Sunday March 29, 2015 Melanie Miller

 Theme: "Ick Factor" - EW is inserted to each theme answer.

26A. Sign outside the women's locker room? : BEWARE NAKED LADIES. Barenaked Ladies, a Canadian rock band.

41A. Hopper using hops? : BREWER RABBIT. Br'er Rabbit. Uncle Remus.  Also  Spitzboo's favorite molasses brand.

66A. Powerful Persian bloodline? : MEWING DYNASTY. Ming Dynasty. Don't forget Zhou & Qin dynasties. That's how I got my name.

91A. Draft in a moldy basement? : MILDEW BREEZE. Mild breeze.

107A. Stray nut among the Doritos? : CASHEW IN ONE'S CHIPS. Cash in one's chips. I'd love that stray cashew.

15D. Another showing of an Edsel documentary? : LEMON REWIND. Lemon rind. I often wonder why the I has the long vowel sound when the I in "ring" has a short I.

65D. Pulled hamstring, to a hurdler? : DEADLY SINEW. Deadly sin. Which do you think is the deadliest of the deadly sins?

This is a classic word addition theme, with a classic 7-themer in a classic grid arrangement, except the first theme entry starts in Row 4 rather than Row 3.

No shock and awe entries, the fill is extremely smooth. I love Melanie's grids.

Across:

 

1. Trade : SWAP. Easy start.

5. Bestow upon, as a compliment : PAY

8. Increased excessively, with "on" : PILED

13. Back country : WILDS

18. Subject of a memorable chocolate simile : LIFE.  Oh, "Life is like a box of chocolates" from Forrest Gump.

 

19. Sport with four-person teams : POLO

20. Came to : AWOKE

21. Theatrical work : OPERA. I put DRAMA first.

22. Barbecue feature : OPEN GRILL

24. More cordial : NICER

25. Canning tomatoes : ROMAS. Can't wait to start my little garden. No Romas for me though. I like a few cherry tomato plants and beefsteaks.

29. Paper cut cries : OWS

30. High : LOFTY

31. Wooded depression : DELL

32. How the riot act is read : STERNLY

34. Lifeboat item : OAR

37. Beginning of Christmas? : CEE. Christmas.

38. Tiny __ : TIM

39. Gadget in the game Twister : SPINNER

45. Gardner of "The Hucksters" : AVA. Alas, still no DuVernay.

46. Cher's "Burlesque" role : TESS

49. Reason : INFER

50. Auditorium sections : BALCONIES

52. Illegal USMC status : AWOL. Do you like my cap?

53. Pot filler : SOIL

54. Castaway's signal : FLARE

56. Where Yogi naps : DEN. Yogi Bear.

57. Vice president before Gerald : SPIRO

58. Fragrant bloom : LILAC. The smell is a bit strong for me.

60. Excitement : ADO

61. Edison's 1,000-plus : PATENTS. Is that a record?

63. Told too much : OLD. Tricky clue.

70. It's longer than a dit : DAH

71. Finale of Copland's "Rodeo" : HOEDOWN. Got via crosses.

73. Hosp. areas : ERs

74. Wii fanatic, say : GAMER

76. Shaker unit : GRAIN. Salt.

77. __ tai : MAI. Remind me of the lady who mis-ordered "Mai tai" rather than "Pad Thai", Hahtoola!

78. Equine array : GAITS

80. Paintballs, e.g. : AMMO

84. Fizzles out : ENDS. I tried DIES first.

85. Fire sign? : ALARM BELL. Nice clue/answer.

88. Inflict : WREAK

89. Sushi options : EELS. Unagi! By the way, what's your favorite giardiniera brand? Please share if you have a simple recipe. 

90. Black batt. terminal : NEG

94. "Wanna bet?" : YES IT IS

97. Academic no. : GPA

98. Full Sail or Harpoon product : ALE. Not familiar with the two brewers.

99. Title stuffed bear in a 2012 comedy : TED. Never saw the movie.

100. Squat hounds : BASSETS

102. Red Carpet stance : POSE

104. Rotisserie league data : STATS. Fantasy baseball

106. Israeli machine gun : UZI

113. Total : RUN TO

115. Naps, maybe : LOLLS. Not equivalent to me.

116. Athenian landmark : PARTHENON

117. Gussy up : PREEN. We had a big mirror in our tiny college dorm, shared by 5 girls.

118. Some map dots : ISLES

119. Olympian chariot rider : ARES

120. Real estate division : ACRE

121. Repaired, in a way : SEWED

122. Bothersome : PESTY. I use PESKY.

123. Was in the driver's seat : LED

124. Dieter's data : FATS

Down:

1. Hardly a pick-up expert? : SLOB. Ha ha.

2. Cleaning cloth : WIPE

3. Rough quantity : A FEW

4. __ colony : PENAL

5. Tip : POINTER

6. Temper : ALLAY. Verb.

7. Crème brûlée ingredient : YOLK. Exciting to see it prepared by the table.

8. Considerable outbreak : PANDEMIC

9. Cooperative words : I WILL

10. Hometown folks : LOCALS

11. Managed with difficulty, with "out" : EKED

12. Disdainful : DERISIVE

13. Slip : WORSEN

14. NYSE event : IPO

16. Matthew McConaughey has one : DRAWL. Indeed. He has very pronounced Southern drawl.

17. Nervy : SASSY

19. Want more : PREFER

23. Seller of staples : GROCER

27. Safe to have : EDIBLE. Raw honey is one of the poisonous foods in Dave's link last week. I have it almost daily. Mine is from Trader Joe's.

