Sunday, February 5, 2017, Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel

TITLE: SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT

Did one of these wonderful toys ever find its way into your home? When the string was pulled and released, it played the sound of the animal selected by the center arrow.

Don and C.C. took the premise of this toy and turned it into a  very clever gimmick for today's puzzle. They took some common phrases that contain an animal and made a silly phrase using the SOUND associated with that animal in place of the animal's name. How cool is that? No reveal was necessary as you can see in these theme fills.

21. Sign of a lawn tractor problem? : HISS (SNAKE) IN THE GRASS - I don't care to be close enough to hear this sound

26. Inhospitable medical fraud? : COLD QUACK (DUCK) - Not a frigid fowl!

41. Landscaping mulch specialists? : BARK (DOG) HANDLERS - Uh, who's handling who?

67. "Ahooga!" producer? : SILLY HONK (GOOSE) and 119. Posting that periodically reposts itself? : MIGRATORY TWEET (BIRD) - If they went south this winter and I didn't, how come they're SILLY? A specific and general bird reference. 

71. Hard golf club to swing? : GRUNT (PIG) IRON - An intermediate product of the smelting of iron ore usually shaped in ingots 

96. Excitement about the producer of the original "Charlie's Angels"? : SPELLING BUZZ (BEE) - Dirt on Aaron Spelling or attempts on these words

111. Playful crib liner? : SQUEAK (MOUSE) PAD - Here's an adversarial one

Now let's see what else Don and C.C. have for us in this, uh, HOOT of a puzzle:

Across

1. Director's shout : ACTION - Clint Eastwood doesn't shout this because, "It even makes the horses nervous." He simply says "Begin".

7. Sulky-pulling horse : PACER

12. Woods on a tee : TIGER - Tiger's meteoritic career seems to be flaming out

17. With alarming suddenness : WHAMMO

18. Independent African nation since 1993 : ERITREA - Do you know where it is on this map? The answer is under the grid at the bottom of this write-up.

20. Arizona neighbor : SONORA

23. Frigid : ARCTIC

24. Iowa's state tree : OAK

25. Bucket list items, say : GOALS

28. __ Schwarz : FAO - I'll bet you know this movie, the star on the right and the song they are playing in this scene at the FAO Schwarz Toy Store.

30. Plant with edible leaf sheaths : LEEK

32. Clump on a lawn : TUFT

33. Org. that dropped "Lawn" from its name in 1975 : USTA - Grass/Lawn tennis surfaces used to be the most common but are rare now due to maintenance costs

34. Flexible pronoun substitute : HE OR SHE - Have you ever been to a Gender Reveal Shower?

37. Exit : LEAVE

39. Number for a pair : DUET

43. One way to learn : ASK

44. Like the viva voce part of some exams : ORAL - Latin for "with living voice"

48. 15-member sports org. : ACC - Clemson won the ACC and National Championship this year

49. Dorm room, perhaps : STY

50. Some float in place with the tide : PIERS

52. Irish brew : RED ALE

54. Pampas birds : RHEAS

57. Make more attractive : SWEETEN

59. "Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat" author : AMY TAN

60. Restless desire : ITCH - Tom Ewell is the other person in this iconic scene from The Seven Year ITCH

63. MGM motto word : ARS

64. Bottled surprise : GENIE

66. Pet Shop Boys label : EMI

73. Sch. in Tempe : ASU

74. Island veranda : LANAI - Word I learned on The Golden Girls

75. Anti-bullying ad, e.g. : PSA

77. 2014 "Cosmos" presenter __ deGrasse Tyson : NEIL

78. Register, as a sale : RING UP - I'll bet C.C. knew the umpire just did RING UP this batter

80. Sounded displeased : SNORTED

83. Did pre-heist planning at : CASED

87. How some goods are quickly sold : AT COST 

88. See eye to eye : AGREE

89. Director DuVernay : AVA

92. Conceptual artist Yoko : ONO

93. Ritz alternative : HI HO

94. Schubert's "The __ King" : ERL - Not on my playlist

100. '70s jazz band Spyro __ : GYRA

102. Model X maker : TESLA

103. Type of counter seen in kitchens? : CALORIE - High tech method using your 108. Part of iOS : SYST

104. Vogue rackmate : ELLE - My subscription has lapsed

106. Make a move : STIR

110. "Monsters, __" : INC

113. "The game didn't go well" : I LOST

115. "Top Hat" studio : RKO

118. Card game with tricks : EUCHRE - Contents of a standard EUCHRE deck

124. Common boot feature : LACING - One question in a recent survey asked whether I UNLACE my shoes when I remove them. I do. You?

125. August birthstone : PERIDOT - New word for me

126. Sherpas' language : NEPALI - Mt. Everest is Sagarmāthā in NEPALI 

127. Moves like a monarch : FLITS

128. Rent-a-car choice : SEDAN

129. Swimmer's bane : CRAMPS


Down

1. Dr. Seuss title ender : A WHO

2. Seed used in smoothies : CHIA - Also a funky gift

3. Group on a mission : TASK FORCE

4. Uses Facebook Chat, briefly : IMS

5. "Jeepers!" : OMIGOSH

6. Ill-advised move : NO NO - Trying to dunk over LeBron James

7. Market before building : PRESELL

8. 2008 bailout beneficiary : AIG

9. Shaq's pos. : CTR

10. Obama __ : ERA

11. Get out of a pickle : RESCUE - This guy did not get out of one

12. __ wrench : TORQUE

13. Held at the station : IN CUSTODY

14. Suggested subtly : GOT AT

15. Former "Weekend Today" co-host Hill : ERICA

16. Pool triangle : RACK

18. Jennifer of "Zero Dark Thirty" : EHLE

19. Starting with : AS OF - AS OF today there are 44 days until Spring!

20. Down : SAD

22. Scout's find, ideally : TALENT

27. Old Fords : LTDS - 1984 Ford LTD Crown Victoria 

29. Genesis vessel : ARK

31. One with lasting merit : KEEPER

32. Den focal point : TV SET

34. I-beam relative : H BAR - An I-beam on its side?

35. Every partner : EACH - EACH and every one of  you

36. Takes in : HAS

38. Ovine sign : ARIES

40. Poland neighbor : UKRAINE - Probably easier to spot than ERITREA

42. Prefix with -lexic : DYS

43. Voice of the difficult homeowner in "Up" : ASNER

45. Yelp contributor : RATER

46. Enterprise rival : ALAMO

47. October Revolution figure : LENIN

51. The Skatalites music genre : REGGAE - Pioneers of Ska music

53. Ipecac, for one : EMETIC

55. Be on the disabled list, say : AIL

56. Galaxy Note accessory : STYLUS

58. Transitional state : WAKING

61. Local branch : CHAPTER

62. Doll : HON

65. Blue __: German wine brand : NUN

67. She played Buffy : SARAH - After seven seasons, she had become "annoyed" with the role

68. Question in Matthew : IS IT I - Engendered by Jesus' statement "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me will betray Me"

69. Day break? : LUNCH

70. __ cavity : NASAL

72. Stevedore's org. : ILA - Brando won an academy award playing Terry Malloy who took on the ILA

75. Gets ready to operate : PREPS

76. Braces (oneself) : STEELS

79. Return from searching? : GOOGLE HIT

81. Brian who has coached two Olympic skating gold medalists : ORSER and 85. Longtime Wyoming senator Mike : ENZI - Two names I didn't know and will forget

82. Indian lentil stew : DAL

84. Chip flavoring : SOUR CREAM

86. Nap : DOZE

90. Spoils recipient : VICTOR

91. Ducks, on ESPN crawls : ANA - The Anaheim Ducks NHL team

95. Farrier's tool : RASP

97. Overdo the flattery : LAY IT ON - The master

98. Shiny craft store supply : GLITTER

99. It's good in Quebec : BON

101. Itches : YEARNS - ITCHes is both fill and clue today 

102. Cleans : TIDIES

104. The same : EQUAL

105. "All My Children" Emmy winner on her 19th try : LUCCI

107. Pipe smoker's gadget : TAMP

109. Tab target : SLOT

111. __-starter : SELF

112. Brewery unit : KEG

114. Media player command : SYNC

116. Large seaweed : KELP

117. Spunkmeyer of cookie fame : OTIS

120. Hurdle for srs. : GRE

121. Disencumber : RID

122. Govt. lawyer : ADA

123. Employment org. created in 1935 : WPA

Here's the grid and if you wish to comment, we will  not say, uh, NEIGH:

Eritrea from 18 Across

Wednesday, January 25, 2017, Bruce Haight

TITLE: HAND JIVE

Bruce has supplied us with a clever puzzle with two switcheroos. First he supplied the names of all the fingers on a hand with cluing/fill that had nothing to do with actual fingers. Secondly he gave the reveal with a two-word phrase DIG IT that could be consolidated to make DIGIT which of course is an alternate name for fingers.

THEME REVEAL

55. "Pay attention, man!" ... and, in a different way, what the end of each answer to a starred clue refers to : DIG IT/DIGIT - Fun! Here are some DIGITS being used to DIG IT.

Here's the "handy" grid with the theme and reveal fill that as you can see is further enhanced by the appearance of the fingers being in order from LITTLE TO THUMB.

Now let's look at Bruce's well-executed theme fill:

18. *"C'mon, loosen up!" : LIVE A LITTLE - A PINKY swear gives us an alternate name for our tiniest DIGIT

23. *Place for lefts and rights : BOXING RING - Waddaya think? A little gaudy?

40. *Compromise : MEET IN THE MIDDLE - George was sure she was giving him the infamous MIDDLE finger. 

52. *Market measure : STOCK INDEX - Several Husker VB girls had their INDEX fingers raised after winning the 2015 National Championship.

62. *General principle : RULE OF THUMB - A good use of that DIGIT that separates us from most of the animal world and my assessment of C.C. and the rest of you word warriors here at our little conclave!

Now let's explore some more of the fine fill Bruce has, uh, fingered for us today:

ACROSS

1. Put a spell on : HEX

4. Organizes from best to worst, say : SORTS - One of my favorite Excel features

9. Arizona landforms : MESAS

14. Wrath : IRE

15. Longtime "At the Movies" co-host : EBERT - He listed Casablanca and Citizen Kane among his ten best

16. One bit : AT ALL

17. Shake up : JAR - Definitely a little JAR! Cell phone user?

20. Do penance : ATONE

22. Certain string musician's need : VIOLA BOW - Re-hairing a bow

26. "Star Wars" extras : ET'S

27. Word of passione : CARA - Ya gotta love Jay and the American's singing CARA Mia - My Beloved in Italian

28. Cheek : SASS

31. "Alas!" : AH ME

34. Elementary bit : ATOM

37. Water nymph : NAIAD

43. Orchard trees : PEARS

44. "Ready are you? What know you of ready?" speaker : YODA

45. Low in fat : LEAN

46. Supermodel Banks : TYRA

48. Gross : ICKY

50. PD alert : APB - Calling all cars!

58. French president Hollande : FRANCOIS - His progression of domestic partners in chronological order. He didn't always tell them that someone else was coming in from the bullpen.

61. Sees red : BOILS

65. Bygone muscle car : GTO

66. Holiday visitor : IN-LAW

67. "Science of Logic" author Georg : HEGEL

68. Shy person's note? : IOU - A day late and a few dollars shy

69. Branch quarters : NESTS - Nests are fine, but... 

70. Philadelphia pro : EAGLE

71. "Major Crimes" network : TNT

DOWN

1. Muslim veil : HIJAB

2. Sister of Calliope : ERATO

3. Maker of ColorQube printers : XEROX

4. One-named singer portrayed by Jennifer Lopez in a 1997 film : SELENA - SELENA on the left and JLO on the right playing Selena in Jennifer's breakout role.

5. Japanese sash : OBI

6. Gun, as a V8 : REV

7. Roman fountain : TREVI

8. Spot : STAIN

9. Pony Express concern : MAIL - Orphans preferred? Yikes! 

10. Vocalist James : ETTA

11. Plopped down next to : SAT BESIDE

12. Apportion : ALLOT

13. Boatloads : SLEWS

19. Stack under a tarp : LOGS

21. "Close, but no cigar" : NICE TRY 

24. Family nickname : GRAN(ny)

25. Threadbare : RATTY

29. Boy in "Star Wars" prequel films : ANI

30. "I wish I could" : SADLY NO

31. Bit of band gear : AMP

32. Small snicker : HEE

33. Sub filler : MEATBALLS

35. "So THAT's what's going on here!" : OHO - I'm shocked there is gambling going on in here!

36. First responder : MEDIC - At Omaha Beach

38. It borders the Fla. panhandle : ALA

39. Hideout : DEN

41. Medit. country : ISR

42. Big name in big rigs : MACK - Inside the most expensive MACK truck 

47. Dating from : AS OF

49. Cat dish tidbit : KIBBLE

50. Nasal spray brand : AFRIN

51. Danish fruit : PRUNE

53. Parishioner's pledge : TITHE

54. Milo of "Barbarella" : O'SHEA - Sorry, Milo, yours is not the first name that leaps to mind when I think of Barbarella 

56. John of The Red Piano Tour : ELTON

57. Strikes through : X'S OUT

59. "Far out!" : NEAT

60. Stockholder's assets? : COWS

63. Trendy boot brand : UGG

64. Blanc heard but not seen : MEL - Not necessarily as in this classic routine (Si, Sy, Sue, Sew) with Jack Benny.

Now let's get your DIGITAL comments: