Monday, November 5, 2012 Patti Varol

Theme: Who's there? - Theme entries start with ways to get someone to come to the door.

17A. Return on one's investment, in slang : BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

26A. Plain dessert : POUND CAKE

38A. Prada imitation, perhaps : KNOCK-OFF HANDBAG

46A. Jay-Z, for one : RAP ARTIST

61A. Announce one's arrival gently ... as opposed to words that start 17-, 26-, 38- and 46-Across : RING THE DOORBELL

Argyle here. I felt this was a very smooth puzzle, what with three grid-spanning entries. The intensity of the entries seem to diminish until you were merely using your finger. In real life, it would go the other way.

Remember this one? (2:36)

Across:

1. Chinese temple instrument : GONG

5. Nestling noises : PEEPS

10. Leave at the altar : JILT

14. Diva's showpiece : ARIA

15. Group of experts : PANEL

16. Pierre's possessive : À MOI

20. Replay technique, briefly : SLO-MO

21. Relaxing time in the chalet : APRÈS-SKI

22. "There oughta be __" : A LAW

25. Hi-fi spinners : LP's. That's vinyl records, for you youngsters.

30. Playing decks : CARDS

35. Diplomatic bldg. : EMB. (embassy)

36. Juanita's aunt : TÍA

37. Yukon's country : CANADA. Yukon is still a territory, along with Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

42. More greasy : OILIER

43. Extended family : KIN

44. "Bon voyage!" : "BYE!"

45. Fruity-smelling compound : ESTER

49. L.A. bus-and-rail org. : MTA. (Metropolitan Transit Authority)

51. Speak indistinctly : SLUR

52. Begin : INITIATE

57. Gate-hanging hardware : HINGE

64. Voting no : ANTI

65. In an unusual way : ODDLY

66. Student's stressor : EXAM

67. Very familiar note recipient? : SELF

68. "Fetch my smelling salts!" : "EGADS!"

69. Avg. levels : STD's. (standard)

Down:

1. Goes on and on : GABS

2. Unwritten : ORAL

3. Barcelona boy : NIÑO

4. Joke writer : GAGMAN

5. HMO alternative : PPO. (Health Maintenance Organization/Preferred Provider Organization)

6. Musical sensitivity : EAR

7. One-named Irish folk singer : ENYA

8. Magazine with a Stylewatch spinoff : PEOPLE

9. Eat noisily, as soup : SLURP

10. Elbows rudely : JABS

11. "In the morning" radio host : IMUS. Where to Listen, if you want to.

12. Security device : LOCK

13. __ torch: patio light : TIKI

18. Finish the laundry : FOLD. It's not finished until it's put away.

19. Perform another MRI on : RESCAN

23. Oldman or Newman : ACTOR. (Gary or Paul)

24. Ragamuffin : WAIF. Child of the street.

26. Orange __ tea : PEKOE

27. Old Dodge autos : OMNIs. Want one? I have three.

28. Horseshoe-shaped fastener : U-BOLT

29. "The Trial" writer Franz : KAFKA. 1883--1924, Czech novelist writing in German. In his two main novels The Trial (1925) and The Castle (1926), published posthumously against his wishes, he portrays man's fear, isolation, and bewilderment in a nightmarish dehumanized world. (Collins English Dictionary)

31. Furthermore : AND

32. Synagogue scholar : RABBI

33. Times to send in the troops : D-DAYS

34. "Full House" co-star Bob : SAGET

37. Panama crosser : CANAL

39. Co. in Paris : CIE. (abbrev. for compagnie)

40. "Sesame Street News Flash" reporter : KERMIT. (the frog)

41. Hula swivelers : HIPS

46. Family-friendly, filmwise : RATED G

47. German coal valley : RUHR

48. Native American groups : TRIBES

50. Sierra Nevada resort : TAHOE

52. Tax-sheltered accts. : IRA's

53. Store opening time : NINE

54. The "I" in IHOP: Abbr. : INTL. (International House of Pancakes)

55. End-of-the-week letters : TGIF

56. Scandinavian literary collection : EDDA

58. Bakery call : "NEXT!"

59. Happy : GLAD

60. Spreading trees : ELMS

62. Ancient : OLD

63. Yiddish cries of dismay : OYs

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

I think "How I Met My Wife"  (from the New Yorker) is the gruntled article Bill G linked some time ago.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012 Patti Varol

Theme: YOUR SPYING EYES. The first part of each theme answer [identified with an *] is a word from the title of a recent movie based on a classic spy novel from 1974. These four words, in order, each representing a line of work, complete the title: TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY. In the story, the British secret agent called out of retirement for this adventure is George Smiley, played by Gary Oldman in the movie. Spying is a dangerous business, but it's his *.

18A. *"Peter Pan" pixie : TINKERBELL. Of course, the tiny winged lady from Neverland. Once upon a time, a TINKER plied the now obsolete trade of mending household utensils. This lost itinerant profession dates back to at least the 13th century. Hence the verb "tinker" meaning to fiddle around with something. This is the only clue in which the root word has a different meaning in the answer and the title, in case you give a tinker's dam.

24A. *Not mass-produced : TAILORMADE. What does a TAILOR make? Clothing. But the phrase is loosely applied to anything not off-the-shelf.

52A. *1962 Shirelles hit : SOLDIER BOY. A soldier is a trained professional killer, prepared to go to war, any time, anywhere. Here is the song - twelve years older than the novel. It sounds pretty awful now.

61A. *Hand-held telescopes : SPYGLASSES. These aren't used exclusively by spies, and are unlikely to give you x-ray vision, but do allow you to espy something at a distance. So maybe the root word is a little different in answer and title. Hmmm.

And the centrally-placed unifier -
39A. Author of the 1974 novel found in the starts of the starred answers : LE CARRE. British novelist David John Moore Cornwell uses the pen name John le Carré. I don't know why.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here. I've never been good at espionage, but I do enjoy a good story. Let's see where this one takes us.

Down Across [D'OH!]:

1. It's found in bars : SOAP. Clever, and not the kind of bar I was imagining. But I'm indulging myself with a little Ole George Rye whiskey from right here in MI.

5. Bear in a kid's tale : PAPA. Along with mama, baby, orts, broken furniture, and some annoying little girl.

9. Savory gelatin : ASPIC. Tasty!

14. Troubadour's instrument : LUTE. Also capable of some serious music. Here is my favorite example.

15. Chapters in time : ERAS. The LUTE'S ERA was the 16th century.

16. In sorrier shape : WORSE.

17. French political unit : ETAT. A state. I was expecting a party or movement.

20. Charles Schwab competitor : E-TRADE. It's a fool's game.

22. Like morning grass : DEWY. But not if the overnight low is above the dew point. We are having a drought.

23. Belfry dweller : BAT.

26. Rips off : CONS. Purveys a fool's game.

27. "Leave me alone!" : SHOO. Away, thou perveyor!

28. Sturdy : SOLID.

30. Bookie's venue, briefly : O T B. Off Track Betting. An even bigger fool's game.

33. Den seating : SOFA. I'm sitting on one now, with my lap top on top of my lap.

36. Indian megalopolis : DELHI. Probably not the best place to go for salami.

38. California's Marina __ Rey : DEL. Wikipedia tells me this is a seaside unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, with a population of almost 9000.

41. Lengthy time : EON.

42. Treats with disdain : SNUBS.

44. Web page button : HOME. There's no place like web page button.

45. They often involve three infielders: Abbr. : DP'S. Baseball! A Double Play results when a ball in play leads to two outs, usually involving the batter and a runner already on base. We won't talk about tonight's Tigers game.

46. "I __ hug!" : NEED A. Not quite a cure all, but it helps. Especially after a 13-0 loss.

48. Island off Tuscany : ELBA. Able was I when I sussed this fill.

51. Take digs at : GIBE.

58. Drunk-skunk link : AS A. A hazard of over-indulging in Ole George, perhaps.

59. Evening in Roma : SERA. I did not know this. So - does Que sera sera mean "What happens in the evening stays in the evening"

60. From A to Z : ENTIRE. A little roll reversal with "A to Z" in the clue instead of the fill.

64. Brainchild : IDEA.

65. Most writing : PROSE. Or, in my case, illegible.

66. Capital on a fjord : OSLO.

67. Religious faction : SECT.

68. Logical : SOUND. That's reasonable.

69. Lunch time, often : NOON.

70. Clucks of disapproval : TSKS. Comic book style.

Down:

1. Wintry fall : SLEET. Sounds like calendar confusion, but it's frozen rain fall.

2. "__ my way!" : OUTTA. No easy way to indicate this irregular slangy variant. Required some perp help.

3. Arcade pioneer : ATARI. And X-word stalwart.

4. Potpourri pieces : PETALS. Flower detritus.

5. Ballplayer with the autobiography "My Prison Without Bars" : PETE ROSE. Great player with a bit of a problem.

6. Onassis, familiarly : ARI. Aristotle to you and me.

7. "Giant" bear : PANDA. Big and cute. Actually not a bear. But watch out, 'cuz he eats, shoots and leaves.

8. Did something appealing? : ASKED. Now this is a bit twee. A request is an appeal. Do you find it appealing?

9. Off the mark : AWRY. "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley." Would it be wry or AWRY of me to again refer to rye?

10. Weep and wail : SOB. Listen to that S O B whine!

11. Like packaged kielbasa : PRE-BOILED. This seems like something made up, since PARBOILED was AWRY. We have BOILED lots of kielbasa in our kitchen over the years.

12. Explore all of Hawaii, say : ISLAND HOP. Make a stop on each island. Strangely, I googled "Hawaiian Island Hopping"and found this. Go figure. I think her name is Sandy.

13. Old Irish : CELTS. The ancient Greeks called them the Keltoi, but this was probably before they wandered over to Ireland. Keltic peoples inhabited a great swatch of Europe in the late centuries B.C.

19. Flock mothers : EWES. You should feel sheepish if you didn't suss this one.

21. Slap-on-the-head cry : D'OH! I believe this originated with Homer Simpson.

25. Freeloader : MOOCH. One who wants something for nothing, or borrows with no intention of paying back. You know the type.

26. Indians, scoreboard-style : CLE. The Cleveland-based American League team. Yep - more baseball.

29. Keats verse : ODE. To a Nightingale, To Autumn, On a Grecian Urn - take your pick, and Cf. 57D.

30. Pigs out (on), briefly : OD'S. Over-Doses. Trivializing something seriously dangerous.

31. One involved with rackets : TENNIS PRO. True in a strictly literal sense. I wanted bankers and brokers.

32. "Where the folks are fine / And the world is mine," in a Linda Ronstadt hit : BLUE BAYOU. It's OK by me if it's OK by you.

34. Toy store __ Schwarz : F.A.O. Or did they go out of business?

35. Piece-keeping? : ARMED. Clever. A weapon is called a "piece." Keep one and your armed. And arms were sometimes called peace-keepers. Pretty convoluted.

37. Personal connections : INS. I've always been an outsider.

39. '60s hallucinogen : LSD. LySergic Acid Diethylamide. Dangerous stuff.

40. Has confidence in : RELIES ON.

43. Spelling contest : BEE.

47. Far from land : ASEA. A dreaded A-word, here used in its literal sense.

49. London's Big __ : BEN. It's a really big clock. Does anybody really know what time it is?

50. Gallery exhibitor : ARTIST.

51. Short breaths : GASPS.

53. Hollywood's Welles : ORSON. He brought us The War of the Worlds.

54. Wrangler's gear : LASSO. Aka lariat, AKA riata Anyway - it's a rope.

55. Waits : BIDES. Just bidin' my time.

56. Electrolux rival : ORECK. Our old Hoover is a wreck.

57. Nobel-winning Irish poet : YEATS. Just one letter away from Keats, but I don't think he wrote many odes.

59. Winter coaster : SLED

62. "Deal or No Deal" channel : GSN. Game Show Network. I had to look this up, and now will studiously avoid it.

