Wednesday, June 6 2018, C.C. Burnikel

Theme:

17. Good thing to bring to the table: HEALTHY APPETITE. Tutti a tavola a mangiare!

23. Tailless Atlas Mountains monkey: BARBARY APE. This one looks like he's 65D HAHing.

52. Sugary snack on a stick: CANDY APPLE.

63. 1995 Woody Allen film: MIGHTY APHRODITE.

And the reveal ...

40. Past due salary ... and what's literally hidden in 17-, 23-, 52- and 63-Across: BACKPAY.

Melissa here. Yet another stellar offering from our prolific C.C. All four theme clues, two of which are grid-spanners, are two words, the first ending with Y, and the second beginning with AP - perfectly consistent, spelling PAY backwards. Also consistent with C.C. puzzles, it is sprinkled with sporting clues.

Across:

1. Feature of distressed jeans: RIP. Kate Beckinsale, sporting this fashion, below. Remember when we used to patch them?

4. Condé __: Vanity Fair publisher: NAST.

8. It may be set on a smartphone: ALARM.

13. Qualified: ABLE.

15. Dead set against: ANTI.

16. Show with skits: REVUE.

20. Strunk and White topic: STYLE.

21. Colour suffix: ISE. The U in colour indicates the UK spelling, so ISE follows, as opposed to the U.S. spelling colorize.

22. False front: MASK.

27. Hog heaven: STY. Snort.

29. Close friend: PAL.

30. Hang around: LOITER.

34. Hockey trophy: CUP.

35. Arizona's third-largest city: MESA.

38. Sound from one with 37-Down, perhaps: SNORE.

39. SunTrust Park MLB team: ATL.

42. Big Band __: ERA.

43. Apartment agreement: LEASE.

45. Deadly septet: SINS. Inspired a decent bottle of wine, among other things ...

46. Polo or tee: TOP.

47. Mescaline-yielding cactus: PEYOTE.

49. Evian water: EAU.

51. Day divs.: HRS.

56. "No harm done": I'M OK.

59. Livy's lucky number?: VII. This is a cute clue, but I'm not sure of the reference. Could it be Elizabeth of York who married Henry VII, and gave birth to seven children, including Henry VIII? Anyone?

60. Sub shops: DELIS.

67. Hospital prep area: PRE-OP.

68. Orderly: NEAT.

69. From square one: ANEW.

70. Trickles (through): SEEPS.

71. Namesake of the sports-oriented Courage Award: ASHE. Arthur.

72. Ambulance letters: EMS. Emergency Medical Services.

Down:

1. Shouts from the stands: RAHS. Noun, not verb.

2. "Fat chance!": I BET.

3. Detailed sports commentary: PLAY BY PLAY.

4. "No can do": NAH.

5. At all: ANY.

6. Part of an angled case: STAIR. Nice clue.

7. Buzzed: TIPSY.

8. "Odds __ ... ": ARE. Most know Johnny Mathis's Chances Are, not as many know Bob Marley's tune by the same name.

9. Admission demand: LET ME IN.

10. Nike competitor: AVIA.

11. Dirt road features: RUTS.

12. Timid: MEEK.

14. "Enchanted" fantasy film girl: ELLA.

18. U. of Maryland athlete: TERP. From Wikipedia: The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition. The school's football coach and later the school's president, Harry C. "Curley" Byrd, thought "Terrapins" was a good nickname choice because of the diamondback terrapins endemic to the Chesapeake Bay region.

19. Big ring: PEAL.

24. "Roll Tide" school: BAMA. The rallying cry for the Alabama Crimson Tide athletic teams.

25. Smart ones?: ALECS.

26. Bride's throwaway: POSY.

27. Massage target: SCALP.

28. Daniel LaRusso, to Mr. Miyagi: TUTEE.

31. Follow orders: TOE THE LINE.

32. Muffed grounder, e.g.: ERROR.

33. Harvests: REAPS.

36. Take part in a biathlon: SKI. Winter sport that combines cross country-skiing and rifle shooting.

37. Sleep clinic focus: APNEA.

40. __ carotene: BETA.

41. Often-barked letters: ASAP.

44. Dance in a gym: SOCK HOP.

48. Reason to go green?: ENVY. Nice.

50. Bun, e.g.: UPDO.

53. __ Prince, Wonder Woman's alias: DIANA.

54. "Holy cow!": YIPES. Not yikes.

