Friday January 9, 2015, Frank Virzi

Theme: If you go to Chicago you must add the ELL to your plans.

Frank is back to Friday in 2015, and his first since his coincidental LEM ON ADE puzzle two days after my birthday. This is a sound rather than a visual challenge, with the last word in a common phrase altered by adding an ELL sound to create a new last word. The difficulty in constructing was enhanced by the themers all being grid spanners. Some nice 6 letter fill like DC AREA, GETS UP, I DO I DO, LYRICS and SITS ON as well as some sparkly longer ones: SHINERS, UPLIFTS, EINSTEIN, HIDEAWAY, DIET PEPSI, TRIES HARD.  As with all punny themes, you need to find humor, and I did. Let's take a look.

17A. "Pardon my sword fight"? : DON'T MIND IF I DUEL  (15). 'Don't mind if I do' is the phrase that transforms. I sussed the theme here, always good on a Friday to get the theme early.

26A. "The good news: mostly A-OK. The bad news: __"? : TEN PERCENT AWFUL (15). 'Ten percent off...'

47A. Tool for putting a Ping-Pong ball in orbit? : LAUNCHING PADDLE (15). 'Launching pad.' My favorite of the theme, as the image in my brain is cool.

62A. Big affair for E.T.? : ALIEN LIFE FORMAL (15). 'Alien life form.'  Another fun visual, and my way of always remembering the spelling of Allen's name.

Across:

1. Like some restrictive dinners : STAG. Men only, dearie. Very un-pc.

5. Andrew of "Melrose Place" : SHUE. He played Billy Campbell I am told by wiki, but I knew he has a famous older sister.

9. First, for now : AHEAD. Yes, the 5 horse was there at the top of the stretch, but...

14. Strives : TRIES HARD. Also an un-pc term when parents use this phrase to describe their disappointing child.

16. Brewery prefix : MICRO. Not to be confused with CRAFT brewery. Who would ever guess I would end up knowing about beer?

19. Refuses to release : SITS ON. I assume this clue is in the context of information, though this pic came to mind.

20. "Lifts the spirits" gp. : USO.

21. Eau Claire-to-Green Bay direction : EAST. They will all be going in that direction for the big game against Dallas, Sunday at 1:05PM, EST. The Dallas/Green Bay match-ups of the 60's were awesome. Back at the 'frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.'

22. All-purpose rides : UTES. I have never heard a person in real life use this term.

24. Ocean predator : ORCA.

33. Singer Carly __ Jepsen : RAE. She has apparently supplanted Norma and Charlotte in puzzledom. I was introduced to this Canadian by Gareth in 2013.

34. Start of some Texas city names : SAN. And some California cities as well.

35. Mrs. Robinson's daughter : ELAINE. A Friday clue for this name, though the actress should be remembered, quite the face. Coo coo ca choo.

36. Milo of "The Verdict" : O' SHEA. He died this past year.

39. Play about Capote : TRU.

41. With an __: mindful of : EYE TO

42. Words : LYRICS. Nice new fill.

44. Okla. campus with a Prayer Tower : ORU. For newer solvers, the fact that OKLA. is an abbreviation is a clue that the answer is also an abbreviation.  Oral Roberts University.

46. Author Yutang : LIN. A very interesting MAN; I wonder what he was thought of in the China of C.C.'s childhood? A Friday name. (From C.C.: Probably because Lin spent most of his time in the US, his essays were not featured in our school books then. Actually most people with relatives in the US suffered during Cultural Revolution.)

51. Boer village : STAD. From their Dutch German heritage. I am sure Gareth Bain could give a more complete perspective on these people.

52. Monthly pmt. : ELECtricity.

53. Boom holder : MAST. Not a microphone.

56. Court : WOO. Not where judges hang out.

58. "Magic Hour" author Susan : ISAACS. I did not know that book, but I love the book and movie Compromising Positions. LINK. Susan Sarandon and Raul Julia were great.

65. McGwire broke his record : MARIS. Roger whose 61 home run record went the way of Mark McGuire's bat during the dawning of the steroid age. Roger ended as a beer distributor living in Gainesville.

66. "Love every sip" sloganeer : DIET PEPSI.

67. Concert venue : ARENA.

68. Poems of praise : ODES.

69. Memo demand : ASAP. As Soon As Possible.

Down:

1. Stylebook entries: Abbr. : STDS. Standards. Like this  GUIDE.

2. Picard's counselor : TROI. She's back.

3. "__ No Sunshine": Bill Withers hit : AIN'T.

4. Averts a knockout : GETS UP. Such a simple answer. Paired with 5D. Fight souvenirs : SHINERS. Not what you buy at the concession stand.

6. Solo in space : HAN. Episode VII is on its way.

7. Source of khaki? : URDU. The word, not the cloth.

8. New Jersey township with the motto "Let There Be Light" : EDISON. Thomas Alva will live on always, especially in puzzles.

9. "Moi?" : AM I? Which is often the clue in French.

10. Retreat : HIDEAWAY. My recollection was THIS. My parents loved Broadway musicals which helped with 48D. "My Cup Runneth Over" musical : I DO, I DO. Mary Martin and Robert Preston, 1967.(6:53).

11. S.A. country at 0 degrees latitude : ECUAdor. Odd, once again. Last time we learned that the name came because it is at the Equator.

12. Father of Phobos : ARES. The Greek who who gave us our word PHOBIA.

13. Fool : DOLT.

15. Whacked, biblically : SMOTE.

18. Strong suit : FORTE. Fort or fortay?

23. "Beat it!" : SCAT. For all the non-lovers of cats.

25. NASCAR's Yarborough : CALE.

26. Chat room persona non grata : TROLL. Don't feed the trolls.

27. GPA booster : EASY A.

28. Big name in Indian politics : NEHRU. And jackets.

29. With 30-Down, a former name of Minute Maid Park : ENRON. We just had this referenced last week.

30. See 29-Down : FIELD.

31. No later than : UNTIL.

32. Freetown currency : LEONE. Freetown, the capital is used to clue the Leone, the capital of Sierra Leone.

37. Matthau's "I.Q." role : EINSTEIN. This odd movie with Meg Ryan.

38. Passbook abbr. : ACCT.

40. Drive : URGE.

43. Loosely worn garment : SHAWL. My youngest son's girlfriend knitted one for Oo for the holidays.

45. Buoys : UPLIFTS. Girls ? Up____?

49. "The Fox and the Grapes" writer : AESOP. Fabulous fox fable.

50. Beltway environs : DC AREA.

53. Household nickname : MAMA. No Papa today.

54. Apple application no longer in use : ALAR.

55. Filly's father : SIRE. DAM this was easy.

57. "The Wizard __" : OF ID. The same number of letters as OZ. Coincidence? I think not. LINK.

59. Cranks (up) : AMPS. From amplifier, or the original ampere?

60. Julio's home : CASA. Some Spanish for Lucina et al.

61. Faux pas : SLIP. And of course, French for Splynter.

63. Org. whose seal includes an eagle perched on a key : NSA. So much controversy in 2014.

64. Really big shoe : EEE. I must end with this.

Frank V. thanks for the ride. Enjoy all. Lemonade out.

Notes from C.C.:

1) Let's meet the real Big Easy, whose witty and funny comments often make me smile. Big Easy is a volunteer at a New Orleans PGA event and he gets to meet Ernie Els every year. He's one of the lucky few to have the locker room access. Now we know his beautiful wife Diane "can't eat any beans or black-eyed peas without rice."

Big Easy and his wife Diane

2) Marti sent me this incredible picture. She said:

"I made a Raw Veggie Christmas Tree for my party last week (left side of my sideboard).  The styrofoam "tree" was covered with kale, and then the veggies were anchored with toothpicks. It really was cute, but I had bought way too much kale from the local farm stand that is famous for it.  I have only had kale in salads or as a garnish, but the owner told me that you can cook it, just like any other "green."  I know you like veggies, so thought you might like the recipe I found from Bobby Flay. It was absolutely delicious, and I am going to insist on kale instead of spinach as my "go-to" side dish from now on!! (See recipe here)

Sunday October 19, 2014 Frank Virzi

Theme: "Double Plays" - Each theme answer is in the pattern of A B C, both A B and B C are common phrases, with B C being a baseball term.

23A. Concertina heist? : SQUEEZE BOX SCORE. Squeeze box. Box score.

38A. Formal dance for tiny, winged debutantes? : FRUIT FLY BALL. Fruit fly. Flyball. I smiled at the clue.

50A. Big push to collect singles bar come-ons? : PICKUP LINE DRIVE. Pickup line. Line drive.

66A. Gofer at a moon landing site? : TRANQUILITY BASE RUNNER. Tranquility base. Base runner.

84A. China piece commemorating a Ricky Ricardo catchphrase? : "LUCY I'M HOME" PLATE. "Lucy, I'm home". Home plate.

93A. Writing implement for Vatican edicts? : PAPAL BULLPEN. Papal bull. Bullpen.

114A. Dance for bears? : SELLING SHORT HOP. Selling short. Short hop;

Sweet theme. Rich must have been saving this puzzle for months. 

I picked Gary's Royals to win the World Series before their Wild Card game against the A's. Luck of the Lorde! "I've never seen a diamond in the flesh... " Love that song. You better remember LORDE. 

  

This puzzle has ten 8-letter entries. All stacked in the corner. Amazing construction.

Across:

1. "Let's get started!" : HERE WE GO. Great start!

9. An epicure has a refined one : PALATE. My very first fill.

15. Diamond covers : TARPS. And 72. Diamond brothers : ALOUs. "I've never seen a diamond in the flesh..."

20. Maker of smarTouch gloves : ISOTONER. New to me. Why not just "Smart Touch"?

I don't like the DirecTV spelling either.

21. Orbital high point : APOGEE

22. Abrasive mineral : EMERY

25. Some, in Potsdam : EINES

26. Takes to court : SUES

27. River of Flanders : YSER. And 28. Rivière filler : EAU. Or not, they speak Dutch in Flanders.

29. Turmoil : UNREST

30. Hunger : YEN

31. Artist Modigliani : AMEDEO. Sad life. Alcohol & drug. His beautiful wife killed herself along with their unborn baby the day after he died. I liked the movie "Modigliani".

33. Rulers before Lenin : TSARS

36. Fed. auditing agency : GAO (Government Accountability Office)

37. Barkeep's supply : ICE

42. Play for time : STALL

45. Lack of vigor : ANEMIA

48. Cutting rooms?: Abbr. : ORs. Tricky clue.

49. Chick's tail? : ADEE. Chickadee.

53. Grace verb : BLESS

54. Roger of "Cheers" : REES

55. TV's Mrs. Peel : RIGG (Diana)

56. Idiot box : TEEVEE

58. Gallery work : ART

59. Juice brand with the digital newsletter Lizard Tales : SOBE. South Beach.

60. Cries at fireworks : OOHS

63. Discharge : EGEST

73. Agnew's plea, for short : NOLO. Nixon is very well-respected in China due to his historical visit.

74. Deuce follower : AD IN

75. "Put __ Happy Face" : ON A

76. Pulse is one of them : VITALS

79. Latin 101 word : AMAT

80. "Back in Black" band : AC/DC. "Back in Black" is also Amy Winehouse's album (Rehab).

81. Weighed the container of : TARED. Haven't seen this word for a long time.

89. Hooting owl, to some : OMEN

90. Jellied item in British cuisine : EEL

91. Hoops venues : ARENAS

92. Chorus section : ALTOS

96. At least one : ANY

97. Final finish? : IZE. Finalize.

98. Much, informally : LOTSA

99. Go : DEPART

103. "How disgusting!" : EWW. Reminds me of my grandma's fermented soybeans. The whole kitchen smelled.

106. Blabbed about : TOLD ON

108. Crossword clue, often: Abbr. : DEF (Definition)

111. Level, in Liverpool : RASE

112. Abruzzo town in a Longfellow poem : ATRI. Adano is Hersey's town.

113. Dental restoration : ONLAY

118. __ trip : FIELD

119. Senior golfer Mark : O'MEARA. He'll be a Hall of Famer next year. So will be the great Laura Davies. I've met both in person.

