Monday April 26, 2010 Jeff Chen

Theme: Theme? What Theme? - Phrases we have to use because people are talking softer more and more these days.

20A. "What?": "DIDN'T CATCH THAT?".

32A. "What?": "EXCUSE ME?".

45A. "What?": "SAY AGAIN?".

58A. "What?": "I BEG YOUR PARDON?".

Argyle here...I said "ARGYLE HERE!" Another fine offering from Jeff Chen. Very few three letter or abbreviation entries. No THWACK this time but, in keeping with hard of hearing, there is 19A. Corrective eye surgery: LASIK. (A type of refractive surgery, laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, for correcting myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.)

Across"

1A. Life histories, briefly: BIOS.

5A. Atkins diet concern: CARB. (carbohydrates)

9A. Bogus: FALSE.

14A. Drub in a game: ROUT. It can be said "to own" the other team; beat soundly.

15A. Exploitative type: USER.

16A. Author Zola: ÉMILE. Émile Zola (1840 – 1902) was an influential French writer; he is used enough in crosswords to be a considered a Monday entry.

17A. Not in favor: ANTI.

18A. Italian tower site: PISA. (leaning tower of ...)

23A. Nova __: SCOTIA. The Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

24A. Gentleman's offering on a crowded train, perhaps: SEAT.

25A. Scratch (out), as a living: EKE.

27A. Reason to grab a tissue: SNIFFLE.

37A. Lost color: PALED.

38A. Watered-down: WEAK.

39A. Hangs ten, say: SURFS.

42A. Actress Campbell: NEVE. See here.

43A. Finished: ENDED. Ironically, my last fill.

47A. Back-talking: SASSING.

50A. Big bang producer: TNT.

51A. One running in a pusher, for short: NARC. A DEA agent arresting a perpetrator.

53A. Circles the Earth: ORBITS.

62A. Toothbrush company: ORAL-B.

63A. Metallurgist's raw materials: ORES.

64. Choir voice: ALTO.

65. Modeling wood: BALSA.

66A. CC ÷ XXV: VIII. 200 ÷ 25 = 8 (took some time to find the ÷ symbol.)

67A. Swerve: VEER.

68A. Shoreline irregularity: INLET.

69A. Hankerings: YENS.

70A. Salinger heroine: ESMÉ. "For Esmé – with Love and Squalor" She is used enough in crosswords to be a considered a Monday entry.

Down:

1D. Thin nails: BRADS. Small heads so as to not be noticeable. In this picture, the top item is nails that can be loaded into an automatic nailer.

2D. Architectural order: IONIC. Pic.

3D. One-up: OUTDO.

4D. Stretch in the service: STINT.

5D. Hostess offerings: CUPCAKES. Not on an Atkins diet, for sure. Yum!

6D. Continent crossed by Marco Polo: ASIA.

7D. Score silence symbols: RESTS. (musical score)

8D. Sources of teen angst, dentally: BRACES. And more angst: 57D. Source of spousal angst, nocturnally: SNORE.

9D. Sharpie feature: FELT TIP. Magic marker.

10D. Asian nurse: AMAH.

11D. Edelstein of "House": LISA. Lisa Edelstein as Dr. Lisa Cuddy. Cuddy's role in House is that of Dean of Medicine and hospital administrator.

12D. Use a letter opener on: SLIT.

13D. Scared comics cry: EEK.

21D. Connections: TIES.

22D. Solo of "Star Wars": HAN. Space Cowboy

26D. Cousin of an ostrich: EMU.

28D. Vampire tooth: FANG.

29D. Insect in a circus: FLEA.

30D. First name in jeans: LEVI. (Levi Strauss & Co.)

31D. First family's home?: EDEN. Did anybody get caught by this?

32D. Rams' ma'ams: EWES. Rhyme (WH, have you got a final count on your ram's ma'ams.)

33D. TV warrior princess: XENA.

34D. No-goodniks: CADS.

35D. Hawaiian strings: UKES.

36D. Hosp. areas: ERS.

40D. Sprat's taboo: FAT.

41D. Book report, e.g.: SYNOPSIS.

44D. Edith, to Archie: DINGBAT. From the Norman Lear's TV show, All in the Family.

46D. Gillette razor brand: ATRA.

48D. Aye's opposite: NAY.

49D. Old-fashioned "Cool!": GROOVY. Old-fashioned indeed!

52D. Radium co-discoverer: CURIE. Marie or Pierre.

54D. Atlanta athlete: BRAVE. Baseball player.

55D. Dawdles: IDLES.

56D. Symbol on a pole: TOTEM.

58D. Persia, nowadays: IRAN.

59D. Formal dance: BALL.

60D. Apart from this: ELSE.

61D. Jockey strap: REIN.

62D. Kimono sash: OBI.

Answer grid.

Happy Wedding Anniversary, Barry G!

Argyle

Sunday April 25, 2010 Mark Bickham

Theme: Missing (Miss ing) - ING in each familiar phrase is dropped and the resulting phrase is punnily clued.

23A. Admiral's tryst?: FLEET ROMANCE. Fleeting Romance. Admiral commands a fleet.

37A. Water cooler gossip?: BREAK NEWS. Breaking News.

40A. Knockoff of an Intel product?: BARGAIN CHIP. Bargaining Chip.

68A. Site of a surprise?: START POSITION. Starting Position.

99A. Issue for the media?: PRESS MATTER. Pressing Matter. Media = Press.

101A. Where insects learn to use their wings?: FLY SCHOOL. Flying School.

121A. Museum featuring bamboo art?: SHOOT GALLERY. Shooting Gallery. Bamboo Shoot.

3D. Golf tournament commentary?: OPEN REMARKS. Opening Remarks. British/US Open.

14D. Voice teacher?: PITCH COACH. Pitching Coach. Baseball.

28D. Creek footage?: STREAM VIDEO. Streaming Video.

52D. Units for timing a track event?: MEET MINUTES. Meeting Minutes.

72D. First-quarter shipments?: MARCH ORDERS. Marching Orders. March is in the first quarter.

75D. Angry lineman?: CROSS GUARD. Crossing Guard.

Very heavy themage. 13 relatively long entries. No isolated stand-out. Each theme answer crosses at least one other theme entry.

Fun clues too. I don't get START POSITION (68A. Site of a surprise?) though. What site? Racing?

ALL I want is for the ALLI (2D. Weight loss brand) entry clued as a partial also. Probably too many fill-in-the-blank partials in the grid already. But I've never heard of ALLI brand.

Across:

1. Confucian principle: TAO. Literally "way".

4. You don't get credit for one: EFF.

7. Do-say connection: AS I. Do as I say.

10. Entrance boundary, perhaps: GATEPOST

18. Mont Blanc site: ALPS

20. Graduate: ALUMNUS. Nice to see a full word rather than ALUM.

22. Seat of Potter County, Texas: AMARILLO. Literally "yellow" in Spanish.

25. Drink: POTATION

26. __ Alley: TIN PAN

27. Biz bigwig: EXEC

28. Atlanta-to-Miami dir.: SSE

29. Lea group: COWS.

30. "Mr. Mojo __": Doors lyric that anagrams into the lead singer's name: RISIN. "Mr. Mojo Risin" is an anagram of Jim Morrison.

32. Jump for joy: EXULT

34. Borrrring: BLAH

45. Sleep acronym: REM (Rapid Eye Movement).

46. Show co-anchored by Robin Roberts, for short: GMA. "Good Morning America".

47. "Yes __!": SIREE

48. Sussex scents: ODOURS. British spelling. Alliteration.

51. Squalid: SEAMY

53. "Paradise Lost" figure: SATAN

55. Woeful cry: ALAS

56. Raptor's roost: AERIE. Alliteration

58. Sharp-tongued: ACERB. Maureen Dowd.

60. Flavor enhancer: MSG

61. Defeatist's words: I CAN'T

62. Word with match or money: MAKING

64. Asian lead-in: EUR. Eurasian.

65. Slip away: VANISH

67. Some map lines: Abbr.: STS (Streets)

72. Colo. is on it: MST (Mountain Standard Time).

75. Usual practice: CUSTOM

76. "Spy vs. Spy" magazine: MAD. The Mad Magazine.

77. Put on the staff?: NOTATE. Musical staff.

79. Impolite look: STARE

82. __-Wan Kenobi: OBI. "Star Wars".

83. Year in Augustus' reign: ONE BC. Was expecting Roman numeral.

86. "She __ Yellow Ribbon": 1949 John Wayne film: WORE A

87. Bananas: LOCO. I am a banana.

90. Factotum: DO-ALL. Handyman. Factotum is a new word to me. So close to factum.

92. Tapers?: VCRS. One that tapes. Fooled me.

93. Beginning: OUTSET

95. Like many a dirt road: RUTTY

98. Half a laugh: HEE. Tee hee. Reminds me of our old "Half a fly" for TSE.

104. "Holy cow!": GEEZ

105. Military camp: ETAPE. Forgot the word again.

107. Roundup critter: STEER

108. Isaac's eldest: ESAU. He sold his birthright to Jacob.

111. Nods, perhaps: OKS. I was picturing a dozing person.

113. Valued frames: CELS

115. Showy, in a way: GILDED

118. Botswana desert: KALAHARI. No idea.

123. More than accepts: EMBRACES

124. Sneaks on the court?: TENNIES. Tennis court. Sneakers. I was clueless.

125. Wholly __ part: OR IN

126. Way behind everyone: DEAD LAST. A rare last repetition with LAST GASP (91D. Desperate).

127. "I'm so glad!": YAY

128. Good name, for short: REP (Reputation)

129. Take in: SEE

Down:

1. 1920s chief justice: TAFT. The only president who also served as chief justice.

4. Profit: EARNINGS

5. Andy Capp's wife: FLO. Obtained the answer via crosses.

6. Become enraged: FUME

7. Building wing: ANNEX. Rhyme.

8. She-demons: SUCCUBI. No idea. Plural of succubus. Dictionary defines it as "demon in female form, said to have sexual intercourse with men in their sleep". Opposite of incubus.

9. Expert finish?: ISE. Expertise.

10. Memory problems: GAPS

11. One-celled protozoan: AMOEBA

12. Body art, briefly: TAT. Tattoo.

13. Baseball stat: ERA

15. Hodgepodge: OLIO

16. School zone sign: SLOW

17. Scads: TONS

19. Retro photo: SEPIA

21. __ out: uses up, as credit: MAXES

24. Job: TASK

31. Site of Hercules' first labor: NEMEA. And LION (35. Victim of Hercules' first labor).

33. Metallica drummer Ulrich: LARS. Sigh. His name escaped me again.

36. Additionally: AND

37. Deep-bodied fish: BREAMS. Don't know this fish. Quite big.

38. Do an usher's job: RESEAT

39. WWII noncombat unit: WAAC (Women's Army Auxiliary Corps). One of our fellow solvers Southern Belle served with WAAC.

41. Suggests: GETS AT

42. Sinuous dance: HULA

43. Pakistan neighbor: IRAN

44. Attention-getting sound: PSST

47. Ice cream soda ingredient: SYRUP

50. "Richard __": III. Rich III.

54. Latin lambs: AGNI. Plural of Agnus. Agnus Dei is "Lamb of God".

57. Happen next: ENSUE

59. Antacid, briefly: BROMO. As in Bromo-Seltzer. Stumper.

61. "__ a bad time?": IS NOW

63. Alfa Romeo sports cars: GTS

66. Carbonium, e.g.: ION

69. Bit of physics: ATOM

73. Dorm room setup: STEREO

74. Prickly plant: TEASEL. Another alliteration.

78. "Mazel __!": TOV

79. Unappetizing serving: SLOP

80. Hit the road: TOUR. Nice clue.

81. Entr'__: ACTE

84. It may be carried or dropped: BALL. Nailed it.

85. Becomes sickeningly sweet: CLOYS

88. "Don't look __!": AT ME. Wanted BACK.

89. Editor's mark: STET

94. Jargon ending: ESE. Jargonese? Dictionary only has jargonize, to talk in jargon.

96. Internal airway: TRACHEA. The windpipe.

100. Island group that includes São Miguel: AZORES. Here is a good map. Islands west of Lisbon.

101. Joint tenant?: FELON. Joint = Prison. My favorite clue today.

102. Plaster, as a room cover: CEIL

103. "Duh!" relative: HELLO?

106. Indiana state flower: PEONY. Very popular flower in Chinese painting.

112. Commercial suffix with Star: KIST. StarKist.

114. Cookbook direction: STIR

116. Buffalo's county: ERIE

117. Fraction of a newton: DYNE

119. Golfer Sutton: HAL. Ryder Cup captain once.

120. Here, in Juárez: ACA. Again, got the answer via crosses.

121. Chester White's home: STY. Have never heard of pig breed Chester White. Originated in Chester Country, PA.

122. Turn to the right: GEE. "Turn to the left" is HAW.

Answer grid.

C.C.