Friday July 18, 2014, Robin Stears

Theme: Does this puzzle go both ways?

In another variation of the letter substitution puzzle, Robin removes the letter "H" from some common phrases and inserts an "IT" in its place, and the resulting new phrases are skillfully clued. The clincher is the very witty reveal which reparses Switch Hit  to Switch H IT. As you all know by now, for me the reveal is critical to the enjoyment of this style of puzzle, and I love IT!  Robin has been with the LAT for many years going back to this PUZZLE She also is active on Twitter, and commenting on puzzles as well as having her own SITE promoting her puzzles and some books she has authored. This puzzle for me had the feel of a Friday with a low word count, no classic crosswordese and some fun 7 and 8 letter fill. ACETONE, ADOPTEE, ASUNDER, CELESTE, FERRARO, ROBERTS, CHATROOM, ETRUSCAN, LOIS LANE, SUGAR PEA.


17A. Imp who annoys the webmaster? : SITE DEVIL. (9) SHE DEVIL transformed. Odd to see this paired with its homonym as part of the theme.

24A. Security group at a protest? : SIT IN GUARDS. (11) SHIN GUARDS an appropriate fill for World Cup time, harkens back memories of college in the 60's.

34A. Quote from "Guerrilla Warfare"? : CITE GUEVARA. (11) CHE GUEVERA was another major player in the 60's media.

49A. Improved Gemini missile? : BETTER TITAN.(11)  BETTER THAN is a bit of a flat phrase but we are being consistent with a rocket from 60s. If you grew up when I did, or watched the movies you will remember the launches of the Gemini capsules. And the reveal,

57A. Swing both ways, and a literal hint to how four puzzle answers were created : SWITCH HIT.

Across:
        
1. 1980s Vicki Lawrence TV role : MAMA. The much younger Vicki played Carol Burnett's mother first on Carol's variety show and then on MAMA's FAMILY.(6:12).

5. Baylor University site : WACO. Where RG III and Brittney Greiner starred.

9. Cul-__ : DE SAC. We do not always want to use literal translations of French phrases incorporated into English. Not to be confused with 18D. Make potable, as seawater : DESALT.

14. Org. created in Baghdad in 1960 : OPEC. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

15. Emperor after Galba : OTHO. He was one of the 4 in the year of 4 Emperors, which I learned about from my Classics studying son. No operation or salad named for this one.

16. Taken : IN USE. I doubt the movies would have done very well with this title.

19. Person of influence : MOGUL. If you ever wondered, the name comes from the Great Mogul, Mughal emperor of India after the conquest of 1520s,

20. Steel plow pioneer : DEERE. A company built on a very simple premise. HISTORY.


21. Amy Adams' "Man of Steel" role : LOIS LANE. Why do the movies and TV shows always get it wrong; Lois is a brunette and Lana Lang the red-head. Once again a ginger.

23. "Baudolino" author : ECO. Author Umberto is becoming a favorite of constructors.

27. Mondale's running mate : FERRARO. Geraldine, if you forgot.

29. Cheesecake ingredient? : GAM. Pulp fiction word for an attractive female leg, probably from the Italian Gamba. Splynter are you out there? A classic.

30. Fondle : PET. Sounds weird.

31. Tasteless : BLAND. Ah, tasteless, not tasteless.

33. "Where __ you?" : WERE. A bad question to ever here from your SO.

38. Cheers : RAHS.

40. "On the Record" host Van Susteren : GRETA. No way to link this Fox news star without it ending up in political discussion.

41. Mozart's "L'__ del Cairo" : OCA.

42. Humanities degs. : MAS. Master of Arts

45. Oliver Twist, e.g. : ADOPTEE. Not my first or second thought.

52. __ mission : ON A. A Gemini one?

53. Ancient Po Valley dweller : ETRUSCAN. With a son who majored in Roman Archaeology, the pre-Roman Italian people  is another gimme.

54. Classics, e.g. : I-PODS. I am too old to understand this. (From C.C.:  This refers to iPod Classic model.)

56. Underground network : ROOTS. This clue/fill will grow on you.

60. CD alternative : T-NOTE.

61. Fleming and McKellen : IANS. An Odd Couple? James Bond and Magneto? Or Gandalf?

62. Hawk's foe : DOVE. A very vocal comparison from the 60s when the Vietnam War raged.

63. Certain car carriers : SEMIS.

64. Span. miss : SRTA.

65. Hip follower? : STER. This is an accepted suffix (mob, trick etc.) even if you do not like this type of fill. My personal favorite is easy. LOB. Anyway, hipsters abounded in the 60s.

Down:

1. Rapper Yasiin Bey, formerly : MOS DEF. I know him only from his films, certainly not his most recent name. He was born Dante Terrell Smith. Not a 60s reference.

