Sunday February 15, 2009 Ed Voile

Theme: Dig Dug

23A: Rug: OBVIOUS TOUPEE

37A: Tug: HARBOR VESSEL

63A: Shrug: SHOULDER HEAVE

86A: Plug: WAD OF TOBACCO

101A: Fug: BAD ATMOSPHERE

17D: Bug: LISTENING DEVICE

42D: Slug: COUNTERFEIT COIN

I blanked on "Plug", though I've seen QUID or CHAW clued as "Tobacco plug" before. Did not know "Slug" can be COUNTERFEIT COIN. I do visit this hugely popular website from time to time, but I've never bothered to check what's the meaning of "Fug", always thought it's the substitute of the bad F word.

Too bad "Hug" and "Mug" are missing, they should be fun to define. And "Jug": "A Jug of Wine / A Loaf of Bread / - And Thou ... "so crudely romantic.

I don't know what's happened to our editor, this puzzle is screaming for more editing. The word "devices" should not make the appearance in the clue for ADDABLE (82D: Like auxiliary devices) due to 17D. Interesting to see ARON (8D: "East of Eden" twin) and TWIN (27A: Womb-mate) intersects one another, but the duplication of "twin" spoils the fun tremendously . "East of Eden" brother/son should be sufficient. Or just a simple "Elvis' middle name".

Too many "*est" words:

83A: At the earliest: SOONEST

51D: Most merciless: CRUELEST

109A: Most compact: DENSEST

86D: Superlatively sage: WISEST

Right now I have SEP for 10D (Calendar-watch abbr.). Does it stand for September? If so, why? Is it because NFL kicks off that month?

Click here for Argyle's Valentine Dream blog post.

Across:

1A: Soaked up rays: BASKED. Wrote down TANNED immediately and messed up my 1D: Leg-up: BOOST. I wonder if anyone tried SUNNED.

7A: Movie collie: LASSIE. Wow, this is a very old movie trailer.

13A: Pitchman: SPIELER

25A: "The Bald Soprano" playwright: IONESCO (Eugène). Got his name from the down fills. Romania-born French dramatist, a leading exponent of "Theater of the Absurd." Reminds me of Chris' research on Camus last time.

28A: "Peanuts" regular: LINUS. I don't quite get this one. Election night conservative sentiment?

33A: Conceived: IDEATED. I CREATED again, of course.

36A: First name in cartoon skunks: PEPE. Bon what?

40A: Old Portuguese currency: ESCUDOS. No idea. Here is a banknote.

44A: Planet-finding grp.: SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). I wanted NASA, as I always do.

45A: Electronic navigational system system: SHORAN (Short-Range Navigation). Forgot.

47A: 17th-century opener: MDCI. The year 1601. I like this clue.

54A: God of the east wind: EURUS. No idea. He was supposed to "bring warmth and rain, and his symbol was an inverted vase, spilling water." I can't find a good picture of him. But he is winged, as is every wind god. See this painting of Zephyrus ("God of west wind") and his lover Chloris, goddess of flower (Flora in Roman). "God of the north" wind is Boreas, and "God of south wind" is Notus. They all reported to Aeolus, right? Funny every wind god ends their name with letters "us" except Boreas.

55A: Fish like a stick?: GAR. Because it's very long? I am accustomed to seeing GAR clued as "Long-nosed needlefish".

58A: Modifiers: ADAPTERS. Why?

67A: Well-known wheel-spinner: PAT SAJAK. Really?

71A: People conquered by the Iroquois: ERIES. Easy answer. But I was not educated on this history.

73A: Fannie of vaudeville: BRICE. The funny Fannie in Barbara Streisand's "Funny Girl". What exactly is a vaudeville? See this word often in the biographies of those old movie stars.

82A: Spirit of "The Tempest": ARIEL. This ARIEL does look very airy. Hebrew for "Lion of the Lord". Shouldn't it be "Lioness of God" then?

90A: Botches: MISDOES

95A: U.S. transp. reg. agc.: ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission). From 1887-1996. I don't like the clue. No need to abbreviate all the 4 words, one is enough.

96A: Former Turkish official: PASHA. I think AGA is still in use.

99A: Anchoring place: MOORAGE

106A: Demonstrates: EVINCES

107A: Rough shelter: LEAN-TO. I thought of shanty.

