Thursday, January 7th, 2016 Bruce Haight

Theme: Solve for A=πr², A=(hb)/2, A=wl, or find the areas!

17A. *Figure out, as someone's poker strategy : GET A READ ON. I'm sure I'd make a terrible poker player. I grin when I figure out a crossword answer, I can't imagine what my poker face would look like if I was dealt a royal flush.

21A. *Frighten off : SCARE AWAY

33A. *Disney film cry of discovery : I'M A REAL BOY. From the movie "Pinocchio" released in 1940. The line got a reprise in 2004 in Shrek 2

42A. *Chinese, say : FAR EASTERN. Only if you use a map centered on the zero meridian. If you use a Pacific-centric map then Brazil and Greenland are in the far east.

52A. *Ride crosstown together, perhaps : SHARE A CAB

61A. Group space, and a hint to the answers to starred clues : COMMON AREA

G'day everyone. A straightforward enough theme from Bruce, and the theme did help me with the Pinocchio quote. 60 theme squares, more "A"'s than any other letter due to all the AREAS and sundry other trivia. A pleasant enough ride, patently fair crosses to unlock the unknowns and some other interesting stuff. Let's take a look.

Across:

1. Mrs. Garrett on "The Facts of Life" : EDNA. Who? Never saw the show. Apparently played by Charlotte Russe Rae (who?).

5. Bring shame to : ABASH. This is one of those words where I'm more likely to use the opposite meaning in conversation - I'm sure I've been unabashed a few times, but rarely abashed.

10. Twitter's bird, e.g. : ICON. I had LOGO first. Wrong!

14. Dire fate : DOOM

15. "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding" author : LOCKE. Published in 1689. I should read it, but I probably wouldn't understand it.

16. Poet's preposition : THRO'

Thro’ the ghoul-guarded gateways of slumber,
Past the wan-moon’d abysses of night,
I have liv’d o’er my lives without number,
I have sounded all things with my sight;
And I struggle and shriek ere the daybreak, being driven to madness with fright.
Nemesis — Howard Phillips Lovecraft

19. Brief moments : SECS. Seconds, abbreviated.

20. "Un Ballo in Maschera" aria : ERI TU. Thank you, crosses. Verdi's opera, which translates as "A Masked Ball". The aria appears to be properly known as Eri tu che macchiavi quell'anima / "It was you who stained this soul" but I guess that wouldn't fit.

23. Office suite door letters : ESQ.

25. "Hollywood Squares" immortal : LYNDE. Thank you, crosses. Paul Lynde.

26. Not surprisingly : AS USUAL

30. Full of bubbles : SUDSY. Tried SOAPY first. Took it out.

36. Qatar's capital : DOHA. Don't get me started on the fact that the 2022 FIFA World Cup was awarded to Qatar.

37. Fifth of a dozen : MAY

38. Solar __ : FLARE

39. Promise : VOW

40. "On the double!" : ASAP

45. Place to follow politics : C-SPAN

47. "Told ya!" : SO THERE

48. "__ Daughter": 1970 film : RYAN'S

51. Match at the poker table : SEE. I'll see your $5, and raise you $10.

56. Diary component : ENTRY

60. Go up and down : YO-YO

63. Seasonal refrain : NOËL. Heard more than a few times recently.

64. Assembly line worker : ROBOT

65. Equipment : GEAR

66. Key used in combinations : CTRL. It doesn't do anything by itself other than allow you to exercise your left hand pinkie finger. My last Dell had the key positioned in the lower-left corner of the keyboard with the "Fn" key to the right of it; my new Lenovo reversed the positions so it took a little while to get used to it.

67. Films with many extras : EPICS

68. "College GameDay" airer : ESPN. Founded by Scott and Bill Rasmussen in 1978 and launched in 1979. It is now famous for allowing Chris Berman to appear with one of the worst haircuts in the history of broadcast television.

Down:

1. Advantage : EDGE

2. No couch potato : DOER. Relative of a mover or a shaker.

3. "It was someone else!" : NOT I!

4. Greenhorn : AMATEUR

5. Brown __ : ALE. I was born a few miles from the Tyne Brewery which produced Newcastle Brown Ale until 2004. It's brewed in Yorkshire now, a fact that the company don't promote heavily. The advertising is pretty funny though.

6. Feathery wraps : BOAS

7. "High Voltage" band : AC/DC. Australian rockers. Lead singer Bon Scott was found dead in his car on the morning of February 19th 1980 in East Dulwich, London, two blocks from where I lived at the time.

8. "Bottoms up!" : SKOAL

9. "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speaker : HENRY. Here's Patrick engaged in a little rabble-rousing at the Virginia Convention in 1775. In a church too - shame on him!

10. "That fizzled out" : IT'S A DUD

11. Considered carefully : CHEWED OVER

12. Marine threat : ORCA

13. Getting into the wrong business? : NOSY

18. Charlotte __ : RUSSE. I thought she was an actress, but I discover it's a clothing retail chain. Hey, I'm not exactly in their target demographic - I'm not in my teens nor twenties, and I'm not a woman.

22. USN one-striper : ENS. Navy rank of Ensign. Am I right in saying that a graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis is assigned this rank?

24. 5-Down, for one : QUAFF. Skoal!

26. Stockpile : AMASS

27. Supplicate : SAY A PRAYER

28. "It was __ dream" : ALL A. A common-enough trope in TV, film and comics. Usually extremely annoying unless done really well.

29. Letter-shaped supports : L-BARS. Lacer bars. I looked at a picture of one and have no idea what it's used for.

31. Vacation destination : SHORE

32. Opening at an early-morning class? : YAWN. Lovely clue.

33. 1998 Apple debut : IMAC. It looks ugly as heck now, groundbreaking back then. Steve Jobs hadn't discovered his gray polo-neck period at that point.

34. __ cookies 'n creme: Jell-O flavor : OREO

35. "Leda and the Swan" poet : YEATS

41. Business expense : PAYROLL

43. Radiance : SHEEN

44. Like high-school years : TEENAGE

46. "Fat chance, laddie" : NAE. "If there's nae wind, and nae rain, it's nae golf".

49. Abalone shell layer : NACRE

50. Exclusive : SCOOP

52. Lip-__ : SYNC. Milli Vanilli came a cropper with this one when they tried to lip-sync at the MTV music awards in 1989 and, as the backing track skipped, it became apparent that they weren't actually singing. Research showed that they'd never sung "their" songs, and were stripped of the Grammy for Best New Artist awarded earlier that year. Whoops #1 (See 62D for Whoops #2)

53. Knee-slapper : HOOT

54. Prefix with valence : AMBI. Ouch. I've got mixed feelings about this one :)

55. Class pres., say : B.M.O.C. Big man on campus.

57. Very French? : TRÉS

58. Bring in : REAP

59. Entertaining tale : YARN

62. Extra periods: Abbr. : O.T.S Overtimes. Oregon were leading TCU 31-0 at half-time in the Alamo Bowl on January 2nd. They promptly contrived to lose, 47-41, in triple overtime. Whoops #2.

And ... here's the grid, today's colored version courtesy of OwenKL!

Steve

Sunday, Nov 15, 2015 Bruce Haight

Theme:  "Going on a Bender" - Each of the eight theme entries takes a 90-degree turn.

1A & 6D: Gets hitched : TAKES THE PLUNGE. That's how our TTP got his avatar name.

 

7A & 12D:  Unpopular party gal : DEBBIE DOWNER. Not familiar with this phrase.

13A & 17D. Goes 0 for 20, say : HITS A SLUMP

43D & 65A. PRESS FORWARD. This is where I cottoned onto the gimmick.

48A & 51D: How some Niagara stunts are done : OVER THE FALLS

 

76D & 99A: Passenger's direction at the corner : HANG A RIGHT. Also an easy corner.

74D & 100A: Play a trick (on) : PUT ONE ACROSS

68D & 101A: More than breaking even : COMING OUT AHEAD. A few tricky clues in that corner.

Reveal entry:

58A. Wax eloquent ... and what to do to solve eight puzzle clues : TURN A PHRASE

Across Lite does not allow empty clues, so Rich normally uses a dash to indicate that there's no clue for that word. Dashes often hint at a turning gimmick.

None of the turning phrases is random. Every themer has a key word indicating a downward or forward turn. 

The total symmetry added an extra layer elegance to this grid. It also made filling challenging for the fun-loving Bruce.

Across:

18. Get some fresh air : BREATHE. I just turn to NPR for Terry Gross. 

20. Complained : RAILED

21. Drives unsteadily : WEAVES

22. Give an edge to : SHARPEN. And  81. Giving an edge to : HONING

 23. Maestro Toscanini : ARTURO. My very first entry.

24. Half of a storybook duo : HANSEL. Same letter as Gretel.

25. Knocks in the theater : PANS

26. Seafood entrée : PRAWNS. Isn't strange that PRAWN is plurable but not SHRIMP? Same food.

28. Put an edge on : WHET

30. Big Ten sch. : PSU. The Nittany Lions. All crosses for me.

31. "The Simpsons" disco guy : STU

32. Director's cry : PLACES. I wanted ACTION. When does a director shout "Places"?

33. Already : BY NOW

35. Growth period : BOOM

36. Former South African president for whom a gold coin is named : KRUGER. The coin is  Krugerrand. Named after this guy Paul Kruger. Both stranger to me.

37. Caine captain : QUEEG

38. Stopped lying? : SAT UP. I thought of AROSE first. At least I was in the right direction.

39. One may be personal : TRAINER. And 71. They may be seconded : MOTIONS. Quite a few clue echoes in this puzzle.

41. Harold's film partner : KUMAR

42. Leading : FIRST

43. Book intros : PROLOGS

44. Wisecracks : QUIPS

45. Pac-Man feature : MAZE

46. Call it a night : RETIRE

47. Salad veggies : CUKES. Trader Joe's has these wonderful Persian cucumbers. So crisp and tender.

 

52. Buttermilk rider : EVANS. And 78. Trigger rider : ROGERS

 

53. Bee output : QUILT. Sewing bee! I just can't keep my mind of beeswax.

54. Rains cats and dogs : POURS

56. Zebra on a court : REF

57. Link clicker's destination : SITE

 

60. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" heroine : AYLA. This has become a gimme for me.

