. Steal, for slate: Abbr. : ANAG - ANAGRAM of each other

68. Lemon-like : TART

69. Like ogres : NASTY  - Fiona saw that that was not true!

70. "So Sick" R&B singer : NEYO - A artist who thinks lyrics today are too misogynistic 

71. Ironically, they might be even : ODDS


Down

1. Sibilant "Yo!" : PSST - Oh, sibilant refers to hissing not my siblings

2. River to the Rhine : RUHR

3. Mine, in Metz : AMOI

4. Pained cry : YOWL

5. Dept. concerned with rural development : AGR

6. Reuters, for one : NEWS WIRE - Originally named for when NEWS was transmitted literally over a telegraph, telephone or telex WIRE

7. Folk's Kingston __ : TRIO - Is your favorite on here?

8. Couch kin : SETTEE

9. Mobster Siegel : BUGSY - “My friends call me Ben,” he once said, “strangers call me Mr. Siegel, and guys I don’t like call me Bugsy, but not to my face.”

10. Had __: imbibed modestly : A NIP

11. Longest sentence : LIFE

12. Bluesy James : ETTA

13. Work at it : DESK

18. Trains over the street : ELS - Some say the car chase under the ELS in The French Connection was the best car chase ever

19. Ship storage areas : HOLDS

23. Designation for batteries, bonds or baseball teams : AAA - The first two might be more obvious than the last one where the Omaha Storm Chasers are this

 

25. "I can't believe it!" : OH NO

26. Egyptian capital : CAIRO - If you look closely in the lower left hand corner you can see what capital is spent in Egypt's, uh, capital

27. Like many floors : TILED

28. Kate's TV sidekick : ALLIE

30. Nessie and Bigfoot, by most accounts : MYTHS - and Ogres?

31. Get red in the face : BLUSH

32. New Age composer : YANNI - Please, no more YANNI!

33. Flynn of film : ERROL

35. Irate : MAD

37. Question : ASK

38. Two-masted boat : YAWL

41. Robinson Crusoe, notably : CASTAWAY - For the role in CASTAWAY, Tom Hanks shot the first part of the movie and then took a year off to lose 55 lbs. and finish shooting

44. "__ we all?" : AREN'T

46. Society page word : NEE

49. Pioneer Day celebrant : UTAHAN

51. King or Bird : LARRY

53. Physicians' org. : AMA

54. Go sour : TURN - Isn't this what you think of?

55. Draft designation : ONE-A

56. Some email attachments : PDF'S

57. Root often pickled : BEET - People seem to love 'em or hate 'em. I'm in the former camp, you?

58. Aloha State bird : NENE

60. Germany's von Bismarck : OTTO

61. African lake in four countries : CHAD - I couldn't name the other three countries either

62. Cattle collection : HERD

63. Music and dance, e.g. : ARTS

65. Freudian focus : EGO

* FEELING is literally UNDER WEATHER, hence FEELING UNDER the WEATHER 

Those of you who feel up to should now give us your opinion!