Saturday, Jun 8th, 2013, Peter A. Collins

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing F,Q,Z)

Blocks: 32

  Alas, I was done in not by the proper names in this one, but by phrases I have never heard before.  For the second week in a row, we have had a "non-Saturday" grid, with the long answers "inside" the edges.  Some 'eye-rolling' fill today, I thought, and some words just don't look right, either.  Eight 10-letter and two 11-letter fills, so we have:

26A. To the max : AS ALL GET OUT - well, it makes sense, I guess, but I have never heard or said this - might be regional

41A. Horseshoes, e.g. : LUCKY CHARMS - I tried "TOSSING GAME", since it fit; there's a horseshoe taped up over the 8line sorting station at UPS

31A. Sleight-of-hand swindle : PIGEON DROP - I "know" of this con, but never its name

38A. Shot protection : GOALIE MASK - mine's on top of my head here

Od Warn~!

ACROSS:

 1. General transportation? : JEEP - ah - I did try "TIRE" first, since there is a General Tire company, and a LOT of transportation rides on tires....

5. Like some whiskey : IRISH - can you get an alcohol "buzz" from smoking an Irish Whiskey cigar~???

10. Accident initials : EMS - Emergency Medical Services

13. __-Free: contact lens solution : OPTI

 

14. Bollywood princess : RANEE - clued as "Indian" in the week; Bollywood is a step further

15. Passes, in a way : LAPS

17. 2000s Korean compact : KIA SPECTRA - I don't know why I put in "Electra" at first

19. Hip to : IN ON

20. Transcendent joy : ECSTASY

21. Focus of a historic New Orleans museum : VOO-DOO - once the ---OO was there, I got it

23. "__ shall live your epitaph to make": Shakespeare's Sonnet 81 : "OR I..."

24. Worrying about : SWEATING - ah, not FRETTING

30. Teachers' degs. : BEs - Bachelor of Education, but it's usually B.Ed.(s)

32. Start to charge? : SUR - surcharge, which strangely means the cost AFTER the initial

33. '70s TV character name whose original Broadway spelling had an "a" instead of an "e" : UNGER - That would be "The Odd Couple"

34. Kenan's TV pal : KEL - all perps, no clue on this show

35. Item under glass, perhaps : RELIC - when I started working at Winn-Dixie in Fla 1n 1995, I was the oldest person on the grocery staff (at 24yrs old) - so the kids called me "Relic" - and I liked it

37. Spot warning : Grr - yeah, "ARF" seemed a bit weak

40. The Tribe, on scoreboards : CLEveland - The Indians, and featured in "Major League", and I still dig the movie

42. 1980 hit with the lyric "It took a long time to know him" : 'HE'S SO SHY' - The Pointer Sisters, and a music link

44. End for Caesar : EAN - CaesarEAN, as in Section

45. Scrub in, say : ASSIST - I watch "House, M.D." in syndication, from my DVR

46. Service providers : PASTORS - ah, that service; and a semi-clecho 8D. Father's talk: Abbr. : SERmon

50. Where to find an expiration date? : OBIT - HA~!  I tried TOMB first, 'cause I was on that wavelength

51. Curator's event : ART EXHIBIT - I had ---BIT, and that seemed wrong, then the light bulb....

54. Put on a thumb drive, say : SAVE

55. Frost bit? : VERSE - Poetry from Robert Frost - didn't fool me, either

56. Name in a footnote : CITE

57. Bench, once : RED - A-ha~!  I got this one, as well - I knew Johnny Bench was a Cincinnati Red

 

58. Splits : EXITS

59. Strike one as being : SEEM

DOWN:

1. Routine element : JOKE - In a stand-up comedy routine

2. Many a miniseries : EPIC

3. DFW postings : ETAs - Dallas/Ft. Worth, the airport

4. Wild Bill Hickok, notably : PISTOLEER - this does not look right

5. Parting words : "I RESIGN"

6. Ribald : RACY - ribald; "vulgar", from the German "riben" to copulate - and  a chance for Splynter to post a gratuitous leg image

7. S&L figure : INTerest - Savings & Loan

9. Lift, as an anchor : HEAVE UP

10. Economist Janeway : ELIOT

11. Lower jaw-related : MANDIBULAR - phew, that's a mouthful~!

12. Hated the book, perhaps : SPOONERISM - Baited the Hook being the "alternate" phrasing

16. Busses in Birmingham : SNOGS - Watch Harry Potter - there's snogging going on there

18. Beauty spot? : PARLOR

22. Bit of fodder : OAT

24. Hot-and-cold : STREAKY

25. Fuzzy : WOOLLY - the two "L"s seem 'wrong' to me - must be the down-ness of the answer

26. Toon shopkeeper voiced by Hank Azaria : APU

27. Where business is always picking up? : SINGLES BAR - I am trying to "pick up" one of the female associates at Home Depot - I don't do the bar anymore

28. Pushy : AGGRESSIVE

29. '90s judge on "The People's Court" : ED KOCH - a WAG - I could not remember the name of the first guy who did the spot; "W-something....ah, "Wapner"; I did not know Ed was a judge there, just the mayor of NYC - the Wiki

32. Linguist's concern : SEMANTICS

35. Belabor : REHASH

36. Most ATM deposits : CKs - Checks, and, meh.

38. Novelist Flaubert : GUSTAVE - I had everything but the "G", since my first "shot protector" was "KEVLAR VEST"

39. Tools for those on the way up : ICE AXES

40. Bedlam : CHAOS

41. __ Altos, California : LOS

43. Positioned : SITED - mostly in terms of where a house sits on its plot, in terms of solar gain, views, etc.

46. Bother : PEST - the Pittsburgh Penguins were SWEPT out of the playoffs by Boston tonight - and they are an NHL pest to me

47. Stage presentation? : OBIE - the award for stage performances

48. Observance : RITE

49. Stalk in the garden : STEM

52. Excitable dinosaur in "Toy Story" : REX - I could not think of his name - but when the perps filled it in, I got a smack upside the head from myself

53. TNT part : TRInitrotoluene - usually we get the TNT part as the answer; I was curious, so I read the Wiki - it was first prepared by a German named Julius Wilbrand - as a dye - now that's what I call "ribald"

Splynter

Friday, June 7, 2013, Jim Holland

Theme: Is she out there? Letter in.

Or, this LINK.(1:03).

Each of the four theme answers are recognizable two-word phrases with a single letter inserted and attached to the final word to create a new and whimsical phrase. The second words are all words starting with a single letter. I just had one of Mr. Holland's puzzles in April where he entertained us with a punny one; this time he has an add-on with four solid entries. To accomplish that we have many more than a Friday worth of 3,4 and 5 letter fill. I liked OBSOLETE, DOODLER, STEAMS UP and some others but there there were some really hard short ones. Let's explore.

17A. Spontaneous camera adjustment? : SUDDEN F-STOP. (11). A quick stop becomes the misunderstood action which basically controls how much light comes in through the lens.

26A. Electronic device for some singles? : BACHELOR I-PAD. (12). The single man's cave becomes his tablet. Makes sense after that 90 square foot apartment.

43A. Oversized cleaning tool? : GENEROUS Q-TIP (12). Just keep it out of your ear.

57A. Kid's sport played in costume? : MASKED T-BALL. (11). My favorite one as I picture all the little kids in their masks swinging away.

Across:

1. Brown shade : ECRU.  Continuing my shade theme from last week.

5. Authentic : LEGIT.

10. Yale Law students, until 1918 : MEN. He tried tricking you into putting in ELI.

13. Move furtively : SLINK.

15. Muse for Byron : ERATO. A repeat performance from yesterday, and not the only one as we also have, 38D. Belligerent son of Zeus : ARES. War god.    

16. Cry of support : OLE. This is a lot of bull.

19. URL ending : GOV. You have to wait for peeps.

20. Unemployed? : OBSOLETE. This was not easy clued this way. And we have an antoclecho 45D. Employed : USED.

21. Car buyer's choice : COUPE. DeVille?  DeVil? Laugh?

23. In one's cups : LIT.

24. One at a dull meeting, perhaps : DOODLER. I doodle at all opportunities.

31. Alberta NHLer : OILER. Edmonton, Alberta Canada, which suggests Mr. Holland has some ties as he also includes, 8D. 1989 World Champion figure skater : ITO. She also won the OLYMPIC gold (6:48)  in Alberta, Canada. Every figure skating clue brings back fond memories of dear CA and our other past posters who skated. We miss you dear Clear Ayes.

Clear Ayes & Granddaughter Rachael

32. It often includes a bio : OBIT. Uary

33. Unfavorable : BAD. Not my first thought.

36. "The Man Show" co-host Carolla : ADAM.

37. Ship's anchor hole : HAWSE. I love the definition in the dictionary, "Where the hawsehole is on the ship." Apparently from Old Norse for neck? Jerome, SB?

39. Decree : RULE. Which is also a Law which rhymes with

40. Green : RAW.

41. Gun barrel measurement : BORE. Which has nothing to do with 26D. Tusked mammal : BOAR.

42. Like staying in the Bates Motel : EERIE. If you do not know the movie Psycho, they have a TV series now.

46. Lets out early : PAROLES. Last day of school in Florida, so the traffic gets better.

49. Halifax hrs. : AST.In Nova Scotia, more Canada, and Atlantic Standard Time, 1 hour earlier than EST.

50. Something to aspire to : IDEAL.

51. Angers : STEAMS UP. Nice fresh fill.

56. Captain's record : LOG. How many have seen the new Star Trek movie, I still have not gone, but I can always here Shatner's voice, "Captain's Log, stardate..."

60. Jazz ___ : ERA. Which was when JzB?

61. Dangerous snake : ADDER. My favorite is the BLACK (2:42) one.

62. "...could ___ lean" : EAT NO. Poor Mrs. Sprat.

63. Retreat, perhaps : DEN. Unless it one of iniquity...I think they are now media rooms, or family rooms.

64. Pries (into) : NOSES. Such a nice literal usage, as you see people actually inserting their face, nose first...

65. Ticket word : SEAT.

Down:

1. Exxon, previously : ESSO. Classic crosswordese.

2. Bridge ___ : CLUB. I used to play often, but not in a long while.

3. Clears : RIDS.

4. Command following a mistake : UNDO.

5. Gave, as in a will : LEFT TO. To many legal terms slowed me down here.

6. Gaelic tongue : ERSE.

7. Rod : GAT. Hard boiled detective fiction words, Mickey Spillane, etc.

9. Fall wear : TOP COAT.

10. Trump, for one : MOGUL. I will avoid comment on this man except to ask if anyone has seen the ESPN show where Trump is credited with destroying the USFL?  I know his attorney from those days.

11. Use a ladder stereotypically : ELOPE.

12. "___ My Love": 1967 hit : NEVER. My teenage years from the ASSOCIATION.(2:46).

14. Sullivan's student : KELLER.  I have always been fascinated by the story of HELEN.(2:59). The Movie the Miracle Worker was also wonderful.

18. Diamond on many charts : NEIL. He was at Fenway Park to support Boston after the Marathon Massacre.

22. Vegas bet : ODD. You will never get even betting just odd; gambling is not that Black or Red.

24. Informal claim : DIBS. Like the ubiquitous call, "shotgun."

25. Expectant father in "Return to Mayberry" : OPIE. A reunion show, with all the old characters, including a married Ron Howard; here is the entire SHOW. (1:36:08).

27. "O patria mia" singer : AIDA. How many opera fans do we have?

28. Nail that's often curved : CLAW. Kitty lovers?

29. Moment of hesitation : HEM. Haw, he got them.

30. Trireme mover : ROWER. The three rows of oars in this ancient VESSEL. Very hard fill.

33. Eponymous beekeeper Shavitz : BURT. This was very obscure, while the company kept his name, he sold out to his partner who made a success of BURT's BEESWAX products. I did not know his last name but do recall when all they sold was candles..

34. Et ___ : ALII. You say ALII I say ALIA.

35. Serious : DEEP. Like all those conversations in college where we were able to....

37. Fine-tune : HONE. are seductive ways.

39. What an asterisk means on some forms: Abbr. : REQ. Uired. You can't finish the form unless you fill it in.

41. Luggage lugger : BELL MAN. Bell Cap?

42. Fancy spread : ESTATE. Not food, dirt.

43. India's smallest state : GOA. I had no clue, but perped it in.

44. Some of their scenes were filmed in deserts : OATERS. I knew this immediately was referring to old westerns.

46. In a stack : PILED.

47. Be gaga over : ADORE.

48. Lear daughter : REGAN. Clearly Goneril and Cordelia would not do.

51. Arcade game word : SKEE. Balls!

52. Work force entrants' assets, briefly : MBAS. Master of Business Administration.

53. Fill to capacity : SATE.

54. Prismatic bone : ULNA. I never really thought about PRISMS.

55. Scheme : PLOT.

58. Flurry : ADO.

59. Radical campus org. : SDS. Students for a Democratic Society.

Well another Friday done and an odd experience, with some very hard fill in a grid with primarily short words but a very clever theme. Until next time, I am either in a storm or playing in golf tournament as you read this; live long and prosper. Lemonade out.

Thursday, June 6, 2013 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "Double trouble..." 2:52

18A. Double : CARBON COPY. Remember the mimeograph machines in grade school?

21A. Double : IDENTICAL TWIN. Remember the twins from this gum commercial? (C'mon, you can sing it aloud!)

40A. Double : DOPPELGANGER.  Who's the guy on the left??

62A. Double : SPITTING IMAGE. This is an excellent explanation of the origin of the phrase, with a bonus mention of the next one:

67A. Double : DEAD RINGER. If you clicked on "dead ringer" in the previous link, you will know why I am posting this picture:

You "got" the theme, right? So, we have a 16 x 15 grid today, but I bet few of you even noticed that. The reason is the even-numbered central entry DOPPELGANGER. It's always odd-numbered at a 15*15. The stacked theme entries at 18-21 Across and 62-67 Across is quite impressive, I might add!! Plus some nifty phrases on the downs, just to keep it interesting: SLOW LEARNER, I DIDN'T FIT IN.

Marti here, to have fun with the rest...

Across:

1. Uncivilized : SAVAGE. Ah, but try music! "Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast..."

7. Short "and so on" : ETC. etcetera, etcetera! 2:54 (Translation, please?!?)

10. Marine layer phenomena, at times : MISTS.

15. King Arthur's resting place : AVALON.

16. Itinerary word : VIA. I often travel to Vienna VIA Zurich. On Lufthansa/Austrian Airlines. Best service in the business!

17. Give out : ALLOT.

20. Hotelier Helmsley : LEONA.

23. "Rights of Man" author : PAINE.

26. Tijuana tots : NENES.

27. Played the first card : LED.

28. What putting one's pen down in Final Jeopardy! usually means : I'M DONE. I bet Rich watches "Jeopardy!" every night...

30. White-collar worker? : PRIEST. Really fun clue!

33. Key econ. indicator : CPI. I wanted GDP, then checked perps. Nope...must be Consumer Price Index. This site will explain everything for you.

34. Worked undercover : SPIED.

39. Sister of Calliope : ERATO.

44. Jams : BINDS. (Because "Smuckers products" wouldn't fit...)

46. Planet earth : GLOBE.

47. Rest of the afternoon : NAP. Fun clue!

50. Promoting a new album, possibly : ON TOUR.

52. Former Sandanista leader : ORTEGA.

55. One lacking grace : OAF.

56. Food writer James : BEARD. Nailed it.

61. Bobbled grounder, e.g. : ERROR. Bobbled it.

66. Pledge from the faithful : TITHE.

71. ___ Sports Bureau, baseball's official statistician : ELIAS. No clue - n-e-e-d-e-d...e-v-e-r-y...p-e-r-p!!

72. Like mil. volunteers : ENL.isted.

73. Suffer : ENDURE.

74. Manhattan has many high ones : RENTS. Head scratching clue - how do "skyscrapers" fit into five letters???

75. Toper's trouble : DTS. A "toper" is a lush/sot/drunkard, etc. Delirium tremens. (Latin for "shaking frenzy.") If you go to the Huyghe Brewery in Belgium, you can have one of their signature "Delirium Tremens" beers.

76. Assent : SAY YES. "...to the dress!" (Inside joke.)

Down:

1. Animal pouch : SAC.

2. Charlton's "Earthquake" co-star : AVA. I went to the set at Universal Studios, and was one of the audience who was selected to appear in the escalator scene. They had a "green screen" behind us, so we couldn't see what was happening. But the audience was watching the actual dubbed version. With fake foam "rocks" raining down on me, I had to pretend that I was terrified as the building collapsed around me.

3. Alt. spelling : VAR.iation.

4. Sans melanin : ALBINO.

5. Mets pitcher who was 1984 N.L. Rookie of the Year : GOODEN. T-o-o-k...e-v-e-r-y...s-i-n-g-l-e...p-e-r-p!!

6. -ess kin : ENNE. As in adultrESS and comediENNE, signifying female roles. Not PC any more.

7. Electronic ballot : E-VOTE. I thought I had heard all the E-words!

8. Short basket : TIP IN. Not a big fan of basketball since Larry Bird retired.

9. Psychic Edgar : CAYCE. Nailed it. I actually have read "The Sleeping Prophet."

10. Retail haven : MALL.

11. "Would ___ you down?" : I LET.

12. One in need of a tutor : SLOW LEARNER. Like me, when it comes to baseball!

13. Most stylish : TONIEST.

14. Get ready, in military lingo : STAND TO. I wanted "stand by," but that would be TV lingo, right?

19. "AC360º" channel : CNN. WAG.

22. Indiana Jones terrorizer : ASP. He hates snakes! 1:22

23. Flick : PIC.

24. Band aid? : AMP. Fun clue. Rock band.

25. "That wasn't the group for me" : I DIDN'T FIT IN. Hard to suss.

29. Forward-looking claim : ESP. Extra Sensory Perception.

31. Fill-up choice: Abbr. : REG.ular.

32. Anger : IRE.

35. "___ o' My Heart": 1913 song : PEG. So many versions to choose from...2:21

36. Bugged by a bug : ILL.

37. Mediator's challenge : EGO.

38. Delicately apply : DAB.

41. "Star Trek: DSN" changeling : ODO. Bullying scene...1:38

42. Sch. in Oregon's most populous city : PSU. Portland State University. Not to be confused with Pennsylvania State University, which seems to have gone out of favor as a clue since the scandal. Or, the lesser known Plymouth State University in Massachusetts.

43. Prefix with natal : NEO.

44. Rah-rah fan : BOOSTER.

45. Like dirty laundry : IN A PILE. Yes, I have A PILE of it downstairs!

48. Previously : AGO.

49. 3, 4 or 5, usually : PAR. Rich is an avid golfer.  Husker G., you in?

51. Box score stat : RBI. Runs Batted In. Does Hank Aaron still hold the record?

53. Saskatchewan's capital : REGINA.

54. Now : TRENDY. Took a while to get past "at once."

57. Drew to a close : ENDED.

58. Go-between : AGENT. His challenge might be an EGO.

59. Tehran bread : RIALS. Remember two weeks ago? Orani, Irani and Yemenis?

60. Driller's letters : DMD. Doctor of Dental Medicine.  So why is is not DDM?

63. Yonder item : THAT. I paused for a while, thinking I should enter "THAr."

64. Hardy lass : TESS. "Tess of the D'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented" is the complete title.

65. Mars, to Greeks : ARES. Greek and Roman gods of war. Mars is the son of Zeus and Hera.

68. Dude : GUY.

69. Before, before : ERE.

70. Second notes : REs. Do, re mi fa sol la ti do! 5:33

And with that note, I shall leave you until next time!

Hugs,

Marti

Wednesday, June 5, 2013 Gareth Bain

theme:  EXTREME SPORTS (35A. X Games activities, and, in a way, what can be found in this puzzle's circle) - The ends (extremes) of each theme entry is a type of sport.

17A. For example, to Juan : POR EJEMPLO. spanish. Polo.  

25A. Idol worshipped in Exodus : GOLDEN CALF. Golf.

49A. Casserole holder, perhaps : SQUARE DISH. Squash. 

58A. Armchair quarterback's speed? : SUPER SLO MO.  Sumo.

melissa here. this is solidly filled grid with 5 theme answers. nice chunks of corners. 

across:

1. "Naughty!" : TSK

4. Zealous crusades : JIHADS

10. "Choosy __ choose Jif" : MOMS

14. Physician's org. : AMA. american medical association.

15. Leopardlike critter : OCELOT. stunning.

16. Subj. for a vet : ANAT anatomy.

19. Okla., on old maps : TERR. 

20. Ersatz butter : OLEO. why anyone would want a replacement for butter is beyond me.

21. Gin maker Whitney : ELI. cotton gin.

23. Books expert: Abbr. : CPA. certified public accountant. accounting books.

24. Web prog. code : HTML

29. Reactions to revelations : AHAs

30. Acapulco gold : ORO. more spanish.

31. Preakness horse's age : THREE. don't follow horse racing, had no idea. wiki.

32. Orbiter until 2001 : MIR. russian space station. wiki says mir means peace or world.

33. Fox's title : BRER. from uncle remus.

34. Seam-y stuff? : ORE. cute.

40. Help out : AID

41. Drummer Ulrich : LARS. from metallica.

42. "The Chocolate __": classic young-adult novel : WAR

44. Stars, in Latin : ASTRA

47. Anti-pollution org. : EPA

48. Krakow native : POLE

52. Did garden work : HOED

53. Crude abode : HUT

54. '70s extremist gp. : SLA. kidnappers of patty hearst.

55. Spare targets : PINS. bowling.

56. Big bank : CITI

63. Philodendron's plant family : ARUM

64. Lack of vitality : ANEMIA

65. "China Beach" setting : 'NAM. vietnam.

66. Team that moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn in 2012 : NETS

67. Uncompromising : STRICT

68. One of RSA's 11 official languages : ENG. republic of south africa.

down:

1. Faucet : TAP

2. Blended beverage : SMOOTHIE

3. "The Communist Manifesto" co-author : KARL MARX

4. Mojo __: "Powerpuff Girls" villain : JOJO. no idea.

5. Arctic abundance : ICE

6. Skirt border : HEM

7. Jungfrau, e.g. : ALP. gorgeous.

8. Handed (out) sparingly : DOLED

9. Made off with : STOLE

10. Bath accessory : MAT

11. Like some garages : ONE-CAR

12. Christie heroine : MARPLE. agatha christie, miss marple.

13. Attack from the air : STRAFE

18. Sinuous fish : EELS

22. Openings : INTROS

24. Amateur radio operator : HAM. i never knew this.

25. Wounded by a warthog, say : GORED. ouch.

26. Utah County city : OREM

27. Rhine siren : LORELEI. interesting.

28. Chastity's mother : CHER. bono.

33. Prickly plants : BRIARS

34. Host who had a "Favorite Things" segment on her show : OPRAH

36. Estate near Twelve Oaks : TARA. didn't remember this.

37. Suckers : SAPS

38. Fast break advantage, in basketball : TWO ON ONE

39. Pro pitcher? : SALESMAN

43. Checkers side : RED

44. Garbage collector : ASH CAN

45. Future knight : SQUIRE

46. "Naughty!" : TUT TUT

48. Dr. made popular by 34-Down : PHIL

50. "__ Dream": Wagner aria : ELSA'S

51. Cow : DAUNT. synonyms - new to me. one meaning of cow is to browbeat or intimidate.

55. H.S. junior's exam : PSAT

57. AOL chats : IM'S

59. __ capita : PER

60. Brit. record co. : EMI

61. Guitarist Ocasek : RIC. of the cars.

62. Texter's "Holy moly!" : OMG

melissa

Note from C.C.:

1) Marti's UNPLUG (Render powerless?) is Paul's "Clever Clue of the Month" for May. Congratulations, Marti!

2) Happy 19th wedding anniversary to dear Misty and her husband! Misty loves James Joyce and has written a few books on Joyce's work. Her husband was a molecular biologist and biochemist who taught Genetics until his retirement. Misty said "Before his stroke he did the LA Times puzzle every morning (after bringing me coffee and the paper in bed!). I inherited the morning after his 2008 stroke."

This photo was taken in 2009 at their 15th anniversary party.

Tuesday, Jun 4, 2013 David Poole

Theme: Do You Do Windows? - Go to the back of the theme entries with your Windex.

18A. Need after a bank job : GETAWAY CAR

23A. Business that cuts locks : BARBER SHOP

38A. "Know what I mean?" : "GET THE PICTURE?"

