Sunday Feb 3, 2013 Bruce R. Sutphin and Doug Peterson

Theme: Kiddie Taxidemy - Animals (all four letters) bookend each theme entry, i.e, they're stuffed.

23A. *High-ranking administrator : SENIOR OFFICIAL. Seal.

34. *Really pricey spread : BELUGA CAVIAR. Bear. Never had Beluga caviar before. Probably never will.

51A. *Home of a 360-member music group : MORMON TABERNACLE. Mole.

69A. *"Love, Actually" actor : LIAM NEESON. Lion. "Love, Actually" is one of Bill G's favorite movies. I like it too.

72A. *Get down and dirty? : MUD WRESTLE. Mule. Mud run is getting quite popular too.

90A. *Teetotaler, for the night : DESIGNATED DRIVER. Deer.

104A. *Vera Wang's field : HAUTE COUTURE. Hare. You can find affordable pieces in Kolh's Simply Vera Wang line.

 

120A. Cuddly toys, or what can be found at the two-letter "head" and "tail" of the answers to starred clues : STUFFED ANIMALS

From the byline, we can see that Bruce came up with the theme. He probably also had CAT/DOG/RAT in mind when he started. Then Doug narrowed down the theme entry to all 4-letters for tightness & consistency.

Very nicely designed & filled grid. I MET A (65D. "__ man with seven wives ..." is a bit weak. Adding cheaters at square 65 & 77 could have avoided the partial, but I haven't tried, maybe they result in dupes or Bruce and Doug simply did not want cheaters in this grid and preferred the fluidity of the current grid design.

Both our constructors today are fast solvers. In fact, Doug finished 15th in the ACPT last year. Look at Doug's T-shirt!

Across:

1. "The Reader" Oscar winner : WINSLET (Kate). She just married a guy with a surname Rocknroll.

8. Really excited : STOKED

14. Refuse to bite one's tongue : POP OFF

20. Copy cats? : EDITORS. I don't quite get this clue.

21. Highly decorated : ORNATE

22. Online self-image : AVATAR. Love Avg Joe's.

25. Mocha native : YEMENI

26. Typically tough life phase : TEENS. Mine was not bad at all. I fell in love at 16 with a boy who grew up with me. We were together for 7 years.

27. "__ only take a minute" : IT'LL

28. Bygone U.N. member : USSR

30. AAA offering : RTE

31. Composer Telemann : GEORG. Never heard of this guy.

38. Far from certain : IFFY

41. Like some drafts : MALTY. Always think of sports first when I encounter "drafts".

43. Jack up : ELEVATE

44. Will Smith title role : ALI

45. San __: Calif. city or its county : MATEO

46. Slip into : DON

47. Doesn't interfere with : LETS BE

56. German import : OPEL

57. Speak bluish? : SWEAR. I wonder why blue is associated with off-color stuff. In China, it's yellow. Porn movie is "Yellow movie" in Chinese.

58. Rattle : FAZE

59. Friend of Rabbit : ROO

60. Chou En-__ : LAI. And 11D. Chiang __-shek : KAI. Both Cantonese. In Mandarin, the dash is not used.  Zhou Enlai & Jiang Jieshi. I don't know the reason. Just the way it is.

61. U. muck-a-mucks : BMOCs. BMOC= Big Man On Campus.

64. "Ben-Hur" broke its Oscar record : GIGI.  Tough clue. And 3D. Number of Oscars for 64-Across : NINE

66. Yank's enemy : REB

68. Takes painkillers, say : AILS

75. In a deft manner : ABLY

76. It may influence which club you choose : LIE. I'm short but straight.

77. Idyllic locale : EDEN

79. 118-Across's home, familiarly : SoCAL. And 118. Bruin rival : TROJAN

80. ISP choice : DSL

81. Reheat, in a way : ZAP

83. Quaintly small : ITSY

85. Not eating anyone's dust : AHEAD

88. Creepy gaze : LEER

94. Cause to erupt : ENRAGE. I'm so angry at the Manti Te'o hoax. It's cruel.

96. Carry with effort : LUG

97. Moved, as a lifeboat : OARED

98. Monarch's reign, e.g. : ERA

99. Really advocate : PUSH FOR

102. Free-for-all : SPREE

103. Modern diary : BLOG. Like ours.

108. Martial arts mercenary : NINJA. It's written out like this. Two characters. Ja is like English "er" word, "one who....".  Nin means "to bear".

