google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Jeff Stillman

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Showing posts with label Jeff Stillman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeff Stillman. Show all posts

Nov 27, 2018

Tuesday, November 27, 2018 Jeff Stillman


"HANDS DOWN"


3. *Educational outing: FIELD TRIP. Field hand

10. *Social elite: UPPER CRUST. Upper hand

21. *Gambler's stoic expression: POKER FACE. Poker hand

28. *Quick-cook side dish: MINUTE RICE. Minute hand

36. Without a doubt ... or what the starts of the answers to starred clues are?: HANDS DOWN. Different types of hands are in the down answers.

Across:

1. Transvaal treks: SAFARIS.

8. Quarters: FOURTHS.

15. Big building: EDIFICE

16. Political power structure: APPARAT. -"The administrative system of a communist party, typically in a communist country."    New to me # 1.

17. Asian setting of a 2017 PBS documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick: VIETNAM.

18. Not belowdecks: TOPSIDE.

19. Snakelike fish: EEL.

20. Golf club part: GRIP.

22. Mend one's sinful ways: REPENT.

23. Paul of "Ant-Man": RUDD.

25. GI entertainers: USO.   United Services Organization.
"Just prior to the onset of America’s involvement in World War II in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to unite several service associations into one organization to lift the morale of our military and nourish support on the home front.  Those entities – the Salvation Army, Young Men’s Christian Association, Young Women’s Christian Association, National Catholic Community Services, National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board - became the United Service Organizations or, the USO." - USO.ORG

26. Many soap opera meetings: TRYSTS.

27. Scottish caps: TAMS.

29. Ray of fast food: KROC.

31. Nuclear pioneer Enrico: FERMIFermilab is west of here in Batavia, Illinois.  Scientists there smash subatomic particles to solve the mysteries of matter, energy, space and time for the benefit of all.

33. Kickoff aid: TEE.

34. Physical therapy, briefly: REHAB.

39. French __ soup: ONION.

40. Appt. book blocks: HRS.

41. Mountains between Europe and Asia: URALS.

By convention, the line of demarcation between Western Asia and the European part of the 'supercontinent' of Eurasia, is along the Ural Mountain range, the Ural River, the northern slopes of the Caucasus Mountains, and the Turkish Straits.

The Ural Mountain range, the natural boundary between Europe and Asia, extends about 2,100 km (1,300 mi) south from the Arctic Ocean to the northern border of Kazakhstan.


Text and image from the Nations Online Project.



42. Channel for school sports: ESPNU.

43. Frequently, in verse: OFT.

44. December temp: SANTA.  Temporary, not temperature.

45. Skater Lipinski: TARA.  "In the long program At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Lipinski performed seven triples, including a historic triple loop/triple loop combination and, at the end, a triple toe/half loop/triple Salchow sequence, to overtake Michele Kwan for the gold medal.

She became the youngest ladies' Olympic figure skating champion and the youngest individual gold medalist, a record that had stood since Norwegian Sonia Henie won the same event at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, also at age 15."  - Wikipedia


47. Combat vet's affliction, briefly: PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

48. Bombard with noise: DEAFEN.

52. Tax whiz: CPA.   Among other potential services

54. Spanish "this": ESTO.

57. Nonresident hospital employee: EXTERN.  New to me # 2.

       1.  a person working in but not living in an institution, such as a nonresident doctor or other worker in a hospital.
        a student participating in a temporary training program in a workplace.
        "the opportunity to shadow alumni mentors as externs provides students with experience impossible to gain in the classroom"

        2. (in a strictly enclosed order of nuns) a sister who does not live exclusively within the enclosure and goes on outside errands.

 58. Gutter locale: EAVE.

60. Party bowlful: DIP.

61. Brutish: BESTIAL.

63. Dilapidated digs: RATHOLE.

65. Contrived sentimentality: TREACLE.  New to me # 3.

  1. British term for molasses.
  2.      cloying sentimentality or flattery.

    "enough of this treacle—let's get back to business"
 66. Funded: ENDOWED.

67. Like the oldest bread: STALEST.

68. Emails anew: RESENDS.

Down:

1. Break, as ties: SEVER.

2. French parting: ADIEU.

4. Toward the stern: AFT.

5. Mark on a table from a wet glass: RING.

6. Wax-winged flier of myth: ICARUS.

7. Their winners go to the finals: SEMIS.

8. The 1% in 1% milk: FAT.

9. Portuguese wine city: OPORTO.  Portuguese: Porto.  English: Oporto.   Previously explained here at crossword corner dot blogspot dot com.

11. Sounding like Popeye: RASPY.

12. Tastes: TRIES.

13. "Wish I __ said that": HADN'T.

14. Decides to leave in the manuscript: STETS.

24. Bourne portrayer: DAMON.  Jason / Matt

30. Enjoy a recliner: REST.

31. Enemy: FOE.

32. Nav. rank: ENS. Naval / Ensign

33. Norse god with a hammer: THOR.

35. Dry-__ board: ERASE.

37. PC key near Ctrl: ALT.

38. Org. with merit badges: BSA.

46. Chronological records: ANNALS.

47. Stately 16th-century dance: PAVANE.  New to me # 4.
  1. a stately dance in slow duple time, popular in the 16th and 17th centuries and performed in elaborate clothing.
    • a piece of music for the pavane.

48. Financial obligations: DEBTS.

49. Wield, as influence: EXERT.

50. Perplexed: AT SEA.

51. __ monitor: OB/GYN device: FETAL.

