Monday, May 19, 2014 Kevin Christian

Theme: Above the Shoulders - At the start of the longest entries are parts of the human found at the top of the body (except maybe, the second one).

20A. Local area : NECK OF THE WOODS

26A. Hangover cure, so they say : HAIR OF THE DOG

43A. Way things are legally viewed : EYES OF THE LAW

52A. Valedictorian : HEAD OF THE CLASS

Argyle here. No reveal Monday but the theme is right in your face. Fourteen 3-letter words but seemed like less and 2 letters shy of a pangram. I wonder what Tuesday will bring.

Across:

1. Omega's opposite : ALPHA

6. Hundred Acre Wood bear : POOH

10. "And another thing ..." : "ALSO"

14. Fable conclusion : MORAL

15. With 16-Across, money to buy a car : AUTO

16. See 15-Across : LOAN

17. Oust : EVICT

18. Glasgow native : SCOT

19. Checkers or chess, e.g. : GAME

23. Rapper Dr. __ : DRE

24. B'way full-house sign : SRO. (Standing Room Only)

25. One of the back forty : ACRE

31. Mail dely. compartment : P.O. BOX

34. Vegetable oil-based spread : OLEO

35. Fed. property overseer : GSA. (General Services Administration)

36. Vogue shelfmate : ELLE. Fashion magazines.

37. Madagascar tree dweller : LEMUR. With the big eyes.

39. Fourth of __ : JULY. No sequester cuts to spoil the fireworks this year.

40. Greek "T" : TAU

41. Junky car : HEAP

42. Tippy boat : CANOE

47. Shoulder muscle, for short : DELT. The deltoid muscle. Today's theme is above them.

48. Small songbird : TIT

49. Sheep sound : BAA

56. Poli sci subj. : GOVT.

57. Eight, on a sundial : VIII

58. Hard thing to break : HABIT

59. Tony Award relative : OBIE. The Tony Award is for Broadway theatre and the OBIE is for off-Broadway theatre.

60. Util. supply : ELECtric

61. Throw off one's trail : EVADE

62. Type option for emphasis : BOLD

63. Cincinnati team : REDS

64. Less likely to be a bargain on eBay : RARER

Down:

1. Change, as a constitution : AMEND

2. Romantic partner : LOVER

3. Five dollars a pound, e.g. : PRICE

4. Access illegally, as a database : HACK

5. Jazz combo instrument : ALTO SAX

6. Church leader : PASTOR

7. "That hurt!" : "OUCH!"

8. Native Nebraskan : OTOE

9. Serious trouble : HOT WATER

10. '90s veep : AL GORE

11. Weapon with ammo : LOADED GUN

12. __ Club: Costco rival : SAM'S

13. Number of gods in a monotheistic faith : ONE

21. "Thank God" day: Abbr. : FRI.

22. Cuatro times dos : OCHO. Spanish 4x2=8

26. Clod chopper : HOE

27. Get-up-and-go : OOMPH!

28. Ailment with a "season" : FLU

29. Norwegian capital : OSLO

30. "What's Going On" singer Marvin : GAYE

31. Sampras of tennis : PETE

32. Moisturizer brand : OLAY

33. Duke University athlete : BLUE DEVIL

37. Like doggy bag contents : LEFTOVER. Should it be plural? Discuss.

38. Have a bite : EAT

39. Knockout punch target : JAW

41. Place for cargo : HOLD

42. Buster Posey's position : CATCHER. For the San Francisco Giants.

44. On a chair : SEATED

45. Moral standards : ETHICS

46. Stretch the truth : LIE

49. Kiddie lit elephant : BABAR

50. Comment meant only for the audience : ASIDE

51. Daisylike flower : ASTER

52. Vagrant : HOBO

53. Use an emery board on : FILE

54. Even, as a score : TIED

55. Etna output : LAVA

56. Lump : GOB

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Grumpy, who has not posted on the blog for a long while. What's up, Grumpy?  Click here to see more of Grumpy, Sallie & Spitzboov.

Grumpy & his lovely wife Wilda

Monday, May 5, 2014 Kevin Christian

Theme: You may have a concussion - Are you seeing stars everywhere?

20A. Where to see stars in school : ASTRONOMY CLASS

37A. Where to see stars in the service : MILITARY UNIFORM

53A. Where to see stars in theaters : HOLLYWOOD MOVIE

¡Hola! Argyle here on Cinco de Mayo. This near pangram(missing a Q), has the unifier in the clues today, like a little twist of lime to give it some zest.

