Monday, November 5, 2012 Patti Varol

Theme: Who's there? - Theme entries start with ways to get someone to come to the door.

17A. Return on one's investment, in slang : BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

26A. Plain dessert : POUND CAKE

38A. Prada imitation, perhaps : KNOCK-OFF HANDBAG

46A. Jay-Z, for one : RAP ARTIST

61A. Announce one's arrival gently ... as opposed to words that start 17-, 26-, 38- and 46-Across : RING THE DOORBELL

Argyle here. I felt this was a very smooth puzzle, what with three grid-spanning entries. The intensity of the entries seem to diminish until you were merely using your finger. In real life, it would go the other way.

Remember this one? (2:36)

Across:

1. Chinese temple instrument : GONG

5. Nestling noises : PEEPS

10. Leave at the altar : JILT

14. Diva's showpiece : ARIA

15. Group of experts : PANEL

16. Pierre's possessive : À MOI

20. Replay technique, briefly : SLO-MO

21. Relaxing time in the chalet : APRÈS-SKI

22. "There oughta be __" : A LAW

25. Hi-fi spinners : LP's. That's vinyl records, for you youngsters.

30. Playing decks : CARDS

35. Diplomatic bldg. : EMB. (embassy)

36. Juanita's aunt : TÍA

37. Yukon's country : CANADA. Yukon is still a territory, along with Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

42. More greasy : OILIER

43. Extended family : KIN

44. "Bon voyage!" : "BYE!"

45. Fruity-smelling compound : ESTER

49. L.A. bus-and-rail org. : MTA. (Metropolitan Transit Authority)

51. Speak indistinctly : SLUR

52. Begin : INITIATE

57. Gate-hanging hardware : HINGE

64. Voting no : ANTI

65. In an unusual way : ODDLY

66. Student's stressor : EXAM

67. Very familiar note recipient? : SELF

68. "Fetch my smelling salts!" : "EGADS!"

69. Avg. levels : STD's. (standard)

Down:

1. Goes on and on : GABS

2. Unwritten : ORAL

3. Barcelona boy : NIÑO

4. Joke writer : GAGMAN

5. HMO alternative : PPO. (Health Maintenance Organization/Preferred Provider Organization)

6. Musical sensitivity : EAR

7. One-named Irish folk singer : ENYA

8. Magazine with a Stylewatch spinoff : PEOPLE

9. Eat noisily, as soup : SLURP

10. Elbows rudely : JABS

11. "In the morning" radio host : IMUS. Where to Listen, if you want to.

12. Security device : LOCK

13. __ torch: patio light : TIKI

18. Finish the laundry : FOLD. It's not finished until it's put away.

19. Perform another MRI on : RESCAN

23. Oldman or Newman : ACTOR. (Gary or Paul)

24. Ragamuffin : WAIF. Child of the street.

26. Orange __ tea : PEKOE

27. Old Dodge autos : OMNIs. Want one? I have three.

28. Horseshoe-shaped fastener : U-BOLT

29. "The Trial" writer Franz : KAFKA. 1883--1924, Czech novelist writing in German. In his two main novels The Trial (1925) and The Castle (1926), published posthumously against his wishes, he portrays man's fear, isolation, and bewilderment in a nightmarish dehumanized world. (Collins English Dictionary)

31. Furthermore : AND

32. Synagogue scholar : RABBI

33. Times to send in the troops : D-DAYS

34. "Full House" co-star Bob : SAGET

37. Panama crosser : CANAL

39. Co. in Paris : CIE. (abbrev. for compagnie)

40. "Sesame Street News Flash" reporter : KERMIT. (the frog)

41. Hula swivelers : HIPS

46. Family-friendly, filmwise : RATED G

47. German coal valley : RUHR

48. Native American groups : TRIBES

50. Sierra Nevada resort : TAHOE

52. Tax-sheltered accts. : IRA's

53. Store opening time : NINE

54. The "I" in IHOP: Abbr. : INTL. (International House of Pancakes)

55. End-of-the-week letters : TGIF

56. Scandinavian literary collection : EDDA

58. Bakery call : "NEXT!"

59. Happy : GLAD

60. Spreading trees : ELMS

62. Ancient : OLD

63. Yiddish cries of dismay : OYs

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

I think "How I Met My Wife"  (from the New Yorker) is the gruntled article Bill G linked some time ago.

