Tuesday, June 20, 2017 Roger & Kathy Wienberg

Theme: W-I-D-E - in the circles. If no circles, the reveal should make it clear anyway.

17A. Caribbean island group: WEST INDIES

23A. Independence Day colors: RED, WHITE, AND BLUE

37A. Auto visibility aid with intermittent settings: WINDSHIELD WIPER

48A. "How about that!": "WELL I'LL BE DARNED!"

60A. Extensive ... and what's literally seen in this puzzle's circles: WIDESPREAD. (wide spread)

Argyle here. A few of us may suffer from WIDESPREAD but let's not go there. This couple gave us  a Tuesday puzzle on March 14.

Across:

1. Fancy tie: ASCOT

6. Facts and figures: DATA

10. Herring family fish: SHAD

14. Pageant topper: TIARA

15. Broadcast with greater image resolution, as TV shows: IN HD. (High-Definition)

16. Sign over: CEDE

19. Golf outing spoiler: RAIN

20. Mature: AGE

21. "Give all thou __": Wordsworth: CANST. Inside of King's College Chapel, Cambridge.

22. Helping hands: AIDES

26. Olive product: OIL

27. Vicinity: AREA

28. Piano-bass-drums jazz group, e.g.: TRIO

31. __ apso: dog: LHASA

34. Bumped into: MET

41. Atypical: ODD

42. Ballplayer with "SD" on his cap: PADRE. San Diego Padres.

43. Quartet that covered "Woodstock," initially: CSNY. (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)

44. Jamaican fruit: UGLI

46. Royal flush card: ACE

56. Cereal grass disease: ERGOT

57. Broadcaster: AIRER

58. "Don't Bring Me Down" rock gp.: ELO. (Electric Light Orchestra)

59. From the top: ANEW

62. "The __ of the Ancient Mariner": RIME

63. Actor Guinness: ALEC

64. Augment: ADD TO

65. Gardener's purchase: SEED

66. Playbill listing: CAST

67. Cuts with a light beam: LASES

Down:

1. Battling it out: AT WAR

2. Prolonged battle: SIEGE

3. Scoped out with bad intentions: CASED

4. Table scrap: ORT

5. Meditative Chinese exercise: TAI CHI

6. Neglected to: DIDN'T

7. Ouzo flavoring: ANISE

8. Consonant before iota: THETA. ϴ, eighth letter.

9. Promos that interrupt programs: ADS

10. Old manuscript copier: SCRIBE

11. Illumination on helmets: HEADLAMPS

12. Farewell: ADIEU

13. Tightly packed: DENSE

18. Polished body part: NAIL

22. Play to __: tie: A DRAW

24. Lumberyard purchase: WOOD

25. Former OTC watchdog: NASD. [Over-the-counter (stock) / National Association of Securities Dealers (merged with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority in 2007)]

28. Couple: TWO

29. Get __ of: discard: RID

30. "I'd like this favor": "INDULGE ME"

31. Cookie jar cover: LID

32. Ship's pronoun: HER

33. Malt brew: ALE

35. Poetic twilight: EEN

36. "These are the times that __ men's souls": Paine: TRY

38. Bowler's challenge: SPLIT

39. Flag down, as a cab: HAIL

40. Cake decorator: ICER

45. Emitted an aura: GLOWED

46. Orange drinks: ADEs

47. __ tunnel syndrome: CARPAL

48. Has on: WEARS

49. Orange Muppet: ERNIE

50. Muhammad's boxing daughter: LAILA

51. __ one's time: waits patiently: BIDES

52. Standing straight: ERECT

53. Non-negotiable things: NEEDS

54. Fill with glee: ELATE

55. Extinct birds: DODOs

60. WWII GI Jane: WAC. (Women's Army Corps)

61. Dietary guideline letters: RDA. (Recommended Dietary Allowance)

Argyle

Tuesday, March 14 2017, Roger & Kathy Wienberg

Theme: Hand in Hand.

17. *Performer's exit direction : STAGE RIGHT. Stagehand. Right hand.

24. *Immediately : FIRST OFF. First hand. Offhand.

30. *High stadium tier : UPPER DECK. Upper hand. Deckhand.

43. *Sports bet based on total points scored : OVER UNDER. Overhand. Underhand.

50. *Like most TV dramas : HOUR LONG. Hour hand. Longhand.

60. In advance, and where you might find both parts of the answers to starred clues : BEFORE HAND

Impressive. That had to have been hard to do. The first AND second words of each theme answer can precede HAND. We've seen Roger Wienberg before, but this appears to the the first collaboration by Roger & Kathy at the Corner.

