Sunday November 4, 2018 Mark McClain

Theme:  "Alphabetical Order" - AB, CD, EF.... YZ starts each them entry.

22. First-aid kit brand: ACE BANDAGE.

24. Reprimanded: CALLED DOWN.

36. Liz Taylor's husband before Richard Burton: EDDIE FISHER.

39. One whose mouth shouldn't be examined?: GIFT HORSE.

56. Disloyal crimes: INSIDE JOBS.

62. One of three planetary motion principles: KEPLER'S LAW.

70. Raised a ruckus, say: MADE NOISE.

80. Source of zest: ORANGE PEEL.

84. What a texter usually expects: QUICK REPLY.

99. Donut ... or the consequence of eating too many of them?: SPARE TIRE.

104. Car on craigslist: USED VEHICLE.

118. Ways to detect fractured trapeziums: WRIST X-RAYS.

120. Restricted parking area, perhaps: YELLOW ZONE.

Quite often constructors can move theme entries around in the gridding process. Not today's grid though. AB/CD/... YZ dictated the strict order and put lots of pressure on Mark in his designing and filling process.

Except the middle M* N*, all the other entries are placed in the same row separated by one black square.  This makes the theme gimmick easy to spot visually.

Across:

1. "College Football Live" channel: ESPNU.

6. Apple-order link: PIE.

9. Turner's device: LATHE. Turn-er.

14. Start-the-day ABC talk show, familiarly: GMA.

17. Govt. red tape reduction: DEREG. Deregulation.

18. Parched: ARID.

20. Burger add-on: ONION. I only like green onions.

21. Smooth, in a way: IRON.

26. More achy: SORER.

27. Harassed impertinently: HECKLED.

29. "Bolero" composer: RAVEL.

30. Palais resident: ROI. Palace.

32. Piece of land: TRACT.

34. Antipoverty agcy.: OEO. Office of Economic Opportunity.

35. "__ was I?": WHERE.

43. "__ there, done that!": BEEN.

44. Blowhard: GAS BAG.

46. NYC area above Houston Street: NOHO. North of Houston Street.

47. Nickname usually related to hair color: RED.

50. Drew __, Patriots' quarterback before Brady: BLEDSOE. Unknown to me.

52. Upscale retailer: SAKS.

64. Menlo Park initials: TAE. Thomas Alva Edison.

65. Opera outburst: BRAVO.

66. Green-lights: OKS.

67. __ Sketch: ETCH-A.

68. Ward (off): STAVE.

74. Song of worship: PSALM.

75. Indulge: HUMOR.

76. U.N. workers' agcy.: ILO. International Labour Organization.

77. Slow, on scores: LENTO.

79. Humdinger: PIP.

86. N.C. neighbor: TENN.

87. "Sacré bleu!" kin: MON DIEU. My god.

89. Extra NHL periods: OTS.

90. To the __: maximally: HILT.

91. Himalayan native: SHERPA.

95. Small cells: AAAS.

107. Jazz pianist Chick: COREA.

108. Can cover: LID.

110. Shop: STORE.

111. La. neighbor: TEX. Texas Tom. Chicago Tom. That's how Boomer and I discuss our two Toms at home.

112. One on a trail: HIKER.

113. Song title words before "for Miles": I CAN SEE.

116. Connection points: NODES.

124. Top-drawer: A ONE.

125. Nemo's creator: VERNE.

126. Falco of "The Sopranos": EDIE.

127. Words of domination: I RULE.

128. Waze ways: Abbr.: STS. Waze is the GPS navigation app. So sorry you missed the annual lunch, Agnes!

129. Dot in the ocean: ISLET.

130. Pampering place: SPA.

131. Components of fences: GATES.

Down:

1. Author LeShan: EDA.

2. Bama's conf.: SEC.

3. Act the chair: PRESIDE.

4. Mount from which Moses saw the Promised Land: NEBO.

5. Lorre's "Casablanca" role: UGARTE.

6. Two-time British Open champ Harrington: PADRAIG. Gimme for me.

7. Keogh plan rel.: IRA.

8. Pizzas slices, commonly: EIGHTHS.

9. Age of Reason philosopher: LOCKE.

10. Not digital: ANALOG.

11. Shower wall item: TILE. We'll probably cave in to Plumb Right to fix the bathtub and the tiles sometime next year. 

12. Hang onto: HOLD.

13. OKC-to-Tulsa dir.: ENE.

14. Muppet prone to eschewing contractions: GROVER

15. Lawn machines: MOWERS.

16. Shakers founder: ANN LEE.

19. Not a good mark: DEE.

21. Sun Valley state: IDAHO.

23. Soft toy brand: NERF.

25. BBC time traveler: DR WHO.

28. Reef material: CORAL.

30. Hoops stat.: REB. OK, rebound.

31. Tribute in verse: ODE.

33. Breakaway nation: Abbr.: CSA.

37. Crucifix letters: INRI. Latin for "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews".

38. Pulls back: EBBS.

40. Brit. police rank: INSP.

41. Trick: FOOL.

42. "... I __ wed": THEE.

45. "Wall Street" antagonist: GEKKO (Gordon)  48. Stefan of tennis: EDBERG.  53. Li'l Abner drawer: AL CAPP. 54. Poet Gibran: KAHLIL. A bit name heavy in a few Down spots.

49. __ Spiegel: German magazine: DER.

51. Arnaz-Ball studio: DESILU.

52. Bygone boomers: SSTS.

55. Like England's "the Fens": SWAMPY.

56. "Turn on the AC!": IT'S HOT.

