Friday, June 22, 2018, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: Duck, Duck GOOSE?

Jeffrey is back again with a pre-tribute to a new MOVIE that comes out in August. Okay, probably not, but this is a really impressive creation as we have a 15 x 16 grid (to leave room for 59 across) with only one cheater square in the grid! We have the word "DUCK" implied but not written in eight (8) answers, and they are set up in lines (rows) 1, 6 and 9 with a two-part reveal in 12 and 14. Again pushing the no rebus envelope at the LAT we are presented with a pretty easy Friday that glows with its originality. I think this may be a combination that appeals to many, but YMMV. I loved the visual appeal of the grid, which reminds me of the old Atari game SPACE INVADERS. As always, we have a goodly mix of sparkly fill, this time BEATLES, DIGNIFY, LONG RUN, NO RULES, OREGANO, SONNETS, CANARY CAGE and  FAT-BUSTING.

1A. *Sparkling wine: COLD DUCK. (4). Red wine and sparkling wine mixed. LINK.

5A. *Classic Chinese dish: PEKING DUCK. (6). Never Beijing LINK.

11A. *Defeated incumbent: LAME DUCK. (4) No politics  LINK.

27A. *Toon with a speech problem: DAFFY DUCK (5) Daffy first appeared in Porky's Duck Hunt, released on April 17, 1937. The cartoon was directed by Tex Avery and animated by Bob Clampett. Porky's Duck Hunt is a standard hunter/prey pairing for which Leon Schlesinger's studio was famous, but Daffy (barely more than an unnamed bit player in this short) was something new to moviegoers: an assertive, completely unrestrained, combative protagonist.

30A. *Goner: DEAD DUCK. (4). This phrase is very similar to Lame Duck. The phrase “dead duck” is an Americanism from the 1830s. Originally it was political slang referring to a person who has lost influence or power and was therefore useless. 

34A. *Charmed one: LUCKY DUCK. (5) Lucky duck is a saying meaning someone has good fortune. It likely was derived solely from the rhyme. 

46A. *Bath toy: RUBBER DUCK (6) Perhaps the most famous ONE.

48A. *Fictional uncle of triplets: DONALD DUCK (6) Donald Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor shirt and cap with a bow tie. Donald is most famous for his semi-intelligible speech and his mischievous and temperamental personality.

59A. With 69-Across, organizational process implied by eight answers in this puzzle: GETTING ONE'S DUCKS (16) 69A. See 59-Across: IN A ROW(6).

62 theme squares!

Across:

15. Trendy berry: ACAI. I think the bloom is off this berry.

16. Critter: ANIMAL. Daffy and Donald are both anthropomorphic critters.

17. Natural resources: ORES.

18. Fillmore's party: WHIG. Lucky 13, Millard Fillmore was the last Whig President. When my son and d-i-l were in graduate school in Buffalo we went to the cemetery where he is buried. Interestingly, both of his wives are buried there. I include a nice SUMMARY of the WHIG Party.

19. Hyundai sedan: SONATA. Hmm. Etymology: past participle of sonare "to sound," from Latin sonare "to sound," 21A. Browning works: SONNETS.  Etymology: directly from Italian sonetto, literally "little song," from Old Provençal sonet "song," diminutive of son "song, sound," from Latin sonus "sound"

20. Tide table term: NEAP. This is a tide just after the first or third quarters of the moon when there is the least difference between high and low water.

23. Pizzeria jarful: OREGANO. And parmagianno.

25. Martinique, e.g.: ILE. Our regular French for Island. If you have not been, it is a wonderful place to visit. The food is great and you can get Paris fashions for reasonable prices. But it is not designed for a long vacation.

26. Always, in 21-Across: E'ER.

38. Former Half.com owner: eBAY. Half.com was a subsidiary of eBay. eBay shut down the service on September 1, 2017. It was a website where sellers offered items for sale at fixed prices. The items available on half.com were limited to books, textbooks, music, movies, video games, and video game consoles.

39. "Not guilty," e.g.: DENIAL.

41. Second start?: NANO.

42. Home security giant: ADT. The company started as American District Telegraph and has a very diverse HISTORY.

43. Take into account: REMEMBER.

45. Just issued, in Innsbruck: NEU. Kazie,  Spitzboov-what are the differences between Austrian/German?

50. Swung about: SLUED. slew verb: past tense: slued; past participle: slued turn or slide violently or uncontrollably in a particular direction. "the Chevy slued from side to side in the snow"

51. Places for notes: PADS. Not music.

55. Iberian Peninsula city: PORTO. A new tourist destination in PORTUGAL.

56. Blue: SAD.

57. Fit to __: A TEE.

58. Mock conclusion?: ERY.

65. Either of two Monopoly sqs.: UTIL.

66. Like boxers: CANINE. Doggies.

67. Parrilla of "Once Upon a Time": LANA. Never heard of this actress, but then again I do not watch the show. She actually has been very BUSY.

68. Debussy subject: LUNE. I love good PIANO.

70. Self-images: EGOS.

71. Overdoes it, with "out": PIGS.

72. Lawgivers: SOLONS. A fun Friday fill. Solon, (born c. 630 BCE—died c. 560 BCE), Athenian statesman, known as one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece (the others were Chilon of Sparta, Thales of Miletus, Bias of Priene, Cleobulus of Lindos, Pittacus of Mytilene, and Periander of Corinth).


73. Son of Eve: SETH. The third son, but The Works of Josephus states: "The number of Adam's children, as says the old tradition, was 33 sons and 23 daughters." TITUS FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS was a prolific scholar. Historic reading, no religion.

Down:

1. Cornfield calls: CAWS. Cute continued alliteration.

2. Tres y cinco: OCHO. Spanish math.

3. Placed: LAIN.

4. Give due respect: DIGNIFY.

5. Scrapbooker's supply: PASTE.

6. Son of 73-Across: ENOS. Or Enosh is a link in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but that would be religion.

7. Holiday guests, often: KIN.

8. Bread's "Baby __ Want You": I'M A. A forgotten band from the early 70's? The song lives on.

9. Org. led by Jens Stoltenberg: NATO. North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Now led by this MAN.

10. Driving hazard: GLARE.

11. Broadway producer's desire: LONG RUN.

12. Region: AREA.

13. Nasty: MEAN.

14. Hockey's Phil, to fans: ESPO. Phil and Tony Esposito were both very successful.

22. Historic Nevada city: ELY. Rhymes with eely.

24. Sushi roll fish: EEL. A C.C. favorite.

27. Darlings: DEARS.

28. Former "Idol" judge: ABDUL. A successful dancer who has fought bulimia.

29. Adjective in some diet ads: FAT-BUSTING. These ads probably cause the onset of bulimia.

30. JFK or LBJ: DEMocrat.

31. Chemical suffix: ENE.

32. Intention: AIM.

33. Apply carefully: DAB.

35. Pet bird's home: CANARY CAGE.

36. Lowered oneself?: KNELT. “No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child.”
--Danny Thomas founder of St. Jude's children's hospital.


37. "Really?": YOU DO?

39. German article: DER.

40. Was first: LED.

43. __-wip: REDDI.

44. Cordoned (off): ROPED.

47. '60s pop group: BEATLES.

49. Free-for-all situation: NO RULES.

51. 2010s Colts head coach Chuck: PAGANO. The first use of this clue/fill combo.

52. Without a key: ATONAL.

53. Hathaway's "The Intern" co-star: DE NIRO.

54. "As __ TV": SEEN ON. So many stores have their sections devoted to the variety of products sold 'only' on TV.

59. [Yikes!]: GULP.

60. Notions case: ETUI. This was a common fill because of the vowels.

61. CBS maritime drama: NCIS. Oo and I watched the first few seasons on Netflix. They were really good.

62. Finishes (up): SEWS.

63. Celtic __: KNOT. This is not as simple as it sounds. LINK.

64. Merit badge site: SASH.

Well, I am back in the saddle again, riding to the finish of another Friday frolic. Jeffrey's wide variety of puzzles continue to please and I leave it to you all to let me know if you agree. Lemonade out.

Friday, June 8, 2018, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: JW is back on Friday and he is switching letters again!

Hey; in this case, he is replacing "S" before "H" with "TC" resulting in similar sounding, but witty fill, clued appropriately. Two grid-spanners in the classic 3 and 13 rows, with 12s in the 7/9 slots make for a classic look. There are 43 words which are 5 letters or longer which means if you get some things solved you get much help from the perps. As with all Friday puzzles, it was not easy, but it was doable and fun. It featured many sparkly 7 and 8 letter fill like BAHAMAS, ENEMIES, GOT SORE, SEEMS OK, AUTOSAVE,  BY NATURE, GAINED ON and STAMP TAX. So let us solve this puppy.

17A. Surveillance camera?: WATCHING MACHINE (15). WASHING machine.

31A. Interconnected irrigation channels?: DITCH NETWORK (12). DISH Network is one of the early satellite TV providers.  

39A. Member of Cassidy's baseball team?: BUTCH LEAGUER (12).  A BUSH leaguer is a player not of the highest quality or sophistication; second-rate.  This was the stretch for me. 

56A. Obsessively uniform French fries?: MATCHED POTATOES.(15). By far my favorite of the themers. I also like good MASHED potatoes. I like potatoes, which can be a challenge living with my rice addicted wife.

Across:

1. Trap: HEM IN. The first of the many sparkly multi-word fill that Jeffrey uses this week.

6. Leaps in tutus: JETES. Defines as jumps in which a dancer springs from one foot to land on the other with one leg extended outward from the body while in the air. They can be GRAND.

11. "Major Barbara" monogram: GBS. George Bernard Shaw wrote this PLAY in 1907.

14. Dress style: A-LINE. The term was first used by the French couture designer Christian Dior as the label for his collection of spring 1955 (wiki).

15. Think the world of: ADORE.

16. Roger's relative?: AYE. Yessir!

20. Set of pieces: KIT.

21. They're for members only: DUES. A nice Friday, tricky clue/fill.

22. When the break rm. gets busy, perhaps: TEN AM. Eleven where I am, but people eat lunch late at our office.


23. Opposite sides: ENEMIES. A bit strong.

26. Fine art and antiques, say: ASSETS.

27. Desires more from Us?: RENEWS.  The magazine subscription, notice the capital "U."

28. Slithery danger: ASP. A very popular crossword snake.

30. Holmes and Watson, e.g.: DUO. I have never thought of them as a duo since Watson was mostly comic relief.

35. Garage sale term: AS IS.

37. Actor Stephen: REA. Will he always be most famous for THE CRYING GAME?

38. Lose impact: WANE.

42. One-time connection: AT A.  I actually usually solve looking at across/ down clues together.

43. Put in: ADD.

44. Signal on the road: BEEP AT. In many states, Florida included,

48. Religious discourse: HOMILY. I will let you consider HOMILY VS SERMON but no religion.

51. Had it up to here: GOT SORE.

52. Org. offering puppy love?: ASPCA. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

53. Tenerife, por ejemplo: ISLA. Spanish- for example.

55. Nutritional fig.: RDA.  I think this is being swallowed up by the new term DRI.

60. Gardner on screen: AVA. It was not easy to be HER. She was quite striking.

61. Ahi et al.: TUNAS.

62. Take a little off: PRUNE. A tree or bush, not a diet.

63. "Think you I am no stronger than my __": Portia: SEX. It is good to see JW and his Shakespeare quote; this is from JULIUS CAESAR, Act II, Scene 1.

64. Part of a caddie's burden: IRONS. Woods are not wooden, and irons are not iron, and golf is just a game.  I am not sure if HG and Big Easy agree.

65. Unwelcome company: PESTS. The reveal two weeks ago.

Down:

1. Bazaar figure: HAWKER. Defined as a person who travels around selling goods, typically advertising them by shouting. Clecho - 34D. Bazaar array: WARES.

2. "Primary Colors" screenwriter May: ELAINE. This talented writer-performer had much of her success partnered with Mike Nichols. BIOGRAPHY.

3. Bit of winter wear: MITTEN.

4. Business end?: INC. Cute and better than Ltd. reference.

5. Bk. after Ezra: NEHemiah. This person and BOOK are intertwined with the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. No religion.

6. Two-faced god: JANUS. He gave us January. No religion.

7. Verge: EDGE.

8. Barnyard males: TOMS. I can only think of two- turkey and cat - neither of which are in every barnyard. Also, 19D. 8-Down, for instance: HES.

9. Diamond stat: ERA. Baseball diamond, Earned Run Average.

10. Groups breaking away: SECTS. I said, NO RELIGION!

11. Began to overtake: GAINED ON. One of the two-word fill.

12. Inherently: BY NATURE. And another...

13. "Nothing wrong that I can find": SEEMS OK. and...

18. Clarifying words: ID EST. Now two Latin words, more commonly known as i.e. and Steve should be happy two days in a row.

24. "M*A*S*H" figure: MEDIC. A medic is an umbrella term for a person involved in medicine. The following fall under this term: a medical doctor, medical student and sometimes a medically-trained individual participating in an emergency such as a paramedic, army medic or an emergency medical responder. In M*A*S*H they were mostly surgeons.

25. "Would that it were true!": I WISH.

26. Dian Fossey subject: APE. Actually, she studied gorillas which are a subgroup of the family of great apes. Louis Leakey sent her along with Jane Goodall and Birute Galdikas to study great apes in their native habitat.

28. Down the road: AHEAD.

29. Complication: SNAG. There often are when you go down the road.

32. Street __: CREDibility.

33. Occasionally newsworthy comment: TWEET. No politics either.

35. Crash insurance?: AUTOSAVE. The interesting divergence of automatic from the Greek automatos of persons "acting of one's own will;" of things "self-moving, self-acting," Thus the fun play on words here as crash relates both to cars and computers.

36. Short-lived 1760s levy: STAMP TAX. The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed. The Act was repealed on 18 March 1766.(various).

39. Commonwealth off Florida: BAHAMAS. The Bahamas comprises 700 islands and over 2,000 rocks and cays, sprinkled over 100,000 square miles of ocean. The archipelago is an ecological oasis, boasting the clearest water on the planet. Brochures.

40. Big name in chips: LAY. In 1932, salesman Herman Lay opened a snack food operation in Dorset, Ohio; and, in 1938, he purchased the Atlanta, Georgia, potato chip manufacturer "Barrett Food Company", renaming it "H.W. Lay Lingo and Company." Lay crisscrossed the southern United States, selling the product from the trunk of his car.

41. WWII peril: U-BOAT. U-boat, German U-boot - the abbreviation of Unterseeboot -  (“undersea boat”), a German submarine. LINK.

45. Like much sandstone: POROUS. I have a nephew who works as a geologist for the government, but I know almost nothing about these ROCKS.

46. Gung-ho: ARDENT.

47. Toys with: TEASES. Like CED's cats and their mouse playthings.

49. Global sports org. concerned with wickets: ICC. The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909.

50. "Chicago Hope" Emmy winner: LAHTI. Lahti, 67, writes about her infamous appearance at the Golden Globes in 1998 when she won best actress in a television drama for "Chicago Hope" but was in the bathroom when her name was announced.

51. Give short shrift to, with "over": GLOSS.

53. Access-providing fig.: ID NO.

54. Go across: SPAN. A bridge.

57. NATO HQ locale: EURope.

58. Handy program: APPlication.

59. Half of sei: TRE. We finish with a bit of division in Italian. 6/3.

I had a really fine time working on this puzzle, and welcoming JW back to Friday. Thanks, Jeffrey and all who read and all who write. Lemonade out.

Thursday, May 17 2018 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Triple Play. Not a baseball theme, but you can sing along with a Latin "cha cha cha" dance track.

19A. Trousers in the Liberace Museum?: CHI-CHI CHINOS. Probably covered in rhinestones and other sparkly stuff.

32A. Less colorful African carpet?: DRABBER BERBER. The Berber people are indigenous to North Africa. This traditional carpet definitely isn't drab:

39A. Surfeit of sweets?: BONBON BONANZA. Bonbons originated from the French in the 17th century, meaning "good-good".

53A. Made-to-order drum?: CUSTOM TOM-TOM. Officially, a cylindrical drum without snares.

Another nice puzzle from Jeffrey. The names in the long downs could have caused some conniptions, but that's what makes for skilled construction and editing - it's all about the crosses if the proper name is unknown to you, Claire Danes in my case. Throw in some crunch and some Thursday-level cluing and you've got yourself an enjoyable romp into Cruciverb-land.

What else have we got? Let's go and look:

Across:

1. Selfies, e.g.: PICS

5. Consumer protection org.: B.B.B. Better Business Bureau.

8. Grey Poupon variety: DIJON. Mustard. Grey Poupon is one of the better-known brand names.

13. "I must be cruel, __ to be kind": Hamlet: ONLY

14. Bar mixer: COLA. Coke and Pepsi are the cola heavyweights. Some think that Coke tried to trademark the word "cola" - not so, they trademarked Coca-Cola, the script of the name and the design of the bottle.

15. Slip away from: EVADE

16. __ all-time low: AT AN. David Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes" just popped into my head:

"Ashes to ashes, funk to funky

We know Major Tom's a junkie

Strung out in heaven's high

Hitting an all-time low"

17. "Beat it!": SCAT!

18. Bit of Blake: VERSE. The most well-known Blake is William:

"To see the world in a grain of sand, and to see heaven in a wild flower, 

hold infinity in the palm of your hands, and eternity in an hour."

22. Guffaw syllable: HAR. Har.

23. Estadio cheer: OLÉ

24. Hardware item: NUT.

25. Overalls part: BIB. The part covering the chest.

28. Aquarium fish: TETRA

30. Title for Maggie Smith: DAME. British actress of renown. Played the redoubtable Dowager in "Downton Abbey"

 "I couldn't have electricity in the house, I wouldn't sleep a wink. All those vapors floating about."

31. "Mr. Robot" TV network: USA. I'll take your word for it, I haven't seen the show

35. Morales of Netflix's "Ozark": ESAI. There's actress Natalie also.

37. Father of octuplets on "The Simpsons": APU. Must be a while since I've seen the show, I didn't realize he had any kids, let alone eight.

38. Not yet up: ABED

"And gentlemen in England now a-bed

Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day."

Henry V, Act IV sc iii

44. Many a craft beer: ALE

45. Folk singer Axton: HOYT. Thank you, crosses. Not my genre.

46. Scenic highway offerings: VIEWS. There are some fabulous ones in my part of the world, particularly from the Pacific Coast Highway.

48. "Absolutely": YES

49. Hose users: Abbr.: FDS. I had to think about this one for a second - Fire Departments

50. Holm of "The Hobbit": IAN

51. GI address: APO. Army Post Office

56. Cold dish: SALAD

59. Island off Tuscany: ELBA. "Able was I, ere I saw Elba".

60. Whodunit canine: ASTA. "The Thin Man" was the movie.

61. Interspersed with: AMONG

62. Nectar flavor: PEAR

63. User of black lipstick, perhaps: GOTH. There is an unofficial "Bat's Day" for Goths at Disneyland each year. It's quite an odd sight, all these supposedly gloomy folk riding "It's a Small World".

64. Gumption: MOXIE

65. Nursery purchase: SOD

66. "Orinoco Flow" singer: ENYA. Let's have a little New Age backing track.

Down:

1. Cook in hot milk, say: POACH

2. Since: IN THAT. In the causative sense - "I like a Riesling since it pairs well with spicy food"/"I like a Riesling in that it pairs well with spicy food". Food!

3. "Homeland" Emmy winner: CLAIRE DANES. Thank you, crosses.

4. Harmonized, with "in": SYNC

5. Lawn game: BOCCE. Most cultures seem to have a derivative of lawn bowls, be it crown bowls, bocce, boules, pétanque, even curling.

6. Vanilla: BLAH. "Meh" in modern lingo.

7. Drive someone home?: BAT IN A RUN

8. Fan: DEVOTEE

9. Composer Charles: IVES

10. 8-Across holder: JAR. I like the cross-references when the entries themselves cross. I've got a jar in my fridge, it goes into my home-made mayonnaise when I whip up a batch. Yum!

11. Goes overboard (on): OD'S

12. Wedding notice word: NÉE

14. Forensics facility, briefly: CSI LAB. I wanted DNA LAB first, but resisted the urge.

20. Circle dance: HORA

21. Unfeeling: NUMB

25. Masters champ in 2012 and 2014: BUBBA WATSON. A lefty, he hit an incredible hook shot out of the trees onto the 10th green in a playoff with Louis Oosthuizen to secure his first major.

26. "That's clear": I SEE

27. Meter writer: BARD. He of "Henry V" fame, above.

29. Twin Cities daily, familiarly: TRIB. The Star Tribune.

30. Home __: DEPOT

33. Slow-but-steady progress: BABY STEPS

34. Demolish: RAZE

35. Former Skype owner: EBAY. I didn't know that. We use Skype for Business, it saves a ton of money when you have a lot of international conference calling and presentations.

36. Dover fish: SOLE

40. "Dang!": OH FUDGE!

41. Some assents: NODS

42. Video game figure: AVATAR

43. Spanish lad: NIÑO. Now, here's a thing - the letter Ñ in Spanish is a completely different letter, it's not just an accented "N". Which leads the pedant in me to suggest that you should not cross it with a regular "N" as is here - Ian Holmes does not spell his name i-a-eñe.

47. Inconsistent: SPOTTY

50. Boast in a 1987 Michael Jackson hit: I'M BAD

52. Lincoln neighbor: OMAHA. Nebraskans, both.

53. "__ help you?": CAN I

54. Muffin spread: OLEO

55. Sorcerer in fantasy games: MAGE

56. "Grace and Frankie" actor Waterston: SAM. More crossing help. Thanks!

57. Latin trio word: AMO, Amas, Amat

58. Cured salmon: LOX. Lox is salt-cured. The stuff most people call "lox" nowadays is actually "nova" and is a smoke-cure. Whatever the debate, it's Food!

And with a drum roll on the tom-tom and a pic of the grid, and with a very cool explanation of lox, nova, smoked salmon and gravlax, that's all from me!

Steve

Thursday, May 3rd 2018 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Dessert Mix - can't explain it better than the reveal:

59A. Ice cream features found, in a way, in this puzzle's circles: CHOCOLATE SWIRLS

Scrambled "CHOCOLATE" highlighted by the circles in the theme entries:

16A. Natural analog of sonar: BAT ECHOLOCATION. That's why they can flit around in bat caves and not smack into the walls in the dark. Truly, Nature is a wonderful thing. I walk into walls in hotels in the middle of the night going to the bathroom. I need a bat assistant.

32A. Ones who have class?: SCHOOL TEACHERS. The unsung heroes of our world. Let's have a "Buy Our Teachers Chocolate Swirl Day". BOTCWD. Aghh, need a better acronym!

36A. Old General Motors model: CHEVROLET COACH. From 1931 - I felt bad when I didn't know this, but thank you crosses! A quite lovely automobile. It looks a lot like a 30's Rolls-Royce.

This was a puzzle masterclass - thank you, Jeffrey. Wonderful theme, grid-spanners, 14's, and look at those blocks of 3x7's in the NE and SW.  Awesome.


Across: 

1. Liberty __: BELL. Shoddy merchandise. Cracked on delivery. I'd have sent it back, free returns with Amazon Prime. When you order a Liberty Bell, you expect the best.

5. Troublesome types: IMPS

9. Cleaning tool: SWAB. Surgery tool too. Count 'em in, count 'em out!

13. Any number: ONE OR MORE. Is zero a number? If so, if not .... clue accuracy. Your essays are due next Thursday.

15. River through Florence: ARNO

18. Toyota RAV4, e.g.: UTE. Shorthand for "Sports Utility Vehicle".

19. The best policy, so it's said: HONESTY. Good advice.

35. Developing, biologically: IN UTERO. I had IN VITRO first. Then thought about that.

43. Literary award with a spaceship logo: HUGO. I *think* I knew this. Look up Hugo Gernsback on Wikipedia.

44. Head for the hills: RUN

45. Nothing new: OLD HAT

47. Billiards concern: ANGLE

49. Phantasy Star game maker: SEGA. I didn't know this, but SEGA seemed a good stab with the "S" in place

50. Big name in ATMs: NCR. I tried IBM first, because I had "EDAMAME" confidently in place at 38D. I love great construction and cluing when I get sent up a blind alley. This was a classic case. It was only when nothing would work around that section that I had to rethink everything in the area.

51. Egret habitats: MARSHES

58. Braggart's abundance: EGO.

62. Hard to control: EELY.Slipperly too.

63. Harley-Davidson Museum city: MILWAUKEE. Home of the knucklehead, the flathead and all other great innovations.

64. Cholesterol nos.: LDLS. I think my levels are OK. LDL is the "bad" cholesterol level. Pay attention.

65. Presently: ANON. This is one of those words I love, and I'm determined to keep "in the language". I have people who I work with, or I have worked with, who enjoy using it, just for the curiously factor.

66. Scrip items: MEDS. Where are you, HeartRX?

Down: 

1. Hats like Maurice Chevalier's: BOATERS. I tried to find a musical link worthy of the blog, but failed. Here's the signature hat though:

2. Intestinal: ENTERIC.Crosses all the way. I will learn this.

3. Director with three Oscars: LEE. Ang Lee. Amazing talent. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain and The Life of Pi.

4. Welsh : llyn :: Scots : __: LOCH. I'm not sure I knew this. It made sense when I filled it in though.

5. "__ your side": I'M ON

6. "The Wind in the Willows" figure: MOLE. I loved this book as a small child. I remember falling in love with the illustrations of E.H. Shepard. Then came Winnie the Pooh. What a wonderful man.

7. They know the ropes: PROS

8. Schism group: SECT

9. Wasn't used: SAT, Sat down, rode the pine. watched from the bench. Tough.

10. Squirm: WRIGGLE

11. "And __ thing ... ": ANOTHER

12. Fish that sound good in Spanish: BONITOS? Not sure about the plural here. Fish singular - Fish plural.

14. Density symbol, in physics: RHO. Tough stuff.

16. Like bodybuilders: BUFF

17. Right at sea?: AYE! Right? Aye, sir to starboard! Yes, maybe, but right? Not sure.

22. Book before Esth.: NEH. The Old Testament. Learn your three-letter abbreviations of the Bible books if you want to solve crosswords.

24. Hessian pronoun: ICH. This was nice. Hermann Hesse, German novelist. "Ich" = "I".

26. Crime movie genre: NOIR. Watch LA Confidential for a great example.

27. Name on a museum wall: DONOR

28. When some news shows begin: AT TEN

29. Sugar source: BEET

30. Half of a call-and-response game: MARCO. Polo. One of the most annoying games in the annals of child-watching. Enough said.

33. Whopper: LULU. A BIIGGGG one!

34. "Very nice!": COOL

36. Area around the altar: CHANCEL. This took me way to long. The SW corner was tough for me.

37. Bent (over): HUNCHED

38. Asian appetizer: EGG ROLL. Yeah, I see your EGG ROLL and raise you EDAMAME - and then I lose.

39. Remote control abbr.: VOL. I just looked at mine. Indeed, it has VOL right there.

40. Cause of a paper weight increase: ADS. Think your Sunday print edition of your local newspaper. If mine delivered just the sports section, the literary review and the crossword, I'd save the trees, the delivery guys and my recycle

41. Brightened: CHEERED

42. Tries for a better price: HAGGLES

46. New Mexico county bordering Colorado: TAOS

48. Punk rock subgenre: EMO. Always. Three-letter rock genre - fill it in and move on

52. Diva Gluck: ALMA. Thank you crosses, Jeffrey is always fair.

53. Dust Bowl deficiency: RAIN

54. WWII invasion city: ST LÔ. If you have a chance to read any of the various narratives about this city in 1944, I'd encourage you to do so.

55. Cut: HEWN

56. Spanish "that": ESA

57. Like many laps: SWUM. I'd love to count my lifetime laps in the pool. It's been a lot. I love the "zen" times when you can only hear the water while you pull through each lap.

60. Pitcher Young and painter Twombly: CYS

61. Presidential nickname: IKE. I had the "E". Went went with "ABE", was wrong.

Like all of us, I am very sad about Argyle's decision to shuffle off the mortal coil. He was a wonderful man and gave great pleasure to many, many people. I would like us all to look in his mirror and feel that when our time comes we can hope everyone says that about all of us. The world would be a very better place.

And ... the grid!

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

1) OK, a real time "Happy Birthday" to Dave (D4E4H), who turned 74 today. I misunderstood an email he forwarded to me last Sunday. Hope you get in time the birthday gifts you boldly asked from my siblings.

Here is a clearer picture of Dave and Mr. Romeo. He said "I am helping him with his social media "Muzzle book" because he is all paws. He has 4,000 "licks.""

Dave (D4E4H)

2) Please click here to view Santa's obituary. Thanks for the information, Spitzboov!

Sunday April 8, 2018 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme:  "Low Flow" - L is changed into FL in each theme entry. (Thanks for the extra L observation, Lemonade.)
 
22A. Interfaith service attendees? : COMBINATION FLOCK. Combination lock.

28A. Arsonist's alibi? : FLAME EXCUSE. Lame excuse.

56A. Cause of business failure? : CORPORATE FLAW. Corporate law.

62A. Distinguished screwballs? : GREAT FLAKES. Great Lakes.

72A. Uproar over a controversial win? : VICTORY FLAP. Victory lap.

80A. Niche market for airport bookstores? : FLIGHT READING. Light reading.
 
106A. Dumpster hoverers? : PACK OF FLIES. Pack of lies.

117A. Hygiene product for very big teeth? : SUBSTANTIAL FLOSS. Substantial loss.

Five F's are added to the start of last words, three to the first. Quite consistent, key to this type of letter addition/deletion/substitution puzzles.

Jeffrey also gives us a 140-word grid. LAT Sundays are normally 144. Look at the top/bottom edges, they're usually divided into 4 parts. Jeffrey the Master only uses 3. He also places six solid non-theme 9's, two of them are paralleled.



Across:     

1. Humanities degs. : BAs
 
4. Dangerous thing to fall in with : BAD CROWD. Great debut fill.

12. Enhances : ADDS TO

18. Exiled, with "away" : SENT

19. Nonconforming : IRREGULAR

20. Kitchen gadget : PEELER. Here is my favorite. I got it from our local Asian store.

21. Eponymous reader : UTNE. Reader.

24. Conquered after being lost, as territory : RETAKEN

26. Part of it is on L.I. : NYC. We also have 127. Manhattan region : EAST SIDE And 4. Bombers' home? : BRONX

27. __ food : HEALTH

32. __ resources : HUMAN

34. Ornamental shrub : YEW

35. Gurus' retreats : ASHRAMS. So many people are seeking enlightenment, but Buddha achieved his only after he left his wife and kid.

37. Ill-gotten gains : GRIFT

42. Sheep group : FOLD

44. Pre-adulthood stages : PUPAE

46. Venerable retailer : SEARS

49. Even once : EVER

50. Reliable sort : TROUPER. Always thought it's TROOPER.

52. Glitzy rock genre : GLAM

54. Goliath, to David : FOE

55. Levelheaded : SANE. You just can't rattle D-Otto. Last winter when he discovered he had permanent retina damage, he dealt it with humor, carrying on his Meals on Wheels work as usual. Always cool. Always a do-er.

59. State requiring "Stat!" : URGENCY

61. Enterprise bridge figure : SULU

64. More than not : MOST

67. Unrefined : RAW

70. "The Goldbergs" airer : ABC

71. "House" actor Epps : OMAR
  
76. Eponymous salad creator : COBB. Never had it. Some food just don't appeal to me. 

79. "That is my intention" : I MEAN TO

87. Emulate a condor : SOAR

88. Spherical organ : EYE

90. "Star Wars" saga fixture : LEIA. Boomer would have commented on the three vowels.

91. Equanimity : BALANCE

92. First word of "Send in the Clowns" : ISN'T. "Isn't it rich?".

93. WWI battle river : SOMME

95. Stop on the briny : AVAST

97. S.F. commuting system : BART

98. 16th-century Sorrento-born poet : TASSO. We had him before. And 125. 98-Across' lang. : ITAL

100. Cape user : MATADOR

102. SALT subject : ABM

103. Barely bested, with "out" : NOSED

111. Like Stephen King's Pennywise : CREEPY

114. Medium power? : ESP. Nice clue.

116. Golden quality? : SILENCE. No. 1 requirement for being a Ninja.
 
122. Yawn-inducing : DULL

123. One changing lines, perhaps : EDITOR. That's Rich.

124. End of an ultimatum : OR LEAVE IT. Feels like partial-ish to me. YMMV.

126. Yes : ASSENT
 
128. Sardine catcher : NET. Dried sardines are important in Korean cooking. Base of broth.

Down:

1. Stimulating nut : BETEL

2. Women's fashion chain : ANN TAYLOR. For career women.

3. Really angry : STEAMED UP

5. Radius location : ARM

6. Young socialite : DEB

7. Pixar output, briefly : CGI

8. Track competitor : RUNNER

9. Brand including Regenerist products : OLAY.  I still like the Olay original.

10. Defiant reply to a dare : WATCH ME

11. Soft & __: deodorant : DRI

12. Sleep disorder : APNEA

13. Make less dangerous, as a snake : DEFANG. You can find live snakes in many restaurants in Guangzhou. Live fish too.

14. Acer rival : DELL. Also 16. Acer employee : TECH. My screen is Acer.

15. Vending machine opening : SLOT
 
17. TV planet : ORK. Mork & Mindy.

18. Banzai Pipeline feature : SURF. Also  57. Grounds crew concern : TURF

19. Frozen drink brand : ICEE

23. Omega, to a physicist : OHM

25. London's __ Gardens : KEW

29. Ruth wore one : CAP. Baby Ruth. (Correction: I meant Babe Ruth.)

30. What kilowatt hours measure : USAGE

31. Knickknack perch : SHELF

33. Its Space Command has HQ in Colorado : USAF. Hi Bob, are you still reading our blog?

36. Capital of Eritrea : ASMARA

38. Alter, as a tailor might : RE-SEAM

39. First Family name : IVANKA Her kids speak Chinese.

40. Dueling party : FENCER

41. Low cards : TREYS

42. Consumer protection org. : FTC

43. Conquistador's treasure : ORO

44. Pacific Rim nation : PERU

45. Eurasian border river : URAL

47. Opposite of a squeaker : ROUT

48. Lowly worker : SERF

51. Tom of "Newhart" : POSTON. Boomer met him at a charity golf tournament once.

53. Math subj. : ALG

58. Information source, with "the" : WEB

60. All over the world : GLOBAL

63. Bookkeeping no. : ACCT

64. Champagne cocktail : MIMOSA. Do you guys like Kombucha?

65. Hurricanes form over them : OCEANS

66. Embarks : STARTS

68. Furry TV ET : ALF

69. License holder? : WALLET. No hesitation from me.

72. Stop by : VISIT. Tablet will take Argyle a bit longer to figure out. In the meantime, please continue sending cards to below address. He enjoys our cards.

D. Scott Nichols
Room #219
Wesley Health Care Center
131 Lawrence St.
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

73. GPS data : RTES

74. Foolish one : YO-YO

75. Food in a humility metaphor : PIE

77. Spheres : ORBS

78. Vanquish : BEAT

81. Hall of Fame chef De Laurentiis : GIADA. Know her of course. I did not know there's a Culinary Hall of Fame though.

82. Wreaked state : HAVOC

83. Tinkered with : DABBLED IN. Thought of TTP, who will probably still enjoy tinkering with things in his 90s. DIY takes curiosity and talents. 

84. "Soon" : IN A MINUTE

85. ATM giant : NCR

86. Procure : GET

89. Full-figured model born Melissa Miller : EMME. I did not know her original name. That's quite close to Marisa Miller the model below.

94. Archipelago with an eponymous wine : MADEIRA

96. Storied vessel : ARK

99. Big weight : ONE TON

101. Java creation : APPLET

102. Workers' org. formed in 1886 : AFL

104. Vasarely's genre : OP-ART

105. Word for word?: Abbr. : SYN. Another great clue.

107. Actor Davis : OSSIE

108. Raised symbol of resistance : FIST

109. Brilliant display : ECLAT

110. Market : SELL

111. They're chewed in pastures : CUDS. I'm glad I'm not a cow. I can't imagine eating the same food day after day.

112. Wrigley Field stats : RBIs

113. Sunrise dirección : ESTE

115. "Do the Right Thing" pizzeria : SAL'S

117. "Many fresh streams meet in one salt __": Shakespeare : SEA

118. Little piggy : TOE

119. Sol preceders : FAs

120. CXII halved : LVI. 56.

121. 20-volume ref. : OED

Splynter said "Hi". He is now working as an AutoCAD drafter for Westhampton Architectural Glass. I'm happy that he left that winery. I was afraid they would sabotage his hard work with AA.

Yeah, PK, try Dave's suggestion. Google Gmail. You should get your account back.

C.C.

Wednesday, March 28, 2018 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: What happened to the Pope?   Let's start with the unifier.  It will make all clear.

54. Minister or imam, say ... and, in two ways, a hint to words hidden in 17-, 29- and 38-Across : RELIGIOUS LEADER.  The titles of RELIGIOUSly ministerial people are indicated at the beginning of each theme answer - thus LEADing the way in.  Let's see how that works.

17. Secondhand wave of excitement : VICARIOUS THRILL.  This is an imagined experience based on the actions or feelings of someone else.  The position of VICAR varies among different Christian denominations, but always involves some level of LEADERship responibiity.

29. Place to get delivery instructions? : LAMAZE CLASS.  This teaches a method of preparation for natural childbirth.  A LAMA is a teacher of the Dhamma, a principle of cosmic order, in Tibetan Buddhism.

38. Hare care site : RABBIT HUTCH.  Clever clue for a place where bunnies are nurtured [not the Playboy Mansion.]   In the Jewish faith, A RABBI is a teacher in Jewish law who also provides pastoral counseling and represents the community.

With two grid-spanners and two more entries of 11 letters each, this is quite rich for a 4-part theme.  Also, I found this to be a bit on the tough side for a Wednesday.  But, it's Jeffery, who we usually see on Fridays, so that might explain it.  In fact, word count, length and freshness are all in the Thursday- Friday range.

Hi, gang, JazzBumpa here to guide you on this pilgrimage.  Remember, religion is off-topic here, so we'll make our excursion secular and apolitical.

Down

1. Touch, e.g. : SENSE.  Along with sight, smell, taste, taste and hearing, the typical 5 SENSES.    Modern thinking identifies a longer list.

6. Model in a bottle : SHIP.

Scale model, not fashion model

10. SALT weaponry : ABMS.  Strategic Arms Limitation Talks/Treaties concerned Ballistic Missiles and Anti Ballistic Missiles [ground to air] designed to defend against them.

14. "Ta-ta, mon ami" : ADIEU.  French word of departure.

15. Students' lunchroom : CAFETERIA.

19. Surprised cries : EEKS.  Responses to rodent sightings.

20. Court plea, briefly : NOLO contendere, in full.  A plea that neither admits guilt nor claims innocence.

21. Bridal path : AISLE.  Not a horse trail, but the route a bride takes to the altar.

22. "Uh-uh--however ... " : NO BUT.  Always, an objection.

24. They may be raised in casinos : STAKES.  Betting levels.  Are you in or out?

25. Saudi neighbors : OMANIS.  Middle-eastern geography.

27. Google Apps component : G-MAIL.  21st century communication device.

31. Pro bono TV ad : Public Service Announcement.

34. "Hamilton" climax : DUEL.  I'm not familiar with the ending of the musical - but this event ended Alexander Hamilton's life.  After missing with his first shot, Hamilton was struck by Burr's shot, and died the following day from the wound.

35. 27-Across alternative : AOL.  An internet service provider.

36. Has second thoughts about : RUES.  This rather understates what would be better defined as "bitter regret."

37. Member of the fam : SIS.  I have one.  No bro, though.

42. Thick : DENSE.  Figuratively speaking, a not particularly bright person can be called dense.  In more physical terms, these words refer to a linear dimension and relative heaviness, respectively.

43. Off the beaten path : REMOTE. Or, alternatively, far away.

44. Arcade activity : GAMING.  Generally of video or pin ball varieties.

47. Welcome words to a hitchhiker : HOP IN.  Feel free to enter the vehicle.



48. Kicking partner? : ALIVE.  Words that go together in a vernacular phrase.

49. Ancient France : GAUL. A vast region of Western Europe north of Iberia inhabited by Celtic peoples, that includes parts of several other modern countries.

51. St. Petersburg's river : NEVA. In Russia, not Florida, therefore remote.

57. Jaguar's jaguar, e.g. : TRADEMARK.  A word, phrase or symbol that is registered or established by use to represent a company or product.

58. Clarence Odbody in "It's a Wonderful Life," e.g. : ANGEL.  Specifically, a 2nd class angel, who after 200 years, had still not earned his wings.  Sad.

59. Give a finer edge to : HONE.  Sharpen on a whetstone, or figuratively, refine one's skills.

60. Word with bill or ball : PLAY.  "PLAY ball" announces the start of a baseball game.  A PLAYbill is a poster announcing a theatrical performance.  Here is my lovely wife, Gloria,  admiring a recent PLAYbill featuring granddaughter Amanda.

1. In __: unborn : UTERO.  Still in the uterus.

Down

1. Hockey announcer's cry : SAVE.  The average NHL goalie's save percentage has been .913 to .915 for the last 5 seasons.

2. Actress Falco : EDIE.  Nurse Jackie, and before that Carmela Soprano.

Biography

3. The Sultan of Swat and The Splendid Splinter : NICKNAMES.  I've had a few.  Didn't like most of them.  The ones listed here refer to baseball legends George Herman "Babe" Ruth and Ted Williams, respectively.

4. Like produce at farm-to-table restaurants : SEASONAL.  Fresh and locally produced, unlike strawberries in Michigan in March.

5. The Danube's cont. : EUR. The continent of Europe.  Note abrv. in cl. & ans.

6. "Run along now" : SCOOT.  Get a move on.

7. Pull with effort : HAUL.  Schlep.

8. "Assuming it's true ... " : IF SO.  Conditional.

9. Guinea pig, e.g. : PET.  A domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship or amusement.

10. Taken from above, as photos : AERIAL.  Formerly from a plane, now probably from a drone.

11. Invigorating : BRISK.  Like a cool breeze or cup of hot tea.

12. Jacque's thousand : MILLE.  French number.

13. Cyber Monday events : SALES.  Along with Black Friday, President's Day, the 4th of July and Boxing Day.  All designed to separate you from your money.

16. "To clarify ... " : THAT IS.  What I meant to say  .  .  .

18. Operating : IN USE. Verb form used as a modifier.  Some grammarian help me with the vocabulary.

23. Show __ : BIZ.  There's no BIZ like it.

24. Copenhagen carrier : SAS.  Scandinavian Airlines.

25. Former GM division : OLDS.  It WAS your father's Oldsmobile.

26. Haleakala National Park locale : MAUI.  Oahu would have been my 2nd guess.  It includes both mountainous and coastal regions.

27. Round Earth map : GLOBE.

28. Landlocked African nation : MALI.  South of Algeria, west of Niger.  Chad also fits - it is east of Niger and south of Libya.

30. Airport lineup : CABS.  Taxis.  Alternate definition: red wine line up.

31. Made tense : PUT ON EDGE.  What puts you on edge?

32. Doctrinal faction : SECT.  Another tilt in the direction of religion.  I was going to join my carpenter friend's church, until I found out it was a splinter group.

33. Tennis great Arthur : ASHE.  In the early 80's Ashe is believed to have contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion he received during heart surgery.  He died at age 49 in 1993.

36. Cud-chewing mammal : RUMINANT.  A hoofed animal with a rumen - an extra stomach where plant matter is digested with the aid of bacteria.   Includes cattle, sheep, antelopes, deer and giraffes.

38. Go back (on) : RENEGE.  Fail to honor a promise or contract.

39. Director Lee : ANG.  [b 1953] Also screenwriter and producer whose often emotionally charged works explore cultural and personal conflicts.

40. Disruptive forum visitor : TROLL.  One whose comments serve to cause dissension and conflict for its own sake rather than move the conversation along in a rational manner.

41. With it, once : HEP.  What once was HEP became hip, then rad.  I don't what it is now.

42. Cut into parts : DIVIDE.

44. Brooks with two Grammys : GARTH.  Counrty singer

45. Last 25-Down model : ALERO.  It was built in Lansing, MI from 1998 until 2004.

46. Italian fashion city : MILAN.  The capital of Lombardy and 2nd most populous city in Italy.  It is also a leader in the arts, commerce, education, research and tourism.

47. Iditarod runner : HUSKY.   Sled dog.

The dogs do not have conflict of interest.

49. Hockey announcer's cry : GOAL.  Average number of goals against this year is 2.77, up from 2.59 last year and 2.51 the year before.  Average shots against per game have been 31.8, 30.1 and 29.6, respectively.  More shooting --> more scoring.

50. Pervasive glow : AURA.

52. Turn sharply : VEER.  Suddenly change direction.

53. Guthrie who sang about Alice : ARLO.  Here, for you listening enjoyment, if you have 18 spare minutes.



55. Little trickster : IMP.

56. Seine filler : EAU.  Water in a French river.  A purse seine filler would be poisson, on a good day.

Eau que, that wraps things up for another Wednesday.  Hope you enjoyed the journey.

Cool regards!
JzB