Sunday December 3, 2023 Steve Marron & Zhouqin Burnikel

Theme: "Do the Dishes" - The last word of each common phrase is replaced by its food homophone.

23A. Score a seafood morsel in a bite of paella?: PULL A MUSSEL. Pull a muscle.

25A. Carefully check some deli stock?: SCREEN LOX. Screen locks.

53A. Hamburgers and hot dogs sold at a NASCAR race?: TRACK MEAT. Track meet.

66A. Ingredient that tends to fly out of the stand mixer?: WILD FLOUR. Wild flour.

82A. Make an unusual choice while making borscht?: SKIP A BEET. Skip a beet.

112A. Sketch the Thanksgiving turkey before it's carved?: DRAW A FOWL. Draw a foul.

114A. Request to a fishmonger for smaller portions?: BREAK MY SOLE. Break My Soul.

41D. "This herb is amazing!"?: GREAT THYME. Great time.

45D. Avoid the downside in a corn investment?: HEDGE MAIZE. Hedge maze.

This theme was inspired by another food idea Steve had. I pervaded him to go with the "verb & food item" so "Do the Dishes" works nicely as a title. 

The theme clues went through substantial changes. Patti's are much more imaginative than our originals. 

Just FYI, all my future LAT puzzles will have the Zhouqin Burnikel byline.

Across:

1. Saoirse of "Lady Bird": RONAN. Her parents are Irish.

6. Casino request: HIT ME.

11. Go to the polls: VOTE.

15. Ship's staff: CREW.

19. IRS option: E FILE.

20. Lakers legend Shaquille: ONEAL.

21. Nutrient in dried beans: IRON. I eat tofu every day. Plenty of iron. No beans.

22. Letter before kappa: IOTA.

27. City viewed from Holmenkollbakken: OSLO. It's ski jumping hill in Oslo. Never heard of it until I read Steve's clue. He might have skied there.

28. Miles and meters: UNITS.

29. Decree: FIAT.

30. Intel microprocessor: XEON.

31. Kelp and sargassum: SEAWEEDS. Sargassum is brown seaweed.

33. Sour: TART.

35. Mosque leader: IMAM.

37. Certain, for sure: Abbr.: SYN. I love this clue. Patti's also. Certain is a synonym of sure.

38. __ firma: TERRA.

40. Patterns in an aviary: PLUMAGES.

44. Most bashful: SHIEST.

47. Low-pressure technique: SOFT SELL.

49. Numbered hwy.: RTE.

50. No Doubt lead singer Stefani: GWEN.

51. "__ a wrap": THAT'S.

56. Landscaping supply: SOD.

57. Travis or Haggard of country music: MERLE.

58. Polite interruption: AHEM.

60. Court proceeding: TRIAL. So pricey to have a lawyer to handle this probate issue. Gosh. Hope to have this thing wrapped up soon.

61. Restricted zone: NO-GO AREA.

63. Scottish lowland: GLEN.

64. Kind: SORT.

65. Magician Jillette: PENN.

70. Understands: GETS.

72. Repast: MEAL. I got papaya salad from our Asian grocery store for Thanksgiving. So spicy. I just can't handle hot pepper.

74. 50+ group: AARP.

75. Golfing compliment: NICE SHOT.

78. Steam room: SAUNA.

79. Lid woe: STYE.

80. Raga instrument: SITAR.

81. Ming who is the tallest player in the basketball Hall of Fame: YAO. He's 7'6".

84. Stocky dog: BOXER.

85. Little devils: IMPS.

86. "The Long Goodbye" Oscar winner Ahmed: RIZ. British actor.

87. Biometric recognition method: FACE SCAN.

90. Talks back: SASSES.

92. Artists' lofts: ATELIERS.

95. Mike Brady or Phil Dunphy: TV DAD. The latter from "Modern Family".

97. Mauna __: LOA.

98. Scraped (by): EKED.

99. Warthog feature: TUSK.

100. Far from calm: IN A PANIC.

105. Utter delight: GLEE.

107. Picnicker's worry: RAIN.

109. Battle of the brands: AD WAR.

111. Credit alternative: CASH.

116. Aria deliverer: DIVA.

117. Ignored the limit: SPED.

118. Abundant: AMPLE.

119. Noggins: DOMES.

120. "Please don't go!": STAY.

121. Letters on egg cartons: USDA.

122. Speedy: RAPID.

123. Piques: SNITS.

Down:

1. Some tow tasks, for short: REPOS.

2. Functional: OF USE.

3. Wafer named for its flavor: NILLA.

4. Admits: ALLOWS IN.

5. Read Across America org.: NEA.

6. Beagle, for one: HOUND.

7. Refuse to bend: INSIST.

8. Reason to hit the books: TEST.

9. Super conductors?: MAESTROS. Steve's clue. I love it.

10. Annex shape, perhaps: ELL.

11. Take a trip to: VISIT.

12. Killer whale: ORCA.

13. Chimichanga wrap: TORTILLA. Never had this.

14. Chemical suffix: ENE.

15. Picture house: CINEMA.

16. Caramel-filled treat: ROLO.

17. Town across the Thames from Windsor: ETON.

18. Spa treatment: WAX.

24. Jack kin: MUENSTER. No cheese for me.

26. Reason to hit the books: EXAM.

29. Campus brothers: FRAT.

32. __ contact: EYE.

