(Note from C.C.: If you solve today's puzzle from Mensa or other ads-free websites that use the old format, your unifier will be: "Has a meal, and based on certain outer letters, what 17-, 24-, 30-, 46- and 53-Across each does". Those websites don't support circles. LA Times/Chicago Tribune websites do now.)
theme: staff of life
17A. One of Beethoven's 32 : PIANO SONATA. PITAbread. wikipedia says "... as a set they comprise one of the most important collections of works in the history of music."
24A. Rants and raves : RAISES CAIN. RAISIN bread. to 'raise cain' is to create an uproar.
30A. Social service item? : COFFEE URN. CORN bread.
46A. Proverbial nonexistent meal : FREE LUNCH. FRENCH bread.
53A. Place of central interest, man : WHERE IT'S AT. WHEAT bread.
65A. Has a meal, and as the circles show, what 17-, 24-, 30-, 46- and 53-Across each does : BREAKS BREAD
squeeze the circled letters together in each theme answer to form five kinds of bread.
melissa here. LOTSA arty words today, will let the music and pictures do most of the talking.
across
1. Tons o' : LOTSA
6. Blows, as a script line : FLUBS. oops.
11. Has permission : MAY
14. One may be passed around at a reunion : ALBUM. so many lines.
49. Davis who was married to Ruby Dee : OSSIE. They were married 57 years, and as civil rights activists received many honors, including the Kennedy Center Honors. Davis delivered the eulogy of Malcolm X. Ossie died in 2005, Ruby is 90 years old.
52. "Collages" author Anaïs : NIN
57. Dog in the FDR Memorial : FALA. according to wikipedia, "the only dog so honored."
61. Hang up the gloves : RETIRE
62. Hollered : SHOUTED
64. Slick-whistle connector : AS A.
68. Chi follower : PSI
69. Farsi speaker : IRANI. baleh.
70. Edible little sphere : OLIVE
71. Oeuf seasoning : SEL. french for egg and salt.
72. He bested Alexander in 1804 : AARON. burr and hamilton.
73. Fragrant compound : ESTER
down
1. Brain freeze : LAPSE
2. Jumbles : OLIOS
3. Snowboarders' aids : T-BARS
4. Venting car option : SUNROOF
5. Parisian possessive : AMOI
6. Apt name for a woman with a green thumb? : FLORA
7. Jeremy in the 2012 NBA's Rising Stars Challenge : LIN
8. Acting teacher Hagen : UTA. german-born actress and drama teacher. and 22. Creates some drama? : ACTS.
Theme: A bit of sugar, a pinch of salt AN' A GRAM make a 7 layer cake.
This puzzle has all kinds of layers, with six different iterations of the letters in GLARE the icing which holds the cake together. Mr. Collins is am active constructor who has published more than 60 NYT puzzles since beginning in 2006 and almost 20 in the LAT. We last saw him in his HOMES puzzle, and I did my first write up of the INVISIBLE MAN collaboration he had in October. The theme involves the straight solving of five starred clues which each have a single word fill; the final across entry as the reveal along with the grid spanning 7 down tell us we need anagrams of GLARE to pair with the starred fill to create the hidden answers. As discussed in his interview which I have linked before, Peter likes hiding things. His cluing is excellent, in this odd, difficult, but Mondayish grid with 78 words, only 63 open squares and lots of 3 and 4 letter fill. This did not make it easy, and I needed lots of work to get any traction.The theme did not help until the reveal. and even then, it was not a slam dunk. Some really interesting clechos as well.
let's get to work, with the unusual aspect of 1 across as a theme answer, but it is balanced with 73 across as the reveal. Symmetry.
1A. *Century maker : BUICK.(5) (REGAL). To me this is the odd clue out because both the answer and the anagram relate to the car company while the rest have different meanings when paired with the anagram.
23A. *Name of eight English kings : EDWARD (6).(ELGAR). You all know I loves me a good anagram almost as much as Jerome does, but this one almost did me in. The other came easily but this COMPOSERof Pomp and Circumstance and others was not in my brain. Ed VIII is the one who abdicated for the American Divorcee, Wallis Simpson and may have been a strong sympathizer with the NAZI government.