110. Important Dadaist : ARP

111. Thoroughly goes over : VETS

112. Bachelor finale? : ETTE. Sweet clue. Bachelorette.

114. Some ATM sites : ATRIA. Are you familiar with Altria?

125. Nasty rumor : CANARD

126. Was jealous of : ENVIED

127. They may be casual : REMARKS. Nice clue.

128. "The Lion King" trio : HYENAS

129. Virginia et al. : STATES

130. Most astute : KEENEST

Down:

1. Early 103-Down player : WEST

2. Tête output : IDEE

4. Not very generous : STINGY

5. Like a muumuu : LOOSE. Pretty.

6. Misspeak, say : ERR

7. General of Chinese cuisine : TSO. No other way to clue this word.

8. Lenient : SOFT

 9. Narrow-brimmed fedora : TRILBY. New word to me.

10. Réunion attendee : ONCLE

12. Limo driver's request, perhaps : ETA. Needs an abbr. hint in the clue.

13. Mighty storm : DELUGE

14. Union contract subject : PAY SCALE
 

15. Stayed too long at the fare? : OVER-ATE. Ha ha.

16. Kitchen spray : PAM

17. "SNL" alum Cheri : OTERI

18. Fruity soda brand : FANTA

19. McDonald's fixture : FRIER

24. Symbol of decency : FIG LEAF. Easy in retrospect.

29. Economical shorthand in store names : SAV

32. Mideast land : OMAN

33. "Rodent" band since the 1980s : RATT. This stumped me last time. "Rodent" certainly helped.
 

35. Jaworski of Watergate : LEON. I faintly recall this name.

36. Forearm-related : ULNAR

37. Official nix : VETO

38. Alpo rival : IAMS

39. Smooth movement : FLOW

40. Nolan Ryan, notably : FIREBALLER. Fastballs! No Google, tell me how many Cy Young Nolan Ryan won?

42. West Indies island : TOBAGO

45. Dimwit : MORON

46. Coffee pot remnant : DREG

48. Home with a between-floors entrance : SPLIT LEVEL

49. Important thing : BE ALL.

50. Musical dedicatee whose true identity is the subject of much speculation : ELISE. True.

52. Title woman in a Jolson classic : MAMMY. Stumper. For a moment, I thought Al Jolson was black.

53. Web periodical : E-ZINE

54. Wood purchase : CORD

55. Theater chain : LOEWS

62. Hanna-Barbera fan's purchase : CEL

63. Grab hold of : SEIZE

67. Chum : BRO

68. Tokyo brew : ASAHI

69. Crock-Pot utensil : LADLE

70. "Ghosts" playwright : IBSEN

71. Sailing places : SEAS

73. Let drain, as a sink : UNSTOP. Not a word I use.

74. Modern greeting : E-CARD

78. Bumper defect : DING

82. Maneuver, as a ship : PILOT

84. Ached (for) : YEARNED

86. Prefix with nautical : AERO

87. Major bummer : DRAG

89. At attention : RAPT

90. Heads down : DESCENDS

91. Source of knowledge : GURU

92. One less than vier : DREI. German for 3. Vier = 4.

93. Celebrity chef Paula : DEEN

95. "Guerrilla Warfare" author : GUEVARA. A real hero when I grew up.

100. Super-popular : HOT. Old Navy's Activewear series all have thumb holes. Great color too.

101. Stirs : FUSSES

102. Non-negotiable charge : SET FEE
 

103. Hero with a mask : BATMAN

104. Devise : HATCH

105. Wide assortment : ARRAY

106. Barely leading : UP ONE

107. Prepare for additional use : RE-FIT

109. Actress Pressly : JAIME. She's in "My Name Is Earl". J'aime is "I love" in French. "Je t'aime… moi non-plus".
 

113. "Bill & __ Excellent Adventure" : TED'S

115. Few and far between : RARE

116. Types : ILKS

117. Part of ADA: Abbr. : ASST

119. Mo. in which the Emancipation Proclamation was delivered : JAN

121. Destructive material : TNT

122. Charlottesville sch. : UVA (University of Virginia)

123. Chest with tablets : ARK

124. Society page word : NEE

C.C.
 

