Tuesday, August 29, 2017 ~ Lonnie Burton & Nadine Anderton

Theme: Word Jumble - In the circles, various formations of the word, SPARE.

17A. Microsoft Excel tool: SPREADSHEET

24A. Like lutes and mandolins: PEAR-SHAPED

36A. Gentle hose setting: FINE SPRAY

49A. Stain remover for wrinkle-resistant fabric: PERMA-PRESS  

58A. Pocket coins, or what can literally be seen in each set of puzzle circles: SPARE CHANGE

Argyle here. So one jumble forms a word, (pears), and one is a prefix, (après-); three span two words while one is wholly contained in one word. It has some strong columns in the corners; all-in-all, a satisfactory third LAT puzzle from this duo.

Across:

1. Ruin: SPOIL

6. Pesto herb: BASIL

11. NYC financial newspaper: WSJ. (Wall Street Journal)

14. Dodgers and Giants: TEAMS. Both former NYC teams.

15. Spanish girl: CHICA

16. Boo follower: HOO

19. It's found in lodes: ORE

20. Disc in the dishwasher: PLATE

21. Parish residence: RECTORY

23. Mount sacred to Judaism: ZION. Mount Zion is a hill in Jerusalem just outside the walls of the Old City.

                                      rare snow

27. Splinter groups: SECTS

29. Beer drinker's option, briefly: IPA. (India pale ale)

30. River from Lake Victoria: NILE

31. First animal rescue vessel?: ARK

32. Ex-Yankee Martinez: TINO. Both a third baseman and first baseman, Wiki.

34. John of Monty Python: CLEESE

38. Shoot for, with "to": ASPIRE

41. New Mexico art hub: TAOS

42. Chicken __: itchy malady: POX

45. Paper mishap: TEAR

46. Building wing: ELL

47. Yankee manager Joe with four World Series wins: TORRE. He serves as Major League Baseball's chief baseball officer since 2011.

53. Close by: NEAR

54. Gets away: ESCAPES

55. When many take coffee breaks: AT TEN

57. "__ you listening?": ARE

62. Animation frame: CEL

63. Prohibit, legally: ESTOP

64. Fencing swords: EPEEs

65. Masthead VIPs: EDs. (Editors)

66. Small and large: SIZES

67. Actress Streep: MERYL

Down:

1. 42nd and Wall: Abbr.: STs. NYC, 42nd is mid-town and Wall Street is down at the tip.

2. More lively: PEPPIER

3. Dinghy attachment: OARLOCK

4. "That is to say ... ": "I MEANT ... "

5. J.D.-to-be's exam: LSAT. (Law School Admission Test)

6. Former NCAA football ranking sys.: BCS. Bowl Championship Series, a system that selected matchups for major college football bowl games between 1998 and 2013.

7. Spa sigh: [AHH!]

8. Mountain chain: SIERRA

9. Fruity frozen drinks: ICEEs

10. Fastening device: LATCH

11. __ pie: cream-filled chocolate cake: WHOOPIE. My sugar spiked just looking at them.

12. Reddish-brown horses: SORRELS

13. "Peppermint Twist" lead singer: JOEY DEE and the Starliters.

18. ATM transaction: Abbr.: DEP. (deposit)

22. Dred Scott decision Chief Justice: TANEY. Bio.

23. When doubled, a Gabor: ZSA

25. German article: EINE

26. Biblical disciple: APOSTLE

28. Verb in a recipe: STIR

33. Suffix with chlor-: INE

34. Zagreb's country, to the IOC: CRO. (International Olympic Committee/Croatia)

35. Bringing up the rear: LAST

36. Terra __: solid land: FIRMA

37. Friends: PALS

38. Content (with): AT PEACE

39. Becomes incensed: SEES RED. I guess peace didn't last.

40. FedEx deliveries: PARCELS

42. Feather-fixing bird, e.g.: PREENER

43. Like a bad fake tan: ORANGEY

44. Gen-__: millennial preceder: Xer

46. Fake: ERSATZ. Thank you whoever used it in the comments the other day.

48. Already recorded: ON TAPE

50. Church recesses: APSEs

51. Cola choice: PEPSI

52. Anatomical pouch: SAC

56. Those folks: THEM

59. Fish eggs: ROE

60. Mini-albums, for short: EPs. (extended play)

61. Subj. for immigrants: ESL. (English as a Second Language)

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Let's continue keeping our Texas regulars in our thoughts and prayers. D-Otto has not replied my email either. Hope he just lost his internet. Thanks for the updates, Anon-T, Peg and TX Ms.

2) Here are two pictures from JD.

This one was taken on Sunday night when her grandson Truman celebrated his 10th birthday. How time flies! JD joined our blog shortly after Truman was born.

 

JD and her husband Bob

The picture is from her recent vacation with Dick (an old blog regular) and his wife Irene in Switzerland. They take vacations together every year. JD said "We couldn’t go up in the gondola (today’s CW entry) to the Matterhorn because of high winds, so we took a tram up to the 2nd highest peak: Gornergrat... it was very windy with snow, dust and gravel blowing."

Monday, August 28, 2017 ~ Gail Grabowski

Theme: Puff Piece - Items of light weight.

17A. Exploit a situation for personal wealth: FEATHER ONE'S NEST

27A. Textured overhead interior feature in some homes: POPCORN CEILING. Google pictures.

48A. Large final loan remittance: BALLOON PAYMENT

64A. Has little significance ... and to all intents and purposes, what the first word of 17-, 27- and 48-Across does: CARRIES NO WEIGHT

Argyle here with Gail's solo effort. Some entries will test your crossword knowledge.

Across:

1. Plastering strip: LATH. Not many plaster walls left.

5. Go here and there: ROAM

9. Performs a full-body scan on?: OGLEs. New clue for an old favorite.

14. "Wonderfilled" cookie: OREO

15. Arizona county or its seat: YUMA

Gateway Park

16. Decoratively patterned fabric: TOILE

1950's nautical toile cocktail dress

20. Decorator's asset: TASTE

21. Black & Decker rival: SKIL. Power tools.

22. Membership fees: DUES

23. Embarrassing shirt-pocket stain: INK

25. Range above tenor: ALTO

34. Soup aisle container: CAN

35. Director Kazan: ELIA

36. Walk-on role: CAMEO

37. Feels remorse over: RUEs

39. Sock away: AMASS

42. Works on a seam: SEWS

43. Identity-concealing name: ALIAS

45. Yr.-end consultants: CPAs. (Certified Public Accountant)

47. "The fresh air is delightful!": "AAH!"

52. iPod download: TUNE

53. Tofu source: SOY

54. Dating from: AS OF

57. Give the band a hand: CLAP

60. Brings in from the field: REAPS

67. German steel town: ESSEN. Actually, a quite 'green' town.

68. "I've got the tab": "ON ME"

69. Like some art class models: NUDE

70. Places for laces: SHOES

71. Call for: NEED

72. Shocked reaction: GASP

Down:

1. Artist's digs: LOFT. They get the best light.

2. Flooring calculation: AREA

3. Drinks with crumpets: TEAs

4. Inside racetrack info: HOT TIP

5. Loaf in a deli: RYE

6. For you and me: OURS

7. Wild way to run: AMOK

8. Hit song from "Flashdance": MANIAC

               'Firewind' is a Greek power metal band.

9. Extra NFL periods: OTs. (overtime)

10. Ski resort transports: GONDOLAs. Will take you where a t-bar could only dream.

11. "In __ of gifts ... ": LIEU

12. Otherwise: ELSE

13. Sinks out of sight, as the sun: SETS

18. Therefore: HENCE

19. Couture monthly: ELLE

24. Beverage nut: KOLA

26. Personal quirk: TIC

27. Former "American Idol" judge Abdul: PAULA

28. Roger of NBC News: O'NEIL. Roger O'Neil has been a reporter for NBC News for over 30 years.

29. Volcano edge: RIM

30. Anti-discrimination org.: NAACP. (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)

31. "In other words ... ": "I MEAN ... "

32. Not experienced in: NEW AT

33. "Golly!": "GOSH!"

34. Clawed crawler: CRAB. I miss Sally.

38. Like foods for a low-sodium diet: SALT FREE

40. Body wrap offerer: SPA

41. Comes out with: SAYS

44. Not worth a __: SOU. A former French coin of low denomination.

46. Camper's dessert: S'MORE

49. On a single occasion: ONCE

50. Willie of country: NELSON

Willie Nelson and his guitar, 'Trigger'.

51. Watching closely: EYEING

54. Golf rarities: ACES. A hole in one.

55. Beauty pageant band: SASH

56. Roughly: ORSO

58. Celebrity chef Burrell: ANNE

59. Fleshy fruit: POME. A fruit consisting of a fleshy enlarged receptacle and a tough central core containing the seeds, e.g., an apple or pear.

61. Isla surrounder: AGUA. Spanish for island and water.

62. Advanced degrees: Abbr.: PHDs. (Doctor of Philosophy)

63. Staircase unit: STEP

65. State Farm's bus.: INS. (Insurance)

66. Exchange rings: WED

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Dear Peg sent me these two pictures on Sunday morning (before they were pounded with more rain). She said this:

"Here’s a pic or two from all the rain we’ve gotten….. over 24” in the last 12 hours!

No water in the house but it came within half inch. Receding slowly.  First pic is of our front yard.  Second is neighbor’s house across the street!"

Sunday August 27, 2017 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "Special Ops" - OP is added to each theme entries.

27A. Like soup cans to Andy Warhol? : PERFECT FOR THE POP ART. Perfect for the part. Jeffrey started his first themer at Row 4.

45A. The musical "1776" reworked with arias? : COLONIAL OPERA. Colonial era.

55A. Astaire/Rogers 1935 boast? : I MADE TOP HAT. I made that.

67A. Pace of a runaway horse? : UNMITIGATED GALLOP. Unmitigated gall.

83A. Why the kennel closed? : NO PET PROFIT. Net profit.

92A. Vespa newbies? : MOPED STUDENTS. Med students.

112A. #1 rodeo competitor? : THE LORD OF THE ROPINGS. The Lord of the Rings.

I hope you guys have the chance to meet with the legend Jeffrey someday. His creativity & passion are unparalleled. Look at what he did with 27A, 55A and 83A, changing one word into two. So imaginative.

Jeffrey's grid design is also very imaginative. He's never daunted by a first 14-letter first themer in a 15*15 grid, or a 13-letter middle row themer, regardless how many theme entries he has. Of course, you have to have an imaginative brain to dream of and execute THE X-FILES. We're so lucky to enjoy his creations regularly.

Across:      

1. Crisscross pattern : GRID

5. Whole alternative : SKIM

9. Religion that may involve a moon goddess : WICCA. Learning moment. Hinduism also has a moon goddess, correct?

14. Tolerate : ABIDE

19. Sticks figure : RUBE. Read as "Stick figure".


20. Common conifer : PINE

21. Many a South Pacific isle : ATOLL

22. Kosher : LEGIT

23. __ in the Pod: maternity brand : A PEA. Unfamiliar with the brand.

24. It won't fly on the Sabbath : EL AL. Hahtoola never uses her computer/tablet on Saturdays. We also have 32. Traditional meal : SEDER

25. Get rid of : SCRAP

26. Freetown currency : LEONE. I've never seen a $500 bill in person.

31. New York natives : ERIES

33. Join : ATTACH

36. Position : STANCE

38. More extensive : WIDER

40. Mid sixth-century date : DLI. 551.

42. For two, in music : A DUE

43. "The rules __ the rules" : ARE

48. Courtesy to parents of a child flying alone : GATE PASS. Debut entry! Also 54. Carrier renamed in 1997 : US AIR. Eventually merged with American Airlines.

53. Refuses : WON'T. This type of clue always gets me. I thought the answer would end in *S.
   
59. Their areas are arias : DIVAS. Nice clue.

61. Auction unit : LOT

62. Taunt : GIBE

63. Ballerinas' supply : ROSIN. Not TUTUs.

65. Saltpeter : NITER

73. Traffic stopper, perhaps : SIREN

74. Capital SW of Brussels : PARIS. Plenty of daily trains between the two cities. Also 18. 74-Across season : ETE
 
75. Sculptors' degs. : BFAs

78. "Lou Grant" production co. : MTM

81. Like some strays : MANGY
 
87. Flew into __ : A RAGE. You won't see our Gary flies into one. He's always so understanding and gracious.

89. Mexican dirección : ESTE. East.


91. Engine regulator : THROTTLE. Consonants-heavy.

97. Verizon subsidiary : AOL

98. Two-balled weapon : BOLA

99. Dangerous African biter : ASP

100. News story sources : LEAKS

102. Absorb, as with toweling : BLOT UP. Never used this phrase.

107. Brief outline : APERCU. Not SKETCH.

109. Produce chapter and verse? : WRITE. Another great clue.

111. Development areas : UTERI

118. 1995 Cecil B. DeMille Award-winning actress : LOREN (Sophia)

120. Marilyn's birth name : NORMA. Norma Jeane. One of the flea market guys loves Marilyn to death. He collects everything about her.

121. Swear : AVOW

122. Gp. that includes Venezuela : OPEC

123. Golf shoe feature : CLEAT

124. Like some construction sight markers : CONIC.  He meant "site".

125. Current : TIDE

126. Geometry function : SINE

127. Accomplishments : DEEDS. Not FEATS.

128. Act with passion : EMOTE

129. Acorn, essentially : SEED

130. Laryngitis docs : ENTs
  
Down:
 
1. Ones pressed for drinks : GRAPES. I never juice grapes or Honeycrisp apples. Too precious to juice.

2. Grint who plays Ron in Harry Potter films : RUPERT. Here he is.

3. Portugal's region : IBERIA

4. Overwhelm with noise : DEAFEN

5. What manuscripts may be submitted on : SPEC. Crossword puzzles too, unless it's Sunday. Then you can send a theme query to Rich first.

6. Caber toss garb : KILTS

7. Shortly, casually : IN A FEW
 
8. Songlike : MELODIC

9. Scrooge's opposite : WASTREL. This is a new word for me.

10. Craving : ITCH
 
11. Crux : CORE

12. Show appreciation, in a way : CLAP

13. Boxer's brand? : ALPO. Dog food.

14. With 113-Down, precipitously : ALL AT. And 113. See 14-Down : ONCE

 15. Draft providers : BEER TAPS. I've been hoping that TTP and Abejo would meet again soon.


16. Savvy shopper's cry : I GOT A DEAL. This reminds me of Jeffrey's I WAS MAD. He debuted lots of entries.

17. Ruckus : DIN

28. Fire __ : ESCAPE. Not ENGINE.

29. Makeover : RE-DO

30. Swabby's need : PAIL
 
34. Collector's item : CURIO

35. Compassion : HEART.  Stole this lovely picture from dear Misty's Facebook.

Dusty & Misty

37. Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT

39. Ticket word : ROW

40. Home furnishing purchase : DINING SET. I use "Dining room set".

41. Estonia neighbor : LATVIA

44. Paul Anka's "__ Beso" : ESO

46. Silent affirmation : NOD
 
47. Montana's __ Falls : OUSEL. Never heard of it. Looks like a nice hiking spot.

48. Band performance : GIG

49. "__ dreaming?" : AM I

50. "Forbidden" perfume : TABU

51. Ideal places : EDENS

52. Appears suddenly : SPRINGS UP. Also 86. Prepare to store, as a blueprint : ROLL UP

56. Harley, e.g. : HOG

57. "Make it quick!" : ASAP

58. Industry VIP : TITAN

60. Bermuda's ocean: Abbr. : ATL

64. Successor to Claudius : NERO

66. High-tech worker : ROBOT. Look at the receptionist in this Japanese hotel.

68. Emulated a street performer : MIMED
 
69. Investment acronym : IRA

70. Guiding principles : TENETS

71. Decline : DIP

72. [It disappeared!] : PFFT

76. Require meds, maybe : AIL. As TTP predicted, my doctor asked me to take salt liberally. I've made progress. Reached 103/63 at the doctor's office. I normally hover around 90/60.

77. Sault __ Marie : STE

78. Dangerous African biter : MAMBA

 79. Military unit : TROOP

80. It might be tapped : MAPLE TREE

82. Since Jan. 1, in P&L reports : YTD

84. Article in rap titles : THA

85. "No __!": "Easy-peasy!" : PROB

88. Under-the-hood type : GEARHEAD. Dear Santa is one.

90. Slim swimmer : EEL

93. Novelist Bellow : SAUL

94. Church greeter's target : NEW FACE

95. Like small star fruit : TART. Any of you drinking tart cherry concentrate/juice?

96. Slope apparel : SKI HATS

101. Wonder on stage : STEVIE

103. Lazy : OTIOSE. OK, then, I've been otiose the past few months.

104. Half of bowling's worst split : TEN PIN. Or SEVEN PIN. By the way, PK, Boomer does wear sneakers when we walk inside the mall. He thinks you're right about the sucking effect of the rubber soles. Thanks for the analysis.

