Friday, December 23, 2016, David Alfred Bywaters

Title: My exes are not all in Texas but in this puzzle.

We have the LAT debut of Mr. Bywaters who just had an initial publication on December 13th in the NYT. 63 theme squares left little room for long fill but METEORITE and IN LINE WITH were nice. The rest of the fill seemed a tad easy for a Friday. Of the five theme fill, we have one EX in the beginning, one at the end and the other three somewhere in between. This is difficult to keep balanced. The rest played out pretty easily with GEHRY being my all perp fill. Test these waters by Bywaters.


17A. Illicit buzzing in the hive? : BEE SEXTING (10). A plain old bee sting gets remodeled with the EX showing up.

24A. Slipshod building addition? : RAGGEDY ANNEX (12). The Raggedy Ann doll is next to get an EX.

40A. Beginning of a very thorough biography? : FETAL EXPOSITION (15).  Starting a biography at birth needs an EX added as well.

50A. Aerosol product that will help you fit in in Houston? : SPRAY ON TEXAN (12). Spraying on your tan gives you a Texan when you add the EX.

64A. Too much shooting at the table? : EXCESS POOL (10). We have single word having the EX added at the beginning.
And the reveal:

72A. They sometimes intrude at weddings, and also in this puzzle's theme : EXES.

Across;

1. Clever stroke : COUP. Coup de grâce; coup d’etat...nice French to start the day.

5. Stage genre : DRAMA.

10. Secured, in a way : TIED.

14. Too : ALSO. So easy I hesitated.

15. Actor Firth : COLIN.

16. Initial contribution : ANTE.

19. Surplus : GLUT.

20. Painful spots : SORES.

21. Speak or creak : VERB.

23. Altar promise : I DO.

28. Zodiac animal : RAM.

31. Aran Islands country: Abbr. : IRE.

32. Chopping tool : HOE.

33. Always : EVER.

35. Parker's rank in "McHale's Navy": Abbr. : ENS. This was my introduction to the great Tim Conway. The show was really a step child of the success of Phil Silvers' Sgt. Bilko character. LINK.

37. Pincered insect : EARWIG. This what I think about when I see this WORD.

43. Strands at the lodge, maybe : ICES IN.

44. Six-pack set : ABS.

45. Jazz singer James : ETTA.

46. Nevada was the first st. to allow it : OTB. Off Track Betting.

47. Clickbait site, as of Sep. 2016 : OED. Oxford English Dictionary.

49. Metaphorical hiding place : HAT. Keep it Under your hat. LINK.

56. Athlete lead-in : TRIathlete. 62A. Immune lead-in : AUTO.

57. French honey : AMIE. Girl friend in French.

58. Coffee shop order : MOCHA. Not sure why but I plunked this right in and it stuck.

67. Thought : IDEA.

68. Architect Frank : GEHRY. Frank Gehry is a Canadian-American architect known for postmodern designs, including the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. ... he was born Frank Owen Goldberg in Toronto, Canada on February 28, 1929 and still lives.Various.

69. One of three in "To be or not to be" : IAMB. Short and long in a metric foot. Poetry 101.

70. Office staple : DESK.

71. Donkeys : ASSES.


Down:

1. Uber competitors : CABS. I think it is the other way around.

2. Margarine : OLEO.

3. Many a typist, nowadays : USER.

4. Fake : POSER.

5. Early 7th-century year : DCX. The random Roman numeral glue.

6. Go bad : ROT.

7. Still in play : ALIVE.

8. Like much ore : MINED.

9. Hot : ANGRY.

10. Identification method : TAG.

11. Conforming to : IN LINE WITH.

12. Chopin work : ETUDE. The entire STORY. One listen....hard not to love Chopin.

13. Rehab process : DETOX.

18. Actor Morales : ESAI. If only he had as many roles as he has had puzzle apearances.

22. Religion founded in Persia : BAHAI. Another answer that went in and stayed. I learned about this from Vic Damone and Diahann Carroll.

25. Gullible : GREEN.

26. Group including some Brat Pack members : GEN-X.

27. Mazatlán-to-Chihuahua dirección : NORTE. Spanish.

28. Monthly pmts. reducer : REFInance.

29. "Voulez-vous coucher __ moi?" : AVEC. I cannot resist LADY MARMALADE.

30. Falling stars that reach the ground : METEORITES.

34. Many a reggae artist : RASTA.

36. Eponymous Belgian town : SPA.

37. English county on the North Sea : ESSEX. In between Kent and Suffolk.

38. Tiny bit : IOTA.

39. Airborne pest : GNAT.

41. OPEC member since 1962 : LIBYA. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent, intergovernmental Organization, created at the Baghdad Conference on September 10–14, 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. The five Founding Members were later joined by nine other Members: Qatar (1961); Indonesia (1962) – suspended its membership in January 2009, reactivated it in January 2016, but decided to suspend it again in November 2016; Libya (1962); United Arab Emirates (1967); Algeria (1969); Nigeria (1971); Ecuador (1973) – suspended its membership in December 1992, but reactivated it in October 2007; Angola (2007); and Gabon (1975) - terminated its membership in January 1995 but rejoined in July 2016. OPEC had its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, in the first five years of its existence. This was moved to Vienna, Austria, on September 1, 1965.

42. High wind? : OBOE. My third word that I just put in.

48. Lake makers, at times : DAMS.

50. Unwavering : STAID. If overdone can make you a ...

51. Goody two shoes : PRUDE.

52. End of a series : OMEGA. Alpha to....

53. Vetoes : NIXES.

54. They may deal with freezes : TECHS.

55. Fabled lost mittens punishment : NO PIE.
BY MOTHER GOOSE
The three little kittens, they lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
"Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear,
That we have lost our mittens."
"What!   Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie."
"Meow, meow, meow."
"Then you shall have no pie."

59. Cajole : COAX.

60. Residence : HOME.

61. Priestly garments : ALBS. Once a very common fill and I beleive the only four letter possibility for the plural.

63. Shade provider : OAK. Lots of oaks in Florida.

65. Poetic word of order : ERE.

66. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYStem.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, and I will back next week for my final
2016 write up.  Thanks - do you all agree " A little D.A.B. will do you. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Happy 72nd Birthday to our dear Misty, who's visiting her Aunt in Austria at this moment. Thanks for the love and warmth you've brought to our little corner, Misty!

Friday, December 16, 2016, Gail Grabowski

Title: what's your P/L like?