Melissa here. Although nothing was particularly tough, I made a few W(rong)WAGs that slowed me down.

Across
    
1. Past due : LATE

5. Place for a safe : WALL

9. Connery and McCartney : SIRS. Moving too fast, I tried SEAN first.

13. "Don't rub __" : IT IN

14. Geometry calculations : AREAS

16. Cool one's heels : WAIT

19. Award for "Game of Thrones" : EMMY. Honoring excellence in television.


20. Dangerous Amazon fish : PIRANHA. I need to remember N before H with this word.

21. "Scotch" sealers : TAPES. I don't usually think of that kind of tape as plural.

23. See 47-Down : CARTE

27. Handed out cards : DEALT

29. Oakland Coliseum player : RAIDER

34. Start of a choosing rhyme : EENY

35. Step on it, quaintly : HIE

36. Form 1099 ID : SSN

37. President pro __ : TEM. "For the present time."

40. Stretchy bandage brand : ACE

41. Damage : HARM

46. Vote out of office : UNSEAT

49. Totally thrill : ELATE

52. Speaks, biblically : SAITH. Couldn't make SAYETH fit.

55. Texas shrine : ALAMO

56. Almond or cashew : NUT TREE. Not BUTTER or LEGUME.

58. Luke Skywalker, for one : JEDI

62. "Absolutely!" : AMEN

63. Schussing spot : SLOPE

64. Novelist Ferber : EDNA

65. Starts to blossom : BUDS

66. Watches : SEES. Not SPYS.


67. Paper quantity : REAM

Down

1. Speak like Sylvester : LISP

2. Storage space accessed via the ceiling : ATTIC

3. Pageant accessory : TIARA

4. "Prepare to duel!" : ENGARDE

5. "Sour to the People" extreme candy brand : WARHEADS

6. "Carmen" highlight : ARIA

7. A joker might pull yours : LEG

8. Christine of "The Blacklist" : LAHTI

9. Honey : SWEETIE

10. "My parents are gonna kill me!" : I AM SO DEAD

11. Glass edge : RIM

12. Mess of a room : STY

15. Drummer Ringo : STARR

18. Joins : ENTERS

22. Free TV spot : PSA. Public Service Announcement.


24. Fraud watchdog org. : FTC. Federal Trade Commission.

25. Stolen jewelry seller : FENCE. Didn't know this term - someone who knowingly buys stolen property in order to resell it.

26. Onion ring maker : FRYER

28. Jay with jokes : LENO

30. "Yup" : UH-HUH

31. Steinway, for one : PIANO. This was so obvious it tripped me up.

32. Convinced : PERSUADED

33. "Hooked on Classics" co. : K-TEL

38. Crossword solver's smudges : ERASURES

39. Change genetically : MUTATE

42. Small falcons : MERLINS. Learning moment.

44. Really relax, with "out" : VEG

45. Reply to bad alternatives : NEITHER

47. With 23-Across, priced separately, on menus : ALA

48. Crypts, e.g. : TOMBS

51. December songs : NOELS

53. Swap : TRADE

54. Reddish-orange dye : HENNA

56. "Don't think so" : NOPE

57. Red-coated cheese : EDAM

58. Fast punch : JAB

59. Australian bird : EMU

61. Nemesis : FOE

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 59th Birthday to JJM, who loves hockey and other thrilling activities. Here is a picture of his zip lining in 2010.

Thursday, September 22nd, 2016 Roger Wienberg

Theme: A mob of Sicilians? No, as the reveal elegantly states:

34D. Raise stakes in a game ... and a hint to a hidden feature of five Down puzzle answers : UP THE ANTE

3D. Europe's highest active volcano : MOUNT ETNA. Nice to see the mountain getting a starring role for once, rather than consigned to the supporting cast of fill.

5D. Cold War Baltic patrollers : SOVIET NAVY. The US Navy was patrolling as well, but out of sight under the surface.

10D. "The Deer Hunter" setting : VIETNAM. A beautiful country - it's on my bucket list to visit.

30D. Green sign information, traditionally : STREET NAME. They're blue in my part of the world. 

43D. Wings eaters' needs : WETNAPS. When I first moved here I was amused to see that these things had instructions on the back. I can still remember verbatim: "This is a moistened towelette. It is a towelette, moistened. Open and use".

Thursday already? Roger's theme is all in the downs as the direction-change wouldn't work with the reveal if the entries ran cross-wise.

I'm guessing that MOUNT ETNA was the seed entry for the theme and a rummage through the dictionary pulled out the other four. Some lively fill and some cluing trickery makes for a satisfying Thursday. Let's go for a meander through the fill and see what jumps out.

Across:

1. It's often a stretch : LIMO

5. Grim, as a landscape : STARK. You can be a stark landscape without necessarily being grim. This looks pretty grim though:

10. Debit card choice : VISA. Both of my debit cards are Visa-branded. I recently opened a checking account with Chase because they offered me $300 if I'd direct-deposit at least $500/month and keep the account open for at least six months. Two weeks later, the $300 was in my account. Never turn down free money.

14. Superstar : IDOL

15. Command : ORDER

16. Troublesome tykes : IMPS

17. Bad-blood situation : FEUD

18. One out for blood : VAMPIRE BAT. Nasty-looking little buggers. The common vampire bat will feed off any mammal, including humans.

20. Some browns : TANS

21. Number in an outline, perhaps : III. More likely to be seen as iii. Most style guides recommend using western numerals for major outline points, lowercase roman numerals for sub-outlines. Same goes for Shakespeare citations (see my comment at 48D)

22. Put in stitches : SUTURE

23. Variety show array : TALENTS

26. Disdainful look : SNEER

27. Holes in sneakers : EYELETS

29. Cruising : ASEA

31. Slender-stemmed palm : RATTAN

32. Where to see a wake : AFT. More nautical references this week after a slew of them on Monday.

33. Botch : MUFF

37. Lease alternative : OWN

38. Babies, or what some babies wear : PAMPERS. The verb "babies", not the noun. Had me thinking for a second.

41. Historic beginning? : PRE-

42. Kentucky Fried side : SLAW. KFC have their own branded Wetnaps. 

44. Brewery fixture : VAT

45. In-groups : ELITES

47. Irish New Age singer : ENYA. Let's have a quick "Orinoco Flow" before we get to the downs.

49. Runs aground : BEACHES

50. Striped quartz : AGATE

53. Pork-filled pastry, e.g. : MEAT PIE. Food! Here's a batch of famous Melton Mowbray pork pies from England. They have their own association too.

 
55. Ruined in the kitchen : BURNED. I tend to burn myself, not the food.

57. Brooke Baldwin's network : CNN

58. Auto parts giant : NAPA. Or the National Automotive Parts Association, to be posh about it.

61. Pearl Harbor battleship : USS ARIZONA

63. Third-generation Genesis name : ENOS. Grandson of Adam and Eve. Depending on who you read, his Dad, Seth was either 105 or 205 when Enos was born.

64. Remote button with a square : STOP

65. Capital on the Willamette : SALEM

66. Pedometer measure : STEP

67. Many millennia : EONS

68. Sky scraper? : SPIRE. Here's a picture of Salisbury Cathedral in England, built between 1220 and 1258. The spire is the tallest in the UK, standing 404ft above Salisbury Plain.

 
69. Stage layouts : SETS

Down:

1. Garage contraption : LIFT.

2. What a light bulb may mean : IDEA

4. Veteran seafarer : OLD SALT

6. Coaches : TRAINS. This could be read two ways - either in the sports sense, or as I just noticed, rakes of coaches forming trains?

7. Acknowledge : ADMIT

8. Account exec : REP

9. Angel who replaced Jill, in '70s TV : KRIS. Charlie's Angels. Cheryl Ladd's character Kris replaced Farrah Fawcett's Jill in 1977.

11. Saturate (with) : IMBUE

12. Let off the hook : SPARE.

13. Late bloomer? : ASTER. Late summer to fall, according to the American Horticultural Society, who know about such things.

19. Bit of subterfuge : RUSE

24. Entrechat, e.g. : LEAP. Ballet trickeration.

25. Call at home : SAFE. I'm taking my visiting brother to Dodger Stadium tonight, his first ever baseball game.

27. Lover of Psyche : EROS

28. Ketch kin : YAWL. What does a third baseman from the South say when he throws to home plate? "ketch it, y'awl!". The ketch and the yawl are both two-masted vessels, the difference is that the mizzen mast on a yawl is stepped behind the rudder post, rather than in front of it.

32. Suitable : APT

35. Like many apps : FREE

36. Cop to the crime, with "up" : FESS

39. Address with an apostrophe : MA'AM

40. Smack : SLAP

46. Aloof demeanor : ICINESS. Tricky letter progression to parse.

48. "In thy dreams!" : NE'ER!

ROMEO: Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight, for I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.

Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, scene v 

49. Hung sign : BANNER

50. Treat badly : ABUSE

51. Zest : GUSTO. Great word!

52. Illegal firing : ARSON

54. USDA inspector's concern : E.COLI. Ick.

56. Ph.D. hurdle : DISS. Dissertation.

59. Well-versed artist? : POET

60. Deadly slitherers : ASPS. These have been rearing their heads quite a few times recently.

62. Fast-forward through : ZAP. I record most of the shows that I watch so I can zap through the ads. I watch the Premier League soccer live though; but the great thing about soccer is - no commercial breaks, except at half-time.

I think that's it from me. Heeeeere's the grid, all color-coded and everything!

Steve

Monday, Jun 22, 2015 Roger Wienberg

Theme: 4 of 12 - Like the start of summer, the CRAB can be the start of our theme answers.

17A. Rural political bloc : GRASS ROOTS. Crabgrass, a summer foe.

25A. Crate-moving equipment : FORK LIFT. Crab fork. For those hard to reach morsels. CSO to Sally.
 

39A. Bone-breaking combo, in a playground rhyme : STICKS AND STONES. may break my bones but these are delish. Crab sticks.
 

51A. Slow-cooked entrée : POT ROAST. Crab pot, similar to a lobster pot.

64A. Retail outlet with a tech support area called the "Genius Bar" : APPLE STORE. Crabapple.

68A. Nebula named for a crustacean, which can precede the starts of 17-, 25-, 39-, 51- and 64-Across : CRAB

Argyle here. The timely placement of today's puzzle adds a dash of panache to Roger's second Monday with us. A grid spanner, five theme entries and a reveal; very good.

Across:

1. Limerick, e.g. : POEM. OwenKL might grace us with one this morning.

5. Underground molten rock : MAGMA

10. "Get lost!" : "SCAT!" and throw in 57A. "Get lost!" : "SHOO!"

14. Far from fair : UGLY

15. Double-reed woodwinds : OBOEs

16. Global extremity : POLE. North and South.

19. Shortly, to Shakespeare : ANON

20. Submitted : SENT IN

21. Opponents : FOEs or perhaps, 36A. Other side, in war : ENEMY

23. Mate for a stag : DOE

24. Amin of Uganda : IDI

27. Mountain climber's return trip : DESCENT

31. Rain really hard : TEEM. Are we OK with this now?

32. The Trojans of the NCAA : USC. (University of Southern California)

33. Silly error : GOOF

43. Martial arts-based workout : TAE BO

44. "Stop stalling!" : "DO IT!". Start those workouts.

45. Three, in Napoli : TRE

46. Circus safety gear : NETS

48. Double-__: traitor : CROSSER

55. Really annoy : IRK

56. "The Greatest" in the ring : ALI

58. Farther below sea level : DEEPER

62. CBS legal drama "The Good __" : WIFE

66. Bad to the bone : EVIL

67. River in Düsseldorf, in Düsseldorf : RHEIN. in German.

69. Pack of cards : DECK

70. Desirable trait : ASSET

71. Citgo rival : HESS

Down:

1. Wrinkly-faced dogs : PUGS

2. Storybook baddie : OGRE

3. Splashy style : ELAN

4. Connecticut home of a 19-acre maritime museum : MYSTIC. Good pizza, too.

5. Breakfast times : MORNINGS

6. Blood classification letters : A-B-O

7. __ on a tangent : GO OFF

8. "Likewise" : "ME TOO"

9. Stand up for (oneself) : ASSERT

10. Health resort : SPA

11. Burger bar array : CONDIMENTS. First of the two neat long down entries.

12. Emotionally distant : ALOOF

13. Religious belief : TENET

18. One of a triangle trio : SIDE. Or Tom Dooley?

22. Sport with clay targets : SKEET

26. Carson's successor : LENO. (The Tonight Show)

27. Clean with a rag : DUST

28. Juanita's "this" : ESTA

29. Word before method or notation : SCIENTIFIC. Number two.

30. Pond hopper : TOAD

34. Singer Yoko : ONO

35. Govt. banking protector : FDIC. (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)

37. Inconsequential : MERE

38. River of Flanders : YSER

40. Trucker on a radio : CBer

41. Zither-like Japanese instruments : KOTOs

42. Shrill : STRIDENT

47. World's largest desert : SAHARA

49. Mine extracts : OREs

50. Undetailed drawing : SKETCH

51. Toyed with, cat-style : PAWED

52. Martini garnish : OLIVE

53. Last year's frosh : SOPHs

54. Drinks excessively : TOPEs

59. Skin opening : PORE

60. Important chapters in history : ERAs

61. Civil War fighters : REBs

63. Bugling beast : ELK

65. Stretch the truth : LIE

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Jazzbumpa's mom passed away on Saturday afternoon. Ron said "It was peaceful. She wasn't in any pain or distress. She received excellent care in the hospital and in hospice. We were blessed to have her with us for so long. Visitation is tomorrow, funeral on Tuesday."

Our condolences to Ron and his family. His mom was a brave fighter.

Ron, his sister Pat and their Mom

May 16, 2015

Monday, December 22, 2014 Roger Wienberg and Jeff Chen

Theme: A Royal Monday - I'll forgo the pictures because some don't like that first one.

17A. Vietnam War chopper : COBRA HELICOPTER. King Cobra

24A. Supernova named for its apparent resemblance to a crustacean : CRAB NEBULA. King Crab

40A. Publisher with an Antarctic bird logo : PENGUIN CLASSICS. King Penguin

50A. Shade similar to coral : SALMON PINK. King Salmon

60A. Lion, and a hint to critters that begin 17-, 24-, 40- and 50-Across : KING OF THE BEASTS

Argyle here. A lot of themeage for a Monday; three grid spanners, wow! Plus, it appears to be a debut for Roger Wienberg.

Across:

1. Address for a Southern belle : MA'AM

5. California wine county : NAPA

9. Chip-in at a doc's office : CO-PAY

14. __ mater : ALMA

15. Preschool basics : ABCs

16. Where to hear high C's : OPERA

20. Measuring stick : RULER

21. Sigh of delight : "AAH!"

22. Atlanta-based news channel : CNN

23. Reverent poem : ODE

29. Caesar's "vidi" : "I SAW". (veni, vidi, vici/I came, I saw, I conquered)

30. Pierre's "Done!" : "FINI!"

31. "Scram, cat!" : "SCAT!". I said, "It can't be SCAT" and yet....

34. Bounty alternative : VIVA. Paper towels.

37. Knife hyped on infomercials : GINSU. No Z.

43. Arrive by corporate jet : FLY IN

44. Sandstorm residue : GRIT

45. Eight, en español : OCHO

46. Pharmaceutical product : DRUG

48. Blessing : BOON

53. "Then what happened?" : "AND?

56. Cunning : SLY

57. Fleur-de-__ : LIS

58. Magazine copy : ISSUE

65. "Too rich for my blood" : "I'M OUT!". Poker, when the bet is too high.

66. Ecstatic review : RAVE

67. Dispense, with "out" : METE

68. Pond critters : NEWTs. The juvenile is called an eft. Both are crossword staples.

69. Was in debt : OWED

70. River of Hades : STYX

Down:

1. Close-up lens : MACRO

2. Not whispered : ALOUD

3. Walk leisurely : AMBLE

4. Mature filly : MARE

5. "Not for me" : "NAH"

6. President in a stovepipe hat, familiarly : ABE

7. Techie training site : PC LAB

8. Himalayan, e.g. : ASIAN

9. Murmur lovingly : COO

10. Like across and down: Abbr. : OPP. (opposite)

11. Place for animal vaccinations : PET CLINIC

12. Competition setting : ARENA

13. Entertaining story : YARN

18. Parts of circles : ARCs

19. "Hell's Kitchen" contestant : CHEF

25. Sitarist Shankar : RAVI

26. Bowling over : AWING

27. Major leagues, in baseball slang : BIGS

28. What singers sing in when they don't harmonize : UNISON

29. Trendsetting socialite : IT GIRL

31. Sunblock letters : SPF. (sun protection factor)

32. Cartoon frame : CEL

33. Words said with impatience : ANY DAY NOW

35. DVD predecessor : VCR

36. Suspect's need : ALIBI

38. Org. with .edu addresses : SCH. (school)

39. Support gp. for troops : USO. (United Service Organizations)

41. E pluribus __ : UNUM

42. Like __ of bricks : ATON

47. Game often involving a cart : GOLF

49. Dust Bowl refugee : OKIE

50. "Ghostbusters" goo : SLIME

51. The "N" in TNT : NITRO

52. "Fiddle-faddle!" : "PSHAW!"

53. Balance sheet item : ASSET

54. Off-the-wall : NUTTY

55. Spay or neuter : DESEX

56. Tattooist's surface : SKIN

59. Wal-Mart warehouse club : SAM'S

61. Belly : GUT

62. Extra-play qtrs. : OTs. (overtime)

63. Time for last-minute Christmas wrapping : EVE. Almost!

64. Stream bottom : BED

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Today we celebrate the 70th birthday of our sweet Misty! On and off the blog, she's gentle and caring. "Gimme a break" for some unfair clues is the harshest thing she's ever said on this blog.

Misty and her husband Rowland