Monday June 18th, 2018 Peter A. Collins

Theme: FOREIGN LANGUAGE ( 37. What's left when you remove the first and last letters of the answers to starred clues)

20A. *Indiana university: PURDUE. Urdu.

22A. *Thin metallic layer: PLATING. Latin.

53A. *Raucous party: SHINDIG. Hindi.

56A. *Uniform top: JERSEY. Erse.

Boomer here.

The theme feels thin today. But the candidates are limited to start with.  Spent most of the weekend watching the U.S. Open golf tournament on TV.  I really don't care to see the best players in the world make double bogeys. My playing buddies and I make double bogeys all the time.  The difference being that we don't have some idiot yelling "Go in the hole" after every tee shot.  I don't mind that the rough is ankle high or there are ten bunkers around every green.  Accuracy is a must in golf.  But greens are the target.  Why make the surfaces of greens the consistency of my driveway?  Anyway, hats off to Brooks Koepka for his stellar performance !

Across:

1. "See ya!": TA TA.

5. Potato chip, to Mr. Chips: CRISP.

10. Barbershop singer: BASS.  We had two bass levels in my high school glee club.  I was a second bass.  But in baseball I played center field.  We also have bass in our Minnesota lakes.  Let's see, probably at least 200 bass each in 10,000 lakes, that's 2 million fish.

14. Israel's Abba: EBAN. This could be a forbidden use of e cigs, those nasty vapor things.

15. Book of maps: ATLAS.  Charles Atlas course, Roy Rogers horse and only the shadow knows.  Ah do you remember those...(Statler Brothers)

16. Shoot out: EMIT.

17. Classic theater name: ROXY.

18. Alabama march city: SELMA.Think of all the hate there is in Red China!

Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama!

Ah, you may leave here, for four days in space,

But when your return, it's the same old place,

We survived the eve of destruction.

19. Caesar's cover-up: TOGA. Get one for the party at Animal House, Delta Tau Chi!

24. Water vapor: STEAM.

25. Hex: WHAMMY.

27. Pacific cyclone: TYPHOON. I'll take their word for it.  I think we call them hurricanes in the US.

29. Yesterday's hit: OLDIE.  Oldie but a goodie.  But that was yesterday, and yesterday's gone.  Yes, I watch some of those Pat Boone, Time Life half hour commercials, but I have not purchased.

33. "Aladdin" monkey: ABU.

35. Museum filler: ART. Mr. Garfunkel

36. Sanctify with oil: ANOINT.

41. Yearly records: ANNALS.

42. Choice from a tap, for short: IPA.  This is an acronym for some kind of India beer.  I had to Google it to learn.

43. "If I Ruled the World" rapper: NAS.

44. Vermouth name: ROSSI. They make Vermouth and Wine.  You may make a martini after you finish this puzzle.

45. Employed full time: ON STAFF.

48. "You convinced me": I AGREE.

50. Shelter resident: POOCH. A pooch can be a small dog.  However in the NFL it is a kick that goes about 20 yards to avoid a threatening returner like Pharoh Cooper.

57. On the wall, as art: HUNG.

58. Home of the NBA's Heat: MIAMI.  Used to be pretty good when they had LeBron

61. Meat safety org.: USDA.

62. Caesar's surprised words: ET TU.  Brutus to Caesar "How many eggs did you have for breakfast, Caesar ?" Caesar - "Et Tu Brute"

63. Fruit served in balls: MELON. We just serve it in squares and triangles.  It tastes great, and doesn't roll off your plate.

64. Cross paths: MEET.

65. "__ Fiction": 1994 Tarantino film: PULP. Never saw it.  Not a big fan of John Travolta.

66. County near London: ESSEX.

67. Part of DOS: Abbr.: SYST.

Down:

1. U. of Maryland team: TERPS. A Terrapin is a sort of turtle.  Heckuva name for a football or basketball team.  Almost as bad as Gophers!  Maryland joined the Big 10 a few years ago.  I think there are 14 schools in the Big Ten, so four of them must be small. Sorry, Husker Gary, Nebraska is not small. A welcome competitor.

2. Close to: ABOUT.

3. Spring onslaught at the IRS: TAX RETURNS.  Interesting name.  I pay income tax every Spring, but so far, none of it has ever been returned.

4. Soon: ANY DAY.

5. Beer purchase: CASE.

6. 66, for one: Abbr.: RTE. So famous even a Northern lad has heard of this famous highway, although I don't think I have ever traveled it.  It runs from Chicago through St. Louis, OK City, Albuquerque and on into Los Angeles.  I think there was a famous TV show with Martin Milner about Rte. 66

7. Sick: ILL. Chicago may be ILL.

8. Chinese watercraft: SAMPAN.

9. One starts, "The Lord is my shepherd": PSALM.

10. Pig-tailed Muppet: BETTY LOU.

11. Mine, in France: A MOI.

12. "__ on the dotted line": SIGN.  I have not seen a dotted line to sign on, Has anyone?  Most lines are ______________

13. Buck: STAG.  We used to call these parties where you don't bring a date.

21. One working at home?: UMP.  Some of these guys get a theatrical kick out of calling strike three.  I can't stand it.  No one goes to a ball game to see an Umpire, (except maybe his Mom.)

23. In a crowd of: AMONG.

25. Unlike new clothes: WORN.  Also unlike our driveway.

26. Crisis telephone: HOTLINE.

28. Some Halloween figures: HAGS.  "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too" 

30. "Gorillas in the Mist" author: DIAN FOSSEY. 46. Subject for 30-Down: APE.  In the funny papers - Alley Oop

31. "Young Frankenstein" role: INGA.

32. Cézanne's summers: ETES.  Maybe we could get ETES at IHOb.

33. Way, way off: AFAR.

34. U2 frontman: BONO.  I prefer a clue of Cher's Hubby - I got you babe!

36. Vet school subj.: ANAT.

38. Relaxing, as restrictions: EASING UP.

39. Trojan War epic: ILIAD.  I think this was written by Homer.  Maybe when "All Rise" Judge hits one out, John Sterling can call "It is high, it is far...ILIAD"

40. Church area behind an altar: APSE.

45. Bacchanalian revelries: ORGIES.

47. Discussion platforms: FORUMS.

49. "I wannit!": GIMME. "a head with hair, long beautiful hair, shining gleaming, streaming, flaxen waxen",  Did I mention I do Karaoke

51. Surrenders formally: CEDES.  Don't give up, we're almost done.

52. Marriott alternative: HYATT.  Both are a bit pricey.

53. "George of the Jungle" elephant: SHEP. Shep was an original Stooge, see below.  I think he was replaced by Curly.

54. Native Rwandan: HUTU.  Heard on the basketball court.  "Throw the Ball" "HU TU ?"

55. IHOP's "I," originally: Abbr.: INTL. IHOP has become IHOb now.  Have a burger with your pancakes??

56. Hex: JINX.

59. Baseballers Kaline and Rosen: ALS. I am privileged to have watched Al Kaline play a few games against the Twins at Metropolitan Stadium

60. Head Stooge: MOE. Larry, and my favorite "Curly".  I had a bowling teammate named Carl and we called him Curly.  But he wasn't a stooge.

Boomer

Saturday, Aug 5th, 2017, Peter A. Collins

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing J,Q,Z)

Blocks: 26

  We have not seen a Saturday construction from Mr. Collins since 2013; his most recent LA Times contribution was a Thursday puzzle this past June; that last Saturday grid was in June, as well.  I looked over my review from that one, and wrote that I had trouble with the long answers, but not the proper names.  This time, I breezed through the long answers, but got stuck on the shorter ones.  Imagine that.  The grids, however, are similar, with a non-intimidating look, the long fills on the 'inside', and triple 10-letter corners no so easy to parse in the Down.  Some of the longer fill;

17. Layoff order? : "DON'T START IN ON ME~!" - my attitude at UPS lately

51. Words shouted out an open window : "LEARN HOW TO DRIVE~!" - yes, I am good for this - along with HANG UP THE Fkn PHONE~!!!

Or this one~?

7. Giving up the ball after a fake punt, say, in football lingo : TURN OVER ON DOWNS - timely clue/answer - I saw pre-season football on TV this Thursday~!

On Wed.~!(8/9)

ACROSS:

1. Part of the back forty : ACRE - for some reason I thought "back forty" was related to the states after the original colonies (hence my first thought being UTAH); in a sense, I was right - see here

5. Genghis Khan subject : TATAR - ah, as in a member of the lower class, not "a" class

10. Go after, as flies : SHAG - I had SNAG.  Shag~?  Yeah, baby, yeah~!

14. Words of self-pity : I'M A FAILURE

16. One heading for the cape? : TORO - my first fill was KENT, as in Clark, on his way to becoming Superman

19. Remnant : END

20. Water carriers : MAINS - I tried EWERS; this is a clever clue for the pipes of a city system

21. Rooney and Griffith : ANDYS

22. "Haven't the foggiest" : DUNNO

23. Calligraphy problems : SMEARS - knew what we were looking for, pondered SMUDGE(s)

24. Law school course : ETHICS

27. Area between highlands : VALE

29. Word whose meaning can be the same when read backward : PAT - and the reverse, TAP, which makes a very clever clue

30. Take the wrong way? : POACH - got it, but had STEAL to start

31. ADHD drug : DEXEDRINE - no clue, filled via perps, WAGed the "R" (tho it made sense)

33. Triangle relationship : SINE

34. Removed a cylinder from, maybe : CORED - kept thinking about car engines at first

35. Kurylenko of "Quantum of Solace" : OLGA - I know her well

36. Like throwbacks : OLD SCHOOL

38. Reacted to a call at home, maybe : BOOED - baseball fans

39. Came together : MET

40. Notable feature of Africa : HORN

41. Father's changing room : VESTRY - after the third look at this clue, I realized the father here refers to a priest.  A-ha~!

42. Plug : STOP UP - hah~!  I was looking for a "PITCH" like a sales campaign

44. Like "The Age of Reason" doctrine : DEIST

46. One of Israel's 12 tribes : ASHER

47. Vermouth name : ROSSI

48. Took : WON

54. Go south : TANK

55. Compilation publication since 1984 : UTNE READER

56. Factory regs. : STDs -the factory standard table for the back of an Airstream trailer does not work with reclining chairs, so my landlord's buddy who was in town for two weeks asked me to build him a custom one....

57. 30% of essentials : ESSES - hey, D-Otto, he does math like us~!

58. Proceed : WEND

DOWN:

1. Hamilton, to General Washington : AIDE

2. "What are you waitin' for?' : C'MON

3. Author born Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum : RAND - first (pseudo) name AYN

4. Baby newt : EFT

5. Cronus and Rhea, e.g. : TITANS

6. Harlem Renaissance writer Locke : ALAIN - filled via perps

8. Word in many degrees : ARTS

9. Outdoor gear giant : REI - seen this one before, so I have gotten used to it

10. Georgia's __ Mountain : STONE

11. Acura MDX relative : HONDA PILOT - my first "long answer" fill, and I was on a roll

12. Elite military member : ARMY RANGER

13. Sees only one person : GOES STEADY

15. To the same degree : AS MUCH - I had AS WELL to start

18. Called : NAMED

22. Does a kitchen job : DICES

23. Dog follower : SLED - oops, not STAR

24. Bath additive : EPSOM SALTS - I have added this to my bath in the past

25. Head rest? : TOILET SEAT - clever, but I got it from --ILE----T

26. Like some combat : HAND-TO-HAND

28. Winter Olympics maneuver : AXEL

31. Word with front or pocket : DOOR - my bathroom has a pocket door, and I just finished helping a friend frame out and trim his new bathroom pocket door

32. Stick in a cage : ROOST - the noun, not the verb

34. Martial arts move : CHOP

37. Agitate : CHURN

38. Not relevant to : BESIDE

41. Shade providers at golf clubs : VISORS - I like the trees that line the courses I play for shade; Cedars has more trees than Sandy Pond.  My golfing buddy Fred just invested $700 in a set of clubs - I was a little more frugal, and spent $42 on a pull cart from eBay.

43. Exec's extras : PERKS - first thought, second guessed; I was thinking we need an abbr. because of exec

45. Competitor of Helena : ESTÉE - got it.  Upon reading both Wiki pages, they had quite a lot in common; Lauder; and Rubenstein

47. Breaks down : ROTS - the answer I was thinking we were looking for at 54a.

48. Off the mark : WIDE - not AWRY

49. Rising spot : OVEN - ah, not EAST

50. Stereotypical techie : NERD

52. Tangerine or peach : HUE - obviously FRUIT was not going to fit, and I had the "E" already

53. Unadulterated : RAW - so why is an "Adult" film considered "RAW", too~?

Splynter

Thursday, June 22 2017 Peter A. Collins

Theme: Office Space - Four corners, four varieties of offices - as the reveal succinctly explains:

38A. With 41-Across, corporate status symbol ... and a hint to the circled letters : CORNER

41A. See 38-Across : OFFICE

Four corners, four offices and two paired reveals across the center. The four offices are clockwise from noon: HOME, TICKET, POST and OVAL. Quite lovely. A couple of years ago I tried to construct a circle puzzle based on OFFICE in an oval shape. I messed around with that idea for way too long and then abandoned it. Peter went in another direction and nailed it.

A "hidden" theme like this is extremely hard to pull off. Kudos to Peter for that - and let's see what else jumps out.

Across:

1. Sheepish? : OVINE. Bugger. Why do I always confidently go with USINE which has nothing to do with sheep? First misstep at 1A. Go Steve! Now this is a thing of beauty! Those border collies are quite amazing,

6. Seeks information : ASKS. "Excuse me, what is the descriptive adjective for sheep?"

10. Wave back? : ECHO. Nice. Was playing with EVAW for a while.

14. Fashion flap : LAPEL

15. Eliza Doolittle's creator : SHAW. George Bernard. "Pygmalion" and thence "My Fair Lady". The wonderful Audrey Hepburn.

16. Noah's firstborn : SHEM. Confidently tried SETH first. That didn't help a lot.

17. __ blank (was stumped) : DREW A

18. Big East hoopster : HOYA. If you'd have told me 25 years ago I'd even know that there was a thing called College Basketball I'd have been stumped. 25 years later, not even a thought about the Georgetown U athletics program.

19. One of many on a sweater? : PORE. Great clue. That was me yesterday at my periodontist. Google British Dentisty 1960's and you'll know why my pores were getting a workout. My first dentist (I was five years old) drilled my teeth with a foot-treadle-operated drill and no anesthetic. This was way before Novocaine was available.

20. Headshot, e.g. : PIC

21. Rapper-turned-actor in "NCIS: Los Angeles" : LL COOL J

24. Tiny, made tinier : LIL. Rapper designate also. 'Sup, Cool J?

25. Collect : REAP. As ye sow. so ye shall reap ....

27. Cake grain : OAT ... cake grain? No thanks, I'm inventing vodka!

28. Decadent : EFFETE

30. Perceived Hollywood oversight : OSCAR SNUB. Loved this. Unhappy that Daniel Day Lewis decided this week to hang up his boots. What a fantastic actor. Never snubbed.

33. Gold standard : KARAT

34. Univ. aides : TAS

35. Luau fare : POI. FOOD! It's really good if it's made well. That's a big caveat.

37. Joyful dances : JIGS

43. Hindu title : RANI

44. Modeled for a portrait : SAT

46. See 54-Across : OUT. Cross-reference haters rejoice! Here's one with the second word first! Have at it in the comments section!

47. Tennyson's "__ Arden" : ENOCH. Crosses all the way.

49. Character who debuted in "First Blood" : JOHN RAMBO. I can never remember his first name.

54. With 46-Across, quit working : CONKED. See 46A. Personally, I like it.

56. Fam. member : REL. We say "relation" here. Brits say "relative". Discuss.

57. Spotted : SEEN

58. Terminate : END

59. Genuine, for real : SYNONYM. LOVED this clue. I wish I was so original when I'm cluing a crossword.

62. Bloke : LAD

63. "Rich men sin, and __ root": "Timon of Athens" : I EAT. Obscure? Yes. Gettable with crosses? Yes.

65. Princes, but not princesses : SONS

66. Advice to sinners : ATONE. Not "Don't be a knucklehead and don't it again"? That would be my advice before starting the whole atonement process.

68. __ stick : POGO

69. "Beetle Bailey" pooch : OTTO

70. Slice-and-dice product suffix : -MATIC. Don't. REALLY don't. REALLY DON'T order anything from the TV called -MATIC anything. Period.

71. Crimean War leader : TSAR

72. Lamp gas : NEON

73. Walter White's Pontiac model in "Breaking Bad" : AZTEK Easily one of the ugliest cars designed - ever.

Down:

1. Hardly a neophyte : OLD PRO

2. Fluctuates : VARIES

3. Emetic drug : IPECAC. Completely ineffective and, as it transpires, quite dangerous.

4. Never used : NEW

5. Airline since 1948 : EL AL. "To the skies" et al. Sorry, I meant el al.

6. Rubbish bin : ASH CAN. Do we have these anymore? Genuine question.

7. Have a growth spurt : SHOOT UP

8. Drop to the canvas : KAYO. Variations on Knock Out, KO or crosswordese KAYO. Sorry, didn't like this.

9. Marshy hollow : SWALE. I'm not seeing this. A marsh is flat, wet and reedy. A swale is a lovely dry haven in a meadow. Ne'er the twain shall meet.

10. Mentalist's gift : ESP

11. Ill-tempered : CHOLERIC. Word of the day.

12. Ancestry : HERITAGE. Wine style of the day: Meritage. C'mon, I have to get my food/wine hat on sometimes!

13. Morning orders : OMELETS. Food! Mushrooms, cheddar cheese, spinach. Thank you.

22. Setbacks : LOSSES

23. 35th pres. : JFK

26. Indy racer Danica or sportscaster Dan : PATRICK. I watch the Dan Patrick Show most mornings on NBC Sports. Dan has a life-sized stand-up of Danica in his studio. There was an ongoing debate about whether it was Danica, or a stock model of a guy with Danica's face Photoshop'ed onto it, due to the size of the hands. The jury was out - either it was Danica, who has "Man Hands", or it was a Photoshop fake. Very entertaining.

29. Sizzling Tex-Mex dish : FAJITAS. Food! SoCal favorite.

31. Conducted : RAN

32. Didn't say __: had no comment : BOO

36. Words of regret : IF ONLY

38. Camera named for a goddess : CANON EOS. I gave my daughter one for Christmas one year, I made sure it worked first, She almost didn't get it.

39. Five Nations tribe : ONONDAGA. Thank you, crosses

40. "The Big Bang Theory" astrophysicist : RAJ. Thank you, crosses, I know this is a show I should have watched but .....

42. Pelt : FUR

43. Register printout : RECEIPT

45. Home city of Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper : TORONTO. One of those two better be syndicating the LA Times puzzle, or there will be trouble, eH? Don't have any doot aboot it. Canadian Eh! may need to mediate..

48. Cock and bull : HES. Masculine plural - wasn't sure how to punctuate it, so you get it in the raw form.

50. Muppet master : HENSON

51. Giant in Cooperstown : MEL OTT

52. Small cap : BEANIE

53. Next up : ON DECK. Lemonade, tomorrow

55. Bagless vacuum pioneer : DYSON. I love how he sounds so British. And all balls, too.

60. Staff member? : NOTE

61. Crib cry : MA-MA

64. Craggy peak : TOR

67. Tornadic Looney Tunes spinner : TAZ

It's been a long day, so I'm done (put a fork in me) . Grid below. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Thursday. Those of you in tornado territory - be careful. Those of you in insanely hot territory - look after yourselves.

Steve

Thursday, May 21, 2015 Peter A. Collins

Theme: "Deal Me In!"

Without the reveal, I had no clue what the theme might be. So let's start with that:
69-Across. Poker request, and a literal hint to what's hidden in the answers to the starred clues : ANTE UP.

Aha!  All of the starred clues were "down" answers. And you can find ANTE climbing "up" the grid in each one, like 3-Down. *Cold War fleet :
S
O
V
I
E
T
N
A
V
Y.

10-Down. *Honey and Boo Boo, e.g. : PET NAMES. I was thinking along the line of bears!

27-Down. *Wings eaters' aids : WET-NAPS.

31-Down. *Austroasiatic language : VIETNAMESE. The language family has nothing to do with Austria. In Latin "austro" means "south."

39-Down. *Prepare for a bath : GET NAKED. And then?


Across

1. GM car buyer's option : ONSTAR.  Love it when I fill in 1A immediately.

7. Make more powerful, with "up" : SOUP. Anyone else want "beef"?

11. White lie : FIB.

14. Illinois River city : PEORIA.

15. "Gift From the Sea" author __ Morrow Lindbergh : ANNE.

