Thursday, January 15, 2015 David Steinberg

Theme: "Crop of the Cream"?

20. About whom Alice said, "... perhaps as this is May it won't be raving mad" :
THE MARCH HARE.

29. Dirty politics : SMEAR CAMPAIGN.

44. "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" event : DANCE MARATHON.

53. Dessert topper ... or a literal hint to what's hidden in 20-, 29- and 44-Across :
WHIPPED CREAM. 

Hmmm, I seem to have hit a pattern of hidden jumbled word themes lately. I guess WHIPPED is the hint that it is CREAM that gets all mixed up today.  Last week we had circles to help us out.  This week, we were on our own. I think I like it better this way, for a late-week puzzle. Your experience may vary.   


Across

1. Impresses big-time : WOWS. The Trans Siberian Orchestra WOWS audiences all over the world with their over-the-top laser light / pyrotechnics displays.

5. Aquarium growth : SCUM. Anyone else fill in "alga" without checking perps? ("Guilty.")

9. Development site : TRACT.

14. Desktop since 1998 : iMAC. Yep, that's what I'm typing on right now.

15. Cream-filled cake : HO HO. Nit: The brand name is Ho Hos. So one cake is a Ho Ho?

16. Try to pick up : HIT ON.  "I seem to have lost my phone number. Can I have yours?"

17. __ mining : DATA. Read here why some supermarket chains put the beer next to the baby diapers.

18. Slaughter in baseball : ENOS. I knew the clue was referring to the guy named Slaughter, but do you think I could remember his first name?

19. Facebook posting : EVENT. Since when is a picture of your lunch an "event"?

23. Guffaw syllable : HAR.

24. PC heart : CPU. Central Processing Unit.

25. Doodlebugs and polliwogs : LARVAE.

33. Enjoyed a trail : HIKED.

35. Skin care brand : OLAY crossing 22-Down. Skin care brand : ALMAY.

36. Like many a joke : OLD. Did you hear the one about...? [Insert 23-Across here.]

37. "Gotcha, man" : I DIG.

38. Count : TALLY.

40. Baffin Bay sight : FLOE. They can be beautiful, but...

41. Molokai memento : LEI. My book club read MOLOKA'I by Alan [sic] Brennert.  Great book, but I wish he'd learn how to spell ALLEN.  ;-)

42. Game divided into chukkers : POLO.

43. Bleachers filler : CROWD.

48. Only vice president born in D.C. : AL GORE.

49. Word of feigned innocence : MOI? I associate the term with Miss Piggy.

50. Shares an email with : CCs. Shout out!

57. Bossa nova ancestor : SAMBA.

60. Agent's favorite sign : SOLD.

61. Ticklish Tyco toy for tots : ELMO. Nice alliterative clue.

62. Posture problem : STOOP. I wish I had a nickel for every time my mother told me to "Sit up straight!"

63. Bed covering : SOIL. Garden bed. Although on second thought, it could apply to my cat's beds. And, why is it that they love to jump up on the white coverlet when they come back inside with muddy paws??

64. Knighted Guinness : ALEC.

65. Ed Asner septet : EMMYS.

66. Trap, in a way : TREE.

67. Knight's neighbor : ROOK. Chess.


Down

1. Side to side? : WIDTH.

2. Beach near Utah? : OMAHA. Crucial targets during the allied invasion on the Normandy coast. Map.

3. Sport invented using boards and a clothesline : WATER SKIING. In 1922, Ralph Samuelson had a brilliant idea.

4. It may involve wiring : SCAM. and 12-Down, 4-Down : CON. I associate a police "wire" (microphone) with a "sting" operation, not so much a SCAM. [Update: Many scams include wiring money to the scammer, on the promise of receiving the millions of dollars that are waiting for you. ]

5. Mountain guide : SHERPA.

6. See eye to eye : CONCUR.

7. "This spells trouble!" : UH-OH.

8. __ pit : MOSH. Do they still do MOSH pits? "That was so '80s!"

9. Curative treatment : THERAPY.

10. Baseball's career save leader : RIVERA. (Siggghhh...more baseball.)

11. Had : ATE.

13. Big bang producer : TNT. Oh, not Chuck Lorre or Bill Prady?

21. Served to perfection? : ACED. Tennis serve.

26. Solo instrument for which six Bach suites were written : VIOLONCELLO. It was the precursor to the modern day cello.

27. Radiant : AGLOW.

28. Put the kibosh on : ENDED.

30. Eldest March sister : MEG. Gaaaah!  I filled in "Amy" at first.

31. Lemon or tangerine : COLOR.

32. The whole schmear : ALL.

33. Broom-__: comics witch : HILDA.

34. Perfectionist's goal : IDEAL.

38. Marisa of "The Wrestler" : TOMEI.

39. Mode lead-in : À LA.

40. Pendulum direction? : FRO. It only goes in two directions: to and fro.

42. "Could happen" : PERHAPS.

43. Smart : CHIC.

45. Drive rider : COWBOY. Cattle drive.

46. 2001 Audrey Tautou title role : AMELIE. It seems to have received high ratings on IMDb.

47. Take baby steps : TODDLE. I wanted "totter," but at least I checked the perps first.

51. Stan Lee had one in "The Avengers" (2012) : CAMEO. "Super heroes? In New York? Give me a break!" Watch here - he shows up at 5:12.

52. Clothes protector : SMOCK. Hands up for "apron" first?

54. Sibilant summons : PSST.

55. __ Tax: $15 Monopoly fee : POOR.

56. Derriere : REAR. A friend of mine sold pharmaceuticals in N.H., and spent the first month telling all the physicians that she was their new rep for the Derry area...

57. Coeur d'Alene-to-Sun Valley dir. : SSE.

58. Cabbage source? : ATM. Cabbage, dough, lettuce, moola, etc. etc. etc.

59. Palindromic tat : MOM. Surprisingly, very few guys get tats that say "Able was I ere I saw Elba."

That's all I got!
Marti

Note from C.C.:

I mentioned JD's New Zealand/Australia adventure yesterday, the Big Easy (George) sent me these two pictures. Which year did you visit the Down Under, George? 

Regarding the second picture, he said

"The 'Bride' and the 'Bride' that I captured a photo of in Wellington Botanical Gardens. I don't know if it was before or after the ceremony but neither of them were women."

Big Easy and his wife Diane

Thursday, January 8, 2015 Steve Blais

Theme: "Put 'er There!"

17-Across. Film with the song "Maniac" : FLASH DANCE. Memorable song and video. 4:00

24-Across. Film in which Garbo said, "I want to be alone" : GRAND HOTEL. Classic line. 0:10

54-Across. "Unsafe at Any Speed" author : RALPH NADER. Not just about the Corvair. But Holy Cow!  The paperback sells on Amazon for $150?

