Wednesday, July 5, 2017, Agnes Davidson and C.C. Burnikel

TITLE: NOT HITTING ON ALL CYLINDERS

Husker Gary here reporting for the fifth time on work by the construction firm of Davidson and Burnikel. Our Irish Miss and C.C. have a two-level w/circles type of exercise today as you can see below. 

They placed the  word ILL in circles under three types of weather precipitation phenomena.  But wait, there's more! Neither the literal meanings of the word ILL nor the actual meteorological  use of the weather event were part of the theme fills. Land O' Goshen, that's makes for a fun Wednesday exercise!

My search for their devious gimmick was futile until I got the reveal at:

64. Not up to par ... or, aptly, what this puzzle's circled letters are : UNDER THE WEATHER which could also be shown in Wacky Wordie style (*solution to this at the bottom of the write-up)

I'll send out a persona "atta boy"/"atta girl" who got the theme without the circles

Theme answers:

20. Warble : TRILL UNDER 17. Overindulge (someone) at birthday time : SHOWER WITH GIFTS - GIFTS SHOWERED upon Kim Kardashian and her pending event of giving birth 

39. Nabisco snack brand : NILLA UNDER 34. Last-ditch gridiron pass : HAIL MARY - The Huskers beat Northwestern on this fabulous HAIL MARY pass from Ron Kellogg III to Illinois native Jordan Westerkamp 

50. Road incline : HILL UNDER 45. "I'm Moving On" country singer : HANK SNOW - Check out one of his opening acts who is billed with Onie Wheeler but below Slim Whitman

Now let's see what else these two fine ladies have "rained down" on us today:


Across

1. Go straight to the top? : PRAY - Sorry son, I don't think any deity really cares...

5. Crawling carpenters : ANTS - A $4 tube of MaxForce in a syringe got rid of ours

9. Made into a bundle : BALED - Round and rectangular BALES are now "high art" here on the prairie. 

14. Sport for the supersized : SUMO - Marie Osmond won't sell much product to them

15. "Unfaithful" co-star Richard : GERE

16. Join forces : UNITE

21. Figuratively : SO TO SPEAK

22. Circular power tool : SAW

24. Tarzan player Ron : ELY

25. Tetra- times two : OCTA


29. Set one's sights on, with "at" : AIMED - I love this cartoon about Lewis Grizzard's Hilarious book

31. "So long!" : BYE

36. Periodic pay : SALARY

40. And so on: Abbr. : ETC

42. Avant-garde jazzman who named himself after an Egyptian god : SUNRA - Right after I finished this puzzle, I googled this man because all the perps fit. It's amazing how few avant-garde jazz people I know

43. Country Style Steak Fries maker : OREIDA - Anybody got that phone # for Marie Osmond?

47. Pindar work : ODE - Not familiar with this Grecian odeist/odician/odeaphile... 

48. Charlotte __: creamy dessert : RUSSE

51. Permit : LET

52. Crumpets companion : TEA

54. Head honcho : TOP BANANA - George always acknowledged that Gracie was the TOP BANANA in this act

59. Starbucks flavor : MOCHA

66. Send (to) for a second opinion : REFER - George often REFERRED to Gracie as job security 

67. Steal, for slate: Abbr. : ANAG - ANAGRAM of each other

68. Lemon-like : TART

69. Like ogres : NASTY  - Fiona saw that that was not true!

70. "So Sick" R&B singer : NEYO - A artist who thinks lyrics today are too misogynistic 

71. Ironically, they might be even : ODDS


Down

1. Sibilant "Yo!" : PSST - Oh, sibilant refers to hissing not my siblings

2. River to the Rhine : RUHR

3. Mine, in Metz : AMOI

4. Pained cry : YOWL

5. Dept. concerned with rural development : AGR

6. Reuters, for one : NEWS WIRE - Originally named for when NEWS was transmitted literally over a telegraph, telephone or telex WIRE

7. Folk's Kingston __ : TRIO - Is your favorite on here?

8. Couch kin : SETTEE

9. Mobster Siegel : BUGSY - “My friends call me Ben,” he once said, “strangers call me Mr. Siegel, and guys I don’t like call me Bugsy, but not to my face.”

10. Had __: imbibed modestly : A NIP

11. Longest sentence : LIFE

12. Bluesy James : ETTA

13. Work at it : DESK

18. Trains over the street : ELS - Some say the car chase under the ELS in The French Connection was the best car chase ever

19. Ship storage areas : HOLDS

23. Designation for batteries, bonds or baseball teams : AAA - The first two might be more obvious than the last one where the Omaha Storm Chasers are this

 

25. "I can't believe it!" : OH NO

26. Egyptian capital : CAIRO - If you look closely in the lower left hand corner you can see what capital is spent in Egypt's, uh, capital

27. Like many floors : TILED

28. Kate's TV sidekick : ALLIE

30. Nessie and Bigfoot, by most accounts : MYTHS - and Ogres?

31. Get red in the face : BLUSH

32. New Age composer : YANNI - Please, no more YANNI!

33. Flynn of film : ERROL

35. Irate : MAD

37. Question : ASK

38. Two-masted boat : YAWL

41. Robinson Crusoe, notably : CASTAWAY - For the role in CASTAWAY, Tom Hanks shot the first part of the movie and then took a year off to lose 55 lbs. and finish shooting

44. "__ we all?" : AREN'T

46. Society page word : NEE

49. Pioneer Day celebrant : UTAHAN

51. King or Bird : LARRY

53. Physicians' org. : AMA

54. Go sour : TURN - Isn't this what you think of?

55. Draft designation : ONE-A

56. Some email attachments : PDF'S

57. Root often pickled : BEET - People seem to love 'em or hate 'em. I'm in the former camp, you?

58. Aloha State bird : NENE

60. Germany's von Bismarck : OTTO

61. African lake in four countries : CHAD - I couldn't name the other three countries either

62. Cattle collection : HERD

63. Music and dance, e.g. : ARTS

65. Freudian focus : EGO

* FEELING is literally UNDER WEATHER, hence FEELING UNDER the WEATHER 

Those of you who feel up to should now give us your opinion!