61. __-Cat : SNO

62. Beauty's admirer : BEAST. Beauty and the Beast.

63. Hardly seaworthy : LEAKY

64. Divulge : SPILL

 

67. Violin-playing comedian : BENNY. Drew a blank. Sadly I don't know much about Jack Benny. I do know his age though.

68. Price-fixing bloc : CARTEL

69. Spots to crash on the road : INNS

70. Physics particle : QUARK

72. Hogties : BINDS

74. __ willow : PUSSY

75. "Now We Are Six" author : A. A. MILNE. Big fat gimme.

76. __ Sack : HACKY

77. Extremely : QUITE

78. Confrontations : RUN-INS

79. Vanquishers of kings : ACES. Oh, poker.

80. "Designing Women" actress Annie : POTTS.

82. Large vessel : VAT. First thought is URN.

85. Collar : NAB

86. Staff note : MEMO

87. Motley, as a crew : RAGTAG

88. Options list : MENU

89. Matured : GREW UP

91. Ewan's "Moulin Rouge!" co-star : NICOLE. Gimme.

94. Fill with crayons : COLOR IN

96. Commercial charge : AD RATE. And 15. Plugs for tubes? : TV SPOTS

97. Charm : ENAMOR

98. "I'm okay with that" : SUITS ME

Down:

1. Recipe amts. : TBSPs

2. Buddhist who has attained Nirvana : ARHAT. Wiki said it's Sanskrit for "one who is worthy". My landlord in Shanghai completely ruined Buddhism for me. He drank every night. He also burned incense and chanted every night.

3. Reeves of "The Lake House" : KEANU

4. Wave catchers? : EARS. Lovely clue.

5. Indy letters : STP

 

7. Bureau division : DRAWER

8. Merits : EARNS

9. Comic's routines : BITS

10. __-ray Disc : BLU

11. Comparative suffix : IER

13. Cops : HEAT

14. Creator of Q and M : IAN. James Bond.

16. Escorts to the door : SEES OUT

 

19. Infuriates : ENRAGES

21. "That was a close one!" : WHEW

27. Taiwan-based computer company : ACER. Our monitor. Great quality.

29. Monopolize : HOG

32. Group below abbots : PRIORS

33. Removes from the schedule : BUMPS

34. Affirmative votes : YEAs

35. Having less coverage : BARER

36. Tigers Hall of Fame outfielder Al : KALINE.  And 39. Two-time U.S. Open champ : TREVINO. I nailed both. Just saw Lee Trevino at the 3M this summer. He was surprisingly quiet that day. A bit name heavy in this area.

37. "Shh" : QUIET PLEASE. What a great entry.

38. Hat stats : SIZES

40. __ cuff: shoulder muscles : ROTATOR

41. One of Fran's puppets : KUKLA

42. Only NFL quarterback with more than 10,000 pass attempts : FAVRE. I'd not have played for the Vikings.

 44. "Jaws" shark hunter : QUINT. Unknown to me.

45. Timid : MOUSY

47. Junkyard dogs : CURS

49. Fitting comment? : TRY IT ON. Lovely clue/answer.

50. Greek : HELLENE

53. Campus areas : QUADS

54. Popular frat activity : PRANK

55. Like some chards : OAKY. Wine. I kept thinking of the veggie.

58. Shore fliers : TERNS

59. Name of eight English kings : HENRY

60. Typically wet times : APRILs

62. Toss about, as ideas : BANDY

64. Filling fully : SATING

66. Flirtatious signals : WINKS

67. Arrests : BUSTS

 

70. Pack it in : QUIT

71. Rock band 10,000 __ : MANIACS. No idea. Of course I thought of 10,000 lakes for MN.

72. Captain Morgan rival : BACARDI

73. Emotionally cold type : ICEBERG

 

75. Close relative : AUNT

77. Iranian holy city : QOM

80. Toon skunk Le Pew : PEPE

81. Anaheim team, in sportscasts : HALOS. Angels.

82. Frost lines? : VERSE. Robert Frost.

83. Jungian principle : ANIMA

84. Pitched well? : TUNED. This corner was hard for me.

86. Many a shelter resident : MUTT

87. Cowboys quarterback Tony : ROMO

88. Light-loving flier : MOTH

90. Nursery noise : WAH

92. Business magazine : INC

93. Monopoly token : CAR

95. __ Fáil: Irish coronation stone : LIA. This I learned from the Wayne R. Williams era. We had this all the time.