25A. *Engenders : FOSTERS (7). (LAGER). Hi Kazie. Make you feel like you are back in OZ? (0:15)
55A. *To whom Hamlet said, "O, I die" : HORATIO (7) (ALGER). The incredible popular AUTHOR of children's feel good books, who may also have been a pedophile.
60A. *Certain psychic : MEDIUM (6) (LARGE).The easiest of the GLARE anagrams.
and the two part unifier...
73A. Reason to wear shades (and a word for which you have to 7-Down to find a word, different in each case, that can follow a starred answer) : GLARE.(5).
7D. See 73-Across : CREATE AN ANAGRAM.(15).
Across:
6. Berlin beef? : ACH. This German exclamation of frustration was a difficult clue for a three letter fill even with the much favored alliteration.
9. They may be lost or frozen : WAGES. Another thoughht provoking clue/fill combo.
14. Ishikari Bay city : OTARU. Luckily we had this seaport back in early November.
15. Before, before : ERE. Finally, one I could fill with confidence!!!!
16. How holes are rarely made? : IN ONE. Lovely golf reference. The closest I ever came I used a 61D. Pitching wedge, e.g. : IRON. You could not see the hole because of huge sand trap in front, and when I saw it was 2" away....
17. Red Square honoree : LENIN. The controversy continues. LINK.
18. Title in a Shakespeare title : GENTLEMEN. Once upon a time there two of them in Verona.
20. Chair part : ARM. Leg also fits; why do we anthropomorphize the furniture?
21. Karmann ___: classic VW : GHIA. The school doctor had a silver one, and thought he was all that when I was away at high school.
24. [As written] : SIC. From the Latin meaning THUS.
27. Pageboys et al. : DOS. Hair dos, not like the NBC pages.
28. Down Under runners : EMUS. More from the Australia.
30. Banks of Chicago : ERNIE. Let's play two, great hitter and shortstop for the Cubs. Won MVP on last place team.
32. Suffragist Julia Ward ___ : HOWE. Most famous for her Civil War POEM, and the song, both of which were related to abolitionist, who also inspired 53D. "John Brown's Body" poet : BENET. Steven Vincent Benet wrote this Pulitzer prize winning narrative poem. BIO. Anyone seen LINCOLN?
34. Michigan, to Mitterand : ETAT. President Mitterand from France would call a state....
36. Tippler : DIPSOmaniac. An actual historic medical term for an alcoholic. Not related to the wonderfully wittily clued perpendicular 37D. What might involve reminiscing about old flames? : PYROMANIA.
40. Hindu teacher : SWAMI. Not.
42. Sajak sale : AN E. Johnny's first fame came when he replaced Edgar Bergen as the host of Who Do You Trust, a game show.
43. Arab League founding member : EGYPT.
44. Carpentry joint component : TENON. Our resident carpentry experts have waxed philosophic about this term in the...
45. History : PAST.
47. Many presidential periods : ERAS. Is the Bush Era over or is JEB coming on strong?
48. Joined a jam : SAT IN. Not trouble, not jelly but a musical JAM, Hit it JazzB.
50. Business opening : AGRObusiness. I cannot find any word other than AGRIBUSINESS, but do I pick a nit?
52. Kentucky Colonels' org. : ABA. American Basketball Association and home of the three point shot. They were a really Fun FRANCHISE. even if the clue is now obscure.
57. Glove box item : MAP.
62. Comes together : GELS. Which word came first, this or gelatin?
63. One-time link : AT A.
64. Seeing red? : IN ARREARS. A very nice clue from the accountants using red pencils to show losses.
66. Hues : TINTS.
68. Sombrero wearer : SENOR. and the clecho 69. Sombrero, e.g. : HAT.
70. Mark Twain, for one : ALIAS. Not just a nom de plume.
71. Emotionless : STONY. Her stony stare was unnerving.
72. Poehler of "Parks and Recreation" : AMY. She is divorcing her SNL and Parks co-star Will ARNETT.(4:41).
Down:
1. Hurled weapons : BOLAS. These have been around for centuries. LINK.
2. Development sites : UTERI. What a cute clue and timely for someone who has a new granddaughter. However, all my mind conjures are bad Groucho Marx images. "What a revolting development this." or "Does this place have womb service?" Close your eyes and hear his voice.
3. "Atonement" author : IAN McEWAN. This somewhat controversial British author is often clued for his Booker Prize for Amsterdam. Did anyone watch the MOVIE?(1:50)
4. Champagne shout : CRI. Just a French word.
5. Panda's skill, in a 2008 film : KUNG FU. Never watched THIS.(1:22).
6. Auspices : AEGIS. A nice word which lawyers like to use to earn their fees.
8. Egg source : HEN. More fertilization focus?
9. Carefree quality : WILD SIDE. Performed by Melrose Plant's favorite SINGER.
10. From the top : ANEW. The "A" word.
11. Snap : GO MAD.
12. Janvier, across the Pyranees : ENERO. last week and back again, Spanish January this timed paired with the French.
13. Elates : SENDS. A nice 50's word, ("Elvis really sends me.") that hangs on like HERE. (4:18).
19. Seagull relative : TERN. They always come in pairs because we all know a good tern deserves another.
22. It often winds up in a yard : HOSE. Winds up, get it! Really cute.
26. Some Deco works : ERTES. The most popular CW artist.
29. Office joggers : MEMOS. Jogging the memory not jiggling the jogger.
31. Alpine peak : EIGER. marti, how come I get to sanction this clue so often?
32. '40s-'50s D.C. initials : HST. Harry S. Truman. he had no middle name “S” but was given the initial as a tribute to both his maternal grandfather, Solomon Young, and his paternal grandfather, Anderson Shipp Truman. He never went to college, which these days would likely preclude him from being the President.
33. Have a mortgage : OWE. Closed 20 first time home buyer mortgages this month so far with 6 or 7 more to go. Fun.
35. South American forest dweller : TAPIR. The babies are cute.
38. Place to chill out : SPA. I actually sweat more there.
39. TDs may end them : OTS. Over Times in football.
41. Dashing, maybe : IN A HURRY. Nicely crafted clue, not Clark Gable, but someone who is late.
46. Follow : TAIL. Something for all you potential PI's or stalkers, this instructional VIDEO.(4:16)
49. Hefty volume : TOME. Weighty is more the common phrase.
51. Attend alone : GO STAG. As opposed to stag parties, or stag movies?
52. Screwy : AMISS. As good as a mile?
54. Hersey's "A Bell for ___" : ADANO. Another war related Pulitzer winning TOME.
56. Irritable : TESTY. We are almost through, not time to get testy.
58. Rose oil : ATTAR. Fragrance. I believe the word works for any of the flowery scents; that is my two cents worth.
59. Outmoded : PASSE. Is corny humor passé?
65. "Now I get it!" : AHA. Well it is about time, the puzzle is almost done. I hope you are feeling great as it would be terrible if you were....
67. Not well : ILL. Especially as we enter the holiday party time. Each year the list seems longer and starts earlier. Great if you like free food and booze, just be careful. I hope you all had some potato latkes, if not stop by and I will get them ready. Counting down to Charlotte's first airplane flight when they come south for the holidays. Thank you Mr. Collins for a fun work out and for the rest for reading and commenting. Only 2 more 2012 Fridays left.
Theme: HOMES - Testing to see if you remember the acronym mnemonic for a collection of U.S. freshwater lakes. - All the lakes are clued as non-lakes, all theme entries are symmetrically placed.
1A. Pennsylvania city of about 100,000 : ERIE
9A. Tribe also called the Wyandot : HURON. More info at Wikipedia.
20A. Motor City's state : MICHIGAN. The one lake not on the Canadian border.
37A. London's province : ONTARIO
54A. A cut above, with "to" : SUPERIOR. It is generally considered the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area.
64A. With 66-Across, one of five found in this puzzle : GREAT 66A. See 64-Across : LAKE
Argyle come back to earth here. If you had started with the reveal at the bottom of the puzzle this should have been a snap. Stacks in the corners and one theme entry in the middle produces a fine visual look. Some strong downs tie it together.
Across:
5. Fabled blue ox : BABE. Paul Bunyan, owner.
14. TV warrior princess : XENA
15. LAX postings : ARR's (arrivals)
16. Prefix with meter : ANEMO
17. Señorita's love : AMOR
18. Modernists, for short : NEOs. Opposite of paleo(from last Tuesday)
19. News anchor Connie : CHUNG
22. Striped zoo creatures : OKAPIs
23. Man, in Milan : UOMO. This one tripped me up.
24. Chili spice : CUMIN
26. Star footballer : ALL PRO
28. Emergency levee component : SANDBAG
32. Scottish hillside : BRAE
33. To the point : BLUNT
35. Where Mandela was pres. : RSA (Republic of South Africa)
36. Tonsillitis-treating MD : ENT. Ear,, Nose and Throat, Otolaryngologist didn't fit.
39. Medit. land : ISR. (Israel)
40. "C'est la __" : VIE
41. iPod button : PAUSE
42. Down Under greeting : G'DAY
43. Insistent words of affirmation : "YES, IT IS!"
45. Deal with a bare spot, perhaps : RESEED. Rogaine almost fit.
48. Selfless sort : GIVER
50. French cathedral city : METZ. A city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.
51. Job listing of a sort : RESUME
58. Two-time loser to Ike : ADLAI
59. Caesar's 107 : CVII and 65A. Caesar's being : ESSE
60. K thru 12 : ELHI. It's not going away.
61. Glowing signs : NEONS
62. Letters on a phone button : OPER (operator)
63. Scads : A LOT
Down:
1. Midterm, e.g. : EXAM
2. Do followers, scalewise : RE MI
3. Protects from disease : INOCULATES
4. Batting helmet opening : EAR HOLE
5. Orono, Maine, is a suburb of it : BANGOR
6. Surveyor's measure : AREA. Yes, I tried ACRE first.
7. Bucking horse : BRONC. Oh.
8. Start of summer? : ESS
9. Access illegally, as computer files : HACK INTO
10. "__ me, you villain!" : UNHAND
11. Agree to another tour : RE-UP
12. Former Atlanta arena : OMNI
13. Christmas quaffs : NOGS. Great with some Jack Daniels.
21. Holy terror : IMP
22. Gulf State resident : OMANI. The Gulf of Oman off of the Arabian Sea.
25. Loan shark : USURER
26. Immortal PGA nickname : ARNIE Palmer.
27. Thick : OBTUSE. Can be confused with OBESE but they are not mutually exclusive.
29. Control freak in a white dress : BRIDEZILLA. Great entry. The portmanteau wedding consultants bestow on brides who are particularly difficult and obnoxious.
30. Syrian leader : ASSAD. Bashar Hafez al-Assad.
31. "CSI: NY" actor Sinise : GARY. Lt. Dan to Forrest.
32. Bunch of beauties : BEVY
34. Andalusian article : LAS. Andalusia is former name of southern Spain.
Every
now and then you get a puzzle that appears to be daunting, but little
by slowly the pieces fall into place, and you can solve it. In the
past, I have been thwarted by Mr. Collins' grids, and this one was
looking bleak, too, but then I got my toe in the corner of the doorway,
and managed to push my way through to the end, under my personal time,
and without red-letter or Google help. Monster 10-letter triples in
each pinwheel, with two 12-letter "SQU" words climbing inside the grid;
5D.+ Beyond reproach : SQUEAKY CLEAN +
21D. Followed a caller : SQUARE-DANCED
And clechos, too~! - the ones with the "+" next to them
OnWaRd ~!!!
