Friday, March 30, 2018, Mark Feldman

Title- Close your eyes and listen.

I am never sure how this crowd will react to a sounds like pun puzzle but for me the theme fill is especially fun. I have blogged many of Mark's Friday creations and they all seem to have some sound element, and a very light-hearted approach. If you want to go to the archives, you will have a good time solving them all. We also had so many sparkly fill like BASS DRUM, GAG RULES, SHOELACE, SKI SLOPE, SMALLEST and STUNTMAN.

So let us see where the puns take us.

17A. Religious text for a Texas senator? : CRUZ MISSAL (10). CRUISE MISSILE. The hardest one, as while most know Ted Cruz,the book containing the prayers and rites used by the Roman Catholic priest in celebrating Mass over the course of the entire year.

24A. Pet for a Spanish surrealist? : DALI LLAMA (9). DALAI  LAMA. Salvatore and the two L.

53A. Underage child of a German chancellor? : KOHL MINOR (9). COAL MINER. I also am not sure if many remember HELMUT.

62A. Household help for a 19th-century president? : TAYLOR MAID (10). TAILOR-MADE. My grandfather was a tailor. Zachary, old Rough and Ready was the 12th President who was the second one who died in office in the 1840s.

Across:

1. Like "le" in Fr.: MASCuline.

5. Degrade: ABASE.

10. There's no money in it: SWAP. I love this clue; there are barter companies who broker professional services without money.

14. Prefix with syllabic: OCTO. This is pretty random, though a real word.

15. Starbucks offering: LATTE.

16. Cap with a flat, circular top: KEPI.

19. Flex ending: IBLE.

20. Home of Amboseli National Park : KENYA.
This PARK.

21. Pennant race mo. : SEPtember.

22. Tied accessory : ASCOT. This gets its name fro, the racetrack but historically was part of very formal wear. LINK.



23. Cause of a sleeve movement : TUG.

26. More uneven : BUMPIER.

29. Puts in a vault, in a way : ENTOMBS.

30. Dos Passos trilogy : USA. Do you like reading about the GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL?

31. Mild rebuke : TUT. Does anyone use a single tut?

33. With 44-Across, Hanna-Barbera feline : TOP. 44A. See 33-Across : CAT.

34. Cravings : YENS.

36. Sidekick : AMIGO.

38. Glimpse : ESPY.

42. Not a good start? : MAL. A bad prefix.

45. Shade : HUE.

46. Michigan neighbor : ONTARIO.

50. Baptized boys, often : GODSONS.

55. Milk source : EWE. Sheep milk. Do humans drink THIS?

56. Whac-__ : A-MOLE. Are you a CHAMP?

57. Heating stat : BTU. British Thermal Unit

58. Finnish architect Alvar __ : AALTO. I had not heard of this MAN.

61. Look closely (over) : PORE.

64. Bank offerings : IRAS. Much more than a bank offering.

65. Resort WSW of Denver : ASPEN. My first trip to Colorado was to Denver and thenon to a condo in Snowmass at Aspen. 10D. 65-Across feature : SKI SLOPE. They have lots to do THERE.

66. __ coffee : ICED. Aha, not tea today.

67. Titillating message : SEXT.

68. Silly ones : GEESE.

69. Cong. period : SESSion.

Down:

1. Sham : MOCK.

2. Israeli port : ACRE.  A change for this fill, but very tricky. Acre is the holiest city of the Bahá'í Faith, and as such receives many Baha'i pilgrims. In 2016, the population was 47,808.Acre is a mixed city, that includes Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Baha'is. Wiki.

3. Nonspeaking movie role : STUNTMAN.

4. Ingratiate oneself (to) : COZYUP.

5. "When We Were Kings" subject : ALI.

6. It takes a beating : BASS DRUM. Another really cute clue.

7. Befuddled : AT SEA.

8. Basic : STAPLE. You need to stockpile these around hurrican season here.

9. Sushi selection : EEL. CSO to C.C.

11. Interoffice connection : WEBCAM. Not in my office, but many use them when they are nationwide.

12. Poise : APLOMB.

13. Madonna portrayals : PIETAS.

18. Crèche trio : MAGI.

22. Glee club member : ALTO.

25. Completely : IN TOTO. Funny letters into to.

26. Accept : BUY. That's your story? I guess I buy it.

27. Consumption : USE.

28. List ender : ET ALII.

32. Idiosyncratic contraction : TIC.

35. Of least significance : SMALLEST. Hey, good things come in small packages.

37. They squelch discussions : GAG RULES. This has a bad HISTORY. By statute or court rule, gag orders are often placed on grand jury participants.

39. It goes over the tongue : SHOELACE. You have to think about this one.

40. "Piano is not my forte," e.g. : PUN. I guess we understand where Mr. Feldman's head was when he built this puzzle.

41. With 51-Down, sometimes-sighed line : YES. 51D. See 41-Down : DEAR.

43. French weapon : ARME. Inferrable but I have never heard it used.

46. Congo natives : OKAPIS. The okapi also known as the forest giraffe or zebra giraffe, is an artiodactyl mammal native to the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. Wiki.

