Saturday, May 30th, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 72 (missing J)

Blocks: 30

   This was a great puzzle - I could have been done in 5 minutes if I had gone with my original thoughts, but there were so many places where I hesitated and did the 'in-and-out' routine that I ended up closer to 25mins.  In fact, I was cruising so well at the end that I got the "Ta-DA~!" and wasn't expecting it.  No intimidating corners, and just two 13-letter spanners with two 14-letter climbers.  The longer fill:

25a. Assigning responsibility by committee, in modern lingo : BLAMESTORMING - I had the BLAME part, then the ST---, and this just seemed "logical"

40a. Where Langley is : FAIRFAX COUNTY - I tried "--- VIRGINIA" to start; Bzzzt. 

9d. Zinc compound : CALAMINE LOTION - I had "---LOTION", but SUNSCREEN didn't fit

15d. Many wallets contain one : DRIVER'S LICENSE

Down Jar~! ( there's the "J" )

ACROSS:

1. Org. whose website has a Track & Manage option : USPS - because neither UPS nor FedEx would fit

5. Ending sound : Pfft - usually associated with a 'lame' ending

9. Checked out : CASED - Think Private Eye

14. Copper mine? : SQUAD ROOM - Har-har.  Policemen cop-pers

16. Floral perfume : ATTAR - thought it, put it in, took it out

17. Predictable patterns : SYNDROMES - I always think of this word as medical related

18. Imprecise : LOOSE - like, say, an interpretation

19. Map lines: Abbr. : RDs

20. Clinches : ICES - The Rangers could not ice their run to the Stanley Cup

21. Some Buffalo wings : SABRES - DAH~!  I totally should have known this - NHL hockey clue about the 'other' NY team

Lindy Ruff, player and former coach

22. Subway device : OVEN - Subway, the sa'mich restaurant, that is

23. Like bodegas, to Span. speakers : FEMinine - I believe the term is 'declension'

24. Pitches : ADS

30. Facial cosmetics : LINERS - I like make-up on a girl, but it needs to be subtle

31. Like the Southeast, vis-à-vis other U.S. regions : RAINIEST - Odd; I would have thought the NW was the rainiest

34. Assume the role of : ACT AS

35. Put down : LAY

36. Camp sight : EMBER

37. Thing handed down : HEIRLOOM

39. Moby-Dick, e.g. : ALBINO - ah, not a drum solo reference; John Bonham was melodic and dynamic, which you don't hear in a lot of drum solos that followed - I tried to find a clip that was under 11+ minutes....

John Bonham - Led Zeppelin - Moby Dick

42. Jug part : EAR

44. Critter in a clowder : CAT

45. Small songbirds : TITS - Mr. Silk, did Mr. Norris change your original clue~?

46. Title heroine in a Humperdinck opera : GRETEL

48. Start to cure? : PEDI - had MANI, and that worked with "Avalon" at 41d. - but that's a Toyota model

49. Marker, e.g. : PEN - yup, first thought, but seemed too simple

52. Inexperienced : GREEN - not NAIVE

53. Two-time winner of the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar : MARIO PUZO

55. Runs slowly : OOZES

56. Allied : PARTNERED

57. Angström, e.g. : SWEDE

58. Aptly named Civil War general Henry : GRAY - yes, that is convenient; would have taken a drubbing being on the blue North side

59. Fake : DEKE - DAH~!  My first thought, and I hesitated.  Another hockey reference, as in feint

DOWN:   

1. BOAC flier's destination in a 1968 song : USSR - The Beatles - The Wiki

2. Carpeting unit: Abbr. : SQ. YD. - Square Yard

3. "Alice in Wonderland" features : PUNS

4. Blue : SAD

5. Work through : PROCESS

6. Incite : FOMENT

7. They aren't behind you : FOES

8. Corp. symbols : TMs - like this one

10. Narrow range : A TO B

11. Flier's convenience : STORAGE BIN

12. Let up : EASED

13. Adorn : DRESS

21. Rig : SEMI - the truck.  I was thinking "fix",  as in temporarily

22. 1998 Masters champion : O'MEARA - total WAG

23. Wear : FRAY

25. Lackluster : BLAH - ah, not DULL

26. Tiny parasites : LICE

27. Engine protector : ANTI-FREEZE

28. Slangy event suffix : O-RAMA - like, say, a "Sale-O-Rama"

29. Halo : NIMBUS - not "AREOLA", and crossing 45a.....

32. On the way : SENT

33. Home to Paris : TROY - the epic story character Paris

35. Tall story? : LOFT - not "TALE" - a story, as in a building

38. Like some history : ORAL

39. Bite : ACIDITY

41. Nissan whose last model year is 2015 : XTERRA - as far as SUVs go, this was probably my favorite style

42. "Some things are too delicious to share" food : EGGOs - I noticed they've moved away from "Leggo my Eggo"

43. Hood defense : ARROW - Robin Hood, that is

47. Started a hole : TEED - golf

48. Allen's successor : PAAR - TV's 'The Tonight Show' hosts

49. Sheer : PURE - aw, you know what I was thinking when I saw "sheer"

(God, she is stunning)

50. O.T. book : EZEKiel - well, I have to add my favorite reading of "25:17"

51. Networking connection point : NODE

53. Odometer stat. : MPG - meh.  My odometer tells me I have 267,200 "MIs" on the car; I suppose some newer cars have a odometer that features a Miles Per Gallon calculator

54. Crossing party, briefly : PED(estrian) - I am thinking Mr. Silk was not happy with PEDI and PED and PEN together in one grid

Splynter

Notes from C.C.:
 
1) I got this from Renèe Harvey of Mensa: "I am sorry the games and puzzles are not working, we are having syndication issues. We are working to resolve this as quickly as possible."
 
I don't know when they'll solve this issue. It's been a week. I encourage those Mensa users to download free Across Lite from NY Time's website. Then you can have LA Times puzzle at Cruciverb, which has a one-month archive. Plus the puzzle is always available at 10:00pm the previous night.
  
2) Happy Birthday to Splynter's mom! Hope Splynter makes it special for you.

Baby Splynter and his parents

Friday, May 29, 2015, John Lampkin

Theme: It is T time, so let's have some dessert.

A Friday frolic with our musical bug man, photog, where a T is is added as the first letter of the second word of a common phrase, resulting in an amusingly clued dessert. With only three themers and a reveal there is plenty of room for creativity in the grid. First, I like the visual of this puzzle, JL's photographer's eye I am sure helped. (A hint is hidden in the grid: look closely at the middle). Instead of the regular look, we have mirror symmetry. We also have standard Friday low word count with longer average word length. The longer fill is loaded with sparkle: ANY TIME,  BIDS FOR,  BREWSKI,  DETENTE,  ETERNAL,  FLAT FEE,  INCUBUS, MUD PIES,  NOT IN IT,  YES DEAR, APIARIST,  BOB FOSSE,  EVIL TWIN,  RETRACTS with much of it word strings which are a challenge to suss. Any puzzle that ranges from ROO and MUD PIES to INCUBUS is a joy to me. Let us follow John's lead.

17A. Self-preparing dessert? : AUTOMATIC TRIFLE (15). A nice change from a weapon of destruction to an English yummy. RECIPE.

27A. Dry, powdery dessert? : DUST TRUFFLE (11). We just bought a new comforter with matching dust ruffle, but I should have gotten a chocolate treat. RECIPE.

34D. Surreal dessert? : DADA TART (8). We all should know this MOVEMENT from Jean Arp and others. The simple tart comes in many forms. RECIPE.

36D. Like the desserts in this puzzle, literally? : DONE TO A T (8). A Friday reveal.


Across:

1. Like some timers? : OLD. 20 mule team borax anyone?

4. Kids' rainy day projects : MUD PIES. The only time little boys are encouraged to 'cook.'

11. Watch kids : SIT. We get to baby sit Charlotte.

14. Piglet bud : ROO. From the world of Winnie.

15. Boring, facetiously : ETERNAL. This definition required perp inspiration, but it makes sense.

16. Kyrgyzstan city : OSH. B'gosh, I get this right away finally.

20. Supple : LITHE.

21. Red meat source : EMU. Too late for Memorial Day, but you can order these for the Fourth. LINK.

22. Red giant : S-STAR. This has been appearing regularly.

23. 37-Down's concerns : BEES. A tricky cross-reference but it is Friday. 37D. See 23-Across : APIARIST. A five dollar word for bee keeper. Where are Ulee and Sherlock? John any great Bee pictures? How about an original...

24. Year during Augustus' reign : ONE BC. For all the southern readers, "How many headache powders do you need to take?"

26. Val-d'__: French department : OISE. Oise is a river you need to know because of the great use of vowels. For Splynter, you can practice your FRENCH.

30. Human __ : RACE. I thought "kind" first.

31. Big bunch : SCAD. Not used to the term in the singular.

32. Moisten, as garden cobwebs : BEDEW. A nice Shakespearean word.

35. Shingle wood : CEDAR.

39. Biological duct travelers : OVA. Eggs.

40. Wagering letters : OTB. Off track betting. I believe this has been replaced with online choices like TVG  etc.

43. You'd be amazed to stand in it : AWE. Really nicely crafted clue/fill for such a simple answer.

45. Unlock, to Byron : OPEn. Read some POETRY?

46. Tries to obtain : BIDS FOR. This works two ways, both literally and figuratively.

48. Dead last, say : NOT IN IT. Tough letter string, but accurate.

50. Hourly-rate alternative : FLAT FEE. A very large part of law practice, one of the three types of fee arrangements: hourly, contingency, and flat fee.

51. Marital concession : YES DEAR. My favorite fill of the entire puzzle; so well put.

52. Anne Frank's father : OTTO. I did not remember this

53. Belts : SWATS.

55. __ vez: Juan's "again" : OTRA.

56. Grassy surface : SWARD. This appears to be the LAT debut of this Friday word. It along with STORER almost did me in.

58. Bio, e.g. : SCIence.

59. Indifferent : STOIC.

60. Yes-Bob link : SIREE.

61. One of the Kardashians : KIM. If you want a link, go for it.

62. Sandwich request : TOAST.

63. Blog input : ENTRY. A CSO to us all.

64. Compound suffix : IDE. This old bromide...

65. Annie of "Designing Women" : POTTS. I enjoyed the series but I like Annie better in this ROLE  (0:29).

Down:

1. Colgate rival : ORAL B. I started with Crest.

2. Mascot of the NHL's Blues : LOUIE.

3. Like pointillist works : DOTTED. My father studied and practiced this type of painting

4. Cultural idea that may go viral : MEME. If you paid attention yesterday....

5. Acting legend Hagen : UTA.

6. Political thaw : DETENTE. Not in fashion any more. Now the Olympic arrests are a US scheme to take the World Cup from Russia, according to Vladimir Putin.

7. First coat : PRIMER.

8. Nocturnal demonic visitor : INCUBUS. My first thought was SUCCUBUS but it did not fit.

9. Corrode : EAT. The rust ate away my outdoor furniture.

10. Some pic takers : SLRS. Single Lens Reflexes.

11. Pushover : SOFTIE.

12. Lands in el mar : ISLAS. Spanish.

13. Pointing remark : THERE. Cute clue. An excuse for this CLIP. (0:26)

18. "And I'm Cleopatra" : OH SURE. I thought it was Queen of Sheba.

19. Wagnerian soprano : ISOLDE. Inspector Morse loved his Opera. They just announced a 9th season of Lewis in addition to the 3rd for Endeavor.

24. Needing no Rx : OTC. Over The Counter.

25. Ozone-threatening compound : CFC. Chlorofluorocarbon. Better known as FREON.

28. Prune : SAW OFF. A branch on a tree, not a dried plum.

29. Aspects : FACETS.

32. Choreographer with nine Tonys : BOB FOSSE. We like to see full names in puzzles. hard to believe he has been dead almost 30 years.

33. Facetious scapegoat : EVIL TWIN. Also a TV favorite PLOT.

38. Pulls back : RETRACTS.

41. Digits displayed on beaches : TOES. Sing-a-long.

42. Suds : BREWSKI.

43. "Whenever" : ANYTIME.

44. Travails : WOES.

47. Acorn woodpecker, e.g. : STORER. JL like birds and bugs, but this clue bugs me.

49. "Ditto" : I DO TOO. Fun letter string.

54. Lithographer's material : ACID. This answer should be etched in your mind.

57. "L.A. Law" actress : DEY. A partridge that grew up. Interestingly, she was replaced by Annie Potts in the TV Series Love and War. I liked her in LINK.

59. Indy initials : STP. Scientifically Treated Petroleum. Andy Granatelli.

Well another fun effort from a dear friend to the Corner. See you in June. Lemonade out.

Thursday, May 28, 2015 David Poole

Theme: "Before and After"

Common fabric patterns are combined with common objects to form new items. Hilarity ensues.

17. Digging tool with an abstract pattern? : HOUNDSTOOTH PICK. Houndstooth / Toothpick. I can order my very own customized cake PICK from Zazzle.com.

24. Mathematical array with a spotted pattern? : POLKA DOT MATRIX. Polka dot / Dot matrix. "Spot" on description, since some mathematical arrays do look like POLKA DOTs!

45. Fish with a linear pattern? : PINSTRIPED BASS. Pinstriped / Striped bass. How about this pinstriped bass?

59. Volume with a plaid pattern? : MADRAS CHECK BOOK. I couldn't find a BOOK with a MADRAS CHECK cover. But  Coach makes a MADRAS CHECK CHECKBOOK for only $50.

This seemed awfully easy for a Thursday, with only one snag for me.   I guess the low word count and tricky theme pushes it to late week status. How did it treat you?


Across

1. Help with a heist : ABET.

5. Senate __ : RACE. Hands up for wanting "seat"? (Which led to my boo-boo, erasure, and an extra 15 seconds at 8-Down.)

9. Rascal : SCAMP.

14. First name in fashion : COCO. Immediately followed by a clecho at 15-Across. First name in fashion : OLEG. Needed a couple perps to sort them out.

16. Transmission repair franchise : AAMCO.

20. Wrecks : TRASHES.

21. How a scolding may be given : IRATELY.

22. First and last words of "Green Eggs And Ham" : I AM. Sam...Sam I am.

23. Winter Palace resident : TSAR.

31. Champagne label word : SEC. SEC means "dry" in French. On non-sparkling wines, that indicates just what it implies: they are "dry" and not sweet. But champagne bottles labeled SEC are much sweeter than "Brut" champagnes. Go figure.

32. Olympic hawk : ARES.

33. Reunion attendee : NIECE.

34. 3-Down is in it : OPEC. And 3-Down. Besides Chile, the only S.A. country that doesn't border Brazil : ECUA.dor

36. Arafat of the PLO : YASIR.

39. Broadway feature : NEON.

40. Carne __ : ASADA. "Grilled meat" in Spanish.

42. Pupil's place : UVEA. Not desk, haha!

44. Letters from your parents? : DNA. Good one.

49. Snaps : PICS. Here's a couple PICS of our new deck.

This is the water feature in our moss garden:

We have to wait a few months before staining it, right, Splynter?

50. Much : FAR. "It is a far, far better thing that I do..."

51. College milieu : ACADEME. Pronounced AK-uh-deem.

55. Ghoulish : MACABRE. Nice fill.

61. Son of Abraham : ISAAC.

62. Top : ACME.

63. Run without moving : IDLE.

64. "Married to the Mob" director : DEMME. My one entry that relied totally on perps. He also directed "Silence of the Lambs."

