Wednesday, September 14, 2016 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: I'M SO ANGRY I COULD JUST  .  .  .  The second word of common two-word phrases is transformed from a plural noun to a singular verb, which is a synonym for displaying anger.  

20. Tailpipe emission : EXHAUST FUMES.  In the industry, we really do call them tail pipe emissions, as per the clue, but do not get angry if someone wants to use alternative terminology.

28. Tug-of-war injuries : FRICTION BURNS.  Abrasions caused by harshly rubbing the skin against some surface, in this case a rope.  Losing the war adds insult to injury, whicj does nothign good for one's disposition.

42. Hair-smoothing hairs : BRUSH BRISTLES.  When, for example, a cat is disturbed, the hairs of it back will stand upright, hence the reference.  I was surprised that there actually are boar BRISTLE hair brushes, and am chagrined that I did not know this.  How cilia me!   

47. Shellfish cookouts : SEAFOOD BOILS.  Here's a recipe.   Of course, the sea creature most likely to be angry is the crab.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here.  Hope you're all in a good mood, and nothing in this puzzle perturbs you today.

Down

1. Hershey's toffee bar : SKOR.  Sold in the U. S. since 1981, originally as competition for the Heath bar, which Hershey acquired along with the Leaf candy company in 1996.  Both are still available.

5. Res __ loquitur: the thing itself speaks : IPSA.  Latin.  I'll let our legal scholars expound on context.

9. Online shopping mecca : E-MALL.  A web site that displays catalogues for various suppliers and charges a commission for sales.  Seriously - this is a thing?

14. Chip in a chip : ANTE.   This one baffled me for a while, but sticking with the theme concept of noun-verb interchangeability, we see chip presented first as a verb and then as a noun.

15. Seasonal song : NOEL.  Christmas season.

16. Hunky-dory : A-OKAY.  All systems are go.

17. Start of a knitting project : LOOP. Now Gail and Bruce are just needling us.

18. Prefix with space : AERO-.   The complete word refers to technology and industry related to aviation and space flight.

19. Dry Italian wine : SOAVE.  Meaning pleasant or agreeable, this white wine is from the Veneto region around Verona.

23. Hot state : IRE.  More anger, spilling out from the theme.

24. Beatty/Hoffman box office flop : ISHTAR.  A 1987 action comedy about two inept lounge singers who book a gig in Morocco and stumble into a 4-way cold war standoff.   Widely considered to be one of the worst films ever made.

32. Former fillies : MARES.   Now we're just horsing around.  [See what I did there?]

34. Ready for a refill : EMPTY.  Like a beer glass.

35. Freelancer's email attachment: Abbr. : INV.  A freelancer works by the job, rather than for a specific employer, then sends the client an INVoice.  

36. Glider on runners : SLED.  For fun on a snowy hill.

37. Flowing garments : CAPES.  Short, sleeveless cloaks.

Not always appropriate

38. Sonar signal : BLIP.

39. Word in a bride's bio : NEE.  Referring to her maiden name.

40. Went a-courting : WOOED. 

C'mon Frog; I'll buy you a beer.

41. Two-time US Open winner : SELES.   Monica [b 1973] won 8 grand slam singles titles before her 20th birthday, and was the No. 1 player in the world in 1991 and 1992.

45. Library machine : COPIER.

46. "__ the Walrus" : I AM.  

Stunning low fidelity

54. Medicare prescription drug section : PART D.

57. Pre-coll. : EL-HI.  Elementary and High school come before college.

58. Brandy bottle letters : VSOP.   Very Superior Old Pale, refers to a blended cognac that must be aged in oak casks for no fewer than 3 years.  Most houses age longer than the minimum period.

59. Prospero's servant : ARIEL.  A [non-alcoholic] spirit who had been trapped in a tree, now bound to Prospero, who freed him.  Ariel causes the eponymous tempest in act one of Shakespeare's play.

60. Highest sudoku digit : NINE.  Numbers in rows, columns and boxes.

61. Hip bones : ILIA.  The largest and uppermost bone of the pelvis.

62. Free, in France : LIBRE.   Alas, the puzzle is not free of French.

63. Armoire feature : DOOR.   An armoire is a free-standing wardrobe closet.

64. Counting-out word : EENY.  Meeny, miney  .  .  .

Down

1. Cyber Monday event : SALE.  Marketing ploy in the U. S. to get people to shop on line the Monday after Thanksgiving.

2. Fort with lots of bars : KNOX.  Gold bars, not jail cell bars. 

3. "Then again," in tweets : OTOH.  On The Other Hand  .  .  . she had warts.

4. Fixed : REPAIRED.  Corrected an inoperative condition, quite the opposite of 53D.

5. "Be right with you" : IN A SECond.  

6. Pound, but not ounce : POET.  Ezra [1885-1972] Also a noted racist and fascist sympathizer.  Very complex figure.

7. Medieval laborer : SERF.  The lowest level of feudal society and economics.  [Anyone who is interested can find my thoughts on the topic here.  Caution, though- one cannot delve into the history of economic systems without also considering politics.  That's taboo here, but not at the link.  My ideas might put you in the state of today's theme. Caveat lector. You have been warned.]

8. Six-time All-Star Moises : ALOU.   Baseball player, 4 letters, plug in ALOU and move on.  Coincidentally there are 4 of them: Dad Felipe, and bros. Matty and Jesús. Three letters, it's OTT.

9. Slips past : EASES BY.

10. __ pork: Chinese dish served with pancakes : MOO SHU.  Shredded pork with vegetables and seasonings.

11. Letters often after a perp's name : AKA. Also Known As.

12. Loo : LAV.  Personal comfort station.

13. Corrosive substance : LYE.  Sodium hydroxide [NaOH], and that's the truth.

21. "Exodus" author : URIS.  Leon [1924 - 2003]  The book was published in 1958, and made into  major motion picture in 1960.

22. Money makers : MINTS.  Where currency is manufactured

25. Warbles : TRILLS.   Yes, you can do this on the trombone.

Yeah, I can do this, too

26. Musical set in an orphanage : ANNIE.  Based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie.

27. Replies to an invite, for short : RSVPs.  Abreviated French, meaning please respond.

28. Make available : FREE UP.

29. "__ coffee?" : TEA OR.  Beverage choices.

30. Louvre Pyramid architect : I M PEI.  [b 1917] Designer of many famous projects throughout the world.

31. Pages with views : OP-EDS.  Located OPposite to the EDitorial page.

32. Rachel Maddow's network : MSNBC.  News, politics and opinion and politics.

33. Final Olds made : ALERO.  Maybe it IS your father's Oldsmobile.

37. Charming snake? : COBRA.  A snake just right for charming, if you have the right skill set.

38. 2007 animated film in which Sting voices himself : BEE MOVIE.   Never saw it, but this is brilliant casting.

40. Coax : WHEEDLE.  Using endearments or flattery - a manipulative ploy.

41. Big chunk : SLAB.  

43. Many a bridesmaid : SISTER.  Sadly COUSIN also has 6 letters.  It's all relative, I guess.

44. Less cluttered : TIDIER.   Neatness, peeps!

48. Shift (for oneself) : FEND.   To provide for or defend oneself.  I'm not getting "shift" as a meaning here.

49. Hodgepodge : OLIO.   Melange.  I'm pretty sure I've never seen "OLIO" outside of a puzzle or this website.

50. "How awful!" : OH NO.  Bad news.

51. Cruise stop : ISLE.   Port of call.

52. Pork choice : LOIN.  Well CHOP also has 4 letters.   The LOIN comes from along the top of the RIB cage.  On which, more later.

53. Do a vet's job : SPAY.  Gender neutralization of your pet.  

54. Chum : PAL.  Buddy, bro, homie, peep.

55. NPR journalist Shapiro : ARI.

56. Bone in a cage : RIB.  See, I wasn't Loin - I mean Lyin', nor was I ribbing you about anatomy.  OTOH, I wanted to come up with a picture of a trombone in a cage - 'cuz, of course I would.  Sadly, the best I could do is these guys behind a wrought iron fence.

The other "Sliders"

Well, that wraps it up.  I had my moment of confusion but am not upset.  Hope the rest of your day keeps you on an even keel.

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, September 13 2016, Neville Fogarty

Theme: A guy walks into a bar ... 

18. How some sloganed T-shirts should be washed : INSIDE OUT. Inside joke. 

 

27. 1998 Bullock/Kidman film involving witchcraft : PRACTICAL MAGIC. Practical joke.

44. Going to the grocery store, the bank, etc. : RUNNING ERRANDS. Running joke.

59. Unsportsmanlike behavior : DIRTY POOL. Dirty joke.

67. Some speeches open with them ... as do this puzzle's four longest entries : JOKES

Melissa here. Got the joke as soon as I had INSIDE OUT and JOKES filled in. A few unknowns but mostly smooth sailing.

Across 

1. Oodles and oodles : SCADS. Started off in the red by entering LOADS here.

6. Airport idlers : CABS. Pictured stranded travelers. 

10. Poetic foot : IAMB. After years of crosswords, this is finally a gimme for me.

14. Kemper of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" : ELLIE. Who?? Had to look it up to learn about this series, originally on NBC then sold to Netflix.

  

15. Wintry coating : HOAR. The first time I read this word was my senior year in high school, when I was fascinated by the true story of mystery writer Agatha Christie who disappeared for 11 days in December of 1926. Reports were that she was seen after her car broke down, with her hair covered in hoar frost. 

16. Tennis court surface : CLAY

17. Work with a loom : WEAVE

20. Toddler's taboo : NO-NO

21. Ocho minus cinco : TRES. Spanish.

22. More than rotund : OBESE

23. Baltic Sea capital : RIGA

25. RC or Pepsi : COLA. Have to wait for perps to decide - SODA or COLA?

33. Metal-rich deposits : LODES

34. Chicken chow __ : MEIN

35. Catch : NAB

37. Dollar competitor : AVIS. Rental car companies.

38. High in the sky : ALOFT

40. Flag Day month : JUNE

41. Maiden name intro : NEE

42. Clicker's target : ICON. Clicker on a mouse, icon on a computer screen.

43. Not at all excited : BORED

48. Word on a shoppe sign : OLDE

49. Data set average : MEAN

50. "Gone With the Wind" family name : OHARA

53. Uno card : SKIP. Perps to the rescue, haven't played Uno in eons.

55. Knight's weapon : MACE

61. Divided island of Southeast Asia : TIMOR. Needed help with this one, too.

62. Twistable cookie : OREO

63. Ritz-Carlton rival : OMNI

64. Scent : AROMA

65. Chestnut horse : ROAN

66. "And away __!" : WE GO

Down

1. Mended using stitches, with "up" : SEWN

2. Elizabeth Taylor role, informally : CLEO

  

3. Economist Greenspan : ALAN

4. Acts like Elizabeth Taylor? : DIVORCES. Love this clue.

5. "Understand?" : SEE

6. Former French president Jacques : CHIRAC

7. Top-notch : A-ONE

8. Symbol for the lower piano music part : BASS CLEF

9. __ Lanka : SRI

10. Swelling reducer : ICE BAG

11. Medicinal houseplant : ALOE

12. Rodent in a German lab : MAUS. German for mouse. Had no idea.

13. Data unit : BYTE

19. Ken or Daria of financial journalism : DOLAN. Total unknown. Anyone know of this couple?

21. __ Friday's : TGI

24. "__ all good" : IT'S

26. Leave out : OMIT

27. Word after floor or flight : PLAN

28. Mars explorer : ROVER. Cool.

29. "So long!" along the Seine : ADIEU

30. In the middle of : AMONG

31. Preserve, as ashes : INURN

32. Did some wickerwork : CANED. From this website: "Is it Wicker or Cane? Did you know wicker or wicker work is a weaving method not a material?  Wicker work can be accomplished with many types of material, some man made and some natural.  Chair cane is actually the peeled inner skin of the rattan vine...read more...

