Saturday, Jun 13th, 2015, Kevin Christian and Jeff Chen

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing Q,X,Z,)

Blocks: 32

  Well, I am surprised at how easily this one filled in - and there were plenty of proper names and vague clues to make think otherwise at the start.  I have worked Saturday puzzles from both constructors, but not as a duo; strangely, I used the phrase "Plan B" (see 16a.) in the write-up of Mr. Christian's 7/26/14 offering.  A rare grid with three separate climbers and one spanner, and no-so-intimidating corners; 

36. Does some political maneuvering : JOCKEYS FOR POWER

3. Reaction to excessive attention to detail : BUT WHO'S COUNTING~?

7. Unplugs in a big way : LIVES OFF THE GRID

11. Post-washing warning : CAUTION WET FLOOR

underwa[te]rd~!

ACROSS:

1. Card __ : TABLE - ah.  This did not occur to me until I had --BLE

6. "The Hobbit" being : ELF - not ENT - pondered ORC, too

9. Tied accessory : ASCOT - threw it in, and it stayed

14. Cameron Indoor Stadium college hoopster : BLUE DEVIL - an educated WAG from ----EVIL

16. It has a backup : PLAN A

17. Feigns innocence : ACTS NAÏVE

18. Like Zitronen : SAUER - German for lemons, and sour; I gathered it meant "citrus"

19. Inexperienced : RAW

20. Tons : A SLEW

21. First : ON TOP

22. Acidity nos. : pHs

24. Virtue of the 2010 Olympic champion ice dancing team Virtue and Moir : TESSA - I had TE--A, and went with "RR" - Bzzzt~! ( I knew a girl in Florida named Terra )

26. Gershon of "Killer Joe" : GINA - could not think of her name

27. It involves pockets : POOL - Had it, took it out, put it back in.  I like shooting pool, but have not done so in about 6 years - even have my own cues

29. Some crosses : ROODS - went with ANHKS first

31. Alley ending? : OOP - Alley-oop

32. Freelancers' encls. : SAEs - Self-Addressed Envelopes

34. Ross Sea sight : FLOE

35. Captain's dir. : NNE

40. Tokyo-born artist : ONO

41. Lit __ : CRIT - perps - Literary Criticism; the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature.  I am presently reading Nelson DeMille's "The Gate House".  I like his stuff

42. Kennel pickup area : NAPE - ah - where you literally pick up an animal, from the back of the neck

43. Coin first minted in 13th-century France : ECU - Learned doing crosswords; we almost got away with a Frawnche-free puzzle this week

44. Challenging pitch : HIGH C - I had the "C" first, so I was not feeling it

46. Baryshnikov, at birth : LETT

48. What "c" may mean in South Africa : CENT - their "dollar" is the rand, and therefore....

50. "One can say everything best over __": George Eliot : A MEAL

52. Corp. treasurer, perhaps : CFO

53. Playground comeback : AM TOO - are so, is not....couldn't decide at the beginning

55. __ Dei : AGNUS - OK, I was in a "Da Vinci Code" frame of mind, couldn't get past "OPUS"

57. Bodybuilder Ferrigno : LOU - best known for the greener side of the TV series "The Incredible Hulk"

campy

59. Ballerina Shearer : MOIRA - a WAG from M--RA

60. Eccentrics : CRACKPOTS - nailed it

62. Big name in auditing : ERNST - I had a room-mate in college who was destined for the "Ernst & Young" accounting firm

63. Police-search discovery : HIDEY-HOLE

64. Colorful Danish export : LEGOs - not LILIES (didn't fit), and not DELFT, the dishware - because they're Dutch

65. B.C. neighbor : IDA - ah.  IDAHO - I was stuck up in 45d., thinking it was either ALBerta, or SASkatchewan

66. 10th-century English king : EDRED - never heard of this guy

DOWN:       

1. It takes you to the top : T-BAR - skiing

2. Sadie Hawkins creator : AL CAPP

4. "__ Troyens": Berlioz opera : LES - like I said, almost

5. Krabappel of "The Simpsons" : EDNA

Edna Krabappel - The Simpsons Wiki

6. More wicked : EVILER - my one "meh" clue for the day

8. Traveled alone, perhaps : FLEW SOLO - I'm still flying solo  :7(

9. Lhasa __ : APSO

10. Urban Dictionary content : SLANG - there's a lot of funny stuff on the site, but a little on the vulgar side; I found this one to be amusing

12. Game for two : ONE-ON-ONE

13. Roofing material : TAR PAPER - it's but one layer of a roof

15. Bridge column word : EAST - figured it was 50/50 - this or "WEST"

23. Gouge : SOAK

25. Festoon : ADORN

28. Clinging type : LEECH

30. Calyx part : SEPAL

33. Aleppo's land : SYRIA

36. Marlboro Man contemporary : JOE CAMEL - I remember the controversy, and the suble sexual innuendo of the image

37. Again : ONCE MORE

38. Frat founded in 1855 at Ohio's Miami University : SIGMA CHI

39. Gp. that includes Nigeria : OPEC

45. Country with the largest surface area of water : CANADA - I knew this, for some odd reason; probably came up in a crossword clue from the past

