Wednesday, Oct 4, 2017 C. C. Burnikel

Theme: OLD VINYL.  Each two word entry has the letters L and P as its alpha and omega [so to speak.]  These letters signify a Long Playing phonograph recording - i.e. one with several songs on a side.  More will be explained when we get to the unifier.

17A. *Vodka cocktail often served with a sugared rim : LEMON DROP.  Made with vodka, Triple Sec, simple syrup and fresh lemon juice.  Pucker up.

60A. *Largely bygone penal colony : LABOR CAMP.  A prison camp where hard labor is enforced.

3 D. *Store website feature : LOCATOR MAP.  Here is the locator map for the restaurant where we had a wonderful lunch with some relatives yesterday.

8 D. *Shari Lewis puppet : LAMB CHOP.

Spunky

30 D. *Totally drunk : LIQUORED UP.  Self-explanatory, and no image needed.

39 D. *Light source with hypnotic bubbles : LAVA LAMP.  Suitable illumination for nudism and getting high in a variety of ways.

I am not making this up.

And now the unifier -- 26 A. With 49-Across, it keeps repeating itself ... and, based on the first and last letters, an apt description of each answer to a starred clue : BROKEN.

49 A. See 26-Across : RECORD.

So, now we see that the wide split between the L and the P indicates that the RECORD has been BROKEN - but not in the sense of a historic feat of athleticism.  In the old days, back in my yute, a phonograph record that was scratched or broken would catch the play-back stylus and keep repeating the same groove section on the recording surface, groove section on the recording surface, groove section on the recording surface.  Very annoying.  Hence, a person who repeated himself a lot would be compared to a BROKEN RECORD.  

Raising this up a notch, conceptually, is the fact that the unifier itself is broken.  So we have a pinwheel formation of theme fill, that also includes the symmetrically placed two-part unifier.  Very clever and unusual design!

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa on duty.  Let's see where our own hostess and travel guide C. C. takes on this trip.

Across

1. Fancy parties : GALAS.

6. [This is gonna be really bad!] : GULP. Nervous reaction, not a drink - though that also might help.

10. OutKast rapper Big __ : BOI.  No idea.

13. Hi in Hawaii : ALOHA.  Island greeting.  Cuter clue would have been Hi, but not high, in HI.

14. Senior golfer Aoki : ISAO.  [b 1942] He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.

15. Lends support to : AIDS.

16. Likely to speak out : VOCAL.  A band arrangement to accompany a singer is also called a VOCAL.

19. Text update from an Uber driver: Abbr. : ETA.  Estimated Time of Arrival.  Not just for air ports any more.

20. Trippy '60s drug : LSD.   Lysergic Acid Diethyl Amid.   Never tried it.   Then again, I never owned a LAVA LAMP.

22. Milked for all it's worth : BLED DRY.   All used up.

23. Mai __: rum drinks : TAIS.  For SIPS, not GULPS.

25. Post-CrossFit woes : ACHES.  Exercisers' pains

28. "__-ching!" : CHA.  Expression of triumph.

29. Down with the flu : ILL.  Five days of misery.

32. NFLer again in 2016 : L.A. RAM.  The RAMS started in Cleveland in 1936, moved to L. A. in 1946, to St. Louis in 1995, then back to L.A. in 2016.  Goats do roam.

33. Early American furniture style : COLONIAL.

36. Casino cash source : ATM.  Automatic Teller Machine.   Why is this never paired with an Automatic Penn Machine?

37. Oft-injured knee part, for short : ACL.   The Anterior Cruciate Ligament runs diagonally in the middle of the knee. It prevents the tibia from sliding out in front of the femur, as well as provides rotational stability to the knee.

40. Bit of texting tact : PLS.  Please, I assume.

41. Sine __ non : QUA.  An essential condition, something that is absolutely necessary.

42. Interest-arousing promo : TEASER AD.

45. More accurate : TRUER.  Some things are clearly true or false.  Others have 50 shades of grey.

47. Mud bath offerer : SPA.   For people.  STY for swine.

48. Night before : EVE.  Where was Adam the nighh before?

50. Burton of "Star Trek: TNG" : LEVAR.

Why the funky specs?

52. Wild swine : BOAR.   It might take a mud bath.  Or just be dull and tedious.

53. Win out : PREVAIL.  Overcome.

56. Tiny drink : SIP.  Less than a GULP.

57. Go wrong : ERR.  It's only human.

The CD I listen while working out.

62. "Paper Moon" girl : ADDIE.  Played by Tatum O'Neal, with a cameo by her dad.



64. Notable times : ERAS.

65. Mideast dignitary : EMIR.   Military commander or local chief.

66. Brownish gray : TAUPE.    Hard to describe, but easy to use.

67. Susan of "L.A. Law" : DEY.

Attorney Grace Van Owen

68. Fix, as a feline : SPAY.   Neutering process.

69. Promoted heavily : HYPED.

Down

1. Conceded, with "up" : GAVE.  Threw in the towel.

2. Tons : A LOT.  Mucho.

4. "I thought so!" : AHA!   Caught you red-handed!

5. Education financing company, familiarly : SALLIE MAE.   SLM Corp, orignally Student Loan Marketing Association.

6. Coat, as jewelry : GILD.  Cover with a thin layer of gold.  My King 2B has a sterling silver bell section with a gilt inner surface.

My most prized possession

7. Put in the game : USE.

9. Place for a break? : POOL HALL.  Clever!  Each game of pool starts with an initial shot at the pool balls arrayed in a particular way.  This shot breaks up the cluster.

10. Dove or robin : BIRD.  Flighty critters.

11. Campfire attraction : ODOR.  The aroma of burning wood.

12. Kids' game for car trips : I SPY.  Do you see what I see?

15. Includes : ADDS IN.

18. Maiden name intro : NEE.  From French, referring to the family name with which the bride was born.

21. Nine-digit ID : SSN.  Social Security Number.   Guard yours from identity thieves.

24. Wanted poster letters : AKA.  Also Known As - referring to an alias.

25. Duke's conf. : ACC.  Atlantic Coast Conference.

26. Cry from a sheep : BLAT.  Or the sound of a bad trombonist.  Not that I would know anything about it.

27. Motel postings : RATES.  Charges for staying, by the night or by the hour.

31. "Today" co-host Matt : LAUER.

34. Manipulative health care practitioner : OSTEOPATH.  Chiropractor doesn't fit.

35. Pie crust fat : LARD.   Pig fat.

38. Mountain climber's piton spots : CREVICES.  Narrow openings or fissures in the rock face.

43. Artillery bursts : SALVOS.  Simultaneous discharge from several weapons.

44. Essen article : DER.  "The" in German. This is the masculine form, since all German nouns have gender.

46. Electronics giant : RCA.  Originally Radio Corporation of America.

49. Hitter's stat : RBI.  Runs Batted In.  We knew there had to be some baseball.  Congrats to the Twins for getting to the wild card game.  The Tigers are in for a long, dark tea time of the soul.

51. Sound-detecting organ : EAR.  Listen up.

53. Claimed in court : PLED.   To PLEAD or make a PLEA is to issue a formal statement by or on behalf of a defendant, stating guilt or innocence in response to a charge or allegation.

54. Hard to find : RARE.

55. "Buy It Now" site : EBAY.  On line auction site that offers an opportunity to bypass the competitive bidding process and purchase an item for a set price.  Ya pays yer money, ya takes yer chances.

56. Agile : SPRY.   Energetic or active.  Almost always said of older people, if it is is unexpected.

58. Like orange or red persimmons : RIPE.  Interested readers can learn about these exotic fruits here.

59. Marsh plant : REED.  A grass species that grows 5 to 15 feet tall.  Not to be confused with an oboe, which is about 25 1/2 inches long.

Details

61. Athletes for Hope co-founder Hamm : MIA. [b 1972] Mariel Margaret Hamm- Garciaparra is a retired U.S. soccer player who won Olympic gold twice and is a two time FIFA Women's World Cup Champion.  The mission of Athletes for Hope is "To educate, encourage and assist athletes in their efforts to contribute to community and charitable causes, to increase public awareness of those efforts, and to inspire others to do the same."

63. Calendar square : DAY. 

That wraps up another Wenesday.  Hope y'all had a fine time.

Cool regards!
JzB

Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - Bruce Haight

Theme - HOMOPHONIA.  Silly three-word phrases starting with the letter A, and having the indefinite article A in the middle constitute internal echoes.  Actually, the clues themselves are also quite silly.  Call me crazy, but I love the word play in this theme.

17 A. Fall in love with something at the home improvement center? : ADORE A DOOR.  Furniture and appliances are OK, but seldom give you this kind of an opening.

25 A. Bring Bugs into harmony? : ATTUNE A TOON.  TOONS, of course, are cartoon characters.  Bugs is one of the truly great TOONs, and great TOON singers.  And how could he be more ATTUNED than this?



37 A. Get voices in all ranges? : ACQUIRE A CHOIR.  Sopranos, altos, tenors and basses [not to be confused with 61A.]  Anyway, there are no bugs here.



52 A. Severely criticize the store special? : ASSAIL A SALE.  This is a correct usage for ASSAIL - I checked.  Any time you come to The Corner, you get your money's worth

61 A. Criticize the stringed instrument? : ABASE A BASS.  More like degrade than criticize.  But bassist Christian McBride, who I had the great pleasure of preforming with a couple years ago, is above reproach.




Hi, Gang.  JazzBumpa on duty.  Let's see what else Bruce has in store for us.

Across

1. Got taller : GREW.  Use gruesome in a sentence.  OK.  I visited my grandchildren in PA last week.  Since the last time I saw them, they gruesome.

5. Etching supplies : ACIDS.  A mask is used to protect the rest of the surface, and ACID etches into the exposed area to create an image.

10. Ski area in Utah's Wasatch Mountains : ALTA.

Mt Superior from ALTA's Albion Base

14. See 66-Across : RACE.   Here it is --

66. With 14-Across, event with batons : RELAY.  A track and field event of a set distance in which each team has several runners [usually 4.]  At the end of a runner's turn, the baton is handed off to the next runner.

15. Bad news for the waiter : NO TIP.   Rude, too.  We give a minimum 20%, and usually in cash.

16. Classic cars : REOS.   Ransom E. Olds started the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897.  This later became Oldsmobile, a division of General Motors.  He left the company on 1905 and started the REO Motor Car Company in 1905.  It remained in operation until 1975, when assets were liquidated in a bankruptcy proceeding.

19. "Pretty please?" : MAY I.  Childish begging.

20. "Frasier" role : NILES.  Brother of the eponym, Frasier Crane, played by David Hyde Pierce and Kelsey Grammer, respectively. 

21. Debuting on screen : NEW.

23. iPhone, e.g., briefly : PDA.  Personal Data Assistant.  Anyone still have a Blackberry?

24. Scooby-__ : DOO.  Toon dog.  I was never a fan.

30. Golf tee, e.g. : PEG.

31. "Flashdance...What a Feeling" singer Cara : IRENE.

32. Barbecue pair : TONGS.  A device with two movable arms, either joined at one end or in the middle, used to pick up and hold things.

33. Solo in a spotlight : ARIA.  This is the Italian word for air [not to be confused with Ned Stark's younger daughter.]  An air is simply a song, but an ARIA is a dramatic solo in a opera.   I'm not a fan.

35. Smallish batteries : AAs.

36. Med. condition with repetitive behavior : OCD.  Obsessive Compulsive Behavior.  Every time I type that, I have to go wash my hands.

42. Colony resident : ANT.  Usually under ground.

43. Gallery filler : ART.

44. Went like crazy : SPED.

46. Second thought : DOUBT.

49. Get fuzzy, as vision : BLEAR.

51. Grand __ Opry : OLE.  A weekly country music concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 1925.   Not a fan of this either.

54. "Breaking Bad" org. : DEA.  Drug Enforcement Agency.

55. Org. offering written and road tests : DMV.  Department of Motor Vehicles.

56. Mason jar attachment : LID.  That tops it off.

57. Humdrum : BANAL.  Vapid, insipid, old-hat.

59. Start bubbling : BOIL.  No toil, no trouble, just turn on the heat.

65. Greek peak : OSSA.   Because Etna is in Sicily.

67. Site with tech reviews : c|net.  Technology oriented website

68. __ end : DEAD.  The termination of a road or passage with no exit.  Figuratively, any kind of impasse.

69. Wild West transport : STAGE.  A stagecoach was a closed, horse-drawn vehicle used to carry passengers and mail along regular routes

70. Run-of-the-mill : SO-SO.  Mediocre.

Down

1. __ Joe, Charlie's companion on his tour of Wonka's chocolate factory : GRANDPA.

Not everyone's favorite

2. Time before TV : RADIO ERA.  Back in the day.

3. Environment-related : ECOLOGIC.

4. "Where __ you?" : WERE.  Time for excuses.

5. Actress Ortiz of "Ugly Betty" : ANA.  [b 1971] Singer, actress, and domestic abuse advocate.

Acts in movies and on TV

6. Fish sticks fish : COD.

7. Midori on the ice : ITO.  Olympic skater.  Many videos of various length here.

8. Pop singer Warwick : DIONNE.

9. Binge : SPREE.

10. Reliever's asset : ARM.  Baseball relief pitcher.

11. Seize, as an opportunity : LEAP ON.

12. Pooch in your lap, maybe : TOY DOG.  A breed of dog that has been bred to a reduced size.

13. Most people : ASIANS.  Asia is by far the largest continent, and has by far the highest population density.

18. Actor Morales : ESAI.  Frequent crossword visitor.

22. Keep an eye on : WATCH.  Would you keep an eye on my WATCH, please?

26. Personal attribute : TRAIT. A genetically determined characteristic.

27. Rip (up) : TEAR.  Forcefully pull apart

28. Opens, as an official document : UNSEALS.  Without TEARING it, one would hope.

29. Commotions : TO-DOS.  Disturbances, fracases, brouhahas.

34. Jordan's only port : AQABA.  Located at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba, which extends N-N-E from the Red Sea.

36. In base eight : OCTAL.  My eyes glazed over pretty quickly, but if you're interested in base 8, you can read about it here.

38. No later than : UNTIL.

39. Space : AREA.

40. Tiny tunes player : IPOD NANO. A portable media player, now in it's 7th generation.

41. Big events for film studios : RELEASES.

45. Gives a hand : DEALS TO.   Aha - cards, not a helping hand.

46. Somewhat flabby male physique, informally : DAD-BOD.   Never heard this term before, but I guess I have one.

47. Diffuse slowly through a membrane : OSMOSE.   Moving from the side of the barrier with greater concentration to the side with lesser concentration.

48. Permit to enter the States : U.S. VISA.  Allows the visitor to enter, leave or stay for a specified period.

49. Unwise wager : BAD BET.

50. Country's McEntire : REBA.  [b 1955] Singer, song writer, actress, record producer, and eponym for a TV show.

53. Whopper creators : LIARS.  Prevaricators, not burger flippers.

58. Basics : ABCs.  Early steps.

60. Young chap : LAD.

62. According to : A LA.  Common in English, adopted from French. (Cf. 46 D)

63. Give in to gravity : SAG.  As telephone wires, or protruding body parts.

64. Word after eagle or hawk : EYE.  Either way, sharp vision.

That wraps it up.  Hope you had fun with it.

Cool regards!

JzB

Wednesday, September 13, 2017 - Adam T. Cobb

Theme -- Hey, what's in this drink?  Here we have a complex theme: circled letters [and good luck if you didn't get the circles, since the letters are scattered] within the theme entries are anagrams of hidden words.  And better yet, the hidden words are liquid assets [so to speak] of the things in which they are hidden. 

17. Name on a two-liter bottle (and what's inside) : ROYAL CROWN.   ROYAL CROWN, is, of course, a brand name and COLA is the generic name for the product variety.

23. Independently owned suds producer (and the suds in question) : MICROBREWERY.  MICROBREWERIES are independently owned and operated purveyors of craft BEERs and ales.  The quaffs that they offer typically have more flavor and character that what you find in mass produced products from the big, international BREWing companies.  I'm a fan of Bell's Two-Hearted Ale.

38. Where Starbucks began (and a product it popularized) : SEATTLE.  LATTE's are not unique to Starbucks, but you certainly can get one there.  Our wildly over-achieving oldest granddaughter is, among other things, a certified barista and trainer at Starbucks.  A LATTE is a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk.

49. Pepperidge Farm treat (and its ideal companion) : MILANO COOKIE.  This is a sandwich COOKIE with a dark chocolate inner layer between two flat biscuits.  It's marketed to adults, but even they can enjoy a nice cold glass of MILK with it.

And the unifier -- 59. What's clued in parentheses for each of four answers, and found in corresponding sets of puzzle circles : MIXED DRINK.  This is an in-the-language phrase indicating a libation made with alcoholic spirits and some sort of mixer, such as some flavor of soda.   Here, the word MIXED is a hint that the letters of the respective DRINKS have been scrambled.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here, your host for today's adventure in a glass.   Let's pop a few lids and see how this tastes.

Across

1. Green Angry Birds animals : PIGS.  I dunno.  Never played the game.

5. Salon style : PERM.   Short for PERManent wave.

9. "Jabberwocky" opener : 'TWAS.  This poem by Lewis Carroll is included in Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, from 1871,

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
      Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
      And the mome raths outgrabe.

13. Les __-Unis : ETATS.  United States in French.

15. Eye layer : UVEA.  This includes the iris, which displays eye color.  Brown-eyed people like me have irises pigmented with melanin.  Blue eyed people have no little or no pigment in their irises.  They appear blue due to Rayleigh scattering - the same optical phenomenon that makes the sky appear blue.  Other colors are due to combination effects from various levels of melanin and collagen, which causes Mie scattering. 

You view the UVEA

16. "For __ jolly ... " : HE'S A. Good fellow, and I can't deny it.

19. Double-crossers : RATS. Figuratively speaking

20. Like microwavable meals : PRE-MADE.  

21. Valued caches : TROVES.  Have you ever seen the word TROVE not associated with some sort of treasure?

26. Parthenon goddess : ATHENA.  From Greek mythology, the goddess of wisdom, craft and war..

29. "How cool!" : NEATO.

30. Length of most TV dramas : HOUR.

31. WWI battleship Graf __ : SPEE.  Read about it here.

33. Kin by marriage : IN-LAW.  

37. CIO partner : AFL.  The American Federation of Labor merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955.  The organization is made up of 56 national and international labor unions.

40. __ snail's pace : A TA.   Moving slowly.

41. Note above A : B FLAT.  It's enharmonic equivalent, A Sharp is rare, but I have encountered it already this week.

43. Snoop (around) : NOSE.  Because that is what gets poked into a place, whether it belongs there or not.

44. Blockage : CLOG.

45. Slangy "It's cool" : NO BIG.  I guess the "DEAL" is implied.  Anyway it's not a problem.

47. Currently combusting : ABLAZE.  On fire, right now.

53. Novelist Waugh : EVELYN.  Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh [1903 - 1966] was a prolific English journalist, and author of novels, biographies and travelogues.

54. Scolds harshly : BERATES.  You could be BERATED if your behavior were less than A-rated.

58. Jones with a locker : DAVY.  The origins of the phrase are unclear.  DAVY Jones' locker is the bottom of the sea, where the remains of drowned sailors and sunken ships find their final resting place.

62. Don Juan's mother : INEZ.  I only know this from crosswords.

63. Just : ONLY.  Only this article can do it JUSTice,

64. __ protector : SURGE.  A device to shield your electronic items from potentially damaging power fluctuations.

65. Give a darn : CARE.  Be concerned. There is a lot to CARE about these days.

66. Horseshoes turn : TOSS.  Having your turn at the game of tossing horse shoes.

67. Dijon dad : PERE.  More French.

Down

1. Cop's quarry : PERP.  The PERPetrator of a crime.   Or, in Corner lingo, a word in a puzzle that is PERPendicular to a given word.

2. "Like __ lump ... " : IT OR.  Take it or leave it.

3. Marvin of Motown : GAYE. [1939-1984] He was a singer, song writer and producer who helped create the Mo-Town sound.  Sadly, he was killed by his own father who shot him when he tried to intervene in an argument between his parents.



4. Speech therapist's challenge : STAMMER.  Speech with involuntary pauses and repeated initial consonant sounds.

5. More virtuous : PURER.  Like even whiter snow.

6. President Morales of Bolivia : EVO.  Juan Evo Morales Ayma [b 1959] has been president since 2006.

7. DVR "back up" button : REWind.

8. Chanted word : MANTRA. A word or sound repeated as an aid in achieving a meditative state.

9. Add, as a shrimp to the barbie : THROW ON.  Aim carefully when adding a shrimp to the grill.

10. Go this way and that : WEAVE.   Zig-zag.

11. Autumn bloom : ASTER.  The name is derived from the Greek word for star, due to the shape of the bloom.

No - they are not daisies

12. Flip : SASSY.  Said of disrespectful back-talk.

14. "'And hast thou __ the Jabberwock?'" : SLAIN.  A bonus mini-theme.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
      Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
      He chortled in his joy.

18. Music box? : CD CASE.  Protective box for music medium storage.

22. Deal with, as loose laces : RETIE.  Which is why I prefer slip-ons.

24. "Almost there!" : ONE TO GO.  I associate this phrase with American football, in a situation when one one yard is needed for a first down.

25. Borscht veggies : BEETS.  I think it was on a long-ago Rocky and Bullwinkle episode when one of the characters said, "When it comes to borscht, you can't beat soup!"

26. Quaker captain of literature : AHAB. Pursuer of the great white whale, Moby Dick.  I didn't recall him being a Quaker.

27. Fashionable Brit : TOFF.  A derogatory stereotype for an aristocratic Brit is what I found.  Perhaps Steve can explain.

28. Ship frame : HULL.

32. Freak out : PANIC.

34. 2016 Best Picture nominee "__ Land" : LA LA.  2016 movie, 2017 Oscar nominee.



35. All-inclusive : A TO Z.  Everything from A cups to Zebras.

36. Salary : WAGE.  Not exactly.  Wages are based on actual hours worked, while a salary is a fixed amount per week or month, irrespective of actual time on the job.

38. Like a path that's cobbled together? : STONY.    My favorite way of thinking about a cobblestone path.

39. Allowed to get out : LEAKED.  As information, not caged animals.

42. Examine in detail : ANALYZE.

44. Go from cloudy to fair : CLEAR UP.  Better weather.

46. Wisecrack : BON MOT.

48. Tweeters : BIRDS.  Not stereo speakers.

49. Physician at the front : MEDIC.  In the military.

50. The first Mrs. Trump : IVANA.

51. Prying tool : LEVER.  A beam or rod pivoted on a fulcrum.

52. Acts like a good dog : OBEYS.  Sits, begs, and rolls over.

55. Lose steam : TIRE.  Get used up.

56. Elec. or mech. expert : ENGR.  Engineers.

57. __-Ball: arcade game : SKEE.   The game is played by rolling balls up an incline and scoring points by having the balls fall into holes with different values.

60. Suffix with concert : -INO.  A concertino is either a composition that is a smaller version of a concerto, or a subsection of an orchestra that is featured in a composition.

61. Big tee sizes : XLS.  Extra Larges.

That wraps another Wednesday.  With the libation of your choice, a toast to all.  It's always 5:00 somewhere.

Cool regards!
JzB

Wednesday, August 23, 2017 C. C. Burnikel

Theme - We interrupt regular programming to bring you this hot news item - AKA: STORY. The word STORY is devided into bookends in the 3 theme entries, and revealed in the unifier. Them's the BREAKS, I guess.

20. Come out on top : SCORE A VICTORY.  Win an athletic contest.

34. Retail showcase : STORE DISPLAY.  Where merchandise in on view, to make you want it. Here's a famous one.

Higbee's

41. Particle physics concept : STRING THEORY.  This is a theoretical framework which posits dimensional objects called strings, and describes their interactions.  It is a theory of quantum gravity.

56. Reporter's delivery ... and what 20-, 34- and 41-Across are literally doing? : BREAKING STORY.   Fresh from the news room to the on-screen anchors desk.  Mostly these things are political, so no more than that I will not say.

Hi Gang - JazzBumpa here to BREAK down the STORY of this puzzle, and report on what our investigations can uncover.  Hope it's not too shocking.

Item 1 - the constructor is our own hostess, C. C.  Perhaps she will become the most prolific constructor ever.

Item 2 - STORY is broken at the first letter, the last letter, and then as close as you can get to the middle in a 5-letter word.  Nice, elegant touch.

Across

1. Sporty British cars, for short : JAGS.  Jaguars.

5. Omelet option : HAM.  I usually get the veggie omelet with feta cheese.

8. Reef material : CORAL.  Bad news.  Sadly, they are under attack from star fish and the increasing acidity of the oceans. Some day there may be none left atoll.

13. Power co. output : ELECtricity.  Zap!

14. Shaped like an avocado : OVAL.  This is mandatory.

Found somewhere on the internet.

16. Dig deeply? : ADORE.  Love, respect, worship, venerate.  Clever misdirection with the clue.  You are digging with your emotions, not a shovel, and the depth is into your soul, not the ground.

17. Fey with many Emmys : TINA.  Known for her political satire - not gonna do it.

18. Baltic port : RIGA.  The capital of Latvia, on the Baltic sea at the mouth of the river Daugava.

19. "Unbroken" director Angelina : JOLIE.  A 2014 movie about Louis Zamparini, a U.S. olympic athlete and bombardier in WW II, who survived on a raft in the ocean for 47 days, and then was in PoW camps.  In addition to her fame appearing on the silver screen, she has also directed several films.

23. Intends to hit : AIMS AT.   Use your good eye.

24. Sushi roll fish : EEL.  Any of 800 species of elongated fish lacking pelvic fins.  Many also lack pectoral fins.  It has a single fin ribbon running down the back for most of its length.  They swim by generating body waves, and can swim backwards by reversing the wave.

25. "NewsHour" channel : PBS.  Public Broadcasting System.

28. Novelist Rita __ Brown : MAE.  [b 1944] Prolific author of novels, mysteries and screen plays, including the Mrs. Murphy mystery novel series.

29. [I give up!] : SIGH.  AKA: SMH.

32. Vacation location : RESORT.  Would you resort to staying in such a place?

36. Per item : EACH.  Unit pricing.

39. Area for critical patients, briefly : Intensive Care Unit.

40. Diamond great Sandberg : RYNE.  Played 2nd base for the Phillies, briefly in 1981, and then with the Cubs from 1982 until he retired mid-season in 1994.  He came back and played for the Cubs again in 1996-7.  He won 9 gold gloves and made 10 consecutive all star appearances.  He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2005.

46. Pub quiz fodder : TRIVIA.  Unimportant bits of information.

47. Red Muppet who refers to himself in the third person : ELMO.

48. Bit of toy "ammo" : CAP.  A paper or plastic disk containing a small amount of a shock-sensitive explosive compound.  In a toy gun this simulates the noise and smoke of a real fire arm.

51. Gentle touch : DAB.  As in blotting with a napkin.

52. Okay mark : CEE.  I never felt they were OK.

54. Knuckleheads : IDIOTS.  In slang, a generic term for stupid people - or perhaps those you don't agree with.

60. Humdinger : BEAUT.  A particularly fine example of something, or sarcastically, the opposite.

62. Kitchenware brand : EKCO.  They make all sort of kitchen gadgets: basters, peelers, knives, cutting boards, measuring spoons and cups, etc.

63. Blueprint detail : SPECification.

64. Subject of a certain management class : ANGER.  There's a movie about it that I'm pretty glad I didn't see.



65. They may be choppy : SEAS. In high winds or stormy weather.

66. Fit together nicely : MESH.  Hand in glove.

67. High-maintenance : NEEDY.  Said of a person who requires an excess of emotional or monetary investment in a relationship.

68. "That's the spot" : AAH.  You scratch my back  .  .  .

69. Art Deco luminary : ERTE.  Romain de Tirtoff [1892-1990] a Russian-born French artist known as ERTE from the French pronunciation of his initials*, was a pioneer in art deco.

* Hey, I could be ERTE, too!

Down

1. Goods thrown overboard : JETSAM.  Things that have been jettisoned from a ship at sea, frequently to lighten the ship's load.  Not to be confused with flotsam - things lost from a vessel due to shipwreck or accident.  The difference is significant in maritime law.  Flotsam may be claimed by the original ship, JETSAM is the property of whoever finds it.

2. "Girl on Fire" singer Keys : ALICIA.

3. Biological mapping subject : GENOME.  The complete set of genes present in an organism.

4. Permanent marks : SCARS.

5. Fictional captain Hornblower : HORATIO.  A fictional officer in Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars in the novels of C. S. Forester.

6. Tel __, Israel : AVIV.  Major city on the Mediterranean coast.

7. Christmas trio : MAGI.  The three wise guys --- er  .  .  . men.

8. Persuades with flattery : CAJOLES.

9. Air Wick target : ODOR.

10. Short and chubby : ROLY POLY. Obese - but we are not into fat shaming here.  Also, a terrestrial crustacean of the order isopoda, also known as a pill bug or doodle bug, with the ability to roll into a ball.

Armadillidiidae

11. D-backs, on scoreboards : ARIzona.

12. Jack Reacher creator __ Child : LEE.  Pen name of British author James D. Grant [b 1954.]  Reacher is a fictional character who is a former army officer who drifts around the country getting into dangerous situations.

15. Doily fabric : LACE.  A small ornamental mat of embroidery, lace, or paper that is placed under an item.

21. __ Los Angeles : EAST.  An unincorporated area in Los Angeles County.  At 96.7% Latino, it is the least diverse community in the county.

22. Actress Polo : TERI.  Theresa Elizabeth Polo [b 1969] is an American TV and movie actress.

Teri

26. Dietary fiber : BRAN.  Edible broken seed coats from cereal grains.

27. Eye problem : STYE.  Inflammation at the eyelid caused by a bacterial infection of the gland at the base of an eyelash.

30. Determination : GRIT.  It's true.

31. Anne of "Wag the Dog" : HECHE. Anne Celeste HECHE [b 1969] is an American actress, director and screenwriter.

33. Nimble : SPRY. Usually spoken of older people - maybe it's unexpected.

34. Improvised blade : SHIV.

35. Fight that may involve drawing : DUEL.  Using drawn swords or pistols.

36. Started, as a co. : EST'D.   Established.

37. Gillette brand : ATRA.  Introduced in 1977, the first razor to feature a pivoting head.

38. Pegboard game : CRIBBAGE.  A game played with cards in which a peg board is used to keep score.  You can read about it here.

42. "So close, yet so far" : NICE TRY.  A good, but unsuccessful effort, or, ironically, an attempt that was either not good or not a good thing to do.

43. Mother Earth, in Greek mythology : GAEA.  The earth goddess who gave birth to both the Titans and the first humans.

44. "Holy cow!" : OMIGOSH.  Oh my gosh - nice try!

45. Curtain supports : RODS.  Devices used to support curtains, above windows or along showers.

48. Writer for whose father the National Baseball Hall of Fame city was named : COOPER.  Cooperstown, New York is the municipality in question.  Dad from the clue was William Cooper, who founded a village on Otsego Lake in the 1780's.  His son, James Fenimore Cooper wrote many novels, including The Deerslayer and The Last of the Mohicans.

49. Idle : AT REST.

50. Freudian analyst's concern : PSYCHE.  The soul, mind or spirit that inhabits a human body.  To Freud, the the structural model of the mind, or "psychic apparatus" comprises the id, ego, and super ego.

53. __ out: barely makes : EKES.

55. "Who's there?" answer : IT'S ME.

57. Was sorry about : RUED.

58. Furniture chain popular in dorms : IKEA.  Purveyor of furniture you can assemble, miselaneous household items, and lingonberry jam.  Our oldest granddaughter is a fan.

59. Sweet Sixteen org. : NCAA.  The National Collegiate Athletic Association sponsors and organizes a single-elimination basketball tournament each spring, involving the 32 champions of division I conferences and 36 at-large teams chosen by a selection committee.  The "Sweet Sixteen" are the teams winning early rounds that winnow the field down to 16 contenders.

60. Prohibit : BAN.

61. Suffix with ethyl : -ENE.  This chemistry suffix indicates a double bond between the 2 carbon atoms in the molecule.  Since your eyes are already glazing over, I'll leave it at that.

OK, folks - that's the end of this STORY.  Hope you found it news worthy.

Cool regards!

JzB

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Tinbeni, who joined our blog in 2009. We'll all be toasting you at sundown!

Wednesday, August 9, 2017 Richard Monsaythe and C. C. Burnikel

Theme: CATCH of the day.  The last word of 2 or 3-word theme entries is something that can be CAUGHT.  There are a couple of sports references in the grid, but inexplicably, nothing about baseball.  What's up with that?  But, fortunately, that deficiency is correctable.  Here's an outstanding CATCH from last Friday's excellent game between the Tigers and the Orioles.



All Jonathon Schoop [pronounced "Scope"] could do is smile.  Maybe you'll get a smile or two as we proceed.

17 A. *One may follow the wedding dress : BRIDAL TRAIN.  This is the long back portion of a dress that trails behind the wearer.  One can also CATCH a TRAIN, but that is a different matter, so don't get off track

Everything you need to know

39 A. *Avant-garde : NEW WAVE.  Referring to a new movement or trend in literature music or the visual arts.  I remember the NEW WAVE science fiction of the 1960's, which is now old hat.  To CATCH a WAVE is to latch onto an opportunity.  The source of the phrase should be obvious.



10 D. *Westminster's top canine : BEST IN SHOW.   An award bestowed upon the top dog [so to speak] at the annual competitions presented by the Westminster Kennel Club.  I've already said more than I know about it.  To CATCH a SHOW is to attend a performance, or perhaps watch one on TV. There is an implication of preference, suggesting that you'd rather do this than some other pass time.

29 D. *Harsh and wintry : BITTER COLD.  This is weather that is so COLD that exposure would be unpleasant, or even painful.  But if you bundle up properly, you can revel in it.   Careful, though, so you don't CATCH a COLD; or if you do, keep the tissues handy, drink plenty of fluids and take vitamin C.



63 A. Familiar slogan ... or, based on its last word, what each answer to a starred clue is? : CATCH PHRASE.   A well known phrase, often associated with a particular famous person. Hope you were able to CATCH on to this theme.

Hi Gang, JzB here.  Today we have a puzzle co-constructed by a lady we all know and our Corner companion, Splynter, making his LAT debut.  Congrats to both, and a hat tip to C. C. for her continuing enormous care and generosity. Nice word association theme, and a pinwheel theme entry arrangement, with a central horizontal entry.  Its vertical cross, DRAWS ON, might also have been a theme entry, if you CATCH ON, but it lacked the necessary *.  Also, though CATCH ON is an in-the-language phrase, it doesn't quite fit the pattern, since the other entries are verb - object, and CATCH ON is a verb phrase.  Still, a nice touch.  What other smiles can we CATCH ON to?

Across

1. Heckler's array : JEERS.  Boo and hiss companions.

6. Slender woodwind : OBOE.   It goes like this.



10. Crony : BUD.  Pal.  Homey. Bro.

13. Taxpayer's dread : AUDIT.  An examination of one's tax return by the IRS to assure completeness and accuracy.

14. With 24-Across, Chilean poet with a Nobel Prize : PABLO.

And 24. See 14-Across : NERUDA.  Nobel prize in literature, awarded in 1971 for "for a poetry that with the action of an elemental force brings alive a continent's destiny and dreams".

16. Suffix with Vietnam : -ESE.  Usable with many, though not all nationalities.

19. Total : SUM.  It all adds up.

20. Drunk : SOT. Toper.

21. Pontiac that was Motor Trend's 1968 Car of the Year : GTO.  Gran Turismo Omologato - Grand Touring Homologated.

22. Orchestra overseer : MAESTRO.  The conductor.

26. Places for holsters : HIPS.  On a gun belt.

27. Swedish pop quartet : ABBA.



30. Arnold's crime : TREASON.   Benedict.  He was not a good egg.

33. Stand for a photo? : TRIPOD.  Three-legged camera support.

36. Evaluation for a would-be painter : ART TEST.  Like this.

38. Got together : MET.

41. "The guy over there" : HIM.

43. Makes harmonious : ATTUNES.

45. Frightens : SPOOKS.

47. "Whoa, bro!" : EASY NOW.  Take a deep breath.  Cool your jets.

49. Tiny branch : TWIG.

50. Feudal drudge : SERF.

52. Low-risk govt. securities : T-NOTES are fixed income securities having maturities of 1 to 10 years, backed by the full faith and credit of the U. S Treasury.  Could also have been its companions T-BONDS [20 year] or T-BILLS [52 weeks or less.]  Needed perp help.

55. Strategy : TACTICS.  Well, here is my nit.  These are not equivalent.  A strategy is a large-scale plan, which may involve complex organizational patterns; while a tactic is a short-term, focused measure that might aim to achieve one of a strategy's operational goals.

58. Granola morsel : OAT.

59. 27-Down user's need : PIN. Personal Identification Number.

62. Master : PRO. Ace.

66. Every one : ALL.

67. Poetry Muse : ERATO.  Who is the muse of erotic poetry?

68. __ Hebrides : INNER. An archipelago of 35 inhabited and 44 uninhabited islands off the west coast of Scotland, south of the Outer Hebrides.

Innie, not Outie.

69. Knight who played a newsman : TED.  Ted Baxter on the Mary Tyler Moore show, played by Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka.



70. Food-growing prefix : AGRO-.  Sometimes with culture.

71. Checked out before a heist : CASED.

Down

1. Quick punches : JABS.

2. Currency since 1999 : EURO.  In Europe, believe it or not.

3. Cut and paste, e.g. : EDIT.  Word processing activities.

4. Freed (of) : RID.  B-Bye.

5. Put on, as a play : STAGE.

6. Decide not to join : OPT OUT.

7. Trivia night locale : BAR.  Locale for drinking games.

8. The Affordable Care Act became law during it : OBAMA ERA.  Barak OBAMA's presidential term.

9. "On the Waterfront" director Kazan : ELIA.

11. Take by force : USURP.  Or to take without legal right.

12. Floor models : DEMOS.

15. __ of a kind : ONE.  I'm unique - just like everybody else.

18. P.O. box item : LTR.  Letter - a communication on paper, composed of words, which are composed of letters.

23. Horse's hoof protection : SHOE.  I have SHOES to protect my feet, even when I'm not horsing around..

24. Afternoon rest : NAP.

25. Makes use of, as experience : DRAWS ON.

27. Bread box? : ATM. Automatic Teller Machine - a cash dispensing device.

28. La __ Tar Pits : BREA.  Located within metropolitan Los Angeles.

31. Off-rd. transports : ATVS.  All-Terrain Vehicles.

32. Pedometer unit : STEP.  Keeps track of your motion, but not your emotions.

34. Taxing task : ONUS. A daunting chore.

35. Reject as false : DENY.  

37. Luau torch type : TIKI.

Elegant

40. Attended without a partner : WENT STAG.  Attending an event without a companion of the opposite gender, and can be used by or with regard to either gender.

42. Chinese menu abbr. : MSG.  Monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer.

44. Heaviest U.S. president : TAFT.  William Howard, the 27th president of the U. S., serving from 1909 to 1913.   His weight peaked at 335 to 340 pounds during this term.  He was also the 10th Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court, serving from 1921 to 1930.   His health was failing as he joined the court, and he undertook a physical fitness campaign that reduced his weight to 244 lbs. in 1929.

46. Extra NBA periods : OTS. Overtimes.  

48. Joyful shout : WOO-HOO.  Yippee!

50. Mar. 17 figure : ST. PAT.  Bring on the shamrocks and Guinness!

51. "Guitar Town" rocker Steve : EARLE.

53. Strike gently : TAP.  Or PAT, depending on which way you are facing.

54. Guiding principle : ETHIC.

56. Zamboni's milieu : ICE.  It's a vehicle used to smooth and freshen the surface in a ice arena.  But riding on one can also be a romantic adventure.

57. "Fame"-ous Irene : CARA.

59. Harsh reviews : PANS.

60. "That makes sense" : I SEE.

61. Stereotypical Geek Squad employee : NERD.

64. WNBA position : CTR.  Center.

65. Genetics lab subject : RNA.  RiboNucleic Acid, a polymeric molecule vital in several intracellular genetic processes.

There you have it.  Hope you were able to catch a grin or two.

Cool regards!

JzB

Note from C.C.: 

As Jazzbumpa mentioned earlier, Richard is our own Splynter, who has been our Saturday Sherpa since March 2011. Congratulations on your debut, Splynter!

Splynter

Wednesday, June 21, 2017 C.C. Burnikel

Theme:  The RAT's nest.  Each theme answer has the word RAT comfortably snuggled deep inside.

18 A. Swimmer who medaled at five Olympic Games : DARA TORRES.  She competed in 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000 and 2008.  In 2008, at age 41, she became the oldest American olympic swimmer.  She won silvers medals in her three events that year.

In the swim

24 A. Subjected to harsh criticism : UNDER ATTACK.  Verbal attack. Topical, but let's not go there.

36 A. Soccer deadlock breaker : EXTRA TIME. Overtime in American Football and basketball.

51 A. Many a Sports Illustrated cover figure : STAR ATHLETE.  Well sure, sports magazine, star athletes - a perfect fit.  Not always how it works out, though.  I was unable to locate an SI cover of DARA TORRES.  So this will have to suffice.

And the unifier -- 58 A. Suspicious comment ... and a hint to what's hidden in 18-, 24-, 36- and 51-Across : I SMELL A RAT.    This is the comment of a suspicious person - perhaps in a noirish movie - rather than a comment one should be suspicious of.  The expression goes back to at least 1851, and might be based on a cat's ability to detect a RAT by scent, even if it is out of sight.

Note that the letters R, A and T are broken across two words in each answer, and, as a nice touch, the break point alternates between after and before the A.

Hi, gang, it's JzB, who actually has been a lab RAT, of a sort, in the distant past.  Let's put on our lab jackets and see if we can find any other RATS in the labyrinth that C. C. has set out for us today.

Across

1. "MasterChef" tools : PANS.  Cooking tools used on the TV show.

5. Street shader : ELM.  The once great shade source on many American streets, long since devastated by Dutch Elm Disease.   Resistant varieties are now available.

8. Very dangerous : TOXIC.   Poisonous - as related to certain substances or persons in relationships.

13. Maker of Anew skin care products : AVON.  

14. Have to have : NEED.  In my marketing class many years ago, I learned that advertisers do not distinguish between wants and needs.  My protest that I need transportation, but want a Porsche Carrera went unheeded.

16. Cuban dance : RUMBA.  The term has long since lost whatever specificity it may once have had, and is applied to many styles of dance and music with a latin flair.  Here is a modern example from Mexico.

17. Fancy wheels : LIMO.  Usually stretch versions of vehicles for transporting partiers, prom goers, bride's maids, et. cet.

20. Apparel : GARB.  Clothes.

22. Exodus peak : SINAI.  The mountain where Moses received the 10 Commandments.  It took no time at all for them to get broken.

23. Actor's rep. : AGT.  Agent.

26. Turn a different color : DYE.  Did you see that red head Harry was with?  Yeah, that's his wife.  I thought he was married to a brunet!?!   He was, but she DYED.

27. Belgian detective played by Ustinov, Welles, Finney and others : POIROT.   Hercule, an Agatha Christie character who appeared in 33 novels, over 50 short stories and one play between 1920 and 1975.

28. Knight in shining armor : SAVIOR.  If being saved from a fire-breathing dragon counts as salvation.

30. Fast Company magazine competitor : INC.   Titles of business oriented magazines.

31. Nobelist Bohr : NIELS.  He received his prize in 1922 for contribution to the understanding of quantum theory.  Some of Einstein's friends thought that Albert was interesting, but NIELS was a Bohr.

35. Pot promise : IOU.  Promise to pay in a poker pot.

39. "Bad" cholesterol, initially : LDL. Low Density Lipoproteins are the culprits; cholesterol gets the bad rap.

41. Battery-free calculators : ABACI.  Not only that, they're also digital!  A competent operator is also lightning quick.

42. Mama bear, in Chihuahua : OSA. Spanish. 

45. Home to about 740 million : EUROPE.  includes Spain.

48. Christmas cupful : EGG NOG.

50. Fort Myers-to-Orlando dir. : NNE.

55. Grazing spot : LEA.  An open field.

56. Oohed and __ : AAHED.  As at babies - human and otherwise.

57. Bottom : TUSH.  The posterior of a person.

61. Connected (to) : TIED.

63. Cook, as dumplings : STEAM.  Or vegetables.

64. "Game of Thrones," for one : SAGA.  A long story of heroic achievement.  GoT is certainly long.  Whether anyone lives long enough to actually achieve heroically is very much up in the air [as are the dragons.]

65. Architect Saarinen : EERO.  [1910-1961] Born in Finland, he grew up in Bloomfield Hills, MI.

66. Fruity desserts : TARTS.  An open pastry, often filled with fruit and/or custard.

67. Butterfly catcher : NET.   At the end of the day, a butterfly catcher records his NET gain.

68. "Got it" : I SEE.  Comprendo!

Down

1. Best bud : PAL.  Amigos, not flowers.  These days: bestie.

2. French city on the Rhone : AVIGNON.



3. Inclined to wander : NOMADIC.



4. Noisy sleeper : SNORER.  Guilty

5. Go "pfft" : END.  Disappear in a puff of smoke?

6. Bare minimum : LEAST.  It's the bare minimum I could do.

7. __ badge : MERIT.  Boy scout's symbol of achievement.

8. Three-horse vehicle : TROIKA.

9. "__ Song": Taylor Swift hit : OUR.   On YouTube for anyone who is interested.

10. Satellite service for road trips : XM RADIO.  They might also play it there.

11. "Pretty please?" : I BEG YOU.   Can I - huh, huh?

12. Furniture wheel : CASTER.  Mounted in such a way that it can roll in any direction.

15. Fox's "X-Files" partner : DANA.  Scully, played by Gillian Anderson, partner of Fox Mulder, played by David Duchovney.

19. Tic __: mints : TACS.  Candy or breath mint?  You decide.

21. Borough bordering Yonkers : BRONX.  The northernmost of New York City's 5 boroughs.

24. Wire service co. : UPI.  United Press International.

25. Butting heads : AT IT.  Vying, perhaps.

29. Go toe-to-toe : VIE.  At it again, maybe.

32. Stretch in history books : ERA. A time period notable for some characteristic.

33. Research site : LAB.  Also home to some RATS.

34. Metro stop: Abbr. : STAtion.

36. Symphonic rock gp. : ELO.  Electric Light Orchestra.

37. "Law & Order: SVU" actor : ICE-T.  Tracey Lauren Morrow.

38. Power : MIGHT.

39. Ambien alternative : LUNESTA.   Sleep aid drugs.

40. Starry-eyed sort : DREAMER.  LUNESTA user?

42. Baby's bodysuits : ONESIES.  Or adults'.

Jammies

43. "As I predicted!" : SO THERE.  Told ya'!

44. What candles may signify : AGE.  Well - that takes the cake!

45. Volunteer, in a way : ENLIST.  In the armed forces or other organization.

46. Bible book with 150 poems : PSALMS.  I recently had a chance to play this beautiful Russian Hymn based on psalm 74.



47. Footnote shorthand : ET AL.  And others - a list shortener.

49. Muscles strengthened by lunges : GLUTEI.  Is this a mini-theme, or am I getting a little behind?

But it's in Italian

52. Cries of discovery : AHAS.  Or Eurekas.

53. Showed once more : RERAN.  As a TV show.

54. Maxim : ADAGE.  An old saw.

59. Fast no more : EAT.  Slowly. Eat slowly.  Chew every bite.

60. Parlor art, for short : TAT.  Body art, applied at a tattoo parlor

62. Girl in a forest : DOE.  A deer, a female deer.

That wraps another Wednesday.  C. C. gave a fine puzzle to while away a few well-spent moments. Hope you made it through OK.  Now - who moved my cheese?

Cool Regards!

JzB