  

36. Hotel count : BEDS. Prison count, too.

38. Corrosive liquid : ACID

39. In need of a friend : LONESOME

40. Surrealist painter from Barcelona : JOAN MIRO. Learning moment. Recognize some of the art, never knew the artist.

42. Subsurface woodwork decoration : INLAY. The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California is known for the hand-inlaid parquet floors.

43. Bikini top : BRA

45. Big name in antivirus software : NORTON

46. Estevez of "The Breakfast Club" : EMILIO. Second from left. 

47. Hollywood agent : REP

50. Scent : ODOR

51. "Big Hero 6" hero : HIRO. Disney movie.

52. Neck of the woods : AREA

54. Classic arcade game Donkey __ : KONG

56. Every which way : AMOK

57. Obedience school command : COME. Tried STAY and HEEL first.

58. Historic periods : ERAS

60. Comics punch sound : POW

61. __ Mahal : TAJ

Monday, September 12, 2016 Brock Wilson

Theme: 2 by 6 - Six theme entries that start with the same two letters.

16A. Crustacean catcher: LOBSTER POT

25A. Weapon in Clue: LEAD PIPE

42A. Slip for a tardy student: LATE PASS

55A. Decorator's wall prettifier: LATEX PAINT

10D. Backyard bash: LAWN PARTY

32D. Keats or Byron, e.g.: LYRIC POET

55D. Collectors' albums ... and a hint to six puzzle answers: LP's

Argyle here. Quantity over quality. A simple two letter theme(but six of them) with a grid that is compartmentalized makes this a stiff Monday. This Brock's third puzzle and perhaps his most complex yet. Not very many names which will make some happy. With LP's as the unifier, I should find some album songs to post. Update: I didn't find much.

Across:

1. Is blessed with, as talent: HAS

4. Creator of Finn and Sawyer: TWAIN, Mark.

9. Leave rolling in the aisles: SLAY

13. That, in Spain: ESA

14. "Olde" store: SHOPPE

15. Ring over an angel: HALO

18. Out of town: AWAY

19. Intent: PURPOSE

20. OB/GYN procedure: AMNIO. (amniocentesis)

21. Hiding spot for a cheater's ace: SLEEVE

22. Put off bedtime: STAY UP, but after 4 hours....

27. Brewery product: ALE

30. "Defending our rights" org.: ACLU. (American Civil Liberties Union)

33. Electrified atoms: IONs

34. Scans for injured athletes, briefly: MRIs. (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

35. __ Mawr College: BRYN. Welsh for "big hill".

36. Piece of pizza: SLICE

37. To-do list entry: ITEM

38. Worse-than-one's-bite quality: BARK

39. Online TV giant: HULU. Any users?

40. Since, in a holiday song: SYNE

41. Fifi's friend: AMI

45. Like the Arctic, compared to most of the planet: COLDER

47. Two-base hit: DOUBLE

51. Debate issue: TOPIC

53. Illness characterized by a red rash: MEASLES

54. Soon, to a bard: ANON

58. Subtle look: PEEK

59. Lion groups: PRIDES

60. Former AT&T rival: GTE.  formerly General Telephone & Electric Corporation (1955–1982)

61. Former fast planes: SSTs. formerly SuperSonic Transport

62. Unemotional: STOIC

63. Bladed gardening tool: HOE. Ah, groundbreaking invention.

Down:

1. Makes a difference: HELPS

2. "I won't tell __!": A SOUL

3. Buffalo hockey player: SABRE

4. Title venue for Hemingway's old man: THE SEA. If you meant, like me, to read it, well, here it is. The Old Man and the Sea.

5. Sported: WORE

6. Kindle download: APP

7. Wall St. debut: IPO. (initial public offering (IPO) first time that the stock of a private company is offered to the public)

8. Volleyball barrier: NET

9. SeaWorld star: SHAMU

11. Jai __: ALAI

12. String-around-your-finger toy: YOYO. Toy of the moment.

14. Cooking appliance: STOVE

17. Explore caves: SPELUNK. "cave, cavern," c.1300, from Old French spelonque or directly from Latin spelunca "a cave, cavern, grotto," from Greek spelynx (genitive spelyngos). An adjective, speluncar "of a cave" is recorded from 1855. ~ Online Etymology Dictionary.

20. Sailor's word of obedience: AYE

22. Information that ruins the ending: SPOILER

23. Costner/Russo golf film: TIN CUP. ¡Golfers!

24. Basilica recess: APSE

26. Water down: DILUTE

28. Bank claim: LIEN

29. Salinger's "With Love and Squalor" girl: ESME

30. Palindromic pop group: ABBA.  No links to albums allowed.

31. Study all night: CRAM

34. Pageant title with 51 contestants (the 50 states plus D.C.): MISS USA

36. Roe source: SHAD

42. Partners' legal entity: Abbr.: LLC. (limited liability company)

43. Madison Ave. bigwig: AD EXEC

44. Most TV "operas": SOAPS. Remember this one?

46. Sounds from sties: OINKS

48. "Mutiny on the Bounty" captain: BLIGH

49. Slow movement: LENTO

50. Perfumer Lauder: ESTÉE

51. Four-note lights-out tune: TAPS

52. Singles: ONEs

53. Prefix with care: MEDI

56. Gallery collection: ART

57. Chihuahua uncle: TIO

               Chihuahua City, Chihuahua State, Mexico.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Steve, who's blogged for us from all over the world. Has any of you ever tried his mayo recipe? So simple. So delicious. I halved everything the second time, as I could not use up the amount the first time. How long do you keep yours, Steve? One article I read suggests that home-made mayo is good for 3 days.

Sunday, September 11, 2016 Warren Stabler

Theme: "Risk Factor" - Parse RISK as "R is K".  R is changed into K in each theme entry.

22A. Battle of vampire slayers? : STAKING CONTEST. Staring contest.

35A. "'Dash away' yourself, Santa! We're tired!"? : HOLIDAY CHEEK. Holiday cheer.

53A. Band of vipers' rhythm section? : SNAKE DRUMS. Snare drums.

62. With 65-Across, malt shop accountant's calculation? : EARNINGS. And 65. See 62-Across : PER SHAKE. Earnings per share.

76A. Time when all farms used plow-pulling oxen? : DAYS OF YOKE. Days of yore.

 

92A. Angler's slang? : FISHING SPEAK. Fishing spear.

109A. Soda jerk's course of study? : COKE CURRICULUM. Core curriculum.

 

16D. Satirize the screwball? : SEND UP A FLAKE. Not familiar with the phrase "send up a flare".

58D. Portrait of a libertine? : RAKE PAINTING. Rare painting. I feel it's not as solid as
rare coin".

Another great title! It captures the gimmick so perfectly. 

I also like how Warren split up EARNINGS PER SHAKE and intersected PER SHAKE with one more themer. Creative gridding.

 

Across:

     

1. No-trade policy : EMBARGO. Solid start.

8. 1954 Ford debut : T-BIRD

13. Vacillate : SEESAW

19. Brit's beauty shop : PARLOUR. I was thinking of The Body Shop, which is a British company. Alas, they only have one store here in MN. Mall of America of course.