57. Mother __: NATURE.

58. Low naval rank: SEAMAN. Our Spitzboov retired as a Commander.

59. Fruity spread: JAM.

60. Egg cells: OVA.

61. Able or full follower: BODIED.

63. Think tank output: REPORT.

66. Tokyo-born Yoko: ONO.

69. World Cup skiing champ Lindsey: VONN. Born here in St. Paul.

71. Perry of fashion: ELLIS.

72. Due times tre: SEI. 2 times 3.

73. Bus. letter insert: ENC.

78. Ref's call: TKO.

81. Send forth: EMIT.

82. __ sci: POLI.

83. __'acte: ENTR.

84. Q&A part, briefly: QUES.

85. Morales of "Jericho": ESAI.

88. Israeli prime ministers Barak and Olmert: EHUDS. And 101. Acting father and son: ARKINS.

90. Ticker: HEART.

92. Works on a lawn: RESEEDS.

93. Calif. summer hrs.: PDT.

94. "Anne of Green Gables" setting: AVONLEA.

96. Pantomimes: ACTS OUT.

97. Pub pint, perhaps: ALE.

98. __ symbol: SEX.

99. Pair in "awaken": SCHWAS. The two vowel sounds.

100. "Little grey cells" detective: POIROT.

102. Piece maker?: REESE.

103. Funny Boosler: ELAYNE.

105. Buck back?: EROO. Buckeroo.

106. Harry Potter's owl: HEDWIG.

109. Map within a map: INSET.

113. More than annoys: IRES.

114. Poet Sandburg: CARL.

115. Hurricane feature: EYE.

117. Cornell founder Cornell: EZRA.

119. Driving age in old Rome?: XVI. Drive a chariot.

121. Gloss target: LIP.

122. Div. with Braves: NLE. NL East.

123. Some RPI grads: EES.

Boomer struggles with this back brace. We'll see if his doctor has other options early next week. We're also going to meet with the radiation oncologist next Friday for a consultation. Hopefully the radiation can start the week after.

C.C.

Tuesday, Oct 23, 2018 Mark McClain

"Beef.  It's What's For Dinner"

18. Controversial coal-extraction method: STRIP MINING.

24. Dues-paying participant: CLUB MEMBER.

40. Broadside accidents: T-BONE COLLISIONS.

50. Format for some tournaments: ROUND ROBIN.

61. Meal suggested by the starts of four long answers: STEAK DINNER.

Yesterday, Ed Sessa had high on the hog, and today Mark brings us ideas for a steak dinner.  Unless you live high on the hog, be prepared for "sticker shock" if  you want to eat at some of these  restaurants on Zagat's 2018 List of Best Steakhouses in Chicago.  We know Bill G would agree to steak.  Prime Rib and Rib Eye would be my favorite cuts.  What cuts do you prefer ?

Across:

1. Colorist's concern: HUE.

4. Light brown pear: BOSC.

8. Hillary Clinton, née __: RODHAM.

14. Horace's "__ Poetica": ARS.  The Art of Poetry as written by Roman poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus

15. "The Mammoth Hunters" author Jean: AUEL. "Jean Marie Auel is an American writer who wrote the Earth's Children books, a series of novels set in prehistoric Europe that explores human activities during this time, and touches on the interactions of Cro-Magnon people with Neanderthals." - Wikipedia

16. Low-scoring tie: ONE ONE. Nil Nil would be a no-scoring tie.

17. Big wheel, briefly: VIP.

20. Wine lover's prefix: OENO.  Reds with boeuf.

22. Sport shown on TV Japan: SUMO.

23. Beer extraction gadget: TAP. 

27. Spanish lady: DONA.  Lucina explained the nuance of dama and doña to us about a week ago.

30. Acquire: GET.

31. Isle of Arthurian legend: AVALON.  And a Toyota.   Avalon is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend, fitting it in with Toyota's tradition of naming their sedans the word for "crown" in various languages (Crown, Corona, Camry, Corolla), types of crowns (Tiara), or other things associated with royalty (Scepter). - Wikipedia.

33. Woodland deity: SATYR.

36. Developmental insect stage: LARVA.

39. Luau accessory: LEI.

43. A, in Augsburg: EIN.  Una, in Acapulco.

44. Small stores: SHOPS.

45. Rather nasty: SNIDE.

46. "__ Fideles": carol: ADESTE.


48. Corrode, with "away": EAT.

49. Macy's section, e.g.: Abbr.: DEPT.

57. "__ y Plata": Montana motto: ORO.   Gold and Silver.

59. Bit of talk show self-promotion: PLUG. 

60. Opal of the comics, to Earl Pickles: WIFE.

65. Deli salmon: LOX.

66. Philadelphia campus: TEMPLE. Temple University.  Their sports teams, like Rice, are the Owls.

67. Building lot unit: ACRE.

68. __-ray Disc: BLU.

69. Volkswagen family car: PASSAT.

70. Rough file: RASP.

71. Some ER cases: ODs.  Over Dose cases.

Down:

1. Wreaked condition: HAVOC.  Also, recently in the news from the folks at NASA:

Project Summary

2. One of the archangels: URIEL.

3. College sports channel: ESPNU.

4. Music majors' degs.: BAs. Bachelor of Art degrees.

5. First stage: OUTSET.

6. Blood bank supply: SERUM.

7. Upward trek: CLIMB.

8. Film genre prefix with com: ROM. Ranking the best RomComs of all time...

9. Words after work or sleep: ON IT.

10. "Gracias" response: DE NADA.  Thank you /  You are welcome.

11. Common people: HOI POLLOI.

12. Raggedy doll: ANN.

13. Eldest of the "Little Women": MEG.

19. Author of eerie stories: POE. Edgar Allen.

21. Delivery MD: OBGYN.

25. Least: MEREST.

26. Shankar on the sitar: RAVI.

28. Interminably: NO END.

29. Ouzo flavoring: ANISE.


32. Poughkeepsie campus: VASSAR.  One of the "Seven Sisters", Vassar became coed in 1969.

33. Place: STEAD. In his place...  in his stead...  

34. Put up with: ABIDE.

35. Symphonic stories: TONE POEMS.  Never saw this clue / answer when solving.  Looked it up. 13 Symphonic Poems Every Classical Music Lover Should Listen To

 36. British john: LOO.

37. European peak: ALP.

38. Dr. Jekyll creator's monogram: RLS. Robert Louis Stevenson at Britannica.com

41. "Burlesque" co-star: CHER. née Cherilyn Sarkisian, aka "The Goddess of Pop".

42. Being hauled to the garage: IN TOW.

47. Sundress features: STRAPS.

48. Lawn maintenance tools: EDGERS. My leaf blower broke the other day.  Had to replace it quickly.  So many leaves.  I can relate with Hondo about "chasing leaves."   Was surprised to learn that leaf blowers are banned in many localities in California.    

51. Maker of Cajun Shrimp nail polish: OPI.  Thank you perps.  Never heard of it.  A California company that was originally a dental supply company.  Since 2010, a subsidiary of Coty, Inc.

52. Like the "funny bone" nerve: ULNAR.

53. Never, in Nogales: NUNCA.  Niemals, in Nuremberg.

54. "The Hobbit" hero: BILBO.  Baggins.  So much detail at Tolkien Gateway

55. Bluffed-out words, perhaps: I FOLD.

56. Connection: NEXUS.

58. Sooner St.: OKLA.  Boomer Sooners.  And a CSO to Anonymous -T and his eldest as collegians.

61. Car care brand: STP.  Lesser known as Scientifically Treated Petroleum, marketed in advertisements as "The Racer's Edge". 

62. Pot contents: TEA.

63. Police rank: Abbr.: DET.  Detective.

64. Weight-training unit: REP.  Repetition. 

Sunday September 16, 2018 Mark McClain

Theme: "Marked Down" - C is changed into D in each theme entry.

 22. Silo in a rural valley?: DELL TOWER. Cell tower. Tiny dupe with 104. Biological unit: CELL.

27. A+ for a struggling student?: AMAZING GRADE. Amazing Grace.

41. Neat places to get beers?: DANDY BARS. Candy bars.

46. Nightmare?: SOUR DREAM. Sour cream.

62. Terse Supreme Court decision for lions?: THE PRIDE IS RIGHT. The Price is Right.

80. Challenge from an ex-president?: OBAMA DARE. ObamaCare.

83. Southern tavern accents?: PUB DRAWLS. Pub crawl.

100. Wall Street bear?: SHARE DROPPER. Share cropper.

108. Classic audiophile's equipment, and a hint to eight long puzzle answers: CD CHANGER.

Some letter changes happen with the first letter of the first word, some first letter of the last word. Some in the middle, but no odd man out. A nice mix.

Also, Marks allows no straying C's in his theme entry choices. An extra layer of elegance.

Across:

1. Archaeologist's find: TOMB. Some of you have been to my hometown Xi'an and said hello to these terracotta warriors.

5. "Fire" crawlers: ANTS.

9. Cartoon explosion word: BLAM. Not WHAM.

13. Trickster: SCAMP.

18. Where the iris is: UVEA.

19. Country dance: REEL.

20. German camera: LEICA. Also 8. Camera initials: SLR. Olympus was the only brand used in my Pinkerton days.

21. Trilateral trade deal: NAFTA.

24. Allegro __: very fast, in scores: ASSAI.

25. Like some statues at night: UP-LIT.

26. Surrounded: ENCLOSED.

29. Opposing teams: FOES.

30. __ chin: CLEFT.

31. Like a sudoku solution: LOGICAL.

32. Allergic reaction: ACHOO.

35. "A Writer's Life" writer: TALESE.

37. What a red handset icon may end: CALL. This is sweet.

38. Ought to: SHOULD.

40. Humongous: VAST.

48. Authenticity on the street: CRED.

49. Pound or stone: UNIT.

50. Bier chiller: EIS. Beer. Ice.

51. Police dept. rank: SGT.

52. Place for an updo: SALON.

54. Ancient temple complex: KARNAK. And 47. 54-Across' land: EGYPT.

56. Grab the tab: TREAT.

59. Alma mater of Clinton and Ford, briefly: YALE LAW.

61. Marina sights: VESSELS.

65. House Speaker before Pelosi: HASTERT. Still in prison, right? Wiki says "Notwithstanding his conviction, Hastert continues to receive his congressional pension, which amounts to about $73,000 a year."

68. Actress O'Hara: MAUREEN.

69. Position paper, e.g.: ESSAY.

73. Many have pins at one end: ALLEYS. Boomer's favorite places.

74. Kunta in "Roots": KINTE.

75. Prefix with warrior: ECO.

77. Animation letters: CGI.

78. In a trice: SOON.

79. Rides the bench: SITS.

86. Texas' __ Duro Canyon: PALO. One of our three T's might be there: Tom (TTP), Tom (D-Otto) and Tony.

88. Grimm girl: GRETEL.

89. Tied: EVEN.

90. Afghans' neighbors: TAJIKS. Scrabbly fill.

92. Inspected prior to a job: CASED.

93. Bellamy's sister on "The 100": OCTAVIA. Unknown to me.

97. Underworld figure: SATAN.

98. Military sch.: ACAD.

102. How Albee's "The Zoo Story" is written: IN ONE ACT.

106. Grammatical separator: COMMA.

107. Senator Hatch: ORRIN. Longest-serving Republican senator.

109. Adrien of cosmetics: ARPEL.

110. Misleading move: FEINT.

111. Greeting from Kermit: HI HO.

112. Marginal mark: DELE.

113. Good __: enjoyable books: READS. Hahtoolah reads and reviews. 

114. Fictional navigator Phileas: FOGG.

115. Negotiation obstacles: EGOS.

116. Note recipient, at times: SELF.

Down:

1. Arrogance, in slang: TUDE. Attitude.

2. Range feature: OVEN.

3. Sporty Spice, familiarly: MEL C.

4. Cause of a walk: BALL FOUR. I read this book at a card show ages ago.

5. Came up: AROSE.

6. Most recently made: NEWEST.

7. Aggravated, with "off": TEED.

9. "Take care!": BE SAFE.

10. "Hungarian Rhapsodies" composer: LISZT.

11. Palm tree berry: ACAI. Trade Joe's has acai puree pack. You can make your own acai bowl.

12. Most of Italy, to 14-Down residents: MAINLAND. 14. See 12-Down: CAPRI.

13. Warm and cozy: SNUGGLY.

15. Company with a quacking mascot: AFLAC.

16. Crete peak: Abbr.: MT IDA.

17. Pi __, "Life of Pi" hero: PATEL. Unknow to me also.

20. Least plausible: LAMEST.

23. Ineligible for kiddie rides: TOO OLD.

27. Bass et al.: ALES.

28. Miner's find: GOLD. And 30. Digger's find: CLAM.

32. Strength: ASSET.

33. Group in a loft: CHOIR.

34. Casino, to gamblers: HOUSE.

36. Gamer's game face: AVATAR. Nice "game face".

37. City near Le Havre: CAEN. OK, let's see.

39. MASH staff: DRS.

41. Nod off: DROWSE.

42. Pops, as a bubble: BURSTS.

43. Last Stuart queen: ANNE.

44. Iranian dough: RIAL. The only Iranian dough I know. Never had the real Iranian dough or any Iranian food. This looks delicious.

45. NYSE listings: STKS. Stocks. We also have 72. Investor's concern: YIELD.

48. Missouri senator McCaskill: CLAIRE. What a fast-changing word. Eric Greitens once was so promising. 

52. Most squad cars: SEDANS.

53. Alaskan native: ALEUT.

54. Stout container: KEG.

55. US Open stadium namesake: ASHE.

57. Make it to: ATTEND.

58. Unnamed persons: THEY.

60. Caps: LIMITS.

61. Ground cover plant also called periwinkle: VINCA. Gimme for our Master Gardener Katie (TTP's wife). I did not know this.

63. Hesitant sounds: ERS.

64. Nike rival: REEBOK.

65. Padlock hardware: HASP.

66. Matty with a .307 lifetime batting average: ALOU. Thank you, ALOU, A-ROD and SOSA.

67. Unkempt sort: SLOB.

70. Skedaddles: SCATS.

71. Match: AGREE.

74. Firing device: KILN.

76. Texter's "Holy cow!": OMG. I only learned that the other day that the two T's in Tostitos' logo stand for two people. The dot above the i is a bowl of salsa.

79. Really quit: SWEAR OFF.

80. "Chocolat" co-star: OLIN.

81. Mystical secrets: ARCANA.

82. Lost driver's disappointments: DEAD ENDS.

84. Exposes: REVEALS.

85. Intensely supportive: AVID.

86. Unmistakable: PATENT.

87. Cracked a bit: AJAR.

90. Sealing, as a package: TAPING.

91. Don Quixote's squire __ Panza: SANCHO.

93. Grumpy Muppet: OSCAR.

94. Task list entry: CHORE.

95. Buccaneers' home: TAMPA.

96. Dangerous companion?: ARMED. Armed and dangerous.

97. Thyme bit: SPRIG.

99. Pacific salmon: COHOS.

101. Nabisco bite: OREO.

102. "With ya so far": I DIG.

103. Tommie of the 1969 Miracle Mets: AGEE.

105. Not kosher: TREF. Learned from doing crossword. The Islamic equivalent HARAM, meaning not halal (kosher).

108. Role in "Evita": CHE.

So glad to hear AnonymousPVX and Jinx in Norfolk are safe and sound. Shout-out to Brad Niven, another faithful LAT crossword solver. Brad lives in Winston Salem. Looks like another day of  heavy rain and gusty wind in his area.

Happy Birthday to dear D-Otto, who has generously helped me and this blog over the years. I rely heavily on Tom for puzzle theme/fill feedback. It's always a good idea to discard ideas and entries if they don't fly with him, unless I'm really desper-C.C. I also turn to Tom for rants or life guidance. He has this amazing ability to make complicated things easy for me to understand, from computer program to supplemental policy to comfort height toilet. I can't imagine our little corner without your wicked humor, empathy and patience, Tom, thanks for being you!

D-Otto (Tom)

Sunday June 17th, 2018 Mark McClain

Theme: "Audible Sighs" - Different "Sigh" sounds start the second word in each them entry.

23A. Therapeutic specialty: CHILD PSYCHOLOGY.

41A. Geology, for one: EARTH SCIENCE.

68A. Antique tool hung on some pub walls: ENGLISH SCYTHE. New term to me. Looks like this.

94A. Clapboard: WOODEN SIDING. I thought this is a clapboard.

118A. Result of too much speed, perhaps: TRAFFIC CITATION.

36D. Span before a spin: RINSE CYCLE.

46D. Musical based on "Madama Butterfly": MISS SAIGON.

Such a comprehensive list of "Sigh" sounds. English is crazy at times. So many different spellings.

I don't think Mark missed any. Let us know in the Comments section if any other entry comes to your mind.

Across:

1. Criticize harshly: BASH. Not SLAM.

5. Literary captain: AHAB.

9. "Quo __": 1951 film: VADIS.

14. Dome opening?: ASTRO. Astrodome. Who hit the first home run there?

19. High school outbreak: ACNE.

20. 2017 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Rebecca __: LOBO. Gimme for PK and Hondo.

