Thursday June 3, 2010 Mark Bickham

Theme: Yakety-Yak - Common phrases ending in verbal expressions are humorously interpreted and clued as if they were of a certain occupation.

18A. Musician's parlance?: KEY WORDS. Musical key. C Minor/Major, etc.

24A. Billiards player's parlance?: ENGLISH LANGUAGE. English is a "spinning motion imparted to a ball, esp. in billiards". Maybe Lois can educate us more about this term.

38A Mechanic's parlance? IDLE CHATTER. With engines running. I noticed the dreaded Utah shape, Jerome!

55A. Remodeler's parlance?: PANEL DISCUSSION. Two grid-spanning theme entries.

61A. Chiropractor's parlance? BACK TALK. I bet Jazzbumpa & Mainiac love this answer.

This puzzle scheme reminds me of Robert W Harris' "Imaginary Places" Melissa Bee blogged last January. Familiar two-word phrases ending in "locations" are punnily reinterpreted in correspondence to their clues. For example: ANNUAL PLANT is clued as "Where yearbooks are made?"

Interesting triple stacks of 6's in top left and bottom right corners. Across & Down. Should delight Dennis.

Across:

1. Cook, as Swiss steak: BRAISE. Brown & simmer.

7. "There never was a good" one, according to Franklin: WAR. So true.

10. Like many a head-turner: SEXY. Like Jessica Hart.

14. Imposed, as a tax: LEVIED

15. Fertility clinic cells: OVA

16. Colored: HUED

17. Getting on: AGEING. Oh, I simply use AGING. I also use "cluing", but I noticed Spitzboov uses "clueing".

20. Buddhist discipline: ZEN

21. 1773 jetsam: TEA. "Jetsam" in Boston Harbor.

23. Wall alternative, perhaps: MOAT. In Medieval time then.

30. Draft holder: STEIN

31. Make known: AIR

32. Spread out: SPLAY. New word to me. Related to "display". "Spread out" sounds very DF.

33. For time eterne: E'ER. We also have ERE (45. Bard's "before").

35. Mole user: Abbr. CIA. Spy mole.

37. Sailor's "Agreed": AYE

42. Fella: MAC

44. West of Hollywood: MAE. Mae West.

46. Hello or goodbye: ALOHA

49. Crime lab subject: DNA

51. Beginning: ALPHA. Oh, I did not know this extended meaning of alpha.

58. Heating device: COIL. Didn't come to me readily.

59. Sudan neighbor: Abbr.: ETH. Ethiopia. This abbr. answer stumps me all the time.

60. Dust remover: RAG

65. Arctic exploration tool: ICE AXE. Here is an image. Oh, Argyle, there is that ADZE!

67. Long-running reality show, familiarly: IDOL. "American Idol".

68. __-tzu: LAO. Literally "old master". Father of Taoism. Lao = Old in Chinese.

69. Syndicate: CARTEL

70. Court defense?: ZONE. Tennis or Basket court?

71. Bot. or chem.: SCI

72. Ticks off: ANGERS

Down:

1. Conflagrations: BLAZES

2. Temporary ruler: REGENT

3. Right, in a way: AVENGE. Right the wrong.

4. Junior's junior: III

5. Orlando newspaper: SENTINEL. Does it carry LAT puzzle?

6. Barely beats: EDGES. Alliteration.

7. Moo goo gai pan pan: WOK. The pan in "moo goo gai pan" means "slice".

8. Rosary recital: AVE MARIA. "Hail Mary". Catholic prayer.

9. Lustrous fabric: RAYON. Synthetic silk. Thought of SATIN first. We also have YDS (13. Fabric meas.). Fabric echo.

10. Fired wildly into, as an oater town: SHOT UP. Needed crossing help.

11. Where It.'s at: EUR. It. = Italy.

12. Marked with two lines: X'ED. Crossed out.

19. Some friendly greetings: WAGS. Dog.

22. "Bingo!" : AHA

25. Covered for a crony, perhaps: LIED. Alliteration. Could not fit in ABETTED.

26. Fungus-alga unions: LICHENS (LAHY-kuh n). The brownish mossy stuff? Have never heard of the word.

27. Onetime apple spray: ALAR

28. In high spirits: GAY

29. Inspect: EYE

34. Dream state acronym: REM. Rapid Eye Movement. A bit of eye duplication. Would've preferred the musical band clue here.

36. Absorbed, as a cost: ATE. Eat the cost.

38. Desktop image: ICON

39. Detroit's founder: CADILLAC. No idea. I just learned that the car Cadillac is named after this guy.

40. Garbage site: TRASH CAN. Awesome fill.

41. Congers, e.g. : EELS

42. Google Earth image: MAP

43. According to: A LA

47. Badger at the park: HECKLE. D'oh, ballpark. Tricky!

48. "Thanks __!" : A LOT

50. Adept type: ACE

52. Hook, for one: PIRATE. Captain Hook.

53. One who pulls a scam: HOAXER

54. Pinhead dancers?: ANGELS. Why? I don't get the clue.

56. Antique phone features: DIALS

57. City near Syracuse: UTICA. Spitzboov's hometown.

61. Profession, casually: BIZ

62. Flap: ADO. Noun.

63. Voting "nay": CON. Pro & Con.

64. Ornamental carp: KOI

66. Centimeter-gram-second unit: ERG. Only know it as "unit of work".

Answer grid.

On a personal note, I am excited to tell you that I became an American citizen yesterday afternoon after a very emotional swearing-in ceremony. When "Proud to be an American" was played right after the "Congratulations, new citizens" message from President Obama, my eyes welled up, tear fell.

It's been a long way. I enjoyed studying American Civics (history and government) and had a perfect score in my final test. I am proud to say that I now know who wrote the Federalist Papers. Do you?

C.C.

Wednesday June 2, 2010 Jack McInturff

Theme: THE FOUR TOPS - The first word of each two-word common phrase can precede "top".

17A. *Hooch from the hinterlands: MOUNTAIN DEW. Yum . Mountain Top = TOP 1.

29A. *Spears or Twain: POP SINGERS . Britney and Shania . Pop Top = TOP 2.

39A. *Steve Forbes proposed a 17% one: FLAT TOP. Flat Tax = TOP 3.

48A. *Place to get tickets: BOX OFFICE . Box Top = TOP 4. Count them, four just like the group!

62A. "I Can't Help Myself" singers (1965), and hint to puzzle theme found in beginnings of answers to starred clues: THE FOUR TOPS. The first band I got a record deal for, covered this song on their second album.

Hello all, there is no way you can enjoy this puzzle as much as I did. It is I, Across 66. Lemon ending: ADE 714 here, providing you information and entertainment.

If any of you had any doubt about how powerful C.C.’s influence is, a look at this fun puzzle which includes not only my sobriquet, but also Across 34. It covers the pupil: CORNEA knowing I have had three CORNEA transplant operations, and 30. About the eye: OPTIC. The nerve of this guy; then all kinds of legalese, Across 26. Like a case before the court: AT BAR , 52. Parcel (out): METE. A favorite legal word, 53. Sale warning: AS IS . Real estate primarily is sold this way, 58. Certifies under oath: ATTESTS , 70. Property to divide, perhaps: ESTATE; it is eerie!

Anyway, it is Wednesday, so let’s get to it:

Across:

1. Country bumpkin: HICK . Tricky way to begin, as RUBE also fits, so you have to look at down: 1. Run smoothly: HUM , to get going, or at least that is how I approach solving.

5. In itself: AS SUCH.

11. When doubled, a dance: CAN. Another toughie, with CHA as an alternative.

14. Tangelo relative: UGLI. One of our common fruit responses.

15. Baum's good witch: GLINDA. If you have not seen the play wicked it is a fabulous prequel to L. Frank Baum’s WIZARD OF OZ.

16. Livy's "I love:" AMO. More Latin and history of old Romans .

19. Gun: REV we can all picture Barry G. gunning the engine in his new Chrysler, or Dennis doing so in any car.

20. Sends again, as a package: RESHIPS.

21. WellPoint competitor: AETNA, insurance companies.

23. Computer list: MENU.

24. Stated: SAID. This was so easy, it was hard, he indicated.

36. __-Man: PAC. Yes, I was a fanatic!

37. Youngest Bronte sister: ANNE. She died young of TB.

38. Brian who produced some U2 albums: ENO. A musician in his own right.

42. Lyric poem: ODE.

43. Fruit covering: RIND.

45. "Madama Butterfly" tie: OBI.

46. Hid, cardsharp-style: PALMED. Yes, be careful of dealers with big hands.

51. Deviates: VEERS.

55. Marina locale: INLET.

61. Daisy __: MAE . Al Capp’s creation.

67. Exalt: LIFT UP.

68. "Toreador Song," e.g.: ARIA. Do we ever go a week without this word?

69. Cougar or Impala: CAR. I wanted something more complicated, involving wild cats…silly me.

71. Monthly payment: RENT.

Down:

2. Borodin prince: IGOR. More opera knowledge, my weak suit in all puzzles.

3. Detective's need: CLUE. Did anyone know, the game originated in England? Well, with Colonel Mustard….

4. Brother or father: KINSMAN.

5. "Encore!": AGAIN .

6. Err: SLIP UP, and the quick echo, 7. Errs, morally: SINS .

8. Leipzig link: UND. How to say “and” in German.

9. B followers: CDE. Easy?

10. Game show winner's destination, maybe: HAWAII. I guess they have all left us to sit on the beach.

11. Market offering: CART. It is the first thing you get when you go to the grocery store.

12. Service finale: AMEN. Any French Open Tennis fans out there?

13. Bright star: NOVA. Help me scientists, I thought this meant an explosion on a star?

18. 1994 Denis Leary comedy: THE REF , odd movie.

22. Flamboyant Dame: EDNA, another export from the Commonwealth of Nations, funny?.

24. Tiff: SPAT.

25. Songwriters' org.: ASCAP.

26. Harsh: ACERB. IC? ICKY?

27. "Pagliacci" baritone role: TONIO. No clue.

28. Where the 2009 World Series was won: BRONX. No comment.

31. Garden statue: GNOME.

32. Word after East or West: ENDER. I used to watch the BBC TV Show .

33. Oboes and clarinets: REEDS. Are your instruments custom made, JzB?

35. Up in the air: ALOFT.

40. Irish Rose's lover: ABIE.

41. Missionary St. Francis __: XAVIER. Cute juxtaposition.

44. Stadium topper: DOME. They are building a new baseball stadium for the Florida Marlins with a retractable roof, but will anyone come?

47. Light cigarette ad claim: LESS TAR. Wow, a real blast from the past.

49. In fine __: fit: FETTLE. Nice word, and alliteration!

50. Enjoy a bistro: EAT OUT.

54. Knucklehead: STUPE . Really?

55. Apple with an electronic core: IMAC.

56. Zilch: NADA. Finally, some Spanish.

57. Lewd look: LEER. Okay, maybe this one applies to me also.

58. Aqua Velva alternative: AFTA. But neither of these two, ever!

59. Ripped off: TORE.

60. Turn in a kissing game: SPIN. The bottle; where are you Lo-li-ta?

63. Towel word: HIS.

64. Newt, at one time: EFT. Yes, again; try and work this word into a conversation.

65. Made a lap: SAT. Love them babies .

Thanks for letting me in your homes, have a great June and be careful.

Answer grid.

Lemonade714