20. Geographical symbol of Middle America : PEORIA

21. Beat the wheat : THRESH

24. Bandleader Tito : PUENTE

25. Eponymous virologist : SALK

26. Eric Cartwright's nickname : HOSS. Never watched "Bonanza".

27. Like some seals : EARED

29. Poor mark : DEE

30. Indefinite period : WHILE.  Always with "a". 

32. Japanese chip maker : NEC. 117 years old now. Much older than Intel.

33. Once around : ORBIT

34. Hair ringlet : CURL

39. Hickok's last hand, so it's said : ACES UP.  Dead man's hand.

41. Yves' yes : OUI

42. Hefty Cinch__ bags : SAK

43. River to the Ohio : WABASH. Wiki says it's the "state river of Indiana".

45. Marathoner's concern : CRAMP

48. Language spoken by Jesus : ARAMAIC

51. Enter again : RE-TYPE

52. Science major's cost : LAB FEE

55. Mom, dad, sibs, etc. : FAM

56. Cholesterol letters : LDL. "Bad" cholesterol.

57. Jason's ship : ARGO. So happy you're out of the woods now, Lemonade.

59. Quebec's __ Peninsula : GASPE. Learning moment for me.

60. Pound foot : PAW. I thought the clue might be some kind of unit.

61. Order from a stool : ALE

68. Ararat lander : ARK

69. Youngster : BOY

70. Boat, or the tool that moves it : SCULL. Nice clue.

73. Tony winner Judith : IVEY. I forgot. We had her before.

74. Dessert option : PIE. Quite a few food references in this grid.  75. Starchy tuber : YAM. 104. Celebrate an anniversary, with "out" : DINE.  23. After-dinner request : CHECK.  38. Devour : EAT UP 54. Like a soufflé : EGGY.  91. Baked potato topping : CHIVES

79. Thrusting blade : RAPIER

81. Used as security, in a way : PAWNED. We passed by the Pawn Stars shop in Vegas a few times. Never went in.

82. Words behind Lincoln? : ONE CENT

86. Bias : SLANT

87. Temple with an upcurved roof : PAGODA. The first one is the famous Wild Goose Pagoda in my hometown Xi'an. The curve in the second pagoda from Japan is more pronounced.

88. Calendar col. : TUE

89. Golf course meas. : YDs

90. Promise qualifier : IF I CAN

96. "Yikes!" : OH NO

98. HDTV part, for short : HI-DEF

100. Texter's "Yikes!" : OMG

101. Barely eats : PICKS

102. Billboard __ 100 : HOT

103. Pastel shade : LILAC

106. Host before and after O'Brien : LENO

107. "Nightfall" story writer : ASIMOV. Got via crosses.

114. Decide not to : RENEGE

115. Square quartet : ANGLES. Easy in retrospect.

116. North African capital : TRIPOLI. Not ALGIERS. Same letter count.

117. Boston College athletes : EAGLES. A la Wiki: The Boston College mascot is Baldwin the Eagle, an American bald eagle whose name is a pun derived from the bald head of the eagle and the word "win."

118. Exxon__ : MOBIL

119. Gets incensed : SEES RED

 

Down:

1. Mini-albums, for short : EPs

2. Shoe-wiping spot : MAT

3. Portuguese-speaking capital : BRASILIA. Here is a list of countries/territories where Portuguese is the official language. Though close to Hong Kong, Macau cuisine is quite different due to the Portuguese influence.

4. Its pH is more than 7 : ALKALI

5. Muddied : ROILED

6. Goop : GUNK

7. Cousin of com : ORG

8. A thousand's hundred : TENs

9. High-tech workers : BOTS. Not people.

10. Steam : IRE

11. It helps some singers see the choir leader : RISER. Got via crosses.

12. Sortable information source : DATABASE

13. Fla. coastal city : ST. PETE

14. Barak who succeeded Netanyahu : EHUD

15. Before, in verse : ERE

17. Autumn bloom : ASTER

18. Stagecoach roller : WHEEL

20. Hound : POOCH

28. Loaded : RICH

30. "Now just a darn minute!" : WHOA

31. Labor bill unit : HOUR. Boomer likes to chat with the repairman. I wonder if they add the chat time into the bill.

32. City near the Tappan Zee Bridge : NYACK. Stranger to me.

33. "No prob" : OK BY ME. Sparkly 6-letter fill.

