Monday September 7, 2020 John Guzzetta

Theme: RNS (69. Hosp. staffers, or an initial feature of the answers to starred clues) - Each theme entry is in the pattern of R* N*:

16. *Glowing circular phenomenon in the constellation Lyra: RING NEBULA.

19. *Harlequin publication, e.g.: ROMANCE NOVEL.

35. *Sound of tires on a highway, say: ROAD NOISE.

55. *Budget college meal: RAMEN NOODLES.

60. *Letter stereotypically created from cut-and-paste newsprint: RANSOM NOTE.

Boomer here.  

 

In these days of Covid-19, my heart goes out to the thousands of RNs in our country who are working overtime to help bring health back to the millions of victims. 

Across:

 
1. Hit the slopes: SKI.  It's a bit early, but Minnesota has many ski slopes for enthusiasts.  All they need is that white stuff, and I am sure it will be here soon. 

4. Divide according to delivery area, as mail: SORT.  In the past I used to SORT thousands of Topps baseball cards into complete sets of 792 different players.

8. Pleasant vocal cadence: LILT.

12. Charged particle: ION.  I watch "Law and Order" on ION television.  "Positively Entertaining".

13. Nairobi resident: KENYAN.

15. Sheltered from the wind: ALEE.

18. Cranberry sites: BOGS.  Add a "G" and you have Wade BOGGS of the Boston Red Sox.  His 1983 rookie card is worth quite a bit.  I am sold out, sigh.

 

21. "The Time Machine" author: H G WELLS.

24. Big sports venue: ARENA.  These are mostly basketball ARENAS.  A bigger sports venue might be a football stadium.

25. Dollar bill: ONE.  Bill Bradley of the NBA's New York Knicks was also known as "Dollar Bill".  I am not sure why, I am sure he made more than that.

 

 

26. Strong old-time cleanser: LYE SOAP.  Never used it.  I like Irish Spring.

30. TSA agents' requests: IDS.  The Minneapolis' IDS Center is a 57 story building towering over downtown Minneapolis.  I've been to the top lookout area.  Just to look, not to jump.  Interesting that the IDS was built in 1970 and people joked about the Minneapolis skyline.  Now about a dozen tall buildings have been built, but tradition is that no building can be higher than the IDS. 

31. Toothpaste holder: TUBE.  Not needed but my Fixodent comes in a TUBE.

33. Entomologists' subjects: INSECTS. Our mosquito crop has been fairly limited this year.  Thanks for small favors.

39. Manner of behavior: BEARING.  I believe older cars had BEARINGS in the wheels.  Just another thing to go wrong.

41. Tolkien brutes: ORCS.

45. Friend: PAL.  All of you out there are my Crossword PALs.

46. Golden __: General Mills crackers: GRAHAMS.  Delicious!  I think we used to use GRAHAM crackers to make SMORES,  If you had one, you always wanted SMORE.

50. It can be bruised: EGO.

51. "Laughing" critter: HYENA.

53. Find suitable: DEEM FIT.  I have not yet found a suitable golf course.  They are all too hard.

59. Greek god of war: ARES.

64. Mailed: SENT. We have had our cluster mailbox removed last week.  We still do not have all of our mail.  However, I watch the news and it seems the Post Office is going through some unwanted changes.

65. Harmonize: ATTUNE.  "Oh how we could harmonize" (Heart of my heart).

66. Feel crummy: AIL.

67. Consumes: EATS.  Hershey chocolate, marshmallow, and graham crackers.  Do you want  S'MORE ??

68. Jumps on one leg: HOPS.  Gather a few and brew some Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Down:

 
1. Knighted one: SIR. Or in Uncle Sam's Army, a Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Colonel, and or General.

2. Zen garden fish: KOI.

3. The Boar's Head in "Henry IV," e.g.: INN.  I've mentioned it a few times.  The C'Mon INN in Billings, Montana.  One of my favorite stops.  The last time I was there however was the National Bowling tournament in 2002.  

4. Fitting: SEEMLY.

5. Hoping to score a run: ON BASE.  My Twins are having trouble getting there.

6. Olympic miler Jim: RYUN.  From Kansas, he won a silver medal in the 1500 meter run at the 1968 Olympics.

 

7. Barber's powder: TALC.  There are a lot of commercials around that this stuff may be bad for you.

8. Hard work: LABOR.  And a Happy LABOR Day to all of you.  Why do they call it "LABOR DAY" and then millions of people take the day off work.

9. "Couldn't be happier!": I LOVE IT.  Bowling, Golf, and food.

10. Arthurian tales: LEGENDS.

11. Some electric cars: TESLAS.  I hardly ever see an electric car.  I know TESLA stock is doing well, but I have my doubts.

13. Small hill: KNOLL.

14. Scottish denial: NAE.

17. College sr.'s test: GRE.

20. Parts of necks: NAPES.

21. Sizzling: HOT.  "When you're hot, you're not you're not."  Jerry Reed.

22. Wildebeest: GNU.

23. Spider's creation: WEB.  I was wondering which insect created this world wide WEB.

27. Three-time PGA leading money winner Vijay __: SINGH.  He won over 50 PGA events, but now, at age 57, I think he has moved over to the Champions Tour.

28. Tokyo's Yoko: ONO.  Very news worthy when she became the wife of John Lennon.

29. "__ see it ... ": AS I.

32. Disco or jazz: ERA.  Also a pitching stat.

34. Title for Amazon's Jeff Bezos: CEO.  All that money and he can't even afford hair. He is incredible.  Started by selling books and CDs out of his garage.  Now he sells almost everything.  And he sells it to almost everybody who might be afraid to leave their home due to Covid-19.

36. Wurlitzer product: ORGAN.  Great for Church music.

37. Broadcast: AIR.  We need it to blow up footballs and volleyballs and basketballs. Bill Cosby.

38. Target of a cheek swab: DNA.

39. San Francisco vicinity: BAY AREA.  I have a couple of sisters out there.  The fires are causing bad air.  I guess you do not need to spend money on cigarettes.  Just go outside and inhale.

40. H or O, in H2O: ELEMENT.  Interesting how if you mix the two, you get water.

42. NFL official: REF.  Sometimes they are called Zebras.

43. Technique used for many film explosions: Abbr.: CGI.

44. Boozer: SOT.  Years ago, I would stop after work at the Stardust for one quick one.  But I was never a SOT.  I had to drive home 15 miles and did not take chances.

45. Sentence segment: PHRASE.

47. Makes sense: ADDS UP.

48. Cantaloupes and honeydews: MELONS.  Our favorite are watermelons.  They are pretty heavy but they taste sooooo gooood,

49. Terse summons about an exam grade: SEE ME. I never got a SEE ME.  I think I was teacher's pet.

52. They're built in birdhouses: NESTS.

54. AOL rival: MSN.  I use MSN.  Not sure what it stands for.

56. New Deal prog.: NRA.

57. Sworn promise: OATH.  You are not allowed to LIE under OATH.  Also I've heard that your nose will grow.

58. Leery of: ONTO.

61. Rowboat mover: OAR.  I used two of them many times at North Star Lake, North of Grand Rapids MN.  Then my Dad bought a five horse motor.

62. Metal in bronze: TIN.  Speaking of Grand Rapids, MN the original home of Judy Garland. NOT. Michigan. TIN reminds me of Jack Haley, the Tin Man who needed some oil to get moving on the way to OZ to ask the Wizard for a heart. 

 

63. Raised urban trains: ELS.  Golfer ERNIE.

 

Boomer

Wednesday January 29, 2020 John Guzzetta

Theme: FALSE START (58. Gridiron infraction, and a hint to 17-, 25-, 37- and 49-Across)- The first words are all pitfalls.

17. Exclusive place for tennis: RACKET CLUB.

25. Unpredictable leg joint: TRICK KNEE.

37. Skeet enthusiast: TRAP SHOOTER.

49. Big Apple power company: CON EDISON.

Boomer here again.  

Lots of sad news about Kobe and his daughter.  I always have one eye on the Lakers because they originated in Minneapolis. Also at my Benilde High School, our basketball team was graced in the mid 1960s by Larry and Terry Mikan, George's sons.  I'll never forget a day when George came to our school for a talk with our chemistry teacher, who happened to be about 5 foot 8".  Wish I had a cellphone camera that day.

I also have concerns regarding the nasty coronavirus.  They say the United States is low risk, but C.C. has friends and relatives in China.

Across:

1. Like much desert terrain: FLAT.  I wish golf courses were - especially the greens.

5. Constructed: BUILT.  I constructed many goofy things with my erector set when I was a kid.

10. Modeling material: CLAY.  I am old enough to remember when this was Muhammad Ali.

14. Latina toon explorer: DORA. The Explorer.

15. Bay of Bengal nation: INDIA.  Interesting that when Columbus hit ground in the U.S. he thought he was in India, so native Americans were called Indians, even in Cleveland.

16. Ceviche flavoring: LIME.  This is a seafood dish.  I used to use lime in a non-food serving.

19. Slavic John: IVAN.

20. Come next: ENSUE.  I think you need an enlawyer to ensue.

21. Tizzy: SNIT.

22. Keyboard slips: TYPOS. Yup, I am a master at these. Used to be a problem on my Royal, I used to use that paper that you could slip behind the ribbon and "white out" the mistake.  Now I just backspace and fix.

29. Cleaver nickname: BEAV.  I remember but how come they never called Wally "Wall".  There's a golfer from Minnesota named Tim Herron who is called "Lumpy".

30. Rapper __ Rida: FLO.  Does he rap hurricanes?

31. Balls in coin-op machines, say: GUM.  Judy Garland was born Frances Gumm Over the Rainbow in Grand Rapids, Minnesota (Not Michigan) in June, 1922.

32. Throat condition: STREP.

34. Ed who plays Santa in "Elf": ASNER.  I prefer his roll as Lou Grant at WJM TV in Minneapolis.

36. Con's opposite: PRO.  I have bowled with some famous PRO bowlers in Pro-Am tournaments.  I am an AM.

 Boomer & Walter Ray Williams, 2013

40. Salary: PAY.

42. Game console button: RESET.  Start over.

43. Mary, Queen of __: SCOTS.  We were not married.  I was king of SCOTCH (Chivas Regal).

46. Air quality watchdog: Abbr.: EPA.  Is air quality better when it's 10 below zero?

47. Poem of praise: ODE.

48. "The thing is ... ": LOOK.  There used to be a "LOOK" magazine. 

53. Big and strong: HEFTY.

54. Roman who wrote "The History of Rome": LIVY.

55. Puzzle-solving asset: LOGIC.  I tried to use LOGIC on a Rubik's Cube.  It doesn't work.

57. Unconscious state: COMA.

63. Quaint oath: EGAD.  EGAD!  I tried to think who used this on TV.  I thought maybe LaVerne and Shirley??

64. Otherworldly: ALIEN.

65. Rooms to Go rival: IKEA.  There's a store near our Mall of America.  C.C. and I only went there once.

66. Singer Lovett: LYLE.  New York Yankee Sparky Lyle helped Yankees beat the Dodgers in 1977 World Series.

67. One with piece offerings?: REESE.  Pee Wee probably announced it.

68. Sleep in a tent: CAMP.  Not me, There's no place like home.

Down:

1. Yalta Conf. attendee: FDR.  The only 4 term president we'll ever have.  That must have been some depression.

2. Mauna __ Observatory: LOA.

3. Rainbow shape: ARC.  "Why are there so many songs about rainbows, and what's on the other side ??" Kermit

4. Corporate acquisition: TAKEOVER.  I wish the Twins could take over the New York Yankees.

5. Drill parts: BITS.

6. Like some directors' editions: UNCUT.  I don't like UNCUT chicken.  I prefer pieces.

7. Car waiting at the airport, maybe: IDLER.  Uber and Lyft.

8. Lucy who voices Master Viper in the "Kung Fu Panda" films: LIU.

9. It might be opened in a bar: TAB.  My sister and others used to swoon over Mr. Hunter.

10. Sound of toasts: CLINK.  Not sure if this is the Colonel in "Hogan's Heroes."  I think he spelled it with a "K".  But either way it was appropriate.

11. Walking, talking example: LIVING PROOF.  I think Chivas was about 80.

12. Hobbyist: AMATEUR.  Did I mention that I was an AMATEUR bowler ?

13. Urge: YEN.  Japanese money.  One yen is worth about a penny.

18. USCG rank: ENS.  Parker in McHale's Navy. (Tim Conway)

21. Hybrid apparel: SKORTS.  I remember these.  Are they still around?

22. "Miracle Workers" (2019) network: TBS.  Atlanta, lots of Braves games on this channel.

23. "Is it soup __?": YET.

24. Fun-loving type: PARTY ANIMAL.  Who can forget "BLUTO" John Belushi in "Animal House".

26. On the other hand: IF NOT.

27. Geppetto's goldfish: CLEO. I do not remember a fish.  I only remember Pinocchio who is now featured in GEICO commercials.  I do not like their ads.

28. Angsty rock genre: EMO.  I think EMU is in the Liberty Mutual commercials.  I do not like their ads either.

33. Send-up: PARODY.

34. Burros: ASSES.  I may have chosen a different clue.

35. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.  Not yet, we have ten more answers.

38. Spa treatment, for short: PEDI.  I thought PEDI was for the feet.  I did not know you need a spa for them.

39. Drawn from various sources: ECLECTIC.  I spent years toiling for Graybar Electric which was not so eclectic, but it was okay.

40. Upper-bod muscle: PEC.

41. Words of regret: APOLOGY.  "I'M SORRY" - sung by Brenda Lee.

44. Tyke on a trike: TOT.

45. Where thunderheads form: SKY.  I'm so old I remember watching "Sky King" in his Cessna on out 19 inch black and white RCA TV,

50. Get away from: EVADE.

51. Skateboard stunt: OLLIE.  OLLIE Hardy was never on a skateboard.  Neither was Stan Laurel.

52. Circus clown's collection: NOSES.  A nose by any other name still smells the same.

53. "__ Dark Materials": HBO fantasy series: HIS.

56. Code carrier: GENE.

57. Animation frame: CEL.

58. Distant: FAR.  Around, Her neck, she wore a yellow ribbon.  She wore it for her lover who is far, far away.

59. SweetWater Georgia Brown, e.g.: ALE.  Only Ginger for me.

60. Alias letters: AKA. Also known as.

61. Sleep cycle: REM.

62. Put to use: TAP. A Keg

Boomer

Wednesday, April 11, 2018 John Guzzetta

Theme: Use Your Noodle.  This one would be pretty close to themeless if it weren't for --

55A. Old family recipe (and see circles): SECRET SAUCE.  

The remaining long fill entries, in a pinwheel array, have nothing obvious to do with each other.  If you didn't get the circles, this SECRET will be a real mystery.  If you did get them, you'll see they are centrally located in the shape of the letter S, which can stand for either SECRET, SAUCE, the word that the circled letters spell, SPAGHETTI, or the letter S occurring twice each in the other long fills.

This is an original theme concept.  At least I don't remember seeing anything quite like it before.  The fill entries with the circled letters also have nothing else in common. Here they are in order.

26A. Filing tool: RASP.  A coarse file used for rough shaping.

30A. Collars: ARRESTS.  Places under legal custody.  When the bandit fell in love with the police woman who captured him, it was cardiac ARREST.

34A. Web unit: PAGE.  An element of internet presence, not typically associated with silken threads.

38A. Skater Sasha or comic Sacha Baron: COHEN.  Alexandra Pauline "Sasha" Cohen is an American figure skater. She is the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World Championship medalist, the 2003 Grand Prix Final Champion, and the 2006 U.S. Champion.  Sacha Noam Baron Cohen is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Baron Cohen is most widely known for creating and portraying four fictional characters: Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral General Aladeen. Both per Wikipedia.  You probably don't confuse them.

A Sasha

Another Sasha

41A. Veggie burger veggies: PEAS.   The PEA pod is actually a fruit, and the PEAS we eat are immature seeds, but are generally though of as vegetables.  I don't associate them with veggie burgers, but I'm an omnivore, so what do I know?.

43A. Struggled to achieve: EKED OUT.  Just barely succeeded at something, like survival, frex., often via excessive effort.

47A. With 31-Down, "Proud Mary" singer: TINA.  Because Creedence Clearwater Revival doesn't fit.

Also -- 17. Phoenix-based hotel chain (and see circles): BEST WESTERN.  The chain operates 2163 hotels in North America, and over 4000 world wide.

11D. Produce served in the fall (and see circles): ACORN SQUASH.  So named because of it's shape.  

Try it for dessert

25. Feature of some penny loafers (and see circles): SADDLE STRAP.  It's not clear to me what these last three have to do with the theme, other than each containing the letter S twice; but since the circles are mentioned, I'll include them here.  Am I missing something?

A penny for your thoughts, loafer

Hi, Gang.  JzB here.  And there is your tasty theme, complete with SAUCE, a veggie burger and even an unusual dessert.  The theme visual can be found in the grid diagram at the bottom of this post.  Now, let's get out of the kitchen and explore the rest of this offering.

Across:

1. Film director's honor: OSCAR.  One of 24 awards issued annually by the Academy of Motion picture Arts and Sciences for artistic or technical merit.

6. Rich, dusty soil: LOESS.  A loosely compacted deposit of windblown sediment.

11. Greeting at a dog park: ARF.  Sound of a dog's friendly bark.

14. 100 kopecks: RUBLE.  Russian money, if you are in a hurry.

15. Common film festival film: INDIE.  Independent - i. e. not associated with a major studio.

16. Loving murmur: COO.  Get a room  .  .  .

19. Mac platform: OSX.  Version 10 of the Apple Macintosh operating system.  I'm using Version 10.10.5 Yosemite.

20. Crankcase reservoir: OIL PAN.   The bottom section of the crankcase where the oil resides.

21. Small bouquet: SPRAY.  

23. "Help!" at sea: SOS.  The Morse Code international distress signal, a continuous sequence of 3 dots, 3 dashes and three dots.  So if you panic and start sending out OSO, it really doesn't matter.

27. Threadbare: WORN.  Thin and tattered with long use.

28. Place for prayer: CHAPEL.  Typically, a small church.

33. __ the hills: OLD AS.  Contrary to popular belief, I am younger than some of the hills.

36. Here, in Spanish: AQUI.  There is Ahi or alli.

Wait for it

37. Agrees quietly: NODS.  

39. Short: CURT.

40. Indianapolis NFLer: COLT.  

Are they out of Luck?

42. Accra is its capital: GHANA.  West African country located on the Gulf of Guinea.

45. Yellowstone attraction: GEYSER.  A hot spring that emits a column of water and steam.

46. Brewski: SUDS.  AKA a cold one.

49. Nine and five, in nine-to-five: Abbr.: HRS.  Typical working hours.

50. Cast a ballot: VOTED.

52. Sources of fragrant wood: CEDARS.  True CEDARS are conifer trees of the family pinaceae. There are many other many other conifers that have similarly colored and scented woods.

54. Make a mistake: ERR.  It's only human.

60. Salty body: SEA.  Of water.

61. "Carmen," e.g.: OPERA.

62. Not yet realized: UNMET.  As needs.

63. Peak: TOP.

64. Ten-time French Open winner: NADAL.  Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player, currently ranked world No. 1 in men's singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals.

65. Sounds from a belfry: PEALS.  The loud ringing of bells.

Down:

1. Mercury or Mars: ORB. A celestial sphere - in this case a planet.

2. Alphabet Series novelist Grafton: SUE.

3. "Young Sheldon" network: CBS.

4. Kind of clarinet: ALTO.  The clarinet you typically think of is the soprano version.  This one is larger and pitched a 5th lower in Eb and has a curved metal bell.  Little known factoid - the clarinet was invented by a French musician who named it after his daughters, Claire and Annette.

5. Does some electrical work: REWIRES.  Could be shocking.

6. Speech therapist's concerns: LISPS.  Eathy for you to thay.

7. Ready to pour: ON TAP.  As, frex, SUDS.

8. Genesis garden: EDEN.  Life was simpler back then.

9. Ringo Starr's title: SIR.   Ringo was knighted by Prince William just a few weeks ago.

10. Motion detector, e.g.: SENSOR.

12. Civil rights hero Parks: ROSA.  Rosa Louise McCauley Parks [1913 -2005] refused to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery ALA in 1955.   She was arrested for violating the segregation law, and became an important symbol of the civil rights movement.

13. Sly: FOXY.  Clever and cunning.

18. Airline to Tel Aviv: EL AL.  The flag carrying airline of Israel since 1948.

22. Tediously moralistic: PREACHY.  Often implying an undeserved tone of moral superiority.

23. One carrying a torch?: SCONCE.  A wall mounted fixture, not a person.

24. "Hey, check it out!": OH LOOK.  Get a load of that!

27. Small, chirpy bird: WREN.

29. Incurring late fees: PAST DUE.  As library books or loan payments.

30. Forever: AGES.  

31. See 47-Across: TURNER.  Tina, from the thema.

32. Indian lutes: SITARS.

34. "Always be a __, even in prose": Baudelaire: POET.  

35. Finder's cry: AHA!  Eureka!

38. Computer "brains," briefly: CPUS.  Central Processing Units.

42. Gets ready (for): GEARS UP.

44. Heavily favored: ODDS ON.

45. Pesky flier: GNAT.  Annoying insect.

47. __ cotta: TERRA.  Unglazed, typically red-brown earthenware.

48. Exemplary: IDEAL.  Perfection!

50. Garment for brisk days: VEST.  COAT also fits.

51. Two-toned snack: OREO.  More food, common x-word fare.

52. Sent a dupe to: CCED. Carbon copies are so 1980, but still the abrev persists.

53. Reasonable: SANE.  That's not-crazy talk.

56. Org. that monitors wetlands: EPA.  Environmental Protection Agency.

57. Actress Thurman: UMA.

Various views available

58. Cartoon sheet: CEL.  

Collecter's item

59. Purported UFO crew: ETS.  Extra-Terrestrials, off planet expats.

OK, Kids.  That wraps up another Wednesday. Hope you enjoyed it.

Cool regards!
JzB

Notes from C.C.:

1) Update on Argyle: The old Scott is slowly coming back. He sounded cheerful when I talked to him yesterday. He's doing great at the rehab. He still has not figured out his tablet, but he can read our blog and comments. He's expected to stay at this rehab center for another month.

2) If you have extra time, click here and solve the puzzle by the great Brendan Emmett Quigley (BEQ). He has both Across Lite and PDF file available. Or you can solve at his site. Let me know where you get stumped. (Spoiler: Here is the write-up with answers.)

Sunday, March 4, 2018 John Guzzetta

Theme: "Island Hopping"- Seven islands are hopping in the grid.

24A. Preliminary negotiations : INFORMAL TALKS. Malta. With the L in 22A: "I didn't mean that":  NOT REALLY and 25A. - : TALKS

48A. Former Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale component : VERBAL IQ. Bali. With the A in 43. Italian peaks : ALPS and 50A. - : LIQ

51A. Fluorescent bulb element : KRYPTON GAS. Tonga. With the O in ' 44. "Seriously?" : YOU DO? and 52A. - : NGAS

67A. "On the Good Ship Lollipop" performer : SHIRLEY TEMPLE. Leyte. With the Y in 63. Fine-grained wood : YEW and 69. - : TEMPLE

84A. Lesser clergy member : MINOR CANON. Minorca. With the R in 81A. Show some teeth : GRIN and 86A. - : CANON

88A. Confirmed : BORNE OUT. Borneo. With the N in 82. Washington soccer team : DC UNITED and 89. - : EOUT

110A. Check out a wreck, perhaps : GO SCUBA DIVING. With the B in  105. Lacking what it takes : UNABLE. And 112. - : ADIVING. Cuba.

 As I mentioned before, Across Lite can't handle no clues, hence the "-" in the last part of each theme entry.  

Amazing grid from John! The starting & ending phrases are all symmetrically placed. I especially loved those few where the finishing parts are real words, like TALKS, TEMPLE and CANON.

Tons of sparkling long fill, despite various theme restrictions.

Across:    

1. Pond organism : ALGA

5. Traffic sound : BEEP

9. Spin, for one : CYCLE

14. Niger neighbor : MALI. Ali Farka Touré!

18. Slight mitigation? : NO OFFENSE. And 20. One dressed for dinner? : CAESAR SALAD. And their symmetrically partners: 115. Babysitters' woes : HOLY TERRORS. 119. Romcom, perhaps : DATE MOVIE. Gorgeous 11's.

23. Defense opponent, briefly : ASSISTANT DA

27. Bivouac structure : TENT

28. Sportage automaker : KIA

29. Olympic skater Ito : MIDORI. We see ITO more often.

31. Mag. edition : ISS

33. Obliterate : ERASE

37. Blow bubbles into : AERATE

40. Canberra school : UNI. University.

41. Benjamin of "Private Practice" : BRATT. He was in "Law & Order" also.

46. Teachers' org. : NEA

53. Functions : OPERATES

55. Ring holders : TOES. Tiny dupe with 26. "Single Ladies (Put __ on It)": Beyoncé hit : A RING

56. Fish eggs : ROE

58. Toffee candy bar : SKOR

60. Alloys, e.g. : MIXES

61. Corner office execs : CEOs

62. Word spoken con affetto : CARA.  Google Translate "Con affetto" means "with love". Looks like "with affection" to me.

64. Sleep it off : SOBER UP. Also 72. Youth support group : ALATEEN
 
66. "Shame!" : TSK

71. Tach figure : RPM

74. Antique : OLD

76. Storage facility sometimes found underground : SILO

77. New Mexico's __ Ski Valley : TAOS. Never skied. You?

78. "What __": "Ho-hum" : A BORE

79. Scoop : INFO

80. Part of TNT : TRI

90. Balaam's mount : ASS

91. Vade __: handbook : MECUM, New phrase to me.

92. Old Vatican bread : LIRE

94. Port of __: Trinidad and Tobago's capital : SPAIN

96. Fashion initials : YSL. Lovely.

98. Hundreds, slangily : C SPOTS

102. Plane wing parts : SLATS

104. Driver's lic. figure : HGT

107. Mauna __ : LOA

108. Blood prefix : HEMO

121. Piton user : MOUNTAINEER. Looks dangerous.

122. How titles may be written : INITALICS

123. Sludge : OOZE

124. Wonder Woman's __ of Truth : LASSO

125. Chinese: Pref. : SINO. We also have 6. China's Zhou __ : ENLAI

126. From Denver to Topeka : EAST

Down:
 
1. Golfer Sorenstam : ANNIKA. She is a special VIP during the annual 3M Championship here in MN.

2. Canadian coin : LOONIE

3. Had success : GOT FAR

4. Picked hairdo : AFRO

5. Classic "Star Trek" order : BEAM ME UP
 

7. Night school subj. : ESL

8. Manning in Nationwide ads : PEYTON

9. Amontillado holder : CASK

10. Base reply? : YES SIR

11. "__: Miami" : CSI

12. Final part of a task : LAST STEP

13. Art Deco artist : ERTE

14. Watchword : MANTRA

15. PC space bar neighbor : ALT

16. Bloke : LAD

17. Early civil rights activist __ B. Wells : IDA. Wiki says she "was an African-American journalist, newspaper editor, suffragist, sociologist, feminist, Georgist, and an early leader in the Civil Rights Movement. She was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909."

19. Pro, country-style : FER

20. Colombian city : CALI

21. Clear-minded : SANE. Nothing seems to rattle D-Otto. 

30. Pair : DUO

32. Relish : SAVOR

34. ATV part : ALL-TERRAIN

35. Watches secretly : SPIES UPON

36. Legal titles: Abbr. : ESQs

38. Actor Lew : AYRES

39. Some action figures : TOYS

41. Successful shot : BASKET

42. Vocal effect : TREMOLO

45. Subway line with a Yankee Stadium stop : D TRAIN. Have any of you been to the Yankee Stadium?

47. "Whoa!" : EASY

49. Payoff : BRIBE. Common practice in my first job near Tsingtao. My boss knew how to bribe those local mayors.

51. "Laughing" Australian bird : KOOKABURRA

52. "SNL" alum Kevin : NEALON

54. Paul Bunyan tool : AXE

55. Chicago Museum of Science and Industry showpiece : TESLA COIL. Got via crosses.

57. Bobby on the ice : ORR

59. Has a loan from : OWES TO

61. Windy City transp. org. : CTA. Chicago Transit Authority.

62. Frito-Lay product with a spokes-feline named Chester : CHEETOS

64. Put together, as film : SPLICE

65. U.K. heads : PMs

67. __ A: Italian soccer league : SERIE. New to me also.

68. "The Simpsons Theme" composer Danny : ELFMAN

70. 105-Down launch : MIR. And 105. 70-Down launcher : USSR
 
73. Slew : TON

75. "... the worst thing you can __ nothing": Teddy Roosevelt : DO IS

77. Clobber : TROMP

79. Attaché attachment : ID TAG

81. African bovines : GNUS

82. Two-baggers: Abbr. : DBLS. Doubles. Also 91. Commissioner's Trophy org. : MLB

83. High : EUPHORIA

85. Timberlake's former band : NSYNC

87. Approve : ACCEDE TO

 93. Welding fuel : ETHYNE

95. "And So __": Billy Joel song : IT GOES. Rare 6-letter partial.

97. Riyadh residents : SAUDIS. One of our readers lived there for a few years as a diplomat.

99. Kid-lit pig : OLIVIA

100. Elixirs : TONICS

101. Like the best wisdom : SAGEST

103. Paving stone : SETT. Regular in our old Wayne R Williams days.

106. Classic language : LATIN

109. Dinner, for one : MEAL

111. It has a Double Stuf variety : OREO. Three characters in Chinese. O RE O. The first character and the last one are the same.

113. The Beatles' "__ Loser" : I' M A

114. Burrowing rodent : VOLE

115. Aetna offering : HMO

116. Tic-tac-toe win : OOO

117. Spanish light : LUZ. New to me also.

118. ER workers : RNs

120. Young Skywalker's nickname : ANI

Mike Alpern told me that only three spots remain for the Cru Dinner. So email Mike (alpernm@aol.com) now if you don't want to miss the chance to mingle with other solvers and constructors.

C.C.

Monday, January 29, 2018 ~ John Guzzetta

Theme: Do Effects Affect You? - Place the word, EFFECT beside the last word of the theme answers.

17A. "Blueberry Hill" R&B singer: FATS DOMINO. The domino effect, when one event sets off a chain of similar events.

23A. Title passenger train with an "ever-lovin' light": MIDNIGHT SPECIAL. Special effect, usually plural. Some movies seem to be made just to show off the special effects.

37A. Cho-Cho-San story on which a Puccini opera was based: MADAME BUTTERFLY. The butterfly effect, when a minute local change can have large effects elsewhere.

48A. Body of water bordering most of Connecticut's coast: LONG ISLAND SOUND. Sound effect, again often plural, can be silly, like tires squealing on dirt.

59A. Undesired medication consequence ... and what can literally go with the end of 17-, 23-, 37- and 48-Across: SIDE EFFECT

Argyle here. Three spanners plus two more; big for a Monday. John has been busy but not with LAT of late.

Across:

1. Pearl Harbor site: OAHU

This photo of USS Arizona Memorial is courtesy of TripAdvisor

5. Breaks under pressure: SNAPS

10. Fabric woven with metallic threads: LAMÉ

14. Dec. 25: XMAS

15. Aerosmith frontman Steven: TYLER. Here with daughter, Liv.

16. Apple tablet: iPAD

19. Telephoto, for one: LENS

20. Had lunch, say: ATE

21. Cry from one who's all thumbs: "OOPS!"

22. Boot camp nickname: SARGE. Sir! Not in my boot camp, Sir!

27. Integer after zero: ONE

28. Bank job: HEIST

29. Frosty coat: HOAR

32. Plant's sticker: THORN

34. Arabic "son of": IBN

41. "Total Request Live" network: MTV. (an initialism of Music Television)

42. Bedouins, e.g.: ARABS

43. 90 degrees from norte: ESTE. (Spanish, north / east)

44. Ear-related: AURAL

46. 007 creator Fleming: IAN

55. Ancient Peruvians: INCAs

56. Place to order a Reuben: DELI

57. __ Paulo, Brazil: SAO

Museu de Arte ( Museum of Art)

58. Chow or lo follower, in Chinese cuisine: MEIN. Just American Chinese, C.C.?

62. Marching musicians: BAND

63. Opinion pieces: OP-EDs

64. Fishing decoy: LURE

65. Gold medalist Korbut: OLGA

66. Bottom-of-the-barrel: WORST

67. Copies: APEs

Down:

1. Britain-based relief agcy.: OXFAM. Oxfam was founded in 1942 as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief. More

2. Prized violin: AMATI

3. Abhorrent: HATED

4. Navy sub initials: USS

5. Moe, Curly or Larry: STOOGE

6. Lorelei, for one: NYMPH

7. Roster of invited celebs: A-LIST

8. Signer's writer: PEN

9. Sign of a sellout: SRO. (Standing Room Only)

10. Purple flowers: LILACS

11. Pre-dinner drinks: APÉRITIFs

12. Japanese comics: MANGA

13. '50s Ford flop: EDSEL

18. Bump off: DO IN

22. River through Paris: SEINE. Running a little high right now.

24. Screenwriter Ephron: NORA. (1941-2012) Alma mater: Wellesley College.

25. Attempts to score, in hockey: SHOTS. Noun.

26. Saucy: PERT

29. "I'm thinking ... ": "HMM ... "

30. Grain in Quaker cereals: OAT

31. Getting promotions: ADVANCING. Ah, the Peter Principle. Wiki

32. Little League precursor: T-BALL. Pitchers and catchers report mid-February.

33. Center of a wheel: HUB

35. Sandwich letters: BLT

36. "Science Guy" Bill: NYE

38. Roger who broke Babe's record: MARIS. On October 1, 1961, but the season was eight days longer than when Ruth set his record.

39. Times often named for presidents: ERAs

40. Alternative to Vegas: RENO

45. Where Amin ruled: UGANDA. The Rwenzori Mountains(surprised? I am.)

46. Least active: IDLEST

47. "Yeah, right!": "AS IF!"

48. Dance under a bar: LIMBO

49. Tatum of "Paper Moon": O'NEAL

50. Puff __: snake: ADDER

51. Requires: NEEDS

52. Exhaust: USE UP

53. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE

54. Adores to death, with "on": DOTES

59. Spread, as discord: SOW

60. NYSE debut: IPO. Stocks(initial public offering)

61. Ga.'s southern neighbor: FLA.

Argyle

Wednesday, May 11, 2016 John Guzzetta

Theme:  PHUN WITH FONICS.  Each two word answer has the initial consonant sound /f/ spelt two different ways, with the expected letter "F" and with the digraph "PH."  Without delving too deeply into it, or proposing a general rule, it seems that many words using the "PH" digraph are derived from Greek: philosophy,  phonetics and, for a double whammy, photograph.

17 A. Communication device also called a clamshell : FLIP PHONE.   A cell phone that folds shut and flips open.  This is now a retro design, but is still rather popular.

24 A. Verne's circumnavigator : PHILEAS FOGG.  The protagonist of Jules Vernes 1873 novel, Around the World in Eighty Days.

53 A. Reunion memento : FAMILY PHOTO.   Here's one of Gloria and 8 of our 11 grandchildren, from her birthday last August.

Some of my favorite peeps

39 A. Gym teacher's concern : PHYSICAL FITNESS.   I've been working out this year to do something about my physical fatness.  Lost 9 lbs so far.

64. Ben & Jerry's flavor inspired by a Vermont rock band : PHISH FOOD.   "Chocolate Ice Cream with Gooey Marshmallow Swirls, Caramel Swirls & Fudge Fish."  In my opinion, they fudged on the spelling of Phish.  You can read about it - and listen - here.

Hi, gang.   Jazzbumpa here.   With 5 theme entries, one a grid spanner, this puzzle is pretty rich in themeage. Let's see what else we can phind.

Across

1. Choose : OPT.  I assume this derives from "option."

4. Metaphorical loss in a bad deal : SHIRT.   Presumably indicating the loss of all assets, even one's clothing.   Probably related to the expression "I'd give the shirt off my back" for something intensely craved.

9. Salon creations : COIFS.  Hair arrangements.

Would you do this do?

14. Column crosser : ROW.   In a spread sheet or crossword grid.

15. Palmer with an "army" : ARNIE.  Also a soft drink - tea mixed with lemonade.

Drink and stay sober

16. "Strange to say ... " : ODDLY.  Believe it or not.  Once, back in the days when I used to frustrate myself by phlailing with golph clubs, I was playing at Bay Hill - Arnie's resort in FLA - when I hit a drive that never got above 6 inches off the ground, and hit a squirrel square in the head.  True story. That's how I became Bumpa the squirrel slayer.    

19. Unlock the door for : LET IN.   Allow to enter.

20. Match socially : FIX UP.  Arrange a date for someone.

21. Tater : SPUD.  Potato - suitable for mashing.

23. Anti-apartheid org. : ANC.  African National Congress.  The ruling social democratic party of the Union of South Africa.

28. "Rad!" : AWESOME.   Impressive.  Because the word "awful" changed meaning from "awe inspiring" to "horrible and repugnant."

31. Consider : DEEM.  It was deemed "awful and artificial."

32. All-Clad product : PAN.   Cook ware, not the Greek god who consorted with NYMPHS.

33. Yucatán year : ANO.  Spanish.  More appropriately rendered -- año.

35. Spooky : EERIE.  I grew up not far from the shore of Lake Spooky.

44. Done in by Buffy, say : SLAIN.   Buffy is the vampire slayer.  As far as I know, she did not use sporting equipment.

Buffy in the middle

45. __ Pérignon : DOM.  Vintage champagne produced by Moët & Chandon.

46. Lunch letters : BLT.  Bacon Lettuce and Tomato sandwich -- YUM!

47. Simile words : AS AN.   It's as ________ AS AN __________.  [Phill in the blanks]

50. Affluent London area : CHELSEA.  Along the north bank of the Thames, near CHELSEA bridge.

56. "Moulin Rouge!" director Luhrmann : BAZ.  No idea.

57. Most blue state electees: Abbr. : DEMS.  The DEMocratic Party is associated with the color blue, and the Republicans with the color red.  I will say no more.

58. Secret stash : CACHE.  I wish I had a CACHE of cash.

62. Piano exercise : ETUDE.  From the Frech word for "study," a [usually] short, technically difficult exercise designed to build skill.

67. More valuable to a collector : RARER.  A word rarely said, since it trips so awkwardly off the tongue.

68. World Court site, with "The" : HAGUE.   A city in the South Holland province of The Netherlands, home to the U. N.'s International court of justice.

69. Holiday drink : NOG.   A drink made with eggs, sugar, milk and possibly some alcohol.  The origin of the word is uncertain.

70. Narrow valleys : GLENS.  A Scottish term for a deep valley in the highlands, 

71. Symbol of military power : SWORD.   The pen is alleged to be mightier.

72. __ blue : SKY.  The color of the SKY on a cloudless day.   SKY gray is common in the Great Lakes region.

Down

1. "Carmina Burana" composer : ORFF.  Carl.  Carmina Burana is a suite of 24 medieval poems, mostly in vulgar Latin, that ORFF set to music in 1937.  The topics include drinking, gambling, gluttony and lust.  Some are quite bawdy.  The entire suite takes over an hour to perform.  Everyone has heard O Fortuna a thousand time, but I can't find another section excerpted, and at least this version is a different sort of performance.

2. __ sci : POLI.  A social science discipline dealing with systems of government and the analysis of political activity and behavior.  More than that I will not say.

3. Mars candy bar : TWIX.  A biscuit covered with caramel and chocolate.

4. Lyric poet of Lesbos : SAPPHO.  [ca 620 - 570 B. C.]   Most of her poetry has been lost, and much that remains is in fragments.  One complete poem is her Hymn to Aphrodite.

5. Initials for William or Harry : HRH.  His Royal Highness, a style of address for British royalty.

6. Diminutive Italian suffix : -INO.

7. Dishwasher cycle : RINSE.

8. Starting point for Frisbee golfers : TEE PAD.   This is actually a thing - a concrete pad; preferred size is between 5x12 and 6x20 feet.

9. Loss of nerve : COLD FEET.   The origin of the phrase is uncertain.  It has been attributed to author Steven Crane, who added the phrase to the 2nd [1896] edition of his novel, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. 

10. Dedicated poem : ODE.  

11. Luggage label : I D TAG.

12. Affair : FLING.  A fling is of short duration.  An affair can go on for years.   Either way, it probably involves one or more trysts.

13. (In) agreement : SYNC.  Derived from being synchronized.

18. Baby sharks : PUPS.  I did not know that.

22. Take advantage of : USE.

25. Apple variety : I-MAC.  Computer, not fruit.

26. Singer Horne : LENA.  Genuinely great.

27. Crow, at times, in Hinduism : OMEN.   Lots of minutia here.

28. Mobile downloads : APPS.  Software APPlications.

29. Brand of beard trimmers : WAHL.

30. Singer who co-composed a song in Elvish for "The Lord of the Rings" : ENYA.  Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin is a frequent crossword visitor, especially when I am blogging.

34. Over the hill : OLD.   Let's not get personal.

36. CSA soldiers : REBS.  Confederate soldiers from the American civil war.

37. Archipelago part : ISLE.  One island in a group.

38. Spanish pronoun : ESTA.   Meaning "this" or "that."  Spanish pronouns must agree in gender and number with the noun they are referring to.  ESTA is feminine singular.

40. Broadway king's domain : SIAM.   From The King and I.

41. Ones with access : INSIDERS.  They are always LET IN.

42. Nina of "The Ten Commandments" : FOCH.   She played Bithiah, an Egyptian princess.

43. FWIW kin : IMHO.   For What It's Worth and In My Humble Opinion.

48. Tankard contents : ALE.  A roughly cylindrical drinking cup with a handle that may be filled with a variety of libations.

49. Mythological maidens : NYMPHS.   They consorted with PAN.  Chicks just dug that old goat.

Cooking with Pan

51. Ingrained : ETCHED.

52. Just sit around : LOAF.   Like a couch potato, to continue the quasi-food reference.

53. Decisive, as a mistake : FATAL.  Causes an epic fail.

54. Blue shade : AZURE.  Like the SKY, perhaps.

55. "Poppycock!" : PSHAW.

56. Result of glacial calving : BERG.  When an iceberg breaks off from a glacier, that is known as "calving."

59. Deceives : CONS.  Probably derived from "confidence trick" or "- game," in which someone attempts to commit a fraud by first gaining the confidence of another person or group.

60. Hoops shot : HOOK.   A basketball shot now rarely seen in the age of slam dunks, so named for the shape of the arm motion.

61. Like envelope-pushing comedy : EDGY.   Or hair dos.

63. Hibernation spot : DEN.  Suitable for bears and couch potatoes.

65. "Can __ now?" : I GO.  The inverse of "Let me in."

66. Prefix with charge : SUR-.   From the French, indicating over, above, or in addition.  A surcharge is an additional charge levied for any of a variety of reasons.

OK.  We're phinally phinished.  I had a lot of phun, and hope you did too.

Cool regards!
JzB

Notes from C.C.:

1) Jazzbumpa (Ron) made his WSJ debut today. You can click here to print out the PDF file. Congratulations, Ron! Thanks for the inspiration and fun ride.

2) Here are three great pictures from JD's Mother's Day celebration. JD is with her two daughters and four grandkids in the second picture.