Monday, January 31, 2011 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Audio Alerts - The last word of the first three theme entries can precede the last word of the fourth.

17A. Exec's perk: COMPANY CAR

23A. Tempts fate, in a way: PLAYS WITH FIRE

50A. Second in a Sue Grafton series: 'B' IS FOR BURGLAR

61A. Fairly spicy, as chili (and like this puzzle, literally, based on the ends of 17-, 23- and 50-Across): THREE ALARM

Argyle here. One minor problem and that may be just me. Solid construction but not much spice, even though spice is mentioned several times. LOL. If you look for them, there are quite a few connections, intentional or not.

Across:

1. Dissolves into a puddle : MELTS

6. Firing range rounds : AMMO

10. Dog bugger : FLEA

14. Audibly astonished : AGASP

15. Pastry served au rhum : BABA. A small yeast cake saturated in rum.

16. Bee, to Andy : AUNT. From the Andy Griffith Show

19. Adriatic resort : LIDO

20. Sixth sense letters : ESP

21. Tableland : MESA

22. Conestoga, e.g. : WAGON

27. God of manly beauty : APOLLO

29. Actor Diggs : TAYE. This man.

30. "Saturday Night Fever" dance genre : DISCO

31. Bogus plan : SCAM

33. Actress Cheryl : LADD. Image, of course.

37. Acolyte's suffix : IST. Can someone explain this? Donna?

38. One in an extra-large baby carriage, perhaps : TRIPLET

41. Angus's greeting : MOO. I had this strange picture of Scots going around saying, "Moo", to each other. Must be the Monty Python effect.

42. Space Shuttle gp. : NASA

44. Feb. 14 : V-DAY. Saint Valentine's Day.

45. Colorado resort : ASPEN

47. "Of __ I Sing" : THEE

49. Mideast fleet : OILERS. The big oil tankers.

55. One more time : AGAIN

56. "Trick" or "treat" : VERB. But NOUN works too.

57. Horn for a Muppet named Zoot : SAX

60. Defame : SLUR

64. Charged particles : IONS

65. Feathery wraps : BOAs

66. Dance in a line : CONGA

67. Layer of paint : COAT

68. Eyelid woe : STYE

69. Praise : KUDOS

Down:

1. Nutmeg spice : MACE

2. Boardroom clashers : EGOs

3. Streetlight supports : LAMPPOSTS, And lampposts are traditional supports for drunks.

4. 1/6 fl. oz. : TSP

5. Musical with the song "The Holy Grail" : SPAMALOT. Still looking for the Holy Grail!

6. Bottomless pit : ABYSS

7. Avian chatterbox : MACAW. Pretty bird.

8. Wharton deg. : MBA

9. Galley mover : OAR

10. Pita filling : FALAFEL. Falafel is made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans and spices.

11. "Super Mario" brother : LUIGI. Video game.

12. Biblical witch's home : ENDOR. I think of Endora, from TV's "Bewitched".

13. Do penance : ATONE

18. R&B artist with the 2006 #1 hit "So Sick" : NE-YO. Unknown to me but this (3:29)(with lyrics) is pretty good.

22. "For what reason?" : "WHY?"

24. Partnership letters : LLC. Limited Liability Company.

25. Country with a da Vinci drawing on its one-euro coin : ITALY. Image.

26. Docile : TAME

27. Score after deuce : AD IN. One more letter and it's AD OUT, depending on which tennis player has won the next point, thus giving them the advantage.

28. Galileo's birthplace : PISA

31. Flip of a hit single : SIDE B

32. IRS audit rep : CPA

34. Barnes & Noble link? : AMPERSAND

35. Perpetrator : DOer

36. Crime bosses : DONS

39. Winnebago owner, briefly : RVer

40. NFL ball carrier, often : TAILBACK

43. In the beginning : AT FIRST

46. Gp. that abducted Patty Hearst : SLA. Symbionese Liberation Army. It happened in 1974.

48. Sweetie : HON

49. Meanie : OGRE

50. Rudimentary : BASIC

51. Inuit home : IGLOO. The Inuit were once known as Eskimos.

52. Sweat box? : SAUNA. Now that's funny; sweat box following the ice box(igloo).

53. Sun danger : UV RAY

54. Witherspoon of "Walk the Line" : REESE. The story of Johnny Cash.

58. Jason's vessel : ARGO

59. Dec. holiday : XMAS

61. "Very funny" TV station : TBS. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

62. In vogue : HOT

63. '70s TV boss of Mary, Ted and Murray : LOU. Mary Tyler Moore Show, editor LOU Grant(Ed Asner).

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Patriots' faithful fan Joshua (Barry G's handsome boy), who turns 6 years old today.

Happy Birthday to Bill G too. Sheng Ri Kuai Le, Bill!

Monday, January 17, 2011 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Game, Set, Match - The first four theme entries end in a term used in the sport that will give you the ailment in the fifth entry.

17A. Does some Web browsing: SURFS THE NET

24A. Coming-out gala: DEBUTANTE BALL

37A. Demand accompanied by a banging gavel: "ORDER IN THE COURT"

47. Illegal lottery : NUMBERS RACKET

58A. Lateral epicondylitis (and a possible injury hinted at by the ends of 17-, 24-, 37- and 47-Across): TENNIS ELBOW

Argyle here.

I did not start in the NW corner. 'Nuff said. Although the long entries were relatively easy, overall, this was one of the harder Mondays. But did you notice...the theme words (NET, BALL COURT & RACKET) were progressive in their length. Not a coincident, I'm thinking. Right, Donna?

Across:

1. Finalize, as a deal : SEW UP. I put in SHAKE and was slow to take it out.

6. "Let __!": "Start the ball rolling!" : IT RIP. I couldn't find a definitive meaning of the phrase but it relates to doing things quickly. It is much like how you can tear a fabric easily in one direction or if you are sawing lumber, ripping, or sawing with the grain, is much faster the cutting across the grain.

11. Sleep attire, briefly : PJs. Pajamas Adult Onesies.

14. Honolulu hello : ALOHA

15. NFL's winningest coach Don : SHULA. Now has a chain of steak houses.

16. Below-the-belt : LOW

19. "The Kids __ All Right": 2010 film : ARE. A book, a film, and a song(3:01).

20. Building wing : ELL

21. Photographed : SHOT

22. Brownish-green eye color : HAZEL. National Geographic.

28. Forever and ever : ALWAYS

30. Rolled grain : OATS

31. Clark's love : LOIS. And 12D. Superman's birth father : JOR-EL

32. "Me, too!" : "SO AM I!"

34. NFL six-pointers : TDs. Touchdowns

41. Casual shirt : TEE

42. La Virginie et la Caroline du Sud : ÉTATS. French for states (Virginia and S. Carolina)

43. La __ Tar Pits : BREA

44. Karate blow : CHOP

45. Restrain : REIN IN

52. Tibetan capital : LHASA

53. Bedouin, ethnically : ARAB

54. Eyjafjallajökull residue : ASH. Glad the Icelandic volcano is the clue and not the answer; it wouldn't fit anyway.

57. Get stuck for, as a cost : EAT

62. Regret : RUE

63. Furry "Star Wars" creatures : EWOKs

64. Track event : RELAY

65. Family Stone frontman : SLY

66. Thick : DENSE

67. Nerdy types : GEEKS

Down:

1. Submission encl. : SASE. Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope.

2. 12th Hebrew month : ELUL. The twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year. (I could use a little help here.)

3. Global : WORLDWIDE

4. 300 to 3,000 MHz : UHF. The channels are 14 through 83. Remember when you had an antenna on the roof?

5. Elapse : PASS BY

6. Enjoys faddish popularity : IS HOT

7. It precedes iota : THETA. It's Greek to me.

8. Pantyhose woe : RUN

9. Sight in the Seine : ÎLE. French alliteration.

10. Pitiful : PATHETIC

11. Eloise's hotel, with "the" : PLAZA. From a series of children's books written by Kay Thompson

13. Peachy : SWELL

18. Ergo : THUS

23. Crunch targets : ABs

25. Relax, as restrictions : EASE

26. __ Ark : NOAH'S

27. Like most pets : TAME

28. Scads : A LOT

29. Wisdom of the elders : LORE

32. Clothes fasteners : SNAPS

33. Baseball great Mel : OTT

34. Phonograph component : TURNTABLE

35. Eins und zwei : DREI. German 1 + 2 = 3

36. Ollie's partner : STAN. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.

38. Readied the leftovers, say : REHEATED

39. "... believe __ not!" : IT OR

40. Big Apple theater award : OBIE. Off Broadway.

44. "Survivor" network : CBS

45. Some TVs : RCAs

46. Anita of "La Dolce Vita" : EKBERG. Image.

47. Cards and Phils : NLers. Baseball.

48. Amateur mover's rental : U-HAUL

49. Sailor's sobriquet : MATEY

50. Military levels : RANKS

51. Get up : ARISE

55. Hose down for a while : SOAK

56. Major rtes. : HWYs. In general, the interstates are even numbers for the east-west highways, increasing from south to north, and the odd numbers are north-south highways, increasing from west to east.

59. Woolly farm female : EWE

60. Rouen refusal : "NON". Rouen is the historic capital city of Normandy, in northern France.

61. Important name in Virginia history : LEE. La Virginie.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Wednesday January 5, 2011 Donna S. Levin

Theme: A Horse is a horse, of course, Of course - An anniversary tribute puzzle.

17A. 63-Across, for one : PALOMINO. Everyone knows Palominos cannot talk.

18A. Start of a quote : TIME TO

27A. More of the quote : HIT THE HAY

46A. More of the quote : OH, I FORGOT

61A. End of the quote : I ATE IT

63A. Speaker of the quote, whose show premiered in syndication 1/5/1961 : Unless of course the name of the horse is the famous MISTER ED. But why would he only talk to Wilbur?

Welcome all. Boomer here.

The sixties had talking cars, talking bears, and a Huckleberry Hound that sang "Clementine", and a famous old nag whose show debuted fifty years ago today.

Across:

1. "Truth in Engineering" automaker : AUDI - If they say so.

5. Low-risk fin. investments : CDS - As far as I know Certificates of Deposit have no risk, and very little return these days.

8. "Casablanca" star : BOGART - A little before my time - his nickname is one over par.

14. Kirk's Enterprise, for one : STARSHIP - There are still many Trekkies out there. Star Trek left a large footprint on the TV World. Larger than the hoof print left by our subject of today.

16. 2009 sci-fi movie that is the highest-grossing film in history : AVATAR - intensely different.

19. Biblical queen's land : SHEBA - Must be in Australia.

20. Enthuse : GUSH

22. Red root veggie : BEET - Best when pickled.

23. __Kosh B'Gosh : OSH - Oshkosh is located in East Central Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Winnebago. Famous for manufacturing the best farm overalls ever made.

25. Swipe : STEAL - Odd how swipe can also mean running a credit card at a gas pump, and oil companies can "swipe" a few bucks from your pocket on every fill-up.

31. More than salty : LEWD

34. Game with Skip cards : UNO - A famous card game I have never played.

35. Actor Gibson : MEL - I liked him best in "Maverick". James Garner starred first in a TV show in the sixties that included a few horses from time to time. None were named Ed.

36. Workman's wheeled cart : BARROW - sounds funny without Wheel in front.

38. Make damp : MOISTEN

41. "William Tell" composer : ROSSINI - Theme song of the "Lone Ranger", starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels. Their horses were Silver and Scout. No Eds there either.

42. Load up with, as work : PILE ON

43. Coppertone letters : SPF - I'm not sure what the letters stand for, but the higher the number, the more it costs, and the less burn you receive.

44. Org. with Ducks and Penguins : NHL - Hockey teams of course, but wait commissioner, could they also be Batman enemies?

45. Bit of foliage : LEAF

49. Sip slowly : NURSE - I've nursed a Manhattan now and then, but maybe a better clue would be medical professional.

51. Vein find : ORE - Could also be state south of Wash.

52. Trade : SWAP - Favorite pastime among Baseball card collectors, and MLB team owners.

55. Luminous glow : AURA

57. Dispatch boat : AVISO

65. Bucking beasts : BRONCS - Rodeo favorites. I don't think any are named Ed though.

66. Intimate confidante : ALTER EGO

67. Three sheets to the wind : STINKO

68. Super-secret intelligence gp. : NSA

69. Villagers' tormentor in "Fiddler on the Roof" : TSAR - Now I'll be humming "If I were a Rich Man" for the rest of the day.

Down:

1. Nile slitherers : ASPS - These snakes sure show up in a lot of puzzles. I think they eat Oreos by Lake Erie.

2. Six-sided state : UTAH - Actually, Utah has only four sides, North, East, West, and South. But Wyoming took a little bite out of it.