55. Helen of Troy's mother: LEDA.

56. Little tricksters: IMPS.

57. Boggy area: MIRE.

58. Double-curved arch: OGEE.

61. Tabloid twosome: ITEM.

62. Tends to tears: SEWS. Tricky clue.

64. Pulls a Charmin shenanigan, briefly: TPS. Wouldn't want to clean that up.

65. "That's a laugh!": HAH.

66. GPS output: RTE.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018, C. C. Burnikel

Theme: SHORT WEIGHT LIST.  Three entries have circled letters at their beginnings and endings that spell out units of weight measurement.  Might be tough to spot if you didn't get the circles.

16 A. Latter Day Saints' sacred text : THE BOOK OF MORMON.   Also an irreverent Broadway musical that mocks Mormon beliefs and practices.

26 A. Occupy oneself with trivial tasks : PUTTER AROUND.   The story of my retirement.

45 A. Like a budget with more expenses than income : OUT OF BALANCE.  Deficit spending.  

And the unifier -- 59 A. Radical solutions ... and what this puzzle's circles literally represent : EXTREME MEASURES.   Exceeding what is usual or reasonable to achieve some end. Here, the names of English System weights are divided and the chunks placed at the extremes, so to speak, of the theme entries, presented in descending order.

Hi Gang, Jazzbumpa here, sadly having hit a several-month-long plateau in the personal weight loss program.  Maybe this theme, with a couple of grid-spanners, will inspire me to greater effort.  Meanwhile, let's see if this puzzle, presented by a Lady we all know, is heavy or light weight.

Across

1. Young chaps : LADS.  This word, going back to Middle English is of unknown origin.

5. Stitchless? : NUDE.  Absence of threads.  I get it, but it's kind of a stretch.  So, possibly double-knit?

9. Right-leaning print: Abbr. : ITAL. Italics.  Are they prim and proper? No politics!

13. Tan shade : ECRU.  From French "écru," meaning "unbleached," describing the light tan color of unbleached linen. 

14. One picking a rock : MINER.   You can select the rock to have at with your pick.

 GIF found here

15. It may fly by : TIME.  If you're having fun.

19. Pirate's milieu : SEA.  The setting, background or environment for a pirate is on the briney.

20. Mop & __: floor cleaner : GLO.  Multi-purpose cleaner that also helps shine and protect vinyl flooring.

21. The bubbles in bubble tea, usually : TAPIOCA.  Learning moment.

22. Youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate __ Yousafzai : MALALA.

Her Story

25. Architect Saarinen : EERO.  [1910-1961] Finnish-American architect and industrial designer.  One of his most notable creations is the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Mo.

30. Butter substitute : OLEO.  Aka Margarine.  But not in this tasty Sonny Rollins tune.

31. How, to José : COMO.   Spanish translation.

32. Retirement place : BED.  When I retire for the night.  Not to be confused with my other retirement from the daily rat race.

35. Beverage with a "Real Facts" Web page : SNAPPLE.  A brand of tea and fruit drinks.

39. Curious box opener : PANDORA.  From Greek mythology.  She was the first woman created by the gods. She opened a jar that released all the evils of humanity.  Echoes of mother Eve.

41. Meat in a typical Denver omelet : HAM.  Diced small.

42. Succotash bean : LIMA.  Mixed with corn.  The name is derived from a Narragansett word meaning "broken corn kernels."  The combination of corn with a legume provides complete protein.  it was poplar during the great depression because the ingredients were readily available and relatively inexpensive.

44. Sportscaster Andrews : ERIN. [b. 1978]

Sorry, guys - she's married

49. Jockey strap : REIN. A narrow strap attached to each end of a hoerse's bit, used to guide the horse while riding.

51. Bright blue shade : COBALT.  Made from a pigment containing the element COBALT.  Think of the color of Phillip's Milk of Magnesia bottles.  Or this.

52. Bygone heating fuel : COAL GAS.  A gas mixture containing hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide, made from the desturctive distillation of coal.

55. Wall St. maneuver : LBO.  Leveraged Buy Out.   An acquisition method in which the assets of the purchased company are used as collateral for a large loan, so the transaction can be completed with minimal capital expenditure.

56. Select, with "for" : OPT.  Make a choice, via French from the Latin optare, chose.

62. "In __ of flowers ... " : LIEU.  Instead of.  From Middle English, via French again, back to the Latin, locus, place.

63. Mideast dignitaries : EMIRS. Indicating various high positions, such as military commender, local chieftain, or head of state.

64. Disk slapped by Ducks : PUCK.  The Anaheim Ducks are a team in the National Hockey League.  This year they finished 2nd in the Pacific Division and got swept out in the first round of the playoffs by the San Jose Sharks.

65. Croat neighbor : SERB. Citizens of Eastern European countries Serbia and Croatia.

66. Boy, in Bilbao : NINO. LAD, in Spanish.

67. Tattoo parlor supplies : INKS.  For body decoration.

I would OPT out

Down

1. "Why don't we?!" : LET'S.  As one vegetarian said to another, "Let us eat lettuce.

2. Tylenol target : ACHE.  Pain killer.

3. Superstar lineup : DREAM TEAM.  A collection of the best athletes.

4. Pinch hitter, say : SUB. One who substitutes for another.

5. Electricity pioneer Tesla : NIKOLA. [1856-1943] Serbian-American Engineer and inventor who made contributions to the design of electricity delivery systems

6. Kid-friendly card game : UNO.  And frequent X-word entry.

7. Nimble : DEFT.  Agile.

8. "At Wit's End" columnist Bombeck : ERMA. [1927 - 1996]   Wrote humorously about daily life.

9. "Did my best" : I TRIED.  But probably didn't succeed.

10. Divided island north of Australia : TIMOR.  East Timor is a sovereign nation.  The western part of the island belongs to Indonesia.

11. BP merger partner : AMOCO.  Big oil gets bigger.

12. Actress Olin : LENA.  In THE NINTH GATE

14. Canine neighbor : MOLAR.  Teeth, not pets.

17. Eye wolfishly : OGLE.   

Let's not be rude about it

18. Premiere, datewise : OPEN ON.   This seems kind of clumsy, but it works.

23. At the pinnacle of : ATOP.  

24. Semicircle, e.g. : ARC.    Any portion of a circle.

26. Like five-star hotels : POSH.   High class and expensive.

27. Radius neighbor : ULNA.   Bones of the forearm.

28. "Alley __" : OOP.   Erstwhile cartoon caveman.

29. Thurman of "Kill Bill" : UMA.

2003 Quentin Tarantino revenge movie

32. Springsteen's first Top 40 hit : BORN TO RUN.

33. Red explorer? : ERIC.  Eiríkr Þorvaldsson; [950 – c. 1003]  Following the family tradition, Eric was exiled for killing a man.  His explorations then took him to Greenland, but he was probably not the first European to land there.  [Wikipedia]

34. Victor Borge, by birth : DANE.   Pianist and comic.

36. Fall precipitously : PLUNGE. Plummet.

37. Short stories? : LIT.  Literature, abbreviated.

38. Broody rock genre : EMO.  Emotional punk rock, for emotional punks.

40. "Sold!" : DEAL.  Artful agreement.

43. Pro Bowl team, briefly : AFC.   America Football Conference.

45. Massage option : OIL RUB.  All of my massage therapists have used essential oils.

46. Ravel classic used in the film "10" : BOLERO.

47. Palestinian leader Mahmoud : ABBAS. [b 1935]  Palesinian president since 2005.

48. Thailand neighbor : LAOS. East of Thailand, West of Viet Nam.

49. "Chicago" showgirl : ROXIE.

50. Diner patron : EATER.  Literal consumer.

52. Roger Rabbit frames : CELS.  Pick one.

53. "I totally agree!" : AMEN.  "So be it."

54. Rig on the road : SEMI. A tractor-trailer rig.

57. Quick kiss : PECK.  Usually on the cheek.

58. Disapproving sounds : TSKS.  Tongue clucks.

60. 60 secs. : MIN.  One minute

61. AP competitor : UPI.  United Press International

That wraps it up.  C. C. took us around the world and provided a lot of musical options, with no major nits.   Pretty good Wednesday, IMHO.

Cool regards!
JzB

Wednesday May 23, 2018 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme:  LIGHT-HEADED (60. Feeling woozy ... and a hint to the first words of the answers to starred clues)- Synonym theme. 

17A. *Precarious position: SHAKY GROUND.

38A. *1979 boxing sequel: ROCKY II.

 

11D. *Hall of Fame pitcher with the 1930s Cardinals: DIZZY DEAN.

31D. *Very small chance: FAINT HOPE.

C.C. here, filling in a Wednesday blogging gap.

From the byline, we can see that this puzzle's idea was Gail's. Constructor who dreams up the theme normally has her/his name come up first in byline order. So, this is a GAB puzzle (Gail and Bruce). If Bruce's name comes up first, then we'll have BAG (Bruce and Gail) puzzle. That's their code.

Some of you know I have low blood pressure. When the numbers get too low, I feel DIZZY. I don't use ROCKY to describe light-headedness though. I'm a happy person if I can make 92/65. Tough job! Very odd problem for someone who loves all kinds of pickled stuff. 

Across:

1. Italian fashion label: PRADA. Two more five-letter candidates: FENDI & GUCCI.

6. Invasive Asian vine: KUDZU.

11. CSI lab sample: DNA.

14. "Cosmos" host: SAGAN (Carl).

15. Symphonic winds: OBOES.

16. + or - particle: ION.

19. Zoo opening in Britain: ZED. Just the opening letter: Zoo

20. Long-lasting needlework?: TATTOO. Cute clue.

21. Hero of Uris' "Exodus": ARI.

22. Business magnate: CZAR.

23. Lowest in fat: LEANEST. We also have 28. Most coquettish: COYEST Also .46. Not as clear: HAZIER.

25. "And __ off!": THEY'RE.

27. Take it easy: REST. So glad you're now "clean as a whistle", dear Spitzboov!

Spitzboov, Betty & Argyle 

28. Grade-schooler: CHILD.

29. Fido's poodle amie: FIFI.

32. Classification prefix meaning "arrangement": TAXO. Learning moment for me.

34. What candidates "press" a lot of: FLESH.

37. Time division: ERA. FYI, Dave 2, "Lucy Baines" is a song by Chad Mitchell Trio. D-Otto burned a special CD for Boomer, who's been blasting those songs.

40. Wanted poster letters: AKA.

41. Do an airport maintenance job: DE-ICE.

43. Eager about, with "on": KEEN.

44. Foul mood: SNIT.

45. __ Ark: NOAH'S.

47. "Get outta there!": SCAT.

49. Bronchial woe: ASTHMA.

51. Totally puzzled: AT A LOSS. For words.

54. Journalist Paula: ZAHN. Have not watched anything by her after her CNN days.

55. It has a dozen signs: Abbr.: ZOD. OK. Zodiac.

57. Low clouds: STRATI.

59. "Evil Woman" band, briefly: ELO.

62. Knock: RAP.

63. Former Houston hockey team: AEROS. Houston Aeros (1994–2013). Wiki said they were the "AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild. The team is now the Iowa Wild." I forgot. I don't follow the Wild.

64. Tequila plant: AGAVE.

65. Citrus suffix: ADE.

66. __-Roman wrestling: GRECO.

67. Doled (out): METED. 

Down:

1. Subtle summons: PSST.

2. 1986 Indy 500 champ Bobby: RAHAL. Not UNSER.

3. Colorful quartz: AGATE.

4. '60s TV show whose title means "doctor" in Swahili: DAKTARI. Unknown to me.

5. "Do I have a volunteer?": ANYONE? Anyone?

6. "MASH" setting: Abbr.: KOR. Korea.

7. WWII sub: U BOAT. Sometimes it's E-BOAT.

8. Gloomy: DOUR.

9. Apex: ZENITH.

10. Amer. money: USD.

12. Lack of musical skill: NO EAR.

13. Agassi of tennis: ANDRE.

18. Heads for: GOES TO.

22. Honeycomb unit: CELL. I'm loving Aldi's raw honey lately.

24. Puts into piles: STACKS.

26. LP player: HI FI.

29. Gave grub to: FED. Here is a typical kitchen in Guangzhou. My friend Carmen's home. One light soy sauce, one dark soy sauce, olive oil, peanut oil, white pepper, salt and sugar. Oh, Jayce, I just learned yesterday that 胡椒粉 and 花椒粉 are different. Carmen, you and Boomer use 胡椒粉. But my brother uses 花椒粉  (Sichuan peppercorns powder).

 

30. Anger: IRE.

33. Jaguar model: XKE.

35. Hit the slopes: SKI.

36. Fez, e.g.: HAT. Hi, Abejo!

38. Scold, with "out": REAM.

39. One way to pay: IN CASH.

42. "Walking in Memphis" singer Marc: COHN.

44. Attic function: STORAGE. Gotta 50's baseball cards there?

48. Chi. White Sox or Bos. Red Sox: AL TEAM.

49. Hyundai sedan: AZERA.

50. Tossed __: SALAD.

51. For a special purpose: AD HOC.

52. '70s-'80s Egyptian president: SADAT.

53. Actor Carell: STEVE. Or [L.A. Times Crossword Corner blogger Marron]. Such a cool picture!

56. Folklore brute: OGRE.

58. Carded at a club, briefly: ID'ED.

60. Fall behind: LAG.

61. Chinese menu surname: TSO.

C.C.

Wednesday, May 16 2018, Jared Tamarkin

Theme: Cloud-hidden, whereabouts unknown.*

20. Old Glory: AMERICAN FLAG.

28. "Don't incriminate yourself!": ADMIT NOTHING. Good advice.

44. 1983 Lionel Richie #1 song: ALL NIGHT LONG.

9. With 65-Across, it has a 54-Across, so they say: EVERY.

65. See 9-Across: CLOUD.

54. Upside of 9-Across/65-Across ... and, chemically speaking, what each pair of circles represents: SILVER LINING. 

I loved EVERYthing about this puzzle. Looks to be Jared's debut at the Corner. Theme-heavy, with lots to appreciate, including lots of artistic references. AG is the chemical symbol for SILVER (from the Latin word "argentum" meaning "silver"), flanking (or lining) three long answers.

*Van Morrison quotes the poem Searching for the Hermit in Vain, by Chia Tao (777-841) in his tune Alan Watts Blues. Watts includes the poem in the intro page to his book Cloud Hidden.

Across:

1. __ media: MASS.

5. Last year's frosh: SOPH.

14. Bug bite symptom: ITCH.

15. Indonesian boat: PROA. New word for me.

16. British prime minister before Brown: BLAIR.

17. "Cooking From the Hip" chef Cat __: CORA.

18. Prilosec target: ACID.

19. Well-manored men?: LORDS. Great clue.

23. Pigs and hogs: SWINE.

24. Nov. voting time: TUES.

25. Dead heat: TIE.

31. Platters from the past: LPS. LP = Long Playing, refers to the 10- or 12-inch diameter vinyl records, popular again. Any collectors here?

34. "Otello" baritone: IAGO.

35. "__ and Louis": 1956 jazz album: ELLA. Speaking of LPs ...

36. Marjoram kin: OREGANO.

38. Like the Constitution, 27 times: AMENDED.

41. "Unforgettable" father or daughter: COLE.

42. Nerve cell transmitter: AXON.

43. Sci-fi extras: ETS.

49. Guitar great Paul: LES.

50. Bring in: REAP.

51. New, to Neruda: NUEVA. Neruda was born and died in Chile, and wrote his poetry in Spanish.

57. Storage towers: SILOS.

60. City on its own lake: ERIE.

61. Morally repugnant: EVIL.

62. Fill with delight: ELATE.

63. Pie containers: TINS.

64. "La Dolce __": VITA. Italian for the sweet life. Also the title of a 1960 film by Frederico Fellini.

66. Ford contemporary: OLDS. Olds Motor Vehicle Co. was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897.

67. Eden exile: ADAM.

Down:

1. Layered silicate: MICA.

2. Tiny physics units: ATOMS.

3. Threaded hardware: SCREW.

4. Islamic law: SHARIA.

5. Guy who is out of this world?: SPACEMAN. Not Superman.

6. Killer whale: ORCA.

7. Indicate with an index finger: POINT TO.

8. Lived it up: HAD FUN.

9. Online marketing technique: E-BLAST.

10. YouTube journal: VLOG.

11. Musical gift: EAR.

12. Relieved (of): RID.

13. Trips around the sun: Abbr.: YRS.

21. Gandhi's land: INDIA.

22. Early-to-mid-August baby: LEO.

25. El Niño feature?: TILDE. Love this clue.

26. Shoreline recess: INLET.

27. "Jeepers!": EGADS.

29. "May __ now?": I GO.

30. Lady bird: HEN. Another great clue. Also a 2017 film.

31. From this area: LOCAL.

32. Humble worker, briefly: PROLE. Another new word for me, "a member of the working class."

33. Succeeds commercially: SELLS.

37. Bk. with the ark story: GEN.

38. Rocker Rose: AXL. Also Eddie Murphy's character in the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop.

39. Like a particularly dark sky after sunset: MOONLESS.

40. The blahs: ENNUI.

42. In imminent danger: AT PERIL. Sounds odd - usually hear IN peril.

45. Opened or closed, as a lens aperture: IRISED. If you say so.

46. Hairdresser's goop: GEL.

47. Must: HAVE TO.

48. Swiss convention city: GENEVA.

52. Brilliantly colored: VIVID.

53. Soul singer Baker: ANITA.

54. Annual Jan. speech, in Twitter hashtags: SOTU. State of the Union.

55. Orange skin: RIND.

56. Flashy rock genre: GLAM.

57. "Wait a __!": SEC.

58. Under the weather: ILL.

59. Poet __-tzu: LAO. "Music in the soul can be heard by the universe."