120. Spouse : HELPMATE

121. Grows faint : FADES

122. Low plants : BUSHES

123. Buttercup kin : ANEMONES. Delicate flowers.

Down:

1. __ fit : HISSY

2. Relative of -ish : ESQUE

3. Where Joan of Arc died : ROUEN. Also where Madame Bovary met with her lover every week. That book touched my heart.

4. Hot times in Paris : ETES. Just plural for "summer".

5. Heartache : WOE

6. DNA polymerase, e.g. : ENZYME

7. Hornless honkers : GEESE

8. Spherical : ORBED

9. __ Romana : PAX

10. Cathedral area : APSE

11. Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida __" : LOCA. Where were you in 1999?

12. Rainforest rodent : AGOUTI

13. Thrice, in Rx's : TER

14. Letters on some loafers : EEE

15. Itty-bitty : TEENSY

16. Boy in "The Kite Runner" : AMIR. Thank God they named him AMIR, otherwise this would need a dreaded "Var" mark.

17. Deserter : RENEGADE. I like this word.

18. Events for select customers : PRE-SALES

19. Cardiac contractions : SYSTOLES. New word to me.

24. Argentite, vis-à-vis silver : ORE. Hence the Ag symbol.

29. Clickable addresses, for short : URLS

31. Censorship-fighting org. : ACLU. My brother cannot see our blog right now. Blocked in China. No idea why. Lots of sites are blocked.

32. "Part __": Katy Perry hit : OF ME

34. Pot boiler : STOVE

35. "It's __ country!" : A FREE

37. Sorts : ILKS

39. Purged : RID

40. Nasser's confed. : UAR. United Arab Republic.

41. Substance used by whales as a feeding filter : BALEEN. Another learning moment for me. Inside their teeth.

42. Weight watcher of rhyme : SPRAT. Fun clue.

43. __ del Fuego : TIERRA

44. Perfumery compound : ACETAL

45. Out : ALIBI

46. Duran Duran bassist __ John Taylor : NIGEL. I drew a blank.

47. An official lang. of Malta : ENG. I thought it would be Italian.

51. "Remembrance of Things Past" author : PROUST

52. "__ possibility" : IT'S A

53. Kicked off : BEGUN

57. Cinéma __ : VERITE

59. Mollusk with an ink sac : SQUID. Squid with salt and pepper is delicious!

60. Chiwere speaker : OTO

61. Olive __ : OYL

62. "Veep" airer : HBO

64. Transport on treads : SNO- CAT

65. Take care of : TEND TO

67. Catholic devotion : NOVENA. Nine days of prayer. Gimme for Lucina, who attends church even when traveling.

68. Etched: Abbr. : INSC. OK, inscribed.

69. Pago Pago's land : SAMOA

70. Semi-hard cheeses : EDAMS

71. Hurries : RACES

77. Alaskan native : ALEUT

78. Puts to sleep : LULLS

79. Philip of "Kung Fu" : AHN. Korean name. Same character as ANG (as Ang Lee), or just AN (as in my hometown Xi'an).

80. Partner : ALLY

81. "As if there weren't enough," after "to" : TOP IT OFF.  This is a long partial then, no, Marti?

82. Vast rainforest : AMAZONIA

83. Driven away : REPELLED

85. Sharp bark : YAP

86. Dander : IRE

87. Sew up : MEND

88. Sound after running : PANT

90. Poet's deep black : EBON

94. Insurer of Bob Dylan's vocal cords : LLOYD'S. Gimme. I used Bruce Springsteen last time.

95. Soup scoops : LADLES

96. Specialized cactus branch : AREOLE. New term to me.

100. Fraction of a joule : ERG

101. Old Turkish bigwig : PASHA. AGA is another one.

102. Visibly frightened : ASHEN

103. One of the Coen brothers : ETHAN. MN is a fertile ground. Honeycrisps are now $1.69/lb, by the way. I bought a tote of SweeTango last week when they're on sale. Even better than Honeycrisps. Not available in your area.

104. Created, in a way : WROTE

105. Erases : WIPES

107. Cartoon chipmunk : DALE

109. Valley where David fought Goliath : ELAH

110. Let go : FIRE

112. Prefix with sphere : ATMO

114. React to a jilting, maybe : SOB. Remember this girl?

115. Big bird : EMU

116. "Stillmatic" rapper : NAS

117. Tach measure : RPM

C.C.

Friday, August 29, 2014, Frank Virzi

Theme: When the world gives you lemons, make a puzzle.

There is an old saying that if you had enough monkeys and enough typewriters one would write a great novel just by chance. Today we have a puzzle which is all about my nom de plume, as each of six (!!!!) sets of fill have the letter LEM directly above the letters ADE, presenting a picture of LEM ON (top of) ADE. This is the third of the five LAT puzzles by Mr. Virzi that I have blogged, and it harkens back to the first one I did, for which the visual was HAM ON RYE, with the same  presentation of HAM directly above RYE, but the reveal was just the two words and there were only three sets.  Barry G. scolded Frank for not having a reveal, and here we have something I am not sure I have ever seen, a reveal  (LEMONADE) which is also part of  two of the six sets of clues. The fact that the puzzle runs on Friday, a day blogged by me (lemonade) is either a really odd coincidence (most likely), an example of Rich's awareness and sense of humor, or the most unexpected birthday present ever. This puzzle like Franks' others is nice blend of medium to longish fill with no obscurities that are not filled by the perps. Some fill of note are: BROMINE,  FACED IT,  FERMENT,  NEONATE,  O’CONNOR,  PLUMPER, ADENAUER, A STUDENT,  LEMMINGS, NATHANIEL and the very apt NO PROBLEM. The 3 and 4 letter fill are not too overdone, with only IRE even close and it is clued for the country abbreviation, not anger. let's look at our pairs:

8A. Red Cross red cross, e.g. : EMBLEM. (6) First hint at the theme.
16A. Diatribe :                             TIRADE. (6)

20A. Muskrat relatives : LEMMINGS. (8) Didn't know they were related.
22A. Highly skilled :       ADEPT. (5).

