Thursday, August 14, 2014 Gareth Bain

Theme: Back in Kansas

18-Across. "Good lad!" : THERE'S MY BOY. The phrase sounds strange to my ear. I would more likely say "That's my boy!" And only in reference to a dog.

23-Across. "I'm positive" : NO MISTAKE.

30-Across. Atlas index listing : PLACE NAME.

47-Across. "Whatever floats your boat" : LIKE I CARE. I had "As if I CARE" at first. (As if you care, right?)

54-Across. Base among boxes : HOME PLATE.

61-Across. Character who, in an 8/15/1939 Hollywood premiere, speaks the first words of this puzzle's five other longest answers : DOROTHY GALE. "The Wizard of Oz" gal.

58 theme letters is pretty dense, and you might expect some compromise in the fill. But this seemed pretty straight-forward, almost Monday-like.

Across

1. Clothing line : HEM. I have seen the same clue for "seam."

4. "Egad!" : YIPE. or YIPEs. Both are correct.

8. Sprint Cup org. : NASCAR.  The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The title seems a bit redundant, with both Car and Auto. But it would be too difficult to pronounce NASCR, I guess. And 46-Down. Earnhardt of 8-Across : DALE.

14. Toothpaste letters : ADA. American Dental Association.

15. Arabian ruler : EMIR.

16. Pump figure : OCTANE. It's about $3.49 / gallon around here.

17. Netflix rental, for short : VID. In 1956, a video recorder was about $50,000, and a single 1 hour videotape cost $300. I don't think Netflix would get much business at those prices!

20. Latin catchall : ET ALII. And others.

22. Looks like a wolf : LEERS.

26. LAX postings : ETAS. I took a chance and entered the A before checking perps.

29. One "who intimately lives with rain," in a poem : TREE. And then we have 41-Down. Slam offering : POEM. The first poetry slam was held in Chicago in 1984. It is a competition where poets read their compositions and are judged by selected audience members. Do you think Kilmer would have won with this?

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,	5
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.	10
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.                                         Joyce Kilmer

33. Muscular problem : SPASM. "Cramp" would also fit...just sayin'.

36. Start of a series : OPENER.

37. Salon item : GEL. It was a toss-up between GEL and "dye."

40. Ab __: from the beginning : OVO.

41. Historic beginning? : PRE. Prehistoric.

42. Strands in a cell? : DNA.

43. Good to grow : ARABLE.

45. Like cutlets : BONED. I had B*kED at first because of a goof at 31-Down. Huh? Baked cutlets? (I always sauté them.) (And PaEM made absolutely no sense for 41-Down.)

49. Memo demand : ASAP.

53. More than passed : ACED.

57. Sonneteer's Muse : ERATO.

60. Nativity tableau : CRÈCHE.

65. Gun in the driveway, maybe : REV. Haha. Were you picturing a chalk outline and key evidence?

66. Keys with Grammys : ALICIA.

67. First word of "Greensleeves" : ALAS. Here's a lovely version by Celtic Women. 3:19

68. Billings-to-Bismarck dir. : ENE.

69. Less bold : MEEKER.

70. Risks : BETS.

71. Pop : DAD.


Down

1. "__ the foggiest!" : HAVEN'T. I started filling in "I haven"...and ran out of room.

2. Text __ : EDITOR.

3. European title : MADAME. I was looking for something more noble.

4. Hard-to-photograph Himalayans? : YETIS.

5. Paintball cry : I'M HIT.

6. Trivial Pursuit symbol : PIE.

7. Make a left instead of a right, say : ERR.

8. It smells : NOSE. Haha.

9. It can't be topped : ACME.

10. Compound used in plastic manufacturing : STYRENE.

11. Where business is picking up? : CAB STAND.

12. Enero to enero : ANO.

13. "Summertime Sadness" singer Lana Del __ : REY. All perps.

19. Zeno's home : ELEA.

21. Is situated : LIES.

24. Lhasa __ : APSO.

25. Air France-__: European flier : KLM. The two airlines merged in 2004.

27. Revival cry : AMEN.

28. They're measured in shots : SERA. Because "booze" wouldn't fit!

31. It may be popped : CORN. Naturally, I had "cork" at first...which led to no end of problems with the perps.

32. Foil kin : EPEE.

34. __ sci : POLI.

35. Preposition for Poirot : AVEC. French "with."

37. Blowout, so to speak : GALA.

38. "South Park" boy Cartman : ERIC.

39. Site of a critical 1813 battle : LAKE ERIE. The Battle of Put-in-Bay. I bet Abejo knows all about it.

44. Firm foundation : BEDROCK. It's where the Slate Rock & Gravel Company was founded...

;-)

45. Guy friend : BRO.

48. Hailing cry : AHOY.

50. Like some cows : SACRED.

51. Greek goddess of wisdom : ATHENA.

52. In a snit : PEEVED.

55. Showy display : ÉCLAT.

56. Button word : PRESS. So simple.

58. End in __ : A TIE.

59. Yonder, on the Pequod : THAR.

61. Block up : DAM.

62. Bit of World Cup encouragement : OLÉ.

63. Go on and on : GAB.

64. Draft order : ALE. I'll leave this for others to toast at sunset.

Cheers!

Marti

Note from C.C.:

The beautiful Andrea Carla Michaels (who co-authored our Monday LAT puzzle) visited Minnesota again this week. Below is a picture of the local constructor gathering last night. I did not feel well enough to make the trip. I snacked the whole jar of homemade pickles on Tuesday and my lower right abdominal pain just won't go away.

Also missed the PBA50 finals yesterday. Boomer went alone and watched Walter Ray Williams won the tournament. I did chat with Walter Ray again last Sunday, TTP. Also met Norm Duke for the first time.

L to R: Victor Barocas, George Barany,
Andrea Carla Michaels, David Hanson & Tom Pepper

Thursday, August 7, 2014 Johanna Fenimore

Theme: "We're In the Money!" 2:35

I'll start with the reveal:
55-Across. Basics of business, or a hint to the end of the answers to starred clues : DOLLARS AND CENTS. The theme was pretty obvious to me after seeing SCRATCH and DOUGH.  My confidence was a little shaken by JACK, but BREAD nailed it.

17-Across. *Like Grandma's pancakes, say : MADE FROM SCRATCH. This slang is probably based on the fact that you have to scratch out a living to earn money.

24-Across. *It's rolled with a pin and put in a tin : PIE DOUGH. Common slang term in the US, similar to BREAD.

37-Across. *"What a dummy!" : YOU DON'T KNOW JACK. I assume this refers to Jackson on the $20 bill? I don't think I have ever heard this term for money.

46-Across. *Deli supply : RYE BREAD. Based on the analogy of money being a staple of life.

Pretty easy for a Thursday. On a few "huhs" and "duhs" today. So lets spring right in.

Across

1. Spring : JUMP. Epic (and hilarious) JUMP fail. 0:25

5. Goes kaput : DIES.

9. Buckle opener? : SWASH. Can you talk like a pirate?

14. With passion : AMOROUSLY.

16. Chekhov's "__ Sisters" : THREE.

19. Capt.'s heading : SSE. Not sure why "Capt." here.  I wanted something like "aft" based on the clue, but the perps wouldn't allow it. (From C.C.: Capt. hints an abbreviated answer.)