C.C.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015 Bruce Haight

Theme: H-D - Heavy Duty Harley-Davidson Hot Dogger (Hipster Doofus)

17A. Just swell : HUNKY-DORY. (The Phrase Finder)

21A. Serious romantic outing : HEAVY DATE

28A. Pursue and catch : HUNT DOWN

37A. Stylist's appliance : HAIR DRYER

49A. Yosemite granite formation : HALF DOME. (Photo)

56A. Sitcom with Richie and the Fonz : HAPPY DAYS. (1974 to 1984)

62A. Lowe's rival : HOME DEPOT. (home improvement retailer)

71A. How many TV shows are shown, and a hint to the seven longest across answers' common feature : IN HD. (in High Definition)

Argyle here. What may be lacking in quality is more than made up in quantity. Seven theme entries; an interesting collection. Some fill that might trip up a tyro but veterans should suss easily.

Across:

1. Woman who turns up in Rick's gin joint : ILSA

5. 41st or 43rd president : BUSH

9. National park in the Canadian Rockies : BANFF

14. __-chef : SOUS

15. One of Pittsburgh's three rivers : OHIO. 2 into 1. The Ohio River is formed by the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers.

16. Like a loud crowd : AROAR

19. Itsy-__ : BITSY

20. Generous __ fault : TO A

23. Hot beverage server : TEA URN. A change-up from the coffee urn.

26. Personal ad abbr. : SWF. (Single White Female)

27. Sawmill input : LOG. Lumber output.

31. South Seas wrap : SARONG

33. Freshman and sr. : YRs. (years)

34. Aussie hoppers : ROOS

36. Affected coyness, with "the" : CUTES

40. Hot under the collar : HET UP

43. Button pressed for silence : MUTE

44. Pal of Huck : TOM. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn

47. Cellphone reminders : ALERTS

52. Dues payer: Abbr. : MEM. (member)

53. Chocolate pooch : LAB

55. Like Huck and Yosemite, nounwise : PROPER names.

60. Hosp. trauma centers : ERs

61. Outwit : ONE-UP

66. Ionian Sea island : CORFU

67. Spellbound : AGOG

68. Mickey and Mighty : MICE

69. Cheez Whiz company : KRAFT

70. Shakespearean villain : IAGO. Iago is Othello's trusted advisor but is not to be trusted.

Down:

1. "More or less" suffix : ISH

2. Gehrig who usually batted after Ruth : LOU. Yankee's

3. Baskers' acquisitions : SUNTANS

4. Invite to the movies, say : ASK OUT

5. Gym specimen : BOD. Both words are shortened.

6. "Oops!" : "UH, OH!"

7. Father : SIRE

8. Georgetown team : HOYAS

9. Youthful countenance : BABYFACE

10. Saharan : ARID

11. Very few : NOT A LOT

12. Slick trick that's "pulled" : FAST ONE

13. Prepare a sunny-side-up breakfast : FRY EGGS

18. Three feet : YARD

22. Bugs and Rabbits, e.g. : VWs. (Volkswagen cars)

23. Your, of yore : THY

24. Where It.'s at : EUR. Italy/Europe

25. More formal "Me neither!" : "NOR I!"

29. Wriggly bait : WORM

30. "Ya think?" : "NO DUH!"

32. 1921 robot play : R.U.R. (Rossum´s Universal Robots)

35. Span. miss : SRTA. Señorita

37. "Ben-__" : HUR

38. "Well said" : "APTLY PUT"

39. Business review website : YELP

40. Pork knuckle : HAM HOCK

41. Rigby of Beatles fame : ELEANOR

42. Egg-based paint : TEMPERA. Don't try to fry it.

44. Some English, at Wimbledon : TOP SPIN

45. Cockney abode : 'OME

46. Body of eau : MER. French water/sea.

48. Unhappy : SAD

50. Mister Rogers : FRED

51. Scale starters : DO RE MI

54. Religion founded in Persia : BAHA'I

57. Drag on a cigar : PUFF ergo 59D. Urban haze : SMOG

58. Flexibility-improving discipline : YOGA

63. Swelled head : EGO

64. Scot's "Oh my!" : "OCH!"

65. Actor Knight : TED. from the Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Argyle

Friday, October 9, 2015, Bruce Haight

Theme: A few quick NOTES.

I knew it was Friday and we were in for some shenanigans when I saw the blank grid with the three interesting shapes from NW to SE.  I was not immediately sure what they were, but having done Bruce's E puzzle, I was ready. The asterisks and the reveal made this doable but it was a challenge. Bruce has decided to create a six themer,with a reveal, where each 7 letter word has only letters which can be notes (A B C D E F and G). This one is a visual treat, with the short theme answers leaving room for a boatload of sparkly fill.  AKIHITO,  A LACK OF,  APOLLO I,  BAGGAGE, BUSSING,  DO I DARE,  EROTICA, GONERIL, LATINOS, OLEANNA.  ON TOP OF, RELEARN, POP-UP ADS,  BICAMERAL,  NATURALIST, POLICEWOMAN. These are not all easy, but they were fun. He also uses the downs to create triple stacks of 7s in each corner with the theme on the outside, intersecting with two double stacks. Add two 10 letter climbers and there is your puzzle. Bruce, I like your style. let's walk.

