Friday, December 30, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: We play the game to WIN!

Returning to the perch he ruled in 2016, is JW with a superb reveal. With two grid spanners and two 13 letter fill, he packs 56 letters in the theme answers, each of which has WIN inside twice. This would be a somewhat pedestrian theme for a wit like JW, but for the perfect 15 letter reveal. In life I am tired of people trying to talk me into WIN WIN situations but the puzzle was great. There is so much nice fill such as INNARDS,  EGOTIST, DISRAELI,  ESTONIAN,  SCARED OF,  THE PRADO, IS IT ENOUGH,  I WON'T DANCE.  Let's solve this puppy!

17A. Its B-side was "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" : BLOW'IN IN THE WIND (15). I really lucked out here as I was a big Bob Dylan fan when this came out. I saw the WIN WIN right away. I used sing Don't Think Twice, It's All Right to myself in my Junior year in high school. LISTEN.

25A. Portable ventilation option : TWIN WINDOW FAN (13). I was not positive THIS existed, but it had win/win, so....

43A. Repair shop vehicle features : TOWING WINCHES (13). Then we see this DEVICE.
The reveal!

57A. Mediator's goal ... and what's found in three puzzle answers : WIN WIN SITUATION (15).

Across:

1. British prime minister before and after Gladstone : DISRAELI. If you like history this was quite a RIVALRY.

9. Fifth-century conqueror : ATTILA. He is extremely popular in the Xword world.

15. Baltic native : ESTONIAN. Across the sea from Finland sits this COUNTRY.

16. A quarter of the time? : SEASON. Really fun clue and fill; one of the four seasons.

19. Flower part : SEPAL.

20. Actor Daniel __ Kim : DAE. From LOST to the reboot of Hawaii 5-0, he works. LINK.

21. Bony opening : OSTEO.

22. Arising from : BORN OF.

24. Miss, say : ERR.

31. 1976 African uprising site : SOWETO. This HISTORY is too political to discuss here, but....

32. Longtime NBC hit : SNL. Saturday Night Live.

33. Flip-flop revelations : TOES. What a cute way to clue feet and toes.

36. Armada leaders? : PROWS. They stick out in front as they are the portion of a ship's bow above water

37. Bewilder : STUMP.

38. Email status : SENT.

39. Sallie __ : MAE. Student loan debt.

42. Bad mark : STIGMA.

46. Criterion: Abbr. : STD. Standard.

48. Cast components : ACTORS.

49. Overflowing (with) : AWASH.

51. Suffix indicating residency : ITE.

52. "Just like me" : AS AM I.

60. Los Angeles region bordering Tarzana : ENCINO.

61. Fearing : SCARED OF.

62. Judged : DEEMED. A favorite word in Orders.

63. Where to see Velázquez's "Las Meninas" : THE PRADO. The MUSEUM for art in Spain.

Down:

1. Aristocratic newcomers : DEBS. Debutantes.

2. Key : ISLE. A gimme for any Floridian.

3. Block : STOP.

4. Seats by the orchestra pit : ROW A. This took an extra second to parse.

5. Blue dye : ANIL.

6. A, in Augsburg : EIN.

7. Applied, as stucco : LAID ON.

8. Working parts : INNARDS. Does not sound like a real word but it IS.

9. Etna ejection : ASH. Volcanic by nature.

10. Irk : TEE OFF .3. Slang To make angry or disgusted: The impertinent remarks teed the speaker off.

11. Shooting marbles : TAWS. plural noun: taws, a large marble. Nope, not me.

12. "Can we do more?" : IS IT ENOUGH. Perps all the way.