28. Former lab burners : ETNAS

33. Prepare to paint again : RE-TAPE

34. Kimono holders : OBIS

35. It occasionally floods Florence : ARNO

36. Mtge. adjustment : RE-FI

38. Lift not as common as it used to be : T-BAR.  What's the common lift nowadays, then, Marti?

40. Tylenol target : PAIN. Safe for Dave.

42. Fit as a fiddle : WELL

43. Summers in China? : ABACI. Gimme. Abacus sums, hence summer.

44. Tom and Jerry, e.g. : TODDY

47. Partially, casually : SORTA

48. Spill clumsily : SLOSH

51. Hard-to-miss sign : NEON. Like this one in Vegas.

54. Zoomed : FLEW

55. Estate highlight, often : LAWN

57. Lid inflammation : STYE

59. "__ a mission" : I'M ON

60. Some magazine spreads : ADs

61. Coll. prep test : PSAT

62. Some drive-thrus : ATMs

63. "That's a surprise" : OH GEE

64. Greene of the original "Battlestar Galactica" series : LORNE

67. Move in on : NEAR.

68. "The Frog Prince" byline : GRIMM

69. Like gymnasts : AGILE

72. Trash-talks : DISSES

75. Not at all typical : RARE. One of Boomer's bowling buddies has a 1954 Mickey Mantle & 1955 Jackie Robinson.

77. Wise men : MAGI

78. Ballpoint alternative : GEL PEN

79. "The Blacklist" actor : ALDA

81. Gather : MEET

82. Cornfield attraction : MAZE

83. Accepted : OK'ED

85. Santa __ Derby : ANITA

86. Accidentally reveals : LETS SLIP

87. Fraidy cat : BIG SISSY. Only used "Sissy" before.

88. "That sav'd a __ like me!": "Amazing Grace" : WRETCH

92. Filled with tears : WATERED

93. Denounces : BLASTS

95. Duel attendant : SECOND.  It's fun to trick others with "Second" in DUEL clue.

96. Bouts : SPELLS

100. Goals of some back pats : BURPS

101. Poetic blue : AZURE

103. Young barn dweller : OWLET

104. Trap : SNARE

105. Bound bunch : SHEAF

108. Washer part : HOSE

109. Abundant gemstone Down Under : OPAL

110. Old empire builder : INCA

111. Vancouver, for one : PORT

112. Sega competitor in the 16-bit market : SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System)

114. Ball holder : TEE

C.C.

Sunday October 26, 2014 Melanie Miller

Theme:  "Give It a Go" - GO is added to each theme entry.

27A. Fruit found in the back of the fridge? : DIRTY OLD MANGO. Dirty old man. I don't put mangoes in the fridge. I treat them like bananas.

45A. Class on an African river? : CONGO COURSE. Concourse.

58A. Newspaper issue for arrogant readers? : EGO EDITION. e-Edition. I don't think we'll give up our Star Tribune unless they give up. I need a real newspaper on hand.

 

67A. Google an African nation? : LOOK UP TOGO. Look up to.

83A. Cruise for drummers? : BONGO VOYAGE. Von voyage. Poor Jayce. My high school chemistry teacher was equally discouraging.

95A. Pasta sauce checkout line? : PREGO REGISTER. Pre-register.

35D. Old MacDonald's signature dance? : FARMER'S TANGO. Farmer's tan.

40D. Inexpensive game with cards? : BARGAIN BINGO. Bargain bin.

Very tight theme set, every GO is attached to the end of the first /last word.

A bit of unusual grid set-up, as the first theme answers starts on Row 4 rather than Row 3. The fill reminds me a bit of Gail's Sunday grids, super clean & smooth. No obscure or junky fill. No shock and awe entries either.

Melanie Miller is one of the constructors for the Crossword LA tournament. You can click here to get the puzzle set for only $5. All proceeds go to Reading to Kids. Other constructors include Patti Varol, Byron Walden, Trip Payne, Merl Reagle and David Quartfoot. You'll also get two warm-up puzzles from Andrea Carla Michaels and Susan Gelfand. Amy Reynaldo was the Puzzle Wrangler and she got the very best constructors (all from California or with California ties) for the tournament.

Across:

1. Like many horses : SHOD

5. Wood used in guitar-making : ALDER. Ash too.

10. Bob up and down, say : FLOAT

15. Five tenths : HALF

19. Hefty volume : TOME

20. Fill, as old water bottles : RE-USE

21. Fiennes who played Lord Voldemort : RALPH. I like him in The English Patient.

22. Sandbox boo-boo : OWIE

23. Forearm bone : ULNA

24. Irritate : GRATE

25. Sharp mountain ridge : ARETE. I always think of Spitzboov when I see this word. He knows a lot of geographic term and iceberg related stuff.

26. Distribute, with "out" : METE

30. Lyrical homage : ODE

32. Month named for a general : JULY. Named for Caesar.

33. Russian-born Deco designer : ERTE

34. Given the lowdown : BRIEFED

38. Fish recipe instruction : DEBONE. Did you know that most of frozen salmon we have here in the US are sent to China to debone? So, the fish we eat are twice frozen, at least.

