Tuesday, December 2, 2014 Bernice Gordon

Theme: Sound Alikes - Except for the first letter, all four start with _UMBLE.

17A. Modest abode : HUMBLE HOME

53A. Windblown desert plant : TUMBLEWEED

11D. Folding feature of an old roadster : RUMBLE SEAT

28D. Hogwarts headmaster : DUMBLEDORE

Argyle here with Bernice Gordon, age 100, whose birthday is next month. Fun words, ten letters long, two across, two down. Each set has a compound word, one open, one closed. Good mix in the field, easier than Monday's.

Across:

1. Netherlands export : EDAM

5. "500" initials on Wall Street : S AND P. (Standard and Poor) Index of 500 top companies.

10. Important time periods : ERAs

14. Outfielder Crisp nicknamed for a cereal box character : COCO

15. Acting award : OSCAR

16. Night in Nantes : NUIT

19. Armory supply : AMMO

20. Galena or hematite : ORE

21. Currier's partner : IVES

22. One in a congregation : MEMBER

24. Winnebago owner, briefly : RVer. (recreational vehicle)

25. Defendant in a defamation case : LIBELEE. But no SLANDEREE in the dictionary.

26. More orderly : TIDIER

29. Weak : FEEBLE

30. Grads : ALUMS

31. Tusked porcine animals : BOARS

32. Spot for rest and relaxation : SPA

35. Gimlet fruit : LIME

36. Urge forward : DRIVE

37. Help to withdraw : WEAN

38. Neighbor of Isr. : LEB. (Lebanon)

39. Attorney general under Reagan : MEESE

40. Map out : CHART

41. Seize, as a chance : LEAP AT

43. Grab greedily : SNATCH

44. __ City: Oz locale : EMERALD

46. Tiny energy source : ATOM

47. Title for Bovary and Butterfly : MADAME. Say 39D. Respectful address : MA'AM

48. Landed : ALIT

49. ROTC school near D.C. : VMI. (Virginia Military Institute)

52. Good buds : BROs

56. To be, to Bizet : ÊTRE

57. Prop for Picasso : EASEL

58. Inland Asian sea : ARAL

59. Like Easter eggs : DYED

60. Gin berries : SLOES

61. Lock maker : YALE

Down:

1. Reverberate : ECHO

2. Sullen : DOUR

3. Top : ACME

4. Unruly group : MOB

5. In any way : SO EVER. Usually with "what". Update: Dictionaries prefer "SOEVER" but Google shows much more use of "SO EVER".

6. Peter of Peter and Gordon : ASHER. The red head.

7. Cpls. and sgts. : NCOs

8. Aswan or Hoover : DAM

9. Opening night showing : PREMIERE

10. Tooth cover : ENAMEL

12. Actress Anouk : AIMEE

13. Put away for the future : STORE

18. Exists : LIVES

23. Recedes to the sea : EBBS

24. Hoarfrost : RIME

25. Sailor's time off : LEAVE

26. Hard to believe, as a story : TALL

27. Nastase of tennis : ILIE

29. Force unfairly (on) : FOIST

31. Naan, for example : BREAD

33. Jardin du Luxembourg, par exemple : PARC. It is located in Paris.

34. Lit. collection : ANTH. (anthology)

36. Seriously reduces : DEPLETES

37. "Kapow!" cousin : "WHAM!"

40. 100 bucks : C NOTE

42. Wiped off the board : ERASED

43. Motion picture frames : STILLS

44. Fix firmly : EMBED

45. Title role that won Borgnine a 15-Across : "MARTY". Initial release: April 11, 1955 (New York City)

46. "Tiny Alice" dramatist Edward : ALBEE. Tiny Alice, a three act play, premiered on Broadway on December 29, 1964.

48. "Are not" retort : "AM SO"

49. Wang known for wedding gowns : VERA

50. Supper, e.g. : MEAL

51. Out of a job : IDLE

54. Delta rival: Abbr. : UAL. (United Airlines)

55. Method : WAY

Argyle

Thursday, August 28, 2014 Bernice Gordon

Theme: "How do you define....?"

20-Across. PITCH : TONAL FREQUENCY. A nice perk from this answer is that it lends a "Q" to the grid.

25-Across. PITCH : COVERING ON A ROAD. I was going to object, that they usually use asphalt. But "pitch" is a generic term for certain bitumens, like asphalt.

44-Across. PITCH : AGGRESSIVE SPIEL. I hate robocallers that start with "Don't hang up! This is not a sales call!"

50-Across. PITCH : THROW TO A BATTER. Baseball, of course.

I glanced at the clues and saw that PITCH was repeated, so I immediately knew what I was in for. That didn't make it any easier, though! The mid-west area was quite tricky, and if I had been doing it on paper, I'm sure I would have worn a hole in the grid with all my erasures, or had one massive ink blot with all my write-overs. (Ahhh, the beauty of typing in answers on a keyboard!)

Did you notice? This puzzle is a pangram, using every letter of the alphabet at least once. For newcomers to the corner, you might like to read about this very interesting lady.

Across

1. Bon Ami competitor : AJAX. J and X are the toughest letters to fit into a grid, but Bernice dispenses with both of them in the first word!

5. Start of a classic Christmas poem : TWAS. the night before Christmas...

9. Terra __ : COTTA.

14. "Star Wars" role : LUKE. Skywalker.

15. "Hell __ no fury ..." : HATH. The actual quote is from “The Mourning Bride” by William Congreve:
"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."

16. Isolated : APART.

17. Frigg's husband : ODIN. Norse goddess.

18. First name in suburban humor : ERMA. Bombeck.

19. Group scuffle : MELEE.

23. Justice Fortas : ABE.

24. Spleen : IRE.

34. Some final exams : ORALS.

35. Immature salamanders : EFTS.

36. One who may signal to a bullpen: Abbr. : MGR. Manager.

37. Hall of Fame golfer Middlecoff who had a DDS degree : CARY. Could not remember his name for the longest time. Finally remembered it after filling in CA*Y.   (^0^)

38. Oscar de la __ : RENTA.

40. Fictional estate near Atlanta : TARA.

41. Covert maritime org. : ONI. Office of Naval Intelligence. NCIS has its roots in the ONI.

42. Notable Cuban bandleader, familiarly : DESI. Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha, III, better know as DESI Arnaz.

43. Good __ : AS NEW.

48. Hail to Caesar : AVE.

49. "__ Mine": Beatles song : I ME. George Harrison's homage to Hindu spirituality, and criticism of the selfishness of Lennon and McCartney. It was their last new song before they split up. 2:22

58. Characteristic : TRAIT.

59. Cannes cleric : ABBE.

60. Destroy : RAZE. Z is another problematic letter when trying for a pangram...

61. Nemo's creator : VERNE. ...and V is often missing.

62. Pinochle combination : MELD.

63. Setting for "The Quiet Man" : EIRE. A great John Wayne / Maureen O'Hara film.

64. Swamp grass : SEDGE.

65. Peacock tail spots : EYES.

66. Anti-aircraft fire : FLAK.


Down

1. Oodles : A LOT.

2. Self-defense method : JUDO.

3. Related : AKIN.

4. Small-screen princess : XENA: Warrior Princess. Played by Lucy Lawless and filmed in New Zealand.

5. Enforcement org. since 1908 : THE FBI.

6. Rabbit home : WARREN.

7. "Don't throw bouquets __": song lyric : AT ME. I can't resist a song from "Oklahoma!" 3:12

8. NBA nickname : SHAQ. Shaquille O'Neal. A quarrelsome teammate, he played his last season for the Boston Celtics before retiring in 2011.

9. Shooting equipment : CAMERAS.

10. Kitchen gadget : OPENER.

11. Powder in the nursery : TALC.

12. Low card : TREY. I just had this word last week.

Three of Cups

13. Ended a fast : ATE.

21. Metallica drummer Ulrich : LARS.

22. Utah's __ Mountains : UINTA.

25. Drink after a day on the slopes : COCOA. I really would rather have a toddy, which also fit. (Just sayin'...)

26. Chimp cousin : ORANG.

27. First Brazilian airline : VARIG. This was a tough little section. Never mind that I had entered "toddy" at 25-Down, did not know this airline, and had a devilish time remembering golfer Middlecoff.

28. Cambridgeshire cathedral town : ELY.

ELY Cathedral

29. Supernatural lamp occupants : GENII. Plural of genie, also spelled djinn, djinny or jinni. I just read "The Golem and the Jinni" by Helene Wecker.  Hahtoolah recommended it, and I loved it!

30. Time and again, to a poet : OFT.

31. Spender of rials : OMANI.

32. Jibe : AGREE.

33. Feature of LBJ speeches : DRAWL. And a feature of DH's speech.

38. Fix again, as a hem : RESEW.

39. Count ending : ESS. Countess.

40. Chef's meas. : TSP. Teaspoon.

42. Zealot : DEVOTEE. "Fanatic" also fit...

43. Headed for an isle, maybe : ASEA. At least it wasn't clued as "confused."

45. Very eager : RARING. This word is fairly new, dating only to the 1920's. Oxford Dictionary says it's a dialect variant of "roaring."

46. Like a good alternative : VIABLE.

47. War zone correspondents : EMBEDS.

50. Family __ : TREE. Gaaack!  I had "ties" at first. It made this crossword puzzle pretty...

51. Tough : HARD. But in the end, I fixed all my blunders and it turned out to be...

52. Not so tough : TAME.

53. Mind : OBEY.

54. Not kosher : TREF. Have you finally memorized this word?

55. Word with spin or wind : TAIL.

56. Biblical prophet : EZRA.

57. Stink : REEK.

Pepe LePew

58. Sony products : TVs.

And that's all, folks!
Marti

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 Bernice Gordon

Theme: FANNY BONE.  Well, not really, but you know I wouldn't be able to resist.  What we have is a classic VOWEL PROGRESSION.  Each two-word theme answer begins with the letter combination F_N-, and the blank is filled in with a vowel.  Progressing through the puzzle in order, the theme answer vowels are A, E, I, O, and U, just like the alphabet.  Why? Y not?

