Sunday January 14, 2018 Matt McKinley

Theme: "Plush Material" - Plus H Material.

23A. Tolerate shrubland? : STAND THE HEATH. Stand the heat.

45A. .3 rings? : CIRCUS TENTH. Circus tent.

71A. Texas team's fair exhibit? : COWBOY BOOTH. Cowboy boot.

99A. Loyalty from a farm bird? : TURKEY TROTH. Turkey trot.

123A. Successful religious conversion? : FAITH ACCOMPLI. Fait accompli.

17D. Apparatus that breeds laziness? : SLOTH MACHINE. Slot machine.

65D. Sound from a dying fire? : HEARTH MURMUR. Heart murmur.

Across    

1. "I'm waiting ... " : TAP, TAP

7. "Volunteers?" : ANYONE?

13. Bobbing refuse : FLOTSAM

20. Word with man or dope : INSIDE

21. Like typical laundromats : COIN-OP

22. Affluent San Diego community : LA JOLLA

25. Crowd-drawing bars : IN SPOTS

26. Ancient queen, familiarly : CLEO

27. Pot for paella : OLLA

28. Sicilian six : SEI

29. Sports figure : STAT

30. Sewer needs : PATTERNS

34. Hates : DEPLORES

37. MLB set a season record for them in 2017 : HRs

38. Times to call, in ads : EVES

39. Markers : IOUs

41. Submerged threat : REEF

42. Office supply quantity : REAM

44. Term in wrestling or bowling : PIN

48. Doctor's orders : X-RAYS

51. Receiver of many letters : SANTA

53. Actress Kathryn : ERBE

54. Pocket breads : PITAs

56. BCS org. : NCAA

57. Franklin's 1936 opponent : ALF. Alf Landon

59. Spanish coin : EURO

61. Local pic shower : NABE. desper-otto said the neighborhood movie theater is shortened in slang to the NABE.

62. Distress signal? : OH, MY!

63. One who's learned : SCHOLAR

67. Pres. after USG : RBH. Ulysses S. Grant / Rutherford B. Hayes

68. Langley org. : CIA

69. Online exchange, briefly : IMs

70. Troon turndowns : NAEs

75. Basie's "__'Clock Jump" : ONE O

76. Director DuVernay : AVA

77. Actor Vigoda : ABE

78. Bard's dusk : E'EN

79. Lumber mill workers : SAWYERs

81. BOLO target : PERP

83. It can be hammered out : DENT

85. Runway adornment : SASH

87. "__ me ae spark o' Nature's fire": Burns : GIE

88. London's __ Modern : TATE

89. Some Deco works : ERTÉs

91. Sea, with "the" : DEEP

93. Maestro Georg : SZELL

97. Different : OTHER

102. Overtake in a race, in a way : LAP

103. Grammy winner Jason : MRAZ

105. Schoolmarmish : PRIM

106. One given to forward looks : SEER

107. Similar : AKIN

108. East Lansing sch. : MSU. Michigan State University

110. "How clever of you!" : NEAT IDEA

113. Office supplies, or, minus a letter, a supplier of them : STAPLERS

115. Nashville attraction : OPRY

117. Spanish 116-Down : ANO

118. Howard's wife, to the Fonz : MRS. C

120. Letters before a view : IMHO

121. Half of nothing new? : SAME OLD

128. Peru neighbor : ECUADOR

129. "The Wind in the Willows" croaker : MR. TOAD

130. Shamed : ABASED

131. Saw-toothed : SERRATE. Serrate or serrated can be an adjective meaning having a notched edge or saw-like teeth, especially for cutting.

132. Blouse partners : SKIRTS

133. Already-seen fare : RERUNS

Down:

1. "'__ some visitor,' I muttered ... ": Poe : 'TIS

2. __ farm : ANT

3. TV awareness-raiser : PSA

4. Colors : TINCTs

5. Confuse : ADDLE

6. Teenage Russian emperor (1727-1730) : PETER II

7. Pitching staff leader : ACE

8. Acronymic NYC neighborhood : NOHO

9. Give in : YIELD

10. Ready : ON ALERT

11. "Shh!" : NOT A PEEP

12. N.T. book : EPH.

13. Paper under a wiper : FLIER

14. Man-made Georgia lake : LANIER

15. Screwdriver parts, for short : OJs

16. Best : TOPS

18. Union setting : ALTAR

19. Spinnaker holders : MASTS

24. Writer __ de Balzac : HONORÉ

28. Tortilla treat : SOFT TACO

30. Livens (up) : PEPs

31. Nike competitor : AVIA

32. N.C. neighbor : TENN.

33. Bolivian capital : SUCRE

35. Red Square honoree : LENIN

36. __ roles : SEX

40. Literally, "under city" : SUBURB

43. Ponte Vecchio's river : ARNO

45. See the bet : CALL

46. __-Croatian : SERBO

47. They're hard to break : HABITS

49. Whine : YAMMER

50. Decision makers have them : SAY SOs

52. New Mexico art hub : TAOS

55. Witch enemy of Popeye : SEA HAG

58. False front : FACADE

60. "Without a doubt" : OH, YES

63. Acknowledge the brass : SNAP TO

64. Admonition : CAVEAT

66. Stack seen on-screen : ROBERT

72. Approached : WENT UP TO

73. Small and glittering, like eyes : BEADY

74. Beginnings : ONSETs

75. Court cry : OYEZ

80. Something made on a star? : WISH

82. Jury member : PEER

84. Country singer Gibbs : TERRI

86. Glass-raised word : HERE'S

90. Accident investigation clue : SKID MARK

92. __ license : POETIC

94. Sommer of "The Prize" : ELKE

95. Animal house : LAIR

96. Hosp. personnel : LPNs

98. Headed up : RAN

100. Academic retirees : EMERITI

101. Ore carrier : TRAM CAR

104. Gung-ho type : ZEALOT

107. 10-time Gold Glove winner Roberto : ALOMAR.  He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Blue Jay. - CanadianEh!

108. Early receiver of tablets : MOSES

109. __ bar : SPACE

111. Netman Agassi : ANDRE

112. Fur tycoon : ASTOR

114. Suffix with xeno- : PHOBE

116. English 117-Across : YEAR

119. Series of 69-Across : CHAT

122. "Ghost" psychic __ Mae Brown : ODA

123. Radio settings : FMs

124. Reasons for some sportscast split screens : ADs

125. Big Ten sch. : PSU. Pennsylvania State University

126. Novelist Deighton : LEN

127. Picks out of a mug book : IDs

Sunday September 24, 2017 Matt McKinley

Theme:  "Encapsulating" - N is added to each theme entry.

23A. Designated meditation area? : CHANT ROOM. Chat room.

25A. Key to a discography including "Purple Rain"? : PRINCE INDEX. Price index. 

46A. Vacant look, e.g.? : TRANCE ELEMENT. Trace element.

69A. Tirade from an underground worker? : SEWER RANT. Sewer rat.

90A. Elegant knight's accoutrement? : SATIN AND LANCE. Satin and lace.

112A. New Englander from Lhasa? : TIBETAN YANK. Tibetan yak. We also have 34. Lhasa __: small dog : APSO

114A. Viper's bar order? : SNAKE PINT. Snake pit.

32D. What to click in response to an offensive tweet? : RESENT BUTTON. Reset button.

42D. Insufficient medley? : SCANT SINGING. Scat singing.

Most of N's are added after A, two are after I.

The grid is also very nicely designed, with 7 Across, 2 Downs. Four of the non-theme fill (all sparkly) are of the same length of the theme entries. Sometimes solvers can mistaken them for theme entries, but today's ? in the theme entries should make things clear.

Across:

      

1. Parcel of land : TRACT

6. Confused state : FOG

9. Chapter XXVIII of "Moby-Dick" : AHAB. Obtainable. Never read the book.

13. Creator of a quirky cartoon family : ADDAMS. The Addams Family.

19. Island veranda : LANAI. What a luxury.

20. Old cereal box no. : RDA. Also 75. Cereal brand since 1955 : SPECIAL K. Do you all eat cold cereal for breakfast? 

21. __ Alto : PALO

22. Vacation option : CRUISE. Lemonade just had a short one.

27. Writer known for his surprise endings : O. HENRY

28. Old lemon : EDSEL. Not our Lemonade.

29. Pick : ELECT

30. Longtime TV host Carol : BURNETT

33. Expansive : VAST

36. Dots in l'océan : ILEs

37. Lift : UPRAISE. I use RAISE UP.

40. Exist : ARE

41. Library attention-getter : PSST. I have not been to our local library for years.

45. Purity meas. : KTS (Karats)

49. Annual report VIP : CEO. And 77. 49-Acrosses lead them : COs

50. Quaint "before" : ERE

51. High school phase for many : ANGST

52. Testing site : LAB. I've been eating more meat. Hope my CBC results trend better next time. 

53. Oral dozen : MOLARs

55. Got out of the stable, say : RAN FREE

57. "Platoon" setting : NAM. Marc Maron had a great interview with Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.  

60. Atlantic and Pacific, e.g. : TIME ZONES. China only has one time zone: Beijing Standard Time.

62. Lincoln in-law : TODD

63. One who doesn't stay put : NOMAD

65. Bard's bedtime : EEN

66. __ Reader : UTNE

67. Southampton sword : SABRE. Alliteration.

71. Smartened (up) : WISED

72. Stopper : PLUG

73. Water control project : DAM. Tough hurricane season.

74. Hound attraction : SCENT

75. Spanish ayes : SI SI

76. Fashionable sort? : LATECOMER. Fashionably late.

79. Witch : HAG

80. In abundance : APLENTY

83. Emcee responsibilities : INTROS

84. Opposite of pref. : SUF. OK, suffix.

86. Dominated : OWNED

88. "That's surprising" : GEE

89. Loving murmur : COO

94. Tap choice, for short : IPA

95. Lombardy Castle city : ENNA. Have not seen this fill for a few months.

97. USO show audience : GIs

98. "Me too" : SO HAVE I

99. Tech news website : CNET

100. Browning, e.g. : POET

102. Rocky areas?: Abbr. : MTNs. Rocky Mountains.

103. Oversees : MANAGES

105. Unemotional : STOIC. My grandma was a stoic. Never complained about her bound feet.

108. Farewell that's bid : ADIEU

110. One of two using matched weapons : DUELER

118. Storied restaurant : ALICE'S. Alice's Restaurant.

119. Suit to __ : A TEE

120. Fallen space station : MIR

121. Rink fakes : DEKES

122. Hems in : BESETS

123. Hires competitor : DAD'S. Never had root beer.

124. BART stop, e.g. : STA

125. Rarely ordered food? : STEAK. Great clue!

Down:

  

1. Comfort during a tough time, for short : TLC

2. Bleachers sound : RAH

3. California's Santa __ River : ANA

4. Camera choices : CANONS

5. 10% donation : TITHE

6. Like the biggest stories : FRONT PAGE. Boomer has to have his breakfast with newspaper.

7. Smell : ODOR

8. Reminiscent of venison : GAMY

9. Soothe : APPEASE

10. Aggressive marketing : HARD SELL. CenturyLink has been aggressive.

11. Posh party invitees : A-LIST

12. Doggy bag item : BONE

13. Expert : ACE

14. Hangs on a line : DRIES

15. Longtime rubber company : DUNLOP. They make golf balls also.

16. Personal assistant : AIDE

17. PC speed unit : MSEC. Millisecond.

 

18. Suggestive message : SEXT. Hey, it's cool to own a flip phone. Look at Anna Wintour.

24. Took back : RETURNED

26. Shannon's county : CLARE

30. Yamaha user : BIKER

31. Extreme : ULTRA. Look at these dirty jeans at Nordstrom. $425. This will drive our PK nuts.

33. Fight (for) : VIE

35. Writers : PENMEN

38. ICU personnel : RNs

39. Infomercial urging : ACT NOW

40. Completely surrounding : AMBIENT

43. Calm : SERENE

44. Like green salads : TOSSED.  Dole's Sesame Asian salad kit is tasty.

46. Time for una siesta : TARDE. Afternoon.

47. Down : EAT

48. From A __ : TO Z

54. Title name that "Every little breeze seems to whisper," in a Chevalier song : LOUISE. Here it is. Boomer knows the song. I don't.

56. One may be exposed by an expert : FORGER

58. Iowa State city : AMES

59. Spring time : MARCH

61. First got acquainted : MET. Oh read this story (Facebook Figured Out My Family Secrets, And It Won't Tell Me How).

63. Serious foe : NEMESIS

64. De Matteo of "The Sopranos" : DREA

67. Do film editing work : SPLICE

68. Program with steps : AL-ANON. Good luck with the interview tomorrow, Splynter!

69. Green eggs advocate : SAM. And Ham.

70. Namibia neighbor : ANGOLA

71. Author who wrote "Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life" : WILDE

73. Two pills, perhaps : DOSAGE

78. More than trot : RUN

80. "Archie Bunker's Place" co-star : ANNE MEARA

81. Plains dwelling : TEPEE

82. Dublin-born poet : YEATS

85. Nailed, say : FASTENED

87. Sound file suffix : WAV. A la Wiki: Waveform Audio File Format (WAVE, or more commonly known as WAV due to its filename extension).

91. Business baron : TITAN

92. Cold War protest sign slogan : NO NUKES

93. They don't play the field: Abbr. : DHs (Designated Hitters)

96. Each : APIECE

99. Floor covering : CARPET

101. Two trios and a duo : OCTET. Eight-piece. Here is the Eight-Treasure Porridge I make in the cold months. You must have glutinous rice. I also prefer Aldi's Medjool dates.

102. Mazda sports car : MIATA

104. Requirements : NEEDS

105. Shot in the dark : STAB

106. Floor covering : TILE

107. Kimono holders : OBIs

109. Twosome : DYAD

110. Mil. awards : DSMs. DSM: Distinguished Service Medal.

111. Quart, say : UNIT

113. Pack animal : ASS

115. '50s White House nickname : IKE

116. 1995 Tony honoree for Excellence in the Theatre: Abbr. : NEA. Unaware of the trivia.

117. Sound of reproach : TSK

C.C.

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.