Tuesday, July 7, 2015 David Poole

Theme: Enough to make your head spin. - The sets of four circles are in the four corners spelling out DOOR.

49A. Hotel entrance, often, and, literally, what each set of four puzzle 35-Across contains : REVOLVING DOOR

23A. How a 49-Across goes : ROUND AND ROUND

35A. Paths described when things go 23-Across : CIRCLES

Argyle herereh elygrA. Quite the go-around. Note how the D revolves to be in the four corners so as to make a complete revolution. The reveal may have led to some head-scratching, I dare say, especially if you're missing the circles because the clue doesn't seem very clear.

Across:

1. Rope-a-__: Ali boxing style : DOPE

5. French wine valley : LOIRE

10. Tough : HARD

14. Agile deer : ROEs

15. Widish computer key : ENTER

16. "Typee" sequel : "OMOO"

17. Craggy outcroppings : TORs

18. Fielder's gear : GLOVE. (baseball)

19. Goes down in the west : SETS. The action, not the thing.

20. Nautical distance unit : SEA MILE. 1,852 metres(about 6,076 feet).

22. Twyla Tharp forte : DANCE. Wiki link

26. Weaver turned into a spider by Athena : ARACHNE. Spiders are the largest order of arachnids.

27. Zodiac division : SIGN

28. Roping and riding contest : RODEO

29. Daddies : PAs

30. Height: Pref. : ACRO. From Ancient Greek for “highest, at the extremity”.

34. L.A.-to-N.Y. direction : ENE

39. Rowing need : OAR

40. Flag maker Betsy : ROSS

42. Bon __: quip : MOT

43. Much of Santa's mail : LISTS

45. Big name in hair trimmers : WAHL. Not on many lists.

47. Marshmallowy treat : MOON PIE

51. Actress Kelly of "The Cutting Edge" : MOIRA. (Moira Kelly)

Filmed mostly in Canada

53. Earns : TAKES IN

54. Airing, as a miniseries : ON TV

55. Some plum tomatoes : ROMAs

56. Concerning : AS TO

59. Move like sludge : OOZE

60. China company based in Stoke-on-Trent : SPODE

61. Jordan's Queen __ : NOOR. The widow of King Hussein of Jordan. Wiki link.

62. Prohibitionists : DRYs as opposed to the WETs.

63. The "A" in YMCA: Abbr. : ASSOC. (Young Men's Christian Association)

64. Yankee who passed Willie Mays on the career HR list on 5/7/2015 : A-ROD

Down:

1. "__ & the Women": 2000 Gere film : DR. T

2. "Hollywood Squares" win : O-O-O

3. Convinces : PERSUADES

4. Basic nature : ESSENCE

5. Errand runner : LEGMAN. Using one's shanks' mare.

6. Ready to chat, nowadays : ONLINE

7. "__ you so!" : I TOLD

8. Unfavorable change of fortune : REVERSAL

9. Before, in verse : ERE

10. Hallelujah kin : HOSANNA

11. Improve : AMEND

12. Campus recruiting org. : ROTC. (Reserve Officers' Training Corps)

13. Medicinal measure : DOSE

21. Like a specially formed committee : AD HOC

22. Grooved on : DUG

23. Not as well-done : RARER

24. University of Maine town : ORONO

25. Seine tributary : OISE

29. Cut for an agt. : PCT. (%)

31. Jointly underwrite : CO-SPONSOR

32. Math relationship : RATIO

33. Skater Brian : ORSER. He is the 1984 and 1988 Olympic silver medalist, 1987 World champion and eight-time Canadian national champion. ~ Wikipedia

36. "As I see it," in textspeak : IMHO. (in my humble opinion)

37. Popular antique desks : ROLLTOPS. Out of my price range.

38. Trudges (through) : SLOGS

41. Tries to avoid a pothole : SWERVES

44. State whose name is part of its capital : INDIANA. (Indianapolis)

46. Actress Gardner : AVA

47. Operetta set in Japan, with "The" : MIKADO. (An archaic name for the Emperor of Japan.)

48. "Be right there!" : "ONE SEC!"

49. Swanky : RITZY

50. "Let's go, amigo!" : "¡VAMOS!"

51. Frame of mind : MOOD

52. __ about: approximately : ON OR

55. Pres. Mandela's land : RSA. (Republic of South Africa)

57. Also : TOO

58. Command from a maj. : ORD. (order) (ick!)

Argyle

Tuesday, Jun 23, 2015 David Poole

Theme: Keep looking up - to see the stars in the sky...and in the puzzle.

28D. Up-and-comers, and what the circled squares contain : RISING STARS

4D. "Sugar and spice" tykes : LITTLE GIRLS. RIGEL - In the constellation Orion.

9D. Altar exchanges : MARRIAGE VOWS. VEGA - In the constellation Lyra.

21D. Brunch dish with hollandaise sauce : EGGS BENEDICT. In the constellation Cygnus.

Argyle down here. Tough to pick out the stars without the circles but they aren't needed for the solve. One entry is within the last word while the other two span two words.

Across:

1. Wayne Gretzky's NHL career record 894 : GOALS

6. SALT warhead : ICBM. (intercontinental ballistic missile) It can carry a warhead but I would not call it a warhead.

10. Gridiron throw : PASS

14. Columbo's asset : LOGIC. The TV detective.

15. Law office hiree, briefly : PARA. (paralegal)

16. Superficially highbrow : ARTY

17. Singer Baker : ANITA

18. Finished : OVER

19. Way in : DOOR

20. Mickey of the Yankees : MANTLE

22. O.K. Corral family name : EARP

24. CAT scan kin : MRI

25. Table supports : LEGS

27. Three-dimensional historical display : DIORAMA

29. Throat soothers : LOZENGES

33. "Thrilla in Manila" boxer : ALI

34. Props and scenery, as a unit : STAGE SET

35. Treat leniently, with "on" : GO SOFT

39. Nobelist Morrison : TONI. Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993 for Beloved.

40. Utah's __ Canyon : BRYCE

42. Intestinal sections : ILEA. Ileum, singular.

43. Actress North : SHEREE. ... was Kramer's mom on Seinfeld?!

45. With affection : LOVINGLY

47. System of connected PCs : LAN. (local area network)

48. Stretch out : ELONGATE. Turns a circle into an oval.

49. Waded to the other side of : CROSSED. Meh.

53. Hooting hunters : OWLS

54. Put a spell on : HEX

55. Perfect place : EDEN

57. Suppresses, as bad news : SITS ON

61. Flower painted by van Gogh : IRIS

63. Desktop image : ICON

65. Niño's mother : MADRE. Spanish.

66. Art class subject : NUDE

67. Roadwork marker : CONE

68. Shore up : BRACE

69. From square one : ANEW

70. Arborist's study : TREE

71. Heroic Schindler : OSKAR. He made a list.

Down:

1. Glittery rock music genre : GLAM. Short for glamour.

2. O'Neill's daughter : OONA

3. Feudin' with : AGIN. An informal, facetious, or dialect word for against.

5. Like some triangles : SCALENE. I had to look up the meaning. (unequal sides)

6. Wall St. debut : IPO. (initial public offering)

7. Stalactite site : CAVE

8. Diner basketful : BREAD

10. Bachelor __ : PAD

11. Food court lure : AROMA

12. Weather-controlling "X-Men" character : STORM

13. Country where damask was first made : SYRIA

23. Sport with mallets : POLO

26. Visionary : SEER

29. D-Day carriers : LSTs. Welcome back, old friend. (Landing Ship, Tank)

30. IMer's "Then again ... " : OTOH. (On The Other Hand)

31. Western writer Grey : ZANE

32. Fashion : STYLE

36. Gold medalist Korbut : OLGA

37. Poolroom surface : FELT. On the table.

38. Actor Diggs : TAYE. Taye Diggs, born and raised in Rochester, NY.

41. Where Pikes Peak is: Abbr. : COLO. (Colorado) Just behind Nevada in size.

44. Lack of difficulty : EASE

46. Left hanging : IN LIMBO

49. Wedding registry category : CHINA

50. Between-seasons TV fare : RERUN

51. Nitrous __ : OXIDE

52. Interior designer's concern : DÉCOR

56. Zero : NONE

58. Mt. Rushmore's state : SDAK. (South Dakota)

59. Ocean predator : ORCA

60. Not e'en once : NE'ER

62. Attach a patch, say : SEW

64. Bridal bio word : NÉE

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Gary's wife Joann wrote to me earlier. She said that the meds to remove the blockage have not worked, and it's very likely that Gary will have surgery sometime tomorrow.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Get back to us soon, Gary!

Joann & Gary

Thursday, May 28, 2015 David Poole

Theme: "Before and After"

Common fabric patterns are combined with common objects to form new items. Hilarity ensues.

17. Digging tool with an abstract pattern? : HOUNDSTOOTH PICK. Houndstooth / Toothpick. I can order my very own customized cake PICK from Zazzle.com.

24. Mathematical array with a spotted pattern? : POLKA DOT MATRIX. Polka dot / Dot matrix. "Spot" on description, since some mathematical arrays do look like POLKA DOTs!

45. Fish with a linear pattern? : PINSTRIPED BASS. Pinstriped / Striped bass. How about this pinstriped bass?

59. Volume with a plaid pattern? : MADRAS CHECK BOOK. I couldn't find a BOOK with a MADRAS CHECK cover. But  Coach makes a MADRAS CHECK CHECKBOOK for only $50.

This seemed awfully easy for a Thursday, with only one snag for me.   I guess the low word count and tricky theme pushes it to late week status. How did it treat you?


Across

1. Help with a heist : ABET.

5. Senate __ : RACE. Hands up for wanting "seat"? (Which led to my boo-boo, erasure, and an extra 15 seconds at 8-Down.)

9. Rascal : SCAMP.

14. First name in fashion : COCO. Immediately followed by a clecho at 15-Across. First name in fashion : OLEG. Needed a couple perps to sort them out.

16. Transmission repair franchise : AAMCO.

20. Wrecks : TRASHES.

21. How a scolding may be given : IRATELY.

22. First and last words of "Green Eggs And Ham" : I AM. Sam...Sam I am.

23. Winter Palace resident : TSAR.

31. Champagne label word : SEC. SEC means "dry" in French. On non-sparkling wines, that indicates just what it implies: they are "dry" and not sweet. But champagne bottles labeled SEC are much sweeter than "Brut" champagnes. Go figure.

32. Olympic hawk : ARES.

33. Reunion attendee : NIECE.

34. 3-Down is in it : OPEC. And 3-Down. Besides Chile, the only S.A. country that doesn't border Brazil : ECUA.dor

36. Arafat of the PLO : YASIR.

39. Broadway feature : NEON.

40. Carne __ : ASADA. "Grilled meat" in Spanish.

42. Pupil's place : UVEA. Not desk, haha!

44. Letters from your parents? : DNA. Good one.

49. Snaps : PICS. Here's a couple PICS of our new deck.

This is the water feature in our moss garden:

We have to wait a few months before staining it, right, Splynter?

50. Much : FAR. "It is a far, far better thing that I do..."

51. College milieu : ACADEME. Pronounced AK-uh-deem.

55. Ghoulish : MACABRE. Nice fill.

61. Son of Abraham : ISAAC.

62. Top : ACME.

63. Run without moving : IDLE.

64. "Married to the Mob" director : DEMME. My one entry that relied totally on perps. He also directed "Silence of the Lambs."

65. Appealed : PLED.

66. Some votes : AYES.


Down

1. Twice vier : ACHT. German "four" and "eight."

2. Lout : BOOR.

4. Neck tissue : TONSIL.

5. Italian cuisine herb : ROSEMARY. This year I expanded my herb garden to include sage and basil, along with rosemary, thyme, chives, dill, cilantro, parsley, tarragon and oregano.

6. Cockpit figs. : ALTS. ALTitudes.

7. Satya Nadella of Microsoft, e.g. : CEO. This guy.

8. Self-seeker : EGOIST. I thought "taoist" at first!

9. Like nearly one-third of Africa : SAHARAN.

10. Kirk or Picard: Abbr. : CAPT.ain

11. Brest friend : AMIE. HarHar. I guess clueing it as "Brest" indicates that we are looking for the feminine noun?

12. Year in which Frederick II died : MCCL. Sure, I knew that...

13. Snail-paced : POKY.

18. Bangladesh capital : DHAKA.

19. Streetcar relative : TRAM.

23. Hard-to-call contests : TOSSUPS.

24. It was originally named Brad's Drink : PEPSI.

25. Indian __ : OCEAN.

26. Bust gp. : DEA. Drug Enforcement Agency.

27. Bronze component : TIN.beni?

28. Orchestra section : REEDS.

29. Madonna and Lady Gaga : ICONS.

30. Gabrielle's friend : XENA. From the series "Xena: Warrier Princess." I always wanted to write a song about her: "I'll be XENA in all the old familiar places..."

31. Hotel freebie : SOAP. If they didn't have such strong fragrances, I might be tempted to take some home!

35. Collection to burn : CDs.

37. "Now __ seen everything!" : I'VE.

38. Embarrassed : REDFACED. (Oops! I saw too much!)

41. Tranquil : AT PEACE.

43. One way to be taken : ABACK.

46. What some eyeglasses lack : RIMS.

47. Polar concern : ICE CAP.

48. Oil-rich peninsula : ARABIA.

51. Within : AMID.

52. One taken to court : CASE.

53. Leading man? : ADAM.

54. Eighth of a fluid ounce : DRAM.

55. Fast-spreading Internet phenomenon : MEME. This has to be one of my favorites.

56. Murder mystery staple : BODY.

57. Something to cast : ROLE.

58. Laboriously earns, with "out" : EKES.

60. Stomach acid, to a chemist : HCL. Hydrochloric acid.


Marti, out!

Tuesday, April 7, 2015 David Poole

Theme: SAT prep - There isn't a unifier so my take is that the last word could describe getting a student ready to take something like the SAT's. You're welcome to post a different slant; please do.

17A. Older name for a passenger bus : MOTOR COACH

24A. Wedding gown follower : BRIDAL TRAIN

34A. Like one resisting innovation : OLD SCHOOL

50A. Pirate Blackbeard's real name : EDWARD TEACH

58A. Hole-making tool : POWER DRILL

Argyle here. Looking over past puzzles from David I see he often doesn't give a unifier. The grid is notable for the strong corners,(we like corners). COACH, TRAIN, SCHOOL, TEACH and DRILL answers are all consistently used as nouns in the theme entries at a different context.

Across:

1. Peru's __ Picchu : MACHU

6. Angle iron : L-BAR

10. Highest point : ACME

14. Kindle download : eBOOK

15. SeaWorld performer : ORCA

16. Ellington's "Take __ Train" : THE 'A'

19. Glass darkener : TINT

20. Responded in court : PLED

21. Cape NNW of Cod : ANN

22. Saguaros, e.g. : CACTI

23. Covered up : HID

27. Place in quarantine : ISOLATE

29. Legal thing : RES

30. Came down with : GOT

31. Kate, before Petruchio's "taming" : SHREW. Shakespeare, "Taming of the Shrew".

32. Bit of legislation : ACT

33. U2 lead singer : BONO

38. Die dots : PIPS

41. Thumbs-up : YES

42. Best man's offering : TOAST

46. Santa __ winds : ANA

47. Fellows : MEN

48. Stir-fry vegetable : SNOW PEA

53. Rank below cpl. : PVT.

54. Believer in the Great Pumpkin : LINUS. from "Peanuts".

55. NYC airport : LGA. LaGuardia Airport (code LGA) in New York City.

56. Narrow opening : SLIT

57. Installed, as carpet : LAID

61. Years, to Nero : ANNI

62. Wows, and how : AWEs

63. Stone marker : STELE

64. Droops over time : SAGS

65. Peel in a cocktail : ZEST

66. Filled with cargo : LADED

Down:

1. Tennessee home of the NBA's Grizzlies : MEMPHIS

2. Do away with : ABOLISH

3. French department that translates to "golden slope" : CÔTE-D'OR

4. Robin __ : HOOD

5. Kiev is its cap. : UKR. (Ukraine)

6. Canadian coin nicknamed for the bird on it : LOONIE

7. Lego or Eggo, for example : BRAND

8. Duke Univ. conference : ACC. (Atlantic Coast Conference)

9. Stadium shout : RAH

10. Rose essence : ATTAR

11. Lake Michigan metropolis : CHICAGO

12. Bring up : MENTION

13. Chip away at : EAT INTO

18. Golfer's ride : CART

22. Dollar divs. : CTs Cents

24. Cry out loud : BAWL

25. Curved foot part : ARCH

26. "Dallas Buyers Club" actor Jared : LETO. IMDb

28. Some summer babies, astrologically : LEOs

32. Summer coolers, for short : ACs. (air condition)

33. What winds do : BLOW

35. Like Easter eggs : DYED

36. Emailed : SENT

37. Texter's "From a different angle ..." : OTOH. (On The Other Hand)

38. Spanish rice dishes : PAELLAs

39. Gary's home : INDIANA

40. Hocking : PAWNING

43. Answered a help-wanted ad, say : APPLIED

44. Whence Rossini's barber : SEVILLE. "The Barber of Seville"

45. Spilled the beans : TATTLED

47. Dalloway's title : MRS. Mrs Dalloway is a novel by Virginia Woolf published in 1925.

48. Most judicious : SAGEST

49. Virg. neighbor : N. CAR

51. German cars : AUDIs

52. Actor Cary : ELWES. The Princess Bride, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Days of Thunder, Bram Stoker's Dracula, ...

56. Latina lass: Abbr. : SRTA. (senorita)

58. Peace, in Acapulco : PAZ

59. Be indebted to : OWE

60. High-speed www option : DSL. (digital subscriber line) not high speed.

Argyle

Friday December 26, 2014 David Poole

Theme: Signed On - The animal in each theme entry is replaced by its corresponding Zodiac sign.

17A. Certain pickup, to an astrologer? : ARIES TRUCK. Ram truck.

27A. Gorton's product, to an astrologer? : PISCES STICKS. Fish sticks. We got some freshly caught crappie yesterday.

44A. Stubborn, to an astrologer? : TAURUS-HEADED. Bullheaded.

58A. Courageous, to an astrologer? : LEO-HEARTED. Lion-hearted.

Bonus entry: HOROSCOPE (11D. Daily reading for many). Its grid counterpart SET UP SHOP (33D. Hang out one's shingle, say) is not related to the theme, so HOROSCOPE must come up at the filling process.

C.C. here, giving Lemonade a well-deserved honeymoon break. I like the theme. Don't remember seeing this approach before. I just told D-Otto the other day how I value originality in themes.

Across:

 1. 45-Down component : BEAD. And 45D. You can count on it : ROSARY. Nice clue for ROSARY.

5. Sunday service component : CHOIR

10. RWR successor : GHWB. Bush Sr. Neither are known for their initials. Price to pay for HOROSCOPE & GLUTEI,

14. Humdinger : LULU

15. Hamlin of NASCAR : DENNY. Not familiar with the guy.

16. "Firecracker" singer Lisa : LOEB

19. Eurasian border river : URAL

20. Peer : NOBLE

21. Some are smooth : OPERATORS. Love Sade's "Smooth Operator".

23. CBS franchise since 2000 : CSI

24. Canadian loc. of the fictional Green Gables : PEI (Prince Edward Island)

26. Chicago suburb : NILES. Known for what, TTP/Abejo? We also have CDT (5D. Summer hours in Chi.)

31. Where to find MSFT : NASDAQ. OK, Microsoft.

34. Delinquency result, perhaps : REPO

35. Galeón cargo : ORO. Spanish ship.

36. Not kosher : TREF. Dictionary says it's literally "torn" in Hebrew.

37. Dawn goddess : EOS

38. Tea serving? : SPOT

39. Word with paint or blanket : WET

40. Risks : BETS

42. People with a maize god : AZTECS. First encounter with this maize god. We don't have rice god in China.

47. Entrance to la maison : PORTE. French for "door".

48. San Francisco's __ Hill : NOB

49. Guitar wood : ASH

52. Richard Crenna played him in the TV miniseries "On Wings of Eagles" : ROSS PEROT. Unaware of this series. True story?

55. Unstable : ROCKY

57. Dept. of Labor arm : OSHA

60. Othello, for one : MOOR

61. Vegged out : LAZED

62. Transvaal settler : BOER

63. Make out : ESPY. Clue works for SPOT as well.

64. O's, for one : ALERS. Baltimore Orioles. American Leaguers.

65. Mex. title : SRTA

Down:

1. Vin choice : BLANC

2. Greek capital : EUROS. Easy elimination of ATHENS due to letter count.

3. Cover for a crime : ALIBI

4. Two-person contest : DUEL

 

6. Intrepid : HEROIC

7. "Movin' __": "The Jeffersons" theme : ON UP

8. Tees off : INCENSES

9. Cracker brand since 1904 : RY KRISP. Based here in MN.

10. Squat targets : GLUTEI

12. Grow tiresome : WEAR

13. Energy-related units: Abbr. : BBLS (Barrels)

18. Antique tone : SEPIA

22. __ flute : ALTO

25. Legal title: Abbr. : ESQ

27. Email attachment : PDF

28. Jagged, as a leaf's edge : EROSE

29. "Grinding It Out" autobiographer : KROC. I sure need "Ray" or "McDonald" in the clue.

30. Barflies : SOTS

31. Food package amt. : NT WT

32. Flooring calculation : AREA

37. Heavenly : ETHEREAL. Nailed this entry with one letter in place.

38. Benchmark: Abbr. : STD

40. Do a new parent's job : BURP

41. Pip's romantic interest in "Great Expectations" : ESTELLA. Never read "Great Expectations". You?

42. Stir : ADO

43. Donkey relative : ZEBRA

 

46. Pollen bearer : ANTHER

49. Woods or Irons : ACTOR. James Woods. Jeremy Irons. Not CLUB.

50. Shooting sport : SKEET

51. Monster slain by Hercules : HYDRA

52. Spanish Steps site : ROME

53. Spanish bears : OSOS

54. Exude : OOZE

56. Mars and Saturn : ORBS

59. Money mgrs.? : EDs. Money magazine.

 C.C. 

Note to Barry G:

Irish Miss asked if you could share your seafood linguine recipe.

Friday, August 8, 2014, David Poole

Theme: Double your fun,  A?

Each of the 5 theme answers has the last letter of the last word in a phrase doubled and an A is added to create a totally different phrase, clued with wit. With no intention to offend anyone, since I live in a community that is 60% 1st generation Italians, the rhythm of the new word created sounds to me like an Italian speaking English. For me that enhanced the whimsy and enjoyment of the puzzle. David is more than 5 years into his second career in making puzzles, and has made some really great ones; read his INTERVIEW. While I loved the theme, the word count, blocks and fill are mostly a Thursday feel for me. The sparkle was present in ALOMAR,  AMULET,  C-NOTES,  MOGULS, SERENE,  UGANDA,  VOODOO, LIBERIA, COMANECI, and KICKED IN without too many 3/4 letter fill and only a few omnipresent ones like ATE and ANTE.  Let's see how it all sounded to you.


17A. Oversized European import? : JUMBO JETTA (10) We recently had the VW Jetta clued as model since 1979, and we all know Jumbo Jets, pioneered by the 747.

25A. Summer known for kitchen supplies? : TEFLON DONNA (11). He was the TEFLON DON because no charges brought against him would stick.  Like other teflon, it wore out and he died in prison. I wonder if this was the seed answer inspired by GOTTI.  Love to Love You Baby.

37A. Be nostalgic for old Nordic currency? : MISS THE MARKKA (13).  I know nothing of this FINNISH currency but Finns double vowels often, I hope you did not Miss the Mark on this one. .

52A. Poignant game show personality? : MOVING VANNA. (11) Other than a turn as Al's dream girl on Married With Children, I have never seen Vanna White express any emotion, but i love the clue/fill almost as much as I hate moving.

61A. Expert on Icelandic sagas? : MISTER EDDA (10) We have seen Edda so often and Mister Ed, now they are together...well I am cold just reading about Iceland and Finland, let's move on.


Across:

1. Type type : PICA. Once upon a time I knew pica and elite and no more.

5. He was originally called Dippy Dawg : GOOFY.I did not know this but with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck it was not hard to guess that Walt like double letters.

10. Plastic option : VISA. Good Friday clue/fill.

14. Doofus : BOOB. No one commented on my Thong link last week, so I think this is safe... LINK.

15. Navel observation : INNIE. Loved the simple misdirection.

16. Turow book set at Harvard : ONE-L.

19. Other, in Oaxaca : OTRO. Spanish.

20. Half a sci-fi name : ARTOO. According to WOOKIEEPEDIA.

21. Cash in : REDEEM. Reminds me of the old Sperry and Hutchinson green stamps.

23. "Wow!" : MAN. Really vague, but so are our children.

28. News __ : ITEM.

30. Christmas purchase : FIR. Tree.

31. Campaign target : VOTER.

32. Tamper with : DOCTOR.

35. In development, as software : BETA. By now you all must know about Beta testers, and even constructors use them. (Hey Annette hope you are feeling better).

42. Cath. honorific : MSGR. Monseigneur. From the French. LINK.

43. Running without moving : IDLING. Especially for cars.

45. Pal of Picasso : AMIGO. Spanish.

49. Mannerism : TIC.

51. Classic name in shoes : MCAN.Thom?

56. Sunflower St. school : KSU. This is the third different clue for KSU in the last few weeks. Notice the flower on the flag.

57. Lake Victoria country : UGANDA. There are more than one. This is one of Africa's GREAT LAKES.

58. Tapenade ingredient : OLIVE. If you like olives and capers with a hint of anchovy...any recipes out there?

60. Breather : LUNG. This clue is how you make 4 letter fill Friday hard.

66. "A Shot in the Dark" actress Sommer : ELKE. She is back, and the nude scene with Peter Sellers has been linked enough.

67. Lead in the theater? : USHER. Not the star, but the one who takes you to your seat. I did that at the Candlewood Lake Theater.

