Wednesday, April 3 2013, Erik Agard

theme: POWER TRIP. each theme answer consists of two words, each of which can precede the word POWER.

17A. *Career soldier : MILITARY MAN. Military power / Manpower

24A. *1995 movie flop dubbed "Fishtar" by some critics : WATERWORLD. Water power / World Power

29A. *Much-sought-after celebrity : SUPERSTAR. Superpower / Star power

44A. *Sun emanation responsible for the northern lights : SOLAR WIND. Solar power / Wind power

49A. *Petal pusher? : FLOWER GIRL. Flower power / Girl power

62A. Brangelina, e.g.—or, in a way, each of the answers to starred clues : POWER COUPLE

melissa here. SIX power-packed theme answers, love that. lots of great fill, too - let's power through …

across

1. Pressured, with "on" : LEANED

7. NASA citrus drink : TANG. engineered to taste like orange.

11. Digital doc format : PDF

14. Cry from an oversleeper : I'M LATE. i saw a white volkswagen rabbit once with the license plate ML8ML8.

15. Smokehouse order : RIBS

16. Meyers of "Kate & Allie" : ARI. vaguely remember that show. would love to see this POWERful-voiced ari clued.

19. Quaint curse : POX. a pox on you!

20. Yellowish green : OLIVE. drab.

21. "Gotcha!" : I SEE

22. Small craft concern : GALE. and 40d. Take a trip by ship : SAIL

she's a good old boat, and she'll stay afloat

through the toughest gale, and keep smiling

23. End of a New Year's song : SYNE. same old lang syne.

26. Word before chi or after mai : TAI. i recommend both.

28. Long tale : SAGA

35. Baker's 13 : DOZEN. from wikipedia: "Bakers who were found to have shortchanged customers could be subject to severe punishment including judicial amputation of a hand. To guard against losing a hand to an axe, a baker would give 13 for the price of 12 in order to be certain of not being known as a cheat."

38. Campfire residue : ASH

39. Beijing-born, say : CHINESE

41. Madhouse : ZOO. like it.

42. Green stuff : MOOLA. 

46. Unveiler's cry : TA DA. or solver's cry.

48. British verb ender : ISE. ex: british english - realise vs. american english - realize.

54. Walrus feature : TUSK

58. Dieter's gain? : LOSS. nice.

59. Singer Erykah : BADU

60. Political channel : C-SPAN

61. Word of repulsion : UGH. because ew.

64. "__ Big to Fail": 2009 account of the financial crisis : TOO

65. Gets to : IRKS

66. Mourn : GRIEVE

67. Clairvoyant's gift : ESP

68. Soft "Yo!" : PSST

69. Beginning bits : INTROS

down

1. Oscar night rides : LIMOS

2. "Our Town" girl : EMILY. thornton wilder play.

3. Too pooped to pop : ALL IN

4. Unworldliness : NAIVETE. great word.

5. Sermon ending? : ETTE. sermonette. in my experience, these are rare.

6. Deal-busting org. : DEA. drug enforcement agency.

7. Behind-closed-doors event : TRYST

8. 'Til Tuesday lead vocalist Mann : AIMEE

9. Cavs and Mavs : NBA-ERS

10. "The Pyramid" channel : GSN. game show network.

11. 29-Across chasers : PAPARAZZI (29a = super star). just great.

12. Dryly amusing : DROLL

13. Not likely to move : FIXED

18. River valley formation : RIA. new to me. wikipedia: coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley.

22. Disco adjective : GO-GO. leftover from yesterday?

24. Fingers-crossed thought : WISH

25. Angler's gear : WADERS

27. Place to play "Space Invaders" : ARCADE

29. "Skyfall" director Mendes : SAM. 2012 james bond movie.

30. GI's hangout : USO

31. Image-editing software : PHOTOSHOP

32. "__ a pity" : 'TIS. first part of the title of a john ford play. second half wouldn't pass the breakfast test.

33. Year abroad? : AÑO. spanish year.

34. Fam. reunion attendee : REL. relative.

36. Years and years : EON

37. Bob of hope, maybe : NOD. awesome.

43. Congressional output : LAWS

45. Triathlon attire : WETSUIT

47. Vine yards? : ARBORS

49. Champagne glass : FLUTE

50. Java's coffee cup et al. : LOGOS

51. Stares stupidly : GAWKS

52. Latin clarifier : ID EST. that is.

53. 1921 robot play : R.U.R. crosswordese.

55. Shoe top : UPPER

56. Simultaneous weapons discharge : SALVO. didn't remember this. "the simultaneous release of a rack of bombs from an aircraft."

57. Oft-patched clothing parts : KNEES

60. Trite stuff : CORN. as in corny.

62. Humdinger : PIP

63. Software-driven film effects, for short : CGI. computer generated imagery.

melissa

Notes from C.C.:

I just received this email from Norma Rosenfield of Marbles: The Brain Store:

"Marbles: The Brain Store’ will host its fifth annual charity crossword tournament at several U.S. Locations the weekend of April 20-21. Competitors will solve unpublished crossword puzzles provided by Will Shortz. The event will benefit the Brain Research Foundation - http://www.thebrf.org/

More information and to register:

http://www.marblesthebrainstore.com/crossword-tournament-2013

The L.A. event will be held at the Fashion Square mall location in Sherman Oaks.

INTERESTING SIDE NOTE: One of our L.A.-based judges is David Steinberg, a teen-ager from Palos Verdes, CA. David submitted a crossword puzzle to Will Shortz/NYT when he was 12; Shortz rejected it but told him not to give up. He didn't, and on his 17th try, when he was 14, David got the letter he had been waiting for and a check for $200. His puzzle ran June 16, 2011. Since then, David has had five more puzzles published in the Times.

More on David here: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/crossword-374303-puzzle-david.html

Tuesday, April 2, 2013 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Rhyme Time - Rhymed word pairs in the pattern of ?O?O's *O?O.

18A. Crooner Perry's ad? : COMO'S PROMO

23A. Space pilot Han's shirt? : SOLO'S POLO

33A. U2 frontman's bit of naughtiness? : BONO'S NO NO

40A. Cartoon possum's corporate symbol? : POGO'S LOGO

47A. Japanese general Hideki's talisman? : TOJO'S MOJO

57A. Movie pooch's picture? : TOTO'S PHOTO

Argyle here. Not much to say. Two fun puzzles in a row.

Across:

1. "SNL"-like show filmed in Canada : SCTV. (Second City Television)

5. "Doctor Who" network : BBC. The Beeb.

8. Rafters shoot them : RAPIDS

14. Pre-Euro Italian coin : LIRA

15. Nest egg letters : IRA

16. With 3-Down, way west for many American pioneers : OREGON. 3D. See 16-Across : TRAIL

17. __-Iraq War: '80s conflict : IRAN

20. Self-righteous sort : PRIG

21. Manicurist's aid : EMERY. Did you remember the spelling?

22. Rage inwardly : STEW

25. Through : VIA

26. Classic racecars : GT's

27. Lighthouse light : BEACON

30. Nouveau __ : RICHE

36. Back in the day : AGO

37. Bedevil : TORMENT

39. PC monitor type : LCD

42. Chilean range : ANDES

44. Camera stand : TRIPOD

45. Roman 1,051 : MLI

46. Winery container : TUN. Big container.

53. Triumphant cries : AHAs

55. Disconnect : SEVER

56. Explosion sound, in comics : [BLAM!]

59. Poetry unit : LINE

60. Church key, e.g. : OPENER. Why? (From C.C.: I googled. Wiki said Church key is a kind of bottle opener. Never heard of it before.)

61. "__ My Party": Lesley Gore hit : IT'S

62. Fairly matched : EVEN

63. Great suffering : MISERY

64. Easter egg dip : DYE

65. "That didn't go well" : "RATS!". as Charlie Brown would say.

Down:

1. Pink ones are unwelcome--except in lingerie : SLIPS

2. Prefix with cumulus : CIRRO. High-altitude cloud.

4. Self-portraitist with a bandaged ear : VAN GOGH

5. Bodybuilder's "guns" : BICEPS

6. __-Seltzer : BROMO

7. Desert safari beast : CAMEL

8. Pink-cheeked : ROSY

9. Dada pioneer Jean : ARP

10. __ Gulf: Arabian waterway : PERSIAN

11. Reason given for calling in sick : I GOT A COLD

12. Rounded roof : DOME

13. Winter whiteness : SNOW

19. Pizarro's gold : ORO

24. Broad-brimmed hat : STETSON

25. Chaste priestesses of ancient Rome : VESTALS

27. "__ appétit!" : BON

28. Fairy tale start : ONCE

29. Dozes : NODS

30. Like one who can't put a book down : RAPT

31. Composer Stravinsky : IGOR

32. Ponders : COGITATES. Today's word to work into conversations.

33. Male sib : BRO

34. "Egad!" in an IM : "OMG!"

35. Opposite of paleo- : NEO

38. Long in the tooth : OLD

41. Tommy Dorsey hit tune : "OPUS ONE". Clip(2:56)

43. Less clumsy : NIMBLER

45. Sullen : MOROSE

47. Internet slang based on a common typo : TEH. Slang for THE, go figure. The 'T' was almost a Natick until I remembered Tojo.

48. Egg-shaped : OVOID

49. Harbor wall : JETTY

50. Eight-time All-Star Tony of the '60s-'70s Minnesota Twins : OLIVA

C.C. & Oliva, 2011

51. Sister of La Toya : JANET

52. Warning signs : OMENS

53. Elemental particle : ATOM

54. Arizona native : HOPI

55. Twinkle-toed : SPRY

58. Rev.'s message : SER. (sermon)

Argyle

Monday, April 1, 2013 Patti Varol

Theme: Themeless - April Fool! Four synonyms for fool.

16A. *Evangelist honored with a basilica in Venice : SAINT MARK

10D. *Trapshooter's target : CLAY PIGEON

24D. *Tapped maple fluid : TREE SAP

29D. *Lightweight, crinkled material used for suits : SEERSUCKER

60A. Cry heard today, and a hint to the ends of the answers to the starred clues : APRIL FOOL

Argyle here. No kidding. The large white area in the middle is a bit unusual. Nice eclectic fill but already an 'a'-word. It is in common use though.

Rabbit, rabbit.

Across:

1. Bouncing toy : BALL. Rubber Ball(2:19)

5. What waiters wait for : TIPS

9. Finishes making, as a black-and-white cookie : ICES. Black-and-white cookie : OREO. wait, not so fast.

13. ___ vera lotion : ALOE

14. Length times width : AREA

15. Arm of a sea : INLET

18. Resell at a big profit : SCALP. Thin line between legal and illegal.

19. Flatter the boss for personal gain : KISS UP

20. English class assignment : ESSAY

22. Huck Finn's ride : RAFT

25. Astrological edges : CUSPS

27. Pyromaniac's crime : ARSON

31. Lock horns (with) : ARGUE. The Lockhorns.

33. Figs. well above 100 in Mensa : IQ's

35. Marsh grasses : REEDS

36. BBC nickname, with "the" : BEEB. (British Broadcasting Corporation)

37. Juan's water : AGUA

38. Spawned : BRED

39. Ice show site : ARENA

40. "Hud" Best Actress Patricia : NEAL. "Hud" was a 1963 film starring Paul Newman.

41. Yours and mine : OURS

42. Dean's ___ : LIST

43. Inelegant laugh : SNORT

44. ICU personnel : RN's

45. Campaign sticker, e.g. : DECAL. Not very collectible once they're on the bumper.

46. Cold hard cash : MONEY

47. Cubes in a bowl : SUGAR

49. Folk icon Seeger : PETE

51. Spiteful, as gossip : CATTY

53. Antitheft noisemakers : ALARMS

58. Bracelet site : ANKLE. It use to be a fashion statement but now....

63. Deep trepidation : DREAD

64. Not hypothetical : REAL

65. "Not only that..." : "ALSO..."

66. Mayo holders : JARS

67. Beaver-built barriers : DAMS. Excellent alliteration.

68. Conserve energy : REST. Ok, a little nap before I continue.

Down:

1. Soak up the sun : BASK. But don't forget the SPF.

2. Jai ___ : ALAI

3. Superman's Lane : LOIS. Santa has his own Lois.

4. Binoculars part : LENS

5. ___ Bay Rays : TAMPA

6. Composer Gershwin : IRA. His younger brother is George.

7. Pay-___-view : PER

8. Sushi bar cupful : SAKE

9. Machu Picchu builders : INCAs

11. Snakelike swimmer : EEL

12. Longtime auto racing sponsor : STP. Often with an Unser driving.

15. Newsletter edition : ISSUE

17. Spins in board games, say : TURNS

21. Reef explorer's gear : SCUBA

23. Seamstress's purchase : FABRIC

26. Unhip type : SQUARE. Huey Lewis disagrees.

27. Ann ___, Michigan : ARBOR

28. "Seinfeld" episodes, now : RERUNS. And YouTube clips.

30. Betting info : ODDS. How are your brackets doing?

32. Soft-hearted : GENTLE

34. Thirst-inducing, like potato chips : SALTY

37. Year, on monuments : ANNO

39. Vigilant : ALERT

43. Aroma : SMELL

45. Passé : DATED

48. Grand parties : GALAs

50. Coin toss choice : TAILS

52. Scotland ___ : YARD

54. Quite a distance : AFAR. Legitimate 'a' word?

55. Actor's cameo, e.g. : ROLE

56. Forest-floor plant : MOSS

57. One-armed bandit : SLOT

58. Descriptive wd. : ADJ. (adjective)

59. Org. that created American Hunter magazine : NRA. (National Rifle Association)

61. Potpie veggie : PEA

62. Chrysler truck that sounds hard-hitting : RAM. The real deal.

Argyle

Sunday March 31, 2013 Andrew J. Ries

Theme: "Support Group" -  12 AA meets in the middle of each theme entry.

23A. Tibetan breed : LHASA APSO. In Tibetan, Apso means "bearded".

24A. Cinematographer's concern : CAMERA ANGLE

30A. First Bond girl : URSULA ANDRESS. Looking for shells?

45A. Orange County seat : SANTA ANA

47A. Max Ernst, for one : DADA ARTIST

55A. Crimson Tide's home : TUSCALOOSA ALABAMA. Marti's husband's alma mater.

 

80A. "The Voice" coach : CHRISTINA AGUILERA. She is taking a break now. Shakira is in.

 

87A. Interactive website plug-in : JAVA APPLET

91A. Unusual thing : RARA AVIS

106A. Its largest hub is in Atlanta : DELTA AIRLINES

113A. First Japanese car to be produced in the U.S. : HONDA ACCORD

116A. Mozart highlight : OPERA ARIA. Is there any non-opera ARIA?

Reveal entry:

69A. Event where the number 12 is important, and a feature of 12 two-word answers in this puzzle : AA MEETING. Their 12-step progress.

I counted 145 theme squares. This is crazily brilliant. Normally we have around 100. Unlike the scrabbly KK's, AA's are easier to deal with, but it takes skill to make the grid so smooth.

Today's constructor Andrew Ries is from Minnesota. I glanced at his website before but never went to "About me". After looking at his picture this morning, I realized he's the host of the Minnesota Crossword Tournament. So I met you, Andrew!

Across:

1. Festive occasion : GALA

5. Stinging remark : BARB

9. Italian for "small rolls" : PANINI. I had an eggplant panini once. Pretty good. Hard to make eggplant tasty.

15. Epps of "House" : OMAR

19. One working on figures? : ICE SKATER. Not Weight watchers.

21. Knocked the socks off : AMAZED

22. Goody-goody's "headwear" : HALO

26. Patriotic org. : DAR. Daughters of the American Revolution.

27. Starts the haggling at : ASKS. Is the "at" needed in the end?

29. Powerful perch : THRONE

36. Let the tears go : SOB. Sad. "Nothing Compares 2 U"!

37. In the past : AGO

39. Rocker Young : NEIL

40. Real estate listing abbr. : RMs

41. Palm tree nut : ARECA. Did you want BETEL as well?

43. Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks, e.g. : OWNER. Mark Cuban.

50. Bases-loaded walk stat : RBI

51. Well-stated : APT

54. Literally, "the tar" : LA BREA

61. Mao's successor : HUA. Gimme! Hua Guofeng. He ended Cultural Revolution in 1976. But ousted by Deng Xiaoping in 1978. I remember this poster vividly. The guy in the middle is Hua. Extremely loyal to Mao.

64. Jobs offering of 2007 : iPHONE

65. Former Bears coach : DITKA (Mike)

66. Full or half holds : NELSONs

68. Train-stopping spots: Abbr. : STAs

72. Once, archaically : ERST

73. Texas Hold 'em variety : NO LIMIT

76. Believing in the green-cheese moon, say : NAIVE

77. Smoothing tool : PLANER. Splynter probably uses it everyday.

79. Leveling initials : TNT

84. Rub with oil : ANOINT
 

85. Evelyn Waugh, but not George Eliot : MAN. George Eliot's real name is Mary Anne Evans.

86. Pujols blasts: Abbr. : HRS. Pujols is Boomer's favorite player.

96. Scare : ALARM

97. Reacted to a massage : AAHED

100. __-de-France : ILE

101. Wolfe who tracks crooks : NERO

102. "Licensed to __": Beastie Boys album : ILL. Doesn't make sense grammatically.

103. Sea-Tac posting : ARR

109. Turtledove : DEARIE

111. Hair disheveler : GUST. Oh, you need So Sexy serum. It smells amazing. 

112. Ambulance VIP : EMT

122. Ancient Andean : INCA

123. Just as prescribed : TO A TEE. We often see TO A T.

124. Save a date, say : MAKE PLANS

125. Consider : DEEM

126. Bugs : ANNOYS

127. Flower stalk : STEM

128. Wrist-directed reprimand : SLAP

Down:

1. "The Simpsons" real estate agent Gunderson : GIL. No idea. The only Gunderson I know is Jerome.

2. Hamburger beef? : ACH. Ha ha. Ham & pineapple for us today.

3. Shows the way (to) : LEADS IN. Is "to" necessary here?

4. Military attack : ASSAULT

5. Ovine bleat : BAA. MAA too.

6. Men's tennis org. : ATP. Association of Tennis Professionals. And 44D. 6-Down counterpart founded by Billie Jean King : WTA. Women's Tennis Association.

7. Thing in court : RES

8. Like some shoulders : BROAD

9. Lambeau Field pro : PACKER. Quite a few Packers' flags/signs in our neighborhood.

10. Saved up : AMASSED

11. Site of '60s action : NAM

12. Modern ending? : IZE. Modernize.  

13. "Darn it!" : NERTS.  In Chinese, it's "Ta Ma De", pronounced just like it's written. Urban dictionary has it wrong. It's not the F word. Just "Dammit!"

14. State with a panhandle : IDAHO. Which state do you think is the most popular in Xword?

15. [Gasp!] : OH NO

16. Oscar winner Anna : MAGNANI. Alien to me. Wiki says she won Oscar for "her portrayal of a Sicilian widow in The Rose Tattoo".

17. Asserts sans proof : ALLEGES

18. Fish eggs : ROE

20. Bush advisor Rove : KARL. Big fund raiser.

25. Like koalas : ARBOREAL

28. Mexican Mrs. : SRA

30. Young __ : UNS

31. "Bloom" star Stephen : REA. I've only seen his "The Crying Game" & "Michael Collin" & "Prêt-à-Porter".

32. Ideal for growing : ARABLE

33. OB/GYN test : AMNIO

34. Org. in the film "Sneakers" : NSA

35. Italy's La __ : SCALA

38. Morsel : ORT

42. Very little : A DAB

46. Ireland's __ Islands : ARAN. Stumped me last time.

48. Go out with __ : A BANG

49. Soldat's weapon : ARME. Soldat = Solider. French.

51. "__ sure you're aware …" : AS I'M

52. One of Edison's 1,000-plus : PATENT

53. Put in the crosshairs : TAKE AIM
 

55. Quaint "Not so" : 'TISN'T

56. B.J. or Justin of baseball : UPTON. They're brothers.

57. Commandment verb : SHALT

58. Mozart's "__ fan tutte" : COSI

59. Seraglio room : ODA

60. J.Lo, for one : LATINA

61. Mezzo Marilyn : HORNE

62. Racing great Bobby : UNSER. Brother of Al.

63. Stars at the Forum? : ASTRA. Latin.

67. Official emblem : SEAL

69. Aweigh : ATRIP. And APEAK. Real words in Spitzboov's world. Let's see if we can have a week sans A* words next week.

70. US Open champ between John and Mats : IVAN (Lendl). OK, John McEnroe. Mats Wilander is a stranger to me.

71. Grant-providing gp. : NEA

74. '60s defense secretary : McNAMARA (Robert). No escape from Vietnam.

75. Chain with stacks : IHOP. What's your favorite food at IHOP?

77. Coddled kitty, e.g. : PURRER

78. Crossword-solving Simpson : LISA. This is the episode with Merl Reagle & Will Shortz. Maybe someone can dig out the YouTube clip.

81. At a Lakers home game, e.g. : IN LA. Hi there, Bill, have you ever been to a Lakers' game?

82. Place : STEAD

83. '90s U.N. secretary-general Boutros-__ : GHALI. Boutros Boutros-Ghali. I just found out that Boutros is Arabic for "Peter". 

84. River past Berne : AAR
 

87. Start of a rhyming Basque game : JAI. Jai alai.

88. Finished : ALL DONE!

89. Element's combining power : VALENCE

90. 2011 Liam Neeson film involving a wolf pack : THE GREY. Never saw the movie. Gray wolves.

91. Fjord-like inlet : RIA

92. Pink Floyd album including "Dogs" and "Sheep" : ANIMALS. Very helpful clue.

93. Abdominal : VENTRAL. Also a new word to me.

94. Mad-as-all-get-out state : IRE

95. Tapped-out letters : SOS. D'oh!

98. Gets away from : ELUDES

99. Boozer's affliction : DTS. Delirium tremens. The shakes.

104. Stampede rope : RIATA

105. Casing outing, briefly : RECON. Reconnaissance.

107. Physics bits : ATOMS

108. Spring : LEAP

110. Pop singer Lambert : ADAM. Runner-up of "American Idol" 8th season. Noted for his use of eyeliner.

 

113. Kept under wraps : HID

114. Crushable container : CAN

115. Native Nebraskan : OTO

117. Search, with "down" : PAT

118. Scratch (out) : EKE

119. Sleep lab acronym : REM. Rapid Eye Movement.

120. TV chef Garten : INA. Love her "Barefoot Contessa".

Guess who this lady is? Don't raise your hand, D-Otto!
 

121. Cause of Cleo's demise : ASP

C.C.