Monday, December 13, 2010 Gareth Bain

Theme: Puzzle of the Moment - Four progressively longer periods of time that end the common phrase theme entries in the pattern of " __ OF THE __".

19A. Restaurant special: SOUP OF THE DAY

27A. '60s ABC boxing show: FIGHT OF THE WEEK

41A. Featured mail-order club offering: BOOK OF THE MONTH

47A. Motor Trend magazine award: CAR OF THE YEAR

Argyle here.

This is one of those rare ones where you can almost fill in the answer without seeing the clue. A neat trick to keep it simple but still fun. Good one, Gareth.

Across:

1. __ Squad: Best Buy service team : GEEK. One heck of a marketing gimmick. VW.

5. Paving surface : TAR

8. Classic orange soda : FANTA. Fanta originated when ingredients for the production of Coca-Cola became difficult to obtain in the company's Germany plant during the build up to World War II. A fascinating write-up in Snopes.

13. Bit of subterfuge : RUSE

14. Naked : BARE

15. Ruthless J.R. on "Dallas" : EWING. TV's famous season ending cliffhanger, "Who Shot JR?".

16. Inland Asian sea : ARAL

17. Write on, as sheet metal : ETCH

18. Mediterranean island country : MALTA. Map. I've heard of Malta but not Gozo.

22. Barrio uncle : TIO

23. MSN rival : AOL

24. Rap's Dr. __ : DRE. It seems he's crossword's Doctor, also.

32. Fillies, as adults : MAREs

33. Singer Chris or actor Stephen : REA. Chris Rea: "Fool (If You Think Is Over)", Stephen Rea: "The Crying Game".

34. Tennis star/anti-apartheid activist Arthur : ASHE

35. Microwave gadget : TIMER

36. Sci-fi escape craft : POD. An escape pod figures importantly at the start of "Star Wars".

37. Geometry calculations : AREAs

38. Minute stake? : ANTE

39. Vienna's land: Abbr. : AUS. Austria.

40. Nasal detections : ODORS

44. B'way "no seats" sign : SRO

45. Contrived : PAT

46. Run in : NAB. Police-speak.

53. Ribs sauce style, briefly : BAR-B-Q

56. Silents actress Theda : BARA

57. Niger neighbor : MALI. Map.

58. French parting : "ADIEU"

59. What avengers get : EVEN. (Must resist urge to post picture of Mrs. Peel!)

60. Study a lot in a short time : CRAM

61. Roger who played Bond : MOORE. Bond, James Bond.

62. Low grade : DEE

63. Cathedral recess : APSE

Down:

1. Mardi __ : GRAS. FYI: Carnival celebration starts on January 6, the Twelfth Night (feast of Epiphany); and picks up speed until Midnight on Mardi Gras(March 8), the day before Ash Wednesday.

2. Continental cash : EURO

3. Biblical twin : ESAU

4. Brown seaweed : KELP

5. Bit of body art : TATTOO

6. Semicircular entrance : ARCH

7. Prepared, as leftovers : REHEATED

8. Doe, for one : FEMALE

9. On holiday, say : AWAY

10. Zero, in soccer : NIL

11. Explosive abbr. : TNT

12. __ Khan : AGA. The divinely ordained head of the Ismaʿili branch of Shiʿism.

14. Suits : BEFITS

20. Catchall category : OTHER

21. Qatar's capital : DOHA, Arab emirate.

24. The Kalahari, for one : DESERT. Map. I'll admit I thought of sushi for a sec.

25. Uninspired new version : REHASH

26. Barely gets by, with "out" : EKES

27. Key of Beethoven's "Appassionata" Sonata : F MINOR

28. "You are not!" rejoinder : "I AM TOO!"

29. Plato's language : GREEK. Does the Geek Squad speak computer Greek? I wonder.

30. First-year student, briefly : FROSH. Freshman.

31. __ Terror: Bush campaign : WAR ON

35. Bills at bars : TABS

36. Finished dealing with : PUT TO BED. Often said of publishing a paper.

37. Hacienda brick : ADOBE

39. "We Three Kings" adverb : AFAR

40. Certain Nebraskan : OMAHAN

42. Opposite of transparent : OPAQUE

43. Main dish : ENTRÉE

47. Trucker with a handle : CBer

48. Top choice, for short : FAVE

49. Song sung with arm motions : YMCA

50. O.K. Corral name : EARP. The Earp brothers, Wyatt, Morgan, and Virgil.

51. Word of sorrow : ALAS

52. "The __ of the Ancient Mariner" : RIME. A poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in 1798.

53. "Pow!" cousin : "BAM!"

54. Hoo-ha : ADO

55. __ Grande : RIO

So I'm weak! Mrs. Peel

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday December 12, 2010 Robert A. Doll

Theme: Familiar Endings - Same word starts and ends its familiar phrase.

22A. Memorable 1994 film exhortation : RUN FORREST RUN. From "Forrest Gump".

27A. Ruthless : DOG-EAT-DOG. It's a dog-eat-dog world.

35A. Skipping no pages : COVER TO COVER

53A. In detail : PLAY BY PLAY. I like Joe Buck. Very distinctive voice.

71A. Defend one's principles bravely : FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT. The only four-word entry.

88A. 1969 Bob Dylan hit : LAY LADY LAY. Unfamiliar to me. Sounds quite sexual.

107A. Lehane crime novel about a missing girl : GONE BABY GONE. Know it only because of the movie.

115A. Complete : OUT AND OUT

125A. Continually : YEAR AFTER YEAR

Why "Familiar Endings"? Because the last word repeats the first word?

Nine theme entries seem to be very common for our Sunday puzzles. I grokked the gimmick rather quickly due to its easy-to- detect pattern. As usual, some of the names gave me fits.

Across:

1. Bear mascot of the 1980 Moscow Olympics : MISHA. Was clueless. Makes sense. Misha is such a common Russian name.

6. Like some dancing : AEROBIC

13. Grunt's position : McJOB

18. Modern messages : EMAIL. The clue is asking for plural form, isn't it?

19. Horace's "Ars __" : POETICA

20. Roll player : PIANOLA. See here for more information. Beyond my ken of knowledge. I actually read the clue as "Role player".

24. Well-fortified, in a way : ARMORED

25. __ Pie : ESKIMO. Have never tried it.

26. Nail site : TOE

29. Q5 maker : AUDI. Saw this clue before.

32. Intrude : IMPOSE

34. '60s activist Bobby : SEALE. The Black Panthers co-founder.

40. Spirited horse : ARAB

42. Nintendo's Super __ : NES

43. Game show name : ALEX (Trebek). "Jeopardy!".

44. Originate (from) : STEM

45. Bribe : SOP

47. "The Gold Bug" author : POE. Have you read the story?

