Friday, May 12, 2017, John Lampkin

Title: What hotel are you staying at? The one where you get two rooms for the price of one!

Wow, John has made my first attempt to blog a puzzle since I have been ill a challenge. On the one hand it seems simple with a nice progression from ECONOMY-STANDARD-PREMIUM-LUXURY but there is no  reveal. And then we have the four words inserted by JL. They give us Economy/Rat Pack; Standard/Hot Time; Premium/Swamp Gas and Luxury/Eye Liner.  Two themes for the price of one. I do not recall ever seeing a puzzle with this duality. All with John's wonderful wit mixed in both the theme and the cluing/fill.

19A. Doppelgänger cast for a low-budget remake of "Ocean's 11"? : ECONOMY RAT PACK (14). The original from 1960 was a vehicle for the Sinatra PACK. The real remakes have not been economy. Which of the movies did you like best?

23A. Usual night in the old town? : STANDARD HOT TIME. (15). The first of two grid-spanners.

42A. Quality marsh output? : PREMIUM SWAMP GAS (15). The silliest of the theme fill.

48A. Gold dust lid cover? : LUXURY EYE LINER (14). Made me think of Elizabeth Talyor as Cleopatra.

In addition to the 58 letters dedicated to the theme, JL includes SODA POP,  BUOYANT,  TEEN IDOL,  LEMMINGS,  ROADSIDES and  ART DEALER as sparkly fill. I had a great time.

Across:

1. "L'Arlésienne" composer : BIZET. Wow, not a gimme start but lots of challenging letters. LINK.

6. Nutrients in nuts : FATS.

10. Silent signal : NOD.

13. Surface : ARISE. An unexpected definition.

14. Facetious agreement : AH SO.

15. Litter pickup spot? : NAPE. Not only humans do this.

16. Parson's home : MANSE. I learned this word reading British mysteries and watching them on PBS like THIS.

17. Some shoulders : ROADSIDES. Lovely misdirection.

21. Speck in la mer : ILE. French,

22. Sweet climber : PEA. Very important in science RESEARCH. Next to....

32. Entomological case study? : COCOON. JL loves his moths and their stages of life.He was kind enough to provide this picture from his personal stash.

33. Repeated number of curls, say : REPititions. Bicep curls.

34. Bust gp. : DEA.  Drug Enforcement Administration. President Nixon consolidated the anti-drug efforts. This is not the group in charge of inspecting bras.

35. Whatever : AT ALL. Used to be one of my favorite catch phrases. Now it is DK/DC.

36. Fanny pack spot : HIP. I see them more in front or back, never on me. Cute positioning with
28D. In like an old cat? : HEP. Just ask Maynard G. Krebs.

37. Backing strips : LATHS. Not to confused with LATHE. Lath 1. a thin flat strip of wood, especially one of a series forming a foundation for the plaster of a wall or the tiles of a roof, or made into a trellis or fence.

39. Liszt's "__ Préludes" : LES. Pretty easy French to fill. This COMPOSER was very popular.

40. Fish house freebie : BIB. Usually with a drawing of a lobster.

41. Sympathize : RELATE.

46. Mayo is in it : ANO. Spanish trick Mayo = May- ANO = Year

47. Fan noise : HUM.

56. Theo van Gogh, notably : ART DEALER. A fun STORY.

57. Orange variety : NAVEL. Seedless and very haughty.

59. Couth he is not : OGRE.

60. Khartoum's waters : NILE.

61. Birds do it between thermals : GLIDE. JL also watches and films birds.


62. Place to take a dip : SEA. And the clecho, 64A. Place to take a dip? : SALSA.

63. Hits up (for) : TAPS. In beer halls you tap your friend next to the taps.



Down:

1. "Whap!" : BAM. Comic book talk.

2. "Dies __" : IRAE.

3. #30 on a table : ZINC. I keep forgetting to not put my glass on the periodic table.

4. Canadian pump name : ESSO. Esso - Exxon.

5. "People" person, perhaps : TEEN IDOL.

6. Cain was one : FARMER. Sad, as he must have been driven mad by the methane gases.

7. Cry to a mate : AHOY.

8. Ruler that doesn't work anymore : TSAR. They all retired?

9. Gender-specific beverage? : SODA POP. Cute, you can have soda pop or white wine mom.

10. Zilch : NADA.

11. Group with many barrels : OPEC.

12. Office staple : DESK. I found this tricky, looking for an office implement..

15. Bite playfully : NIP AT. Puppies! Friends?

18. Editorial override : STET.

20. Buck heroine : O-LAN. A well decorated book about the mysterious East. O-Lan is a fictional character in Pearl S. Buck's 1931 novel The Good Earth. She is a slave of the House of Hwang who gains her freedom when she marries the novel's protagonist, Wang Lung. They start a family in their small country town, and endure grueling times, including droughts, floods, and war. Wiki, Sorry about the broken link.

23. It may be under a rug : SCALP. Rug here being a toupee- nice.

24. Bag carrier : TOTER. Yes it is!  29D. Travel bag attachment : ID TAG. More travel.

25. "__ in point" : A CASE.

26. Cambodia's Lon __ : NOL. LON NOL, a handy palindrome.

27. Bits : DRIBS. Or drabs?

30. Maestro Zubin : MEHTA. John is a most prolific pianist, explaining all the music this week. You can learn more about John going to his blog,  LINK.

31. Lightens up : EASES.

36. Gender-specific pronoun : HIM. All perps.

37. Non-suicidal migrants, contrary to myth : LEMMINGS. The MYTH?

38. Heidi got high on one : ALP. My friend Heidi lived near the Devil's Millhopper  no mountains..

40. Cheerful : BUOYANT. Maybe if you are a sponge....

41. Julia of film : RAUL. He died much too young. LINK.

43. "All in the Family" spin-off : MAUDE. Bea Arthur as a feminist.

44. About : IN RE.

45. Waldo forerunner? : WHERE'S? I think he is lost forever. Just words that come before Waldo.

48. Cambodia neighbor : LAOS. Both near Thailand.

49. Itch : URGE.

50. Bonus, in ads : XTRA.

51. Lamb's alias : ELIA. And a JL clecho 58D. Lamb's place : LEA. Not the writer but the baby that Mary had.

52. Sharp bark : YELP. Doggies.

53. Simba's love : NALA.

54. Far from harmless : EVIL.

55. Cabs, say : REDS. Not yellow taxis, but Cabernet wines.

Well it was fun to blog but still not 100%. 7 hospitals and 10 doctors so far this year. Glad to be back and to have a JL special was great. Lemonade out. Thank you John.

Friday, April 7, 2017, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: JW picked this one as title and reveal- OY VEY.

In this puzzle, the exasperation that causes people to use this expression comes from the placement of OY in various known clauses -- and each groan-inducing result.

The themers are a bit inconsistent, with TOMBOY oddly clued and OYSTER breaking the second word. However that one is also my favorite image.  JW has a wonderful knack for making the puzzles challenging and interesting. Here we have the array of fill from all over the language. PHOTON, MANILA,  YODELS,  NUBILE, TWO DAYS,  BUG EYED, GO TO CHURCH, and LOCAL PRIDE are the showpieces. 

17A. Young Pharaoh's mischievous playmate? : TOMBOY OF KING TUT (15). In my world tomboys are young lady tweens or teens who prefer roughhousing to cotillions.

25A. Overly sweet fruit? : CLOYING  PEACHES (14). Never had one.

43A. Useless metallurgical product? : ALLOY FOR NAUGHT (14). Really fun.

56A. Small shellfish of high quality? : PRIME MINI-OYSTER (15). As I said the one I thought was best presentation of the theme. And the reveal-

35A. Apt cry in reaction to four puzzle answers? : OY VEY.

Across:

1. Chanel product : SCENT. I spent way too much time trying to think of a five letter perfume.

6. Father of Hector : PRIAM. Back again with the trouble making son. 55D. Paris' realm : TROY.

11. Interruption : GAP.

14. Give the green light : ALLOW.

15. "The Flintstones" co-creator : HANNA.  Part of the dynamo team HANNA-BARBERA that dominated cartoon production for many years.

16. Martial arts accessory : OBI. Sash. 

20. It's on display while boasting : EGO. Love the clue.

21. Eccentric : DOTTY. I love the old words.

22. Stephen Colbert forte : IRONY.

23. Papuan food staple : SAGO.

24. Solar prod. : ELECtricity.

31. Features of a Los Angeles aerial view : POOLS.

32. Charged thing : ION. Simply wonderful.

33. Chekov colleague : SULU. Do I need to mention Star Trek? 6D. Laser particle : PHOTON. Yes they are used in future torpedoes.

34. Line on a globe : ARC. latitude, longitude.

37. One in a cage : RIB. More fun cluing of 3 letter fill.

38. Carson predecessor : PAAR. I get Jack often; I wonder when he will be forgotten.

40. "Norma __" : RAE. Sally Field got her first Oscar.

41. Salad garnish brand : BACOS.

47. Coll. employee : PROFessor.

48. Motivate : URGE.

49. Helped create, in a way : SIRED. Does this count for humans?

51. Hold for another time : TABLE.

53. "Law & Order: SVU" rank : SGT.

59. Succor : AID.

60. Parking garage component : LEVEL.

61. Keats' Muse : ERATO. Not exclusively.

62. Montpelier-to-Providence dir. : SSE. An interesting mini-clecho.

63. Ski resort near Montpelier : STOWE. The closest nice resort when I was a youngster.

64. In la-la land : DITZY. One of the all time best....LINK.

Down:

1. Opposite of starve : SATE.

2. Obstruct : CLOG.  Like a toilet.

3. Saint Erasmus of Formia, familiarly : ELMO. Think fire. LINK.

4. San Francisco's __ Hill : NOB.

5. Weekend, usually : TWO DAYS. Duh! Almost fooled me.

7. Large quantity : RAFT. I guess less than a boatload?

8. Black : INKY.

9. "Wheel of Fortune" purchase : AN I.

10. Capital south of Taipei : MANILA. Seems to be due south. I have friend who is getting married in Taipei - sadly I must miss the ceremony.

11. Seek a higher authority? : GO TO CHURCH. Fun deception.

12. Have __ in the oven : A BUN. typical of 50's euphemisms.

13. "How unfortunate" : PITY. Tis a pity.

18. Hindu ascetic : YOGI. Berra?

19. Athenians, to Parisians : GRECS. French for Greeks.

23. Four after do : SOL. Re, mi, fa, sol....

24. Selection word : EENY.  meeny.

25. Foundation of many islets : CORAL. LINK.

26. What a homecoming parade generates : LOCAL PRIDE. Only four hours long.

27. Alms provider : GIVER. For the poor....

28. "Hop-Frog" author : POE. You might like it as we enter the literary corner. LINK.

29. Literature Nobelist of 1948 : ELIOT. From Cats to prizes for T.S. The year I was born.

30. Fills in : SUBS. CSO to HG, and I'll have a veggie.

31. Literary sobriquet : PAPA. When I had the beard some called me PAPA. I think C.C. has some pics.

35. "Carmina Burana" composer : ORFF. Music continues our high brow journey. LINK.

36. Former Rocket Ming : YAO. My wife is Thongyao - in Thai yao means young.

39. "Air Music" composer : ROREM. Our friend Ned.

41. Obviously astonished : BUGEYED. Cartoonish.

42. Vital statistic : AGE.

44. Some Alpine entertainment : YODELS.

45. Like Victoria's Secret models : NUBILE. Nubile historically meant of marriage age.

46. Woody offshoot? : ARLO. Cute way to clue the Guthries.

49. Getaway options : SPAS.

50. Camera lens feature : IRIS. She comes with every camera and cleans the lenses.

51. Blessing for a couch potato : TIVO. Did you KNOW?

52. One way to start : ANEW.

53. ER shout : STAT.

54. Stan with a sax : GETZ. Oddly Dancing with the Stars began on Monday with BASSO NOVA.

57. Exchanged handshakes : MET.

58. Indian honorific : SRI. Sanskrit śrī, literally, beauty, majesty

Our Friday regular, JW delivers a fun challenge with some compelling word pictures. He has so many variations on the add letter(s) puzzles that is the type  I look for first in blogging his work. Wish me luck. Lemonade out.

 Okay I found one....

Friday, March 31,2017, Andrew Woodham

Title: It is Greek to me

I love this first time puzzle from Andrew Woodham, who we invite to stop by and tell us more. As you all know I love word play puzzles and this adds a new variation by using sound alike Greek letters to replace words in known phrases. Each of the three themers uses two letters to replace the beginning of each phrase. The reveal is the simple referential answer GREEK LETTERS. We also have some nice fill RECEIVE,  LAB TEST,  ZEROES IN,  SHOTGUNS, SNARE DRUMS  and LIQUID SOAP to finish off this debut. Many of the short fill are clearly clued to make sure this Friday is not too easy.

20A. Unused car using some 56-Across? : NU ALPHA ROMEO (12). NEW ALFA ROMEO is clued appropriately.

35A. Movies using some 56-Across? : PSI PHI FILMS (11). SCI-FI FILMS

42A. Compulsive sort using some 56-Across? : PI RHO MANIAC (11). PYROMANIAC.

56A. "Antigone" characters? : GREEK LETTERS (12).

The 2500 plus year old play by Sophocles is the somewhat hidden reveal.

Across:

1. Serious service : MASS. Religion, no comment.

5. Toaster opening? : HERE'S. My first thought was "popup."

10. Moxie : ZEAL. Meh.

14. Settled down : ALIT.

15. Treasure : ADORE. Je t'aime, je t'adore.

16. Crop, say : EDIT. Pictures.

17. Taboo : NO NO.

18. Parade instruments : SNARE DRUMS. Begun with snare drums, but they were led by  trombones.

22. It can be bid : ADIEU. Hopefully is a fond one.

23. Coin toss winner's option : RECEIVE. NFL.

27. Large Eurasian group : SLAVS. But where are the Northern SLAVS?

31. Very, to Puccini : ASSAI. Italian word.

32. DJIA company alphabetically following Home Depot : IBM. The THIRTY.

38. PC alternatives : MACS.

40. Dreamers have big ones : IDEAS.

41. A scarf can protect it : NAPE.

45. Yahoo! alternative : MSN. Nope, replaced by Microsoft Edge.

46. "Silas Marner" author : ELIOT. This woman who reminds me of Amy Farrah Fowler.

47. Static source : DRYER.

49. Doctor's order : LAB TEST. I have had more than my share this year.

52. Latin dance : SAMBA. Samba is a Brazilian musical genre and dance style, with its roots in Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions, particularly of Angola and the Congo, through the samba de roda genre of the northeastern state of Bahia, from which it derived. Wiki.

60. Dawn, for example : LIQUID SOAP.

63. Place for pins and needles : ETUI.

64. Amazon ID : ISBN.  International Standard Book Number.

65. Unlimited free mileage pioneer : ALAMO. Part of the building of a success story for the Florida based COMPANY.

66. Mapmaking name since 1872 : RAND. Cannot forget McNally.

67. What much insurance covers : LOSS.

68. Family nicknames : NANAS.

69. Wild plum : SLOE.

Down:

1. Heavenly food : MANNA.

2. Audibly : ALOUD.

3. Decalogue delivery site : SINAI.  Deca=10: Logue=laws.

4. Wraps not made in delis : STOLES. Do women wear them any more?

5. Jumble : HASH.

6. Poet __ St. Vincent Millay : EDNA. She wrote, " My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night; but ah, my foes, and oh, my friends -- it gives a lovely light!"

7. 2013 Katy Perry chart-topper : ROAR.

8. Diamond mishap : ERROR. Baseball.

9. Teacher's note : SEE ME. The dreaded note.

10. Focuses (on) : ZEROES IN. Back again. Maybe as wiki suggests the phrase comes from adjusting a sighting mechanism of a firearm to minimise the discrepancy between where the sight points and where a bullet lands on a target. 12D. Focus : AIM. clecho

11. Part of an academic address : EDU.

13. 62-Down protectors : LTS. Since most quarterbacks are right handed, the "blind side" tackle is critical.  LINK. 39D. Common football passing formations : SHOT GUNS. 62D. Snap receivers: Abbr. : QBS.

19. It may be served from an orange-handled pot : DECAF.

21. Orange stuff : PULP.

24. Faith with Five Pillars : ISLAM. Faith, Charity, Praying, Pilgrimage, and Fasting. More religion, no comment.

25. Sirens : VAMPS.

26. Innsbruck iron : EISEN. Now we have German this week.

28. "... __ sure you know" : AS I'M.

29. "Livin' la __ Loca": Ricky Martin hit : VIDA. Dupe? 44D. "__ la vie" : C'EST. Whatever happened to Ricky?  LINK.

30. Lighten one's wallet : SPEND.

32. Press : IMPEL.

33. Sri Lankan pop music : BAILA. No idea. Anyone get this without perps?

34. Periodic McDonald's pork sandwich : MCRIB.

36. What alopecia sufferers lose : HAIR.

37. "My word!" : I SAY.

43. Cheri of "SNL" : OTERI. She is a little hyper for me.

48. Yelp users : RATERS. True but ich.

50. 65-Across choice : SEDAN.

51. Roadster maker : TESLA. Wow,  not on my list. LINK.

53. Music genre word : METAL.

54. Musical Mars : BRUNO. Any watching the new Season of The Voice?

55. Better half? : A-SIDE. Nice rendition of the oft forgotten A-SIDE.

57. Zen riddle : KOAN.

58. Buddhist teacher : LAMA.

59. "Beowulf," for one : EPOS. A singular epic poem..

60. Adjective for rapper Jon or Kim : LIL.

61. Tonic go-with? : ISO. Made famous with gloves.

Hard week healthwise, but we are hanging in. Enjoyed the diversion; hope you all did. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Splynter (Richard) and I made today's The Chronicle of Higher Education  "Shellacked" puzzle. You can click here to solve it. Congrats on your crossword debut, Splynter!

Friday, March 24, 2017, Ed Sessa

Title: Are you crazy, you are acting ENOTS?

It has been a few years since I had the pleasure of writing up an Ed Sessa puzzle. This one made me miss Barry G., as the revealing circles do not exist on this Friday effort, eliminating the competitive disadvantage we have heard about.  After filling the first three theme answers, I had no clue where we were going. It did not take long to decipher the reveal, but finding the "stones" which were hidden was a challenge. Once RUBY was was revealed, it made me look for GEM stones, and poof.  Thank you my role model and mentor. With two 15 letter themers and two 12s, we have a full theme. We also have some very interesting fill -  JELLICLE, CEREBRAL, ISLAMABAD and  FRAGRANCE are each nice challenges.

17A. Last line of Dale Evans Rogers' "Happy Trails" : TILL WE MEET AGAIN (15). This was one of the first TV shows I saw in the mid 50's. I sing it in my head, but never aloud.

27A. Got laughs, hopefully : CRACKED A JOKE (12). I was trying to make something out of rearranging JOKE.

43A. Alternative for beef avoiders : TURKEY  BURGER (12). Then this happened and I was lost, until the RUB met the Y.

57A. What's left by an ace investigator ... and in each of the four longest puzzle answers : NO ENOTS UNTURNED (15). NO STONE UNTURNED is the phrase that turns STONE to ENOTS, ETAGA to AGATE; EDAJ to JADE and YBUR to RUBY. It is also what a good detective would do. Since solvers are in part detectives, I say- the game is afoot Watson!

Across:

1. Device used with a planchette : OUIJA. Really cool, hard first clue, which luckily comes from French. (little plank)

6. Hail in old Rome : AVE. Ave atque vale. Catullus.

9. 2000s Israeli prime minister Sharon : ARIEL. His END was a strange story.

14. Rip out stitchwork in : UNSEW. Legitimate word, but why do we need it.

15. "The Louisville __": nickname for Ali : LIP. Mostly when he was still Cassius Clay.

16. "Five Weeks in a Balloon" novelist : VERNE. This was his last publication. LIST.

20. Puget Sound swimmer : SEAL.  These GUYS.

21. Bull pen locale : RODEO. Nice deception for the baseball people.

22. Sci. subject : ANATomy.

23. Recipe directive : MIX IN.

25. Cat of many colors : CALICO.

31. Stately : NOBLE.

32. Tomato type : ROMA. I mentioned this before, but they are not from Italy.  "It was developed by the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Beltsville, Maryland in the 1950s as a fusarium wilt-resistant cultivar." Wiki.

33. Bird __ : FLU.

36. Scottish countryside sight : BRAE.

37. Northern Kentucky county : BOONE. Not far from Cincinnati.

39. Complain : CRAB. An odd dupe with this Simpson's star...56D. Krabappel of "The Simpsons" : EDNA. When actress Marcia Wallace died so did this CHARACTER.

40. Dancer Charisse : CYD. Making her second appearance this week. She was born Tula Ellice Finklea and her baby brother called her "sid" trying to say sis. She was an amazing dancer, and her turn was a great part of Dancing in the Rain.

41. Stew veggies : PEAS. I never use them, but it does rhyme with....

42. Kid around with : TEASE.

46. Prepare for cooking, as sole : DEBONE. Fillet anyone?

49. One getting under your skin : VEXER. Okay Ed, you win. I know this is real, from the French VEXER, but with CRAB, DEBONE etc. it is a bit much.

