Wednesday, March 29, 2017, Jeff Stillman

TITLE - BROADWAY

Husker Gary here, taking you on a tour of Jeff's pleasant Humpday offering. He takes the word WIDE and spreads it out in two different arrangements (2/2 and 1/3) and then provides fill in the divide to literally cause WIDE to be SPREAD out as you can see in the grid below:

The clincher is his reveal

64. Far-reaching ... and a literal feature of the answers to starred clues : WIDESPREAD - The insatiable Emerald Ash Borer that arrived here in crates on the coast from Asia is WIDESPREAD and still expanding

THEME FILLS:

17. *Rain-X auto product : WIPER BLADE - This is not a Rain-X product but ya gotta love it!

21. *Manhattan theater district locale : WESTSIDE - So, you want to see Hamilton at The Richard Rogers Theater on Manhattan's WESTSIDE tonight? No problem, StubHub can get you in the very back starting at $965 per seat

40. *Electrician's basic knowledge : WIRING COLOR CODE - The only one I know is black to black, white to white and ground to ground. BTW, I always turn off the breaker!

54. *Many a military spouse : WAR BRIDE - Although told not to, Japanese women did fraternize with "the enemy" and tens of thousands of them became WAR BRIDES

Now let's see how Jeff filled in those WIDESPREAD spaces in the rest of the puzzles

Across

1. Anemic : WEAK

5. Dukes not among royalty : FISTS - Our cwd friend Burt Lahr dared anyone to put up their Dukes! I resisted putting in DAISY Dukes.

10. Huge production : EPIC - Ben Hur always leaps to my mind

14. Rod in a hot rod : AXLE

15. Kate's sitcom pal : ALLIE

16. Pilaf base : RICE

19. Like port, usually : AGED - If you can spring for those Hamilton tix, maybe this 70-year-old Port in a handblown bottle for $965 would also interest you

20. Lacking a key : ATONAL

23. Proofer's mark : STET

25. Feathery layer : HEN

26. Oomph : PEP

29. Set apart from the group : ISOLATE - The Amish practice of shunning even your own children seems particularly cruel to me

33. Org. with the staff of Aesculapius in its logo : AMA - This doctor's group might also call this the staff of Caduseus 

36. Big name in gas : AMOCO

38. Slam-dance : MOSH - Ya gotta know going in what could happen!

43. See 22-Down : ELKS and 22. With 43-Across, fraternal order : THE

44. Mane area : NAPE

45. Like some buckets : OAKEN

46. Cotillion girl : DEB - An anachronism? 

47. Move more product than : OUTSELL - Here's the rankings

49. Absorb, as a cost : EAT

50. Nonpro sports gp. : AAU - Kobe Bryant hates the Amateur Athletic Union BB program because it makes kids play all year long

52. Trapper's trophy : PELT - Something I could never do

59. Subtle difference : NUANCE - The NUANCED looks of Meryl

63. Continental coin : EURO

66. Brought up : BRED

67. Like nocturnally counted critters : OVINE - One sheep, two sheep...

68. Unrestrained party : ORGY

69. Cotton bundle : BALE - Tote that barge and lift this

70. Archibald and Thurmond of the NBA : NATES - "Tiny" NATE Archibald played here  before they moved to Sacramento

71. Water testers : TOES - I have put my "TOES in many waters" with varying results.

Down

1. Bedtime drink, in totspeak : WAWA - Don't we all remember Gildna Radner when we hear this?

2. Freeway sign : EXIT

3. Chop House dog food brand : ALPO

4. Laments loudly : KEENS - An old Irish or Scottish term for screams of women heralding a death OR a card in a Duel Decks Game

5. Sources of morals : FABLES

6. Not in the pink : ILL

7. Cabbage dish : SLAW - KFC has some great SLAW

8. Laundry room brand : TIDE

9. Views : SEES

10. Dry-__ board : ERASE

11. Risky purchase, metaphorically : PIG IN A POKE - Have you ever used Craig's List?

12. Tea preference : ICED

13. Relinquish : CEDE - Land CEDED in my state

18. Be frugal with : RATION

24. Alley scavenger : TOMCAT 

26. Handled clumsily : PAWED - "Honest, I was just reaching for the popcorn!"

27. Writer Zola : EMILE

28. Special-interest government spending : PORK BARREL - Some say he got as much as anybody

30. Aerial maneuvers : LOOPS

31. Not paying attention : 
ASLEEP

32. Howe'er : THO

34. Greek sorceress : MEDEA - The tale of her and Jason would make for a great soaper - Ημέρες των ζωών μας (Days Of Our Lives)

35. Cut taker : AGENT

37. Sue Grafton's "__ for Corpse" : C IS - In my last writeup, I posited Sue could have used C AS IN Corpse

39. 1988 Motown acquirer : MCA - ...and then there was a suit and then...

41. Safari grazer : GNU - There's a bottomless pit of these 

42. Arrive by auto : ROLL UP

47. Sharer's word : OUR

48. You can see right through them : LENSES

51. Dwelling : ABODE

53. Deck that's worth a fortune? : TAROT

54. "Dragnet" star Jack : WEBB

55. Subtle glow : AURA

56. Triumphant shout : I WON - Said by 1 of every 76,000,000 lottery players

57. One who insists on the spotlight : DIVA

58. Ready for print : EDIT - Even Tom had to EDIT

60. Fictional sleuth Wolfe : NERO - Not the piano player or the Roman emperor 

61. "La __ aux Folles" : CAGE

62. "Grand" ice cream brand : EDY'S

65. Denver-to-Des Moines dir. : ENE


Now, how 'bout some WIDESPREAD and far ranging comments:

A few pix from our trip last week to D.C.

This is Joann and I at the WWII monument with the Lincoln Memorial in the background. If you go to D.C. take the night tour as it is an entirely different world.

This is Joann and I with U.S. Senator Ben Sasse at the Nebraska Congressional Breakfast. We have known Ben since he was nine and I started calling him Senator Sasse when he was in grade school!

Here we are with our Congressman Jeff Fortenberry. Our daughter has had three of Jeff’s girls in fourth grade at St. Joe’s in Lincoln. 

Wednesday March 22, 2017 Don Gagliardo and C. C. Burnikel

Theme: VOWEL TRIFECTA.  In the 2nd, 4th and 6th letter position of the first word of each two-word theme entry is a repeated vowel.  These entries appear in the grid in alphabetical order, viz. A-E-I-O-U. Let's have a look.

16 A. Monkey cage discard : BANANA PEEL.  Stereotypically, monkeys love BANANAS, but who wants to eat the outer part, despite its having appeal?  You don't want to encounter one at the top of a slippery slope

22 A. Reason for totaling, as an insured car : SEVERE DAMAGE.  "Totaling," in this sense indicates declaring the vehicle to be a total wreck, destined for the junk yard.  Sadly, I totaled my most favorite car in a multi-vehicle pile up on the Southfield Freeway, back in 1991.

29 A. Cause of some tan lines : BIKINI TOP.  A BIKINI is a two piece swim suit consisting of a bra top and a separate bottom part.  Coverage is widely variable, depending on the specific design parameters.  Of course, the covered parts will not be suntanned, resulting in tan lines.  Per Wikipedia: "The name was coined in 1946 by French engineer and clothing designer Louis Réard, after the recent nuclear tests at Bikini atoll —often better known than its namesake—and with the slogan 'an anatomic bomb.'''

Life's a beach

37 A. Ornate 18th-century genre : ROCOCO ART.  This is a late baroque style that originated in Paris that employed a jocular and florid approach.  The style was ornate, colorful, curvy, and asymmetric, frequently based on witty or playful themes.

Tan lines?

44 A. Fluffy sun blocker : CUMULUS CLOUD.   Well described by the clue, these clouds are generally of low altitude, and often have a flat base along with a puffy, cotton-like top.

Clouding the Issue

55 A. Baseball rarity, and a hint to the vowels in the first words of 16-, 22-, 29-, 37- and 44-Across : TRIPLE PLAY.  Of course, the mandatory baseball reference!  Here, the triple play refers to the repeated vowel in each theme entry.  In baseball, it's an event in which 3 outs are made on a single batted ball.  As rare as this occurrence is, this example is of what must be an even more rare variety.



Hi gang, JzB reporting for duty, with a fine puzzle by our famous dynamic duo.  Clever gimmick and elegant execution.  Very rich themeage, with five entries, plus a unifier.  Nicely done.

Across

1. "That's enough out of you" : CAN IT.  Put a lid on it; give it a rest.

6. Addams family nickname : TISH. Morticia Addams.

Carolyn Jones, from the TV series

10. Festoons with Charmin, for short : TPS. The childish prank of Toilet Papering a tree.

13. Chicago airport : O'HARE.

14. Barak of Israel : EHUD.  Prime Minister from 1999 to 2001, also a highly decorated soldier who held several other political and government positions.

15. __ butter : SHEA.  A fatty substance from the nut of the SHEA tree.

18. Phone using a tower : CELL. 

19. Govt. agency that supports startups : Small Business Administration.

20. Kettle output : STEAM.

21. Ride in the desert : CAMEL.  The ship of the desert.

24. Social ranking : STATUS.  

27. Many mobile downloads : APPS.  APPlications.

28. Coral component : POLYP.  This is an individual animal that, when combined into large clusters can form a coral reef.

34. "All Things Considered" co-host Shapiro : ARI.