ACROSS:
1. Seller of beignets and éclairs : PATISSERIE
- had it not been for working on a drafting project for a pastry store
in Brooklyn, I would never have gotten this one. Forget about it being
French; but then I tried PTAS for organizers, 1D, and that was just
enough to trigger my memory
11. Women's medal-awarding Olympic sport since 1992 : JUDO
15. Men in dress clothes? : DRAG QUEENS + 33D.
16. "The Night Circus" author Morgenstern : ERIN - never heard of the story or author; each letter came via perps....my car is nick-named Erin, though
17. Reviewers of plays : ANNOUNCERS - sporting plays, that is
18. One on a catboat : MAST - one mast, not one person
19. "__ they all, all honourable men": "Julius Caesar" : SO ARE - Shakespeare
28. Wednesday relative : ITT - Addam's Family Characters, TV and Movie
31. Alaska is the only state without one : KMART - I had KM---, and thought, "well, that can't be right..."
34. Expected : USUAL
35. One of a G.I.'s three squares : MRE - Meals, Ready to Eat - "Three Hots and a Cot" - or is that prison?
36. River near Vicksburg : YAZOO - map no, your eyes are not getting worse....
37. Auto repair franchise : AAMCO - remember the ads? Double A, [beep-beep], M-C-O
38. Pecan, e.g. : PIE - not NUT
39. Turntable feature : CHANGER - very vague, but what can you do?
41. Prefix with laryngology : OTOlaryngology - normally seen here at the blog as "ENT", the Ear, Nose and Throat doctor
42. Trumpet : EXTOL - the verb
44. Dig deeply : ADORE - the 'hip' version of 'dig'
45. Zoning class. : RES.idential
- anyone a fan of Sim City? I love the game; it has three types of
zoning; residential, commercial, and industrial...guess which one
generates the most pollution?
46. "Mystery, Alaska" star : CROWE - Russell, in the hockey movie
47. Golf unit : ROUND - a shout-out to our own Husker G....must be getting cold on those early AM rounds
48. City east of Utrecht : EDE - map; just like it says - east of Utrecht
49. Brief time out? : CATNAP
51. Color on San Jose Shark uniforms : TEAL - Hockey team; won't be needing uniforms or gear any time soon...
53. Dave DeBusschere was its last commissioner: Abbr. : ABA - not attorneys, but basketball
54. Expos, now : NATS - the Nationals - I defer to our beloved baseball Boomer girl, C.C. for more (C.C.: The Expos became the Nats in 2005. Today's constructor Peter Collins is a Tigers fan.)
57. Like some sour cream : NO FAT - tried LO-FAT to start
61. OPEC units : BBLS
- the often discussed, but never really cleared up, abbreviation for barrels;
we have gone over this before; same with carburetors, too.
63. Do a steno's job : TRANSCRIBE
66. Place : LIEU
67. Rapscallion : HOLY TERROR - nice
68. Infinitive with a circumflex : ÊTRE - the diacritical mark over the "E"
69. One with a passing interest? : SPEED DEMON - Aaargh~!!! Please, people, do not cruise in the fast lane - is this just a NY thing?
DOWN: 1. Some organizers : PDAs - Personal Data Assistants, not Parent/Teacher Associations
4. Former Russian foreign minister Ivanov et al. : IGORs - well, I had the "I", sooo....
6. Item on Argentina's flag : SUN - Anyone remember Match II ~?
7. Continental trade gp. : EEC - more here for those interested in the European Economic Community
8. Pilot's hazard : REEF - if you've already ditched the plane in the drink, I would think that a reef is the least of your concerns....oh, a boat pilot - never mind
9. About : IN RE - not AS TO
10. Word comprising 60% of itself : ESSES - great clue; 3/5ths of the letters, or 60% are "S"
11. Scout's brother, in a Harper Lee novel : JEM - "To Kill a Mockingbird"
55. Rays' home field, familiarly, with "The" : TROPicana Stadium - I got this one, C.C.~!
56. Pitcher's goal : SALE
58. Solid : FIRM
59. Bug follower? : ABOO - Bug-a-boo
62. Boy who fought his father in a 1969 hit : SUE - Johnny Cash - link away~!
64. Emmy-winning scientist : NYE - Bill Nye, the science guy
65. Kind of time: Abbr. : STD - Standard, which arrives this November; at this point, I think we need to do away with "Daylight Saving Time" altogether
