Monday, August 13, 2012 Gerry Wildenberg

Theme: It's a Monday, Natch - Five rhyming endings.

17A. Br'er Rabbit's thicket : BRIAR PATCH

39A. Dramatic grab in the outfield : SHOESTRING CATCH. Often while running full tilt towards the infield to catch a dying quail. Did you pay attention when we discussed what a BLOOP was?

59A. Mark with intersecting sets of parallel lines : CROSS HATCH

10D. Fight in a ring : BOXING MATCH

25D. Childproofing device : SAFETY LATCH

Argyle here. Gerry's second puzzle for us and again we might question the day of the week. Gerry made a comment on that puzzle you can read at the bottom of this link Monday, April 9, 2012. Starting out with Occam's razor did set the tone for what was to come. One grid spanner with two theme entries crossing it. All in all, a nice balance. No foreign words? Is that possible?

Across:

1. __ razor: principle of logic : OCCAM'S. Rule favoring simple theories, aka, the Law of Parsimony.

7. Tempe sch. : ASU. (Arizona State University) Google Map.

10. "Back to the Future" bully : BIFF. I was blown away by the size of the entry for Biff on Wikipedia. The Biff Tannen bio. TMI

14. Vladimir Putin's country : RUSSIA

15. Tractor-trailer : RIG

16. Face-to-face exam : ORAL

19. Powerful TV princess : XENA

20. Computer code acronym : ASCII. (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)

21. Pub beer orders : PINTS

22. "Gil __": Lesage novel : BLAS. "Gil Blas" (French: L'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane) is a picaresque novel by Alain-René Lesage published between 1715 and 1735. It is considered to be the last masterpiece of the picaresque genre. Quote from Wiki.

26. Baseball's Ott : MEL

27. Underhanded type : SNEAK. Not softball.

28. Wyoming college town : LARAMIE. (University of Wyoming)

31. '60s "Gotcha" : "I DIG". "I'm hip, dude."

33. "Whee!" : "IT'S FUN!". the sixties.

34. Chinese chairman : MAO

35. What rolling stones don't gather : MOSS. Phrase Finder.

42. Email status : SENT

43. Cont. north of Africa : EUR. (continent of Europe)

44. Country singer Kathy : MATTEA

45. Knitter's purchase : YARN

47. Theater section : BALCONY. Becoming a thing of the past, alas.

48. Ability : SKILL

51. Tina with a spot-on Palin impression : FEY

53. Chart toppers : HITS

54. Like pop music : TONAL. What is the difference between tonal and atonal?

55. "__ the loneliest number": '60s song lyric : ONE IS. By "Three Dog Night" (another past discussion on the blog.) Clip(3:07)

58. Sunrise direction : EAST

64. Actor Baldwin : ALEC

65. Suffer : AIL

66. '80s-'90s quarterback Dan : MARINO. Great Miami Dolphins player, Hall of Fame, but no Super Bowl Ring.

67. Subject with fractions : MATH

68. Urban transit org. : MTA. (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) The Kingston Trio sang about the Boston Metropolitan Transit Authority.

69. Least outgoing : SHYEST

Down:

1. Mars or Venus : ORB

2. Junkyard dog : CUR

3. CBS forensic drama : CSI. (Crime Scene Investigation)

4. Red __ beet : AS A

5. Actress Sorvino : MIRA

6. Patsies : SAPS. (dupes, victims, fools, chumps)

7. Wheelchair guy on "Glee" : ARTIE. Just Artie (or Arty).

8. Thick-crust pizza style : SICILIAN

9. "How gross!" : "UGH!"

11. Goodnight girl of song : IRENE. The Weavers hit number one with it in 1950.

12. Classic orange soda : FANTA

13. Back-pocket liquor holder : FLASK

18. High point : ACME

21. Letter before omega : PSI

22. Supreme happiness : BLISS

23. Wood shaper : LATHE

24. Fiery crime : ARSON

29. Conservatory subj. : MUS. (music)

30. Prefix meaning "between" : INTER

32. Church doctrine : DOGMA

34. Fallen space station : MIR

36. 10th century Roman emperor : OTTO I. There were no Popes named Otto? Is that right?

37. Perfume feature : SCENT

38. One-horse carriages : SHAYS

40. Try to escape capture : RUN FOR IT. Lam.

41. Lo-__: lite : CAL

46. Every bit : ALL

47. Tournament exemptions : BYEs. If there is an uneven number of entrants, the top seeds don't play anyone in the first round.

48. Teakettle emission : STEAM

49. Eucalyptus eater : KOALA

50. City map on a state map, e.g. : INSET

52. WWII plane __ Gay : ENOLA

56. Belief systems, for short : ISMs

57. Deposed Iranian ruler : SHAH

59. Photo taker : CAM. (camera)

60. Suffix with station or honor : ARY

61. 1-1 score, e.g. : TIE

62. Neurology subj. : CNS. (central nervous system)

63. Really sexy : HOT

Answer grid.

Argyle

From C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Chickie (with husband Bill)! I want to see your backyard with all the wonderful fruit trees.

Sunday August 11, 2012 John Lampkin

Theme: "Beg Your Pardon?" - Each apology is ironic & funny considering the profession of the person who apologizes.

23A. Slapstick comic's apology ... or is it? : I FELL DOWN ON THE JOB. Falling down is a slapstick routine.

39A. New Year's Eve techie's apology ... or is it? : I DROPPED THE BALL. He should have dropped the ball.

59A. Proud liberal's apology ... or is it? : I DID NOTHING RIGHT. Liberals lean left of course.

84A. Army cook's apology ... or is it? : WHAT A MESS I'VE MADE. Army mess.

100A. Zen Buddhist's apology ... or is it? : I WAS THOUGHTLESS. Zen Buddhists tend to keep their mind simple and uncluttered.

122A. Nostalgic seismologist's apology ... or is it? : THIS WAS ALL MY FAULT. Perfect apology for Jayce.

Only 6 theme entries, but they're all long, taking a total 96 squares, which is a Sunday norm (84-100).

Total 63 black squares, we normally get 70-78 on Sundays. Excellent gridding skill and amazing restriction in using cheater squares. (Correction: I meant "restraint from using cheater squares"). John likes to make every black square count.

Across:

1. Greengrocer's stock : PRODUCE

8. "Piano Man" singer : JOEL (Billy)

12. Head honcho : PREZ

16. Down-in-the-mouth org.? : ADA. Fun clue.

19. Classic mouthwash : LAVORIS. I can only think of Listerine. All clue echos are highlighted in green.

20. Sell short : UNDERRATE

22. L.A. Times section? : LOS. Great clue. Los & Angeles are two sections of L.A., visually.

25. DJIA stock : AT &T. Or IBM.

26. British peer : EARL

27. Actor Morales : ESAI

28. Smashing target : ATOM. Was picturing a door.

29. Suckling babe : NURSER

31. Western evergreen : RED FIR

33. CD-__ : ROM

35. __ Plaines, Illinois : DES

37. Muskogee's st. : OKLA

38. N.Y.C. medical facility grantor : SLOAN. Spitzboov mentioned this before.

44. "Mad Money" network : CNBC. Jim Cramer. He's always so excited.

46. Certain : SURE

47. Gave the nod : SAID OK

48. Tempo : PACE

51. Conducted : LED

53. Fruit zest : RIND

55. Sneaky : SLY

56. Kind : ILK

63. Soccer ball juggler : KNEE. And 73. Ball girls : DEBS. Different balls.

64. Dragonfly snare : NET

65. Albatross's milieu : OCEAN. Golf course too.

66. Prefix with gram : SONO

67. Composer Rachmaninoff : SERGEI

69. First name in Prohibition history : ELIOT. Eliot Ness.

71. Sciences' partner : ARTS

75. Agreements : PACTS

76. Bubbly drinks : FIZZES

78. Tavern in the same city as Krusty Burger : MOE'S. "The Simpsons".

80. Capital of India : RUPEE. Money again.

82. Slowing, in scores : RIT

83. 111 digits : ONES. Three one's.

88. Cartoon canine : REN. Ren & Stimpy.

89. Half a cocktail : MAI. Or TAI. I want a Bloody Mary now. Weird.

90. City near Provo : OREM

91. Ditty syllable : TRA

92. "Remote Control" host Ken : OBER. Not familiar with this guy. Died in 2009. Only 52 years old.

93. Muscular jerks : SPASMS

96. Shorten, as nails : CLIP

98. Auto designer Ferrari : ENZO. Learned from doing Xword.

104. Newton with laws : ISAAC

108. Writer Ephron : NORA. Really like her "Sleepless in Seattle".

109. Orbiter until 2001 : MIR

110. 67.5 deg. : ENE

111. Inedible buffet jelly : STERNO. Another fun clue.

112. Shell shooter : MORTAR

115. Frat frock : TOGA

118. Set down : ALIT

120. Gear components : COGS

121. Lyric poem : ODE

126. Boom lead-in : SIS. Sis boom bah!

127. Saying "You can say that again!" again, say : REDUNDANT. Another clue gem.

128. Victim of river diversion in Asia : ARAL SEA. This and Ross Sea both have friendly letters, hence their frequent appearance in puzzles.

129. Lunar New Year : TET

130. Mounted on : ATOP

131. Prevent littering? : SPAY. Ouch.

132. Tailgaters' carriers : COOLERS

Down:

1. Nut grippers : PLIERS

2. San __, city near San Francisco : RAFAEL

3. Go too far : OVERDO

4. Like young Shirley Temple : DOLL-FACED


5. Surfer's destination : URL. Internet surfer. And 101. Stereotypical surfer's wagon : WOODIE

6. Apple product : CIDER. And 119. Apple on a desk : iMAC

7. Those, to Juan : ESOS

8. Subordinates : JUNIORS

9. Lennon's lady : ONO

10. Poet __ St. Vincent Millay : EDNA

11. Riga native : LETT

12. Doc wannabes : PRE-MEDS

13. British rule in India : RAJ. And 14. British prep school : ETON

15. Indian cattle : ZEBU. New word to me. What's under her belly?

16. Aleutian Islands crustacean : ALASKA KING CRAB. Huge.


17. "Go on" : DO TELL

18. Star-shaped : ASTRAL

21. __ Island : RHODE

24. Annie, vis-à-vis Daddy Warbucks : WARD

30. "__Cop" : ROBO

32. Country retreat : INN

34. Cry over : MOURN

36. Hidden supply : STASH

39. Summer cooler : ICE TEA. Ate lots of water melon this summer.

40. Overly fussy types : PRIGS

41. Booth Tarkington kid : PENROD. No idea.

42. Sword handles : HILTS

43. Dreyer's partner in ice cream : EDY

45. Faction : BLOC

48. Desire intensely : PINE FOR. Don't. Giving up is a wise choice.

49. Barbershop quartet sweetie : ADELINE. "Sweet Adeline".

50. Vigilante's collar : CITIZEN'S ARREST. Excellent long entry. Same as 16D.

52. Greg's sitcom wife : DHARMA."Dharma & Greg". Unknown to me.

54. Bistro patrons : DINERS

57. Current with the wind : LEE TIDE

58. Tush : KEISTER

60. Something to take or play : NOTE. Not an easy clue.

61. From A to Z : IN TOTO

62. Lose it all : GO BUST

63. Malay Peninsula's Isthmus of __ : KRA. See here. Yet another unknown.

68. Fencing weapon : EPEE

70. U.S. pint's 16 : OZs

72. Go through : SEARCH

74. Church points : SPIRES

77. Sound of breakers : SWASH

79. Refine, as ore : SMELT

81. "Thirteen" star __ Rachel Wood : EVAN

85. Stereotypical sidelines greeting : HI MOM

86. Author Zola : EMILE

87. Hunter's bull attractor : MOOSE CALL

89. Yoga class need : MAT

94. Coll. prep exam : PSAT

95. Gets dressed for the launch : SUITS UP. Oh, for the astronauts.

97. Fine, for instance : PENALTY. I was thinking of card grading.

99. Complexion spoiler : ZIT

100. Like the hub, relatively : INMOST

102. Mature : GROWN

103. Hawk : SELL

105. Excite : AROUSE

106. One playing the bass? : ANGLER. Lovely clue.

107. Sportscaster Bob : COSTAS

111. Start to foam? : STYRO. Styrofoam.

113. Gillette Mach3 forerunner : ATRA

114. Art of publ. speaking : RHET. Rich probably only allows this entry on Saturday/Sunday.

116. Gallivants : GADS

117. "Hurry!" : ASAP

123. Agreement to enter an institution? : I DO

124. Literary collection : ANA

125. Schwarz of toys : FAO

Answer grid.

C.C.