65. Appealed : PLED.

66. Some votes : AYES.


Down

1. Twice vier : ACHT. German "four" and "eight."

2. Lout : BOOR.

4. Neck tissue : TONSIL.

5. Italian cuisine herb : ROSEMARY. This year I expanded my herb garden to include sage and basil, along with rosemary, thyme, chives, dill, cilantro, parsley, tarragon and oregano.

6. Cockpit figs. : ALTS. ALTitudes.

7. Satya Nadella of Microsoft, e.g. : CEO. This guy.

8. Self-seeker : EGOIST. I thought "taoist" at first!

9. Like nearly one-third of Africa : SAHARAN.

10. Kirk or Picard: Abbr. : CAPT.ain

11. Brest friend : AMIE. HarHar. I guess clueing it as "Brest" indicates that we are looking for the feminine noun?

12. Year in which Frederick II died : MCCL. Sure, I knew that...

13. Snail-paced : POKY.

18. Bangladesh capital : DHAKA.

19. Streetcar relative : TRAM.

23. Hard-to-call contests : TOSSUPS.

24. It was originally named Brad's Drink : PEPSI.

25. Indian __ : OCEAN.

26. Bust gp. : DEA. Drug Enforcement Agency.

27. Bronze component : TIN.beni?

28. Orchestra section : REEDS.

29. Madonna and Lady Gaga : ICONS.

30. Gabrielle's friend : XENA. From the series "Xena: Warrier Princess." I always wanted to write a song about her: "I'll be XENA in all the old familiar places..."

31. Hotel freebie : SOAP. If they didn't have such strong fragrances, I might be tempted to take some home!

35. Collection to burn : CDs.

37. "Now __ seen everything!" : I'VE.

38. Embarrassed : REDFACED. (Oops! I saw too much!)

41. Tranquil : AT PEACE.

43. One way to be taken : ABACK.

46. What some eyeglasses lack : RIMS.

47. Polar concern : ICE CAP.

48. Oil-rich peninsula : ARABIA.

51. Within : AMID.

52. One taken to court : CASE.

53. Leading man? : ADAM.

54. Eighth of a fluid ounce : DRAM.

55. Fast-spreading Internet phenomenon : MEME. This has to be one of my favorites.

56. Murder mystery staple : BODY.

57. Something to cast : ROLE.

58. Laboriously earns, with "out" : EKES.

60. Stomach acid, to a chemist : HCL. Hydrochloric acid.


Marti, out!

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 Robyn Weintraub

Theme: INSANE OCTETS.  The theme answers have circles - or at least they should - so that's usually a sign that the theme includes an anagram concept.   This is definitely not my forte, but I sussed it pretty easily.  Lets check it out

17 A. Oscar-nominated song from "The Little Mermaid" : KISS THE GIRL.  Just don't get slapped.

26. Tie the knot : GET HITCHED.  GET MARRIED also fits, but the slangy answer is more appropriate to the clue

33. Jewelry alloy : WHITE GOLD.  Per Wikipedia, "an alloy of gold and at least one white metal, usually nickel, manganese or palladium. In order to make the gold white, it is combined with metal alloys that are white in nature and plated with an extremely hard element called rhodium."

43. Alertly eager : BRIGHT EYED.    Evidently, this phrase goes back to the late 1500's, but that's all I was able to uncover.  However, FWIW, there is this --

There is no obvious common thread here, so if you didn't get the circles, you were probably pretty puzzled by the puzzle.  So, here is the unifier.  53 A. Card game that literally explains this puzzle's circles : CRAZY EIGHTS.  "CRAZY" is one of many possible indicators that the letters of the key word "EIGHT" have been mixed up, scrambled or confused, i.e anagrammed.  The letters, contained in circles if you're lucky, in each case are split across two words.  There are 120 permutations of the 5 letters in the word EIGHT, so the puzzle could only give us a small sampling of the possibilities. Very nicely done, I'd say.

CRAZY EIGHTS is a pretty simple game that I must have played at some time in my 'ute.  You can read about it here.  When I did, it occurred to me that UNO is an elaborated derivative of this game.

Suitable for young children

Hi gang, Crazy ZabaJzump here.  Nice puzzle, well executed theme.  Let's see if we can get through it without any further mix ups.

Across

1. Passé movie rental need : VCR.  Video Cassette Recorder.

4. Defeat decisively : STOMP.

9. Fixtures that may have claw feet : TUBS.   

The one I remember from my early 'ute was not this elegant

13. "__ you in or out?" : ARE.

14. On top of things : AWARE.

15. Blazing stars : NOVAE.  All stars are blazing.  These are the REALLY hot ones.

16. Word in four state names : NEW.   Hampshire, Jersey, Mexico, and York.

19. Rose __ : GARDEN.   White House feature

Tulips?

21. Steve Martin film based on "Cyrano de Bergerac" : ROXANNE.

22. Melville novel : OMOO.  Easily the most popular novel in X-words.  Has anyone read it in the last 100 years?

23. Circus prop : STILT.  

As if clowns weren't scary enough

25. Friend of Wyatt : DOC.  Earp and Holliday, famous for participating in the gun fight down the street a piece from the OK Corral.

 He probably Earped

29. Fixed (on) : BENT.  Firm and determend in purpose or belief.

30. Charlemagne's domain: Abbr. : Holy Roman Empire.

31. Peaty land : MOOR.  Acidic soil where plants die faster than they can decompose.

32. __-Coburg, Bavaria : SAXE.   A Duchy from the 14th Century in what is now Bavaria.

36. "Toodles!" : CIAO.  B'bye.

38. City NNE of Austin : WACO.   Never a good thing when it's in the news.

39. Managed care gp. : Health Maintenance Organization.  Note abrv.

42. Half of a Billy Idol #1 song : MONY.   Better than half a fly, I suppose.  Anyway, it's a cover.  Here's the real thing, from 1968.

46. Gardner of film : AVA.  She had many roles from the 40's through the 70's and was married to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra.

Artful Dame

47. Debt securities : LIENS.  The way this is phrased makes me think of bonds.  A LIEN is a legal encumbrance on a property, which is a form of security interest.   Details differ from country to country.

48. Invasion time : D-DAY.  On June 6, 1944, the allied forces invaded Normandy, a very complicated operation.

49. Tries to reach again, old-style : REDIALS.   Old time phone calls.

51. Rejects : SPURNS.

56. Super Bowl highlights : ADS.   'Cuz the game itself is often lousy.

57. Anise-flavored liqueurs : OUZOS.   Greek fire water.

58. "Toodles!" : SEE YA.  A chlecho, but I don't believe I've ever heard anybody say "Toodles."

59. Originally named : NEE.   Generally used in the context of a bride's maiden name.

60. Flew : SPED.   Look at the time.   I must be having fun.

61. Article of faith : TENET.   Do those of lesser faith only have ninets?

62. Audition, with "out" : TRY.  Competition for roles.

Down

1. "The Starry Night" painter : VAN GOGH.  Vincent.

2. Morning pitcher : CREAMER.  Presumably holding cream for that all-important cup of coffee.  I take mine solo.

3. Did over, as a manuscript : REWROTE.  Writing is rewriting.

4. Japanese libation : SAKE.  An alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice.  Sometimes thought of as either a wine or a beer, but is neither.

5. Mattress size : TWIN.  

6. Defense gp. since 1948 : Organization of American States, founded in 1948.

7. Dash of flavor? : MRS.    Cute

It's a matter of taste

8. Van Dyke role : PETRIE.   Rob, with wife Laura

Wasn't she a dish

9. Forum garb : TOGA.

Funny thing about that

10. Measure discussed on the EPA's SunWise web page : UV INDEX. It predicts the level of solar UV radiation and  indicates the risk of overexposure on a scale from 0 (low) to 11 or more (extremely high).

11. Including everything : BAR NONE.

12. Choose : SELECT.

15. "Wait till __ year!" : NEXT.   Losing sports team's cry of anguish and hope.

18. Clutch : HOLD.

20. Word from Homer : D'OH.

23. Glasgow native : SCOT.  From a city in Scotland.

24. Included free : THREW IN.  Has anyone ever included a free towel for you?

27. Texter's "Here's what I think" : In My Humble Opinion.

28. Paris pronoun : TOI.  Sure.  Whatever.

29. Rancid : BAD.  Food going bad, not misbehaving.   I think.

Then, again  .  .  .

32. Hotel keycard opening : SLOT.  Keyholes are passé.

33. Route : WAY.

34. Comedy material : GAGS.

35. 23-Down's "Golly!" : OCH.  Scottish vernacular.

36. Watergate subterfuge : COVERUP.  Sometimes worse than the actual crime.

37. Not lucid : IN A DAZE.

39. Curbside water source : HYDRANT.  For putting out house fires.

40. Wind, as a country road : MEANDER.   

Take the long way home

41. Post-Trojan War epic : ODYSSEY.   The story of Odyssius taking the long way home.

42. Former Philippine president : MARCOS.  Ferdinand, a corrupt and brutal dictator.

43. Ill humor : BILE.

44. Fight temptation : RESIST.  I misread this a "flight temptation" and was mightily confused.  Anyway, always let your conscience be your guide.

45. University URL suffix : EDU. Representing EDUcation.

47. Sets down : LAYS.  Not lies - that would be untrue.

50. Name on a sport shirt label : IZOD.  Actually, they make all sorts of apparel.

This symbol magically magnifies the value price of whatever it's attached to

51. Eye trouble : STYE. An infected abscess near the edge of the eyelid.

52. H.S. exam : PSAT. Pre-SAT.  Preparation for the SAT, which is a college admission test with no record of predicting success in college.  IMHO, all standardized tests are scams.

54. "Golly!" : GEE.

55. Egg source : HEN. Yeah - but which one came first?

There it is folks, a nice puzzle from start to finish.  I'm not mixed up any more, but I am still crazy.

Cool regards!
ZbJ

Tuesday, May 26, 2015 Gareth Bain

Theme: Redundancies - Redundancies.

17A. Cash source, redundantly : ATM MACHINE. (automatic teller machine)

28A. 17-Across access code, redundantly : PIN NUMBER. (personal identification number)

38A. College entrance exam, redundantly : SAT TEST. (Originally, Scholastic Aptitude Test)

47A. Adobe file spec, redundantly : PDF FORMAT. (portable document format)

63A. PC linking system, redundantly : LAN NETWORK. (local area network)

Argyle here. This should make some Cornerites happy. They have complained about some of these redundancies before. I felt the fill was the right step-up in crunchiness from yesterday.

