Tuesday, July 18, 2017 Howard Barkin

Theme: Getting your just desserts - No pie, let them eat CAKE.

57A. Simple thing to do ... and what each starred clue's answer ends with?: PIECE OF CAKE

20A. *Moon's alleged makeup: GREEN CHEESE. Cheese cake.

40A. *Indian spiced drink: CHAI TEA. Tea cake.

11D. *Pre-euro Dublin currency: IRISH POUND. Pound cake.

29D. *Loofah: BATH SPONGE. Sponge cake.

Argyle here. Pinwheel grid. Pleasing.

Across:

1. "Get outta here!": "SCRAM!"

6. Computers with Apple cores: MACs

10. Designer Ricci: NINA. Nina Ricci. A fashion house founded by Maria "Nina" Ricci and her son Robert in Paris in 1932. Wiki link

14. Slip 'N Slide maker: WHAMO

15. Peter Fonda's title beekeeper: ULEE. "Ulee's Gold"{1997}.

16. Pesky one: BRAT

17. Insurance giant: AETNA

18. Nat or Natalie: COLE

19. Verdi title princess: AIDA

23. Respectful address: SIR

24. __ Lee: dessert brand: SARA

25. "South Pacific" song: "BALI HA'I"

27. Red ink item: DEBT

30. "Yikes!": "ACK!"

32. Fraidy-cat: WIMP

33. Hedging response: "I MAY"

34. Billy Joel's "__ Always a Woman": SHE'S

36. Actress Deschanel of "New Girl": ZOOEY

39. Cambridge sch.: MIT. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

42. Spanish "a": UNA

43. Old anesthetic: ETHER

45. Lee of Marvel Comics: STAN. He has made several appearances on TBBT.

46. Cutting sound: SNIP

47. Hits the slopes: SKIs

49. Eur. realm until 1806: HRE. (Holy Roman Empire)

50. Puts two and two together: ADDs

51. Hangs crudely, as a dorm poster: TAPES UP

54. 1982 Disney sci-fi film: "TRON"

56. Sis' counterpart, and sometime rival: BRO'

62. Charged atoms: IONs

64. Stepped (on): TROD

65. Heart chambers: ATRIA

66. Fierce anger: RAGE. Partner of "rant".

67. Words following a guesstimate: OR SO

68. Sea birds: GULLS

69. Sketched: DREW

70. Sought-after private of film: RYAN. "Saving Private Ryan (1998)"

71. Overact: EMOTE

Down:

1. Pirate's booty: SWAG

2. One-named "Mask" actress: CHER. "School Registration"

3. Give stars to: RATE

4. Official forgiveness: AMNESTY

5. Animated Disney film with a Polynesian heroine: MOANA. (2016)

6. Spanish girls: MUCHACHAS. Boys are muchachos,.

7. Soothing gel ingredient: ALOE

8. TMZ figure: CELEB. (celebrity) TMZ Wiki link

9. Playground fixture for two: SEESAW

10. Steph Curry's org.: NBA. (National Basketball Association)

12. 1976 Olympics star Comaneci: NADIA

13. Arcade pioneer: ATARI

21. Sound of cymbals: [CRASH!]

22. "My Fair Lady" role: ELIZA

26. "I think," in texts: IMO. (in my opinion)

27. Thin coin: DIME

28. Let off, as steam: EMIT

31. Mets star Hernandez who dated Elaine in a two-part "Seinfeld": KEITH

35. Initiated, as a task: STARTED ON

37. Oklahoma city: ENID

38. Puppy sounds: YAPs. Not YIPS today.

40. Like fresh chips: CRISP

41. Beginning of el año: ENERO. Spanish.

44. Just __ by: barely make it: EKE

46. Holy spot: SANCTUM

48. Beau-to-be, hopefully: SUITOR

51. Classic Ford auto: T-BIRD

52. Wildly cheering: AROAR

53. Sportswear designer Ellis: PERRY. Perry Ellis, American fashion designer who founded his eponymous sportswear house in the mid-1970s.

55. No longer a minor: OF AGE

58. Thing, to Tomás: COSA. Spanish.

59. Guthrie of folk: ARLO

60. Bagpiper's attire: KILT

61. Let up: EASE

63. Stitch: SEW

Argyle

Monday, July 17, 2017 Joe Schewe

Theme: L C - but not a Lost Cause.

17. '70s Wonder Woman portrayer: LYNDA CARTER

23. Wonderland creator: LEWIS CARROLL

36. Borden cow ... and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's four longest answers: ELSIE

44. Her fashion company made the Fortune 500 in 1986: LIZ CLAIBORNE

55. "Who's on First?" funny guy: LOU COSTELLO

Argyle here. Joe Schewe hasn't been here since that punny Sunday in 2016. There are several subtle connections between some clues.

Across:

1. Gumbo pod: OKRA

5. Built with, as straw, sticks or bricks: MADE OF

11. Sculler's need: OAR

14. Indian bread: NAAN. Now a crossword staple.

15. On the train: ABOARD

16. Sport-__: versatile vehicle: UTE

19. Dreidel, essentially: TOP

20. Thus far: YET

21. Bulletin board fastener: TACK

22. Not at all serious, as threats: IDLE

27. Bridge support: TRUSS

29. Rime: HOAR

30. Source, as of knowledge: FOUNT

31. Plane arrivals: LANDINGS

35. Plane measure: AREA. Different plane.

38. Joint malady: GOUT

39. Said again: RESTATED

41. Longtime P&G soap "for women": CAMAY

42. "Who __ blame?": IS TO. "Not moi!"

43. Purvey provisions for a party: CATER

49. Gabor and Perón: EVAs

50. Hubbubs: ADOs

51. Treat like a dog?: PET. Aah.

54. Luau serving: POI

59. Drop the ball: ERR

60. Accumulate on a surface: ADSORB. [to gather (a gas, liquid, or dissolved substance) on a surface in a condensed layer] Antonym of absorb?

61. Like a busybody: NOSY

62. Ham on __: RYE

63. Itty-bitty: TEENSY

64. Henna and others: DYEs

Down:

1. "For Your Eyes __": Bond film: ONLY

2. Multi-talented Danny: KAYE. From White Christmas (1954).

3. Go ballistic: RANT

4. "Furthermore ... ": "AND ... " (more rant)

5. Colorful parrots: MACAWS

6. Old calculators: ABACI

7. Nerds: DORKS. Originally as a slang term for “penis”, I'm surprised to see it here.

8. Break bread: EAT

9. Metal-bearing rock: ORE

10. New Deal pres.: FDR. (Franklin Delano Roosevelt)

11. One-up: OUTDO

12. Wake Island or Bikini: ATOLL

13. Fend off: REPEL

18. '50s nuclear experiment: A TEST

22. Provide water to artificially: IRRIGATE. The "to" should be dropped from the clue.

23. Maniacs: LUNATICS

24. Indian spiced tea: CHAI

25. Top-rated: A ONE

26. "Cool!": "RAD!"

27. Ripped up: TORE

28. Bitterly regrets: RUEs

30. Partner of wide: FAR

31. '60s hallucinogen: LSD

32. Alaskan city on the Seward Peninsula: NOME

33. __ gum: thickening agent: GUAR. Not AGAR for a change. Wiki

34. Pigs' digs: STY

36. Soulful James: ETTA

37. First of 13 popes: LEO I

40. Comm. system with hand motions: ASL. (American Sign Language)

41. Art able to: CANST. Archaic.

43. Singer with Stills, Nash and Young: CROSBY. David.

44. Sufferer healed by Jesus: LEPER

45. Old piano key material: IVORY

46. Former name of the Congo: ZAIRE

47. Breakfast strips: BACON

48. Smells: ODORS. But bacon frying is an aroma.

51. Clever tactic: PLOY

52. "If all __ fails ... ": ELSE

53. Santa's sackful: TOYS

55. Back muscle, for short: LAT. (Latissimi dorsi)

56. Keats creation: ODE

57. Waste not: USE

58. Tackle's neighbor on the line: END. And our end, too.

Argyle

Sunday July 16, 2017 Bruce Haight

Theme: "Share and Share Alike" - I'm afraid I'm missing the extra layer in this theme. The paired answers share the same clue numbers & starting letters, but the shared letters PTFFHBDM does not anagram anything.

1A/1D. Like many a postcard scene : PICTURE PERFECT

8A/8D. Imminently dangerous situation : TICKING/TIME BOMB

15A/15D. Achilles' heel : FATAL FLAW
 
54A/54D. "Need assistance?" : HOW CAN I/ HELP YOU

58A/58D. One of dozens, for millions : FACEBOOK FRIEND. What a great clue.

95A/95D. Poppycock, with "a" : BUNCH OF/ BALONEY. We have more:  83. Poppycock : ROT. Also 124. Poppycock : PAP

101A/101D. Bad person to share appetizers with? : DOUBLE DIPPER

121A/121D. Mr. Spock forte : MIND MELD

If you solve via Across Lite, then all your Down theme entries have the same clue: [ - ]. They're supposed to be blank, but Across Lite software can't handle blank clues, hence the dashes.

There has to be an extra layer of unifier to tie the gimmick today. It feels a bit loose to me, as the theme entry choices are not very limited, as shown by this NYT grid.

Construction-wise, this 140-word grid is lovely, as all Bruce's grids. Big chunks of white spaces, which are very hard to fill cleanly. Bruce is grid wizard. One of those few constructors who keep pushing the envelope.

Across:
     
20. "The NFL Today" analyst : ESIASON. Boomer.

21. Transfers, as a T-shirt design : IRONS ON

22. Girl in Byron's "Don Juan" : LEILA. Wiki says she's a Muslim girl. Leila means "night" in Arabic/Hebrew.

23. Get back (to) : RESPOND

24. Company that merged with Konica : MINOLTA

25. Jason's shipbuilder : ARGUS. The 100-eyed monster. We also have 43. Biform beast : CENTAUR. Horse/man.

26. Big party : FETE. Not FEST or GALA or even BASH.

27. Gross fraction : DOZEN. Got via crosses.

29. Brews for socials : TEAS

30. Hook wigglers : WORMS. Quite a few people were fishing along the bank of Mississippi River when Boomer and I took our walk last week. Obviously Boomer likes Rickie Fowler. I was stunned that he found those orange socks.

31. Artist's talent : EYE. EAR too.

32. Caribbean islander : ARUBAN

34. Not just any old : THE. I don't get this clue.

36. Trig ratio : SINE

37. Hollowed out : CORED

40. Mayo is in it : ANO. Mayo the month.

41. Behold, to Brutus : ECCE

44. Knowledge of spiritual matters : GNOSIS. New word to me.

46. North Pole feature : TUNDRA

48. [Yawn] : I'M BORED. Time to take a walk. Summer in MN is gorgeous.

50. Come together : GEL

51. City on Lake Michigan : GARY. I only know Gary in Indiana & our buddy Gary in Nebraska.

53. Casually arrive, in slang : BOP IN. Not a phrase I use.

62. Classic VW : BEETLE

64. Had the nerve : DARED

65. Tiny messenger : RNA

66. Wise ones : SAGES. Asked my sages Argyle and D-Otto, neither saw extra theme layer.

68. Way to hit? : TRAIL. Oh the real "way".

69. Timed perfectly : ON CUE

70. Lightning particles : IONS

72. Japanese noodle dish : RAMEN. This word is borrowed from Chinese La Mian, literally "hand-pulled noodles".

74. Water collectors : SUMPS

76. 1986 #1 hit for Starship : SARA. Unfamiliar with the song.

77. Gush on stage : EMOTE

79. Saw : MAXIM

81. Spanish royalty : REYES. Kings in Spanish. Or this guy.

84. West Coast NFLer : NINER

85. Musical Keys : ALICIA

87. Stock maker's flavor enhancer : SOUP BONE. Typical Cantonese soup consists of pork bones, dried dates, goji berries, watercress and a few traditional Chinese healing herbs, slow-cooked for at least 3 hours. They have a bowl of soup every day and they have a soup for every season. Do you have soup at home often, Jayce?

89. Short-lived Mormon state : DESERET. Learned from doing crosswords.

91. Chihuahua neighbor : TEXAS

93. Manual reader : USER

94. Deli delicacy : LOX

97. Make busts, say : SCULPT

104. Copied : APED

105. Taoist force : YIN. So in Cantonese cuisine, green mung beans are YIN and you eat the soup/porridge in summer. Red beans are Yang, popular winter food.

107. Unsettling look : STARE

108. "Bus Stop" playwright : INGE

109. Berkeley school, familiarly : CAL

111. Sickly-looking : SALLOW

114. Rouge ou blanc : VIN.  Or COULEUR.

115. Rings : PEALS

117. Like 45 records : MONO

120. Kate of "Th1rteen R3asons Why" : WALSH

122. Bridges, in Venice : PONTI. OK, plural of Ponte, as in Ponte Vecchio.

123. Up against it : IN A SPOT

125. __ cheese sandwich, popular Augusta National menu item sold for $1.50 : PIMENTO. Our Big Easy saw this menu in person. Ticket price for Masters Sunday is probably 1,000 times of the sandwich.

127. Wrapped up : ENDED

128. Product of ocean evaporation : SEA SALT

129. Pisa party? : ITALIAN

130. English novelist Charles : READE. Never read any of his books.

131. Nerve junction : SYNAPSE

132. Ones handing out cigars, stereotypically : NEW DADS. Tiny dupe with 45. Changing of the locks : NEW DO

Down:

2. Poker phrase : I SEE YOU

3. Rain storage tank : CISTERN. Another new word for me. Carolyn at our flea market used to sell big rain barrels.
 
4. Record, in a way : TAPE

5. GI morale booster : USO

6. Mixed martial artist Rousey : RONDA. Once unbeatable.

7. "Bewitched" character : ENDORA


 9. One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters" : IRINA. Or MASHA.

10. Fleece : CON

11. Shoestring hassle : KNOT

12. "Land ho!" prompter : ISLE

13. Wrote, as music : NOTATED

14. Grind : GNASH

16. Spray sources : AEROSOL CANS. Great fill.

17. Fertile Crescent waterway : TIGRIS

18. Grads : ALUMNI

19. Misses : LASSES

28. Pueblo people : ZUNI

33. Virtual human companion : NEOPET. Do any of you own these pets?

35. Name that might pop up during a breakfast conversation : EGGO. Cute clue.

38. Just beat : EDGE

39. Idiomatic bits : DRABS. Oh, as in dribs and drabs.

42. Old yellers : CRIERS

47. Cheering deafeningly : AROAR
 
49. Move up and down : BOB

52. Surface for stretching : YOGA MAT

55. Five-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey : ARCARO (Eddie). Wiki says he "has the most wins in the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes with six".

56. Impulse-conducting cell : NEURON

57. Brainstorm : IDEATE. Not a word I use.

59. Breakdown of social norms : ANOMIE

60. Fundamental rules : CANONS

61. First Turkish president __ Atatürk : KEMAL. Learning moment for me.

63. Twists in a bar : LIMES

67. Add pizazz to an ad, say : SEX IT UP. Another great fill.

71. Kind of radial tire : STEEL-BELTED. Got via crosses.

73. Christianity's __ Creed : NICENE

75. Grinch creator : SEUSS

78. "The Fog of War" director Morris : ERROL. Not many ways to clue ERROL, so you better remember this guy.

80. Personalized music media : MIX CDS

82. Contractor's details : SPECS

86. Something to say to a dentist : AAH. Our Bruce is an eye doctor.

88. Champagne choice : BRUT

90. Suit : EXEC

92. Trendy coffee order : SOY LATTE. Soy is spurned by so many. Now the latest research showed coconut oil is bad too. It's the key cooking oil of our foodie Steve.

96. Leave no room in : FILL

98. Wife of Aeneas : LAVINIA. Stumper for me.

99. Spot in a newspaper : PRINT AD

100. Muscle-to-bone connectors : TENDONS. Tiny bone dupe with the SOUP BONE.


102. Common soccer score : ONE ONE

103. Kampala is its capital : UGANDA. Their official language is English.

106. Unbiased : NO SPIN

110. Out of whack : AMISS

112. Base runners? : AWOLs. Gimme for regulars.

113. Snow __ : WHITE

116. Fries, usually : SIDE

118. Tandoori bread : NAAN. Want some naan pizza?

119. Peak in Thessaly : OSSA

126. Big mouth : MAW

C.C.

