Monday, November 28, 2016 Jake Braun

Theme: Wide left on four - West coast footballers.

17. *Power source that plugs into a computer port: USB CHARGER. San Diego Chargers

23. *"Airplane!" flight number, to the control tower: TWO-ZERO-NINER. San Francisco Forty Niners

36. *Carl Icahn or Michael Milken: CORPORATE RAIDER. Oakland Raiders

46. *Castle gate-busting weapon: BATTERING RAM. Los Angeles Rams

57. Home of the player at the ends of the answers to starred clues: CALIFORNIA

Argyle here. Jake's back for another Monday. Yes, it is sports related but not obscure. Except for one notable word, a pretty easy Monday.

Across:

1. "Get lost!': "SCRAM!"...and stay off my lawn.

6. Google __: geographical app: MAPS

10. Ruth with bats: BABE. How much for an autographed Babe Ruth bat, C.C.? (From C.C. : If it's authenticated and the autograph is in great condition, 10K-50K I think. I recall one sold for over 100K a few years ago.)

14. Egypt's capital: CAIRO

15. They may clash on a movie set: EGOs

16. Environmental sci.: ECOL. (Ecology)

19. Physics particle: ATOM

20. Andes, e.g.: Abbr.: MTs. (mountains)

21. Against: ANTI

22. Make amends (for): ATONE

26. Boats with double-bladed paddles: KAYAKS

29. Forget to include: OMIT

30. Mosque leader: IMAM

31. Address for Bovary: MADAM. Let the nits begin. When the novel, "Madame Bovary" (1856), was first serialized in La Revue de Paris between 1 October 1856 and 15 December 1856, public prosecutors attacked the novel for obscenity.

33. Having one flat, musically: IN F

40. Billy the __: KID

41. Father or son New York governor: CUOMO. Mario and Andrew.

42. Head, to Henri: TÊTE

43. Suffix with joke or pun: STER

44. Gratify: PLEASE

51. Going on, to Sherlock: AFOOT. "Come, Watson, come! The game is afoot."

52. Lily pad squatter: FROG

53. Sock hop site: GYM

56. "The Mod Squad" cop: LINC. 1968 to 1973 TV show, Clarence Williams III as Lincoln "Linc" Hayes...1999 film starred Omar Epps as Linc.

60. Actor Estrada: ERIK

61. Be complicit in, as a caper: ABET

62. Giraffe kin: OKAPI

63. Exec's asst.: SEC'Y. (secretary)

64. TiVo predecessors: VCRs. (videocassette recorder)

65. Jotted down: NOTED

Down:

1. Film on stagnant water: SCUM

2. Film credits list: CAST

3. Barbecue fare: RIBS

4. Smile shape: ARC

5. Iroquoian people, or a hair style named for them: MOHAWK

6. Fred or Ethel of old TV: MERTZ, from "I Love Lucy".

7. Texas A&M athlete: AGGIE

8. 19th-century master of the macabre: POE. Edgar Allan Poe

9. Old Rus. state: SSR. (Soviet Socialist Republic)

10. "Get lost!": "BEAT IT!"...and stay off my lawn. I don't want to have to tell you AGAIN!

11. Follow, as a tip: ACTON

12. Trailblazing Daniel: BOONE

13. Roundheaded Fudd: ELMER. "Daniel may hunt bears but I'm hunting wabbits!"

18. Yucatán years: ANOs. From years ago: the Yucatan Asteroid Crater.

22. Jungian inner self: ANIMA. Not a Monday friendly word.

23. Pack (down): TAMP

24. Calf-roping event: RODEO

25. Poet Khayyám: OMAR

26. Punt or field goal: KICK

27. Mine, to Marcel: Á MOI

28. One of 100 between end zones: YARD

31. Native New Zealander: MAORI. Bed and Breakfast?

32. Source of quick cash, briefly: ATM. (automated teller machine)

33. Brainstorm: IDEA

34. Butterfly catchers: NETS. Could have stayed with the sports theme with the Brooklyn Nets, pro basketball team.

35. For nothing: FREE

37. Eight-musician group: OCTET

38. Regretful sort: RUER

39. Bulleted list entry: ITEM

43. Heavyset: STOCKY

44. Plum's title in Clue, briefly: PROF. The professor? Now Victor Plum, a billionaire video game designer.

45. Blue or black water of filmdom: LAGOON. The Blue Lagoon (1980 film)/Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954 film)

46. Hay bundles: BALES

47. Burning: AFIRE

48. Mixer with gin: TONIC

49. Player referenced in 57-Across' clue, briefly: NFLer

50. Southern side dish: GRITS

53. Tiny biting insect: GNAT

54. "Eek!": "YIPE!"

