Monday, September 12, 2016 Brock Wilson

Theme: 2 by 6 - Six theme entries that start with the same two letters.

16A. Crustacean catcher: LOBSTER POT

25A. Weapon in Clue: LEAD PIPE

42A. Slip for a tardy student: LATE PASS

55A. Decorator's wall prettifier: LATEX PAINT

10D. Backyard bash: LAWN PARTY

32D. Keats or Byron, e.g.: LYRIC POET

55D. Collectors' albums ... and a hint to six puzzle answers: LP's

Argyle here. Quantity over quality. A simple two letter theme(but six of them) with a grid that is compartmentalized makes this a stiff Monday. This Brock's third puzzle and perhaps his most complex yet. Not very many names which will make some happy. With LP's as the unifier, I should find some album songs to post. Update: I didn't find much.

Across:

1. Is blessed with, as talent: HAS

4. Creator of Finn and Sawyer: TWAIN, Mark.

9. Leave rolling in the aisles: SLAY

13. That, in Spain: ESA

14. "Olde" store: SHOPPE

15. Ring over an angel: HALO

18. Out of town: AWAY

19. Intent: PURPOSE

20. OB/GYN procedure: AMNIO. (amniocentesis)

21. Hiding spot for a cheater's ace: SLEEVE

22. Put off bedtime: STAY UP, but after 4 hours....

27. Brewery product: ALE

30. "Defending our rights" org.: ACLU. (American Civil Liberties Union)

33. Electrified atoms: IONs

34. Scans for injured athletes, briefly: MRIs. (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

35. __ Mawr College: BRYN. Welsh for "big hill".

36. Piece of pizza: SLICE

37. To-do list entry: ITEM

38. Worse-than-one's-bite quality: BARK

39. Online TV giant: HULU. Any users?

40. Since, in a holiday song: SYNE

41. Fifi's friend: AMI

45. Like the Arctic, compared to most of the planet: COLDER

47. Two-base hit: DOUBLE

51. Debate issue: TOPIC

53. Illness characterized by a red rash: MEASLES

54. Soon, to a bard: ANON

58. Subtle look: PEEK

59. Lion groups: PRIDES

60. Former AT&T rival: GTE.  formerly General Telephone & Electric Corporation (1955–1982)

61. Former fast planes: SSTs. formerly SuperSonic Transport

62. Unemotional: STOIC

63. Bladed gardening tool: HOE. Ah, groundbreaking invention.

Down:

1. Makes a difference: HELPS

2. "I won't tell __!": A SOUL

3. Buffalo hockey player: SABRE

4. Title venue for Hemingway's old man: THE SEA. If you meant, like me, to read it, well, here it is. The Old Man and the Sea.

5. Sported: WORE

6. Kindle download: APP

7. Wall St. debut: IPO. (initial public offering (IPO) first time that the stock of a private company is offered to the public)

8. Volleyball barrier: NET

9. SeaWorld star: SHAMU

11. Jai __: ALAI

12. String-around-your-finger toy: YOYO. Toy of the moment.

14. Cooking appliance: STOVE

17. Explore caves: SPELUNK. "cave, cavern," c.1300, from Old French spelonque or directly from Latin spelunca "a cave, cavern, grotto," from Greek spelynx (genitive spelyngos). An adjective, speluncar "of a cave" is recorded from 1855. ~ Online Etymology Dictionary.

20. Sailor's word of obedience: AYE

22. Information that ruins the ending: SPOILER

23. Costner/Russo golf film: TIN CUP. ¡Golfers!

24. Basilica recess: APSE

26. Water down: DILUTE

28. Bank claim: LIEN

29. Salinger's "With Love and Squalor" girl: ESME

30. Palindromic pop group: ABBA.  No links to albums allowed.

31. Study all night: CRAM

34. Pageant title with 51 contestants (the 50 states plus D.C.): MISS USA

36. Roe source: SHAD

42. Partners' legal entity: Abbr.: LLC. (limited liability company)

43. Madison Ave. bigwig: AD EXEC

44. Most TV "operas": SOAPS. Remember this one?

46. Sounds from sties: OINKS

48. "Mutiny on the Bounty" captain: BLIGH

49. Slow movement: LENTO

50. Perfumer Lauder: ESTÉE

51. Four-note lights-out tune: TAPS

52. Singles: ONEs

53. Prefix with care: MEDI

56. Gallery collection: ART

57. Chihuahua uncle: TIO

               Chihuahua City, Chihuahua State, Mexico.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Steve, who's blogged for us from all over the world. Has any of you ever tried his mayo recipe? So simple. So delicious. I halved everything the second time, as I could not use up the amount the first time. How long do you keep yours, Steve? One article I read suggests that home-made mayo is good for 3 days.