Wednesday, June 13 2012, Bruce R. Sutphin & Doug Peterson

Theme: shockwaves. each theme answer reveals a shocker from a classic film. sorry for the spoilers if you haven't seen any of these movies.

17A. "Soylent Green" shocker : IT'S MADE OF PEOPLE. 1973 science fiction film starring charlton heston, in which the planet and it's population are suffering due to overpopulation and dwindling resources. 'soylent green' is a rationed food wafer, in short supply. here's the shocker:

28A. "The Sixth Sense" shocker : HE'S ALREADY DEAD. 1999 psychological horror film starring bruce willis and haley joel osment. bruce willis portrays a child psychologist, working with a young patient who sees "dead people, walking around like regular people," who don't know they're dead. the shocker revealed at the end, bruce willis's character was unknowingly dead all the time.

46A. "Psycho" shocker : NORMAN IN A DRESS. 1960 hitchcock suspense horror film starring anthony perkins and janet leigh. perkins's character is norman bates, owner and manager of the bates motel, whose mother apparently lives in the hotel. a motel guest is murdered (the famous shower scene), and it is believed that bates's mother is the murderer. the shocker is when bates's mother's mummified body is discovered in the hotel, and norman has been keeping her alive by dressing in her clothing.

61A. "The Empire Strikes Back" shocker : LUKE IS VADER'S SON. 1980 space opera film, the second of the six star wars series to be released (fifth in chronological order). luke skywalker and darth vader engage in a light saber duel during which luke's hand is severed, and vader reveals the shocker, that he is luke's father.

melissa here. c.c. interviewed bruce back in november, where he mentions he likes movies, and puzzles in which "the entries aren't just entered in the 'usual' way." this puzzle qualifies on both counts. i've highlighted additional clues that (could) have theatrical connections in blue.

Across:

1. "As you wish" : FINE.

5. Plot that's "pulled" : SCAM

9. British racecourse : ASCOT. in ascot, berkshire, the world's most famous racecourse.

14. Sooner than thou thinketh : ANON. fresh and fun clue.

15. Glissade garb : TUTU. did not know this, glissade is a ballet dance move, literally meaning to glide.

16. Yawning fissure : CHASM. yawn, meaning, to open wide, gape.

20. Like some pains : ROYAL. haha.

21. __ tai: rum drink : MAI

22. In the know about : UPON. not sure i've heard it used this way, anyone have an example? (correction: UP ON, thanks marti and c.c.)

23. Attempt : STAB. take a stab at a glissade across a chasm while drinking a mai tai.

26. Put on the market : SELL. speaking from experience, not necessarily the same thing.

34. Campaign staffer : AIDE. interns are sometimes on, um, staffs, too .... (boo hiss)

35. Really irritate : VEX

36. Reinspire, as troops : RALLY

37. Auto dealer datum: Abbr. : MPG. miles per gallon.

38. It's read at registers : BAR CODE

41. Struggle : VIE

42. Amazon's milieu : E-TAIL

44. Barcelona gold : ORO. spanish.

45. Headliner : LEAD

50. Partner of if : THEN

51. Burglar's haul : LOOT

52. Toll lane choice : CASH

55. Eloped, say : WED

57. It's not heard by other characters : ASIDE. a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience, unheard by the other characters on the stage. sometimes called 'breaking the fourth wall.' anyone remember it's garry shandling's show on showtime?

65. Gussy up : ADORN

66. Pound using feet : EZRA. poet.

67. Meas. of how high you are : ELEV. elevation.

68. Western Union transmissions : WIRES

69. Break in the music : REST

70. "Calm down!" : EASY

Down:

1. Ferris wheel locale : FAIR. this is what i thought of.

2. Division preposition : INTO. arithmetic. two goes into four ...

3. Showing unwelcome interest : NOSY

4. As a group : EN MASSE

5. Time zone word: Abbr. : STD. standard, as opposed to daylight.

6. Prompt to enter : CUE

7. Basic unit of matter : ATOM

8. Simba's father in "The Lion King" : MUFASA. james earl jones is the voice of both darth vader and mufasa.

9. Powerful club : ACE

10. Slangy word of regret : SHOULDA. coulda, shoulda, woulda.

11. Abner drawer : CAPP. al capp, cartoonist best known for the comic strip li'l abner.

12. 1952 Olympics city : OSLO. norway.