55. Hotel room cleaner: MAID

57. Cleveland cager, for short: CAV. The Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team.

58. "Easy as" letters: ABC

59. Old studio letters: RKO

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

For those who can't find Sunday puzzles in their LA Times, it's moved to the Comics section.

Sunday, November 27, 2016 Gail Grabowski

Theme: "Do Stuff" - GEL spans across each theme entry.

23A. Breakfast item : SAUSAGE LINK. I enjoyed my leftover yam/apple for breakfast, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

33A. Bus station compartment : STORAGE LOCKER

43A. Decorative outdoor fixture : CARRIAGE LAMP. Did not know there's a term for it.

60A. Category including spacing and margins : PAGE LAYOUT

77A. Vehicle usage record : MILEAGE LOG

92A. Curbside check-in freebie : LUGGAGE LABEL. I just call it "Luggage tag".

98A. Broadway director's concern : STAGE LIGHTING

117A. "American Graffiti" director : GEORGE LUCAS. I thought young Jay Leno was in this movie. But Wiki says no.

 

Reveal:

118D. Styling product hidden in eight long puzzle answers : GEL

 

Very consistent. All *GE L*. Not many workable phrases for the *G EL* pattern, as in NOTHING ELSE.

Gail likes to put a couple of themers in Down slots. Not this time. Across all the way. The fill is quintessential Gail, smooth and clean. There's a quiet elegance in all of her puzzles.

Across:     

                                                                                                                                                       

1. Udon cousin : SOBA. We all have our sweet spot. Asian food is mine.

5. Not at all : HARDLY

11. Poker pro's concern : ODDS

15. Weather the storm : COPE

19. Latin 101 verb : AMAS. You love.

  

20. Albéniz piano work : IBERIA. Unfamiliar with the composer.

21. Petty of "A League of Their Own" : LORI

22. Mind matter : IDEA

25. Lackluster : DRAB. Not DULL.

26. Let it all out : VENT

27. Blade holder : SHEATH

28. Heavy ref. : OED. Kids these days probably never use a "heavy" dictionary.

29. Ancient manuscripts : PAPYRI

31. Gridiron figure : YARDAGE. Golf too.

39. Bar menu heading : REDs

41. Zilch : NIL

42. "Do __?" : I DARE. Not I CARE.

49. TV awareness-raiser : PSA

52. Action film props : UZIs. Named after the designer Uzi Gal, according to Wiki.

53. Cookie shaped like two of its letters : OREO

54. Throw a feast for : REGALE

55. 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner : TUTU (Desmond)

56. Handled bag : TOTE

57. Started war? : DEALT. Card game.

59. Serious trend : RAGE

62. Like some speeches, it seems : ENDLESS. Not those TED Talks. I really like Derek Siver's "How to Start Movement". Only three minutes

64. Ruffle feathers, so to speak : MAKE MAD

65. Tells : SAYS TO

66. Musical with the song "Willkommen" : CABARET. Got via crosses.

69. Collie collar danglers : ID TAGS

74. Fugitive : RUNAWAY

76. Left hanging : STOOD UP. He stood her up.

81. Coil on a reel : HOSE

84. "That's a fact!" : NO LIE!

85. Comparison words : AS AN. Wise as an owl.

86. Room access : HALL

87. Masonry mixture : MORTAR

89. Streamlet : RILL

90. "Leaving Las Vegas" co-star : SHUE (Elisabeth). Not a movie I want to see.