20. Wetland : FEN.

21. Director's headache : HAM.

22. Deli supplies : SLAWS. Are they really "supplies" or just "offerings"?

29. DDE opponent : AES. Adlai Ewing Stevenson.

30. They may be rolled over, briefly : IRAS.

31. Gun lobby org. : NRA. If the NRA rolls over their IRA can they take over IRAN?

32. Barely-there underwear : THONG.

Proof of global warming

35. "Rent-__" : A-COP.

36. "__ Holden": Irving Bacheller novel : EBEN. The book was based in the author's home town of Pierrepont, NY.

40. Solitary : LONE.

41. Alternative to de Gaulle : ORLY.

42. Houston hockey team : AEROS. I don't follow hockey or baseball, so I was thinking "Astro" here.

43. Common Mkt. : EEC. European Economic Community.

44. Actress Falco : EDIE.

45. Hobbit enemy : ORC. Nasty little beasts, they are.

48. Extreme : ULTRA.

51. Bush __ : ERA. Really vague clue that had me scrambling for perps. (Anyone else think "rat"?)

52. Simpson judge : ITO. The (in)famous O.J. Simpson trial.

53. Fury : IRE.

61. "She __ among the untrodden ways": Wordsworth : DWELT. This is one of his "Lucy" poems. No one knows exactly who Lucy was:

     She dwelt among the untrodden ways
            Beside the springs of Dove,
          A Maid whom there were none to praise
            And very few to love:

          A violet by a mossy stone
            Half hidden from the eye!
          --Fair as a star, when only one
            Is shining in the sky.

          She lived unknown, and few could know
            When Lucy ceased to be;                                   
          But she is in her grave, and, oh,
            The difference to me!

62. Begins, as a conversation : STRIKES UP. Or a band.

63. "Ciao!" : SEE YA.

64. Must have : NEED.

65. "Ol' Man River" composer : KERN.


Down:

1. Rough spots : JAMS.

2. Amherst sch. : U-MASS. This was a gimme.

3. Poser : MODEL. Literally, someone who is posing.

4. Start to text? : PRE. Pretext. What a poseur might use.

5. Arm-twisting : DURESS.

6. Takes the stage : IS ON.

7. Stately shader : ELM.

8. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYS.tem.

9. Valuable violins : STRADS. Stradivarius.

10. Frisbee maker : WHAM-O.

11. Works at an exhibit : ART. The works on the wall, not what the docent does.

12. Champagne word : SEC. French for "dry." Actually, these champagnes are much sweeter than "brut" champagnes.

13. "Clever" : HEH.

15. "Let's hit the road!" : OFF WE GO!

18. Shoddy : CHEAPO. Fun word.

23. "Bates Motel" airer : A AND E. First aired in March of 2013, the TV series is based on the lives of Norman Bates and his mother, of "Psycho" fame.

24. Preserved, in a way : PICKLED.

25. Literary twist : IRONY.

26. Open, as a gate latch : UNBAR.

27. El __ : GRECO. Spanish Renaissance artist.

28. Gump player : HANKS. "Forrest Gump."

32. First president who wasn't elected : TYLER. The tenth president, he assumed the office when Harrison (Tippecanoe) died.

33. Bunk : HOOEY. Another fun word.

34. Gold unit : OUNCE.

35. Some hotel lobbies : ATRIA.

36. Escape on the way down : EJECT.

38. Loving rejection : NO DEAR.  Yes dear. I don't know dear...

39. Dungeons & Dragons role : WARLOCK. Not very nice critters.

44. Listing in a revision, perhaps : ERRATA.

45. Bested : OUTDID.

47. Spare tire : BELLY.

49. Salon job : RINSE.

50. Keyboard contemporary of Vladimir : ARTUR. Rubinstein. Vladimir Horowitz. Just look at those hands! 6:47 (BTW, although he was called ARTUR in his native Polish, he preferred to be known as "Arthur.")

52. Memo header : IN RE.

54. World Cup broadcaster : ESPN.

55. Driller's deg. : DDS. Doctor of Dental Surgery.

56. Postpone paying : OWE.

57. Civil War figure : LEE.

58. Govt.-issued ID : SSN.

59. Absorbed, as a cost : ATE.

60. "A mouse!" : EEK. It just might be what these cats are saying from 0:05 to 0:12.

That wraps it up for this week!
Marti

Thursday, July 31, 2014 Steve Blais

Theme: "I'm All Shook Up"

I thought we were in for a homophone puzzle after I filled in the first two theme answers:

20-Across. Really opens up : BARES ONE'S SOUL.

24-Across. Warrants another mention : BEARS REPEATING.

But the third one didn't fit the mold:
45-Across. Greed and jealousy are among them : BASER INSTINCTS.
Hmmm...but it did contain the same letters.

AHA!
51-Across. Threat of power, and a hint to the starts of 20-, 24- and 45-Across : SABER RATTLING.
The "rattling" indicates that the letters are shaken around, and a classic anagram theme is born.

This is Steve's third LAT puzzle this month, and the second one I have blogged.  They are always fun and fresh, with some clever clues and nice juicy fill. Come with me and see what I mean...

Across

1. Stephen King title city : SALEM. "Salem's Lot." I never read his books or watch the movies. Waaaay too scary for me.

6. USS Enterprise android : DATA. I had to pause for a minute to come up with this guy's name.

10. Drinks slowly : SIPS. The way to drink scotch, right Tin?

14. Beethoven honoree : ELISE.  "Für ELISE."

15. What may make the future tense? : OMEN. Fun clue!

16. Start of a solution : IDEA.

17. Steer catcher : RIATA.

18. Haboob, for one : WINDSTORM.  One of them blew over Phoenix last Friday.

22. Circuit protector : FUSE.

23. Nashville awards gp. : CMA. Country Music Association.

31. Astrologer Dixon : JEANE. I always want to put two N's in her name.

32. MD for women : GYN.ecologist.

33. Falco of "Nurse Jackie" : EDIE.

34. River ends? : ARs.

35. Idealist : DREAMER.

39. Dark time in poetry : E'EN. And a semi-clecho at 55-down. Dark time in ads : NITE.

40. "What kind of a name is 'Wilbur' for a man?" speaker : MR. ED. He was a horse, of course...

42. Donation, say : AID.

43. Seating option : AISLE. I always prefer the window - no food carts banging into my ankles, or people crawling over me to get to the bathroom.

49. Trig. ratio : COS.ine.

50. "Bus Stop" playwright : INGE.

57. Autograph signing locale : STAGE DOOR.

59. Call, in a way : RADIO.

60. Ship that sailed to Colchis : ARGO. Jason and his Argonauts.

61. Humerus neighbor : ULNA. Then there is this type of humorous neighbor.

62. Draw together : UNITE.

63. Withdraw by degrees : WEAN.

64. Ingredients in some stews : PEAS.

65. Egyptian pyramid's eight : EDGES. Not "kings."


Down

1. Balkan native : SERB.

2. Latin "others" : ALIA. Usually abbr. as al. And 28-Down. Clarifier usually abbreviated : ID EST. i.e., like this. (Latin for "that is...")

3. One may be habitual : LIAR.

4. Miami Sound Machine singer : ESTEFAN. I hope you appreciate the fact that I linked this singer instead of Beethoven's "Für Elise."

5. Carefully considered : MEASURED.

6. It'll bum you out : DOWNER. I read it as BURN instead of BUM.  I think crossword clues should be PRINTED ALL IN CAPS FROM NOW ON.

7. Henri's lady friend : AMIE. French "friend."

8. Arithmetic column : TENS.

9. Director's "Done with this segment!" : AND...SCENE. I wanted AND..."cut" but it was too short. I had never heard AND...SCENE, so I looked it up.  Seems it was often used by someone auditioning, to let the director know they were finished with their piece. Now it is used in a facetious way. After ranting and raving about something, a person might say AND...SCENE, to indicate that whatever they just said was all an act.

10. Put in place : SITUATE.

11. False __ : IDOL.

12. A : PER. As in $5 PER dozen, or $5 A dozen. How much is corn on the cob in your state?

13. Yosemite __ : SAM.

19. "Brave New World" drug : SOMA.

21. WWII intelligence org. : OSS. Office of Strategic Services. Julia Child was in the OSS.

24. Three-time A.L. MVP : BERRA.

25. Lightens : EASES.

26. "Zounds!" : EGADS.

27. "Quartet in Autumn" English novelist Barbara : PYM. I only know the character in Poe's novel. There once was a PYM from Nantucket...

29. Bohr of the Manhattan Project : NIELS.

30. Code carrier : GENE.

31. It's perpendicular to a threshold : JAMB.

36. Lifted : RAISED UP.

37. A, in Germany : EIN.

38. Sounded right : RANG TRUE. Yep, sounds right to me!

41. Figure with 10 sides : DECAGON.

44. Republic formerly under Danish rule : ICELAND.

46. Court cover-up : ROBE. Cute - not the hiding of evidence, but the judge's covering. Why do they wear robes, anyway?  I should think they could do the same thing in a tuxedo and look far more dashing...

47. Pageant symbols : TIARAS.

48. What a QB tries to avoid : INT.erception.

51. Multipart story : SAGA.

52. Auditioner's goal : ROLE.

53. Gossip columnist Barrett : RONA.

54. "Copacetic, man" : I DIG.

56. Exits : GOES.

57. Caught at the theater : SAW.

58. Amount past due? : TRE.  HaHa!  Irish Miss, did you get this one? Italian due = two and tre = three.

Marti, out!

Thursday, July 24, 2014 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "Birds of a Feather"

20. Adjustable light source : GOOSENECK LAMP.

38. Donald Sutherland film role : HAWKEYE PIERCE.

55. Carpentry connection : DOVETAIL JOINT.

I have blogged several of Jeffrey's Thursday puzzles now, and love to see his often pun-ny offerings.  I'm not sure how this one ended up on a Thursday, because I finished it in my usual Monday time. The theme seemed pretty Monday-friendly, too. Straightforward compound words at the beginnings of each entry, involving: 1.) A type of bird and 2.) A part of the anatomy. So maybe the fill dictated a more difficult level? Let's check it out...

Across

1. Hit with force : RAM. Nope, still Monday.

4. Group on a dais : PANEL. Not this one, either.

9. Egyptian Peace Nobelist : SADAT. Maybe a little hesitation here between Anwar and SADAT?

14. "Take heed, __ summer comes ...": Shakespeare : ERE. Anyone worth their Shakespeare knows that three letters usually = ERE. Of course, "The Merry Wives of Windsor" is probably in Ol' Man Keith's repertoire.

15. "Just like me" : AS I DO. Maybe a little tricky to parse between "As do I" or AS I DO.

16. Last Olds model : ALERO. We have seen this so many times it almost falls into the "crosswordese" category.

17. Require medication : AIL. I'm just going to skip all the easy ones.

18. Britney Spears hit with the lyric "A guy like you should wear a warning" : TOXIC. I just can't do it...don't make me link it, please??

Call me...

19. Old-fashioned : FUSTY. To echo Tuesday's MUSTY.

23. His face is seen with Powell and Loy on many film posters : ASTA. This seems like a fresh clue for another crossword staple.

24. Rodeo wrestling match participant : STEER.

25. Dedicatory opus : ODE.

28. "Hold your horses!" : NOT YET.

31. Pot holder shape : MITTEN.

33. Medieval slavery : SERFDOM.

37. Gallery array : OILS.

41. Fed. org. researching neuropsychiatry : NIMH. National Institute of Mental Health. I'll give this one to Thursday, but easy enough to suss.

42. Solemn conclusion? : SILENT N.

43. Just about : ALMOST.

45. Got ready, with "up" : GEARED.

49. Classic Pontiac : GTO. Along with the ALERO, it makes frequent appearances in crosswords.

50. Misleading name : ALIAS.

54. Concave landform : DALE.

59. Golfer Davies, seven-time Ladies European Tour Order of Merit awardee : LAURA. Classy lady with an incredible career record.

61. TV comic Kovacs : ERNIE. I can picture him and his ever-present cigar, but for the life of me, I can't remember any of his films or TV shows.

ERNIE Kovacs

62. Golfer's concern : LIE. They're always afraid that someone will call them a liar for putting a 3 on the scorecard when it was really a 5... (...just kidding!!)

63. Certain campaign managers : AD MEN.

64. Complaints : MOANS.

65. Solution: Abbr. : ANS.

66. Amtrak structure : DEPOT.

67. Tizzies : SNITS.

68. Big Bird fan : TOT.

Well, not too much trouble with the Across-clues.  Did anyone solve by just doing the Downs?


Down

1. "Trust, but verify" president : REAGAN. It was his catchphrase during negotiations with Russia about eliminating intermediate-range missiles. Ironically, it comes from an old Russian proverb.

2. Melodic : ARIOSO. We've seen this often enough, but only once on a Monday. So Thursday scores another one.

3. Giant with power : MEL OTT. Old crossword friend. Nice to see the full name, though.

4. Cracker topper : PÂTÉ.

5. "And she shall bring forth __": Matthew : A SON.

6. Gives a thumbs-down : NIXES.

7. Official order : EDICT.

8. Age of Reason philosopher : LOCKE. Bacon also fits, but this was already filled in by the perps for me.

9. Exotic vacation : SAFARI.

10. One at a reunion : ALUM.

11. Totalitarian : DESPOTIC.

12. Objet d'__ : ART.

13. Happy Meal bonus : TOY.

21. Skeptic's comeback : SAYS WHO?

22. Migratory rodent : LEMMING.

26. Expunge from a manuscript : DELE.

27. USN rank : ENS.ign.

29. Terrified cry : EEK!!! A LEMMING!!!

30. Bridge framework : TRESTLE.

32. Phenomenon measured by the Fujita scale : TORNADO. Thursday level clue to ramp up an ordinary (and too commonplace this year) word.