63-Across. "That's news to me!" : I HAD NO IDEA. Really? $150?!?!

The reveal is situated smack dab in the middle of the grid:
38-Across. Private club ritual, and a hint to this puzzle's circles : SECRET HANDSHAKE. The SHAKE indicates that HAND will be mixed up in the other theme entries. Very clever! There was lots to like in this puzzle, so let's get started.

Across

1. Plenty : LOADS. I almost wanted "a ton," but it was too short.

6. Cologne scent : MUSK. I don't really like musky colognes. Or colognes, period.

10. "Now it makes sense!" : I SEE.

14. 2011 Cricket World Cup winner : INDIA. They beat out Sri Lanka by 6 wickets. (Sure, I knew that...)

15. Actress Gray of "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" : ERIN. TV series 1979 - 81. Never saw it. And 37-Across. Buck Rogers portrayer __ Gerard : GIL.

16. Stores in rows : MALL. I was thinking of the racks of storage bins in our garage.

19. Formally proper : PRIM.

20. Philippine tongue : TAGALOG. Never trust Google translator. Especially with languages like TAGALOG!

21. Gillette Mach3 predecessor : ATRA.

23. Uintah and Ouray Reservation residents : UTES.

29. Annoyances : PESTS.

31. Spanish demonstrative : ESO.

32. __ Coast : IVORY.

33. Golfer nicknamed "The Big Easy" : ELS. Gimme.

35. Winter coat : HOAR.

43. Lines of praise : ODE.

44. One on a penny : UNUM. "E Pluribus UNUM." Weird: when I type E Pluribus Unum into Google translate, it gives me the English translation: "Grape." Huh?? More reliable sources assure me that it means "Out of many, one."

45. Scarfed down : ATE.

46. Like a new candle : UNLIT.

48. Showed the way : LED.

50. Treats, as an icy road : SALTS.

57. Real card : RIOT.

58. Desert formation : MESA.

59. Like monastic life : AUSTERE.

61. Non-PC purchase : iMAC.

66. Actress Tushingham : RITA. Should I know her?

67. Slimming option, for short : LIPO.suction.

68. __ position : FETAL.

69. Biz bigwig : EXEC.

70. Twirled : SPUN.

71. Easy paces : TROTS.


Down

1. Elate : LIFT UP.

2. Airing in the wee hours : ON LATE.

3. Words of wisdom : ADAGES.

4. Earthquake, perhaps : DISASTER.

5. Satirist Mort : SAHL.

6. Thin, on the Thames : MEAGRE. My least fav entry.

7. Coffee holder : URN.

8. [that's what it said] : SIC.

9. Massage : KNEAD.

10. "Whose Line Is It Anyway" technique : IMPROV. Drew Carey was the original host in the US. Now it's Aisha Tyler. The cast is more or less the same. Very funny!

11. 1777 battle site : SARATOGA. Gimme.  I bet Argyle, Irish Miss and Spitzboov got this one right away.

12. Yalie : ELI.

13. Street of nightmares : ELM.

18. Husky, for one : DOG. Because "size" didn't fit.

22. Yearns : THIRSTS.

25. Embarrassed : ASHAMED.

26. It may follow eleven : NOON. Doesn't it always follow eleven?

27. Actor Estrada : ERIK.

28. Lovett of country : LYLE.

30. Spade and Hammer : SLEUTHS.

34. Subway map dot: Abbr. : STN.

36. Cavity filler's org. : ADA. American Dental Association.

38. Fermented, as milk : SOUR. So, how can you tell when sour cream has gone bad?

39. Novelist Ferber : EDNA.

40. Pen pal? : CELL MATE. Cute clue.

41. Island dance : HULA.

42. More nourishing : HEARTIER. CSO to me?

47. Medicinal syrup : IPECAC.

49. Precise : DEAD ON.

51. Didn't come clean with : LIED TO.

52. Clawed : TORE AT.

53. Advances a base, in a way : STEALS. Rickey Henderson was labeled "The Man of the Steal." (Sure, I knew that...)

55. Gets precisely : NAILS. Did you NAIL this one?

56. Appear in print : RUN.

60. Piano on a piano? : SOFT. My favorite clue.

61. Sore feeling : IRE.

62. Socialize : MIX.

64. With it : HIP.

65. "The Simpsons" shopkeeper : APU. Did everyone memorize my link to the Simpson's characters last week? I told you there would be a quiz!

I'm off to learn a cool SECRET HANDSHAKE. 0:46

Marti

Note from C.C.:

I mentioned yesterday that Bill's wife Barbara is an avid quilter. Bills sent me a few pictures. You can see more here. Love this bag. Very Vera Bradley.

 

Thursday, January 1, 2015 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "The Joke's On Me"

Ooof!! When I saw all the cross-references leading me to a Bible verse, I really thought my goose was cooked. But slowly, they started filling in and I had to smile:

1-Across. See 58-Across : GIGGLE.

7-Across. See 58-Across : GUFFAW.

15-Across. See 58-Across : BURST OUT LAUGHING.

34-Across. See 58-Across : CHORTLE.

38-Across. See 58-Across : CRACK UP.

49-Across. See 58-Across : TITTER.

58-Across. Psalm 100 excerpt suggested by six puzzle answers and graphically represented by certain black squares in this puzzle : MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE.

Unusual grid, with left-to-right but not top-to-bottom symmetry. Jeffrey also used a 16*15 grid, both the reveal entry and 15-A have 16-letters. Can you see the "smiling face" in the middle of the grid?

62 blocks of theme is a lot for a weekday puzzle, and necessarily led to a bit of dreck in the fill. But overall, an enjoyable solve.

Across

13. How many golf clubs are sold : AS A SET.

14. Member of Buck Showalter's MLB team : ORIOLE. Can you guess that I struggled with this one?

19. Put __ on: restrict : A CAP.

21. __ profit: make money : NET A. Two awkward partials in a row.

22. With 20-Across, "American Beauty" rockers, familiarly : THE. And 20-Across. See 22-Across : DEAD. The Grateful Dead. Did I really need to come across an extra cross-referential clue in the grid?

23. Gets harder to climb : STEEPENS.

27. Pester : NAG.

28. Valleys : HOLLOWS.

30. Can't stand : DETESTS.

32. Prefix with -pod : TRI. Tripod.

33. Oils and such : ART.

42. Baseball's Piniella : LOU. Nailed it, once I had the L, O and U from perps in place...

43. Measure typically given in knots : AIR SPEED. Dudley, what AIR SPEED do you usually fly at?

46. "Discreet Music" composer : ENO.

