Tuesday July 6, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Magazines - Five magazine titles - four at the start of the entries plus one at the end.

20A. Five-time "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit cover girl : ELLE MACPHERSON. "ELLE is a worldwide magazine that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Sports Illustrated cover.

33A. 1982 song title items that "live together in perfect harmony" : EBONY AND IVORY. EBONY is one of the most well known Black American magazines in the United States. It provides business, health, fashion, sports, entertainment and general life style information. The song.

40A. Key opening? : O, SAY CAN YOU SEE. "O, The Oprah Magazine", sometimes simply abbreviated to O, is a monthly magazine founded by Oprah Winfrey and Hearst Corporation offering Oprah's views on everything from health, careers and relationships to fashion, books, and food. "O, say can you see...", the start of our national anthem was written by Francis Scott Key.

53A. Great experience : TIME OF ONES LIFE. TIME is a weekly news magazine and LIFE was a larger, more photojournalistic weekly that now is on the web. LIFE.com

58A. Newsstand buy, for short—one begins each of the four longest puzzle answers (and also ends the last one) : MAG.

Argyle here. Funny thing. I decided to start the puzzle in SW corner and got the unifier the first thing. How 'bout that.

Across:

1. Spider creations : WEBS.

5. Porkpie feature : BRIM. The hat from "The French Connection".

9. Fern-to-be : SPORE.

14. Cousin of a toe loop : AXEL. Figure skating jumps.

15. Levitated : ROSE.

16. Wears : HAS ON.

17. Stitch's adopter, in a Disney film : LILO. These guys.

18. Burden : ONUS.

19. Sky holder of myth : ATLAS. Much discussion last month, June 27.

23. Tennis match part : SET. Game, Set, and Match.

24. Wedding promise : "I DO".

25. Nathan Hale, e.g. : SPY. Revolutionary.

26. Stick (to) : ADHERE.

28. Tiny arachnid : MITE.

30. Mad scientist's milieu : LAB.

36. Type size : PICA. 1/6th of an inch.

38. Bill, once passed : ACT.

39. Lake on four states and a province : ERIE.

45. A-Team muscleman : MR. T.

46. Benevolent order : ELKS.

47. Port in SW Italy : NAPLES.

50. Heidi's high hill : ALP. Triple alliteration.

51. Jawbone source for Samson's weapon : ASS. Biblical.

52. SASE, e.g. : ENC.. Self-addressed stamped envelope, Enclosure.

58. City bonds, for short : MUNIs. Municipal bonds.

59. Latvian capital : RIGA.

60. Actor Rickman : ALAN. Here is his picture from the movie, "Sweeney Todd".

61. Tense feeling : ANGST.

62. Settled on a branch, say : ALIT.

63. Departed : WENT.

64. Silly ones : GEESE.

65. Applications : USES.

66. Butterfly catchers : NETS.

Down:

1. Polish Solidarity hero Lech : WALESA.

2. Like the storied man without a country : EXILED.

3. Accomplish a daring feat : BELL THE CAT. Æsop fable

4. __ gin fizz : SLOE.

5. Make wider : BROADEN.

6. Veg-O-Matic maker : RONCO.

7. "The jig __!" : IS UP.

8. Interlock, as gears : MESH.

9. Wrinkly dog : SHAR PEI. And 36. Fluffy toy dog, familiarly : POM. Shar Pei, Pomeranian. Also 42. Dog food choice : ALPO.

10. Dupe : PATSY.

11. Northern European capital : OSLO.

12. Reddish horse : ROAN.

13. USN rank : ENS.. Ensign.

21. Joan of art : MIRÓ. He was a Spanish surrealist painter and sculptor, 1893-1983. Nice play on "Joan of Arc".

22. Cornerstone abbr. : ESTD..

27. Auction venue with a four-color logo : EBAY.

28. Kris Kringle's employer of film : MACY'S. The film, "Miracle on 34th Street"

29. Enjoying a lot : INTO.

30. Marilyn Monroe's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" role : LORELEI LEE. Marilyn Monroe as Ms. Lorelei.

31. He put the "O" in Jackie O : ARI. When Jackie Kennedy married Ari Onassis.

32. Tournament edge : BYE. Not so much an edge but one less game a entrant must play.

34. Union soldier : YANK.

35. Prez's backup : VEEP.

37. Syr. neighbor : ISR.. Syria and Israel

41. Woman's name meaning "heavenly" : CELESTE.

43. Beats, as an incumbent : UNSEATS.

44. Cheek : SASS.

48. "Terrible" child, in Toulouse : ENFANT. Toulouse is a city in southwest France. "Enfant terrible" literally means "terrible child" but is used to describe one whose unorthodox or shocking speech or manners embarrass his associates like a naughty child embarrasses his elders.

49. Olfactory stimuli : SCENTS.

50. Slightly off : AMISS.

51. 1973 Rolling Stones chart-topper : "ANGIE".

53. Adjust for pitch : TUNE.

54. "Picnic" playwright : INGE. William INGE, "Picnic", earned him a Pulitzer Prize.

55. Munich missus : FRAU. Alliteration, German

56. Quiets, as a squeak : OILS.

57. Croquet venue : LAWN. You don't see people playing croquet much anymore. Or badminton.

Answer grid.

Argyle

PS: Blogger is having glitch at the Comments section. Not all the comments (including the late ones from last night) can be seen. Just post as your normally do. Hopefully they'll show up later.

PPS: All comments so far have arrived in C.C.'s mailbox safely.

Friday June 11, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Say Cheese! - Cheese puns on familiar two-word phrases.

20A. Cheese records?: ROQUEFORT FILES. The base phrase is (The) Rockford Files. Roquefort cheese is made of sheep's milk. Named after the French town Roquefort.

28A. Cheese from the deep?: SEA MUENSTER. Sea Monster. Muenster is white, semis-soft & mild. Named after its French origin town also.

44A. Cheese no one is eating?: IDLE CHEDDAR. Idle Chatter. Cheddar Cheese is named after the British village where it's first made.

51A. Cheese and beef concoction for humorist Mort?: SAHL'S BRIE STEAK. Salisbury Steak. The only theme entry that puns on more than the cheese word. Brie is named after the French province where it originated.

ROQUEFORT FILES and its symmetrical partner 51A are punning on the first word of a common phrase. The middle two theme entries on second words.

What's your favorite cheese? Dairy is not part of my diet.

Very smooth 74-worder from Donna. Fun clues for theme answers. I also liked the two paralleled 10s and 9s in Down fill. Favorite answer today is BLUE STATES (11D. Left-leaning ones).

Across:

1. Two percent alternative: SKIM

5. Trans Am option: T- TOP. Trans Am is a racing car?

9. Chain with a cowboy hat logo: ARBY'S

14. Stale Italian bread?: LIRA. "Bread" always refer to "currency" on Fridays. Have seen this "stale" clue before. Still like it.

15. Stray: ROVE

16. Whoopi's role in "The Color Purple": CELIE. I've never seen the movie. I liked Whoopi's role Oda Mae Brown in "Ghost".

17. Red, in Mongolian: ULAN. Ulan Bator ("red hero"), capital of Mongolia. I mentioned this "Red" meaning on the blog a few times.

18. Headlight?: IDEA. Man, I did not see mine.

19. Hosiery shade: TAUPE. Brownish gray.

23. Bud: PAL

24. Oft-rescued comics heroine: LOIS. Lois Lane. "Superman". Maybe our Lois needs rescue too. Sounds like she has a horrible boss.

25. Three-in-one vaccine, familiarly: DPT

34. __-toity: HOITY

36. Tool or fool: DUPE. Was unaware of this slang meaning of "tool". Good rhyme.

37. Perfume by Dana: TABU

38. "The West Wing" actor: ALDA

39. Actress Beckinsale et al.: KATES. Kate Beckinsale has the best hairstyle.

40. Canoodling couple, maybe: ITEM. Sweet clue.

41. Octopus feature: BEAK. I wanted ARMS. I only associate beak with birds.

42. Sign: OMEN

43. Having a bite: ACERB. Not enough space for EATING.

47. RR depot: STA. Or STN.

48. Canaanite god: BAAL. The false god.

49. Social: TEA. Noun "social".

58. Pasta sauce herb: BASIL. Pesto.

59. "The Phantom Tollbooth" protagonist: MILO. No idea. Have never heard of the book.

60. How busy people often work: LATE. Great clue.

61. Much the same: ALIKE

62. Rights org. ACLU

63. Annoying spots: ACNE. Annoying indeed.

64. He voiced the curmudgeonly homeowner in "Up": ASNER. The answer emerged itself.

65. Joke around: JEST

66. Store: SHOP

Down:

1. Defame: SLUR

2. Narc's seizure: KILO

3. Where Al Sharqiya is broadcast: IRAQ. Wikipedia says Al Sharqiya ("The Eastern One") is Iraq's first privately owned satellite channel owned by a London-based Iraqi exile. Foreign to me.

4. Show some backbone, slangily: MAN UP. Fresh answer.

5. Toy (with): TRIFLE

6. List heading: TO-DO. To-do list. Tricky clue.

7. No longer hooked on: OVER. "Hooked on" what?

8. Garden supply: PEAT. Any good idea on how to get rid of the pesky gophers?

9. Bruce Willis genre: ACTION

10. True-to-life: REALISTIC

12. Golfer's nervousness during putting, with "the": YIPS. Gimme. I don't have yips.

13. Holy follower?: SEE. Did you want COW?

21. "Calm down!": EASY

25. Abu __: DHABI. Is is still the richest city in the world?

26. Moved, as a gondola: POLED

27. Potomac River feature: TIDAL BASIN. The latter BASIN leapt to me rather quickly.

29. "There Is Nothing Like __" : A DAME. From "South Pacific". The sailors are longing for skirts.

30. Toned down: MUTED

31. Invert: UPEND

32. "Your Movie Sucks" author: EBERT (Roger). Film critic.

33. Latin dance: RUMBA

35. "Get lost!" : TAKE A HIKE. Great answer. We also have FLEES (22. Skedaddles).

39. Department store chain that began in Wisconsin: KOHL'S. Named after Senator Kohl, right?

43. Mars counterpart: ARES. Greek god of war. Mars is the Roman counterpart.

45. Talk radio regular: CALLER

46. Dined at the bistro, say: ATE OUT

50. MapQuest predecessor?: ATLAS. The clue is fine without question mark.

51. "Do the Right Thing" pizzeria: SAL'S. Have never heard of the movie.

52. Key using all five black keys in its scale: Abbr.: B MAJ. Help, Jazzbumpa!

53. Jambalaya ingredient: RICE

54. Misfortunes: ILLS

55. Per: EACH

56. 1 for H, e.g.: AT NO (Atomic Number). H = Hydrogen.

57. Retain: KEEP

58. Sheep trill: BAA. Playing off of "Cheap thrill".

JD (left, with husband Bob) is writing a crossword story (in alphabetically order) with all the new words she's learned in the past two years from the blog. Here is her updated version.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Monday May 31, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Dirty Harry - The first words of 20A, 31A and 41A form the famous quote made by Det. Harry Callahan, portrayed by 53A, in the movie, Sudden Impact.

20A. Rise from the ashes, so to speak: MAKE A COMEBACK.

31A. "Pygmalion" on Broadway: "MY FAIR LADY".

41A. Tourist who doesn't stay overnight: DAY-TRIPPER.

53A. Born 5/31/1930, entertainer associated with the phrase formed by the starts of 20-, 31- and 41-Across: CLINT EASTWOOD.

Argyle here. "Rise from the ashes" is a reference to the mythical bird, the phoenix, who is reborn from the ashes of its former self.

"The Pygmalion myth". Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he had carved. In My Fair Lady, Prof. Henry Higgins transforms Eliza Doolittle into a "Lady", then falls in love with her.

Leave out the hyphen on "Day-Tripper" and you get Day Tripper by the Beatles.

A strong Monday puzzle with one possible quibble, tea grade, which I'll parse when I get to it.

Across:

1A. Buck in the forest: STAG.

5A. Mil. three-stripers: SGTS. Image. Worn on uniforms to indicate rank.

9A. Big name in insurance: AETNA.

14A. Wahine's dance: HULA. Where IS our Hawaiian contingent?

15A. In __ of: replacing: LIEU.

16A. Sink outlet: DRAIN.

17A. Slightly: A BIT.

18A. Slightly open: AJAR.

19A. Fictional chocolatier Wonka: WILLY. The original Roald Dahl novel was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

23A. Employ: USE.

24A. Laboriously earns, with "out": EKES.

25A. Gets the lead out?: ERASES.

28A. Two sizes above sm.: LGE.

29A. When the Kol Nidre is recited, vis-à-vis Yom Kippur: EVE. A dramatic introduction to Yom Kippur on what is often dubbed "Kol Nidrei night". It is written in Aramaic, not Hebrew. Its name is taken from the opening words, meaning "all vows". (I hope we get a more personal enlightenment.)

30A. 1970s radical gp.: SLA. Symbionese Liberation Army, kidnappers of Patricia Hearst.

36A. Not this: THAT.

37A. Breath mint brand: CERTS.

38A. Yalie: ELI. Elihu Yale was the benefactor of Yale University.

39A. Pirate's spoils: BOOTY. Just the sort of image I was hoping to find.

40A. Sticky stuff on a stick: GLUE. Remember we use to use tongue depressor sticks to smear paste on each others as kids.

43A. Prefix with center: EPI.

44A. "Blues Brother" Aykroyd: DAN. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, The Blues Brothers.

45A. Connections that help you get ahead: INs.

46A. Think highly of: ESTEEM.

48A. Clue weapon: ROPE. From the board game. The weapons are knife, candlestick, rope, wrench, lead pipe, and revolver.

50A. "The Silence of the Lambs" org.: FBI.