The ever prolific Gail G. is back with a letter substitution puzzle with an added twist. Two word phrases beginning PO become words which start LO. Limiting her word choice to LO made this a wonderful challenge. How many could come up with 4 such phrases. Looking at a list with 1800 words which begin PO, I could not anything appealing aside from the 4 she chose. It ended up as a very straight forward solve working from corner to corner. Getting the theme early helped. Mileage may vary so let take a stroll together. No standout words but not any clunkers or cheater squares.

17A. "Don't waste your money on that pendant"? : LOCKET VETO (10). Pocket veto, It makes sene but i do not see it a real phrase.

23A. Spinner in a numbers game? : LOTTERY WHEEL (12). Pottery Wheel. Lottery wheel does seem more realistic.

51A. Hammock? : LOLLING PLACE (12). Polling Place. Yes this works too.

64A. Pruning ideology? : LOP CULTURE (10). Pop culture. A stretch.
And the reveal?

71A. Sport that hints at this puzzle's theme : POLO. Now you see it?

Across;

1. Bird that's a national symbol : KIWI. If you ever wondered WHY?

5. "Chasing Pavements" singer : ADELE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwTMyjTNBM8

10. Party time, casually : B-DAY. Do you all have parties on your birthday?

14. Eddie __, detective involved in the actual "French Connection" : EGAN. Played by Gene Hackman in the movie.













15. Spring bloomer : TULIP.

16. Former constellation that included Vela (the sails) : ARGO. For all you stargazer. LINK.

19. Insulated cable : CORD.

20. Thorough investigation : PROBE.\ Is this real SCIENCE?

21. Opposite of bumpy : EVEN.

22. Pants part : KNEE.

26. Elaborate in design : ROCOCO. How many of you have listened to Firesign Theater's the adventures of Nick Danger and the evil Rocky Rococo?

29. It's heard in a herd : MOO. Cute clue

30. Online service option : CHAT.

31. Daring exploit : GEST. I ususaly see it with the spelling GESTE like Beau Geste..

35. One eschewing leather, perhaps : VEGAN. Love the esCHEWing got a vegan clue.

39. Satisfied sounds : AHS.

40. Pub pick : PALE ALE. IPA more likely.

42. Presidential nickname : ABE.

43. Long bout : SIEGE. a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder
Synonyms access, bout, case, fit, seizure, attack, spell, turn

45. Start of something big? : MAXI. Nicely phrased though for some reason it may think of maxipad.

46. Quiets, in a way : OILS. Ahh, the squeaky part

47. Quirky : ODD.

49. Hills of Rome, e.g. : SEPTET. Seven: The seven hills are:
Aventine Hill (Latin, Aventinus; Italian, Aventino)
Caelian Hill (Cælius, Celio)
Capitoline Hill (Capitolinus, Campidoglio)
Esquiline Hill (Esquilinus, Esquilino)
Palatine Hill (Palatinus, Palatino)
Quirinal Hill (Quirinalis, Quirinale)
Viminal Hill (Viminalis, Viminale)

57. Beginning : AS OF.

58. Square figure : AREA. Cute again.

59. Early or late hr., depending : ONE A.M.

63. Go on : LAST.

66. Pulitzer-winning author James : AGEE. A regular here famous for The African Queen (1951) screen play and The Night of the Hunter (1955). Agee died in New York City on May 16, 1955. Three years later, in 1958, he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his novel A Death in the Family.

67. Sure-footed critters : ASSES.

68. Composer Khachaturian : ARAM. And now for a musical interlude---doe the music sound familiar?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqg3l3r_DRI   LINK

69. "What __ you thinking?" : WERE.

70. Not a hit, usually : B-SIDE.


Down:

1. Vegetation in underwater forests : KELP. The Beatles used this as their anthem when they became vegan. I bet the readers here could do better than THIS.

2. Aviation pioneer Sikorsky : IGOR. He moved to Connecticut and I had the pleasure of meeting him at my uncles house.

3. Chisholm Trail city : WACO.

4. Test pattern : INKBLOT. Another well clued fill.

5. U-verse provider : ATT.

6. Comforter : DUVET. French for DOWN.

7. Sorbonne student : ELEVE. French for student.

8. Large soda bottle label word : LITER. As in 2 or 3 liter size.

9. Henry Ford, e.g. : EPONYM. A fun word:a person after whom a discovery, invention, place, etc., is named or thought to be named: name or noun formed after a person.

10. Excavating aid : BACKHOE.Glad we had the lesson a few weeks ago.

11. Hive member : DRONE.

12. Think alike : AGREE.

13. Mountain air : YODEL. a fun LINK.

18. Fair-hiring agcy. : EEOC.

24. Draped garment : TOGA. Does everyone think of Animal House or the wonderful HBO series ROME, or PBS I, Claudius all well worth watching. You might have know all seven hills.

25. Zigzagged : WOVE.

26. Some TVs : RCAS.

27. Offhand greeting : OH HI.

28. Discounted buy : CASE. I guess he is referring to bulk buying,

32. Split-resistant wood : ELM. Elm wood is valued for its interlocking grain, and consequent resistance to splitting, with significant uses in wagon wheel hubs, chair seats and coffins. The bodies of Japanese Taiko drums are often cut from the wood of old elm trees, as the wood's resistance to splitting is highly desired for nailing the skins to them, and a set of three or more is often cut from the same tree. Wiki.  Oo and I watched the drummers live, they are awesome.

33. See 61-Down : SEA. 61D, With  33-Down, part of it is now a desert : ARAL.

34. Stress : TAX. Don't tax yourself.

36. Trot, say : GAIT.

37. Skilled : ABLE.

38. Source of tweets : NEST.

40. Beginning to cure? : PEDI. Nicely done.

41. When repeated, Cult Jam singer : LISA.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5m8lj5DCtI  LINK.

44. Driver's gadget : GOLF TEE.

46. Source of flowing water : OPEN TAP.

48. "CSI" setting : DNA LAB. It was much more than that.

50. Sci. concerned with biodiversity : ECOLolgy.

51. Multiple Emmy-winning legal drama : LA LAW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7R6ycC_s1g

52. Missouri river : OSAGE.

53. Usually disappointed one : LOSER.

54. Sales figure : GROSS.

55. Side in a decades-long war : PEPSI. The inside STORY.

56. Tied : LACED. Shoes not sports.

60. Peseta replacer : EURO.

62. Exec's reminder : MEMO.

65. Purpose : USE.

Well there you have a bunch of really fun clues and a tight theme. Only 9 shopping days left and accept all gifts from all religious constructs.  It is fun, Lemonade out. thanks Gail and of you who read, and especially those who write, even the foolish attacking trolls who hide behind anonymity. We have some great people to know if you open up.

