Tuesday, December 7, 2010 Mark Bickham

Theme: Hare Hoax - Five theme endings that are when a rabbit isn't a real rabbit. Unifier is at the tail end.

18A. Procter & Gamble laundry product: IVORY SNOW. A snow bunny is a female that goes to the mountain with more than skiing on her mind.

27A. Keep America Beautiful concerns: LITTERBUGS. Bugs Bunny needs no intro.

35A. New England storm: NOR'EASTER. Neither does the Easter bunny. A nor'easter is a big storm of the North Atlantic coast and its counter-clockwise rotation brings water(or snow)-laden winds coming from the northeast to all New England. Actually. it can affect the whole eastern seaboard.

49A. Space particles: COSMIC DUST. If you don't know what a dust bunny is, then I want to meet your maid.

59A. Beach Boys album with bees and flowers on the cover: WILD HONEY. Here, I'll play the song for you, my little honey bunny. Clip.(2:40)

68A. Critter that can follow the ends of this puzzle's five longest answers: BUNNY

Argyle here. While none of the themes are very long, they are interesting and the stacks of sevens in the corners are impressive.

I await your comments. Of course, I awaited a comment on the band, Phish, yesterday but only Seen spoke of them.

Across:

1. Prepared for pie, as apples : CORED

6. Skirt fold : PLEAT

11. 1,150, to Brutus : MCL

14. Speed skater __ Anton Ohno : APOLO. An unknown to me with an unknown spelling. US-American Olympic gold medal-winning short track speed skater who also won Dancing with the Stars in 2007. Here is a short(1:50) clip that may explain the popularity of the show. Hot!

15. Get-up-and-go : OOMPH

16. Author Levin : IRA. He wrote the play, No Time for Sergeants and the novel, Rosemary's Baby.

17. What cats and bats do : RHYME

20. Earl Grey et al. : TEAs (weak link) 42. Rank below marquis : EARL

21. "The loneliest number," in a song : ONE. Clip(2:56)

22. Nickel or cadmium : METAL

23. The works : ALL

24. Favorite : PET

25. Simian : APE-LIKE

30. Lawyers' charges : FEES

31. Craft that can be rolled : KAYAK. You can put your kayak upside down in the water and still roll it back upright, if you haven't lost your paddle.

32. "As ye sow, so shall ye __" : REAP

34. Country rtes. : RDs.

39. Bruin legend Bobby : ORR

43. Nutritious beans : SOYAs

47. Razz : JEER

52. Asks to the party : INVITES

54. King of France : ROI

55. 9-Down adviser : CPA and 9D. 30-day mo. : APR.

56. Kentucky county named for a trailblazer : BOONE. Daniel Boone.

57. It follows Wed. : THU.

58. Stride : GAIT

62. Beyond the fringe : OUTRE. We see this spelling frequently.

63. Columnist Buchwald : ART. Snapshot.

64. Alleviated : EASED

65. __ mix: hiker's fare : TRAIL

66. Snake sound : "SSS!". Can make a hiker drop his trail mix.

67. Wipe out : ERASE

Down

1. NPR auto show : "CAR TALK". National Public Radio; The hosts of Car Talk are brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi, also known as Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers.

2. Hamlet's love : OPHELIA. Spoiler alert: She dies...oh wait, they all die...never mind.

3. Writer's payment : ROYALTY

4. Shady bunch? : ELMS

5. Anonymous John : DOE

6. Destination in a two-part route : POINT B. After you start from point A.

7. "Many-splendored thing" of song : LOVE. In case you've forgotten the great ballad.(3:02)

8. Comic Philips : EMO. Alleged comic.

10. Mint family herb : THYME

11. Toothpaste comparison word : MINTIER

12. Cried like a raven : CROAKED

13. Like anarchy : LAWLESS

19. Note to __ : SELF

21. Across, in verse : O'ER

24. "Orange" tea grade : PEKOE. We've had a big discussion about this before but if you want, we can go over it again.

25. A long time : AGES

26. 130-minute H.S. exam : PSAT

28. Beach lover's goal : TAN

29. Eurasian range : URALS. The range dividing Europe from Asia.

33. Joe of "GoodFellas" : PESCI. He played a whack-job(but don't tell him I said that).

36. Senate contest : RACE

37. God with arrows : EROS

38. Staff associate? : ROD

39. Lake Superior natives : OJIBWAs. The Ojibwa Indians, also known as the Chippewa Indians, lived mainly in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Ontario, Canada at the time of European contact. Good web site here.

40. Some Impressionist paintings : RENOIRs. Google page.

41. Sickens : REVOLTS

44. Mexican peninsula : YUCATAN. Map. It has been hard hit by hurricanes before.

45. Bayer product : ASPIRIN

46. Majestic : STATELY

48. Melon exterior : RIND

50. Villainous literary alter ego : MR. HYDE. Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is the original title of a novella written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson

51. Promise to pay : IOU

53. Little laugh : TE-HEE

57. Golfer's pocketful : TEEs

58. Spiritual guide : GURU

60. Stick in the lake? : OAR

61. Govt. hush-hush org. : NSA. National Security Agency (NSA)

62. Bettor's hangout, briefly : OTB. Off-Track Betting. It was bad when the mob did it but OK now that our govt. does it.

Answer grid.

Notes from C.C.:

1) Today we celebrate the birthday of Windhover, our blog farmer and philosopher. I think the third picture there is what made Annette want to ride his bike.

2) Speaking of cool, click here and here for two terrific shots of Splynter. Obviously he loves guitar (He writes music) & hockey (a goalie). He is in construction/remodeling business, and he wants to "Make your home your castle".

Argyle

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!