Thursday, May 5th, 2016 Jennifer Nutt

Theme: NO NEED TO SHOUT or, as the reveal succinctly explains:

36A. Emphatic type ... or what the beginnings of the longest entries are? : ALL CAPS

16A. Tension-easing activity : ICEBREAKER. Ice cap.

22A. It supposedly keeps the monster inside the closet : NIGHT LIGHT. Nightcap. Cheers!

45A. Jam site : BOTTLENECK. Bottle cap. I was thinking "bottleneck" in the slide guitar/jam session sense of the word before I saw sense. Ah! Traffic! Here's Brian Jones playing slide guitar on the Rolling Stones' "No Expectations", the last thing he recorded before his death.

57A. Baby blanket, perhaps : SHOWER GIFT. Shower cap. I confess I flat-out don't like this. Wedding shower gift, bridal shower gift or baby shower gift - all fine, but "shower gift" seems contrived to me. I'd have probably tried something else like SHOWER HEAD here.

Neat theme, but with the aforementioned stutter-step at the end. Let's see what else we've got going on.

Across:

1. Fraternal order member : ELK

4. Deposit : PAY IN

9. Candy shape : CANE

13. Pressure for payment : DUN

14. He became New York Philharmonic music director 30 years before Leonard : ARTURO. Toscanini.

15. Part of ABC: Abbr. : AMER. The American Broadcasting Company.

18. Butcher's cut : LOIN. Food! Butcher's cuts also refer to lesser-known cuts of meat such as flank steak, hanger steak, sirloin cap and bavette that are packed with flavor and less expensive than the better-known varieties.

19. Coffee cart item : CREAMER

20. Turf controllers : GANGS. I'm going to come off as pedantic here, but there's no plural of "gang" in this sense. More than one of this type of turf controllers are called "gang mowers". "Gang" refers to multiple reel mowers that are "ganged" together.

21. Durbeyfield daughter : TESS. I re-read the book recently - I enjoyed it much more than when we had to study it at school.

26. Tiebreakers, briefly : O.T.S Overtimes. Three NCAA Div 1 games have gone to seven overtimes - Arkansas played in two of them and lost them both.

28. Turkish money : LIRAS. Really? I think this one's little but of a stretch - I can't think of a case where I'd use it in preference to "lira". One lira, twenty lira. Twenty liras? Not so much.

29. Host : EMCEE

31. Holistic healers' observations : AURAS

32. Day __ : SPA

35. Winery wood : OAK. Plenty of it here. This is Caymus in Napa; I visited there last year.

38. Colorful carp : KOI

39. Turndowns : NOS

40. What Lot's wife looked back at : SODOM. Not a wise move unless you were planning on being turned into a pillar of salt.

41. Pastoral poem : IDYLL.

Smile and we smile, the lords of many lands;

Frown and we smile, the lords of our own hands;

For man is man and master of his fate. 

from Idylls of the King: Song from the marriage of Geraint

by Alfred Lord Tennyson

43. Stat for a reliever : SAVES. Blown Saves too, but pitchers don't like to talk about those.

44. Nancy Drew's beau : NED. Nickerson. Crosses for me, I never read the books.

50. Everymutt : FIDO

53. WWII attacker : U-BOAT. They were around in WWI too, most notoriously U-20 which fired the torpedo that sank the Lusitania. Erik Larsen's book "Dead Wake" is a fascinating account of the controversial tragedy.

54. New Hampshire prep school town : ANDOVER. Legend has it that the US Postal Service once successfully decoded and delivered a letter with the address:

HILL
JOHN
NH

56. Fanny : REAR. I still chuckle when I see this. A fanny in England is a quite different part of a lady's anatomy.

60. Subtle "Over here!" : PSST!

61. Trojan hero : AENEAS

62. Japanese drama : NOH

63. Hardens : SETS

64. 2012 title judge played by Karl Urban : DREDD. Never saw it. Topical though, Urban is reported as saying in the last couple of days that a TV series "could happen". My breath is bated.

65. Prefix with caching : GEO- Something of a nerdy pastime whereby you take your GPS handheld and go find something placed at a specific coordinate. When you find it, you write your name on it and put it back. Apparently.

Down:

1. Decree : EDICT

2. Riches : LUCRE. Generally "filthy" for some reason.

3. Kilt companions : KNEE SOCKS

4. Groom with a bill : PREEN

5. Jaguar creator : ATARI. Crosses filled this in for me - the Atari Jaguar was a video gaming console. Now, if I pronounce the British car "jag-you-a" and the NFL team "Jagwires", how do I pronounce a Japanese console?

