Wednesday, August 24, 2016, Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: WITH APPROPRIATE ACTIONS.  The word WITH is inserted into familiar 2-word phrases, yielding a new 3-word phrase.  In each instance, the first word, originally functioning as a noun, is verberized in a way that is synonymous the verb "tweak" in its respective clue.  "Tweak" means to make some kind of adjustments to something.  As an exercise, the interested reader might want to reimagine yet another set of meanings, in which the first words are reverted back to noun status.  Thus endeth my longest ever theme exposition.

17. Tweak some violin holders? : FIDDLE WITH CASES.  Musical instruments are fragile and have specially designed cases to protect them.  One may tweak them, I suppose.  And violins are FIDDLES, so it's all good.

All kinds of prices

27. Tweak some church chimers? : TINKER WITH BELLS.  So - what does this bring to mind?  TINKER BELL or Quasimodo?  And what does this say about you?  No need to answer.

Attitude

The original

49. Tweak some ski parkas? : MESS WITH JACKETS.  A MESS JACKET is a formal waist coat.  One may tweak it, but the connection to skiing is lost on me.  

63. Tweak some business outfits? : MONKEY WITH SUITS.  Remember dress for success - navy blue suit, white shirt and rep tie?  [Too often worn by human rep-tiels, but that's another story.]  This is known in the vernacular as a MONKEY SUIT.  You can change his coat and alter its pants.

Pin stripes

Well, these are cleverly constructed, and all four theme answers are grid-spanning.  Three of the four make a tight set.  Maybe there's a point to MESS JACKET that I'm missing; but it doesn't seem to quite fit the pattern.

Hi gang - JazzBumpa here.  Let's FIDDLE WITH this puzzle, see if anything rings a BELL, and hope it's not a MESS that makes MONKEYS of us all.

Across

1. Just open : AJAR.   Opened slightly, not recently.

5. Hot under the collar : ANGRY.  Perturbed.

10. Loot from a heist : HAUL.  Slang for a robbery and the stolen goods.

14. Dainty trim : LACE.  Comes in many styles and designs.

15. West Indies volcano : PELEE.   On the Island of Martinique, 4583 foot elevation.

16. Site of Napoleon's first exile : ELBA.   Able was I ere I saw ELBA.

20. Maker of many kitchen rolls : ALCOA.  Aluminum foil, that is, not little bread-like items.

21. Wall St. deal : Leveraged Buy Out.   This is the purchase of a controlling share of a company, by its management or an outside investment firm using borrowed money.

22. Baking soda targets : ODORS.   Keeps your fridge fresh.

23. Like used fireplaces : ASHY.  A word you may well never see again.

25. Tach nos. : RPMs.  Revolutions Per Minute, a measure of the rotational speed of a mechanical component.  In an automobile, the RPMs of the crank shaft are displayed by the tachometer.

34. Brit. record label : EMI.  Originally an acronym for Electronic and Musical Industries.

35. A few bucks? : DEER.  Male animals of the family Cervidae.  Finding this answer did not take a lot of doe.

36. Fuss over : DOTE ON.  Treasure, cherish and be uncritically fond of.

37. Part of a sitcom farewell : NANU.    Poignant clip.

39. Pulled off : DID.  Accomplished

41. Spot for a 48-Across : SOFA.   Not a NAP spot for me.  Puts a crook in my neck.

42. Representatives : AGENTS.   A person who acts on behalf of another.

45. Nintendo rival : SEGA.  They went out of the game console business in 2001, but remain the world's most prolific arcade producer.

48. Short snooze : NAP.  Not for me.  I sack out for at least an hour.

52. __ helmet : PITH.  AKA the sola topi, a light weight cloth covered head covering made originally from the pith of the sola, an Indian swamp plant of the pea family.  Cork-like substances from other plants may also be used

53. Pre-coll. catchall : EL-HI.   Referring to ELementary and HIgh school education, my dear Watson.

54. Torch job : ARSON.  The crime of burning down a bulding.

57. And such: Abbr. : ETC.  And so on, yadda, yadda, yadda.  Abbr. for ET Cetera, from Latin for "and the rest."

59. Trims, as a lawn : EDGES.  Along the walkways, ETC.

66. Arctic formation : FLOE.  A sheet of ice that calves off a glacier.

67. Transparent : SHEER.  Rather like LACE.

Should be found here, but it sheer isn't

68. Scientology guru Hubbard : L. RON.   Famous writer and highly influential charlatan.  Notably, he briefly commanded two ships during WW II, but each time was relieved of this duty because his superiors found him to be incapable.

69. Like most fairways, daily : MOWN.  Short cut grass on a golf course.

70. Some Parliament members : LORDS.   House of Lords and House of Commons.

71. A whole bunch : TONS.  Slang for lots and lots.

Down

1. NATO alphabet starter : ALFA.  This exists so that "critical combinations of letters and numbers can be pronounced and understood by those who exchange voice messages by radio or telephone regardless of language barriers or the quality of the communication channel."   See the whole series here.

