Tuesday, August 21, 2012 David W. Cromer

Theme: location, location, location - The unifier can be located behind the last word in the three theme entries.

17A. Former kids' show title character named for the large pockets in his coat : CAPTAIN KANGAROO. Kangaroo Court, a court that jumps to a foregone conclusion on an invalid basis.

27A. Fuse blower : SHORT CIRCUIT. Circuit Court, where a traveling judge would preside over over various locations at set intervals. If you were locked up, you had to wait for the judge to come to town.

44A. Apollo Theater tryout for nonpros : AMATEUR NIGHT. Night Court, convenes at night for the quick disposition of charges and the granting of bail. And an excuse for this clip: Necco Wafers(3:30)

58A. Judge's demand, and a hint to this puzzle's theme words, which end 17-, 27- and 44-Across : ORDER IN THE COURT. And a little more from Night Court.(0:41)

Argyle here; I have to tear myself away from those clips and write this post. A crossword regular, Mel Tormé, was often on the show.

A little more standard puzzle today. Two impressive grid spanners, a nice mix of other length entries and no cheater squares. Throw in a clecho and no Naticks that I noticed and we're good to go.

Across:

1. Like a visit from Benedict XVI : PAPAL

6. Ginormous : VAST

10. Currier's partner : IVES. "The Fair Ground"

14. Sans chaperon : ALONE. (sans = without)

15. Mystery writer __ Stanley Gardner : ERLE. Perry Mason creator.

16. Maryland athlete, briefly : TERP. The Maryland Terrapins.

20. U.K. record label : EMI

21. Egg container : NEST

22. Popular name for a tree-lined rd. : ELM ST. In the day.

23. Any of the "Be My Baby" singers : RONETTE. No lip-sync Clip.(2:46)

26. Scott of "Happy Days" : BAIO. Chachi Arcola.

32. Like the first stage of a car wash : SOAPY

35. Really riles : IRES

36. TV Guide's "We don't know yet" : TBA. (To Be Announced)

37. Pseudo-sophisticated : ARTY

38. Chopper blade : ROTOR. (helicopter)

40. "__ Harry Met Sally..." : WHEN

41. Understand : GET

42. Mrs. Dithers of "Blondie" : CORA

43. Nuisances : PESTS

48. Morse creation : CODE

49. Yellow-disked flowers : DAISIES

53. Puppet pal of Fran and Ollie : KUKLA

55. Pants part : SEAT. Hand up for SEAM.

57. Teachers' lobbying org. : NEA. (National Education Association). The other NEA.

62. Hymn starter : "O, GOD ..."

63. Brussels-based defense gp. : NATO

64. Where eagles dwell : AERIE

65. Toy with theme parks : LEGO

66. No.-crunching pros : CPA's. (Certified Public Accountant)

67. Kennel club classification : BREED

Down:

1. Harness race horse : PACER. And trotters.

2. Texas mission : ALAMO

3. Show up unannounced : POP IN

4. Tiny soldier : ANT

5. Where the herd grazes : LEA

6. Plywood layer : VENEER

7. Boats like Noah's : ARKS

8. Blind component : SLAT

9. Perfect score : TEN. If you're into quantification.

10. Slanty, typewise : ITALIC

11. Martini ingredients : VERMOUTHS. The Perfect Martini: gin, dry vermouth and sweet vermouth.

12. Love personified : EROS

13. Notice : SPOT And 24D. Notice : ESPY

18. Division word : INTO

19. Shifted car parts : GEARS. If you have a standard transmission.

25. Biblical possessive : THY

26. Oktoberfest draft : BIER. Beer in German.

28. One of a powerful race of gods : TITAN. The elder gods, ruled the earth before the Olympians overthrew them.

29. __-Magnon : CRO. The first early modern humans.

30. "As if!" : "I BET!"

31. Beachgoers' hues : TANS

32. Epic story : SAGA

33. Utah city : OREM

34. Junkyard guard : ATTACK DOG

38. Casanova : ROUE

39. Bruins Hall of Famer Bobby : ORR

40. Makes moist : WETS

42. Fragrant wood : CEDAR

43. __ Beta Kappa : PHI

45. City west of Cleveland : TOLEDO. T-town.

46. Gem State potatoes : IDAHOs

47. Scandal suffix : GATE. As in Watergate or Nannygate.

50. Accustom (to) : INURE

51. Paranormal, say : EERIE

52. Filled completely : SATED

53. __ & the Gang: "Celebration" group : KOOL. Clip.(2:20)

54. Yen : URGE

55. Go past one's breaking point : SNAP

56. Jazzy James : ETTA

59. Ltd. counterpart, in the States : INC.

60. Airport queue vehicle : CAB

61. Above, in verse : O'ER

Answer grid.

Argyle

Wedneday, Nov 2, 2011 David W. Cromer

Theme: SACK IT TO ME! you bet your bippy, all the theme clues are homophones (words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings and spelled differently in today's case).

17A. Sachs : GOLDMAN'S PARTNER. goldman-sachs. not a lot of fans these days.

27A. Sacks : FIRES FROM THE JOB. wonder if this will ever happen to anyone from 17a.