13. Hardly a bon vivant : LONER. One who loves life is seldom alone.

14. Words with a slash : AND/OR.

18. Mortise partner : TENON. You want know HOW?

22. CV section : BIO. The CurriculumVitae has education, work and biographic information.

23. Symbol of wisdom : OWL. I see a mini-theme. The modern West generally associates owls with wisdom. This link goes back at least as far as Ancient Greece, where Athens, noted for art and scholarship, and Athena, Athens' patron goddess and the goddess of wisdom, had the owl as a symbol. Add this to 30D. Story of Greek origin : ATTIC. This was a nice twist to force us to recall that in ancient Athens where the dialect of Greek used and the chief literary form of classical Greek was Attic.

25. Kitchen amts. : TSPS.

26. Modeled : WORE.

27. Jerome Kern title lyric preceding "don't ask me" : I WON' T DANCE. Nit. The music was written by Mr. Kern but not the lyrics. There were two sets of lyrics with the one sung by Fred Astaire in the movie Roberta, the one that became famous. Sinatra also covered the song.

28. Never before experienced by : NEW TO.

29. Oz. and lb. : WTS. Weights.

34. Soaps actress Rylan : EMME. We had her in September. Anyone remember?

35. Luxuriating locales : SPAS.

37. RR map dot : STN. Station.

39. __ drop : MIC. Filled by perps but it is POPULAR.

40. They're against it : ANTIS.

41. Tough person to bargain with : EGOTIST. You think it was accidental this clue is next to...

42. Kim, to Khloé : SIS.

44. "Hawaii Five-0" extra, perhaps : WAHINE.  All of our past corner Hawaii people know this is a Polynesian woman or wife.

45. Unfortunate sort : WRETCH.

46. Cut : SAWED.

47. It's often found in a ball : TWINE. Cute.

50. Part of an exercise regimen : SWIM.

52. Marketer of Medigap insurance plans : AARP.

53. Dump annex? : STER. Dumpster.

54. Opera set in Egypt : AIDA.

55. Disposition : MOOD.

56. It may be classified, briefly : INFO.

58. Okay : NOD.

59. Home of the Burj Kalifa: Abbr. : UAE. United Arab Emirate. There are SEVEN emirates. The Burj is the 163 story tallest structure at the moment.

Well we have done it again, and for last time in 2016. Thank you all for riding with us most Fridays; thank you Jeffrey for providing so many great Friday puzzles, and of course thank you C.C. for this blog and for being who you are. Lemonade out

Sunday December 11, 2016 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "Lend Me Your Ears" - EAR is added to each theme entry.

22A. Candy served on a corporate blimp? : GOODYEAR GUMDROPS. Goody gumdrops. We also have Goodyear's headquarters AKRON (45. City on the Ohio and Erie Canal).

36A. Often censored musical groups? : SWEARING BANDS. Swing bands.

67A. Rather uninspired cocktail? : DREARY MARTINI. Dry martini.

95A. What happens at the southern terminus of Interstate 65? : MOBILE APPEARS. Mobile app.

115A. Pair of lustrous Kleenex? : TWO PEARLY TISSUES. Two-ply tissues.

 

15D. First asp most likely to bite when the group is disturbed? : NEAREST OF VIPERS. Nest of vipers is a new phrase to me.

42D. How sundaes are often served? : BEARING CHERRIES. Bing cherries. I would not know how to clue the entry to give it surface sense.

Jeffrey has been raising the bar on letter addition gimmick. No one-letter for him. Most of his puzzles has 3 or more letter strings. Very hard to pull off. He's a master. 

The ten 8-letter fill really shine in this grid. Eight of them are stacked in a 140-word grid. Stunning.

Across:   

1. "That's a __" : SHAME. Tricky clue, as the answer could be BIG IF, FIRST, GIVEN, etc.  

6. Brie-ripening agent : BACTERIA

14. SASEs, e.g. : ENCs

18. Skulking milieu, with "the" : SHADOWS. This is a new expression for me.

20. Considering identical : EQUATING

21. Aviation prefix : AERO

24. "Better Call ___" : SAUL. "Breaking Bad" spinoff.

25. Fine netting : TULLE. Named after the French city where it's first made.

26. Discipline that often emphasizes breathing : YOGA

27. LAX report : ETA

28. "Rigoletto" composer : VERDI

29. Uses a rudder : STEERS

31. "Say it soft and it's almost like praying" song : MARIA. "West Side Story".

34. "Success!" : I MADE IT. Sparkling fill.

40. Former NBA exec Jackson : STU. Don't know him.

41. Network with its HQ in Ottawa : CBC

44. Very long time : EON

46. Put into words : STATED

48. Harvest units : SHEAVES

50. Airline with blue-striped jets : EL AL. What's the best airline you've flown?

52. Get bluffed out, say : LOSE

53. Biblical landing site : ARARAT

54. __ agent : SECRET

58. Disengaged : ALOOF

61. Element #5 : BORON

62. Quotable late athlete : BERRA

63. "In spades!" : IS IT EVER. Another great fill.

66. Label for the Swedish duo Roxette : EMI. Guessed.

71. Suffix with concert : INO. Not INA.

72. Prom limo, e.g. : RENT A CAR

74. Alberto VO5 competitor : BRECK. I use neither.

75. Barcelona bar fare : TAPAS

77. Fancy dos : GALAS. Not hairdos. Look at her braids. Lovely.

78. Rusty nail liquor : SCOTCH. Here is the recipe. With Drambuie.

80. Ancient warship with two decks of oars : BIREME. Learned from doing crosswords.

81. Connect with the space station : DOCK

83. Eucalyptus, for one : TREE

85. Bucket list list : DESIRES. They're indeed all desires.

86. Ready to mate : IN HEAT

89. 2005 "Survivor" island : PALAU

92. Nemo's realm : SEA

93. High-speed letters : DSL. I'm jealous of TTP's high speed.

94. Stroke from Venus? : ACE. Venus Williams.

99. Relevant : GERMANE

101. Iraqi port : BASRA

102. Fluid transfer tool : SIPHON

107. Jones with nine Grammys : NORAH

108. Ring legend : ALI

111. Italian man : UOMO. I know it simply because of Giovanna, who used to be the editor of L'Uomo Vogue. Leggy, but she just got married, Splynter!

113. Sycophant : TOADY

114. "Amores" author : OVID. Also 23. Like 114-Across : ROMAN

119. Oracle : SEER

120. Thwart bigtime : SABOTAGE. Another great fill.

121. Take umbrage : BRISTLE. Ditto.

122. Celtic language : ERSE

123. Landscape ruiners : EYESORES. Ditto.

124. Prepare for a dubbing : KNEEL

Down:

 1. Make oneself heard : SHOUT

2. Oahu outsider : HAOLE. Cantonese call foreigners "Gweilo", literally "Ghost". Derogatory in its origin, but no negative tone these days.  

3. Confuse : ADDLE

4. Press secretary under LBJ : MOYERS (Bill). We also have 43. LBJ biographer Robert __ : CARO. I learned quite a bit about LBJ from Caro's "Fresh Air" interview.

5. Pastoral parent : EWE

6. Nonchooser? : BEGGAR. Saw similar clue before. So no problem.

7. Some tanks : AQUARIA. Spell check needs to recognize that this is a word.

8. Magna __ laude : CUM

9. Little bit : TAD

10. French 101 infinitive : ETRE

11. Card relative? : RIOT. This "Card" clue gets me all the time.  

12. Hurting : IN PAIN

13. Power players in state law: Abbr. : AGs

14. Brought slowly (into) : EASED

16. Bite-size veggies : CRUDITES. Great use of the bell pepper.

17. What loners seek : SOLITUDE

18. Snorkel and his peers: Abbr. : SGTs

19. "As I'm thinking about it ... " : SAY

28. Sprawling : VAST

30. "I like that!" : SWEET!

32. It's held in a pen : INK. Not PIG.

33. Share an opinion : AGREE. Boomer unfriended a friend because of political differences.

35. OR personnel : MDs

37. Dawn goddess : EOS

38. Head for the hills : BOLT

39. Tokyo-based airline : ANA (All Nippon Airways)

41. Auto design element : CHROME

47. Natural emollient : ALOE

48. Napoleonic Wars weapon : SABER

49. Property destroyer : VANDAL

51. Ophthalmologist's procedure : LASIK. Any of you had LASIK surgery?

54. Cook, as scallops : SEAR

55. Make the wrong move : ERR

56. Overreact to spilt milk : CRY

57. Film series Vietnam veteran : RAMBO. Also 59. Vietnam Veterans Memorial designer : LIN

60. Canal problem? : OTITIS. Ear canal.

62. Creature : BEAST

63. Bite result, often : ITCH. Our Saturday flea market is located in a big plot of farmland full of trees and weeds. Man, the mosquitoes are wild.

64. Cookware coating : ENAMEL

65. Gift from a lover : ROSES

68. 45 rpm record pioneer : RCA

69. Busts and such : ART. Also 85. Busting org. : DEA

70. __ room : REC

73. Receipts : TAKE

76. Parched : ARID

78. Salmon predator : SEAL. 80. Salmon predators : BEARS. Another clue echo.

79. "E! News" subject : CELEB

81. Evaluate symptoms : DIAGNOSE

82. Superficial look : ONCE-OVER

84. Venerable N.Y. tech school : RPI. Alma mater for Spitzboov.

87. Eastern nursemaid : AMAH. We just had this last Sunday.

88. Cargo measure : TON

90. Gp. following gas prices : AAA

91. Rapid increase : UPSURGE

92. Of ill repute : SEAMY

96. Leave town for a bit : BE AWAY. Not fond of this BE AWAY or IS BAD type of answer.

97. "1984" working class : PROLES. We just had the singular PROLE last month.

98. Audits a course, say : SITS IN

100. Familia member : MADRE

103. Western sheriff's aid : POSSE

104. __ cuisine : HAUTE

105. 1961 Newbery Medal winner Scott __ : O'DELL. For this book.

106. Where KO means Coca-Cola : NYSE. 110. 106-Down debuts : IPOs

109. Brain segment : LOBE

112. Gambling option in many sts. : OTB

115. "The Waste Land" monogram : TSE (T. S. Eliot)

116. DDE's command : ETO

117. River within Switzerland : AAR

118. Drive up the wall : IRK. Our "Hot Cooktop" (GE smoothtop range) light stays on hours after we're done cooking. Very annoying. YouTube has a solution. But too complicated. I think we'll wait until the light burns out.  

C.C.

Thursday, November 17, 2016 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE.

The circles, if you got to see them, are located in quasi-symmetrically placed vertical words. In each case, they contain the letters P I N, in that order.  If we start with the unifier, all will become clear.  This is the first puzzle I know of with a split unifier since the first one that C. C. and I did together.  

7 D. With 36-Down, what you can't do regarding this puzzle's circled letters : HEAR A.

36 D. See 7-Down ... or, with "a," what you can see in this puzzle's circled letters : PIN DROP.

If it's really quiet, you can HEAR A PIN DROP.  But you can't in this puzzle, since it's the written, not the spoken word.  [Though reading aloud is allowed.] The theme entries each contain the word PIN, and in the vertical orientation, the PINS are DROPPING.

2 D. Flooring wood : PINE.  Pretty common.  I prefer oak.

5 D. Custody : KEEPING.  As in safe KEEPING.

49 D. One of a gripping tool pair : PINCER.  Half of this item.

Operates like scissors

59 D. Go around : SPIN.  Demonstrated here by our oldest granddaughter.

Another unusual aspect of this grid is the bilateral vertical symmetry.  [There is neither horizontal nor rotational symmetry.] This, along with the very careful placement of the theme entries allows for 5D and 49 D to have a characteristic I don't recall ever seeing before - similar right-left placement, with vertical displacement and different length. This is a very unusual and creative construction.

Across

1. Touch off : SPARK.  To begin something, but since the implication is something inflammatory, it's generally not pleasant.

6. Electrical unit : OHM.  Are you resistant to this entry?  Did you want AMP?  That's more along the lines of current events, for which there will be a charge.

9. What wind ensembles usually tune to : B FLAT.  This hung me up.  Not my most typical playing venue.  In orchestra we tune to A.  In jazz band we tune the reeds to A and the brass to B FLAT.  Of course, the trombone has the infinite capacity to play any note out of tune. Meanwhile, the whole NE corner gave me fits.

14. Actress Anouk whose last name means "beloved" : AIMEE.   [b 1932] Starting her career at age 14, she later appeared in La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, A Man and a Woman, and 67 other films, mostly in French, and won many awards.

Glamor shot

15. Place for grazing : LEA.  A meadow. This relates back to Old English, German, and ultimately Sanskrit words for an open space.

16. Appreciative cry : BRAVO.

17. Travelocity ad figure : GNOME.

18. "Hotel du __": Anita Brookner novel : LAC. A story of disappointment and self-discovery set in a hotel on the shore of Lake Geneva.

19. Still : QUIET.  Like a time when you can hear the sounds of silence.

20. Fabulous writer? : AESOP.  Author of many fables.  In this one we see the silence of the lambs.

21. Roth __ : IRA.  Subject to strict contribution limits, but not subject to mandatory withdrawal.

22. Washer function : RINSE. The soap removal cycle.

23. Production capacity review : LINE AUDIT.  For trouble shooting or improving the efficiency of a manufacturing production line.

26. Refused : SAID NO.

29. Very deep places : ABYSMS.  I had forgotten that this archaic word exists, and was perplexed that ABYSSES didn't fit.  It goes back to medieval Latin and came into English ca. 1150, somehow acquiring a Greek ending along the way.  It refers to hell, the bottomless pit, the great deep, the primal chaos.   Nietzsche advises us to not stare into it.

33. Shore soarer : ERN.   Sea eagle.  Paleo-crossword vocabulary.

34. Bellyachers : GRIPERS.  Complainers, not to be confused with grippers, which are PINCERS, nor Ronald Reagan, who played the Gipper.

38. Excessively : TOO.  As in TOO much of my siliness.

39. Work (on), as 9-Down : GNAW.  A fine old Anglo-Saxon word meaning to bite and chew on something.

The words

41. "__ Romance": Jerome Kern song : A FINE.  Some better music.

42. TV princess : XENA.

43. Radamès' love : AIDA.  From the opera.

44. Cover letter letters : ENClosure.

45. Far from bold : MEEK.  Opposites.

46. Pentax competitor : LEICA.  Cameras.

48. Cholesterol initials : LDL.  Low Density Lipoprotein.  You want your LDL to be low, and your HDL to be high.

49. Hides : PELTS.   Animal skins.

50. "U slay me!" : LOL.  Texters argot, abbrv. for Laughing Out Loud.

51. Chorus syllable : TRA- la-la.

52. Travelers' bus. : INSurance.  Company name.

53. Teddy's Mount Rushmore neighbor : ABE.   Faces on the mountain.

55. Kitchen appliance : GAS OVEN.

58. Inflation fig. : PSI.  I wanted CPI, but it's tire pressure, not economics.

61. Office fasteners : JUMBO PAPER CLIPS.

Is this what they mean?

64. Like battleships : ARMORED.

65. Get by the sentry : SNEAK IN.

66. Looked inside, in a way : X-RAYED.   Medical imaging.

67. Show the ropes : ORIENT.   Help someone get acclimated to a new position or circumstance.

Down

1. It's a long story : SAGA.  Or EPIC.  Needs perps.

3. "The Cookie Never Crumbles" co-author Wally : AMOS.  [b. 1936] Talent agent who started selling cookies in L.A. in 1975.

4. Alter the shape of : REMOLD.

6. Kukla cohort : OLLIE.  Along with Fran Allison.




8. Portuguese territory until 1999 : MACAU.  Autonomous region on the south coast of China, across the pearl River delta from Hong Cong.

9. Pitmaster's offering : BBQ RIBS.

10. Like dessert wines : FRUITY.

11. "... this skull has __ in the earth ... ": Hamlet : LAIN.  Not to be confused with Nunckle Tim's shin.

Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow

of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath

borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how

abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rims at

it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know

not how oft. Where be your gibes now? your

gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment,

that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one

now, to mock your own grinning? quite chap-fallen?

12. Urban rtes. : AVES.  AVEnues are routes, not rites.  I was off in the wrong direction.

13. Membership drive gift : TOTE.  carry-all bag.

24. "The Thin Man" role : NORA.  Nick and NORA Charles, from the indicated 1934 comedy-mystery movie that was based on the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett.  
25. Have what it takes : DARE.  Having the courage to do something.  If you have what it takes, you might succeed.  Otherwise  .  .  . ?

26. "The Goldbergs" actor George : SEGAL.  A program that not only have I never seen, but before now never knew existed.  Based on the childhood and 80's family life of the show's creator and producer Adam F. Goldberg.

27. Links legend, familiarly : ARNIE. Palmer

28. Conflicted : IN A DILEMMA.  A choice between unpleasant alternatives.

30. Classic golf shoe feature : STEEL SPIKE.  For gripping the turf.

31. "Haystacks" series painter : MONET.  Claude [1840 - 1946].

32. Overcharges : SOAKS.  

35. "That really depressed me" : I FELT SAD.    Expression of woe.

37. Isolated communities : ENCLAVES.  A place different in character form the surrounding area.

40. City south of Fort Worth : WACO.  

42. Magneto's enemies : X-MEN.  A group of superheroes from the Marvel Comic universe.  Each is a mutant with a unique special ability.

47. Sharer of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize : AL GORE. [b 1948] Former U.S. vice-president.

53. Trojan War hero : AJAX.  Fought with Hector several times.

54. "Hamilton" role : BURR.   Aaron. [1756 - 1836]  He was sitting vice president at the time of their famous duel.

56. Mocked : APED.  Made fun of.  Not so much fun on the receiving end.

57. Puzzlemaker Rubik : ERNO.

60. Hall & Oates' "Say It __ So" : ISN'T.   Not a fan, so no link.

62. Son : BOY.

63. My __, Vietnam : LAI.  That village that had to be destroyed in order to be liberated.  Kind of a downer to end on.

Well, that wraps it up.  Hope the silence wasn't oppressive.

Cool regards!
JzB

Friday, November 4, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Across

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

4. Know-it-all : BRAIN
.

9. Sticky roll : TAPE. Not food....

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

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

15. Australian export : OPAL. And dear Kazie.

16. Like Gen. Powell : RETired.

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

20. Denver-to-Wichita dir. : ESE.

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

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

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

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

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

LINK

35. Chem. and bio. : SCIS.

37. Drift (off) : NOD.

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

42. Pop : SODA.

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

44. "The Good Wife" figs. : ATTS.

46. Fabric rib : WALE.

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

54. Israeli prime minister after Barak : SHARON.

57. "__ Gotta Be Me" : I'VE.

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

62. Great Basin native : UTE.

63. Saharan : ARID.

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

65. Rx item : MED.

66. Inheritance factor : GENE.

67. Tends : LEANS.

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

Down:

1. Way out : EGRESS.

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

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

4. Impetuous : BRASH.

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

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

7. It's here in Paris : ICI.

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

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

10. Mil. mail drops : APOS.

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

12. Big name in jazz : ELLA.

14. Like IHOP syrup : FREE. Really?

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

23. Type of tide : NEAP.

24. Troublemakers : RASCALS.

25. Often : MUCH.

29. Bridge bid : ONE NO TRUMP.

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

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

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

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

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

38. Pastoral call : BAA.

39. Early exile : ADAM.

40. Ones with clout : VIPS.

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

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

49. Insatiable : GREEDY.

51. Very long time : EON.

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

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

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

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

56. Similar : AKIN.

60. Snacked : ATE.

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

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

Friday, October 14, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: BY THE OUNCE (as proclaimed by the clue for 57A).



This week, JW is the Wizard of OZ, giving us four phrases which add the abbreviation for Ounce (OZ), creating new and humorously clued expressions. I find it interesting he chose the ounce abbreviation which I think is a more revealing hint, as the wizard might have led people to look for the AAHS sound when the letters are added. Like last week where JACK was added, coming up with 4 phrases which have room for OZ is a challenge, and having two added to the first word and two to the second adds a level of consistency. There also is left room for many fresh fill like TRIODES, OTTOMAN, RICE BAR, ONE MAN ON, FEMININE, TOPOLOGY, AMAZONIA. Also a real undercurrent of the 50's.






Okay, time is a wastin'



17A. Doughnut order from a king? : LION'S DOZEN (10). The king part was tricky, though we all know the Lion is King of the Jungle whether or not in its den.



25A. Musicians given to tippling? : BOOZY BAND (9). Many boy bands do face problems with alcohol and drugs. LINK.



34A. Set of data within an atmospheric analysis? : TABLE FOR OZONE (13). A nice layered clue with a really fun base phrase, that is often a bit sad.



48A. Occupants of a well-insulated nest? : COZY YOUNG (9). CY YOUNG was statistically the greatest pitcher of all time and the man for whom the pitching award is named.



57A. How perfume is sold ... and this puzzle's title : BY THE OUNCE (10)


Across:


1. Talked into, with "on" : SOLD.


5. Calyx part : SEPAL. So a calyx is the sepals of a flower, typically forming a whorl that encloses the petals and forms a protective layer around a flower in bud.




10. Typical artist's apartment : LOFT.


14. Samoan capital : APIA. Apia is the capital and the largest city of Samoa.




15. Amtrak option : ACELA. *


16. Cabinet dept. formed under Carter : ENER.


19. Fifty percent up front? : DEMI. Brilliant, the prefix (up front) like demitasse. *


20. Recorded : ON TAPE. Reel to reel?


21. GPS info : RTE.


23. Pisa possessive : MIO. Italian for my.


24. Recording device : METER. Okay, like your electric meter?


28. Writer LeShan : EDA. A CW regular.




29. Is next to : ABUTS.


31. Sergeant Bilko, to friends : ERNIE. Very popular when we first got a tv.




32. Tapestry thread : WEFT. My first thought was WTF!?! I am not much of a weaver and missed the APRIL 12, 2015 puzzle where it last surfaced. I note that both ACELA and DEMI are in that one. I thought it a bit cruel to have Demi Moore and Mila Kunis in the same grid. *


33. Saturn models : IONS. I owned a black one, with the odd doors.


40. Quarterback Tony : ROMO. Has his career been Dakked? LINK. Drew Bledsoe who lost his job first to Tom Brady and then to Tony Romo knows all about it.


41. Swamplike : MIRY.


42. Protection against Mr. Decay Germ, in old ads : IPANA. More from the 50's.




44. Continued violently : RAGED.


45. MDX ÷ X : CLI. Roman math not myth.


50. One of the Coen brothers : ETHAN. Movie making brothers.


52. "10538 Overture" gp. : ELO.




53. Ocean bird : ERN.


54. Gets rid of : SCRAPS. Plans, ideas etc.


55. M's favorite agent : BOND. Is Daniel Craig out C.C. ? NEW?


60. Commercial exchange fee : AGIO. Way beyond me. LEARN.


61. Ames native : IOWAN.


62. Future ENT's exam : MCAT. Medical College Admission Test.


63. "You've Got Mail" co-star : RYAN. Meg.


64. Grabs : SNAGS. I snagged the last piece of pizza.


65. Turtles, sometimes : PETS. We had one stay with us recently. He was quiet.


Down:


1. Biblical seductress : SALOME. OLD FASHIONED.


2. Offered a view : OPINED.


3. Shoeless Joe Jackson portrayer in "Field of Dreams" : LIOTTA.







4. Mother of Perseus : DANAE. The sad story of a slipped DISCUS.


5. Marquis de __ : SADE. Breakfast anyone?


6. Prefix with friendly : ECO.


7. Product with a Simpsons set : PEZ.




8. Last Olds models : ALEROS.


9. Andy Panda creator : LANTZ. After Woody Woodpecker yesterday you should know Walter Lantz who became well known to me narrating the TV version of his Woody Woodpecker cartoons. They took over the first half hour time slot of the Mickey Mouse Club in 1957. ANDY was one of the cartoons that ran on the show. I learned today that Lantz' first hit cartoon character was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a creation stolen from Walt Disney.


10. Took charge : LED.


11. Two-run homer situation : ONE MAN ON. Simple phrase, but maybe not for non-baseball fans.


12. Like "executrix," e.g. : FEMININE. Testatrix...there are many.


13. Old TV parts : TRIODES. The old three pronged vacuum tubes. Triodes were widely used in consumer electronics devices such as radios and televisions until the 1970s, when transistors replaced them.


18. Urban __ : SPRAWL.


22. "Beauty is bought by judgement of the __": Shakespeare : EYE. Love's Labour's Lost | Act 2, Scene 1

PRINCESS

"Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean,

Needs not the painted flourish of your praise:

Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye,

Not utter'd by base sale of chapmen's tongues:"


25. Fit and muscular : BUFF. I should let someone else pick




26. Certain footrest : OTTOMAN. They must be good. They named an empire after them.


27. Verve : BRIO. Maybe for Steve. LINK.


30. Quilting party : BEE.


34. Math branch concerned with surfaces : TOPOLOGY. It is the study of geometric properties and spatial relations unaffected by the continuous change of shape or size of figures. Please explain math people.


35. Rain forest region : AMAZONIA. Not a documentary?...LINK.




36. Beyond slender : BONY.Maronie?




37. Former PBS "Mystery!" host : RIGG. The woman I have linked the most often.


38. Extractable natural resource : ORE.


39. Louisiana genre featuring the accordion : ZYDECO. We have enough cornerites to do this justice without me.


40. Grain-based treat : RICE BAR.




43. "Understood, Cap'n" : AYE.


44. His stories inspired "Guys and Dolls" : RUNYON. I have always had an appreciation for this transplanted Kansas REPORTER.


45. Luck : CHANCE. The French word.


46. Pet that needs a sitter? : LAP CAT. A CSO to all of our cat lovers (CED!) and a well crafted Friday clue. Apparently this can be TAUGHT.


47. Many Alaska maps : INSETS.


49. "__ non sufficit": the world is not enough : ORBIS. LINK.


51. Outdo : TRUMP. No doubt a tongue-in-cheek non-political choice by our New Jersey constructor.


54. Beltway VIPs : SENS.


56. Put on : DON. Our gay apparel....


58. BOAC competitor : TWA. Now both gone.


59. Storied cauldron stirrer : HAG. Despite the contribution of Elizabeth Montgomery, witches are still generally depicted as old crones. This seems silly since they can (in that magical world) make themselves look like whatever they want. So why Aunt Clara?


Well JW does it again, providing a simple tight theme and a whole bunch of interesting things to challenge and amuse. What a week of holidays, hurricanes and holy days but we are done again. Thanks all. Lemonade out.








Note from C.C.:


Big Easy asked me to include this comic strip (Drabble, October 7, 2016) in today's writeup.