Monday, November 22, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: If Only - Five synonyms for what we wish for, the first ones are at the ends of the longest entries with the unifier at the very end(Across) of the grid.

21A. Tokyo monetary unit: JAPANESE YEN. 1 Japanese yen = 0.0120 US dollars or roughly one cent. 10,000 bank note.

26A. 1983 Lionel Richie #1 song: "ALL NIGHT LONG". It reached number one on three Billboard charts (pop, R&B and adult contemporary). This clip(3:39) may make you long for the eighties...or not.

43A. Desolate title tree in a 1936 Fonda/MacMurray western: LONESOME PINE. Full title is "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" and isn't a western; it is set in the Appalachian Mountains, according to this short Wikipedia article.

50A. TUMS target: STOMACH ACHE. Calcium carbonate used as an antacid to relieve heartburn, acid indigestion, and upset stomach.

65A. Hanker, and a synonym for the ends of 21-, 26-, 43- and 50-Across: YEARN

Argyle here. Solid Monday offering from Donna with a couple of thorns thrown in to keep it interesting.

Across:

1. Like some short-term committees : AD HOC

6. How a lot of music is recorded : ON CD

10. Narrow-necked pear : BOSC. Image.

14. Museum with many Spanish masterpieces : PRADO. Located in Madrid, Spain, I envy those of you that have seen it. Spain is on my bucket list. (Hm, "bucket list", good optional theme title.)

15. Eight, in Spain : OCHO

16. Figure skating jump : AXEL

17. Consumed : EATEN

18. Postal delivery : MAIL. I think they will close on Saturdays and when they do, they might as well close for good.

19. Knish seller : DELI. Knish is an eastern-European Jewish or Yiddish snack food. It is a dumpling covered with a dough shell that is either baked or fried. In the most traditional version, the dumpling is made entirely of mashed potato. Jewish Recipes web site.

20. Henna, for one : DYE

24. Hawaii's coffee capital : KONA. How is it? Anybody drinking some this morning?

25. Reader's __: magazine : DIGEST

31. French city where Joan of Arc died : ROUEN. One of those thorns I mentioned, for me at least.

32. Wooden nickel, e.g. : SLUG. I always thought a slug had to be metal.

33. Milk units: Abbr. : QTs. However, milk units from the cow are measured in pounds, with the record being over 70,000 lbs. per year.

36. Old Italian money : LIRE and 55D. Swiss capital : BERN. Such straight forward cluing, it's either Monday or a trap.

37. Parcel of land : TRACT

39. New Age-y emanation : AURA

40. Single : ONE

41. Wine vintage : YEAR

42. Thread holder : SPOOL

46. It's north of the border : CANADA. Not for everybody, eh?

49. Cle. hoopsters : CAVS. Cleveland Cavaliers.

53. Long sandwich : SUB

56. Vaulter's need : POLE. Records jumped with the advent of the fiberglass pole.

57. "Today __ man": stereotypical bar mitzvah announcement : I AM A. TV's Frasier speaks Klingon at Frederic's bar mitzvah. Clip.

58. Hospital staffer : NURSE

60. __ even keel : ON AN

61. Shoemaker McAn : THOM

62. Spud : TATER

63. Camping shelter : TENT

64. Talks and talks : YAKS

Down:

1. Copied : APED

2. Open-sided cart : DRAY

3. Loathe : HATE

4. "__ on a Grecian Urn" : ODE

5. Unite : CONJOIN

6. Tuba sound : OOM-PAH

7. "March Madness" org. : NCAA. National Collegiate Athletic Association.

8. Facial feature with a cleft, perhaps : CHIN. Perhaps, the most famous. Image.

9. Distributed sparingly : DOLED OUT

10. No-goodnik : BAD EGG. BAD GUY didn't fly.

11. Daisy variety : OX-EYE

12. Tennis great Monica : SELES

13. Eastwood of Dirty Harry films : CLINT

22. Namibia neighbor: Abbr. : ANG. Angola. Map. Africa.

23. Perform with the choir : SING

24. Kid's scrape site : KNEE

26. Woody's son : ARLO

27. Butcher's cut : LOIN

28. Entice : LURE

29. Ivan the Terrible et al. : TSARS. Russian rulers.

30. Partners' legal entity: Abbr. : LLC. Limited Liability Company (LLC),

33. "Je ne sais __" : QUOI. Literally 'I don't know what', meaning an indescribable quality. "Je ne sais pas" was my answer in French class.

