Wednesday September 12, 2012 Gareth Bain

Theme: seven seas (cees)

whether by design or not, this is a lovely tribute to our c.c., how can you not love the c.c. rider right in the middle?

melissa here.

17a. Perspective-bending artist : MC ESCHER. Maurits Cornelis Escher.

19a. "Beau Geste" novelist : PC WREN. i knew the book/movie, but not the author. Percival Christopher Wren.

30a. Sears rival : JC PENNEY. department stores. James Cash Penney.

39a. Blues standard first recorded by Ma Rainey : CC RIDER. by elvis, too. from wikipedia: the song uses mostly traditional blues lyrics to tell the story of an unfaithful lover, commonly called easy riders: "see see rider, see what you have done," making a play on the word see and the sound of easy.

46a. "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break" star : WC FIELDS. William Claude Dukenfield.

61a. Pepsi alternative : RC COLA. Royal Crown Cola.

63a. Justice League publisher : DC COMICS. wikipedia says the initials DC came from the company's popular series Detective Comics.

and more C initials:

29d. One of three in Coca-Cola : HARD C

35a. Final Four initials : NCAA. National Collegiate Athletic Association

39d. Online tech news site : C|NET. Computer Network or Communication Network?

41a. KGB counterpart : CIA. Central Intelligence Agency.

55a. CNBC interviewees : CEO'S. Chief Executive Officers.

across

1. "Rumble in the Jungle" champ : ALI. october 30, 1974, george foreman vs. ali.

4. Hanging on every word : RAPT

8. Crumb bum : BAD EGG

14. Actor Chaney : LON. lon chaney, sr., known for the hunchback of notre dame, and phantom of the opera. lon chaney, jr. known for the wolf man, the mummy, frankenstein's monster, and lennie small in of mice and men.

15. Dot on a map : ISLE

16. Delphi's claim to fame : ORACLE. wow.

20. Grade for a tween : SIXTH

21. Scottish hillside : BRAE

23. Convent residents : NUNS. i admit it, i own a nunzilla.

24. Runner Sebastian et al. : COES. british athlete, won four olympic medals.

26. Second and third in a sequence : RE MI. do re me fa so la ti.

28. Port relative : SHERRY.

34. Subdue with a stun gun : TASE. don't subdue me, bro.

37. "Mercy!" : I GIVE

38. Penn Sta. users : RR'S. railroad station.

42. Prettify : ADORN

44. "Roots" author Haley : ALEX

45. Game with a 32-card deck : SKAT

48. How some beer is sold : IN CANS. ew.

50. Mil. plane for small runways : STOL. short takeoff and landing.

51. Civil wrong : TORT

52. Barbershop member : BASS. quartet singer.

58. Reverend's residence : MANSE

65. Charm : AMULET

66. Entry point : DOOR

67. Kite on the links : TOM. tom kite. pro golfer.

68. "Who wants ice cream?" reply : ME ME ME

69. Lid malady : STYE. eyelid.

70. Lamb mom : EWE. ewe never stay away for long.

down

1. Poor box donations : ALMS

2. Focal points : LOCI

3. More than : IN EXCESS OF

4. Having deeper pockets : RICHER

5. Hibachi residue : ASH

6. Roman commoner : PLEB. i thought it was always spelled plebe.

7. Okla. or Dak., once : TERR. territory.

8. Inept sheep keeper : BO PEEP. little bo peep, nursery rhyme.

9. Circle part : ARC

10. Beginning : DAWNING in the forest.

11. Color of raw silk : ECRU

12. Narrow valley : GLEN

13. Mil. bigwigs : GENS. generals.

18. Five-and-dime, e.g. : STORE

22. Game player's haunts : ARCADE

25. iPad-to-iMac activity : SYNC. not always simple to do.

27. Fourth prime minister of Israel : MEIR. golda.

28. It may be bendy : STRAW. or phoebe buffay.

30. Locks up : JAILS

31. Cable venue for vintage sitcoms : NICK AT NITE

32. Poland Spring competitor : EVIAN. bottled water. eye opening documentary tapped.

33. Dublin-born poet : YEATS

36. Pacifier site : CRADLE. aw.

40. Parkway off-ramp : EXIT

43. Meat- or fish-filled pastry : RISSOLE. don't think i've ever had one.

45. "Vamoose!" : SCRAM

47. Pin down : LOCATE. that' i've had.

49. "Mercy!" : NO MORE.

52. "Dracula" novelist Stoker : BRAM

53. Peak : ACME

54. Fountain build-up : SCUM

56. Track numbers : ODDS

57. St. Andrew's Day celebrant : SCOT

59. Garbage barge : SCOW

60. Salinger heroine : ESME. with love and squalor.

62. Apollo lander, briefly : LEM. lunar excursion model.

64. Affectedly shy : COY

Answer grid.

melissa

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to our serious foodie Steve, who's been busy traveling. Found anything exotic in Amsterdam?

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 Victor Barocas

Theme: Is there a doctor in the house? - The Doctors are at the front of the line in the four theme entries.

20A. "Yes, indeed" : "NO DOUBT ABOUT IT"

25A. Dinner table dispenser : PEPPER SHAKER

45A. Sentry's question : "WHO GOES THERE?"

52A. Tenth novel in Sue Grafton's "Alphabet" series : "J IS FOR JUDGMENT"

66A. Brief titles for the starts of 20-, 25-, 45- and 52-Across : DR's

Dr. Argyle here. I'm not a real doctor but then, neither are our entries today. Dr. No is the title character in first James Bond film. Dr. Pepper is the soft drink with a unique taste. Dr. Who is a Time Lord whose exploits are chronicled by the Beeb(BBC). And the very real Julius Winfield Erving II(Dr. J), a Hall of Famer with a degree in basketball.

Nice long entries with the reveal at the very end. A wide range of fill should produce some nits for the nit wits. A fluid puzzle.

Across:

1. Favorite texting partner, for short : BFF. (Best Friends Forever)

4. In a crooked position : ASKEW and 41A. Like bees attacking : ASWARM

9. Form : SHAPE

14. Lord's Prayer opener : OUR

15. Deli counter unit : SLICE

16. What actors have to learn : LINES

17. Barcelona gold : ORO

18. Kin of "Skoal!" : "SALUT!". "Cheers!"

19. Like much pub ale : ON TAP. "Here's to ya!"

23. Parlor or den : ROOM. Tap room, thirst parlor.

24. Kindergarten basics : ABC'S

32. Restful resorts : SPAs

35. Mystery writer Stout : REX. He created Nero Wolfe.

36. Et __ : CETERA. 11-Down yesterday, in its abbreviated form.

37. Destiny : LOT

38. Calculates : FIGURES

40. Parisian negative : NON

43. Computer network acronym : LAN. (local area network)

44. Talk show moderator : HOST

48. It replaced the punt in Ireland : EURO. The Irish pound.

 

 

49. Shade trees : ELMS

58. Lite cigarette boast : "NO TAR"

59. Messing of "Will & Grace" : DEBRA.

 

60. Afternoon potful : TEA

61. Hold holdings : CARGO

62. Best-case : IDEAL

63. Brain scan, for short : EEG. (electroencephalogram)

64. "Stuck __": Elvis hit : ON YOU. Related: 2D. Much ado about something : FUROR

 

 

 

 

65. Funeral song : DIRGE

Down:

1. Blessing : BOON

3. Bilbo Baggins's nephew : FRODO. From Lord of the Rings.

4. Postulate : ASSUME

5. Hunk : SLAB

6. Garment for Rob Roy : KILT. Kilted hunk.

 

 

7. Quito's nation: Abbr. : ECUA. Map showing the capital city of Ecuador.

8. Place to grab a screwdriver at home? : WET BAR. Equipped with a sink and running water.

9. Sits sloppily : SLOUCHES. "Sit up straight!"

10. Doesn't exactly tell : HINTS AT

11. Not pro : ANTI

12. __ moss : PEAT

13. Parapsychology subj. : ESP

21. "Didn't mean to do that" : "OOPS!"

22. Like a banned book, perhaps : OBSCENE

26. First, to Franco : PRIMERO. Spanish.

27. Wooden pin : PEG

28. Rejoice : EXULT

29. Lotto-like game : KENO

30. Mythical archer : EROS. His Roman counterpart is Cupid.

31. Talk wildly : RANT

32. Chopped side dish : SLAW

33. High-end : POSH

34. Welk's upbeat : "A TWO".

 

 

 

38. Frills, ribbons, ruffles, and such : FROUFROU

39. Bit of arena support : "RAH!". 86-Down on Sunday.

42. In olden days : AGES AGO

44. Skipper's area : HELM

46. Morally base : SORDID. The second meaning of base. Link.

47. Wine and dine : REGALE

50. Measured (out) : METED

51. Look of derision : SNEER

52. Rivers of comedy : JOAN. "Can we talk?"

53. "Just doing my job" : "I TRY"

54. User of the Force : JEDI. From Star Wars.

55. Over, in Hanover : ÜBER

56. Wet blanket, so to speak : DRAG

57. Luggage attachments : TAGS

58. Sgt., e.g. : NCO. (NonCommissionedOfficer)

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Husker Gary. Love that photo, which was taken on his last day as a full-time teacher.