Friday, May 12, 2017, John Lampkin

Title: What hotel are you staying at? The one where you get two rooms for the price of one!

Wow, John has made my first attempt to blog a puzzle since I have been ill a challenge. On the one hand it seems simple with a nice progression from ECONOMY-STANDARD-PREMIUM-LUXURY but there is no  reveal. And then we have the four words inserted by JL. They give us Economy/Rat Pack; Standard/Hot Time; Premium/Swamp Gas and Luxury/Eye Liner.  Two themes for the price of one. I do not recall ever seeing a puzzle with this duality. All with John's wonderful wit mixed in both the theme and the cluing/fill.

19A. Doppelgänger cast for a low-budget remake of "Ocean's 11"? : ECONOMY RAT PACK (14). The original from 1960 was a vehicle for the Sinatra PACK. The real remakes have not been economy. Which of the movies did you like best?

23A. Usual night in the old town? : STANDARD HOT TIME. (15). The first of two grid-spanners.

42A. Quality marsh output? : PREMIUM SWAMP GAS (15). The silliest of the theme fill.

48A. Gold dust lid cover? : LUXURY EYE LINER (14). Made me think of Elizabeth Talyor as Cleopatra.

In addition to the 58 letters dedicated to the theme, JL includes SODA POP,  BUOYANT,  TEEN IDOL,  LEMMINGS,  ROADSIDES and  ART DEALER as sparkly fill. I had a great time.

Across:

1. "L'Arlésienne" composer : BIZET. Wow, not a gimme start but lots of challenging letters. LINK.

6. Nutrients in nuts : FATS.

10. Silent signal : NOD.

13. Surface : ARISE. An unexpected definition.

14. Facetious agreement : AH SO.

15. Litter pickup spot? : NAPE. Not only humans do this.

16. Parson's home : MANSE. I learned this word reading British mysteries and watching them on PBS like THIS.

17. Some shoulders : ROADSIDES. Lovely misdirection.

21. Speck in la mer : ILE. French,

22. Sweet climber : PEA. Very important in science RESEARCH. Next to....

32. Entomological case study? : COCOON. JL loves his moths and their stages of life.He was kind enough to provide this picture from his personal stash.

33. Repeated number of curls, say : REPititions. Bicep curls.

34. Bust gp. : DEA.  Drug Enforcement Administration. President Nixon consolidated the anti-drug efforts. This is not the group in charge of inspecting bras.

35. Whatever : AT ALL. Used to be one of my favorite catch phrases. Now it is DK/DC.

36. Fanny pack spot : HIP. I see them more in front or back, never on me. Cute positioning with
28D. In like an old cat? : HEP. Just ask Maynard G. Krebs.

37. Backing strips : LATHS. Not to confused with LATHE. Lath 1. a thin flat strip of wood, especially one of a series forming a foundation for the plaster of a wall or the tiles of a roof, or made into a trellis or fence.

39. Liszt's "__ Préludes" : LES. Pretty easy French to fill. This COMPOSER was very popular.

40. Fish house freebie : BIB. Usually with a drawing of a lobster.

41. Sympathize : RELATE.

46. Mayo is in it : ANO. Spanish trick Mayo = May- ANO = Year

47. Fan noise : HUM.

56. Theo van Gogh, notably : ART DEALER. A fun STORY.

57. Orange variety : NAVEL. Seedless and very haughty.

59. Couth he is not : OGRE.

60. Khartoum's waters : NILE.

61. Birds do it between thermals : GLIDE. JL also watches and films birds.


62. Place to take a dip : SEA. And the clecho, 64A. Place to take a dip? : SALSA.

63. Hits up (for) : TAPS. In beer halls you tap your friend next to the taps.



Down:

1. "Whap!" : BAM. Comic book talk.

2. "Dies __" : IRAE.

3. #30 on a table : ZINC. I keep forgetting to not put my glass on the periodic table.

4. Canadian pump name : ESSO. Esso - Exxon.

5. "People" person, perhaps : TEEN IDOL.

6. Cain was one : FARMER. Sad, as he must have been driven mad by the methane gases.

7. Cry to a mate : AHOY.

8. Ruler that doesn't work anymore : TSAR. They all retired?

9. Gender-specific beverage? : SODA POP. Cute, you can have soda pop or white wine mom.

10. Zilch : NADA.

11. Group with many barrels : OPEC.

12. Office staple : DESK. I found this tricky, looking for an office implement..

15. Bite playfully : NIP AT. Puppies! Friends?

18. Editorial override : STET.

20. Buck heroine : O-LAN. A well decorated book about the mysterious East. O-Lan is a fictional character in Pearl S. Buck's 1931 novel The Good Earth. She is a slave of the House of Hwang who gains her freedom when she marries the novel's protagonist, Wang Lung. They start a family in their small country town, and endure grueling times, including droughts, floods, and war. Wiki, Sorry about the broken link.

23. It may be under a rug : SCALP. Rug here being a toupee- nice.

24. Bag carrier : TOTER. Yes it is!  29D. Travel bag attachment : ID TAG. More travel.

25. "__ in point" : A CASE.

26. Cambodia's Lon __ : NOL. LON NOL, a handy palindrome.

27. Bits : DRIBS. Or drabs?

30. Maestro Zubin : MEHTA. John is a most prolific pianist, explaining all the music this week. You can learn more about John going to his blog,  LINK.

31. Lightens up : EASES.

36. Gender-specific pronoun : HIM. All perps.

37. Non-suicidal migrants, contrary to myth : LEMMINGS. The MYTH?

38. Heidi got high on one : ALP. My friend Heidi lived near the Devil's Millhopper  no mountains..

40. Cheerful : BUOYANT. Maybe if you are a sponge....

41. Julia of film : RAUL. He died much too young. LINK.

43. "All in the Family" spin-off : MAUDE. Bea Arthur as a feminist.

44. About : IN RE.

45. Waldo forerunner? : WHERE'S? I think he is lost forever. Just words that come before Waldo.

48. Cambodia neighbor : LAOS. Both near Thailand.

49. Itch : URGE.

50. Bonus, in ads : XTRA.

51. Lamb's alias : ELIA. And a JL clecho 58D. Lamb's place : LEA. Not the writer but the baby that Mary had.

52. Sharp bark : YELP. Doggies.

53. Simba's love : NALA.

54. Far from harmless : EVIL.

55. Cabs, say : REDS. Not yellow taxis, but Cabernet wines.

Well it was fun to blog but still not 100%. 7 hospitals and 10 doctors so far this year. Glad to be back and to have a JL special was great. Lemonade out. Thank you John.

Sunday April 2, 2017 John Lampkin

Theme: "All in Favor" - PRO is added to each theme entry.

23A. Website search response with an attitude? : PAGE NOT PROFOUND. Page Not Found error.  Normally the author has removed or moved that page.

37A. Competition at the geometry fair? : PROTRACTOR PULL. Tractor pull.

54A. "A penny saved is hardly worth the effort"? : IRREGULAR PROVERB. Irregular verb.
  
81A. "I'll give you five bucks for your Egyptian water lily"? : LOTUS PROPOSITION. Lotus position.

98A. Positively charged vehicle? : ONE- PROTON TRUCK. One- ton truck.

117A. Miscreant handling letters? : MAIL IN REPROBATE. Mail- in rebate. The only entry where PRO is inserted inside a word.

16D. Quality control job at a maraschino factory? : PROBING CHERRIES. Bing cherries.

42D. Feature of Charlie Brown's head? : CIRCULAR PROFILE. Circular file.

We have total 120 theme squares in a 138-word grid. The average themage for LAT is about 94-100. Average word count is between 142 and 144. Doesn't look like a lot to non-pros, but it's very hard to reduce word count on Sundays. 

I mentioned before that this addition/deletion type works best when the new word is not related to the old word etymologically. John did just like that.

He also intersected two long themers. And of course, John's trademark cluing style: clue echoes, wordplay, fun & vivid clue images.

Across:
        
1. Worker on the floor : TILER

6. Second-rarest blood type, briefly : B NEG. Any B- or AB- on our blog?

10. Really big : VAST

14. Worked at home : UMPED. Great clue.

19. "Lordy me!" : I DO DECLARE. Never used "Lordy me!"

21. "Hamilton" accolade : OBIE. You wanted TONY?

22. "Ici on __ français" : PARLE. Speaks. Also 37D. Famille member : PERE

25. Spirits strength : PROOF.  Drinks.


26. Seven Wonders lighthouse : PHAROS. Got via crosses. Could only think of Alexandria.

27. They often have runners : SLEDS. Another great clue.

28. Mite : WEE BIT

29. "Round __ virgin ... " : YON. "Silent Night".

30. "My turn" : I'M UP

33. "Guys and Dolls" composer : LOESSER (Frank)

36. Archipelago part: Abbr. : ISL (Island)

40. Marshal at Waterloo : NEY (Michel). Learned this guy from doing crosswords. Had Bob Ney not been involved in the Jack Abramoff scandal, he would be a power player today and we would have had a great clue for NEY.

 41. Pre-A.D. : BCE

43. "So long" : SEE YA

44. Vexing : IRKING

46. Ballerina Shearer : MOIRA

48. Like some out-of-favor suffixes : FEMININE. Like ETTE. Got me.

52. Lats relatives : PECS


58. You, at one time : THEE

60. "In a __" : SEC

61. Burkini wearer, perhaps : ARAB

62. Saltimbocca herb : SAGE. Never had Saltimbocca,

63. Acquiesce : ASSENT

65. Moo __ pork : SHU. Never heard of this dish until I came to the US.


66. "'Scuse Me While __ This Guy: and Other Misheard Lyrics": Gavin Edwards book : I KISS

68. Fella : SPORT. New meaning of "sport" to me.

71. Booster's cry : RAH

72. 89-Across' Illinois headquarters : MOLINE. And 89. Farm equipment giant : DEERE

74. Primary part : LEAD

78. Germ's future? : IDEA. This clue so John.

79. 66, e.g.: Abbr. : RTE

80. Carrier known for tight security : EL AL

86. Spanish 101 word : ERES. You are.We also have 75. Spanish pronoun : ESA.

88. Gorilla, for example : GREAT APE
 
90. Actress __ Sue Martin : PAMELA

92. Do fair work : GET A C

95. Mule's father : ASS

96. Cabinet dept. : AGR

103. Also : TOO

104. "Probably ... " : ODDS ARE

105. River past Logroño : EBRO. Not familiar with Logroño. Northern Spain. We also have 4. River of Germany : EDER

106. Sun or moon : ORB

109. Obliterate : EFFACE. I've only used "self-effacing".

111. Outfit again : RE-RIG

114. Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto : ALOMAR. When I first came here (2001), he was with the Indians. So was CC Sabathia.

116. "If I Were __ Man" : A RICH

121. Fracas : MELEE

122. Chow : EATS

123. Overhear : LISTEN IN ON. Have you used a bug detector, Anon- TTP?

124. Ranked tournament players : SEEDS

125. "Let's Get It On" singer : GAYE

126. Many 99-cent purchases : APPS. Might stump those who are not into tablets/smartphones.

127. Stretch : STINT
  

Down:
 
1. Unstable : TIPPY

2. Snake state : IDAHO

3. New England touchdown site : LOGAN. Not Gillette Stadium.

5. "The Bathers" artist : RENOIR. Saw it at Musée d'Orsay.

6. Short lunch order? : BLT

7. Midday refresher : NAP. Not TEA.

8. Writes ths clue, say : ERRS. Self-referential.

9. Rock sci. : GEOL. Field of Misty's husband.

10. __ doll : VOODOO

11. One overstepping bounds : ABUSER. And 12. Seriously overstepped bounds : SIN

13. Brother of Jack and Bobby : TED. The Kennedys.

14. What may be stiff when trouble arises? : UPPER LIP. Fun clue.

15. Farm girl : MARE. This clue makes me smile also.
 
17. Plaza Hotel imp : ELOISE

18. With skill : DEFTLY

20. Sagan series : COSMOS

24. Touched : FELT

28. Bandleader Lawrence : WELK

31. Sport-__ : UTE

32. Modular homes : PREFABS

34. Holder of disks : SPINE

35. More steady : SURER

38. British philosopher A.J. : AYER. No idea. Wiki says he's known for "logical positivism".

39. Sides sharing views : CAMPS. Oh as in Sanders Camp/Clinton Camp.

41. Mining passage : BOREHOLE. Also a learning moment for me. I sure don't want to go in.

45. Migratory bird banding equipment : NETS. What is "banding", D-Otto?

46. Homecoming query : MISS ME?

47. "Encore!" : AGAIN

49. Lyricist Gershwin : IRA

50. Eggy quaff : NOG

51. Composer Charles : IVES

53. Hill hundred : SENATORS

55. Classic TV nerd : URKEL. "Family Matters".

 56. Chou En-__ : LAI. Probably the best loved politician in China. He protected many good people from being prosecuted during Cultural Revolution.

57. Denudes : BARES

59. Fruit-ripening gas : ETHENE. I tried to put bananas & apples in a brown bag to hasten the ripening. Never seemed to help much. Unlike Bill G, I prefer bananas with plenty of brown spots

64. Prim and proper : STAID

67. Revolve on an axis : SLUE

69. Lab dispenser : PIPETTE.. Another learning moment for me.

70. Prefix with meter : ODO

73. Intestinal divisions : ILEA

76. Suitable : APT

77. "Rocky IV" boxer Ivan __ : DRAGO. This stumped me last time.

82. Watched at the beach, maybe : OGLED

83. Hems in : TRAPS

84. Transparent : OPEN

85. Deck wood : TEAK

87. Osculates : SMOOCHES. Do you osculate in real life? It's a new word to me. I actually read it as "oscillate".

91. German finale : ENDE

93. Wall St. hedger : ARB (Arbitrager)

94. Arrow poison : CURARE.Another learning moment.

96. You won't find subs on them : A TEAMs

97. Get out : GO FREE

99. Hole-in-one, for one : RARITY. And 110. Got a hole-in-one on : ACED

100. Otherwise : OR ELSE

101. Actress Hatcher : TERI

102. Time periods? : COLONS .Had to ask dear Santa, who gave me this: Today, 8 : 29 AM

106. Muscat native : OMANI

107. Give up to the cops : RAT ON

108. Retired sportscaster Musburger : BRENT

112. At a Dodger game, for short : IN LA

113. Handle : GRIP

115. Parting words? : OBIT

117. Bit of RAM : MEG. OK, short for megabyte.

118. Drivers' org. : AAA. Not PGA.

119. What Zener cards purportedly tested for : ESP

120. NBA nos. : PTs

Thursday, June 23rd 2016 John Lampkin

Theme: Laundry detergents? No, as the reveal explains:

53A. Subject for a news team ... and a description of 19-, 36- or 42-Across? : CURRENT EVENT (I still think "Breeze" and "Surge" would make great names for laundry detergents!)


19A. Subject for a meteorologist : SUMMER BREEZE. I was going to link the Seals & Crofts song, but I just listened to it and it really hasn't aged well.

36A. Subject for an oceanographer : SPRING TIDE. Nothing to do with the season, it's when the difference between the high and low tide is the greatest; typically twice a month after the full and new moons.

42A. Subject for an electrician : POWER SURGE. Did those slab-like surge protectors ever do any good? I never recall having to reset one.

Three different kinds of currents in three different media - wind, sea and electricity.

Neat theme and a nice grid with a lot of across-wise fill. Those triple-stacked 7's and the 6-7-7 atop/beneath the 12-letter themers are very slick. Nicely done, Mr. Lampkin.

Across:

1. Provoke : INCITE

7. Clichéd currency : RED CENT. The smallest amount possible.

14. Cone site : VOLCANO. You can't get much more classically-conical in the stratovolcano world than Mt. Fuji.

16. Crop duster, e.g. : AVIATOR

17. Unhelpful helper : ENABLER

18. Like garden gnomes : KITSCHY. Took me a moment to remember how to spell this correctly.

21. Respiration point : NOSE

22. It's often twisted : YARN. Apparently not all yarns are twisted, but some are filaments (such as silk).

26. Slangy 21-Across : SNOOT. I thought you could cock a snoot, but when I went to find an example I discovered that you cock a snook. Good to know.

30. Holy recess : APSE

34. Holy jurisdiction : SEE. "The ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome". Now you know.

35. Rude dude : LOUT

39. Summed up : IN TOTAL

41. Nullified : NEGATED

44. French sky : CIEL. French 101 - "Le ciel est bleu". (Ou gris, en Angleterre).

45. Cycle starter? : UNI

46. Cry of enlightenment : AH SO

47. Homecoming cry : IT'S ME

48. Kitchenware : POTS

50. Formerly floppy medium : DISC. Funny how these ubiquitous things suddenly disappeared.

61. "Hogwash!" : BALONEY

64. Personal __ : TRAINER

65. Somewhat : A LITTLE

66. Femur or fibula : LEG BONE

67. Butterflies on ankles, say : TATTOOS. People tell me it hurts like hell to get a tattoo on your ankle. I'll take their word for it.

68. Teammate of Duke and Jackie : PEEWEE. Dodgers greats Snider, Robinson and Reese, here with Roy Campanella.

Down:

1. "Concord Sonata" composer : IVES. Charles Ives. Not really a tune you can whistle.

2. Lower-class, to Brits : NON-U. Non-Upper Class. The use of a single word can place you firmly in a particular class. If you say "Pardon?" when you didn't hear something clearly, you're middle class. (The Queen would say "What?", as would working-class Dick Van Dyke in "Mary Poppins".).

3. Chowder bit : CLAM

4. China's DF-31, e.g. : ICBM. Now I'll know what I'm looking at next time I see one whizzing past. Cruise missiles are powered in flight, ballistic ones drop on your head by force of gravity. Both will ruin your day.

5. Gift of the gifted : TALENT

6. Opener for Don Quixote? : ENERO. "January" in Spanish.

7. It has big teeth : RAKE. What about the little ones that come with those desktop Zen gardens?

8. "Gramma" in the comic strip "Stone Soup" : EVIE

9. Chowderhead : DITZ

10. He was on deck when Blake was up : CASEY

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake, 

And the former was a hoodoo, while the latter was a cake; 

So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat, 

For there seemed but little chance of Casey getting to the bat.

From "Casey at the Bat" by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

11. "And more" letters : ETC.

12. Masked drama : NOH

13. Crack : TRY

15. Space balls : ORBS

20. Raise : REAR

23. The way things stand : AS IT IS

24. Atone for : REDEEM

25. Tease : NEEDLE

26. Wrong move : SLIP-UP

27. "Wrong, wrong, wrong!" : NO! NO! NO!

28. Get the better of : OUTWIT

29. Oklahoma tribe : OTOE. These guys.

31. Sonar pulse : PING

32. "The Mikado" weapon, briefly : SNEE. "Snickersnee", a fighting knife featured in the song "The Criminal Cried as he Dropped him Down".

33. Tube traveler : EGG

36. Ceremonial accessory : SASH

37. And : PLUS

38. Diplomacy : TACT

40. Gay syllable : TRA-

43. Teased : RODE

47. Long cold spell : ICE AGE

49. 2013 Masters champ Adam __ : SCOTT. He subsequently had to change his putting style when the Rules of Golf were thankfully amended to ban the "anchoring" of a long putter.

51. Airport abbr. : INTL.

52. Bad bug : STREP. I had strep throat once, my tonsils were swollen white lumps. It was all I could do to swallow warm water. Awful.

54. Biblical connector : UNTO. Connector?

55. Move, in real estate lingo : RELO

56. Saloon and deli offerings : RYES. Whisky and a sandwich. Lunch of champions!

57. Weird feeling, perhaps : VIBE

58. Plenty of poetry? : ENOW

A Book of Verses underneath the Bough, 
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread and Thou 
 Beside me singing in the Wilderness
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!

From "The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam" translated by Edward Fitzgerald

59. Island goose : NENE

60. Word with farm or house : TREE

61. Stick for 10-Down : BAT

62. In the style of : À LA. "À la mode" means "fashionable" in French. Why is it fashionable to put a scoop of ice cream on your pie?

63. Bombed : LIT. The result of too many ryes in the saloon.

I think I've got all the clues/answers this week, sorry for the missing ones last Thursday; I think the blog gremlins ate them.

Here's the grid!

Steve

Saturday, May 14th, 2016, John Lampkin

Theme: JL

Words: 68 (missing J,Q,Z)

Blocks: 31

  So pleased to get a John Lampkin puzzle, and this, if I am not mistaken, is his first Saturday publishing, at least for the LA Times.  I have enjoyed his Sunday constructions, and I find his cluing to be fresh and humorous - and today was no exception.  To find out more about John, his interview is here.  Of course, no grid would be complete if he didn't include some animal references - and I was determined to get 1 across, no matter how long it took.  As it turned out, the whole thing took about 30 seconds longer than my personal allotted time, and I have to admit to one red-letter; see 60 down.  Triple 10-letter across corners, triple 9s in the downs;

17a. Hammers home : REITERATES - my first read was "hammer's home", as in TOOL BOX, which wasn't going to work; this is the verb, not the noun

12d. At ten, say : ON THE HOUR - simple, and yet difficult to see in the 'down'

62a. Leftovers dish, perhaps : COTTAGE PIE - never heard of it; had --PIE, and the rest was perps and a WAG

31d. Short putt : TWO-FOOTER

ACROSS:

1. What separates the gulls from the buoys? : WEBBED FEET - it took most of the time to get the NW corner to fill, because I was stuck at 1a. thinking "something ---NET"; this is just plain clever

11. Red number : LOSS - I tried DEBT

15. Come fashionably? : ARRIVE LATE

16. 20 fins : ONE C - I did the math; 20 x 5 = 100, but couldn't fit "C-NOTE"

18. Nail target : ITCH - I had the "B" first, so I tried STUD; can you tell I'm stuck in carpentry mode~?

19. Chemical formerly used in carbonless copy paper manufacture : PCB - Polychlorinated Biphenyl; more from Wiki

20. Challenges : RIGORS

21. "Go away!" : "SHOO~!" - had it in, took it out....

22. Mayan pyramid feature : STEP

24. Threw on : DONNED

26. Self-described "non-musician" : ENO - oops, I had EMO first

27. Portent : OMEN

29. It can be before you : ARE

30. Checkup result letters : HDL - cholesterol number

31. Nut features : THREADS

This would make a good "john" sign, too

34. Experimental habit? : LAB COAT - I totally nailed this; and yet I did not get "oodles" at 55a.

36. They can be frustrating : WAITS - I lack patience, most definitely

37. Enterprise officer : UHURA - I always misspell this with a third "U" at the end

38. Eponymous Seminole leader : OSCEOLA - all perps, and a WAG at the "L"

41. Kiwi genus : APTERYX - once I had the "P", I knew that birds were "pter", and flightless ones were "A-pter"; the "YX" seemed good taxonomic Latin

43. Disgusted word from Lady Macbeth : "FIE~!"

44. Rest : NAP - I take one every day, roughly between 12-2pm

45. Rest poorly : TOSS

46. Kind of trading, briefly : OTC

47. Pabst brand : STROH'S - a little history lesson

49. Big Ten player since 2014 : TERP - Maryland Terrapins - another animal reference

53. Epps of "House" : OMAR

55. Gobs : OODLES

57. Good name for a London washroom attendant : LOU - lou/loo

58. Net : TAKE

59. Zip : SPEED ALONG - I considered "NOT A THING" kind of zip, but it didn't fit

61. Apple site : EDEN - not the computer ( e.g. DESK ), and not TREE

63. Leftovers : REST - a clecho from 62a., another JL cluing stlye

64. Valuation : ASSESSMENT

DOWN:       

1. Twists : WARPS - common in wood boards, especially 1x lumber

2. Straight up : ERECT - ah.  Not LEGIT

3. Crooked bread? : BRIBE - ah. ah.  Not LUCRE, but I was on the right wavelength

4. Boring piece : BIT - and more carpentry

5. Lasting start : EVER - everlasting

6. Knocked : DERIDED

7. Spouted containers : FLAGONS

8. Big name in stationery : EATON - perps

9. Lasting : ETERNAL

10. Mosaic piece : TESSERA - learned from doing crosswords

11. __ Chiles, portrayer of Dr. Holly Goodhead in "Moonraker" : LOIS

13. Lesser : SECONDARY

14. Homeowner's burden : SCHOOL TAX - my "U" from Uhura was leading me to "something TUB"; again, I'm in the middle of building a bathroom, so....

23. Baudelaire, par exemple : POETE - Les Frawnche

25. Times to come out : DEBUTS

28. Plinth course layers : MASONS - ah, the worker, not the stratum

32. Is set : HAS IT MADE

33. Generally gluten-free snacks : RICE CAKES

35. Tea __ : CHEST

39. Play that inspired Puccini : La TOSCA - filled via perps; the Wiki

40. Fitting : APROPOS

41. Fit figure, usually : ATHLETE

42. Impersonated : POSED AS - my kind of pose

48. "Sweet Smell of Success" co-screenwriter : ODETS - perps and WAGs

50. Slip to tie a knot? : ELOPE

51. Masterless samurai : RONIN - learned from an episode of "The X-Files"

52. Sound named by George Vancouver : PUGET - funny, I've been reading the making of Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back, so I was thinking of the noise sound, not the body of water sound.  I took a vacation to Seattle, and saw the sound - or is that an oxymoron~?

54. Torn : RENT

56. Weakens : SAGS

60. Rover's kin? : LEM - dah~!!  I went with LAM - as in 'going on the lam', which I think is similar to someone 'roving'....and John ends his clues with "kin", I might add....

Splynter

Friday, January 8, 2016, John Lampkin

Theme: What could be worse than a curse a from nurse where you end up in a hearse? More of my verse?

John Lampkin, a true renaissance man and friend of the Corner brings us his first 2016 effort, a sound change makes merry puzzle. Three phrases with three words containing a central "OR" sound are changed to an "UR" sound leaving an amusing new fill clued with skill.  While many Fridays are loaded with theme fill, the three chosen are consistent  and fun and  leave room for much sparkly fill.
CAPULET,  POP SONG,  SCEPTER,  SEA LEGS, HONDURAS, INTERNET,  NANNY CAM, TAX HAVEN,  THAT’S A GO,  WE’RE RICH are all in this gem. No insect learning moment, so do not get antsy, we will now solve.

20A. Cuisine to swear by? : THREE CURSE MEAL (14). Three course meal is a standard fare.

35A. Site of a mortician's monopoly? : ONE HEARSE TOWN (13). The one horse towns of old are going the way the kerosene lamp.

55A. Ode to a Nightingale? : OLD NURSE POETRY (14). The clue references a real POEM but I am sure Florence appreciates the reworking. Old Norse poetry is a CSO to our Norwegian contingent.

Across:

1. Short one at the bar? : ATTorney. I only really see 'atty' abbreviation but I have been in many bars.

4. Flabbergasts : AWES.

8. One taking up slack? : IDLER. Nice clue reversal.

13. Landlocked African country : CHAD. There are 15 such countries in Africa, all perps. I used o go to the office building in NYC with my brother which held his literary agent and the Chad consulate. I thought the name was fake. Who names a country after an actor.

15. Thread bits : LINT. Check your navel. 26A. Traps for 15-Across : NAVELS.

16. Running bowline, e.g. : NOOSE. The beginning of an undercurrent of boating/fishing terms. LINK.

17. Prepare to take off : TAXI. Anybody know the etymology of this usage meaning to go from  a terminal to the runway.

18. Mediterranean landmark : ETNA.

19. Dessert that just sounds wrong : TORTE. A Tort in law is a civil wrong.

23. __ orange : OSAGE.  I know them as horse apples. Our  botany LESSON.

24. Trail follower : HIKER.

25. Downed a link, say : ATE. Sausage, not a golf course. 49A. Link for Ludwig : UND. Beethoven.
66A. Linking device : YOKE. Not on the internet but on your oxen. John Loves clechos.

28. Caught porgy and bass : ANGLED. Cute Porgy and Bess  fish pun.

30. Ice __ : AGE. Can you believe it is 13 years?

31. Feuding house of Verona : CAPULET. Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou, and our continued Friday Shakespeare.

40. Swift output : POP SONG. Showing my age, my first thought was Jonathan Swift not the ubiquitous TAYLOR.

41. Café freebie : EAU. Water in French.

43. Charmingly retro : QUAINT. Last week it was Tisn't...

46. Rejects : SPURNS.

50. Believes : DEEMS. Another common word in the law.

54. Actress Graff : ILENE. She was a regular on Mr. Belvedere and more recently Hart of Dixie 

58. Shock source : TASER. Don't tase me bro!

59. Bit of concert memorabilia : STUB.

60. Quinoa alternative : RICE. We do have rice at my house.

62. Latin stars : ASTRA. Whence Astronomy, astrology etc.

63. New Yorker cartoonist Peter : ARNO. He had a very recognizable style, but has been gone for almost 50 years.

The caption says, "He is not ours, try the River House."

64. Rent-__ : A-CAR.

65. Drives off : SHOOS.

67. Med. care option : HMO. Health Maintenance Organization.

Down:

1. Fake it : ACT. Don't get nervous boys.

2. "We're on!" : THAT"S A GO. A nice phrase.

3. Green shelter? : TAX HAVEN. Not ecology but economy.

4. "Hard __!": captain's command : A LEE. Boats.

5. Baker's neighbor in "Into the Woods" : WITCH.  The MOVIE with Meryl Streep as the witch.

6. Jaded state : ENNUI. Always a nice fill.

7. Barren : STARK. Will Catelyn be back?

8. Shopper's mecca : INTERNET.

9. Dire destiny : DOOM. Oddly this is in conflict with 14D. Gloomy air : DIRGE as they are from the same Latin source.

10. Cosmetics giant : L'OREAL.

11. What you will : ESTATE. More hidden law.

12. Landed, with "in" : REELED. A big fish?

21. Shocking swimmer : EEL. Fish?

22. Sailor's ability : SEA LEGS. See what I mean; when I got off from a long cruise, it often seemed like the land was moving.

23. __ roll : ON A.  Give me some butter, because...

27. Sovereign symbol : SCEPTER.

29. Bygone muscle car : GTO. My brother had one and it was too fast.

32. Small juice sources? : AAS. Batteries.

33. Ace : PRO. My meh of the day.

34. Org. with subs : USN. Cool misdirection- United States Navy. Ships.

36. Prefix for a lifesaving "Pen" : EPI, I have two in my house-bees.

37. Mosquito Coast country : HONDURAS. It is not Star Wars

38. Reaction to suddenly becoming flush? : WE'RE RICH! Powerball anyone? If we each chipped in $2.00....

39. Concerned parent's installation : NANNY CAM.

42. Employment : USE.

43. Mandated amounts : QUOTAS.

44. Remove, as bindings : UNLASH.

45. Expands, as a deck : ADDS TO. A deck of cards? The deck Splynter built? The one marti and I sat together at her house on?

47. Sales meeting metaphor : PIE.

48. Conservative leader? : ULTRA.

51. Outlet for one's thoughts : ESSAY. Put them on paper.

52. Densely populated area, briefly : METRO.

53. Spirit : SPUNK. A trait of mixed benefit.

56. Emperor famous for playing an instrument that hadn't been invented yet : NERO. Did he FIDDLE around?

57. Wind in the reeds : OBOE. A simple musical clue from our very musical friend. To me it brought to mind this POETRY. Yes Yeats along with earlier Keats.

61. Ranch closing? : ERO. Huevos rancheros while I finish writing?

Always a pleasure to see a JL byline, though we are missing anything to bug us, unless you do not like puns.  Thanks John. Lemonade out.

Friday, May 29, 2015, John Lampkin

Theme: It is T time, so let's have some dessert.

A Friday frolic with our musical bug man, photog, where a T is is added as the first letter of the second word of a common phrase, resulting in an amusingly clued dessert. With only three themers and a reveal there is plenty of room for creativity in the grid. First, I like the visual of this puzzle, JL's photographer's eye I am sure helped. (A hint is hidden in the grid: look closely at the middle). Instead of the regular look, we have mirror symmetry. We also have standard Friday low word count with longer average word length. The longer fill is loaded with sparkle: ANY TIME,  BIDS FOR,  BREWSKI,  DETENTE,  ETERNAL,  FLAT FEE,  INCUBUS, MUD PIES,  NOT IN IT,  YES DEAR, APIARIST,  BOB FOSSE,  EVIL TWIN,  RETRACTS with much of it word strings which are a challenge to suss. Any puzzle that ranges from ROO and MUD PIES to INCUBUS is a joy to me. Let us follow John's lead.

17A. Self-preparing dessert? : AUTOMATIC TRIFLE (15). A nice change from a weapon of destruction to an English yummy. RECIPE.

27A. Dry, powdery dessert? : DUST TRUFFLE (11). We just bought a new comforter with matching dust ruffle, but I should have gotten a chocolate treat. RECIPE.

34D. Surreal dessert? : DADA TART (8). We all should know this MOVEMENT from Jean Arp and others. The simple tart comes in many forms. RECIPE.

36D. Like the desserts in this puzzle, literally? : DONE TO A T (8). A Friday reveal.


Across:

1. Like some timers? : OLD. 20 mule team borax anyone?

4. Kids' rainy day projects : MUD PIES. The only time little boys are encouraged to 'cook.'

11. Watch kids : SIT. We get to baby sit Charlotte.

14. Piglet bud : ROO. From the world of Winnie.

15. Boring, facetiously : ETERNAL. This definition required perp inspiration, but it makes sense.

16. Kyrgyzstan city : OSH. B'gosh, I get this right away finally.

20. Supple : LITHE.

21. Red meat source : EMU. Too late for Memorial Day, but you can order these for the Fourth. LINK.

22. Red giant : S-STAR. This has been appearing regularly.

23. 37-Down's concerns : BEES. A tricky cross-reference but it is Friday. 37D. See 23-Across : APIARIST. A five dollar word for bee keeper. Where are Ulee and Sherlock? John any great Bee pictures? How about an original...

24. Year during Augustus' reign : ONE BC. For all the southern readers, "How many headache powders do you need to take?"

26. Val-d'__: French department : OISE. Oise is a river you need to know because of the great use of vowels. For Splynter, you can practice your FRENCH.

30. Human __ : RACE. I thought "kind" first.

31. Big bunch : SCAD. Not used to the term in the singular.

32. Moisten, as garden cobwebs : BEDEW. A nice Shakespearean word.

35. Shingle wood : CEDAR.

39. Biological duct travelers : OVA. Eggs.

40. Wagering letters : OTB. Off track betting. I believe this has been replaced with online choices like TVG  etc.

43. You'd be amazed to stand in it : AWE. Really nicely crafted clue/fill for such a simple answer.

45. Unlock, to Byron : OPEn. Read some POETRY?

46. Tries to obtain : BIDS FOR. This works two ways, both literally and figuratively.

48. Dead last, say : NOT IN IT. Tough letter string, but accurate.

50. Hourly-rate alternative : FLAT FEE. A very large part of law practice, one of the three types of fee arrangements: hourly, contingency, and flat fee.

51. Marital concession : YES DEAR. My favorite fill of the entire puzzle; so well put.

52. Anne Frank's father : OTTO. I did not remember this

53. Belts : SWATS.

55. __ vez: Juan's "again" : OTRA.

56. Grassy surface : SWARD. This appears to be the LAT debut of this Friday word. It along with STORER almost did me in.

58. Bio, e.g. : SCIence.

59. Indifferent : STOIC.

60. Yes-Bob link : SIREE.

61. One of the Kardashians : KIM. If you want a link, go for it.

62. Sandwich request : TOAST.

63. Blog input : ENTRY. A CSO to us all.

64. Compound suffix : IDE. This old bromide...

65. Annie of "Designing Women" : POTTS. I enjoyed the series but I like Annie better in this ROLE  (0:29).

Down:

1. Colgate rival : ORAL B. I started with Crest.

2. Mascot of the NHL's Blues : LOUIE.

3. Like pointillist works : DOTTED. My father studied and practiced this type of painting

4. Cultural idea that may go viral : MEME. If you paid attention yesterday....

5. Acting legend Hagen : UTA.

6. Political thaw : DETENTE. Not in fashion any more. Now the Olympic arrests are a US scheme to take the World Cup from Russia, according to Vladimir Putin.

7. First coat : PRIMER.

8. Nocturnal demonic visitor : INCUBUS. My first thought was SUCCUBUS but it did not fit.

9. Corrode : EAT. The rust ate away my outdoor furniture.

10. Some pic takers : SLRS. Single Lens Reflexes.

11. Pushover : SOFTIE.

12. Lands in el mar : ISLAS. Spanish.

13. Pointing remark : THERE. Cute clue. An excuse for this CLIP. (0:26)

18. "And I'm Cleopatra" : OH SURE. I thought it was Queen of Sheba.

19. Wagnerian soprano : ISOLDE. Inspector Morse loved his Opera. They just announced a 9th season of Lewis in addition to the 3rd for Endeavor.

24. Needing no Rx : OTC. Over The Counter.

25. Ozone-threatening compound : CFC. Chlorofluorocarbon. Better known as FREON.

28. Prune : SAW OFF. A branch on a tree, not a dried plum.

29. Aspects : FACETS.

32. Choreographer with nine Tonys : BOB FOSSE. We like to see full names in puzzles. hard to believe he has been dead almost 30 years.

33. Facetious scapegoat : EVIL TWIN. Also a TV favorite PLOT.

38. Pulls back : RETRACTS.

41. Digits displayed on beaches : TOES. Sing-a-long.

42. Suds : BREWSKI.

43. "Whenever" : ANYTIME.

44. Travails : WOES.

47. Acorn woodpecker, e.g. : STORER. JL like birds and bugs, but this clue bugs me.

49. "Ditto" : I DO TOO. Fun letter string.

54. Lithographer's material : ACID. This answer should be etched in your mind.

57. "L.A. Law" actress : DEY. A partridge that grew up. Interestingly, she was replaced by Annie Potts in the TV Series Love and War. I liked her in LINK.

59. Indy initials : STP. Scientifically Treated Petroleum. Andy Granatelli.

Well another fun effort from a dear friend to the Corner. See you in June. Lemonade out.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 John Lampkin

Theme: Voyeurism - Cruciverbally watching someone take a shower.

18A. Controversial coal-extraction process : STRIP MINING

27A. Buy lots of presents for : SHOWER WITH GIFTS

47A. Wry wit : DRY SENSE OF HUMOR

59A. Opera house section : DRESS CIRCLE. Diagram

57D. Appropriate room for the sequence comprised of the starts of 18-, 27-, 47- and 59-Across : BATH

Peeping Argyle here. Did you need John's unifier? Two spanners again today and a touch of tomfoolery. Well done.

Across:

1. Stick (out) : JUT

4. Chocolate syrup choice : BOSCO. Perhaps oc4beach said it best. "When I was a kid I believed the Bosco commercials and pestered my mother until she bought a jar for me. After one glass of it I realized it was terrible Brown Sludge. To teach me a lesson, my mother made me drink a glass every day until it was gone. I didn't pester her as much about buying stuff after that."

9. Call to mind : EVOKE

14. Self-image : EGO

15. Chipmunk's morsel : ACORN

16. "America by Heart" author Sarah : PALIN

17. Good name for a tree-lined street : ELM

20. Long gun : RIFLE

22. Really mad : BOILING

23. __-Loompa: fictional chocolate factory worker : OOMPA. No Bosco here.

26. Bagpiper, often : SCOT

33. "2001" computer : HAL

34. Cinematic shootout time : NOON

35. Monica of tennis : SELES

36. Allowed to ripen, as cheddar : AGED

38. Kind of card or drive : FLASH. It seems there is a large online market for flash cards.

41. Senate slot : SEAT

42. Rose (up) on hind legs, to a cowhand : RARED

44. Beat to a froth : WHIP

46. Doctor's org. : AMA

51. "¿Qué __?" : PASA. "What's up?"

52. Jazz singer Krall : DIANA

53. Curse-inflicting stare : EVIL-EYE

56. Some Balkanites : SERBS

62. Kit __: candy bar : KAT

63. Everglades wader : EGRET

64. Pro basketball player, briefly : NBAer. Member of the National Basketball Association

65. H-like letter : ETA

66. "Think again!" : "NOT SO!". "Au contraire, mon frère"

67. Decent chaps : GENTS

68. "Give __ thoughts no tongue": "Hamlet" : THY. Mum's the word.

Down:

1. Bit of heckling : JEER

2. Aptly named fruit : UGLI

3. Horseplay : TOMFOOLERY

4. Infielders : BASEMEN. What about the shortstop?

5. Autumn mo. : OCT.

6. Fraternity counterpart: Abbr. : SOR. (sorority)

7. Nursery bed : CRIB. Time to think about garden nurseries. Just heard my first thunder for the year.

8. Like some military housing : ON POST

9. Literary postscripts : EPILOGS

10. Makeup tables : VANITIES

11. "Chocolat" actress Lena : OLIN

12. Royal flush card : KING

13. Second lang., for some : ENG. (English)

19. Wisc. neighbor : MICH.

21. Stuck-in-the-mud gear : LOW. Just when it was drying up, we get a week of rain. Would like to send it to those of you that need it.

24. University VIP : PROF. (professor)

25. AFB truant : AWOL. (AFB-Air Force Base)

27. Broken pottery piece : SHARD

28. Helga's Viking husband, in comics : HAGAR. Not a shower man.

29. Extremely impressed : IN AWE

30. Bargain hunter's mecca : FLEA MARKET. Look for C.C. there.

31. Spanish "I love you" : "TE AMO"

32. Astronomical red giant : S-STAR

37. More than dislikes : DESPISES. Snarky anons.

39. Not barefoot : SHOD

40. Old audio system : HI-FI

43. Includes in the poker game : DEALS TO

45. Sci-fi weapons : PHASERS

48. Tiny fraction of a min. : NSEC. One billionth (10-9) of a second.

49. Adage : SAYING

50. One in Paris : UNE

53. Therefore : ERGO

54. Opposite of hor. : VERT. Could be a perp in either direction.

55. Kathryn of "Law & Order: C.I." : ERBE

58. Legal suspension : STAY

59. Family room : DEN

60. Soda container : CAN

61. Do-over on the court : LET. Tennis court.

Argyle

Tuesday, March 10, 2015 John Lampkin

Theme: Rossini opera - I'll not link the overture; it's already playing in my head.

20A. *Ornamental flower with clustered blooms : SWEET WILLIAM

36A. *Blab about one's romantic life : KISS AND TELL

43A. *Luxury car until the 1930s : PIERCE-ARROW

57A. *Former PBS science show with a fruit in its title logo : NEWTON'S APPLE

65A. Body support for the end of 57-Across, in a Swiss folk tale suggested by the ends of the answers to starred clues : HEAD (Placed directly under APPLE)

Argyle here. Now this is more like it. I would not expect anything less from John.

Across:

1. Cavern effect : ECHO

5. Cornfield call : [CAW!]

8. "Frozen" studio : DISNEY

14. Amorphous mass : BLOB

15. "Say again?" : "HUH?"

16. Mercedes-Benz sedan line : E CLASS

17. Disapproving cries from bleacher "birds" : BOOs. The Boo Birds

18. Prefix with meter : ODO

19. "I do" setting : CHAPEL. And 33. "I do" : "YES"

23. Wall St. index : NYSE

24. Steeped brew : TEA

25. Badlands bovine : BISON

29. "Green Eggs and Ham" guy : SAM

31. Marshmallow-filled snack : MOON PIE

39. Brainchild : IDEA

41. "Dancing With the Stars" move : TWIRL

42. Law school newbie : ONE L. First year law student.

46. Like deadpan humor : DRY

47. Bringing up the rear : ENDMOST

48. Tail movement : WAG and 54A. Comment from Fido : [WOOF!]

50. "Speak up!" : "SAY IT!". "Good dog!"

51. Had a meal : ATE

61. African desert : SAHARA

64. Beat it : RAN. Made a hasty retreat.

66. Online form entry : USER ID

67. __-fi : SCI

68. Ireland, in poetry : ERIN

69. Sonnet features : RHYMES

70. 1930s N.L. home run king Mel : OTT. A Giant in crossword clues.

71. __ avis : RARA

Down:

1. Flows back : EBBS

2. Kids' party performer : CLOWN

3. Twaddle : HOOEY. Love it.

4. Think constantly about something : OBSESS

5. Food on the trail : CHOW. First thought, GORP.

6. Review of books? : AUDIT

7. Unbroken : WHOLE

8. Tenth: Pref. : DECI. Deca - comprised of ten.

9. Crane who fled the Headless Horseman : ICHABOD

10. Hit very hard : SLAM INTO

11. Snooze : NAP

12. Peoria-to-Cincinnati dir. : ESE

13. French designer's initials : YSL. (Yves Saint Laurent)

21. Shipbuilding wood : TEAK

22. Hedy of Hollywood : LAMARR

26. Use up cash : SPEND

27. Persian Gulf ship : OILER

28. Nice __: prude : NELLY. ...or not so nice.

30. Teeny parasites : MITES

32. At the minimum setting : ON LOW

33. "Goodness me!" : YIPES

34. Twin Cities suburb : EDINA

35. Like a run-down motel : SEEDY

37. Go after, as a mosquito : SWAT AT

38. Elton John's title : SIR

40. Linked while walking, as friends : ARM IN ARM

44. Circle of friends : COTERIE

45. H2O, to a toddler : "WAWA"

49. Burrowing rodent : GOPHER

52. Sculpted figure : TORSO

53. Put into law : ENACT

55. "The Marriage of Figaro," e.g. : OPERA

56. Knack : FLAIR

58. Rolls of money : WADS

59. Agitated state : SNIT

60. Funny Dame : EDNA. "Funny" funny dame.

61. Big __, California : SUR

62. Hearth remains : ASH

63. "Yo!" : "HEY!". "Wake up, the party's over!"

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to our foodie Avg Joe! I could not locate his signature Ham and Split Pea Soup recipe on the blog last Christmas and winged it. The soup turned out to be very tasty but thick. Very filling.