Wednesday April 12, 2017 Neville Fogarty

Theme:  BLOOD TYPE (62A. Classification suggested by the beginning of 17-, 25-, 37- and 53-Across)

17A. Dean's list honorees : A STUDENTS. C.C. told me Neville Fogarty is a young math professor.

25A. Thiamine and riboflavin : B VITAMINS.

37A. Two-variable marketing experiment : A/B TESTING. Never heard of this experiment.

53A. First novel in Willa Cather's Great Plains trilogy : O PIONEERS!.

Hello everyone, Boomer here. 

A typical puzzle for me. I struggled with a few answers. I did  get 1-Across immediately. Speaking of 1-Across, I heard on the radio yesterday that each World Champion ring awarded to Cubs players and staff will contain 108 diamonds to commemorate 108 years of futility !  I realize that diamonds come in all sizes and you may need a microscope to see all of them but it still seems excessive.  I wonder how many packages of Wrigley gum could be purchased for what one ring cost. 

Across:

  

1. They broke their 108-year World Series drought in 2016 : CUBS

5. Medical picture : X-RAY -I think former Twin Oswaldo Arcia is now an Ex-Ray.

9. Gives out : EMITS - I think Oswaldo had an "E - Mitt" (E-9)

14. Lustrous gem : OPAL - October birthstone

15. "Bloom County" reporter : MILO - Bloom County does not appear in the Minneapolis paper.        Google helps.

16. Very small : MICRO - Could be the size of the Cubs ring diamonds.

19. Pasture sound : BLEAT - If you keep your goats and lambs in the pasture, not in the kitchen.

20. Add to the pot : STIR IN - my first thought was RAISE.

21. Electronic sci-fi antagonist : HAL - If the clue was Barney Miller, I would have got it right away.

23. "¡Dios __!" : MIO

24. Cannes cup : TASSE

28. FBI operative : AGT Of course this is abbrev. for AGENT.  What is Special about them, I don't know.

29. Number before vier : DREI - I was never good at foreign stuff.

31. Spring bloomer : AZALEA - Mindful of the hours we spent watching Augusta National last weekend.

32. Flip (through) : LEAF - Okay, leaf can be a verb.  I rake the nouns plenty though.

34. Son of Zeus and Hera : ARES

36. In tune : ON KEY - Hopefully "America the Beautiful" is sung that way in the 7th inning on Sundays.

40. Diving bird : GREBE - Not familiar with this bird.

43. Way out yonder : AFAR - Does anyone ever use the word "Yonder" anymore ?

44. Inscribe : ETCH - If you have an Etch, Scretch it.

48. After morays, say : EELING - This word threw me.  I am Minnesotan and some folks fish for eelpout.  That might be called eeling, I don't know.

50. Mined matter : ORES - Sorry but I always thought that the plural of ORE is ORE.

52. Mexican gold : ORO

55. Apartment sign : TO LET - This has changed to "Now Leasing" here in the North.

57. Go bad : ROT

58. Under the weather : ILL

59. Javier __, first Spanish actor to win an Oscar : BARDEM. Husband of Penelope Cruz.

60. "Good __!" : GRIEF - Famous words of Charlie Brown.

65. Not always helpful reply to "Who's there?" : IT'S ME

66. Like bad fried food : OILY - Some people like greasy French fries, which makes it good fried food.

67. Shed tools : HOES

68. Early fur trader : ASTOR- The original John (Johan) Jacob Astor abandoned fur trading around 1830 and made a fortune investing in real estate in New York City.  Hmmmm Remind you of anyone?

69. Ties the knot : WEDS

70. Joint possession word : OURS

  

Down:

1. Like beachfront property : COASTAL - Of course, here in the land of 10,000 lakes we have miles and miles of beachfront property, but nothing coastal.  And the only Tide we have is in the grocery store in a red plastic jug. 

2. Steal the spotlight from : UPSTAGE

3. Cuban dictator overthrown by Castro : BATISTA - Wow, there's a name out of the past.  I was nine or ten years old.  No one had ever heard of Fidel.  I wonder when we will be able to by those great cigars again.

4. Nasty remarks : SLURS

5. Marvel Comics mutants : X-MEN - I remember when Comics were 10 cents.

6. __ Tin Tin : RIN - Everyone remembers a TV dog, but tell the truth - how many of you remember Fulgencio Batista ??

