Sunday, June 21, 2015, C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "Honoring Our Veterans". An always fitting tribute to our service men and women and the GI BILL in a charming Sunday package by our head Word Warrior C.C. This reenforces our duty to honor these men and women "Lest We Forget". It is still at work today:

As you can see, she built the puzzle around nine two-word phrases in which the first word begins with a G and the second with an I. I had a couple of rough patches but thoroughly enjoyed my odyssey.

23A. High-end bar? : GOLD INGOT - Like these in Fort Knox that Auric Goldfinger tried to steal

25A. IRS Schedule C, line 7 : GROSS INCOME - I totally get having a GROSS INCOME!

39A. Search feature that shows results as you type : GOOGLE INSTANT - Google attempt at 84. Down - Debatable "gift" : ESP?

50A. "Massaging" Dr. Scholl's product : GEL INSOLES - Are you gellin?

67A. Broad appeal : GENERAL INTEREST - Not appealing to colonels and majors?

87A. Popular Aegean vacation spots : GREEK ISLES - Spectacular!

97A. Teacher of the Year awardee, say : GOOD INFLUENCE - Usually

116A. Exodus prohibition : GRAVEN IMAGE - Exodus 20:4, KJV. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any GRAVEN image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heave above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" 

119A. "That could work!" : GREAT IDEA - Hmmm... 

And the theme reveal:

101D. Legislation signed 6/22/1944 by FDR ... and, initially, what the nine longest across answers in this puzzle comprise : GI BILL

Hut, two, three, four, let's march on to see what other cleverness C.C. has for us in her salute to our fighting men and women and their well deserved benefits 

Across

        
1. Queens swingers : METS - Swingin' since 1962

5. Like New York's Waldorf Astoria : DECO - More familiar as ART DECO

9. Ball queen : BELLE - This is Disney's Belle in her signature color (all Disney Princesses have a signature color)

14. Sought-after guests : A-LIST 

19. "The African Queen" co-screenwriter : AGEE - TOMMY Agee made two spectacular catches in the 1969 Series for those Queens Swingers. 

20. Bring in : EARN

21. "The sharpest-sighted Spirit of all in Heaven," in "Paradise Lost" : URIEL - Satan, disguised as a cherub , tricks archangel Uriel into guiding him to Earth

22. Jazzy Jones : NORAH

27. Religion of most Malaysians : ISLAM - 60.4% of 'em

28. Shower sponge : LOOFA - Most here will recognize this LOOFA scene

30. Telecom unit : NSEC - Nanosecond - One billionth of a second

31. Tot perch : KNEE

32. Like some kisses : STOLEN - Most famous in history?

34. Annual theater award : OBIE - Best of off Broadway

36. Bullet point : ITEM

38. Start of an assembly : STEP A - "I don't need no stinkin' instructions"

44. "I knew it!" : AHA - "I should'a read the stinkin' instructions"

45. Frustrating waiting time, facetiously : EON

47. Loads : A TON 

48. 21-Across, in Le Havre : ANGE - Our friend Uriel above. Lovely cross reference  

49. Marker : IOU

53. Goes (for) : OPTS

55. Polish prose : EDIT

56. Clark Kent's father, in 1950s TV : EBEN - I guess Ma and Pa Kent were called Sarah and EBEN  in a 1942 novel and the TV series. Just when I thought I knew everything Superman... 

57. Arthur of "Maude" : BEA - BEA Arthur 

58. Takes by force : WRESTS

60. Sleekly designed : AERO - prefix

61. By and large : AS A RULE - AS A RULE, I follow Ann Landers' advice, "Is anything any better because I say/do this?"

64. Talk pioneer : PAAR - He told Dick Cavett that leaving The Tonight Show was the biggest mistake of his life

65. Time __ : WARNER - Our cable/phone/internet provider

71. Eastern temple : PAGODA

74. Like-minded group : CULT - Two entrepreneurs outside the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco, TX

75. Bungler : SAD SACK - I'll bet even he could take advantage of the GI Bill

78. Tiger's ex : ELIN - Mother of his children

79. Riles (up) : STEAMS

82. Rescue pro : EMT - They saved a life at our Memorial Day outdoor cemetery

83. Heavy wind : GALE

85. Historian seen in "I, Claudius" : LIVY - Titus Livius Patavinus - 59 BC - 17 AD

86. League, e.g. : UNIT - 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is 69,000 miles but the title refers to the horizontal distance the Nautilus traveled while under the sea not a vertical depth.

90. Vacation time in Versailles : ETE - We never seem to see the others

91. Pusher's nemesis : NARC

93. Regrets : RUES

95. __ es Salaam : DAR - If you know the name of the country with this city and its 1.4 million people, you're a better geographer than I am. I had to look it up.

96. Edge : LIP - Having a putt stop on the LIP of the cup is heartbreaking!

100. Prepare to surf : LOG IN - All my LOG IN's use my mom's name except for my financial sites 

102. Doesn't keep : ROTS

103. Quick kiss : PECK - Definitely not what's going on in 32 Across

104. Roger, for one : RABBIT - Who Framed Roger RABBIT was a 1988 movie that Rotten Tomatoes gave a 98%

106. Maestro Klemperer : OTTO - Sarge's dog or director Preminger work better for me ;-)

108. Milky stone : OPAL 

111. Mr. Wrong? : LOSER

113. Let's Move! campaign launcher Michelle : OBAMA - All first ladies seem to initiate programs that get more headlines than results

121. Gives a thumbs-up : LIKES - Was your first thought of Roman Emperors or Siskel and Ebert? BTW, the latter gave Roger Rabbit two thumbs-up.

