Tuesday, January 6, 2015 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Beyond Lincoln Logs - Items that can be built from a kit.

20A. Guideline for standard operating procedures : POLICY FRAMEWORK

26A. Weightlifter's practice : BODY BUILDING

50A. Frequent feeling of culpability : GUILT COMPLEX

58A. Box of Lego bricks, e.g., or a hint to the last words of 20-, 26- and 50-Across : CONSTRUCTION SET

Argyle here. No C.C. but still two grid spanners. I hope I can get some help on the theme.

Tinkertoy construction set would build a good for frameworks.

There are lots of building construction sets out there, even a "The Walking Dead" one. LINK

You may be familiar with a "complex construction kit" if engage in X3: Terran Conflict, a computer simulation. The kit is used to link your factories.

Any other ideas?

Across:

1. Six-footer at a Super Bowl party? : HERO. Fun thing to get home in a small car.

5. Leveling wedge : SHIM

9. Trojan War epic : ILIAD

14. Sailed through : ACED

15. Oompah instrument : TUBA

16. For the __: temporarily : NONCE. That's all she wrote. Not used elsewhere.

17. Storage structure : SHED

18. Requiring a two-day trip, say : AFAR. Odd usage.

19. Ultrasound image, perhaps : FETUS

23. Go one better than : TOP

24. Old Mideast org. : U.A.R. (United Arab Republic)

25. "Papa __ a Rollin' Stone" : WAS. A tick faster version.

32. Log-splitting tool : AXE

33. Houston player, informally : STRO. Houston Astros, baseball.

34. Common rental restriction : [NO PETS]

38. Plumbing problem : LEAK

40. Toward the tiller : AFT

42. "College GameDay" number : STAT. College GameDay is an ESPN program that covers college basketball and football, going over the STATistics.

43. Still making payments : IN DEBT

46. __ mater : ALMA

49. "Little Women" woman : AMY. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy

53. Kwik-E-Mart owner on "The Simpsons" : APU

56. Assenting vote : YEA

57. Ratio involving ht. and wt. : BMI. (Body Mass Index)

65. Designer Nina : RICCI. She got her start in the Thirties.

Don't let the cold stop you from being fashionable.

66. Retro phone feature : DIAL

67. "Do __ others ..." : UNTO

68. Sunni's faith : ISLAM

69. Simplify : EASE

70. Falafel holder : PITA

71. Mower handle? : DEERE. (name)

72. Mates for bucks : DOEs

73. Small earring : STUD

Down:

1. Hinged fastener : HASP

2. Sound on the rebound : ECHO

3. Rod attachment : REEL

4. Quirk : ODDITY

5. "Don't budge!" : "STAY PUT!"

6. Peeved mood : HUFF and 62D. Peeved mood : SNIT

7. Letter-shaped support piece : I-BAR

8. Plunder : MARAUD

9. Hot spot for Dante : INFERNO

10. Big name in movie theaters : LOEW

11. On its way to the body shop : [IN TOW]

12. Legend automaker : ACURA, which is a division of Honda.

13. Newsroom furniture : DESKS

21. Corn cores : COBs

22. Most important : MAIN

26. Vacation island south of Borneo : BALI

27. Farm team : OXEN

28. Word before tired or heat : DEAD

29. Fund for the golden yrs. : IRA

30. Lite : LO FAT

31. Navig. aid : GPS

35. Catchall abbr. : ET AL.

36. Domesticate : TAME

37. Mythological underworld boundary river : STYX

39. Tapped vessel : KEG

41. Treatment for a broken heart, briefly : TLC. (Tender Loving Care)

44. Postpone the inevitable : BUY TIME

45. Stadium section : TIER

47. Delicately balanced sculptures : MOBILES. Put away for another year.

48. Gun filler : AMMO

51. Praised : LAUDED

52. Man cave hangings : PIN-UPS

53. Bitterly pungent : ACRID

54. Self-assurance : POISE

55. Cry of concession : "UNCLE!"

59. Surgery reminder : SCAR

60. "So long," on the Lido : "CIAO"

61. Shock, in a way : TASE

63. "__, Brute?" : ET TU

64. Warty hopper : TOAD

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

To blog regulars:

Please send your photo to me (crosswordc@gmail.com) if you want to be included in our Blog Photos archive. We'd love to "see" you.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Blue Christmas - My wish is that none of you are affected by these conditions for Christmas.

21A. Hitchhiked : BUMMED A RIDE

39A. Aid in driving uphill : LOW GEAR

57A. At some future date : DOWN THE LINE

3D. Deplorably bad effort : SAD ATTEMPT

30D. Sharp-billed game fish : BLUE MARLIN

Santa here but I feel a bit like Scrooge; there's no reveal for you today. Gail and Bruce didn't even provide stars...but it is a fine present anyway. A tight theme, very little dross and several CSO's (and no ice). Several entries were definitely déjà vu.

Across:

1. Hushed "Hey!" : "PSST!"

5. PC image file format : JPEG. (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

9. Quaint word of dismissal : PSHAW

14. Obsessed whale hunter : AHAB

15. Guthrie of "Alice's Restaurant" fame : ARLO. A Thanksgiving song.

16. Mozart's "Don Giovanni," e.g. : OPERA

17. Cribs and cradles : BEDS

18. Navy mascot : GOAT

19. Prey grabber : TALON

20. Place for a flock : LEA and around the corner, 24D. Meadow mom : EWE

23. Big name in taco sauce : ORTEGA

25. Remote button : MUTE

26. Handles deftly, as a baton : TWIRLS

29. __ Sapphire: gin brand : BOMBAY. Acceptable, Tinbeni?

33. Joyful shout : CHEER

35. Like wines aged in certain barrels : OAKY

37. "On the Waterfront" director Kazan : ELIA

38. Sing without words : HUM

42. Address in an online favorites list, e.g. : URL. (uniform resource locator)

43. Chalet backdrop : ALPS. One for Marti.

45. Tiny chirp : PEEP

46. Past pudgy : OBESE

48. Sound of little feet : PATTER. For all those grandkids out there.

50. "2 Broke Girls," for one : SITCOM. (situation comedy)

52. Pre-med subj. : ANAT.

54. "Shoot!" : "OH DARN!"

62. Fish delicacy : ROE

63. Fill with wonder : AMAZE

64. Silent approvals : NODS. "...And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!"

65. Singer Fitzgerald : ELLA

66. Control tower device : RADAR

67. Eins und zwei : DREI. Something in German.

68. Harbor structure : PIER

69. Bit of salon litter : TRESS

70. Freezer bag feature : SEAL

71. "What You Need" band : INXS. What you need is more Blue Christmas/Buon Natale.

Down:

1. Painter Picasso : PABLO

2. Like some cliffs and stockings : SHEER. We know who this is for.

4. "Cougar Town" network : TBS. (Turner Broadcasting System)

5. Rain forest cat : JAGUAR

6. Senior moment? : PROM

7. Jack of old oaters : ELAM. Just one of the many screen deaths of Jack Elam.

8. Informal response to "Did you buy those items I asked for?" : "GOT 'EM"

9. Picnic salad ingredient : POTATO

10. "Skip the sordid details" : "SPARE ME". TMI

11. Prefix with port or pad : HELI

12. 14-time A.L. All-Star : A-ROD

13. Diminish slowly : WANE

21. Old nightclub employee : B GIRL

22. 2000s White House nickname : DUBYA. George "Dubya" Bush

27. Rob of "Parks and Recreation" : LOWE. He has some strange DirecTV ads on the air now.

28. Learned ones : SAGES. Three sages from the East doesn't sound right.

31. Broadcasts : AIRS

32. Prestigious New England law school : YALE. It was hard to believe Splynter missed Yale Men's Ice Hockey, 2013 NCAA Champions, last Saturday's puzzle.

33. Fellow : CHAP

34. Hippy dance : HULA. Even a shout out to our Islanders.

36. Foreign Legion cap : KEPI

40. Talk show tycoon : OPRAH

41. Valium maker : ROCHE

44. Poem divisions : STANZAS

47. Gym specimen : BOD

49. Types into the database : ENTERS

51. Throat tissue : TONSIL

53. Looks after : TENDS

55. High-end watch : ROLEX

56. Gets within a stone's throw of : NEARS

57. Sticker in a tavern target : DART

58. Actor Sharif : OMAR

59. Cross a creek, say : WADE

60. Anecdotal wisdom : LORE

61. Brainstorming contribution : IDEA

65. Prefix with center : EPI

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

I'm excited to share with you three gorgeous pictures from Lemonade's wedding. They're such a beautiful couple.

Saturday, Nov 8th, 2014, Bruce Venzke & Victor Fleming

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing Q,X)

Blocks: 28

   I did today's puzzle in two stages; I had to stop about 80% of the way through, but that was OK, because I was drawing a blank in the NW and SW corners.  Upon returning to the game, I noticed the WAGs I was reluctant to try were actually the correct answers - go figure.  Oh, and an alphabet-run technical DNF, which bummed me out(*). Bruce last appeared on a Saturday, Dec 7th, in 2013, and Victor's last Saturday was back on July 7th, 2012 (LAT) - two Victors in a row~!  Triple 10-letter pinwheel design with a pair of 7- and 8-letter fills as well;

17a. Group with many hits : COSA NOSTRA - Learning moment; I did not realize this was another name for the Sicilian Mafia - hence, the "hits" - more like whacks

12d. Get romantic : BILL AND COO - I have heard of the "COOing" part, but the "BILL"~?  I looked it up; it's a bird reference - now I get it

63a. They go down to the wire : CLOSE GAMES - I tried HORSE RACES

28. Some astronauts : SPACEWOMEN - Dah~! My first thought, and yet it seemed too simple - here's a list

O N W Ra Ds~!

ACROSS:

 1. Staff leaders : MAJORDOMOs - no clue to start, then I got as far as MAJOR----

11. Common rhyme scheme : ABAB - Good guess to start

15. In top form : AT ONE'S BEST

16. Wheels : RIDE - I am hoping to buy a new ride this weekend - a 2002 Ford Escape

18. Menlo Park middle name : ALVA - Thomas Edison

19. Fuse, as ore : SMELT

20. Comic strip about a high schooler : ZITS - I like it

22. She plays Watson in "Elementary" : LIU - Lucy

23. Fourth most populous U.S. island : OAHU - I threw in GUAM;  BZZZT~!  50% correct in all the wrong places

26. Reach : CONTACT - as on one's phone

28. Surveillance aid : SPYGLASS - I'd like to live on Spyglass Lane - there's one in my neighborhood

32. Steelers ownership family name : ROONEY

33. Nanki-__ : POO - I have heard this, but I went and looked it up afterwards - oh right - the Mikado

34. Prowler : SNOOP

36. Landlord's assets: Abbr. : BLDGs

37. "... men in __" : A TUB

39. Locks that are picked : AFROs

41. Victoria's Secret spec : D CUP - HA~! I threw this in, and upon doing the write-up realized I was right - I'm sure Dennis nailed it

Hello, blue-eyes - I bet you didn't even notice they were blue (her eyes)

42.* Longtime name in baseball broadcasting : CARAY - the "Y" was my downfall, in 43d., too

44. Inset site : ATLAS

46. Valuable elemento : ORO - goldo, in Spanisho

47. "And wilt thou pledge me this for time __?": Aeschylus : ETERNE - mostly perps

49. Takes a powder : SKIPS OUT - 'round here, SKIPS OUT means someone ran off in the night without paying the rent

51. Goes south : WORSENS

53. Rested from flight : ALIT

54. "He's mine, __ am his": "Coriolanus" : OR I - two quote partials doesn't sit well with me

55. Lases or tases : ZAPS

57. Verdi aria : ERI TU

61. Star followers : MAGI - 'Tis the season once again

66. Repeat : ECHO - 'Tis the season once again
- is there an echo in here~!?

67. Revealing : TATTLE-TALE - like a sign

68. Table tennis club's supply : NETS - um, I guess they would

69. Plots : STORY LINES - ah, that kind of plot

DOWN:

1. Apple array : MACS

2. It may be ionized : ATOM - see "onward"

3. Muralist Orozco : JOSÉ

Jose Orozco's Prometheus

4. Where a turtle might be seen : ON A LOG - sure, why not; the last one I saw was trying to cross Rt 25, which is a 50mph road - I believe he made it

5. Some prom night wear : RENTALS - oh, the tux....never mind....

6. Brit. military award : DSO Distiguished Service Order

7. Delivery pros : OBStetrician - from the Latin "to stand by"; the medical specialist that deals with pregnancy and childbirth

8. City on the Moselle : METZ

9. "Hamlet" courtier : OSRIC

10. Electric generator component : STATOR

11. Celestial altar : ARA

13. Amy Dickinson, e.g. : ADVICE GURU

14. Mole, maybe : BEAUTY SPOT - I do not think of them as beauty; just spots

21. Stereotypical status seeker : SNOB

24. Rival of Martina and Chris : HANA - Mandlíková, Czech tennis star

25. Patriotic nickname : U.S. of A.

27. Spoiled the surprise : TOLD

29. Kid's birthday party contest : POTATO RACE - never had one

30. "No argument" : YOU'RE RIGHT - upon returning to the grid, I was able to get past "YOU", which was all I had filled, and started thinking "YOU'RE" - Duck~!

31. Prepares for filing : SORTS

35. Grammy category eliminated in 2009 : POLKA - I did not know this

38. Illegalizes : BARS - I had BANS, and that threw me

40. Zip (through) : SAIL

43*. Santa __ Valley: California wine region : YNEZ - ugh - really~? Oh well - I'm sure our California contingency got it no problem

45. Catalog giant : SPIEGEL

48. Adopts : ENACTS

50. Low clouds : STRATI

52. Paint-spill sound : SPLAT - uhhh, whooo(ups)~?

56. __ speak : SO TO - ugh - all perps

58. "Project Runway Canada" host : IMAN

59. Commuting leader? : TELE - telecommuting

60. Doesn't let sit : USES

62. Cyclades island : IOS

64. Harp, e.g.: Abbr. : STRing instrument

65. Bridge expert Culbertson : ELY

Splynter

Tuesday, October 28, 2014 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Two for Tuesday - Each half of the two word answer is theme related.

16. *Tailor's fabric marker : CHALK PENCIL. Chalk mark, Pencil mark.

23. *Like a job that doesn't cause ulcers : LOW STRESS. Low mark, Stress mark.

34. *Anna Sewell novel narrated by a horse : "BLACK BEAUTY". Black mark, Beauty mark,

49. *Icon in bill-paying software : CHECK BOOK. Check mark, Book mark.

59. "Remember what I said!" ... and a hint to what can follow each part of the answers to starred clues : "MARK MY WORDS!"

Argyle here. The Gail/Bruce twosome gave us an ambitious Tuesday that seems a tad flat to me. Is it just me?

Across:

1. Plant owner: Abbr. : MFR. (ManuFactureR)

4. Quieted (down) : CALMED

10. Novelist Clancy : TOM

13. Go it alone : SOLO

14. Starting squads : A-TEAMS

15. Commotion : ADO

18. Fortysomething, e.g. : Xer. Gen X followed the Baby Boomers.

19. Parts of stairs : RISERS. The piece that is between the treads, often missing on cellar stairs.

20. Paving supply : TAR

21. "Suits" actress Torres : GINA

22. Oft-blessed outburst : [ACHOO!]

25. Nonstick kitchen brand : PAM

26. Pro offering IRA advice : CPA

28. Netherworld : HADES

29. Uppity one : SNOB

31. Chapter in a geology text, maybe : ERA

33. Finished first : WON

38. Early hrs. : AMs

39. Misspell or misspeak : ERR

40. Woodshop tools : SAWS

43. "NCIS" actor Joe : SPANO. Agent Fornell

46. Personal connections : INs

48. Extinct emu-like bird : MOA

53. Top-selling Toyota : CAMRY. Mid-Size Sedan.

55. __ Hashanah : ROSH. Last month.

56. "Bambi" doe : ENA. The aunt.

57. Runway figures : MODELS

58. "What was __ do?" : I TO

61. Jazz genre : BOP

62. Layered rock : GNEISS

63. Pull up stakes, to Realtors : RELO. Relocate.

64. USCG rank : ENS. Ensign.

65. Hardly boastful : MODEST

66. Dreyer's partner in ice cream : EDY

Down:

1. Tribesman in a Cooper title : MOHICAN. "The Last of the Mohicans" set in my locale.

2. Apparently spontaneous public gathering : FLASH MOB. Dudley(from last night), it sounds like you had the makings of a good flash mob.

3. Logger's contest : ROLEO. Pay attention to the commentary.

4. Spending limits : CAPS

5. Completed the course? : ATE. Cute.

6. Slowly, to Mozart : LENTO

7. Colorful parrot : MACAW

8. Mideast leaders : EMIRS

9. High-speed www connection : DSL. Not that fast in this FiOS age.

10. Rolled up to the jetway : TAXIED. Jetway? Don't hear that often.

11. Danish birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen : ODENSE

12. Marshy tract : MORASS

13. Torn-off paper pieces : SCRAPS

17. McDonald's founder Ray : KROC

21. Research funding sources : GRANTS

23. Carefree diversion : LARK

24. "__ shalt not ..." : THOU. Thou shall not pass, dog!

27. Push-up targets, briefly : PECS. Chest muscles.

30. Boil briefly, as asparagus : BLANCH

32. Honest __ : ABE

33. Tip off : WARN

35. Out of control : AMOK

36. Composer Satie : ERIK. Extensive write-up with this LINK.

37. Whined : YAMMERED

41. Urbane : WORLDLY

42. States as fact : SAYS SO

43. Book copier of yore : SCRIBE. Like in this yore, 45D. __ Fables : AESOP'S

44. Particle of light : PHOTON

47. Garbage vessel : SCOW

50. Bingo relative : BEANO

51. No right __: road sign : ON RED

52. Jack of "The Texas Rangers" : OAKIE. (1936 movie)but he was so much more. He's the one in the middle in this clip.

54. Really love : ADORE

57. Computer game title island : MYST. More for the Gen Y crowd.

59. Studio with a lion mascot : MGM

60. Submissions to an ed. : MSS. (Manuscripts)

Argyle

Tuesday, September 16, 2014 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Stay Behind the Line - A police show staple, "Get Back!" except today it is GET that is back, backwards that is. TE ends the first word and G begins the second word.

41A. Regain, and hint to a hidden letter arrangement in 20- and 59-Across and 11- and 35-Down : GET BACK

20A. Hockey player's blade cover : SKATE GUARD

59A. Meticulous, as premium service : WHITE GLOVE

11D. Roofing color : SLATE GRAY

35D. Rather nice : QUITE GOOD

Argyle here. It seems rather flat to me. A couple of tens and nines that lack sparkle. I hope you enjoyed it.

Across:

1. Fraternal title for a fictional fox : BR'ER. from the Uncle Remus folktales.

5. Easily bamboozled sort : PATSY

10. Former Mach 2 fliers, briefly : SSTs

14. Top-rated : A-ONE

15. Hawaii hello : "ALOHA"

16. Butterlike spread : OLEO

17. Steak cut : LOIN

18. U.S.-Canada defense letters : NORAD. (North American Aerospace Defense Command)

19. With 54-Down, longtime Jeep competitor : LAND 54D. See 19-Across : ROVER

22. __ Place: Butch and Sundance companion : ETTA

                            Source

 

23. Music rights gp. : ASCAP. (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)

24. Wonderland cake words : [EAT ME]

26. Bolivian capital : LA PAZ. An elevation of roughly 3,650 meter (11,975 feet).

30. Ticked off : ANGRY

33. www help pages : FAQs. (Frequently asked questions)

36. Old vendor of cold blocks : ICEMAN

39. French king : ROI

40. Sch. in Columbus : OSU. (Ohio State University)

42. Sound system part : AMP

43. Xbox 360 competitor : Wii. (Nintendo)

44. Log-on requirement : USER ID

45. Work on a keyboard : TYPE

46. Mechanic on TV's "Taxi" : LATKA. Portrayed by Andy Kaufman.

                            Source

 

48. Foil maker : ALCOA

50. Sinclair Lewis' "__ Gantry" : ELMER

53. Swampy areas : MIREs

57. Senate gofer : PAGE

63. Swine's supper : SLOP

64. No longer squeaking : OILED

65. Fifty-fifty : EVEN

66. Get a glimpse of : SPOT

67. Do a bakery job : KNEAD

68. Socially awkward type : NERD

69. Bustle : TO DO

70. "My apologies" : "SORRY"

71. Prohibitionists : DRYS. Opponents of the WETS.

Down:

1. Lightweight wood : BALSA

2. Corner chessmen : ROOKS. How's the table, Splynter?

3. Room-size computer unveiled in 1946 : ENIAC. (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer)

4. U-Haul vans, e.g. : RENTALS

5. Sign of hunger : PANG

6. Baseball family name : ALOU

7. Afghanistan's __ Bora : TORA

 

8. Divvy up : SHARE

9. When tripled, "and so on" : "YADDA..."

10. Serious : SOLEMN

12. No-frills shelter : TENT

13. Fountain drink : SODA

21. Org. concerned with greenhouse gases : EPA

25. Gas holder : TANK

27. Bakery array : PIES

28. French play part : ACTE

29. Striped equine : ZEBRA

31. One-sided win : ROMP

32. "Holy cow!" : YIPE

33. Pheasant or turkey : FOWL

34. Sri Lanka setting : ASIA. Travelogue

37. Letters in a box : MAIL

38. Electrical adapter letters : AC/DC

41. Largest of the Mariana Islands : GUAM

45. Final part : TAIL END

47. Compulsive thief, for short : KLEPTO. Kleptomania is the inability to refrain from the urge to steal items and is done for reasons other than personal use or financial gain.

49. Texter's "Zounds!" : [OMG!]

51. Furry "Star Wars" creatures : EWOKS

52. Thick-skinned beast : RHINO

55. All-inclusive adjective : EVERY

56. Ships : SENDS

57. Subtle "Over here!" : "PSST!"

58. Kibbles 'n Bits alternative : ALPO

60. Robert of "The Sopranos" : ILER. Where is he NOW?

61. Fabric mishap : TEAR

62. Whirling current : EDDY

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to D-Otto, who has been quietly helping me and this blog the past few years. Our team blogging would be very stressful had Tom not taught me the basic know-how. He is always caring and patient, though he did become a loving Desper-otto when we brainstormed a very demanding theme set a few months ago :-)

  

Saturday, Dec 7th, 2013, Bruce Venzke

Theme: None

Words: 68 (missing Q,X,Y,Z)

Blocks: 34

   This is my third Saturday LAT from Bruce, and I think it's a spectacular looking puzzle with nearly perfect symmetry (From C.C.: This puzzle has the normal 180 symmetry. And the Left to Right symmetry. And the Top to Bottom symmetry.) and a very solvable puzzle at that~!  Not much to start with, but the solitary fill I had in each corner was just enough to work out some of the common language spanners - we have six today (and two 11-letter climbers);

17. Emergency strategies : EVACUATION PLANS - there was a HazMat fire at the UPS terminal in Uniondale, NY, in Nassau County; my center is in Suffolk; they had to call in FIVE fire deparments, plus a spill team.  That closed the operation for most of the morning sort - not a pretty scene.  No one hurt.

20. Mattered : MADE A DIFFERENCE

23. Post-election governmental meeting, perhaps : LAME DUCK SESSION - when the president knows he's not coming back in January - Wiki

42. Number? : LOCAL ANESTHESIA - Didn't fool me~!  Numb-ers, so I was looking for Novocaine, etc

47. Takes an opposite position : CHANGES ONE'S TUNE

56. Alters some game parameters : RAISES THE STAKES

ON WA RD~!

ACROSS:

1. Overseas county : SHIRE - anyone else read this as countRy?  I had CHINA to start

6. Zurich highlight : ALP - was looking for the German word for song/solo, "ARIA"

9. Golden Gate element : CABLE - tried TOWER first

 14. Saved for later, in a way : TAPED - not much these days; everything I watch is digitally recorded on the cable company DVR

15. Architectural prefix : NEO - nice alternative to "Matrix" character and "opposite paleo-"

16. Providers of added light : ATRIA

 21. NBA great : Dr. J - Not a basketball fan, but I DID know it was not "OTT" nor "ORR"

22. Bush led it for about a yr. in the '70s : CIA

32. March middle : IDES

33. They may lead to risky moves : DARES

34. Many a reference book : TOME

35. Like some tempers : BAD - had it in, took it out; I had the wrong idea for the crossing "suit" (23D)

36. "Reversal of Fortune" Oscar winner : IRONS - Jeremy

37. Brimless hat : TAM - Took a gamble and tried FEZ; BZZ

38. Home of Phillips University : ENID - Oklahoma

40. Secretary of State after Colin, familiarly : CONDI - Condoleezza Rice

41. Candy __ : CANE - anyone try "GRAM" here?

45. Seinfeld specialty : WIT - meh

46. Electrical particle : ION

57. Great enthusiasm : ARDOR

58. Classified abbr. : EOE - Equal Opportunity Employer

59. Part of a meet : EVENT

60. Disengages, as from a habit : WEANS

61. High degree : Ph.D - not "Nth"

62. Comes up short : LOSES

DOWN:

1. Arise (from) : STEM

2. "__ Nagila" : HAVA

3. Jobs news of 2010 : iPAD - Steve Jobs, of Apple

4. Moves back : RECEDES

5. Former Georgian president Shevardnadze : EDUARD - mostly perps

6. Freeze beginning : ANTI - Antifreeze; my water pump went on the Dodge this past Wednesday - it's still sitting in the parking lot at UPS.  The car owes me nothing - it's got 242,000 miles, and it's 14 yrs old - I am seriously considering the Dodge Dart come January

7. Hero in Treece's "Vinland the Good" : LEIF - Henry Treece, who wrote this juvenile historical account of Leif Ericsson

8. Magic word : "POOF"

9. Mid-calf pants : CAPRIs

 10. That much or more : AT LEAST

11. Grain layer : BRAN

12. Omar's role in "The Mod Squad" : LINC

13. No effort : EASE

18. Settles : ADJUDICATES - healthy $2 word

19. Bare things : NECESSITIES - the 'bare necessities' - OR - Bear?

23. Suit material : LIBEL - ah, THAT kind of (law) suit

24. Hersey's bell town : ADANO

25. Front VIP : MEDIC - my first thought was front office, but this is the battlefield front

26. Leslie of "Fanny" : CARON - stuck on Nielsen

27. Danish capital : KRONE - capital as in money

28. Enthralls : SENDS

29. Whits : IOTAs - not a whit (iota) of truth

30. Arabian peninsula native : OMANI

31. Mythical lion's home : NEMEA - I tried ASLAN, but that's THE lion (and the wrong one)

39. Suddenly occurs to : DAWNS ON

41. 1/100 of a Brazilian real : CENTAVO - more money

43. Hybrid cats : LIGERS - LIons/tiGERs - oh MY~!

44. Low-cost stopover : HOSTEL

47. Sticking place : CRAW

48. Memorable napper : HARE - Aesop fable where the slow and steady tortoise wins - I did not know there was some 'controversy' over its interpretation

49. Radamès' love : AIDA

50. Flight feature : STEP - A flight of stairs

51. "We're in trouble!" : OH-OH

52. Call for : NEED

53. They usually have four strings : UKES

54. Birds seen by players of 53-Down : NE-NE

55. Body shop figs. : ESTimateS - I fiugre the water pump on the old Dodge is going to cost me $300-400, and that sounds like a new car payment to me....

Splynter

Another two-letter word game;

What are these lists which use one letter from the first pair to the next?

AL LA AR RI IN NM MN NY

GW WW WH HT TJ JB BO

NA AS SI IR RN NE

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Larry, our philosopher/farmer Windhover, who's been with the blog for a long time. Windhover met with Lucina last year too. Can you imagine life without TV or computers? That's how Windhover and his wife Irish live their life. Click here for a few pictures of young Larry. 

 
 

Friday, October 5, 2012, Bruce Venzke

Theme: Don’t quote me, but it is raining cats and dogs.

Hello from sunny but also often rainy South Florida, where we await our next tropical storm. This is I believe my first “quip” puzzle, as well as my first for this Bruce: (INTERVIEW) the words revealed themselves quickly, which was good because quips can be hard to get going, though many clues seemed perfect for me. Bruce V. is one of many skilled and prolific puzzle makers, who has more collaborative puzzles than anyone else I have seen, many lately with Gail G.. We get many of his themeless.  He is best known for his 15 letter fill, and this puzzle is no exception. Finding a saying which breaks into symmetrical pieces is not easy. I hope all our cat owners enjoy.

In addition to the quip there are so many intertwined thoughts in this puzzle, including some fine long fill, and some other related clues, quite a few 4 letter fill, but it made it doable, so...

Let’s do this

17A. Start of a Quip: A DOG COMES WHEN HE (15)

27A. Quip, part 2: IS CALLED, BUT A (12)

38A. Quip, part 3: CAT WILL (7)

48A. Quip, part 4: TAKE A MESSAGE (12)

62A. End of the quip: AND GET BACK TO YOU (15)

Across:

We begin in my wheelhouse...

1. Seat of Florida's Marion County : OCALA. 28 miles down the road from Gainesville and law school, piece of cake.

6. Airhead : LOON. The official bird of the Corner (and Minnesota).

10. Nonkosher : TREF. Easy for a Jewish boy.

14. Tijuana address : SENOR. Finally, a bit tricky, not a street address, but like the Gettysburg.

15. Cooper's tool : ADZE. I am sure we all know by now the tool of this PROFESSION.

16. Incline : HILL.

20. Berry of "F Troop" : KEN. A Classic SITCOM. (1:16), and 50D. The BBC's "Pinwright's Progress" is reportedly the first TV one : SITCOM. I did not know this FACT.

21. Network with NEA funding : PBS. Public Broadcasting System.

22. Like some pasts : SORDID. Nice new word. (1)

23. Decked out : ADORNED. (2).

26. Contemporary of Dashiell : ERLE. Stanley Gardner creator of Perry Mason and others, who were contemporaries of 57A. "To speak the broken English is an enormous asset" speaker : POIROT.

I love David Suchet's version.

32. Power, slangily : JUICE. used in many different contexts, such as referring to politicians, as well as electricity. A word that is a self pun.

35. Want ad initials : EOE. Equal Opportunity Employer.

36. First name in fashion : YVES St. LAURENT. Odd website design.

37. Lumber tree : ELM. and its mirror, 42A. Lodge member : ELK.

43. Cocktail party irritant : SNOB.

45. Agnus __ : DEI.

46. 80% of them come from South Australia : OPALS. By now all of you, not just Kazie must know this fact, as I seem to have a reference every Friday.

52. Skull and Bones members : ELIS. A Yale secret society for seniors, which brings us to our irritant, 12D. Curriculum range, briefly : ELHI.

53. Emphatic follow-up : I MEAN IT. mini-theme, 34D. "There's nothing wrong with me" : I'M OK. and 55D. "Came up short" : I LOST. But not, 59D. Author's inspiration : IDEA.

60. Pontiac muscle car : GTO. Gran Turismo Omolagato, name stolen from Ferrari.

61. Cautionary road sign : SLO.

66. Stead : LIEU. In stead of, in lieu of, nice law word.

67. Cartesian connection : ERGO. Cogito Ergo Sum, I think therefore I am, the Dualist philosophy of Rene Descartes, in Latin because that it made it Academic, just like Cartesian, a Latin form of the name Descartes  which scholars thought sounded better in those days. Many books were translated into Latin to make them seem more profound. van Gulick for example translated the Pillow Books, from Chinese to Latin, to make them unavailable to the masses. Another story for another time.

68. Surrealism pioneer : ERNST. Max.

69. PDQ, in the ICU : STAT.

70. Pharmacy unit : DRAM.The liquid measure, and a favorite way to order whiskey in Scotland. Like
8D. Liq. measures : OZS. Ounces.

71. The FDIC may insure them : ACCTS. Accounts in banks, an abbreviation because FDIC is an abbreviation, sort of, though really an initialism.

Part II.

Down:

1. Honshu city : OSAKA. While many of the cities have five letters in this PROVINCE of Japan, with the "O" from Ocala, this was easy.

2. Relinquished : CEDED. Not to be confused with putting out stuff for your lawn.

3. Reprimand ending : A NO NO. "That's  ...."

4. Roleo item : LOG. Not a misprint, even if you do not know this poor cousin of Rodeo, this one was as easy as falling of a....

5. Delaware's Twelve-mile Circle, e.g. : ARC. LINK.

6. 11th Greek letter : LAMBDA. probably time to memorize the Greek alphabet.

7. Works of Sappho : ODES. Ancient Greek woman poet who lived on an island, and is the supposed matriarch of the lesbian world. They did not have TMZ in those days, so we will never know. MUSICAL INTERLUDE.(3:26)

9. Fox Movietone piece : NEWSREEL. Not Rupert Murdoch's Fox but this MEMORY.(1:24). They were still around when I was little and first went to the movies.

10. In that connection : THEREBY.(3) and a law word to boot.

11. Outer coating : RIND. Watermelon season is almost over.

13. Escaped : FLED.

18. '70s embargo gp. : OPEC. I was in LA doing music business when the first embargo hit, it was chaos in a place where everyone drives everywhere.

19. Tactic on a mat : HOLD. As someone who began wrestling in eighth grade and continued through college, this was easy. When I started I did not realize the opponents would be boys. Anyway, this should have been easy for everyone because it is followed by, 24D. Wrestler Flair : RIC.  This BIMBA. (0:37)

25. Minute minute pt. : NSEC. A nanosecond. I love it being in the puzzle with 54D. Band that sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" a cappella at the 2000 World Series : 'N SYNC, the copy cat boy band formed after the success of the Backstreet Boys, both put together in Orlando, with Justin Timberlake (who is the name sponsor of this week's PGA event) being the emerging star from "N. Do not know them from the world series. MUSICAL INTERLUDE. (3:24). Some video for the crowd, forgive the ads..

26. Frail sci-fi race : ELOI. Yvette, why do you haunt my Fridays?

28. "Elmer Gantry" novelist : LEWIS. Sinclair, who wrote so many classic novels like Main Street, Babbitt, Arrowhead, and won the Pulitzer Prize for literature. I think he turned it down.

29. Where the iris is : UVEA. One of my favorite eye parts, even though I have hole in mine, but not related to 33D. Humerus neighbor : ULNA. Speaking of which, does anyone watch and find the new ABC series about aliens Neighbors, humorous?

30. Gambler's giveaway : TELL. Does anyone watch the World series of Poker on ESPN? Which oddly fits with, 60D. Lady of pop : GAGA. MUSICAL INTERLUDE.(3:36).

31. Tries to learn : ASKS.

32. Good-natured taunt : JEST. The heart and soul of the Corner, for me.

39. Checked in : ADMITTED. Like to a hospital, nice tricky clue. (4).

40. Driver's needs : TEES. I read the already filled in answer as TESS and was quite puzzled for a while. I finally got in the swing of the clue.

41. Opera house section : LOGE. Must we have this every day?

44. Result of too much suds? : BEER GUT. Not soap; for all my beer loving boys and for me (5).

47. Green shade : PEA. generally not a compliment.

49. Fleshy-leaved plant : ALOE. Also green, but very soothing in the sunburn south.

51. Crazy way to run : AMOK. I love how he slipped this in a puzzle with I'M OK to mess with your head!

56. Pushes : TOUTS. Just think racetrack, where you run into one of your

57. Friends : PALS. Who spoke with the jockey will let you in

58. Handling the problem : ON IT.

63. Icy comment : BRR. Well, we started near the soon to be freezing Minnesota, (C.C, Jeannie and the rest) so maybe it is time for a hot cup of...