56A. Easy __: AS ABC.

58A. Golden rule word: UNTO.

59A. Green Gables girl: ANNE. The story, Anne of Green Gables, was set in Prince Edward Island, Canada.

60A. Tea grade: PEKOE. It is legitimate, mostly. The tea industry uses the term Orange Pekoe to describe a basic, medium-grade black tea consisting of many whole tea leaves of a specific size. 63A. Prepares 60-Across: BREWS.

61A. Complaint: BEEF. "Where's the beef?"

62A. October 15th, e.g.: IDES. It's not just for March, you know.

64A. Low man on the feudal totem pole: SERF. That would be a figurative totem pole.

65A. Ultimate: LAST.

Down:

1D. SeaWorld star: SHAMU.

2D. Oompah brass: TUBAs.

3D. More than similar: ALIKE.

4D. Garden portal: GATE.

5D. Goof-off: SLACKER.

6D. Military action doll: GI JOE. We finally get to use JOE.

7D. Sides in a game: TEAMS.

8D. Certain: SURE.

9D. Online pop-up source: ADWARE.

10D. Soap vamp __ Kane: ERICA. Erica Kane is a long-running fictional character from All My Children and portrayed by Susan Lucci who finally won an Emmy in 1999.

11D. Discusses business: TALKS SHOP.

12D. Zero: NIL.

13D. One or another: ANY.

21D. Protection: AEGIS. Derived from a large collar or cape worn in ancient times to display the protection provided by a high religious authority.

22D. Quail group: BEVY.

26D. Really delight: ELATE.

27D. Lecherous woodland deity: SATYR. Image. (for C.C.)

28D. Tardy: LATE.

29D. Blue-pencil: EDIT.

31D. "Me and Bobby __": McGEE. A song written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, originally performed by Roger Miller, and later by Janis Joplin. the Miller version.

32D. Pound sounds: YELPS.

33D. "Nutty" individual: FRUITCAKE.

34D. Taboo for Mrs. Sprat: LEAN. From the nursery rhyme. "Jack Sprat could eat no fat. His wife could eat no lean."

35D. Prince __ Khan: ALY. Aly Khan married the American movie star Rita Hayworth. He was quite the playboy. The titles of prince and princess are claimed by children of the Aga Khan(Aly's father) by virtue of their descent from Shah Fath Ali Shah of the Persian Qajar dynasty. Large entry in Wikipedia for Qajar dynasty, if you're interested.

36D. Blouses and shirts: TOPS.

39D. I.Q. test name: BINET. Alfred Binet

41D. Rhett's last word: DAMN. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" In the novel Gone with the Wind, Rhett does not say "Frankly," but simply "My dear, I don't give a damn." The context is also different; he is speaking quietly to Scarlett in a room, not storming dramatically out of the house.

42D. Swipes: RIPS OFF.

44D. Prepares for a winter takeoff, as plane wings: DEICES.

47D. Jab with a bone: ELBOW.

48D. Actress Zellweger: RENÉE.

49D. Western movie: OATER. Mr. Eastwood has made a large number of films of this genre.

50D. Henry, Peter or Jane: FONDA. Father, son and daughter, all actors.

51D. Forensic TV drama: "BONES". One of my favorites. Very low-keyed finale, main characters are going away for a year(but the show returns in the fall).

52D. That is, in Latin: ID EST.

54D. Beat-up boats: TUBS.

55D. Cry like a banshee: WAIL. Another meaning would be KEEN.

56D. Police broadcast, briefly: APB. All-Points Bulletin.

57D. Rev.'s speech: SER. Sermon.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Friday May 7, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Made-up Signs - Part of a familiar sign is substituted and the resulting punny phrase is clued with question marked appropriate place name.

17A. Sign at a laundry?: WRING FOR SERVICE. Ring for Service. Crossing PHONES (6D. Ringers). Letter W is added. No sound change.

24A. Sign at a nuclear reactor?: GONE FISSION. Gone Fishing. The only theme entry with no add-letter(s) scheme. Sound change.

42A. Sign at Cape Canaveral?: OUT TO LAUNCH. Out to Lunch. Letter A is added. Sound change.

54A. Sign at the Ukrainian tourism bureau?: WATCH YOUR STEPPE. Watch Your Step. Steppe is the vast grassland plain area in Russia and Central Asia. Letters PE is added. No sound change.

Donna also gives us three baseball references:

46A. Batter's position: STANCE

19D. Fielder's flub: ERROR

29D. Baseball record breaker of 4/8/1974: AARON (Hank). Dennis' favorite all time player. Hank Aaron hits his 715th career home run and breaks Babe Ruth's record.

A few thorny spots here and there. Overall an easier Friday for me. I was on Donna's wavelength most of the time.

Across:

1. More, to a minimalist: LESS. Less is more.

5. Coll. performance barometers: GPAS

9. Boatloads: SCADS

14. Reflection in a cave: ECHO. Thought of the cave echo in "A Passage to India".

15. Its quarter reads "Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers": OHIO. And REEDED (21. Like a quarter's edge). This reed meaning is new to me: make vertical grooves on the edge of a coin/medal. Quarter echo in the two clues.

16. Petty objection: CAVIL

20. Low cells: DUNGEONS. I tend to confuse this word with bludgeon.

22. Uno e due: TRE. Italian for "three".

23. Wilbur Post's buddy: MR. ED

29. Killer __: powerful software: APP. Not aware of this computer jargon.

32. Turkish peak: ARARAT. Landing peak for Noah's Ark.

33. Dept. headed by Tom Vilsack: AGR. Former governor of Iowa. I have his autograph.

34. First king of Israel: SAUL

35. Secondary: MINOR

36. Results of some receptions: Abbr.: TDS (Touchdowns)

37. __ deaf ear: TURN A

38. Soft footwear: MOCS

39. Strong squeezer: BOA. Loved the soft and strong contrast in the two consecutive clues.

40. Wisconsin college or its city: BELOIT. Unknown to me. Is Beloit a Native Indian name? What does it mean?

41. Whatever: ANY

44. Not exactly exact words: OR SO

45. Perps' patterns: MOS. MO = Modus Operandi.

49. CD holder: JEWEL BOX. Terrific answer.

56. Culprit in some food recalls: ECOLI

57. Pro's opposite: ANTI

58. Either "Raising Arizona" director: COEN. The Coen brothers.

59. Like the Taj Mahal: DOMED

60. Exploit: FEAT

61. Eldest daughter of Cronus: HERA. Did not know the eldest trivia. Her mom is Rhea.

Down:

1. Bawdy: LEWD

2. Neutral shade: ECRU

3. Commonly bruised bone: SHIN

4. Track, perhaps: SONG. Tricky clue.

5. Words of encouragement: GO FOR IT. And GET FAR (18. Be very successful). Thought of the courageous Clear Ayes and her always sunny attitude.