17. Waist bag : FANNY PACK.  Not a trash container, but a carrying pouch worn around the waist.  You can read here why it is not called a FANNY PACK outside the U.S.A.

25. Herbal remedy for indigestion : FENNEL TEA.  I did not know that.

38. Renege : FINK OUT.   Slang term.

50. Piece of Le Creuset cookware : FONDUE POT.   Device for melting cheese, into which can be dipped bread chunks on skewers.  Tasty, and you can have fun doing it.

Ridiculously expensive

60. Sense of humor : FUNNY BONE.  And a good joke might tickle it, my theme title not withstanding.

Hi Gang, JzB here to guide your stroll through the alphabet, and this puzzle by Bernice Gordon.  Now 100 years old, she has been publishing puzzles since 1952, when I was the goofy little four-eyed kindergarden kid who hated finger painting.  You can read about her and some of her puzzles, including this one, in this Philadelphia Inquirer article. 

Lets see what we can find, and no JAY walking!

Across:

1. Lead-in for bird or walk : JAY.  JAY birds I understand.  I've been told not to JAY walk since at least the first grade, but had to learn that a JAY is a beginner, or someone not very good at something.  So a JAY WALKER is one recklessly crossing a street away from a cross walk. Though this illustration looks dangerous, note that the umpire is calling the runner safe.

Wikipedia Commons

  

4. Nervous and irritable : UPSET.  Like a coach when his team loses to an inferior rival.

9. Thai cash : BAHT.  About 3.1 cents at the current exchange rate.

13. Musician Turner : IKE.  Also famous for his uncertain number of marriages [between 5 and 13] and beating Tina Turner.

14. Words Alice read on a cake : EAT ME.   Eating too much cake can make one too large, as she discovered.

15. Month in Madrid : ENERO.  Alliterative clues often hint at foreign language fill.

19. Once more : AGAIN.  

20. "It's __ bet": "No risk" : A SAFE.  I wanted A SURE, but can assure you that was wrong.

21. Everlasting, to a poet : ETERNE.

22. Cal. entry : APPT.   Calendar and appointment.  Note abrv. in cl. and ans. 

27. Custard dishes : QUICHES.  Would you eat one on a train?  Could I egg you on?

30. River in NW France : ORNE. 

31. "The Star-Spangled Banner," e.g. : ANTHEM.

32. Countdown-ending número : UNO.   When launching Spanish rockets [cohetes.]

33. Leveling wedge : SHIM.  A tapered spacer used to provide a better fit or level surface.

37. Pen name : BIC.  Cute misdirection.. BIC is a brand name for a pen company.

41. Amin of Uganda : IDI. 

42. Twice vier : ACHT.  Vier is 4. German, I fear.

44. Word of surprise : GEE.  GEE whiz golly wow!

45. __ Zee: area where the Hudson River widens : TAPPAN.  This wide spot in the river is named for the TAPPAN sub tribe of the Delaware people and the Dutch word Zee, meaning wide expanse of water.  In this region the river is about 5 miles wide.

47. Taj Mahal home : AGRA.  Popular crossword destination.

49. Heavenly higher-ups, in Christianity : SERAPHS.  The highest ranking angels.

54. Chess piece : ROOK. 

55. People with skill : ADEPTS.  Like Bernice.

56. Place to store valuables : VAULT.

59. Station : DEPOT.

64. Old hat : STALE.  Unfashionably out of date, passé.  Fashionably out of date is retro.

65. Popeye creator Segar : ELZIE.  I will never remember this.

66. Type of museum : WAX.  A place exhibiting WAX-constructed human likenesses, typically of the famous and infamous.

67. Kane's Rosebud, e.g. : SLED.  Citizen Kane.

68. Nobel-winning Irish poet : YEATS. William Butler.  He won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1923.

69. It may need a boost : EGO.  I suppose a Nobel Prize might do that for you.

Down:

1. Peanut butter brand : JIF.  Because it spreads so quickly?

2. Alias, for short : A.K.A.  Also Known As.

3. Hankering : YEN.   I thought about going to Japan, but didn't have the YEN to travel.

4. They may be done by ones who have gone too far : UEYS.  U-turns.  Clever clue for a word with variant spellings

5. Family nickname : PAPA.  The perp A SURE gave me PAPU.  I prefer Bumpa.

6. Support crews : STAFFS.  A SURE got in the way here, as well.

7. Game show personality : EMCEE. Master of Ceremonies, with the initials spelt out.  What do you call that kind of construction?

8. "__War": Shatner series : TEK.  This series of Sci-Fi novels was conceived by William Shatner and ghost written by Ron Goulart.

