Friday, December 9, 2016, Tony Caruso and C. C. Burnikel

Title 2 + 2 = 4.

In their third LAT collaboration of 2016, Tony (Anon-T) and C.C. take well known phrases or products which include a number and add 4 (four) to get the theme answer. The reveal is really cute, especially if you like golf. Not an easy puzzle, but it went smoothly. And we have a mini-Trojan War theme. It does feature quite a bit of interesting intermediate fill such as ALKALI,  DUELED, ORTEGA,  B.B.KING,  AENEAS, CLAUDE, EAT DIRT,  UPBRAID, COROLLA,  KNESSET, LIONS DEN, TENOR SAX...where do they all come from?

On with the show:

17A. Dutch vodka brand : KETEL FIVE (9). Ketel One plus four equals the joke.

24A. End of an Ernie Banks catchphrase about doubleheaders : LET'S PLAY SIX (11). Let's PLAY TWO showed the enthusiasm he always had for the game, and how nice to see Mr. Cub so soon after the Series.

36A. Powerful Detroit group : THE BIG SEVEN (11). The old line automobile BIG THREE are back on top after Toyota and Honda peaked.

47A. NCAA hockey semifinal group : FROZEN EIGHT (11). The FROZEN FOUR are the four finalists who vie for the NCAA men's hockey championship.
The reveal -
57A. Traditional golf pants, and a hint to why certain puzzle answers are wrong : PLUS FOURS (9).
Plus-fours are breeches or trousers that extend 4 inches (10 cm) below the knee (and thus four inches longer than traditional knickerbockers, hence the name). As they allow more freedom of movement than knickerbockers, they have been traditionally associated with sporting attire from the 1860s and onward, and are also particularly associated with golf. wiki. Revived in golf by Orville Moody and the late Payne Stewart.

Across:

1. Photoshop maker : ADOBE. Perhaps more famous for PDF.

6. Late __ : FEE.

9. Average Joes, e.g. : MALES.

14. Fishing needs : LURES.

15. Bill's future, maybe : LAW. No not our bicycle riding macchiato swigging Bill G., but a bill offered in congress.

16. Troy story : ILIAD. I love the simplicity and subtlety of this clue dredging up both the ancient myth and the modern myth - Toy Story.

19. Coin receivers : SLOTS. And that is why they are called slot machine.

20. Round orders : ALES. This round is on me!

21. Extraction target : ORE. There are no three letter teeth and SPY just did not work.

22. Hide in a crowd : BLEND. (in?)

23. Piano part : LEG. Piano leg has become a pejorative.

27. State bordering six others and the Canadian mainland : IDAHO. I was sorry to see the number in the clue. Canada gave away the answer for me.

29. Beam : RAY.

30. Beats Electronics co-founder : DRE. Only in America...BILLIONAIRE?

31. Rebuke : UPBRAID.

35. Checks out : VETS. In the strange history of American English, this term comes to us from horse racing. To vet was originally a horse-racing term, referring to the requirement that a horse be checked for health and soundness by a veterinarian before being allowed to race. Thus, it has taken the general meaning "to check" various.

38. Powerful pair : ACES. Bullets.

40. Parliament of Israel : KNESSET. They have a unicameral legislature. Formed in 1949, from Mishnaic Hebrew keneseth "gathering, assembly," from stem of Hebrew kanas "he gathered, assembled, collected."

41. Former Texas Rangers manager Washington : RON. He is the most successful manager in their HISTORY.

42. Grafton's "__ for Alibi" : A IS. The alphabet mysteries which started when she was 42 and have made it to X.

43. 2014 Olympics city : SOCHI. It was exciting then but NOW?

52. Chuckle online : LOL.

53. Borneo swinger : ORANG.

54. Jessica Rabbit feature : GAM.

55. Composer __ Maria von Weber : CARL.

                                                    I am not an expert on OPERA.


56. Mascot once awarded a Doctor of Bovinity degree : ELSIE. From the Ohio State University, I am told.

59. Santa __ : CLARA. Who lives there?

60. Charged particle : ION.

61. Bhopal locale : INDIA. Looks kind of dead center to me?

62. Burdens : TAXES.

63. Sitter's charge : TOT.

64. In dire straits : NEEDY.


Down:

1. Caustic potash, e.g. : ALKALI.  More than you need to KNOW.

2. Fought, in a way : DUELED.

3. Company with a Taco Club : ORTEGA. I have linked their bottle a couple of times.

4. Contests whose competitors stand in place : BEES. While they do stand in a spelling bee, not so much in a quilting bee.

5. Course for some U.S. arrivals : ESL. English as a Second Language was very important for my wife and I. Without it we would not have been able to successfully....

6. Tease : FLIRT.

7. Gutter sites : EAVES.

8. Woolly mama : EWE. Another sounds almost like clue (woolly mammoth).

9. Lose : MISLAY.

10. Way behind buildings : ALLEY. I like it!

11. Hostile place : LION'S DEN. The image comes from the Torah where Daniel is cast into the lions den by the Babylonians.

12. Swallow one's pride : EAT DIRT. A straight forward metaphor, but nice phrase.

13. Campus org. revived in 2006 : SDS. Popular once again.

18. Un-friend? : FOE. Another use of modern slang to beef up a simple fill.

22. Grass components : BLADES.

24. Bound : LOPE.

25. Finicky sort : PRISS.

26. Marks with two intersecting lines : XES.

28. Confused sounds : HUHS.

32. Blues singer in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1987 : B. B. KING. Link.

33. Word before repeat : RINSE. On every shampoo bottle.

34. Sensitive subject for some : AGE.

35. Reject : VETO.

36. Clinton's instrument : TENOR SAX. I thought Monica said it was a cigar...

37. A tie may be partly under one : VEST.

38. Pound sound : ARF. Nice rhyme.

39. Toyota model : COROLLA.

42. Trojan who survived the sack of Troy : AENEAS. Aeneas was the son of Anchises and Venus. He was a cousin of King Priam of Troy, and was the leader of Troy's Dardanian allies during the Trojan War. After the fall of Troy, he led a band of Trojan refugees to Italy and became the founder of Roman culture (although not of the city of Rome itself). The story is told in this WORK.

44. First name in impressionism : CLAUDE. MONET. He did not do a good King Louis.

45. Plain awful : HORRID.

46. "Amen to that!" : I'LL SAY.

