google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Kevin Christian

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Showing posts with label Kevin Christian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kevin Christian. Show all posts

Mar 21, 2017

Tuesday, March 21, 2017 Kevin Christian

Theme: Kevin Christian - An initial puzzle.

17. *Home of baseball's Royals: KANSAS CITY

24. *Diagonally: KITTY CORNER

34. *Large venomous snake: KING COBRA

51. *Hang out (with): KEEP COMPANY

60. *Martial arts move: KARATE CHOP

67. Strikeout victim of poetry, and a phonetic hint to the answers to starred clues: CASEY (K C)

Argyle here. A pleasant Tuesday.

Across:

1. __ torch: party light: TIKI


5. Gone from one's plate: EATEN

10. "Eleni" author Nicholas: GAGE


14. Nailed, as a test: ACED

15. Carne __: taco filling: ASADA. We have had it here at the corner before but I haven't had any personally. Ranchero Platter (for 2 persons) Carne asada (grilled shell steak), 2 carnitas (pork), chorizo, guacamole, refried beans, corn tortillas - $25.00 - at our local restaurant.

16. Loads (of): A TON. The amount of food that come with the Ranchero Platter.

19. Online journal: BLOG. Somebody asked me the meaning the other day and I couldn't tell them. "The definition of BLOG is "Web-log, online diary".

20. Terminate: END

21. Sign light: NEON

22. Dutch cheese: GOUDA. The five letter Dutch cheese.

23. Federal hush-hush org.: NSA. (No Such Agency)

27. Lament: BEMOAN

29. Clod: OAF

30. "Silk Stockings" actress Charisse: CYD



31. Wine collector's datum: YEAR

32. Gumbo vegetable: OKRA

33. Laugh half: HEE

39. Young fellow: LAD

42. Opposite of spicy: MILD

43. Nile wading bird: IBIS

47. Here, in Haiti: ICI. French.

48. Santa __ winds: ANA

49. GI's mess work: KP DUTY. We had ON KP Saturday.

55. X, in old Rome: TEN

56. Cultural spirit: ETHOS

57. Not on base when req.: AWOL. (Absent Without Leave)

58. Org. whose awards ceremony Vince Gill hosted or co-hosted from 1992-2003: CMA. (Country Music Association)

59. Indian bread: NAAN

63. Raison d'__: ÊTRE

64. Exchange suggestive glances, say: FLIRT. Some people's raison d'être.

65. Cub scout units: DENs

66. Marries: WEDS

68. Canadian tribe: CREE

Down:

1. Impressed with: TAKEN BY

2. Words when the blindfold comes off: "I CAN SEE!"

3. Japanese ball-and-cups toy: KENDAMA



4. Passports, e.g.: IDs

5. Enter slowly: EASE IN

6. Foppish neckwear: ASCOT. Not foppish if you got the panache.


7. Besmirch: TAINT

8. Summer hrs. at Yankee Stadium: EDT. (Eastern Daylight Time)

9. Thumbs-down vote: NAY

10. Eva or Zsa Zsa: GABOR, or Magda.

11. Out for a midday meal: AT LUNCH


12. The one without the patch, for Bazooka Joe: GOOD EYE


13. Dueler's cry: "EN GARDE!"

18. "Puppy Love" singer Paul: ANKA

22. Excel in one's career: GO FAR. Paul Anka did.

25. Ono from Tokyo: YOKO. She did too, in her own way.

26. Low-__ diet: CARB

28. Mork's planet: ORK

32. Med. condition that may involve excessive hand-washing: OCD. (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) Judi Dench as Lady Macbeth. Clip(4:33)

35. Apple desktops: i-MACS

36. Bogotá boy: NIÑO

37. Glittery rock genre: GLAM

38. Help: AID

39. Refurbished: LIKE NEW

40. Protective plastic film: ACETATE

41. Fanatically devoted: DIE HARD. The "Die Hard" franchise has been very good to Bruce Willis.

44. Cleaver user: BUTCHER

45. Agenda start: ITEM ONE

46. Neural transmission point: SYNAPSE

49. __ pine: paneling wood: KNOTTY

50. Gomer of TV: PYLE. "Shazam!"

52. Corn breads: PONEs

53. "Les Misérables" city: PARIS

54. Not clueless: AWARE

60. Col. Sanders' chain: KFC. (Kentucky Fried Chicken)

61. __ carte: À LA

62. Atlanta-based public health org.: CDC. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)


Argyle

Mar 2, 2017

Thursday, March 2, 2017 Kevin Christian

Theme: Regal Roosts - five places where various kinds of "Queens" can be found:

17A. Queen's domain : CHESS GAME. White is checkmated by the black queen in two moves, known as "Fool's Mate".


26A. Queen's domain : BEEHIVE. Hopefully not the hairstyle!

36A. Queen's domain : DECK OF CARDS. Four of these in your poker hand wouldn't be too shabby.

51A. Queen's domain : ENGLAND. Here's the splendid Miranda Richardson with a reminder to Lord Melchett from Blackadder II.

60A. Queen's domain : ARENA ROCK. Here's Queen singing about another Queen, which seems appropriate. Not in an arena though, from the BBC's studios at Wood Lane in London.

Nice clecho theme from Kevin. There are four cheater (aka helper) squares padding out the middle theme entry but you can't help that when you're working with one 11-letter phrase across the center.

Across:

1. Bleach container : JUG. I'd never thought of my Clorox container as a jug before, but so it is.

4. Shed door attachments : HASPS

9. Like iceberg lettuce : CRISP. Due to the 96% water content. Food! - almost.

14. Freudian topic : EGO. Went for SEX first, that didn't work.

15. Marginally ahead : ONE UP

16. Relative of bongos : TABLA

19. Cause of a skid, perhaps : SLEET

20. Tom Jones' "__ a Lady" : SHE'S

21. Payroll service co. : ADP

23. __-à-porter: ready-to-wear : PRET. There's a chain of ready-made sandwich stores based in the UK, and now expanding, called Pret A Manger (Ready to Eat) which I think is clever. The sandwiches are great too.

24. Keep from happening : THWART

28. Corporate big shots : SUITS

29. With false modesty : COYLY

31. Bubbly opener? : AER-ated. Popping corks.

32. Hide from a hunter : PELT. Nice.

33. Coppertone's 30, e.g. : SPF

34. Bit of IM mirth : HEE. Went with LOL first. Was wrong.

40. Versailles monarch : ROI. Here's Louis XIV, the "Sun King":


41. West __: high-end furniture retailer : ELM. New to me. Part of the Williams-Sonoma/Pottery Barn group.

42. Related : AKIN

45. Actress Arthur : BEA

48. Slyly disparaging : SNIDE

50. Back of a single : B-SIDE

53. Picked up : SENSED

54. De Matteo of "Sons of Anarchy" : DREA. Crosses all the way.

55. One in favor : YEA

57. Baseball analyst Hershiser : OREL

58. Odyssey on the road : HONDA

64. Of yesteryear : OLDEN

65. Keep down : LIMIT

66. Writer who inspired the Raven Award : POE

67. Pineal or pituitary : GLAND

68. Chef's creation : SAUCE

69. Soufflé need : EGG. That's going to be one small soufflé with one egg.

Down:

1. 39th pres. : JEC. Jimmy Carter. Not one of the most common presidential monograms that we see - rarely appears in crosswords.

2. "Bummer" : UGH

3. Runs amok : GOES WILD. Fresh entry.

4. Uncouth types, in Canadian slang : HOSERS. I'm sure Canadian Eh! can enlighten us, but I understand the origin of the term is unclear, and it has nothing to do with resurfacing hockey rinks, siphoning gasoline or getting drunk.