Monday, October 5, 2015 Brock Wilson

Theme: Art Form - Three mediums a sculptor might use.

17A. In a precarious situation : ON THIN ICE

26A. Like a lake during a dead calm : SMOOTH AS GLASS

43A. Permanent : CARVED IN STONE

59A. Art form in which the ends of 17-, 26- and 43-Across may be used : SCULPTURE

Argyle here(a second time; Hit a wrong button and, POOF!, my write up was gone. Oh, well.) Brock's second time also. (Debut little over a year ago.) As I was saying ... we go from transient(ICE) to fragile (GLASS) to solid (STONE). Theme entries are three part. Plethora of four letter entries. Fill is across the board. Two long columns stitch it together.

Across:

1. Having been cut, as grass : MOWN

5. Stage showoffs : HAMS

9. "The Prince and the Pauper" author Mark : TWAIN

14. The "E" in Q.E.D. : ERAT

15. Parisian gal pal : AMIE

16. Salon dye : HENNA

19. Fats Domino genre, briefly : R AND B. (rhythm and blues)

20. Tales of __: misfortunes : WOE. See 23-Across.

21. Market shelves filler: Abbr. : MDSE. (merchandise)

22. Ambles : MOSEYS

23. Pabst brand : STROH'S. The story behind the brand. Forbes

25. Swimmer's path : LANE

32. Dessert with icing : CAKE

34. Mr. Rogers : FRED

35. __ Beta Kappa : PHI

36. Really mess up : RUIN

37. Dude : FELLA

39. Resting atop : UPON

40. State south of Wash. : ORE. (Washington/Oregon)

41. Jury member : PEER

42. Struggle (through), as mud : SLOG

48. Exiled Roman poet : OVID

49. "Right away!" : "IN A SEC!". Demand and response?

52. Added financial burden for drivers : GAS TAX

55. Bag for a picnic race : SACK

57. Massage reaction : [AAH!]

58. Pretended to be : ACTED

61. Glisten : SHINE

62. Mr. Peanut's stick : CANE

63. Pac-12 member : UCLA. 59D. 63-Across, for one: Abbr. : SCH. (school)

64. "The Great" king of Judea : HEROD

65. Rec room centerpiece : HD TV

66. Number one : BEST

Down:

1. Cat conversation : MEOWS

2. "To be, __ to be ..." : OR NOT

3. One being pulled behind a boat : WATER SKIER

4. High degree, in math : NTH

5. "Don't touch that!" : "HANDS OFF!":

6. "London Fields" author Martin : AMIS. London Fields is a black comic, murder mystery novel published in 1989.

7. "Three Blind __" : MICE

8. "Get my point?" : "SEE?"

9. Big crowd : THRONG

10. "Pop goes" critter : WEASEL

11. Novelist Brontë : ANNE. "But he that dares not grasp the thorn Should never crave the rose." She was the youngest and least known of the Brontë sisters.

12. "500" race, familiarly : INDY Indianapolis 500.

13. Hauls off to jail : NABS

18. Texter's "I think ..." : IMHO. (in my humble opinion) IMAO (In My Arrogant Opinion)

22. Live __: Taco Bell slogan : MÁS. LIVE MORE

24. Black cat, to some : OMEN

25. Soup servers : LADLES

27. Fearful : TREPID

28. Her face launched a thousand ships : HELEN. Thus, 1 millihelen is the amount of beauty needed to launch a single ship.

29. Puréed fruit served with pork : APPLESAUCE. Apple orchards around here are having a very good year.

30. "Scram!" : "SHOO!"

31. Perform a ballad : SING

32. Gator's kin : CROC

33. Ghostly emanation : AURA

38. Section describing the United States Constitution's amendment process : ARTICLE V

39. Annapolis inst. : USNA. (United States Naval Academy)

44. Cast a negative ballot : VOTE NO

45. Dodged : EVADED

46. New Jersey fort : DIX

47. Like a GI scraping plates : ON KP

50. Viscounts' superiors : EARLS

51. Glance sideways during a test, maybe : CHEAT

52. Serious cut : GASH

53. Throbbing pain : ACHE

54. Mix in a glass : STIR

55. Large amount : SCAD

56. Marie, to Donny's sons : AUNT. The Osmonds.

60. Place for a soak : TUB. [AAH!]

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

 
Crosswords LA Tournaments will be held on Oct 24, 2015 (Saturday) at the Fowler Museum at UCLA. You don't need to be a wizard solver to participate. As you can see, they have four brackets for different skill levels. Doubles are always fun. Or you can just be a spectator, solving at the same time with other competitors but your grids won't be scored.

It's an annual charity event Elissa Grossman started in 2009 to raise money for Reading to Kids. I hope our readers in SoCal area will attend the event and support the cause. As Elissa said, "with only a few destined to really have a shot at the tip top, it's more about camaraderie among like-minded puzzle enthusiasts."

How fun to mingle with crossword constructors, bloggers and fellow solvers? And have crossword-themed snack? Our Steve attended it a few years ago, and he might be there this year.

Monday, September 8, 2014 Brock Wilson

Theme: Desktop Adjunct - Multifunctional device that goes with a computer.

18A. Dodger pitcher with three 1960s Cy Young Awards : SANDY KOUFAX

31A. Friar from Assisi : FRANCISCAN. Friar Alessandro, the "Singing Monk" of Assisi.

41A. Short exercise dash : WIND SPRINT. Usually sprint to a point and sprint back; repeat.

56A. X-ray imaging technique : FLUOROSCOPY. FDA rap on the subject. LINK

46D. With 57-Down, multifunctional office machine suggested by this puzzle's circles : ALL-IN-. 57D. See 46-Down : ONE. I'm happy with my Brothers.

Argyle here with a debut constructor, I believe. Well done; a touch more difficult than our usual fare but fair none-the-less. The circles weren't necessary to solve it.

Across:

1. In addition : AND

4. Infielder's statistic : ASSIST

10. Mop for a deck : SWAB

14. "The Tell-Tale Heart" author : POE, Edgar Allan.

15. Casual slacks : CHINOS. Out of favor? Chinos vs Khakis

16. __ San Lucas: Baja resort : CABO

17. Frying pan spray : PAM

20. Compare prices : SHOP

22. Classic autos : REOs

23. Very overweight : OBESE

24. Blokes : CHAPS

26. Replacements for flat tires : SPARES

27. Prison sentence shortener : PAROLE

29. Restful resorts : SPAs

33. "Over here!" : "PSST!"

37. Honors with a fancy party : FETES

38. National Gallery architect I.M. __ : PEI

39. Second film in a 2000s horror franchise : SAW II

40. Soviet news source : TASS. Launched December 30, 1902.

43. Charge per day, e.g. : RATE

44. Mall booths : KIOSKS

45. Late-night pioneer Johnny : CARSON

49. Tight spots : BINDS

50. Hilo howdy : ALOHA

51. 50-and-over org. : AARP

53. Sign of sleepiness : YAWN

59. Zodiac lion : LEO

60. "Put up your dukes" duke : FIST. I thought of Bert Lahr first.

61. Cut while shaving : NICKED

62. Faux __: blunder : PAS. "My bad"

63. Middle-earth creatures : ENTs. The good tree people.

64. Diners : EATERS. Never heard it used for the building but for those inside, ok.

65. Cloud locale : SKY

Down:

1. iPhone add-ons : APPs. 21D. Text messaging devices : PHONES

2. Ark captain : NOAH

3. Blue-staters : DEMOCRATS

4. Cooling units, briefly : ACs. Only need them for a few more days in the NorthEast.

5. Wrinkly Chinese dog : SHAR PEI. Aww!

6. Trig ratios : SINES

7. Prefix with European : INDO

8. Versatile beans : SOYS

9. Cluck of reproach : TSK

10. __ diver : SCUBA

11. Communion bread : WAFER

12. Degrade : ABASE

13. They're stacked in moving vans : BOXES

19. "How clumsy of me!" : "OOPS!"

25. Oct. contest whose winner goes to the World Series : ALCS. (American League Championship Series)

26. __ Diego : SAN

27. Dying-out sound : [PFFT!]

28. Region : AREA

29. Heated argument in public, say : SCENE

30. Settled up : PAID

32. Rotating cooking rod : SPIT. What's cooking?

33. Make fun of : PARODY

34. Region including the Matterhorn : SWISS ALPS

35. Kitchen fixture : SINK

36. Little songbirds : TITs

39. Rotate like a top : SPIN but not like a spit.

41. Pale : WAN

42. Ship's captain : SKIPPER

43. Waterfall sound : ROAR

45. Luigi's drink with latte : CAFFÈ

47. Yank out of bed : ROUST

48. Flu season precautions : SHOTS. The next round will be here soon.

49. Penniless : BROKE

51. India's continent : ASIA

52. Bank holding: Abbr. : ACCT.

54. Frail from the flu, say : WEAK

55. Minding business that's not your own : NOSY

58. NFL gains : YDs. (yards)

Argyle