9. Defeated : BEATEN. Like everyone who played the U. Conn. men's basketball team in the NCAA tournament, or the U Conn. women's team all year. 

10. 49-Across, por ejemplo : ANGELES. Spanish Angels.  "For example" rendered in Spanish hints at the language of the fill.

11. Soul partner : HEART. Time for a retro musical interlude.  [I thought this was interesting.]
 

12. Puzzle video game with three heroes : TRINE.  Check it out.

16. Top draft status : ONE-A.  We've had an all volunteer army since 1973.

18. "Of course!" : NATCH.  Derived from "naturally," I presume.

21. Along the way : EN ROUTE.

22. Red Sea port on its own gulf : AQABA.  Jordan's only coastal city.

23. __ Wars: Rome vs. Carthage : PUNIC.  The PUNICS were the people of Carthage.

24. Tuner's concern : PITCH.  Piano tuner.  You can't tune a fish.

26. Words to Nanette? : NO, NO.  NO, NO, Nanette is the 1925 musical that gave us the songs Tea For Two and I Want to Be Happy.

28. Playboy nickname : HEF.  Hugh Hefner.

29. Political fugitives : EMIGRES. People who have migrated out, usually with a connotation of political or social self-exile.

32. Island instrument : UKE.  Hawaiian Islands, Ukelele.  Here is a strange and beautiful version of one of my favorite songs.

 

34. River horse : HIPPO.  Short for hippopotamus, which is Greek for river horse.

35. Snake River state : IDAHO.  River snake is ποτάμι φίδι.

36. Belarus capital : MINSK.

39. Tide type : NEAP.  This occurs just after the first and third quarters of the moon, when the sun and moon are at right angles relative to the earth, and their gravitational forces work against each other.  Thus, the difference between high and low tide is minimized.

40. Roofer's supply : TAR.  Tiles, shingles, nails and rolled EPDM won't fit.

43. Stage in a frog's life : TADPOLE.  A.K.A. Pollywog, this is the larval stage of toads and frogs.

46. Medicare section for physician services : PART B.  Part A covers hospitalization.

48. Destroyed the inside of, as a building : GUTTED.  My sister just bought a house, and the kitchen will be GUTTED and totally reconfigured.

49. Verse segment : STANZA. Here, the word "Verse" means a poem. A group of lines forming the basic metrical unit of a poem is called a STANZA, from the Latin for a stopping place, or, alternatively, a verse.  Confused?  I could be wurst.

50. Hula Hoop et al. : FADS.  Back to my childhood. Less retro than NO, NO, Nanette, though.

51. "Golden Boy" dramatist : ODETS.  Clifford.  In this 1937 play, the hero is torn between commercial success and artistic fulfillment.

52. India neighbor : NEPAL.  Good place to get high.

53. Small egg : OVULE.  A small or immature ovum.

57. Workbook chapter : UNIT.

58. Strong alkalis : LYES.  LYE is sodium hydroxide (NaOH.)  And that's the truth.

60. "30 Rock" star : FEY.  Tina.

61. Be indebted to : OWE.

62. Pick on : NAG.

63. Outer: Pref. : EXO. 

All done.  Not quite everything from A to Z, but we did travel from A to U.  Hope you enjoyed the journey.

Cool regards!
JzB

Monday, February 4, 2013 Bernice Gordon

 Theme: Simon and Schuster Crossword Puzzle - Today's constructor has many puzzles published by S&S so they may be the seed for this puzzle.

17A. Main idea, as of an argument : SUM AND SUBSTANCE. Shakespeare used it in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (4:1): "My riches are these poor habiliments [clothes], Of which if you should here disfurnish me, You take the sum and substance that I have." It has probably survived owing to alliteration. It now means "The essence or gist of something".

25A. Stick to a strict budget : SCRIMP AND SAVE. I think we all know the meaning of this.

42A. To the point : SHORT AND SWEET. I knew a girl once....

56A. Burnout cause : STRESS AND STRAIN. Funny this phrase follows the one above.

I am Argyle and I am honored to be reviewing Ms. Gordon's puzzle. Last winter I reviewed one after her 98th birthday and here we are after her 99th. Truly amazing. A text book Monday and only a Q away from a pangram. Last years note from C.C.: Please click here for an in inspiring article about today's constructor Bernice Gordon. Bernice and the LA Times should have the "oldest constructor" record unless she will be published by the NY Times again this year. They did, in July, but she is back with LAT today!

Across:

1. David Copperfield's forte : MAGIC. Not the Charles Dickens one.

6. High-ranking Indian : RAJA. and 11D. Wife of a 6-Across : RANI

10. Like the Sahara : ARID

14. Last new Olds : ALERO

15. Alike, in Lourdes : EGAL. In France.

16. Madcap : ZANY

20. "__ Pinafore" : HMS. A Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera.