Across:

1. Mar. 17th honoree : ST. PAT.

6. Amazed : AWED

10. Gray timber wolf : LOBO

14. Pasta sauce brand : PREGO

15. Sonny's partner : CHER

16. Et __: and others : ALIA. (neuter plural)

17. Word before PG or PG-13 : RATED

18. Sacred : HOLY

19. Bismarck is its cap. : N. DAK

23. "__ will be done ...": Lord's Prayer : THY

24. Summer zodiac sign : LEO. The big cat in the sky.

25. Of the flock : LAIC

26. Actress Taylor, familiarly : LIZ. I had LIV at first. Must have been thinking Tyler.

27. Hearty dish : STEW. Is there a special dish for Cinco de Mayo?

29. Concealed : HID

32. Knives' sharp sides : EDGES

35. "Gone With the Wind" plantation : TARA

36. Yoko from Tokyo : ONO

41. Chinese chairman : MAO

42. Get beaten : LOSE

43. "Honest!" : "NO LIE!"

44. Capone and Capp : ALs

45. Voice below soprano : ALTO

46. Pres. between HST and JFK : DDE

47. __ gin fizz : SLOE

49. Regret : RUE

50. Unit of work : ERG

57. Coffee, in slang : JAVA

58. __ Crunch: cereal brand : CAP'N

59. Tolerate : ABIDE

60. "Um, excuse me ..." : "AHEM..."

61. Fired : AXED

62. Memoranda : NOTES

63. __ avis : RARA

64. One lacking experience : TYRO

65. John of tractors : DEERE

Down:

1. Jack who ate no fat : SPRAT. His wife ate no lean.

2. Garbage : TRASH

3. Trivial, as a complaint : PETTY

4. New __: modern spiritualist : AGER

5. Slate of errands and chores : 'TO DO' LIST

6. Sound evoking "Gesundheit!" : "ACHOO!"

7. Hemingway's "For __ the Bell Tolls" : WHOM

8. Slippery : EELY

9. Launder, as a suit : DRY CLEAN

10. Polynesian porch : LANAI

11. Like some conservative teaching methods : OLD SCHOOL

12. Prejudice : BIAS

13. Mighty tree : OAK. I hear he was just an acorn when he started.

21. Pince-__ glasses : NEZ

22. Attorney's field : LAW

26. Floral necklace : LEI

27. Authority : SAY SO

28. "That's a good point" : "TRUE". Usually followed by "but".

30. Crucifix letters : INRI. (Latin: Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum)

31. Bowl-shaped roof : DOME

32. Actress Thompson : EMMA

33. Rotary phone part : DIAL

34. Handle superficially : GLOSS OVER

35. Home run jog : TROT

38. Prowling feline : ALLEY CAT

39. Extremely popular : IN DEMAND

40. Enemy : FOE

45. "You've got mail" company : AOL

46. Firecracker that doesn't crack : DUD

48. Andean animal : LLAMA

49. Sonata movement : RONDO. English from Italian, from French (a little circle, appropriately)

50. Online party request : EVITE

51. One on horseback : RIDER

52. Canada honkers : GEESE

53. "That's funny!" : "HA-HA"

54. Like crayons : WAXY

55. Abbr. on a phone's "0" button : OPER. (operator) Do they still exist live?

56. Double-reed instrument : OBOE

57. Cookie container : JAR

Argyle

Thursday, March 20, 2014 Kevin Christian

Theme: It's Not What You Think…


17-Across. It's not a swine : GUINEA PIG. It's actually a rodent, as is 43-Across.

21-Across. It's not an equine : SEAHORSE. It's actually a marine fish.

35-Across. It's not an amphibian : HORNED TOAD. It's actually a lizard.

43-Across. It's not a canine : PRAIRIE DOG. It's actually a rodent, like 17-Across.

53-Across. It's not a rodent : TITMOUSE. It's actually a bird.

62-Across. It's not an ursine : KOALA BEAR. It's actually a marsupial.

Six theme entries, with four of them overlapping, could make some compromises in the fill. But I found this to be quite smooth. I also thought the theme was very fresh, and enjoyed filling in each entry with the "pseudo-name."

At first I thought we had another puzzle by Rich Norris, until I remembered that the "pseudo-name" he uses is GIA Christian, not Kevin. ("Again, it's Rich.")

Across:

1. At attention, say : ERECT.

6. Whale group : GAM. Hands up for "pod"????

9. Caught at a rodeo : ROPED.

14. Grammy-winning Jones : NORAH. I really love this one - it has special meaning for me.

15. CXVIII x V : DXC. 118 x 5 = 590

16. Officer on the Enterprise bridge : UHURA.

19. Alert to drivers : SIREN.

20. Vinyl item : RECORD.

23. Zilch : NADA.

25. Hot times in Lyon : ETES. As Splynter says, "Frawnch" for "summers."

26. MST part: Abbr. : STD. Mountain Standard Time. Hey, it's MDT already!

29. Endow : VEST.

31. __ projection : ASTRAL.

38. Million finish : AIRE. Millionaire.

39. Mayflower Compact signer : ALDEN.

40. Patriots' Day mo. : APR. I think this holiday is officially celebrated only in Massachusetts, the day of the Boston Marathon.

41. Former U.S. Army post near Monterey : FT. ORD.

42. Big name in game shows : MERV. Griffin.

45. "Remington __" : STEELE. 1980's romance-comedy-detective show, starring Pierce Brosnan.

47. Enthusiasm : ZEAL.

48. Common rebus pronoun : EWE.  I had a really cool rebus puzzle to post here, with a picture of an EYE, a tin CAN, an image of the SEA and a picture of a EWE. Oh well, technology got the better of me.

49. Avis adjective : RARA.

51. "Stay" singer Lisa : LOEB. Sorry, I used up my one link on Norah Jones...

57. Lacking the wherewithal : UNABLE.

61. Confess : ADMIT.

64. Seven-year phase : TEENS. 13-19 year olds. Funny, I always thought of teens as being a ten-year stretch. But I counted on my fingers, and YEP!  It's only seven years. It just seems longer, when you are a parent of one, I guess...

65. SASE, e.g. : ENC. Self addressed stamped envelope - enclosure.

66. Ben Stiller's mother : MEARA.

67. Biography Channel owner : A AND E. Seems weird to see A&E spelled out.

68. Most of AZ doesn't observe it : DST. Daylight Savings Time.

69. Freddy Krueger's haunts: Abbr. : ELM ST.


Down:

1. Tech sch. grad : ENGR.

2. Rake : ROUE.

3. Idle in comedy : ERIC. Of Monty Python fame.

4. Leica competitor : CANON.

5. Title "ungainly fowl" of poetry : THE RAVEN. Funny how it overlapped 36-Down, NEVER MIND…(so close to "nevermore"!!!)

6. Natl. economic indicator : GDP. Like EST or EDT, I always struggle with GDP or GNP. Fill in two letters, wait for perps to confirm the third.

7. x, y or z : AXIS.

8. Blues singer Bobby of song : MCGEE. "But feeling good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues…"

9. Fraternity events : RUSHES.

10. Columbus school : OHIO STATE.

11. Sign of feline felicity : PURR.

12. "__ Tu": 1974 hit : ERES. Mocedades, "It's You."

13. Hamlet, for one : DANE.

18. Contributed : ADDED.

22. Slightly : A TAD.

24. Sirius or Vega : A STAR. Not just a star, but an "A" star.

26. Counterfeits : SHAMS.

27. Available, on a real estate sign : TO LET. Sounds more European to me. I'm used to seeing "For Rent."

28. Rapper who co-founded Beats Electronics : DR. DRE.

30. November birthstone : TOPAZ.

32. __ Janeiro : RIO DE. meh.

33. Bow go-with : ARROW.

34. Dove's perch : LEDGE.

36. "Don't bother" : NEVER MIND.

37. Disney mermaid : ARIEL.

41. Identifier in a folder : FILE NAME.

43. Machu Picchu locale : PERU.

44. Lover of Christine, in "The Phantom of the Opera" : RAOUL.

46. "Tao Te Ching" author : LAO TSE. Attributed to him, but I believe its true authorship is uncertain. Loosely translated as "The Classic Path to Virtue."

Yin and Yang

50. Tried to date, with "out" : ASKED.

52. Tower city : BABEL.

53. "See ya" : TA-TA.

54. What a light bulb may signify : IDEA. TA-DA!!

55. The Untouchables, e.g. : T-MEN.

56. Eras upon eras : EONS.

58. Smile broadly : BEAM.

59. Metallica drummer Ulrich : LARS. The first Dane to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

60. Q.E.D. word : ERAT. Quod erat demonstrandum. "Which had to be demonstrated."

63. Pretend to be : ACT.

That's all for this week, folks!

Marti

Note from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to dear Spitzboov (Al), who has been faithfully contributing to this blog for a few years. Al served in the Navy Reserve for over 20 years and retired as Commander. This morning I had a bonding moment with Al. I made my breakfast Al Style 5 minutes only. I had been using the wrong water to oats ration previously. (Ratio! Thanks, Owen). Too much water. By the way, D-Otto, I tried the Test Kitchen steel-cut oats with dates & toasted walnuts & soy milk on Tuesday. Great result. I'll experience with coconut milk tomorrow. (Experiment. Thanks again, Owen)

Spitzboov & his lovely wife Betty, US Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT,
August 2012

2) Happy Birthday to John28man as well. The lady in his avatar picture is his wife. They were in a restaurant in Vienna, Austria. Do you spend every winter in Arizona, John?

3) To regular commenters: Please email me (crosswordc@gmail.com) if you want to be included in our blog birthday list. I'd love to see a picture of you too.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014 Kevin Christian

Theme: Snakes on a Grid - Six snakes and the unifier. Relax; I am not showing any pictures except through a link.