47. "That's enough already!" : NO MORE.

48. Middle section of an insect : THORAX. I wish I had John Lampkin to pick a picture.

49. Hoping to get home : ON BASE. Baseball season started yesterday.

52. Religious ascetics : SWAMIS. More religion.

54. Common blood group : O-TYPE.

59. Connections : TIES. I have used facebook to restablish ties with so many with whom I had lost touch.

60. Chances : ODDS. Chances are that most are not very happy with...

62. Identify on Facebook : TAG.

63. Unified : ONE.

I enjoyed this one very much, and hope you all did as well. Happy Passover to those celebrating Passover this evening; we get to cook for my local son and his family after going to Colorado the last few years. Good Friday and Easter also are this weekend and the best to those who celebrate. Thank you Mark, and who come and share. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Below is letter I got from the great Jeffrey Wechsler. It warmed my heart.



"I consider it incumbent upon me to personally and publicly thank several of those whose comments on my Wednesday puzzle, and past puzzles, were so kind that I virtually blushed while reading them. I refer specifically to Irish Miss -- "I hereby nominate Jeffrey Wechsler for Word Play Wizard of the Crossword Community" -- and to Swamp Cat -- "Irish Miss, I second the nomination! JW certainly is a Word Play Wizard!"

For those of you who regularly solve LA Times puzzles, and for those who venture into the wider world of crosswords, I am sure that you know that there many, many constructors equally (and much more) worthy of the title of Word Play Wizard. Indeed, compared to some constructors, my presumed Wizard rank would be reduced to that of Muggle.

However, over the years I have been greatly appreciative by the many kind comments on this blog toward my work. I recall the slow advance of the reception of my Friday LA Times puzzles at the Crossword Corner from occasional befuddlement (and a rare bit of hostility!), to tentative acceptance, to enjoyment (although, of course, not by all). My intent is never to confound -- just to try to come up with something interesting, and perhaps challenging in a positive sense. Crossword puzzles should not be "gotcha" affairs -- they should be engaging, brain-tickling, and providers of enjoyment. And to that end, my favorite comments are perhaps from Misty. How can I resist smiling on seeing Wednesday's "Woohoo! Woohoo! I got a Wednesday Jeffrey Wechsler puzzle without a single error or cheating!" I always look forward to Misty's "Woohoo!" It's that sort of reaction that makes the odd enterprise of puzzle-making worthwhile. And I thank those in general who comprise the community who comment at the Crossword Corner. Especially in comparison to some other crossword blogs, the comments here are overwhelmingly kind, thoughtful, and lacking in unnecessary invective. Thank you all (even those who still misspell my name!).

All the best, and keep on solving,

Jeffrey Wechsler"

Friday, March 23, 2018, Samuel A. Donaldson

Title- Do not pass over this puzzle.

A bit early but still a timely reference to the story told in Exodus of Moses leading the Israelites from Egypt, and the reveal - parting the RED SEA. In Samuel's version, the parting is done by a black square. In each paired across theme fill the first ends with RED, black square, then SEA. With that back drop it is no surprise that Sam has included various religious and political references. There are many really sparkly fill that complete this friday grid.

ESSENCE, PERIDOT,  POACHED,  PREYS ON, ASPIRE TO, CLEAVAGE, MAMMA MIA,  PAUL RYAN, ENCROACHED,  MERIT BADGE


1A. Flintstones Vitamins option: FRED (4). 5A. Chicago Eight defendant: SEALE (5).

20A. Turned tail: RAN SCARED (9). 22A. Like some underbellies: SEAMY (5).

51A. Needed an eraser: ERRED (5). 52A. Herbs and spices: SEASONING (9).

62A. Ready to drop: TIRED (5). 63A. Burn a little: SEAR.

and the reveal

35A. Emulate Moses ... and what four black squares do in this puzzle: PART THE RED SEA (13).

Across:

10. B.C. law enforcers: RCMP. Royal Canadian Mounted Police. LINK. Hey Eh.

14. Big name in denim: LEVI. Strauss, and a bonus fill as this is one of the 12 tribes of Israel.

15. Dental restoration: ONLAY. Your Dentistry 101 LESSON.

16. Cause of some bad apples?: ALAR. More properly known as Daminozide, quite the scandal at the time.

17. Has to pay: OWES.

18. Part of a script: SCENE.

19. Cyber phenomenon: MEME.  Did you know it is an element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered to be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, especially imitation? Dictionary.

23. Memphis-to-Atlanta dir. : ESE.

24. Big fuss: ADO.

25. With "the," what a boxer doesn't want to hit?: CANVAS. Reminds me of Joe PALOOKA.

26. Pulse: THROB.

28. High points: ACMES.

31. Latin I word: AMO amas, amat.

32. Prepared, as eggs for eggs Benedict: POACHED.

34. Votin' nay: AGIN.

38. Like a breeze? : EASY.

39. August birthstone: PERIDOT.

40. "How you doin'?" : SUP.

41. Lost patience: HAD IT.

42. "The Beauty Myth" author Wolf: NAOMI. Naomi R. Wolf is a liberal progressive American author, journalist, feminist, and former political advisor to Al Gore and Bill Clinton. Wolf first came to prominence in 1991 as the author of The Beauty Myth. Wikipedia. No politics.

46. Chip off the old block? : SLIVER.

48. Annoyed exclamation: BAH.

50. Greek god of the wild: PAN. This DEITY, but no religion.

55. Bill __ Climate Lab: former exhibit at Oakland's Chabot Space & Science Center: NYES. The Science Guy.

56. Awaits decision: PENDS.

57. Brief refusal to "Are you hungry?": I ATE.

58. Nineteenth Amendment campaigner: CATT. The Amendment that gave women the right to VOTE.

59. Rolex rival: OMEGA.

60. Gillette offering: ATRA.

61. Book of Mormon prophet: ENOS. No religion.

Down:

1. Daisy component: FLORET. Tricked me with Flower at first.

2. Clean some more: REWASH.

3. Plane, for one: EVENER. The meh of the day.

4. Ph.D. hurdle: DISSertation.

5. "I feel your pain": SO SAD.

6. Went too far: ENCROACHED. That is why you need to get a survey before you buy Property.

7. Protected, in a way: ALEE.

8. Succeed in getting: LAND.

9. Word with private or public: EYE.

10. Collegian's diet staple: RAMEN. That is how they use their NOODLES.

11. Rift: CLEAVAGE. Not the first definition I think of for cleavage. This COLLECTION is for all.

12. "Money, Money, Money" musical: MAMMA MIA.

13. Exploits: PREYS ON. This fooled me for minute, reading it as one word.

21. Henry __ Lodge: WWI senator: CABOT. I grew up in the sphere of these Boston Brahmin families who intermarried to consolidate power. However, it was not the Lodges in a famous quote, "Here's to dear old Boston, The home of the bean and the cod, Where Lowells speak only to Cabots, And Cabots speak only to god."

22. Swedish carrier: SAS. Scandinavian Airlines.

25. Surrendered: CEDED.

27. Nashville highlight: OPRY. As in Grand Old.

29. "SNL" alumna Oteri: CHERI. Classic corssword fill.

30. Scout's honor? : MERIT BADGE. Cute.

33. How some bonds are purchased: AT PAR.

34. Movie role for Skippy: ASTA. Skippy has his own IMDB PAGE.

35. Speaker after John Boehner: PAUL RYAN. So much politics to avoid.

36. Shoot for: ASPIRE TO.

37. Air Force pilot who became a pop star: DON HO. His BIO.

38. True nature: ESSENCE.

41. "__ give you the shirt off his back": HE'D. Give anything and everything one possesses. For example, Tom is truly generous-he'll give you the shirt off his back. This hyperbolic idiom was first recorded in 1771.

43. Morphine, e.g.: OPIATE.

44. It's repeated a lot: MANTRA. Om, om, om.

45. Ready to go: IN GEAR.

47. Kevlar products: VESTS.

49. Mideast ruling family name: ASSAD. The FAMILY.

52. Rest area heavyweight: SEMI. For those who did not like MACK.

53. Cabinet dept. : ENERgy.

54. Long and Vardalos: NIAS.

The pictures are backwards which I did not realize until now, but I am too lazy to change.









56. Winner's gathering: POT. Well, maybe now that they have legalized marijuana- oh, you mean a poker pot, Never mind.

Mr. Donaldson always delivers a good workout and a fun puzzle. I hope you all had as a good a time as I did. Lemonade out.

Friday, March 16, 2018, Roland Huget

Title: Bassackwards.

Roland presents a challenging workout, with a classic theme that I have seen in a few Sunday puzzles, where you generally have a title rather than a reveal. A quick look at the record books shows this PUZZLE from the pre-Will Shortz NY Times. That cluing was much easier. The most impressive thing about this version is that Roland took two single words- SHORTSTOP + OVERHEADS and made them two-word themers and took 2 two word phrases and made them a single word. Then we have the rest of the puzzle. Triple stacks of 7 letter down fill with many of the words very sparkly such as ALANINE, ENTOMBS, HABITAT, JOCKEYS, MORTARS, NAIROBI, ONE COAT, SCABBED, SHYSTER, USER FEE, WALKURE as well as E-TICKETS and ICE SKATE. This took me longer than most Fridays. YMMV.

17A. *Prepares to pass the football: BACKDROPS (9). A quarterback DROPS BACK to pass. LINK.

21A. *Baseball position: STOP SHORT (9). A SHORTSTOP is placed between 2nd and third base. LINK.

38A. *Strokes in tennis: HEADS OVER (9). OVERHEADS are the smash of tennis. LINK.

59A. *Basketball strategy: BREAKFAST (9). The FAST BREAK is where a team gets a rebound and attempts to make it downcourt before the other team can get back to play defense. LINK.

65A. Fair play? ... or the key to understanding the answers to starred clues: TURNABOUT (9). It can be one or two words. The phrase has been in existence since at least 1755.

Okay now on to some very Friday clues/fill.

Across:

1. Fifth pillar of Islam: HAJJ. If you want more information READ.

5. Puts on a patch, say: SEWS. Does anyone patch clothes anymore?

9. Intestinal tract division: ILEUM. This is the third portion of the small intestine, between the jejunum and the cecum.

14. Moises of the 2002-'04 Cubs: ALOU. He was the outfielder in the famous Bartmann Cubs loss to the Marlins and he was a very good PLAYER as well as being related to the Alou brothers- dad Felipe,  uncle Matty and uncle Jesus.

15. Card in a baby straight: TREY. Baby straight:  ace, deuce, trey, four and five.

16. Playground retort: CAN SO. Cannot.

19. Butyl acetate, e.g.: ESTER.  I will let our scientist handle this one. Chemistry.

20. Graphic novel artist: INKER. The page is drawn in pencil, then the lines inked, colored and the talk bubbles lettered. 4 people plus the author and editor.

23. Is connected: TIES IN.

25. Water__: dental brand: PIK.

26. Curator's deg. : MFA. Masters of Fine Arts.

27. Word with idea or luck: ANY. Random.

28. Gaucho's weapon: BOLA. We get this about once a year.

31. Schmoozing sort: GABBER.

33. Hardy heroine: TESS. d'Urbervilles.

35. Sweeping: VAST.

37. Shocks, in a way: TASES.

41. Uppity sort: SNOOT. So - informal: a person who shows contempt for those considered to be of a lower social class.

44. Hospital fluids: SERA.

45. Hair adornments: BOWS.

49. Aerobic regime, familiarly : CARDIO.

51. Many a Black Friday worker: TEMP.

53. Casual negative: NAH.

54. First _ _: AID.

55. Two-timer: CAD.

57. 100 percent: PURELY. Not 99 and 44/100 percent?

63. Big haulers: MACKS. The trucks.  For SALE in Miami.

64. Comedic pianist Victor: BORGE. So entertaining.

67. "Sneak Previews" co-host: EBERT. It started more than 40 years ago. LINK.

68. Niagara Falls source: ERIE. A CSO to Abejo and others.

69. Empty: BARE. This came to mind.
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To give the poor dog a bone;
But when she came there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.

70. Pranks: DIDOS. 1.  a mischievous or capricious act: prank, antic —often used in the phrase cut didoes. Not a word I remember.

71. It may be payable monthly: DEBT.

72. Bodily passage: ITER. Anatomy. 1. a canal or passage.

Down:

1. Natural environment: HABITAT. Also the chosen name for Habitat for Humanity.

2. Amino acid used in protein biosynthesis: ALANINE. More CHEMISTRY that I have forgotten or never knew.

3. Derby VIPs: JOCKEYS. Both in Kentucky and the ORIGINAL race.

4. Diner devices, familiarly: JUKES. Jukeboxes. Did you know restaurants are supposed to pay mechanical rights to the publishers? The LAW.

5. Orch. section: STRing.

6. Piccadilly Circus statue: EROS.

7. Turned on the waterworks: WEPT.

8. Network admin: SYSOP. While it was an abbreviation, it may no longer be one - LINK.

9. One of many seen at the NCAA's Frozen Four: ICESKATE. The hockey version.

10. Mascara target: LASH.

11. Puts to rest: ENTOMBS.

12. Cover charge relative: USER FEE.

13. Pestle partners: MORTARS.

18. Smidgen: DRIB. Dribs and drabs.

22. Barnyard rooter: PIG.

24. Stellar phenomenon: NOVA.

29. Fellows: LADS.

30. Corporate machinery, e.g.: ASSET.

32. Caustic remark: BARB.

34. Like racehorses: SHOD. Clecho with...

36. Went like racehorses: TORE.

39. Modern concert conveniences: E-TICKETS.

40. Mae West persona: VAMP.

41. Crossed a picket line: SCABBED. I do not like this as verb.

42. Capital east of Lake Victoria: NAIROBI. You might want to go, use this TRAVEL GUIDE.

43. Requested at a drive-thru: ORDERED.

46. Primer application: ONE COAT. Not necessarily. READ.

47. Wagner's "Die __": WALKURE. It is pronounced like Valkurey (Valkyrie) a gimme for our German speakers.

48. Lawyer to avoid: SHYSTER. More German: mid 19th century: origin uncertain; perhaps related to German Scheisser ‘worthless person.'

50. Clumsy one: OAF.

52. Big cat: PUMA. We have them in Florida. They are endangered,  they arecommonly known as the cougar, mountain lion, puma, panther, native to the Americas.

56. Old hat: DATED.

58. Religious leader: RABBI.

60. Prefix with industry: AGRO.

61. Unwavering: SURE.

62. Salt Lake daily, familiarly: TRIB. The daily TRIBUNE.

66. Realize: NET. How much profit did you realize?

Well, I profited from another entertaining Friday presentation from Roland and have enjoyed unraveling the theme - easy; the fill - not so much. Hope you all enjoyed and thanks for stopping by. Lemonade out.