7. PC key : ALT - Of course my first thought was ESC.

8. Super Mario World dinosaur : YOSHI - The lovable character from the original Nintendo.  Everybody had one.  Heck I had one and I was 40 years old!

9. Decorate elaborately : EMBLAZON - I always thought "emblazon" meant fire.

10. End of a general's URL : MIL

11. Low-fat frozen dessert : ICE MILK - Let's all go to the Dairy Queen.

12. Many a new hire : TRAINEE - Do you suppose a railroad engineer was ever a trainee ?

13. "If you will" : SO TO SAY - Must be a California clue, I have never said "So to Say".

18. Fizzled out : DIED

22. __ crossroads : AT A

25. First interracial coed college in the South : BEREA - An interesting school South of Lexington, KY.  I think C.C. and I may have passed through Berea on I-75 one time on a trip to Myrtle Beach.  All Berea students are on scholarship.

26. Tries to win : VIES FOR

27. Canine ailment : MANGE - This is bad stuff.  I once had a Cocker Spaniel inflicted with it. 

30. Chinese zodiac animal : RAT -  I am sure C.C. can tell you when the year of the Rat will be. (or was)

33. One-named Italian male model : FABIO - This guy made millions by wearing other peoples clothes.  Nice job !!

35. "The Fault in Our __": 2014 film : STARS

38. Nickname for a 2000s tabloid item : BENNIFER. Ben and Jennifer.

39. Anger : IRE

40. Black Sea republic : GEORGIA

41. Police paperwork : REPORTS

42. High-and-mighty sort : ELITIST - One more "T" and you have an anagram of a golf ball.

45. "Just like I said" : TOLD YOU

46. Climbing plant : CREEPER - Since 1-Across was Cubs, check out the outfield walls at Wrigley for creepers.

47. Disordered yet appealing person : HOT MESS - Sorry I did not get this one, hope you did.

49. Salon application : GEL - Maybe hair Gel for Bryce Harper ??

51. Dutch town : STAD

54. Nudge : ELBOW - I have seen elbow fouls called in the NBA.  Trust me, they were not nudges.

56. Weed B Gon maker : ORTHO - Nice title.  I have tried many types, but the dandelions seem to always win.  No problem though - C.C. thinks they are pretty flowers.

59. School restroom sign : BOYS - Not sure what the signs are in South Carolina, but they claim they are fixing it.  Money talks - the NCAA said "Fix it or we are gone". (Correction: North Carolina.)

 61. Confessional rock genre : EMO - I was not aware however this is also an anagram of a Stooge.

63. Fabrication : LIE

64. Not up-to-date : OLD

Boomer

Saturday, Jan 21st, 2017, Neville Fogarty

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing F,J,Q,X,Y)

Blocks: 30

Well it's about time I smoked through a Saturday puzzle; I was starting to wonder if the difficulty level was ever going to come down.  I recognized the constructor's name, and I sensed that I had struggled with his grids in the past - but I was wrong.  It has been over four years since he last gave us a Saturday challenge, and that one was a fun romp, too - my words.  Six ten-letter answers in today's grid, with triple 8- and 6-letter corners;

 4. Some breaks in the NFL action : TV TIMEOUTS

20. Biting criticism : ACID TONGUE

12. Fruity chip go-with : MANGO SALSA

29. Contemporary "Be yourself" : KEEP IT REAL - I liked Dave Chapelle's "when Keeping it Real goes wrong", but due to the "adult content", I must refrain from posting it here  :7))

50. Dark personification : GRIM REAPER

27. Goes wild : WHOOPS IT UP

ON❤ARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Robin on '60s TV : BURT WARD - oh so proud of myself for filling in SIDEKICK, and it worked well with my 15a, too

9. Mischievous kids : SCAMPS

15. What one taking a flight doesn't use? : ELEVATOR - a flight of stairs, and it didn't fool me

16. Mustang rival : CAMARO - I'll take the Mustang every day of the week, twice on Sunday

17. Abomination : ANATHEMA

18. Common soccer result : ONE-NIL - hockey games that end 1-0 are boring

19. Coach Eric Taylor's wife on "Friday Night Lights" : TAMI - perps

22. Hardboard brand : MASONITE - at first I was ashamed that I couldn't nail this one, but then when the crossings filled in, I realized I was thinking Homasote, and not Hardboard.  Fake 6-panel doors are made with hardboard, and cheaper

