Wednesday, September 5, 2012, Mel Rosen

theme: GET OVER IT!

17A. *(OVER)Saw : SUPERVISED

22A. *(OVER)Head : TENNIS SHOT

36A. *(OVER)Come : DEFEAT ADVERSITY

46A. *(OVER)Board : INTO THE SEA

56A. *(OVER)Do : EXAGGERATE

61A. Prefix missing from the starred clues : OVER

aside from the theme, which i needed the unifier to get, this was one of the fastest wednesday solves in a long time.

melissa here.

across:

1. Home to the Ibsen Museum : OSLO. didn't know this. any of our world travelers ever visited?

5. Online auction payment, say : E-CASH

10. Animation : LIFE

14. Part of a Clue guess : ROOM. the mystery board game clue. professor plum, in the conservatory, with a wrench.

15. Salsa holder : NACHO

16. Political pal : ALLY.

19. 1997 Peter Fonda role : ULEE. ulee's gold.

20. Like some stadiums : OPEN AIR. at&t park in san francisco is one, home of the giants.

21. Drove (on) : EGGED

26. Like prison windows : BARRED

30. Doesn't mention : OMITS

31. Toe the line : OBEY

32. Peach pit : STONE

33. Close, as a windbreaker : ZIP. or a mouth.

40. Glamour VIPs : ED'S. magazine editors.

41. Denmark's __ Islands : FAROE. part of denmark, in the north atlantic. beautiful.

42. Suffix with tip or trick : STER

43. Erin of "Happy Days" : MORAN. joanie cunningham, with the scarf.

44. Mathematician Pascal : BLAISE

49. Decree : EDICT

50. Tummy soother : ANTACID

55. One in a four-part harmony : ALTO

59. Gubernatorial turndown : VETO

60. Cassette half : SIDE A.

62. Composer Satie : ERIK

63. __ once in a while : EVERY

64. Like Broadway's Yankees : DAMN

down:

1. Inexact words : OR SO

2. Gazpacho, e.g. : SOUP

3. Easy run : LOPE. at my age, there are no easy runs anymore.

4. Hint of things to come : OMEN, and 26. Hint of things to come : BODE

5. Begrudged : ENVIED. never really thought of these as synonymous before.

6. Meaningful pile of stones : CAIRN. i have these all over my deck.

7. Bldg. coolers : AC'S. air conditioners.

8. "Steady as __ goes" : SHE

9. Mason's tray : HOD. so obscure, i had no idea. a hod is a container for carrying - so a mason's (or brick) hod is a three sided box to carry bricks:

and this is a garden hod.

10. Comic's rewards : LAUGHS. anyone listen to comedian marc maron's interview podcast?

11. "Any volunteers?" reply : I'LL GO

12. Sails force? : FLEET. cute.

13. Scrutinized : EYED

18. Award two stars to, say : RATE

21. Glyceride, for one : ESTER. dr. dad, are you out there?

23. Improper : NOT DONE

24. Start of a parliamentary proposal : I MOVE

25. Math ratio : SINE

27. Not yet stirring : ABED. not necessarily.

28. Game callers : REFS. referees.

29. Caraway-seeded bread, often : RYE

32. Comic Silverman : SARAH

33. Tubular pasta : ZITI

34. Urban addition : ITES

35. Ceremonial pile : PYRE

37. In progress, to Sherlock : AFOOT

38. Causing puckers : TART

39. Fed. benefits agency : SSA. social security administration.

43. N. Zealand's highest peak : MT. COOK. named after british explorer captain james cook. wow.

44. "Deep penetrating pain relief" brand : BENGAY

45. Subject to a penalty fee, maybe : LATE

46. Thumb twiddler : IDLER

47. Capone henchman : NITTI. frank. new to me.

48. More wise : SAGER. i guess.

49. Roof overhang : EAVE

51. 2007 A.L. MVP : A-ROD

52. Vena __ : CAVA. superior and inferior, veins in the heart.

53. Gossip column couple : ITEM

54. "Coming Home" actor : DERN. bruce.

56. Language suffix : ESE. i.e., chinese.

57. Letters for Louis Quatorze : XIV. quatorze is french for fourteen.

58. Lemony quencher : ADE

Answer grid.

melissa

Tuesday, September 4, 2012 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Psst, got a second - The first word in four common phrases can be the second word, behind the word 'SECOND', in four new common phrases.

20A. Socioeconomic tension : CLASS STRUGGLE. Second class.

27A. Skinny guy's nickname : STRINGBEAN. Second string(B squad).

38A. Wages sans overtime : BASE PAY. Second base.

47A. Informational stroll through the forest : NATURE WALK. Second nature.

55A. "Same here," and what might be said about the start of 20-, 27-, 38- or 47-Across : "I'LL SECOND THAT"

Argyle here. I found this to be a smooth conglomeration with a couple of minor themes. As with yesterday, decent fill.

Across:

1. Banned chem. contaminant : PCB and 43D. Contaminate : POLLUTE

4. Confess : OWN UP

9. Pie-in-the-face sound : SPLAT

14. __ Na Na : SHA. Retro rock group.

15. "One of __ days ..." : THESE. "BANG, ZOOM! Straight to the moon!"

16. Break down over time : ERODE

17. '60s-'80s Bosox star : YAZ. Carl Yastrzemski.

18. Talk big : BOAST

19. Cattle breed named for an English county : DEVON

23. Get well : HEAL

24. Dawdler who prefers to remain horizontal : LIE-ABED

32. Modern recording device : TIVO

33. Take exception : DEMUR

34. Toast starter : "HERE'S ..." and 22D. Martini liquor : GIN

35. Spot for a peel : SPA. Clever clue.

41. Grammy-winning Dr. : DRE and 47D. "Stillmatic" rapper : NAS

42. Big name in trading cards : TOPPS

44. YouTube shorts : CLIPS

46. Dalmatian's dinner, perhaps : ALPO

52. Auto racing safety device : ROLLBAR

54. Pulitzer-winning author James : AGEE

60. Stimulate : PIQUE. Great word.

62. Bonkers : NUTS-O

63. Colony member : ANT

64. Like intense pain : ACUTE

65. Change one's pants? : ALTER

66. Cardinals' home: Abbr. : STL(St. Louis) and 67A. Young cardinal's call : CHEEP and 28D. Cardinals' beaks : NEBS

68. Warehouse supply : STOCK

69. Digit with a ring, maybe : TOE

Down:

1. Intimidates, with "out" : PSYCHS

2. Swiss Alps abode : CHALET

3. Mideast market : BAZAAR

4. Wagering venues, briefly : OTBs. (Off-Track Betting)

5. "__ Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" : WHO'S. Broadway play that was made into a movie with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

6. Uncluttered : NEAT

7. Pre-1991 atlas abbr. : USSR

8. "Downtown" singer Clark : PETULA

9. Swamp plant : SEDGE

10. Church dignitary : PRELATE. On their way to being a Cardinal?

11. One of an amorous pair : LOVEBIRD. We certainly have our lovebirds here on the blog.

12. Big fuss : ADO

13. Decimal base : TEN

21. Tried to avoid a tag : SLID

25. Always : EVER

26. Two capsules, say : DOSE

29. Show for early risers, briefly : GMA. (Good Morning America)

30. Urban transport : BUS

31. Build : ERECT

34. Overblown publicity : HYPE

35. Symbol on Texas's flag : STAR. The Lone Star State.

36. Golfer's shirt : POLO

37. Sewn-on ornamentation : APPLIQUE

39. Not sing. : PLU. (singular/plural)

40. Hair dryer? : AIR. Clothes dryer, too.

45. Do in, as a fly : SWAT

48. Big game venues : ARENAs

49. Horrified : AGHAST. Great word.

50. Simple shelter : LEAN-TO

51. Stovetop pot : KETTLE. Did you have kettle corn at your local fair?

53. Censor's sound : BLEEP

56. Religious sect : CULT

57. Film director Preminger : OTTO

58. Fraction of a min. : NSEC. Nanosecond (ns or nsec)

59. Geeky sort : DORK

60. NCAA's __-12 conference : PAC. (Pacific-12)

61. "__ bin ein Berliner" : ICH

Answer grid.

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

Last time when we had Gail & Bruce's "Dog Days of Summer", I said this:

"Here is my guess at how the puzzle was created:

1) Gail came up with the theme idea (Her name came up first in the byline);

2) Bruce liked it, then they brainstormed for the full set of the theme answers;

3) Bruce did the grid design;

4) They each filled in half the grid;

5) Gail clued the whole grid, since Bruce is not fond of cluing."

Gail and Bruce later told me that I was right except except #4. Bruce filled in the whole grid. I imagine they followed the same procedure on this puzzle.

Gail & Bruce are also regular contributors to the CrosSynergy & Newsday. Gail is noted for her smooth grids & Bruce for his masterful gridding skill. Just look at the theme intersection in this grid. No cheater squares again today. Bruce makes all his black squares count.