110A: Going astray: ERRANT. Off-course, of course.

111A: Uses a divining rod: DOWSES. No idea. I did not know the meaning of "divining rod" either. Only know douse.

Down:

3D: Region of France: SAVOY. Unknown to me. I do love SAVOY cabbage though. Are those two related? SAVOY is in southeast France, adjacent to the Swiss-Italian border.

5D: I problem?: EGO. Good clue. EGO is Latin for "I", right?

6D: Bombarding particle used in accelerators: DEUTERON. Another unknown. Dictionary defines it as "a positively charged particle consisting of a proton and a neutron, equivalent to the nucleus of an atom of deuterium", whatever deuterium means.

12D: Bit of facial hair: EYELASH. I suppose so.

13D: Red gem: SPINEL. New gem to me. I wanted garnet.

16D: First of a gender: EVE

32D: Assassinated Egyptian leader: SADAT. He was assassinated in 1981. Wait till Mubarak die, there should be an investigation on who on earth killed SADAT.

33D: Welsh actor Novello: IVOR. Composer as well. I can never remember his name. The annual British songwriters' IVOR Award is named after him.

34D: Graphic opening?: DEMO. Demographic. Good clue.

37D: Sentimental novelist Fannie: HURST. No, nope. Does Fannie HURST write sentimental novels or was she a very sentimental woman?

44D: Ascorbic acid deficiency: SCURVY. "Ascorbic" means nothing to me.

53D: B-complex vitamin: BIOTIN. No idea. It's also called Vitamin H. How is it different from thiamin then?

54D: N.T. book: EPH (Ephesian). It appeared in our puzzle yesterday. So hard to remember these books of the Bible.

57D: Seven Wonders lighthouse: PHAROS. Is Pharaoh somehow related to this word?

79D: Converging to a point (var.): FOCUSSED. Did not know this before.

88D: Witticism: BON MOT. I thought MOT alone is BON enough.

87D: Baseball bat wood: ASH. And THREE (93D: Final strike). Babe Ruth's uniform is THREE as well.

103D: __-es-Salaam: DAR. Forgot again. It's the largest city in Tanzania. Arabic for "Abode of Peace". I am just so used to our editor's "Patriotic women's org." for DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution).

104D: Literary bits: ANA. Anecdotal olio.

C.C.

Sunday February 8, 2009 Linda and Charles Preston

Note: This post is blogged by Argyle. It's a TMS Sunday syndication, different from our normal TMS Daily puzzle Sunday edition.

Theme: Valentine Dream

23A: Timely verse, pt. 1: I DEARLY LOVE A VALENTINE.

46A: Timely verse, pt. 2: I AM A SENTIMENTAL FEMALE.

79A: Timely verse, pt. 3: IT NEEDN'T BE SO BIG OR FINE.

107A: End of verse: I HOPE I GET ONE IN MY EMAIL.

Be My Valentine. I'll give you a piece of my HEART.

The verse may be timely but the tempo seems a little ragged but fitting it into the constraint of a crossword grid, I'd have to say, it is very good. Thank you, anonymous constructor.

Across:

21A: Tenor Franco ___: CORELLI. Franco CORELLI, Prince of Tenors, (1921 – 2003) was an Italian tenor active in opera from 1951 to 1976. Associated in particular with the big spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was celebrated internationally for his handsome stage presence and thrilling upper register. Sound Clips.

22A: Operating: IN USE. I do not care for this clue. 'Occupied' would have worked.

26A: Greens, in a French menu: SALADES.

27A: Sink scourer Bon: AMI. "Hasn't Scratched Yet".

28A: Egypt's president, 1956-58: NASSER. Gamal Abdel-NASSER, 1918 - 1970. Strange clue because, while it is true he was president during 1956-58, he stay in the presidency untill his death in 1970 and was succeeded by Anwar Sadat. Syria and Egypt united under his presidency, forming the United Arab Republic in 1958, but the union broke up in 1961.

31A: E-I connection: FGH. Alphabetically.

36A: George and Eric's muse Pattie: BOYD. George Harrison's wife, Eric Clapton's Layla Pic / Song.

37A: Insignifiant amount: SOU. "not worth a SOU marquee", a colloquialism meaning of little value. The term is derived from the French sou, an old copper coin.

38A: WWII landing ships: LSTS. I have been confused by this clue. The LST is a big ship. What I have been thinking of is the much smaller LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle/People), the ones you see hitting the beach in the movies.

43A: Hearty soup: PEA. A nice simple bowl of soup.

45A: eat ___: relish: IT UP. To enjoy something completely. Relish used as a verb (with object) to take pleasure in; like; enjoy.

53A: "___ was saying...": AS I.

54A: Choices at a 19 Across: ALES.

55A: Brings up: REARS. Child REARing

56A: Travis or Oberon: MERLE. I have a cousin MERLE.

57A: Playing marble: STEELIE. Players should first decide if they want to play with 'STEELIEs', which will usually damage the target marbles.

59A: Bargain in a petty way: HAGGLE.

61A: Showed mercy toward: SPARED.

62A: Took the lead: STARRED. Theatrically

64A: Peppered, as with buckshot: RIDDLED. Did you think of Dick Cheney? I did.

66A: Potatoes au ___: GRATIN. A nice simple bowl of cheesy potatoes.

69A: Nova Soctia,(sic) formerly: ACADIA. Map with the French names.

71A: Krypton. e.g.: RARE GAS. An inert, nontoxic gas used in insulating windows to reduce heat transfer.

75A: 1953 AL MVP Al ___: ROSEN. Cleveland Indians third baseman and right-handed slugger.

76A: Harden: INURE.

77A: Peacock constellation: PAVO. I guess we have to start learning the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere.

78A: Genetic letters: RNA.

84A: Eliot effort: POEM. Thomas Stearns (TS) Eliot, 1888 – 1965, was a poet, dramatist, and literary critic.

85A: Old Greek theaters: ODEA. Thanks to Dick for pointing out ODEA root in Nickelodeon. Singular is odeum.

86A: Tyrannosaurus ___: REX. Every kid knows this one.

87A: Infamous Idi: AMIN.

89A: Valentine hue: RED.

90A: Tolled: RANG. Hark, hear the bells.

92A: Looks well on: BECOMES. Some other colored sash would be more BECOMING.

95A: ___ appeal: SEX.

96A: Short letter: MEMO.

98A: Quick picker-upper: VACUMM. Not Vivarin?!

102A: News sorce letters: UPI. United Press International.

103A: Mischief-makers: RASCALS. Flatts.

116A: Extremely silly: LOONY.

117A: Alpine country: AUSTRIA. They DO have some mountains!

118A: Noted Chinese family: SOONGS. The famous SOONG Sisters. One of them married to Chiang Kai-Shek, one of them married Sun Yat-sen.

We are headed down now; hold on.

Down:

1D: Baseball stat: RBI.

2D: "CSI" hunk George: EADS. Fort Worth native George EADS plays Nick Stokes, a specialist in hair and fiber analysis in the Las Vegas crime lab.

3D: La ___ tar pits, Los Angeles: BREA. I don't think the Los Angeles is necessary; can there be another La ___ tar pits?

4D: Russia's ___ Mountains: URAL. The dividing line between Europe and Asia are the URAL Mountains.

5D: Synagogue scrolls: TORAHS. The parchment scrolls on which the Jewish laws or instructions are written and the laws or instructions themselves are collectively called the Torah.

6D: Were bought for: SOLD AT. The other side of a transaction?

7D: Author Umberto: ECO. An Italian medievalist, semiotician, philosopher, literary critic and novelist, best known for his novel The Name of the Rose. It was made into a movie, a murder mystery set in an Italian monastery in the year 1327 starring Sean Connery.

8D: Turkey mo.: NOV.. Thanksgiving month

9D: Kyoto Protocol: TREATY. An international agreement that aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the presence of greenhouse gases.

10D: Cleaned, as a pipe: REAMED

11D: "Love Me Tender" crooner: ELVIS.

12D: ___ carte: A LA.

13D: "Wait ___ the Sun Shines, Nellie": 'TIL. Bing Crosby and Mary Martin sing. Look for the Buddy Holly version while you're there.

14D: "Blues Queen" Washington: DINAH. DINAH Washington, 1924 – 1963, was a blues, R&B and jazz singer whose hits included, Mad About the Boy, Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby, and September in the Rain.

15D: Small colonists: ANTS. They live in colonies.

16D: Baseball Hall of Famer Aparicio: LUIS. Shortstop for the Chicago White Sox, the Baltimore Orioles, and Boston Red Sox, "Little Looey" won nine Gold Gloves and was the most feared base stealer in the American League during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

17D: Feudal fieldhand: ESNE.

18D: Crystal gazer: SEER.

20D: Shrek's voice: MYERS. Mike MYERS also portrayed Austin Powers Yeah, Baby!

31D: Stable newborns: FOALS.

33D: Swelter: ROAST.

34D: Fiber-yielding plant: RAMIE. This jacket appears to have stylized RAMIE leaves on it.

35D: Bambi's aunt: ENA.

36D: Chinese poet Dao: BEI. BEI Dao is the pseudonym of Chinese poet Zhao Zhenkai. Bei Dao is the most notable representative of the Misty Poets, a group of Chinese poets who reacted against the restrictions of the Cultural Revolution.

37D: Intimidated, with down: STARED.

38D: Citrus drink: LIMEADE.

39D: Ringo of rock: STARR.

40D: Tutu material: TULLE. A lightweight, very fine netting, which is often starched. It can be made of various fibers, including silk, nylon, and rayon. Tulle is most commonly used for veils, gowns (particularly wedding gowns), and ballet tutus.

41D: Hastiness: SPEED.

43D: Liquid Meas.: PTS..

44D: Livorno locale: ITALIA. Map.

48D: Cuban newsmaker Gonzalez: ELIÁN. If you don't remember, he was the young boy who lost his mother when they tried to get to America in a small aluminum boat. His great-uncle was given custody of him but his father, who was still in Cuba and hadn't known what his wife was going to do, demanded that his son be returned to him. Attorney General Janet Reno enforced a judge's order that Elián be returned to his father. It was in all the papers.

51D: Vamp Pola: NEGRI. Pola NEGRI, 1897 - 1987, was a Polish film actress who achieved notoriety as a femme fatale in silent films between 1910s and 1930s.

59D: Wife of Priam: HECUBA. She was the wife of Priam, King of Troy therefore she was the queen in Greek Mythology. Priam and Hecuba had nineteen children. Nadya Suleman hasn't caught up with her...yet.

60D: On ___ : if challenged: A DARE.

61D: Of serbs and Croats: prefix: SLAVO.

65D: Schlep: DRAG.

66D: Beef: GRIPE.

73D: Sharpshooter Oakley: ANNIE. A short bio. She was the real deal.

74D: Composer Saint-___: SAËNS. Charles-Camille Saint-SAËNS, 1835 – 1921, was a French composer, organist, conductor, and pianist, known especially for The Carnival of the Animals and Danse Macabre.

80D: Song from "The Sound of Music": DO RE MI.

83D: ___ Schwarz: FAO. Upscale specialty toy retailer headquartered in New York City.

91D: Key of Mahler's Symphony No. 6: A MINOR.

94D: Roman orator-philosopher: CICERO. He was widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators but he stll met with an unfortunate demise.

95: Like some bird food: SUETY. But not just for birds!

97D: Prince Valiant's son: ARN. Prince Valiant began as a comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story for its entire history. He has also been in movies, TV series, and comic books. (In the TV series, Arn is a different character, not Prince Valiant's son.) Arn was born in North America.

98D: Glass container: VIAL.

99D: I see, facetiously: AH SO.

100D: Chanel of fashion: COCO. For me? Why, thank you.

101D: At the time of: UPON.

104D: "But I ___ more I": Lorca: AM NO. “But I AM NO more I, nor is my home now my home.” from Somnambule Ballad by Fredrico Garcia Lorca. Lorca, 1898 – 1936, was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. Somnambulism is sleepwalking so a somnambule is someone walking in their sleep or they feel like they are sleepwalking.

105D: Placed: LAIN.

108D: Scholastic meas.: GPA.

109D: Water at Perigueux: EAU. Perigueux, Aquitaine, France

110D: Inventor Whitney: ELI. Cotton gin inventor.

111D: This ___ test: IS A.

112D: Grid positions: LGS. Grid is short for gridiron. Gridiron = football field. LGS is short for left guards. If you have a better idea, let us know.

Argyle