50. From the top : ANEW.

51. Time server, usually : FELON.

54. Block in a barn : BALE. Hay, now many barns have you been to lately?

60. Mischievous : ELFIN. Because they were small they were not thought to be as dangerous.

61. Gloucester's cape : ANN. Not a garment but a New England site to see.

62. "The Heart of Georgia" : MACON. It is literally close to the center by the Ocmulgee River,

63. MS. enclosures : SASES. Self addressed stamped envelopes.

64. Strings for Israel Kamakawiwo'ole : UKE. The name was obviously Hawaiian so the fill was easy. I was not familiar with this bigger than life performer.

65. Legislative assemblies : PLENA. While I know the Latin, I do not understand this usage. I know it is the plural of PLENUM....anyway a tough beginning and end to the acrosses.

Down:

1. See 59-Down : OUTS. OOOO.

2. Combined, in Cannes : UNIE. Etats unis.

3. Capital NW of New Delhi : ISLAMABAD. Maybe for your next VACATION some time in Pakistan.

4. Type of cat in "Cats" : JELLICLE.

5. "How cute!" : AWW. I am sure CED went to see Cats many times..

6. Marzipan staple : ALMOND. I am a FAN.

7. Competed : VIED.

8. Parrier's tool : EPEE.  To ward off a sword.

9. Clark's "Mogambo" co-star : AVA.

10. Entertain lavishly : REGALE.

11. Tabriz native : IRANI. More mid-east geography.

12. "Giant Brain" unveiled in 1946 : ENIAC.

13. Slowly, to Salieri : LENTO. The Italian composer depicted in Amadeus as Mozart's rival.

18. Point Pelee's lake : ERIE. Back to our heartland.

19. In the future : TO COME.

24. Jag model : XKE. I wanted one badly back in 1972 but could not afford the $2,500.00 she wanted.

26. Dossier shorthand : AKA. Also known as.

27. "Squawk Box" airer : CNBC.

28. 2016 FedExCup winner McIlroy : RORY.

29. Came up : AROSE.

30. "The Daily Show" host before Trevor : JON. Stewart.

33. Chanel offering : FRAGRANCE. Or more officially- smell good.

34. Whack a mole? : LASE. All perps- no idea what this game has to do with lasers.

35. Lyft competitor : UBER.

37. Deprived (of) : BEREFT.

38. Whiskey barrel wood : OAK. Now breweries are buying them to use for their beer.

39. Highbrow : CEREBRAL.

41. "The lowest form of humor—when you don't think of it first": Oscar Levant : PUN. My kind of guy; he would tell all the starlets if they played their cards right they could take home an Oscar.

42. Prom rental : TUX.

43. Many an off-campus local : TOWNIE. As a product of private schools, I had many varied experiences with townies.

44. '60s Batgirl portrayer Craig : YVONNE. She was on the TV show. I remember best for this DANCE.

45. At an angle : BENT.

46. Some North Sea fishermen : DANES.

47. Name on a historic B-29 : ENOLA. The first A-bomb.

48. Squawks : BEEFS.

52. Genesis brother : ESAU. Who was sadly for him and his children...a....

53. Blockhead : LUNK.

55. "Coming Home" singer Bridges : LEON.

58. Add-__ : ONS.

59. Caller of 1-Down : UMP. End where we began the downs.

Well, I am back this week with a challenge from Ed. I look forward to your thoughts as my mind is all over the place. Thank you all, and thank you Ed. Lemonade out.

Friday, March 10, 2017, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title:

This is another variation on the one clue fits all. There are four very different variations of the letter A. Two are presented with an apostrophe, two with a following s. All lead to grid-spanning fill, which is awesome. To me, the phrasing of OAKLAND BALL CLUB is the only one I see as bit of a stretch as it sounds so outdated, but still the puzzle is really nicely put together. Jeffrey really packs the puzzle with sparkly fill  SNORKEL,  YES DEAR,  PAPYRUS,  PODCAST,  EDUCATE, ENROLLS,  SLUICED, CLOSEST,  OF ONE SIZE and  SWEET DEAL.  Less than thirty-five 3/4 letter fill! What fun.  Okay, off we go- theme:

17A. As : SYMBOL OF ARSENIC (15). Important to know if reading about murder is your thing.

32A. A's : EXCELLENT GRADES. (15). Important to know if you want to read.

41A. As : TO THE SAME DEGREE (15).  Important to know if you want to read what he reads.

60A. A's : OAKLAND BALL CLUB (15). Important to know if baseball is your thing.

The rest...

Across:

1. Early Welsh : CELTS. Not Red Auerbach.

6. Subpar performance ... or not : BOGEY. A very wonderful clue, my nomination for Clue of the month. Subpar means less than average, except in golf where below par (subpar) means you did well.

11. School sweater letters : NUS. 13th letter of the Greek alphabet.

14. Wedding, e.g. : UNION.

15. All small, say : OF ONE SIZE. Fits all....

19. Ancient communication medium : PAPYRUS. love the pairing of clues/fill.

20. Modern communication medium : PODCAST.

21. Parts to put together : KIT. When I was young there many of these to help you build a RADIO.

22. Memphis-to-Nashville dir. : ENE. From Graceland to the Grand Old Opry!

23. Washington portraitist : PEALE. George W, both before and after he was president,  was the SUBJECT for this ARTIST.

27. Bocelli album that includes "Bésame Mucho" : AMORE.

38. __ work: menial labor : SCUT.

39. Venerate : ADORE. So close to amore.

40. 1992 opponent of Bill and George : ROSS. H. Ross Perot. Still the butt of jokes.

44. What a bump may affect : SPEED. My neighborhood is surrounded by speed bumps- they still speed using our street as a shortcut.

45. Sources of peeps : NESTS. Easter is coming.

46. Nation with a pyramid on its currency: Abbr. : USA.

49. Title for actor Gielgud : SIR. He was great in drama or comedy.

51. Channeled, as water : SLUICED.

55. Most trusted : CLOSEST.

62. Real bargain : SWEET DEAL.

63. Quarters in the wild : LAIRS.

64. CIA predecessor : OSS.

65. __ bird : EARLY.

66. Not worth it, perhaps : STEEP.

Down:

1. Point of imminence : CUSP. On the cusp of war.

2. Musician from County Donegal : ENYA. Is it raining there?

3. Sagging : LIMP. Two weeks in a row.

4. Keith of country : TOBY. Urban did not fit. Do you all watch The Voice?

5. Underwater aid : SNORKEL. Sergeant? Why not, we grew up together.

6. Leg up : BOOST.

7. On vacation : OFF.

8. Lose it : GO APE.

9. "The Smartest Guys in the Room" subject : ENRON. It was an interesting BOOK and Documentary.

10. Sighed agreement : YES DEAR. Time for the chore jar.

11. 1493 Lisbon arrival : NINA. The SHIP had a great history.

12. Israeli weapons : UZIS.

13. Mennonites, e.g. : SECT. 16A. "Just a __!" : SEC.

18. Heathrow : his :: Orly : à __ : LUI. French gift for Splynter.

23. Vermin : PESTS.

24. Serpico, for one : EX-COP. And so much MORE.

25. Severe : ACUTE. Chronic is the other choice.

26. River in Hades : LETHE. Their beliefs were FUN.

28. Toon with a blue do : MARGE. More Simpsons.

29. Trails for bloodhounds : ODORS

30. Go back to zero : RESET.

31. Swiss borders? : ESSES. SwiSS.

33. __ Palmas: Gran Canaria capital : LAS. In the Canary Islands.