3. Chip's buddy : DALE - Famous Chipmunks of years past.

4. Asimov classic : I, ROBOT - This sounds like a future Apple product.

5. Scoreboard letters for "Da Bears" : CHI - NFC Central Champs this year. But I always think of Mr. Buttermaker's baseball waifs.

6. Parking lot mishap : DING - I had DENT at first. Had to open the Liquid Paper bottle.

7. __ support: alimony : SPOUSAL

8. Enjoy a soak : BATHE

9. Prefix with duct : OVI

10. Risk takers : GAMBLERS - Not the same people who buy the CDs.

11. Fits to __ : A TEE - I've heard this for years, but I still don't get it. Must be some tailor thing.

12. Distance ÷ time : RATE

13. Harness race pace : TROT - I've been there. I think the horse needs to have a left and right foot on the ground at all times or be disqualified. They go at a very fast trot. None of the trotters are named Ed.

15. Shatter : SMASH

21. Place to wallow : STY - Actually, I thought you needed mud to wallow.

24. Macho guys : HE MEN - Are Macho women then called SHE MEN?

26. "Sorry to say ..." : ALAS

27. A dromedary has one : HUMP - The Metrodome in Minneapolis also had a hump until last month. Now it's a big bowl.

28. Packed like sardines : IN OIL - Okay, but not much tuna, sardines, or anchovies are packed in oil anymore.

29. Patterned fabric : TOILE

30. Cooped-up layer : HEN - Producers of the incredibly edible egg.

32. Clasp tightly in distress, as one's hands : WRING - Hands, yes. No one wrings out laundry anymore.

33. Hawaiian crooner : DON HO - Okay, forget "If I were a Rich Man"; now I am humming "Tiny Bubbles" for the rest of the day.

36. Hugely successful, in Variety : BOFFO - Couldn't be that hugely successful. I've never heard of it. But I admit I don't read Variety.

37. Droop : WILT - Also the name of Mr. Chamberlin, who once scored 100 points in an NBA game.

39. 2008 Harvey Milk portrayer : SEAN PENN - I still liked him best as Jeff Spicoli in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" way back in 1982.

40. Bean curd : TOFU

41. NY campus that's home to the Engineers : RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)

43. Civil War general who captured Atlanta : SHERMAN - And left a large path of destruction.

46. Buckeyes' sch. : OSU - Ohio State, a respected power in the Big Ten.

47. Emulate Cicero : ORATE - Can also be obtained by Odistance ÷ Otime.

48. Go back : REVERT - Another Oops. I had RETURN. Had to use the Liquid Paper again.

50. Dustin's "Midnight Cowboy" role : RATSO. Still liked Sean Penn as Spicoli better.

52. A boy and his sis : SIBS

53. Witch blemish : WART - For some reason, they always seem to be on the nose.

54. Yours, in Tours : A TOI - I'm still trying to learn English.

56. Troubles : AILS

58. Infuriates : IRES

59. Super Monkey Ball publisher : SEGA - I have not left the PacMan and Final Fantasy era. Super Monkey Ball sounds like something Brunswick or Storm could manufacture for bowlers.

60. Olfactory stimulus : ODOR - This is near the end of the puzzle. maybe they could have just clued Bad Smell.

62. "Ugh" relative : ICK - Maybe I'm getting to Picky, but the clue is a bit Icky.

64. RR depot : STA

Answer grid.

Boomer

Monday, December 6, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: On Solid Footing - Four phrases that end with a word that indicates what you may build on, literally or metaphorically.

20A. Sidewalk periodical vendor : NEWSPAPER STAND

25A. Edwards or Langley, e.g. : AIR FORCE BASE

42A. Court-ordered parental obligation : CHILD SUPPORT

48A. Philanthropic group chartered by auto execs : FORD FOUNDATION

Argyle here.

If you have a strong crossword background to build on, then Donna's offering should cause you little trouble. The grid is well grounded with strong blocks at the corners and lengthy cross ties.

I'm going to assume we all have basic expertise in puzzles and do minimal comments; there are entries from the past and the present. Anybody with a question, just ask it and someone will answer it.

Across

1. Try to obtain sensitive info using an Internet scam : PHISH

6. Chase down, as a fly ball : SHAG

10. Falls behind : LAGS

14. "Tiny Bubbles" singer : DON HO. Hawaiian

15. Tip-top : A-ONE

16. Towards the sheltered side, at sea : ALEE

17. Specialized jargon : ARGOT

18. "__ call us, we'll ..." : DON'T. Video. (3:24)

19. Red sky, to a sailor : OMEN

23. __-Locka, Florida : OPA. A city located in Miami-Dade County.

24. Gut courses : EASY A'S. Knew the answer but not the clue. The best definition I found is that a gut course is a class so easy that you can forgo studying, go with your gut instincts, and still get an A.

31. Political corruption : GRAFT

32. Police busts : RAIDS

33. Revolutionary statesman Franklin : BEN

36. Knocks on the door : RAPS

37. Response to a fencing lunge : PARRY

38. Nothing, in tennis : LOVE

39. Picnic invader : ANT

40. Intimidated : COWED. "Don't have a cow, man!": Bart Simpson.

41. Tendon : SINEW

44. Show hosts : EMCEEs

47. Actor Mineo : SAL

54. Notion : IDEA

55. Univ. sports group : NCAA

56. Liberate from the hitching post : UNTIE. That is just PETA talk.

58. Shakespearean king : LEAR

59. Tiger Woods's ex : ELIN

60. Allow to pass : LET BY

61. Benevolent order : ELKS

62. Cowgirl Evans : DALE

63. Cropped up : AROSE

Down:

1. High-tech organizer, briefly : PDA. Personal digital assistant, an electronic device which can include some of the functions of a computer, a cellphone, a music player, a camera and a partridge in a pear tree.

2. English or French instrument : HORN. English or French.

3. "Picnic" dramatist : INGE

4. Braggarts : SHOW-OFFS

5. Lively nightclub : HOT SPOT

6. Thompson of "Family" : SADA

7. Hula __ : HOOP

8. Green Gables girl : ANNE. The tale of a red-headed girl.

9. Prepare : GET READY

10. Taoism founder : LAO-TSE. Laozi, Laosi, Lao Tse, Lao Tu, Lao-Tzu, Lao-Tsu, Laotze, Lao Zi, Laocius, and other variations.

11. Hypoallergenic skin care brand : ALMAY

12. Davis who played Thelma : GEENA. Cover.

13. Transmits : SENDS

21. Bogey beater : PAR

22. Impertinence : SASS

25. Taj Mahal city : AGRA

26. Pakistan neighbor : IRAN

27. Engrossed : RAPT

28. Move like a baby : CRAWL

29. Like some seals : EARED

30. Feathered friends : BIRDS

33. Sonny of Sonny and Cher : BONO. Sadly, their "I GOT YOU BABE" turned into "IT AIN'T ME BABE".

34. Happily __ after : EVER

35. Eft, when mature : NEWT

37. Like the victims in "Arsenic and Old Lace" : POISONED. Performed as a school play everywhere.

38. Pencil for one's kisser : LIP LINER

40. Kitchen VIP : CHEF

41. Pancake flipper : SPATULA

42. Coniferous trees : CEDARS

43. Mex. neighbor : USA

44. Submit a tax return over the Internet : E-FILE

45. Hobbyist's plane, e.g. : MODEL

46. Old floorboard sound : CREAK

49. Golden State sch. : UCLA

50. Carpentry fastener : NAIL

51. Certain Scandinavian : DANE. From Denmark.

52. Filmdom's Preminger : OTTO

53. Penpoints : NIBS

57. Sight organ : EYE

Answer grid.

Notes from C.C.:

1) This is a week of birthday celebrations on our blog. Today we sing "Happy Birthday to You" to the ever sunny, happy & DD-Delightful Lucina. On her left in lovely aqua is our exotic bird Dodo, who just had her 85th birthday on October 29.

2) If you want to be included in our Blog Photos archive, please send me a picture or two (crosswordc@gmail.com). We'd love to "see" you.

Argyle

Added later: Today is also constructor Donna Levin's birthday. Happy Birthday, Donna!

Monday, November 22, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: If Only - Five synonyms for what we wish for, the first ones are at the ends of the longest entries with the unifier at the very end(Across) of the grid.

21A. Tokyo monetary unit: JAPANESE YEN. 1 Japanese yen = 0.0120 US dollars or roughly one cent. 10,000 bank note.

26A. 1983 Lionel Richie #1 song: "ALL NIGHT LONG". It reached number one on three Billboard charts (pop, R&B and adult contemporary). This clip(3:39) may make you long for the eighties...or not.

43A. Desolate title tree in a 1936 Fonda/MacMurray western: LONESOME PINE. Full title is "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" and isn't a western; it is set in the Appalachian Mountains, according to this short Wikipedia article.

50A. TUMS target: STOMACH ACHE. Calcium carbonate used as an antacid to relieve heartburn, acid indigestion, and upset stomach.

65A. Hanker, and a synonym for the ends of 21-, 26-, 43- and 50-Across: YEARN

Argyle here. Solid Monday offering from Donna with a couple of thorns thrown in to keep it interesting.

Across:

1. Like some short-term committees : AD HOC

6. How a lot of music is recorded : ON CD

10. Narrow-necked pear : BOSC. Image.

14. Museum with many Spanish masterpieces : PRADO. Located in Madrid, Spain, I envy those of you that have seen it. Spain is on my bucket list. (Hm, "bucket list", good optional theme title.)

15. Eight, in Spain : OCHO

16. Figure skating jump : AXEL

17. Consumed : EATEN

18. Postal delivery : MAIL. I think they will close on Saturdays and when they do, they might as well close for good.

19. Knish seller : DELI. Knish is an eastern-European Jewish or Yiddish snack food. It is a dumpling covered with a dough shell that is either baked or fried. In the most traditional version, the dumpling is made entirely of mashed potato. Jewish Recipes web site.

20. Henna, for one : DYE

24. Hawaii's coffee capital : KONA. How is it? Anybody drinking some this morning?

25. Reader's __: magazine : DIGEST

31. French city where Joan of Arc died : ROUEN. One of those thorns I mentioned, for me at least.

32. Wooden nickel, e.g. : SLUG. I always thought a slug had to be metal.

33. Milk units: Abbr. : QTs. However, milk units from the cow are measured in pounds, with the record being over 70,000 lbs. per year.

36. Old Italian money : LIRE and 55D. Swiss capital : BERN. Such straight forward cluing, it's either Monday or a trap.

37. Parcel of land : TRACT

39. New Age-y emanation : AURA

40. Single : ONE

41. Wine vintage : YEAR

42. Thread holder : SPOOL

46. It's north of the border : CANADA. Not for everybody, eh?

49. Cle. hoopsters : CAVS. Cleveland Cavaliers.

53. Long sandwich : SUB

56. Vaulter's need : POLE. Records jumped with the advent of the fiberglass pole.

57. "Today __ man": stereotypical bar mitzvah announcement : I AM A. TV's Frasier speaks Klingon at Frederic's bar mitzvah. Clip.

58. Hospital staffer : NURSE

60. __ even keel : ON AN

61. Shoemaker McAn : THOM

62. Spud : TATER

63. Camping shelter : TENT

64. Talks and talks : YAKS

Down:

1. Copied : APED

2. Open-sided cart : DRAY

3. Loathe : HATE

4. "__ on a Grecian Urn" : ODE

5. Unite : CONJOIN

6. Tuba sound : OOM-PAH

7. "March Madness" org. : NCAA. National Collegiate Athletic Association.

8. Facial feature with a cleft, perhaps : CHIN. Perhaps, the most famous. Image.

9. Distributed sparingly : DOLED OUT

10. No-goodnik : BAD EGG. BAD GUY didn't fly.

11. Daisy variety : OX-EYE

12. Tennis great Monica : SELES

13. Eastwood of Dirty Harry films : CLINT

22. Namibia neighbor: Abbr. : ANG. Angola. Map. Africa.

23. Perform with the choir : SING

24. Kid's scrape site : KNEE

26. Woody's son : ARLO

27. Butcher's cut : LOIN

28. Entice : LURE

29. Ivan the Terrible et al. : TSARS. Russian rulers.

30. Partners' legal entity: Abbr. : LLC. Limited Liability Company (LLC),

33. "Je ne sais __" : QUOI. Literally 'I don't know what', meaning an indescribable quality. "Je ne sais pas" was my answer in French class.

34. Cyclo- ending : TRON. "Tron: Legacy" is an upcoming 2010 science fiction film based on "Tron", the 1982 movie.

35. Shopper's delight : SALE

37. Persistence : TENACITY

38. "Norma __" : RAE. Movie with Sally Field.