2. Monopoly corner : JAIL.  Neither Free Parking, Go, nor the awful Go To Jail square fit.

3. Adapter letters : AC-DC.  Alternating and Direct electrical Current.

4. New Jersey's state tree : RED OAK.   Michigan's is Eastern White Pine.  I'll let you guess Ohio's.

5. Chest thumper : APE.

More romantic than you thought

6. One recently hitched : NEWLYWED.   Successful chest thumper, perhaps.

7. Smooth-talking : GLIB.

8. Parting shot : RETORT.   Not necessarily parting.  Could be any sharp or wittily incisive response.

9. Slangy "Sure" : YEH.  Uh-huh.

10. Hands-free devices : HEADSETS.   Devices that hold earphones and a microphone in place on a user's head.

11. To boot : ALSO.   Originally, something extra thrown into a bargain, from Old English bōt, meaning "advantage" or "remedy."  Ultimately of Germanic origin.

12. Lyft rival : UBER.  Both are app-based ride sharing protocols connecting passengers with available drivers.

13. Scottish miss : LASS.  A young lady,  Not to be confused with Swiss Miss, a chocolate-flavored drink.

18. Performed light surgery on? : LASED.   Performed surgery with a laser.

19. Jazz club performers : COMBO.  Small group of musicians.

24. Eur. power until 1806 : HRE.  I had no idea that the Holy Roman Empire existed that long.  It reached its greatest geographic extent in the 13th century, and had been losing bits and pieces since.

26. Third deg.? : PHD.  After B.S [everyone knows what that stands for;] and MS [more of the same;] comes PHD [Piled Higher and Deeper.]  The cynical view is that one advancing in specific studies gets to know more and more about less and less, until s/he knows everythign about nothing.

27. Midmorning hr. : TEN AM.  Time for a coffee break.

28. Reflection : IMAGE.  What you see in the mirror.  But the mirror sees you!

29. Little League teams : NINES.  For a baseball team at any level, the synecdoche is a NINE.

30. Like Oscar Wilde : IRISH.  Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde [1854-1900] was a playwright, novelist, essayist, and poet.  His most famous works are The Importance of Being Earnest and The picture Of Dorian Gray.  He spent time in prison for being homosexual, a crime at that time. After his release he felt London for Paris, where he died, destitute.

31. Big name in spaghetti westerns : LEONE.  Sergio, [1929 - 1989] an Italian film producer, director, and screen writer, made famous in the mid 60's by his low budget, Italian-made movies about the American old west starring Clint Eastwood.

32. OK for dieters : LO-FAT.  Or lo-cal.  Needed perps to tweak my answer.

33. Breaks like a branch : SNAPS.  As a branch from a tree in high wind.  Or, sometimes, even the trunk.

38. Implied : UNSPOKEN.  Or, at least, not spoken of directly.

40. Down in the dumps : DEJECTED.

43. Shipping department supply : TWINE.  To tie things up.

44. Lab order? : SIT.  Command to a Labrador Retriever.

46. Milk purch. : GALlon.   Note Abrvs. 

47. Feels the pain : ACHES.  Remember when Bill Clinton said, "I ACHE with you?"

50. "My Generation" band : THE WHO.   KIDULTS?

51. Portmanteau for a grown-up who hasn't yet grown up : KIDULT.   Not familiar with this term.  But my motto is,  "What I lack in youth, I make up for with immaturity. " I did grow up once, didn't like it, and I'm never doing it again.  So maybe I qualify.

54. Switch on a boom box : AM FM.  Note that "switch" here is a noun not a verb.  Toggling it actuates either of two different radio frequency bands.

55. Caramel-filled candy : ROLO.  Shaped like an inverted bucket, this candy is chocolate coated caramel.

56. Put one over on : SNOW.  An attempt to fool or mislead somebody.

58. Stadium ticket specification : TIER.   A seat grouping at some range of elevation. 

60. Copter's forerunner : GIRO.  More formally, autogiro or autogyro - a type of aircraft with both a powered propeller, as in a typical airplane, and an unpowered set of rotor blades that rotate in the slip stream to provide lift.   One was first flown in January, 1923.  The first operational helicopter was built in Germany in 1936.

61. David Cameron's alma mater : ETON.  Any hint of a 4-letter British school, plug it in.

62. Three-part figs. : SSNS.  Social Security Numbers, portrayed as 123-45-6789.

64. Monogram on some pricey handbags : YSL.  The initials of Yves Saint Laurent.  I never understood why putting some foreign guy's name or initials on an article could inflate its purchase price by some high multiple.

65. Store door nos. : HRS.  Hours that they are open for business.

That wraps it up.  I had my nits, but this is a fine puzzle, brought to you by two of the best names in the field. Hope you enjoyed it.

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, August 23, 2016 Lila Cherry

Theme: Vowel Progression - The first two consonants stay constant while the vowel progresses from A to U.

17. Missouri's largest metropolis: KANSAS CITY

22. First leg of racing's Triple Crown: KENTUCKY DERBY

34. 1990 comedy about a detective posing as a teacher: "KINDERGARTEN COP"{

46. Oslo attraction honoring Heyerdahl's expedition: KON TIKI MUSEUM

53. "Roots" hero from Gambia: KUNTA KINTE

Argyle here and "Really Rich". No reveal needed. Tricky construction; harder than the solving I'd say. The pool of words that would fit the grid is quite shallow. The fill for the most part is kindly.

Across:

1. Opinion piece: ESSAY

6. Resident's winter expense: HEAT

10. Formal agreement: PACT

14. Apartment agreement: LEASE

15. Waist-measuring unit: INCH

16. River through Spain: EBRO. Northern Spain.

19. Israel's Barak: EHUD. Wiki bio.

20. Costa __: RICA

Would you like to stay there?

21. Cooking-with-garlic enticement: AROMA

26. Prepare for the gala: DRESS UP

28. Signaled on stage: CUED

29. "Sure, sure": "I BET"

30. Sagan of "Cosmos": CARL

31. Place to relax: SPA

39. Suffix with Japan or Brooklyn: ESE

40. Water conduit: MAIN

41. Greek war god: ARES

42. Entertained with a tune: SANG

43. Unfavorable reputation: BAD NAME

50. Run __ of the law: AFOUL. Run afowl of the law is funnier.

51. Old Norse explorer: ERIC

52. Ball of smoke: PUFF

59. Mil. flying branch: USAF. (United States Air Force)

60. "Say that's true ... ": "IF SO..."

61. Water from France: EVIAN

62. Vietnamese holidays: TETs

63. Haunted house sound: MOAN

64. Fix errors in, as software: DEBUG

Down:

1. Antlered grazer: ELK

2. Aegean, for one: SEA

3. __ Bernardino: SAN

4. Braying beast: ASS

5. Longs (for): YEARNS

6. Minor setback: HICCUP

7. Room-size computer introduced in 1946: ENIAC

8. Perform on stage: ACT

9. Biblical "your": THY

10. Looked intently: PEERED

11. Hate: ABHOR

12. Speck of bread: CRUMB

13. Start of the rest of your life, so it's said: TODAY. "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."

18. In __: as found: SITU

21. One-named singer: ADELE

22. New Hampshire city: KEENE

23. Founded: Abbr.: ESTD. (established)

24. 1980s Chrysler line: K CAR. I had one that was a fantastic beater.

25. Mongolian tent: YURT

26. What Brinker's boy plugged with a finger: DIKE

27. Score-producing MLB stats: RBIs. (Run Batted In)

30. Is able to: CAN

31. "Get lost!": "SCRAM!"

32. Words from Wordsworth: POEM. Come forth into the light of things, Let Nature be your teacher. ~ William Wordsworth, 1770 - 1850

33. Church recess: APSE

35. Online message: EMAIL

36. Corporal or colonel: RANK

37. 1958 Chevalier musical: "GIGI". "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" – Sung by Maurice Chevalier

38. Half of Mork's sign-off: NANU

42. Fills with feathers, as a pillow: STUFFs

43. Richard who married Liz Taylor ... twice: BURTON. They sold a lot of tabloids in their day.

44. Cambodia's continent: ASIA

45. Knocked down: DECKED

46. Done for: KAPUT

47. Helpful: OF USE

48. Jack Sprat's diet restriction: NO FAT. His wife could eat no lean.

49. High-IQ group: MENSA

53. Actress Novak: KIM

54. Sci-fi aircraft: UFO. (unidentified flying object)

55. "__ seen worse": I'VE

56. Penpoint: NIB

57. Greek cross: TAU

58. Subj. with writing exercises: ENG. (English)

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Tinbeni, who has been with our blog since 2009. I'll be toasting you with the Golden Milk when sun sets today, Tinbeni!

Monday, August 22, 2016 John Doering Sr. and C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Want fries with that? - There are four types orders to be found in the circles and the circles are on each side of the theme entries.

18. Paper or plastic choice: GROCERY BAG. Gag order; no discussing the current case to the press.

24. Waitstaff boss: MAÎTRE D'HÔTEL. Mail order.

40. Misfortune: BAD LUCK. Back order; what happened to your mail order.

51. Popular climb from Lone Pine, California: MOUNT WHITNEY. Money order, to pay for your mail order that has been back ordered.

62. Fries, slaw, etc. ... and what this puzzle's circles represent: SIDE ORDERS

Argyle here. C.C. has her latest protégé in tow and provided us with a doable Monday but with circles. Lack of circles shouldn't have slowed things up very much, I would imagine. Still, it's more fun with them.

