Saturday, Jun 23rd, 2012, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 70

Blocks: 37

Another Silkie in June ~! Today's puzzle was easier than both Wed and Thu as far as I am concerned - but then again, I was on the right wavelength with clues that I felt confident about when giving it the WAG - ( Wild Ass Guess...not so Wild today ). Odd grid today, too, with triple drops of 8's in the NW and SE, plus quads of 6's in the other corners; 4 10-letter answers -

21A. How waiters take orders : ONE AT A TIME - ever have a waiter/waitress take your table's order withOUT writing it down~?; impressive, especially when they get it right

52A. Best Picture of 1995 : BRAVEHEART - Better times for Mel Gibson; Have not actually sat through the whole movie, and I don't plan to, either - just came back from seeing Prometheus - ***spoiler alert ~!*** ( just my blog only, though....)

8D. Nutritious intake : SQUARE MEAL - I have discovered Greek yogurt; trying to eat better now that I am 'getting older'....

28D. It's tested using the scientific method : HYPOTHESIS

OnWARD Orthorunicans~!!!

ACROSS:

1. Lose focus : BLUR

5. Ones arguing about diamonds: Abbr. : MGRs - Managers - I recall the days of Billy Martin of the Yankees; tried UMPS first, since I WAG-ed this as a baseball diamond reference

9. They may help you find seats : STUBS - ticket stubs

14. Race assignment : LANE - Swimming, e.g.

15. Major oil exporter : IRAQ - IRAN, OPEC, any other 4 letter places?

16. Principle : TENET

17. Press : URGE - not IRON

18. In __: unmoved : SITU - straight Latin

19. Between, overseas : ENTRE

20. Mild oath : EGAD

23. Floral accessory : LEI - Aloha

24. Musical membrane : DRUM HEAD - Here I am in my little studio, and my Ludwig '65 Blue Sparkle set

25. Stridex target : ACNE - ah, yes, I remember the days....

27. "Golly" : "OH GEE"

29. Some IDs : SSNs - Social Security Nos, and also; 64A. Old political divs. : SSRs - Soviet Socialist Republics

30. Marsupial that may be no larger than a rabbit : WALLABY - Image

32. Wyo. hours : MST - Wyoming is on Mountain Standard Time - do they skip Daylight Savings??

34. Cold War deal : SPY SWAP - One of the better James Bond 007 moments, IMHO, from "Die Another Day", where he spent 14 months in captivity, then got "swapped"

35. Cityscape feature : EDIFICE - not SKYLINE, but then again, that's redundant, again

40. Pre-1868 Tokyo : EDO

41. Remote pair, often : AA CELLS - Remote control batteries

42. Govt. investigative org. : NTSB - National Transportation Safety Board

46. Olympics host of 1956, 1960 and 2006 : ITALY - Considered TOKYO, but with 40A in the clues....

48. Lesage novel "Gil __" : BLAS - meh, French; the Wiki

49. 24 between Berlin and Hamburg, e.g. : AUTOBAHN - never been, but I would like to, one day, take a speed drive down such a road - is this a "route number"? ( there's two rt24 roads here on Long Island; one in Nassau, the other Suffolk County )

51. Tax shelter initials : IRA - common crosswordese

55. Black : INKY - not EBON

56. 2005 A.L. Hank Aaron Award winner : ORTIZ - a little help, C.C.~?? (From C.C.: David Ortiz. "Big Papi". Linda can tell you more about him. He was lousy when he was with the Twins. On the DL often. Alas! )

57. Swing around : SLUE

58. Where a stud might be found : LOBE - ear, not WALL

59. Get back together : REUNE - is this slang for Reunite? I could not find it in any online dictionary (!?!)

60. They're charged : IONS

61. One may be habitual : LIAR

62. __ guitar : STEEL - Like this one on the cover from Dire Straits

63. Friday et al.: Abbr. : SGTs - Sergeant Friday, Dragnet fame

DOWN:

1. They're rarely enforced : BLUE LAWS - like not being able to work or buy liquor on Sunday; back when I was sixteen, and working for Grossman's Lumber ( based in MA, do you remember them BarryG~? ), Sunday was DOUBLE time - and I worked an 8-hr shift every time

2. Stock designation : LARGE CAP - if you say so; perps got this one for me

3. Bungling : UNGAINLY

4. Swamp thing : REED - tried FERN to start

5. Protein-rich paste : MISO

6. Alfred E. Neuman feature : GRIN



7. Like "Toy Story" : RATED G

9. Cook, in a way : STEAM

10. They can follow points : TENTHS - as in .10

11. Loosens : UNTIES

12. Sportscaster Len who wrote "Spanning the World" : BERMAN

13. Mounts : STEEDS - horses, the noun

22. Super __ : TUESDAY - election fodder

26. Some transit lines : ELs - Elevated trains

27. Shortest book in the Hebrew Bible : OBADIAH

31. Dazzle : AWE

33. Personal quirk : TIC

36. 2, at times: Abbr. : FEBruary, as the months go - my B-day is 2/9/71

37. The Ohio River forms its southern border : ILLINOIS - Map

38. Candy once touted by a giraffe : CLARK BAR



39. Trying ones : ESSAYERS

42. "Return to Mayberry" actor : NABORS - Jim, who went on to his own "Gomer Pyle" TV show

43. Tank top : TURRET - nice deception, but I nailed it - not T-SHIRT

44. Phidias' "Zeus at Olympia," e.g. : STATUE - One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

45. Ox, say : BOVINE

47. Like old recorded music : ANALOG

50. Chisel's edge : BEZEL - tried BEVEL first; makes more sense; I think of a watch face when I hear BEZEL; Google feels the same way - try 'chisel bezel'....

53. Squirt : RUNT

54. Hardy's "Pure Woman" : TESS

55. Maladies : ILLS

Answer grid.

Splynter

Friday, June 22, 2012, Jeremy Horwitz and Tony Orbach

Theme: It sounds like RAIN. Each of the three theme answers replaces Rain in a common phrase with a homonym, creating a punny new phrase. Rain also appears in the unifier. This is our second offering from Mr. Horwitz, he did the interesting tribute to Peter O'Toole last year with a co-constructor. This time he teams up with Tony Orbach, a NY Times regular. Jeremy has had some solos published in the NYT. They have some nice long horizontal fill in this one. Let us decode where this math expert (cryptographer?) leads us.

17A. Beaver's motto? : REIN WATER. (RAIN WATER) Dam, this one was hard. It took a while and the perps to suss this out and then a moment to realize it referred to the water blocking tendencies of this suggestively named creature. Once you remember REIN comes from the same Latin stem from which we get restrain, it all makes sense.

31A. Device for measuring a king's performance? : REIGN GAUGE (RAIN GAUGE). Reign comes from the Latin REGNUM, rule, kingship.

48A. Jig performed by Wilson of "The Office"? : RAINN DANCE.(RAIN DANCE). This ACTOR. Not sure why he received the extra N. One was good enough for Richard Pryor.

66A. Postponement...or what was not performed in 17-, 31- and 48-Across? : RAIN CHECK. Well, not really, it is what you get when there is a postponement. Anyway, let us see how this duo clues....

Across:

1. Be positive : KNOW. I know you all got this to start us off.

5. Erases from the bases : TAGS. Like the rhyme this time, and baseball for C.C.

9. Ebb : ABATE. A happy A word.

14. John Ratzenberger voiced one in "Monsters, Inc." : YETI. Three cheers for this voice actor who will always be Cliff to me.

15. Puerto Rico, por ejemplo : ISLA. Spanish.

16. Edible mushroom : MOREL. The official fungus of the Corner! We are not the only ones who get excited about this suggestive shape. LINK.

19. Model : IDEAL. Do you have a favorite? Also, 52.A Supermodel Taylor : NIKI. She has had some bad times.

20. Uncertain : AT SEA.

21. Auburn, e.g.:Abbr. : UNIVersity. Located in Auburn, Alabama.

23. Rochester's love : EYRE. Jane, from the novel, not Jack Benny.

24. One queued up for petrol : BRIT. Hello to all of our Brits whereever they may be. Steve, NC? And 72A. Ozzy Osbourne duo? : ZEDS. More Brit speak, Z.

26. "So will I...make the net/ that shall enmesh them all" speaker : IAGO. It is like they know how much I love me some Shakespeare on my blog days, from Othello.

28. Sri Lankan king : RAJA.

36. Takes over : USURPS. Robert Baratheon, the Usurper.

38. "You must be looking for someone else" : NOT I. Please no more grammar.

39. Westernmost Rocky Mountain st. : NEVada.

40. USMC enforcers : MPS. United States Marine Corps. Military Police.

41. Doctor's threads? : LAB COAT. Am I the only one who thought of Rocky Horror?

43. One in Saint-Émilion : UNE. Francaise Une, zero, une.

44. U.N. Day month : OCTober. We all celebrate this day, right. $1.00 to anyone but Tinbeni who knows the date without looking.

45. Ghostly glow : AURA.

46. Antagonist in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" : GASTON. You think he gets a bad RAP?

51. Future D.A.'s hurdle : LSAT. Law School Admission Test, obligatory law reference.

53. City with Ibsen quotes set into its sidewalks : OSLO. Jerome, have you been?

55. "Jaws" boat : ORCA.

57. Woodpile protector : TARPaulin. Usually we see this with baseball diamond.

60. Prefix with arthritis : OSTEO. From the Greek.

64. Show emotion, say : REACT. Oh no, oh no, oh yessss, yessss. See, I can act.

68. Sink : BASIN.

69. Seller of SOMMARVIND beach accessories : IKEA. I get this initialism often and I am not re-posting the words.

70. Logical lead-in : ERGO. Latin, Cogito ergo sum. Je pense, donc je suis. Descartes.

71. Pooped : SPENT. I am and I still have to do all the downs.

73. Eucharist wafer, e.g. : DISK.

Down:

1. Actress Sedgwick : KYRA. The CLOSER, married to Kevin Bacon. And, 65D. "The Closer" channel : TNT.

2. Old depilatory : NEET. NAIR NO HAIR?

3. Publisher Chandler : OTIS. A shout out to the LA Times for this last member of his FAMILY.

4. Place to enjoy the last blush of summer? : WINE BAR. Nice fill, nice pun on blush wine. And, 22D. 4-Down concerns : VINTAGES. From the French.

5. Andalusian aunt : TIA.

6. Sharp : ASTUTE. He was astute, an A student.

7. Small valley : GLEN. Not Campbell.

8. Bollywood wrap : SARI. I linked how to wrap one, you all recall?

9. "What __ to do?" : AM I? I must keep going still work to do.

10. Barrio market : BODEGA. This MARKET. We have many here in Hialeah and Miami.

11. "Don't be a fool!" : ARE YOU NUTS? Nice new fill.

12. Rip : TEAR. One of my favorite actors, not at his BEST.

13. Vogue rackmate : ELLE. Magazine rack, not Dennis' life work.

18. Major fight : WAR.

25. Taxing event, in more ways than one : IRS AUDIT. Taxing event, what form!

27. Mylanta target : AGITA. A good new jersey word.

28. Mill story? : RUMOR. The old rumor mill.

29. Toy-saving org. : ASPCA. Toy dogs. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

30. As a precaution : JUST IN CASE. Who is this Justin case guy anyway?

32. Early Peruvian : INCAN. Or Prince Albert?

33. Gunk : GOO. Eyes, dolls?

34. City SSW of Milan : GENOA.

35. Happening : EVENT.

37. Pirate ship part : PLANK. Nice place for a walk?

42. Two-piece piece : BRA.

47. Stinko : SLOSHED. Blotto, smashed, etc.

49. Vitamin B3 : NIACIN.

50. Ripped from a CD : COPIED. ?

54. ___ cit.: footnote abbr. : LOC. We use Id. the abbreviation of Ibid. LINK.

55. Balls : ORBS. I grabbed by his orbs? No.

56. Gather : REAP. What you sow.

58. Where PHX airport is : ARIZ.

59. Fall tool : RAKE. I am going to leave this clue alone.

61. Actress Hatcher : TERI. One of my favorite guests on SEINFELD and a dangerous housewife..

62. ER readouts : ECGS. Not as well known as EKGS, but more accurate. ElectroCardioGrams.

63. "All right, already!" : OK OK. We are almost done.

67. ___ in November : N AS.

Answer grid.

Well my pretties, we have managed to rush through another week. It was fun. Thank you all for tuning in, so now it is time to say good night Chet.

Lemonade

Thursday, June 21, 2012 Jack McInturff

Theme: "The play's the thing". Not to catch the conscience of the king this time, but to have fun with words that can follow "play". As in:

17A. *Personal history : BACKGROUND. Playback and playground.

24A. *Russia's is the largest in the world : LAND AREA. Playland and play area. Two similar meanings there. I'm not sure if "play land" is referring to a specific theme park (Like Rye Playland in NY), or just a generic "play land", like at McDonald's or something...

37A. *Only women understand one : GIRL THING. Play girl and play thing. Also two similar meanings??

53A. *Many a dorm resident : ROOMMATE. Play room and play mate.

61A. Exciting inning ender, and an apt description of the answers to the starred clues: DOUBLE PLAY. Each word, or in the case of 17- and 53-Across, each part of the word, can follow the word "play". Whew! I was really worried that this was taking me into the alien world of baseball for a minute!

Marti here, to play around with the other entries.

Across:

1. Statistician's fodder : DATA

5. Broke out of a slump? : SAT UP. Fun clue.

10. Soft drink seed : KOLA

14. Verve : ELAN

15. "___ porridge hot..." : PEASE. Recipe, if anyone has a mind to...

16. Asian sashes : OBIS

19. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" threats : ASPS. "I hate snakes!" 0:15

20. Queen in Showtime's "The Tudors" : BOLEYN. I just finished reading "The Other Boleyn Girl", so this was a gimme.

21. Many a surfer : AOLER.

23. Talk show complement : PANEL

27. Québec sidekick : AMI. French for "friend". "Amie" would be "girlfriend".

28. Team-building sessions : TRYOUTS. Another fun and misleading clue.

31. Mover, but hopefully not a shaker : VAN. Especially if you are moving your crystal and china!

32. South American rodent : PACA. Remember him?

34. Small salamander : NEWT. And him?

35. They have their own page : OP-EDS. "Opposite the editorial (page)(s)"

40. Out in the open : OVERT. Not to be confused with covert ops (eds?)

43. Serengeti predator : LION. I ain't lion - it's true!

44. Takes in slowly : SIPS. As a fine cognac. Tinbeni, do you sip at sunset?

48. ___-les-Bains: French commune : AIX. Geography lesson of the day. Between Geneva, Switzerland and Grenoble.

49. Caviar variety : SHAD ROE. Not as fine as sturgeon caviar.

52. Came upon : MET. Phew, dodged another baseball answer!

55. Nasal walls : SEPTA. Not to deviate from my task, but one would be a septum...

57. Water buy : LITER

58. First known European to reach New Zealand : TASMAN. I did not know this bit of trivia! I guess he was quite a devil.

60. Jacket-and-tie affair : GALA. Like a 1-down?

65. Bit of progress : STEP

66. "Aunt ___ Cope Book" : ERMA'S. Erma Bombeck, the perennial crossword comic.

67. Domesticate : TAME

68. Sol lead-in : AERO. Can you say "aerosol"?

69. Printer's proof : REPRO. duction.

70. River of Flanders : YSER. Ok, geography lesson # 2.

Down:

1. A ball may be thrown for one : DEB. (And a baseball clue averted!)

2. Tuskegee's locale : ALABAMA. Geography # 3.

3. Mount Greylock's range : TACONIC. Geography # 4. I always think of it as being in the Berkshires. Beautiful hiking trails. We used to ski out there sometimes - natural terrain, great for cross-country.

4. Low joint : ANKLE. In the neighborhood of low digits...

5. Agile : SPRY

6. Many millennia : AEON

7. Ancient cross shape : TAU. Here is a window from the convent at San Anton, Spain with Tau crosses.

8. Where many subs are served?: Abbr. : USN. United States Navy. Well, I guess they might have a lot of submarine sandwiches for lunch in the mess, but I don't think the sailors would find the nuclear kind very appetizing.

9. Intellectual showoff : PEDANT. Please don't think I am being a pedant, when I go off on a tangent explaining an answer!

10. Leaf-eating critter : KOALA. Awwwww...

11. Watch : OBSERVE

12. Compensate for a hearing loss, in a way : LIP-READ

13. Biblical mammal : ASS

18. Dinero : GELT. Yesterday we had "jack" as a synonym for money. Is "gelt" more familiar?

22. Has way too much, for short : ODS ON

23. Drivel : PAP. From German "pappe", meaning "cardboard". A nursery word that was used for bread soaked in water, having little nourishing value.

24. Good time for clamming : LOW TIDE

25. Name on the cover : AUTHOR

26. Solution: Abbr. : ANS. Like this one!

29. Furlough, to a GI : R 'N' R. "Rest and Recreation". I know some marines who called it "I & I" (Intoxication and intercourse).

30. Scold : YELL AT. Don't yell at me! I was only joking!

33. Growing field: Abbr. : AGR.iculture.

36. Some film ratings : PGS. "Parental Guidance"(s)

38. "I'm home!" relative : IT'S ME.

39. Goddess who rescued Odysseus : INO. I know! She gave Odysseus a veil and told him how to return to Ithaca.

40. Backwash creator : OAR. Our simple sculler's need is getting trickier as the week progresses...

41. Break, as laws : VIOLATE. Who, me??

42. Wayne Gretzky, notably : EX-OILER. Ex-Met, Ex-Pat, Ex-Cub, Ex-Lax...

45. Graceful antelopes : IMPALAS

46. Honey or sugar : PET NAME. Aw, shucks, sweetie!

47. MTA stop : STA.tion on the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Might as well link it! 2:25

50. More demanding : HARDER. This is getting harder and harder...

51. Being, to Cato : ESSE. Latin "to be" (or not to be?)

54. Highest pt. in the Philippines : MT APO. Geography lesson # (what, are we up to five already??)

56. Like some promises : EMPTY

58. Slope conveyance : T-BAR. Finally! One that I could fill in without hesitation!

59. In addition : ALSO

60. Fed. purchasing group : GSA. General Services Administration.

62. Refinery input : ORE

63. One who wears a mask every fourth game : UMP. Uh-oh, a baseball clue and answer that I couldn't dodge! So a quick search tells me that there are usually four umpires in baseball: One at home plate, and one at first, second and third bases. They switch positions at each game. Only the umpire at home plate requires a mask, because he is directly in the path of the pitcher. Hence, the reason one wears a mask every fourth game. TA-DA!!

64. "___ out!": 63-Down cry : YER. Yes indeed, I am outta here!

Answer grid.

Hugs,
Marti

Wednesday, June 20, 2012 Gary J. Whitehead

Theme - BATTER UP! Three non-baseball-related phrases each end in a word that doubles as a pitch.

17A. White castle offering. HAMBURGER SLIDER. The White Castle SLIDER is a 2 1/2 inch patty served on an equally small bun. Feel free to speculate on etymology in comments. A SLIDER pitch has speed between the curve and fastball speeds. It has lateral movement, but less so than a genuine curve ball. If it doesn't break enough, it is said to be "hanging," Hitters considers these to be gifts.

24A. Gadget for sharing a TV signal: CABLE SPLITTER. Needed if you have more than one TV or signal receiving device. A SPLITTER pitch is thrown using a split-fingered grip and a fast ball delivery. It is a slower pitch, though, similar to a change up. It generally drops and breaks at the plate.

40A. Angler's weight: FISHING SINKER. This is a small weight used along with a lure to increase the rate of sink or casting distance. A SINKER pitch is a genuine fast ball that has both downward and horizontal movement.

And the unifier: 53A. Types of then can be found at the ends of 17-, 24-, and 40-Across. BASEBALL PITCHES. Nice theme - right in tune.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa at the plate. Let's strike out (no - not that way) circle the diamond, and see if this puzzle is a gem.

Across:

1. Jaunty tune: LILT. Like this.

5. Desert bloomers: CACTI. Here is a great picture by my virtual friend MMM.

10. They may be on KP: PFC'S. Kitchen Police duty for Privates First Class.

14. Land east of the Urals: ASIA. Not a specific "land," but the entire land mass.

15. Detective Pinkerton: ALLEN. (Correction: ALLAN)

16. Vex: RILE.

20. Wide cigar: ROBUSTO. That makes scents.

21. Drive on a course: TEE OFF. Husker?

22. Look like a wolf: LEER. Not resemble a canis lupus, but observe in the manor of a lady-killer.

23. Yields to gravity: SAGS. I will spare you a link.

29. The U.K.'s Labour, for one: PARTY. Politics, not a joyous gathering.

31. "Leaves of Grass" poet Whitman: WALT. This is a poetry collection that Whitman worked on for much of his adult life.

WHEN lilacs last in the door-yard bloom’d,
And the great star early droop’d in the western sky in the night,
I mourn’d—and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.

32. ____ de la Cité: ÎLE. The island in the Seine where the medieval city of Paris was founded. French and a gratuitous obscurity. Bah!

33. "That makes sense.": I SEE. Get it?

34. Becomes frayed, say: WEARS. Showing signs of use? Frayed so.

36. Feds fighting counterfeiting: T-MEN. Agents of the Treasury Dept.

37. Broke a fast. ATE. When I fast, it slows me down.

38. Talk with one's hands: SIGN. Use sign language, not emphasize your spoken words with gestures. When a clue is literal, that makes it tricky.

39. It doesn't hold water: SIEVE. A kitchen strainer that holds the lumps and lets the gravy go down the drain. Two literal clues in a row! Figuratively, an idea or argument that "doesn't hold water" will not stand up to rational criticism. More politics. Let's not go there.

44. Mid-month time: IDES. The most famous occurrence is in March.

45. Not e'en once. NE'ER. Ever and never with the v's elided. Does any real person talk this way?

46. Blue shades: AZURES. AZURE is the color of a bright blue sky. What do you make of the plural?

49. Affirm under oath: SWEAR TO. Hence the phrase, "You lie and I'll swear to it."

56. Opposite of ecto-" ENDO-. Prefixes meaning external and internal, respectively.

57. Monterrey jack: PESOS. Mexican money. Note the lack of capitalization on "jack."

58. "Born in a great steak house" salad dressing. KEN'S. I'm quite fond of the sun-dried tomato.

59. Professor's boss: DEAN. Everybody has a boss, e'en in academia.

60. Confederacy: SOUTH. The Confederate States of America, brought back into the Union by the Civil War. More politics.

61. Starch from a palm: SAGO. Someday I might remember this word.

Down:

1. Cowardly Lion portrayer: LAHR. Bert, from The Wizard of Oz.

2. Golfer Aoki: ISAO. Someday I might remember his name.

3. Life partner: LIMB. From the phrase "Life and LIMB," indicating what you put at risk when engaging in reckless activity.

4. Arrange in columns: TABULATE. Only maybe. The Free Dictionary defines TABULATE as "to set out, arrange, or write in tabular form."

5. OPEC is one: CARTEL. An organization of producers whose goals are to set prices and control quantities. A characteristic of the not-so-free market.

6. Climate Reality Project Chairman: AL GORE. Where science meets politics.

7. Cavs on scoreboards: CLE. The Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team.

8. Roofer's supply: TAR. That hot gooey stuff.

9. Sets up, as software: INSTALLS. Hardware, too, come to think of it.

10. One hearing a confession: PRIEST. Bless me, Father, for I have sinned . . .

11. Everypooch: FIDO. The John Doe of the canine world. But shouldn't that be e'erypooch?

12. Curvy music figure: CLEF. Why do I always want to spell this CLEFF? Curvy, indeed! E'en the despised C Clefs.

13. Lord's laborer. SERF. Medieval peasant, bound to the soil. This was not a LABOUR party!

14. Words on a yogurt container. USE BY. I've ne'er understood this. What's it going to do - go good?

19. On the up and up. LEGIT. Two slang terms for honest and respectable.

23. Train between ropes. SPAR. Train in the (square) ring for a boxing match. I don't like it, though. "Between" suggests an intermediate relationship to two points or objects. The ring is bounded by four sets of ropes. Amidst, perhaps, or among? Can this clue be saved?

24. First Nation's members: CREES. First Nations is a Canadian term referring to Native Americans. The CREE people are one such nation. Is the term used here in the States?

25. Cygnet's parents. SWANS. Cygnets are their babies. In other news, Cygnet is a village of about 300 people on I-75 in Wood County, OH, between Bowling Green and Findlay.

26. Kitchen counter: TIMER. Counting the minutes until the cookies are ready. Mom - are they done yet?

27. Alt.: ELEVation. Note abbrvs. Sad to say, this one threw me. I was fixated on "Alt." as "alternative" and couldn't come up with any alternatives.

28. Former Quebec Premier Lévesque: RENE. This one, I knew. More politics, more Canada, more French.

29. "La Vie en Rose" chanteuse: PIAF. This I did not know, but the perps helped. Édith Giovanna Gassion, (1915 - 1961) was a French cultural icon. In the mid 30's, she took the nickname PIAF - a colloquialism for sparrow. What do you think?

30. Sparkling libation of Italy: ASTI. Named for its region of origin, this might as well be the official drink of the cross-word world.

34. Tart, juicy apples: WINESAPS. Great for baking, and one of my favorites for eating. Michigan's fruit crops - apples, pears, and peaches - were at least 90% destroyed this year by the warm April followed by overnight frosts in May. At least the vineyards in the northwestern part of the L. P. were spared.

35. Fabergé collectables: EGGS. Conspicuous consumption. Read all about it. That is quite enough French, merci.

36. Hanging organizers. TIE RACKS, not what is done after an unsuccessful coup.

39. Trapshooting. SKEET. Check it out.

41. Add to the payroll. HIRE ON. Rare occurrence, these days.

42. Place to be. IN SPOT. Hang out there, and maybe you'll SPOT the it girl. On second thought, never mind. Nobody goes there anymore - it's too crowded.

43. Rather recent. NEWISH. The word seems a bit lame-ish.

46. Propped up by pillows, perhaps. ABED. A dreaded a-word, and where I ought to be. Soon . . .

47. Writer Grey. ZANE. Did he ever see things in black and white? He did write Riders of the Purple Sage.

48. Fed. inspection org. : USDA (United States Department of Agriculture).

50. Mother of Zeus: RHEA. Zeus had a mother?!? I must have mythed it.

51. 100 C-notes.: TEN G. A G is a thousand dollars - probably from "grand." Do the math.

52. Bologna bone: OSSA. (Correction: The answer is OSSO.) I'm going to be careful here. OSSA is Italian for bone; Bologna is a city in Italy; it all fits.

54. Sign of Summer. LEO. The Zodiac sign containing the latter part of July and most of August. The LW, grandson Nate, and his dad are all LEOS.

55. Shaq's alma mater: LSU. Cager O'Neal attended Louisiana State University. He probably didn't play baseball.

Answer grid.

Well, we had a balk and a wild pitch or two, but I'll call this a quality major league effort. Hope you had a good time and stayed until the final out.

Cheers!

JzB

Tuesday, June 19, 2012 Ed Sessa

Theme: Child's Play - A test of your ability to solve column themes.

3D. Start of a nursery rhyme : JACK AND JILL

5D. Start of a nursery rhyme : LONDON BRIDGE

22D. Start of a nursery rhyme : HUMPTY DUMPTY

26D. End of a nursery rhyme, or the fate of this puzzle's other three long answers : ALL FALL DOWN

Argyle here. How many times have you started to write out a troublesome vertical answer horizontally only to recognize it before you get it half done? Is there a name for it? There should be.

Without that little problem, the rest of the puzzle was more Monday than yesterday. Some of the fill linked together nicely. (GASUP ENDAT CNOTE)

Across:

1. JFK's running mate : LBJ

4. Muddle through mud : SLOSH

9. Funeral stands : BIERS

14. Notre Dame's Parseghian : ARA

15. Biblical prophet : HOSEA. Or ELIAS or MICAH. Others?

16. Illuminated from below : UPLIT

17. Muscular twitch : TIC

18. Signed in pen : INKED

19. Asia's __ Archipelago : MALAY. Map.

20. Rodent-induced shriek : "EEK!"

21. Manitoba neighbor: Abbr. : N. DAK. On their southern border.

22. Time divs. : HR's

23. Nebulous element : X FACTOR

25. Luminous cosmic objects : QUASARS

29. It's between eleven and one : NOON

30. Rathole : DUMP

31. NASA moon craft : LEM. (lunar excursion module)

32. When repeated twice, a "Seinfeld" catchphrase : YADA

34. Softly hit hit : BLOOP

36. Veal cordon __ : BLEU. (literally, blue ribbon)

37. Grumpy and dopey, but not doc: Abbr. : ADJ's (adjectives)Didn't fool me this time.

38. "Slipstream" album maker Bonnie : RAITT

39. Ices, Mafia-style : OFFS

40. Legal order : WRIT

41. Detailed wood design : INLAY

42. Itchy outbreak : RASH

43. IMer's "How funny!" : LOL

44. On pins and needles : EDGY. The Searchers - Needles and Pins.(2:28)

45. "Sounds fair" : "DEAL"

47. Throw money around : SPLURGE

49. Critters in shells : TURTLES. Do they splurge when they come out of their shells?

52. Mystery writer Grafton : SUE. Our "__ is for ..." author.

53. Tibetan priest : LAMA

54. Make red, e.g. : DYE

55. Fill the tank : GAS UP. Any trouble today?

58. Distorts : WARPS

59. Not even : ODD

60. Go on until : END AT

61. Bill featuring Franklin, in slang : C NOTE

62. Hair on a dummy : WIG

63. Posts : MAILS

64. Goat-legged deity : SATYR

65. Wedding notice word : NÉE

Down:

1. Rubber tree product : LATEX

2. Like a summary : BRIEF

4. Eastern religion meaning "way of the gods" : SHINTO

6. Liam's "Schindler's List" role : OSKAR

7. Try to unearth : SEEK

8. Possessed : HAD

9. Unfounded charge, to an alleged perp : BUM RAP

10. "None for me" : "I PASS". I've always heard "I'll pass".

11. Letter-shaped pipe : ELL

12. Narrow inlet : RIA

13. Muddy pen : STY

24. Land on the sea : COAST

25. Sales rep's goal : QUOTA

27. Living coral communities : REEFS

28. Apply, as a pie to the face : SMUSH. Apply? Really?

30. Ornamental mat : DOILY

32. Two-masters : YAWLS. You can serve on one yawl but no one can serve two masters.

33. __ in the bucket : A DROP

35. Oscar winner Jessica : LANGE. She shouldn't be anywhere near the next dude.

36. Sacha Baron Cohen persona : BORAT. Persona non grata.

44. Spews forth : ERUPTS. I prefer a visual of a volcano.

46. Rubbery rubber : ERASER. Cute.

48. Par for the course : USUAL

49. Divination deck : TAROT

50. Singer Gorme : EYDIE

51. Marsh plant : SEDGE. Would this title make you more interested in sedges? Frosted curls to tiger nuts.

53. Superboy's girlfriend Lang : LANA

55. Little treasure : GEM

56. Southern California's Santa __ Mountains : ANA

57. Star Wars initials : SDI. (Strategic Defense Initiative)

58. Liverpool lavs : WC's. (water closet)

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, June 18, 2012 Jacob McDermott

Theme: Childs' Play - If they made a movie about Battleship, maybe HANGMAN is next.

17A. Prime minister, e.g. : HEAD OF STATE

25A. Fender-fixing facility : BODY SHOP

37A. Pencil-and-paper diversion where the starts of 17-, 25-, 48- and 57- Across denote incorrect guesses : HANGMAN

48A. Superpowers' weapons escalation : ARMS RACE

57A. Prohibition era gangster : LEGS DIAMOND

Argyle here. How to play HANGMAN here. Debut puzzle from Jacob McDermott, I believe. Good start, if so.

Across:

1. "Chicago" Tony winner Neuwirth : BEBE. Image.

5. Sentence component : PHRASE

11. Romney's religious gp. : LDS. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

14. Bell-ringing fragrance giant : AVON

15. Put gas in : FUELED

16. Suffer from allergies, say : AIL. Aaa-Choo!

19. "Fat chance, laddie!" : "NAE!"

20. City protected by Batman and Robin : GOTHAM

21. Inactive : IDLE

22. Lion of Narnia : ASLAN. From "The Chronicles of Narnia" series.

28. Burglar's headwear : SKI MASK

31. Funeral speech : EULOGY

32. Little fella : TYKE

33. Tropical straw hats : PANAMAs

36. Affirmative vote : AYE

38. Light switch setting : OFF

41. Disney creation : CARTOON

42. Red-carpet party : GALA

43. Follower of Ignatius of Loyola : JESUIT. Wikipedia article.

46. Inane : IDIOTIC

51. West, to Juan : OESTE

52. Chicken's home : COOP. Where the chicks learn their ABC's.

53. Makes fit : ADAPTS

56. Wine-and-cassis apéritif : KIR

62. Crackerjack pitcher : ACE

63. Gentle wind : BREEZE

64. Gave the boot : AXED

65. __ Palmas: Canary Islands port : LAS. Geography lesson.

66. Lots and lots : OODLES

67. Lavish affection (on) : DOTE

Down:

1. "Harrumph!" : "BAH!"

2. Motherless mother : EVE

3. Amazon squeezer : BOA

4. Final stage of a chess match : ENDGAME

5. Fizzling-out sound : [PFFT!]

6. "Pipe down!" : "HUSH!"

7. Adjust paragraph indents and such : RETAB

8. Memorable Texas mission : ALAMO

9. Tennis division : SET. Match, Set, Game

10. Central Dutch city : EDE. Map In Gelderland.

11. Crow's-nest cry : "LAND HO!". Crow's nest was a basket on the highest mast of the wooden sailing ships.

12. Most of a screenplay : DIALOG

13. Ready for bed : SLEEPY

18. Eugene O'Neill's daughter : OONA. She married Charlie Chaplin.

21. Cuba and Aruba: Abbr. : ISL's

22. Movie terrier : ASTA

23. Blue-bottled vodka : SKYY. Y 2 Y's?

24. Facebook button : LIKE

26. Claim as a right : DEMAND

27. Currency of China : YUAN

29. Ancient Greek military power : SPARTA

30. German philosopher Immanuel : KANT

34. IHOP '__: takeout food program : N'GO

35. Mine, to Monet : A MOI

37. Bad __ day : HAIR

38. Quaker product : OATS

39. Move lightly through the air : FLIT

40. Meet head-on : FACE

41. Zodiacal border : CUSP

42. Loses one's mind : GOES MAD

43. Wild canine scavenger : JACKAL

44. Beethoven's Third : EROICA

45. Campfire treats : S'MORES

47. Greek "i" : IOTA

49. Like pet parakeets : CAGED

50. '50s Ford failure : EDSEL

54. Woodworking tool : ADZE

55. Pumpkin desserts : PIES

57. Debt-heavy corp. deal : LBO. (Leveraged buyout)

58. Suffix with ranch : ERO

59. Good Grips kitchenware brand : OXO

60. Butterfly snare : NET

61. Five-star gen. of WWII : DDE. (Dwight D. Eisenhower)

Answer grid.

Argyle