7. Pretensions: AIRS

8. Message in a storm: SOS. I wonder what's message in that bottle, Jazzbumpa?

9. Shield from view: SCREEN

10. Submitted: CAVED. Meh, "cave" is part of clue for 14A.

11. All fired up: AVID

12. Rolling "bones": DICE. Bone is slang for dice, I gather?

13. Arctic carrier: SLED

23. "Top Gun" enemy planes: MIGS

24. Third in a sequence: GAMMA. Alpha, Beta, Gamma. Greek alphabet sequence.

25. Sirius' master, in some depictions: ORION. Sirius is the Dog Star. I was unaware that Sirius is part of the Orion Constellation. Have no knowledge about stars.

26. Sluggo's pal: NANCY. The "Nancy" comics. I guessed.

27. Fertility deity: EROS

28. Time's 1977 Man of the Year: SADAT (Anwar). Here is the Time cover.

30. Like the wars between Carthage and Rome: PUNIC. Oh, so the Punic Wars were fought between those two?

31. Subject of the 2003 film "Sylvia": PLATH. About Sylvia Plath. Very depressing movie.

34. Enterprise helmsman: SULU. Of "Star Trek".

36. Miss Gulch's bête noire: TOTO. "The Wizard of Oz".

37. Afternoon service: TEA SET

39. "The Buddy Holly Story" star: BUSEY (Gary). Can't remember his name. Did love the movie though.

40. Screws up: BLOWS IT. Ah, Lois!

42. Prom flower: ORCHID

43. Puzo novel: OMERTA. Gimme. I've read every Puzo novel. Omerta is the the mafia code of silence.

44. Frère de la père: ONCLE. French for uncle. Aunt is TANTE. Frère de la père = Brother of the father.

46. Lang. that gives us "ombudsman": SWED. Oh, good to know.

47. Tex-Mex nosh: TACO

48. Molecule constituent: ATOM

49. Flag Day month: JUNE

50. Solidarity hero Walesa: LECH

51. Gp. led by a Grand Exalted Ruler: BPOE (Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks). Was stumped. I had trouble in this corner.

52. "0" button letters: OPER. Phone button.

53. Princess from Amphipolis: XENA

55. Lummox: OAF. Add one more letter, it becomes flummox (confuse).

Answer grid.

A special "Thank you" to xtulmkr for bringing back "lethologica" to me.

C.C.

Wednesday April 21, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: WHAT'S THAT RACKET? - The last word of each phrase is a synonym for RACKET, meaning loud noise.

17A. Consequence of the subprime mortgage fiasco: REAL ESTATE CRASH

25A. Exit spectacularly: GO OUT WITH A BANG

42A. Punished severely, with "on": LOWERED THE BOOM

55A. Complaint from one trying to concentrate, perhaps, and this puzzle's title: WHAT'S THAT RACKET?

So indulgent in the middle: SHOP, WOK, EAT, WINE, GALLO, CREPE, KEG .. then a GORGE and SPASM at the end.

melissa bee here.

Across:

1. Harpsichord relative: PIANO. A harpsichord looks a lot like a piano, but the sound comes from the strings being plucked, like a harp.

6. Doorframe part: JAMB. The upright pieces that form the sides of the door opening.

10. One of Hammett's Charleses: NORA. Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man series, featured Nick and Nora Charles.

14. Aggressive poker bet: ALL IN. Wiki's explanation.

15. Spooky-sounding lake: ERIE (sounds like "eerie")

16. Musician Clapton: ERIC. Change the world.

20. Start of something? ESS. The letter S in the word Start. Fantastic clue.

21. Accident investigation agcy.: NTSB. National Transportation Safety Board.

22. Lowly assistant: FLUNKY

23. Swindle: ROOK. Synonyms for scam or defraud.

24. Move quickly, as clouds: SCUD. "To run or skim along swiftly and easily." I can never see this word without thinking of Arthur Kent, the scud stud.

31. Get out of bed: ARISE

32. Hunan pans: WOKS. Hunan Food (very hot) is one of the major cuisines in China. From Hunan Province where Mao Ze-Dong was from. "Hunan pan" is a nice rhyming clue for singular WOK.

33. Consume: EAT

35. Cellar stock: WINE

36. Blin, in Blois: CREPE. Dessert anyone? Alliteration. Blois is a city in Central France. Blin is singular of Blini.

38. Chip's buddy: DALE. Disney chipmunks.

39. Frat party staple: KEG

40. Mindless repetition: ROTE

41. Championship: TITLE

46. Guns: REVS.

47. Word after open or seven: SEAS

48. Take big steps: STRIDE. Didn't know stride necessarily implied big.

51. Hit or miss? VERB. Favorite clue/answer, so sneaky.

52. Special __: military force: OPS. Highly trained police or military groups that conduct special operations.

58. Aqueduct feature: ARCH. Like this.

59. Lob: TOSS

60. Narrow canyon: GORGE

61. Cook in the microwave: NUKE

62. Fencer's weapon: EPEE

63. Tic, e.g.: SPASM. i've treated a few of those.

Down:

1. Peel: PARE

2. Martinique et Re'union: ILES. French island in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Nice beaches.

3. "__, poor Yorick!": Hamlet: ALAS. Kenneth Branaugh in my favorite version.

4. Zilch: NIL. Zero.

5. Musically monotonous: ONE NOTE

6. Zippy watercraft: JETSKI

7. Like about 20% of Israeli citizens today: ARAB

8. Univ. near Harvard: MIT. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge.

9. Stud muffin photos: BEEFCAKE. His brother lived next door to my brother in Texas. Everything's bigger there.

10. Chilean poet Pablo: NERUDA. No idea. Interesting guy. Won the Nobel Prize in 1971.

11. Algerian seaport: ORAN. Rote. Yves Saint Laurent was born in ORAN.

12. Game played on a world map: RISK. Have you ever played?

13. Sore: ACHY. Starting to feel like i'm at work.

18. Store in a hold: STOW

19. Clover-shaped suit: CLUBS

23. Artful stratagem: RUSE

24. Engage in retail therapy? SHOP. Not a shopper. I prefer other therapies.

25. Stare in wonder: GAWK. Here.

26. Bay window: ORIEL

27. New Wave band __ Boingo: OINGO

28. Tammany Hall name: TWEED. William Marcy (Boss) Tweed was the political boss of the Tweed Ring and Tammany Hall.

29. "Peachy keen!": NEATO

30. Carlo Rossi winemaker: GALLO

34. Be rife (with): TEEM

36. Sports car named for a small warship: CORVETTE

37. Info in AAA TripTiks: RTES. Routes. TripTiks is a trip planning tool for AAA customers.

38. "That's mine!": DIBS

40. Saxes and oboes: REEDS

41. They usually have strings attached: TEA BAGS. Great clue.

43. Twist in pain: WRITHE

44. Scary African fly: TSETSE. Haven't seen the dreaded 'half a fly' for a while.

45. Frau's spouse: HERR. Courtesy title in German, equivalent to Sir or Lord.

48. Ugly duckling, actually: SWAN. Children's story.

49. Drive-__ window: THRU

50. Pinion partner: RACK. Common steering mechanism.

51. Still life subject: VASE. Like this.

52. Gumbo pod: OKRA

53. Things for hanging things: PEGS

54. Stern's opposite: STEM. From stem to stern.

56. Emulate Kanga: HOP. Kangaroo.

57. Radar gun aimer: COP

Answer grid.

melissa

Wednesday April 7, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: GOLF (Across 60. This puzzle's theme - according to Twain, it's "a good walk spoiled") . Perhaps, more likely, this puzzle was inspired by this week’s Masters, from Augusta, Georgia, home of the GREEN JACKET, the first of the four Major Championships of Golf.

16A. Extremely defensive state of mind: BUNKER MENTALITY. BUNKER being the name for the sand traps we often find our balls buried in.

30A. Physical play: ROUGH HOUSE especially when we hit our drives in the ROUGH, the thicker grass next to the Fairway.

39A. Abstinent one: TEETOTALER like the members of the WCTU the TEE is both the place where a golf hole begins, and the peg which holds the ball before it is struck.

54A. Sam-I-Am's story: GREEN EGGS AND HAM one of our favorite Dr. Seuss stories, and the GREEN is the place where the hole is located in golf.

Lemonade blogging.

With only four theme words, Ms. Levin managed to pack in lots of spaces with two 15 letter fills, unusual for a Wednesday. Her last puzzle for us being the Keep It Simple Stupid puzzle from March.

Welcome back to Wacky Wednesday, today featuring the stylish offering of Ms. Donna Levin who has endeared herself with her witty puzzles, and her background as an ex-attorney. I hope you all appreciated how we have been preparing you for this puzzle with all the talk of the Masters, and a special shout out to GAH, who has picked PHIL MICKLESON to prevail.

Across:

1. Date with an MD: APPT because the clue has an abbreviation, you know the answer will as well.

5. Horse of a certain color: ROAN

9. One of the March girls : BETH played by Margaret O. Brien, with Elizabeth Taylor as Amy, in the 1949 movie version of LITTLE WOMEN .

13. Runny fromage: BRIE certainly does not make the cheese appealing, but keeps our French education going, FROMAGE = CHEESE.

14. "La __ Mobile": "Rigoletto" aria: DONNA, I really like how she worked her own name into the grid.

15. Declare openly: AVOW

19. Pablo Neruda work : ODE a very important 20th century poet, who has appeared both in puzzles, and CA’s daily rhyming remembrances.

20. Landlocked Asian sea: ARAL becoming a staple of our constructors.

21. Spats spots: : ANKLES , love the alliteration, the clue and the memories of SPATS from old gangster movies.

22. Trial in simulated conditions: TEST RUN

24. Short orders in a luncheonette? : BLTS short being another way to clue an abbreviation.

25. Giant Mel: OTT classic crosswordese.

26. Retired Cunard liner, briefly: QEII which is paired so cleverly with the down 26. Part of 26-Across: QUEEN.

27. '60s protest gp. : SDS Students for a Democratic Society; I fell in love on election day 1968, while the SDS was rallying with “Vote with your feet.”

34. Joint problem: GOUT

35. Pig Latin refusal: IXNAY

36. Precipitous start? : PEE. Letter P starts the word "Precipitous". You have to love a puzzle that has PEE right in the middle, and clued with such an ominous word to hide the simplicity of it being the first letter of the word.

37. Limoges product: CHINA some really beautiful Dishes.

38. Gardener's areas: BEDS are often places for planting things.

41. Caps or Cat preceder: SNO this was in my last blog, so go to March 17, 2010, if you want a picture.

42. Seedless bit of flora: FERN they reproduce by SPORES.

43. Channel where Susan Lucci hawks her jewelry line: HSN which with the death of the Soap Opera will be her only TV home.

44. Funny Fey: TINA or should we say SEXY FEY , notice the handcuffs….

45. Ghoulish: MACABRE

49. __ rod: powerful Old Testament tool: AARON’S a shout out to my oldest son, who is going to GABII as a staff member! .

52. Luminous glow: AURA

53. Objective: AIM

57. Margarine: OLEO

58. Condos, e.g. : UNITS

59. Like Cheerios: OATY okay, as opposed to my humor which is often CORNY?

61. Insignificant: PUNY

62. Prejudice: BIAS

Down:

1. Monk's superior: Hey ABBOT .

2. Bluenose : PRUDE Bluenose has so much feeling to it, wonderful clue.

3. Sappy trees: PINES though we like Maple sap better, anybody want some pine syrup?

4. Drug in Shatner novels: TEK if you missed the whole TekWar phenomenon, it is is very well done.

5. Like I, in some cases: ROMAN a new twist on our old friend the ROMAN NUMERAL, very visual.

6. Turow work about first-year law students: ONE L a term I disliked when I taught at law school, but it will make some happy.

7. Political commentator Coulter: ANN who received so many comments about her unappealing persona.

8. Hollywood's Wood: NATALIE a beautiful girl, who died under strange circumstances.

9. Goofs on the mound: BALKS ah, goodie, a baseball reference also.

10. Activity from below? : EVIL The Devil Made Me Do It .

11. Schlep: TOTE okay, a little French, a little Yiddish…

12. Major rtes. : HWYS

14. Diminutive celeb sexologist: welcome back DR. RUTH who always wanted to keep us busy. Also, 39. Stiffen: TENSE UP Dr. Ruth?

17. Like garden smells: EARTHY

18. Not behind: ANTI when you refuse to get behind a project, i.e. not support, nice fill.

23. Frat party garb: TOGAS

24. Assailed: BESET

27. Dirty: SOIL must be careful here.

28. Beach sight: DUNE who doesn’t like to play in the SAND .

29. Headline (in) STAR in my guest blog.

30. Teases: RIBS a nice old fashioned word

31. Beasts of burden: OXEN and 55. Wildebeest: GNU

32. Word processor command: UNDO sadly life has no such choice.

33. La Scala production: OPERA a recent topic of discussion with OPUS

34. Togo neighbor: GHANA we will teach Geography yet!!

37. Medical imaging proc. : CT SCAN how about some background music 5th Dimension.

40. They held Tara's title: O’HARAS Scarlett et al.

42. Helsinki native: FINN

44. "... newt and __ frog": "Macbeth": TOE OF Eye of Newt

45. Like some basements: MUSTY

46. Religion founded in 19th-century Persia: BAHÁ'I isn’t it fun to learn?

47. Cowboy's rope: RIATA

48. Small-screen awards: EMMYS with all the 60” and more TVs this may not be true anymore.

49. Wide-eyed: AGOG

50. Woody's offspring: ARLO The father and son Guthries, with Alice’s Restaurant the longest song ever to get airplay on the radio; Arlo refused to sing any of it when we asked at Woodstock.

51. Fishing gear: REEL it’s been “REEL” nice blogging “AGIN”

52. Not fer: AGIN against (if you’re not fer me you’re agin me)

56. Driver's lic. info: DOB date of birth

Answer grid.

