Thursday August 10th 2017 Mel Rosen

Theme: Foreign Accents - Four Non-English words have their accented letters spelled out "in detail"

17A. Tarragona title, in detail? : SEN-TILDE-OR. Señor. Spanish. Port city in Catalonia. Here's the Roman amphitheater:

29A. Arles animal, in detail? : BE-CIRCUMFLEX-TE Bête. French. Strictly speaking, it should be "circonflexe" if we're speaking French.

48A. Toulouse trace, in detail? : SOUPC-CEDILLA-ON Soupçon. French.

59A. Augsburg above, in detail? : U-UMLAUT-BER Über. German. This was the entry where I saw the theme. There were a lot of blank spaces in the other theme entries until this point.

I'm lurching between "loved the theme" and "mostly liked the theme". I thought the idea was excellent; I conferred with a couple of friends regarding spelling out the accented letters - one thing that bothered me a little was that the "ñ" (en-yay) in Spanish is a distinct letter in the alphabet, it's not an accented "n". My Austrian buddy over in Vienna also told me that you'd spell out "Über" as u-e-b-e-r. Interesting stuff.

Some of the fill seemed a little scrappy - A MAJ to start out with, ABCD, DH'S and others are not on my list of favorites.

Let's see what else we've got to talk about:

Across:

1. Mus. key of "I Am The Walrus" : A MAJ. I was going to try to explain the lyrics, but apparently I haven't taken enough LSD this morning, so I'm stumped.

5. Gulf : CHASM

10. They're underfoot : MATS

14. Shade akin to ecru : BONE

15. Critical vessel : AORTA

16. K-12 : EL-HI

19. Tucked in : A-BED. From Shakespeare's Henry V:

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he to-day that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,

This day shall gentle his condition;

And gentlemen in England now a-bed

Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

20. NBC show that inspired "30 Rock" : SNL

21. It's hidden in some profiles : LEFT EYE. Let'd go for a little Bob Dylan to help things along. This is the "New York Sessions" version of the song.

23. How great minds think : ALIKE

26. Sweet __ : TEA

28. Immature bee nourished by royal jelly : LARVA

32. Amorous murmur : COO

33. Voice mail prompt : TONE. Most people's voicemail greeting is totally redundant - do you really need instructions to tell what you should do?

34. Wow : AWE

35. Rat Pack nickname : DINO

37. Wetland area : MARSH

39. Fire : SACK

43. Sci-fi SFX : CGI. Science fiction special visual effects - computer-generated imagery. That's a mouthful.

45. Take at a concert : GATE. Receipts.

47. Capital of Delaware? : DEE

52. Poundstone of "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" : PAULA. Who? Thank you, crosses.

53. Like the occasional clean sock : ODD. I've got two of them on my dresser right now. One black dress sock, one white sports sock.

54. Emphatic affirmation : I AM SO!

55. Craftsperson : ARTISAN. Every menu nowadays seems to have to have at least one "artisan" item - bread, cheese, salami, what-have-you.

57. N.L. teams usually don't use them : DH'S Designated Hitters. They can be used in inter-league matches, most notably during the World Series.

58. Bus sched. info : RTES

65. "Foiled again!" : DRAT

66. Brat condiment : KRAUT. The Kraut Dog is a menu item at the West Coast fast food chain Wienerschnitzel. I was a little surprised when I first saw this - in England the word is a derogatory term for a German.

67. Gable neighbor : EAVE

68. Jazz sessions : SETS

69. 37-Across plant : SEDGE

70. CT scan component : X-RAY. A computed tomography scan uses multiple x-rays to build up the image.

Down:

1. They might be ripped : ABS

2. "The Simpsons" tavern owner : MOE

3. Gloucester's cape : ANN

4. Lake craft : JET SKI

5. Word with roll or toll : CALL. Nice clue.

6. Mason's burden : HOD. You carry your bricks in a hod. Usually, the mason is responsible for laying the stones, his assistant, a hod carrier, does the heavy lifting.

7. "__ you coming?" : ARE

8. College in Northfield, Minn. : ST. OLAF. Liberal arts school.

9. Colt producer : MARE

10. Cleavers : MEAT AXES. Not sure I've heard this term before. My meat axe weights in at a hefty three pounds of mean blade. It makes short work of a Jamaican-style jerk chicken.

11. Finney with a recurring role in Jason Bourne films : ALBERT

12. "Look What __ Done to My Song, Ma" : THEY'VE

13. What an LP has that a CD lacks : SIDE A

18. Like helium : INERT

22. Went like mad : FLEW

23. Preschool song opener : ABCD. Yuk.

24. Sainted pontiff called "the Great" : LEO I

25. Revered one : ICON

26. Skipjack or bluefin : TUNA

27. Came to light : EMERGED

30. Stand-up individual? : COMIC

31. "The Blacklist" actress : LAHTI. Thank you, crosses.

36. Eye experts, old-style : OCULISTS. Optometrists and ophthalmologists nowadays.

38. DUI-fighting org. : SADD

40. TV Batman West : ADAM. He passed away last month at his home here in LA. His final performance as Batman in the animated feature Batman vs. Two-Face is slated for release in October.

41. Biz biggies : CEO'S

42. Bingo kin : KENO

44. Dean's list nos. : GPA'S

46. Friend of Job : ELIHU. A mysterious character, apparently.

48. "Nausea" novelist : SARTRE

49. Surpass in a hot dog contest : OUT-EAT. Joey Chestnut retained his "world title" at Nathan's on July 4th, managing to eat (and keep down) 72 dogs and buns in 10 minutes.

50. Small parrot : CONURE. New one on me. Cute things.

51. Yarn that makes fabric stretchy : LASTEX. Another learning moment.

52. Oater colleagues : PARDS. Howdy, Pards.

56. Arctic divers : AUKS

57. Check figure : DATE. I can't remember the last time I wrote a check.

60. Sore : MAD

61. Carry with difficulty : LUG

62. Backdrop for many jokes : BAR. A horse, a crocodile and an anteater are sitting at a bar. The bartender asks them what's wrong - they say "Nothing, why?" "Why all the long faces then?"

63. Actress Longoria : EVA

64. Spanish king : REY. Here's the Marina Del Rey in Los Angeles. I've sailed out of here quite a few times.

And with that, here's the grid. Hasta luego!

Steve

Monday, December 19, 2016 Mel Rosen

Theme: Holy Holly- Double up the middle consonant to form the second word and clue appropriately.

20. Pilfered German fruit bread?: STOLEN STOLLEN

32. Evidence of Russia's currency collapse?: RUBLE RUBBLE

42. "Mister Ed" dot?: TITLE TITTLE

54. Final course in the Sahara?: DESERT DESSERT

Argyle here. No reveal Monday; not needed. Small nit; tittle is defined as a point or small sign used as a diacritical mark in writing or printing. MISTER ED doesn't use one; MR. ED does. Still fun.

Update: The dot on the lower-case "i" is also a tittle, at least according to some dictionaries.

Across:

1. Cartoonist Addams: "CHAS". Creator of The Addams Family.]

5. Sour substances: ACIDS

10. Parroted: APED

14. ___-poly: ROLY. May refer to: Link.

15. French painter of café scenes: MANET

16. Smallest American coin: DIME. Smallest in physical size.

17. Mil. no-show: AWOL. (Absence Without Leave)

18. "Fear of Flying" author Jong: ERICA. (1973 novel)

19. Herr's home: HAUS

23. Up until now: SO FAR

24. Timeline start: YEAR ONE

27. Play at the highest volume, as a radio: BLAST

31. Bravery award: MEDAL

37. Sch. in Charlottesville: UVA. (University of Virginia)

38. Words said with a nod: "I SEE"

39. Jeweled headpiece: TIARA

40. Stadium ticket designation: SEAT

41. Harbor puller: TUG

44. Bow and __: ARROW

46. Cotton thread: LISLE. A fine, high-twisted and hard-twisted cotton thread, at least two-ply, used for hosiery, gloves, etc.

47. Tortoni's cousin: SPUMONE

50. Pentathlon blades: EPEEs

58. B-movie safecracker: YEGG

60. Cheering noisily: AROAR

61. "Yes __?": ultimatum words: OR NO

62. Length times width: AREA

63. Infamous skater Harding: TONYA

64. Hall of Fame catcher Carlton: FISK. Nicknamed "Pudge" and "The Commander", Wiki Link.

65. Marries: WEDS

66. After-lunch sandwiches: OREOs

67. Lavish bash: FÊTE

Down:

1. Rude and crude: CRASS

2. Genre for do-it-yourselfers: HOW TO

3. Distant and cool: ALOOF

4. One of two in seven: SYLLABLE. The word, seven, is made up of two syllables.

5. Chorus from the pews: "AMEN"

6. Some "Wheel" prizes: CARS. You are better off on "The Price is Right" if you want a car.

7. "What's __ for me?": IN IT

8. Fake drake, say: DECOY

9. Opposite of fresh: STALE

10. Stick (to): ADHERE

11. Keyboard work for two: PIANO DUET

12. Rhea's Aussie relative: EMU

13. Hôtel __ Invalides: Paris landmark: DES

21. Author __ Stanley Gardner: ERLE. "Perry Mason"

22. Like a weak excuse: LAME

25. Part of USNA: NAVAL. (United States Naval Academy)

26. Make more than merry: ELATE

28. Intro-to-painting course: ART I

29. Exec's three-piece: SUIT

30. Little League precursor: T-BALL

32. Hayworth and Rudner: RITAs

33. Seize illegally: USURP

34. Gave reluctantly: BEGRUDGED

35. Matzo __: Jewish egg dish: BREI

36. Back muscles, in the gym: LATs. (lattismus dorsi)

40. Measures by pacing: STEPS OFF

42. Dance floor units: TWOs

43. Sights in la Méditerranée: ILEs. Here's a nice list of the îles de la mer Méditerranée to look over on those cold winter nights. List

45. Pricey watches: OMEGAs

48. "Gee, cool!": "NEATO!"

49. Mistake in the field: ERROR

51. Creepy: EERIE

52. Dadaist Max: ERNST. Road rage?

53. Tend to the flames: STOKE

55. Musical quality: TONE

56. Belafonte classic: DAY-O

57. Gaslight and Big Band: ERAs

58. Deviate from a course: YAW. (of a moving ship or aircraft) twist or oscillate about a vertical axis.

59. Before, in odes: ERE

Argyle

Thursday, March 24th, 2016 Mel Rosen

Theme: Name Games - two famous (?) names combine to form a third ... thing.

17A. Rich and Chris in a capital? : LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas. Rich Little. Chris Rock.

23A. Billy and Minnie on a road? : SUNDAY DRIVER. We've all experienced a few of these. An international phenomenon too, in my experience. Billy Sunday. Minnie Driver.

38A. Vida and John in a ballpark? : BLUE JAY. Toronto diamond denizens. Vida Blue. John Jay.

49A. Karen and Adam on a hill? : CARPENTER ANT. They like to nest in dry wood. Not good for our timber-framed homes here in California. Karen Carpenter. Adam Ant.

59A. Eddie and Arsenio in a concert venue? : ALBERT HALL. More correctly the "Royal Albert Hall". A landmark music venue in London, it was named by Queen Victoria in honor of her late husband, Prince Albert. I saw Eric Clapton and Elvis Costello play there, but it's more usually a classical music venue. Eddie Albert. Arsenio Hall.

Thursday already? I'm up in the air over ... somewhere en route from New Jersey heading back to LA. I'm not sure about anyone else but I scored about 50% on name-recognition with this puzzle. Thank goodness for solid crosses.

I went back to look up who I didn't recognize one jot (four) and one who I think I'd vaguely heard of (one). I now know I need to brush up on my impressionists, my evangelical preachers, my left-handed baseball pitchers, my Chief Justices and actor/activists.

The center section gave me conniptions - I didn't know either of the theme names, and some seemingly impossible letter-progressions had me staring at a big white space. Finally, the penny dropped with "NOBLE" and that was the key for me.

Here's one of the aforementioned theme people in celebration of what was quite startling videopop back in the early 80's.

And .. let's see what else we've got.

Across:

1. See 44-Across : BABA. Something to peeve the cross-reference-haters right off the bat. Barry already had one on Tuesday this week.

5. Bremen or Hamburg, locally : STADT. Thank you, high school German classes. "City".

10. Fast-food order : SODA

14. Joie de vivre : ÉLAN

15. Circus Maximus attire : TOGAS. Pedantically, it might be quibbled that it might be TOGAE.

16. Pizza chain started in Chicago, informally : UNO'S. Formally, Uno Pizzeria and Grill. New York pizza lovers, avert your eyes - here's the original deep-dish version from the original Pizzeria Uno.

19. Pond denizen : NEWT. A man walks into a bar with a large newt on his shoulder, orders a drink and glass of water "for Tiny, here". The bartender asks him why he calls him "Tiny". "Because he's my newt".

20. Stumped : AT SEA

21. Fragrant hybrid : TEA ROSE

27. Pub order : ALE

30. Cause harm : DO ILL

31. Capt.'s direction : E.S.E.

32. Family member : SON

33. "__ Mir Bist Du Schoen": Andrews Sisters hit : BEI. High school German classes didn't include the Andrews Sisters. "To me, you're beautiful".

34. Come out : EMERGE

37. i follower : POD

40. i follower : PAD

41. Nicks on albums : STEVIE

43. 1980s-'90s gaming console : N.E.S. Stood for Nintendo Entertainment System.

44. With 1-Across, woodcutter who stole from thieves : ALI

45. River island : AIT. Also Eyot. I lived close to Chiswick (pronounced "chissik") Eyot (pronounced "eight") in London. Awkward place for tourists asking directions. It's a reference point on the annual 4 1/4 mile Boat Race contested each year between crews from Oxford and Cambridge Universities, the eyot coming just past the half-way mark

46. "I gotta run!" : SEE YA!

48. Animal in the Chinese zodiac : RAT

53. Eellike fish : LAMPREY

54. Brand with classic "beep beep" commercials : AAMCO. Popped up a couple of times recently.

58. Forte : AREA. Hmmm. I get it, I just don't like it. I don't think you really describe someone's forte as their "area".

63. Scams : CONS

64. __ firma : TERRA

65. Exam type : ORAL

66. Some honored Brits: Abbr. : KNTS. No. I don't care what you can dig up from online dictionaries, the abbreviation differs according to which honor you are awarded and none of them are "KNT". The closest are either a Knight Bachelor, or "Kt" or a Knight of the Order of the Thistle (KT). Take your pick from KG, KT, Kt, KCB, KCMG, KCRO or KBE. 

67. Aerosol targets : ODORS

68. Europe's highest volcano : ETNA. Etna's Italian buddy Vesuvius is the only active volcano on mainland Europe.

Down:

1. Composer Bartók : BELA

2. Settled down : ALIT

3. Cricket equipment : BATS. One flat side, usually made of willow. Here's the legendary West Indies batsman Gordon Greenidge showing the England team how to use one. I'd explain the rules to you, but it would take me two weeks and you still wouldn't really understand.

4. Starting stakes : ANTES

5. Jeanne d'Arc, e.g.: Abbr. : STE. French. St. Joan of Arc, Ste. Jeanne d'Arc.

6. Craggy crest : TOR

7. Earlier : AGO

8. Three-syllable foot : DACTYL. Did a pterodactyl have a three-syllable foot? Probably not.

9. Expressed disdain for : TSK'ED

10. Often photogenic event : SUNRISE

11. A round of 73, usually : ONE OVER PAR. A classic 18-hole golf course is par-72 (Four par 5's, four 3's and 10 4's).

12. Use a divining rod : DOWSE

13. Fall flower : ASTER

18. Acclaim : LAUD

22. "You __ Destiny" : ARE MY. A song written and first performed by Paul Anka.

24. To the manor born : NOBLE. My key to unlocking the middle of the puzzle.

25. Dijon deity : DIEU. French saints and gods today.

26. Property recipient, in law : ALIENEE. The dictionary tells me this is a dated term for grantee. I'll file it away for future reference, dated or no.

27. Nile threats : ASPS. Cleopatra famously committed suicide with one.

With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate
Of life at once untie: poor venomous fool
Be angry, and dispatch.

—Cleopatra, Act V, scene II

Anthony and Cleopatra

28. Hot stuff? : LOOT

29. Affection : ENDEARMENT

34. Campus breeze : EASY A. This is a tough one to parse, especially when it's clued a little obscurely.

35. It might be a big benefit : GALA

36. Cut and paste, say : EDIT

38. Muzzle wearer, probably : BITER. Do they make muzzles for asps?

39. Derisive shout : JEER

42. One way to get backstage : VIP PASS

46. Worked in a salon : STYLED

47. Art major's subj. : ANAT. Anatomy.

49. Rattling sound : CLACK

50. Golden calf maker, in Exodus : AARON. Thank you crosses.

51. "Peachy-keen!" : NEATO

52. Second-deepest U.S. lake : TAHOE

55. Trading center : MART

56. Feud faction : CLAN

57. Clay crock : OLLA. There's a traditional Spanish dish named charmingly named "olla podrida", "rotten pot" which is a stew of pork, beans and garbanzos.

60. Good bud : BRO. BFF went in, came out.

61. Guess wrong : ERR

62. Dorm deputies: Abbr. : RA'S. Resident Assistants.

That should do it for me - and heeere's the grid!


Steve

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to Rainman (Ray Hedrick). What's up, Ray? Still playing tennis daily?

2) For those who prefers Blogger rather than Google +, please read Tuesday's comments section. TTP, who saved this blog from Google hell a few years ago, gave detailed instructions there in his various posts, esp the 5:06pam one. Read Anon T and aka Themla's comments also. 

Or if you want to have a blue Blogger account with an avatar picture like most regulars here on our blog, their tips help also, esp Dave's link here. oc4beach turned blue quickly. This old post I wrote 7 years ago still has some valid points as well. 

3) TTP has a created a specific post on how to have a blue Blogger account. Please click here. 
 

 

Thursday, March 3rd, 2016 Mel Rosen

Theme: Rock Remix - A word scramble with "ROCK" in the theme entries.

As the grid-spanner in the center tells us:

39A. Jangle pop and the like, and a hint to a hidden feature of 17-, 30-, 46- and 63-Across : ALTERNATIVE ROCK. Exemplified in this case by a youthful-looking Michael Stipe and the jangly-mandolin-lead from Peter Buck. Great song. (Great video too).

17A. Temporarily out of stock, with "on" : BACK ORDER. You get an "F" in Supply Chain Management if you're responsible for inventory and this happens.

30A. One might spoil a dream : CLOCK RADIO. I've been woken many times in hotel rooms by the radio going off at quite bizarre times during the night and tuned to a weird channel. I always check and turn it off now when I check in to the room.

46A. Gadgets with helical parts called worms : CORKSCREWS. I never travel without one in my bag. I'd had the same one in my carry-on for at least two years until last Tuesday when the TSA guy at Burbank Airport took exception to it. Considering it had been through, conservatively, at least 50 checkpoints I was a little surprised.

63A. Restaurant convenience : CHECKROOM. I had no idea this was a thing. Now I know it is.

Neat theme from Mel and some suitably crunchy fill and cluing which together make up a firm Thursday. It took me a little while to get started and "jangle pop" was an unknown term for the theme hint, but after pinwheeling around the grid a couple of times things came together. Let's dive in a little deeper.

Across:

1. Congressional authority : WHIP. Keeping elected representatives under control, in attendance and toeing the party line. In an infamous case in the UK, during a tied vote, an MP was brought to Parliament in an ambulance (having suffered a severe heart attack) to break the deadlock. The two party whips were discovered in the ambulance arguing as to whether or not he was dead and could vote.

5. Lifeless : BLAH. Not the first definition that springs to mind.

9. Repaired, as a boot : SOLED. Not re-soled?

14. Warning to a tot : NO NO. This one's odd. Why a tot? Because you have to repeat "No"? Or is it a "no-no"?

15. Academic apparel : ROBE

16. Dancer Fred's dancing sister : ADELE. The singer gets a break from crossword duty today.

19. Add a lane to, say : WIDEN

20. Hot rod rods : AXLES. I saw "Hot hot rods" and was completely bamboozled by this one. Then I realized I'd misread the clue. So, axle = rod. Hot rods have axles, therefore hot rod rods. I'm channeling my inner Thumper on this one.

21. Not stable, in a way : TOP HEAVY

23. Sighed line : AH, ME

26. Wall St. event : I.P.O.

27. "Yeah, sure!" : I BET!

36. Beth, to Jo : SIS

37. Hindu "sir" : BABU. A very respectful term. I was called "Steve-babu" and "Steve-guru" on occasion when I was working in Mumbai. I don't think I merited either.

38. Spot in a spa : SAUNA

43. Old counters : ABACI. This little section caused me some trouble - I had ESTER first, and I didn't know ECK so I was looking at ABE_I and scratching my head, then the penny dropped.

44. Aussie hoppers : 'ROOS

45. Daisy __ : MAE

49. The Constitution St. : CONN -ecticut.  Also known, less catchily, as "The Land of Steady Habits".

50. Cadenza maker : KIA

51. 50-Across' locale : ASIA. South Korea to be exact. I had a Kia rental car last week. Not the most stylish thing to look at, but it was nicely equipped and was pretty lively.

53. Enjoy the sunset : FACE WEST

58. About : CIRCA

62. Old marketplace : AGORA

66. Flower part : SEPAL

67. Dynamic beginning? : AERO

68. The Big Easy acronym : NOLA. Because EEPG (Ernie Els, Professional Golfer) is wrong. CSO to one of our regulars.

69. "East of Eden" surname : TRASK. Great novel.

70. Balcony section : LOGE

71. Card game for three : SKAT

Down:

1. Where the Sky and the Sun collide, for short? : WNBA. Last week's CHICAGO SKY learning moment clued me into this one. Coincidentally, the SUN are from "The Land of Steady Habits".

2. Scam : HOAX

3. Part of the pkg. : INCL. I tried ENCL first, thinking of an enclosure in an envelope. Nope, this is "included in the price".

4. Jab : POKE AT

5. "Darn, it's cold!" : BRR

6. Airport near Tel Aviv : LOD. The former name. It's now called Ben Gurion Airport. The airport code is TLV, so I think this is a wee error in the cluing. No harm, no foul, in my book. One of our snarky anons doubtless will jump on this one though.

7. Withhold information about, say : ABET

8. Beyond noble : HEROIC

9. Supports in shop class : SAWHORSES

10. Comic strip drooler : ODIE. Garfield's antagonist.

11. Mythical Spartan queen : LEDA

12. The mi. in Mile-High City : ELEV. I was there last week. Curiously, the ELEV is posted in the lobby of the Denver Tech Center Marriott next to the ELEVATORS.

13. Opposite of admit : DENY

18. Kyrgyzstan city : OSH

22. Walther __: James Bond's pistol : PPK. One of my friends carries a concealed PPK when he's carrying cash to the bank. It packs a heck of a punch in spite of being so small.

24. Thom of shoes : MCAN. Spelled McAn.

25. Tyrrhenian Sea island : ELBA. "Able was I, ere I saw Elba".

27. Name on the "Robot" series books : ISAAC. Author Asimov.

28. Bag End notable : BILBO. Of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" fame. Not Frodo, though it could be.

29. To be, in Toledo : ESTAR. Not ESTER as I originally thought. Spanish isn't my "first" foreign language.

31. Bizarre : OUTRÉ

32. Berne's river : AAR

33. Italian cathedral : DUOMO

34. Like Andean pyramids : INCAN

35. Kind of bucket : OAKEN. This one is the trophy for the winner of the Purdue - Indiana football rivalry game.

37. Outdoor exercise choice : BRISK WALK

40. Luther opponent Johann __ : ECK. Close to Natick'ed with ABACI until I fixed my "ESTAR" misspelling.

41. Louisiana Territory state : IOWA

42. Discovery astronaut James : VOSS' Flew five times on the shuttle and in the International Space Station. He, with colleague Susan Helms., has the record for the longest space walk from the ISS (eight hours, 56 minutes). Definitely the Right Stuff.

47. Cannes corp. : CIE. Compagnie abbreviation.

48. Imp : RASCAL

49. Stone monuments : CAIRNS

52. Word of disgust : ICK. My reaction when I got the answer to 54D below.

53. Up-tempo : FAST

54. Too much sun, they say : AGER

55. Club in a Manilow song : COPA. I thought it was the Copacabana, but the song title is "Copacabana (At the Copa)". I stand corrected.

56. Baseball stats : ERAS

57. Religious prefix : THEO. -logy, -logian, etc.

59. Corner piece : ROOK. Chessboard corners. They do move around, but they start off in the corners.

60. Fizzy drink : COLA

61. Bit of introductory Latin : AMAT. Amamus, amatis and amant don't seem to be crossword-fodder. Do we run out of familiarity when we get to the plural verb forms?

64. 100 nanojoules : ERG

65. 41-Down college : COE. Thank you, crosses.

And .... here's the grid.

Steve

Tuesday, March 5, 2013 Mel Rosen

Theme: Vowel Progression - Five two-word entries; first word starts P_TT with a vowel progressing from A to U. Added bonus, the added vowels are all of the short variety.

18A. Singer called the "Godmother of Punk" : PATTI SMITH. (She doesn't seem to have any short songs!)

23A. Misdemeanor : PETTY CRIME

38A. Set in opposition to : PITTED AGAINST

50A. One given to bad language : POTTY MOUTH

57A. Finishing the 18th, say : PUTTING OUT. (Awkward phrasing, to my ear.)

Argyle here. I've got nothing to say. C.C.?

From C.C.: Here is a picture of today's constructor Mel Rosen and his wife Peggy at the 2002 ACPT tournament. Mel coined the phrase Cruciverbalist, meaning "crossword aficionado".

Across:

1. Politicos Reagan and Paul : RONs

5. Do some healing : MEND

9. Mallorcan seaport : PALMA. Spanish name for Majorca.

14. Lit sign in a dark theater : EXIT

15. Operatic song : ARIA

16. Regions : AREAs

17. Playground frolicker : TYKE

20. Not getting any younger : AGING

22. Mozart's "Così fan __" : TUTTE. Overture(4:22)

26. Reheat leftovers, in a way : NUKE

30. "Bambi" doe : ENA. (Bambi's aunt)

31. Pep rally yell : RAH

32. Grabbed at will : SEIZED

34. Triangular Indian pastry : SAMOSA. Wash it down with a Mimosa?

37. Bufferin targets : PAINS. Aspirin with an antacid buffer made by Novartis.

41. Land, in Le Havre : TERRE On the English Channel. Map

42. Puts into office : ELECTS

43. Enthusiastic reply to "Who wants ice cream?" : "I DO! I DO!"

45. Classical lead-in : NEO

46. Involuntary sign of nerves : TIC

49. Color for a panther? : PINK. Earwig warning. Theme(2:39)

54. Movie reviewer Roger : EBERT

56. China's Zhou __ : ENLAI

62. Caplet or gelcap : PILL. Bufferin comes only as a tablet.

63. Dentist's insertion : CROWN. A more straightforward clue than the other day.

64. Where the clergy sit, in many churches : APSE

65. Mayberry boy : OPIE. Another Ron.

66. It's found in veins : BLOOD. Still, there might be iron in those veins.

67. Tiny time div. : NSEC. (nanosecond)

68. MADD ads, e.g. : PSA's. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving/public service announcements)

Down:

1. Put on a new cassette : RETAPE. Iffy.

2. Roughly 21% of the atmosphere : OXYGEN

3. "La Femme __" : NIKITA. Trailer with subtitles.

4. Angioplasty implant : STENT. A stent is a small mesh tube that's used to treat narrow or weak arteries. They have had their problems.

5. "You are here" document : MAP

6. Timeline time : ERA

7. Capone cohort Frank : NITTI. He's been making an appearance frequently.

8. Factual tidbit : DATUM

9. Yesterday's tense : PAST

10. Azerbaijani's neighbors : ARMENIANS. As the map shows, Armenia is landlocked.

11. Welcoming wreath : LEI

12. Welcoming floor covering : MAT

13. Bit of fire evidence : ASH

19. Adherents: Suff. : ITEs

21. Danced wildly : GYRATED

24. Amounted (to) : CAME

25. __ Island : RHODE

27. Weapons from Israel : UZIs

28. Mild-mannered fictional reporter : KENT. Clark

29. L.A. Times staffers : EDs. (editors)

33. Exemplification : EPITOME

34. Ump's call : "STRIKE TWO!"

35. Erie Canal mule : SAL. She's a good ole gal.

36. Athlete's promoter : AGENT

38. Mani partner, salonwise : PEDI. (manicure and pedicure)

39. Laundry room tool : IRON

40. __-deucy : ACEY. (card game)

41. Advice at the track : TIP

44. Pop one's cork? : OPEN

46. Blooms from bulbs : TULIPS. Soon.

47. Home to Firenze : ITALIA. Both Italian spellings.

48. __ rellenos: stuffed Mexican dish : CHILES. Yum!

51. Church keyboard : ORGAN

52. Sporty car roofs : T-TOPS

53. Seuss's "Hop __" : ON POP

55. Difficult situation : BIND

57. Pollutant banned by Cong. in 1979 : PCB. An oil formerly used in transformers.

58. www address : URL

59. On top of everything else : TOO

60. Employ : USE

61. Investigator, slangily : TEC

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

1) You can click here (MENSA website) to solve the puzzle in old format.

2)Here are three adorable pictures of the 4-month-old Charlotte, Lemonade's granddaughter.

Hello, Crossword Corner!

Wednesday, September 5, 2012, Mel Rosen

theme: GET OVER IT!

17A. *(OVER)Saw : SUPERVISED

22A. *(OVER)Head : TENNIS SHOT

36A. *(OVER)Come : DEFEAT ADVERSITY

46A. *(OVER)Board : INTO THE SEA

56A. *(OVER)Do : EXAGGERATE

61A. Prefix missing from the starred clues : OVER

aside from the theme, which i needed the unifier to get, this was one of the fastest wednesday solves in a long time.

melissa here.

across:

1. Home to the Ibsen Museum : OSLO. didn't know this. any of our world travelers ever visited?

5. Online auction payment, say : E-CASH

10. Animation : LIFE

14. Part of a Clue guess : ROOM. the mystery board game clue. professor plum, in the conservatory, with a wrench.

15. Salsa holder : NACHO

16. Political pal : ALLY.

19. 1997 Peter Fonda role : ULEE. ulee's gold.

20. Like some stadiums : OPEN AIR. at&t park in san francisco is one, home of the giants.

21. Drove (on) : EGGED

26. Like prison windows : BARRED

30. Doesn't mention : OMITS

31. Toe the line : OBEY

32. Peach pit : STONE

33. Close, as a windbreaker : ZIP. or a mouth.

40. Glamour VIPs : ED'S. magazine editors.

41. Denmark's __ Islands : FAROE. part of denmark, in the north atlantic. beautiful.

42. Suffix with tip or trick : STER

43. Erin of "Happy Days" : MORAN. joanie cunningham, with the scarf.

44. Mathematician Pascal : BLAISE

49. Decree : EDICT

50. Tummy soother : ANTACID

55. One in a four-part harmony : ALTO

59. Gubernatorial turndown : VETO

60. Cassette half : SIDE A.

62. Composer Satie : ERIK

63. __ once in a while : EVERY

64. Like Broadway's Yankees : DAMN

down:

1. Inexact words : OR SO

2. Gazpacho, e.g. : SOUP

3. Easy run : LOPE. at my age, there are no easy runs anymore.

4. Hint of things to come : OMEN, and 26. Hint of things to come : BODE

5. Begrudged : ENVIED. never really thought of these as synonymous before.

6. Meaningful pile of stones : CAIRN. i have these all over my deck.

7. Bldg. coolers : AC'S. air conditioners.

8. "Steady as __ goes" : SHE

9. Mason's tray : HOD. so obscure, i had no idea. a hod is a container for carrying - so a mason's (or brick) hod is a three sided box to carry bricks:

and this is a garden hod.

10. Comic's rewards : LAUGHS. anyone listen to comedian marc maron's interview podcast?

11. "Any volunteers?" reply : I'LL GO

12. Sails force? : FLEET. cute.

13. Scrutinized : EYED

18. Award two stars to, say : RATE

21. Glyceride, for one : ESTER. dr. dad, are you out there?

23. Improper : NOT DONE

24. Start of a parliamentary proposal : I MOVE

25. Math ratio : SINE

27. Not yet stirring : ABED. not necessarily.

28. Game callers : REFS. referees.

29. Caraway-seeded bread, often : RYE

32. Comic Silverman : SARAH

33. Tubular pasta : ZITI

34. Urban addition : ITES

35. Ceremonial pile : PYRE

37. In progress, to Sherlock : AFOOT

38. Causing puckers : TART

39. Fed. benefits agency : SSA. social security administration.

43. N. Zealand's highest peak : MT. COOK. named after british explorer captain james cook. wow.

44. "Deep penetrating pain relief" brand : BENGAY

45. Subject to a penalty fee, maybe : LATE

46. Thumb twiddler : IDLER

47. Capone henchman : NITTI. frank. new to me.

48. More wise : SAGER. i guess.

49. Roof overhang : EAVE

51. 2007 A.L. MVP : A-ROD

52. Vena __ : CAVA. superior and inferior, veins in the heart.

53. Gossip column couple : ITEM

54. "Coming Home" actor : DERN. bruce.

56. Language suffix : ESE. i.e., chinese.

57. Letters for Louis Quatorze : XIV. quatorze is french for fourteen.

58. Lemony quencher : ADE

Answer grid.

melissa