Sunday March 1, 2020 Mike Torch

Theme: "Lo and Behold" - LO is added to each theme entry.
  
24A. Film VIP's influence?: DIRECTOR'S CLOUT. Director's cut.
 
35A. Derision of a parade entry?: FLOAT SHAMING. Fat shaming.

57A. Calligrapher specializing in punctuation?: COLON ARTIST. Con artist.
 
77A. Hardwood seller's markup?: FLOOR PROFIT. For profit.

92A. Period when Lindsay ruled?: LOHAN DYNASTY. Han Dynasty, together with Zhou, Qin and Tang, all had Xi'an as their capital city.

112A. "Two Women" actress teaming up with a cartoon cat?: LOREN AND STIMPY. Ren and Stimpy.
 
43D. Prosthetic eagle claw?: FAKE TALON. Fake tan.

52D. Imitation semolina?: FAUX FLOUR. Faux fur. Neat to see both fake and faux in Downs.

Nice follow-up to this "Lo and Behold" we had a few years ago. Notice there's no dupe answers.

Great to see Mike back. We've covered 5 puzzles on our blog, 4 are Sundays.

Across:

1. They cross in sights: HAIRS.

6. "Hmm ... ": LET'S SEE.

13. Aetna competitor: HUMANA. Based in Louisville, Kentucky.

19. Store, as fodder: ENSILE.

21. Giving it one's all, theatrically: EMOTING.

22. In-groups: ELITES.

23. Battery terminal-related: ANODAL. Or ANODIC at times.

26. Passport extension, say: RENEWAL.

28. Lacking face value: NO-PAR.

29. Eroded: ATE INTO. This is how much the richest lost last week.

30. Granola tidbit: OAT.

31. Bookmarked item: PAGE.

33. Official motorcade protection: ESCORT.

41. "Dancing With the Stars" judge Goodman: LEN.

42. "__ one, think ... ": I FOR.

46. Transvaal settlers: BOERS.

47. More in order: NEATER.

49. "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" rhyme scheme: AABA.

50. Tax return?: REFUND. Filed. But unprocessed.

53. Orbital point: APOGEE.

54. Performed in the street for tips, in London: BUSKED. Learning moment for me.

56. Give an address: ORATE.

60. Frozen Wasser: EIS. Ice.

61. Unilever men's brand: BRUT.

62. Check writers: PAYERS.

63. Surgical inserts: STENTS.

65. Biological groups: TAXA. Singular is TAXON.

66. Not rented: UNLET.

67. "__ español?": HABLA.

70. Thin batteries: AAAS.

72. Pats or Jags: NFL-ERS.

74. Roof window: DORMER.

75. It parallels the radius: ULNA.

76. Blood test letters: HDL. Good cholesterol.

81. Supply: STOCK.

82. WWII threats: U BOATS.

84. Starts the pool game: BREAKS.

85. Cactus features: SPINES.

86. One may be common: NOUN.

87. Rhythm instrument usually played in pairs: MARACA.

88. Israelite patriarch: ISAAC. And 100. Daughter-in-law of 88-Across: LEAH.

90. Banks on a runway: TYRA.

91. Nocturnal acronym: REM.

97. Clothing giant that's lost an article over the years: THE GAP. And 116. Lincoln Center landmark, familiarly: THE MET.

101. Fair-hiring letters: EOE.

102. Two-handled Greek vase: AMPHORA.

105. Davis of "Dr. Dolittle": OSSIE.

109. Former tykes' clothing chain: KIDS R US.

115. Tot's foot: TOOTSY.

117. Elemental variant: ISOTOPE.

118. Reduced: ON SALE. Did you see the face mask prices on Amazon? Crazy. Singapore gives each household a pack of four masks. It prevents profiteering.

119. Gamer's venue: ARCADE.

120. Ski report highlight: NEW SNOW.

121. Softens: EASES.

Down:

1. Learn about: HEAR OF. There have been no new Coronavirus cases in either Xi'an or Guangzhou the past week.

2. Temper: ANNEAL.

3. Knows about: IS ONTO.

4. Disney World attraction: RIDE.

5. Side for a dog: SLAW.

6. Commanded: LED.

7. "Lose Yourself" rapper: EMINEM.