34. Forwarder's abbr. : F.Y.I. For Your Information.

35. Atl. state : DEL.aware

36. Ajar, in poems : OPE.

38. Maximum degree : HILT.

39. Military storage facility : AMMO DUMP. Another tricky little entry, but "missile silo" wouldn't fit.

40. Juillet's season : ÉTÉ. French: July / summer. (Did anyone else read this clue as "Juliet"?)

41. Henpeck : NAG.

44. Erudite person : SAVANT. Nice chewy Thursday word. I count 3 so far.

46. Scold harshly : RAIL AT.

47. Ocean-warming phenomenon : EL NINO.

48. Find intolerable : DETEST.

51. Agenda fodder : ITEMS.

52. "Fanfare for the Common Man" composer Copland : AARON. Written in response to a request by conductor Goossens for songs to commemorate America's entry into WWII, it was meant as a stirring and patriotic piece. The conductor wanted him to title it "Fanfare for Soldiers," but Copland ended up choosing this title instead. Here, Copland conducts it himself (with an introduction by the late great Leonard Bernstein). 9:46

53. Exodus mount : SINAI.

56. Cookies n' Creme cookie maker : OREO.

57. Dryer detritus : LINT.

58. Zooey's "New Girl" role : JESS. The show hits the 18-49 demographic. Way below mine. Unless you are 18-49, give it 1/2 point for Thursday.

59. Youngster : LAD.

60. Sweet drink : ADE.

So, only 3 1/2 sticking points for me. How did you fare on this one?

Marti, out!

Thursday, July 17, 2014 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Extra Terrestrials?

20. Protection from a bowler : CRICKET HELMET. I thought, "What does bowling have to do with cricket?" (Oh - the bowler is the one who throws the ball in cricket.)

41. Mozart and Brahms each wrote a notable one : CLARINET QUINTET. BAM!  Right off, I get a two-fer link! Mozart 34:37  Brahms 36:46

58. "Deny thy father and refuse thy name" speaker : JULIET CAPULET. Act II, Scene 2.

And the reveal:

73. Classical rebuke, and a homophonic hint to 20-, 41- and 58-Across : ET TU? "ET" x 2 ending each theme entry word. Funny, I did not notice the name of the constructor, but was speeding through and thought, "Wow, am I ever on this guy's wavelength!"  At the reveal, the thought flashed across my mind, "Wow, where do these guys come up with such great ideas?" Of course!  Our own C.C. nails it again.


Across

1. Short cuts : BOBS. Great misdirection. The short haircuts, not the the routes that your significant other always insists are "faster!"

Katie Holmes

5. Soup usually drunk directly from the bowl : MISO. I loved how this one crossed 7-Down. __ bar : SUSHI.

9. Key designation : MAJOR. Fill in the M**OR and wait for perps!

14. Common mirror shape : OVAL.

15. Load to bear : ONUS.

16. Grown : ADULT.

17. Ward with awards : SELA. You may have been surprised to see 69-Across. Hospital wing : WARD. in the same puzzle. C.C. is very careful about dupes, so I'm guessing the 17-A clue was edited by Rich.  I wonder if she originally cross-referenced them as "With 69-Across, 'Once and Again' Emmy winning actress."

18. They're hopeless : LOST CAUSES.

22. Floors in the ring : KOs. Knock-outs.

23. Tax-deferred plan, for short : IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

24. Place of luxury? : LAP. Cute clue!

27. Chanced upon : MET.

30. Mike and __: candy : IKE. Jelly beans meet Good & Plenty.

32. Calder creation : MOBILE.  I think I have seen this one at the Tate Museum.

35. French bread : EURO. Nailed it!

37. Notion : IDEA.

40. Mooring area : BASIN.

44. Closing passages : CODAS. Gimme.

45. Ball or strike, e.g. : NOUN. Of course, we needed a baseball reference if this were to be a "true" C.C. puzzle!

46. Dancer Kelly : GENE.

47. Contract negotiators : AGENTS.

49. Get ready to fire : AIM.

51. ISP choice : DSL. Internet Service Provider. Digital Subscriber Line (originally "loop.")

52. Isr. neighbor : SYR. Israel / Syria.

53. She played Fantine in "Les Misérables" (1998) : UMA. Thurman.

56. Sports bar array : TVs.

65. Honolulu Harbor beacon : ALOHA TOWER. WAG.

67. 12-time NFL Pro Bowler Junior : SEAU. I looked at "Bowler" and thought, "Huh?  He played football, not bowling!" (DUH - Pro Bowl choice!!!) (I was getting bowled over by this puzzle, I guess.)

68. False front? : PSEUD-. As in PSEUDonym, meaning "false name."

70. Scientific acad. : INST.itution.

71. Aggressive : PUSHY.

72. Mmes., in Cuba : SRAs. Madames and señoras. French and Spanish equivalents of "mistress." And also 9-Down. Polite address : MA'AM. Madam.

Down

1. Pear variety : BOSC.

2. CBer's "Back to you" : OVER.

3. Island near Java : BALI. Just a stone's throw away. Map.

4. Not taut : SLACK.

5. Fabric used in adhesive pads : MOLESKIN.

6. How ties may be broken, briefly : IN OT. Overtime.

8. Cuisinart rival : OSTER.

10. Together, in music : A DUE.

11. New, in real estate ads : JUST LISTED.

12. World Cup shout : OLÉ.

13. They may be constitutional: Abbr. : RTs. Rights.

19. Symbol of happiness : CLAM. Lark also fit...

21. Ornamental fish : KOI.

25. "Men in Black" targets : ALIENS.

26. Click-N-Go pen maker : PENTEL.

27. Tourist draws : MECCAS.

28. Memorial tribute : EULOGY.

29. Food chain whose employees wear Hawaiian shirts : TRADER JOES. Consumer Reports ranks them in the top three in the nation, along with Wegman's and Publix.

31. Perfect place : EDEN.

33. Sash often tied with a butterfly knot : OBI.

34. [Just like that!] : BANG.

36. Algerian seaport : ORAN. William Schneider is one of the thousands of soldiers who passed through ORAN on his way to the front in Italy during Operation Torch in WWII.  You can read the interview about his wartime experience here.

38. Zone for DDE : ETO. European Theater of Operations. This, of course, was north of where Schneider and his group landed.

39. Blue shade : AQUA.

42. Follower's suffix : IST. Are you a dedicated Crossword Corner-IST?

43. Acrobats' garments : UNITARDS.

48. Business outfit : SUIT.

50. A.L. or N.L. honoree : MVP. American League or National League Most Valuable Player.

54. Catty remarks : MEOWS. Love it! (Except when my cat starts in at 4:00 AM!)

55. Battling it out : AT WAR.

57. Sleepyhead in an Everly Brothers hit : SUSIE. Here's an earworm for you...2:11

59. "Not a chance!" : UH-UH.

60. Lord's partner : LADY.

61. "Juno" actor Michael : CERA. He co-starred with Ellen Page, who played Juno. Quirky, fun movie.

62. Advanced : LENT. Money, that is.

63. Sunup point : EAST.

64. Skirt in a Degas painting : TUTU.

Classic image

65. iPad download : APP.

66. SEC school : LSU. CSO to Hahtoolah.

That's it from me for this week!

Marti

Note from C.C.:

 

Here is a sweet bonus puzzle from Marti. Rich could not use it because he had just scheduled one with similiar gimmick. Marti thought it's similar to last Friday's LAT. To me, the approaches are very different.

We could not provide Across Lite file because this grid has unnumbered squares. Please click here to solve on line. I hope the font and setup are clearer this time. Spitzboov had trouble with my last upload. Click here for a PDF copy (See Download on the upper right corner?). Click here for Answer Grid.

We hope you enjoy the puzzle and look forward to your feedback. 

Thursday, July 10, 2014 Steve Blais

Theme: "What Are You Wearing?"

17. Like him or her : THIRD PERSON.

30. Reagan/Carter debate catchphrase : THERE YOU GO AGAIN.

44. Fail completely : TAKE IT ON THE CHIN.

57. Weakening, in a way, or what 17-, 30- and 44-Across are literally doing : WEARING THIN. Each of the theme entries is "wrapped" in the word THIN.  The word is broken in three different ways, which is a good thing. Let's see what else Steve has thrown at us this week.

Across:

1. Limo rider : CELEB.rity. Short limosine, short VIP.

6. Skilled : ADEPT.

11. Old map letters : SSR.

14. Smetana's "The Bartered Bride," e.g. : OPERA. "Aida" would have been too easy for a Thursday. But this comic opera is one of the Czech Republic's most famous.  Although I personally enjoy the overture, Act II features lovely Czech folk music. 4:14

15. Super Mario World dinosaur : YOSHI. No clue.

16. Own, to Burns : HA'E.

19. Morticia's cousin : ITT. "The Addam's Family."

20. Roman sun god : SOL.

21. Bon __ : MOT. French for "witty remark."

22. Years in Madrid : ANOS.

23. Campfire remains : ASH.

26. Cleaning tool : MOP.

28. Easily perturbed : ORNERY. I think of ORNERY as mean-tempered or stubborn.

34. Disney film based on Chinese folklore : MULAN.

35. Steed's partner : MRS. PEEL. Great misdirection for "The Avengers."

36. Giant thing in a kids' game : STEP. Complete instructions for "Mother May I?" here.

37. Problem with pictures : REBUS. Another great misdirection.  Literally, a problem, that uses pictures. Narragansett beer put out a series of coasters with rebus puzzles on them. See how many you can figure out here. (***Answers, below.)

38. Neeson of "Taken" : LIAM.

41. "Dead Souls" novelist Gogol : NIKOLAI.

43. Summation symbol in math : SIGMA.

47. Mobster's code of honor : OMERTA.

48. Bart, to Homer : SON. Man, will I ever sort out all these characters?

49. __-Mex : TEX. Burritos and tacos and chili (Oh my!)

50. "Alice" diner : MEL'S.

51. Nonetheless, briefly : THO.

54. "Oedipus __" : REX.

56. Completely : ALL.

62. Inconclusive result : TIE.

63. Edmonton skater : OILER. Do you follow hockey, CanadianEh! ?

64. Gladiator's venue : ARENA.

65. Row : OAR.

66. First name on a historic B-29 : ENOLA.

67. Long and lean : LANKY.


Down:

1. Base bed : COT. Aha!  Here's the COT I was looking for at 1-A on Tuesday!

2. Bk. before Philippians : EPH.esians.

3. Hawaiian ring : LEI.

4. Messes up : ERRS.

5. 13, to many : BAD OMEN.

6. Sailor's agreement : AYE.

7. Temporary quarters : DORM.

8. Canadian gas brand : ESSO. It's Exxon in the US of A.

9. Occasions for shooting stars? : PHOTO OPS. Cute clue.

10. Its chemical symbol is Sn : TIN.

11. Illuminate, with "on" : SHINE A LIGHT.

12. Zen enlightenment : SATORI.

13. Certs ingredient : RETSYN. Remember these ads?

18. Sneaky tactic : PLOY.

22. Like cherubs : ANGELIC.

23. Alternatives to tellers, briefly : ATMs.

24. Close : SHUT.

25. "Light in My Darkness" author : HELEN KELLER.

27. Grapefruit cousin : POMELO. Have you ever had Pomelo wine? Very fresh and zingy.

29. Singer Carly __ Jepsen : RAE. "Call Me Maybe."

31. Slender swords : RAPIERS.

32. Like some legends : URBAN.

33. Columbia garb : G SUITS. The space shuttle Columbia, not the school in NY. Not to be confused with G Strings.

37. Add gradually to a cycle : ROTATE IN.

39. Gallic girlfriend : AMIE.

40. Tailless feline : MANX.

42. Young fox : KIT.

43. Dakar is its capital : SENEGAL.

44. __ paste : TOMATO. I used to always end up with half a can of tomato paste that would just turn moldy and eventually get thrown out.  Now I take a piece of saran wrap, plop tablespoons of paste onto it, cover with another piece of saran wrap,  and stick it in the freezer. Once frozen, I put it into a freezer bag - whenever I need a tbsp of paste, I just cut one of the blobs off the saran warp and put the rest back in the freezer.

45. Bloomer of bloomers fame : AMELIA.

The Bloomer Suit

46. __ of plenty : HORN. I always have one of these on my Thanksgiving table.

52. Radiant ring : HALO.

53. Hershiser of ESPN : OREL.

55. Ad come-on word : XTRA.

57. Angst : WOE.

58. Portfolio holding, briefly : IRA.

59. Egg layer : HEN.

60. Octopus' defense : INK.

61. Bit of Senate dissension : NAY.

***Click here for the answers to the Narragansett rebus puzzles.

'Til next week!
Marti

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Don G, who turns 60 years old today! I was so lucky and privileged to be mentored by Don.

Don & his wife Barbie

Thursday, July 3, 2014 Greg Johnson

Theme: Going Postal

Let's begin with the reveal:

36-A. What the answers to starred clues are comprised of : US POSTAL CODES.

The 2-letter postal codes of states are formed into common words and phrases. There are duplicates, but without looking at a map, do you know which ones are missing? (I immediately saw one glaring omission…)

14-A. *Approach : CO/ME NE/AR.  Colorado, Maine, Nebraska, Arkansas

16-A. *Overly ornate : FL/OR/ID. Florida, Oregon, Idaho

24-A. *Messing with one's head : MI/ND GA/ME. Michigan, North Dakota, Georgia, Maine

49-A. *Tom Wolfe coinage for the 1970s : ME DE/CA/DE. Maine, Delaware, California, Delaware

62-A. *Drink of the gods : NE/CT/AR. Nebraska, Connecticut, Arkansas

63-A. *Simple forecasting aid : WI/ND VA/NE. Wisconsin, North Dakota, Virginia, Nebraska

5-D. *Sell weaponry : DE/AL AR/MS. Delaware, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi

39-D. *Appalachian resource : CO/AL MI/NE. Colorado, Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska.

I don't think I would have guessed this theme in a million years without the reveal!  But at least I was able to fill the entire thing in without any lookups. From a constructor's viewpoint, this was an especially difficult type of theme to create. Competing 6- and 8-letter entries necessitated asterisks to differentiate the theme entries.

