Monday, October 8, 2012 Dave Sarpola

Theme: Three Homonyms - But the trick is the homonyms are in the clues.

20. It makes sense : COGENT ARGUMENT

37. It makes cents : THE DENVER MINT

53. It makes scents : PERFUME FACTORY

Argyle here, putting in his three cents. Interesting note; our constructor had debut puzzles last spring in both the NYT and the LAT. Today he has puzzles in both papers. All four are catchy and innovative. Three long entries today. Kudos.

Across:

1. Fermented honey drink : MEAD

5. Put in the pantry : STORE

10. Prepare email : TYPE

14. Fairly large fair : EXPO. (exposition)

15. Symphonic wrap-ups : CODAs. Remember yesterday's clue, Beatles hit with a four-minute coda.

16. Fuel for a firepit : WOOD. The wood stoves are heating up around here now. And afterwards, 24A. Firepit residue : ASH

17. Take an ax to : CHOP. -to get the wood for the firepits and stoves.

18. Place for sporting events : ARENA

19. Money in Milan : EURO. Cabbage in Córdoba. Give me some more.

23. Roses-red link : ARE. Plus these red links. 25A. Seeing red : ANGRY. And 32A. "Little Red Book" chairman : MAO

27. __ au poivre : STEAK

29. Takes a downturn : DIPS. Implies there will be a upturn. Like yesterday's theme?

33. Nightstand spot : BEDSIDE. I understand that is where a mountain of books resides.

36. Camping trip dampener : RAIN

40. Easy pace : TROT

41. Rested on one's laurels : COASTED

42. Parking facility : LOT

43. Lines of pews : ROWS. I wasted time overthinking this one.

44. Painter of ballerinas : DEGAS

 

48. California's __ Mesa : COSTA. In Orange County but Newport Beach is between it and the coast.

50. "Just __ thought!" : AS I

52. Wagon wheel groove : RUT

58. Boyfriend : BEAU

59. Threescore : SIXTY. A score is twenty.

60. GI sought by MPs : AWOL. (Absent WithOut Leave)

61. Uneaten morsels : ORTS

62. They're blue when they're fair : SKIES. song(3:46) from 5D. Sings like Ella Fitzgerald : SCATS

63. Inca territory : PERU

64. Hissed "Hey!" : [PSST!]

65. Fashionably dated : RETRO. From an earlier era.

66. Periods in history : ERAs

Down:

1. Popular tourist destinations : MECCAs

2. Caution earnestly : EXHORT

3. Highest point in a satellite's orbit : APOGEE. The low point of the orbit is called the perigee.

4. Info : DOPE

6. Synagogue reading : TORAH

7. Poland-Germany border river : ODER. The much smaller river, Eder, shows up occasionally.

8. Sounded the bell : RANG

9. Biblical twin : ESAU

10. Many a junior high student : TWEEN

11. Violin-playing comedian : YOUNGMAN. "Take my wife...please."

 

12. Rogues' gallery item : PORTRAIT

13. Shogun's capital : EDO. Early name for Tokyo, Japan.

21. In the buff : NAKED

22. English Lit. majors' degrees : MA's. (Master of Arts)

26. Over there, back when : YON. Sometimes partnered with 'hither'.

28. Act the accessory : ABET

29. Opera headliners : DIVAs

30. Foreboding March day : IDES. I suppose it's not foreboding in other months.

31. Fresh-mouthed : PERT

34. Artistic style of the Empire State Building : DECO

35. Hoped-for Christmas weather : SNOW. Especially by the locals with plow truck payments. They didn't make much last winter.

36. Ferris wheel, e.g. : RIDE. A wheely big idea. Link

37. Speed trap setters : TROOPERS

38. Under-the-gun situations : HOT SEATS

39. Company doctor : MEDIC. Fuzzy clue.

40. Comfort from mom, briefly : TLC. (Tender Loving Care) but Mom also had the 51D. Last word : SAY SO. "...because I said so. Yes, Mom."

43. WWII fliers : RAF. (Royal Air Force)

45. Produce producer : GROWER. Boy, aren't farmer's markets the big thing now?

46. __ borealis : AURORA. Feel free to link to this.

47. Touchscreen-touching tool : STYLUS

49. Expect loyalty from : TRUST

50. In pursuit of : AFTER

54. Georgia was a part of it: Abbr. : USSR. Map, on the east end of the Black Sea.

55. Emcee's need : MIKE

56. Leave : EXIT

57. Sprinter's goal : TAPE

58. Jazz genre : BOP

Answer grid.

