Sunday June 15, 2014 Elizabeth C. Gorski

Theme: "Pa de Deux" -  All theme entries are two-word answers in the pattern of PA* PA*.

22A. Van Eyck's "Ghent Altarpiece," for one : PANEL PAINTING

32A. Baking pan liner : PARCHMENT PAPER

49A. Eaten or drunk : PAST PARTICIPLE. Chinese is so simple. No "a", "an", "the", no conjugation for verbs either.

 

66A. Restaurante cookware : PAELLA PANS. Never had paella before.

73A. Comedian the Smothers Brothers convinced to run for President : PAT PAULSEN

90A. Swirly fabric design : PAISLEY PATTERN

104A. Breakdancing garb : PARACHUTE PANTS

120A. Sleepovers with pillow fights : PAJAMA PARTIES

Timely theme from Liz to celebrate Father's Day!  I mentioned in the interview how I love Liz's clues. Look at these few:

55A. Messages from Mozart? : NOTES 

75A. Private organization? : ARMY

1D. Fat head?: LIPO. "Head" because LIPO is a prefix for "fat", correct?

52D. Fowl language? : PEEP

103D. Acts inappropriately? : EMOTES

Across:

1. Judges' concerns : LAWS

5. 2002 Winter Games host, initially : SLC. Mitt Romney was really in his element then.

8. Pyramid, to Tut : TOMB

12. Has because of : OWES TO

18. Ape : IMITATOR

20. Auction site : EBAY. Has any of you tried uBid?

21. More eminent : GREATER

24. Learning experiences : LESSONS

25. "SNL" alum Cheri : OTERI

26. 2001, in letters : MMI. The year I came to the US.

27. Adorable to the max : CUTEST

29. Sugary finish : OSE

30. Mongolian wild ass habitat : GOBI. Onager (Asian wild ass) guess! See, Liz found new angle to clue an old stand-by.

36. Not averse : WILLING

39. "... boy __ girl?" : OR A

40. Classical music hall : ODEON

41. Maestro __-Pekka Salonen : ESA. No idea. Wiki said "He is currently Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and Conductor Laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic". Finnish.

42. Cork, for one : COUNTY

45. Utterly ridiculous : ASININE

56. Captain's command : TO SEA

57. Buddy : PAL

58. Can refuse to : NEED NOT

61. Airline to Oslo : SAS

62. Showed happiness, with "up" : LIT

64. Easy to like : GENIAL

65. Tightly bound bundle : BALE

76. All-in-one component : COPIER

78. Storm dir. : NNE

79. Lobster eater's protection : BIB. Too bad these four people stole others' hard-earned bib numbers in Boston Marathon.

80. City on Lake Ontario : TORONTO

81. Casual greetings : YOS

84. "Heart Shaped World" singer Chris : ISAAK

88. Infection cause : STAPH

93. Tried to bean : THREW AT

96. Mr. and Mrs. : TITLES

97. 1970s court alias : ROE

98. Cheese-topped chip : NACHO. Never had nachos.

100. No-seats-available shorthand : SRO (Standing Room Only)

101. Cough medicine additive : CODEINE. Addictive drug.

110. Hurricane response org. : FEMA

111. Ipanema locale : RIO

112. 1999 Top 10 hit for Sixpence None the Richer : KISS ME. I know the song, not the singers.

113. Net exchange : IMs

115. Pocahontas' husband John : ROLFE

118. Teach bit by bit : INSTILL

124. In a no-nonsense manner : STERNLY

125. Enterprise counselor : TROI (Deanna)

 

126. Approve of : SAY YES TO

127. Guide the team : MANAGE

128. Belgian river : YSER

129. Otto I's realm: Abbr. : HRE. D-Otto, did your ancestors come from Germany?

130. D.C. Metro stops : STAs

Down:

  

2. Bit of beginning Latin : AMAT. "Amo, amas, amat"

3. Red or white container : WINE GLASS. Oh, red or white wine container.

4. Waxy compound : STEROL

5. Indy additive : STP

6. Fertile soil : LOAM

7. Pinch and press, as pie crust edges : CRIMP. Chinese dumplings also take lots of pinching and pressing along the edges.

8. Lunar Asian holiday : TET. And 9D. Asian sash : OBI

10. La __: Spanish region : MANCHA

11. Old-fashioned oath : BY GUM!

12. Electra's brother : ORESTES

13. Academy since 1802 : WEST POINT. So glad the VA scandal was exposed. The VA here in MN drove me nuts.

14. __ in echo : E AS

15. Urban hangout : STOOP. I was thinking of  mall style "hangout".

16. In a knot : TENSE

17. "Carmen on Ice" Emmy sharer Brian : ORSER. Here is a clip. New to me. 

19. Tall story, often : ALIBI

21. Jackson of "Mary, Queen of Scots" : GLENDA

23. Actress Vardalos : NIA

28. Racecar driver Fabi : TEO

31. Empire that stretched as far south as Chile : INCA

33. School mil. program : ROTC

34. In tears : CRYING. And 36. Was in tears : WEPT

35. A.D. part : ANNO

37. Senior golfer Aoki : ISAO. Champions Tour (Senior PGA) has a stop in MN. They play at a course fairly close to our home. Never saw him.

38. Nutty trail snack : GORP

43. Acting teacher Hagen : UTA

44. None : NIL

46. "__ I said ..." : IT'S AS.  Sunday puzzles will always have a few undesirable entries, even if the constructor is Liz.

47. Hall of Fame football coach Earle "Greasy" __ : NEALE.  Escaped me. We had him before.

48. Ruhr city : ESSEN

50. William and Kate's set : TELLY

51. Water carrier : PAIL

53. Contemporary of Ella : LENA (Horne)

54. Add or delete, say : EDIT

59. Little break : NAP

60. "The Good Earth" wife : O-LAN. Loved the book. Very compassionate portrayal of the China my grandma grew up.

63. Snack in a shell : TACO

65. Favored : BLEST

66. Owner of Lone Star Beer : PABST

67. Grade sch. subject : ARITH

68. Put in prison : EMBAR

69. __ favor : POR

70. Per : APOP

71. Jazz singer Simone : NINA

72. "The X-Files" gp. : SETI

74. Storage __ : UNIT

77. Talking points? : ROSTRA. Nice clue also.

80. What a piñata gets at a kids' party : THWACKING. Cool word.

81. So far : YET

82. Popeye's "goil" Olive : OYL

83. What some build on : SPEC

85. Circus performer : AERIALIST

86. "Moses und __": Schoenberg opera : ARON. Click here. So, is Aaron spelled as Aron in German?

87. Guitar support : KNEE

89. Transportation secretary under Clinton : PENA (Federico)

91. Feline king : LION

92. Since : AS OF

94. __ Lauro: ship in 1985 news : ACHILLE. No memory of the incident at all.

95. Like so : THUSLY

99. Extra NFL periods : OTS

100. Plant shoots : SPEARS

102. Fictional town in Stephen King works : DERRY

104. Spectroscope part : PRISM

105. AC/DC's "Hell __ Bad Place to Be" : AIN'T A

106. Cleveland Indians legend Al : ROSEN. Hondo can recognize the year of this card immediately.

107. Ready for a refill : EMPTY

108. "Make it work" fashion mogul Gunn : TIM. "Make it work" is his signature catchphrase. He has a great column at "StyleWatch". 

109. Big hit : SMASH

114. Practice for a prizefight : SPAR

116. Salad cheese : FETA

117. Those, to Jorge : ESOS

119. Singing syllable : TRA

121. Morning cup : JOE

122. Lung filler : AIR

123. Word a captain likes to hear : AYE

Happy 49th wedding anniversary to Bill G and his wife Barbara! Bill, where are you doing today?

Barbara & Bill

Sunday June 30, 2013 Elizabeth C. Gorski

Theme:"PH Balance" - P & H bookend each theme entry.

23A. 11-part documentary with the episodes "Caves" and "Deserts" : PLANET EARTH

 

37A. "Peanuts" Halloween setting : PUMPKIN PATCH. Remember John Lampkin's Pumpkin puzzle?

68A. Yamaha seat, perhaps : PIANO BENCH

71A. It can help you put on a coat : PAINT BRUSH

100A. Soapbox delivery : PUBLIC SPEECH. And 107A. 1942 Cooper role : GEHRIG (Lou). The Pride of the Yankees. "... today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth" is one of the best public speeches. 

121D. Fruity pastry : PPRUNE DANISH

33D. Hybrid language : PIDGIN ENGLISH

 

35D. A former ace might be one : PITCHING COACH

 

Simple theme today. Liz Gorski's NYT puzzles often have an extra layer of visual involved. She's a true artist. 

She's also a brilliant clue writer. Rich probably changed only a few words of her clues.

 

Across:

1. Sixth-day creation : ADAM

5. Iraqi port : BASRA. Sinbad's hometown.

10. Exchange : SWAP

14. Supermodel with a Global Chic collection : IMAN. Never tried her products, but I'm aware of the line.

18. Jared of "Lonely Hearts" : LETO

19. Places of worship : ALTARS

21. Kent State state : OHIO

22. Upscale : TONY

25. Lopsided win : ROMP

26. Trumpeter, e.g. : SWAN. Trumpeter swan. Wiki said it's "the heaviest bird native to North America and is, on average, the largest extant waterfowl species on earth."

27. Motorcade wheels : SEDANS

28. Flea market transactions : RE-SALES

30. Meager : SCANTY

32. Happy outdoorsman? : CAMPER

34. Grafton's "__ for Malice" : M IS

35. "The Little Sparrow" : PIAF (Edith)

36. "My Cousin Vinny" Oscar winner : TOMEI (Marisa)

42. E. African land : ETH (Ethiopia). Has any of you dined at the Red Rooster?

44. Year-span separator : EN DASH

47. After-dinner drink : PORT

48. Noodlehead : SCHMO. The SCHMO in our association has a garage sale almost every week. 8 bikes on his lawn yesterday! He called those who complained about him "Racist". And 94D. Downsizing event? : DIET. Not yard sale, you SCHMO!

