Friday, August 7, 2020, Chuck Deodene

Title: Not easy to define

This is our 8th puzzle from Chuck, and my 5th time blogging his work. Chuck began making puzzles in the '90s with his first 33 publications in the NYT. His last appearance here was in 2019 on a Wednesday where I was pinch-hitting. We have had a number of "one word is the clue for the theme answers" puzzles before, but MONITOR made this effort unique. It can't be a spoiler to mention that the four grid spanning answers are all clued that way. I was surprised to learn that MONITOR had never been a clue in the LAT! Until today. It has only been used twice in the NYT, both in the '90s, and once in USA Today. I also still remember the story from the Civil War of the first battle of two ironclad warships. The Union Monitor, and the Rebel Merrimack (rechristened Virginia). HISTORY.

With 60 spaces committed to 4 answers, there was not much room for long sparkly fill, but we are treated to E-TAILED, SPATULA, BRIDGE TOLL, and LONG MEMORY, my favorite. It reminds me of the amazing phenomenon of a wife's ability to never forget a transgression, yet always needing help to find the keys. I have again highlighted in red the two entries that make their crossword puzzle debut.

Theme:

17A. Monitor: OLD WORLD REPTILE (15). They are now roaming here in FLORIDA.

26A. Monitor: HALLWAY OVERSEER (15). The human type of monster, at times.

46A. Monitor: COMPUTER DISPLAY (15). A CSO to so many here, but especially -T and TTP who are invaluable in bringing some of us into the 21st century.

60A. Monitor: IRONCLAD WARSHIP (15). Okay, I already did this one.

The rest.

Across:

1. Drops from a workout: SWEAT. A great visual start, though we are not ready to go back to the gym yet.

6. Singer who co-founded the AIDS-fighting Product Red: BONO.
The concept was founded in 2006 by U2 frontman and activist Bono, together with Bobby Shriver of the One Campaign and DATA.

10. Grand slam quartet: Abbr.: RBIS. Baseball.

14. Was obligated: HAD TO.

15. Aspire laptop maker: ACER. A Taiwanese computer company.

16. Danish architect Jacobsen: ARNE. This MAN.

20. Sold online: E-TAILED.

21. Progressive promoter played by Stephanie Courtney: FLO. We all know (love/hate) FLO but not STEPHANIE.

22. Accomplished: DID.

23. Sever, with "off": LOP.

24. Elegantly groomed: SOIGNÉ. A Friday French fill.

32. Brief "I think": IMO. In My Opinion.

33. "Meh": SO SO.

34. H.S. ordeal: SAT.

35. Bring together: SYNC.

37. Mozart title word meaning "all": TUTTE.

39. Fluctuate: YO YO.

42. Noir film weapon: GAT. The gun needed to shoot people.

44. Zig or zag: VEER.

45. Supervillain Luthor: LEX. Was he, or was he just misunderstood?

51. Common soccer tie: ONE-ONE. Nil-nil?

52. Suffix with propyl: ENE.

53. It may be glazed: HAM. Sorry, I am not a Ham expert, unless you mean acting.

54. Stipulations: IFS. Ands, or buts. My parents did not want any of them.

56. Hash house tool: SPATULA. My mind always goes here.

63. Outlying area, briefly: BURB.

64. Pod in Southern cooking: OKRA.

65. Civil penalties: FINES.

66. Novelist Seton: ANYA.  This PERSON.

67. German no: NEIN.

68. Nectarine center: STONE. LINK.


Down:

1. Enclosure for piggies?: SHOE. This little piggy went to market...

2. Basketball Hall of Famer Frazier: WALT. Now more famous for

3. Icelandic literary work: EDDA.

4. Whenever one's heart desires: AT WILL.

5. Like pitches in the dirt: TOO LOW.

6. Short on tread: BALD. Tires.

7. Monk's condition, in the TV show: OCD. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. It is a blessing and a curse for Monk.

8. Indoor ball brand: NERF.

9. Warning words: OR ELSE.

10. Pixar's aspiring chef Remy is one: RAT.
                                   

11. Fee for crossing: BRIDGE TOLL. Very common going in to or out of Manhattan.

12. Queued up: INLINE.

13. Farm equipment: SEEDER.

18. Meal: REPAST. Do you past again?

19. Possessive on a stock index: POOR'S. A Standard fill.

25. "Good gracious!": I SAY. Miss Molly?

26. Quick hellos: HIS.

27. "Making It" co-host Poehler: AMY. With Mr. Offerman.

28. Grudge holder's trait: LONG MEMORY. 'Nuff said.

29. "__ got this!": YOU'VE.

30. KitchenAid competitor: OSTER.

31. Cast a ballot: VOTED. Timely. Please vote, not endorsement included.

36. Mob boss: CAPO. Do they play the guitar?

38. Keystone St. port: ERIE PA. Our longtime CSO.

40. Word of support: YEA.

41. Clearasil shelfmate: OXY.

43. Roman top: TUNIC.

46. Caribbean cigar brand: COHIBA.

47. Practicing for the marathon, say: ON A RUN.

48. 1938 Dupont discovery: TEFLON. HISTORY.

49. Inhales at mealtime: SNARFS.

50. Watch a boxer, e.g.: PET SIT.

55. Advantage: SAKE.

56. "__ Lake": SWAN. EVERYTHING you need to know about the ballet.

57. "Hmm ... don't think so": UH NO.

58. It may be on the house: LIEN. I love the pun, but lien searches are not free.

59. Abbey area: APSE. This was introduced to the NYT by Chuck.

61. Org. with a February All-Star Weekend: NBA. They are playing again. The HEAT won their first game back.

62. Soft and __: deodorant: DRI. I love how Chuck began with SWEAT and ended with a deodorant. I hope you did not have to SWEAT the solve and have enjoyed the tour. In addition to introducing 2 new words today, Chuck has introduced 231 answers to the NYT- the LIST- including such favorites like ISAO and UZIS. Thank you Mr. Deodene and all who read and write.

I am a bit baffled by our new blogging format and incredibly busy at work, but I guess this is okay. Lemonade out.

Wednesday, May 15, 2019, Chuck Deodene

Title: BE OUR GUEST.

Lemonade here pinch-hitting for Melissa with whom I shared Wednesdays when I first started blogging here. So this is full-circle for me. I described Mr. Deodene's history here and at the NYT in my most recent write-up of a Friday he built last year, so today I will provide this LINK to some of Chuck's life with words. Today is a hidden word puzzle. I have previously written about doing the London Times Cryptic Crossword with my mother when they began running in NEW YORK magazine. Here is a wonderful ARTICLE which was written by composer STEPHEN SONDHEIM. Remember, this was written in 1968; the modern crossword has incorporated much of the fun of cryptics.  I know some have expressed interest in Cryptics and this is a good primer. Getting back to our puzzle, we have the "hidden" version. Here there are four themers and a grid-spanning reveal. The word GUEST is hidden in the clue in between the words. The first two and the fourth have the split gue/st, the third gues/t. The reveal is fair, but I had the theme long before then.

For a Wednesday, we also have lots of sparkle like DESKSET,  GAS HEAT,  REDOUBT, ECSTATIC,  IT'S A SNAP, PANCREAS, and the odd SCAT SING. Time to move to the next phase...

17A. Sports page table: LEAGUE STANDINGS (14). Most only think of "standing", but each league has its own.

25A. Dissociative condition: FUGUE STATE (10). Dissociative fugue (formerly called psychogenic fugue, or fugue state) is a psychological state in which a person loses awareness of their identity or other important autobiographical information and also engages in some form of unexpected travel. Psychological amnesia.

37A. Makes a case for, with "of": ARGUES THE MERITS (14). For which the topic of oral pierces could be argued.

49A. Intraoral piercing: TONGUE STUD (10). I received a hole in my tongue playing touch football but never consider putting jewelry in my mouth.

57A. Talk show drop-by ... and a literal feature of 17-, 25-, 37- and 49-Across: GUEST APPEARANCE (15). 

Across:

1. Passport stamps: VISAS. Yes but LINK.

6. Improvised knife: SHIV. From "a razor," 1915, variant of chive, thieves' word for "knife" (the1670s) from Romany language.

10. MRI output: SCAN. Actually, it is an image.

14. Capital of Ghana: ACCRA. LINK.


15. "Say Anything..." actress Skye: IONE. Her vowel-rich name is more famous than she is here in crossword land.

16. "__ and Abel": Jeffrey Archer novel: KANE. I really enjoyed his works,

20. Plaza payment: TOLL.

21. Feel remorse over: RUE. I would remove the "over."

22. Winter hrs. in St. Louis: CST. Central Standard Time.

23. Blog entry: POST. Please keep them coming.

29. "Who __ to complain?": AM I.

30. Woman college basketball coach Summitt with an NCAA record 1,098 career wins: PAT. This legendary COACH died in 2016 from complications from Alzheimer's.  Coach K has eclipsed her victory total and Gino Auriemma is catching up.

31. Nairobi's country: KENYA. More Africa. See map above.

32. Insulin-producing gland: PANCREAS. The key to diabetes.

36. Left or right ending: IST. There are so many other choices.

42. Knot-tying vow: I DO. I did.

43. Like big lottery winners, presumably: ECSTATIC. Such a mixed blessing, historically. STORIES.

44. __ pad: STENO. I still use them.

47. Old Mideast org.: UAR. The United Arab Republic.

48. Reggae precursor: SKA. Ska is still around.

52. Carnival: FAIR.

53. Brightness nos.: IQS.

54. 6-Down's sib: BRO.

55. River swimmers: EELS. Not if C.C. gets them. They become a...

63. Repast: MEAL.

64. Char on a grill: SEAR. I'm not sure how many ways she cooks them.

65. Popular Google service: GMAIL.

66. About: AS TO.

67. Singer from County Donegal: ENYA. Eithne Ní Bhraonáin was born on May 17, 1961, in Gweedore, Donegal, Ireland, almost her birthday.

68. Leaf under a petal: SEPAL. I think I just had that botanical discussion,

Down:

1. Actor Kilmer: VAL. A bad Simon Templar and a bad Bruce Wayne.

2. Floe makeup: ICE. Tin are you okay?

3. Perform like Ella: SCAT SING. Is this a Yoda answer?

4. Insider lingo: ARGOT.

5. TV lawyer Goodman: SAUL. The spin-off from BREAKING BAD.

6. 54-Across' sib: SIS.

7. Trending: HOT.

8. Going nowhere, career-wise: IN A RUT.

9. Playhouse, say: VENUE. For a show Mickey Rooney!

10. Navigate slopes: SKI.

11. High-kicking dance: CAN CAN. So many links.

12. Showing insecurity: ANGSTY. A word from the 60s.

13. Snapple rival: NESTEA. This was very hard for me and only the perps did it. I was looking for a more esoteric company.

18. Wee toymaker: ELF. Not Wii.

19. Matching office accessories: DESKSET.

23. Dad: PAPA. I get that from many of my sons' friends.

24. Shortstop Vizquel with 11 Gold Glove Awards: OMAR.  bit obscure but talented fielder.

26. __ the crack of dawn: UP AT.

27. House-warming option: GAS HEAT.

28. Aquarium beauty: TETRA.

33. Stage prompting: CUING.

34. Stronghold: REDOUBT. From Bunker Hill to Yorktown, a feature of military actions during the American Revolution was the redoubt. Of course, redoubts were a fixture in worldwide military operations long before, and long after, that war, but those fortifications built of earth, sod and timber were usually more complex than their simple materials suggest. Journal of the American Revolution.

35. That, in Toledo: ESO. Our Lucina CSO.

36. Online chats, briefly: IMS.

38. Subdued hue: ECRU. The definition is having the color of raw silk or unbleached linen," from French écru "raw, unbleached.

39. "Simple as can be": ITS A SNAP. A very short period of time (figuratively, the time taken to snap one's fingers), or a task that can be accomplished in such a period. Etymology.

40. __ torch: luau light: TIKI.

41. What a tattoo may cover: SCAR. Why? I know many tattoos but none covering a scar.

44. Mark of shame: STIGMA.

45. Kitchen toppers: TOQUES. This hat has become a regular.

46. Put into power: ENSEAT. Ugh. The only good thing about this word is that it could be part of an anagram puzzle.

47. 2019 Pebble Beach event: US OPEN. Golf. SITE.

50. Wipe: ERASE. Computer hard drives.

51. "Weeds" law org.: DEA. Drug Enforcement Agency.

52. Moth attractor: FLAME.

56. Units of energy: ERGS.


58. __ Poke: retro candy: SLO. Never heard of it. The original Slo Poke Caramel Pop was first introduced in 1926 by the Holloway Candy Company.

59. Settle: PAY. The bill.

60. Time to remember: ERA.

61. "Homeland" org.: CIA. I have never watched the show.

62. Turn in the plumbing: ELL. A cute twist to end our tour.

Thank you Chuck; c'mon back mb and thank you all.

Friday, August 10, 2018, Chuck Deodene

Title: G where is my twin?

Chuck Deodene is back after another absence, bringing my third Friday opportunity to blog his work. Chuck was first published in the NYT back in 1994, and we saw him initially in 2009. This time he takes two-word phrases with the first word ending with  "G" and the second word beginning with a "G." He then excises the G from the second word and clues the result with amusing consequences. The phrases have nothing in common either before or after the removal of the letter.  The tricky part is noticing that there is a "G" missing. Our brains like FILLING IN THE BLANKS. With 5 themers, 55 squares of theme it is impressive to see added fill CHANGEUP, DEVALUED, EMOTICON, RADIO SET, SHINBONE, and TAG ALONG. Off to see the wizard,,,

18A. Passion for quilt filling?: BATTING GLOVE (11). My grandmother and one of my first cousins quilted. I do not know much about it. LINK. I was a pitcher and did not use a batting glove.

24A. Contest among bank customers?: SAVING GRACE (10). In the US, we are not very good at saving money WORLD MAP but we are not the worst. A saving grace is a good quality or feature in a person or thing that prevents them from being completely bad or worthless. Ageing's one saving grace is you worry less about what people think about you.

38A. Segment of a clogging contest?: STOMPING GROUND (13). I have not been to a competition but have seen a performance each year at the TASTE OF TAMARAC and do not know how many rounds in the CONTEST. Do you have a place where you regularly spend time; a favorite haunt?

51A. Airline passenger's arrival malady?: LANDING GEAR (10). There is a real malady known as AIRPLANE EAR, which is not related to the landing gear.

59A. Female observer?: LOOKING GLASS (11).  Interestingly, a looking glass is a mirror which is often the best friend (worst enemy) of a lass. 

Across:

1. Staples buys: PCS.  We begin with Personal Computers.

4. Pooh-pooh, with "at": SCOFF. This may derive from an Icelandic word skaup. "The superstition of science scoffs at the superstition of faith." Short Studies on Great Subjects by James Anthony Froude.

9. Author Stieg Larsson, for one: SWEDE. He died before his famous trilogy became movies LINK.

14. Deduction cry: AHA. The V-8 moment.

15. "While I've got your attention ... ": OH SAY can you see?

16. Big name in seating: EAMES. This COUPLE designed the eponymous lounge chair.

17. Zip on a field: NIL. A very common score in international football mtches.

20. Fall cause: TRIP.

22. Not heard before: NEW. A new clue for old fill.



23. 1945 summit site: YALTA. So much controversy and so much fallout from this CONFERENCE. 33A. "The buck stops here" president: TRUMAN. He took over for the POTSDAM Conference.

27. __ Road Ensemble, group initiated by Yo-Yo Ma: SILK. Yo-Yo Ma conceived Silkroad in 1998 as a reminder that even as rapid globalization resulted in division, it brought extraordinary possibilities for working together. Seeking to understand this dynamic, he began to learn about the historical Silk Road, recognizing in it a model for productive cultural collaboration, for the exchange of ideas and tradition alongside commerce and innovation. A truly global effort. various.

29. Portaged craft: CANOE. Portage or portaging is the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a portage. wiki.

30. Needing no Rx: OTC. Over The Counter.

32. Stick in a hall: CUE. Pool hall.

36. Baloney: HOOEY.

41. Jokhang Temple city: LHASA. The Jokhang, also known as the Qoikang Monastery, Jokang, Jokhang Temple, Jokhang Monastery and Zuglagkang, is a Buddhist temple in Barkhor Square in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet.

42. Words spoken with one's hand raised: A TOAST. L'chaim.

43. Corp. bailed out in 2008: AIG. American International Group.

44. Auction set: LOT. Moment of LEARNING.

46. Made hands of: DEALT. Card playing.

49. Swatting target: GNAT.

55. Grass unit: BLADE.

57. Yield from una mina: ORO. A Spanish Gold Mine.

58. Laser-cut, perhaps: ETCH. There is so much I do not KNOW.

62. __ jump: SKI.

63. Unexpressed: INNER. Remember Bradshaw and his inner child?

64. Pulitzer poet Conrad __: AIKEN. Conrad Potter Aiken was born in Savannah, Georgia, on August 5, 1889. When he was a small boy, his father killed his mother and committed suicide himself, a tragedy that had a profound impact on Aiken’s development. He was raised by a great-great-aunt in Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard in 1912, the same period as T. S. Eliot and E. E. Cummings. He won his Pulitzer Prize in 1930, for his Selected Poems.

65. Work hard (for): GUN.

66. Aboveboard: LEGIT.

67. Handle: SEE TO.

68. Ajar, in verse: OPE. I 'ope this does not catch on, even though I like to keep my mind ope'.


Down:

1. Suit part: PANTS.

2. Former French president: CHIRAC. This MAN.

3. DNA sample source: SALIVA. I did the ancestry spit on a stick; results were too vague.

4. Sound with tears: SOB.

5. Pitcher's surprise: CHANGEUP. The changeup is the staple off-speed pitch, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed coupled with its deceptive delivery is meant to confuse the batter's timing. When I was in high school I was a pitcher, and after my best game - a one-hit shutout - the opposing players came up to me to congratulate me on my amazing changeup. I threw all fastballs, just not as fast as they expected.

6. Kitchen brand: OSTER.

7. Mufti issuance: FATWA. Fatwa, in Islam, is a formal ruling or interpretation on a point of Islamic law given by a qualified legal scholar (known as a mufti). wiki. Rabbis do the same thing in Judaism.

8. "Here's the scoop" letters: FYI. For Your Information.

9. Tokyo-based game company: SEGA.

10. They're thin at budget motels: WALLS.

11. Email adornment: EMOTICON. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ヽ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ﾉ ಠ_ಠ ¯\(°_o)/¯ ( ﾟдﾟ)

12. Weakened, as currency: DEVALUED.

13. Legal add-on: ESE.

19. Siberian freeze-out?: NYET.

21. Mottled equines: PINTOS. PINTO the HORSE.

25. Routine: NORMAL.

26. Crichton novel set in Africa: CONGO.

28. Longboat in Florida, e.g.: KEY. Such beautiful beaches in this AREA.

31. Singled out: CHOSEN.

34. Mazda two-seater: MIATA. A red one sits in the condo parking lot.

35. Hexapod worker: ANT. Six legs.

37. Cause of a blinking "12:00": OUTAGE. A power outage that is.

38. Tibia: SHINBONE. Best I can do.

39. Emulate a little brother, maybe: TAG ALONG.

40. Ham's creation: RADIO SET. Ham radio is back so soon.

41. Tarry: LAG.

45. Author Robert __ Butler: OLEN. “I'll never stop believing it: Robert Olen Butler is the best living American writer, period.” — Jeff Guinn,  LINK. So many books I have never read..

47. Unhands: LET'S GO.

48. Affix to a corkboard: TACK-UP.

50. Castmate of Doohan and Nimoy: TAKEI.

52. "Cross my heart!": NO LIE.

53. Male on a pond: DRAKE. DUCK!

54. View from Schönburg Castle: RHINE. A really cool PLACE.

56. Gossip: DIRT.

59. Diminutive, diminutively: LIL. Abner?

60. Main delivery: GAS. Directly from the gas main.

61. Cold-sounding product prefix: SNO. Cone?

Well, that was a blast. Sometimes simple is good, and and I enjoyed the solve. August is sliding by and I will see you next Friday if the CDR. Lemonade out.