Friday, December 9, 2016, Tony Caruso and C. C. Burnikel

Title 2 + 2 = 4.

In their third LAT collaboration of 2016, Tony (Anon-T) and C.C. take well known phrases or products which include a number and add 4 (four) to get the theme answer. The reveal is really cute, especially if you like golf. Not an easy puzzle, but it went smoothly. And we have a mini-Trojan War theme. It does feature quite a bit of interesting intermediate fill such as ALKALI,  DUELED, ORTEGA,  B.B.KING,  AENEAS, CLAUDE, EAT DIRT,  UPBRAID, COROLLA,  KNESSET, LIONS DEN, TENOR SAX...where do they all come from?

On with the show:

17A. Dutch vodka brand : KETEL FIVE (9). Ketel One plus four equals the joke.

24A. End of an Ernie Banks catchphrase about doubleheaders : LET'S PLAY SIX (11). Let's PLAY TWO showed the enthusiasm he always had for the game, and how nice to see Mr. Cub so soon after the Series.

36A. Powerful Detroit group : THE BIG SEVEN (11). The old line automobile BIG THREE are back on top after Toyota and Honda peaked.

47A. NCAA hockey semifinal group : FROZEN EIGHT (11). The FROZEN FOUR are the four finalists who vie for the NCAA men's hockey championship.
The reveal -
57A. Traditional golf pants, and a hint to why certain puzzle answers are wrong : PLUS FOURS (9).
Plus-fours are breeches or trousers that extend 4 inches (10 cm) below the knee (and thus four inches longer than traditional knickerbockers, hence the name). As they allow more freedom of movement than knickerbockers, they have been traditionally associated with sporting attire from the 1860s and onward, and are also particularly associated with golf. wiki. Revived in golf by Orville Moody and the late Payne Stewart.

Across:

1. Photoshop maker : ADOBE. Perhaps more famous for PDF.

6. Late __ : FEE.

9. Average Joes, e.g. : MALES.

14. Fishing needs : LURES.

15. Bill's future, maybe : LAW. No not our bicycle riding macchiato swigging Bill G., but a bill offered in congress.

16. Troy story : ILIAD. I love the simplicity and subtlety of this clue dredging up both the ancient myth and the modern myth - Toy Story.

19. Coin receivers : SLOTS. And that is why they are called slot machine.

20. Round orders : ALES. This round is on me!

21. Extraction target : ORE. There are no three letter teeth and SPY just did not work.

22. Hide in a crowd : BLEND. (in?)

23. Piano part : LEG. Piano leg has become a pejorative.

27. State bordering six others and the Canadian mainland : IDAHO. I was sorry to see the number in the clue. Canada gave away the answer for me.

29. Beam : RAY.

30. Beats Electronics co-founder : DRE. Only in America...BILLIONAIRE?

31. Rebuke : UPBRAID.

35. Checks out : VETS. In the strange history of American English, this term comes to us from horse racing. To vet was originally a horse-racing term, referring to the requirement that a horse be checked for health and soundness by a veterinarian before being allowed to race. Thus, it has taken the general meaning "to check" various.

38. Powerful pair : ACES. Bullets.

40. Parliament of Israel : KNESSET. They have a unicameral legislature. Formed in 1949, from Mishnaic Hebrew keneseth "gathering, assembly," from stem of Hebrew kanas "he gathered, assembled, collected."

41. Former Texas Rangers manager Washington : RON. He is the most successful manager in their HISTORY.

42. Grafton's "__ for Alibi" : A IS. The alphabet mysteries which started when she was 42 and have made it to X.

43. 2014 Olympics city : SOCHI. It was exciting then but NOW?

52. Chuckle online : LOL.

53. Borneo swinger : ORANG.

54. Jessica Rabbit feature : GAM.

55. Composer __ Maria von Weber : CARL.

                                                    I am not an expert on OPERA.


56. Mascot once awarded a Doctor of Bovinity degree : ELSIE. From the Ohio State University, I am told.

59. Santa __ : CLARA. Who lives there?

60. Charged particle : ION.

61. Bhopal locale : INDIA. Looks kind of dead center to me?

62. Burdens : TAXES.

63. Sitter's charge : TOT.

64. In dire straits : NEEDY.


Down:

1. Caustic potash, e.g. : ALKALI.  More than you need to KNOW.

2. Fought, in a way : DUELED.

3. Company with a Taco Club : ORTEGA. I have linked their bottle a couple of times.

4. Contests whose competitors stand in place : BEES. While they do stand in a spelling bee, not so much in a quilting bee.

5. Course for some U.S. arrivals : ESL. English as a Second Language was very important for my wife and I. Without it we would not have been able to successfully....

6. Tease : FLIRT.

7. Gutter sites : EAVES.

8. Woolly mama : EWE. Another sounds almost like clue (woolly mammoth).

9. Lose : MISLAY.

10. Way behind buildings : ALLEY. I like it!

11. Hostile place : LION'S DEN. The image comes from the Torah where Daniel is cast into the lions den by the Babylonians.

12. Swallow one's pride : EAT DIRT. A straight forward metaphor, but nice phrase.

13. Campus org. revived in 2006 : SDS. Popular once again.

18. Un-friend? : FOE. Another use of modern slang to beef up a simple fill.

22. Grass components : BLADES.

24. Bound : LOPE.

25. Finicky sort : PRISS.

26. Marks with two intersecting lines : XES.

28. Confused sounds : HUHS.

32. Blues singer in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1987 : B. B. KING. Link.

33. Word before repeat : RINSE. On every shampoo bottle.

34. Sensitive subject for some : AGE.

35. Reject : VETO.

36. Clinton's instrument : TENOR SAX. I thought Monica said it was a cigar...

37. A tie may be partly under one : VEST.

38. Pound sound : ARF. Nice rhyme.

39. Toyota model : COROLLA.

42. Trojan who survived the sack of Troy : AENEAS. Aeneas was the son of Anchises and Venus. He was a cousin of King Priam of Troy, and was the leader of Troy's Dardanian allies during the Trojan War. After the fall of Troy, he led a band of Trojan refugees to Italy and became the founder of Roman culture (although not of the city of Rome itself). The story is told in this WORK.

44. First name in impressionism : CLAUDE. MONET. He did not do a good King Louis.

45. Plain awful : HORRID.

46. "Amen to that!" : I'LL SAY.

48. Rumble in the Jungle setting : ZAIRE. Where Ali unveiled the "rope-a-dope" to defeat George Foreman.

49. Inuit home : IGLOO.

50. More than skinny : GAUNT.

51. Bounty title : HMS. His/her Majesty's Ship.  True STORY.

55. Pine __ : CONE. Tree fit too.

56. Outside: Pref. : ECT. Endo and ecto...

57. Casino area : PIT.

58. Shark feature : FIN. Fin is also French for the the end, which means it is time for us to say adieu. Always such fun to blog a puzzle from C.C. University. Thank you Tony, C.C. and  all of you.




Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Hahtoolah, who never comes to the blog without an inspiring quote. Like Lucina, Hahtoolah has traveled extensively. She is also an avid reader.

The Corn Poppy

Friday, December 2, 2016, Peter Koetters

Title: Over and Over Again

The odd clue ( - ) gave me a hint where I needed to look for the theme, but this was a challenge. It was great to have our LA pediatrician Peter back after a long absence. I blogged his debut puddle- I mean puzzle LINK and he has stopped by to talk with us some after his publications. With no fill longer than 9 letters, nothing jumped out. It was only by focusing on filling the downs that the light bulb came on and I 'saw' his theme in the sea of white. Very few short fill and so many interesting others like UP DRAFT,  NAVARRE,  SPLOTCH,  DEAD SEA,  SLEPT IN,  APHASIA, WHEEDLED,  UNWEANED, STEADIEST,  SLY AS A FOX. Lots of French, many witty clues and much to chew on. Welcome back Peter; we hope you stop by and give us some thoughts.

14A. Art critic's phrase, literally : STYLE (5). OVER
17A. - : SUBSTANCE (9). This CONCEPT  is called form over substance in the writing of legal briefs etc.

30A. Theme park near Dallas, literally : SIX FLAGS (8). OVER
36A. - : TEXAS (5). This THEME PARK was the response to Disneyland; it opened in 1961.

42A. Changes one's ways, literally : TURNS (5). OVER
47A. - : A NEW LEAF (8). This IDIOM appears to date back to the 1600s.

62A. Tumbles out of control, literally : FALLS HEAD (9). OVER
66A. - : HEELS (5). This PHRASE has its origin 700 years ago.

Across:

1. Test : ASSAY. I learned this word watching old westerns on TV when they brought their gold to the assay office.

6. Law degs. : JDS. Juris Doctor.

9. While-__: repair shop sign words : U-WAIT. These days they work on COMPUTERS.

15. Calendar pg. : OCTober. Random.

16. NBA's Jackson et al. : PHILS. Phil Jackson having a hard time succeeding in NY; week fill, Phil.

19. "10" co-star : DEREK. She is now with John Corbett from Cecily, Alaska






20. Send out : EMIT.

21. Pamplona's municipality : NAVARRE. I am confused, not only because I do not know geography but because I thought PAMPLONA is the city for this FESTIVAL..

23. Big stain : SPLOTCH.

25. Israeli border lake : DEAD SEA.

29. "Doubt it" : NAH.

31. "Conan" channel : TBS. Any of you watch him?

34. Dayan of Israel : MOSHE. He was a storybook hero for Israel.

LINK

37. Giants manager before Bochy : ALOU. Felipe, the oldest brother.

39. Like non-oyster months, traditionally : R-LESS. Try explaining this concept to a Thai woman where the letter that looks like "R" sounds like "L."

41. Ration (out) : DOLE.

44. "The Deep" director Peter : YATES. He directed BULLITT as well. The movie was based on a book by Peter Benchley, who also wrote JAWS. Jacqueline Bisset set the gold standard for a wet t-shirt SCENE.

46. Bottom line : NET.

49. Closing sequence : XYZ.

51. They're often numbered : STREETS. Random.

52. Bench warmers? : JURISTS. More legal misdirection.

56. Loss of speech : APHASIA. Aphasia is a communication disorder that results from damage to the parts of the brain that contain language (typically in the left half of the brain).  Growing up around a doctor and a nurse I heard this term when I was very young.

58. Drive-__ : THRU.

59. Before, in Brest : AVANT. Literal French. No Brest milk.

64. "In the Bedroom" Oscar nominee : TOMEI. I never saw this movie, but Marisa is always a pleasure.

                                                                         LINK

65. Passé : OUT.

67. "Surprise Symphony" composer : HAYDN. Wiki says it better.

68. Big tees : XLS. Not in a world of XXXL.

69. Matrix, e.g. : ARRAY.

Down:

1. Some jennies : ASSES. A male donkey or ass is called a jack, a female a jenny or jennet; a young donkey is a foal. Jack donkeys are often used to mate with female horses to produce mules; the biological "reciprocal" of a mule, from a stallion and jenny as its parents instead, is called a hinny. Or...

2. Baffle : STUMP.

3. Prophetess : SYBIL. This is not a name but a description. There is much to learn if you like HISTORY and MYTH.

4. Longtime Dodger manager : ALSTON. Along with Tommy Lasorda, this MANAGER led the Dodgers through 4 world championships and the only one won in Brooklyn. If you love baseball you know this man.

5. Still : YET.

6. Whale of a guy? : JONAH. More of the wit in the cluing.

7. Half of MCDX : DCCV. Peter has used Roman Numerals as glue before.

8. Most constant : STEADIEST.

9. Kite aid : UPDRAFT. Soaring!

10. Cajoled : WHEEDLED.

11. Whistle blower? : AIR. Literal but deceptive!!!

12. Key for Fauré? : ILE. French for Island. hmm lots of French.

13. "For shame!" : TSK.

18. Run at the end : ANCHOR. The relay team in the race.

22. "Toy Story" dinosaur : REX.

24. Highland lid : TAM.

26. Ancient Germanic invader : SAXON.

27. Even, in Évian : EGALE. French mostly associated with equal. Liberté, égalité, fraternité (French pronunciation: [libɛʁte eɡalite fʁatɛʁnite]), French for "liberty, equality, fraternity", is the national motto of France and the Republic of Haiti, and is an example of a tripartite motto.W.

28. Valuable team member : ASSET.

30. Field unit : SHEAF.

31. Byes : TATAS. See below.

32. Not sharp : BLUNT.

33. More ticked : SORER.

35. Cunning : SLY AS A FOX. This is new stuff, only one other LAT appearance back in 2006.

38. Still breast-feeding : UNWEANED. Boobies next to...

40. __ orientation : SEXUAL.

43. Ignored the alarm : SLEPT IN. Good idea after sex.

45. Civil war site since 2011: Abbr. : SYRia.

48. E. African land : ETHiopia.

50. Dulcimer kin : ZITHER.

52. Crushes an altar ego? : JILTS. Very witty clue. You never know, but this sounds like some of Peter's earlier cluing.

53. Utter : SHEER.

54. Part of a skipping refrain : TRALA. LALA. I hope Linda is well.

55. Like some heads : SUDSY. Beer, both kinds.

57. King anointed by Samuel : SAUL.

59. Sports fig. : ATHlete. There is only one A in athlete.

60. U.S. govt. broadcaster : VOA. The fifth appearance this year in the LAT and the third on a Friday.

61. Acker of "Person of Interest" : AMY. She reappears soon enough that I recalled her.

63. Doo-wop syllable : SHA. Na Na after last weeks No no? No!

What a work out with some of the most fun cluing of the year. If you do not see the visual you lose the joy. I hope you all are having a wonderful December. Lemonade out.

Friday November 25, 2016 Francesca Goldston

Theme: No No (71A. Taboo that hints at this puzzle's theme) - No is deleted from each theme entry.

20A. "Am I clear, George?"? : CAN YOU HEAR ME, W? Can you hear me now? George W. Bush.

28A. "Okay, so it's THAT dictionary"? : AH, WEBSTER. Noah Webster.

48A. Former space sports group? : MIR LEAGUE. Minor league.

58A. Little Spanish range? : POCO MOUNTAINS. Pocono Mountains.

  

C.C. here. Saw no draft from Lemonade when I got up. Let's hope all's well with him.

I'll just outline clue/answers. Will work on the content immediately.

(Updated now. Thanks for the patience)

This seems to be the debut puzzle for Francesca Goldston. Congratulations!

We don't always have a reveal entry in addition/deletion puzzle. I like when there is, since it provides a solid rational for the change.

Across:        

1. "It's not easy to __": Five for Fighting lyric : BE ME. Unfamiliar with the singer or the song.

5. Sun, for one : G STAR. Guilt of using this entry myself. Quite a few ? STAR options.

10. Omegas, in the electrical world : OHMS

14. Field beasts : OXEN

15. Manual : HOW TO

16. Central points : FOCI. Another I-ending plural 23. Incitements : STIMULI

17. Jack Blum's "Meatballs" character : SPAZ. Unknown to me. Despite its clue, a bit surprised to see SPAZ in a LAT grid.

18. House work? : OPERA. Opera house.

19. Work meas. : FT LB (Foot-Pound)

24. Wonderstruck : IN AWE

27. Manuscript mark : STET

 

32. 9, often: Abbr. : SEP. What's your favorite month? I associate Sept with romance due to Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. Moon cakes. Persimmons. Pomegranates.

34. Have something : AIL. Not EAT.

35. Symbols of elusiveness : EELS

36. Govt. stipend provider : SSI

39. "The Ten Commandments" (1956) director : DEMILLE. This year's Cecil B. DeMille Award honored Meryl Streep.

42. AAA offering : RTE

43. It's near the funny bone : ULNA

45. Reaction to a 71-Across : TSK

46. Embarrassing marks : EFs

 

51. Nursery buy : LOAM

54. Roosevelt feature partially carved on Rushmore : SPECS. Oh, eyeglasses.

55. Jordan River outlet : DEAD SEA

62. "Oops!" : OH OH

64. Sneeze, say : REACT

65. Tilted position : CAN'T. Why "Tilted?" (Correction: CANT as a titled angle is new to me. Thanks, TTP/Argyle.)

66. Mexican bread : PESO

67. Early anesthetic : ETHER

68. New __ : AGER

69. Winter Olympics jump : AXEL

70. Loud : GAUDY. I bought this pink bag at our flea market over 10 years ago. Boomer said it's too loud. But the design, the leather & the feel are just perfect.(Lucina, sorry for the typo!)

C.C. & Lucia, 2012

Down:

1. Certain pears : BOSCs

2. Americans in Paris, maybe : EXPATS. I guess you can't call me a Chinese expat, since I'm an American citizen now. Congrats to your son-in-law, JD!

3. Be dead serious : MEAN IT

4. Biology subjects : ENZYMES

5. Halloween costume : GHOUL

6. Cary's love interest in "Houseboat" : SOPHIA (Loren). Gimme for Irish Miss. Cary Grant is her crush.

7. Too precious, in Portsmouth : TWEE. Wiki says "Portsmouth is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England". Also "the birthplace of author Charles Dicken".

8. Quattro competitor : ATRA

9. Ocean output : ROAR

10. Cause of hurt feelings : OFFENSE.

11. Sticky spot : HOT WATER. Great fill.

12. Ligament commonly injured in football : MCL. OK, Medial Collateral Ligament.

13. Ted, to Bobby : SIB. The Kennedys.

21. Exposed : OUTED

22. Sci-fi pic series : MIB (Man in Black)

25. Temporary skin damage : WELT

26. Gaelic tongue : ERSE

29. Narrowly defined verse : HAIKU

30. Wheaton who played Wesley on "Star Trek: T.N.G." : WIL

31. Women's issue : ELLE. D'oh, magazine issue.

33. Org. that opened a Bob Barker building in 2012 : PETA. New trivia to me.

36. Tidy amounts : SUMS

37. Tongue problem? : SLIP. Slip of the tongue.

38. At peace : IN REPOSE

40. Stir-fry sprinkle : MSG. Debunked that it causes headache.

41. Key of four Beethoven piano sonatas : E FLAT. Always have to wait.

44. "The anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life": Shaw : ALCOHOL. Got via crosses. 

47. Recycle item : SODA CAN

49. User's way out : ESC

50. Brought out : EDUCED

52. Panini cheese : ASIAGO. Jayce, can you give us your yam apple cinnamon recipe? I never tried yam & apple combo before.