Author:

1. D.C. fundraisers: PACS. (political action committee)

5. Throat-clearing word: [AHEM!]

9. Square root of 64: EIGHT

14. Marathon aftermath: ACHE

15. Singer Horne: LENA

16. Versailles send-off: ADIEU

17. Moscow: nyet :: Berlin: __: NEIN

20. Detective Pinkerton: ALLAN. C.C. worked for Pinkerton's at one time. The founder(Allan) of the Detective Agency was long gone by then.

22. Protest singer Phil: OCHS. He died in 1976 at the age of 35.

23. "Okay, __ do it!": LET'S

27. Gravy container: BOAT

28. Cocktail: DRINK

31. Online company with many drivers: UBER. Now they want to do away with the drivers.

33. Tot's piggies: TOES

37. Religious symbols: ICONS

39. "__ culpa": MEA

42. Tales of __: misfortunes: WOE

43. Bamboo eater: PANDA

45. Watson of "Harry Potter" films: EMMA. She looks different now.

46. Learning by memorization: ROTE

47. Carrier that added "ways" to its name in 1997: USAir

49. Butter toffee bar: SKOR. Still chewing on this one.

57. Car rental giant: AVIS

60. Most of the Jolly Green Giant's laugh: HO HO

61. "Done!": "THERE!"

65. "Terrible" tsar: IVAN

66. Coral island: ATOLL

67. West Point initials: USMA. (United States Military Academy)

68. Take a break: REST

69. Oater law group: POSSE

70. Gas company with toy trucks: HESS. They got rid of their gas stations but still sell the toy trucks.

71. Neighborhood: AREA

Down:

1. Old TWA rival: PAN AM

2. High-speed Amtrak service: ACELA. A made-up name.

3. Legumes used in cook-offs: CHILI BEANS

4. McCain or McConnell: SENATOR

5. Math subj.: ALG. (algebra)

6. King of Judea: HEROD

7. Firstborn son of Cain: ENOCH. Bible study: quiz later.

8. Ultra-manly: MACHO

9. Corn piece: EAR

10. Peaceful: IDYLLIC. In my local area, the corn is idyllic; grown up tall and the ears are filling out but beware, the choppers are coming.

11. Barb: GIBE

12. Furnace output: HEAT

13. Harbor craft: TUGS

19. Cornerstone abbr.: ESTD. (Established)

21. Gun lobby org.: NRA. (National Rifle Association)

25. Kett of old comics: ETTA

26. Christine's lover in "The Phantom of the Opera": ERIK

29. Ultimatum words: NOW OR NEVER

30. Tie the __: marry: KNOT

31. Strike caller: UMP

32. Older brother of Jeff Bridges: BEAU

34. "__ to Billie Joe": ODE

35. Large shade tree: ELM

36. Total in math: SUM

38. "Understand?": "SEE?"

40. Scott of "Happy Days": BAIO. "Chachi" Arcola is the younger cousin of Fonzie.

41. Flea market payment: CASH

44. Ones "in distress" in old films: DAMSELS

46. Tax-sheltered nest egg: ROTH IRA

48. German coal valley: RUHR. Haven't seen the valley in awhile.

50. Modeler's buy: KIT

52. "Obviously, Einstein!": "NO DUH!"

53. "__ are the times that try men's souls": Paine: THESE

These are the times that try men's souls. In the course of our nation's history, the people of Boston have rallied

Bravely whenever the rights of men have been threatened. Today, a new crisis has arisen. The Metropolitan

Transit Authority, better known as the M. T. A., is attempting to levy a burdensome tax on the population in the

Form of a subway fare increase. Citizens, hear me out! This could happen to you!

54. Early-bird catches: WORMS. Did you catch an ear worm from the above intro?

55. Rub out: ERASE

56. Gossipy sort: YENTA

57. Without delay, in memos: ASAP. (as soon as possible)

58. Don Corleone's first name: VITO

59. Nuptial vows: I DO's

63. Barcelona cheer: ¡Olé!

64. Carrier to Copenhagen: SAS. Scandinavian Airlines

Argyle

Note from C,C.:

John Doering Sr. is our own witty Jayce, who speaks fluent Chinese and understands every quirky thing I say. Jayce also learns super fast and is lots of fun to work with. 

Congratulations on your LAT debut, dear Jayce!

Jayce
Picture was taken in June 2013 in a hotel in Santa Barbara where Jayce and his wife were enjoying a week of vacation with his son and his family.

Sunday August 21, 2016 Gail Grabowski

Theme:  "Company's Coming" - CO is added to each theme entry.

23A. Nickel that's worth big bucks? : MAJOR COIN. Major in.

25A. Eco-friendly lighthouse? : GREEN BEACON. Green bean.

47A. Rearrangement of suitcase contents? : SECOND PACKING. Send packing.

71A. Ideal takeover? : DREAM COUP. Dream up.

97A. Burlesque stand-up act? : COMEDIAN STRIP. Median strip.

 

121A. Where fowl spies meet? : COVERT COOPS. Covert ops. There's a stray CO. Smiled at the clue.

125A. Parka with different sleeve lengths? : COAT ISSUE, At issue.

36D. Sign of breakfast burning? : SMOKING BACON. Smoking ban.

41D. Abs trainers? : TUMMY COACHES. Tummy aches.

Heavy themage today. Total 9 themers and 99 theme squares. These constrictions did not leave Gail much room for long fill. The longest two are just 8- letter RARE MEAT (10A. Red-centered serving) and LINCHPIN (92D. Crucial unifying element )

I think I can figure out Gail's Sunday grids without looking at the byline. Lots of solid 4-letter & 5-letter entries. No weird 3-letter abbrs. Always smooth and clean.

Across:

1. Overrun : RIFE. Got via easy Downs.

5. Toothpaste portion : GLOB

9. Superfluity : FRILL

14. "Same here" : AS AM I. Not DITTO or ME TOO.

19. Psych ending : OTIC

20. NYC tourist attraction : MoMA

21. "The Great Dictator" Oscar nominee : OAKIE. I could only think of Chaplin.

22. Intel mission : RECON

27. One might not hold up in court : ALIBI

28. Basic element : STAPLE

30. Remote hiding places? : SOFAs. Remote control.

31. Pic Sans Nom, par exemple : ALPE

33. Guanaco cousin : LLAMA

35. Does a salon job : FROSTS. Same as highlights, right?

39. "Life Below Zero" channel, familiarly : NAT GEO. National Geographic.

42. Chef known by his first name : EMERIL

45. Not yet fulfilled : UNMET

46. Part of an academic address : EDU

52. I, at times : ONE

53. Easy win : ROMP

55. Allison of jazz : MOSE. Unknown figure to me.

56. Mighty small : TEENY

57. Hershey bar : SKOR

58. "The Count of Monte Cristo" author : DUMAS. Loved the novel.

60. Czar's edict : UKASE. We used to see this word frequently in the old Tribune puzzle.

63. Homework helpers : DADS

64. Clare's land : EIRE

65. Flair : STYLE

66. Sung syllables : LA LA LA

68. "That's true, but ... " : EVEN SO

70. Welcome center? : CEE

75. Oscar winner Lee : ANG. I mentioned a while ago that his Ang is the same character as the An as in my hometown Xi'an. Means "peace".

76. Attacks with force : STORMS

79. Puzzle : BEMUSE

80. Prestigious prize : NOBEL

83. Bone up quickly : CRAM

84. Assert with confidence : AVER

88. Zero out, say : RESET. Simple in retrospect.

89. Well past its prime : STALE

90. Affluent, in Andalusia : RICO

91. Court prop : GAVEL

93. At deuce : TIED. Also 40. Break point situation : AD OUT. Tennis.

95. OAS charter member : ECUA

96. Defense secretary __ Carter : ASH . Why not just "Defense secretary Carter"? I don't get the extra  ___ in clues sometimes.

101. Puts away too much, briefly : ODs

102. One of a hand truck's pair : WHEEL

104. "Purple Rain" musician : PRINCE

105. Shelley's "Ozymandias," e.g. : SONNET

107. "For honest men and bonie __": Burns : LASSES

109. 1983 Mr. T comedy : DC CAB

111. "This isn't good!" : OH NO

112. Shocks, in a way : TASES

115. Iroquoian family members : HURONs

117. Goes like crazy : ZOOMS. Car.

127. "The Tempest" spirit : ARIEL

128. Fox football sportscaster Long : HOWIE

129. "The Mikado" executioner : KO-KO. I only know the name Poo Bah.

130. Couture monthly : ELLE

131. Classic rock opera : TOMMY. The Who.

132. Without stopping : ON END

133. Break sharply : SNAP

134. Completely convinced : SOLD

Down:

1. Tomato variety : ROMA. Bought a jar of oil-cured black olives in Hy-Vee. Pretty good.

2. Emphatic type: Abbr. : ITAL

3. Suva's nation : FIJI

4. Environment-friendly carrier : ECO-BAG. Are plastic bags still used in your local grocery stores?

5. Letters on some SUVs : GMC

6. One way to hang : LOOSE

7. Pass over : OMIT

8. Yawn-inspiring : BANAL

9. Aid for dealing with pea soup : FOG LAMP

11. Cold War prez : IKE

12. "None of it is true!" : LIES!

13. Host with a TV "Garage" : LENO

14. It only offers partial coverage : AREA RUG. Nice clue.

15. Ticket period : SEASON. Season ticket.

16. NCAA div. with Seminoles : ACC

17. Jersey greeting? : MOO. Jersey cow.

18. Vacation stop : INN

24. Gets to : RILES

26. Closest pal, in text : BFF

29. Implored : PLED

32. Hardy work : POEM. Thomas Hardy.

34. Curving : ARCED. Have any of you tried those brow studios in malls?

37. Caruso and Domingo : TENORs

38. System with speakers : STEREO

39. Some intellectuals : NERDS

43. "Unböring" furniture chain : IKEA

44. "The Swedish Nightingale" Jenny : LIND

48. Was able to : COULD

49. Schindler with a list : OSKAR

50. Writer Zora ___ Hurston : NEALE

51. Its sessions begin and end with bells : NYSE

54. Capital of Sicily : PALERMO

57. Cross-referencing words : SEE NOTE. Used in rebus crosswords.

59. Come off as : SEEM

61. Swedish import : SAAB

62. Pulitzer playwright Rice : ELMER. Stranger to me also.

67. Elevated point : ACME

69. Many 1969 Woodstock arrivals : VANS. Lemonade was there.

72. Boots : OUSTS

73. Start of a fitness motto : USE IT. So true.

74. Singer Cetera : PETER

76. Many a signature : SCRAWL. Now I know how D-Otto writes, after seeing a few PDF files of his filled grids. 

77. Yearwood of country : TRISHA

78. Pudding starch : SAGO.  Sago flour and tapioca are from the different trees.

81. Lose in a chase : ELUDE

82. Numerical extreme : LEAST

85. Mae West persona : VAMP

86. "Did you __?" : EVER

87. Overhauled : REDID

94. One in a buffet stack : DISH. I was thinking of food rather than the plates.

97. Without a doubt : CLEARLY

98. Courtroom figure : ACCUSED. The accused.

99. In the neighborhood : NEAR

100. Eponymous swindler : PONZI

103. Think the world of : ESTEEM

106. Rope loops : NOOSES

108. Former JFK lander : SST

110. Strong lagers : BOCKs

111. Sanyo headquarters city : OSAKA. Literally "large hill".

113. Off-the-wall feedback? : ECHO. Nailed it.

114. Before you know it : SOON

116. Palindromic time : NOON

118. Fram Museum city : OSLO. Not familiar with the museum.

119. Ponder, with "over" : MULL

120. Flower child? : SEED. Sweet clue.

121. Stealthy animal : CAT

122. Metal precioso : ORO

123. Gusto : VIM

124. Be beholden to : OWE

126. Pajama part : TOP

C.C.

Satuday, Aug 20th, 2016, Julian Lim

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing J,Q,X)

Blocks: 32

  OK, is it just me, or was this one way too easy for a Julian Lim puzzle~?  Perhaps there were enough clues in my wheelhouse to have the right number of crossings in the right places to cruise right on through in less than half my personal allotted time - and that includes an additional minute to find the one letter I had wrong before the ta-DA~! was mine.  All the proper names filled via perps and educated WAGs, too.  Hey, I'll take it~!  Triple 10-letter corners in both across and down, with two more 10's and two 9's;

25a. Sidecar ingredient : TRIPLE SEC - Yesterday marked 4,242 days for me - which in terms of "The Hitch-hiker's Guide the Galaxy" must have some significance....

44a. Dairy Queen offerings : BLIZZARDS

7d. Where Ulysses rests : GRANT'S TOMB - oh, I thought it was George Washington....Bugs Bunny humor

30d. Emulates a bad waiter? : CUTS IN LINE - I'm linking this song again, since this is one of the lines

 

 Paul Simon The Afterlife @ 2:10

~!

ACROSS:

1. "The Winds of War" actress : ALI MACGRAW

11. Bon __ : MOT - it was this or "AMI".  And I went with the latter.

14. "Love in the First Degree" all-female group : BANANARAMA - I know of very few female groups, and not too many of them are 10 letters long; the song title made no difference to me

15. Emotion betrayer : TONE

16. Knocked out : ELIMINATED

17. Emergency op : EVACuation

18. Emblem : TOTEM - HA~!  Anon-T and I had a small discussion about the "Cricket Bat" in Spinal Tap; the manager refers to it as "totemistic; a good solid piece of lumber in your hand....is useful"

19. New Mexican? : NENE - not fooled, but I thought it was "BEBE"

20. Ho Chi __ City : MINH - gimme

21. Busts, e.g. : ART - too easy

23. "The Legend of Zelda" currency : RUPEES - don't know this, but I had half the letters from the Downs

31. Jump __ : START

32. Happy __: old snack brand mascot : HO HO

33. Pulls some strings? : STRUMS - I had a feeling it was on this wavelength, but for me, a strum is striking the strings; to pull them usually gives you an artificial harmonic - or maybe it's a semi-reference to a PULL-off and hammer-on technique....

35. Slovenia neighbor, to the IOC : CRO - via perps; not much into this Olympics, tho I did see Water Polo, Field Hockey (that's icing~!) and Men's Singles Badminton - love me some badminton~!

36. Singer Lambert with the album "Trespassing" : ADAM - perps

37. Angiography concern : AORTA - I WAGed this over "HEART"

38. Crisply and detached, to an orch. : STACcato

39. Talks acronym : TED - Nailed it; their site

40. Tops : AT MOST - "Tops" in this sense reminds me of "Die Hard" and the Feds on the gunship helicopters; scene 328, here

41. Driver's protest : HONK - this is what I figured, but by now, I was thinking it was way too easy
42. Mine finder : SONAR

46. Publisher Ochs : ADOLPH - I had ADO--H

48. "__ won't!" : "NO I..."

49. Quo warranto, e.g. : WRIT - this filled via ALL perps

50. Short-lived '80s sports org. : USFL - I tried MISL; we had the NY Arrows, right here on L.I., playing at the Nassau Coliseum; their goalie was Shep Messing, and he had a fitness club mere miles from my house

53. Whimpers : MEWLS

58. Lift : RIDE - ah.  I was stuck in the verb sense of "to raise", not "drive"

59. Grammy-winning Santana song : MARIA MARIA

61. Maintain : AVER

62. Regardless : IN ANY EVENT

63. Podded plant : PEA - again, I said....really~?

64. Restraining order, say : DETERRENCE

DOWN:

1. Help with a job : ABET - had the whole phrase last week

2. "Mission: Impossible" theme composer Schifrin : LALO - again, perps

3. Still vying : IN IT

4. Jerry Herman musical : MAME - didn't know it, and "HAIR" didn't work

5. Kind of magnetism : ANIMAL - I like this kind of "attraction"

6. Preserve, in a way : CAN - dah~!  Not JAR; that's 100% 33.3% correct

8. Word after going or before hike : RATE - going rate, rate hike

9. Hymn ender : AMEN

10. Bit of fishing attire : WADER

11. Penn, for one : MOVIE ACTOR - that would be Sean Penn; I pondered TRAIN DEPOT (Penn Station, NY)

12. At the store, perhaps : ON AN ERRAND

13. AAPL and GOOG : TECH STOCKS - nailed it

15. Entice : TEMPT

22. Came together again : RESAT

24. Letters before some state names : USS

25. Shout after the last shot : THAT'S A WRAP - I've been on two movie sets

26. Part of Beverly Hills' Golden Triangle : RODEO DRIVE

it's in the middle

27. "Honestly?!" : "I HAD NO IDEA~!?!"

28. Popular toy, for short : POMeranian

29. Documentarian Morris : ERROL - again, perps, and just the "E" to get

34. __ ball : MATZO

38. Oldies syllable : SHA-na-na, and I went with "TRA" first

40. "Leaves and Navels" artist : ARP - some other examples of the artist's work

43. Modify : ALTER - I had EMEND first

45. "The Lion King" composer Hans : ZIMMER - only had to guess the first "M"

47. Sticky : HUMID - like it's been for two weeks here; this has been the worst summer at UPS since my first - and my first was only bad because I had never experienced it before

51. Sound : SANE

52. "Animal House" group : FRAT

54. Gable neighbor : EAVE - carpentry terms~?  C'mon....too easy

55. Singer of complex songs : WREN - ah, clever

56. Michael's brother in "Prison Break" : LINC - I figured this show was short lived - I mean, once they got out, what's the point of watching...?

57. Make full : SATE

60. City on the Firth of Clyde : AYR - and yes, it was all perps

Splynter

Friday, August 19, 2016 Bruce Haight

Title: Another @##% circle puzzle to irritate Barry!

We take a journey with back to back Bruce Haight Fridays. My memories of going to the ocean and looking for stones to throw were brought back. This time he packaged his effort in a rare 14 x 16 grid with a total of 70 theme squares. The 14s are grid-spanners and with so many letters in themers, there is not much room for sparkle. We do get  AM FM RADIO and  SALMON ROE.  Once again I will begin with the very clever reveal which tells us we are looking for stones in the skipped parts of fill, in the circles.

58A. Leisurely lakeside activity, and a clue for the circled letters : SKIPPING STONES (14).

16A. Reason kept to oneself : ULTERIOR MOTIVE (14). Limestone  is a sedimentary rock that contains at least 50% calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Because sedimentary rocks are made of various types of sediments, the other 50% of a limestone rock could be virtually any other mineral. Limestone originates in wet areas which mean it could also be composed of shells and waste matter from organisms.

22A. Wig out : FLIP ONE'S LID (11). Fieldstone. This is a building construction material. Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally. Collections of fieldstones which have been removed from arable land or pasture to allow for more effective agriculture are called clearance cairns.Coming from New England we know all about this. What movie comes to mind?

29A. Thorny thicket : BRIAR PATCH (10).  Birthstone. Am I the only one who always thinks about UNCLE REMUS?

42A. Johnny Olson catchphrase : COME ON DOWN (10). Moonstone. This is an alternate birthstone for June, but also a gem used by

48A. Bum rap : FALSE CHARGE (11). Flagstone. These flat stones are popular for making paths etc. so here is how to DIY.

Across:

1. "Anaconda" rapper Nicki : MINAJ. I am not sure why but I knew this MUSIC (4:49).

6. Sizable chunk : SLAB. Of roast beef? Or Nicki?

10. "Yuck!" : EWW. Ok, I agree. So does 63A. "Yuck!" : BLEH.