32A. "Consider it done!" : NO PROBLEM. (9).
38A. Green gemstones :                     JADES.(5).

52A. Clay being of Jewish lore :         GOLEM. (5)  Pretty crazy STUFF.
59A. Picnic serving, and when divided properly, a hint to a hidden feature of six pairs of puzzle answers :     LEMONADE. (8)
                                                                      LEMONADE. (8)
63A. West Germany's first chancellor : ADENAUER. (8), Der Alte. Interesting man.

56A. King's "__ Lot" : SALEM'S.
62A. Dodges :              EVADES.

Across:

1. Herding dog name : SHEP. This popped right out, though in retrospect, I have never met a dog with that name.

5. Pledge of Allegiance ender : ALL. "...indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

14. Ember, perhaps : COAL.

15. Cattle call : MOO. Not for acting but cow to cow.

17. Valedictorian, typically : A  STUDENT. Typically? I cannot imagine it being anything else.

19. Duplicates : CLONES. The term has been around since 1903!

21. Company with a bull in its logo : ELMER'S.

23. When Juliet asks "wherefore art thou Romeo?" : ACT II.

25. Ici __: French "here and there" : ET LA. Literal French translation. Not et al.

28. First female Supreme Court justice : O'CONNOR. Sandra Day. LINK.

36. "__ say more?" : NEED I.

37. Yeats' land: Abbr. : IRE. A way to clue with no anger.

40. Get a move on : HIE. Old timey word.

41. Walking aid : STAFF.

44. Currier of Currier & Ives : NATHANIEL. He was from Roxbury, MA

47. Netanyahu, for one : ISRAELI. Simple, but tricky.

49. River to the Elbe : OHRE.  We know so little geography. LINK. and 12D. River of central Germany : EDER.  LINK. Kazie? marti?

50. Boorish : CRASS.

64. Musical Dion : CELINE.

65. Quarterback Tebow : TIM. A Florida Gator, but unemployed as a QB.

66. 100 C-notes : TEN-G.

67. Big name in lawn care : SCOTT'S. A nice hello to our own Santa baby.

68. 1940s mil. zone : ETO. Eastern Theater of Operations.

69. Language that gave us "clan" : ERSE. This is tough since ERSE can be either Irish or Scottish Gaelic. LINK.

Down:

1. Italy's La __ : SCALA.

2. Bamboozled : HOSED.  Such a versatile WORD.

3. Invitation on a fictional cake : EAT ME. I would never presume to link a cake as long CED does such wonderful work.

4. More roly-poly : PLUMPER.  I wonder where roly poly started?

5. "You're so right!" : AMEN. 18D. Word of agreement : DITTO.

6. Extended : LONG. So many choices.

7. "__ luck!" : LOTSA. followed by 8. "Blah, blah, blah," briefly : ETC ETC. and 9. Great number of : MILLION. a mini-theme?

10. Element #35 : BROMINE. I long ago forgot the table.

11. Path in a pool : LANE.

13. Boot camp meal : MESS.

24. Awaken : COME TO.

26. Great Society monogram : LBJ. Lyndon Baines Johnson, born August 27, 1908. Hannibal Hamlin was born August 27, 1808. One VP for Kennedy, the other for Lincoln....

27. Self-titled 1991 debut album : ALANIS. Morisette.

29. Classic beverage brand : NEHI. Does everyone think of Radar O'Reilly?

30. Cartoon canine : ODIE. Garfield's 'buddie.'

31. Cambodian cash : RIEL. Rial, are these clues for real?

32. Not yet final, legally : NISI. Ooo I know this one, in the old days they issued a Rule Nisi to allow time for someone to show cause why an order should not become final. I believe some states still use this approach.

33. Scraps : ORTS.

34. High-fiber fruit : PEAR. Did not know this.

35. Educator LeShan : EDA. A popular educator in crosswords.

39. "Zip it!" : SHH.

42. Met the challenge : FACED IT.

43. Agitate : FERMENT. English is such a strange language, so many ways to say one THING.

45. One of the noble gases : ARGON.

46. Nursery arrival : NEONATE. Latin for newborn.

48. Girls : LASSES.

51. Schedule : SLATE.

53. Gumbel's "Today" successor : LAUER. He used to have hair.

54. Idyllic places : EDENS.

55. Sign on an on-ramp : MERGE.

56. Brief moments : SECS.

57. "__ plaisir!" : AVEC. With in French

58. Composer of the opera "Le Roi d'Ys" : LALO. We usually get Schifrin, but instead this:
OPERA

60. Adjust to fit, perhaps : EDIT.

61. One in an office exchange : MEMO. Oddly clued, but not hard.

Well, my fun week continues, great puzzles and lots of fresh squeezed Lemonade (and Key Lime pie!) Thank you Frank Virzi!!!! and all of you for your birthday wishes and for appreciating my sweet Charlotte; have a happy healthy safe holiday week end. Lemonade out.

Sunday July 6, 2014 Frank Virzi

Theme:  "ET Trading" - E is changed into T in each theme entry.

23A. Pair of pooches' synchronized dash? : DOUBLE DOG DART. Double dog dare is a new expression to me.

34A. Boss' personal brewing ingredient? : ALPHA MALT. Alpha male.

50A. Blast off? : START INTO SPACE. Stare into space.

66A. "We're boarding the elevator now, chaps!" : GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFT.

 Got to Get You into My Life

87A. Natural source of a Massachusetts dairy product? : BOSTON CREAM PIT. Boston cream pie.

99A. Result of washing political dirty laundry? : PARTY LINT. Party line.

118A. Course that covers crop circles? : PLANT GEOMETRY. Plane geometry.

Did you grok the gimmick immediately? The puzzle title is quite literal.

I think this is Frank Virzi's first Sunday. Congratulations! The grid has 93 theme squares, but only 138 words & 66 black squares. More often our Sunday grids have 142 or 144 words. Every extra word/black squar is a luxury on Sundays.

Across:

1. Final approvals : SAY-SOS

7. Had to repay for : OWED ON

13. Come into : INHERIT. This is similar to my mom's wedding chest. Hers had pretty bed sheets and quilts she and her mom made.

20. Total : AMOUNT

21. Bread for burritos? : DINERO. Clever clue.

22. Break, as laws : VIOLATE

25. Lee of poetry : ANNABEL. Poe's Annabel Lee.

26. Altar boy : ACOLYTE

27. Broke the tape : WON

28. Language of southern China : CANTONESE. Spoken in Guangdong province & Hong Kong & Macau area.

30. Vegas tip : TOKE

31. Angle iron : L-BAR

33. Cold response : SHIVER. What's your room temperature in the summer? Ours is 74.

38. Malachite and magnetite : MINERALS

43. Shoves off : SETS SAIL

46. "Swans Reflecting Elephants" artist : DALI

48. Dredge, say : DEEPEN

49. Guiding principles : CREEDS

54. Super Bowl XXXIV champs : RAMS. Wish they would stop using Roman numerals.

55. "With a Little Help From My Friends" singer : STARR (Ringo)

57. Utah lily : SEGO

58. Rock follower? : ETTE. Rockette.

59. Molecule that carries energy: Abbr. : ATP (Adenosine triphosphate). Total stranger to me.

60. "Go, team!" : RAH

61. Not to mention : AND

63. Cub Scout leader : AKELA

74. One-celled critter : AMEBA. Amoeba is more common.

75. Rock producer Brian : ENO

76. Temperamental TV pooch : REN Ren and Stimpy.

77. Water, chemically : HOH

78. Old orchard spray : ALAR

81. Gp. led by a Grand Exalted Ruler : BPOE. Gimme for Abejo.

84. Part of a flight : STAIR

86. Scared, maybe : PALE

91. Cry of triumph : I DID IT!

93. Yogurt flavor : BANANA

94. Dutch astronomer who lent his name to a cloud : OORT. Gimme!

95. South American border lake : TITICACA. Peru/Bolivia border lake.

97. Valentine figure : AMORETTO. The plural is Amoretti.

102. They're stuck in corners : STAMPS. I like this clue also.

104. Flying A rival : ESSO. Never saw a Flying A sign.

105. "Breaking __ Hard to Do" : UP IS

109. "0 calories. 0 carbs" drink : DIET PEPSI. They have big presence in China.

113. Prompt : CUE

114. Tramp : VAGRANT

117. Trap : ENSNARE

121. More puffed up : PROUDER

122. Way out : EGRESS

123. Harvey of "The Piano" : KEITEL. With Holly Hunter. I liked the movie.

124. Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland, e.g. : SISTERS

125. Exodus challenge : RED SEA

126. Eventually : IN TIME

Down:

1. 1978 Peace co-Nobelist : SADAT. Still waiting for el-Sisi.

2. Big name in gas : AMOCO

3. Concerned query : YOU OK?

4. Some rental agreements : SUB-LEASES

5. Just : ONLY

6. "Let it be" : STET

7. Prefix with meter : ODO

8. Nipmuc home : WIGWAM. Never heard of Nipmuc. Looks so crude.

9. "Bewitched" witch : ENDORA

10. Faculty boss : DEAN

11. There's a statue of him outside TD Garden : ORR. 

12. V-shaped slit : NOTCH

13. Russian infant emperor, 1740-'41 : IVAN VI. Here is what Wiki says: "... although he never actually reigned. Within less than a year, he was overthrown by the Empress Elizabeth of Russia, Peter I's daughter. Ivan spent the rest of his life as a prisoner and was killed by his guards during an attempt made to free him."

14. Video game giant : NINTENDO

15. They may be roasted : HONOREES

16. Panache : ELAN

17. Broccoli __ : RABE. Not sure our local Cub carries this veggie. Very soon I'm going to enjoy the local water spinach the Hmong farmers here grow.

18. Ending for residents : ITEs. Like Brooklynites.

19. TV segment? : TELE

24. Yamuna River city : DELHI

29. Drawing a bead on : AIMING AT

32. Light wood : BALSA

33. ESPN figures : STATS

35. Dr. Leary's turn-on : LSD

36. Bible reading : PASSAGE

37. CEO, e.g. : LDR (Leader)

39. Formally end : REPEAL

40. Give __ on the back : A PAT

41. Univ. staff title : LECT. Oh, lecturer.

42. Bygone blade : SNEE

43. One who's all skin and bones : SCRAG

44. Pindar's Muse : ERATO

45. Tantalize : TEMPT

47. One in a pack? : LIE. Excellent clue also.

51. Cafeteria carrier : TRAY

52. River of Florence : ARNO

53. Michener's "The Bridges at __" : TOKO-RI. Also unknown to me. I probably should see it just for Grace Kelly. I love her in To Catch a Thief.

56. English channel : THE BBC

60. CD-__ : ROM

62. Bill word : DUE

64. Some retired faculty : EMERITI

65. Reagan adviser Nofziger : LYN. Another unknown. I'm pretty hopeless when it comes to pre-2001 US politics.

67. Sauce with sole : TARTAR

68. Brew servers : TAP ROOMS

69. Dirty Harry's rank: Abbr. : INSP

70. "Don't look at me!" : NOT I

71. "If __ Hammer" : I HAD A

72. Type of acid found in Brussels sprouts : FOLIC. Hard to make Brussels sprouts tasty.

73. Letter after eta : THETA

78. "SOS" singers : ABBA

79. Good earth : LOAM

80. "It will come __ surprise ..." : AS NO

82. War on Poverty org. : OEO. OK, Office of Economic Opportunity. LBJ.

83. O.K. Corral brothers : EARPS

85. Justice Dept. staffers : ATTYS

86. "Just think" : PICTURE IT

88. Bridge opening : ONE SPADE. Same letter count as ONE HEART.

89. One going on and on : NATTERER

90. L.A. bus-and-rail org. : MTA

92. Cacophony : DIN

96. "__ a Rainy Night": 1981 chart-topper : I LOVE

98. Slim candles : TAPERS

100. Catches up with old classmates : REUNES. Only in crosswords.

101. African insect attracted to the color blue : TSETSE

103. Pepper picker : PIPER

106. Page of music : PATTI

107. Against a thing, to a judge : IN REM

108. Panache : STYLE

109. ATM transactions : DEPS (Deposits)

110. Cross inscription : INRI

111. Those caballeros : ESOS.  Caballeros  sound like hot peppers.

112. Hardware item : T-NUT

113. Pick in a trick : CARD

115. Golfer Isao : AOKI. Don't google. Guess how tall he is.

116. FBI agents : G-MEN

119. Soft drink ord. : LGE

120. Govt. property org. : GSA (General Services Administration)

C.C.

