Thursday September 24, 2009 Jack Sargeant

Theme: RUNNER (48D. Ball carrier, and clue for 20-, 40- and 59-Across)

20A. See 48-Down: ICE SKATE BLADE. Figure skating is beautiful to watch.

40A. See 48-Down: TRACK COMPETITOR. Ah, the Lightning Bolt (Usain), probably the most famous Jamaican after Bob Marley.

59A. See 48-Down: LONG NARROW RUG. Now I want a Navajo runner rug, with a purposely woven flaw.

Normally I am not fond of same clue for different theme answer puzzles. This one is rather unique, with the defining RUNNER structured in the grid.

Not familiar with this constructor Jack Sargeant. Could be his debut. If so, congratulations!

JimmyB, one of our regular commenter, wrote a very informative post yesterday:

"Today marks the 6-month anniversary of switching to the LA Times crosswords. In that period Rich Norris has presented us with 159 puzzles (only counting Monday's through Saturday's) submitted by 67 different "constructors". Five of those constructors were actually Rich himself. Most often used by far is Dan Naddor with 22 puzzles. Next most popular are David W. Cromer, Don Gagliardo, and Donna S. Levin with 7 apiece. Doug Peterson and Jack McInturff are close behind with 6. Thirty-six constructors have been used only once."

I forwarded the information to Rich Norris. Rich responded: "Thanks to Jimmy for the update. I haven't kept count since March, but I do keep track on an annual basis. Through October 31st, I will have published 95 different constructors in 2009, not including me."

Across:

4. Strokes on a green: PUTTS. The other golf reference is SAM (21D. Golf legend Snead). I think Rich Norris likes Ben Hogan more. Hogan had the most efficient swing.

14. What the Mad Hatter served: TEA. Mad Hatter is a fictional character in "Alice in Wonderland".

15. Apple's instant messaging software: ICHAT. Guessed. I am using a PC.

16. No longer tied up: LOOSE. Adjective here.

18. Barton of the Red Cross: CLARA. The Red Cross founder.

19. Divided country: KOREA. Divided at the 38th parallel. Since 1948.

23. Piano part: PEDAL

24. Bando of baseball: SAL. Got his name from Down fill. Don't know much about the old Oakland A's. Did pull a Catfish Hunter autograph out of a blaster box once.

25. Airport waiter: CAB. And SEMIS (31D. Big rigs).

28. Sheds feathers: MOLTS

32. Stereotypical eye patch wearer: PIRATE. "Aaarrr!"

34. Start of an order to an attack dog: SIC. "SIC 'em!"

37A. Partner of woes: CARES. Why? I am at a total loss.

39. Fed. org. concerned with workplace woes: OSHA. I like the consecutive "woes" weaving.

44. Ill-advised: RASH

45. Pageant topper: TIARA

46. Old draft org.: SSS (Selective Service System)

47. Clothes: ATTIRE. And TAILORED (43. Fitted, as a suit).

50. Slow mover: SNAIL. Edible snail would be ESCARGOT.

52. Canada's smallest prov.: P.E.I. (Prince Edward Island). No idea. It's on the right coast. Just learned that there are ten provinces and three territories in Canada. How are those territories differ from provinces?

53. Fashionable boot brand: UGG. OK, they all wear UGG boots. From left to right, Kate Moss, Eva Longoria and Jennifer Aniston.

55. Starbucks offering: LATTE

64. Descendant: SCION. Chinese often call ourselves as "Descendants of Dragon".

66. Walking __: euphoric: ON AIR

68. Fill with wonder: AMAZE

69. Three-card scam: MONTE. No idea. Have no knowledge on card games.

70. Cocktail party bowlful: DIP

71. Chair craftsperson: CANER. Alliteration again.

73. Va. clock setting: EST

Down:

1. Vegas attraction, with "the": STRIP. Sitting above STRAP (34D. Subway rider's aid).

3. Went off course, at sea: YAWED

4. Burglar: PICKLOCK. New word to me.

5. Golden State sch.: UCLA. The Bruins.

7. Empty truck's weight: TARE. The "Waste allowance" is TRET.

9. Acid neutralizer: ALKALI. It turns red litmus paper blue.

11. Weather Channel offerings: FORECASTS. Still summer here, but my morning glory suddenly stopped blooming yesterday.

13. Grazing site: LEA

22. Once around the track: LAP. Would prefer a different clue as TRACK is part of the theme answers.

26. Pal of Aramis: ATHOS. And Porthos. Dumas' "The Three Musketeers".

27. Nursery rhyme trio: BEARS. "Goldilocks and the Three BEARS".

29. Fond du __, Wisconsin: LAC. Any fellow solvers there? I know we have quite a few from the Madison area.

30. Horse's gait: TROT

33. Louis XIV, to his subjects: ROI. Louis XIV is known as "le ROI Soleil (the Sun King). Haute couture originated in his reign.

35. Hot under the collar: IRATE

36. Spanish dialect that's now standard: CASTILIAN (ka-STIL-yuhn). No idea. Only know Catalan.

38. Period of time: SPAN

41. Greek X: CHI. The "Greek T" is TAU.

42. Paleozoic __: ERA

49. "Which came first?" item: EGG. Or chicken.

51. Judge's concern: LAW

54. Travelocity mascot: GNOME. I liked this new clue.

56. Stock market transaction: TRADE

57. North African capital: TUNIS. Nice parallel with EGYPT (58D. Exodus locale). TUNIS is the capital of Tunisia. I wonder if anyone fell into the CAIRO for the capital trap.

60. Seep: OOZE

61. Any minute now, to a bard: ANON

62. "The Fountainhead" author: RAND (Ayn). Waiting for Windhover to comment on her philosophy.

63. Baptism or bar mitzvah, e.g.: RITE

64. Anatomical pouch: SAC

65. Nashville awards gp.: CMA (Country Music Association). Started in 1967. Tell me what Jessica Simpson & Carrie Underwood have in common.

Answer grid.

Picture of the Day: Here is a photo our fellow solver Bill and his wonderful wife Nancy at his sister's wedding a week ago. Both Bill and Nancy love solving Xword. Bill often makes me laugh with his witty and grumpy comments. Ask him if you have any question on computer or bluegrass.

C.C.

Wednesday September 23, 2009 Bruce Venzke and Stella Daily

Theme: In Fine Fettle - Phrases/name that start with a word indicating good health.

17A. Hydration from underground: WELL WATER. We used well water until I was about 10. Public well. Quite a way from our house. Tough on winter days.

29A. Thunder on a radio show, e.g.: SOUND EFFECT. Music recordings are never referred to as sound effects.

45A. In a rage: FIT TO BE TIED. Extremely angry.

61A. House majority leader of the early 1970s: HALE BOGGS. Unknown figure to me. Wikipedia says he was one of the seven members of the Warren Commission and he dissented from the single bullet theory. It also says he disappeared in 1972 while flying over a remote section in Alaska.

Also a bit of baseball undertone:

66A. Baseball Hall of Famer Speaker: TRIS. Inducted in 1937, same year as Cy Young. The first class (1936) includes Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb & Honus Wagner.

69A. Not tagged in time: SAFE. Twins won again! So did the Tigers though. We are still 2 1/2 games behind.

18D. "__ on first?": WHO'S. The classic Abbott and Costello sketch.

Very straightforward puzzle. Quite a few simple multiple-word answers.

Across:

5. Get ready for surgery: PREP

9. Beethoven's "Für ____": ELISE. Her true identity remains a mystery.

15. Victoria or Geneva: LAKE. Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake. LPGA holds its annual Evian Masters on the shore of Lake Geneva. It's played one week before British Open.

20. Horseshoer's workshop: SMITHY

21. "All set!": I'M READY

23. Excuse designed to elicit sniffles: SOB STORY. Asians tend to bottle up their personal woes.

26. Busy pro in Apr.: CPA. His days are numbered!

37. Bird on a dollar: EAGLE. I'd like to be a bird in my next life, chasing autumn all over the world.

40. Undiversified, as a farm: ONE CROP. Waiting for Windhover to comment.

42. Old French money: FRANC. Or ECU/SOU for three letter answers.

44. Head of France?: TETE. Tête-à-tête (tet-ah-tet) = head to head.

49. "The Waste Land" poet's monogram: TSE. Ah, our old days' of "Half a fly"! I bet Wayne R Williams still uses the same clue in his current self-syndicated puzzles.

50. Made a mess of: LOUSED UP

52. Mouth the lyrics: LIP SYNC

56. White Rabbit's cry: I'M LATE. Easy guess. Have never read "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland".

64. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" author: STOWE

Down:

1. Dog's dogs?: PAWS. Dogs is slang for feet. Got me. I wanted PUPS.

2. Utah city: OREM. See this map. So glad that I was not the only one who was perplexed by SLC (Salt Lake City) abbreviation yesterday.

5. Hedonistic fellows: PLAYBOYS. Hugh Hefner even owns a crypt next to Marilyn Monroe.

6. Maze scurrier: RAT

9. Payment from a contestant: ENTRY FEE

11. It sells a lot of build-it-yourself furniture: IKEA. I wonder why IKEA has not gone public, neither has Cargill.

22. Desert Storm ration, for short: MRE (Meal Ready to Eat)

24. Mutton fat: SUET. Beef fat too. LARD is pork fat.

25. Explosive compound: TNT

26. Grain husks separated in threshing: CHAFF. Used to confuse CHAFF with CHAFE.

27. Lab dish inventor: PETRI

28. G sharp's equivalent: A-FLAT. Oh, by the way, why does major key sound happy and minor key sound sad?

30. It's not fiction: FACT. Could be stranger than fiction.

31. "Snowy" wader: EGRET

33. Conical residence: TEPEE. And TENT (35D: Shelter for roughing it).

39. Altar attendants: ACOLYTES. Love fresh fill.

40. Aunt Bee's grandnephew: OPIE. I bet we can find Ron Howard reference in a puzzle on any given day.

43. Tie settlers, for short. OTS (Overtimes)

47. Game often played with a 24-card deck: EUCHRE. Got the answer from Across fills. Wikipedia says EUCHRE, invented around 1860, is responsible for introducing the Jack (Joker) into modern packs.

51. Novelists' creations: PLOTS

55. Attached with thread: SEWN

57. Taj Mahal city: AGRA. "Slumdog Millionaire" was shot in AGRA and Mumbai.

58. "Woohoo, the weekend!": TGIF

59. Being, to Caesar: ESSE. Sum is a first person singular of ESSE, as in "Cogito, Ergo Sum".

62. "La Cage __ Folles": AUX. Ah, one of Lemonade's favorite plays. I like the remake "The Birdcage" starring Robin Williams.

63. Wahine's gift: LEI. What kind of flowers are they wearing?

Answer grid.

A special "Thank you" to Al for the technical help lately.

C.C.

PS: Nice sausage links yesterday, esp Jazzbumpa's "since" and "yikes!". Some exotic ingredients from Kazie. Fun to read. Missed Lois's playful word weaving essay.