Sunday January 15, 2012 Peter A. Collins

Theme: Stout and Thin - Parse the title as "ST out and TH in", i.e, ST is replaced with TH in each theme entry.

23A. "My priest has met Pulitzer-winning playwright Henley"? : FATHER KNOWS BETH. Father knows best. Beth Henley.

39A. Dinner served on a wooden strip? : THE LATH SUPPER. The Last Supper.

41A. Blast from Babe? : RUTH BELT. Rust belt. Babe Ruth.

71A. Compliment to a young genius? : WHY YOU LITTLE THINKER. Why you little stinker.

100A. Small compartment for lifting self-esteem? : EGO BOOTH. Ego boost.

102A. Nonsense talk from an inner city? : GHETTO BLATHER. Ghetto blaster.

122A. Reason for foggy coop windows? : BREATH OF CHICKEN. Breast of chicken.

This puzzle title reminds me of Peter Wentz's "Find out" puzzle, in which D is replaced by F in each common phrases. You need to parse the title as "F in/D out".

When constructors place all their theme entries in Across, they can then non-theme Downs which are longer than the shortest theme entries. Peter took full advantage of that and gave us quite a few nice long Downs.

Across:

1. See-through dessert : JELL-O

6. "It's just __ said ..." : AS I

9. Rite site : ALTAR

14. Shooter's setting : F-STOP. Not the gunman "shooter".

19. Oriole-related, e.g. : AVIAN

20. Pugsley, to Gomez : SON. Easy guess. I've never watched "The Addams Family".

21. Carried : BORNE

22. "That's __!": mom's admonition : A NO-NO

26. Hull parts, often : KEELS

27. Gator tail? : ADE. Gatorade. Fun clue.

28. Secant's reciprocal : COSINE

29. Princess from Alderaan : LEIA. "Star Wars".

30. Have a blast, with "up" : EAT IT

31. Outcome : RESULT

33. Greenish-yellow fruit : CITRON. Looks like lemon.

35. Gonzaga University city : SPOKANE

37. Goofballs : NUTS

45. New York Harbor's __ Island : ELLIS

46. Suffix with Carmel : ITE . Carmelites is a "Catholic religious order perhaps founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, hence its name", according to Wiki. St Teresa was a Carmelite.

47. Green pod : OKRA

48. She walked Asta : NORA. "The Thin Man".

50. Graceful woman : SYLPH

52. Made a jumper, maybe : SEWED

56. Tide during the moon's first quarter : NEAP

57. Star in Virgo : SPICA. Gimme for Spitzboov & Bill G. I drew a blank.

59. Member of the fam : SIS

61. Polynesian drink : KAVA. Sedating.

62. Protect, as during a gym routine : SPOT. I don't get this clue, Dummy.

64. Relieved remark : AT LAST

68. Neat time : GAS. Neat clue.

70. Bill's "excellent adventure" partner : TED. From "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure".

75. Efron of "High School Musical" : ZAC. Here he is. Not the high school boy anymore.

76. What Nixon and Kennedy have in common? : ENS. Do you like this clue?

77. Insect with eyespots on its wings : IO MOTH. No idea. Cute. D-Otto's pig is cute too.

78. Black, to Balzac : NOIR

79. Pitching stats : ERAs

81. Sushi fish : EEL. Ah, food!

83. Risky meeting : TRYST. "Risky" makes it exciting.

85. Lobster meat source : CLAW

88. Bits of progress : DENTS. Make a dent.

90. Uses a Kindle : READS

94. Key with three sharps: Abbr. : A MAJ

95. Premium coffee variety : KONA. From Hawaii.

96. One-eighty : UEY

98. Turn __ ear : A DEAF

107. Son of Isaac : ESAU

108. Verbena family plant : LANTANA. See here.

109. Like magma : MOLTEN

111. Big house locale : ESTATE

115. Columbia et al. : IVIES

116. First light : DAWN

118. Workshop grippers : CLAMPS

120. Novelist Buntline : NED. What did he write?

121. Pola of the silents : NEGRI. Rudolph Valentino's lover.

125. Caused to submit : TAMED

126. Guadalajara-to-Puerto Vallarta dirección : OESTE. "West".

127. __ later date : AT A

128. Hollywood's Hayek : SALMA. Natural beauty.

129. Focused look : STARE. What you guys do to my link above.

130. Director of the last four Harry Potter films : YATES (David)

131. "Can't Help Lovin' __ Man" : DAT

132. Lock on top? : TRESS

Down:

1. "Aladdin" heavy : JAFAR. No idea, Santa!

2. Skirt : EVADE

3. Beers for dieters : LITES

4. __-di-dah : LAH

5. Bridge opening : ONE CLUB. Bridge terms always stump me.

6. More than wonders : ASKS

7. Drive-in chain with carhops : SONIC

8. Complicit : IN ON IT

9. Crunched muscles : ABS

10. Southeastern pine : LOBLOLLY. Oh, so this is called loblolly.

11. Shipbuilding dowel : TREENAIL. Again, not familiar with the term. Do you use them, Splynter/Jerome?

12. No voter : ANTI

13. Go over and over : RE-HASH

14. Deceptions : FAKE-OUTS

15. Preview : SNEAK PEEK. Nice upper right corner.

16. Dancer's technique : TOE TAP

17. Surfing, say : ONLINE

18. Word with board or boy : POSTER

24. Powdered rock used as an abrasive : ROTTEN STONE. Same as pumice stone?

25. "__ people ..." : WE THE. Constitution.

32. Bummed : UNHAPPY

34. Kinfolk: Abbr. : RELs

36. Omega preceder : PSI

38. Sty fare : SLOP

40. Rx amts. : TSPS

41. Friend of Harry and Hermione : RON. "Harry Potter" again.

42. Mandolin kin : UKE

43. Source of an alley racket : TRASH CAN

44. Court event : TRIAL

49. When the Sugar Plum Fairy appears in "The Nutcracker" : ACT II

51. Fan setting : HIGH

53. 1815 battle site : WATERLOO

54. Even once : EVER

55. Senior, to Junior : DAD

58. Guy who's high in a loft? : ALTO. Why "in a loft"?

60. Patron of workers : SAINT JOSEPH. I thought he's the patron of carpenters only.

63. Santana's "__ Como Va" : OYE. Here is a clip.

65. Buck passer, briefly? : ATM. And 66. 65-Down feature : SLOT.

67. Aquarium denizen : TETRA

69. __-cone : SNO

71. Share ending : WARE. Shareware.

72. Manual reader : USER

73. Culinary herb : THYME. I'm guessing this is a common herb in Jayce's or Barry G's family.

74. Oust : KICK OUT

75. Athens : omega :: London : __ : ZED. Last letter in alphabet.

80. Speech therapy candidate : STUTTERER

82. Sharon of "Boston Public" : LEAL

84. Wise : SAGE

86. Pantry annoyance : ANT. Always a welcome sight here at the corner.

87. Nursery cry : WAH

89. Save for later : SET ASIDE

91. '60s Batman portrayer : ADAM WEST

92. Set off : DETONATE

93. Satirist Mort : SAHL

97. Over there, old-style : YON. Hither and yon.

99. Retrieve : FETCH

101. McCartney, notably : BASSIST

102. Flashes : GLINTS

103. Attack, as one's work : HAVE AT

104. Puzzle : ENIGMA

105. Record label founded by Diddy : BAD BOY. Ha, gimme for me.

106. Insert more rounds : RE-LOAD. Ammo.

110. 1990s treaty acronym : NAFTA. U.S.-Mexico-Canada commerce treaty.

112. Electronic monitor site : ANKLE. Ankle monitor. House arrest.

113. Crawls (with) : TEEMS

114. Writer Ferber and others : EDNAs

117. Region : AREA

119. Aspiring GP's exam : MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)

123. Some NFL receivers : TEs (Tight Ends)

124. One in a jam, maybe : CAR. Nice clue too.

Answer grid.

Happy Birthday to KQ!

C.C.

Thursday, October 27, 2011 Peter A. Collins

Theme: Henry and Hannah, sitting in a tree…

Peter Collins likes to play with words, and today is no exception. I blogged his recent "Element-ary" puzzle on October 6th, and we had his "West Side Story" tribute last week. We have another charmer today, with these entries:

20A GRADE SCHOOL (11 letters)

56A SWEETHEARTS (11 letters)

39A SITTING (7 letters) 41A IN A TREE (7 letters)

67/68/69A (every other letter, for emphasis) K_I_S_S_I_N_G_(7 letters) [kay-eye-ess-ess-eye-en-gee]

And it is based on a poem by Nicolas Knudde (I think) (Where is Clear Ayes when I need her??):

“Henry and Hannah,

Sitting in a tree,

K-I-S-S-I-N-G…

First comes love,

Then comes marriage,

Then comes baby

In a baby carriage!”

[...and an appended verse, sometimes:]

That’s not it!

That’s not all!

The baby’s drinking alcohol!!

Very unusual placement of the rhyming theme entries, due to symmetry concerns in the grid. I didn't have circles in my grid, did you?

Marti here, for your regularly scheduled Thursday program…

PHEW! I almost thought I wouldn’t be able to finish this one. The clues were so devious and obscure, I was thrown off in many spots. Were you?

Like:

1A “Mystery writer Nevada” clues BARR…OK, I admit. I am not a “mystery novel” or detective story person. Hahtool knows what I like. And I think Yellowrocks, who loves well-researched historical novels, would appreciate my choices of reading material.

22A “Farmer’s ___ " clues TAN?? Really?? Windhover, help me out here!! I wanted “market”, “almanac” or even (as a last resort) “dell”…but none would fit!!

37D "David Byrne collaborator" clues ENO. Really?? “My life in the Bush of Ghosts”….hmmmm, I bet that was on everyone’s mind, right???

OK, so moving on…

Across:

5. Penny profile. ABE. I can live with that one!

8. “Tao Te Ching” author. LAO TSE. Actually, Laozi, the founder of “Taoism”. Literal translation from Chinese means “old master”. C.C.??? (From C.C.: Yes, "old master". Lao = "Old". Lao Zi is Mandarin. Lao Tse is Cantonese.)

14. 1986 Nobelist Wiesel. ELIE. Yay!! One that I knew!

15. China’s Chou En-___. LAI. Another one that I nailed!

16. Fixed for all time. ETCHED. Like, “in stone…"

17. Treating again, as an ankle injury. RE-TAPING. Ummmm…I guess they were referring to Dan Koppen of the N.E. Patriots on his ankle injury?

19. Take turns. ROTATE

23. QB’s dread. INT. Interception. Yep, Brady doesn’t like INT’s or center’s ankles being taped…

24. Government IOUs. T-BILLS

26. Getting on. AGING. Hey! I’m like “fine wine”.

29. Drain-clearing chemical. LYE

30. “Are not!” retort. AM SO!! OK, so we have our regular playground argument here…

33. Bug-eyed toon. REN. This dog.

34. OPEC member. UAE. United Arab Emirates.

36. Shove off. SET SAIL

42. Micronesia’s region. OCEANIA. Somewhat obscure region as defined here. Map. Or, one of the three fictional superstates in George Orwell’s novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four”

43. Rocky peak. TOR

44. 1930s power prog. TVA. Tennesee Valley Authority. Federal program for flood control.

45. Standard. NORM

46 Scotland’s longest river. TAY. Surely, this was the first thing you all thought of, right??

48. Cleveland Indians legend Al. ROSEN. Nicknamed “Al”, “Flip” and “The Hebrew Hammer”, he played his entire career with the Cleveland Indians (1947-56). I was 5 years old when he retired. So, why don’t I remember him????

50. Promo. TEASER. Like the one for Johnny Depp’s new movie "The Rum Diary".

53. Sloth, for one. SIN. Were you thinking of the animal?

54. Punch line. POW. Pow!! Hit me with a V-8 can!!

61. Oh-so-stylish. CHI-CHI. Did anyone else think of C-C ??

63. Not very potent potable. NEAR BEER. Tinbeni, I know you only go for “potent potables”!!

64. Assateague denizens. PONIES. I have seen this yearly pony penning and swim. Amazing!

65. River that rises in the Bernese Alps. AAR. Bern, Switzerland.

66. Bone used in pronation. ULNA. Pronation is the action you use to do a “thumbs down”.

67. Yarn units. SKEINS. Not stories.

68. Word with run or jump. SKI. Yaaaaay!! One for Marti!!

69. Nutmeg-flavored drinks. NOGS. A little early, but I can still relate to New Year’s Eve, and my annual “nog” toast.

So lets go down town:

1. Glacier breakaway. BERG. Go ask the Titanic…

2. A or Jay, e.g. AL'ER. I s’pose this means “American League-r”?

3. Funny Rudner. RITA.

4. Transfer to memory, as data : READ-IN

5. Top-tier invitees : A-LIST

6. Judge's seat : BANC

7. Mercury's atomic number : EIGHTY. Just checked my periodic table...yep, that's correct!

8. "Vive __!" : LE ROI. "The King", in French. My grandmother could not speak English, so we had to speak French to her, in order to get candy and other goodies...

9. Any of the Marshall Islands : ATOLL

10. Mo. for leaf-peeping : OCT. We have had lots of leaf-peepers here in the N.E. this year.

11. "Yeow!" : THAT SMARTS. ouch...

12. __ precedent : SET A

13. Place that means "delight" in Hebrew : EDEN

18. Black-and-white critter : PENGUIN. ( I was thinking "skunk"...)

21. "The Biggest Loser" concern : OBESITY

25. Go the distance : LAST

26. Bad lighting? : ARSON. Punny clue!

27. Insurance company founded in 1936 for government employees : GEICO. (...and for southeast Asian lizards..)

28. Weave together : INTERTWINE

29. Named beneficiary : LEGATEE

31. It won't hold water : SIEVE. Wait a minute, let me try... ...nope, it doesn't hold water!

32. Fat substitute : OLEAN. Proctor and Gamble's brand is "Olestra", a zero-calorie fat substitute.

35. Singer DiFranco : ANI. I like her song "The Atom", link.

38. Slowpoke : TARRIER. I s'pose, if you tarry, then you would be a "tarrier".

40. Rein in : TAME

47. Hippodromes : ARENAS

49. How Sloppy Joes are served : ON A BUN. Well, duh...did you think they were served in a martini glass?

51. Far from ruddy : ASHEN

52. __ chard : SWISS

53. Emmy-winning Lewis : SHARI. I remember her puppets "Lamb Chop" and "Charlie Horse".

54. General MDs, to insurers : PCPs. Primary Care Physicians

55. "Aw, what the heck, let's!" : OH, OK, let's bungee jump off this bridge with a questionable cord from that guy with the '72 Ford Pinto...

57. Shipbuilder's wood : TEAK

58. Move, in brokerese : RE-LO. Re-location.

59. 1% of a cool mil : TEN-G. Ten grand.

60. Madrid Mmes. : SRAs. Get it right: SRAs are "señoras", SRTAS are "señoritas", SRS are "seniors". But, señors get no respect!

62. VI x XVII : CII. 6 x 17 = 102 (Do the math, Caesar!!)

Answer grid.

Thanks for letting me into your 'puters today!

Marti

Note from C.C.:

Happy 64th birthday to Boomer! That picture was taken in 2002 when we went to Myrtle Beach for a golf vacation. First time I had sweet tea and hush puppies.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 Peter A. Collins

Theme: Romeo and Juliet visit NYC - The 1961 film musical.

25A. Locations of some scenes in 61-/64-/66-Across : ALLEY WAYS

40A. Song from 61-/64-/66-Across : AMERICA. L.Bernstein - West Side Story - AMERICA - studio-takes.(5:00)

43A. With 54-Across, 61-/64-/66-Across composer : LEONARD

54A. See 43-Across : BERNSTEIN

3D. Song from 61-/64-/66-Across : I FEEL PRETTY. This song(3:24) was dubbed by Marni Nixon.

29D. Co-star of 61-/64-/66-Across : NATALIE WOOD

61A. With 64- and 66-Across, film that premiered in New York City 10/18/1961 : WEST. 64A. See 61-Across : SIDE. 66A. See 61-Across : STORY

Argyle here. Buon giorno. Are you a Shark or a Jet? This grid doesn't look like a Tuesday. Two long Downs that intersect two and three theme entries, respectively. First and last names, albeit the composer is in two spots. And then there's the fill. Some obscure sports that's sure to put some off. It is tough but well done, IMHO.

