Friday, February 16, 2018, David Alfred Bywaters

Title: This is not an easy A class. Try THESE?

I remember certain teachers and professors who seemed to hate giving a student an A on any paper, having had my work DOWNGRADED for penmanship or failing to explain an answer even when the answer was correct. We have our 4th puzzle from David, all on Friday and like his June 2017 PUZZLE, this is a letter substitution. Each of the five themers hs the letter "A" downgraded to a "B." The reveal is simple, and the trick is to have the resulting fill be witty. I think they are good, but YMMV. MEDIA BIBS/MEDIA BIAS seems timely, BLT RIGHT/ALT-RIGHT as well.

We have quite a bit of sparkle, with EPITOME (I will always remember Peter Wiley trying to defend the epi - tome pronunciation in school, he also said Are Kansas), ORATION, SAW TO IT, SHOT PUT, STUN GUN, TARNISH along with two fill longer than some of themers HANDSHAKE and LED ASTRAY. Well, let's solve this.
\
17A. *Protection for a press feeding frenzy? : MEDIA BIBS (9). How could I speak of MEDIA BIAS without getting political?

26A. *Result of nodding off at an auction? : SLEEP BID (8). If you took a SLEEP AID before the auction, and it was really strong like Ambien...I can picture this happening.

27A. *Sandwich-centric extremists? : BLT RIGHT (8). The BLT is fun, the ALT-RIGHT, not os much but it too is politics.

50A. *Where to read all the latest computer port news? : USB TODAY (8). The cutes clue/fill and a CSO to USA Today.

52A. *Female employee of a tech giant? : IBM WOMAN (8). I AM WOMAN was a very big song and could be the anthem of the Me Too generation...oops more politics.

63A. Rating reduction responsible for the answers to starred clues: DOWNGRADE (9). With all the ex-teachers who come to the Corner, this should be very popular.

Okay, let us look at the rest.

Across:

1. Scratch __: woodworking tools: AWLS. A scratch awl is a woodworking layout and point-making tool. It is used to scribe a line to be followed by a hand saw or chisel when making woodworking joints and other operations.

5. Split wide open: GAPE.

9. Green "Sesame Street" character: OSCAR. Don't be grouchy.

14. Scallion relative: LEEK. Onions and garlic belong to the Allium genus. Allium, in fact, is derived from the Greek word for garlic. Shallots, leeks, scallions, and chives are also members of the allium family.

15. Sea predator: ORCA.

16. Asian city translates to "place of the gods": LHASA. Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, lies on the Lhasa River's north bank in a valley of the Himalayas. Rising atop Red Mountain at an altitude of 3,700m, the red-and-white Potala Palace once served as the winter home of the Dalai Lama. The first of the geography.

19. Tight headgear: DO RAG. Neon Deion helped make them famous.

20. Masseur's workplace: SPA.

21. Word with fly or about: GAD. How many of you remember Roscoe GADDIS?

22. Shining example: EPITOME.

24. What a burglar hopes not to be: SEEN. Cute clue.

30. Fort Collins sch. : CSU. Colorado State University.  U. of Colorado is in Boulder.

31. Merits: EARNS.

32. Italian capital: EURO. The old money distraction.

34. Dilute: THIN. It makes sense mixing paints etc.

38. Letters for John Smith? : AKA. Also Known As. Almost everyone has one, based on using or not using middle initials for examples. Banks now make you sign an AKA affidavit when you borrow money.

39. Besmirch: TARNISH. Besmirch is such a great old-fashioned word.

42. Dudley the Dinosaur's org.: ADA. American Dental Association.

43. Books with test answers: KEYS. The teachers' key.

45. Twitter's bird, e.g.: LOGO.

46. One with a title: OWNER. Property.

48. Cry of discovery: AHA.

56. Poems of praise: ODES.

57. Lincoln output: ORATION.

58. "No seats" sign: SRO. Standing Room Only.

59. Egg producer ... and product: HEN.

62. Tuesday dish? : TACOS. According to The Strange History Of Taco Tuesday, the phrase "Taco Tuesday" was coined in 1989 by a Mexican food chain Taco John's. (Quora).

66. Expect: AWAIT.

67. Northern terminus of I-79: ERIE. Another CSO to Abejo and others. Geography.

68. Lute family members: UKES.

69. ATM features: SLOTS. Why this clue?

70. Kind of lily: SEGO. As the Utah state flower.

71. Tendency: BENT.

Down:

1. Help for the poor: ALMS. From the word eleemosynary.

2. Sob: WEEP.

3. Acting on bad advice: LED ASTRAY.

4. __ jump: SKI. Timely; any watching the Winter Olympics.

5. Explode: GO BANG. We had a very sad go bang at a school here in Broward County.

6. Parched: ARID.

7. Chem. pollutant banned in 1979: PCB. Polychlorinated biphenyl is an organic chlorine which was banned by the United States Congress in 1979 and by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in 2001.

8. Canvas support: EASEL. Paintings.

9. Elvis hits, e.g.: OLDIES. Interesting choice of artist.

10. Decathlon event: SHOTPUT.

11. Chocolate substitute: CAROB. A slightly healthier ALTERNATIVE.

12. "Me too": AS AM I.

13. Lost it: RAGED.

18. Elder hostile? : AGEIST.

23. River through New Mexico: PECOS. Texas and New Mexico. LINK.

25. Seaside eagle: ERN.

26. Immobilizing law-enforcement tool: STUNGUN.

27. Nose, slangily: BEAK.

28. Camp sight, perhaps: LAKE.

29. Forrest Gump, for one: HERO.

33. Some are tributaries: RIOS. Like the RIO Grande, see above. Geography.

35. Cordial greeting: HANDSHAKE.

36. Notion: IDEA.

37. Not: NARY.

40. Budget competitor: ALAMO.

41. Cylindrical sandwich: HOTDOG. I love this definition.

44. Took care of things: SAW TO IT.

47. Sorrow: WOE.

49. Construction site apparatuses: HOISTS.

51. World's third-largest island: BORNEO. Borneo is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. Geography.

52. Tiny bits: IOTAS.

53. Serious fight: BRAWL.

54. Former Portuguese territory in China: MACAO. This amazing PLACE.

55. Aconcagua's range: ANDES. More geography.

58. Way more than a sip: SWIG.

60. Paradise: EDEN. Garden - more geography.

61. Animal home: NEST.

64. Willamette Valley state: Abbr. : OREgon.  WINE anyone? Geography.

65. Obstacle: RUB. Since JW did not give us a Shakespeare last week, here.
"To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them: to die, to sleep
No more; and by a sleep, to say we end
the heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks
that Flesh is heir to? 'Tis a consummation
devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep,
To sleep, perchance to Dream; aye, there's the rub..."


