Wednesday December 9, 2009 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: Bad Boys - The surname of each theme answer is synonymous with "malicious".

17. Bassist for the Sex Pistols: SID VICIOUS. He died of heroin overdose in 1979. Sex Pistols pioneered the punk rock music.

36. Muttley's evil master in Hanna-Barbera cartoons: DICK DASTARDLY. No idea. Wikipedia says he's a racer who aimed to win "solely through cheating and trickery".

59. "The Wonder Years" star: FRED SAVAGE. I only knew his brother Ben Savage. I really liked watching "Boy Meets World" when I first arrived in the US.

Wish DICK DASTARDLY were a real person. The theme would have been tighter and more focused.

Quite a scrabbly puzzle, with 3 J's, 2 Z's and several K's. A rather smooth solving for me, despite several unknowns. The crossing sure helped.

Across:

1. Hurts with a horn: GORES. Gruesome start.

6. Trudge: PLOD. Not today.

10. Where E.T. came from?: AFAR. Could only think of UFO. Nice clue.

14. As vertical as possible, as an embedded anchor: APEAK. New word to me. And ROPE (15A. Anchor attachment). Nice 'anchor" sequence.

16. Charm: MOJO. Tiger's is fading fast.

19. Run off at the mouth: BLAB

20. Made the trip: CAME. Awful storm outside now.

21. Uncommonly big: OUTSIZED. Like ego.

28. Friend you probably never met: PEN PAL

30. Spread with cocktails: PATE. Who doesn't like pâté de foie gras?

33. Leopardlike critter: OCELOT. Nice to see you again.

35. Skye of film: IONE. She's in "Say Anything ...".

40. Like many a 45-Across: DANK. And CELLAR (45A. Underground room).

41. Hitchcock classic: PSYCHO. Wish I had never seen the movie.

42. Swing voter: Abbr.: IND. And JAN (43D. Pres. inauguration month).

43. Singer Feliciano: JOSE. Got him today. See, I am capable of learning.

49. '50s Kenyan revolutionary: MAUMAU. Great to see the full name rather than the half MAU. "When doubled, Kenyan revolutionary" is just as bad as the old "Half fly" for TSE.

51. PBS funder: NEA

53. Cancún coins: CENTAVOS. Spanish for "cents". Alliteration again.

56. Hebrew prophet: AMOS. Got the answer from crosses. He's a minor prophet.

57. Fast fliers: JETS. SSTS too.

61. War god: ARES. In Greek myth. TYR is the Norse war god.

62. "Law & Order: SVU" actor: ICE-T. Yawner.

63. Sloping edge of a chisel: BEZEL. See this picture.

64. Author Zane: GREY. Again, strung his name together from crosses.

65. Big name in lawn equipment: TORO. Or DEERE. Toro is based here in MN.

66. Fish basket: CREEL

Down:

1. It's replaced after a fill-up: GAS CAP. Its symmetrical partner in the grid is RESELL (48. Transfer for a price, as a used car: RESELL). I like the car connection. Good bookends for the grid.

2. Sedative: OPIATE

3. St. John's athletes, until 1994: REDMEN. Now Red Storm. Native American sensitivity issue.

5. Go downhill fast?: SKI. Can't fool me.

6. Toyota hybrid: PRIUS. Latin for "prior".

7. Pirate's haul: LOOT

8. Music with a number: OPUS

9. Stop: DESIST. Cease and desist.

10. The color of honey: AMBER. Sweet! I love honeyed nuts.

11. Nonsense: FOLDEROL. Often see the answer as clue.

12. Steely Dan album pronounced like a continent: AJA. Pronounced like "Asia".

13. Stick up: ROB

18. Air-conditioned: COOLED

22. Ballet-dancing Muppet: ZOE. I've never even seen one episode of "Sesame Street".

24. Pass rusher's success: SACK

26. VAIO computer maker: SONY. Our old editor once clued VAIO as "Sony computer".

27. Golfer's gismo: TEE. I spell gismo as "gizmo".

30. Rapper's entourage: POSSE

31. Mem. of the bar: ATTY. Much better than ATT.

34. Indy 500's 200: LAPS

35. Golden calf, e.g.: IDOL

36. Agent Scully of "The X-Files": DANA. Not a fan of "The X-Files" either.

37. Hall of Fame guest of honor: INDUCTEE

38. Permission to use: ACCESS. Access to database. Permission to use the database. OK.

39. Perlman of "Cheers": RHEA. Danny DeVito's wife.

44. Uniform: OUTFIT

46. Childbirth education pioneer: LAMAZE. I like the answer.

47. Orbital high point: APOGEE. Low point is Perigee.

51. Acknowledge with a head movement: NOD TO

54. Sacramento's __ Arena: ARCO. Home to Sacramento Kings.

56. Say assuredly: AVER

57. Binge: JAG. Both mean "a drinking spree".

60. "Desperate Housewives" network: ABC

Happy Birthday, Hahtool! Thanks for bringing us inspiring QOD every morning.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 Timothy L. Meaker

Theme: PHONE (61A: Caller's device, and word that can precede the ends of the answers to starred clues)

17A: *Art class supply: SKETCH BOOK. Phonebook.

35A: *Suitcase attachment: NAME TAG. Phone tag.

53A: *Arcade attraction: PHOTO BOOTH. Phone booth.

11D: *Dreaded end-of-semester handout, perhaps: REPORT CARD. Phone card.

27D: *Hotel offering: WAKE-UP CALL. Phone call.

Argyle here. Quite heavy themage for a Tuesday, with 5 theme answers and a unifying entry, which is nicely placed at the very end of the grid. Total 62 theme squares. I liked the puzzle.

Across:

1A: Caught some z's: SLEPT.

6A: Solheim Cup co-sponsoring org.: LPGA. The Solheim Cup is a biennial golf tournament for pro women golfers contested by teams representing Europe and the United States. It is named for the Norwegian-American golf club manufacturer Karsten Solheim.The Ryder Cup is the equivalent men's event. LPGA, in full, the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

10A: With 10-Down and "and," rigidly formal: PRIM. (10D: See 10-Across: PROPER.) Neato.

16A: McEntire of country: REBA. She has her own TV show, too. Sitcom

19A: Birthstone for a 6-Down, often: OPAL. 6D: Fall sign: LIBRA. Zodiac sign for birthdates: September 22 - October 22

20A: Words of apology: I'M SORRY.

21A: Left, at sea: APORT. Right, at sea: ASTARBOARD. (That's what the dictionary said. Trust me.)

22A: __ Nostra: COSA. Allegedly, the Mafia operating in the United States.

23A: Not as ruddy: PALER.

25A: Egyptian city on the Nile: ASWAN. Site of the Aswan Dam. The High Dam(111 m) was completed in 1970. The earlier Old Aswan Dam or Aswan Low Dam was completed in 1902.

28A: Like some chocolates purchases: ASSORTED.

32A: Actor Delon: ALAIN. Alain Delon (born 1935) is a César Award-winning French actor. By the age of 23, he was compared to James Dean. He was even called the male Brigitte Bardot. He worked with 49D: Schneider of film: ROMY. on the stage in 1961.

33A: Ohio A.L. team, on scoreboards: CLE.

34A: Commercial suffix with Water: PIK.

41A: In the dark: CLUELESS.

43A: Judaic feast: SEDER.

44A: Fourth estate, as it's known: PRESS.

45A: Thai bread?: BAHT. Cutesy clue for currency.

47A: Food that's filled and folded: TACOS.

49A: Brockovich portrayer: ROBERTS. The movie, Erin Brockovich (2000) Starring Julia Roberts.

52A: "__ my lips!": READ. George H. W. Bush's downfall.

56A: Author __ Stanley Gardner: ERLE.

57A: San __, Italy: REMO.

59A: Bought, to a retailer: SOLD.

60A: Jet-black stone: ONYX.

Down:

1D: NYSE units: SHS. Shares

2D: Mythical trickster: LOKI. Norse god who creates discord. If you want more, go to Wikipedia. There was too much to condense.

3D: K-6: ELEM. Elementary school.

4D: X-ray alternative: PET SCAN. Positron Emission Tomography (Help? Someone?)

5D: Business big shot: TYCOON.

7D: Tricky maneuver: PLOY. A little misdirection here.

8D: Shine, in product names: GLO. Like Mop-N-Glo.

13D: Soda shop buy: MALT.

18D: Slugger's stat: Abbr.: HRS. Home runs.

21D: As a companion: ALONG. She took her brother along.

23D: Tests for jrs.: PSATS.

24D: Big land mass: ASIA.

25D: Meat garnish: ASPIC.

26D: Frosting feature: SWIRL.

28D: Baldwin and Guinness: ALECS.

29D: Southfork Miss: ELLIE. From the TV show, DALLAS. Portrayed by Barbara Bel Geddes, Miss Ellie was the matriarch of the ranch, Southfork.

35D: "Frasier" brother: NILES. Actor David Hyde Pierce

36D: Iowa college town: AMES.

40D: Promise to marry: BETROTH.

42D: Worn by wind: ERODED.

43D: 1984 Cyndi Lauper hit: SHE BOP. Video.

45D: Wrinkle remover: BOTOX.

46D: Blood typing letters: A B O.

47D: Very, in Verdun: TRES.

48D: Prefix with sol: AERO.

50D: Oz barker: TOTO. Dorothy's dog in "The Wizard of Oz".

51D: WWII weapon: STEN.

53D: In favor of: PRO.

54D: Egg producer: HEN. So the chicken came first?

55D: Any of four Ottos: Abbr.: HRE ( Holy Roman Emperor).

Answer grid.

Argyle