21. Memoir featuring Ike: I TINA.

22. Sharpening tool: STROP.

26. Ageless pitcher Satchel: PAIGE. His secret was hot shower. Open the pores, D-Otto!

27. Keyed up: HYPER.

28. Cadillac SUV: ESCALADE.

29. Pulled without warning: JERKED.

30. Energy restoration source: NAP. Used to take naps in college days.

32. Moon goddess: SELENE.

33. Spares for Venus: RACKETS.

34. Balcony barrier: PARAPET.

38. Hamilton's prov.: ONT.

39. Clark of DC Comics: KENT.

40. See 83-Across: ALI. And 83. With 40-Across, boxer with a 24-0 lifetime record: LAILA.

45. "Let's get crackin'!": C'MON.

49. Feeling that may remind you of food: PANG. Hunger pang.

51. Seldom seen: RARE.

52. First name in cosmetics: ESTEE.

53. Actor in "Going in Style" (2017): CAINE (Michael). Unaware of the movie.

54. Balance sheet item: ASSET.

56. Have an objection: MIND.

58. Will beneficiaries: HEIRESSES. This was a best seller.

60. "Born Free" lioness: ELSA.

62. Come to the surface: ARISE.

65. Plops down: PARKS IT.

66. __ fly: RBI producer: SAC.

72. Leaky tire sound: SSS.

73. Watch cover: CRYSTAL.

75. Blue Grotto isle: CAPRI.

76. 1986 Starship chart-topper: SARA.

78. Entertainment icons: ROCK STARS.

81. Yuletide: NOEL.

86. Kate's TV mate: ALLIE. Kate and Allie.

87. '60s Van Dyke co-star: MOORE.‎ Mary Tyler Moore‎.

90. Potter's supply: CLAY.

92. "The Ghost of Frankenstein" role: YGOR.

93. Argued, as a case: PLED.

97. O'er and o'er: OFT.

98. High hair style: POUF.

99. Letters before F?: TGI.

100. Signs a new lease for: RE-RENTS. Also 121. Fix, as laces: RE-TIE.

102. Rain and snow: WEATHER.

106. Lopped: PRUNED.

109. Wye follower, in Wye: ZED. Wiki points to Wye, Kent. Never heard of it.

110. Frills: EXTRAS.

111. Quarantines: ISOLATES.

113. Little rows: TIFFS. We just had RAISE A RUCKUS.

117. Farm units: ACRES.

120. Queen of France: REINE.

122. Dig it: HOLE.

123. One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters": OLGA. The other two are Masha and Irina.

124. Blind parts: SLATS.

125. Like items in potpourri: Abbr.: ASSTD. Assorted.

126. Retired slugger, familiarly: A-ROD. The couple is J-Rod. Also 25. MLB's Angels, in sportscasts: HALOS.

127. Sore throat sign: RASP.

Down:

1. "Goldberg Variations" composer: BACH.

2. In some pain: ACHY.

3. Little cut: SNIP.

4. Capital near the Great Divide: HELENA. Never been to Montana.

5. The Zugspitze, e.g.: ALP.

6. Swindle, in slang: HOSE.

7. Deep space: ABYSS.

8. Italian ball game: BOCCE. Or BOCCI.

9. Reason for an R rating: VIOLENCE.

10. Legendary island: ATLANTIS. Sunk into the Atlantic Ocean, right?

11. Simple semiconductor: DIODE.

12. "Bus Stop" playwright: INGE.

13. For example: SAY.

14. Point of view: ASPECT.

15. Desolate: STARK.

16. Tot's transport: TRIKE.

17. Name synonymous with synonyms: ROGET.

18. Slanted columns: OP-EDS.

24. Hang loosely: DRAPE.

29. Lily's "Grace and Frankie" co-star: JANE. Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda.

31. Fruit cocktail fruit: PEAR.

33. Requirement for many returns: RECEIPT. Gift return.

34. Storybook bear: PAPA.

35. Start of a sad tale: ALAS.

37. Mine car: TRAM.

39. Support for a proposal: KNEE.

42. Court event: TRIAL. Boomer has seen all episodes of "Law & Order".

43. Matisse at an easel: HENRI.

44. Ordinal suffix: ETH.

45. Ale vessel: CASK.

47. "__ the loneliest number": ONE IS.

48. Pads in trees: NESTS.

50. Gooey stuff: GEL.

53. Breakfast in a box: CEREAL. Classic American invention. I was stunned by the cereal aisle when I first came here.

55. African threat: TSETSE.

57. __ golf: DISC.

59. Pep squad syllables: RAHS.

61. Med. school class: ANAT.

63. Doo-wop syllable: SHA.

64. "Baseball Tonight" network: ESPN.

66. Abandon, as a plan: SCRAP.

67. On __: hot: A ROLL.

69. Women's magazine since 1939: GLAMOUR.

70. Spring bloomers: CROCI. Right now, you can see Yellow Rocket in the open fields near where we live. We once tried to move some to our garden, but the ground was too hard.

71. Investor's concern: YIELD.

74. Factory platform: SKID.

77. Charles of R&B: RAY.

79. Overhead expense?: ROOF. Cute clue.

80. Landscaper's supply: SOD.

82. Home in the woods: LAIR.

84. Golf club spec: LOFT.

85. Theater and dance: ARTS.

88. Update equipment, in a way: RETROFIT.

89. Swamped: ENGULFED.

91. Santa __ Valley: California wine region: YNEZ.

94. Things to worry about: WOES.

95. Asian peninsula: SINAI.

96. Scacchi of cinema: GRETA. Learning moment for me.

98. Full moon and terrible twos: PHASES.

101. Daily bigwig: EDITOR.

102. Sports: WEARS.

103. Stand out in a field: EXCEL.

104. Central courtyards: ATRIA.

105. Reznor of Nine Inch Nails: TRENT.

106. H.S. exams: PSATS.

107. __ Sketch: ETCH A.

108. Indoor design: DECOR.

111. Ticks off: IRES. Not a word I use.

112. Corn Belt sight: SILO.

114. Nike competitor: FILA. This pair looks quite comfy.

115. Obfuscates: FOGS.

116. Button alternative: SNAP. Cookie.

118. Refrain syllable: TRA.

119. Generic Guy in "Dilbert": TED.

C.C.

Thursday, June 7th 2018 Mark McClain

Theme: Round in Circles - things that revolve are nattily revealed by an appropriate agent - the circles.

Clockwise from the NE we have

WINDMILL

CAROUSEL

THE EARTH and

HULA HOOP (The P is missing its circle from the grid below, but not from the puzzle itself).

and the reveal:

40A. How the things in the circled letters go: AROUND AND AROUND. The wheels on the bus ....

Now I've got that ear worm stuck in your heads ... good effort from Mark. The eight-letter progressions all start at the same place in the "wheel", the fill is nice with some fresh entries: OLLIE and SICK BURN! are nods to the yutes ("What's a yute?" My Cousin Vinnie) and some trickery-pokery making a nice Thursday work-out.

Lets explore:

Across:

1. Disheveled: MUSSY. Many will have had MESSY. I like MUSSY, as in having your hair mussed.

6. __ 180: skateboarding trick: OLLIE. Of course, I do these every day. Not! I tried skateboarding way back when but I just didn't have the balance for it. I couldn't even stand still on one.

11. Piqued: IN A HUFF. The other meaning is "stimulated" as in "he piqued my interest".

14. Maximally moist: DEWIEST

16. Star name meaning "she-goat" in Latin: CAPELLA

17. Weather-changing currents: EL NIÑOS

18. Footless creature: APOD. Footless MP4 player: iPOD.

19. Snorkeling spots: ATOLLS

21. Letters after Sen. Schumer's name: D-NY Democrat -  New York, naturally. Nice bit of trickery this, as the answer could have been, but wasn't, DEM.

22. Eponymous brewer Bernhard: STROH. There's a quite significant memorial to the gentleman in Detroit. He and his German compatriots revolutionized the brewing industry in the US.

24. Adjust one's sights: RE-AIM

26. Assurance on certain menus: NO MSG. As the great food writer Jeffrey Steingarten asked: "If MSG is so bad for you, why doesn't everyone in Asia have a headache?".

29. Uzbek neighbor: TAJIK. These are the languages of the people (Uzbekis, Tajiks) in the countries Uzbekistan and Tajikstan.

33. Name prefix for "son of": MAC

36. Settled: REPAID

39. U.N. chief after Boutros: KOFI. Kofi Annan who held the post from 1997 to 2006. He told stories about being mistaken for Morgan Freeman.

43. Withdraw gradually: WEAN

44. Actor Estevez: EMILIO

45. Hot __: ROD

46. Numerical relationship: RATIO

48. Citrus cuttings: ZESTS

50. Red pool ball: THREE. I don't play a lot of pool, but I knew it had to be the three or the seven. I'm pretty sure everyone knows that the eight ball is black.

53. Bay of Naples isle: CAPRI

57. [Shrug]: MEH. Oh, those kids of today, making up words and all. It's like English is a living language. *grumble*

60. Beer mug with a hinged lid: SEIDEL. I don't think I knew this. Mr. Stroh would have known.

63. Believability, briefly: CRED. Almost always with his buddy "street".

64. Device that builds six-packs?: AB TONER. Tried AB ROLLER and ran out of space.

66. Admonish: REPROVE

68. Like some sports contract clauses: NO-TRADE. Usually at the request of the player, a clause is inserted in the contract stipulating that the player cannot be traded without his or her consent.

69. Jumps to conclusions: ASSUMES

70. "Hop __": Dr. Seuss book: ON POP

71. Young salmon: SMOLT

Down:

1. Flaky minerals: MICAS. Not TALCS then?

2. Not suitable: UNAPT

3. Quality that affects taste: SAPOR. You'd be tempted by "SAVOR" when you had most of the letters in place. I was. I resisted.

4. Sprinkle with hair, cat-style: SHED ON. "Sprinkle" doesn't seem quite accurate in describing the process, but it'll do.

5. Brynner of "The Ten Commandments": YUL. He came a long way, literally. He was born in Vladivostok.

6. Takes full responsibility: OWNS IT

7. Full deck in old Rome?: LII. Fifty-two cards in a full deck of cards. Roman ones were carved out of marble and were very heavy. You had to train with the Roman army for two years before you were strong enough to play bridge.

8. Allow to use: LEND

9. Airs: IS ON. It took me a while to parse this one out.

10. Crafter's website: ETSY

12. Southernmost of the 48 sts.: FLA. Not really, not any more. This gets the (archaic) qualifier in my book.

13. Butter or lard: FAT

14. Editorial mark: DELE. Indicating deletion.

15. First name in scat: ELLA

20. Put in order: ORGANIZED

23. It may be heard on the street: HORN. Definitely heard around these parts.

25. Powerful shark: MAKO

27. Ancient Persian: MEDE. Usually seen in the plural as in "The Medes".

28. Email folder: SPAM

30. Day in Dijon: JOUR

31. "__ One Will Listen": Kelly Clarkson song: IF NO I was going to link the song as I'd not found a musical interlude today, so I went to listen to it on YouTube. I spared you the link.

32. Captain hanged for piracy: KIDD

33. Bryn __ College: MAWR

34. Vicinity: AREA

35. Nail polish layer: COAT

37. Not engaged: IDLE

38. Stand during a lecture: DAIS

41. Army outfit: UNIT

42. Campus mil. group: ROTC

47. "Sick burn!": OH SNAP! I've never heard anyone say "sick burn!" in my life. This is what Google came up with - I still don't understand it. I'm getting too old for this stuff :)

49. Bone at the base of the spine: SACRUM

51. Pond plant: REED

52. Cork locale: EIRE. Oh, begorrah, the Emerald Isle. It's green because it rains. A lot. Just so you know.

54. Teaser: PROMO

55. Glory (in): REVEL

56. Often-abbreviated Latin phrase: ID EST i.e. that is. I enjoyed writing that!

57. When repeated including "a," fighting term: MANO-a-mano

58. Black, in verse: EBON

59. URL intro: HTTP. All together now: "Hyper Text Transfer Protocol".

61. Notable time: ERA

62. Paris article: LES. Not the article you drop in the street.

65. Top medalla: ORO. Gold medal in Spain. I think they now give out medals in the World Cup, the quadrennial 2018 tournament is starting shortly in Russia. I watched every game in the last World Cup. If my blogs are short and littered with soccer references for the next month, please forgive me.

67. Ltr. addenda: P.S.'S. Postscripts. I had no idea how to punctuate this, so I guessed. I find it funny when I get an email with a PS - wouldn't it be easier to put in where it belongs in the text?

I think I'm done - I'll just check my internal temperature with my meat thermometer. I'm looking for medium-rare.

Steve

Wednesday, May 9, 2018 Mark McClain

Theme: I'M OUTA HERE! The first word of two-word entries is a synonym for some kind of void.

17. Horror film setting: VACANT HOUSE.  I'm not a maven of this genre, but it seems like an appropriately scary choice.

24. Rural "Out of the office" sign: GONE FISHING.  Alternatively, in slang, oblivious or unconcerned about the realities of daily life.  Also, this:

37. Ammo for a starter pistol: BLANK CARTRIDGES.  Contains gunpowder, but no bullet or shot.  When fired, the blank makes a flash and an explosive sound (report), the wadding is propelled from the barrel of the gun, and the firearm's action cycles. [Wikipedia]

48. One whose "chicks" have flown?: EMPTY NESTER.  Parents in the house, after the children are grown and gone.  Tough transition for many.  Our kids are approaching that point in life.

59. Explanation for an evolutionary transition: MISSING LINK. Presumed gap in the evolutionary fossil record.  Most scientists find the term to be cringe-worthy.

Hi gang, JzB NOT absent today, and here to lead the way through - well - nothing, really.  The irony is that, with 5 entries, a theme built around absence is so full of thematic richness.  Let's see if we can poke holes in the rest of the puzzle.

Across:

1. Bullpen hero: CLOSER.  The pitcher who is usually brought in for the 9th inning of a game when his team has a small lead he is supposed to protect.

7. Technical opening?: PYRO.  PYRO-technical refers to fireworks displays or a brilliant performance of some specific skill.  Fireworks and affix clues generally leave me cold.

11. Juan or Jose lead-in: SAN.  City names.  SAN Jose is the capital of Costa Rica.   SAN Juan is a town in Trinidad and Tobago, located in the San Juan-Laventille Region in Saint George County.

14. Mom's sis: AUNTIE.  My Mom's twin sis is still alive and will be 97 in a few days.

15. Semi warning: HORN.  Beep-beep.

16. Asian menu general: TSO.

19. Physicist with a law: OHM.  His law states that the current through a conductor is equal to the voltage divided by the resistance: I = V/R.  R is a constant property of the conducting item, and the current flow depends on the applied voltage.

20. Bird feeder cake: SUET.  White animal fat.  The fat is white.  The color of the animal doesn't matter.

21. Common math base: TEN.  The base is the number of symbols [numerals or letters] that a counting system uses to represent numbers.  In base TEN, these symbols are the digits 0 through 9.

22. Ocean dots: ISLES.  Dots represent small islands on maps.

27. Acting twins Mary-Kate and Ashley: OLSENS.  Former child actresses, born in 1986, they shared the roll of Michelle Tanner on the TV series FULL HOUSE.  They have had several other acting projects, and are now fabulously wealthy fashion designers.

30. Feel some pain: ACHE.  Day-after-yard-work syndrome.

31. Send forth: ISSUE.  Emit.

32. Hotshot: ACE.  High-level performer.   What you want your CLOSER to be.

33. Easy gait: LOPE.  A long, bounding stride.

41. Zingers: MOTS.  Short for Bon MOT, which is French for "good word," said of a witticism or biting retort.

42. Vote, say: OPT.  Make a choice from among a range of options.  Also from French, and ultimately Latin optare, choose or wish.

43. Title Kazakh in a 2006 spoof: BORAT.  More low humor.

44. Big heads?: EGOS.  In psychoanalysis, the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity.  More loosely, a person's sense of self esteem and importance.  In context, an overweening self-importance.

46. Revolver?: PLANET.  Each PLANET in the solar system rotates on its axis and revolves around the sun.

52. Color separator: PRISM.  This video, just under 6 minutes, gets pretty deep into the weeds.  I suspect Gary, at least, will like it.

53. __ Gang: OUR.   Kids comedy team from back in the day.  There are lots of long vids on YouTube, if you want to go down that rabbit hole.  Here's a short excerpt.  Evidently the piano was over-dubbed later, so this 7-yr-old did a really good job of staying in tune on this great old song.

54. Minimally: A BIT. Not too much off the top.  It's thin there.

58. Many times, in poems: OFT.  Because "frequently" is hard to work into the metric scheme.

63. Pointillism unit: DOT.  A neo-impressionist painting technique that uses tiny dots of pure color that become blended in the viewer's eye.  Interesting counter-point [so to speak] to the prism we encountered not so very long ago.

Georges Seurat - A Sunday on La Grande Jatte -- 1884

64. Stirring solo: ARIA.   An operatic song, not mixing alone in the kitchen.

65. Rio Grande city: EL PASO.  In far west Texas, across from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

66. George Strait's "All My __ Live in Texas": EXS.  As long as we're in Texas, why not.   George Strait is one of the few country singers I can tolerate for more than about 12 seconds.  Here's a link.