Thursday, February 2, 2017 Chuck Deodene

Theme: Yadda Yadda Yadda. You add a "YA" to a name or a phrase. Hilarity ensues.

17A. Headline during an African wildfire season? : KENYA BURNS. Ken Burns. Documentary film maker.

61A. Collector of some Spanish art? : GOYA GETTER. Go-getter. To the delight of teenage boys in art class everywhere, Goya painted two versions of his Maja. One clothed, the other markedly less so. Here's one version:

10D. Artist Jasper during his tropical period? : PAPAYA JOHNS. Papa John's. Pizza purveyor. The artist Jasper Johns is fond of this somewhat gloomy pose:

25D. Farmer's possible reply to "What beans are you planting this year?"? : I RECKON SOYA. I reckon so. Food! I'm very partial to steamed edamame, sprinkled with sea salt.

The reveal across the middle of the puzzle tells us:

39A. Casual parting ... and a hint to this puzzle's four longest answers : SEE YA

Straightforward enough theme. You always know the kind of thing you're looking for when you see clues in the interrogative. Two 10-letter themers across, two 11-letter downs and one reveal across the middle. There's some nice longer fill too, let's see what we've got.

Across:

1. Brewski : SUDS. Cheers!

5. Scrubland succulent : AGAVE. Tequila!

10. Skate park protection : PADS

14. "__ something I said?" : IS IT

15. Bounded : LOPED

16. Settled on the tarmac : ALIT

19. "¿Qué __?" : PASA

20. Peach or orange : HUE

21. Snitch : RAT

22. Rental duration : TENANCY. This was a poser before the crosses helped out. I was thinking rental cars, not apartments. Two Days? Maybe. Fortunately I wasn't convinced.

24. Former NASCAR Cup sponsor : SPRINT

26. Pass along : RELAY

27. Go over again : RE-READ

29. Kind of key : MAJOR. As opposed to minor.

33. Bro : MATE. Hmmm. Transatlantic synonymia. I think I just invented a great new word.

36. Tolkien villain : ORC. Generic one of about three trillion, if the computer graphics were to be believed. There were two in the book who actually had names, but I think they were cut from the movie script.

37. "This feels familiar" feeling : DEJA VU. Very apt - today is Groundhog Day. That was a fun movie, starring Bill Murray and Andi McDowell.

38. Corner office fig. : EXEC. utive. I had a corner office on the Warner Bros. lot overlooking the Western backlot which did not befit my station. I kept very quiet about that mistake by corporate real estate.

41. Had too much : OD'ED. This is on my personal "banned" list.

42. Satisfies, as thirst : SLAKES. You can also match-make calcium oxide and water to produce calcium hydroxide with judicious use of this verb.

44. Reduction : CUT

45. Attending : HERE. Little odd. "I'm here" and "I'm attending". One is not quite like the other.

46. Fable teller : AESOP

47. "Challenge accepted!" : GAME ON!

49. West Coast pro : NINER. Ah, the might Santa Clara 49ers. Funny how they didn't change their name when they moved.

51. Possible reason for an empty seat : NO-SHOW

55. Picture of health? : CAT SCAN

58. Profession, casually : BIZ

59. Hosp. area : I.C.U.

60. __ clarinet : ALTO

64. Tactic : PLOY

65. Barn-raising sect : AMISH

66. Latin I word : AMAS. What? Latin "CI" word I could understand. Latin "I" possessive is wrong, so that can't be it. Amo, amas, amat - I love, you love, he/she/it loves, Help me out here. Typo?

67. County bordering Sonoma : NAPA. A favorite destination. I tasted a fabulous gin which was distilled in Napa the other day. I didn't know there are a few distilleries in the region.

68. Core belief : TENET

69. Out of shape : BENT. Like me, about "OD'ED"

Down

1. Punjabi monotheists : SIKHS

2. Burn through : USE UP

3. Eatery often named for its owner : DINER. We've got Mel's and Paty's in my neighborhood. Here's Paty's - get the corned beef hash and fresh orange juice. Oh, and a pint of coffee.

4. Foul spot : STY

5. Seemingly eternal burden : ALBATROSS. From "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner":

Ah! well a-day! what evil looks 

Had I from old and young! 

Instead of the cross, the Albatross 

About my neck was hung. 

6. Joint ailment : GOUT

7. Abbr. in car ads : A.P.R. Usually more than you expected.

8. Unloaded a burden : VENTED

9. Old lemon : EDSEL

11. Cumming of "The Good Wife" : ALAN. Thanks, crosses. This chap, born in Scotland:

12. CD part : DISC. Not deposit.

13. Sit tight : STAY. In 1977 I was living in a one room rental (called a bed-sit) in London. In winter, I heated the room by turning on the oven and leaving the oven door open. I had a record player and this classic from "Running on Empty" by Jackson Browne.

18. "Rule, Britannia" composer : ARNE. Thomas. I've used up my music link quota. Google "Last Night of the Proms Rule Britannia 2009" if you want to see some seriously-British flag-waving.

23. License info : NAME

26. Pit visitor : RACE CAR

28. Before, poetically : ERE

30. Green gem : JADE

31. Wrapped up : OVER. It's over.

32. Deserving a slap, maybe : RUDE

33. Badlands landform : MESA

34. Shaft with bushings : AXLE. Thought "American Spelling", went with AXEL. Obviously wrong. Fixed it.

37. Couple's break from the kids : DATE NIGHT

40. "Delish!" : YUM

43. Amazing, in dudespeak : EPIC

47. Biological map subject : GENOME

48. Slime : OOZE

50. Pester : NAG AT

52. Card table request : HIT ME

53. Where some large schools may be found : OCEAN

54. Rathskeller fare : WURST. A bar in the basement of a German city hall (Rathaus). We Americans added the "h" so as not to deter the diners or drinkers.

55. Aye-catcher? : CAP'N. Best clue of the day. Very nice.

56. Trattoria's "in the style of" : ALLA. More Food! What better excuse than to link to the quite splendid Lego animation of Eddie Izzard and the "Death Star Canteen". (R18 for language, REveryone for humor).

57. Firebird roof option : T-TOP. Subtle, understated vehicle from Pontiac.

58. Military center : BASE

62. Half a cosmic whole : YIN. Meet Yang.

63. Check : TAB. That's my cue - Check Please!

Aaaaaaand  - the grid.

Steve

Friday, October 21, 2016, Chuck Deodene

Title: Chuck you are driving me crazy!

After more than four years, Chuck D. is back. LINK.  I recalled the name, but had to go to the archives to look over the puzzle I had blogged of his. I hope he stops by - he had 38 NYT puzzles published by 2012 and 3 LAT but nothing in either place since until today. This effort is a variation of the 'one word' as the clue for all theme answers, but here the word not only is used if 4 different meanings, but modified. I had a hard time getting the rhythm of this puzzle, though the fill was overall not too challenging, with no non-theme fill longer than 6 letters. With Cattle Drive and Blood Drive showing one view and the other three places where there are drives it seemed choppy. I saw a mini-theme of drinking, but that was just me. There was some nice wit in the cluing, so I look forward to hearing from you all also today.

17A. Place to take a 36-Down : EXPRESSWAY (10). Here we have the place where we drive vehicles.

25A. Place to run a 36-Down : CATTLE RANCH (11). You gather up the cows and head to Kansas City on your cattle drive.

37A. Place to install a 36-Down : DESKTOP COMPUTER (15). The office server has about 10 drives, we use mostly g and h.

47A. Place to hold a 36-Down : BLOOD MOBILE (11). They park outside the movie theater here for their blood drive.

57A. Place to hit a 36-Down : GOLF COURSE (10). With HG, Big Easy, Moe and other of our golfing group, hitting one long straight drive per round keeps them going back.

And the reveal:

36D. Theme of this puzzle : DRIVE (5). How direct is that for a reveal, but  is it?

Across:

1. Deceptive operation : STING. Immediate clecho 10A. Deceptive distortion : SPIN.

6. Work with a number : OPUS. I always have like this piece by Chopin. My THOUGHT.

14. Indulge : HUMOR. Nice Friday clue, as we all have humored our spouses or children or even parents at one time in our lives.

15. Probe-launching org. : NASA. CSO to HG.

16. Words often after a number : OR SO. This took me 10 minutes or so to complete.

19. Attire : WEAR.

20. Euripides drama : MEDEA. CSO to me as Jason played a large part in this Tragedy - just not a nice part.

21. Cook books, say : CHEAT. Many businesses do keep different sets of books, cash accounting, GAAP accounting and regulatory accounting, Way beyond me.

22. Venomous reptile : ASP. Cleopatra another tragic figure.

28. Horror film reaction : SHRIEK.

30. Way out : EXIT. Literal.

31. __ Throne: "Game of Thrones" monarchy : IRON. Wonderful fun. LINK.

32. They may span decades : SAGAS. The first one I heard of was THIS.

34. Tack on : ADD.

41. Pasture parent : EWE. I like the alliteration. Ma maa.

42. Members of an exclusive league : IVIES. Hmm- 53A. One percent, so to speak : ELITE.

43. Pasta choice : ZITI. Probably time for a refresher on the many shapes of PASTA.

44. Lack of focus : BLUR. My eye doctor says I am blessed with blurred vision recognition.

45. See 12-Down : ASIMOV. 12D. With 45-Across, "The Bicentennial Man" author : ISAAC. While an interesting book (which is only slightly related to the Robin Williams movie version) this was one in his robot series. He is the most impressive AUTHOR I have read because of hs facility in so many fields.

52. PC file extension : EXE.  An executable file for DOS

54. Lead-in to a drink? : I NEED.

56. Fund-raiser, perhaps : GALA. Lots of drinking there usually.

62. "Totally!" : AMEN. From Moses to Mos Def.

63. Brink : EDGE.

64. Mill output : FLOUR. Steel anyone?

65. Not : NARY.

66. Wolfish look : LEER. Splynter?

67. Neighborhood posting : FLYER.

Down:

1. "__ Hate Me": Spike Lee film : SHE. Worth watching.

2. Prom duds : TUX.

3. Devil : IMP.

4. Social convention : NORM. I knew he was social but an entire convention?

5. Country bordering three seas : GREECE. Extra credit if you can name all three.

6. Kickoff : ONSET. 46D. Wave to from the dock : SEE OFF.

7. Grab for clumsily : PAW AT.

8. "Royal Pains" network : USA.

9. Declare : SAY.

10. "Well, whoop-de-do" : SO WHAT.

11. Get duded up : PREEN.

13. Up __ : NORTH. So random, but "YOURS" seemed impolite.

18. Deadwood's state: Abbr. : SDAK.

21. Like new bills : CRISP.

22. Out of the way : ASIDE.

23. Nag : SHREW.

24. Essay makeup : PROSE.

26. Locking blocks : LEGOS. Anyone been?

27. End-of-term ordeal : EXAM.

29. Letterpress need : INK.

32. VP after Hubert : SPIRO. He resigned just over 43 years ago. In cas you forgot....

33. Expert : ACE.

34. Fairy-tale intro words : A TIME. The dreaded partial?

35. Do a juice cleanse, say : DETOX.

38. El Niño feature : TILDE. Nicely disguised.

39. Female gamete : OVUM.

40. Action film weapon : UZI.

44. Mendel's science : BOTANY.

An analysis of genetic crosses depends upon an understanding of Mendel's two laws: The principle of segregation (First Law): The two members of a gene pair (alleles) segregate (separate) from each other in the formation of gametes. Half the gametes carry one allele, and the other half carry the other allele. His seeds were seeds.

45. Novelist Waugh : ALEC. Most famous as Evelyn's brother. Tin, he also said, "I am prepared to believe that a dry martini slightly impairs the palate, but think what it does for the soul."

47. Initiated : BEGAN.

48. Andean transport : LLAMA.

49. Edmonton NHL player : OILER. Splynter?

50. Hull region : BILGE. This TERM has been around 500 years.

51. Deduce : INFER. Nero Wolfe used to get apoplectic about those who misused this WORD.

55. Sigh-inducing : DULL.

57. Holder of locks : GEL. hair, silly.

58. Shelley work : ODE. For the season - the first stanza of Ode To The West Wind

O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being,

Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead

Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing,

59. Scheider of "Jaws" : ROY. He had a long and successful CAREER.

60. Seek payback, maybe : SUE. The law is the only field where one professional creates business for another.

61. Fumble, e.g. : ERR. is human, to forgive divine. Not in Cleveland.

Well hopefully I did not fumble the ball in discussing this Friday frolic. Welcome back Chuck. Lemonade out.

Friday, August 17, 2012, Chuck Deodene

Theme: Chief Inspector Dreyfus where did you get that TIC? (9:12) The theme answers are all in the language two word phrases with TIC added to the end of the first word to create a new and amusing phrase. This is a blast from the past, as Mr. Deodene has not been seen here since 2009. He is an experienced constructor who has been often published in the NY Times since 1995. I found this easy in places, challenging in others with both old and new elements, and some really nice clues.

17A. Berserk flutterer? : LUNATIC MOTH (11). John L could give you more info on the LUNA, while I have had a great deal of experience chasing the lunatic moths around my apartment.

24A. Trans-Alaska pipeline repairer? : ARCTIC WELDER. We have all seen these in operation.

53A. Alluring facial feature? : ROMANTIC NOSE. My favorite image, even though I cannot imagine what one looks like, I know ROMAN ones, but Romantic noses?

65A Assembly celebating digestion? : PEPTIC RALLY. Did we all cheer for this answer? Or did it give you an ulcer?

The unifier

40A. Like one afflicted with the added elements in 17-, 24-, 53- and 65-Across? : NERVOUS (TIC).

Across:

1. Unlikely hits : B-SIDES. I was beside myself with joy that I could start well.

7. Hiring may accompany one : BOOM. No politics, but it would be nice to have a hiring boom.

11. Classic Pontiac : GTO. Gran Turisimo Omlogato. My brother had a 1968. John DeLorean designed this for Pontiac and took the name from the Ferrari.

14. Unkeyed : ATONAL. What is with all the ATONALITY in our puzzles?

15. Lead-in to a congratulatory cry : ATTA. waugan is where my mother was born, but I think he means BOY/GIRL.

16. Punch lines? : OWS. When was the last time you were punched, or punched anyone? Nice misdirection with the punny clue.

19. Pen name : BIC. Rhymes with....

20. Sacred carving, perhaps : IDOL. Ba'al for example.

21. Place with pint-size servings? : PUB. Oh goodie, a beer clue and again nice pun on the pint sized. My youngest has job in Denver already.

22. Source of silky wool : ALPACA. I'll pack a nice SWEATER for you and one of those models for me.

27. Central American port named for an explorer : BALBOA. This city in Panama was named for the Spanish EXPLORER who was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from America. he was no relation to

30. Rhein tributary : AARE. We have this word often, also spelled AAR, is the longest in Switzerland.

31. Kwik-E-Mart owner : APU. One of our many regular Simpsons references.

32. Like most people : ASIAN. Simple but deceptive; there are many more Asian on the Earth than any other kind of people, many have restaurants in South Florida.

35. Skewed : AWRY. he said with a wry smile.

39. Jacuzzi feature : JET. They mean the hot tub, not Tim Tebow.

43. Wide size : EEE.

44. Cousin of a toe loop : AXEL. Ice skating maneuver, and a reminder of our dear friend Clear Ayes to whom we send our healing prayers and our red shoed friend Robin, who we see quite infrequently.

46. Operative : AGENT. Provocateur.

47. Body wrap offerer : SPA. I tried to fit Dennis, but I guess he limits his work to the personal mobile mammogram.

48. "This ___ outrage!" : IS AN. Well, I did not think it was gooing badly....

51. Something that matters : FACTOR.

58. "Yay!" : HOORAH. Hoorah

59. Community property word : OUR. A nice legal concept hidden in there, referring to states where a husband & wife are considered to each own 50% of everything owned in a marriage.

60. Campus appointment : DEAN.

64. Dash sizes : EMS. This is a 1960's crossword answer from the Will Weng days at the NY Times.

68. Imitate : APE.

69. Pound or pint : UNIT. Another reference to the pint; I wonder if Chuck likes his Ale Pale?

70. About 2% of the Earth's surface : EUROPE. No wonder there are more Asians.

71. Not likely to pipe up : SHY. like our friend marti.

72. Family nickname : PAPA. My Father used to say, "My son is shy, shy a few brains." He was really a sweet man.

73. Surcease : DESIST. we finish the first half with a $5.00 clue word, and now the rest.

Down:

1. Indonesian resort island : BALI.. A great honeymoon spot.

2. Body-piercing choice : STUD. All the ladies, women and girls I know have told me they prefer have their bodies pierced by a Stud.

3. Prefix with sphere : IONO. Eastern Airlines used the name for their club room at the airports. I met Buddy Hackett there in between flights and we were both doing the NY Times Sunday puzzle.

4. Swab analysis site : DNA LAB. or the CSI office on TV.

5. Dispose of a course : EAT. Another nice turn of phrase.

6. Boxed-set box : SLIPCASE. Not familiar with this TERM.

7. Disney classic set in a forest : BAMBI. Or Ena's nephew. Did you know there were four different actors who provided the voice of Bambi?

8. Nebraska native : OTO. Sounds like...

9. River separating Ontario and Quebec : OTTAWA.

10. "Resurrection Symphony" composer : MAHLER. The entire SYMPHONY(24:17) takes an hour a half, so I picked the excerpt.

11. Stink up the fridge : GO BAD. Don't you just hate when that happens?

12. Doubly : TWICE. So many choices, perhaps this LINK.(0:30).

13. Thespian honor : OSCAR. Wellllll, I know an actor is a thespian, but the word is more associated with the stage.

18. Sever : CUT.

23. Defendant's response : PLEA. Only in criminal cases, there are many more civil defendants who file answers.

25. Reddish equine : ROAN. According to wiki, "A horse with intermixed white and colored hairs of any color is usually called a roan. However, such mixtures, which can appear superficially similar, are caused by a number of separate genetic factors. Identifiable types of roans include true or classic roan, varnish roan, and rabicano, though other currently unknown factors may be responsible for ambiguous roaning".

26. Where rocking is not suggested : CANOE. You must listen to this SONG(2:41).

27. Mexicali's peninsula : BAJA.

28. Top : APEX. or ACME.

29. Mandolin kin : LUTE.

33. Native of Shiraz : IRANI.

34. Diamond no. : AVG. Nor on your ring but on the filed, like batting average.

36. 1940 Field’s co-star : WEST. The MOVIE (10:50).

37. Certain seizure, for short : REPO.ssession.

38. Wine datum : YEAR. one of the fascinating things about grapes and wines is each year really is different.

41. Natural : UNFORCED.

42. Some stops: Abbr. : STAS. Stations.

45. One who embroiders to excess : LIAR. ah, finally, the lawyer reference.

49. Grab : SNAP UP. Not a sna pup.

50. Aegis wielder : ATHENA. There is debate about this SHIELD. The word comes from the Latin meaning basically protection, and we use it in America to signify if someone is under the sponsorship of a powerful person or group.

52. Chest sources : CEDARS. because of the nice smell of the wood, these became the favorite for Hope Chests for generations.

53. Large flightless birds : RHEAS. We have this a lot, along with Ms. Perlman as the singular.

54. Flair : OOMPH. I am working to give this some.

55. Go casually : MOSEY. Almost time for me to mosey on out of your living rooms.

56. Literally, "baked" : COTTA. hence Terra Cotta, baked earth.

57. Rapa ___ : NUI. Easter Island, both the place, the people and their language, I think. A nice Friday piece of knowledge.

61. Wells race : ELOI. Yvette, my tasty morsel, where are you?

62. Brenner Pass locale : ALPS. Between Italy and Austria.

63. Novgorod no : NYET. A little Russian lesson.

 
66. Doozy : PIP. Well, was this a Pip or what?

67. Be penitent : RUE. Well I hope you do not rue the day I started doing these write ups, and as usual it was fun. Thank you for all your help and enjoy the week end. Mr. Deodene welcome back and stop and say hello to our cast of characters.

Answer grid.

Lemonade