24. William Donovan's WWII org. : OSS

25. Dropped jaws : WOWED 'EM

28. Computer media : DISKS - perps got me all but the "K", and I wondered if it might be "C"

30. Cold sound? : "ACHOO~!"

31. "Star Trek" rank: Abbr. : ENS. - the one I can think of is Ro, from The Next Generation

32. __ St. Louis : EAST - vague, but it's Saturday

35. Exodus pronoun : THOU - THEE or THOU~? Had to wait

36. Liquid diet component : BROTH - my liquid diet of some years ago did NOT consist of broth....

38. "The Time Machine" race : ELOI - Crosswordese

39. Traffic sound : TOOT - dah~! Not HONK

40. Jethro Tull frontman Anderson : IAN - I knew this - but I am not a fan; Iron Maiden covered Cross-eyed Mary

Note the Grim Reaper on the card

41. Big name in printers : EPSON - CANON~? XEROX~?  Ugh.  Had to wait

42. Library exchanges : PSSTs - BOOKS fit, but I doubted it was the answer; my last fill was the "S", tho I had "A" there first - hey PSATS sounded reasonable - but no ta-DA~!

44. Drea de Matteo's role on "The Sopranos" : ADRIANA - did not watch the show, filled via perps

46. Sources of remote power : AAs - TV remotes, etc.

48. Balderdash : UTTER ROT - ever play Balderdash~? Great board game

52. Speeds (up) : REVS

56. More affected, in a way : ARTIER

Black & White - I'm getting "artier"

57. More than familiar with : INURED TO - my "SAGAS" at 49d. led me to GEARED TO

59. Arrive copiously : POUR IN

60. Some summer homes : COTTAGES

61. Toll road convenience : E-Z PASS - word is, NY State is going total E-Z Pass and unmanned booths; cameras will catch those who don't play well with others.  I already have my tags

62. Site of Napoleon's last exile : St. HELENA

DOWN:

1. Overpower : BEAT

2. Radius neighbor : ULNA

3. Office quantity : REAM

5. Nursery noise : WAH - guitar noise, too, for those who know

6. Base command : AT EASE

7. "Think Like a Man Too," e.g. : ROM-COM

8. Exhaust : DRAIN

9. Terrier type : SCOTTISH

10. Participates in a camp activity : CANOES

11. Grace closing : AMEN

Amen~!

13. Hybrid hatchback : PRIUS - there are two kinds of Prius owners - either the ones who drive so slow that they never use the gasoline engine, or the other ones, who should have never invested in a hybrid in the first place - a Mustang would have been cheaper for these leadfoots

14. They may leave prints : SOLES

21. "We __ Start the Fire": Billy Joel : DIDN'T - great song; much of the history pre-dates me, and being the curious type, had to find out more

I arrived during "punk rock" @ 3:25

23. Shakespearean title word : ADO

25. Power eponym : WATT - James Watt, who made the first major improvement to the steam engine - the Wiki

26. Dos cubed : OCHO - 2³, in Spanish

31. Great spell : EON - spell as in stretch of time

33. "Are we there yet?" reply : SOON

34. Brown of publishing : TINA - no clue, all perps and WAG

36. Marshland waders : BITTERNS - had some of the crossings, and this rose up from the depths of my mind

37. Dreaded figure? : RASTA

41. "__ e Leandro": Handel cantata : ERO

43. "Yup!" : "SURE IS~!" - followed by:

44. "Nope!" : "ARE NOT~!"

45. Longtime "Sexually Speaking" host : Dr. RUTH - had it, took it out with SAGAS being wrong

46. Catching flies, so to speak : AGAPE

47. Pollo partner : ARROZ - Chicken and rice

49. Sweeping stories : EPICS - SAGAS~? Bzzzt~!

51. "Look, amigo!" : "MIRA~!" - rockin' the Spanish today; I need to learn more - it's the dominant language in the kitchens where I work

53. One of a cube's dozen : EDGE - so proud of myself for figuring this out

54. Engine with a lot of juice : V-TEN - pondered V-tec, from Honda, but V-10 makes more sense; popular in the Dodge Viper - check out this Viper~!

55. Slugger who began and ended his career as a Texas Ranger : SOSA - Good WAG for me

58. Hwy., e.g. : RTE

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

Our blog turns 9-year-old today! Among regulars,  Argyle is probably with me the longest. Do you all still remember the first time you visited our blog?

Monday, January 2, 2017 Neville Fogarty

Theme: Fowl Play - And not the cooped-up chicken counting card game.

20. Longtime navigation method: DEAD RECKONING. Dead Duck

36. Rabbit's foot, perhaps: LUCKY CHARM. Lucky Duck

42. Toy sold in eggs: SILLY PUTTY. Silly Goose

56. Kids' game hinted at by the starts of 20-, 36-, and 42-Across: DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE

Argyle here. Nifty Monday from Neville. He is usually later in the week. The four long columns stitch it all together.

Across:

1. Plus: ALSO

5. Kernel-less picnic discards: COBS

9. What judges wear: ROBES

14. In a little while: SOON

15. "Once __ a midnight dreary ... ": UPON. 51-Down. Award named for Poe: EDGAR

16. Kick out of the country: EXILE. Perhaps to end up on the following.

17. Spring break destination, perhaps: ISLE

18. Nevada gambling city: RENO

19. Like thickets: DENSE

23. List of mistakes: ERRATA, in subsequent edtions.

24. Golf scorecard figure: PAR

25. Med. condition with repetitive behavior: OCD. (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)

28. Tries to be heard in a noisy room: YELLs. Because "Psst!" won't cut it.

31. Save: RESCUE. Dogs, cats, winos.

33. Rascals: CADs

38. Geometry calculations: AREAs

40. Small battery: AAA

41. Body part often sculpted: TORSO

45. Paradise: EDEN

46. Et __: CETERA

47. Puts a tight lid on: SEALS

49. First st., alphabetically: ALA.

50. "__ you serious?": ARE

52. "Hold on a second": "NOT YET"

60. Reeves who played "Ted" in "Bill & Ted" films: KEANU. Excellent!

62. High spirits: GLEE

63. Bit of deception: RUSE

64. Clark's exploring partner: LEWIS

65. Author Rice: ANNE

66. Like 2, 4, 6, and so on: EVEN

67. "The Count of __ Cristo": MONTE

68. Charlie Brown's "Phooey!": RATS. Classic.

69. Erotic: SEXY

Down:

1. Parenthetical remark: ASIDE

2. What a two-fingered "L" represents: LOSER. "Let's not be L7." (square)

3. Word with panel or power: SOLAR

4. Limited-time retail offer: [ONE DAY SALE]. But wait! Call in the next 15 minutes...

5. Panacea: CURE-ALL

6. Oil-exporting org.: OPEC. (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)

7. Hit on the head: BONK

8. Poke around: SNOOP

9. Forward, as mail: REDIRECT

10. Plow-pulling animals: OXEN

11. Church game handout: BINGO CARD

12. Golfer Ernie: ELS

13. Recognize: SEE

21. I-95, e.g.: Abbr.: RTE

22. __ a soul: NARY

26. Evil legacy: CURSE

27. Evil spirit: DEMON

29. Maui party: LUAU

30. Sings like Ella: SCATS

32. Retail outlets with many loafers?: SHOE STORES

33. First to stab Caesar: CASCA. Publius Servilius Casca was the first to strike Caesar with a dagger. (Even Lila Cherry used this on a Monday.)

34. Animated film mermaid: ARIEL

35. 1973 #1 hit for Helen Reddy: DELTA DAWN. Remember?

37. "Kiss Me __": KATE. A musical version of The Taming of the Shrew.

39. New York university city: SYRACUSE

43. Picnic area: PARK

44. Baseball's Bronx Bombers: YANKEES

48. Calculator function: LOG

53. "__ Lost That Lovin' Feelin'": YOU'VE. Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, The Righteous Brothers.

54. Devereux's earldom: ESSEX. Obscure reference to an opera by Gaetano Donizetti, 1837, maybe? Link

55. So, so small: TEENY

57. Inch or mile, e.g.: UNIT

58. Forearm bone: ULNA

59. Dollar fraction: CENT

60. Merged Dutch airline: KLM. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, legally Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. Air France–KLM merger.

61. Fair-hiring letters: EEO. (Equal Employment Opportunity)

Argyle

Tuesday, September 13 2016, Neville Fogarty

Theme: A guy walks into a bar ... 

18. How some sloganed T-shirts should be washed : INSIDE OUT. Inside joke. 

 

27. 1998 Bullock/Kidman film involving witchcraft : PRACTICAL MAGIC. Practical joke.

44. Going to the grocery store, the bank, etc. : RUNNING ERRANDS. Running joke.

59. Unsportsmanlike behavior : DIRTY POOL. Dirty joke.

67. Some speeches open with them ... as do this puzzle's four longest entries : JOKES

Melissa here. Got the joke as soon as I had INSIDE OUT and JOKES filled in. A few unknowns but mostly smooth sailing.

Across 

1. Oodles and oodles : SCADS. Started off in the red by entering LOADS here.

6. Airport idlers : CABS. Pictured stranded travelers. 

10. Poetic foot : IAMB. After years of crosswords, this is finally a gimme for me.

14. Kemper of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" : ELLIE. Who?? Had to look it up to learn about this series, originally on NBC then sold to Netflix.

  

15. Wintry coating : HOAR. The first time I read this word was my senior year in high school, when I was fascinated by the true story of mystery writer Agatha Christie who disappeared for 11 days in December of 1926. Reports were that she was seen after her car broke down, with her hair covered in hoar frost. 

16. Tennis court surface : CLAY

17. Work with a loom : WEAVE

20. Toddler's taboo : NO-NO

21. Ocho minus cinco : TRES. Spanish.

22. More than rotund : OBESE

23. Baltic Sea capital : RIGA

25. RC or Pepsi : COLA. Have to wait for perps to decide - SODA or COLA?

33. Metal-rich deposits : LODES

34. Chicken chow __ : MEIN

35. Catch : NAB

37. Dollar competitor : AVIS. Rental car companies.

38. High in the sky : ALOFT

40. Flag Day month : JUNE

41. Maiden name intro : NEE

42. Clicker's target : ICON. Clicker on a mouse, icon on a computer screen.

43. Not at all excited : BORED

48. Word on a shoppe sign : OLDE

49. Data set average : MEAN

50. "Gone With the Wind" family name : OHARA

53. Uno card : SKIP. Perps to the rescue, haven't played Uno in eons.

55. Knight's weapon : MACE

61. Divided island of Southeast Asia : TIMOR. Needed help with this one, too.

62. Twistable cookie : OREO

63. Ritz-Carlton rival : OMNI

64. Scent : AROMA

65. Chestnut horse : ROAN

66. "And away __!" : WE GO

Down

1. Mended using stitches, with "up" : SEWN

2. Elizabeth Taylor role, informally : CLEO

  

3. Economist Greenspan : ALAN

4. Acts like Elizabeth Taylor? : DIVORCES. Love this clue.

5. "Understand?" : SEE

6. Former French president Jacques : CHIRAC

7. Top-notch : A-ONE

8. Symbol for the lower piano music part : BASS CLEF

9. __ Lanka : SRI

10. Swelling reducer : ICE BAG

11. Medicinal houseplant : ALOE

12. Rodent in a German lab : MAUS. German for mouse. Had no idea.

13. Data unit : BYTE

19. Ken or Daria of financial journalism : DOLAN. Total unknown. Anyone know of this couple?

21. __ Friday's : TGI

24. "__ all good" : IT'S

26. Leave out : OMIT

27. Word after floor or flight : PLAN

28. Mars explorer : ROVER. Cool.

29. "So long!" along the Seine : ADIEU

30. In the middle of : AMONG

31. Preserve, as ashes : INURN

32. Did some wickerwork : CANED. From this website: "Is it Wicker or Cane? Did you know wicker or wicker work is a weaving method not a material?  Wicker work can be accomplished with many types of material, some man made and some natural.  Chair cane is actually the peeled inner skin of the rattan vine...read more...

  

36. Hotel count : BEDS. Prison count, too.

38. Corrosive liquid : ACID

39. In need of a friend : LONESOME

40. Surrealist painter from Barcelona : JOAN MIRO. Learning moment. Recognize some of the art, never knew the artist.

42. Subsurface woodwork decoration : INLAY. The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California is known for the hand-inlaid parquet floors.

43. Bikini top : BRA

45. Big name in antivirus software : NORTON

46. Estevez of "The Breakfast Club" : EMILIO. Second from left. 

47. Hollywood agent : REP

50. Scent : ODOR

51. "Big Hero 6" hero : HIRO. Disney movie.

52. Neck of the woods : AREA

54. Classic arcade game Donkey __ : KONG

56. Every which way : AMOK

57. Obedience school command : COME. Tried STAY and HEEL first.

58. Historic periods : ERAS

60. Comics punch sound : POW

61. __ Mahal : TAJ

Thursday, August 15, 2013 Neville Fogarty

Theme: Going in circles

18A. Poof : UP IN SMOKE.

23A. "Danger, Will Robinson!" sci-fi series : LOST IN SPACE.

37A. "Lincoln" director : STEVEN SPIELBERG.

53A. Gilbert and Sullivan work subtitled "The Lass That Loved a Sailor" : HMS PINAFORE.

And the unifier:

59A. Washing machine phase graphically shown in this puzzle's circles :  SPIN CYCLE.

I really like the progression, where the "S" moves from the end position, one at a time, pulling the rest of the word along with it. But I have the feeling I have seen this theme recently...no?

The fill seemed like a Monday romp to me.  I made one pass across and down, and was done. How was your experience?

Across:

1. Nine-time Grammy winner Mary J. ___ : BLIGE. Introduced to her from crosswords. But I do like her Mary Jane (All Night Long).

6. Honeyed quaff : MEAD.

10. High point : ACME. Or, a Road Runner supplier.

14. Pine product : ROSIN. Used often on my violin bow, in my ute...

15. Nobel Peace Prize city : OSLO.

16. Mount color : ROAN.

17. Kind of elephant : ASIAN.

20. Wide-headed fasteners : T-NUTS.

22. Peppy and then some : HYPER.

28. Big jerk? : TUG.

29. Actress Thurman : UMA. I loved her "Kill Bill" series.

30. ___ cotta : TERRA.

31. Frequent award for Tiger Woods : ESPY. Nice change from "Catch sight of" clue. Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly award.

32. Christmas buys : GIFTS. Santa Argyle, who are you gifting with coal this year?

35. River mammal : OTTER.

43. Godly : PIOUS.

44. Group scuffle : MELEE.

45. Layered haircut : SHAG. Like Mike Myers'?

48. Get a giggle from : AMUSE. Does he amuse you?

51. "Inferno" author Brown : DAN. He is a big crossword aficionado.

52. Prosciutto, e.g. : HAM.

56. Difficult high school sci. course : AP BIO. Advanced Placement Biology. One of my courses in H.S.

58. Solitary soul : LONER.

63. Private account : DIARY.

66. One still maturing : TEEN.

67. "___ go bragh!" : ERIN.

68. Common Sundance entry : INDIE. I always wondered why India was such a big presence at the Sundance film festival. But I finally learned that the name stands for "Independent" films.

69. Author Radcliffe and a cape : ANNS. Huh? An author and a Massachusetts cape?

70. Russian refusal : NYET.

71. Preppy collars : ETONS.

Down:

1. Strapped support : BRA. I bet Alessandra Ambrosio gets a lot of support from her fans.

2. UCLA article : LOS. Los Angeles ("The" Angels.)

3. "Can I come out now?" : IS IT SAFE?

4. Really big : GIANT.

5. Bordeaux boredom : ENNUI. Not sure why "Bordeaux" is in the clue. It's the same word in English.

6. Chocolate treat : MOUSSE.

7. Purported ability : ESP. "Purported" because it is not scientifically proven.

8. 2001 boxing biopic : ALI. Starring Will Smith.

9. Step into, as a pair of slacks : DON. Wha?  Why not clue it as "Half of the Crossword Corner Dynamic Duo"???

10. West Point team : ARMY. My nephew is the athletic trainer for them.

11. Appropriates : CO-OPTS.

12. Facial cosmetics : MAKEUP.

13. Cabinet department created under Carter : ENERGY.

19. Lady's pronoun : SHE.

21. "Falling Skies" network: TNT. Never saw it. Any good?

23. Schleps : LUGS.

24. Replace with an ellipsis : OMIT...

25. Supports : PROPS UP.

26. Drawing intro : ART I.

27. Oscar winner Blanchett : CATE. "The Aviator" was one of my favorite films that year. She did a great job portraying Katharine Hepburn.

31. Kathryn of "Law & Order: C.I." : ERBE. No clue. Lots of ladies in this puzzle.

33. Freq. sitcom rating : TV PG.

34. Sicilian six : SEI. Had to sharpen up my Italian counting skills when I went to Italy in June. Uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei...

36. Stately shader : ELM.

38. Author Chomsky : NOAM. From M.I.T. He's waaaay over my head!

39. Column enders : SUMS.

40. Mythical city of gold : EL DORADO.

41. Duff : REAR.  Was thinking "golf" here! So, kick me in the butt!

42. DNA component : GENE.

45. Soda born at the base of a California mountain : SHASTA.

46. Go down, so to speak : HAPPEN. It's what's happening!!

47. Insomniac's prescription : AMBIEN.

49. Like one "k" in "knuckle" : SILENT.

50. Byrne's "Strange Overtones" collaborator : ENO. Brian, of elevator music fame.

53. Ad ___ committee : HOC.

54. Bill's "Groundhog Day" co-star : ANDIE. MacDowell. And Bill Murray. He is a regular visitor to my town. I have even had drinks with him at the local watering hole.

55. False move : FEINT.

57. Places to stay : INNS.

60. Craving : YEN.

61. Howl or bark : CRY.

62. Tell a tale : LIE.

64. "A Dog of the Regiment" dog ___ Tin Tin : RIN.

65. "Without a doubt!" : YES. I believe we are done here!

And that's it for this week. Till next time!

Marti

Wednesday, December 26th, 2012 Neville Fogarty

Theme: I-C; U-C-2!

The first word of the starred answers phonetically reveals the ... ummm... reveal! (I always wondered why it was called a reveal, now I know!) You see it, I see it too!

18A. *"The Golden Girls" actress : BEA ARTHUR. Here's her USMC ID headshot. Semper Fi!

 


23A. *Interior designer's forte : EYE FOR DETAIL. Eye for Inflating the Budget also, if we're not careful.

39A. *Traveling : EN ROUTE.  Crying European foul here. I say "en route", you say "en route". Hmm - let's see - I say "On Root", you say "eN Rout".  But wait, you say "Root 66", but the wireless thing in the corner is a Rout-er. Oh well - on a recent trip to England I saw, regarding the actor Sean Bean - "Look, you can be Seen Been or Shawn Borne, you can't have it both ways".

 52A. *"My goodness!" : GEE WILLIKERS! If I was a constructor I'd retire in glory, Hall Of Fame bound, with this answer. Marvelous!

62A. *Head-slapper's cry : OH BROTHER. I prefer "D'oh", but I've got nine empty spaces to fill.

71A. Name spelled out in a canine song, and also by the starts of the answers to starred clues : BINGO. Also, a clue which is so long that I had to scroll to read it.


Happy Boxing Day, everyone! Steve here with a potpourri of a Neville Fogarty puzzle - we've got all kinds of things working here, so let's get to work!

Across:

1. 1978 co-Nobelist from Egypt : SADAT. Former President Anwar Sadat.

6. Bookstore ID : ISBN. The 13-digit International Standard Book Number which uniquely identifies the volume in your hand. It used to be 9 digits, but apparently we were running out.

10. Romantic gift : ROSE. An excuse to post this earworm

14. Rowing teams : CREWS

15. Cpls. and sgts. : N.C.O.'S Those non-commissioned officers still make me wonder how to punctuate and pluralize!

16. In pain : ACHY. Just slightly painful, surely.

17. Monteverdi character seeking to bring Euridice back from Hades : ORFEO. Learning moment for me, I knew Orpheus but ... now I know

20. Chum : PAL

21. Williams-Sonoma purchases : PANS. Don't get me started on the wonderful broiler pan I bought from these guys two weeks ago.

22. Make good (for) : ATONE

27. Advanced math assignment : PROOF. Hmmm - not sure about "advanced" here.

28. __ v. Ferguson: 1896 segregation case : PLESSY

32. Gem of a Hitchcock film? : TOPAZ

34. Gumbo vegetable : OKRA. FOOD! In my experience there are two things you can do with okra - put it in Gumbo or make Bhindi Bhaji with it. The latter has my vote.

37. Playbill listing : ROLE

38. Thurman of "Pulp Fiction" : UMA. This is one of my favorite movies and I'd love to post links to the dialog, but this is a family blog and I'd like to be here next year.

42. Like a limbo bar, late in the game : LOW

43. Fishhook feature : BARB

45. Mideast VIP : EMIR

46. Record's two : SIDES. I'm old enough to remember this, but might be clued shortly as "Retro"?

48. Like chinchillas : ANDEAN. Perps all around. Wanted Llama, Rabbit, Furry Things, all kinds of wrong answers.

50. Beaded counters : ABACI. Yes! I love it! Finally my Latin class at school paid off!

57. Playbill listing : ACTOR

60. Biol. branch : ANAT. Anatomy and Biology? I though they were separate when I was at school learning how to spell 50A!

61. Dirt road feature : RUT.

64. Common herb in Italian cooking : BASIL. You say Bay-sill and I say bah-zil.

66. In proximity : NEAR

67. Oliver's request : MORE

68. River past Geneva : RHONE

69. Biblical reformer : EZRA

70. Small bit : IOTA. I had "MOTE" at first when I had the "OT". Eventually scrubbed and replaced.

Down:

1. Sharpshooter's apparatus : SCOPE. Really a telescopic sight, but "scope" is quicker to say and fits the grid.

2. Matrix, e.g. : ARRAY. MOVIE didn't work, but eventually this did. I've certainly been dragged (kicking and screaming) to High School today.

3. "Pour Some Sugar on Me" rockers : DEF LEPPARD. I could link some music here, but in the spirit of the holidays, I won't do that to you. This is what you're missing:

4. Wonder : AWE

5. Chinese menu general : TSO. Still haven't tried this.

6. Breaking all the rules : IN BAD FORM

7. Act subdivision : SCENE. Quickly - soliloquy association - Shakespeare's Hamlet; Act 3 Scene 1 "To ...."

8. Talk a good game : BOAST

9. Code-breaking org. : N.S.A. The National Security Agency is the United States Cytological Organization, or the USCO - wait, no  - encrypt that - the NSA.

10. Audible snake : RATTLER.

11. Dos y dos y dos y dos : OCHO. I like my math workout in any language. Today's challenge was Spanish - thank goodness I didn't have to say "9,000,245,693.29" or we'd be here until next year.

12. Ostracize : SHUN

13. Brontë's Jane : EYRE

19. Skatepark component : RAIL. I had RA and wanted RAMP, but eventually sanity prevailed. RAIL it is.

21. How some amateurs turn : PRO

24. Monk's title : FRA. I thought Fra. Angelico was an Italian liqueur until I went to Florence:

25. Move viscously : OOZE

26. Give __ on the back : A PAT

29. Continues despite hardship : SOLDIERS ON

30. Plumlike fruit : SLOE. I've eaten plums, and made gin from sloes - they're not really alike, I'm sorry. They're alike in the sense that a domestic kitten and a Bengal Tiger are similar, but you really don't want to confuse one with the other, trust me.

31. Trees with elastic wood : YEWS. The source of the wood to make either longbows or cricket bats. The English would claim either was a tool to subjugate the masses.

32. Bass brass : TUBA

33. Yemen neighbor : OMAN

35. Decorative pond fish : KOI

36. The sticks : RURAL AREA

40. Hawaiian flier : NENE

41. 57-Across Morales : ESAI

44. Galway "Golly!" : BEGORRA. Oh please, if we're going to have a phonetic mis-spelling of Begorrah! can we at least make the alliteration work? How about "Belfast Bollocks!"?

47. "That's nasty!" : ICK

49. Dynamic start? : AERO. Aerodynamic.


51. Brief diner order? : B.L.T.

53. "Hooray!" : WAHOO!

54. Like a noble gas : INERT

55. Wishing one hadn't : RUING. I still want an "E" in here somewhere!

56. Canonized fifth-cen. pope : ST. LEO. Was this LEOI or LEOX or LEOIV or one of the other convenient LEOs? Because you can't be Seen Been or Shawn Born (c.f. 39A)

57. Topnotch : A-ONE

58. French eatery word : CHEZ. Nous, Max, Maman, Steve - oh wait, that's here.

59. Skier's transport : T-BAR. Another "retro" entry? I'm old enough to have fought my way up an Alp on one of these things - trying not both not fall of yourself nor push your co-rider off the precipice either. Not easy. I hope never to see one of these instruments of torture again.

63. Texter's "I've heard plenty, thanks!" : TMI

64. Texter's "I'm away for a moment" : BRB (Be Right Back)


65. Sushi bar tuna : AHI.

And try as I might I couldn't sneak a Boxing Day reference in anywhere!

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to Andrea!

Back row: Dot (85) and her husband Irv (99). Hope I got the ages right, Dot. Front Row: Kazie and Andrea. Sept 19, 2009

(From Dot: Irv will be 99 in Mar.; I will be 85 in Apr.)

 2) Belated Happy Birthday to SL Zalameh (Zcarguy). Here is a photo of him and his wife Kathy.