I hope you enjoyed this workout. It was all over the place but the theme was doable and I did not see any really obscure cluing, so I had fun. Thank you, DAB. Hope you had a great Valentine's Day. Those of you who sent wishes for those affected by our local tragedy - thank you. David, it has been a pleasure. Lemonade out.

Here is my Valentine memory.

Friday, February 9, 2018, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: Forget the carbs, I am hungry! Call Entenmann's.

For all of you who were wondering where our Friday friend JW has been hiding in 2018, he is back and presents the third visual puzzle that has been constructed for our consternation. We have 13 (!) clues which consist only of a number. Good news though, we get a reveal! Oops, not helpful yet. Must solve and wait for perps. Hmm, three letter fill at 26 and 52 across. 26- nope not there. 52? Ahh- BUN! 41- ROLL! Eureka! Thirteen is a baker's dozen. Ta-dah- bakery items! This was a struggle in places, but I am a big fan of most of the goods here, especially a warm buttery CROISSANT and a moist SCONE. What are your favorites? The rest was in my wheelhouse, with SUK requiring all of the perps. The purists will hate the themers being so short and having non-theme fill longer words, but I enjoyed BELDAME, BOSNIAN, CAT SCAN, DEEPENS, ELOCUTE, QUIETED, BLINDERS, and CITY PLAN as fun but challenging fill. I applaud Jeffrey for finding 13 items that not only fit the theme, but allow him to build a classic grid with complete thematic symmetry. A puzzle that completely depends on perps and the reveal...

I wonder if the grid was inspired by The Cross of Salem, also known as a pontifical cross because it is carried before the Pope. This is  - after all a CROSSword puzzle.

Anyway on to the solve.

1A. #1: MUFFIN (6). RECIPE. opposite 70A. # 10: DANISH (6). RECIPE.

7A. # 2: BRIOCHE (7). RECIPE. opposite 69A. # 9: BISCUIT (7). RECIPE.

24A. # 3: TORTE (5). RECIPE. opposite 53A. # 8: DONUT (5). RECIPE.

26A. #4 : PIE (3). RECIPE. opposite 52A. # 7: BUN (3). RECIPE.

37A. # 5: CAKE (4). RECIPE. opposite 41A. # 6: ROLL (4). RECIPE.

14D. # 11: BAGEL (5). RECIPE. opposite 51D. # 13: SCONE (5). RECIPE.

20D. # 12: CROISSANT (9). RECIPE. the center.

The reveal:
38A. It's a bit more than it sounds, and hints at this puzzle's theme: BAKER'S DOZEN (11). Wal-Mart sells their doughnuts 13 to a box. Let's get cooking with the solve.

Across:

14. Crone: BELDAME.  Finally a clue, but not a gimme fill. This archaic WORD is clearly a Friday Saturday fill. A very hard start.

15. Sarajevo citizen: BOSNIAN. The country is Bosnia and Herzegovina. LINK.

16. Gets to: ATTAINS.

17. Settled down: QUIETED.

18. Merry, in Metz: GAI. Metz is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, the city forms a central place of the European Greater Region. Wiki. 55A. Pique-nique setting : PARC. French.

19. Prog. formally reinstated at Harvard in 2011: ROTC. Reserve Officer Training Corps programs were another casualty of the Vietnam War. LINK.

21. Hotel experience: STAY.

22. Sturdy trees: ELMS. Dutch elm disease as a problem but the TREE is making a return.

29. Future D.A.'s hurdles: LSATS.

31. Future salmon: ROE. Fish eggs.

32. Troubles: ILLS.

33. Belg. locale: EUR.

35. Travel guide listing: INN.

43. MS-__: DOS. Recently popular fill.

44. Party bowlful: DIP.

45. Goddess usually depicted holding an ankh: ISIS. This EGYPTIAN. And the Symbol which is also a CROSS.

46. "M*A*S*H" rank: Abbr. : MAJ. Random, but better than E-______?

48. Some archaeological sites: TOMBS. King Tut was actually named Tutankhamun. Mini-theme?

56. Karate training site: DOJO. Dōjō (道場) is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way." My brother created one in the 60s in our hometown.

59. Lose steam: TIRE.

61. __ Speedwagon: REO. Musical interlude, only 1 hour and 20 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqRpzyWJ5vM

62. Becomes more complex: DEEPENS.

65. High-tech med. procedure: CAT SCAN. What you need to KNOW.

67. Police actions: ARRESTS.

68. Speak well in public: ELOCUTE. Elocution from Latin elocution-, elocutio, from eloqui. Elocute is a back word from elocution.

Down:

1. Most of the periodic table: METALS.

2. __ Thule: distant place in medieval geography: ULTIMA. You want to ARGUE the point?

3. HHS agency: FDA. Health and Human Services.

4. Sunny: FAIR.

5. "You are!"retort: I'M NOT. Are too!

6. Argonaut known for wise counsel: NESTOR. He was a member of Jason's crew before the Trojan War. LINK.

7. Cookout fare, briefly: BBQ.

8. Awaken : ROUSE.

9. "Ya think?" : IS IT? I SIT? Isis' sister?

10. Fit-for-service designation: ONE-A. I have my draft card from the 60's somewhere.

11. Urban design: CITY PLAN. Pompano Beach is working on their PLAN.

12. "Some __ meat and canna eat": start of the Selkirk Grace: HAE. This probably predates Robert Burns. One of my favorite modern detectives is Hamish MacBeth, so I know the word.

13. Conclusion: END.

23. Lifts: STEALS.

25. Have an inclination: TEND.

27. Variety: ILK. I always like this word.

28. Language suffix: ESE.

30. Czech composer Josef, son-in-law of Dvorák: SUK. All perps for this MAN.

32. Frozen treat: ICEPOP. Would you like to read the HISTORY of the Popsicle?

34. Like half of Poland's flag: RED.

36. Silent assent: NOD.

38. Horse racing accessories: BLINDERS. The reason WHY.

39. Ex-quarterback Tony: ROMO. He has done well in his SECOND CAREER.

40. Clearasil target: ZIT.

41. Cookout morsel: RIB. I am not sure a rib is a morsel.

42. Brutus Buckeye is its mascot: Abbr. : OSU. The Ohio State University. Oklahoma State last week, perhaps Oregon State next.

47. Really pumped: JUICED. Not to be confused with juiced by steroids.

49. __ Aurelius, second-century Roman emperor: MARCUS. One of my favorite EMPERORS.

50. What a sprinter might run out of : BREATH.

53. "__ know you?" : DON'T I.

54. Musical nonsense syllables : TRA LA.

57. Intl. energy group: OPEC.

58. Bach's "__, Joy of Man's Desiring" : JESU. I had no idea and it seems counter-intuitive.

60. Hugh Laurie's alma mater: ETON. One of the myriads of foreign-born actors who portray US Americans on television.

62. Unit of hot mustard, for most: DAB. Not for Asians or me.

63. NW Penn. airport: ERI. A CSO to many who comment here.

64. Aircraft in the Smithsonian Inst. collection: SST.

66. Chem., for one : SCI. Abbreviation - abbreviation.

Well JW is back in business. I liked the grid, the theme, and the reveal. A note from C.C. below, which I echo. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Happy birthday to dear Splynter (Richard), who turns 47 years old today. Splynter was our trusted Saturday guide for a long long time. Hope all's well with your new job and new home, Splynter. Don't forget your friends here at the Corner. Visit us from time to time.

Friday, February 2, 2018, Stu Ockman

Title: Bottom's UP!

We have another visual puzzle, with the theme fill presented updside down, so you need to read from the bottom to the top. All five themers are very popular cocktails, and to add to the degree of difficulty in constructing, Stu uses only mixtures beginning with the letter "M."  Oddly we don't see the inimitable martini. This is a wonderful CSO to Tinbeni and my bartending son who works at Poka Lola Social Club in Denver mixing up amazing yummies like the CLOVER CLUB. 2oz Plymouth Gin, .5oz dry vermouth, .5oz raspberry syrup and .75oz lemon juice. Also timely after we had the SAZERAC last Saturday.

This is our second puzzle from Stu who appeared here in 2014. He does have 10 NYT publications, the last two in 2017. There are as always on Friday, some challenging cluing and some very fun fill like A BIT ODD, BEATS IT, DELIVER, ONE MORE, SARANAC SESAMES, SLIM JIM (my favorite) SOLACES (James Bond)  TOPMOST, TWO PAIR and YES OR NO. He then puts these sparkly fills in the difficult triple stack pattern in each corner.





4D. Tequila, triple sec and lime juice : ATIRAGRAM (9). MARGARITA has become a favorite cocktail. ent

10D. Champagne and orange juice : ASOMIM (6). MIMOSA along with the Bloody Mary are the Brunch drinks here.

21D. Bourbon, water, sugar and garnish : PELUJ TNIM (9). MINT JULEP is the drink of choice at the Kentucky Derby. Anyone here follow the richest race in thorobred racing last Sunday at Gulfstream Park here in So Fla?

36D. Whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters : NATTAHNAM (9). MANHATTAN was the drink of choiceof my brother's f-i-l.

44D. White rum, sugar, lime juice, soda water and garnish : OTIJOM (6). MOJITO has become quite popular in Florida bars.
And the reveal:

59A. Bar exhortation ... and a hint to how to answer five puzzle clues : DRINK UP (7). The drink names are read UP, from bottom to top.

Across:

1. __ Lake, village near Lake Placid : SARANAC. There are advantages to growing in the Northeast with lots of relatives, some of whom went to this  LAKE .

8. Skedaddles : BEATS IT.

15. Somewhat off : A BIT ODD. Fridays usually have many multiple word fill.

16. "Choose!" : YES OR NO. See I told you.

17. Come through : DELIVER.

18. Poker holding : TWO PAIR. A dangerous hand.

19. A or O : ALER. This simple glue fill took longer than I like.

20. Easy pace : LOPE.

22. Clipper trio : MASTS. The ship not the basketball team. Now Blake Griffin is gone, too.

23. "Ninja Scroll" genre : ANIME. I did not know the movie, but my kids watched lots of anime.

25. Domain introduced in 2001 : BIZ.

26. Rod Stewart's "__ May" : MAGGIE.

29. Shuttle site : LOOM. You want to learn to WEAVE? Or play in the dirt? 40A. Fertile soil : LOAM.

31. Affirmative act : NOD.

34. Outlying community : EXURB. From about 1955, a region or settlement that lies outside a city and usually beyond its suburbs and that often is inhabited chiefly by well-to-do families. (MW).

35. Tesla, e.g. : AUTO. This also took way too long to parse.

36. "Not a chance" : NOPE.

37. "Zorba the Greek" Oscar winner Kedrova : LILA. I liked the movie, did not recall the actress.

38. Bottom of a food chain? : MCJOB. A new way to clue.

39. Abruzzi bell town : ATRI. This LINK starts
"At Atri in Abruzzo, a small town
Of ancient Roman date, but scant renown..."

41. Picasso output : ARTE.


42. Mar. honoree : ST PAT. March 17, St. Patrick's Day.

43. "r u kidding?!" : OMG. An exclamation of surprise.

44. Team that pulls for you : OXEN. Attempted sports misdirection.

45. Like an earworm : CATCHY.


46. Peugeot's 208 or 308, e.g. : GTI.

47. Tony winner Menzel of "Wicked" : IDINA. I had the pleasure of watching her perform as Elphaba on Broadway in July of 2005 with my sons. It was awesome. She is becoming very popular with all those vowels.