48. Rumble in the Jungle setting : ZAIRE. Where Ali unveiled the "rope-a-dope" to defeat George Foreman.

49. Inuit home : IGLOO.

50. More than skinny : GAUNT.

51. Bounty title : HMS. His/her Majesty's Ship.  True STORY.

55. Pine __ : CONE. Tree fit too.

56. Outside: Pref. : ECT. Endo and ecto...

57. Casino area : PIT.

58. Shark feature : FIN. Fin is also French for the the end, which means it is time for us to say adieu. Always such fun to blog a puzzle from C.C. University. Thank you Tony, C.C. and  all of you.




Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Hahtoolah, who never comes to the blog without an inspiring quote. Like Lucina, Hahtoolah has traveled extensively. She is also an avid reader.

The Corn Poppy

Friday, December 2, 2016, Peter Koetters

Title: Over and Over Again

The odd clue ( - ) gave me a hint where I needed to look for the theme, but this was a challenge. It was great to have our LA pediatrician Peter back after a long absence. I blogged his debut puddle- I mean puzzle LINK and he has stopped by to talk with us some after his publications. With no fill longer than 9 letters, nothing jumped out. It was only by focusing on filling the downs that the light bulb came on and I 'saw' his theme in the sea of white. Very few short fill and so many interesting others like UP DRAFT,  NAVARRE,  SPLOTCH,  DEAD SEA,  SLEPT IN,  APHASIA, WHEEDLED,  UNWEANED, STEADIEST,  SLY AS A FOX. Lots of French, many witty clues and much to chew on. Welcome back Peter; we hope you stop by and give us some thoughts.

14A. Art critic's phrase, literally : STYLE (5). OVER
17A. - : SUBSTANCE (9). This CONCEPT  is called form over substance in the writing of legal briefs etc.

30A. Theme park near Dallas, literally : SIX FLAGS (8). OVER
36A. - : TEXAS (5). This THEME PARK was the response to Disneyland; it opened in 1961.

42A. Changes one's ways, literally : TURNS (5). OVER
47A. - : A NEW LEAF (8). This IDIOM appears to date back to the 1600s.

62A. Tumbles out of control, literally : FALLS HEAD (9). OVER
66A. - : HEELS (5). This PHRASE has its origin 700 years ago.

Across:

1. Test : ASSAY. I learned this word watching old westerns on TV when they brought their gold to the assay office.

6. Law degs. : JDS. Juris Doctor.

9. While-__: repair shop sign words : U-WAIT. These days they work on COMPUTERS.

15. Calendar pg. : OCTober. Random.

16. NBA's Jackson et al. : PHILS. Phil Jackson having a hard time succeeding in NY; week fill, Phil.

19. "10" co-star : DEREK. She is now with John Corbett from Cecily, Alaska






20. Send out : EMIT.

21. Pamplona's municipality : NAVARRE. I am confused, not only because I do not know geography but because I thought PAMPLONA is the city for this FESTIVAL..

23. Big stain : SPLOTCH.

25. Israeli border lake : DEAD SEA.

29. "Doubt it" : NAH.

31. "Conan" channel : TBS. Any of you watch him?

34. Dayan of Israel : MOSHE. He was a storybook hero for Israel.

LINK

37. Giants manager before Bochy : ALOU. Felipe, the oldest brother.

39. Like non-oyster months, traditionally : R-LESS. Try explaining this concept to a Thai woman where the letter that looks like "R" sounds like "L."

41. Ration (out) : DOLE.

44. "The Deep" director Peter : YATES. He directed BULLITT as well. The movie was based on a book by Peter Benchley, who also wrote JAWS. Jacqueline Bisset set the gold standard for a wet t-shirt SCENE.

46. Bottom line : NET.

49. Closing sequence : XYZ.

51. They're often numbered : STREETS. Random.

52. Bench warmers? : JURISTS. More legal misdirection.

56. Loss of speech : APHASIA. Aphasia is a communication disorder that results from damage to the parts of the brain that contain language (typically in the left half of the brain).  Growing up around a doctor and a nurse I heard this term when I was very young.

58. Drive-__ : THRU.

59. Before, in Brest : AVANT. Literal French. No Brest milk.

64. "In the Bedroom" Oscar nominee : TOMEI. I never saw this movie, but Marisa is always a pleasure.

                                                                         LINK

65. Passé : OUT.

67. "Surprise Symphony" composer : HAYDN. Wiki says it better.

68. Big tees : XLS. Not in a world of XXXL.

69. Matrix, e.g. : ARRAY.

Down:

1. Some jennies : ASSES. A male donkey or ass is called a jack, a female a jenny or jennet; a young donkey is a foal. Jack donkeys are often used to mate with female horses to produce mules; the biological "reciprocal" of a mule, from a stallion and jenny as its parents instead, is called a hinny. Or...

2. Baffle : STUMP.

3. Prophetess : SYBIL. This is not a name but a description. There is much to learn if you like HISTORY and MYTH.

4. Longtime Dodger manager : ALSTON. Along with Tommy Lasorda, this MANAGER led the Dodgers through 4 world championships and the only one won in Brooklyn. If you love baseball you know this man.

5. Still : YET.

6. Whale of a guy? : JONAH. More of the wit in the cluing.

7. Half of MCDX : DCCV. Peter has used Roman Numerals as glue before.

8. Most constant : STEADIEST.

9. Kite aid : UPDRAFT. Soaring!

10. Cajoled : WHEEDLED.

11. Whistle blower? : AIR. Literal but deceptive!!!

12. Key for Fauré? : ILE. French for Island. hmm lots of French.

13. "For shame!" : TSK.

18. Run at the end : ANCHOR. The relay team in the race.

22. "Toy Story" dinosaur : REX.

24. Highland lid : TAM.

26. Ancient Germanic invader : SAXON.

27. Even, in Évian : EGALE. French mostly associated with equal. Liberté, égalité, fraternité (French pronunciation: [libɛʁte eɡalite fʁatɛʁnite]), French for "liberty, equality, fraternity", is the national motto of France and the Republic of Haiti, and is an example of a tripartite motto.W.

28. Valuable team member : ASSET.

30. Field unit : SHEAF.

31. Byes : TATAS. See below.

32. Not sharp : BLUNT.

33. More ticked : SORER.

35. Cunning : SLY AS A FOX. This is new stuff, only one other LAT appearance back in 2006.

38. Still breast-feeding : UNWEANED. Boobies next to...

40. __ orientation : SEXUAL.

43. Ignored the alarm : SLEPT IN. Good idea after sex.

45. Civil war site since 2011: Abbr. : SYRia.

48. E. African land : ETHiopia.

50. Dulcimer kin : ZITHER.

52. Crushes an altar ego? : JILTS. Very witty clue. You never know, but this sounds like some of Peter's earlier cluing.

53. Utter : SHEER.

54. Part of a skipping refrain : TRALA. LALA. I hope Linda is well.

55. Like some heads : SUDSY. Beer, both kinds.

57. King anointed by Samuel : SAUL.

59. Sports fig. : ATHlete. There is only one A in athlete.

60. U.S. govt. broadcaster : VOA. The fifth appearance this year in the LAT and the third on a Friday.

61. Acker of "Person of Interest" : AMY. She reappears soon enough that I recalled her.

63. Doo-wop syllable : SHA. Na Na after last weeks No no? No!

What a work out with some of the most fun cluing of the year. If you do not see the visual you lose the joy. I hope you all are having a wonderful December. Lemonade out.

Friday, November 18, 2016, Alan Olschwang

Title: It must be Thursday in 2008 Alan Olschwang is back!

For the few remaining regular posters who go back to the Tribune Media Services puzzles which inspired C.C. to become a blogger, this is a blast from the past. Every Thursday we had a quip/quote puzzle from Mr. O. The fourth puzzle that was blogged by C.C. at her Corner was this ONE which predates all of us. As C.C. honed her interviewing skills, she presented us with this GLIMPSE into his mind. The quip:

"20A. Start of a quip : IT WON'T MATTER (12).
  29A. Quip, part 2 : HOW FAR YOU (9).
  38A. Quip, part 3 : PUSH THE ENVELOPE (15).
  45A. Quip, part 4 : IT'LL STILL (9).
  53A. End of the quip : BE STATIONERY (12)."

I think the ER is funnier.
His version is used to protect the symmetry of the clues.



As with most of these type puzzles, the quip is based on a pun - stationery / stationary. It feels strange to be back in the day; I hope you enjoy the trip. It is interesting how many constructors are resurfacing after an extended absence.

Across:

1. Did one part of a typical triathlon : SWAM. A sport with swimming, cycling, and long-distance running.

5. Overwhelm : SWAMP.

10. Camera output : SNAP.

14. Tuscan waterway : ARNO. The RIVER. More river talk. 51A. Swiss waterway : AARE. A fun tour by ORANGE (Amy Renaldo).

15. Smoothes : EASES.

16. 1899 gold rush town : NOME. 50 years later.

17. It's nothing to Noelle : RIEN. Just French.

18. Pines, e.g. : TREES. Sometimes the simple answer is right even on Friday.

19. Wavy lines, in comics : ODOR. There are  ORGANIZED rules?

23. Stuff in a sack : LOOT.

24. Dough shortage consequence : DEBT.

27. "Chicago P.D." detective Lindsay : ERIN. A pretty young lady who is played by Sophia Bush

34. Speaks : ORATES.

36. Durango day : DIA. This time the language is Spanish.

37. Rotation meas. : RPS. Revolutions Per Second? Certainly not RPMS. Hmm, rock, paper, scissors? Nit pick?

42. Pranks, in a way, informally : TPS. Good symmetry with the questionable RPS. NC questions whether this is really done in America; yes it does happen often.

43. Browser's find : URL.URL is the short version for : Uniform Resource Locator, previously Universal Resource Locator – usually pronounced by sounding out each letter. URL – is the unique address for a file that is accessible on the Internet. Various sources.

44. Privileged groups : ELITES.

49. Wrapped up : OVER. That story arc was finally wrapped up.

50. See 52-Down : SEAT. 52D. With 50-Across, flier's option : AISLE.

60. Hook for landing large fish : GAFF. Is this a GAFFE?

63. Wines named for an Iberian city : PORTS. Tell them all about it Chairman.

64. Pivot around : SLUE.

65. Plot measure : ACRE.

66. Mexican Academy of Film award : ARIEL. Interesting LINK.

67. McCain's alma mater: Abbr. : USNA. United States Naval Academy.

68. Casino device : SHOE. They like the 8 deck version in Las Vegas to defeat the card counters.

69. Spider's web, e.g. : SNARE.

70. Jury member : PEER. Only the British could have started something that became so different.

Down:

1. Asian garment : SARI.

2. Legal paper : WRIT. More law 13D. __ stirpes: estate law term : PER.

3. Once more : ANEW. 7D. Europe-bound, perhaps : ASEA.

4. Yosemite's El Capitan, e.g. : MONOLITH. people actually climb this for fun!

5. Scrape : SET TO.

6. Affection : WARMTH.

8. Athletic contest : MEET. an organized event at which a number of races or other sporting contests are held. "a swim meet."

9. "Hey, you!" : PSST.

10. Common nocturnal disturbance : SNORER. Syntax? Isn't it the snoring that is the disturbance?

11. Wordless opinion : NOD.

12. Te-__: cigar brand : AMO.

21. Good-sized combo : NONET. Nine pieces.

22. First name in childcare writing : EDA.

25. How many learn : BY ROTE. Memorization without thought.

26. High hat : TOPPER.

27. Rages : ERUPTS.

28. Brawl in the sticks : RASSLE.

30. Former "Access Hollywood" anchor Nancy : O'DELL. Too political.

31. When repeated, mutually advantageous : WIN. Much of what I do now is win-win where a buyer and seller of real property are both very happy at the closing.

32. Most liked, casually : FAVE. I have a cousin who loves this word.

33. Versatility list : USES.

34. Eye opener? : OPTIcal e.g.

35. Close : SHUT.

39. NW Penn. airport : ERIe. The universal code for airports. This ONE really is not in Erie is it gentleman?

40. Ecuadoran gold region : EL ORO.  El Oro province is the southernmost of Ecuador's coastal provinces. It was named for its historically important gold production. Today it is one of the world's major exporters of bananas. Wiki.

41. Cheers : LIVENS UP. Nice fill that liv...oh never mind.

46. Tuition add-on : LAB FEE.

47. Abbr. in some Canadian place names : STE. A female saint. more French.

48. LDS part : LATTER. It is religion; some say Mormon, but in 1834, the church was being referred to as the "Church of the Latter Day Saints" in early church publications, and in 1838 Smith announced that he had received a revelation from God that officially changed the name to the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." wiki.

54. Therapeutic resorts : SPAS.

55. Ambivalent : TORN.  You think?

56. One of a tenor's repertoire : ARIA.

57. Word suggesting options : ELSE. Back again.

58. Ancient character : RUNE. Not Mel Brooks.

59. Sentence component : YEAR.  Penal system not classroom.

60. Yakking : GAS.

61. German gripe : ACH.

62. One way to sway : FRO and to? Another way to go is over and out, which is a good segue into my saying thank you Mr. Olschwang for a different ride. It is not our first LAT quip but we do not see many. Hope you all enjoyed and come back and see us next time. Lemonade out.

Friday, November 11, 2016, Patti Varol

Title: Time to clean the kitchen

Patti V., who doubles as Rich Norris' assistant at the LAT, has turned on the creative juices again in 2016 with 5 puzzles in the last 10 weeks. Today we have a variation of the definition puzzle, where words that are associated with each other - here items in a kitchen - are used as clues for completely different things. My only nit was including both DISH and PLATE and leaving out KNIFE, but then I realized there really are no other meanings for knife that do not relate to cutting. This is a very friendly puzzle with some new material as well as bringing back some memories from the 50s and 60s. We have as additional long fill ARTESIAN,  READ UP ON, PLEASE HOLD and  DEAN MARTIN. Cool, let's do it!

17A. Spoon : HUG TENDERLY (11). Do you want to be an EXPERT?

24A. Dish : SPREAD GOSSIP (12). Garbage Of Stupid Silly Ignorant People. I think it implies dishing dirt.

38A. Fork : BRANCH IN THE ROAD (15).  Who can forget Yogi Berra's saying "When you come to a fork in the road, take it"

49A. Plate : COAT WITH GOLD (12). I have nothing here except the old joke about the man (in the old un-pc days it was a Polish man) who won an Olympic gold medal and was so proud he had it bronzed.

60A. Bowl : PLAY TEN PINS (11). Boomer, is this acceptable or only used with duck pins?
In Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, the game is commonly referred to as just "Bowling". In New England, "bowling" is usually referred to as "ten-pin bowling" or "big-ball bowling", because of the smaller diameter, lighter weight ball used in the Worcester, Massachusetts-conceived sport of candlepin bowling from 1880, and the similarly "small-ball" sport of duckpin bowling (conceived in 1895), popular in the Northeast United States

Across:

1. Assuming it's true : AS FACT.

7. "Bloom County" penguin : OPUS. I gratuitously linked him recently.

11. Jams : PJS. Jammies-yes. Jams?

14. After-dinner gathering : SOIREE. The forties and fifties were filled with soirees.

15. Go in different directions : PART. Part company.

16. Service to redo : LET. Tennis. 46D. Org. for netmen : ATP. The Association of Tennis Professionals  HISTORY.

19. Flight status info : ETA.

20. In addition : ELSE. Put it in, took it out, put it back.

21. "The Fault in __ Stars": John Green novel : OUR. if you like crying...

22. Leader's domain : REALM.

28. Chatter boxes? : RADIOS. I like the clue and remember the nights before we had TV and listening to all those great voices.

31. Light weight : OUNCE.

32. It may precede bad news : I FEAR. I fear we have run out of caviar, deah.

33. Beavers, e.g. : HATS. I bet you did not know all of THIS.

35. "Girls" channel : HBO.

42. Icarus, to Daedalus : SON.

43. Bar employee: Abbr. : ATTY. Please let us never have att as fill for lawyers.

44. String quartet member : CELLO. A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – two violin players, a viola player and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group. ... The string quartet was developed into its current form by the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn, with his works in the 1750s establishing the genre. Wiki.

45. Prefix with arch : MATRI. Patri anyone?

48. Bulldozer companion : LOADER. LINK. Can you name them all?

53. Marx with a horn : HARPO. Or many horns.

54. Vienna's land: Abbr. : AUStria.

55. The munchies, e.g. : URGE.

59. Hairy TV cousin : ITT. Great theme song to the Addams Family.

LINK.

64. Flowery welcome : LEI.

65. It's retold often : LORE.

66. Greet on the street : TOOT AT. A rhymsical clue.

67. Roadside shelter : INN.

68. "Oh, ew" : YUCK.

69. Fancy, and then some : ORNATE.

Down:

1. New York stadium named for a sports great : ASHE.

2. __-searching : SOUL.

3. Tree fruit : FIGS.

4. Like some wells : ARTESIAN. This CONCEPT fascinated me as a chikd.

5. One of a Chicago duo : CEE.

6. Group of like voices : TENORS. We all the most famous group of three tenors but how about this GROUP which sings...

7. Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas," e.g. : OPERA.

8. Four score, often? : PAR. Really fun deception as more than half of all gold holes are played a par of 4.

9. Address bar address : URL.

10. "Lie Down in Darkness" author : STYRON. A truly influential writer who along with others started the Paris Review as well as authoring The Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie's Choice.

11. Request before the music starts : PLEASE HOLD. 33D. Order before the music starts : HIT IT.

12. Beijing-born action hero : JET LI. Was he a STAR in your world C.C.?

13. Passport mark : STAMP.

18. Payable : DUE.

23. "I didn't mean that" key : ESC.

25. Bordeaux butcher's offering : PORC. French word for pork.

26. Eccentric : DOTTY. I think of Aunt Clara from Bewitched.

27. Write effusively : GUSH.

28. Smokehouse order : RIBS.

29. Coiffure style : AFRO.

30. '60s-'70s variety show host : DEAN MARTIN. After leaving Jerry Lewis, Dean has his own show.

34. Colony occupant : ANT.

36. Agricultural bundle : BALE.

37. Reminder to take out the trash? : ODOR.

39. Big name in WWI espionage : HARI. She is back. The 100 year anniversary of her execution will be in October 2017.

40. Green sci. : ECOLogy.

41. Research : READ UP ON.

47. Like some paper towels : TWO PLY.

48. Underscore? : LOSE TO. Very tricky; we use the other meaning of underscore often in legal writing.

49. Some like it hot : CHILI.

50. Like Cheerios : OATEN. To me they are more often eaten.

51. "Frida" star Salma : HAYEK. Seeing her with Antonio Banderas in Desperado was eye opening!

52. Prepare to remodel, maybe : GUT. Of the 16 definitions for this word, 4 are verbs.
13. (Cookery) to remove the entrails from (fish, etc)
14. (esp of fire) to destroy the inside of (a building)
15. to plunder; despoil: the raiders gutted the city.
16. to take out the central points of (an article), esp in summary form

56. Poet Dove : RITA. I like poetry but I am not up on my POETS.

57. Pest in a swarm : GNAT. Not a midge.

58. Where el sol rises : ESTE. Sun rises in the east even in Spanish speaking places.

61. Murderers' Row teammate of Babe : LOU. Ruth and Gehrig.

62. Part of a hinged-door floor plan symbol : ARC.

63. Fish-fowl link : NOR.

Wow, we are done already. Well I hope you enjoyed our kitchen duty and don't forget to turn out the lights when you are done. Thanks PV, it was fun. And thank you my bride Oo who will have a birthday tomorrow.  Lemonade out.
                                                  Celebrate all veterans now and before!!!

Friday, November 4, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: It's election time, please call the Spin Doctors! Interesting that this group was mentioned Monday.

I will keep this politically correct, adding no SPIN of my own. A truly non-partisan puzzle, or is it? JW gives us another example of adding to an existing phrase to create a new and amusing fill. Today, it is four letters (the word SPIN). JW has really come up with so many ways to present the add a _ _ _ that I wonder what could be next. He also infused this puzzle with some very excellent non-theme entries such as NON-MOTILE,  SNOW ANGEL, STEP-PARENT,  SO THIS IS IT,  ONE NO TRUMP, LORGNETTES.

17A. Vito Corleone talking bobblehead? : RASPING DOLL (11). Rag doll gets Marlon Brando's voice.

22A. Goal of a holistic chiropractor? : SPINE HARMONY (12). Well-advertised dating site E-Harmony gets well adjusted.

38A. As a group, emulate Popeye? : BE SPINACH LOVERS (15). We beach lovers get to eat spinach also.

50A. Maiden aunt mascot? : TEAM SPINSTER (12). maiden aunt and spinsters probably are no longer PC terms, and the TEAMSTER's union isn't what it used to be.

And the reveal
59A. Enjoying the new car ... or what four puzzle answers are literally doing : TAKING A SPIN (11).
Really well played as they all take on a spin.

Well I hope your head is not spinning so we can get to work on this fun Friday.


Across

1. Start of something : ESS. Something. So simple it becomes tricky.

4. Know-it-all : BRAIN
.

9. Sticky roll : TAPE. Not food....

13. Title car in a Ronny + the Daytonas hit : GTO.

14. Michelangelo's "The Last Judgment," e.g. : FRESCO. Per wiki:
The Last Judgment, or The Final Judgement (Italian: Il Giudizio Universale), is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance master Michelangelo executed on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. It is a depiction of the Second Coming of Christ and the final and eternal judgment by God of all humanity

15. Australian export : OPAL. And dear Kazie.

16. Like Gen. Powell : RETired.

19. N.T. book before Phil. : EPHesians come directly before the Phillipians. These are two of the epistles ascribed to Paul.

20. Denver-to-Wichita dir. : ESE.

21. Oppressive atmosphere : MIASMA. What a fun word which we have not had since marti was doing Thursdays.

26. Renewal notice feature, briefly : SASE. Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope.

27. Like a well-written mystery : TAUT. But hopefully not tautological.

28. Hammer user's cry : SOLD. At the auction!

32. Payment in Isfahan : RIALS. In Iran, old Persia.

LINK

35. Chem. and bio. : SCIS.

37. Drift (off) : NOD.

41. Singer DiFranco : ANI. Some music...

42. Pop : SODA.

43. TV oil name : EWING. The show finally died when JR (Larry Hagman) died.

44. "The Good Wife" figs. : ATTS.

46. Fabric rib : WALE.

48. Its home version debuted at Sears in 1975 : PONG. At Sears?

54. Israeli prime minister after Barak : SHARON.

57. "__ Gotta Be Me" : I'VE.

58. Way to go: Abbr. : RTE. Nice, was thinking atta boy.

62. Great Basin native : UTE.

63. Saharan : ARID.

64. Hydrocarbon gas : ETHENE. I did not know this was the official NAME for ethylene.

65. Rx item : MED.

66. Inheritance factor : GENE.

67. Tends : LEANS.

68. Humanities maj. : PSYchology. My major in college. My youngest as well, who recently asked, "Dad how could you let me major in psychology?

Down:

1. Way out : EGRESS.

2. Mike or Carol on "The Brady Bunch" : STEP-PARENT. As are my wife and I. She got to be an instant grandmother.

3. "I guess the moment has finally arrived" : SO THIS IS IT. Not sure, but this was my thought.

4. Impetuous : BRASH.

5. Find a new table for : RESEAT. More glue.

6. Nile slitherer : ASP. Another big week for this snake.

7. It's here in Paris : ICI.

8. Anchored for life, as barnacles : NON-MOTILE. A really fun five dollar word.

9. Word in morning weather forecasts : TODAY'S.

10. Mil. mail drops : APOS.

11. It faces forward in a stop sign : PALM. very cerebral.

12. Big name in jazz : ELLA.

14. Like IHOP syrup : FREE. Really?

18. Alabama Slammer liquor : GIN. This is tricky, it has sloe gin, but no plain gin. But SLOE is made with gin.

23. Type of tide : NEAP.

24. Troublemakers : RASCALS.

25. Often : MUCH.

29. Bridge bid : ONE NO TRUMP.

30. Glasses with handles : LORGNETTES. What a fun fill.  For sale on Amazon.

31. One working on a bridge: Abbr. : DDS. Dental humor.

33. Fleur-de-__ : LIS. The flower of the lily is very important in French and English heraldry, religion and apparently in post-Katrina New Orleans.

34. What a kid is prone to make in winter? : SNOW ANGEL.

36. Farm mom : SOW. She does not say....

38. Pastoral call : BAA.

39. Early exile : ADAM.

40. Ones with clout : VIPS.

45. Variable distance measure : STRIDE. I love the dictionary
1. a long step in walking.
2. (in animal locomotion) the act of progressive movement completed when all the feet are returned to the same relative position as at the beginning.

47. Hand-held allergy treatment : EPIPEN. Timely clue after all the recent scandal.

49. Insatiable : GREEDY.

51. Very long time : EON.

52. Political columnist Molly : IVINS. She was a very quotable woman, but it was mostly politics.
“Margaret Atwood, the Canadian novelist, once asked a group of women at a university why they felt threatened by men. The women said they were afraid of being beaten, raped, or killed by men. She then asked a group of men why they felt threatened by women. They said they were afraid women would laugh at them.”
― Molly Ivins, Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?

53. Island bird named for its call : NENE. Hawaiian Goose.

54. Doe beau : STAG. My eyes first saw "Doe Bean" Therefore I missed the rhyme.

55. Long-eared critter : HARE. Lots of animals in  today's grid.

56. Similar : AKIN.

60. Snacked : ATE.

61. __ Na Na : SHA. I had never heard of them until seeing themat Woodstock. 47 years ago.

Well we had lots of music today of all kinds, so I will leave you trying to remember to set your clocks back Sunday morn. Thanks JW and all of you. A ride back in time.

Friday, October 28, 2016, Darin McDaniel

Title: How do I parse ? Warlock actor's conjunctions?: JULIAN'S ANDS.

There are 612 people in the US named Darin McDaniel: our Darin McDaniel  had One (1) NYT published puzzle in 2010, a Sunday no less! That PUZZLE (spoiler alert- this has the answers) was a delight. He then had One (1) LAT five years ago that was also a DELIGHT. Today, Darin who went to the same high school as the late great Merl Reagle, found six known entertainers who had last names that both began and ended with the letter "S." He then removed the first S to reveal a new word and paired that with a word that used the removed "S" as a possessive. He then clued the new phrase with wit. I love word play and deception and this was fun, simple once you got the gimmick, and it is a smooth pangram! With 70 spaces used up in the 6 themers, there was not room for much else but we did get ASPIRED, BAPTIZE, ALL WISE, BLUEBIRD and OLD SALTS. If you hate proper names go home now, otherwise hop on for the ride.

17A. "What's My Line?" comedian's craft brewery? : SOUPY'S ALES (10). This old COMIC.

23A. Pop diva's fruit stand? : BRITNEY'S PEARS (13). This DIVA.

30A. American Idol winner's amusement chain? : JORDIN'S PARKS (12). This WOMAN.

39A. Rapper's shopping center properties? : BIGGIE'S MALLS (12). This MAN.

49A. Guitarist's cash register company? : STEPHEN'S TILLS (13). This ROCKER.

59A. "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" comedian's flooring store? : RYAN'S TILES (10). This not old COMIC.

Across:

1. Arafat's successor : ABBAS. lat name clue, last name answer. LINK. More...45D. Syrian ruling family : ASSADS. Some HISTORY.

6. City near Yorba Linda : BREA.

10. Brief responses to common concerns : FAQS. Frequently Asked Questions.

14. Composer of a seven-movement work that excludes Earth : HOLST.  I could recall the PLANETS but not his name.

15. Tach count : REVS. Revolutions measured on your tachometer.

16. "... even now / __ myself to thy direction": "Macbeth" : I PUT.
From overcredulous haste. But G-d above
Deal between thee and me, for even now
I put myself to thy direction and
Unspeak mine own detraction, here abjure
The taints and blames I laid upon myself...

19. Sail support : SPAR.

20. R.E.M.'s "The __ Love" : ONE I. A love song?

21. Heifetz's teacher : AUER.

22. Present : HERE.

27. City of northern Spain : OVIEDO. Northern Spain

29. David and Bird : LARRYS. Seinfeld and the Celtics, quite a pair,

34. In a blue state : SAD.

35. Nile reptile : ASP.

36. Corvallis sch. : OSU. In this case, Oregon State University. The Beavers.

45. Equally speedy : AS FAST.

48. Forest bovine : WILD OX. Very popular in the Torah. More Bible, 61A. Número de Mandamientos : DIEZ. The ten Commandments.

53. Collate : SORT. Having copiers that collate was great.

54. Film on water : SCUM. Pond scum anyone?

55. Toddler's drink : WAWA. Bobwa? Not last week's musical clue.

58. Farm opening? : AGRIculture.

62. Frank of 1950s Broadway : ANNE. The PLAY starred Lee Strasberg's daughter Susan.

63. Basketwork fiber : ISTLE. We have had this little used word a few times but not since 2013; it was very popular in the NYT for years. I wonder if AGAVE is used to make a 66A. Jai alai basket : CESTA.

64. Bone-dry : SERE.

65. Hwy. crossings : JCTS. Junctions.


Down:

1. "Understood" : AH SO. For me this is almost a pejorative.

2. Windfall : BOON.

3. Symbol of happiness : BLUEBIRD. My go to...

4. Had ambitions : ASPIRED.

5. Mess : STY.

6. Big name in coffee makers : BRAUN. More famous for their RAZORS, I think.

7. Civil War signature : R. E. LEE.

8. __ other: alternating : EVERY. Maybe we could blog that way.

9. Sancho's "steed" : ASS. Sancho Panza faithful squire to Don Quixote...

10. Pole users : FISHERS. I guess the name comes from people who fish, but don't we really say fishermen (fisherwomen, fisherperson)?

11. Materialize : APPEAR.

12. Slate source : QUARRY. noun: a place, typically a large, deep pit, from which stone or other materials are or have been extracted.

13. Burnout cause : STRESS.

18. Squelched : SAT ON. Ideas or rumors, not people, hopefully

24. Forest's 2006 Oscar-winning role : IDI. He came a long way from A Crying Game and Species

25. 35mm camera option : SLR. Single Lens Reflex.

26. Where the Indus flows: Abbr. : PAKistan.

27. IHOP orders : OJS. Orange Juices.

28. U.S. news source since 1942 : VOA. Voice of America.

31. Slump : SAG.

32. Tire pressure meas. : PSI. Pounds per Square Inch.

33. Parody : APE.

36. Veterans of the briny : OLD SALTS. With 57D. Where to find 36-Down : ASEA.

37. __-pitch : SLO. I think they only use this term in CANADA, so hey EH.

38. Steel giant, as it was known from 1986-2001 : USX. Before that they were known as X.

39. Cleanse spiritually : BAPTIZE. No religion but an ancient rite.

40. Book ending : ISH.

41. Co. merged into Verizon : GTE.

42. Moves in a school : SWIMS. I love this clue, nice and tricky.

43. .001 of an inch : MIL.

44. Omniscient : ALL WISE

46. Cheap smoke : STOGIE.

47. "Cyrano de Bergerac" Best Actor (1950) : FERRER.

50. "Bye Bye Bye" band : NSYNC. They were Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass.

51. Meager : SCANT.

52. iPod contents : TUNES.

56. Shoemaker's strip : WELT. Shoes 101.

59. British rule in India : RAJ.

60. Hold 'em tell, maybe : TIC. We are talking Poker. The WSOP final table starts on this Sunday, 8 Million to the winner.

Well that was over quickly with lots of music; welcome to Fridays Darin. Thank you all for coming to my party. Lemonade out.

Friday, October 21, 2016, Chuck Deodene

Title: Chuck you are driving me crazy!

After more than four years, Chuck D. is back. LINK.  I recalled the name, but had to go to the archives to look over the puzzle I had blogged of his. I hope he stops by - he had 38 NYT puzzles published by 2012 and 3 LAT but nothing in either place since until today. This effort is a variation of the 'one word' as the clue for all theme answers, but here the word not only is used if 4 different meanings, but modified. I had a hard time getting the rhythm of this puzzle, though the fill was overall not too challenging, with no non-theme fill longer than 6 letters. With Cattle Drive and Blood Drive showing one view and the other three places where there are drives it seemed choppy. I saw a mini-theme of drinking, but that was just me. There was some nice wit in the cluing, so I look forward to hearing from you all also today.

17A. Place to take a 36-Down : EXPRESSWAY (10). Here we have the place where we drive vehicles.

25A. Place to run a 36-Down : CATTLE RANCH (11). You gather up the cows and head to Kansas City on your cattle drive.

37A. Place to install a 36-Down : DESKTOP COMPUTER (15). The office server has about 10 drives, we use mostly g and h.

47A. Place to hold a 36-Down : BLOOD MOBILE (11). They park outside the movie theater here for their blood drive.

57A. Place to hit a 36-Down : GOLF COURSE (10). With HG, Big Easy, Moe and other of our golfing group, hitting one long straight drive per round keeps them going back.

And the reveal:

36D. Theme of this puzzle : DRIVE (5). How direct is that for a reveal, but  is it?

Across:

1. Deceptive operation : STING. Immediate clecho 10A. Deceptive distortion : SPIN.

6. Work with a number : OPUS. I always have like this piece by Chopin. My THOUGHT.

14. Indulge : HUMOR. Nice Friday clue, as we all have humored our spouses or children or even parents at one time in our lives.

15. Probe-launching org. : NASA. CSO to HG.

16. Words often after a number : OR SO. This took me 10 minutes or so to complete.

19. Attire : WEAR.

20. Euripides drama : MEDEA. CSO to me as Jason played a large part in this Tragedy - just not a nice part.

21. Cook books, say : CHEAT. Many businesses do keep different sets of books, cash accounting, GAAP accounting and regulatory accounting, Way beyond me.

22. Venomous reptile : ASP. Cleopatra another tragic figure.

28. Horror film reaction : SHRIEK.

30. Way out : EXIT. Literal.

31. __ Throne: "Game of Thrones" monarchy : IRON. Wonderful fun. LINK.

32. They may span decades : SAGAS. The first one I heard of was THIS.

34. Tack on : ADD.

41. Pasture parent : EWE. I like the alliteration. Ma maa.

42. Members of an exclusive league : IVIES. Hmm- 53A. One percent, so to speak : ELITE.

43. Pasta choice : ZITI. Probably time for a refresher on the many shapes of PASTA.

44. Lack of focus : BLUR. My eye doctor says I am blessed with blurred vision recognition.

45. See 12-Down : ASIMOV. 12D. With 45-Across, "The Bicentennial Man" author : ISAAC. While an interesting book (which is only slightly related to the Robin Williams movie version) this was one in his robot series. He is the most impressive AUTHOR I have read because of hs facility in so many fields.

52. PC file extension : EXE.  An executable file for DOS

54. Lead-in to a drink? : I NEED.

56. Fund-raiser, perhaps : GALA. Lots of drinking there usually.

62. "Totally!" : AMEN. From Moses to Mos Def.

63. Brink : EDGE.

64. Mill output : FLOUR. Steel anyone?

65. Not : NARY.

66. Wolfish look : LEER. Splynter?

67. Neighborhood posting : FLYER.

Down:

1. "__ Hate Me": Spike Lee film : SHE. Worth watching.

2. Prom duds : TUX.

3. Devil : IMP.

4. Social convention : NORM. I knew he was social but an entire convention?

5. Country bordering three seas : GREECE. Extra credit if you can name all three.

6. Kickoff : ONSET. 46D. Wave to from the dock : SEE OFF.

7. Grab for clumsily : PAW AT.

8. "Royal Pains" network : USA.

9. Declare : SAY.

10. "Well, whoop-de-do" : SO WHAT.

11. Get duded up : PREEN.

13. Up __ : NORTH. So random, but "YOURS" seemed impolite.

18. Deadwood's state: Abbr. : SDAK.

21. Like new bills : CRISP.

22. Out of the way : ASIDE.

23. Nag : SHREW.

24. Essay makeup : PROSE.

26. Locking blocks : LEGOS. Anyone been?

27. End-of-term ordeal : EXAM.

29. Letterpress need : INK.

32. VP after Hubert : SPIRO. He resigned just over 43 years ago. In cas you forgot....

33. Expert : ACE.

34. Fairy-tale intro words : A TIME. The dreaded partial?

35. Do a juice cleanse, say : DETOX.

38. El Niño feature : TILDE. Nicely disguised.

39. Female gamete : OVUM.

40. Action film weapon : UZI.

44. Mendel's science : BOTANY.

An analysis of genetic crosses depends upon an understanding of Mendel's two laws: The principle of segregation (First Law): The two members of a gene pair (alleles) segregate (separate) from each other in the formation of gametes. Half the gametes carry one allele, and the other half carry the other allele. His seeds were seeds.

45. Novelist Waugh : ALEC. Most famous as Evelyn's brother. Tin, he also said, "I am prepared to believe that a dry martini slightly impairs the palate, but think what it does for the soul."

47. Initiated : BEGAN.

48. Andean transport : LLAMA.

49. Edmonton NHL player : OILER. Splynter?

50. Hull region : BILGE. This TERM has been around 500 years.

51. Deduce : INFER. Nero Wolfe used to get apoplectic about those who misused this WORD.

55. Sigh-inducing : DULL.

57. Holder of locks : GEL. hair, silly.

58. Shelley work : ODE. For the season - the first stanza of Ode To The West Wind

O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being,

Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead

Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing,

59. Scheider of "Jaws" : ROY. He had a long and successful CAREER.

60. Seek payback, maybe : SUE. The law is the only field where one professional creates business for another.

61. Fumble, e.g. : ERR. is human, to forgive divine. Not in Cleveland.

Well hopefully I did not fumble the ball in discussing this Friday frolic. Welcome back Chuck. Lemonade out.

Friday, October 14, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: BY THE OUNCE (as proclaimed by the clue for 57A).



This week, JW is the Wizard of OZ, giving us four phrases which add the abbreviation for Ounce (OZ), creating new and humorously clued expressions. I find it interesting he chose the ounce abbreviation which I think is a more revealing hint, as the wizard might have led people to look for the AAHS sound when the letters are added. Like last week where JACK was added, coming up with 4 phrases which have room for OZ is a challenge, and having two added to the first word and two to the second adds a level of consistency. There also is left room for many fresh fill like TRIODES, OTTOMAN, RICE BAR, ONE MAN ON, FEMININE, TOPOLOGY, AMAZONIA. Also a real undercurrent of the 50's.






Okay, time is a wastin'



17A. Doughnut order from a king? : LION'S DOZEN (10). The king part was tricky, though we all know the Lion is King of the Jungle whether or not in its den.



25A. Musicians given to tippling? : BOOZY BAND (9). Many boy bands do face problems with alcohol and drugs. LINK.



34A. Set of data within an atmospheric analysis? : TABLE FOR OZONE (13). A nice layered clue with a really fun base phrase, that is often a bit sad.



48A. Occupants of a well-insulated nest? : COZY YOUNG (9). CY YOUNG was statistically the greatest pitcher of all time and the man for whom the pitching award is named.



57A. How perfume is sold ... and this puzzle's title : BY THE OUNCE (10)


Across:


1. Talked into, with "on" : SOLD.


5. Calyx part : SEPAL. So a calyx is the sepals of a flower, typically forming a whorl that encloses the petals and forms a protective layer around a flower in bud.




10. Typical artist's apartment : LOFT.


14. Samoan capital : APIA. Apia is the capital and the largest city of Samoa.




15. Amtrak option : ACELA. *


16. Cabinet dept. formed under Carter : ENER.


19. Fifty percent up front? : DEMI. Brilliant, the prefix (up front) like demitasse. *


20. Recorded : ON TAPE. Reel to reel?


21. GPS info : RTE.


23. Pisa possessive : MIO. Italian for my.


24. Recording device : METER. Okay, like your electric meter?


28. Writer LeShan : EDA. A CW regular.




29. Is next to : ABUTS.


31. Sergeant Bilko, to friends : ERNIE. Very popular when we first got a tv.




32. Tapestry thread : WEFT. My first thought was WTF!?! I am not much of a weaver and missed the APRIL 12, 2015 puzzle where it last surfaced. I note that both ACELA and DEMI are in that one. I thought it a bit cruel to have Demi Moore and Mila Kunis in the same grid. *


33. Saturn models : IONS. I owned a black one, with the odd doors.


40. Quarterback Tony : ROMO. Has his career been Dakked? LINK. Drew Bledsoe who lost his job first to Tom Brady and then to Tony Romo knows all about it.


41. Swamplike : MIRY.


42. Protection against Mr. Decay Germ, in old ads : IPANA. More from the 50's.




44. Continued violently : RAGED.


45. MDX ÷ X : CLI. Roman math not myth.


50. One of the Coen brothers : ETHAN. Movie making brothers.


52. "10538 Overture" gp. : ELO.




53. Ocean bird : ERN.


54. Gets rid of : SCRAPS. Plans, ideas etc.


55. M's favorite agent : BOND. Is Daniel Craig out C.C. ? NEW?


60. Commercial exchange fee : AGIO. Way beyond me. LEARN.


61. Ames native : IOWAN.


62. Future ENT's exam : MCAT. Medical College Admission Test.


63. "You've Got Mail" co-star : RYAN. Meg.


64. Grabs : SNAGS. I snagged the last piece of pizza.


65. Turtles, sometimes : PETS. We had one stay with us recently. He was quiet.


Down:


1. Biblical seductress : SALOME. OLD FASHIONED.


2. Offered a view : OPINED.


3. Shoeless Joe Jackson portrayer in "Field of Dreams" : LIOTTA.







4. Mother of Perseus : DANAE. The sad story of a slipped DISCUS.


5. Marquis de __ : SADE. Breakfast anyone?


6. Prefix with friendly : ECO.


7. Product with a Simpsons set : PEZ.




8. Last Olds models : ALEROS.


9. Andy Panda creator : LANTZ. After Woody Woodpecker yesterday you should know Walter Lantz who became well known to me narrating the TV version of his Woody Woodpecker cartoons. They took over the first half hour time slot of the Mickey Mouse Club in 1957. ANDY was one of the cartoons that ran on the show. I learned today that Lantz' first hit cartoon character was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a creation stolen from Walt Disney.


10. Took charge : LED.


11. Two-run homer situation : ONE MAN ON. Simple phrase, but maybe not for non-baseball fans.


12. Like "executrix," e.g. : FEMININE. Testatrix...there are many.


13. Old TV parts : TRIODES. The old three pronged vacuum tubes. Triodes were widely used in consumer electronics devices such as radios and televisions until the 1970s, when transistors replaced them.


18. Urban __ : SPRAWL.


22. "Beauty is bought by judgement of the __": Shakespeare : EYE. Love's Labour's Lost | Act 2, Scene 1

PRINCESS

"Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean,

Needs not the painted flourish of your praise:

Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye,

Not utter'd by base sale of chapmen's tongues:"


25. Fit and muscular : BUFF. I should let someone else pick




26. Certain footrest : OTTOMAN. They must be good. They named an empire after them.


27. Verve : BRIO. Maybe for Steve. LINK.


30. Quilting party : BEE.


34. Math branch concerned with surfaces : TOPOLOGY. It is the study of geometric properties and spatial relations unaffected by the continuous change of shape or size of figures. Please explain math people.


35. Rain forest region : AMAZONIA. Not a documentary?...LINK.




36. Beyond slender : BONY.Maronie?




37. Former PBS "Mystery!" host : RIGG. The woman I have linked the most often.


38. Extractable natural resource : ORE.


39. Louisiana genre featuring the accordion : ZYDECO. We have enough cornerites to do this justice without me.


40. Grain-based treat : RICE BAR.




43. "Understood, Cap'n" : AYE.


44. His stories inspired "Guys and Dolls" : RUNYON. I have always had an appreciation for this transplanted Kansas REPORTER.


45. Luck : CHANCE. The French word.


46. Pet that needs a sitter? : LAP CAT. A CSO to all of our cat lovers (CED!) and a well crafted Friday clue. Apparently this can be TAUGHT.


47. Many Alaska maps : INSETS.


49. "__ non sufficit": the world is not enough : ORBIS. LINK.


51. Outdo : TRUMP. No doubt a tongue-in-cheek non-political choice by our New Jersey constructor.


54. Beltway VIPs : SENS.


56. Put on : DON. Our gay apparel....


58. BOAC competitor : TWA. Now both gone.


59. Storied cauldron stirrer : HAG. Despite the contribution of Elizabeth Montgomery, witches are still generally depicted as old crones. This seems silly since they can (in that magical world) make themselves look like whatever they want. So why Aunt Clara?


Well JW does it again, providing a simple tight theme and a whole bunch of interesting things to challenge and amuse. What a week of holidays, hurricanes and holy days but we are done again. Thanks all. Lemonade out.








Note from C.C.:


Big Easy asked me to include this comic strip (Drabble, October 7, 2016) in today's writeup.