47. Amble (along) : TOOTLE - I had -OOT--; didn't think "FOOTED" was right

49. Statue subject : TORSO

51. "__ and His Empire": 1972 Pulitzer-winning biography : LUCE

54. Mare's mouthful : OATS

56. Terrier type : SKYE

58. Like many eBay items : USED

61. One hanging out in a coll. office? : PhD

Splynter

Notes from C.C.:

I was saddened to learn from Patti Varol yesterday that Leslie Billig, editor of Crosswords Club, passed away Wednesday morning. Patti said "Her creativity and wit, as well as her sharp eye for detail, shaped not only Crosswords Club and Uptown, but many publications at Dell Magazines. Leslie's passion for puzzles and her infectious giggle will be sorely missed by everyone who knew and worked with her. I already miss her more than I know how to express."

I never met Leslie in person. Only a few email exchanges regarding a distracting RAMBO in a AM/PM two-way rebus. As Patti said, she had a keen eye for detail. She was very warm & encouraging. She quietly edited my puzzles, corrected my mistakes and spiced up my clues with her wits. She made me look good. Thank you, Leslie!

You can click here for a great interview Leslie did with Puzzle Nation.

Leslie Billig, ACPT, 2004

Thursday, May 14, 2015 Kevin Christian

Theme: Vowel (sorta) progression

I say "sorta" because usually the vowel progression is in the answers. With this puzzle, the vowel progression is in the clues. The problem is to figure out the exact wording that the constructor used for the answers, since these are not all "in the language" phrases.

Five grid-spanners covers a lot of territory:

17-Across. BAN : LEGALLY PROHIBIT.

22-Across. BEN : SEQUEL TO WILLARD. Never saw either one - not a big fan of rats...

36-Across. BIN : TRASH RECEPTACLE.

45-Across. BON : AC/DC SINGER SCOTT. Did not know him. I was looking for something "good" in France...

53-Across. BUN : BREAD FOR A HOT DOG. Not this hairstyle?

It's only fitting that a vowel progression theme should also be a pangram, with every consonant accounted for.


Across

1. Charms : MOJOS.

6. 60-Across, e.g. : CZAR.

10. 1992 Matchbox acquirer : TYCO.

14. Candy message : I LUV U. I have been looking for this phrase on candy hearts for years, and have to say, I have never come across it.

15. Offend, in a way : REEK.

16. Old record problem : WARP. Hand up for "skip" at first?

20. '70s Sonny and Cher label : KAPP. I wanted Atco, but that was in the '60s.

21. Dramatist with three Pulitzers and three Tonys : ALBEE. None of them were for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

28. Spiral-horned antelope : ELAND.

29. Skunk River city : AMES.

30. Tornado survivor of film : TOTO.

31. Shakespeare's "__ Andronicus" : TITUS.

33. Edwards, e.g.: Abbr. : AFB. Air Force Base.

40. Greek org. : SOR.ority.

41. Lash LaRue vehicle : OATER.

42. Branch of Islam : SHIA.

43. "Deal __ Deal" : OR NO.

44. Very long time : AEONS.

51. Eastern garment : SAREE. And a semi-clecho at 52-Across. Eastern nurse : AMAH.

60. "Terrible" ruler : IVAN. Ivan the Terrible.  "Grozny" translates in English as terrible, but the Russian word actually connotes "causing great fear," or "formidable."

61. Histamine opener : ANTI. To help prevent those 33-Downs. "Gesundheit!" trigger : ACHOO. I wish I could find an antihistamine that would open my sinuses without closing my eyes!

62. Wet : RAINY.

63. Prized possessions : GEMS.

64. "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" co-screenwriter : DAHL. Learning moment: Ian Fleming wrote the novel it was based upon.

65. Gas brand with a red-white-and-blue logo : EXXON.


Down

1. Grand squared : MIL.

2. Encouraging word : OLE. And a clecho at 50-Down. Encouraging word : RAH.

3. __ wine : JUG. [shudder!]

4. Reproductive cells : OVA.

5. Moped : SULKED.

6. Burial chamber : CRYPT.

7. Youngest Marx brother : ZEPPO.

8. __ Lingus : AER.

9. "Citizen Kane" studio : RKO.

10. Denim and chino : TWILLS.

11. Start of a '60s TV toon yell : YABBA...dabba doo!

12. Old-time news source : CRIER.

13. Elected : OPTED.

18. California NBAers, on a scoreboard : LAL. LA Lakers.

19. Least infirm : HALEST.

22. Paving stones : SETTS. Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask...

23. What Mexican Olympians go for : EL ORO. "The Gold."

24. Doha is its capital : QATAR. I learned this when Doc was in Doha.

25. Pizzeria chain, familiarly : UNOS. Formally, "Pizzeria Uno" and now "Uno Chicago Grill."

26. Liquid 32-Down : WATER. And 32-Down. Solid 26-Down : ICE.

27. "My turn!" : I'M UP.

