Monday, April 20, 2015 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Three's a ..., you know.

59A. Conforms, or what each last word of 16-, 27- and 44-Across literally does : FOLLOWS THE CROWD

27A. Automatic setting for highway driving : CRUISE CONTROL. Crowd Control. "Turn on the water hoses, boys." ~ Chief Wiggum.

16A. Unnamed news supplier : ANONYMOUS SOURCE. Crowdsource. A rather new term for gathering information from social media. The idea is as old as thumbs up/thumbs down in the Colosseum.

44A. Christmas display : NATIVITY SCENE. Crowd Scene. Time was the movies used tons of extras for crowd scenes; it is done (might say overdone) by CGI now.

Argyle here with our hostess with the mostess. Two grid spanners plus two other long theme entries, plus two longish columns.

Across:

1. Hackneyed : TRITE

6. Work out ahead of time : PLAN

10. Lily of France garment : BRA. Founded in 1915 and now part of Fruit of the Loom. Today's website.

13. Prepared potatoes, as for hash browns : RICED

14. Boxcar hopper : HOBO. Are they still around?

15. Campus courtyard : QUAD. Shortened quadrangle.

19. ID theft target : SSN. (Social Security number)

20. Used a bench : SAT

21. Injector for severe allergic reactions : EPIPEN. Yup, the bees and wasps are waking up.

22. Slice opposite, in golf : HOOK

24. Snappy dresser : FOP

26. Actress Aniston, in tabloids : JEN

33. Nabokov nymphet : LOLITA

35. Cold draft server : PUB

36. Weed whacker : HOE

37. Wipe off the board : ERASE

38. Tidal retreat : EBB

39. Take control of : SEIZE

41. Rm. coolers : ACs

42. Lao Tzu's "path" : TAO

43. Puts a gloss on, as shoes : SHINES

48. Country singer McGraw : TIM

49. Jamaican music : SKA

50. Annual spelling bee airer : ESPN

53. Understood by only a few : ARCANE

56. Portfolio part, briefly : IRA

58. Exceedingly : TOO

63. Seatback airline feature : TRAY

64. Otherworldly glow : AURA

65. Actress Zellweger : RENEE

66. "The Fountainhead" author Rand : AYN

67. Blue books? : SMUT

68. Pretty pitchers : EWERS

Down:

1. Dumpster fill : TRASH

2. Classic Unilever laundry soap : RINSO

3. Religious rebel : ICONOCLAST

4. Bowling pin count : TEN

5. Frozen custard brand : EDY'S

6. Instagram uploads : PHOTOS

7. Soul singer Rawls : LOU

8. Crunched muscles : ABs

9. Bit of cosmetic surgery : NOSE JOB. Rhinoplasty.

10. Dinner table faux pas : BURP

11. Kentucky Derby, e.g. : RACE. 141th Kentucky Derby is on May 2, 2015.

12. Yemen's Gulf of __ : ADEN

15. One of five in a maternity ward delivery : QUINT. One of a quintuplet.

17. Criminal group : MAFIA

18. Ready for business : OPEN

23. Singer Kristofferson : KRIS

25. Auto parts chain : PEP BOYS

28. Sport-__: off-road vehicle : UTE. "utility"

29. Chicago ballplayer : CUB

30. Fake diamond : RHINESTONE. Neither Tim nor Kris sang "Rhinestone Cowboy". Aren't you lucky?

31. Move like honey : OOZE

32. Dregs : LEES

33. Low in fat : LEAN

34. Aquatic predator : ORCA

38. Grab a bite : EAT

39. "__ Loves You": Beatles : SHE

40. One, in Dresden : EINE

42. "Used to be ... " : "TIME WAS .."

43. Frighten : SCARE

45. Sicily's country : ITALY

46. Sicily's wine : VINO

47. Headgear on the slopes : SKI HAT. This brings up the question; Did Marti ever ski in Sicily?

51. Strength : POWER

52. Botanical connecting points : NODES

53. Mennen lotion : AFTA

54. One of the Gilmore girls : RORY. No idea.

55. Kilted family : CLAN

57. Land measure : ACRE

60. Total amount : SUM

61. Capote nickname : TRU. Short for Truman.

62. Opposite of fast fwd. : REW. "TIME WAS .."

Argyle

Sunday, April 19, 2015 Tracy Bennett

Theme: - "French Twists" - The last word in each theme entry is replaced by a homophonic word rooted in French.

27A. Testy lover? : CROSS BEAU. Crossbow. *EAU ending is common in French.

29A. Musical work expressing resentment? : BITTER SUITE. Bittersweet.

39A. Napped fabric, without a doubt? : EASILY SUEDE. Easily swayed.

52A. Bridezilla's fabric of choice? : POWER TULLE. Power tool. Fun clue.

72A. Measly computer storage? : PETTY CACHE. Petty cash. The verb is cacher, "hide".

 

85A. Surviving spouse's irritation? : WIDOW'S PIQUE. Widow's peak. New to me. I googled, then found out I don't have "widow's peak". Quite a sad name.

96A. The latest in foal fashions? : ARABIAN CHIC. Arabian sheik.

98A. Beauty needing a lift? : BLUE BELLE. Bluebell.

I had no idea that both SUITE and SUEDE are rooted in French. I guess SUAVE too, the way it's pronounced. SU+ another vowel.

Super smooth grid with only 134 words. It helps that there are only 84 theme squares (minimum for Rich), but this would be a 142 or 144 in my weak hands.

Tracy Bennett is an accomplished crossword constructor. She made the puzzle one for this year's ACPT tournament.

By the way, did you see the picture of the contestant dressed in pope's costume? You can click here for more pictures.  I wish they had captions.

