Wednesday July 14, 2010 Bruce Venzke

Theme: How Would You Like That Cooked? - The first word of each phrase is a term describing the doneness of meat. Rib-eye medium rare, please. You?

20A. Iron ore, to a steel mill : RAW MATERIAL

34A. Seller of an Inverted Jenny, perhaps : RARE STAMP DEALER. Interesting trivia.

43A. Guns with a caliber between 105 and 155 millimeters : MEDIUM ARTILLERY

58A. Buxom, facetiously : WELL ENDOWED. Wow.

Melissa Bee here. Bruce Venzke seems to be fond of grid-spanning theme answers. He delivered five in his last "P-T Vowel Progression".

The 4/4/5 black square dividers in four edges provided us with plenty of 4-letter words, 38 to be exact.

Let's get to the meat of the matter.

Across:

1. Fitzgerald forte : SCAT. Ella. Vocal improvisation jazz.

5. Karate award : BELT. Here are the levels.

9. Sail supports : MASTS

14. Word after dial or earth : TONE

15. 7-Down user : EYER. And 7D. Rake's look : LEER. Rake is a historic term applied to a man who is habituated to immoral conduct, frequently a heartless womanizer. And 40A. Don Juan's mother : INEZ. Don Juan is a fictional rogue and a libertine (rake) who takes great pleasure in seducing women.

16. Just kept yakking : RAN ON

17. One executing a takeoff? : APER. Takeoff here means 'a humorous or satirical mimicry.'

18. Nevada's __ 51 : AREA. Part of an off-limits military base near Groom Lake. There is much speculation about what occurs in this restricted area.

19. Go Dutch : SHARE

23. 66, famously: Abbr. : RTE. According to Wikipedia, Route 66 was officially removed from the United States Highway System on June 27, 1985 after it was decided the route was no longer relevant and had been replaced by the Interstate Highway System.

24. Lisa, to Bart : SIS. The Simpsons TV Show.

25. Certain park visitor : TRAILER. Vacationers visit state and national parks in camping trailers.

27. Pollutant banned in the U.S. in 1979 : PCB. Polychlorinated biphenyls. Man made chemicals used in the production of flame retardants, sealants, paints, and 'carbonless' copy paper, among other things. Now being found in supplements with omega-3 fatty acids, from fish living in contaminated rivers and streams.

30. Cold War craft : MIGS. MiGs were the best-known Soviet fighters during the Cold War. Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG was founded by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich.

33. Available without an Rx : OTC. Over the counter.

41. Little white thing : LIE

42. Co-star of Joel in the film "Cabaret" : LIZA Minelli

48. Jackson-to-Tupelo dir. : NNE

49. Corn syrup brand : KARO

50. Glasgow negative : NAE

51. '70s Robert Blake cop show : BARETTA

55. Odd man's place? : OUT. From the term 'odd man out,' describing someone who differs markedly from the others in a group. Also a 1947 movie starring James Mason.

57. Schooner contents : ALE. A schooner is a glass used for serving beer.

64. Six-Day War site : SINAI. June 5–10, 1967 (also known as the June War), a war between Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.

66. Like many deli orders : TO GO

67. Suffix for the well-to-do : AIRE. Millionaire.

68. Is after : SEEKS

69. Israel's first UN ambassador : EBAN. Abba Eban, died in 2002.

70. Concrete piece : SLAB

71. __ a time : ONE AT

72. Dowsing tools : RODS. Dowsing, or 'divining' is an ancient method for detecting ground water.

73. Tracy's Trueheart : TESS. Dick Tracy and Tess Trueheart, comic book characters.

Down:

1. Dallas Cowboys emblem : STAR

2. Lola's club : COPA. Barry Manilow's song Copacabana. "Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl .."

3. From square one : ANEW

4. What adversaries may come to : TERMS. Come to terms = reach an agreement.

5. Scrams : BEATS IT

6. Rochester's love : EYRE. Edward Rochester and Jane Eyre. One of my favorite books.

8. Pattern baldness, e.g. : TRAIT

9. Flintstone's boss : MR. SLATE. Fred Flintstone, cartoon. The modern stone age family.

10. Hot tub sound : AAH

11. Dog's warning : SNARL

12. Rich cake : TORTE

13. Villain's look : SNEER. Anyone else remember these?

21. Gets in one's sights, with "at" : AIMS.

22. Youngest to reach 500 HRs : A-ROD. Alex Rodriguez.

26. Stud declaration : I CALL. Poker.

27. Like Miss Manners : PRIM. And proper.

28. Prop for Astaire : CANE. Love watching old Astaire movies.

29. Raised : BRED

31. Inaugural ball, e.g. : GALA. Here is Jackie Kennedy on her husband's inauguration day.

32. Self-satisfied smile : SMIRK. Again with the facial expressions.

35. Salon or Slate : E-ZINE

36. Anti-fur farming gp. : PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Reminded me of this.

37. A house may have one on it : LIEN

38. Cornell who founded Cornell : EZRA

39. "Hellzapoppin'" (1941) actress Martha : RAYE

44. Loosen, as a cap : UNTWIST

45. __ out: dispense : METE

46. T-shirt transfers : IRON-ONS

47. Like many rock bands : LOUD. You'll need these.

51. __ profundo: low voice : BASSO. A deep heavy bass voice with an exceptionally low range.

52. Xenophobe's fear : ALIEN

53. Zellweger of "Chicago" : RENEE

54. Let out, perhaps : ALTER

56. It gets burnt a lot : TOAST. Hate that smell.

59. New Mexico athlete : LOBO. Spanish for wolf. University of New Mexico mascot.

60. Word of mock horror : EGAD. Don't think i've ever actually heard anyone use this word.

61. Sneaky trick : WILE. Noun: Devious or cunning stratagem employed in manipulating or persuading someone to do what one wants. Which explains his name.

62. Paleozoic et al. : ERAS

63. Belles at balls : DEBS. Debutantes.

65. Wanted poster abbr. : AKA. Also Known As.

Answer grid.

Here are Part V of Kazie's Oz series. From the first day of the Kakadu Tour which she took out of Darwin. On the first day they visited Nourlangie Rock and cruised the East Alligator River's "Yellow Water". A special label for Kazie is made here. You can find all the pictures from her Oz trip.

Here is the updated Blog Map. The markers are sorted alphabetically with the current commenters first and the inactive ones next. Thanks, Crockett!

Melissa

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 Gail Grabowski

Theme: A Better Place - The last word of the theme entries is a Utopia.

17A. "I Dream of Jeannie" star : BARBARA EDEN. "Jeannie", with navel.

28A. WWII aircraft carrier nicknamed "Tokyo Express" : USS SHANGRI-LA. CV-38 Image.

44A. 1928 #1 song heard in a 1990 Steve Martin film of the same name : MY BLUE HEAVEN. This is that long ago song with some additional information.

58A. Narrator in Kerouac's "On the Road" : SAL PARADISE. "On the Road" is known as a semi-autobiographic story, and Kerouac admitted himself being Sal Paradise.

Argyle here. We can continue from yesterday being happy because now we are Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Across:

1. Sells for : COSTS

6. In any way, shape or form : AT ALL

11. Word with legal or lily : PAD

14. Fur tycoon John Jacob : ASTOR

15. Wild Australian dog : DINGO. Image.

16. Census datum : AGE

19. CD-__ : ROM

20. Flu-like symptom : AGUE

21. Lifesaving technique: Abbr. : CPR. (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)

22. Slangy starting point : GIT GO

24. "Dig in!" : LET'S EAT

26. Bike without pedaling : COAST

32. Cricket call : CHIRP

35. Type of sax : ALTO

36. Steamed up : MAD

37. Solitary : LONE

38. Mag with a "Bachelor of the Year" contest : COSMO

40. Libraries do it : LEND

41. Menu catchphrase : À LA

42. Crate component : SLAT

43. Merchandise : WARES

48. Sequence with a Y, sometimes : AEIOU (vowels)

49. Spouse's resigned assent : YES, DEAR

53. Taxpayer's dread : AUDIT

55. Take in, as a movie : SEE

56. Ultimatum end : ELSE

57. Incidentally, in online shorthand : BTW. (by the way)

62. Plea from a lea : MAA. Cute rhyme.

63. Walk leisurely : MOSEY

64. Scammed : HOSED

65. Inclined to avoid the spotlight : SHY

66. Give the slip : ELUDE

67. Unable to sit still : ANTSY

Down:

1. Conspiring group : CABAL. Popularized in English, 1673, as an acronym for five intriguing ministers of Charles II (Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale), which gave the word its sinister connotations. Online Etymology Dictionary

2. Oklahoma native : OSAGE. Their web site.

3. Pompous gait : STRUT

4. "Without a doubt!" : TO BE SURE

5. Mme. in Madrid : SRA. The Spanish term for the French Mrs., ¿comprende?

6. Copes with change : ADAPTS

7. Wedding cake layer : TIER

8. "Furthermore ..." : AND

9. Part of XL: Abbr. : LGE. (extra large)

10. In olden days : LONG AGO

11. Many a McDonald's worker : PART-TIMER

12. Psyched up : AGOG

13. Test-driven car : DEMO

18. Some HDTVs : RCAS

23. Jerusalem is its cap. : ISR. (Israel)

25. Eerie ability, briefly : ESP. (extrasensory perception)

26. Pre-storm period : CALM. Does an eerie calm precede a storm or is that just an old wives tale?.

27. Savvy about : ON TO

29. Too big a hurry : HASTE

30. Co-worker of Kent and Olsen : LANE (Superman)

31. Mixes in : ADDS

32. Be silent, with "up" : CLAM

33. Fit for sainthood : HOLY

34. Really hurting : IN A BAD WAY

38. Egyptian played by Liz : CLEO. Both names are shortened versions of the full name.

39. Diamond Head's island : OAHU

40. Stopped at, as a board game square : LANDED ON

42. "Sounds good" : SUITS ME

43. "Scream" director Craven : WES. Movie.

45. Luau wreath : LEI

46. Salt's assent : AYE, AYE. (salt = sailor)

47. Avoid a pothole, say : VEER

50. Mass-mailing tool : E-LIST

51. Pompous types : ASSES

52. Like a bassoon's sound : REEDY

53. Aerial defense weapons, for short : ABMS. (anti-ballistic missiles)

54. Bryce Canyon's state : UTAH

55. Exceeded the limit : SPED

59. IM provider : AOL. (IM = Instant Messenger) Rather passé in today's world.

60. Baton Rouge sch. : LSU. (Louisiana State University)

61. "Solved it!" : AHA. Now that is almost too cute to have that as the last entry, but I liked it.

Answer grid.

Here are Part IV of Kazie's Oz series. From her trip to Darwin. Such vibrant color! Gorgeous Sunset Over the Water.

Argyle