Sunday, Sept 18, 2016 Paul Coulter

Theme: "Doctor Hoodoo" - An rhyming syllable is added to the last word of each theme entry.

 

23A. Wimpish newspaper writer? : EDITORIAL WIENIE. Editorial we.

36A. Corleone family member providing free downloads? : SONNY AND SHAREWARE. Sonny and Cher. Sonny is the hot-tempered brother killed by the rival mob.

59A. Succeed after leaving the band? : REAP WHAT YOU SOLO. Reap what you sow.

 

87A. Gardening during karate training? : RAKING IN THE DOJO. Raking in the dough.

103A. Old Aspen music maker? : ROCKY MOUNTAIN HI-FI. Rocky Mountain High.

126A. "The comedian just wasn't funny"? : NOT MY CUP OF TE-HEE. Not my cup of tea.

As the title "Doctor Hoodoo" ("Doctor Who") subtly hints, all the last words go through spelling change before the extra syllable is added. The theme really needs an creative mind to make it happen.

I was in a Vietnamese-style mooncake coma and stalled quite a few times in the solving. I thought the extra syllables might spell out something. Asked Argyle, who said he saw nothing special.

Across:

1. Agcy. that does searches : TSA

4. Curry spice : CUMIN. Also the essential seasoning in Xi'an style shish kabob. Lots of hot red peppers too.

9. Letter-moving gp. : USPO

13. Kind of cookie? : SMART. Sweet clue.

18. Song and dance : RIGAMAROLE. Not a word we often see in grids.

21. Auction cry : SOLD

22. Have second thoughts : WAVER

 25. Patsy's "Ab Fab" pal : EDINA. I only know the city Edina here in MN.

26. Divvy up : ALLOT

27. Bourbon and others: Abbr. : STs

28. Small birds with complex songs : WRENS

29. Fit the facts : ADD UP

30. Home on the range : TEEPEE

32. Mine, in Marseilles : A MOI. Alliteration.

34. Winter Palace resident : TSAR

44. Bowlers, e.g. : HATS

48. Biol. or chem. : SCI

49. With 17-Down, warning cry : IT'S A. 17. See 49-Across : TRAP

50. Heather family shrubs : ERICAs. Learning moment for me.

51. Blew it : ERRED

53. Bermuda Triangle locale: Abbr. : ATL

55. Comes down with : GETS

58. "JAG" spin-off : NCIS

64. Katniss' "Hunger Games" ally : PEETA. Another learning moment.

65. South Carolina river : SANTEE. I only know PEE DEE.

66. Foreword : INTRO

67. Closet concern : MOTH

69. Muddy home : STY

70. Game ragout : SALMI.  Never heard of it. Wiki says this: A salmis is a preparation from classical French cooking. When a roast or sautéed piece of meat is sliced and reheated in sauce, the result is a salmis.

72. Fields who founded Mrs. Fields : DEBBI

74. Carpet manufacturers' contraptions : LOOMS

76. It's generally higher on the hwy. : MPG. Also 14. Highway safety org. since 1980 : MADD

78. Fuzz : LINT

80. Bring up : RAISE

82. Vehicle with caterpillar treads : SNO-CAT. Oh, that's interesting trivia.

85. Jays and Rays : ALERS. Every puzzle needs a few glue entries.

90. Jupiter's wife : JUNO

91. Emperor after Claudius : NERO

92. "Your point being ... ?" : SOO. Not AND,

93. Driver's choice : SEDAN

94. Good-for-nothing : OTIOSE. Not a word I use.

96. PGA part: Abbr. : ASSN

100. __ de coeur: pained outburst : CRI

102. Insignificant : MERE. Not PUNY or TINY.

108. Desolate : LORN

109. Hammett hound : ASTA

110. Soft sweater : ANGORA

115. Ocean ring : ATOLL

119. Champagne buckets, e.g. : ICERS. I guess so.

121. Medicinal amt. : TSP

124. "America's Funniest Home Videos" host : SAGET

125. Craze : MANIA

129. Long-distance commuter's community : EXURB

130. Actress Gershon : GINA

131. Capital on the Danube : BRATISLAVA. Slovakia's capital. Great fill.

132. Japanese-American : NISEI. Or ISSEI.

133. Painful rebuke : SLAP. I thought it might be ET TU.

134. Common thing? : SENSE

135. Came upon : MET

Down:

1. Late October option : TREAT. Felt silly not nailing it.

2. Move furtively : SIDLE

3. Quick : AGILE

4. It's driven : CAR

5. "The Haj" novelist : URIS (Leon)

6. Zoo barrier : MOAT

7. "And how!" : I'LL SAY

8. Just out : NEW

9. Log-in requirements : USER IDS

10. Loudness unit : SONE

11. Statue base : PLINTH. Consonants-heavy.

12. Black Sea port : ODESSA

13. One on the stand : SWEARER. Same letter count as WITNESS.

 

15. All fired up : AVID

16. Eye care solution brand : RENU

 

19. Crowning : ATOP

20. Tiny particles : MOTES

24. "Forget it!" : I WON'T

31. Daybreak goddess : EOS

33. Printemps period : MAI. May. Printemps is also a huge department store in Paris. I got this double-layered chiffon top there at the end of last century. Gosh, been so many years. It still fits nicely. The colors probably confuse D-Otto.

35. Chariot-riding god : ARES

37. Sweet Sixteen org. : NCAA

38. Capone colleague : NITTI

39. Starch-producing palm tree : SAGO

40. Press release? : WINE. Great clue.

41. Online security feature : ACCESS CODE. Great fill.

42. "Something to Talk About" singer : RAITT (Bonnie)

43. Bacon serving? : ESSAY. Francis Bacon.

44. Half a matched set : HERs

45. Atlas stat : AREA

46. Like some organisms modified in labs : TRANSGENIC. Got via crosses.

47. Anatomical walls : SEPTA. Plural of septum.

52. Fixates (on) : DWELLS

54. "Casino Royale" Bond girl Vesper __ : LYND. Played by Eva Green. This girl might be Splynter's type.

56. 20th-century blight victim : ELM

57. Item on a belt : TOOL

60. Spherical opening? : HEMI. Not ATMO.

61. "SNL" castmate of Ferrell and Gasteyer : OTERI

62. Name of eight popes : URBAN

63. Pulitzer-winning Ferber novel : SO BIG. Nailed it.

64. Calls : PHONES

68. Baloney, to Brits : TOSH. I thought it's BOSH.

71. As to : IN RE

73. Sister of Osiris : ISIS

75. Data transmitter : MODEM

76. Very important : MAJOR

77. Demotion in 2006 news : PLUTO

79. Bluejacket : TAR.  I did not know "bluejacket" means sailor, Spitzboov!

81. Methuselah's father : ENOCH

83. A bit cracked : AJAR

84. Color quality : TONE

86. Hornswoggle : ROOK.  Is "Hornswoggle" a word you use in your daily life?

88. Zen riddle : KOAN

89. Doughnuts, shapewise : TORI

91. Captain of the Nautilus : NEMO

95. Class guides : SYLLABI

97. Astronomer's aid : STAR MAP

98. Pert : SASSY

99. It might be picked : NIT

101. "__ tree falls ... " : IF A

104. Circular gaskets : O RINGS

105. Straighten out : UNCOIL

106. Simple life some strive to get back to : NATURE. It feels good to be off line one day a week.

107. Tech. schools : INSTs

111. Highlands native : GAEL

112. Early Irish alphabet : OGHAM. Maybe Irish Miss knows. Never heard of it.

113. "Still Me" memoirist : REEVE (Christopher)

114. Bothered big-time : ATE AT

115. "Right on!" : AMEN

116. Curbside call : TAXI

117. Responsibility : ONUS

118. Old Italian capital : LIRE

120. Italian hot spot : ETNA

122. Cross : SPAN

123. Kitties : POTS

127. It has an eye on television : CBS. Simple in retrospect.

128. "Shame on thee!" : FIE. This clue makes me smile.

C.C. 

Sunday June 5, 2016 Paul Coulter

Theme: "Hybrid Crossings" - Each Down theme entry crosses the hybrid word it forms. Like so:

22A. Without 3-Down, artful deception : SMOG (Smoke + Fog) AND MIRRORS. 3D. Driving hazard : FOG. Original phrase is "smoke and mirrors"'

37A. Without 32-Down, stinging insects : ORANGE (Yellow + Red) JACKETS. 32D. __ alert : RED. Yellow jacket. 

52A. Without 30-Down, separate matter altogether : MULE (Horse + Donkey) OF A DIFFERENT COLOR. 30D. Critter orchestrally imitated in Grofé's "Grand Canyon Suite" : DONKEY. Horse of a different color.  Both DONKEY and SPOON intersect two themers.

 

73A. Without 76-Down, arrive where one must decide between options :

COME TO A SPORK (Spoon + Fork) IN THE ROAD. 76D. Aid in a stirring experience : SPOON. Come to a fork in the road.

 90A. Without 90-Down, be evasive : SKORT (Skirt + Shorts) THE ISSUE. 90D. Golfer's garb : SHORTS. Skirt the issue. = Skort.

110A. Without 100-Down, classic children's novel : CHARLOTTE'S BLOG (Web + Log)  100D. Shipboard account : LOG. Charlotte's Web.

Heavy themage. Grid spanners are OK for 15*15, but somehow they're tougher to deal with for a Sunday puzzle. And Paul has added pressure of making the intersection work.

You might think those Down themers are short and won't present too much problem for the constructor. But they must intersect with the hybrid words. FOG cannot cross the O in MIRRORS. RED can not cross the E in JACKETS.

Brilliant construction. I'm totally in awe.

Across:       

1. Personal ad abbr. : SWF. The movie is scary.

4. Dry and crack : CHAP

8. Film rating org. : MPAA

12. Muse of comedy : THALIA. Needed crossing help.

18. 1986 Gene Hackman film : HOOSIERS. What's your favorite Gene Hackman movie?

20. Paths for three-pointers : ARCS

21. "The Truth About Cats & Dogs" genre : ROM-COM

 

24. Gone : USED UP

25. Usher's creator : POE. Googled afterwards. Not familiar with the short story "The Fall of the House of Usher".

26. Actress Hatcher : TERI

27. Left end? : IST. Leftist.

28. "The X-Files" extras : G-MEN. Normally a clue for ETS.

29. Shallow crossing point : FORD

31. Dress : ENROBE

33. Cocktail hour array : DIPs. Was picturing drinks.

34. Prefix meaning "bee" : API

 

41. Bit of public relations deception : SPIN. Also 70. Trickery : DECEIT

42. Discussion group : PANEL

44. Ran quickly : DARTED

45. Others, on the Orinoco : OTRAS. Or OTROS.

46. Revealing, as some gowns : BACKLESS. So pretty.

49. Name again : RE-APPOINT

57. Maker of ProX skin products : OLAY. Gimme for ladies.

58. Where balls are often caught : MIDAIR

59. Catch but good : NAIL

60. Engine part : CAM

61. "The Waste Land" monogram : TSE

63. The King : ELVIS

65. "Errare humanum __" : EST. Latin for "to err is human".

66. Poll no. : PCT (Percent)

69. Ratted : TOLD

72. Field of study : AREA

80. Original model : ARCHETYPE. Great entry.

81. It counts : NEATNESS. Not abacus.

82. Gave a darn : CARED

83. Lazy : OTIOSE. Not a word I use.

88. Repeated phrase in Ecclesiastes : A TIME. Stumped me.

89. Latin wings : ALAE

94. U.K. award : OBE. Or MBE.

95. Vulnerable bone for a catcher : SHIN

96. Uncommon : SCARCE

97. Poet Silverstein : SHEL

101. Valhalla VIP : THOR

102. Cholesterol initials : LDL

103. "Momo" author Michael : ENDE.  Have any of you read the book?

106. Winner's medalla : ORO

107. Unlike golf, as a rule : INDOOR. We had a indoor driving range near Fleet Farm. Gone now. Also 98D. Stroked into the cup : HOLED

 

114. Absolute ruler : DESPOT

115. Native Rwandan : HUTU

116. Religious dissensions : HERESIES

117. Little hooters : OWLETS

118. Blood type, briefly : O NEG

119. Giant great : MAYS (Willie). Quite a few baseball references in this puzzle.

120. Poem originally performed with music : ODE

Down:

1. Stubby-legged Capp critter : SHMOO. Forgot. We had him before. Wiki says "Shmoos are delicious to eat, and are eager to be eaten."

2. Beau : WOOER

4. Theater : CINE

5. "The Birds" actress : HEDREN (Tippi)

6. Strong-__ : ARMING

7. Telepathy, e.g. : PSI. I don't get it. I wanted ESP.

8. Popular chocolate treat : MARS BAR

9. Defend from attack : PROTECT

10. Spanning: Abbr. : ACR (Across)

11. Biblical beast : ASS

12. One-ups : TRUMPS

13. Takes to the cleaners ... or cleans : HOSES. Great clue.

14. "Right on!" : AMEN

15. Readout using polarized light, briefly : LCD

16. Chit : IOU

17. Band aid : AMP. Great clue also.

19. Rested, in a way : SAT

22. Sunscreen letters : SPF

23. Spanish wine region : RIOJA. Got via crosses.

28. "Scram!" : GIT

33. Pfeiffer of TV's "Cybill" : DEDEE. Sister of Michelle Pfeiffer.

34. Patriots' Day month : APRIL

35. Bench site : PIANO. Piano bench.

36. Orch. component : INSTR. OK, instrument.  Gluey entry.

38. Move, to a Realtor : RE-LO

39. Hebrew leader? : ALEF. First Hebrew letter.

40. LPGA star Cristie : KERR. She's Boomer's favorite LPGA player.

41. Happy hour seat : STOOL

42. Zahn of TV news : PAULA. Lots of names in Downs. Besides the above HEDREN, KERR, DEDEE, we also have 50. Actress Bening : ANNETTE. 54. Three-time Masters winner : FALDO (Nick). 56. Former NBA center Dampier : ERICK. 75. Hal of the 1985 World Champion Kansas City Royals : MCRAE. 77. Czech hockey player Nedved : PETR. 78. Lukas of "Witness" : HAAS. 110. Comic Margaret : CHO. Korean CHO is same as Chinese Zhao or Chao (as in Elaine Chao).

43. "That shut her up like __": Tennessee Williams : A CLAM

45. Footnote abbr. : OP. CIT.

46. Bowl game star, briefly : BMOC. "Big Man on Campus"

47. Like some service : SAME DAY

48. Reagan prog. : SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative)

51. Fund-raising gps. : PTAs

53. Chemical suffix : IDE

55. Half a sawbuck : FIVER

61. Schlepped : TOTED

62. Place for a coin : SLOT. Boomer was solving the NYT crossword in our local paper, then told me that Will Shortz made a big mistake in the clue for GRANT [50s president]. He said Grant's presidency was in 60s and 70s. Ha ha.

64. Tre + tre : SEI

66. Preface : PROEM. Not INTRO.

67. Break off : CEASE

68. Small amounts : TADs

69. Little laugh : TEHEE

71. Setting for Dickens : INN

72. __ Army: links group : ARNIE'S. Finally met with Jack Nicklaus last summer. He was so easygoing.

73. Tree with pods : CACAO

74. GUM rival : ORAL B

79. Disbelieving accusation : ET TU

84. Words said while stretching, maybe : IT'S LATE. Great clue/fill.

85. Non-Rx med : OTC DRUG. Four consonants in a row.

86. Formal will : SHALL. Got me last time.

87. Always, in verse : E'ER

 

91. White wine aperitif : KIR

92. Summer cooler : ICE TEA. I've started to use ICE TEA rather than ICED TEA. Easy to say without the extra D in ICED.

93. Halter? : SENTRY. Halt-er.

95. Photograph : SHOOT

 99. Uneven, as a leaf's edge : EROSE

 

101. Drink too much : TOPE

104. Odd couple? : DEES. The two letters.

105. Letter with curves : ESS

107. Altar avowal : I DO

108. Green : NEW

109. Internet access letters : DSL

111. Follower of Attila : HUN

112. Omega, to a physicist : OHM

113. Many a Wikipedia article : BIO

Happy Birthday to dear TTP, who saved this blog from Google Hell a few years ago. TTP is a computer expert, also a sports nut. He has astonishing knowledge on baseball & football & bowling. He and his wife are avid golfers and gardeners. TTP also does his own home improvement projects. He's also a great cook. Now, Dave, find that perfect cake!

C.C.

Friday February 6, 2015, Paul Coulter

Theme: Where can I hide the theme?  On the edges...

This puzzle was easier to fill than to discuss, especially to a crowd that does not like cross-referential cluing. (Sorry Barry G.). Each outside edge of the puzzle consists of three (3) four (4) letter fill, where the first and third fill together are the clue for the middle word. When combined, words 1+3  create a compound word, hence the reveal COMPOUND FRACTURE i.e., the compound word is fractured (broken) into two pieces. This was a hard Friday for me, and I hope you all stuck with it because there were lots of learning moments. This appears to be a debut LAT for a very active poster on puzzle blogs, so welcome Paul.

1A. Predicament : BOAT (4) a very tricky clue (in the same boat, being the easiest way to explain clue/fill) paired with 9A. Mutual fund charge : LOAD (4) (funds are no load, front load, or back end loaded) gives the clue for 5A.  Boatload: *1-/9-Across : HEAP which describes how much trouble you would be in if you did not see this gimmick.

73A. "Easy to be Hard" musical : HAIR (4) paired with 75A. Business : LINE (4) leaves the compound word clue for 74 A. Hairline: *73-/75-Across : THIN (4) as in a hairline fracture.

1D. Overdue, as pay : BACK (4) paired with 53D. Converse : TALK (4) produces the clue for 29D. Backtalk *1-/53-Down : SASS (4).

16D. Stern : HARD (4) paired with 64D. Reactor part : CORE (4) results in  the clue for : Hardcore: 39D. *16-/64-Down : AVID such as the fans for the Patriots or AC Milan, the soccer club.

The reveal is also cross-referential:
32A. With 49-Across, bad break ... and what each answer to a starred clue creates vis-à-vis the answers that define it : COMPOUND (8) 49A. See 32-Across : FRACTURE (8). A Compound fracture of a bone, as opposed to a simple clean break. (Hence bad break).

Add to the fun, the very difficult pair 62D. With 29-Across, Balkan city on the Danube : NOVI. 29A. See 62-Down : SAD.  Novi Sad according to wiki is  the second largest city in Serbia, the administrative seat of the province of Vojvodina and of the South Backa District. It is located in the southern part of the Pannonian Plain, on the border of the Backa and Srem regions, on the banks of the Danube river, facing the northern slopes of Fruška Gora mountain.

This is a very odd and very hard Friday, it seems like it should be easy with forty 4 letter fill, but the short ones like ABU, ARA, ELAH, AMUR  and the few long ones like  TONSURE, TREATED, TRUSTER , AMARETTI,  AVE MARIA, HEREFORD and RARE COIN were not gimmes.

I can hear all the grumbling, but when you consider he found 4 compound words which clued 4 letter fill, with each compound word 8 letters long that broke into 4 letter parts, and was revealed by two 8 letter reveals, the math is awesome. The architecture is very impressive. On with the show.

Across:

13. Up to it : ABLE. I was able and I finished without cheating, but it was work.

14. Prefix with plasm : ENDO. Already the ECTO/ENDO debate.

15. 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient : OPRAH. I did not recall but the OP___ had to be.

17. Nocturnal critter : COON. Aside from any politically unacceptable existence, is the reference to 'critter' enough to evoke the regionally popular abbreviation?

18. Source : ROOT. Of all evil?

19. Adams' "Nixon in China," for one : OPERA. I had LOAD, LOOSENS and OPP and wondered about OP--- over OP---. I have heard of but not listened to this work.

20. Handled vessel : KETTLE. Finally a stout clue.

22. Pouches : SACS.

24. Orch. section : STRings. JzB, is this abbreviation ever used as a notation in preparation for a concert?

25. Site of unexpected change? : SOFA. Wonderful clue/fill. So evocative and misleading.

27. Didn't trick, maybe : TREATED.

34. Prayer set to music by Schubert and Gounod : AVE MARIA.

36. Choice to sleep on : SERTA. Of course SEALY also fits.

40. Diva highlights : SOLI. In Latin the plural of a word ending in O (SOLO) can become I.

41. Distillery founder John : DEWAR. A CSO to Tin and all of our scotch drinkers.

44. "Ray Donovan" star Schreiber : LIEV.

45. Aptly named bird : SWIFT.  LINK.

47. Italian almond cookies : AMARETTI.

52. British pen pal's last letter? : ZED. A nice misdirection as this replaces our American ZEE as the last letter of the alphabet.

53. Part of a Buddhist monk's ordination : TONSURE.

56. Ridge just below the surface : REEF.

58. "Father of," in Arabic : ABU. I had the pleasure of portraying Auda Abu Tayi, who along with the Lawrence was a hero of the Arab revolt. He had married 28 times, which may explain why he has no fear going into battle.

59. Identical : SAME.

61. Place where cheap shots are a good thing : CLINIC. Wonderful clue, especially now during flu season.

65. Allow to attack : LET AT. I nominate this as my meh clue, while accurate, it does not sound like a real phrase.

67. Dagwood's annoying little friend : ELMO. A new/old clue for this fill.

69. Inflict on : DO TO. Others.

70. 1985 Chemistry co-Nobelist Jerome : KARLE. Really hard for me. Embarrassed to say I had NO IDEA.

71. "Avatar" race : NA'VI. I hope no one blue this easy clue.

72. Always : EVER. Always and forever and more.

Down:

2. Instrument to which an orchestra tunes : OBOE. JzB, please explain again.

3. Bushels : A LOT.

4. Pitchers' places : TENTS. Very difficult to suss, especially with 1A a tough fill, but when I understood the theme and backed into BOAT, this made sense as one pitches a tent.

5. White-faced cattle breed : HEREFORD. I grew up driving by large herds of cows, who were the weather forecasters of my youth.

6. Roxy Music co-founder : ENO. Brian has become a staple.

7. Stirs : ADOS.

8. Knish filling : POTATO. No doubt most popular knish thought kasha and meat are also out there.

9. Unfastens : LOOSENS. This was the key word in loosening up the North and getting me the theme, along with....

10. Up and down, say: Abbr. : OPPosites.

11. "Give it __" : A REST.

12. Puccini's "Vissi __" : D'ARTE. An ARIA from Puccini's Tosca. If you listen, read the comments if you like to see debate about Opera, I love that it crosses 19A.

21. Like "la vida" in a Ricky Martin hit : LOCA. An odd duplication as VISSI is Italian for "I lived" and vida is "life" in Spanish.

23. French vineyard : CRU. Staying in romance languages, Alex, we have a French WORD, and then another.

26. Gallic girlfriend : AMIE. And another. 38A. Idée source : TETE.

28. Jane Eyre's charge : ADELE. Like ELMO above, the popular singer gets replaced by an old clue last seen here in a marti puzzle I blogged in 2013.

30. Declare : AVOW.

31. Where to find a hero : DELI. A common pun in the xword world.

33. Play with, in a way : PAW AT. Something for all our cat lovers.

35. Irritates : MIFFS.

37. Cheese holder : RITZ. This one cracked me up.

42. Russia-China border river : AMUR. Nope, no idea.

43. Numismatist's find : RARE COIN. Since coins are their interest...

46. Reliant soul : TRUSTER.

48. Casting aid : REEL.

50. Constellation near Scorpius : ARA.

51. Bind : CEMENT. Your friendship?

54. West Indian folk religion : OBEAH. I know of voodoo and santeria but not this GROUP.

55. __Sweet: aspartame : NUTRA.

57. Friend of Che : FIDEL. A recent picture is being shown on Television purporting to show a healthy Fidel.

60. Where Goliath was slain : ELAH. We recently debated the use of a sling versus sling shot, but where did it happen? HERE.

63. Rte. through Houston : I-TEN. I-Twenty, I-Forty all major E to W routes

66. Will Smith title role : ALI.

68. DIII doubled : MVI. For all you Roman math scholars...

A very long uphill battle, that some will love and some will hate, but welcome Paul; come share your commentary at this the friendliest blog on the web. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Yellowrocks asked if Lucina wore a wimple the other day. Here are two pictures of what Lucina's veil looked like when she was a Sister of the Precious Blood Community. You can click here for a clearer image. She was with her sister and her mother in the second picture.