53. Peeling device: PARER.

55. Like many shower stalls: TILED.

56. Opinion columns: OP EDS.

59. JFK postings: ETDS.

62. Tennis do-over: LET.

64. Furrow maker: HOE.




Jul 3, 2018

Tuesday, July 3, 2018 Jeff Stillman

"Fee-fi-fo-fum"

21. In good spirits: FEELING FINE.

31. Natural source of paper or rope: FIBER PLANT.

42. Center of attention: FOCAL POINT.

54. Gridiron goof: FUMBLED BALL.

67. N.Y. or S.F. athlete known for the beginnings of 21-, 31-, 42-, and 54-Across?: GIANT.


Across:

1. Harry Potter's forte: MAGIC.  Did Harry have some magic beans ?

6. USAF officer: MAJ.

9. Some spouses: WIVES.

14. Susan's "All My Children" role: ERICA.  Susan Lucci played the role of Erica Kane for 41 years on the daytime soap.  

15. Memorable time: AGE.

16. Has __ up one's sleeve: AN ACE.

17. Antisocial type: LONER.

18. Term start?: MID.

19. Swamp snapper: GATOR.

20. Mantra syllables: OMS.

24. Cause one's stomach to turn: NAUSEATE.

26. Monthly util. bill: ELEC.

27. Goof up: ERR.

28. Off the straight and narrow: WAYWARD.  Like Jack, who stole from the Giant.  The band is from Topeka.


36. Actress Vardalos: NIA.  Winnipeg born Nia in an interview with Katie Couric in 2002.

37. Not hurting for space: ROOMY.

38. Heavenly body: ORB.

39. Less extroverted: SHIER.  My sister had a horse that shied away from me.

Wouldn't the comparative "more shy" be shyer, and the superlative form be shyest ?

"Both versions are acceptable in today's standard English. In the 2002 CGEL page 1581: Monosyllabic dry and shy are optionally exceptions to the y-replacement rule, allowing either y or i before the suffix: dry ~ dryer/drier ~ dryest/driest and shy ~ shyer/shier ~ shyest/shiest." English StackExchange.  CGEL

41. QB's stat: ATT. Quarterbacks / Attempts.  We often have TDS (Touchdowns) as an answer for QB's stat.

44. Japanese straw mats: TATAMIS13 Facts You Probably Didn't Know About Tatami.  I only knew two.

47. One-eighty on the road: UEY.

48. Patron saint of Norway: OLAF.

49. Read a clock: TELL TIME.

57. Bedevil: VEX.  "Make (someone) feel annoyed, frustrated, or worried, especially with trivial matters." - Oxford English Dictionaries.  I like "especially with trivial matters" in the definition.  To me, vex is a slightly milder reaction than irk.  Ire is toward the anger end.  Don't like seeing ire and irk clued as if they were synonymous.

58. Treat like a pariah: AVOID.  Shunned ?

59. Maris, to "the Mick": ROG. Nicknames.  New York Yankee baseball stars Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.

60. Afghan's neighbor: IRANI.

62. Attend the homecoming game, say: REUNE.  Intransitive verb.  Back formation from reunion according to Merriam Webster and others. 

63. Inseparable: ONE.

64. Things to shun: NO-NOS.  Deserts are to be shunned if you want to lose weight.  They are no-nos.  Taboos for children are often called no-nos.  In baseball slang, a no-hitter is called a no-no.   Even Meghan Markle has a list of no-nos now that she's a Royal Duchess.  Also see 40D Hoyt.

65. Use at the table: EAT ON.

66. Pricing word: PER.

Down:

1. Honeydew or cantaloupe: MELON.

2. Pleasant smell: AROMA.

3. Infomercial knife: GINSU.


4. Sign in a hotel hallway: ICE.

5. Regular Martha's Vineyard arrival: CAR FERRY.

6. "Glengarry Glen Ross" playwright David: MAMET.

7. Nimble: AGILE.

8. Obi-Wan, for one: JEDI.

9. Like a happy dog's tail: WAGGLY.  Google site search tells me this is a debut for WAGGLY here at the Corner.
Making new friends.


10. Shortly, informally: IN A FEW.

11. 1960s ecumenical council of the Catholic Church: VATICAN II.

12. MBA subject: ECON.

13. Dry as a desert: SERE.

22. Wyatt of the Old West: EARP.   "It was dry as a desert in Tombstone on that fateful day. Wyatt, Virgil, Morgan and Doc strode purposefully to the OK Corral.  Johnny Ringo and Ike Clanton saw the Earps and Holliday coming."    Wait, let me start over.  "It was a dark and stormy night..."

23. Tidy: NEAT.

25. "I __ to recall ... ": SEEM.

28. Connecticut Sun's org.: WNBA.  One of twelve professional basketball team in the Women's National Basketball Association.  

29. Nothing, in Nice: RIEN.
 

Nice is just up the coast from Cannes, and SW down the coast from Genoa, Italy.


30. Tavern missile: DART.

31. Greek campus group: FRAT.

32. Itty bit: IOTA.

33. Reach the lowest level: BOTTOM OUT.

34. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" novelist Anita: LOOS.

35. Eyebrow shape: ARC.

39. Grade school subject: SPELLING.

40. Axton of country: HOYT.   Wrote the "No No Song" popularized by Ringo Starr.  Also wrote "Joy To The World"  and  "Never Been to Spain", popularized by Three Dog Night.

42. Marching band wind: FIFE.

43. Slow period: LULL.

45. White mouse, e.g.: ALBINO.

46. "On the Waterfront" co-star Karl: MALDEN.   w/ Michael Douglas during The Streets of San Francisco days.

49. Steakhouse order: T-BONE.   Tenderloin on one side of the bone, and strip steak on the other side.  The porterhouse is really just a T-Bone steak cut from the rear of the sirloin, so it has a larger tenderloin section. 

