Monday, January 7, 2013 Diane Upchurch

 

Theme: Brr! - Ending homophones.

19A. Dreary late fall forecast : CLOUDY AND CHILLY

37A. Food truck order : HOT DOG WITH CHILI

50A. South American seaport : VALPARAISO, CHILE

Argyle here. You knew CHILE was coming but VALPARAISO ...! Map. Appears to be a debut for our constructor. Three grid spanners, four good blocks in the corners, decent fill but maybe more appropriate for a Tuesday. That's no reflection on Diane, of course and tomorrow we may say Monday wasn't so hard.

Across:

1. Red-headed clown : BOZO

5. Enzyme ending : ASE. Mayonnaise is an enzyme? Oh, wait....

8. Oak nut : ACORN. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

13. With, on le menu : AVEC. French restaurant.

14. Tiger Woods's ex : ELIN. Slideshow of what she's been up to, if you care.

15. "Bad, Bad" Brown, in a Croce song : LEROY. clip.(3:03)

16. DEA agent : NARC

17. 1958 film that won nine Oscars : GIGI. The list.

18. Not showy : PLAIN

22. Spices (up) : PEPS

23. Fond du __, Wisconsin : LAC. Literally it means "foot" or "bottom of the lake".

24. Lend a hand : ASSIST

27. Airport safety gp. : TSA. (Transportation Security Administration)

29. Bible book following the Gospels : ACTS

33. Brew, as tea : STEEP

34. Cheese on a ham sandwich : SWISS

36. Primitive shelter : HUT

40. Quarterback Manning : ELI. New York Giants quarterback.

41. Big name in air conditioning : TRANE

42. Have pizza delivered, say : EAT IN

43. Put in the mail : SEND

45. Give the once-over : EYE. ...but not leer, I swear.

46. Spellbound : ENRAPT

47. Go __: lose it : APE

49. "Trinity" novelist Leon : URIS. "A novel of Ireland".

58. Giraffe relative : OKAPI. Umm, what picture today?

59. Gulf War missile : SCUD

60. Online periodical, for short : E-MAG

61. Easily wrinkled fabric : LINEN

62. The Beatles' "__ Comes the Sun" : HERE. Clip.(3:06) It's finally coming up earlier.

63. "Scram!" : "SHOO!"

64. Hägar's dog : SNERT

65. Mind-reading, briefly : ESP

66. Throw easily : TOSS

Down:

1. Judge's seat : BANC. It sounds hard but I've only seen them in cushy chairs.

2. Shaped like Obama's office : OVAL

3. Celsius freezing point : ZERO

4. Busy : OCCUPIED

5. Police blotter name : ALIAS

6. "What's your __?" : SIGN

7. City NNW of Oklahoma City : ENID

8. Male in charge : ALPHA

9. Toyota until 2006 : CELICA. I call my Celica a Troyota because I bought it in Troy, not far from Irish Miss.

10. Vocally expressed : ORAL

11. Churn up : ROIL

12. Part of NASDAQ's address : NYNY. A city, a state, a way of life.

14. Land with pyramids : EGYPT

20. Tough ruler : DESPOT. What New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg would like to be.

21. What plaids and stripes do : CLASH

24. Result of hearth burn : ASHES. Any one see that as heart burn? I didn't think so.

25. Helped oneself, illegally : STOLE

26. Become established : SET IN

27. Strong string : TWINE

28. Building location : SITE

30. Singer/dancer Rivera : CHITA

31. Bloom from a bulb : TULIP

32. Time on the job : STINT

34. Rock to the music : SWAY

35. Nice to look at, as a landscape : SCENIC

38. Garson of "Mrs. Miniver" : GREER

39. Most severe : HARSHEST

44. Nattily attired : DAPPER. Dressed to the nines. Puttin' on the Ritz.

46. Steadily wear away : ERODE

48. Benjamin Moore product : PAINT

49. Use without authority : USURP

50. Lady __: Univ. of Tennessee team : VOLS. Shortened "Volunteers"

51. Like, with "to" : AKIN

52. Bowler's assignment : LANE. (Hi, Boomer)

53. Tennis great Arthur : ASHE

54. Freezes (up) : ICES. Not like a computer program.

55. "It seems to me," online : IMHO

56. Thailand neighbor : LAOS

57. Self-images : EGOs

Argyle

Sunday Jan 6, 2013 Julian Lim

Theme: "Scuse Me" - W is replaced by SQU in each theme entry.