31. Grand __ National Park : TETON.

34. Spark producer : FLINT.

35. Sixth-day creation : BEAST.

37. Fooled (around) : HORSED.

38. Eastern royal : RANI.

39. "Just __!" : A SEC.

43. Loads : OCEANS.

44. One way to be washed : ASHORE.

45. Comparable to a house? : AS BIG.

46. Use a pocketknife, perhaps : CARVE. I would rather use skis.

47. Fantasize : DREAM.

48. Recurring Dana Carvey "SNL" character : GARTH.

49. Some spam : EMAIL.

54. __ diet : FAD. Another clecho at 55-down. __ diet :  ON A.

56. Strain : TAX.

57. New Jersey fort : DIX. Hand up for wanting "Lee" at first?

58. Lennon collaborator : ONO.

59. Dr. for women : GYN.ecologist.

Marti, out for the count!

Monday, May 4, 2015 Kevin Christian and Andrea Carla Michaels

Theme: Homophones - Were you aware the sound in the middle of the theme entries was a homophone?

17A. 1957 Michael Landon horror film role : TEENAGE WEREWOLF

27A. "You're going to like the way you look" clothing chain : MEN'S WEARHOUSE

46A. Place to copy keys : HARDWARE STORE

62A. "Not in my backyard" : "ANYWHERE BUT HERE"

WARNING: Strong language. George Carlin(6:05) - NIMBY (Not in my back yard) (Dealing with homelessness)(and golf)

Argyle hear. No reveal but two spanners. You ought not have any problems with this one.

Across:

1. Reject, as a sweetheart : JILT

5. Bee Gees family name : GIBB

9. Beginning : ONSET

14. Emmy winner Falco : EDIE. Both comedy and drama.

15. Comédie musicale part : ACTE. French.

16. Beautiful, in Bologna : BELLA. Italian.

20. __ Arabia : SAUDI. Arabic. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Ibn Saud.

21. Nightclub in a Manilow song : COPA. "At the Copa, Copacabana, the hottest spot north of Havana!"

22. Tootsies : FEET

23. Poet Khayyám : OMAR

25. Exxon's ex-name : ESSO. And current, too.

32. Isr. neighbor : SYR. (Israel/Syria)

33. Listener? : EAR

34. "I give up!" : "UNCLE!"

36. Sailor's confinement : BRIG. and the occasional Marine could be found there.

38. Struck down, in 39-Down : SMOTE

41. "Finish the job!" : "DO IT!"

42. Curved like a rainbow : ARCED

44. "So that's your game!" : "A-HA!"

45. Function : USE

51. Baseball stitching : SEAM

52. Animal on the California state flag : BEAR

53. Trig or calc : MATH

56. Words claiming innocence : "NOT I"

58. Higher-ranking : UPPER

65. Skylit courtyards : ATRIA

66. "__ fair in love and war" : ALL'S

67. Extremely dry : ARID

68. __ to be: destined : MEANT

69. Jeans brand : LEES. Trademark Lee™

70. Women in habits : NUNS

Down:

1. New York footballers : JETS. 8–8 regular season 2014.

2. Notion : IDEA

3. In __ of: substituted for : LIEU

4. Muscle-to-bone connector : TENDON

5. Vaudeville bit : GAG

6. Banana split ingredient : ICE CREAM. Standard vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, right?

7. Call in a bingo hall : B TWO

8. Paging device : BEEPER

9. U.K. honor : OBE. Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

10. Recently discovered : NEWFOUNDland (icebergs)

11. Wild plum : SLOE

12. Fashion magazine : ELLE

13. 300-pound president : TAFT. William Howard Taft, our 27th President.

18. Goals : AIMS. Not ENDS today.

19. Calamine lotion target : RASH

24. Fills with wonder : AWEs

26. Almost worthless amount : SOU. Old French coin.

27. Gift from the Magi : MYRRH

28. "Fear of Flying" author Jong : ERICA

29. Like a loud crowd : AROAR

30. Clean with elbow grease : SCOUR

31. Beethoven's "Für __" : ELISE

32. Agcy. that aids start-ups : SBA. (Small Business Administration) Formed July 30, 1953.

35. French summer : ÉTÉ

37. "Rhapsody in Blue" composer : GERSHWIN

39. Holy Scripture : THE BIBLE

40. Lighten up : EASE

43. Ike's initials : DDE. (Dwight David Eisenhower) our 34th President.

47. Wind down : WANE

48. Lacking principles : AMORAL

49. Pulled tight : TAUT

50. Many an adoptee : ORPHAN

53. Polite way to address a lady : MA'AM

54. Pot starter : ANTE

55. "America's Next Top Model" host Banks : TYRA

57. Prefix with gram or graph : TELE

59. Lima is its capital : PERU. Home of the lima bean, really.

60. Ireland, poetically : ERIN

61. Chianti and Merlot : REDS

63. Sombrero, e.g. : HAT

64. Battleship letters : USS. At least ours are.

Argyle

Saturday, Mar 28th, 2015, Kevin Christian and Doug Peterson

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing V, X, Z)

