Thursday December 27th 2018 Bruce Haight

Theme: Corner Crossing Crowd - the first and last name theme entries connect with each other in one corner:

1A. Popular peck picker: PETER 
1D. ---: PIPER. This one's a bit of an outlier as the other theme entries emerge - a character from a rhyme, rather than from a cartoon or a movie.

6A. Sinister "Smallville" supervillain: LEX.
6D. ---: LUTHOR. Superman's nemesis.

9A. Ghastly gargantuan gorilla: KING.
9D. ---: KONG.

31A. Conniving carrot cruncher: BUGS.
31D. ---: BUNNY.

35A. Fantastic Four foe: DOCTOR.
35D. ---: DOOM. This was all crosses for me, but not too much of a struggle.

50A. Tall toon toothpick: OLIVE.
50D. ---: OYL. The focus of Popeye's affections.

54A. Flirty Fleischer flapper: BETTY.
54D. ---: BOOP. Oddly, these cartoons were played on British TV in the children's programming. In retrospect, a strange place in the schedule considering the subject matter.

60A. Dedicated DC damsel: LOIS.
60D. ---: LANE. Another from the Superman comics.

Impressive alliterative theme today. I wonder if Bruce played with PETER PARKER rather than PIPER as he would have been more of a fit with the rest of the theme entries, but that would mean stacking 6's in those corners, not always easy.

Let's see what else we've got:

Across:

13. Peaceful: IRENIC. A new word for me today. Derived from the greek word for "peace".

15. Wire service initials: UPI. United Press International. The HQ is in Florida.

16. Music halls of old: ODEA. Odeon in the singular.

17. Black-and-white bears: PANDAS.

18. Like the most rarefied air: THINNEST.

20. DFW postings: ETDS. You need help to decide between ETA, ETD and ARR.

21. Queens tennis stadium: ASHE. The legendary Arthur Ashe. The arena is home to the US Open.

23. Small type size: AGATE. 5.5 typographical points.

24. Seafood delicacy: ROE.

25. "I'm Free" musical: TOMMY. The composer, Pete Townsend, would object to the term "musical". He composed it as the first "rock opera". Here's Elton John as the Pinball Wizard.

27. White House foreign policy gp.: NSC. National Security Council.

30. __ school: PREP. Prep schools in the US prepare the students for college. In the UK, they prepare them for a school (which are private). Go figure.

38. Self-disqualification: RECUSAL.

40. Camden Yards team: ORIOLES. Baltimore ball club.

42. Fret (over): AGONIZE.

43. Like a short report: ONE PAGE.

44. Acted badly: SINNED.

45. Sticky situation: MESS.

46. "You said it": AMEN.

49. NFC East team, on crawl lines: NYG. New York Giants.

51. Big Pharma watchdog: Abbr.: FDA. Food and Drug Administration.

58. "Me? Never!": NOT I!

61. Scenic viewpoint: OVERLOOK.

63. Certifying exams: BOARDS.

65. Wine opener?: OENO-

66. It may be brown or golden: ALE.

67. Ball State University city: MUNCIE. Something else I didn't know today. The crosses were solid.

68. Soft call: PSST!

69. "Criminal Minds" agent: FED. I've never seen the series, which currently runs to 309 episodes. I don't think I have time to catch up on all those.

70. Chilly temps: TEENS.

Down:

2. Millay's muse: ERATO. The muse of love poetry. Edna Millay was a poet and Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

"What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why, 

I have forgotten, and what arms have lain 

Under my head till morning; but the rain 

Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh 

Upon the glass and listen for reply, 

And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain 

For unremembered lads that not again 

Will turn to me at midnight with a cry."

3. Leanings: TENDENCIES.

4. Objectives: ENDS.

5. Narrow inlet: RIA.

7. Transitory things: EPHEMERA. Lovely word.

8. Number between I and XI?: XII. Tricky one, this. The number 12 sits between 11 and 1 on a clock face. Inverting the two clue numbers makes it even more obscure.

10. Creative spark: IDEA.

11. Fit together, as matryoshka dolls: NEST. Russian dolls, more informally.

12. Portal: GATE.

14. One side in "Gone With the Wind": Abbr.: CSA. Confederate States of America.

19. Word of dissent: NAY.

22. Indy brand: STP. Octane-boosting additive. I'm sure there are others, but STP seems to have the monopoly on race car sponsorship.

26. Digital video files: MPEGS. For the Moving Pictures Expert Group, a standards organization for audio and video compression.

28. Dots on a transit map: STOPS.

29. Pop genre?: COLA.

32. What may be resorted to when words fail: USING FORCE.

33. Long look: GAZE.

34. Downhill racer: SLED.

36. Writer Sarah __ Jewett: ORNE. An writer new to me.

37. Majestic: REGAL.

39. Element of change?: COIN. Fun clue/answer combination.

41. Florida State athlete: SEMINOLE.

47. Called forth: EVOKED.

48. Safety device: NET.

52. Brought to ruin: DID IN.

53. Horse relatives: ASSES.

55. Pre-revelry nights: EVES. There's a couple of them at this time of year!

56. Teller's stack: TENS.

57. Leisurely pace: TROT.

59. "Let's put smart to work" company: IBM. Pure guesswork, but I got this first time.