91. Decorates mischievously, for short : TPs

94. Yankee manager before Girardi : TORRE (Joe)

96. Sports statistic : WIN. Slight clue/answer dupe with 83. "College GameDay" number : STAT

97. One way to get dinner : TO GO

 

104. Not just bargain : DICTATE. Also got via crosses.

109. How many raises are given : YEARLY. "How many" is seldom is one phrasal unit in this type of clue.

110. Anger : IRE

112. Mason of "The Goodbye Girl" : MARSHA

113. Restrain : CURB

116. Cause to fluctuate : SWAY

119. Kolkata's locale : ASIA. I'm used to the Calcutta spelling.

120. Paddock parent : SIRE. I read it as "Padlock". Paddock is a new word to me.

121. Mental wherewithal : ACUMEN

122. Construction site sight : CONE

123. Mannerless sort : BOOR

124. Till stack : ONES

125. "He loves me" pieces : PETALS

126. Hot times abroad : ETEs

Down:

1. Fresh : SASSY

2. Home of Heartland of America Park : OMAHA. Vowel-rich. Hence its frequent appearance.

3. Outdoor clothing entrepreneur Eddie : BAUER

4. Mideast president elected the same year as the younger Bush : ASSAD. So long.

5. Overdrive : HIGH GEAR

6. Presidential nickname : ABE

7. Transfer to a new city, briefly : RELO

8. Sits on the line : DRIES. I like this clue also.

9. Godiva alternative : LINDT

10. Shaggy-haired bovine : YAK. It's said that Tibetans drink up to 60 small cups of Yak Butter Tea a day. Simple recipe: tea, butter, salt & hot water. Give it a go, D-Otto. It's good for the upper body strength :-) Silicon Valley's Bulletproof Coffee was inspired by this drink.

11. Lifetime chum : OLD PAL. This blog will turn nine on Jan 28, 2017. You guys are now my old pals. We're growing old together.

12. Biker's headgear, maybe : DO-RAG. We also have 64. National Bike Month : MAY

13. Sun blocker : DRAPE

14. Legendary prophet : SIBYL. "Prophetess" would have made it easier.

15. Serving on a jury, e.g. : CIVIC DUTY. Never served on a jury. You?

16. Elevated lines? : ODE

17. Waterman product : PEN. Never heard of this pen brand.

18. Work on a course : EAT

24. Early gaming name : ATARI

30. French royal : ROI

32. Craftsman outdoor tools : EDGERS

34. Generous offer : ON ME

35. Swindle, in slang : RIP. Don't even think of GYP, not PC to be in our crossword.

36. Instrument that doesn't need tuning : KAZOO. Got via crosses.

37. "Un Ballo in Maschera" aria : ERI TU. This is a difficult clue. We normally have "It was you" or "Verdi" hint.

38. Zero out, say : RESET

40. Sonic Dash publisher : SEGA

43. They may be cracked : CODES. This works for SAFES as well.

44. Sports venue : ARENA

45. Prepared : READY

46. Big wheel's wheels : ROLLS. Rolls-Royce.

47. Internet connectivity annoyance : LAG. So what's your Download speed? Ours is about 23.

48. IPA component : ALE

49. Sound of the Northwest : PUGET. Puget Sound. Nice clue.

50. Champagne flute feature : STEM

51. Café order : AU LAIT

55. Leave, with "off" : TAKE

58. Colorful pet store purchase : TETRA

60. Something to shoot for : PAR. Boomer had two birdies this year, both on par-3 holes.

61. Supplement : ADD ON

63. Looked for : SOUGHT

66. Heads and tails : CALLS

67. Illegal mil. status : AWOL

68. Paper or plastic : BAG

70. Irish lullaby start : TOO-RA. "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral". I drew a blank.

71. Surprise in a skit : AD LIB.  Also got via crosses.

72. Duplicity : GUILE

73. Period of time : SPELL

75. Minimum-range tide : NEAP

76. Poseidon, e.g. : SEA GOD. Here is a good explanation on why Chinese say "Oh, my mother!" instead of "Oh, my God!" when surprised.

77. Ketch pair : MASTS

78. Seemingly can't lose : IS HOT

79. Linney of "The Savages" : LAURA

80. Athlete's supplement : ENERGY BAR. Also 88. Training routines : REGIMENS. Both great fill.

81. Fail to share : HOG

82. AA or AAA : ORG. Nice clue as well.

87. Short bond? : MUNI. Municipal bond.

92. Hammered : LIT

93. From around here : LOCAL

95. Big shoes to fill? : EEE. Last time this clue tricked me.  

96. "But of course!" : WHY YES

99. Catcher on the range : LASSO

100. Director Allen who was dubbed the "Master of Disaster" : IRWIN. Don't recall this name.

101. Look daggers (at) : GLARE

102. Birthday card rack subsection : NIECE

103. Tiling job supply : GROUT

105. Mutual agreement : TRUCE

106. Site of the Princess Margaret Stakes : ASCOT. Named after Princess Margaret.

107. Macbeth, when the play began : THANE

108. Alleviates : EASES

111. "At Wit's End" author Bombeck : ERMA. I often confused her with that cookbook author IRMA.

113. Zin kin : CAB (Cabernet)

114. "Always by their side" org. : USO

115. River in Spain : RIO

117. Lack of continuity : GAP

 

C.C.

Saturday, Nov 26th, 2016, Mark Diehl

Theme: "Rough Diehl"

Words: 66 (missing J,K,Q,W,Z)

Blocks: 22

Phew~!  I solved it.  Did not look good.  Admit to one "post-fill Google", and two red-letter cheats.  Ran over my personal allotted time in less than two minutes.  I am calling this one a win.  The fateful double whammy of chunky corners tied into two double stacks of 15-letter spanners, and this one was going to be a total blank, or at best a slog, as far as I could tell - and the only reason I was able to get through this brutally brilliant construction was due to the fact that I had a streak of proper names that I knew were definitively correct; I put "*"s next to those clues.  The lowest block count I have ever seen in a 15x15 grid, with 26 being the next closest; add to that the fact that in my opinion, there was no 'meh' fill, and I have to admire this one from Mr. Diehl.  The four spanners, and the bonus 13-letter central climber;

15. Loaded : AS RICH AS CROESUS - my Google; I had the name part via crossings, and I checked to see if there was a "financial" connection to this person - the Wiki

17. Side dish in a sauce : CREAMED POTATOES - my small family decided on ordering Thankgiving dinner, and we got creamed potatoes instead of mashed - I liked them, but mom and bro did not

50. Cub, for one : NATIONAL LEAGUER - and World Series winner after 108 years

53. Saint-Exupéry classic : THE LITTLE PRINCE - asteroids are involved - the Wiki

16. Sushi bar selection : SPICY TUNA ROLL - not a fan of uncooked fish, but I am familiar with the selections being some type of "roll", which helped

dONeWARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Renewable fuel source : BIOMASS

8. Licorice-flavored liqueur : SAMBUCA - I had "FIRST DOG" for 8d., which made this hard to see, but I am rather "familiar" with this cordial

18. Rashness : HASTE

19. Came across by chance : LIT ON - I had HIT ON

20. Sch. that moved from the Mountain West Conf. to the Big 12 in 2012 : TCU - all perps

21. Prefix with analysis : META - meta-analysis, but in this case, a hyphenated prefix

22. Odd page, normally : RECTO - nailed it; I also know what the frontispiece is

23. Critter with tusks : BOAR

24. Barley wine, e.g. : ALE - argh~! How did I not get this~!? I had no clue

25. First child of Henry VIII to survive to adulthood : MARY I

26. Rummy : SOUSE - the second definition of the word is "drunkard"

27. Leaf producer : NISSAN - oh so clever misdirection; the ECO-friendly car

and a romper image, too~!

29. Like stucco : TEXTURED

31. Lavish supply : PROFUSION

33*. Gateway Arch designer : SAARINEN

36*. Author Huxley : ALDOUS

40*. "The Empire Strikes Back" director Kershner : IRVIN - seen here to the right of Geroge Lucas on the "Dagobah" set

41*. "Tell It to My Heart" singer Taylor __ : DAYNE

43. One abroad : UNE - oh, the number one, missed the misdirection

44. Béchamel base : LAIT - Frawnche for milk

45. Easing of govt. control : DEREGulation

46. Bingo call : B TEN - oops, I tried "TWO B" and "B TWO" first

47. Nature-nurturing org. : EPA

48. State of Österreich : TIROL

49. California's __ Bay : MORRO - perps, and a Natick with Marv at 59d.

54. Caustic solution : SODA LYE

55. Sells off : DIVESTS

DOWN:

1*. King pen name : BACHMAN - this is the name that appears on the novel "Thinner", the first one I ever read from "him"

2. Beersheba native : ISRAELI

3. Euripides tragedy : ORESTES

4. Japanese two-seater : MIATA - another car

5. Top : ACME

6. Miss : SHE - Dah~! I had "ERR", that kind of "miss"

I won't miss this kind of miss

7. British potter James known for Brown Betty teapots : SADLER

8. FDR's Fala et al. : SCOTTIES - not FIRST DOG; took a while to realize we needed a breed here

9. Film beeper, familiarly : ARTOO - Detoo, R2-D2, also a part of the Empire Strikes Back - and other films....

10. Complaint : MOAN

11. Jump in the pool? : BET - my poker game moved up one day this week

12. Bob Hope venue : USO TOUR - I figured it was "USO-", but 'venue' threw me

13. Mark of a shark : CUE CASE - a hustler, a pool hall billiards shark; I have two cases myself

14. Guaranteed : ASSURED

22. Didn't stop talking : RAN ON

23. Destined : BOUND - I suppose I was destined to finally find a new vehicle - here I am at the restaurant with my new old Dodge Caravan

25. Muir Woods' county : MARIN

26. It's a wrap : STOLE

28. Sail-extending pole : SPRIT

30. Yangtze tributary : XIANG

32. Form a political union : FEDERATE

33. Solo pianists often provided music for them : SILENTS - my new old Dodge Caravan came with a cassette player, and I have been listening to myself and friends who've made and sent me audio tapes, and this piece was on one of them;

the dexterity really starts at the 5:00 mark

34. Cheyenne allies : ARAPAHO - half filled via perps

35. Worked with props? : AVIATED - har-har~!

37. Beats to the finish line : OUTRUNS

38. Stoop-shouldered, say : UNERECT - OK, a little "meh"

39. Many in España : SEÑORES

42. Raised the roof : YELLED

45*. __ Moore: Hormel brand : DINTY

46*. '30s-'50s filmdom nickname : BOGIE - Humphrey Bogart - and featured in the song Key Largo, a song that got a lot of "muzak" air time, and I did not know who the singer was

oh, so tacky

48. Hard labor : TOIL

49. Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Levy : MARV

51. Waterfront gp. : ILA - International Longshoreman Assoc.

52. Prefix with Pen : EPI

Splynter

 

Notes from C.C.:

1) Cool picture, Splynter, Nice to see you again.

2) Here are a couple great photos from Lemonade's Asheville Family Vacation. You can see more here.

 3) Here is Jayce's Yam/Apple recipe. I already tried last night. I used two medium-sized Asian sweet potatoes like below. Very dense & sweet. One big Honeycrisp & one medium Fuji. Coconut butter instead of regular button. It was fantastic. The kitchen smelled amazing. 

Friday November 25, 2016 Francesca Goldston

Theme: No No (71A. Taboo that hints at this puzzle's theme) - No is deleted from each theme entry.

20A. "Am I clear, George?"? : CAN YOU HEAR ME, W? Can you hear me now? George W. Bush.

28A. "Okay, so it's THAT dictionary"? : AH, WEBSTER. Noah Webster.

48A. Former space sports group? : MIR LEAGUE. Minor league.

58A. Little Spanish range? : POCO MOUNTAINS. Pocono Mountains.

  

C.C. here. Saw no draft from Lemonade when I got up. Let's hope all's well with him.

I'll just outline clue/answers. Will work on the content immediately.

(Updated now. Thanks for the patience)

This seems to be the debut puzzle for Francesca Goldston. Congratulations!

We don't always have a reveal entry in addition/deletion puzzle. I like when there is, since it provides a solid rational for the change.

Across:        

1. "It's not easy to __": Five for Fighting lyric : BE ME. Unfamiliar with the singer or the song.

5. Sun, for one : G STAR. Guilt of using this entry myself. Quite a few ? STAR options.

10. Omegas, in the electrical world : OHMS

14. Field beasts : OXEN

15. Manual : HOW TO

16. Central points : FOCI. Another I-ending plural 23. Incitements : STIMULI

17. Jack Blum's "Meatballs" character : SPAZ. Unknown to me. Despite its clue, a bit surprised to see SPAZ in a LAT grid.

18. House work? : OPERA. Opera house.

19. Work meas. : FT LB (Foot-Pound)

24. Wonderstruck : IN AWE

27. Manuscript mark : STET

 

32. 9, often: Abbr. : SEP. What's your favorite month? I associate Sept with romance due to Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. Moon cakes. Persimmons. Pomegranates.

34. Have something : AIL. Not EAT.

35. Symbols of elusiveness : EELS

36. Govt. stipend provider : SSI

39. "The Ten Commandments" (1956) director : DEMILLE. This year's Cecil B. DeMille Award honored Meryl Streep.

42. AAA offering : RTE

43. It's near the funny bone : ULNA

45. Reaction to a 71-Across : TSK

46. Embarrassing marks : EFs

 

51. Nursery buy : LOAM

54. Roosevelt feature partially carved on Rushmore : SPECS. Oh, eyeglasses.

55. Jordan River outlet : DEAD SEA

62. "Oops!" : OH OH

64. Sneeze, say : REACT

65. Tilted position : CAN'T. Why "Tilted?" (Correction: CANT as a titled angle is new to me. Thanks, TTP/Argyle.)

66. Mexican bread : PESO

67. Early anesthetic : ETHER

68. New __ : AGER

69. Winter Olympics jump : AXEL

70. Loud : GAUDY. I bought this pink bag at our flea market over 10 years ago. Boomer said it's too loud. But the design, the leather & the feel are just perfect.(Lucina, sorry for the typo!)

C.C. & Lucia, 2012

Down:

1. Certain pears : BOSCs

2. Americans in Paris, maybe : EXPATS. I guess you can't call me a Chinese expat, since I'm an American citizen now. Congrats to your son-in-law, JD!

3. Be dead serious : MEAN IT

4. Biology subjects : ENZYMES

5. Halloween costume : GHOUL

6. Cary's love interest in "Houseboat" : SOPHIA (Loren). Gimme for Irish Miss. Cary Grant is her crush.

7. Too precious, in Portsmouth : TWEE. Wiki says "Portsmouth is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England". Also "the birthplace of author Charles Dicken".

8. Quattro competitor : ATRA

9. Ocean output : ROAR

10. Cause of hurt feelings : OFFENSE.

11. Sticky spot : HOT WATER. Great fill.

12. Ligament commonly injured in football : MCL. OK, Medial Collateral Ligament.

13. Ted, to Bobby : SIB. The Kennedys.

21. Exposed : OUTED

22. Sci-fi pic series : MIB (Man in Black)

25. Temporary skin damage : WELT

26. Gaelic tongue : ERSE

29. Narrowly defined verse : HAIKU

30. Wheaton who played Wesley on "Star Trek: T.N.G." : WIL

31. Women's issue : ELLE. D'oh, magazine issue.

33. Org. that opened a Bob Barker building in 2012 : PETA. New trivia to me.

36. Tidy amounts : SUMS

37. Tongue problem? : SLIP. Slip of the tongue.

38. At peace : IN REPOSE

40. Stir-fry sprinkle : MSG. Debunked that it causes headache.

41. Key of four Beethoven piano sonatas : E FLAT. Always have to wait.

44. "The anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life": Shaw : ALCOHOL. Got via crosses. 

47. Recycle item : SODA CAN

49. User's way out : ESC

50. Brought out : EDUCED

52. Panini cheese : ASIAGO. Jayce, can you give us your yam apple cinnamon recipe? I never tried yam & apple combo before.

53. Skin Bracer maker : MENNEN

56. Contest form : ENTRY

57. The Jetsons' dog : ASTRO

59. The Snake R. forms part of its eastern border : OREG. I thought Snake River is in Colorado.

60. Prefix with physics : META

61. Kalanikupule's kingdom : OAHU

62. German grandpa : OPA. Grandma is Oma.

63. Evil eye : HEX

C.C.