Thursday, October 1, 2015 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: "We Didn't Start the Fire..."


55-A. With 61-Across, radar trap question ... and a hint to what can precede each part of the answers to 3-, 6-, 30- and 40-Down : WHERES 61-A. See 55-Across : THE FIRE?

So, we may not have started the fire, but "fire" starts all the theme words.

3. Cheaper market option : HOUSE BRAND. Firehouse, firebrand.

6. "Jaws" shark, e.g. : MAN EATER. Fireman, fire-eater.

30. Protected from violent weather : STORM PROOF. Firestorm, fireproof.

40. Keep at it : PLUG AWAY. Fireplug, fire away.

Now let's plug away at the rest of the answers to see what we can dig up.


Across

1. Performance enhancement banned by MLB : HGH. Human Growth Hormone.

4. Descartes' conclusion : I AM. "I think, therefore..."

7. Placate : APPEASE.

14. "Evil Woman" gp. : ELO. Electric Light Orchestra.

15. Govt. benefits org. : SSA. Social Security Administration.

16. Strutted : PARADED. With 76 trombones, HG?

17. Annual get-together : REUNION.

19. Stop : PREVENT.

20. Ash, for example : RESIDUE.

21. Rise : ASCEND.

22. __ Gay : ENOLA.

23. Waikiki wreath : LEI.

24. "Green Acres" co-star : GABOR. Eva GABOR and Eddie Albert were hilarious in that show.

26. "__ We Meet Again": 1940 romance film : TIL. A remake of the 1932 movie "One Way Passage." Star-crossed lovers on an ocean voyage.

28. 2006 skating silver medalist Cohen : SASHA. Watch her Olympic performance here.

33. Classic sci-fi play : RUR. I knew it was where the word "robot" comes from, but JazzB gave us a thorough explanation of the play just last Wednesday. (44-Down.)

34. Squeezed (out) : EKED.

36. Gossips : YENTAS.

37. "The Wealth of Nations" author Smith : ADAM. Also called "The Father of Modern Economics."

39. Complaint : GRIPE.  We never see one of those at this Corner, right?

41. Puts on : DONS. "Don we now our Gagliardi..."

42. Muscle cords : SINEWS.

44. Snowman in "Frozen" : OLAF. All perps!

46. 1973 Court decision alias : ROE. v. Wade.

47. MLB Network analyst Martinez : PEDRO.

48. A/C measure : BTU. British Thermal Units.

49. Take the blame for : ADMIT.

51. What "I" may indicate : RTE. Interstate - route.

53. Fill the tank : GAS UP. DH gassed up for me the other day, for only $1.98 / gallon!

58. Sticks : ADHERES.

62. Hunker down for the duration of : WAIT OUT.

63. Most extensive : VASTEST.

64. In times past : AGO.

65. Miner's reward : ORE. We went down a slide into the depths of the salt mines outside Salzburg while we were there. Wheee!!

66. Accumulates : AMASSES.

67. Longing : YEN.

68. Dandy : FOP.


Down

1. Munich man : HERR. Gimme!  Here is my HERR overlooking Bad Ischl in Austria.

2. Joy : GLEE.  After several beers at this cool brewery during Oktoberfest, we were feeling pretty GLEE-ful!!

4. Spanish encyclopedist St. __ of Seville : ISIDORE. Mostly perps and WAGs.

5. Nary __: no one : A SOUL.

7. Horrify : APPALL.

8. Break down, in a way : PARSE.

9. Exact : PRECISE.

10. Roof extension : EAVE.

11. Site of the 2000 USS Cole attack : ADEN.

12. Email : SEND.

13. Fla. summer setting : EDT. Eastern Daylight Time is almost at an end for our Fla. denizens.

18. Young hombre : NINO.

24. Understand : GRASP.

25. War hero Murphy : AUDIE.

27. Fool : IDIOT.

29. Common link : AND.

31. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum city : HANOI.

32. Diamonds, say : ASSET. Also, a girl's best friend.  ;-)

35. Metric wts. : KGs. Kilograms.

36. Vocal nod : YEA.

38. Marseille sight : MER. "Sea" in French.

43. Troubles : WORRIES.

45. Style : FASHION.

48. Lays siege to : BESETS.

50. Piano piece for four hands : DUET.

52. Concise : TERSE.

54. Old saw : ADAGE.

55. Impact sound : WHAM!

56. "__ real nowhere man": Beatles lyric : HE's A.

57. Young newts : EFTS. They are quite tiny, but fully formed.

59. Vatican City coin : EURO.

60. Word often followed by a number or letter : STEP.

61. FDR power project : TVA. Tennessee Valley Authority.

I am retiring from doing the blog after today.  I have really enjoyed all my virtual friends here at the corner, but my plate is getting too full to do the blog justice every week. I know C.C. has an entire stable of talented and witty commenters who can step in to fill the gap!

Hugs,
Marti

Note from C.C.:

I'm sad to lose dear Marti as our Thursday Sherpa. I'll sorely miss her unique take on Thursday LAT. I'll miss her chuckle-evoking links, quick zingers and warm presence. It's fun to blog once or twice, but doing it week after week for more than four years takes enormous patience and dedication. Thank you so much for being our reliable guide and friend, Marti! I hope you continue to stay involved with the blog. Your simple presence makes me happy.

I'm also happy to let you know that Steve has agreed to guide us on Thursdays from now on. Husker Gary will take up Steve's Wednesday spot.