Across:

1. Leap of __ : FAITH

6. Anesthetize : NUMB

10. Cager O'Neal, to fans : SHAQ. Basketball.

14. Prefix with red : INFRA

15. Melville novel : OMOO. Sequel to Typee.

16. Ginormous : HUGE

17. Negro Leagues legend Buck : O'NEIL. Card.

18. Red planet : MARS

19. Mimicked : APED

20. "Go jump in the loch!" : "NAE!"

21. SFO posting : ETA. San Francisco International Airport.

23. The other guys : THEM

28. Creatures of habit? : NUNS

31. Le Carré character : SPY. During the 1950s and the 1960s, John Cornwell worked for MI5 and MI6, and began writing novels under the pseudonym "John le Carré". His third novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963) became an international best-seller and remains one of his best known works. Following the novel's success, he left MI6 to become a full-time author.

32. 1998 British Open champ Mark : O'MEARA. Golf.

34. E. Coast ocean : ATLantic

36. "Queen of Country" McEntire : REBA

38. On topic : THEMATIC

44. Get far ahead of : OUTSTRIP

46. Kazakhstan border sea : ARAL. Map

47. Hobbyist's buy : KIT

48. Big-time brat : TERROR

50. Alter unfairly : RIG

52. Baseball's Sandberg : RYNE. Card.

57. It's spoken in Karachi : URDU. Karachi map.

59. Equi- equivalent : ISO

60. Attempt to win over : WOO

68. Freeway off-ramp : EXIT

69. Lena or Ken of Hollywood : OLIN

70. In unison : AS ONE

71. Shaped like Hummers : BOXY. A long box. Hummer limo.

72. Editor's "leave it" : STET

73. Long-extinct birds : DODOs. I know where there is one left.

Down:

1. "Shrek" princess : FIONA

2. Chronological records : ANNALS

4. Bi- plus one : TRI

5. "Roots" writer Alex : HALEY

6. Polite refusal : "NO MA'AM"

7. Thurman of "Gattaca" : UMA. Not a film I'm familiar with.

8. Comedian known for political humor : MORT SAHL. Another complete name.

9. "Balderdash!" : "BOSH!"

10. SeaWorld orca : SHAMU

11. Drillmaster's bark : "HUP!"

12. Census statistic : AGE

13. Proof-ending letters : QED. Quod Erat Demonstrandum.

22. Small, as farms go : TWO ACRE. I guess; I've seen lawns bigger than that!

24. Win over : ENAMOR

26. Watchful ones : EYERs. Clunker of the day?

27. "Is it soup __?" : YET. No, but it's déjà vu. Very similar to Oct. 3 clue/answer.

30. Begin to move : STIR

33. Gains again, as trust : RE-EARNS

35. Watch readout abbr. : LCD

37. Like the taste of aspirin : BITTER

39. "Excellence is __ won by training and habituation": Aristotle : AN ART

40. Just ducky : A-OK

41. Conservationist on California's state quarter : MUIR. John.

42. Lacking a solid foundation : AIR-BUILT. As, an air-built castle.

45. Opposite of post- : PRE

49. Get situated : ORIENT

51. Day, in Roma : GIORNO

53. Off one's trolley : NUTTY

55. "What a pity" : "SO SAD"

56. British poet Alfred : NOYES. I call on Clear Ayes again.

58. RAF decorations : DSOs. Distinguished Service Orders.

61. Spider's lair : WEB

62. Prefix with morph : EXO

63. HBO's "__ Feet Under" : SIX

65. Vegas roller : DIE

67. Chinese menu general : TSO

Answer grid.

Argyle

Question from C.C.:

Does anyone know how to stop my computer from scripting? It always freezes up the computer. I'm using Firefox as browser. Thanks.

Interview with Peter A. Collins

Peter A. Collins delighted many of us with this fish puzzle in May 2011. A fish appears when when you connect the circled letters in alphabetical order, and the only four letter O's in the grid form TINY BUBBLES coming from the fish's mouth. It's one of the many innovative and unconventional puzzles Pete created for the LA Times and NY Times.

Pete started constructing puzzle in 2006. He has had 53 puzzles published by the NY Times, 7 by LA Times and a few by the NY Sun, The Chronicle of Higher Education, USA Today and Peter Gordon's Fireball Crosswords.

I hope you enjoy his answers as much as I did. And a big "Thank you" to Joe Krozel for making this interview possible.

What's the inspiration for this theme and what were the other candidates you also considered for the hidden element?

I think (it's been a while) I got the idea for this theme while I was tinkering around with an "alchemy" themed puzzle that eventually ran in the New York Times (8/10/2010). In that puzzle I turned LEAD into GOLD through a word ladder. I noticed that both lead and gold were fairly short words that seemed to lend themselves to be hidden in other expressions. That got me thinking about other elements and their hide-ability. Of course, so many of them have long/bizarre names, they weren't practical. I wanted the hidden elements to be interior, so something like CAR BONNET (CARBON) was out. I also wanted the elements to span multiple words, so something like STINGY (TIN) was out. When I realized SURPRISE ELEMENT was exactly fifteen letters long and aptly described the theme, I decided to go for it.

Where were the trouble spots for you in the gridding and filling process? Overlapping of theme entries is always challenging.

Yes, I was happy that I got the upper and lower pairs of themed entries to overlap for six letters (I really like it when themed entries run perpendicularly to one another and intersect, but that's usually impossible). Sometimes in a situation like this, the fill can get a bit strained, but overall in this puzzle, I don't think it was too bad (ESOS and NTSB are a bit unfortunate, though). When I have parallel themed entries as in this puzzle, I usually try to fill the longer entries that intersect two (or three) themed entries first. Giving the longer entries as much zip as possible is important. In this puzzle, I really liked BATTLE CREEK. Almost everyone has heard of it, and it's where I went to high school -- Go Bearcats!

What's your background? And how did you get into crossword construction?

I'm a high school math teacher in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I came to Ann Arbor (from Battle Creek) as an undergraduate student and never left. I also teach at the University of Michigan in the summers. My wife (a fellow Wolverine) and I have four daughters -- two are in town here at the University of Michigan, and two are still in high school.

After having been a casual solver for many decades, I eventually got into a routine of doing the LA Times and/or NY Times puzzle on a fairly regular basis. Eventually I stumbled upon Will Shortz's book of favorite puzzles, and I was blown away by the creativity I saw. I thought "I've got to try this". It's been a great creative release for me ever since.

Before I started constructing, I remember having seen BLING in a puzzle. I was both thrilled ("That is so cool!") and confused ("Wait -- that's not a real word!"). I think that moment was some kind of an epiphany for me.

How would you describe your puzzle style? What kind of themes/fill interest you the most and what kind do you try to avoid in your grids?

For me, a novel or ingenious theme is worth the trade-off for a little less-than-stellar fill. I really am not fond of the type of puzzles where, for instance, every first word in several phrases can precede another word. Even add-a-letter/drop-a-letter themes can seem pretty tired, unless they're really well done. If you look back at all the puzzles I've had published, I'd like to think there is a great variety in terms of theme choice. If you had to pick one recurring type, it just might be the kind of hidden word theme as seen in this puzzle.

What is the most memorable puzzle you've made and why is it special to you?

I did a Beatles-themed rebus puzzle in the New York Times (5/18/2006). It was actually my second published puzzle in the NY Times, but I wrote it before my first puzzle was published, so I was really a beginner. I did it with pencil (and a lot of erasing) on graph paper, with no high-tech help. I put many hours into that thing, and since at the point in time I was unpublished, I think my wife thought I'd lost my marbles. When Will Shortz accepted it, he said some very complimentary things, which really gave me the encouragement to keep going as a constructor.

What puzzles do you solve every day and which constructors do you find most inspiring?

I really only have time to do one puzzle a day -- but sometimes I do more than one anyway. Usually the New York Times or the LA Times. I also like Peter Gordon's Fireball puzzles. I'm still not an expert solver. I can often hack my way trough a Friday, and the occasional Saturday, but I am by no means a speed-solver. I've never been to the ACPT, but I hope to go some day. I rarely do Sunday puzzles due to the time commitment, but I like to keep up with their themes by reading the blogs.

I think Patrick Berry is amazing with the smoothness and quality of his fill. Joe Krozel (with whom I often collaborate) is definitely on my wavelength in terms of liking off-beat themes (in addition to his clever themeless puzzles). I like Mike Nothnagel and David Quarfoot's themeless puzzles. Elizabeth Gorski has done some really nice picture-in-grid stuff that I am often drawn to myself, too. There also seem to be a lot of clever young constructors coming up. That's good to see.