Saturday, Jul 15th, 2017, Robyn Weintraub

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing J,Q,X)

Blocks: 33

 I do believe this is Robyn's first LA Times Saturday, and upon review, I see her first Sunday was this year, too, and now there's only Tuesday/Thursday left for the cycle.  Slow start for me, finally got some answers filled at the halfway Across point, and then had a good run in the Downs.  The NW however, refused to fill in, and I was tempted to cheat on 6d., but then 5d. came to me, and I was able to close out - and rather quickly, I noticed.  A friendly grid, no crushing chunky corners, no "trapped" corners, very little in proper names, and 6 10-letter fills spread over the construction;

23. Sebastian in "The Little Mermaid," e.g. : CRUSTACEAN - I thought he was a lobster, but it turns out he's actually a crab.  Live and learn.

 44. Be prudent : PLAY IT SAFE

11. One or two may arrive on Valentine's Day : DOZEN ROSES - has Ms. Weintraub been the recipient~?!?

26. It's often labeled "B" : BACK-UP PLAN

ONWAlleD~!

ACROSS:

1. Shoots down : DEBUNKS - learned this word from the endless use of it in the TV show "The X-files" - but I had deCRIEs to start

8. More than just passed : ACED IT - ah.  Two words.  Got me.

14. "My two cents ... " : AS I SEE IT - there's 12 step literature called "As Bill Sees It"

16. Variation of the Latin square puzzle : SUDOKU - my first consideration, but I thought Sudoku was Oriental, not Latin - but then I went and did some research; Latin Square; Sudoku; the latter mentions the former

17. Motherboards, etc. : HARDWARE - computers in the physical sense

18. They may be ribbons : PRIZES - MEDALS~? No, AWARDS is better.  Bzzzt~!

19. You usually can't see your shadow on it : LID - um, OK.  Can't see my shadow on my liP, either.  Oh, EYE lid.  Duh.  Thanks Argyle.  So what's a birP call, anyway~?

20. Scornful grin : SNEER

22. Underhanded type : SNEAK

25. High wind? : OBOE

27. They get checked at airports, briefly : ETAs

28. One on the E. Coast? : RTE - cute.  Route One runs from Key West FL to Ft. Kent ME.  I did not know it uses the George Washington bridge here in NY

 

31. Mechanic's supply : SPARE PARTS - oops, not sparK pLUGs; let's see - that's 60% 100% correct

34. Does some yard work : MOWS - clecho; 52d. Does some yard work : HOES

35. Shreds comics? : HECKLES - there's a guy who plays cards with us who claims he was once a stand-up comedian (comic).  So at the poker table, he tends to treat every one as a heckler - and I could not for the life of me recall this word.  harass~?, haggle~? hamper~? Ah-ha~!

36. 561-piece White House, for one : LEGO SET - nailed it.  Still have my Lego sets.  I like the new architecture series

Where's the extra piece go~?

38. Works on, as comics : INKS - the other kind of comic

39. Shortcuts : TIME SAVERS - that they are.  The 21st century term for this is "life hack"

41. Sun Devils' sch. : ASU - hah~! Nailed it.  Been doing crosswords for too long, I guess

42. Grammy winner James : ETTA

43. It has a Yakutsk card : RISK - yes, yes it does.  Nailed this one, as well.  My board game uses elements from Risk

Top right in green

48. Dodge two-seater : VIPER - my Grand Caravan is a two-seater as well - if I fold the three seats in the back into the floor, that is

50. Yemeni neighbor : SAUDI - not OMANI

51. Grinch victim : WHO

Cindy Lou Who

54. Not coastal : INLAND

56. Habitat that comes and goes : TIDE POOL - pondered ICE SHEET

58. No. 2 terminus : ERASER - good clue/answer.  No. 2 pencil

59. Like some stag party members? : ANTLERED - good WAG

60. Blush producer : WINERY - ah.  The drink, not the make-up

61. Venus, say : GODDESS

DOWN:

1. "George's Marvelous Medicine" author : DAHL - I wondered if this was Curious George, but couldn't remember the author's name anyhow.  It's "Rey".  This is a different book and author; more here; check out the disclaimer at the end of the article

2. Morales of "La Bamba" : ESAI - just about the only proper name in the puzzle, and a gimme for regular solvers

3. __ call : BIRD

4. Amer. capital : USD - $ $ $ $ $ $

5. Old 34-Down preceder : NEWSREEL - ah.  I thought we were looking for the 'invention' prior to the 'movie'

6. Name that means "cool breeze" in Hawaiian : KEANU - argh.  I knew this

7. Parts of some stable relationships : SIRES - I caught the "other" definition of "stable" on my second pass

8. Hieroglyphics creature : ASP - made me change my AWARDS

9. Maledictions : CURSES

10. Minneapolis suburb : EDINA - C.C. knew this

12. Furniture giant : IKEA

13. Mastodon feature : TUSK

15. Have trouble balancing : TEETER - I tried WOBBLE

21. Engine concern : RATTLE

23. 60-Across supply : CORKS

24. Grammarian's concerns : CASES

25. Goes on first : OPENS

29. Suggestive dance : TWERK

30. Insurance co. requests : ESTs

31. Second-largest branch of Islam : SHIA

32. Nickel-and-dime : PETTY - like the way UPS runs its local operation.  I was cheated out of my personal day for July 3rd, so guess what~?  I was "sick" Friday. 