35. Day of song : DORIS.  Not a day of the week.

36. Fleece source : EWE.  Lamb's mom.

40. Thyme piece : SPRIG.  A small stem, including it's minor branches.

42. Pre-hurricane emergency op : EVACuation.

43. Runs after : CHASES.   Can also involve vehicles.

49. "No one can beat me" : I RULE.  Arrogant.

50. Poker game concern : CHEAT.  Well - any game, really.

51. Unit of resistance : OHM.  Electricity.

54. Poker at the table? : TINE.  Part of a fork.

57. Where buds may go : EARS.  For listening to music, podcasts, etc.

58. Right hand : AIDE.  Top assistant.

59. Meditation teachers : YOGIS.  

60. "The Affair" network, briefly : SHOtime.

61. Flow with force : SPEW.

62. Place on a pedestal : EXALT.

Down

1. Corny leftovers : COBS.

2. Starbuck's boss : AHAB.  Characters from Moby Dick.

3. Child tender : NANA.  Grandmother.

4. Tax-deferred plan, briefly : Individual Retirement Account.

5. Stiffen in fear : TENSE UP.

6. Prairie home : TEPEE. A portable conical tent made from skins, cloth or canvas on a frame of poles.

7. The Supremes' "__ a Symphony" : I HEAR.

8. "See if I care!" : SUE ME.

9. Cholesterol letters : High Density Lipoprotein. 

10. Annual Augusta National event : THE MASTERS.  Golf tournament.

11. "Pequod" co-owner : PELEG.  The pequod is the Nantucket-based whaling ship from the novel Mobey Dick.

12. Room in a maison : SALLE.  French for house and room, respectively.

15. Shrimp dish : SCAMPI.  This is the Italian word for prawn, which is a crustacean similar, but not quite identical to a shrimp.  You have to count their legs to tell.  The dish is typically made by broiling with garlic butter.

17. Off-roaders, for short : ATVS. All Terrain Vehicles.

21. 2-Down's title, informally : CAP'N.

22. Dirty digs : STY.  A pig's place.

23. Place of honor : DAIS.  A low platform for a lectern, seat of honor, or throne.

24. Prep for a bout : SPAR.  Boxing practice.

25. Big name in riding mowers : TORO.

26. Canadian short story writer awarded a Nobel Prize in 2013 : ALICE MUNRO. [b. 1931]  Her stories explore human complexities in an uncomplicated prose style.

29. Lavish wrap : BOA.

30. Discount rack abbr. : IRRegular.

31. First-aid gear : KIT.

32. Boo-boo : OWIE.  Kid-speak for a minor injury.

33. Cribbage markers : PEGS.

35. Prefix with drama : DOCU-.

38. Small eggs : OVULES.

39. NASCAR's Yarborough : CALE. [b. 1939] One of only two NASCAR drivers to win three consecutive championships, with 83 total wins on the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner's list.

40. Z's : SHUT EYE.  Sleepy time.

41. Elbow protector : PAD.  Cushioning gear to protect against injury.

43. Mine extraction : COAL. A combustable black or brown rock composed of fossilized organic material.

44. Names as a reference : CITES.  Typically in a foot note.

45. Hater of David, in Dickens : URIAH.  Mr. Heap, the obsequious weasel from the Charles Dickens novel, David Copperfield.

46. Rx : SCRIP.  A doctor's prescription for a certain medication.

47. Reprimand : CHIDE.

48. Aggressive cat lover of cartoons : LEPEW.  Pepe.

51. Gymnast Korbut : OLGA.   She won 4 gold and 2 silver medals for the Soviet team in the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics.

52. Flag down : HAIL.

53. Classic PC adventure game : MYST.  A graphic puzzle-adventure game having a variety of endings, depending on the player's choices.

55. Some univ. proctors : TAS. Teaching Assistants.

56. Curse : POX.

Lots of good stuff here, including a whale of a sub-theme.  No less than we would expect from this all star team.

Cool regards!
JzB

Note from C.C.:


Happy Birthday to dear PK, who turns 76 years old today. She can read our blog write-ups and comments, but she can't comment. Her iMac is so un-Apple!

Friday March 17, 2017, Paul Coulter

To celebrate St. Paddy's day, here's a beautiful version of When Irish Eyes Are Smilin' by the Irish tenor who was a foil for Jack Benny for years. It makes for lovely background music!

Now, for sure and begorrah, let's be gettin' down to the puzzle!

TITLE: BACK TO FRONT

On this St. Paddy's Day, Lemon has put himself on the injured reserve list and C.C. has brought me, Husker Gary, up from the minors to take the mound.

Paul's lovely offering dredges up memories of a recent Sunday puzzle I blogged where I also put the grid at the top. In that puzzle a word was put IN the middle of a silly phrase and had to be repositioned to the front to make sense. Today Paul forces us to take the last word of a silly phrase and transport it to the front to make a single, familiar word. 