49. Feature of many a Hawaiian restaurant : LANAI. Defined: porch, veranda. We have many in SoFla.

52. Cast off : EMIT.

53. Olympian queen : HERA.

57. Lock-picking tool : SLIM JIM. It is two words. I am sure the car thieves love the fact that they can buy at Walmart with DIRECTIONS.

61. Highest : TOPMOST. It is one word.

62. Consoles : SOLACES. An encore appearance.

63. Bun seeds : SESAMES. Don't forget the special sauce.

64. Request at a bar : ONE MORE. Bonus alcohol fill.

Down:

1. Actress Thompson : SADA. The mother in the successful TV series Family.

2. Doomed shepherd : ABEL. Also a second 2018 appearance.

3. Irk : RILE.

5. Sweet Potato Awareness Mo. : NOV. Who decided this? Who cares?

6. Emperor relative : ADELIE. Great misdirection- Penguins. LINK.

7. Jewel box item : CD-ROM. Defined: a thin plastic case for a CD or DVD — called also jewel case. I only knew jewel case.

8. Eight bits : BYTE. Not a dollar in the modern world.

9. "Ick!" : EEW. I also prefer the EWW spelling.

11. Utah's state gem : TOPAZ. The Topaz became the State Gem in 1969 (Utah Code). It is a semiprecious gem found in Beaver, Juab and Tooele counties of Utah. But again, who cares.

12. Mmes. across the Pyrenees : SRAS. French to Spanish.

13. Down but not out : IN IT.

14. Rocky hills : TORS.

24. Bird's bill : NIB. and maybe 51D. Bites playfully : NIPS.

25. Bonehead : BOOB. Hmm, is this 31D. Sometimes offensive, briefly : NOT PC.

26. __ Yello : MELLO.

27. Assumed truth : AXIOM. I was actually a math major when I began college.

28. Soviet labor camp : GULAG.

30. Oklahoma tribe : OTOE.

32. Dr. Phil was her frequent guest before getting his own show : OPRAH. Even Oprah makes mistakes.




33. Eros or Eos : DEITY.

35. Real estate parcel : ACRE.

38. Dress style : MAXI.

42. __ Salvador : SAN. San/El what else is there?

45. Pomelo relative : CITRON.  My wife is on a big POMELO kick to help my body recover from last year. The CITRON is an part of Jewish ceremonies for Sukkhot. See below for Oo and the thick pomelo rind.

46. Beta follower : GAMMA. Α α alpha, άλφα; Β β beta, βήτα;
Γ γ gamma, γάμμα

48. Playground comeback : DID SO.

49. Amphibious assault transports, for short : LSTS. Landing Ship, Tank - LINK.

50. Botanical balm : ALOE.

52. 911 response gp. : EMTS.

54. Kitchen gadget brand : EKCO.

55. One with second thoughts : RUER.

56. Abbey area : APSE.

58. British author's conclusion? : ISE. As opposed to IZE.

60. Terre dans la mer : ILE. Frawnche, as Splynter would say.

A tight puzzle with some challenge. February is on the March. Thank you Stu and all of you who read and write. Lemonade out.


As I promised, here is the grid and Oo getting the most out of Pomelo...

I do not know why the "J" in mint julep or the "t" in St. Pat have been bleached out.

Friday, January 26, 2018, David Poole

Title: Let's look under the water

David makes a quick return with a visual theme. There are 4 seas placed above the letters "LAB." It is a cute theme but wreaked havoc on my mind with YELLOW LAB and IRISH LAB running around in my head. Woof, woof.  The rest seemed like a Friday with many 6 and 7 letter fill. ERNESTO, EXACTOR, LOST ART, PANINIS, SWORE TO and WANNABE all interesting fill.

I have written about many of his puzzles, with this EFFORT being my first Friday write-up here at the Corner.

Hopefully, the grid will make you all smile. Grid first I think today:



17A. First U.S. national park: YELLOWSTONE (11). The YELLOW Sea is clued just above the LAB in 20A in LABEL.

35A. Co-star of the 1955 comedy "How to Be Very, Very Popular": SHEREE NORTH (11). The NORTH Sea is clued just above the LAB in SLABS. The MOVIE was unknown to me.

42A. Subject of a 19th-century famine: IRISH POTATO (11). The IRISH Sea is clued just above the LAB in LABREA.

62A. Aquanaut's workplace ... or a hint to what's graphically represented four times in this puzzle: UNDER SEA LAB (11). This LAB is under the CHINA Sea.

Across:

1. Big sister? : ABBESS. This is a woman who is the head of an abbey of nuns.

7. Way more than a whimper: BAWL.

11. Pixie: ELF.

14. Circus equipment: STILTS. There often is a clown on stilts.

15. Online marketplace: EBAY.

16. Madhouse: ZOO.

19. Syncopated piece: RAG. Ragtime (rag) also spelled rag-time or rag time – is a musical style that enjoyed its peak popularity between 1895 and 1918. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated, or "ragged", rhythm.

20. Calvin Klein or Perry Ellis: LABEL.

21. Caution: WARN.

22. Spilled the beans: SANG. Like modern mobsters.

23. Love personified: AMOR. Cupid's alias.

24. Letter writing, some say: LOST ART.

26. Oenophile's concern: YEAR. CSO to the Chairman and his wares.

28. Bear with a purple bow tie: BOO-BOO. Hannah-Barbera says "Boo-Boo Bear is a cartoon character on The Yogi Bear Show. Boo-Boo is an anthropomorphic bear cub wearing a purple bowtie. Most of the pictures I see online look blue, but.....

32. "Yada yada yada" letters: ETC.

38. Revolutionary murdered in a tub: MARAT.

 The Death of Marat by Jacques-   Louis  David. 

40. Groom's garb: TUX.

41. Generous slices: SLABS.



45. Menu general: TSO. It must be embarrassing to his family that he is known as a chicken.

46. Tar pits site: LA BREA.

47. "Pretty please?" : CAN I? May I never see this clue/fill again?