Tuesday, July 4, 2017 James P. Sharp

Theme: Bumps in the night - or daylight. Some words that can be placed ahead of BUMP.

18A. Vodka brand with flying birds on the bottle: GREY GOOSE. Goosebump.

23A. Racing bike: TEN SPEED. Speed bump. Only ten speeds on a racing bike, how quaint.

35A. One "there on the sand," in a 1974 hit by The First Class: BEACH BABY*. Baby bump, an expression for showing a pregnancy.

49A. Symbol of absolute rule: IRON FIST. Fist bump, handshake for germaphobes?

55A. Disagree ... or, literally, what the last words of 18-, 23-, 35-, and 49-Across can be: BUMP HEADS. The last words can head up a BUMP phrase.

Argyle here with a debut from Mr. Sharp He debuted in NYT in 2002 and has numerous puzzles in compilation books. He has done some punny work in the past but this is a straight forward "word goes with word" puzzle. Sorry, nothing to do with Independence Day.

Across:

1. Crowd noises: ROARS. "Oohs and aahs" could have been fitting crowd noises for tonight's fireworks.

6. "Is that __?": "No kidding?": A FACT

11. Fat meas.: BMI. (Body Mass Index)

14. __ sanctum: INNER

15. Jar Jar Binks' planet: NABOO. from Star Wars.

16. Olive product: OIL

17. __ Park: San Diego Padres' home: PETCO. Pet supplies retailer Petco is based in San Diego.

20. "__-haw!": YEE

21. Link with: TIE TO

22. Dol. parts: CTs. $ & ¢

25. Muse of comedy: THALIA. The eighth-born of the nine Muses.

28. Dodge City's state: KANSAS

29. "Pop goes" critters: WEASELS

30. Man-mouse connector: OR A

31. "Melrose __": PLACE. Seven seasons on Fox.

34. Jason of "How I Met Your Mother": SEGEL. His role was Marshall Eriksen.

37. Groucho's smoke: CIGAR

40. Waste maker, per a proverb: HASTE. "Haste makes waste"

41. Santa __, Calif.: ANA

44. Art exhibition site: GALLERY

46. Learn about: HEAR OF

48. Tristan's beloved: ISOLDE. Extensive Wiki article.

51. Dallas home of the NCAA's Mustangs: SMU. (Southern Methodist University)

52. Second rock from the sun: VENUS

54. Barrister's practice: LAW

57. "Water Lilies" painter Claude: MONET

59. Mrs., to Claude: MME. French abbreviation for Madame.

60. Jazz great Shaw: ARTIE

61. Hawaiian veranda: LANAI

62. Take the plunge, in a way: WED

63. Small plateaus: MESAs

64. Sports data: STATs

Down:

1. "Let 'er __!": "Fire away!": RIP

2. Subscription period: ONE YEAR

3. Cell reception aid: ANTENNA

4. Schoolyard playtime: RECESS

5. "No more seats" Broadway sign: SRO. (standing-room only)

6. Actress Dickinson: ANGIE. Remember her?

7. Managed: FARED

8. Aid in crime: ABET

9. Road Runner's pursuer: COYOTE

10. Dress fancily, with "up": TOG

11. Illegal, like movies on file-sharing sites: BOOTLEG. Odd clue.

12. Rocket, for one: MISSILE

13. Suffix with percent or project: ILE

19. Irish playwright Sean: O'CASEY. 1880 – 1964 (seems obscure)

21. Maker of the first electric sports car: TESLA

23. Fight ender, briefly: TKO.(technical knockout)

24. Covered decoratively, as walls: PAPERED

26. One whose star has faded: HAS BEEN

27. Comm. for the hearing-impaired: ASL. (American Sign Language) Comm. can be an abbreviation of communication.

29. Complex patterns: WEBs

32. "__ Breaky Heart": ACHY. Popular song by Billy Ray Cyrus.

33. Half a dance: CHA

35. Shape, as dough: BALL UP

36. A Musketeer: ATHOS. "D'Artagnan, Athos, Aramis and Porthos"

37. Movie SFX: CGI. (special effects/computer-generated imagery)

38. "It seems to me ... ": "I ASSUME ... "

39. Latched (onto): GLOMMED

41. Journalist Huffington: ARIANNA. She was the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, which is now owned by AOL.

42. "Piece of cake": "NO SWEAT"

43. Rearward, on board: AFT

45. Midnight rider Paul: REVERE

47. On the water: AFLOAT

49. Nepal neighbor: INDIA

50. Ploys: RUSES

53. Has a bite: EATS

55. 7 Series automaker: BMW

56. Hawaiian-style pizza topping: HAM

57. L.A. Galaxy's org.: MLS. (Major League Soccer)

58. Apt "it's" anagram: 'TIS

*

Argyle

Monday, July 3, 2017 Brock Wilson

Theme: Got your boarding pass? - Airlines.

17A. Law of the jungle, in the Old West: FRONTIER JUSTICE. Frontier Airlines.

23A. 1867 territorial acquisition dubbed "Seward's Folly": ALASKA PURCHASE. Alaska Airlines.

35A. 1973 Helen Reddy chart-topper: "DELTA DAWN". Delta Air Lines, a legacy airline.

49A. Melted yellow square on a burger: AMERICAN CHEESE. American Airlines.

55A. R. Kelly hit whose last title word is aptly rhymed with "sky" in the lyrics ... and a hint to the starts of the other four longest puzzle answers: I BELIEVE I CAN FLY, from the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam.