62. Buffoon: OAF.

64. Last word of "Casey at the Bat": OUT.

"But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out."

And I think that's the cue for my last out of the day. I'll be back on the west side of the Atlantic by next week. Here's the grid!

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 59th Birthday to our adventurous pilot Dudley, who started "Rabbit, Rabbit" tradition on our blog. This picture was taken during Montana's visit to Northeast in September, 2013.

Left to right: Marti, Dudley, Hondo & Montana

Halloween, Wednesday, October 31, 2018, Bruce Haight

A  Spooktacular  Halloween! Bruce Haight has given us a Frightening puzzle for this Halloween.

From ghoulies and ghosties

And long-leggedy beasties

And things that go bump in the night,

Good Lord, deliver us!

 ~ Scottish Poem

17. Actor who's anxious to get the Halloween party startled?: BOO BRIDGES.  Long lost brother of Beau Bridges (né Lloyd Vernet Bridges, III; b. Dec. 9, 1941).

24. Sci-fi character trying to creep it real?: MISTER SPOOK.   Mr. Spock's evil twin.

35. Comedian who says no body's perfect?: RED SKELETON.  As in Red Skelton (né Richard Skelton; July 18, 1913 ~ Sept. 17, 1997).  He had lots of amusing characters in his repertoire.  When I was a kid, I thought his surname really was Skeleton.

49. Pop group whose music is in en-crypted files?: SPICE GHOULS.  Kin to the Beastie Boys.  Very appropriate since one of the members was known as Scary Spice.

58. Actor who frights for every part?: SCARY GRANT.  As in Cary Grant (né Archibald Alec Leach; Jan. 18, 1904 ~ Nov. 29, 1986).

And the unifier:

42. Like this puzzle's theme?: HAUNTED.

What other scary things appeared in today's puzzle?

Across:

1. Story with many chapters: SAGA.  I can really get lost in a good Saga.

5. Hoops gp. since 1996: WNBA.  As in the Women's National Basketball Association.

9. Colorado tribe: UTEs.

13. Curved fastener: U-BOLT.  Not to be confused with Usain Bolt.

15. Remote batteries: AAAs.

16. Former Persian ruler: SHAH.  The last Shah was Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (Oct. 26, 1919 ~ July 27, 1980).  He was shah from September 1941 until he was overthrown by the Iranian Revolution in February 1979.

19. Only: MERE.  I initially tried Sole.

20. Man __: trendy hairstyle: BUN.

21. Neighborhood: AREA.

22. Sonnet line fivesome: IAMBI.

23. Communications co. with a blue-and-white globe logo: ATT.

27. Bends to retie laces, say: STOOPS.  Or a place to sit.

29. Velvet-voiced Tormé: MEL.  As in the singer Mel Tormé (Sept. 13, 1925 ~ June 5, 1999).  I remember him from being the hero of the Honorable Judge Harry T. Stone from the sit-com, Night Court.

30. Air rifle ammo: BBs.

31. One might put stock in it: SOUP.  How to make a Soup Stock.

32. Small keyboard: SPINET.  It doesn't look so small to me.

39. Zero: NOT ONE.  The perps gave me this answer, which I initially parsed as NO TONE.

40. Composer who was a CBS reporter: TESH.  As in John TESH (né John Frank Tesh; b. July 9, 1952).  I think he was more of an entertainment reporter, not a news reporter.

43. Medium ability: ESP.  As in ExtraSensory Perception.

46. __ de deux: PAS.  A ballet dance for two people, generally a man and a woman and a Red Sox player.

47. Everycity, USA: PEORIA.  But does it play in Peoria?

53. __ shot: FLU.  I got my Flu shot.  Did you get yours?

54. Pear centers: CORES.

55. __ B'rith: B'NAI.  B'nai B'rith is a Hebrew phrase that means "Children of the Covenant".  Founded in 1843, B'nai B'rith is the oldest Jewish service organization the world.

56. Former Fed chair Bernanke: BEN.  As in Ben Bernanke (né Ben Shalom Bernanke; b. Dec. 13, 1953).  He served as the 14th Chairman of the Federal Reserve from February 2006 through January 2014.

57. Just barely: A TAD.

61. Show impatience, in a way: PACE.

62. Opposite of away: HOME.

63. Actor Nick: NOLTE.  As in Nick Nolte (né Nicholas King Nolte; b. Feb. 8, 1941).

64. Ice cream brand: EDY'S.  This brand of ice cream makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.

65. Messy stack: HEAP.

66. Ran, as dye: BLED.

Down:

1. Speaker for low sounds: SUB-BASS.

2. Momentarily will, after "is": ABOUT TO.  As in the sentence:  Dinner is About To be served.

3. Travel with the band: GO ON TOUR.  Thank you, perps.  This is another one I tried to parse incorrectly.  I initially looked at it as Goon Tour.  Well, that fits with today's scary theme!