63. "Xanadu" rock gp. : ELO Electric Light Orchestra. Well, I guess we have time to espy one more link. [No, not kielbasa.]

Answer grid.

OK, gang - we're back from our mission, safe and SOUND. But I'd still be on the lookout for moles.

Cool regards!
JzB

Sunday May 6, 2012 Patti Varol

Theme: "H-Hour" - H is added to the start of the first word of each familiar phrase.

26A. Presidential stylists? : HAIR FORCE ONE. Air Force One. John Edwards would have needed this, given his obsession with his hair.

45A. Helipad fee? : HOVER CHARGE. Overcharge.

71A. Fireside deity? : HEARTH GODDESS. Earth goddess. This one and 45A experienced sound changes.

97A. Punching range? : HARM'S LENGTH. Arm's length.

117A. Furs worn in a spring parade? : HIDES OF MARCH. Ides of March.

16D. Closet consultant's concern? : HANGER MANAGEMENT. Most shopaholics probably need this course. Anger management is the base phrase.

38D. What the winner of a catered wedding gets? : HALL-EXPENSES PAID. All-expense paid.

Easy to spot theme, isn't it? When I downloaded the puzzle and saw the title, I figured the theme entries might consist of 2 words, the first ends in H, the second starts in H.

The first theme entry on Sundays normally starts in Row 3, unless it has 19 or more letters. Today's first entry is of average length and it starts in Row 4. It's because the constructor wanted two 16's placed in Down slots and this gave her the best arrangement.

Patti Varol is Rich's assistant. I think this is her first LAT Sunday. Congrats, Patti!

Across:

1. Memorable touchdown maker, briefly : LEM (Lunar Excursion Module)

4. Girl having a ball? : DEB. Nailed it.

7. "Arabian Nights" woodcutter : ALI BABA. I just thought he was a thief.

14. Moral climate : ETHOS

19. Tchotchke holder : ETAGERE. Rooted in ETAGE (Floor). Tchotchke is difficult to spell.

21. CPU jointly developed by Apple, IBM and Motorola : POWERPC. Unaware of this joint effort.

22. Cook just below a boil : POACH

23. Intrinsically : AT HEART

24. First woman on the Supreme Court : O'CONNOR. Replaced by Alito. O'Connor was born in El Paso. An Avid golfer.

25. Sleeper's difficulty : APNEA

28. Apt. feature, in ads : EIK (Eat-in Kitchen)

30. "Criminy!" : EGAD

31. Plant deeply : ENROOT. New word to me. EN/EM prefix is so irrational. Why EMBED?

32. Banned pesticide : DDT

34. "Martin Chuzzlewit" novelist : DICKENS

36. Blond shade : ASH

39. Bk. read at Purim : ESTH (Esther)

40. Holdup : HEIST

42. __ beer: low-alcohol beverage : NEAR

43. Snowman's eyes : COALS

48. Humanities degs. : MAs

51. Perry of fashion : ELLIS. The model for Perry Ellis Night is very handsome. The Gucci Guilty guy has a wandering eye.




52. Narrow waterway : RIA

53. Filing aids : TABs

54. Like aged cheddar : SHARP

56. Kewpie, e.g. : DOLL

57. Still going : ACTIVE. Dennis just met & greeted The Beach Boys on Saturday night.

60. Canapé spread : PATE. Are those hot peppers on the left?

62. Enjoying a lot : INTO

63. Viscounts' superiors : EARLS

65. "I'm hunting wabbits" speaker : ELMER (Fudd)

67. Live-in helper : AU PAIR

69. Gift holder : BOX

75. Trick : GET. You got me!

76. Bird of prey : RAPTOR

78. Dalmatian, for one : CROAT. So the Dalmatian dogs came from this region originally?

79. Hasidic teacher : REBBE. Wanted RABBI.

81. Company that makes the Ektorp sofa : IKEA. What does Ektorp mean? Sounds like desktop.

82. "GWTW" plantation : TARA. "Gone with the Wind". And 58D. "GWTW" side : CSA. Should have been a full clue for former.

84. Church ceremony : RITUAL

87. Yemen neighbor : OMAN

90. Gives in : BENDS

92. Bits of wordplay : PUNS

94. Down for the count : OUT

95. Gun-shy : LEERY

96. Nav. rank : ENs

101. Palmer of the links : ARNIE. Hopefully he'll be at the 3M Championship this year. Was so happy to see Tom Watson last year.

102. 572-year-old school : ETON. Quite old.

104. Sets, as a trap : BAITS

105. Neurol. readouts : EEGs

107. Ink spots, briefly? : TAT (Tattoo)

108. Hollies hit featuring a shared umbrella : BUS STOP. Argyle will find you the perfect link.

111. NYC subway org. : MTA

112. Longtime "Sexually Speaking" host : DR. RUTH

114. View from Neuchâtel, to locals : ALPE. , Wikipedia says Neuchâtel is the capital of the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel on Lake Neuchâtel.

115. Courtroom VIPs : DAs

122. Cal __ : STATE

124. It's based on past legal decisions : CASE LAW

126. "If you ask me ..." : I, FOR ONE. I like this answer.

127. Like Samuel Beckett : IRISH. Hi there, Irish Miss (Agnes of Troy)!

128. Off the charts : EXTREME

129. Geico spokespeople with a short-lived sitcom : CAVEMEN

130. Puts on cargo : LADES

131. Has a conniption : SEES RED

132. Nor. neighbor : SWE

133. "Doctor Who" creatures : ETs

Down:

1. Sister of Rachel : LEAH. Both were married to Jacob.

2. Jazz legend James : ETTA

3. Half a food fish : MAHI. Got a good recipe for mahi-mahi?

4. "Children of a Lesser God" subject : DEAFNESS

5. Box score statistic : ERRORS

6. Affiance : BETROTH

7. Yeats's "__ to His Beloved" : A POET. Guessed.

8. Bonkers : LOCO

9. "Hmm, maybe ..." : I WONDER

10. Eggs __: brunch fare : BENEDICT

11. Prince Valiant's son : ARN. His wife is ALETA.

12. Fraternal org. : BPOE. For Abejo.

13. Nose-burning : ACRID

14. Org. concerned with climate change : EPA

15. Sunflower State capital : TOPEKA

17. Main : OCEAN

18. Roe sources : SHADS

20. "Brooklyn's Finest" co-star : GERE (Richard)

27. Partner in crime : COHORT

29. January honoree : KING

33. Like some road sign symbols : T-SHAPED

35. Ho-hum grades : CEEs

36. Solved with ease : ACED

37. Chorister's big moment : SOLO. And 88. Operatic 37-Down : ARIA.

40. Likely consequence of kicking dirt at the ump : HEAVE HO. Fun clue.

41. Knight wear : TABARD. New word to me. See here.

44. Philanthropist Wallace : LILA. No idea. Wiki said she co-founded "Reader's Digest" with her husband.

46. Sundial number : VII

47. Trio before U : RST

49. Clarinetist Shaw : ARTIE

50. Good-time Charlie : SPORT

55. Fanny pack spot : HIP

57. All eyes and ears : ALERT

59. "Pomp and Circumstance" composer : ELGAR(Edward)

61. Gallery stand : EASEL

64. P-like letter : RHO

66. What bored people may go through, with "the" : MOTIONS

68. iMac-to-iPhone connector : USB

69. Grease, as it were : BRIBE

70. Like bourbon barrels : OAKEN

72. "Keep on Truckin'" cartoonist : R. CRUMB. I just solved a puzzle with his name in the other day.

73. Classic muscle car : TRANS AM. Not a car person. I don't know what makes a car a muscle car.

74. Division of time : ERA

77. Wee bit : TAD

80. Dutch South African : BOER

83. When some Tauruses are born: Abbr. : APR

85. Jerk : TUG

86. Vocalizes : UTTERS

89. Kremlin vote : NYET. No!

91. Bar order : SHOT

93. Leaves no footprints, in a way : SLITHERS

95. Checkmate, e.g. : LAST MOVE

98. "And giving __, up the chimney ..." : A NOD

99. Web merchant : E-TAILER. Do any of you shop at Etsy?

100. Derring-do : HEROICS

103. Dangerous fly : TSETSE. The half fly was a staple at Wayne R. William's old puzzles.

106. Hearty chuckle : GUFFAW. I think this couple if fun to be with.

108. Spaghetti sauce herb : BASIL

109. Violet opening : ULTRA

110. Tries to walk off nerves : PACES

112. Like morning grass : DEWED. Spellchecker does not like this word.

113. Hound's prey : HARE

116. __-Altenburg: old German duchy : SAXE

118. Helen Mirren's title : DAME.She is so beautiful. My friend Maggie met her in a restaurant in Paris last year.

119. "I, Claudius" setting : ROME

120. Popular tech review site : CNET

121. Coop crowd : HENS

123. Quizzical sounds : EHs

125. Canonized Fr. woman : STE

Answer grid.

I'll Have Another! Thanks for the tip, Tinbeni. I wish I bet more against Boomer's Union Rags.

C.C.

Friday, April 27, 2012, Patti Varol

Theme: It's Jelly time! Oops I mean JAM time. Each of the four 14 letter theme answers are clued by the unifier, JAM. Patti, who we just saw in March with her Monday letter progression puzzle, left out BASKETBALL DUNK, but hey it is a complicated little three letter word. We have some music, some people, some easy, some hard and let's get to it, and have some BREAD and BUTTER. (1:55)

20A. See 38-Across : TRAFFIC PROBLEM. Traffic JAM. I guess because cars are jammed together.

26A. See 38-Across : TOUGH SITUATION.In a JAM. Not sure why.

44A. See 38-Across : FRUIT PRESERVES. Just plain JAM.

54A. See 38-Across : JAZZ CLUB IMPROV. You like this JAM.

and the unifier clue:

38A. Clue for four puzzle answers : JAM. Time to cram in the rest of the answers....

Across:

1. "The __ Kings Play Songs of Love": Hijuelos novel : MAMBO; living in South Florida when the movie came out, helped me remember this easily. Never read the book. It also introduced American audiences to Antonio Banderas.

6. "But wait, there's more!" : PLUS. Let's Make a Deal or Ron Popeil?

10. Surrounded by : AMID. As opposed to amidst, or that one of hearti's var.?

14. Animated mermaid : ARIEL. Hebrew for Lion of G-d.

15. Mascara target : LASH. Eyelash, not this LASH.

16. Better half, so to speak : MATE. Is it mating season already? Oh I guess that is why I have a grand baby on the way.

17. Did a fall chore : RAKED. I will leave those bad puns alone.

18. Kid's comeback : AM SO. Am Not.

19. Luau strings : UKES. Is this my new Friday word; I wish we had our Hawaiians back.

23. Pathetic : SAD. Yes, their absence along with all of our MIA make me sad, say hello CA and all of you...

24. Where to 'ang one's 'at : 'OME. Nice Cuppa you out there? How about this man.

25. Insightful : KEEN. Sharp.

32. "The Matrix" hero : NEO.

33. Bit of shuteye : NAP.

34. Hi-tech brains? : CPU. Central Processing Unit. Computer brains.

35. Test one's metal : ASSAY. Used in metallurgy, and a var. of ESSAY.

39. Family insignia : CREST. Why would a family want to be known by toothpaste even if their teeth are very white?

41. Like some coll. courses : REQuired. As opposed to elective.

42. Big initials in Detroit : UAW. United Auto Workers is actually The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America.

43. Low digit? : TOE. Very cute foot humor.

50. SFO guesstimates : ETAS. SFO is the airport code for San Francisco, and Estimate Time of Arrival.

51. One is often seen near a dessert array : URN. The coffee kind, not the one with your favorite pet's ashes.

52. RAV4 or TrailBlazer, briefly : UTE. UGH.

58. Turbaned Punjabi : SIKH. Now marti none of your sick jokes here.

59. Feels lousy : AILS. here is the place for sick humor.

60. Professeur's charge : ELEVE. French lesson: Student. Hey Jeannie.

61. Colored part of the eye : UVEA. They do not let me forget my eyes. For you all...LINK.

62. Pool path : LANE.

63. "American Idol" success Clay : AIKEN. LINK.(2:43)

64. Club membership, maybe : PERK. From the odd word perquisite, not to be confused with prerequisite. I love English.

65. Logician's "E," perhaps : ERAT. Quod erat demonstrandum.

66. Numerical extreme : LEAST, At least we are halfway home.

Down:

1. Some are mini : MARTS. Apu where are you?

2. Mount sacred to Armenians : ARARAT. I loved a girl from ARMENIA once.

3. Title Gilbert and Sullivan ruler : MIKADO. The most played OPERA?

4. __ Wellington : BEEF. Named for the original Duke, take that John Wayne.

5. Stick-in-the-mud : OLD FOGEY. My kids often think I am an...

6. Connects with a memory : PLACES. The voice is familiar, if I could just place the face...

7. Desktop item : LAMP. Not an ICON, an old fashioned desk, wonderful clue.

8. Outdated globe letters : USSR.

9. Badly rattled : SHOOK UP. We just had Elvis from Gareth.

10. Talisman : AMULET.

11. Reprimand to quarreling siblings : MAKE NICE. C/mon children....

12. Brangelina, for one : ITEM.

13. __ Arc, Arkansas : DES. This may be the most obscure clue of all time, especially from a NYC girl living in new haven with all the yalies.

21. Texter's "If you ask me ..." : IMHO. In My Humble Opinion. Humble?

22. TV's Arthur : BEA. We see her often.

27. A, in Oaxaca : UNA. One in Spanish.

28. Bowled over : IN AWE.

29. Souvenir from Scotland : TAM. Tam O'shanter, a cap, not to be confused with 46D. Spinning toon : TAZ, LINK (6:21)

30. Black __: spy doings : OPS. Operations. NCIS.

31. Zealous type : NUT.

35. "Walk me!" : ARF. Damn, I thought that meant 'feed me', no wonder he got so fat.

36. Inspiring msg. : SERmon.

37. Close game : SQUEAKER. Won by a whisker.

38. Mason __ : JAR. Invented by a guy named John Mason, and used in canning (not jarring) where I grew up we were taught to eat what we can and we can't we can.

39. Polenta base : CORN MEAL.

40. Crank (up) : REV. Vroom, vroom.

42. High-end : UPSCALE. One word or two?

43. She played Lois on "Lois & Clark" : TERI. She used to hang out in SoFla, now she hangs out in pics.

45. Violinist Perlman : ITZHAK. Listen (7:32).

47. Group within a group : SUBSET. The new math,

48. "I've got it!" : EUREKA. Not the vacuum cleaner, the exclamation made by Archimedes when got in a bath and saw he displaced the water. from the Greek I found.

49. Log cabin warmers : STOVES.

53. Olympics segment : EVENT. Ready for the London Olympics? Coming soon.

54. Baloney : JIVE. Don't give me your...

55. One writing a lot of fiction? : LIAR.

56. Prismatic bone : ULNA. A radical new clue for this bone.

57. Ballet class bend : PLIE. There is a ballet school in my backyard. LESSON.(0;52)

58. "How's it hangin', bro?" : SUP. An abbreviation for 'what is up?' and one of my personal favorites.

Answer grid.

Well we are done, it was an interesting journey with all kinds of nice fill, CORN MEAL FRUIT PRESERVES, ITZHAK JAZZ CLUB IMPROV, MAKE NICE, OLD FOGEY, SHOOK UP SQUEAKER, TOUGH SITUATION, TRAFFIC PROBLEM but also lots of three letter fill. Ah well, I had fun and may is around the corner.

ciao

L 714

Monday, March 19, 2012 Patti Varol

Theme: P?CK* - Vowel progression in the first syllable of the five theme entries.

17A. Airfare-plus-hotel stay, say : PACKAGE DEAL

24A. Poultry hierarchy : PECKING ORDER

35A. Soul food pork snack : PICKLED PIGS FEET

47A. Coins in one's pants : POCKET CHANGE

57A. Ready to be kissed : PUCKERING UP

Argyle here. "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." There, got that out of my system. 61 theme squares, one a spanner.

Across:

1. Subdued color : PASTEL

7. Take a breather : REST

11. Marx's "__ Kapital" : DAS

14. Christmas carol start : ADESTE. Fideles.

15. Green Gables girl : ANNE. Bestselling novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery published in 1908. Many films and TV specials have been made using Prince Edward Island as a backdrop.

16. All-Star starting pitcher : ACE

19. Convent dweller : NUN

20. Invoice total: Abbr. : AMT.

21. Thrilla in Manila fighter : ALI

22. "I'd be delighted!" : "GLAD TO!"

27. Camaro and Corvette : CHEVYS

29. Sound from a snout : "OINK"

30. Comic actress Oteri : CHERI. From SNL.

31. RR stop : STN. (station)

32. Diagnostic scanner, briefly : MRI

40. Comics cry of disgust : "ACK!"

41. Cold War KGB rival : CIA

42. Stop in the Sahara : OASIS

43. Commotions : ADOs

45. Beachgoer's souvenir : SUNTAN

51. Texas city on the Rio Grande : EL PASO

52. NFL drive killer : INT. (interception)

53. "My lips __ sealed" : ARE

56. Note after fa : SOL

61. Capote's nickname : TRU. (author)

62. "It's her __": relationship ultimatum : OR ME

63. Lack of comfort : UNEASE

64. Has way too much, briefly : OD's

65. Bygone royal Russian : TSAR. and 44D. 65-Across, e.g. : DESPOT

66. Main course : ENTRÉE

Down:

1. Mama's main man : PAPA

2. Noted rib donor : ADAM

3. Religious splinter group : SECT

4. "For shame!" : "TSK!"

5. Seventh Greek letter : ETA

6. Inheritance : LEGACY

7. Pizza slice edges, geometrically : RADII

8. 180 degrees from WSW : ENE

9. Becoming tangled, as a fishing line : SNAGGING. Like first attempts at casting, lines can be entangled without snagging a thing.

10. Rat out : TELL ON. Reminds of the joke Spitzboov posted last night.

11. Classic role-playing game, for short : D AND D. (Dungeons & Dragons)

12. Extreme, as pain : ACUTE

13. Barcelona mister : SENOR

18. Yellowstone grazers : ELKS. It would be correct without the S as a collective noun, too.

23. Noah's handiwork : ARK

24. On-the-job extra : PERK

25. Like villains : EVIL

26. "Don't look at me!" : "NOT I!". and 46D. "That's a lie!" : "UNTRUE!" : Things villains might say.

27. Elegant and stylish : CHIC

28. "Darn!" : "HECK!". Mondays are rated PG.

30. Yr.-end auditor : CPA. Isn't that an odd way to indicate an abbreviation?

31. Hot springs facility : SPA

32. Flat-topped elevation : MESA

33. Equestrian's control : REIN. (rain, reign, rein : puzzle seed?)

34. "Baby __ You": Shirelles hit : IT'S

36. Trips to environmentally protected areas : ECOTOURS

37. Part of CD : DISC

38. iTunes download : SONG

39. Destiny : FATE

43. Alias, to the LAPD : AKA. Also Known As.

45. All there, so to speak : SANE

47. Fettuccine topping : PESTO

48. Prayer starter : O LORD

49. Slightly above average grade : C-PLUS

50. Backpack toter : HIKER

53. Petri dish gel : AGAR

54. Bit of chicanery : RUSE

55. Sport with swords : ÉPÉE

58. Nashville-based awards org. : CMA. Country Music Association.

59. Country stopover : INN

60. Badminton divider : NET

Argyle

Wednesday, Oct 12, 2011 Patti Varol

Theme: uptight- the last word of each theme answer, when preceded by the word 'tight,' forms a common phrase.

16A. *Itching for a fight : TWO FISTED. tight fisted.

23A. *Steady guy or gal : MAIN SQUEEZE. tight squeeze.

36A. *Third base, in baseball lingo : HOT CORNER. tight corner. did not know the baseball lingo.

54A. *Shower convenience : SOAP ON A ROPE. tight rope. made me think of man on wire.

62A. Football linemen, or an apt description of the last words of the answers to starred clues : TIGHT ENDS

what about tight-lipped? Lots of non-theme 7's in this puzzle.

melissa here. had trouble right away, some clues seemed a bit obscure for a wednesday.

across:

1. Skips, as stones : DAPS. if i've heard this word before, i forgot it. definition: to skip or bounce, especially over the surface of water.

5. __ jure: by the law itself : IPSO. latin.

9. Ancient Briton : PICT. i'm in awe of anyone who knew this.

13. Catchall survey opción : OTRO. opción = spanish for option. otro = spanish for other.

14. Like a prof. emeritus: Abbr. : RETD. retired.

15. Raw fish dish : SUSHI. this was my first fill-in.

18. From years past : OLDEN

19. Elephant in stories : BABAR

20. Prints a new edition of : RE-ISSUES. and 38. Start from scratch : RE-DO.

22. Suffix in taxonomy : OTA. taxonomy is the science of classification. Eukaryota (plural of eukaryote). which seems even more obscure than pict.

26. Gathered together : MET

27. Objective : AIM

28. "Cats" poet's monogram : TSE. andrew lloyd webber's musical based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by t.s. eliot.

29. Up to, casually : TIL. from dusk til dawn.

30. Author Harte : BRET. déjà vu.. he appeared just last wednesday. part of the the brat pack of literature.

32. "Let's not" : NAH

34. Like law school courts : MOOT. open to discussion or debate.

40. Gumbo thickener : ROUX. equal amounts of fat and flour, heated, blended, and used as a basis for sauces.

42. Quite small : WEE

43. "Oedipus Tex" composer P.D.Q. __ : BACH. see wikipedia.

47. "There's no __ team" : I IN. teIam. problem solved.

48. Cat's pajamas? : FUR. cute.

51. Man of the house : DAD

53. However, briefly : THO. shortened though.

57. Suffix for velvet : EEN. velveteen. from the classic children's book, the velveteen rabbit:

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

58. Batman, for Bruce Wayne : ALTER EGO

59. Surprise hit, maybe : B-SIDE. singles where both sides became hits are known as 'double a-sides.' example: queen: we will rock you / we are the champions.

61. Threw verbal tomatoes : BOOED. no tomatoes, but tiger did get a hot dog thrown at him on sunday. i am just glad the tournament is over - it was a zoo. the players got free vouchers for meals and spa treatments, and even so, most of them did not tip.

65. Black hues, in poetry : EBONS

66. Spread in a tub : OLEO. no comment.

67. Pierre's South Dakota? : ETAT. etat is french for state.

68. A whole bunch : LOTS

69. Tiny fraction of a min. : PSEC

70. One of the Gilmore girls : RORY. i've never seen the show. rory gallagher is more my speed.

down:

1. Internet failure, punnily : DOT BOMB

2. '80s Republican strategist Lee : ATWATER

3. Court concerned with wills : PROBATE

4. Crash site? : SOFA. very true for my 'empty' nest.

5. E-file org. : IRS. internal revenue service.

6. Apple of one's eye : PET. a person especially cherished or indulged; favorite: He was the teacher's pet.

7. Not easily amused : STERN

8. Most likely to raise eyebrows : ODDEST. didn't come easily.

9. Vital sign : PULSE

10. Happens because of : IS DUE TO

11. Cracker with a hole in the middle : CHEEZIT. yech. and 45d. 11-Down flavor : CHEDDAR

12. Holiday glitter : TINSEL. people are funny about tinsel - it seems to be a love it or hate it thing.

15. "What are you gonna do about it?!" : SO SUE ME

17. "__ la Douce" : IRMA. billy wilder film based on the french musical of the same name.

21. Mensa stats : IQ'S. intelligence quotients.

24. Grammar class no-no : AIN'T

25. 13-year-old Apple : iMAC. timely nod to steve jobs.

31. TGIF eve? : THU. thursday. (thank god it's friday).

33. Question of method : HOW

35. Ball : ORB

37. Laced dress shoes : OXFORDS

39. Tide table term : NEAP. tide that occurs when the difference between high and low tide is least.

40. 1970 John Wayne western : RIO LOBO. the third film in a trilogy directed by howard hawks: the other two films were Rio Bravo (1959) and El Dorado (1966), both also starring john wayne.

41. Painting the town red : ON A TOOT. new to me.

44. Eroded, as profits : ATE INTO

46. Lincoln forte : HONESTY. honest abe.

47. Writer Allende : ISABEL. chilean author, wrote 'the house of the spirits.'

49. French 101 article : UNE. a, or an.

50. Convertible, in slang : RAGTOP

52. Balance due, e.g. : DEBT

55. Hammer parts : PEENS. this is the peen.

56. Churns up : ROILS

60. Reader of signs : SEER

63. "Go figure" : GEE

64. Ad __ committee : HOC. committee formed for a specific task or objective, and dissolved after the completion of the task or achievement of the objective.

and finally, for INXS fans .... tight.

Answer grid.

melissa

Tuesday, August 2, 2011 Patti Varol

Theme: What time is it? - The themes takes the hint and place TIME after the first and last word. We had a puzzle before ( link ) that placed TIME in front of each of the two theme words.

18A. *Delayed reaction : DOUBLE TAKE

20A. *Radioactive decay measure : HALF LIFE

31A. *Aviation display : AIR SHOW

37A. Repeatedly ... and a hint to the answers to starred clues : TIME AFTER TIME

44A. *Military hobbyist's pastime : WAR GAME

58A. *Prom time, to prom-goers : BIG NIGHT

60A. *Modern : PRESENT DAY

Argyle 95% here. Of course, I've been told I'm not all there anyway so that's probably as good as I'll get. This is Patti's second puzzle; the debut was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in April. An interesting grid and easy fill and yet seven theme entries. The unifier and explanation placed right in the middle. Patti Varol, you've done it again.

Author:

1. Programmer's banes : BUGS. Elmer Fudd doesn't like him either.

5. Hollywood tree : PALM. As seen in movies and TV shows that include scenes of Hollywood.

9. Soup base : BROTH. I started with STOCK.

14. Subj. to bone up on? : ANAT.

15. Airline with blue-striped jets : EL AL

16. Washer cycle : RINSE

17. Poor boy seller : DELI

22. Baa nana? : EWE. (chuckle)

23. "__ Mio": classic Italian song : 'O SOLE

24. Treasure-__ : TROVE

26. Question of identity : WHO

29. Pre-euro Spanish coin : PESETA. Image.

33. Reykjavik-born one-named singer : BJORK. Google images.

36. Iron-rich green veggie : KALE

42. Beret perch : TÊTE

43. Choir part : TENOR

47. It makes Tom frisky : CATNIP. (another chuckle)

52. "Little Women" sister : AMY and 39D. "Little Women" sister : MEG

53. Alimentary route : CANAL. Digestive system.

56. "Seinfeld" specialty : IRONY

57. __-fi : SCI

64. Fireworks reaction : "OOOH!". Yes, there are three O's.

65. Knocks for a loop : JOLTS

66. 1804 duelist : BURR. Aaron Burr vs. Alexander Hamilton.

67. "__ arigato": Japanese "thank you very much" : DOMO. Gotta do it. Clip.(5:31)

68. Provolone alternative : SWISS

69. Part of a.k.a. : ALSO

70. Paradise : EDEN

Down:

1. Tough play for Derek Jeter : BAD HOP. Baseball.

2. The heebie-jeebies : UNEASE

3. Winemakers Ernest and Julio : GALLOs

4. Put the kibosh on : STIFLE

5. Salon foot treatment, briefly : PEDIcure.

6. High, as a kite : ALOFT. Ah, the importance of punctuation.

7. "Today" co-host : LAUER. Matt

8. Diamond org. : MLB. Major League Baseball (MLB).

9. Stout maker : BREWER. Image.

10. Bat mitzvah, e.g. : RITE

11. "Come __ My House": Rosemary Clooney hit : ON-A. Released on June 6, 1951.

12. "Have you no shame?" : "TSK!"

13. Laugh syllable : HEE

19. First name in jeans : LEVI

21. Leave alone : LET BE

25. Like bourbon barrels : OAKEN

26. "Kapow!" cousin : "WHAM!"

27. Links target : HOLE. Golf.

28. Run a tab, say : OWE

30. Double-platinum Steely Dan album : "AJA"

32. Deal with moguls? : SKI. What are moguls? A bump on a ski slope formed by the repeated turns of skiers over the same path.

34. Quite a lot : OFTEN

35. 66, notably: Abbr. : RTE.

37. Nine of diamonds? : TEAM. My goodness, more baseball.

38. "Just doing my job" : "I TRY"

40. Mythical big bird : ROC. Described in the Arabian Nights as being able to carry off and eat elephants.

41. Get fit : TRAIN

42. "Up, up and away" carrier : TWA

45. The "A" in RAM : ACCESS. Random Access Memory (RAM).

46. Principal : MAIN

48. Vacuum tube type : TRIODE. Wiki article, if you need to know more.

49. Call after a missed field goal : NO GOOD

50. Like some health care : IN HOME

51. Slithering squeezer : PYTHON

54. Kareem __-Jabbar : ABDUL. Basketball.

55. Perjurers : LIARS

57. Grounded fleet: Abbr. : SSTs

59. Pita sandwich : GYRO

60. Jammies : PJs

61. Obey the coxswain : ROW, ROW, ROW your boat, gently down the stream.

62. Actor Wallach : ELI

63. Sched. question mark : TBA. To Be Announced.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Wednesday, April 6 2011, Patti Varol

PTheme: Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall. Each of the 13(!!) starred theme entries relates to the animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

1A. *"Bohemian Rhapsody" group : QUEEN. you're singing it in your head, aren't you?

6A. *Poet Whitman : WALT. i finally bought leaves of grass after hearing part of the poem 'spontaneous me' in the movie 'the notebook.' noah read it to his dad on the porch, remember?

23A. *Painfully shy : BASHFUL

26A. *Tormented by pollen, say : SNEEZY. bless you!

31A. *Cross : GRUMPY. harumph.

40A. *Medico's address : DOC. it looks nice right in the middle like that.

44A. *Like a quiet town : SLEEPY

48A. *He won 26 Oscars, including an Academy Honorary Award (consisting of one full-sized and seven miniature statuettes) for the film depicted in this puzzle's starred answers : DISNEY. when i first read this clue i hadn't figured out the theme yet, and had no idea anyone had won that many oscars (he was nominated for 64). it is a record that has not been broken. no wonder he created the happiest place on earth. here's an interesting disney link.

52A. *Cry of surprise : HEIGH HO. i thought of him.

68A. *Frosted flakes : SNOW. cute clue, sore subject for some of you. i was thinking more along the lines of this.

69A. *Chess side : WHITE

13D. *All smiles : HAPPY

48D. *Not very bright : DOPEY

melissa bee bogging.

WOW! i had so much fun with this puzzle. love, Love, LOVE heavy themage, and this one is absolutely overflowing with it. would not think it was even possible to fit all seven dwarves names, and 6 other related theme entries in a 15 * 15 grid . have not seen this constructor's name before, but now i'll keep an eye out for her ... really really enjoyed this, just brilliant.

a few bonuses, too:

39A. Aladdin's helper : GENIE. also a disney movie.

58A. Like a noted piper : PIED. 1933 disney short

60A. Roads scholar? : TRAMP. well it coulda been clued as 'Lady's beau.'

11D. "__ porridge hot ..." : PEASE. not disney, but a children's nursery rhyme. interesting trivia, according to wikipedia: "The 1959 Billy Wilder film Some Like It Hot derives its title from this rhyme."

and, loosely related:

8. Passed-down stories : LORE.

22. Man with morals : AESOP

i feel like it's my duty to link at least one song ... and what came to mind with this theme was seven days. it even contains the lyric 'the mirror squeaked, away i ran.'

Across

10. Exotic food fish : OPAH

14. Año Nuevo month : ENERO. enero is spanish for january - año nuevo is spanish for new year's eve.

15. Irish Spring variety : ALOE. soap.

16. Wife of Zeus : HERA

17. Sudoku fill-in : DIGIT

18. Fronded plant : FERN. i learned on npr's wait, wait don't tell me that sigmund freud had pteridophobia, a the morbid fear of ferns.

19. Irving hero : GARP

20. Starbucks pickup : COFFEE

27. Torino time period : ORA. italian for hour.

28. Good thinking : REASON

34. Overhauls : REBUILDS

41. Red simile words : A BEET. red as a beet.

42. Parent who minds how her kid acts? : STAGE MOM. cute.

45. Dojo discipline : KARATE. training facility for martial arts.

47. WNBA position : CTR

55. Quarterfinals complement, e.g. : OCTAD

56. Danube capital : VIENNA. austria. the danube is the second longest river in europe, after the volga.

59. Watch : TEND

64. Feminine suffix : ENNE

65. Corleone family head : VITO. the godfather.

66. "We're out of choices" : OTHER. made me giggle.

67. "Son of Frankenstein" role : YGOR

Down

1. Proof abbr. : QED. from wikipedia: an initialism of the Latin phrase quod erat demonstrandum, which means "what was to be demonstrated". The phrase is traditionally placed in its abbreviated form at the end of a mathematical proof orphilosophical argument when what was specified in the enunciation — and in the setting-out — has been exactly restated as the conclusion of the demonstration. The abbreviation thus signals the completion of the proof.

2. Cycle prefix : UNI. unicycle.

3. Hosp. test : EEG

4. "Love Story" novelist Segal : ERICH

5. __ this world: bizarre : NOT OF

6. Hem and haw : WAFFLE

7. On the safer side : ALEE

9. Downing Street number : TEN. number ten downing street, in london. residence of the prime minister.

10. "My goodness" : OH GEE

12. Paella ingrediente : ARROZ. spanish word for rice.

21. Faulkner's "The Sound and the __" : FURY

22. Like some reports : ANNUAL

23. His 3,000th hit was a homer : BOGGS. wade.

24. Stop in Québec? : ARRET. french.

25. Healthful hot spot : SAUNA

26. Cry noisily : SOB

29. Starbucks pickup : AROMA. clecho.

30. NYSE overseer : SEC. securities and exchange commission.

32. "Top Gun" foe : MIG. russian military aircraft.

33. Didn't wait for Christmas : PEEKED. are you a peeker?

35. "May __ of service?" : I BE

36. Hanger-on : LEECH. ew.

37. Pool statistic : DEPTH. the minimum depth of an olympic sized pool is 6' 7".

38. Start to foam? : STYRO. Styrofoam. thought of rabies.

40. Palme __: Cannes film award : DOR. the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival, it goes to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. had no idea.

43. Has the okay : MAY

44. Spotted : SEEN. i spy, with my little eye ...

46. Market index, familiarly : THE DOW. dow jones.

49. Best part of the cake, to some : ICING. you can have mine.

50. Shorthand pro : STENO. stenographer.

51. "Unsafe at Any Speed" author : NADER

53. Attached to a trailer hitch : IN TOW

54. Brooks of C & W : GARTH. thought kix first, not enough letters. why not spell out country and western?

56. Vital thin blue line : VEIN