6. Big laugh : YUK

7. Wrath : IRE

8. Postal motto word : NOR. It's an unofficial motto and is inscribed on the James Farley post office in New York City:

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds"

9. French town closest to England : CALAIS. If you stand on the top of the cliffs at South Foreland in England and use your cellphone, it's very likely that you'll incur roaming charges because the strongest signal comes from France Telecom across the Dover Straits. Here's the view from Calais.

10. Honor __ thieves : AMONG

11. Pastoral sound : NEIGH

12. Surrealist Max : ERNST.

14. Branch : ARM

17. Keep moist, in a way : BASTE

20. Enclose, as a porch : GLASS IN

23. Sugary stuff : GLUCOSE

24. Distiller Walker : HIRAM. Cheers! Canadian Club is still made at the original distillery, although the brand is now owned by Beam Suntory of Japan.

25. Snare : TRAP

27. Topping for fancy chocolate : SEA SALT. I use Maldon salt from the UK. I used to bring it back with me after a visit, but my local market stocks it now. Williams-Sonoma also stocks it, for more than twice the price of anywhere else, naturally.

29. Long stretch : EON

30. "Little Red Book" author : MAO. Formally titled "Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung".

31. Mayflower Compact signer : ALDEN

32. High jumps : SKYDIVING. Something seems off to me here. SKYDIVES better matches the clue, "High jumping" better suits the answer.

33. Campaign pro : POL.

34. Catch a bug : AIL

37. Sweetheart : LOVE

42. Clear, as a windshield : DEFOG

43. They may be false : STARTS. "Take your marks, set .....".

45. Pats on the back, maybe : BURPS

46. Really big : OBESE

47. Brown : TOAST. Blacken if the timer is set too long.

48. Cried in the cornfield : CAWED. Crows' cornfield cries.

49. Work on in a bakery : KNEAD

51. Crusoe creator : DEFOE. Likely inspired by the story of sailor Alexander Selkirk, who was marooned with his dog for four years on a Chilean island.

52. Garden products brand : ORTHO

55. OBs and ENTs : DRS. What's up, Docs?

57. Down : SAD

58. What's-__-name : HER

59. United : ONE

Just in time for the grid, and that's it from me!

Steve

Note from C.C.:

The fifth Minnesota Crossword Tournament will be held at the Landmark Center in St. Paul on June 12th, 2016 Sunday. Please click here for more details. Here is the direct registration link. Entry fee is only $20 per person. 

Don G and I teamed up again this year. Other contributors (all LAT/NYT constructors) include George Barany, Victor Barocas, Tom Pepper, Andrea Carla Michaels and a few others. I'll let you know once the updated list is released.

Our own Jeffrey Wechsler is flying from New Jersey to volunteer for the event.  

Monday, May 12, 2014 Jennifer Nutt

Theme: Bye Bye - The unifying word follows just the first word today; like yet unlike Sunday.

18A. *Pre-performance audio test : SOUND CHECK. Sound waves.

25A. *Area marked with police tape : CRIME SCENE. Crime waves.

50A. *Disturbing potential, as of a gory film scene : SHOCK VALUE. Shock waves.

61A. *Best possible poker hand : ROYAL FLUSH. Royal waves.

3D. *Lasers at a rock concert, e.g. : LIGHT SHOW. Light waves.

36D. Cause a sensation, or what the first words of the answers to starred entries may do : MAKE WAVES

Argyle here.  A real quick Monday despite six theme entries. Not much to trip up on.

Across:

1. Big-eyed birds : OWLS

5. Spanish house : CASA

9. Witchy woman : CRONE

14. Toy in the sand : PAIL

15. For whom the memo is intended: Abbr. : ATTN. (attention)

16. Window sticker : DECAL

17. Frozen breakfast brand : EGGO

20. Zap, as leftovers : REHEAT

22. Carnival city : RIO de Janeiro

23. Bunny features : EARS

24. Gallery display : ART

28. New England whitefish : SCROD

30. Pipe joint : ELL

31. "Huzzah!" : "YAHOO!"

33. Singer Ronstadt : LINDA. She is one of my favorites.

 

36. Puddle-bottom earth : MUD. Great clue.

39. Objects of worship : ICONS

40. Historic timespan : ERA

41. Theater platform : STAGE

43. Bench for flock members : PEW

44. Zapped while resisting arrest, say : TASED

46. Turbaned Punjabis : SIKHS. Punjabis - Natives or inhabitants of the Punjab.

47. Quick hellos : HIs

48. Concur : AGREE

54. Lbs. and ozs. : WTs

57. "All __ Jazz" : THAT

58. Crew blade : OAR

59. Spread out ungracefully : SPRAWL

64. Athletic shoe brand : AVIA

65. Many a low-budget flick : INDIE. A film from an independent production company..

66. Bassoon cousin : OBOE

67. Steam outlet : VENT

68. Horror or romance, e.g. : GENRE

69. Sunbeams : RAYS

70. "Understood" : "I SEE"

Down:

1. La Scala production : OPERA

2. Put money (on) : WAGER

4. Gin flavoring : SLOE

5. Fidel or Raúl of Cuba : CASTRO

6. From __ Z : A TO

7. __ und Drang : STURM

8. Sharpshooter Oakley : ANNIE

9. Atlanta-based health org. : CDC. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) (CDC)

10. Fix, as a shoe : REHEEL

11. Humpback whale's home : OCEAN

12. Mother-of-pearl : NACRE

13. Lodge fellows : ELKS

19. Supplied medicine to : DOSED

21. Word puzzle that involves a quotation : ACROSTIC

26. Waits at a light, say : IDLES

27. School reunion organizer : CLASS REP. If you say so.

29. Swindle : CON

31. Shrill bark : YIP

32. Star pitcher : ACE

34. Wrath : IRE

35. Eight-time French Open champ Rafael : NADAL

37. "Blech!" : "UGH!"

38. __ Moines : DES

42. Bit of business attire : TIE

45. Demand from : ASK OF. Not quite the same, eh?

47. Windbag's bagful? : HOT AIR

49. Overdoes the praise : GUSHES

50. Glistened : SHONE

51. "Surprise Symphony" composer : HAYDN

52. Heroic behavior : VALOR

53. Vacation island off Venezuela : ARUBA

55. Package-fastening rope : TWINE

56. Fine-grained rock : SLATE

57. Math course with sines and tans : TRIGonometry

60. Sitarist Shankar : RAVI

62. "Do the Right Thing" director Spike : LEE

63. __ milk : SOY

Argyle

Thursday, October 10, 2013 Jennifer Nutt

Theme: "Green Bay Packers!" Five shades of GREEN are "packed" into this puzzle...all mixed up into a nice salad!

17-Across. *Slow-to-develop sort : LATE BLOOMER. Teal. Here is the green winged teal duck:

23-Across. *Precursor to adoption, often : FOSTER CARE. Forest.  This is what I imagine:

52-Across. *Bargain hunter's destination : FLEA MARKET. Leaf. To me, little difference from "FOREST." But still, a distinct shade of green.

10-Down. *21st birthday, e.g. : MILE STONE. Lime.

31-Down. *Old TV title shown in a heart : I LOVE LUCY. Olive. The one outlier - it uses two words for the anagram.  ...Martinis, anyone?

And the revealer (I sorely needed it to suss the theme!):

62-Across. Salad choice, and a literal description of the starts of the answers to starred

 clues : MIXED GREENS.

Anagrams of various shades of green in a nicely executed theme.  It may be a bit over the top, since all the anagrams were of different words. Usually, anagram puzzles make different words from the same letters.  So that is why this puzzle was relegated to a Thursday level, even though the fill (and my solving time of 8 minutes +/-) dictated a Tuesday-Wednesday level.

Marti here, to show the way through the woods on this Thursday.

Across:

1. Kindle add-ons : APPS.

5. Fight : CLASH.

10. Rainy day consequence : MUD.

13. Wool source : LLAMA. Anyone want "sheep" here? Anyone?

15. Personal strength : FORTE.

16. George's songwriting partner : IRA. Gershwins.

19. Cover : LID.

20. Work in which Iago is a baritone : OTELLO.

21. Spot for a Hindu's tilak : FOREHEAD. No idea what a "tilak" was, but guessed it was one of these marks:

25. Like an unswept fireplace : ASHY. By November, ours becomes quite "ASHY."

26. "Ring Cycle" goddess : ERDA. Goddess of earth, from Wagner's "Ring Cycle" ("Der Ring des Neibelungen")

27. Skip over : OMIT.

29. Hubbub : STIR.

32. Gloss targets : LIPS.

35. Maui howdy : ALOHA. Nice rhyme. I wonder if OwenKL will honor us with a limerick including this one?

38. Amigo : PAL.

39. Pound spenders : SYRIANS. Had to perp and WAG this one (check the crosses and do a "wild a**ed" guess.)

41. Postal motto word : NOR. "Neither snow NOR rain NOR gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Minor nit: the US Post Office does not have an official motto. It is simply the inscription on the James Farley Post Office in NYC.

