Monday, December 6, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: On Solid Footing - Four phrases that end with a word that indicates what you may build on, literally or metaphorically.

20A. Sidewalk periodical vendor : NEWSPAPER STAND

25A. Edwards or Langley, e.g. : AIR FORCE BASE

42A. Court-ordered parental obligation : CHILD SUPPORT

48A. Philanthropic group chartered by auto execs : FORD FOUNDATION

Argyle here.

If you have a strong crossword background to build on, then Donna's offering should cause you little trouble. The grid is well grounded with strong blocks at the corners and lengthy cross ties.

I'm going to assume we all have basic expertise in puzzles and do minimal comments; there are entries from the past and the present. Anybody with a question, just ask it and someone will answer it.

Across

1. Try to obtain sensitive info using an Internet scam : PHISH

6. Chase down, as a fly ball : SHAG

10. Falls behind : LAGS

14. "Tiny Bubbles" singer : DON HO. Hawaiian

15. Tip-top : A-ONE

16. Towards the sheltered side, at sea : ALEE

17. Specialized jargon : ARGOT

18. "__ call us, we'll ..." : DON'T. Video. (3:24)

19. Red sky, to a sailor : OMEN

23. __-Locka, Florida : OPA. A city located in Miami-Dade County.

24. Gut courses : EASY A'S. Knew the answer but not the clue. The best definition I found is that a gut course is a class so easy that you can forgo studying, go with your gut instincts, and still get an A.

31. Political corruption : GRAFT

32. Police busts : RAIDS

33. Revolutionary statesman Franklin : BEN

36. Knocks on the door : RAPS

37. Response to a fencing lunge : PARRY

38. Nothing, in tennis : LOVE

39. Picnic invader : ANT

40. Intimidated : COWED. "Don't have a cow, man!": Bart Simpson.

41. Tendon : SINEW

44. Show hosts : EMCEEs

47. Actor Mineo : SAL

54. Notion : IDEA

55. Univ. sports group : NCAA

56. Liberate from the hitching post : UNTIE. That is just PETA talk.

58. Shakespearean king : LEAR

59. Tiger Woods's ex : ELIN

60. Allow to pass : LET BY

61. Benevolent order : ELKS

62. Cowgirl Evans : DALE

63. Cropped up : AROSE

Down:

1. High-tech organizer, briefly : PDA. Personal digital assistant, an electronic device which can include some of the functions of a computer, a cellphone, a music player, a camera and a partridge in a pear tree.

2. English or French instrument : HORN. English or French.

3. "Picnic" dramatist : INGE

4. Braggarts : SHOW-OFFS

5. Lively nightclub : HOT SPOT

6. Thompson of "Family" : SADA

7. Hula __ : HOOP

8. Green Gables girl : ANNE. The tale of a red-headed girl.

9. Prepare : GET READY

10. Taoism founder : LAO-TSE. Laozi, Laosi, Lao Tse, Lao Tu, Lao-Tzu, Lao-Tsu, Laotze, Lao Zi, Laocius, and other variations.

11. Hypoallergenic skin care brand : ALMAY

12. Davis who played Thelma : GEENA. Cover.

13. Transmits : SENDS

21. Bogey beater : PAR

22. Impertinence : SASS

25. Taj Mahal city : AGRA

26. Pakistan neighbor : IRAN

27. Engrossed : RAPT

28. Move like a baby : CRAWL

29. Like some seals : EARED

30. Feathered friends : BIRDS

33. Sonny of Sonny and Cher : BONO. Sadly, their "I GOT YOU BABE" turned into "IT AIN'T ME BABE".

34. Happily __ after : EVER

35. Eft, when mature : NEWT

37. Like the victims in "Arsenic and Old Lace" : POISONED. Performed as a school play everywhere.

38. Pencil for one's kisser : LIP LINER

40. Kitchen VIP : CHEF

41. Pancake flipper : SPATULA

42. Coniferous trees : CEDARS

43. Mex. neighbor : USA

44. Submit a tax return over the Internet : E-FILE

45. Hobbyist's plane, e.g. : MODEL

46. Old floorboard sound : CREAK

49. Golden State sch. : UCLA

50. Carpentry fastener : NAIL

51. Certain Scandinavian : DANE. From Denmark.

52. Filmdom's Preminger : OTTO

53. Penpoints : NIBS

57. Sight organ : EYE

Answer grid.

Notes from C.C.:

1) This is a week of birthday celebrations on our blog. Today we sing "Happy Birthday to You" to the ever sunny, happy & DD-Delightful Lucina. On her left in lovely aqua is our exotic bird Dodo, who just had her 85th birthday on October 29.

2) If you want to be included in our Blog Photos archive, please send me a picture or two (crosswordc@gmail.com). We'd love to "see" you.

Argyle

Added later: Today is also constructor Donna Levin's birthday. Happy Birthday, Donna!

Sunday December 5, 2010 Nora Pearlstone

Theme: CD Changers - The starting letter C is changed into D in various familiar phrases.

23A. Athlete's illegal plan? : DOPING STRATEGY. Coping Strategy.

44A. Inevitably short story of a track event? : DASH ACCOUNT. Cash Account.

68A. Derrières? : FRENCH DUFFS. French Cuffs.

96A. Contented furnace part? : HAPPY DAMPER. Happy Camper.

119A. Pass receiver's nightmare? : DREAM OF THE DROP. Cream of the Crop. The only one with double changes.

13D. Dangerous links game? : GOLF DARTS. Golf Carts.

41D. Where authors exhibit unedited work? : DRAFTS FAIR. Crafts Fair.

44D. Designated area for Southern dialogue? : DRAWL SPACE. Crawl Space.

83D. City employee who helps with the dishes? : TOWN DRIER. Town Crier.

Fun puzzle. Some of the theme clues made me laugh. Cottoned onto the theme rather quickly. Had a hunch of what the gimmick was about after reading title, then had it confirmed in no time. For once I mind-melded with Rich.

To those who are not familiar with various alias name of editor Rich Norris, he uses Nora Pearlstone (anagram of "Not a Real Person") mostly for his Sunday puzzles.

Nora tends to spread out her theme entries widely and intersect them when possible.

Across:

1. Post-commencement fliers? : CAPS. The image just wouldn't come to my mind.

5. Skirmish : FRAY

9. Polite address : MA'AM

13. Freedom of speech inhibitor : GAG LAW. Same as Gag Order, right?

19. Snack with several eating options : OREO

20. Grimm bad guy : OGRE

21. Adolescent woe : ACNE

22. Shopping with a mouse, say : ONLINE. Mouse click.

26. Check up (on) : LOOK IN

27. Put to work : EMPLOY

28. Whom a physician should heal? : THYSELF. "Physician, heal thyself".

30. TV Batman Adam : WEST. We also have 99. Dogpatch's Daisy __ : MAE. Not cross-referenced today.

31. Dost speak : SAYST

32. Kenyan tribe : MASAI. New word to me. Dictionary says they live in Tanzania too.

35. Businesses : TRADES

37. Credits (to) : ASCRIBES

40. It's nearly bisected by the Missouri R. : S DAK. Wow, true.

41. Caesar's 601 : DCI

47. It's not wall-to-wall : AREA RUG

49. Hopping desert rodent : JERBOA. Alien to me. Strange looking creature.

51. Cross-country need, perhaps : SKI

52. Put on the tube : AIR

54. Until now : TO DATE

55. Sign of a slip : ERASURE. Sure was not thinking of "mistake" slip.

57. "SNL" producer Michaels : LORNE

59. Endure : SUFFER

60. Handful : FEW

61. Deceive : LIE TO

64. Winans of gospel : CECE. BEBE too.

65. Asian celebration : TET. Only in Vietnam.

66. Leave no room in : FILL

72. This, in Spain : ESTO. Also ESTA.

75. Distress letters : SOS

77. Restaurateur Toots : SHOR

78. Exams for sophs or jrs. : PSATs

80. Warm lining : FUR

81. Influence : IMPACT

84. Publishing crime : LIBEL. I don't get the clue, though I know most libels are in printed form.

86. Place : SITUATE

88. Milan's __ alla Scala : TEATRO. Only know La Scala, not its full name. What does "TEATRO" mean?

89. Dept. in charge of rural development : AGR (Agriculture)

90. Author Tarbell : IDA. No idea. Read here for more information. Interesting: muckraker. What Julian Assange has done appalls me.

93. Brain : GENIUS

94. Does without : ESCHEWS

100. Children's author Blyton : ENID. Learned from doing Xword.

102. Cutting tool handy in tight crevices : SABER SAW. Like this, Splynter?

103. Football play also called a sweep : END RUN

105. __ man : LADY'S. Like Bond.

106. Rumor starter? : I HEAR

111. General Mills brand : CHEX

114. Do some home improvement : REMODEL. Hey, another shout-out to Splynter.

116. Film set at the Bates Motel : PSYCHO

117. Island state : HAWAII

123. Delphic medium : ORACLE

124. Failed '80s gridiron org. : USFL. No idea. United States Football League, 1983-1987.

125. Go (toward) : HEAD

126. What kings and courts do : RULE. Oh, I see, Kings' courts.

127. Civic or rec follower : CENTER

128. Allot, with "out" : METE

129. Line on a horse : ODDS. We also have 95. Filly's father : SIRE. I like the name Zenyatta, very cool!

130. "__ Death": "Peer Gynt Suite No. 1" movement : ASE'S. Ase is Peer Gynt's mother.

Down:

1. Sets of regulations : CODES

2. Olfactory lure : AROMA

3. Energized : PEPPY

4. Dirties : SOILS

5. Stick-in-the-mud : FOGY. Old geezer.

6. Some NFL blockers : RGS

7. Gallery display : ART

8. "__ durn tootin'!" : YER

9. 20th-century Canadian composer André : MATHIEU. Well, I bet Jayce knows this guy. Québécois composer.

10. __-deucy : ACEY

11. Therapy subject : ANGST

12. Seth of "SNL" : MEYERS

14. 365 días : ANO

15. Shines : GLOWS

16. Take a shine to : LIKE

17. Spanish liqueur : ANIS. Made of aniseed?

18. Took off : WENT

24. Nobody at all : NOT A SOUL

25. Steaming mad : AT A BOIL. Two little multip-word phrases.

29. Russian auto : LADA. What does Lada mean?

32. Longtime Olivia Newton-John label : MCA. MCA = Music Corporation of America.

33. Rainbow paths : ARCS

34. Tired partner? : SICK. Sick and tired.

36. Barely make, as a living : EKE OUT. Good to have a full phrase.

38. Bridge star Omar : SHARIF

39. Caught in a net : SNARED

42. Overused word at the nursery : CUTE

43. Disney president Robert : IGER. Quite articulate.

45. Tummy muscles : ABS. Look at here. Amazing. The kid must have been working really hard on them.

46. Costner links film : TIN CUP. Great movie.

48. Classified charge : AD FEE

49. Bridges of "Starman" : JEFF

50. "... __ saw Elba" : ERE I. Ha ha. Just mentioned it yesterday.

53. Coral phenomena : REEFS

56. Chariot ending : EER. Charioteer.

58. Earthy tone : OCHRE

62. One weber per square meter : TESLA. Hey, he's back, with a very technical clue though.

63. Above : ON HIGH

67. Reluctant : LOATH

69. Charmed snakes? : COBRAS. Why "charmed"?

70. Notes after mis : FAs. Musical notes: Do Re Mi Fa Sol...

71. Mark of disgrace : STIGMA

73. "Swan Lake" outfit : TUTU. Have any of you seen "Black Swan"?

74. Tram car fillers : ORES

76. Conceal : SCREEN

79. How AA members complete their program : STEPWISE. Didn't come to me immediately.

81. News bit : ITEM

82. City east of Tempe : MESA. I've never been to AZ.

85. ChapStick, e.g. : LIP BALM

87. A, to Fauré : UNE

91. Changed the locks? : DYED

92. "He was white and shaken, like __ martini": Wodehouse : A DRY. Not familiar with the quote. Funny.

97. Lager alternative : PALE ALE

98. Barnyard brayer : ASS. Alliteration.

101. Jerk : DUMDUM. Another new word to me.

103. Right-on : EXACT

104. Swedes' neighbors : NORSE. Norwegians? I always associate Norse with the ancient Scandinavian people.

107. Victim of Hercules : HYDRA. The nine-headed serpent.

108. Tan shades : ECRUS

109. Financially struggling, with "in" : A HOLE

110. Boxing ring borders : ROPES

111. Prefix with -aholic : CHOC. Chocaholic. My spell checks wants chocoholic.

112. Wonderland tea party attendee : HARE

113. McGregor of "Big Fish" : EWAN. Know his name, not the movie.

115. Skillful : DEFT

116. Some profs : PH. Ds

118. Mer land : ILE. Mer = Sea.

120. Discoverer's shout : OHO. AHA too.

121. Miffed, with "up" : FED

122. Tiny amount : TAD

Answer grid.

We are all familiar with this avatar photo of the always witty & musing & amusing Husker Gary. Here is a closer look at him and his wife Joann. They've been married for 45 years.

C.C.