39. iPhone downloads : APPs. I knew when I first saw apps(applications) it would become a crossword hit.

41. Wizened "Star Wars" guru : YODA. Sorry but I have to link this song. Yoda, Weird Al.

42. Interstate speed limit, often : SEVENTY. Merely a suggestion. (Right, Dennis?)

43. Bemoan : LAMENT

44. __ razor: logical simplicity rule : OCCAM'S. Thorny.

45. __-jongg : MAH

46. A hundred bucks : C-SPOT. Quick, how many yen is that?

47. Make amends (for) : ATONE

48. Texas Rangers president Ryan : NOLAN. Nicknamed "The Ryan Express", he is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. ( New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers) Trivia: His first name is Lynn.

51. Often sarcastic joke response : HA-HA

52. In a frenzy : AMOK

53. Mlle., in Madrid : SRTA. Mademoiselle and Señorita

54. Exploitative type : USER

59. Abu Dhabi's fed. : UAE. United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven absolute monarchies.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Thursday October 7, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: "I'm puzzled and have some cross words for you." revealed in 64A. Where this grid's starred answers' ends have particular relevance: ON THE PUZZLE PAGE.

17A. *Stand firm: PUT ONES FOOT DOWN.

29A. *Find by chance: COME ACROSS.

37A. *Utility company network: POWER GRID.

49A. *1990s-2000s kids' show starring a pooch named for its color: BLUE'S CLUES. A blue spotted (female) puppy assists Steve, a minimalist artist, solve mysteries with the help of other animated friends.

Hi all, Al here.

Pretty straight forward theme answers, lots of 7 and 8 letter answers, and more than a few abbrevs to balance that out. Just about right for a Thursday, I'd say.


ACROSS:

1. The Bob Hope Classic component and others: PRO-AMS. Professional-Amateur sporting events, in this instance, golf.

7. Privately, to a lawyer: IN CAMERA. Latin for "in chamber", as a judge would have.

15. Like some Egyptian churches: COPTIC. Early followers of Christianity.

16. Robin's band: MERRY MEN. My favorite take on the story was Robin and the Seven Hoods starring the Rat Pack.

19. Writer de Beauvoir: SIMONE. I have no idea why I knew this name, but I just typed it in without thinking. Maybe it came up in an episode of Home Improvement or something...

20. Amiable: SWEET. Amiable music.

21. PIN requester: ATM. A new twisty clue, too bad it had to be all in caps.

22. European capital: RIGA. Capital of Latvia. I put in EURO right away and thought I was being clever to see through the clue.

24. 1871 Cairo premiere: AIDA. An opera by Giuseppe Verdi (Joe Green), who did not attend the premiere and was not happy that none of the attendees there were members of the general public.

27. Latin god: DEUS. Literally.

33. Own up to: ADMIT. Confess.

35. Pierre's peeper: OEIL. French for eye.

36. Eastern theater genre: NOH. Nōgaku is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles.

41. Fig leaf's outer edges?: EFS. Fig leaF.

44. iPod model: NANO. I'm sure these are designed for children with small fingers.

45. Surprise at the door: POP IN. This is seriously bent.

53. Rowlands of "Gloria": GENA. Virgina Cathryn Rowlands. Born in Madison, Wi. The only movie I've seen her in was Paulie, a picaresque (didn't we just have this word?) tale about a parrot, which also starred Tony Shaloub, who coincidentally was born and raised in Green Bay. Yes, it was a green and yellow parrot.

54. Gets free, as a smoke: BUMS. As Nice Cuppa might say, "bums a fag".

55. Flub: SLIP. Related word: slime, which also in turn gives us potter's clay, which is also called slip.

57. Highest power?: NTH.

58. One in a cast: ACTOR. Wrist? Thumb? What other 5-letter part can be broken?

62. Conceive: IDEATE.

68. Woo, in a way: SERENADE. From Italian serenata "an evening song," literally "calm sky," from sereno "the open air," noun use of sereno "clear, calm," from Latin serenus "peaceful, calm, serene." Sense influenced by Italian sera "evening".

69. Tied: EVENED. Verb form. I had EVEN UP at first.

70. Snuck up on, perhaps: STARTLED. Not completely the same thing, but the clue does only say "perhaps".

71. Ritual repasts: SEDERS. Passover meals. (I hope I got that right).

DOWN:

1. Angel dust, briefly: PCP. 1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl)piperidine, shortened to phencyclidine. Related to dextromethorphan, which is what you get in some cough syrups. Now you know why they tell you not to operate heavy equipment...

2. Caused to get up: ROUSTED. Rouse, a hawking term of obscure origin was originally used of hawks shaking their body feathers.

3. Best: OPTIMUM. From a form of Latin "optimus". Related: optimism, to think the best of.

4. Unit quantified in a subscript: ATOM. As in chemical formulas: H₂O (water) or C₅H₁₂ found in 46D. Compound used as a lab solvent: PENTANE. A five carbon chain. Organic chemistry, not organic farming...

5. Secondary: MINOR. Latin for smaller. Smallest (minimus), gives us minimum.

6. Having lovely panoramas: SCENIC. Equal rights pics, one for each.

7. "This tape will self-destruct in five seconds" fictional spy org.: IMF. Impossible Missions Force, Mission Impossible.

8. Modernists: NEOS. Greek prefix for new.

9. Gloat: CROW. Old English: crawian "make a loud noise" the sense of "exult in triumph" is perhaps in part because the English crow is a carrion-eater, that is, feeding on the "dead" opponent.

10. Johnson of "Laugh-In": ARTE.

11. "Frankly, __ ...": MY DEAR.

12. Poker face's lack: EMOTION. From Latin ex- movere: "to move".

13. VCR's "Go back": REW.

14. Abby's twin: ANN. Ann Landers, Abigail Van Buren.

18. Bell-shaped lily: SEGO.

21. Oklahoma city: ADA. Birthplace of Oral Roberts...

23. Lovey-dovey: AMOROUS.

25. British mil. honor: DSO. Distinguished Service Order.

26. Resilient wood: ASH.

28. Nurse: SIP.

30. Data for a neurologist, briefly: EEG. Electroencephalography

31. Broadcast: AIR.

32. Hair holder: CLIP.

34. Loads: TONS.

38. WWII female: WAC. Women's Army Corps.

39. It usually shows more detail: Abbr.: ENL. Enlargement. Just fill it in and move on.

40. Follow closely: DOG.

41. Wane: EBB.

42. Swine __: FLU. Don't get me started...

43. Indonesian island: SUMATRA.

47. Two, for one: INTEGER. Number 2 is an integer. Directly from Latin in- tangere, meaning not touched, whole. Related word: intact.

48. "Never mind": NAH. Something along the lines of "slangy" would have helped.

50. Artist known for spatial impossibilities: ESCHER. Maurits Cornelis (M. C.)

51. Part of QE2: Abbr.: ELIZ. Queen Elizabeth II ocean liner. Now, just sitting in Dubai.

52. Walks like a crab: SIDLES. Sideways motion.

56. Irk: PEEVE. I kept reading this clue as ink.

59. Big top, for one: TENT.

60. Official gem of South Australia: OPAL. Really an abundance of a straight-forward clue...

61. Brusque: RUDE. From French brusque: "lively, fierce".

63. Mimicked: APED. To mimic is "of or related to mimes". Can't say I ever saw an ape try to get out of an invisible box.

64. CIA predecessor: OSS. Office of Strategic Services, wartime intelligence.

65. Safety device: NET.

66. The London Zoo has one: ZED. British for ZEE. Starting letter of Zoo,

67. Ms. evaluators: EDS. Manuscripts, editors.

Answer grid.

Al

Tuesday, September 7, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Am I Blue? - A timely question, now that summer is over. The first word of the four common phrases is a shade of blue, followed by the unifier in the SE.

20A. 1978 movie set in a Turkish prison : MIDNIGHT EXPRESS. It is based on Billy Hayes' book. Hayes was a young American student sent to a Turkish prison for trying to smuggle hashish out of Turkey. Midnight blue is a dark shade of blue, close to black.

35A. Volatile situation : POWDER KEG. Powder blue may refer to two different colors. Originally, it referred to a dark blue color, but it has since come to refer to a pale blue color. The original color is now called dark powder blue, also called smalt.

46A. White legumes : NAVY BEANS. Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue which almost appears as black and got its name from the dark blue worn by officers in the British Royal Navy since 1748.

57A. Big name in Danish porcelain : ROYAL COPENHAGEN Founded in 1775; its mark. Royal blue is traditionally defined as a deep to dark blue, often with a purple or faint reddish tinge.

70A. Shades of it begin this puzzle's four longest answers : BLUE. Did you consider placing BLUE as the last Across entry in 73A, Donna?

Argyle here.

I hope you all had a nice Labor Day. Now you can have a nice Tuesday puzzle. (After my write-up, I notice the hardest part is the language in the clues.)

Across:

1. Stinging flier : WASP

5. Unifying idea : THEME

10. Let the cat out of the bag : BLAB

14. Seed cover : HULL. The outer cover, the chaff.

15. "Bolero" composer : RAVEL

16. Monetary unit of Cyprus : EURO. Straight forward clue; no bread today.

17. Notion : IDEA

18. Repeated question in Matthew : IS IT I

19. Dollar dispensers, briefly : ATMS

23. Part of ESL: Abbr. : ENG. English as a second language

24. One of a "Great" quintet : ERIE. The Great Lakes.

25. Evian, e.g. : SPA. Evian-les-Bains is a lovely mountain city on the French-Swiss border.

28. Hotpoint appliances, familiarly : GES. Owned by General Electric. There is also Hotpoint appliance manufacturer in Britain but not related.

30. Peppery root veggie : RADISH

39. Because : SINCE

40. Island feast : LUAU

41. Peaceful protest : SIT IN

43. Sgts. and cpls. : NCOS

44. Real estate units : ACRES

48. Escaping, with "on" : THE LAM

50. Observe narrowly : EYE. "Narrowly" because you often squint your eyes to get a better look. The famous Eastwood squint.

51. Observe : SEE

52. "Gilligan's Island" shelters : HUTS

55. E. Coast border : ATL Atlantic Ocean.

65. Early sibling rivalry victim : ABEL

66. Mall booth : KIOSK

67. Cass's title : MAMA. Cass Elliot, of "The Mamas and Papas".

68. Scintilla : IOTA

69. Run off to get hitched : ELOPE

71. Island garlands : LEIS

72. "Robinson Crusoe" author : DEFOE. Daniel Defoe (ca. 1659-1661 – 1731)

73. Back talk : SASS

Down:

1. Caprice : WHIM

2. Car company whose name is Latin for "Hark!" : AUDI. Sona is Latin for "Honk!"

3. Winter ride : SLED

4. Carpentry smoother : PLANE. Image.

5. Gun activators : TRIGGERS

6. Diner hodgepodge dish : HASH

7. Online party notice : E-VITE. I can just imagine the groans going up when this answer was revealed.

8. Curbside payment collector : METER

9. Cure-all mixture : ELIXIR

10. Yogi or Boo-Boo : BEAR. Cartoon bears.

11. Mandolin relative : LUTE. Short clip.

12. Second Amendment subject : ARMS. Guns.

13. Chief : BOSS

21. "Bus Stop" playwright : INGE

22. They may be split in soup : PEAS

25. Water balloon sound : SPLAT

26. Marsupial's pocket : POUCH

27. Cognizant : AWARE

29. Dermatologist's concern : SKIN

31. Eat in style : DINE

32. Machu Picchu architects : INCAS

33. Pastry at a Devonshire tea : SCONE

34. "Siddhartha" author Hermann : HESSE

36. Hamilton-Burr engagement : DUEL. Hamilton lost.

37. Greek "H" : ETA

38. Rhett's last verb : GIVE

42. Pinstriped ALer : NY YANKEE. Often paired with Rhett's last noun.

45. Humorist Mort : SAHL

47. "Little Women" woman : BETH

49. Folded (one's hand), in poker slang : MUCKED. Not a term I'm familiar with.

53. Patterned fabric : TOILE. Toile, which is a French word, translates literally to 'cloth'. Its origins can be traced to Jouy-en-Josas, France, where the first commercial plant to mass produce it started production in 1760. Despite its very proper reputation, toile had a decidedly illicit beginning.

54. "SNL" staple : SPOOF. Saturday Night Live (SNL)

56. Symbols of gentleness : LAMBS

57. Pool table border : RAIL

58. Bassoon cousin : OBOE

59. Legendary Himalayan : YETI

60. Sighed word : ALAS

61. Hockey Hall of Famer Phil, to his fans : ESPO. Philip Anthony Esposito(born February 20, 1942 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey center.

62. Festive party : GALA

63. Avian Aussies : EMUS

64. Hamish's refusals : NAES. Scottish.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Friday August 20, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: House Pun - The first word of each common phrase is replaced by a sound-alike type of house. The resulting phrase is then humorously clued.

17A. Faithful caretaker of a religious residence? : MANSE BEST FRIEND. The base phrase is Man's Best Friend. Manse is parson's residence.

26A. Stately home for debate team practice? : MANOR OF SPEECH. Manner of Speech. I'm more familiar with "manner of speaking".

45A. Former European princess's elaborate dwelling? : ESTATE OF GRACE. State of Grace. Princess Grace. The only theme entries with an extra syllable added.

58A. French castle built with misgivings? : CHATEAU OF A DOUBT. Shadow of a Doubt. Sound change is quite pronounced in this one, with different stress. But a great clue.

This puzzle is very close in theme style and grid design to Donna's last "Hat Pun": four theme entries (the first and last are grid-spanners in both puzzles) punning on the first word of each familiar phrase. The clues are more consistent in this one. Consistency is important in cluing this punny type. You either adhere to the old meaning or the transformed meaning. Can't do both. The hat, no hat, no hat, hat in the "Hat Pun" theme clues bothered me.

Donna has gradually filled in the Friday LAT pun void left by Dan Naddor and she is now our Friday Ms. Pun.

I am very fond of the two Down 10s which crossed three theme answers each:

11D. Operating room number? : ANESTHESIA. Number = Stuff that numb you.

28D. Home of the flightless kakapo : NEW ZEALAND. Kakapo looks like an owl. Why are they flightless?

The clue for ANTONYM (20A. Choose to reject, say? ) is just brilliant. The word "choose" is an antonym of "reject".

Across:

1. Dirty : LEWD. "Indecent" Dirty.

5. Fictional Fort Baxter noncom : BILKO. Sergeant Bilko.

10. Bar assistant? : PARA. Paralegal. Attorney's assistant.

14. Like the northern Antilles Islands vis-à-vis the southern ones : ALEE. I don't get this, Spitzboov.

15. Enjoyed home cooking : ATE IN

16. City named for a Tennyson heroine : ENID. In Oklahoma. Named for the character Enid in "Idylls of the King". Unknown trivia to me.

21. Draw : TIE

22. Vancouver-to-Seattle dir. : SSE. Always need crossing help for dir.

23. Defunct Frontier Airlines competitor : TED. Belonged to United.

24. Not quite NC-17 : R-RATED. Rated G, Rated PG, Rated PG -13, Rated R, then Rated NC-17. Got me.

32. Mars, to the Greeks : ARES. The ending S in Greek always suggests of a male. Ares, Zeus, etc.

33. Aglet's locale : LACE. Aglet is the metal tag at the end of a shoe lace. Like the red cirled part.

34. Per person : A HEAD. A new clue spin on common one word AHEAD.

37. Stitch : SEW

38. Spilled, with "out" : BLURTED

40. Dept. in a "Law & Order" spin-off : SVU. I only like the original "Law & Order".

41. Vocaphone : KAZOO. What is "Vocaphone"?

43. Feudal peasant : SERF

44. Like a pinto : PIED. Mottled "pinto" horse, with multicolored patches.

48. Pokes fun at, in a way : ROASTS

50. Anger : IRE

51. It's used at Gallaudet U. : ASL (American Sign Language). I've never heard of Gallaudet University, "a federally chartered university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing", based in D.C, according to Wikipedia.

52. Umpire's call : LET. The referee in Tennis is called umpire also?

54. Winter spikes : ICICLES

61. Popular bar game : KENO. Originated in China.

62. Hard to move : STOIC. To move emotionally.

63. The duck in "Peter and the Wolf" : OBOE. I am always confused by those characters.

64. "Soldier of Love" singer, 2009 : SADE. Gimme for me, but then I love Sade.

65. Delish : YUMMY

66. White underling : KENT (Clark). Perry White's underling in the "Superman".

Down:

1. Eastern priest : LAMA. Only in Tibet.

2. Pizazz : ELAN

3. Hit the road : WENT

4. FireDome and Fireflite : DESOTOS. Cars. Waiting for Argyle for the links. He knows everything about cars.

5. Short nightie : BABY DOLL. Lovely color.

6. Canoodling couple, maybe : ITEM

7. Liszt's "__ Preludes" : LES. I guessed.

8. "Santa Baby" singer : KITT (Eartha). Hmm, happy fill for Lois and her "Santa Baby"!

9. Lit : ON FIRE

10. Louvre Pyramid architect : PEI (I.M.)

12. Washer cycle : RINSE

13. Put two and two together : ADDED. Somehow I was thinking of the lumber term 2X2.

18. U.S. dept. with a sun on its seal : ENER. See this seal. There's indeed a sun.

19. Go over again : REREAD

25. Bavarian beef? : ACH. Alas, not real beef for the meat lovers. Alliteration.

26. Conceal : MASK

27. Field : AREA

29. Legendary soul seller : FAUST. He sold his soul to the devil.

30. Cliffside litter : SCREE. Like this, the rocky debris.

31. Chemical prefix? : PETRO. Petrochemical. Why question mark?

35. "__ plaisir!" : AVEC. Literally "with pleasure".

36. Buddy : DUDE

38. Hold in, with "up" : BOTTLE

39. Productiveness : EFFICACY. Great entry.

42. CIA's ancestor : OSS. Ennui!

44. Parboil : PRECOOK

46. Equally simple : AS EASY

47. Power network : GRID. Electric power.

48. Sets up the balls : RACKS. Pool. Lois knows how to "set up the balls".

49. Actor Milo : O'SHEA

53. 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner : TUTU. 1984? That's long time ago.

54. "Correct me __ wrong ..." : IF I'M

55. Auto mechanic's job : LUBE

56. Black, poetically : EBON

57. Re-edit, in a way : STET. "Let it stand", Let the canceled material remain.

59. Ring site : TOE. Quite pretty.

60. Half a tuba sound : OOM. Oom-pah.

Answer grid.

Our Friday blog team photo continues. Here is a recent photo of Al, a database administrator based in Green Bay, WI. Al loves words and etymologies, as you've probably learned from his always knowledgeable comments and Thursday puzzle write-ups. Al is also very well versed in nutrition due to his personal experiences and background in chemistry. He also loves guitar and takes lessons every week.