2. Pricing word : A PIECE.

3. Astronomer's sighting : METEOR.

4. Aspire maker : ACER. Computer.

5. Distress : WOE.

6. Beach transp. : ATV. All Terrain Vehicle.

7. It may be seen on a dog : CHILI. Funny.

8. Chinese tea : OOLONG. Did you know the HISTORY? It ties into the ...

9. Chinese dish served on small plates : DIM SUM. An odd sort of Clecho.

10. __ Gay : ENOLA. I think it is time this clue was dropped.

11. Edible pod : SUGAR PEA. These are a form of snow or snap pea, not a sweet pea.

12. In bits and pieces : ASUNDER. Divorced anyone?

13. Pizza-For-One maker : CELESTE. A CSO to my son's MIL.

22. Supermarket letters : IGA. Independent Grocers Alliance.

25. Requiem Mass hymn word : IRAE.

26. Half a patio pair : TONG.

28. MLB stats : RBIS. It should never be "RBI's" as the plural is Runs Batted In, still RBI, you can have 10 RBI.

32. Grooved on : DUG. here we go back to the 60s; I am home.

33. Trendy sandwich : WRAP. So last year.

34. Place to practice netiquette : CHAT ROOM.

35. Latin 101 word : ERAT.

36. Sacred Hindu text : VEDA.

37. Not accented, as syllables : ATONIC.

38. 1955 Fonda role : ROBERTS. Hey MISTER. (2:18) A wonderful romp with Hank Fonda, Jimmy Cagney, Bill Powell and a young Jack Lemmon (no relation).

39. Polish remover ingredient : ACETONE.It is where the smell comes from. If you smell that in someone's breath get them immediately to a hospital as it is likely caused by diabetic ketosis. Or too many orange certs.

42. Diddles (around) : MESSES. Not my first thought, nor likely Dennis'.

43. Hyperbola part : ARC. Not an exaggeration.

44. Equilibrium : STASIS.

46. One of Goldilocks' complaints : TOO HOT.

47. Vitamin K source : ENDIVE.This is the one vegetable I do not like.

48. __ egg : EASTER.

50. __-frutti : TUTTI. We have to go here: LINK. (2:05).

51. "__, truth is the first casualty": Aeschylus : IN WAR. Another topic I will avoid for non-political political reasons.

55. Third degrees? : PHDS. Philosophiae Doctor(s). Nice misdirection BA-1, MA-2, PhD-3.

58. Bank acct. entry : INTerest.

59. PC-checking org., at times : TSA. Transportation Safety Administration.

Another Friday in the record books, the  Open Tournament from Royal Liverpool is here to amuse us and of course in So.Fla. We have sun and have rain. Thanks Robin and thanks Corner.

Enjoy all. Lemonade out.

Sunday May 11, 2014 Robin Stears

Theme: "Body Language"-  Both word can precede "Body" in each theme entry.

23A. Bit of roomy footwear? : FAT STOCKING. Body fat. Bodystocking.

28A. Iron Man's coat? : ARMOR PAINT. Body armor. Body paint. Reminds me of the "This is not a parrot" picture Hahoola linked last time.

42A. Shrill morning awakener? : PIERCING CLOCK. Body piercing. Body clock.

 59A. AutoZone inventory? : PARTS COUNT. Body parts. Body count. A bit of a downer.

65A. Hawaii museum section? : SURFING ART. Bodysurfing. Body art. How many people can you see?

  

86A. Clothing store shoplifters? : SUIT SNATCHERS. Bodysuit. What are "body snatchers"?

97A. The old one-two? : DOUBLE BLOW. Body double. Body blow.

105A. Put down a high school subject? : SLAM ENGLISH. Body slam. Body English.

Did you get the theme easily? It stumped our own Steve.

Robin has a knack for this type of both words can follow/precede theme type. See her last LAT puzzle.  "Dance Partners", also a Sunday.

Across:

1. Cold mold : ASPIC. The ones in Xi'An often contain bits of fried tofu.

6. Remove pieces from? : UNARM. Use DISARM more often.

11. Stay-at-home ones, perhaps : DADS

15. Disappearing slope apparatus : T-BAR. I don't get the "Disappearing" part.

19. Isabella, por ejemplo : REINA. Spanish queen.

20. Largest of the Cyclades : NAXOS

21. Peace Nobelist Wiesel : ELIE

22. Poker chip collector : RAKE. If my brain works as fast as Ben Affleck's, I'll count cards too.

25. Fresh, in a way : RUDE

26. Tiger's ex : ELIN. So pretty.

27. Puts away, as a dagger : SHEATHES

30. Escalator feature : TREAD

31. Sour notes : CLINKERS. I only know clunkers.

32. "The Racer's Edge" : STP

35. Phoenix team, on scoreboards : ARI. D-backs.

36. Home to one billion : AFRICA. 4.3 billion people in Asia.

38. One vis-à-vis three, at times : SOONER. Simple in retrospect.

45. Ring of Fire danger : TSUNAMI. Love this picture Dave linked a few days ago.

46. Divvy up : ALLOT

47. Jack up : RAISE

48. Got ready to drive : TEED. Unlike Marti, Laura Davies never uses tees. She just kicks up a bit of sod and uses it as a tee.