34. Control : CURB

36. Group with the albums "Aqua" and "Aria" : ASIA

37. Still-life subjects : EWERS

40. Shell game, say : SCAM

44. H.S. VIPs : APs. Assistant Principals?

46. Sampling of songs : MEDLEY

47. Soccer superstar : PELE

49. Cath. church VIP : MSGR. Monsignor. I googled this last time.

50. Presently : ANON

51. Dietary stds. : RDAs

52. Newton trio : LAWS

55. Much : FAR

57. Passé reception aid : AERIAL

60. Ill-gotten gains : PELF. Not LOOT or SWAG.

63. Building beam : I-BAR

64. __ de plume : NOM

65. Proceed tediously : PLOD

66. Travel with a pack : HIKE. Oh, backpack.

67. "__ plaisir!" : AVEC

68. Financing nos. : APRs. APR = Annual Percentage Rate.

70. Prune : SAW OFF

71. Singer Lauper : CYNDI

72. "__ directed" : USE AS

75. Mountain myth : YETI. Just the Himalayan.

76. Former U.N. leader Hammarskjöld : DAG

77. Inexperienced : YOUNG

78. Versatile type in medicine, briefly : O NEG

80. Dope : INFO

81. Zoo observation gadget : PANDA CAM. Melissa and I debuted this fill a few months ago.

83. Brown, often : EYE COLOR. Melissa's surname is Brown.

84. Site of the U.S. continent's geographical midpoint : N DAK

85. Disapproving sounds : TSKs

87. Beach building aid : PAIL

88. Cellphone feature : TIMER

93. Baseball Hall of Famer Wagner : HONUS. Here is the famous T206 card. This might be a reprint, given its pristine condition.

94. Coinage : SPECIE. Not a word I use.

95. Man cave art : PIN-UPS

96. Popular connection point : O'HARE. Tricky clue.

97. Biblical prophet : HOSEA

99. __ Lodge : ECONO

103. Theater section : LOGE

104. Department with a scale : DELI. I sure was not thinking of supermarket.

105. Eur. republic since 1944 : ICEL (Iceland)

106. Old Pisa dough : LIRE

108. B or C of the Spice Girls : MEL

110. Cold War spy gp. : KGB

111. Civil things: Abbr. : RTS (Rights)

112. Small ending : ULE. Not LET.

113. Central beginning : MID

Happy Birthday to dear Husker Gary, our incomparable puzzle sherpa and friend. What's the plan today, Gary? Pick up some fresh pears?

Joann, Granddaughter Elise & Gary

C.C.

Saturday, Sep 10th, 2016, Debbie Ellerin

Theme: #2~!

Words: 72 (missing J,Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 32

  This is Debbie's second Saturday this year (4/16/16), and a similar solving experience for the second time, too.  A lot of blank space on the first pass, got just enough from WAGs to get a toe-hold in some sections, and even the proper names filled in after the fact.  A non intimidating grid, with just a couple of 10's and paired 9's;

17a. Enjoy all the seasons : BINGE WATCH - I binge watched all the episodes of "The X-Files" on DVD two years ago

48a. Most, with "the" : LION'S SHARE - this I nailed, and was a huge help in the SW

sONgWARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Object of Canaanite worship : BA'AL - the Wiki

5. Green Goblin portrayer in "Spider-Man" : DAFOE - I remembered this character and the actor

10. Bolted down : ATE

13. Voice from a loft : ALTO - lots of clues with singing/voices today; I was curious about voice classification and found this - I was told in music class back in high school that I was "baritone" - but I can do some high stuff during karaoke

14. Filing aid : EMERY

15. Corporate bigwig : SUIT - went with EXEC, which messed me up in the NE

16. Put in stitches : SEWN - ah, nothing to do with humor

19. "This American Life" host : IRA GLASS - mostly perps and WAGs

21. Hapless toon : COYOTE - my first thought, but I hesitated

22. Support providers : CORSETS - as a carpenter, GIRDERS was my first thought; this is a much better image

23. What some pros often do : MAKE PAR - amateur mini-golfers can hit the mark, too

24. Groundbreaking invention : HOE -  I thought a "?" would have been appropriate for misdirection - but then again, it really is a ground-breaking invention....