122. Colorful swimmer : TETRA

123. Shore acquisitions : TANS

124. Wildlife refuge : LAIR

125. Put forth, as effort : EXERT

126. Hook's look : SNEER - Who did it better than Cyril Ritchard?

127. Go ape : SNAP

128. Ancient strings : LYRE

 
Down

1. Wise guys? : MAGI 

2. They may clash on a team : EGOS - How Shaquille O'Neal's, Kobe Bryant's and Phil Jackson's EGOS all fit into the Staples Center ARENA is a mystery to me.

3. Lies : TELLS TALES - I got hung up on Lies being a noun for a while

4. Calm : SEDATE

5. Wildlife refuge : DEN - Did anyone here belong to one of these DENS

6. Duffer's dream : EAGLE - Two under par. Usually only three strokes on a Par 5

7. Sing jazz standards, perhaps : CROON - He couldn't dance but Bing could CROON

8. Aware of : ONTO

9. Cause of fear : BUGABOO - Merriam Webster lists  bête noire as a synonym

10. Mess up : ERR

11. Big name in little trains : LIONEL - A set to go with one of my favorite Christmas movies

12. Not as costly : LESS - It costs LESS but would you mistake it for Edy's?

13. Further : ELSE

14. "King Kong" heroine : ANN - Kong had the hots for the only blonde he had ever seen!

15. Picture holder : LOCKET

16. "Brave New World" band : IRON MAIDEN - Their 12th album released in 2000

17. Diner's "I'll have that also" : SAME - What ELSE were Vinnie Gambini and Mona Lisa Vito gonna say?

18. Friend's address : THEE - Ah, your Quaker Friends (Religious Society of Friends)

24. "Nothing planned for that day" : I'M OPEN - What every wide receiver tells the quarterback in the huddle

26. Sweet finish : ICING

29. Pays, as the bill : FOOTS - I had two daughters and had to FOOT the bill for two weddings

33. Asian nation surrounded by five countries : LAOS - Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and about 100 miles of border with the home country of our constructor

35. Uninformed : IGNORANT - Will Durant - "Education is the progressive discovery of our IGNORANCE"

37. Mao __-tung : TSE - A founder of the Chinese Communist Party who also invited a man from the biggest capitalistic country in the world to visit

38. Grain-free cat food brand : SHEBA

39. Earth goddess : GAEA

40. Gobbles up : EATS - A baseball manager can say of a durable pitcher, "He EATS innings"

41. Technical sch. : INST

42. Bete __ : NOIRE - That which is very feared or disliked (Black Beast in French)

43. One-on-one helper : TUTOR

44. __ restriction : AGE - There are many PG-13 AGE restricted movies I wouldn't attend with my 13 year old grandson 

46. Blue-blooded : NOBLE 

51. Really hurting : IN AGONY - Two weeks in a hospital after having innards rearranged for me

52. Look like a wolf : LEER - Looking has a time limit and then it turns into a LEER

54. Impudent : PERT

55. Wildlife markers : EAR TAGS - Seen in cattle feedlots too

58. Knocks 'em dead at the jazz club : WAILS

59. Volvo home: Abbr. : SWED.

62. Light color? : RED - Was the red car driver texting?

63. Some, in Havana : UNAS

64. Damson source : PLUM TREE - A type of plum and learning for me

66. Obstinate beast : ASS - In the movie, Patton had an brutal way to move obstinate asses off a bridge

68. Berry promoted as a superfood : ACAI

69. Salinger character who said, "I prefer stories about squalor" : ESME - From the Crossword Hall Of Fame

70. Wrote customer reviews on, say : RATED 

71. Pequod co-owner : PELEG - in 1956 Mervyn Johns played PELEG to Gregory Peck's Ahab in Moby Dick

72. Kennedy associate : ALITO - One of the Supremes. Probably doesn't know the words to Baby Love

73. Approximately : GIVE OR TAKE

76. Retire : CALL IT A DAY

77. Big name in fashion : KLEIN - Do you remember the answer to this question?

80. Territory : TURF - American Pharoah (spellchecker doesn't like this misspelling) is the King of the Turf

81. Env. stuffer : ENCL - Enclosure

82. Celtic language : ERSE - Fáilte is Welcome

87. Spokescritter with a British accent : GECKO 

88. Longtime TV journalist Marvin : KALB

89. 1950 sci-fi classic : I ROBOT - Isaac Asimov hated this adaptation of his robot stories

91. Petty peeve : NIT - None here, right?

92. Williams of "Happy Days" : ANSON - Anson and some other cast members sued CBS for millions for the sales of Happy Days items. They each got $65,000 and a promise to honor their contracts henceforth.