8. Barcelona bull: TORO.

9. Part of a process: STEP.

10. Italian Neorealism film pioneer Vittorio De __: SICA. He directed "Two Women" .

11. Between, to Berlioz: ENTRE.

12. It may be inflated: EGO.

13. Ben-Hur portrayer: HESTON (Charlton)

14. Stomach woe: ULCER.

15. Armed forces units: MILITIAS.

16. Heaps: A TON.

17. Like Switz. in WWII: NEUT. Neutral.

18. Concerning: AS TO.

20. Went by: ELAPSED.

25. Indy competitor: RACER.

27. Cowardly Lion portrayer: LAHR. I wonder why there's never been "The Wizard of Oz" remake.

32. Road trip need: GAS.

34. Wintry pellets: SLEET.

36. Boundary: ABUTTAL.

37. Musical pitch: TONE.

38. Tied up at the harbor: IN PORT.

39. Bright signs: NEONS.

40. Lady of song: GAGA.

44. Bow or curtsy: OBEISANCE. New Year's bow in Korea! I did the same when I was a kid.

45. X-ray doses: RADS.

48. Thrice, in Rx's: TER.

50. Part of RFK, briefly: ROBT. Robert.

51. Gofer guy: ERRAND BOY.

53. Sheltered, at sea: ALEE.

54. Bright, blue-white heavenly body: B STAR. What does B stand for?

55. Multi-purpose vehicle, briefly: UTE.

57. Playground retort: CAN SO.

58. Toondom's Olive: OYL.

59. Key: ISLET.

62. Knitting loops: PURLS.

64. Izod competitor: NAUTICA. There cologne seems to be everywhere.

67. What the Wonderland caterpillar smokes: HOOKAH.

68. Sounds from pounds: ARFS.

69. Dietitian's calc.: BMI. Body Mass Index.

71. Fifth Avenue retailer: SAKS.

73. Pond dweller: EFT.

74. Harsh Athenian lawmaker: DRACO. From him the word "draconian".

76. Pursuit: HUNT.

78. President who appointed Justice Kagan: OBAMA.

79. Educ. basics: R R R.

80. Toll: PEAL.

81. Hand measurement: SPAN.

83. Cursed thing: ANATHEMA.

85. Greet informally: SAY HI TO.

87. Fox of "Transformers": MEGAN.

88. Like Vivaldi's "Spring": IN E.

89. The Missouri R. runs through it: S DAK.

91. Upgrade, as on Yelp: RE-RATE.

93. City of NW Syria: ALEPPO. Always think of Tim Hetherington when I see Aleppo.

94. Perfect Sleepers, e.g.: SERTAS.

95. Rumple: TOUSLE.

96. "Absolutely!": YES YES.

98. Refined: HONED.

99. Entourage: POSSE.

102. Utah ski resort: ALTA.

103. "Jerry Maguire" actor Jay: MOHR.

104. Occurring before: Abbr.: PREC. Preceding.

106. Put in a hold: STOW.

107. Watches tykes: SITS.

108. "It's showtime!": I'M ON.

110. Cooked: DONE.

111. Slugger Sammy: SOSA.

113. Hubbub: DIN.

114. Red-berried tree: YEW.

C.C.

Sunday August 19, 2018 Mike Torch

Theme: "Loaf Affair"- Bread puns.

27A. Bread worshipers?: NAAN BELIEVERS. Non-believers. Unusual to see a themer starting in Row 4 rather than the traditional Row 3.

41A. Musical composition about a bread-loving pack animal?: PITA AND THE WOLF. Peter and the Wolf.

51A. Bread joke-teller's trait?: RYE SENSE OF HUMOR. Wry sense of humor.

73A. Celebratory wish over Jewish bread?: HAPPY CHALLAH DAY. Happy holiday.

81A. Ibsen title character's bread?: PEER GYNT'S WHEAT. Peer Gynt Suite.

96A. "Sorry, I meant to give you a plain burger"?: NO BUN INTENDED. No pun intended.

16D. Bread that only appears for a short time?: CAMEO ROLLS. Cameo roles.

66D. Bread with a winelike aroma?: NOSE SCONES. Nose cones.

Great to see Mike Torch back. He's a veteran constructor who has made many puzzles for the New York Times and LA Times.

We've seen food puns, but I don't recall one theme specifically focused on bread. Such a tight set of entries.
 
Across:

1. Breaks off: STOPS. Then 10. Kicks off: OPENS.

6. Window framework: SASH.

15. Cake-finishing artist: ICER. 70. 15-Across co-worker: BAKER. Is there really an ICER in a bakery?

19. Dugout, for one: CANOE. Nice clue.

20. Either of matching words, in a way: Abbr.: ANAG. OK, anagram.

21. Home to the Palazzo della Ragione: PADUA. Gary probably visited this place.

22. Pew area: NAVE.

23. Flopped financially: ATE IT. Tiny clue/answer dupe with  45. Disaster movie?: FLOP.

24. '60s protest slogan: BAN THE BOMB.

26. In: AMID.

29. In a dishonorable manner: BASELY.

31. Makes serious demands on: TAXES.

32. __ Geo: cable channel: NAT.

33. Source of intolerance: LACTOSE. Many Asians are lactose-intolerant, though the percentage shocks me.

34. Frequent savers: GOALIES. Oh, hi, Splynter!

37. Time div.: MIN.

39. "One of Ours" Pulitzer-winning author: CATHER.

40. Kick out: EXPEL.

46. Cooped-up critters: HENS.

47. Arms carriers?: TORSI. Another great clue.

49. Concerns: CARES.

50. Adjective for rapper Kim: LIL.

54. Diet including wild fruit: PALEO. I could not imagine a diet without carbs.

56. Vote in favor: YEA.

57. Music and art genre: FOLK.

58. "Lemme __!": AT 'EM.

59. Confines: PENS UP.

60. Two-time A.L. Manager of the Year Francona, familiarly: TITO.

61. Ballet movements: PLIES.

63. Cougar, e.g., briefly: MERC.

64. Declining due to age: SENILE.

67. Harbor view spot: PIER. Boomer and I were here in 2001.

68. Ore source: SEAM.

69. Easy sequence?: ABC.

72. Norwegian capital: KRONE. And 48. Norwegian capital: OSLO

77. "__ yours": "My gift": IT'S. And 78. Gift recipient: DONEE.

79. Big hits: BELTS.

80. NASA approvals: AOKS.

85. Stop in Québec?: ARRET.

86. Immerses in liquid: SOUSES.

87. Get it wrong: ERR.

88. Insurance company founded for rural workers: FARMERS. Learning moment for me.

90. Takes back: RECANTS.

92. Like some discount mdse.: IRR. Do you have Marshalls in your area? I love browsing there.

94. Left-hand page: VERSO.

95. King in "The Tempest": ALONSO.

102. El __: NINO.

103. Orchestra section: PERCUSSION.

106. Jenna, to Jeb: NIECE.

107. Nerd: GEEK.

108. Folding declaration: I'M OUT.

109. Cosmo rival: ELLE.

110. Europop's __ Base: ACE OF.

111. Besides: ELSE.

112. Bottomless gulf: ABYSS.

113. Passing out at the table?: DEAL. I was picturing something scary.

114. Golf Channel analyst Wadkins: LANNY. Left. He was at 3M last year.

Down:

1. Doctor's order: SCAN. Boomer wants to just deal with this left shoulder pain (rotator cuff problem) rather than having surgery.

2. Part of TTFN: TATA.

3. Most eligible for service: ONE A.

4. Ineffective: POINTLESS.

5. Put a price on freedom?: SET BAIL. Lovely clue.

6. Fine furs: SABLES.

7. Writer Nin: ANAIS.

8. Reasonable: SANE.

9. "Fixer Upper" network: HGTV.

10. Verdi creation: OPERA.

11. L.A.-based brewery: PABST.

12. Tokyo, formerly: EDO. Watched quite a few dramas set in Edo period.

13. O.T. book: NUM.

14. Religious observances: SABBATHS.

15. Fretful: IN A STEW.

17. Harmful aspects: EVILS.

18. Try a new shade on: REDYE. And 25. Salon coloring: HENNA.

28. Program file suffix: EXE. I must have drove D-Otto/TTP out of their mind last week by failing to access the Safe Mode. But I failed forward. I learned something.

30. Masseuse's target: ACHE.

33. "See ya!": LATER.

34. Architect Frank: GEHRY. Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao)

35. Yellow-and-white daisy: OXEYE.

36. Sleep study subject: APNEA.

37. Soybean paste: MISO. Yeah, to natives and those in the know (as Yellowrocks), Miso is just paste, not soup. The soup is always called "Miso soup".

38. "Do __ you must": IT IF.

39. PC insert: CD ROM.

41. Nursery sch.: PRE-K.

42. Sharp: ACUTE.

43. Mentions specifically: NAMES.

44. Place: LIEU.

47. U.S. security: T NOTE.

52. Option for a return: E-FILE.

53. Precarious: HAIRY.

54. Prefix with frost: PERMA.

55. Mandela's org.: ANC. African National Congress.

59. Bell sounds: PEALS.

60. Like the Oz woodsman: TIN.

61. Singing voice, informally: PIPES.

62. Looney Tunes stinker: LE PEW.

63. Soften in feeling: MELT.

64. Hop-jump link: SKIP.

65. Art Deco artist: ERTE. Jazzbumpa is another ERTE (R/T). His real name is Ron Toth.

67. Breathes hard: PANTS.

68. Ocean feature: SALT.

69. Worship: ADORE.

71. Dermatologists' concerns: CYSTS.

73. Refines: HONES.

74. "Good buddy": CBER.

75. Pick up: HEAR.

76. Blues musician's "harp": HARMONICA.

78. Literally, Greek for "bad place": DYSTOPIA. Good to know.

82. Lost Colony's island: ROANOKE. Another learning moment for me.

83. Big biceps, at the gym: GUNS.

84. Chef's supply: HERBS. One more clue/answer dupe.  88. Aromatic herb: FENNEL. Cilantro is the only fresh herb most Chinese use.

85. London football club: ARSENAL.

89. Part of MoMA: ART.

90. Span: RANGE.

91. The senior Saarinen: ELIEL. Father of crossword stalwart EERO.

92. Ear bone: INCUS.

93. Opposites of squeakers, in sports: ROUTS.

94. Davis with an Oscar, Emmy and two Tonys: VIOLA. Classy lady.

97. Employed: USED.

98. Luxor's river: NILE. Luxor is also the avatar name of a bygone poster on our blog. Luxor enjoyed attacking others.

99. Cook Paula: DEEN.

100. B-school course: ECON.

101. Rebel against: DEFY.

104. Diplomatic bldg.: EMB. Here is US Embassy in Beijing.

105. Pop artist Lichtenstein: ROY.

C.C.

Friday, July 13, 2012, Mike Torch

THEME: MY ACHY BREAKY HEART( Rx?) (3:55).

All of the three theme answers are phrases which have "ACHE" added to the end, and thereby creating an entirely new phrase clued with humor and visual delight. They also transform the sound from AKE to AASH. This is our third LA Times puzzle from Mr. Torch, both priors were Sunday efforts, if you do not recall his name. He also has has 18 NY Times efforts since 2003. The puzzle has some very difficult clues, and some nice long fill like Pastrami and Branched, and an Errol who is not Flynn. Mr. Torch sounds like he is one of the Fantastic Four. Anyway, I know no more, except what is in the WORDS, so let us see.

17A. Brisket-making flair? : ROASTING PANACHE (15). A simple PAN becomes one of my favorite words, and as a cook who does brisket, I love the clue and fill. Also, it is a grid-spanner.

26A. Hidden dietary supplements? : VITAMIN CACHE(12). So do you believe Linus Pauling or not?

44A. Teen's response to "You need to shave"? : IT'S A MUSTACHE (12). Actually, the question with my sons was, go wash your face, your lip is dirty. The reveal...

56A. Annoyance...and a hint to how 17-, 26- and 44-Across are formed? : PAIN IN THE BEHIND(15). This tells you a synonym for PAIN is tacked on the end of the fill.

Across:

1. Stinger: WASP. My first thought was the COCKTAIL, not of WHITE ANGLO SAXON PROTESTANTS or insects.

5. Banded marble: AGATE. The pretty ones,

10. Saudi Arabia neighbor: OMAN. O man, we get this country all of the time.

14. Earthen pot: OLLA. Olla we get this pot all of the time.

15. Gruesome: LURID. I think of lurid more like Lois, or a romance novel.

16. Got up: ROSE. And the clecho, 47D. Get up: ARISE.

20. Diver's concern: DEPTH. This is true for both kinds of divers.

21. Perps' patterns: MOS. Modus Operandi. In English, method of operation.

22. Blood of the gods: ICHOR. Made from nectar and ambrosia? LINK.

23. 1988 self-titled CW album: REBA. Country singer (2:48) and actress.

25. Brilliance: ECLAT. Wow both panache and eclat, we are special.

31. Broke (in): CHIMED. Well, we all chimed in to comment on Marti's write up.

32. Zap: LASE. To use a laser, I guess. Don't LASE ME bro?

33. Mil. authority: CMD. Take your PICK.

36. Pasta ___: food brand: RONI. Not to be confused with cousin RICE A.

37. Smallest: LEAST.

39. Verve: BRIO. From the Italian, for the modern version: vim and viagra.

40. Restful retreat: SPA.

41. Talking iPhone feature: SIRI. I know you want to know why according to the ex-CEO, Siri is, in fact, not just some random jargon. Instead, it means “beautiful woman who leads you to victory” in the Norwegian language.

42. ___ rod: AARON'S. Does he mean the BIBLICAL reference? The D.H. Lawrence semi-autobiographic novel? Or my son's curtain holder?

46. Medium card: TAROT.

48. The Eagles' "___ Eyes": LYIN. MUSIC.

49. Film director Morris: ERROL.Mostly famous for documentaries.

50. PC key: ESCape.

52. John or Christine of Fleetwood Mac: McVIE. They are to reunite and tour in 2013, but without Christine. LINK.

59. Snippy retort: IS SO. IS NOT!

60. Harden: INURE. In your eye?

61. Avant-garde: EDGY.

62. YouTube co-founder Steve: CHEN. Impressive MAN. Hi Jeff.

63. Plant sometimes called heart' s-ease: PANSY. Hi Marti.

64. Conks out: DIES. The car engine, not the blogger.

Down:

1. One of six in this clue: WORD. Self-referential, cool.

2. Soothing balm: ALOE.

3. Insult: SLAP. No, I do not get this one, but the perps were there. I get it now, that is a slap in the face!

4. Deli choice : PASTRAMI. Anyone for a RACHEL? Or

5. Poetic pugilist: ALI. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee; not a WASP!

6. Perp, perhaps : GUNMAN. Oh, that perp....

7. Ship that survived the Clashing Rocks : ARGO. A nice shout out to me and the ship that made us famous. We are even on a stamp.

8. Advice : TIPS.

9. Author LeShan : EDA.

10. Ancient source of counsel : ORACLE. With the ARGO, and ICHOR a little mythological sub theme.

11. Starbucks flavor : MOCHA. A latte with cocoa powder. Yum.

12. "Give it ___" : A SHOT. What I say ever week when my time to blog comes around.

13. Poetic negative : NE'ER. Never again will I be fooled by a constructor's hidden....

18. Motif : THEME.

19. Specific market type : NICHE. From the French to make a nest.

24. Set of potential suppliers : BID LIST. A term used in the CONSTRUCTION industry, used here by our constructor.

25. Bliss : ECSTASY. When you have PANACHE and ECLAT, you must achieve ECSTASY!

26. TV adjuncts : VCRS. Video Cassette Recorders.

27. Place to see stacks : IHOP. Not in a library, but the International House Of Pancakes.

28. Talking Heads bassist Weymouth : TINA. More MUSIC.(8:07) Obscure to me. Luckily I had the theme.

29. Say with assurance : CLAIM.

30. Small power sources : AAS. Batteries.

33. Marsh critter : CROC.

34. Ho Chi ___ City : MINH. The old Saigon.

35. Tablespoon, maybe : DOSE.

38. Significant period : ERA.

39. Diverged, with "off" : BRANCHED.

41. White Russian spec : STOLI. Stolichnaya, the once premier Russian Vodka, is now made in Latvia.I prefer Chopin, the Polish potato vodka.

43. "...___ to be born and..." : A TIME. There is a season, turn, turn, turn.

44. Like some T-shirt images : IRON ON. Not to be confused with Iron Man; has anyone else seen the newest Spider-Man movie? I like this kid.

45. Stomach issues : ULCERS. What I am getting trying to get this going.

46. Pan : TRASH. A bad review, not a cooking vessel.

49. Large-scale work : EPIC.

50. View from Catania : ETNA. The mountain.

51. Avoid : SHUN.

53. Part of Caesar's boast : VIDI. Forever trapped between VENI and VICI.

54. "Bus Stop" playwright : INGE. Know the PLAY or the SONG.

55. Company that created Rocky Road ice cream : EDYS. HISTORY or controversy.

57. Barely beat : NIP.

58. Ottoman official : BEY. We have had this title of a provincial governor in the Ottoman Empire before (per MW).

Answer grid.

Well, I guess I kept the wolves at BAY long enough to finish, did this puzzle light your fire? Thanks Mike, see you on the other side of next week.

Lemonade

Sunday June 26, 2011 Mike Torch

Theme: High Comedy - GH is omitted in each familiar phrase.

23A. Unforgettable louse? : A NIGHT TO REMEMBER. "A Night to Remember". Fun clue & answer.

33A. Waterway for sinners? : STRAIGHT TO HELL. Straight to hell. Nice one too.

44A. Uncovers a serious flaw in municipal building plans? : CAN'T FIGHT CITY HALL. Can't fight city hall.

62A. Barely visible English pubs? : BRIGHT SPOTS ON THE HORIZON. Bright spots on the horizon.

74A. Ohio sweaters? : KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. Knights of Columbus.

92A. Low cost pay-per-view match? : BOUGHT FOR A SONG. Bought for a song.

103A. Where to get a copy of "The Communist Manifesto"? : RED-LIGHT DISTRICT. Red light district.

Slow in grokking the theme today. First thought long I in IGH was replaced by short I, but STRAIT TO HELL quickly said no. Then BOUT FOR A SONG further proved I was wrong. Odd entry. I'd love the theme better if GH is dropped from all the *IGHT phrases. You?

The grid design is rather ambitious, with week-day like three finger blocks. Hence a rather low 132 word count.

Across:

1. Bit of schoolyard disagreement : AM SO. And 14. States as fact : SAYS SO.

5. Stuff in a box on the street : SNAIL MAIL. Was thinking of those free newspaper.

20. 1978 medical thriller : COMA

21. Like some items in downloads : NON-SECURE. Often feel helpless against computer errors.

22. __ Island, N.Y. : STATEN

25. "Broadway Joe" : NAMATH

26. Indian lentil stew : DAL. Bill G, what's for lunch today?

27. Loses everything : BUSTS

28. Juan's ones : UNOs

30. Milk: Pref. : LACTO. Lactose.

31. Promote at work : ELEVATE

36. Tightwads : MISERs

37. Turn down in an ugly way : SPURN. Like love.

39. Tested : ASSAYED

40. Has the stage : IS ON

41. Expensive outing, probably : SPREE. Shopping spree?

42. Goes on strike, in slang : WALKS. I like this clue.

48. Seemingly forever : AGES

52. Top of the morning? : ONE AM

53. Clerical vestments : ALBs. Classic crosswordese.

54. Rodeo ride : BRONC

55. Like the larger-eared elephant : AFRICAN. I thought it's just "large-eared".

59. Sham : FALSE

61. Look for help from : TURN TO

66. Volcanic rock : BASALT

67. Incursions : RAIDs

68. "Rad!" : AWESOME

69. Talus joint : ANKLE

70. Brew : SUDs

71. Words with bike or wave : RIDE A

73. Grey Goose competitor : SKYY. Vodka.

81. Volleyball coup : SPIKE. And 102D. It precedes 81-Across : SET

83. Tennyson's Enoch : ARDEN. "Enoch Arden". Not familiar with the poem.

84. Westchester, N.Y., college : IONA

85. "Most likely ..." : ODDS ARE. Nice entry.

89. Reuben essential : SWISS

90. Aviation force : THRUST

95. Ristorante red : CHIANTI

96. Befuddled : AT SEA

97. Comic who wrote jokes for JFK : SAHL (Mort)

98. Shoe parts : SOLES

100. Covert fed. group : CIA

101. Maid concerns : METERS. Meter maid.

107. Antarctic penguin : ADELIE. Happy couple. Happy feet.

108. Pennsylvania's state dog : GREAT DANE. State dog? Unknown to me.

109. Sommer of cinema : ELKE

110. Most convinced : SUREST

111. Controls : HARNESSES

112. "The Swiss Family Robinson" writer : WYSS (Johann). Was ignorant of the book and the author.

Down:

1. Hypothetical : ACADEMIC

2. Immortal wife of Francesco del Giocondo : MONA LISA. Thanks to da Vinci.

3. Is favorable to : SMILES ON

4. Muffin choice : OAT

5. Tapir features : SNOUTS

6. Longship crewmen : NORSE. Longships were used by the Vikings.

7. Works without __ : A NET

8. Philosophies : ISMs

9. Poe's "Annabel __" : LEE

10. Turn-of-the-century year : MCM. 1900.

11. 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton's alma mater : AUBURN. Gimme for Husker Gary, I bet. He seems to know a lot about college football.

12. "The Faerie Queene" woman : IRENA. Guessed.

13. "Vive __!" : LE ROI

14. IRS info : SSN

15. Baffled : AT A LOSS

16. Steinway competitor : YAMAHA

17. Actress Dash of "Clueless" : STACEY. First encounter with this actress. She's pretty.

18. Come to terms : SETTLE

19. Waiting for tech support, often : ON HOLD. Those overseas tech support can drive you nuts.

24. Way to the top : T-BAR

29. Delays : STALLs

32. Let off steam : VENT

33. Mutton fat : SUET. Lard is pork fat.

34. Small spade : TREY. Poker.

35. "For shame!" : TSK

37. Humane Soc. ally : SPCA

38. Victorian : PRIM

41. Worker with a pad : STENO

42. Former 49ers coach Bill : WALSH. Surprised I know him.

43. "Seascape" Pulitzer-winning playwright : ALBEE

45. Bo's'n's quarters : FO'C'SLE. Can never remember how to spell it, Spitzboov/eddyB!

46. Unfitting : INAPT

47. Desists : HALTS

48. "Mrs. __ Goes to Paris": 1992 TV film : ARRIS. Stumped me again.

49. Bananas : GONZO. Nuts!

50. Branch of zool. : ENTOM. OK, entomology.

51. Tea biscuit : SCONE

54. Chest : BUREAU. Furniture was not in my mind.

55. Arafat's successor : ABBAS

56. Direct : FRANK. Adjective "direct".

57. Full of pitfalls : RISKY

58. 2006 World Cup winner : ITALY. Soccer is huge in China.

59. Pass off (on) : FOIST

60. Plus : AND

61. Item on a rack : TOWEL

63. Place for a donut : TRUNK. Tire! Tricky clue.

64. "Sexy" Beatles woman : SADIE

65. Sported : HAD ON

70. Sun Valley visitors : SKIERS

71. Country mail rtes. : RFDs. RFD = Rural delivery service

72. Summer coolers : ICEs

75. Cut : SAWN. Spell check doesn't like it.

76. Not a dup. : ORIG

77. Oscar winner Sorvino : MIRA. She speaks Chinese.

78. In an animated way : BOUNCILY. I've only used adjective form bouncy.

79. Opens with effort, as a window : UNSTICKS

80. Stuffs : SATIATES

81. Wild vacations? : SAFARIs. Oh, wild animal, not the real wild vacation in Ibiza. JD has had a few wild ones.

82. For : PRO

85. "Dreams From My Father" family : OBAMAS

86. College address ending : DOT EDU. Felt stupid not to nail it.

87. Long riding coat : DUSTER

88. Addison's publishing partner : STEELE (Richard). Joseph Addison. Both strangers to me.

89. Plumber's alloy : SOLDER

90. Doctors' works : THESES

91. H.S. subject : HIST (History)

93. Cry of exasperation : AARGH

94. He-Man's twin sister : SHE-RA

95. "Crazy" singer : CLINE (Patsy). Thought of Jerome's mom.

98. Regs. : STDs (Standards)

99. Harem rooms : ODAs. Splynter wants one.

104. PC linkup : LAN

105. Mineral suffix : ITE

106. Remote button : REW

Answer grid.

C.C.

Sunday November 15, 2009 Mike Torch

Theme: Ling-uistics - Ling is inserted into familiar phrases.

24A. Migration of gregarious birds?: STAR(LING) TREK. "Star Trek". Starlings are gregarious and noisy birds.

50A. Bovine argument at the lanes?: OX BOW(LING) INCIDENT. I've never heard of the movie "The Ox-Bow Incident". "The" is cut in the new phrase. Bowling lanes.

71A. Game for lazy kids?: ID(LING) TAG. ID Tag.

95A. Drinking too much?: PICK(LING) YOUR BRAIN. Pick Your Brain. Do you find the new phrase amusing?

122A. Courtroom intuition?: LEGAL FEE(LING). Legal Fee.

3D. Result of way too much praise?: EGO TRIP(LING). Ego Trip.

31D. McCarthy suspicion?: RED INK(LING). Red Ink.

58D. Affleck on the mound?: BEN HUR(LING). "Ben-Hur". Ben Affleck. My favorite theme phrase.

74D. Quartet of storytellers?: FAB(LING) FOUR. Fab Four. The Beatles. Did not know fable can be a verb.

Besides the "quartet" in the last theme clue, we also have several Latin "group" clues:

21A. Common sonnet line quintet: IAMBI. Stumped me. Plural of iambus.

42D. Deadly septet: SINS

111D. Salty septet: SEAS

Clever theme and dense theme answers. But the two affixes, real as they are, feel so forced to me:

128A. Prefix with -nomic: GASTRO. Gastronomic. Gastro means "stomach".

82D. Psychological suffix with para-: NOIA. Paranoia. Noia means "conditions of mind".

Across:

1. Full of: Suff.: OSE. As in verbose. Often clued as "Sugar suffix".

4. Played (around): HORSED

10. Helmsman's challenge: SHOAL. Sandbank.

15. PC programs: APPS (Applications)

19. Truck stop sight: RIG

20. Ring of color: AREOLE. Or AREOLA (AREa + OLA). Like these two rings. And of course, the beautiful Katrina Kaif.

22. Model T contemporaries: REOS

26. Eden-to-Nod direction: EAST. East of Eden.

27. Release to attack: LET AT. Release the dog?

29. President who attended Eureka College: REAGAN. Eureka College is in Illinois.

30. Responds to "Come again?": ITERATES. "Come again?" = "Excuse me?"

32. Go from pub to pub: BARHOP. My wasted precious youth in Guangzhou.

36. Yr.-end period: DEC

37. Gary's home: INDIANA. Gary is a city in Indiana. Nailed it.

41. Squirrel's partner, to Boris and Natasha: MOOSE. From "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show".

44. Mosque toppers: DOMES. What's the name of the prayer cap Muslims wear?

48. Very softly, in music: PPP. P, PP & PPP all indicate "soft" in varying degree.

53. Will Varner's daughter-in-law in "The Long, Hot Summer": EULA. Got the answer from crosses.

55. Beethoven dedicatee: ELISE. "Für Elise".

56. Krakatoa's country: INDONESIA. Easy guess. I've never heard of Krakatoa, an volcanic island in Indonesia.

57. Bounces on a court: DRIBBLES. Basketball.

59. Handful: FEW. Not many.

62. Home in bed, maybe: SICK

63. Radical campus gp.: SDS (Students for a Democratic Society)

65. Most passengers in "Titanic," e.g.: EXTRAS. The cast, not the real passengers.

68. Disney lioness: NALA. "The Lion King" lioness. I wrote down ELSA ("Born Free" lioness) first. And today ELSA is clued as 118D: Supermodel Benitez, an unknown Mexican model to me.

73. As a joke: IN FUN

80. Like many home movies: ON TAPE

84. West Point letters: USMA (United States Military Academy)

87. Like material goods: TANGIBLE. Tangible goods.

89. Amusement park rides: MONORAILS

92. Best of the best: ELITE. Crème de la crème.

94. Declined: SLID. As price.

99. Part of TGIF: IT'S

100. 1972 U.S./Soviet pact: SALT I. Well, I am sure it's not called SALT I at that time.

101. Denounces: DAMNS

102. Write: SET DOWN. And PENS (114D. Writes). I love this kind of clue echos.

104. Southernmost Canadian prov.: ONT (Ontario)

108. "__ at the Opera": A NIGHT. Nope, have never heard of this Marx Brothers film.

111. Temporary fixes: STOPGAP

116. Conqueror of Mexico: CORTES (Hernando). Also an unknown figure to me. Wikipedia says his expedition caused the fall of the Aztec empire.

121. Rank below marquis: EARL. The answer emerged itself.

126. __ breve: ALLA. An indication to play in cut-time. Alla is Italian for "according to the". Learned from doing Xword.

127. Mural opening?: INTRA. Intramural. Valid (and clever) prefix cluing.

129. Half of dos: UNO

130. Smirnoff alternative: SKYY. So blue. No wonder the name.

131. State in northeast India: ASSAM. The tea state.

132. Certain Nebraskan: OMAHAN. Warren Buffett is called "Oracle of Omaha".

Down:

1. Dental floss brand: ORAL-B

2. It's usually a hit: SIDE A. Cassette. I was thinking of baseball hit.

4. Concerns, with "with": HAS TO DO. Multiple words again.

5. Scrap: ORT. One of the very early crosswordese I've learned.

7. Angry: SORE

8. First name in scat: ELLA (Fitzgerald). The scat queen.

9. Condescend: DEIGN

10. Enlists: SIGNS ON. Penned in JOINS IN first.

11. Monopoly token: HAT

12. Ahab's father in the Bible: OMRI (OM-rahy). No idea.

13. Help the wrong way?: ABET

14. Enjoyed: LIKED

15. Three-digit ID: AREA CODE

16. Gardening moss: PEAT

17. Photographer's suggestion: POSE. Too short for SAY CHEESE.

18. Old Atl. crossers: SSTS. Atl. = Atlantic.

28. "Kung Fu" actor: AHN (Philip). I mentioned a few times before that the Korean name Ahg = Chinese Ang (as in Ang Lee). It can be either surname or given name.

33. Digital dots: PIXELS

35. "If the fans don't come out to the ballpark, you can't stop them" speaker: YOGI (Berra)

39. Made a racket: NOISED. I was picturing tennis racket rather than "noise' racket.

40. Nursery reactions: AWS

43. Credits follow it: ENDING. D'oh, film credits.

46. City WNW of Stillwater, Oklahoma: ENID. Easy guess.

47. RR stops: STAS

48. Pitcher Martinez: PEDRO. With the Phillies. Not really a bad World Series for him.

54. Didn't miss __: A BEAT

60. Beach birds: ERNES

61. Conestoga driver: WAGONER. Did not know wagon can be a verb. Also did not know the real name for this kind of wagon.

66. Good-sized sizes: XLS. Needs an abbr. hint in the clue.

67. Apt name for a cook?: STU. A good name indeed. Stew.

69. Opposing forces: ANTIS

71. Under consideration: IN MIND

72. Outfit: ATTIRE

75. Illuminated indirectly: UPLIT. Uplight is a verb?

76. Calls for: NEEDS

80. Flatware company, or the New York community where it began: ONEIDA. Literally "erected stone".

81. Calls the game: UMPS. Baseball.

83. Part of the pkg.: INCL. ENCL too.

85. Bit of plankton: ALGA

88. Rat-__: A-TAT

90. Ready for action after an injury, in sports: OK TO PLAY. I can't believe I was right.

91. Mozart's No. 1 through No. 41: SYMS. Symphonies? New abbreviation to remember then.

93. Scale divs.: LBS

96. A buck: ONE CLAM. Nailed it. Clam is slang for money.

97. "What's the __ Wond'rin'": "Carousel" song: USE OF. No idea. Here is a clip.

98. Nine-sided shape: NONAGON. Nona is a prefix for 9.

103. Mich. neighbor: WIS

105. Shire of "Rocky": TALIA. She also played the annoying Connie in "Godfather". Most of the actor/actress today were gimmes to me.

107. Ragú rival: PREGO. Ah, we just had plenty of discussion on tomato sauce.

109. Co-creator of Yogi and Boo Boo: HANNA. Hanna-Barbera cartoons. YOGI is an answer in the grid, albeit clued differently.

110. Town on the Firth of Clyde: TROON. Royal Troon Golf Club has held several British Opens.

112. Converse: TALK. Oh, I was thinking of "opposite' converse.

113. Paris hub: ORLY. Charles de Gaulle too.

115. Some NCOs: SGTS

117. Squad: TEAM. Sports squad.

119. Group that opposed the Jedi: SITH. "Star Wars".

123. Neighbor of Scorpius: ARA. Latin for "altar". Three letter star is always ARA.

124. Org. with a lot of heaters?: NRA. Heater is slang for "gun". It's an "Org. with a lot of haters" too, gun-haters.

Answer grid.

To Canadian solvers, your Mail and Globe Saturday 21*21 is by Wayne R. Williams (the previous TMS editor) and the puzzle is not on-line. Do feel free to post questions at the Comments section if you need help.

C.C.