64. Leaves in hot water : TEA.

65. Dungeons & Dragons foe : ORC. They are everywhere a good bad guy should be, and I am outta here.

Answer grid.

Thank Mr. V. for our Friday, and I hope you all enjoyed the product of this man's mind. Another week has flown by and the days are getting shorter, and sadly so am I. Thanks for stopping by and say what you want, until next time, I remain.

Lemonade 714

Monday, August 27, 2012 Bruce Venzke

Theme: Where the first little piggy went - each theme word can precede MARKET.

17A. High-performing Wall Street investment : SUPER STOCK. Super market, Stock market.

26A. Salmon, trout, cod, etc. : FOOD FISH. Food market, Fish market.

36A. Big day for a new store, or an apt description of each part of 17-, 26-, 50- and 58-Across : MARKET OPENING

50A. Past all major obstacles : HOME FREE. Home market, Free market.

58A. Unifying connection : COMMON BOND. Common market, Bond market.

Argyle here sans Cruciverb. A nice smattering of clues/answers. A few tricky clues and some hard answers. But if you look hard enough, you can probably find a nit. Let the week begin!

Across

1. Some Ford autos, briefly : MERCs. Yes, and some "fur'in" cars.

6. Mocking remark : JAPE. Sorry, did I just make a jape?

10. __ team: police crisis unit : SWAT

14. With good cheer : GAILY

15. Airline to Tel Aviv : EL AL or 30A. Netherlands airline : KLM

16. Hawaiian seaport : HILO

19. Giggly Muppet : ELMO

20. “He’s __ no good” : UP TO. Is that why Elmo's giggling?

21. Distribute in portions : ALLOT

22. Resume the original speed, in music : A TEMPO

29. Double-check, as in a lab : RETEST

31. Farm pen : STY

32. Sp. maiden : SRTA. (señorita)

33. Like the area under an awning : SHADED

41. Giorgio of fashion : ARMANI

42. Per __: daily : DIEM

44. Ship’s pronoun : SHE. All ships are referred to as female.

47. Have the flu : AIL

48. Scrabble 10-pointers : Z TILES

53. Borgnine who did voice work in “SpongeBob SquarePants” : ERNEST

54. Fowl pole : ROOST. Have your chickens come home to roost?

55. Swim meet assignment : LANE

57. Stops hedging : OPTs

64. Beekeeper played by Fonda : ULEE. Peter Fonda in "Ulee's Gold".

65. Throat-clearing sound : [AHEM]

66. Ready for bed : TIRED

67. Fathers : DADs

68. Bull in a corrida : TORO

69. Popular toaster waffles : EGGOs

Down:

1. British sports cars : MG's. Trivia question: What does MG stand for.

2. __ de toilette : EAU

3. Tear at the seam : RIP

4. NFL’s Browns, scoreboard-style : CLE. (Cleveland)

5. Pancake toppers : SYRUPS

6. Rocker Joan : JETT

 

 

 

7. Emotionally detached : ALOOF

8. Gp. providing campaign funds : PAC. (political action committee)

9. Fraternal society member : ELK. (The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks)

10. Knickknack holder : SHELF

11. “The Sixth Sense” star Bruce : WILLIS. If you've seen 'Expendables 2', how was it?

12. “Close, but no cigar” : "ALMOST"

13. Like Alfred E. Neuman’s grin : TOOTHY

18. Dalmatian feature : SPOT. They have many features then.

21. Product pitchers : AD MEN

22. __ gratia artis: MGM motto : ARS. (Art for art's sake)

23. Contract period : TERM

24. James or Jones of jazz : ETTA. We know Ms James. Ms James singing "Canadian Sunset" clip.(2:38)

25. Stiller’s comedy partner : MEARA. Ben Stiller's parents.

27. Giraffe cousin : OKAPI

28. Merrie __ England : OLDE

33. Like dry bread : STALE

34. Sugar substitute? : HON. Not as an actual sweetener but as a euphemism you might get from the diner's waitress.

35. Bumped off : DID IN

37. “Make today delicious” food giant : KRAFT

38. Mideast chieftain : EMIR

39. Luxor’s river : NILE. Map.

40. Thousands, to a hood : GEEs

43. Denver hrs. : MST

44. Turin treasure : SHROUD

45. Fanfare : HOOPLA

46. Gushed on stage : EMOTED

48. Stoicism founder : ZENO

49. Thirty, in Montréal : TRENTE. French speaking city.

51. Double curves : ESSES

52. Toondom’s Fudd : ELMER

56. Gun filler : AMMO

58. Calico pet : CAT

 

 

 

59. “Well, well, well!” : "O, HO!"

60. Sizable : BIG

61. URL ender for a charity : .ORG

62. Prefix with natal : NEO

63. Cavity filler: Abbr. : DDS. Not what is put in the cavity; who filled the cavity. (Doctor of Dental Surgery)

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy 64th Birthday to Lemonade (Left, with John Lampkin on the right), whose wits, humor & cheerfulness brighten our Friday mornings. Happy 64th Birthday to the knowledgeable Anony-Mouse too!