94. Ambiguous : UNCLEAR

98. Mulligan : DO OVER - We usually give one per nine holes played. It's often on the first drive of the day

99. Doing some binge-watching, maybe : UP LATE - Dang Godfather trilogy!

104. Played again : RERAN - See above

105. Sports center : ARENA 

106. Look like a wolf : OGLE

107. Cheerios shelfmate : TRIX - Yeah, yeah, I know who they're for!!

109. Commodities trading areas : PITS - Like in Trading Places

110. ''You said it!'' : AMEN

112. Pepper et al.: Abbr. : SGTS - Bilko, York, Schultz, Friday, et al

114. '70s Israeli prime minister : MEIR

115. It passes between Swiss banks : AARE - These Swiss banks are holding the River AARE not secret bank accounts. Very cute!

117. Body shop no. : EST - Give or take a grand... 

118. Ph.D. hopeful's hurdle : GRE - Graduate Record Exam

120. Once-sacred snake : ASP

Halt, two, three four! Proceed onto the next page for comments. Company, Disssss-missed!

Husker Gary

Note from C.C..:

As I mentioned yesterday, Husker Gary had a relapse last Wednesday when he returned home from the reversal surgery. He wrote today's post before the surgery, so there was no mention of his setback.

He told me that "Joann is my angel and taking care of me along with 6 doctors, 10 nurses and various other technicians. My radiologist today was a former student."

Gary has his laptop with him, but I'm not sure he has the energy to read us. Thanks for your prayers and good wishes. I hope he can go back home and resume his golfing & musing routine soon.

Joann & Gary

Saturday, Jun 20th, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing K,Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 29

   It looked pretty grim for me in the SE today, but it eventually came together.  I concede that I cheated, but it was never "43a."  I used my dictionary for one clue, and then Googled the seventh largest state just to get me some traction in that corner.  11-letter triples in the across, and 9-letter triples in the down, with two 10-letter climbers framing the center;

16a. Graphic with three-digit numbers : AREA CODE MAP - you can zoom in

Area Code Map

 54a. Spotted cat : EGYPTIAN MAU - had to give up on "COCO" for 53d.

 9d. Best-selling 2011 comedic autobiography : BOSSYPANTS - Tina Fey - I get a free gratuitous leg image out of it~!

 27. Picture frame feature : MITER JOINT

onDErd~!

ACROSS:

1. Cowboys, on scoreboards : DAL - always good to start out right; Dallas of the NFL - granted, it was only 3 letters....

4. Some field hands : DAY LABORERS

15. N.Y. campus that's home to the Engineers : RPI - a shout-out to Spitzboov and myself, tho my time there was not worth the cost

17. Msg. after an escape, perhaps : APB - All Points Bulletin; I tried S.O.S. - hey, if I got out, I'd want someone to come get me

18. 40-member California group : STATE SENATE - healthy WAG on my part

19. Overweight : FLESHY

21. Surprise fictional visitors : ETs

22. Mother of Sam and Charlie Woods : ELIN - Tiger's Ex

23. A bit sour : TARTY - meh

24. Law order : STAY - tried WRIT

25. Suffix with poly- : GLOT - Polyglot; 1. - a book containing versions of the same text in several languages /2. - composed of numerous linguistic groups (my dictionary is still open)

26. Adorable : CUTE

27. Hearty pastry : MEAT PIE

29. Patient of Dr. Liz : ODIE - from Garfield, the comic strip

30. Ready to roll : IN GEAR

31. Org. with a Retirement Estimator web page : SSA - dah~! Not IRS

34. Eye : PEER AT - would this be considered an ansecho~?  46d. Nobility : PEERS

36. Put in order : NEATEN

38. Furlong's 220: Abbr. : YDs - a healthy guess here, too

39. Hikes : LEGS IT - ah, not RAISES

43. Time to give up : LENT

44. Acts by those who won't give up : HEROICS

45. Slalom opening : GATE

46. Child: Pref. : PEDO - so what's a pedometer~? 

49. 7, often : JULY - Nailed it

50. Trap : HEM IN - did NOT nail it

51. Switch attachment? : EROO - Switheroo - this is one of "those" clues/answers that keeps me going sometimes

52. World Cup chant : OLÉ

53. Connecticut town in which some "Stepford Wives" scenes were filmed : DARIEN - I am familiar with this town only because 99.1 WPLR has traffic reports for CT, but we hear them on Long Island

57. Bio subject : RNA

58. 1950 Muddy Waters song : ROLLIN' STONE

59. Calendar abbr. : OCT - ugh - when the corner's blank, that leaves 12 choices

60. Brand of protective clothing : STEALTHWEAR - their website

61. Seventh-largest st. : NEVada - I did not know that IOWA is bigger than NY~!!! Wiki list

DOWN:   

1. Developmental version : DRAFT COPY

2. Praised : APPLAUDED

3. What a screenwriter may take with a novel : LIBERTIES - Off the top of my head, I know that things worked out better for John Hammond in the script of Jurassic Park than they did in the book

4. Stylish : DASHY - Y one

5. Pretentious : ARTY - Y two

6. Bit of support : YEA - Y oh Y

7. Reason for a baseball manager's challenge : LATE TAG - Remember this commercial~?

"He missed the tag~!!"