41. Claude's "Thanks" : MERCI

43. Salon service : HAIR CARE. Put some coconut oil in your conditioner.

44. Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium city : OMAHA. Gimme for Gary/Joe/Ergo.

47. Zodiac symbol : RAM

48. Get, as a degree : EARN

49. 1905 Peter Pan player Adams : MAUDE. No idea. The Bond girl is MAUD Adams.

50. Moderate pace : TROT

51. Kid's comeback : AM SO

52. Horse and buggy : RIG. This is a new meaning of RIG to me.

53. Slip : LAPSE

54. Suppressed : SAT ON

56. Belief system : CREED

57. '70s extremist gp. : SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army). They kidnapped Patty Hearst, who was granted a full pardon by Clinton.

60. Lacking manners : COARSE

61. Muslim leaders : IMAMS

63. Place for worms? : CAN. And 64. Places for outlets : WALLS.

65. Chilean lady : SENORA

71. Shop __ you drop : TIL. I can shop for hours without buying anything.

74. Striped cat : TABBY

75. Grammy winner Lena : HORNE

76. Radio station, say : AIRER

77. Excitement : ADO

78. Mayberry sot Campbell : OTIS. I think Gary or Tinbeni mentioned this guy before.

79. Hr. portions : MINs

 

80. Super-small : EENSY

81. Holier-than-thou sort : SNOB

 

82. Web portal letters : MSN

86. Bird with a hooked beak : EAGLE

87. Events with tiaras : PAGEANTS. Have any of you watched Here Comes Honey Boo Boo?  So glad it's canceled.

89. Ryan of "The Beverly Hillbillies" : IRENE

90. Adorn in relief : EMBOSS

91. Newspaper fillers : STORIES

92. Spanish liqueur : ANIS

93. High male voice : ALTO

94. Historic Nevada city : ELY. Historic because?

100. 1998 Apple debut : iMAC

103. Pitchfork feature : PRONG

105. Pay : REMIT

106. More than some : A LOT

108. Remove forcibly : OUST

109. Bangladesh neighbor : INDIA

110. IRS requirement for many : E-FILE

111. Big-time blow : GALE

112. Plate cleaners, at times : UMPS. Great clue. The Royals have to win tonight!

113. Stun gun : TASER

114. Farm fathers : SIRES

115. "__ Enchanted": 2004 film : ELLA. Anne Hathaway movie. She's a good singer.

Down:

1. RV connection? : STU. Alphabet.

2. Own : HOLD

3. Bus lead-in : OMNI

4. Last letter? : DEAR JOHN. Kids nowadays break up via text.

5. Diamond pattern : ARGYLE. Hi there, Santa.

6. First name of boy detective Encyclopedia Brown : LEROY. Is he the inspiration for Bad, Bad Leroy Brown?

7. Like some college majors : DUAL

8. Formed, on a bus. sign : ESTD.  I read it as "Bus sign".

9. Surface again : RE-EMERGE

10. Wrought-up : FRANTIC

11. __-screen TV : LARGE

12. Baking ingredient : OLEO. Never had it before. Does your wife eat butter, Jayce/Barry G?

13. Likely : APT

14. Creative thinker : THEORIST. I guess those guys are creative.

15. Household skills class : HOME EC

16. More than impress : AWE

17. On, in a way : LIT

18. Entry price : FEE

28. Sandwich fish : TUNA

29. Western U.S. service station chain : ARCO

31. Ominous : DIRE

34. Business tycoon : BARON. I was stunned by Mark Zuckerberg's fluent Chinese last week.  He conducted a 30-minutes Q & A in Chinese. Both Facebook and Twitter are blocked in China, by the way.

36. Clears : ERASES

37. Out of fashion, in France : DEMODE. Démodé.

38. Bundles of energy : DOERS

39. Terminal communication : EMAIL.  Terminal made me think of airport.

41. "Eek!" evoker : MOUSE

42. Put a halt to : ENDED

43. Georgian Bay's lake : HURON

45. Tough heads : CAPOS. Mafia bosses.

46. Maestro Klemperer : OTTO. I've been to Appleton, D-Otto. I remember they have a Cracker Barrel there.

49. Volcanic fluid : MAGMA

51. Shrunken inland sea : ARAL

53. "Rescue Me" star Denis : LEARY

54. Commercial interest : STAKE

55. Native of Hokkaido : AINU. Here it is again.

56. Rose or violet : COLOR

59. Picture of an envelope, e.g. : ICON. Wow, so easy in retrospect. Mail me.

60. Cleverly guarded : CAGEY

62. Riot squad concerns : MOBS. China executed 8 Muslim extremists earlier this year for their terrorist act in Oct 2013. In America, the procedure would take forever.

64. No __ for the wear : WORSE

65. Treads heavily : STOMPS

66. Greatly bothers : EATS AT

67. Hungers : LONGS

68. Roughly speaking : OR SO

69. Many a church song : PAEAN

70. Bit : TINGE

72. Fan favorites : IDOLS

73. Hoops may hang from them : LOBES. Earrings.

75. Subtle suggestions : HINTS

79. Financial drain : MONEY PIT. Great fill.

80. Dilapidated buildings, say : EYESORES. Another great one.

81. Deliberate destruction : SABOTAGE. Three in a row.

83. Leave in a hurry, slangily : BAIL

84. Oil partner : VINEGAR. My grandma used to make persimmon vinegar with the persimmons from our front yard trees. Xi'An has a big Muslim Quarters where the persimmon cakes are must-eats. No unrest there. We've been living peacefully together for centuries.

85. Copier insert: Abbr. : ORIG

86. Rescue team, briefly : EMTs

88. Builds : ERECTS

90. Upper crust groups : ELITES

92. Golfer with an "army" : ARNIE. He was at the TPC here a few months ago for the Champions Tour.

93. Nimble : AGILE

95. Sci-fi carriers : PODS

96. Interest-lowering option, briefly : RE-FI

97. Kuwaiti ruler : EMIR

98. Israeli carrier : EL AL

99. It's called in class : ROLL

100. Note in lieu of cash : IOU. Thought of the poor Madame Bovary.

101. Not exactly talkative : MUM. Are you still reading us, LaLaLinda?

102. Dangerous reptile : ASP

104. Genetic messenger : RNA

107. Drink from a bag : TEA. Good for tired eyes also.

C.C. 

Sunday August 10, 2014 Melanie Miller

Theme: "Catchy Phrases" -Y is added to the end of the first word or first part of the first word. Catch-Y phrases indeed.

25A. What determines when the bash ends? : PARTY TIMER. Part-timer.

27A. Awkward work period? : STICKY SHIFT. Stick shift.

46A. Chess great keeping warm? : TOASTY MASTER. Toastmaster. Four one-word base phrases in the set.

71A. Containers for some pork cuts? : BELLY JARS. Bell jars. The only one in plural form.

94A. Hoedown official having a bad day? : CRANKY CALLER. Crank caller.

113A. Demand for fabric softener? : DOWNY MARKET. Downmarket.

118A. Yellowstone roughneck? : BULLY MOOSE. Bull Moose, the party.

35D. Chauffeur who's off his rocker? : SCREWY DRIVER. Screwdriver.

40D. Agent in need of Weight Watchers? : STOCKY BROKER. Stockbroker.

Classical 9-themer grid design. 7 Across & 2 Down.

I had an easy time, probably because the grid is very solver-friendly (lots of 4 & 5 letter words) and super clean. No obscure words or strange abbreviations. In fact, there are a limited few abbreviations in this puzzle, that's hard to achieve with a 21 & 21 grid.

Across:

1. Place with canoes : CAMP

5. Tableland : MESA

9. Groups of foxhounds : PACKS. Oh, I only know wolves/lies.

14. Little one on a board : PAWN. Chessboard.

18. Sashes with bows : OBIS

19. Skating maneuvers : AXELS

21. Interwoven hair : PLAIT. Pretty braid.

22. "Wonderfilled" cookie : OREO.  3D. 22-Across variety : MINI

23. Unimposing : PUNY

24. Wrangler's rope : RIATA. Just fill in R?ATA, then you wait.

30. Walks leisurely : MOSEYS

31. Must : HAS TO

32. "The Thin Blue Line" director Morris : ERROL. Forgot. I googled him before.

34. Outlaw tracker : POSSE

38. Vision-correcting aid : LASER

41. Student-teacher calculation, say : RATIO

43. Savanna newborn : LION CUB

45. Acct. posting : INT. 23-Across, if any.

51. "For that reason ..." : ERGO

52. Uncultured sort : BOOR

54. Chevy subcompact : AVEO. Hi there Gary!

55. Soap staple : DRAMA

56. Superman portrayer Cain : DEAN. With Terri Hatcher.

57. Italian cheesecake cheese : RICOTTA

59. Crisp quality : NIP

62. Sudden burst : SPATE

64. Like Thurber's humor : WRY.  James Thurber.

65. Tattoo sites, perhaps : ANKLES

66. Course often taken first : SALAD. Lovely clue.

68. Thermal __ : ENERGY

70. Modus operandi : STYLE

73. '50s sci-fi flier : RODAN

76. Unlikely to be talked out of : BENT ON

78. Looks : SEEMS

79. Reporter's need : SOURCE. I miss Anthony Shadid.

80. Disfigure : MAR

82. Planter : SOWER

84. R.I. summer hours : EDT

85. Bullet propellant : CORDITE. New word to me.

86. Macbeth, for one : SCOT

88. Prompt, as a forgetful actor : RE-CUE

90. Give a tongue-lashing, with "out" : REAM

92. Passionate : AVID

93. Reheat, in a way : NUKE

98. Pre-event period : EVE

99. Like Marilyn Monroe's voice : BREATHY. Jackie Kennedy's voice too.

101. Stoppers of spirits : CORKS. I need to stop thinking of ghosts when I see "spirits".

102. Paddled : OARED

104. __ Rossi: wine brand : CARLO. Gimme for Marti.

105. Was brilliant : SHONE

107. Pastry bag filler : ICING. I know the tool, D-Otto, not the term pastry bag.

110. Mile High player : BRONCO. Mile High Stadium.

122. Diving birds : LOONS

123. Take the edge off : EASE

124. Biblical barterer : ESAU

125. Actor with seven Emmys : ASNER. It's a record for a male actor.

126. Causing shudders, maybe : EERIE

127. "Slippery" trees : ELMS

128. Stare : GAPE

129. Swamp growths : REEDS

130. Ones breaking away : SECT. Stupidly put S in the last square.

131. Bug repellent ingredient : DEET

Down:

1. Cruiser drivers : COPS

2. Bump up against : ABUT

4. Freudian concern : PSYCHE

5. "The Bells of St. __" : MARY'S. Did any of you see this movie?

6. Be real : EXIST

7. Fish that swims upright : SEAHORSE

8. Voices in il coro : ALTI. Used Google Translate: il coro = the choir.

9. Very quietly, in music : PPP

10. 1836 battle site : ALAMO

11. December number : CAROL

12. Hobbyists' purchases : KITS

13. Eyelid irritation : STYE

14. Like a certain fairy tale apple : POISONED. Putin only eats food prepared by his Russian chefs, even if he's traveling abroad.

15. Give pieces to : ARM

16. Very early: WEE

17. Scand. land : NOR

20. Rare football result : SAFETY.  I don't follow football. How rare?

26. Dash for cash, e.g. : TYPO. So easy in retrospect.

28. Go-__ : KART

29. Remove fat from : TRIM

33. Teams are often on it, with "the" : ROAD

36. Baking staple : SUGAR

37. Key wood : EBONY. Did you read it as "Key word"?

38. Ones who are astrologically balanced? : LIBRAS. Scales.

39. Honor with oil : ANOINT

42. Unkeyed : ATONAL

43. Racing's 24 Hours of __ : LE MANS. Held in the French city Le Mans.

44. On the warpath : IRATE

47. Feed bag feed : OATS

48. Clark's "Mogambo" co-star : AVA

49. Most retirees: Abbr. : SRS

50. Winds down, with "off" : TAPERS

53. "Good Times" star : ROLLE (Esther)

58. Romeo and Juliet, e.g. : TEENS.  Also a great clue for  ROLES.

60. Afflictions : ILLS

61. Word on a check : PAYEE

63. Eraser target : ERROR

66. Adviser to Nero : SENECA

67. Worked a dance, for short : DJ'ED

69. Cheese from the Netherlands : GOUDA

71. Manhattan area, with "the" : BOWERY

72. Sunset Limited operator : AMTRAK. Did you nail this, Anon T?  I'm not familiar with Sunset Limited.

74. Busy : ACTIVE

75. More than wanted : NEEDED

77. Liberty Island symbol : TORCH

79. Not all : SOME

80. Cable news station : MSNBC

81. Legend creator : ACURA. Can't fool me.

83. Preside over : RUN

85. 20th-century White House nickname : CAL

87. Crayola color retired in 2003 : TEAL BLUE

89. Kitchen gadget brand : EKCO

91. Kronborg Castle, in Shakespeare : ELSINORE. "Hamlet".

95. Over there, to Shakespeare : YOND

96. Big Easy cuisine : CREOLE. Hi there, Big Easy on our blog.

97. Author Jaffe : RONA

100. British Conservative : TORY

103. Was like-minded : AGREED

105. Quick bread choice : SCONE. I made sweet potato scones last year. Not as good as they look here.

106. Took for a ride : HOSED

108. Pessimist : CYNIC

109. "Nothing more required here" : I'M SET

111. Epps of "The Mod Squad" : OMAR

112. Wine taster's concern : NOSE

114. Hardships : WOES

115. Leafy vegetable : KALE

116. Salinger's "With Love and Squalor" girl : ESME

117. __ pilot : TEST

118. Mooch : BEG

119. "White Collar" network : USA. Irish Miss & JD might be following this show.

120. Full circuit : LAP

121. Waffling sounds : ERs

C.C.

Saturday, Jul 5th, 2014, Melanie Miller

Theme: None

Words: 68 (missing B,F,J,Q,X,Y,Z)

Blocks: 25

   We have us a new Saturday constructor~!  Melanie has had 5 LAT puzzles, with the last one coming in Feb on a Monday.  Today's offering had some similar clues/answers to that grid, I noticed.  Chunky corners of 9's and 8's, with two 11-letter fills on the inside.  Fairly difficult for a Saturday, IMHO, but I was able to solve without any look-ups or cheating, and only the SW corner requiring some WAGs to complete.  The two longer answers:

20a. Ranks achieved by Armstrong and Lovell : EAGLE SCOUTS - Two astronauts who reached the highest 'rank' in the Boy Scouts - Wiki

53a. Events after shootings : WRAP PARTIES - Melanie's last puzzle was a "party" theme, and this in not the violent kind of shooting, but the movie set type - I worked on a made-for-TV film way back in '97, and we had us a Wrap Party the following summer with a preview of the finished show.

"OM" ward~! (working my 60a.)

ACROSS:

1. Harassed, in a way : HEN-PECKED

10. Lenox brand : DANSK - their enameled steel cookware looks familar

15. Busy state to go into : OVERDRIVE

16. Boiling : IRATE

17. Made for the tube : TELEGENIC

18. Decalogue delivery site : SINAI

19. They may hook you up, briefly : RNs - Hook you up to IVs, tho I have seen certain movies....

22. Los __, city near San Luis Obispo : OSOS

24. Greenland capital : KRONE - this being the money kind of capital, not the city

25. Flanged bit of hardware : T-NUT

26. Powder holder : DONUT - Cute

28. Added a little to the pot : ANTED

30. Took in takeout : ATE - Nice clue alliteration

31. First lady after Bess : MAMIE - Truman and Eisenhower

33. Kind : MANNER

35. Kind of support : SPOUSAL

38. "Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka" composer : STRAUSS

39. "The Fox and the Hound" hound : COPPER - What does the fox say?

40. Stops running? : CLOTS - Ah, like wounds

41. Beluga output : ROE

42. Arabian capital : SANA'A - Yemen

44. "__ luego" : HASTA

48. Bald eagle cousins : ERNS

50. Settles : CALMS

52. Start of many a prayer : LORD

56. Crib cry : WAH - Two cries, and it's a guitar effects pedal....

57. Gugino of "Night at the Museum" : CARLA - a WAG with the --RL- in place

58. Exterminator's target : CENTIPEDE - among other creepy-crawlies; 'round here, it's ants, crickets and lately, wasps

60. Hindu principle of life : ĀTMAN - this was a WAG for me, too

61. "The Raven" feature : OCTAMETER

62. Pains : PESTS

63. Pump house? : SHOE STORE - Nailed it; I love women in platform pumps - so sexy - and if they zip up at the back....ha-muna ha-muna

DOWN:

1. Zoom : HOT-ROD - the verb, not the noun

2. Yet : EVEN SO

3. Hold on a mat : NELSON - Educated WAG

4. Start to date? : PRE - predate, as in 'comes before'

5. It's uncomfortable to be on it : EDGE

6. Sign of age : CREAK - I had CRACK to start, pretty close; that's 80% right

7. Large, long-billed marsh bird : KING RAIL

8. Satan : EVIL ONE - because MIROSLAV was too long; shoulda played for the NJ Devils....

9. Respectable : DECENT - Are you dressed?

10. Round snow toy : DISC - I had a wood and metal sled as a kid

11. "That's __!": "Funny!" : A RIOT

12. Otherworldly greeting? : NANU-NANU - Mork from Ork's greeting

13. Former bills : STATUTES

14. Bums' American counterparts : KEISTERS - anyone else see this as "B-u-r-n-s" first?  Once I had the K----STER, I figured out my eyes were getting a bit wacky

21. Look that way : SEEM TO

23. Recap : SUM UP

27. Stuns in an arrest : TASEs

29. Sith title : DARTH - Star Wars reference, which I won't miss~! Vader, Maul, and others

32. Rumba shaker : MARACA - shaking like your keister

34. Cavity opening? : NASAL

35. Cork alternative : SCREW-CAP - DAH~! I wanted TWIST-CAP, but I knew ROE was correct

36. Elizabethan property tax to benefit the disadvantaged : POOR RATE - the "T" was my last fill

37. Title words before "Nothing to hide," in a Journey hit : OPEN ARMS - Link away~!

38. Collide with : SLAM INTO

40. MIT rival, despite the distance : CALTECH

43. Some agents : NARCOs

45. Site of a 1976 anti-apartheid uprising : SOWETO - Part of Johannesburg, South Africa

46. Broker's customer : TRADER

47. Hold tight : ADHERE

49. Fall sound : "SPLAT~!"

51. Spiders' sensors, e.g. : SETAE - Latin for bristle, it's the hairs on a spider's legs, e.g.

54. Sweeps the set : PANS - another movie-making term

55. Virtual people, in a popular game series : SIMs - I love Sim City, but couldn't get into the virtual reality of the individual people version of the game (but I do have it).  Here's the crop circles that UFOs left on my farm in my last Sim City game

59. Ferret, for one : PET - My roomie in Cincinnati, OH had one - they bite...literally

Splynter

Monday, February 24, 2014 Melanie Miller

Theme: "Are You Ready to Par-tay?" - Party, party, me hearties. A different party can be found aft of both words in the starred entries.

20A. *Powerful stratum of society : RULING CLASS. Ruling party; Class party, mostly for the younger grades.

11D. *Picturesque spot for a warm drink : TEA GARDEN. Tea party; Garden party, cue Ricky: (3:56)

58A. *When brandy may be served : AFTER DINNER. After party, think Oscars, Emmys; Dinner party.

35D. *Place for changing out of a wet suit : POOL HOUSE. Pool party; House party, at Dudley's.

40A. Continue with the fun, and a hint to each part of the answers to starred clues : PARTY ON

Argyle here. A pin wheel grid around a central unifier. Strong blocks around the outside and some interesting fill for a Monday. Ms. Miller has come through again although something is lacking.

Across:

1. To-do list item : TASK. Not any particular task.

5. Short-lived crazes : FADs

9. Destroy beyond repair : TOTAL

14. Yodeler's feedback : ECHO

15. Landed : ALIT

16. "Laughing" critter : HYENA

17. Teensy bit : A TAD

18. A hop, skip and jump away : NEAR

19. Savanna antelope : ELAND

23. In high spirits : GAY

24. Spread out, as one's fingers : SPLAY

25. __ New Guinea : PAPUA

27. Large seaweed : KELP

30. Mixed in a glass : STIRRED

33. Travel book inserts : MAPS

36. Bard's nightfall : E'EN

38. Take care of : HANDLE

39. Game with Wild Draw Four cards : UNO. Most kids love it.

42. Keebler cookie character : ELF

43. Stone-faced : STOLID

45. Side with green eggs : HAM

46. Part of MIT: Abbr. : INST. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

47. Unit of explosive force : KILOTON

49. Anjou, e.g. : PEAR. A firm-fleshed green-skinned variety of pear. Also, red-skinned.

51. Memorable labor leader Jimmy : HOFFA

52. Rinsed the soap from, as a car : HOSED. Or, rinsed the salt from.

56. GI R&R provider : USO. (United Service Organizations)

62. __ and crossbones : SKULL. We hear about Eli's and Bulldogs but the Skull and Bones Society at Yale...not so much.

64. Innovator's spark : IDEA

65. Additional : MORE

66. Studio stand : EASEL

67. Line in blue cheese : VEIN

68. Diva's solo : ARIA

69. Rose parts : STEMS

70. Comes to a close : ENDS

71. Require : NEED

Down:

1. Glum drops : TEARS. An original clue? I like it.

2. Behave poorly : ACT UP

3. "I __ return": MacArthur : SHALL

4. Large Alaskan bears : KODIAKs. Out for a family stroll. See JD's from yesterday.

                            LINK

5. Vampire tooth : FANG

6. Baldwin in Capital One ads : ALEC

7. Call on a retro phone : DIAL

8. Bra parts : STRAPS

9. Many an Actors Studio member : THESPIAN

10. Popeye's Olive : OYL

12. Actress Paquin of "True Blood" : ANNA

13. British noblewoman : LADY

21. TV educator Bill in a lab coat : NYE

22. Didn't go out : SAT HOME

26. Vessel on a mantel : URN

28. Bat first : LEAD OFF

29. Each : PER

31. Angled pipes : ELLs

32. Adept : DEFT

33. Cologne scent : MUSK

34. Not pro : ANTI

37. To the __ degree : NTH

40. Traps for the unwary : PITFALLS

41. Big mouth, informally : YAP

44. John of London? : LOO

46. Armored superhero : IRONMAN

48. One who was born there : NATIVE

50. Yellowfin tuna : AHI

53. Noise from a sleeper : SNORE

54. Otherworldly : EERIE

55. Deep anxiety : DREAD

56. Capitalizes on : USES

57. Three-handed card game : SKAT

59. Blissful place : EDEN

60. Senator Harry of Nevada : REID

61. Aykroyd and Quayle : DANs

63. Moon lander, for short : LEM. (Lunar Excursion Module)

Did you notice what's missing? Foreign words!

Argyle

 

Sunday Feb 24, 2013 Melanie Miller

Theme: "Excess Baggage" - BAG is added to each theme entry.

23A. Self-defense overkill? : HANDBAG GRENADE. Hand grenade. Hottest handbag at the moment.

33A. Red wines aged in autos? : AIRBAG PORTS. Airports.

50A. KEGO on your radio dial? : GASBAG STATION. Gas station. What is KEGO?

70A. Direct route to Loserville? : DIRTBAG ROAD. Dirt road.

90A. Entertaining show in a run-down hotel? : FLEABAG CIRCUS. Flea circus.

104A. Consumer Reports first aid recommendations? : ICE BAG PICKS. Ice picks.

121A. Activist grocery clerk? : PAPER BAG PUSHER. Paper pusher.

Normally puzzle titles do not repeat the key words of the themes. But "Excess Baggage" captures the gimmick so well.

Easier than our normal Sunday, probably because the theme came to me early on.

  

Across:

1. Corn at a picnic : EARS
 

5. Proofer's mark : STET
 

9. Wind surge : GUST
 

13. Protozoa genus : AMOEBA. The spelling Barry G prefers.

19. First Nations tribe : CREE

20. Kitchen aid : CAN OPENER

22. Elephant in the Jungle of Nool : HORTON. Dr. Seuss's "Horton Hears a Who"

25. Because : IN THAT
 

26. Secure : OBTAIN
 

27. Orbital extremes : APOGEES
 

29. The ones right here : THESE
 

30. Shocked, in a way : TASED

35. Water carriers : PIPES

38. Garbage collectors : BINS

41. Rose to great heights : SOARED

42. Dashboard Confessional music genre : EMO. Guessed.

43. Expanding concern? : OBESITY. And 32D. Plan to take off : DIET. Both fun clues.

46. Edible mollusks : ABALONES. I lived in a small city near Tsingtao for half a year. Amazing seafood/beer/government corruption there.
 

54. Get stuck (on), mentally : FIXATE

55. Ocean gathering : SCHOOL
 

56. Thread holder : ETUI
 

57. Series of turns, usually: Abbr. : RTE
 

58. Secret alternative : BAN
 

59. Solar __ : PLEXUS. OK, it's located in your stomach area.

 

63. Foreword, briefly : INTRO
 

65. Takes to the streets : RIOTS
 

67. Part of the Constitution that describes Cong. powers : ARTI. Short for article?

 

73. Stockings : HOSE
 

74. They may have spurs : BOOTS
 

76. Unfamiliar : ALIEN
 

77. How chicken may be served : ON RICE. I'd like some  UNAGI (10D. Eel, at sushi bars)  on my rice.

79. Bugler with horns : ELK
 

80. Chicago-based superstation : WGN. I wonder why Chicago is always so corrupt, TTP/Abejo?
 

82. Growing business : FARM

84. California peak rumored to hide advanced beings called Lemurians : SHASTA. Melissa knows this.
 

88. Giggle : TEE HEE
 

94. Vending machine options : SODA POPS
 

97. After Effects and Final Cut Pro : EDITORS. Both video editors. I googled.
 

98. Mount Rushmore prez : ABE. Did you know he's the most written person after Jesus and Shakespeare?
 

99. Pabst brand : STROHS. Windhover/Abejo is our authority on beers.
 

101. Large green moth : LUNA
 

102. Mythical enchantress : MEDEA. Lemonade's wife, in myth.
 

109. Rear-__ : ENDER

111. Retail benchmark : SALES

112. Close enough : IN RANGE. Made me think of Chris Kyle. Bradley Cooper is going to play him in the movie "American Sniper".

115. "Shortly" : IN A SEC

119. Like some domestic help : LIVE IN

124. "The Human Condition" writer Hannah : ARENDT. Haltoola might know her. Not me.

125. Contraption : APPARATUS
 

126. Italian capital : EURO. Money. Not ROME/ROMA.

127. They're popular in Japanese gardening : MOSSES

 

128. Unusable, as a cellphone : DEAD
 

129. It may be used to walk the dog : YO YO
 

130. Obey a red light : STOP
 

Down:

1. Chamber bouncer : ECHO

2. Many a Yemeni : ARAB

3. Borrow for a price : RENT

4. Unflappable : SEDATE

5. Checks out, as groceries : SCANS

6. Hash attachment : TAG
 

7. H.S. course : ENG

8. __ Bora: Afghan region : TORA
 

9. Italy's largest seaport : GENOA
 

11. Ritual meals : SEDERS
 

12. South American arboreal snake : TREE BOA. So they live in trees?
 

13. Hawaiian tuna : AHI
 

14. Least populous state capital : MONTPELIER. Wiki said "The population was 7,855 at the 2010 census".

15. Traditional : ORTHODOX
 

16. Wild blue yonder : ETHER. I don't understand this clue. Why "Wild"?
 

17. Sing one's own praises : BOAST. So Boomer now has 14 perfect games. Lumpy, one of his friends, has 75. Can you believe it? Lumpy is not tall, nor does he look muscly. He does manage a bowling center.
 

18. Kitty starters : ANTES
 

21. Verve : PEP
 

24. Leaning : BIAS
 

28. Swedish import : SAAB
 

31. Dies down : EBBS
 

34. Payola, e.g. : GRAFT
 

35. Correctly assesses : PEGS
 

36. Apple variety : iMAC
 

37. Elegant : POSH
 

39. Cryptologic govt. org. : NSA
 

40. Something to build on : SITE
 

43. Checked out : OGLED. For our leg-loving Splynter.

44. Hair color immortalized by a Renaissance painter : TITIAN RED. Did you all get this easily?
 

45. In its early stages : YOUNG
 

 47. Jar Jar Binks's home planet : NABOO. Strange land to me.

48. Virginie et Floride : ETATS. States, in French.
 

49. Horse __ : SENSE
 

51. Hasbro reaction game : BOP IT. New to me. Is it played alone?

52. Email letters : AOL
 

53. Short blaster? : NITRO. The N in  TNT.
 

57. Revved engine sound : ROAR
 

60. Capital of Shaanxi province : XI'AN. Yeah, my hometown. Capital of Zhou & Qin Dynasties, hence my Mandarin name Zhouqin. So, when you Google "Xi'An Zhouqin", what's the first image you see?

61. Modern search result : URL
 

62. Strong, drinkwise : STIFF
 

64. Small-government proponent Paul : RON
 

66. "__ the train a-comin'": Johnny Cash lyric : I HEAR.
 

67. Covers for a crook, say : ABETS
 

68. Battle on a log : ROLEO. Learned from doing Xwords.
 

69. Tipped, as a dealer : TOKED
 

71. Bluesy Memphis street : BEALE
 

72. Some are compact : DISCS
 

75. Brushed off : SWEPT ASIDE. Nice answer.
 

78. Vital life force, to acupuncturists : CHI. Literally "breath"/"air". It's different from the Chi in Tai Chi, which means "Grand".

 

81. Storied officer __ Ludwig von Trapp : GEORG. "The Sound of Music".
 

83. Junk __ : MAIL
 

85. Gob : SCAD. Often in plural.
 

86. Den focus, familiarly : TUBE. Not the "Scout den".
 

87. Sailing : ASEA
 

89. Stars no longer shining : HAS-BEENS
 

91. A/C measure : BTU
 

92. Unrivaled : A-ONE
 

93. Nana : GRAN

95. 1969 Arkin/Moreno comedy : POPI. Never heard of it. Alan Arkin/Rita Moreno.
 

 

96. Soccer protection : SHIN PAD
 

100. Minor injury : SCRAPE. I'm amazed by how stubborn my hamstring injury is. Still a  dull pain when I do some leg stretch.
 

102. Options list : MENU. Options is under Tools in my Firefox browser.

 

103. Takes out mistakes : ERASES
 

104. Faith of nearly a quarter of Earth's population : ISLAM
 

105. Where "Aida" premiered : CAIRO
 

106. Rivendell inhabitants : ELVES. Gimme for Marti/Jazzbumpa. Both avid fans of "The Lord of Rings".

 

107. Key letter : KAPPA. This Greek "Key" clue often stumps me.
 

108. "Golf Begins at Forty" author : SNEAD (Sam). Could be HOGAN, judging by the title.
 

110. Souse : DIPSO
 

113. Lab warning : GRR. Dog!
 

114. Cybermarket since 1995 : eBAY
 

116. Latched, say : SHUT
 

117. Designer Saarinen : EERO
 

118. Prune : CROP. Trim.
 

120. Some Windows systems : NTS
 

122. From __ Z : A TO
 

123. Chap : GUY

C.C.