49. Che's given name: ERNESTO. Guevera.

52. State-spanning rds. : TPKS.

56. Cross by wading: FORD.

59. Digging: INTO.

61. "The Mikado" band? : OBI. The Japanese sash. Not to be confused with 57D. Village Voice award: OBIE. (OB) No longer technically true, they were originally given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered along with the American Theatre Wing. As the Tony Awards cover Broadway productions, the Obie Awards cover Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway productions. (various)

64. Dram: NIP. A wee dram at that; right Tin?

65. Thailand, once: SIAM. A nice CSO to my sweet bride.

66. Recess: ALCOVE.

67. Fictional vigilante's mark: ZEE.

68. Ballpark figs. : ESTSimates.

69. Christian of "Mr. Robot": SLATER.

Down:

1. Sanctuaries : ASYLA. Our favorite latin plural.

2. Substitute players: B-TEAM.

3. Frodo inherited his ring: BILBO. The Hobbit.

4. Queen of mystery: ELLERY. Agatha also fits.

5. Small-runway aircraft acronym: STOL. Short Takeoff Or Landing.

6. Spokane-to-Walla Walla dir. : SSW.

7. Software to debug: BETAS. Testing, one two, three.

8. Scrub, at NASA: ABORT.

9. Aspirant: WANNABE.  Geri last week.

10. Drano compound: LYE.

11. Biblical reformer: EZRA. He was BIBLICAL.

12. Library transaction: LOAN. They are known as lending libraries.

13. "Around the World ... " hero: FOGG. Phileas Fogg is the protagonist in the 1873 Jules Verne novel Around the World in Eighty Day (wiki).

18. Affirmed in court: SWORE TO.

22. Happy hour perch: STOOL.

24. __-di-dah: LAH.

25. Lighter brand: RONSON. My mental picture.

27. Bible book read during Purim: ESTHER. More Hebrew bible.

29. Frank's cousin: BRAT. This is one of the wurst clue/fills ever!

30. Gambling parlors, for short: OTBS. Off-track betting shops.

31. Very: OH SO. You all look oh so smart today!





32. Expressionist painter Nolde : EMIL. I did not know Emil Nolde, who was a German-Danish painter and printmaker. He was one of the first Expressionists, a member of Die Brücke, and was one of the first oil painting and watercolor painters of the early 20th century to explore color. (wiki) I like the Matterhorn Smiles.

33. Plantation near Twelve Oaks: TARA. Frankly, I no longer give a damn.

34. Nursery purchase: CRIB. Tree anyone?

36. Rural road feature: RUT.

37. One demanding payment, say: EXACTOR. In law, we often put or/ee at the end of words to make a new word, but this CREATION by David seems imprecise.

39. Comparable to a beet: AS RED.

43. Pressed sandwiches: PANINIS.

44. Confucian ideal: TAO.

48. Cornell's city: ITHACA.

50. Conclude by: END AT.

51. Parts of some flutes: STEMS. My brain went to the instrument b aha moment for the champagne glass.

53. First of a series: PILOT. No Honda this week, but the try out episode of a tv series.

54. __ of Hearts, accused tarts thief: KNAVE. You should know your Alice in Wonderland.
"The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts,
All on a summer day:
The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts,
And took them quite away!"

55. Cavalry sword: SABER.

56. With "the," TV character who first jumped the shark-- literally: FONZ. Did we really watch this
HORRIBLE TV, On the other hand, I really like Winkler in his new show  BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.

58. Harvest-ready: RIPE.

60. Spreadsheet box: CELL.

62. Employ: USE.

63. KLM rival: SAS. The HISTORY of  Scandinavian Airlines System is worth reading.

We have already made it to my last write-up of January. David makes every puzzle different. I enjoyed it and hope you did as well. On to the Super Bowl!!! Lemonade out.

Friday, January 19, 2018, Debbie Ellerin

Title: The vote is in and the eyes have it.

We have another around the perimeter puzzle. Here the words which are theme fill precede "eye." Rather magically Debbie appears after her early week mention to present her third LA times puzzle. Like last week's constructor, she has collaborated with Jeff Chen. You can see the influence on her style in the cluing. This is again a variation on a rebus where the eye part of the fill is left out. We have had a couple of these designs before, but I cannot remember what the reaction was from the Corner. For me, this was a very easy Friday, as the theme jumped out. The placement of KATY PERRY in the fourth row and CHEESE DIP in the symmetrical place seems designed to deceive.

With all the 4 and 5 letter theme fill, we do get some sparklies like AREA MAP, DREYFUS,  NO TURNS, RENEGES, SPHERES, CHEESE DIP and KATY PERRY. So how many of these to spy with your eye?

1A. Type of coordination: HAND (4).  Hand/eye coordination is critical in many sports such as hitting a baseball.

5A. Wolverine rival: BUCK (4).  Buckeye. The Ohio State University nickname and an early member of the Corner.

9A. Hidden 3-D image: MAGIC (5). Magic Eye. Not everyone can see these IMAGES.

71A. Intuition: THIRD (5). Third eye. Mystical. LINK.

72A. Batter's command of the strike zone, in baseball lingo: GOOD (4). Good eye. The best was supposed to be Ted Williams and his extraordinary vision, but does it matter? LINK.

73A. Pacific salmon: SOCK (4). Sockeye. This FISH.

1D. Iowa athlete: HAWK (4). Hawkeye Pierce is also pretty well known.  LINK.

13D. Reflective semiprecious stone: CAT'S (4). Cat's eye is produced by a polishing TECHNIQUE.

26D. Unassisted peeper: NAKED (5). Naked eye.

33D. Physical feature of Peter Falk and Sammy Davis Jr.: GLASS (5). Glass eye. There are many more, Sandy Duncan, Rex Harrison, Dick Vitale etc.

56D. Z's: SHUT (4). Shuteye. Sleep.

64D. Conjunctivitis: PINK (4). Pinkeye.

The reveal:

40A. Scornful glance ... and a hint to completing 12 aptly placed answers: SIDE EYE (7). A sidelong glance expressing disapproval or contempt.