8. Overlay material : ACETATE - FORMICA®  fit, too

10. Dedicated work : ODE

11. Fail to deliver : RENEGE

12. Online shopping mecca : eMALL - ah, not one specific website

13. Pi, but not rho : RATIO

14. Drained : SPENT

20. Direct : STEER

24. 1/100 of a Cambodian riel : SEN - here's where I busted out the dictionary - it's got a cool "MONEY" table from all over the world

28. Hot condition : IRE

31. One sitting on a board : STEAM IRON - extremely clever

32. Consciousness : SENTIENCE

33. Airer of classic shows : ANTENNA TV - never heard of it, but some perps and an educated WAG....

35. Bass, for one : ALE - dah~!  The beer, not the instrument

37. "Ragged Dick" author : ALGER - Perps - the Wiki

40. Hodgepodge : GOULASH - took a moment to get the spelling correct

41. Wreck initiator? : SILENT W - har-har~!  W-R-E-C-K; more spelling

42. Like some stares : ICY - ah, not SLY

44. Fuss : HOOPLA

47. Grain disease : ERGOT - spelled it A-rgot first

48. Watson's creator : DOYLE - another one of "those" clues

50. "Crossworlds" actor Rutger __ : HAUER - another one of "those"; can't think of too many Rutgers....

53. Tabu creator : DANA - did not know what to put in after COCO went bad; the Wiki

55. Word after "open," in store signs : 'TIL

56. Animated barkeep : MOE - The Simpsons

Splynter - (( I can't talk right now - I'm in Delaware ))

Note from C.C.: 

Our dear Husker Gary felt sick on Wednesday and had to be rushed into the emergency room. He's still in the hospital. Please let's send him our thoughts and prayers. We need you and your musings back as soon as possible, Gary!

Joann, Granddaughter Elise & Gary

Friday, June 19, 2015, Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Get the "F" out of here!

Two weeks, so it must be time for another Jeffrey Jem. The concluding "F" in the final word in a known phrase is removed leaving a new phrase humorously but correctly clued. After all of the 'add a letter' puzzles, here we have one with a disappearing letter. I was most impressed that he found 5 such phrases and each of the resulting new ones are very evocative and reasonable. Like the comment C.C. made last Sunday about Melanie's W, I found it unfortunate we have the MFA/FLESH crossing leaving a single F in the grid. I see the problem since the placement of two of the theme fill restricted the choices, but in a perfect world...We have a nice mini-theme of singer songwriters, as well as many interrelated concepts. Not much in the way of long fill, ACCENT,  AUBURN,  EXCELS,  POLLEN,  SAVIOR,  SULLEN, UNREAL,  VENEER, ELEVATES,  SCENE TWO but plenty of road blocks. Let us get going....

18A. USDA-approved cheese? : LEGAL BRIEF (9). This is a theme and answer where you need the perps to get started with the first themer, but once you "see" the missing "F" it all makes sense.

24A. Query when a certain queen goes missing? : WHERE'S THE BEEF (12). This I found to be a particularly fair clue, because the Q is not capitalized leaving queen bee as one of a very limited few possible answers. I hope everyone remembers dear Clara Peller.

 40A. Plow one's recently purchased field?: TURN OVER A NEW LEAF  (15). Very nice use of the word LEA.

50A. Revolutionary as a successful businessman? : EXECUTIVE CHEF (12). Great visual of cigar smoking, beret wearing Che Guevera running a vape store in SoFla

62A. Improved sci-fi computer? : BETTER HALF (10). Well almost any computer not trying to kill the humans would be nice.

On that rather special note let us move on....

Across:

1. Activities for seniors : PROMS. High school, not for me and you.

6. Cinematographer's deg. : MFA. Master of Fine Arts.

9. __ Summer: U.S. Naval Academy training program : PLEBE. A logical guess.

14. "Service at the Speed of Sound" franchise : SONIC. We have them here, but I am more familiar with Freaky Fast.

15. Not just some : ALL.

16. Ran very slowly : OOZED. Sadly, I associate the word with wounds...

17. Selassie of Ethiopia : HAILE. This was once a regular in puzzles, but his fame has dimmed, but this week a comeback?

20. Actor's study, perhaps : ACCENT. Are you all as amazed as I am at how well non-Americans like Stephen "Bill" Moyer, Simon "Jane" Baker, Hugh "House" Lawrie and oodles more are so believable with their accents? They often practice on a  64D. Studio __ : LOT.

22. King David's predecessor : SAUL.  and some more bible, 11D. Book of __ : EZRA. This is the story of the first return to Jerusalem after the Babylonian diaspora and the rebuilding of the temple, and 31D. Genesis wife : LEAH. Along with her sister Rachel, she married Jacob.

23. Gothic novelist Radcliffe : ANN. A Friday obscurity, this reclusive AUTHOR was a Gothic pioneer.

27. Head of the Greek Titans? : TAU. Cute.

28. "I can't believe my eyes!" : UNREAL. Like many Gothic Novels.

32. Angled pipe : ELBOW. Almost right next to 39A. North Sea feeder : ELBE

36. Atomic theory pioneer : BOHR. What I know about this MAN was begun from reading Margaret Grimes' Inspector Jury mysteries.

43. Obi-Wan portrayer : ALEC. great actor, Mr. Guiness

44. Early romantic figure : EROS. The boy god.

45. Controlling chain : LEASH. Below LEA.

46. Morose : SULLEN.

48. Named period : AGE. So many un-PC thoughts....

57. Org. concerned with smog : EPA. Environmental Protection Agency.

60. Firm bosses : CEOS. Chief Executive Officers

61. One who delivers : SAVIOR. Not Jimmy John. Not my favorite clue/fill.

65. :50, another way : TEN TO. Ten 'til?

66. London __ : BROIL. I always marinate before the broiling. It is a matter of...

67. Source of pride : EGO.

68. Wrapped on a set : ENDED. On a movie, or tv series set. More show biz.

69. Family and economy : SIZES. I just love how companies change products from 32 oz to 28 oz, keep the price the same and think we are too stupid to notice the price increase. That is why our grocery stores now post the price per ounce,

70. Big top item : NET. Unless they are real daredevils, working without one is then the norm. That would show great...

71. Way : STYLE. Each blogger has a unique style.

Down:

1. "Baloney!" : PSHAW. Old timey expressions.

2. Orkin target : ROACH.

3. In abeyance : ON ICE. A non-CSO for Tin.

4. Track competitor : MILER. And, 53D. Relay or dash : EVENT. At the track meet.

5. Theatrical division : SCENE TWO. More show biz.

6. Wrong at the start? : MAL. The prefix, from the Latin meaning bad, e.g. LINK.

7. Crayola color renamed Peach in 1962 : FLESH.

8. Some microflora : ALGAE. Micro meaning tiny -flora plant

9. Floral dispersion : POLLEN. More flora(l). I love how these clues are together.

10. Part of an alley-oop play : LOB.

12. Flower children's gathering : BE IN. Been there....

13. "Gates of __": Bob Dylan song : EDEN. Not his biggest hit. 34D. "The Song of Old Lovers" songwriter : BREL Jacques. 51D. "Hallelujah" songwriter Leonard : COHEN. My mini-theme.
LINK 1. LINK 2. LNK 3.

19. Georgia rival since 1892 : AUBURN. A small town in Alabama but home to a national football power for years.

21. Org. that issues "Known Traveler" numbers : TSA. Transportation  Security  Administration

25. River floater : TUBER. Not a lost potato, but one of the memorable parts of going to law school in Gainesville, Florida.

26. "Maid of Athens, __ part": Byron : ERE WE.

"Maid of Athens, ere we part,
Give, oh, give back my heart!
Or, since that has left my breast,
Keep it now, and take the rest!
Hear my vow before I go,
Ζωή μου, σᾶς ἀγαπῶ."

29. Self-titled 1969 jazz album : ELLA. Always fun to showcase Ms. Fitzgerald. LISTEN. (4:29)

30. Five-spots : ABES. Five dollar bills. Who will be the woman on the $10?

32. LAX postings : ETAS. Estimated Time of Arrival.

33. Humdinger : LULU.

35. Rouen relative : ONCLE. Le mari de ma tante.

37. Valuable elemento : ORO. Gold!

38. Attacks : HAS AT.

41. Dental treatment : VENEER. Interesting that veneers were first used with wood and now we have porcelain ones for teeth, which were also wood at one time.

42. Improves : ELEVATES. Announcers are forever talking about athletes elevating their game, like LeBron, to the point where he....

47. Has no peer : EXCELS.

49. USO show audience : GIS.

52. Dictionary information : USAGE.

54. ___ Lou, Who girl who interrupted the Grinch's burglary : CINDY.

55. Travelocity option : HOTEL.

56. Slowly reduce : ERODE. Everything from rocks to confidence.

57. Recedes : EBBS. Well my energy is in fact...

58. Prefix with meter : PERImeter. This is a Friday usage, fer shure.

59. Familiar gamut : A TO Z.

63. Clip-on, maybe : TIE. I guess I am one of the few who still wears ties regularly, but no clip-ons. But it is time to move on, as another week comes to an end. Next time I see you all it will be summer and the days will be getting shorter. Hope you enjoyed our biweekly visit with JW, thanks Jeffrey; Lemonade out.

Thursday, June 18, 2015 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: (I don't even have to wrack my brain for a theme, because it was handed to me by Mr. Morris) 33-Down. Bar freebie, and this puzzle's theme : MIXED NUTS.

24-Across. As hidden in 17-Across, one of this puzzle's 33-Down : CASHEW.
17-Across. 1996 Fox launch : NEWS CHANNEL.

37-Across. As hidden in 57-Across, one of this puzzle's 33-Down : PECAN.
57. Seattle landmark : SPACE NEEDLE.

47-Across. As hidden in 11-Down, one of this puzzle's 33-Down : ALMOND.
11-Down. He and Don Shula share the NFL record of 36 playoff games coached : TOM LANDRY.

24-, 37- and 47-Across were icing on the cake - the puzzle could stand nicely on its own without them.

Across

1. Military decoration : MEDAL. Like many of the answers today, this was my first thought.

6. Supporting structure : TRUSS.

11. Leading : TOP.

14. Solitary : ALONE.

15. Silent brother of comedy : HARPO. Did you know, they got their nicknames in a poker game?

16. Valuable deposit : ORE.

19. NFL players, e.g. : MEN. OK, I know it's Thursday and we have to have vague clues.  But still...

20. Cozy lodge : INN.

21. Fail, in slang : TANK.

22. Only city on California's Catalina Island : AVALON. Just 26 miles across the sea.

26. Netherlands city near the Belgian border : BREDA. Map.

27. Mork's planet : ORK.

28. Italian mathematician who was a contemporary of Euler : LAGRANGE.

31. "Good Will Hunting" actor : DAMON. One of my favorite movies with Matt DAMON and Robin Williams.

