Monday, August 15, 2016 Mark McClain and Andrea Carla Michaels

Theme: TNT - Three word phrases with initial initials of T A T

20. Painful reality that one doesn't want to face: THE AWFUL TRUTH

28. Close enough to share intimate secrets: THICK AS THIEVES

47. Features of many mountain roads: TWISTS AND TURNS

57. 1984 #1 hit for Cyndi Lauper: TIME AFTER TIME

71. Body art, briefly ... and, initially, a hint to this puzzle's four longest answers: TAT

Argyle here but it should have been Steve! Sports and airports and FOOD! Oh My! Some of the clueing is Thursday level, too.

Across:

1. Scale readings: Abbr.: WTs. And sure, I wanted LBs first.

4. Pau or Marc of the NBA: GASOL crossing 4D. London airport: GATWICK

My personal Natick: The Gasol brothers are professional basketball players from Spain. Gatwick is UK's 2nd-largest airport but I only knew of Heathrow.

9. Roofing material: PITCH

14. Snicker syllable: HEH

15. Essential acid, familiarly: AMINO

16. Online cash-back deal: E-BATE

17. WSW's opposite: ENE

18. Giveaway bags: TOTEs

19. Lone Star State: TEXAS

23. Bite-sized fish dish: SUSHI with 21D. 23-Across tuna: AHI

24. Bond creator Fleming: IAN

25. "I thought so!": "A-HA!"

33. Didn't toss out: KEPT

34. Vigilant: ALERT

35. 2015 award for Steph Curry: ESPY. He is another pro basketball player.

39. Have a craving (for): YEARN

42. Crucifix letters: INRI. “Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm” (Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews)

43. Skin irritations: SORES

45. Slips that promise payment: IOUs. (I Owe You)

53. Walk-__: small roles: ONs

54. British ref. work: OED. (Oxford English Dictionary)

55. March b-ball tourneys, casually: NCAAs. (National Collegiate Athletic Association)

62. Nest sound: CHIRP

64. Start to type?: PROTO. (prototype)

65. Chaney of horror films: LON

66. Tapered boat: CANOE

67. Five minutes past a quarter of: TEN TO. A bit convoluted clue.

68. "Patience __ virtue": IS A

69. Use up money: SPEND

70. Cook, as mussels: STEAM

Down:

1. Stimulates, as an appetite: WHETS

2. Basic training command: "TEN-HUT!". Stand at attention.

3. "Good grief!": "SHEESH!"

5. "I __ the opinion ... ": AM OF

6. In __: unmoved: SITU

7. New law student: ONE L

8. Went berserk: LOST IT

9. Porky Pig's girlfriend: PETUNIA

10. "Yeah, right!": "I BET!"

11. Financial shelter: TAX HAVEN

12. Windy City "L" operator: Abbr.: CTA. (Chicago Transit Authority)

13. Stag party attendees: HEs

22. Cheering word: RAH

26. Münster mister: HERR

27. Italian wine region: ASTI

29. __ lime pie: KEY

30. Big primate: APE

31. Laundry day target: STAIN

32. Quarterback Manning: ELI

35. This, in Spain: ESTO

36. Scattered, as seed: SOWN

37. Uncorrupted: PRISTINE

38. "Of course!": "YES"

40. Angler's pole: ROD

41. Cashew or almond: NUT

44. Trod heavily: STOMPED

46. Solarium: SUNROOM

48. Set eyes on: SEE

49. Responds well to change: ADAPTS

50. Sales slip: Abbr.: RCT. (receipt)

51. Stick the landing, say: NAIL IT

52. Stuffed Indian pastry: SAMOSA

56. Parisian political body: SENAT

58. Get the creases out of: IRON

59. Stew (over): FRET

60. "When you hear the __, please leave your message": TONE

61. Jazzy James: ETTA

62. Emails a dupe to: CCs

63. WWII General __ Arnold: HAP

His Story

Argyle

Wednesday, August 3, 2016 Joel Elkins and Andrea Carla Michaels

Title: Faster, Higher, Stronger - The Olympic motto. It is my desire to be as idealistic as I can about the Olympics, even given all we know about their seamier side.

Joel and Andrea have brought us a very entertaining and timely puzzle as we approach the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Their puzzle incorporates the six U.S. venues utilized for these quadrennial events.

Theme Reveal:

65. Event whose only six U.S. hosts are answers in this puzzle : THE OLYMPICS - Three U.S. host cities for both Summer and Olympic competition. Three are in the horizontal fill, two in the vertical fill and one city with three words is split between two horizontal fills and one vertical fill. 

Theme answers with notable events for each (fully realizing your recollections may be very different):

17. California ski resort (1960) : SQUAW VALLEY - Figure skating champion Carol Heiss cashed in her celebrity as quickly as she could

25. Peach State capital (1996) : ATLANTA - Perhaps best remembered for "The Greatest" being revealed as the secret torch lighter

27. With 39-Across and 61-Down, metropolis near the Wasatch Range (2002) : SALT 39. See 27-Across : LAKE 61. See 27-Across : CITY - A tattered flag from the World Trade center bombing which occurred only five months previous was a prominent part of the opening ceremonies.