32A. *Vandalized, in a way : DEFACED (7). Like your street artists?

39A. *Head of the produce section? : CABBAGE (7). Lettuce dispense with bad vegetable puns, please!

1D. *Yielded : ACCEDED (7).

12D. *Place for oats : FEEDBAG (7). No horsing around.

36D. *Emotional burden : BAGGAGE (7). Looks like CABBAGE's evil twin.

42D. *Wiped out : EFFACED (7). I realize with the limitation of using only 7 letters things will look similar, but this and 32A are really close.
and the reveal

52A. They're graphically represented three times in this grid ... and the answers to starred clues are the six longest common words than can be spelled using only them : NOTES (5).

Across:

1. Stirs : ADOS.

5. He wrote about "a midnight dreary" : POE. Now, 170 years since publication; a sample:
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

8. Gobble (up) : SNARF.

13. Die, with "out" : CONK. Like a car engine.

14. Blog entry : POST. Weekly.

15. Capital of India : RUPEE. We get both kinds back to back in this clecho.

16. Capital __ : CITY.

17. Colorful fish : OPAH. Also known as moonfish.

18. Took the wrong way? : STOLE. Nice clue.

19. Old Tokyo : EDO.

20. Haul to the kitchen, as groceries : LUG IN. I like the word lug, but no this fill.

22. Word before or after dog : SLED.  I do like the challenge of before and after words. 4D. Word before or after blue : SKY.

23. High-five relative : DAP. We had this fist bump recently.

24. Poison remedy : IPECAC. Now controversial emetic. LINK. And more next door clecho.

26. Poison test site : LAB.

27. Steamy stuff : EROTICA.

30. Queen of the Goths in Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus" : TAMORA. We get some Shakespeare almost every Friday.

33. Romantic activity : BUSSING. Great word; not affirmative action but "a kiss," 1560s; probably of imitative origin, as are Welsh and Gaelic bus "kiss, lip," French baiser "kiss" (12c., from Latin basiare), Spanish buz, German dialectal Buss. (Dictionary).

34. Words of wisdom : SAWS. Generally old ones.

35. Country on the Strait of Hormuz : IRAN.

36. Ravel classic : BOLERO. A brief X-rated scene

43. Old-style warning : ALARUM.

44. Rather little : A LACK OF.

45. Understand : GET. Ah, I get it.

46. Deli staple : SALAMI.

49. Like Beethoven's "Pastoral Symphony" : IN F.

50. Horse show concern : GAIT.

53. 2000 World Series venue : SHEA. The SUBWAY Series.

54. Yearbook, e.g. : ANNAL.

56. Bakery buy : TART.

57. Newspaper fig. : CIRCular.

58. Little garden party? : GNOME. Really cute clue for an ugly statue.

59. Mazatlán Mrs. : SRA. Senora.

60. End in __ : A TIE.

61. Facilitated : EASED.

62. Suffer : AIL.

63. Squealed : TOLD. My brothers and I learned early to never squeal on each other.

Down:

2. "Is it worth the risk?" : DO I DARE. Nice letter pattern and stack.

3. Knowledgeable about : ON TOP OF. Old Smokey?

5. Online annoyances : POP-UP ADS.

6. Oklahoma county in which a 2008 Pulitzer-winning drama is set : OSAGE. Anybody? LINK.

7. Work __ : ETHIC.

8. Many AARP mems. : SRS. Seniors,

9. "Darn it!" : NUTS.

10. Ill-fated 1967 mission : APOLLO I.  Sad HISTORY. HG?

11. Brush up on : RELEARN.

14. Member of the force : POLICEWOMAN. PEPPER was so spicy. 28D. 14-Down's need, at times : TASER.

21. Darwin, for one : NATURALIST. He ran around without clothes?

25. Fruit named for a Turkish town : CASABA. This MELON named for KASABA.

29. Legendary flier : ICARUS. Poor guy, it was his fall that made him famous.

31. "Morning Joe" airer : MSNBC. Do you watch?

33. Like Congress : BICAMERAL. Two bodies.

37. 1992 Mamet play : OLEANNA. And 1994 MOVIE.

38. Fast-growing U.S. ethnic group : LATINOS.

40. Reigning emperor of Japan : AKIHITO.


41. Regan's poisoner, in Shakespeare : GONERIL. An extra Will.

47. "__ luck!" : LOTSA.

48. Asteroids maker : ATARI.

51. Subdue : TAME.

53. "Buzz off!" : SCAT. I see scat for four legged animals, buzz off for two.

55. Went first : LED. In this case, out the door as another week has passed. Thanks Bruce for your semi-annual Friday LAT. Another week, on that note.... Lemonade out.

Friday, August 7, 2015, Bruce Haight

Theme: The Key is on the Board

Three theme answers are common phrases with the first word replaced with the abbreviation for a word whose abbreviation appears on a standard computer keyboard. Does Apple had the same keys? Nope Option key.... Apple in 3 days. If only Bruce had worked in CAPS LOCK he would have managed all the abbreviations on the standard keyboard (ignoring stuff like NUM LOCK, PG DN on the little part). I did Bruce's first LAT, which had no E's as well as a Latin Pun, so this one seemed easy in comparison. My only stumbling block was the mental meltdown that left me grasping for AFTA, which was my last fill, coming from 'FRAID SO. Speaking of which, it was the seven letter fill, much of which was fun, that opened up the grid for me. ALABAMA,  ESTRADA, LA LAKER,  OIL HEAT,  OTHELLO,  PIG IRON, PRY OPEN,  SLED DOG,  TEAPOTS,  WHAT THE,  WIN BACK gave me footholds in each region.

17A. DVD extras, perhaps : ALTernate ENDINGS (10). Don't you wonder about a movie that has different endings filmed; make up your mind!

29A. Ones getting away often : ESCape ARTISTS (10). Is there artistry in escaping?

45A. Hardly team players : ConTRoL FREAKS (10). A term that emerged in the 60's.

58A. Place to see part of 17-, 29- and 45-Across : Personal Computer KEYBOARD (10). So all you had do was look down and you had the theme at your fingertips- literally!


Across:

1. Lamentations : WOES. Sounds religious. 50D. Sound of lament : SOB.  Safer than using the initialism.

5. Handle indelicately : PAW AT. I am sure the cats and dogs of the world would disagree; CED link away (manac where are you?).

10. Mennen skin product : AFTA. I do not use shaving products anymore.

14. That ol' boy's : HIS'N. With my wife's family from Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee, this was a gimme.

15. PABA part : AMINO. para-aminobenzoic acid, a natural ingredient in sunscreen no longer in favor.

16. Ready : PREP.

19. Allen contemporary : PAAR. Jack Paar replace Steve Allen on the Tonight Show when I was quite young and we had no television.

20. Court long shots : THREES. Three point shots in basketball; the most famous in Miami history...

21. Order : BOSS. I expect "around" to be around.

23. SEC concern : IPO. Initial Public Offering.

24. Wrenches : TEARS. I expect "from" to be around.

25. Wave catcher? : EAR. Sound waves; very tricky.

26. Aftermarket item : ADD ON.

28. "I've been __!" : HAD. A mini-theme? 33A. "Don't __" : ASK. And...48A. "What a kidder!" : OH YOU. 1D. "Huh?" : WHAT THE....or wtf in textspeak. 11D. "Hate to be the one to tell ya" : 'FRAID SO.

31. Letters from Greece : ETAS.

34. Jam ingredients? : AUTOS. Very tricky; traffic jam.

35. "Women and Love" author Shere : HITE.

37. Nurses at a bar : SIPS. Not your pick up target....

38. Hold forth : OPINE.

40. Shaver : LAD. Are you familiar with the 'little shaver?' 47A. Rap name adjective : LIL. Wayne?

41. Blathers : YAPS.

49. Some tees : XLS. Extra Large.

50. Old West transport : STAGE Coach. We took a ride in one at Old Sturbidge Village while up north in June? Any of our other New Englanders made that ride?

52. Modernist's prefix : NEO. Seems redundant.

53. Bracketology org. : NCAA. The process of rating the college basketball teams for March Madness.

55. More than gloomy : MORBID.

56. Yodeler's range? : ALPS. Not his/her vocal range but the mountain range. Do you yodel while skiing the Alps miss m.?

60. Parts of Polynésie française : ILES. The islands in Polynesia.

61. Alamogordo event : A-TEST. Not sure why I get so many references to bomb testing.

62. 19th-century novel with the chapter "How They Dress in Tahiti" : OMOO. Memo to self: Avoid Moby Dick comments!!

63. Novelist Jaffe : RONA. Many of her BOOKS became movies.

64. Fergie's given name : SARAH. This took a very long time because I thought of HER not HER.

65. Twinge : PANG. Jealousy?

Down:

2. Alternative to gas : OIL HEAT. We had an oil burning furnace in our home when I was growing up. We were shocked  to learn one winter in Fort Lauderdale that our office building had NO heating system at all.

3. "CHiPs" actor : ESTRADA. Poor Larry Wilcox gets no love.

4. Unpleasant look : SNEER. Nobody did that better than Snidely.

5. Inflates improperly : PADS. More deception; the expense account, not Tom Brady's footballs.

6. Cherbourg chum : AMI. Just French.

7. Recover : WIN BACK. Often the goal at a casino.

8. Wool variety : ANGORA. Do not get your rabbits and goats confused. READ.

9. Evict : TOSS.

10. Kindle download : APP. This was so easy I had trouble with it.

12. Brewing vessels : TEA POTS. Too much beer in my life, another easy one gone wrong.

13. They have strings attached : APRONS. Cute.

18. Super __: game console : NES. I loved playing Mario with my sons.

22. Suddenly became interested : SAT UP. And took notice.

25. Latin being : ESSE. From when we get essence.

27. Like a flibbertigibbet : DITSY. My favorite ONE. (4:00)

29. Peter, pumpkinwise : EATER. Talk about your weird poetry; luckily we have Owen and Moe.
Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater
Had a wife, and couldn't keep her.
He put her in a pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.