Obviously the puzzle needed no reveal, so here are the theme entries

16. Laboratory scam? : SCIENCE CON/CONSCIENCE - Jiminy's counsel to Pinnochio took a while to sink in

28. Snubbing a testimonial? : TRIBUTE DIS/DISTRIBUTE - A good passer is called a good DISTRIBUTOR

45. John Deere rep? : TRACTOR PRO/PROTRACTOR - For some reason kids often ask for a compass when they really want a PROTRACTOR

61. Ordinary law office employee? : NORMAL PARA/PARANORMAL - JoBeth Williams confronts a PARANORMAL creature in Poltergeist 

Let's see what else our Literary Leprechaun has for us today

Across

1. "Oopsy" : MY BAD

6. Grand Prix component : ESS - Curve, here's one

9. In things : FADS - Joann, where's my Nehru jacket?

13. Adult insect : IMAGO - I've only heard it here

14. Prefix with data : META - It seems someone has lots of this on all of us

15. Subject preceder : IN RE

18. Saves, say : STAT - Usually accrued by soccer and hockey goalies 

19. Challenge : CALL OUT - Matt Dillon faced one of these at the start of every episode

20. Like some flushes : ACE HIGH

22. Missed the mark : ERRED

24. Spike TV, once : TNN - The Nashville Network

25. Nile threats : ASPS

33. Take for a while : LEASE

35. B to C, e.g. : SEMITONE 

36. Call off : END

37. Something shared on a plane : ARMREST - Sound right?

40. Pres. when Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was decided : DDE - Ike

41. "The Social Contract" author : ROUSSEAU - Jacques - "What wisdom can be greater than kindness?"

43. Hindu ascetics : YOGIS - Did any of them catch for the Yankees?

48. Old Nair rival : NEET

49. "You betcha!" : YEP

50. Mozart opera ending : TUTTE - Cosi Fan TUTTE (Women are like that). Like what?

52. Spendthrift : WASTREL

56. Hospital test : MRI SCAN - I just listened to talk shows on my iPhone

60. Large deep-water fish : OPAH






63. Actor Auberjonois : RENE - Fr. Mulcahy in the 1970 movie M*A*S*H

64. Relaxed : EASY

65. Refresh, as a cup of coffee : TOP UP - Is this also a Mardi Gras tradition?

66. Participants in some awkward meetings : EXES

67. Case breaker, perhaps : DNA - Uh, Number 2, you might wanna have a seat

68. Flower holders : STEMS - Not a vayse or a vahze

Down

1. Category for non-recurring pd. bills : MISC

2. 1979 disco classic : YMCA

3. Payment that's posted : BAIL - Remember who sponsored The Bad News Bears? Now you can order a jersey!

4. Eternal : AGELESS - Dick Clark's middle name for years

5. Philanthropist, e.g. : DONOR

6. Common Market letters : European Economic Community

7. Ancient colonnade : STOA

8. Sacred sites : SANCTUMS

9. Stocking stuff : FISH NET - Maybe Splynter will have some for us tomorrow

10. Not backing : ANTI

11. Party pooper : DRAG

12. First family member : SETH 

14. Poet's concern : METER

17. Short : CURT

21. Being : ENTITY

23. Throw into turmoil : DISRUPT

25. On the ball : ALERT

26. Monterrey title : SENOR

27. "The Taming of the Shrew" setting : PADUA - The Montana Shakespeare In The Park Troupe chose a different setting but used Elizabethan English (mostly) 

32. Notice from Shakespeare? : SEEST - Didst thee SEEST the setting for Taming Of The Shrew cameth ere?

29. Obsessive idea metaphor : BEE - Busy as a...


30. Caravan assembler : DODGE - The original minivan - 1984

31. Common Sundance entry : INDIE

34. Time for eggs : EASTER

38. Worked on, as a cold case : REOPENED - They haven't REOPENED the Cain and Abel case. How many witnesses could there have been?

39. Fold, spindle or mutilate : MAR

42. Crop cutters : SCYTHES

44. Buck : ONESPOT - Really?

46. Gin __ : RUMMY - Remember this Bond Villain who cheated at Gin RUMMY using a spy with binoculars and an earpiece? 

47. Other, in Oaxaca : OTRA - No, descartar la OTRA tarjeta (No, discard the other card)

51. Slopes : TILTS

52. Had on : WORE 

53. Top : APEX

54. Fit to be tried : SANE - Two psychiatrists testified as to whether this Omaha man was SANE enough to stand trial for his four murders.

55. Student's request : LOAN 

57. Vacation spot : CAPE

58. Jack-in-the-pulpit family : ARUM

59. Gets caught off guard : NAPS

62. The ANC's country : RSA - Republic of South Africa

Now before you start celebrating reasonably (let your conscience be your guide), how 'bout some comments: