Sunday August 28, 2011 Robert A Doll

Theme: Fish Heads - The first word in each familiar phrase can precede (head) "fish".

23A. Constant threat, metaphorically : SWORD OF DAMOCLES. Swordfish.

33A. Confederate Memorial Carving site : STONE MOUNTAIN. Stonefish. Wikipedia says "It is the most venomous fish in the world".

42A. Pianist who claimed to have invented jazz : JELLY ROLL MORTON. Stranger to me. I love jellyfish salad, sprinkled with sesame seeds and flakes of red pepper. Try it, Bill!

71A. Doomed duo : STAR-CROSSED LOVERS. Great entry. Starfish.

97A. Esso ad phrase : TIGER IN YOUR TANK. "Put a tiger in your tank". Tigerfish. Look at his teeth.

105A. Light dessert : ANGEL FOOD CAKE. Not familiar with angelfish.

123A Source of spy movie suspense : CAT AND MOUSE GAME. Catfish.

C.C. here. I hope all our East Coast readers in the path of Irene are safe.

The puzzle title gives the theme immediately, yes? "Fish heads" & "Fish tails" style gimmick just can't fool me any more.

Slow-cooked soup is a daily must in Guangzhou where I worked for several years, and fish head soup is very popular. Supposed to make you smart. Fish is regarded as a good brain food there.

Across:

1. Building supports : I-BEAMS

7. Dirty dog : SCALAWAG. Scoundrel has one more letter.

15. Calyx part : SEPAL

20. Sarge, e.g. : NON-COM. Non-commissioned.

21. Drive off : ALIENATE

22. Said in an ugly way : SNIDE

25. Inscribed pillar : STELA. Read this about Stele Forest in Xi'An. It's half an hour from our home.

26. Floor square : TILE

27. Is deceptive, in a way : LIES

28. Nile reptile : ASP

30. Russian communications acronym since 1992 : ITAR. Itar-Tass.

31. Vacation area : SEASIDE. Sea unnerves me.

39. German article : DER

40. Healthy as __ : AN OX

41. Do goo : GEL

50. Yellow-fever mosquito : AEDES. New word to me. Wikipedia says the name comes from the Ancient Greek aēdēs, meaning "unpleasant" or "odious".

54. Bullfight cry : OLE OLE

55. __-de-France : ILE

56. Get the better of : ONE UP

58. Watch : EYE

59. Controversial orchard spray : ALAR

60. Comic Carvey : DANA. He's in Rich's DC Comics puzzle.

62. "On His Blindness" poet : MILTON. What's the poem about, Clear Ayes?

64. River to the Rhein : AARE

65. Places to pick up cats : NAPES. Tiny "cats" dupe with 123A. Used to bother me a bit. Not any more. Sunday puzzle is too big.

67. "La Loge" artist : RENOIR. Here is the painting.

69. Deep-seated : INBRED

76. Tiberius' villa at Sperlonga included one : GROTTO. Been there, Husker Gary?

78. Current events? : EDDIES. Water current.

79. Dabbling ducks : TEALS

82. Hot stuff : LAVA

83. 1951 Lanza role : CARUSO. Mario Lanza.

87. Early '60s Polo Grounds team, nowadays : JETS. NY Jets. I used to associate Polo Grounds only with Mel Ott's NY Giants until I read Marti's write-up last time.

89. "Dragonwyck" author Seton : ANYA

90. Island strings : UKE. LEIS too.

91. Country estate : MANOR

92. In place of : FOR

93. Trojan War counselor : NESTOR. Did you know he was an Argonaut?

95. Land in old Rome : TERRA

101. Amsterdam street adornment : ELM. Really? I only stopped at their airport once.

103. Results : ENDS

104. "Oz" airer : HBO. I've never heard of the show. You, Kazie?

111. Aardwolf's diet : INSECTS. And 84D. Aardvark's tidbit : ANT. "Aard" means "earth".

116. Apply in a slapdash way : DAUB

117. Wood on a diamond? : ASH. I bet every baseball fan thought of Cubs' Kerry Wood. I did.

118. Peek-__ : A-BOO

120. Seed pod : ARIL

121. Literally, "to God" : ADIOS

129. Irritating : PESKY

130. Places for duds : ARMOIRES. I drew a blank. Sometimes I feel incredibly dumb.

131. Made square : EVENED

132. Head lock : TRESS

133. Foolhardy : RECKLESS

134. Ones who excite devils? : DARERS. Oh, daredevils.

Down:

1. MIT and others : INSTS

2. Alamo hero : BOWIE (Jim)

3. __ Gay: WWII plane : ENOLA

4. Plots that may be developed : ACRES. Lovely clue.

5. In style : MOD

6. Existed in a suppressed state : SMOLDERED. Do you say "Smoldering hot" or "Smothering hot"?

7. "Smooth Operator" singer : SADE. Love Sade, sad, but "Someone Already Broken My Heart".

8. Word with act or action : CLASS. Jim Thome is a real class act.

9. Draw a bead : AIM

10. Denebola's constellation : LEO

11. Mandela's org. : ANC (African National Congress)

12. __-Mart Stores, Inc. : WAL

13. TV group with B.A. Baracus and Hannibal Smith : A-TEAM. All I know about "The A Team" is Mr. T.

14. Bas-relief medium : GESSO

15. Barbecue sound : SSS

16. Authorize : ENTITLE

17. St. Peter's Basilica masterpiece : PIETA

18. Dwight's two-time opponent : ADLAI

19. Get wind (of) : LEARN

24. '80s Pontiac : FIERO. Wikipedia says it means "proud" in Italian and "wild", "fierce", or "ferocious" in Spanish. Looks fiery to me.

29. Curly-tailed dog : PUG. And 88D. Like a 29-Down : SNUB-NOSED. Hey, there, do you like this clue?

32. Poem of everyday life : IDYL

34. Hardly racy : TAME

35. Notable 1969 bride : ONO

36. "The world will little note, __ long remember, what we say here": Lincoln : NOR

37. Heap praises on : EXTOL

38. Ebb's relative : NEAP

42. Shaw title saint : JOAN. "Saint Joan".

43. Cinders of old comics : ELLA. Ella Cinders. Learned from doing Xword.

44. Vaults : LEAPS OVER

45. Lynn from Kentucky : LORETTA

46. Titanic, e.g. : LINER

47. Grassy plain : LLANO

48. Can. province : ONT

49. Con opener : NEO. Neo-con. The likes of Scotter Libby & Richard Perle, who's incredibly convincing.

51. Hopeful letter opener : DEAR SANTA. Argyle would be pleased to see this entry. Hope he has the internet connection.

52. Rochester's love : EYRE

53. __ money : SEED

57. TCU part: Abbr. : UNIV

61. S part : ARC. Feeling dumb again.

62. Botch : MISDO

63. Plenty mad : IRED

64. Up with, with "of" : ABREAST. Jazzbumpa would have given you a cute link.

66. Remained : SAT

68. Psych ending : OSES. Psychoses.

70. Surfing site : NET

72. Almond __: candy : ROCA. Have never had it before.

73. Tangy mustard : DIJON. Needs drops of honey.

74. On one's guard : LEERY

75. Düsseldorf direction : OST. East.

76. Oversupply : GLUT

77. Croupier's tool : RAKE

80. City about 200 miles from Marseille : LYON

81. Cutty __: Scotch : SARK. Let's hear from Tinbeni and eddyB.

85. "Vive le __!" : ROI

86. More than suggested : URGED

91. Shopping venue : MALL

92. Hall of Fame catcher Carlton : FISK. Another great player whose baseball card value does not match his achievement.

94. Libido symbol : EROS. It seems that I'm the only one who has never heard of Splynter's horndog before.

96. Nikes alternative : REEBOKS

98. Something besides the ltr. : ENC

99. Nutritional stat : RDA

100. Sch. in Athens : OHIO U

102. Writer's deg. : MFA

105. Show flexibility : ADAPT

106. Perennial '90s-'00s presidential candidate : NADER

107. False front : GUISE

108. One may be present when an envelope is opened : OSCAR. Pinkerton provides the security for those statuettes.

109. Midwest hub : O'HARE

110. Chair designer Charles : EAMES

112. Anxious : EAGER

113. Film set contraption : CRANE

114. Track official : TIMER

115. They may follow teams : SLEDS. Oh, dog teams.

119. Honcho : BOSS

122. Procedure: Abbr. : SYS

124. Cinephile's TV choice : TMC

125. Hunky-dory : A-OK

126. Nothing at all : NIL

127. Doctor of music? : DRE. Dr. Dre.

128. Stowe girl : EVA. From "Uncle Tom's Cabin".

Answer grid.

C.C.

Wednesday, Jan 26, 2011, Robert A. Doll

Theme: HOLY COW, BATMAN! Each is the name of a comic superhero, clued as the name of his or her 'civilian' name.

17A. Diana Prince's alter ego : WONDER WOMAN. Very interesting, the creator of Wonder Woman was William Moulton Marston, a psychologist and the inventor of the polygraph. He wanted to create a new kind of superhero that thrived off of intelligence and love. But it was actually his wife, Elizabeth, who had the idea to make the new character a woman. Another woman, who was in a relationship with the both of them, Olive Byrne, also served as a model for the character that would be Wonder Woman.

24A. Peter Parker's alter ego : SPIDERMAN. Spidey gets his girl.

31A. Britt Reid's alter ego : THE GREEN HORNET. Anyone seen the new movie?

37A. Steve Rogers's alter ego : CAPTAIN AMERICA

48A. Linda Lee Danvers's alter ego : SUPERGIRL

56A. Reed Richards's alter ego : MR FANTASTIC. One of the Fantastic Four (with the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and Thing).

And a bonus:

53D. Lee who co-created 24-Across : STAN. Lee also co-created 56-Across (The Fantastic Four), Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, The X-Men, and ... serious ... Stripperella.

SUPER-fun puzzle, I love heavy themeage - count 'em, SIX theme answers. Not a big comic reader, but all these characters were familiar enough to be gettable. Peter Parker was the only alter-ego name I knew.

Across:

1. Place to chill out : SPA. Batcave wouldn't fit. I spend my share of time at the spa, and then some.

4. "In all likelihood ..." : ODDS ARE

11. Hollywood hrs. : PST. Hollywood, California is on Pacific Standard Time.

14. Many, many moons : EON

15. Land purveyor : REALTOR. Just spoke with one yesterday.

16. Mr. __!: old whodunit game : REE. Detective board game that pre-dates Clue - never heard of it.

19. Have some grub : EAT

20. Wore : HAD ON

21. Thus : LIKE SO

23. Cutting the mustard : ABLE

27. Arctic explorer John : RAE. 1813-1893. Scottish doctor who surveyed parts of the Northwest Passage (a sea route through the Arctic Ocean).

28. Quetzalcoatl worshiper : AZTEC. Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and has the meaning of "feathered-serpent"

30. Aromatherapist's supply : OILS. I use these a lot in my practice - they are fun to blend.

35. Bite for Mister Ed : OAT

36. Bray beginning : HEE. The sound a donkey makes, "hee-haw."

45. "Kubla Khan" river : ALPH. Had to google to learn that "Journey on the River Alph" is a collection of Poetry by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. His poem "Kubla Khan" was the inspiration behind the Realm of Xanadu cyber-novel. I'll leave the rest to to Clear Ayes.

46. Meted (out) : DOLED

47. XV years before the Battle of Hastings : MLI. I always have to guess with these.

51. Trade punches : SPAR

52. Sound acquisition? : STEREO

53. More artful : SLIER. Looks odd spelled that way.

55. Flight board abbr. : ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.

61. Bis plus one, to a pharmacist : TER. Latin. “bis in die” twice a day; "ter in die" three times a day.

62. Lizards with dewlaps : IGUANAS

63. "__ Hunters": History Channel show with the tagline "Hoax or History?" : UFO. Have only heard of House Hunters.

64. Many SAT takers : SRS. Seniors.

65. Abundant flow : TORRENT. Wet and relentless.

66. Pink Floyd guitarist Barrett : SYD

Down

1. Use a Singer : SEW

2. High-muck-a-muck : POOHBAH

3. "General Hospital" actress : ANNA LEE. Lila Quartermane. Died in 2004 at 91. Didn't know this, don't watch soaps.

4. Cookie that might flavor a McFlurry : OREO

5. "Jurassic Park" actress : DERN. Loved her in Rambling Rose.

6. Margery of kids' rhyme : DAW. See saw Margery Daw.

7. Road warning : SLO

8. Source of 20s, for short : ATM. Automatic Teller Machine.

9. Author Dahl : ROALD. Author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and my favorite, James and the Giant Peach, among others.

10. "Sesame Street" regular : ERNIE

11. Early arrival : PREEMIE. Premature, uh ... delivery.

12. Natural seasoning : SEA SALT

13. Jackson Hole backdrop : TETONS. Ansel Adams picture, The Tetons and The Snake River.

18. HST's successor : DDE. Dwight D. Eisenhower; Harry S. Truman.

22. Danish coins : KRONER

23. Museum fare : ART

24. Canonized mlle. : STE. STE = Saint. Mlle = Mademoiselle (French equivalent of "miss.") The process by which someone becomes a saint is called canonization.

25. Write : PEN. Verb.

26. Cologne pronoun : ICH. German for me.

28. "How now? __?": Hamlet, before mistakenly slaying Polonius : A RAT. In Act 3, Scene 4, Hamlet mistakes Polonius for the King. "Oh shame, where is thy blush?" Favorite all time play, bar none.

29. Letter after epsilon : ZETA. Greek.

32. Burrowing rodent : GOPHER

33. "Alas" : OH ME

34. Swamp growth : REED

37. Disorder : CLUTTER. Bothers me.

38. Shows up : APPEARS

39. Infamous Amin : IDI. Seeing this pretty regularly lately.

40. Postal motto word : NOR. The original saying was actually "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these courageous couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" and was said about 2500 years ago by the Greek historian, Herodotus. He said this adage during the war between the Greeks and Persians about 500 B.C. in reference to the Persian mounted postal couriers whom he observed and held in high esteem.

41. Every last one : ALL

42. Driving force : IMPETUS. A moving force; impulse; stimulus.

43. Elucidate : CLARIFY

44. Make public : AIR

45. Balance sheet heading : ASSETS

49. Send in the check : REMIT

50. 1961 British movie monster : GORGO. A British, underwater Godzilla.

51. Sasha, to Malia : SIS. The first daughters.

54. In the cellar, so to speak : LAST

57. Jet set garb : FUR

58. Rhine feeder : AAR. In the Swiss Alps, flows through Bern, see?

59. Tuscaloosa-to-Huntsville dir. : NNE

60. New England catch : COD

This theme reminded me the game Superheroes, from "Whose Line is it Anyway," still makes me laugh.

Answer grid.

Melissa

Sunday December 12, 2010 Robert A. Doll

Theme: Familiar Endings - Same word starts and ends its familiar phrase.

22A. Memorable 1994 film exhortation : RUN FORREST RUN. From "Forrest Gump".

27A. Ruthless : DOG-EAT-DOG. It's a dog-eat-dog world.

35A. Skipping no pages : COVER TO COVER

53A. In detail : PLAY BY PLAY. I like Joe Buck. Very distinctive voice.

71A. Defend one's principles bravely : FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT. The only four-word entry.

88A. 1969 Bob Dylan hit : LAY LADY LAY. Unfamiliar to me. Sounds quite sexual.

107A. Lehane crime novel about a missing girl : GONE BABY GONE. Know it only because of the movie.

115A. Complete : OUT AND OUT

125A. Continually : YEAR AFTER YEAR

Why "Familiar Endings"? Because the last word repeats the first word?

Nine theme entries seem to be very common for our Sunday puzzles. I grokked the gimmick rather quickly due to its easy-to- detect pattern. As usual, some of the names gave me fits.

Across:

1. Bear mascot of the 1980 Moscow Olympics : MISHA. Was clueless. Makes sense. Misha is such a common Russian name.

6. Like some dancing : AEROBIC

13. Grunt's position : McJOB

18. Modern messages : EMAIL. The clue is asking for plural form, isn't it?

19. Horace's "Ars __" : POETICA

20. Roll player : PIANOLA. See here for more information. Beyond my ken of knowledge. I actually read the clue as "Role player".

24. Well-fortified, in a way : ARMORED

25. __ Pie : ESKIMO. Have never tried it.

26. Nail site : TOE

29. Q5 maker : AUDI. Saw this clue before.

32. Intrude : IMPOSE

34. '60s activist Bobby : SEALE. The Black Panthers co-founder.

40. Spirited horse : ARAB

42. Nintendo's Super __ : NES

43. Game show name : ALEX (Trebek). "Jeopardy!".

44. Originate (from) : STEM

45. Bribe : SOP

47. "The Gold Bug" author : POE. Have you read the story?

49. "If you prick us, do we not __?": "The Merchant of Venice" : BLEED. Sigh. Shakespeare again.

51. Understood : SAW

59. Feature of many a bad review : SARCASM. Biting.

62. Here-there link : NOR

64. Pitching staff leaders : ACES. Baseball.

65. Have in spades : OOZE

66. "Hold it!" : WHOA

68. NASCAR racer Mark : MARTIN.

70. Penn or Pitt : ACTOR. Sean Penn. Brad Pitt.

75. He-men : STUDS

77. __ Tunes : LOONEY

78. Needing ice, maybe : SORE

79. "I, Claudius" role : NERO

80. Hard to catch : EELY

81. Power tool? : DAM. Water power?

83. Stock holder? : RANCHER. Livestock. Great clue.

91. Fate : LOT

93. "Three Coins in the Fountain" fountain : TREVI

94. Baltimore daily : SUN. Baltimore Sun.

95. Fa-la link : SOL

97. Maker of PowerCat soccer shoes : PUMA. .

100. Divided sea : ARAL

101. Crime show with two spin-offs : CSI. CSI Miami/NY.

104. Wilson's predecessor : TAFT

110. Lively movement : RONDO. Often the last movement of a sonata, says Dictionary.

112. "Twelfth Night" duke : ORSINO. Shakespeare again. No idea.

114. Foe of the Iroquois : ERIE. A tribe rather than our old lake clue.

117. Navig. aid : GPS

119. Like many beach bums : TANNED

124. Sports no-no : STEROID

129. Goes after crustaceans : SHRIMPS. Did not know shrimp can be a verb.

130. Access, in a way : LOG ONTO

131. India's first prime minister : NEHRU

132. SAT segment : ESSAY

133. Paul Anka love song with a Spanish title : ESO BESO. "That Kiss".

134. Bee killer, at times : STING

Down:

1. No more than : MERE. Wanted LESS.

2. 1989 Radio Hall of Fame inductee : IMUS (Don). Unaware of this trivia.

3. Went under : SANK

4. Old player : HI-FI

5. 10-time Gold Glove winner Roberto : ALOMAR. He was with the Indians when I came to the US. Second baseman.

6. Loan no. : APR (Annual Percentage Rate)

7. Want ad letters : EOE

8. Musical symbol : REST

9. Emperor under Pope Innocent III : OTTO IV. Need crossing help.

10. Galleys with two banks of oars : BIREMES. No idea. Bi = Two. Rem = Oar.

11. Post-ER area : ICU

12. Unofficial Seabees' motto : CAN DO. Learning moment to me. Seabee is formed from letter CB, Construction Battalion of the US Navy.

13. Hardly the macho type : MAMA'S BOY. Lovely entry.

14. 100 clams : C-NOTE

15. Aqaba is its only seaport : JORDAN. New trivia to me.

16. Corrida cry : OLE OLE

17. Scouting prizes : BADGES

20. Means to get in touch : PAGER

21. High dudgeon : IRE

23. Whomps : ROUTS

28. Adventurers/documentarians Martin and __ Johnson : OSA. Here is a photo of the couple.

30. Period, e.g. : DOT

31. Seals, as a deal : ICES

33. Support, with "up" : PROP

35. Hacks : CABS. Noun "Hacks".

36. Earthen stewpot : OLLA

37. Zig or zag : VEER

38. Perk recipient : EXEC

39. Muscat's land : OMAN

41. They may include ht., wt., skin color, etc. : APBS. APB = All-Points Bulletin.

46. Academy teacher : PLATO

48. Pleistocene, e.g. : EPOCH

50. Team with a mascot named Uga, familiarly : DAWGS. University of Georgia.

52. Bryn Mawr undergrads : WOMEN. One of the Seven Sisters.

54. Etcher's supply : ACIDS

55. Have a __: crave : YEN FOR

56. Ex-senator Trent : LOTT

57. Nitrogen-based dye : AZO. Learned from doing Xword.

58. Law closing? : YER. Closing to the word lawyer.

60. "Pipe down!" : SHH

61. Crüe-ish? : MOTLEY. Oh, a reference to Mötley Crüe.

63. Was relentless, as a storm : RAGED. Brutal weather here. At least 16" of snow since Friday night.

67. Reef ring : ATOLL

69. Shade of blue : ROYAL

70. Secret __ : AGENT

71. Violent anger : FURY

72. Admired stars : IDOLS

73. Georgetown athletes : HOYAS

74. Fund for later yrs. : IRA

75. Irreverent NBC hit : SNL

76. Something to take in the afternoon : TEA

80. Best of the stage : EDNA. Her face looks familiar. I must have googled her before.

82. Wear a long face : MOPE

84. Climber's challenge : CRAG

85. Parade honoree : HERO

86. Hunter of fiction : EVAN. Also known as Ed McBain.

87. Get to : RILE

89. Parent/teen sticking point : AUTONOMY. The answer just wouldn't jump to me.

90. Jellystone Park bear : YOGI. Yogi Bear.

92. CRT part : TUBE

96. Tale starter, perhaps : LONG AGO

98. Scratch : MAR

99. Grab __: eat on the run : A BITE

101. Rupert of "The Reivers" : CROSSE. No idea. Wikipedia says Crosse was the first African American to be nominated for a Best Supporting Academy Award for his role in "The Reivers".

102. __ Oldest Rivalry: Virginia/North Carolina annual college football game : SOUTH'S. Unknown to me.

103. Lays to rest : INTERS

105. Dietitian's forte : FOODS

106. __TV: "actuality" network : TRU. No idea.

108. "Piece o' cake!" : NO PROB

109. Hankers : YEARNS

111. "Beavis and Butt-head" spin-off : DARIA. Another complete unknown

113. Elegance : STYLE

116. Go down a bit : DIP

118. Compos mentis : SANE

120. No, across the Bering Strait : NYET. Russian for "No".

121. Vintage pop : NEHI

122. Bring home : EARN

123. Put under : DRUG

126. Dawn deity : EOS. Greek Goddess of the dawn. The Roman equivalent is Aurora.

127. NBA stats : FTS (Free Throws)

128. To boot : TOO

Answer grid.

C.C.

Monday, October 25, 2010 Robert A. Doll

Theme: Boys Only! - Four phrases that start with a man's name and a unifier.

17A. Wealthy relative: RICH UNCLE

24A. Emulate Muhammad Ali: BOB AND WEAVE

39A. Father-son talk, e.g.: FRANK DISCUSSION

50A. Assembled in a makeshift manner: JERRY-RIGGED

64A. Get-together for the starts of 17-, 24-, 39- and 50-Across?: STAG PARTY

Argyle here.

Even though there are five entries, I kept looking for a more complicated connection between the four names. Must be the effect of last week. Some others weren't invited to the party. 1A SETH, 19A TONTO, 17A BONO, 31A IAN, 47A DON, and 59D ART. O MAN!

Before anyone starts, JERRY-rigged and JURY-rigged are the same thing.

Across:

1. Eve's youngest : SETH. The only 3 names mentioned in the Bible are Cain, Abel, and Seth. Adam also had "other sons and daughters," though they aren't named. (Answers.com)

5. Special __: military force : OPS. Special OPerationS.

8. Priest's place : ALTAR

13. Trojan War epic : "ILIAD". The older of the two surviving ancient Greek epic poems, traditionally ascribed to Homer.

15. "The __": placekicker Lou Groza's nickname : TOE. Louis Roy Groza (January 25, 1924 - November 29, 2000) was an American football placekicker who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns. (Wikipedia)

16. Dog : POOCH

19. Sidekick who rode Scout : TONTO

20. Bagel flavoring : SESAME

21. Rio automaker : KIA. Korean automobile manufacturer. Image. A subcompact car.

23. Bones partner : SKIN. Emaciated. Nothing but skin and bones. But how many of you thought of Seely Booth from TV's Bones?

27. Free, as legal work : PRO BONO. A phrase derived from Latin meaning "for the public good", pro bono publico, shortened to just pro bono.

31. Author Fleming : IAN. James Bond creator.

32. Titled woman : DAME and 1D. 32-Acrosses' spouses : SIRS

33. Older but __ : WISER

36. Dean's list factor: Abbr. : GPA. Grade Point Average (GPA)

43. D.C. bigwig : SEN.

44. Annually : A YEAR

45. Jason's vessel : ARGO. Greek mythology.

46. Had some grub : ATE

47. Leave high and dry : ABANDON

55. North Carolina university : ELON. A private liberal arts university located in Elon, NC. Location.

56. Fed. loan guarantor : SBA. Small Business Administration (SBA).

57. Take turns : ROTATE

62. Bank takebacks, briefly : REPOs. Origin: by shortening of repossessions.

66. Used a prie dieu : KNELT. Image. A prayer desk.

67. Many, many moons : EON

68. Coach:athlete ::__:student : TUTOR. A coach is to athlete as a TUTOR is to student.

69. When tripled, and so on : YADDA. Or spelled with one D. Speaking of Double D's, where is my number one on the naughty list?

70. Gun lobby org. : NRA. The National Rifle Association of America, or NRA.

71. Rockwell or Gothic : TYPE. Types of type!

Down:

2. Nobelist Wiesel : ELIE. This man.

3. Nervous spasms : TICS

4. "Very funny!" : "HA-HA!"

5. Non-Rx : OTC. Over-the-counter (OTC). Also can apply to stocks.

6. Oktoberfest dance : POLKA. Let's all get up and dance around the breakfast table. "Beer Barrel Polka" : Myron Floren on accordion.

7. Make welcome : SEE IN

8. On-target : APT

9. Let out a few notches in : LOOSEN

10. Toy truck brand : TONKA

11. When Ophelia drowns : ACT IV. From Hamlet, by Shakespeare.

12. River at Arles : RHONE. Map. Arles is on the coast, the Riviera.

14. Disney pachyderm : DUMBO. The Flying Elephant.

18. One of the noble gases : NEON

22. French farewell : ADIEU

25. Alamo hero : BOWIE. That would be James Bowie, not David Bowie.

26. Part of V.F.W. : WARS. Veterans of Foreign Wars.

27. Commonly e-mailed files, for short : PDFs. Portable Document Format.

28. Porterhouse order : RARE. I tell you, it is very rare when I get a steak.

29. Arabian sultanate : OMAN. On the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula.

30. Golfer Hogan : BEN. Legendary.

34. "This __ ripoff!" : IS A

35. Scrawny one : SCRAG

36. Prepare, as for action : GIRD

37. Walt Kelly's possum : POGO. Comic strip.

38. Soon, poetically : ANON

40. "K-K-K-__": 1918 song : KATY. Let's all sing now! Lyrics.

41. Batik artisans : DYERS. They use wax and dye to produce images on cloth.

42. __ Francisco : SAN

46. Composer Schoenberg : ARNOLD. I thought they should have clued Gov. Schwarzenegger, after the previous clue.

48. Arctic floater : BERG

49. Take in from a pet shelter : ADOPT

50. Beef __: dried meat : JERKY

51. Kagan who replaced Stevens on the Supreme Court : ELENA

52. Enticed, with "in" : ROPED

53. "Peer Gynt" dramatist : IBSEN. Edvard Grieg famously composed incidental music and songs for his play.

54. Croc's cousin : GATOR

58. Drawn tight : TAUT

59. Culturally pretentious : ARTY

60. 'Vette roof option : T-TOP

61. Brontë's "Jane __" : EYRE

63. RR depot : STA.

65. Literary collection : ANA

Answer grid.

Argyle

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 Robert A. Doll

Theme: Life's a Beach - As the unifier indicates, put BEACH in front of the first word of these four common phrases and you have a connection.

17A. Top banana: HEAD HONCHO. Beachhead - the area that is the first objective of a military force landing on an enemy shore.

23A. Unstable situation, metaphorically: HOUSE OF CARDS. Beach house.

37A. Huge mess: BALL OF CONFUSION. Beach ball.

45A. Gregarious fun lovers: PARTY ANIMALS. Beach party.

58A. Valuable shore property, and a hint to what the first words of 17-, 23-, 37- and 45-Across have in common: BEACH FRONT

Argyle again.

The unifier explains the connection but doesn't really help the solving of the clues. The first three change their meaning when combined with beach but PARTY stays the same. In fact, you can find PARTY ANIMALS at a BEACH PARTY. Toga! Toga!

Across:

1. Briquettes : COALS. A sort of progression: Briquettes - COALS - embers - ash.

6. Zip : ZERO

10. Country music pioneer Ernest : TUBB. When I listen to his I'm Walking the Floor Over You, I can't help but think of Poe's, The Tell-Tale Heart. Dost thou think I am mad?

14. "As a result ..." : AND SO

15. Country on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula : OMAN. Map.

16. Spot in the ocean : ISLE

19. Depilatory brand : NAIR. Or Neet/Veet.

20. '60s-'70s war site, briefly : NAM

21. "Now it makes sense!" : I SEE

22. Cake finish : ICING

26. Workplace inspection org. : OSHA

29. Comportment : MIEN

30. Louise's gal pal : THELMA. From the 1991 movie, "Thelma & Louise".

33. Buzzing swarmers : BEES

34. Performed : DID

40. "Danny and the Dinosaur" author Hoff : SYD. An "I Can Read" book.

41. Court postponement : STAY

42. Ancient Greek military power : SPARTA. They hit the big time with their movie.

43. Blood fluids : SERA

44. Veggies studied by Mendel : PEAS

52. Assumed name : ALIAS

53. Defensive spray : MACE

54. Marx's "__ Kapital" : DAS

57. Thin curl of smoke : WISP

61. Third man : ABEL and 3D. Father of 61-Across : ADAM

62. High-strung : EDGY

63. Sacher treat : TORTE. The Sachertorte was created by pastry chef Franz Sacher (1816-1907) in 1832 for Prince von Metternich, the Austrian State Chancellor. The prince enjoyed trying new dishes and ordered the chef to create a new cake. Orders were sent to the kitchens where it was instant pandemonium. The head chef was sick and the team of cooks in the kitchen had no idea what to prepare. Franz Sacher, a 16-year old apprentice cook, rolled up his sleeves and created this famous chocolate cake with the ingredients that were available. It consisted of chocolate sponge cake cut into three layers, between which apricot jam are thickly spread between the layers and on the top and sides of the cake. The whole cake is then iced with a velvet-like chocolate and served with a side dish of whipped cream. The Sacher Torte and other recipes made him prosperous, and he operated several cafes and restaurants.

64. Goodyear product : TIRE

65. Member's obligation : DUES

66. What matzo lacks : YEAST

Down:

1. "High Hopes" lyricist Sammy : CAHN. "High Hopes" is a popular song, introduced in the 1959 film A Hole In The Head, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1959. The music was written by Jimmy Van Heusen, the lyrics by Sammy Cahn. A Sinatra standard.

2. Top draft status : ONE A

4. '60s "trip" drug : LSD

5. Early gas company based in Cleveland : SOHIO. Standard Oil of Ohio or Sohio was one of the successor companies to Standard Oil after the antitrust breakup in 1911. It merged with British Petroleum, now called BP(Hiss, boo), in 1968.

6. Districts : ZONES

7. Roast host : EMCEE

8. Bleachers cry : RAH

9. John __ Lennon : ONO. Lennon and Yoko Ono were married in Gibraltar on 20 March 1969, and he changed his name by deed poll on 22 April 1969, adding "Ono" as a middle name. Although he used the name John Ono Lennon thereafter, official documents referred to him as John Winston Ono Lennon, since he was not permitted to revoke a name given at birth.

10. Kid's make-believe phone : TIN CAN. Not make believe. This site can tell you how to make one.

11. Carrier that added "ways" to its name in 1997 : USAIR. USAir in 1979, US Airways in 1997. Of local interest, Mohawk Airlines was an early part of what was to become USAir.

12. Duck hunter's cover : BLIND. Not only for ducks, the meaning "anything that obstructs sight" is from 1530s. In this case, the obstruction of the prey's sight of the hunter.

13. Cold-water hazards : BERGS

18. Its flagship sch. is in Stillwater, west of Tulsa : OSU. Oklahoma State University.

22. Freezes over : ICES UP

23. Oates's musical partner : HALL. Daryl Hall and John Oates, Private Eyes.

24. Divine sign : OMEN

25. Feudal domains : FIEFs

26. Gambling parlors, briefly : OTBs. Off-track betting (OTB)

27. One-horse carriage : SHAY. Two wheeled is correct version but four wheeled carriages are often called shays, also.

28. Had in one's hands : HELD

31. Strolls (along) : MOSEYS

32. Performers' union: Abbr. : AFTRA. The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). AFTA. The After Shave Skin Conditioner.

33. Tarzan's son : BOY

34. Awful : DIRE

35. Letter after theta : IOTA

36. Genetic info carriers : DNAs

38. "Misery" actor James : CAAN. Movie poster

39. Easy targets : SAPS

43. Swingline fastener : STAPLE. Swingline is a brand name for staples and staplers.

45. Touch, cat-style : PAW AT

46. Accused's excuse : ALIBI

47. Choir platform : RISER

48. Likeness : IMAGE

49. "Miracle on 34th Street" setting : MACY'S. One of my favorite movies.

50. Rhine whine? : ACH. Great rhyme.

51. Sandy Koufax or CC Sabathia : LEFTY. Left-handed baseball pitchers(and a mini shout-out to our leader).

54. The first Mrs. Copperfield : DORA. Not the magician. "David Copperfield or The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (which he never meant to publish on any account)" is a novel by Charles Dickens, first published as a novel in 1850. Like most of his works, it originally appeared in serial form a year earlier. David, as an adult, first married naïve Dora Spenlow, but she dies. He eventually marries and finds true happiness with the sensible Agnes, who had secretly always loved him.

55. Insects on farms : ANTS

56. Editor's "leave it in" : STET

58. B&B part : BED. Bed and Breakfast inns, usually a private home. Many couples have bought old homes, thinking becoming a B&B will pay the mortgage; it doesn't, for most of them.

59. College URL ending : EDU. Its name is derived from education, indicating its intended use as a name space for educational institutions.

60. Future fish : ROE. Finally, some alliteration.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Tuesday, August 31, 2010 Robert A. Doll

Theme: What Did You Do on Your Summer Vacation? - A minimalist student's essay. The first word (verb) of the four theme entries (17A, 26A, 46A, 61A) outlines what happened on the unifier (63A).

17A. Have significant influence: PACK A PUNCH

26A. "Enough on this subject": "LEAVE IT AT THAT"

46A. Persevere: STAY THE COURSE

61A. Respond at the front: RETURN FIRE. At a war front.

63A. "Round" thing suggested by the first words of 17-, 26-, 46- and 61-Across: TRIP

Argyle here.

A timely theme; just the type of wise guy report I would have turned in. How would you teachers react to such homework? There were some destinations sprinkled through out the puzzle, too.

Across:

1. __ d'état : COUP. First we go to France for “stroke of the state”.

5. Winger of "Shadowlands" : DEBRA. The film, Shadowlands, is a remake of both the 1985 BBC-TV film and a popular stage play about the love story of Joy Gresham and Clive Staples (C.S.) Lewis.

10. Shouts from Emeril : BAMS. Celebrity television chef.

14. Guesstimate phrase : OR SO

15. Fiat : EDICT. Law, regulation.

16. From the top : ANEW

19. Sight from the Sicilian village of Taormina : ETNA. The volcano.

20. Ali trainer Dundee : ANGELO. Boxing. Dundee trained Muhammad Ali, 1960 to 1981. Ali was still Cassius Clay back then.

21. Sunroom : SOLARIUM

23. Doctrinal suffix : ISM. Pertaining to a belief; dogma.

25. Rent : LET

33. Starbucks order : ESPRESSO

34. Charm : ENAMOR. Charm is used as a verb, in this case.

36. Show worry, in a way : PACE

37. Former California fort : ORD. closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California weather. Would make a good trip destination.

39. Disease cause : GERM

40. Makes amends : ATONES

43. Puts in a new pot, say : REPLANTS. A short clip, a song about Harry Potter and repotting the Mandrakes.

48. Ample shoe width : EEE

49. According to : À LA

50. Belgian capital : BRUSSELS. Take a trip here.

55. Aleve alternative : ANACIN. Brand name pain relievers.

60. Superboy's girlfriend Lang : LANA

64. Mushrooms used in Asian cuisine : ENOKI. Image.

65. Elemental unit : ATOM

66. Places for props : SETS

67. Coolidge's vice president : DAWES. With Coolidge, Dawes is on the right.

68. City NNE of Lake Tahoe : RENO. Visit a city with pits.

Down:

1. Historic NYC club, with "The" : COPA. The 1978 Barry Manilow song "Copacabana" is named for and about the nightclub.

2. Algerian seaport : ORAN

3. SOS responder, often : USCG. United States Coast Guard (USCG), www.uscg.mil

4. Creep (along) : POKE

5. Kicks out of office : DEPOSES

6. Coll. dot follower : EDU

7. Storage containers : BINS

8. Pepsi competitor : RC COLA

9. Wheaties box picture : ATHLETE

10. Boxer Max : BAER. One of the most colorful figures of his day, Baer(1909 - 1959) enjoyed life in the limelight(like Ali and most boxers). He was the brother of twice World Champion boxing contender Buddy Baer and father of actor Max Baer, Jr., known to two generations as Jethro Bodine of the Beverly Hillbillies.

11. Hostile to : ANTI

12. Computer list : MENU

13. Showed off one's butterfly? : SWAM. A showy swimming stroke.

18. Kicking partner : ALIVE. Alive and kicking.

22. Business letter abbr. : ATTN. Attention.

24. Sushi bar soup : MISO

26. Exams for future attys. : LSATs. Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

27. Florida theme park acronym : EPCOT. Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. A nice place to visit.

28. Place to play : ARENA

29. Dodgers manager Joe : TORRE. The LA Dodgers are the latest in a long list of major league baseball teams that Joe has managed.

30. Viking in the comics : HAGAR. The Horrible. Comic strip by Dik Browne, whose first name might show up in late week puzzles. Also we have a teenage girl, 45. Greg Evans comic strip : LUANN

31. Chorus from the pews : AMENS

32. Flourless cake : TORTE. Made primarily with eggs, sugar, and ground nuts instead of flour. Take a trip to Germany to get some of the best tortes.

33. Ecol. watchdog : EPA. Ecology and Environmental Protection Agency

35. Apt. parts : RMs. Apartments and rooms

38. Ten: Pref. : DECA

41. Looks over warily : EYES

42. Took the wheel : STEERED

44. North Star : POLARIS

47. Treasure State capital : HELENA. “Treasure State” refers to the importance of mining in Montana

50. Popular diner orders, for short : BLTs

51. Prime rib order : RARE

52. Part of ICU : UNIT

53. Easy marks : SAPs

54. Put away : STOW

56. A long way off : AFAR

57. Name as a source : CITE

58. Boxing's "__ Mike" Tyson : IRON. Our third boxing reference.

59. Nautilus captain : NEMO. The fictional character featured in Jules Verne's novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Now that would be a trip worth writing about.

62. Tiny Tim played one : UKE. Charles Dickens never envisioned this Tiny Tim.

Answer grid.

Here are three fantastic photos of our dashing pilot Dudley, whose initials in real life is DD (Yay, Lois!). Please click on each photo for enlargement. I love the wedding one very much. Beautiful couple.

Argyle