C.C.

Friday July 23, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Hat Pun - The first word of each two-word familiar phrase is replaced by a type of hat, and the resulting phrase is humorously clued.

20A. Opportunity to examine some headwear? : CLOCHE ENCOUNTER. The base phrase is "close encounter". Cloche hat is bell-shaped & close-fitting, worn by those flappers in 1920s. Last consonant sound change.

33A. Call-in broadcasting for chefs? : TOQUE RADIO. Talk radio. Chefs wear toque. Vowel & last consonant changes.

40A. Northerners who dress with Scottish flair? : TAM YANKEES. "Damn Yankees" the musical. First consonant change.

47A. Hats that are soft and angular? : BOWLER OPPOSITES. Polar opposites. First consonant change also.

Minor inconsistencies. Tough to come up a focused set of theme entries with consistent sound change.

Still a fun theme theme. Wish clues were more consistent though: the first & last theme clues have a direct reference to hat, not the middle two.

Other than one Q, no other expensive letters (J/V/X/Z) today. And plenty of 4-letter words (total 36) in the grid, which always makes the puzzle accessible, to me any way. FYI, the average word length in this puzzle is under 4.97, shorter than our average Fridays.

Across:

1. Stage routines : ACTS. Rare to gain an immediate toehold on Fridays.

5. Full of spunk : SASSY

10. Shenanigan pullers : IMPS

14. Multilayer farm site? : COOP. Hens lays eggs again and again, hence "multilayer"?

15. Twaddle : TRIPE. Twaddle suggests silly talk. Tripe is just rubbish. No equation to my ears.

16. "Ta ta!" : CIAO

17. It's entered and processed : DATA

18. Needle bearers : PINES. Pine needles.

19. Pachacuti, for one : INCA. Have never heard of Pachacuti (literally meant "earth-shaker"), Inca Empire builder.

23. Grub : EATS

24. Recycled T-shirt? : RAG. Not the cryptic signal "recycle".

25. Carol beginning : ADESTE. "Adeste Fideles".

28. Proactiv target : ACNE

30. One of a cup's 48: Abbr. : TSP (Teaspoon). I bet Jazzbumpa saw "... A Cup's...". He's been concerned about the deflation effect on bra size in crossword.

35. Pampas weapon : BOLA

36. "Seinfeld" actress Julia __-Dreyfus : LOUIS. Elaine Benes.

37. Posed : SAT

38. Idol whose fans are known as Claymates : AIKEN

39. Gray area?: Abbr. : ANAT. Gray's Anatomy.

42. Condiment for pommes frites : SEL. French for "salt".

43. Livens (up) : PEPS

44. Delicate : DAINTY

45. Mendicant title : FRA

46. God attended by Valkyries : ODIN. We just had AESIR yesterday.

55. Plant used for first aid : ALOE

56. More than 70% of Earth's surface : OCEAN

57. Stretched just short of the breaking point : TAUT

58. Tidings : NEWS

59. Sudden movement : START. Thought of JERK.

60. Gumbo ingredient : OKRA

61. "Gee willikers!" : GOSH

62. Keep an __ the ground : EAR TO

63. McJob performer : PEON. Did you think of TEMP also?

Down:

1. Versatile, electronically : AC/DC. Didn't emerge easily.

2. Historic Newcastle resource : COAL. Don't know where Newcastle is. Not familiar with the idiom "selling coal to Newcastle" either, a foolhardy or pointless action, a la Wikipedia.

3. Miss Gulch's bête-noire, somewhat literally : TOTO. " The Wizard of Oz" dog, which appears in many of Donna's puzzles.

4. Garb for Apollo : SPACE SUIT. Pictured the Greek god Apollo, not that I know what garb he's wearing.

5. Religious guardian : ST. PETER. For heaven. No abbr. hint in the clue.

6. Astrological ovine : ARIES. Ram sign.

7. __ Fein : SINN

8. Blueprint item, briefly : SPEC

9. "Just give me an answer already!" : YES OR NO. Nice answer/clue.

10. Hockey infraction : ICING. No idea. Don't follow hockey.

11. After-dinner item : MINT

12. Step : PACE

13. Look down on the clouds, perhaps : SOAR. Dudley our pilot guy would love this clue.

21. Can't take : HATES

22. Seven sheikdoms fed. : UAE (United Arab Emirates)

25. Rand's shrugger : ATLAS. "Atlas Shrugged".

26. Shortbread cookie surname : DOONE. Got me. Have never had "Lorna Doone".

27. Peer : EQUAL

28. Apple or ale lead-in : ADAMS. Adam's ale = water.

29. Pierre, e.g. : CITY. I've got to think of South Dakota next time Pierre comes up.

30. Perfunctory : TOKEN

31. Wintry woe : SLEET

32. Flower name derived from the French for "thought" : PANSY. New trivia to me. Pencer is French verb for "to think". Sounds similar. (Correction: It's penser. Thanks, Kazie!)

34. PDQ cousin : ASAP

35. Halter, perhaps : BIKINI TOP. In a way, yes.

38. "Henry & June" role : ANAIS. Stumper. Returned my Netflix on this movie. Could not warm myself to it.

40. Lady Hillingdon is a cultivar of one : TEA ROSE. Yellow and has a tea fragrance. See here.

41. Enlarge, as a house : ADD ONTO

43. Ante- equivalent : PRE

45. Meat : FLESH

46. Victor Vasarely's genre : OP-ART. Victor Vasarely was a Hungarian French artist whose work is generally seen aligned with Op-Art, says Wiki. Total stranger to me.

47. Explosion : BANG

48. It's found in tubs : OLEO. Not bathtub.

49. Awes : WOWS

50. Tetra- times two : OCTA. Prefix for "eight". Tetra, "four".

51. Fruit with a "check the neck" ripeness test : PEAR

52. Steal : TAKE

53. Slovenia capital : EURO. "Capital" always refers to "currency" in late week puzzles.

54. Ollie's sidekick : STAN

Answer grid.

In the next few Fridays, I am going to show a recent photo of our regular blogging contributors. We start today with Darling Santa Argyle. He said: "My cousin took a picture of me saying a prayer before his son attacks my hair and beard. I'm not gonna showing the "after" picture." Argyle's nicknames: Scott, Scotty, Cid/Sid, Skid, Skidney, El Cid and "Hey, you".

C.C.