105. Of immediate concern : URGENT

106. Compassionate, creative, submissive sort, it's said : PISCES. True?

108. Small change : CENTS

110. Undercut : ERODE

114. Den, for one : ROOM

115. Bond adventure with Honey Ryder : DR. NO

116. Drop : OMIT

117. Was in the red : OWED

118. Clock readout abbr. : LCD. I wonder why they don't make silent wall clocks.


119. "Good one, matador!" : OLE

Anon T(Tony) sent me below map with a note. Peg lives in League City. Stay safe, everyone. 

"This is the traffic map. All the little "water droplets" are flooded freeways. For some reason, people are still on the road (see yellow & blue). Reports of abandoned cars abound.

TxMs is inside the inner loop near where 59/I69, Westpark & 610 meet (in the SW). DO is way up north-east @ 59/I69 (past IAH airport), and I’m down where 99/529 crosses 59/I69 in the extreme SW quadrant (just a bit NOT on the bottom of the map). I don’t know where Peg is. So far, we’re all OK and hunker’d down."

Happy birthday to dear Lemonade (Jason), our Friday Sherpa since March 2010. He's been through quite an ordeal this past year, but he's always cheerful and positive. Thank you for being here for us, Lemonade. Thanks for taking good care of Lemonade, Oo!

Saturday, Aug26th, 2017, Mike Buckley

Theme: "Crossword and see me sometime"

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

Blocks: 30

Mike Buckley's last Saturday puzzle was back in April, with his clever spiral galaxy theme and grid design.  Today it's a quotation/speaker theme, and I blew right through this one, in record time.  Did not look promising with a lot of blanks on the first pass, and when I saw the circumreferential clues, thought we were in for a long one.  But then the Down clues were practically gimmes, and that gave me so many perpendiculars that I had no trouble on the second Across pass.  Just to be clear, I know the 'theme' title is a play on a famous quote, which is famously misquoted; see here.  The irony of a sex symbol crossword this week, following some of the comments last week is not lost on me, either. The theme fills;

19. See 38-Across : LOOKED OVER

38. She said, "It's better to be 19-Across than 55-Across" : MAE WEST

I like this one, as well

55. See 38-Across : OVERLOOKED

12.9 billion miles ONWARD~!

(see 22a.)

ACROSS:

1. One who's often over a barrel? : COOPER - the technical term for one who makes barrels

7. Band member with a vihuela : MARIACHI - I have never heard of a vihuela, so I went to Wiki for more.  Mariachi can be found on the golden record of Voyager - see below

15. Use a combine : THRESH

16. Tiny orbiter : ELECTRON

17. Not shrink from : RISE TO

18. Maintain control : RIDE HERD - since we had this in a Saturday puzzle this year, it has become crosswordese for me

21. "The Owl and the Pussycat" poet : LEAR

22. Watched : SEEN  - I watched a show on the Voyager spacecraft Thursday night - fascinating stuff.  Some facts: both missions were launched 40yrs ago; as of Aug 2012, the Voyager I officially left our solar system and became the first man-made object to reach interstellar space; it is traveling at 38,000mph; more here

23. Chocolate-flavored spread : NUTELLA - hey, I knew this one~!

25. Gets misty : STEAMS UP - ah, reminds me of a line from a Tom Jones remake;

@ 0:48

29. Welcome item? : MAT

30. Online shopping offer : CHAT - yeah it pops up, I knock it down, but the little button lingers there on the side....annoying

31. Testimony opener : I SAW

33. Glitterati member : CELEB

37. IV sites : ORs

40. Bedazzlement : AWE

41. Rwandan ethnic group : TUTSI - had to 'guess' just the "S"

43. One of Pop's partners : SNAP - Snap, Crackle & Pop, Rice Krispies

44. "Roast beast"-eating people : WHOS - of Whoville

45. Adobe file format : PDF

47. Shelley dedicated an ode to one of them : SKYLARKS - what, to a Buick~?

49. Musical star who received a 1949 Honorary Award Oscar : ASTAIRE

53. Big heads? : EGOS

54. Split hairs? : PART - I used to part my hair; now I go for the Giorgio Tsoukalos look

60. Blathered : PRATTLED

62. Current quantity : AMPERE

63. Antlion relative : LACEWING - didn't know what an antlion was, but once the answer filled, I sensed it was some sort of dragonfly-type insect; the antlion larva is vicious - a video here

64. Squanders, perhaps : SPENDS

65. Dramatic break : ENT'R ACTE

66. American of Japanese descent : SANSEI - I had NISsei, which is 100% 50% correct

DOWN:

1. PC key : CTRL

2. Its state quarter displays the Wright Flyer : OHIO

3. "... __ it seems" : OR SO

4. Gives a sidelong glance : PEEKS AT - OGLES did not work, but the ----S AT part I left

5. Respect : ESTEEM

6. Onetime Botswana neighbor : RHODESIA - now Zimbabwe

7. "Jeopardy!" first name : MERV - dah~! NOT Alex, not Jack; Merv Griffin, the creator.  I'd like to see a real version of the original concept - that is, one word answers in a category, and you have to come up with the question.  e.g.; Category US state capitals: answer; $200 Oklahoma City - - - - $1000 Albany

8. Sci-fi staple : ALIEN

9. Shining example of mirror-writing? : REDRUM - ah, the Shining - Stephen King's novel, Jack Nicholson's "Here's Johnny", and the word 'murder' written on a door

10. Curling surface : ICE - curling has been popular on Saturday lately

11. Shoe endorser : ATHLETE

12. Angler's wicker basket : CREEL

13. Every 60 minutes : HORAL

14. Hindu weather deity : INDRA

20. Responsibilities : ONUSES

24. Diplomatic asset : TACT

25. Kilt wearer : SCOT - it was brought to my attention that I have neglected my women commenters, so I will post a picture of a man in a skirt this week

26. No __ traffic : THRU

27. Right in the atlas? : EAST - we had "point in the right direction?" two weeks ago

28. Potential queens : PAWNS - ah.  I forgot about this chess rule, known as promotion - a pawn that reaches the eighth rank ( the far end of the board ) can be 'promoted' to one of the more powerful pieces.  I do not have an equivalent rule in my game, and thus I will have to consider adding it in.  I am on vacation this week, and it is one of my goals to have the board game completely ready for play by four people by Labor Day weekend

32. Not so potent : WEAKER

34. Memorable big cat portrayer : LAHR - the cowardly (ant)lion~?!?

35. Furry Endor native : EWOK - such a gimme for a Star Wars nerd like me

36. Catfish Row heroine of opera : BESS - only had to guess the last "S"

38. Modest skirt : MIDI - and now for the woman in skirt

39. Pirate's viewing aid : SPYGLASS - such a cool word, and the name of a street in my old neighborhood - Spyglass Lane

42. "CSI" evidence : SPATTER - well, not so much evidence as a place to collect it, so to speak

44. Showed willingness to listen (to) : WAS OPEN

46. Cavort : FROLIC

48. Oompa-__: Wonka worker : LOOMPA - not much leeway in cluing for a word like this

49. Big __ : APPLE - I left it blank - and yet probably should have been my first answer, being that I live in New York

50. Leftovers cover : SARAN

51. Political essay : TRACT

52. Ceremony, e.g. : EVENT

56. Border : EDGE

57. Guy dolls : KENS - been keeping in shape~!

and TWO hunks this week~!

58. Mahler's earth : ERDE - I had no idea, so I went and looked it up after it filled via perps - the Wiki

59. '50s sitcom name : DESI

61. Longtime Howard Hughes asset : TWA - I didn't know; so again, the Wiki

Splynter

Notes from C.C.

1) Happy Birthday to dear Montana, an extraordinary courageous mom and grandma. Hope your eyes are getting better. We think of you often.

 Montana and her 5 children celebrated her birthday in 2014, Vail, CO2)

2) Anon T (Tony) sent me this "Huge" image.  He said below. He lives in Houston. Stay safe and update us when you can, Tony, Peg, TX Ms & D-Otto!


"I've never seen a storm like this outside of Jupiter's "spot." (I'm exaggerating; a bit)

What's somewhat disconcerting is the projection (zoom in and look for the 'line') that this goes back to sea and strengthen before making a bee-line to HOU."

Friday, August 25, 2017 ~ Samuel A. Donaldson

Theme: Crank Up the AC - Add A C to some words starting with C and clue appropriately.

20A. Rudely confront espionage supervisors?: ACCOST CONTROLS. (cost controls)

34A. Agreement on the ratio of innies to outies?: UMBILICAL ACCORD. (umbilical cord)

40A. Ones meekly entering debits and credits?: ACCOUNTING SHEEP. (counting sheep)

51A. High praise at a carousel?: BAGGAGE ACCLAIM. (baggage claim)

Argyle here today. I hope nothing's wrong with Lemonade. update: He is okay.

Across:

1. Song one can't perform?: DUET

5. Walk through puddles: SLOSH

10. Mosul's home: IRAQ

14. On the water: ASEA

15. Princess Toadstool's rescuer: MARIO

16. Run into, maybe: DENT

17. Online gaming tyro: NOOB

18. Salem residents: OREGONIANS

22. OPEC member: UAE

23. Guzzler: SOT

24. Holy verse: PSALM

27. Letters by the shore: SPF

30. __ wave: TIDAL

37. Quote from a goat: MAA

38. Absent: NOT IN

39. "O Sole __": MIO

45. Embezzles: SKIMS

46. Trike rider: TOT

47. Big name in electric cars: TESLA

48. Somerhalder of "The Vampire Diaries": IAN

50. Org. that helps you find a way: AAA

59. Pinpoints: ZEROES IN ON

60. Apple talker: SIRI

61. Seeks: ASKS

62. With no other: ALONE

63. Noodle variety: UDON

64. Upscale: POSH

65. Cut with a beam: LASED

66. Await a decision: PEND

Down:

1. Ultimate Fighting Championship president White: DANA

2. Biennial games org.: USOC

3. Fair-hiring agcy.: EEOC

4. Mediterranean salad: TABOULI. Parsley and bulgur wheat salad.

5. Hit hard: SMOTE

6. Prix de __ de Triomphe: annual horse race: L'ARC

7. Oft-twisted cookie: OREO

8. Leo, for one: SIGN

9. Hilarious sorts: HOOTS

10. More than silly: IDIOTIC

11. Down-to-earth: REAL

12. Coulter and Curry: ANNs

13. Liq. measures: QTs

19. Campus org. for future ensigns: NROTC. Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps.

21. Cousin of Dan'l?: SAM'L

24. Adidas alternatives: PUMAs

25. More than a peck: SMACK

26. Old counters: ABACI. Plural of abacus.

27. Great guy?: SCOTT

28. Chaise place: PATIO

29. Fire starter: FLINT

31. Common state capital features: DOMEs

32. Moon of Uranus: ARIEL

33. Parkinson's drug: L-DOPA

35. Rustic stop: INN

36. "Life of Pi" director Lee: ANG

41. "Wow!": "O MI GOSH!"

42. Grammarian's concern: USAGE

43. Legato's opposite, in mus.: STAC

44. Closes, as a wound: HEALS UP

49. Like some cold symptoms: NASAL

50. Pimply: ACNED

51. Indicación de afecto: BESO

52. Sacred chests: ARKS

53. Arizona river: GILA

54. "The Dukes of Hazzard" deputy: ENOS

55. Top-shelf: AONE

56. Support staff member: AIDE

57. Monopoly token replaced by a cat in 2013: IRON

58. Object to: MIND

59. Nuke: ZAP

Argyle

Thursday, August 24 2017 Peg Slay

Theme: The Doors - all the words on the edges of the grid are types of doors as the hint has it:

38A. Not alfresco, and what this puzzle is vis-à-vis its border answers : INDOORS

The Corner's own C6D6 Peg is the constructor-in-residence today. Great word-play with the theme - all the non-theme answers are "Indoors" Artfully done and some nice fill - EXCELLED AT, COOK STRAIT, KEYNOTE and my favorite MALINGER. Good job.

We were having a discussion last week about people's different solving methods - I tend to go once across and once down, then fill in what's left, so I thought you might like to see my first pass across. I used to be a lot more careful about checking crosses when I solved on pen and paper, but now there's no inkblots I just have at it. You can see the central east was going to cause some rework, but nothing slowed me down too badly.

Let''s see what else Peg cooked up for us, or rang the bells:

Across:

1. Support financially : BACK

5. Hurricane, e.g. : STORM. Here's Rory Storm and the Hurricanes playing at the Jive Hive in 1960. That's Ringo Starr on the drums.

10. Drainpipe section : TRAP. P-Trap, not for what you might think. It's shaped like a "P"

14. Face cream additive : ALOE

15. Medicare component : PART A. Fill in PART and go back for A/B

16. Leaping critter : HARE

17. Depend (on) : RELY

18. Had superior skills in : EXCELLED AT

20. Word on really bright Crayolas : NEON. Brightens up your day:

21. Jazz great Montgomery : WES

22. Helen Reddy's "__ Woman" : I AM

23. Commentary page : OP-ED Someone asked last week what OP-EDS meant, I didn't really explain. Opinion pieces opposite the editorial page of a newspaper.

25. Turned out to be : ENDED UP

29. Blew hard : GUSTED

32. Way back when : AGES AGO. I progressed from LONG thru EONS to AGES. Got there in the end. The long way around.

33. Helped start the pot : ANTE'D

34. Comic Johnson : ARTE. See "almost Natick'ed" at 25D

36. Big __ : MAC. Oh, not SUR then. Darn. I confess that I recently ordered a Big Mac and Fries via Uber Eats when I'd spent the evening out with some friends and was home and had the munchies. It was either get back in an Uber and go get it myself, or save myself the Uber ride back and forth. Sometimes, junk food is just what you need. Delivered to your door.

37. Regret : RUE. I didn't rue the Big Mac.

41. Craft built in the 2014 film "Noah" : ARK. I tried "Bagel Delivery Van" but it didn't fit.

42. Nile snake : ASP

43. Yemeni seaport : ADEN

44. Speed : HASTE

46. Become resentful : GET SORE

49. Vampire's bed? : CASKET. Corrected my COFFIN misstep.

50. Painter Manet : EDOUARD Started to fill this in and then hesitated about the spelling; I think my first thought was right. This is "A bar at the Folies-Bergère" in London's National Gallery. Back when I was impoverished and making a pittance at my first real job, I was amazed to find that London's public galleries and museums were free. I spent quite some time looking at this painting trying to figure out if the off-kilter reflection of the server was the result of a warped mirror or just playful imagery by Manet.

51. Sketch material : GAGS

52. Commuter org. in the Loop : C.T.A. Chicago Transit Authority.

53. __ Butterworth : MRS

54. "Wild Blue Yonder" mil. group : USAF

58. Waterway between the major islands of New Zealand : COOK STRAIT. I couldn't pull this out of my brain bank on my first pass across the puzzle. I've sailed in the Cook Strait - on an America's Cup yacht. The decks were teflon-coated, not easy to stay in one place!

62. Leg-covering skirt : MAXI

63. Green Gables heroine : ANNE

64. Boardroom prop : EASEL

65. Part of FEMA: Abbr. : EMER. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Came in for a lot of criticism in the afterrmath of Hurricane Katrina

66. Caboose place : REAR. Back of the train. We call them guard's vans back in the old country. Because they were vans. And they had a guard in them.

67. Broadway platform : STAGE. All the world is one.

68. Fries, for instance : SIDE. Big Mac. Fries. Uber Eats. Yay!

Down:

1. Silo neighbor : BARN

2. Toward protection, at sea : ALEE. Also the side of the boat to be if you feel a touch of the mal de mer.

3. Great Sand Dunes National Park st. : COLO. rado. Can't you ski down them? Yes, apparently you can:

4. Pinnacle of a lecture series : KEYNOTE

5. Erupted : SPEWED. I'd make a connection to 2D but it's breakfast time for many.

6. Strained : TAXED

7. Tolkien henchmen : ORCS. Not exactly men. Hench-things.

8. GPS suggestion : RTE

9. Feign illness to avoid work : MALINGER. Great word. My mom used to accuse us of malingering when we tried to skip a day of school. She was right most of the time, until the time I came down with measles and she wouldn't hear a word of it.

10. Motifs : THEMES

11. "Far out, dude!" : RAD!

12. Notre Dame's Parseghian : ARA

13. Kennel guest : PET

19. Put on board : LADE. I think it's a 17th-century typo that no-one bothered to fix.

24. Spa treatment : PEDI

25. Big name in stationery : EATON. I was almost Natick'ed with T here. I did a full alphabet run until on the second pass EATON almost sounded familiar. It was my best guess so in it went.

26. Ornamental fabric : DAMASK

27. Lorre's "Casablanca" character : UGARTE. Thank you crosses, I always forget this.

28. Pita feature : POCKET Food! The gyro is one of my favorite sandwiches.

29. Tech company's origin, perhaps : GARAGE. Apple, HP and Microsoft all started off in garages. Dell started off in Michael Dell's dorm room at the University of Texas

30. On the shelf : UNUSED

31. Move in the direction of : STEP TO

34. Threw in : ADDED

35. Sushi roll topping : ROE. Food! I like to top my sushi rolls with Sujiko roe, from the salmon, and the tiny Tobiko roe from flying fish.

39. Tells a story : NARRATES

40. Layered do : SHAG

45. Takes for granted : ASSUMES

47. Lollipop : SUCKER

48. Feed bag feed : OATS

49. Once-per-player chess move : CASTLE. King side or Queen side if I recall from my youth. I haven't played chess for years.

51. "Norwegian Dances" composer : GRIEG

53. Tamale dough : MASA. I buy mine from the local Vallarta market, it's much lighter than when I tried to make my own.

55. Scandinavian language : SAMI. Nailed it! Remembered this from a little while ago. The road signs need a lot of lettering:

56. Used a hatchet on : AXED

57. Cause for alarm : FIRE

58. Honda or Hyundai : CAR. My current car is a Hyundai. It's the Genesis brand, so it doesn't actually have a Hyundai badge on it.

59. Pepsi product that's also its calorie count : ONE

60. Springsteen's "Working __ Dream" : ON A. Not sure I know this one from The Boss.

61. Scoundrel : RAT

That was fun, thanks Peg! Here's the grid and I'm done!

Steve

Wednesday, August 23, 2017 C. C. Burnikel

Theme - We interrupt regular programming to bring you this hot news item - AKA: STORY. The word STORY is devided into bookends in the 3 theme entries, and revealed in the unifier. Them's the BREAKS, I guess.

20. Come out on top : SCORE A VICTORY.  Win an athletic contest.

34. Retail showcase : STORE DISPLAY.  Where merchandise in on view, to make you want it. Here's a famous one.

Higbee's

41. Particle physics concept : STRING THEORY.  This is a theoretical framework which posits dimensional objects called strings, and describes their interactions.  It is a theory of quantum gravity.

56. Reporter's delivery ... and what 20-, 34- and 41-Across are literally doing? : BREAKING STORY.   Fresh from the news room to the on-screen anchors desk.  Mostly these things are political, so no more than that I will not say.

Hi Gang - JazzBumpa here to BREAK down the STORY of this puzzle, and report on what our investigations can uncover.  Hope it's not too shocking.

Item 1 - the constructor is our own hostess, C. C.  Perhaps she will become the most prolific constructor ever.

Item 2 - STORY is broken at the first letter, the last letter, and then as close as you can get to the middle in a 5-letter word.  Nice, elegant touch.

Across

1. Sporty British cars, for short : JAGS.  Jaguars.

5. Omelet option : HAM.  I usually get the veggie omelet with feta cheese.

8. Reef material : CORAL.  Bad news.  Sadly, they are under attack from star fish and the increasing acidity of the oceans. Some day there may be none left atoll.

13. Power co. output : ELECtricity.  Zap!

14. Shaped like an avocado : OVAL.  This is mandatory.

Found somewhere on the internet.

16. Dig deeply? : ADORE.  Love, respect, worship, venerate.  Clever misdirection with the clue.  You are digging with your emotions, not a shovel, and the depth is into your soul, not the ground.

17. Fey with many Emmys : TINA.  Known for her political satire - not gonna do it.

18. Baltic port : RIGA.  The capital of Latvia, on the Baltic sea at the mouth of the river Daugava.

19. "Unbroken" director Angelina : JOLIE.  A 2014 movie about Louis Zamparini, a U.S. olympic athlete and bombardier in WW II, who survived on a raft in the ocean for 47 days, and then was in PoW camps.  In addition to her fame appearing on the silver screen, she has also directed several films.

23. Intends to hit : AIMS AT.   Use your good eye.

24. Sushi roll fish : EEL.  Any of 800 species of elongated fish lacking pelvic fins.  Many also lack pectoral fins.  It has a single fin ribbon running down the back for most of its length.  They swim by generating body waves, and can swim backwards by reversing the wave.

25. "NewsHour" channel : PBS.  Public Broadcasting System.

28. Novelist Rita __ Brown : MAE.  [b 1944] Prolific author of novels, mysteries and screen plays, including the Mrs. Murphy mystery novel series.

29. [I give up!] : SIGH.  AKA: SMH.

32. Vacation location : RESORT.  Would you resort to staying in such a place?

36. Per item : EACH.  Unit pricing.

39. Area for critical patients, briefly : Intensive Care Unit.

40. Diamond great Sandberg : RYNE.  Played 2nd base for the Phillies, briefly in 1981, and then with the Cubs from 1982 until he retired mid-season in 1994.  He came back and played for the Cubs again in 1996-7.  He won 9 gold gloves and made 10 consecutive all star appearances.  He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2005.

46. Pub quiz fodder : TRIVIA.  Unimportant bits of information.

47. Red Muppet who refers to himself in the third person : ELMO.

48. Bit of toy "ammo" : CAP.  A paper or plastic disk containing a small amount of a shock-sensitive explosive compound.  In a toy gun this simulates the noise and smoke of a real fire arm.

51. Gentle touch : DAB.  As in blotting with a napkin.

52. Okay mark : CEE.  I never felt they were OK.

54. Knuckleheads : IDIOTS.  In slang, a generic term for stupid people - or perhaps those you don't agree with.

60. Humdinger : BEAUT.  A particularly fine example of something, or sarcastically, the opposite.

62. Kitchenware brand : EKCO.  They make all sort of kitchen gadgets: basters, peelers, knives, cutting boards, measuring spoons and cups, etc.

63. Blueprint detail : SPECification.

64. Subject of a certain management class : ANGER.  There's a movie about it that I'm pretty glad I didn't see.



65. They may be choppy : SEAS. In high winds or stormy weather.

66. Fit together nicely : MESH.  Hand in glove.

67. High-maintenance : NEEDY.  Said of a person who requires an excess of emotional or monetary investment in a relationship.

68. "That's the spot" : AAH.  You scratch my back  .  .  .

69. Art Deco luminary : ERTE.  Romain de Tirtoff [1892-1990] a Russian-born French artist known as ERTE from the French pronunciation of his initials*, was a pioneer in art deco.

* Hey, I could be ERTE, too!

Down

1. Goods thrown overboard : JETSAM.  Things that have been jettisoned from a ship at sea, frequently to lighten the ship's load.  Not to be confused with flotsam - things lost from a vessel due to shipwreck or accident.  The difference is significant in maritime law.  Flotsam may be claimed by the original ship, JETSAM is the property of whoever finds it.

2. "Girl on Fire" singer Keys : ALICIA.

3. Biological mapping subject : GENOME.  The complete set of genes present in an organism.

4. Permanent marks : SCARS.

5. Fictional captain Hornblower : HORATIO.  A fictional officer in Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars in the novels of C. S. Forester.

6. Tel __, Israel : AVIV.  Major city on the Mediterranean coast.

7. Christmas trio : MAGI.  The three wise guys --- er  .  .  . men.

8. Persuades with flattery : CAJOLES.

9. Air Wick target : ODOR.

10. Short and chubby : ROLY POLY. Obese - but we are not into fat shaming here.  Also, a terrestrial crustacean of the order isopoda, also known as a pill bug or doodle bug, with the ability to roll into a ball.

Armadillidiidae

11. D-backs, on scoreboards : ARIzona.

12. Jack Reacher creator __ Child : LEE.  Pen name of British author James D. Grant [b 1954.]  Reacher is a fictional character who is a former army officer who drifts around the country getting into dangerous situations.

15. Doily fabric : LACE.  A small ornamental mat of embroidery, lace, or paper that is placed under an item.

21. __ Los Angeles : EAST.  An unincorporated area in Los Angeles County.  At 96.7% Latino, it is the least diverse community in the county.

22. Actress Polo : TERI.  Theresa Elizabeth Polo [b 1969] is an American TV and movie actress.

Teri

26. Dietary fiber : BRAN.  Edible broken seed coats from cereal grains.

27. Eye problem : STYE.  Inflammation at the eyelid caused by a bacterial infection of the gland at the base of an eyelash.

30. Determination : GRIT.  It's true.

31. Anne of "Wag the Dog" : HECHE. Anne Celeste HECHE [b 1969] is an American actress, director and screenwriter.

33. Nimble : SPRY. Usually spoken of older people - maybe it's unexpected.

34. Improvised blade : SHIV.

35. Fight that may involve drawing : DUEL.  Using drawn swords or pistols.

36. Started, as a co. : EST'D.   Established.

37. Gillette brand : ATRA.  Introduced in 1977, the first razor to feature a pivoting head.

38. Pegboard game : CRIBBAGE.  A game played with cards in which a peg board is used to keep score.  You can read about it here.

42. "So close, yet so far" : NICE TRY.  A good, but unsuccessful effort, or, ironically, an attempt that was either not good or not a good thing to do.

43. Mother Earth, in Greek mythology : GAEA.  The earth goddess who gave birth to both the Titans and the first humans.

44. "Holy cow!" : OMIGOSH.  Oh my gosh - nice try!

45. Curtain supports : RODS.  Devices used to support curtains, above windows or along showers.

48. Writer for whose father the National Baseball Hall of Fame city was named : COOPER.  Cooperstown, New York is the municipality in question.  Dad from the clue was William Cooper, who founded a village on Otsego Lake in the 1780's.  His son, James Fenimore Cooper wrote many novels, including The Deerslayer and The Last of the Mohicans.

49. Idle : AT REST.

50. Freudian analyst's concern : PSYCHE.  The soul, mind or spirit that inhabits a human body.  To Freud, the the structural model of the mind, or "psychic apparatus" comprises the id, ego, and super ego.

53. __ out: barely makes : EKES.

55. "Who's there?" answer : IT'S ME.

57. Was sorry about : RUED.

58. Furniture chain popular in dorms : IKEA.  Purveyor of furniture you can assemble, miselaneous household items, and lingonberry jam.  Our oldest granddaughter is a fan.

59. Sweet Sixteen org. : NCAA.  The National Collegiate Athletic Association sponsors and organizes a single-elimination basketball tournament each spring, involving the 32 champions of division I conferences and 36 at-large teams chosen by a selection committee.  The "Sweet Sixteen" are the teams winning early rounds that winnow the field down to 16 contenders.

60. Prohibit : BAN.

61. Suffix with ethyl : -ENE.  This chemistry suffix indicates a double bond between the 2 carbon atoms in the molecule.  Since your eyes are already glazing over, I'll leave it at that.

OK, folks - that's the end of this STORY.  Hope you found it news worthy.

Cool regards!

JzB

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Tinbeni, who joined our blog in 2009. We'll all be toasting you at sundown!