Friday, June 6, 2014, Frank Virzi

Theme: Beware of rip currents!

Well after you zipped through yesterday's puzzle and marti's fun write up, we have a more normal Friday with smaller word count, but with a visual theme. The reveal is in the middle of the grid, across, and the three theme answers in the Down clues, This requires the solver to read the hidden word from bottom to top, as TIDE is hidden in each of the three theme answers, and the letters are 'rising.'  We have had bottom to top theme answers before, so I do not expect this to be as polarizing a puzzle as last week, especially as the puzzle has so many 7,8 and 9 letter fill. ANILINE, ARIANNA, ARMADAS, DIETARY, VIRGINS, YES MA'AM, AVOIDING, INNATELY, PILSNERS, REMNANTS, ANNAPOLIS and DANDELION, three of which are new to the LA Times. Comparatively light on proper names, you all should have some fun here. This is Maryland's Frank VIRZI's third LAT, I blogged his first back in 2010, but he is obviously very prolific.

35A. Boat lifters found in this puzzle's three longest answers : RISING TIDES.(11).I like the definition of 'boat lifter' to be the rising tide; Alabama under Nick Satan was a rising tide, now we will see if they will ebb.

4D. Bank offerings : CREDIT LINES.(11). Many years ago these loans were unsecured, not any more. Picture reading from right to left and the TIDE emerges.

7D. Journalism bigwigs : MANAGING EDITORS. (15). I know our learned audience will help me understand the dynamic of the Managing Editor and the Publisher in a working newspaper.

26D. Journeys of discovery : EXPEDITIONS. (11). Another nice definition which required perp help, but as it was down, it was there.

Across:

1. Gush forth, as chimney smoke : BELCH. Really, how PC. As a child we had 24 hour smoke billowing  from the textile mill furnaces, I have read about smoke being belched out, but never seen it.  We lost our factories, the air was better but there were no jobs.

6. Coldplay gear : AMPS. bye bye, Gwyneth.  LISTEN.

10. Fix, in a way : SPAY. Never understood this euphemism; I certainly would not feel fixed, and would...

14. Foil : AVERT. any such plan, as it would ruin my...

15. Pace : GAIT. No desire to be an Unsullied, no thank you.

16. Old Milano moola : LIRE. Personally, being paid in Milano cookies sounds appealing.

17. Shakes, as a tail : LOSES. These days, with drones and tracking devices and gps in your phone, a detective's life sounds easier. It reminds me how with the advent of caller ID, television mysteries had to resort to the 'burner' phones to explain why they did not catch the bad guy when he called.

18. Capital on Chesapeake Bay : ANNAPOLIS, One of the new fill, and odd that no mention of the capital of Maryland, or the home of the Naval Academy ever appeared in a LA Times puzzle. How many love  the Maryland crabs from the bay?

20. Lost traction : SLID.

21. Drug initially studied for use in treating angina : VIAGRA. After hanging their clip boards of data gingerly for a while, it occurred to the Pharma that the other use might be profitable. Is it me, or was pairing with 21D. Vestal __: Roman flame tenders : VIRGINS a Freudian gesture from Mr. Virzi? More virgins? 33A. Carmelite, e.g. : NUN. The mountain from which they were founded. LINK.

22. To whom Ilsa said "I'll hum it for you" : SAM. She was so beautiful. (4:05).

23. Shying away from : AVOIDING.

25. Natural dye : HENNA. I was thinking about getting a Henna tattoo to freak my kids out, what with father's day coming up and all.

27. Advise : MENTOR. A favorite word and a lost art.

28. Nest egg item, for short : IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

31. Spinoff of TV's "Hercules" : XENA. Lucy Lawless, what a great name!

32. Place for a cast : LEG. Not at the end of the movie.

34. Buckingham buggy : PRAM. The benefit of all the British mystery fiction is knowing what Steve grew up learning in person. A new Martha Grimes hit the stands yesterday. Welcome back Richard Jury.

38. Port near the Red Sea : ADEN.

40. Alumni directory word : NEE. Is this fair, or should it have said ALUMNAE directory word?

41. Chap : LAD.

42. Winter coat : RIME. Not related to:

43. Nursery supply : SOD. Not Desitin, or talcum powder.

44. Reply to "No, you couldn't have!" : I DID SO.

48. It was founded in Oxford in 1946 : MENSA. I did not know this, do I have to give up my membership?

50. From the start : INNATELY.

52. One-time connection : AT A. Not a connection that has been lost, but one that connects one and time.

53. White terrier, for short : WESTIE. They look odd. LINK.(2:48).

56. California's Mission Santa __ : INES. Not up on my California Missions but have been to many really old ones in Florida.

57. Aster relative : DANDELION. I did not know this. Wild Flower or WEED?

59. Schubert's "Eine kleine Trauermusik," e.g. : NONET. From the Latin meaning 9, as they require 9 instruments. Otherwise, JzB, please HELP!

60. Martial __ : ARTS.

61. French 101 infinitive : ETRE. être ou ne pas être.

62. Make nasty comments : SNIPE. The kind that hurt people. Clecho: 64A. Make nasty comments : CUSS. The kind where the words are unacceptable, but not necessarily mean.

63. GPS part: Abbr. : SYSTem. Global Positioning System.

65. From Nineveh: Abbr. : ASSYR. Eeeeek. Is this an abbreviation of Assyrian? Am I an Americ?  Assyria is now known as Iraq.