Thursday September 17, 2015 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: Tribute Puzzle to Blondie - All eight symmetrically placed entries are Blondie related.

16A. Spouse of 66-Across : DAGWOOD

22A. Spouse of 20-Down : CORA

40A. Friend of 66-Across : TOOTSIE. Intersecting MR. DITHERS (20D. Employer of 16-Across). I can picture how excited Jerry was when he discovered that he could cross two themers in the middle. The grid design of this puzzle probably started in the middle.

 

54A. Friend of 16-Across : HERB

66A. Comic strip celebrating its 85th anniversary this month : BLONDIE. It's important that this key reveal entry is placed at the lower right corner, traditionally the last part where solvers finish their puzzle. 

11D. Son of 16- and 66-Across : ALEXANDER 

36D. Creator of 66-Across : CHIC YOUNG. I already had CHI? YOUNG and thought his name might be CHIP, but the crossing said "No". 

 

C.C. here. Marti will be back blogging on Oct 1. Gary will guide us next Thursday.

I always skip the comic pages in our Star Tribune. I glance at Family Circus & Dennis the Menace occasionally. They're placed together and I love the sweet and innocent nature of those two strips.

I had no problem obtaining those Blondie names. Easy crosses all around. We don't often see blocks at the corners. Jerry used four to facilitate smooth fill. Stacked 7's & 6's are not easy to fill cleanly.

Across:

1. Ways to the docks : INLETS

7. Military unit : BRIGADE

14. California colleague of Barbara : DIANNE. Babara Boxer is retiring next year. We also have 51. Hatch in the Senate : ORRIN.

15. Worked on a runway : MODELED
  

17. Winter clothes : WOOLENS. I did not know Woolen can be a noun.

18. 2008 Benicio del Toro title role : CHE. A hero when I grew up.

19. Fruit support : STEM

21. Fiber-yielding plant : FLAX. My first reaction: ALOE?
  

24. Messes up : ERRS. And 37. Mess up : MISHANDLE

26. Command to Fido : STAY

28. Pump output : GAS

30. Downturn : DIP. As the stock market.

32. "__ ideal world ... " : IN AN. There will be no personal attacks on this blog. Why do you want to hurt others?

34. Fancy neckwear : ASCOT

39. "A likely story!" : HAH
  

42. Ike's domain in WWII : ETO

43. Orwell's "1984" Inner Party is one : OLIGARCHY. Sparkling fill.

45. Aired as a marathon : RE-RAN. TV marathons.

47. Track setting : PACE

48. Ship, to a sailor : SHE. Hi there, Spitzboov & D-Otto. Any love stories in Guam, D-Otto?

49. Chips for the winner : POT. Did anyone else read it as "Chips for the winter"?

50. "__-mite!": "Good Times" catchword : DYNO. Easily guessed.

52. Patron of Alice's : ARLO 

58. What we have here : OURS. Got via crosses. Sometimes my brain just does not work as constructor/Rich wants.

60. River-bottom accumulation : SILT

62. Word with odds or bricks : LAY

63. Water pistol output : SQUIRTS. Another nice fill.

68. Brighter, in a way : SUNNIER. What Dave does to my day, except when he's in the  stunt airplane mood. Dave mentioned that the right section of the blog (including Interviews and Olio), is missing from his iPhone. Does this happen to other iPhone/Android users?

69. Colors again : RE-DYES

70. University officers : REGENTS

71. Last : ENDURE

Down:

 

1. Union member since 1890 : IDAHO

2. Niamey is its capital : NIGER. Via crosses.

3. Order companion : LAW

4. Slaughter in baseball : ENOS. Cardinals' #9. What jersey number would you like to have? I want #3.

5. U.S. IOUs : T-NOTES

6. The Four Questions ritual : SEDER. Filled in before I even read the clue.

7. Audi rival : BMW

8. Santa's target : ROOF

9. Graven images : IDOLS

10. Makeup of many capsules : GELATIN
  

12. Scouting unit : DEN

13. Paper staffers, briefly : EDS (Editors)
 

16. CCCL doubled : DCC. 700.

23. Back then : AGO

25. She won an Oscar for her 1980 portrayal of Loretta : SISSY

27. 1945 "Big Three" conference site : YALTA. No Y/M confusion this time. Easy Across.

29. "__ boy!" : ATTA

31. Chi preceder : PHI. Not TAI.

33. Light element : NEON

34. One bounce, in baseball : A HOP. Partial.

35. __ days : SALAD.  I bought a pack of Spaetzle at Aldi on Tuesday. Cooked in boiling water for 12 minutes according to the instruction, the noodles were so bland. No bite at all. How do I make it interesting?

37. Caffé order : MOCHA

38. Beginning of space? : AERO. Aerospace.

41. Surg. sites : ORs

44. Real : GENUINE. Oh, Oh, look at this Chloé Paddington!

46. E. African land : ETH (Ethiopia)

49. Springtime concern for many : POLLEN 

53. Cuba __: rum drink : LIBRE

55. Respected figure : ELDER

56. Bring up : RAISE

57. High seed's advantage : BYE

59. "Ignore that edit" : STET

61. Taylor's husband between Wilding and Fisher : TODD (Mike). Wiki says "... Although this marriage lasted only a little over one year, it was the only one of Taylor's marriages to end without divorce; Todd died in a plane crash while married to Taylor... Taylor later called him one of the three loves of her life, along with Burton and jewelry..."

63. Cold War letters : SSR

64. "__ Sera, Sera" : QUE

65. Grads to be : SRs

67. Manhattan coll. founded in 1831 : NYU

C.C.

Thursday, July 9, 2015 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: Somersaults.

We have an acrobatic theme, and are given the reveal immediately at 1-Down:

1-Down. With 57-Down, reverse ... and a hint to hidden letters in 6-, 9-, 15- and 21-Down : FLIP.
57-Down. See 1-Down : SIDE.

So it was no secret that we would be looking for the word "SIDE" appearing from the bottom-up. We are even given the theme locations right away.  That took away from the fun of figuring it out on my own, but others may appreciate the leg up. Simple theme entries:

6-Down. Subject of debate : CONTESTED ISSUE.

9-Down. Retail promotion : STORE DISPLAY.

15-Down. Shipwreck movie staple : DESERTED ISLAND.

21-Down. General Electric co-founder : THOMAS EDISON.

Now, let's look at the rest.


Across

1. NFL threes : FGS. Field goals.

4. S&L offering : ACCT. 2 Abbr. to start...

8. Daisylike flower : ASTER.

13. Waikiki wreath : LEI.

14. Overwhelm in abundance : FLOOD.

16. Shoulder accessory : STOLE. At first, all I could think of was shoulder pads. Remember those from the '80s?

17. Place for the night : INN.

18. "Blue Sky" Oscar winner : LANGE. Jessica also won many other awards for her role.

19. Reliable : SOLID.

20. Wear a long face : POUT.

22. "Take __ a sign" : IT AS.

23. Geometric products : AREAS.

24. Having left the water : ASHORE.

26. '70s "Laugh-In" regular Ann : ELDER. I don't remember her.

28. Fat substitute : OLESTRA. It lost favor due to the side effects.

30. Panel with gauges : DASH.

33. Love interest : FLAME.

36. "Rosanna" band : TOTO. The video. 5:28

37. Empire founded by Manco Cápac, in legend : INCA. He was believed to be a fire and sun god.

38. Baltic capital : RIGA. Map.

39. Feints : DEKES.

40. Leave a lasting mark on : SCAR.

41. Energy measures : ERGS.

42. Picked out of a lineup : ID'ed.

43. Used : SPENT.

44. Throw down the gauntlet : DARE.

45. Barely enough : MINIMAL.
Followed by a semi-clecho:
47. Barely bests : EDGES.

49. Staid : SEDATE.

52. Bacall's love, informally : BOGIE. Listen here.

54. Ward of "Sisters" : SELA. I don't think I ever watched that show. She's the one at the upper left.

56. Some raised hands : YEAS.

58. Clear in class : ERASE.

59. __ about: recuperating : UP AND.

61. Pent- minus two : TRI-.

62. You might pass one in a race : BATON.

63. Choosing word : EENIE. meenie, miney, mo...

64. Like too many jokes : OLD.

65. Colleague of Ruth and Sonia : ELENA. Supreme Court Justices Bader Ginsburg, Sotomayor and Kagan.

66. Blissful place : EDEN.

67. Emmy-winning scientist : NYE. Bill Nye, the Science Guy.


Down

2. Italian port : GENOA.

3. Paranasal space : SINUS.

4. Gp. in a historic 1970 sports merger : AFL. The American Football League merged with the National Football League.

5. Actress Danes : CLAIRE.

7. Roman robe : TOGA.

8. Big name in Syrian politics : ASSAD. Bashar Al-Assad is the Syrian president.

10. Permissible variation : TOLERANCE.

11. Charles Lamb pen name : ELIA. "Essays of Elia."

12. Great American Ball Park team : REDS. The Cincinnati Reds, that is.

25. Bullfight cheer : OLE.

27. Thailand neighbor : LAOS.

29. Evidence of esteem? : TOKEN.

31. Do a cashier's job : SCAN. At our local supermarket, you can grab a wand on your way in and scan and bag your groceries as you go through the aisles.  Thus totally eliminating the need for cashiers.

32. Roxie __, Zellweger's "Chicago" role : HART. The name on everyone's lips.

33. Barney's friend : FRED. The Flintstones.  I was torn between Barney Rubble and Barney Fife, because "Andy" also fit.

34. Capital of Turkey : LIRA. The money type of capital, not the principle city.

35. Combined : AGGREGATE.

39. Old phone booth user's need : DIME. Good lord, I feel old!

43. __ sack : SAD.

46. Nasty sort : MEANIE.

48. Davis of "A League of Their Own" : GEENA. I loved her in that movie.

50. Wyoming's __ Range : TETON. Breathtaking.

51. Ahead of time : EARLY.

52. Tiny tot, in Toledo : BEBE. Good thing this was already filled by perps. My mind would have been on Tater Tots and Toledo, Ohio, I'm sure.

53. __ exam : ORAL.

55. Parrier's tool : EPEE.

60. Place to solve a puzzle : DEN. My go to places are the deck in summer, or the solarium in winter.


See you on the FLIP SIDE!

Marti

Tuesday, March 31, 2015 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: Add a Word - A reveal word is added to the start (or left) of the start of the target word.

17A. *Pest-control device : MOUSETRAP. Field mouse.

25A. *Off-the-wall game? : HANDBALL. Field hand (on the farm).

30A. *Simple garment : HOUSEDRESS. Fieldhouse or field house, is a common name for indoor sports arena.)