Sunday Nov 4, 2012 Robin Stears

 Theme: "All Fired Up" - Fire can precede both words in each two-word theme entry.

 23A. Extra-strength panic button? : POWER ALARM. Fire power. Fire alarm.

29A. "No hitting below the belt" et al.? : FIGHTER CODE. Fire fighter. Fire code.

49A. Saltine special? : CRACKER SALE. Firecracker. Fire sale.

71A. Subdivision at the mannequin factory? : ARM DEPARTMENT. Fire arm. Fire department.

95A. First critters on a farm? : STARTER ANTS. Fire starter. Fire ants.

113A. Legion of ventriloquist dummies? : WOOD BRIGADE. Firewood. Fire brigade.

124A. Sharon's home? : STONE PLACE. Firestone. Fireplace. Sharon Stone.

43D. Hard-to-read preliminary print? : LIGHT PROOF. Firelight. Fireproof.

48D. Head judge on "Top Chef"? : CHIEF EATER. Fire chief. Fire-eater.

Robin is back! Remember her "Front money" puzzle a while ago? With a dollar sign in the grid. Simply amazing.

Today's theme is also intricate. You need the new phrases to have surface sense and pair up symmetrically.

 Across:

1. Weathered the storm : COPED. Timely clue. Sorry about your lost cottage, Linda. Will you build another one?

6. Crocodile's greeting? : G-DAY. "Crocodile" Dundee then.

10. Turquoise relative : AQUA

14. Comment to the audience : ASIDE. Dodo told me Bill G also called her about her computer problem. Thanks for caring, Bill!

19. Fade away : ABATE

20. Dramatic solo, often : ARIA

21. Abridges : CUTS

22. Host at a communion : WAFER. I don't get this clue.

25. Lukas of "Witness" : HAAS

26. Photographer Adams : ANSEL

27. Kevin's "Footloose" role : REN. Kevin Bacon. I don't know any REN other than "Stimpy's pal".

28. Spin doctor's concern : IMAGE

31. St. Clare's town : ASSISI

33. Kingdom : REALM

35. "Silent Spring" subj. : DDT

36. "I __ mean it" : DIDN'T

39. Orbital shape : ELLIPSE

42. Detrained, say : ALIT

46. Acronymic candy company : NECCO (New England Confectionery Company)

52. Grammar best-seller "Woe __" : IS I. Guessed.

53. Filmmaker who alternates top billing with his brother : ETHAN COEN. And Joel Coen. The pride of Minnesota.

55. SeaWorld barker : SEAL

56. Babydoll : SUGAR

58. Hidden retreat : LAIR. CrossEyedDave must be going crazy without internet. Pas de chat, remember the "Puff, the Magic Dragon" verses you & AriadneArts wrote a few weeks ago? Dave was so impressed that he sent the blog discussion to the Peter, Paul & Mary fan club.

59. Savory gelatin : ASPIC. Sure miss my grandma's aspic and dumplings.

61. Tap type : SOFT SHOE

63. Schumann songs : LIEDER. Plural of lied.

65. "Magic Hour" author Susan : ISAACs. Never heard of the book.

69. Destined : MEANT

70. Mischievous sort : ELF

74. La Jolla winter hrs. : PST

77. Willies-inducing : EERIE

79. World's largest desert : SAHARA

80. More beloved : DEARER.  

82. Pots-and-pans noises : CLATTERS

85. "Fiddler" meddler : YENTE

87. Oak trunk : BOLE

88. Gate fastener : LATCH

89. Yom Kippur War prime minister : MEIR (Golda)

92. Ho-hum : WEARISOME

94. "You __ My Sunshine" : ARE

99. Upholstery jobs : SOFAS

100. Curiosity destination : MARS

102. Notable 1968 groom : ONASSIS (Ari). He actully loved Maria Callas.

103. Hombre's title : SENOR

105. Time's 2006 Person of the Year : YOU. Cop-out choice.

107. Joint at the corner : MITER

109. Turns to swing : AT BATS

118. Texas attraction : ALAMO

121. __ kwon do : TAE

122. Product suffix suggesting noodles : A-RONI

123. Theater level : LOGE

126. Zellweger of "Chicago" : RENEE

127. The Auld Sod : ERIN

128. "Shucks" : HECK

129. Flop or lop follower : EARED

130. Gets in the game : PLAYS

131. Faction : SECT

132. Silk Road locale : ASIA

133. "NYPD Blue" actor : SMITS (Jimmy). He played the cool Bobby Simone.