Across:

14. State as fact: AVER. Another popular law-word.

15. "A Hard Road to Glory" author: ASHE. Tennis great and another victim of bad blood transfusion.         LINK.

16. Coffeehouse draw: AROMA. I still love the smell of the coffee brewing when I awaken.

17. Sagacious: WISE.

18. Lacking in some way: LEAN.

19. Checkout choice: DEBIT. Payment choice.

20. "Roar" singer : KATY PERRY.

22. Large pipes: MAINS. Seems random, but the main pipe is important in plumbing.

23. Malfoy, to Potter: FOE.

24. Attention getter: AHEM. I like this simple fill.

26. Sign on a highway: NO TURNS.

30. Binging: ON A JAG. Dictionary: a bout of unrestrained activity or emotion, especially drinking, crying, or laughing. "an incredible crying jag;" synonyms: binge, spree, bout, indulgence,

34. Order to a sea dog: AVAST.

35. Genesis victim: ABEL.

38. Quinnipiac University product: POLL. This western Connecticut school was a gimme for this native, but did you know HOW they became a prominent pollster?

39. "Kid-Tested, Mother-Approved" brand: KIX.

43. Soul seller: KIA. With its Japanese competition. 65A. Pilot that can't fly: HONDA.

44. Sooner State city: ENID. Oklahoma if you do not already know.

46. Jodie Foster title role: NELL. Co-starring a young Liam Neeson; a moving film.

47. Slogs: TREKS. Star Slog just did not capture the imagination.

49. Antarctica, for example : DESERT. Deceptive.

51. Domains: SPHERES.

53. Coop cries: COOS. COO_ leading to COO_?

55. Really big stretch: EON.

56. E alternative? : SNAIL. mail.

59. Chip topper: CHEESE DIP. I see this mostly with crackers.

66. Favorable thing to be on: ROLL. Especially a nice bit of pastrami.

67. Halliwell once known as Ginger Spice: GERI. No longer a girl. R-RATED.

68. Rte. that crosses Lake Michigan by ferry: US-TEN. A semi-cheat, as it is always 10.

69. Sighed line: AH ME.

70. Course that may cover a crash: Abbr. : ECONomy.


Down:

2. New Balance competitor: AVIA.

3. Incubator site: NEST. Cute. anyone try for NNCU?

4. Subject of Zola's "J'Accuse...!": DREYFUS. The Dreyfus AFFAIR 120 years ago last Saturday.

5. Whalebone: BALEEN. This is a WORD you needed to know to do late week puzzles in the 70s.

6. Certain surfer: USER. Internet.

7. Arctic trout: CHAR. So many other ways to clue this, but I suspect Rich put this in to toughen the solve. We last had in November clued as blacken or sear.

8. "Out of Africa"setting: KENYA. Redford/Streep MOVIE.

9. Drama set at an advertising agency: MADMEN. A very successful tv series about days most of us remember.

10. Hotel handout: AREA MAP. In those brochures by the front desk/concierge.

11. Silk Road desert: GOBI. Why you ask? Because China silk comprised a large proportion of the trade along this ancient road, in 1877, it was named the 'Silk Road' by Ferdinand von Richthofen, an eminent German geographer.

12. "Let's do it!" : I'M IN.

21. USB and others: PORTS.

25. Toledo opening? : HOLY.

27. Like Lamb Chop: OVINE. Shari Lewis lives on.

28. Prepares to take off: TAXIS. Dudley?

29. One-named Nigerian singer: SADE.  Want to know more? LINK.

31. Batman nemesis, with "the": JOKER. So soon after Cesar Romero.

32. Similar: ALIKE.

36. "The Fresh Prince of __-Air": BEL. Will Smith's breakout show.

37. Charged fish? : EELS. Electric ones.

41. Van Morrison's "__ the Mystic": INTO.

42. Set of values: ETHOS.

45. Bush 43, so he said, with "the": DECIDER.  Do not click the link as it may be political. LINK.

48. Goes back (on): RENEGES.

50. French epic hero: ROLAND. We read the SONG OF ROLAND when I was studying French.

52. Prepared to eat, as a banana: PEELED.

54. Skin-and-bones sort: SCRAG.

57. Nibble: NOSH.

58. Fighting: ANTI.

60. Relative of a Yodel: HOHO. Take your pick

61. Big Bird buddy: ELMO.

62. Chrysler Building style: DECO,

63. __-Z: classic Camaro: IROC.

Well, I am worn out with all the links, hope you choose and enjoy some. Thank you, Debbie and all of you out there. Lemonade out.

Friday, January 12, 2018, Priscilla Clark & Jeff Chen

Title: Welcome to Punnsylvania

Priscilla makes her LAT debut with one of the master mentors- Jeff Chen. He previously helped her to publication in the NYT in 2016. Jeff is a prolific constructor, writer, editor and very nice man. He writes daily about the NYT puzzles, where he has 46 collaborative publications. Each theme fill takes a phrase with the "ens" sound word converted to the "ins" sound.

Finding two grid-spanning fill was nice and the grid was very open.  Jeff and his partners always include a great deal of sparkly fill and here we have ROTUNDA,  VINTNER, ALLOPATH,  CURTAINS,  REAR EXIT,  REGICIDE and TIDEPOOLS. My only unknown was TILSIT a cheese I guess I should remember. As with all sound puzzles YMMV.


17A. Instruction for dolphin riders? : STRADDLE THE FINS (14). Straddle the FENCE. Does the sound of dolphins and fins grate?

22A. Flashy genetic enhancements? : DNA SEQUINS (10). DNA SEQUENCE. They started rerunning the original CSI on ION TV.

34A. Groaners in a routine? : SINS OF HUMOR (11). SENSE of humor. The central themer has the change in the first word, the rest the last word.

50A. Time capsules? : FUTURE TINS (10). Future TENSE. Capsule = tin? Maybe.

57A. Use second fiddles in a pinch? : RESORT TO VIOLINS (14). Resort to VIOLENCE. I am not sure why they needed to be second fiddles, but this is my favorite.