44A. *One given to flights of fancy : DAYDREAMER. Field day. A sports day for the younger school kids.

49A. *Hidden explosives activator : TRIPWIRE. Field trip. Taking a class to an off-school venue.

64A. Figuratively, where some wild ideas come out of; literally, a hint to a word and its position when paired with the starts of the answers to starred clues : LEFT FIELD

Argyle here. And March, whether like a lamb of a lion, please leave. Conventional grid supports a 6-entry puzzle medium length fill. Hopefully with no nits.

Across:

1. Dash gauge : TACH. (dashboard/tachometer)

5. Pawn at a shop : HOCK. Apparently from Dutch hok, "prison".

9. Vague shapes : BLOBS

14. Height: Pref. : ACRO. Think acrobat.

15. Saintly glow : AURA

16. Sportscast rundown : RECAP

19. Hersey's bell town : ADANO. A 1944 novel by John Hersey that will live forever in crosswords.

20. Like paradise : EDENIC

21. Go round and round : SPIN

23. "Tao Te Ching" poet __-tzu : LAO

24. "Yummy!" : "DELISH!"

27. Grant-granting gp. : NEA. (National Endowment for the Arts)

29. Soul automaker : KIA

36. Aerobic exercise aid : STEP

40. Woodlands man-goat : SATYR

41. Campus URL suffix : .EDU (education)

42. Serious : GRAVE

43. Old Russian ruler : TSAR

46. Short-lived Egypt-Syr. alliance : UAR. (United Arab Republic)

48. Drunkard : SOT

54. Overthrow : TOPPLE

59. Farm female : HEN

60. "__ o' your throats": "Measure for Measure" : A POX. The nearly identical quote from The Tempest is more famous.

61. Phobic : AFRAID

62. "Alas and __!" : ALACK

66. In need of a chill pill : TENSE

67. Mystery writer Gardner : ERLE. Perry Mason - Erle Stanley Gardner

68. Colombian city : CALI

69. Beer holder : STEIN

70. Ear piece? : STUD

71. __-slapper : KNEE

Down:

1. Got under control : TAMED

2. Words after "crack" or "live by" : A CODE

3. Pitiless : CRUEL

4. Mubarak of Egypt : HOSNI. President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011.

5. Came out of one's shell? : HATCHED. Literally.

6. "Days of __ Lives" : OUR

7. Attend uninvited : CRASH

8. Letter after iota : KAPPA

9. Chastain of women's soccer : BRANDI

10. Guided : LED

11. City NW of Orlando : OCALA. Déjà vu ... again.

12. Unoriginal : BANAL

13. Thread dispenser : SPOOL

18. Ex-Disney CEO Michael : EISNER

22. Printer cartridge contents : INKS

26. Iraqi port : BASRA. Basra is roughly 110 km (68 mi) from the Persian Gulf and does not have deep water access but is still its main port.

28. Neighborhood : AREA

30. FDR's last vice president : HST. (Franklin Delano Roosevelt/Harry S. Truman)

31. Western defense gp. : OAS. The Organization of American States was founded in 1948.

32. Actress Hagen : UTA

33. IHOP condiment : SYRUP. The maple syrup season is running late this year. Go figure.

34. Ice cream maker Joseph : EDY

35. Brewski : SUDS. Slang.

37. Bagpiper's topper : TAM. For whatever reason, Google Images show few bagpipers wearing the Tam O'Shanter.

38. December 24 or 31 : EVE

39. Each : PER

42. Exit the bus : GET OFF

44. Tap concern : DRIP

45. Went round and round : ROTATED

47. Greet the day : AWAKEN

49. "__ Life": Sinatra hit : THAT'S

50. Rented again : RELET

51. Silly : INANE

52. Romeo and Juliet, e.g. : ROLES

53. Apply, as pressure : EXERT

55. Puncture with a pin : PRICK. Hand up for BURST.

56. Song of praise : PAEAN

57. City in northern France : LILLE. Wiki link

58. Comic Izzard : EDDIE. Eddie Izzard-Lord of the Rings & Pipes Link(9:20)

63. TV forensic drama : CSI. (Crime Scene Investigation)

65. __ shot : FLU

Argyle

Monday, December 29, 2014 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: Think Global - Rather succinct reveal today.

57. The third "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie (and where you might find the first part of 18-, 24-, 34-, 40- and 48-Across) : "AT WORLD'S END". Trailer(2:55)

18. Large-group legal proceeding : CLASS ACTION. World class.

24. Lens for a panorama : WIDE ANGLE. Worldwide.

34. Wooing period : COURTSHIP. World Court, formally The International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. Informally, being judged on a global basis.

40. Secure method of payment : BANK DRAFT. World Bank, like The World Court, is a United Nations international institution.

48. Craft with an outboard : POWERBOAT. World power. Yes, I tried motorboat first.

Argyle here. Jerry has had a good year, like his puzzle on Tuesday couple of weeks ago. You might say this is his year's end puzzle. Clearance on 3-letter entries (27).

Across:

1. "Big" fast-food sandwich : "MAC". "Two all-beef patties,...."