Down:

1. Fragrant fir : BALSAM. A common choice for Christmas TREE.

2. Develop gradually : EVOLVE.Like the various Corner blogging styles.

3. Sore spot : LESION. I like this clue/fill a lot and I am not sure why

5. Abbr. after Cleveland or Brooklyn : HTS. In my schools they came from Shaker Heights.

6. "Come __?" : AGAIN? I did not hear you.

8. Sign of engine trouble, perhaps : PING.

9. One billed higher than the rest : STAR. In my world they are called senior partners.

10. Traffic warning : SLO. Is it really worth removing the 'W?" Two days in  a roW?

11. Pale lagers : PILSNERS. My beer brewing sons would be very unhappy with this clue/fill. All Beer is either Lager (cold bottom fermentation) or Ale (warm top fermentation). Pilsners (named after the city in Czechoslovakia  where the style was created) are a form of lager, though most are golden in color. They are pale compared to the more robust lagers. Your basic Beck's, Heineken and the like are pilsners.

12. Author Huffington : ARIANNA. Her Huffington Post was bought by AOL for $315 Million; if interested you go to this LINK.

13. Polite assent : YES MA'AM. Many women under 35 find this greeting very offensive.

19. Tuba note : PAH. And its friend OOM.

24. Executes : DOES.

29. Track : RUT.

30. Dye-making compound : ANILINE.

35. Leftovers : REMNANTS. Hi honey, let's have some remnants for supper.

36D. Natal opening : NEOnatal.

37. Word from a crib : DADA. Or the now familiar TV staple, "get off my turf, mofo."

38. Seagoing forces : ARMADAS. The tale of the defeat of the SPANISH ARMADA in 1588 was a riveting one when I was in grammar school.

39. Like many supplements : DIETARY.

45. Hall of Fame pitcher Eckersley : DENNIS. Eck who went from being a successful starter to being a great reliever when he was traded to Oakland and manager Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan. STATS. He started with Cleveland but was traded when his wife had an affair with another Cleveland player. He also was traded from the RedSox to the Cubs in the deal that brought Bill Buckner to Boston.

46. Nodding : SLEEPY. Which makes me want to go to bed, but then...

47. Bed denizen : OYSTER. if ever I wake up and find an oyster in my bed I am going to be livid.

49. Leave dumbstruck : AWE.

51. Dressing extreme? : NINES. Origin per askville: "Dressed to the nines, or dressed up to the nines are merely a version of the phrase that is applied to clothing. That is first cited in John C. Hotten's A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words, 1859 as: 'DRESSED UP TO THE NINES', in a showy 'recherché' manner."

54. Monthly pmt. : ELECtricity. This is an extruded clue/fill as you do not pay your Elec, you pay the bill.

55. As found, with "in" : SITU. Latin, and familiar to all from the TV CSI type shows.

58. Source of addl. evening light : DST. Daylight Savings Time.

59. Surveillance org. : NSA. National Security Agency  A timely fill that keeps coming up in the puzzles and the news.

June is here, soon it will be summer and the days will start getting shorter again; in the meantime I hope you enjoyed this puzzle and have a pleasant week end. Father's Day is coming

Lemonade out.
  

Notes from C.C.:

1) The third Minnesota Crossword Tournament will be held on June 22, 2014  at The Landmark Center in Saint Paul. Please click here for more information. Now they have a short bio of each constructor.

 

2) JD emailed me these two wonderful pictures. She said:

"Yesterday (June 4 Wednesday) the coven had our yearly trek over to Dodo's, and had a lovely time. Dodo was in good spirits and seeing Lucina makes this trip extra special. We could have spent the whole afternoon, after a delicious lunch, chatting, but unfortunately the drive takes us 2 1/2 hours if we get on the road before the commuters.

BTW, Garlic Gal did a spectacular job of weaving thru the truck traffic and the back seat in her car was most comfortable. Couldn't even tell it was 92 outside with the AC."

L to R: Chickie, Lucina, Garlic Gal, JD, and Dodo.

 Dodo, who will be 89 years old this coming Oct

Friday, March 2, 2012, Frank Virzi

Theme: HAM ON RYE, this puzzle cuts the mustard. Click here to see the gimmick. For all of you who do not like cross referential cluing, this puzzle was not kosher, as the letters HAM are hidden in each of three theme answers, and RYE are hidden in three answers physically directly below. The reveal hint coming so early made all the difference for me, as I had no clue until I saw the first two long answers and went back and forth looking for a common element and the HAM popped pot. Then I realized looking for the Catcher in the RYE. Like last week, our theme answers come in pairs. This was my third straight puzzle from a constructor we have not seen for a year, and coincidentally the one who create the previous TV show TITLE PUZZLE; let us begin. Another combination of words and pictures

17A. Source of mints, at times: CHAMBER MAID. This is really cute and I had to wait until the down were down.
20A. 7-Across destination, eventually: DRYER. What if you like to hang the laundry outside in the fresh air?

They line up, so the HAM is on the RYE.

39A. It prohibits illegal search and seizure: FOURTH AMENDMENT. This was a gimme for me, and gave me the theme, as the run on word is a staple in crostic such as those featured in the Sunday London Times, and some Sunday NY Times Magazines.
41A. The recent past: YESTERYEAR. Am I the only one who thinks of the Lone Ranger?

60A. Subject of a 1922 archaeological discovery: TUTANKHAMUN.
64A. Some chickens: FRYERS. I wonder if they know when they are growing up what they are?

19A. With "on" and 59-Across, a hint to the theme hidden in three places in this puzzle: HAM. 59A. See 19-Across: RYE.

Notice HAM and RYE are symmetrically placed?

On to the show:

ACROSS:

1. Stands: ABIDES. Many of you do not abide by these type of puzzles.

7. Load in a basket: WASH. Some of you may be more familiar with the term laundry.

11. Label: TAG.

14. Busts: BOSOMS. Well okay, let us get right to the heart of the matter. Dennis, for your examination...NIPPLEGATE (1:05)

15. Potent introduction?: OMNIpotent. A powerful clue.

16. Nabokov novel : ADA. An interesting but shocking BOOK, from the author of dear LO-li-ta
(hello) Jeannie, written when he was almost 70.