34. Cyclo- ending : TRON. "Tron: Legacy" is an upcoming 2010 science fiction film based on "Tron", the 1982 movie.

35. Shopper's delight : SALE

37. Persistence : TENACITY

38. "Norma __" : RAE. Movie with Sally Field.

39. iPhone downloads : APPs. I knew when I first saw apps(applications) it would become a crossword hit.

41. Wizened "Star Wars" guru : YODA. Sorry but I have to link this song. Yoda, Weird Al.

42. Interstate speed limit, often : SEVENTY. Merely a suggestion. (Right, Dennis?)

43. Bemoan : LAMENT

44. __ razor: logical simplicity rule : OCCAM'S. Thorny.

45. __-jongg : MAH

46. A hundred bucks : C-SPOT. Quick, how many yen is that?

47. Make amends (for) : ATONE

48. Texas Rangers president Ryan : NOLAN. Nicknamed "The Ryan Express", he is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. ( New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers) Trivia: His first name is Lynn.

51. Often sarcastic joke response : HA-HA

52. In a frenzy : AMOK

53. Mlle., in Madrid : SRTA. Mademoiselle and Señorita

54. Exploitative type : USER

59. Abu Dhabi's fed. : UAE. United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven absolute monarchies.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday November 21, 2010 Gail Grabowski

Theme: Tell Me No More - TMI (Too Much Information) spans across two words in each familiar phrase.

27A. 1929 song co-written by Fats Waller : AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'. Peter Wentz used this phrase in his "Right on Cue" puzzle last year.

44A. Tenderloin cut : FILET MIGNON. What's the traditional food on your Thanksgiving table? We always have wild rice & mashed rutabaga.

59A. Eleventh hour : LAST MINUTE

82A. "Just passing through" : DON'T MIND ME

92A. Construction site sight : CEMENT MIXER

113A. Gulf War defense weapon : PATRIOT MISSILE

15D. Well-meaning error : HONEST MISTAKE. My favorite theme answer.

58D. Wartime operation : COMBAT MISSION

118D. Brief version of this puzzle's title hidden in eight long puzzle answers : TMI

Nice touch to put the unifier as the last fill.

Simple & elegant theme. Gail's puzzles are seldom complicated. She's also quite fond of pinwheel grid for her weekday puzzles, often with 4 theme entries.

Across:

1. Furtive utterance : PSST

5. "The Stranger" novelist : CAMUS (Albert). Nobel Literature 1957.

10. Resided : DWELT. The answer is seldom LIVED.

15. Jumble : HASH

19. Scale sequence : LA TI. Musical scale.

20. Stove supplier : AMANA

21. Fiber used for fishing nets : RAMIE. New word to me.

22. Org. concerned with ergonomics : OSHA

23. School founded by Henry VI : ETON. British school, 4-letter, ETON it is.

24. Like a ruined roux : LUMPY. I've never made a roux in my life.

25. Nice thoughts? : IDEES. Nice the French city.

26. Palindromic time : NOON

30. Monetary policy maker, informally : THE FED

32. "Gotta go!" : SEEYA

33. Time in an ad : TONITE. "This evening in ad" would be easier.

34. Broad lowlands : DALES. Like this?

36. 23rd Greek letter : PSI. Can never remember the order.

38. Snatched violently : TORE

40. Shell container? : GAS TANK. Shell Oil.

50. Mediation org. established by FDR : NLRB (National Labor Relations Board). Was ignorant of its existence.

52. Express discontent : MOAN. Hmm, I think Dennis wants "Express content".

53. WWII photo site, briefly : IWO. Iwo Jima.

54. Bout of indulgence : SPREE

55. Capital of Delaware? : DEE. Capital letter in Delaware.

56. Requiem : DIRGE

57. Record : DISC

63. Name on a compact : ESTEE. Compact mirror.

64. Not snookered by : ONTO

65. Fort Erie's prov. : ONT

66. Creator of sublime lines : ODIST. Real word. No complaint.

67. Blossom bits : PETALS

68. Longish coat : MIDI. Always associate midi with skirt.

70. False appearance : GUISE

71. Revered Tibetan : LAMA. Does this refer to Dalai Lama?

72. Firmly established : STABLE

75. Tapered transport : CANOE

76. Court addition? : IER. Addition to the word coutrier.

77. Pain in the neck : KINK

81. Year's record : ANNAL

84. Black, to a bard : EBON

85. Blog comments : POSTS. Nice "blog" clue.

86. Bit of work : ERG

87. Helpless, in a way : ALONE

89. Govt. smog watchdog : EPA

90. Hot pair : ITEM

91. Cheer alternative : TIDE. Cheer laundry detergent.

95. Tickle pink : DELIGHT

97. Buckwheat noodle : SOBA. Needs drops of sesame oil.

99. Many a bunt, on a scorecard : SAC (Sacrifice)

100. Doesn't split : STAYS

102. Colorful pet store purchases : TETRAS

106. Reach one's destination : GET IN

110. Its members travel in a world of their own : JETSET. Indeed.

116. Morlock prey : ELOI. From "The Time Machine".

117. Low-tech note taker : STENO

119. City on the Po : TURIN. Po River.

120. Damaging downpour : HAIL

121. Pull up stakes, briefly : RELO

122. Muscat native : OMANI. Muscat is the capital of Oman.

123. You might get a ticket for one : U TURN

124. Nerve-wracking exam, for some : ORAL

125. Finely honed : KEEN

126. Big name in Russian ballet : KIROV. Needed crossing help.

127. Has a quick look : PEEKS

128. Cross a stream, say : WADE

Down:

1. Courthouse entries : PLEAS. Tricky clue.

2. "Socrate" composer : SATIE (Erik)

3. Rock : STONE

4. Old-style photo : TINTYPE

5. Colombian city : CALI. Colombia's second-largest city.

6. Not to be missed : A MUST

7. Fast ballroom dance : MAMBO

8. Release, in a way : UNPEN. Release the pigs.

9. Greet informally : SAY "HI" TO

10. Club with a big head : DRIVER. Golf club.

11. Dry riverbed : WADI. Like arroyo?

12. Fix, as text : EMEND

13. Alibi, maybe : LIE

14. Research site : TEST LAB

16. Since : AS OF

17. Flat, e.g. : SHOE. I sure was not picturing shoes.

18. What a student might raise : HAND

28. Boom sites : MASTS

29. Lots : A TON

31. Fathers and sons : HEs

35. Avoid a strike, e.g. : AGREE

37. Self-destruct : IMPLODE

39. Consumer application : END USE

41. Vital supply line : AORTA

42. Silent films idol Conrad __ : NAGEL. First encounter with this idol. Quite handsome.

43. Mini exhibits? : KNEES. Sexy clue. I suppose LEGS could be clued this way also.

44. Everydog : FIDO

45. "Bingo!" : I WIN

46. TV series filmed on Oahu : LOST

47. Qom native : IRANI. Qom is a holy city near Teheran.

48. Daring exploit : GEST

49. Figure on a pay stub : NET

51. Belarusian's neighbor : LETT. Latvian.

56. Judge : DEEM

60. Get up on : MOUNT

61. Shoot the breeze, e.g. : IDIOM

62. American of Japanese descent : NISEI. Ni = Two. Sei = Birth. Same character as Chinese.

67. Curfew setters : PARENTS

69. Troubles : ILLS

70. Sacred river of India : GANGES

71. Fruit high in vitamin C : LEMON. All citrus fruits are high in Vitamin C.

72. Palatable : SAPID. Sure sounds like opposite, does it?

73. Govt. security : T-NOTE

74. First name in wilderness photography : ANSEL (Adams)

75. Part of a high-tech tangle : CORD

76. Not active : IDLE

78. Alpine denizen : IBEX

79. "In your dreams" : NOPE

80. Tree trunk bulge : KNAR. Learned from doing Xword.

82. Prayer object : DEITY

83. "Platoon" setting, for short : NAM

88. Slate and Salon : EMAGS. Both on line magazines.

91. "Don't worry about it" : THAT'S OK

92. Radio-active sort? : CBER

93. Swallow something hook, line and sinker : EAT IT UP

94. Revue with fancy footwork : ICE SHOW

96. Old telecom giant : GTE. Merged into Verizon.

98. Holy Roman emperor, 1209-'15 : OTTO IV. Peeked at the answer sheet.

101. Primitive projectile : SPEAR

103. Itinerary : ROUTE

104. Based on __ story : A TRUE

105. Unsportsmanlike look : SMIRK

107. Jeweled topper : TIARA

108. Tale of an ancient siege : ILIAD

109. "Ally McBeal" lawyer : NELLE. Played by Portia de Rossi. Ellen's love.

110. Schmo : JERK

111. S. Grant foe? : E LEE. Weird answer, isn't it? Gen. Robert E. Lee.

112. Lacquered metalware : TOLE

114. __ regni: in the year of the reign : ANNO

115. Room renters : INNS

Answer grid.

C.C.