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) I'm sad to tell you that we lost eddyB on Sept 15, 2012. He was 73 years old. Eddy actually left two posts on that day (4:16am & 4:47pm). His comments were always succinct, funny and often appeared cryptic to those who didn't know him. But he was a kind soul, always giving me timely response on any racing or hockey related fill. Thanks to Seen for the alert & Argyle for the research on Eddy's final posts on the blog.

2) Happy Birthday to Jayce, whose cheerful & caring comments I look forward to everyday. 生日快乐!

Sunday Oct 7, 2012 Amy Johnson

Theme: "High Jinks"- UP is inserted into common phrases.

23A. Dear John? : BREAKING-UP NEWS. Perfect clue. Breaking News.
 

34A. Extortion amount, perhaps? : COVER-UP CHARGE. Cover charge.

66A. Raise some prices in the 19th-century literature section? : MARK UP TWAIN. Mark Twain.

97A. Revolting Oscar also-rans? : UPRISING STARS. Rising stars.

116A. View from the Transamerica Tower? : BALTIMORE SUNUP. Baltimore Sun.

15D. Hired prankster on the set? : DIRECTOR'S CUTUP. Director's cut.

 50D. One-liner from the pulpit? : UPSTANDING JOKE. Standing joke.

So, 3 insertions are in the middle, 2 in front and 2 in the back. Very consistent. You don't want an odd man out in your theme selection.

Looks like this is Amy Johnson's debut, and a Sunday! Congrats.

Across:

1. Saucers in the air : UFOs

 

5. Jewelry holder : CHEST. Sounds old-fashioned.
 

10. You won't see them in N.L. ballparks : DHs (Designated Hitter)

 

13. Shanghai : ABDUCT
 

19. Raise Cain : RANT
 

20. Miniseries opener : PART I
 

21. Turn state's evidence : RAT. Not famliar with the term "Turn state's evidence".

22. Book with Dick and Jane, say : PRIMER

26. Alice Walker title color : PURPLE. "The Color Purple".
 

27. Playing marble : AGATE
 

28. Response to "Was it that bad?" : DON'T ASK. I'll never tell...

 

29. What liars lack : HONESTY
 

30. So-called : NOMINAL
 

32. Mordor monster : ORC. "The Lord of the Rings".
 

33. Colorado-based sports org. : USOC (United States Olympic Committee)

39. Greenish blue hue : TEAL
 

43. James and Natalie's "Rebel Without a Cause" co-star : SAL (Mineo). Never saw the movie. You? I do like James Dean in "East of Eden".

46. Yemeni seaport : ADEN
 

47. Rest stop sights : SEMIs

 

48. Star of the 1981 revue "The Lady and Her Music" : HORNE (Lena).
 

49. "Ice cream castles in the air," in a Mitchell song : CLOUDS. "Both Sides, Now". This constructor might be a Joni Mitchell fan.
 

52. H.S. math course : ALG
 

54. Fabled flier : ROC
 

55. Frito-Lay chip : DORITO. Speaking of chips, what are your must-buys in Trader Joe's? I like their salsa & fig butter.
 

56. Manufactured goods : OUTPUT
 

57. Sullen look : POUT
 

59. Graduate's award : SHEEPSKIN. How does it become diploma? Strange.
 

61. Opulent : PLUSH
 

62. Stocking shades : ECRUS. Splynter's leggy girls often wear black colored stocking.
 

64. Of the flock : LAIC
 

65. Steinbeck title starter : EAST. "East of Eden".

70. Where Brigham Young settled : UTAH
 

74. Bio lab gel : AGAR
 

76. Glad alternative : SARAN. Wiki says "Saran" was coined by a combination of Sarah and Ann, the names of the Dow Chemical engineer's wife and daughter.

77. Screen partner : STAGE

78. Not even slightly different : IDENTICAL. Cute haircut for these quadruplets. From left to right, 4, 1, 3 & 2 in Chinese. So the teachers can tell them apart.

 
 

 

83. New Eng. state : CONN
 

84. Boosters, often : ALUMNI
 

85. Once in a blue moon : SELDOM
 

86. Landscaper's purchase : SOD
 

88. Mine in Rome : MIO. "'O sole mio" = "My sunshine".
 

89. Took a short trip : HOPPED
 

90. "American Psycho" author : ELLIS. Bret Easton Ellis. Unknown to me.
 

91. Aweigh : ATRIP
 

93. NASDAQ competitor : NYSE
 

95. "__ Grew Older": Hughes poem : AS I
 

96. Vivacity : ELAN
 

101. H.S. dropouts may earn them : GEDs

 

103. Cat lead-in : SNO
 

104. School : EDUCATE
 

108. Beatles hit with a four-minute coda : HEY JUDE

111. Measure that's often square : FOOTAGE
 

114. Household cleanser : BORAX
 

115. Fútbol shout : OLE OLE

 
 118. Dairy worker : MILKER. And 97D. 118-Across targets : UDDERS. The cow looks very burdened, PK/Spitzboov.

 

119. Quad bike, for one : ATV
 

120. Pigeon shelters : COTES
 

121. Two-time All-Star Martinez : TINO
 

122. Fishermen with pots : EELERS. Every puzzle has a few undesirable fill to glue things together.
 

123. Raised golf course feature : TEE
 

124. Strengthen's opposite : ERODE
 

125. Film crew locales : SETS

Down:

 1. __ sprawl : URBAN
 

2. Wells's partner : FARGO. The bank was hacked a couple of weeks ago.

3. Late show hr. : ONE AM

4. At a standstill : STATIC
 

5. Inflation no. : CPI (Consumer Price Index)
 

6. Dealt with : HANDLED
 

7. Cogito __ sum : ERGO
 

8. __ gun : STUN
 

9. Best of the best : TIPTOP
 

10. "Happily Divorced" star : DRESCHER (Fran). A "Fran" in the clue would make the fill easier.

11. Aggressive type : HAWK

12. Part of USA: Abbr. : STs

13. Place beside : APPOSE

14. German philosopher Bauer : BRUNO. No idea. What's his philosophy?

16. Out callers : UMPS
 

17. Gael or Breton : CELT
 

18. Small diamond : TREY. I was picturing a real diamond.
 

24. Popular bar game : KENO
 

25. Busters : NARCS
 

29. Half of XOXO : HUGS
 

31. Sailor's "Stop!" : AVAST
 

35. Grim guy? : REAPER
 

36. Open, in a way : UNLOCK
 

37. "Famous" cookie creator : AMOS
 

38. Drummer Buddy : RICH
 

40. Christine's phantom admirer : ERIK. "The Phantom of the Opera".
 

41. Prefix with knock : ANTI
 

42. "Exodus" author Uris : LEON
 

43. Check (out) : SCOPE
 

44. "Be-Bop-__": Gene Vincent hit : A-LULA
 

45. Meditative position : LOTUS. I can't seem to meditate. Deep thinking does not fit me.
 

48. Navajo neighbor : HOPI

51. Cry with a head slap : DUH
 

53. Spiritual leaders : GURUs

 

55. List maker : DEAN
 

58. Rapper __ Shakur : TUPAC. Dennis likes Pitbull, the rapper. Can you picture Dennis raps?
 

60. Yale Bowl rooter : ELI
 

63. Longtime senator Thurmond : STROM. Where is Trent Lott nowadays?

66. Seriously impair : MAIM
 

67. Crescent component : ARC
 

68. Diminishing : WANING
 

69. Rattles one's cage : ANNOYS
 

71. Florida city on the Gulf Coast : TAMPA. No OCALA  today.

72. Mother Teresa's birth name : AGNES. Also the name of our Irish Miss.
 

73. "Project Runway" host Klum : HEIDI. She's always so bubbly.

75. Souped-up Pontiacs : GTOs

77. __-mo : SLO
 

78. Following words : I SEE
 

79. HP competitor : DELL
 

80. Big name in scat : ELLA
 

81. Celestial sci. : ASTR
 

82. Petty of "A League of Their Own" : LORI. The movie is OK.
 

84. Winning : AHEAD
 

87. Break up, as a union : DISSOLVE
 

91. Notre Dame recess : APSE
 

92. Red choice : PINOT
 

94. Guided : STEERED
 

98. It may be given before leaving : NOTICE
 

99. Massages : RUBS
 

100. Youngsters in uniforms : SCOUTS
 

102. Swiss mathematician : EULER
 

105. Masters champ between Gary and Jack : ARNIE (Palmer). Gary Player. Jack Nicklaus.
 

106. Tease : TAUNT

107. Olympic Stadium team through 2004 : EXPOS. Now the Nats.

108. Five-sided plate : HOME

109. Author Wiesel : ELIE

110. Hardly one's library voice : YELL

111. It can be cruel : FATE

112. Valentine's Day deity : AMOR. To this guy, it's the girl in white.

113. Good kind of guy to have around : GO TO. I have two on the blog.

116. Belfry denizen : BAT

117. Oakland-to-Vegas dir. : ESE

Answer grid.

C.C.