4. Ump's call with outstretched arms : "SAFE!"

8. Halloween sheet wearers : GHOSTS

14. Prez on a penny : ABE

15. Cuba, por ejemplo : ISLA

16. Abdul and Zahn : PAULAs. Entertainer and newscaster.

17. Philandering fellow : CAD

20. King toppers : ACEs. In cards.

22. Pulitzer winner James : AGEE. A posthumous Pulitzer Prize(1958) for " A Death in the Family"(1957).

23. Colo. neighbor : KANS. (Kansas)

26. Omelet need : EGG

27. Clock-setting std. : GMT. (Greenwich Mean Time)

28. Bomb trials, briefly : H TESTS

31. Iranian religion : BAHA'I

37. Waterfront org. : ILA. (International Longshoremen's Association)

38. Gems that come mostly from Australia : OPALS

39. Lab eggs : OVA

43. Conductor's wand : BATON

45. "Certainly!" : "INDEED!"

46. Elbow poke : JAB. wink, wink...nudge, nudge.

47. Baseball's Cobb and football's Law : TYs. Tajuan "Ty" Law.

54. Tip-top : A-ONE

55. Earnest request : PLEA

56. Wheel shaft : AXLE

60. Supermarket franchise initials : IGA. (Independent Grocers Alliance)

61. Attractive : PRETTY

62. Writer Ferber : EDNA

63. __ Moines : DES

64. "Honor Thy Father" author Gay : TALESE

65. Nikita's no : NYET

66. Palindromic "before" : ERE

Down:

1. Rain forest parrot : MACAW

2. Ancient calculators : ABACI

3. Handed over, as land : CEDED

4. Attack, to Fido : "SIC!"

5. Like italics : ASLANT

6. "Fried Green Tomatoes" co-screenwriter Fannie : FLAGG

7. Tripod for a canvas : EASEL

8. Transcript no. : GPA

9. Comic Buddy who played Costello in "Bud and Lou" : HACKETT

10. Power failures : OUTAGES

11. Weapon in the David and Goliath story : SLINGSHOT

12. New Mexico art hub : TAOS

13. Tax form ID : SSN

19. Catch sight of : SEE

21. Maker of the Genesis game system : SEGA

25. French pal : AMI

28. Day's 24: Abbr. : HRs

29. DVR brand : TIVO

30. Stretch across : SPAN

31. Netanyahu of Israel, familiarly : BIBI

32. Actor Alda : ALAN

33. Part of a hotel bathroom set : HANDTOWEL

34. Tax whiz, briefly : CPA

35. Clumsy type : OAF

36. Final: Abbr. : ULT. (ultimate)

38. Old California fort : ORD

41. Major speech, as at a convention : KEYNOTE

42. Arid expanses : DESERTS

43. Place for a cocktail : BAR

44. "Mamma Mia!" group : ABBA

46. __ d'Arc : JEANNE

48. Opposite of COD : PPD. Collect on delivery/postpaid

49. Jimmy of the Daily Planet : OLSEN

50. Like a neglected lawn : WEEDY. Can neglect till spring now.

51. Zinc __: sunblock ingredient : OXIDE

52. Rags-to-riches author Horatio : ALGER

53. Kid around with : TEASE

54. Gillette razor : ATRA

57. Fitting : APT

58. Caustic chemical : LYE

59. "Can't Help Lovin' __ Man" : DAT. This is from the 1993 Toronto cast recording.

Argyle

Tuesday, December 16, 2014 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: At the end of a tunnel - is a light and both parts of the starred entries are lights also.

17A. *Actor Sydney of "Casablanca" : GREENSTREET. Green light. Street light.

11D. *Talent show hosted by Ed McMahon : STAR SEARCH. Starlight. Search light.

25D. *Break for fuel : GAS STOP. Gaslight. Stop light.

30D. *Danger after a heavy rainfall : FLASH FLOOD. Flashlight. Flood light.

59A. Understand (and a hint to both parts of this puzzle's answers to starred clues) : SEE THE LIGHT

Argyle here. More vert. than horz. today. I do wonder if  the theme has been done before. (C.C. said not both parts as lights) No matter; it was fun.

Across:

1. __ excuse for: hardly the best example of : A POOR

6. Largest city in Belarus : MINSK

11. Reg. : STD. (regulation/standard)

14. "__ Rae" : NORMA. 1979 film about a factory worker starring Sally Field.

15. Political convention setting : ARENA

16. Golfer's peg : TEE

19. Crazy way to go : APE

20. "Dallas" matriarch Miss __ : ELLIE. Barbara Bel Geddes.

21. Brought up : REARED

23. Boiling mad : ENRAGED

27. Takes advantage of : USES

28. Shower offering : GIFT

31. Waiter's carrying aid : TRAY

32. Get on in years : AGE

33. Pioneering ISP : AOL

34. Break down, as a sentence : PARSE

35. "It's the __ I can do" : LEAST

38. Hidden loot : STASH

40. Superman's symbol : ESS. Pop quiz: How is he standing?

 

41. Bug in a program, say : ERROR

42. Tomato concentrate : PASTE

43. Kitchen appliance : STOVE

45. Activist Guevara : CHE. He's been away for awhile.

46. Hem and __ : HAW

47. Ripped : TORE

48. Word with horse or track : SHOE

49. Tender-hearted : SOFT

51. Slander : ASPERSE. Ten dollar word.

53. Throbbed : PULSED

55. Things that shouldn't be done : NO-NOs

58. DDE's WWII command : ETO. (Dwight David Eisenhower/World War II/European Theater of Operations)

64. Bustle : ADO

65. Like a fifth tire : SPARE

66. Youngest Jetson : ELROY. The Jetsons (TV Series 1962–1988)

67. Curtain holder : ROD

68. Furry swimmer : OTTER

69. Trickles (through) : SEEPS

Down:

1. Zambia neighbor: Abbr. : ANG. (Angola)

2. Tiny skin opening : PORE

3. Sports analyst Hershiser : OREL. Former starting pitcher who played 18 seasons in MLB.

4. Folded eggs dish : OMELET

5. Took to jail : RAN IN and 24D. Takes to jail : ARRESTS

6. Gym cushion : MAT

7. Like some outlet store mdse. : IRR. (irregular)

8. Maiden name indicator : NÉE

9. Dummy Mortimer : SNERD

10. "Kiss Me, __" : KATE. Broadway musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

12. Conical dwelling : TEPEE

13. Homeowners' documents : DEEDS

18. Sealy rival : SERTA

22. Hole-boring tool : AUGER

26. Dilapidated building, e.g. : EYESORE

28. Quick intake of breath : GASP

29. Greek "i" : IOTA

32. Protected, at sea : ALEE

34. "That was close!" : "PHEW!"

36. Arty NYC locale : SOHO

37. Shade provider : TREE

39. Sports page numbers : STATS

44. Jules who created Captain Nemo : VERNE. "Vingt Mille Lieues Sous Les Mers" 1870

48. Forgetful, maybe : SENILE

49. Asparagus serving : SPEAR

50. Perform better than : OUTDO

51. Handy : ADEPT

52. Boot bottoms : SOLEs

54. Exxon, previously : ESSO. And still is, elsewhere.

56. Folklore monster : OGRE

57. Go for groceries : SHOP

60. Consume : EAT

61. Three, in Bologna : TRE

62. Ship's pronoun : HER

63. TV host Pennington and Hall of Famer Cobb : TYs. Tygert P. host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

 

Argyle

Thursday, October 30, 2014 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: Capital Anagrams

Today I'll start with the reveal. 35-Across. With 37-Across, sentence openings, and what the ends of 16-, 23-, 47-, and 57-Across can be when rearranged : CAPITAL 37-Across. See 35-Across : LETTERS. I had to stare at my grid for a few seconds before the theme hit me.

16-Across. Postal service : EXPRESS MAIL. LIMA, Peru.

23-Across. Brigades, e.g. : ARMY UNITS. TUNIS, Tunisia.


47-Across. "You made your point" : SAY NO MORE. ROME, Italy.


57-Across. Form small teams at school : WORK IN PAIRS. PARIS, France.

Do you know why London was not included in the theme entries?

Across

1. Crawled, perhaps : SWAM.

5. Broadway show whose title woman can "coax the blues right out of the horn" : MAME. I had to hum a few bars before I remembered her name. And I never knew about 26-Down. Arthur who won a Tony for 5-Across : BEA. I have only seen the film version starring Rosalind Russell.

9. Renege, with "out" : COP.  I had "opt" and then "bow" before the perps finally led me in the right direction.

12. Andalusian appetizer : TAPA.

13. Accord competitor : ALTIMA. Honda Accord and Nissan ALTIMA.

15. Hole starter : AWL.

18. __-pitch : SLO.

19. Kanakaredes of "CSI: NY" : MELINA. This lady. I recognize her face, but had no clue about her name. All perps.

20. Plastered : SLOSHED.

22. Curled-lip look : SNEER.

25. The tar, in Spanish : LA BREA. Yes, we knew that, didn't we?

27. Anonymous John : DOE.

28. "The Black Cat" author : POE. Three letters? No hint of Abbr? Go with the flow and enter POE.

31. __ moss : PEAT.

32. Mountains dividing Europe and Asia : URAL.

40. Hop follower : SKIP. and a jump.

41. Modest dress : MIDI.

42. NASCAR __ : DAD. A rather derogatory term for middle class men, synonymous with "redneck." The term was used during the 2004 election, referring to the democrats' attempts to regain the southern male vote.

43. Lion or tiger : CAT.

45. Exercises begun in a supine position : SIT UPS.

50. "... if you want to __ man's character, give him power": Lincoln : TEST A. The partial could have been avoided by clueing it as "Head of Italy?"

54. Part of 56-Across : LOCATOR. 56-Across. Google hit : URL. Uniform Resource Locator.

55. Eats pretzels, say : NOSHES.

60. What "I" may indicate : RTE. Interstate. I-90, I-91, I-93 and I-95 all run through Massachusetts. Did you know that even numbered interstates run east-west, and odd-numbered ones run north-south?

61. Common soccer score : ONE ONE.

62. Only : MERE.

63. June honorees : PAs.

64. Blind component : SLAT.

65. Breyers competitor : EDYS.


Down

1. Restrains : STEMS. I'll try to stem my nit-picking.

2. Like Madame Tussauds figures : WAXEN.

3. Traditional temptation : APPLE.

4. "Manhattan" Oscar nominee Hemingway : MARIEL. 1979 Woody Allen film. Her career has spanned nearly 40 years, and she still looks great.

5. Galaxy gp. : MLS. I was clueless.  The Los Angeles Galaxy are a team in Major League Soccer.

6. Source of 20s, briefly : ATM.

7. Harmful gas : MIASMA. Great word.

8. One of the Brontës : EMILY.

9. Dishonorably dismissed : CASHIERED.

10. Bird that's probably not wise and certainly not old : OWLET. Cute.

11. Trudges : PLODS.

13. Fit __ fiddle : AS A.

14. One way to think : ALOUD.

17. Mesmerized : ENRAPT.

21. Porcine sniffer : SNOUT.

23. Kazakhstan border sea : ARAL.

24. Collecting Soc. Sec. : RET.

28. IBM 5150s, e.g. : PCs.

29. Furniture wood : OAK.

30. Inner circles, in astronomy models : EPICYCLES. The Ptolemaic universe used EPICYCLES to explain the movement of the planets.

33. Coach Parseghian : ARA.

34. '60s hallucinogen : LSD.

36. Old Bristol-Myers toothpaste : IPANA.

37. Beer choice : LITE.

38. College email ending : EDU.

39. Extreme summit : TIPTOP.

41. Former space station : MIR.

44. "Solve __ decimal places" : TO TWO. I was much more ambitious, and wanted to solve "to ten" decimal places.

45. Reddish-brown horse : SORREL.

46. Bagel choice : SESAME.

47. Eat loudly : SLURP. Like cowboys eating beans...

48. Main artery : AORTA.

49. Mars pair : MOONS. Phobos and Deimos.

51. Drew back : SHIED.

52. NFL analyst Bradshaw : TERRY. Former Pittsburgh Steeler. How about those crazy uniforms last Sunday? They looked like jailbird bumblebees!

53. Beasts of burden : ASSES.

55. St. Louis-to-Chicago dir. : NNE.

58. Place to see RVs : KOA.

59. NFL mistake : INT.erception. None for Brady last Sunday.

That's it from me - your turn!
Marti

Monday, July 7, 2014 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: Songs in the key of ME

1A. With 66-Across, 1967 Petula Clark hit, and a hint to the three longest puzzle answers : "THIS IS...

23A. 1927 soft-shoe classic : "ME AND MY SHADOW"

35A. 1971 Janis Joplin chart-topper : "ME AND BOBBY MCGEE"

47A. 1972 Billy Paul #1 hit : "ME AND MRS. JONES"

66A. See 1-Across : ...MY SONG"

Argyle here. Well, it was tough listening to all these songs but I did it for our blog's sake. ;~)

Across:

7. Address book no. : TEL.

10. Bal. sheet expert : CPA

13. Lure : SEDUCE

14. Gas station machine : PUMP

15. Amtrak and B&O, e.g. : RRs

16. Readied for new paint : PRIMED

17. Thing left out : OMISSION

19. __ Paulo, Brazil : SAO

 

20. Web surfing devices : MODEMS

22. Baseball's Rose : PETE

26. Body sci. : ANAT. (anatomy)

27. Charlotte and Norma : RAEs. A character actress and a character.

28. Swear to be true : AVER

31. Singer Ives : BURL. Almost made the cut. For Me And My Gal(2:26)

32. Suitable : APT

40. __ diem : PER. (for each day)

41. Morning brew : JAVA

42. Excellent : A ONE

43. "Pretty Woman" co-star Richard : GERE

44. Med. plan options : PPOs. (preferred provider organization)

52. "The Thin Man" dog : ASTA

53. Andre of tennis : AGASSI

54. Fall back, as a tide : EBB

57. On the floor above : UPSTAIRS

59. Johannesburg section : SOWETO. A bit easier cluing, especially if you remembered it from Saturday.

61. Coloring agent : DYE

62. Pledges exchanged at the altar : "I DO"s

63. "I'm a __, not a divider": Bush : UNITER. Dubya, based on a Texas pronunciation of "W".

64. Spanish "that" : ESA. (feminine)

65. Guidance counselor's deg. : MSW. (Master of Social Work)

Down:

1. Recipe amts. : TSPs

2. Wife of Zeus : HERA

3. "Pound the pavement" or "break the ice" : IDIOM

4. Addition result : SUM

5. O'Neill's "The __ Cometh" : ICEMAN

6. "Red Rocks" resort near Flagstaff : SEDONA. A little confusion here; mixed up with Red Rocks Amphitheater, Colorado. Probably should have been just "Red Rock resort area".

7. Upside-down puppy's massage : TUMMY RUB. OK, let's see your favorite tummy rub video.

8. Diplomatic representative : EMISSARY

9. Hi-fi spinners : LPs. (Long Play) and 36D. Spun 9-Down at a party, say : DJed

10. Sobbed : CRIED

11. Prefix with plasm : PROTO. Famous scene in "Ghost Busters".

12. Good __: fixed : AS NEW

14. Ode, for one : POEM

18. Health resorts : SPAs

21. Banned bug killer : DDT. (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane)(Don't ask again)

24. Make, as money : EARN

25. Ship's wheel : HELM

28. Current unit : AMP

29. Gesture from a winner : VEE

30. Corn serving : EAR

31. Finance major's deg. : BBA. (Bachelor of Business Administration)(If you remembered it from Wednesday, June 25.)

32. In times past : AGO

33. Calligraphy tool : PEN

34. Golf ball raiser : TEE

37. Some tavern workers : BARMAIDS

38. Crowd with foliage : OVERGROW

39. 24 cans of beer, e.g. : CASE

43. Annoying bug : GNAT

44. Nightwear, briefly : PJs

45. Death-feigning critter : POSSUM

46. Like some dips : ONIONY

47. Bea Arthur title role : "MAUDE". "...and then there's Maude."

48. Cable sports awards : ESPYs. (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award)(if you remember it from Monday, June 9.)

49. On a freighter : AT SEA

50. Smart-alecky talk : SASS

51. Deal with : SEE TO

55. Bingo call : B TEN

56. Bjorn with five Wimbledon wins : BORG

58. Goal : AIM

60. Green Bay's st. : WIS. (Wisconsin) One for the road. Everybody sing!

Argyle

Thursday, June 19, 2014 Jerry Edelstein

Theme:  Michael Jackson

17. Harebrained schemes : CRAZY IDEAS. They are often off the wall.

22. Noted sitter : HUMPTY DUMPTY. He fell off the wall and cracked himself up.

36. With 37- and 38-Across, big hit : LONG.
37. See 36-Across : FLY.
38. See 36-Across : BALL. If it's not a home run, it probably bounced off the wall.

47. Cause of bad luck, so they say : BROKEN MIRROR. All I have to do is look in one to break it - it doesn't have to fall off the wall.

56. Bizarre, and what 17-, 22-, 36/37/38- and 47-Across can be, in one way or another : OFF THE WALL.

There are lots of ways to be off the wall. Here we have one figurative off the wall reference, one fictional, and two that could literally either bounce or drop off the wall.  Marti here, to pick up the pieces.

Across:

1. Licensed med. personnel : RNS. Checking the perps didn't help much - between RALPH, NAURU and SALEM, all I got was the "S"!!! Cross referenced at 64-Across. Workplaces for 1-Across : ERS.

4. Heavens : EDENS. Edens to Betsy!

9. Relations : KIN.

12. Wireless mouse batteries : AAAs.

14. Fuzzy __ : NAVEL. Peach schnapps and OJ. Great for brunch.

15. How-to presentation : DEMO.

16. One of a kind : LULU.

19. Lay the groundwork : PREPARE.

21. Live-in help, perhaps : NANNY.

26. Squirt : IMP.

27. Hardly a deadeye : POOR SHOT. Any takers?

Deadeye Cupid

31. "We __ amused" : ARE NOT. (Oh yes, we are!)

34. Role for Liz : CLEO.patra. Elizabeth Taylor.

35. Personality part : EGO.

39. Catchall abbr. : ETC.

40. Miscellany : OLIO.

42. Pushed : GOADED.

44. Makes tawdry : CHEAPENS.

46. Acct. datum : AMT. I wish the amount in my account were a little higher...

52. __ New Guinea : PAPUA.

55. Gets : OBTAINS.

60. Half DX : CCLV. I prefer this type of clue much more than "Year in so and so's reign…"

61. Campaign funders, briefly : PACS. Political Action Committees.

62. Guts : MOXIE.

63. 1980s surgeon general : KOOP. The only surgeon-general to become a household name. Do you remember why?

65. Jacket material : TWEED.

66. Elevs. : HTS.


Down:

1. "Invisible Man" writer Ellison : RALPH. Full name RALPH Waldo Ellison, named for - (guess who?)

2. World's smallest island nation : NAURU. Map.

3. Capital south of Olympia : SALEM.

4. Protect, in a way : ENCRYPT. I am fascinated by the Navajo Code Talkers of WWII.

5. Challenged : DARED.

6. Perón of Argentina : EVA.

7. Pince-__ : NEZ.

8. Like some dogs and devils : SLY.

9. Sharp : KEEN.

10. One-named supermodel : IMAN. I can never remember if it IMAm, InAm or IMAN.

11. Prone to prying : NOSY.

13. Dining : SUPPING.

15. Decisive times : D-DAYS. Do you know what the "D" stands for? Spoiler here.

18. Short beginning : INTRO.

20. Sphere lead-in : ATMO. Meh. And another: 33-Down. Confer ending : ENCE.

23. Able to give a firsthand account : UP CLOSE…and personal.

24. "Holy __!" : MOLY!

25. "The Pit and the Pendulum" author : POE. Would you believe, I filled it in as "EAP" at first? D'uh!!

28. Proceed : HEAD.

29. Stare rudely at : OGLE.

30. Related : TOLD.

31. Baldwin of "The Cooler" : ALEC. In gambling parlance, a "cooler" is a player who seems to cause other players to get unlucky, thus "cooling" down their hot streaks.

32. "Portnoy's Complaint" novelist : ROTH. It came out in 1969 - and immediately created a public outrage.

37. Informer : FINK.

38. Dugout convenience : BAT RACK. It's where they hang their keys.

Bat Rack

40. Talk show tycoon : OPRAH.

41. Durocher of baseball : LEO. "The Lip."

42. Bet : GAMBLED.

43. Skip past : OMIT.

45. Is up against : ABUTS.

48. "Cross my heart!" : NO LIE!

49. Maker of Caplio cameras : RICOH. Never heard of this camera:

50. Like septic tanks : ON LOT. Anyone else scratch their heads over this one? Septic tanks are always located ON the LOT of land that they serve.  Town sewer systems draw sewage through sewer lines to a central processing system at another central location. All you want to know, here. (Really, you actually clicked that link???)

51. SASE inserts, often : RSVPS. I used to get invited to a lot of weddings. Now I look through the obituaries to plan my social calendar.

52. Leader who wears the Ring of the Fisherman : POPE. Also called the "Piscatory Ring."

53. Quite a way off : AFAR.

54. Low-ranking GIs : PFCs.

57. CPR pro : EMT.

58. "Man!" : WOW.

59. Tool often swung : AXE. "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the AXE.": Abraham Lincoln.

That's all I have for now!

Marti