68. Knee-slapper : RIOT. Funnnnnnnnnnnny.

69. Winter Palace resident : TSAR.

70. Head lock : TRESS. The space eliminates the wrestling hold.

71. Join the game : ANTE. One that requires betting.

Down:

1. Lunchbox staple, casually : PBJ. My first fill. Peanut Butter & Jelly.

2. Marker : IOU. Another Friday repeat.

3. Gymnast with five Olympic golds : COMANECI. The C from pica gave me this 10 all growed up.

4. E.g., e.g. : ABBReviation.

5. Boy toy : G I JOE. Did you like the movie?

6. Unrepeated event, in England : ONE OFF. David used this 1/18/2013 in a Friday where marti blogged and linked to the expression.

7. Mich. neighbor : ONTario, Canada. I believe David is from Canada, eh? Eh?

8. Qualified : FIT.

9. Long : YEARN. I long for the perfect write-up.

10. Gris-gris wearer's practice : VOODOO. Who do the voodoo like you do? A partial clecho:45D. Gris-gris, for one : AMULET. All you need to know about this TALISMAN.

11. Aim : INTENT.

12. Composed : SERENE.

13. Baseball family name : ALOMAR. Sandy Jr., Roberto a Hall of Famer and Sandy Sr., Nice to see someone other than the Alous.

18. Giant star : OTT. More baseball.

22. Composer Grieg : EDVARD. A Norwegian. We all know Peer Gynt.

23. Season opener? : MID-season form.

24. Tiny bit : ATOM.

26. Country settled by freed American slaves : LIBERIA. This is a HISTORY that was not taught when I was in school.

27. Home of Utah Valley University : OREM.

29. High pts. : MTS. Mounts, or Mountains. 46D. Downhill challenges : MOGULS. A little early skiing CSO for marti.

33. Performing siblings' surname : OSMOND. Donnie and Marie? I met marie in 1979 when this was filmed.

34. ACLU concerns : RTS.

36. __ chi : TAI.

38. "Curb Appeal" network : HGTV. Home and Garden Television.

39. Airline to Amsterdam : KLM. Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.

40. Began to take effect : KICKED IN. Have the drugs kicked in yet?

41. Santa __: West Coast winds : ANAS.

44. Horned grazer : GNU. Who knew?

47. Fashionista Trump : IVANKA. It is good to be born rich. LINK.

48. Turmeric relative : GINGER.  Want to know ALL?
 
50. Bills featuring Ben : C-NOTES. One Hundred Dollar bills, so nicknamed as Century Notes

53. Full extent : GAMUT. Like Amazon, from A to Z.

54. Cards, e.g. : NLERS, The baseball St. Louis version, not the football Arizona ones.

55. Broadcast : AIR.

59. Designer Wang : VERA.  Some of the Fall Collection.

62. Neighbor of Leb. : ISRael.

63. Dam or madam : SHE. Nope, no safe way to comment.

64. Part of a modern address : DOT. How com you did not know this?

65. Had : ATE. I had grilled salmon, you?

Well I often eat when I am writing this, so it is fitting that I leave you on a food note (sounds like...?) Thanks David. Nice week end all and be sure and stop in and visit with Splynter as he unravels the mystery of the themeless Saturday: lemonade out.

Thursday, May 8, 2014, David Poole

Theme: "One of these things is not like the other."

16. "Atonement" actress : KEIRA KNIGHTLEY. I remember her from this famous movie series.

Pirates of the Caribbean Cast

23. Aviation pioneer : WILBUR WRIGHT. Ever the salesman, he had hundreds of postcards on the plane he flew at a show in Boston, then sold them to raise money for his next project.

Signed Postcard

37. Dr. Phil, e.g. : POP PSYCHOLOGIST. His methods have garnered some controversy. But he looks a lot like Wilbur Wright, don't you think?

Dr. Phil

52. Kitschy lawn decorations : GARDEN GNOMES. Not just for gardens any more...

Travelocity Gnome

61. Captains of industry : CORPORATE CZARS. I'm not sure this is an "in the language" phrase. I am more familiar with the term "Energy Czar."

Did you spot the theme when solving? I have to admit, it was not apparent to me until I wrote out the five theme entries above.  How clever of David Poole to find two word entries with the same letter beginning both words, but in the second word the letter is silent.

Marti here, to check out the rest.

Across

1. Fast money sources : ATMs. Automated Teller Machine(s). I grit my teeth when I hear someone say they took money from the "ATM machine." (You'll notice a lot of red in the "Across" portion of my write-up…)

5. First name in jazz : ELLA. One song today, and it's a beaut!

9. "The Kite Runner" boy : AMIR.

13. Police jacket acronym : SWAT. Special Weapons and Tactics.

14. Place : LIEU.

15. Peace Nobelist Walesa : LECH.

19. Many a car : SEDAN. Like 21-Across.

20. Abu Dhabi is its cap. : UAE. United Arab Emirates.

21. Cadillac compact : ATS. Attitude Tweaking Sedan.

28. Dickens pen name : BOZ.

31. Motown team : LIONS. LinkedIn Open Networker(s). (Sorry, I got carried away for a moment there…I'm back now.)

32. The Joker, to Batman : ENEMY.

33. Kentucky border river : OHIO.

35. Some four-year degs. : BSs. Bachelor of Science(s). And that's no BS!

36. Cinematic FX : CGI. Computer Generated Imagery.

43. "Up, up and away" carrier : TWA. Trans World Airlines.