49. Quaint writer : QUILL

51. Despondency : GLOOM

53. Personal quirk : TIC

54. Resort NE of Los Alamos : TAOS

55. __ Reader: eclectic magazine : UTNE

56. "Beats me!" : I DUNNO

58. Fancy pillowcase : SHAM

61. Blast cause : TNT

62. "Let __!": "Move on!" : IT GO

63. Power dept. : ENER

64. __-pah band : OOM

66. Personal ltrs. : INITS. How many letters in your name? Mine has 15 and quite scrabbly.

75. Italian fashion center : MILAN

76. Get takeout, say : EAT

78. "Bus Stop" playwright : INGE (William)

79. Visiting the Getty Center, briefly : IN LA

80. Turkish honorific : AGA

82. NASA hire : ENGR

84. Landing strip : TARMAC

86. Britney's ex, in tabloids : K-FED. He was her backup dancer at the beginning. J-Lo's current boyfriend is her backup dancer as well.

87. Long lunches : SUBS

89. Schlep : LUG

91. "... farm, __" : E I E I O

92. Aptly named novelist : READE (Charles)

93. "Dust Tracks on __": Zora Neale Hurston autobiography : A ROAD

95. Apple product : iPOD

97. Bank ad number : CD RATE. Ultra low.

99. El Al home: Abbr. : ISR

103. Humidor item : CIGAR

105. Radio host John : TESH

106. __ Balls: Hostess snack food : SNO

109. Hospitality : WARMTH

112. From now on : ANYMORE

114. Iron target : ANEMIA

118. Berry touted as a superfood : ACAI. This always stumps some on our blog. Super friendly letter combo, so you'd better commit it to your memory.

119. Org. with part of a prominent statue in its logo : ACLU

123. It may be ear-to-ear : GRIN

124. Wild way to run : RIOT

125. Doddering : SENILE. I often wonder if Deep Throat revealed his identity willingly.

126. Sussex streetcar : TRAM

127. Dover delicacy : SOLE

128. Breadbasket bunch : PATS

129. Parts of goblets : STEMS

130. It often takes place in a bar : JOKE

Down:

1. Skier's mecca : ALPS

2. Editing mark : DELE

3. Hardly at all : A TAD

4. Rainier's locale : MONACO. Oh, I was thinking of Mt. Rainier. Not the prince.

5. Cricket players : BATSMEN

6. Bass in a glass : ALE. Bass ale.

7. It may be glassy : STARE

8. Less common : RARER

9. Dance and such : ARTS

10. Touchy subject : SORE SPOT

11. Villagers below Mount Crumpit : WHOS.  Dr. Seuss.

12. Goal : AIM

13. Visits on a whim : POPS IN

14. "Believe you me!" : IT'S A FACT. Never said "Believe you me".

15. Cut : MOWN

16. Constitutional subj.? : ANAT. Great clue.

17. Abbr. on Manhattan mail : NY, NY

20. SeaWorld headliner : SHAMU

24. Tooth coating : ENAMEL

29. Tired : LIMP

31. They may be used for emphasis : CAPS

36. Doohickey : THINGAMABOB. Nice entry.

37. Sound unit : PHON. So is SONE.

38. Reality TV matriarch Jenner : KRIS. Grandma to North West.

39. Ethical complaint : THAT'S UNFAIR

40. "Hurry!" : C'MON

41. Olympics city, e.g. : HOST

42. Furnish : EQUIP

43. Everyone, in orchestral scores : TUTTI

45. Noted Mayflower passenger : ALDEN (John)

46. Origin : SOURCE

50. "Spanglish" actress Téa : LEONI

52. Phone button sequence : MNO

57. Alley in comics : OOP

59. Pay (up) : ANTE

60. Will Smith film series, briefly : MIB (Men in Black). And 104D. Will Smith's role in 60-Down : AGENT J. Tommy Lee Jones is Agent K.

63. "Personal Witness: Israel Through My Eyes" author : EBAN (Abba)

65. Injured badly : MAIMED

67. Playground ride : TRIKE

69. Grand __ Opry : OLE

70. Bowler, for one : HAT. Nailed it.

72. Lead __: EPA concern : IN AIR

73. Flexible Flyers, e.g. : SLEDS

74. Recent "SNL" regular Bill : HADER

77. Inventor's monogram : TAE. Thomas Alva Edison.

80. Urgent acronym : ASAP. Hurry up to Home Depot, while you're still young.

81. Trusted adviser : GURU

83. College hoops coach with 876 victories : RUPP ( Adolph). Gimme for PK. I drew a blank. Rupp Arena is named after him.

85. Really funny : RICH

88. Grueling workplace : SALT MINE. Yet salt is so cheap.

90. Freaks out : GOES NUTS

92. Capital west of Winnipeg : REGINA

96. Turn down : DENY

98. Cross words : TIRADES. Another great clue.

101. Note in a D major scale : C SHARP

102. Free stuff : COMPS

107. Weight room sound : GRUNT

108. "__ Meenie": Kingston/Bieber song : EENIE

109. Wits : WAGS

110. High opening : ACRO

111. Track boundary : RAIL

112. Tremendously : A LOT

113. Holders of buried treasures : ORES. Love it. Hard to come up fresh clues for ORES.

115. Joan of art : MIRO

116. "Winter's Tales" author Dinesen : ISAK. Only know her "Out of Africa".

117. Words of lament : AH ME

120. Org. in Clancy novels : CIA

122. Spreading tree : ELM

C.C.

Sunday March 3, 2013 Elizabeth C. Gorski,

Theme: "Invitees" - T is inserted into each common phrase.

23A. Heavenly ruler? : ST. PETER'S T-SQUARE. St Peter's Square. So I listened to John Thavis interview with "Fresh Air" the other night. Wow, was I disillusioned. Corruption, turf battle. 

35A. Game with swinging and dancing? : DISCO T-BALL. Disco ball.

43A. Theban king's dinosaur? : OEDIPUS T. REX. Oedipus Rex. King of Thebes.

69A. Economy-boosting govt. issue? : STIMULUS T-BILL. Stimulus bill. Been more than 4 years.

96A. Steaks served at roasts? : FUNNY T-BONES. Funny bones.

102A. Contraption that gives skiers a lift in more ways than one? : COFFEE T-BAR. Coffee bar.

118A. Motto for the Untouchables? : STAND BY YOUR T-MAN. "Stand by Your Man".

Neat to see those stalwart T* words we often see in Xwords elevated into theme entries today. Very clever gimmick.

Liz Gorski also constructed one of the puzzles for the coming ACPT. That's truly an All-Star lineup.

Across:

1. Sympathy seekers : MARTYRS. Thought of that Tunisian guy who set himself on fire. Without him, there probably would not have been Arab Spring.

8. Spring title on a beefcake calendar : MR. MAY.  To me, Dave Winfield is the "Mr. May". Steinbrenner wanted a "Mr. October" (Reggie Jackson). Like Paul Molitor, Winfield was born in St. Paul.

13. Chills out : RESTS

18. Almond-flavored liqueur : AMARETTO

20. Ocean floor : SEA BED

22. Strain : EXERT

25. "The War Between the Tates" author Alison : LURIE. Not familiar with the book or the author. 

26. Cub with many dingers : SOSA. He'll never make the Hall.

27. Wight or Man: Abbr. : ISL

28. Party org. : DNC. Or RNC.

29. Alarm : STARTLE

31. Best-selling physician : DR. SPOCK

37. "I'm responsible" : BLAME ME. How nice!

40. Cohn played by Pacino in "Angels in America" : ROY.  Is it as good as "City of Angels"?

42. Sea eagles : ERNES

46. Bond girl Ekland : BRITT. No memory of this girl. She's in "The Man with the Golden Gun". Splynter's kind of girl.

47. Hubbub : ADO

50. Polish targets : NAILS. I still maintain that a man who's fully capable of taking care of himself should not visit a nail salon.

51. Surfer's gadget : REMOTE

53. Stereo on one's shoulder : BOOMBOX

55. Handed down, in a way : ORAL. Like folklore.

56. Still in the game : ALIVE

58. Kemo __ : SABE

60. The Green Wall of China is designed to slow its expansion : GOBI. Oh I read it "The Great Wall of China" and said "What?". This project started in 1978. Will be completed in 2050, supposedly. Lots of trees have been planted along the desert line.

61. City whose police cars sport a witch logo : SALEM. New trivia to me.

63. __ Nostra : COSA

64. Surpassed : OUTDID

66. Klutz : OAF

73. Bootery spec : EEE

74. Absolutely awful : STINKO

76. Writer Bagnold : ENID

77. Crimean Peninsula city : YALTA

79. Ripped : TORE

80. Fedora feature : BRIM

81. Pond flower : CALLA. Calla lily.

83. Sweet'__: drink additive : N LOW. Fake sugar.

87. As a group : EN MASSE

90. Prefix with -crat : TECHNO

92. "Revolutionary" Chopin work : ETUDE

93. Object in court : RES

94. Parishioner's obligation : TITHE

99. Pianist known for his Beethoven interpretations : ARRAU (Claudio). Chilean pianist.

100. See 62-Down : FOR. 62. With 100-Across, petition : ASK. 

101. Freaky to the max : EERIEST

106. City in Pennsylvania Dutch country : LEBANON. Gimme for Yellowrocks.

109. Like some back roads : ONE LANE
 

110. Goat's cry : MAA

112. Golden, in Paris : D'OR. As in Palme D'or.

113. Poetic dusks : EENS

117. VersaVac maker : ORECK

123. Grammy-winning Gorme : EYDIE

124. Persian Gulf sight : TANKER

125. Warned : ON NOTICE

126. Overhaul the lawn : RE-SOD

127. Low voice : BASSO

128. Getty of "The Golden Girls" : ESTELLE

Down:

1. Sunday ritual : MASS. Boomer is a Catholic. He does not go to Church on Sundays.

2. "__ to PM": 2001 Christina Milian hit : AM TO. Typo in clue. Song title is  simply "Am to Pm" (Argyle.)

3. Eschews the doorbell : RAPS
 

4. Purchases that give you a run for your money? : TREADMILLS. Great clue.

5. "Not __" : YET

6. Bus driver's course: Abbr. : RTE

7. Zebra patterns : STRIPES 

8. Bks. in progress : MSS

9. Like some coll. courses : REQ'D. Like my Marxism/Leninism. Totally useless.

10. Cleansing rite associated with Easter : MAUNDY. Thursday.

11. Collectible calculators : ABACI

12. "__ out!" : YER

13. Empathize with : RELATE TO

14. Prosperous outlying areas : EXURBS

15. Mattress brand : SERTA

16. Flutist's warble : TRILL

17. __ wool : STEEL

19. __ buco : OSSO

21. Paint a picture of : DESCRIBE.  "Paint my love, You should paint my love..."

24. Patient attention, briefly : TLC

30. Riding sidekick : TONTO

32. Workout count : REPs

33. The Mustangs of the NCAA's Conference USA : SMU. Southern Methodist University.

34. Doughnut box word : KREME

36. Sun. talk : SER

37. U2 frontman : BONO. Really love this.  I like The Corrs.

38. Ill-fated king : LEAR

39. 1998 Sarah McLachlan hit : ADIA

41. Tic-tac-toe loser : OXO

44. More fit : TRIMMER

45. Increase, with "up" : REV

46. Wild animal : BEAST
 

47. Humble home : ABODE

48. Maynard's pal in '50s-'60s TV : DOBIE.  I can never remember this. "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis".

49. Rust, e.g. : OXIDE

52. General __ chicken : TSO'S. What's your favorite Chinese dish?

54. Corp. jet group : MGT

56. Choir member : ALTO

57. Worn wreath : LEI

59. Hanging Gardens site : BABYLON

63. Chewed stuff : CUD

64. Ceramic pot : OLLA. I wonder what they use the ollas for.

65. Max. : ULT

66. Sunbeam brand : OSTER

67. Make amends : ATONE

68. Tones (up) : FIRMS. My abs, your arms.

70. Marry : UNITE

71. Pie fruit : LIME

72. Potent conclusion? : IAL. Potential.

75. Teachers' org. : NEA

78. Louis XVI's queen : ANTOINETTE (Marie). Lovely entry.

80. Software development phase : BETA TEST. Annette is John Lampkin's beta solver.

81. Boor : CHURL
 

82. King Kong's love : ANN

84. Debussy's "Clair de __" : LUNE. French for "moon". Lune de miel. Honeymoon. Where did you spend yours?

85. Wordsworth works : ODES

86. Popular 19th-century heading : WEST.

88. Barely ran? : STREAKED. Nailed it. We've seen this clue before.

89. Fire truck device : SIREN

91. Money-managing exec : CFO

92. River of Spain : EBRO. Spain's longest river.

95. Where the action is : HUB

97. Timeline beginning : YEAR ONE

98. Widely used base : TEN. Base 10. Hard clue for me, though the concept is the same in Chinese.

99. Largest U.S. union org. : AFL-CIO

100. Ballpark staples : FRANKS

102. Dove : COOER

103. Sandwich order : ON RYE

104. Nourishes : FEEDS

105. Name on a range : AMANA. "Range" often refers to "Kitchen appliance" in Xwords.

107. Ice cream maker Joseph : EDY

108. Aussie lad : BOYO. New to me.

111. Lemony drinks : ADES. Hello, Lemonade!

114. German painter Nolde : EMIL. No idea. Wiki said he was an expressionist, and "Golden yellows and deep reds appear frequently in his work". Kind of like van Gogh's bright yellow. Lucina saw my compact mirror. It's van Gogh's bedroom.

115. Salt in a lab : NaCL

116. Knife of yore : SNEE

119. Bar bill : TAB

120. "My man!" : BRO

121. Young __ : UNS

122. Break down : ROT

C.C.

Sunday Jan 27, 2013 Elizabeth C. Gorski

Theme: "That's a Wrap" - THATS bookend (wrap) each theme answer.

23A. Husky features : THICK COATS

38A. Disney film featuring Berlioz, Toulouse, Marie and their mom Duchess : THE ARISTOCATS

71A. Tom yum soup servers : THAI RESTAURANTS. I've yet to try Tom yum soup. Looks spicy.

 

102A. Packages from recent guests, perhaps : THANK YOU GIFTS

123A. The Chicago Bulls had two in the '90s : THREEE PEATS

14A. Trademark caps for Ashton Kutcher and Justin Timberlake : TRUCKER HATS.

71A. Household regulators : THERMOSTATS. The only one-word entry.

LIZ (60A. First name in fashion) gave us a few nice variations: TH*ATS, THA*TS, T*HATS.

Sometimes I get theme of as soon as I see the puzzle title. Sometimes I get it after one or two theme entries appear. Often I get it half-way through solving.

Today I had to study all the theme entries afterwards to grok the gimmick. How about you?

Across:

1. Actress Birch : THORA. She's in "American Beauty".

6. Trattoria glassful : VINO

10. Many a GE product : APPL. GE stock is undervalued.

14. Ruse : TRAP

18. Have lunch at home : EAT IN

19. Pressing need? : IRON. We've seen this clue a few times.

20. Set of beliefs : CREED

22. Tear down, in Tottenham : RASE. Clue alliteration.

25. Line at a rodeo? : REATA

26. "QB VII" author : URIS (Leon)

27. "$40 a Day" chef Ray : RACHAEL. Like Marti, She's always bubbly. She coined EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil).

28. __ facto : IPSO

30. Librarian's reminder : SHH

31. Players : CAST

32. Grafton's "__ for Lawless" : L IS

34. Scottish tongue : ERSE

36. Supermodel Wek : ALEK. Hasn't been active the past few years. From Sudan.

44. Nontraditional performance genre : LIVE ART. Like what?

48. Carpet cleaning tool : RUG BEATER

49. Poses : SITS

51. Route to the lungs : AIRWAY

52. Swashbuckler Flynn : ERROL

53. Arise (from) : STEM

55. Codger : COOT

57. High-speed scene : CHASE. Still have not caught the little mouse. I just saw him in our computer room a few minutes ago. He's super fast & clever. He just ignored the 2 traps we have. Maybe we need more traps.