Blocks: 33

  Man, I thought this one was going to crush me.  In the end, I had to cheat - two items, but it was worth it.  The SE corner had some genuine screw-ups on my part, which slowed me down something fierce.  Lots of white-wash in the top half as well, which left me discouraged - but then, a glimmer of hope~!  Triple 9-letter corners made up the longest answers; 

15a. Spider producer : ALFA ROMEO - lots of car manufacturers make a "spider", but this company seems to be most closely associated with the style.  Did you hear about the UK Top Gear presenter getting fired~?  I'm not sure I'm watching next year....

17. 54-Down cause, in modern jargon : FAT FINGER - Funny.  This should have clued me in that my 54d. "MEMO" was wrong

 58a. Little League game ender, perhaps : MERCY RULE - Some "baseball" for C.C.; I had "--- BUNT", and that wasn't making any sense - the Wiki

32d. Where billabongs flow : AUSTRALIA - not the clothing line - a new word for me; the Wiki

oh, and -

44a. What some authority figures wear? : THE PANTS - "Let me tell you, I'm the one who wears the pants around here~!

Game - ON -ward~!

ACROSS:

1. Discouraged : SCARED OFF

10. Father of Reuben, in Genesis : JACOB - OK, I cheated.  I had to look this one up.

16. __ Bowl: Boston College won the last one in 2000 : ALOHA

18. Samurai without a master : RONIN - I recalled this from an "X-Files" episode

19. Sell the scene : EMOTE

20. __ Air : BEL

22. Have more than enough : O.D.  ON

23. Mtge. application datum : SSN

24. Hayek of "Frida" : SALMA

26. Meld : FUSE

27. Shafts, so to speak : RAW DEALS - as in "they gave me the shaft"

30. Court pos. : CTR - meh.

31. Hillshire Brands predecessor : SARA LEE

34. "Bad idea" : "NAH"

35. Skosh : TAD

36. High-protein grain : QUINOA - OK.  I cheated here, too - I was pretty sure "QUINCE" was wrong, but the "OA" was not coming to me

37. Great Plains tribe : LAKOTA - oops, not Dakota

39. Sch. whose marching band played on Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" : USC

40. Spray-making co. : FTD - ah.  I did not know these arrangements were called "sprays"

42. Golden Globe nominee for "Tommy" : DALTREY - Roger, from The Who

43. Second-most populous Afr. country : ETHiopia

46. God in 56-Across : ARES

48. Past : OF OLD

49. K.C. setting : CST - OK, I thought Kansas City was in MDT; sorry, my mid-west friends, I thought you were further west....

52. Item on a carhop's tray : MALT

53. Fox's leg? : GAM - my kind of clue~!

54. Reno-__ Intl. Airport : TAHOE

56. It concludes with Hector's funeral : ILIAD

61. __ mentality : SIEGE - I am familiar with "herd" mentality, but I have not "heard" this phrase

62. Yosemite attraction : EL CAPITAN - Old Faithful did not fit; besides, it's in Yellowstone....

63. "Blade Runner" actor Rutger __ : HAUER

64. "Days," for one : SOAP OPERA - my mom calls her favorite daytime drama "Days", in reference to "Days of Our Lives"

DOWN:       

1. Gun holders : SAFES - ugh, took W-A-A-A-Y too long to figure out the "F"

2. Bucks : CLAMS - money slang

3. River in a Burns poem : AFTON - mostly perps

4. Great quantity : RAFT - r-aft and aft-on

5. City with a Penn State campus : ERIE - educated WAG

6. Get into : DON - Pondered "DIG" here, but we're talking clothes, not 'style'

7. Surprise letters : OMG - Text-speak for "Oh My God~!"

8. Ineffective : FEEBLE

9. Court leader : FOREMAN

10. Shake up : JAR - I got jarred in my hockey game this past Wednesday; I made the save on the guy who crashed the net, but I still have the headache