Across:

1. Compass output: ARCS. Last week it was EAST. The other compass.  LINK.

5. Gershwin title color: BLUE. This is a wonderful piece of music. RHAPSODY IN BLUE.
He also wrote BLUE LULLABY.

9. Presidential daughter Reagan: PATTI. Ms. Davis changed her last name to her mother's maiden name in an effort to have an independent career.

14. Bird's-nest, e.g. : SOUP. I put this in and took it out and then put it back.  INFO.

15. Ounce: IOTA. If you had one iota of gumption...

16. Zac of "Baywatch": EFRON. He was in the movie version with the Rock.

20. Reader with reprints: UTNE. A popular crossword fill, the Utne Reader is a quarterly American magazine that collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment, generally from alternative media sources including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music, and DVDs. Wiki.

21. Flight attendant's indication: REAR EXIT. Too many politically incorrect thoughts to comment.

25. Ticket: CITE. That is why it is called a citation.

26. Oscar role for Forest: IDI. Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV_QgKJFZP0

27. Piña colada liquor: RUM. Mixed with pineapple juice and coconut cream.

28. Like "black diamond" slopes: STEEP.

29. Hot-dog it? : PANT. A warm canine pants, the tongue is their sweat gland..

31. New England cape: ANN.

33. __ generis: SUI. This TERM has importance in the Law, likely misunderstood by me and others.

38. "I'm such a moron!" : D'OH. Not just Homer Simpson uses this phrase.

39. Car nut: LUG. Not someone who loves cars, but the lug nut which holds your tire in place on the wheel.

40. Campbell of "House of Cards": NEVE. The puzzle was likely written before the Kevin Spacey scandal, but apparently, Neve was an interesting character. I had stopped watching before the kerfuffle.

43. Filled entirely: SATED.

46. What bills may become: LAW.

48. "Amscray!" : GIT. Our first pig latin in a very long time.

49. Pace often rapid: CLIP.

54. Alternative medicine practitioner's term for a mainstream doctor: ALLOPATH. The expression was coined in 1810 by the creator of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843).In such circles, the expression "allopathic medicine" is still used to refer to "the broad category of medical practice that is sometimes called Western medicine, biomedicine, evidence-based medicine, or modern medicine." Wiki. I learned this while auditing a course in alternative medicine that my massage therapist was taking.

56. One might have tears in it: DUCT. Not if it is the TAPE. Lots of fun stuff.

61. Quick: AGILE.

62. Name of kings in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden: ERIC. This was an easy guess, but there is much more to learn about these Constitutional MONARCHIES.

63. Light bulb, metaphorically: IDEA.

64. Pioneer of song who "crossed the wide mountains with her lover Ike": BETSY. This was hard. I did not remember much of this SONG. The lyrics are not the same as the Johnny Cash version.

65. Risqué: RACY. Two old fashioned words.

66. APB quarry: PERP. Two weeks in a row for this fill.

Down:

1. Jenny's offspring : ASS. Not poor Jennny McCarthy, but the female Donkey. All you need to know about ASSES.

2. Capitol sight : ROTUNDA. Just think round, usually with a dome.

3. Disastrous end : CURTAINS. My mental image:

4. Extends over : SPANS. Like the bridges we discused recently.

5. Compete for the job : BID.

6. Online chuckle : LOL.

7. Female marsupials have two : UTERI. The poor male marsupial. Kangaroos have three vaginas. ... Koalas, wombats and Tasmanian devils all share the three-vagina structure. The side ones carry sperm to the two uteruses (and males marsupials often have two-pronged penises), while the middle vagina sends the joey down to the outside world. I can't make this stuff up.

8. Taken back, as words : EATEN.

9. Equal : PEER.

10. Love : AFFECTION.

11. Ed's wife on "The Honeymooners" : TRIXIE. She was played by five different actresses during the life of the SHOWS from 1951 to 1970.

12. Ad time : TONITE.

13. Shoe part : INSTEP.

18. Lots of bucks : DEER.

19. Is afflicted with : HAS.

22. Depression : DIP.

23. Put down : QUASH. A rebellion?

24. "Did you really think I'd go for that?" : UM NO.

28. Largest number in many a column : SUM. This added up for me.

30. Homes for creatures of the not-so-deep : TIDE POOLS. Tide pools provide a home for hardy organisms such as starfish, mussels and clams. Inhabitants must be able to deal with a frequently changing environment — fluctuations in water temperature, salinity, and oxygen content. Wiki.

32. Org. in a 1966 merger agreement : NFL.

33. Raw, brown or white stuff : SUGAR.

35. Third of a kid's poem trio : NOD. I was winken and blinken through this one.

36. TV streaming option : HULU. I have not tried them, using only Netflix and Amazon. Anyone have a review?

37. "Game of Thrones" evilness : REGICIDE. Killing the King- we have both Cersei and her brother, the Kingslayer. Add that to doing away with Joffrey....well it is not a nice place to visit.

41. Wine label info : VINTNER. A CSO to Chairman Moe.

42. "Hitchhiker's Guide" beings, for short : ETS.

43. Many a hieroglyphic insect : SCARAB. Odd to see this again- two weeks in a row.

44. Claim : ALLEGE. A very popular legal word.

45. Semihard Swiss cheese : TILSIT.

47. Declaration at a group wedding : WE DO. I think they each say, "I DO" but I do not know. Oo said I could have only one wife.

50. Target of budget trimming : FAT.

51. Complete : UTTER.

52. Birch of "American Beauty" : THORA. I have had her in a few friday write-ups.

53. Showy bulb : TULIP.

55. Hunted one : PREY.

58. Ford's Crown __ : VIC.

59. Like comets : ICY.

60. Easy mark : SAP. Beacuse they get sucked dry?

Well there was a lot there and much to discuss. Hope you had fun and look forward to all the comments. Lemonade out.

Friday, January 5, 2018, C.C. Burnikel

Title: Letters rip.

My 2018 begins with a C.C. special in which initial-isms are unwound to create whimsical new clues and fill. I think this is my 4th or 5th Friday from C.C. solo, though she has done some Friday collaborations. It is interesting to watch her growth as a constructor, and the layers of subtlety she now includes in every effort. She makes clues difficult without making them either unfair or the fill obscure. I also think her exposure to other editors and styles of puzzles has helped that growth. Let me know what you think.

ALFREDO, ATE DIRT, KARAOKE, PANACEA, RADIATE, SEDATED and NICE GOING are all fun fill, but TEARSTAIN is wonderful.

The themers:

17A. Attire with a spreadsheet design? : EXCEL SHIRT (10). XL SHIRT gets repurposed.

24A. Disreputable court proceeding? : SEEDY CASE (9) C.D. CASE gets repurposed.

50A. Extracts from Wrigley Field's walls? : IVY FLUIDS (9). I.V. FLUIDS gets repurposed.

61A. Transports for fertilizer? : PEATY BOATS (10). P.T. BOATS gets repurposed.

Across:

1. Fey of "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot": TINA. A spectacularly hidden hint to the type of puzzle.

5. Ready to rock: EAGER. The "E" was my last fill. Sometimes we make the easy hard.

10. Mug shot subject: PERP. C.C. slipped in a Corner word.

14. "I got this!" : ON IT.

15. Wheels since 1986: ACURA. This car was in Monday's first puzzle of the year.

16. Adidas rival: AVIA. I think Nike is a bigger rival.

19. Minor points: NITS. The lifeblood of much puzzle discussion and another C.C.inside joke.

20. Under: SEDATED. Good Friday deception; I can hear the doctor asking, "Is he under yet?"

21. More than tickles: ELATES. I think this is one of C.C.'s favorite words.

23. Liquor in a Singapore sling: GIN. I have had this before - I will always remember Albany.

26. Unskilled in: POOR AT.

29. Hebrides tongue: ERSE. Scottish Gaelic spoken HERE.

30. Arrived, in a way: ALIT.

31. Hardly an original: APER.

34. Office administrations: OATHS. I love this clue/fill; perfect deception. At every level government officials are sworn in; after a while, many are sworn at.

38. Superstation that broadcasts some Cubs games: WGN. TV independent owned by the people who syndicate the LAT.

39. Old Testament prophet: EZEKIEL. I spent way too much time trying to squeeze this into being a theme fill, but "KIEL" just did not fit the pattern of the others.

41. Creature for whose shape Anguilla was named: EEL. Named by COLUMBUS?

42. "Broca's Brain" author: SAGAN.  The entire BOOK.  Or WIKI.

44. Speed away, with "out": PEEL.

45. Syrup brand since 1902: KARO.

46. Cuts (off): LOPS.

48. Sacred crawler: SCARAB. Do you remember this SCENE?

55. Monopoly quartet: Abbr. : RRS.

56. __ network: NEURAL. Good solid Friday clue/fill and a mini-theme with 42A.

57. Emit: RADIATE.

60. Greased auto part: AXLE. I am so not an auto mechanic type.

64. Scholarship consideration: NEED. Sounds counter-intuitive doesn't it?

65. Umbilical variety: INNIE. I was an innie, but now I have an umbilical hernia.

66. Lover's greeting: KISS.

67. Old U.S. pump sign: ESSO.

68. Bluto and Pluto: TOONS. I like the rhyme but it took me a while to see what a sailor from Popeye and a Disney dog had in common.

69. "Echoes in Rain" singer : ENYA.

Down:

1. Ring site: TOE.

2. Sydney band originally called The Farriss Brothers: INXS. If you want to listen- do so HERE.

3. "Good work!" : NICE GOING.

4. Swallowed one's pride: ATE DIRT. Hmm.

5. Needle point? : EAST. Simple, but this took so long as I to get away from sewing.

6. Soreness: ACHES.

7. Museum offering: GUIDE. Another good example of Friday deception in clue/fill.

8. Miss on "Jeopardy!," e.g.: ERR. Pretty much amiss anywhere.

9. Involving nudity, maybe: RATED-R. The rating can be earned by hard language, or tough violence, or nudity within sensual scenes, or drug abuse or other elements, or a combination of some of the above. MPAA.

10. Cure-all: PANACEA. I have always loved this word. Panacea comes from a Greek word meaning "all-healing", and Panacea was the goddess of healing.

11. 1980 Tony winner for Best Musical: EVITA.

12. Bat mitzvahs, e.g.: RITES.

13. So yesterday: PASSE.

18. Superboy's girlfriend: LANA.          Pretty girl. LINK.

22. Disinfectant brand: LYSOL.

25. Like many "Buffy" settings: EERIE.

26. Kittens play with them: PAWS. Again, a small head fake- not toys.

27. Lingerie brand: OLGA.  HISTORY.

28. Whirling toon: TAZ.

32. Drink with a Zero Sugar variety: PEPSI.

33. __ out a meager existence: EKE.

35. Mark on a Dear John letter, perhaps: TEAR STAIN. Fabulous clue/fill.

36. Zeus' jealous wife: HERA. She is back.

37. One who doesn't pick up much: SLOB. Not a dolt, but a messy one.

39. __ Gay: ENOLA. I am tired of this reminder.

40. "The Complete Short Game" author: ELS. How many three-letter named golfers are there?

43. Fettuccine sauce: ALFREDO. I add tuna and peas for a complete meal.

45. Bar attraction: KARAOKE. Kara 空 "empty" and ōkesutora オーケストラ "orchestra"); the same kara as in karate (empty hands).

47. Ministry: PULPIT. Is this a stretch?

49. Bed with enclosed sides: CRIB. I hope no other answer came to mind. They are getting fancy.

50. Absurd: INANE.

51. Annoys: VEXES.

52. Celebrated seasons: YULES.

53. Pipe cleaner: DRANO. Not the one you fill with tobacco.

54. Chemise fabric: SATIN.

58. Salon assortment: DYES. Beauty salon, not parlor.

59. Site for handicrafts: ETSY. Another HISTORY.

62. "Reflection" musician: ENO. Last week it was emo.

63. Issuer of five million-plus IDs annually: SSA. Social Security Administration.

This puzzle was so clean, I really do not have much to say, or maybe I am just tired. Thank you C.C. and my official Happy New Year to you all.