58. Bledel of "Gilmore Girls" : ALEXIS. She has the most beautiful eyes.

62. Fruity treats : PLUM TARTS

64. It ends in Nov. : DST

65. Ready for aromatherapy, say : STRESSED. You've got to watch this cat link Dave found last night. Big stress reliever.

69. Blood typing letters : ABO

70. Spot in front of the telly? : TEA. Clever clue.

74. "I'm not impressed" : MEH

76. "Was __ blame?" : I TO

77. Big Island volcano : MAUNA LOA. Literally, "long mountain".

78. Like a bunch-spoiling apple : BAD

81. Numskull : LAME BRAIN

84. NBC weekend staple : SNL

85. Old Athens enemy : SPARTA. I really like "300".

87. Astrologer to the rich and famous : OMARR (Sydney). Learned from constructing puzzles.

88. One who's not striking : SCAB. 1989 (Tiananmen Square protest) is a very confusing year for me. I don't remember we had any worker/student protest in China before.

90. It has its highs and lows : TIDE

93. Not as warm : ICIER

94. C.P.E. Bach's birthplace : WEIMAR. And 6D. Soloists in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 : VIOLISTS. Gimme for Jayce/Pas de Chat. Liz Gorski is a musician.

96. "Up and __!" : AT 'EM

98. Court plea : NO CONTEST

100. 2011 World Series champs : ST. LOUIS. Then Pujols left for the Angels during the off season. Money talks. Baseball listens.

104. Symbol of purity : SNOW

105. Time past : YORE

106. Sailor's direction : AFT

107. Clump : TUFT

110. Bread in a jar? : TIP. Look!

112. Gp. with forces : NATO

114. Lasagna cheese : RICOTTA

120. Madonna's "La __ Bonita" : ISLA

121. Call forth : EVOKE

125. Future doc's exam : MCAT

126. Lats' neighbors : DELTS

127. It's south of Vesuvius : ETNA. Volcano.

128. Like ballerinas, at times : ON TOE

129. Cake mix additions : EGGS

130. Late for a party, maybe : LOST

131. Berth place : DOCK.  Sweet clue.

132. Some aromatic cakes : SOAPS. Did you sense the "cake" trick immediately?

Down:

1. Four: Pref. : TETR. Or Tetra.

2. "Yuk yuk" : HA HA. Har Har for Splynter/Linda.

3. Of the ear : OTIC

4. Like chocolate truffle cake : RICH. At least CCC calories, I think.

5. "Diana" singer : ANKA

7. Lyricist Gershwin : IRA

8. Words of denial : NOT I

9. How freelancers may work : ON SPEC

10. Puzzle book offering : ACROSTIC

11. Teen leader? : PRE. Preteen.

12. Pod veggies : PEAS

13. "__ Weapon" : LETHAL

15. __ avis : RARA

16. Yard sale caveat : AS IS. I love neighborhood garage/yard sales.

17. Recurring pain? : PEST

21. Mexico's national flower : DAHLIA

24. "Drink to me only with thine eyes" dedicatee : CELIA. Never heard of this song.

29. Span. ladies : SRAs

33. Editor's "leave it" : STET

35. Legally bar : ESTOP

37. Kick out : EVICT

38. Gripping pattern : TREAD

39. Throws : HURLS

40. Everglades bird : EGRET

41. "... like __ of chocolates" : A BOX. "Forrest Gump".

42. Dog topper : RELISH. Do you put ketchup on your hotdog? Boomer does. He also over-cooks livers. He said livers have to be cooked thoroughly. 

43. Bully's words : OR ELSE
 

45. Mindful : AWARE

46. Dreaded Jamaican? : RASTA. Nailed it. Bob Marley visited a friend's Chinese herb shop ages ago.

47. Nautical ropes : TYES. Can anyone provide a picture?

50. Toyota Camry model : SOLARA
 

54. Midler's "Divine" nickname : MISS M

56. Friend of Shylock : TUBAL. Don't recall this character.  

59. Way up : STAIR

61. Z's overseas : ZETAS. Greek.

63. Old hi-fis : MONOS

66. Coolidge and Hayworth : RITAs

67. Symphony that includes a funeral march : EROICA. The second movement is a funeral march.

68. Intimidate : DAUNT

72. Disconnect : UNLINK

73. Recording : TAPING

74. "The Cryptogram" playwright : MAMET (David). Never heard of "The Cryptogram".

75. Online message : EMAIL

78. Lawyer's document : BRIEF

79. "This is only __" : A TEST

80. Bar fliers : DARTS

81. Valleys : LOWS

82. Big name in coffee makers : BRAUN. Part of P&G now.

83. Smartly dressed : NATTY. Nothing natty. But this is the best jorts picture I've seen.

86. Theater opening : ACT I

89. "Don't play games with me" : BE HONEST. Nice long entry.

91. 1977 ELO hit : DO YA

92. Environmental extremist : ECO FREAK. So many go extreme on organic food too.

95. Reacted with outrage, as a mob : RIOTED

97. Rooney __, who played Salander in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" : MARA. Lots of talk about this movie in our blog when it's first released.

99. Navel type : OUTIE
 

101. Turn at the bar, perhaps : SWIVEL

103. Brought home : NETTED

107. Coach's call : TIME

108. "The Perfect Storm" rescue gp. : USCG (United States Coast Guard)

109. Penalty __ : FLAG. Thought of KICK first.

111. Game divided into chukkers : POLO. I googled "chukkers" before,, then I promptly forgot.

113. "__ Be in Love": Kate Bush song : OH TO. Here is the clip.

115. Naval noncoms : CPOs. Spitzboov was a Commander when he retired from the Navy Reserve.

116. Vintner's prefix : OENO. Oenophile.

117. "Later," in London : TA TA

118. Camaro roof option : T-TOP

119. Grieg's "__ Death" : ASE'S

122. Gold meas. : KTs (Karats)

124. GOP platform-promoting org. : RNC. They just elected a new Chairman on Friday. Same old one.

The Second Minnesota Crossword Tournament will be held on Feb 2, 2013. Click here for details. All the puzzles are made by locals or people with MN ties, including one by Don and me.

C.C.

Sunday Oct 28, 2012 Elizabeth C. Gorski

(If your paper does not carry the puzzle we're blogging on Sundays, click here to solve on line or print out a copy.)

Theme: "Having the last Laugh" - HA is contained at the end of each theme entry.

21A. Imposing WWI weapon : BIG BERTHA. Also a Golf club brand. Boomer bought an almost new Big Bertha driver at a garage sales for $5 earlier this year. He still slices, but is very happy with his distance.

27. Kim's "Sex and the City" role : SAMANTHA.  Relatively short theme entry, but if you try yourself, you'll realize that Liz's *HA choices are limited.

39. "The Impossible Dream" musical : MAN OF LA MANCHA. Still remember Susan Boyle?

53A. Barista's chocolaty creation : CAFE MOCHA

65A. Bumbling fictional spies : BORIS AND NATASHA

   

83. "Righto!" : YOU BETCHA. The first Minnesotan phrase I learned.

97A. Warren Buffett's nickname : ORACLE OF OMAHA. I have his autographed photo.

105A. Longfellow hero : HIAWATHA. "The Song of Hiawatha",

119A. Lover of 105-Across : MINNEHAHA. Literally "laughing water". Lucina visited our Minnehaha Falls last time she was here.

Notice there's no HA ending word in non-theme entries? No AHA, OSHA or ALOHA that constructors use frequently. It's a conscious decision Liz took. So the theme is not distracted.

I sensed what the theme was after reading the title. It has to be *HA, since *LOL is impossible.

Across:

 1. Islands with giant tortoises : GALAPAGOS.  Stumped from the start. Look, it's huge.

 

10. Annual report feature : GRAPH

15. Big Ten sch. : PSU. Penn State. The Nittany Lions. I feel sorry for Joe Paterno. I shouldn't, but I do.

18. Drunk : INEBRIATE

19. Blues legend Smith : BESSIE. Faintly recall this name.

20. Batting material, perhaps : WOOL

22. Thing : ENTITY

23. Football fan's channel : ESPN

24. In __: actually : ESSE

25. 1985 Chevy Chase film : FLETCH. What's the film about?

29. Step between stories : STAIR. Nice clue.

31. Air balls miss them entirely : RIMS. Jeremy Lin's rookie card reached over 20K in those Linsanity days. Nuts!

34. Scraps for Lassie : ORTS

35. Hard-rock link : AS A

38. Geographical suffix : ERN. Western, for example.
  

44. Sam who employed Diane and Carla : MALONE.  Never saw "Cheers".

46. Screwdriver, for one : HAND TOOL. Well, Splynter, COCKTAIL fits also.

  

47. Part of Chagall's theater work : MURAL

48. Turner autobiography : I, TINA. This used to stump me in my early crossword solving days, in 2008. How long have you been solving Xwords?

49. To a greater extent : MORE SO

50. "Body of Proof" network : ABC. Starring Dana Delany.

52. Floor square : TILE
  

55. U.K. defense gp. : RAF

57. One having trouble with his sisters? : LISPER. Clever clue.

59. IOC part: Abbr. : INTL

60. Garden product word : GRO. I'm letting my overabundant Thai chili air-dry. I pickled some. Still pretty hot.

61. Give __: care : A FIG

63. __ in Juliet : J AS

64. Explosive stick : TNT

70. Otto's "Oh!" : ACH. Hi there, D-Otto, another cat lover.

73. Chem class component : LAB

74. Stable environment? : BARN. Oh, that stable.

75. Switch settings : ONs

76. "Space Ghost" cartoonist Alex __ : TOTH. No idea. EddyB would have got him easily.

80. Not on the level : SLOPED

 82. Purring pet : CAT. Cute. Mart will love this.

85. Four: Pref. : TETR

86. Half an attention-getter : YOO

88. Leggy waders : HERONS. And 26D. Leggy wader : CRANE. 

91. Modern data units : BYTES

92. 5:1, e.g. : RATIO
 
94. Intervals between related events : TIME LAGS

96. Go bananas : LOSE IT

99. Time line period: Abbr. : CEN (Century).

100. Square root of nove : TRE. Alright, nove is 9 then. Chinese for "three" is very simple: San.

101. RAM units : MEGS. Megabytes? Shouldn't it be MBs?

102. Haydn sobriquet : PAPA

103. Stock deal : TRADE

109. "Not so fast!" : SLOWER

111. Butter amt. : TBSP

115. Land in el mar : ISLA

116. Jet-setter's destination : EUROPE. Did you read "A Year in Provence"? Lovely.

121. Fishing spot : PIER

122. Omits in speaking : ELIDES

123. "The Accidental Tourist" author : ANNE TYLER. She was born in MN.

124. Flat sound : SSS

125. Miata maker : MAZDA

126. Sees the point of the discussion? : READS LIPS. Nice clue also.

Down:

1. Taunt : GIBE. I always confuse this word with JIBE.

2. Licorice-flavored liqueur : ANIS

3. Piano parts : LEGS

4. French clerics : ABBES

5. Beginning of school? : PRE. Pre-school.

6. Travelocity quote : AIR FARE

7. Larry of country : GATLIN. Well, to me, it's this guy, Larry in real life.

8. Remaining : OTHER

9. Subway commuter's hope : SEAT

10. Mil. bigwig : GEN

11. 18 to 20 in a sequence : RST. Alphabetically.

12. Yard sale caveat : AS IS

13. Fillable bread : PITA

14. Kid's attention getter : HEY MOM

15. One may follow a signature : POSTSCRIPT. Consonant-heavy.

16. Junior-to-be : SOPH

17. Forearm bone : ULNA

19. Derrieres : BEHINDS. I just mentioned to JD the other day that I did not know Italy is so hilly. No wonder girls there all have sexy behinds.

20. Flipped : WENT NUTS
 
28. Composer Khachaturian : ARAM

30. Popular coffee hr. : TEN AM

32. Stop along the highway : MOTOR INN

33. Bay Area airport letters : SFO

35. Friends in Rome : AMICI. The single is Amico then?

36. Evil guy : SATAN

37. "Need __?" : A LIFT

39. "The Social Network" actress Rooney __ : MARA

40. Rye buy : LOAF

41. Priest's robe : ALB

42. "Jump" band Van __ : HALEN

43. Wide-awake : ALERT

45. Hamburger order, perhaps: Abbr. : ONE LB

46. Santa's favorite snack cakes? : HO HOS. Yes, Argyle?

49. Adam's favorite fast food sandwich? : McRIB. Funny.

51. Stock designation : CLASS B. Well, Tinbeni knows. CNBC & Crosswords & Coffee are his breakfast.

54. Sweet Rosie of song : O'GRADY. Drew a blank. Never heard of the song.

56. Turkish title : AGA

58. Boy chaser? : ISH. Boyish.

61. Cursed thing : ANATHEMA

62. Manhattan's __ Drive : FDR. Guessed.

63. Two-faced deity : JANUS

66. Flamenco concert shout : OLE

67. Legal gp. : ABA. Lemonade is going to be a new grandpa next week. 69. 67-Down mems. : ATTYs

68. Bugs and Elmer, e.g. : TOONS

70. Elroy Jetson's dog : ASTRO

71. See-through : CLEAR

72. "3 Alarm" candies : HOT TAMALES. Strange name for candies.

77. Large chamber music group : OCTET

78. "A League of __ Own" : THEIR. Did any of you like "Little Big League"?

79. Speed : HASTE

81. Mall battle : PRICE WAR

82. Salon creation : COIF

83. Stretching discipline : YOGA

84. WWII saver's purchase : E-BOND

87. Plains Indian : OTO

89. Goes by : ELAPSES

90. 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby : RAHAL. EddyB would have nailed this entry. Man, I missed his cryptic comments.

93. Big name in lingerie : OLGA. Not fond of this brand.

95. Clean, in a way : MOP

96. Found out : LEARNED. Was shocked when I learned of Mo Yan's Nobel Prize award.

98. Hold in high regard : ESTEEM

99. Richard of "The Flamingo Kid" : CRENNA

103. Tie that binds : TWINE

104. __ alcohol : ETHYL

105. Swinging joints? : HIPS. Mo Yan also wrote this book. Most of his books have a raw, sexual content.

106. Fertility goddess : ISIS. As you know, religion was forbidden when I grew up. You seldom see God or Goddess reference in Chinese literature.

107. Hilo dance : HULA

108. Painted Desert st. : ARIZ

110. Barbra's "Funny Girl" co-star : OMAR

112. Tourist haven east of Java : BALI. Bra brand also.

113. "George of the Jungle" elephant : SHEP. No idea.

114. What many players shoot for : PARS. I think Boomer has 3 or 4 birdies this whole summer.

117. Unmatched : ODD

118. Stew veggie : PEA

120. UFO drivers, ostensibly : ETs. You can now find them in Madame Tussauds Museums.

C.C.

 

JD's Italy series continues. Today, we visit Florence. JD said:

"After reading "The Agony and the Ecstasy" I was anxious to see Florence. Unfortunately the Statue of David was in a museum that was closed, but in the square there were many statues, and one was a replica of David. In the photo of the parade, he is on the left. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is their main church. It is covered in various shades of green, pink and white marble. Santa Croce Basilica was filled with so many sculptures, paintings, and is the burial place of Michelangelo, Galileo, Rossini and many others. There is way too much to see in a day." Click here for more photos.