34. Flightless birds : EMUS.

35. Small amount : DAB. "Just a little DAB'll do ya!"

36. Landed : ALIT.

39. Rice-shaped pasta : ORZO. I often serve this with a shrimp  & fennel dish that I make. Here's the recipe. (You could also substitute gorgonzola for the feta.)

40. Latin law : LEX.

41. Aloe __ : VERA. Difficulty could have been ramped up for a Thursday by clueing it as Designer Wang.

42. "Breaking Bad" star Cranston : BRYAN.  He's a real baddie.

43. Restaurant freebie : ICE WATER.

45. One of the Pep Boys : MOE. Manny, MOE and Jack are the iconic figures in the logo.

46. Breaks bread : DINES.

51. 1976 Olympics decathlon gold medalist : JENNER. Caitlyn née Bruce.

53. Parched : ARID.

55. Stop working : DIE.

56. __ Claire : EAU. Wisconsin.

60. D.C. clock setting : EST. Eastern Standard Time.

61. Spa offering : SAUNA.

62. Guide : STEER.

63. Legal thing : RES. More Latin.

64. California pro : ANGEL. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Go figure.

65. Not likely to run on : TERSE.


Down

1. Highly excited : MANIC.

2. Justice Kagan : ELENA.

3. Eats : DOWNS.

4. T or F, maybe : ANS.wer.

5. Speaker's stand : LECTERN.

6. "Better late __ ..." : THAN...never.

7. General, e.g. : RANK. Filled it in without even thinking about it.

8. Coffee container : URN.

9. Fishing tool : SPEAR GUN.

10. Crossword enthusiasts : SOLVERS. Gimme for everyone here, right?

12. Creme-filled treat : OREO.

13. Ivy League school : PENN. I already had the P from TOP, so this was a gimme, too.

18. Swooping predator : HAWK.

23. Oral health org. : ADA. American Dental Association.

25. Real card : HOOT.

26. The Crimson Tide : 'BAMA. Gimme. DH's old rivals.

28. Aptly named Renault : LECAR.

29. __ Strip : GAZA.

30. Black, to a bard : EBON.

31. "The Persistence of Memory" artist : DALI. Melty watches. Gimme.

32. Actor Baldwin : ALEC.

37. Broadway flier : PETER PAN. Were you thinking pamphlets and playbills?

38. Cockney toast starter : 'ERES.

39. Utah city : OREM.

41. "Colors of the Wind" singer Williams : VANESSA. Pretty song from Disney's animated film "Pochahontas."

42. Most daring : BOLDEST.

44. Take the checkered flag : WIN.

45. Chief : MAIN.

48. Farther out? : ODDER.

49. Frasier's brother : NILES. He was so good in that show.

50. Big name on the farm : DEERE.

51. Catcall : JEER.

52. Comfort : EASE.

53. Cause of adolescent angst : ACNE.

54. Unfeigned : REAL.

58. Summer mo. : AUG.ust. And we end with a partial clecho:
59. Somme summer : ETE.

Toodles!
Marti

Note from C.C.: 

Kazie and her husband Barry traveled to China last month. They visited all the top traveling stops in China, including my hometown Xi'an. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (3rd picture here) is not far from my own home.

Kay said:

"Our general direction was from Beijing to Xi'an, to Guilin, to Shanghai. Also, I need to say everything there was fascinating--such a learning experience for us both. We were in a small group of only 17 people until Shanghai, when there were only 6 of us. The others stayed behind to cruise the Yangtze for several days, the week before the terrible sinking of another boat similar to the one they took!

All in all, I would recommend this trip to anyone! Incidentally, our national guide was also from Xi'an, probably about your age, very nice, and extremely good at explaining everything."

Here are a few pictures. Please click here for more. 

Kay and Barry ride in a rickshaw to the Hutong district in Beijing

Barry and Kay in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven

Kay in front of the Buddhist Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an. China has four main religions: Buddhism, Muslim, Christianity and Taoism 

Family outing? We couldn’t believe this!

Wednesday, June 17th 2015 Jack McInturff

Theme: Give me a hand, will you? 

18A. *One of a group of particles used to demonstrate a magnetic field : IRON FILING. Ruling with an iron hand. The "iron fist' usage seems to be more common, but both variants are out there.

23A. *Mob employee : HIRED GUN. Hired hand. Being critical here (what, me?) the thematic answer seems awfully close to the clued answer, and very close to the next thematic ..

33A. *Salad topping : RANCH DRESSING. Ranch hand. I make my own fat-free ranch dressing, I use it as a dip, a dressing, as a mayo substitute in sandwiches and wraps, and lots of other things. I make two pints at a time! Rather than spending $3 for a sachet of the mix every time I make a cup, I mix my own and make four times that amount for pennies.

48A. *Party clothes : GLAD RAGS. Glad hand. Greeting a crowd with handshakes, usually insincerely (e.g. anyone on a campaign trail!)

and the reveal

52A. In advance, and, literally, where the starts of the answers to starred clues might go : BEFOREHAND

Welcome to Wednesday, you midweek warriors! Steve here reporting from the Lone Star State today - I've got a couple of meetings in Dallas so I'm breaking out the cowboy boots and practicing my "yee-ha's"!