11. Hard to reach : ALOOF

12. Copper, notably : CONDUCTOR - the "T" from TAD led me to try "---- METAL" - bzzzt~!

13. Jack Nicklaus Museum campus : OHIO STATE - I WAGed "STATE" from TAD as well, and this worked

14. Time to celebrate : BANNER DAY - WAGed "DAY" from TAD, too~!

21. Dream state? : LA-LA LAND - shout-out, Linda~!

24. Misfit '70s sitcom character : SWEATHOG - Mista Kotter~!

25. Power chaser? : ADE - Powerade, the sports drink

27. Bolted : RAN

28. Up : ALOFT - ugh.  RISEN~? AWAKE~? ALIVE~? Nope.

29. Old will? : SHALT - Thou will not covet...

31. Easily appalled : SQUEAMISH - BANG~! Got it with just "---M--H"

33. "The Three Musketeers" antagonist : RICHELIEU - mostly perps

38. Ring concerns: Abbr. : KTS - dah~!  I had KOs, the boxing kind of ring, not the engagement type

41. Vilifies : DEFAMES - ooops, not ASHames

42. Indian lentil dish : DAL - all perps; last week, we had VORTEX cross with TEX; this week, it's DAL and DALtrey

45. Asian citrus fruit : POMELO

47. Part of a process : STAGE

49. Drag racing safety feature : CHUTE

50. __ system : SOLAR - DAH~!! Put in HONOR, and that blew up the whole corner; I was 40% correct

51. "Lovergirl" vocalist __ Marie : TEENA - WAG & perps

54. Paper slip : TYPO - Dah-dah-dah~!  Not MEMO; should have known it was wrong with the cross-referenced 17a.

55. "What __!": "I've been swindled!" : "A RIP~!"

57. Aachen article : DER

59. Onetime Hertz owner : RCA

60. Tube top : CAP - ah, not the clothing

Splynter

Tuesday, February 10, 2015 Kevin Christian

Theme: 11-13-11 - You don't need to be a yegg to crack these combinations.

17A. Computer user's combination : CUT AND PASTE

39A. Computer user's combination : POINT AND CLICK

64A. Computer user's combination : DRAG AND DROP

Argyle here with Kevin. We haven't seen him in awhile but we're glad to have him back. And since you are probably computer savvy or you wouldn't be here, I won't explain the combos. Let's just say there is a beauty in the tightness of this theme, clues and answers.

Across:

1. Waned : EBBED

6. "Boyhood" actor Ethan : HAWKE. Any reviews?

11. Taking a personal day, say : OFF. Strange entry.

14. Emancipation Proclamation subject : SLAVE

15. Tale of Achilles and Agamemnon : ILIAD. The Odyssey and the Iliad are among the oldest extant works of Western literature. (On my reading bucket list. ;-) )

16. Bro : PAL

19. Green prefix : ECO

20. Gallery display : ART

21. Pinnacle : TOP

22. Accustoms (to) : ENURES

24. Wan : PALE

26. Pen points : NIBs. Fountain pens, not the ball point kind.

29. They may be run at bars : TABS

30. What potatoes and needles both have : EYES. Sewing needles, not the hypodermic kind.

31. AT&T, briefly : TELCO. Shortened version of TELecommunications COmpany

33. Nebraska tribe : OTOE. They reminded me; no ERIE today.

34. Biblical beast : ASS

36. Waikiki's island : OAHU

38. Aegean island : IOS

43. 14-time NBA All-Star Duncan : TIM. He played his entire career for the San Antonio Spurs. That's something.

44. Washing machine filler : LOAD

45. Anthem contraction : O'ER

46. Indian princess : RANI

48. Rainbow maker : PRISM

 

50. Leave out : OMIT

54. Have __: be connected : AN IN

55. Boy with a dragon, in a Disney classic : PETE

56. Wine region near San Francisco : NAPA

57. Part of USSR : SOVIET

60. Louis XVI, for one : ROI. (King)

62. Resistance measure : OHM

63. "Game of Thrones" airer : HBO

68. Spot for a Bluetooth headset : EAR

69. United Arab Emirates city : DUBAI

70. Cat-__-tails : O-NINE. (whip)

71. Dr. of rap : DRE

72. Pine (for) : YEARN

73. Modern surgical tool : LASER

Down:

1. Get away from it all : ESCAPE

2. DVD alternative : BLU-RAY

3. War movie scene : BATTLE

4. Actress Gabor : EVA

5. Bit of progress : DENT

6. Many a Woodstock attendee : HIPPIE

7. In the style of : À LA

8. Ill. neighbor : WIS. Illinois/Wisconsin

9. Prince William's wife : KATE. Cheeky, she is Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

10. Genesis garden : EDEN

11. Like Verdi's most famous works : OPERATIC

12. Subject of the 2010 film "The Social Network" : FACEBOOK

13. Follows dental advice : FLOSSES

18. "Please continue" : "DON'T STOP"

23. __-Aztecan: language family : UTO

25. Actor Morales : ESAI

27. Dagwood's wife : BLONDIE

28. Big bunch : SCAD

32. "Give me a break!" : "OH, COME ON!"

35. NBC show with skits : SNL

37. Suffix with glob : ULE

39. Place for cocktails and music : PIANO BAR

40. Hardly a picky eater? : OMNIVORE

41. 50+ org. : AARP. Formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, now simply AARP, Inc.

42. Waffle maker : IRON

43. Vandalized : TRASHED

47. Pasta suffix : INI

49. Muscle injury : STRAIN

51. New Zealand natives : MAORIs

52. Samsung Galaxy competitor : iPHONE

53. Mess (with), as a lock : TAMPER

58. Whirlpool : EDDY

59. T, on a test : TRUE

61. Fan mail recipient : IDOL

65. Lawyer's gp. : ABA. (American Bar Association)

66. Long-snouted fish : GAR. Ugly but Native Americans used the scales of the gar as arrowheads. Tough.

67. "CSI" evidence : DNA

 

Argyle

Tuesday, December 9, 2014 Kevin Christian

Theme: Easy as ABC..D - If you happen to be Greek.

20. Star system closest to the solar system : ALPHA CENTAURI

28. Software development phase : BETA TEST

45. Bit of electromagnetic radiation : GAMMA RAY

53. Atlanta-based carrier : DELTA AIRLINES

Argyle here. A 'J' short of a pangram. No reveal. Straightforward grid. Eclectic fill.

Across:

1. Palm reader, e.g. : SEER

5. Implied with a nod, say : TACIT

10. Music-playing Apple : iPOD

14. Berry rich in antioxidants : ACAI

15. Solo : ALONE

16. Taboo : NO-NO

17. Six-time French Open champ Bjorn : BORG

18. "I speak for the trees" Seuss character : LORAX

19. TV series with many choreographed numbers : "GLEE"

23. Snuggles : NESTLES

24. Wallops : SMACKS

27. Long in the tooth : OLD

30. Good, in the Galápagos : BUENO. Hang out for our own Sally.

33. Melody : TUNE

34. Prefix with morph : ECTO

35. Attorneys' org. : ABA. (American Bar Association)

36. Week-long year-end celebration : KWANZAA. "first fruits of the harvest" December 26 to January 1

39. River to the Rhine : AAR

40. Words of denial : "NOT I"

42. "Deal __ Deal" : OR NO

43. Stick around : TARRY

47. __ au vin : COQ. One of Julia Child's signature dishes.

48. Stonewall : STYMIE. Originally from golfing's old rule that a ball could block another ball from the hole.

49. Appraise : VALUATE. Yes, you can drop the 'E'.

56. Use a Taser on : STUN

58. "Steppenwolf" author : HESSE. (Hermann Hesse)

59. Official proclamation : FIAT

60. Show of affection : KISS

61. Steaming mad : IRATE

62. Raison d'__ : ETRE. Mine is to be here and blog this puzzle.

63. Pay to play : ANTE

64. Lacking face value, as stock : NO-PAR

65. Comical Martha : RAYE. She became a spokeswoman for Polident.

Down:

1. Crimson Tide coach Nick : SABAN. (Alabama football coach, Nick Saban)

2. School, to Yvette : ÉCOLE

3. Old West brothers : EARPS

4. "Amen, brother!" : "RIGHT ON!". Can you see Wyatt saying that to his brother Virgil?

5. Sprinkled with baby powder : TALCED. But not recommended for babies.

6. Medicinal plants : ALOEs

7. Iowa crop : CORN. Cornstarch-based powder is safer for baby than talc.

8. "For those listening __ home ..." : IN AT. Phrasing from vintage radio shows.

9. Oil, informally : TEXAS TEA

10. Unappreciative sort : INGRATE

11. Precinct wheels : POLICE CAR

12. United : ONE

13. Deer girl : DOE

21. "No problem here" : "ALL OK"

22. Actress Thurman : UMA

25. Relatively cool heavenly body : K STAR. Or the above.

26. Building level : STORY

28. Ski slope beginner : BUNNY. They can get pretty icy from over-use.

29. Automaker Ferrari : ENZO

30. Forehead-covering hair : BANGS

31. WWII sea threat : U-BOAT

32. "Try and catch me!" : "EAT MY DUST!", said Enzo.

33. "Gone With the Wind" estate : TARA

37. Became harder to deal with : WORE THIN

38. Coral ring : ATOLL

41. Ginormous : IMMENSE

44. Ground water source : AQUIFER

46. Feel poorly : AIL

47. Life's work : CAREER

49. Panoramic view : VISTA

50. Santa __ racetrack : ANITA

51. Emotional : TEARY

52. Perfumer Lauder : ESTÉE

54. Aviation prefix : AERO

55. PDQ kin : ASAP

56. Reggae cousin : SKA. Top 10 Ska Bands(8:26)

57. Cookie holder : TIN

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Hahtoola, who joined this blog shortly after I started. She always comes to the blog with an inspiring quote related to a certain entry in the blog. Like Dave's links, it's easy to delight the crowd with one or two quotes, but doing so day after day takes time and effort. Thanks, Hahtoola!

The Corn Poppy

Monday, August 11, 2014 Kevin Christian and Andrea Carla Michaels

Theme: How are you? - “Everyone Is a House with Four Rooms, a Physical, a Mental, an Emotional, and a Spiritual.” Indian proverb

17A. What regular exercise helps maintain : PHYSICAL FITNESS

27A. Mindreader's claim : MENTAL TELEPATHY

44A. 1980 Rolling Stones hit : "EMOTIONAL RESCUE"

56A. Priest or lama, e.g. : SPIRITUAL LEADER

Argyle here, in the room with padded walls. Thank goodness Google was here to give me the theme. All four themes were grid spanners, too. The fill didn't suffer either. Our constructors should show some 38-Across for this offering.

Across:

1. Jiggly see-through dish : ASPIC

6. Character deficiency : FLAW

10. Cutting remark : BARB

14. Formal "will" : SHALL

15. 1970 Kinks hit : LOLA. Live(4:31)

16. Matty or Felipe of baseball : ALOU. Our usual baseball family.

20. Run __ of the law : A FOUL

21. Like very cheap merchandise : TRASHY

22. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYStem

25. "__ voyage!" : BON

26. Solo who loved Leia : HAN

34. Delta rival, as it was formerly known : USAIR. US Airways now.

35. TiVo predecessors : VCRs

36. Actor Stephen : REA

37. Cocktail hour bowlfuls : DIPS

38. __ and joy : PRIDE. Often found in little bundles.

40. Corridor : HALL

41. Gun for a gangster : GAT

42. Completely closed : SHUT

43. Language of India : HINDI

48. Quaint lodging : INN

49. Author Fleming : IAN

50. Mini-albums, for short : EPs. An extended play (EP) is a musical recording that contains more music than a single, but is usually too short to qualify as a full studio album or LP.

51. Bob Marley's music : REGGAE

54. Signs on for another stint : RE-UPs

61. Start of Caesar's boast : VENI. "Veni, vidi, vici" ("I came, I saw, I conquered")

62. Jason's ship : ARGO

63. Religious belief : CREED

64. Black-eyed veggies : PEAs

65. Eat, as ribs : GNAW

66. "The Metamorphosis" writer Franz : KAFKA

Down:

1. Egyptian slitherer : ASP

2. "Pipe down!" : "SHH!"

3. Foot the bill : PAY

4. "Casablanca" heroine : ILSA

5. Energy-boosting organic snack brand : CLIF BAR

6. Show off shamelessly : FLAUNT

7. Lounge about : LOLL

8. Furry TV E.T. : ALF. (Alien Life Form)

9. "Sit tight while I get help" : "WAIT HERE"

10. Fruit often sliced onto cereal : BANANA

11. Tavern orders : ALEs

12. __ Hashanah : ROSH

13. Like bees or beavers : BUSY

18. Chilly : COOL

19. Snares : TRAPS

22. Mark from an old eraser : SMUDGE

23. "No, you're not" retort : "YES, I AM"

24. Stand at attention : SNAP TO

28. "__ the season to be jolly ..." : 'TIS

29. Musical set in Argentina : EVITA

30. HDTV feature : LCD. (liquid crystal display)

31. Hypnotic state : TRANCE

32. Delayed : HELD UP

33. New Haven Ivy Leaguers : YALIES

38. Series of voice mail messages, say : PHONE TAG

39. Beat a retreat : RUN

40. Old what's-__-name : HIS

42. Mount for Moses : SINAI

43. Nag, nag, nag : HENPECK

45. Baghdad's river : TIGRIS

46. Hide out : LIE LOW

47. __ Julia of "The Addams Family" : RAUL

51. "Let me know," on invitations : RSVP

52. Fencing sword : EPEE

53. Actress Gershon : GINA

54. Music from India : RAGA

55. "Nobody doesn't like __ Lee" : SARA

57. Coffee hour server : URN

58. Phone letters on the "3" button : DEF

59. Cartoon scream : "EEK!"

60. No. formerly on vitamin labels : RDA. (Recommended Daily Allowance)

I left out a lot of musical options; feel free to link your favorites. I'll be in the music room.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

For those who missed the Andrea Carla Michaels interview I linked last time, here it is again.

Saturday, Jul 26th, 2014, Kevin Christian

Theme: None

Words: 72 - Pangram~!

Blocks: 33

   Kevin Christian has had a steady run of mostly Monday and Tuesday level puzzles for the LAT, though he does have a Thursday and a Friday among the 11 grids that have been reviewed on this blog - and today's themeless has a gratuitous self shout-out at one across~! A true pinwheel design with all four corners consisting of triple-9 letter chunks, and a mini-pinwheel of eight-letter entries in the center, too - that made for tough going, but I did finish, but with a red-letter cheat to see what I had wrong - no Ta-DA~! for me   :7(    I had two squares wrong; see below.  Some of the longer fill;

15a. Poe title locale : RUE MORGUE - Oh, I am so disappointed with myself; this should have been a gimme, since Iron Maiden has a song by the same title - "Murders in the Rue Morgue"

12d. One in a bar lineup : VODKA SHOT - I don't do vodka; the night would get started with one bourbon, one scotch, one beer....and then I would do this song, by request, for karaoke

58a. Cyan relative : TURQUOISE

  

32d. Garden color : TOMATO RED

(must go) o-n-w-a-r-d- - - - - - - ~!

ACROSS:

1. Bounty mutineer : CHRISTIAN - Fletcher vs. Bligh - the Wiki

10. __ ordo seclorum: Great Seal words : NOVUS

16. Words of refusal : I DON'T

17. Versatile seasoning : ONION SALT

18. Singer's better half? : SIDE A - Har-har~!!!

19. Screwball : WACKY - not KOOKY

20. Mariner's direction : AFT

22. Game similar to pinochle : SKAT

23. Letters after Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's name : D NH - Democrat, New Hampshire; this was a bit of a stretch for me; more about this history-making woman here

24. Spend leisurely, with "away" : WHILE

26. Zap, in a way : TASE

27. __ Provinces : MARITIME

30. __ tight : SIT - Dah~!  Went with AIR first

31. Informer : STOOLIE - my "E-magazine" made this slow to appear

34. Chose, in a way : X'ED

35. "On __ Majesty's Secret Service" : HER - James Bond #6, 1969, George Lazenby's only stint as our favorite British Spy

36. Fighting : COMBAT

37. Nucleic acid sugar : RIBOSE

39. She played Mia in "Pulp Fiction" : UMA

40. '90s-'00s reliever Robb : NEN - Baseball; C.C. nailed it, I am sure

42. Kitchen set : DINETTE - my little table project has run into a slight snag; more below

43. Base : BAG - Baseball; did you get it, C.C.~?  Only when doing the write-up did I get brained by the V-8 can

44. Pretax figure : SUBTOTAL - I had "suM total", and that didn't help with trying to figure out what "Jordan" we were talking about

46. Rat-__ : A-TAT - not just a sound effect, but a NYC musical duo, too

48. Kind of line : PARTY

49. 2000 Richard Gere role : DR. T

52. Nodding : DOZY

53. FICA benefit : SSI - Social Security Insurance - OOPS~! Supplemental Security Income (Splynter)

54. Madewell parent company : J.CREW

56. Like rock's U2 : IRISH

61. Cobra feature : VENOM

62. Credit card charge, perhaps : ANNUAL FEE

63. Utopias : EDENS

64. Rang true : RESONATED

       

DOWN:

1. Game attendees : CROWD - Dah~!  I threw in an "S", for the plural nature of the clue, and that screwed me

2. Province of southern China : HUNAN - A gimme for our blog host

3. Clinton Labor secretary Robert : REICH

4. "Nothing's broken!" : I'M OK - how you explained to mom that time when you built a ramp out of plywood and milk crates, then tried to jump over all the toys you could find in the yard - and didn't quite make it....

5. "Spider-Man" movie company : SONY - Somehow, I knew this

6. __-80: old computer : TRS

7. Grocery chain initials : IGA

8. Starbucks request : AU LAIT

9. Big name in streaming : NETFLIX - I tried it, but they had nothing I wanted to see; I just end up buying the Blu-rays or DVDs

10. "__ for Noose": Grafton novel : N IS

11. Horace, for one : ODIST

13. Most restless : UNEASIEST

14. Growing symbol : STATE TREE - Well, it is growing, and it is a symbol

21. Recklessness : TEMERITY

24. Reports : WRITE-UPS - Like those here at the blog

25. Get going : HIE

27. Soprano group : MOB - I think this would have been better clued as "THE Sopranos", but it is Saturday

28. Graphic novelist Moore et al. : ALANs - Perps and WAGs

29. Twin Cities suburb : EDINA - Boy, C.C., this one has you all over it~!

31. Explore with a tank : SCUBA DIVE

33. Women's issue, familiarly : O MAGAZINE - bit of misdirection, as the capital "W" made me think we were talking about the actual magazine, Women

38. Where Antwerp is: Abbr. : BELgium

41. Jordan, e.g. : NBA STAR - The river, the country~?  Then I got the "STAR" part, but still, I was not sure if this was the British model "--- star" Jordan; ah, the basketball star, Michael

42. Common Internet symbol : DOT - yup, pretty common

45. Three in one : TRIUNE

47. Holyfield rival : TYSON

49. Go with the flow : DRIFT

50. Take in again : RESEE

51. Coarse cloth : TWEED

54. California's San __ Capistrano : JUAN

55. Part of a fast-food meal, maybe : COLA

57. __ Pinafore : HMS

59. "ER" extras : RNs

60. Status chaser? : QUO

Splynter

  My idea of doing a "stone" finish on the rook table has been compromised by the fact that Home Depot does not carry a stone finish paint in a "Stone" color; really~???  Two stores carry brown, beige, and light beige ( light beige~?).  Michaels art store was no help; I will have to try A.C. Moore, or just go with plan B; a faux marble finish using a sponge.  I have done it before, and it does look pretty cool.