52. Home of the Blues (1904) : ST LOUIS - The first Olympics in the U.S. was awarded to ST. LOUIS because it was also having a World's Fair and threatened to stage AAU track competition simultaneously if Chicago was selected. Only 12 countries showed up and the U.S. had 523 of the 630 athletes.

11. Home to the NFL's Rams (1932, 1984) : LOS ANGELES - Many consider Babe Didrikson Zaharias to be the finest female athlete of all time and she won 3 gold medals at the '32 olympics. She was limited to 3 events and won or tied for the win in all three but was eliminated from the high jump for "illegal technique" of her head going over first which is widely used today.

The '84 games were boycotted by the U.S.S.R. and 13 other aligned nations. Carl Lewis set the goal of winning the same four gold medals that Jesse Owens had won in front of Hitler in 1936 and did just that.

29. New York resort in the Adirondacks (1932, 1980) : LAKE PLACID - Like Carol Heiss, our crossword friend also cashed in on 1932 figure skating Olympic gold

Here is my most memorable Olympic moment: The U.S. amateurs defeating the highly favored and very experienced Soviet hockey team in the '80 hockey semifinals that led to Al Michaels' famous "Do you believe in miracles?" call. This is my favorite amateur sports memory that didn't involve Huskers!

Despite all the issues I will watch some of the Rio coverage but wouldn't travel down there for anything. Let's see what other events Joel and Andrea have for us:

Across

1. TV workers' union : AFTRA - The Screen Actors' Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists merged in 2012

6. "We Create Music" org. : ASCAP

11. "__ It Go": hit song from "Frozen" : LET - Easier advice to dispense than take

14. Smallish iPods : NANOS

15. Eucalyptus eater : KOALA

16. Daily Defense skin care brand : OXY - Quite an arsenal

19. Weaken : SAP

20. Stellar : ASTRAL

21. Some cameras : SLR'S

22. Master : ACE

23. Sci. subject : ANAT

30. Quick drink : SIP

32. Participate in karaoke : SING - What all these machines need...

33. 60 minuti : ORA -  37. Capital SSE of Firenze : ROMA - "A ROMA ci sono 60 minuti in un'ORA (In Rome, there are 60 minutes in an hour)" 68. Pisa place : ITALY completes the mini-theme trifecta

34. "Really?" : IT IS

36. Jetties : PIERS - Jetties extending out into new Lake Wanahoo behind the dam by Wahoo, NE

41. Actress Sevigny : CHLOE

43. Pebble-in-puddle sound : PLOP

44. Thumbs-up critic : EBERT - Of this movie, he said, "I had a colonoscopy once, and they let me watch it on TV. It was more entertaining than 'The Brown Bunny.'"

46. That señorita : ELLA

47. Revealing rock genre : EMO

48. Look closely (over) : PORE

50. Stockholm airline : SAS

51. Exam for many sophs : PSAT

55. Tilt-A-Whirl, e.g. : RIDE - Do the people who set up and maintain these instill confidence in you?

57. Starbucks order : TEA

58. Mil. ranks : SGTS

60. Subsidiary of Fiat : LANCIA - Brigitte Bardot in a LANCIA Flavia. Nice lines!

64. Curved path : ARC

67. Calendar col. : FRI

69. Bloke's buddy : MATEY

70. G-man : FED

71. Synthetic fabric : NYLON

72. "Family Ties" mom : ELYSE


Down

1. Ancient jug handle : ANSA - We had this recently but it didn't stick in my brain box

2. Online help pgs. : FAQS

3. Letter-shaped fastener : T-NUT

4. Obviously enjoy, as a joke : ROAR AT

5. Nile dam : ASWAN

6. Blotter letters : AKA

7. Mars days, in "The Martian" : SOLS - During his SOLS on Mars, Watney grew potatoes using a unique fertilizer

8. __ lily : CALLA

9. "Fore!" et al. : ALERTS

10. Stub with withholding info : PAY SLIP

12. Better than estimated : EXACT

13. Far from laid-back : TYPE-A - One take on this idea

18. Big name in pickles : VLASIC

24. Sunday contribution : TITHE

26. "There's __ in the air" : A NIP

27. Part of a shoe : SOLE

28. Speedy steed : ARAB

31. Medicinal units : PILLS - My double transplant recipient golf partner takes 39 PILLS/day, 14,235/yr

35. __ eclipse : SOLAR

38. Windex target : SPOT

40. Buck chaser? : EROO

42. With little effort : EASILY

45. Rely on : TRUST IN

49. Interstate through Cheyenne : EIGHTY

51. Foreign correspondent? : PEN PAL 

52. Employees : STAFF

53. __ Haute : TERRE 

54. Rickey Henderson specialty : STEAL

56. Actor Jean-Claude Van __ : DAMME

59. Diva's offering : SOLO

62. Finishes, as cupcakes : ICES

63. "__ sow, so shall ... " : AS YE

66. Former White House adviser Nofziger : LYN - "The executive branch has grown too strong, the judicial branch too arrogant and the legislative branch too stupid."