17. Hosiery support item : GARTER BELT. Garter snake. The Massachusetts state reptile. Link

23. Barbecue veggie eaten with one's hands : CORN ON THE COB. Corn snake. Link

31. Snorkeling site : CORAL REEF. Coral snake. It possess one of the most potent venoms of any North American snake. Link

40. Ice cream drink : MILK SHAKE. Milk snake. An early myth about milk snakes is that they suck cow udders to get the milk. Link

47. 1988 U2 album and movie : RATTLE AND HUM. Rattlesnake. Often a plot device in Westerns. Link

60. Wimbledon feature : GRASS COURT. Grass snake. It is a Eurasian non-venomous snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians. Link

67. Kind of reptile found at the starts of 17-, 23-, 31-, 40-, 47- and 60-Across : SNAKE

Argyle hisss. I've done Kevin's puzzles before but he seems to have been on a hiatus. A smooth return even if some folk might be a little squeamish about the subject. Missing: {X,Z} Let us snake our way to the bottom.

Across:

1. Find the answer to : SOLVE

6. Chicago mayor Emanuel : RAHM. We had Rahm Emanmuel last month.

10. "The Wizard __": comic strip : OF ID. Last month as well.

14. Bird-related : AVIAN

15. Blue Bonnet spread : OLEO

16. Musical symbol : NOTE

19. Astronaut Shepard : ALAN

20. Jai __ : ALAI

21. Suffix with billion : AIRE

22. Subway entrance : STILE. From turnstile.

26. Southwestern desert : MOJAVE

29. Actor Stephen : REA. Born in Belfast.

30. Washer maker : AMANA

37. "Wheel of Fortune" purchase : AN I

38. Hose nozzle option : SPRAY

39. HDTV brand : RCA

43. Play the coquette : FLIRT

45. Debtor's letters : IOU

46. Award hung on a wall : PLAQUE

53. Be a ham : EMOTE

54. Oboe insert : REED

 55. Fancy cracker spread : PÂTÉ

59. 1990s vice president : GORE

62. Curling appliance : IRON

63. Mexican-American War president : POLK. James Knox Polk was the 11th President.

64. Damaging bug : BORER. The emerald ash borer is threatening our nation's ash trees.

65. Cong. meeting : SESSion

66. Dazzles : AWES

Down:

1. It's a long story : SAGA

2. Avocado shape : OVAL

3. Coin once tossed into Italian fountains : LIRA

4. Pope's place, with "The" : VATICAN

5. WSW's opposite : ENE

6. Red-breasted bird : ROBIN

7. Olds model : ALERO

8. Trojan beauty whose face launched a thousand ships : HELEN. Remember the "millihelen".

9. Witty remark : MOT. From French.

10. Painting the town red : ON A TEAR

11. __ acid: prenatal vitamin ingredient : FOLIC

12. "Boot" country prefix : ITALO. Italy is said to be shaped like a boot.

13. Star in the constellation Cygnus : DENEB. "Tail" of the Swan.

18. Red inside : RARE

22. "The Giving Tree" author Silverstein : SHEL

24. Egg cells : OVA

25. Highchair feature : TRAY

26. Sir counterpart : MA'AM

27. Bygone science magazine : OMNI

28. The slammer : JAIL

31. Tax season VIP : CPA

32. Mork's planet : ORK. From the TV show.

33. Arctic explorer John : RAE

34. "ER" actor La Salle : ERIQ. From the TV show.

35. Stationery hue : ECRU

36. Karma : FATE

38. Cage's "Leaving Las Vegas" co-star : SHUE. Elisabeth Judson Shue

41. Little tabbies : KITTENS

42. One and only : SOLE

43. Winter malady : FLU

44. Satirize without mercy : LAMPOON. So what is satirize with mercy?

46. Degrees for many profs. : PHDs

47. Longtime morning co-host, familiarly : REGIS

48. What it is "when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie" : AMORE. Song(3:05)

49. Barcelona bulls : TOROs

50. Archery missile : ARROW

51. Harlem Renaissance writer Zora __ Hurston : NEALE. Biography

52. Classroom fixtures : DESKS

56. Subtle glow : AURA

57. Arduous journey : TREK

58. French I word : ÊTRE. (to be)

60. Student's stat. : GPA. (Grade Point Average)

61. "CSI" network : CBS

Argyle

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 Kevin Christian

Theme: Soft Phoneme - 49A and 50A start with 'C' but they are hard C's. We are looking for soft C's and their homonyms.

17A. 2003 horse movie that won Best Picture : SEABISCUIT

28A. One who’s not on the honor roll : 'C' STUDENT

46A. “Yes, ma’am,” in Madrid : "SI, SENORA"

60A. Primer sentence : "SEE JANE RUN"

Argyle here. Hurrying to beat any power outage. Nice puzzle. Look a little closer and find some fun sidebars.

Across:

1. Well-constructed : SOLID

6. Formal agreement : PACT

10. Carried a balance : OWED

14. Boxing venue : ARENA

15. Turkish honorific : AGHA

16. Kolkata cover-up : SARI. Oh, Kolkata = Calcutta.

19. Early 11th century date : MXIV. 1014

20. Bunny gait : HOP.

21. Important bee : QUEEN

22. Runs easily : LOPES

23. Throw for a loop : ASTOUND

25. __ acid : AMINO

27. Suffix with neat or beat : NIK

31. Tee off : ANGER

34. Gets moving : HIES

35. Stick around : STAY

36. Pal of Piglet : ROO

37. Stress, as a key point : ITERATE. If needed, I can reiterate that.

40. DSL offerer : ISP. (internet service providers)

41. Banjo ridge : FRET

43. WWII females : WACS. The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps(WAAC) was converted into the Women's Army Corps(WAC) in 1943. Web site.

44. Like Stallone’s persona : MACHO

48. “Fresh Air” airer : NPR. (National Public Radio)

49. Colgate rival : CREST

50. Bench or Berra : CATCHER. Two of the greatest, Johnny and Yogi.

54. Manager who managed the Mets, Braves, Cardinals, Yankees and Dodgers : TORRE. Also played as a catcher.

56. ’70s sitcom family name : BRADY. What a bunch.

58. Firefighter’s tool : AXE

59. Antioxidant berry in fruit juices : AÇAÍ

62. Idle : LAZE

63. Cologne that sounds forbidden : TABU

64. Sidestep : ELUDE

65. About 5.88 trillion mi. : LT. YR.

66. Comical Laurel : STAN

67. Uses a stopwatch for : TIMES

Down:

1. Malia Obama’s sister : SASHA

2. Black-and-white treats : OREOS

3. Jumped : LEAPT

4. Having five sharps, musically : IN 'B'

5. Rum cocktail : DAIQUIRI. More "Cheers!"

6. Walked around the waiting room : PACED

7. Fluish feeling : AGUE

8. Waters near Hong Kong and Shanghai : CHINA SEAS. Hmm...China, not a hard 'C' or a soft 'C'.

9. One might have “Mom” in a heart, briefly : TAT

10. Utah singing family : OSMONDS. What a bunch.

11. Woo like Cyrano : WAX POETIC

12. New York’s __ Canal : ERIE

13. Parts of depts. : DIV's. (division)

18. Done for : SUNK

22. Lucy of “Kill Bill” : LIU

24. Small number : ONE

26. __ Helens, Wash. : MT. ST.

28. About, chronologically : CIRCA

29. “A bit of talcum/Is always walcum” poet : NASH

30. Proofreader’s pickup : TYPO

31. Fido’s greetings : ARFs

32. “Me neither” : "NOR I"

33. Flips out : GOES CRAZY

34. Chest pulsation : HEART BEAT

38. “Terrible” age : TWOS

39. Uncontested, like some hockey goals : EMPTY NET

42. Jack Russell or wirehair : TERRIER

45. Rainbow shape : ARC

47. Word before a maiden name : NÉE

48. Zilch : NADA

50. Like some Louisiana fare : CAJUN

51. __-scarum : HARUM

52. Radiate : EXUDE

53. Auberjonois and Russo : RENEs

54. Hard to believe, as a tale : TALL

55. One __: kids’ ball game : O' CAT. A lot of info, all different!

57. Singer McEntire : REBA

60. Rds. : ST's. (roads/streets)

61. Actor Wallach : ELI

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

1) Part V of JD's Italy trip: Cinque Terre. She said:

"Cinque Terre is made up of 5 little fishing villages built on the hills, covered with vineyards. Until recently one could only get there by boat. We visited 3 of the villages by boat, but left via train. Last year they experienced horrendous mud slides, but it has all been cleaned."

Click here for more pictures.

2) Just in. Lemonade's beautiful granddaughter Charlotte Perle, who was born yesterday. Lemonade said she's "6 pounds, 5 ounces 19 3/4 inch little dark haired bundle of joy".

Tuesday, August 14, 2012 Kevin Christian

Theme: What Bart said - The ayes have it, twice, and their homophones start the other themed entries.

20A. "Rocky III" theme song that became a #1 hit for Survivor : EYE OF THE TIGER

31A. Bart Simpson's "Good grief!" : ¡AY, CARAMBA!

41A. Robert Graves novel narrated by Nero's predecessor : "I, CLAUDIUS"

53A. "Roger," on a ship : "AYE-AYE, CAPTAIN"

Argyle here. Déjà vu. Last Tuesday's puzzle from C.C. was the same gimmick except her homophones (2) was the second word in each phrase these "I's" come first. Some pretty good fill fleshes out the puzzle.

Across:

1. Nero's 701 : DCCI

5. Silent performers : MIMES

10. Nocturnal hooters : OWLS

14. Patron saint of Norway : OLAF

15. Wombs : UTERI

16. Language of Bangkok : THAI

17. Even fewer than hardly : NARY

18. "Beat it!" : "SCRAM!"