50A. Jamaican resort : MONTEGO BAY

57A. Classic Hitchcock film, and a hint to the end of 18-, 23-, 38- and 50-Across : REAR WINDOW. Here is a compilation of TV takes on the movie. LINK

Argyle here and I don't do windows. Did it seem like a lot of déjà vu today? If there is, it's Rich's doing; David would have no way of knowing. A nice solid Tuesday with some interesting side trips.

Across:

1. King or queen, but not a prince : CARD

5. Coffeehouse connection : WI-FI

9. Carnival features : RIDES

14. Once again : ANEW

15. Breezed through : ACED

16. "99 44/100 % pure" soap : IVORY. "It floats."

17. Staff symbol : NOTE

20. Partner of true : TRIED

22. Veg (out) : CHILL

26. Change People, say : EDIT. People, the magazine.

30. Just manage, with "out" : EKE

31. The Brewers, on scoreboards : MIL (Milwaukee) (From C.C.: Here is a fun picture of Kazie, her husband Barry and son David with Brewers' Racing Sausages at Miller Park in August 2010.)

32. Gal pal of Jerry and George : ELAINE

34. Church get-together : SOCIAL

37. Sikorsky and Stravinsky : IGORs. (helicopters and compositions)

41. Blender setting : PURÉE

42. Paste back together : REGLUE

43. 8-Down, to Mexicans : ESTADO. (state) 8D. Southern neighbor of British Columbia : IDAHO. Also, to Mexicans, 53D. Sunset dirección : OESTE. (west)

45. Ben-__ : HUR

46. Spot for a shot : ARM. Yeah, I had BAR and like other bars, it messed me up for a while.

49. Tabloid twosome : ITEM

54. Ancient Aegean region : IONIA

56. Kind of question with only two possible answers : YES/NO

62. "No __ luck!" : SUCH

63. Paddled boat : CANOE

64. Movie "Citizen" : KANE. (Orson Welles, 1941) and  67A.  64-Across's Rosebud : SLED

65. In good shape : TRIM

66. Put up with : STAND

68. Current event? : EDDY. Tricky but not, once you have it.

Down:

1. "That's impossible!" : "CAN'T BE!". Not for everybody, can't be. Janis Joplin - I Need A Man To Love. (4:57)

2. Arctic pullover : ANORAK

3. Call it a night : RETIRE

4. Nerdy type : DWEEB

5. Shake, as a tail : WAG. 7D. Command to Fido : FETCH

6. Mixologist's bucketful : ICE. At the place for a shot that I was thinking of.

9. Iranian currency : RIAL

10. Harvard and Yale are in it : IVY LEAGUE

11. Leader of the Dwarfs : DOC

12. Stat for Jered Weaver : ERA. Starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (earned run average)ERA

13. Country W of Iraq : SYR. (Syria)

19. Clean with a rag : WIPE

21. Knocked down a peg : DEMOTED

24. Rolling in dough : RICH

25. More shrewd : SLIER. More shrewd = more dough.

27. A-line designer : DIOR

28. Legal memo's "concerning" : IN RE

29. Parisian possessive : TES. (your)

33. Religious ritual : LITURGY. From Greek, for public service.

34. Household gadget used on a board : STEAM IRON

35. Big brute : APE

36. Traffic controller : LIGHT

38. Short burst of wind : GUST

39. Art Deco designer : ERTE. Good old "RT"

40. Game with suspicions and accusations : CLUE

41. Canada's smallest prov. : PEI. (Prince Edward Island)

44. Luxury hotel chain : OMNI

46. Preposterous : ABSURD

47. Causing serious nose-wrinkling : RANCID

48. "Good heavens!" : "MY, OH, MY!". What the cook said when she discovered the butter was rancid.

51. Cries in sties : OINKS. No, oinks aren't cries but for the sake of alliteration, let it stand.

52. Spanish tennis star Rafael : NADAL. Worth a watch.

55. Needed to pay : OWED

57. Pepsi alternatives : RC's. (Royal Crown)

58. Put away some dishes? : EAT

59. California's Santa __ : ANA

60. Small bill : ONE

61. United : WED

Argyle

Monday, June 3, 2013 Michael Dewey

Theme: And The Beat Goes On - The theme entries conclude with parts of the circulatory system.

20. Siblings, sons, daughters, etc. : FLESH AND BLOOD

29. "Along related lines ..." : "IN THE SAME VEIN ..."

47. Main thoroughfare : CENTRAL ARTERY

56. Have the song memorized : KNOW IT BY HEART

Argyle here. We also have two incidentals, SKIN and FLESH. Is it a Monday or Tuesday puzzle, YES/NO? In any case, Michael(Boston College,'91) has his usual strong fill AND no 'A' word.

Across:

1. Ran a towel over : WIPED. I held off of putting in DRIED.

6. Free stuff at a party, in slang : SWAG. "I thought it was free," said the swagman.

10. Throws in : ADDS. ...and he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker-bag.

14. Have because of : OWE TO

15. Supergirl's Krypton name : KARA. (Kara Zor-El)

16. Munich Mrs. : FRAU

17. "Great taste. Less filling" beers : LITEs

18. Srs.' nest eggs : IRA's

19. Keister : RUMP

23. 35mm camera type : SLR. (single-lens reflex)

24. Anxious med. condition for TV's Monk : OCD. (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

25. Actor McKellen : IAN. Has been known to talk to ents.

26. Onetime telecom giant : GTE. (General Telephone and Electronics Corp. 1959-1982)

33. Cosmetician Lauder : ESTÉE

34. Like sorted clean socks, hopefully : PAIRED

35. More than half : MOST

38. Push-up muscle, briefly : PEC. (pectoralis)

40. Greek sandwich : GYRO

41. Desk compartment : DRAWER

44. Simple question type : YES/NO

50. They're two sizes above M's : XL's

51. Out __ limb : ON A

52. "The Raven" monogram : EAP. (Edgar Allan Poe)

53. AQI monitor : EPA. Air Quality Index / Environmental Protection Agency

60. Goose egg : ZERO

62. "Are you __ not?": "Joining us?" : IN OR

63. "Kim" actor Flynn : ERROL. Kim is a 1950 adventure film based on the classic novel by Rudyard Kipling.

 64. Gung-ho : AVID

65. Old Italian coin : LIRA

66. Half a Washington city : WALLA

67. __ de foie gras : PÂTÉ

68. Negotiator's goal : DEAL

69. Eyelid woes : STYEs

Down:

1. Gulps (down) greedily : WOLFs

2. "Count on me" : "I WILL"

3. "Great" Russian czar : PETER I

4. Summers in Paris : ÉTÉS

5. Toss back jiggers of liquor : DO SHOTS. (1.5 US fluid ounces)

6. Superficial, as beauty : SKIN DEEP

7. Fend (off) : WARD

8. Saudi __ : ARABIA

9. Streetlight of old : GAS LAMP. A musical interlude. The Old Lamplighter(2:21)

10. Jackson 5 hairdo : AFRO

11. Grunt work : DRUDGERY

12. Flood control structure : DAM

13. Eat dinner : SUP

21. German's eight : ACHT

22. Most-draftable status : ONE A

27. Wedding cake section : TIER

28. Prefix with plasm : ENDO. A central, less viscous portion of the cytoplasm.

30. Food packaging fig. : NET WT.. The weight of the actual food.

31. "Later, gator" : "SEE YA'"

32. Energy : VIGOR

35. 17th-century year when Henry Hudson entered his bay : MDCX. 1610 (History)

36. Baseball's Hershiser : OREL

37. Literary language of India : SANSKRIT

39. __ cortex: outermost brain tissue : CEREBRAL. Pleasantly taxed today.

42. Suffix with sock or switch : EROO

43. Went on a rampage : RAN WILD. It seems once a week it happens somewhere.

45. "Freeze, Fido!" : "STAY!". Cute alliteration.

46. Sibling's sons : NEPHEWs

48. Actress Kazan : LAINIE. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" 2002

49. Once every 12 months : YEARLY

54. Worker, briefly : PROLE. A member of the proletariat.

55. Book of maps : ATLAS

57. Lymph __ : NODE

58. __ Bora: Afghan region : TORA

59. Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT

60. Reheat quickly : ZAP

61. Perón of Argentina : EVA

Argyle