4. Greece neighbor: Abbr.: ALB.  As in Albania, the country to the west of Greece.

5. Gets one's feet wet: WADES.

6. Bedevil: NAG AT.

7. Sweetie, in slang: BAE.  We've had discussions of this puzzle word in the recent past.

8. Donkey: ASS.

9. 50states.com graphic, for short: US MAP.  As in a Map of the United States.  If you had a map of the US without the States identified, could you place all the States in their correct location?

10. Crime film group: THE MOB.

11. Dangling jewelry: EARBOB.  I think of this as being an old-fashioned word.  I remember reading about Earbobs in Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott.

12. Mideast chieftains: SHEIKS.

14. Pooch who shared spaghetti with Lady: TRAMP.  A reference to the Disney animated movie Lady and the Tramp.

18. Crocus kin: IRIS.

22. Florida key, e.g.: ISLET.

25. Novelist Zola: ÉMILE.  Émile Zola (Apr. 2, 1940 ~ Sept. 29, 1902) is best known for his role in the Dreyfus Affair, in which Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French army, was wrongfully accused of revealing military secrets solely because he was Jewish.  Zola wrote a letter that was published in the Paris newspaper accusing high ranking army officials of anti-Semitism.  Dreyfus was ultimately exonerated.  Dreyfus Affair.

26. Russo who plays Frigga in "Thor" films: RENE.  As in actress Rene Russo (née Rene Marie Russo; b. Feb. 17, 1954).  She began her career as a fashion model.

28. Uncork, say: OPEN.

32. Smidge: SKOSH.  A fun word.

33. Fenced-in area: PEN.

34. "Africa" band: TOTO.  You know you've heard this song.

36. Chowderheads: DOPES.

37. Dudes-only: STAG.

38. Spongy toy: NERF BALL.  You can get one for all sorts of sports.

41. Matte finish?: SILENT E.  Not keen on this type of cluing.

43. Way out: ESCAPE.  Another appropriate word for Halloween.  This reminded me of Harry Houdini (né Erik Weiss; Mar. 24, 1874 ~ Oct. 31, 1926), the great ESCAPE artist.  Sadly, he died on Halloween.

44. Brief TV plug: SPOT AD.

45. Kidd stuff: PIRACY.  Think of Captain Kidd, the pirate, not the USS Kidd, which is now housed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

47. Remote button: PLAY.

48. Complete, as a PDF contract: E-SIGN.

50. Gives over (to): CEDES.

51. Michelle Robinson's married name: OBAMA.  As in the former First Lady, Michelle Obama (b. Jan. 17, 1964).

52. Gen. Assembly member: UN REP.  As in a Representative in the United Nations.

58. "Lower your voice!": SHH!  Don't awaken all the Ghouls tonight!

59. Country singer David Allan __: COE.  I am not up in my country music, so was not familiar with David Allan Coe (b. Sept. 6, 1939).

60. Steal from: ROB. This puzzle was a real Treat.

Here's the Grid:

Tuesday, Oct 9, 2018 Bruce Haight

"Needlework"


17. How something precarious may hang: BY A THREAD.


29. How a good comedian leaves the audience?: IN STITCHES.  A ham sandwich walks into a bar and orders a beer.  The bartender says, "Sorry, we don't serve food in here."

47. Difficult time: ROUGH PATCH.   "Just don't unpack and live there."

64. Care: GIVE A DARN.

53. Clinched, and a hint to the four longest Across answers: SEWN UP. 

Hope you didn't get a pinprick - or worse - solving Bruce's offering.   If you did, put a band-aid on it or let be.  Whatever you want.   Suture self. 

Across:

1. "Big Board" that lists GM and GE: NYSE. General Motors, General Electric, and New York Stock Exchange, respectively.

5. Strauss of jeans: LEVI.

9. Scam using spam, say: PHISH.  An excellent primer from IT professionals:  Make smarter decisions to avoid being scammed  I'm impressed.  Well worth the time.  

14. Fireworks cries: OOHS  and aahs.

15. Eye layer that includes the iris: UVEA.

16. Roman robes: TOGAE. Latin plural for toga.  Fashion in ancient Rome

19. Love, to Casanova: AMORE.

20. Soft toss: LOB.

21. "Out with it!": TELL ME.

23. List-ending abbr.: ET AL. 

24. Diplomatic office: EMBASSY.

26. "No more for me, thanks": I'M SET.

28. Simon __: SAYS.   A child's game and a bubblegum pop hit from 1967


33. Farm layer: HEN.

35. Lamp-to-plug line: WIRE. Linecord or simply cord in many circles.

36. Little mischief-maker: IMP.

37. Marisa of "My Cousin Vinny": TOMEI.


40. Asian New Year: TET.

41. Very unpleasant: NASTY.

43. "It's __-win situation": A NO.

44. Clinton's veep: GORE.

46. Fifth scale note: SOL.  Solmization

50. Queries: ASKS. 

54. Schlepped: TOTED.

55. Eats a little: HAS SOME.

57. "Verrrry funny": HA HA.  Ha Ha Clinton-Dix plays free safety for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League.  His first name is really Ha'Sean.  His grandmother gave him the nickname when he was an infant.  "Verrry funny, grandma !"   Truth be told, he likes his nickname. 