49. "If you prick us, do we not __?": "The Merchant of Venice" : BLEED. Sigh. Shakespeare again.

51. Understood : SAW

59. Feature of many a bad review : SARCASM. Biting.

62. Here-there link : NOR

64. Pitching staff leaders : ACES. Baseball.

65. Have in spades : OOZE

66. "Hold it!" : WHOA

68. NASCAR racer Mark : MARTIN. Not familiar with this name. Viagra.

70. Penn or Pitt : ACTOR. Sean Penn. Brad Pitt.

75. He-men : STUDS

77. __ Tunes : LOONEY

78. Needing ice, maybe : SORE

79. "I, Claudius" role : NERO

80. Hard to catch : EELY

81. Power tool? : DAM. Water power?

83. Stock holder? : RANCHER. Livestock. Great clue.

91. Fate : LOT

93. "Three Coins in the Fountain" fountain : TREVI

94. Baltimore daily : SUN. Baltimore Sun.

95. Fa-la link : SOL

97. Maker of PowerCat soccer shoes : PUMA. First encounter with PowerCat.

100. Divided sea : ARAL

101. Crime show with two spin-offs : CSI. CSI Miami/NY.

104. Wilson's predecessor : TAFT

110. Lively movement : RONDO. Often the last movement of a sonata, says Dictionary.

112. "Twelfth Night" duke : ORSINO. Shakespeare again. No idea.

114. Foe of the Iroquois : ERIE. A tribe rather than our old lake clue.

117. Navig. aid : GPS

119. Like many beach bums : TANNED

124. Sports no-no : STEROID

129. Goes after crustaceans : SHRIMPS. Did not know shrimp can be a verb.

130. Access, in a way : LOG ONTO

131. India's first prime minister : NEHRU

132. SAT segment : ESSAY

133. Paul Anka love song with a Spanish title : ESO BESO. "That Kiss".

134. Bee killer, at times : STING

Down:

1. No more than : MERE. Wanted LESS.

2. 1989 Radio Hall of Fame inductee : IMUS (Don). Unaware of this trivia.

3. Went under : SANK

4. Old player : HI-FI

5. 10-time Gold Glove winner Roberto : ALOMAR. He was with the Indians when I came to the US. Second baseman.

6. Loan no. : APR (Annual Percentage Rate)

7. Want ad letters : EOE

8. Musical symbol : REST

9. Emperor under Pope Innocent III : OTTO IV. Need crossing help.

10. Galleys with two banks of oars : BIREMES. No idea. Bi = Two. Rem = Oar.

11. Post-ER area : ICU

12. Unofficial Seabees' motto : CAN DO. Learning moment to me. Seabee is formed from letter CB, Construction Battalion of the US Navy.

13. Hardly the macho type : MAMA'S BOY. Lovely entry.

14. 100 clams : C-NOTE

15. Aqaba is its only seaport : JORDAN. New trivia to me.

16. Corrida cry : OLE OLE

17. Scouting prizes : BADGES

20. Means to get in touch : PAGER

21. High dudgeon : IRE

23. Whomps : ROUTS

28. Adventurers/documentarians Martin and __ Johnson : OSA. Here is a photo of the couple.

30. Period, e.g. : DOT

31. Seals, as a deal : ICES

33. Support, with "up" : PROP

35. Hacks : CABS. Noun "Hacks".

36. Earthen stewpot : OLLA

37. Zig or zag : VEER

38. Perk recipient : EXEC

39. Muscat's land : OMAN

41. They may include ht., wt., skin color, etc. : APBS. APB = All-Points Bulletin.

46. Academy teacher : PLATO

48. Pleistocene, e.g. : EPOCH

50. Team with a mascot named Uga, familiarly : DAWGS. University of Georgia.

52. Bryn Mawr undergrads : WOMEN. One of the Seven Sisters.

54. Etcher's supply : ACIDS

55. Have a __: crave : YEN FOR

56. Ex-senator Trent : LOTT

57. Nitrogen-based dye : AZO. Learned from doing Xword.

58. Law closing? : YER. Closing to the word lawyer.

60. "Pipe down!" : SHH

61. Crüe-ish? : MOTLEY. Oh, a reference to Mötley Crüe.

63. Was relentless, as a storm : RAGED. Brutal weather here. At least 16" of snow since Friday night.

67. Reef ring : ATOLL

69. Shade of blue : ROYAL

70. Secret __ : AGENT

71. Violent anger : FURY

72. Admired stars : IDOLS

73. Georgetown athletes : HOYAS

74. Fund for later yrs. : IRA

75. Irreverent NBC hit : SNL

76. Something to take in the afternoon : TEA

80. Best of the stage : EDNA. Her face looks familiar. I must have googled her before.

82. Wear a long face : MOPE

84. Climber's challenge : CRAG

85. Parade honoree : HERO

86. Hunter of fiction : EVAN. Also known as Ed McBain.

87. Get to : RILE

89. Parent/teen sticking point : AUTONOMY. The answer just wouldn't jump to me.

90. Jellystone Park bear : YOGI. Yogi Bear.

92. CRT part : TUBE

96. Tale starter, perhaps : LONG AGO

98. Scratch : MAR

99. Grab __: eat on the run : A BITE

101. Rupert of "The Reivers" : CROSSE. No idea. Wikipedia says Crosse was the first African American to be nominated for a Best Supporting Academy Award for his role in "The Reivers".

102. __ Oldest Rivalry: Virginia/North Carolina annual college football game : SOUTH'S. Unknown to me.

103. Lays to rest : INTERS

105. Dietitian's forte : FOODS

106. __TV: "actuality" network : TRU. No idea.

108. "Piece o' cake!" : NO PROB

109. Hankers : YEARNS

111. "Beavis and Butt-head" spin-off : DARIA. Another complete unknown. Animated TV.

113. Elegance : STYLE

116. Go down a bit : DIP

118. Compos mentis : SANE

120. No, across the Bering Strait : NYET. Russian for "No".

121. Vintage pop : NEHI

122. Bring home : EARN

123. Put under : DRUG

126. Dawn deity : EOS. Greek Goddess of the dawn. The Roman equivalent is Aurora.

127. NBA stats : FTS (Free Throws)

128. To boot : TOO

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday December 11, 2010 Barry Silk

Theme: None

Total words: 70

Total blocks: 32

Barry placed one grid-spanner flanked by two 14s in the middle of his grid, the first two are making their major newspaper debut today:

30A. Dangerous inner city area : CONCRETE JUNGLE. Learning moment for me.

36A. Munsee-speaking people : DELAWARE INDIANS. I suspect this is Barry's seed entry.

38A. Subject of Michael Crichton's "Prey" : NANO TECHNOLOGY. Great answer.

As usual, some nice cross-references in Barry's themeless:

41A. 1-Down attendees: Abbr. : SRS. And PROM (1D. Event for 41-Across).

11D. Eastern leader since 1994 : KIM JONG-IL. Bad person. Good answer. Kim = Gold. Jong = Straight. Il = Sun. Il, with a different character, but same pronunciation, can also mean the F word.

44D. North __, 11-Down's country : KOREA

Quite a Scrabbly puzzle, two Js, one Z/X, only one Q away from being a pangram.

Across:

1. Psychiatrist's recommendation : PROZAC. So is Zoloft.

7. "Spanish Harlem" singer : BEN E. KING. Unknown to me. Here is the clip.

15. NFL team named for a Poe poem : RAVENS. Baltimore Ravens. Their mascot is named Poe. Very cool.

16. Male models, often : ADONISES

17. Dalí had a pet one : OCELOT. Unaware of the trivia.

18. Sitcom with a robot named Hymie : GET SMART. Only saw the silly film starring Steve Carell/Anne Hathaway.

19. Reason for an award : MERIT

20. TV host with a substantial car collection : LENO (Jay)

21. Morning choice : JAVA. Not mine.

22. Halloween sightings? : GHOULS

24. __ face : POKER

25. Music-licensing org. : BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc)

28. New York and Chicago have the oldest ones in the Americas : ELS

29. Circulation aid : FAN

39. "The Chronic" Dr. : DRE. The rapper. Was ignorant of the album. Great clue then.

40. Gas: Pref. : AER. Gas? I thought it's a prefix for "air", as in aerate.

42. Polyester used in casting : ALKYD. Both the clue & answer mean nothing to me.

45. Topsy-turvy state : BEDLAM

48. Inventor who received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1970 : MOOG (Robert). Synthesizer inventor.

49. Tarot suit : CUPS. Stumped. Know nothing about tarot.

50. Old Asian title : SAHIB. Literally "master," used in Colonial India.

54. Gall : IRRITATE

56. Scour, e.g. : ABRADE

57. Weaken : ENERVATE

58. Easy to handle : DOCILE. Apropos of nothing, I just read it somewhere that women prefer to date men who have dumped their partner before, while men prefer the dumpee because they are afraid of being dumped next. True?

59. Great Lakes routes : SEA LANES.

60. O, in many cases : OXYGEN. Was thinking of Oprah's O.

Down:

2. Tear : RACE

3. Through : OVER

4. Woody Allen film : ZELIG. The 1983 mockumentary.

5. Synonymous with, with "for" : ANOTHER WORD. Didn't come to me immediately.

6. Gary hrs. : CST. Gary, Indiana. I wonder what our Husker Gary was thinking.

7. Follower of everything? : BAGEL. Is "Everything bagel" a NY thing? I've never heard of it before.

8. Perfect places : EDENS

9. Say __: refuse : NO TO

10. Cincinnati trio? : ENS. The trio in the word Cincinnati.

12. "Wicked Game" singer Chris : ISAAK. Faintly rang a bell. Here is the song.

13. Courage : NERVE

14. The sun is one : G-STAR. Bill G linked this terrific comparison chart last time.

20. Brilliance, in Bristol : LUSTRE. Bristol, England. Hence the RE ending.

23. Fatty acid ester : OLEATE. Learned from doing Xword.

24. Repository of Greek mythology : PANDORA'S BOX. Great entry.

25. Alphabet trio : BCD

26. Big name in faucets : MOEN

27. At Dodger Stadium, briefly : IN LA

29. Pouring aid : FUNNEL

31. She "sets my heart awhirl," in a 4 Seasons hit : CANDY GIRL. Do you like the song?

32. Continental trade gp. : EEC (European Economic Community).

33. Holy wars : JIHADS. Literally.

34. Vientiane's land : LAOS

35. Caltech grad's occ., often : ENGR

37. Part of MS-DOS: Abbr. : SYS

42. Nice friends : AMIES. Nice the city in France.

43. Greene of "Bonanza" : LORNE

45. Mesa's cousin : BUTTE

46. Cousins of foils : EPEES

47. Mount __, New York's highest peak : MARCY. No idea, Argyle!

49. "Brian's Song" Emmy nominee : CAAN (James). Dennis the Dummy liked the movie, if I remember correctly. About Brian Piccolo. Quite sad.

51. Reagan secretary of state : HAIG (Alexander). "I'm in control here".

52. Not engaged : IDLE

53. "It's __ too long" : BEEN

55. Knoxville-based agcy. : TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)

56. Bother : ADO

Answer grid.

C.C.

Friday December 10, 2010 Don Gagliardo

Theme: STOCK OPTIONS (56A. Some employee benefits, and this puzzle's title) - meaning if you take a common phrase from the world of finance with the word “stock” in the phrase and you mix it up a little, you can create a new and humorous phrase, while still preserving the sound. STOCK OPTIONS allow an employee to buy shares in a company at a future date at a reduced price. And of course OPTION means having a choice to replace the word STOCK, with a sound alike: man is that a convoluted explanation to a fun theme. Anyway, please read the note from Don G. at the end.

20A. Shrink for a noted Vulcan?: SPOCK ANALYST. When STOCK ANALYST, someone who puts out reports on companies, becomes a shrink (psychoanalyst) for the Vulcan in "Star Trek", we have…

29A. Reason for a laundry odor?: SOCK ISSUE. STOCK ISSUE, an offering of shares in a company, when faced with stinky feet. I was told, if you scrub between your toes, you will lessen foot odor dramatically, any volunteers?

37A. Neighborhood garage sales?: SCHLOCK MARKET. The STOCK MARKET itself, can become the home for cheap items, from the Yiddish .

45A. Collection for an artist's garment?: SMOCK FUND. STOCK FUND, a mutual fund, where people can get buy an interest in many companies, and we all know painters and sculptors wear smocks to protect their clothes.

Can you think of one for SHOCK?

I just love Don Hard G’s work, and this was a pleasure, though I cannot put my finger any one aspect, as the cluing was creative, but all over the place, with deception, history, some esoteric information and lots of work to finish.

A few related clues like, SCIENCE FICTION: 14A "Rendezvous With __": Hugo-winning Arthur C. Clarke novel: RAMA. A wonderful book by the 2001: A Space Odyssey author and contemporary of, 40D. Many an Asimov character: ROBOT. Now here is a conundrum, is a Robot a character, or merely a thing? Asimov was amazing, and everyone should read the Foundation series, and if you like mysteries his Black Widower stories. They both were influenced by H.G. Wells, and The Time Machine which gave us 16A. Morlock fare: ELOI. Finally, 30D. Orson, e.g., in a '70s-'80s sitcom: ORKAN. We are over our Mork and Mindy quota aren’t we?