 24A. Unoiled robot's problem? : SQUEAK IN THE KNEES. Weak in the knees.

 38A. Embarrassed parrot's cry? : SQUAWK OF SHAME. Walk of shame.

 52A. Lottery winner's reaction, perhaps? : SQUEAL OF FORTUNE. Wheel of Fortune.

 73A. Sudden storm in Hunan? : THE GREAT SQUALL OF CHINA. The Great Wall of China. Hunan is known for its spicy food. Chairman Mao's hometown.

 85A. Shout when zucchini falls off the boat? : SQUASH OVERBOARD. Wash overboard.

 101A. Escort at the farmyard ball? : CHICKEN SQUIRE. Fun clue. Chicken wire.

 120A. Any Mr. Magoo story? : THE SQUINTER'S TALE.  The Winter's Tale.

This puzzle reminds me a bit of Dan Naddor's "Quilting Bee" to "Wilting Bee" puzzle. 

Q's are tough to work in the grid, but every Q crossing in this grid is solid. I like Q ending words: COMPAQ, IRAQ, Avenue Q,  and of course the beautiful Maggie Q.

Across:

1. Fight reminder : SCAR

5. Joined : WED. So Simon Cowell confirmed that he's dating Carmen Electra, but she's not his girlfriend. Sounds cold to me.

8. Kuwaiti, e.g. : ARABIAN

15. Cut (back) : DIAL

19. Benedict XVI, e.g. : POPE

20. Rather than : AS OPPOSED TO. We don't often see long non-theme Across entries.

22. "I'll pay" : ON ME

23. Red sky, to some : OMEN

26. The "O" of OWN : OPRAH. She's no Ellen.

28. Sign about a space shortage, briefly : SRO (Standing Room Only)

29. Feel a strong need (for) : STARVE

30. Sinusitis-treating MD : ENT

31. Relevant element : FACTOR

33. 18-Down's rank: Abbr. : INSP. 18. Scotland Yard inspector in Sherlock Holmes stories : LESTRADE. Clue/Answer dupe here. Tough to avoid on Sundays.

36. Use an entrance : GO IN

37. __ es Salaam : DAR

42. Deli selection : BLT

43. Peruvian songstress Sumac : YMA

44. Palme __: Cannes prize : D'OR

45. Rattan alternative : OSIER

47. "Half-caf" was added to it in 2012 : OED. Coffee. Half regular + Half decaf.

48. "Modern Family" role : MANNY

59. Et __ : ALII

60. Dickens's "__ Mutual Friend" : OUR

61. Religious title starter : DALAI

62. Decked out at the Forum : TOGAED. Did not know toga can be a verb.

65. Troy story? : ILIAD. Woody would like this clue.

69. Raves about : RANTS AT

77. __ Lake, town near Lake Placid : SARANAC. Total unknown.

78. App for long-distance partners : SKYPE

79. Israeli tender : SHEKEL

80. Hot again : RETRO

82. Prefix with caching : GEO. Dave's Geocaching.

84. True-to-life : REAL

92. Soft vocal signals : PSSTs

93. Distillery container : TUN

94. Hokkaido port city : OTARU. No idea.

95. Here, to Henri : ICI

97. Embarrassed : RED

98. Capital gain? : ISM. Capitalism.

108. Like Beethoven's Sonata Op. 109 : IN E

109. Omani tender : RIAL

111. __-Pei : SHAR. Literally "Sand".

112. "Mansfield Park" novelist : AUSTEN (Jane)

113. M ÷ IV : CCL

114. Vegging out : AT REST

117. Xhosa and Zulu are among its official langs. : RSA

119. Do a legislature's job : ENACT

125. Pre-'90s orchard spray : ALAR

126. 30 Seconds to Mars frontman Jared : LETO

127. Latin Mass prayer : PATERNOSTER. "Our father". Gimme for Lucina.

128. Foul : VILE

129. Belgian river : YSER

130. Three-ball family project, typically : SNOWMAN. Snowball!

131. Zero has one : ZEE. Fun clue for a so so answer.

132. Ivy growing for 300+ years : YALE
        

Down:

1. Send-ups : SPOOFS

2. 2002 HP acquisition : COMPAQ. During Carly Fiorina's reign.

3. Overview : APERCU. Not an easy word.

4. Opera director Scotto : RENATA. New to me also.

5. "I __ had!" : WAS

6. Titles in court, for short : ESQs

7. Brad of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" : DOURIF. No memory of this guy. Saw the movie long time ago.

8. Mental health org. : APA

9. Seoul protector : ROK (Republic of Korea).

10. Craigslist caveat : AS IS

11. Proclivity : BENT

12. Place for a pet name : ID TAG. Find this dog, you'll be in Dennis Lehane's next book. He wrote "Mystic River" and "Gone, Baby, Gone".

13. Thumping : ATHROB. Never used this word in my life. Husker Gary, yes, I did speak English before I came to the US.

14. "I will fear __": Psalm 23 : NO EVIL

15. Get into : DON

16. "Don't leave me" : I NEED YOU. Nice long answer.

17. Cry from the flock : AMEN AMEN

21. Menial laborers : PEONS

25. Ohio's __ State : KENT

27. "Hey, Tex" : HOWDY

32. "Top Hat" studio : RKO

34. It's about a foot : SHOE. What were you picturing?

35. "Qué __?" : PASA

39. -ish : OR SO

40. "Cool" sum : MIL

41. Anti-discrimination initials : EEO. Or EOE.

46. Mail svc. that may cover a general store : RFD (Rural Free Delivery)

48. Quarterback Ryan et al. : MATTs

49. Island greeting : ALOHA. Hi there Chefwen.

50. Landlocked African land : NIGER

51. Falls for two lovers? : NIAGARA. Sweet clue.

53. Stop : QUIT

54. Bookmarked addresses, briefly : URLs

55. Gambling game : FARO

56. Five Norwegian royals : OLAFS

57. Dressing with wings : RANCH. Salad dressing.

58. Some church supporters : TITHERS

63. Seaside soarers : ERNES. And 67. Seaside diver : AUK

64. Donne's "__ Be Not Proud" : DEATH

66. 95% of them are between 70 and 130 : IQs. Dennis belongs to those 2%.

68. Time to seize? : DAY. Seize the day.

70. "Oliver Twist" antagonist : SIKES (Bill). Never read "Oliver Twist".

71. "That's __ trick!" : A NEAT

72. Some latte sizes : TALLS

74. Phobia beginning : ACRO. Acrophobia.

75. Natalie Gulbis's org. : LPGA. I bet Splynter loves Natalie. Look at her long legs! We followed her a few holes last time in the US Open. She had the most followers.

76. Sinister stare : LEER

81. Ab __: anew : OVO

83. Anthony Hopkins's "Thor" role : ODIN. To me, he's always Hannibal Lecter.

85. To the letter : STRICTLY

86. Slakes : QUENCHES

87. Stet : UNDELETE

88. "You know the rest," for short : ETC

89. "We're winning!" : RAH. We lost. The Vikings.

90. Jewish ritual : BRIS. Rite of circumcision.

91. "That smarts!" : OUCH

92. Feeling felt in fits : PIQUE

96. Lee's letters : CSA. R. E. Lee.

98. Big oil exporter : IRAQ

99. Fitness test components : SIT-UPS. Mainly your abs.

100. Maid of fiction : MARIAN. Maid Marian. Robin Hood.

102. Zippy racers : KARTS

103. Faux : ERSATZ. I was rather surprised by the travel bag design in those Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection. You can't see clearly, but the pictures on the biggest bag is very Kama Sutra.

104. "Anchors Aweigh" org. : US NAVY.  Spitzboov & D-Otto are both Ex-Navy.

105. 1990 World Cup host, locally : ITALIA

106. Manufacturer's nightmare : RECALL. Same for consumers.

107. Menu listing : ENTREE

110. Allegro's opposite : LENTO

115. Stressful thing to get into : STEW. No stew here. But every time Boomer's foot nerve or hip arthritis flares up, I'm more stressed than he is.

116. Four years, perhaps : TERM

118. Away from most of the blowing : ALEE

121. Campus gp. : SOR

122. Molecular code carrier : RNA

123. William, to Charles : SON

124. Afore : ERE

C.C.