Thursday, October 18th 2018 Roger & Kathy Wienberg

Theme Three-Card Monte - as the reveal tells us:

55A. Vegas device used literally in three puzzle answers: CARD SHUFFLER

Which leads us to:

20. They may be added to soup: SODA CRACKERS. I had a little bit of a mental block with this one - I wanted SALT, not SODA and so things wouldn't work too well in this area. The reveal put me straight.

32A. Recognition event: AWARD CEREMONY

40A. Camp activities: ARTS AND CRAFTS

A simple but slick theme with plenty of weight in the theme answers. Add to that a couple of 10-letter across entries and two 11's in the downs and that's a pretty weighty grid to fill around. Roger & Kathy have done a great job with the fill, there's nary a clunker in sight, and where there are some very common fill words, the cluing is often fresh. Excellent stuff.

Across:

1. Cartman on "South Park": ERIC. There are websites where you can make your own "South Park" avatar - this is one of mine from the start of a Premier League season a couple of years ago:

5. John follower: ACTS. New Testament of the Bible. The Acts of the Apostles follows The Gospel according to St. John.

9. European farewell: ADIEU

14. Default takeback: REPO

15. Formal agreement: NOR I. I can't stop parsing this as NORI, the dried seaweed wrapper for sushi rolls.

16. Two-time Argentine president: PÉRON. Interesting use of "two-time" here - Juan Péron actually served three terms as president, but two were consecutive from 1946-1952 and 1952-1955.

17. Famous __: AMOS

18. Keys for Elton: GRAND PIANO

22. Tennis' Open __: ERA

23. Smooth-talking: OILY

24. Fight: COMBAT

28. "25" album maker: ADELE

30. Federal URL ending: GOV

31. Lennon's lady: ONO

36. Prop for Frosty: PIPE

38. Crown installer's org.: ADA. American Dental Association.

39. Short strings?: UKES

45. Inventor's monogram: TAE. Thomas Alva Edison, natch.

46. Head for Vegas?: LAS

47. Carpenter's joint: MITER

49. Like Justice League members: HEROIC

51. Stub __: A TOE

53. Stroke that doesn't count: LET. Tennis serve that hits the net cord before landing in the service court. I noticed last year at Wimbledon that they no longer have judges sitting at the side of the net with the finger on the net cord. When did that stop?

58. Prime hotel time: HIGH SEASON

61. Assessment: LEVY

62. Comforting words: I CARE

63. Support at sea: MAST

64. Destructive Greek god: ARES

65. Genres: TYPES

66. Watch pair?: EYES

67. Sly attention-getter: PSST!

Down:

1. Rub out: ERASE

2. Rider on a shark: REMORA. I'd never heard of these guys before. They're not parasitic as they do no harm to the shark, other than hitch a free ride. They're not really symbiotic either, as the shark doesn't really get much benefit from having them around. The sharks just seem to enjoy the company.

3. Audio system connector: IPOD ADAPTER. I fitted one of these gadgets in my last car to supplement the AM/FM and CD options. Then I lost the iPod.

4. Cuban thing: COSA

5. Hotter: ANGRIER

6. Color named for a sea animal: CORAL

7. Detective role for Beatty: TRACY. Dick Tracy. Didn't Warren co-star with Madonna in that movie? I think that led to something of a fling between them.

8. Cleaning area: SINK

9. Say yes: APPROVE

10. Reason-based faith: DEISM

11. Lyricist Gershwin: IRA

12. Many ages: EON

13. Mattel game since 1992: UNO

19. Furnishings and such: DECOR

21. Root beer alternative: COLA. See "Dad's" below.

25. Proprietors for word lovers: BOOKSELLERS. I love bookstores. If you want to drop me off somewhere and know exactly where I'll be by the time you get back, however long that is, leave me at a bookstore.

26. Diarist Frank: ANNE

27. Elves' output: TOYS

29. Ram fans?: EWES. The Rams fans are all around here.

30. Camping stuff: GEAR

33. Root beer since 1937: DAD'S. You can buy an original, empty bottle on eBay right now for $15.

34. Epidemic-fighting agcy.: CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

35. You won't see one at Westminster: MUTT. You will at Westminster Cathedral, they have a Pet's Corner. Oh wait, Poet's Corner, slight difference.