13. Feds who caught Capone : T-MEN. Treasury agents. T-Men is also the name of a 1947 film noir classic shot in black and white.

18. Utah ski resort : ALTA

19. Like calico cats : PIED

24. The "A." on many a patent : ALVA. thomas alva edison filed 1,093 successful patents.

25. Rabbit's title : BRER. according to wikipedia, The name "Br'er Rabbit", contraction of "Brother Rabbit", has been linked to both African and Cherokee Indian cultures. The Walt Disney Company later adapted this character for its animated motion picture Song of the South."

27. Instrument played with a plectrum : LYRE. plectrum is latin, an instrument for striking the lyre.

28. In the know about : HIP TO

29. Award named for a mystery writer : EDGAR. this year's nominees and winners.

30. Former pen pal? : EX-CON. penitentiary.

31. Middle-earth residents : ELVES. fictional setting of tolkien's the hobbit and lord of the rings books (and movies).

32. John Smith may be one : ALIAS

33. Turned blue, maybe : DYED

34. Prayer period? : AMEN

38. No great shakes : BLAH

39. Like some exams : ORAL

40. Extinct bird : DODO

43. "Count me in" : I'M THERE

45. "Hmm ..." : LET'S SEE

47. It might be late-breaking : NEWS

48. "What nerve!" : I NEVER

49. Crowd cacophony : ROAR

52. Feline weapon : CLAW

53. TT automaker : AUDI. from wikipedia: The Audi TT takes its name from the successful motor racing tradition of NSU in the British Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) motorcycle race. The TT name has also been attributed to the phrase "Technology & Tradition".

54. Toffee candy bar : SKOR

56. Bewildered state : DAZE

58. One of las Canarias : ISLA. spanish for island.

59. Sees to : DOES

60. Emotion akin to jealousy : ENVY

62. Officeholders : INS

63. House and Watson : DR'S

64. Down a hero, say : EAT. sandwich.

Answer grid.

melissa

Friday Dec 16, 2011 Bruce R. Sutphin & Doug Peterson

(Please click here to solve the LA Times Daily Crossword in old format.)

Theme: HOODOO (45D. Bad luck, and a hint to the four longest across answers) - HOO is added to each common phrase.

20A. Anti-sweatshirt slogan? : NEVER SAY HOODIE. Never say die.

25A. Rabid B-ball fan's shout? : HOOPS, I LOVE YOU. P.S. I Love You. Very moving movie.

43A. Conspiracy resting place? : CAHOOT'S CRADLE. Cat's cradle.

50A. Harried photographer's wish? : RESHOOT IN PEACE. Rest in peace. The clue reminded me of Anna Wintour and her demanding style.

C.C. here. Lemonade will be back in his blogging seat next Friday. He was ready to go today, but I felt he needed one more week's recovery.

I don't quite get today's unifier HOODOO. What does DOO have anything to do with the HOO addition? Other than that, all is great. Very smooth fill.

I mentioned before that 14's are tricky to maneuver, esp if they're your first/last theme entries and you have 5 long Across theme entries. Today, we have 4. So no problem here.

Across:

1. Something to do between class and homework : MCJOB. Thought of outdoor sports rather than a part-time job.

6. "Animal House" house : DELTA. Never saw the movie.

11. Acting as : QUA. This little word always gives me trouble.

14. São __ : PAULO. So, their OK sign is not really OK.

15. Unfamiliar : ALIEN

16. Prefix with form : UNI. Uniform.

17. Auger shape : HELIX. I often confuse "auger" with "augur".

18. Globe fleck : ISLET

19. Green source, briefly : ATM. Lots of clever clues for ATM, unlike EKE or URAL.

23. Shogunate seat of power : EDO (1603-1806)

24. Major course : ENTREE. What do you want for your last meal? I want sashimi, freshly grilled unagi & mochi ice cream.

31. Lennox of the Eurythmics : ANNIE. "Sweet Dreams are made of this..."

32. "__ only kidding!" : I WAS

33. Get-up-and-go : PEP. What Dennis has.

36. "Waverley" novelist : SCOTT. Sir Walter Scott. I've never heard of "Waverley", a historical novel.