Now let's race on to see your comments on this fun puzzle and perhaps an Olympic memory as well.  Please stay in your own lane!

The Grid

Notes from C.C.:

1) Congratulations on Joel Elkins on his LA Times debut! He also teamed up with dear Andrea Carla Michaels for his NYT debut last month.

2) Happy Birthday to our sweet Melissa B, who's going to become a first-time grandma soon.  Her daughter is expecting her first daughter on August 13th.

Left to Right: Melissa's daughter, Melissa's mom Barbara B, Melissa

 

 

Monday, May 4, 2015 Kevin Christian and Andrea Carla Michaels

Theme: Homophones - Were you aware the sound in the middle of the theme entries was a homophone?

17A. 1957 Michael Landon horror film role : TEENAGE WEREWOLF

27A. "You're going to like the way you look" clothing chain : MEN'S WEARHOUSE

46A. Place to copy keys : HARDWARE STORE

62A. "Not in my backyard" : "ANYWHERE BUT HERE"

WARNING: Strong language. George Carlin(6:05) - NIMBY (Not in my back yard) (Dealing with homelessness)(and golf)

Argyle hear. No reveal but two spanners. You ought not have any problems with this one.

Across:

1. Reject, as a sweetheart : JILT

5. Bee Gees family name : GIBB

9. Beginning : ONSET

14. Emmy winner Falco : EDIE. Both comedy and drama.

15. Comédie musicale part : ACTE. French.

16. Beautiful, in Bologna : BELLA. Italian.

20. __ Arabia : SAUDI. Arabic. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Ibn Saud.

21. Nightclub in a Manilow song : COPA. "At the Copa, Copacabana, the hottest spot north of Havana!"

22. Tootsies : FEET

23. Poet Khayyám : OMAR

25. Exxon's ex-name : ESSO. And current, too.

32. Isr. neighbor : SYR. (Israel/Syria)

33. Listener? : EAR

34. "I give up!" : "UNCLE!"

36. Sailor's confinement : BRIG. and the occasional Marine could be found there.

38. Struck down, in 39-Down : SMOTE

41. "Finish the job!" : "DO IT!"

42. Curved like a rainbow : ARCED

44. "So that's your game!" : "A-HA!"

45. Function : USE

51. Baseball stitching : SEAM

52. Animal on the California state flag : BEAR

53. Trig or calc : MATH

56. Words claiming innocence : "NOT I"

58. Higher-ranking : UPPER

65. Skylit courtyards : ATRIA

66. "__ fair in love and war" : ALL'S

67. Extremely dry : ARID

68. __ to be: destined : MEANT

69. Jeans brand : LEES. Trademark Lee™

70. Women in habits : NUNS

Down:

1. New York footballers : JETS. 8–8 regular season 2014.

2. Notion : IDEA

3. In __ of: substituted for : LIEU

4. Muscle-to-bone connector : TENDON

5. Vaudeville bit : GAG

6. Banana split ingredient : ICE CREAM. Standard vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, right?

7. Call in a bingo hall : B TWO

8. Paging device : BEEPER

9. U.K. honor : OBE. Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

10. Recently discovered : NEWFOUNDland (icebergs)

11. Wild plum : SLOE

12. Fashion magazine : ELLE

13. 300-pound president : TAFT. William Howard Taft, our 27th President.

18. Goals : AIMS. Not ENDS today.

19. Calamine lotion target : RASH

24. Fills with wonder : AWEs

26. Almost worthless amount : SOU. Old French coin.

27. Gift from the Magi : MYRRH

28. "Fear of Flying" author Jong : ERICA

29. Like a loud crowd : AROAR

30. Clean with elbow grease : SCOUR

31. Beethoven's "Für __" : ELISE

32. Agcy. that aids start-ups : SBA. (Small Business Administration) Formed July 30, 1953.

35. French summer : ÉTÉ

37. "Rhapsody in Blue" composer : GERSHWIN

39. Holy Scripture : THE BIBLE

40. Lighten up : EASE

43. Ike's initials : DDE. (Dwight David Eisenhower) our 34th President.

47. Wind down : WANE

48. Lacking principles : AMORAL

49. Pulled tight : TAUT

50. Many an adoptee : ORPHAN

53. Polite way to address a lady : MA'AM

54. Pot starter : ANTE

55. "America's Next Top Model" host Banks : TYRA

57. Prefix with gram or graph : TELE

59. Lima is its capital : PERU. Home of the lima bean, really.

60. Ireland, poetically : ERIN

61. Chianti and Merlot : REDS

63. Sombrero, e.g. : HAT

64. Battleship letters : USS. At least ours are.

Argyle