34. Bark: ARF.

36. Punishes with a fine: MULCTS. Did this word give any of you trouble?

39. Oldest Haim sister: ESTE. Danielle, Este and Alana Haim. 

40. Pricey salon job: PERM.

42. Citation shortener: ET AL.

43. Movie location: SET.

44. In one fell __: SWOOP.

46. Pitched: THREW.

48. Court fig.: STENO.

50. "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire" channel: GSN.

52. Jai __: ALAI.

54. Retail giant that owns Food 4 Less and Ralphs: KROGER. I don't think we have a Kroger here in Minnesota.

55. Swamps: MIRES.

57. "See ya!": MANANA.

58. Actress Woodard: ALFRE.

59. Pitch in: HELP.

62. Outdo: ONE UP.

63. Aussie greeting: G DAY.

67. Drink with foam art: LATTE.

68. Operating system developed by Bell Labs: UNIX.

69. Ceremonies: RITES.

71. Melodramatic fare: SOAPS.

73. Chem class cost: LAB FEE.

76. Garage cacophony: CAR ALARM.

77. How-__: manuals: TOS.

78. Comedy bit: SKIT.

79. Min. parts: SECS.

80. Movsesian who co-hosts "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend": SONA. Does your paper have the "Movesian" spelling? Patti corrected the error, but your local paper might still have the typo.

82. Sp. woman: SRA.

83. Dangling jewelry: EAR DROPS.

84. Unhappy returns?: BAD KARMA.

85. "Elon Musk" biographer Walter: ISAACSON. I told Steve not to use Elon Musk, way too divisive. So he went with Steve Jobs. Then Patti used Elon Musk. Shows you how much I know Patti's preferences. 

88. Bowl over: STUN. And 108. Blown away: AWED.

89. Walgreens rival: CVS.

91. Soak (up): SOP.

93. Elbow room: LEEWAY.

94. Furniture chain founded in Sweden: IKEA.

96. Hindu festival of lights: DIWALI. One of Patti's test solvers grew up in India.

99. Actress Swinton: TILDA.

101. Blunt, as truth: NAKED.

102. Supermodel Campbell: NAOMI.

103. Spot of land: ISLET.

104. Game with rooks: CHESS.

105. Sandpaper surface: GRIT.

106. Etna emission: LAVA.

110. "The Idol" actress Lily-Rose: DEPP. Johnny Depp's daughter.

112. Driller's deg.: DDS.

113. Tallahassee sch.: FSU.

114. Watering hole: BAR.

115. Fantasy football stat: YDS.

OK, guys, I finally got a "bent elbow" now. I need to work on rotating my shoulders more so the recovery arm is "over the top" rather than "on the side". I'm going to try Renee's "reach out in front of your nose" idea.

The biggest problem is now my kicks. With a kickboard, I kick like a pro, left/right, left/right, very rhythmic. Without my kickboard, my legs seem to kick randomly. Sometimes I have the mini dolphin kicks mixed in. Sometimes I stop kicking for a second, esp when I breathe. I don't know why. I'm going to wean myself off the kickboard. 

C.C.

 

Wednesday, January 20, 2021, Steve Marron & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: BUNDLE UP

Across:

20. It takes getting used to: ACQUIRED TASTE. A QUIRE of paper is either 25 or 24 sheets. According to Wikipedia: "The usual meaning is 25 sheets of the same size and quality: ​¹⁄₂₀ of a ream of 500 sheets. Quires of 25 sheets are often used for machine-made paper, while quires of 24 sheets are often used for handmade or specialised paper of 480-sheet reams."

27. Native American leaders: TRIBAL ELDERS. A BALE of paper is 5,000 sheets.

43. Exuberant compliment: YOURE AMAZING. A REAM of paper is 500 sheets.

50. Morning news deliverers ... or based on a hidden word in each, what 20-, 27- and 43-Across are?: PAPER CARRIERS.

These are all measure of paper quantity. Most of us know a REAM, some know BALE, and QUIRE seems more obscure. Two REAMS equals one bundle. Five bundles equals one BALE. This looks to be the first team effort from C.C. and Steve. (Note from C.C.: Steve and I have collaborated on a few puzzles before.)

Across:

1. Guthrie's "Today" co-host: KOTB. Savannah and Hoda.

5. Apple tablet: IPAD.

9. Easily bruised Cajun veggie: OKRA. Did not know it was easily bruised. But 4-letter cajun veggie must be OKRA.

13. Collectively: IN ALL.

15. Possessive shout: MINE.

16. Currency with Khomeini's picture: RIAL. Basic monetary unit of Iran and Oman, equal to 100 dinars in Iran and 1,000 baiza in Oman. 0.000024 United States Dollar.

17. "Same here!": ME TOO.

18. Greek salad ingredient: FETA.

19. Out of sight: GONE.

23. Note dispenser: ATM.

25. Large tea dispenser: URN.

26. Geese cries: HONKS.

31. Put a cap on: LIMIT.

32. One of its first customers was a collector of broken laser pointers: EBAY. Still alive and well.

33. IRS forms expert: CPA. Certified Public Accountant.

36. Just slightly: A TAD.

37. Brown ermine: STOAT.

39. Born and __: BRED.

40. Theater backdrop: SET.

41. High time?: NOON.

42. "Shrek" princess: FIONA.

 

46. Some blue jeans: LEVIS.

48. Sea-__ Airport: TAC. Short for SEAttle and TAComa.

49. Observe: SEE.

54. Late notice?: OBIT. Nice.

55. "The __ Report": 1976 bestseller: HITE. The Hite Report, first published in 1976, was a sexual revolution in six hundred pages. Wikipedia.