36. Trail: PATH

37. Requiem Mass hymn word: IRAE. Dies Irae, or "Day of Wrath".

41. They're assumed: ALIASES

42. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE

43. Bottom lines: AMOUNTS

44. Feudal estate: FIEF

48. John Wick portrayer: REEVES. My neighbor Keanu.

50. Natural clay pigment: OCHRE

51. Evaluate: ASSAY

52. More of that: THOSE

54. Secret rendezvous: TRYST

56. Title for Helen Mirren: DAME. "Der ain't nuttin' loik ..."

57. Flutter: FLAP

58. Baseball stat: HIT. Plenty of hits at this time of year. My Dodgers hoping for one better than last year, but have to get past the Brewers first! 5-1 tonight, so 3-2 in the series ...

59. Standoffish: ICY

60. Mountain pass: GAP

Wow - tempus fugit - time to call it a wrap!

Steve

Thursday August 23rd 2018 Roger & Kathy Wienberg

Theme: Anagram Fun. 'Nuf said?

18A. Takes on a new responsibility, as of leadership: ASSUMES THE MANTLE. Who assumed Mickey's mantle? The Mick followed Joe DiMaggio, not exactly an easy mantle to assume. The Commerce Comet was followed in turn by Bobby Murcer.

28A. "Guys and Dolls" showstopper: ADELAIDE'S LAMENT. Showstopper? I think I must have a different idea of a showstopper than this solo dirge. I'd use it as an opportunity to go take a bathroom break and maybe grab something from the bar. I'd link it, but it's too depressing.

48A. Shelf for trophies, maybe: FIREPLACE MANTEL

63A. Complex reasoning that occurs literally at the end of three long answers: MENTAL GYMNASTICS

So MENTAL becomes three anagrams - two homophone and a dirge - I mean a lament. Nothing too challenging. The reveal is 16 letters long, so again we have a break from the "regulation" 15x15 - 15x16 last week, 16x15 this time around.

The spousal double of Roger and Kathy are back - I don't see a Kathy & Roger in the books yet - is this like Lennon & McCartney or Jagger/Richards?

Across:

1. Massage therapists' workplaces: SPAS

5. "Fiddlesticks!": P'SHAW!

10. Used room service: ATE IN

15. Largest city on Hawaii's largest island: HILO

16. Terminix target: ROACH. I'd link a nice picture, but I follow Rich's "yew!" rule for breakfast crossword solvers.

17. Piquant: ZESTY

21. Indigenous New Zealanders: MAORIS

22. Kind of artery: RENAL. Not AORTA then.

23. Key in a PC reboot combo: ALT. Where would we be without CTRL-ALT-DEL? My keyboard currently says DELETE though.

24. Evenly matched: CLOSE

26. Mosquito repellent: DEET. Terminix and Deet in quick succession. Not a good day to be a bug.

34. Sporty '60s Pontiac: GTO. Quick, we had this last week - what does it stand for?

35. __ out a win: EKE

36. Biopic about Charles: RAY. Very well portrayed by Jamie Foxx. Here's one of the originals.

37. "So that's it": I SEE

38. Threw a fit: RAGED

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Dylan Thomas

40. Capital of Oman: RIAL. "Capital" means "currency" in this context, for any newcomers.

42. Muscle: BRAWN

43. Superficially highbrow: ARTY

44. To and __: FRO

45. "So that's it!": AHA!

47. Orchestrated: LED. Why use 10 letters when one will do?

52. Cruising, say: ASEA

53. Stealthy warrior: NINJA

54. Movie SFX: CGI. All together now: "Special Effects: Computer-Generated Imagery".

56. Prince Harry's mother: DIANA

59. Word on the street: GOSSIP

66. "Inside the NBA" analyst: O'NEAL . Law-enforcement legend Shaquille, who holds the record for Clayton County's "Tallest Sheriff's Deputy"

67. In the back: AREAR. Please stop this. It's not a word "in the language". I know it's handy, but it's not a word.

68. Love god: EROS

69. Dweebs: NERDS

70. "Same Time, Next Year" has only two: ROLES. Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn played the roles in the movie.

71. Not a good impression: DENT. But it's a good impression if you make a dent in a task that's been sitting around waiting for your attention, right?

Down:

1. Pretense: SHAM

2. Tuscany town: PISA. They should fix that tower; it's a menace, that thing. Shoddy construction, it should be demolished before it hurts someone. They should sue the contractors and built a straight one. Pisans, Untie! I mean Unite!

3. Furthermore: ALSO

4. Lake Itasca, for the Mississippi: SOURCE

5. Laundry cycle: PRE-SOAK. This is weird - isn't pre-soak when the laundry is in the basket? I'm at a loss to what a washing machine will do that leaving the clothes on the floor, pre-soak, doesn't accomplish. Do they sit in the machine waiting for the "soak" phase? We should be told. I'm baffled.

6. Three-letter product with two periods: S.O.S You can buy two cans of this stuff online - used, apparently. You can't make this stuff up.


7. Animosity: HATRED

8. Feel yesterday's yoga class, maybe: ACHE

9. "Stop pouring": WHEN. Personally a word that has passed my lips very few times in the "pour" context.

10. Spring bloomer: AZALEA

11. Yellow bill in classic Monopoly: TEN

12. Event that may feature family heirlooms: ESTATE SALE. Funny how some words or phrases are new to the puzzle databases. This is one of them. It's been used in the plural, never in the singular.

13. "__ turn up": IT'LL

14. Dmitry's denial: NYET

19. Roamed (around): MILLED

20. At a frenetic pace: MADLY

25. Saw-toothed range: SIERRA. Is there a brand-name range of carpentry tools called "Sierra?" There should be. If not, I'm calling dibs on the idea.

27. Kuwaiti ruler: EMIR

28. Big name in games: ATARI

29. Animal behavior specialist: DOG TRAINER. Dog whisperer didn't fit.

30. New __: MLB baseball cap supplier: ERA. You'll see the logo in every dugout.

31. Deli choice: SALAMI

32. Staircase pillar: NEWEL. I recall that I got in all kinds of "Anon" trouble the last time I talked about the components of a staircase, so I'll pass on this occasion. I didn't know the staircase community was so touchy.

33. Work the bar: TEND

34. Five-time US Open champ: GRAF. Steffi, tennis.

39. Checks out: EYES

41. Org. with a five-ring logo: I.O.C. International Olympic Committee. They're a non-profit. They fairly and equitably distribute the billions of dollars accruing from each Olympiad. Yes they do. c.f. F.I.F.A., the org. tasked with fairly and equitably distributing the billions of dollars accruing from each World Cup. I don't know how they manage it.

42. Stringed instruments: BANJOS

44. Swing wildly: FLAIL

46. Airport parking facilities: HANGARS

49. Piano trio: PEDALS. The upright I learned on has two. PIANO and FORTE. I've no idea what the middle one on a grand piano does.

50. Protective coating: ENAMEL

51. Sampled: TASTED

54. "Get real!": C'MON

55. __ pool: GENE

57. Thickening agent: AGAR

58. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame songwriter Laura: NYRO. She passed me by. I was amused to read that her first manager was a gentleman by the name of Artie Mogull. It just tickled me.

60. Stable stud: SIRE

61. Clickable image: ICON

62. "Hey, you!": PSST!

64. Abe Lincoln's youngest son: TAD. Now there's a bit of trivia I never knew.

65. Dundee denial: NAE. "If there's nae wind and nae rain, it's nae golf". The Scots have their own opinion about sunny, calm days on the links. For me, it's the only time I have a cat in hell's chance of a half-decent round. I once played at Easter on a course in Wales on the Irish Sea, it was so cold and I was so numb I swung my driver out of my hands and sent it helicoptering over a cliff.

And with that, here's the slightly portly grid!

Steve

Note from C.C.:


Happy birthday to Tinbeni, our always cheerful friend. Let's all toast him at sundown today!

Wednesday, August 15, 2016 Roger and Kathy Wienburg

Theme: SPINNING YOUR WHEELS.  The letters of the word TIRE are embedded within the theme answers in rotating order.  THUS: IRET, RETI, ETIR, then TIRE in the unifier.

20 A. Way to move funds: WIRE TRANSFER.  An electronic TRANSFER of funds between entities via a network maintained by hundreds of banks around the world.

28 A. Good manners: PROPER ETIQUETTE.  Conducting one's self according to the most appropriate social norms.   Check here is you're uncertain.

47 A. Artist ErtÈ's real name: ROMAIN DE TIRTOFF.  He [1882-1990] was a Russian-born French artist and designer of the Art DEco period,  known by the pseudonym Erté, from the French pronunciation of his initials, R T.

55. Regular vehicle maintenance suggested by this puzzle's circles: TIRE ROTATION. Moving the wheels and tires from one position on the vehicle to another, in order to achieve even wear and extend the useful life of the TIREs.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here to make sure this puzzle does not wear you down.  The elegant aspect of this theme is the presentation of the hidden word in a strict rotation of the first letter presented, with the remaining letters following in the order of the proper spelling of the word.  Let's see what other fun letters we can find.  We may have to tread lightly.

Across:

1. Beats Electronics co-founder, familiarly: DRE.  This is a division of Apple, Inc. that produces audio products.  It was founded by rapper Dr. DRE [Andre Romelle Young, b. 1965] and Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine.

4. Birdbrain, or an extinct bird: DODO.  Read all about it.

8. Scrap: TAG END. The last remaining part of something.  Scrap?  Not so sure about that.

14. The guy for ewe: RAM.  They are a wooly couple, sometimes feeling sheepish.

15. "Right you are!": AMEN.  Emphatic agreement.

16. Vanderbilt of fashion: GLORIA. Ms GLORIA Laura Vanderbilt [b 1924 and still going] is an American artist, author, actress, fashion designer, heiress, and socialite.  In 1925 her father died, leaving her with a large trust fund.  A legal battle ensued between her mother, GLORIA Morgan Vanderbilt and her paternal aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt, over custody of the child and control of the trust fund.  The aunt won.  I would have clued this as JzB's L.W.

17. PD alert: APB.  All Points Bulletin, a radio message sent to every officer in a police force giving details of a suspected criminal or stolen vehicle.

18. In fun: FACETIOUSLY.  Don't take this seriously.

22. Slangy turnarounds: UEYS. U-turns. A sharp turn of a vehicle along a U-shaped path in order to proceed in the opposite direction.  Figuratively, a reversal of some plan or policy.

23. "Silly me!": D'OH.

via GIPHY

24. Mardi Gras wear: MASK.

Who are you?

33. "Dear Yoko" dedicatee: ONO.  Yoko ONO [b 1933] a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, song writer and peace activist, also known for performance art and film making.  She married her third husband, Beatle John Lennon, on March 20, 1969.

34. Volcanic event: ERUPTION.  A sudden, violent outpouring - in this case of steam and lava [hot, molten or semifluid rock.]

35. Org. with lanes: PBA. Professional Bowling Association. Members are advised to stay out of the gutters.

38. Sch. with a Shreveport campus: LSU.  Louisiana State University.

40. Activate, as a mobile app: TAP.  Lightly touch the app's icon on the device screen to launch it.

41. Wee hour: TWO.  In the morning.  ONE also fits.  The hours after midnight until some uncertain later time before sun rise, indicated on the clock by small numbers.

42. Medium for van Gogh: OIL PAINT.  He is best known for these, but also produced over 150 watercolor paintings.

45. Understand: SEE.  I get it.

52. Winter Palace resident: TSAR.  Russian autocrat, prior to 1917.

53. Mexican gold: ORO.  Spanish, of course.

54. Limo bar: AXLE.  The rod or spindle of any vehicle upon which the TIRES  ROTATE, but not in the same sense as indicated by the theme.

60. Spring cleaning may lead to them: GARAGE SALES.  An event held to raise cash by disposing of unwanted household items, usually in a GARAGE or driveway.

63. Firecracker that doesn't crack: DUD.  Fizzler.

64. Brought to mind: EVOKED. Reminded, awakened, aroused.

65. Small change: CENT.  A penny.

66. Afore: ERE.  Earlier than.

67. They're fed at curbside: METERS.  Parking Meters are "fed" coins larger than pennies to pay for the privilege of leaving one's vehicle there.

68. Icelandic literary work: EDDA.  Old Norse poetic and literary works.

69. "Danny and the Dinosaur" author Hoff: SYD. [1912-2004] American cartoonist and children's book author, along with his most famous work.

Also a short video

Down:

1. Prepare, as plans: DRAW UP.  Put together the initial version.

2. Thin sword: RAPIER. A weapon better suited for thrusting than for slashing or cutting.

3. Early stage of life: EMBRYO.  An unborn or unhatched offspring in an earlier stage of development than the fetus.

4. Birdbrained: DAFT.  Lacking intelligence - DODO-like, perhaps.

5. Actor Sharif: OMAR. Michel Dimitri Chalhoub [1083 1932-2015] was an Egyptian actor of Syrian ancestry, best known for the role of Dr. Zhivago.  He was also a horse racing enthusiast and one of the world's best bridge players

6. The aughts, for one: DECADE. Ten year periods starting with years ending in zeros.

7. Musically monotonous: ONE NOTE.  You decide.

8. "Bring on the weekend!": TGIF. Thank God It's Friday.

9. Natural emollient: ALOE.  Specifically ALOE VERA, since the genus ALOE contains over 500 species of succulent plants.  Extracts of the plant have various medicinal uses.

10. Foodie: GOURMET.  Culinary connoisseur.

11. Hosp. areas: ERS. Emergency Rooms, where situations needing immediate care are treated.

12. Zero: NIL.  Nothing here.

13. __ trader: DAY.  One who buys and sells financial instruments within the span of the same day.

19. Summer top: T-SHIRT. A pull-over shirt, generally with a crew neck and short sleeves, and so named because the bod and sleeves approximate a T shape.

21. Bruins star Phil, to fans: ESPO.  He played 18 seasons in the NHL, the first 3 with the Chicago Blackhawks, 8 with the Boston Bruins, and 7 with the N. Y. Rangers.

25. Working hard: AT IT. Or arguing.

26. Put in the overhead bin: STOW.  Pack an object into a particular place.

27. Vegas game: KENO.  A lottery-like game of chance.  Players chose numbers, then winning numbers are selected in some random manner.

29. Baritone Chou in the opera "Nixon in China": ENLAI.   [1898-1976] the first Premier of the people's Republic of China, serving from 1949 until his death.

30. Violinist's supply: ROSIN.  It increases friction so that the bow can grip the strings more firmly to get a clear, strong vibration.

31. Kinda-sorta: QUASI-. Partly, almost, seemingly - but not really.

32. Bunk with a ladder: UPPER.  So you don't have to make a high jump.

35. Left on board?: PORT.  Right is starboard on a ship.

36. "About the author" pieces: BIOS.  Biographies.

37. Michigan city or college: ALMA.  The city is located in the central lower peninsula, 50 miles west of Saginaw and 18 miles south of Mount Pleasant, home of Central Michigan University, where I will have two granddaughters as honors students in just a few days.  Alma College is a private liberal arts college associated with the Presbyterian Church.

39. Annuls: UNDOES.  Negates.

43. Share (in): PARTAKE.  engage in an activity.

44. Upscale apartment feature: TERRACE. A level paved area adjacent to a building.

46. Coup d'__: ETAT.  A violent seizure of power from a government.

48. Rode (around): TOOLED.  Drive a vehicle with no particular destination.

49. Rust and lime: OXIDES. of iron and calcium, respectively.

50. Like a baker's hands: FLOURY.  Covered with flour.

51. Shifted (for oneself): FENDED.  To take care of one's self without assistance.

56. Disney head Robert: IGER. [b. 1951]  Named COO in 2000, and succeeded Michael Eisner as CEO in 2005.

57. Wine list heading: REDS. Opposite the Whites.  Can be dry or sweet.

58. Take care of: TEND. Bar tenders take care of taverns, chicken tenders have a fowl purpose.

59. Hammett dog: ASTA.  Pet of Nick and Nora Charles from Dashiell Hammet's 1932 novel The Thin Man, a seminal text in the hard-boiled mystery genre, but also as much a comedy of manners as a mystery.  A highly successful series of movies followed from 1934 to '47.  Later adaptations ensued on radio, television, as a Broadway musical and a stage play.

60. Real peach: GEM.  An exemplar of some sort.

61. Monopoly deed abbr.: AVEnue. 

62. Go bad: ROT.  Spoil.

Hope you found some traction and made it through without too many skids.

Cool regards!
Jazie Bee [The Other Erté]

Sun, Jul 22, 2018 Roger & Kathy Wienberg

Theme: "Antics" - ANT is added to each theme entry.

23A. Polite but unyielding statement?: MADAM, I'M ADAMANT. Madam I'm Adam.
  

33A. Caulking crew?: SEALANT TEAM. SEAL team.

37A. Building where things are taken back?: RECANT CENTER. Rec center.

52A. Sign on an available boutique?: SHOP VACANT. Shop-Vac.

67A. Serf surrounded by whales?: PEASANT IN A POD. Peas in a pod.

87A. Fort Bragg lodger?: BASE TENANT. Base ten.
  

99A. Director Oliver to the rescue?: GALLANT STONE. Gallstone. The only one-word base phrase.

101A. Never-used part of the house?: DORMANT ROOM. Dorm room.

118A. Godzilla and friends solemnly recite?: MONSTERS INCANT. Monsters, Inc.

Lovely grid from Roger & Kathy Wienberg. Judging by the byline order, you can see Roger came up with the theme idea (constructor who dreams up the theme often enjoys the first byline). Then they brainstormed together for the theme entries. Then they shared the filling and cluing responsibilities.
 
I think they're the only husband and wife constructor teams for our LA Times Daily Crosswords. Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon write a puzzle for the Boston Globe every two weeks.

Total 9 theme answers and 104 theme squares in a 140-word grid. And the fill is so clean. Amazing.

Across:

1. Crunch beneficiaries: ABS.

4. Agnus __: DEI. "Lamb of God".

7. Rustic dwelling: A-FRAME.

13. Using a passport, say: ABROAD.

19. Newman song that mentions Santa Ana winds: I LOVE LA. Heard often at Dodger Stadium.

21. Decisive point: CLIMAX.

22. Persuasive sort: COAXER.

25. Stimulate: EXCITE.

26. Petroleum source: SHALE.

27. Legendary rock guitarist: BECK. Jeff Beck.

28. 2018 Pyeongchang org.: IOC.

30. Author Ferber: EDNA.

31. Bolt of lightning?: USAIN. Great clue. Usain Bolt.

42. Within reach: NEAR.

43. How some dares are made: ON A BET.

44. Major arteries: AORTAS.

46. Impressive groupings: ARRAYS.

49. Seed cover: ARIL. Pomegranate seeds are called arils.

50. Flier's choice: AISLE.

55. Braun competitor: NORELCO. Philips.

57. Director DuVernay: AVA.

59. Comply: OBEY.

60. Joint for jumping: KNEE.

61. __-Cat: SNO.

62. "Yikes!": OH NO.

64. Empathetic comment: I CARE.

66. More than wondered: ASKED. Picard asked about "Moo shu pork" and "Moo shi pork" differences last time. See here. Personally I've only seen "Moo shu".

71. Leaves painfully: JILTS.

75. Wonder's "My Cherie __": AMOUR.

76. __ game: HOME. So glad you settled nicely in your new home, Dave!

77. Chemicals giant: DOW.

80. Colorful fish: OPAH.

81. Levee: DIKE.

83. Org. that often strikes: PBA. PBA50 is the highlight of Boomer's summer.

85. Holiday candle holder: MENORAH.

90. Crèche figure: ANGEL.

92. Swelter: BAKE.

93. Bit of information: DETAIL.

94. Avis rival: DOLLAR. Bad experience with them two years ago. We like Payless.

96. Former Disney CEO: EISNER (Michael).

98. One of a cube's 12: EDGE.

106. It's stunning: TASER.

107. Denny's competitor: IHOP. Fooled me with their name change gimmick.

108. "__ who?": SEZ.

109. Bowls over: AWES.

111. Capital of France: EUROS. Not PARIS.

115. Recovered from a knockout: CAME TO.

122. Did away with: ERASED.

123. Taft-Hartley Act subject: UNIONS.

124. Prurient material: EROTICA. Also 126. One who's really hot: SEXPOT.

125. Dinged: DENTED.

127. Inexperienced: RAW.

128. Iditarod segment: LEG.

Down:

1. Zeroes in: AIMS.

2. Uninspired: BLAH.

3. Common mixer: SODA. Pop in our house. And only Pepsi.

4. Land adjoining a manor house: DEMESNE. This is a new word to me.

5. Wearer of a "Y" sweatshirt: ELI.

6. Like most sonnets: IAMBIC.

7. "High Voltage" band: AC/DC.

8. Criticism: FLAK. Love Steve's Thursday disclaimer. 

9. Canyon part: RIM.

10. Doc bloc: AMA.

11. Wrestle suffix: MANIA. Never watched WrestleMania or any wrestling event.

12. Laud: EXTOL.

13. Untouched serve: ACE.

14. A penalty may be served in one: BOX. Hockey.

15. Triple Crown venues: RACETRACKS.

16. Rust, for example: OXIDE.

17. Insurance giant: AETNA.

18. Fantasy: DREAM.

20. Highly prized: VALUABLE. A mint condition 1952 Mantle card was sold for $2.88 million in April. Boomer sold his (also mint condition) for $200 in the 1980s.

24. Defender of Troy: AENEAS.

29. Cocktail hour nibble: CANAPE. I can link taro cakes every week. Taros look ugly, but so tasty.

32. Embassy employee: ATTACHE.

33. Arrange dinnerware on: SET. Oh, Boomer had a full set of 1952 Topps cards. RUE.

34. Time spans: ERAS.

35. Brazen: NERVY.

36. Fictional Civil War novel setting: TARA.

37. Colorful horses: ROANS.

38. Ill-fated Houston company: ENRON. Bankrupted Gary's uncle.

39. Capital on the Nile: CAIRO.

40. Mardi Gras acronym: NOLA.

41. Two-time British Open champ: TREVINO. Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player are regular guests at the 3M Championship. 3M must pay a ton to get them.

45. Fleeced: SHORN.

47. Civil War soldier: YANK.

48. Dagger of yore: SNEE.

51. New Rochelle campus: IONA.

53. Caribbean sorcery: OBEAH. Wiki says it's "a system of spiritual and healing practices developed among enslaved West Africans in the West Indies..."

54. Fictional newsman Baxter: TED.

56. Cuts short: LOPS.

58. Cause trouble: ACT UP.

63. Japanese seaport: OSAKA. Here is how it's written in Japanese. Three characters. The first character means "Big", the second means "Slope or Hillside", the last one "City".

65. Shot that misses everything: AIR BALL.

66. Gulf between Yemen and Somalia: ADEN.

68. Tweak, perhaps: AMEND.

69. Apple or pear: POME.

70. Dishes from a "station": OMELETS.

71. Assignment: JOB.

72. Tech debut of 2010: IPAD. Agnes uses her iPad for everything. No external keyboard either.

73. Operate using a beam: LASE.

74. Shakespeare play featuring Ariel: THE TEMPEST. Great fill.

77. Clog clearer: DRANO.

78. Like some buckets: OAKEN.

79. "__ Everybody Knows Your Name": "Cheers" theme song: WHERE.

81. Stoop: DEIGN.

82. Bays, e.g.: INLETS.

84. Compulsively neat, say: ANAL. I think this is the first time this word appears in LAT. Rich did not allow ANAL in the past.

86. Hamper: OBSTRUCT.

88. Cry with a flourish: TA DA. As I mentioned last Monday, I finally decided to just make two holes to remove the stains permanently. Weird spots, but better than yellow stains.

89. Neighbor of Ghana: TOGO.

91. Kitchen gadget: GRATER. Oh, does anyone other than Steve own a Microplane? I don't use zest, but this will make mincing ginger easier.

95. Fast flight: LAM.

97. Understanding words: I SEE NOW.

100. Egypt's second president: NASSER.

101. Cut into cubes: DICED.

102. Chicago hub: O'HARE.

103. Type of numeral: ROMAN. Followed by104. Victim of Romulus: REMUS.

105. Atmospheric layer: OZONE.

109. 5 for B or 6 for C: AT NO. Atomic Number.

110. Jerry in the NBA logo: WEST.

112. Complain: RAIL.

113. Previously: ONCE. TTP mentioned a neat shortcut for searching any stuff in our blog. For example, if you want to know UKASE and its comments on our blog, just type in this in your Google search bar:  site:crosswordcorner.blogspot.com ukase

114. Unaccompanied: STAG.

116. Kickoff aid: TEE.

117. Abnormal: ODD.

119. Squelch: NIX.

120. Sponge (up): SOP.

121. Novelist Levin: IRA.

Maripro and some of you still have Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis as editors in your Sunday paper. I'll just copy and paste Rich's reply I put on the blog in 2010:

"Joyce was LA Times puzzle editor long before I arrived. I began working with her 10 years ago, at which time we shared editing responsibilities. She's now retired, though we do talk regularly about the puzzles. I do all the editing, and she's among the professionals who check my work. Her name remains on the byline in recognition of her years of service to the LAT Crossword."

C.C.

Wednesday, June 20 2018, Roger & Kathy Wienberg

Theme:

17. Fidgety: ILL AT EASE.

25. "Is that it?": WHAT ELSE.

35. T.S. Eliot poem, with "The": WASTE LAND.

52. Behold in amazement: MARVEL AT.

61. Employee hours suggested by this puzzle's circles: LATE SHIFT.

Melissa here. SHIFT clues us in that LATE will be scrambled - four ways. Not just scrambly, but Scrabble-y, with K, V, X, Y and Z - but alas no J or Q. (Googling for scrambled things, I came across this funny.)

Across:

1. Not quite round: OVAL.

5. Gumbo vegetable: OKRA.

9. Ply: LAYER.

14. Like every U.S. president: MALE. So far.

15. "Coulda been a lot worse!": PHEW.

16. Romantic text: ILUVU. Romantic, if you're 12.

19. Gymnast Simone who won four golds in Rio: BILES.

20. Carefree: GAY.

21. The "I" of "The King and I": ANNA. Anna Leonowens.

22. Masters: MAVENS.

23. Characteristic of the villain in "The Fugitive": ONE ARM.

27. All-in-one printer feature: SCANNER.

29. Actor Wallach: ELI.

30. Unconscious: OUT.

31. "__ goes nothing!": HERE.

32. Muse of poetry: ERATO.

34. Navig. technology: GPS.

39. Sprite: ELF.

42. Admonish: CHIDE.

43. They're on the phone: APPS. Fun clue.

47. Classical lead-in: NEO.

48. Recycle bin item: CAN.

49. Work on, as a vintage auto: RESTORE.

55. Pluto's largest moon: CHARON.

56. Trip up: ASCENT. Love the clue!

57. Use a wrecking ball on: RAZE.

59. Ode title words: TO A.

60. Metaphor in a gambling debacle: SHIRT. Not SHORTs.

63. Smell or taste: SENSE.

64. Ancient Dead Sea region: EDOM. Descendants of Esau. Cave dwellers.

65. Slurpee, basically: ICEE.

66. Tidied, as a lawn: EDGED. What else besides a lawn?

67. TV warrior princess: XENA.

68. Sci-fi escape ships: PODS.

Down:

1. "Heavens!": OMIGOSH.

2. Window topper: VALANCE.

3. Twelve-month: ALL YEAR.

 4. Thompson of "Switched at Birth": LEA.

 

5. Gift box direction: OPEN ME.

6. Genghis __: KHAN.

7. Watched again: RESAW.

8. Astound: AWE.

9. Liquid poured in honor of a deity: LIBATION.

10. Animated: ALIVE.

11. Holiday fireplace item: YULE LOG.

12. Ties, as a score: EVENS UP.

13. Potatoes often used for fries: RUSSETS. Michael Pollan describes the Russet Burbank.

18. Alpine lake: TARN. Beautiful.

22. Island near Sicily: MALTA.

24. Yet again: ANEW.

26. Physician, hopefully: HEALER.

28. Light-sensitive eye part: RETINA.

33. Great American Ball Park player: RED. This Red?

36. Like some French vowels: ACCENTED.

37. Commandment verb: SHALT.

38. Spreadsheet input: DATA.

39. As a group: EN MASSE.

40. On a tether: LEASHED.

41. Compelling: FORCING.

44. Colonnaded entryway: PORTICO.

45. Reviewed for typos: PROOFED.

46. State assemblies: SENATES.

50. Skin malady: ECZEMA.

51. "__ So Unusual": Cyndi Lauper's debut studio album: SHE'S.

53. Poet's creation: VERSE.

54. Word with secret or school: TRADE.

58. Scads: A TON.

61. Supervillain Luthor: LEX.

62. In the know: HIP.