Tuesday January 5, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Illuminators - Familiar phrases whose first word can brighten up our paths.

17A: Instant of realization: LIGHT BULB MOMENT

33A: Lyrical lament of lost love: TORCH SONG

38A: Idaho ski resort: SUN VALLEY

53A: Elton John tribute to Marilyn Monroe: CANDLE IN THE WIND

Argyle here. There are some Wednesday words in here but for the most part, it's a Tuesday puzzle. I might be a little short because of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl but, boy, what a game. So I miss a little sleep. Meh.

My all-time favorite torch song - "What's New? by Linda Ronstadt.

Oh, Happy 60th Birthday to legendary crossword maker Merl Reagle!

Across:

1A: Hip-hop headgear: DO-RAG. It is also biker headgear. Pic.

6A: Aral, for one: SEA.

9A: Yeast cake highlighted in a "Seinfeld" episode: BABKA. A short clip.

14A: Treat badly: ABUSE.

15A: European peak: ALP.

16A: Ancient theater: ODEON. We have had this before. I relate it to Nickelodeon>

20A: Slow start?: ESS. The letter 'S' is the start of the word "Slow".

22A: Dogs from Japan: AKITAS. A noble looking breed. Anyone ever had one?

23A: The Big One: Abbr.: WWII. World War Two. It came after the War to End All Wars.

24A: Move like moths: FLIT.

25A: Like many Quechua speakers: ANDEAN. Quechua is a Native American language family spoken primarily in the Andes of South America.

28A: Clark's crush: LOIS. Superman. She could melt his 61A: Superman's makeup?: STEEL.

29A: Texas __: oil: TEA. "Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea." from the Beverly Hillbillies Theme Song.

32A: Word with trap or prize: BOOBY. 40A: Cantaloupe, e.g.: MELON.

35A: Throw __: fly off the handle: A FIT.

36A: Social division: CASTE.

37A: Telegram: WIRE.

41A: Official lang. of Malawi: ENG.. Clever. A landlocked country in southeast Africa (yet they have a navy).

42A: Peculiar mannerisms: TICS.

43A: Beaver or hamster: RODENT.

45A: Tiny parasite: MITE.

46A: Lay a wet one on: SMOOCH.

49A: Ed of "The People's Court": KOCH. TV. Former New York City mayor Ed Koch presided over the court from 1997 to 1999. The first judge was Joseph Wapner and the current one is Marilyn Milian.

50A: Xbox 360 competitor: Wii. (video game systems)

56A: Holy Roman emperor crowned in CMLXII: OTTO I. That's 962 CE, if you care. And if you do, you might like this site.

57A: Caviar, e.g.: ROE. Fish eggs.

58A: Prepare beans, Mexican-style: REFRY.

59A: Thrash: WHOMP.

60A: Cobbler's tool: AWL. Used for making holes in leather.

Down:

1D: Racing legend Earnhardt: DALE. aka "The Intimidator". Died in a crash at the Daytona 500, February 18, 2001. His son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., still races but has never reached his father's status. Pic.

2D: Geisha wardrobe items: OBIS.

3D: Toupees: RUGS. Locks bought from a store.

4D: Volcanic residue: ASH.

5D: Escape: GETAWAY.

6D: King Abdullah subject: SAUDI.

8D: SFPD broadcast: A.P.B.. (San Francisco Police Department - All Points Bulletin)

9D: Devoted to reading: BOOKISH.

10D: Own up to: ADMIT.

11D: Borscht need: BEET. Soup made with beets, and/or other vegetables and served hot or chilled, often with sour cream. Quite a few food references in the grid.

12D: Hawaiian coffee-growing district: KONA. On the west side of the "Big Island".

13D: Aardvark's dinner: ANTS.

18D: St. Petersburg pancake: BLIN. Another recent word, plural is blini.

19D: Evil intent: MALICE.

23D: Former Internet-on-the-tube co.: WEB TV. The product and service was founded in 1995 by WebTV Networks and was purchased by Microsoft Corporation(in April, 1997, 20 months after WebTV's founding) and absorbed into MSN (the Microsoft Network).

24D: Two score: FORTY. (score = 20)

25D: Humiliate: ABASE.

26D: Like a wet blanket, so to speak: NO FUN. Like some of our ANONs.

27D: "Nothing __!": DOING.

29D: Fabric with a repeated scenic pattern: TOILE.

30D: 2000s symbol of corporate misconduct: ENRON.

31D: Ten percenter: AGENT.

34D: Garbo, by birth: SWEDE.

36D: Trite expression: CLICHÉ.

39D: In one sitting: AT A CLIP.

43D: Loaded: RICH. Hi, Rich (Norris)!

44D: City of sin in Genesis: SODOM.

46D: Flat-bottomed boat: SCOW.

49D: Be sure of: KNOW.

51D: Memo phrase: IN RE.

52D: Pastoral poem: IDYL.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday January 4, 2010 Gail Grabowski

Theme: "There Oughta be a __"

17A: *Sound and practical judgment: COMMON SENSE.

36A: *Cops' sickout: BLUE FLU.

58A: *Karate and aikido: MARTIAL ARTS.

11D: *Iced tea garnish: LEMON PEEL.

31D: *Analytical write-up: CASE STUDY.

And tying them all together: 59D: A kind of it begins the answers to starred clues: LAW. Quite a heavy theme for a Monday. The puzzle theme concept is quite similar to Jack McInturff's "Rule" puzzle we had last March.

Argyle here. "COMMON SENSE" is on Jazzbumpa's required reading list. COMMON LAW is the system of laws originated and developed in England and based on court decisions, on the doctrines implicit in those decisions, and on customs and usages rather than on codified written laws.

"BLUE FLU", so called from the officers' blue uniforms. Called the Taylor Law in NY, many police departments are prohibited from going on strike, so they call in sick en masse. BLUE LAWS are statutes regulating work, commerce, and amusements on Sundays. According to Snopes article they were not related to the color blue.

"MARTIAL ARTS" encompass fighting without the use of weapons. MARTIAL LAW is enforced by a military force(and they will use weapons.)

"LEMON PEEL" A bit inaccuracy there; all the pictures of iced tea show a lemon slice. If you want a peel, get a mixed drink. LEMON LAWS force a dealer to take back a car if it proves to be defective.

"CASE STUDY" Pretty much what the clue said. CASE LAW is law established by judicial decisions. Often CASE LAW citings are interpretations of a law not covered by statue.

Phew! Time for a musical interlude. 1A: Bluegrass instrument: BANJO "Fireball Mail"

Across:

6A: Tearoom biscuit: SCONE.

14A: WWII threat: U-BOAT.

16A: Outback sprinter: EMU. Average cruising speed is around 45 kph.

19A: Trio in a nursery rhyme tub: MEN. And who do you think they be? The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker.

21A: Honshu metropolis: OSAKA. Osaka is on the island of Honshu. (Japan)

22A: Half-baked twice?: DONE. but baking 46D: It might be half-baked: IDEA. twice won't make it better.

23A: 1970s Mary Tyler Moore costar: ED ASNER. Full name in both clue and answer.

25A: E-mails: SENDS.

26A: Pigeon patter: COOS. and 61A: Clay pigeon sport: SKEET.

27A: Ready in the keg: ON TAP.

32A: Food preparers' headgear: HAIR NETS. Plural prepairers.

35A: Letters before a 15-Across: AKA. (Also Known As).

40A: Quit worrying: REST EASY.

42A: Barely passing grade: D-PLUS.

45A: Place to fish from: PIER.

47A: Fiery felony: ARSON. This is an easy Monday clue.

49A: Like some lettuce: RED LEAF.

53A: Present, as one's case: STATE. A law tie-in?

55A: Pirates roam them: SEAS. They were lawless.

60A: One on foot, in signs: PED.

65A: Garden intruders: WEEDS.

Down:

1D: Tampa NFLers: BUCS Football.

2D: Dry as __: A BONE.

4D: Crowd to capacity: JAMPACK.

5D: Nebraska native: OTO. Also, Otoe.

8D: Sound like a pig: OINK.

12D: Modify: AMEND.

13D: Mojave hills: DUNES. Mojave desert.

18D: Verboten act: NO-NO.

22D: University VIP: DEAN.

24D: Protein-rich legume: SOY BEAN.

25D: German dessert: STRUDEL.

29D: It’s two more than an eagle: PAR. Golf.

30D: 1950s White House nickname: IKE. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower, our 34th President.

32D: "You, over there!": "HEY!".

33D: Capote, familiarly: TRU.

38D: Purpose: USE.

41D: Homer chronicled its destruction: TROY.

43D: Event for special customers: PRESALE.

48D: More boorish: RUDER.

49D: Lenders' charges: RATES.

50D: Lofty lair: AERIE.

54D: Peach or beech: TREE. Good rhyme.

58D: Flavor-enhancing additive: MSG. Monosodium glutamate.

Answer grid,

Argyle