50. Itching to go: EAGER.

51. The first Mrs. Trump: IVANA.

52. Runners occupying bases: MEN ON.  Ducks on the pond.  The Cubs had three ducks on the pond (bases loaded) with nobody out in the bottom of the third against the Twins on Saturday.  They plated all three to tie the game.

53. Have life: EXIST.  Are.

54. Cab cost: FARE.

55. Optic layer including the iris: UVEA.

56. Go down: DROP.

61. Louis XIV, par exemple: ROI.  His dad was XIII.  Became the King of France at the ripe old age of four years and eight months when his dad died in 1643.  Reigned for 72 years.  Then his grandson XV took the reign.  XV arranged the marriage of his grandson XVI to Marie Antoinette.  XVI took over in 1774, and was to become the last ROI of France.

XIV established absolute monarchical rule in France, appeased the nobles, consolidated powers, started a lot of wars, signed a lot of treaties, increased France's turf in Europe,  and improved France's standing in the world power rankings.  He had his architects and builders rehab his dad's hunting lodge and turned it into the Palace of Versailles.  

France seemed to get a pretty good R.O.I. on XIV as ROI.   But over the course of about 150 years of absolute monarchical rule, things weren't going so well for the people of France, perhaps especially under the rule of his successors.    It all culminated in the French Revolution, the ending of the monarchy, the beheading of XVI and Marie in 1793, and the rise to power of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Enough of that.  On to the grid !








May 10, 2018

Thursday, May 10th 2018 Jeff Stillman

Theme: Career Path. Navigating the shark-infested corporate world.

17A Start of a business journey: ENTRY-LEVEL

24A. Way to get from 17- to 39-Across: CORPORATE LADDER. Here's a different take - fortunately I don't think I was in that word:


39A. Pinnacle of the journey: EXECUTIVE OFFICE. I wanted "CORNER OFFICE", except that corner was three letters too short. That was a clue.

52A. Way to get from 39- to 63-Across: GOLDEN PARACHUTE

63A. End of the journey: RETIREMENT

I enjoyed this theme from Jeff. The trick with these types of puzzle is to get enough crosses that one of the entries becomes apparent - in my case I got RETIREMENT when about six crosses were completed. From there it was a question of working backwards to guess at or solve the rest.

I like how the three "stages" were linked by two "how to get there" entries. Very elegant.

Across:

1. Bookie's concern: ODDS

5. Wedge-shaped bones: SACRA. Took me ages to tumble to this one.

10. Elite Eight org.: N.C.A.A. From the March Madness college basketball tourney organized by the N.C.A.A.

14. Bygone depilatory brand: NEET

15. Cantilevered window: ORIEL. I didn't know these were cantilevered. I do now.

16. Panhandler's income: ALMS. I see alms as more given to a charity, rather than an individual. I guess it's fine.

19. Watery defense, perhaps: MOAT

20. Hustle: HIE

21. First name in bike stunts: EVEL. Knievel.

23. Phased-out Secret Service weapon: UZI. I never knew the Secret Service used these. Wasn't there an acceptable US-made alternative?


29. Doce meses: ANO. Twelve months, one year. Spanish lesson for the day.

30. Roll of bills: WAD

31. Woolly mammal: EWE

32. Seasonal song ender: SYNE. I tried "TREE" as in the Partridge in a Pear one at first. I was wrong.

34. Proceed tediously: PLOD

37. Like pals who go way back: OLD

44. Three Gorges project: DAM. A big-assed dam spanning the Yangtze in China.

45. Wail: BAWL

46. Former autocrat: TSAR. __AR and wait for a cross to decide between TS and CZ

47. Stat for Miguel Cabrera: R.B.I. Runs Batted In. Baseball, natch.

59. Site with digging: RUIN

60. Witty remark: MOT. Doesn't it have to be a "bon mot"? I'm not convinced by "mot" flying solo here.

61. Word with work or play: BOOK. Workbook, playbook.

68. Field of work: LINE

69. Food poisoning cause: E. COLI. Nasty.

70. Times past: ERAS

71. Place of bliss: EDEN

72. Summer Triangle star: DENEB. Thank you crosses, completely unknown to me. Per Wikipedia:

"Deneb, also designated α Cygni, is the brightest star in the constellation of Cygnus. It is one of the vertices of the asterism known as the Summer Triangle and forms the 'head' of the neck-less Northern Cross."

73. WWI battle river: YSER

Down:

1. Top 40 title for Metallica or U2: ONE. Here's the U2 version.

2. Resting place: DEN

3. Overthrew: DETHRONED

4. Las Vegas feature: STRIP. Las Vegas Boulevard, officially. I'll be back in Vegas for another conference in a couple of weeks.

5. Peruvian currency: SOL. I swear I'll never remember this. I always rely on crosses.

6. Occur: ARE

7. Catlike carnivore: CIVET. I can never see "catlike" without "With catlike tread ... " from the Pirates of Penzance playing in my head.

8. "Deathtrap" actor: REEVE. Christopher Reeve in the 1972 movie adaptation of Ira Levin's stage play.

9. Gene variant: ALLELE. Thank you, crosses.

10. '60s hot spot: 'NAM

11. Data storage medium: CLOUD. Nice! With the C in place I was sorely tempted by CD-ROM but curbed my enthusiam.

12. Render speechless: AMAZE

13. On the move: ASTIR

18. Cry of pain: YEOW! That's my toe! A rather fun trait of the English is their tendency to apologize when some steps on their toe.