5. Severe anxiety : ANGST

6. Yellow __ : SEA

7. Adidas rival : PUMA. My first pair of soccer boots were made by Puma. The company's been around for quite some time, evidently.

8. Left in the dust : SPED BY

9. Nos. that are beside the point : CTS. The cents in a price tag after the decimal point.

10. Actor Fiennes : RALPH. The splendidly-monikered Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes to give him is full credit.

11. It's across the Pyrenees from France : IBERIA. The Iberian Peninsula comprising Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra. There's also little sliver of France at the southern side of the Pyrenees

12. Tailor's measure : SLEEVE. You need to get this measured correctly to keep your cuffs out of your soup.


13. Auction spiel : PATTER.

CANIGETA10geta10geta10getanow15now1520attheback202020anymore25thankyouinthebalcony30onthe phone30itsonyousireanymoregoingonceat30goingtwiceSOLD.

18. Destroy : SHATTER

22. New York suburb bordering New Rochelle : PELHAM. I only know this from the book/movie "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three".

24. Recipe amt. : TSP.

25. Tinge : HUE

27. Once-over giver : EYER. Really?

29. USCG rank : CPO. Chief Petty Officer.

30. Took out : OFFED. I just saw this when I came to write up the puzzle, crosses filled it in for me.

33. Gossip : SKINNY

35. Santa portrayer in "Elf" : ED ASNER

37. Alguna __: something, in Spain : COSA. New one on me. Thanks you, crosses.

38. Cavs, on a scoreboard : CLE. Cleveland's NBA franchise, the Cavaliers.

39. White way : SKI SLOPE

43. Chem class suffix : -IDE

44. "Game of Thrones" patriarch Stark : NED. Finally remembered this! Yay me!

45. Covers stealer : BED HOG.  I don't remember seeing this before - nice phrase.

46. Join the club : ENROLL

47. Guide for a chair : AGENDA. The road-map for a meeting chair.

49. High standards : IDEALS

50. Scold : BERATE

52. Weighted down : LADEN

53. __ boom : SONIC

56. Met delivery : ARIA

59. "Then what happened?" : AND?

61. Critter on the Australian 50-cent coin : EMU

62. Machine part : COG

63. Beer source : KEG. I liked the COG/KEG/POE/EGG corner.

I think I'll go and see if you can make a soufflé with one egg.

Bon appétit and heeeere's the grid!

Steve


Jan 30, 2017

Monday, January 30, 2017 Kevin Christian and Andrea Carla Michaels

Theme: Homophonous Endings - but you knew that.

20A. Mork's sign-off: NANU NANU

28A. Eastside Manhattan thoroughfare: FIRST AVENUE

35A. Confidentially, in Cannes: ENTRE NOUS

46A. Boat made from a hollowed tree trunk: DUGOUT CANOE

55A. Request for the latest update: WHAT'S NEW

Argyle here. Good start for a new week, eh?


Across:

1. Song of praise: PSALM

6. Madagascar primate: LEMUR

11. "Norma __": RAE

14. Fiber-__ cable: OPTIC

15. Last Olds model: ALERO

16. Make a decision: OPT

17. Massachusetts witch trial town: SALEM

18. Frenzied: MANIC

19. Speedometer reading: Abbr.: MPH

22. Cute Aussie "bear": KOALA

24. What we breathe: AIR

25. In favor of: FOR

26. Native of Damascus: SYRIAN

27. Chinese menu letters: MSG. (monosodium glutamate)

31. Dijon darling: CHERI


33. Brain scan: Abbr.: EEG. (electroencephalogram)

34. Had the best record in: LED

39. Univ. near Harvard: MIT. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)


41. Unspecified number: ANY

42. Choppers: TEETH. Slang.

50. Ship, to a sailor: SHE

51. Zambia neighbor: ANGOLA. Enlarge if you can; great detail.


52. Suffix with east: ERN

53. Male or female: SEX

54. Pastoral poem: IDYLL

58. Cozy cat seat: LAP

59. Kind of Boy Scout badge: MERIT

61. Ancient region of Asia Minor: IONIA

63. "Lux" composer Brian: ENO. "Lux" is a 2012 album by Brian Eno.

64. Tylenol alternative: ALEVE

65. "Filthy" moolah: LUCRE

66. "Sure thing": "YEP"

67. Eight plus one, to aviators: NINER

68. Disdainful grin: SNEER



Down:

1. Places to buy stamps: Abbr.: POs. (POST OFFICES)

2. Language of Chile: SPANISH

3. On the loose: AT LARGE

4. Property encumbrance: LIEN

5. Golden Arches egg sandwich: McMUFFIN

6. Hollywood's Hedy: LAMARR

7. Stylish vigor: ELAN

8. Café chalkboard listing: MENU

9. Ocean State sch.: URI. (University of Rhode Island)

10. 1990 Stallone boxing film which at the time was thought to be the conclusion of its series: ROCKY V

11. Caesar salad lettuce: ROMAINE

12. Give a hand to: APPLAUD

13. Flammable hydrocarbon: ETHANE

21. There's __ in "team": NO I 23. Bully's threat ender: OR ELSE

24. "Breaking Bad" channel: AMC. The name originally stood for "American Movie Classics".

26. Palm starch: SAGO

29. "Later, bro": "SEE YA'"

30. X, to Cato: TEN

32. Update factory machinery: RETOOL

36. "Toodles!": "TA-TA!"

37. GOP fundraising org.: RNC. (Republican National Committee)

38. Kitchen implements: UTENSILS

39. Humdrum: MUNDANE

40. "Lust for Life" punk rocker: IGGY POP

43. Defining quality: ESSENCE

44. 2000s crime drama set in Baltimore: "THE WIRE"

45. Cast a spell on: HEX

46. Dan of old MGM musicals: DAILEY



47. Tracey on whose show "The Simpsons" debuted: ULLMAN

48. More orderly: NEATER

49. Dinner plate scrap: ORT

55. Chirpy bird: WREN

56. Home with drones: HIVE. A male bee is a drone.

57. Sentence subject, as a rule: NOUN

60. Yale collegian: ELI

62. __ Lingus: Irish carrier: AER


Argyle

Aug 8, 2016

Monday, August 8, 2016 Kevin C. Christian

Theme: Beyond Medium - Well, well, well done.

20A. Position of football lineman J.J. Watt : DEFENSIVE END. End well.

28A. Average, in math : ARITHMETIC MEAN. Mean well.

42A. Fountain treat with Bosco, maybe : CHOCOLATE SHAKE. Shake well.

47A. Echoic remark before "What do we have here?" whose words can follow the ends of 20-, 28- and 42-Across : "WELL WELL WELL"

Argyle here. Argyle here (with a sense of déjà vu).

Author:

1. 24 minutes, in the NBA : HALF

5. Giant among wholesale clubs : SAM'S

9. Heat unit : THERM

14. Rideshare app : UBER

15. __-deucey : ACEY

16. Great Lakes mnemonic : HOMES. Test yourself.

17. Author Wiesel : ELIE

18. Improbable tale : YARN

19. Candy heart message : I LUV U

23. Sound heard by a shepherd : [BAA!]

24. Intense, as a competitor : FIERCE

33. Unsteady on one's feet : AREEL

34. Country rocker Steve : EARLE

35. "__ & the Women": 2000 Gere film : DR. T

36. Divisions of tennis matches : SETs

37. Actress Holmes : KATIE

38. Ticked off : SORE

39. "How was __ know?" : I TO

40. Diamond weight : CARAT

41. Word before Master or case : STAIR

45. Biblical dancer : SALOME


46. For each : PER

54. Many Mideast residents : ARABS

57. Verdi opera set in Egypt : "AIDA"

58. Color similar to turquoise : AQUA

59. '90s candidate Ross : PEROT

60. Hosp. scans : MRIs. (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

61. Road grooves : RUTS

62. Japanese capital : TOKYO

63. Literary sister of Amy, Meg and Jo : BETH. (Little Women)

64. Magnitude : SIZE

Down:

1. Tinged : HUED

2. Having the skills : ABLE

3. Actor/singer Garrett : LEIF. He became famous in the 1970's as a child actor, pop star and teen idol.

4. They're on the house : FREEBIES

5. Prepares to have one's tongue depressed : SAYS "AH"

6. Healthy berry : ACAI

7. Griffin of game show fame : MERV

8. "Auld Lang __" : SYNE

9. Skating danger : THIN ICE

10. Texas __: poker game : HOLD 'EM

11. Big Australian bird : EMU

12. Gun, as an engine : REV

13. The Spartans of the NCAA : MSU. (Michigan State University)

21. Part of NFL: Abbr. : NATL. (National)

22. TurboTax option : E-FILE

25. Hardwood tree that drops acorns : RED OAK

26. Fisher who plays Princess Leia : CARRIE. Daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher.

27. Come in : ENTER

28. "Queen of Soul" Franklin : ARETHA




29. Equip anew, as a machine shop : RETOOL

30. Ben Stiller's mom : MEARA. Anne.

31. Really bother : EAT AT

32. Clichéd : TRITE

33. Nike competitor : ASICS

37. Superman's birth name : KAL-EL

38. Sci-fi classic that introduced Princess Leia : "STAR WARS"

40. Regains consciousness : COMES TO

41. Poet Silverstein : SHEL

43. Frequent John Wayne persona : COWBOY



44. A cannonball makes a big one : SPLASH

48. Shepherd's charge : LAMB

49. Lamp-to-plug line : WIRE

50. Improve text : EDIT

51. Same: Pref. : EQUI

52. Skating jump : LUTZ

53. Cut with light : LASE

54. Fitting : APT

55. Rock's __ Speedwagon : REO

56. Genesis boat : ARK


Argyle

Jul 30, 2016

Saturday July 30, 2016 Kevin Christian

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing Q)

Blocks: 29

C.C. here. The tool we use to analyze & write each puzzle is broken and Splynter needs to work this morning. I'll just publish the skeletal entries now. Will be back later with detailed writeup.

(Updated now. Thanks for the patience.)

Kevin's puzzle features a pair of double-stacked 15's, which are his seed entries. Constructors plant seed entries at the very start of each themeless grid. Sometimes secondary seeds are sowed if the grid allows.

The four spanners are:

15A. "Be right with you": HOLD ON ONE MINUTE

17A. Serious request for help: I NEED A HUGE FAVOR. Both of the top 15's are debut entries, never used in any puzzle before.
 
54A. Parker or Getz: JAZZ SAXOPHONIST. Look at the crossing words of  J, Two Z's and X, all solid words. You rock, Kevin!

Kevin Christian, XWord Info

58A. Ancient: OLD AS METHUSELAH 

Once the four sparkly spanners are placed, Kevin's primary goal is to have clean fill. He was also  able to give us two nice 11's:

28A. Suzanne Collins trilogy, with "The": HUNGER GAMES 

39A. Loreena McKennitt genre: CELTIC MUSIC

Across:

1. Like some glass: STAINED

8. Black Friday store opening event? MAD DASH. Great clue/fill.

18. Island where Dionysus discovered Ariadne: NAXOS. Oh, I did not know that. So pretty.

19. Burden: TAX

20. Disney’s "__ & Stitch": LILO

21. Hebrew for "skyward": EL AL

22, __ owl: BARN

24. "At Seventeen" Grammy winner __ Ian: JANIS

25. Spender of rials: OMANI

27. Name: DUB

32.Rebus pronoun: EWE. You.


35. Waste management word: RECYCLE

36. Beats: OUTDOES

38. Isr. neighbor: SYR

41. Big name in jewelry: KAY. Our Kazie's real name.

42. Dizzy: AREEL. Not a word I use.

43. Half a '60s pop group: MAMAS. And Papas.

46. Lesage hero Gil __: BLAS. Easy fill-in-the-blanks.

47. Pad: CRIB

51 __ I: Jewish month added in leap years: ADAR. New to me. I know ADAR is the 6th month in Jewish calendar.

52. Watch chain: FOB

53. See 45-Down: MIATA. And 45. With 53-Across, Japanese roadster: MAZDA 

59. Put on again: RE-AIRED

60. Usually not the best way to marry: IN HASTE 
 
Down:

1. Excel: SHINE

2. Like Romantic music: TONAL

3. Singer/songwriter __ Ray Joel: ALEXA. Here with her parents.


4. Belief system: IDEOLOGY

5. Acceptances: NODS

6. Commercial suffix with wheat: -ENA. Not familiar with Wheatena.

7. Word from Homer: D'OH! Homer Simpson.

8. Mullally of "Will & Grace": MEGAN

9. Blue Cash Everyday card co: AMEX

10. "What’s the __?": DIF

11. "CSI" facility: DNA LAB. Both DNA LAB and DNA TEST are grid-friendly, hence their frequent appearances in crossword.

12. How coq may be cooked: AU VIN. I recall this was the specialty of Misty's husband Rowland.


13. Absolut alternative, familiarly: STOLI

14. __ welcome: HERO'S

16. Semiaquatic rodent: NUTRIA. I learned this rodent in the old Tribute Media Daily puzzle days.


22. Brewer’s supply: BARLEY

23. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" spin-off: ANGEL. Learning moment to me also.

24. "I’m alone": JUST ME

26. Big attractions: MECCAS. Zara is finally coming to Mall of America in December. I visited their store in Vegas last Feb. So many shopping meccas in the desert.

27. Wild things?: DEUCES. Oh, Deuces Wild.

28. Some game enders: Abb,: HRS (Home Runs)

29. Pike no-no: UEY

30. ATM giant: NCR

31. Actress Kelly: MOIRA. I forgot. We had her before.


32. Aurora’s counterpart: EOS

33. Either of two Chinese dynasties: WEI. The second is actually called Bei Wei.

34. Bailout key: ESC

37. Don Quixote’s unseen love: DULCINEA

40. Screen Actors Guild co-founder Lyle __: TALBOT. Stranger to me.

41. 2000s-’10s Afghan president: KARZAI (Hamid).

43. Not at all trivial: MAJOR

44. Allan-__: Robin Hood cohort: A-DALE. Partial.

46. Ready to be shipped: BOXED 

48. Tracks: RAILS

49. Where __: IT'S AT. Partial. Two partials are allowed in each grid.

50. Come clean?: BATHE. Another nice clue.

52. Notability: FAME 

53. __ pit: MOSH

55. Georgia, once: Abbr.: SSR

56. Upsilon follower: PHI 

57. Fifth-century invader: HUN 


Alright, Splynter and his legs will be back next Saturday.

C.C.

Jan 18, 2016

Monday, January 18, 2016 Kevin Christian

Theme: King Commemorative - Four words exemplifying Dr. King's speech.

17A. 1994-2000 medical drama : "CHICAGO HOPE"

24A. One is made before blowing out candles : BIRTHDAY WISH

48A. Narrow-mindedness : TUNNEL VISION

58A. Historic 1963 civil rights speech words : "I HAVE A DREAM"

62D. 58-Across speaker, initially : MLK. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Argyle here. I saw one spot that may cause problems but, all-in-all, a nice start to the week.