Down:

1. "Lost Horizon" director : CAPRA (Frank)

2. Bright-toned winds : OBOES

3. Little men : PAWNS

4. When Nancy bakes? : ETE. Nancy the French city.

5. Mockery : DERISION

6. Jamboree : GALA

7. Big snooze : DRAG

8. ABC or BET, e.g. : AIRER

9. Versatile veggie : YAM. Not versatile to me.

10. Paris was too much for him : ACHILLES. Paris killed Achilles, who had killed his brother Hector. But, "We'll always have Paris".

11. Serious predicament : QUAGMIRE

12. Its motto is "Industry" : UTAH

13. Busy ed.'s request : ASST.  Has to be Rich's clue. He's one busy "editor".

14. Cy Young, e.g. : AWARD. No one will top his 511 career wins.

15. Safe places : SANCTA

16. In that case : IF SO

17. Transfer document : DEED

18. Della's creator : ERLE. Della Street.

24. In the center of : AMID

29. Columbo portrayer : FALK (Peter)

30. Biographer Leon : EDEL. Henry James biographer. I learned from doing Xwords.

32. Wallet item : ID CARD. 104. 32-Down datum : NAME

34. Common Market inits. : EEC

37. Some PX patrons : NCOs

38. Apprehensive : TREPID. I've only used Intrepid.

40. Antidrug commercials, e.g., briefly : PSAs

41. Seven-veil dancer : SALOME

44. Golfer Aoki : ISAO. Literally "achievement". Aoki = "Green tree".

45. Freeway roller : TIRE

46. Harper Lee's first name : NELLE.  Did not know this. She's as reclusive as J.D. Salinger.

47. Online commerce : E-TAIL

50. Ouzo flavorings : ANISES

51. Big spread : ESTATE

54. "Sex and the City" role : CARRIE

57. Adm.'s milieu : USN

60. Bit of bullring gear : CAPA. "Cape" in Spanish.

62. Dent site : FENDER

64. "At the __ Core": Burroughs novel : EARTH'S. Never developed an interest for science fiction.

66. Reclining chair user's sigh : AAH

67. Supercomputer name : CRAY

68. Scattered : STREWN

72. Broadway's first Oakley : MERMAN (Ethel). New trivia to me.

73. "The Luncheon on the Grass" and "Olympia," e.g. : MANETs. Both are at Musée d'Orsay. Very daring eyes.

"The Luncheon on the Grass"

"Olympia"

75. Alabama march city : SELMA

76. Maple and pine : TREES

78. Inclusive abbr. : ETC

81. Soak up : ABSORB

82. Chowder tidbit : CLAM

83. Zhivago's love : LARA. Also love Julie Christie in "Away from Her".

84. Antitoxin sources : SERA

86. Put a charge into? : TASE

90. "I can't explain how I did that" : IT'S MAGIC. No one with a K in their first name has lost a presidential re-election! It's magic.

91. Junk mail addressee : RESIDENT

93. Chemical variants : ISOTOPES

96. __ de force : TOUR

97. Baptism, for one : RITE

98. Polymer ending : ASE

101. Bondi Beach city : SYDNEY. I associate Bondi Beach with Kazie & Jessica Hart.

106. Stage prizes : OBIEs

108. Motel posting : RATES

110. Asteroids creator : ATARI

111. "Don't play," on a score : TACET. Must have the same root as Tacit.

112. Origins : SEEDS

113. Bend : WARP

114. Hershiser of ESPN : OREL

115. Chaplin's fourth wife : OONA. Long time no see.

116. French cruise stops : ILES

117. Bush fighter : GORE. I'm excited about next Tuesday. First time to cast a vote for a US president.

119. Centers of activity : LOCI

120. "My Way" lyricist : ANKA (Paul)

124. '50s song syllable : SHA

125. Hasty escape : LAM

C.C.