Or, GAMBLING: 24A What serious players play for: KEEPS. I really like this clue, especially followed by, 28A. Act that gets you a hand: DEAL. And our 67A. Roulette bet: NOIR, just French for Black.

And a bunch of law related stuff, so I could be the blogger, like: 6D. Speaks one's mind: OPINES. Like eschews, a favorite of lawyers, who do not like to ever just say something, they want to aver, or opine. 8D. First-year law student: ONE L. Ick, but real, sounds pompous to me. Then, 13D. Artificial locks: WIG. Which is like, 34D. Hairdo: COIF. This is an accepted variant of COIFFURE. Also, a legal honor society, derived from the barristers in England who all wore WIGS.

On with the rest.

Across:

1. Smart: CHIC. Smart, stylish, not intelligent.

5. Use a user ID: LOG ON. Use a user, nice phrase.

10. Look at: VIEW. This is why you should not stay up all night drinking before you go on TV . You will be one of the 70A. Lushes: SOTS.

15. "Brusha, brusha, brusha" toothpaste: IPANA. Man, we see a lot of Bucky these days.

17. Gp. dissolved 12/26/1991: USSR. I never thought of them as a group, was trying to think of rock and roll groups, which reminded me of 64A. It precedes di or da, in a Beatles song: OBLA. Time to LISTEN .

18. Hybrid big cat: LIGER. Have you all seen HERCULES who weights 900 pounds? Not to be confused with 36A. TV production co. whose mascot was Mimsie the Cat: MTM. No idea, though I remember Mary Tyler Moore and her husband Grant Tinker’s production company and the play on the MGM lion, with MTM and a kitty cat.

19. Half an ice grabber: TONG. Well, I think of the secret society they like to write about in mysteries, any truth C.C.?

23. Feature of Incan farms: TERRACE. I never knew about TERRACE FARMING but I guess schools teach more about native society than in my day.

33. Dry, as wine: SEC. There are also demi-sec (sweeter) and Brut (dryer) wines.

35. Untrained: RAW. I always think of raw recruits.

42. Point: AIM. My kind of pistol.

43. "This American Life" radio host Glass: IRA. Do not know this show. Anyone?

44. Fin. neighbor: NOR. Seems I always get a chance to shout out to our Norwegian friends.

49. "Tiny Toon Adventures" bunny: BABS. I never cared for the Tiny Toons, but with my kids I saw many episodes.

52. Mount also known as Horeb: SINAI. This is a very hot topic for biblical scholars but I will leave that to our own expert Hahtool and WIKIPEDIA .

53. Exterminate: ROOT OUT. More bible, as we root out all evil.

60. Slung food: HASH. My mental picture is MEL’S .

63. Initial strategy: PLAN A. How many of us ever have a plan B?

65. Sommer of "A Shot in the Dark": ELKE. Clouseau is back with a Pretty Woman.

66. Many a surfer: AOLER. Does that sound like a swear word to you too?

68. Diamond spoiler: FLAW.

69. 1954 event coded as "Castle Bravo": H TEST. This was 1,200 times more powerful than the bombs dropped in Japan, making many people who lived in the 50’s quite reasonably afraid of the impending end of the world, causing them to build underground shelters. My kids do not believe it.

Down:

1. Pie maker's pride: CRUST. Well, since we have so many wonderful cooks on our board directors, is it really the crust?

2. Locked, in a way: HASPED. It is a good thing I had the crosses because this would not have been in my head.

3. Marathoner's lament: I'M SORE. How about, I am an idiot for running 26 miles without being chased. I did however, teach Frank Shorter legal writing.

4. Traffic blocker: CAR CRASH. Been there too often.

5. Bath salt fragrance: LILAC. We had such pretty lilacs in pour yard when I was growing up.

7. Infatuated: GAGA. Is this SONG your cup of tea?

9. Not even one, with "a": NARY. A nice word from old western, “Nope nary an Injun around these parts.”

10. Chevy sportsters: VETTES. I always thought of Corvettes as a woman’s car, but maybe because my ex owned many of them.

11. UN workers' agcy.: ILO. International Labour Organization; notice the “u”, which tells you it is not an American group.

12. Two or more eras, in geologic time: EON. See, it is specific, sort of.

21. Infant who escaped Krypton: KAL EL. His father was JOR EL, but he became better known as Clark Kent and Superman.

22. Jet __: SKI.

25. Salinger title girl: ESME. With love and Squalor, another repeat performance.

26. Green stroke: PUTT.

27. Where to study for a Th.D.: SEM. Doctor of Theology, rather than Philosophy.

31. Word with nanny or web: CAM. Spying on your nanny? Which of course reminded of, 61D. __-American: ALL. So, who are we voting for the Heisman trophy, CAM Newton? He was at one time in Gainesville with Tebow.

32. Nine-time U.S. skating champ: KWAN. It seems almost every puzzle I blog contains a shout out to our figure skating females, who I am sure looked just like THIS .

37. Ventura County's __ Valley: SIMI. Most famous now I guess as the resting place of the corporeal remain of Ronald reagen.

38. "Let's go!": C'MON.

39. French wine term: CRU. This describes where a wine’s grapes were grown, without the specificity of a specific vineyard, though with Premier and Grand, it classifies the regions as to their reputations.

41. Three-course military supplies: K RATIONS. This was a hastily put together food package to feed a soldier, initially a paratrooper, three meals for a day. It replaced existing A B and C rations, and was not very nutritious, but did include some Chesterfields.

42. Symbol of stubbornness: ASS. No comment.

46. Some kind of nut: CASHEW. So simple, it was tricky.

47. Tool holder: KIT. I could not get LOIS to fit.

48. Goes on monotonously: DRONES. My real estate professor in law school, D.T. Smith, man could he talk and say nothing.

50. Playground mishap: BOOBOO. You sure about this career move JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE ?

51. Bright, as a porch: SUN LIT. Did you all have a sun porch growing up, like I did. Of course the sun only came out for a few weeks a year….

54. Dizzying genre: OP ART.? It can be disturbing, but it can also let your mind wander, what do YOU see in this PICTURE ? Hint, I was trying to keep a topic from the week going.

55. Nicholas I and II, e.g.: TSARS. Never the see the old CZAR any more, do we.

57. Hawaiian food fish: OPAH. Where have all of our Hawaiin posters gone? Anywya, I did not know this FISH .

58. Lump: CLOT. This was part of the most difficult section, as I think of clots only in terms of blood.

59. Broccoli relative: KALE. Broccoli is actually related to cabbage, kale, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. It gets its name from the Italian, BROCCO, which means arm or branch (the Latin stem being Bracchium). Some people love this edible flower, while some children have been know to sit for hours at the table refusing to take even a bite, even foregoing a yummy dessert. You know who you are Brent and Kimberly. Anyway, if you like broccoli, you may also like to try broccoflower, a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. Broccolini, also called baby broccoli, is another new trademarked cross between broccoli and kale. According to nutritionists, raw or steamed broccoli is a superfood with anti-oxidant and ant-cancer ingredients.

60. Mag mogul with a mansion: HEF. Nice alliterative clue for the old Playboy Hugh Hefner.

62. Reggae precursor: SKA. An easy one, as almost every puzzle I blog does overlap my life; Devin, my youngest is going into the studio to record a couple of songs, and SKA was one of his musical influences.

Answer grid.

Thanks for inviting me into your homes, and I hope you enjoyed the show, until next time

Lemonade

Note from Don:

'This theme came to me in an instant. I heard the phrase “Stock Options”, and realized that I could come up with phrases where “stock” is normally used, and substitute a similar word to create wacky phrases. That is about all I can remember, except the first draft had to be revised, and Rich suggested an alternative. I thought the theme was also a little unusual, so it might have appeal from that perspective".

Here are a few beautiful pictures JD took from her recent Oahu trip. She also provided great captions. Click each one for clearer definition.

Thursday December 9, 2010 Kurt Mueller

Theme: Add a letter - Not to the answer, but to each successive clue.

16A. M: JAMES BOND'S BOSS. Sir Miles Messervy, as per The Man With the Golden Gun.

25A. Ma: MRS KETTLE.

37A. Max: PHYSICIST PLANCK. The founder of quantum theory.

51A. Maxi: LONG SKIRT. You have to be a special kind of person to pull this off.

62A. Maxim: PITHY PRINCIPLE. Because "men's magazine" didn't fit...

Hi all, Al here.

A tough theme to continue, I could only go two more steps without resorting to plurals:

Maxima: Nissan Model
Maximal: BeastWars Transformer

I found this puzzle both fun and entertaining, almost Naddoresque in places for the choice of answers like JIM DANDY, CHEAPO, TRIKE, and ZANIER. Also clues that tied together like "little wood", "little butt", "little rascal", and other misdirections. There did seem to be a few names, most not too bad, but the cross of AFT and FROMM did make me have to guess at first, not being one to read classified ads.

ACROSS:

1. Magic: MOJO. Originally meant a lucky charm in the shape of a hand, often worn between the legs, by gamblers and by women (against infidelity). It may derive from the West African Fula word moco’o, a medicine man, or from Gullah moco, meaning witchcraft or magic.

5. Time in a classified ad: AFT. Afternoon, I'm guessing...

8. Syrian president: ASSAD.

13. Surrounded by: AMID.

14. Bud: BRO. Pal, chum, homey, cuz.

15. Little wood: COPSE. Shortening of "coppice", which also has the same meaning: a small grove of trees planted specifically for cutting.

19. So-so connection?: AND. The original use was just to indicate something that is unspecified: "If I want to do so and so, then that's my business!" A similar phrase is "such and such". It has evolved into a euphemism for something unmentionable due to common use, thus acquiring a negative connotation itself: "You dirty so and so!" .

20. __ forces: ARMED. The notion of arms seems to be "that which is fitted together." Meaning "heraldic insignia" (in coat of arms, etc.) originally displayed on shields of fully armed knights or barons.

21. Senate majority leader Harry: REID.

23. Baseball stat.: AVG.

28. More clownish: ZANIER. Originally Zanni, Venetian dialect variant of Gianni, pet form of Giovanni "John." A stock character in old comedies, he aped the principal actors.

31. Doesn't try to reach the green, in golf: LAYS UP. For a safer next shot, use one instead of losing two. Unless you're like me and lose the next two in the pond anyway.

32. Current letters: AC-DC. Also an Aussie hard rock band.

33. Less taxing: EASIER. Like this clue.

43. Most tender: SOREST. I had wondered about the use of "sore" in a few old movies as meaning "very" (I am plumb sore wore out), until the eytmology dictionary pointed out the related German word "sehr", which, oddly enough, means "very".

44. Pace: GAIT. "A walking, or departure", related to gate, from Old Norse gata, a way or path.

45. Low-quality: CHEAPO. Brings to mind bad-smelling cigars.

49. Sumatran swingers: ORANGS.

55. Site of a 1981 sitcom honeymoon: ORK. Mork & Mindy. We've been seeing a lot of them lately.

56. Minute amount: IOTA. The Greek letter "i", which is the smallest letter, so literally the least part of anything.

57. __ badge: MERIT.

59. "Big Blue": IBM. Perhaps the logo, suits, mainframe color, or a combination of all three.

66. Old number?: ETHER. Not a counting number, but to numb your senses, an anesthetic.

67. Instrument on which Jake Shimabukuro can play "Bohemian Rhapsody": UKE. Jake is simply awe-inspiring. I may have also linked his version of Harrison's WMGGW before, but I'm doing it again, just because I think it would have been an even better choice for the clue.

68. Kind of officer or shark: LOAN.

69. Meg and Robert: RYANS.

70. __ Perce tribe: NEZ.

71. Asian beef source: KOBE. Kobe beef fat will actually begin dissolving at 77F degrees, which means the meat will literally melt in your mouth. If prepared as steak, kobe beef cannot be cooked more than medium rare, as it would otherwise liquefy.

DOWN:

1. Goya subject: MAJA. Two paintings, same model and pose, one clothed, one nude.

2. Yemen neighbor: OMAN.

3. Crackerjack: JIM DANDY.

4. Poetic tribute: ODE. From Late Latin, a "lyric song".

5. Common crossword clue letters: ABBR. Why does the word abbreviate need to be so long?

6. "The Art of Loving" author: FROMM. Erich, who presents love as a skill that can be taught and developed. I thought that book was called the Kama Sutra...

7. Cartridge filler: TONER. I started thinking gunpowder, then ink.

8. Coolers, briefly: ACS. Recently saw this clue for air conditioners.

9. One may be choked back: SOB. There, there, just let it all out.

10. Stylish: SPORTY. Concerning cars, I guess.

11. They may be liquid or frozen: ASSETS.

12. Original "Star Trek" studio: DESILU. Was owned by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball.

17. Wise one: SAGE. Also an acoustic performance by Greg Lake of ELP.

18. Driller's deg.: DDS. Doctor of Dental Surgery.

22. Bank acct. entry: DEP. Deposit. Could have been INT.

24. Morrow and Damone: VICS.

26. One who lifts a lot?: KLEPTO. Lifting as slang for theft, not like these people.

27. '50s-'60s chief justice Warren: EARL.

