Monday, September 3, 2012 David W. Cromer

Theme: Sphinx - Three synonyms for aloof when they are detached from the second part of their entries.

17A. Accommodations in a balcony or box, say : RESERVED SEATING

37A. Gadget found in a sofa, all too often : REMOTE CONTROL

57A. Third cousin, say : DISTANT RELATIVE

Argyle reticently here. I felt for a Monday, David got in some decent fill and without B J K Q W X Y or Z. Perhaps he was just being restrained.

Across:

1. Hand over : CEDE

5. Actress Petty : LORI. Her IMDb.

9. Response to "Who's there?" : "IT'S ME" leading to 6D. "Where are you?" response : "OVER HERE"

14. Response to a sermon : "AMEN!"

15. All tied up : EVEN

16. Vital sign : PULSE

20. Prefix with -pod : TRI

21. Cone-producing tree : FIR

22. Turn out to be : END UP

23. Encouraged, with "on" : EGGED

25. Long deli sandwich : HERO
 

27. NW state with a panhandle : IDA. (Idaho)

30. Advance : LEND

31. Lose its solidity : MELT

32. Frenzied : MANIC

34. Video game giant : ATARI

36. Spill the beans : TATTLE

40. Weasel out : RENEGE

41. Working, as a machine : IN USE

42. Untrue : NOT SO

43. Editor's "Never mind" : STET. Direction to let cancelled material remain.

44. Pet lovers' org. : SPCA. (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

48. Volcanic fallout : ASH

49. Locking mechanism : HASP

50. Bringer of thunder and lightning : STORM

 

51. Theater employee : USHER

54. Co. for Web users : ISP. (internet service provider)

56. Once around the track : LAP

61. "Let's Make __": TV game show : A DEAL

62. Puerto __ : RICO

63. Cake finisher : ICER

64. Avoid, as the draft : DODGE

65. Fencer's blade : EPEE

66. Hawaiian goose : NENE

Down:

1. Price-fixing bloc : CARTEL

2. Come to light : EMERGE

3. Architect's task : DESIGN

4. L.A.-to-N.Y. dir. : ENE

5. First name in denim : LEVI

7. Rare meat color : RED

8. Newspaper circular, e.g. : INSERT

9. 2010 Apple blockbuster : iPAD

10. "Swan Lake" attire : TUTU

 

 

 

11. Don, as something more comfortable : SLIP INTO

12. AOL rival : MSN. (MicroSoft Network)

13. Neurologist's order, for short : EEG. (electroencephalogram) Cardiologist's order, EKG or ECG (electrocardiogram).

18. Outlying mail delivery svc. : RFD. (Rural Free Delivery)

19. Music producer Brian : ENO

24. "My Cup Runneth Over" singer : ED AMES. Clip(2:48).

26. Draws out, as a confession : ELICITS

28. Pickle herb : DILL

29. Bullet in a deck : ACE

31. Brisbane buddy : MATE

32. Yoga class needs : MATS

33. Motionless : AT REST

35. Like drive-thru fare : TO GO

36. Letter-shaped hardware : T-NUT. Those of you who knew Lipton, Nestea, and Salada.

37. Vintage autos : REOs

38. Really excited (about) : ENTHUSED

39. Unlike a bikini : ONE PIECE. Much more demure. Image.

40. Genetic messenger : RNA

43. "No Exit" dramatist : SARTRE. Jean-Paul Sartre (1905 – 1980)

45. Cops : POLICE

46. Horror director Wes : CRAVEN. Wes Craven IMDb.

47. Unit of current : AMPERE

49. Farm layer : HEN

50. Hotel amenity : SPA. Certainly not all hotels.

52. Dateless attendee : STAG

53. In good health : HALE

55. Fruit used to flavor gin : SLOE

57. Pop : DAD

58. Altar vow : "I DO". Hmm, pop and dad before "I do"; sometimes.

59. Tear, or actor Torn : RIP

 

60. Oz Woodman's makeup : TIN. But no heart.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday September 2, 2012 MaryEllen Uthlaut

Theme: "Caution: People Overworking" - Each angry phrase is reinterpreted literally and humorously considering the profession of the people in the corresponding clue.

23A. The border guard __ : WENT OVER THE EDGE. This reminds me of Laura Ling's travails. Lots of North Koreans cross border into North China.

27A. The actor __ : MADE A SCENE

49A. The mechanic __ : BLEW A GASKET

64A. The tailor __ : CAME APART AT THE SEAMS

82A. The chef __ : CAUSED A STIR. My name is Gordon Ramsay, don't you know how to stir?


100A. The elevator operator __ : HIT THE ROOF

108A. The baggage handler __ : COULDN'T GET A GRIP

The answers are all past tense. Very consistent.

When I downloaded the puzzle and spotted the constructor's name, I murmured: "The grammar lady", maybe because I once blogged a grammar-themed puzzle Ms. Uthlaut made.

Across:

1. Gyro bread : PITA

5. Not just nerves : FEAR. I'm often nervous about "Not" in the clue as I always have trouble figuring out the part of the speech.

9. Pullers of plows : TEAMS

14. Summer staffing solutions : TEMPS

19. Net trading : E-COMMERCE. Solid e-word.

21. __ ease: uncomfortable : ILL AT

22. Glorify : EXALT

25. Pass on : RELAY

26. Move away : RECEDE. Like tide.

29. Sweet serving, often : DESSERT. I miss fried persimmon cake in Xi'An.

33. Stage of existence : AGE. Wow, am I dumb!

35. Avant's opposite : APRES. "After", as in ___-ski for our adventurous Marti.

36. They're often marked in red letters : EXITS

37. Consonant such as "f" or "v" : SPIRANT. I only know "aspirant".

41. Votes against : NOs & 56. "By all means!" : YES.

42. Hardwood tree : ASH

45. Keep on teasing : RIDE

46. Like major appliance repairs : ON-SITE

47. Neighbor of Russia : ESTONIA

53. "A great __ indicates a great man": Cyrano de Bergerac : NOSE. He meant "A big nose...".

55. Back muscles, briefly : LATs

57. Shabby : RATTY

58. They're heard in a herd : BAAs. Lovely.

59. Bring to the mix : ADD IN

60. Thus : ERGO

61. Very tired : SPENT

63. Capital of Belgium's East Flanders province : GHENT. Gimme, Spitzboov?

70. Spelunkers' haunts : CAVES. We used to have a "Spelunker" poster (Richshiff) on the blog.

71. Bargain and steal : DEALS

72. 40-day period : LENT

73. Dizzying genre : OP ART


74. Like many doilies : LACY

75. Melted together : FUSED

77. Cutter : SAW

80. Sacha Baron Cohen persona : ALI-G. I like Sacha Baron Cohen a lot. But his characters are all ridiculous.

81. "Brave New World" feel-good drug : SOMA

85. Keyboard instrument with bell-like tones : CELESTA

87. Earthshaking events : SEISMS. It'll be an earthshaking event when Windhover goes to a nail salon. I'm thinking CrossEyedDave might go there simply because of his curiosity.

89. Orpheus' strings : LYRE

90. Abbr. after Brooklyn : HTS

91. Many, many years : EON

92. Ragged clothes : TATTERS

94. Lounging footwear : MULES

95. "The Crucible" setting : SALEM

97. Cereal grain : RYE

98. Autocratic, Russian-style : CZARIST

104. Raised : REARED

107. "Farewell, mon ami" : ADIEU

114. Arabian Peninsula country : YEMEN

115. Where many knots are tied : ALTAR

116. Vanilla-flavored drink : CREAM SODA

117. Silver fish : SMELT

118. Like Rod Stewart's voice : RASPY. This song is quite good.

119. Author __ Christian Andersen : HANS

120. Shortly : ANON

Down:

1. Bench in the nave : PEW

2. Cover at the bakery : ICE

3. Great deal : TON

4. Tsp. or tbsp. : AMT

5. Unhealthy temperature : FEVER

6. Sets upright : ERECTS

7. Property unit : ACRE

8. Like Gen. Powell : RET'D. His wife loves crosswords.

9. Link : TIE

10. Natural environment : ELEMENT

11. "The Aviator" (2004) actor : ALDA. I watched the movie, don't remember whom he played.

12. Oldest Gabor sister : MAGDA

13. Precipice quality : STEEPNESS

14. Most succinct : TERSEST. My emails are often short, unless I'm tired or sad, then I ramble a bit.

15. Board chairs, e.g. : EXECS

16. Gobbler, for one : MALE

17. Certain drawing : PLAN. For Splynter & Jerome. I wonder if Jerome loves hockey also.

18. Lid irritation : STYE

20. Customs : MORES

24. Processional leader : HEARSE

28. Lost one's lap : AROSE. Ah, that "lap", OK!

29. Louisville race : DERBY. 58. Action at a 29-Down : BETS.

30. Banish : EXILE

31. Aligns oneself (with) : SIDES

32. Dish with many recipes : STEW. I'll let my abundant Thai peppers dry like this.


34. Way to go : GAIT

38. Put up : POST

39. Black as night : INKY

40. Renter : TENANT

42. Ancient garland for the head : ANADEM. No idea. But this is lovely


43. Peaceful occupations : SIT-INS

44. Lacks : HASN'T

48. No longer in style : OLD HAT

50. A cop might put someone under it : ARREST. Nice clue.

51. Nuts (over) : GAGA

52. Perched on : ATOP

54. Promise : OATH. 112. Brief 54-Down : I DO.

59. Things to address : AGENDA

60. Come out : EMERGE

61. Time at a hotel : STAY. Dennis' new house has avocado & lemon trees. I don't think he likes avocados.

62. Bud : PAL

64. It's not so hard to swallow : CAPLET

65. Is of use : AVAILS

66. Genesis father of three : ADAM

67. Gave to another actor : RE-CAST

68. In addition : ELSE

69. Descendants : SEED

70. Mentor : COACH

74. Body shop convenience : LOANER CAR. Made me think of D-Otto's headache.

75. Get really upset : FUME. Another angry word.

76. Red power, initially : USSR. "Initially" always suggests "initials" in Xwords.

77. Phonograph needles : STYLI

78. Buenos __ : AIRES

79. Get by force : WREST

81. Priest's vestment : STOLE

82. Mayor's responsibility : CITY

83. Back at sea : ASTERN

84. Hardly a compliment : SLUR

86. Old TV series with underwater scenes : SEA HUNT. Never heard of it.

88. Cap attachment : EAR FLAP

93. Show at a theater : SCREEN

94. Address from Jeeves : MADAM. Stumper. Never watched "Jeeves and Wooster".

95. Iron alloy : STEEL

96. Cash, in slang : MOOLA

99. Letters from Greece : ZETAS

100. "Airplane!" actor Robert : HAYS

101. The same as before, in footnotes : IDEM

102. "The devourer of all things": Ovid : TIME. I like this kind of quote clue for common words.

103. Often unproductive at bats : OUTS. All too familiar.

105. Engrave : ETCH

106. Taj Mahal home : AGRA

109. Like toast without butter : DRY. You can put fig jam on.

110. Federal agency support org. : GSA (General Services Administration)

111. Director Howard : RON

113. Go for the gold? : PAN. Great clue too.

Answer grid.

C.C.