I can understand why TX was omitted...but here's a challenge: Find your state that was omitted, and come up with a valid word or phrase that includes it, along with at least two other postal codes. (***See spoiler at bottom of this post)

Across:

1. Just the right amount of tight : SNUG. (See 61-down)

5. Hip-hop's Run-__ : DMC. From the 80's. Never heard of them, but evidently they were very influential to the genre.

8. Significant : OF NOTE.

17. Beef at the dinner table : RIB ROAST. and 34-Across. Butcher's offering : T-BONE. Are you getting hungry yet?

18. Provoke : FOMENT.

19. Sports drink suffix : ADE.

20. Healing aid, briefly : TLC. Tender loving care.

21. Some August babies : LEOs.

22. Cyrus the Great's domain : PERSIA. Here is an interesting timeline map that goes from 8000 B.C. to modern Iran. 1:10

28. Right in an atlas : EAST.

29. Author Dahl : ROALD. We have had him many times before.

31. Cease, with "off" : LAY.

32. High-tech debut of 1981 : IBM PC.

40. Dressing vessel : CRUET.

41. "Oh, yeah!" : BOO-YA.

42. Minor concern, maybe : AGE. HaHa, "minor" in this case being one who is under-aged.

43. In a way, informally : SORTA.

45. Cries of pain : YOWS.

52. "60 Minutes" first name : LESLEY. Stahl. I like her style.

Lesley Stahl

54. Choice usually made secretly : VOTE.

55. Minute measures: Abbr. : CMs. Centimeters.

56. Rehab concern, familiarly : DTs.

57. Like old videos : GRAINY.

60. Zealous to the extreme : WHITE HOT.

64. Eucharist plates : PATENS.

65. Suffix for Brooklyn or Manhattan : -ITE.

66. "Lemme __!" : AT 'EM.


Down

1. Tough spot : SCRAPE.

2. "I'm stumped" : NO IDEA.

3. Earthy colors : UMBERS. Had to look at perps to decide between ochres and UMBERS.

4. Angela Merkel's country: Abbr. : GER.many. This was a gimme.

6. Like the days of the week, in Span. : MASC.uline. WAG. I know very little Spanish, but with four letters, I guessed it would not be "fem." But now that I think of it, I could have gone with "neut."

7. Old PC component : CRT. Cathode Ray Tube.

8. Transgress : OFFEND.

9. __ insurance : FLOOD.

10. Asian menu assurance : NO MSG.

11. Gold or silver source : ORE.

12. Pie holder : TIN. My pies are baked in a pie plate. I associate a pie TIN with frozen ones.

13. D.C. summer setting : EDT.

15. "The Little Red Hen" denial : NOT I.

21. Short, for short : LI'L.

23. Michael of R.E.M. : STIPE. Should I link? Not a fan, so I'll let someone else who likes them pick their own.

24. Gruesome : MACABRE.

25. Hand lotion ingredient : ALOE.

26. __ best friend : MAN'S.

27. Major TV logo : EYE.

Eye logo

30. Go (for) : OPT.

33. AI game competitor : BOT. Artificial Intelligence. BOTs are considered NPCs (non-player characters.)

34. Play (with) : TOY.

35. Annual celebrations, casually : B-DAYS. Does C.C. know yours? Send her a note - she remembers everything!

36. Impulse : URGE.

37. Took to court : SUED.

38. Housing plan unit : LOT.

40. Rotating piece : CAM.

43. Half-goat creatures of myth : SATYRS.

44. Lines of praise : ODE.

I would write a nice ODE to our Owen,

Perhaps pen a Pindaric type poem.

But alas I cannot.

A limerick’s all I got.

And, besides, I have to get goin’!

46. Dated : OLD HAT.

47. Sloppy kiss : WET ONE. Garfield just really doesn't appreciate them.

48. Nervous __ : SYSTEM.

50. Cybernotice for a party : E-VITE.

51. Late-night host O'Brien : CONAN.

53. Business sign abbr. : EST'D. Established.

55. IOU : CHIT.

57. Econ. yardstick : GNP.

58. "In Dreams" actor Stephen : REA. Did not remember this guy.

59. Fake being : ACT.

60. Doughboy's conflict, briefly : WWI.

61. Actress Mendes : EVA.

I laughed when I read this quote from her:
"I wanted to be a nun when I was very little. Well, that was until my sister told me that they don't get paid. Then I went off that idea quickly."
(Aren't you fellows glad that nuns don't get paid?)

***My missing state was MA.  So, my word was DE/MA/ND.

That about wraps it up for me this week!
Marti

Thursday, June 26, 2014 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Hello…Hello…Hello…

17-Across. Last words of the Parable of the Marriage Feast : BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN.

28-Across. Nocturnal bird with a harsh cry : SCREECH OWL. Listen here.

43-Across. Dojo move : KARATE CHOP. HAI-yah!

56-Across. Add one's voice : JOIN IN THE CHORUS. Let's hear your comments!

And the reveal:
34. Radio studio feature, and what each of this puzzle's four other longest answers literally is : ECHO CHAMBER. Each answer is a container for the word ECHO.  Pretty clever!

Another fun puzzle from our fearless leader.  I found the fill in this one to be especially smooth for a Thursday, and almost finished in my typical Monday time. But I got hung up in the SW by entering a wrong answer at 34-Down. Oh well, that's the way the HO HO crumbles!

Across

1. Condo coolers : ACs.

4. Link between God and you? : BLESS. Gesundheit!

9. Hostess snack cakes : HO HOs.

Love 'em or hate 'em?

14. Clog part : TOE. The only other parts of a clog are the heel and the sole. I can count. Both of those were too long.

15. Hair-raising : EERIE.

16. Like bighorns : OVINE. Sheep:ovine.

20. Introductory studio class : ART I. Art thou?

21. Rebecca's firstborn : ESAU. If you don't know your biblical genealogy by now, you'r better get cracking!

22. Braying beast : ASS. Donkey:Asinine.

23. Woodstock style : TIE DYE. John Sebastian comes to mind. 3:23

26. Triceps locale : ARM.

27. "Am __ believe ..." : I TO.

31. Banned orchard spray : ALAR. I never know how to pronounce it. I just found out it sounds like EY-lahr.

32. On the job : AT IT. Parse it however you like.

33. Not for the squeamish : GORY. I just can't watch movies like "Saw." Heck, I can't even watch the trailers!!

39. Ruler deposed in 1979 : SHAH.

41. Eternally : EVER.

42. It may be sticky : NOTE. This seems to be popping up a lot lately.

49. MD workplaces : ORs.

50. Zip : PEP. Hands up for thinking "nil"??

51. Goddess who turned Medusa's hair to snakes : ATHENA. So that's the goddess who gives me bad hair days!

52. Subj. of a '90s CIA search : WMD. Weapons of Mass Destruction (Iraq.)

53. Behind : REAR.

55. Some govt. prosecutors : ADAs. Assistant District Attorneys.

61. When rights may not be denied? : ON RED. Is "right turn on red" allowed in your state?

62. King of Judea : HEROD.

63. Dijon season : ETE. French summer.

64. Self-titled 2000 pop album : BETTE. The Divine Miss M.

65. Links measures : YARDS. What's your longest drive, HG?

66. Go-ahead : NOD. "He gave us the nod."


Down

1. Plate appearances : AT BATS. Bat:pteropine. Baseball:C.C.

2. "Katie" host : COURIC.

3. Volleyball position : SETTER.  It's like the QB in football.

Kerri Jennings

4. Drone, e.g. : BEE. Bee:apian.

5. Treasury Secretary Jack : LEW.

Before and after a mandatory course in Palmer penmanship

6. Chunk of history : ERA.

7. Stable stud : SIRE. Horse:equine

8. Vacillate : SEESAW.

9. Dull : HO-HUM.

10. Ab __: from the start : OVO. Literally. Latin for "from the egg."

11. Alluring dockside greeting : HI SAILOR. Loved this fill!

12. Poor Yelp rating : ONE STAR. Beware of fake reviews on their site.

13. Kind of overload : SENSORY.

18. Bona __ : FIDE. Gen-you-ine.

19. Baseball's Yastrzemski : CARL. My late father's favorite Red Sox player.

24. Word accompanying a fist pump : YEAH. I hear Tiger is returning this weekend after back surgery in March.

25. Outer: Pref. : ECTO.

29. Poppin' Pink Lemonade brand : HI C.

30. Questionnaire catchall : OTHER.

31. Sit in a barrel, maybe : AGE. Because "go over Niagara Falls" wouldn't fit.

34. Dines on humble pie : EATS DIRT. I had EATS "crow" at first. Slowed down my time until I got it all sorted out.

35. 2008 Benicio del Toro title role : CHE. Guevara.

36. Co-star of Burt in "The Killers" : AVA. Lancaster (thanks, Lemony!) and Gardner in a classic 1946 film noir.

37. Data lead-in : META.

38. Author Harte : BRET.

39. Calculated flattery : SNOW JOB. More great fill!

40. Insulin, e.g. : HORMONE. "How do you make a hormone? (Tell her a bad joke!)"

43. Sharp : KEEN.

44. "Why bother?" attitude : APATHY.

45. Secretary of Labor under Bush : CHAO.

46. "Marnie" star : HEDREN. Tippie.  I remember her from "The Birds."

47. Working by itself : ON AUTO. Some mornings I feel like I'm ON AUTO pilot.

48. Avoided flunking : PASSED.

50. It's hard to swallow : PRIDE. Lion:leonine.

54. Ostrich kin : RHEA. Ostrich:ratite.

57. Monarch catcher : NET. Butterfly:pierine. I always leave a few milkweed plants in my garden to attract them.

*From C.C.: Here is Marti's milkweed pod arrangement we put on the blog last year. She said:
  

"This is one of my favorite flower arrangements, I make at least one every year, when the milkweed pods are ripe. Doesn't it look like a bunch of parakeets sitting around a garden?"

58. Go amiss : ERR.

59. Dried fish in lutefisk : COD. Fish:piscine. This was a staple on Christmas Eve in our house.

60. Most TVs, now : HDs. High Definitions.

And that wraps it up for this week. Thanks, C.C., for all the fun!

Marti

Notes from C.C.

Happy 49th wedding anniversary to Spitzboov and his lovely wife Betty! I've never heard Al complain about anything, despite what he and Betty went through the past few years. He's always there sharing with us his knowledge on word etymology (esp German & any nautical-related terms) & fun video clips. Do you see Max regularly, Al?

 US Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT,
 August 2012

Thursday, June 19, 2014 Jerry Edelstein

Theme:  Michael Jackson

17. Harebrained schemes : CRAZY IDEAS. They are often off the wall.

22. Noted sitter : HUMPTY DUMPTY. He fell off the wall and cracked himself up.

36. With 37- and 38-Across, big hit : LONG.
37. See 36-Across : FLY.
38. See 36-Across : BALL. If it's not a home run, it probably bounced off the wall.

47. Cause of bad luck, so they say : BROKEN MIRROR. All I have to do is look in one to break it - it doesn't have to fall off the wall.

56. Bizarre, and what 17-, 22-, 36/37/38- and 47-Across can be, in one way or another : OFF THE WALL.

There are lots of ways to be off the wall. Here we have one figurative off the wall reference, one fictional, and two that could literally either bounce or drop off the wall.  Marti here, to pick up the pieces.

Across:

1. Licensed med. personnel : RNS. Checking the perps didn't help much - between RALPH, NAURU and SALEM, all I got was the "S"!!! Cross referenced at 64-Across. Workplaces for 1-Across : ERS.

4. Heavens : EDENS. Edens to Betsy!

9. Relations : KIN.

12. Wireless mouse batteries : AAAs.

14. Fuzzy __ : NAVEL. Peach schnapps and OJ. Great for brunch.

15. How-to presentation : DEMO.

16. One of a kind : LULU.

19. Lay the groundwork : PREPARE.

21. Live-in help, perhaps : NANNY.

26. Squirt : IMP.

27. Hardly a deadeye : POOR SHOT. Any takers?

Deadeye Cupid

31. "We __ amused" : ARE NOT. (Oh yes, we are!)

34. Role for Liz : CLEO.patra. Elizabeth Taylor.

35. Personality part : EGO.

39. Catchall abbr. : ETC.

40. Miscellany : OLIO.

42. Pushed : GOADED.

44. Makes tawdry : CHEAPENS.

46. Acct. datum : AMT. I wish the amount in my account were a little higher...

52. __ New Guinea : PAPUA.

55. Gets : OBTAINS.

60. Half DX : CCLV. I prefer this type of clue much more than "Year in so and so's reign…"

61. Campaign funders, briefly : PACS. Political Action Committees.

62. Guts : MOXIE.

63. 1980s surgeon general : KOOP. The only surgeon-general to become a household name. Do you remember why?

65. Jacket material : TWEED.

66. Elevs. : HTS.


Down:

1. "Invisible Man" writer Ellison : RALPH. Full name RALPH Waldo Ellison, named for - (guess who?)

2. World's smallest island nation : NAURU. Map.

3. Capital south of Olympia : SALEM.

4. Protect, in a way : ENCRYPT. I am fascinated by the Navajo Code Talkers of WWII.

5. Challenged : DARED.

6. Perón of Argentina : EVA.

7. Pince-__ : NEZ.

8. Like some dogs and devils : SLY.

9. Sharp : KEEN.

10. One-named supermodel : IMAN. I can never remember if it IMAm, InAm or IMAN.

11. Prone to prying : NOSY.

13. Dining : SUPPING.

15. Decisive times : D-DAYS. Do you know what the "D" stands for? Spoiler here.

18. Short beginning : INTRO.

20. Sphere lead-in : ATMO. Meh. And another: 33-Down. Confer ending : ENCE.

23. Able to give a firsthand account : UP CLOSE…and personal.

24. "Holy __!" : MOLY!

25. "The Pit and the Pendulum" author : POE. Would you believe, I filled it in as "EAP" at first? D'uh!!

28. Proceed : HEAD.

29. Stare rudely at : OGLE.

30. Related : TOLD.

31. Baldwin of "The Cooler" : ALEC. In gambling parlance, a "cooler" is a player who seems to cause other players to get unlucky, thus "cooling" down their hot streaks.