Across:

1. "Shake a leg!" : C'MON

5. Deprive of one's nerve : UNMAN

10. __ noire: dreaded thing : BÊTE

14. Sharpen : HONE

15. Herman's Hermits frontman Peter : NOONE

16. Skip over : OMIT

19. Gull relative : TERN

20. Sweet-talk : WHEEDLE

21. Ethiopia neighbor : ERITREA

23. Refine, as ore : SMELT

25. Flirtatiously shy : COY Miss Piggy 7D. "Little ol' me?" : "MOI?"

26. Half of sechs : DREI. German 6/3

33. Speaks too well of oneself : BOASTS

35. Sign before Virgo : LEO

36. Spanish explorer Hernando de __ : SOTO

37. Compact submachine gun : UZI

41. "I thought so!" : "A-HA!"

42. Tennis great Lacoste : RENÉ. Jean René Lacoste was a French tennis player and businessman. He was nicknamed "the Crocodile" by fans because of his tenacity on the court; he is also known worldwide as the creator of the Lacoste tennis shirt, which he introduced in 1929.~ Wikipedia

44. Apt. coolers : ACs

45. Large __ Collider: particle accelerator : HADRON. Brief background from Wiki.

50. Empties (of) : RIDS

51. Frequently, in poems : OFT

52. Drivel : TRIPE

54. Dickens miser : SCROOGE

58. Gracious : AMIABLE

62. Berth place : PIER. For the berthing of boats.

65. Los Angeles-to-Phoenix direction : EAST

66. Novelist Jong : ERICA

67. Lip balm additive : ALOE

68. Things to connect : DOTS

69. First name in TV talk : ELLEN DeGeneres

70. Longings : YENS

Down:

1. Wad of tobacco : CHAW

2. Clothes closet pest : MOTH

3. "You can count __" : ON ME

4. Luthor and Zod, to Superman : NEMESES. Individually, each is a nemesis.

5. Ben or Sam : UNCLE

6. Like vague hints, usually : NO HELP

8. Author Rice : ANNE. No relation to Uncle Ben's Rice.

9. __-do-well : NE'ER

10. Bell-__: flared pants : BOTTOMS

11. Manicurist's buffer : EMERY BOARD

12. Run out of gas : TIRE

13. Sicilian volcano : ETNA

18. Opens the door to : ADMITS

22. Post-op setting : ICU

24. Attacks, knight-style : TILTS AT

26. Slept for a bit : DOZED

27. Amazonian ecosystem : RAIN FOREST

29. Alumna bio word : NÉE

30. Small snack : NOSH

31. Cultural values of a group : ETHOS

32. Colorful horse : ROAN. Did anybody ride a roan on the Ponderosa?

33. Tupperware sound : BURP

34. German coal region : SAAR

39. Film buff's sta. : TCM

40. Mammoth-preserving locale : TAR PIT. La Brea Tar Pits, bonus entry.

43. Serious attempts : EFFORTS

46. Wane : DIE AWAY

48. Oklahoma native : OTO or Otoe.

49. Hypnotic state : TRANCE

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

54. Risked a ticket : SPED

55. Florentine farewell : CIAO. Italian “hello, goodbye”.

56. TV musical comedy that ended in 2015 : "GLEE"

57. British peer : EARL

59. Tree trunk : BOLE

60. Dianetics creator __ Hubbard : L. RON. Dianetics is a set of ideas and practices regarding the metaphysical relationship between the mind and body which was created by L. Ron Hubbard and is practiced by followers of Scientology and separate independent Dianeticist groups.~ Wikipedia

61. Endures hardship to make, with "out" : EKEs

64. Zero, in soccer : NIL

I'd like to thank Wikipedia for their help in writing this piece.

Argyle

Monday, May 25, 2015 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Apt - Memorials for Memorial Day.

17A. *Cause championed by Martin Luther King, Jr. : CIVIL RIGHTS. Montgomery, Alabama

26A. *Military branch : AIR FORCE. Arlington, VA

51A. *Five-sided figure : PENTAGON. Southwest side of The Pentagon.

18D. *Bearded Mount Rushmore president : LINCOLN. Western end of the National Mall

35D. *Iconic WWII flag-raising island : IWO JIMA. Arlington National Cemetery

United States Marine Corps War Memorial

61A. Late-May observance, whose first word can follow each answer to a starred clue : MEMORIAL DAY

Argyle here. Moment of silence at 3:00 pm local time. A unique grid from C.C. today. A fitting tribute.

Across:

1. Barn birds : OWLS

5. "A Fish Called __":1988 Cleese film : WANDA

10. Jordan Spieth's org. : PGA. (Professional Golfers' Association) Spieth won his first major at the Masters in 2015.

13. Hair-removal brand : NAIR

14. Olympics chant : "USA! USA!"

16. Onassis nickname : ARI

19. Nintendo's Super __ : NES. (Nintendo Entertainment System)

20. Somme summer : ÉTÉ

21. "Love __ Open Door": "Frozen" duet : IS AN. If you want a listen...Link.

22. Paris tower designer : EIFFEL

24. "I __ noticed" : HADN'T

28. Archaeological artifact : RELIC

29. Cold War CIA foe : KGB. (Комите́т госуда́рственной безопа́сности)

30. Assents at sea : AYEs

31. Capital of Libya : TRIPOLI

33. Morally bad : EVIL

36. "Catch my drift?" : "SEE?"

37. On the __: escaping : LAM

38. Like steak tartare : RAW

39. Unused : NEW

42. Reverse, as a computer operation : UNDO

43. Newman song played after a Dodgers home victory : "I LOVE LA"

45. Pass up : SKIP

48. Long or Peeples : NIA. Actresses.

50. "The Grapes of Wrath" family : JOADs

54. Mottled mount : PINTO. What Little Joe used to ride.

55. Sign up : ENROLL

56. Old MacDonald's place : FARM

58. Seething state : IRE

60. Brian of ambient music : ENO. Crossword staple.

64. Org. with narcs : DEA. (Drug Enforcement Administration)

65. Buffalo NHL team : SABRES

66. "__ Dinah": Frankie Avalon hit : DEDE

67. Moth-eaten : OLD

68. Papas' partners : MAMAS

69. Vietnam neighbor : LAOS

Down:

1. __ in a blue moon : ONCE

2. "Don't move until I get back" : "WAIT HERE". (but they never do.)

3. Be habitually dishonest : LIVE A LIE

4. __ Lanka : SRI

5. German sausage : WURST

6. Japan's locale : ASIA

7. Words from a beleaguered spouse : "NAG, NAG". Ladies, your husbands will get the job done. You don't need to remind him every six months.

8. "Boy, am I dumb!" : "DUH!"

9. Daisylike flower : ASTER

10. Cook in a skillet : PAN FRY

11. Plato's country : GREECE

12. Theater walkways : AISLEs

15. "Yeah, right!" : "AS IF!"

23. Stable baby : FOAL

25. Guacamole, e.g. : DIP

27. Spain and Portugal : IBERIA

28. NFL linemen : RTs. (right tackle)

29. Japanese robe : KIMONO

32. Young fellow : LAD

34. Actor Kilmer : VAL

39. "Clever thought!" : "NEAT IDEA!"

40. Legendary city of gold : EL DORADO. Home to “The Woman in Gold"?

41. "What __ I thinking?" : WAS

42. At most : UPTO

44. Maria __ Trapp : VON. "Sound of Music" fame.

45. Skimpy swimwear brand : SPEEDO

46. Hound hotel : KENNEL

47. Damaging encroachment : INROAD

49. Break the news to : INFORM

52. Charitable gift : ALMS

53. Sparkle : GLEAM

54. Overly proper type : PRISS. Yes, I tried PRUDE first.

57. Pi r squared, for a circle : AREA

59. Baby blues : EYES

62. CEO's degree : MBA. (Master of Business Administration)

63. "Bad" cholesterol letters : LDL. (low-density lipoprotein)

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Big Easy sent me this picture last night. He said:

"Granddaughters Jenna and Kelsey with TOBY KEITH and Jason Aldean today at the Bayou Country Superfest held in Tiger Stadium.  How they got to get a picture with those two is baffling."

Sunday, May 24, 2015 Mark Bickham

Theme: "Hatch Job" - Nine birds are hidden in the theme answers.

25A. *Dreamt of : ALWAYS WANTED. Swan, a hard bird to hide, unlike OWL. The *S WAN* pattern phrases are limited.

27A. *Type of surplus store : ARMY NAVY. Myna. The one I visited is run by a private guy.

 32A. *Forgot the past : STARTED OVER. Dove.

64A. *Yellow Monopoly property : VENTNOR AVENUE. Raven.

94A. *School in-crowd : POPULAR KIDS. Lark.

 

101A. *Tape width, perhaps : HALF-INCH. Finch.

33D. *"Be My Baby" singers : THE RONETTES. Heron.

38D. *Alpine feline : SNOW LEOPARD. Owl, probably the easiest theme entry for Mark.

49D. *Like some flats : LOW RENT. Wren. Crossing the central Across theme answer. Expert gridding work.

 104. Signs of spring that are literally hidden in the answers to starred clues : NESTING BIRDS

  

I had no idea what the theme was until I came to the reveal. I love puzzles with reveal entries, provided that the gimmick was not obvious from the get-go.

Also loved the title, "Hatch job", very clever. Mark managed a low 138-worder despite a heavy 10 themers. I'm convinced that you've got to have themeless construction experience to pull off a 138 or lower.

  

Quite a few clue echos in this grid also.

Across:

1. Mound site : INFIELD. Pitcher's mound.

8. 1996 Olympic tennis gold medalist : AGASSI

14. Track fastener : SPIKE

19. Jim Brickman fan, perhaps : NEW AGER. Not familiar with the musician.

20. Gathered in a mass : LUMPED

21. Darlings' creator : BARRIE. Peter Pan.

22. Stay with doggedly : CLING TO

23. Dishes set in gelatin : ASPICS. My grandma always had fried tofu inside her aspics.

24. Canine coat? : ENAMEL. Nice clue.

29. Couple maker : AND

30. Equal : ARE

31. Question of concern : YOU OK?

 

37. Dope (out) : SUSS

38. Eponymous Belgian town : SPA. Good to know this trivia. And 75. Belgium-based imaging company : AGFA. Have not seen this brand for quite some time.

41. Nincompoop : SCHMO. Joe Schmo.

42. German article : DER

43. Word with dive or drops : NOSE. And 59. Words before dare or ever : DO I

44. War of the Ring force : ENTs. The Lord of the Rings.

45. Pact : TREATY

47. Fix, as a model airplane : RE-GLUE

51. Bleep : EDIT OUT

53. Discernible range : EARSHOT

55. Hinduism's Chandra, e.g. : MOON GOD. Never heard of Chandra. We have a moon goddess called Chang'e in Chinese fairy tales. Same name as China's lunar exploration program.

57. 2005 horror sequel : SAW II

58. Singer Tori : AMOS

61. Scottish export : TWEED

62. Where texts are often read : CELL. Cell phone.

63. ISP option : MSN

67. "Speak up" requests : EHs

70. Base path? : EVIL. Base ="Despicable"  here.

72. Cutting beam : LASER

73. Bouncer's handful : SOT

74. In short order : SOON

75. Some saxes : ALTOS

77. Law office visitors : CLIENTS

79. Part-time player : SEMI-PRO. Not AMATEUR.

81. "I'm outta here" : GOTTA GO. Tiny dupe with 48. Ship out : GO TO SEA

83. Potters' wheels, e.g. : LATHES

85. Home of Mandrake the Magician : XANADU.  Another unknown to me.

86. Part of BOGOF : FREE. "Buy one, get one free"

87. Annoyances : RUBS. "Ay, there's the rub" .

89. They're often found in mice : AAs. Computer mouse.

91. Sign of an omission : CARET. ^.

92. Spots : ADS

93. Deere rival : TORO. Based here in MN.

98. Look forward to : AWAIT

99. Game with an Angry Birds version : UNO

100. Cal. column : TUE

111. Tennyson's "lily maid of Astolat" : ELAINE

112. Cuthbert of "24" : ELISHA

114. Steak __ : TARTARE

115. Thought quite a lot of : ADORED

116. More promising : ROSIER

117. In : ELECTEE

118. Downed with a jolt : TASED

119. Wheelhouse : SPHERE

120. Elizabeth I or Prince Harry : REDHEAD. Prince Harry alone is enough for me. I hope he gets back to that pretty girl he used to date. They were a great couple.

Down:

 

1. Sapa __: ancient South American ruler : INCA. Guessable.

2. Jodie Foster title role : NELL. Nailed this one, though I never saw the movie.

3. Relative of IMO : FWIW

4. Collector's suffix : IANA. ANA is more common, right? Americana.

5. Like rich batter : EGGY

6. Sics on : LETS AT

7. Overwhelmed, with "out" : DROWNED

8. Jackson with a 2015 "Keepin' It Country" tour : ALAN. We also have 102. "The Aviator" actor : ALDA.

9. Austrian painter Klimt : GUSTAV. Marti saw his works in person.

10. Word in current news? : AMPERE. Not current news I had in mind.

11. Scorpion cousin : SPIDER

12. Texas A&M joined it in 2012 : SEC

13. "You're probably right" : I'D SAY SO

14. Some HDTVs : SANYOS

15. Trick : PRANK

16. "Joy of Cooking" author Rombauer : IRMA

17. Capital ESE of Warsaw : KIEV

18. Hard to control : EELY

21. In a fog : BEMUSED

26. Puff __ : ADDER

28. Woke up : ROUSED. Read this, guys.  So many LOL moments. Which is your favorite? Mine is #23.

32. Gets out : SCRAMS

 

34. Pile up : AMASS

35. "American Pastoral" Pulitzer-winning writer : ROTH (Philip)

36. City near Provo : OREM

39. Spitting sound : PTUI

40. Wine commonly served chilled : ASTI

41. Momentum : STEAM. Lose momentum/steam.

43. Beersheba's region : NEGEV. Hebrew for "dry".

44. Series ender : ET AL

46. Feature of some Roy Rogers numbers : YODEL

  

50. Expose : UNEARTH

52. "Understood" : I SEE

54. Weigh station unit : TON And 105. Weigh station concern : TARE

56. The __: Horace works : ODES

60. "__ be fun!" : IT'LL

62. Polish brand : CUTEX. And 65. Does masterfully : NAILS. Also 76. Master : LORD

64. Credit giant : VISA

 

66. Crunched things, for short : NOs (Numbers).

68. Large groups : HORDES

69. Weevil feature : SNOUT

71. Poll position? : VOTE. Great clue. Pole/Poll.

74. Egyptian peninsula : SINAI

 

77. Journalist who has been a host on all "Big Three" networks : COURIC. So sweet and cheerful.

78. 12-time NFL Pro Bowler Junior : SEAU

80. Connie __, winningest MLB manager : MACK. See this list.  He also lost more games than any other manager.

82. Responded to a bad joke : GROANED

84. U.S./Soviet pact : SALT I

88. Gets to : BOTHERS

90. Walk easily : SAUNTER

93. Twisted together : TWINED

94. Ground, say : PUNISH

95. Garment easy to get in and out of : ONESIE. For babies!

96. More swank : POSHER

97. Throw a big party for : REGALE

98. Burning : AFIRE

101. Cops, or pressure from them : HEAT

 

103. Landlocked land : LAOS. More sticky rice is eaten there than any other country.  I love mochi balls.

 

106. Brought up : BRED

107. Hard-to-ignore feeling : ITCH

108. Fixed __ : RATE

109. De Matteo of "Sons of Anarchy" : DREA. She's also in "The Sopranos".

110. Apple product : SEED. Real apple.

113. Cut off : LOP

 

C.C.