Sunday, January 22, 2017 Matt McKinley

Theme:  "Dropping In" - In is dropped from the start of each theme entry.

23A. Knowing one makes the best moonshine? : STILL CONFIDENCE. Instill confidence.

30A. Pressing concern? : CREASE QUALITY. Increase quality. "Improve quality" sounds more idiomatic.

42A. Vessel for the corporate lake outing? : BOARD MOTORBOAT. Inboard motorboat is new to me.

64A. Where geese learn the ABCs of Vs? : FORMATION CENTER. Information center.

88A. Passable publicity? : DECENT EXPOSURE. Indecent Exposure.

95A. Close examination of past and present English? : TENSE SCRUTINY. Intense scrutiny.

110A. Priest's fashion consultant? : VESTMENT ADVISER. Investment adviser.

All IN's are dropped from the start of the first word. Quite consistent.

I like when the new words change meanings drastically: STILL/CREASE/BOARD/FORMATION/TENSE/VESTMENT. They're all nouns, which tend to have shades of meanings, so easier to maneuver.

Not much change from INDECENT to DECENT though. Just a prefix drop. Adjective before and after.

Across:

1. Harder to see : DARKER

7. Heavenly bear : URSA

11. East Lansing sch. : MSU. The Spartans.

14. Vice __ : VERSA

19. "Seinfeld" role : ELAINE. KRAMER  and NEWMAN have the same letter count.

20A. Groups on its covers included 'N Sync and Hanson : TEEN BEAT. Hanson is the "MMMBop" boy band.

22. Alternate strategy : PLAN B. Sitting next to by 25. "I Am the Walrus" was one : SIDE B. Tiny dupe.

26. Fair instrument : CALLIOPE. I only know the Muse meaning.

27. Many a stray : CUR. Not CAT.

28. Land of the banshee : EIRE

29. Songwriter Sands : EVIE

36. Energy pricing unit : BARREL

39. Submerged ridge : SHOAL

40. "Friendly Skies" co. : UAL

41. Quicken product : E-LOAN. So now E-loan has become a common word rather than the company E-Loan?

48. Put (on) hastily : SLAP

49. Metallic hybrids : ALLOYS

50. Stand __ : PAT. Not OUT/INS.

51. Green shelter : ARBOR

53. Destroys totally : TORPEDOES. Great fill.

55. Hitting : AT BAT

57. Moist : DEWY

58. Canonized ones: Abbr. : STs

59. Sticky stuff : GOO

60. Cook with high heat : BROIL. Chinese kitchens don't have ovens. We steam everything, including our bread (Mantou).

62. Ominous ending : OR ELSE

68. Vote for : CHOOSE

71. Côtes du __: wine region : RHONE. Also 107. Normandy department : ORNE. Not OISE.

72. "Clickbait" was added to it in Sep. 2016 : OED. Nailed it.


73. Not letting things slide, briefly : TCB. Take Care of Business.

76. Influence : PULL

77. Some Jutland natives : DANES

79. Stood : STOMACHED

82. Excavate anew : RE-DIG

84. '70s-'80s Pakistani president : ZIA. Learned from doing crosswords.

85. NFL's Oilers, since 1999 : TITANS. Learning moment to me.

87. "__ Land": 2016 Stone/Gosling film : LA LA. Oh, hi, LaLaLinda! She still reads our blog and comments.

91. How prancing is done : GAILY

92. Emmy-winning scientist : NYE (Bill)


93. Wear : ERODE

94. Liquor from currants : CASSIS. I never had currants, You?

101. Ado : FUSS

102. Not do, maybe : OMIT

103. Canberra school : UNI (University)

104. Classic Cadillac : ELDORADO. My idea of "Classic" is the old beat-up green Jeep Chinese Army used to have. Very cool. All other cars are the same. Just cars.

108. Mini successors : NANOs

114. Cries from sties : OINKs

115. Sweet-talked : WHEEDLED

116. Like the pre-Easter season : LENTEN

117. Candidate's handout : FLYER

118. Canon offering, briefly : SLR

119. Bros, say : SIB. My brother is chasing his Go 4d rank. 

120. Driving force : ENGINE

Down:

1. Genealogy abbr. : DESC. Hi there, PK! Great to see you back.

2. Utah ski resort : ALTA

3. Complain : RAIL

4. Game that sells consoles, say : KILLER APP. Another great fill.

5. Pep up : ENLIVEN

6. Shrink back : RECOIL

7. __ Reader : UTNE. Our local Barnes & Noble does carry this magazine.


8. Flag thrower : REF

9. Cinque e uno : SEI

10. "Wait, there's more ... " : AND

11. Diner host's stack : MENUs

12. "__ bleu!" : SACRE. Bleu to replace "Dieu". "Mon Dieu".

13. Colorado native : UTE

14. Bush and Gore: Abbr. : VPs. Bush Sr.


15. Architect Saarinen : ELIEL. Eero's father. We also have 32. St. Louis bridge architect : EADS

16. Circle lines : RADII

17. Dik Browne dog : SNERT. "Hägar the Horrible".

18. Monk's home : ABBEY

21. Immobilize at sea, in a way : BECALM. I suppose it's a common word for sailors, Spitzboov/D-Otto.

24. Expose in verse? : OPE

30. Bedlam : CHAOS

31. One of the Gilmore girls : RORY. Not etymological related to ROARS (Also  38. Comedy club reactions)

33. Marketing target : QUOTA

34. Short-lived Egypt-Syr. alliance : UAR. Also 109. Abbr. on old Eurasian maps : SSR

35. Goya's "Duchess of __" : ALBA

36. Outplays : BESTS

37. Give in shares : ALLOT

 
39. One and only : SOLE

42. Flower : BLOOM

43. Some kind of nerve : OPTIC

44. Statistician's aid : TABLE

45. Information for a waiter : ORDER.  The clue dupes the original word "Information" in 64A. Hard to detect this in a Sunday grid.


46. Biblical brother : ABEL

47. Garage services : TOWS

49. Couldn't get enough of : ADORED

52. White alternative : RYE. Bread.


54. They may clash in debates : EGOS. So true!

55. Supreme : A ONE

56. Carved poles : TOTEMS

60. IMDb.com entries : BIOs. IMDb is a great cluing source for constructors, full of great trivia.


61. Director Howard : RON

63. Shameful fictional symbol : RED A

64. __ acid : FOLIC. Not AMINO.

65. Golf great, to his "army" : ARNIE

66. What an unproductive worker might get : THE AX

67. Herman's Hermits frontman Peter : NOONE. Stranger to me. Same with 99. Oscar-winning actress Mercedes __ : RUEHL. I still have not fully figured out why Rich sometimes uses ___ in name clues. Here 67D has no ___, but 99D does. But person with ___ tends to be unknown to me.

Peter Noone

Mercedes Ruehl

68. Hosp. administration : CPR

69. Tinged : HUED

70. Quaint store adjective : OLDE. What I feel about the clue for 73. Massenet opera : THAIS

74. Symphonic strings : CELLI

75. Occasions for cake, briefly : B DAYS. Not in my childhood. Always noodles & two eggs.


78. Nahuatl speaker : AZTEC

79. Detailed analysis : STUDY

80. Container weight : TARE

81. Senior's memento : CLASS RING

83. Hereditary code carrier : GENE

85. Spelling on TV : TORI. Tori Spelling seems to have a very chaotic life.


86. Has the stage : IS ON

89. Finger Lakes locale: Abbr. : NYS (New York State)

90. Dress size : PETITE

91. Appliance with a pilot : GAS OVEN

94. Get snuggly : CUDDLE

95. Beaucoup, with "a" : TON OF

96. User's service : EMAIL. So disappointed with Outlook/Hotmail's last update. One day I'll move to Gmail completely.

97. Fool : NINNY

98. Fuel : STOKE

100. Indy 500 family name : UNSER

101. St. with a panhandle : FLA

104. LAX postings : ETDs

105. Piedmont wine region : ASTI

106. "Paula's Home Cooking" host : DEEN. I bet you all want to try our own "Steve's Home Cooking". His Facebook pictures are often mouthwatering. He even makes Sashimi himself.


110. Bug and Golf : VWs

111. ER VIPs : MDs.

112. Yalie : ELI

113. Lincoln's place: Abbr. : NEB

Thanks for the kind comments and emails on our blog birthday. Each means a lot to me. Nice to learn that BunnyM has been quietly with us for three years. So glad you finally joined us after your birthday!

Happy 71st Birthday to  our grid master and friend John Lampkin, who is now living in Florida. I was very lucky to get to know John & blog his puzzles at the start of my blogging/constructing venture. I just love this picture. Are you still in contact with Annette, Lemonade?

Lemonade and John

Sunday, October 16, 2016 Matt McKinley

Theme: "Get With It" - You need to add "Get" to each clue to make sense of the answer.

23A. Away : EVADE THE POLICE. Get away.

42A. By : MAKE ENDS MEET. Get by.

50A. Hitched : TIE THE KNOT. Get hitched. This and 42A are solid "in the language" phrases.

68A. Wise : ACT ARROGANTLY. Get wise.

89A. On : JUMP ABOARD. Get on. "In the language" also.

96A. Even : AVENGE A WRONG. Get even.

 

118A. Ahead : ACHIEVE SUCCESS. Get ahead.

17D. Through : BECOME CLEAR. Get through. Two of the Down themers intersect two Aross entries. Nice.

 

67D. Over : RECOVER FROM. Get over. 

I grokked the gimmick immediately, having encountered Alex Boisvert's "Get It?" puzzle in my theme brainstorm a while ago.

This is basically a Definition puzzle with key part of the clue missing, so not all the phrases are idiomatic. But trust me, it's not easy to come up with a set of entries that work perfectly letter-wise and definition-wise.

Across:

1. Using currency : IN CASH. Lots of solid 6s in this grid.

7. Reacted to a late night out : SLEPT IN

14. Frozen dessert : SORBET. Sorbet/sherbet used to confuse me.

20. Snack chip : DORITO

21. Derogatory statement : CALUMNY. Not a word I use.

22. Puddy tat's quarry : TWEETY

25. Baggage porter : REDCAP

26. "__ difference" : SAME

27. Throat tissue : TONSIL

28. Org. associated with long lines : TSA

30. 2016 Olympics golf gold medalist Justin __ : ROSE. Met him & Adam Scott at the PGA long time ago. They had the same coach then.

31. Honey brand : SUE BEE. I just learned that drinking a cup of hot water with honey before bed helps sleep.

33. Something to soak in : TUB

36. "Recapping ... " : IN SUM

38. Blanc with many voices : MEL

41. Resort NE of Los Alamos : TAOS. Also 44. City south of Salem : EUGENE. Also 85. Russian city northeast of Kiev : OREL

 46. Pizza parlor lure : AROMA

48. "Duh!" evoker : NO BRAINER. Duh!

49. Stick in a parlor : CUE

54. Street __ : CRED. Not FAIR/FOOD.

55. Pond growth : ALGA

56. Hanging on by a thread : SEWN. I like this clue.

57. Vintage autos : REOs

58. Throbbed : ACHED, Sorry for the unpleasant experience on Thursday, Agnes!

60. Frozen drinks : ICEEs

61. Ounce : SCINTILLA

64. Patriot Silas : DEANE

65. Round fig. : CIR (Circle). Not EST.

73. In medias __ : RES

74. In full view : OVERT

76. Literary motto words : ONE FOR ALL. The Three Musketeers.

78. Securing strings : LACES

79. See 51-Down : GAGNE. And 51. With 79-Across, 2003 N.L. Cy Young Award winner : ERIC. One of the very few who wear glasses on the field.

82. Setting of Camus' "The Plague" : ORAN. Guilty of putting this in my own grids before.

83. Wind with keys : OBOE. Tricky clue.

87. Soon, in verse : ANON

88. One way to fly : SOLO. We also have 58. Unaccompanied : ALONE

 91. AFC South, e.g. : DIV (Division)

92. Typical fast-food offering : CHEAP MEAL. KFC was a luxury place in my college years. Xi'an had no McDonald's then.

95. Tossed in a chip : ANTED

 

98. Bedside toggle switch : AM/FM

101. Crafty : SLY

102. Fence pieces : RAILS

103. Case in Eng. class : OBJ (Objective)

104. Like some dress patterns : FLORAL. So pretty.

 

106. Only president who was also chief justice : TAFT. Learned a ton while making the  CHIEF JUSTICE puzzle with Big Easy.

108. Norse war god : TYR. Learned from doing crosswords. Tuesday god.

110. Algonquin kin : OJIBWA. I use OJIBWE.

112. "Exodus" novelist : URIS

116. Land, say : ARRIVE. Verb "Land".

122. Metaphor for the good life : CLOVER. In clover.

123. Explorer of new territory : PIONEER

124. Connecticut town on Long Island Sound : DARIEN. No idea. What's it famous for?

125. Hits involving trots : HOMERS. Home run trot.

126. Leading position : TOP SPOT

127. Bergman and Borg : SWEDES

 

Down:

 

1. Middle March : IDES

2. Smoked salmon : NOVA. Kind of lox.

3. Compensate for prior laziness, perhaps : CRAM. Simple in retrospect.

4. Hill workers : AIDES

5. Sault __ Marie : STE

6. It may be herbal : HOT TEA. Mine is always hot, even in summer.

7. Discomfiting displays : SCENES. I just realize the clue is not "Discomforting".

8. Oversight : LAPSE

9. Fair-haired sci-fi race : ELOI. It's back!

10. Soda can feature : PULL TAB

11. "That's more than enough!" : TMI

12. Business issue : INC.  The magazine.

13. Natasha's no : NYET. Don't think Trump understands the clue.

14. Broken down, say : STRANDED

15. Must pay : OWE

16. "The Shining" word with two mirror-image letters : REDRUM. "Murder" spelled backwards.

18. T-storms may delay them : ETAs

19. Sort : TYPE

24. Bindle carrier : HOBO

29. Broke a Commandment : SINNED

32. "Point Break" FBI agent Johnny : UTAH. Aleppo moment. No idea.

34. Former 37-Down : UKR. And 37. Abbr. on Cold War maps : SSR

35. Vacation spot : BEACH

38. Shoes may be left on them : MATS

39. Lake that anagrams 43-Down : ERIE. And 43. Land that anagrams 39-Down : EIRE

40. Movie mogul Marcus : LOEW

42. Clever remark : MOT

 

45. Kids : TEASES

47. Ozarks, e.g.: Abbr. : MTNs

48. Polite refusal : NO SIR

52. Lane co-worker : KENT. Lois Lane. See also 72. Lois' "Superboy" counterpart : LANA

 

53. "It's __ good sign" : NOT A

55. Golfer's thrill : ACE

59. Put behind bars : CAGE

60. Country poem : IDYL. I use IDYLL.

62. Scratching post users : CATS

63. Dianetics creator Hubbard : L. RON. Lawrence Wright talked in depth about him and Scientology a few years ago.

 65. Piña __ : COLADA

66. "Terrible" tsar : IVAN IV

69. On the bad side (of) : AFOUL

70. Expected result : NORM

71. Deceitful lure : TRAP

75. Stimpy's chum : REN

77. Bird on Canada's dollar coin : LOON

79. Give some slack, with "on" : GO EASY. Slight GO dupe with 81. Relinquish amateur status : GO PRO

80. What there oughta be : A LAW

84. Nocturnal mammals : BATS

86. Hot tub feature : EDDY

88. Stray caretakers : SHELTERS. The Ottos' in Texas.

89. Spree : JAG

90. Auburn rival, familiarly : BAMA

92. Cinematic FX : CGI

93. Criminal element, with "the" : MOB

94. Legally prohibits : ENJOINS

97. Indigenous : NATIVE

98. Uncle in a McCartney hit : ALBERT. Unfamiliar with the song.

99. Trims the lawn : MOWS

100. Phonies : FRAUDS

104. McGarrett's force, familiarly : FIVE-O

105. Immoral profit : LUCRE. I need the "Filthy" hint.

106. Dash instrument : TACH

107. Woody's son : ARLO

109. Absorbed : RAPT

111. "Go Anywhere. Do Anything" vehicle : JEEP

113. Senate minority leader : REID (Harry)

114. "Of course" : I SEE

115. Tax form IDs : SSNs

117. Bible transl., e.g. : VER. Version?

119. 1955 labor merger gp. : CIO

120. I follower : HOP. Not BET or KID.

121. Cry close to the ears : CAW. Corn. Nice clue also.

Happy Birthday to our CrossEyedDave & Blue Hen! Thank you for the fun, laughter and various life hacks you two have brought to our blog. Soaking Porcini/Shiitake in stock instead of water has made my mushrooms extra tasty, Blue Hen!

Sunday July 17th, 2016 Matt McKinley

Theme:  "Crescendo" - P is changed into F. All key words go through spelling changes. 

23A. Brilliant bit of deception? : LUMINOUS FEINT. Luminous paint.

37A. Taciturn circus entertainers? : QUIET FLEAS. Quiet please.

 

66A. Panel judging phobic reactions? : JURY OF ONE'S FEARS. Jury of one's peers.

95A. Award ceremony side dish? : NOBEL FRIES. Nobel prizes.

 

113A. Gradually doze during a long meeting? : FADE BY THE HOUR. Paid by the hour.

 

14D. Charge in an Everglades water taxi? : ALLIGATOR FARE. Alligator pear. Avocado.

56D. "Charlie's Angels" actress on her sloop? : FARRAH SAILING. Parasailing. Two of the changes happen with the first word.

Matt, are you reading our blog? Great title! The more I solve/make Sunday puzzles, the more I realize how hard it is to find an apt title, esp with sound addition/deletion/replacement theme.

It's a fantastic feeling when you find out that you can make the themers intersect. Intersecting often makes filling easier. But it takes skills and luck to make the intersection happen. Matt also breaks the top.botto edges into 5/7/7 rather than our conventional four parts (4/4/5/5, e.g.) like the left/right edges. 

Across:

1. Concentrate : FOCUS

6. Impose restraints on : SHACKLE. Great entry.

13. Talladega sight : RACE CAR

20. Creamy white : IVORY

21. Assemble at a theater, say : QUEUE UP. Crossing its pluralized homophone CUES (9. They often precede entrances).

22. Like Hobart College : ALL-MALE. Unfamiliar with Hobart College.
 
25. Goes by : ELAPSES

26. Roadie's burden : AMP

27. Source of many med. terms : LAT. OK, Latin.

28. Toledo title: Abbr. : SRA. Notice the alliteration, a common cluing feature for foreign words. Also 98. Brest "but" : MAIS. Also  17. Roberto's residence : CASA
            
29. Unhurt : INTACT

30. Mississippi explorer : LA SALLE

34. Clemson U. is in it : ACC

36. Like a brioche : EGGY

 40. Joshua trees, e.g. : YUCCAS

42. Variety of tricks? : BAG. OK, bag of tricks.

45. Baseball news : TRADES. A few more baseball entries: 93. Switch-hitter with the most career homers : MANTLE. Eddie MURRAY has the same letter count. 117. League championship : PENNANT. And 84D. '60s-'70s bullpen star Sparky : LYLE

46. Skater Babilonia : TAI. And 49. 19th-century French composer Édouard : LALO. I learned both from doing crosswords.

48. Predicament metaphor : BOAT. I don't get this one, D-Otto.


50. "This came as no surprise" : I KNEW

51. Domain : REALM

53. Okay : SO SO

54. Sci. with biomes : ECOL

55. Muscle mag display : PECs

56. On the occasion of : FOR

57. "Breaking Bad" channel : AMC. Also 106. "Breaking Bad" drug : METH. Rich normally eschews the drug reference.

59. Mislead : THROW OFF

61. Crafty : SLY

62. Scotch and soda, e.g. : BAR ORDERS. When was the last time you went to a bar?

65. Passes out : FAINTS

69. Co-star of Boyer in "Algiers" : LAMARR (Hedy)

72. FEMA concerns : DISASTERS

73. Org. found in alleys : PBA. Here is Boomer with Walter Ray Williams, arguably the best bowler in the world. Boomer was attending Walter Ray's clinic yesterday, TTP. He'll bowl the Pro-Am this afternoon. PBA50 stops at Treasure Island (MN) every year.

76. Good place for views : OP-ED PAGE. Nice clue/answer.

79. Service inaccuracy : LET

80. T size : LGE

81. Many a Mideast native : ARAB

82. Florida's __ City : DADE

83. Lanford Wilson's "The __ Baltimore" : HOTL

85. An arm and a leg : LIMBS. Literal. Not PRICEY.

87. Cutting : ACERB

88. Crossword component : GRID

89. Influence : SWAY

90. "__-hoo!" : YOO

91. Makeup mishap : SMUDGE

92. Sequence-shortening letters : ETC
 
99. Eponymous tree, streetwise : ELM. Do you know most streets in Japan do not have names?


101. Triage priorities : TRAUMAS

102. Get to bubble over? : RE-BOIL. Fun clue for a blah answer.

105. Milne's absent-minded Mr. : PIM

107. Supergirl's symbol : ESS

108. Enlisted mil. rank : PFC

111. Not bright at all : IDIOTIC. Also 11. Folly : LUNACY


118. Its NYSE symbol is "X" : US STEEL. Gimme!

119. Commemorative 1999 Broadway revue : FOSSE. Got via crosses.

120. Part of Procter & Gamble : AND SIGN

121. Savings vehicle named for a sen. : ROTH IRA

122. Jacket material : TWEED. Not SUEDE.


Down:

1. Nike competitor : FILA

2. Reproductive cell : OVUM

3. Cooperation : COMPLIANCY. Compliance is more common.

4. Sch. near Providence : URI

5. Unit, for one: Abbr. : SYN. Unit is a synonym of "one"?

6. Sudden wind increase : SQUALL

7. Disco activity : HUSTLE

8. Pershing's WWI command : AEF. American Expeditionary Forces. We see ETO more often.


10. Actress Knightley : KEIRA


12. Capable, jokingly : EPT

13. Arctic coast explorer : RAE

15. Metallic noises : CLANGS

16. Like some promises, alas : EMPTY. Alas!


18. Oldest Baldwin brother : ALEC. Always dueling with paparazzi.

19. Others : REST. OK, and others (the rest).

24. Five Norse kings : OLAFS

31. Yellow fever mosquito : AEDES. Very irrational spelling.

32. Cioppino, e.g. : STEW

33. "Do I dare to __ peach?": Eliot : EAT A. Peaches are in season now. So good.

35. Bear young : CUBS. Shouldn't it be "Bears young"?

36. Online payment : E-CASH

37. Versatile Unilever brand : Q-TIPS

38. "Family Matters" nerd : URKEL

39. Dressing ingredient : SALAD OIL. My standard dressing is sesame oil & apple cider vinegar & this mustard combo.

41. Ducklike bird : COOT

42. "Almost anything can be improved with the addition of __": Jasper Fforde : BACON. Boomer agrees.

43. In the air : ALOFT

44. Enjoys the links : GOLFS. And 51. Links star McIlroy : RORY

47. Quite a lot : IMMENSELY

49. Martin's partner : LEWIS. Dean Martin. Jerry Lewis.


52. Sock ending : EROO
 
58. First act? : CREATION. Nice clue as well.

60. Crew members : OARS

62. Tupperware sound : BURP

63. Mail svc. in the sticks : RFD

64. Derisive sound : SSS

66. Burned-out : JADED

67. Unit of work: Abbr. : FT-LB

68. Neurol. readouts : EEGs

69. Ski resort centerpiece : LODGE

70. Split : APART

71. Doc : MEDIC

73. Make susceptible : PREDISPOSE. Not a fill we see often.

74. Canal transport : BARGE

75. Supérieurs des moines : ABBES. Went all French.

77. They often have matching caps : GOWNS

78. State of France : ETAT

81. Honda luxury brand : ACURA


86. No longer relevant : MOOT. Point.

87. Radio option : AM FM

91. Snow remnants : SLUSH

93. Cocktail with an umbrella : MAI TAI

94. Rio Grande city : EL PASO

96. Ice cream company founder : BREYER. Not EDY today.


97. Locale in a 1987 Cheech Marin title : EAST LA. Born in East LA.

98. Mars' pair : MOONS

100. Thick : MIDST

102. Kelly of talk : RIPA

103. First place? : EDEN. Not GOLD.

104. Firmly attach : BIND

109. Protection in a box : FUSE. Boomer and I fixed our garbage disposal without calling the repair guy. Yay! We just put a hex wrench in that hex-shaped hole and turned it back and forth a few times. Don't put potato peels in the disposal!

110. Street __ : CRED

112. UPS unit : CTN. What Splynter deals with daily. Keen eye on the grid pattern yesterday, by the way!

113. Natural coat : FUR

114. In Chinese, the "north" part of China's "northern capital" : BEI. As in Beijing. I mentioned this a while ago. Bei=North. Jing = Capital. Nan= South. So Nanjing is "Southern capital".

115. Terrestrial newt : EFT

116. Question as to technique : HOW?

C.C.

Sunday April 17, 2016 Matt McKinley

Theme:  "A Storm Is Brewing*"- The first words in starred answers all lightning and thunder- related.

 23A. *Vegas visitor's hope : STREAK OF LUCK. See The Mirage on the back? This is outside Caesars Palace. No streak of lightning, but it rained two days while I was there this year. Highly unusual.

25A. *Seemingly impromptu public performance : FLASH MOB. Isn't flash of lightning same as streak of lightning?

 

45A. *Classic 1974 sports contest : RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE. Odd that they held the match in Africa.

68A. *Solution for a forgotten combination : BOLT CUTTERS. Lock. 

 

92A. *Historic 20th-century disaster : CRASH OF TWENTY NINE. 20th should not be in the clue.

 

115A. *Bama rallying cry : ROLL TIDE

118A. *Arrange hastily : CLAP TOGETHER. Never heard of this phrase before. 

I feel there's a slight sequence. Argyle is not fully convinced.

Matt stacked his 8-letter themers with two more 8-letter entries. Pretty daring. Those chunks of whites in the upper right and lower left are  hard to fill cleanly.

Across:        

1. Office alerts : MEMOS. Smooth start.

6. Lubricate : GREASE

12. Golfer for whom the original web.com Tour was named : BEN HOGAN. Unknown trivia to me. Wiki said it's originally named Ben Hogan Tour. Minor league for golfers.

20. Vols' school : U Tenn

21. Family reunion attendees : NIECES

22. Baja tourist city : ENSENADA. Google shows it means "bay" in Spanish. Sure it's a long word.

26. Brief and on point : SUCCINCT

27. Corn serving : EAR

29. Buffalo NHLer : SABRE

30. Director Jean-__ Godard : LUC

31. Formal opening : DEAR SIRS

36. Troon turndowns : NAES. Troon is known for its golf course. Host of many British Opens.

37. Greek earth goddess : GAIA. Or GAEA.

41. Caught in __ : THE ACT. Rare 6-letter partial. The norm is 5-letter.

43. Frisbee golf starting point : TEE PAD

48. Word to a restaurant host : TWO

51. Barcelona bye : ADIOS

52. Chargers linebacker Manti __ : TE'O. I remember the girlfriend hoax story a few years ago.  So cruel.

53. Unusual : ODD

54. "Honest!" : I SWEAR

56. Sales chart, e.g. : VISUAL AID. Thought of Husker Gary, my very first Facebook friend! (Can you spot my mystery friend in the group?) Also 59. Sales chart metaphor : PIE

60. Attic function : STORAGE

61. Reputed UFO fliers : ETS

62. Arcade no-no : TILT

63. Where to find "The Blacklist" : ON NBC. I thought it's ON HBO.

65. "Mr. __ Passes By": Milne play : PIM. Learned from doing crosswords.

66. Time fraction: Abbr. : NSEC

 

72. USAF noncom : TSGT. Never know which one to choose: MSGT, SSGT, or TSGT.

75. Driver's lic. info : DOB

77. Aired for binge-watching, say : RE-RAN

78. Film princess : LEIA

80. Screened leader? : PRE. Pre-screened.

81. Nestlé candy with a white covering : SNO-CAPS

84. "Another thing ... " : AND

85. Old-style delivery man : TOWN CRIER

87. Exotic pet : IGUANA

88. Bermuda hrs. : AST

89. Word in discount store names : SAV

90. Long-eared critters : HARES. Not ASSES.

91. Base bed : COT

97. "Frankenstein" genre : GOTHIC. Not HORROR.

98. Cause to be : RENDER

99. Old Roman road : ITER. Root for itinerary.

100. Word from a doll : MAMA

103. Extreme folly : INSANITY

105. 120-Down source : TAP. 120. Scottish __ : ALE. How is it different from the Irish ale, Steve?

107. 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year Stoudemire : AMAR'E. Forgot. My computer showed that I googled him before.

109. Brian of ambient music : ENO

110. Fish pond treatment : ALGICIDE. New word to me. Wiki said it can also be "algaecide".

122. It established Congress : ARTICLE I. Also 83. Saga opening : PART I

123. Ancient serfs : HELOTS

124. Dental treatment : CROWN

125. Box for bags : TEA CHEST. Like this? I just call them tea boxes.

126. Plant swellings : EDEMAS

127. Best Game and Best Upset : ESPYs. Easy in retrospect.

Down:

1. Disarray : MUSS

2. Words to a traitor : ET TU

3. Grand Marquis, for short : MERC

4. 100 smackers : ONE C

5. Mail modifier : SNAIL

6. Ristorante dumplings : GNOCCHI. Need good sauce, TTP! What's your handicap, by the way? Boomer shot 103 in his first round of golf, about his average.

7. Break : RIFT. And 35. Breakup : SPLIT

8. Anago or unagi : EEL

9. Start to pressure? : ACU. Acupuncture.

10. Champagne label word : SEC

11. Glacial ridge : ESKER. The mountain ridge is ARETE.

12. Get close to : BEFRIEND

13. Photo lab svc. : ENL

14. DOD intel arm : NSA

15. Company with toy trucks : HESS. I see lots of rusted Tonka trucks at the flea market. Not many Hess. Tonka is based here in Minnesota.

 

16. Available : ON HAND

17. Viola da __ : GAMBA. Learning moment as well.

18. Cherish : ADORE. And 64. Cherished : BELOVED

19. Theaters in the area, briefly : NABES. Know the word. Never used it in real life.

24. Immortal coaching name : KNUTE (Rockne)

28. Dean's list topper : A STUDENT

31. Not exactly new : DATED

32. Repeat : ECHO

33. Picked at, say : ATE

34. Coffee order: Abbr. : REG

37. Second Commandment word : GRAVEN. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image". Difficult clue for me. 

38. Annual reviews : AUDITS

39. Rueful words about an opportunity : I MISSED OUT. And 48. It may be affected by a tough loss : TEAM SPIRIT.  A pair of 10's.

40. "__ Ben Adhem" : ABOU. Also learned from doing crosswords.

42. Give the right : ENTITLE

44. Legendary storyteller : AESOP

46. Future D.A.'s hurdle : LSAT

47. Like some custody : JOINT

49. Tail movement : WAG

50. Salem home: Abbr. : ORE. Where our Melissa Bee now lives.

55. Lawyer's petition : WRIT. Got via crosses.

57. Women's __ : LIB

58. Then, in Toulouse : ALORS. Et alors... 

59. Egyptian currency : POUND

60. Hardware fastener : SCREW

 

67. Half a soft drink : COCA

69. Place for deleted files? : TRASH CAN. On your PC.

70. Spanish song : CANTO. Spanish for "song"?

71. Offense : SIN

73. "The Quiet American" author : GREENE (Graham)

74. Not so wordy : TERSER. Argyle knows I'm in trouble if I send him long emails.

76. Baccarat call : BANCO. Never played Baccarat.

79. Sore : ACHY

81. [Originally shown this way] : SIC

82. Park __: airport facility : 'N GO.  Google shows that we have a Park 'N Go here in Minneapolis. Never used their service though.

85. Like a lion's coat : TAWNY

86. Hindu royal : RANI

88. "In my opinion ... " : AS I SEE IT. Nice entry also.

89. Editor's mark : STET

93. Master Kan portrayer on "Kung Fu" : AHN. Felt guilty using it in our Squad puzzle last Sunday.

94. Part of TGIF: Abbr. : FRI

95. Disappointing result : NET LOSS. Great clue.

96. "Perry Mason" lieutenant : TRAGG. Stranger to me.

97. Spaghetti sauce staple : GARLIC. Have you tried Hasselback Potatoes, D-Otto?

100. Corday victim : MARAT

101. Luigi's love : AMORE

102. European island nation : MALTA

104. Night in Nogales : NOCHE

106. Composition : PIECE

108. Engrave : ETCH

110. "__ boy!" : ATTA

111. Part of CDC: Abbr. : CTRS (Centers)

112. Rooty Jr. server : IHOP. Never had Rooty Jr.

113. __-eyed : DEWY

114. Sea eagles : ERNS

116. Key for Ravel? : ILE. Last time Rich clued it as "Key for Debussy?" for mislead. Nothing musical.

117. __ Moines : DES

119. Played the first card : LED

121. Fluffy toy, briefly : POM

C.C.

Sunday Dec 13, 2015 Matt McKinley

Theme: - "Morning Addition" - AM is added into each theme answer.

23A. Harsh criticism of an old Pontiac? : GRAND AM SLAM. Grand slam. All but this AM addition is part of another word.

27A. Unprincipled operator? : AMORAL SURGEON. Oral surgeon. "Unprincipled operator?" describes Dave's doctor so well. 

57A. Salesperson who doesn't take your offer seriously? : AMUSED CAR DEALER. Used car dealer.

66A. Mexican dish you were warned not to eat? : CAUTIONARY TAMALES. Cautionary tales.

76A. "Missionary squad loses big in softball game"? : APOSTLES CREAMED. Apostles' Creed. The answer cracked me up.

107A. Memoirs of a penitent bookie? : ODDS AND AMENDS. Odds and ends.

117A. Really large items thrown overboard? : JUMBO JETSAM. Jumbo jets.

Funny, I solved the whole puzzle thinking "Morning Edition" is the title. It aptly sums up the gimmick, though not as perfectly as "Morning Addition".

Seven entries with a total 95 theme squares is very manageable amount of theme material. Matt went low on word count, only 138 entries today. I've yet to explore that territory. 144 and I are just so inseparable.

Across:

1. Opinionated assortment : BIASES. Skipped to next entry right away.

7. Biblical shepherd : ABEL. Not Jesus.

11. Polaris Rangers, e.g., briefly : ATVs

15. Asian cookware : WOKs. I've collected a few recipes you guys put on the Comments section occasionally. Click here if you're interested.

19. Start a bulleted list, perhaps : INDENT

20. Forecast : BODE

21. Painful, in a way : TRAUMATIC

 

25. Superman or Spider-Man : TITLE ROLE. We also have 66D. First name in superhero lore : CLARK

26. Unavoidable end : DESTINY. Got via crosses.

29. "__, I'm flying in my taxi": Harry Chapin lyric : AND ME. Never heard of the song.

31. Table salt, in chem class : NACL

32. Pool stroke : MASSÉ

33. Therapists' org. : APA

36. Corporate rule : BY-LAW

39. Something for a fan to support : THE TEAM. And 42. Fan appreciation event : BAT DAY. I like Bobblehead Days.

45. Personal: Pref. : IDIO. I put in IDEO.

47. Pleads not guilty : DENIES IT. Just could not parse my own answer.

51. Soviet cooperative : ARTEL. We had this concept in China also. Not surprising. We copied lots of things from Soviet in those earlier years.

52. Loud salutes : SALVOS

55. Type of cell or cent : RED

56. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" constable : ODO. Learning moment to me.

61. [Uh-oh!] : GULP. [ ] hints that the answer is a sound.

62. Annual August golf tournaments, familiarly : PGAs

63. Classic theaters : RKOs. Not ODEON.

64. Aiming devices : SCOPES

71. Current king of Spain __ VI : FELIPE. His Australian wife is a fashion icon.

73. Silents star Negri : POLA. Just like TTP, I learned her name from doing crosswords.

74. Time to beware : IDES

75. Truth stretcher : LIAR

83. Rink legend : ORR

84. Tee sizes: Abbr. : SMs. OK, smalls

86. Done like Donne : POETIC. Simple in retrospect.

87. Rancor : SPITE

88. If it's orange, it's really black : PEKOE TEA. Read here. I never heard of Pekoe until I came to the US.

91. Physics unit : DYNE

92. Strengthen : BEEF UP. I'm a kind of Beef.

 

93. Race on the water : REGATTA. Also 114D. Zip (through) : SAIL

96. Kidney-related : RENAL

98. Match in size : FIT

99. Doo-wop band instruments : SAXES

102. After-hours : LATE

104. Hoods : THUGS

112. WWII bond designation : SERIES E. Unknown to me.

116. Carefree : FOOTLOOSE

119. Life partners : TRUE LOVES. Terrific stacks in this corner. I really hope Splynter finds his in 2016.

120. Snack in a stack : OREO

121. Nails the test : ACES IT

122. Doesn't have to ask about : GETS

123. Egg holder : NEST. Lovely clue.

124. Sign of boredom : YAWN

125. Techniques involving falsetto : YODELS

Down:

1. Texas city nickname : BIG D

2. About : IN RE

3. Some govt. lawyers : ADAs

4. "The Flying Dutchman" soprano : SENTA. Foreign to me.

5. Conclude with : END IN. I had END ON first.

6. One awaiting a cancellation : STAND-BY. Great clue.

7. Six-pack set : ABS

8. Two-balled weapon : BOLA

9. European cheese town : EDAM

10. Bar fruit : LEMON. D-Otto (Tom) also lost his brother John earlier this month. I can't picture a life without my brother.  

11. Hook on : ATTACH

12. Warbled : TRILLED

13. Winery fixtures : VATS

14. Course-plotting "Star Trek" crewman : SULU

15. Simulated military exercise : WAR GAME

16. Chiwere speakers : OTOES

17. Bust measurements? : KILOS. Oh, I finally got it. Narc's bust.

18. Not a good thing to make : SCENE

22. Marine myth : MERMAID. Cute, isn't it?

24. "Goodness!" : MY MY

28. Traitor : RAT

30. Woman in a "Paint Your Wagon" song : ELISA. This girl always stumps me.

33. Simple rhyme scheme : ABAA

34. Veal __ : PARM. Never had it.

35. Largest of the Near Islands : ATTU. Gimme for Spitzboov. I drew a blank.

37. Purim month : ADAR

38. Like most zoo animals : WILD

40. La., once : TERR

41. Lincoln-to-Des Moines dir. : ENE

43. Give up : DESPAIR

44. Advantage to get : A LEG UP

46. Like talent, in a Geoff Colvin best-seller : OVER-RATED. Have any of you read the book?

48. Liquid courses : SOUPS

49. Not working : IDLE. Also 65. Monty Python co-founder : CLEESE

50. Beats : TOPS

53. Vanilla-flavored, as wine : OAKY

54. Machine displaying fruit symbols : SLOT. Rigged. You just can't win.

58. Go out with : DATE

59. CBS drama since 2000 : CSI

60. Spanish "that" : ESA. Our Korean vet neighbor Andy moved away to a nursing home. A Spanish-speaking family moved in.

61. Throws a fit : GOES APE

64. Iraq's __ City : SADR

67. W, vis-à-vis E : OPP

68. Don Knotts denial : NOOP

69. Too : ALSO

70. Open __ night : MIC

71. Disaster : FLOP

72. Where the Shannon flows : EIRE

76. Fishing, perhaps : ASEA

77. Interstellar dist. : LTYR (Light-year)

78. Berlin article : EINE

79. Canine attraction : SCENT

80. Annoy : MIFF

81. Decorative sewing case : ETUI. Long time no see!

82. Cabinet part: Abbr. : DEPT.

84. Phrase on a fortuneteller's business card : SEES ALL

85. Office conf. : MTG

89. Son of Agamemnon : ORESTES. Electra's brother.

90. Travelers' references : ATLASES

92. Rogers Centre player : BLUE JAY. Only one Hall-of-Famer in Blue Jay uniform.

94. Least likely to bite : TAMEST

95. Downed : ATE

97. "Sure, I get it" : AH SO. Yellowrocks knows Japanese. In Chinese, we tend to say "Ah, it is because of so" for the "Doh moment".

99. Magic center? : SOFT G. I figured it's G, but did not think of SOFT G.

100. Be gaga over : ADORE

101. Marked for deletion : X'D OUT

103. Relish : ENJOY

105. Artist El __ : GRECO

106. Located : SITED

108. Classic showdown time : NOON. "High Noon".

109. Went off the deep end : DOVE

110. Commercial prefix with "cell" : DURA. Duracell. Gluey entry.

111. Fish-eating duck : SMEW

113. Forum infinitive : ESSE

115. First responders, for short : EMTs

118. __ mot : BON

C.C.