Maybe I've got my grumpy trousers on today, but I wasn't bowled over by Jack Mac's theme for the reasons I've already mentioned. I also get mildly irked when 1A is an abbreviation, I just don't think it's a smooth way to lead in to a puzzle. 

Finally, you can get TRIABLE through crosses, but it's obscure enough to have been used only once before in the LAT and it might quality as a bit of a stretch for a Wednesday.
  
There's a lot on the plus side to like though - I thought the NE corner was really nicely put together and that's where I finally finished up. Let's see what else we've got.

Across:   

1. Benchmarks: Abbr. : STDS. Standards.

5. West African capital : ACCRA. Specifically, capital of Ghana.

10. Kazakhstan border sea : ARAL. Or border environmental disaster, take your pick.

14. Tough trip : TREK

15. Like much invasive software : VIRAL

16. Lawless role : XENA. I never remember this actor's last name, even though I did meet her at a charity golf tournament. She gave me a beer on the first tee, in costume, wielding a sword - not something you'd think I'd forget.

17. Agree : JIBE. Gibe vs jibe vs gybe vs jive. Discuss.

20. Churchill Downs shape : OVAL. Home of the Kentucky Derby and Act 1 of this year's Triple Crown triumph by American Typo - sorry, American Pharoah.

21. No-frills sleeper : COT

22. Salami choice : GENOA. Food! This stuff - I'll spare you the argument regarding whether any self-respecting Genovese would ever acknowledge it.

26. Ambles : MOSEYS

27. Loathsome things : NASTIES. A little slangy, but a nice word.

28. Mercury or Saturn : CAR. God? Planet? Nope, auto brands today.

29. Put down : DIS. Contraction of "disrespect", no longer viewed as slang. British English spells it "diss" for no good reason other than to be awkward and confuse the French.

30. Cologne-to-Leipzig direction : OST. Cologne to Leipzig is EAST, surely? Köln to Leipzig is OST.

31. Lord's Prayer possessive : OUR

32. Sup : DINE. From whence SUPPER. Pre-crosswords, I thought it meant "drink".

37. Yellow Monopoly bills : TENS

38. Row : OAR. The verb form. not the noun. A little crossword-esey to my oar - I mean ear.

39. Sounds of pleasure : AHS

40. Fix in a bad way? : RIG. As an election, following a lot of glad-handing perhaps?

41. Prankster : IMP

42. Boston __: '50s TV detective : BLACKIE. Crosses all the way for me. A reformed jewel thief and safecracker, I now discover.

46. Arriving after curfew : IN LATE. And grounded?

49. Winner of six 2011 Grammys : ADELE. Here's a great live performance of "Rolling in the Deep"

50. Vein yield : ORE

51. Arrow-shooting god : EROS. Here's the statue at Piccadilly Circus in London, a memorial to the philanthropist Lord Shaftsbury, for whom the adjacent Shaftsbury Avenue is named.

55. Drive filler : DATA. Fun clue/answer combo to unravel.

56. Some summer births : LEOS
.
57. Brie coverings : RINDS. Food! If you can find  a triple-creme French brie made with unpasteurized milk, you're in for a treat when it ages and the rind gets a yellowish, waxy appearance. Yum!

58. __-bitty : ITTY. This is one of those "can't be anything else" clues. I'm not sure how else it could be clued though.

59. Is wrong : ERRS

60. "Wrong!" : NOT SO!

61. Beverages sometimes served over ice : TEAS

Down:

1. According to Christian tradition, Bk. of Revelation author : ST. JOHN. Beloved book of the Tinfoil Hat Brigade also.

2. "Jeopardy!" material : TRIVIA

3. Excludes : DEBARS. Your second essay question of the day. Debars vs. disbars. Discuss (or decuss!)

4. Closet occupants, perhaps? : SKELETONS. None in mine (at least that I'm aware of.) Or own up to.

5. Prefix for the birds : AVI. -ation, -ary, you get the picture.

6. Tent event : CIRCUS.

7. Sing like Bing : CROON

8. Talk frantically : RANT. Compare and contrast with CROON.

9. 1920s-'30s politico Landon : ALF. I had to look him up to see why a depression-era state governor qualifies as a Wednesday crossword clue. Apparently he is best known for being roundly spanked in the 1936 Presidential Election by FDR. Still mystifed.

10. Turnpike toll units : AXLES. Part of the tricky (for me) north-east. MILES went in first.

11. Brought under control : REINED IN. This letter sequence has a great "what?" confusion factor when partially completed.

12. Irksome : ANNOYING

13. "Kick it up a notch!" chef : LAGASSE. I'm going to plead a "Thumper" regarding Emeril.

19. Movie lab helper : IGOR. Pronounced "Eyegore" for you Young Frankenstein ("Fronk-en-steen") fans out there.

24. Brake component : DISC. Shoe would fit. Pad, caliper not so much.

25. Finish a commute : GET HOME. Accompanied by lots of AHS. My commute mileage has varied between extremes - 20 feet from my home office to my couch or 8,500 miles from Mumbai to LA.

26. Veal dish wine : MARSALA. Most recipes are very heavy-handed with the butter. I use Lidia Bastianich's recipe as a base and use half the fat (olive oil and butter). Still very decadent, so I like to cut the richness with a little lemon juice and lemon thyme and garnish with plenty of fresh parsley.

28. Pool stick : CUE

31. Legend on the ice : ORR. Bruin Bobby.

32. Cast doubt on : DISCREDIT

33. Sven of "Frozen" is one : REINDEER. I've never seen "Frozen", but given the frequency it now comes up in puzzles I probably should! Crosses all the way.

34. Artfully try to get, as a compliment : ANGLE FOR

35. Skip along the water : DAP. Aptly, given the preceeding answer, this is a fishing term. I don't fish, so I don't DAP

36. Roe source : SHAD. Food! Generally cooked and eaten rather than served caviar-style.

37. Subject to court judgment : TRIABLE. Hmm. Rarely seen - LAT once in 2008, NYT once in 1999.

41. Old Roman road : ITER. Plural "itinera" which gives us "itinerary". Who knew? Not me. An iter was more a pathway than a road, apparently.

42. Mixtures : BLENDS.

43. Self-defense method : KARATE

44. With "go," "See ya later" : I GOTTA

45. Bacon products : ESSAYS. Lovely. I'll forgive you the odd ITERs and TRIABLEs if you can come up with these gems.

47. At __ for words : A LOSS. Read clue. Fill in blank. Move on, nothing to see here.

48. Research money : GRANT

50. West Virginia border river : OHIO

53. South end? : ERN

54. Brit. military award : D.S.O. The Distinguished Service Order, almost exclusively awarded to officers for gallantry in combat.

And .... drum roll .... here's the grid! You can see where I finished up when the "REINED IN" penny dropped and the AXLES/MILES misstep was fixed.

Yee-Ha!

Steve

Tuesday, June 16, 2015 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: [error] - Right or wrong, they get changed sometimes. Other times, they get mist(sic) - TYPO is hidden in each theme entry.

17. Wet blanket : PARTY POOPER

24. Poverty symbol : EMPTY POCKETS

47. Power line holders : UTILITY POLES

58. Smartphone texting feature, which usually detects and fixes the thing hidden in 17-, 24- and 47-Across : AUTOCORRECT

Argyle here but hardly needed.

Across:

1. Sounds of disbelief : GASPS

6. Old French money : FRANC

11. Snip : CUT

14. Disney mermaid : ARIEL

15. "Star-cross'd" lover : ROMEO

16. Genetic material : RNA

19. Devilish child : IMP

20. Tongue trouble? : SLIP

21. Philosophy suffix : ISM

22. Valley where Hercules slew a lion : NEMEA. Not just any lion; the Nemean lion was a vicious monster.

28. Over-the-fence blasts : HOMERS

31. Orchestral reeds : OBOEs

32. Five Norwegian kings : OLAVs

33. Periodic pork sandwich at the Golden Arches : McRIB

35. Beer holder : CAN

38. Canoeing site : LAKE

39. Organ features : PIPES

40. Architect Saarinen : EERO

41. Easter egg coloring : DYE

42. "What a pity!" : "SO SAD!"

43. Brings into harmony : SYNCs

44. "Land __ alive!" : SAKES

46. Taco topping : CHEESE

51. Fertilizer compound : NITER

52. Otto I's realm: Abbr. : HRE. (Holy Roman Empire)

53. Has a mortgage, say : OWES

57. Brylcreem amount : DAB

62. "__ tu": Verdi aria : ERI

63. Delicate dishes : CHINA

64. Steel plow pioneer : DEERE

65. Joplin's "Maple Leaf __" : RAG

66. Annual sports awards : ESPYs. from ESPN.

67. Invite from the balcony : ASK UP

Down:

1. Generational disconnects : GAPS

2. Shrunken Asian sea : ARAL

3. Voice of the iPhone : SIRI

4. Personal source of annoyance : PET PEEVE

5. Like a fox : SLY

6. Cold-morning pumpkin coating : FROST

7. Spacious : ROOMY

8. Piece of music festival gear : AMP

9. Maiden name preceder : NÉE

10. Barbecue discard : CORNCOB

11. Area where evidence is gathered : CRIME SCENE

12. Yet to be realized : UNMET

13. Barcelona bar bites : TAPAS

18. Spots on a die : PIPS

23. Scratch (out), as a living : EKE

25. "__ Doubtfire" : MRS.

26. Read carefully : PORED

27. Japanese sashes : OBIs

28. Hang on to : HOLD

29. Fresh Effects skin care brand : OLAY

30. Succeeds and then some : MAKES IT BIG

33. Rapper Elliott : MISSY. Knot 4 me

34. Tax law expert: Abbr. : CPA. (Certified Public Accountant)

36. Curved paths : ARCs

37. Battery-free smoke detector? : NOSE

39. Pound or Pope : POET

40. Condemned buildings, say : EYESORES

42. Slalom, e.g. : SKI RACE

43. Byron's "__ Walks in Beauty" : SHE

45. Dark or pale brew : ALE

46. Egyptian queen played by Liz : CLEO

47. Sedated : UNDER

48. Pageant accessory : TIARA

49. Counterfeit : PHONY

50. SeaWorld swimmers : ORCAs

54. The Beatles' "Eight Days a __" : WEEK

55. Neutral hue : ECRU

56. Prefix in combined families : STEP

59. Sounds of hesitation : UHs

60. Piece of advice : TIP

61. Old vitamin bottle no. : RDA. (Recommended Dietary Allowance)

Argyle