Friday, November 10, 2017, Jeffrey Wechsler

TITLE: MAKEUP GAME

Greetings from the Great Plains on my lovely wife's birthday! I think it's her twin sister's as well. 😜

This is not a meatless Friday but it is "Lemonless" again with me, Husker Gary, serving as his, uh, boy Friday again. 

Having a Jeff Wex on Friday is a true delight and his fun puzzle uses terminology one might hear in this star-studded Beauty Shop (How many can you name? - Answer below the grid) scene in Steel Magnolias. 

In each "themer" Jeff has employed a cosmetology term that also serves as a word in a common two or three-word phrase. I hope I am granted some leeway considering my lack of expertise in this area. Here are Jeff's theme entries:

17. Cosmetologist's choices at happy hour? : BLUSH WINES 

Applying BLUSH on a wan cheek and several Rose' or BLUSH WINEs

29. Cosmetologist's preferred vacation venue? : OCEAN LINER

7 Seas Explorer OCEAN LINER and LINER that accents some lovely eyes

34. Cosmetologist's expression for hastily exiting? : TAKE A POWDER

Please leave while he and I talk or what a difference POWDER makes

41. Cosmetologist's favorite capital? : BATON ROUGE

The city named for a red stick or my childhood memory of ROUGE on a character

57. Cosmetologist's wall covering? : GLOSS PAINT

Alternating Matte and GLOSS wall covering and GLOSSY and Matte Lipstick

Now let's see the beauty of the remainder of Jeff's Friday clues:

Across

1. Bills, say : CASH - Like many other areas of our lives, even Monopoly® is going CASHLESS

5. Alfredo may be associated with it : PASTA

10. Ways of viewing the world : ISMS

14. First name in folk : ARLO

15. Yale of Yale fame : ELIHU - A former slave trader who endowed a New Haven school with enough money to get the school name changed to his. Can protests be far behind?

16. "Fillet of a fenny snake / In the cauldron __ and bake": "Macbeth" : BOIL - Okay, Steve, what wine would you suggest with this concoction? Like C.C., I missed him yesterday and hope he is okay.

19. Local govt. bond : MUNI - They've been used for many projects

20. Inspired : LED TO - The learned group who participate here certainly know to what event this was a precursor 

21. RR stop : STA

23. Janitor's tool, briefly : VAC - We had the kids put their chairs up on the table to accommodate the custodians VAC job

24. Marx collaborator : ENGELS - Together they authored a little page-turner called The Communist Manifesto

26. Collapse, with "over" : KEEL - Don't lock your knees too long especially in front of the boss.

27. Previous to, poetically : ERE

28. Nursery supply : SEED - These catalogs and spring training are harbingers of spring

32. "Art is __ that makes us realize truth": Picasso : A LIE

33. Knots and yards : UNITS

38. "Just like me" : AS AM I

40. Shrek, e.g. : OGRE

44. Take shots of : FILM - With FILM, we had to wait a week to see how lousy our shots were

48. Mark on the Oregon Trail : RUT - Some are here in Nebraska. 

49. Like crab apples : TART - C.C. and Jayce have put me onto a regimen of TART cherry juice for some issues I am having. "I'll get by with a little from my friends" 

50. Leonine savior's domain : NARNIA - The savior of NARNIA is Aslan who takes the form of a lion

52. Enzyme suffix : ASE - AmylASE, cellulASE, lactASE, ...

53. Romantic ideal, with "the" : ONE 

54. Dieter's breakfast : MELON

55. "__ Trigger": Bugs Bunny cartoon : HARE - Yeah, I think I could have figured out the star of this cartoon!

61. Like much cheese : AGED

62. Final ordeal, perhaps : ESSAY - A true pen-to-paper ordeal for me!

63. Low joint : KNEE

64. Rx contents : MEDS

65. Does another tour : REUPS

66. Attention-getter : YELL - A YELL leader at Andover who was a future POTUS

Down

1. Brooklyn Bridge array : CABLES - The contrast of the comparatively light CABLES with the massive towers remains a very striking visual

2. Garfield's girlfriend : ARLENE - You're either a comic aficionado or you're not

3. Oozy stuff : SLUDGE - Not good when this is your motor oil

4. Threw a party : HOSTED

5. Place to pray : PEW

6. Memorable fighter : ALI

7. Pride, for example : SIN

8. Annabel Lee's kingdom was by it : THE SEA - This woman had the first verse of Poe's poem tattooed on her back to honor her grandmother Annabel Lee

9. Writer who created the Dashwood sisters : AUSTEN - From Sense and Sensibility

10. Watson's home : IBM

11. Snow globe, perhaps : SOUVENIR

12. Muezzin's tower : MINARET where neither 18. Dec. 25 or Jan. 1 : HOL are observed

13. Deli equipment : SLICERS

22. Intimate, with "to" : ALLUDE - To whom did Carly Simon ALLUDE in You're So Vain: Warren Beatty, James Taylor or Mick Jagger?

25. Food fish : SOLE

26. "Private property" sign warning : KEEP OUT with maybe 43. Threatening phrase : OR ELSE

30. Mike Pompeo's org. : CIA - Its current director

31. Having four sharps : IN E - A great Ray Charles tune IN E

32. A lot like : AKIN TO

34. Like neglected clothing : TATTERED - The House That Jack Built featured this line: "This is the man all TATTERED and torn, who kissed the maiden all forlorn" 

35. Latin lover's word : AMO

36. Steven of "The Walking Dead" : OGG - If Jeff says so

37. Small songbird : WREN

38. Biblical patriarch : ABRAHAM

39. Breakfast side : SAUSAGE - A distant second to bacon here!

42. National park figure : RANGER 

44. Weird : FREAKY

45. How theme park visitors often stand : IN LINE (the queue) - Here are some IN LINE at Space Mountain at the 60-minute wait point

46. Long time maker of O gauge track : LIONEL - I'm sure my brother and I got a better Christmas present than this but none come to mind.

47. Place for trophies : MANTEL

51. Rock concert sight : AMP

56. Newspaper VIPs : EDS

58. Buckeyes' sch. : OSU - They received a huge slice of humble pie playing Iowa last weekend

59. Sucker : SAP - Here's a combination of these words

A Yellow-bellied SAP SUCKER (in the woodpecker genus)

60. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYS


DA GRID:

STEEL MAGNOLIAS ANSWER

Feel free to MAKEUP any comments that you feel are necessary

Note from C.C.:

Happy birthday to Husker Gary's wife Joann & her twin sister! I stole this picture from Gary's Facebook when they attended a going away party for their niece Emma. I've met Joann and have had a few email exchanges with her over the years. She's always so thoughtful and warm. I'll never forget her strength during Gary's hospital stay.

Thursday Nov 9, 2017 Robert & Marlea Ellis

Theme: T-TOPS (52. Features of some sports cars, and what this puzzle's four longest answers have in common) - T is added to each R-starting theme entry. 
 
3D. Conductor's job? : TRAIN CHECK. Rain check.

5D. Recycling, composting, etc.? : TRASH DECISIONS. Rash decisions.
 
15D. Livestock feed approximation? : TROUGH ESTIMATE. Rough estimate.
 
30D. Tongue-in-cheek presidential tribute? : TRUMP ROAST. Rump roast.

C.C. here. I did not see a draft post from Steve, so I'm just going to put a short skeletal write-up. Hope he's OK. He never missed a write-up before, no matter how busy he was. So I'm a bit concerned.

The theme entries are placed in Down slots for visual effects. T is consistently added to the R-starting phrase for extra layer.

This must be Robert & Marlea Ellis's LAT debut. I did not find their name under our blog Labels. Congratulation!

Across: 

1. Animated film set partly in Insectopia : ANTZ

5. By way of, to Burns : THRO

9. Try : STAB

13. Like many trees in winter : BARE. Certainly in our yard. Winter here. High is 27F today.

14. Respond : REACT

16. Approximately 2.2 lbs. : KILO

17. West Point, e.g.: Abbr. : ACAD

18. "Are you calling me __?" : A LIAR

19. Currier's partner : IVES

20. Moment-of-truth words : THIS IS IT. Sparkly fill.

22. Fight : OPPOSE

24. Geological period : EON

25. Track-and-field events : SHOT PUTS. This word is pluralble, D-Otto?

27. Bugs often caught : COLDS

29. DOJ chiefs : AGs

30. Cough syrup amt. : TSP

33. Jessica Simpson's pop-singing sister : ASHLEE
 

35. Extreme degree : NTH

36. Cookie with a limited-edition Swedish Fish variety : OREO. Constructors and Rich work hard to come up with new clues for OREO.

37. Went over the limit : SPED

38. Hidden supply : CACHE

40. Club charges : DUES

41. Some twitches : TICS

42. Nigerian native : IBO. Wiki seems to prefer Igbo.

43. Not covering much : SKIMPY

45. Calligraphy supply : INK. To answer your question, Jayce, in Chinese dictionaries, you can find a word both by pinyin and the character components if you don't know how the word is pronounced. As for google, here is an easy way. Just type in pinyin, Chinese characters will show up. Then you can copy and paste it to Google Translate.

46. Corvallis sch. : OSU. Oregon State.

47. Like either main face of El Capitan : STEEP. Got via crosses.

48. Slightly embellished truth : WHITE LIE. Nice entry as well.
 
50. Decay : ROT

53. Energetic worker : DYNAMO

56. Part of a proverbial secretive trio : LAMPPOST

58. Jet engine sound : ROAR

59. "The Wonder Years" mom : NORMA

61. Old El Paso product : TACO. We also have 2. Dipping chip : NACHO. Food! By the way, Anon-T, my favorite soy sauce brand is Lee Kum Kee.
 

62. Related : AKIN
 
63. Move quickly : SCOOT

64. Quickly, in memos : ASAP

65. Alice's workplace : MEL'S

66. New Year's Day word : SYNE

67. Orch. section : STRS. OK, strings.

Down:

1. Taper off : ABATE

4. Last letters in Canada : ZEDs

6. Greek sun god : HELIOS

7. "Nick of Time" singer : RAITT

8. Andean tuber : OCA. Still have not tried them.

9. Moves merrily : SKIPS

10. Couch potato's device : TIVO

11. Brown bar orders : ALES

12. Highly respected speakers maker : BOSE

21. Cruise stop : ISLE

23. NBA stats : PTS

26. It may be beaten : PATH. So spoiled by Springbrook this summer.

28. Bygone automaker : OLDS

31. Barely flow : SEEP

32. Bouquet : POSY

33. Italian wine city : ASTI

34. Public relations distortion : SPIN
 
35. Mil. category : NCO. Also 60. Army training ctr. : OCS

36. "Garfield" dog : ODIE

39. Touch on : ABUT
 
44. Board and lodging : KEEP

46. Electrical unit : OHM

47. Hit hard, as the brakes : SLAM ON

48. Yells "Fore!" at : WARNS. I was once hit hard on my left arm. Terrifying.

49. Junior Jetson : ELROY

51. First name in bologna : OSCAR

53. Eighth of a fluid ounce : DRAM

54. Oxen coupler : YOKE

55. Carpentry fastener : NAIL

57. Sch. support groups : PTAs

C.C.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017 C. C. Burnikel

Theme - CONVERSATIONS of a sort. The circled letters that book-end the theme answers to the asterisked clues are all synonyms for TALK.  Hence today's theme song.




Let's check them out.

16 A. *Golfer's guide for measuring distances : YARDAGE BOOK.  I'm not familiar with this term, but it's clearly a record of tee to green distances.  To YAK is to overdue the talking.

28 A. *Philatelist's find : RARE STAMP.  A philatelist is a stamp collector.  A rare one can be worth a fortune.  About 50 years ago the word RAP meant to have a casual conversation, perhaps involving some vocabulary lubricating substances.  Now it indicates a music genre in which rapidly and rhythmically delivered words are presented over some sort of music background.

44 A. *Hybrid retriever : GOLDEN LAB.  Labrador retrievers are hunting and working dogs that make good pets.  They come in black, brown and various shades of yellow.  In a quick search I couldn't come up with anything about hybrids.  There is a mixed breed dog called a Goldador, which is a cross between a Lab and a Golden Retriever. It's a smart and easy going type of dog, but I don't think it is quite the same thing as a Golden Lab, which looks to be a naturally occurring variant.   To GAB is to talk overlong about trivial matters, or engage in idle chatter.

61 A. *Winter warming spell : JANUARY THAW.  The calm between the winter storms.  To JAW is pretty much the same as to YAK or GAB.  The English language is rich in unnecessary synonyms.

Usually it can be hard to grasp this type of theme if your puzzle source doesn't include the circles.  But today's unifier, tucked into the southeast quadrant, is helpful in figuring it out.

38 D. Popular mobile app ... and, as shown by circles, what the inner parts of the answers to starred clues do : SNAPCHAT.    This is an app for sharing pictures and messages.  Unlike on other social media platforms, SNAPCHAT items automatically are deleted after some time.  The sense of the clue is that the interior letters have been snapped and trapped, alligator style, leaving the circled letters as a free-standing word.

Hi Gang, JzB here to start the conversation.  Now - who would come up with such a snappy theme idea?  Why, it is our own C. C.!  With split-word themes I always look for symmetry or balance. Here, the first two entries split after the first letter of the 3-letter target word; and in the last two, it's after the second letter - a nice, elegant touch. Let's SNAP our way through the rest of the puzzle and CHAT about it in comments.

Across

1. "That cracks me up!" : HAHA.  Real or feigned laughter.

5. "__ and the Swan": Rubens painting : LEDA.  In mythology, LEDA was an Aetolian princess who became queen of Sparta.  Zeus raped her in the form of a swan.  Devine sexual abuse.  What kind of an example does that set for mere humans? This subject seems to have fascinated many other artists.

Her Goose is cooked

9. Paper Mate product : PEN.  The write answer.

12. 1936 Olympics standout : OWENS.  Jesse [1913- 1980] was a gold medalist in track and field events.

14. Goes it alone : SOLOS.  As pilot trainees or musicians.

15. "Te __": Rihanna song : AMO.



18. Playful bite : NIP.

19. House vote : AYE.   Or NAY, depending on how you feel about the issue.

20. Like much store-brand merchandise : LOW END.  Less than top quality in materials or workmanship.

21. Contact lens solution brand : RENU.  Bausch and Lomb product.

22. Soft boot material : SUEDE.

Warm looking

24. Winner's wreath : LAUREL.  An aromatic evergreen shrub, related to the bay tree, common to warm and tropical locations.

Not the most usual location

26. Church seating : PEWS.  Usually wooden and hard.

31. On __ of: for : BEHALF.  In the interest of or representing some one or some thing.

34. Family guys : PAPAS. Dads or granddads, depending on your family's preferences.

35. Overhead expanse : SKY.  You can find stars there.

36. Superhero in an armored suit : IRONMAN. Tony Stark [no relation to the Winterfell Starks] was captured by an evil enemy who forced him to build a weapon.  He instead built for himself an advanced suit of armor that he used to escape and go on to a life of heroism.

38. Place for a hot stone massage : SPA.  A commercial enterprise offering various health and beauty treatments.

41. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" novelist : STOWE.  Harriet Elizabeth Beecher STOWE [1811-1896] American author and abolitionist.

42. Became clear to, with "on" : DAWNED.

48. Tough to learn : HARD.   Like calculus or many real life lessons.

49. "Finally!" : AT LAST.   What took you so long?

50. One of his stories is the source of the "sour grapes" idiom : AESOP.  Ancient Greek fabulist.

53. Relax in the tub : SOAK.  [Ahhhh]

54. Sonny and Cher, e.g. : POP DUO.  From back in the day.



57. Sulu portrayer John : CHO.  [b 1972] Korean-American actor and musician, portrayor of Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek reboot film series.

60. Kin of net : COM.  Web site suffixes.

63. Fla. neighbor : ALA.  So. Sts.

64. Athlete's rep : AGENT.  Contract negotiators

65. Facebook option : SHARE.  A way of reposting something you see.

66. Mario Bros. console letters : NES.

67. Exercise break : REST.  Catch your breath.

68. Casino conveniences : ATMS.  Automatic Teller Machines, located so you can hand over even more of your hard earned cash.

Down

1. Georgetown hoopster : HOYA.  Georgetown U. basketball player.  The story is that long ago the school teams were called The Stonewalls.  A student, relying on Greek and Latin came up with the slogan "Hoya Saxa!" meaning "What Rocks!"  The rest is history.  Or perhaps myth.  You decide.

2. On the road : AWAY.  Out of town.

3. "These are the reasons" : HERE'S WHY.

4. "Go on ... " : AND.  Tell me more.

5. Place for a hoop : LOBE.   This gives me an earie feeling.

6. Musk of Tesla Motors : ELON. [b 1971] A South-African born Canadian-American businessman, inventor, engineer and investor.

7. Kid's drawing tablet : DOODLE PAD.

8. Pose a question : ASK.

9. Bakery-café chain : PANERA.

10. "8 Mile" rapper : EMINEM.  Marshall Bruce Mathers III [b 1972] is the best selling American recording artist of the previous decade.

11. Orange juice specification : NO PULP.  I like mine with pulp

13. Customer-drawing sign word : SALE.  Presumably, prices are reduced.

14. Waste conduit : SEWER. Disposal system.

17. Supreme being : GOD.

21. Road grooves : RUTS.

23. "Miracle on Ice" team, for short : USA.  American 1980 Olympic Hockey - a different kind of cold war.

25. Yoga position : ASANA.  Postures.

26. "Masterpiece" network : PBS.  Public Broadcasting System.

27. "There's a mouse in our house!" : EEK.  Human squeak.

29. Sleep study subject : APNEA.  Breathing interruption during sleep.

30. Ewe guy : RAM.   This elicits a sheepish grin.

32. Low-calorie brews : LITES.  Might as well drink water.

33. Place for big headlines : FRONT PAGE.  First thing you see in a news paper.

37. Hooting bird : OWL.  Who? Raptors of the order Strigiformes, which are mostly solitary and nocturnal.  That's who!

39. __ capita : PER.  For each person, taken collectively; typically averaging some countable item or phenomenon over the population as a whole.

40. Mix in : ADD.

41. Badlands Natl. Park site : S. DAK.  South Dakota.

43. Detective's question : WHO?   Or WHY?

44. Garage container : GAS CAN.

45. 1962 Lawrence portrayer : O'TOOLE.  Peter [1932-2013] Anglo-Irish stage and film actor.

46. Peruvian pack animals : LLAMAS.

Wooly hump-free camels

47. Not skilled in : BAD AT.

51. Lux. setting : EUR.  Luxembourg is in EURope.

52. Tofu beans : SOYS.  If you soy so.

55. Change for a five : ONES.  Dollar bills.

56. Fourth-down play : PUNT.  American football.  The team currently in possession of the ball kicks it to the other team in the hope of moving them farther away from their goal line.

58. Inflict pain on : HARM.  Do damage to.

59. Is in arrears : OWES.  Has overdue debt.

61. Cookie container : JAR.  Ours has yummy home made pumpkin cookies.

62. Article in some hip-hop titles : THA.  Variant of THE, I assume.

That RAPS up another Wednesday.  Let the GABS, YAKS and JAWing begin.

Cool Regards!
JzB

Tuesday, November 7, 2017 ~ Andrew Sand

Theme: Eco-Puzzle - Sort out the letters found in the circles to get three main recycling components.

20A. Three Stooges movie, e.g.: SLAPSTICK FILM. Plastic.

25A. Induction cooktop alternative: NATURAL GAS STOVE. Glass.

47A. Fluffy dessert: CHOCOLATE MOUSSE. Metal.

53A. Eco-friendly request ... and a hint to sorting out the aptly circled letters: PLEASE RECYCLE

Argyle here with a new guy. Two grid spanning entries. Some new stuff but a lot of recycled crosswordese. Andrew, if I have found the right one, was a student at North Dakota State University and has been making crossword puzzles for some time. A good debut.

Across:

1. Like dorms for both men and women: CO-ED

5. Military sch.: ACAD. (academy)

9. Fall in folds: DRAPE

14. Chomp: BITE

15. Swimmer's path: LANE

16. More cold and wet, weatherwise: RAWER. This coming week's weather.

17. Serb or Croat: SLAV

18. "Liberal" pursuits: ARTS

19. Can't stop loving: ADORE

23. Michigan or Mead: LAKE

24. Update from a pilot, for short: ETA. (estimated time of arrival)

33. Double-reed woodwinds: OBOEs

34. "What did you say?": "HUH?". "The oboes were too loud."

35. Key with one sharp: Abbr.: E-MIN

36. Light brown: TAN

37. Driver's license test: EYE EXAM

41. Post-OR area: ICU. (intensive care unit)

42. Three-pronged Greek letters: PSIs

44. Buffet table coffee server: URN

45. River mammal: OTTER

51. Eisenhower's nickname: IKE

52. Hip '60s Brits: MODS

59. Vonnegut literary device: IRONY. Vonnegut published 14 novels, three short story collections, five plays, and five works of non-fiction.

60. Enterprise captain born 3/22/2233: KIRK. Star Trek (no relation to Penny.)

61. Puts on TV: AIRS

63. Low card: DEUCE

64. Lawn border: EDGE

65. Finger or toe part: NAIL

66. Chose (to): OPTED

67. Evidence of ownership: DEED

68. Community org. known by its first letter: YMCA. (Young Men's Christian Association)

Down:

1. "Kevin Can Wait" network: CBS. I've never watched it. Is there a reason the title seems to be a riff on "Heaven Can Wait", the Warren Beatty film?

2. Lubricates: OILS

3. Bibliography list shortener: Abbr.: ET AL.

4. Reduce monetarily: DEVALUE

5. Denali National Park state: ALASKA

6. Price-fixing syndicate: CARTEL

7. Against: ANTI

8. Fam. tree member: DESC. (descendant)

9. NFL player selection events: DRAFTS

10. Give off: RADIATE

11. GI on the run: AWOL. Still on the lam!

12. Curly salon job: PERM

13. Before, in verse: ERE

21. Analyze grammatically: PARSE

22. One-named "We R Who We R" singer: KESHA. (Ke$ha)

25. Offensive to some, for short: NOT PC

26. Embarrass: ABASH

27. "Pagliacci" clown: TONIO

28. Treaty of __: War of 1812 ender: GHENT. Sure got our share of history today.

29. "La Cage __ Folles": AUX

30. Fails to include: OMITS

31. Bad habits: VICES

32. Accustom (to): ENURE

38. Winter holidays: YULES

39. __ of Good Feelings: ERA. The Era of Good Feelings marked a period in the political history of the US that reflected a sense of national purpose and a desire for unity among Americans in the aftermath of the War of 1812.

40. In a funk: MOODY

43. Bill Nye's field: SCIENCE. What a guy!

46. Florence's region: TUSCANY

Montepulciano, Tuscany

48. Approved: OKAYED

49. Come to light: EMERGE

50. Made fun of: MOCKED

53. Practice for the GMAT, e.g.: PREP. GMAT - Graduate Management Admission Test.

54. Ill-mannered sort: LOUT

55. Struggled to make, with "out": EKED

56. Taxi trip: RIDE

57. Neeson of "Kinsey": LIAM. 2004 biographical film.

58. Idle of Monty Python: ERIC

59. Wedding vow words: I DO

62. Patty Hearst's abductors: Abbr.: SLA. (Symbionese Liberation Army)

Argyle

Monday, November 6, 2017 ~ Brian Thomas

Theme: GRANDPA - Gr and Pa start the starred answers.

17A. *Degree earner's celebration: GRADUATION PARTY

27A. *Math student's pad: GRAPH PAPER

39A. Pop's pop ... or, divided into three parts, what the answers to starred clues have in common: GRANDPA. GR and PA

48A. *Lawn repair piece: GRASS PATCH

63A. *More promising job, say: GREENER PASTURES

Argyle here with Brian's much simpler puzzle that his debut. Here.

 Grandma already had her puzzle. Here.

Across:

1. Draw forth: EVOKE

6. Vitello __ parmigiana: ristorante offering: ALLA

10. Map out: PLAN

14. Jeans material: DENIM

15. Porky Pig or Elmer Fudd: TOON

16. Hawaiian dance: HULA

20. "Life of Pi" author __ Martel: YANN

21. Cookie containers: TINS

22. Fields of study: AREAS

23. Off base sans permission, in the mil.: AWOL

25. Italian volcano: ETNA

31. Big galoots: OAFS

35. Vermouth bottle name: ROSSI. Martini & Rossi Distilleria.

36. Dazed and confused: IN A WHIRL

38. "Lost" network: ABC

42. Foe of Chiang: MAO

43. '40s coat-and-trousers outfit: ZOOT SUIT

45. Quickly looks over: SCANS

47. Jazz legend James: ETTA

51. Dick Tracy's love __ Trueheart: TESS

53. Thin stream of smoke: WISP

54. Is __: likely will: APT TO

57. Many a freshman: TEEN

59. Triangle ratio: SINE

66. Crowd sound: ROAR

67. Casting-off place: PIER

68. The John B, e.g.: SLOOP

69. Requests: ASKS

70. Tarzan raisers: APES

71. Coin with Lincoln: PENNY. No relation to Shatner.

Down:

1. Like avant-garde art: EDGY

2. Aloe __: VERA

3. __ empty stomach: ON AN

4. Snatches for ransom: KIDNAPS

5. Flightless Aussie bird: EMU

6. Number one Hun: ATTILA

7. Pork cut: LOIN

8. Bit of unfinished business: LOOSE END

9. Cape NNW of Cod: ANN

10. Exodus tyrant: PHARAOH

11. Attract: LURE

12. Opposite of baja: ALTA. In place names, Spanish baja, literally "lower," either in elevation or geography so does ALTA mean higher?

13. Those opposed: NAYS

18. Perched on: ATOP

19. Searing utensil: PAN

24. Taylor and Fillmore, politically: WHIGS. Back in the day.

26. Ensnare: TRAP

27. Enjoy the field, as cattle do: GRAZE, but the bovines are always looking for 63-Across GREENER PASTURES and will break a fence to get to it if they have to.

28. Automaton: ROBOT

29. Neckwear for Fred in "Scooby-Doo": ASCOT

30. Ship of 1492: PINTA

32. Set one's sights on: AIM AT

33. Swiss coin: FRANC

34. Trudge through water: SLOSH

37. Hornets and yellow jackets: WASPS

40. Persians on the floor: RUGS

41. Local landing location: AIRSTRIP

44. Ragged clothes: TATTERS

46. Time-release med: CAPSULE

49. Takes an oath: SWEARS

50. Reasons to repent: SINS

52. Waiting time at the DMV, seemingly: EON

54. Taj Mahal city: AGRA

55. Golf instructors: PROs

56. Shipbuilding wood: TEAK

58. Sport with swords: ÉPÉE

60. Cold War curtain material?: IRON

61. Bright sign: NEON

62. Catch sight of: ESPY

64. UV index monitor: Abbr.: EPA. (Environmental Protection Agency)

65. Sugar amt.: TSP. (teaspoon)

Argyle

Sunday November 5, 2017 Mike Peluso

Theme: "Gridiron Glossary" - Football terms are re-phrased.

23A. Goose's medical concern? : LOSS OF DOWN. Geese seem to be here year-round now.

25A. F? : FALSE START. Creative clue.


45A. Ginger cookie factory statistic? : SNAP COUNT

69A What results from failure to stop at a deer crossing? : DELAY OF GAME. We saw two deer last time when we walked at Springbrook. They also have wild turkeys.

91A. So-so haul in the fishing industry? : FAIR CATCH

110A Home security system at no cost? : FREE SAFETY. Quite a few ADT signs in our neighborhood.


114A. "Hamlet" in progress? : PLAY ACTION
 
32D. Prohibited courtroom procedure? : ILLEGAL MOTION

35D. Unpleasant singles bar come-on? : OFFENSIVE LINE

Re-phrasing is one of my favorite theme types. You don't need to be a fan to solve the puzzle, though your enjoyment will be enhanced if you're into football or golf or other sports. Mike Peluso is a Seahawks fan, by the way.


Mike also arranged his theme entries nicely, placing 7 in Across and the two 13s in Down slots. Great design for a 9-themer.

Across:    

1. Museum curators' degs. : MFAs

5. Considers : DEEMS

10. "Ain't happening" : NOPE. Also 28. Ain't right? : AREN'T. So is IS NOT.


14. Hobbyist's knife : X-ACTO. Owned by Elmer's.

19. 1814-'15 exile site : ELBA

20. China's Zhou __ : ENLAI. I mentioned last time that he protected many from being persecuted during Culture Revolution. Read here to see how he helped the last wife of the last Chinese emperor.

21. Pats on the table : OLEO. Not on our table.

22. Tiger Woods has won a record 21 of them : ESPYs. Of course I was thinking of tournaments. Not that I can think of any. 
 
27. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Jerry : SLOAN. Wiki says "Sloan had a career regular-season win–loss record of 1,221–803, placing him third all-time in NBA wins at the time he retired. Sloan was only the fifth coach in NBA history to reach 1,000 victories and is one of two coaches in NBA history to record 1,000 wins with one club (the Utah Jazz)...."

30. Hastings head : LOO. Hastings is also a county here in MN.

31. Two-element tubes : DIODES

33. Energetic mount : STEED

34. One of Jupiter's Galilean moons : EUROPA. The only other Jupiter moon I know is LEDA.

38. Woody's son : ARLO

39. Ones with will power? : HEIRS. Nice clue.

41. Discontinued allergy brand : ACTIFED. Never heard of this brand.

42. Sundae topping item : WALNUT. Brain food.
 
49. Brut alternative : AFTA

50. What "L" may mean: Abbr. : LGE

51. Fared reasonably well : DID OK

53. Melodious : ARIOSE. Or ARIOSO.

55. Short albums, for short : EPs

56. Crystalline rocks : GEODES

58. __ to go: eager : RARIN'

60. Troubling spots : ACNE. Saw ACNES in a puzzle once and had to ask Argyle and D-Otto.

62. Longtime Priceline pitchman : SHATNER

64. Cries over : LAMENTS

66. Perp stopper : TASER

68. Beer ingredient : MALT

72. "__ le roi!" : VIVE

73. Equally irate : AS MAD

75. Male escorts : GIGOLOS. Learned this word from "American Gigolo".

76. Kenny Rogers quartet : EX-WIVES. Crossing 71. Joe Namath, notably : EX-JET. Tiny dupe. Also 14. Crosses off : X'ES OUT.

78. Socks : HOSE

79. Subject for Archimedes : LEVER

80. Convince using flattery : CAJOLE. Nice fill.

81. Window sill item : POT. Love my pot of rosemary. So good with roasted potatoes.

82. Yellow Teletubby : LAA LAA

85. Kitchen gadget : CORER

86. Hasty departure : LAM

89. Enthused : AVID
 
94. Raising a ball, with "up" : TEEING

96. "Il Trovatore" heroine : LEONORA. Also 101. Verdi title bandit : ERNANI. Both learning moments for me.

98. Stop before surgery : PRE-OP

100. Pesky biter : GNAT

102. Invigorate Dry Spray maker : ARRID

104. Soprano Fleming et al. : RENEEs. Also 57. James and Jones of jazz : ETTAs

107. Private eye : TEC

108. Manila envelope feature : CLASP

109. Infamous fictional motel : BATES. That's a scary movie.
 
119. Martini partner : ROSSI
 
120. Logical beginning? : IDEO. Ideological.

121. Long-legged fisher : EGRET

122. Sein, across the Rhine : ETRE. I did not know the the meaning of Sein, "to be" in German.

123. Lessen : ABATE

124. Swiss capital : BERN

125. DEA activity : RAIDS

126. Connecticut senator Chris : DODD. Former.
  

Down:
 
1. 2-Down's boss : MEL. And 2. 1-Down's sitcom employee : FLO

3. Crunch targets : ABs

4. Hairstyling legend : SASSOON. Here is one of their ads in China.

5. Friday creator : DEFOE (Daniel)

6. Hyphen relative : EN DASH

7. North Carolina university : ELON

8. Cavernous opening : MAW

9. Rat Pack leader : SINATRA

10. Like some bank services : NO FEE

11. Chan portrayer : OLAND (Warner). Charlie Chan.

12. Bombard : PELT

13. Daybreak deity : EOS
 
15. Oregon port : ASTORIA

16. Auditing pro : CPA

17. Norse war god : TYR. MARS in Roman.

18. Opposite of west, in Dortmund : OST

24. Stale : OLD

26. Puts into office : ELECTS

29. Court defendant: Abbr. : RESP (Respondent)

31. Bore : DRAG
 
33. Go down : SINK

36. Tardy people, to some : PET PEEVE. You won't ever find Boomer late. He's always a few minutes earlier, rain or snow.

37. Courtroom figs. : ADAs

38. Leatherwork tool : AWL

40. Those, in Oaxaca : ESOS
 
41. "Is that __?" : A NO

43. Hokkaido noodle : UDON. I love seafood udon. 

44. Helped through a tough time, with "over" : TIDED

46. Tend to : CARE FOR

 47. Letter-shaped gaskets : O-RINGS

48. Utah range : UINTA. Looks like a great hiking spot. I recall Dave linked this clip once. I reached all the peaks.

52. Loosening of govt. standards : DEREG

54. Take in : EAT
 
58. Duracell competitor : RAYOVAC

59. Whac-__ : A-MOLE

61. Nitpick : CAVIL

62. Wee, in Dundee : SMA

63. Discuss in detail : HASH OVER
 
64. California-based shoe company : LA GEAR

65. Feature of a no-holds-barred campaign : SMEAR. Politics can be so ugly.

67. Legal thing : RES
 
70. Actress Palmer : LILLI
 
74. Costa __ Sol : DEL

77. Eroded : WORE

80. Pacific salmon : COHO. Huge.

81. Ashen : PALE

83. Toto hit that mentions Kilimanjaro : AFRICA. Helpful hint.

84. Routing org. : AAA

85. Included in the email loop, briefly : CC'ED
 
87. Santa __: dry winds : ANAs

88. Corp. big shots : MGT

90. Proof of paternity, perhaps : DNA TEST

92. Loan figs. : APRS. Annual Percentage Rate.

 93. The Beatles' "Day __" : TRIPPER

95. Spewed : EGESTED

97. Baby's first garment : ONESIE

99. Implored : PRAYED

102. Not leave as is : ALTER

103. Belted tire synthetic : RAYON
 
105. La Floride et La Virginie : ETATS. Interesting, states are all feminine. I think Mike speaks fluent French.


106. Japanese chip maker : NEC

108. Turn over : CEDE

109. Adriatic port : BARI

110. Monastery title : FRA
 
111. Carl's director son : ROB. Mel Brooks mentioned in a interview that he and Carl Reiner meet every day. They love watching movies together and chatting. 

112. Conductor __-Pekka Salonen : ESA

113. It's not a bad lie : FIB. I was picturing a golf ball in an uphill lie. Definitely not a bad lie. Easy to hit.


115. JFK alternative : LGA

116. Simpson trial judge : ITO
 
117. Command from a maj. : ORD. OK, order.

118. Actor Beatty : NED