Thursday, October 2, 2014 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "Climb Ev'ry Mountain"

3-Down. Classic music hall song that lent its melody to the "Howdy Doody" theme : TA-RA-RA BOOM-DE-AY. Sung by the character Winnie-Woopsie Tapatit. I never knew the words until I looked it up.

5-Down. Lake Erie city : TOLEDO, OHIO. Home of Katie Holmes, Jamie Farr and Danny Thomas, among others.

13-Down. Unalaska, e.g. : ALEUTIAN ISLAND. Map.

30-Down. "No one knows" : WHO CAN TELL?

And the reveal:

7-Down. Apt challenger of this puzzle's circled locations : MOUNTAIN CLIMBER. Four mountains appear, if you read the circles from bottom to top: A-R-A-R-A-T, H-O-O-D, S-I-N-A-I and E-T-N-A. I know from personal experience, that getting to the top is only half the battle!

Marti (L) and friend Erica in the Italian Alps, ca. 2008

I solved the NW corner before stumbling onto the reveal at 7-Down, so I could immediately fill in that grid spanner, with T-A-R-A-R-A in place!  That's probably why this felt more like a Tuesday puzzle to me.

Across

1. Hint : GET AT.

6. Insincere flattery : SMARM. The origin of the word is unknown, but may stem from the early 1900s. Possibly from "smear" or "smooth," as in smearing hair with pomade to make it slick.

11. Town in a Hersey title : ADANO.

12. Book before Joel : HOSEA.

13. Roadie's burden : AMP. Three letters? Roadie? Fill in AMP and move on...

16. Like some ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos : VIRAL. Here are some hilarious "fails." (Caution: some f-bombs.)

17. Home of the bush ballad : AUSTRALIA. Bush? 9 letters? Enter AUSTRALIA and move on!

19. Greek letter : ETA. ETA, rho, tau, phi, chi or psi? (Check perps!)

20. Take in : EARN.

22. Hardest to get close to : ICIEST. Like Splynter's college "ice princess."

23. Rocky pinnacle : TOR. Another challenge to a MOUNTAIN CLIMBER?

24. Brit who might lose a stone? : DIETER.  Should be a gimme for Steve and Nice Cuppa! The British stone is used for measuring weight, and is equal to 14 lbs.

26. __ tape : DUCT. It was first developed by Johnson and Johnson in WWII to help waterproof ammo cans.  The soldiers dubbed it "duck" tape for that reason. After the war, JandJ developed a silver version to seal heating ducts, among other things. That is when the name morphed into DUCT.

27. Cicero, for one : ORATOR.

29. From the top : ANEW.

31. Half a drink : -TAI. Mai-TAI.

32. CV component : BIO.graphy - Curriculum Vitae.

33. Three sheets to the wind : LIT.

34. Selassie of Ethiopia : HAILE.

36. Stew base : BROTH.

38. Snake eye? : ONE. I assume this refers to a die. In craps, a pair of ones is referred to as "snake eyes."

39. Doctoral candidate's hurdle : ORALS.

40. Seventh-century pope : LEO II.

41. Blu-ray player ancestor : VCR. Ancestor?  Boy, do I feel old!!

42. Swindle : CON.

43. Sturdy tree : ELM.

44. Astra or Insignia : OPEL. No clue - four perps helped me nail it, though!

46. Salad vegetable : RADISH.

49. DWI-fighting gp. : SADD. Driving While Intoxicated is fought by Students Against Destructive Decisions (formerly: Students Against Driving Drunk.)

51. Genesis : ORIGIN.

53. "__ Cried": 1962 hit for Jay and the Americans : SHE. You remember this?

54. Prepares (oneself), as for combat : STEELS.

56. Pooch sans papers : MUTT.

57. Diminutive, diminutively : LI'L. As in "L'IL Abner."

58. Fated : MEANT TO BE.

60. Send, in a way : EMAIL.

62. Ice cream maker Joseph : EDY. Three letters? Ice cream? Fill in EDY and move on...

63. Bars with character, to some : DIVES.

64. Slower than adagio : LENTO. And another musical term at 46-Down. Slowing, in scores : RIT.ardando.

65. Act surprised : START.

66. Puts on cargo : LADES.


Down

1. Donated for the benefit of : GAVE TO.

2. One checking stories : EDITOR.

4. Santa __ Mountains : ANA.

6. Trading unit : SHARE. Oops - not "stock."

8. Long-eared beast : ASS.

9. Hit the hay : RETIRE.

10. Painter Chagall : MARC. His "The Fiddler" is the painting that inspired the title for "Fiddler on the Roof."

14. Name incorrectly : MISCALL.

15. McDonald's supply : PATTIES.

18. Succor : AID.

21. Service station offering : AIR.

25. Wide key : ENTER.

28. Small South American monkey : TITI. "Titi" is also the French nickname for "Tweety Bird."

33. Enthusiast : LOVER.

35. Yankee suspended for the 2014 season : A-ROD. Suspended for use of performace-enhancing drugs. Tsk tsk.

36. Start of a confession :"BLESS ME...father, for I have sinned." And 61-Down. __ culpa : MEA.  ("My fault!")

37. Like family : RELATED.

45. Reminder of a kind : POST-IT.

47. Certain Muslim : SHI'ITE. I never know whether is should be spelled with an apostrophe or not. I've seen it both ways.

48. Greetings : HELLOS.

50. Room with a remote, often : DEN.

52. Letterman interviewee, say : GUEST. Pick your favorite!

55. Old Fords : LTDs. EL-TEE-DEE. (Not "limited.")"Luxury Trim Decor?" "Limited Trim Designation?" "Lincoln Type Design?" It's a mystery...

59. Reproductive cells : OVA. Plural of "ovum." Don't put them all in one basket!

I'm done - your turn!

Marti

Thursday, September 25, 2014 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "Oh, my aching..."


17-Across. *Hobby shop purchase : MODEL TRAIN. Some people get carried away with the hobby.

21-Across. *World Wildlife Fund symbol : PANDA BEAR. Timeline.

55-Across. *Florida city with over 400 miles of canals : CAPE CORAL. Nice to look at, but aren't they full of alligators?

61-Across. *"Movin' Out" choreographer : TWYLA THARP. I couldn't find a link that had decent sound and light to do this musical justice.

The reveal is found at 37-Across. Common sports injuries ... and a hint to hidden words that span both parts of the answers to starred clues : PULLED MUSCLES. DELToid, ABdominal, PECtoral and LATissimus muscles are all prone to injury...just ask me! I like how C.C. "stretched" them across the two words.

It seemed pretty easy for a Thursday, but I guess I was on C.C.'s wave length today!

Across

1. Stick on the ground : TWIG.

5. "Notes on a Scandal" Best Actress nominee : DENCH. Love that Dame!

10. Legal suspension : STAY.

14. "How awful!" : OH NO! Mr. Bill!

15. Villa on the Volga : DACHA.

16. After the bell : LATE. Not what some teen girls ever want to be.

19. Rte. 66 goes through it : OKLA.homa, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain!

20. African capital with a metro : CAIRO.

23. Health care org. : AMA. American Medical Association.

24. Matter, in law : RES.

26. Burning sign : ASH.

27. "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" channel : CNN. He's a bit raw around the edges, at times.

28. Glittery strand : TINSEL.

30. Utter : STATE.

32. Sweet and sour : TASTES. Nice misdirection.

36. Extremely dry : ARID.

41. Die down : WANE.

42. Kenyan's neighbor : SOMALI. I almost did a double take when the second "A" went missing. Oh, but it is the natives of the countries who are neighbors!

43. John of England : ELTON. "Loo" was just too short.

45. Spurred : GOADED.

49. Showy wrap : BOA.

50. Yale alum : ELI.

53. Batteries for mice : AAs.

54. Something to grind : AXE.

58. Lets up : EASES.

60. European range : ALPS. We're making plans already for next year's trip.

63. Flight unit : STEP.

64. Movie toy in a cereal box, e.g. : TIE IN.

65. Inner: Pref. : ENTO. Hands up for "endo?"

66. Hoopla : TO DO.

67. Early stage : ONSET.

68. Sauna phenomenon : MIST. I like mine with steam.


Down

1. Alley prowler : TOMCAT.

2. End of many a riddle : WHO AM I? This one definitely dates me:

"I give milk and have a horn. WHO AM I?"  
(Answer appears after 62-Down.)

3. Mauritius' ocean : INDIAN.

4. Movie trailer? : GOER. Moviegoer.

5. Banned pesticide : DDT.

6. Notable Old West brothers : EARPS.

7. Sweet Sixteen org. : NCAA. National Collegiate Athletic Association.

8. Holiday dishes? : CHINA. HaHa, fun misdirection!

9. Ones working around the clock? : HANDS. Cute clue!

10. Disorderly sort : SLOB.

11. "Be well!" : TAKE CARE.

12. Its 2011 landing marked the end of the Space Shuttle program : ATLANTIS.

13. Pined : YEARNED.

18. "Because we're worth it" sloganeer : L'OREAL. Cosmetics.

22. Relaxed remarks : AHs. In the 68-Across.

25. "Anything __?" : ELSE.

29. Fla. University named for a pope : ST LEO. "The Great." He makes a return visit this week.

31. Actress Shire : TALIA. In "The Godfather" she played Connie Corleone.

33. Vikings seek them, briefly : TDs. Touch downs. C.C.'s home team!

34. Rock genre : EMO.

35. Total : SUM.

37. Silicon Valley city : PALO ALTO.

38. Yet to be used : UNTAPPED. Brand new or pristine would also fit. Just sayin'...

39. Epic tale : SAGA.

40. Hanger hangout : CLOSET. My mind was on the type of hanger Dudley stores his planes in.

41. Online program : WEBCAST. Does anyone here listen to "Ted Talks"? Very informative, interesting, and sometimes funny.

44. Japanese electronics giant : NEC. Nippon Electric Company, Ltd.

46. Aquafina rival : DASANI.

47. Puts forth : EXERTS.

48. Coup target : DESPOT.

51. Game most people lose : LOTTO. How true. Even the winners often end up in bankruptcy.

52. Novelist Shaw : IRWIN.

53. Kate's sitcom pal : ALLIE.

56. Old Bruin nickname : ESPO. Phil Esposito, one of the world's greatest hockey players.

57. Shouts of support : AYES.

59. Polite interruption : AHEM.

62. Raid target : ANT.

*Answer to riddle: A milk truck.  Do you remember when they delivered to your house?

(I do.)
Marti

Notes from C.C.:

George Barany and Dave Hanson constructed this fantastic puzzle for the Minnesota Crossword Tournament in June. You can download in puz or PDF or solve on line. Let me know what you think. I loved it!

George also hosted this puzzle from Alex Vratsanos, who made today's NY Times.

Thursday, September 18, 2014 Julian Lim

Theme:

"Good and Plenty"

18-Across. "Take your time" : NICE AND EASY. I immediately thought of this.

24-Across. 1993 film loosely based on the Jamaican bobsled team : COOL RUNNINGS. I never saw the film, but who doesn't know the team?!?

46-Across. NCAA regional semifinals, familiarly : SWEET SIXTEEN. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Basketball.

55-Across. Green-skinned movie villain : WICKED WITCH. From "The Wizard of Oz."

In this puzzle, the reveal is placed smack in the middle of the grid:
37-Across. Beginning auspiciously ... like 18-, 24-, 46- and 55-Across? : OFF TO A GOOD START. The theme refers to synonyms, or slang terms, for "GOOD."  NICE is easily substituted for GOOD. COOL and SWEET are relatively modern slang terms.  But I was surprised to find out that WICKED as a synonym for "good" is regional to Boston! (OK, I confess - I have used the term.)


Across

1. Scavenging seabird : ERN.

4. "You gotta be kidding me!" : AW, MAN!

9. "Cast Away" star : HANKS. Other than "Wilson," his basketball volleyball sidekick, Tom HANKS was basically a one-man show in that movie. [Correction - thanks to Anon. @ 11:24]

14. With 12-Down, Rodin sculpture : THE. and 12-Down. See 14-Across : KISS.

"The Kiss"

15. "__ the big deal?" : WHAT'S.

16. Bustling : ABOIL.

17. Sound that may be averted by holding one's breath : HIC. Or not drinking the whole bottle...

20. Machu Picchu dweller : INCA.

22. Mashed taro, mostly : POI. The only other ingredient is water!

23. Promising words : OATHS.

27. Cry : WEEP.

28. Graphic beginning? : GEO.graphic.

29. Sass : LIP.

32. Watch carefully : GUARD.

34. Equipped : ABLE.

36. __ wave : SINE.

40. Works on, as homework : DOES.

41. Vocalist Vannelli : GINO. Never heard of him.

42. Heavy reading? : TOMES. Literally!

43. Ukr., once : SSR. Soviet Socialist Republic. Ukraine ceased to be one with the dissolution in 1991.

44. Disney World visitor's airport, on bag tags : ORL.ando.

45. Bluish hue : CYAN. RGB = 0, 255, 255.

51. Acadia National Park locale : MAINE. Gimme!

53. Word with game or room : WAR.

54. Like lingerie models : SEXY. I would have added the word "most" before "lingerie models."

58. __City: computer game : SIM.

59. Bull on a glue container : ELMER. Borden's originally made ELMER's glue. Elmer was so named because he was supposedly the mate of "Elsie" the cow, another Borden's logo.

60. Beaufort __ : SCALE. Measurement of wind force.

61. World Cup cheer : OLÉ.

62. Anoint : BLESS.

63. Celebrated 2014 sports retiree : JETER. Derek is playing his 20th (and final) season with the New York Yankees, winning many awards during his stint.

64. Site site : NET.


Down

1. Moral code : ETHIC.

2. Safari sight : RHINO.

3. Colorful candy since 1847 : NECCO WAFER. NECCO = New England Confectionary Company. Their plant in Revere, MA is unmistakeable.

4. Grass bristle : AWN.

5. Throw together : WHIP UP. I like to WHIP UP a frittata every so often, throwing together whatever I have in the 'fridg.

6. Georgia's __-Bibb County : MACON. Bibb county just merged with MACON this year, after the referendum was approved in 2012.

7. Enjoyed some home cooking : ATE IN.

8. Codebreaker's org. : NSA. National Security Agency.

9. Tried one's hand : HAD A GO.

10. Provides inside information for, say : ABETS.

11. 2014 Russell Crowe title role : NOAH. Have not seen this latest epic from director Aronofsky.

13. Foxy : SLY.

19. "You don't have to" : NO NEED.

21. They may be red : ALERTS.

25. More than modify : REDO. Would that be a "mulligan," Husker G.?

26. Dome-shaped abode : IGLOO.

29. "Love Actually" co-star : LIAM NEESON. It's all about love...actually.

30. Memo words : IN RE.

31. Chinchillas, at times : PETS.

32. "American __": Neil Gaiman novel : GODS. Hugo and Nebula award-winning fantasy novel. Anyone read it?

33. Sci-fi staples : UFOS.

34. Like acrobats : AGILE. I would have added the word "most" before "acrobats."

35. "__ appétit!" : BON.

36. Weasel kin : STOATS.

38. "It's a deal!" : AGREED.

39. Charon's river : STYX.

44. Title holders : OWNERS.

45. Group with a common bond : CIRCLE.

46. "Oliver Twist" bad guy : SIKES. Despicable "friend" of Fagan's, who beat his dog until the dog needed stitches. He got his just desserts in the end, though.

47. Double : TWICE.

48. Grabbed a stool next to : SAT AT.

49. Banishment : EXILE.

50. Queens athlete, for short : NY MET.

51. Flour producer : MILL.

52. Peak : ACME. It's always an apex/ACME dilemma for me.

55. Site site : WEB.

56. Paper with NYSE news : WSJ. New York Stock Exchange news is covered in the Wall Street Journal.

57. Part of HRH : HER. Royal Highness.

That's all for now!
Marti

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Marti's husband Allen! Hope you can take a day off working on the next door house and enjoy this special day.

Allen (Ole Miss alum) mentioned he yelled this when he was 8 years old:

Hotty Toddy
Are you ready?
Hell yea!
Damn right!
Hotty Toddy, gosh almighty,
Who the hell are we?
HEY!
Flim Flam, Bim Bam, OLE MISS GOD DAMN!

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

Thursday, September 4, 2014 Bruce Haight

Theme: HERE We Go!                             

17-Across. Keep one's landlord happy : PAY THE RENT. Even better, pay in cash!

23-Across. Box instruction : OPEN OTHER END. And the instruction there? "Open Other End..."

37-Across. Optional learning : HIGHER EDUCATION. For my sisters and me, it wasn't optional!

46-Across. Usually not a good way to get married : ON THE REBOUND. Uh, not even a good way to date.

57-Across. "You listen to me," and an instruction about what to look for in 17-, 23-, 37- and 46-Across : NOW SEE..."HERE."

HaHa!!  You got me, Bruce!  I had absolutely no clue what the unifier would be, and I chuckled when I finally "saw" it.  I believe this is Bruce's LAT debut, although he has several NYT puzzles under his belt. This was a very typical Thursday solve for me. Some gimmes, some question marks and a couple of "Huhs?"  Let's see how it goes.


Across

1. Gusto : ZEST. Elan? (Check perps: has to start with "Z.") Zing? (Nah, that doesn't work with EL AL...) Z-E-al?  (Nah, the 4-letter vodka has to be SKYY...) Z-E-S-... (Bit of ink? Hmmm...) AHA! TAT!!  Z-E-S-T.  And so it went...

5. Reynolds Wrap maker : ALCOA. Gimme.

10. Reptile house attractions : BOAS. Asps? (Check perps: Has to start with "B"...)

14. __-Seltzer : ALKA.

15. Luxury hotel with a YouFirst rewards program : LOEWS. Tough one. There are only 20 locations in the US and Canada, so it might not be the first hotel that solvers would think of.

16. Nothing but : ONLY.

19. Cross the threshold : GO IN.

20. Tricky : SLY.

21. Big name in dangerous stunts : EVEL. Knievel, the late motorcycle daredevil. You'd think he would have died in one of those crazy stunts. But no, he died of pulmonary fibrosis at the age of 69.

22. Sierra follower, in the NATO alphabet : TANGO.

26. Not familiar with : NEW AT.

29. Staff symbols : RESTS.

30. Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT. Quod Erat Demonstrandum.

31. __ Belt : ORION'S. Were the pyramids purposely situated to align with it?

Orion Correlation Theory

34. Jan. honoree : MLK. Martin Luther King.

40. Suffix with concert : INO. Hands up for filling "ina" at first?

41. "__ Fideles" : ADESTE.

42. Back in the day : ONCE. upon a time...

43. They may be counted : NOSES.

45. Golden number? : OLDIE. Great clue!

51. Exposed : BARED.

52. Film with talking bugs : ANTZ. It's the only movie with Woody Allen (the voice of "Z") that I ever enjoyed.

53. NFL's Jaguars, for short : JAX. Jacksonville, FL.

56. "The Year of Magical Thinking" author Didion : JOAN. It won the Pulitzer prize for autobiography. It chronicles her grief during the year following her husband's death in 2003.  It is a heart-wrenching account, and a must-read for anyone grieving the loss of a loved one. Her only daughter died in 2005, and led to a second book, "Blue Nights."

60. Qatari bigwig : EMIR.

61. Chicago's __ Planetarium : ADLER. America's first planetarium.

62. Roughage source : BRAN.

63. Facetious nickname for a big guy : TINY.

64. Gnocchi topping : PESTO.

Looks terrible - tastes great!

65. Kan. neighbor : OKLA.


Down

1. Prepares, as leftovers : ZAPS.

2. Mideast airline : EL AL. It means "To the Skies," which is a great lead-in for the the next answer:

3. Absolut rival : SKYY. Vodka. Cheers, Tin!

4. Bit of ink : TAT.

5. Naproxen brand : ALEVE.

6. "Two Women" Oscar winner : LOREN.

Sophia

7. "Fool for You" Grammy winner Green : CEE LO. No clue. 4:06

8. Have : OWN.

9. PEI hours : AST. Prince Edward Island. Atlantic Standard Time.

10. "The African Queen" co-star : BOGART. Husker Gary, I know you nailed this one!

11. Under consideration : ON ONE'S MIND.

12. Straighten : ALIGN.

13. Church council : SYNOD.

18. Oct- minus one : HEPT. Huh? Prefixes for eight and seven.

22. "The Gondoliers" girl : TESSA. Gilbert and Sullivan Opera. Nailed it!

23. Four-letter word : OATH. HaHa...not what I had in mind.

24. Rainbow __ : TROUT.

Hatchery Image

25. As a result : HENCE.

26. Fruity soda : NEHI.

27. Yeats' home : ERIN. Ireland, to natives.

28. Top-rated evening TV show of 1961-62 : WAGON TRAIN. My parents used to love this show. Me, not so much...

31. Turkey on rye, e.g. : ORDER.

32. Actress Witherspoon : REESE.  She's such a cutie.

33. Some badges : IDs.

35. Centers of activity : LOCI.

36. Seat for a dummy : KNEE. Dummy, as in Mortimer Snerd.

38. Relaxed : EASED.

39. Ratted (on) : TOLD.

44. Literary award named for a writer : O'HENRY.

45. Dix et un : ONZE. 10 + 1 = 11 in French.  (Funny...it adds up to the same thing in English!)

46. __ d'art : OBJET. More French.

47. Wynonna's mom : NAOMI. The Judds.

48. Cries : BAWLS.

49. Commencement : ONSET.

50. In __: unborn : UTERO.

53. Sudden movement : JERK.

54. __ Sea : ARAL.

55. Lawless character : XENA. Lucy Lawless, that is.

57. Go out in the afternoon? : NAP.

58. Keats poem : ODE.

59. "The Leftovers" airer : HBO. No clue.  Oh, I see that it just premiered on June 29th, and "The Leftovers" are those people left after the "rapture" took 2% of the world's population.

That's it for this week!

Marti

Thursday, August 28, 2014 Bernice Gordon

Theme: "How do you define....?"

20-Across. PITCH : TONAL FREQUENCY. A nice perk from this answer is that it lends a "Q" to the grid.

25-Across. PITCH : COVERING ON A ROAD. I was going to object, that they usually use asphalt. But "pitch" is a generic term for certain bitumens, like asphalt.

44-Across. PITCH : AGGRESSIVE SPIEL. I hate robocallers that start with "Don't hang up! This is not a sales call!"

50-Across. PITCH : THROW TO A BATTER. Baseball, of course.

I glanced at the clues and saw that PITCH was repeated, so I immediately knew what I was in for. That didn't make it any easier, though! The mid-west area was quite tricky, and if I had been doing it on paper, I'm sure I would have worn a hole in the grid with all my erasures, or had one massive ink blot with all my write-overs. (Ahhh, the beauty of typing in answers on a keyboard!)

Did you notice? This puzzle is a pangram, using every letter of the alphabet at least once. For newcomers to the corner, you might like to read about this very interesting lady.

Across

1. Bon Ami competitor : AJAX. J and X are the toughest letters to fit into a grid, but Bernice dispenses with both of them in the first word!

5. Start of a classic Christmas poem : TWAS. the night before Christmas...

9. Terra __ : COTTA.

14. "Star Wars" role : LUKE. Skywalker.

15. "Hell __ no fury ..." : HATH. The actual quote is from “The Mourning Bride” by William Congreve:
"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."

16. Isolated : APART.

17. Frigg's husband : ODIN. Norse goddess.

18. First name in suburban humor : ERMA. Bombeck.

19. Group scuffle : MELEE.

23. Justice Fortas : ABE.

24. Spleen : IRE.

34. Some final exams : ORALS.

35. Immature salamanders : EFTS.

36. One who may signal to a bullpen: Abbr. : MGR. Manager.

37. Hall of Fame golfer Middlecoff who had a DDS degree : CARY. Could not remember his name for the longest time. Finally remembered it after filling in CA*Y.   (^0^)

38. Oscar de la __ : RENTA.

40. Fictional estate near Atlanta : TARA.

41. Covert maritime org. : ONI. Office of Naval Intelligence. NCIS has its roots in the ONI.

42. Notable Cuban bandleader, familiarly : DESI. Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha, III, better know as DESI Arnaz.

43. Good __ : AS NEW.

48. Hail to Caesar : AVE.

49. "__ Mine": Beatles song : I ME. George Harrison's homage to Hindu spirituality, and criticism of the selfishness of Lennon and McCartney. It was their last new song before they split up. 2:22

58. Characteristic : TRAIT.

59. Cannes cleric : ABBE.

60. Destroy : RAZE. Z is another problematic letter when trying for a pangram...

61. Nemo's creator : VERNE. ...and V is often missing.

62. Pinochle combination : MELD.

63. Setting for "The Quiet Man" : EIRE. A great John Wayne / Maureen O'Hara film.

64. Swamp grass : SEDGE.

65. Peacock tail spots : EYES.

66. Anti-aircraft fire : FLAK.


Down

1. Oodles : A LOT.

2. Self-defense method : JUDO.

3. Related : AKIN.

4. Small-screen princess : XENA: Warrior Princess. Played by Lucy Lawless and filmed in New Zealand.

5. Enforcement org. since 1908 : THE FBI.

6. Rabbit home : WARREN.

7. "Don't throw bouquets __": song lyric : AT ME. I can't resist a song from "Oklahoma!" 3:12

8. NBA nickname : SHAQ. Shaquille O'Neal. A quarrelsome teammate, he played his last season for the Boston Celtics before retiring in 2011.

9. Shooting equipment : CAMERAS.

10. Kitchen gadget : OPENER.

11. Powder in the nursery : TALC.

12. Low card : TREY. I just had this word last week.

Three of Cups

13. Ended a fast : ATE.

21. Metallica drummer Ulrich : LARS.

22. Utah's __ Mountains : UINTA.

25. Drink after a day on the slopes : COCOA. I really would rather have a toddy, which also fit. (Just sayin'...)

26. Chimp cousin : ORANG.

27. First Brazilian airline : VARIG. This was a tough little section. Never mind that I had entered "toddy" at 25-Down, did not know this airline, and had a devilish time remembering golfer Middlecoff.

28. Cambridgeshire cathedral town : ELY.

ELY Cathedral

29. Supernatural lamp occupants : GENII. Plural of genie, also spelled djinn, djinny or jinni. I just read "The Golem and the Jinni" by Helene Wecker.  Hahtoolah recommended it, and I loved it!

30. Time and again, to a poet : OFT.

31. Spender of rials : OMANI.

32. Jibe : AGREE.

33. Feature of LBJ speeches : DRAWL. And a feature of DH's speech.

38. Fix again, as a hem : RESEW.

39. Count ending : ESS. Countess.

40. Chef's meas. : TSP. Teaspoon.

42. Zealot : DEVOTEE. "Fanatic" also fit...

43. Headed for an isle, maybe : ASEA. At least it wasn't clued as "confused."

45. Very eager : RARING. This word is fairly new, dating only to the 1920's. Oxford Dictionary says it's a dialect variant of "roaring."

46. Like a good alternative : VIABLE.

47. War zone correspondents : EMBEDS.

50. Family __ : TREE. Gaaack!  I had "ties" at first. It made this crossword puzzle pretty...

51. Tough : HARD. But in the end, I fixed all my blunders and it turned out to be...

52. Not so tough : TAME.

53. Mind : OBEY.

54. Not kosher : TREF. Have you finally memorized this word?

55. Word with spin or wind : TAIL.

56. Biblical prophet : EZRA.

57. Stink : REEK.

Pepe LePew

58. Sony products : TVs.

And that's all, folks!
Marti

Thursday, August 21, 2014 Mark Feldman

Theme: "Speak!"

17-Across. Tarot card representing union : TWO OF CUPS.

24-Across. Brightening near a sunspot : SOLAR FLARE.

35-Across. Mixer? : BAR KEEPER. Great clue! And this is a scene with my favorite mixer.

49-Across. Ingredient that mimics the flavor of an edible fungus : TRUFFLE OIL. It really doesn't, though. I prefer real truffles, but have only had them on rare occasions.


And the reveal:
58. Checkers' speech? (or what are hidden in 17-, 24-, 35- and 49-Across) : DOG SOUNDS. Checkers is perhaps the most famous dog who never lived in the White House.

Very nice!  Well-hidden dog vocalizations: three split between two words, one hidden totally in the first word. I seem to have had a run of easy puzzles for the past few Thursdays. There may have been a couple trouble spots, but eventually perps revealed the correct answers.


Across

1. Travelocity user's request : AISLE. Nope, I prefer the window.

6. Get too personal : PRY.

9. Prepare a spread for : CATER.

14. Word after open, in retail : UNTIL.

15. Duvall's role in "Gods and Generals" : LEE. The movie focuses on Stonewall Jackson.

16. Rap sheet entry : CRIME.

19. Hobbles : LIMPS.

20. Wind that can be controlled : HORN. And then we have 18-Down. Trumpet protector : CASE. I sense a CSO to Jazzbumpa!

21. Chowed down : ATE.

22. Prairie home : TEEPEE.

23. Fertility lab supply : OVA. Singular ovum.

26. Genre that evolved from ska : REGGAE. Not to be confused with "raga."

29. Spanish article : LAS.

30. Wordless okay : NOD.

31. __ preview : SNEAK.

32. Leveling piece : SHIM.

34. Spruce cousins : FIRS.

38. Auto club amenities : MAPS.

41. Work for : EARN.

42. See 5-Down : SANTA. And 5-Down. 42-Across helper : ELF. Not much to go on here, except 5-letters and three-letters, with "helper," will almost always point to SANTA and his ELF. CSO to Argyle!

46. Mountain ending : EER. Mountaineer.

47. Inclined : APT. I am apt to agree...

48. Pantomime : ACT OUT. Oh, so that's what the little brats are doing at the supermarket when they can't get the candy they want?

53. Citi Field player : MET. Citi Field replaced Shea Stadium.

54. Set of devotional prayers : ROSARY.

55. Genetic stuff : RNA.

56. React to yeast : RISE. You won't get a rise out of me, yeast!

57. Time piece? : ISSUE. Cute misdirection.  The magazine, not the watch.

60. Nickel and dime : COINS. Straight-forward, but nice misdirection as well.

61. Lennon's love : ONO.

62. Swindler : CHEAT.

63. Cut drastically : SLASH.

64. Youngster : TOT. The ones doing pantomimes at the supermarket.

65. Low cards : TREYS. Three OF CUPS? It's meaning is joyful camaraderie.

Down

1. King and Queen : AUTHORS. Great misdirection.  Stephen KING. Ellery QUEEN was actually the pen name of two cousins: Frederic Dannay and Manfred Lee, which were assumed names of Daniel Nathan and Manford Lepofsky. (Quiz, later.)

2. Meshed together : INWOVEN. This answer didn't mesh at first.

3. Place to put things : STORAGE. Simple!

4. Beast in the Royal Arms of England : LION. Lucky WAG.

6. Second-most-massive dwarf planet : PLUTO. The New Horizons probe will visit it next July.

7. Force back : REPEL.

8. __-man : YES. Or in Reggae, "Yeah, mon."

9. Symbols seen in viola music : C CLEFS.

10. "The Tempest" spirit : ARIEL.

11. Percussion instruments : TIMPANI.

12. Beethoven's last piano concerto, familiarly, with "the" : EMPEROR. Officially titled "Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73," it was dedicated to his patron Archduke Rudolf. It was the English publisher  who called it "The Emperor" concerto. I only linked a portion - the full concerto is 45 min. long, and I am sure you would finish reading this post long before it was over!

13. Deals with a patchy lawn : RESEEDS.

22. __ steamer : TRAMP. TRAMP ships carry goods from one port to another, without any fixed schedule. They are still used today, but they no longer are powered by steam.

25. Stranger : ALIEN.

27. Yaks : GABS.

28. Letters in a dossier : AKA. Also Known As.

32. Do lutzes, say : SKATE. Here's an incredible quadruple lutz by Brandon Mroz. Now, that's skating!  0:19

33. The Beatles' "And I Love __" : HER.

34. Host of some off-campus parties : FRAT. With beer kegs and togas.

36. Wedding invitation request : REPLY.

37. "Abort!" key : ESC.ape.

38. Poet's art : METRICS.

39. Spray : AEROSOL.

40. Frederick the Great's realm : PRUSSIA.

43. Party choice : NOMINEE.

44. Time associated with graceful children : TUESDAY. I'm a Wednesday child. You?

Monday's child is fair of face,

TUESDAY's child is full of grace,

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Thursday's child has far to go,

Friday's child is loving and giving,

Saturday's child works hard for a living,

But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day

Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.

45. Swears (to) : ATTESTS.

47. From the beginning : AFRESH.

48. "That's a shame!" : ALAS.

50. Mythical goat-men : FAUNS.

Rubens

51. Academic Maine town : ORONO.

52. Gold brick : INGOT.

56. Oberhausen's region : RUHR. Germany.

58. Period, for one : DOT. It was already filled for me by the across answers, but did anyone want "era?"

59. Autumn mo. : OCT.ober. Coming soon to a neighborhood near you!!

And that's all I have to say about that...0:05

Marti

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!