Thursday, May 29, 2014 David Steinberg

Theme: "Pawn Stars"

The reveal for this puzzle can be found at 38-Across. Game where the ends of the answers to starred clues are commonly heard : CHESS.

17-Across. *Aperture : LENS OPENING. The most important part of the game, where players set up their pawns and develop their pieces.

24-Across. *Words said between courses : KEEP YOUR FORK. Typically, this refers to a knight that attacks two different chess pieces.

The Knight Fork

46-Across. *It can be a painful reminder : REALITY CHECK. A direct attack on the opponent's king. It can be painful for a chess champion...

57-Across. *Sister's symbol : SORORITY PIN. When an opponent pins a piece, it means that the piece cannot move because doing so would expose another more valuable piece, like the king or queen.

11-Down. *Part of a class act : SCHOOLMATE. When a player is in mate (short for "checkmate"), it means that his king has no legal move, and he loses the game.

28-Down. *Place to see shell decorations : SAND CASTLE. A move done during the opening, where the king and rook swap sides. It can either be "long" (on the queen's side) where the rook moves three squares, or "short" (on the king's side) where the rook moves two squares:

Castle.

Six long theme entries, with four intersecting each other, plus a reveal in the center of the grid. I'm as impressed with David's puzzle as I would be watching Kasparov play against Karpov!

The rest of the fill was pretty straight-forward for a Thursday, with only a few misdirections. 

Across

1. Chain named for two oceans : A AND P. I was thinking islands here, not grocery stores. Plus, I had "AGs" at 4-down, so this was the last to fill. Officially, A&P is "The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company."

6. Diet guru Jenny : CRAIG. Kirstie Alley is back as the spokesperson.

11. Slender slider : SKI. Nailed it! (Did you think of the little hamburgers?)

14. Patch plant : BRIAR. If you fall into one, you may need to patch your pants.

15. Cuban dance : RUMBA. Salsa or mambo would also fit...

16. "The Lead With Jake Tapper" airer : CNN.

19. __ polloi : HOI.

20. Suffix with Senegal : ESE.

21. First American to orbit Earth : GLENN. And a clecho at 10-Down. First Russian to orbit Earth : GAGARIN.

22. Oak product ... or source : ACORN. "Mighty oaks from little acorns grow."

26. Email again : RESEND. Do you sometimes regret the fact that you sent it in the first place?

29. Pie perch : SILL.

30. Seed-bearing organ : OVARY.

31. Many a preadolescent : TWEEN. In modern usage it usually signifies a young girl who is "in-between" stages of life: "Too old for toys, too young for boys." But J.R.R. Tolkien used it to describe Hobbits who were post-teenagers: "At that time Frodo was still in his tweens, as the hobbits called the irresponsible twenties between childhood and coming of age at thirty-three."

34. Hiker's reference : MAP.

37. Southernmost Ivy : PENN.

39. Bean used in falafel : FAVA. Served with veggies and tahini sauce - yummm!

Falafel

40. Call off : END.

41. Underground anchors : ROOTS.

42. Turning part : ROTOR. Remember these?

43. Mine find : COAL.

45. Like some partners : SILENT.

51. Atelier fixture : EASEL.

Rembrandt

52. Mission where Jim Bowie fell : ALAMO.

53. Hub WNW of LAS : SFO. McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, San Francisco Airport.  

56. Mohawked muscleman : MR T.

60. In the infirmary : ILL.

61. Hold water : ADD UP.

62. Maudlin : TEARY.

63. Lao-__ : TSE.

64. Irritable : TESTY.

65. Fast-growing school's need, perhaps : ANNEX.


Down

1. Seaman descriptor : ABLE.

2. God with a vulture symbol : ARES. He had lots of other symbols: Spear, helmut, dog, chariot, boar and flaming torch.

3. Diamond group : NINE.

4. Trial VIPs : DAs. What was I thinking by putting in AGs???

5. Scion : PROGENY.

6. Walk on tiptoe : CREEP.

7. Like noses, at times : RUNNY. My allergies have been given a break with all the rain lately.

8. Kind of acid in proteins : AMINO.

9. Hebrew : Ben :: Arabic : __ : IBN.

12. Stock market giant? : KNORR. Soup stock, that is.

13. Confident way to solve crosswords : IN INK. Many Cornerites solve this way. I'm not so confident!

18. Earnestly appealed : PLED.

23. Grey Cup org. : CFL. Canadian Football League. Totally filled by perps.

24. "Show Boat" composer : KERN. I have linked "Ol' Man River" sung by Paul Robeson before.

25. Takes advantage of : USES.

26. It's often skipped : ROPE. Nope, "class" wouldn't fit.

27. __ number : EVEN.

31. Nevertheless, informally : THO.

32. Slippery, perhaps : WET.

33. Pothook shape : ESS.

35. Skin So Soft seller : AVON. It has been touted as a mosquito repellent, but DEET is the only thing that works for me.

36. Barbershop division? : PART.

38. Future stallion : COLT.

39. Traditional genre : FOLK. So many to choose from, but here is Woody Guthrie's classic "This Land is Your Land."

41. Gives a tongue-lashing : RAILS AT.

42. Cannoli cheese : RICOTTA.

44. World Cup cheer : OLE.

45. One usually keeping to the right : SEMI. Tractor Trailers are often prohibited from entering the passing lane.

46. Send in : REMIT.

47. British nobles : EARLS.

48. Barbecue venues : YARDS.

49. Influence : CLOUT.

50. Half-woman, half-bird monster : HARPY. Found in classical literature, and also in "The Game of Thrones."

The Harpy of Astapor

53. Bridge : SPAN.

54. Blaze : FIRE. Hey, C.C.! Loved your puzzle yesterday!

55. Jet-black gemstone : ONYX.

58. Flowery composition : ODE.

59. Kyoto currency : YEN. I have a yen to play some more...

…but my time is up!

Marti

Wednesday, May 28, 2014 C. C. Burnikel

Theme: Not until you see the whites of their eyes.

Let's start with the unifier.  21 D. No-parking areas, four of which are formed, in a way, by the answers to the starred clues :  FIRE LANES.

 Source

Each theme answer can follow the word FIRE, yielding an in-the-language noun or two-word noun phrase. The LANES result from the symmetrical placement of the theme answers.  Two LANES are formed by the theme fill along the vertical edges, and two more LANES are located at the fifth column in from each vertical edge.  Each LANE is made up of three theme answers, so we have a puzzle that is unusually rich in both theme density and number of theme fill entries.

A typical grid has a small number of horizontally-placed long theme answers.  This one has a large number of vertically-placed short theme answers.  Lets sniff them out.

 1 D. *Rocking good time : BALL.  Have a BALL with this puzzle.  A FIREBALL is either,  literally, a ball of fire, a projectile filled with explosives, or a bright meteor.

5 D. *"Holy smokes!" : MAN.  An expression of surprise or dismay.  Don't have a cow.   A FIREMAN is someone whose job is usually [but not always] putting out fires.

10 D. *Frighten : ALARM.  But don't be ALARMed.  A FIRE ALARM is a warning device in case of fire.

14 D. *Cyber Monday event : SALE.  The Monday after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday is used as an e-tail marketing ploy.  A FIRE SALE originally referred to goods deeply discounted due to FIRE damage.  Now it's any sales event at steeply discounted prices, though often occurring under financial distress.

23 D. *Attack forcefully : STORM.  Often a full frontal assault.  A FIRESTORM is a large, powerful FIRE that burns so hot that it produces strong winds.  Less literally, it refers to a raging controversy or strong and sudden outburst.

25 D. *Delivery vehicle : TRUCK.  A FIRE TRUCK does not [usually] deliver FIRE.

Source

34 D. *Authority : POWER.  FIRE POWER is the destructive capacity of your military arsenal

37 D. *Gem : STONE. Precious or semi-precious mineral matter.   FIRESTONE is the lone proper noun in this conflagration, the name of a tire and rubber company.. 

52 D. *Smoking gun, e.g. : PROOF.  Refers colloquially to a bit of incontrovertible incriminating evidence.  FIREPROOF means impervious or resistant to damage by fire.

55 D. *Down Under gem : OPAL.  FIRE OPALs, so named because of their vibrant color display, were first discovered in Australia in the second half of the 19th century.

Read about them here

62 D. *Secret to crack : CODE.  A word of many meanings, here indicating a system of symbols used instead of words or letters to conceal the meaning of a message.  In another sense, a FIRE CODE is a set of standards established and enforced by government for fire prevention and safety in case of fire.

66 D. *Picnic invader : ANT.  Frequent cross word invader as well.  FIRE ANTs are fiercely stinging omnivorous ants native to South America.

This is the third puzzle this month by our own dear  C.C., and I have been fortunate enough to blog two.  Raising the coincidence quotient another notch, both of these puzzles have four vertically placed theme elements, and a centrally placed vertical unifier.  Plus, you could be burnt by both themes  High marks for creative, original and consistent thinking.

Lets put on our asbestos underwear, delve into this puzzle, and see if we can avoid being charred.

 Across:

1. Islands north of Cuba : BAHAMAS.  A string of more than 700 islands, cays, and islets in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of Florida.

8. Earl Grey pouches : TEA BAGS. Flavored with oil of bergamot. My go-to tea.

15. Fruit that's a source of cosmetic oil : AVOCADO.  More oil.  Watch out, this stuff is flammable

16. Hay fever drug brand : ALLEGRA.  The LW is struggling this week.  How are you doin'?

17. Beirut's country : LEBANON.  Middle-eastern coastal country nestled snugly between Israel and Syria.

18. Chicago mayor Rahm : EMANUEL. 

19. Belt holder : LOOP.   Also Chicago's commercial core

20. Luftwaffe foes of WWII : RAF.  Royal Air Force.  Airborn FIRE POWER.

22. Red Cross training course : TRIAGE.  The assignment of degrees of urgency to wounds or illnesses to decide the order of treatment of a large number of patients or casualties.

23. LPGA star __ Pak : SE RI.  Will she talk on your i-Phone?

Source

24. Veep before LBJ : RMN.  Vice Prez in the 50s.  AKA Trickie Dickie.

25. Plot surprises : TWISTS. 

29. Sushi topper : ROE.  Fish eggs.  Yum?

31. Snack on the trail : GORP.  Disgusting sounding name for a trail mix of peanuts, raisins and M&Ms.

35. Aptly named laundry soap : RINSO.  One of the first mass-marketed soap powders over 100 years ago.  It was unable to compete with Tide in the 50's, was modified as Rinso Blue, and was eventually rebranded as Surf.  Rinso brand is still marketed in other parts of the world, but Rinso Blue is now sold exclusively to Smurfs.

36. Roman goddess of agriculture : CERES.  And eponym for the largest body in the asteroid belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter - a rock and ice [not FIRE] ball 590 miles in diameter.

38. Letter after pi : RHO.   If you rho, rho, rho your boat, will you get to eat pi?

39. Answering to : UNDER.   This works in two senses.  In an organization you are under the person you answer to, and if you answer to an assumed name, you are UNDER an alias. 

40. Birmingham's st. : ALAbama.

41. 2007 Heisman Trophy winner : TEBOW.  Tim, a University of Florida QB who went on to a flash-in-the-pan career with the Denver Broncos before being traded to the Jets, then the Patriots who cut him last August.  He is now a college football analyst for ESPN.

43. Half of CDII : CCI  402/2 = 201.  Bach sometimes included his musical signature in compositions.  What could C C I mean?

44. It may be precious : METAL.  Especially a certain gold ring.

46. Zinc __ : OXIDE.  Opaque sun block

47. Capsize, with "over" : KEEL.  The keel is on the bottom of the boat - until it KEELs over.

49. Harry Potter pal : RON.  And your humble blogging trombonist, he said, ironically.

50. GM security system : ON STAR. You can use your smart phone to lock your car.

51. Therapists' org. : APA. American Psychiatry Association.

53. Munich article : EINE. Meaning a, an or one.

55. Takes place : OCCURS.

58. Home of Absolut Vodka: Abbr. : SWEden.

59. Like "le" in Fr. : MASCuline.

63. Talk openly about, as one's feelings : POUR OUT.  Could be a heated conversation.  Maybe the Tin Man can come up with an alternate clue.

65. Emphatic denial : I SAID NO. Could be prt of a heated conversation

67. Existing independent of experience, in logic : A PRIORI.  Instead, relating to or derived by reasoning from self-evident propositions.

68. Type of oil : LINSEED.  Yet another flammable oil, this one is colourless to yellowish, obtained from the dried, ripened seeds of the flax plant, and used in paints, varnishes, inks, soaps, and surface protectants.

69. Visa penalty : LATE FEE.  Worse than interest.

70. "Hmm ..." : LET'S SEE  .  .  .   Are we there yet?  Nope - a ways to go.

 Down:

2. Small Chevy model : AVEO.  Offered from 2004-11.

3. Handbag brand with a bindle-toting icon : HOBO.

Source

4. Put __ on: limit : A CAP.  I wanted A LID.

6. Is crazy about : ADORES.

7. Echolocation device : SONAR.  Originally an acronym for SOund Navigation And Ranging.

8. __ kwon do : TAE.   Martial art

9. Shade provider : ELM TREE.  Sadly retro

11. Actress Annette : BENING.

Source

12. Mexican water : AGUA.  To put out the fuego.

13. 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Maddux : GREG.  BASEBALL! He's the only pitcher in MLB history to win at least 15 games for 17 straight seasons.  Read more here.

26. React to a shot : WINCE.  Hypodermic or basketball?  You be the judge.

27. Typical Sundance film : INDIE.  Independent.

28. Madison-to-Nashville dir. : SSE.

30. Like much lore : ORAL.  Passed down by word of mouth. 

32. Once around : ORBIT.  A circuit of the FIREBALL.

33. '70s sitcom spin-off : RHODA.  From the Mary Tyler Moore show

36. "The Censor" of Rome : CATO.  Marcus Porcius Cato, the elder, holder of many offices in Roman government.  As Censor he was responsible for maintaining the census, supervising public morality [from which we get our modern word censorship], and overseeing certain aspects of the government's finances.  Probably not invited to many BALLs.

42. Strait's "All My __ Live in Texas" : EXS. Which is why he resides in Tennessee.

45. Sign of a changed sheet : ERASURE.  Sheet of paper.  Common when I attempt Sudoku.
 
48. "House" star Hugh : LAURIE.

 

50. Tot's bodysuit : ONESIE

54. "Consider it done" : I WILL

56. Nightclub in a Manilow song : COPA

57. Far from chatty : CURT

59. Fail to notice : MISS

60. Cool drinks at kids' stands : ADES

61. Old-time dagger : SNEE

64. Get even with? : TIE

 Well, I had a hot time.  Hope you made it through without burning up your eraser.

Hot regards!
JzB

Note from C.C.:

The third Minnesota Crossword Tournament will be held on June 22 at The Landmark Center in Saint Paul. Please click here for more information. The puzzles are all made by our local constructors or constructors with MN ties. The constructors include Tom Pepper, Andrea Carla Michaels,  George Barany, David Hanson, David Liben-Nowell, Dan Kantor, Jay Kaskel, Andrew Ries, Don Gagliardo, Andy Kravis & Victor Barocas (also our editor). A few are our LA Times constructors. All have been published by the NY Times. Trust me on this. You'll love the puzzles. They're all creative &  fun.

George Barany, who made a brilliant tournament puzzle with David Hanson, has a wonderful collection here of all MN constructors. 

Tuesday, May 27, 2014 Gareth Bain

Theme: One Clue - And all synonyms of the euphemistic meaning of the word.

17A. Rubbish : "BALDERDASH!"

21A. Rubbish : "HOGWASH!"

23A. Rubbish : "MOONSHINE!"

35A. Rubbish : "HORSEFEATHERS!"

51A. Rubbish : "POPPYCOCK!"

53A. Rubbish : "TWADDLE!"

57A. Rubbish : "APPLESAUCE!"

Argyle here. I could almost hear Col. "Sherm" Potter exclaiming them as I typed.

Sixty-five squares used for the theme. The long fill was in the columns and interesting in their own right. Excellent!

Across:

1. Wall calendar page : MONTH

6. Gimlet garnish : LIME and 14A. Martini garnish : OLIVE

10. Gangster weapons : GATs. A shortening of Gatling gun.

15. Everglades denizen, for short : CROC. A shortening of crocodile.

16. Muffin spread : OLEO

19. Rush-order letters : ASAP

20. Words of commitment : "I DO"

28. Speed contests : RACES. Two big ones on last Sunday.

29. Make, as a DVD copy : BURN

30. Expressive rock music subgenre : EMO

31. Speaker : SAYER. I'll leave it to Yellowrocks to find it in common use.

32. Teen's skin concern : ACNE

33. Lowest deck on a ship : ORLOP

41. __ zone: restricted air space : NO FLY

42. Understands : GETS

44. Colorado skiing destination : ASPEN

47. Help on stage : CUE

49. Pesky insect : GNAT

50. Psychologist Alfred : ADLER. 1870–1937, Austrian, founder of the school of individual psychology. (Looks like someone from Central Casting.)

55. Musical sensitivity : EAR

56. Cantina hors d'oeuvre : TAPA

63. Anemia treatment : IRON

64. Shipwreck survivor's refuge : ISLE

65. "Don't worry!" : "IT'S OK!"

66. Penny : CENT

67. "The Wanderer" singer : DION

68. Witherspoon of "Legally Blonde" : REESE

Down:

1. Unruly crowd : MOB

2. Suffix with plug : OLA

3. Zero, in soccer scores : NIL

4. Convenient meal named for what it was designed to be eaten in front of : TV DINNER

5. Listens to : HEEDS

6. Calculator readout, briefly : LCD. (liquid crystal display)

7. CPA's recommendation : IRA

8. Six-Day War statesman Dayan : MOSHE

9. Letter between Delta and Foxtrot : ECHO

10. "Skedaddle!" : "GO AWAY!"

11. Former German territory __-Lorraine : ALSACE

12. "Next week, on ..." bit : TEASER

13. Second-year students : SOPHS

18. Architect Mies van der __ : ROHE. Regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture.

The Seagram building.

22. Sales meeting aid : GRAPH

23. CEO's degree : MBA

24. Pained cry : "OUCH!"

25. Yes-__ question : OR NO

26. "See ya!" : "I'M OFF!"

27. Electric shaver brand : NORELCO

31. Boozehound : SOT

34. Short basketball shot : LAY-UP

36. Wooden Mortimer : SNERD

37. Ages and ages : EON

38. Foam pad style resembling a dairy case container : EGG CRATE

39. City near Lake Tahoe : RENO

40. Legato's opp., in music : STAC. (staccato)

43. NASDAQ buy : STK. (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System / stock) and 61. NASDAQ listings : COs. (companies)

44. Invasive apps : ADWARE. Also known as malware.

45. Apply liberally and carelessly : SLAP ON. Didn't forget the sunscreen, did you?

46. Grammar stickler, e.g. : PEDANT

48. Fencing weapon : ÉPÉE

50. Top room : ATTIC

51. Cola Wars cola : PEPSI

52. Arafat of the 58-Down : YASIR 58-Down. West Bank gp. : PLO. (Palestine Liberation Organization )

54. __-back: relaxed : LAID

59. Thriller writer Deighton : LEN

60. Apply : USE

62. __ out a living : EKE

Argyle

Monday, May 26, 2014 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Not Meme - Four two word entries that end in ME.

17A. AABBA, in limericks : RHYME SCHEME

33A. Evening TV viewing period : PRIME TIME

41A. Pass-the-buck accusations : BLAME GAME

61A. Words on a banner for returning soldiers : WELCOME HOME

59D. Kid's response to "Who wants some?" ... and a hint to what's hidden in 17-, 33-, 41- and 61-Across : "ME, ME!"

Argyle here. After 33- and 41-Across, I wondered if 17-Across was the theme reveal but that was just me.

Across:

1. Bandage often signed by friends : CAST

5. Top NFL player : ALL PRO

11. Piercing spot : EAR

14. Bjorn Borg's org. : USTA. (United States Tennis Association)

15. Like tall wedding cakes : TIERED

16. Reason for overtime : TIE

19. TV buying channel : HSN. (Home Shopping Network)

20. Crude from a well, slangily : TEXAS TEA. Black gold, oil, that is.

21. Coat with a precious metal : GILD

22. Baton Rouge sch. : LSU. (Louisiana State University)

23. Love stories : ROMANCES

27. Butter and cream cheese, e.g. : SPREADS

31. Type size : PICA

32. Like jackhammers : NOISY

38. Alley in comics : OOP

39. Rice-__ : A-RONI

40. Neighbor of Arg. : BOL. Argentina and Bolivia.

44. Little League precursor : T-BALL. Such potential.

46. "Son of __!" : A GUN

47. Resort with trails : SKI AREA

49. Becomes foolishly passionate (over) : GOES GAGA

53. Hosp. personnel : RNs

54. Isn't feeling up to snuff : AILS

55. Parent in the wings : STAGE MOM. In the performing arts, a stage mother is the mother of a child actor. The mother will often drive her child to auditions, make sure he or she is on the set on time, etc.

60. Winter bug : FLU

64. Nourished : FED. “Feed a cold, starve a flu”?

65. Fly : AVIATE

66. Newsy bit : ITEM

67. Lyrical "before" : ERE

68. Shrill barker : YELPER. Watch your ankles around them.

69. "If you want to leave a message, please wait for the __" : TONE

Down:

1. Rudely abrupt : CURT

2. 1975 Wimbledon winner Arthur : ASHE

3. River of Hades : STYX

4. Cantina fare : TAMALES

5. Ready to sire, as a retired racehorse : AT STUD

6. Scalp parasites : LICE

7. "The Merry Widow" composer Franz : LEHÁR. Have a Listen(5:41)

8. Lead-in for school or season : PRE

9. Sleep phase initials : REM. (rapid eye movement)

10. "__ on a Grecian Urn" : ODE

11. Value system : ETHIC

12. Theater divider : AISLE

13. Tears apart : RENDS

18. Writing assignment : ESSAY

21. Itty-bitty biter : GNAT. Bad but not as bad as "out for blood" black flies.

24. Speaks one's mind : OPINEs

25. Actress Rogers : MIMI

26. Unreturnable serve : ACE

27. Snooty sort : SNOB

28. "No lifeguard on duty" site, perhaps : POOL. There was a problem during the 2013 sequestration.

29. TV host Kelly : RIPA

30. Leapt : SPRANG

34. CD-__ : ROM. compact disk - read only memory

35. Letter-shaped beam : I-BAR

36. Lawn burrower : MOLE

37. Jazzy Fitzgerald : ELLA

39. Water, to Juan : AGUA

42. Sunday rite : MASS

43. One may be sunnyside up : EGG

44. Hint of color : TINGE

45. Batter's success : BASE HIT

48. "Seinfeld" character who dreams up a coffee table book about coffee tables : KRAMER

49. Social blunder : GAFFE

50. Crude carrier : OILER. From Edmonton or Houston.

51. Slip away from : ELUDE

52. Music licensing fee-collecting org. : ASCAP. (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)

56. Handy bag : TOTE

57. Fictional sleuth Mr. __ : MOTO. These include eight motion pictures starring Peter Lorre between 1937 and 1939. You can find the full length movies on YouTube and a lot more information on Wikipedia.

58. Broken mirror, to some : OMEN

61. Method : WAY

62. Anticipatory night : EVE

63. "__ Abner" : LI'L

Argyle

Sunday, May 25th, 2014 C.C. Burnikel

Theme:  "Intel Inside" - My God, the NSA is even hiding in our puzzle now!

What a treat to blog one of C.C.'s Sunday offerings! The puzzle represents her wide-ranging knowledge of many cultures and semantic acuity.