28. Microwave: ZAP.

29. Cologne cry: ACH. German interjection. Lieber Augustin was a popular street musician, who, according to legend, fell into a pit filled with bodies of plague victims, late at night when he was drunk. Assuming that he was certain to catch the disease they left him for dead. Augustin did not contract the disease, which may have been owed to the influence of the alcohol. That sounds like a story for Ripley's Believe it or Not...

30. Boil over?: RECOOK. Over as "again", not as spilling onto the stove.

34. __ Jordan: Nike brand: AIR. I tend to avoid celebrity-endorsed products. Does that make me a hipster?

35. Vane dir.: SSE.

36. Part of TGIF: ITS. Thank God It's Friday. A mantra to take you to a happy place.

38. AOL et al.: ISPS. Internet Service Providers. It was pretty short-sighted to call it America on line, but the internet was young and hadn't taken over the world yet, I guess.

39. Culture medium: AGAR. They don't call it "smelly lab" for nothing... Not the agar itself, but the bacteria that gets grown on it.

40. Lover of Yum-Yum in "The Mikado": NANKIPOO.

41. Little butt?: CIG. Abbreviation for cigarette.

42. Gold meas.: KTS. Karats are the purity proportion. Carats are weight.

45. Second-century date: CLI. Well, it had to start with a C. After that, hope for perps.

46. Barrel worker: HOOPER. Someone had to make those metal bands that held the staves together.

47. Thing: ENTITY. That which is. Related to the crosswordese Latin word ESSE: "to be"

48. Hercule's creator: AGATHA. Hercule Poirot, Christie's Belgian detective with the active "little grey cells". David Suchet is my favorite portrayer.

50. Uniformed campus gp.: ROTC. Reserve Officers' Training Corps. I kept reading this as un-informed for some reason.

52. Little rascal: IMP. Originally just meant a shoot or graft of a plant, then transferred to human form with the sense of "newness". Pejorative association with phrases like "imp of Satan" gives us the present day meaning.

53. Chance to see what you missed the first time: RERUN.

54. Early mode of transportation: TRIKE. Cute clue. Early, meaning young, not ages ago. I wanted something else at first, like a horse.

58. Powerful 1966 hurricane: INEZ. Because the date was given to be in 1966, just find a female name that fits the perp letters and move along without further comment.

60. Yak: BLAB.

61. Word on a biblical wall: MENE. The idiom "The writing on the wall", to be able to foresee doom approaching, is a biblical story in the book of Daniel. King Belshazzar and his court praise the gods of gold and silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone. A disembodied hand appears and writes "Mene, Mene, Tekel u-Pharsin" on the wall. Daniel interprets this to mean God is displeased, and the end of the kingdom is at hand. Sure enough, the king is slain that night. You really had to be careful what you said to people back then, I guess...

63. Cock's mate: HEN. I've never heard it called that before...

64. Jr. and sr.: YRS. School years.

65. Type: ILK. Same. Related word: like

Notes from C.C.:

1) Today, we celebrate the birthday of the always attentive & caring Hahhool, who, together with Argyle & Dennis, has probably read every comment on the blog in the past two years, including those (deleted) mean-spirited troll posts.

2) We also celebrate, though a bit late, Bill G's return to his wonderful home & our blog for the holidays. Click here to see a picture of Bill, his loving wife Barbara and their three beautiful kids. And here to see Bill, Barbara and their adorable grand-kids. Both photos were taken last Sunday. Yesterday Bill asked how everyone pronounces "dissect". I "die-SECT", with long I. How about you?

Al

Wednesday December 8, 2010 Dan Naddor

Theme: Size Matters - The first word of each theme answer is a synonym for very small. Toy, Pygmy, Miniature, and Dwarf are also terms used for certain small animal breeds (i.e., Dachschunds can be dwarf, toy, teacup, or micro-mini).

18A. Members of a small army : TOY SOLDIERS. Great clue. I think every kid played with these.

20A. Lumbering critter of Borneo : PYGMY ELEPHANT. So cute.

36A. Some Steinways : BABY GRAND PIANOS. Also, concert, parlor or boudoir grand. Baby grand is the smallest of the grands.

52A. Game often involving a windmill : MINIATURE GOLF. Anyone willing to take a crack at explaining this? (As Dennis says, so many lines.)

57A. Pluto, now : DWARF PLANET

Melissa here.

An honor to blog one of the few remaining Dan Naddor puzzles. Full of his typical clever clues. I think he wanted us to have some fun with this one.

Dan also overlapped the first & last two pair of theme entries. Hard to achieve in Xword construction.

Across

1. Rd. traveler's stat : MPG. Miles per gallon.

4. Spinnaker, e.g. : SAIL

8. Tending to hang down : DROOPY. No one here though, it's others.

14. Treasure de la Sierra Madre : ORO. Oro is the Spanish word for gold.

15. "M*A*S*H" star : ALDA. Alan Alda. One of the greatest characters, in one of the greatest shows ever.

16. Merited : EARNED

17. Kung __ chicken : PAO. A spicy Sichuan dish with chicken, chili peppers, and peanuts, named after Ding Baozhen, who's title was Gōng Bǎo (宮保), or "palatial guardian."

22. Conger catcher : EELER

23. Publicize : AIR

24. Delivery experts, for short : OB'S. Obstetricians deliver babies. Cute.

27. Remnant : DREG

28. Stuffed : FULL. For you, Jeannie.

31. "Knock it off!" : STOP

32. Poker ploy : RAISE. Was thinking something more like bluff - great subtle clue.

34. Grumpy co-worker? : SNEEZY. Another fun clue.

40. WWII depth charge targets : U-BOATS

41. Bungling : INEPT. Thought of him. "A clue, a clue, a clue!"

42. Any day now : SOON

43. Bite like a beaver : GNAW. Great word.

44. Construction beam : I-BAR

48. Loud laugh : YUK

49. Japanese veggie : UDO. New to me, looks a little droopy. Morel for me, thanks.

51. Take potshots : SNIPE

59. Former CNN anchor Dobbs : LOU

60. Wreck, as plans : DERAIL

61. Losing proposition? : DIET

62. Soul, to Sartre : AME

63. Start liking : TAKE TO

64. WWII Normandy battle site : ST. LO. From Wikipedia: Saint-Lô was almost totally destroyed (95% according to common estimates) during the Battle of Normandy in World War II, earning the title of "The Capital of the Ruins" from Samuel Beckett; it was even questioned whether to rebuild it or to leave the ruins intact as a testimony to the bombing.

65. OPEC unit : BBL. Oil - bbl is a designation for a standard unit of measure of a barrel of oil, 42 gallons.

Down

1. Swabbed : MOPPED

2. Bedtime ritual for many : PRAYER

3. Provider of millions of hits : GOOGLE. Great mis-direction.

4. Woodlands deity : SATYR

5. Lip balm ingredient : ALOE

6. Pastoral verse : IDYL

7. Cut with a surgical beam : LASE

8. Indian metropolis : DELHI

9. Tool for scouting pitchers : RADAR. Used to measure the velocity of a pitch.

10. "Are you out __?" : OR IN. Theme related?

11. Count that may diffuse anger : ONE TO TEN. Could prevent eight-to-ten.

12. Part of 1-Across : PER

13. QB's gains : YDS

19. Birthstone after sapphire : OPAL. September = Sapphire, October = Opal.

21. "When Harry Met Sally..." co-star : MEG RYAN.

25. Doofus : BOZO

26. 1974 CIA spoof : SPYS. Do not remember this.

28. Fragrant evergreens : FIRS. Timely. This just came up on Monday's comments. That time of year already ...

29. __ Today : USA

30. Red Square honoree : LENIN

31. Restaurant host's purview : SEATING

33. FBI employee : AGT. Agent.

34. Gush : SPEW

35. Barely beat : NIP

36. Not taking calls, perhaps : BUSY

37. "__ Ben Adhem": James Leigh Hunt poem : ABOU. I'll leave it to Clear Ayes.

38. Web surfer's shortcut : BOOKMARK

39. Paternity suit letters : DNA. Made me chuckle.

43. Intent : GOAL

45. Class with dissections, for short : BIO-LAB. Biology.

46. Poise : APLOMB. Great crossword word, two vowels, four consonants. Surprised we don't see it more often.

47. Gas up : REFUEL.

49. Not qualified : UNFIT

50. Double: Pref. : DIPLO. Diplomat, diplocardiac.

51. Brief brawl : SET-TO

53. Wrath, in a hymn title : IRAE. Dies Irae (Day of Wrath). So dramatic.

54. Smidgens : TADS

55. Military group : UNIT

56. Casting need : REEL. Fishing.

57. Banned bug killer : DDT. Thanks, in large part, to one of my heroes, Rachel Carson.

58. "Are __ pair?": "Send in the Clowns" lyric : WE A

Answer grid.

Notes from C.C.:

Today we celebrate the birthday of our trombonist/poet/wordsmith Jazzbumpa, Iron (I, Ron) in real life. This is one of my favorite blog photos, Ron with his Lovely Wife Gloria and their 11 grandchildren.

Melissa

Tuesday, December 7, 2010 Mark Bickham

Theme: Hare Hoax - Five theme endings that are when a rabbit isn't a real rabbit. Unifier is at the tail end.

18A. Procter & Gamble laundry product: IVORY SNOW. A snow bunny is a female that goes to the mountain with more than skiing on her mind.

27A. Keep America Beautiful concerns: LITTERBUGS. Bugs Bunny needs no intro.

35A. New England storm: NOR'EASTER. Neither does the Easter bunny. A nor'easter is a big storm of the North Atlantic coast and its counter-clockwise rotation brings water(or snow)-laden winds coming from the northeast to all New England. Actually. it can affect the whole eastern seaboard.

49A. Space particles: COSMIC DUST. If you don't know what a dust bunny is, then I want to meet your maid.

59A. Beach Boys album with bees and flowers on the cover: WILD HONEY. Here, I'll play the song for you, my little honey bunny. Clip.(2:40)

68A. Critter that can follow the ends of this puzzle's five longest answers: BUNNY

Argyle here. While none of the themes are very long, they are interesting and the stacks of sevens in the corners are impressive.

I await your comments. Of course, I awaited a comment on the band, Phish, yesterday but only Seen spoke of them.

Across:

1. Prepared for pie, as apples : CORED

6. Skirt fold : PLEAT

11. 1,150, to Brutus : MCL

14. Speed skater __ Anton Ohno : APOLO. An unknown to me with an unknown spelling. US-American Olympic gold medal-winning short track speed skater who also won Dancing with the Stars in 2007. Here is a short(1:50) clip that may explain the popularity of the show. Hot!

15. Get-up-and-go : OOMPH

16. Author Levin : IRA. He wrote the play, No Time for Sergeants and the novel, Rosemary's Baby.

17. What cats and bats do : RHYME

20. Earl Grey et al. : TEAs (weak link) 42. Rank below marquis : EARL

21. "The loneliest number," in a song : ONE. Clip(2:56)

22. Nickel or cadmium : METAL

23. The works : ALL

24. Favorite : PET

25. Simian : APE-LIKE

30. Lawyers' charges : FEES

31. Craft that can be rolled : KAYAK. You can put your kayak upside down in the water and still roll it back upright, if you haven't lost your paddle.

32. "As ye sow, so shall ye __" : REAP

34. Country rtes. : RDs.

39. Bruin legend Bobby : ORR

43. Nutritious beans : SOYAs

47. Razz : JEER

52. Asks to the party : INVITES

54. King of France : ROI

55. 9-Down adviser : CPA and 9D. 30-day mo. : APR.

56. Kentucky county named for a trailblazer : BOONE. Daniel Boone.

57. It follows Wed. : THU.

58. Stride : GAIT

62. Beyond the fringe : OUTRE. We see this spelling frequently.

63. Columnist Buchwald : ART. Snapshot.

64. Alleviated : EASED

65. __ mix: hiker's fare : TRAIL

66. Snake sound : "SSS!". Can make a hiker drop his trail mix.

67. Wipe out : ERASE

Down

1. NPR auto show : "CAR TALK". National Public Radio; The hosts of Car Talk are brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi, also known as Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers.

2. Hamlet's love : OPHELIA. Spoiler alert: She dies...oh wait, they all die...never mind.

3. Writer's payment : ROYALTY

4. Shady bunch? : ELMS

5. Anonymous John : DOE

6. Destination in a two-part route : POINT B. After you start from point A.

7. "Many-splendored thing" of song : LOVE. In case you've forgotten the great ballad.(3:02)

8. Comic Philips : EMO. Alleged comic.

10. Mint family herb : THYME

11. Toothpaste comparison word : MINTIER

12. Cried like a raven : CROAKED

13. Like anarchy : LAWLESS

19. Note to __ : SELF

21. Across, in verse : O'ER

24. "Orange" tea grade : PEKOE. We've had a big discussion about this before but if you want, we can go over it again.

25. A long time : AGES

26. 130-minute H.S. exam : PSAT

28. Beach lover's goal : TAN

29. Eurasian range : URALS. The range dividing Europe from Asia.

33. Joe of "GoodFellas" : PESCI. He played a whack-job(but don't tell him I said that).

36. Senate contest : RACE

37. God with arrows : EROS

38. Staff associate? : ROD

39. Lake Superior natives : OJIBWAs. The Ojibwa Indians, also known as the Chippewa Indians, lived mainly in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Ontario, Canada at the time of European contact. Good web site here.

40. Some Impressionist paintings : RENOIRs. Google page.

41. Sickens : REVOLTS

44. Mexican peninsula : YUCATAN. Map. It has been hard hit by hurricanes before.

45. Bayer product : ASPIRIN

46. Majestic : STATELY

48. Melon exterior : RIND

50. Villainous literary alter ego : MR. HYDE. Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is the original title of a novella written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson

51. Promise to pay : IOU

53. Little laugh : TE-HEE

57. Golfer's pocketful : TEEs

58. Spiritual guide : GURU

60. Stick in the lake? : OAR

61. Govt. hush-hush org. : NSA. National Security Agency (NSA)

62. Bettor's hangout, briefly : OTB. Off-Track Betting. It was bad when the mob did it but OK now that our govt. does it.

Answer grid.

Notes from C.C.:

1) Today we celebrate the birthday of Windhover, our blog farmer and philosopher. I think the third picture there is what made Annette want to ride his bike.

2) Speaking of cool, click here and here for two terrific shots of Splynter. Obviously he loves guitar (He writes music) & hockey (a goalie). He is in construction/remodeling business, and he wants to "Make your home your castle".

Argyle

Monday, December 6, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: On Solid Footing - Four phrases that end with a word that indicates what you may build on, literally or metaphorically.

20A. Sidewalk periodical vendor : NEWSPAPER STAND

25A. Edwards or Langley, e.g. : AIR FORCE BASE

42A. Court-ordered parental obligation : CHILD SUPPORT

48A. Philanthropic group chartered by auto execs : FORD FOUNDATION

Argyle here.

If you have a strong crossword background to build on, then Donna's offering should cause you little trouble. The grid is well grounded with strong blocks at the corners and lengthy cross ties.

I'm going to assume we all have basic expertise in puzzles and do minimal comments; there are entries from the past and the present. Anybody with a question, just ask it and someone will answer it.

Across

1. Try to obtain sensitive info using an Internet scam : PHISH

6. Chase down, as a fly ball : SHAG

10. Falls behind : LAGS

14. "Tiny Bubbles" singer : DON HO. Hawaiian

15. Tip-top : A-ONE

16. Towards the sheltered side, at sea : ALEE

17. Specialized jargon : ARGOT

18. "__ call us, we'll ..." : DON'T. Video. (3:24)

19. Red sky, to a sailor : OMEN

23. __-Locka, Florida : OPA. A city located in Miami-Dade County.

24. Gut courses : EASY A'S. Knew the answer but not the clue. The best definition I found is that a gut course is a class so easy that you can forgo studying, go with your gut instincts, and still get an A.

31. Political corruption : GRAFT

32. Police busts : RAIDS

33. Revolutionary statesman Franklin : BEN

36. Knocks on the door : RAPS

37. Response to a fencing lunge : PARRY

38. Nothing, in tennis : LOVE

39. Picnic invader : ANT

40. Intimidated : COWED. "Don't have a cow, man!": Bart Simpson.

41. Tendon : SINEW

44. Show hosts : EMCEEs

47. Actor Mineo : SAL

54. Notion : IDEA

55. Univ. sports group : NCAA

56. Liberate from the hitching post : UNTIE. That is just PETA talk.

58. Shakespearean king : LEAR

59. Tiger Woods's ex : ELIN

60. Allow to pass : LET BY

61. Benevolent order : ELKS

62. Cowgirl Evans : DALE

63. Cropped up : AROSE

Down:

1. High-tech organizer, briefly : PDA. Personal digital assistant, an electronic device which can include some of the functions of a computer, a cellphone, a music player, a camera and a partridge in a pear tree.

2. English or French instrument : HORN. English or French.

3. "Picnic" dramatist : INGE

4. Braggarts : SHOW-OFFS

5. Lively nightclub : HOT SPOT

6. Thompson of "Family" : SADA

7. Hula __ : HOOP

8. Green Gables girl : ANNE. The tale of a red-headed girl.

9. Prepare : GET READY

10. Taoism founder : LAO-TSE. Laozi, Laosi, Lao Tse, Lao Tu, Lao-Tzu, Lao-Tsu, Laotze, Lao Zi, Laocius, and other variations.

11. Hypoallergenic skin care brand : ALMAY

12. Davis who played Thelma : GEENA. Cover.

13. Transmits : SENDS

21. Bogey beater : PAR

22. Impertinence : SASS

25. Taj Mahal city : AGRA

26. Pakistan neighbor : IRAN

27. Engrossed : RAPT

28. Move like a baby : CRAWL

29. Like some seals : EARED

30. Feathered friends : BIRDS

33. Sonny of Sonny and Cher : BONO. Sadly, their "I GOT YOU BABE" turned into "IT AIN'T ME BABE".

34. Happily __ after : EVER

35. Eft, when mature : NEWT

37. Like the victims in "Arsenic and Old Lace" : POISONED. Performed as a school play everywhere.

38. Pencil for one's kisser : LIP LINER

40. Kitchen VIP : CHEF

41. Pancake flipper : SPATULA

42. Coniferous trees : CEDARS

43. Mex. neighbor : USA

44. Submit a tax return over the Internet : E-FILE

45. Hobbyist's plane, e.g. : MODEL

46. Old floorboard sound : CREAK

49. Golden State sch. : UCLA

50. Carpentry fastener : NAIL

51. Certain Scandinavian : DANE. From Denmark.

52. Filmdom's Preminger : OTTO

53. Penpoints : NIBS

57. Sight organ : EYE

Answer grid.

Notes from C.C.:

1) This is a week of birthday celebrations on our blog. Today we sing "Happy Birthday to You" to the ever sunny, happy & DD-Delightful Lucina. On her left in lovely aqua is our exotic bird Dodo, who just had her 85th birthday on October 29.

2) If you want to be included in our Blog Photos archive, please send me a picture or two (crosswordc@gmail.com). We'd love to "see" you.

Argyle

Added later: Today is also constructor Donna Levin's birthday. Happy Birthday, Donna!