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.

Tuesday, July 11, 2017 Patti Varol

Theme: Shhh! - Variations on a theme.

20A. "Hush": "PLEASE BE QUIET"

32A. "Hush": "DON'T SAY A WORD"

41A. "Hush": "PUT A SOCK IN IT"

57A. "Hush": "BUTTON YOUR LIP"

Argyle here with Constructor and Editor, Patti Varol. I notice a subtle increase in harshness in the HUSHes, IMO.

Across:

1. Like a rough winter: HARSH

6. Opera number: ARIA

10. "Beat it!": "SCAT!"

14. Nebraska city on the Missouri: OMAHA

15. "Shoot!": "DARN!"

16. Bear whose bed was too hard: PAPA

17. Like granola bars: OATEN

18. Arabian sultanate: OMAN

19. "College GameDay" airer: ESPN. (Originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Networks)

23. Funnyman Caesar: SID. Argument to Beethoven's 5th.

24. It's often heated up for dinner: OVEN

25. Table salt additive: IODINE

28. Banishment: EXILE

30. FYI relative: BTW. (For Your Information / By The Way)

31. Cincinnati ballplayer: RED

36. Cathedral area: APSE

39. Ocean west of Eur.: ATL. (Atlantic)

40. Murray or Roddick of tennis fame: ANDY

46. Big bird Down Under: EMU

47. Pizza __ restaurant: HUT

48. Ready to pour: ON TAP

51. Forbidden actions: TABOOs. 44D. Forbidden action: NO-NO

53. Payroll IDs: SSNs. (Social Security number)

55. Lav of London: LOO. Head, john, little house outback.

60. "Shake a leg!": "C'MON!"

62. Pakistan neighbor: IRAN. 8D. Baghdad's land: IRAQ

63. Despicable character: LOUSE

64. Painter Chagall: MARC

65. Fictional sleuth Wolfe: NERO

66. Tacked on: ADDED

67. Hathaway of "Interstellar": ANNE

68. Olympian's goal: GOLD

69. Marsh stalks: REEDS

Down:

1. Basketball targets: HOOPS

2. Charlotte __: U.S. Virgin Islands capital: AMALIE. Wiki link

3. Like adult movies: RATED X

4. __ butter: cosmetic moisturizer: SHEA

5. Space pilot who insists, "I take orders from just one person: me": HAN SOLO

6. Photoshop software developer: ADOBE

7. Budget noodle dish: RAMEN

9. Retirement income source: ANNUITY

10. Radar gun reading: SPEED

11. Like some durable skillets: CAST IRON

12. Smartphone download: APP. (Application)

13. Almond-colored: TAN

21. Fairly matched: EVEN

22. Where Grant Wood's "American Gothic" house is: IOWA

26. Geeky type: NERD

27. Jacuzzi effect: EDDY

29. Inventor's spark: IDEA

30. "__ Ha'i": "South Pacific" song: BALI

The lyrics can be found on the YouTube link.

33. Ambassador's asset: TACT

34. E*TRADE purchase: Abbr.: STK. (stock)

35. Light bulb unit: WATT

36. In __: moody: A PET

37. Mountain cat: PUMA

38. Tough to budge: STUBBORN

42. Small liquor amount: SHOT

43. Giving the boot: OUSTING

45. Completely cut off: INSULAR

49. Refer (to): ALLUDE

50. Self-assured: POISED

52. Postal scale unit: OUNCE

53. Hairbrush target: SNARL

54. Church council: SYNOD

56. Pages for opinions: OP EDs

58. Cookie shaped like two of its letters: OREO. A new clue for an old answer.

59. Biked, e.g.: RODE

60. Nashville awards gp.: CMA. (Country Music Association)

61. Guy: MAN

 Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Chickie (Leah) was not able to post from her Blogger account. She sent me below. Hopefully she'll return to our blog soon.

"Please send my thanks to everyone on the Corner. The virtual hugs, condolences, and thoughts for me on Bill's passing are so very comforting."

2) Happy birthday to dear CanadianEh!, who's been with our blog for a few years. Her comments are often always so warm and insightful. Dinner at the winery, CanadianEh!?

Monday, July 10, 2017 George Jasper

Theme: Stuck in the middle with you (Stealers Wheel) - A partner to the target word (AGE) may be found in the middle of the theme answers.

17. Beverage from a German vineyard: RHINE WINE. New Age.

27. Unauthorized recording: BOOTLEG ALBUM. Legal Age.

44. Nuclear power: ATOMIC ENERGY. Ice Age.

61. Period after young adulthood ... and a hint to each set of circles: MIDDLE AGE

Argyle here. George Jasper appears to be a newcomer. Very easy except .... I think one might still find the AGEs without the circles. They aren't perfectly in the middle but they do span two words.

Across:

1. Stinging insect: WASP

5. Storied broom riders: HAGS. I didn't remember Hogwarts librarian Irma Pince.

9. Distinctive aroma: SCENT

14. Govt. workplace monitor: OSHA. (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

15. Yemen neighbor: OMAN. They are the toe and heel of the Arabian Peninsula boot.

16. Copier need: TONER

19. Wheel spokes, geometrically: RADII

20. Triangular Greek letters: DELTAs

21. Coexist peacefully: GET ALONG

23. French fashion monogram: YSL. (Yves Saint Laurent)

24. Boot front: TOE

26. Anteater's slurp in the comic "B.C.": ZOT

33. Do the play-by-play, say: ANNOUNCE

36. Like Cheerios: OATY

37. Slightest: LEAST

38. Medical ins. plan: HMO. (health maintenance organization)

40. Tree trunks: BOLES

41. "To know me __ love me": IS TO. No need for sugar in your coffee this morning. 60A. Whitney Houston's "__ Always Love You": I WILL

42. Musician at ballparks and churches: ORGANIST

48. Put the kibosh on: NIX

49. Klutz: OAF

50. Noah's boat: ARK

53. One of a group of versifiers that included Wordsworth: LAKE POET. The Lake Poets were a group of English poets who all lived in the Lake District of England. Wiki link

58. Stubby piece: NUBBIN. A variant of Middle Low German knubbe, knob?

63. Excessive enthusiasm: MANIA

64. Partner of proper: PRIM

65. On a yawl, say: ASEA

66. Small hippo type: PYGMY

67. Trillion: Pref.: TERA

68. Mix together: MELD

Down:

1. Verbose: WORDY

2. Barbecue residue: ASHES

3. Con man's setup man: SHILL

4. Breathe heavily: PANT

5. Question in response to "I need this in a hurry": "HOW SOON?"

6. French friend: AMI

7. Criminal group: GANG

8. React to pepper: SNEEZE

9. Layer upon layer: STRATA

10. Mined fuel: COAL

11. Prefix meaning "within": ENDO

12. German no: NEIN

13. Pre-calc math course: TRIG

18. Go to a steakhouse, say: EAT OUT

22. Get dolled (up): TOG

25. Make an engraving: ETCH

27. __ buddy: BOSOM

28. Citrus fruit: LEMON. CSO.

29. Senseless: LOONY

30. South Pacific resort island: BALI

31. Sport-__: versatile vehicles: UTEs. Sport-youths?

32. Classic PC game: MYST

33. Et __: Latin for "and others": ALIA

34. Source of many tweets: NEST

35. Partnership for Peace international gp.: NATO. (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

39. Sandwich cookie: OREO

40. "Baa Baa Black Sheep" wool unit: BAGFUL

43. Mom's mom: GRANDMA

45. Not out-of-bounds, as a ball: IN PLAY

46. AFL merger partner: CIO. (American Federation of Labor / Congress of Industrial Organizations)

47. Not subject to taxes: EXEMPT

50. Demean: ABASE

51. Bright Orion star: RIGEL. (Beta Orionis)

52. Work, as dough: KNEAD

53. Like a wet noodle: LIMP

54. On a trip: AWAY

55. Mattress option: KING

56. Kind of tournament round, briefly: ELIM. Usually, a single-elimination tournament.

57. Run out of gas: TIRE

59. Smile broadly: BEAM

62. S, SE or SSE: DIR. (direction)

Argyle

Sunday July 9th, 2017 John Lampkin

Theme: "Cereal Boxes"- Different grains bookend each theme entry.

25A *Lids for a fancy box? : OPERA HATS. Oats. English is strange. Oats are always plural, but not other grains.

27A. *Easy order for a mixologist : WHISKEY NEAT. Wheat.

39A. *Ceremonious choreography : RITUAL DANCE. Rice. Have any of you cumin rice?

42A. *Lothario's organ : ROVING EYE. Rye.

65. *Ring leaders : BARNUM AND BAILEY. Barley.

88A. *Joe may come from one : COFFEE URN. Corn.

91A. *Moved like a crowd : MILLED ABOUT. Millet. I just mentioned to TTP yesterday that no matter how I try, my millet porridge is never as good as my grandma's.

106A. *Significant other : MAIN SQUEEZE. Maize. Isn't it the same as corn?

Reveal:

110. Deep-rooted ... and what the uncircled letters of the answers to starred clues are? : INGRAINED

John's set is close to complete. Sorghum is unworkable, hence its absence. It's actually gluten-free, like oats, millet, corn & rice. I never had it, but many of the pricey liquors in China are made of Sorghum.

John broke with the convention and started his themers in Row 4 rather than Row 3. I'm guessing he tried Row 3 but did not like the result.

Lots of playful clues/fill, PYROMANIAC (73D. One who remembers old flames with fondness) is my favorite. It sums up John's style perfectly.

Across:     

1. Hunk : GLOB. Thought of STUD.

5. Tortilla-wrapped serving : FAJITA. You won't like this if you don't like cumin.

11. Hardly a haymaker : JAB. Boxing punch.

14. Pulled up a chair : SAT

17. Whom Samwise accompanied to Rivendell : FRODO

18. Backspace key, often : ERASER

19. One who might err on the safe side? : UMP. Nailed it.

20. __ dixit: assertion without proof : IPSE

21. Add zing to : LIVEN. 29. Zing : PEP

22. Berate : RANT AT

23. "Heavens!" : GOODNESS!

30. Donizetti aria "Regnava __ silenzio" : NEL. This is clued as [First word in Dante's "Inferno"] last Sunday.

31. Bee bunch : SWARM

33. Watergate figure with a radio talk show : LIDDY. G. Gordon Liddy.

34. Exude : OOZE. It's great to see your previous avatar, Yellowrocks!

36. Learn : HEAR OF

37. Giant __, world's largest antelope : ELAND. Learning moment for me. Hello!

46. Bearded blossom : IRIS

47. G, in the key of C : SOL. Got via crosses.

48. Adjust, as a chronometer : RESET

49. Tat misreadable as WOW : MOM. Tattoo.

50. Honey : TOOTS. Chinese are quite reserved, not many "sweet" words. "Respect" trumps all. 

52. Tweaks : MODIFIES

56. "Is this some kind of __?" : A JOKE

58. New England cape : ANN

59. __ chi : TAI

61. Biting : ACID

62. "Good-bye, cruel world!," in Westerns : I'M A GONER

68. Worldwide anticrime gp. : INTERPOL. Currently headed by a Chinese.
 

71. Rod's partner : REEL

72. Author Deighton : LEN

73. Bench press muscle : PEC

76. Ethel on "I Love Lucy" : MERTZ. So many "I Love Lucy" collectibles at the flea market.

77. Produce a steady stream of : CHURN OUT

80. Words with remember or forget : TRY TO.  We also have 48. Word with debt or guilt : RIDDEN. 56. Bond or bonding follower : AGENT. Playfulness & originality!

82. Bon __: Comet rival : AMI

83. "__ the loneliest number" : ONE IS

85. "Argo" org. : CIA

87. Fine __ : ARTS

 95. Crease-resistant fabric : ORLON

96. Estefan with Grammys : GLORIA

98. Consider to be : DEEM

99. Steel, e.g. : ALLOY. Not METAL.We also have 40. Metal that's pumped : IRON

101. Form opener : LINE A

102. Key preposition : O'ER. Francis Scott Key

103. Boxer with feats of Clay? : ALI. Cute.

113. Rank people? : AMATEURS. Another great clue.

114. Swab's assent : AYE SIR. Normally with two Ayes, right?

116. Blink of an eye : TRICE

117. D.C. pros : NATS

118. Cleo's undoing : ASP

119. Fix, as a pump : RE-SOLE

120. Former Midwest territorial capital : OMAHA. Another learning moment for me, Gary!

121. Is for you : ARE

122. Steely __ : DAN

123. Airborne camera holders : DRONES. Used by quite a few YouTubers.

124. Many a competition : RACE

Down:

1. Bone to pick : GRIPE

2. Fictional turn-on : LOVE POTION. Hey, this is even organic.

3. Smelly-sounding German river? : ODER. Odor.

4. Windfall : BONANZA. Great word.

5. Wild : FERAL

6. Smell __ : A RAT

7. Fugitive portrayer before Ford : JANSSEN (David). I've only seen Harrison Ford's movie.

8. Believer's suffix : IST

9. Pots, cups, etc. : TEAWARE

10. Prefix with -pod : ARTHRO. Prefix for "Joint".

11. Handled containers : JUGS

12. Every which way : AMOK

13. Fraternal initials : BPOE

14. Leadfoot : SPEED DEMON. So what's the plural for "Leadfoot"? Leadfoots or Leadfeet?

15. Syrian president : ASSAD

16. Touchy : TESTY

17. Bomb : FLOP

20. Baseball unit with distinct halves : INNING

24. Musician with a Nobel Prize : DYLAN. Pride of Minnesota. I had a lovely walk around Lake Harriet with Andrea Carla Michaels last week. Another Pride of Minnesota. Then another long walk with Boomer in our favorite trail on June 30, D-Otto, followed by buying a rice bowl like this in our local Asian store. I think I want one more. Really like the dragon at the bottom.

26. Bread butts : HEELS

28. The Who classic : I'M FREE. Got via crosses.

32. Female in WWII : WAC. Women's Army Corps. Do you still remember Southern Belle? She was a WAC during the Korean War. She used to comment regularly.

35. Boot from power : OUST

36. Heavenly topper : HALO

37. Original sinner : EVE

38. Fired up : LIT

39. Dexter's wife in "Dexter" : RITA. Easily obtainable,

 41. __ effect : DOMINO. Not RIPPLE.

43. Alternate version, in scores : OSSIA. Unknown to me. You'd think it's related to bone.

44. Farm connection : YOKE. Farm animal.

45. ER part: Abbr. : EMER

51. HBO rival : STARZ

53. Beaver's work : DAM

54. Victim of hot wings? : ICARUS. Another great clue/fill.

55. More classy : FINER

57. Delight : JOY. I linked Amy at Costco clip a years ago when "Call Me Maybe" was hot. Which song do you like the best?

60. Dada daddy? : ARP (Jean). Dada co-founder.

63. "Uncle" of old TV : MILTIE

64. Flagon filler : ALE. I did not know this is called "Flagon".

65. Risk : BET

66. Peptic problem : ULCER

67. Rain-__ gum : BLO

68. Apple computer : iMAC

69. Nautilus captain : NEMO

70. Like poison ivy : TRIFOLIATE. Having three leaves. Also a new word to me.

74. Shocked accusation : ET TU

75. Outlay : COST

78. Actor Pat of Batman films : HINGLE. Never heard of him.

79. NCAA's Bruins : UCLA

81. Broccoli __ : RABE

83. LBJ's antipoverty agcy. : OEO. Office of Economic Opportunity

84. "The Sound of Music" extra : NUN

86. Calculating snake? : ADDER. Amazing clue.

89. Leads, as a band : FRONTS

90. "Family Ties" mom : ELYSE

91. Ancient Roman currency minter : MONEYER. Guessable.

92. Anger : IRE

93. Go-between : LIAISON

94. Bubbler : AERATOR

97. Gecko, for one : LIZARD. John sent me this fun picture. He said "Costa Rica's Jesus Christ Lizard is supposed to be able to walk on water. This one failed miserably and can’t even open a can of soda without spilling it."

 

99. Dryer brand : AMANA

100. Texas university in Beaumont : LAMAR

102. Fairy tale baddies : OGRES

104. Café con __ : LECHE. Not fond of putting milk in coffee or tea.

105. Thought : IDEA
 
107. Campus area : QUAD

108. Heavenly bear : URSA

109. "Monday Night Football" channel : ESPN

111. Shade of green : NILE

112. Hogwarts librarian __ Pince : IRMA. Gimme for Santa.

115. That thing in Tijuana : ESO

Happy Birthday to dear Tony (AnonT), who's always been so kind and caring to everyone on our blog. He's also a foodie. This picture cracks me up.

 

At Wit's End near Carmel on Father's Day 2017

Saturday, Jul 8th, 2017, Samuel A. Donaldson

Theme: None

Words: 64 (missing J,X,Z)

Blocks: 30

Our last construction from Mr. Donaldson was one co-authored with Brad Wilber in October last year; prior to that, he had a Saturday dating back to 2009.  No hang-ups during the solve for me, a few proper names and some odd 'rare' words, but overall a fun puzzle. Chunky corners, only 4 three-letter words, and a friendly "get-there-from-here" grid which included single nines, paired nines and a couple of 10-letter answers;

30a. Riding in the far-left lane, perhaps : CARPOOLING

Check out the next door neighbor over the fence

37a. Producer who developed "The Jeffersons" : NORMAN LEAR

 EARWORM~!

12d. "No need to be scared of me" : I DON'T BITE - hard.  Or maybe you like being bitten....?

29d. Big storm : NOR'EASTER - where I live today, this type of storm and a full moon could lead to flooding.  Scary.

StO(n)p WA(rd)ffling~!

ACROSS:

1. Gone for the summer, perhaps : AT CAMP - Figured it was school related, and started with AT HOME, which was close

7. Elegant pool entrance : SWAN DIVE - I was thinking we were looking for a noun like 'diving board', not the 'action' of entrance; I had a diving board go out on one of my trucks yesterday - there's no limit to what we will ship these days....

15. Jet Ski competitor : SEA-DOO - I knew SKI-DOO would not fly, but I was close

16. NFLer from 1982-'94 : L.A. RAIDER

17. Trick : TRIP UP

18. Last of Sophocles' Theban plays : ANTIGONE

19. Off-base : ERRANT

20. Post-sunburn phase : PEELING

21. Midway game : RING TOSS - ah, not SKEE BALL

23. Number of hills di Roma : SETTE - knew the answer was "seven", but spelling it was....

24. "30 for 30" documentary series airer : ESPN

25. Touch with gauze : DAB AT

27. They may be fake : TANS - my favorite fake tan look

34. NYSE debut : IPO - New York Stock Exchange, Initial Public Offering

35. "Ciao Italia" chef Esposito : MARYANN - perps

36. Cable co. acquired by AT&T : TCI

39. Ocean hazard : REEF

40. Unalaska native : ALEUT

41. Blocking action : VETO

43. Performs surgery on, in a way : LASES

45. Braised chicken dish : COQ AU VIN - we've seen this before on Saturday

49. Runner with big eggs : OSTRICH

51. Final syllable : ULTIMA

52. Lobster sensors : ANTENNAE

53. Otis of elevators : ELISHA - I did not know his first name - his Wiki

54. Men's department fixtures : TIE RACKS

55. Forwarded : SENT ON

56. Decorative herbs : PARSLEYS - spell check is not happy, but it's OK with me

57. Training aids : TREATS - ah, dogs

DOWN:

1. Michaelmas daisy : ASTER

2. Country singer Gibbs : TERRI - filled via perps

3. Memorial rocks : CAIRN - oops, not STELE

4. Much magazine content : AD PAGES - well, I knew it was AD 'something', or 'something' AD(s), but PAGES took a while

5. Goes up : MOUNTS

6. Coke holder : POP-TOP CAN - "Coke" seems a little too specific - I can get Diet Dr. Pepper in a pop-top can, too - or is the author trying to throw us off with the "gram" type of coke~?

7. High-fives, e.g. : SLAPS

8. Ebb : WANE

9. Crafts in Cancún : ARTES

10. Attached by pounding : NAILED ON - I was close, had NAILED TO

11. Technology catchall : DIGITAL - I'm not a huge fan of all these companies that jumped on the Apple bandwagon and offer their products with "i-something" names; did you hear about Apple's new make-up line~? It's called iShadow.

13. Retaliation : VENGEANCE

14. Word of relative time : ERE - I had ERA, and did not get my "ta-DA~!"

22. Jam : SNARL

26. "What a long week!" : TGIF - Thank God It's already past July 4th, as far as I am concerned

27. Turner of music : TINA

28. Michael Corleone's first wife : APOLLONIA

31. Reuben setting : RYE - ah, had me confused at first

32. Finnish distance runner Nurmi : PAAVO - OK, I cheated - I Googled this answer to get a foothold in the middle

33. For the asking : ON REQUEST

35. __ instinct : MATERNAL

38. Summons (up) : MUSTERS

39. Dancer's program : ROUTINE

42. Like one looking down on his neighbor? : TALLER

44. On account of : SINCE

45. Musical whose plot involves a two-person tournament : CHESS - I had "-HE--", and this seemed like a logical WAG.  The game I conceived went with me again to Delaware last weekend and I worked out the details with Mike as a two-player version; now I need to get some people together and try it with four players

46. Windows 7 precursor : VISTA - I'm still with XP, and content - but Firefox has stopped supporting the software.  Gonna have to cave at some point to the "future"

47. Cry from one on a streak : I'M HOT - also got lessons from Mike on how to really play Texas Hold'em, since he gets out to the Dover casinos once in a while

48. Asian breads : NAANS

50. Like dried mud : CAKY

52. Novak Djokovic's org. : ATP - sounds like a tennis name to me

Splynter

Note from C.C.: 

I'm sad to let you know that Leah (Chickie on our blog) lost her husband Bill on July 6th. Chickie was very active on our blog for many years. She and Bill just celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary last month. You're in our thoughts, Chickie.

Friday, July 7, 2017, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title:   'Ay you, let's switch.

Our Friday maven JW is back. Once again we have a letter switch puzzle, with the resulting fill clued whimsically.  We have five clues where an "A" is replaced with a "U." The initial three have the change in the first word, the remaining two in the second word. All of the new fill are witty - BUNK Robber my favorite and Exhaust FUN the most poignant.  But wait ! There is More, each word has an N after each A/U. It is hard enough to to make a letter substitution work, but to have the consistency of the AN to UN is the cherry on top. I missed it my first time through. With 61 theme squares, JW still manages to include ARTEMIS,  USED CAR, EPITHETS, FORENSIC, SNATCHING and WOOD SCREW to leave a very satisfying grid.

17A. Thief at a sleepaway camp? : BUNK ROBBER (10). The BANK robber downsized.

24A. People who wear "I'm with stupid" T-shirts? : DUNCE PARTNERS (13). Perhaps they will become DANCE Partners.

37A. Fail a jewelry class lesson? : BUNGLE BRACELETS (15). Not my favorite, BANGLE Bracelet while alliterative, just does not excite.

48A. What drives a fashionista? : CLOTHES HUNGER (13). Clothes HANGERS have not changed much in my lifetime.

59A. Run out of amusing things to do? : EXHAUST FUN (10). Every stove has an Exhaust FAN.

I hope you are not too exhausted to move on....

Across: 

1. Itsy-bitsy critter : MITE. Dust mite anyone?

5. Caroler's accoutrement : SCARF. Accoutrement is such a classy word!

10. Farthest from the hole : AWAY. This is for golfers, determining who plays next.

14. Slangy "Got that?" : Y'SEE?  This contraction of 'you see' is in the dictionary now.

15. Izu Islands city : TOKYO. Major learning moment for me. LINK.

16. Soda opener? : COCA. Cola.

19. Red cap? : CORK. Red wine - nice clue.

20. Vivid dye : AZO. The  wiki-chemist says "aryl azo compounds have vivid colors, especially reds, oranges, and yellows. Therefore, they are used as dyes, and are commonly known as azo dyes."

21. Kibbutz entertainment : HORA. The dance.  There are variations.

22. End sections of some Greek poems : EPODES. Epode, a verse form composed of two lines differing in construction and often in meter, the second shorter than the first. In Greek lyric odes, an epode is the third part of the three-part structure of the poem, following the strophe and the antistrophe. The word is from the Greek epōidós, “sung” or “said after.” Sure. Britannica.

27. __ Cruces : LAS. The crosses, Spanish, is located in New Mexico.

28. It may be a lemon : USED CAR. A clear CSO.

31. Lhasa __ : APSO.

34. Range : AMBIT.

36. LP maker : RCA.

41. Bali or Hanes product : BRA. Any other three letter products?

42. Bridge call : I PASS.

43. Boo-boo : OWIE.

44. Deity with bow and arrows : ARTEMIS. The Greek goddess of the hunt, etc. She and Diana are similar but not the SAME. 56A. Superhero with a hammer : THOR. Now we have a Norse god added.

46. Bot., e.g. : SCI.

54. Go over : REHASH.

57. Natural resource : ORE.

58. Tissue box access : SLIT.

62. Forest climber : VINE.

63. Three-time 20-game winner for the '70s Red Sox : TIANT. I will never forget his WINDUP or his STORY.

64. Cried : WEPT.

65. Classifies (as) : PEGS.

66. Trig functions : SINES.

67. Fine things? : ARTS.

Down:

1. "I'm the culprit" : MY BAD. Mea culpa before the millennials came along.

2. Brand once hawked by an eponymous "Joe" : ISUZU. He was a STAR.

3. Joinery element : TENON. Splynter? You agree joinery is the wooden components of a building, such as stairs, doors, and door and window frames, viewed collectively?

4. "I sure don't want that" : EEK. Two weeks in a row.

5. Retrieves dropped keys, say : STOOPS.

6. Hooded snake : COBRA.

7. Mogul emperor, 1556-1605 : AKBAR. Interesting MAN.

8. Bakery offering : RYE. It was rye bread that led to the Salem witch trials.

9. Like "CSI" work : FORENSIC. Which I may have learned from CSI.

10. Agreement : ACCORD.

11. Item in many an IKEA kit : WOOD SCREW.  "Wood screws are better than drywall screws for woodworking projects. Drywall screws are made of hardened, brittle steel, and the shaft will often snap during installation, especially if they're screwed into hardwoods."

12. Lot division : ACRE. There are 640 acres in a Section, but most lots are smaller than an acre.

13. Shoots the breeze : YAKS.

18. Carla portrayer on "Cheers" : RHEA.

23. Actress/author Holly Robinson __ : PEETE. Ex-Detroit Lion QB Rodney Peete's wife.
RODNEY did not have a great career, but he found a great WIFE.

25. Obstruct : CLOG.

26. Marching band section : TUBAS.

29. When "Kansas City" is sung in "Oklahoma!" : ACT I.

30. Knock down, in Nottingham : RASE. The British spelling of the word we spell raze.

31. "SOS" group : ABBA.

32. Run smoothly : PURR.

33. Pickpocket's activity : SNATCHING. Actually it seems more like stealing to me.

34. Humiliate : ABASH.

35. Union address? : MRS. Fun clue/fill.

38. Oscar night arrivals : LIMOS.

39. Peter the Great et al. : EPITHETS. They are not always nice, the Terrible, the Mad etc.

40. Butcher's offering : LOIN.

45. Brings great pleasure to : ELATES.

46. Shows anger, maybe : SHOUTS.

47. Ornery sorts : CURS.

49. Vermont patriot Allen : ETHAN. More famous for his furniture.

50. Oscar-nominated western : SHANE. Alan Ladd was 5'4" I am told.

51. Menial assistant : GOFER.

52. Blow : ERUPT.

53. Flat fees : RENTS. Pun on British word for apartment.

54. "I'll be there" message, e.g. : RSVP.

55. Author Wiesel : ELIE.

60. Number on old dials : XII.

61. BOAC competitor : TWA. They both are gone.

We are in the good old summer time; hope you all had a fun day on the 4th. It feels right to have Jeffrey back in the Friday saddle.  Thank you all for tuning in; see you next week gwatcdr.
Lemonade out.

Thursday July 6th 2017 Pawel Fludzinski

Theme: Love Thy Neighbor - The neighboring states are so close that they're practically sitting in each other's lap, as the reveal neatly sums up:

47A. What the answers to three "pair" clues share, both in this grid and in reality : STATE BORDERS

19A. Midwestern pair : NEBRASKANSAS

26A. Northeastern pair : MAINEWHAMPSHIRE

42A. Southwestern pair : NEWMEXICOLORADO

Nice puzzle from Pawel. I tumbled the theme after seeing COLORADO emerging from the crosses and things were pretty plain sailing after that. A very clean grid with the two pairs of stacked 9's and a lot of solid white areas. The fill had some really nice stuff - those aforementioned 9's and some tricky partials in the downs.

Let's see what jumps out:

Across:

1. Many opera villains : BASSI. Really deep-voiced. I can spoof a basso profundo speaking voice, but as I can't sing a note that's about as far as I get. I have to channel my inner Paul Robeson. Come back and watch this great piece of history from 1949.

6. Georgia __ : TECH

10. '70s Israeli prime minister : MEIR

14. Ration out : ALLOT.

15. Antioxidant-rich fruit in smoothies : ACAI BERRY. Goji berries fit the bill too, so you need to wait for the crosses.

17. Some earrings : HOOPS

18. Celestial explosion : SUPERNOVA. This was a tough corner. If you don't know MEIR, I'm not sure you'd be able to unpick the triple three-letter downs.

21. Japanese prime minister since 2012 : ABE. Shinzo. Is he "honest" too?

22. Cold War weapons : ICBMS. Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles. They pack quite an unpleasant punch.

33. Ready followers? : OR NOT. I tried SET-GO first, which caused some problems later.

34. Jumper cable connection : ANODE

35. Did lunch, say : ATE

36. Morse clicks : DITS. D--S and wait for the crosses.

37. Fly catchers : MITTS. Nice one. Fly ball in baseball. Some of the catches can be pretty spectacular:

38. Corp. money execs : C.F.O.S

39. Puerto Rican pronoun : ESO. That.

40. Bandleader's cry : HIT IT!

41. Ring figure? : CARAT. Nice.

45. Queen __ lace : ANNE'S. Also known as the wild carrot. The roots, leaves and flowers are all edible. I'll leave the eats, roots, leave humor to the peanut gallery, tempted as I am.

46. Lode load : ORE

55. Soldier of Fortune subject : MERCENARY

58. D-sharp equivalent : E FLAT

59. Grifter : CON ARTIST. Do any of you watch the "Cooks vs. Cons" on the Food Network? I enjoy the show, but have you noticed that most of the "pros" who lose out are personal chefs, not restaurant chefs? Big difference in standards. One of the winning contestants who had me totally fooled appeared in one of the early episodes - she was French, and turned out to be a barber in New York City.

60. __ del Sol : COSTA. On the Spanish Mediterranean. One of my favorite soccer players, Diego Costa, looks like he might be leaving my club Chelsea, and returning to his old one, Atletico Madrid. Hasta luego, y gracias Diego! Of course, there's also this:

61. Prepare for mailing : SEAL

62. On the less windy side : ALEE. I learned the lesson early - if you're at sea and you experience what is kindly known as reverse peristalsis, then you'd better be on this side of the ship when you start to feed the fishes.

63. Woods components : TREES

Down:

1. Automobil route : BAHN. It can also be a rail route: Deutsche Bahn AG is the company that operates Germany's rail networks, among others.

2. Healing salve : ALOE

3. Frustrating roommate for a neatnik : SLOB

4. Many opera heroines : SOPRANOS. Nice tie-in with BASSI at the top.

5. "I'll take that action" : IT'S A BET

6. Checklist item : TASK

7. Galápagos locale: Abbr. : ECUA. Ecuador. I stumbled around here a little, I tried AGUA which caused me some confusion for a while, and made no sense whatsoever given that we are told we need an abbreviation.

8. Bos'n's boss : CAP'N

9. Hustles : HIES

10. Stand-up sort : MENSCH

11. Mancinelli opera "__ e Leandro" : ERO This trilogy at 11D, 12D and 13D would have been a total bust for me if I didn't know Golda MEIR. I'd have WAG'ed at ARO, ERV and NO IDEA which would have left me looking at MAE-

12. Robbins of Baskin-Robbins : IRV

13. Shaggy Scandinavian rug : RYA

16. Slow-cook, in a way : BRAISE

20. Give a darn? : SEW

23. Former African secessionist territory : BIAFRA

24. "The Wind in the Willows" character : MR. TOAD. It's a fun book. I never understood how Mr. Toad could escape from jail, go home to reclaim Toad Hall, and the police never bothered to come over and pick him up.

25. Handles : SEES TO

26. Italian headquarters of Maserati : MODENA. Also Ferrari's HQ. Lamborghini had a factory there too, but forget all about that. Balsamic vinegar! Yay!

27. Out of the sack : ARISEN

28. Around, so to speak : IN TOWN

29. French-speaking republic : HAITI

30. Escapade : ANTIC

31. "Crossroads of America" in Indiana, e.g. : MOTTO

32. Law-and-order gps. : P.D.S Police Departments.

37. Pancake-making aid : MIX.

38. Nurtured : CARED FOR

40. Mother of Pearl, in an 1850 novel : HESTER. Hester Prynne, in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter".

41. PC part? : CORRECT

43. Cantina quaff : MESCAL

44. Head of England? : LOO

48. Masonry support : ANTA. The support between the pillar and the roof. Here's one at the Athenian Treasury:

49. Word with coat or shirt : TAIL.I still have my tailcoat, formal wedding-wear in the UK. I haven't worn it for 30-odd years though.

50. Gaelic tongue : ERSE

51. Bunch of bits : BYTE. Nice

52. "What __ could I say?" : ELSE

53. Evaluate : RATE

54. D.C. Metro stops : STAS. Stations on the Washington D.C. transit.

55. Escher and Hammer : M.C.S. The rapper and the graphic artist come together harmoniously.

56. Fair-hiring letters : EOE Equal Opportunity Employer.

57. Protein-building molecule : RNA

I've been in San Antonio for a couple of days and went to check out the Alamo. Everyone tells you it's not as big as you expect and they're right!

Here's the grid, and I'm heading out to the airport!

Steve

Note from C.C..:

Here are three sweet pictures of Bill G's new granddaughter Bella. Bill said she is about 5 weeks old now.