Across:

  

1. Show no humility : BRAG. Boomer bowled no 300 this season. He's stuck at 18.

5. Golf club feature : LOFT

9. Refers (back), as to a prior subject : HARKS

14. Apprehends : GRABS

19. Old wisdom : LORE

20. Transportation network app : UBER. Our first "app" clue for UBER. "Ultra" & "Very"  can take a rest.

21. So long, in Avignon : ADIEU

22. He had a way with words : ROGET.  Indeed.

23. Hops drier : OAST

24. '30s Lorre role : MOTO. Mr. Moto.

25. 1959 Broadway family name : TRAPP.  "The Sound of Music" .

26. Multicolored marble : AGATE

31. Musical symbols : NOTES

32. Ikea offering : SOFA. Have you tried the meatballs in Ikea?

33. Came to fruition : RIPENED

34. Key of Mozart's 40th symphony : G MINOR

36. 'Mongst kin? : TWIXT

38. Cops on base : MPs

41. Camaro __-Z : IROC

43. Southwestern hill : LOMA. I could only think of MESA.

47. Quaker abolitionist Lucretia : MOTT

48. Eagles' 84-Acrosses : AERIES. And 84. Chick's starter home : NEST. "Starter home" makes me smile. Also 77. Latin 84-Across builder : AVIS. Latin for "bird".

49. Bustle : TODO

50. Beyond the horizon : AFAR

51. Wedding followers : TRAINS. Oh, wedding dress trains.

54. Like Catwoman, e.g. : MASKED

58. Less fusty : NEWER

60. City once sought by Sir Walter Raleigh : EL DORADO. At least, he mapped out the Amazon.

61. Revival chorus : AMENSs

62. Primed for a fight : RILED

64. Stimulating nut : BETEL

65. Act without restraint : GO TO TOWN. New meaning to me.

69. Worrywart, at times : PACER

71. One-named Tejano singer : SELENA

74. Sprain application : ICE BAG. Frozen peas work also.

76. Doubting words : I BET

78. Irregular : SPOTTY

79. Brylcreem applications : DABS. Clue echo with 74A.

83. "I'm all __" : EARS

87. Gal follower? : PAL. Gal pal.

88. __ curls : BICEP

89. Sentence component : CLAUSE

90. Citrus refreshment : LIMEADE

94. More than satisfy : SATE

95. Queen of Kings : SHEBA. Queen of Sheba. Books of Kings.

102. Cristiano Ronaldo's longtime jersey number : SEVEN. He's the world's highest paid soccer player. We also have 107. Common fairy tale number : THREE. Mantle & Ruth.

103. Doth proceed : GOETH

104. Olympic event involving runners : LUGE. Did not know those blades are called runners.

105. Calendar col. : TUES

106. Still : INERT

108. Swing and others : ERAS

109. City whose name differs by one letter from a nearby volcano : ENNA. Etna.

110. Micronite filter cigarettes : KENTS

111. Monastery sights : HOODS

112. Hurston's "Their Eyes __ Watching God" : WERE

113. Pepper and Stubby: Abbr. : SGTs. Never heard of Stubby. Turns out he's a dog.

Down:

1. Allied voters : BLOC

2. 2013-'14 Katy Perry hit : ROAR

3. One with a burning passion : ARSONIST. You nailed it, right?

4. Wastes no time : GETS ON IT

5. Place for cutting boards : LUMBERYARD

6. Orchestral winds : OBOES

7. Vegan Greek salad omission : FETA. I admire those vegans. I don't eat dairy products (few Chinese do), but seafood is too tasty to give up.

8. Slangy slacks : TROU

9. Cloche carriers : HAT BOXES

10. Out of control, at sea : ADRIFT

11. Rodeo catcher : RIATA

12. Wouldn't surrender : KEPT

13. Big one on a runway : SUPER MODEL. Gisele remains my all-time favorite. Still can't believe my Gisele/Giselle goof last time.

14. Apprehends : GRASPS

15. Rapscallion : ROGUE

16. "There you go __": Reagan : AGAIN

17. Davis of "Dead Ringer" : BETTE

18. "... a __ flying fearless and fleet": Longfellow : STEED

28. Small one on a runway, briefly : STOL (Short TakeOff and Landing)

30. Chute mechanism : RIPCORD. New word to me.

32. Glancing blow : SIDESWIPE

34. Little shiner : GEM

35. "Women hold up half the sky" proclaimer : MAO. Gimme.

36. Winter Olympics host before Vancouver : TURIN

37. "Mad Men" creator Matthew : WEINER. Gimme. No relation to Carlos Danger.

40. Diver's milieu : SEA

41. Olympian Midori : ITO

42. Investment firm T. __ Price : ROWE

43. Victory emblem : LAUREL

44. Recently : OF LATE

45. "The Streets of San Francisco" co-star : MALDEN (Karl). Stumper. OK, another police drama. Nothing beats "NYPD Blue". Sipowicz, LaLalinda!

46. Iris ring : AREOLA. It's back.

51. Ready to snap : TESTY

52. Steep cliff : PRECIPICE

53. "Ain't Too Proud __": Temptations hit : TO BEG. Got via crosses.

54. Chatty flier : MAGPIE

55. Pond protozoan : AMOEBA

56. Popular gundog : SETTER

57. Fife player : KNOTTS (Don). Barney Fife.

59. That woman, in Brasilia : ELA. Also 101. Those women, in Bolivia : ESAS

63. Solve, in a way : DECODE

66. It precedes Oilers games : O CANADA

67. Kindred spirits are often on the same one : WAVELENGTH. I'm seldom on the same wavelength with those Saturday constructors.

68. CBS maritime drama : NCIS

70. Pave anew : RE-TOP

71. Obeys a shooter : SAYS CHEESE

73. Post-FDR prez : HST

75. Texter's afterthought intro : BTW

78. Alternates : SWITCHES

79. Hyperglycemia cause : DIABETES. High blood sugar. Poor Boomer has to poke his finger every day.

80. Apparatus co-invented by Cousteau : AQUALUNG. Lovely entry.

81. Do diner work : BUS

82. "… blind, but now I __" : SEE

86. Roman commoner : PLEB

87. Oils, e.g. : PAINTS. Oh, oils is a verb here then.

88. Tempted : BAITED.  And 99. Tempt : LURE

90. Type of refractive surgery : LASIK. Who on our blog had LASIK surgery?

91. Sherlock's adversary Adler : IRENE

92. Connoisseur : MAVEN

93. His final blog post closes with "I'll see you at the movies" : EBERT

94. Courageous woman : SHERO. Never heard of this word before. Looks like a combo of She & hero.

95. Sweets-lover's craving : SUGAR. I learned from Barry G. It's key to good pasta sauce.

97. Pacific salmon : COHO

98. Erupted : BLEW

100. Forgoing time : LENT

I'm sad to learn from Lucina that we lost Dodo (Dorothy Dodson, hence Dodo) last Thursday. Dodo was very active on the blog for a few years. Very loving and caring. Our Californian Coven (Chickie, JD and Garlic Gal) visited Dodo every year when Lucina traveled to California. Chickie talked to Dodo from time to time. Dodo would be 90 years old this Oct. 

Left to right: Chickie, Lucina, Garlic Gal, JD, and Dodo, June 4, 2014

C.C.

Saturday, Apr 18th, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing F,J,Q,X)

Blocks: 27

  I have to say, I was much in the mood for a Silkie today, having been roughed up over the past few weeks.  Really looking forward to finishing without a cheat, but alas, it was not to be - again.  Had just one, a proper name, but it cleared up the otherwise locked-up, poorly WAGed NW corner.  There's always next Saturday....Bit of a change in our usual grid, having triple 7-letter stacks in the down to start, and the longer, triple 9-letter acrosses over to the right.  Always seems "easier" when the first clue is not a huge span of white.  Some 8-letter circumferential fills in the center, too;

29a. Citizens Bank Park team : PHILLIES - I had the --LIES, and that was enough, considering I am not a big baseball fan.  I was over my buddy Mike's house last night, and he tuned into the Yankee game; sorry, C.C., it just doesn't hold my attention....  :7(  The NY Rangers of hockey are up 1-0 in their series against another Pennsylvania team, the hated Penguins; the Islanders are tied 1-1 with the Washington Capitals.  I plan to play hockey this coming week; the head feels better

37a. Youthful nickname for the 1950 29-Across : WHIZ KIDS - before my time

ACROSS:

1. Chaps : LADS - I sensed this was a 'male buddy' clue, not the leather pants type; went with GUYS, as I was trying some GUN fills for 1d.

5. Measure up : PASS MUSTER

15. "My Country" author : EBAN - dah~!  dah~!! DAH~!!!  Had to look this up; should have rung a bell, it's been a standard crossword clue for some time

16. Busy, in a way : ON THE PHONE - but you don't get a "busy" signal much these days

17. Stellar phenomenon : NOVA

18. Wheel of Fortune and others : TAROT CARDS - I was going to put this in, and thought, no, it's a TV game show thing.  Dang~!  I own a deck of tarot cards; keep them wrapped in silk ( hi, there, constructor~! ) per the book I bought on how to maintain and read the cards

19. Error : SLIP - had FLUB.  That's an error.

20. Oil sources : OLIVES - had O----ES,  so it was not "SHALES"

21. Airport NW of PIT : CLEveland

22. 1975-'76 World Series champs, on scoreboards : CINcinnati; I lived there from '97 to 2000; worked on my first movie set there - as for the baseball team, I recall the Big Red Machine, and I went and looked for my old baseball sticker album - I hope I can redeem myself, C.C.

23. Called, nowadays : SKYPED - my other buddy Mike regularly Skypes with China as he continues to do well with his game company; I present my game to him tonight when we get together for a long overdue bonfire

24. Not abundant : THIN - (sigh) like my hair

25. Recording acronym : ASCAP

27. Piece of Plymouth pizza? : ZED - P-I-Zed-Zed-A

28. Former National Security Advisor Scowcroft : BRENT - I WAGed tRENT

31. Picks up : RAISES

32. Alley group : PINS - Bowling

33. Barber's supply : TALC - Nailed it, but that's not saying much

34. Emotional : MOVING

41. Opposite of après : AVANT - Frawnche after and before

42. Monopoly item : DIE - not HAT; I always played the wheelbarrow, so I had something to carry my "cash" around

43. '30s-'40s Kildare portrayer : AYRES

44. Canada goose relative : NENE
 

45. Kind of acid in red wine : TANNIC - Ha~! I knew this one

47. Canadian sign letters : KPH - Kilometres/hour

48. Indian address : SRI

49. Cleaned up : DUSTED

50. Symbolic dance : HULA - or HORA~? I guessed wrong

51. Jackson 5 song covered by Mariah Carey : "I'LL BE THERE"

53. Sch. whose mascot is Paydirt Pete : UTEP - got this one, too - I can remember some past clues

54. Canadian asset : OIL RESERVE

55. Town near Padua : ESTE

56. Some lucky breaks : NEAR MISSES

57. Slate, briefly : SKED - quick way to schedule

DOWN:   

1. Shooter's protection : LENS CAP - got me; not thinking photography

2. Wipe out : ABOLISH

3. Fictional code name : Da VINCI - I liked the book and the movie

4. Piece of cake : SNAP - Dah~!  SLAB worked with my FLUB

5. "The Chosen" author : POTOK - I knew this one, too, because my friend Ibby gave me the book

6. Breaks down : ANALYZES

7. Road markings : STRIPES - I noticed yesterday that one of the local roads had fresh stripes painted - you'd think the potholes would have been the priority....

8. Left, with "off" : SHOVED

9. Doled (out) : METED

10. Bar IDs : UPCs

11. Oldies syllable : SHA

12. Flashlights, across the pond : TORCHES - parents are English, knew this

13. Court boundary : END LINE

14. Is in high dudgeon : RESENTS - this is the "#1 killer" of AA members; I harbor some resentments, still, even after a decade

23. Support piece : SPLINT - almost a gratuitous self shout-out

24. Requiring delicate handling : TRICKY

26. Skiing category : ALPINE

28. "The Human Comedy" author : BALZAC - the Wiki

30. Big initials in banking : ING - my IRA started out in ING; it's now Capital One 360

31. Italian counterpart of the BBC : RAI

33. Offended outburst : "THE NERVE~!"

34. Kennedy Compound component : MANSION

35. Blanket : OVERLIE

36. Plain-__ : VANILLA

37. Mearth portrayer in "Mork & Mindy" : WINTERS

38. Siberian metropolis : IRKUTSK - got it because I played a lot of RISK when I was a kid

39. Exhaust : DEPLETE

40. Like some curves : S-SHAPED - nice fill

42. Causes for pauses : DASHES

45. Rwandan ethnic group : TUTSI - all perps

46. Inventeur's notes : IDEES - more Frawnche; ideas

49. Judge : DEEM

50. Shades : HUES - I read your warning, Argyle, but couldn't resist; thankfully, HEartRx did not actually post a "hosiery" pic; I was going to go with a hunky guy for the ladies this week, but I have to make up for Thursday's 'tragedy'

52. Hardly a warm reaction : Brr - I officially put my gloves, car window scraper and winter coats away for the season

Splynter

Friday, April 17, 2015, Samuel A. Donaldson

Theme: Add a letter, add a pun and stir.

Four in the language phrases which have a word beginning with "W" are re-imagined by adding a "T" before the "W" and creating a soundalike, but differently spelled word. So we have a bit of add a letter and a bit of a punfest. This is our 10th LAT from the mind of Mr. Donaldson, who is a law professor with a fondness for tax law (coincidence this is tax week and his 2014 was published in April?) as well as a frequent visitor to other crossword blogs. His last effort here was a really fun letter substitution where we changed X to G and the meaning changed from prurient to pure. He was first published in the  NYT in 2008, with 16 under his belt there. You can read all about him in the 2009 interview which is linked to the right.

The puzzle sets up as a more conventional Friday based on word length and blocks, with some nice non-theme fill like FELT HAT,  SEASIDE, LAKE ERIE,  ONE FIFTH,  PEDIGREE,  TEA LEONI, CREAM SODAS, ERIC KARROS. He had told C.C. he like compound answers so see how many you find. Anyway, let's take a ride together. The combination with two gridspanners and humor and as well as picking the right words is hard to flesh out, so let me know what you think.


16A. Nail the Miley Cyrus impression? : TWERK LIKE A CHARM.(15). WORK like a charm mean it does well (like magic?) and we all know twerking. right? PG13 (2:18)

24A. Permanently deleted electronic message? : SHREDDED TWEET. (13) Shredded WHEAT.

41A. Minor trade adjustment? : BUSINESS TWEAK.(13)Business WEEK magazine.

55A. "The spasm preceded the other symptoms, Doc"? : TWITCH CAME FIRST. (15). WHICH came first, the chicken or the egg?

ACROSS:

1. Year in which Salieri was born : MDCCL. I did not recall this Italian composer who also was a teacher to some very famous pupils. LINK. This made for a tough start.

6. Spunkmeyer of cookie fame : OTIS. No elevator here, this sweet clue.

10. Sports __ : BRA. Any more famous than this picture?

13. Key artery : AORTA.

14. Seattle's __ Place Market : PIKE.. A little home field clue for Sam who lives there.

15. Hazmat suit hazard : TEAR. Tear not tear; defeats the whole purpose.

19. "Madam Secretary" star : TEA LEONI. She has many failed tv shows.

20. "Family Feud" source : SURVEY. "Survey says...."

21. Stately tree : ELM.Stately Elm by Robert Hinshaw

Elm once clad in gold
   Has shed its colorful cloak
       Awaits winter storms
         Bare limbs lifted heavenward
            As if in supplication.

22. "... __ the set of sun": "Macbeth" : ERE. Shakespeare or not, three letters it is going to be ere.

23. Disney title girl from Hawaii : LILO.

30. Cinch : SHOO- IN. Nice fill.

32. "Ah, broken is the golden bowl! the spirit flown forever!" poet : POE. Lenore. LINK.

33. GPS suggestion : RTE. Route.

34. Prod : NUDGE.

35. Michaels et al. : ALS. The sports announcer from the 1980 miracle Olympic Hockey broadcast and now voice of MNF.

36. End notes? : OBITS. Like this clue/fill as well.

38. Pay extension? : OLA. Payola. Radio scandal from my childhood.

39. It goes around in winter : FLU. Sad but true.

40. Antarctic transport : SNO-CAT. Logical if unknown.

45. Majestic quality : HALO.  Angelic?

46. Playboy nickname : HEF.

47. Kentucky Colonels' org. : ABA. About the fifth time I have gotten the old American Basketball Association.

50. "The Caine Mutiny" Oscar nominee : BOGART. Wonderfully acted movie. Also a synonym of
25D. Be selfish about, in a way : HOG.

53. Genealogical record : PEDIGREE. We think more about animals but it applies to people as well.

57. Used to be : WERE.

58. Hendrix hairdo : AFRO.

59. Royal __: scheduled 2016 British Open site : TROON. St. Andrews this year. LINK.

60. Unmatched : ODD. Fooled me. I luckily do not lose many socks in the wash.

61. The Taj Mahal, e.g. : TOMB. I was taught it was man's greatest erection for woman.

62. Garden plant that thrives in shade : HOSTA.

Down:


1. Lackluster finish : MATTE. Also tricky adding to the rough start for me.

2. Wooden pin : DOWEL. But this was easy....

3. Vanilla treats : CREAM SODAS. This was not easy,  but really nice fill.

4. Key not used alone : CTRL. Computer key, duh!

5. Bass Islands locale : LAKE ERIE. A CSO to our own.

6. Wrote an essay, maybe : OPINED.

7. Polynesian carving : TIKI. This is part of a CULTURE.

8. Turner of entertainment : IKE.

9. Vacation area : SEASIDE. How quaint.

10. Oregon State athlete, for short : BEAVers. In this age of pc sports team names, this animal does live on the edge.

11. Rather red : RARE. Nice alliteration and misdirection for 4 letter fill.

12. Legion : ARMY.

15. Lose illegally : THROW. The college basketball scandal of the 50's another from my youth.

17. Winner of six David di Donatello acting awards : LOREN. The ageless beauty....

18. __ film : CULT.

23. Some August babies : LEOS. My father was one.

26. Low grade : D PLUS.

27. Fox commentator who was the 1992 N.L. Rookie of the Year : ERIC KARROS. One of many failed Dodger first baseman since Gil Hodges.

28. Singer James : ETTA. Time for another LISTEN. (3:00).

29. Try : TEST. My patience?

30. Self-appointed expert : SNOB.

31. Online TV giant : HULU.  Their story. LINK.

35. Moreover : ALSO.

36. Common liquor purchase, once : ONE FIFTH. It is 1/5 of a gallon. Now the bottles are 750ml.

37. Scary squeezer : BOA. Alliteration again.

39. Homburg, for one : FELT HAT. Bah.

40. Nobel, for one : SWEDE. A Friday misdirection.

42. "__ when that happens" : I HATE.

43. Buster? : NARC. Another misdirection, nice!

44. Tough syndicate : THE MOB. Next to the narc?

48. Get drunk : BESOT.

49. Insurance giant : AETNA. This unlocked the entire corner for me.

50. USAF stealth plane : BTWO. I will leave commentary to all of our flyboys.

51. Due : OWED.

52. Prepare, as for action : GIRD. Ah, the loins. GIRD GIRO, so close.

53. Chicken __ : PARM. Hmm, do you serve Chicken Parmigiana, or chicken parmesan?

54. Early copter : GIRO. Easily infer-able but I find no reference to this other than as AUTOGIRO.

56. One may be a CPA : CFO. Chief Financial Officer.

Well another Friday done with lots to talk about, Sam stop by and give us some insight. Enjoy all; lemonade out.

Thursday, April 16, 2015 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "What the L?"

36. Furniture designed for portability ... or, what are found in this puzzle's circles : FOLDING CHAIRS.

We have a LAWN, SEDAN, DECK, BARBER, WINDSOR and ROCKING chair in the grid. All of them appear in an "L" shape, simulating a folded chair. Although LAWN, DECK and BARBER chairs can literally "fold,"  the reveal is only a figurative description of the folded chairs in our grid.

Jeff Wechsler's grids always seem to grab my eye, so it seems he has accomplished his goal with at least one solver.  Here is what he said when I asked him about the inspiration for this one:
"As happens with many puzzle themes, I don't really know where that "creative spark" comes from.  Often, the concept is simply derived from a word or phrase that suddenly strikes me as potential theme material. I have recently been interested in themes with a visual element (such as the smiling face in my January 1 puzzle).  When the term "folding chairs" appeared, the thematic light bulb went off, and I started to compile types of chairs.  I then determined which were generally amenable to a puzzle grid, where it would be most practical to "fold" them, and where to position them in the grid. " 

Way to go, Jeff!

Across

1. Determination : WILL. I WILL finish Jeff's puzzle, I WILL finish Jeff's puzzle, I WILL finish...

5. One often schmeared : BAGEL.

10. Get entangled (with) : MESS.

14. "It depends" : I MAY...hate myself in the morning.

15. Have __ for news : A NOSE.

16. Ended a flight : ALIT. I read this as "Ended a fight" at first.  (Note to self: Make appt w. eye doctor...)

17. Blue : DOWN.

18. Suppress : SIT ON.

19. George Lucas group : JEDI.

20. Semiprecious stone : ONYX.

21. Sends out : EMITS.

22. Roast's roost : OVEN.

23. 2014 U.S. Women's Open champ : WIE. Michelle. Not only can she play golf, she's gorgeous.

...(I hate her.)

24. Hamlet, for one : DANE.

25. Succumb to pressure : CRACK.

26. Choose not to pick? : STRUM. Guitar.  Fun clue.

29. Bit of cheering : RAH.

31. __ kwon do : TAE.

32. Tiff : ROW.

34. Computer outlet supply : MICE. And a clecho at 28-Down. Computer outlet supplies : MODEMS. I wonder why MICE wasn't clued in the plural as well?

35. Bruin legend : ORR.

40. Swung thing : BAT.

41. Winged god : EROS.

42. Alf and Mork, briefly : ETs.

43. Aegean Airlines hub, on itineraries : ATH.ens.

44. Dauphins' play area : MER. The answer is the French word for "sea." I was thinking of the French "heir-apparent" when I saw "dauphin."   But the clue actually refers to the French word for "dolphin," and, as it turns out, showed that I was on the right track.

45. Really beat : STOMP. Hands up for "tromp" at first?

49. Relatives of emus : RHEAS. Emus are native to Australia, while RHEAS are from South America.

51. Exchange : SWAP.

55. Frito go-with? : LAY. My first thought. But..nah, that can't be right? But, yeah - it was!

56. Muppet with a unibrow : BERT.

57. Hosiery shade : BEIGE. [sigh] For Splynter.

58. Unusual : RARE.

59. "__ la Douce" : IRMA.

60. Playground denial : AM NOT! ("You are too a booger-face!!")

61. "Metamorphoses" poet : OVID.

62. Operation Solomon carrier : EL AL. It was a covert Israeli military operation to airlift Ethiopian Jews to Israel during the destabilizing issues surrounding Ethiopia in 1991.

63. Symbol of authority : BADGE.

64. "See you around!" : CIAO.

65. Word sung on New Year's Day : SYNE.

66. Belgian expressionist James : ENSOR. I needed the ENS** to remember this one.

67. 46-Down, for one : KING. And 46-Down. Eleventh-century Scandinavian leader : OLAV II.


Down

1. Isolated lines, in typesetting : WIDOWS. And orphans. Paragraph-ending or -beginning lines that appear at the top or bottom of a page.

2. Go-getter's phrase : I'M ON IT.

3. Many a character on "The Good Wife" : LAWYER.

4. Web browser since 1992 : LYNX. Developed at the University of Kansas, and still in use.

5. Derived from, with "on" : BASED.

6. Jungian concept : ANIMA. The personification of feminine psychological tendencies within a man. (The animus is the personification of masculine psychological tendencies within a woman.)

7. Was accepted as a member : GOT IN.

8. Abstruse : ESOTERIC.

9. Eye part : LENS.

10. Significant : MAJOR.

11. Vertical shuttle : ELEVATOR. Not invented by Otis - he simply invented the braking system that made them safe. They have been used for thousands of years.

12. Auxiliary seating units : SIDE CARS.  SIDE CARS are also drinks made with Cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice.

13. Really tough puzzle, say : STINKER. Surely not this one!

25. Has an ace up one's sleeve : CHEATS. I think of it as simply having an advantage!

27. Healthcare.gov, for one : URL.

30. Workout woe : ACHE. Yep, been there, done that!

33. Telegram : WIRE.

34. British sports cars : MGs.

36. Like some advice : FATHERLY.

37. 2008 love triangle film, with "The" : OTHER MAN.

38. Viking : NORSEMAN.

39. Follower's suffix : IST.

40. The first ones were introduced in blonde and brunette in 1959 : BARBIES. Mine was blonde. Yours?

47. Contralto Anderson : MARIAN. She was the Rosa Parks of the concert world.

48. Half-wild Asian canine : PYE-DOG. I dredged this answer up from who knows where!

50. "And thereby hangs __": Shak. : A TALE. Fool's words in "As You Like It."

52. They may be measured in knots : WINDS. I thought it was very interesting that WINDS formed the vertical back of the WINDSOR chair, which can also be a knot!

53. Disco era term : A-GO-GO.

54. Pan on Broadway : PETER. Nice misdirection! Were you thinking of a bad review?

57. Immortal Yankee, with "The" : BABE. Ruth.

58. Sway : ROCK. on!!

Marti, out.

Wednesday, April 15th, 2015 Ed Sessa

Theme: Split the Distance - as the reveal explains at 60A, the three theme entries are book-ended by 1,760 yards.

17A. Key collection of records : MASTER FILE.

27A. Canadian crooner with four Grammys : MICHAEL BUBLE. I could link a song here, but I'll spare you the schmaltz.

45A. Telltale white line : MILK MUSTACHE. I could link a "Got Milk" topless David Beckham here, but I'll spare you the torso.

60A. Not even close to an agreement ... or, literally, what 17-, 27- and 45-Across have in common : MILES APART

Happy Tax Day, if there is such a thing. Hopefully everyone has come to an agreement with our friends at the IRS over how much figurative blood should have been sucked from our 2014 income. It's a sobering thought that Tax Freedom Day for the average American - the day you stop working for the IRS and start working for the state and finally yourself - doesn't arrive until April 21st. Now I've cheered you all up, let's dig into what Ed created for us today.

Its a straightforward theme, with the MILE separated on a 1-3, 2-2, 3-1 pattern. Is MASTER FILE still a thing? It's been quite some time since I've heard anyone refer to such a thing.

Across:

1. Request an ID from : CARD

5. Classic milk flavoring : BOSCO. Dick Van Dyke was a pitchman. His cockney accent in "Mary Poppins" was a thing of beauty. Not.

10. Degs. for choreographers : M.F.A.S. Masters degrees in Fine Arts.

14. Yours, to Yves : A TOI. What if you're an Yves who isn't French?

15. One making a leaf pile : RAKER

16. Wild speech : RANT

19. Command to Fido : STAY

20. Trophy : PRIZE

21. Slyly suggest : INSINUATE

23. Religious offense : SIN

24. Common "terrible twos" responses : NOS. Usually accompanied by a foot stamp, followed by a clip around the ear by a parent (back in the good old days), then squawking.

26. Quiet time : LULL

32. Came out with : ISSUED

35. Protein-rich beans : SOYS

36. Sushi fish : EEL. Food! Smoked eel is delicious in sushi rolls.

37. Scratching post users : CATS

38. Peeper : EYE. Jeepers, Creepers!

39. "Divergent" heroine __ Prior : TRIS. Thank you, crosses. This young lady has never before visited my wheelhouse.

40. Uplifting wear : BRA. OK, have at it, all you linkers.

41. Oil magnate Halliburton : ERLE. He also designed aluminum suitcases and was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame (What?) in 1957.

43. Feared African fly : TSETSE. Nasty little buggers, these. They cause sleeping sickness in humans and animals.

48. Home to Sean O'Casey : ERIN. "E" and wait for the crosses to decide between ERIN and EIRE.

49. Take to court : SUE

50. Buzzy body : BEE

53. Aspiring rock star's submissions : DEMO TAPES. Do these even exist any more? I'd have thought A&R men would today expect an emailed link to a YouTube clip, not a cassette tape in a padded envelope.

57. Mineral used in water softening : BORAX. We had a discussion about mule teams, muleteers and borax recently.

59. Dr. Seuss' "If __ the Circus" : I RAN

62. Like some beers : LITE. I'm not sure if these actually qualify for the term "beer". All the ones I've tried are a little bland for my taste.

63. Visually teasing genre : OP-ART

64. Continuously : EVER

65. Creepy look : LEER

66. Smallville family : KENTS. Jonathan and Martha were farmers in Smallville who adopted an alien from the planet Krypton named Kal-El. He grew up to be a pretty good journalist at the Daily Planet.

67. Zilch : NADA

Down:

1. Tent sites : CAMPS

2. Centipede video game creator : ATARI

3. Pitcher's gripping aid : ROSIN. Versatile stuff, it's also used on violin bows.

4. Ding-a-ling : DITZ

5. "Close the window!" : BRR

6. Like a boor : OAFISH

7. Crispy fried chicken part : SKIN Food! Sinful, but oh so good! I'm in Atlanta for a couple of days, I should go hunt down some righteous soul food.

8. Cartoon collectibles : CELS

9. "No Spin Zone" newsman : O'REILLY

10. Enterprise helmsman, to Kirk : MR SULU

11. "Hey hey hey!" toon : FAT ALBERT. Also a new visitor to my wheelhouse. He caused me a couple of problems in the nor'east today.

12. Gross subj.? : ANAT. If you want to be educated and entertained by all things human anatomical and dead, read "Stiff" by Mary Roach. She followed up with "Gulp", an entertaining journey through our alimentary canal. I love her writing.

13. 38-Across sore : STYE

18. Counting word in a rhyme : EENIE. I caused something of a stir before when I mentioned that this could also be spelled "EENY". I was surprised by the reaction, so I won't say that again. Oh dear, I think I just did.

22. Well-worn pencils : NUBS

25. Med. condition with repetitive behavior : O.C.D. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Excuse me while I go and make sure all the labels on my spice jars are facing the same way. There's only 60 or so jars to check.

27. Conservatory subj. : MUS. Oh - not the "greenhouse" definition. Although you could play music in the greenhouse, apparently tomatoes enjoy Mozart. I'm not kidding.

28. So far : AS YET

29. Fair-hiring initials : EOE. Equal Opportunity Employer

30. Flowery rings : LEIS

31. Ultimatum ender : ELSE. Back to the bratty two-year-old? Stop that squawking or else!

32. Long-range nuke : I-C.B.M. Inter-continental ballistic missile.

33. Rani's wrap : SARI. Vibrant, colorful garb for this Indian "Queen"

34. Deadlock : STALEMATE

38. Aboveground trains : ELS

39. Golf gadget : TEE. I think "gadget" is a bit of an elaborate description for a stick that you put your ball on.

41. Exude : EMIT

42. Go wild : RUN AMOK

43. Ft. Worth campus : T.C.U. Texas Christian University, home of the Horned Frogs.

44. Queen of __: noted visitor of King Solomon : SHEBA

46. Copenhagen coins : KRONER. I had "KRONAS" first, then saw sense.

47. State as fact : ASSERT

50. Cry to a prima donna : BRAVA. Bravo! to the tenor, Brava! to the soprano.

51. Dog-__: folded at the corner : EARED

52. Spare : EXTRA

53. Pickle herb : DILL

54. Albany-to-Buffalo canal : ERIE. When it was first built, "Clinton's Ditch" was dug only four feet deep to save on construction cost, to the befuddlement of potential suicides who tried to drown themselves in it by leaping from various bridges. It's 12 feet deep now.

55. Water carrier : PIPE

56. Spirited style : ELAN

58. Major tennis event : OPEN. Three Opens (Australian, French and US) make up three-quarters of the tennis Grand Slam. The fourth event, "The Championships, Wimbledon" is the only one played now played on grass. Those Brits have to be different, eh?

61. MD and ME, e.g. : STS. Which T in STATES is the abbreviation? I think we should be told.

That's enough from me - here's the answer grid.

Steve

Note from C.C.:

I got below note from Irish Miss. Can any of you help her? I recall JD had the same problem with her iPad before.

"Every time I go to the blog to post, I have to sign in to Google.  I have never signed out but this happened once before, although it eventually cleared itself up, until recently.  When I go to the blog home page, in the upper right hand corner, it shows only Sign In, there is no Dashboard.  When I post my comments and sign in, then go back to the home page, my email address shows and Dashboard, too.  If I go back to the blog later, no email address or Dashboard appears, just Sign In.  I'm at a loss how to get signed in and stay signed in.  Any ideas?  Thanks."

Tuesday, April 14, 2015 Gary Cee

Theme: Dizzy - Yes, you'll be dizzy too if you watch all these spinners.

63A. Ride around ... or what the ends of 18-, 24-, 39- and 55-Across can do : GO FOR A SPIN

18A. Superfluous individual : FIFTH WHEEL

24A. Compilation of wacky outtakes : BLOOPER REEL

39A. Summer blouse : HALTER TOP

55A. Olympian's achievement : WORLD RECORD

Argyle here. We're rolling like a wheel. Some nice tall columns in the corners. Gary Cee interview here.

Across:

1. Drain problem : CLOG

5. GI sought by MPs : AWOL

9. Jewish authority figure : RABBI

14. Fallon's predecessor : LENO. The Tonight Show.

15. "Get a __!" : LIFE

16. Estate measures : ACRES

17. Like single-malt scotch : AGED

20. Food from heaven : MANNA

22. Long-necked bird : EMU

23. Ivy League school : YALE

28. Pioneer Carson : KIT

29. PC key near Z : ALT. I looked.

30. Eastern path : TAO. The way.

31. Police warnings : SIRENS. Get out of the tao.

33. Some deli breads : RYEs

35. Part on the stage : ROLE

38. Stable female : MARE

42. Steer clear of : SHUN

44. iPhone voice-activated app : SIRI

45. Hunk of bacon : SLAB

49. Like many warm sweaters : WOOLEN

51. Snaky fish : EEL

53. Miner's discovery : ORE

54. Little terror : IMP

59. Have to have : NEED

61. Flight connection word : VIA

62. Capital of Senegal : DAKAR

67. Single : LONE

68. Occupied : [IN USE]

69. Currency symbolized by € : EURO

70. Coffee holders : MUGS

71. Fax forerunner : TELEX

72. Zipped : SPED

73. Editor's "Leave it in" : STET

Down:

1. Seaside eatery : CLAM BAR

2. Within the law : LEGALLY

3. Without variation, musically : ONE NOTE

4. "Please tell me that's not true" : "GOD, NO!"