56. Bangkok natives: THAIS.

59. Ticket stub abbr.: SECT. Section (refers to seating location).

60. Meadow mamas: EWES.

61. Fires off: SENDS.

62. Programmer's alternative to "if": ELSE.

63. Yom Kippur ritual: FAST.

64. Heavy homework amount: A TON. "It hit me like A TON of bricks."

Down:

 1. Most common surname in Korea: KIM.

2. Half of snake eyes: ONE.

3. Ryokan floor cover: TATAMI MAT. Traditional Japanese flooring.

 

4. Political alliance: BLOC.

5. "Everything's OK": I'M FINE.

6. Berth place: PIER. Great clue.

7. Initial poker payment: ANTE.

8. Tie on a track: DEAD HEAT. A rare situation in various racing sports in which the performances of competitors are judged to be so close that no difference between them can be resolved. The result is declared a tie and the competitors are awarded a joint ranking.

9. Instruments with stops: ORGANS. An organ stop utilizes a set (rank) of pipes of graduated lengths to produce the range of notes needed. Stops with pipes tuned to sound the pitch normally associated with the keys (i.e. the pitch of the same keys on a piano) are called "unison stops."

10. Key-cutting site: KIOSK.

11. Raging YouTube posts: RANTS. Opposite of raves.

12. Sheltered from the wind: ALEE.

14. Plumlike Asian fruit: LOQUAT.

21. GoDaddy purchase: URL.

22. Boris Johnson, e.g.: TORY. UK conservative party. As a political term, Tory was an insult (derived from the Middle Irish word tóraidhe, modern Irish tóraí, meaning "outlaw," or "robber," from the Irish word tóir, meaning "pursuit" since outlaws were "pursued men") that entered English politics during the Exclusion Bill crisis of 1678–1681.

23. Book with insets: ATLAS.

24. Clichéd: TRITE. Overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality or freshness.

28. Auction action: BID.

29. Africa's Sierra __: LEONE. Country in West Africa, on the Atlantic Ocean, known for the white-sand beaches lining the Freetown Peninsula.

 30. Trade name letters: DBA.

33. Flaky bakery product: CROISSANT.

34. Tubular pasta: PENNE.

35. "Opposites attract," e.g.: ADAGE. I'll agree.

37. Kitchen bigwig-in-waiting: SOUS CHEF.

38. A.L.'s Blue Jays: TOR. Toronto baseball team.

39. Show __: BIZ. No business like it.

41. Black, in Biarritz: NOIR. French. Biarritz is a seaside town on southwestern France’s Basque coast.

42. Rhinestone surfaces: FACETS.

43. __ Nicole Brown of "Community": YVETTE.

44. Taking a breather: AT REST.

45. Monet's May: MAI. Artist Claude Monet. French painter.

46. Record company imprint: LABEL. Brand or trademark.

47. Heroic tales: EPICS.

50. Sit for a portrait: POSE.

51. Bygone audio brand: AIWA. Sad, I liked that brand.

52. 66 and others: Abbr.: RTES.

53. Flightless bird of the pampas: RHEA.

57. Altar affirmation: I DO.

58. Phishing target, briefly: SSN. Social Security Number.

Thursday, February 11, 2016, Steve Marron and C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Where did he hide that jumble?

Well I am back on Thursday to blog the 5th published LAT by our own Thursday Steve (3 collaborations with C.C.) Today we have the wonderful reveal of PLOT TWIST which tells us the letters in PLOT are rearranged. It did not tell us how they are hidden in the theme fill, but that came out early, even before the reveal. They use lots of 2 and 3 word fill and include RAT TRAPS,  SILK TIES and ADIOS AMIGOS as long sparkly ones. Adios amigos is ten letters which is longer than two of the theme answers which some solvers do not like, but to me that is just a 1A. It is always extra fun to blog one of our own. I will stop talking and go to solving.

17A. Drop the original strategy : GO TO PLAN-B (9). Not Plan 9.

21A. Nickname for Basketball Hall of Famer Maravich : PISTOL PETE (10). An LSU star who averaged 44 point per game!!!!!

36A. One always looking up : ETERNAL OPTIMIST (15). Watch out for birds and keep your mouth closed.

49A. Shield bearers : RIOT POLICE (10). Very common in the late 60s on college campuses.

59A. Novel surprise ... and a hint to what's hidden in 17-, 21-, 36- and 49-Across : PLOT TWIST (9).

Across:

1. Quibble : NIT. A bit of an inside joke to begin.

4. Like the NCAA basketball three-point line : ARCED. The NBA uses a more complicated grid.

9. Phantom's place? : OPERA. Well for me, it was the comics page for many years.  But I am familiar with the MUSICAL. Is that the delightful Emmy Rossum now on SHAMELESS?

14. Toothpaste tube letters : ADA. American Dental Association.

15. Chevy SUV : TAHOE. They have others but this is the only one with 5 letters.

16. Honeydew, for one : MELON. Food.

19. Printing heavyweight : EPSON.

20. Aspersion : SLUR.

23. Euler's forte : MATH.

25. Commencement opening? : CEE. Not the speech or the event, just the word.

26. Online reminders : E-NOTES. I do not like the E words.

28. Dilapidated digs : RAT TRAPS. Where even the rodents want out.

33. Attribute to, as blame : PIN ON. One of many two word fills that require skill.

34. Fish order : SOLE. Do you like this RECIPE? Food.

35. "What __ care?" : DO I. DK DC.

40. Zeta follower : ETA. In the Greek Alphabet.

41. Soccer followers? : MOMS.

42. Causes of many Alaskan road accidents : MOOSE. More new INFO. They always looked so cute here.

43. High-end neckwear : SILK TIES.

46. Declines to raise : PASSES. The term for me is 'checks'.

47. Bard's bedtime : EEN. I get a teeny drop of Shakespeare.

48. Machu Picchu denizen : INCA.

55. Leave out : OMIT.

58. Hot : IRATE.

61. Cardinal, e.g. : TITLE. Not baseball football or birds, but religion.

62. "Friend Like Me" singer in "Aladdin" : GENIE.

63. Author Talese : GAY. A respected author and journalist who just celebrated his 84th  birthday, Sunday. Perhaps most famous for this BOOK.

64. Fire sign : ASHES.

65. Gladiator's milieu : ARENA.

66. Olive shaped like a stick : OYL. Tricky. Popeye's girl. For Splynter: LINK.

Down:

1. Complainers : NAGS.

2. "People" person : IDOL. The magazine.

3. She beat out Madeline Kahn, with whom she shared the screen, for Best Supporting Actress : TATUM O'NEAL. Who did not love Paper Moon.

4. Org. that publishes weekly player rankings : ATP. Tennis anyone?

5. Lauren et al. : RALPHS. Also a food market in LA.

6. Tazo choice : CHAI. Foodish. Available in K-cups.

7. Long spans : EONS.

8. Collector's target : DEBT.

9. Filled, folded fare : OMELET. Food.

10. Sneeze cause : PEPPER. Foodish.

11. Ultimatum word : ELSE.

12. Jícama or ginger : ROOT. Ginger is big at my house. Foodish.

13. Actress Hathaway : ANNE. So many different looks. 
18. Stumper? : ORATOR. Tricky, someone who gets up on a stump and talks to you.

22. Rowing crew, perhaps : OCTET. There are 8 of them plus the coxswain.

24. St. formed from the Southwest Territory : TENN. How times change.

26. Duel tools : EPEES. And its a sport too!!!!!!

27. "The Untouchables" gangster : NITTI. My favorite actor to play the part.

28. Hotel reservations : ROOMS. So literal.

29. View from Lake Geneva : ALPS. I wonder if marti is there now schussing away?

30. Chihuahua "Ciao!" : ADIOS AMIGO. Well, the friend part is added, but this is a fun fill.

31. Oater group : POSSE.

32. Locations : SITES.

34. Sour fruit : SLOE. Foodish.

37. Acid type : AMINO.

38. Bowie's bride : IMAN. Timely but sad reminder of his recent passing.

39. __ Mule: vodka cocktail in a copper mug : MOSCOW. It is amazing how many things I do not know.

44. Hot whistler : KETTLE.

45. Plains homes : TEPEES. I wanted teepee (1.6MM google hits).

46. Tart container : PIE TIN.

49. Cosby of "Inside Edition" : RITA. She is most IMPRESSIVE but I have no awareness of her.

50. Place for a pupil : IRIS. I had my eye on you.

51. Pledge : OATH.

52. Rolex Player of the Year-awarding org. : LPGA. Ladies Professional Gold Association. They just played last week in Ocala where yet another South Korean won. She had a hole in one on a par 4 the week before.

53. "The Sopranos" actor Robert : ILER. After playing Tony Jr., he has disappeared though apparently he is part of a new project out of Las Vegas call The Four Kings.

54. Gelato holder : CONE. I always use a dish. Foodish.

56. Words to Holmes : I SAY.

57. Texter's toodle-oo : TTYL. Talk To You Later.

60. Dim sum beverage : TEA. Green tea most likely. It is so perfect that a Steve puzzle end with food.

It has been a while since I had to blog a Thursday to avoid self-analysis (this time by Steve) but it is a nice change. Nothing too difficult -a nice work out. Hope you enjoyed as much as I did. See you next time, Lemonade pinch hitting, out.

 

Note from C.C.:

This is the very first puzzle Steve (aka Steamed Red Mullet) and I made. It was accepted in June 2014. We figure Rich must have quite a few anagram puzzles in queue. Thanks for the inspiration and fun, Steve. You seriously rock!

Steve also gave me a tip on how to make creamy scrambled eggs. You can click here for details. You need to cook the eggs in really low heat. So good with chives sprinkled in.

Friday, March 6, 2015, Steve Marron

Theme: There is no "I" in Steve Marron's name

Our own tag team titan from Wednesday's well traveled and witty Steve has taken an old saw and made it into a reveal 61A. Sports cliché that explains 17-, 28-, 35- and 47-Across : THERE'S NO I IN TEAM (15) which spans the grid and explains that all the other nonsensical fill are sports teams with the letter "I" removed from the names. Really cute, and inventive, and a classic Friday structure with lower word count and fewer blocks, with the average word length almost 5 and 1/2 letters. This led to lots of 7 and 8 letter fill like ABYSMAL, ACERBIC,  AD ASTRA,  AMPERES,  ATTACHE, BASKETS, BASMATI, CATBERT, ECSTASY, ENTWINE, SEETHES, STREETS, UTENSIL, VIEWING, MANIACAL, VENDETTA. Very fresh fill and almost no common answers (IRA, TEN and AHA) another rising star emerging in the LAT world from our little Corner. Remember when we used to say, Oh great that is C.C.'s third solo, or marti's? Let's see what this transplanted Brit brought.

17A. Pennsylvania athletes : PITTSBURGH PIRATES (15) I bet it was deducing that this team left 15 letters when the Is were removed that made this puzzle possible for Steve. Well done catch.

28A. Florida athletes : MIAMI DOLPHINS (10) I love seeing my hometown team (they actually no longer play in Miami) and the fact the mirror clue is also an NFL team.

35A. Illinois athletes : CHICAGO FIRE (9). We have soccer, to go with football. Of course to Steve this too is football, so....There also is a current TV Show with this name. Am I the only one who finds it odd that things are named after a terrible disaster?

47A. Michigan athletes : DETROIT LIONS (10). Like the Dolpins they are in a long span of futility.
and the reveal as above
61A. Sports cliché that explains 17-, 28-, 35- and 47-Across : THERE'S NO I IN TEAM (15)
classic 5 theme 15, 10, 9, 10, 15 symmetry.

Across:

1. Biting : ACERBIC. What a witty way to begin.

8. Pulley wheel : SHEAVE. The things I learn here, I never knew THIS.

14. Beyond enthusiastic : MANIACAL. Is this a CSO for marti?

16. __ arch: blood vessel section : AORTIC. Is this a CSO for marti?

19. "Charlotte's Web" monogram : EBW. Elwyn Brooks White. Now I recall why I never remember this AUTHOR's full name. Notice that he likes dachshunds as well as correct use of English.

20. Like dreamers, often : ASLEEP.

21. Word of suspicion, to Tweety : TAWT I saw a puddy tat.

22. Steering aids : REINS. I like this clue so many ways, the misdirection, the sound....

24. __ moment : A HA. Is this two words?

26. Langley-based org. : CIA. Central Intelligence Agency. I had a high scholl classmate who went to work for them and I am hoping he will tell us his adventures at our upcoming 50th reunion.

27. Maritime raptor : ERNE.

32. Booyah, e.g. : STEW. Man this was hard for me, I only know the Stuart Scott version not the FOOD.

33. Tax shelter initials : IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

34. Gray wrote one in a country churchyard : ELEGY.  He originally called it Stanza's Wrote in a Country Church-Yard. LINK.

39. Teatime choice : ASSAM. Leave it to Steve to know his teas.

42. "Un-PC" was added to it in 2014 : OED. Oxford Englsih Dictionary.

43. "Take a Chance on Me" group : ABBA.

50. Company headquartered in Trollhättan : SAAB. WE had the ABBA/SAAB once before and I love it.

51. Fizzy prefix : AERate.

52. Words before hear or see : SO I.

53. Needing to be picked up : MESSY. Or perhaps this ANSWER (for Splynter?).

54. "Let it be" : STET.

56. Address label words : SEND TO.

60. Düsseldorf distances: Abbr. : KMS. The European mind, Kilometres.
,
64. Make final adjustments to, as a concert piano : RETUNE.

65. Family feud : VENDETTA. I recently rewatched one of my favorite Natalie Portman movies.

66. They may be intangible : ASSETS. Goodwill, for example.

67. Setting piece : UTENSIL.

Down:

1. Electrical units : AMPERES.

2. Scott Adams' Evil Director of Human Resources : CATBERT. He has such a strange mind.

3. Wrap around : ENTWINE.

4. Grafton's "__ for Ricochet" : R IS. Between Wheel of Fortune and Sue Grafton there is always a saving fill.

5. Rum desserts : BABAS.

6. Post-op areas : ICUS. Intensive Care Units.

7. Red Sox great Yastrzemski : CARL. Not to be confused with another Carl, 13D. "Understanding is a kind of __": Sagan : ECSTASY.

8. The tenth Muse, to Plato : SAPPHO.

9. Old TV knob : HORizontal.

10. Proof word : ERAT.

11. Diplomatic official : ATTACHE.

12. Taking in : VIEWING.

15. Part of XXL: Abbr. : LGE.

18. Proceed : HEAD. Like head home, or HEAD EAST.(5:17).

23. Air freshener scent : NEW CAR.

25. Ray or Jay : ALER.

28. Emcee's aid : MICrophone.

29. The Era of __: period in Notre Dame sports lore : ARA. Parseghian.

30. Toon with a cat named Bowser : MAGOO. No memory of this feline.

31. Satisfy : PLEASE. It will satisfy me if you say please....

36. Health care orgs. : HMOS.

37. Vintner's prefix : OEN. We usually have Oeno.

38. Hose users: Abbr. : FDS. Fired Departments.

39. Words on the Royal Canadian Air Force badge : AD ASTRA. Latin for 'to the stars.'

40. Is ready to blow : SEETHES.

41. "__ of Philadelphia": Oscar-winning song : STREETS. Not a happy SONG.

44. Court scores : BASKETS.

45. Long-grained Asian rice : BASMATI. We ue primarily Jasmine.

46. Beyond poor : ABYSMAL. Fun word.

48. Pre-game decision makers : TOSSES. Of a coin.

49. Property encumbrance : LIEN. Oh goody, a real property law word.

53. Eiffel's world : MONDE. Just French.

55. Level : TRUE. True dat!

57. Fall mo. : NOVember.

58. "Mon __!" : DIEU. OMG! More Frawnche!!!

59. Salon treatment : TINT. Hair salon.

62. Sinusitis-treating MD : ENT. Ear Nose and Throat.

63. Top __ : TEN. This is absolutley in my top ten favorite Steve Marron puzzles! Great Job! I did get a chance to ask Steve the genesis of this puzzle and he said, "I was working at home one morning and watching the Dan Patrick show on NBC Sports and he started to question the "No "I" in Team" tenet and that's what got me thinking." Remember to set your clocks ahead, and beware the Ides.  lemonade out.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014 C.C. Burnikel & Steve Marron

Theme: Short Order Sandwich - Sound out the first words of the entries and you have one of America's favorite diner sandwich, the BLT.

17A. Scout's motto : BE PREPARED. B is for Bacon.

36A. Actress who is Dakota's sister : ELLE FANNING. L is for Lettuce.

43A. Japanese ritual including an iron pot : TEA CEREMONY. T is for Tomato.

66A. Holders of the sandwich homophonically described by the first words of 17-, 36- and 43-Across : TOOTHPICKS

Argyle here. Hmm, Steve + food...go figure. Actually, surprisingly little food beside the theme and even more amazing, the lack of baseball references. Good thing they published the names of our constructors, I might not have guessed today's Dynamic Duo.

Across:

1. Puzzles on kid-friendly place mats : MAZES

6. 1965 Beatles concert stadium : SHEA

10. FedEx rival : DHL. Interesting origin. Wiki The letters stand for the combined initials of the last names of the founders, Dewey, Huey, and Louie. (I kid)

13. Sheeplike : OVINE

14. Fuse with a torch : WELD

15. "Amen to that!" : "YEAH!"

19. Nevada city on the Humboldt River : ELKO

20. Ho-hum : SO-SO

21. Showed penitence : ATONED

23. Gave permission : LET

24. Indian bread : NAN

26. Like a watch with hands : ANALOG

28. Giant slugger Mel : OTT

31. Tool-hanging spots : PEGs

34. Explorer Sir Francis : DRAKE

35. Soap unit : BAR

39. "Just teasing" : "I KID"

41. Organ with a canal : EAR

42. "Hooked on Classics" record co. : K-TEL

48. Dam-building org. : TVA. (Tennessee Valley Authority)(since 1933)

49. By oneself : ALONE

50. Bela's "Son of Frankenstein" role : YGOR

51. Thanksgiving veggie : YAM

52. Former Seattle team now in Oklahoma City, familiarly : SONICS

54. Where Mandela was pres. : RSA. (Republic of South Africa)

56. DOJ division : ATF. (Department of Justice/Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives)

57. Not-too-bright sort : DIMWIT

60. Coarse file : RASP

64. Not out : SAFE

68. Was aware of : KNEW

69. __ code : AREA

70. Rocker Joplin : JANIS

71. Dr. of rap : DRE

72. Not as much : LESS

73. Took a nap : SLEPT

Down:

1. Rowdy crowds : MOBS

2. Chevy hatchback : AVEO. Also available as a sedan, it started out as South Korean Daewoo.

3. Closes a jacket, with "up" : ZIPS

4. Scandal-plagued energy giant : ENRON

5. "Get my point?" : "SEE?"

6. Whack : SWAT

7. Wartime honoree : HERO

8. Justice Kagan : ELENA

9. Tacked-on sections : ADDENDA

10. Turn red, maybe : DYE

11. Cartoon character with a red bow and whiskers : HELLO KITTY

12. Body of water on the Swiss/French border : LAKE GENEVA. Site of "Smoke on the Water".

16. Fresh from the oven : HOT

18. Group of judges : PANEL

22. "Phooey!" : "DARN!"

25. Big primate : APE

27. Tall and thin : LANK

28. "In memoriam" essay, briefly : OBIT

29. Make one's position known : TAKE A STAND

30. New-customer incentive : TRIAL OFFER

32. TV show about a high school choir : GLEE

33. Like the sordid side of life : SEAMY

37. Pond croaker : FROG

38. Glittery rock music genre : GLAM

40. Anti-mice brand : D-CON. Have you seen their new ads?

44. Oklahoma city : ENID

45. Pianist's concert, e.g. : RECITAL

46. Tulsa-to-Topeka direction : NORTH

47. Many mos. : YRs.

53. Campfire treat : S'MORE

55. Kin of Helvetica : ARIAL. Fonts.

56. Request : ASK

58. Maladies : WOES

59. "Take __ a compliment!" : IT AS

61. Skin breakout : ACNE

62. Leave out : SKIP

63. Hissed "Yo!" : "PSST!"

65. Meadow mom : EWE

67. Slumber party attire, for short : PJs

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

1) I originally had MAYONNAISE as a reveal entry, but it's too weak a unifier to Rich. Naturally I sought help from our foodie Steve, who quickly came up with BOWL OF SOUP/TOOTHPICKS. Rich liked the latter. Thanks for making it happen, Steve!

2) I just noticed why Rich changed our YEAR/ROT for 15A/16D spots to YEAH/HOT. Do you know why? Thanks, Rich!!

Thursday, September 11, 2014 Steve Marron

Theme: "To the Point"

18-Across. Zero degrees Celsius, for water : FREEZING. We'll be freezing soon enough (see 50- and 51-Down!)

22-Across. Capacity limit : SATURATION. OK, I get it, but shouldn't there be something else?

52-Across. Moment of change : TRANSITION. This works alone, too, but...

58-Across. Sensitive spot : PRESSURE. OK, this one really needs to get to the point!!

38-Across. Not getting it, and, in a different way, what 18-, 22-, 52- and 58-Across are : MISSING THE POINT. Oh, I GET IT!!  Wonderful reveal, and elegant theme, when it's all put together.

So we have FREEZING [point], SATURATION [point], TRANSITION [point] and PRESSURE [point]. Ahhh, much better!

HaHa, I get to blog our Wednesday Sherpa Steve's debut solo puzzle. His first was a collaboration with C.C. just last month. Well done, Steve!  And a credit to C.C.'s caring guidance and enthusiasm for crossword puzzles and puzzlers, how many people on this blog are constructors! Let's see what other fun Steve has for us today.


Across

1. Wildlife photographs may be a memento of one : SAFARI...sa-goodie.

7. Visit Overstock.com, say : SHOP.

11. It's near Miss. : ALA. Cute clue. Yours, Steve?

14. Reebok rival : ADIDAS.

15. Piece of glass : PANE. (In the A**?)

16. "Collages" novelist : NIN. Anais. Absolutely nailed it - it's about the statues in Vienna, Austria.

17. Triangular chip : DORITO.

Yes, indeed.

20. Go out with : SEE.

21. Synthetic rubber, for one : POLYMER.

27. Turn down : DENY.

28. Bathroom fixtures : TUBS.

29. Airline seat pocket item, briefly : MAG.azine (not "wheel.")

30. Word with ball or cup : EYE.

32. Molar mender's org. : ADA. American Dental Association. But also, American Diabetes Association, American Dietetic Association, adenosine deaminase, Americans for Democratic Action...

33. University of Nevada city : RENO.

34. Pinnacles : ACMES.

42. Pound and Poe : POETS. I like how POETS contains "Poe."

43. Bounders : CADS.

44. Santa __, California : ANA. Barbara, Clara, Cruz, Clarita, Fe Springs, Maria, Monica, Paula and Rosa were all too long!

45. Attorney's thing : RES. Lemony, what's your "thing"?

47. I-5, for one : HWY. It runs north from Mexico to Canada.

48. Salt Lake City Winter Olympics year : MMII. 2002.

49. Abbey recess : APSE. Not to be confused with Benedictine monks taking a refreshing break.

55. Viruses, worms, etc. : MALWARE.

57. Bk. after Ezra : NEH.emiah.

60. Be unable to stand : DETEST. Because "drunk" was too short...

63. Squeeze (out) : EKE.

64. Govt. agent : T-MAN. Treasury-man.

65. Like most wedding cakes : ORNATE.

66. Who __ Nation: New Orleans Saints fans : DAT. The phrase "Who Dat" originated in minstrel shows!

67. Exists no more : ISN'T.

68. Said : STATED.


Down

1. In a funk : SAD.

2. Stir : ADO.

3. Diamond corner : FIRST BASE.

4. Parting words : ADIEUS.

5. Olympic judge, e.g. : RATER.

6. Equi- kin : ISO. Is an equi-lateral triangle the same as an iso-sceles one? (I didn't think so)  ;-)

7. Beach lotion letters : SPF. Sun Protection Factor. As I have said in the past, I don't think the "sun" needs protecting, but the "skin" does!!

8. Horn honker of classic comedy : HARPO. Marx.

9. Score that often requires overtime : ONE-ONE.

10. Spa treatment : PEEL.

11. Cartoon genre : ANIME.

Like this.

12. Hotel housekeeping supply : LINEN.

13. Fuming : ANGRY.

19. Louisiana music style : ZYDECO. Love the music! Can any of you dance like this? 3:17

22. Forever __ : STAMP. Hands up for wanting "yours"?

23. TV feed component : AUDIO. or "video"??? (Wait for perp help!)

24. Hymn ender : AMEN.

25. Cranberry quality : TANG. One of my cats has urinary tract issues. I feed her a cranberry tablet every morning, and she just gobbles it up. Maybe she likes the "tang"???

26. Practical joker's cry : I GOTCHA.

31. Kennel sounds : YAPS. I wanted "yips," but 34-A had to be ACMES. ("There is no ' I ' in ACME!")

33. Opposite of set : RISE.

35. American Airlines Arena team : MIAMI HEAT.

36. Film composer Morricone : ENNIO. We've had him before, but I still needed all perps to remember his name!

37. Carpet blemish : STAIN. With three cats, I don't even want to go there with you...

39. Scatters, as petals : STREWS. I envisioned a cute little flower girl, but NOT like this!! 1:14

40. "Private Benjamin" star : HAWN. Goldie.

41. Nestlé ice cream brand : EDYS.

46. Plays chords, in a way : STRUMS.

48. Medit. hot spot : MT. ETNA.

49. Unlike rock bands on MTV's "Unplugged" : AMPED. I like this "REM" unplugged version. 4:45

50. Insulated jacket : PARKA. Ooohhh, it's too soon to be thinking of those!

51. Winter fall : SLEET. NOOOOOOOOooooooooohhhhh!!! WAY too soon.

53. Aired again : RERAN.

54. Not reactive : INERT.

56. Wine from Italy : ASTI.

59. Otitis-treating MD : ENT. Ear-Nose-and-Throat specialist. Otitis is inflammation of the ear.

60. Uno y uno : DOS. 1 + 1 = 2 in Spanish. (Funny...it adds up to the same thing in English!)

61. Law firm office, perhaps: Abbr. : STE. Suite. Sweet!

62. Journalist Koppel : TED. I used to love him on "Nightline." Which reminds me, time to say night-night!

Marti, over and out.

Notes from C.C.:

1) I'll echo What Marti said earlier Steve: "Well done!". I'm so incredibly proud of what you accomplished in such a short period of time.

2) Happy Birthday to Husker Gary! Shortly before we met, Gary and I exchanged over 40 emails in one morning, just to get the blog format correct. His attention to detail and "never quit" spirit is inspiring.

Left to Right: Boomer, Gary, CC & Joann

August 22, 2014

Monday, August 25, 2014 Steve Marron and C.C. Burnikel

Theme: No lyin' - but lots of other entertainment from under the Big Top.

17A. Schoolroom cutup : CLASS CLOWN

27A. Pachyderm in stereotypical hallucinations : PINK ELEPHANT

47A. PDF file creation program : ADOBE ACROBAT

61A. Performances in a big tent, where you'd see the ends of 17-, 27- and 47-Across : CIRCUS ACTS

Argyle here with the latest Dynamic Duo. Well done.

Across:

1. "Around the World in 80 Days" navigator Phileas : FOGG

5. Lou of soul music : RAWLS

10. Immediately, in memos : ASAP

14. Folk singer Guthrie : ARLO

15. "Such a tease!" : "OH YOU!"

16. Lecture location : HALL

19. Concerning : AS TO

20. Often sculpted anatomy parts : TORSOs

21. Campus email suffix : .EDU

23. Logician's abbr. : QED. (quod erat demonstrandum)

24. First African-American major-league coach Buck : O'NEIL. (1962) It would be almost ten more years before the first black major league manager.

25. Condé Nast fashion monthly : GLAMOUR

31. Yale student : ELI

34. Membership fees : DUES

35. Ravi Shankar's instrument : SITAR

36. French peak : MONT

38. Volga region native : TATAR. We read the Tatar Paper yesterday.

41. Two times tetra- : OCTA. Greek prefixes for 4 and 8

42. Nickname for Wrigley Field hero Ernie Banks : MR. CUB

44. Condo division : UNIT

46. The Beatles' "__ Jude" : HEY

51. System for blind readers : BRAILLE

52. Peeled : PARED

56. Leb. neighbor : SYR. Lebanon/Syria

57. Actress Peeples : NIA

58. "Marry me!" : "BE MINE!"

59. Dunked cookie : OREO

64. One often lost in the laundry : SOCK

65. "That's it for me" : "I'M OUT". The poker table would be one spot you might hear this.

66. Vichyssoise veggie : LEEK. The soup is traditionally served cold but can be eaten hot.

67. Pantry pests : ANTS

68. So far : AS YET

69. Misses the mark : ERRS

Down:

1. Ex post __: retroactively : FACTO

2. Lightweight synthetic : ORLON

3. Blinding light : GLARE

4. Talk around the water cooler : GOSSIP

5. Giant birds of myth : ROCs. They were so big, they could have carried of our circus elephant.

6. Minor league rink org. : AHL. (American Hockey League)

7. St. in which most of Yellowstone is located : WYO. (Wyoming)

8. Poet Amy : LOWELL

9. Cherry-topped treat : SUNDAE

10. ''Now I get it!'' : "A-HA!"

11. Bigfoot's other name : SASQUATCH

12. Take turns : ALTERNATE

13. Walk heavily : PLOD

18. State of matter : SOLID

22. Calls the game : UMPS. Verb.

25. Fist pump or high-five, e.g. : GESTURE

26. Cleveland's state : OHIO

28. Cashew or pecan : NUT

29. Mauna __ : KEA

30. Waiter's carrier : TRAY

31. Actress Stone of "The Help" : EMMA

32. "She Walks in Beauty" poet : LORD BYRON

33. Wrong : INCORRECT

37. Brass band bass : TUBA

39. 2014, por ejemplo : ANO. All Spanich.

40. "Spare" cut of meat : RIB

43. '60s hippie gathering : BE IN

45. VCR inserts : TAPES

48. "The Good Wife" attorney Florrick : ALICIA

49. Says assuredly : CLAIMS

50. Mexican food in a corn-husk wrap : TAMALE

53. Potato press : RICER. Old timer.

54. "Come on in!" : "ENTER!"

55. Many talk show hosts sit at them : DESKS

56. Slugger Sammy : SOSA

58. Cigar remains : BUTT. Remains are something that is left like the butt of a cigar.

60. Brief approvals : OKs

62. Cowboy Rogers : ROY

63. Signal to an actor : CUE

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Steve Marron is our Wednesday Sherpa Steve. Congratulations on your debut, Steve! Read the first sentence in TTP's comment when Jazzbumpa (Ron) had his puzzle published.

2) Husker Gary also took a few pictures of our gathering last week. He also treated me my very first Earl Grey tea, Abejo!

Left to Right: Boomer, Gary, C.C. & Joann

   I feel like a Huskers' first round draft pick.

3) Spitzboov (Al) met with Argyle last Saturday at the Washington County Fair. Al mentioned that this was his first visit to the fair in 40 years. He said "I was pleasantly surprised by how much the fair has grown over 4 decades." 

Spitzboov, Betty & Argyle 

(In case you wonder, it's Bloomin' Onion with horseradish & Ranch dipping sauces)

 

 Spitzboov and Argyle with John (Deere)

Please click here for more. I'm so pleased that they finally met each other. Spitzboov's family from Virginia, Massachusetts & Delaware had a big gathering at the fair.