Argyle here. My first flight was on a DC-3, Mohawk Airlines. On another note, nice puzzle.

Across:

1. "Hometown Proud" market chain: IGA. (Independent Grocers Alliance) Our town's IGA closed in 1999.

4. First-string squad: A TEAM

9. Actor McGregor: EWAN

13. Election Day mo.: NOVenber

14. "Lord Jim" author Joseph: CONRAD

16. Field-plowing site: FARM

20. Freezer cubes: ICE

21. Top-notch: A ONE

22. Texter's gratitude: THX. (Thanks)

28. Old King Cole was a merry one: OLD SOUL

29. Reason for unbalanced books: ERROR

30. Southeast Asian language: LAO

31. __ hasty retreat: BEAT A

34. Walk-__: bit parts: ONs

38. CBS forensic series: CSI. (Crime Scene Investigation)

40. African virus: EBOLA

41. ID on an auto title: VIN. (vehicle identification number)

44. Causes pain: HURTS

47. Refreshing break: RESPITE

52. "Let me think ... ": "HMM ... "

53. Smell: ODOR. Burning rubber? That's just me thinking.

54. U.S. intelligence org.: NSA. (No Such Agency)

61. Extremely: VERY

62. On __ knee: kneeling: BENDED

63. Suffix with human: OID. (humanoid)

64. Celtic language: ERSE

65. Pulled into piles, as leaves: RAKED

66. Hi-__ graphics: RES. (High-resolution)

Down:

1. With one flat, musically: IN F

2. Largest living primate: GORILLA

3. Guacamole fruit: AVOCADO

4. Perform on stage: ACT

5. You, to Yves: TOI. French.

6. Opposite of WSW: ENE

7. Pianist Claudio: ARRAU

8. College focus: MAJOR

9. Little newt: EFT

10. Serves food to: WAITS ON

11. Bow-and-arrow wielders: ARCHERS

12. Santa Fe's st.: NMEX. (New Mexico)

15. Dummy: DUNCE

18. Monster's loch: NESS

19. 61-Across: Ger.: SEHR

23. "You've Got Mail" ISP: AOL

24. NBA great Bryant: KOBE

25. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" author Jean: AUEL. An old crossword favorite brought out of retirement.

26. Place setting disc: PLATE

27. Elvis __ Presley: ARON. It's what is on the birth certificate, alright? Anons keep away.

32. Bill with cocktails: TAB

33. Decorate: ADORN

35. Like desperate circumstances: DIRE

36. Baldwin of "30 Rock": ALEC

37. Laundry: WASH

38. __ of commerce: CHAMBER

39. Hot seasons: SUMMERS. Now if it were Nice hot seasons ....

41. Competes to get: VIES FOR

42. "That's not true!": "IT'S A LIE!"

43. Bridal bio word: NÉE

45. "Star Trek: T.N.G." counselor: TROI

46. Flip of a hit single: SIDE B

48. Teller's comedy partner: PENN

50. Tarp, e.g.: COVER

51. Hockey venue: ARENA

52. Bee home: HIVE

56. Soapmaking supply: LYE

57. "Beats me," in texts: [IDK]. [I Don't Know]

58. Mediocre grade: CEE

59. Tack on, as tax: ADD

60. Golf hole meas.: YDs. Yards

Argyle

Sunday July 2, 2017 Alan P. Olschwang

Theme:  "Up the River" - Each theme entry has a river going up.

5D. British actor who played Algy Longworth in 1930s Bulldog Drummond movies : REGINALD DENNY. Niger. Never hard of the actor.

7D. Garage job : ALIGNMENT. Gila.

11D. Western actor who taught Harrison Ford how to use a bullwhip : LASH LARUE. Ural.

15D. "Titanic" theme vocalist : CELINE DION. Nile.

61D. Was perfectly tailored : FIT LIKE A GLOVE. Volga. Longest river in Russia.

76D. Memorable line from Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek" : I'M IN HEAVEN. Neva. One more Russian river.

85D. Third James Bond novel : MOON RAKER. Arno.

87D. Samba relative : BOSSA NOVA. Avon.

So nice to see Alan Olschwang back. He made so many puzzles for us during those Wayne R. Williams days.

Some of the rivers span across two words. Some are just fully contained in another word. Not too many choices for Alan.

It seems that Rich has changed his policy and allows circles on Sundays.

Across:      

1. Back biter? : MOLAR. We also have 41. Scary biter : TSETSE. "Biter" clue echoes.

6. They're rarely good dance partners : OAFS. Also 50. Square dance milieu : HOEDOWN. Do you still remember the sweet high school picture Yellowrocks used for her avatar some time ago? Pre-Butterfly.

10. Worry word : ALAS

14. Nut under a tree : ACORN

19. Sherlock's adversary Adler : IRENE

20. Zero-star meal : SLOP.  I had baked walleye & roasted rosemary potatoes last Friday. So good. This is the first year I grow rosemary.

21. Hard finish? : WARE. Hardware.

22. Big fight : MELEE

23. Words on the street? : SLANG. Nice clue.

24. Big Island port : HILO

25. Spanish pronoun : ESTA. Also 73. Span. title : SRA

26. Window treatment : BLIND

27. Cargo unit : TON

28. Lennon classic covered by Pentatonix : IMAGINE

31. Like some riots : HILARIOUS. Great fill.

33. Absurd : INSANE

35. Aborted operation : NO-GO. Tiny two-letter dupe with 51. Turn : GO BAD. The hardest to spot dupe in a grid is EAT/ATE.

36. Something to learn : LESSON. I continue to make dupe errors. Never learn! Thank God Rich/Patti are always there to save me.