5. Sitcom E.T. : ALF. (Alien Life Form)

6. PlayStation 3 rival : Wii

7. Put on the market : OFFER

8. "I'll handle this" : "LET ME"

9. Word before data or deal : RAW

10. In need of aspirin : ACHY

11. Crashing wave : BREAKER

12. Direct route : BEE LINE

13. Lands in the sea : ISLETS

19. Shades : HUES

21. Abbr. in many an urban address : APT. (apartment)

25. __ of Sandwich : EARL

26. Tree anchors : ROOTS

27. Airport waiter : LIMO

32. Performs hip-hop music : RAPS

34. Synagogue : SHUL. Easy for some, perpable for others.

36. Polynesian wreath : LEI

37. Blundered : ERRED

40. From square one : ANEW

41. Concert ticket info : TIER

42. "__ to Watch Over Me" : SOMEONE. The Incomparable Ella.

43. Optimistic : HOPEFUL

46. "Watch it!" : "LOOK OUT!"

47. Orchestrate : ARRANGE

48. Recuperation advice : BED REST

49. Proceed without preparation : WING IT

50. Smoked salmon : NOVA. Nova Lox: This lox, which comes from Nova Scotia, is actually cold-smoked after the curing or brining process. ~ www.thekitchn.com

52. Showed the way : LED

56. Hemingway's "The Sun Also __" : RISES

57. Really enjoy, as praise : LAP UP

58. Allays the fears of : CALMS

60. Prescription amount : DOSE

64. Bills coach Ryan : REX. Easy for some, perpable for others.

65. Wrath : IRE

66. Buddy of Wynken and Blynken : NOD. The Poem

Argyle

Monday, April 13, 2015 Ray Hedrick & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: R U a Quicker-Picker-Upper?

59A. Counter wipers, or what the starts of 16-, 23- and 49-Across are : PAPER TOWELS

16A. King of ragtime : SCOTT JOPLIN

23A. Presley film set in Sin City : VIVA LAS VEGAS

49A. One chasing outlaws for money : BOUNTY HUNTER

Argyle here. Also here is the latest constructor duo. Fast and easy Monday. We sure can use it.

Across:

1. Software versions that probably have bugs : BETAs

6. Deer sir? : STAG. Cute.

10. Long-running TV forensic series : CSI. (Crime Scene Investigation) Viva Las Vegas and formally, Miami, NY and now, Cyber. ~ CBS. All the theme music is by "The Who".

13. Reason for some food recalls : E COLI

14. Tractor brand : DEERE. "Nothing runs like a Deere."

15. Gavel sound : RAP

18. California's Santa __ Mountains : ANA

19. 2,000 pounds : TON

20. Lee in the frozen foods section : SARA

21. Gives off : EMITS

26. Noisy insect : CICADA

29. Seuss' "Horton __ a Who!" : HEARS. OK but I want to hear the cicadas.

30. In any way : AT ALL

31. Artist Francisco : GOYA

33. Right-angled pipes : ELLs

36. Penalty flag thrower : REF

37. Sincere : EARNEST

40. Promise to repay, for short : IOU. (I owe you)

41. The "E" in FEMA: Abbr. : EMER. (Federal Emergency Management Agency)

43. Fez and fedora : HATS

44. Speaks scratchily : RASPS

46. "Sour grapes" storyteller : AESOP

48. Multi-room accommodations : SUITES

53. Domed home : IGLOO

54. Zip, as a Ziploc : SEAL

55. Static jolt : ZAP

58. Bikini top : BRA

63. Lanai wreath : LEI

64. Preface, briefly : INTRO. (introduction)

65. Yeas and nays : VOTES

66. Mass. clock setting : EST. (Eastern Standard Time)

67. Mix, as a salad : TOSS

68. Make into a statute : ENACT

Down:

1. Unsurpassed, or surpass : BEST

2. Danish shoe company : ECCO. Web Site

3. Animated character : TOON

4. Mountain hgt. : ALT. (altitude)

5. Isn't used, as machinery : SITS IDLE

6. Leaf under a petal : SEPAL

7. Phone book no. : TEL.

8. Tycoon Onassis : ARI. Shipping magnate married to Jackie.

9. Swiss convention city : GENEVA

10. Site for online bargain hunters : CRAIG'S LIST

11. Legendary sleigh rider : SANTA

12. "Not interested" : "I PASS"

14. Animated kid explorer : DORA

17. Morning cup : JAVA or 28D. 17-Down with hot milk : CAFE AU LAIT

22. For a __ pittance : MERE

23. Actor Kilmer : VAL

24. "Now I remember" : "AH YES"

25. Caspian and Black : SEAs

26. Handle with __ : CARE

27. Gossip column couple : ITEM

31. Boardroom diagram : GRAPH

32. Toronto's prov. : ONT. Ontario

34. More than trot : LOPE

35. Figure (out), slangily : SUSS

38. Shout between ships : "AHOY!"

39. Soul mate : TRUE LOVE

42. Nevada city : RENO

45. Word before base or ball : AIR

47. "Cut that out!" : "STOP IT!"

48. Fantasy baseball datum : STAT. (statistic)

49. Holy Scriptures : BIBLE

50. Fairy tale baddies : OGREs

51. Password creators : USERs

52. Fictional sleuth Wolfe : NERO

55. Second of four rhyming Greek letters : ZETA. (beta, zeta, eta and theta)

56. Actor Baldwin : ALEC

57. Hissed "Hey!" : "PSST"

60. "Is that __?": "Are you declining?" : A NO

61. Pair in a qt. : PTs. (pints)

62. Took first place : WON

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Ray Hedrick is Rainman on our blog. Huge congratulations on your debut, Ray!