32. "Portnoy's Complaint" novelist : ROTH. It came out in 1969 - and immediately created a public outrage.

37. Informer : FINK.

38. Dugout convenience : BAT RACK. It's where they hang their keys.

Bat Rack

40. Talk show tycoon : OPRAH.

41. Durocher of baseball : LEO. "The Lip."

42. Bet : GAMBLED.

43. Skip past : OMIT.

45. Is up against : ABUTS.

48. "Cross my heart!" : NO LIE!

49. Maker of Caplio cameras : RICOH. Never heard of this camera:

50. Like septic tanks : ON LOT. Anyone else scratch their heads over this one? Septic tanks are always located ON the LOT of land that they serve.  Town sewer systems draw sewage through sewer lines to a central processing system at another central location. All you want to know, here. (Really, you actually clicked that link???)

51. SASE inserts, often : RSVPS. I used to get invited to a lot of weddings. Now I look through the obituaries to plan my social calendar.

52. Leader who wears the Ring of the Fisherman : POPE. Also called the "Piscatory Ring."

53. Quite a way off : AFAR.

54. Low-ranking GIs : PFCs.

57. CPR pro : EMT.

58. "Man!" : WOW.

59. Tool often swung : AXE. "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the AXE.": Abraham Lincoln.

That's all I have for now!

Marti

Thursday, June 12, 2014 Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "That's A Lot Of Bunk!"

45-D. Summer camp sight, and a hint to what each contiguous pair of answers to starred clues graphically represents : BUNK BED. Pairs of types of bed are stacked on each other like bunk beds.

My cats would love this one!

Kitty Bunk Bed

1-A. *Place to cuddle : SOFA. I think a SOFA bed is punishment for being a mother-in-law.
13-A. *Minnesota player : TWIN. Of course, a reference to C.C.'s team!

21-A. *__ stop : TRUCK. A TRUCK bed is the business end of a pickup.
26-A. *Tend to the garden : WATER. WATER BEDs were big in the '70s.

54-A. *Actor Phoenix : RIVER. You can see a lot of dry RIVER beds in CA.
59-A. *Consolation for one who doesn't strike : SPARE. A SPARE bed is sometimes only a shade more comfortable than a SOFA bed.

69-A. *London rental : FLAT. FLAT bed trucks are designed to hold wrecked cars.
72-A. *Lawn party rental : TENT. I never heard of a TENT bed, but apparently they are appealing to children.

Our Dynamic Duo is back again with another visually interesting theme. Five of the stacked entries reference types of literal beds, two reference trucks and one a geologic phenomenon. Quite a mix! But no flowers or oysters? Let's see what else is on our plates today.

Across:

5. Gush : SPEW.

9. As well : ALSO.

14. Dominoes unit : TILE.

15. False god : BAAL. The term most often refers to a local spirit deity in the Hebrew Bible, which would be viewed as a false god.

16. Occult symbols : PENTAGRAMS. A wiccan pentacle contains a PENTAGRAM:

Wiccan Pentacle With PENTAGRAM

18. Like some audiobooks : ON CD.

19. Porter's "__ Girls" : LES. 1957 film with Gene Kelly and Mitzi Gaynor.

20. Scooby-Doo, e.g. : TOON.

23. Reunion attendee : ALUM. Why do we never see this word clued as "Styptic pencil ingredient"??

25. "Memoirs of a Geisha" sash : OBI.

27. Versatile blood donor : TYPE O. O neg is the "Universal Donor."

29. Impede legally : ESTOP…immediately followed by 31-A. Area with briefs and cases : LAW.

33. __ Arbor : ANN.

35. One may be rolled up : TARP. I love the new Fruit of the Loom commercial!

36. Tuber cultivated in the Andes : OCA.

37. Memorized, perhaps : DOWN PAT.

41. Police record : BLOTTER.

43. Egg: Pref. : OVI.

44. Simple step : A TO B.

46. Word on a deodorant label : DRI. It also might contain ALUM.

47. Surprised cry : EEK. A bat!!

48. Accommodate : PUT UP. On the sofa bed?

50. Contract details : TERMS.

56. Gist : NUB.

58. Philosophical : DEEP.

60. Barnacle site, perhaps : KEEL.

62. "Arabian Nights" name : ALI.

63. Just slightly : A TAD.

64. Full of nonsense talk : BABBLING ON.

67. Undertake : WAGE.

68. German wheels : OPEL. I had Audi at first.

70. Rubberneck : EYER. Noun form. "After the accident in the south-bound lane, traffic was tied up on the other side by RUBBERNECKs."

71. "Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they" speaker : YODA.

Down:

1. Like a cold stare : STEELY. Do these stares look Steely, Dan?

2. Comes clean : OWNS UP.

3. Clothier's concern : FIT.

4. Med sch. class : ANAT.omy.

5. Disco device : STROBE. Because "ball" was too short.

6. Benched player? : PIANIST. Cute clue!

7. Suburban tree : ELM.

8. 1973 thriller featuring Yul Brynner as an android gunman : WESTWORLD. Theme park gone bad movie.

9. Roughly : ABOUT.

10. Knight of note : LANCELOT.

11. Picnic competition : SACK RACE. Nailed it.

12. Tiresome : OLD.

16. Land map : PLAT. A plat is a plan of a plot.

17. Gunk : GOO.

22. Sympathetic connection : RAPPORT.

24. Malicious : MEAN. Like some of our least favorite anons.

28. Theoretically : ON PAPER…it always looks good.

30. Picked-up item : TAB.

32. Mars' realm : WAR.

34. Title wanderer in a 1948 Nat King Cole hit : NATURE BOY.

37. Bunny's mom : DOE.

38. Abuse, as one's welcome : OVERSTAY. On the SOFA bed?

39. User-edited reference entry : WIKI PAGE.

40. Tyke : TOT.

42. Leaderless? : TIED.

49. Mexican state or its capital : PUEBLA. Map.

51. "Man is not free unless government is limited" speaker : REAGAN. No politics on this blog, President Reagan!

52. First National Leaguer to hit 500 homers : MEL OTT. More baseball. I know him from crosswords.

53. Game show turn : SPIN.

55. "Star Wars" villain : VADER. Darth, to friends.

57. __-esprit: wit : BEL. English borrowed word from French.

61. Stop, as an embargo : LIFT.

63. Bedazzle : AWE.

65. Mil. address : APO.

66. Phillies' div. : NLE. National League East, Philadelphia. They are playing the last of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres this afternoon in Philly.

'Til next week!

Marti

Notes from C.C.: 

1) This is my 50th LA Times puzzle with Don G. As I dabbled into collaborating with a few blog friends who are new to crossword construction, I found out that it's not an easy job to explain why a theme would not work, why some certain entries had to be discarded and why some clues had to be changed. Now I'm fully aware of the tremendous amount of time and efforts Don put on me. Thank you so much, Don!

Don & his wife Barbie, Summer 2009

2) Don and I also made a puzzle for the the third Minnesota Crossword Tournament which will be held on June 22, 2014  at The Landmark Center in Saint Paul. Please click here for more information.