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Apr 16, 2017

Sunday, April, 16, 2017, C.C. Burnikel

TITLE: ACTION FIGURES


The prolific ringmaster of our site has hidden some lovely eggs for us on this Easter Sunday that combines her usual blend of a fun theme and clever cluing. XWordinfo gives it a high "Freshness Factor" which I certainly think it deserves. 

C.C. has taken the names of famous people and added a word between their first and last name. The added word satisfies the silly clue when used after the first name and then serves as the first word of a common phrase when paired with the last name. Six of her entries were horizontal and two were vertical. Ya gotta love it!

Theme entries:


23. Doris during a workout? : TRAINING DAY - America's sweetheart Doris Day in the gym or a 2001 American neo-noir crime thriller




29. Director Oliver working on pizza dough? : ROLLING STONE - Gainful employment for Oliver Stone at Pizza Hut or the free wheeling print or digital magazine that focuses on pop culture




59. Comical Samantha busy stitching? : QUILTING BEE - Dextrous work for comedian Samantha Bee or a product that might wind up in the Lincoln, NE International Quilt Study Center & Museum



78. Nicolas taking a swing? : BATTING CAGE - Nicholas Cage's turn at bat or where Billy Crystal and Bruno Kirby might take some swings




106. Singer Al making a strike? : BOWLING GREEN - Al Green in the alleys or an Ohio university where the Falcons play




3. Sally having fun? : PLAYING FIELD - Sally Field with some Legos or where the Bowling Green Falcons play




115. Nathan at quarterback? : PASSING LANE - Fabulous Nathan Lane playing against type as a QB but NOT this:



65. Lucille on a trampoline? : BOUNCING BALL - The Lucy we all love doing back flips or each of these





Now let's see what C.C. has for us in our logophilic Easter Basket



Across


1. Quaker in the wind : ASPEN - Populus Tremuloides. First cousin of the cottonwood, Nebraska's state tree - Populus Deltoides


6. Little bite : TASTE


11. "House" actor Omar : EPPS


15. Full house, e.g. : HAND - Fourth best hand




19. Pond flower : CALLA - Lily


20. Navel type : OUTIE


21. Selectively remove : CULL



22. Butterlike topping : OLEO - Remember, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature"?

25. Maker of Regenerist skin care products : OLAY


26. 'Vette roof option : T-TOP


27. Claims : SAYS


28. Greenwich Village sch. : NYU



32. Cymbals with a pedal : HI-HAT - Hey you've only got two sticks

34. Tire for emergencies : SPARE


36. Perfect Sleepers, e.g. : SERTAS




37. Yoga class greeting : NAMASTE




39. Place for a bud? : EAR


41. Deepest, as feelings : INMOST - or INNER MOST


44. Tiny bit : FIG - Bing sang, "If you don't care a feather or a FIG, You may grow up to be a pig!"


46. Many a pizza slice : OCTANT - Oliver, don't cut that pizza into 8 pieces, my family can only eat 6.




48. Subj. for Janet Yellen : ECON(omy)-  The Dismal Science


51. Diaper cream additive : ALOE - Also Zinc Oxide and Vitamin E




52. Labor day deliveries : INFANTS - Clientele for 51 Across

54. Quisling's crime : TREASON - Vidkun lectured about "The Jewish Problem In Norway" and sent Hitler a 50th birthday card


57. 1688 coffeehouse founder Edward better known in the insurance world : LLOYD - Lloyd's of London famously insured Betty Grable's legs for $1M. Dolly Parton got a $4M policy there on her, uh, best features as well.




58. Cause of some lines : AGING


61. Look for : SEEK


62. Masterful move : COUP


64. Ski resort sight : GONDOLA


65. Avoid, as an issue : BEG -  After three years of emceeing the all-school reunion, I BEGGED off for another encore


68. Some battered rings : CALAMARI - Calamari seems to be a little chewy for me




70. Mumbai mister : SRI - Ravi gets two SRI's




71. Baker's gluten-free choice : OAT FLOUR 


73. JFK : New York :: __ : Chicago : ORD - ORcharfield in Chicago retained its 3-letter designation even when it was renamed for WWII hero Navy pilot Edward O'Hare


74. Singer Laine : FRANKIE - Jezebel is his most requested song on iTunes. I'd pick Rawhide or High Noon


76. Troubles : ILLS 


77. Lara's love : YURI - Dr. YURI Zhivago 


80. Big 112-Down : FINAL 112. See 80-Across : TEST


81. Painter of dancers : DEGAS


84. Lacking variety : ONE NOTE - Regardless of the party, they can sing that ONE NOTE forever




85. Silkscreen aid : STENCIL - You can get some to help carve your pumpkins too

87. Computer with a Magic Keyboard : IMAC


88. Disc golf obstacle : TREE and 96. One of 18 on a disc golf course : TEE PAD - This looks like a "hole in one" from the TEE PAD to me.




89. Dürer, e.g. : ETCHER


91. They, in Cognac : ILS  and 
99. French sponge cake : GATEAU - ILS ont servi de GATEAU éponge (They served sponge cake)


92. One typing a's and z's : PINKIE - Wonderful clue


94. Used a bench, say : SAT


97. Certain triathlete : IRONMAN - Don't look for me in these pix!




102. Linguine sauce : PESTO - Sauce that originated in Genoa, Italy


104. Squalid : DINGY


109. Spanish pronoun : ESO - Hit song ESO Besso (That Kiss) by 
53. Ottawa-born songwriter Paul : ANKA - We had the entire title last week


111. Provide a bank floor plan for, say : ABET which will make you run 120. Clashing with, with "of" : AFOUL of the law


113. Eurasian border river : URAL


114. Alpha __ : MALE


118. Inconsequential : MERE


119. Exiled Roman poet : OVID - OVID was banned and Jesus was born during the time of Augustus Caesar 


121. Sheds : MOLTS


122. Florist's creation : POSY


123. State of disarray : MESS



124. "Spider-Man" actress : DUNST - How 'bout a wet kiss, Spidey?

125. Shoelace protector : AGLET - Like zarf, rowel, etc.



HUGH DOWNS


1. Accomplishments : ACTS


2. 2002 skating gold medalist Hughes : SARAH


4. Cuthbert of "24" : ELISHA 


5. Editor Talese with her own Doubleday imprint : NAN - A triple play - three unknown names in a row for me


6. Stylish : TONY


7. Amen Corner golf course, familiarly : AUGUSTA - Of those three holes, the 12th is my favorite and the signature hole of the course




8. Benchmark: Abbr. : STD


9. Pageant sparkler : TIARA


10. Pooh's mopey pal : EEYORE


11. "Silent Spring" subj. : ECOL


12. Canines with corded coats : PULIS - Only the tongue tells me which end is which




13. Flier : PLANE - Many fly into and out of ORD


14. Con man's expression : SLY GRIN


15. Spicy steamed Mexican food : HOT TAMALE


16. "He Was Despised," in Handel's "Messiah" : ALTO SOLO - An Air not a Chorus


17. Strip gas : NEON

18. Suss (out) : DOPE


24. In one piece : INTACT - Otzi is an INTACT, 5,000 year old mummy found in the Otztal Alps in 1991




30. Grassy expanse : LEA


31. Amtrak stop: Abbr. : STN


33. "__ Schoolchildren": Tracy Kidder book : AMONG


35. Unreleased : PENT-UP - Should we all vent occasionally?


38. Google Maps lines: Abbr. : STS - Fords Theater was a brisk 8 minute walk from our Hotel via 10th ST




40. Varnish component : RESIN


42. Tofurky protein source : SOY


43. Newsman Koppel : TED - His show Nightline started as an update on the Iran Hostage crisis in November, 1979


44. Debacle : FIASCO


45. Engaged : IN GEAR


47. Hexa- halved : TRI 


49. Express sympathy (with) : CONDOLE - I'm more familiar offering my CONDOLENCES


50. Needing to be saved? : ON GOAL - In the 1980 Miracle On Ice, the USSR got 39 shots ON GOAL and we only managed 16 but got one more in the net than the Soviets



55. "View of Toledo" painter : EL GRECO

56. Yours, in Cognac : ATOI


57. Romaine bit : LEAF


59. Tonic ingredient : QUININE - U.S. - kwai' nine  U.K - kwi' neen


60. Layered lunches : BLTS



62. Golf course rental : CART - This is the golf cart of my dreams!

63. Soapbox user : ORATOR


66. Pass good in 28 countries : EURAIL


67. Tailgating fixtures : GRILLS


69. Degs. for writers : MFAS - Sigourney Weaver got her MFA from Yale in 1974




70. Something flashed by a catcher : SIGN - Some catchers even wear nail polish so the sign can be easier to see




72. The Eagles' "__ Eyes" : LYIN'


75. Prayer supports : KNEES


76. Following remark? : I GET IT


78. Place for shady transactions : BACK ALLEY


79. Had Subway fare : ATE - Subway has 3,000 more shops than McDonalds


80. Physics Nobelist of 1938 : FERMI - Creator of the first nuclear reactor




81. Tango move : DIP


82. London's Virgin __ Records : EMI


83. Turf disputes : GANG WARS - The bane of many cities


85. "Billions" network, briefly : SHO


86. Muscle-bone connector : TENDON - One good and one ruptured 




88. "16 and Pregnant" spin-off : TEEN MOM - An MTV production


90. King known for his wealth : CROESUS - Do you know the only two letters in his name that are not 1-point scrabble tiles?


93. "Lord, is __?": Matthew : IT I - Read from some pulpits this past week




95. Big primate : APE



98. Like sundials : ANALOG - A very high tech ANALOG sundial

100. __ nectar: sugar substitute : AGAVE - Other than used for tequila it's nectar is known as honey water


101. Wrinkly fruits : UGLIS


103. Major snag : SNAFU


105. Broadway matchmaker : YENTE - "For me, well, I wouldn't holler, If he were as handsome as anything" 


106. Speed deterrent : BUMP


107. Sister brand of Nilla : OREO - Have we had OREO as fill before? 


108. Wine list heading : REDS


110. Bank deposit : SILT


116. Scott Eastwood, to Clint : SON




117. "Today" alternative, for short : GMA


Now it's time for you to William Tell us what you think.


The Grid: