Friday, January 29, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: January 29, St. Agnes Eve, Demonstrably!

Our Friday fellow, Jeffrey Wechsler brings us a puzzle with a TOUCH OF EVIL. EVIL is inserted into the theme phrases to create new and evocative phrases. Since we have Satan injected into the grid, I must wonder if Jeffrey knows that today is a Satanic Holiday known by the name of my theme. It appears somehow this Catholic SAINT , the protector of virgins,  has been incorporated into certain Pagan liturgy. I would guess the puzzle grew from realizing that DISH NETWORK plus EVIL would be a grid spanner. Finding (or rather creating) REVILED SNAPPERS was impressive. Of course it may all be just JW continuing his admiration for Orson Welles, for whom he did an NYT tribute puzzle last year containing the same movie.  I could not find much on the subject of Satanic stuff, which is just as well since we do not talk religion  here. We have tons of interesting long fill like CIRCLET, GENERAL,  SILENT G,  SLANTED, JAPANESE,  MEANTIME, AUTOMOBILE, EXONERATES,  SNAKE RIVER,  VA VA VA VOOM.  Maybe JW will tell us his inspiration, in the meantime let us solve.

17A. Threat to the queen's cotton? : ROYAL WEEVIL(11).  We were amused by a clue with this INSECT. Isn't amazing how soon after the blog discussed the "royal we"  it shows up as part of theme.

27A. Satan's broadcaster? : DEVILISH NETWORK (15). DISH network

43A. Really unpopular fish? : REVILED SNAPPERS (15). Red snapper is very popular in SoFla.

57A. 1958 Orson Welles film noir ... and a hint to 17-, 27- and 43-Across : TOUCH OF EVIL (11).

Having a revealer is what made this puzzle doable. Time to work our way through the mine field of tough clues/fill.

Across:

1. "If I may interject ... " : AHEM. As she cleared her throat dramatically...then she

5. Stops to smell the roses : PAUSES. Sorry but your cigar is almost gone and the...

11. Briquette's fate : ASH. is falling on my carpet. I want you...

14. Passed : GONE.

15. Potassium hydroxide, e.g. : ALKALI. Ok, back to the puzzle, this took the perps to let me know where the clue was going.

16. Siete menos seis : UNO. Subtraction in Spanish.

19. Water source : TAP. How simple.

20. Hersey's "A Bell for __" : ADANO.

21. Wind dir. : SSE. Again....is this familiar Friday fodder?

22. Call forth : EVOKE.

24. Help for a sad BFF : TLC. Tender Loving Care.

26. Subject of the first picture in Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" : GNOME. Not familiar with this composer or the artist (Viktor Hartmann), and he did not design the Travelocity Gnome.

34. Physical, e.g. : EXAM. Not easy until filled.

35. On the move : ROVING. I had trouble with this clue/fill as the word is in my memory banks associated with 'roving eye' which is not the same as clued here.

36. Plane compartment : BIN. Overhead.

37. Told, as an elaborate tale : WOVE. Rhymes with....

38. Repeating rhythmic pattern used in Cuban music : CLAVE. What?  It does not rhyme with save. Time to LEARN. (3:13)

39. Balderdash : JIVE. According to the online etymology dictionary: 1928, "to deceive playfully," also "empty, misleading talk" (n.) and "a style of fast, lively jazz and dance music," American English, from African-American vernacular, probably of African origin (compare Wolof jev, jeu "talk about someone absent, especially in a disparaging manner"). Related: Jived; jiving. Used from 1938 for "New York City African-American slang."

40. 39-Down carrier : ANA. Wow, we are pulling out all our Friday stuff. This AIRLINE.

41. Deli equipment : SLICER.

42. Protected at sea : ALEE.

46. Rushed : RAN AT. Again simple only after filled by perps.

47. Mauna __ : LOA. Along with KEA, Hawaii volcanic mountains.

48. Expert : MAVEN.

49. "__ Kapital" : DAS. The Karl Marx TOME about economics and society. Read and discuss somewhere but not here.

52. Make whole : UNITE.

56. First woman to land a triple axel in competition : ITO. An amazing skater and a reminder of our dear friend Clear Ayes.

60. Revival prefix : NEO.

61. Overshoot : EXCEED. Expectations.

62. Bear's cry : SELL. Appropriate reference to the stock market now.

63. Philosophy : ISM. Hence Marxism.

64. Trinket : DOODAD. Last week doodah...

65. Town near Padua : ESTE. More fill completely unknown. But I guess I can LEARN.

Down:

1. Indian district with three World Heritage Sites : AGRA. Only ONE of which is the Taj Mahal. A young lawyer and his wife toured there but I did not remember the details.

2. Rain protection : HOOD.

3. Irish musician with four Grammys : ENYA. Four letter singer, I did not go with Bono.

4. Transitional period : MEANTIME.

5. Hand analog : PAW. Give me your paw.

6. Pub array : ALES.

7. Oahu entertainers : UKES.

8. Keep : SAVE.

9. Manning taking a hike : ELI. Love the humor here, though despite two Super Bowls many do not love Eli any more. Peyton will try for his 2nd again.

10. 26-Across feature : SILENT-G. Cross reference, hmm there are more.

11. Lot occupant : AUTOMOBILE. I nailed it. It really got me going in solving.

12. Part of Oregon's border : SNAKE RIVER. In this map it is in yellow, Columbia purple. Can you find where CED's camera trip was yesterday? Hell's Canyon would fit the theme today.

 

13. Last thing in Pandora's box : HOPE. What a fun STORY. He name is from the Greek, the pan meaning "all" like in a pangram and the dora meaning gift.

18. Relax : LOLL.

23. "Cross my heart," e.g. : VOW.

25. Round ornament : CIRCLET. Not really up on this jewelry; seems like a tiara to me.

26. Vague : GENERAL.

27. John of Scotch fame : DEWAR. Do they make any good scotch? Tin?

28. Clears : EXONERATES. What a great word.

29. Ed Norton catchphrase on "The Honeymooners" : VAVAVAVOOM.

30. Firm : SOLID.

31. Climate control systs. : HVACS. Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning

32. Jewel thief portrayer in "The Pink Panther" : NIVEN.

33. They're often bent : KNEES.

39. About 125 million people : JAPANESE.  What a random clue.

41. Not objective : SLANTED.  So many political comments come to mind....

44. Halogen suffix : INE. Can you name the five? Is there a 6th waiting to be discovered?

45. High hair style : POUF.

48. Revealing apparel : MINI.

49. Household glue brand : DUCO.

50. Served very well : ACED. Tennis, anyone.

51. __ butter : SHEA. Also a stadium at one time.

53. "Variations on 'America'" composer : IVES. A wonderful composer (or so I am told) though I only know James Merritt Ives.  LISTEN.

54. List : TILT. If your ship is listing, I hope you swim.

55. How she looks in Paris? : ELLE. Cute clue.

58. Good Grips kitchenware brand : OXO. We get this brand often.

59. "They say there is divinity in __ numbers": Falstaff : ODD. We end with our Friday Shakespeare, this time from the third and final appearance of Falstaff. It is said the play was written at the behest of Queen Elizabeth I.

One last St. Agnes fact; it is a very famous poem by Keats, a poet whose work JW had in his 1/15/16 effort. Coincidence? Okay I talk to myself too much, but now I can talk to you all. Enjoy. Thanks Jeffrey and all who read. Lemonade out.

Friday, January 22, 2016, Alan DerKazarian

Theme: My temporary forwarding address is....

A return visit from Alan whose first LAT I blogged back in July, 2013.  He had three other LATs in 2015 and has three NYTs. The end of the fill are types of basic living quarters. We do have an uncommon Friday reveal telling us exactly what to look for in our puzzle. I found it like most Fridays filled with challenging clues, but overall doable. My first theme impression was the SH in shed, shack and shut but that did not last. Some very sparkly fill like BEHESTS, IN HASTE, IN SO FAR, NO NAMES,  STREAKS,  TEN ACRE, CAST IN STONE, MINNEAPOLIS with many of the multiple word fill so popular with the late Dan Naddor and Jeffrey Wechsler. Well let us go solve the homeless problem...

19A. Cleaned meticulously : HAND POLISHED (12). Sheds come in all sizes and types.

28A. Disdainful literary review comment : TALENTLESS HACK (14). There are many shacks to be seen driving our roads.

34A. Ironclad : OPEN AND SHUT (11). A hut can be very simple.

44A. Malice, in law : CRIMINAL INTENT (14). Tents on the other hand can be rather impressive.

53A. Classic Stones song ... and a hint to what's hidden at the ends of 19-, 28-, 34- and 44-Across : GIMME SHELTER (12). They keep on going.

Across:

1. Cotton fabric : PIMA. Pima cotton is a generic name for extra-long staple (ELS) cotton grown primarily in the U.S., Australia, Peru and apparently the long staple makes it softer. Per wiki.

5. The Cavaliers of the ACC : UVA. University of Virginia.

8. Parkinson's drug : L-DOPA. Read and LEARN.

13. "What's Going __ Your World": George Strait hit : ON IN. Nor rock and roll.

14. "Delta of Venus" author : NIN. We see Anais often; here is her work.

15. "Lincoln," for one : BIOPIC. Daniel Day Lewis, not to be confused with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

16. "That's terrible!" : OH NO. This has to be the LINK.(0:36).

17. Internet __ : BOT. 79 million hits for THIS.

18. Internet lesson plan company : E-NOTES. More things I do not KNOW.

22. Weather forecast abbr. : SSE.

23. Heated feeling : IRE. This is a real word that appears all the time in crosswords.

24. Like a good-sized farm : TEN ACRE. Rather arbitrary

31. 2013 animated fantasy film : EPIC. Don't know the movie, but it looks fun.

32. Wear (away) : EAT.

33. Fan mail encl. : SAE. Self Addressed Envelope.

39. Voice of Barney on "The Flintstones" : MEL. He was AMAZING .

41. Like MacDonald : OLD. And a farmer.

42. Fertility goddess : ISIS. She pops up again.

49. To such an extent : IN SO FAR. Sounds like legalese.

50. __ Riddle, Lord Voldemort's birth name : TOM. A Harry Potter fact that was not in my memory banks.

51. Málaga title: Abbr. : SRA. Senora. Sorry just lazy brained.

56. Take for granted : ASSUME. An ASS of U and ME.

59. Debt-laden fin. deal : LBO. Leveraged Buy Out. The wall street game where you purchase a company borrowing money by pledging the assets of the company being bought. LESSON.

60. Skyrocket : SOAR.

61. Arboreal marsupials : KOALAS. They look almost fake. Nice word for puzzles.

62. Plan : MAP.

63. "Lonely Boy" singer : ANKA. PAUL.

64. Not relaxed at all : ANTSY.

65. Pindaric __ : ODE. Wow, it really is Friday.  LESSON 2.

66. Hardy soul? : TESS. Nicely clued.

Down:

1. Cries of contempt : POOHS.

2. Rashly : IN HASTE. A bonus for naming the author.
" Thus grief still treads upon the heels of pleasure:
Married in haste, we may repent at leisure."

3. Home city of the WNBA's Lynx : MINNEAPOLIS. A CSO to our Minnesota connection.

4. "And giving __, up the chimney ... " : A NOD. Clement Clarke Moore's holiday classic.

5. Yet to arrive : UNBORN. Had me fooled even with the UN in place.

6. Spectrum color : VIOLET.

7. Standing against : ANTI. Would someone who always stands against be a PRO ANTI?

8. Department store section : LINENS.

9. "Camptown Races" refrain syllables : DOODAH. I love this VERSION (4:54).

10. Decide to be involved (in) : OPT.

11. Entrée follower, perhaps : PIE. I do like pie better than cake.

12. Coolers, briefly : ACS. I believe the perfecting of air conditioning in automobiles was the key to Florida becoming the third most populous state.

15. Commands : BEHESTS. A great old fashioned word.

20. Put (together) : PIECE. Really simple words with Friday cluing.

21. Lieu : STEAD. In the place of someone or something. More Old English.

25. Definite : CAST IN STONE. Cast is back.

26. Early 'N Sync label : RCA. Two weeks in a row and I still do not care.

27. Scratch (out) : EKE.

29. Rim : LIP.

30. Top-ranked tennis star for much of the '80s : LENDL.

35. Stars' opposites : NO NAMES. I guess they were not well cast.

36. Chili rating unit : ALARM. My wife refers to her spicy sauces as five star!

37. "Stand" opposite : HIT ME. Blackjack, twenty-one, vingt et un.

38. Exploit : USE.

39. Bygone telecom co. : MCI. MCI was founded as Microwave Communications, Inc., then World Com came along and destroyed the company; the pieces belong now to Verizon.

40. Coastal flier : ERN.

43. Barely runs? : STREAKS. I guess your laundry?

45. Ski bumps : MOGULS.

46. "Allow me" : IF I MAY. If I might, have the wish I wish tonight....

47. Discouraging words from an auto mechanic : IT'S BAD.

48. More than discouraging words : NO HOPE. I like the sequential cluing.

52. Rich tapestry : ARRAS.

54. Muppet who always turns 3½ on February 3 : ELMO.

55. Future atty.'s ordeal : LSAT. Law School Admission Test.

56. Blotter letters : AKA. Also Known As.

57. Prince George, to Prince William : SON.

58. Didn't start : SAT. On the bench.

Well it is time for me to sit and send this off through cyberspace. See you next week. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Happy 70th Birthday to dear John Lampkin, our gifted constructor and blog friend. John is truly a master in designing grids and cluing. He was so incredibly kind to me when I started blogging & later making LAT puzzles. He answered every little questions I had. He even called me. Such a generous soul!

Lemonade and John

Friday, January 15, 2016 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Where do babies come from? The Stork Exchange!

Our Friday phenom Jeffrey Wechsler stops by with his first 2016 effort which is a simple letter substitution that leads to new fill clued whimsically, made special by having the letter C which is removed from the first word of a phrase ending in CK and is replaced with the letter R. The elegance comes in with the changed words being a vowel progression AEIOU. Lots of interesting and hard to pin down fill such as ASTORIA, CODEINE, GRAYISH, HOBNOBS, ILL READ, IRON ORE, SERPICO, VERDURE.  Okay then...

17A. Response from a dog on a horse? : BARK IN THE SADDLE (15). Back in the saddle gets a doggie boost. I grew up with this SONG. (3:03)

20A. Barista's schedule? : PERKING ORDER (12). The pecking order brewed us some coffee.

35A. Pet peeve? : IRK FACTOR (9). ICK Factor perhaps made famous by Friends has 289,000 google hits, while there are 367,000 hits on google and a BLOG for Irk Factor. Unusual for the pun to be more famous.

54A. Jerk in a cove? : DORK OF THE BAY (12). We have to have this SONG. (2:54)

57A. Satisfying sight to an Istanbul clothing designer? : TURK IN YOUR SHIRT (15). Ah, you are wearing one of my designs, but please tuck it in.

Across:

1. Kid : JEST. Not a youth. Some Friday style cluing already as these words are related but I do not see them as synonyms.

5. Sufficient : DUE. Dire due parole about this clue as well.

8. Girl who calls Peppermint Patty "sir" : MARCIE. Finally, one I got immediately.

14. __ map : AREA. Okay this is fair,

15. "High Hopes" critter : ANT. They look about my age.

16. Longstanding : AGE OLD. Hey! we are not that old!

21. A-one : PRIMO. So many choices, cuz. Right Lucina?

23. Diving birds : LOONS. The Minnesota state bird.

24. Iraq War weapon: Abbr. : IED.  Improvised Explosive Device.

26. Emphasize : ACCENT. Ah, a grave clue.

28. Little biter : GNAT.

29. Way of the East : TAO. The word means 'the way' in Chinese , right C.C.? (From C.C.: Just "way". Chinese and many Asian languages do not have definite article.)

30. Oklahoma native : OSAGE. Another visit with an easier clue.

34. Takes to heart : HEEDS.

37. Skirt : EVADE. An issue, not one for Splynter.

40. Words on a jacket : BLURB. Dust Jacket on a book. I never buy any autobiographies, I just read the 'about the author' on the jacket.

41. Esteemed one : GEM. A peach.

44. Chilean currency : PESO. I did not know this. I have been in many places in South America but not Chile.

45. Native : INBRED. Inbred has such negative connotations.

47. Etchings, for example : ART. Come up to my room....

48. "The West Wing" actor : SMITS. Loved him in LA LAW and DEXTER

53. Degree requirements for some : ORALS.

60. Colorful songbird : ORIOLE. Beautiful.

61. Ramallah-based org. : PLO. Palestine Liberation Organization.

62. Very short time: Abbr. : MSEC. Nsec n'sync Backstreet Boy arrested!

63. Inconsequential : MEASLY. My salary is what?

64. Carrier offering Carlsberg beer : SAS. Originally Scandinavian Airline System.

65. Ersatz : SHAM. I like the word ersatz which is a German word we have taken as our own.

Down:

1. Hook alternative : JAB. Boxing, not  a slice HG and Big Easy.

2. Jazz __ : ERA.

3. Peter Maas biography subtitled "The Cop Who Defied the System" : SERPICO. Pacino at his best.

4. "I want to go!" : TAKE ME. Go with?

5. Like many caves : DANK.

6. "... I thought, / __ my head was dizzy": "Endymion" : UNTIL. Not the most famous line of this POEM which begins, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever"

7. Graphic introduction? : ETHNO. Anthropology?

8. Trowel wielder : MASON. My uncle was a master mason who taught at a trade school.

9. Microbiologist's gels : AGARS.

10. Demond's co-star in a '70s sitcom : REDD. Most people did not know his real name was Jon Elroy Sanford.

11. Cough syrup ingredient : CODEINE. Very common when we were young but the narcotic is not used in cough medicine much anymore.

12. Like one who goes by the books? : ILL READ. OOOOO.

13. Ending with stamp : EDE. Meh. 50D. Suffix with beaut : IFY.

18. Smelter input : IRON ORE. Out comes steel.

19. It may require delicate handling : EGO.

21. Touch lightly : PAT.

22. Miley Cyrus label : RCA. Really? DKDC.

25. Sot's woe : DTS. Delirium Tremens.

27. Sound of disdain : TSK.

28. An official lang. of Luxembourg : GERman.

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

32. __ pal : GAL. Not pc.

33. Old French coin : ECU.

34. Works the room : HOBNOBS. This word in its schmoozing meaning was popular in my 'ute.

35. Common court response : I DO. Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

36. Prefix with centennial : TRI. Are there any other three letter ones?

37. Org. monitoring brownfields : EPA. Live and LEARN.

38. Greenery : VERDURE.  If you know Latin or French or Spanish, this is easy.

39. Oregon port named for a 19th-century multi-millionaire : ASTORIA.  JOHN JAKOB.

41. Somewhat ashen : GRAYISH.

42. Long swimmer : EEL.

43. EKG readers : MDS.

46. Composer who championed Dvorák : BRAHMS. Great STORY?

48. Proficiency : SKILL.

49. What chips may represent : MONEY. How many of you play poker? There are pokers rooms everywhere here.

51. 'Vette roof options : T-TOPS.

52. Only NFL coach with a perfect season : SHULA. Once again the '72 Dolphins watched the ranks of the undefeated disappear.Don and Dan

55. Golden age theaters : RKOS.

56. God with a quiver : EROS.

57. Alley prowler : TOM. Okay CED, this is all you.

58. Actor Stephen : REA. Still most famous for the Crying Game.

59. Channel that shows Bogart films : TCM. Turner Classic Movies. Oo loves this and AMC.

So we had a rocky start but here we are halfway through January and three entertaining Fridays in the books. Be well all, stay warm and dry. Thanks JW, loved your NYT yesterday. Lemonade out.

Friday, January 8, 2016, John Lampkin

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

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

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

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

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

Across:

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

4. Flabbergasts : AWES.

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

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

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

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

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

18. Mediterranean landmark : ETNA.

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

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

24. Trail follower : HIKER.

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

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

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

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

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

41. Café freebie : EAU. Water in French.

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

46. Rejects : SPURNS.

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

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

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

59. Bit of concert memorabilia : STUB.

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

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

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

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

64. Rent-__ : A-CAR.

65. Drives off : SHOOS.

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

Down:

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. Barren : STARK. Will Catelyn be back?

8. Shopper's mecca : INTERNET.

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

10. Cosmetics giant : L'OREAL.

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

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

21. Shocking swimmer : EEL. Fish?

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

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

27. Sovereign symbol : SCEPTER.

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

32. Small juice sources? : AAS. Batteries.

33. Ace : PRO. My meh of the day.

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

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

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

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

39. Concerned parent's installation : NANNY CAM.

42. Employment : USE.

43. Mandated amounts : QUOTAS.

44. Remove, as bindings : UNLASH.

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

47. Sales meeting metaphor : PIE.

48. Conservative leader? : ULTRA.

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

52. Densely populated area, briefly : METRO.

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

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

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

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

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

Friday, December 25, 2015, Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: I before E and then wait and C. Your Christmas present is a structured anagram wrapped inside a pun without any Christmas carols.

I am back for my final blog of 2015, and fittingly it is to write up a Jeffrey Wechsler creation. By my impromptu count, this will be the 15th one I have done in '15. This is a wide open grid with 63 theme letters and 93 white squares not near a black one (open). The center is a grid spanning fill with triple sevens in the NW and SW and triple sixes in the NE and SE. Each theme fill has has a very consistent four letter ending anagram with an I in the middle and a silent E at the end.

When I saw lite and mite I was thinking maybe a word ladder was coming our way, and tire seemed confirm that until rite popped into my head and then I 'saw' the earlier anagrams. I wish I could come up with a FIRE/ RIFE fill to make it a ladder as well, but I am sure JW already saw that path was closed. Lots of common crossword fill (e.g. AREA, ETNA, ETE. IRA, AMI unusual for Jeffrey) and a few of his trademark multi-word fill. Let's unwrap this baby.

19A. Word game for beginners? : SCRABBLE LITE (12). I like the clue and fill , but I did not see the gimmick here. TILE becomes LITE.

27A. Ordinary little insect? : STANDARD MITE (12). TIME becomes MITE. Very nice clue, I do hate those dust mite pics.

37A. Radial destroyed during testing? : SACRIFICIAL TIRE (15). Sacrificial RITE is what made me understand where JW was going. Funny fill.

45A. Fate of one constantly reliving the past? : CIRCULAR LIFE (12). The ever needed circular FILE  for all of those great interoffice memos that appear in a big firm.

55A. Memoirs of an African river explorer? : I WALK THE NILE (12). We will let Mr. Cash sing us into the rest of the puzzle.

Across:

1. Sport enjoyed by Henry VIII : TENNIS. This FACT I learned watching the TUDORS on Showtime.

7. Goes for broke : RISKS ALL.

15. Sitcom friend of Jerry : ELAINE.

16. "It eludes me ... " : I DON'T SEE. And generally I do not care.

17. Olympian drink : NECTAR. Depends on who you ASK.

18. Great Sand Dunes National Park location : COLORADO. You want to see? LINK.

21. It starts in juin : ETE. Juin is June in French, not too hard to guess.

22. Big Ben trio : III. On the clock...

23. Fund-raising target : ALUM. Friday so you get no hint that it is an abbreviation.

32. Chancel neighbor : APSE.

35. Edge : INCH. You can edge toward someone or inch like INCH BY INCH.

36. Metaphoric vilification : MUD.No politics, so no mudslinging.

42. Waterfront org. : ILA. Those fun longshoremen.

43. Penicillin, often : CURE. We will not ask what we are using it to cure.

44. Province of Catania attraction : ETNA. We just had this.

50. "A Day Without Rain" artist : ENYA. She is like a dandelion in the spring. LINK. (2:45)

51. Indefinite pronoun : ONE. Not male or female.

52. U.S. Army award since 1918 : DSM. Distinguished Service Medal.

61. Liqueur made with Jamaican rum : TIA MARIA.. Some HISTORY. I never knew this brand was owned by the people who also owned Kahlua.

64. Ancient looker : ADONIS. Slightly censored I guess, here with Venus.

65. Inborn : IMMANENT. One of a confusing TRIO.

66. Hotel supply : LINENS.

67. Security booth site : MAINGATE. Disney?

68. Green Party concern : ENERGY.

Down:

1. Frazzled : TENSE. Relax the rest are easy....

2. Choose : ELECT.

3. Mother-of-pearl : NACRE. The inside of the shell or the outside of the pearl.

4. Female rock guitarist Strauss : NITA. Hmm, I WATCH and am reminded of a recent female bassist.

5. "Soon" : IN A BIT.

6. Landlocked European nation : SERBIA. There are 16 landlocked countries in Europe: Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Vatican City, only one has six letters.

7. Dirty __ : RICE. Interestingly, Barry Silk had the fill DIRTY RICE and 20D. Vietnam Veterans Memorial designer : LIN both in his November 14 offering.

8. One with loyal followers : IDOL. and 14D. Confident and loyal sort, so it's said : LEO.

9. Most piano sonatas : SOLI. One player.

10. Square or slip follower : KNOT.

11. Continuous flow : STREAM. Like videos these days.

12. Botanist Gray : ASA. I was ready for this thanks to Mark Bickham and the slew of obscure ASA clues.

13. Wasn't behind anyone : LED.

24. Boundary : LIMIT.

25. Rush hour improbability : U-TURN. Two days in a row. Much nicer than UIE or UEY.

26. Euripides tragedy : MEDEA. An oddly unsuccessful PLAY about the tragedy of Jason.

27. Sun. address : SERmon.

28. Kitchen gadget : DICER. The earlier rice made this easier.

29. Singer DiFranco : ANI.

30. Alabama label : RCA. Does anybody really care about record companies any more?

31. UPS competitor : DHL.

32. Cold __ : AS ICE. All I heard was THIS. (3:15).

33. "The Python Years" diarist Michael : PALIN. Everyone get the spelling correct now?

34. Like nightmares : SCARY.

38. Hosp. section : ICU. Intensive Care Unit.

39. Spoon extension? : FUL. You want one MORE? (2:32).

40. Investment initials : IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

41. Apparel with a message, perhaps : TEE. A xmas present for CED?  LINK.

46. South American crocodilian : CAIMAN. I hope you all remembered these little guys.

47. Developer's offering : LOT. Real estate developer.

48. Checkup request : INHALE. Did you play doctor when you were little?

49. Supply with, as carrots to a food processor : FEED IN. Did we have this recently?

52. 24-hour eatery, often : DINER.

53. Medical support : SLING.

54. Complicated : MESSY. Speaking of which...

56. Big name in early computers : WANG. Does history REPEAT?

57. Expanse : AREA.

58. Home filter target : LINT.

59. The Duchess of Cambridge, familiarly : KATE.

60. "... for __ of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth" : NONE. Jeffrey's dose of Will.

Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn
The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.

61. Robbins of "The Shawshank Redemption" : TIM. One of my top ten favorite movies, from a Stephen King story. TRAILER. (2:11)

62. "__ Man": Spencer Davis Group hit : I'M A this SONG (2:52) followed immediately by its palindromic pal....

63. Côte d'Azur companion : AMI. We end with French, so I will say à bientôt, and hope you all are having a great Christmas.  Thanks for sharing your lives here at the Corner. And JW, thank you for a really great year. Lemonade out.

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to Kathy (Yellowrocks), who's now in New York celebrating this special day with her son and his family. She continues to inspire me with her positive attitude facing various difficulties in life. I'm so happy that she can now dance like she did before her knee surgeries. 

Kathy & Buddha, Japan, 2008

2) Happy Birthday also to Lorraine (Fermatprime), who's been with the blog for a long time. Lorraine is an accomplished math professor and swims daily in her own heated pool. She also does more puzzles every day than most of us.

Thanksgiving, 2015

Friday, December 11, 2015, Kristian House

Theme: Hats off to Mr. Kristian.

Mr. House returns after a five year absence from the LAT during which he  has 14 or so NYT publications. The theme is rather simple with the second word of each theme fill being a form of 'headgear' but resulting in a phrase that has a very different meaning. No reveal needed. Only 8 three letter fill and some sparkle with  CRATERS,  LESSONS,  ORINOCO,  REDOUBT, AD BLOCKER, NAME DROPS. Overall not as hard as I expected when I saw the byline.

17A. Headgear not for amateurs? : PRO BOWLER (9). A CSO to Boomer.

27A. Headgear for a certain batting champ? : TRIPLE CROWN (11). The man with the most three base hits and a term for someone who leads the league in batting average, home runs and runs batted in. Also a horse racing goal accomplished this year for the first time in 29 years.

47A. Headgear for some skaters? : ROLLER DERBY (11).

64A. Headgear for contract negotiations? : SALARY CAP (9).

Across:

1. Two of its members wrote the music for "Chess" : ABBA. Once again...this MUSICAL has not been a success in the US.

5. Angling trophy : BASS. Is the fish the trophy?

9. Not sour : ON KEY. Friday cluing.

14. Chillax : LOLL.

15. Horn accessory : MUTE. JzB?

16. Kitchen feature : RANGE.

19. Qualifying words : I MEAN. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

20. Bunk : HOKUM. Two made up words.

21. License-issuing org. : DMV. Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver's licenses.

22. They're not optional : NEEDS.

23. Weak : ANEMIC.

25. Career grand slam leader : AROD. His batting coach last year was Barry Bonds.

33. Princess friend of Dorothy : OZMA. In every book but the first one and in Baum's words, "Her eyes sparkled as two diamonds, and her lips were tinted like a tourmaline. All adown her back floated tresses of ruddy gold, with a slender jeweled circlet confining them at the brow."

37. Gibbon, for one : APE.

38. Dr. Howser of '80s-'90s TV : DOOGIE. I bet  most do not associate this series with others created by Bochco and Kelley 

39. Done __ : DEED. Deal seemed so right.

40. Sierra follower, in the NATO alphabet : TANGO.

42. Stiff : PRIM.

43. Facilitate : ENABLE.

45. Torque symbol, in mechanics : TAU. Please Fermat and Bill G, tell us more.

46. Utah state flower : SEGO.

50. Bologna bone : OSSO. Just the Italian word.

51. Work together : TEAM UP.

56. Spy plane acronym : AWACS. Airborne Warning and Control System,

59. Tolkien race member : ELF.

62. Poor treatment : ABUSE.

63. Breadcrumbs used in Asian cuisine : PANKO. Per wiki  Panko is made from bread baked by electrical current, which yields a bread without a crust, and then grinding the bread to create fine slivers of crumb. Come from Japan which learned about bread from Europeans.

66. A lot : OFTEN.

67. Camera that uses 70mm film : IMAX. Where I watched Avatar.

68. Junk, say : SHIP. Asian again, tricky. What you need to KNOW.

69. Shows signs of life : STIRS.

70. A mullet covers it : NAPE. Name the movie?

71. Xperia manufacturer : SONY. They make smart phones and tablets.

Down:

1. __-Bits : ALPHA. A crossword puzzle dream.

2. Element between beryllium and carbon on the periodic table : BORON.
Boring.

3. Chap : BLOKE. Nice Cuppa, Steve...

4. "Help!" is one : ALBUM. Beatles album and movie.

5. German import : BMW. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG  English: Bavarian Motor Works.

6. Word sung in early January : AULD.

7. Watch part : STEM.

8. Spotted wildcat : SERVAL. To me it looks like a leopard mated with a bunny  and then....

9. River under the Angostura Bridge : ORINOCO. Interesting. LINK.

10. Tries to impress, in a way : NAME DROPS. Like knowing someone famous makes you better; so silly. I remember saying that when I was in the elevator with John Lennon at the Continental Hyatt House...

11. Dummy's place : KNEE. So many come to mind

12. "Good heavens!" : EGAD.

13. Hankerings : YENS.

18. Insult in an Oscar acceptance speech, perhaps : OMIT. Don't forget the make up girl.

24. Significant depressions : CRATERS. Not mood swings.

26. Defensive fortification : REDOUBT. This was NEW to me, the perps brought it home.

28. Bar brew, briefly : IPA. India Pale Ale.

29. Board game using stones : PENTE. Sounds like a derivative GAME.

30. Fiend : OGRE.

31. "SNL" alum with Hader and Samberg : WIIG. Does she pass the Splynter test?

32. Fictional captain : NEMO. 20,000 reasons to remember.

33. River through Frankfurt : ODER. On my list of 4 letter European rivers to remember.

34. Philosopher known for his "Achilles and the Tortoise" paradox : ZENO. It is mostly speculation but he did influence Plato and Aristotle. LINK.

35. Ground grain : MEAL.

36. Pop-up prevention : AD BLOCKER. Nice new fill.

41. Sharp-toothed fish : GAR.

44. Course components : LESSONS. Sorry HG and BE, not a golf course.

48. Rubs out : DOES IN.

49. Oenophile's concern : YEAR.

52. Deep space : ABYSS.

53. Oodles of, in slang : MUCHO. Usually with dinero.

54. Bolt like lightning? : USAIN.

55. Raring to go : PEPPY.

56. Mil. mail drops : APOS. Army Post Office

57. Drift, as smoke : WAFT.

58. Fighting : ANTI.

60. Dharma teacher : LAMA.

61. Door in the woods : FLAP.

65. Tin Man's tool : AXE. An ending toast to our own de-icer and my favorite unknown band. LISTEN.

On that musical note, lemonade out. I hope you all have a great party weekend, our office starts today with the ugly sweater contest, problem, nobody owns sweaters here.

ah well.

Note from C.C.: 

I'm sad to let you know that Lemonade's brother passed away yesterday. Lemonade was very close to his two brothers, now both have left this world. Here is a "Hard to Believe" childhood photo Lemonade shared with our blog regulars in 2011. Lemonade is the one in the middle.

Friday, December 4, 2015, Craig Stowe

Theme: How do I get paid here? Wait in the FEE LINE in the corner.

It appears I get another debut puzzle, and a very ambitious one at that. In each of the four corners we have intersecting names of famous fictional felines. They are all part of the family FELIDAE. We get the reveal in middle, which oddly has nothing to do with CATS. To add to the challenge, we have triple stacks of nine in the NW and SE and triple sixes in SW and NE. To get all that into a single grid, there are some compromises and 8 cheater squares, but I still found it one of the hardest of the year. I have not seen that many puzzles where the themers are all proper names.  A CSO to the Corner, so let us  get to it.

1A. "The Jungle Book" villain : SHERE KHAN (9) the bad guy is paired with 1D. Half of a cartoon duo : STIMPY (6) the silly one.

10A. Character in the comic "Mutts" : MOOCH  (5) who I do not know is paired with 14D. Friend of Calvin : HOBBES (6) a wonderful stuffed animal.

63A. C.S. Lewis hero : ASLAN (5) from the other side of the wardrobe is paired with 41D. Scar's brother from Lion King : MUFASA (6).

64A. "Looney Tunes" lisper : SYLVESTER (9) also silly is paired with 47D. Pooh pal : TIGGER (6) another stuffed tiger.

The reveal: 35A. Diagonally ... or what each of four pairs of puzzle answers form? : KITTY CORNER (11).

       

Okey dokey, lets see how he befuddled me...

15. Stubborn : TENACIOUS. A musical name? LINK. (4:53).

16. Howe'er : ALTHO. Both silly abbreviations.

17. Mutton dish : IRISH STEW. This RECIPE?

18. Title from the Arabic for "master" : SAHIB.

19. Litter call : MEW.

20. Orchestra sect. : STRings.

21. Electric guitar effect : REVERB.

22. Christmas __ : PIE. Is this really a thing? Isn't it just mince pie?

23. Mate's affirmative : AYE. Ship mate.

24. 2013 Spike Jonze film : HER. Really weird movie.

25. Arctic coast explorer : RAE. Here we go into the Friday ABYSS.  An unsung HERO?

26. "Revolutionary Road" author Richard : YATES. Have you read the BOOK?

28. "... high hope for __ heaven": Shak. : A LOW. Love's Labour Lost, Act I, Scene 1

30. Mil. awards : DSCS. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS.

31. Part of many a date : MOVIE.

33. Cheapen : ABASE.

38. To date : AS YET.

39. Virtuous : MORAL. If you are too moral you may not...

41. Cry of discomfort : MOAN. which looks a lot like...

44. Romantic evening highlight, perhaps : MOON. After which you many moan.

46. Shore up, as an embankment : REVET. last and only time in the LAT June 2010. I did not recall.

48. Mil. branch : USN.

49. Present : NOW.

50. Munch on : EAT.

52. Former Abbey Road Studios owner : EMI. Electric and Musical Industries Ltd.

53. Gradual revelation : FADE IN. In movies?

55. Center : HUB.

56. Record : LOG. Captain's Log....

57. Ice cream thickeners : AGARS. Yes, seaweed is the SECRET.

58. Peggy Lee specialty : TORCH SONG.A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship. Wiki.

61. Alabama River city : SELMA.

62. Chestnut : PLATITUDE.

Down:

2. "Yoo-hoo!" : HERE I AM.

3. 1944 Pacific battle site : ENIWETOK. The BATTLE  came not long after the battle for Kwajalein, a Marshall Island where an old girlfriend lived on when she was young.

4. Univ. peer leaders : RAS.  This bunch. LINK.

5. Command level: Abbr. : ECH. This is common fill in the NYT but meaningless to me.

6. __-face : KISSY.

7. Winter warmer : HOT TEA.

8. Violinist who taught Heifetz : AUER.

9. State north of Victoria: Abbr. : NSW. New South Wales. CSO to Kazie.

10. Electromagnetic wave generator : MASER. I remember when they won the Nobel  Prize for this DEVICE.

11. Norse royal name : OLAV.

12. Leftovers : OTHERS. I get it but I do not like it.

13. President before Sarkozy : CHIRAC. He recently turned 83. LINK.

21. Nuke : REWARM.

23. "A chain ... strong __ weakest link" : AS ITS.

24. Rail rider : HOBO.

27. French spa : EVIAN. A watered down clue?

29. Kind of vegetarian : LACTO. They eat milk products like cheese.

30. Caterpillar rival : DEERE.

32. Linguistic root : ETYMON. The root of etymology but not a word I know.

34. Derisive sound : SNORT. My memory of this is tied to Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality, which is also the real Sandra. Wait until the end.

36. "Yikes!" : YEOW.

37. Disentangle : RAVEL OUT. Not unravel, but...

40. Paper with a Société section : LE MONDE. The 'world' in French and an"A" away.

42. Oklahoma natives : OSAGES.

43. Along with the rest : AND ALL.

45. __ network : NEURAL.

49. Seder month : NISAN. Hebrew Calendar.

51. "Modern Family" network : ABC TV. I have been doing lots of networking.

54. Aunt with a "Cope Book" : ERMA. The puzzle friendly Ms Bombeck.

55. Blessed : HOLY.

58. Pulls a Charmin shenanigan, briefly : TPS. Do people still toilet paper houses?

59. Skedaddle : HIE.

60. Some routes: Abbr. : STS.

I will say goodbye with an image of domestic cats and hope none of you are allergic to dander. Lemonade out.

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