42. Coffee shop feature : AROMA.

44. Half a sci-fi sign-off : NANU. From "Mork and Mindy." Soooo late seventies!

45. Yard parts : FEET. Three, exactly...

46. Star in Lyra : VEGA. Another WAG that proved to be right.

48. Sphere opening : ATMO. ATMOsphere. If you have seen "Gravity," what did you think?

50. Gray __ : AREA.

58. All one can stomach : BELLYFUL.

60. Northwest college town where "Animal House" was filmed : EUGENE.

61. Big bird : EMU.

64. Twitch : TIC.

65. Witch : CRONE.

66. Where many tennis winners are hit : AT NET. No idea. All perps. (C.C.:  "Winners here refers to the "winning shots", correct?)


67. Farm structure : STY.

68. Father of Moses : AMRAM. I had to dig deep in the recesses for this one!

69. Word after high or open : SEAS.


Down:

1. "__ the Lights": Kanye West song : ALL OF. Nice intro...

2. First philosopher to mention Atlantis : PLATO.

3. Gourmet spreads : PATES.

4. Ore refinery : SMELTER.

5. Fiscal VIP : CFO. Chief Financial Officer.

6. Bubble bath accessory : LOOFA. I wanted the "loofah" spelling here...

7. Hard wear? : ARMOR. Cute misdirection.

8. Music provider : STEREO.

9. On hand : HERE.

11. Hater of David, in Dickens : URIAH. From "David Copperfield."

12. Pops : DADDY. Wanted "Daddy-o." Wouldn't fit.

14. More qualified : ABLER.

18. Imperious : LORDLY.

22. Flag down : HAIL.

24. __ terrier: Highlands hunter : CAIRN. Shweeet!

28. More, in Madrid : MAS.

29. Relaxing getaway : SPA.

30. La Brea goo : TAR.

33. Newscaster Lindström : PIA. No clue. Three perps nailed it...

34. Capital SSW of Riyadh : SANA'A. This was ingrained from previous x-word puzzles.

36. Weeder's tool : HOE.

37. Busts, perhaps : ART.

39. Lose tensile strength : SAG. Various parts of my body are losing tensile strength...

40. Pumpkin pie spice : NUTMEG. Thanksgiving is coming up.

43. __ ticket : MEAL.

45. Evolves beyond forgiveness : FORGETS. "Forgive, and forget..."

47. Maintain as true : AFFIRM. Avow or Aver were both too short.

49. Tierney of "ER" : MAURA. Four perps and a WAG for the last "A" nailed it.

50. Drives the getaway car for : ABETS.

51. Mail payment : REMIT.

53. Vegas hotel with a Sphinx re-creation : LUXOR.

54. Colleague of Ruth and Sonia : ELENA. Ending in "A" or "E"??? WAG got it.

55. New Hampshire city : KEENE. My "surrogate daughter" (a Katrina evacuee) lives in Keene, and just had a baby. So I nailed this one.

56. Nine: Pref. : ENNEA.

57. Lab work : TESTS.

59. Village People classic : YMCA.

63. Rep.'s rival : DEM.

That's all for this week. See you next time, same day, same blog...
Marti

Note from C.C.:

Please click here to solve a special tribune puzzle George Barany and Friends made to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of a famous opera composer who frequents our crosswords. I hope you bookmark his website as a Favorite. He regularly publishes new puzzles there.

Thursday, January 10, 2013 Jennifer Nutt

Theme: "Snug as a Bug in a Rug"

17-Across. *Design pattern on some Irish crosses : CELTIC KNOT. Beautifully intricate design. This is the only non-phrase theme entry.

23-Across. *Not surprising : TO BE EXPECTED.

53-Across. *Ready to come clean : TIRED OF LYING.

61-Across. *Got some gumption : GREW A SPINE.

3-Down. *Intend when speaking : MEAN TO SAY.

34-Down. Correcting, in a way...or what would need to be done to remove the things hidden in the answers to the starred clues? : DEBUGGING. Debugging computer programs is a tedious process, and sometimes is not complete, even after the software is released.

Cute theme with all the hidden "bugs." I loved how each of the hidden insects spanned at least two different words. WASP spans three. I got a hint to the theme early on when I had CELTICK*** filled in. "TICK" just popped out at me, so I started looking for other bugs in the theme entries. Jennifer Nutt usually offers us Monday-Tuesday puzzles. This one seemed to have really easy fill, with some tricky Thursday clues.

Marti here, to try to explain those things that may have been bugging you!

Across:

1. Jon of "Mad Men" : HAMM. He won a Golden Globe for playing Don Draper.

5. Site of the volcano Olympus Mons : MARS. It kind of resembles something out of Greek myth, don't you think?

9. Mosque official : IMAM. Then we have 33-Across. Church leader : ELDER.

13. Double Stuf treat : OREO.

14. Downwind : ALEE.

15. Hells Canyon is on its western border : IDAHO. Beautiful area!

16. Switch from a bottle to a cup, say : WEAN.

19. "Migrant Mother" photographer Dorothea : LANGE. More about this poignant photograph here.

21. Q7 automaker : AUDI.

22. Mop & ___ : GLO.

27. Carpenter's accessory : TOOLBOX. Shout-out to Splynter!

29. Event in many 30-Across : SALE.

and...

30. Newspaper inserts : ADS. I took advantage of 70-80% off sales last weekend on my annual clothing spree...some of my bargains were from 42-Across. Retailer Strauss : LEVI. I bought a couple pair of LEVIs with sequins on the back pockets - "If ya can't hide it, decorate it!"

31. Tizzy : SNIT.

37. Stray : ROAM.

39. Monetary interest : STAKE. Probably from the practice of miners marking the borders of their claims with stakes.

43. Use a lever on, as a floorboard : PRY UP.

45. Org. with bowls : NCAA. National Collegiate Athletic Association.

47. Chem cousin : BIO.logy and chemistry.

48. Rainbow goddess : IRIS. Shout-out to Blue Iris!

51. Battery partner : ASSAULT.

56. Place for a ring : EAR.

57. Have on : WEAR.

58. Vague : FOGGY.

65. Bog down : MIRE.

66. Voice of the difficult homeowner in "Up" : ASNER. Ed. Cute animated film.

67. Chief Justice Warren : EARL. The 14th Chief Justice, he died in 1974. Most noted for ending segregation in schools.

68. Told about, as a secret : IN ON.

69. Try to lose : DIET. Are your New Year's resolutions still on track?

70. Apothecary's measure : DRAM. Equal to 1/8 oz.  Also, a wee bit of whiskey.

71. Soufflé essentials : EGGS.

Down:

1. Bay in the woods : HOWL. Unnerving sound, if you are camping in those woods.

2. Zone : AREA.

4. Genghis Khan, notably : MONGOL.

5. Jobs creation : MAC. Steve Jobs, founder of Apple.

6. Sierra Nevada, e.g. : ALE. This one really had me going, since I don't drink beer. The brewer is located in Chico, CA.

7. "Calm down" : RELAX.

8. Frame jobs : SET UPS.

9. Textspeak disclaimer : IDK. I don't know what this means...do you?

10. Itchy canine ailment : MANGE. Along with the TICKs in the theme entry?

11. "Get ___ of yourself!" : A HOLD.

12. Fictional detective skilled in judo : MOTO. Mr. Moto, to you! I did not know that this character was originally created by Marquand for the Saturday Evening Post, because they were looking for an Asian hero to replace Charlie Chan after the death of his creator Earl Der Biggers.

15. Wintry spike : ICICLE. We have plenty of those hanging around here in the northeast.

18. It might just come to you : IDEA.

20. Subsides : EBBS.

24. Geologic times : EONS.

25. Way out : EXIT.

26. Spill the beans : TELL.

27. Protective cover : TARP.

28. Bouquet : ODOR.

32. Salon acquisition : TAN. I just saw a news clip the other night about a HS basketball player with a rare disease called Mucha-Habermann, who must use a tanning bed every day to fight the painful rash.

35. Like some fictional twins : EVIL. The antagonist in the plot, who tries to undo the good deeds of the protagonist.

36. Serious uprising : RIOT.

38. Naturalist John : MUIR. Founder of the Sierra Club, and activist in preserving forests and wilderness areas.

40. Heat energy meas. : KCAL. Defined as the energy needed to raise the temp of 1 Kg. of water by 1 Kelvin.

41. "No problem" : EASY.

44. Like 1930s prices : PRE-WAR.

46. "Yeah, right!" : AS IF.

49. Middle of March : IDES.

50. Lathered (up) : SOAPED.

52. Breakdown of social norms : ANOMIE. From the greek word anomia, meaning "lawlessness."

53. Ankle bones : TARSI.

54. Damaging 2011 East Coast hurricane : IRENE. Some areas are still feeling the effects.

55. Tuck's title : FRIAR.

56. "Zounds!" : EGAD.

59. Pirate's brew : GROG. Do they measure it in DRAMs?

60. Longings : YENS.

62. In the water : WET.

63. Second Amendment backer: Abbr. : NRA. National Rifle Association, and the right to bear arms.

64. Slippery ___ : ELM. Hands up for "eel" before ELM?

Until next week!

Marti

Monday, April 16, 2012 Jennifer Nutt

Theme: Black Clouds - The first word of the themed entries can follow, i.e. chase, the first word of the unifier.

17A. Dish that's thrown together? : TOSSED SALAD. "Like a STORM_TOSSED ship upon the sea."

30A. Where 6-Across often are when performing : CENTER STAGE. (6A is DIVA) STORM CENTER can mean the eye of the storm or this.

39A. Protective feature of most power strips : SURGE SUPPRESSOR. STORM SURGE definition from NOAA.

46A. Wall protector near a room entrance : DOOR STOPPER. This is the odd man out, STORM DOOR. The other three are meteorological phenomena.

62A. One who follows tornadoes ... or an apt description of the starts of 17-, 30-, 39- and 46-Across : STORM CHASER. "Even storm chasers have agents." (at the end of the clip)

Argyle here and if I may, I will quote myself from my write-up of Jennifer's last puzzle, "Jennifer is proficient in this format. Always a pleasure." I'm not sure I would have gotten the connection without the unifier.

Across:

1. Puts behind bars : JAILS

6. Opera headliners : DIVAs

11. Dairy creature : COW

14. Stan's sidekick, in old comedy : OLLIE. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

15. Call forth : EVOKE

16. Hubbub : ADO

19. Fix a button, say : SEW

20. PDQ, in the ICU : STAT

21. "__ I a stinker?": Bugs Bunny : AIN'T. 8 second clip.

22. Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa : ALPS. Mel Blanc was the voice of Bugs Bunny.

24. Belted out : SANG

26. __ B'rith: Jewish org. : B'NAI

27. Phone bk. info : NO's. #

35. Most of 34-Down's surface : OCEAN. 34D. Fifth-largest planet : EARTH

37. Sugar suffix : OSE

38. Visiting Hollywood, say : IN L.A.

43. Ticklish Muppet : ELMO

44. Bearded grassland grazer : GNU

45. Rib cage locale : CHEST

50. Campfire residue : ASH

51. Catches some Z's : NAPS

52. Musical work : OPUS

54. Traveler's entry document : VISA

55. Woman's sleeveless undergarment, for short : CAMI. camisole

57. Watchman's order : HALT

61. Tasseled headgear : FEZ

65. Get along in years : AGE

66. "Casablanca," for one : MOVIE. 3D. "Casablanca" heroine : ILSA

67. Protein-building acid : AMINO

68. Low-quality : BAD

69. Make off with : STEAL

70. Liberal voter, slangily : LEFTY. And now a musical interlude. Saginaw, Michigan(3:38) - Lefty Frizzell (1963)

Down:

1. Scribbles (down) : JOTS

2. "That's __ of hooey!" : A LOT

4. Leans to port or to starboard : LISTS

5. "Get it?" : "SEE?". 13D. "Holy guacamole!" : "WOW!". 58D. "In your dreams!" : "AS IF!". 61D. "Marvy!" : "FAB!".( like, for sure.)

6. Draw up plans for : DESIGN

7. "Fathers and Sons" novelist Turgenev : IVAN. Fathers and Sons is an 1862 novel. A show of hands for those of you that have read it.

8. Chevy's plug-in hybrid : VOLT

9. Rap sheet abbr. : AKA

10. Some Avis rentals : SEDANS. Volt is available at participating locations in CA, TX, MI, NY, NJ, CT and DC.

11. The Volga River flows into it : CASPIAN SEA. Today's geography lesson. Map.

12. Dedicated poetry : ODES

18. Copenhagen native : DANE. Denmark

23. Not quite timely : LATISH

25. Skin breakout : ACNE

26. Uncle Remus title : BR'ER

27. Hard-__: very strict : NOSED

28. Eye-related prefix : OCULO

29. Spoke from the pulpit : SERMONIZED

31. Refresh, as a cup of coffee : TOP UP. Is this regional? We TOP OFF around here.

32. Psychic hotline "skill," briefly : ESP

33. Shine : GLOSS

36. Old Greek markets : AGORAs. (agorae)

40. Capt. saluters : SGT's

41. "__ momento!" : UNO. Italian; "un momento" - Spanish; "um momento" - Portuguese.

42. Neutral shade : ECRU

47. Cricks and tics : SPASMS. Cute clue.

48. Saddle knob : POMMEL

49. Sweeping in scope : EPIC

53. Disgrace : SHAME

54. Folk singer Suzanne : VEGA. Caution: earwig (3:39)

55. Sheltered inlet : COVE

56. "The Marriage of Figaro" highlight : ARIA

59. Pre-Easter time : LENT

60. City tricked by a wooden horse : TROY. Hello, Irish Miss.

63. Trike rider : TOT

64. Actor Holbrook : HAL. Clip from "Barney Miller" ending with a trumpet player using a mute.(6:30)

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy 84th Birthday to dear Dot! And a belated Happy 98th Birthday to her husband Irv, the oldest LAT solver that I know.

Monday, August 29, 2011 Jennifer Nutt

Theme: Res - It's a legal matter. The unifier explains it quite well.

16A. *Not animated, in filmmaking : LIVE ACTION. Legal action, a judicial proceeding; one party prosecutes another for a wrong done or for protection of a right or for prevention of a wrong.

23A. *Like replays that reveal bad calls : SLOW MOTION. A motion is a procedural device to bring a limited, contested issue before a court for decision.

49A. *One who can't function under stress : BASKET CASE. A legal case may be either civil or criminal. A dispute between opposing parties to be resolved by a court.

10D. *Ineffective executive : EMPTY SUIT. A lawsuit is a civil action brought by a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant actions and demands a legal or equitable remedy.

33D. *Hunk or babe's attribute : SEX APPEAL. After a final decision has been made, either party or both may appeal from the judgment if they believe there had been a procedural error made by the trial court.

59-Across. Where the ends of the starred answers are filed : COURT OF LAW

Argyle here. How did I get Lemonade's puzzle? It might be because I was trying to watch "Amistad" on TV at the same time I was blogging. It is the 1997 Steven Spielberg movie about the 19th century slave ship, events, trial, politics and eventually, the Supreme Court.

Six theme entries proves a Monday doesn't have to be minimal. I checked; Jennifer is proficient in this format. Always a pleasure.

Across:

1. Cookie holders : JARS

5. Baseball feature : SEAM

9. What gears do : MESH

13. Lake into which Ohio's Cuyahoga River empties : ERIE. "Cuyahoga" means "crooked river".

14. Alabama march site : SELMA

15. Austen novel : EMMA

18. Rotating cooking rod : SPIT

19. Grassland : LEA

20. Plunked oneself down : SAT

21. Disco dance : HUSTLE. You may avoid this ear worm if you like. Do the Hustle(4:00)

27. "Affirmative!" : "YES!"

28. Traveler's guide : MAP

29. Dental fillings : INLAYS

31. "A Doll's House" playwright : IBSEN. Henrik Ibsen.

34. __ noire: literally, "black beast" : BÊTE

35. Enveloping glow : AURA

38. "I __ Pretty": "West Side Story" song : FEEL

39. Doves' homes : COTES

40. Do-it-yourselfers' buys : KITS

41. __-Coburg, Bavaria : SAXE. Map, city of Coburg.

42. Like speaking : ORAL

43. Wee parasites : MITES

44. Word with power or reactor : ATOMIC

46. "Casablanca" pianist : SAM

47. iPhone download : APP

53. Mealtime lap item : NAPKIN

55. "That feels great!" : "AAH!"

56. Org. issuing many refunds : IRS

58. Garden of Eden's __ of life : TREE

63. Emblem of authenticity : SEAL

64. Proverbial waste maker : HASTE

65. Movie lioness : ELSA

66. Online business review site : YELP. Yelp was founded in 2004 to help people find great local businesses like dentists, hair stylists and mechanics. The name "Yelp" comes from a friend of the founders who simply liked the word. But it also serves as a nifty contraction of "yellow pages."

67. Cut with acid : ETCH

68. Medvedev's "no" : "NYET". Dmitry Medvedev is the current President of the Russian Federation. Related- 34D. '90s Russian president Yeltsin : BORIS

Down:

1. Come together : JELL

2. Astrological Ram : ARIES

3. Opponent : RIVAL

4. "Get it?" : "SEE?"

5. Spat : SET-TO

6. Quarterback Manning : ELI. NY Giants.

7. __, amas, amat ... : AMO. One of the first things many people will learn when taking Latin.

8. Ways to get under the street : MAN HOLES

9. Army meal : MESS

11. Look happy : SMILE

12. Can't stand : HATES

14. Rascal : SCAMP

17. Nile dam : ASWAN

22. Italian "a" : UNA

24. Brunch staple : OMELET

25. Neckwear pin : TIE TACK

26. Santa Clara chip maker : INTEL. The world's largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue.

30. Central Washington city : YAKIMA. Map.

31. Uncertainties : IF'S

32. Actress Arthur : BEA. TV's Maude.

36. Numbered hwy. : RTE.

37. Barnyard brayer : ASS

39. Old buffalo-hunting tribe : COMANCHE

43. Like a he-man : MACHO

45. Kimono accessory : OBI

46. One of 50 : STATE

47. Unable to sit still : ANTSY

48. City of Light, in a Porter song : PAREE. Name That Song.

50. Mars neighbor : EARTH

51. Goofy : SILLY

52. Wipe off the board : ERASE

54. Brown seaweed : KELP

57. Whack : SWAT

60. Cheerios grain : OAT

61. Trojans' sch. : USC. University of Southern California.

62. Quagmire : FEN. "Feather-footed through the plashy fen passes the questing vole." - Evelyn Waugh.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Wedesday, June 15, 2011 Jennifer Nutt

Theme: oh, bother. the first word of each theme phrase is a synonym for predicament.

17A. *Aid for loose-leaf filing : HOLE PUNCHER

10D. *Pay for a verdict : FIX THE JURY

14D. *Random sample : SPOT CHECK

29D. *Improvisational gig : JAM SESSION

32D. *Deli container : PICKLE JAR

61A. Trouble at the starts of the answers to starred clues : PREDICAMENT

melissa here. right up my alley today. what else? problem, mess, trouble, quandary, dilemma. and a few other unmentionables. pretty straightforward theme, but fun when the theme answers are both across and down.

Across

1. Highlands miss : LASS

5. Soup and a sandwich, sometimes : LUNCH. bill g., what's on the menu today?

10. "The dog ate my homework," e.g. : FIB. my first thought was 'excuse.'

13. Issues : EMITS. tricky.

15. Opener : INTRO

16. Hosp. area : ICU. intensive care unit.

19. '90s collegian, probably : X-ER

20. Chemistry subject : ISOTOPE. dr. dad?

21. Actor Matthau : WALTER. HIGH-larious.

23. Certain two-seater : TANDEM. '...but you'd look sweet, upon the seat ..'

26. Quite : OH SO

27. Goal : OBJECT

31. Go by : ELAPSE. time.

33. Refuse : TRASH. sneaky, noun - not verb.

34. Done, in Dordogne : FINI. french.

35. Piece of work : JOB. nice.

38. Former Fiesta Bowl site : TEMPE. arizona.

39. Geese flight formation : VEE. as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. i can think of another reason, too.

40. Unrefined : CRUDE. but no one here, of course.

42. Hosp. areas : ORS. operating rooms.

43. Highlands family : CLAN

45. Popular Japanese beer : KIRIN

46. American realist who painted "The Gross Clinic" (1875) : EAKINS. i had no idea. the painting depicts physician samuel david gross overseeing a surgery and lecturing to a class of medical students.

48. Was overly sweet : CLOYED. echh.

49. Bridge call : PASS

51. Sprout incisors : TEETHE.

53. Apartment dweller, often : LESSEE

55. Commits piracy, in a way : HIJACKS

60. Former press secretary Fleischer : ARI. thought of this ari.

64. __ Pepe: sherry brand : TIO

65. Consumer : EATER

66. He's got the life : RILEY. the life of riley.

67. Egg producer : HEN

68. Serengeti grazer : ELAND

69. Like variable work time : FLEX. flex-time.

Down

1. Mormon prophet, or the Utah city named for him : LEHI. not up on my mormon prophets.

2. Israeli writer Oz : AMOS. or my israeli writers. he is also a professor of literature at ben-gurion university in ve'er sheva. my favorite amos.

3. Missile housing : SILO. scroll down this page for pics.

4. "Let it stand" : STET

5. Summer suit material : LINEN

6. Auntie's mate : UNC

7. Utmost degree : NTH

8. Sailor : CREWMAN

9. Dance involving a chair, perhaps : HORA. tradition.

11. Frozen sodas : ICEES. never really thought of it as a frozen soda.

12. Sancho Panza's mount : BURRO and clecho 47. Biblical mount : ASS

18. __ the crack of dawn : UP AT. or if you're a teen, the crack of noon.

22. Spanish article : LOS

24. Moat purpose : DEFENSE

25. Writer Wiesel : ELIE. jewish-american writer, professor, political activist, nobel laureate and holocaust survivor.

27. "Beetle Bailey" dog : OTTO. relied on perps, did not remember his name.

28. Uncle Remus title : BRER

30. Psychic power : ESP. extra sensory perception.

36. "Garfield" dog : ODIE. big tongued dog.

37. Road turn : BEND

39. Roof spinner : VANE

41. Brazil's capital until 1960 : RIO

44. Word-for-word : LITERAL

48. À la mode : CHIC

49. "The Bell Jar" author : PLATH. sylvia.

50. Eagle's home : AERIE

52. Wade Boggs's base : THIRD

54. Fencing blade : EPEE

56. "I __ you are": "Ready?" answer : AM IF

57. An amoeba has one : CELL. cute.

58. Patella's place : KNEE

59. Charon's river : STYX. mythology.

62. Part of a pilot's announcement, briefly : ETA. estimated time of arrival.

63. TV room : DEN. a little dated ... anymore, this could be any room.

Answer grid.


melissa