13. Carne follower, in Mexican fare : ASADA. Grilled beef.

14. Roll at the airport : TAXI. On the Taxiway.

15. Former Vietnamese emperor Bao __ : DAI. This man. LINK.

19. Barack Obama, astrologically : LEO. He has the same birthday as my step-son.

20. Old Venetian magistrate : DOGE.  You should recall THIS.

21. Boy in the first family : ABEL. All the men had four letters.

25. Country singer Clark : TERRI. The only Clark I recall is ROY, not this tall Canadian.

28. Cold weather word : TEENS. Down here that would be freezing.

34. 1953 automobile innovation : AM FM RADIO. Introduced by a Mexican Company. HISTORY.

35. Catch something : AIL. Nice simple misdirection.

38. Put away : ATE.  Nice simple misdirection.

39. Some caviar : SALMON ROE. Traditionally, the term caviar refers only to roe from wild sturgeon in the Caspian and Black Sea (Beluga, Ossetra and Sevruga caviars). Depending on the country, caviar may also be used to describe the roe of other fish such as salmon, steelhead, trout, lumpfish, whitefish, carp,and other species of sturgeon.

43. West Indian sorcery : OBEAH. Hard to discuss this PRACTICE when we do not talk religion.

47. Young partner : ERNST. CPA firm.

53. Low-cost home loan org. : FNMA. Federal National Mortgage Association.

54. Lug : HAUL.

55. Letters left of center? : EPI. Cute...left of mean a prefix.

62. "If __ again I meet him beard to beard ... ": Shak. : EER. Rar lay I do not know well, Coriolanus.

64. Whiz : MAVEN. It's back.

65. Carefree syllable : TRA. La La.

66. Fun : JEST.

67. Sarcophagus holder : CRYPT.

Down:

1. Stake-driving hammer : MAUL.

2. Part of a chain : ISLE.

3. Defense acronym : NATO. He must like this oraganization. North American Treaty Organization.

4. Thirst quencher : ADE. Thanks for the CSO Mr. H.

5. Rattle : JAR.

6. Bend : STOOP. My thought

7. Slow passage : LARGO. Musical term.

8. Guitar players, slangily : AXMEN. More likely AXE (not maul)

9. Dust jacket info : BIOgraphy.

10. Safe to put away : EDIBLE. My favorite clue.

11. Encourage to score, as a base runner : WAVE IN. Maybe not these RUNNERS.

12. Brandishes : WIELDS.

17. First name in despotism : IDI. Amin.

18. Zap : TASE.

22. Set up : FRAME. Central plot to many tv shows.

23. NYC commuter line : LIRR. Long Island Railroad.

24. Ordinal ending : ETH. This is used to create ordinal numbers from cardinal numbers ending in -y, namely the multiples of ten (other than ten itself): 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90; e.g. twentieth, thirtieth.

25. TV sched. uncertainty : TBA. To Be Announced.

26. Aunt with a "Cope Book" : ERMA.

27. Divide : RIFT.

30. El __ : PASO.

31. Maroon 5 singer Levine : ADAM.

32. Counter square : TILE.

33. Lake of Lombardy : COMO. You like this little home?

35. Auto company founder Citroën : ANDRÉ. He was an interesting MAN.

36. Golf bag item : IRON.

37. Not the best of times : LOWS.

40. Universal donor's type, briefly : O NEG.

41. Uvula doc : ENT. Ear Nose and Throat.

42. "Evita" role : CHE. Guevera.

43. Counterbalance : OFFSET. Time for the offset I?

44. Loan officer, e.g. : BANKER.

45. Twain's New York resting place : ELMIRA. This was the cemetery where his wife's family were buried. Twain lived in Connecticut and Mark Twain house is in Hartford. A high school classmate has written about the restoration and is still an ambassador. LINK.

46. "Make it snappy!" : ASAP. As Soon As Possible.

49. Country about 12 times longer than its widest point : CHILE.

50. Underwear brand : HANES.

51. Zero : AUGHT.

52. Literary monogram : RLS. Robert Louis Stevenson.

55. Green attitude? : ENVY. From the green-eyed monster in Othello. Twain also wrote of this. “It turned Brer Merlin green with envy and spite, which was a great satisfaction to me.” — A Connecticut Yankee.

56. Sound often not allowed? : PEEP. I do not want to hear a peep out of you!

57. "It __ Right": 1956 Platters' hit : ISN'T.

59. Lunchbox staple, familiarly : PBJ.

60. Cinephile's TV choice : TMC.  TCM? Or maybe AMC? The Movie Channel is owned by Showtime.

61. Tool sometimes used for steering : OAR.

Well this was fun, but I lost my write up and had to redo it all. Some changed, some did not but now it is time to wish you all well and best to all the Olympic athletes who have provided lots of entertainment. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Let's say Hello to Melissa's granddaughter Jaelyn, who was born yesterday. She was 6 pounds 13 ounces,  20.25 inches long. Congratulations, grandma Melissa!