Picture of the Day: Here are a few Asana (Yoga posture) photos from our regular poster Lucina. Click on each one, it will enlarge. Simple amazing. Lucina is 72-year-old semi-retired teacher living in Scottsdale, Arizona, where Twins great Harmon Killebrew also resides.

This over and out from Lemonade in the sunny south, to Dennis, Robin and all who need, our best thought.

Lemonade

Thursday March 18, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: KISS (55D. Popular version of a design principle acronym spelled out by the starts of this puzzle's four longest answers) - KISS is an acronym for the design principle "Keep It Simple, Stupid".

20A. Park warning: KEEP OFF THE GRASS

25A. 1971 hit for Ringo: IT DON'T COME EASY. Have never heard of this song.

43A. Bone injury in which the skin is intact: SIMPLE FRACTURE. Great crossing with both SCAR (42D. Battle reminder) & SPLINTS (41D. Limb immobilizers), fantastic string of consonants.

48A. Regular Letterman show segment: STUPID PET TRICKS

I learned the KISS principle when Occam's Razor appeared in our old TMS Daily puzzle sometime in 2008. Law of succinctness: the simpler, the better.

Donna seems to always apply this principle to her puzzles (at least the LAT ones). Her themes are often simple yet creative, fill smooth and "in the language". You can always count on her for friendly crossings when an obscure entry comes up.

Across:

1. Relatives of odds: ENDS. Odds and ends. And EVEN (22D. Alternative to odds). Nice "odds" echo.

5. Presently: ANON. Poetically. Same with CLIME (28. Weather, in poems)

14. Marjorie Morningstar's creater: WOUK (Herman). Not familiar with this book.

15. San __: REMO. The Italian Riviera city.

16. Fortuneteller's deck: TAROT

17. Old Dodge: OMNI. Is this your first car, Jeannie?

18. Diva's moment: ARIA. I love this new clue.

23. Flier that had a St. Louis hub: TWA (Trans World Airlines)

33. Sticking places?: CRAWS. Idiom: stick in one's craw.

34. Ford Field team: LIONS. Detroit Lions. Can Ford still afford to pay the naming rights fee?

37. Firing chamber: KILN. Hot!

38. First professional musician to become Chairman of the Board of Lincoln Center: SILLS (Beverly). Was unaware of this trivia.

39. Galileo's patron: NASA. The spacecraft Galileo. Awesome new clue.

40. Sumac of song: YMA

41. 2009 "Survivor" setting: SAMOA. No idea. Not a "Survivor" fan.

42. Muslim mystics: SUFIS. Arabic for "wool", referring to the garb those fellows wore.

46. Like: A LA

57. Biker's invitation: HOP ON

58. Pale tan: ECRU

60. Concerned with: ABOUT

62. Freelancer's encl.: SASE (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope)

62. Word that may appear above a silhouette of a man: GENTS. The rest room sign. Felt stupid struggling with the answer.

65. 1/2 fl. oz.: TBSP. Obtained the answer from crosses.

Down:

1. Hirsute "Star Wars" creature: EWOK. The furry figure. Hirsute = hairy.

2. Seward Peninsula city: NOME. The Iditarod terminus. Seward Peninsula is named after William Seward, the Secretary of State who negotiated the Purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867. Learning moment for me.

3. Shore thing: DUNE. Nice play on "Sure thing".

4. Take a powder: SKIP TOWN. New idiom to me also.

5. See 32-Down: ARAFAT. And YASIR (32. With 5-Down, former PLO Chairman). What a mess he left behind.

6. Big name in spongy toy: NERF

7. Drop: OMIT

8. Genesis builder: NOAH. Noah's Ark.

9. Cheroot relatives: STOGIES. The cheap cigars.

10. Literally, Spanish for "the tar": LA BREA. Hence the redundancy in La Brea Tar Pits.

12. Some spores, all grown up: MOSS

13. Jeanne d'Arc et al, Abbr.: STES (Saintes). Jeanne d'Arc is French for Joan of Arc.

26. Takes a little off: TRIMS

29. __ Olay: OIL OF. I love Olay brand.

30. Back biter?: MOLAR. My favorite clue today.

31. Glitch: SNAFU

36. Low: BASE

38. Word with bar or days: SALAD

44. Chart: MAP OUT

48. Go after, as flies: SHAG. D'oh, fly balls.

49. Choice for Hamlet: TO BE. To be, or not to be.

51. Mass seating: PEWS

52. Repeat: ECHO

53. Monorail unit: TRAM

54. Grouch: CRAB. No kvetch from me today.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Insurance - The first word of the theme entries is related to insurance.

17A: Government declaration of its intentions: POLICY STATEMENT.

25A: Vietnam War defoliant: AGENT ORANGE.

43A: Gold Rush villain: CLAIM JUMPER.

55A: High-octane fuel: PREMIUM GASOLINE.

Argyle here. Ugh! This reminds me my auto coverage is due this month.

I am curious as to how the theme was chosen. I mean Donna did a good job and the insurance meaning of the target words is different from their use in the phrases and it did take me awhile to grok the theme, but still.... You might consider STATEMENT as a bonus word but it doesn't jump out as a related word.

Another low count of three letter fill and stale crosswordese.

Across:

1A: Palindromic title: MADAM.

6A: Ashen: PALE.

10A: Interrupter of a bad act, on an old game show: GONG. From the Seventies. Plenty of clips on YouTube. Remember Gene, Gene, the Dancing Machine and The Unknown Comic? (He performed with a paper bag over his head.)

14A: Word after horse or soap: OPERA.

15A: Elvis __ Presley: ARON.

16A: Mayberry kid: OPIE.

20A: Prefix with gram: EPI. EPIGRAM - A witty saying tersely expressed. Great for Twitter.

21A: Modest shelters: HUTS. Almost time to get these HUTS off the lake.

22A: Madison Square Garden et al.: ARENAS.

23A: Variety of lily: SEGO.

24A: 1998 animated bug movie: ANTZ. With the voices of Woody Allen, Dan Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft.

29A: Speed Wagon maker: REO. Ransom E. Olds.

32A: Velma's rival in "Chicago": ROXIE. Together.

33A: Chat room chuckle: LOL.

34A: Detained at the precinct: HELD.

35A: Electrical network: GRID. Is this your original clue, Donna? Not crossword related?

36A: Pigs and hogs: SWINE.

38A: Etcher's need: ACID.

39A: Leer at: OGLE.

40A: Scepter's partner: ORB. Scepter and ORB with crown.

41A: Emulate Cicero: ORATE.

42A: Betty Ford, __ Bloomer: NEE. Born in Chicago(1918) to William and Hortense Bloomer.

46A: Jockey's tool: WHIP.

47A: Hearing requirements: EARS.

48A: Displaying buoyancy: AFLOAT.

51A: Periodic table no.: AT. WT.. Atomic Weight

52A: Protrude, with "out": JUT.

58A: Having all one's marbles: SANE.

59A: Rotary phone feature: DIAL.

60A: 1988 film farce fish: WANDA. Triple alliteration.

61A: School on the Thames: ETON.

62A: Bobbles the ball: ERRS.

63A: Taboos: NO-NOS.

Down:

1D: Sulk: MOPE.

2D: Each: A POP.

3D: Supermarket section: DELI.

4D: "Entourage" agent Gold: ARI. Entourage is an American comedy-drama on HBO. The series was created by Doug Ellin and chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase, a young A-list film star. ARI Gold (Jeremy Piven) is Vince's abrasive but lovable agent. The role has led to several nominations and Emmy Awards for Piven.

5D: Bushwhacker's tool: MACHETE.

6D: Congregation leader: PASTOR.

7D: Humanities: ARTS.

8D: Mauna __: LOA.

9D: Involve, as in a sticky situation: ENTANGLE.

10D: Morticia's mate: GOMEZ. The Addams Family. The family that the cartoons, movies, games, and television shows have been based on.

11D: Bid one club, say: OPEN.

12D: "Project Runway" judge Garcia: NINA. An American reality television series on Lifetime Television, focused on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. NINA.

13D: Understands: GETS.

18D: '80s-'90s Serbian auto import: YUGO.

19D: One-named Deco designer: ERTÉ. Romain de Tirtoff was a Russian-born French artist and designer known by the pseudonym Erté, the French pronunciation of his initials, R.T..

23D: Insinuating: SNIDE.

24D: Soon, to the bard: ANON.

25D: Fluorescent bulb gas: ARGON.

26D: Stuff (oneself) with food: GORGE.

27D: "The Man Without a Country" hero, for one: EXILE. "The Man Without a Country" is a short story by American writer Edward Everett Hale, first published anonymously in the Atlantic Monthly in December 1863. The novel is the story of American army lieutenant Philip Nolan, who renounces his country during a trial for treason and is consequently sentenced to spend the rest of his days at sea without so much as a word of news about the United States. I can remember hearing an adaptation of it on the radio in my youth.

28D: Suspect's excuse: ALIBI.

29D: Sports show summary: RECAP.

30D: Upper echelon: ELITE.

31D: More strange: ODDER.

34D: Injures: HARMS.

36D: Isolation: SOLITUDE.

37D: Sandwich in a tortilla: WRAP. I'm not sure the clue is worded correctly; maybe Sandwich made from a tortilla would be better?

41D: Thornton Wilder classic: "OUR TOWN".

43D: Spiced Indian beverage: CHAI. And 54D: 43-Down et al.: TEAS.

44D: Gold and silver: METALS.

45D: Shark flick: "JAWS".

46D: Part of NOW: WOMEN.

48D: Church recess: APSE.

49D: Toga party setting: FRAT. Animal House.

50D: Jay seen at night: LENO.

51D: Culture medium: AGAR.

52D: Arabian folklore spirit: JINN. (Genie)

53D: Reverse: UNDO.

56D: Space station for about 15 years: MIR.

57D: Vientiane native: LAO. Vientiane is the capital city of Laos.

Answer grid.

Happy one-year Crossword Corner commenting anniversary to Frank, KQ & Andrea!

Argyle

Thursday January 28, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Sex Change - "Sex" in each familiar phrase gets a vowel change.

20A. Music lessons for Bill Clinton?: SAX EDUCATION. Sex Education. Clinton loves sax.

39A. Documentary about Chicago's relationship with its team?: SOX AND THE CITY. "Sex and the City" (TV series or the movie). Chicago White Sox.

57A. More equitable of two civil case juries?: THE FAIRER SIX. The Fairer Sex (Women). Was unaware that civil case only needs 6 jurors.

Rather unexpected theme concept. Light but amusing theme clues & answers.

My favorite is SAX EDUCATION. Received no sex education when I grew up. Sex was a forbidden topic in our school. I also laughed at SOX AND THE CITY. Great documentary title. Complicated relationship I am sure. "The City" probably loves the Cubs more.

A friendlier Thursday for me. Plenty of "fill-in-the-blank" partials definitely helped.

Across:

1. Trip with much hardship: TREK. Easy start.

5. Ampule: VIAL. Misread the clue as "Ample".

9. Bikini blast, briefly: H-TEST. No A-TEST wobbling today due to the intersecting HANOI (9D. Capital on the Red River).

14. Prefix with port: HELI. Heliport, a landing place for helicopters. I blanked.

15. FAQ responses, e.g.: INFO

16. Belittle: ABASE

18. "Gosh darn it!": RATS

19. Language that gives us "floe": NORSE. I only know Norse gives us "troll".

23. Oscar-winning role for Forest: IDI (Amin). In 2007. What's your favorite Forest Whitaker movie? Mine is "Good morning, Vietnam" .

24. PC backup key: ESC

25. Corrosion-resistant metal: IRIDIUM. Used in hardening platinum for alloys (as for surgical instruments). The suffix "ium" suggests metallic element.

29. Letter flourish: SERIF

31. Sgt. Snorkel's pooch: OTTO. Used to stump me.

33. An A will usually raise it: Abbr.: GPA

34. Science opening?: NEURO. Opening of the word neuroscience.

36. Most congenial: NICEST. Like PJB-Chicago.

42. Event with a piñata: FIESTA

43. Stuffing stuff: EIDER. Eider down. Pillow stuffing. I was thinking of Thanksgiving turkey.

44. "Exodus" hero: ARI. Learned from doing Xword.

45. At the top of the heap: BEST

47. Roman __: thinly disguised fiction: A CLEF. Real story depicted in fictional guise. Like Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar", her semi-autobiography. "Roman à clef" is French for “novel with a key.” Roman = Novel. Clef = Key.

51. Often scandalous book genre: TELL- ALL. It's a genre?

54. Dawdle behind: LAG

56. Old name of Tokyo: EDO. Before 1868.

60. With alacrity: APACE. "Alacrity" is a new word to me. I do know "celerity" though. Same meaning: "speed".

63. Ruminate: MUSE

64. Prefix with dextrous: AMBI. Ambidextrous. Prefix meaning "both".

65. Its capital is Apia: SAMOA. More often we see APIA clued as "Samoa capital".

67. Despicable: VILE

68. Almost boil: SCALD. Always associated the word with "boiling" rather than "almost boil".

69. Political cartoonist Thomas: NAST. The guy who created GOP elephant/Democratic donkey.

70. Israeli statesman Weizman: EZER. Former Israeli president Weizman in 1990s. I forgot. Hebrew name meaning "help".

Down:

1. One of Luther's 95: THESIS. Martin Luther's "The Ninety-Five Theses".

2. Like "The Day the Earth Stood Still," in 2008: REMADE. Easy guess.

3. Alchemist's creation: ELIXIR

4. Hawk family bird: KITE

5. High-tech invader: VIRUS. Took the Geek Squad guy almost two hours to get rid of the virus on my computer last time.

6. Of one mind: IN ACCORD. Very well matched.

7. Aptly named shaving lotion: AFTA. "After".

8. Became unhinged: LOST IT

10. Govt. security: T- BOND. How is it different from T- BILL again?

11. Otologist's concern: EAR

12. Org. dodged by draft dodgers: SSS. Plenty of D alliteration.

13. Driver's starting point: TEE. Golf club "driver".

21. Take down: DEFEAT

22. Did a laundry chore: IRONED. Ironing can be soothing.

26. "__ a Kick Out of You": Cole Porter: I GET. I figured it's either I GET or I GOT.

27. "__-daisy!": UPSY

28. Welcome spot: MAT. Welcome mat.

30. "What You Need" band: INXS. The Australia band. Pronounced like "in excess". I've never heard of the song.

32. Carryalls: TOTES

35. Lacking capacity: UNABLE

37. 2002 movie with Manny the Mammoth: ICE AGE. Was unaware of the movie. Is Manny the big guy?

38. Newspaper concern, esp. lately: CIRC (Circulation)

39. Bold Ruler, to Secretariat: SIRE. Unknown trivia to me.

40. Versailles eye: OEIL. French for "eye".

41. Schedules of problems to be dealt with: HIT LISTS. I always connect "hit list" with Mafia murder.

42. More than plump: FAT

46. Jenna of "Dharma & Greg": ELFMAN. Her name escaped me. She's pretty good in "Keeping the Faith".

48. Musical based on an 1862 novel, for short: LES MIZ. "Les Misérables". Who can forget Susan Boyle's "I Dreamed a Dream"?

49. Safe to put away: EDIBLE. Thought of the storage. Was ignorant of the "eat" meaning of "put away".

50. More artful: FOXIER. Not SLIER this time.

52. Henry Blake's title on "M*A*S*H": LT. COL (Lieutenant Colonel). Stumper.

53. Good place to get?: AHEAD. "Get ahead". Got me also.

55. "Give it __!": A REST

59. Uninhibited party: RAVE

60. The law, according to Mr. Bumble: ASS. No idea. From "Oliver Twist". Mr. Bumble said " The law is a ass, a idiot".

61. Lobbying gp.: PAC. NRA came to mind first.

62. Org. for GPs: AMA

Answer grid.

C.C.

Tuesday January 5, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Illuminators - Familiar phrases whose first word can brighten up our paths.

17A: Instant of realization: LIGHT BULB MOMENT

33A: Lyrical lament of lost love: TORCH SONG

38A: Idaho ski resort: SUN VALLEY

53A: Elton John tribute to Marilyn Monroe: CANDLE IN THE WIND

Argyle here. There are some Wednesday words in here but for the most part, it's a Tuesday puzzle. I might be a little short because of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl but, boy, what a game. So I miss a little sleep. Meh.

My all-time favorite torch song - "What's New? by Linda Ronstadt.

Oh, Happy 60th Birthday to legendary crossword maker Merl Reagle!

Across:

1A: Hip-hop headgear: DO-RAG. It is also biker headgear. Pic.

6A: Aral, for one: SEA.

9A: Yeast cake highlighted in a "Seinfeld" episode: BABKA. A short clip.

14A: Treat badly: ABUSE.

15A: European peak: ALP.

16A: Ancient theater: ODEON. We have had this before. I relate it to Nickelodeon>

20A: Slow start?: ESS. The letter 'S' is the start of the word "Slow".

22A: Dogs from Japan: AKITAS. A noble looking breed. Anyone ever had one?

23A: The Big One: Abbr.: WWII. World War Two. It came after the War to End All Wars.

24A: Move like moths: FLIT.

25A: Like many Quechua speakers: ANDEAN. Quechua is a Native American language family spoken primarily in the Andes of South America.

28A: Clark's crush: LOIS. Superman. She could melt his 61A: Superman's makeup?: STEEL.

29A: Texas __: oil: TEA. "Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea." from the Beverly Hillbillies Theme Song.

32A: Word with trap or prize: BOOBY. 40A: Cantaloupe, e.g.: MELON.

35A: Throw __: fly off the handle: A FIT.

36A: Social division: CASTE.

37A: Telegram: WIRE.

41A: Official lang. of Malawi: ENG.. Clever. A landlocked country in southeast Africa (yet they have a navy).

42A: Peculiar mannerisms: TICS.

43A: Beaver or hamster: RODENT.

45A: Tiny parasite: MITE.

46A: Lay a wet one on: SMOOCH.

49A: Ed of "The People's Court": KOCH. TV. Former New York City mayor Ed Koch presided over the court from 1997 to 1999. The first judge was Joseph Wapner and the current one is Marilyn Milian.

50A: Xbox 360 competitor: Wii. (video game systems)

56A: Holy Roman emperor crowned in CMLXII: OTTO I. That's 962 CE, if you care. And if you do, you might like this site.

57A: Caviar, e.g.: ROE. Fish eggs.

58A: Prepare beans, Mexican-style: REFRY.

59A: Thrash: WHOMP.

60A: Cobbler's tool: AWL. Used for making holes in leather.

Down:

1D: Racing legend Earnhardt: DALE. aka "The Intimidator". Died in a crash at the Daytona 500, February 18, 2001. His son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., still races but has never reached his father's status. Pic.

2D: Geisha wardrobe items: OBIS.

3D: Toupees: RUGS. Locks bought from a store.

4D: Volcanic residue: ASH.

5D: Escape: GETAWAY.

6D: King Abdullah subject: SAUDI.

8D: SFPD broadcast: A.P.B.. (San Francisco Police Department - All Points Bulletin)

9D: Devoted to reading: BOOKISH.

10D: Own up to: ADMIT.

11D: Borscht need: BEET. Soup made with beets, and/or other vegetables and served hot or chilled, often with sour cream. Quite a few food references in the grid.

12D: Hawaiian coffee-growing district: KONA. On the west side of the "Big Island".

13D: Aardvark's dinner: ANTS.

18D: St. Petersburg pancake: BLIN. Another recent word, plural is blini.

19D: Evil intent: MALICE.

23D: Former Internet-on-the-tube co.: WEB TV. The product and service was founded in 1995 by WebTV Networks and was purchased by Microsoft Corporation(in April, 1997, 20 months after WebTV's founding) and absorbed into MSN (the Microsoft Network).

24D: Two score: FORTY. (score = 20)

25D: Humiliate: ABASE.

26D: Like a wet blanket, so to speak: NO FUN. Like some of our ANONs.

27D: "Nothing __!": DOING.

29D: Fabric with a repeated scenic pattern: TOILE.

30D: 2000s symbol of corporate misconduct: ENRON.

31D: Ten percenter: AGENT.

34D: Garbo, by birth: SWEDE.

36D: Trite expression: CLICHÉ.

39D: In one sitting: AT A CLIP.

43D: Loaded: RICH. Hi, Rich (Norris)!

44D: City of sin in Genesis: SODOM.

46D: Flat-bottomed boat: SCOW.

49D: Be sure of: KNOW.

51D: Memo phrase: IN RE.

52D: Pastoral poem: IDYL.

Answer grid.

Argyle