19. iPhone message : TEXT

23. River mouth area : ESTUARY

24. World's largest cosmetics company : L'ORÉAL

27. Golfer Michelle : WIE. She tried to compete with the men; it didn't work out.

28. Breezed through : ACED

30. Tiny : WEE

35. Goddess for whom a month is named : MAIA. She is eldest of the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters. The Perseids meteor shower was last Saturday night.

36. Caught in the act : SEEN

37. Hands out cards : DEALS

39. Beginning on : AS OF

40. Sibilant "Check this out!" : "PSST!"

43. Bank acct. earnings : INT. (interest)

44. Istanbul native : TURK

46. Indefinite degree : NTH

47. Golf shirt feature : COLLAR

49. Bear __: 2008 JPMorgan Chase acquisition : STEARNS

56. "Livin' on a Prayer" band Bon __ : JOVI. Video w/lyrics(4:04)

58. Skin care brand : NIVEA

59. Former slugger Martinez : TINO. First baseman. Complete run down, Link.

60. Victor's cry : "I WIN"

61. Keystone State Ivy League sch. : U PENN. Pennsylvania is known as "The Keystone State".

62. Biblical brother : ESAU

63. Rare blood type, for short : B NEG

64. Company with "counting sheep" ads : SERTA

65. Hit the hammock : REST. in a Serta hammock.

Down:

1. Charity recipient : DONEE

2. Potter's supplies : CLAYS. I don't remember Harry getting any clay.

3. Insertion mark : CARET. More than you need to know link. CARET is at the bottom right.

4. "Anything to make my buddy happy" : "IF YOU WANT"

5. Not-to-be-missed book : MUST READ

6. Like wool, for many : ITCHY

7. __ mortals : MERE

8. Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT

9. Idiom with "as" in the middle : SIMILE

10. River frolicker : OTTER

11. Words from a digresser : "WHERE WAS I?". That's what I said after an hour, trying to find the origin of "mere mortals".

12. Lenient : LAX

13. Command to Fido : SIT

21. Evenhanded : FAIR

22. Monotheists believe in only one : GOD

25. Alphabet quintet : AEIOU. (vowels)

26. Flips (through) : LEAFS

28. Surprised way to be taken : ABACK

29. Match a bet : CALL

31. Jellied garnish : ASPIC

32. Like some easy questions : YES/NO

33. "Such is life," to Pierre : "C'EST LA VIE"

34. Former Israeli prime minister : MEIR. Golda

35. Alice's tea party host : MAD HATTER

38. Windy West Coast city? : SANTA ANA. The name for the winds may have nothing to do with the city. Etymology.

42. Sch. near the Rio Grande : UTEP. University of Texas at El Paso

44. ___ Bo: fitness system : TAE. Tae Bo is a portmanteau of tae kwon do and boxing.

45. Penultimate planet : URANUS. Second to last.

48. Full of baloney : LYING

49. Sachet emanation : SCENT

50. Increase a bet : RAISE

51. Future señoras : NINAs. La Nina's mean future weather problems.

52. Muzzle : SNOUT

54. "Holy cow!" : "YIPE!". Reaction to a cold snout?

55. At any time : EVER

56. Triangular sail : JIB

57. Possess : OWN

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, April 30, 2012 Kevin Christian

Theme: Three Italians - An adjective for three Italian cities begin these phrases.

20A. Christian led by the Pope : ROMAN CATHOLIC. Rome

39A. Equine that originated in Italy's Campania region : NEAPOLITAN HORSE. Naples (Wikipedia - Neapolitan horse).

55A. Slatted window treatment : VENETIAN BLIND. Venice.

Argyle here. I am not sure of the intent of the theme today. Based on three Italian cities, Venice in northern Italy, Rome in the middle and Naples in the south, but not presented that way in the grid. Any ideas? Love to hear them.

Across:

1. Ginger cookies : SNAPS

6. Take down __: humble : A PEG

10. 1040, for example : FORM

14. Stand-up in a club : COMIC

15. Close by : NEAR

16. Ireland's best-selling solo artist : ENYA. SailAway.(4:28)

17. Plentiful : AMPLE

18. __ Bell : TACO

19. Sinister look : LEER

23. Passionate : FIERY

24. "Amadeus" subject : MOZART. Amadeus Trailer.(2:24)

27. Paper with NYSE news : WSJ. (New York Stock Exchange / Wall Street Journal)

30. 300, to Caesar : CCC

31. Federal agency support org. : GSA

32. Michele of "Glee" : LEA.

33. Lotion ingredient : ALOE

35. Road for Caesar : ITER

37. Brook or lake fish : TROUT

42. Iraqi currency : DINAR

43. "Pleeeeeease?" : "CAN I?"

44. Wedding cake level : TIER

45. Part of USDA: Abbr. : AGR. (agriculture)

46. RR depot : STA

48. Big name in kitchen gadgets : OXO. Mid-range prices. (OK, desper-otto?)

50. Harris and McMahon : EDs

51. 1862 Tennessee battle site : SHILOH. Also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing. Map.

53. Dolly the sheep, e.g. : CLONE

60. Tiny dog biter : FLEA. My first thought was of those little ankle biters.

62. Balkan native : SERB

63. Eagle's dwelling : AERIE. Can we get an update?

64. Nerd : DORK

65. Machu Picchu resident : INCA

66. Boa or mamba : SNAKE

67. Like an optimist's point of view : ROSY

68. Big Dipper component : STAR

69. Facilitated : EASED

Down:

1. Capone facial mark : SCAR

2. Pitcher Hideo : NOMO. Hideo Nomo was the first Japanese-born Japanese major leaguer to permanently relocate to MLB when he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995.

3. Clock radio letters : AM/PM. Ha! I was looking for the switch from AM/FM this time.

4. Seasoned rice dish : PILAF

5. Like many postcard photos : SCENIC

6. Continent with penguins : ANTARCTICA

7. Like bogs : PEATY. And some single malts, eh Tinbeni?

8. Apiece : EACH

9. Cleans and brushes, as a horse : GROOMS

10. __ Navidad : FELIZ. (Merry Christmas) Written and sung by José Feliciano in 1970.

11. Diet soda claim : ONE CALORIE

12. Deli bread choice : RYE

13. Fold, spindle or mutilate : MAR

21. Director DeMille : CECIL. Are you ready for your close-up?

22. Disinclined : LOATH

25. Acted in an environmentally conscious way : REUSED. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

26. Spuds : TATERS

27. Comedian Sykes and a fish : WANDAs. The movie, "A Fish Called Wanda" came out in 1988. Cleanest clip I could find for Sykes.

28. "... in a one-horse open __" : SLEIGH

29. "Can We Talk?" comedienne : JOAN RIVERS

31. Nature Valley snack : GRANOLA BAR

34. Govt. antipollution org. : EPA

36. Inbound flight approx. : ETA

38. Decay : ROT

40. Welles of "Citizen Kane" : ORSON

41. Watergate president : NIXON

47. Grad student's paper : THESIS

49. Having just hit a double, say : ON BASE. Not the daily kind.

52. Like a faulty pipe : LEAKY

53. Approximately, in dates : CIRCA

54. Supreme Court justice Kagan : ELENA

56. Camping gear : TENT

57. Some nest eggs, briefly : IRA's

58. Swoosh logo company : NIKE

59. Accomplishment : DEED

60. WWII leader : FDR

61. Brit's bathroom : LOO

Answer grid.

Argyle

Friday, March 9, 2012 Kevin Christian

Theme: Barefoot on the beach, or no flip "flops". No flops at all with the theme entries today! All four answers are perfectly grand definitions for "flip".

2A. Flip : BECOME EXCITED. You can flip out when you finish today's offering from Kevin and realize that it's also a pangram.

28A. Flip : COMEDIAN WILSON. Star of the Emmy award-winning "The Flip Wilson Show" which aired on NBC.

45A. Flip : DIVING MANEUVER. Try not to over-do your back-flip and turn it into a belly-flop.

54A. Flip : RESELL QUICKLY. Probably not a great idea to try flipping your house in the current market, at least not here in California.

Happy Friday, everyone. Steve here standing in for Lemonade and trying not to commit any gender-confusion sins in today's write-up. I found this nice and tricky; I needed a lot of crosses to make headway on the theme entries as well as on a few of the others. Some nice learning moments too. I enjoyed the "Jeopardy-style" cluing for the theme entries, I'm sure there's a correct crossword term for that, but I'll have to defer to the experts on that one.

Let's take a look at everything else:

Across:

1. Spiced tea : CHAI. The Indian spice cardamom flavors this drink, which is widely available in Starbucks. Starbucks, however, is not widely available in India - remarkably the country does not (yet) have a single outlet.

5. Nerdy guy in "Meatballs" : SPAZ. Jack Blum's character in the 1979 movie.

9. Center of Florida? : EPCOT. Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

14. Deep-tissue massage pioneer Ida : ROLF. I needed the crosses to discover this lady.

15. Half up front? : HEMI. Chrysler Motors trademarked the "Hemi" name, although other auto manufacturers also produce engines of a similar design. "SEMI" was my first thought here, until I found myself scratching my head at "SSIELDS"

16. Big wheel from Holland? : GOUDA. Food! The "other" Dutch cheese. I especially like the smoked variety.

17. City in 22-Down : AMES

18. Coast-to-coast hwy. : I-TEN. Just across the Hollywood Hills from me, this Interstate stretches from Santa Monica, CA to Jacksonville, FL

19. Barn nestling : OWLET

23. Write (down) : SET

24. Camera with interchangeable parts : SLR. You can swap out the lens on a Single-Lens Reflex camera.

25. "... if not cheaper" : OR LESS

32. Eats more of than is wise, with "on" : OD's. I'm completely unsure of how to punctuate a pluralized abbreviation - any suggestions?

33. Cut the crop : REAP. What a great clue!

34. Lettre recipient, perhaps : AMI. Your French friend will be happy to receive your missive.

35. Florida county renamed to include its largest city : DADE. Now Miami-Dade.

38. Travel, in a way : JET. Not necessarily my preferred mode of transport, but certainly my most frequent. Southwest Airlines to Oakland this morning.

39. Rapper-turned-actor : ICE-T

40. Egg opening? : OVI. Quick - give me an egg-opening word that isn't OVIDUCT.

41. Zen master's riddle : KOAN

43. Tobacco co. based in Winston-Salem : RJR. R.J.Reynolds. I recently stopped contributing to their revenues when I quit smoking, and not before time.

50. Chemical relative : ISOMER. Could one of our resident chemistry experts tell us the difference between an ISOMER and an ISOTOPE?

51. Pay stub abbr. : Y.T.D. DED was my first try here, my year-to-date deductions are depressing.

52. French article : DES

58. Ltr. accompaniers : ENCLS. You could enclose a SASE in your letter to your French friend "pour encouragez les auteurs" perhaps?

60. __ Honor : YOUR

61. Frost : HOAR. The beautiful formation of ice crystals like these:

62. Good thing not to wear in a rainstorm : SUEDE. It probably beats wearing nothing at all in a rainstorm though.

63. "Bingo!" : I WIN

64. When Valjean is released from prison : ACT I. Our good friend Jean from Les Miserables.

65. Continue until : END AT

66. Hockey Hall of Famer __ Stewart : NELS. Robert Nelson "Old Poison" Stewart was probably inducted into the Hall of Fame for his awesome name alone.

67. Flightless bird : RHEA

Down:

1. Chesapeake Bay haul : CRABS. I dithered over this one, as CRAB is also plural. Now it's got me wondering which other nouns can either add an "S" or not for the plural form.

2. Shop alternative : HOME EC. Back in my UK schooldays we had "Woodwork" or "Domestic Science."

3. One of the Greek Furies : ALECTO. Needed all the crosses for this, I'm trying to figure out how to remember it for next time.

4. Conditional words : IF SO

5. Defense mechanisms : SHIELDS

6. He ruled jointly with Ivan V for nearly 14 years : PETER I

7. "Don't leave home without it" co. : AMEX. Diner's Club introduced the first credit card in 1952, American Express came along with their card six years later.

8. Sunscreen element : ZINC

9. Vacation for the self-employed? : EGO TRIP.

10. Secretary of state after Albright : POWELL. Colin served under George W. Bush.

11. Good street for playing : CUL-DE-SAC. I can vouch for this having lived on one of these dead-end streets as a kid, and as kids are wont to do, we sniggered when we learned that "cul" is a rather impolite French word for "bottom".

12. Inspired poetry : ODE

13. Body pic : TAT. "Tattoo" seems to be almost archaic now.

21. Teacher's grad deg. : M.S.Ed, the Master of Science in Education degree.

22. 17-Across's state : IOWA

26. Roughly : SOME

27. Distraught state : SNIT. Personally, I would be only mildly distraught if I was in a snit, for more extreme distraughtedness I've got much better words, but Rich wouldn't like them in his crosswords.

29. Duff Beer server : MOE. Homer Simpson's favorite brew poured by his favorite barkeep.

30. Concert venue : ARENA

31. Not gross : NET. Don't get me started on those year-to-date deductions again.

35. Diana's escort __ al-Fayed : DODI. The companion of the Princess of Wales in the latter years of her life.

36. National rival : AVIS

37. No longer together : DIVORCED. Just like me and the gross part of my paycheck that didn't make it into my net.

38. Bind : JAM

39. "Mr. Chicago" journalist Kupcinet : IRV. Very subtle "Mr." abbreviation clue here.

41. Israeli parliament : KNESSET

42. Storybook heavy : OGRE. Shrek seems to have taken the sting out of the good old-fashioned scare-the-bejabers-out-of-you fairy tale baddies.

43. Stock clerk's charge : RETURNS

44. Dench of "Iris" : JUDI. Dame of British theatre and film.

46. Leader with a shoestring budget? : IMELDA. First Lady (now Congresswoman) Marcos of the Philippines, reputed to own more than 2,500 pairs of shoes.

47. Cold remedy in LiquiCaps : NYQUIL

48. "Mayor" memoirist : ED KOCH, former Mayor of New York City.

49. Connect : RELATE

53. Arab League member : SYRIA

55. "__' Eyes": Eagles hit : LYIN. On my iPod for those maudlin moments.

56. Actor Rob : LOWE

57. Blacken : CHAR.

58. Journal ending : -ESE. I had to wait to decide between -ese and -ist.

59. Sister or mother : NUN. Lovely aha! clue to finish with.



That's all from me - have a wonderful weekend.

Steve