Notes from C.C.:

I was not able to talk to Argyle yesterday. He is still out of it due to pain meds, but he's stable.

Several have asked me about where to send the get-well cards to Argyle, here is his home address. 

 
Argyle will be in the hospital for a few days, so Agnes (best wishes to your brother Jack!) helped me get the hospital address:

D. Scott Nichols
Saratoga Hospital

211 Church St.

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Thank you for your kindness, prayers and thoughts. I just cannot stop sobbing after learning his surgery.

Friday, March 9, 2018, Alex Bajcz

Title: Sounds like fun.

Alex B. makes his second 2018 appearance and his first Friday since his debut in 2013. That one also had sound alike fill. Here the premise is simple - one word in a known phrase is replaced with its homonym and clued for maximum comedic effect. Unlike some puzzles depending on pronunciation, there really should not be any regional complaints about the word choices. I enjoyed the choices and the rest of the puzzle.

20A. What Darwin did aboard the Beagle? : WRITE OF PASSAGE (14). RITE of passage,  a French term innovated by the ethnographer Arnold van Gennep in his work Les rites de passage, "The Rites of Passage." The Beagle is particularly notable for carrying the naturalist Charles Darwin on her second voyage. The voyage played a pivotal role in the formation of Darwin's scientific theories on evolution and natural selection. Wiki et al.

25A. London supermarket sections? : BRITISH AISLES (13). British ISLES birthplace of our Steve, Nicecuppa, Truebrit and others at the corner. There are MANY.

48A. Tie shoes professionally? : KNOT FOR PROFIT (13). NOT for profit, the silliest one. I suppose a manservant -valet - might be one who knots for profit.

55A. Lacking a critical watch-making supply? : OUT OF HOUR HANDS (14). Out of OUR hands, the most clever as you need both minute hands and hour hands to make an analog watch.

There is a boatload of sparkly fill, CHAFE AT,  LAFITTE , MODULES,  NOT NICE, AIR LANES, TEST RIDE, GREAT STUFF and ICE SKATING. Let us solve/

Across:

1. In need of mopping: SPILT. My childhood refrain from the sweet boys at school:
Hasten Jason, Get the basin. Oops slop, get the mop. There is more to the song.

6. Apple app mostly replaced by Messages: i CHAT. iChat is a discontinued instant messaging software application developed by Apple Inc. for use on its Mac OS X operating system

11. Clock std. : GST. Not sure about this one; maybe Greenwich Standard Time?

14. Some plankton: ALGAE. Yummy for a whale tummy.

15. Iconic Vivien Leigh role: O'HARA.

16. 2014 World Cup Final host: RIO. The site of the World Cup and the Olympics.

17. Bungles: GOOFS.

18. Stable moms: MARES. Really fun misdirection.

19. "What is THAT?" : EEK. A mouse. HMM.

23. Far from fresh: TRITE.

24. Reduced to crumbs, perhaps: EATEN.

30. Behaved like a lovestruck heart: RACED.

31. Lakeside temperature gauge? : TOE. Also useful in catching water mocassins.

32. End: STOP.

35. Love interest for WALL-E: EVE.

36. Word that may follow a president's name: ERA.

39. Carrier merged with Delta since 2010: NWA.

41. Game with Reverse cards: UNO. My grandmother loved playing cards, cribbage when I was young, and as she got older she fell in love with UNO.

42. '50s sitcom name: DESI. Arnaz.

44. Something to wrestle with: ARM. You want to WATCH.

46. Figure out: INFER.

52. Walking aid: STAFF. We have so many here with canes or sticks, including yours truly, I use
a collapsible tartan cane.

54. Distributed: DEALT.

60. Hitter's stat: RBI. Runs Batted In.

61. Sometimes plucked instrument: CELLO. Clecho- 8D. Plucked instrument: HARP.

62. Dorothy, to Em: NIECE. Aunty 'Em.

64. Common base: TEN.

65. Impulses: URGES.

66. Showman's talent: ECLAT. This back, can ELAN be far behind?

67. Braz. neighbor: ARGentina.

68. Flirt: TEASE.

69. "Voting Rights Trail" terminus: SELMA. Want to read this STORY.

Down:

1. Sink: SAG. Two weeks in a row.

2. Slam (into) : PLOW.

3. Movie lab helper: IGOR.

4. Battle of New Orleans pirate: LAFITTE.

                                                                          Laffite

5. Short Golf drive? : TEST RIDE. The Volkswagon model.

6. Insect with eyespots on its wings: IO MOTH. I hope John Lampkin stops by with insight.

7. Be irritated by: CHAFE AT.

9. Region: AREA.

10. Academic hanger : TASSEL. Cute clue.

11. "Nice work!" : GREAT STUFF.

12. Onslaught: SIEGE.

13. Symbolic yet insubstantial: TOKEN.

21. München cubes: EIS. Even in German it probably upsets Tin.

22. RSVP holders: SAES.  I know it as SASE. But I guess they are not providing any stamp.

25. Word after well or ill: BRED.

26. Techno club event: RAVE. I never understood the rave; wrong generation.

27. Winter recreation: ICE SKATING. I enjoyed the skating this year at the winter Olympics.

28. Solar wind particle: ION.

29. Use a needle: SEW.

33. R.E.M.'s "The __ Love" : ONE I.

34. Cargo pickup site: PORT.

37. Ubiquitous rodent: RAT. I hope not.

38. Warning sound, perhaps: ARF.

40. Southwest routes: AIRLANES. The Luv airline.

43. Recon target: INFO. I wanted INTEL.

45. Interchangeable components : MODULES.

47. Mean: NOT NICE.

49. Lumber remnant, in Liverpool: OFFCUT. Definition of offcut. chiefly British. : something that is cut off (such as a waste piece of lumber).

50. Ascended again: REROSE. Meh.

51. "Blast it!" : PAH. Definition: an exclamation used to express disgust or contempt.

52. Wavering word: SORTA.

53. Potato or yam: TUBER.

56. "Try this": HERE.

57. Contemporary of Nadia : OLGA. Korbut.

58. Computer giant: DELL.

59. In retrospect, it may have sounded too good to be true: SCAM. If it does it is.

63. SFO posting : ETA. Airport code for San Francisco.

Do not forget to change your clocks Sunday and enjoy the extra sunshine. At least those who live in sunny climes. Thank you Alex and all who read. Lemonade out.

Friday, March 2, 2018, David Alfred Bywaters

Title: Where have all the Ws gone, long time passing...

DAB is back with a letter removal puzzle. His reveal is more complicated as each "W" is part of a phrase that begins with "SW." Hence the reveal. This seems mostly easy for a Friday, but the consistency of the theme and having three grid-spanners makes it a thing of beauty. I enjoyed the long ones, with SINGING BOTH WAYS my favorite. The remaining fill was typical of a puzzle with 66 squares dedicated to theme with OPENHANDED,  SPARE TIRES, AVOIDED and EMBASSY the long ones, BRIBED and BROODS interesting ones.


17A. Ratting to the cops and carrying a tune? : SWINGING BOTH WAYS (15). Both kinds of Singing.

24A. Dupe gatherings? : SWAP MEETS (8). Where the pigeons are plucked.

39A. What rain may do to a bad toupee? : SWEEP UNDER THE RUG (15). Wonderful image of rain water on a bald man.

51A. Place to buy a chair? : SWEAT SHOP (8). Not a PC term.

62A. Cowboy outfit? : SWADDLING CLOTHES (15). A new born changes into a cowboy.

71A. Deli cheese ... or, in three parts, a hint to the five longest across puzzle answers: SWISS (5) you have to parse this as SW-IS-S. S replaces SW.

ACROSS:

1. Leftover bit in a basket: CRUMB. The bread basket.

6. Taken out by Buffy? : SLAIN. She was known as the SLAYER.

11. Farm home: STY. Two weeks in a row.

14. Lash LaRue's "Frontier Revenge,"e.g.: OATER. Since the stars of the movies were horses and they ate oats. Should be easy after Steve's write-up yesterday.


15. Critical circulation aid: AORTA. You know this as the main artery of the body, supplying oxygenated blood to the circulatory system. In humans it passes over the heart from the left ventricle and runs down in front of the backbone.

16. Op lead-in: PRE.

20. Chem. class suffix: IDE.

21. Buddy type: BOSOM.  Who recalls this career launching series?  LINK

22. Scots Gaelic: ERSE. Repeat. Along with 55A. Sounds of hesitation : ERS. No common link. Or maybe 35D. Romain de Tirtoff, famously : ERTE.

23. More than moist: WET.

27. Kept away from: AVOIDED.

31. National Grandparents' Day mo. : SEPT. The first Sunday after Labor Day. HISTORY.

32. Trumpet players? : LIPS. Lips are key to all wind instruments, I believe.

33. Regions : AREAS.

36. RN workplace : ICU. Intensive Care Unit.

43. Hold one's __ : OWN.

44. Cook in the oven : ROAST.

45. Walk unsteadily : REEL.

46. Prince in "Frozen" : HANS. Spoiler alert.

48. Diplomat's headquarters : EMBASSY.

56. Forearm part : ULNA. The outside bone, the radius is on the outside. I fractured my radius two years go.

57. Last European colony in Asia : MACAO. Macau also spelled Macao and officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory on the western side of the Pearl River estuary in East Asia. in 1887 the Portuguese finally managed to secure an agreement from China that Macao was Portuguese territory, ending 330 years of uncertainty. In 1999 it was handed over to China. Macau was the last extant European territory in continental Asia.

59. Dallas sch. : SMU. Southern Methodist University.

66. Consumed : ATE.

67. Like many squawkers : AVIAN. Birds.

68. Immerse completely : DOUSE. More water.

69. Nickname for Edward : NED.

70. Cruel sort: MEANY. Seems like a silly word.

Down:

1. "__ fan tutte": COSI.

2. Prohibition surprise : RAID.

3. __ Reader : UTNE.

4. Not much memory, these days : MEG.  I bought a computer for my sons in 1992. A "Portable" computer of the time period, something like a Compaq LTE weighed six pounds, which had a i386 CPU, a 9.5" display (smaller than the size of the iPad's) and VGA graphics (640x480). We are now up to Terrabytes.

5. Greased : BRIBED.

6. Droops : SAGS.

7. University of New Mexico team : LOBOS.

8. Kitchen drawer? : AROMA. A classic hidden heteronym misdirection, that which draws (entices) people to the kitchen.

9. U.S. manufacturer founded as a communications co. in 1920 : ITT.

10. "Don't think so!" : NAH.

11. Trunks often contain them : SPARE TIRES. As do many WalMart customers.

12. Private meeting : TRYST.

13. Approvals : YESES.

18. F-sharp, for one : NOTE. This clu/fill leavce me flat.

19. "Willow __ for Me": jazz standard : WEEP. The two Ws here are fine because they are not attached to an S.

23. Bit of smoke : WISP.

25. H.S. junior's exam : PSAT. Standardized tests for pratice.

26. Net fabric : MESH.

27. Too : ALSO.

28. Condo selling point : VIEW.

29. Generous : OPEN HANDED. Dictionary: 1(of a blow) delivered with the palm of the hand.
"an openhanded slap to the side of the face. " 2. giving freely; generous."openhanded philanthropy"

30. Duchamp genre : DADA. He was a true pioneer. LINK.

34. Legal thing : RES.

37. Parlor sticks : CUES. Billiard parlor.

38. Like some moods : UGLY.

40. Footed vases : URNS.

41. On-the-run bite : NOSH. One of many Yiddish terms incorpoated in our culture.

42. Big periods : ERAS.

47. The teensiest bit : A TAD.

49. Nourishment provider : MEAL.

50. Stews (over) : BROODS. Who does not love a great BROODING HERO.

51. 1940s-'60s top-10 girl's name that ranked 922nd in 2016 : SUSAN. Hi, Hahtoolah.

52. Thrill : ELATE. A favorite word of our fearless leader.

53. __ vincit amor : OMNIA. Love conquers all.

54. Certain polytheist : PAGAN. Pagan definition, (no longer in technical use) one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks.

58. Sch. in Harlem : CCNY. City College of New York.

59. Feng __ : SHUI. 2018 UPDATE.

60. Slob's production : MESS.

61. Versatility list : USES.

63. On the __: hiding : LAM. A CSO to John Lampkin.

64. "__ had it!" : I'VE.

65. Drag behind : TOW.


March has arrived, was a lamb or a lion where you live? Here it was still spring, perhaps a touch to warm, but the 60s are coming back. Thank you David and all who read and/or write. Lemonade out.

Friday, February 23, 2018, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: AS if!

 JW is back again with one of his specialties, the "add letters to known phrases" gimmick.  This time "AS" is added with a nice simple reveal. I am curious if you all are becoming so familiar with Jeffrey's style, that his Fridays do not seem as difficult as they once did.

 As with all of his puzzles, there are tricky clues, sparkly fill like: BRITON, BY AREA,  CITY JAIL, FROTHING,  GUTTURAL and OUTSTRIP. There also some very funny fill like JUMPING JACKASS and ALL BEASTS ARE OFF. The marvel of JW is that as he beats you up making the puzzle a challenge, his cluing and fill make you smile.

No more delay

17A. *Dog that really needs a bath? : GREASY HOUND (11). The base is GREYHOUND which is the outlier. It is only one word, and the basic meaning of hound stays the same.

22A. *Donkey that has mastered the hurdles? : JUMPING JACKASS (14). JUMPING JACKS were such an important part of the early exercise in my life.

32A. *Holiday employment schedule in "Animal Farm"? : ALL BEASTS ARE OFF (15). ALL BETS ARE OFF is a nice phrase similar to:

47A. *Offer to acquire a rising agent? : I'LL GET YOU YEAST (14). I'LL GET YOU YET.

55A. When required ... or a terse hint to solving the starred clues: AS NECESSARY (11). Literally "AS" is necessary to get the fill.

Across:

1. Med. recording: ECG. I fell for EKG first.

4. Type sizes: PICAS. When I began working, I knew pica and elite - that was all.

9. "__, then ... ": IF SO.

13. __ Post: Nassau County, N.Y. school: LIU. This the current incarnation of CW POST COLLEGE, named for the founder of Post Cereals, Postum coffee substitute and eventually General Foods. The family history is interesting and timely as his daughter, Marjorie Merryweather Post had Mar-a-Lago built.

14. Spectacle: ECLAT. Interesting to see in a puzzle along with 1D. Joie de vivre: ELAN.

15. Haunted house sound: WAIL.

16. Letters on a communications corp. logo: ATT. American Telephone and Telegraph.

19. The Gray Lady of the press: Abbr. : NYT. Our friend the New York Times.

20. Exile of 1979: AMIN. The last king of Scotland? He only ruled for 8 years.

21. Els on greens: ERNIE.

26. AB negative, among blood types: RAREST.

27. Cockpit no. : ALT. An abbreviation for Altimeter, or Altitude on a plane, but also for; Altbier, German beer; Alternate character, in online gaming; Alternate route, type of highway designation; Alternating group, mathematical concept; Alternative lifestyle; Alternative rock.

28. Prepared: SET.

29. Big Ben feature: DIAL.

30. Odysseus' faithful dog: ARGOS.  Sad tale; the dog waited 20 years for his master to come home and died when Odysseus returned.

39. Friend of d'Artagnan: ATHOS. Athos, Porthos, and Aramis.

40. Unsullied: PURE. They can attack.

41. One-fifth of MD: CCC. Roman math- 1500/5= 300.

44. Swindle: CON.

45. Any Beatle, say: BRITON. The name meaning a citizen or native of Great Britain was borrowed from the historic CELTIC BRITONS.

51. Give one final flicker: GO OUT.

52. Greatly reduced sea: ARAL. And its similar sounding: 50D. Range with one end in Kazakhstan: URALS.

53. Old possessive: THY.

58. Where Simone Biles won four golds: RIO.

59. Welsh actor Roger: REES. I knew this ACTOR first from Cheers.

60. Subway entrance: STILE.

61. Lake Mich. state: INDiana.

62. Criteria: Abbr. : STDS. Standards.

63. Thompson of "Creed": TESSA. She has been busy and they are filming CREED II

64. Org. with a tee in its logo: PGA. Not to be confused with the logo og the PGA Tour.

Down:

2. Lockup: CITY JAIL. In Florida, the Jails are mostly run by the County.

3. Throaty: GUTTURAL. What a fun word that came after I saw the G.

4. Hunter's need: PERMIT.

5. Trap during winter: ICE IN. This seemed like a stretch as a clue but variations have been used often. Newsday - Feb. 5, 2018; New York Times - Jan. 13, 2018; LA Times - Nov. 16, 2017; New York Times - July 29, 2017; USA Today - April 20, 2017; WSJ Daily - March 18, 2017; USA Today - March 11, 2017; Newsday - Feb. 12, 2017

6. Sound on some San Francisco streets: CLANG. The wonderful streetcars.

7. Small batteries: AAS. Instinctively put in AAA, but the perps changed my mind.

8. Muddy abode: STY.

9. "__ very hard, and ... play very hard": Maya Angelou: I WORK. She said, "I work very hard, and I play very hard. I'm grateful for life. And I live it - I believe life loves the liver of it. I live it."

10. Regional animal groups : FAUNAS. Flora and fauna.

11. "Forrest Gump" actor : SINISE. Lieutenant Dan.

12. Most stale: OLDEST. News, not just bread.

17. Voids: GAPS.

18. Bully: HECTOR. verb (used with object); definition 4.(lowercase) to treat with insolence; bully; torment: The teacher hectored his students incessantly.

23. __ toast: MELBA. Melba toast is a dry, crisp and thinly sliced toast often served with soup and salad or topped with either melted cheese or pâté. It is named after Dame Nellie Melba, the stage name of Australian opera singer Helen Porter Mitchell. The toast was created for her by chef and fan Auguste Escoffier, who also created the Peach Melba dessert for her. The hotel proprietor César Ritz supposedly named it in a conversation with Escoffier

24. Baby food array: JARS.

25. Bit of aquatic life: ALGA. A bit is accurate.

26. Nutritional fig. : RDA. Recommended Daily Allowance.

30. Cadillac compact: ATS.

31. Hue of many Renaissance drawings: SEPIA. Sepia is a reddish-brown color, named after the rich brown pigment derived from the ink sac of the common cuttlefish Sepia.The word sepia is the Latinized form of the Greek σηπία, sēpía, cuttlefish (wiki).


33. Long list substitute, briefly: ETC ETC. This was tricky as Et cetera did not fit.

34. "Cat on __ Tin Roof": A HOT. Tennessee Williams.

35. Xperia maker: SONY. My step-son who works selling cell phones has this one.

36. Best: OUTSTRIP. Definition synonyms: go faster than, outrun, outdistance, outpace, leave behind, get (further) ahead of, lose.

37. Causing to foam: FROTHING;

38. Marshy expanse: FEN. Very popular in Great Britain and British mysteries.

41. Pleasures shared by Churchill and Castro: CIGARS.

42. It might be stuffed at home: CLOSET.

43. Like one who is beside oneself? : CLONED. A very fun Friday misdirection clue.

45. How land prices are often calculated: BY AREA.

46. Lean (on): RELY.

48. Stab: GUESS. This was my method.

49. Refreshing spot: OASIS.

54. Small figure wielding much force? : YODA.

56. Del. winter hrs. : EST. Hey Bluehen.

57. Jeanne d'Arc, e.g.: Abbr. : STE. French for a female saint.

Another Friday done and done. Thank you, JW. Next time, we will be in March. Thank you all.

The above is the picture I was try to link from google albums, yesterday.
 

Note from C.C.:

Happy 79th Birthday to Keith Fowler (Ol' Man Keith), who's been with our blog since 2009. Dear Keith is the longest-living Fowler on record.

  This picture is more recent.