53. Skin Bracer maker : MENNEN

56. Contest form : ENTRY

57. The Jetsons' dog : ASTRO

59. The Snake R. forms part of its eastern border : OREG. I thought Snake River is in Colorado.

60. Prefix with physics : META

61. Kalanikupule's kingdom : OAHU

62. German grandpa : OPA. Grandma is Oma.

63. Evil eye : HEX

C.C.

Friday, November 18, 2016, Alan Olschwang

Title: It must be Thursday in 2008 Alan Olschwang is back!

For the few remaining regular posters who go back to the Tribune Media Services puzzles which inspired C.C. to become a blogger, this is a blast from the past. Every Thursday we had a quip/quote puzzle from Mr. O. The fourth puzzle that was blogged by C.C. at her Corner was this ONE which predates all of us. As C.C. honed her interviewing skills, she presented us with this GLIMPSE into his mind. The quip:

"20A. Start of a quip : IT WON'T MATTER (12).
  29A. Quip, part 2 : HOW FAR YOU (9).
  38A. Quip, part 3 : PUSH THE ENVELOPE (15).
  45A. Quip, part 4 : IT'LL STILL (9).
  53A. End of the quip : BE STATIONERY (12)."

I think the ER is funnier.
His version is used to protect the symmetry of the clues.



As with most of these type puzzles, the quip is based on a pun - stationery / stationary. It feels strange to be back in the day; I hope you enjoy the trip. It is interesting how many constructors are resurfacing after an extended absence.

Across:

1. Did one part of a typical triathlon : SWAM. A sport with swimming, cycling, and long-distance running.

5. Overwhelm : SWAMP.

10. Camera output : SNAP.

14. Tuscan waterway : ARNO. The RIVER. More river talk. 51A. Swiss waterway : AARE. A fun tour by ORANGE (Amy Renaldo).

15. Smoothes : EASES.

16. 1899 gold rush town : NOME. 50 years later.

17. It's nothing to Noelle : RIEN. Just French.

18. Pines, e.g. : TREES. Sometimes the simple answer is right even on Friday.

19. Wavy lines, in comics : ODOR. There are  ORGANIZED rules?

23. Stuff in a sack : LOOT.

24. Dough shortage consequence : DEBT.

27. "Chicago P.D." detective Lindsay : ERIN. A pretty young lady who is played by Sophia Bush

34. Speaks : ORATES.

36. Durango day : DIA. This time the language is Spanish.

37. Rotation meas. : RPS. Revolutions Per Second? Certainly not RPMS. Hmm, rock, paper, scissors? Nit pick?

42. Pranks, in a way, informally : TPS. Good symmetry with the questionable RPS. NC questions whether this is really done in America; yes it does happen often.

43. Browser's find : URL.URL is the short version for : Uniform Resource Locator, previously Universal Resource Locator – usually pronounced by sounding out each letter. URL – is the unique address for a file that is accessible on the Internet. Various sources.

44. Privileged groups : ELITES.

49. Wrapped up : OVER. That story arc was finally wrapped up.

50. See 52-Down : SEAT. 52D. With 50-Across, flier's option : AISLE.

60. Hook for landing large fish : GAFF. Is this a GAFFE?

63. Wines named for an Iberian city : PORTS. Tell them all about it Chairman.

64. Pivot around : SLUE.

65. Plot measure : ACRE.

66. Mexican Academy of Film award : ARIEL. Interesting LINK.

67. McCain's alma mater: Abbr. : USNA. United States Naval Academy.

68. Casino device : SHOE. They like the 8 deck version in Las Vegas to defeat the card counters.

69. Spider's web, e.g. : SNARE.

70. Jury member : PEER. Only the British could have started something that became so different.

Down:

1. Asian garment : SARI.

2. Legal paper : WRIT. More law 13D. __ stirpes: estate law term : PER.

3. Once more : ANEW. 7D. Europe-bound, perhaps : ASEA.

4. Yosemite's El Capitan, e.g. : MONOLITH. people actually climb this for fun!

5. Scrape : SET TO.

6. Affection : WARMTH.

8. Athletic contest : MEET. an organized event at which a number of races or other sporting contests are held. "a swim meet."

9. "Hey, you!" : PSST.

10. Common nocturnal disturbance : SNORER. Syntax? Isn't it the snoring that is the disturbance?

11. Wordless opinion : NOD.

12. Te-__: cigar brand : AMO.

21. Good-sized combo : NONET. Nine pieces.

22. First name in childcare writing : EDA.

25. How many learn : BY ROTE. Memorization without thought.

26. High hat : TOPPER.

27. Rages : ERUPTS.

28. Brawl in the sticks : RASSLE.

30. Former "Access Hollywood" anchor Nancy : O'DELL. Too political.

31. When repeated, mutually advantageous : WIN. Much of what I do now is win-win where a buyer and seller of real property are both very happy at the closing.

32. Most liked, casually : FAVE. I have a cousin who loves this word.

33. Versatility list : USES.

34. Eye opener? : OPTIcal e.g.

35. Close : SHUT.

39. NW Penn. airport : ERIe. The universal code for airports. This ONE really is not in Erie is it gentleman?

40. Ecuadoran gold region : EL ORO.  El Oro province is the southernmost of Ecuador's coastal provinces. It was named for its historically important gold production. Today it is one of the world's major exporters of bananas. Wiki.

41. Cheers : LIVENS UP. Nice fill that liv...oh never mind.

46. Tuition add-on : LAB FEE.

47. Abbr. in some Canadian place names : STE. A female saint. more French.

48. LDS part : LATTER. It is religion; some say Mormon, but in 1834, the church was being referred to as the "Church of the Latter Day Saints" in early church publications, and in 1838 Smith announced that he had received a revelation from God that officially changed the name to the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." wiki.

54. Therapeutic resorts : SPAS.

55. Ambivalent : TORN.  You think?

56. One of a tenor's repertoire : ARIA.

57. Word suggesting options : ELSE. Back again.

58. Ancient character : RUNE. Not Mel Brooks.

59. Sentence component : YEAR.  Penal system not classroom.

60. Yakking : GAS.

61. German gripe : ACH.

62. One way to sway : FRO and to? Another way to go is over and out, which is a good segue into my saying thank you Mr. Olschwang for a different ride. It is not our first LAT quip but we do not see many. Hope you all enjoyed and come back and see us next time. Lemonade out.

Friday, November 11, 2016, Patti Varol

Title: Time to clean the kitchen

Patti V., who doubles as Rich Norris' assistant at the LAT, has turned on the creative juices again in 2016 with 5 puzzles in the last 10 weeks. Today we have a variation of the definition puzzle, where words that are associated with each other - here items in a kitchen - are used as clues for completely different things. My only nit was including both DISH and PLATE and leaving out KNIFE, but then I realized there really are no other meanings for knife that do not relate to cutting. This is a very friendly puzzle with some new material as well as bringing back some memories from the 50s and 60s. We have as additional long fill ARTESIAN,  READ UP ON, PLEASE HOLD and  DEAN MARTIN. Cool, let's do it!

17A. Spoon : HUG TENDERLY (11). Do you want to be an EXPERT?

24A. Dish : SPREAD GOSSIP (12). Garbage Of Stupid Silly Ignorant People. I think it implies dishing dirt.

38A. Fork : BRANCH IN THE ROAD (15).  Who can forget Yogi Berra's saying "When you come to a fork in the road, take it"

49A. Plate : COAT WITH GOLD (12). I have nothing here except the old joke about the man (in the old un-pc days it was a Polish man) who won an Olympic gold medal and was so proud he had it bronzed.

60A. Bowl : PLAY TEN PINS (11). Boomer, is this acceptable or only used with duck pins?
In Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, the game is commonly referred to as just "Bowling". In New England, "bowling" is usually referred to as "ten-pin bowling" or "big-ball bowling", because of the smaller diameter, lighter weight ball used in the Worcester, Massachusetts-conceived sport of candlepin bowling from 1880, and the similarly "small-ball" sport of duckpin bowling (conceived in 1895), popular in the Northeast United States

Across:

1. Assuming it's true : AS FACT.

7. "Bloom County" penguin : OPUS. I gratuitously linked him recently.

11. Jams : PJS. Jammies-yes. Jams?

14. After-dinner gathering : SOIREE. The forties and fifties were filled with soirees.

15. Go in different directions : PART. Part company.

16. Service to redo : LET. Tennis. 46D. Org. for netmen : ATP. The Association of Tennis Professionals  HISTORY.

19. Flight status info : ETA.

20. In addition : ELSE. Put it in, took it out, put it back.

21. "The Fault in __ Stars": John Green novel : OUR. if you like crying...

22. Leader's domain : REALM.

28. Chatter boxes? : RADIOS. I like the clue and remember the nights before we had TV and listening to all those great voices.

31. Light weight : OUNCE.

32. It may precede bad news : I FEAR. I fear we have run out of caviar, deah.

33. Beavers, e.g. : HATS. I bet you did not know all of THIS.

35. "Girls" channel : HBO.

42. Icarus, to Daedalus : SON.

43. Bar employee: Abbr. : ATTY. Please let us never have att as fill for lawyers.

44. String quartet member : CELLO. A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – two violin players, a viola player and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group. ... The string quartet was developed into its current form by the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn, with his works in the 1750s establishing the genre. Wiki.

45. Prefix with arch : MATRI. Patri anyone?

48. Bulldozer companion : LOADER. LINK. Can you name them all?

53. Marx with a horn : HARPO. Or many horns.

54. Vienna's land: Abbr. : AUStria.

55. The munchies, e.g. : URGE.

59. Hairy TV cousin : ITT. Great theme song to the Addams Family.

LINK.

64. Flowery welcome : LEI.

65. It's retold often : LORE.

66. Greet on the street : TOOT AT. A rhymsical clue.

67. Roadside shelter : INN.

68. "Oh, ew" : YUCK.

69. Fancy, and then some : ORNATE.

Down:

1. New York stadium named for a sports great : ASHE.

2. __-searching : SOUL.

3. Tree fruit : FIGS.

4. Like some wells : ARTESIAN. This CONCEPT fascinated me as a chikd.

5. One of a Chicago duo : CEE.

6. Group of like voices : TENORS. We all the most famous group of three tenors but how about this GROUP which sings...

7. Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas," e.g. : OPERA.

8. Four score, often? : PAR. Really fun deception as more than half of all gold holes are played a par of 4.

9. Address bar address : URL.

10. "Lie Down in Darkness" author : STYRON. A truly influential writer who along with others started the Paris Review as well as authoring The Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie's Choice.

11. Request before the music starts : PLEASE HOLD. 33D. Order before the music starts : HIT IT.

12. Beijing-born action hero : JET LI. Was he a STAR in your world C.C.?

13. Passport mark : STAMP.

18. Payable : DUE.

23. "I didn't mean that" key : ESC.

25. Bordeaux butcher's offering : PORC. French word for pork.

26. Eccentric : DOTTY. I think of Aunt Clara from Bewitched.

27. Write effusively : GUSH.

28. Smokehouse order : RIBS.

29. Coiffure style : AFRO.

30. '60s-'70s variety show host : DEAN MARTIN. After leaving Jerry Lewis, Dean has his own show.

34. Colony occupant : ANT.

36. Agricultural bundle : BALE.

37. Reminder to take out the trash? : ODOR.

39. Big name in WWI espionage : HARI. She is back. The 100 year anniversary of her execution will be in October 2017.

40. Green sci. : ECOLogy.

41. Research : READ UP ON.

47. Like some paper towels : TWO PLY.

48. Underscore? : LOSE TO. Very tricky; we use the other meaning of underscore often in legal writing.

49. Some like it hot : CHILI.

50. Like Cheerios : OATEN. To me they are more often eaten.

51. "Frida" star Salma : HAYEK. Seeing her with Antonio Banderas in Desperado was eye opening!

52. Prepare to remodel, maybe : GUT. Of the 16 definitions for this word, 4 are verbs.
13. (Cookery) to remove the entrails from (fish, etc)
14. (esp of fire) to destroy the inside of (a building)
15. to plunder; despoil: the raiders gutted the city.
16. to take out the central points of (an article), esp in summary form

56. Poet Dove : RITA. I like poetry but I am not up on my POETS.

57. Pest in a swarm : GNAT. Not a midge.

58. Where el sol rises : ESTE. Sun rises in the east even in Spanish speaking places.

61. Murderers' Row teammate of Babe : LOU. Ruth and Gehrig.

62. Part of a hinged-door floor plan symbol : ARC.

63. Fish-fowl link : NOR.

Wow, we are done already. Well I hope you enjoyed our kitchen duty and don't forget to turn out the lights when you are done. Thanks PV, it was fun. And thank you my bride Oo who will have a birthday tomorrow.  Lemonade out.
                                                  Celebrate all veterans now and before!!!

Friday, November 4, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: It's election time, please call the Spin Doctors! Interesting that this group was mentioned Monday.

I will keep this politically correct, adding no SPIN of my own. A truly non-partisan puzzle, or is it? JW gives us another example of adding to an existing phrase to create a new and amusing fill. Today, it is four letters (the word SPIN). JW has really come up with so many ways to present the add a _ _ _ that I wonder what could be next. He also infused this puzzle with some very excellent non-theme entries such as NON-MOTILE,  SNOW ANGEL, STEP-PARENT,  SO THIS IS IT,  ONE NO TRUMP, LORGNETTES.

17A. Vito Corleone talking bobblehead? : RASPING DOLL (11). Rag doll gets Marlon Brando's voice.

22A. Goal of a holistic chiropractor? : SPINE HARMONY (12). Well-advertised dating site E-Harmony gets well adjusted.

38A. As a group, emulate Popeye? : BE SPINACH LOVERS (15). We beach lovers get to eat spinach also.

50A. Maiden aunt mascot? : TEAM SPINSTER (12). maiden aunt and spinsters probably are no longer PC terms, and the TEAMSTER's union isn't what it used to be.

And the reveal
59A. Enjoying the new car ... or what four puzzle answers are literally doing : TAKING A SPIN (11).
Really well played as they all take on a spin.

Well I hope your head is not spinning so we can get to work on this fun Friday.


Across

1. Start of something : ESS. Something. So simple it becomes tricky.

4. Know-it-all : BRAIN
.

9. Sticky roll : TAPE. Not food....

13. Title car in a Ronny + the Daytonas hit : GTO.

14. Michelangelo's "The Last Judgment," e.g. : FRESCO. Per wiki:
The Last Judgment, or The Final Judgement (Italian: Il Giudizio Universale), is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance master Michelangelo executed on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. It is a depiction of the Second Coming of Christ and the final and eternal judgment by God of all humanity

15. Australian export : OPAL. And dear Kazie.

16. Like Gen. Powell : RETired.

19. N.T. book before Phil. : EPHesians come directly before the Phillipians. These are two of the epistles ascribed to Paul.

20. Denver-to-Wichita dir. : ESE.

21. Oppressive atmosphere : MIASMA. What a fun word which we have not had since marti was doing Thursdays.

26. Renewal notice feature, briefly : SASE. Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope.

27. Like a well-written mystery : TAUT. But hopefully not tautological.

28. Hammer user's cry : SOLD. At the auction!

32. Payment in Isfahan : RIALS. In Iran, old Persia.

LINK

35. Chem. and bio. : SCIS.

37. Drift (off) : NOD.

41. Singer DiFranco : ANI. Some music...

42. Pop : SODA.

43. TV oil name : EWING. The show finally died when JR (Larry Hagman) died.

44. "The Good Wife" figs. : ATTS.

46. Fabric rib : WALE.

48. Its home version debuted at Sears in 1975 : PONG. At Sears?

54. Israeli prime minister after Barak : SHARON.

57. "__ Gotta Be Me" : I'VE.

58. Way to go: Abbr. : RTE. Nice, was thinking atta boy.

62. Great Basin native : UTE.

63. Saharan : ARID.

64. Hydrocarbon gas : ETHENE. I did not know this was the official NAME for ethylene.

65. Rx item : MED.

66. Inheritance factor : GENE.

67. Tends : LEANS.

68. Humanities maj. : PSYchology. My major in college. My youngest as well, who recently asked, "Dad how could you let me major in psychology?

Down:

1. Way out : EGRESS.

2. Mike or Carol on "The Brady Bunch" : STEP-PARENT. As are my wife and I. She got to be an instant grandmother.

3. "I guess the moment has finally arrived" : SO THIS IS IT. Not sure, but this was my thought.

4. Impetuous : BRASH.

5. Find a new table for : RESEAT. More glue.

6. Nile slitherer : ASP. Another big week for this snake.

7. It's here in Paris : ICI.

8. Anchored for life, as barnacles : NON-MOTILE. A really fun five dollar word.

9. Word in morning weather forecasts : TODAY'S.

10. Mil. mail drops : APOS.

11. It faces forward in a stop sign : PALM. very cerebral.

12. Big name in jazz : ELLA.

14. Like IHOP syrup : FREE. Really?

18. Alabama Slammer liquor : GIN. This is tricky, it has sloe gin, but no plain gin. But SLOE is made with gin.

23. Type of tide : NEAP.

24. Troublemakers : RASCALS.

25. Often : MUCH.

29. Bridge bid : ONE NO TRUMP.

30. Glasses with handles : LORGNETTES. What a fun fill.  For sale on Amazon.

31. One working on a bridge: Abbr. : DDS. Dental humor.

33. Fleur-de-__ : LIS. The flower of the lily is very important in French and English heraldry, religion and apparently in post-Katrina New Orleans.

34. What a kid is prone to make in winter? : SNOW ANGEL.

36. Farm mom : SOW. She does not say....

38. Pastoral call : BAA.

39. Early exile : ADAM.

40. Ones with clout : VIPS.

45. Variable distance measure : STRIDE. I love the dictionary
1. a long step in walking.
2. (in animal locomotion) the act of progressive movement completed when all the feet are returned to the same relative position as at the beginning.

47. Hand-held allergy treatment : EPIPEN. Timely clue after all the recent scandal.

49. Insatiable : GREEDY.

51. Very long time : EON.

52. Political columnist Molly : IVINS. She was a very quotable woman, but it was mostly politics.
“Margaret Atwood, the Canadian novelist, once asked a group of women at a university why they felt threatened by men. The women said they were afraid of being beaten, raped, or killed by men. She then asked a group of men why they felt threatened by women. They said they were afraid women would laugh at them.”
― Molly Ivins, Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?

53. Island bird named for its call : NENE. Hawaiian Goose.

54. Doe beau : STAG. My eyes first saw "Doe Bean" Therefore I missed the rhyme.

55. Long-eared critter : HARE. Lots of animals in  today's grid.

56. Similar : AKIN.

60. Snacked : ATE.

61. __ Na Na : SHA. I had never heard of them until seeing themat Woodstock. 47 years ago.

Well we had lots of music today of all kinds, so I will leave you trying to remember to set your clocks back Sunday morn. Thanks JW and all of you. A ride back in time.