47. They can be lifesavers: Abbr. : EMTs. Emergency Medical Technicians.

50. Focus, with "in" : ZERO.

51. Greek cheeses : FETAS.

53. Swear : CUSS. Not aver or avow this time.

54. Withstand : REPEL.

55. Nick working at night? : SANTA. We all know that his real name is Argyle...

57. Crush competitor : FANTA. Does Santa drink Fanta?

64. Pub order : ALE.

65. Like "Gilligan's Island" characters : MAROONED.

66. Do yard work : MOW.

67. "Success!" : YES! [With or without a fist pump.]

68. Bicuspid : PREMOLAR.

69. Yakima-to-Spokane dir. : ENE.


Down

1. Pampas cowboy : GAUCHO.

2. Beersheba's land : ISRAEL.

3. [I don't believe it!] : GASP.

4. Prime meridian std. : GST. Greenwich Sidereal Time. A variant of Greenwich Mean Time used in astronomy for locating specific stars.

5. Regulus is in it : LEO.

6. Technique-building pieces : ÉTUDES. From the French word for "study."

7. Incited : GOADED.

8. Second-smallest S.A. country : URU.guay.

9. Pear-shaped fruit : FIG. Do you give one?

10. Warm alpine wind, in Austria : FÖHN. Without the umlaut, it would be spelled "foehn" in English. A gimme...

11. Klingons, e.g. : ALIENS.

12. Attacked : WENT AT.

15. Spa area : BATH. Hmmm, this could have two meanings.  In many spas, a bath is sometimes filled with mineral water or mud, and it could be offered as a special service.  -OR- We could be talking about Bath, England. The spas there date back to Roman times.

16. Support on the links? : TEE. hee?

17. Running measure : LAP.

18. Suppresses : GAGS.

23. Not entirely, informally : SORTA.

24. Like an early evening sky : TWILIT.

25. Comparatively warm? : NEARER. In the children's treasure hunt game, you say "Warmer" when they are getting near the hidden object, or "colder" when they are moving farther away from it. Didn't we just have a reference to this game?

26. Valuable cello : STRAD.ivarius.  The Italian family was renowned for their violins, violas, cellos and other stringed instruments.

29. USPS item : LTR. United States Postal Service, letter.

31. List-limiting letters : ETC.etera, etcetera, etcetera...

34. Score symbol : CLEF. Thanks for the pic yesterday, Steve!

35. Realty transaction : HOME SALE.

36. Amusing DVD feature : OUTTAKES. Sometimes they are even funnier than the movie. 8:33

37. "The Grouchy Ladybug" writer Carle : ERIC. Lucina, did you read this to your students?

38. Accent pair? : CEES.

39. Tap your foot, say : KEEP TIME. I can assure you, that when my husband is tapping his foot before we got out for the evening, he is not keeping time...

40. Folly : UNREASON. Ugh. Valid, but not your everyday word.

41. Dirty __ : POOL. Because "Harry" wouldn't fit!

44. Disco __ of "The Simpsons" : STU. Have you memorized all the Simpsons characters yet? (He's in the third row, fourth from the right, next to Maggie Simpson.) If you go to this web site and mouse over the faces, it identifies each one. Quiz, to follow.

45. Gal.'s eight : PTS. Pints.

48. Levelheaded : SANE.

50. Philosopher known for a paradox : ZENO. of Elea.  Think of "Achilles and the Tortoise."

52. Prepare for mailing : STAMP. I simply hit "send."

54. Getaway goal, for short : R AND R.

56. Somewhat open : AJAR.

57. Boxer's woe : FLEA.

58. Might : MAY. "It ___ rain this afternoon." Either works.

59. Rock worth mining : ORE.

60. __ Kippur : YOM. Day of atonement for those of the Jewish faith.

61. Rock's __ Fighters : FOO. They just released Sonic Highways in November last year. (Yes, check your calendar - it was last year!) Link away.

62. Not in the bk. : UNL.isted. Telephone book.

63. Field grazer : EWE.

Marti, out.

Note from C.C.:
 
Happy 6th year wedding anniversary to Marti and her husband Allan! Marti said "... we were married on New Year’s Day of 2009.  So every year we get to celebrate our anniversary with a hangover." (Added Note: Gosh, sorry Allen, I'm hopeless!)

Marti  & Allen

Thursday, December 25, 2014 John Lieb

Theme: "Santa's Helpers"

Merry Christmas, everyone! This was a very fun puzzle, hiding Santa's little helpers in the grid.

18. Eponymous Detroit exec : EDSEL FORD.

19. Speaks for __ : ITSELF.

31. Keebler cookie brand : E.L. FUDGE.

32. "Go right ahead" : FEEL FREE. Help yourself to another E.L. FUDGE cookie, Santa!

54. Actress Jenna et al. : ELFMANS. I remember her from "Dharma & Greg."

55. Third quarters? : TWELFTHS. 1 quarter is a quarter, 2 quarters are eighths, and 3 quarters are twelfths?

36. Seasonal children's book about a watchful worker, who is graphically represented eight times in this puzzle : THE ELF ON THE SHELF. The book comes with a posable elf.

Unusual grid, with 16 columns instead of the typical 15.  And unusual theme, but really cute with all those ELFs posing on their 3-black-square-shelves! (See diagram at the bottom.) I found this one to be Friday-tough in certain sections. I'm curious to see if you had the same problems I did, so let's go over them one by one: 

Across

1. Resting places : CAMP SITES. Not sure how the two are necessarily related, but perps forced me.

10. Port south of Hamilton, Ont. : ERIE, PA. Shout out to Abejo!

16. Approximately : ON OR ABOUT.

17. One in a shower : METEOR. Great clue. I was picturing something like this.

20. "Gnarly!" : RAD.

21. Lean-__ : TOs. In your resting place?

22. Bit of baby talk : GOO.

23. Vine genus : CLEMATIS. A couple perps gave me this one - I grow them every summer on a trellis in my garden.

27. Gains : PROFITS.

33. Star Wars letters : SDI. Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative.

34. Author Fleming : IAN.

35. Swiss river : AAR.

43. Feminine principle : YIN. Male is Yang.

44. Guitar, slangily : AXE. This took three perps. But the ELF nailed it, I bet.

45. __ green : PEA.

46. Dives : PLUMMETS.

50. Gives a hand : DEALS TO.

56. '80s Peppard co-star : MR. T. On "The A-Team."

57. Pres. after JAG : CAA. James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur.

58. Canada's smallest prov. : P.E.I. Prince Edward Island.

59. 1962 Best Picture title locale : ARABIA. Lawrence of.

62. Refuel, as red blood cells : OXYGENATE. I filled it in immediately.

66. House speaker before Boehner : PELOSI. She, on the other hand, took a couple perps.

67. House flipper, e.g. : RENOVATOR. The ELF did a Mickey Mouse job on his kitchen reno.

68. 2002 eBay acquisition : PAYPAL.

69. False claims : PRETENSES.


Down

1. Pressure : COERCE.

2. Still __: nonetheless : AND ALL.

3. Rapper who played Chuck Berry in "Cadillac Records" : MOS DEF.

4. Calculus lead-in : PRE.

5. Pitcher Maglie : SAL.

6. Pugilists' org. : IBF. International Boxing Federation. Of course, the ELF nailed it.

7. Schoolmate of Blair, Jo and Natalie on "The Facts of Life" : TOOTIE. The brace-wearing, roller-skating girl who always said "We're in trouuuu-ble!"

8. Barcelona bread : EUROS. So much easier to remember the currency of all the European countries now, isn't it?

9. Criteria: Abbr. : STDS. Standards.

10. Ellis Island arrival : ÉMIGRÉ.

11. Update the workshop : RETOOL. Santa promised that next year, the ELF would actually get some power tools.

12. Cancellation notice : ITS OFF.

13. Big shoes to fill? : EEE.

14. Beltway insider, for short : POL. The Capital Beltway in Washington, D.C., that is.

15. Sound from the pound : ARF.

24. Deliberate : MUSE. The verb, not the adjective.

25. Extra: Abbr. : ADD'L.

26. "I've waited all week for this!" : TGIF. My regular comment every Friday.

27. Phnom __ : PENH.

28. Requiem title word : IRAE. "Dies Irae," or "Day of Wrath."

29. Blue-green shade : TEAL.

30. Medieval peon : SERF. I kept reading this as "Medieval POEM."

32. The way it goes : FATE.

34. "New Sensation" band : INXS. I always used to pronounce this as "inks," until I found out it should be "In ex-ESS."

36. Kind : TYPE.

37. Incline : HILL.

38. Ample, informally : ENUF. Have you had ENUF with the ELF, already?

39. Feed in a stable : OATS.

40. Sport with blades : EPEE.

41. Elite commando : SEAL. Acronym for SEa, Air and Land.

42. Word with mile or marathon : HALF.

47. 1997 Hanson #1 hit : MMMBOP. Never heard this one. It reached #1 in 27 countries, including the US.

48. Tomei of "My Cousin Vinny" : MARISA. Ah, MARISA, good to see you back!

49. Require : ENTAIL.

50. Wrestler Johnson known as "The Rock" : DWAYNE.

51. March observance, for short : ST. PATS.

52. Hall of Fame placekicker Lou Groza's apt nickname : THE TOE. I totally forgot this one.

53. Basketry twigs : OSIERS.

55. One imposing levies : TAXER.

57. Inc. cousin : CORP.

59. Online store offering : APP.

60. Stephen of "In Dreams" : REA.

61. Prince __ Khan : ALY.

63. Grasped : GOT.

64. Christmas __ : EVE. Bad ELF!  You get coal in your stocking this year.

65. Indian flatbread : NAN.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good...morning?

Marti Elf

Notes from C.C.:

1) Please click here for a special "Gift Exchange" puzzle from Erik Agard, who made two of my favorite LA Times Monday puzzles last year. Quite a few bloggers, crossword constructors, top solvers contributed to the clues. 

2) Happy Birthday to our always positive and caring Yellowrocks (Kathy). Hope you have a fantastic visit with your son, grandson and daughter-in-law today. We also say Happy Birthday to our math professor Fermatprime, who's been with the blog since 2009. Happy Birthday also to car expert Zcarguy, who pops in to the blog from time to time. I faintly recall Zcarguy grew up in Lebanon. 

 

Kathy & Buddha, Japan, 2008. Kathy speaks Japanese.

 

Fermatprime (Lorraine)

Zcarguy & his wife

Thursday, December 18, 2014 Ed Sessa

Theme: "That's an Order!"

3D. Diner's breakfast request : EGGS SUNNY SIDE UP. The order you give to Flo, in Mel's diner.

5D. Baseball manager's decision : STARTING LINEUP. The list of players who will be in the game.

9D. Cop's command : PUT YOUR HANDS UP. An order that caused a lot of unrest in Ferguson.

And the reveal:
11D. What sports stats are usually shown in ... or what 3-, 5- and 9-Down each represents? : DESCENDING ORDER. Each of the three theme entries is a type of "order" descending in the grid. I am not sure if "up" at the end of each one has something to do with the theme, or if they are just coincidental. Let's see if Mr. Sessa can enlighten us.

(From C.C.: I thought they're coincidental. Lemonade said Rule 39 is "there are no coincidences". So we consulted the constructor Mr. Ed. Here is what he told us:

I figured it added a little twist to the puzzle, up being "down", along with having three different "takes" on the meaning of the word "order")


Unusual grid, with left to right symmetry, but not top to bottom. It also seemed very easy to me for a Thursday, but your experience may vary.

Across

1. Many Pindar poems : ODES.

5. Philatelist's find : STAMP.

10. Mt. Rushmore locale : S. DAK.

14. "Rich & Meaty" brand : RAGU

15. "I should have made my way straight __ long ago": Whitman : TO YOU.

16. "Try this" : HERE.

17. Joule fractions : ERGS.

18. Explosive trial : A-TEST.

19. "Makes sense to me" : I SEE.

20. Old Buick : LESABRE.

22. Not surprising : TYPICAL.

24. Schoolyard comeback : IS NOT.

25. Chaps can be seen in one : OATER. This one got a smile from me.

26. Like boxed matches : UNLIT.

28. Jackson successor Van __ : BUREN.

29. Predatory seabird : ERN.

31. "Hit me" : ONE MORE. You might hear those words at a bar or at a Blackjack table.

33. Speckle : DOT.

36. Broadway's __-Fontanne Theatre : LUNT. No clue. All perps. It was originally called The Globe Theater, but renamed after renovation in 1957, in honor of Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontaine.

38. Grind, as teeth : GNASH.

39. Young hombre : NINO.

40. Shout before Silver : HI YO. Silver, Awaaaaaaaaaaay!

41. Patterson who played the singing flight attendant in "Airplane!" : LORNA. Loved that movie.

42. Handling the situation : ON IT.

43. Pancreatic hormone : INSULIN.

45. Blue hues : INDIGOS.

47. Chase scene sounds : SIRENS.

48. Annexes : ADDS ON.

49. One of a fiver's fifty : DIME.

50. Recipe word : STIR.

51. Flock females : EWES.

53. Freedom, in Swahili : UHURU. Total WAG, with only 5 perps needed. ;-)

57. "The Country Girls" novelist O'Brien : EDNA. the novel was banned in Ireland, and her parish priest publicly burned copies, because it dealt with sexuality in the '60s.

60. Big oaf : LOUT.

61. Surgical holding area : PRE-OP.

62. Go slowly (through) : SEEP.

63. Hard-to-do dos : MOPS.

64. Part of REM : EYE.

Down

1. City about 225 miles from Moscow : OREL. I always get this city confused with Orem, which is near Provo, Utah.

2. "__ say it?" : DARE I.

4. "Valley of the Dolls" author Jacqueline : SUSANN. Gimme.  That book was also considered "racy" when it came out in the '60s.

6. Carry : TOTE.

7. Word to a captain : AYE.

8. Greatest amount : MOST.

10. Many an Iraqi Muslim : SHIITE.

12. Toward the stern : AREAR.

13. Boat base : KEEL.

21. Barn dance neckwear : BOLO.

23. Remove the skin from : PARE.

27. Mortise inserts : TENONS.

28. Sarajevo's region : BOSNIA.

29. K-12 : ELHI.

30. Roman holiday attractions : RUINS. It's an incredible feeling to walk where Caesar once stood.

32. Dent or scratch : MAR.

34. Pizza topping : ONION. I just made Hawaiian pizza last night, with ham and pineapple. Yum!

35. Wee ones : TOTS.

37. Busload at a resort, probably : TOURISTS.

39. Loud to the max : NOISIEST.

44. Moon lander, briefly : LEM.

46. Prohibited insecticide : DDT.

51. With 65-Across, source of shade : ELM. And 65-Across: See 51-Down : TREE.

52. Act the suitor : WOO.

54. Charlemagne's realm: Abbr. : HRE. Holy Roman Empire.

55. Turn that's hung : UEY. I think we should take a vote for our favorite spelling of this, and then banish all other spellings forever from crossword puzzles!

56. Canapé topping : ROE.

58. Wedding page word : NEE.

59. Oaf : APE.

That's all from me. Let's hear from you!

Marti

Thursday, December 11, 2014 Ian Livengood

Theme: "I Go To Pieces"


17. Archers' protection : THUMB RINGS. My family were all into archery, and I won several trophies when I was young. I never heard of this item. Evidently, it is only used for archers practicing  Mongolian or African archery techniques.

24. L.A.-based comedy troupe : THE GROUNDLINGS. Never heard of them, either. Lots of famous alums, so I should try to remember it.

50. Scoldings : TONGUE LASHINGS. Ummm, now this one I have heard of (from personal experience!)

61. Magi : THREE KINGS. It's that time of year when they are on the move.

38. Classic 1958 Chinua Achebe novel ... and a hint what literally happens in 17-, 24-, 50- and 61-Across : THINGS FALL APART. Never heard of the author or the book.  (I had better brush up on my Cliffs Notes!)

Three of the theme entries split it as TH-INGS and one splits it as T-HINGS.  It might have been more elegant to have all split the same way, or all split in different ways. But the reveal works well with the theme. Let's see what else Ian has thrown at us.


Across

1. Long-necked instrument : SITAR. Cello? Banjo? (...time to check the perps.)

6. Spiced beverage : CHAI. Because "mulled wine" wouldn't fit.

10. Parched : ARID.

14. Annoy one's co-star, perhaps : EMOTE.

15. Suggestion : HINT.

16. Recording medium : TAPE. Does anyone still record on TAPE?

19. Say openly : AVOW.

20. Ungenerous sort : HOG.

21. "__ how!" : AND.

22. Money-related suffix : AIRE. Million-aire, billion-aire, gazillion-aire...

30. Hammers obliquely, as a nail : TOES. Essential technique when you are building a new wall--right, Splynter?

31. "Yikes!" : EEK.

32. Bit of pillow talk : COO.

33. Dress protector : APRON.

36. Fla. airport : MIA.mi.

37. Sign of summer : LEO. Zodiac.

43. MLB team whose home scoreboard is updated by hand : BOS.ton. Yay! A baseball clue that I knew the answer to.  Fenway Park is basically the same as it was on opening day, April 20, 1912.

44. Prom rental : TUX.

45. Full of recent info : NEWSY.

46. "Wheel of Fortune" buy : AN I.

48. Regarding : AS TO.

55. Vermeer's "__ With a Pearl Earring" : GIRL.

Vermeer

56. GI entertainer : USO.

57. Sénat vote : OUI.

59. Bear up there : URSA.

65. Verb, for one : NOUN.

66. One-named supermodel : IMAN. I finally remembered this name, thanks to Lucina. She said she parses it as I-MAN, even though the supermodel is "definitely not a man."

67. 10 out of 10, scorewise : IDEAL.

68. Canadian coin that's no longer produced : CENT. Canadian Eh!, do Canadians really have no cents?

69. Blog entry : POST. I'm working my tail off, here!

70. Yankee manager before Girardi : TORRE. 5 perps.


Down

1. Rogen of "Pineapple Express" : SETH.

2. "Let's get some air in here!" : I'M HOT.

3. Unyielding : TOUGH.

4. With 47-Across, payment for cash? : ATM. and 47-Across: See 4-Down : FEE.

5. Bull Run soldier : REB.

6. Casual pants : CHINOS.

7. Believer in karma : HINDU.

8. "Life of Pi" director Lee : ANG.

9. "You convinced me" : IT'S A DEAL.

10. Early game console : ATARI.

11. One of Hogwarts' four houses : RAVENCLAW.

Symbol

12. Nov. 2013 Twitter milestone : IPO. Initial Public Offering.

13. Morning drops : DEW.

18. Outback order : RARE. Outback Steakhouse does grill a pretty good steak.

23. Variety : ILK.

25. Prince Harry's alma mater : ETON.

26. Pagoda instrument : GONG. I was trying to think of the word for the instrument in "Memoirs of a Geisha," but by the time I thought of "shamisen," I had already filled this one in using perps.

27. Singer Young : NEIL.

28. Attendees : GOERS.

29. In need of a sweep, perhaps : SOOTY. HaHa, I was thinking of my kitchen floor after the cats finish eating.  But here, it's the chimney that needs a "sweep."

33. Plate appearance : AT BAT.

34. Platter player : PHONO.

35. 1992 Crichton novel involving a fictional Japanese company : RISING SUN. I did read it, but forgot what it was about.

36. Upper limit : MAX.

39. Boot option : STEEL TIP. Anyone else consider STEEL Toe?

40. Gas, e.g. : FUEL.

41. Not pro : ANTI.

42. Drudge : PEON.

47. Sable or mink : FUR.

48. Thumbs-up : ASSENT.

49. Vegas dealer's device : SHOE. It does kind of look like an open toed shoe, doesn't it?

51. 2014 World Series winning team member : GIANT. I was panicking, thinking I would have to come up with someone's name. Whew! I only had to WAG the team.

52. Vague qualities : AURAS.

53. Hopeless case : GONER.

54. Cotton candy, mostly : SUGAR.

58. Cruise destination : ISLE.

59. Chapel Hill sch. : UNC. University of North Carolina.

60. School of tomorrow? : ROE. Cute.

62. Med. care provider : HMO.

63. Set to be assembled : KIT.

64. Binding promise : I DO...believe it is time for me to leave!

Marti

Thursday, December 4, 2014 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Female Vocalists

Usually when I am doing a puzzle that I will blog, I try to see where the theme is going as I solve. This one totally eluded me until I came to the reveal at 37-Across. "Feature shared by the women vocalists concealed in 17-, 29-, 45- and 59-Across" : ONE NAME. I loved this puzzle - a tribute to 4 extremely talented and brilliant females. And best of all, it gives me an excuse to link more than one YouTube video!

17-Across. Oft-pickled fish : ATLANTIC HERRING. CHER's successful career has spanned nearly fifty years, and she is still going strong. Even after 21 studio albums, she still came up with something new to top the charts, with "Believe."

29-Across. Educational stage : GRADE LEVEL. ADELE is the baby of the bunch, with her breakthrough album released only in 2008. I've been a big fan ever since she caught my attention with "Rolling In the Deep."

45-Across. Keep out : DENY ACCESS.  ENYA started her career in 1980. She gained worldwide recognition with her "Watermark" album in 1988 containing the hit "Orinoco Flow."

59-Across. Comes to terms : NEGOTIATES A DEAL. I can't believe that SADE has been around since the 80's.  Her "Smooth Operator" debuted in 1983.

Update: There is a bonus one-named singer hiding in the theme entries. ONE NAME hides NENA, who famously sang "99 Luftballons." [With a big tip of the hat to Jerome for spotting that one!]

Across

1. Barge, for one : SCOW.

5. Go up to one's ankles : WADE. And 30-Down. Wade's opponent : ROE. Well, I guess if I were a fish egg, I wouldn't want anyone tromping all over me, either.  ;-)

(Of course, some anon. will correct me and say the clue/answer refers to the famous 1973 Supreme Court case involving the right to abortion. I like my version better.)

9. Saw to a seat : LED IN. Thank goodness, it wasn't "ushed"...

14. Launder : WASH.

15. Obi-Wan portrayer : ALEC.

Guinness

16. Maine college town : ORONO.

20. Kit for Mr. Fixit : TOOL SET. Anyone else want TOOL "box," before checking perps??

21. Bygone : OLD.

22. London facilities : LOO.

23. Otologist's concern : EAR.

24. Cartoon still : CEL.  This collectible CEL of 25-Across. Studious-looking dwarf : DOC. goes for $2,125.

DOC

26. Strikes out : FANS. I believe this is a baseball term, implying the "fanning" motion of the batter as he attempts to hit, but misses, the pitch charged as the third strike.

33. Part of a Latin trio : AMO. He is, of course, the lead singer. Amas plays bass and Amat is on drums. ;-)

34. Subatomic particle : MUON.

35. Colleague of Sonia and Clarence : ELENA. Supreme Court justices Sotomayor, Thomas and Kagan.

36. Musical dir. : RIT.artando. Gradually decrease the tempo to let morons like me keep up with the beat.

40. P & L column : YTD. Year To Date.

41. Not from around here : ALIEN.

43. Word in a dramatic warning : IDES. "Beware..."

44. Shout for the picador : OLÉ.

48. Bargains : BUYS. And they are often 50-Across. Bargain bin abbr. : IRR.egular.

49. Blvd. cousin : AVE.nue.

51. Big __ : SUR.

53. "So that's your game!" : OHO. This and 55-Across were my two writeovers. I had "Aha!" at first.

54. Had a little lamb : ATE.

55. "Just walk away" : LET IT BE. I wanted to LET IT go...

62. Razz : TAUNT.

63. Ordering aid : MENU. Eyeglasses help, also.

64. Sea birds : ERNS.

65. "Waiting for Lefty" playwright : ODETS.

66. Cad's comeuppance : SLAP.

67. Fries, say : SIDE.



Down

1. Rescue acronym : SWAT. Special Weapons And Tactics.

2. Roman statesman : CATO.

3. Capital once called Christiania : OSLO.

4. They have very big calves : WHALES. I laughed out loud when this one filled in.

5. Super Soaker, e.g. : WATERGUN. It was originally called the "Power Drencher."

6. Ended a flight : ALIT.

7. Cal. page : DEC.ember.  Where did this year go???

8. Bounced off the walls : ECHOED. Oh, sounds.  I was thinking of a kid on a sugar high.

9. "Downton Abbey" title : LORD.

10. Drop the ball : ERR.

11. 1964 Ronettes hit : DO I LOVE YOU. Sorry, Ronettes: Cher, Enya, Adele and Sade have already upstaged you!

12. How an embarrassing question may be asked : INNOCENTLY.

13. "Mission aborted" : NO GO.

18. Org. chronicled in "The Puzzle Palace" : NSA. National Security Agency.

19. Glamour rival : ELLE.

24. More crafty : CANNIER.

25. Sci-fi author Lester __ Rey : DEL.

26. Capacitance unit : FARAD.

27. Well in the lead : A MILE AHEAD. How is your favorite team doing this year?

28. Passé : NOT IN VOGUE. So last year!

31. Jeans choice : LEES.

32. Stows, as cargo : LADES.

34. "__ Lisa" : MONA.

38. Much of 19- and 48-Down : ADS.

39. Really drops the ball : MESSES UP.

42. Potato spot : EYE. Because "couch" was too long.

46. Credit card issuer : CITI. VISA? Amex? Nope...

47. Beats badly : CREAMS.

48. Magazine with many white dresses : BRIDES.

52. Actress Hagen : UTA.

53. Aware of : ON TO. "OHO, I'm ON TO your tricks!"

54. Court figures: Abbr. : ATTs.

55. Horne on stage : LENA. Horne. Too bad, Lena: you'd be up at the top of the page if you had just one name.

56. Garr on screen : TERI. Sorry Teri, you too. And you don't sing, either. But I do admire your work for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.