34. Author LeShan : EDA.

35. __ de famille : NOM. The long way to refer to someone's last name. Lesson two for Splynter.

36. Otto minus cinque : TRE. 8-5 in Italian.

37. H.S. equivalency test : GED.

42. Inform : EDUCATE.

43. Registers : ENROLLS. These three all fit together.

47. "Never __ boy to ... " : SEND A.

48. Dangerous biter : ADDER. Loved Black Adder.

49. Like 48-Down : SCALY.

50. Unlikely to be chipper : ILL.

51. Acceptable : SO SO.

52. They're often broken : LAWS.

53. Luau entertainment : UKES. This took me much longer than it should have.

54. Suffix with percent : ILE.

56. "Get lost!" : SCAT.

57. Nobelist Wiesel : ELIE. He is so popular these days.
Washington Post Sunday Magazine - March 5, 2017
Sheffer - March 1, 2017
USA Today - Feb. 28, 2017
Washington Post - Feb. 14, 2017
LA Times - Feb. 10, 2017
Sheffer - Feb. 4, 2017
Sheffer - Jan. 17, 2017
Washington Post Sunday Magazine - Jan. 8, 2017
Chronicle of Higher Education - Jan. 6, 2017

58. "Glad to help" : SURE.

59. Kitchen meas. : TBSP. Do not know why but I did not hesitate with this fill.

61. Acct. entry : BALance.

Well on balance I got 'er done which is good. I think Jeffrey has plugged into my subconscious because many of my 'guesses' are spot on. I liked the variety of the fill and I am really now very familiar with the repeating clue puzzle. Quite a bit of French and no Shakespeare, what is the world coming to? Thank JW, see you all next time. Lemonade out. Would any regulars like the filled grid printed in a larger font?

Note from C.C.:

The 40th American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (March 24-26, 2017) will be held at the Stamford Marriott in Stamford, Connecticut. For those who attend, I hope you won't miss the Cru Dinner organized by the great Mike Alpern. Lots of fun pictures and FAQ's in that link. 

The Cru Dinner officially kicks off the tournament and is a great opportunity to meet with constructors and fellow solvers. And as a newbie, you'll always get a welcome gift! The space is limited, so be sure to contact with Mike (alpernm@aol.com) as soon as possible. 

Mike just told me that "we've got 65 of the 80 or so slots filled (yes, it's been busy), mostly with veterans. I'd like to encourage rookies to sign up while there's still room". 

I bet our own Jeffrey will be a judge again this year at the ACPT.  Kevin Christian also. Minnesota's Tom Pepper & Marcia will attend the Cru dinner. George Barany might be there also.

Friday, March 3, 2017, Alex Eaton-Salners

Title: Look up! It's a bird, a plane - Superman!?! No, sorry, not this time.

Alex E-S makes a quick return to Friday with an imaginative "no clue" puzzle.  Each theme fill is a type of flying machine. Thus, each one becomes an Unidentified Flying Object  as they are flying objects not identified in a clue. This approach requires the solver to get the down fill to get at least one of the theme filled. Because of the difficulty of seeing the theme, the puzzle doe have lots of doable, short fill. He did squeeze in OOMPAHS, CARLS JR.,  BUTT PACK and  HER HONOR. The flying machines are diverse, but otherwise I see no other common element.

18A. No Clue : HELICOPTER (10).

23A. No Clue : GOODYEAR BLIMP (13).

38A. No Clue : BIPLANE (7).

53A. No Clue : HOT AIR BALLOON (13).

61A. No Clue : HANG GLIDER (10).

70A. Area 51 phenomena ... or what five puzzle answers are? : UFOS (4). In the purest sense and not relating to aliens. So how did we get the grid filled.....

Across:

1. Outdo : BEST.

5. So far : TO DATE.

11. "Happy Valley" airer : BBC. I never saw or heard of this SHOW which generated such wonderful reviews.

14. Joie de vivre : ELAN. Interesting as this positive sounding approach to life, can lead to one becoming...

15. Ethically indifferent : AMORAL.

16. Spat ending : ULA. Don't flip over this bizarre clue/fill. Spatula.

17. Dart : FLIT.

20. Friction reducer : OIL.

21. Benin neighbor : TOGO. Not to be confused with 64A. When repeated, an "Animal House" chant : TOGA.

22. Most Rwandans : HUTUS. Some of the HISTORY.

27. Snowboard feature : STRAP. No idea; my Colorado son snowboards. I used to ski.

28. Brass band sounds : OOMPAHS. Tuba or not tuba, that is the question.

31. Money in Miyazaki : YEN.

33. Free org. for law students : ABA. They figure if you join in law school, you stay and pay once you are out in the world.

34. Rob Roy, for one : SCOT. I was fixated on the DRINK for a while, then the book and MOVIE until I left it and came back. The LINK.

35. "Whatevs" : MEH. A regular Corner comment.

41. Poet inspired by the Battle of Baltimore : KEY. Francis Scott, and the Star Spangled Banner. When I saw poet, three letter fill and Baltimore, my mind went to Mr. Poe. Or did it?.

42. Trapezoid measure : AREA.

44. Brooklyn pro : NET. The current worst team in Basketball.

45. Droop : SAG.  No chance I will say anything here.

47. Home of the "All-Natural Burger" : CARL'S JR. This West Coast Hamburger CHAIN is famous for its raunchy  COMMERCIALS. 

49. Bobby who lost to Billie Jean in the Battle of the Sexes : RIGGS. Bobby was an aged star who defeated Margaret Court in the first battle of the Tennis Sexes.

57. Riksbank currency : KRONA. The currency of Sweden's central bank.

59. Flower from the Greek for "rainbow" : IRIS.

60. "Lenore" poet : POE.  And guess who appeared! Not a poem I know well.

65. Latin trio word : AMO, amas amat.

66. Epoch when modern mammals emerged : EOCENE. LEARN.

67. Swindle : ROOK.

68. Its debut Apr. 1971 broadcast covered Senate hearings on the Vietnam War : NPR. Imagine, this started in our lifetime.

69. Periods of growth : SPURTS. I am still waiting for mine.


Down:

1. Muddles : BEFOGS.

2. Family name in Jane Austen's "Persuasion" : ELLIOT.  Her final NOVEL. You can read it online for free.

3. Hand : SAILOR.

4. Explosive stuff : TNT.

5. Lake straddling a Western border : TAHOE. One of the most beautiful places on earth.

6. Tag Heuer competitor : OMEGA. Watches.

7. Sorrow : DOLOR.  Latin.

8. "Entourage" agent Gold : ARI. I did not hear much about the MOVIE.

9. Sea follower? : TAC. The airport, Sea-tac. - Seattle Tacoma.

10. Hebrew G-d : ELOHIM. Transliteration is so hard.

11. Infantry equipment carrier : BUTT PACK. LINK.

12. Color on le drapeau français : BLEU. The blue on the flag of France.

13. Animated film primarily set in Radiator Springs : CARS. WATCH.

19. Some heels : PUMPS. Love the clue/fill.

21. Laid-back : TYPE B.

24. V-J __ : DAY.

25. Taiwanese tea drink : BOBA. We are more used to it being called Bubble tea - Taiwanese tea-based drink invented in Taichung in the 1980s. Most bubble tea recipes contain a tea base mixed/shaken with fruit or milk, to which chewy tapioca balls and fruit jelly are often added. It has been embraced by most Asian restaurants.Various sources and personal experience.

26. Quicken product : LOANS. They started out with accounting software, but are major player in the mortgage field.

29. Plot device? : HOE. Getting it reading for planting, not a prostitute movie..

30. Bachelor pad, perhaps : STY.  Men tend to be messy when left alone.

32. Raphael or Leonardo, in fiction : NINJA. Of the hard shelled kind.

33. __-rock music : ALTernative.

35. Cheese go-with : MAC.

36. Dead-ball __: early baseball period : ERA. Before Babe Ruth.

37. Judge's address : HER HONOR.I am sure this caught all the sexists.

39. Prefix with scope : PERI.

40. Sandwich and Salisbury VIPs : EARLS. Or Grantham.

43. As company : ALONG.

46. Jazz pianist Evans : GIL. The letters were easy, but I never knew of this somewhat  TRAGIC man.

48. Play grounds? : STAGES. Very nice misdirection.

50. Disappear : GO POOF. Good thing he added the F.

51. Bit of baby talk : GOO GOO. Ga Ga?

52. Tiptoes, say : SNEAKS.

54. Backseat driver, e.g. : RIDER. meh.

55. Spiner of "Star Trek: T.N.G." : BRENT. He played the android - DATA - and also appears in both Independence Day movies. ODD.

56. Buenos __ : AIRES.

57. Mongol sovereign : KHAN.

58. Increase, with "up" : RAMP.

62. Hack : LOP.

63. "ER" setting : ICU. The TV show often had the doctors and patients in ICU.

64. Play about Capote : TRU. He died young, a month short of his 60th birthday.

Well golly, we are the end already. Too many short fill to be difficult but there are some challenging fill. It was very hard if you did not understand the gimmick. Alex is showing off his versatility and I expect to see him often this year. I also expect you all to let me know your thoughts. I am off to another new doctor. Will catch up with you after that.
Lemonade out.

Friday, February 24, 2017, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: G, where shall you go? Of course, to the beginning!

JW returns with a simple add a letter to the start of a phrase to create a new one, with a humorous definition. As with any puzzle based on humor, YMMV. I was Greatly impressed at the inclusion of 2 grid-spanning fill that worked. I would guess one of the 15 letter fill popped in his head, and this puzzle followed. He also included some very sparkly fill: ROADSIDES,  I'LL GO NEXT,  RADIO DIAL and ONION DOME a term which I did not recall. I found a hidden treasure but that might just be a product of the pain killers. We will now examine all the evidence....

17A. Domestic shamelessness? : GALL IN THE FAMILY (15). The ground breaking TV SERIES (0:56) gets re-purposed with a an impudent definition clue.

26A. Near giveaway at the liquor store? : GIN FOR A PENNY (12). In for a pound...they do sell many of the airline size bottles at my local liquor store but no GIN and not for a penny.

41A. Fort Knox? : GOLD DOMINION (12). I doubt if Jeffrey had this BREWERY in mind when he chose Old Dominion as his seed phrase but I like the juxtaposition.

53A. Result of way too many leaves in the eaves? : GUTTER CONFUSION (15). This is my favorite themer, both the rhyme and the picture painted by the clue/fill. Maybe he started here?

Okay on to the rest...

Across:

1. Test in which contrasts are helpful, briefly : MRI. As this test  (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) has played an important part in my current disability, this was easy. I am allergic to the contrast dye.

4. __ stiff : SCARED. When words are derived from the sound we call it onomotapoeia. What should we call it when an  expression gives a great mental picture like this phrase?

10. Minor set-to : TIFF.

14. Huffington Post owner : AOL. This is true - since 2011 - but AOL was bought by Verizon in 2015 which last year bought Yahoo, also. 

15. Wedding offering : CANAPE. From the French word for SOFA.

16. Defunct food coating : ALAR. It was sprayed on apple trees to control the growth and color of the apples. Much debate about the 1989 scare.

20. Boundary : EDGE.

21. Legal tender with a torch : DIME, On the obverse? Reverse?

22. Dealer's offering : LEASE. Car dealer, not HIT ME for card dealer.

23. __ voce : SOTTO.

25. Body shop supply : SOLDER.

30. 2016 Billboard Top Artist : ADELE. She swept the Grammys as well.

31. Besides Linus, the only Nobel laureate in two fields : MARIE. Pauling: Curie. LINK.

32. Take badly? : ROB. Robbing requires use or threat of force. Nicely deceptive clue.

35. Alluring : SEXY.

36. Postgame staple : RECAP.

37. Candy __ : CANE.    



                                   








38. Feb. setting in Spokane : PST.

39. Artist at Giverny : MONET. This is where the ARTIST painted his most successful works. This is a very Friday type clue. I will always have a Monet/Manet block in my mind.

40. Opposite of 56-Across : NADIR. 56A Opposite of 40-Across : ACME.

13. Philosophers' group : SCHOOL. Similar to fish, but not as good for you.

46. "Cutthroat Kitchen" host Brown : ALTON.

47. Second name, perhaps : ALIAS.

48. "Zounds!" : EGAD. Two wonderful old words.

51. They're often tough to beat : ODDS. 45D. Request to a dealer : HIT ME. 50D. Forced bet : ANTE
.
57. Album contents : PHOTOS.

58. ENT's group : AMA.

59. Arcade trademark word : SKEE.

60. Part of many art museum names : MODERN.

61. Table support : LEG.

Down:

1. Ancient spell caster : MAGE.

2. Produce stand sites : ROADSIDES. We have a bunch in the Redlands is SW Miami-Dade, but all the ones in Broward are gone. Now they gather at farmers' markets.

3. "My turn" : I'LL GO NEXT.

4. Part of NSF: Abbr. : SCIence.

5. Telling it like it is : CANDOR.

6. Opposition leader? : ANTI. And later ANTE.

7. First name in Chicago politics : RAHM. Interesting - he was elected as Chicago's 44th mayor, while his mentor Mr. Obama was the 44th POTUS. LINK.

8. It's thrust in competition : EPEE. Love the soupçon of naughtiness in this clue. 

9. Phone button letters : DEF. Glue, I would prefer Mos.

10. Without aggression : TAMELY.

11. Zeus remains largely neutral during its narrative : ILIAD. A really odd way to get to these puzzle friendly letters.

12. "A dagger of the mind, a __ creation ... ": Macbeth : FALSE. Back with Macbeth for our Friday Shakespeare lesson.

13. Potatoes may be cooked in one : FRYER.  Pommes frites for Splynter.

18. Unloose : LET FLY. Quiz: Who said, "unloose the dogs of war?"

19. How stand-up comics usually work : ALONE. True but there have some great duos. I loved the Smothers Brothers.

24. Ring site : TOE.

25. Salon sound : SNIP,

26. [I'm shocked!] : GASP.

27. Enhance through change : AMEND. Big word in the law.

28. Showed impatience, in a way : PACED.

29. Poetry Muse : ERATO. You know all of the muses yet?

32. One moving with frequency? : RADIO DIAL. Another really fun clue, with the frequency pun.

33. Russian Orthodox church feature : ONION DOME. LINK. For our Cornerites.

34. City on the Aare : BERN.


36. Kaiser, for one : ROLL. Misdirection here is placement of the clue/fill.


37. Songs of Seville : CANTOS.




39. Maine road sign image : MOOSE.

40. Nothing : NIL.

41. Buffalo Bill feature : GOATEE. Oh yes!


42. Really loving : MAD FOR. My mental picture. LINK.


43. Generational tales : SAGAS.


44. Barnyard sound : CLUCK.

48. Verify the story of : ECHO. No idea what this clue/fill means.

49. Above the crossbar and between the uprights : GOOD. Not wide RIGHT!

52. Obstruction : SNAG. "Damn, our reno hit a snag!"  Do you watch Property Brothers.

54. Tach stat : RPM. Revolutions Per Minute.

55. SEAL's org. : USN. United States Navy.

Well we made it through another JW Friday and I had so much fun finding the never intended but exciting Buffalo mini theme. Call me crazy but call me. Thanks Jeffrey. Lemonade out.

Friday, February 17, 2017, Mark Feldman

Title:  I'll have two spoons, please.

Mark Feldman is here with his first puzzle of 2017; his last was a fun Spoonerism Puzzle. This time Mark out does Reverend Spooner by reversing the words in a two word phrase, not just the beginnings. Each requires the new first word be a sound-a-alike of the old second word. He then clues the fill with a silly meaning, and the hilarity ensues. He also finishes the grid with some challenges and some excellent choices such as ENDEARS,  MAHATMA,  DEADPAN,  SEA STAR, CHORALES,  HEADLESS, TOREADOR, TOASTERS,  SOUL MATES and the previously unseen in the LAT- SEVERALLY.

The theme fill:

17A. Ladies' man with laryngitis? : HOARSE STUD (10). After successful racing careers, many champion race horses spend their time making their owners rich. SECRETARIAT.

28A. Infant at bath time? : BARE BABY (8). Baby bear has been a star for years. thanks to Goldilocks.

44A. High schooler just hanging out? : IDLE TEEN (8). Teen idols have been around seamlessly since  SINATRA.

58A. Ordinary-looking fashion VIP? : PLAIN MODEL (10). An un-pc twist on model plane  builders.

Across:

1. Earth tone : OCHER. My father painted in oils which is where I learned this word.

6. Popular speaker : BOSE. I have a Bose radio.

10. Unlike Wabash College : COED. Wabash College is a small, private, liberal arts college for men, located in Crawfordsville, Indiana, United States. Wikipedia.

14. "Voilà!" : THERE. Jeannie, where are you?

15. Over : UPON.

16. Company with a Select Guest loyalty program : OMNI. A HOTEL chain.

19. Ultimately earns : NETS.

20. Airport NNW of IND : ORD. INDianpolis and Chicago, O'Hare which originally was called ORcharD Field. 27D. Rail system that services 20-Across : CTA. Chicago Transit Authority.

21. Spicy cuisine : CREOLE. Time for some RECIPES.

22. A native of : FROM.

23. Goneril's husband : ALBANY.  Our Friday Shakespeare REFERENCE. Harder than capital of New York?

25. Revered sage, in India : MAHATMA. None more famous than Ghandi?

27. Sweeps, e.g. : CLEANS. I made this too hard at first...think spys.

29. 1995 "Live at Red Rocks" pianist : TESH. I will control my urge to post my family pics from Red Rocks.

30. African scourge : TSETSE.

32. Indian silk-producing region : ASSAM. Part II, India.

34. Suffix with ethyl : ENE.

35. "Same here" : DITTO.

40. Counsel : ADVISE.

43. Cheer : ROOT.
Take me out
To the ball game
Take me out
To the crowd
Buy me some peanuts
And Crackerjacks
I don't care if
I never get back

For it's root, root, root
For the home team
If they don't win
It's a shame
For it's one, two,
Three strikes you're out
At the old ball game!

48. Highest peak in the Armenian plateau : ARARAT. It is mostly in Turkey. LINK.

50. Armed ocean dweller? : SEASTAR. We used to call it the STARFISH. Marine scientists have undertaken the difficult task of replacing the beloved starfish's common name with sea star because, well, the starfish is not a fish. It's an echinoderm, closely related to sea urchins and sand dollars. ... Most sea stars also have the remarkable ability to consume prey outside their bodies. wiki, i think.

51. Makes it right : ATONES.

52. Pride parade letters : LGBT. Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans.

53. "Macbeth" spot descriptor : DAMNED. Another double dip, this time Shakespeare. "Out, Out..."

55. Division of the Justice Dept. : ATF. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

57. Buffalo's county : ERIE. CSO to many.

60. Marketing opener : TELE.

61. "What a shame" : ALAS. Great word for our poets.

62. Really like : ADORE.

63. Aren't really, maybe : SEEM.

64. Nasdaq competitor : NYSE. New York Stock Exchange.

65. Like Vikings : NORSE.

Down:

1. Emperor after Galba : OTHO. He was number TWO in the year of Four Emperors, a year I learned all about from my son.

2. Bach works : CHORALES.

3. Word associated with Sleepy Hollow : HEADLESS. Do any watch the TV show? I enjoyed the crossover with Bones.

4. Goof : ERR.

5. Checkout correction, perhaps : RESCAN.

6. "Point Break" co-star : BUSEY.

7. Vision: Pref. : OPTOmetrist.

8. They're meant for each other : SOUL MATES. With all of our long married here at the Corner this might be a CSO.

9. Makes beloved : ENDEARS.

10. Informal discussion : CONFAB.

11. Last book of Puzo's "Godfather" trilogy : OMERTA. Silence? Spawned by this author...54D. "Serpico" author Peter : MAAS.  He also wrote The Valachi Papers and Underboss.

12. Bury : ENTOMB.

13. Alarm : DISMAY.

18. "Trophy, Hypertrophied" artist : ERNST. Max.

24. __ Men: "Who Let the Dogs Out" band : BAHA.

26. Follow : HEED.

28. Dahomey, since 1975 : BENIN.

31. One at a time : SEVERALLY. Jointly and severally in the law means "all are obligated and each is obligated."

33. Actor Damon : MATT. He works!

36. OPEC founding member : IRAN.

37. Ring fighter : TOREADOR. That is bull!

38. Pop-up items : TOASTERS.

39. As of 1937, he was the all-time N.L. home run leader until Mays surpassed him in 1966 : OTT. Mel had 511, I think.

41. Like many a successful poker player : DEADPAN. And comedians.

42. Consumed : EATEN.

44. Keys : ISLETS.

45. Unilever deodorant brand : DEGREE.

46. Likely to change : LABILE. Used in medical context mostly, I think.

47. Regard : ESTEEM.

49. Serling's birth name : RODMAN. Dennis loses out to this bit of trivia- Rodman was shortened to Rod.

51. Ouzo flavoring : ANISE. Licorice.

56. Hightail it : FLEE.

59. "Star Trek: DSN" changeling : ODO. Poor René Auberjonois. He was always challenged in Deep Space Nine. I like him best in Boston Legal.

So we traversed the mine field and emerged with another successful Friday in the books. Thanks you so much Mark, a sense of humor always helps, especially as I continue to struggle. Caudal epidural 2 was Wednesday. Sorry for the choppy write up, but I had fun. Lemonade out.

Notes from C.;C.:

1) Happy 50th wedding anniversary to dear Gary and his wife Joann! I'm lucky to have met them and got to know them over the years. Their love and support for each other are so inspiring. So unconditional.

2) Happy Birthday to Chairman Moe (Chris), our wine and beer expert, author of daily Puzzling Thoughts.

Chairman Moe, his wife, Oo & Lemonade,  Sept 10, 2015

Friday, February 3, 2017 Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: Do you recycle?

Our 2016 frequent Friday filler JW is back for his first of the new year. He circles his wagons to give us 4 themers, 2 grid-spanning wrapped around a middle reveal which is a must to locate the theme if you did not have circles. With circles, this solved itself.

17A. "Epic fail!" : THAT WAS TERRIBLE (15).WASTE Management dominates the collection business in SoFla.

25A. Like some cheddar : EXTRA SHARP (10). TRASH to me doesn't have the smell.

52A. Electrical backup supplies : SPARE FUSES (10). REFUSE is an old fashioned word, and somewhat timely. This is not a political comment but a quotation. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Emma Lazarus, the base of the Statue of Liberty.

60A. Two of the three founders of the Distilleria Nazionale di Spirito di Vino : MARTINI AND ROSSI (15). DROSS is also fancier, and brings to mind dregs, or mineral waste, scum formed on the surface of molten metal. (various sources).
The reveal:

36. "I don't believe a word!" ... or, the truth about this puzzle's circles : IT'S ALL GARBAGE (13).

As with all JW puzzles, we have some new stuff like SETTERS,  TANGLES,  THE TIDE,
MAHI MAHI,  AT A LIMIT,  GET UPSET and  ENCLOSES.

Barry G., where are you, I have some circles for you? For the rest, here is what I see.

Across:

1. Suggests, with "of" : SMACKS. Really tough place to start, it smacked of Friday difficulty.

7. Cashbox feature : HASP.

11. Wagner's "__ Rheingold" : DAS. Morse loved this music.

14. Uses Blue Apron, say : EATS IN. This COMPANY has created a niche for the millennials to feel good about eating at home without having to shop or make decisions.

15. Baseball family name : ALOU.

16. Space bar neighbor : ALT. Both sides.

20. Lady Gaga's "__ It Happens to You" : TIL. An emotionally charged topic, which you may want to AVOID.

21. Presidential nickname : IKE. My earliest memories are of this non-politician as president. I have a vivid mental picture of his photo on the wall of Big Brother Bob Emery's wall.

22. Makeup remover : TISSUE. Simple and probably factually correct.

23. Put out : EMIT.

28. "Ghostbusters" actor : RAMIS. This enormously talented man wrote many of the best comedies. LINK. He also appeared in many of them. TRIBUTE.

30. Shanghai-born ex-NBA center : YAO. At seven feet six inches he stood out even in the NBA.Sadly his feet could not support his 311 pounds-running and jumping, even as size 18.

31. German : Kopf :: French : __ : TETE. A heady clue for sure.

32. Does really well : SHINES.

34. U.S. intelligence org. : NSA.

42. Deborah's "The King and I" co-star : YUL. I got to see him perform in a revival of the King and I on Broadway. It was awesome.

43. Clearly presented : COGENT. Law school is intended to teach the ability to present cogent arguments.

45. Removed : SHED. Picture a child coming in from the cold removing his garments, or for the romantic, the trail of clothing leading to the bedroom.

49. Nation SE of Cyprus : LEB. Anon? Is the SE a clue that this is an abbreviation?

51. Item on a chain, perhaps : WATCH.

55. One may be broken : RULE.

56. Afghanistan's national airline : ARIANA. My learning moment, as despite past experience with owning a travel agency, I was not aware of this AIRLINE.

57. Northwest Passage explorer : RAE. A pioneer and the SUBJECT of controversy.

59. Word with hole or holder : POT. So sweet.

64. Bridge action : BID.

65. Brown family shade : ECRU.

66. "I'm on board" : AGREED.

67. Década division : ANO.

68. Food buyers' concerns : DYES.

69. Scary flier : TSETSE. The return of the dreaded fly. See 2D. Polynesian catch : MAHI MAHI.

Down:

1. English hunters : SETTERS. There are many kinds but the ENGLISH are hunting dogs.

3. Unable to increase : AT A LIMIT. New fill, but I am not sure.

4. Mo. hours : CST. Central Standard Time.

5. Christchurch native : KIWI. New Zealand.

6. Common animal kingdom tattoo subject : SNAKE.

7. Bowler, e.g. : HAT.

8. Cakes go-with : ALE. Only because I have blogged so much of JW did this make sense. His love of Shakespeare dredged this LINK from memory.

9. In a way, in a way : SORTA.

10. One unlikely to experiment : PURIST.

11. Uses a 22-Across on, as tears : DABS AT. Yes many a tissue gets used with certain movies. What are your favorite tearjerkers?

12. Come-hither quality : ALLURE.

13. Dear : STEEP. Really needed perps; we do not use dear to mean expensive much any more.

18. Hot : SEXY. Do you all watch the Victoria Secret TV specials?

`
19. "__ serious?" : IS HE?

24. Pantry stack : TINS. More from across the pond, as in the USA we stack cans..

26. Picks a fight (with) : TANGLES.

27. Civil rights icon Parks : ROSA.

29. Red __ : SEA.

33. Calculating : SLY.

35. Chip shot path : ARC. Anyone watching Tiger playing in  the desert?

37. Ripsnorter : LULU. Two old fashioned words.

38. Bit of Christmas morning detritus : BOW. Ribbons, boxes etc.

39. Thickening agent : AGAR. Time to refresh our recollection of this secret AGENT.

40. Flip : GET UPSET.

41. Goes around : ENCLOSES. Another harder to parse until it is filled by perps.

44. SEC powerhouse, familiarly : THE TIDE. The Crimson Tide from Alabama. One of the schools i mentioned in first ever Corner post.

45. Runner's woe : SPRAIN.

46. Shag, e.g. : HAIRDO. Same # of letters as CARPET. I blame Dorothy Hamill.

47. Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT.

48. Like some court motions : DENIED.

50. "Feel the __": 2016 campaign slogan : BERN. Now this is clearly political.

52. Iconic Rio carnival activity : SAMBA. They have an annual competition where they appear to spend all their money n the headdress, and not on any other clothing. R-RATED.

53. Like : FANCY. More old fashioned fill that you may or may not fancy.

54. Nasser's successor : SADAT. Anwar Sadat, here is a LIST.

58. Physics units : ERGS.

61. Fight cause : IRE.

62. Mozart's birthplace, now: Abbr. : AUStria. He was born in Salzburg. LIFE.

63. Natural resource : ORE. There's gold in them thar hills!

After so many Fridays, solving JW feels right; I think i have a sense of his sensibilities- like cakes and ale- maybe NC and Steve will chime in. In the meantime, thanks for reading and do not forget to use our sponsors. lemonade out.