33. "Given the circumstances ... " : AS IT IS

34. Fox product : MOVIE - 40 years since Star Wars saved the company from bankruptcy

37. President for 200 days : GARFIELD - had half the perps in place.  Second President assassinated.  The Wiki

40. Swahili word for "problems" : MATATA - filled via perps

42. Bacon recipient? : EARNER - "bring home the bacon"

45. Form for a letter? : LEASE - think "let-ter", or one who lets

46. Seeking damages : SUING

47. Heighten : ADD TO - actions by my supervisors at UPS add to my aggravation

48. Hotel upgrade option : VIEW

49. Cross letters : INRI

51. Sported : WORE

53. Auto pioneer : OLDS

55. Hang on a line : DRY

57. Walker, for short : PEDestrian

Splynter

Friday, July 14, 2017, Ed Sessa

Title: Babar where are you?

I apologize for an abbreviated write up but I was supposed to have surgery last Friday and then it got moved to Wednesday and then after waiting around the hospital it got cancelled again and I was quite bummed. Anyway, Ed Sessa a consistent pro has created a puzzle that seems to have only three theme fill, all grid-spanners and all related to elephants. I have always loved them since my mother read Babar to me and have about 75 images made from paper to jade.  Anyway, this is a puzzle filled with really fun cluing and if there is more to the theme, I am sorry but I do not have time. However, I will point out the some excellent fill like BACK LINK,  DON ADAMS,  FENDS OFF,  NAME DROP, SEXTANTS,  TAP DANCE, IGNORAMUSES and  OVEREXCITED; also a mini-theme of French words and the grid-spanners-

17A. Ring heavyweights : CIRCUS ELEPHANTS (15).

33A. Makes next to nothing : WORKS FOR PEANUTS (15).

49A. Jack's spot : AUTOMOBILE TRUNK (15).

Across:

1. Innocents : LAMBS. A biblical metaphor.

6. Afternoon tea accompanier : CHAT. Not the French word for cat, but small talk.

10. Longtime shipboard scurvy preventative : LIME. Because lemon would not fit.

14. Piles (of) : A HEAP. Can you sing the song that includes this line, "To have a heapin helpin of their hospitality..."?

15. "Yo" : HI YA.

16. Matched, in Paris Match : EGAL. French for equality, as in liberté égalité fraternité, the motto of the French Revolution.

20. Big cheese : KRAFT. Cute clue/fill and a fascinating history of food in AMERICA.

21. NYC building that was Lennon's last home, with "The" : DAKOTA. Not far from Strawberry Fields at New York's Central Park. A nice walk to the Museum of Natural History.

22. Literary intros : PROLOGS.

25. "Real Time" host : MAHER. A run of the mill comic who reemerged as a political satirist from the left.

26. Western ambush site : RAVINE. I grew up on Gilman Street which connected to Ravine Street.

27. '80s voice of Inspector Gadget : DON ADAMS. Don is more famous as Maxwell Smart.

30. "You said it!" : AMEN.

31. Protest movement : MARCH.

32. Angus beef? : MOO. What a cow says when complaining - brilliant.

37. San Jose-to-Sacramento dir. : NNE.

38. Uncultivated land : HEATH. made famous by the Bronte sisters.

39. Regarding : AS TO.

40. Navigation tools : SEXTANTS. How do they figure these things out. LINK.

42. Grapefruit's bigger cousin : POMELO. You need to learn citrus TAXONOMY or remember the French word Pamplemousse.

44. Common bugs : COLDS. Another fun Friday misdirection.

45. Baroness Blixen's pen name : DINESEN. Isak Dinesen was the pen name for Baroness Karen Christenze von Blixen-Finecke most famous for Out of Africa and appearing in crossword puzzles.

46. Women's clothing chain founded on Florida's Sanibel Island : CHICOS.  They have three BRANDS.

48. Like Olympic racetracks : LANED.

54. Appear : SEEM.

55. Unnerve : FAZE.

56. Was successful in : WON AT.

57. "Nothing lived in him but fear and hatred" : HYDE. The dark side of Dr. Jekyll from the mind of Robert Louis Stevenson. He also wrote Treasure Island.

58. Become undone, in a way : FRAY. Cuffs on dress shirts e.g.

59. Gets down to business? : OPENS.

Down:

1. Senegal's pink-watered __ Rose : LAC. from the French for Pink Lake. LINK.

2. Sushi selection : AHI.

3. Cannes view : MER. The sea in French.

4. Website-to-website connection : BACK LINK. No idea but it fits.

5. Embolden : SPUR ON.

6. Ones doing the dishes : CHEFS. Not washing them, but creating them. Again, bravo!

7. Sword handle : HILT.

8. Maritime agreement : AYE aye cap'n.

9. Cagney does it on stairs in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" : TAP DANCE.

     
10. Came out somehow : LEAKED. Politics.

11. Dolts : IGNORAMUSES. I asked and the world answered.

12. Damon of the Bourne films : MATT.

13. Big cat of film : ELSA. Born Free.

18. Wise one : SAGE.

19. "Very funny!" : HA HA HA. The Thai word for the number 5 sounds like HA, so 555.

22. Seafood order : PRAWNS. I do not know but read prawns have claws on three of their five pairs of legs, shrimp have claws on two of their five pairs of legs. Their gills and body shape are different too. As far as cooking them goes, they are virtually identical and interchangeable. Various sources. (Edited later: the source is JoleneAlaska on StackExchange).

23. Punk rock surname : RAMONE.

24. Hyped-up : OVEREXCITED. Give them Ritalin.

25. Transform : MORPH. Power Rangers?

27. Pub entertainment : DARTS.

28. Mark with blotches : MOTTLE. Mottled skin, also known as livedo reticularis, is alone a harmless condition that is commonly seen with vascular issues and autoimmune diseases. Various sources.

29. "Already?" : SO SOON.

31. Medieval barriers : MOATS.

34. Hebrew greeting : SHALOM. Shabbat shalom.

35. Drives back : FENDS OFF.

36. Make a personal connection? : NAME DROP. Great. How many name droppers do you know? Not counting me.

41. On the way : TO COME.

42. Softwood tree : PINE.

43. Knockout couple? : ONE TWO. Give 'em the old one two.

45. Prominent mayor at the 1968 Democratic Convention : DALEY. The year of the riots, vote with your feet etc.

46. What's in your wallet : CASH. Not always.

47. News headliner Lewis? : HUEY. His band.  Their WEB-SITE.

48. "__ With a 'Z'": 1972 TV special : LIZA. I liked her in Cabaret, not much else.

50. Military band? : BAR.  On the shoulder.

51. A, in Avignon : UNE. Just French.

52. Photographer Goldin : NAN. I should have remembered this WOMAN.

53. Board jumpers: Abbr. : KTS. We end with an abbreviation I am unfamiliar with; the Knights in a Chess match.

I have just enough time to give a filled grid and wish you all a pleasant Bastille Day, which fits right in with all the French in this puzzle.  Thank you Mr. Sessa.  Lemonade out.

Thursday July 13 2017 Bruce Haight

Theme: Horse Play - the four theme entries are equine-related homophonic, or near-homophonic phrases.

17A. Arabian's head covering? : BRIDLE VEIL. Bridal veil. Arabian in the horse breed sense.

26A. Mounting problem at Churchill Downs? : STIRRUP TROUBLE. Stir up trouble.

42A. Something well in hand at Waterloo? : REIN OF NAPOLEON. Reign of Napoleon.

55A. Feature of 50-Down? : HORSE VOICE. Hoarse voice.

and ..

50D. '60s TV personality who would especially enjoy this puzzle : MR. ED

A straightforward-enough punning theme from Bruce with the character reveal tucked away neatly at the bottom of the puzzle.

I'm not sure if I'm bothered or not by STIRRUP TROUBLE - it's certainly an outlier from the other three homophone theme entries, both by not being a homophone and the original phrase having three words, not two.

Not a deal-breaker though, so let's see what else we've got:

Across

1. Unit of heat energy : THERM

6. Like wild boar meat : GAMY and  54. Like wild boar meat : LEAN. Nice clecho.

10. Rock-in-pond sound : PLOP. More like a pebble sound. I think a rock would make more of a KA-BLOOSH sound.

14. Bit part : CAMEO. Konstantine Stanislavsky, the great character actor and theatrical director remarked "there are no small parts, only small actors".

15. Matty of baseball : ALOU. Talented family, those Alous.

16. Most Rembrandts : OILS. Here's one that's not - "Self-portrait, Staring". Aptly titled!

19. "Concord Sonata" composer : IVES. Thank you, crosses. Charles Ives composed what is officially titled Piano Sonata No. 2 "Concord, Mass., 1840-1860". I tried listening to it but gave up after a couple of minutes, it's not my cup of tea.

20. Nevertheless : YET

21. Cools quickly : ICES

22. Physicist Rutherford : ERNEST. His research led to the first atom-splitting by nuclear reaction in 1917.

24. Arequipa's land : PERU. Second most populous city in the country.

25. Pats dry : BLOTS

31. Film that's barely shown? : NUDIE. As a side-theme note, Nudie Cohn was the original "Rhinestone Cowboy" known for his flamboyant clothing design (and custom car design too).

32. Carry on : WAGE

33. 2008 TARP beneficiary : AIG

35. Bit that can be split : ATOM. Rutherford from 22A figured this out.

36. Luges, e.g. : SLEDS

38. Attracted : DREW

39. Sci-fi vehicle : POD

40. Midwestern tribe : OTOE

41. Prairie wanderer : DOGIE. A calf separated from its mother.

46. Stole (in) : CREPT

47. Track piece : RAIL

48. "Wait, start again, please" : I'M LOST. As the dogie said to the cowpoke.

50. Track event : MILE. I like that the mile race is still run even though the other race distances with the exception of the marathon are all metric.

51. Horned viper : ASP

58. Bollywood garment : SARI

59. Help in a bad way : ABET

60. Triage MD : E.R. DOC. Ouch. Least favorite fill of the day.

61. Writer Waugh : ALEC. Elder brother of the better-known Evelyn Waugh. He was a prolific writer, but according to his nephew Auberon "[he] wrote many books, each worse than the last". Tough crowd.

62. Bustle : TO DO

63. Symbols among notes : RESTS

Down

1. Frozen dessert chain : TCBY "The Country's Best Yogurt".

2. Overconfident fable critter : HARE. Beaten by the tortoise.

3. Throw off : EMIT

4. White alternative : RED. Vino.

5. "Le Misanthrope" playwright : MOLIERE

6. Allowed from the mound : GAVE UP. Baseball nomenclature - the pitcher gives up a hit or a run.

7. See 45-Down : ALES.

8. "You think I did it?!" : MOI? Accompanied by innocent eyebrow raising.

9. Christmas cracklers : YULE LOGS

10. Destination in a simple itinerary : POINT B. Early Google Maps didn't always give you quite the correct route.

11. Has extravagant ways : LIVES LARGE

12. Fútbol cheers : OLÉS

13. Attractive sound? : PSST! Attention-attracter.

18. Lampshade shade : ECRU

23. Cad : ROUÉ

24. Stuffy : PRIM

25. "Ratatouille" director Bird : BRAD. More crosses, thank you.

26. Word with brim or bean : SNAP. I'd never heard of a snap bean until today. Live and learn.

27. Coach : TUTOR

28. "My word!" : I DO DECLARE!

29. Many a Belieber : TWEEN. Generally agreed to be the pre-teen years between 10 and 12 when your children start to hate you.

30. Refrain from singing as a child? : EIEIO. Old McDonald and his noisy farm.

34. Singer Stefani : GWEN. She recorded a great remake of Talk Talk's 1984 hit It's My Life

36. "Enough!" : STOP THAT!

37. Room at the top : LOFT

38. Kid's tea party attendee : DOLL

40. Singles : ONES

41. "You bet!" : DO I EVER

43. Like much humor : IRONIC

44. Blue blood, for short : ARISTO

45. With 7-Down, bitter brews : PALE. It's the hops in the ale that gives it the bitter note.

48. "Play it once, Sam" speaker : ILSA

49. Spread, maybe : MEAL

51. Supports : AIDS. We have both aid and abet today.

52. Macbeth or Macduff : SCOT. Aye.

53. Muscle Beach display : PECS

56. "That price is negotiable," in ads : OBO

57. Vein output : ORE

I think we just need a grid and a by-line and we're done, so here they are:

Steve

Wednesday, July 12, 2017 Gary D. Schlapfer and C. C. Burnikel

Theme: SCHOOL DAYS.  Various activities that school children may be involved in are indicated by the clues with asterisks.

18 A. *Annual kids' competition aired by ESPN : SPELLING BEE.  A contest to see who can correctly spell obscure words nobody will ever see or hear again.  In the class room version, I hope the target words are more useful.

24 A. *Excursion that may require permission slips : FIELD TRIP.  Visit to a dairy farm, fire station, or some other location that might be of educational interest.  The permission slip allows the teacher and helpers to take the students away from school premisses.

37. *Evacuation exercise : FIRE DRILL.  A practice run for leaving the building in a safe and orderly fashion, so that all occupants can be accounted for.  We had these where I worked, with several thousand people gathering in a number of assigned locations.  As department safety coordinator, I made sure everyone participated.

50 A. *Year-end hurdle : FINAL EXAM.  Year being the school year, not the calendar year.  The last test of acquired knowledge before moving on - or not.

And, the unifier -- 57A. Group lawsuit ... and what each answer to a starred clue is? : CLASS ACTION.  In the lawsuit, a group of people with a common complaint join together to take legal ACTION against some entity. In the CLASS room, it's an activity in which the students participate.

Hi, Gang.  JazzBumpa here for todays lesson. Pretty straight-forward theme - all of these ACTIONS clearly relate to things that students and teachers might be doing, though a couple of them can also occur in other contexts.  You'd almost think that the idea came from someone with inside-the-classroom experience! So - let's put on our thinking caps and see what we can learn.  

Across

1. Place for fuzzy navels : BAR.  This concoction of orange juice and peach schnapps [or many other potential ingredients] might be served in a tavern.

4. Plots of land : TRACTS.   Refers to [usually] large areas of indefinite extent.

10. Animated internet pics : GIFS.  The Graphics Interchange Format was developed in 1987 by Steve Wilhite's team at CompuServe.


via GIPHY

14. Whopper, but not a Big Mac : LIE.   Deliberately untruthful statement of some magnitude, not a large hamburger sandwich.

15. Reconciled : MADE UP.  I thought that they had gotten back together, but it was just a story somebody MADE UP. { I loves me the English language!}

16. "You said it, sister!" : AMEN.  Or brother.  Let's be inclusive.

17. Safari find : URL.  Safari is the browser on Apple computers.

20. Kazan who directed Marlon in his first Oscar role : ELIA.  This was Mr. Brando's 4th best actor nomination.  Can you name this 1954 film?  It was also the big screen debut of Eva Marie Saint.

22. Crème de la crème : ELITE.  The ones who are best at something, like ELITE athletes or musicians.

23. Neruda's "__ to Common Things" : ODE.   You can read it here.

27. Not as well-done : RARER.  As a steak, not a task.

29. Not hidden : IN VIEW.  I can see it.

30. Airfield fixtures : TOWERS.  The better to see with.

31. Bridal bio term : NEE.  Referring to her birth [or maiden] name.

32. Reader at Mass : LECTOR.  One who reads a scriptural passage as part of a church service.

36. Pigs out (on), briefly : OD'S.  Over-Doses.  Trivializing a term that otherwise relates to a serious public health problem.

39. Sergeant's address : SIR.  As the Sergeant would be addressed by his underlings, or would address her/his superior officers.

41. Balkan first-timer in the 2016 Olympics : KOSOVO.  Over Serbia's protest, they sent 8 athletes who competed in five events, and took home one gold medal, won by Majlinda Kelmendi in judo.