59. Stem (from): DERIVE.  Clinton-Dix's nickname stems from the fact that family friends and some family members couldn't properly pronounce his birth name.

61. Opposite of "yep": NAW.  Not nope today.

62. Overplay the part: EMOTE.

66. Career employee: LIFER.  I first learned this definition in the Army to describe a career soldier.

67. New __: modern spiritualist: AGER.

68. Rebuke from Caesar: ETTU.

69. Put off: DEFER.

70. Gridiron throw: PASS.  American and Canadian rules football.  A throw on the football field.  Most often by a quarterback, but occasionally by another player, such as on this trick play Sunday:



Updated Oct 9 at 7:20 AM, to provide a video of Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints throwing the 62 yard pass to set the NFL record for Most Career Passing Yards



71. Stinging insect: WASP.   I've been stung by wasps, bees and fire ants.   And an almost by a scorpion. 

Down:

1. Aristocrats: NOBLES.  They play polo and love guns, horses and hounds.

2. Grammy-winning cellist: YOYO MA.

3. "Not too __!": "Good work!": SHABBY.

4. "To the max" suffix: EST. The superlative suffix.

5. Slyly attracts: LURES IN.  Entices.  Baits.  On the internet, it's called clickbait when a title or image entices you to satisfy your curiosity gap.   Especially nefarious with clickbait that promises one thing and the accompanying link delivers something else, like malware.    I also find it annoying on this blog when a troll makes inflammatory or specious comments trying to lure regulars into a war of words.   Please don't feed the trolls.

6. "Brideshead Revisited" novelist Waugh: EVELYN.  Never read the book saw the movie, but learned that Evelyn Waugh was a man, and that his first wife was also named Evelyn. 

7. Wiener schnitzel meat: VEAL.

8. Words of confession: I ADMIT IT.

9. School fundraising gp.: PTA. "Founded in 1897 as the National Congress of Mothers by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst, National PTA is a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education."

10. Household skills class, for short: HOME EC. 

11. "Let me handle it": I GOT THIS.

12. __ Lee desserts: SARA.

13. Canine command: HEEL.


18. Elevs.: HTS.  Elevations / Heights

22. Mideast chieftain: EMIR.

25. Arthur of tennis: ASHE.

27. Dictation pro: STENO. Professional / Stenographer.  How Much Do Stenographers Make?

30. Like dessert wines: SWEET.

31. Ambulance pro: EMT.  Emergency Medical Technician

32. 007, e.g.: SPY. In Ian Flemming's novels, an MI6 agent granted the 00 designation has a "license to kill".   James Bond is the 7th agent that received the 00 designation, thus he is code-named 007.

34. Figure skating figure: EIGHT.

37. Sticky subject?: TAR.   Should be sealing the cracks in my asphalt driveway before Old Man Winter wreaks havoc with his freeze thaw cycles.  Got a quote of over $400 to have ~ 200' ft. hot-sealed.   I'll spend a few hours and fill them myself. 

38. Musical Yoko: ONO.

39. Get sassy with someone: MOUTH OFF.

40. Import-export imbalance: TRADE GAP.

42. "Sadly ... ": ALAS.

45. Newspaper opinion page: OP ED.

46. Norelco products: SHAVERS. One of these might be useful to perfect the look of your...

48. Pointed beard: GOATEE.

49. Baked potato topping paired with sour cream: CHIVES. They're still doing well in our garden.  Time to snip and freeze them before Mother Nature does.

51. Piano piece: SONATA. 8 hours of Mozart linked for your listening pleasure:


52. Some big box stores: KMARTS.  "Attention Kmart shoppers" and "Blue Light Specials" are blasts from the past that you may recall.  .

56. "... and two if by __": SEA.  Events of April 18, 1775

57. __ up: robbed: HELD.

58. Parisian gal pal: AMIE.

60. Latvian capital: RIGA.

63. Blow it: ERR.

65. "Do the __": soft-drink slogan: DEW.   "Do the DEW is more than just an advertising slogan for Mountain Dew – it represents the attitude of a community that really seeks to live life authentically," said Simon Lowden, Chief Marketing Officer, Pepsi Beverages North America.   The commercials are primarily aimed at millennials and "are designed to thrive in the mobile environment".  They're onto something.  Mountain Dew is a billion dollar brand for Pepsi Co.

Tuesday, September 11, 2018 Bruce Haight and Natalie Murphy

"Orders"

11. Cease and desist order?: CUT (it out) and don't do it again !

18. Court order?: ALL RISE.  Out of respect for the judge.   NYY fans adopted that order.

27. Reverse order?: ABOUT-FACE.  A military turn to face the opposite direction.

45. Money order?: STICK 'EM UP.  A robber's command, usually at gunpoint.

58. Work order?: GET BUSY.  i.e.,  Quit dilly dallying.  I'll leave it at that.

65. Gag order?: SHH.  Heard that at the library, the movies, and on the quiet car of the commuter train.

5. Restraining order?: STOP IT. 

46. Pecking order?: KISS ME.

Eating humble pie here.  The theme eluded me.  Stared at the grid looking for commonalities.  Nothing.  Then,  assuming that ophthalmologist Bruce was leading this duet with Natalie,   I zeroed in on EYE TEST and tried to make some connections.  Nope.  Finally gave up and emailed C.C.  for help.   I should have looked at the clues.  Thanks again C.C. !

Please note the symmetry of the theme answers.  Beautifully constructed.
Across:

1. Setting for smooth sailing: CALM SEA.

8. Aptly, it rhymes with "ahh": SPA.

14. Stuffed oneself: ATE A TON.

15. Pursue romantically: WOO.

16. Valuable metal: ORE.

17. "NCIS: Los Angeles" actress: NIA LONG.

20. Remove varnish from: STRIP.

21. NBC weekend fixture, briefly: SNL.

22. Distinctive flair: ELAN.

23. Modern renewable fuel: BIODIESEL.

30. Assures the sad fate of: DOOMS.

34. Easy throw: LOB.

35. "Angie Tribeca" TV network: TBS.    Angie Tribeca  is an American comedy television series, created by Steve and Nancy Carel, starring Rashida Jones, that airs on TBS.    (Just seeing if I can write a sentence in the style of Wikipedia.)

36. "Help me out, will ya?": BE A PAL.

37. Facilitates: ENABLES.

40. Bergen of "Murphy Brown": CANDICE.      Candice Bergen played tough TV reporter Murphy

Brown in the sitcom of the same name.  The program is scheduled to return to prime time on CBS for the 2018/2019 season, starting Thursday Sept 27th.

Saw a commercial for it while watching football.


41. Stay behind: REMAIN.

42. Drunkard: SOT.

43. Dubai's fed.: UAE.  Last Tuesday we had "Abu Dhabi's federation: Abbr.:" as the clue.   United Arab Emirates.

44. Former Russian rulers: TSARs.

48. Words said with an extended fork: TASTE THIS.

50. Continent explored by Marco Polo: ASIA.

53. Talk on and on: YAP.

54. Scalawag: SCAMP.

60. Shoe cushions: INSOLEs.

62. Abbr. used to save space: ETC.

63. Not worth a __: SOU.

64. Muzzle-loading gadgets: RAMRODs.

66. Kindle download: APP.

67. Chart-reading exam: EYE TEST.

Happy Birthday to Husker Gary !

Down:

1. Some recyclables: CANS.

2. Going __: fighting: AT IT.

3. Shakespearean king with three daughters: LEAR.

4. Beach city near Hollywood: MALIBU.

6. Quite some time: EON.

7. Taiwan-born director Lee: ANG.

8. River in a Stephen Foster song: SWANEE.  Saluting a Songwriter Far From Home

9. Voting sites: POLLS.

10. Pioneering ISP: AOL.

11. Wind up like a snake: COIL.

12. Celestial bear: URSA.

13. High-schooler, typically: TEEN.

19. Put another roll of film in: RELOAD.

21. Incites to attack, with "on": SICS.

24. More than occasionally: OFTEN.

25. Blots gently: DABS.

26. Biblical garden: EDEN.

27. Warning: ALERT.

28. Scraps for Fido: BONES.

29. President between Bush and Trump: OBAMA.

31. Poppy product: OPIUM.

32. Gambling mecca near Hong Kong: MACAU.

33. Catch some z's: SLEEP.

36. Cookie recipe yield: BATCH.

38. Bill for drinks: BAR TAB.

39. Bart Simpson's sister: LISA.

40. San Francisco's __ Tower: COIT.   View from Lombard Street:

42. Dance move: STEP.

45. Postpone one's bedtime: STAY UP.

47. Go along with: ESCORT.

49. Online admin: SYSOP.

50. Quite some time: AGES.

51. "Family Guy" creator MacFarlane: SETH.

He knew what he wanted to do from a very young age.

"...is an American actor, animator, voice actor, filmmaker, and singer, working primarily in animation and comedy, as well as live-action and other genres.  Wikipedia article.



52. Nagging desire: ITCH.

55. Sunburn reliever: ALOE.

56. Rx items: MEDs.

57. Sibilant summons: PSST.

59. NATO founding member: USA.

 Read more at Britannica.com

60. Fury: IRE.

61. "Aye? Not!": NAY.

 

Notes from C.C.:

1) How do you remember, TTP? That's an image EYE TEST!

Happy Birthday to dear Husker Gary, the creator of this wonderful Crossword Corner map, our trusted Saturday guide and caring friend. I'm so lucky to have met with Gary and his incredible wife Joann. Wish you guys could hear his voice.

2) Owen's Jumble site is listed under Crossword Links on the blog front page.