48A. Saks : NEW YORK RETAILER. the image below is of his and hers saks fifth avenue stores on opposite sides of the street in chicago's magnificent mile.

64A. Sax : WOODWIND IN A BAND. mindi abair (6:16 - long and worth it). that's what i call a blowjob.

there's a brilliant bonus, that may or may not be intentional:

37A. "Awakenings" actress : MEARA. anne meara portrayed miriam in the movie awakenings, which was inspired by oliver sacks' book by the same name. sacks is a well-known neurologist and author, who suffers from face blindness. there is an interesting episode of wnyc's radiolab (download or stream) about face blindness, with guests oliver sacks and chuck close, an artist who paints faces.

mr. cromer, if you're out there, do drop in and let us know.

melissa here. four beautiful grid-spanners make for a very tidy puzzle. seemed like a perfect wednesday difficulty level to me.

across:

1. Nice forecast : FAIR. lucky us in california, spectacular weather right now.

5. Blatant promotion : PLUG

9. Entertain : AMUSE

14. Shoppe modifier : OLDE

15. Hoosier city : GARY. indiana. according to wikipedia, there doesn't seem to be much consensus about the origin of the word hoosier.

16. Kitchen gadget : PARER. or peeler.

20. Texas longhorn, for one : STEER

a cacophony of noisy entries today:

21. Shocked reaction : GASP. 67. Audibly : ALOUD, 69. "Yikes!" : EGAD, and 70. Sounds from pounds : YELPS. dog pounds.

22. 45-Down et al. : ISP'S. internet service providers, and 45d. Buddy List co. : AOL. in aol, your buddy list consists of the friends in your instant messenger window.

23. Hai or oui : YES. hai (はい) = japanese; oui = french.

25. Atop : UPON

35. Detours, e.g.: Abbr. : RTES. routes. appropriately misleading (detour).

36. Kitty : POT. a pool of money in some gambling card games.

38. Start to sing? : ESS. sing.

39. Fawned over, with "on" : DOTED

42. Uncertain word : MAY

43. Warren Buffett's city : OMAHA. didn't know this fact.

46. JFK listing : ETA. jfk airport, estimated time of arrival.

47. Matchmaker.com connection : DATE. never heard of matchmaker site, only match.

52. __ bargain : PLEA

53. Crunch targets : ABS

54. Uffizi offering : ARTE. museum in florence, italy. so beautiful. anyone here ever been there?

57. Couples with clubs : FRED. Fred Couples. and 5d. Couples's org. : PGA

60. Comic pianist Victor : BORGE

68. Taj Mahal site : AGRA.

71. Maintain : KEEP

72. Conifers with elastic wood : YEWS. lovely bending branches, used in archery bows.

down:

1. Turns opaque, with "up" : FOGS. sometimes the golden gate does that. definitely worth a GASP.

2. Loads : A LOT

3. Run in place : IDLE

4. Late-night flights : RED-EYES

6. Clubber __, nemesis in "Rocky III" : LANG. obscure for me, never saw the movie.

7. Bear in the sky : URSA

8. Plaster of Paris component : GYPSUM

9. Financing letters : APR. annual percentage rate.

10. Daytime fare : MATINEE. one definition for fare is offering.

11. Coffee hour sights : URNS

12. Ooze : SEEP

13. Misses the mark : ERRS

18. GI rations : MRE'S. meal ready to eat. i had some during search and rescue training - not terrible.

19. Date with an MD : APPT. not that kind of date.

24. Dirty Harry's org. : SFPD. san francisco police department.

26. Resistance unit : OHM

27. Refrigerant gas : FREON

28. Announcement at the door : IT'S ME. according to grammar girl: "fortunately, most grammarians forgive you for saying 'it's me,' and the 'it is I' construction is almost extinct."

29. Took in again : RE-SAW. i can hear the groans from here.

30. Pal of Tigger : ROO

31. Playful aquatic critter : OTTER

32. Actor Malcolm-__ Warner : JAMAL

33. Speak with style : ORATE

34. Tylenol alternative : BAYER. both are brand names. tylenol is acetaminophen, bayer is aspirin.

40. Summer on the Seine : ETE. french. pronounced ay-tay.

41. Computer fodder : DATA

44. Really enthused : HYPED UP

47. Act rebelliously : DISOBEY. like him.

49. Homeowner's option, in brief : REFI. re-finance.

50. Ancient Egyptian temple complex : KARNAK. this, but who didn't think of carnac?

51. "Fernando" quartet : ABBA

54. Sports schedule column : AWAY. home and away games. sharks play the next six games at home.

55. Audition aim : ROLE. or sometimes just a roll.

56. Word with box or belt : TOOL

58. On __: nervous : EDGE

59. Calamitous : DIRE.

61. Storm : RAGE. twenty years ago this week, the andrea gail and her six man crew, subject of the book and movie 'the perfect storm,' were lost at sea. riveting book.

62. Eat away : GNAW

63. Actor Byrnes and announcer Hall : EDDS

65. OED entries : WDS oxford english dictionary entries are words.

66. Suede feature : NAP

answer grid.

melissa

Tuesday, January 4, 2011 David W. Cromer

Theme: Imelda's love - Three theme enders that are types of the hint in the unifier...and what Imelda Marcos collected over 2700 pairs of.

20A. How many fall in love: HEAD OVER HEELS

34A. Temperature control devices: HEAT PUMPS. Not comfortable with the clue, although the use of any source of heat could be said to be a temperature control device.

40A. Bonneville Speedway terrain: SALT FLATS. The Bonneville Salt Flats is a densely-packed salt pan in northwestern Utah that is a remnant of the Pleistocene Lake Bonneville.

53A. Abridged maxim about accepting an apt description, and a hint to this puzzle's theme found in 20-, 34- and 40-Across: IF THE SHOE FITS.... "...WEAR IT" was left off the end of the maxim, that's why it is abridged.

Argyle here.

Have to say this feels a little flat after yesterday's puzzle but then, I don't have a shoe fetish. I do think it's funny that some sneakers are pumps now. Image.

Across:

1. Like serious collectors : AVID. Could apply to Imelda!

5. Ristorante staple : PASTA

10. Bristol baby carriage : PRAM. Alliteration and British (and no comments about Palin, please).

14. Fishing need : LINE

15. Turn red, as tomatoes : RIPEN

16. Genesis creator : SEGA. Video games system.

17. It may be enough : ONCE. ONCE is enough. (Doesn't apply to buying shoes.)

18. Keats, e.g. : ODIST

19. Arabian Peninsula port : ADEN

23. Mule's parent : ASS. A palomino mule. Image.

24. __ majesty : LESE. A crime, esp. high treason, committed against the sovereign power.

25. Adjustor's assessment : DAMAGE

28. Sought office : RAN

29. Dent or scratch : MAR

30. Mauna __ : LOA. "Long Mountain" in Hawaiian, it is the largest volcano on Earth in terms of volume. Mauna Kea, a neighbor of Mauna Loa on the same island of Hawaii is the tallest, from the sea floor.

31. Israeli desert : NEGEV. Map.

37. Door-to-door company : AVON

38. Stolen goods dealer : FENCE

39. Went like the wind : TORE

42. Less, in La Paz : MENOS. Either La Paz, Bolivia or La Paz, Mexico, it is still Spanish.

43. Do the math, in a way : ADD

44. Rowing implement : OAR

45. With it : HIP

46. Duds in a lot : LEMONS. The cleverest clue? A car lot.

48. Tiny power source : ATOM

50. Drama featuring a DNA lab : CSI. Crime Scene Investigation.

56. Course list : MENU

58. Spanish folk hero : EL CID. A hero for his fight against the Moors.

59. Mound stats : ERAs. See 56Across from yesterday.

60. Golf rarities : ACEs. A hole in one. Aces are also baseball pitchers, too.

61. River through France : RHONE

62. Earth tone : ECRU

63. Sit for a shooting : POSE

64. Located : SITED

65. Fashionable way to arrive? : LATE

Down:

1. Hilo hello : ALOHA. Hilo is on the Big Island with those two volcanoes. Musical interlude. (3:51)

2. Jungle growth : VINES

3. Pizarro victims : INCAs. Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador.

4. Certain title : DEED

5. No longer in doubt : PROVEN

6. Helpers : AIDES

7. Kremlin feature : SPIRE

8. New Age musician John : TESH

9. Precede : ANTEDATE, A date before the date in question.

10. Biblical hymn : PSALM

11. Fish also called a sockeye : RED SALMON

12. Candle count, on many cakes : AGE

13. Isle of __ : MAN

21. Patron saint of Norway : OLAV

22. Wild West lawman : EARP

26. Give up amateur status : GO PRO

27. Lets up : EASES

28. Tenants' strike leverage : RENT

29. PC alternatives : MACs

31. Twangy : NASAL

32. Get around : EVADE

33. Places with valuable veins : GOLD MINES

34. Catch wind of : HEAR

35. Tolkien tree creature : ENT

36. Lone Star State sch. : UTEP. University of Texas at El Paso.

38. Hazard lights, e.g. : FLASHERS

41. Type specification : FONT

42. Actor with nothing to say : MIME

45. Like some sweatshirts : HOODED. Hoodies, in modern parlance.

47. Helpful : OF USE

48. Fancy tie : ASCOT

49. Biblical possessive : THINE

50. Approximately, in dates : CIRCA

51. Onset : START

52. Debate subject : ISSUE

54. K-12 catchall : ELHI. The catchall we'all hate.

55. Sense : FEEL

56. It may be topographical : MAP

57. "The Name of the Rose" author Umberto : ECO. Finally has become a gimme but only through doing crosswords.

Answer grid.

Note from C.C.:

Today we celebrate the birthday of Dick (flanked by JD & Carol). With Dennis and Dr. Dad, Dick formed the formidable 3-D in the earlier days of this blog.

Argyle

Monday, November 15, 2010 David W. Cromer

Theme: It's a bird, it's a ... - Plane, a jet, to be precise according to the unifier. The first theme requires a two-word verb phrase while the next two are single verbs; altogether, they describe a plane flight.

20A. Lose a few pounds: TAKE OFF WEIGHT

37A. Act defiantly toward: FLY IN THE TEETH OF, 'In the Face' is more common.

54A. Find ideal employment: LAND A GREAT JOB

58D. You might be on one if you do the starts of 20-, 37- and 54-Across: JET

Argyle here.

A perfunctory Monday puzzle rather easy to solve but was an ambitious construction. Six letter stacks in two corners, two near grid spanning themes and a third that made it all the way. It takes a lot of work to make it look easy.

Across:

1. Estimator's words : OR SO

5. It's cut and styled : HAIR

9. "Of __ I Sing" : THEE

13. Kathmandu's country : NEPAL

15. Part of A.D. : ANNO. Anno Domini, which is Latin for "year of our Lord". Now sometimes referred to as the Common Era, Christian Era, or Current Era (abbreviated as C.E. or CE).

16. Sniggler's prey : EELS

17. Maliciousness : SPITE

18. Not so much : LESS

19. Bivouac : CAMP

23. Opposed (to) : AVERSE

24. Pekoe, e.g. : TEA

25. "Far out!" : "RAD!". I don't believe "RAD" ever got much use.

28. Legal thing : RES. By itself, RES is Latin for thing; it starts many legal terms.

29. They're exchanged at the altar : I DOs

32. Make fun of : TEASE

34. Sweet snack with coffee : DONUT

36. Northern California peak : SHASTA. Located at the southern end of the cascades in Siskiyou County. Map.

41. __ Pieces: candy brand : REESE'S

42. Brings up : REARS

43. Make into law : ENACT

44. Bank claim : LIEN

45. Fashion that doesn't last : FAD

48. Canadian A.L. team, on scoreboards : TOR. TORonto, north across Lake Ontario from Buffalo, NY. The Blue Jays.

49. Crude in a tanker : OIL

51. Invent : CREATE

58. Monopoly square with bars : JAIL

60. Yves's girlfriend : AMIE. A Frenchman's girlfriend.

61. Country with a wall : CHINA

62. Poet __ St. Vincent Millay : EDNA. Her Columbia County, NY, farmhouse, which she christened Steepletop, is within miles of my sister's house.

63. Heavenly music maker : HARP

64. Kids' flying toys : KITES

65. Clothes : TOGS

66. Norway's capital : OSLO

67. Open-and-shut __ : CASE

Down:

1. GM navigation system : ONSTAR

2. Fix potholes in : REPAVE

3. Volleyball smashes : SPIKES

4. Wild West movie : OATER

5. One of two equal portions : HALF

6. From the beginning : ANEW

7. Maps within maps : INSETS

8. Talk radio host O'Donnell : ROSIE. Image.

9. PC support pro : TECH

10. Summer itch cause : HEAT RASH

11. Stately tree : ELM

12. Psychic's claim : ESP. Extrasensory perception (ESP)

14. Some summer babies, astrologically : LEOs

21. Deceptive moves : FEINTS

22. Collect : GATHER

26. Regarding : AS TO

27. Unable to hear : DEAF

30. "Of course I knew that!" : "DUH!". Followed by a smack to the head with a V-8 can. (D'oh is when someone else smacks you with a V-8 can.)

31. "SNL" alum Cheri : OTERI. Image.

33. Food, on a diner sign : EATS. Or the whole sign.

34. Computer insert : DISC

35. Common pickup capacity : ONE TON. A half-ton is more common.

36. Afterworld communication meeting : SÉANCE

37. Get all worked up : FRET

38. Letterman rival : LENO. Late night talk show hosts.

39. Horse that isn't two yet : YEARLING

40. Golfer's gadget : TEE

44. Alpaca cousins : LLAMAs

45. Tex-Mex serving : FAJITA

46. Makes reparations (for) : ATONES

47. Lower in rank : DEBASE

50. Wyoming neighbor : IDAHO

52. __ of lamb : RACK

53. Value system : ETHIC

55. "Woe is me!" : "ALAS!"

56. "__, Interrupted" : GIRL. It is a best-selling 1993 memoir by American author Susanna Kaysen, relating her experiences as a young woman in a psychiatric hospital in the 1960s after being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. The memoir's title is a reference to the Vermeer painting Girl Interrupted at her Music. It was a 1999 drama film, starring Winona Ryder, Brittany Murphy, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg and Vanessa Redgrave. The painting.

57. Bank takeaway : REPO

59. Bustle : ADO

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, August 23, 2010 David W. Cromer

Theme: Body Parts, Coming Together - Two of the same part of the body, separated by "to".

18A. How rivals compete : HEAD TO HEAD

28A. How lovers dance : CHEEK TO CHEEK

49A. How close friends talk : HEART TO HEART

64A. How pistol duelers stand : BACK TO BACK

Argyle here.

One of the easiest Mondays yet. There are so many other body parts that could have been included: eye to eye, toe to toe, hand to hand, belly to belly, liver to liver. (That last one is for today's birthday boy, Tinbeni, and myself.)

Across:

1. Poet Khayyám : OMAR. The Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyam.

5. Stroll : AMBLE

10. Retail mecca : MALL

14. Repetitious learning technique : ROTE

15. Eagle's weapon : TALON

16. Subject of a court bargain : PLEA

17. Rara __ : AVIS. A rare or unique person or thing. [Latin rāra avis : rāra, feminine of rārus, rare + avis, bird.]

20. Deadly : LETHAL

22. Icy North Atlantic hazard : BERG

23. Exploit : USE

24. Short race, for short : ONE K. Cute clue.

26. Upper crust groups : ELITES

33. Outer edge : RIM

34. Path between supermarket shelves : AISLE

35. Transportation station : DEPOT

39. "Carmen" highlight : ARIA

41. Car alarm acknowledgment : CHIRP. There are so many car beeps these days, I never look around any more when I hear one. I'll probably be run over some day.

43. Assistant : AIDE

44. What a lenient judge may show : MERCY

46. Año starter : ENERO. Spanish: year and January.

48. White or Red team : SOX

52. Arrive dressed up like : COME AS. When was your last costume party?

55. Exiled Roman poet : OVID. For unclear reasons, in AD 8 Emperor Augustus banished him to Tomis on the Black Sea; despite Ovid's many pleas, he was never allowed to return. He described his life in an autobiographical poem in Sorrows.

56. "Eureka!" : "A-HA!". The exclamation attributed to Archimedes, who is said to have cried out "Eureka! eureka!" (I have found it! I have found it!), upon suddenly discovering a method of finding out how much the gold of King Hiero's crown had been alloyed. Hence, an expression of triumph concerning a discovery.

57. Fraud : SHAM

60. Lots and lots : OODLES

67. Kappa preceder, alphabetically : IOTA. More Greek (seems to be oodles of Greek today).

68. Longtime Hydrox competitor : OREO

69. Show with varied acts : REVUE

70. Actor Morales : ESAI. Big role was "NYPD Blue" Lt. Tony Rodriguez (61 episodes, 2001-2004).

71. "Bill & __ Excellent Adventure" : TED'S. If you look close, there's a Greek dude in the phone booth, man.

72. "It's somebody __ problem" : ELSE'S

73. eBay command : SELL

Down:

1. Like some graduate tests : ORAL. Lois?

2. Find new digs : MOVE

3. Working hard : AT IT

4. Do a blacksmith's job : RESHOE. If you are a farrier, too.

5. Good at sports : ATHLETIC

6. West in old movies : MAE

7. Spill the beans : BLAB

8. Miner's bonanza : LODE

9. Course between salad and dessert : ENTRÉE

10. Dashboard abbr. : MPH

11. Indigenous Alaskan : ALEUT

12. Landlord's contract : LEASE

13. Packs in a hold : LADES

19. More than glanced at : OGLED

21. "Diana" singer Paul : ANKA. Song. Wikipedia says Paul is from Canada, I did not know that. Interesting article.

25. Okay to consume, as for Passover : KOSHER

27. Swedish furniture retailer : IKEA

28. Study feverishly : CRAM

29. Add to the staff : HIRE

30. Islamic ruler : EMIR

31. Black of country music : CLINT. Academy of Country Music's 1989 Single of the Year - "A Better Man".

32. Annexed __: attached as part of this document : HERETO

36. Leaning tower city : PISA

37. Olfactory offense : ODOR. Alliteration that includes the answer.

38. Manuscript passage : TEXT

40. Tylenol target : ACHE

42. Tries to get a rise out of : PROVOKES

45. Bakers get a rise out of it : YEAST. So do bakers provoke their bread?

47. West Virginia neighbor : OHIO

50. "Michael, Row the Boat __" : ASHORE. Hallelujah.

51. Whirlpools : EDDIES

52. Explorer Sebastian : CABOT

53. Chicago hub : O'HARE

54. Sprayed with tear gas : MACED

58. Cain's victim : ABEL

59. Dallas NBA team : MAVS

61. Be defeated : LOSE

62. Lat. list ender : ET AL.

63. Regatta flapper : SAIL

65. WBA stats : KOs. World Boxing Association.

66. Pool tool : CUE

Answer grid.

Here is a set of five magnificent Oregon Coast sand sculpture contest photos forwarded from our Faithful Lurker B. Please click on the photo to enlarge to a higher resolution.

Argyle

Wednesday May 12, 2010 David W. Cromer

Theme: Four Aces - All the theme answers are clued as definitions of "ACE".

17A. ACE: FLAWLESS SERVICE. Filled in FL* immediately, then I wanted FLYING something.

28A. ACE: VENTURA IN FILMS. Movie "Ace Ventura".

45A. ACE: BANDAGE ACRONYM. I only use Johnson & Johnson's Band-Aid. Have never heard of Ace Bandage.

59A. ACE: HALF OF BLACKJACK. Got the answer via crosses. Don't play Blackjack.

No hole-in-one (golf), or pitching star (baseball) or perfect serve (tennis), the aces I am familiar with.

David also gives us three math terms:

63. Geometry calculation: AREA

46D. Geometry calculations: ANGLES. Nice intersection.

48D. Advanced math subj.: CALC. Quite a few abbrs. in this grid.

ANG (51A. "Spider-Man" director Lee) was an easy fill. But I don't remember Ange Lee directed any "Spider-Man" movie. "Hulk", yes.

Across:

1. Pest control target: ROACH

6. Get down the road?: PAVE. Great clue.

10. Hired soldier, briefly: MERC. Mercenary I presume.

14. Big name in foil: ALCOA

15. Ongoing auction site: EBAY. Baseball card mecca.

16. Asian domestic: AMAH

20. Abe Lincoln's boy: TAD. Learned from doing Xword.

22. "Gerontion" poet's monogram: TSE. Easy guess.

23. Just out: NEW. Then we have EFTS (53D. New newts). New duplication. Meh!

24. Acts as lookout, say: ABETS

33. Knotted scarf: ASCOT

34. Reunion attendee: NIECE

35. Ripped: TORN

38. Help for a busy mgr.: ASST

42. Small amounts: IOTAS

44. 100 clams: C-NOTE. Clam is slang for a dollar. Got me.

49. Door squeaker: HINGE. I liked this clue.

50. Flight component: STAIR. Flight between floors.

52. Drink with a string in it, perhaps: TEA

55. Letters in a business name: LLC. Did you want LTD also?

56. One of the three states of matter: GAS. And Solid & Liquid.

65. Message obeyed by Alice: EAT ME. Wonderland cake message.

67. Narrow aperture: SLIT

68. Cornered: TREED

Down:

1. Huck's ride: RAFT

2. Earthenware pot: OLLA. I really love this olla. Some artist signed piece can cost a ton.

3. Phillips, e.g.: Abbr.: ACAD. Phillips Academy.

4. Leather source: COW

5. Largest flatfish: HALIBUT. Oh, I did not even know halibut is flatfish.

6. Dinero replaced by the euro: PESETA (puh-SEY-tuh). The former Spanish currency. I forgot.

7. Six-pack muscles: ABS. Beautiful abs.

8. Seemingly endless: VAST

9. Places for pupils: EYES. We also have SYST (66A. Part of CBS. Abbr.).

10. Dallas cager, familiarly: MAV. Dallas Mavericks.

11. "8 Mile" rapper: EMINEM

12. The Andrettis, e.g.: RACERS. OK, EddyB, your turn to comment.

13. Masticates: CHEWS. Masticate is a new word to me.

19. Dig find: RELIC. Thought of Lemonade's son.

24. Making reparations: ATONING

25. They're often sensitive to allergens: SINUSES

27. Rigby of song: ELEANOR. "Eleanor Rigby", the Beatles' song.

28. Napa Valley vessel: VAT

29. Juan's "that": ESO

30. Maker of bar code scanners: NCR

31. "Collages" novelist: NIN (Anaïs)

37. Joplin work: RAG

39. Young fellow: SON

40. Porcine abode: STY. Pigs will be happy with this clue: "abode", so dignified.

41. President pro __: TEM. Robert Byrd is the current President pro tempore of the Senate.

44. Nocturnal noisemaker: CRICKET

45. Like computer code: BINARY. Two digits.

47. Words of relief: AT LAST

49. Mirthful sounds: HAHAS

54. Genesis victim: ABEL. First ever victim. The second son of Adam and Eve, slain by his brother, Cain.

56. Concert receipts: GATE. Not a S ending answer. Tricky clue.

57. Wile E. Coyote's mail-order house: ACME

58. List of appts.: SKED. Cavil away!

61. Flowery welcome: LEI

62. It holds the mayo: JAR

Answer grid.

Notes from the constructor:

I've done a few definition themes before and the word ACE struck me as a good candidate while watching a rerun of "Ace Ventura". I did have to reconstruct the whole puzzle however after learning that ACE was an acronym for a bandage produced by 3M. I originally had "Ventura in Movies" and "Bandage Producer". The other two entries are the same.

C.C.

Interview with David W. Cromer

Today is our 12th David Cromer puzzle since the TMS switch in March 2008, making him one of our most productive LAT contributors.

David had his crossword debut in January 2007. Since then, he has had 34 puzzles published by the LA Times. David's byline also appears regularly in Newsday.

What is your background and how did you develop an interest in crossword constructing?

I am 38 and have formal training in music, namely percussion instruments. I have been both a musician and songwriter. I always enjoyed solving crosswords but never gave much thought to their construction other than how difficult it must be to make them. I admired those who could do so. I was spurred by a friend to try to make one. That was a disaster, but I realized I could do it and by my third puzzle I was published.

How would you describe your style? Most of your puzzles we've had seem to focus on early week puzzles.

I guess I would describe my style as casual. I seem to gravitate toward easy themes. It is my experience that the majority of solvers prefer them as oppose to a "brain-buster". However, it can make my job harder to develop a theme that hasn't been done before so the key is to find a new angle.

What's the most proud puzzle you've made and why?

The puzzle I am most proud of would be a Sunday puzzle from the LA Times of June 2009. That was my first Sunday puzzle to be published and was a milestone for me.

I see your byline in other publications often. How do you maintain your productivity? And what kind of newspapers/magazines/websites do you read for theme inspirations?

I work at some aspect of crosswords everyday whether actively constructing or brainstorming themes. I read voraciously and theme ideas strike at any time. Most of my ideas come from a crossword dictionary. I will just peruse and can come up with something. I have also found ideas while solving a puzzle. A single clue sometimes leads me to a theme.

