Monday December 3, 2018 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Vowel Movement - A, E, I, O, U between B and GG.

17. Passenger train's suitcase carrier: BAGGAGE CAR.

 

25. Turned down an invitation: BEGGED OFF.

36. Guy acting more maturely: BIGGER MAN.

50. Cross between a Boston terrier or boxer and a beagle: BOGGLE DOG.

60. Carriage outings: BUGGY RIDES.

Boomer here.  

A sad weekend as we say goodbye to our 41st president George H.W. Bush. Although my politics has been directed by John Kennedy and later by Hubert Humphrey, I can honestly say I respected President Bush. At a young age he entered military service and flew 58 combat missions in WWII.  I respected and approved of Operation Desert Storm and I felt the U.S. used the right amount of military muscle to eliminate the aggression caused by the invasion of Kuwait. Thank you for your service, Mr. Bush, and may you rest in peace with your wife, Barbara.

Across:

1. "Agreed!": DEAL. Or No Deal, What happened to Howie Mandel's hair ?

5. Rose from a chair: STOOD.

10. Free ticket: PASS.

14. Sicilian resort city: ENNA.

15. Houston baseballer: ASTRO.  If a Houston trade is made, does the player become an Astro Not.

16. Salon coloring: TINT. Whatever happened to tinted windows on air conditioned cars?

19. "Otello" solo: ARIA.  Of Course! A four letter word with three vowels

20. Single-celled creature: AMOEBA.

21. "Platoon" setting, briefly: NAM.  I was not called to serve there. A nasty war! My VA oncologist asked if I served there. Luckily I was in Germany. I am told that Agent Orange can affect cancer drugs.

23. Texter's soul mate: BFF. Best Friend Forever.

24. Former Yankee manager Joe: TORRE.  Great story!  He managed the Yankees for Mr. (You're Fired) Steinbrenner for 12 years!! In  his major league career as a catcher and infielder he produced over 2300 hits, and is now in Cooperstown.  Gives me hope for Joe Mauer.

28. Victorian, for one: ERA.

29. Puerto Rico, to the U.S.: TERR.  Still suffering from Hurricane Maria.  My former employer, Graybar Electric, has advanced efforts to the recovery there.

31. Harlem Renaissance author Zora __ Hurston: NEALE.

32. Hissing sound: SSS.

33. Jets or Sharks, in "West Side Story": GANG.  Tonight, Tonight, Won't be just any night ...

35. Filled completely: SATED.

39. Some corporate jets: LEARS.

42. Japan is in it: ASIA.

43. Actress Ryan: MEG. Or one of the Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.  What was her last name?

46. Prenatal test, for short: AMNIO.

47. U. of Maryland athlete: TERP.  This is short for Terrapin now in the Big Ten Conference, (Also known as the Bigger 14 by me).  Actually a terrapin is a turtle, an odd nickname for a ferocious team.  Sort of fits in with Gophers, Badgers, and Cornhuskers.

49. Affirmative vote: AYE.  Double that if you're on a ship !

53. In one's stomach: EATEN.

55. French summer: ETE.

56. Pub pint filler: ALE.  Is this just a funny name for beer?

57. America's has 100 seats: SENATE.  53-45-2  Let's hope they can get together on some of the midterm election promises.

58. Euros replaced them in Italy: LIRE.  I once bought a bunch of Euros on eBay.  Not sure why though.

63. Tied, as a game: EVEN.

64. Continental divide?: OCEAN.  I suppose it divides continents, but I always thought a continental divide was like a mountain range that split livable areas.

65. Jazzman Allison: MOSE.

66. Cincinnati team: REDS. Originally named the Redlegs, but they shortened to Reds when they had a Rose.

67. Golfer's "pitching" iron: WEDGE.  I never can get mine to work like those guys on TV.

68. Art Deco icon: ERTE.

Down:

1. Arguments with teams: DEBATES.  In high school and colleges.  But over the previous midterms they were one on one.

2. Captivates: ENAMORS.

3. Some woolen sweaters: ANGORAS.  Not to be confused with Agnes Moorehead who played Endora on "Bewitched",

4. Bar beer: LAGER.  I thought it was Ale .

5. Story spanning generations: SAGA.

6. Mao __-tung: TSE.  That's from the 60s.  I am sure C.C. will tell you that Chairman Mao is known as  Mao Zedong in China.

7. Like stocks not sold on an exch.: OTC.  Over the counter.  Like drugs you don't need to "Ask your doctor if XXXX is right for you."

8. Sumatran ape: ORANG.  This could be short for an Orangutan. It made me think of Maynard G. Krebs (Bob Denver) on Dobie Gillis when he would say "You Rang".

9. Hip-hop headgear: DORAG.

10. "Everychild.onevoice" org.: PTA.  The Harper Valley PTA met one afternoon, and Mrs. Johnson wore a mini skirt and spilled the beans and socked to the sneaky members.

11. Everglades transport: AIRBOAT.

12. Nasal cold symptom: SNIFFLE.  Now that the temp in Minnesota is reaching the 20s, we are hearing a lot of sniffles here.

13. Supplied with personnel: STAFFED.

18. Assist with a heist: ABET.  We are heading to Las Vegas for the Graybar reunion soon.  When I place a bet, I am assisting the Orleans with a heist most of the time.

22. Brainy bunch: MENSA.  I would think people should be smart enough NOT to brag about their IQ.

25. Sonia of "Moon Over Parador": BRAGA.

26. Che Guevara's first name: ERNESTO.

27. Campus bigwig: DEAN.  Mindful of Dean Wormer in "Animal House"

30. It's often broken at breakfast: EGG.  "Which came first, The chicken or the egg?"

34. "Peer Gynt Suite" composer: GRIEG.

36. Naval hoosegow: BRIG.  Do not pass GO, Do not collect $200.

37. Sicily, to Sicilians: ISOLA.

38. Scratch or dent: MAR.

39. Shipping department gizmo: LABELER.  I think normally the Labeler is a person, not a Gizmo.

40. Like tearjerkers: EMOTIVE.

41. Made irate: ANGERED.  If you tried "BUGGED" and it Angered you, too bad.

43. Fighter with a cape: MATADOR.  Superman too long, Batman too short.

44. Exam that involves reading letters: EYE TEST.  I remove my glasses and cannot read the fourth line from the top.  The eye doctor says I need glasses, but I already have them.

45. Rochester brewery or its river: GENESEE.

48. Jury member: PEER.  How did they ever find a peer for Paul Manafort ??

51. Curved macaroni shape: ELBOW.  I prefer Rotini.

52. A trey beats it: DEUCE.  Unless it's wild.

54. Cartoon genre: ANIME.

57. "Auld Lang __": SYNE.  Don't forget your old acquaintances.

59. "Star Trek" rank: Abbr.: ENS.  Remember Tin Conway (Ensign Parker) in McHale's Navy?  Kind of destroyed opinions of the rank.

61. H.S. equivalency exam: GED.

62. Prank: GAG.

Boomer

Tuesday, December 5 2017, Kurt Krauss

Theme: Old MacDonald 


20A. *Company that maintains network messages : E-MAIL HOST
30A. *Apple music player : I-POD NANO
36A. *Springsteen's ensemble : E-STREET BAND
46A. *"My stars!" : I DECLARE
52A. *Willa Cather novel set in Nebraska : O PIONEERS

1A. Place that can precede the starts of 20-, 30-, 36-, 46- and 52-Across : FARM
69A. Bird that can precede the starts of 20-, 30-, 36-, 46- and 52-Across : DUCK
13D. Animal that can precede the starts of 20-, 30-, 36-, 46- and 52-Across : PIG
57D. Animal that can precede the starts of 20-, 30-, 36-, 46- and 52-Across : COW
Get it? E-I-E-I-O?


Melissa here. I DECLARE, this was new and different - not to mention a tricky theme. Above a Tuesday level I thought, all the way around.

Across: 

5. Spanish red wine : RIOJA

 
10. Office fill-in : TEMP

14. Yours, in Tours : ATOI. French.

15. Sign up, in Sussex : ENROL. According to the Grammarist, enrol is the preferred spelling outside of North America.

16. Jai __ : ALAI

17. The Volunteer St. : TENN. Ah. State, not Street. The nickname originated during the War of 1812, in which the volunteer soldiers from Tennessee, serving under Gen. Andrew Jackson, displayed marked valor in the Battle of New Orleans. Tennesee was named after Cherokee Indian villages called Tanasi.

18. Putting the squeeze on : PRESSURING 

22. Bygone Toyotas : SUPRAS. On a personal note - another bygone Toyota is their FJ Cruiser - my brother's car that was declared a total loss a few months ago. So sad. That thing was a tank and probably saved my life.

25. Lets up : EASES

29. '60s United Nations secretary general : UTHANT. Who??

33. Beauty at a ball : BELLE

 
34. Ivan the Terrible, e.g. : TSAR

35. Crime family leader : DON

40. "Mazel __!" : TOV

42. Take a chance : DARE

43. Soft leather : SUEDE

 
49. Counterbalance : OFFSET

50. Instruments for Yo-Yo Ma : CELLI

51. Traveled like Huck Finn : RAFTED

57. Arms-around-knees swimming pool jump : CANNONBALL

60. Gillette brand : ATRA

64. Curved molding : OGEE

65. Written reminders : NOTES

66. Worker finishing an éclair : ICER

67. Invasive plant : WEED

68. Terse summons from the boss : SEE ME

Down:

1. __ Tuesday: Mardi Gras : FAT. What is Fat Tuesday?

2. Chowed down : ATE

3. Potter pal Weasley : RON

4. Necessary nutrients : MINERALS

5. Meal : REPAST

6. Cross inscription : INRI

7. Baseball analyst Hershiser : OREL

8. Kid around : JOSH

9. "Not to mention ... " : ALSO

10. Kilt pattern : TARTAN

11. Inventor Whitney : ELI

12. Superhero suffix : MAN

19. Employed : USED

21. Painter Édouard : MANET

22. Long sandwich : SUB

23. Versatile vehicle, for short : UTE

24. Soil acidity measure : PH LEVEL

26. Most mournful : SADDEST

27. Eclectic musician Brian : ENO

28. Prince, to a king : SON

30. Grenoble's river : ISERE. In southeastern France.

31. Liver spread : PATE

32. Heavenly body : ORB

34. Drop of sadness : TEAR

37. Old cereal box no. : RDA. Recommended Daily Allowance. Interesting history.

38. To the same extent : AS FAR

39. Informal "No more talk" : 'NUFF SAID

40. Twitch : TIC

41. Poetic tribute : ODE

44. Low grade : DEE

45. Itinerary approx. : ETD

47. Copied genetically : CLONED

48. Fat-reducing procedure, briefly : LIPO

49. Words ending a threat : OR ELSE

53. Quaint lodgings : INNS

54. Bassoon kin : OBOE

55. Basketball Hall of Famer Archibald : NATE. Maybe a gimme to basketball fans?

56. Grade sch. level : ELEM

58. Single-malt datum : AGE

59. Family tree word : NEE

61. Longhorn State sch. : TCU. Texas Christian University - in Ft. Worth.

62. DVR button : REC

63. Genesis craft : ARK

E-I-E-I-O.

 

Sunday September 17, 2017 Kurt Krauss

 Theme:  "Brrr!" - "Cold" can precede the first word in each theme entry.

23A. *Filled pastry : CREAM PUFF. Cold cream.

29A. *Protective sports gear : SHOULDER PADS. Cold shoulder.

41A. *Prop in an iconic "Psycho" scene : SHOWER CURTAIN. Cold shower.

66A. *Ragtime dance : TURKEY TROT. Cold turkey.

68A. *Flower named for a legendary beast : SNAPDRAGON. Cold snap.

89A. *Contents of an abandoned one may be sold at auction : STORAGE LOCKER. Cold storage. 

104A. *What will fix misteaks? : SPELL CHECKER. Cold spell.
 
15D. *2017 Broadway musical based on the rivalry between Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein : WARPAINT. Cold war.  Two of the Down 8's intersect two other Across entries. Those stacks of 8s in the upper and lower left are tough to pull off.

81D. *Lawyer's backlog : CASELOAD. Cold case.

Reveal:

111. It ushers in lower temperatures ... and what the answers to starred clues can have : COLD FRONT

Rich normally keeps this type of words-that-can-precede/follow for weekdays, unless the reveal entry really catches his interest.

This theme works the best when the key word change meanings. In this set, SHOWER, STORAGE and CASE remain the same.

Across:

1. Grand-scale poetry : EPOS. Also 38. Pope output : POEM. Alexander Pope.

5. Corrosive stuff : ACID. Also 6. Corrosive substances : CAUSTICS
 
9. Mariner org. : NASA. Unaware of the Mariner program.

13. Like an eddy : ASWIRL

19. An 80-footer is a long one : PUTT.  I made a long one when I played my very first round. So excited.

20. Square to look through : PANE

21. Got on in years : AGED

22. Old propeller site : BEANIE. Never heard of propeller beanie.

25. Commend : CITE

26. "And God Created Woman" (1956) star : BARDOT

27. Done, for Donne : O'ER

28. Afterthought preceder : ALSO. BunnyM, I also love your posts. Always thoughtful and caring.

31. Had a sample : TRIED IT

33. Wickiup, e.g. : HUT. Wickiup is new to me. Primitive hut.

34. Name of 12 popes : PIUS. Also 57. Four Holy Roman emperors : OTTOs. Ours is a quiet saint.
  
35. Most common draw in Scrabble : AN E. Odd to have an article in front.

36. Hanukkah toy : DREIDEL
 
39. Intolerant type : BIGOT

45. Janvier, across the Pyrenees : ENERO

46. Old TV knob : HOR

47. Gather in bundles : SHEAVE

48. Quick-getaway auditorium seat site : LAST ROW

50. Bygone : OLDEN

53. Actor Cage, in tabloids : NIC

54. CBS golf analyst Baker-Finch : IAN. He's from Australia.

55. Recited confidently : REELED OFF

60. Earthquake prefix : SEISMO. Hi there Jayce! Why can't you have venison burgers?

62. Wise guy : SAGE

70. __ facto : IPSO

71. Military camps : ETAPES

73. Farthest from the action, as arena seats : NOSEBLEED

74. Hogwash : ROT

75. Photog's item : NEG

77. Henri's health : SANTE. "A votre sante!"

78. Dentist's find : ABSCESS. Got via crosses.

83. Fusion, for one : ECO-CAR

87. Rap music article : THA

88. Westernmost African capital : DAKAR. Senegal's capital. Have any of you tried West African-style peanut butter chicken?

93. Ukrainian port, to locals : ODESA

94. Bowser's brand : IAMS

96. Flash : INSTANT

97. Astound : AWE. Inanehiker (Nina) on our blog is a doctor, who quieted my unease with her read of my recent blood test.

98. Hammett hound : ASTA

99. Soaked : WET

100. DNA component : ADENINE

107. Cry to Silver : HI YO

108. Crime boss : DON

109. Commotion : UPROAR

110. Comparable : AKIN

113. Split : CLEAVE

114. Dispatch : SEND. Average person checks his/her email 15 times a day.

115. Bailiwick : AREA

116. Ray, for one : ALer. Gluey fill. Tampa Bay Rays.

117. Hopper and Gabler : HEDDAS. Gluey fill.

118. Nervous : EDGY

119. Not : NARY

120. Italian noble family : ESTE

Down:
 
1. Spaceship Earth site : EPCOT

2. More refined : PURER

3. Ferrell's "SNL" cheerleading partner : OTERI

4. Penn, e.g.: Abbr. : STA

5. User : APPLIER. Odd *ER word.

7. Dope : INFO

8. Hi-__ : DEF

9. Morgen's opposite : NACHT. Night.

10. Currency exchange fee : AGIO. Learned from doing crossword.

11. Attack : SET UPON

12. Ross Sea penguin : ADELIE. Happy feet.

13. French clerics : ABBES

14. Scorch : SEAR

16. At risk : IN DANGER

17. Former Spanish Sahara territory that is neither a river nor has any gold : RIO DE ORO. Helpful clue. Like our grape nuts.

18. Tennis calls : LETS

24. Sierra __ : MADRE. Not LEONE.


29. Ottoman bigwig : SULTAN

30. Doo-wop syllable : DUM. No idea.

32. Uncle of Prince Wm. : EDW. Both Wm and EDW look odd.

33. "Take it" : HERE

37. "Well, that's obvious" : DUH

38. Game equipment : PIECES. We saw a Kirby Puckett game-used jersey at a store for $10K. Crazy.

39. Wanna-__: poseurs : BEs

40. Pull : TOW

41. Hip sound? : SHORT I. The i in Hip.

42. Stay out of sight : HOLE UP

43. Waiters take them : ORDERS

44. "We Try Harder" company : AVIS. Which is your favorite rental car company? We're going back to Payless. Bad experience with Dollar.

48. Reading lights : LAMPS

49. Battery pole : ANODE

51. Nevada city on I-80 : ELKO

52. Born : NEE

54. Golfer Aoki : ISAO. He should come to 3M. Both Jack Nicklaus & Gary Player were here this year.

56. Salon specialists : DYERS

58. Campus house, maybe : FRAT

59. Clotheshorse : FOP

61. Quaint lodging : INN

62. Casa room : SALA

63. Tommy Lee Jones' "Men in Black" role : AGENT K

64. "Faust" author : GOETHE

65. Win the love of : ENDEAR

67. Beliefs : TENETS

69. NFL ball carriers : RBs. Running backs.

72. Spanish wine descriptor : SECO. Dry.

76. More unpleasant, as details : GORIER

78. Stink : ADO

79. Troublemaker : BAD APPLE. Great fill.

80. Like kebabs : SKEWERED. Xi'an style. Lots of red pepper.

82. Stat for Aroldis Chapman : ERA. Rich is a Yankee fan. Patti is a Met fan.

84. Tilt : CANT

85. Govt. prosecutors : AGs. Attorney Generals.

86. Mall tenant : RETAILER

89. Walloped : SMACKED

90. Singer Billie Holiday's nickname : LADY DAY. Unknown to me.

91. __ a kind : ONE OF

92. Moving supply: Abbr. : CTN (Carton)

94. Book end? : ISH. Bookish.

95. Military command : AT EASE

98. Plot makeup : ACRES

99. Playwright Wasserstein : WENDY. Also new to me.

101. Stars watched by many : IDOLS

102. Good-sized chamber group : NONET. Group of nine.

103. Between, in Brest : ENTRE. Alliteration.

104. Quite : SUCH

105. Spewed magma : LAVA

106. Double-decker game piece : KING. Googled afterwards. Never played Pinochle. (Checkers. Thanks, WikWak.)

107. Bar mitzvah dance : HORA

111. Fire : CAN

112. Actress Charlotte : RAE

C.C.

Thursday April 6th 2017 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Quaffer's Quintet - four slang terms for overindulging in the demon drink and a fifth in the reveal.

17A. *Judy Blume genre : KIDDIE LIT. She's prolific. At least 29 published novels.

25A. *Got from the cloud? : DOWNLOADED. Everything's going to "the cloud". Be wary about data security, it's out of your hands. The only person who can get files off my hard drive is me.

36A. *Like much Chinese cooking : STIR-FRIED. Food! Get a big steel wok from your local Chinese restaurant supply store. Don't get a non-stick one, you need to be able to push food up the sides and have it stay there.

51A. *Three-year school, commonly : JUNIOR HIGH. Is this still a thing? Haven't they been Middle Schools for quite some time?

61A. Some football linemen ... and what the answers to starred clues have? : TIGHT ENDS

Kurt gives us a Thursday theme which is a dipso's delight. I like the reveal - all the ends of the other themers are synonyms for the start of this one. Nicely done.

Across:

1. Highlands hat : TAM. O'Shanter, formally.

4. Serenade, as the moon : BAY AT. First thought was "howl at" but I ran out of space.

9. Pearl seeker : DIVER

14. Botanist Gray : ASA.  Influential professor of botany at Harvard.

15. Naproxen brand : ALEVE

16. "__ Mio" : O SOLE. Let's go with Luciano Pavarotti.

19. Bags with handles : TOTES

20. Calendario start : ENERO.

21. Sierra __ : LEONE

23. Former Radiohead label : EMI

24. __ Valley: Reagan Library site : SIMI. Here in Southern California. It's a beautiful spot.

27. Not having the know-how : UNABLE

29. Locomotive, e.g. : ENGINE

30. Compose, in a way : PEN

31. Single-celled creature : AMEBA. I cannot get used to seeing this spelling. I don't bat an eyelid at the other British/American variations now, but I still want to see AMOEBA or AMŒBA

35. Sinusitis docs : ENTS. Ear, nose and throat specialists.

39. Reebok rival : PUMA

42. Dapper : NATTY

43. Cal. pages : MOS.

46. Like : AKIN TO

49. Unite securely : CEMENT

55. Julie's "Doctor Zhivago" co-star : OMAR

56. Subj. with unknowns : ALG.

57. "Cool!" : NEATO!

58. Concert venue : ARENA

59. Softens : MELTS

63. 1999-2004 Olds : ALERO

64. Vast, in verse : ENORM. 

Sole Positive of Night!

Antipathist of Light!

Fate's only essence! Primal scorpion rod -

The one permitted opposite of God!-

Condenséd blackness and abysmal storm

Compacts to one sceptre

Arms the grasp enorm-

From Ne Plus Ultra, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

65. How-__: do-it-yourselfers' buys : TO-S

66. Printing flourish : SERIF. Times Roman has them. Arial doesn't. Before these japes were common, in 1977 the Guardian newspaper in the UK published a seven-page special supplement on the idyllic island of San Seriffe in the Indian Ocean. It was April 1st, and because no-one in the print media had done anything like this before, everyone fell for it.

67. Freelancer's supply: Abbr. : SASES. They call them SAEs in the UK, the "self" part of the address is assumed.

68. Fused : ONE

Down:

1. Occupies oneself with, as a hobby : TAKES UP

2. Just plain silly : ASININE. Nice word.

3. Mob inductee : MADE MAN

4. Scott of "Arrested Development" : BAIO

5. Tavern favorite : ALE

6. Mello __ : YELLO

7. "__ From the Bridge": Miller : A VIEW. Arthur Miller's two-act play. The first staging was a one-act verse drama which didn't have much success, so Miller went back to the drawing board.

8. Wyoming county : TETON

9. Act grandmotherly toward : DOTE ON

10. Metric lead-in : ISO-.  The "plank" is a good example of an isometric exercise.

11. Elected : VOTED IN

12. Gold or silver : ELEMENT

13. Lives : RESIDES

18. Trifle : DRIB. I think I can picture a drib, but I'm not sure what a drab looks like.

22. N.Y. Mets division : N.L.E. Baseball's National League East. Opening Day is looming.

25. __-glace: rich sauce : DEMI. Food! French reduction sauce usually used as a base for other sauces, such as a red wine glaze. If you don't want to use veal stock, use chicken stock and throw a pinch or two of gelatin in there to get that silky texture of veal.

26. Got on in years : AGED

28. Long. counterpart : LAT. Note the period in the clue. Longitude and Latitude.

32. Coastal eagle : ERN

33. Museum curator's deg. : B.F.A. Bachelor of Fine Arts.

34. Oils, e.g. : ART

36. __-Flush: household cleaner : SANI. Hesitated over SANI or SANO at first.

37. Bite symptom : ITCH

38. Network logo : EYE. CBS Television.

39. Overnight bag item, maybe : PAJAMAS

40. Elvis played one in "Blue Hawaii" : UKULELE. I had the misspelt "UKELELE" at first which led me down a SENIOR HIGH rabbit hole for a couple of minutes.

41. One working the crowd : MINGLER

43. Souvenir : MEMENTO

44. With no end in sight : ON AND ON

45. Berlin boulevard : STRASSE. "Straße" on the street signs:

47. Myriad : TONS OF

48. Pay dirt : ORE

50. "Encore!" : MORE!

52. Can't take : HATES

53. Turner autobiography : I, TINA

54. "We Got the Beat" band : GOGOS. Nit alert - the band name was "The Gogos".

58. Casino fixtures : ATMS. They don't take deposits.

60. Part of TNT : TRI-. Trinitrotoluene, not Turner Network Television. The former makes more of a bang.

62. Charlemagne's domain: Abbr. : H.R.E. Holy Roman Empire, as we all know by now.

The 2017 Masters Golf starts today. I'm looking forward to the tournament, as well as listening to Jim Nantz and his reverential whispering on CBS at the weekend.

Here's the grid!

Steve

Monday, February 13, 2017 Kurt Kraus

Theme: blank Team - Echo of Sunday. The first word can precede TEAM.

61A. Players on the same side ... and what the starts of the answers to starred clues can be: TEAMMATES

17A. *Track event with batons: RELAY RACE. Relay team, to run the race.

25A. *Romantic outing for four: DOUBLE DATE. Double team, basketball term.

36A. *Romantic ideal: DREAM GIRL. Dream team.

51A. *Machinist's hole maker: DRILL PRESS. Drill team, marching in formations.

Argyle here, part of the blog team. Impressive sides to the puzzle.

Across:

1. Show affection to, as a dog: PET

4. Barton of the Red Cross: CLARA

9. The Congo, formerly: ZAIRE

14. Martinique, par exemple: ILE. I think Kurt wants to go away on vacation. But who doesn't?

15. Archaeological find: RELIC

16. Bother: ANNOY

19. Night, in Naples: NOTTE

20. Congregational "Absolutely!": "AMEN!"

21. "__ beaucoup": MERCI. "Thank you very much"

23. Lab rodent: RAT

24. Schoolbook, or much of its contents: TEXT

27. "Romanian Rhapsodies" composer: ENESCO. George Enescu. Vlad Vizireanu, Romanian conductor.

29. Wears away: ERODES

30. John, Paul and George: Abbr.: STs. (Saints)

31. Under-the-sink fitting: P-TRAP

35. For fear that: LEST

39. Farmland measure: ACRE

42. Steinway or Yamaha: PIANO

43. Crone: HAG

46. Yellow Teletubby: LAA-LAA

49. Meditative music genre: NEW AGE

55. Ache: HURT

56. Announcer Hall: EDD. He was Jay Leno's announcer on The Tonight Show.

57. Use a loom: WEAVE

58. What aces may count as: ONEs or elevens.

59. Black, in Burgundy: NOIRE. France.

64. Hues: TONES

65. The "I" in IV: INTRA

66. High season on the Riviera: ÉTÉ. Busy time on the beach.

67. Grain disease: ERGOT

68. Ruby Dee's husband Davis: OSSIE

69. Period, e.g.: DOT

Down:

1. High seas bandits: PIRATES

2. Periodic table listing: ELEMENT

3. Fax forerunners: TELEXES

4. Bawl: CRY

5. The Once-__: "The Lorax" character: LER

6. Mission to remember: ALAMO

7. Houston sch.: RICE U.

8. Biting, as criticism: ACERB

9. More wacky: ZANIER

10. Period with 365 días: ANO

11. For services rendered instead of cash: IN TRADE. (stop snickering!)

12. Revolves: ROTATES

13. Driver's license requirement: EYE TEST

18. Aardvark fare: ANTS

22. The NFL's Browns, on sports tickers: CLE. (Cleveland Browns)

25. Pour affection (on): DOTE

26. Sweetie pie: DOLL

28. EMT procedure: CPR. Emergency Medical Technician/CardioPulmonary Resuscitation

32. Knock hard: RAP

33. Parisian pal: AMI. Might be your dream girl you'll meet on vacation.

34. Ryder Cup org.: PGA. The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States.

36. Big name in computers: DELL

37. Holiday and Days: INNs

38. Caviar: ROE

39. Firm, as pasta: AL DENTE

40. It's usually locked after parking: CAR DOOR

41. Attacking, as the fridge: RAIDING

43. Full of ghosts: HAUNTED

44. Go along with: AGREE TO

45. Prepares: GETS SET

47. L.A. Angels' division: AL WEST. Baseball.

48. Big galoot: APE

50. Stagecoach driver's "Stop!": "WHOA!"

52. 4:1, e.g.: RATIO

53. Alternative to odds: EVENS

54. Theater chairs: SEATS

60. Classic car: REO

62. CAT scan cousin: MRI. (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

63. Fannie or Ginnie follower: MAE. (Mortgage Association)

Argyle

Thursday, January 19th 2017 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Camera Obscura - the three theme entries have a common scrambled word concealed within, as explained by the reveal:

54A. Device found in this puzzle's three other longest answers : HIDDEN CAMERA. You can find these things for next to nothing on eBay and Amazon. Creepy.

20A. Protective charm often adorned with feathers : DREAM CATCHER. Great, fresh entry. They can be elaborate, and quite beautiful:

33A. Stamina-testing ballroom event : DANCE MARATHON. Subject matter for the widely-acclaimed 1969 movie "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"

40A. Forensic analyst's discovery : TRACE MATERIAL. A potpourri of things that might link a person to the scene of a crime.

Thursday rolls around again, and here's a nice scramble-theme from Kurt. The three theme entries are fresh and interesting, and the CAMERA is consistently found scrambled across the two words. There's a couple of nice long downs tying things together. I could have done without either one of  the pairs AAR/SAAR or ERR/ERN but that's probably just me being picky. Let's see what else we've got to talk about:

Across:

1. Naproxen brand : ALEVE. A non-steroidal anti-inflamatory drug of the proprionic acid class. Now we know.

6. Yap : TRAP.

10. Documentary divisions : ERAS. Not my first thought as far as a clue is concerned, but I think I see what Kurt or Rich are getting at - for example, documentary maker Ken Burns has produced programs covering the Vietnam War and the Civil War, as well as the jazz era.

14. Ricoh competitor : XEROX

15. Green-skinned "Return of the Jedi" girl : OOLA. Thank you, crosses.

16. Approaching : NIGH. The End, commonly. Let's hear it from Grumpy Cat:

17. Not shady : LEGIT

18. Action figure? : DOER

19. Site of Shah Jahan's tomb : AGRA. The Taj Mahal. The Shah had it built to house the tomb of his wife, Mumtaj. As an aside, there are approximately two million Indian restaurants in the world called either The Mumtaj Mahal or The Taj Mahal. The other four are called The Red Fort, The New Bengal, The Taste of India and The Lahore Kebab House.

23. Decorative globe : ORB

26. Ice cream maker Joseph : EDY

27. Holed a five-footer, say : PUTTED. Or, in my case, three-putted, commonly.

28. Start of a hands-off declaration? : LOOK, MA! Followed by a trip to the ER or the dentist.

30. Fivers : ABES. We call 'em "Lady Godivas" in England, in the rhyming vernacular. A "tenner" is an Ayrton (Senna). The day one of my co-workers in London told me that he couldn't make it to lunch because "I got to go down the J. Arthur to sausage a Gregory" and I understood him made me feel like I was a  native of the City.

32. Pigs out (on), briefly : O.D.'S

36. Longtime Labor Day telethon org. : M.D.A. Jerry Lewis-hosted event in aid of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

37. Wild bunch : MOB

38. Gold units: Abbr. : KTS. Karats.

46. Swiss river : AAR. Here it is, with the old city of Bern sitting handily in the meander.

48. "Peter Pan" pooch : NANA. In the book, she was described as a Newfoundland, but for some reason Disney in their infinite wisdom turned her into a St. Bernard in their movie adaptation.

49. Travel org. freebie : AAA MAP. I still enjoy printed maps for browsing, but Google Maps for navigation is pretty awesome, especially the real-time rerouting to avoid traffic.

50. Lamentation : PLAINT. Complaint, in old-speak.

52. Miss an easy grounder, say : ERR

53. It can follow directions : -ERN. Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western. Question - why do we say "suh-thern" and not "sow-thern"?

58. Cold drink brand : ICEE

59. Come & Get It! pet food maker : ALPO

60. Annoyed : IRKED.

64. Like some warnings : DIRE

65. Jetty : PIER. The longest pleasure pier in the world is at Southend on the east coast of England. It's almost a mile and a half long and has a railway running from the shore to the pier head. There used to be a pub at the end, but it caught fire in 2007 and took the pier head down with it.

66. "Keen!" : NEATO!

67. Fresh answers : SASS

68. Quick on one's feet : SPRY

69. "Business @ the Speed of Thought" co-author : GATES. Collins Hemingway gets the co-writing credit, but Bill's is the only name on the cover.

Down:

1. Guns N' Roses' Rose : AXL. He of the X-rated anagrammatic name.

2. Sheltered side : LEE

3. Bit of work : ERG

4. Cancel : VOID

5. More than just edgy : EXTREME

6. Morning fare since 1952 : TODAY. The Today Show on NBC.

7. Study, e.g. : ROOM

8. Actor Baldwin : ALEC

9. Rampart topper : PARAPET. Merriam-Webster has rampart and parapet as synonyms, but they're two separate things. Here's a diagram of Hadrian's Wall, built by the eponymous roman Emperor to keep the marauding Scots out of northern England (some people still say that it should never have been abandoned).

Now, all this begs the question as to whether Francis Scott Key knew the difference. Either "From the ramparts we watched" or "O'er the parapet we watched" would make more sense. Probably too late to change it now.

10. Legislate : ENACT

11. Punctual : RIGHT ON TIME. Swiss Railways, famously. Amtrak, less so.

12. Concurred : AGREED

13. Result of a messy breakup? : SHARDS. Glass, usually.

21. Wax-coated cheese : EDAM

22. Rear : TUSH

23. Ancient : OLD

24. Gad about : ROAM

25. Wall Street figures : BOND TRADERS. 007 memorabilia collectors?

29. 1980 Chrysler debut : K-CAR

30. Something in the air : AROMA. There's my coffee brewing, in a K-CUP.

31. Cake with a kick : BABA. Rum-soaked confection.

34. "Too true!" : AMEN

35. Creole vegetable : OKRA. Popular in Indian food too.

39. German industrial region : SAAR. Don't confuse your Ruhr and your Saar.

41. Youngest Brontë : ANNE. Cheerful-looking bunch, and this was painted by their brother, Branwell. He painted himself out of the portrait, evidently quite poorly.

42. Short rests : CATNAPS

43. Weight allowance : TARE

44. Stud, e.g. : EARRING. Now, wait a minute. A stud is a stud, an earring is an earring, and ne'er the twain shall be confused. Docking a point for this one.

45. ICU worker : LPN. The "N" was my final fill. I wasn't sold on that whole "North-ern" thing at 53A, and I didn't know Licensed Practical Nurse.

46. Rose garden pests : APHIDS

47. "The Good Wife" wife : ALICIA. Thank you, crosses. Never saw the show.

51. Nice thoughts? : IDÉES. Nice, in the south-ern part of France, located in a south-erly direction from Lyon. OK, I'll stop now.

52. Bishop John for whom a Georgia university was named : EMORY. Knew the school, learned today he was a bishop.

55. Movie trailer unit : CLIP

56. Imitator : APER. I've been peeved about this word before, I'll just let it go.

57. One-half base times height, for a triangle : AREA. For a right-angled triangle only, if I recall correctly.

61. Dennings of "2 Broke Girls" : KAT. Crosses to the rescue again.

62. Juillet's season : ÉTÉ. Summer in Nice is nice.

63. Big affairs : DOS

And .... here's the grid.

Steve

Wednesday, March 16 2016, Kurt Krauss

Theme:  

 16. Venue that keeps you up-to-date : NEWS CHANNEL. Channel Islands. Chain of eight islands off the coast of Southern California.

27. Tropical cocktail whose color comes from curaçao liqueur : BLUE HAWAIIAN. Hawaiian Islands.

47. Chaste priestess of ancient Rome : VESTAL VIRGIN. Virgin Islands. Wikipedia: The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, and form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

61. Biblical wise man : KING SOLOMON. Solomon Islands. Interesting.

37. This puzzle's theme, as suggested by the ends of 16-, 27-, 47- and 61-Across : ISLANDS

Melissa here. Very do-able but messed myself up a bit in the west with a few too-eager guesses. Didn't catch the theme until I had all but one theme answer filled in. Nicely done 37a ISLANDS right in the center.

Across         
 
1. Latte option : MOCHA. If you add chocolate syrup to a latte, you get a mocha.

6. Difficult position : SPOT

10. It's cut and dried : HAY. Love this clue.

13. Loud, as a crowd : AROAR
 
14. African city where pounds are spent : CAIRO. Capital of Egypt.

15. Tree feller : AXE
 
18. __ Tin Tin : RIN
 
19. Hunk : SLAB
 
20. Really bother : IRK
 
21. Bus terminal : DEPOT
 
23. "Beaches" actress Midler : BETTE
 
25. Canadian stadium renamed Rogers Centre in 2005 : SKY DOME
 
30. First name in game shows : VANNA. Fooled me, was reaching for a male's name, like Monte.
 
31. Work-wk. start : MON
 
32. Basic Latin conjugation word : AMAT
 
36. "Got it, man?" : DIG
 
41. Big heart? : ACE. Nice clue.
 
42. Ladies of Sp. : SRA'S. Senoritas.
 
44. Chicago's __ Center : AON. I had no idea about this building.
 
45. Elena of the Supreme Court : KAGAN
 
51. Record covers : SLEEVES
 
54. "__ a stinker?": Bugs Bunny : AINT I
 
55. Upright, e.g. : PIANO. Fooled me. Tried ERECT first.
 
56. Bow (out) : OPT
 
57. Disaster relief org. : FEMA
 
60. Longtime football commentator Cross : IRV
 
65. Actress Charlotte : RAE
 
66. Where to learn une leçon : ECOLE. French. Une leçon = a lesson; ecole = school.

67. Practical joke : PRANK
 
68. CIA forerunner : OSS
 
69. "Man, you are not serious!" : DUDE
 
70. Rocker Patty married to John McEnroe : SMYTH
 
Down
 
1. 24 Hours of Le __: auto race : MANS. Oldest active sports car endurance race, held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, France.
 
2. Hurler Hershiser : OREL
 
3. Ninja Turtle's "Awesome!" : COWABUNGA
 
4. Faded star : HAS BEEN
 
5. Curved part : ARC
 
6. Went under : SANK
 
7. Alley target : PIN
 
8. Load from a lode : ORE
 
9. "Shoulda listened to me!" : TOLD 'YA
 
10. Silent Marx : HARPO
 
11. Assumed truth : AXIOM
 
12. "Fiddler on the Roof" matchmaker : YENTE. Always try to put an A or L at the end.

14. Hall of Fame infielder Rod : CAREW
 
17. Words before homer or brick wall : HIT A
 
22. Novelist Ferber : EDNA
 
24. Takeout option : THAI. Tried To Go, which makes no sense, then Taco ...
 
25. "The Da Vinci Code" priory : SION. I'm probably the only person who never read any of Dan Brown's books. Wikipedia.

26. Warm-hearted : KIND
 
27. Some undies : BVD'S
 
28. Lion's den : LAIR
 
29. Range maker : AMANA
 
33. Rod Stewart classic with the line "You stole my heart but I love you anyway" : MAGGIE MAY
 
34. Trendy berry : ACAI
 
35. Ky. neighbor : TENN
 
38. Postage-paid enc. : SASE. Self-addressed stamped envelope.
 
39. Gobs : LOTS
 
40. Banana peel : SKIN
 
43. Kristoff's reindeer in "Frozen" : SVEN
 
46. Sculpture or ballet : ART FORM
 
48. Brought forth : EVOKED
 
49. Run out : LAPSE
 
50. Corleone patriarch : VITO
 
51. Veep between Hubert and Gerald : SPIRO
 
52. Turkish coins : LIRAS
 
53. Some nest sites : EAVES. Barn swallows like to nest in eaves.

 56. Give the eye : OGLE
 
58. __ Blanc: tallest Alp : MONT
 
59. Egyptian cross : ANKH
 
62. Post-ER area : ICU. Intensive Care Unit.

63. Sign of approval : NOD
 
64. Old DJ's records : LP'S

Note from C.C.:

Please click here to see a few pretty azalea pictures D-Otto took yesterday. What did you see in the first two pictures? D-Otto said "The one with the cat under it isn't an azalea, but it is spectacular looking."