Besides crosswords, what are your other hobbies?

I still play soccer and volleyball competitively. I run a bit, and ride my bike to work when the whether permits. I read, I juggle, and I like to follow the Detroit and U-Mich sports teams. As I write this, the Tigers are beating the Yankees!

Thursday, October 6, 2011 Peter A. Collins

Theme: “Element-ary, my dear Watson!”

37A. Unexpected twist (and a hint to what’s hidden inside 18-, 20-, 51 and 56- Across) : SURPRISE ELEMENT. I really enjoyed Peter’s “Fishy” puzzle, as C.C. mentions in her notes. And this one did not go over like a…

18A. Health enhancer, so it’s said: APPLE A DAY.
…lead balloon.

20A. It “is no problem. You just have to live long enough”: Groucho Marx: GETTING OLDER. Thar’s gold in them thar quotes!!

51A. “A Moon for the Misbegotten” playwright”: EUGENE O'NEILL.

56A. Longshoremen’s aids: CARGO NETS. The American National Archives use(s?) argon to store important national documents, like the Declaration of Independence.

I loved how the two pairs of theme entries were stacked on top of each other.

Marti here, so let’s get started.

Across:

1. Smoldering bit : EMBER

6. Slip a Mickey : DRUG. A "Mickey Finn" used to be known as a strong drink, laced with chloral hydrate (a sedative). Now it's "roofies" (flunitrazepam). Either way, watch your drink when out in a crowd!

10. It may have all the answers : CRIB. Did any of you use a “crib sheet” when taking exams? (I didn't think so!!)

14. Stiller's partner : MEARA. Funny couple!

15. High rollers' destination : RENO

16. Half of 10? : ZERO. I sat looking at this clue for a while, wondering how to fit “five” in with the perps… I finally hit myself with the V8 can when I saw “10” as a one and a zero!

17. Speed skater Apolo __ Ohno : ANTON. This was a complete WAG (“Wild A**ed Guess”, for newbies to this blog…)

22. Pickup facilitator : LINE. “So, do you come to this blog often?”

23. "Friendly skies" co. : UAL. United Airlines. Abbr. in the clue indicates an abbr. for the airline.

24. __ center : REC. Did anyone confidently fill in “epi-“, like I did?

27. PC time meas. : M-SEC. OK, I confess… I put in _SEC, and waited for perps before I decided if it was “p”, “n” or “m”.

29. Performed, in a way : SANG. If you heard me sing, it would not be a pretty performance!

32. Band that performed "Whip It" : DEVO. Hunh, I must have still been discoing while this one was recorded...

33. Bars in stores : UPC. Universal Product Code.

34. 1965 NCAA tennis champ : ASHE. He was closer to my generation…

35. Aaron's team for 21 seasons : BRAVES. Hah…I am beginning to recognize baseball clues/answers. But I still wanted to put in “NY Mets". (I’ll get it right some day, C.C. – I promise!!)

40. Make : CREATE

41. Gloom mate : DOOM

42. Rural stretch : LEA

43. "... two fives for __?" : A TEN

44. Skin malady, perhaps : CYST

45. What crews use : OARS

46. Expression of disappointment : TSK...tsk

47. Bit of code : DAH. Or, "Kick the bucket", in a southern drawl...

49. Hair care purchase : TINT. Me? No grey hairs here!!

59. Baggy : LOOSE

60. Net reading : BLOG. "So, do you come to this blog often?"

61. "Tiger in your tank" company : ESSO

62. Ban's predecessor at the U.N. : ANNAN. Ban Ki-Moon succeeded Kofi Annan in 2007, and is the current Secretary-General of the United Nations. If you cry "foul" at "Ban" being a first name, while "Annan" is a last name, remember that Ban Ki-Moon is Korean, where the "first" name written, is actually the family name, while Kofi Annan is from Ghana, where the family name is written second.

63. Bastes, e.g. : SEWS. I am already thinking of basting the turkey!

64. Attic constructions : WEBS. Great clue - had me thinking for a few seconds!

65. Bridge seats : WESTS. I entered _ _ STS, knowing it could be either "eaSTS" or WESTS. Yes, Yellowrocks...that's how I solve, sometimes!

And now, to go south:

Down:

1. Net reading : E-MAG. e-zine, e-news, e-cards, e-trade...I still delete all those from my word lists. (Maybe someday I will get into the modern lingo, but for now I will stick to magazine, newspaper, greeting cards, retail trade...)

2. "Writing on the wall" word : MENE. Thankfully, I had filled in the across clues, so did not even see this one. It is an idiom from the Biblical Book of Daniel, where supernatural writing foretells the end of the Babylonian Empire.

3. Michigan's Cereal City : BATTLE CREEK

4. Steamy : EROTIC. Should I let this one go?

5. Arrested : RAN IN

6. Bore : DRAG. "It's a real drag..."

7. Bank takeback, briefly : REPO. Repossessed, as a car.

8. Deprive of juice? : UNPLUG. Loved this clue/answer! The "juice" is the electricity that powers our PCs, TVs, lamps, refrigerators, stoves, aquarium filters, humidifiers, furnaces, refrigerators, microwaves, toasters, coffeepots, radios, can openers, blankets...what else do you have that requires "juice"???

9. Israel's Meir : GOLDA

10. Pre-Communism leader : CZAR. The leaders of Russia were Tsars before there was Lenin or Marx.

11. Thing to stop on : RED. As in, "red light". Or, a euphemism for a communist leader...

12. Savings for later yrs. : IRA. Individual Retirement Account

13. When repeated with "oh" in between, "Wow!" : BOY. "Boy oh boy!!"

19. Slippery swimmer : EEL

21. Mythical beast, to locals : NESSIE. Loch Ness monster, familiarly.

24. Epiphanies : REVELATIONS

25. Score-tying shot : EVENER. Meh...

26. Olympics broadcaster Bob : COSTAS

27. Mideast capital : MUSCAT. Also known as Masqat on some maps (good for constructors to know, a "q" without a "u"...). It is at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula (zoom out to see the geography).

28. Last lap efforts : SPURTS. Using an expression from mb, "...snort !!"

30. Spa sounds : AHS. (After spurts?)

31. Indigent : NEEDY

32. Lake creator : DAM

34. Interior decorator's concern : ART

35. Juiced : BLOTTO. How many euphemisms are there for "drunk"?

36. Sleep acronym : REM. Rapid Eye Movement stage of sleep.

38. Cooking utensil : PAN

39. Dawn goddess : EOS

44. French onion soup topping : CHEESE. I made a caramelized onion and goat cheese soup the other night - yummy.

45. Numbers after nine, often : ONE-ONE. Hmmm...I think this refers to a tied score after nine innings of baseball...but then, what do I know??? (From C.C.: This refers to 911.)

47. Sam & Dave, e.g. : DUO. Sam & Dave were an R&B duo in the 60's - 80's. For "duo", I think of Stiller & Meara, Sonny & Cher, Penn & Teller, Starsky & Hutch, Tom & Jerry...who are your favorites??

48. Nixon's first veep : AGNEW. "Veep" is a euphemism for "V.P." (Vice President).

50. Union acquisition? : IN-LAW. Another great clue/answer. A marriage union often brings unwanted baggage...

51. Vandalizes, in a way : EGGS. Halloween is coming...watch out for those EGGS on the car and TP in the trees, along with smashed pumpkins!

52. Gov't. train wreck investigators : NTSB. Did you all remember National Transportation Safety Board (without looking it up)?

53. Those, to Pedro : ESOS

54. Future atty.'s hurdle : LSAT. Law School Admission Test

55. Eye part : LENS

56. "CSI: NY" airer : CBS. Columbia Broadcasting System.

57. Microbrewery buy : ALE

58. Altercation : ROW (Not to be confused with what crews do, as in 45A.)

Answer grid.

TAFNF (That's all for now, folks!)

Marti

Note from C.C.:

Al is still snowed under with work and won't back to the blog until next April. I'm happy to announce that Marti will be our Thursday sherpa from now on. It takes time, dedication and focus to write an informative & entertaining post every week. I'm so grateful to Marti and my other blogging crew. Xie Xie!