25. Unbranded? : GENERIC - similar to NO FRILLs, as in 1d.

26. Relay link : BATON

29. Friend of Mozart : HAYDN - man, I thought this was right, but hesitated again

30. Army officers: Abbr. : LTs

32. "As if!" : "I BET~!"

33. Longtime CBS head : PALEY - all perps, WAGed the "L"

34. Catchy melody : HOOK - yeah, I tried TUNE but it didn't seem correct

35. Lon of Cambodia : NOL

36. Disguise : COVER

37. Swab : MATEY - not Q-TIP, which didn't fit

38. Doesn't give up on : RETRIES

40. Former SSR : RUSsia

41. Draws out : SIPHONS

42. Great expectation : HIGH BAR

46. Thunderstruck : AGHAST

47. Right part of a map? : RED STATE - ah.

50. Vocal support : AYES

51. Canadian singer Murray : ANNE - I remembered her

52. School aide : TUTOR

53. Butter from the farm : GOAT - I was well aware this was going to be "BUTT-er", but BULL did not seem right

54. Dead end? : DEE - clever; deaD

55. Eclipses, to some : OMENS - Columbus used one to his advantage

56. Tots : SUMS - ah, not LADS, which I refrained from filling in; British slang "Tot up" for adding together

DOWN:

1. No-frills : BASIC

2. Olds compact : ALERO

3. Doing battle : AT WAR

4. One not likely to succeed : LONG SHOT

5. Forensic competition : DEBATE - I had the "D", and thought it might be "DNA---" - bzzzt

6. Off the mark : AMISS

7. Boston park, with "The" : FENS - makes sense with Fenway Park in Boston, too

8. Address ending : ORG. - website address

9. It'll turn your head : EYE CANDY - you know what turns my head....

so many to choose from.....

10. Unthinking state : AUTOPILOT - my first thought, with the "A" in place, but EXEC did not agree....

11. Game that's hard to lose : TIC-TAC-TOE - hard to win, too, technically - and saves the day in "War Games" - try typing in "shall we play a game" on Google....

12. It's a real knockout : ETHER - har-har

15. "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" singer Leo : SAYER - I didn't know the name of the singer, but I recall the song with the unmistakeable falsetto style

I could do this at karaoke....

18. Gotten up : WOKEN - RISEN~? AWAKE~? argh~!!

20. Spanish province or its capital : LEON

23. Mobster Lansky : MEYER - no clue, all perps

25. Serious blows : GALES - ah, not fists of fury, fits of Fujita; I noticed with the last tropical storm the "F" classification was now "EF" - it's been 'enhanced'

26. Place for a bargain : BIN - bargain bin

27. Early inhabitant : ABORIGINE

28. Game played in whispers : TELEPHONE - a great game where the initial storyteller hears his message retold, often to a humorous end - I found this link

29. Well-to-do types : HAVES - I pondered "ELITE" and "A-LIST"

31. The limit, perhaps : SKY - confirmed my "TUNE" was wrong

33. Indicates : POINTS TO

34. They can also represent pounds : HASH TAGS - the other other use of "#"

36. Vampire repellent : CROSS - pondered STAKE

37. Faces, in slang : MUGS

39. Macbeth, vis-à-vis Glamis : THANE

40. Commuters : RIDERS

41. Mixed dish : SALAD

42. Great blue wader : HERON

a wader wailer

43. "Blue __": 1963 and 1977 hit : BAYOU

44. Starters : A-TEAM

45. Takes ten : RESTS

47. Review : RATE

49. "Rattle and __": U2 album : HUM

Splynter