Thursday, August 16th 2018 Bruce Haight

Theme: Cubed Rouge - square dancing with the noble grape:

The reveal:

37A. With 40-Across, party supplies found in this puzzle's four corners: BOXED

40A. See 37-Across: WINES

Each corner contains the word WINE rendered as a little cube surrounded by the other entries, hence "boxed wine". Placing the reveal centrally with two stacked 5's means that Bruce had to stretch the puzzle vertically, so it's a 16x15 grid.

Neat theme, especially as Bruce uses the elbow room in the downs to add some nice lengthy fill. The WINE boxes start in turn in each cube in the SW,  NW, SW and NW, so very pleasing to the eye.

Boxed wine deservedly had a bad rap at one time, now, if you choose carefully, you can get some very drinkable stuff for your daily house wine or your casual party. A winemaker told me once that you won't get great wine in a box, because great wine needs a bottle to age in, but if you're buying wine for "bulk" consumption, you're not going to be laying it down in your cellar.

Some good advice I once read is to serve it in one of those indestructible Duralex glass tumblers you drink the house wine out of in France, and you're on the right track. Save the Riedel stemware for the posh stuff. Cheers!

Let's see what else we've got to challenge our Thursday minds:

Across:

1. Set of options: MENU

5. Dodge: EVADE

10. "Sing it, Sam" speaker: ILSA. I tried RICK at first without thinking. Sheer nonsense, of course.

14. Gospel singer Andrews: INEZ. This corner was a little tricky for me. INEZ crossing ENID could have been a Natick, but logic prevailed.

15. Annual Big Apple parade sponsor: MACY*S

16. Darned: SEWN

17. New Zealand bird: KIWI. There's a debate about changing the New Zealand national flag. A lot of the proposed designs have a kiwi on them. The rest have the silver fern beloved of the national rugby team.

18. __ Wars: Rome vs. Carthage: PUNIC

19. Tizzy: SNIT

20. Vogue VIPs: EDS. Editors of Vogue magazine. I've cracked this particular crossword code.

21. __ wrench: ALLEN

22. With 22-Down, "People's Court" rival: JUDGE

23. KOA campground area: R.V. LOT

25. Bond film?: GLUE. Nice clue for this little word. Might be my favorite of the day.

27. Ally of "WarGames": SHEEDY. Who? This lady, apparently, from 1983:

29. "Westworld," e.g.: HBO DRAMA. I saw the original movie back in 1816, or something. Yul Brynner was the cowboy. It was quite good.

33. "It's a Wonderful Life" director: CAPRA

34. Juicy fruit: BERRY

35. Up to, briefly: TIL. To quote Bill the Bard:

O, gentlemen, help! 

Mine and your mistress! O, my lord Posthumus! 

You ne'er kill'd Imogen til now. Help, help! 

Mine honour'd lady!

Cymbeline, Act V Sc. 5

36. Revlon rival: AVON

38. Beige shade: BONE. I was tempted by ECRU first, but I resisted said temptation.

39. Hard to find: RARE

41. Fail to mention: OMIT

42. Hill builder: ANT

43. Cantina toast: SALUD!

44. __ donna: PRIMA. Is there a seconda donna? We should be told.

45. Fundamental measurement: BASE UNIT

47. __ exercise: upper arm strengthener: TRICEP

48. The "G" of GTO: GRAN. Gran Tourismo Omologato, of course. Lots o' Italian today.

49. Apple __: CRISP. I thought the insurance company was SIGNA, which left me frowning at SR___, that didn't look right at all.

50. Start of a French oath: SACRÉ. BLEU! In French, this is actually one word and the "E" is not accented. There, now you can start a trivia argument in the bar.

53. Norwegian contemporary of Tchaikovsky: GRIEG. Let's have a little "Hall of the Mountain King". The comments on the video are priceless if you've got the time.

55. Bullfight "Bravo!": OLÉ. Huzzah! No "World Cup" clue this week.

58. One-fifth of a limerick: LINE. The actor David Niven's very first audition for Sam Goldwyn included the unexpected request to recite a limerick. I won't quote it here, but apparently it was the only part of the screen test which had any merit and won him a contract with Goldwyn.

59. Guadalajara gal pal: AMIGA

60. Target Field player: TWIN. Minnesota, natch. C.C. would know.

61. Is indebted to: OWES

62. Lacked: HADN'T.

63. Make (one's way): WEND. I picture wending as not being a direct route. Nothing to say you can't wend on a straight line though.

64. Skin pics: TATS. I'm still tattoo-less after all these years. I do have my eye on one. Maybe one day.

65. "My take is ... ": I'D SAY

66. Circle parts: ARCS

Down:

1. Karaoke need: MIKE. Funny, we had MIC a couple of weeks ago, and I was mulling over whether MIKE was an acceptable variant. I guess it is! *drops mic*.

2. Novelist Bagnold: ENID

3. Bulletins, e.g.: NEWS REPORTS

4. "Argo" weapon: UZI. I had "Argo" confused with the Persia vs. Sparta war movie "300", so an assault weapon didn't immediately spring to mind.

5. Use: EMPLOY

6. Event for which Kerri Strug is famous: VAULT. She sprained her ankle in a prior event, but famously strapped it up and nailed her landing to help the USA to team gold in gymnastics at the 1996 Olympics.