What puzzles so you solve every day and who are your favorite constructors?

I do the LA Times puzzle daily and the Sunday puzzle from both the NY Times and LA Times. I also do the Newsday puzzle on occasion. My favorite constructors are Elizabeth Gorski and Dan Naddor. Both of them really have a gift for this.

Besides crossword, what are your other hobbies?

When not wiling away at crosswords, I am usually reading. I am also a novice stock market investor which is more than enough excitement.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 David W. Cromer

Theme: "GIMME A BREAK!" (63A. 1980s Nell Carter sitcom, and a hint to the puzzle theme found in the ends of 17-, 32-, 39- and 46-Across.)

17A. Manhattan rail hub: PENN STATION (STATION BREAK)

32A. Mattress support: BOX SPRING (SPRING BREAK)

39A. Cherished: NEAR TO ONE'S HEART (HEART BREAK)

46A. "Hold your horses!": "NOT SO FAST!" (FAST BREAK). FAST and fast duplication in the clue for LOOSE (52A. Fast partner?). Play fast and loose.

Argyle here.

Gimme a Break! was aired on NBC from 1981 until 1987. The series stars Nell Carter(in red) as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief and his three daughters.

PENN STATION and 47D. New York tribe, city or lake: ONEIDA. gives this puzzle an East Coast SKEW.(61D. Depict in a biased way)

FAST BREAK is when a basketball team attempts to move the ball up court and into scoring position as quickly as possible, often ending in a LAY-UP.

A nice Tuesday puzzle.

Across:

1A. Fuzzy fruit: KIWI. Alliteration.

5A. Royal headgear: DIADEM. And 48. Pageant winners' wear: TIARA.

11A. "...__ an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers": "Romeo and Juliet": 'TIS

14A. Viking war god: ODIN

15A. Draw in: ENTICE

16A. Pictures on the wall: ART

19A. Vert. opposite: HOR.. Old TV knobs. (vertical and horizontal)

20A. Lose support: SAG Reminds me that Lois would have a b...a good time with the DF in this puzzle.

21A. Go bad: ROT

22A. Ida of Hollywood: LUPINO. Nice to have her surname as answer for a change.

24A. "The March King": SOUSA. John Philip Sousa

27A. British boarding school: ETON

28A. First name in spydom: MATA. 6A yesterday.

35A. Like many notebooks: SPIRAL Pertaining to the binding.

38A. Unmoved: ALOOF

44A. Hi-tech greeting: E-CARD

45A. Dogpatch cartoonist: AL CAPP. "Li'l Abner" comic strip.

50A. Highland toppers: TAMS Flat Hat.

51A. Part of BTU: UNIT

55A. Social service?: TEA SET. Alliteration.

58A. R.E. Lee follower: REB He was the leader CSA army; REBELS to the Northerners.

59A. Hef's party wear: PJs. Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner hosted parties in his pajamas.

62A. Downed Russian orbiter: MIR. It was deliberately de-orbited on March 23, 2001.

67A. Educator LeShan: EDA. Crosswordese.

68A. Worldwide: GLOBAL

69A. Gutter site: EAVE

70A. One of the states of matter: GAS

71A. Summer ermines: STOATS. (Weasel)

72A. Oedipus' arrogance, e.g.: FLAW

Down:

1D. "Keystone" bunglers: "KOPS"

2D. Inventor's starting point: IDEA

3D. Hospital section: WING

4D. Quaint stopover: INN

5D. "Star Wars" surname?: DETOO. Droid, first name: Artoo.

6D. Where to find three men?: IN A TUB. In the nursery rhyme, "Rub-a-dub-dub, Three men in a tub, The butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker".

7D. Firm pro: Abbr.: ATT. Law firm attorney.

8D. CCLI x 11: DII. 251 x 2 = 502

9D. Earth Day sci.: ECOL.. (Ecology)

10D. List of options: MENU

11D. Island from which the Bounty sailed: TAHITI. But the crew didn't want to leave.

12D. Attach, as a patch: IRON ON

13D. Able-bodied: STRONG

18D. 18-yr.-old high schoolers, usually: SRs

23D. Ideal: PERFECT

25D. What's-her-name: SO-AND-SO

26D. Car bar: AXLE

28D. AOL rival: MSN

29D. Barbary beast: APE. The Barbary Macaque population in Gibraltar; they are known locally as Barbary Apes or Rock Apes, because they are a tailless species, despite the fact that they are monkeys.

30D. Relative of Juan: TIA

31D. Rap sheet listings: ARRESTS

33D. Former Cubs slugger: SOSA (Sammy)

34D. Sci-fi author Frederik: POHL. Any readers out there?

36D. The Coasters' record label (coincidentally, all its letters appear in their name): ATCO. Don't Talk Back.

37D. Bread knife target: LOAF

40D. Like some tough tests: ORAL

41D. Org. for drivers: AAA

42D. Tach no.: RPM

43D. "Decorates" with bathroom tissue, for short: TPs. Throwing rolls of toilet paper(TP) in the trees around someone's house.

46D. Nog spice: NUTMEG. Connecticut is known as the NUTMEG state.

49D. Tried to rip open: TORE AT

53D. Shuts tight: SEALS

54D. Recede: EBB

56D. Quiche base: EGGS

57D. Pinball foul: TILT

59D. Ring out: PEAL

60D. Joe: JAVA. Coffee.

64D. Bovine bellow: MOO. One more alliteration.

65D. Wall St. exec's degree: MBA

66D. NFL whistle blower: REF. Great clue.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, February 1, 2010 David W. Cromer

Theme: Gambler's Action - The first word of each familiar phrase are things one might do while playing POKER (69A: Texas Hold 'em, e.g., and a hint to this puzzle's theme).

20A: Broadway premiere: OPENING NIGHT. First official presentation of a new play.

28A: Making lots of noise: RAISING A RUCKUS. Ruckus (1890), possibly a blend of ruction "disturbance" (1825) and rumpus (1764), of unknown origin.

47A: Start of a wide-area police radio alert: CALLING ALL CARS. Aka, APB.

57A: Seating for extra guests, maybe: FOLDING TABLE. I thought it would have been better to clue this as "Seating for the kids" to lead away from FOLDING CHAIR.

Bonus fill: SEVEN (23A: __-card stud). This is related to poker, of course, but not to Texas Hold'Em or to an action.

Update (7:25am): What with Texas Hold'em so big, I forgot some of us may not understand the poker terms.

OPENING: making the first bet.

RAISING: increasing the size of the bet.

Which leads to the last two entries.

CALLING: matching the bet and any raises.

FOLDING: discarding one's cards and losing out on the current pot.

Argyle here. Not bad for a Monday. Four theme answers and a clarifying clue (and a bonus). Can't you just see Bogie hailing a taxi and asking the cabbie, "Where can I find a little action in this town?"

Across:

1A: Cribbage pieces: PEGS. Is there any gambling involved in cribbage? It's not what Bogie was looking for.

5A: Shaving gel alternative: FOAM.

9A: More than disliked: HATED.

14A: Power co. product: ELEC..

17A: Volcano feature: CONE.

18A: Equestrian's control: REIN. In dressage, control is done mostly with the knees.

33A: Genealogist's chart: TREE.

34A: No-treat consequence?: TRICK. Trick or Treat. At Halloween.

35A: Speech impediment: LISP.

39A: Arises (from): STEMS.

42A: Till bills: ONES. Fine rhyme.

43A: Like draft beer: ON TAP.

45A: 1492 Atlantic crosser: NINA. With Pinta and Santa Maria

54A: By way of: VIA.

55A: Athletic shoe's turf grabber: CLEAT. Forgot about the Pro Bowl. No biggie.

61A: Yell: SHOUT.

64A: __ club: singing group: GLEE. Anyone watching "Glee"?

65A: Decisive victory: ROUT.

66A: Lower in esteem: ABASE.

67A: Name on many Irish coins: EIRE. Pic

68A: Far Eastern detective played by Lorre: MOTO. That's Mr. Moto, if you please.

70A: Boys: TADS.

71A: British weapon of WWII: STEN.

Down:

1D: __ Bill: legendary cowboy: PECOS. Freshest entry today.

2D: Romeo or Juliet, marriagewise: ELOPER. Were they married?

3D: Swiss city on the Rhone: GENEVA.

4D: First part of an act: SCENE I.

5D: Plant with fronds: FERN.

6D: Designer Cassini: OLEG.

7D: Ugandan dictator: AMIN. Forest Whitaker portrayed Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland" (2006).

8D: Seles of tennis: MONICA.

9D: Discuss thoroughly: HASH OUT.

11D: La Brea stuff: TAR.

12D: CPR giver, often: EMT.

13D: Hair styles: DOs.

21D: MIT, for one: Abbr.: INST.. An institution of higher learning

25D: Porous organ: SKIN.

26D: Brownish purple: PUCE.

30D: Keep after taxes: NET.

31D: Davis who played Thelma: GEENA. "Thelma & Louise"(1991). Geena Davis played Thelma and Susan Sarandon played Louise. Thelma quote: "I've had it up to my a** with sedate."

32D: __-Magnon: CRO.

35D: Bonkers: LOCO.

36D: Words before instant or emergency: IN AN.

37D: WWII invasion city: ST LO. Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France.

38D: Good bud: PAL. Primo.

40D: Wire diameter measure: MIL.

41D: NBC weekend hit, briefly: SNL.

44D: One doing a pirouette, e.g.: PIVOTER. Worst entry.

46D: Brokerage cust.: ACCT..

48D: It's nothing: NIL.

49D: Thingamajig: GADGET.

50D: Security devices: ALARMS.

51D: Start again, as after a computer system crash: REBOOT.

52D: Military greeting: SALUTE.

56D: Wyoming's __ Range: TETON.

57D: Firecracker cord: FUSE.

58D: Hip bones: ILIA.

59D: Socially inept type: NERD

60D: Thousands, in a heist: GEES. Gee stands for a grand($1000)

61D: Maple syrup base: SAP.

62D: "True Blood" network: HBO.

63D: Acorn's destiny: OAK. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

Answer grid.

Argyle