42. Vandalize : MAR.  Cause damage.

45. Oasis visitors : CAMELS.  And, presumably, their riders.

47. Urbana-Champaign "Fighting" team : ILLINI.  University of Illinois sports mascot.

49. What might make a Cardinal an Oriole : TRADE.  From a National League team to one in the American League.  You knew there had to be some baseball in here somewhere.  A quick google search did not reveal any player-for-player trades between these teams in recent years.

53. Wood cutter : SAW.  Carpenter's tool.

54. Maine college town : ORONO.  Home of the University of Maine.  But why is there never any love for ORONO, Minnesota, in Hennepin County on the north shore of Lake Minnetonka?

56. Understands : GETS.  Comprehends.

61. Homeric outburst : D'OH.  Simpson, not the author of The Iliad.

62. Dynamic leader? : AERO-.  Prefix.

63. Crunchy breakfast : MUESLI.  Ugly sounding word for granola.

64. "Just sayin'," in texts : IMO.  In My Opinion.   Admit it - you have one!

65. Must have : NEED.

66. Out in a hammock? : ASLEEP.  Outdoors, and catching some Z's.

67. Empire St. paper : NYT.  New York Times, a continent away from the Golden State's L.A. Times.

Down

1. Much sushi- and sashimi-grade tuna : BLUEFIN.  Several species of tuna in the genus Thonnus, found in many places around the world.

2. Southwest, e.g. : AIRLINE.  The plane truth.

3. Take over for : RELIEVE.  As a baseball pitcher, perhaps.

4. Corp. symbols : TMS.  Trademarks (™).  

5. Eschew the doorbell : RAP.

Rap, rap.
Who's there?
Hip Hop.
Go away, I hate rap.

6. Like __ in the headlights : A DEER.  Refers to someone with a glazed over expression, or frozen into inactivity by fear, panic or confusion.

7. Ma's strings : CELLI.  There are 4 strings on one CELLO.

8. Showy April bloom : TULIP.

9. Shish kebab holder : SPIT.  A rod or stick upon which the meat is skewered.

10. __ rule : GAG.  A imposed prohibition to speak about a specified topic.

11. "There's nothing to do" : I'M BORED.  I have no idea what that feel like.

12. Birdseed buffets : FEEDERS.  

Where birds meet, greet and eat

13. Contemptuous looks : SNEERS.

The masterful Alan Rickman

19. Fiddling emperor : NERO.   Nerō Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus [37-68 A.D.], the last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, from 54-68 A.D.  There is much good and bad to be said abut him.  But he certainly did not fiddle, for that instrument would not be invented for another 900 years.  Rumor had it that he sang and/or played the lyre while Rome burned in July of 64 , but he was out of town at the time.  He organized and participated in relief efforts, and made a new urban plan, with wider roads and more widely spaced brick houses.  But he was scapegoated for the fire, and deflected blame on to Christians, who were then brutally tortured and murdered.  Definitely not this guy.

21. Liston opponent : ALI. Sonny and Muhammad [born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.] respectively

25. Where heros are made : DELI.  Sandwiches.

26. Sexy dance moves : TWERKS.  Sexy or downright obscene?  You be the judge.

28. Mil. no-show : AWOL.  Absent Without Official Leave.

30. "Jeopardy!" fare : TRIVIA.

33. VIP with a corner office, perhaps : CEO.  Chief Executive Officer.

34. NFL six-pointers : TDs.  Touchdowns.

35. Guatemala gold : ORO.  Spanish

37. Mister Rogers : FRED. Seen here making sexy dance moves.


via GIPHY

38. Take it easy : LOLL.   Just layin' around.

39. Mrs. Smith's rival : SARA LEE.  Purveyors of pre-packaged deserts.

40. "It's not news to me ... " : I'M AWARE.

42. Blended : MIXED IN.  Shaken or stirred.

43. Gray area? : ANATOMY.  Refers to a medical text book of the human body by Henry Gray with illustrations by Henry Vandyke Carter, first published in 1858. The TV medical drama, now in it's 13th season, is GREY'S ANATOMY.  

44. Drummer's sound after a one-liner : RIM SHOT.  Find it here.

45. Med. imaging procedure : CT SCAN. Computerized Tomography combines a series of scanned X-ray images taken from different angles, and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images of bones, blood vessels and internal organs.

46. Some summer births : LEOs.  The 5th Zodiac sign, in the fire group, symbolized by the Lion.

Leo

48. Triangle side : LEG.  All triangles have legs.  Some legs have triangles.

Try Angles?

50. Prepare to shoot with a Canon : FOCUS.  Camera, not heavy artillery.

51. Maker of chips : INTEL.   With headquarters in Santa Clara, CA, they are not to be confused with Frito-Lay, with headquarters in Plano, TX.  INTEL has many Trademarks.

52. Cacophony : NOISE.  Cacophony traces back to Greek roots meaning "bad" and "sound."   NOISE, via Old French traces back to the Latin word for seasickness, nausea, which does sound bad.

55. Major Hindu deity : RAMA.  The 7th avatar of Vishnu, the Supreme Being in some Hindu traditions.

58. Lawn roll : SOD.  A grassy layer of earth.

59. Bullring cry : OLE.  An interjection used as a shout of encouragement or approval.

60. Puppy bite : NIP.  Playful, one hopes.

OK, kids - CLASS dismissed.  Our own C.C. and Gary gave us a great lesson plan today.  Hope you found it enlightening.  Now go do your homework.

Cool regards!
JzB

P.S.  In case you didn't know and haven't G-spotted that Eva Marie Saint movie cited above, its On The Waterfront.