37. Willamette University home : SALEM

39. "Enigma Variations" composer : ELGAR

45. Coral Sea sight : ATOLL

48. More hard-up : NEEDIER
  
52. NBC weekend staple : SNL

53. Ancient German : TEUTON

55. Fuming : IRED. Not a word I use.

56. Polishes, as prose : EMENDS

58. Support source : TECH. Our local paper had an disconcerting article on how CenturyLink has been running a Wells Fargo-style scheme.

60. Job listing ltrs. : EEO

61. Bacon and eggs, say : FOODS. I also planted French Tarragon this year. For my scrambled eggs.

62. Puts in order : NEATENS

64. Police protector : VEST

66. Woodworking supply : STAIN. Followed by 68. Workable wood : ASH

69. Firmly affixed : NAILED

71. State with confidence : ASSERT
 
76. Hastings hearth : INGLE. Learned from doing crosswords.

77. Deserve : EARN

79. Tells : RELATES

81. Hostile force : ENEMY

84. Cartesian conclusion : I AM

86. Volvo competitor : SAAB

88. Freshen : AIR OUT

89. Sitarist Shankar : RAVI. Dad of Norah Jones.

90. Like hiss or boom : ECHOIC. Not a word I use.

92. Snappy dresser : FOP

94. Scandinavian capital : KRONE. Currency. We also have 43. Scand. land : SWED

95. Fictional wolf's disguise : GRANDMA

97. Employ to excess : OVERUSE

99. Fisherman with pots : EELER. You can probably find this roasted eel from the Asian aisle in your grocery store. Very tasty.

100. Algonquian chief : SACHEM. Never heard of this word.

101. Govt. issue : T-NOTE

102. Arabian peninsula capital : SANAA

104. Infatuate : ENAMOR

106. Intestine sections : ILEA

108. Plumed birds : EGRETS

112. Dr. Brown's classic : CREAM SODA

115. Ivy in Ithaca : CORNELL. Where Bill G and Santa went,

117. Seek office : RUN

118. Baby bug : LARVA

119. Wedding reception eye-catcher : CAKE

121. Worked up : AGOG

122. Spender of rials : OMANI

124. French 101 infinitive : AIMER. Love. The three characters between Je and t'aime  is Chinese "I Love You". The one under t is Korean.

125. "Power Hits" series record label : K-TEL

126. Went off the deep end : DOVE

127. Picked a ticket, perhaps : VOTED

128. Board : PLANK

129. Lowly worker : SERF

130. Christmas symbol : STAR

131. Lyrical poetic form : EPODE
  

Down:

 1. Peruvian volcano El __ : MISTI. Oh hi.

2. Wrinkle-resistant fiber : ORLON. Unlike RAYON (Viscose), which wrinkles easily.

3. Cants : LEANS

4. "Barbara __": Beach Boys hit : ANN

6. DOL watchdog : OSHA. Department of Labor.

8. Book sheet : FOLIO

9. Freeloaded : SPONGED

10. Stupefied state : AWE

12. More pretentious : ARTIER

13. Waterproofs, perhaps : SEALS

14. Cynical Bierce who defined "sweater" as "Garment worn by child when its mother is feeling
chilly" : AMBROSE
 
16. Broad assortment : OLIO

17. Bausch + Lomb brand : RENU

18. Rorem and Beatty : NEDS. Also 90. Filmdom's Thompson and Watson : EMMAs

29. Qantas hub letters : MEL. OK, Melbourne.

30. Tertiary Period stones : EOLITHS

32. __ Martin: Bond's car : ASTON

34. Like italics : ASLANT

38. Middle of dinner? : ENS. Dinner.

40. Turn right : GEE

42. Capa attacker : TORO. Bull in Spanish.

44. Circle's lack : ENDS. Drew a blank.

45. Gemini rocket stage : AGENA. Have not seen this entry for a long time.

46. Some library volumes : TOMES

47. Caribbean sorcery : OBEAH.  Is it still practiced?

49. Sorbonne student : ELEVE

50. Nocturnal tree dweller : HOOTER

54. Trueheart of the comics : TESS

57. Problem with a line : SNAG. Fishing line.


59. Turn over : CEDE

63. Glass component : SILICA

65. Ancient home of Irish kings : TARA. I think Argyle used this clue in one of our puzzles.

67. Academic specialty : AREA

70. Sister of Rachel : LEAH

72. A lot more than a little mistake : SNAFU

73. It may have a swivel top : STOOL. Oh, like those in the bar.

74. Get together with old classmates, say : REUNE. Do you actually use this verb form?

75. China __: showy bloom : ASTER

78. Religious recluse : ASCETIC

80. Unpaid bill : ARREAR. Often in plural.

81. Energy bits : ERGS

82. Ancient Japanese capital : NARA. Japan's capital between 710 and 794, according to Wiki.

83. Brush fire op : EVAC

91. 1961 Literature Nobelist Andric : IVO. Stranger to me.

93. Plant studied by Mendel : PEA

96. Hamlet's homeland : DENMARK

98. Puts in another roll of film : RELOADS

101. Up till now : TO DATE

103. First word in Dante's "Inferno" : NEL. Forgot. We had this before.

105. Taunts : MOCKS

107. Grain bane : ERGOT

109. Sister of Calliope : ERATO. Same roots as Eros.


110. Not sharp or flat : TUNED

111. Rather nasty : SNIDE

112. Storm harbinger : CLAP

113. Marsh bird : RAIL. Cute.

114. Name on the column "At Wit's End" : ERMA (Bombeck)

116. Hungarian city known for red wine : EGER

120. Seasonal worker? : ELF

123. Swiffer WetJet, e.g. : MOP

C.C.

Saturday, Jul 1, 2017, Greg Johnson

Theme: None

Words: 64 (missing J,Q,W,X,Z)

Blocks: 44~!

Second Saturday in 2017 for Mr. Johnson - and despite a slow start, I ended up breezing through today's offering.  I reviewed his puzzle from March 25th, and also his debut back in 2013, just to see if there was any reference to him being Australian - which has been a topic of his clues/answers these last two constructions.  None that I could see.  Unusual grid design, sort of a backwards "S" ( or is that "Z"~? ), which again strands us in corners and little to work with getting into the others.  Lots of long across answers, which leaves us with nearly 60% more down clues and answers;

14a. Elaborate sci-fi costume component : FULL BODY MAKE-UP - big fan of the show "Face Off" on SyFy, and much as I like making movies, make up was not one of my strong points - but I certainly would like to try

46a. Spicy meatless dish : VEGETABLE CHILI

24a. Australian Stock Horses, perhaps : POLO PONIES - enough downs to figure this out

36a. They may be excuses : SOB STORIES

ONWARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Annual July 1 celebration marking the 1867 signing of the British North America Act : CANADA DAY - the "DAY" part appeared via crossings, and then it was a sensible WAG being that it was North America

10. Some Australian carvings : ABORIGINAL ART - "ART" showed, so I figured this was another sensible WAG

16. Supermarket count : AISLES - ITEMS was too short - and appears at 21d.

17. Old Andorran currency : PESETA

18. Arrive : GET IN - first thought, but hesitated

19. Dickensian denouncement : BAH~!

22. Guided : LED

23. Get out of Dodge : FLEE - in my case, I have to get IN the Dodge to get out of Dodge - my Grand Caravan, that is

28. Annex : ADD - oops, not ELL

29. Yusufislam.com musician : CAT STEVENS

30. Having a short cut : BOB-HAIRED

31. Like home, say : FOUR-LETTER - yes, but it's such a pleasant four letter word

33. Hang (around) : PAL

37. Didn't miss, as a bus : MADE - I didn't miss my putt on the 3rd hole last Wednesday, and as a result, had my first birdie - yay~!

38. "Gr8 joke!" : LOL

39. Unisex nickname : SAM - I tried "PAT"

40. 4/8/74 record breaker : AARON - half perps, half WAG

41. Brie who played Trudy on "Mad Men" : ALISON - half perps, half WAG

45. Home Depot work apparel : APRONS - I used to don one (Don Juan~?) when I was a kitchen designer back in 2002

50. Legacy Hartsfield-Jackson tenant : DELTA AIRLINES - looked like one of those "huh??" clues until I had half the crossings, again

51. Thinking indicator : LONG PAUSE - ah, not LIGHT BULB (which connotes "idea"), not HOUR GLASS (like the Microsoft icon)

DOWN:

1. Beardie, for one : COLLIE

2. Former senator Specter : ARLEN

3. Twizzlers pieces : NIBS

4. Ancient history adjective : AGO

5. Completed : DID

6. This, that or the other : ANY

7. Not soaked yet : DAMP

8. Winglike parts : ALAE - first of a couple 'plural' misdirections (no "S" ending)

9. Centuries-old Asian wool sources : YAKS

or this one~?

10. Off-topic : AFIELD

11. Out of order : BUSTED

12. Catch from the pier : REEL IN

13. Learners, hopefully : TUTEES

15. Shoulder protection : PADS - "singular" clue with a plural answer

16. Imaging company once big in film : AGFA - the Wiki

19. Bugs : BOTHERS

20. Ancient French region : ALSATIA

21. It flies off store shelves : HOT ITEM

24. Artist Picasso : PABLO

25. Netanyahu's predecessor : PERES

26. CBer's punctuation : OVER - always reminds me of the movie "Airplane!"

27. Friend of Homer : NED - Flanders~!

29. "Harold and Maude" co-star Bud : CORT - perps

30. Mover of many : BUS - ah, not "ARK"

31. Misled : FOOLED

32. Do a favor for : OBLIGE

33. Sentence ender : PAROLE - good one - not PERIOD

34. Head turner : ADONIS

35. It helps you focus : LENS - ah, a singular noun with an "S" ending~!

36. Many a Balkan : SLAV

37. Nautical : MARINE

40. Plant-ruining genus : APHIS

42. Make believable : SELL

43. Palindromic fellow : OTTO - and a clecho;

44. Palindromic bread : NAAN

45. Rights org. : ACLU

47. Lunch holder : BAG

48. In most mammals, the upper one has a groove called a philtrum : LIP - ha~! I knew this

49. Memorable time : ERA

Splynter

Friday, June 30, 2017, Dave Cuzzolina & Patti Varol

Title: Add a letter - find an animal

Well it seems that we have a new Patti Varol (Rich's assistant) mentee debuting on a Friday. The gimmick is simple but I have not seen it before. The adding a letter to a word to make it into an animal related fill is skillfully done. CATTITUDE is my favorite and LAMBITION, not so much, but they are all good. We also have some nice fill like  HOME ICE,  MAUGHAM,  ANTIQUE, SATSUMA, CURSIVE and AS I SAID.

Since Ms. Varol is Rich's assistant, I wonder how many clues were changed? Well let's see what was left.

17A. Know-nothing swine? : PIGNORAMUS (10). Do people say Ignoramus any more? I guess so; LISTEN at your own risk.

22A. Puppet's desire to manipulate Shari Lewis for a change? : LAMBITION (9). This takes knowing LAMB CHOP was her lead sock puppet.

35A. Sass from a young lion? : CATTITUDE (9). I leave this for CED to go wild with.

51A. Lazy lady's man? : SLOTHARIO (9). Yes this is REAL.

58A. Cephalopod wizard's game? : SQUIDDITCH (10). The only one that has no google life. It is a portmanteau of SQUID and QUIDDITCH.

Finding five which could be placed symmetrically was great.


Across:

1. Actress Kaczmarek or Krakowski : JANE. It took me a minute, but I think the first was from Malcolm in the Middle and the latter from Ally McBeal and 30 Rock.

5. Friends abroad : AMIS. French.

9. Resigned words : AH ME.

13. Chihuahua cheers : OLES. Chihuahua, Mexico.

14. Point of view : SLANT.

15. Creep : TOAD. Not a meaning I know.

16. Woodshop tools : SAWS.

19. "Conan" channel : TBS. Turner Broadcasting System.

20. Baja vacation spot : CABO. Both spring breakers and high end travelers go HERE.

21. Co-owner of the Pequod : PELEG. I do know my Moby Dick. But is he FUNNY?

25. Yale founder Yale : ELIHU. Hence Eli.

27. Come to light : EMERGE.

28. Cry of fright : EEK.

or 18D. Raise a stink? : REEK. Game of Thrones?

30. GoPro product, briefly : CAMera.

31. Before thou know'st : ANON. Popular Shakespeare word.

32. The teensiest bit : A TAD.

34. One filling in : TEMP. Temporary help.

38. Conceal : MASK. The movie?

41. Piano recital piece, e.g. : SOLO.

42. Marine predator : ORCA.

45. Lead-in to roll or spree : ON A.

46. Moll's leg : GAM. Two words from the gangster world; moll has meant gangster's girlfriend since the 1500's. Gam appeared in the 30's.

47. Fast entry : IN RUSH.

49. Mink relative : OTTER. I knew this, not sure why.

54. Long Island airport town : ISLIP. I flew into Islip with my wife two years ago on our trip to my childhood haunts.

56. __ Domani: Italian wine brand : ECCO. Where is Chairman Mao, our wine expert?

57. Issuer of nine-digit ID nos. : SSA.

60. Tale spinner : LIAR.

61. Sport whose champions are called "yokozuna" : SUMO. A great MATCH featuring two champions.

62. CoverGirl competitor : ALMAY.

63. Car rental giant : AVIS. We use this more often than Hertz.

64. Suckling spot : TEAT. Oh My!

65. Come off as : SEEM.

66. Formally relinquish : CEDE.

Down:

1. Elbow one's way : JOSTLE.

2. "To Kill A Mockingbird" setting : ALABAMA. Have any of you read the sequel?

3. Ones turning in stories : NEWSMEN.

4. Small opening? : ESS. The S starting Small.

5. "I was home alone," perhaps : ALIBI. That is not much of an alibi.

6. Myopic Mr. : MAGOO.

7. Roadside retreat : INN.

8. "Knock it off!" : STOP. My father said that often in the 50's.

9. One bit : AT ALL. I used say that so much in the 70's and 80's.

10. Hockey advantage : HOME ICE. The cold version of home field advantage.

11. "The Razor's Edge" novelist : MAUGHAM. An interesting MOVIE as well.

12. Mad men? : EDS.

14. Flood : SPATE. I did not know this definition.

20. Aetna rival : CIGNA. Insurance giants.

23. Lou who stole 938 bases : BROCK. He was traded away by the Cubs. Sadly he has had one of his legs amputated.

24. "Sweet!" : NEATO.

26. One working at a base : UMP. Maybe Patti and CV.C. trade baseball stories.

29. Kin of gov : EDU.

32. Molecular particles : ATOMS.

33. Up to, briefly : TIL.

34. __ firma : TERRA. Latin for firm land - hence Earth.

36. Org. with body scanners : TSA.  And so much more now.

37. "Tiny Bubbles" singer : DON HO. From 50 years ago.

38. Farm sound : MOO.

39. It's not new : ANTIQUE.

40. Asian citrus fruit : SATSUMA. I have learned many new vegetables and fruits from my wife, including this mandarin orange type.

43. Gettysburg Address feature : CURSIVE.  Very deceptive. They do not even teach handwriting in schools now.

44. "Let me repeat myself ... " : AS I SAID.

46. Graph paper design : GRID. It was how puzzles were designed until the computer came along.

47. Like a mosquito bite : ITCHY.

48. Raspy : HOARSE.

50. "Adam Bede" novelist : ELIOT. This was George Eliot's first novel.

52. "Here, I'll do that" : LET ME.

53. Non-shaving razor name? : OCCAM. Of course this was easy for all.

55. BlackBerries, e.g. : PDAS. Personal Digital Assistant.

58. Former JFK lander : SST.

59. French landmass : ILE.

60. Fond du __, Wisconsin : LAC. I think John Lampkin should have had a bonus fill last week - Lake Winnebago!

We are done, as is the month of June. Some will have a long week-end for the 4th. Personally I am tired of being home, but these write-ups are fun. Have a safe and fun fourth! Lemonade out.

Thursday June 29 2017 Gerry Wildenberg

Theme: Mohr, Mohr, Mohr! On a scale of one to hard ...

35A. Gritty ... and a description of this puzzle, which is also a hint to completing eight answers : HARD-EDGED

1A. Angry Orchard product : [HARD] CIDER

6A. Bony part of the roof of the mouth : [HARD] PALATE

66A. Contacts option : [HARD] LENSES

67A. Punishing work : [HARD] LABOR

12D. Hockey puck material : [HARD] RUBBER

15D. Stubborn : [HARD] HEADED

38D. Real estate, gold, silver, etc. : [HARD] ASSETS

45D. Gotten with considerable effort : [HARD] EARNED

Fun puzzle! The penny finally dropped with the theme when I got to 15D.

I was grumpily thinking that "HEADED" is not a term I'd ever heard for being stubborn and then it all clicked. I try to avoid solving the reveal clue ahead of completing the rest of the grid; I like to try to figure the theme out as I go. Lots of goodies in the fill, so nice job all around by Gerry.

Let's have Roxy Music's cover of Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" as the soundtrack for the rest of the commentary.

Across:

12. 1988 Schwarzenegger cop film : RED HEAT. I started off entering ROBOCOP but stopped short. Can't have "cop" in the answer if it's in the clue.

14. Put an end to : ABOLISH

16. Clears a stoppage from : UNCLOGS

17. Entertainer nicknamed "The Schnoz" : DURANTE. Jimmy had a strikingly large nose.

18. "Be Prepared" org. : BSA. Boy Scouts of America.

19. Party hearty : CAROUSE

21. Monterrey Mrs. : SRA. Señora in Mexico.

22. Outlying area, briefly : 'BURB

24. Whitman of TV's "Parenthood" : MAE. Thank you crosses.

25. Slightly : A TAD

26. Earth along the Elbe : ERDE. German. Per Wikipedia "Die Erde ist der dichteste, fünftgrößte und der Sonne drittnächste Planet des Sonnensystems."

27. Lyric tribute : ODE

29. French course : SALADE. Food! Fun.

31. Score silence : REST

32. Guideline : RULE

34. Spot for wheels? : CAR AD. Nice clue/answer combo.

38. "... __ lovely as ... ": Kilmer : A POEM

41. European volcano : ETNA

42. Seis doubled : DOCE. Español. I took my first Spanish language class last week. I can speak menu Spanish, but I thought it would be nice to be able to actually converse beyond "buenos dias", "adiosbb " and "uno mas cerveza, por favor."

46. Beat the bushes : SEARCH

48. Note site : PAD

49. Exploring Griffith Park, say : IN LA. Griffith Park is my go-to local hiking spot. I took this picture of what is known locally as "The Wishing Tree" last Sunday at the top of the Cahuenga Pass in the park. It's about a 1,000 ft hike/scramble to get up there.

50. Sushi bar drink : SAKE. I had sake on Tuesday with my sushi. I keep a bottle in the refrigerator.

51. __-Locka, Florida : OPA. This reminds me of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" when I see this word. Opa!

53. Not e'en once : NE'ER

54. Terrestrial newt : EFT. I tried ERT first, for no good reason whatsoever.

55. Hammer at an angle : TOENAIL. This is a new expression for me. Here's toenailing in action:

59. Sun shade : TAN

60. Destructive storm : TORNADO

62. Agenda opener : ITEM ONE

64. Administer an oath to : SWEAR IN

65. Made do : MANAGED

Down:

1. Official rebuke : CENSURE

2. Security issues? : ID CARDS. I just got a new one for NBC Universal, one of my clients. I was hoping it would get me into the theme park; sadly it just gets me access to the lot and a bunch of office buildings. Boo.

3. FedEx alternative : DHL. Could have been UPS. Wasn't.

4. Anti-discrimination org. : E.E.O.C.

5. Musical style of Anoushka Shankar's 2015 album "Home" : RAGA. They play this all the time in the Indian market that I shop at. She's a very talented sitar player.

6. City near Venice : PADUA

7. Mistreats : ABUSES

8. Traditional accounts : LORE

9. Chef's phrase : A LA. Here is Sushi A La Steve which I made earlier this week. I popped into the Japanese market in downtown LA for a couple of things, then saw they had some super-good-looking yellowtail and hamachi, so Sushi Tuesday it was.

10. Sheriff's badge : TIN STAR

11. "CHiPs" actor : ESTRADA. I heard that the recent movie remake was absolutely dreadful.

13. Original Dungeons & Dragons co. : T.S.R. Really? How absolutely fascinating. Next.

20. Breakfast cookware : OMELET PAN. Not me, my breakfast cookware is a coffee machine.

23. "Don't forget our date" : BE THERE

25. "Arabian Nights" character : ALADDIN. I must remember that he is not spelled "ALLADIN". It looks wrong across the page, I didn't catch the mistake as it's running vertically downwards.

27. Hockey immortal : ORR

28. Guy : DUDE

30. Breeze through : ACE

33. Author Ferber : EDNA

36. "Better Call Saul" network : AMC

37. Wander : GAD

39. Pheasant kin : PEAFOWL. Noisy, too. Steve Jobs got a small flock as a gift when he lived next door to Larry Ellison. Ellison pleaded with him to find them a new home, they were ruining his Zen moments.

40. Yellow ribbon holder of song : OAK TREE. You can go and find the song yourself if you need a reminder of how sappy it is. Maybe it was only an irritant in the UK.

43. "Almost finished!" : ONE TO GO!

44. Pledge, e.g. : CLEANER. Nice misdirection.

47. Identity-concealing garb, perhaps : HOODIE

52. Lowly workers : PEONS

55. Completes a street : TARS. Still not quite complete. You need to paint the road markings.

56. Purpose : AIM

57. Tilted type: Abbr. : ITAL.

58. "Not That Kind of Girl" memoirist Dunham : LENA

61. Indian bread : NAN. I gave up trying to make these at home. You need a tandoor or an oven that gets up to around 800F.

63. Shakespeare's fairy queen : MAB

"O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you.

She is the fairies’ midwife, and she comes

In shape no bigger than an agate-stone

On the fore-finger of an alderman ...." 

So says Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet.

And so says Steve - here's the grid!

Adios!

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Barry G, who used to post on our blog faithfully when he worked at home. How are you doing, Barry? We miss you!

July 2, 2016

Wednesday June 28, 2017 Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: GAME CHANGER (60A. Ump's controversial call, perhaps ... and a hint to this puzzle's circles) - Each theme answer contains an anagram of a game. 

17A. Literally, "Ireland forever" : ERIN GO BRAGH. Bingo.

24A. Accident investigation site : CRASH SCENE. Chess.

37A. Gently towels off : PATS DRY. Darts.

51A. Eavesdrop : LISTEN IN ON. Tennis.