44. Suffix in taxonomy : -OTA. Basidiomycota, eukaryota and the like.

45. Slobbering toon dog : ODIE.

46. Host : EMCEE.

49. Maker of XX antiperspirants : ARRID.

51. Fire : AXE.

55. Test for srs. : GRE. Graduate Record Exam.

56. Chargers linebacker Manti __ : TEO.

57. Matthew Broderick originally provided his adult voice : SIMBA.

66. Apiarist in a 1997 film : ULEE. Welcome back, old friend.

67. Lady's business? : AVON. Um, excuse me. Isn't that a little un-PC? There are over 12,000 men who also sell AVON products.

68. Work in the cutting room : EDIT.

69. Genesis creator : SEGA. Service Games. (True!)

70. Email : SEND.

71. Circle opening? : SEMI. Semi-circle.


Down

(Nary a bit of red to be found in this bunch!)

1. Petitions : ASKS.

2. Oh-so-dainty, in Devon : TWEE. I was not familiar with this British definition. But I have heard of "TWEE Pop" referring to certain Indie music.

3. Hotel employee : MAID. Because the more PC term "housekeeper" would not fit.

4. Soda fountain freebie : STRAW.

5. Lodge logo animal : ELK.

6. Vietnam Veterans Memorial designer : LIN. Maya Lin's structure evokes an almost universally emotional response from visitors. And we have another architect in our midst at 27-Down. Covent Garden architect Jones : INIGO. He was slightly before Maya Lin's time.

7. Welcoming ring : LEI. Oh, I was thinking of cell phone ring tones. I always love to hear the one that plays when DH calls me.

8. Bodes : AUGURS.

9. Superhero's cover : ALTER EGO.

10. Blanc who voiced Bugs : MEL.

11. When mammoths roamed : ICE AGE.

12. Musician's asset : RHYTHM.

17. Indigo source : ANIL. INIGO's father?

18. Half a bray : HAW.

22. Place for a mud bath? : STY. I almost put "spa" but then I saw the question mark.

24. Chad neighbor : LIBYA. Chad has lots of neighbors. And four of them are five letters. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe...

25. Anjou cousin : BOSC.

26. Still woolly, perhaps : UNSHORN.

28. Conk : BOP.

29. "So that's your game!" : OHO!

30. Speed : ZIP.

34. Went (for) : OPTED.

36. Demand as due : CLAIM.

38. Fragrant climbing plant : SWEET PEA.

39. Another, in Acapulco : OTRO.

40. Director Lupino : IDA.

41. Milne's "Now We Are __" : SIX. A book of children's verses.

42. Where a driver is often needed : TEE. HG, do you always use a driver off the tee?

46. Frittata ingredient : EGG. Yumm!

47. Neiman's partner : MARCUS. Instead of investing in the fledgling Coca-Cola company in 1907, they decided to start a department store, because "sugary pop" was too risky. Hah!

48. Like jambalaya : CREOLE. Yumm! (Anyone else getting hungry?)

49. Old gathering places : AGORAS.

50. Fam. tree member : DESC.endant.

53. Con lead-in : NEO. Neoconservative. No politics!

54. King and queen, but not prince : SIZES. "Beds" was too short.

58. Identified, as an undercover cop : MADE.

59. Beret's lack : BRIM.

60. European wine area : ASTI.

62. Pump spec. : REG.ular.

63. Blvd. relative : AVE.nue. Kissing cousins to sts.

64. Whole bunch : TON.

65. Remnant : END. And that's exactly what this is!

Marti

Friday, April 11, 2014, David Poole

Theme: Initial here please! Y-not?

By adding a vowel to the beginning of a word or phrase, also in progression like Bernice Gordon's wonderful Wednesday, we have five very different phrases, clued appropriately. I am not sure if they all create hyphenated words, but it looks cleaner to me that way. David has been on our radar many times and my last time blogging his work being a rather controversial effort, VIEW. This is a much tamer theme with two old favorites, the 'add a letter' and the 'vowel progression' in play. This is like a casserole of Bernice's vowels and marti's letter words. The fill had some fun like BARRELS, CURACAO, LEONIDS, MINARET, BETHESDA, PRORATED and TAXI DRIVERS. There seemed to be quite a few initialisms, but maybe that was deliberate in light of adding the letter. Okay, let's do it.

 17A. Cost to join the elite? : A-LIST PRICE. (10) Does the concept of an "A" list bother anyone?

25A. Kindle download that's too good to delete? : E-BOOK KEEPER. (11). I think this is cute and it is consistent with 58A by breaking the word in two when the letter is added.

35A. Origami tablet? : I-PAD OF PAPER. (11). Cute but confusing clue. We used to call our composition books tablets.

49A. Expert on circular gaskets? : O-RING MASTER. (11). The circus meets mechanics, as the torus shaped ring appears.

58A. List of reversals? : U-TURN TABLE. (10). A table is like a list, but that only confuses me.

Across:

1. Hitching aid : THUMB. This answer stuck right out for me.

6. Journalist Paula : ZAHN. One time rising news star at most network news shows, she now hosts a show on Investigative Discovery channel. She left CNN after major scandal about her affair and marriage breaking up. In looking for her link, I ran across a site called wikifeet; most disturbing.

10. Silo occupant, briefly : ICBM. InterContinental Ballistic Missile. To qualify, the missile must have a minimum range of 3,400 miles.

14. Place to practice pliés : BARRE. Is a practice bar a place?

15. Arab League member : OMAN. Oh man, I learned CHAD is not a member, nor is IRAN (Persian, not Arabic); the choices were Oman or Iraq and that Q is pesky.

16. __ Tea Latte: Starbucks offering : CHAI. I like a Chai tea now and then, but no lattes for me.

19. "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" composer : KERN. Jerome. Time for a musical interlude.

20. Pay for, in a way : CHARGE. no extra credit for getting this one correct.

21. Wonder Woman accessory : TIARA.

22. Stroke gently : PET. Most women resent being petted.

27. Like some felonies : CLASS A.

29. Seuss pond-ruling reptile : YERTLE. Interestingly, this turtle is now available in an E-Book. (7:49). Yertle does appear to be unrelated to 63A. Feigned : MOCK, and the  Mock Turtle.

30. Ready for FedEx, perhaps : BOXED.

31. Yahoo : BOOR. Calling someone a Yahoo seems outdated but I guess Boor is also.

34. Only 20th-century president whose three distinct initials are in alphabetical order : HST. This is interesting because Truman's  middle name was "S."

39. Common HDTV feature : LCD. Liquid Crystal Display.

41. Basic water transport : RAFT. Ask Tom Sawyer or yesterday's Huck Finn..

42. French royal : REINE. Queen, en Française.

45. California city on Humboldt Bay : EUREKA. from Archimedes, right Bill G. and Fermatprime?

48. Certain allergy sufferer's bane : POLLEN. That is why there are seasonal allergies.

53. Induced : LED. At least it is not another initialism.

54. Places for pews : NAVES.

55. Places for sweaters? : SAUNAS. Read "sweaters" as sweat-ers, those who sweat.

57. Makes certain of : ICES. And there was the cold place.

62. Jeanne __ : D'ARC. French for Joan of Arc.

64. Inventor Howe : ELIAS. The sad story of the man and the Sewing Machine.

65. Fair : SO SO.

66. Bellicose god : ARES. Bellicose is such a nice word.

67. They may be hammered out : DENTS. So can plans.

Down:

1. TV Guide abbr. : TBA. To Be Announced.

2. McRae of the '70s-'80s Royals : HAL. He became a manager and his son, Brian,  played in the majors as well. LINK.

3. Ocean State sch. : URI. University of Rhode Island.   Not far from where I grew up; main campus is in Kingston, I believe.

4. Richie's mom, to Fonzie : MRS. C. Cunningham.

5. National Institutes of Health home : BETHESDA. Maryland.

6. Don Diego de la Vega's alter ego : ZORRO. I liked this ONE (1:47) better than the movies.

7. Pal of 6-Down : AMIGO.

8. Czech diacritical : HACEK. No clue, the perps filled the spaces, but I looked it up. Way more than you wanted to KNOW.

9. Terre Haute-to-South Bend dir. : NNE.

10. More repulsive : ICKIER.

11. Event offering superficial pleasure : CHEAP THRILL. Awful, who would want a superficial pleasure? Dennis, Lois where are you when I need you.

12. Crude containers : BARRELS. Not badly made, but crude oil.

13. Muezzin's tower : MINARET. I am unfamiliar with the clue, but I know the tower, so...

18. Early sunscreen ingredient : PABA. Para-AminoBenzoic Acid.

21. Tapered support item : TEE. Not my first mental image.

22. Chem. pollutant : PCB. PolyChlorinated Biphenyl. This Bad Boy.

23. "Evil Woman" rock gp. : ELO. Electric Light Orchestra.

24. Hacks : TAXI DRIVERS. Hack probably comes from the British Hackneys.

26. "The Closer" star Sedgwick : KYRA. Who is she married to? WATCH and brush up on your Italian.

28. Libra's mo., perhaps : SEPtember. My youngest is one.

31. Glitzy wrap : BOA. The feathery kind, not the crush and eat you kind.

32. On vacation : OFF. Cute how on leads to off.

33. Stop wavering : OPT.

36. Wee bit o' Glenlivet, say : DRAM.

37. Apportioned : PRORATED. What needs to be done with real estate taxes at closing.

38. Unagi, at a sushi bar : EEL. A C.C. favorite.

39. November meteor shower, with "the" : LEONIDS. 2013. I just watched a PBS show, I think.

40. Liqueur named for an island : CURACAO. One of the ABC islands in the Netherland's Antilles.

The blue one.

43. Once known as : NEE. Referencing the female birth name, before marriage. From the French.

44. "The World's __": 2013 sci-fi comedy : END. No idea.

46. "Romanian Rhapsodies" composer : ENESCO. A very accomplished violinist as well. The name probably was Enescu, but I will let our musical people address his work.He was an answer on Jeopardy Thursday.

47. Metric wts. : KGS. Kilo grams, 1000 grams, or 2.2 pounds.

48. One of the Ivies : PENNsylvania.

50. Fur tycoon : ASTOR. John Jacob

51. Ristorante potful : SAUCE. Well, it depends because many Italians call it 'gravy' even if it is red sauce.

52. Iraqis' neighbors : TURKS.

56. Word with white or fire : SALE.

58. Thurman of film : UMA.

59. Recycling vessel : BIN.

60. Delt neighbor : LAT. Muscles, deltoid (shoulder)and latissimus  dorsi (back).

61. Superhero symbol : ESS. The big S for Superman.

I guess it is time for me to head off into a phone booth and fly out of here for another week. Hope you had a good time.  Lemonade out.