21. New York City's __ River: EAST. The rivers are why Manhattan is an island; can you name them all?

22. Chowderhead: DOPE. I think Mr. V. is from Massachusetts, so we get some chow-dah.

23. They often accompany stretches: YAWNS. I was looking for something tricky to do with jail time.

25. "I Loves You, Porgy" and others: DUETS. There are so many versions, but none netter than BILLIE (2:46). You like the cross with 25D. Pair: DUAD. Okay a Friday word, never heard of it. Also from Greek, meaning two, just like DUET.

26. House on TV, e.g.: DOCTOR. One of last weeks TV shows.

30. Poker star Hansen: GUS. Scandinavian star of the World Poker Tour.

31. River from the Cantabrian Mountains: EBRO. Didn't we just see this Spanish FLOWER?

32. Invasion leaders of the '60s: THE BEATLES. What is your favorite song? I think of them as...

42. Huit + trois: ONZE. 8 + 3 in French, our lesson of the day.

43. __-Aztecan languages: UTO. We studied the HOPI in sociology when I was in college.

44. Buyer, in legal usage: EMPTOR. CAVEAT EMPTOR, buyer beware. Literal translation from Latin. Unlike SEMPER UBI, SUB UBI.

46. Love: ADORE. Je t'aime, je t'adore.

49. Roundup need: LASSO. Lariat is longer.

52. Zoom: RACE. The verb.

53. Sub: HERO. The grinder, the elongated sandwich (or should I say shrewsbury?)

54. Once and again: TWICE. Again a cute clue.

62. Santa __ winds: ANA. Saint Anne.

63. One who often doesn't pick up?: SLOB. Oscar Madison.

65. Craving: YEN. I want lots of Japanese currency.

66. Show closers, perhaps: PANS. Bad reviews often spell the demise of shows.

67. Balmoral attraction: CASTLE. One of the Queen's places in Scotland.

DOWN:

1. Start of a tots' song: ABCD. A less offensive letter string clue?

2. 1922 physics Nobelist: BOHR. Proving knowledge is where you find it, I learned about this man from reading Martha Grimes' mysteries and watching The Big Bang Theory.

3. "__, old chap!": I SAY. A nice shout out to Nice Cuppa and our newbie Steve.

4. Taj Mahal topper: DOME. Which erection do you like better, Balmoral or:

5. Developmental stage : EMBRYO. An anagram of MY EBRO.

6. Prescott-to-Tempe dir.: SSE. Arizona cities.

7. Smith attendee: WOMAN. One of only seven remaining all women COLLEGES. Another hint Mr. V. is from Massachusetts.

8. Round up: AMASS. See, what did I tell you! Don't have a ...

9. Hissy fit: SNIT. Just because I am silly. It is a trait I never...

10. Went underground: HID.

11. Attraction near U.S. 395: TAHOE. The city, the lake? One of my favorite places in the US.

12. Go with the flow: ADAPT.

13. Jenga and jacks: GAMES. I have never played either.

18. Remote letters: REWind. Letters on your remote control.

22. Broom alternative: DUST MOP. Not to be confused with RAGG MOPP (2:31) from a few weeks ago.

24. Prefix with -pod: ARTHRO. From the Greek meaning joint, the pods are the insects, arachnids etc of the universe. We all know the prefix from Arthritis, which means inflamed joint.

26. Challenge: DEFY.

27. Clarinet cousin: OBOE. Gee, and I saw them kissing.

28. French vineyards: CRUS. Oops, more French, from the word croître; also can be used to show a good vintage, e.g. premier cru.

29. Agony: TORTURE. Are we having fun, or are we in agony?

30. Blues and others: GENRES. Maybe some JAZZ? (1:48).

33. It's cut and dried: HAY. Hey, Windhover.

34. Morph ending: EME. I wants me my shot of MORPHEME? No, THIS. All of our English teachers happy?

35. Emmy-winning Arthur: BEA. A Golden Girl Maude.

36. Provided temporarily: LENT. What did our Catholic friends give up this year?

37. Auto designer Ferrari: ENZO. Should be a gimme by now.

38. Prank ending: STER. Oh Frank you prankster.

40. Head of Québec: TETE. More French, he must be from near Worcester or Southbridge where so many Canadians live.

45. Lepidopterous opponent of Godzilla: MOTHRA. When I was 10 I used to go to my Uncle's house to watch these movies while he slept.

46. Orderly grouping: ARRAY. Man, I thought it said orderly groping, and I was figuring it must be how the Amish make out, or what Nurses do in the hallway. Hearti?

47. "Tell It to My Heart" singer Taylor: DAYNE. A LINK for everyone. (3:44).

48. Expanse with crests: OCEAN. My bathroom did not fit.

49. Reveal: LET ON.

50. Most Syrians: ARABS.

51. Cain was the first: SON. Murderer also did not fit.

53. Dance with flowing gestures: HULA. Two weeks in a row, you coming back to visit K-man?

55. Distance: WAYS. Well we have have come quite a ways, until...

56. "__ a man with seven wives": I MET. An old nursery rhyme riddle. I miss CA.

As I was going to St Ives

I met a man with seven wives

Every wife had seven sacks

Every sack had seven cats

Every cat had seven kits

Kits, cats, sacks, wives

How many were going to St Ives.

57. Forearm exercise: CURL. Eh, more for the biceps.

58. Start of Massachusetts's motto: ENSE. My final piece of evidence your honor for my case that Mr. Virzi if from the Commonwealth. We had the clue recently: "Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem." (Latin) By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.

60. Medicine amt.: TSP. of sugar makes the medicine go down.

61. "Original, crispy or grilled?" co.: KFC. Kentucky Fried Chicken. My only one of the day; not Kentucky's Fat Colonel. I love their coleslaw, and delivered for them many moons ago.

Answer grid.

Wowee kazowie: Another Friday puzzle in the record books; mostly pretty easy, but then when I blog I do not time myself as I stop and get links as I solve, so who really knows. Enjoy the week end all, and I hope Hank is okay Mainiac, and you as well Creature and all the rest of the wounded warriors in our troop. Lemonade, over and out see you all laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttter.