Friday, March 27, 2015, Jacob Stulberg

Theme: Waiter, what is this fly doing in my soup? ANSWER? See number 3.

Jacob has always puzzled me with his puzzles like his Wednesday NYT, and while the solve was okay and I am not a great solver, I was having difficulty with the explanation. The basic theme has TANG inside the fill, and I now understand why after consulting with the Corner guru. The first four themers are:

14A. *1952 #1 hit for Leroy Anderson : BLUE TANGO  (9), Do not know the SONG or the artist, but the perps and the theme gave me this answer quickly.

17A. *Math reciprocal : COTANGENT(9). This was easy, but I will defer to our math experts to discuss.

61A. *"Atomic" Crayola color : TANGERINE (9). I am not sure why but I remember this color.

66A. *Bogged down : ENTANGLED (9). Not perfect fit for me.

Then we have the supplemental variation of the old joke about a fly in the soup:

30A. With 35-Across, question the starred clues might ask : WHAT IS THIS FLY (13).
35A. See 30-Across : DOING IN MY ANSWER (15).
44. Response to 30-/35-Across, and a hint to a hidden word in 14-, 17-, 61- and 66-Across : THE BACK STROKE (13).

I was struggling to make sense of the back stroke reference when I was made aware that TANG backwards spells GNAT, which makes it all fit together as the GNAT in each theme answer is backwards leaving a FLY doing a backstroke. Really inventive combination of words and visual.

Again we have a Friday with almost 60 five letter or shorter words, 42 blocks and only a few non theme related sparkly fill such as ANCHOR, BEATER, EERILY, IT WAS I, KEITEL, OUTLAW, SHIRTS, SO THAT, AT STAKE, ESSENCE. We also have the cross-referenced reveal which get some complaints, and if you do not know the old joke it may have been a bear, but overall this was as an inventive and puzzling puzzle.



Across:

1. Long __ : AGO. We begin like STAR WARS Episode IV only it is our constructor who has a mind from a different galaxy.

4. Spartan colonnades : STOAS. You see many of these on college campuses as well.

9. Belief of more than a billion : ISLAM.

16. "Done!" : THERE.

18. Expand : WIDEN.

19. Numskull : DOLT.

20. Start of a rumor : I HEAR...that Rich does not like partials, is this one?

22. Fuel economy testing org. : EPA. Environemental Protection Agency.

23. Business card word : FAX.

26. On the table : AT STAKE.

33. Zhou __ : EN LAI. This Chinese POLITICIAN and cohort of Mao actually died a few month before Mao's death. And 25D. Capital of Shaanxi Province : XI'AN. CSO to our own.

34. Wide size : EEE.

42. Boston Coll. is in it : ACC. Atlantic Coast Conference.

43. '90s runner : PEROT. For president, not for distance, Ross.

50. Pith : ESSENCE.

51. Medit. land : ISRael.

52. Revised versions: Abbr. : EDS. Editions.

55. Sharp : ACRID. I think of smells.

57. Stop on Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited route : ERIE. CSO.

58. Theodore's first lady : EDITH. This LADY. She was however, his second wife.

65. Event with pole bending : RODEO. Like slalom for cowboys? No idea.

67. "Octopus's Garden" songwriter : STARR. Ringo wrote some interesting songs. His best with the BEATLES.

68. Holds up : LASTS. And, 46D. Hold : ANCHOR.

69. Sch. units : YRS.


Down:

1. Start of a children's song : ABCDE.

2. Gluttonous Augustus in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" : GLOOP. I did not remember his NAME.(2:39)

3. Posse target : OUTLAW.

4. Stop: Abbr. : STN.

5. __ sale : TAG. We have yard sales, garage sales, moving sales as well as THESE. My grandmother manufactured tags in Southbridge.

6. Word with man or horse : ONE. ReallY?

7. Latin lambs : AGNI. A variation from our normal reference.

8. To make sure : SO THAT.

9. Confessor's words : IT WAS I. I started with I DID IT which also fit.

10. Haberdashery stock : SHIRTS. The original meaning was the peddler of notions such as needles, thread etc. but it has become associated with outfitting a man.

11. Directed : LED.

12. Exist : ARE.

13. Sign on a door : MEN. It safer to put gentleman and ladies, too easy to remove WO.

15. Put away : EAT.

21. Djibouti neighbor: Abbr. : ETHiopia.

23. Canine : FANG. Rhymes with TANG.

24. Hun king, in Norse legend : ATLI. Is this a comeback this week for ATTILA?

27. Several : A FEW.

28. "Twittering Machine" artist : KLEE. I had the K and filled in the rest, but I still am not very knowledgeable about painting. I have seen the picture, but did not know the name.

29. Observer : EYER. Not a favorite clue/fill.

31. Mother __ : HEN.

32. Fools : SIMPS. Literally I guess this is true as a simpleton is a foos.

35. 2/3, say : DATE. This partial clue fooled me for a while.

36. Big name in publishing : OCHS. Really, really BIG for the NY Times, not so much our journal.

37. Decorates, in a way : ICES. Tin, it is okay to ice a cake.

38. Mountain sighting : YETI. Ridiculous. I would rather see....

They were at Woodstock

39. JFK list : ARRS.

40. Queen dowager of Jordan : NOOR. Our American export. LINK.

41. Wall St. purchase : STK.

45. Rattletrap : BEATER. I know the term from reading old books,, but I have never heard anyone actually use the term.

47. "Born on the Bayou" band, briefly : CCR. Credence Clearwater Revival, a 2nd Woodstock band.

48. "Mean Streets" co-star : KEITEL. Harvey.  A powerful FILM. (2:58)

49. How ghost stories are told : EERILY.

53. "2 Broke Girls" setting : DINER. A female variation of the ODD COUPLE in the grand tradition of sitcoms from Lucy to the present. Much more sexual innuendo and talk. It used to follow The Big Bang Theory so I tried it.

54. Origins : SEEDS.

56. Actress Delany : DANA. I have watched her on many things since China Beach. (2:28)

57. Bit of work : ERG. Followed by....

58. Triage ctrs. : ERS. Emergency Rooms.

59. Finish, as a letter, perhaps : DOT. Finish writing the letter (i) , not the letter! Ah ha, I get it.

60. Wyo. neighbor : IDAho.

62. Some Windows systems : NTS.

63. Hood's gun : GAT.

64. U.S. Army rank abolished in 1815 : ENS. A WAG that was easier than I expected.

Another Friday gone, another month, another change of season and another puzzle with a somewhat complicated gimmick. I had fun once I got past the TANG + GNAT backwards part. A reminder to always look both ways when you see "BACK" in a puzzle. Enjoy the birdies. Lemonade out.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014 Jacob Stulberg

Theme: Five Feet High And Rising - The water is coming up behind both parts of the theme entries.

18A. Access using force : BREAK OPEN. Break water, Open water.

23A. Old-time fountain employee : SODA JERK. Soda water, Jerkwater.(insignificant rural settlements)

38A. 1954 Oscar-winning Brando film, or where either half of 18-, 23-, 51- and 61-Across can literally be found : "ON THE WATERFRONT"

51A. Like unabridged print dictionaries : HARD BACK. Hard water, Backwater. (Out of the main current)

61A. Being attacked : UNDER FIRE. Under water, Fire water.

Argyle here with Jacob who is venturing into the earlier days of the week. I'm glad the reveal mentioned both halves of the answer because I tend to miss that. Nice grid layout.

Across:

1. Westminster landmark : ABBEY. On left, Westminster Palace on right.

6. Literary captain who says "I'd strike the sun if it insulted me" : AHAB

10. Natural bandage : SCAB

14. Witch : CRONE

15. Decide, as a judge : RULE

16. Freight train hopper : HOBO

17. Stolen pastries in "Alice in Wonderland" : TARTS. Pop Quiz: Who stole the tarts?

20. Say with certainty : AVER

21. "Get off the stage!" : "BOO!"

22. Without any slack : TAUTLY

25. Right-angle bend : ELL

26. Amigo : PAL

27. They're earned by completing college courses : CREDITS

31. Shade : HUE and 29D. Shade : TINT

34. __ bear : POLAR

37. Buffalo's lake : ERIE

42. Gyro bread : PITA

43. Staircase pillar : NEWEL. This one has a Westminster look.

44. Ultimate degree : NTH

45. Many a rush-hour rider : STANDEE

48. Drink often iced : TEA

50. Justice Dept. division : DEA. (Drug Enforcement Administration). Often one of their tactics, 4D. Catch in a sting : ENTRAP

56. Less biased : FAIRER

59. Wall-climbing plant : IVY

60. Bump off : DO IN

63. Sudden power increase : SURGE. It's time I bought a new surge protector.

64. Observes : SEES

65. Tablet operator : USER

66. In base eight : OCTAL. Odd looking word.

67. Police crisis unit acronym : SWAT. (Special Weapons And Tactics)

68. One of the deadly sins : LUST

69. Kick off : START

Down:

1. Attend to the duties of : ACT AS

2. "Well done!" : "BRAVO!"

3. Yawning in class, say : BORED

5. "Certainly!" : "YES!"

6. Ann __, Michigan : ARBOR

7. "Impresario" memoirist Sol : HUROK. Wikipedia LINK.

8. Stein filler : ALE

9. Car that's ready for the scrap heap : BEATER. That's what I and one of the Tappet Brothers drive.

10. Side of a road : SHOULDER

11. Egyptian Christian : COPT. The forgotten Christians?

12. Adam's second son : ABEL

13. More than lean : BONY

19. Leafy green : KALE

21. Later on the page : BELOW

24. Joke : JAPE. Hmm, JAPE has a sometimes bawdy history.

27. Group of workers : CREW

28. Appliance with a water reservoir : IRON

30. Late-night host Meyers : SETH

31. Beer flavoring : HOPS

32. Curriculum part : UNIT

33. James of jazz : ETTA

35. Path to the pins : LANE

36. Consumed : ATE

39. Ergonomic keyboard feature : HAND REST. Wrist rest.

40. Second attempt : RETRY

41. Hurried away : FLED

46. Bucks and does : DEER

47. Tongue-lashing : EARFUL

49. Kidnap : ABDUCT

51. Adds to the staff : HIRES

52. Stave off : AVERT

53. Vital blood line : AORTA

54. Groucho's smoke : CIGAR

55. Prepared to be knighted : KNELT

56. Make a scene : FUSS

57. Once again : ANEW

58. Creative spark : IDEA

62. Pocatello sch. : ISU. (Idaho State University)

63. Sea captain's "Help!" : S-O-S

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

After Irish Miss downloaded iOS 8 to her iPad Mini, she has to sign in to her Google account every time she leaves & rejoins the blog. There is no "Stay signed in" box for her to check.

If any of your iPad users know how to solve her problem, please leave her a note in the blog Comments section. Thank you.

Friday, September 19, 2014 Jacob Stulberg

Theme: Happy Talk like a pirate day. 9/19/2014. The HISTORY.

It is not uncommon for certain holiday or special days to have puzzles constructed to honor these occasions, and I have my first to blog. This one involves a quip leading to a grid spanning very silly reveal. Structurally, I have not written up a quote/quip type so  this will be interesting. I do like vertical grid spanning fill. Oddly Jacob's very first LAT was a Friday quote puzzle, but marti and I had switched so she did the write up of that effort.  Some nice fill like ENAMEL, ENMESH, HAT TIP, PAPAYA, PESETA, STIFLE, ELATEDLY,  ENTRYWAY, HEAT RASH, HIGH BEAM,  RYE BEERS,  SABOTEUR, but still many 3,4 and 5 letter fill for a Friday. I guess the question the audience will answer is whether the reveal was witty enough. This is my third Jacob this year, and usually I work very hard to solve his words. I guess like potato chips, I can't solve just one.


17A. Start of a riddle : WHAT'S. (5)
30A. Riddle, part two : A PIRATE'S. (8)
49A. Riddle, part three : FAVORITE. (8)
64A. End of the riddle : MOVIE. (5)

Well the favorite movie is of course; TA DAH!

7A. Answer to the riddle : ARRRRRRRRRRRRGO. (15). Of course there is a degree of poetic license in determining the 12 "R"s but either it is funny or it is not. LINK.


Across:
        
1. Caesar in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," for one : CHIMP. Also in the Dawn.

6. Road __ : MAP.

9. Long-legged wader : HERON. Door ONE or Door TWO.

14. Halos : AURAE. When you develop cataracts you have halos dominate your visual field.

15. Bold alternative : ERA. Detergent brand names; did not fool me this time.

16. Really ticked : IRATE.

18. "Shirt Front and Fork" artist : ARP. We get Jean often; like the painting?

19. Well-mannered fellows : GENTS. Old fashioned and likely to remember the 35A. Polite gesture : HAT TIP.

20. Summertime woe : HEAT RASH. On the edge of the breakfast test?

23. "__ Shorty": Elmore Leonard novel : GET. Get reappears; if you did not read the book, you can watch the MOVIE.  (2:34). 20 years already.

24. Sumptuous meals : FEASTS.

27. Some microbrews : RYE BEERS. As implied the beer is made from rye rather than barley malt. If you need suggestions, my son reads the BEER ADVOCATE.

29. Rm. coolers : ACS. Air Conditioners.

32. Big piece : SLAB. Good term when ordering beef.

34. Kazakhstan, once: Abbr. : SSR.

39. Chevrolet SUV : TAHOE. Actually a well regarded product, part of Chevrolet's post bankruptcy recovery.

41. Mystery guest moniker : MR X.

43. Highs and lows, perhaps : MOODS.

44. Suppress : STIFLE. Did you all thinks of this lovely couple?

46. KOA visitors : RVS. Kampground of America. Recreational Vehicles.

48. Mice, to owls : PREY. This has a definite cruel tinge to it.

52. Buddy : MAC.

53. Monkey wrench wielder? : SABOTEUR. The one who sabotages your endeavors.

56. Catch in a web : ENMESH.

58. Many a lap dog : TOY.

59. Coat closet locale, often : ENTRYWAY. For all you northerners who actually own and wear coats.

61. Dropped the ball : ERRED. To forgive divine.

63. Sellout sign, briefly : SRO. Standing Room Only.

68. Lagoon border : ATOLL. Did someone say LAGOON? (2:47).

69. Goad, with "on" : EGG.

70. Heroic stories : EPICS.

71. Like a string bean : LANKY. They are often left-handed pitchers, unless they were Mickey Lolich.

72. Burnt __ crisp : TO A.

73. Unauthorized disclosures : LEAKS.  The WIKIPEDIA on Wiki Leaks.


Down:

1. Farm field cry : CAW. Crows hunting the corn.

2. "That's a surprise" : HUH.

3. Lyricist Gershwin : IRA. George was the music.

4. British subject? : MATHS. Cute misdirection; we say math or mathematics.

5. Currency replaced by the euro : PESETA. Only a billion choices.

6. Beef, e.g. : MEAT.

8. Melonlike fruit : PAPAYA. Never thought of papaya that way.

9. Headlight setting : HIGH BEAM. Can you believe he has melons and high beams juxtaposed? I have to LINK. (6:36)

10. "Let us part, __ the season of passion forget us": Yeats : ERE. Short and sweet:
THE FALLING OF THE LEAVES
by: William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)

UTUMN is over the long leaves that love us,

And over the mice in the barley sheaves;

Yellow the leaves of the rowan above us,

And yellow the wet wild-strawberry leaves.

 

The hour of the waning of love has beset us,

And weary and worn are our sad souls now;

Let us part, ere the season of passion forget us,

With a kiss and a tear on thy drooping brow

11. Singer's asset : RANGE. We had a discussion on range this summer.

12. River mammal : OTTER.  Playful creatures.

13. Makes a home : NESTS.

21. Egyptian snakes : ASPS. Snakes nest as well.

22. Actor Green of "Robot Chicken" : SETH. Did you ever WATCH?

24. Doesn't take anything in : FASTS. No food is hard but okay, it is the no liquid that makes fasting so difficult; just a few weeks away.

25. Fanfare : ECLAT.

26. Tokyo-based brewery : ASAHI. An obligatory BEER link.

28. Bar, in law : ESTOP. You are estopped from asking me about the "E."

31. Suffix with Mao : ISM. Never thought of this as a separate doctrine BUT.

33. Smashing, at the box office : BOFFO.

36. Singer with the Mel-Tones : TORME.

 37. A muse may inspire them : IDEAS.

38. "Fooled you!" : PSYCH. Anybody watch the TV show?

40. With joy : ELATEDLY. If you get happy after everyone else are you belateldly elatedley?

42. Louis __, eponym of the Kentucky city : XVI. The specific French king the city was named after.

45. All square : EVEN. Right Steven?

47. Lose sleep (over) : STEW.

50. Square one : OUTSET. You see it is the first square not a square square.

51. Tooth covering : ENAMEL.

53. Pinch : STEAL. Tinman, he tried but it just did not make it.

54. Cardiologist's concern : AORTA. And getting paid.

55. Lakers coach __ Scott : BYRON.

57. Nearsighted one : MYOPE. My 'ope you see better when you get older.

60. Activity on a mat : YOGA. Not my favorite, but I guess since you must BYOM....

62. Image on the Michigan state flag : ELK. Maybe Sheldon will elaborate this fall.

65. Through : VIA. Just Latin.

66. "Gross!" : ICK.

67. Small opening? : ESS. We end with a beginning letter of a word clue.

Ahoy, time for me to shove off for another week; be careful out there and see you next time. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Today we celebrate Allen's birthday! I'll have to associate him with a pirate so next year I won't make the same mistake again. 

Marti mentioned yesterday that they'll celebrate this coming Sunday "by attending an Oktoberfest event at The Vienna restaurant. The food is bound to be authentic, and I believe The Stratton Mountain Boys will be taking up their oom-pah instruments to provide music. Should be lots of fun!!"

Allen & Marti

Dave sent Allen the cake ingredients yesterday :-). Let's see what he comes up today.

Friday, July 11, 2014, Jacob Stulberg

Theme: Welcome to Crossword CORNER! Leave your STAND over there.

A quick turnaround in Friday puzzles for Jacob, as we just had him on June 20, with his BETCHA CAN'T EAT JUST ONE puzzle..Today we have a visual where the reveal tells us to look at the corners and the circled spaces. Obviously, the theme is impossible without the circles. Each set makes a word when read around the corner; each describes a type of stand. (Stand in the corner...get it?). The visual of the puzzle almost shows the various stands in the corners, if you use your imagination. I confess the connection between the four circled answers eluded me. But with a little help from my friends... Ringo turned 74 on Monday! With so few words dedicated to the theme there was plenty of room for fun and Jacob gives us 30! seven (7) letter fill. Some of the best are ANODYNE,  A PRIORI, BROMINE,  DEDUCES,  DEMERIT, FLAT TAX,  FLICKER, GONE MAD,  GRENADE,  HIND END,  IMITATE,  INK PADS, RADIATE, ROGAINE, ROLODEX,  SEXLESS, SPLAYED, SUMATRA. Anyway, here we go...

21A. With 55-Across, be punished at school, old-style ... and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters : STAND IN.(7). 55A. See 21-Across : A CORNER.(7) This was a common punishment in grammar school when i was young. The revealed words in the circles are:

NW: MUSIC (5) Music stand.
NE: DISPLAY (7).Display stand.
SW: TAXI  (4).Taxi stand.
SE: WITNESS (7).Witness stand.

Across:

1. Often-bracketed word : SIC. Does (sic) you often get this wrong?

4. Lot's uncle : ABRAHAM. His wife got in a lot of trouble with too much sodium. Bible. 43D. Whence "salt of the earth" : MATTHEW. More bible, 5:13. Salt appears again (after Ms. Lot's transformation) as early as Leviticus 2:13.

11. Put down : DIS. The modern shortcut speak of DISRESPECT, not related to the negative prefix DYS. Surprised by the inclusion of 45D. Object : DISSENT, which does come from the same base.

14. Dotted line? : URL. Uniform Resource Locator, another modern clue/fill.

15. One of the halogens : BROMINE. Old knowledge here, (Br) along with fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), iodine (I), and astatine (At) are elements.I did not recall At, meaning I guess I no longer know where it is At.

16. Diocletian, e.g.: Abbr. : EMPeror. Old, old KNOWLEDGE. Thanks to my Classics major son, I am aware this one was the last in the chain to severely persecute Christians.

17. 1972 host to Nixon : MAO. I remember it well.

18. Color in four-color printing : MAGENTA. One of the CYMK colors, Cyan, Yellow, Magenta and the Key color Black.. Maybe marti will be nice enough to explain color printing.

19. 1,000 thou : MIL.

20. T or F, maybe : ANSwer.

22. Itinerary abbr. : ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.

23. Knotted : TIED. The score was....

25. Begets : SIRES. Now some biblical wording.

26. Tea holder : TRAY. Tea the service, not the bag or the drink.

27. Deserve : RATE.

28. Family nickname : NAN. I presume he is referring to the common nickname for grandmothers.

29. Bar mitzvah, for one : RITE. Ritual.

30. Pain reliever : ANODYNE.I am not sure where I learned the word, but Martha Grimes, Anodyne Necklace placed it firmly in my memory banks.

33. Charged, as an account : DEBITED.

36. OPEC member : UAE.United Arab Emirates.

37. Certain clip-on, briefly : MIC. This clue at least tells you it is an abbreviation.

38. Start to go out : FLICKER. Light bulbs and humans are good examples.

42. Lost it : GONE MAD. Sounds like a drama queen to me.

46. Unassisted : LONE.

47. Galley item : OAR. The ship not the kitchen on a ship.

49. Big __: Red Sox slugger's nickname : PAPI. Not much joy in Beantown this year for any of the defending World Series champs. Chemistry really seems to matter.

50. Aquatic birds : AUKS. WATCH. (2:18) Anyone been to Auckland? Not related.

51. Stephen King's "Doctor __" : SLEEP. His recent sequel to THE SHINING. LINK.

53. Orch. section : STRS. I guess this means strings, JzB, help me out?

54. Hot info? : TIP. From the track touts next to....

57. "___ not for you to hear what I can speak": "Macbeth" : TIS. The ironic greeting MacDuff gives Lady Macbeth as she comes upon Duncan's lifeless body.

58. Gatekeeping org.? : TSA. Transportation Security Administration.

59. Give off : RADIATE.Pregnant women are said to glow, what do you think? Talented?

60. Prepare for planting : HOE. No Don Imus jokes.

61. Lend a hand : AID.

62. Like new tires : TREADED. Really?

63. Directional suffix : ERN.

64. Frat letters : XIS.

65. Neuter : SEXLESS. Hey, let's not get personal.

66. One skilled in repartee : WIT. Well we are half way home, and perhaps the same can be said for the wit here.

Down:

1. Island on the Equator : SUMATRA. My favorite Starbuck's coffee. This is the largest purely Indonesian Island, and sixth largest island in the world. (per wiki).

2. Ahvaz native : IRANIAN. A city from ancient Persia with a new NAME.

3. Within reach of : CLOSE TO. All perps.

4. Subj. of a 1972 defense treaty : ABMS. Anti-Ballistic MissileS.

5. Regular sources of annoyance : BRATS. Well those Chicago Cub and Bear fans can get very rowdy.

6. Growth industry brand? : ROGAINE. Funny, hair growth industry.

7. Egyptian god : AMEN RA. Also spelled AMON and AMUN. More religion.

8. Rear : HIND END. What we often think of when dealing with...

9. Naysayers : ANTIS, who are often bad-spirited or down right...

10. Small-minded : MEAN. If we run things we can give them a ...

11. Black mark : DEMERIT.

12. Ape : IMITATE. I am excited about tonight's opening of this new franchise LINK.

13. Spread out : SPLAYED. Sounds cute but very serious for ANIMALS.

24. Concludes : DEDUCES. Interesting as this is part of understanding 44D. Like some knowledge : A PRIORI and deductive reasoning. Go Sherlock.

26. Arm straightener : TRICEPS. The muscle you use, and if exercised creates a nice horseshoe.

31. Long-haired grazer : YAK.

32. Formerly : NEE.

34. Genre of the band Jimmy Eat World : EMO. Do you want to LISTEN?

35. Storage container : BIN.

38. 1992 Jerry Brown campaign proposal : FLAT TAX. Many have proposed flat taxes, but to discuss would be politics.

39. French king known as "the Stammerer" : LOUIS II. Poor guy! I wonder if he saw this MOVIE.

40. Stamp suppliers : INK PADS. Nice misdirection.

41. Circular file? : ROLODEX. We think of the garbage can as the circular file, but the old Rolodex certainly were.

42. It has a safety pin : GRENADE. My favorite clue/fill, so far from my first thought of DIAPER.

48. Passé rooftop sight : AERIAL. Same thin as an ANTENNA.

51. Alarm : SCARE. I do not mean to alarm you, but we are almost done.

52. "For __ sake!" : PETE'S. According to the phrase finder, this was developed as a substitute oath much like JEEZ, FOR PETE'S SAKE - The phrase is simply a polite version of a common and profane expression involving the name of Christ. We'd surmise that the original 'Pete' was St. Peter."

55. Fine __ : ARTS. What is a coarse art? Exotic dancing? Finger painting?

Ah, the grand mysteries of life all explored here on the ultimate Las Vegas day (7-11 was famous before convenience stores). Well I hope you had the circles and had fun. Thanks Jacob and thank you all. lemonade out.

Friday, June 20, 2014, Jacob Stulberg

Theme: One is the loneliest number. I am avoiding any politically incorrect reference to LAY'S, in deference to the breakfast rule.

The major challenge in this puzzle was sussing a theme, which appears to be four items found at the end of fill,  which do not appear by themselves when eaten (i.e, they're always in plural form). I may be all wrong as after some 200 puzzles write ups, I just am not sure. I blogged Jacob's first publication last year (a quote theme)  and see he has had a NYT as well as another here in March since then. The long fill was the theme and reveal, but there also were: AMENITY, ASIATIC, LABELED, ORATION, GO TO SEED, HABITATS which are nice. Remarkably few proper name references so this should be doable by most. Left handed reliever Jesse Orosco was probably the most obscure along with the YMCA reference to Geneva but I know baseball and the perps were easy because it had to be a place, so it was all good.  I also do not want to rock the boat, so let us head out into the sea of clues/fill.

24A Source of much government history : NATIONAL ARCHIVE. (15) It have been featured in many action movies, and you always get chives with your baked potato or cream cheese, not a chive.

32A Tax-exempt outlet : DUTY-FREE SHOP. (12) Having the Bahamas close by helps getting some great buys on imports without paying the excise tax. Well a beer related clue; I learned so much about hops in the past few years.

40A. Theme of many a ballad : ROMANTIC LOVE. (12) This is the odd one out as like the others it is the end of the fill, but it alone spans two words.

50A. Warning to a would-be rebel : DON'T ROCK THE BOAT.(15) One oat...nah. One girl....no clue.

18A. With 56-Across, memorable snack food slogan ... or a hint to what's hidden at the end of 24-, 32-, 40- and 50-Across : BETCHA CAN'T.(10) and 56A. See 18-Across : EAT JUST ONE.(10) I grew up eating Wise potato chips, so when this campaign started I gladly ate just one.

Across:

1. "Good one!" : HA HA.

5. See 55-Across : PAUL. More cross-referencing.55A. With 5-Across, musician for whom a classic Gibson guitar model is named : LES. The inventor of the electric guitar, and pioneer with his wife Mary Ford.

9. Lexicographer's concern : USAGE.They write dictionaries, not much plot but lots of big words.

14. Dutch export : EDAM. Cheesy answer.

15. Big Apple sch. : CCNY. The City College New York. Actually part of the CUNY system, so the full name is the The City College of the City University New York LINK.

16. Procreates : SIRES. The word  procreate sounds biblical to me.

17. Monk's wear : ROBE. More biblical stuff.

20. Company name tag? : INC. Cute , as most states require INC., Co.  etc at the end of the name.

22. Glass on a radio : IRA. From This American Life. We have had this a number of times, I had in in March in a John Guzzetta puzzle. I think Gershwin is being retired.

23. Symbol of industry : BEE. Busy as a...

30. Campaign staple : ORATION. Has anyone read much Cicero?

31. Surveillance device : SPYCAM. You are on camera half of your life now; get used to it.

35. Crash site initials : EMS.  Emergency Medical Service

36. Eggs that may be served with grits : ROE. This clue was fishy.

37. Roadside purchase : GAS. Which you get from the burrito you foolishly bought at the 7 11.

46. 1980s Mets relief star Jesse : OROSCO.  World Series HERO. Started I believe with the Twins.

49. Like some elephants : ASIATIC. They come in African and Asiatic? Why not ASIAN?

53. Souse's woe : DTS. Delerium Tremens. Not just a beer, but the shakes and eventually the pink elephants which are neither African or Asian.

54. A little light : RAY. A DO(E), a female deer?

61. Bound : LEAP. Tall buildings...

64. Desolate : STARK. Where they lived, Winterfell, was all of that. 19D. Desolate : HARSH. A mini-theme as well as clecho.

65. Series curtailer : ET AL.

66. They lack pelvic fins : EELS. Well, I have a pelvis but no pelvic fin

67. Short and sweet : TERSE. Sweet in a not very sweet way.

68. Deprives (of) : ROBS. Tempted to write ROBB just to be consistent.

69. June observance : D-DAY. We always should thank the soldiers and their families,


Down:

1. Start of some royal titles : HER. Does PIA count as the rest of the expression?

2. Flap : ADO. Is quiet 'adont'?

3. Rainforests, for many : HABITATS. Wonderful people building and helping others.

4. Hotel pool, say : AMENITY.

5. Banned chem. pollutant : PCB. All you wanted to know and more about these Polychlorinated Biphenyls

6. More than just pass : ACE.

7. No later than : UNTIL.

8. Wet suit material : LYCRA. Gratuitous

9. "Covert Affairs" airer : USA. The network not the country.

10. [Not my typo] : SIC. Latin for thus.

11. Like some numerals : ARABIC. Like 1, 2, 3 etc.

12. YMCA world headquarters city : GENEVA. Never knew this but it makes sense..

13. Value : ESTEEM. How do Italians remove wrinkles?

21. Do : COIF.

24. Bump on a branch : NODE. Much better than being a bump on a log.

25. Calla lily family : ARUM.

26. Logical connector : NOR.

27. End of __ : AN ERA.

28. Nav. noncom : CPO. Chief Petty Officer.

29. Right triangle part: Abbr. : HYPotenuse.

33. Quite a stretch : EON.

34. Ripped into : SET AT.

37. Deteriorate : GO TO SEED. Always wondered about this expression since seeds begin life, but then as vegetables go bad..

38. Adidas competitor : AVIA.

39. Religious faction : SECT.

40. Queue after Q : RST. A cute way for an alphabet string.

41. Text-scanning technology, briefly : OCR. Optical character recognition,

42. Secures, in a way : MOORS. How many own boats?

43. Native suffix : ISH. Moorish, Turkish, Spanish

44. Sky, to Sarkozy : CIEL.  Simple French.

45. Called : LABELED.

46. Most unusual : ODDEST.

47. Perform a pirouette, say : ROTATE.

48. GM navigation system : ONSTAR. They advertise often. LINK. (0:54) I guess we are to forget about the recalls and non-recalls.

51. Supply with a spread : CATER.

52. City near Lake Biwa : KYOTO. A new way to clue an old answer.

57. PSAT takers : JRS. In high school.

58. Luau entertainment feature : UKE. CSO to our lost battalion of Hawaii posters.

59. Pinch : NAB.

60. Some Bronx lines : ELS. We couldn't have Ernie again so soon.

62. Like : A LA. as Splynter would say, frawnch.

63. Would-be social worker's major: PSY. My undergraduate and graduate field.

Well, tomorrow starts summer and the days start getting shorter. We do get closer to the NFL season. Today is 5 year wedding anniversary for son one, so I get to babysit my grandpuppy. LPGA playing their open at Pinehurst number 2 this week, should be fun. Thanks for the puzzle Jacob and thanks for the rest Corner. L714 out.

Note from C.C.:

Happy 60th Anniversary to dear Chickie and her husband Bill! Chickie has a backyard full of fruit trees. I saw a bag of dried persimmon at Trader Joe's the other day and thought of you.

Wednesday March 26, 2014 Jacob Stulberg

Theme: Out Of Options - and as the reveal succinctly puts it:

51D. Lacking, or what can precede either half of 18-, 36- and 56-Across : OUT OF

18A. Mandate from the bench : COURT ORDER Out of court/Out of order

36A. Voice coach's concern : BREATH CONTROL Out of breath/Out of control

56A. Shared shares : JOINT STOCK Out of joint/Out of stock

Good Morning everyone - Steve here with what I thought was a slick puzzle from Jacob. The theme hung together nicely and the reveal tucked away at the end of the downs kept things hidden for a while. The puzzle is also a pangram - whenener I see a Q an X and a Z emerge I start to keep my eye out for the K and the J.

I found myself misdirected a couple of times - always fun when you have the V-8 moment over those.

One quibble with the theme clues was for 56A - to me the clue implies that the shares in a joint stock company are owned by more than one person; but it's actually the company that is jointly owned by the shareholders. Very minor nit, but a nit all the same.

Across:

1. Cop's route : BEAT

5. Tripoli's land : LIBYA

10. Meet activity : SWAP

14. "Let __": Beatles hit : IT BE. Very difficult not to link this! Crossword favorite Yoko Ono didn't seem to be contributing a whole lot though.

15. Acrylic fiber : ORLON

16. Sobriquet for Haydn : PAPA. Scholars disagree over whether this was a term of affection or a pejorative. Let's be nice and go for the former.

17. Loafer, e.g. : SHOE. I have a couple of pairs of the "Penny" variety. They pack pretty flat in a carry-on.

20. Frequency unit : HERTZ. I frequently rent cars from Hertz, so my unit would be a "mid-size saloon" like today's Mercedes C-Class.

22. Cross-ventilation result : BREEZE

23. Not slacking : ON THE JOB

25. Jewelry retailer : ZALES

29. Foot, in zoology : PES. From the Latin.

30. Objection : BUT

31. Make a dramatic exit? : SKYDIVE. I'll state this plainly - there is no way I'd jump out of a perfectly good plane. Crazy people!

33. Cos. with Xings : R.R.S. Railroads.

34. "And __ refuse?" : IF I. Usually followed by the antagonist hissing "Then you die, Mr. Bond" or something similar.

35. Discharge : EMIT

40. Circle calculation : AREA. Given by the formula πr² where r is the radius. 

41. "Get it?" : SEE

42. Grads-to-be: Abbr. : SR.s

43. Letter holder : MAILBOX

45. Armada arena : SEA

46. Ugly Tolkien beast : ORC

49. "Tomorrow" musical : ANNIE

50. John le Carré offering : SPY NOVEL. I had "THRILLER" here first for absolutely no good reason which slowed me up a tad.

52. "Memoirs of a __": Arthur Golden novel : GEISHA

55. High capital : QUITO. Capital city of Ecuador and the highest capital city in the world. I'm told that people chew coca leaves on the train up to ward off altitude sickness.

60. Oolong and pekoe : TEAS. This is interesting - Oolong is a Chinese tea, but pekoe (more accurately Orange Pekoe) is the highest grading of a tea leaf, and that term can be applied to a number of different varietals. Well, I found it interesting, but then again I've got British genes and apparently can't function without tea.

61. Trusted underling : AIDE

62. Structure with high-water marks : LEVEE

63. Yellow-and-brown toon dog : ODIE

64. Cheery : GLAD

65. Board for filers : EMERY. I was thinking along the lines of the Security and Exchange Commission.

66. Like some memories : FOND

Down:

1. Diocese head : BISHOP

2. Hydrocarbon gas : ETHENE

3. Calls off, as a mission : ABORTS

4. Force, metaphorically : TEETH. As in "Give one some teeth" - or not? Teeth of the gale? What think ye?

5. Express's opp. : LOC. The local, or stopping service.

6. 2004 Will Smith sci-fi film : I, ROBOT

7. Ad on a DVD case : BLURB. Let's kill two blurbs with one stone:

8. Olden times : YORE

9. First chip, often : ANTE

10. Farming implements : SPREADERS. They spread fertilizer, seed, manure ... let's stop there.

11. Bundle of dough : WAD

12. Wild way to go : APE

13. Course number : PAR

19. First name in metal : OZZY. Not my first thought by a long way - my mind was firmly on the "Alcoa"variety.

21. Zoo equine : ZEBRA. I like the Z echo from the clue to the answer.

24. In precisely this way : JUST SO

26. Celeb's ride : LIMO

27. Malevolence : EVIL

28. Where the action happens : SET. Lights, Camera ...!

31. W. Coast airport : S.F.O. Coincidentally, I'm sitting at Gate 32, Terminal 1 at San Francisco International heading home from the Bay Area.

32. 2004 biopic with the tagline "Let's talk about sex" : KINSEY

33. Like wheels after servicing : REALIGNED. I liked this word - took a little while for the penny to drop.

34. Bar supply : ICE. Add Vodka, Tonic and limes and you've got a fully-stocked bar in my opinion. Tinbeni would not agree.

36. Cereal material : BRAN

37. Carriage driver's tool : REIN. I liked WHIP first, especially with the "I" in place.

38. With 59-Down, L-shaped tool : HEX

39. Sedative, casually : TRANQ

40. Org. whose past presidents include two Mayos : A.M.A. I'm assuming of Mayo Clinic fame?

44. Veggie with a Ruby Queen variety : BEET. Thank you, crosses.

45. Bit of orthodontia : SPACER

46. Cathedral city in northern Spain : OVIEDO

The Portico

47. Hold on to : RETAIN

48. Shut : CLOSED

50. Leave the dock, with "off" : SHOVE. Because "CAST" isn't long enough.

53. Catalina, e.g. : ISLE. I'll be flying over it in about an hour if my flight's on time.

54. Come (from) : STEM

56. Crying __ : JAG. I used to own one of these - an 89 XJS V12 convertible that made me weep every time it broke down, which was about once a week.

57. Driveway blotch : OIL

58. Ore. neighbor : IDA. Not CAL, which I had first.

59. See 38-Down : KEY

That's about it from me today. Enjoy your respective Wednesdays!

Friday, October 25, 2013 Jacob Stulberg

Theme: "And I quote..."

18. Start of a quote : A HEN IS ONLY

23. Quote, part 2 : AN EGG'S

40. Quote, part 3 : WAY OF

54. Quote, part 4 : MAKING

61. End of the quote : ANOTHER EGG.

16A. With 66-Across, author of this puzzle's quote : SAMUEL. and 66-Across. See 16-Across : BUTLER. 

Marti here, trying to fill Lemonade's shoes on a Friday.  Whoo boy, I sure struggled with this one. I took me almost twice my normal Friday solving time, and even when I finished it, there were some things I still didn't know (LEONA, EGAN, TREME, for instance.)

I believe this is Jacob's debut LAT puzzle, so, congratulations!

Across:

1. City SE of Milan : LODI. BAM! Right off the bat, I get sucker punched. Anyone else enter "Rome?" Map.

5. Station occupant : COP.

8. Extended stays : ABODES. I didn't like this clue. It should have referred to the obsolete meaning of the word.

14. Dept. with a sun on its seal : ENER.gy. Among other things...

15. Dish made in an oven called an imu : POI. Total WAG. But a learning moment.  The imu is basically a deep pit, with a wood fire in the bottom that is covered with fist-sized stones. The food is wrapped in leaves (to steam), placed into the pit, then covered with the dirt.  A rolled up palm leaf is often used to keep a vent open at the top of the pit.

17. Some museum work : OILS. Anyone object to the seemingly singular "work?"

20. Super stars? : NOVAE. I entered NOVA*, but knew enough to wait for perps before deciding on "S" or "E" for the last letter.  Alas, I did not know the perp.  Finally wagged the answer at the end and got it right.

22. Sitting setting : STUDIO. Cute clue.

25. "Hear, hear!" : AMEN.

26. Self-obsessed sort : FOP.

29. Grub : EATS.

31. Legal appurtenance? : ESE. Legalese.

32. Barbary __ : APE. Endangered species.

33. Medium : CHANNELER.

37. Rich dessert : TORTE. My house guests from Vienna brought me a Sacher Torte. And yes, they are extremely rich!

39. "Hold it!" : HALT.

42. "... 'Tis a pageant / To keep __ false gaze": "Othello" : US IN. Meaning, "It's a trick, to confuse us."

43. __ coffee : IRISH.

45. They can be wound up : NEUROTICS.

47. Green shade : PEA.

48. Hosp. readout : ECG. I always wonder if the middle letter will be E, K or C?

50. Incentives to cooperate : SOPS.

51. Tee sizes: Abbr. : SMS. Smalls.

52. "It's __!": ballgame cry : A HIT.

58. Goes right, e.g. : STEERS.

60. It sometimes results in a double play : LINER. I started entering LINE drive, but ran out of room.  Is it really called a liner?

65. Dominion : RULE.

67. NYC subway overseer : MTA. Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

68. Three-point B, say : TILE. In Scrabble, the letter "B" is worth three points. Hahtoolah and Irish Miss both knew that, though!

69. Shakespearean title character : ANTONY. and Cleopatra.

70. Handy skill for a gambler? : ESP. Yes, indeed!

71. Leave in : STET.

Down:

1. British singer/songwriter Lewis : LEONA. OK, Leona, you're on! 4:39

2. Source of some rings : ONION. Yummm!

3. Probe, with "into" : DELVE.

4. Feds concerned with returns : IRS AGENTS. And a clecho with 5-Down:

5. Pro concerned with returns : CPA. Certified Public Accountant.

6. Expressions of wonder : OOHS.

7. Two-figure sculpture : PIETA. If you see this in person, you will never forget the name of one of Michelangelo's most famous works.

8. Dramatic revelations : ASIDES.

9. Medieval helmet : BASINET. Another variant spelling, this time of "bascinet."

10. Novel that begins in the Marquesas Islands : OMOO. I had the last "O" so it was a WAG.

11. Bug for payment : DUN.

12. Member of the genus Anguilla : EEL. Freshwater eels.

13. Not straight : SLY.

19. Legion : NUMEROUS.

21. Richard of "A Summer Place" : EGAN. Troy Donahue and Sandra Dee also appeared in that film. I mostly just remember the song. 2:29

24. Worry : STEW.

26. Kurdish relative : FARSI.

27. __ nerve : OPTIC.

28. Hammer parts : PEENS.

30. More jargony : SLANGIER.

33. Salty bagful : CHIPS.

34. "Don Juan DeMarco" setting : HAREM. Starring Johnny Depp, Marlon Brando and Faye Dunaway.

35. Bit of checkpoint deception : ALIAS.

36. Organ that may be caught : EYE.

38. Rural-urban transition area : OUTSKIRTS.

41. Sent by : FROM.

44. Missionary's target : HEATHEN.

46. Gem mined mostly in Australia : OPAL.

49. All smiles : CHEERY.

53. HBO series set in New Orleans : TREME. About the residents of the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans following the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.

55. Greenland native : INUIT.

56. "Ally McBeal" lawyer : NELLE. Played by Portia de Rossi. Never watched it.

57. Welcome : GREET.

58. D-Day city : ST. LO.

59. York et al.: Abbr. : SGTS. Sergeant York.

61. Legal org. : ABA. American Bar Association.

62. One of the Poor Clares : NUN.

63. Memorable Giant : OTT. I know his first name is Mel.  And that's all I know, other than the fact that he's convenient crossword puzzle fill.

64. Orthodontist's concern : GAP.

Leaving you with my quote of the day:

"If every day is a gift, where do I go to return Mondays?"

Marti

Note from C.C.:

Good luck to all who attend tomorrow's  Crossword LA. Do say hello to our Wednesday sherpa Steve.