23. "When it rains, it pours" brand : MORTON SALT.  Arbor Day founder Nebraskan J. Sterling Morton's son Joy founded this company.

29. 1954 Kurosawa classic : SEVEN SAMURAI. An American derivative

43. Only player to appear in both the Super Bowl and World Series : DEION SANDERS

52. Game with many imitators : SIMON SAYS

65. Cecilia, to musicians : PATRON SAINT

84. Baseball closer's nightmare : BLOWN SAVE. Too many of these and it's bye, bye New York, hello Scranton.

91. Investment firm founded in 1869 : GOLDMAN SACHS

103. Classic sci-fi gesture : VULCAN SALUTE

113. Leafy course : GREEN SALAD. Grow one in a single planter

Theme reveal:

123. Intel collector hidden in nine puzzle answers : NSA. Go ahead, read my email

ACROSS
  1. "Holy Smokes!" : WOW.

4. Like bodyguards : ARMED

9, Stinger : WASP. In what play is Muriel Tate's drink of choice a vodka stinger?

13. Dip : SWIM

17. Japanese band : OBI

18. Dashboard array : GAUGES. Dash in first car I ever owned

20. Stars at the Forum? : ASTRA. Ptolemy's stars?

22. "Oh Dear" : AH ME

25. More distant : ICIER. Our yard was icier after a mid-spring frost last week

26. Raised in a way : TEED. I've TEED up and then been TEED off!

27. Cold Draft : BEER

28. Eye protector : LID.

32. Apples on a desk : IMACS. 

34. Blows off steam : VENTS. Once you VENT, it's hard to take it back!

35. Battleground : ARENA

36. "Enough already" : OH STOP. 

39. Wide awake : ALERT. Sadly, we were NOT on 12/7/41 and 9/11/01

41. Changes course : TURNS.

46. Old 45 player : HI-FI. Talk about your artifact!

47. Org. for heavyweights : WBA. Can you name the heavyweight champ. Nah, I can't either.

50. Muscat Daily reader : OMANI. An English-speaking daily in Oman with a circulation of 33,000

51. Bird feeder cakes : SUETS. The Starlings go nuts for this goop and so I pitched it

54. Golden Fleece source : RAM

55. Égoïste maker : CHANEL. Not Mennen?

57. Silver hair? : MANE. Hi Yo! Fun!

58. Issues for fashionable readers : ELLES

59. Vice squad operation : RAID. Be careful the mayor isn't in there.

60. With no break : ON END

62. Camp David Accords signer : SADAT. Jimmy's proudest moment

63. Emmy-winning sportscaster Buck : JOE. Jack Buck's son shows that there might be something to this DNA stuff

70. Lisbon's land, to the IOC : POR

71. Aquatic birds : TERNS.

73. Pink flowers in a Van Gogh still life : ROSES.

74. Base figures : UMPS. Now UMPS have instant replay. That's all baseball needs - something to slow down the game.

76. Totally lost : AT SEA

77. "Forget it" : NOPE. Ain't happenin'!

78. Sexy one : HOTTIE. Aw, go link yourself! ;-)

81. Athenian cross : TAU

86. __ gun : RADAR. Ever talked your way out of a ticket?

87. French twist need : TRESS

89. Envy, e.g. : SIN. If that's my worst SIN...

90. "I'm Not There" actor : GERE

93. Like toads : WARTY. These are too

 95. Post grad hurdles : ORALS

96. Choice word : EITHER.

97. "SNL" alumna Cheri : OTERI

99. "Hasta la vista" : ADIOS

101. Washington, for one : STATE

106. Way to stand : PAT

107. Lox stocker : DELI. I like this clue

111. On Vine St., say : IN LA. Hey, Wilbert Harrison sang that in KC you could "be standin' on the corner, 12th Street and VINE"

112. Improves : HONES.

116. Grant factor : NEED  ...or a friend in DC

117. Cabbage? : LUCRE

118. Pet on a wheel : GERBIL

119. 39, for Derek Jeter : AGE. The captain has lost a step but is still the standard for "classy athlete"

120. Celtic tongue : ERSE

121. "I took the one __ traveled by": Frost : LESS

122. Like cigar bars : SMOKY.

DOWN

1. Baby carrier? : WOMB

2. High wind : OBOE. This High Wind provides a haunting introduction in Judy Collins' Send In The Clowns

3. Current carrier : WIRE

4. Back in the day : AGO

5. Went around in circles? : RAN LAPS. Jazz, Did you ever see a trombone player run laps for messing up at practice like a football player? ;-)


6. __ video : MUSIC. MTV used to play these.

7. "Great Scott!" : EGADS

8. U.S. State with three counties : DEL. See:

9. Release relatives : WAIVERS

10. Way up : ASCENT

11. Tour of duty : STINT

12. When printing starts : PRESS TIME

13. Ring site : SATURN. Same goes for Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and my bachelor bathtub


14. 1987 kid's best-seller : WHERE'S WALDO.

15. "That is ..." : I MEAN. Old punch line, "No, young lady, what I MEAN to say is 'I want two tickets to Pittsburgh'"

16. Mass __ : MEDIA

19. Some GPS lines : STS

21. 1966 Sporting News College Coach of the Year Parseghian : ARA. All I remember is he went for the tie in 1966 against MSU

24. Largest moon of Neptune : TRITON

30. Tinker to __ to Chance: classic double-play combo : EVERS

31. "The Few. The Proud" group : MARINES. We all honor Dennis' STINT here. Semper Fi!

33. "Friends" friend : MONICA. Another MONICA has re-emerged

36. Scent : ODOR

37. Blood: Pref. : HEMA

38. "The King and I" kingdom : SIAM

39. Chick chaser? : ADEE. Chickadee. Ah yes, W.C. and Mae


40. Free : LET LOOSE

42. Tabloid subj. : UFO

44. Carne __: Mexican beef dish : ASADA

45. One with a habit : NUN

46. Language that gives us "shampoo" : HINDI

48. One way to play : BY EAR. It's hard enough using a pick in my fingers


49. Mgr.'s helper : ASST

52. Yemen's capital : SANA

53. Waves-against-rocks sounds : SLAPS

56. Not square : HIP

57. Private eatery : MESS HALL. Yes, I'll have the S.O.S. almondine please

59. Get more Money : RENEW. Money magazine.


61. Atlanta-to-Charleston dir. : NNE

63. "Once Upon a Time in China" star : JET LI. All right Jet, you can have the last pizza roll!

64. 1938 "The War of the Worlds" narrator : ORSON WELLES

66. Treasure cache : TROVE

67. Ring barrier : ROPE as in Ali's rope-a-dope


68. ___Sweet: sugar substitute : NUTRA

69. "No details, pls!" : TMI. Hey, I believe you have a rash down there.


71. Bar pickups : TABS

72. Spanish wine punch : SANGRIA

75. Feed a friend's feline, say : PET SIT

77. Nobody : NARY A SOUL

79. Sports figures : ODDS. The ODDS on Florida State repeating as National Champs are 5:1. The Huskers? 75:1

80. Dundee topper : TAM

81. Virginia __ : TECH

82. "Off the Court" author : ASHE

83. Cold War initials : USSR

85. Good to go : SET

86. Event with mocking : ROAST. The good-natured fun of Dean Martin's ROASTS have been supplanted by the filth on Comedy Central's version

88. Top-notch : RATED-A

91. Puts up a fuss : GROUSES

92. One who's quick to pick up? : NEATNIK. I live with one but that gene must skip a generation


94. Where many quarters are used : ARCADE

95. Rexall Place team : OILERS

97. Like merinos : OVINE

98. Upright worker : TUNER

100. Gym event : DANCE

101. __ whale : SPERM

102. Martial arts-based regimen : TAEBO

104. 95-Down's org. : NHL

105. Person, slangily : EGG

108. Dashing style : ELAN

109. Gets behind : LAGS

110. What's on your mind : IDEA

114. Hi-__ monitor : RES

115. Underhand : SLY

What a Herculean effort by our lovely blogmaster. The time and effort it took to ferret out these nine fills and then all the clever cluing is amazing!

Husker Gary