Monday, February 28, 2011 Jeffrey Lease

Theme: Rank - that goes with the first parts of the answers to starred clues: CAPTAIN.(38A.)

17A. *1968 sci-fi classic remade in 2001: "PLANET OF THE APES". Without going to deep into it, CAPTAIN PLANET is a TV animation with a "green" super-hero.

23A. *Chili competitions: COOK-OFFS. CAPTAIN COOK was an actual British explorer of the Pacific Ocean.

50A. *Reason for rhinoplasty: HOOK NOSE. CAPTAIN HOOK, of course, was from the story of Peter Pan.

58A. *1980 Disney comedy about an all-night puzzle-solving race: "MIDNIGHT MADNESS". CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT was first broadcast as a radio serial from 1938. Captain Midnight was a code name. He wasn't a super-hero but an extremely skilled aviator with an ability to fly almost any aircraft superlatively.

Argyle here and running late. This appears to be our first encounter with this constructor. I liked it and thought the grid layout was pleasing to look at.

Across:

1. One with a degree : GRAD. The first of several words are shortened versions of the parent word but seem to stand alone and aren't considered abbreviations, at least by some.

5. Double reed instrument : OBOE

9. Bit of campaign nastiness : SMEAR

14. Assistant : AIDE

15. Course of action : PLAN

16. Croatian-born physicist Nikola : TESLA. He's back!

20. Jewish : SEMITIC

21. Rotten : BAD

22. Conference including Duke and UNC : ACC. Atlantic Coast Conference.

28. Liver secretion : BILE

30. "What's up, __?" : DOC

31. Clean the floor : SWEEP

32. Was victorious : WON

33. Dissertations : THESES. The plural of THESIS.

36. It can be airtight or waterproof : SEAL

37. Fishing pole : ROD

40. Support garment : BRA

41. Slightly : A BIT

43. Jump (on) suddenly : POUNCE

44. Tennis call : LET

45. Keg party attire : TOGAs. A reference to the movie "Animal House".

47. Band-Aid and Barbie, e.g.: Abbr. : TMs. Trademarks.

48. Like much wine and cheese : AGED

52. Rover's warning : "GRR!"

53. Corn unit : EAR

54. Inexpensive brand : CHEAPIE

63. Overindulge, as kids : SPOIL

64. Wrinkle remover : IRON

65. Fight for air : GASP

66. Wedding dresses : GOWNS

67. Fey of "30 Rock" : TINA

68. School attended by many princes and prime ministers : ETON

Down:

1. Spaces : GAPS

2. Annoy : RILE

3. TV Batman West : ADAM

4. "I did not!" is one : DENIAL

5. __ nerve : OPTIC

6. Voting group : BLOC

7. Palooka : OAF

8. Tolkien's Treebeard, for one : ENT

9. Texas Roadhouse fare : STEAKS

10. Grassy fields : MEADOWS

11. Sixth sense, briefly : ESP

12. Pub pick : ALE

13. Dorm supervisors: Abbr. : RAs. Resident Advisors.

18. "And so on and so forth," for short : "ETC., ETC."

19. "True Blood" airer : HBO

23. Party disguise : COSTUME

24. Indian and Arctic : OCEANS

25. Lacking strength : FEEBLE

26. Dreaded : FEARED

27. Bug-hitting-windshield sound : SPLAT

28. Owie : BOO-BOO

29. Spectrum color between blue and violet : INDIGO

30. Train stations : DEPOTS

32. Ire : WRATH

34. Occurrence : HAP

35. Start of a guard dog command : "SIC"

39. Approached : NEARED

42. Deceived : TAKEN IN

46. Slow mollusks : SNAILS

49. Farm : GRANGE. Word Origin & History - c.1112 (implied in granger ), "granary, barn," from O.Fr. grange, from M.L. granica, from L. granum "grain." Sense evolved to "outlying farm" (late 14c.), then "country house" (1550s). per Online Etymology Dictionary.

51. Nonprofit's URL ending : .ORG

52. The Gold Coast, since 1957 : GHANA

54. "Let's roll!" : "C'MON!"

55. __ moss : PEAT

56. "This __ silly!" : IS SO

57. "Monday Night Football" channel : ESPN

58. Chinese food additive : MSG

59. Wall St. debut : IPO. Initial Public Offering, a chance to get in on the ground floor, assuming the price goes up; not guaranteed.

60. Wall Street index, with "the" : DOW. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA).

61. Smack : HIT

62. Prefix with athlete : TRI

Answer grid.

Argyle. I picked a good day to run late. Phew!

Sunday February 27, 2011 Jeremy Horwitz & Byron Walden

Theme: It's an Honor Just to be Nominated - Tribute puzzle to Peter O'Toole. The starred answers, which are symmetrically placed (together with his names & the category he's nominated), are 8 films for which he's nominated for Oscar Best Actor but never won.

1A. *1964 : BECKET

7A. *2006 : VENUS

28A. *1968 : THE LION IN WINTER

43A. *1972, with "The" : RULING CLASS

65A. *1982 : MY FAVORITE YEAR

67A. *With 71-Across, 1962 : LAWRENCE. And OF ARABIA (71A. See 67-Across). Broken down for symmetry.

72A. *1969 : GOODBYE, MR CHIPS

96A. *1980 : THE STUNT MAN

112A. See 127-Across : BEST ACTOR OSCARS

127A. With 128-Across, performer nominated for 112-Across (he didn't win any) in all of the answers to starred clues : PETER. And O'TOOLE (128A. See 127-Across).

What a great symmetry! The constructors must be excited to discover the numbers of letters in various films. But luck alone wouldn't work. Takes skills to split certain entry & place each one in its perfect spot.

Very challenging puzzle for me. Not a movie person like Clear Ayes. Definitely needed Downs for most of the films.

Quite a few cross-references in the puzzle. The clues are tougher than our normal Sunday also. Take JAI (62D. "__ Ho": 2008 Best Original Song) for example. I am used to the "__ alai" clue. I do appreciate the fresh clue  & Oscar tie-in.

Across:

12. Award since WWI : DSC (Distinguished Service Cross)

15. Try for a contract : BID

18. Dressed like Cinderella : IN RAGS

19. "Pardon my __" : FRENCH

21. Letter after pi : RHO. Before Sigma.

22. With 39-Across, soapbox racer, e.g. : ONE. And 39. See 22-Across : SEATER.

23. Concerned with pupils? : OCULAR. Eyes. Not students.

24. Shoemaker on a horse : WILLIE. Jockey. Bill Shoemaker. Faintly rang a bell.

25. 2009-'10 "At the Movies" co-host : A. O. SCOTT. Film critic for the New York Times. Stumped me.

27. Sprayed in defense : MACED

30. Prefix with gram : EPI. Epigram.

31. Venetian evening : SERA. Oh, always thought it means "will be". Que Sera, Sera.

33. Yule VIP : ST. NICK. VIP suggests an abbreviated answer.

34. "I Put a Spell on You" singer Simone : NINA

35. Bygone ruler : TSAR

37. Sadie Hawkins Day suitors : GALs

42. PC backup key : ESC

47. Item, such as interest, recorded only when earned : NON-ASSET. The clue gave me headache.

49. "Man alive!" : I'LL BE. Well, I'll be.

50. Prizes : ESTEEMS

53. J.D. holder : ATT. For our JD, that'll be Bob.

54. 1981 World Series co-MVP Ron : CEY. Spent a long time with the Dodgers.

55. Rental ad abbr. : RMs

57. Made misty : BLEARED. Spell check doesn't like this word.

60. Muslim pilgrim : HAJJI. The ending I must mean "person" then, since the pilgrimage itself is called HAJJ.

64. Fertility clinic cells : OVA

78. Baseball's "Master Melvin" : OTT. Mel Ott. And RBIs (102. 78-Across's 1,860, briefly).

79. Record of the year? : ANNAL

80. Take on, as tenants : LEASE TO

81. Kyrgyzstan city : OSH. Well, maybe Borat knows. Not me.

82. Op. __ : CIT

85. Cyclotron bit : ION

87. Make sense : STACK UP. Your excuse doesn't stake up.

89. Peerless : ALONE

91. Eye of round, etc. : LEAN CUTS

98. Part of ETO: Abbr. : EUR

99. Tennis shoe that debuted at Wimbledon in 1966 : K-SWISS. Founded by two Swiss brothers. So what does the K stand for?

103. Told, as a tale : SPUN

104. Some PX patrons : SGTs. And LTs (90D. Superiors of 104-Across).

106. Creeps : INCHES

109. "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" singer : OCHS (Phil)

111. It always increases : AGE. True.

116. Egyptian sky god : HORUS. Son of Isis & Osiris. Falcon-headed.

118. Needing serious help : IN A SPOT

119. Make it to : ATTEND

120. Schleppers : TOTERS

121. Have the flu, say : AIL

122. Valuable deposit : ORE. Mine deposit.

123. Mambo bandleader Tito : PUENTE. "The King of Latin Music". We often see TITO in the grid.

124. Vital supply lines : AORTAE

125. Once known as : NEE

126. According to : PER

Down:

1. Like the most secure passports nowadays : BIOMETRIC. Homeland Security charged me quite a bit for my biometrics data during the naturalization process.

2. Summarize : ENCAPSULE

3. Vitally : CRUCIALLY

4. Leafy green : KALE. Tough for my taste.

5. "Gadzooks!" : EGADS

6. Original Dungeons & Dragons co. : TSR. Wikipedia says it stands for Tactical Studies Rules.

7. Facilities for many ex-GIs : VFW HALLS. Our local baseball card shows are often held there.

8. Buffalo's lake : ERIE

9. "Gimme a Break" star Carter et al. : NELLS. First encounter with this lady.

10. Turned off : UNLIT

11. Descendants : SCIONS

12. Toasted : DRANK TO

13. Tell partner : SHOW. Show and tell.

14. Squeeze album "__ Fan Tutti Frutti" : COSI. Have never heard of the British band Squeeze.

15. Soft shoes : BOOTIES

16. Like nail-biters : INTENSE

17. Take away : DETRACT

20. '20s-'30s skating gold medalist : HENIE (Sonja)

26. King's station : CNN. Larry King. Do you like Piers Morgan?

28. Hints : TRACES

29. Empowering motto : I CAN

32. Hunt subject : EGG. D'oh, Easter!

36. Kid : RIB

38. Didn't act : SAT BY

40. Grandmother of Spain's Juan Carlos : ENA

41. Instead of : RATHER THAN. Nice 10-letter entry.

44. Remedy for a pain in the neck : NERVE BLOCK. Don't know this term.

45. Note to __ : SELF

46. "I __ Darkness": 1999 Bonnie 'Prince' Billy album : SEE A. Was ignorant of the singer and his album.

48. Patronize, as an inn : STAY AT

51. Dallas cager : MAV (Maverick)

52. Sign of a big hit : SRO (Standing Room Only)

56. Loads of : MANY

58. Psyche's lover : EROS

59. Variance, in the vernacular : DIF (Difference)

61. Gettysburg general Stuart : J.E.B.

63. Glass on the radio : IRA. Ira Glass. Host of NPR's "This American Life".

64. Decree : ORDAIN

65. "Who wants candy?" response : ME, ME

66. Kit Carson House site : TAOS

67. Queens, N.Y., airport : LGA

68. Chicago Loop's __ Center : AON

69. Broke the tape : WON. Finish line tape.

70. "Ice Age" unit, e.g. : CEL. Have never seen "Ice Age", animated film. Do they still use cels now everything is digital?

73. Dorm VIPs : RAs (Resident Advisers)

74. Winnipeg winter hrs. : CST

75. Spiciness : HEAT

76. Rash reaction : ITCH

77. It may involve drawing : POKER. Tricky clue.

81. Light-minded pursuit? : OPTICS. Another tricky one.

82. Rate against : COMPARE TO

83. Quadrennial national rite : INAUGURAL

84. Titans' home : TENNESSEE

86. Letters before xis : NUs.

88. It runs through four Great Lakes : US BORDER. Nice answer.

91. Either parent in "Heather Has Two Mommies" : LESBIAN

92. Prince Andrew's younger daughter : EUGENIE. Quite pretty. I only know her mother Fergie, who now has a show with Oprah's OWN.

93. Place to buy prints : ART SALE

94. Site with tweets : TWITTER

95. __-Japanese War : SINO. I always wonder why China is called SINO.

97. Find a seat for, in slang : USH. Lots of groan last time.

100. Throw out : SCRAP

101. Grew quickly : SHOT UP. And SHOOT (110D. Fire). Same root, isn't it?

105. Peter, Paul and Mary: Abbr. : STS. Not the singers.

107. Rival of Helena : ESTEE. Is Helena a cosmetic brand?

108. Obsession, for one : SCENT. This I know. Calvin Klein's Obsession.

113. Individually : A POP

114. Center : CORE

115. Date opening? : ANTE. Antedate.

117. Óscar's other : OTRO. Is Óscar Spanish for Oscar? I don't get this clue.

120. Way of the East : TAO. Indeed, it's literally "way".

Answer grid.

C.C.