49. 45, e.g. : RPM

50. Dole (out) : METE

51. Bits of holly : SPRIGS

53. Influence unfairly : BIAS

54. Opposite of ecto- : ENTO. Inner.

55. Boat-steering tool : OAR

56. Wood stove, for one : HEATER

58. Grade school quintet : A E I O U

67. Say "y'all," say : ELIDE

68. Acapulco beaches : PLAYAS. Had no idea that "Playa" means "Beach" in Spanish.

70. Charlottesville sch. : UVA (University of Virginia)

71. Gym series : REPs

72. Instrument played with a mallet : GONG. Also the surname of the most famous Chinese actress Gong Li.

73. Follow orders : COMPLY

76. Quipsters : WITS

80. Brown, in old ads : UPS. Sorry about my umlaut mess-up yesterday, Splynter. No Blue-Eyed Girl yesterday?

81. 1998 N.L. MVP : SOSA

82. Paroxysm : THROE

83. Pago Pago's nation : SAMOA

84. Airport arrival : SHUTTLE

89. Spotted : ESPIED

90. Least significant : MEREST

91. Fed. auditing agency : GAO (Government Accountability Office)

92. Talk trash to : DIS. Don't you ever talk about me like that! I'm the best Chinese crossword blogger in the game.

93. Deportment : DEMEANOR

95. Connection : NEXUS

100. It joined the Union in 1876 : COLORADO

103. Jamaican tangelo : UGLI. Most grocery stores carry UGLIs nowadays.

104. Sliding __ : DOOR

108. Bed board : SLAT

109. Oscar winner Hathaway : ANNE

110. Spanish bar servings : TAPAS

111. Chew the scenery : EMOTE

112. Now Look dolls, e.g. : KENs. Not familar with the "Now Look".

113. Drain cleaners : LYES

114. Oodles : SCADS

115. Less cracked? : SANER. Nice clue.

Down:

1. Chihuahua greeting : ARF

2. Seven __ : SEAS

3. Essence : PITH

4. Map of Hawaii, often : INSET. Indeed.

5. Falls : CATARACT. Plural-like singular, like Niagara Falls, I guess.

6. Release : UNCHAIN

7. Au naturel : NAKED

8. Line in math class : AXIS

9. Burgundy of film : RON. Hi there, Ron!

10. Controversial flavor enhancer : MSG

11. Lifting device : DERRICK

12. Smith graduate : ALUMNA

13. Got a C-plus, say : DID OK

14. Sibyls : SEERESSES

15. High-level disloyalty : TREASON

16. 2008 Asian Beach Games host : BALI. Have no memory of the games.

17. Similar (to) : AKIN

18. "Seasons of Love" musical : RENT

24. Cheri of "SNL" : OTERI

28. "... a grin without a cat!" thinker : ALICE

29. Self-important : PROUD

31. Stick with a net : CROSSE. In Lacrosse, right?

32. Annoying messages : SPAM

33. Domino, for one : TILE

34. Pound repeatedly : PELT

36. Berry rich in antioxidants : ACAI. See lots of Acai bowls on Pinterest.

37. Capricious : FLIGHTY

39. Country by the River Shribble : NARNIA. Got via crosses.

40. Caveat __ : EMPTOR

41. Curl around the hole's edge without going in, in golf lingo : RIM OUT. The clue describes the entry accurately.

43. School of the future? : ROE. Another great clue.

44. "Stay off my turf!" : GRR

45. Sad : TEARFUL

48. Bit of ticket info : TIER

51. Pouch : SAC

52. Ask for a hand? : PROPOSE

53. A/C unit : BTU. So pricey to ask those guys for a check up. Often they don't have the correct parts in their car, and they have to come again. I often wonder if they're telling the truth.

54. Neurofeedback readout : EEG

55. Sugar suffix : OSE

57. Pigeonholes : ASSORTS

58. Gasteyer of "Suburgatory" : ANA

59. Wade through : PERUSE

60. Hebrew leaders? : ALEPHS. Just first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

61. Turns to confetti : RIPS UP

62. Some ESPN highlights : TDs

63. It parallels the radius : ULNA

64. Unlikely derby winner : NAG

66. Wrigley Field feature : IVY

69. Increasingly sore : ACHIER

72. Cherished prize : GOLD MEDAL. I'll always remember the 15 gold medals China won in 1984. That's the first Olympics to many Chinese (China had been boycotting Olympics prior to that).

74. More than half : MOST

75. Memento from a bill-signing ceremony : PEN

76. ''Do __ Diddy Diddy'': 1964 hit : WAH

77. Pinged, in a way : IM'ED. "Pinged" made me think of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

78. Famous Amos : TORI

79. Get smart with : SASS

81. Shade of gray : STEEL

82. "Presumed Innocent" author : TUROW (Scott)

83. Calamity causes : SCOURGES

85. Choice morsels : TIDBITS. So I made Granola with Argyle's maple syrup a la this recipe. Skipped coconut flakes & used slivered almonds. I must have done something wrong, the taste was a bit bitter.

86. Men of La Mancha : SENORES

87. Eternal : AGELESS

88. Phylum or genus, e.g. : TAXON. New word to me. The plural is TAXA.

90. Sam who worked with Coach and Woody : MALONE. In "Cheers!" Never watched it.

94. Key material : EBONY. Piano key.

95. Itinerant : NOMAD

96. Hayek of "Frida" : SALMA. Saw a Frida Kahlo exhibit a few years ago. She sure knew pain &  passion.

97. Evenfall : DUSK

98. Look like a wolf? : OGLE. Lovely clue.

99. __ Bator : ULAN

100. Corrida cloak : CAPA

101. "Runaround Sue" singer : DION

102. Prefix meaning "bone" : OSTE

105. Bernard and Bonaventure: Abbr. : STs

106. Varnish ingredient : LAC

107. "__ Town Too": 1981 hit : HER. James Taylor.

The third Minnesota Crossword Tournament will be held on June 22 at The Landmark Center in Saint Paul. Please click here for more information. The puzzles are all made by our local constructors or constructors with MN ties (Andrea Carla Michaels, e.g.).  The local constructors include Tom Pepper, George Barany, David Hanson, David Liben-Nowell, Dan Kantor, Jay Kaskel & Victor Barocas (also our editor). Don G and Andy Kravis also took part in the effort. A few are our LA Times constructors. All have been published by the NY Times.

C.C.

 

Sunday March 2, 2014 Robin Stears

 Theme: "Dance Partners" - Both words in this theme entry can proceed "Dance".

 23A. Admirer banned for overzealousness? : FORBIDDEN FAN. Fan dance, yes! What is "Forbidden dance"?

  

41A. Where "Hissing 101" is offered? : SNAKE SCHOOL. Loved the clue. Snake dance. School dance.

44A. Contemporary poetry competition? : MODERN SLAM. Modern dance. Slam dance.

69A. Something the plumber's never seen before? : EXOTIC CLOG. Exotic dance. Clog dance.

73A. Hardly hipsters? : SQUARE FOLK. Square dance. Folk dance.

95A. San Diego mascot's topper? : CHICKEN HAT. Read here about the Chicken. Chicken dance. Hat dance.

100A. Follow the Scarlet Speedster? : SHADOW FLASH. Scarlet Speedster is the nickname of Flash. Shadow dance. Flashdance.

122A. Eating contest winner's paunch? : VICTORY BELLY. Victory dance. Belly dance.

Such an apt puzzle title. And so many dances! This puzzle should delight our Yellowrocks, who's the president of their square dance club.

Across:

     

1. Page 1 or 3, usually : RECTO. Right-hand page (Odd-numbered). Vs. Verso.

6. Perplex : BEMUSE

12. Digital readout abbr. : LCD

15. Workout target : FLAB

19. Hitching post? : ALTAR. Nailed it.

20. Cocky self-reference end : AREN'T I.  Oh, I'm so ...., aren't I?

21. Sushi tuna : AHI

22. Rolling rock : LAVA

25. It's read monthly : GAS METER. Not magazine!

27. Farmer: TILLER

28. Begets : SIRES

30. Comparatively poor : NEEDIER

31. Table d'hôte alternative : A LA CARTE. Still remember you first day in Paris? I went to a party in a Paris suburb and ended up missing the last Métro.

34. Coveted annual honor : OSCAR. Timely.

36. Tuscaloosa-to-Huntsville dir. : NNE

37. Stretch named for a leader, perhaps : ERA. Clinton era, e.g.

40. Not even part-time : IDLE. So, IDLE here is an adjective, right?

48. Curse : EVIL EYE

49. .jpg file contents : IMAGE. I'm saddened by the passing of PK, Dave. But you loved her and took great care of her.

Dave & PK

50. Scintilla : SHRED

52. Imitate a hot dog? : PANT. The HOT dog, not food.

56. Like the worst excuse : LAMEST

58. Beersheba locale : NEGEV. Not familiar with Beersheba. Wiki says:  it's the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev".

60. Dolphins' order : CETACEA. Whales belong to the same order. Learning moment to me. This word looks like some kind of disease.

63. Picked up a split, say : SPARED. Bowling.

65. Handel work : MESSIAH

68. Shop _ you drop : TIL

75. __ & Perrins: Worcestershire sauce : LEA. Never heard of it, but I'm so happy Robin finds a new clue for LEA.

76. Macho sort : REAL MAN. Don't be deceived by the Macho look.

78. Shoppe sign words : YE OLDE

79. Some printers : INKJETS

81. Flower children? : SEEDS. Sweet clue.

83. Long-faced : SULLEN

87. "Meh" : SO SO

88. Grateful, maybe? : ASHES. Oh, she means Grate-ful.

90. Marsupial sometimes called a bear : KOALA

91. Ancient fertility goddess : ASTARTE. The Phoenician goddess.

104. Wind in a pit : OBOE

105. Frat letter : RHO

106. Not 'neath : O'ER

107. Assist with : DO FOR

108. Victuals : ALIMENTS

112. Apportion : PRORATE

114. Hamlet and Ophelia, e.g. : ROLES. Not enough space for LOVERS.

116. Payday, for one : NUT BAR. Never had this.

120. Nostalgic, in a way : HOMESICK. This is horrifying. Those ethnic separatists are Muslims. China has 56 ethnic groups. Han is the largest. Over 91% of the Chinese are Han, including me.

125. __ uproar : IN AN

126. Kingston Trio hit for whose hero Boston's CharlieCard was named : MTA

127. Daughter of Zeus : ATHENA

128. __ Gay : ENOLA

129. Standard Oil brand : ESSO

130. "Errare humanum __": Seneca : EST. To err is human.

131. Looked impolitely : LEERED

132. One-named Swedish pop singer : ROBYN. First time encounter with this lady.

Down:

1. Finn's vessel : RAFT

2. Sci-fi people : ELOI

3. Shift neighbor : CTRL

4. Sitar accompaniment : TABLA

5. Bay window : ORIEL

6. Good, in some cases : BAD

7. Preposition with multiple homonyms : ERE. Air, Heir, Aer.

8. Criminal intent, in law : MENS REA

9. Not qualified : UNFIT

10. Rubbernecks : STARES

11. Article in Die Zeit : EINE. Die Zeit= The Time. German national weekly newspaper well-regarded for its journalistic quality, a la Wiki.

12. Jet __ : LAG

13. Pulpit locale : CHANCEL. I'm surprised I know this word.

14. Part of CDC : DISEASE

15. Skedaddled : FLED

16. Bodega patron : LATINO

17. Skin care brand : AVEENO. I like their tinted moistuizer.

18. Rodeo prop : BARREL

24. Pull the plug on : DRAIN. Literally.

26. "Heavens to Betsy!" : MERCY

29. Dry Italian wine : SOAVE

32. They're burned on purpose : CDs

33. Pledge of Allegiance ender : ALL

35. Road mark cause, maybe : SKID

37. Disney's "__ and the Detectives" : EMIL. No idea.

38. Italia's capital : ROMA

39. Biblical Rodin work : ADAM

42. Pre-performance feeling : NERVES

43. Air filter acronym : HEPA. I have to Google: High-Efficiency Particulate Absorption.

45. Cast out : EGEST

46. Inhale and exhale : RESPIRE

47. Flavor enhancer : MSG. Have you tried Chinese dumplings, D-Otto? Trader Joe's has a veggie version that I really like.

51. Sewer line? : HEM.  Nice clue.

53. X-__: tool brand : ACTO

54. Playwright Simon : NEIL

55. "Confess!" : TALK

57. Musical "don't play" : TACET

58. Snidely Whiplash fearer : NELL. Drew a blank.

59. Ancient Dead Sea land : EDOM

60. "See ya!" : CIAO. I seldom use this word in daily conversion,  too similar to Chinese F word.

61. British noblemen : EARLS

62. Wayne nickname : THE DUKE. The only Republican Orson Welles really admired.

64. Some TVs : RCAs

66. Carpet meas. : SQ YD. Square Yard.

67. Petitions : SUES

69. The Whiffenpoofs of a cappella fame : ELIs

70. Alien: Pref. : XENO. As in Xenophobia.

71. Cork sources : OAKS

72. Deep cuts : GASHES

74. Record holder? : FELON. Another nice clue.

77. Bridal bio word : NEE

80. Steinbeck hero Tom : JOAD

82. Key that cancels : ESC

84. Comic actor Bert : LAHR

85. David and Goliath's battlefield : ELAH. The Valley of Elah.

86. Defense gp. : NATO

88. Janis' comics mate : ARLO

89. First Super Bowl MVP : STARR (Bart)

92. What jerks serve : SODAS

93. Betray : TWO-TIME. Chilling when you discover your husband has another email account.

94. Touches : AFFECTS

96. Block and tackle, e.g. : HOISTER. Had to consult Argyle. He said "Block and tackle is used to hoist things up".

97. Creator of Watson : IBM. Hi there Chicago!

98. Cedar Rapids college : COE. I learned from doing Xwords.

99. G on a sax? : KENNY. Kenny G.

100. Oscar role for Meryl : SOPHIE. Sophie's Choice.

101. Long-legged waders : HERONS

102. Kitchen emanations : AROMAS

103. Ice cream-making supply : HALITE. New trivia to me.

109. Café con __ : LECHE

110. Rutabaga or yam : TUBER. One of our readers told me that real African yams are white-fleshed. So all these years I've been just eating sweet potatoes, even if they're marked "Yams" in our grocery store.

111. Gregg user : STENO

113. Gambling town on I-80 : RENO

115. Like an oeil-de-boeuf window : OVAL. French for  "bull's eye". Another learning moment to me.

117. Shapeless mass : BLOB

118. Friend : ALLY

119. Actor Gosling : RYAN

121. Dennings of "2 Broke Girls" : KAT

123. Number of Beethoven operas : ONE. Fidelio.

124. "Far out!" : RAD

Mike Alpert told me yesterday that you don't have to be a ACPT competitor to attend the Cru Dinner. I hope some of our NY area readers can make it. Precious opportunity to mix and mingle with other solvers & constructors. The Saturday Stud might be there if his work schedule works out.

Splynter

C.C.

Thursday, January 16, 2014 Robin Stears

Theme: Rhyme Time

Five different ways to spell the "oke" sound. Who knew?

17-Across. "The Caine Mutiny" novelist : HERMAN WOUK. I have heard some people pronounce his name like the Chinese "wok."  Click on the speaker for the correct pronunciation here.

24-Across. "Reward Your Curiosity" soda : VANILLA COKE. Reintroduced in 2007.

35-Across. 17th-century artistic style : HIGH BAROQUE. ~1625-70, exemplified by Bernini's "Chair of St. Peter" in St. Peter's Basilica.

48-Across. Early Schwarzenegger nickname, with "The" : AUSTRIAN OAK. Never heard him called that. Makes sense, though!

58-Across. People of good breeding : GENTLE FOLK. A nice homey description.

Not too much else to say. The puzzle seemed pretty easy, with only a handful of tricky clues.

Across:

1. In the know : AWARE.

6. Simplicity : EASE.

10. Dundee damsel : LASS.

14. Ledger entry : DEBIT.

15. Cannonball, e.g. : DIVE. Were you thinking ammunition?

16. In the know about : ON TO.

19. Walk or run : GAIT.

20. Some NASA data-retrieval missions : EVAS. Extravehicular Activity(s). We just had this one yesterday, clued as "Perón and Gabor." Has anyone seen "Gravity" with Sandra Bullock?

Gravity

21. Invitation "S" : S'IL. The "S" of RSVP: "Répondez, s'il vous plaît." "Respond, if it pleases you.."  My take: LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE COMING, DAMMIT!!! I HAVE SPENT FIVE DAYS COOKING AND CLEANING, AND I DESERVE SOME APPRECIATION HERE!!!!

22. Take the wrong way? : FILCH.

23. Empty (of) : RID.

27. Fragrant resin : ELEMI. Canarium luzonicum to all you botanists out there.

29. Dusk, to Donne : E'EN.  I liked the play on the phrase, "dusk to dawn."

30. Aus. language : GER. It's what Ah-nold speaks.

31. Crescent piece : ARC.

33. Underworld piece : GAT. Hah!  Here's the gat that Steve and I were looking for yesterday.

34. Medical breakthrough : CURE.

38. Booted, say : SHOD.

40. Org. with complex schedules : IRS. It's already getting to be that time of year. I just got my W-2 in the mail today.

41. Lump : NUB.

42. Mr. Potato Head part : EAR.

43. Tankard filler : ALE.

44. Ferry stops : ISLES.

53. Asia's __ Darya river : AMU. We've had this before. It flows into the Aral Sea.

54. Glisten : GLEAM.

55. "__ Wiedersehen" : AUF. More words from Ah-nold! ("Until we meet again!")

56. Oscar-winning Whitaker role : AMIN. Idi, to friends…(Did he have any???)

57. Stadium access : RAMP.

61. Tommie of the Miracle Mets : AGEE. I bet this was a gimme for C.C.  I would have been better off with an "Author James" clue.

62. Unpopular spots : ACNE.

63. __ Claire: women's magazine : MARIE.

64. Sew up : MEND.

65. Woody __, "Cheers" bartender : BOYD. I loved this clip. 1:26

66. Strictly controlled refrigerant : FREON.


Down:

1. Stay attached : ADHERE.

2. Cotton pest : WEEVIL.

3. Wear away : ABRADE.

4. Glass edges : RIMS. Also, "glasses edges…"

5. Two after epsilon : ETA.  Do you know your Greek αβγ's?

6. Dickens' Drood : EDWIN.

7. Pungent mayo : AIOLI. I bet everyone wrote this in without thinking, since we just had it on Tuesday.

8. "Law and Order: __" : SVU. Special Victim's Unit.

9. It's a scream : EEK. Literally!

10. Columbo asset : LOGIC.

11. Veggie burger, to a hamburger : ANALOGUE. I never knew this meaning of the word.

12. Price place : STICKER.

13. "In your face!" : SO THERE!

18. Decoding org. : NSA. National Security Agency. I had NSC(ouncil) at first.

22. Twitter follower : FAN.

24. D.C. neighbor : VIRG.inia.

25. Edward known for limericks : LEAR. Ah, but he's known as OwenKL here on the Corner...

26. Reveal : LET ON.

28. Certain domestic : MAID.

32. Some like it hot : CHILI. Not to be confused with the movie.

"Some Like It Hot"

33. Word with log or burner : GAS.

34. Wrigley team : CUBS. Covered in Boston Ivy, right?

35. Revelation foursome : HORSEMEN. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

36. City ESE of Los Angeles : BREA. It means "tar" in Spanish. (I've said it before: So, "The La Brea Tar Pits" are actually "The the tar tar pits"??? )

37. Nestlé product introduced in 1948 : QUIK.

38. Big name in liquor : SEAGRAM. Tinbeni, do you ever lower yourself to Seagram's??

39. Railroad charge : HAULAGE.

43. Ulna locale : ARM.

45. Rossellini film renamed "Ways of Love" in its American version : L'AMORE.

46. Actor Estevez : EMILIO. Charlie Sheen's older brother.

47. Like the Titanic : SUNKEN.

49. Wrapped, as an ankle : TAPED.

50. Nursery employee : NANNY.

51. Exposed publicly : OUTED.

52. Old gridiron gp. : AFL. The American Football League of the '60s. The NE Patriots were an original member, until it was merged with the NFL.

56. Where some worship from : AFAR.

58. Shoot the breeze : GAB.

59. "Foucault's Pendulum" writer : ECO. Umberto.

60. "Unbelievable" rock group : EMF. I had no clue. After listening to a couple clips on You Tube, I now know why.  Go ahead and link away if the spirit moves you!

See you next Thursday!

Marti

Thursday, September 5, 2013 Robin Stears

Theme:

  (need I say more???)

17. Group for jive fools? : TURKEY CLUB. I'll go out on a limb and say that I think a "jive turkey" is someone who thinks they know what they are talking about...but don't. It was kind of a '70s slang term, right?

31. Quick swim in la mer? : FRENCH DIP. "The sea," in French, gave the hint for this one. The original sandwich was invented in L.A. Roast beef with "jus" on the side.

46. GI unlikely to pass inspection? : SLOPPY JOE. GI Joe is a common term for a US soldier. A sloppy joe is a really messy sandwich!

60. Reneged on politically motivated funding? : PULLED PORK. Pork barrel politics. DH's favorite! (The sandwich, not the politics...)

OK, now I am totally hungry again!! A really tight theme, with four sandwiches clued with literal interpretations. Fun stuff from Robin.  Let's see what else she has in the pantry.

Across:

1. Behold, to Ovid : ECCE. My Latin 101 helped here.

5. Graded : RATED.

10. Stow on board : LADE.

14. Décembre event : NOEL. The clue is French for December, and the answer is French for "Christmas."

15. Mosul resident : IRAQI.

16. Supply-and-demand subj. : ECON.omics.

19. Boat that can navigate in shallow waters : SCOW.

20. Big name in taco sauce : ORTEGA. I like their "Thick and Chunky" (but I would like it better if they made a "hot" version!)

21. Smooch : KISS.

23. NHL legend : ORR. Boston Bruins' Bobby. Here's his stats.

24. Kingston Trio song that inspired the Boston subway's CharlieCard : MTA. Awww, y'know I had to link this one!

25. "Superman Returns" character : OLSEN. Played by Sam Huntington.

27. Fed. nutrition std. : US RDA. United States Recommended Daily Allowances. Take them with a grain of salt...

29. Great joy : BLISS.

33. Lip-___ : SYNC. ("Oh say, can you sync?")

34. FDR had three of them : VPs. Vice Presidents. John Garner, Henry Wallace and Harry Truman. (I bet you didn't know two out of three!) (I know I didn't!!)

35. Started the day : AROSE.

36. Like single-malt scotch : AGED. Shout-out to Tinbeni!

38. Ran when wet : BLED.

39. Iron clothes? : ARMOR. Fun misdirection.

41. Lingerie top : BRA. Shout-out to Dennis!

42. Short run : DASH.

48. "When Worlds Collide" co-author : WYLIE. Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer. No clue. (Thanks, perps!)

49. Zenith's opposite : NADIR.

50. Tour de France stage : ETAPE. French for "step."

52. Jurisprudence org. : ABA. American Bar Association.

53. Justice Fortas : ABE.

54. Drying oven : OAST.

56. Boring tool : REAMER.

58. Longtime Lucci role : KANE. Susan Lucci as Erica KANE.

62. Rescue teams, briefly : EMTs. Emergency Medical Technician(s)

63. Kiddie's refrain : E-I-E-I-O. Old MacDonald was a bad speller, y'know!

64. Jim Davis pooch : ODIE.

65. Lip : SASS.

66. Sunset ___ : STRIP. Ooooh, I bet you can come up with a more vivid clue!

67. Campus official : DEAN.


Down:

1. Puts in a vault, in a way : ENTOMBS.

2. Refined, as manners : COURTLY. That's how I imagine Keith Fowler...

3. Positive : CERTAIN.

4. Sexy Sommer : ELKE. Oh, I dunno...ya think?

5. Saudi capital : RIYAL. HaHa, got me!  I was thinking of Riyadh...but no, they are not asking for the city, but the currency of  Saudi Arabia. And then we have 22-Across. Bolivian capital : SUCRE. Arrrgh!  SUCRE is the capital city of Bolivia!

6. Parenthesis, e.g. : ARC. Took waaaay too long to figure this one out (added 45 seconds to my time!)

7. Loquacious types : TALKERS.

8. Like some track stars : EQUINE. Horses at the race track, not Olympic runners.

9. "Mine!" : DIBS.

10. Arles article : LES. More French lessons: Had to wait for perps on this one. You can automatically eliminate the three two-letter articles, at least:

                    Definite ("THE")  Indefinite ("A")

Masculine    Le                         Un
Feminine     La                        Une
Plural           Les                        Des

11. Camp David ___ : ACCORDS.

12. Like a Hail Mary pass : DO OR DIE. I had DOOR, and was scratching my head about the ending for it!

13. Swaddle : ENWRAP. meh...

18. They may clash on a set : EGOS.

26. Calif. law group : SFPD. San Francisco Police Department.

28. Poorly made : SHODDY.

30. Shrimp dish : SCAMPI.

32. "The Lion King" lioness : NALA. Learned from crosswords, but I'm guessing a lot of you grandparents out there have seen her first-hand at the movies?

34. Très : VERY. More "Frawnch," as Splynter would say...

37. Hit the big leagues : GO PRO.

38. La ___ Tar Pits : BREA. BREA means "tar" in Spanish, so I guess these are the tartar pits?

39. Talladega's home : ALABAMA.

40. Capybaras, e.g. : RODENTS. Sweet!

41. Coco-Cola producer : BOTTLER. Well...yeh, but...

43. Apple pie order :  À LA MODE.

44. Remote, undesirable locale, figuratively : SIBERIA.

45. Pay heed, in literature : HEARKEN. "Hearken my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere..." (Oh, wait. That starts with "Listen"...)

46. Racers and rattlers : SNAKES. I hate snakes!

47. Ignatius of Loyola follower : JESUIT. Did anyone else have Jesuit teachers? (They were tough!)

48. Garden intruder : WEED. As long as it's not a snake, I don't mind...

51. Hosp. area : PRE-OP.

55. Zoo primates : APES.

57. ... peas in ___ : A POD.

59. Last of the Mohicans? : ESS. (Sorry, Jazzbumpa!)

61. Year in Claudius' reign : LII. Take your pick. He was Roman emperor in XLI, XLII, XLIII, XLIV, XLV, XLVI, XLVII, XLVIII, XLIX, L, LI, LII, LIII and LIV.

Time for me to call it a night! It's already X:III!!

Marti

Note from C.C.:

"An Evening with the Puzzle Master" - Will Shortz, editor of NY Times crossword, is visiting Minnesota next Thursday Sept 12, 2013. He'll answer all questions about puzzles. Click here for details. Please join us. I think all of Twin Cities crossword constructors will be there, including yesterday's LAT constructor Victor Barocas.