Across:

1. Labor leader Jimmy who vanished in 1975 : HOFFA

6. Good, in Guadalajara : BUENO

11. Tech co. whose name is its ticker symbol : IBM

14. Sunni's faith : ISLAM

15. Exclamation that's a near-homonym for an Arabian Peninsula country : "OH, MAN!". Down on the toe of the peninsula, Oman.

16. Aye's opposite : NAY

19. 35mm camera type : SLR. (single-lens reflex)

20. Big galoot : APE and 41A. Big galoot : OAF

21. Terre Haute sch. : ISU. (Indiana State University)

22. Fragrant compound : ESTER

28. "Behave yourself!" : "BE GOOD!". "Or else!"

31. Group of ships : FLEET

32. "There's __ Out Tonight": 1961 hit : A MOON



33. Autumn : FALL

35. Network with an eye logo : CBS

38. Ideal "Are you hurt?" reply : "I'M OK"

39. Raid : FORAY

40. Perlman of "Cheers" : RHEA

42. Parkway off-ramp : EXIT

43. Songs for two : DUETS

44. Magnified map detail : INSET

47. Eyeglasses pair : LENSES

52. Make mad : ANGER

53. Sleep phase initials : REM. (Rapid Eye Movement)

54. Top-row PC key : ESC.ape

57. Madre's hermano : TÍO. Your mother's brother, in Guadalajara.

63. Justice Dept. arm : ATF. (The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives)

64. Deodorant brand : ARRID

65. Hearing-related : AURAL

66. NBA official : REF

67. Squiggy's "Laverne & Shirley" pal : LENNY

68. Punish with a swat : SPANK

Down:

1. Hyphenated fruit drink brand : HI-C

2. Worker welfare org. : OSHA. (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

3. Hairstyle with upturned ends : FLIP

4. Social media website : FACEBOOK

5. Dr.'s group : AMA. (American Medical Association)

6. Elevate : BOOST

7. "Yup" : "UH HUH"

8. Confessional rock genre : EMO

9. Afternoon snooze : NAP

10. Cyclops feature : ONE EYE

11. Laughing uncontrollably : IN STITCHES

12. Hay bundles : BALES

13. Magi's resin : MYRRH

18. Encircle : GIRD

23. Nor. neighbor : SWE. Norway/Sweden

25. Charged particle : ION

26. Black key after C : D FLAT

27. Partner in war : ALLY

28. Scott of "Charles in Charge" : BAIO. He was the younger cousin of Fonzie on Happy Days.

29. Jane Austen heroine : EMMA

30. Messing around : GOOFING OFF

33. "The Simpsons" network : FOX TV

34. Onassis nickname : ARI. Jackie's second.

36. __ noire : BÊTE

37. Smart-alecky talk : SASS

39. Touch : FEEL

40. Second-place finisher : RUNNER-UP

43. __ volente: God willing : DEO

45. Opposite of SSW : NNE

46. Story told in episodes : SERIAL

47. Peruvian capital : LIMA. Funny, I never think of it as being on the ocean.

48. Mongol invader : TATAR

49. Come together : UNITE

50. NFL network analyst Michael __ : IRVIN. This guy.

51. Not at all swank : SEEDY

55. Word repeated in a Doris Day song : SERA



56. James of "The Godfather" : CAAN

59. 1,000-year Eur. realm : HRE. (Holy Roman Empire)

60. Prince Valiant's son : ARN. I see in Wiki that the comic's creator wanted to title it, "Prince Arn", but it was changed to "Prince Valiant". Wiki

61. VIPs at trials : DAs. (district attorney)
 
Argyle



Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Blue Iris (Susan), whose real life love story melted my heart. Maybe she'll share with the newcomers again someday. Are the twins coming home today, Susan?


Aug 10, 2015

Monday, August 10, 2015 Kevin Christian

Theme: The Cousteau Collection - the latest thing in swimwear.

16A. Ineffective executive, metaphorically : EMPTY SUIT

20A. Flashy '40s-'60s Cadillac features : TAIL FINS or one word, tailfins.

35A. Underwater activity that requires the ends of 16-, 20-, 53- and 58-Across : SCUBA DIVING

53A. Identity-concealing attire, in a Dumas novel : IRON MASK. (Further info: Wiki)

58A. Brainstorming institution : THINK TANK

Argyle here. A thinking man's puzzle, although I overthought many clues yet there were some I couldn't think of the answer with out perps. 6,7,8 columns in the corners gives the grid an interesting look.

Across:

1. __ as a bird : FREE

5. Marina vessel : BOAT

9. Sudden fancy : WHIM

13. Civil rights icon Parks : ROSA

14. Scandinavian capital : OSLO

15. Ballerina Shearer : MOIRA. We had Moira Kelly last month and Moira Shearer in June. She has been clued as a ballet dancer and/or an actress.

18. Greek i's : IOTAs

19. Window insert : SCREEN

22. Creates, as a word : COINS

23. "Bad" cholesterol letters : LDL. (low-density lipoprotein)

24. Acapulco aunt : TIA. Spanish

25. Qty. : AMT. (amount)

26. Olden times : YORE

30. Auto collision safety device : AIRBAG

32. Ninnies : MORONS

34. Mozart's "__ kleine Nachtmusik" : EINE

38. TV's "__-Team" : THE A

40. Move around an axis : ROTATE

41. Ouija board event : SEANCE

44. Mess (with), in slang : FUTZ. I'm not touching this one.

45. Saint-Tropez sea : MER

48. End of a bray : HAW. Hee-Haw.

49. Egg cells : OVA

51. Fling with effort : HEAVE

56. Got money for, as a check : CASHED

57. Composer Ned : ROREM



60. City NW of Muskogee : TULSA

61. Steakhouse request : RARE

62. "What __ is new?" : ELSE

63. Criteria: Abbr. : STDS. (standards)

64. Med. school subject : ANATomy.

65. In a little while : SOON

Down:

1. Citrus-flavored diet drink : FRESCA. Fresca, a diet lime and grapefruit citrus soft drink made by Coca-Cola, relies on a relatively small but loyal customer base.

2. "You've Got Mail" genre : ROM-COM. Romantic Comedy.

3. __ de corps: camaraderie : ESPRIT

4. All gone, dinnerwise : EATEN

5. Cap'n's underling : BOS'N

6. Sch. in Columbus : OSU. (Ohio State University)

7. Landed : ALIT

8. Sum : TOTAL

9. "Arf!" : [WOOF!]

10. Had a huge success : HIT IT BIG

11. Tehran native : IRANIAN

12. Part of many a spa package : MASSAGE

15. Pop music's __ Vanilli : MILLI

17. "Who me?" reply : "YES, YOU!"

21. Boise's state: Abbr. : IDAho, the "Gem State".

27. Heavenly sphere : ORB

28. Stadium din : ROAR

29. __ an era : END OF

31. Thinker Descartes : RENÉ. A thinking man.

32. Thom of shoes : McAN

33. In __: as found : SITU

35. San Diego marine mammal park : SEAWORLD. (SeaWorld)

36. Winery container : VAT

37. Violinist Perlman : ITZHAK



38. Some have V-necks : T-SHIRTS

39. Listen to without interrupting : HEAR OUT

42. Punctuation in many lists : COMMA

43. Actress Longoria : EVA

45. Hawaiian thank-you : MAHALO

46. Be that as it may : EVEN SO

47. L'Oréal hair care brand : REDKEN

50. Stars, to Caesar : ASTRA

52. Politician Kefauver : ESTES. Running mate of presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson.

54. Loch of legend : NESS

55. Kublai __ : KHAN

56. Tech news website : CNET. It is not (Centre National d'Études des Télécommunications), it is C|net Networks but what that means, I don't know.

59. Fund for the golden yrs. : IRA. (Individual Retirement Account)

Argyle


Jun 13, 2015

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