Boomer here.  It's true an ump may change an outcome of a game. But here in warm and windy Minnesota it's time for me to park the GLOWIN' Balls in the garage and get the clubs out to the great outdoors.  I just finished a successful spring league with most games over 200, and now I'll FLOG the links with most scores over 100.  If the averages ever meet it will be time to quit both games I fear.

Across:

1. Hubby's "better half" : THE MRS I think you need to be William Frawley's age to use this term.

7. Metaphorical china shop culprit : BULL - Yeah, I've heard of the china shop but I use this half a word to define lies.

11. Rest area? : SPA

14. Bring to light : REVEAL

15. "That makes sense" : I SEE

16. __ paper : WAX - NEWS and TERM were too many letters

19. Swelling reducer : ICE - covers all of our 10,000 lakes every winter

20. Pie __ mode : A LA

21. Figured out : GOT - there seems to be an abundance of three letter words in this puz.

22. Ward off : REPEL - Cutter's works good on mosquitoes

28. Vacuums, say : CLEANS

30. Meteorological light shows : AURORAS - They come along once in a while.  I always seem to miss the display.

33. Ill-mannered : CRASS - Crass, Cross - Same ol'

34. You might get a bad one in the rough : LIE - see my FLOG comment above.

35. Cosmetic surg. option : LIPO This is half a word.

36. Leia's love : HAN - Was "Star Wars" an AURORA ??

41. Safari beast : GNU - You need a GUN to kill a GNU

42. Equal : EVEN - Pass line bet at the craps table

44. Protective housing : POD- Moving companies will drop them in your driveway.  You load, they haul.

45. Survey choice : OTHER - I hate surveys. They should pay for your time.

47. Need for a return, usually : RECEIPT

49. Crazy Horse, for one : LAKOTA - Well known Native American organization in Chamberlain, SD.

53. Speed skater Ohno : APOLO - Surprise! I remember his performance in the Olympics.  Always thought there were two "L"s in his name.  Often wonder if competitors jived him with his surname.

55. Put a stop to : END

56. Sound from a toy : YAP - I have no yapping toys.  Maybe from a Toy Poodle ?

59. Possesses : HAS

65. Imitate : APE

66. Commentary piece : OP-ED -short for opinion/editorial.  We have way too many in this country.

67. Eight-time Best Actor Oscar nominee who never won : O'TOOLE - Probably most famous as Lawrence of Arabia.

68. Unfavorable : BAD

69. Sundae crunch providers : NUTS - I am STUNNED by this clue.

70. Squeezed (in) : WEDGED - Or one of those goofy FLOG shots - Jordan Spieth made from the bunker in the playoff.

Down: 

1. Uno e due : TRE - I don't comment on foreign words.

2. Wife of Zeus : HERA - Would this not be Zeus' better half?

3. "See no __ ... " : EVIL - You may see it LIVE and in person.

4. Endangers : MENACES - Mr. Wilson's bane

5. Word after dust or do : RAG- Clean oil from your bowling ball.
  

6. "America Runs on Dunkin'," e.g. : SLOGAN

7. Beginning : BIRTH 

8. "Born in the __" : USA - Last Sunday in the Travelers FLOG tournament, the crowd was yelling "BOO S A" for PGA player Weekley.

9. Stocking stuffer? : LEG - SANTA had too many letters

10. MacNeil's longtime co-host : LEHRER (Jim). Robert MacNeil.

11. Unlock a cellphone screen, perhaps : SWIPE RIGHT - Since my cell is an old style flip phone, I have no idea what this means.

12. Show anxiety, in a way : PACE - In Massachusetts, you must pick up the PACE if you are running around the CAPE.

13. Skater's maneuver : AXEL - This is a goofy skating leap named after a Norwegian named Axel. Someday I may have a 7-10 split named after me?

18. Head honcho : BOSS

23. Carbon compound : ENOL - Would this be the LONE element in Carbon?

25. Sign of a sore throat : RASP - Your FLOG opponent may lose his voice after your string of PARS.

26. Expressed : SAID

27. Stage coach? : CUER - If the CUER is sick, you may need a doctor to CURE him before the
show.

28. Hunger for : CRAVE

29. Sign of an impending merger? : LANE CLOSED - We have a lot of this going on here in Minneapolis.  I am sure other cities as well.  Our four seasons are Fall, Winter, Spring and under construction.

31. Sleep problem from the Greek for "absence of breathing" : APNEA

32. Like lemons, e.g. : SOUR

33. Chaz Bono's mom : CHER - Sonny's better half in the sixties.

34. "Dropped" '60s drug : LSD - Speaking of the sixties "LBJ took the IRT through the USA, and
what did he see?  The youth of America on LSD"

38. Date with the doc : APPT

39. Roomy bag : TOTE

40. Musician Ono : YOKO - John Lennon's better half, of course

43. Diamond of song : NEIL - One of my favorites was "Song, Sung, Blue". Johnny Cash sung "I walk the LINE".

46. Broadway performer's recognition : TONY NOD

48. Equiangular geometric figure : ISOGON - This looks like a Made up word or acronym.

49. "The Mod Squad" member : LINC

50. "You said it!" : AND HOW - And how are you doing on this puzzle ?

52. Food and shelter, for two : NEEDS

53. Pequod captain : AHAB-or the ARAB, the sheik of the burning sand!

54. Rollin' stone, in a Motown classic : PAPA

57. Enthralled : AGOG

58. Brazilian soccer hero : PELE - One of the original soccer player millionaire icons.  I am sure he could PEEL hundreds from his bankroll.

61. "The Simpsons" storekeeper : APU

62. Fulfilled, as a deadline : MET - Also the Big Apple Citi field player.

63. Wolfed down : ATE - Ate lunch and then relaxed with TEA.

64. Embarrassed : RED - Cincinnati Great American Ballpark player.

Boomer