57. Wedding choice : BAND. 58-Down. "What __ could it be?" : ELSE. Well, it could have been "gown" or "ring" or "food" or...

60. Prov. where the CN Tower is located : ONT. There are two CN towers in Canada, but Alta. was too long.

61. Bus. card number : TEL.ephone. Call me, maybe. (Fun lip sync performance from an unexpected group.)

TaTa!
Marti

Thursday, November 27, 2014 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "It's GivingThanks Day!"

Well, that's not really the theme, but how appropriate to have our dear leader as today's constructor, so we can give her double thanks. First, for creating this fun corner. And second, for entertaining us with her creative puzzles. Thank you, C.C.!

17-Across. *Four Corners locale : COLORADO PLATEAU.

23-Across. *Arctic wolf prey : CARIBOU.

32-Across. *Car named for a California city : CHEVY MALIBU.

52-Across. *1965 Jane Fonda title role : CAT BALLOU.

67-Across. With 68-Across, "Later," or, phonetically, what the answers to starred clues have : SEE YOU. 68-Across. See 67-Across : AROUND. Each entry has a "C" and a "U" around the edges.

You may have noticed the unusual grid. It is symmetrical right to left, but not top to bottom.  That was necessary to accommodate the 15-7-11-9-12 theme entries. The long down entries were nice: TALK IS CHEAP and RHETT BUTLER's full name. Let's see what else she has dished up for us.

Across

1. Beijing trio? : DOTS. Cute misdirection. The dots over the i's and the j. And an appropriate start, with a nod to her native land.

5. Bridges of Hollywood : LLOYD. Of all his movies, I remember him best from this one.

10. First name at Woodstock : ARLO. Our old friend Guthrie is back.

14. Four Corners state : UTAH. A clecho with 17-Across, but it is not part of the theme.

15. Seeker's quarry : HIDER. C.C. doesn't usually like fabricated words, but in the game you are either a hider or a seeker.

16. Send : SHIP.

20. They may be required for rides : TOKENS. Do you call it the subway or the metro?

21. "The way things are ..." : AS IT IS.

22. Yale Bowl yeller : ELI.

27. "Four Quartets" monogram : TSE. Thomas Stearns Eliot.  I never read those.

28. Offspring: abbr. : DESC.endant.

30. Trendy cuff site : EAR.

31. Awards for J.K. Rowling and Hugh Laurie : OBEs. Order of the British Empire.

37. Hawaiian Airlines destination : TAHITI.

39. Election Day sticker : I VOTED.

42. Nebula in Taurus, familiarly : THE CRAB. Amazing photo from the Hubble telescope.

44. Prepared for a proposal : KNEELED.

45. Spanish she-bear : OSA.

46. Former upscale Manhattan eatery : ELAINE'S. It closed after she died in 2010, and is now The Writing Room.

48. Memorable period : ERA.

49. Burst open : POP. It's the season for POPping a bottle of bubbly!

50. Kerfuffle : ADO.

51. Halladay who won both the A.L. and N.L. Cy Young awards : ROY. I knew we would have a baseball reference!

58. Boris' sidekick : NATASHA. Of "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show" fame.

61. "Raging Bull" boxer : LAMOTTA.

65. Marvel Comics assassin : ELEKTRA. With only E-L-E-K-*-R-A in place, I WAG'd ELEKTRA. (Pretty clever, huh?)

66. Hits hard, as the brakes : SLAMS ON.


Down

1. Like many ventilation systems : DUCTED.

2. "Becket" star : O'TOOLE. Peter holds the record for the number of Academy Award nominations without a win.

3. "Actions speak louder than words" : TALK IS CHEAP. Nice fill.

4. Flat or pump : SHOE.

5. High capital : LHASA. C.C. just linked the Potala Palace in LHASA the other day.

6. Jar topper : LID.

7. Prefix with meter : ODO. Odo-meter.

8. "You betcha!" : YEP. I had YEs for a while, and it messed me up from immediately seeing PLATEAU in the first theme answer.

9. 1964 Tony Randall role : DR LAO. He was more than two-faced.

10. Piedmont wine area : ASTI. Spumanti also makes a nice POP when you open it.

11. Bonnie Blue's dad : RHETT BUTLER. "Gone With the Wind."  Nailed it!

12. Make contact (with) : LIAISE.

13. Musical works : OPUSES. I put it in, changed it to OPERAS, then took it back out when AS IT IS showed up.

18. GOP org. : RNC. Republican National Committee.

19. Sun Devils' sch. : ASU. Arizona State University.

24. Juan Carlos, por ejemplo : REY. Spanish "king."

25. "__ the Walrus" : I AM....goo goo goo joob.

26. It may be backless : BRA. To go with dresses like these.

They are...

29. In vogue : CHIC. Tres chic!

31. Wind with keys : OBOE.

33. To be, to Napoleon : ETRE.

34. Lab container : VIAL. Because Erlenmeyer flask wouldn't fit.

35. Check-in delayer : LINE. I bet there were plenty of check-in delays at airports in the Northeast this week.

36. "Concord Sonata" composer : IVES. It's Thursday, so we get a clue for Charles instead of Burl.

37. 'Vette roof option : T-TOP.

38. "Now I get it" : AH SO.

40. Finnish architect Saarinen : EERO.

41. Do-or-die time : D-DAY.

43. Words to a black sheep : BAA BAA.

44. Small hills : KNOLLS. Probably the world's most infamous grassy KNOLL.

47. The Snake R. runs through it : IDA.ho

52. Like unnaturally thick makeup : CAKY.

53. Apropos of : AS TO.

54. Drive-__ window : THRU.

55. Refrain syllables : LA LA.

56. Bridge master Sharif : OMAR. A man of many talents, he also starred in "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Dr. Zhivago."

57. Man, to Dante : UOMO. He was a couple hundred years too early to be an Italian renaissance man.

58. Zombie Nation console : NES. Nintendo Entertainment System. You can play it online here.

59. Microbrew choice : ALE.

60. Ball holder : TEE.

62. Sch. in Nashville : TSU. Tennessee State University.

63. Slew : TON.

64. "What else?" : AND...?

Nope, nothing else. I'm done! Time to go make the turkey...

Marti

Note from C.C.:

Happy Thanksgiving to our blog readers, esp our faithful regulars. Thanks for your daily solving reports, constructive nitpicking, links, recipes, computer advice, health tips (now, how can I stop this nagging cough?), poems, robocall rants, bike ride accounts & other random thoughts. Thanks for sharing. You enriched my very sheltered life.

I'm also grateful to LA Times Daily Crossword editor Rich Norris, his assistant Patti Varol, his three test solvers, his fact checker and all the LAT constructors for the quality puzzles they provide to us day after day. As I mentioned in this puzzle, Rich makes me look smarter than I am. That's not the only puzzle he helped me, and I'm not the only constructor he helped. He just does everything in a very quiet & consistent manner. Rich even replies every reader mail, despite his heavy workload and limited resources. We're lucky to have such a knowledgeable, generous, patient and humble editor whose top priority is always his solvers.

I'm also incredibly grateful for my hard-working blogging team: always there for me Santa Argyle, witty Jazzbumpa, super-efficient foodie Steve, bubbly Marti, cheerful Lemonade, talented Splynter & eager to learn Husker Gary. As I said before, it's fun to blog once or twice, spending 3 + hours on each post every week is serious job. Thank you so much for the dedication and time, friends, you made this blog what it is today. Thank you also for trusting me and letting me guiding you (mostly misguiding) on puzzle-making. I know I'm not easy to work with, thanks for toughing it out!

Thursday, November 20, 2014 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "Little Rascals"

17. Office evaluations : JOB RATINGS.

23. Posh Riviera residence : SEASIDE VILLA.

46. "That's my general impression" : I'M PRETTY SURE.

58. Summer venue where kids can clown around? : CIRCUS CAMP.

And the reveal, sitting smack in the middle of the grid:
37. Mischievous ones hiding in plain sight in 17-, 23-, 46- and 58-Across : TROUBLEMAKERS.
BRAT, DEVIL, IMP and SCAMP all span more than one word.

My Thursday friend JW is back. 78 words and 42 blocks is a lot for an end-of-week puzzle, but theme entries of 10, 12, 13, 12, 10 make it tough to create a simple grid design. This one includes long 9- and 10-letter down entries to add to the mix. None of those down entries came immediately to mind, so this seemed tougher than a typical Thursday for me.

Across

1. 122-square-mile republic : MALTA. Oh good grief, who has memorized the acreage of every republic?  Tough start.

6. Three or four, say : A FEW.

10. Incise with acid : ETCH.

14. Voiced : ALOUD. Not "spoke."

15. Racing sled : LUGE.

16. Mozart's "__ fan tutte" : COSI. Gimme. "Thus do all (women)."

19. Industrialist who's had his ups and downs? : OTIS. HaHa - the elevator inventor.

20. Plenty : A TON.

21. Syncopated work : RAG.

22. Fla. neighbor : ALA.bama

29. Peaceful harmony : AMITY.

31. "Bravo!" relative : OLE.

32. Tied (to) : WED.

33. Riga native : LETT. If they are from Latvia, why aren't they called "Lats"?

34. Bamboozle : FOOL.

36. Damage, so to speak : COST. When you ask your mechanic, "What are the damages?" be prepared for even more - to your wallet.

40. Acute : KEEN.

41. Troubadour's offerings : AIRS.

42. Sinus docs : ENTs. Not to be confused with Tolkien tree folk.

43. Western treaty gp. : OAS. Organization of American States. Originally just the US and South American states, it later included Canada and the nations of the Caribbean.

44. One in a sports page column : WIN. I don't get it. "One" as in the #1 team? Or just a win that gets written up? [Update: The "columns" would be WINs-Losses-Ties.  Thanks for enlightening me, TTP!]

45. Art print, briefly : LITHO. I toyed with "repro" at first, but that wasn't going to work very well.

50. Wear (through) : EAT. Such a small word, but it gave me lots of trouble.

51. Huffington Post parent co. : AOL.

52. Whiskey choices : RYES.

56. "Sea Change" musician : BECK. "Lost Cause" is one of the best songs on the album, IMO.

61. Seize : TAKE.

62. Pen sound : OINK.

63. Part of a TV signal : AUDIO.

64. Milquetoast : WUSS.

65. Pine for : MISS.

66. False __ : START.


Down

1. Subject of clothed and nude Goya portraits : MAJA. We have had her...

2. Frequently : ALOT.

3. Gray wolf : LOBO.

4. Becomes even more charming, say : TURNS IT ON. This is one of the long down answers that wasn't at the tip of my tongue.

5. Org. promoting water fluoridization : ADA. American Dental Association.

6. Police profile datum : ALIAS.

7. Spore producers : FUNGI.

8. Custard component : EGG.

9. Broncos wide receiver Welker : WES. Formerly of the New England Patriots...who are doing just fine without him, thank you very much!

10. USDA inspector's concern : E COLI.

11. Gross figure : TOTAL WORTH. TOTAL (sales?), (costs?), (value?)...

12. CBS series set in a lab : CSI. Crime Scene Investigation.

13. Presley's "(Marie's the Name) __ Latest Flame" : HIS.

18. Serving aid : TRAY.

22. Street sign abbr. : AVE.

24. Words to a traitor : ET TU. Another one of those little entries that gave me fits.

25. Seals the fate of : DOOMS.

26. First name in jazz : ELLA.

27. On a smaller scale : LESS SO.

28. Home security letters : ADT. American District Telegraph.  I have Discount Alarm, and pay half the price of ADT.

29. Orioles, e.g., briefly : AL TEAM.

30. Buildings from a plane, metaphorically : MERE SPECKS. Another long down answer that wasn't on the tip of my tongue.

34. City northwest of Detroit : FLINT.

35. "A hot temper leaps __ a cold decree": Shakespeare : O'ER.

36. Butcher's offering : CENTER CUT. Not my first thought.

38. Worms, perhaps : BAIT.

39. Actor Dullea : KEIR. You may remember him as Dr. David Bowman in "2001: A Space Odyssey." Or not...

40. Showy carp : KOI.

44. Moisten : WET.

45. Ripsnorter : LULU.

47. Does some gardening : RAKES. Been doing plenty of that the last couple weeks. We finally hired a crew to come in and help, and they ended up taking out seven pickup trucks full of leaves!!

48. Incredible stories : YARNS.

49. '90s White House cat : SOCKS. The "First Cat" of the Clinton era.

53. When tripled, a story shortener : YADA...yada...yada.

54. Muslim dignitary : EMIR.

55. Pal of Rover : SPOT.

56. Incidentally, in textspeak : BTW. "By the way..."

57. __ de parfum : EAU.

58. Kin of org : COM. Both url endings.

59. Trio on Big Ben : III. Nit: "Big Ben" is the name of the bell in the clock of Elizabeth Tower, not the clock itself.

60. Sweden-based carrier : SAS. Scandinavian Airlines System.


I'm off to see what kind of trouble I can stir up now...

Marti