16. Milk : USE.

17. Go back : REVERT.

18. Not quite closed behind you : LEFT AJAR.

20. Foreman foe : ALI.

21. She played TV's Maude : BEA. Arthur.

23. Food processor job : MINCING.

24. Serengeti scavenger : HYENA.

26. Try to hit : SWAT AT.

28. Turn to the right, say? : TIGHTEN. "Right-y tight-y, left-y loose-y."

30. Chess activity : MOVES.

34. Tailless cat : MANX. They are named after the Isle of Man.

36. Poetry or painting : ART.

37. Published in installments : SERIAL.

38. George's lyrical brother : IRA. The brothers Gershwin.

39. Strangers' exchanges : GLANCES. As good an excuse as I will ever get to link Ol' Blue Eyes. 2:04

41. Important time period : ERA.

42. Protective embankments : LEVEES.

44. "So it was you!" : AHA!

45. Work meas. : FT. LB. Foot pound.

46. "Cat got your tongue?" : SAY IT.

47. East Lansing athlete : SPARTAN.

49. Banded rock : GNEISS.

51. Easy __ : AS ABC. Had to check perps before deciding on "pie" or ABC.

54. Pub pick : PALE ALE.

57. Jan. honoree : MLK. Martin Luther King.

59. Stain : MAR.

60. Dancing style that went viral on YouTube in 2013 : TWERKING.

62. Mocha resident : YEMENI.

64. Studio creation : SET.

65. Poet __ St. Vincent Millay : EDNA.

66. Cooks slowly : ROASTS.

67. Crown installer: Abbr. : DDS. AHA! Saturday we had DMD.  DDS is more Thursday-friendly, I guess.

68. Poker request : DEAL.


Down

1. Angel Network charity founder : OPRAH.

2. Hockey Hall of Famer Cam : NEELY. Gimme - he played for the Boston Bruins, and is now president of that organization.

4. Square root of nove : TRE. Italian "three."

5. Auto safety device : AIRBAG.

6. Give a star, perhaps : RATE.

7. See 61-Down : SAL. 61-Down. With 7-Down, Hayworth title role, with "My" : GAL. From 1942.

8. Like some bands : ONE MAN.

9. Out of shape : UNFIT.

11. McIntosh alternative : FUJI. Duh!  The edible apples, not computers.

12. "This __ outrage!" : IS AN.

13. Baffin Bay sight : BERG.

19. Matthew Fox or Peter Coyote : ACTOR. They sound like they could be in the book "Wind in the Willows," along with Mr. Toad and Mr. Badger.

22. Latin stars : ASTRA.

25. Put the kibosh on : NIX.

29. Dutch portraitist Frans : HALS. A master of portraiture.

32. Countess' husband : EARL.

33. Big chunk : SLAB.

34. Wire units : MILS.

35. House painter's calculation : AREA.

37. Char : SEAR.

40. Great divide : CHASM.

43. Peak in an Eastwood film : EIGER. "The Eiger Sanction." 1975.

45. Scale fourths : FAs. After do, re and mi. Want to learn all about solmization?

47. Earth pigment : SIENNA.

48. Tangle with : TAKE ON.

50. Say "prob'ly," say : ELIDE.

52. African language group : BANTU.

53. Like new bills : CRISP.

54. VA concern : PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

55. Gobsmacked : AWED. Great word, "gobsmacked."

56. Al Green's "__ Stay Together" : LET'S.  Great classic love song, but I already linked one today...

58. Harp constellation : LYRA.

63. Yoga __ : MAT. Ommmmm....


...mmmmMarti

Wednesday, February 11, 2015 Peter A. Collins

Theme: "WHY, WHY?" you wonder.  Let us consult the WISE MEN.   I'll defer the complete explanation till we get to the unifier.

17 A. *Motown Records founder : BERRY  GORDY.    Yeah, I wanted BARRY.  From back when Motown was a thing.  You can read his interesting story here.

24. A *Cubs broadcaster known for singing along with "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch : HARRY CARAY.   Iconic baseball announcer.    Hard to believe he's been gone for 17 years.

52 A. *"That'll Be the Day" singer : BUDDY HOLLY.   Charles Hardin Holley, died in a plane crash in 1959.

Some bitter irony in these lyrics

62 A. *Longtime "60 Minutes" closer : ANDY ROONEY.   Purveyor of whimsical satire on trivial every-day issues.

3 D. *"The [52-Across] Story" Oscar nominee : GARY BUSEY.

Corrupting the very foundation of America

35 D. *"Football Night in America" analyst : TONY DUNGY.  Also the very successful head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008.

Wiki

And the unifier:  39. Biblical trio ... and a homophonic hint to the answers to starred clues : WISE MEN.  The Christian Bible does not name them, but they are traditionally considered to be Caspar, Balthazar, and Melchior.  As you are probably aware, these names sound nothing like those in the theme fill, so we'll have to look in another direction for our homophone.  Let's see -- what sounds like WISE?  WhY are You looking at me that waY?    AHA! That's it - the plural of the letter Y, the terminal letter for each theme guY's first and last name.  Are these Y'S MEN noted for their wisdom, or are they just WISE guYs?   You be the judge.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here, not feeling particularly WISE with all the trouble I had sussing this theme.  With 6 theme names and a unifier, this is extraordinarily thematically rich.  Let's see how the rest of this puzzle rolls

Down

1. Audio problem : LAG.      AKA Latency.   The time gap between responses in a remote live broadcast.   Ideal is under 10 milliseconds.

4. Finish paying a bill, perhaps : LOG OFF.   If you do your financial transactions on line.

10. Controlled : CALM. Not a common condition while watching sporting events.

14. Radio host Glass : IRA.  This American Life on NPR.

15. Ethically indifferent : AMORAL.   He just don't care.

Amoral Amphibian is refugee from MI

16. Adidas rival : AVIA.   Sports shoes.

19. Baptismal basin : FONT.   To wash away sins.

20. Spanish royalty : REYES.

21. Oceanic reflux : EBB TIDE.   Reflux threw me.  Could this be the result of acid rain?

 For slow close dancing

23. Jessica of "Dark Angel" : ALBA.    She got her start on this TV show.

Uncomfortable Heroine 

27. Mental grasp : UPTAKE.

29. McCain or McCaskill: Abbr. : SENator.  Not a shared name this time, but a common title.

30. Tummy muscles : ABS.   ABdominalS.

Low Body Fat

32. Circular gasket : O-RING

 Can you find the one die cut flat gasket?

34. Time at the inn : STAY.   Overnight, breakfast included.

38. Shad eggs : ROE.   This presumed delicacy is the egg sack from an otherwise useless fish; and it is akin to a mouthful of fishy-tasting grit. It is only available in April at Joe Muir's and it's not on the menu.  You have to ask for it.  I made the mistake of doing that once.

Every bit as appetizing as it looks

42. Have a mortgage, e.g. : OWE.  I OWE, I OWE, so off to work I go.

43. Send to the canvas : KAYO.  Knock Out.

45. Graceful swimmers : SWANS.

Grace

46. Pull down : NET.  Earn, so to speak.  NET profits = revenues - expenses.

47. Dorm monitors, briefly : RA'S.   Resident AssistantS.

50. Windpipe, e.g. : AIRWAY.  Important step in CPR is to make sure the AIRWAY is clear.

56. Grand Forks locale: Abbr. : North DAKota.

59. "It's finally clear to me" : I SEE NOW.  At last.  Slow on the UPTAKE?

60. Accustom : INURE.  I associate this with becoming accustomed to something unpleasant.

61. Sushi option : TUNA.   Pick your fish

66. Follow, or follower : TAIL.  To follow is to TAIL; the follower is a TAIL. If you pay someone to follow somebody again is that a retail RETAIL?

67. Listen to, as a podcast : TUNE IN.

68. Bearded beast : GNU.

I've got gnus for you

69. Suburban street liners : ELMS.  In those halcyon days of yore.  Are there any left?

70. Physical jerks : SPASMS.   Brief involuntary muscle contractions.

Do these physical jerks suffer from SPASMS?

71. Blather : YAP.    Running on at the mouth.

 Down

 1. Heavenly scales : LIBRA.   Astrology.

Balance?

2. Spinning : AREEL.   Clear enough, I guess, but in a brief search I couldn't find a definition or anything on usage.

4. Big name in chips : LAYS.  Computers?   Poker accessories?

Crunchy snacks

5. Texter's "Unbelievable!" : O.M.G.  Oh My Gosh/Golly/Goodness.  Does that cover it?

6. Icky stuff : GOO.   Oh my GOO?   That can't be right.

7. Rink legend Bobby : ORR.    One of hockey's all time greats.

His Story

8. Sound system control : FADER.   A device for varying sound [or light] intensity.

9. Spacecraft data-collection passes : FLY BYs.    A flight past a target point to gather information.

10. Lounging robes : CAFTANS.

 The mysterious Verys

11. To have, in Le Havre : AVOIR.   All perps.  French.

12. Lavin or Blair : LINDA.   Here is where they share the name.   A pair of actors.   One was the eponymous ALICE of the TV series, and the other was the demon posses child in The Exorcist.

13. Swabby's chum : MATEY.   Sea slang.  Swabby's obese chum is a vast MATEY.

18. Gather : REAP.  AS a harvest.

22. Abbr. in ancient dates : B.C.E.   Before the Common Era.   Our high school memories aren't that ancient.

24. Mata __ : HARI.    "Margaretha Geertruida "Margreet" Zelle MacLeod (7 August 1876 – 15 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari, was a Frisian exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy and executed by firing squad in France under charges of espionage for Germany during World War I."

25. Words before and after "is still" in "As Time Goes By" : A KISS.

Sam Played It

26. Time extension? : RENEWAL.   Extending a subscription to Time magazine.

28. Garage service : TOW.

30. Storied vessel : ARK.  Noah's big boat.

31. Flapper's wrap : BOA.   A decorative feathery scarf.

 Retro

33. Google Apps component : G-MAIL.

36. Knock the socks off : AWE.    O.M.G level impression.

37. Still : YET.

40. Professor 'iggins : 'ENRY.     My Fair Lady.

41. Sydney is its cap. : NSW.  New South Wales, Australia.

44. Tough times : ORDEALS.   Things to become UNURED to.

48. Writer Rand : AYN.  The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged.

49. Young pigs : SHOATS.

51. Latin word on a cornerstone : ANNO.   The year of construction.

52. Please, in Potsdam : BITTE.

53. Same as always : USUAL.

54. Jeans material : DENIM.  Blue pants fabric.   And, a homophone clecho  ---

63. Genes material : DNA.   DeoxyriboNucleic Acid.   The stuff of life.

55. Come clean : OWN UP.   I couldn't suss this expression as a kid.  I guess you need to own your actions.

57. Place for matches : ARENA.  Sporting event venue.

58. Light a fire under : KEY UP.

60. Charged atoms : IONS.

64. "I'm listening" : YES.  I'm all ears.

65. Grand Canyon viewing spot : RIM.

Watch your step

Well, that was a fine Wednesday with some great musical interludes.   Now I hope you all know Y. 

Cool regards!

JzB

 

 

Tuesday, November 25, 2014 Peter A. Collins

Theme: Joltin' Joe - A puzzle about Joe on his 100th birthday.

18. 1967 song that asks, "Where have you gone, 60-Across?" : MRS. ROBINSON

24. Nickname for 60-Across, with "The" : YANKEE CLIPPER. He played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees.

36. With 39- and 40-Across, length of 60-Across' record hitting streak : FIFTY, 39A. : SIX. 40A. : GAMES

52. 60-Across eloped with her in 1954 : MARILYN MONROE

60. Sports great born 11/25/1914 : JOE DIMAGGIO

Argyle here. I like there is little to take away from the theme. Web Site

Across:

1. Japanese yes : HAI

4. "Get lost, kitty!" : "SCAT!":

8. "The Taking of __ 1 2 3" : PELHAM

14. Suffix with heir : ESS. Heiress.

15. Word after "take it" or before "does it" : EASY

16. Bring into being : CREATE

17. Org. with Red Wings and Blue Jackets : NHL. Hockey

20. Some HDTVs : RCAs

22. When repeated, belittle : POOH. "Oh, bother!"

23. Dutch cheeses : EDAMs

27. Obliged to pay : IN DEBT

28. Industry leaders : BARONS

31. Egg-hiding times : EASTERS

35. Heavy Brit. reference set : OED. (Oxford English Dictionary)

42. Man-mouse connector : OR A

43. Solar phenomenon : SUNSPOT

45. Ice cream seller : PARLOR

48. Freeway no-nos : U-TURNS

56. Rep. and Dem., e.g. : ABBRs. (abbreviations)

58. Sticky substance : GOOP

59. Whence an icicle may hang : EAVE

63. Pro __: for now : TEM

64. Actress Dahl : ARLENE

65. New Rochelle college : IONA

66. Dir. from Fort Worth, Tex. to Fort Lee, N.J. : ENE

67. Undergrounds : METROs

68. NCO rank : SSGT

69. Allowance dispenser, often : DAD. The human ATM.

Down:

1. 12th-century English king : HENRY I

2. Rubbish barrel : ASHCAN

3. Cuba, for one : ISLAND

4. Sch. term : SEM. (semester)

5. Completely covers : CARPETS

6. Part of NCAA: Abbr. : ASSOC. (association)

7. Innsbruck's state : TYROL

8. Banned chem. contaminant : PCB

9. Port SW of Buffalo, N.Y. : ERIE PA. How's that, Abejo?

 

 

10. Mortgage provider : LENDER

11. Is staying overnight (at) : HAS A ROOM

12. Bit of matter : ATOM

13. Clothing department : MEN'S

19. "__ wouldn't say that!" : OH, I

21. Sport invented by hunters : SKEET

25. Site for cyberbidders : EBAY

26. "Downton Abbey" airer : PBS

29. Originally named : NÉE

30. Radical '60s gp. : SDS. (Students for a Democratic Society)

32. Volunteer State sch. : TSU. (Tennessee State University)

33. "Ich bin __ Berliner": JFK : EIN

34. MD's orders : RXs

36. Dandy : FOP

37. 401(k) kin, briefly : IRA

38. Agricultural region : FARM BELT

40. Attend : GO TO

41. Carry __: sing on key : A TUNE

43. Hindu honorific : SRI

44. Action at a well : PUMPING

46. Refrigerator predecessor : LARDER

47. "Twelfth Night" duke : ORSINO. More or less known than Blixen?

49. Not for kids, filmwise : R RATED

50. Nine-day prayer ritual : NOVENA

51. Appeared to be : SEEMED

53. NYC airport : LGA. (LaGuardia)

54. Bear and Berra : YOGIs. Cute.

55. Scrapped missions : NO GOs

56. In __: stuck : A JAM

57. Tiresome sort : BORE

61. Month, in Madrid : MES

62. __ bran : OAT

Argyle

Thursday, January 9, 2014 Peter A. Collins

Theme: "Making the cut"

The words in each of the four corners of the grid are synonyms for "cut." Interesting, that the clues for each one have nothing to do with that sense of the word. Let's go clockwise around and find them:

1-Across. Make it home? : SCORE. Baseball reference.

10-Across. Karate move : CHOP. A quick strike.

13-Down. Diminish : PARE. As in "pare" down expenses. (OK, maybe this one has a "cut" meaning, too.)

59-Down. Rollers without wheels : DICE. Craps cubes.

67-Across. Golfer's concern : SLICE. For a right-hand golfer, a banana curve ball that ends up to the right of the intended target. Sometimes used to advantage on a dog-leg right hole.

65-Across. Fit : TRIM. In shape.

51-Down. Feature of some skirts : SLIT. Sexy feature.

1-Down. Sassy sort : SNIP. Does everyone know this meaning? I think of a "snip" as someone who isn't worth bothering with.

And the reveal:

38-Across. With 40-Across, taking the easy way (and a hint to eight aptly placed answers in this grid) :

CUTTING. 40-Across. See 38-Across : CORNERS.

This certainly felt more Friday-level to me. But I still finished in my typical Thursday time. Lots of unknowns and names that depended heavily on perps to reveal.

Across:

6. Trunk hardware : HASP. Tire "iron"? Nope - wrong kind of trunk.

Steamer trunk

14. 2013 US Open winner : NADAL. This only took five perps to get. I was thinking golf, of course. But neither "Justin" nor "Rose" fit.

15. In the past : ONCE.

16. Chaplin's widow : OONA. Thank goodness for old favorites!

17. Query in Matthew : IS IT I?

18. Crybaby of a sort : SORE LOSER.

20. Like French doors : PANED.

21. Special benefit : PRIVILEGE.

22. One having a ball : DEB. Cute.

24. "You said it!" : AMEN.

25. University of Georgia mascot Hairy __ : DAWG.

Georgia mascots

28. Like a GI doing dishes : ON KP.

30. Selena of "Wizards of Waverly Place" : GOMEZ. More perps. I was thinking of Sela, and could only come up with "Ward." Never watched this show.

35. Anticipated touchdown hr. : ETA.

36. Nail holders : TOES.

37. Meditative genre : NEW AGE.

41. As per schedule : ON TIME.

42. Knocks : RAPS.

43. One might make a setter better : VET. Cute clue!

44. Question type : YES/NO.

45. Start of a Spanish cheer : VIVA. I think this refers to "VIVA la vida," meaning "long live life" or "live the life." Maybe Lucina can help me out here.

46. Antiprohibitionists : WETS. They are the opposite of "tee-totalers."

47. The Supremes, e.g. : TRIO. Sorry, but every clip has annoying ads.

49. Collectible radio : RCA.

RCA Radio ad

51. Ristorante choice : SPAGHETTI.

56. Ready to rumble : ARMED.

60. Drags one's feet : LOLLYGAGS. Love that word.

61. First name in puppetry : SHARI. Lewis. With Lamb Chop and Charlie Horse.

62. Smidgen : IOTA.

63. Reunion invitee : ALUM.

64. Very malicious : TOXIC. Ever hear of a toxic relationship?

66. Telescope part : LENS.


Down:

2. Honduran home : CASA.

3. Frigg's husband : ODIN. The word "Friday" comes from the Anglo-Saxon name for Frigg.

4. Like most Pixar movies : RATED G. I always have to check perps to see if it will be "G-rated" or "rated G."

5. Skip over : ELIDE.

6. What a white "H" on a blue sign signifies: Abbr. : HOSP.ital.

7. Arctic wear : ANORAKS. We've had this word before.

8. Stick to a tight budget : SCRIMP.

9. Annoyance : PEEVE.

10. Unflappable : COOL.

11. It might wind up in the yard : HOSE. Good misdirection.

12. 100 sawbucks : ONE G. "Thou" would also fit...

19. Sticks around : LINGERS.

23. American frontiersman : BOONE. Dan'l.

25. Trapping strategy : DECOY.

26. Carry __ : A TUNE.

27. "King Kong" actress Naomi : WATTS.

29. What a "-" may indicate: Abbr. : NEG.ative.

31. Fess (up) : OWN.

32. Novelist Binchy : MAEVE. I liked "Circle of Friends."

33. Pond wader : EGRET. Hmmm, the old "heron" or "EGRET" dilemma...

34. Bartender's supply : ZESTS.

36. Coarse grass used as fodder : TIMOTHY. Possibly named after farmer and agriculturist Timothy Hanson.

37. Without face value : NO PAR.

39. __ lizzie : TIN.

40. NBAer who plays at "The Q" : CAV.alier of Cleveland. "The Q" is the nickname for the Quicken Loans Arena.

42. Control for an out-of-control crowd : RIOT GUN. For the ones in 56-Across, maybe?

45. Basketball Hall of Fame sportscaster Dick : VITALE. Also known as "Dickie V."

46. Pop art pioneer : WARHOL. (I'm getting hungry…)

Warhol soup can

48. Grand : REGAL.

50. Treatments for breaks : CASTS. How's your leg, Irish Miss?

52. What a "D" often means : POOR. Or "big" (as a bra size) Dennis?

53. Some basilica singers : ALTI.

54. Glitz : GLAM.

55. Doctrines : ISMS.

57. Ankle-length skirt : MAXI.

58. Burdon of The Animals : ERIC. Still active after more than forty years, he just came out with a new album called "Til Your River Runs Dry." The song "Water" was inspired by a conversation he had with Gorbachev. 4:21 (Skip the ad in only 4 seconds.)

That's all I have for this week!
Marti

Note from C.C.:

Husker Gary has updated the Corner map. Click here.  If you want to be on the map, please contact Gary (gschlapfer@gmail.com).