Monday, April 5, 2010 Todd McClary

Theme: Rotogravure Easter connection. Did you find you picture in the Rotogravure wearing your Easter bonnet in the Easter Parade?

17A Hockey attempt that only the goalie is allowed to try to stop: PENALTY SHOT

29A Overall perspective: BIG PICTURE

47A Crisp cookie: GINGER SNAP

59A Narrow victory, or a feature of 17-, 29- and 47-Across: PHOTO FINISH. The finish of the above three entries is a synonym of PHOTO.

Argyle here. My take on the theme is that it is a little weak. Dictionary.com does show SNAP as a noun, a shortened version of SNAPSHOT but the same could be said about SHOT. Oh well, it's only a Monday and I hope every one is OK after the shaking they got.

Across:

1A Noun followers, often: VERBS

6A Marinara sauce brand: PREGO

11A Was introduced to: MET

14A Tusk material: IVORY

15A "The Ant and the Grasshopper" author: AESOP. Fable.

16A Lennon's widow: ONO

19A Eerie: ODD. Not a good pairing.

20A Ancient Athens foe: SPARTA

21A On the ocean: ASEA

22A Windpipe: TRACHEA

25A Stormy day topper: RAIN HAT. Or bonnet.

28A __-Rooter: ROTO

31A Punk rock offshoot: EMO. Songs of teenage angst?

32A Firefighter's tool: HOSE

33A Hannah Montana's channel, in TV listings: DIS. The Disney Channel.

34A Buzzing instrument: KAZOO

36A Aliens, briefly: ETS

38A Stretchy synthetic: LYCRA. And 53A Waterproof fabric: GORETEX.

42A Rise and fall: BOB

44A __-bitsy: ITSY

46A Trendy: HIP

51A Five-time A.L. batting champ Boggs: WADE

52A 1955 Platters hit: "ONLY YOU". Clip.

55A Daybreak: DAWN

56A Become extinct: DIE OUT

58A Have a balance: OWE

64A "That __ close!": WAS

66A Like some barrels: OAKEN

66A Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA. She was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event(1976 Summer Olympics). She married Bart Conner, also a gymnast, and have a son named Dylan Paul Conner, and are living in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

67A Manhattan-based paper: Abbr.: NYT. New York Times.

68A Feather: PLUME

69A Involuntary contraction: SPASM

Down:

1D Celebrity, briefly: VIP

2D Adam's partner: EVE

3D Harry's pal Weasley: RON. Harry Potter of Hogwarts.

4D "Donnie __": Johnny Depp film: BRASCO. A 1997 film loosely based on the real-life events of Joseph D. Pistone, an FBI agent who successfully infiltrated the Bonanno crime family. DVD cover.

5D Graceful woman: SYLPH. Originally referring to any race of spirits inhabiting the air, described as being mortal but lacking a soul. Paracelsus' word seems to be an arbitrary coinage, but perhaps it holds a suggestion of L. sylva and Gk. nymph. The meaning "slender, graceful girl" first recorded 1838, on the notion of "light, airy movements." Online Etymology Dictionary

6D Worker's reward: PAY RAISE

7D Take it easy: REST

8D F's musical equivalent: E SHARP Is this a good clue?

9D Sticky stuff: GOO

10D Choose (to): OPT

11D __ pork: Chinese dish served with thin pancakes: MOO SHU

12D Win the love of: ENDEAR

13D So far: TO DATE

18D Workout regimen: TAE BO. The name Tae Bo is a portmanteau of tae kwon do and boxing. Developed by Billy Blanks, Tae-Bo is a trademark of Billy Blanks Enterprises.

21D Nervous: ANTSY

22D Wearying journey: TREK

23D Italia's capital: ROMA. When in Italia, spell it as the Romans do.

24D From __: completely: A TO Z

26D Lend a hand: AID

27D How a persona non grata might be greeted: ICILY

30D Arrive: GET IN

32D Balderdash: HOOEY

35D Delivery doc: OB/GYN

37D Beginning phase: STAGE ONE

39D Online dialogue: CHAT

40D Perform in a rodeo, e.g.: RIDE

41D High point: APEX

43D 62-Down sib: BRO. And 62D 43-Down sib: SIS.

45D Mad magazine specialty: SPOOF

47D Drop: GO DOWN

48D Kind of: IN A WAY

49D L.A. Dodgers' division: NL WEST

50D Puzzle with number squares: SUDOKU

51D Moist towelette: WET-NAP. Another Trademark.

54D Dig sites: RUINS

57D Discussion point: ITEM

59D Rice Krispies sound: POP. Also Crackle and Snap.

60D Holbrook of "Into the Wild": HAL. Emmy and Tony Award winning actor who is one of the great craftsman of stage and screen. He is best known for his performance as Mark Twain.

61D Nev. neighbor: IDA. Idaho (northern neighbor)

63D Cast party braggart, perhaps: HAM

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday April 4, 2010 Dan Naddor

Theme: "Sidelined" - DL is inserted into each common phrase, changing the long vowel sound into short vowel sound.

24A. Spoiled meat?: CUR(DL)ED HAM. Cured Ham. Isn't all ham cured? (Note from John Lampkin: Not all ham is cured. Fresh ham is sometimes served at Easter.)

25A. Equestrian nobleman?: MARQUIS DE SAD(DL)E. Marquis De Sade. Sadism is derived from his name. Marquis is ranked below a duke & above an earl.

43A. Sweet scent source?: CAN(DL)E SUGAR. Cane Sugar. Triple alliteration in the clue.

48A. "Oink oink" jokes?: PIGGYBACK RID(DL)E. Piggyback Ride.

62A. Con man's strategy with a lonely widow?: PEARLS BEFORE SWIN(DL)E. Pearls Before Swine, the comic strip. My favorite theme answer. A sad, short story is told in three words.

84A. Sells shorts?: HAN(DL)ES UNDERWEAR. Hanes Underwear. Another alliteration.

88A. Horse's headgear left out in the sun?: BAKED BRI(DL)E. Baked Brie. Have never had baked brie.

103A. Lanky crustaceans?: SPIN(DL)Y LOBSTERS. Spiny Lobsters. This DL is inserted in front of letter Y, all the others in front of letter E.

111. Sidelined by injury, in baseball lingo, and a hint to how this puzzle's theme puns are formed: PUT ON THE DL. DL = Disabled List.

What an ironic & fun theme for the start of a baseball season! Dan also gave us a few more baseball references:

32D. Batters' nos.: AVGS (Averages)

63D. Angels shortstop Aybar: ERICK. This is his rookie card. Not a player with national recognition.

106D. Buc or Phil: NLER (National Leaguer). The Pittsburgh Pirates (Bucs) and Phillies both belong to the National League.

Quintessential Dan Naddor, abetted by Rich Norris no doubt, humorous, entertaining & tricky clues abound.

Across:

1. Fanatical: RABID. Wanted MANIC.

6. Beatnik?: COP. Nice clue.

9. Great service providers: ACERS. Tennis service.

14. Epps of "House": OMAR

18. Be wild about: ADORE

19. "Strange to see __ good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody": Pepys: HOW A. Have never heard of this Samuel Pepys quote. Makes sense.

20. "D'oh" moment, slangily: BRAIN CRAMP. Great answer.

22. Men's ideals: DREAM GIRLS. What is your dream girl like, guys?

27. Looks the wrong way?: LEERS. And ASS (56. Jerk) & TEAT (107D. Suckling spot).

28. Arranged to pay later: RAN A TAB

29. __ Haute: TERRE. Literally "high land". This refers to Terre Haute, Indiana, right?

30. Wane: ABATE

34. Trouble: STATIC. New meaning of "static" to me.

38. "Big Love" airer: HBO. Have never seen "Big Love".

39. Psychedelic desk item: LAVA LAMP. Didn't come to me readily.

51. The Bee Gees, e.g.: TRIO

52. WWII vessel: LST (Landing Ship Tank)

53. 1964 Tony Randall title role: DR. LAO. From "Seven Faces of Dr. Lao" (1964 film).

54. Old Russian council: SOVIET. Literally "Council " in Russian. We also have SSRS (117. Cold war gp.). SSR = Soviet Socialist Republic.

57. Academic figure: EDUCATOR

60. Without warmth: ICILY

69. Skin care prefix: DERMA. Coconut oil is great for skin.

70. Flamenco clicker: CASTANET. No idea. The stuff in her hands. Spanish for "chestnut". I misread the answer as CAST A NET.

71. Singer DiFranco: ANI

72. One interested in spreads: BOOKIE

78. Skating event: PAIRS

79. OAS part: Abbr.: ORG. OAS = Organization of American States.

82. Donald, to his nephews: UNCA'. Blank spot for me. How many nephews does Donald Duck have?

90. Prized: ESTEEMED

91. Antique auto: REO

92. Equipped with machinery: TOOLED

95. Seed coverings: ARILS. The red fleshy stuff that surround the seeds.

96. Eccentric: LOOPY

98. Fashionable Manhattan eatery: ELAINE'S. I suffered from lethologica. Can never remember this restaurant name.

102. W.C. Fields persona: SOUSE

113. Nobel-winning Holocaust chronicler: ELIE WIESEL. Nice to see his full name.

114. Graph that influences bond buyers: YIELD CURVE

115. 100 Iranian dinars: RIALS

116. Delta preceder: GAMMA

118. Complete: UTTER

119. From Jan. 1 to now: YTD (Year to Date)

120. Bikini event: N-TEST

Down:

1. USN brass: RADM (Rear Admiral). Not familiar with this abbr.

2. Historic Spanish port: ADRA. No idea. Wikipedia says Adra was the last stronghold of the Moors in Spain.

3. Afrikaner: BOER

4. 1990 Kuwait invader: IRAQ

5. In an affectedly shy way: DEMURELY. Oh, I don't associate "demure" with "affectedly". To me, our JD (in light green) always looks demure.

6. Una __: using the soft pedal: CORDA. Una corda is literally "one string" in Italian. Unknown musical term to me.

7. Barn babies: OWLET. Alliteration.

8. Volkswagen sedan: PASSAT. Derives from the German word for tradewind. Jetta derives from the jet stream. Kazie or someone else mentioned on the blog that Volkswagen used to name their vehicles after those winds.

9. Start of a tots' song: ABCD

10. Gunk: CRUD

11. 1970s-'80s bowling great __ Anthony: EARL. No idea. My husband said this guy won the most PBA tournaments until Walter Ray Williams passed him a couple of years ago.

12. Fair feature: RIDE. Alliteration.

13. TV show with recurring "Killer Bees" sketches: SNL. No idea.

14. Eschew cooking at home: ORDER OUT

15. "Politically Incorrect" host: MAHER. Outdated clue. I like the current "Real Time With Bill Maher".

16. 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year Stoudemire: AMAR'E. Nope. Not a NBA fan. Looks like A MARE to me.

17. Tach readings: RPMS

19. Boonies possessive: HIS'N

21. Glitterati: CELEBS

23. Supermodel Carangi: GIA. Played by Angelina Jolie in the movie.

26. Basic counters: ABACI. Yeah, I learned the basic counting by using abaci.

29. The ones right in front of us: THESE

30. Matterhorn, e.g.: ALP

33. Wrestling duo: TAG TEAM. Learned from doing Xword.

35. Smidgens: TADS

36. Prefix with Aryan: INDO. Indo-Aryan.

37. Caesar's 455: CDLV

40. DeGeneres's "Idol" predecessor: ABDUL (Paula)

41. Chagall and Anthony: MARCS

42. Graphic design school feature: PC LAB. Unfamiliar with this term.

44. Muumuu accessory: LEI. She looks beautiful (and demure) in her muumuu, sans lei though.

45. Last Supper cup: GRAIL. The Holy Grail, right?

46. Window alternative: AISLE. Airplane seat.

49. Petruchio's wife: KATE. From "The Taming of the Shrew".

50. Shakes setting: ROOF. Dictionary defines shake as "a shingle or clapboard formed by splitting a short log into a number of tapered radial sections with a hatchet". New word to me also.

55. Prong: TINE

58. Olive shade: DRAB

59. Bird of myth: ROC. The bird in the "Arabian Nights".

61. Site of many jewel cases: CD TOWER

62. Quaker St.: PENNA. Is this a common abbr.?

64. Criticizes: RAPS

65. Biblical birthright seller: ESAU

66. "Fear Street" series author: STINE (R. L.). No idea. Looks horrifying. Wikipedia says Stine is often called the Stephen King of Children's Literature.

67. Hospital sections: WARDS

68. Atlas blowup: INSET

69. Apply amateurishly: DAUB

73. "Now the fun starts!": OH BOY

74. Row: OAR

75. Heal, in a way: KNIT. The broken bone.

76. Meatloaf's "__ Anything for Love": I'D DO. Easy guess.

77. Spanish pronoun: ELLO. Spanish for "it". Any comment, Dennis?

80. Do followers: RE MI

81. Player of the field hockey-like sport shinty: GAEL. I've never heard of the Scottish hockey game shinty.

83. Sprays from cans: AEROSOLS

85. Caught congers: EELED

86. Transfer: REASSIGN

87. Fork sites: Abbr.: RDS. Road fork, not utensil.

89. Count (on): DEPEND

93. Queen of mystery: ELLERY. Ellery Queen.

94. Like a sunny room: DAY LIT

96. Justice Brandeis: LOUIS. Who knows? He died in 1941.

97. __ space: OUTER

99. 24-part epic: ILIAD. Oh, new trivia to me.

100. House-to-house number: NOEL. Tricky "number"!

101. "Charlotte's Web" monogram: E. B. W. (E.B. White).

102. 1974 Gould/Sutherland spoof: S*P*Y*S

103. Closed: SHUT

104. Smart-alecky: PERT

105. "... comin' __ baked a cake": old song lyric: I'D'VE. Here is a clip. Totally foreign to me.

108. Salinger title teenager: ESME. Salinger's "For Esme with Love and Squalor".

109. Radiation units: REMS. REM = Roentgen Equivalent Man. I only know the Rapid Eye Movement acronym.

110. Thin strip: SLAT

112. Ft. Worth campus: TCU (Texas Christian University)

Answer grid.

Happy Easter! And a belated Happy Anniversary to Haltool, who met her husband 28 years ago yesterday.

C.C.