22. __ gravity: LAW OF

24. Wholesale quantity: CASE

25. Figurine material: ONYX

26. Mesmerized: RAPT

27. Wing it: AD LIB

28. Dutch earthenware city: DELFT. Why did I think it was DELPH? It's not, obviously.

33. High-tech greeting: E-CARD

35. Fertility clinic specimens: OVA

36. Big name in whisky: DEWAR. They make Teacher's. I mean Bell's. I mean Dewar's.

38. Naysayers: DISPUTERS

40. Darker-than-ocher pigment: UMBER. My watercolor paints sets as a kid always had "burnt umber".

41. Cantina cooker: OLLA. Big clay pot.

42. Threw: CAST

43. Pelee Island's lake: ERIE. Yay! Nailed it!

48. Toughened: INURED

50. Top of the heap: ACME

52. Triangular part of a house: GABLE. There's a mountain in the Lake District in England called Great Gable - you can see the triangular resemblance. I hiked up it a few times back in my youth.


53. Roundish: OVOID

54. Sierra __: LEONE. I stuck on MADRE and couldn't let it go for a while.

55. Pizza slice, say: PIECE. Also gable-shaped, if you think about it.

56. Playwright Chekhov: ANTON

57. Comfortably familiar: HOMEY. I'm more familiar with the British English variant "HOMELY".

62. Understanding: KEN

64. Seine site: ILE. The natural islands île Saint-Louis and île de la Cité and the man-made one île aux Cygnes

65. Corduroy feature: RIB

66. "Dream on, laddie": NAE

67. Original Dungeons & Dragons co.: T.S.R. Thanks, crosses. We've seen this before but it doesn't want to stick in my mind.

Here's the grind - I mean grid! (I'm on the daily grind). EWR to LAX later today. Home for the weekend!

Steve



Apr 23, 2018

Monday April 23, 2018 Jeff Stillman

Theme: SANS (65A. Without ... or, as a plural, what the starts of the answers to starred clues are without?) - SAN can precede the first word of each name.
  
16A. *Actor who played Ché in the 1996 "Evita" movie: ANTONIO BANDERAS. San Antonio.

25A. *1990s-2000s Red Sox Hall of Fame pitcher: PEDRO MARTINEZ. San Pedro.


44. *Argentine who shared the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award with Pelé: DIEGO MARADONA. San Diego.


58. *20th-century Spanish dictator: FRANCISCO FRANCO. San Francisco.
 
Boomer here.  Hello everyone and happy Monday to all.  Mother Nature has finally decided it is Springtime in Minnesota, and we are able to see parts of our lawn.  Maybe golf courses will open soon?


Across:

1. Ejects, volcano-style: SPEWS.

6. Coin toss: FLIP. We lost Mr. Saunders 2 1/2 years ago. Great gopher and pretty good Timberwolves coach. 

10. Org. with a "Parliament" TV channel: BBC. I never watch although it is a selection on Direct TV.

13. Vietnam's capital: HANOI.

14. Loughlin of "Full House": LORI.

15. Hide in the soil: BURY.

19. Conked out: DIED.

20. Sign light: NEON.  Neon Deion Played for the Cowboys and Falcons and a couple other teams in a long career.  Had to believe he is currently 50 years old.

21. "Snowy" bird: EGRET. Don't regret it if you did not know this one.  I think it was Anne Murray who recorded "Snowbird".

22. Sobbed: CRIED.

24. Winter bug: FLU.  So many cases, uncomfortable.  Bad word for crossword.

32. Scratch or dent: MAR. You may MAR something if you RAM it.

34. With courage: GAMELY.

35. Actress Campbell: NEVE.  "Party of Five".

36. Leave out, as the "g" when saying "sayin'": ELIDE.

38. From __ Z: A TO. Clever little play on words to make something fit.

39. It's accessed via manholes: SEWER.  The snow is flowing swiftly through the sewers on its way to the Mississippi.

40. To boot: ALSO. I am also not a big fan of this clue.

41. End of a Seuss title about a mischievous feline: THE HAT. I actually met Mr. Ted Geisel (Dr. Suess) when I was three years old at the San Diego Library.  (My aunt Virg was a librarian there).  Of course I do not remember, but he signed my copy of "If I Ran the Zoo"

43. Good bud: BRO.  A bra for men.  Kramer called it a BRO, Mr. Costanza opted for Mansiere.

47. Rte. finder: GPS. Used by delivery drivers, but I think you can also (to boot) get one to tell you how far away the pin on the green is.

48. October birthstones: OPALS. Since I was born in October, I always know this.  Ask me any other month and forgetaboutit.

50. Tea variety: PEKOE. I've heard it called "Orange Pekoe".  Must come from Florida.

53. Extra: Abbr.: ADDL.

56. British slammer: GAOL. Pronounced "JAIL". 

61. Like small print: FINE.

62. Civil mayhem: RIOT.  "They're rioting in Africa, They're starving in Spain, There's hurricanes in Florida, and Texas needs rain."

63. Like Machu Picchu: INCAN.

64. Explosive stuff: TNT. Channel 245 on direct TV.  They are broadcasting some NBA playoff games (which I never watch since it is BASEBALL season!)

66. Winter melodies: NOELS.  The Valero golf tournament took place from San Antonio this weekend but Ernie did not participate.

Down:

1. Roe fish: SHAD.

2. Lose it in an emergency: PANIC.

3. "Star Trek" ship: ENTERPRISE.

4. Stereotypical surfer's wagon: WOODIE. - Not just for surfers. These station wagons were family vehicles back in the late 40s and early 50s.  Notably with woodgrain paneling on the sides.

5. Pride or envy: SIN.

6. Ice sheet: FLOE. - I saw on the news that Greenland and areas north are losing 300 million tons of ice each year.  Imagine how much Scotch you could go through with that.  (Sorry Argyle).

7. Gray wolf: LOBO.  I remember Rebecca LOBO, a basketball player for UCONN, and later in the WNBA.  She was an exceptional player.


8. Persian rug source: IRAN.

9. Sticker: PIN. Nope.  This is a funny shaped White thing with a red stripe that you knock over with a bowling ball.  I thought everyone knew that.

10. 1804 duel winner: BURR.  Shot Alexander Hamilton.  I think he may have been jealous and wanted HIS picture on the ten dollar bill.

11. Scottish hillside: BRAE. No Kramer, this is not an "E" bra.

12. Skin concern: CYST.

15. "Begin the __": Cole Porter song: BEGUINE.

17. Vedic weather god: INDRA.

18. Shoulder muscle, informally: DELT. Sorry, it's called a deltoid.  Never heard it cut in half.

23. Beat by a bit: EDGE. Also a little Ford SUV.

24. Cook in deep fat: FRY.

26. Nebraska city: OMAHA. Cornhusker city north of Lincoln

27. Parking __: METER.

28. Hawaiian welcome: ALOHA.

29. Puma competitor: NEW BALANCE.

30. Perpetually: EVER.

31. Celsius freezing point: ZERO.  Beetle Bailey's Friend with no last name.

32. Honeyed drink: MEAD.

33. "__ want for Christmas ... ": ALL I.

37. Danged: DOGGONE. This is not the postal abbreviation for DOGGO, NE.  (west of Omaha)

39. "Cut that out!": STOP. Okay, no more bad puns or jokes.

41. Many corp. logos: TMS.

42. First name from which the "Adi" in Adidas is derived: ADOLF. Never knew that.  The current boss is a guy named Kasper.  Not a friendly ghost.

45. Oil gp.: OPEC.

46. 1998 Olympics city: NAGANO. In Japan - held in February of that year.

49. Tinseltown region, familiarly: SOCAL. Southern California.  I don't think they ever get snow.

50. Fizzling sound: PFFT. I can also think of other things that sound like this. Stock portfolio? Tom Brady football?

51. Ireland, in verse: ERIN.

52. German thinker Immanuel: KANT.

53. Largest continent: ASIA. Huge.  I can't even try to name all the Asian countries.

54. Anti-rodent brand: DCON.

55. Things to connect: DOTS. I remember when we used to buy these at the movie theatre.  Sometimes if it was warm, they were already connected.

57. Chaney Jr. and Sr.: LONS.

59. Tax-auditing org.: IRS. We were reprieved until April 18th this year due to a weekend and a computer foul-up.  We'll see what might happen next year with the new law.

60. __ Tin Tin: RIN. Lassie competitor in the 50s.

Boomer


Note from C.C.:

Here is Boomer taking a walk yesterday. Still some ice on that lake.


Dec 28, 2017

Thursday December 28th 2017 Jeff Stillman

Theme: Top 'O The Morning - Homophones. Vaguely. With an Irish twist?

17A. Author Gertrude's Irish friend? : PAL O' STEIN. Palestine. My dad was stationed in Palestine in the 1930's. He had nothing but good things to say about the county and the people.

59A. Irish physician? : MAN O' CURES. Manicures. Guinness and Jameson's whisky. Those are the Irish cures. My mom was given Guinness in hospital after I was born; she was anemic. You've got to love those kinds of diagnoses.

11D. Irish hotel that offers perfumed pillows? : INN O' SCENTS. Innocents. Here's Dublin's finest - The Clarence:



31D. Change tossed into an Irish busker's hat? : PAIR O' DIMES. Paradigms.

I'm not totally enthused by this theme. Homophones depend on how you speak, and some work for me, and some don't. Your mileage may vary. Let's leave it at that.

The North-west was a challenge, the rest was a regular Thursday experience. Let's see what jumps out:

Across:

1. Sugar amt. : TBSP. Tablespoon. Three of them in my sushi vinegar. 4-3-1 is the magic combination - 4 tbsps rice wine vinegar, 3 tbsp of sugar and the one is a teaspoon of salt.

5. Swimmer's regimen : LAPS. I once swam 334 laps of an Olympic pool for a charity event. It was a 10-mile marathon swim. I was dizzy when I got out of the pool.

9. Margaret Atwood's "__ Grace" : ALIAS. Thank you, crosses.

14. Cosmetic additive : ALOE

15. Alternatively : ELSE

16. Small drum or large antelope : BONGO. I knew the drum, not the antelope. Now I do. They're stripey:

r


19. Prepared to tackle : RAN AT

20. Foul odor : STENCH

21. Liquid-Plumr rival : DRANO. Probably to fix the above from a blocked drain.

23. Brewer's kiln : OAST

26. Black Sea port : ODESSA

29. Like some time-release pills : CAPSULAR. New word for me.I got there eventually, but it took some time.

33. Old Toyota subcompact : TERCEL

34. "Don't interrupt!" studio sign : ON AIR

35. Inflexibility : RIGOR

37. Head lines, for short? : E.E.G. Electroencephalography, but we all knew that.

38. Fail to attend : SKIP

39. Checkout choice : PAPER. Or Plastic. The latter is not available in LA anymore, the former you pay for. BYOB - bring your own bag. I like it.

40. Latin word on a cornerstone : ANNO. Domini. There's a new PC term for it now, but it's hard to replace all those foundation stones.


41. Road goo : TAR. Macadam. I love the smell of freshly-laid tar.

42. Church law : CANON

43. Buzzing : ASTIR

44. Pleasant emanations : AROMAS. See TAR above.

46. Antipathy : DISTASTE

48. Air traffic control devices : RADARS

49. Assist, as a theater patron : SEAT

50. Puts a dent in one's gas mileage : IDLES

52. Herbal cough drop brand : RICOLA. The commercials are annoying.

57. Carved piece of jewelry : CAMEO

62. Alaskan native : ALEUT

63. Straddling : UPON

64. "Let me know if you're coming" letters : RSVP. "Répondez s'il vous plaît". It annoys me when I see "Please RSVP". But I get annoyed with "ATM machine" and "PIN number". I guess I'm easily annoyed.

65. Mud nest builders : WASPS

66. Dinner summons at the manor house : GONG. I tried "RING" first. Was wrong.

67. Young fellows : BOYS

Down:

1. Melody from a bugler : TAPS

2. Sour note from a bugler : BLAT. Completely unknown, thank you, crosses. Any musicians amongst us care to explain?

3. Dover flatfish : SOLE

4. Menial employee : PEON

5. Quite destructive : LETHAL. Quite? Something of an understatement.

6. Bass, e.g. : ALE. Loved this clue/answer. The world's first trademark was the red triangle on the label.



7. Pressure meas. : PSI. Pounds per Square Inch. I rate cheesecake on how many pounds I gain per square inch of cheesecake eaten.

8. Dispatch : SEND

9. Carpenter's rasp, for one : ABRADER. More thank you, crosses. I'm sure an abrader is a thing, but I'm sure I'd never walk into a hardware store and ask for one.

10. Dealership vehicle : LOANER

12. Turkish title : AGA

13. Tosspot : SOT. Yet another learning moment. A tosspot in England is a loser.

18. Search far and wide : SCOUR. Great word.

22. Common pump part : ROTOR

24. Wrap for leftovers : SARAN. Plenty of these after Christmas.

25. Photography gear : TRIPODS.

27. "Already caught that movie" : SEEN IT!

28. 1990s veep : AL GORE I'm drinking some Tom Gore wine right now. Any relation?

29. Share the marquee : CO-STAR

30. Capital ESE of Istanbul : ANKARA

32. Sample some soup : SIP

36. "Arabian Nights" spirit : GENIE

39. Behind the times : PASSÉ

40. Actor Butterfield of "Ender's Game" : ASA. Hello crosses! Thank you!

42. Where lemons may be sold : CAR LOTS

43. Cobwebby place : ATTIC

45. Fictionalized : MADE UP

47. Polynesian garment : SARONG. I looked for a link, this was the first one that came up. I thought I'd keep it.



51. Self-righteous : SMUG

53. HBO's "__ Your Enthusiasm" : CURB

54. Guesstimate phrase : OR SO.

55. Tax : LEVY

56. Nile serpents : ASPS

57. Cornfield sound : CAW. Why do crows like corn so much?

58. Menu phrase : A LA. Carte. Mode. King. What was the last one?

60. Mil. mail drop : A.P.O.

61. Haitian negative : NON. You need to know French is spoken in Haiti.Crosswords teach you a lot of things.

With that, I'm done. Merry Thursday, falling between Christmas and New Year! I couldn't find any music links - have at it!

Steve



Dec 4, 2017

Monday, December 4, 2017 ~ Jeff Stillman

Theme: Seeing Double - Heteronyms, the last word and the last syllable of the preceding word are spelled the same but sound different.

17A. Devotee of singer Gloria: ESTEFAN FAN

24A. Precise price: ACCURATE RATE

39A. Mata Hari story, e.g.: FEMME FATALE TALE

51A. Garden purchase from a Lowe's rival: HOME DEPOT POT

63A. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it's 63 for retirement: AVERAGE AGE

Argyle here. No reveal and five entries yet still an easy Monday.

Across:

1. Knight's "shining" protection: ARMOR

6. Elegant: POSH

10. WWII servicewomen: WACs. (Women's Army Corps)

14. Car body style: COUPE. 45D. Family car: SEDAN

15. Mennen shaving lotion: AFTA

16. Get one's ducks in __: A ROW

19. Heavy book: TOME

20. Buck or doe: DEER

21. Beluga yield: ROE. The Beluga sturgeon, not Beluga whale.

22. Viewed to be: DEEMED

27. Mineral springs: SPA

30. Believer's suffix: IST

31. Five-time Wimbledon champ Bjorn: BORG. "Resistance is futile."


32. Portion out: ALLOT

34. "Westworld" network: HBO. (Home Box Office)

35. Bon Ami alternative: AJAX

43. Simplicity: EASE

44. The "I" in TGIF: IT'S

46. Disney's "__ & Stitch": LILO. (2002)

48. Above-the-street trains: ELs

50. Chapter in history: ERA

56. Truck capacity: ONE TON

57. Coffee order: Abbr.: REG. (regular) Does that mean with cream and sugar to you?

58. Image to click on: ICON

62. Gadget's rank: Abbr.: INSP. (Inspector) Animated TV series.


66. Slugger Sammy: SOSA. Baseball.

67. Earth orbiter: MOON

68. Wafer brand: NILLA by Nabisco.

69. Jacob or Esau: TWIN

70. Choice word: ELSE

71. Not reached, as a goal: UNMET. Like most fund drives, right down to the wire.

Down:

1. Scored 100 on: ACED

2. Went up: ROSE

3. Sound-off button: MUTE

4. Wagner work: OPERA

5. Striped-shirt wearer: REF

6. Happen as expected: PAN OUT

7. Buyer's proposal: OFFER

8. BART stop: STA. (Bay Area Rapid Transit)

9. Hammer or screwdriver: HAND TOOL

10. Nixon Era scandal: WATERGATE

11. Pleasing smell: AROMA

12. Tailed celestial body: COMET

13. 31-Across, by birth: SWEDE. "Resistance is futile."

18. Rainbow shapes: ARCs

23. Poetic "always": E'ER

25. Credit in a footnote: CITE

26. "Dancing Queen" group: ABBA



27. Place for valuables: SAFE

28. Not guilty, for one: PLEA

29. Gift for the poor: ALMS

33. Skillet for folded egg dishes: OMELET PAN

34. Growth chart nos.: HTs. (height)

36. Green stone: JADE

37. Banned apple spray: ALAR

38. TV warrior princess: XENA

40. It's often followed by .pdf: FILE NAME

41. On the summit of: ATOP

42. Old U.S. gas brand: ESSO

47. Swearing-in words: I DO

48. Timeless, in verse: ETERNE

49. Women's links gp.: LPGA.(Ladies Professional Golf Association)

51. Lift up: HOIST

52. Televised as we speak: ON NOW

53. Soccer great Lionel: MESSI. I still haven't learned his name.

54. Black-and-white cookies: OREOs

55. Marketing gimmick: TIE-IN

59. Period "before the storm": CALM

60. Look at lasciviously: OGLE

61. Without ice, at the bar: NEAT

64. TV loud-soft control: Abbr.: VOL. (volume)

65. Bearded antelope: GNU. Available in the gift shop.



Argyle

Oct 23, 2017

Monday, October 23, 2017 ~ Jeff Stillman

Theme: Reveal Monday - B-B-B, three word and only three word phrases with all words starting with 'B'.

20. *A little bit at a time, to a mason: BRICK BY BRICKVideo(2:51)

32. *Next step up after a crib, for some toddlers: BIG BOY BED. A tad forced? Clip(0:52)

40. *Hit by *NSYNC about the end of a relationship: "BYE, BYE, BYE"Video(6:42)

50. *Iconic refrain from the Trammps' 1976 hit "Disco Inferno": BURN BABY BURN! Video(3:43)

59. Consumer protection org., and a hint to the answers to starred clues: BBB. (Better Business Bureau)

Argyle here. So no Bed, Bath, and Beyond; no Best Buy bargain. Mostly solid entries but still some fill that might raise questions. We'll see.

Across:

1. Eydie who sang with Steve Lawrence: GORMÉ 4-Down. Did a Cuban dance: MAMBOED



6. Began a typical triathlon: SWAM, then bike and finally, run.

10. Went lickety-split: SPED

14. Construction girder: I-BEAM

15. Prefix with legal: PARA

16. Epitaph starter: HERE

Here lies
Johnny Yeast.
Pardon me
For not rising.

17. Six-inch putt, say, in golf lingo: GIMME

18. Distinctive flair: ELAN

19. Eye part: IRIS

23. Heavy favorites: SHOO-INS

26. Those women, in Spain: ELLAs

27. Shabby homes: HOVELS

28. Huge: LARGE

31. Surprise police action: RAID. "Cheese it! The cops."

36. Grecian vessel of verse: URN

37. What "is yet to come," in a Sinatra classic: THE BEST



39. Shogun stronghold: EDO. The former name of Tokyo.

42. When repeated, a Samoan city: PAGO


43. Sleep clinic study: APNEA

44. Got via hard work: EARNED

46. Chicago airport: O'HARE

49. Diplomatic office: EMBASSY

54. Playground retort: "AM SO"

55. Shapeless mass: BLOB

56. Biting: ACERB

60. Space Race destination: MOON

61. Theater level: LOGE. Best seats.

62. Cygnus' brightest star: DENEB. Deneb lies at one vertex of a widely spaced asterism called the Summer Triangle. Wiki

63. "Rule, Britannia" composer: ARNE. Thomas Arne (1710 – 1778)

64. "Goodness gracious!": "EGAD!"

65. Founded: Abbr.: ESTAB. (established)

Down:

1. Jazzman's job: GIG

2. Japanese sash: OBI

3. Sleep stage: REM. (rapid eye movement)

5. TV chef Lagasse: EMERIL

6. Contractor's details: SPECS. specifications.

7. Base on balls: WALK

8. Spirited horse: ARAB

9. Scads of: MANY

10. Child star Temple: SHIRLEY. Heidi.



11. Danger: PERIL

12. "All My Children" vixen: ERICA. The anti-Heidi.



13. Newsroom fixtures: DESKS

21. Helpful connections: INs

22. Fathered, biblically: BEGOT

23. Landscaper's planting: SHRUB

24. White with age: HOARY

25. Sheeplike: OVINE

28. Tripoli's country: LIBYA Update: This Tripoli is the second largest city in Lebanon.


Here is the Libyan Tripoli.


29. 1958 Pulitzer-winning author James: AGEE. "A Death in the Family"

30. Football carriers: Abbr.: RBs. (running back)

32. "Cheers" actress Neuwirth: BEBE. She portrayed Lilith Frasier.

33. Spilled the __: told all: BEANS

34. Barely beats: EDGES

35. Puppet Howdy __: DOODY. If you were around when this was new ....


37. Easygoing sort: TYPE B

38. Egg layer: HEN

41. Without exception: BAR NONE

42. Struts like a horse: PRANCES

44. Australian runner: EMU

45. Use sandpaper on: ABRADE

46. Trump predecessor: OBAMA

47. Funny stuff: HUMOR

48. Felonious flames: ARSON. Alliteration.

49. Subsided: EBBED

51. Ready, willing and __: ABLE

52. Modern diary: BLOG. I read, "Modern dairy". Oops.

53. Discipline with mats: YOGA

57. Tolkien tree creature: ENT

58. Stephen of "The Crying Game": REA


Argyle

Mar 29, 2017

Wednesday, March 29, 2017, Jeff Stillman

TITLE - BROADWAY

Husker Gary here, taking you on a tour of Jeff's pleasant Humpday offering. He takes the word WIDE and spreads it out in two different arrangements (2/2 and 1/3) and then provides fill in the divide to literally cause WIDE to be SPREAD out as you can see in the grid below:




The clincher is his reveal


64. Far-reaching ... and a literal feature of the answers to starred clues : WIDESPREAD - The insatiable Emerald Ash Borer that arrived here in crates on the coast from Asia is WIDESPREAD and still expanding




THEME FILLS:


17. *Rain-X auto product : WIPER BLADE - This is not a Rain-X product but ya gotta love it!