37. Boston's Liberty Tree, e.g. : ELM

38. Word of welcome : HELLO. Ni Hao! Literally "You good".

40. Push-up target : PEC

41. Progress measure : STEP. Tricky clue for me.

42. Two-dimensional products : AREAS

47. Guiding light : BEACON

49. Much of the daily paper : ADS. Esp on Sundays.

56. D-backs, on scoreboards : ARI

57. Harry's Hogwarts nemesis : DRACO. Gimme for Argyle/Jazzbumpa. A draconian clue for me, a non-Harry Potter fan.

58. "The Office" airer : NBC TV

60. Uruguayan uncle : TIO

61. Saharan refuges : OASES. Lots of dates there. Fed to camels and horses. What a waste.

62. Use a short form of : ELIDE

63. __ master : ZEN. Doug Peterson is a grid master.

64. Not sharp, say : ON KEY. I need "or not flat" in the clue to think musically. Stupid!

65. Believer in the clockwork universe theory : DEIST. What is "clockwork universe theory"?

Down:

1. Daytona meas. : MPH. Nailed it, eddy? Daytona 500.

2. French city near the English Channel : CAEN

3. Styne of Broadway : JULE. "Funny Girl", "Gypsy", etc.

4. Greek salad leftover : OLIVE PIT. Have yet to finish my jar of olive pate. Incredibly salty, Steve!

5. Ardent fan's purchase : BOXED SET

6. Speaker's platform : DAIS

7. Supermodel Benitez : ELSA. Here she is. Your clue, Bruce?

8. Plant family including tulips : LILY

9. Giggles : TEEHEES

10. Caesar colleague : ANTONY (Marc). Cleopatra was a Wonder Woman.

11. Adjusted for a larger group, as a recipe : QUADRUPLED. I like this entry.

12. Free : UNTIE

13. Pop singer Mann : AIMEE

21. Dauphin's destiny : ROI. Dauphin was French ROI's oldest (eldest?) son.

22. Nebraska native : OTO

25. Door closer : HASP

26. "I'll try anything __" : ONCE. Will you, Desper-otto?

27. Irregularly : ON OCCASION. Nice answer also.

28. Not be up-front with : LIE TO

29. Nocturnal newcomer : OWLET. "Newcomer" made me laugh.

30. Improvises : VAMPS. New meaning of "vamp" to me. Jazz term.

34. Mideast flier : EL AL

35. Put forward : POSE

38. Got set : HARDENED

39. Subject to removal : ERASABLE

41. Desert bordering the Mojave : SONORAN

44. German grouse? : ACH. Lovely clue/answer for Kazie, Spitzboov and Misty, who is from Austria.

46. Ceiling : CAP

47. Lush-lipped doll brand : BRATZ. They all look quite pretty, except their "lush lips".

48. More than odd : EERIE

51. Thing to stay on : TASK. Stay on task.

52. Big name in slush : ICEE

53. Prying : NOSY

54. MX ÷ V : CCII. 1010/5= 202. I don't mind Roman numeral in a grid at all.

55. Approx. takeoff hrs. : ETDs. ETD = Estimated Time of Departure.

59. Thoroughly examine : VET. Vet a potential candidate for a Supreme Court Justice position, for example.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Friday, November 18, 2011, Bruce R. Sutphin and Doug Peterson

Theme: The INs are OUT! The letters IN are removed from in the language phrases or titles, to create a new and completely whimsical clue/fill combo. This is our third puzzle from Bruce, but his first sharing the honors with Doug Peterson one of my many favorite constructors. All of Bruce's LAT puzzles have been published on Friday, so I am now his caddy, his Stevie Williams; oops bad analogy. The theme is the same concept of his September offering, but I found getting started very hard maybe because I got up at 5:30, this morning, but I got 'er done, and had a really good time doing so. Very few three letter words, and lots of original stuff made this a treat. So let's go.

20A. Movie about a wacky submarine crew?: THE DIVINE COMEDY. The very unfunny book by Dante Alighieri, is juxtaposed with a silly clue. Once I got this I had the theme, and all the the corner, but it was hard, as I kept picturing the Cary Grant Tony Curtis movie, Operation Petticoat.

33A. Feeling when surrounded by taxis?: CABIN PRESSURE. Hard to picture than many taxicabs, but Cabin Pressure in an airplane is very important.

40A. Prince's request to the Pauper?: WILL YOU BE MINE? The classic story where the rich kid wants to experience the freedom of no responsibility, so he changes places with the poor kid, told so well by our own Mark Twain. I like the Anita Baker version of the song.

52A. Random criticisms from the Musketeers?: THREE POINT SHOTS. Pot shots are what are modern press believe is reporting; and 3 point shots are a basketball term for long distance scoring, worth more then regular scoring (2 points). Going to see the newest movie version?

The unifier,

48D. Unexpected visitor ... and a hint to 20-, 33-, 40- and 52-Across: DROP IN, suggesting the dropping of 'IN' from words. It came too late to help me.

Across:

1. Revolution for Caesar?: ANNUM. Latin for a year, one revolution around the sun.

6. Run together: BLUR. This is what my vision is like.

10. Midnight snack: NOSH.

14. "The Family Man" actress: LEONI. David Duchovny's long suffering wife, and the co-star with Nicholas Cage in this MOVIE variation of the Prince and the Pauper, where the rich single guy becomes married with kids in a bizarre flashback to what might have been

15. Mystical letter: RUNE. I am sure all of our crew with Germanic, English and Scandinavian backgrounds found this easy.

16. Home furnishings acronym: IKEA. The ultimate first letter challenge. The founder's name (Ingvar Kamprad),the farm where he grew up (Elmtaryd), and his home parish (Agunnaryd).

17. Success symbol: AWARD. Who was taught 'let them have the credit, you take the cash.'

18. Alarm clock toggle: AM/PM.

19. Shout to a line: NEXT. Great visual, standing in line in the bank.

23. Give out in portions : ALLOT. Meant to say something...

24. Set-to: ROW. Not ROW which rhymes with BOW, oops I mean with BLOW, but the one which sounds like COW, HOW NOW? English is so easy to learn, right C.C.

25. Quarterdeck?: SPADES. Yes, the other quarters being clubs, hearts and diamonds.

28. Set the stage for: USHER IN. Is Usher still in?

32. Carpooler's __ lane: HOV. high-occupancy vehicle. Did you hear about the sad group from Jersey who could not decide between the Holland and Lincoln Tunnel to go to work? they suffered from Carpool Tunnel Syndrome.

36. Largest of a septet: ASIA. The seven continents.

38. Tote: LUG. To carry.

39. Certain surgeon's concern: TREE. The poor sap thought he was going to medical school.

45. In addition: AND.

46. Level of importance: STATURE. being short, I debate this.

47. Harper Lee recluse Boo __: RADLEY. Brilliantly played by ROBERT DUVALL in To Kill a Mockingbird, a wonderful courtroom drama to warm the soul of this old ex-litigator along with 7D. "12 Angry Men" director: LUMET. The movie and play about a jury trapped because of one holdout is marvelous, but Lumet's CAREER was awesome. He died April of this year.

49. Chicago city council mem.: ALD.

50. Prepare eggs, in a way: SHIRR. Simplified, you bake them; I learned the term from reading Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries, as Wolfe liked his eggs a la FRITZ BRENNER WM, you out there?

57. Thick-bodied fish: CHUB. See LINK not ot be confused with the very UN-PC (see below) slang meaning, though if you think about it, it all makes sense.

58. Stir up: RILE. Is this related to the Life of Riley?

59. Birthstones for some Scorpios: OPALS. The last week in October ones.

61. Farm housing: SILO. Housing for the grain? Missiles?

62. Letters from Hera : ETAS. We have lots of Greek going on today.

63. Cap: LIMIT. Like the NFL's salary cap.

64. Like the ocean around SEALAB: INKY. Not to be confused with INKA from earlier this week.

65. Run like a rabbit: DART. Do any of you like John Updike's books?

66. Green Goblin, to Spider-Man: ENEMY. GG is long dead, though.

Down:

1. In the vein of: A LA. Mode? Yummy.

2. Pond denizen: NEWT. I know he is not in favor anymore but this is awfully cruel to Mr. Gingrich.

3. Role in the musical "Two By Two" : NOAH. never heard of the musical, but it was a logical guess from the biblical story.

4. Like fliers on the windshield, usually: UNREAD. Actually crumpled and left in the parking lot; this whole corner was very hard for me.

5. Place to start for a young music student: MIDDLE C. One of the beauties of music, where do you start, in the beginning, no in the middle.

6. "Well played!": BRAVO. Also a network.

8. Offensive to some, briefly: UN-PC. There is nothing I can say which would not be political. so....

9. "Why'd I do that?" feeling: REMORSE. Or perhaps to do your code over again?

10. Trendy retailer named for its original 57th Street address: NINE WEST. These SHOES remind me of missing Robin, and our other youngsters, Tarra Jo, and recently missing Jeannie.

11. Gave the nod: OK'ED. Okay.

12. Tantalizing, in a way: SEXY. Your choice?

13. Magician's prop: HAT. Where did I put that rabbit?

21. Iconic Ingrid role: ILSA. Is this common fill crosswordese now?

22. Mineralogist with a scale.: MOHS. The one with a hardness scale (not quite like Lois' hardness scale).

25. Fiona of "Harry Potter" films et al.: SHAWS. Not one of our favorite type of clues, as the plural is entirely gratuitous, especially where there are other Shaws like George Bernard or Jaws actor Robert. Fiona, meanwhile was fabulous as MARNIE on True Blood, this season. (1:00)

26. Put forth: POSIT. A good two dollar lawyer word, as attorneys do not like to say anything, they aver, they propose, suggest...yaddah, yaddah.

27. Walled Spanish city: AVILA. How fun, the walled home of our Spanish saint, born Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada,

28. Desire: URGE. I really would like to hear from all our missing ones; it was such fun to have Dennis back for the day

29. Bumpkin: RURAL. I had a hard time with this clue, as various forms of RUBE kept coming to mind; I do not think of rural as a noun.

30. Goddess of peace : IRENE. From the Greek, EIRENE, and my mother's name.

31. Down-and-out: NEEDY. Anyone else think seedy?

34. Down: BLUE. You think LOVE is? Paul Mariat you rock. (2:28)

35. Pint seller: PUB. The needed beer reference for a non-beer loving man who raised two boys each wanting to brew beer and run a pub.

37. Bible bearer, often : ALTAR BOY. Followed by another semi-religious clue.

41. Winter season: YULE. This comes from the Germanic pagan festival of yuletide, which was incorporated into the Christian history when the birth was moved from summer to December 25.

42. Put in place: ORDERED. I was thinking about putting someone in their place, not just organizing.

43. Pictures taken in a hosp: MRIS. Magnetic Resonance Images.

44. Football helmet feature: EAR HOLE. A very literal clue, so the players can hear the signals, the play calls etc.

50. Like some panels: SOLAR. Anyone using solar?

51. Earthshaking '50s event: H-TEST. Hydrogen bomb test, literally earth shaking.

52. Slender: THIN. I like slender better, thin always seems like a criticism.

53. Clumsy ship: HULK. I do not know why, but whenever we would drive by a big old ship, my father would say, "Look at that old Hulk." Those of you who sail, any reason?

54. Edible pocket: PITA. The bread from the Mediterranean, the word comes from the Greek word for Pie. In texting it means Pain in the, well you get it.

55. Get under control: TAME. Do you think of animals, your hair or your spouse?

56. Unlikely: SLIM, and his best pal none.

57. TV drama set in Vegas: CSI. Crime Scene Investigator; any thoughts on the Ted Danson experiment?

60. Wilbur's whereabouts, in "Charlotte's Web": STY. He actually spent most of his time in the barn, didn't he?

Answer grid.

Well my work is done, thanks Bruce and Doug. It is also my last chance to remind you lurkers and oldsters to come say hello on Wednesday the 23rd. You all know who you are. We like hearing from you and knowing you are all doing well and just too busy for this to be the daily stopping point. Happy Turkey Day all.

Lemonade

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday, Jimbo! Hope you're doing well and still read the blog every day.