7. Unpopular spots: ACNE

8. Endangered species: DYING BREED

9. PC bailout key: ESC

10. Library, cardwise: ISSUER

11. Give for a while: LEND

12. Belt: SWIG

13. Deal preceder: ANTE. Ante up your stake before a poker hand is dealt.

21. "Bridge of Spies" actor: ALDA

22. See 22-Across: JUDY

24. Fogg's creator: VERNE. Phineas Fogg in Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 days". It's pretty much impossible today if you don't fly. There are no commercial passenger services across the Pacific.

26. Some aristocrats: LORDS

27. Egyptian beetle: SCARAB. 

28. Morro Castle city: HAVANA. Learning moment, but I had most of the crosses, so I didn't think more than a beat or two.

29. Threaded fastener: HEX NUT

30. Electricity producer, perhaps: ATOMIC POWER. Is "perhaps" a cover-yourself moment from Bruce here? I think "nuclear power" myself

31. Dr. Evil's cohort: MINI ME. From the "Austin Powers" movies. The actor Verne Troyer who played the character sadly passed away recently. A mini-tribute to Verne with the 24D entry.

32. Pub handle: ALE TAP. I call it a beer tap or hand pump in my pub.

34. Seeing red: BOILING MAD

37. African title of respect: BWANA. From the Swahili.

38. Foe of "moose and squirrel": BORIS. Boris Badenov from the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.

43. "You bet": SURE!

44. Fussy sort: PRIG

46. Means of escape: EGRESS

47. International agreement: TREATY

49. Insurance giant: CIGNA. Not SIGNA then. Oh.

50. Part of a piggy bank: SLOT

51. Bygone audio brand: AIWA. What happened to them? They were ubiquitous in the '70s.

52. Site for techies: CNET

54. Empties (of): RIDS

56. "The Mod Squad" cop: LINC. Colleague of Pete and Julie, of course we all knew that. The final episode aired in 1973. Needless to say, I never saw it.

57. Circle's lack: ENDS

59. Tuna at a luau: AHI

60. Airline once owned by Howard Hughes: TWA. He gave up control of the airline in the 1960's.

And - grid, artfully colored. I'm glad I got out of New York last weekend; the East Coast has been pounded again by some awful weather. Be safe, everyone out there.

Steve

Sunday August 5, 2018 Bruce Haight

Theme:"Anabrands"- The brand name is anagrammed in each theme entry.

24A. Company covering the ninth of Salinger's "Nine Stories"?: LAST TALE INSURANCE. Allstate Insurance.

32A. Company providing stimulation before a round?: GOLFER'S COFFEE. Folgers Coffee.

51A. Company for ones who love taking sides?: I ADORE POTATOES. Idaho Potatoes. Surprised to see BOISE IDAHO (74D. Capital south of a panhandle) in the same grid. (Correction: Ore-Ida Potatoes, Thanks, everyone!)

66A. Company that bugs people?: NOSY ELECTRONICS. Sony Electronics

82A. Company that moves a lot of cash?: LARGE FLOWS BANK. Wells Fargo bank. In big trouble.

101A. Company named for its product container?: IN A CARTON MILK. Carnation Milk.

110A. Company dealing "frankly" with campaign issues?: MAYOR'S RACE WIENERS. Oscar Mayer Wieners.

Veteran solvers know that Bruce loves anagram gimmick. Today's puzzle is a great example of his style, sense of humor and high standard in fill.

The puzzle only has 140 words and 66 black squares, but the fill is so sparkly and clean.

No cheater!! 

Across:

1. Muppet chimp __ Minella: SAL.

4. "Patience you must have" speaker: YODA.

8. Text for a promo: AD COPY.

14. Unit of weight: CARAT.

19. Biblical priest: ELI.

20. Steady: EVEN.

21. First name in the 2016 campaign: BERNIE. Feel the Bern!

22. Informed: AWARE.

23. Track circuit: LAP.

27. Spur on: IMPEL.

29. White wine apéritif: KIR.  Flavored with cassis.

30. TRS-80s, e.g.: PCS.

31. __ of interest: PERSON.

36. Belief system: CREDO.

37. Robot arms don't have them: ULNAE. New clue angle.

38. Camera lens feature: IRIS.

39. Like a D, gradewise: POOR.

40. Subway posting: MAP.

43. Madame Bovary: EMMA. Read it at college. Touched me deeply.

45. Bankrolled: STAKED.

47. Acronymic distress about being excluded from the fun: FOMO. Fear of Missing Out.

48. Leery of: ONTO.

49. Opening feature: POP TOP.

54. "__ got it!": I'VE.

55. Fax button: SEND.

57. Toss in: ADD.

58. Look down on, figuratively: SPIT AT.

59. Brain areas: CEREBRA. Plural of cerebrum.

61. Green, in a way: ENVIOUS.

65. Rilke works: POEMS.

69. "Real Time" host: MAHER (Bill). Way too left-leaning.

72. Canadian site of the 1988 Winter Olympics: ALBERTA. Where were you in 1988?

73. Tiny and shapeless: AMOEBIC.

77. Timeless, in verse: ETERNE.

79. '60s chic: MOD.

80. __ page: OPED.

81. Acapulco gold: ORO.

87. Like some surveys: AERIAL.

89. Card sounding like a platter: TREY.

90. Christmas lot selection: FIRS.

91. "Little House" family name: OLESON. Unknown to me.

93. Spent: USED.

94. Shirley MacLaine, to Warren Beatty: SIS.

95. Ump's cry: SAFE.

96. Big heap: SLEW.

97. Cartoon genre: ANIME.

99. Trace of color: TINCT. Odd, spell check does not like this word.

105. Old marketplaces: AGORAE.

107. United: ONE.

108. Moll's limb: GAM.

109. Grammy winner Gorme: EYDIE.

115. Even a little: ANY.

116. Overhead concern?: OZONE. Nice clue.

117. Emotionally out of control: CRAZED. Reminds me of a favorite movie test D-Otto sent me.

118. Runs on: GABS.

119. Laugh starter: HEE.

120. Author Theodor __ Geisel: SEUSS.

121. Helpful holdings: ASSETS.

122. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE.

123. Not even: ODD. 

Down:

1. Former MLB exec Bud: SELIG. Not liked here. He tried to contract Twins long ago.

2. Dollar rival: ALAMO.

3. Beauty product for kissers: LIP PLUMPER. Kylie Jenner has built an empire over lip-plumping products.

4. First female Fed head Janet: YELLEN.

5. Eggs in a lab: OVA.

6. An in-box might be part of one: DESK SET.

7. Shenanigan: ANTIC.

8. Legal gp.: ABA.

9. Penn. neighbor: DEL.

10. Brunch fare: CREPES. These are Chinese crepes. They're called Jian Bing.

11. In the cooler: ON ICE.

12. Money-dispensing needs: PINS.

13. "Suh-weet!": YES. Here is my Husker T-shirt.

14. More than a job: CAREER.

15. Tony, for one: AWARD. We have an AWARD on our blog!

16. Pasted message, stereotypically: RANSOM NOTE. Great fill.

17. Oil acronym: ARCO.

18. Many a gamer: TEEN.

25. Three-horse carriage: TROIKA.

26. Dislodges: UPROOTS.

28. Key of Beethoven's "Eroica": E FLAT.

33. Silky-voiced crooners they are not: RASPERS.

34. One of the Weasley twins: FRED. Santa would have nailed it.

 

35. Dog tag?: FIDO. Cute.

36. Italy's Lake __: COMO.

39. Wham! or Roxette: POP DUO.

41. Elite crew: A TEAM.

42. Blog series: POSTS. Like our daily blog write-up.

43. Awesome: EPIC.

44. Formally propose: MOVE.

46. Support: AID.

47. Film noir hat: FEDORA.

48. Serving no purpose: OTIOSE. Not a word I use.

50. "Look Back in Anger" playwright John: OSBORNE. New to me also.

52. "Nick of Time" singer: RAITT.

53. Software details: APP CODE. Not a familiar term to me.

56. "Glee" actress Rivera: NAYA.

60. Get-up-and-go: ENERGY.

61. They're rubbed when mingling: ELBOWS. Great clue.

62. Calls for: NEEDS.

63. DVD forerunner: VCR.

64. Piece of cake: SNAP.

67. "Get Shorty" novelist __ Leonard: ELMORE. Not sure why " ___ " is used in the clue. He's quite famous.

68. Unequivocal refusal: I MEAN NO.

69. Softens: MELTS.

70. '70s breakout gaming company: ATARI.

71. Toast for Mrs. Robinson: HERE'S TO YOU.

75. "Dies __": IRAE.

76. How vichyssoise is usually served: COLD. Yellowrocks' specialty.

78. Wipes out: EFFACES.

80. Stamps of approval: OKS.

83. Pilfer: LIFT.

84. Whirled weapon: BOLA.

85. First portrayer of Obi-Wan: ALEC. Guinness.

86. Meditative genre: NEW AGE.

88. Gin __: RUMMY.

92. Kind of cookie: OATMEAL.

95. Catches: SNARES.

96. Cold outburst: SNEEZE.

98. Actually existing: IN ESSE.

100. Most clubs in a pro's bag: IRONS. You can carry 14 clubs in your bag. I only used a 7 iron and a putter in my first few rounds of golf.

101. Andean people: INCAS.

102. Scope: RANGE.

103. Like much loose-leaf paper: LINED.

104. Focused (on): KEYED.

105. Cookie monster?: AMOS. I get the direction, but not sure "monster" is apt.

106. Look steadily: GAZE.

107. Tools in locks: OARS.

111. Early TV maker: RCA.

112. Caught in the rain without an umbrella, say: WET. It rained a lot yesterday at 3M Championship.

113. Bouncer's requests: IDS.

114. Ballpark fig.: RBI.

JD is enjoying her annual family vacation in Kauai. Here are two sweet pictures of her grandsons.