21. *Manhattan theater district locale : WESTSIDE - So, you want to see Hamilton at The Richard Rogers Theater on Manhattan's WESTSIDE tonight? No problem, StubHub can get you in the very back starting at $965 per seat




40. *Electrician's basic knowledge : WIRING COLOR CODE - The only one I know is black to black, white to white and ground to ground. BTW, I always turn off the breaker!



54. *Many a military spouse : WAR BRIDE - Although told not to, Japanese women did fraternize with "the enemy" and tens of thousands of them became WAR BRIDES




Now let's see how Jeff filled in those WIDESPREAD spaces in the rest of the puzzles


Across


1. Anemic : WEAK


5. Dukes not among royalty : FISTS - Our cwd friend Burt Lahr dared anyone to put up their Dukes! I resisted putting in DAISY Dukes.

10. Huge production : EPIC - Ben Hur always leaps to my mind

14. Rod in a hot rod : AXLE

15. Kate's sitcom pal : ALLIE

16. Pilaf base : RICE

19. Like port, usually : AGED - If you can spring for those Hamilton tix, maybe this 70-year-old Port in a handblown bottle for $965 would also interest you



20. Lacking a key : ATONAL

23. Proofer's mark : STET

25. Feathery layer : HEN

26. Oomph : PEP

29. Set apart from the group : ISOLATE - The Amish practice of shunning even your own children seems particularly cruel to me

33. Org. with the staff of Aesculapius in its logo : AMA - This doctor's group might also call this the staff of Caduseus 

36. Big name in gas : AMOCO


38. Slam-dance : MOSH - Ya gotta know going in what could happen!

43. See 22-Down : ELKS and 22. With 43-Across, fraternal order : THE


44. Mane area : NAPE

45. Like some buckets : OAKEN

46. Cotillion girl : DEB - An anachronism? 

47. Move more product than : OUTSELL - Here's the rankings


49. Absorb, as a cost : EAT



50. Nonpro sports gp. : AAU - Kobe Bryant hates the Amateur Athletic Union BB program because it makes kids play all year long

52. Trapper's trophy : PELT - Something I could never do


59. Subtle difference : NUANCE - The NUANCED looks of Meryl

63. Continental coin : EURO

66. Brought up : BRED

67. Like nocturnally counted critters : OVINE - One sheep, two sheep...

68. Unrestrained party : ORGY

69. Cotton bundle : BALE - Tote that barge and lift this


70. Archibald and Thurmond of the NBA : NATES - "Tiny" NATE Archibald played here  before they moved to Sacramento

71. Water testers : TOES - I have put my "TOES in many waters" with varying results.


Down

1. Bedtime drink, in totspeak : WAWA - Don't we all remember Gildna Radner when we hear this?

2. Freeway sign : EXIT

3. Chop House dog food brand : ALPO

4. Laments loudly : KEENS - An old Irish or Scottish term for screams of women heralding a death OR a card in a Duel Decks Game

5. Sources of morals : FABLES

6. Not in the pink : ILL

7. Cabbage dish : SLAW - KFC has some great SLAW

8. Laundry room brand : TIDE

9. Views : SEES

10. Dry-__ board : ERASE

11. Risky purchase, metaphorically : PIG IN A POKE - Have you ever used Craig's List?

12. Tea preference : ICED


13. Relinquish : CEDE - Land CEDED in my state

18. Be frugal with : RATION

24. Alley scavenger : TOMCAT 

26. Handled clumsily : PAWED - "Honest, I was just reaching for the popcorn!"

27. Writer Zola : EMILE




28. Special-interest government spending : PORK BARREL - Some say he got as much as anybody

30. Aerial maneuvers : LOOPS


31. Not paying attention : 
ASLEEP

32. Howe'er : THO


34. Greek sorceress : MEDEA - The tale of her and Jason would make for a great soaper - Ημέρες των ζωών μας (Days Of Our Lives)


35. Cut taker : AGENT

37. Sue Grafton's "__ for Corpse" : C IS - In my last writeup, I posited Sue could have used C AS IN Corpse

39. 1988 Motown acquirer : MCA - ...and then there was a suit and then...


41. Safari grazer : GNU - There's a bottomless pit of these 

42. Arrive by auto : ROLL UP

47. Sharer's word : OUR

48. You can see right through them : LENSES



51. Dwelling : ABODE

53. Deck that's worth a fortune? : TAROT

54. "Dragnet" star Jack : WEBB

55. Subtle glow : AURA

56. Triumphant shout : I WON - Said by 1 of every 76,000,000 lottery players

57. One who insists on the spotlight : DIVA


58. Ready for print : EDIT - Even Tom had to EDIT

60. Fictional sleuth Wolfe : NERO - Not the piano player or the Roman emperor 

61. "La __ aux Folles" : CAGE

62. "Grand" ice cream brand : EDY'S

65. Denver-to-Des Moines dir. : ENE


Now, how 'bout some WIDESPREAD and far ranging comments:


A few pix from our trip last week to D.C.


This is Joann and I at the WWII monument with the Lincoln Memorial in the background. If you go to D.C. take the night tour as it is an entirely different world.




This is Joann and I with U.S. Senator Ben Sasse at the Nebraska Congressional Breakfast. We have known Ben since he was nine and I started calling him Senator Sasse when he was in grade school!




Here we are with our Congressman Jeff Fortenberry. Our daughter has had three of Jeff’s girls in fourth grade at St. Joe’s in Lincoln.