21. Handy bags : TOTES

22. Inventor Howe : ELIAS

23. Candy in a wrapper : BAR

24. WSW's opposite : ENE

32. Beauty parlor : SALON

33. Saying to remember : ADAGE

34. Tool for a lumberjack : AXE. could partner with 57D. Carpentry tool : SAW

36. Cultivate the soil : PLOW

37. Car pedal : BRAKE

38. Needed a Band-Aid : BLED

39. Till now : YET

40. __ fatale : FEMME. The phrase is French for "deadly woman". But they still can be SHORT AND SWEET.

41. Town near the tip of Cape Cod : TRURO. Not far from Natick! But a long way from 35D. Tokyo's former name : EDO, except in this puzzle. A about 1500 miles from 51D. City west of Tulsa : ENID

45. Notes after mis : FAs

46. Contents of a cruet : OIL

47. Saltwater candy : TAFFY

50. Rested (against) : LEANT

53. __ Beta Kappa : PHI. An academic honor society.

59. Part of USA: Abbr. : AMER.

60. Like dedicated fans : AVID

61. 18th-century Swiss mathematician : EULER. Shout out to Fermatprime.

62. Goes bad : ROTS

63. High roller's rolls : WADS

64. Baseball's Pee Wee : REESE. Dodger shortstop.

Down:

1. Sitcom set in Korea : M*A*S*H

2. Homecoming visitor : ALUM

3. Jeweler's inventory : GEMS

4. 401(k) alternative, briefly : IRA. You have to SCRIMP AND SAVE to build it up.

5. Have inside : CONTAIN

6. Take a break : REST

7. Flu-like symptoms : AGUE. Shout out to pk and Dennis and some others, I'm sure.

8. Pokes : JABS

9. Three racing Unsers : ALs

10. Colorful garden shrub : AZALEA. A winter's project.

12. Ancient Peruvian : INCA

13. Turns blue, perhaps : DYES

18. Campus residence : DORM

19. Like someone pacing back and forth : TENSE

23. Forehead : BROW. And if you're TENSE, where wrinkles will appear.

24. Rim : EDGE

25. Comical Soupy : SALES

26. Material : CLOTH

27. Cheese city in northeast Italy : PARMA

28. End of Rhett's sentence that begins "Frankly, my dear" : "...A DAMN!"

29. Like a newborn : NAKED

30. Relative worth : VALUE

31. Put forth, as effort : EXERT

32. Le Carré character : SPY. David John Moore Cornwell (born 19 October 1931), pen name John le Carré is a British author of espionage novels. (lifted from Wikipedia)

37. Puts money (on) : BETS

38. Songwriter Jacques : BREL. And singer, video(2:39).

40. Wears at the edges : FRAYS

41. Social network for short messages : TWITTER

43. Bids : OFFERS

44. Male offspring : SONS

47. Old Russian monarch : TSAR

48. Prefix with sphere : ATMO. (atmosphere)

49. Guitar ridge : FRET

50. Volcanic output : LAVA

52. Does some sums : ADDS

53. Ashen : PALE

54. Hurries : HIEs. "Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear" What a waste of spirits.

55. Legal memo opener : IN RE

58. Feel bad about : RUE

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1)  Here is an updated profile of today's constructor Bernice Gordon.

Our 99-year-old constructor Bernice Gordon

2) To blog regulars: Please email me (crosswordc@gmail.com) if you want to be included in our birthday list or have your pictures included in our Archive section. I'd love to "see" you & celebrate your birthday on the blog!

Thursday, May 24, 2012 Bernice Gordon

Theme: The Boxer Rebellion.

Bernice Gordon turned 98 in January of this year! She usually constructs early week puzzles, so it is a great honor to write up this Thursday offering. Four grid-spanning theme entries define the common word BOXER, and she gives us a pangram just for good measure. Impressive!

17A. BOXERS : FIGHTERS IN A RING. Pow!

26A. BOXERS : SHORTS WORN BY MEN. Wow!

43A. BOXERS : POWERFUL CANINES. Bow!

56A. BOXERS : SHIPPING WORKERS. Now?

Marti here for your Thursday dissection. Let's see what Ms. Gordon has to offer us.

Across:

1. Pilgrim to Mecca : HAJI. One who had completed the Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca is called a hajji (alternate spellings: haji, hadji).

5. Pop singer Miley : CYRUS. She gained fame as Miley Stewart / Hannah Montana on the Disney channel.

10. Window part : PANE. Damn you JazzBumpa! I automatically filled in "sill" without even looking at the downs!

14. Blackberry lily's family : IRIS

15. First lady before Michelle : LAURA. Bush. Michelle Obama.

16. Caddie's suggestion : IRON. My caddie's suggestion? "Take up tennis!"

20. They're seen on airport carousels : IDS. Identification tags on luggage.

21. Sculling tools : OARS

22. It gets into a lather : RAZOR. Fun clue, had me going for a minute.

23. Suggestion opener? : AUTO. Auto-suggestion, or the art of self-hypnosis.

24. Former Heathrow-based flier : BOAC. British Overseas Airway Company, merged with British European Airways in 1974 to form British Airways. And 59-Down - Merged Dutch airline : KLM. Can you say Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.? Now merged with Air-France.

33. Some coins : CENTS. Makes sense to me.

34. Holliday and a dwarf : DOCS. I love it when a plural proper noun can have such a fun clue.

35. Single : ONE. One hundred cents?

36. Join forces : ALLY

37. Corpulent : OBESE. That's just wrong...

39. Not perjured : TRUE

40. Padua possessive : MIO. Not Neapolitan? 3:22

41. One of the Marxes : KARL. I laughed out loud at this one - I went through all five Marx Brothers before I realized Ms. Gordon was pulling my leg!

42. Drawn weapon : SWORD. Did you read the article? She once got an editor fired writing a clue as "The ___ mightier than the sword..."

47. Extreme desire : LUST. What do you lust for?

48. Team that pulls together : OXEN

49. Bottom deck : ORLOP. Maybe Spitzboov can elucidate. Isn't that the deck where the crew usually sleeps?

52. Old Broadway title beau : ABIE. A Jewish fellow and an Irish Catholic gal marry, despite their family's objections. Hilarity ensues.

53. Canada's largest prov. in area : QUE.bec. Map, so you can see for yourself.

60. Hoard, say : SAVE. Anyone watch "Hoarders"?

61. "Air Music" Pulitzer winner, 1976 : ROREM. Ned.

62. Screened fuzz : LINT. Oh, great clue! Who just mentioned the other day, that they thought lint was composed of missing socks? C'mon...you know who you are!

63. Copied : APED

64. Q-tips : SWABS. We all know where not to put them!

65. ___ en scene: stage setting : MISE. From the French "to place".

Down:

1. Music maker : HI-FI. I filled in "Harp" from the "h" off HAJI. grr...

2. Nothing like swampland : ARID.

3. Lively dances : JIGS

4. Suffix suggesting degree : -ISH. Ish thish how I shpeak when I have had a great degree to drink?

5. Some athletic shoes : CLEATS. Do any of you other golfers still have metal cleats? Our course banned them long ago. I don't miss them at all.

6. Plant with feathery leaves : YARROW. I have some in my garden. Lovely!

7. It spans nine time zones: Abbr. : RUSS.ia. Here's the map. (Can't find 9? Check out the little teal-colored blip on the left side.)

8. Ocean State sch. : URI. University of Rhode Island. Gimme.

9. Leader of Jose and Juan? : SAN. Fun clue for a crossword staple. San Jose and San Juan.

10. Maritime crime : PIRACY. Don't sail off the coast of Somalia!

11. St. that turned 100 in February : ARIZ.ona. Oh! I was thinking of St. Valentine!

12. Forbidden thing : NO-NO

13. One working on the RR : ENGR. Abbr. for "Engineer". Working on the railroad.

18. Tipsters : TOUTS. One who "touts" his skill at predicting the outcome of races, and sells those tips to desperate bettors.

19. Most Lebanese : ARABS

23. Superficially cultured : ARTY

24. Family business abbr. : BROS. Brothers.

25. Start of a story : ONCE. upon a time...

26. Troublemaker : SCAMP

27. Sun: Pref. : HELIO

28. Keeping food warm, as an oven : ON LOW

29. Children's author Scott : O'DELL. Don't know him. I was more into Nancy Drew mysteries...

30. Dimwit : MORON. And 37-Down: Bozos : OAFS.

31. Habituate : ENURE

32. They can't be ignored : NEEDS. What do you need?

38. Cologne first launched by Faberge : BRUT

39. Baseballer named for two cities : TWIN. Minneapolis and St. Paul are the Twin Cities.

41. Essen industrial family name : KRUPP. 400-year old German dynasty of manufacturers. Not to be confused with the Krups coffee maker - that's a different family.

42. Look of scorn : SNEER. JazzBumpa, you explained "leer" and "ogle" so well yesterday!

44. Fled to Gretna Green, say : ELOPED. Gretna Green is the Las Vegas of Scotland.

45. Finespun trap : COBWEB

46. Self-evident truths : AXIOMS

49. Greek mount : OSSA. Mount Ossa. Beautiful!

50. Gershwin wrote one "in Blue":Abbr. : RHAP. I never knew Gershwin was into rhap music. 7:03

51. Risky, TV show-wise : LIVE. Other than the news, are any shows still "live"?

52. Indian city on the banks of the Yamuna : AGRA. India - city - four letters: agra.

53. Cunard flagship for 35 yrs. : QEII. Queen Elizabeth II. She was re-fitted to help the troops in The Falklands. Then she was revamped again and sailed until she was retired in 2008.

54. Samovars : URNS.

55. Tivoli's Villa d'___ : ESTE. This place. You can see why it is a UNESCO world heritage site.

57. Taxing org. : IRS. Thank goodness that's over for me this year. Anyone file an extension?

58. The present : NOW. This instant! (Sorry - gotta go!)

Answer grid.

Hugs,
Marti

Note from C.C.:

Here is a lovely picture outside Dummy Dennis' condo. He has his breakfast in the deck every morning. Heavenly!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012 Bernice Gordon

Theme: Fed Ex Delivery - I think this video explains the theme.

20A. Sounding relieved : HEAVING A SIGH

25A. Doing witch's work : CASTING A SPELL

42A. Preparing greens : TOSSING A SALAD

47A. Losing it : THROWING A FIT

Argyle here with our birthday girl, Bernice Gordon. I don't know the exact date but she will be 98 this month. We had one from her last winter(here) on a Wednesday and some of today's felt like a Wednesday. The grid has 10 cheater squares. (Because of the themes being close to each other?)

Across:

1. Terminer's partner, in law : OYER. The designation "court of oyer and terminer" is French, to hear and decide.

5. Arouse from sleep : WAKE 9A. What insomniacs count : SHEEP. Now that's a cute pairing.

14. Present : HERE

15. Leaf-to-branch angle : AXIL

16. Terra __: pottery clay : COTTA

17. User's morning reading : MAIL

18. French-American soprano Lily : PONS. She specialized in the coloratura soprano repertoire. A nice write-up goes with this clip.(3:32)

19. Ran competitively : RACED

23. Favorite : PET

24. News agcy. since 1958 : UPI. United Press International.

32. "What light through yonder window breaks?" speaker : ROMEO

33. Arizona natives : YUMAs. Also called the Quechan. Make a note of it; it could be in a puzzle late in a week. That reminds me this puzzle is just short a Q from being a pangram.

34. Corn unit : EAR

36. Like the Gobi : ARID

37. "King Solomon's Mines" hero Quatermain : ALLAN. Always reminds me of Alan Quartermaine, a soap opera character on General Hospital.

38. Snug and comfy : COZY

39. Get some morning exercise : JOG

40. Apply for __: try to borrow money : A LOAN

41. Transplant recipient : DONEE

45. Purring pet : CAT

46. Conclusion : END

53. Louisiana marsh : BAYOU. Blue Bayou.(2:29)

55. Baseball family name : ALOU

56. Carbon compound : ENOL

58. Flynn of film : ERROL

59. Like much early TV : LIVE

60. Neutral shade : ECRU

61. Jules's 43-Down : ÉCOLE

62. New Zealand parrots : KEAs

63. Strong taste : TANG

Down:

1. Electrician's unit : OHM. Unit of electrical resistance.

2. Slangy assent : "YEAH"

3. Lake where Perry achieved an 1813 victory : ERIE. Funny coincidence, the Battle of Lake Erie is also called the Battle of Put-in-Bay. It resulted in the famous message: We have met the enemy and they are ours.

4. Became ill again : RELAPSED

5. Antlered animal : WAPITI. Elk

6. Nerve cell transmitter : AXON

7. Certain monarch : KING of the jungle and 8D. Lioness in "Born Free" : ELSA

9. Big name in newspaper publishing : SCRIPPS. Founded by Edward W. Scripps, U.S. publisher and media financier, in 1878.

10. Sub in a deli : HOAGIE

11. Emulate Rembrandt : ETCH

12. Summer along the Seine : ÉTÉ

13. Hippie's home : PAD

21. Presidential power : VETO

22. Lazy gal? : SUSAN. Lazy Susan - A revolving tray for foods, condiments, etc., placed usually at the center of a dining table.

25. French landscape painter : COROT. Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot(1796 – 1875)

26. Cancún comrade : AMIGO

27. Parachute fabric : NYLON

28. Soviet labor camp agency : GULAG

29. Radarange maker : AMANA

30. British singer/songwriter Lewis : LEONA. Leona Lewis performing Better In Time.(3:56)

31. Took it easy, with "around" : LAZED

32. British rule in India : RAJ

35. Sandwich choice : RYE

37. 2005 Bush Supreme Court nominee : ALITO (Samuel)

38. Last-minute loss of nerve : COLD FEET

40. Usually : AS A RULE

41. Delany of "China Beach" : DANA. The ABC TV drama aired for three years, from 1988 to 1991, but in that time there were four seasons. Dana.

43. Word after high or tech : SCHOOL

44. Smooth transitions : SEGUEs

47. Beginner : TYRO

48. Base on balls : WALK. What's a crossword without some sports related clues.

49. Nastase of tennis : ILIE

50. __ Scotia : NOVA

51. Andean native : INCA

52. Struggling with choices : TORN

53. Spelling contest : BEE

54. Pop-up path : ARC. A baseball pop-up.

57. Loutish type : LUG

Answer grid.

Argyle

From C.C.:

1) Thanks for the newspaper information yesterday. I've updated the list.

2) Please click here for an in inspiring article about today's constructor Bernice Gordon. Bernice and the LA Times should have the "oldest constructor" record unless she will be published by the NY Times again this year.

Wednesday February 2, 2011 Bernice Gordon

Theme: OWIE's Pals - Common crossword answers (hence all capitalized) with the O?IE pattern serve as clues, resulting in four grid-spanning phrases.

20A. OPIE : CHILD IN MAYBERRY . "The Andy Griffith Show" boy. Played by Ron Howard.

34A. OBIE : THEATRICAL AWARD. Off-Broadway.

43A. OKIE : MAN FROM MUSKOGEE. Does this refer to Merle Haggard's "Okie from Muskogee"?

58A. ODIE : GARFIELD'S FRIEND. Drooling dog.

C.C. here. Got up and found no post from Melissa. Hope she's safe.

I'll get the blog skeleton here so the post will be published in time. Will fill in more content later. (Updated at 5:50am: Blog is complete now. Thanks for the patience.)

Bernice Gordon is 96 years old, probably the oldest constructor in the world. Here is a fascinating article about her. Inspiring! (Correction; Ms. Gordon just celebrated her 97th birthday. Thanks, Rich.)

Across:

1. Purchases : BUYS

5. One way to cope : ADAPT

10. Key of Brahms's Symphony No. 3 : F MAJ. Got via crosses. Waiting for Jazzbumpa for the perfect link.

14. Midwest native : OTOE. Quite close to the O?IE pattern.

15. Speeder's downfall : RADAR

16. Attorney general under Clinton : RENO (Janet)

17. Long story : SAGA

18. African title of respect : BWANA. ''Call Me Bwana" .

19. Earth, in Essen : ERDE

23. China's Sun __-sen : YAT. Played a critical role in overthrowing the last emperor of China. He's the brother-in-law of Chiang Kai-shek.

24. Gallery administrator's deg. : MFA

25. Cry of success : YES

26. "Wait, there's more ..." : AND

29. Ring 5-Downs : REFS. Boxing ring I presume? And 5D. Settler? : ARBITER

32. Last: Abbr. : ULT

40. __-B: dental brand : ORAL

41. Trail : LAG

42. In charge of : OVER

48. Just fine, at NASA : A-OK

49. Hors d'oeuvre spread : PATE. Pâté de foie gras.

50. Fairbanks-to-Anchorage dir. : SSW

51. To the rear : AFT. So is ABAFT.

54. Afternoon break : TEA

56. Sportscaster Cross : IRV. Not familiar with the guy.

65. Leaf-to-branch angle : AXIL. Good illustration.

66. Threshing instrument : FLAIL

67. Sculptor's material : CLAY

68. Anatomical blood carrier : VENA.Vena cava.

69. Specialty : FORTE. I always have the stress on the second syllable.

70. Queen's home : HIVE. Fun fill for Melissa.

71. Blue-pencil : EDIT

72. Shore eagles : ERNES. TERNS too.

73. River to the North Sea : YSER

Down:

1. Northwestern pear : BOSC

2. Where Pioneer Day is celebrated : UTAH. Not aware of this holiday.

3. Teammate of Mickey and Whitey : YOGI. Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford.

4. Simmons alternative : SEALY

6. Early light : DAWN

7. "Bonanza" brother : ADAM

8. Flier until '91 : PAN-AM

9. Waiter's burden : TRAYFUL

10. Thrown in : FREE

11. Like Hood's men : MERRY. Robbin Hood.

12. Tennis great Agassi : ANDRE

13. Down under kids : JOEYS. Kangaroo's kids. "under" should be capitalized.

21. Thrown missile : DART

22. __ Cynwyd, Philadelphia suburb : BALA. No idea.

26. Tiny particle : ATOM

27. Dragsters' org. : NHRA (National Hot Rod Association)

28. Campus VIP : DEAN

30. Kodak product : FILM

31. Rascal : SCAMP

33. "__'Clock Jump": Harry James recording : TWO O'. Total stranger to me.

35. A, in communications : ALFA. NATO alphabet. Spitzboov likes to say "Brave Zulu", meaning very good.

36. Cancún quencher : AGUA

37. Miles per gal., points per game, etc. : AVGs

38. Roger of "Cheers" : REES. His face looks familiar.

39. Made faces, perhaps : DREW. I don't get this clue.

44. Roast, in Rouen : ROTI

45. Painter of Southwestern scenes : O'KEEFFE (Georgia)

46. Puts down : STIFLES

47. "The King and I" actress, 1956 : KERR (Deborah)

51. Desert growth : AGAVE

52. Sent, in a way : FAXED

53. Pop singer Lopez : TRINI. "If I Had a Hammer" singer, though I prefer Peter, Paul and Mary's version.

55. "It's __ nothing!" : ALL OR

57. French hot springs town : VICHY. Oh, so the Vichy Government was named after this town.

59. In need of tuning : FLAT. Tuning what?

60. Do some mending : DARN. Love Kazie's darning avatar.

61. Location : SITE

62. "The Whiffenpoof Song" collegians : ELIs. "The Whiffenpoof" is Yale's a cappella group. Another unknown to me.

63. Church section : NAVE

64. Certain colorist : DYER. Locks changer again.

Answer grid.

C.C.