67. Watch over: TEND.

68. Bird hangouts: ROOSTS.  Birds' resting spots.  They usually sit upright on roosts.  Bats, however, will hang.  Just sayin'  .  .  .

Down:

1. LeBron et al., briefly: CAVS.  LeBron James and his team mates on the Cleveland Cavaliers professional basketball team.

2. Waikiki party: LUAU.  A traditional Hawaiian party or feast that is usually accompanied by entertainment. It may feature food such as poi, Kalua pig, poke, lomi salmon, opihi, haupia and beer, and entertainment such as traditional Hawaiian music and hula. [Wikkipedia]

3. Back in the day: ONCE. Frex, when the OUR GANG kids were kids.

4. Saves, for a 1-Across: STAT.  If the lead is 3 runs or fewer in the expected final inning of a baseball game when the CLOSER enters, it's a save situation.  If he then shuts down the inning without the opposing team either tying or going ahead, his team wins, and the save is recorded.  Otherwise, there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

5. Strauss' "__ Heldenleben": EIN.  "A Hero's Life," an 1898 tone poem by Richard Strauss.  In it's entirety, it lasts ca. 50 minutes.  Here is a short low brass excerpt - and, oh, boy, are these guys good!

6. 1984 Olympics gymnastics standout: RETTON.  Mary Lou [b 1968] won a gold medal, along with 2 silver and 2 bronze, back in the day.

7. LG product: PHONE.  LG Electronics Inc. is a South Korean multinational electronics company headquartered in Yeouido-dong, Seoul, South Korea, and is part of the LG Group, employing 82,000 people working in 119 local subsidiaries worldwide. [Wikipedia]

8. "That's so __!": YOU.  Said of clothing or a situation that seems to suit a person perfectly.

9. $200 Monopoly props.: RRS.  The Rail Road properties.

10. Vague lunch date time: ONE-ISH.  Approximately 1:00 pm.  Hold a spot for me.

11. Skyy alternative, familiarly: STOLI.  Vodkas. Skyy, now available in at least 17 flavors, is owned by the Campari Group of italy.   Stolichnaya [for long] comes from the former Soviet Union.  Ownership is disputed between a Russian state owned company and a private company owned by a Russian billionaire.

Now vodka is fine in its place;
in martinis, though, never a trace!
It’s swilled on the docks,
Can be used to clean clocks,
The gearwork, the hands and the face.

12. Looking drained: ASHEN.  Pale from shock, fear or illness.

13. Chinese menu promise: NO MSG.  MonoSodium Glutmate, a flavor enhancer.

18. Coop residents: HENS.  Not sure if they are allowed to occupy the ROOSTS.

23. Jim's role on "The Big Bang Theory": SHELDON.

24. Best Buy "Squad" member: GEEK.  Computer experts.

25. It's true: FACT.  Something that is indisputably correct - though you can always find somebody who will dispute it.  Cf, Flat Earth Society.

26. One piping frosting: ICER.   Cake decorator.

27. Kon-Tiki Museum city: OSLO.  The museum presents a broad selection of Thor Heyerdahl's life work.

28. Hurdle for atty. wannabes: LSAT. Law School Admission Test.

29. Stereotypical Western-ending backdrops: SUNSETS.

31. Watson's company: IBM.  Watson is a computer designed to answer questions asked in natural language.

32. National Gallery attraction: ART.  The Gallery is an ART museum located on the National Mall in Washington D. C.

34. Meanie: OGRE.  A mythical man-eating giant, or, figuratively a mean-spirited boss, or bully.

35. Fuel used in some whisky production: PEAT.  An earthy material made of partly decomposed vegetation.  It's used in Scotland for whisky production.  Anywhere else?

36. Md. winter hours: EST.  Eastern Standard Time.

38. Masked critter: COON.  The raccoon is the largest animal of the procyonid family,

North American Mammal

39. Holy recess: APSE.  Usually the semi-circular or polygonal shaped end of a church, where the altar is located.

40. Building girder: I-BAR.  A metal structural beam shaped like the letter I.  this shape maximizes stability in all dimensions.

45. Floor exercise surface: GYM MAT.

46. Spitting sound: PTUI.  Erm  .  .  .

47. "My Fair Lady" lyricist: LERNER.    Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe also collaborated on Camelot, Brigadoon and Paint Your Wagon.

48. Lyric poem: EPODE.  A form written in couplets, with alternating long and short lines.  Another meaning is the third and final part of an ode, following the strophe and the antistrophe  Last time out, I had EPOS, and didn't know that, either.

49. "Fantastic" Dahl character: MR. FOX.    Eponym for the 1970 novel, and then 2009 movie.  A rare story, in which a predator is the hero, and the farmers and their live stock are the enemy.

50. Pulitzer-winning columnist Leonard: PITTS.  His home paper is the Miami Herald.  He won his Pulitzer in 2004.

51. "Alas!": SO SAD.  [sigh]

54. Lunch for Spot, maybe: ALPO.  A dog, and his dinner.

55. Fairness obstacle: BIAS.  A skewed point of view that enables interpreting new information as confirmation of existing beliefs, even when it isn't.

56. Brookings, e.g.: Abbr.: INSTitution, a century-old American research group on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C. It conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and global economy and development. [Wikipedia] 

57. Boxing stats: TKO's.  Technical Knock Out.  A decision by the referee or ring physician that the boxing match cannot safely continue.

60. Fury: IRE.  Anger.

61. Ignore a Commandment: SIN.  A transgression of divine law.

62. Day-__: GLO.  An American paint and pigment company, and it's registered trademark for luminescent decorative products.

That wraps up another Wednesday, in a bright and colorful manner.  Here's the filled-in grid, then I really am outa-here.

Cool regards!

JzB

Note from C.C.:

Happy 55th birthday to Yellowrocks' son Alan! Have a wonderful day shopping and visiting places you love. You have the best mom!

Kathy and her son Alan, Costa Ric, 2009