30. Invades : RAIDS.

32. Imaginary playmate in a Neil Diamond title : SHILO.

36. For kicks : IN FUN.

37. Upscale retail chain : SAKS. Fifth Avenue.

38. "Then must you speak / Of one that loved not wisely but too well" speaker : OTHELLO. Love Shakespeare, feel bad for foolish Othello.

39. Jimmy : PRY OPEN.

40. Shaq, for eight seasons : LA LAKER. Now he and George Foreman are competing for the most commercials.

42. First state, in a way : ALABAMA. Alphabetically.

43. Smelting intermediary : PIG IRON. Did you know this HISTORY?

44. Iditarod sight : SLED DOG.

45. 1997 Nicolas Cage thriller : CON AIR.

46. Handicapper's option : EXACTA. Along with the Trifecta and the Pick 6, favorites of the gamblers. You pick the horse that finish 1/2, in order.

51. Company : TROOP. Still my favorite.

54. Frequent e-Filers : CPAS. Court papers are no almost all e-filed.

55. Bit of lore : MYTH.

57. Org. issuing nine-digit numbers :  SSA. Social Security Administration.

59. That, in Spain : ESA. how perfect a place to finish. I enjoyed this immensely. Thanks Bruce and for the rest of you Lemonade out.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015 Bruce Haight

Theme: It's the berries

39A. Word that can follow the starts of 17-, 26-, 50- and 58-Across : BERRIES

17A. Scary R.L. Stine series for kids : GOOSEBUMPS. Gooseberry - Wiki.

26A. Panamas, e.g. : STRAW HATS. Strawberry.

50A. Witchcraft and such : BLACK ARTS. Blackberry.

58A. Symbols of Democratic victories : BLUE STATES. Blueberry.

Argyle here. All theme entries are in plural form. Very consistent.

The two longest entries are not theme related but are in the columns so not a problem. Three of the berries may be on your breakfast table but gooseberry, not so much.

Across:

1. Like a sluggard : LAZY

5. Bottomless pit : ABYSS

10. Diving duck : SMEW

14. Woodwind with nearly a three-octave range : OBOE

15. Popeye's nemesis : BLUTO

16. Water-draining aid : EAVE. Perhaps in the sense it spaces the rain out from the base of the wall.

19. Barely makes, with "out" : EKES

20. Construction beam : I-BAR

21. Invention protection : PATENT

23. __ the races : OFF TO. Preakness prediction?

29. Crossword constructor's chore : CLUING

31. "Fiddlesticks!" : "OH, DARN!"

32. Small boys : TADS

33. Scoundrel : ROUE

35. New York governor before Pataki : CUOMO. Tricky...Mario is the father of current governor Andrew.

38. Hosp. heart test : EKG. Here we go again.

41. Squishy lowland : FEN

42. R&B singer __ Marie : TEENA

44. Toon Snorkasaurus : DINO. The Flintstones' pet.

45. Way off in the distance : AFAR

46. Magazine with an annual list of the world's 2,000 biggest public companies : FORBES

48. In a wise way : SAGELY

53. Succinct : TERSE

54. Get a new actor for : RECAST

55. Fictional reporter Lane : LOIS

57. Memo abbr. : ATTN.

64. Like racehorses : SHOD

65. Grimm brutes : OGREs

66. Smitten to the max : GAGA

67. Parade honoree : HERO

68. Meddlesome sort : YENTA

69. Unrestrained indulgence : ORGY

Down:

1. Shipboard diary : LOG

2. Blood typing system : A-B-O

3. Field trip destination : ZOO

4. Adamant affirmation : "YES, IT IS!"

5. "Take a Chance on Me" group : ABBA

6. Makes fuzzy : BLURS

7. "Delicious!" : "YUM!"

8. "The Racer's Edge" : STP

9. Steel-wool scrubber : SOS PAD

10. Sheer, informally : SEE-THRU

11. Seller's suggestion : MAKE AN OFFER

12. Javelin throw, for one : EVENT

13. Adam and Mae : WESTs

18. "... the __ blackness of the floors": Poe : EBON

22. Gulf War defense acronym : AWACS. A(irborne) W(arning) A(nd) C(ontrol) S(ystem)

23. Nonet minus one : OCTET. 9-1=8

24. Speck of snow : FLAKE

25. Experimental margin of error : FUDGE FACTOR

27. Trap victim? : TOURIST

28. Germany's longest river, to Germans : RHEIN. (the Rhine)

30. Univ. senior's exam : GRE. (Graduate Record Examination)

34. Ham sandwich and a soda, e.g. : ORDER. "Would you like some fries or chips with that?"

36. Lunch and dinner : MEALS

37. How ham may be served : ON RYE

39. Sounds from pounds : BARKS

40. Daybreak goddess : EOS

43. "Sorry, that's impossible" : "NO CAN DO"

45. In the distant past : AGES AGO

47. Dugout assistant : BATBOY

49. Quarreling : AT IT

50. In-your-face : BRASH

51. River in Hades : LETHE. Its water caused forgetfulness of the past.

52. Wintry precipitation : SLEET

56. Peak of Greek myth : OSSA. In Greek mythology, the Aloadaes are said to have attempted to pile Mount Pelion on top of Mount Ossa in their attempt to scale Olympus.

59. Shirt size abbr. : LGE

60. Coffee dispenser : URN

61. Roofing sealer : TAR

62. __ on your face : EGG

63. Put into words : SAY

Argyle

Monday, March 30, 2015 Bruce Haight

 Theme: No Grey Area - Everything is black-and-white.

17. Black-and-white cruiser : PATROL CAR

25. Black-and-white puzzles : CROSSWORDS

30. Black-and-white music makers : PIANO KEYS

45. Black-and-white companion : DALMATIAN

50. Black-and-white flag : JOLLY ROGER

64. Black-and-white ocean predator : ORCA WHALE

Argyle here. Bruce seems to manage a different style of puzzle every time he visits us. Straightforward clues, six themed entries; easy Monday. A lot of 5-letter entries results in a lot of 3-letter entries but a fair trade-off.

          Something for Tinbeni.

Across:

1. Also : TOO

4. Hotelier Helmsley : LEONA. "Queen of Mean".

9. Make small adjustments to : TWEAK

14. Post-ER area : ICU. (intensive care unit)

15. First stage : ONSET

16. ABBA's "__ Mia" : MAMMA

19. High-tech prefix with space : CYBER

20. Memorial __ Kettering: NYC hospital : SLOAN * Cancer Center founded in 1884.

21. Teensy bit : A TAD

23. Word on a penny : CENT

24. Yin's partner : YANG

27. When doubled, a Pacific island : BORA

29. Actor DiCaprio, familiarly : LEO

35. "The Jetsons" boy : ELROY

39. Go over snow : SKI

40. Painkiller with a Meltaways children's brand : TYLENOL

42. "__ Maria" : AVE

43. 2014 film about civil rights marches : SELMA

47. Outfielder's asset : ARM

49. Brouhahas : ADOs

56. Take five : REST

59. October birthstone : OPAL

60. Curly-horned goat : IBEX

61. Happen : OCCUR

62. Really casual "No prob!" : "NATCH!". Tenuous connection.

66. Pal of Threepio : ARTOO. (R2-D2)(C-3PO)

67. Behave theatrically : EMOTE

68. Type : ILK

69. Way up or way down : STEPS

70. Meeting of church delegates : SYNOD

71. Albany is its cap. : NYS. (New York State) *Slight dupe with 20-Across clue.

Down:

1. Slightly sloshed : TIPSY

2. City in Florida's horse country : OCALA. We had this last Monday. Remember?

3. Released from jail until trial : OUT ON BAIL

4. Diving lake bird : LOON. Very apt for this puzzle.

5. Picture that shows more detail: Abbr. : ENL. (enlargement)

6. "Sesame Street" grouch : OSCAR

7. "Sweet!" : "NEATO!" 10D. "Totally awesome!" : "WAY COOL!"

8. Gillette razors : ATRAs

9. HBO rival : TMC. The Movie Channel (TMC) is a cable and satellite network that is owned by the Showtime Networks, a subsidiary of CBS Corporation

11. Campfire glower : EMBER

12. Modify, as a law : AMEND

13. Go-__: mini racers : KARTS

18. Tease relentlessly : RAG ON. "of unknown origin"

22. ISP option : DSL. (internet service provider/digital subscriber line) It's been hashed over before; just accept it and move on.

25. Like dense brownies : CAKY. or CAKEY. (Spell Check didn't like either.)

26. Little shaver, to Burns : WEE LAD

28. Dial type on old phones : ROTARY

30. Ltr. add-ons : PSs. (Postscripts)

31. Eisenhower nickname : IKE. Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President.

32. Days of yore, quaintly : ELD

33. Supporting vote : YEA

34. NBC show that celebrated its 40th anniversary in Feb. : SNL. (Saturday Night Live)

36. Cause an uproar of Biblical proportions? : RAISE CAIN

37. Fertility clinic eggs : OVA

38. Itch : YEN

41. Actor Sharif : OMAR. (Omar Sharif)

44. Shoplifter catcher, often : MALL COP

46. Handheld burning light : TORCH

48. Med. scan : MRI. (magnetic resonance imaging)

50. __ Brothers: pop music trio : JONAS. Come and gone.

51. Dizzying painting genre : OP ART

52. Coffeehouse order : LATTE

53. Bassoon relatives : OBOEs

54. Potentially infectious : GERMY

55. Former jailbird : EX-CON

57. Tarnish : SULLY

58. Tough hikes : TREKs

61. Didn't pay yet : OWED

63. Laughs from Santa : HOs

65. From __ Z : A TO

Argyle