Monday Jan 28, 2013 Gareth Bain

 Theme: MM MM GOOD (63A. Campbell's soup slogan, and a hint to the puzzle theme found in 18-, 20-, 40- and 56-Across) - Each theme entry contains 4 M's.

18A. Musical based on ABBA songs : MAMMA MIA. 8-letter answer as the first theme entry is just hard. You'll know when you construct puzzles yourself. They result in stacked 6's alongside, and I find stacked 6's challenging to fill, esp for a Monday grid.  Also, notice this theme entry and the next one have a 5-letter overlap? No showmanship here. They're often done out of necessity. Gareth gets smoother fill this way. Downside: plenty of 3-letter entries.

20A. Golfer Snead's nickname : SLAMMIN' SAMMY. Did you know Sam Snead can kick the top of  a seven-foot doorway in his 70's? He was very very agile. His swing is so hard to imitate. I tried! Ben Hogan's, on the other hand, is highly effective & efficient. Sam Snead makes me want to over-swing.

40A. One on a board : COMMITTEE MEMBER

56A. Whale or dolphin : MARINE MAMMAL

C.C. here. No new puzzle from Cruciverb last night. Dear Santa Argyle normally braves through, but he has to go to VA hospital early this morning for a stress test.

Regulars probably have noticed, this problem happens on Cruciverb once a month, when new batch of puz files do not arrive in time for Cruciverb to put out.

Across:

1. Paper used for envelopes : MANILA

7. Teensy kitchen invader : ANT. The mouse in our house really bothers me. Peanut butter just does not attract him.

10. Thick-bodied river fish : CHUB. The fish looks stunned.

14. Lessened : ABATED

15. Critical hosp. area : ICU

16. Take down with a wrecking ball : RAZE

17. Trade for cash : REDEEM
 

22. "I don't care which" : ANY

23. Naval petty officer : YEOMAN

27. Lasting mark : SCAR.  "Lasting...", so it can't be SCAB.

30. __ and gown : CAP

33. John, Paul, George or Ringo : NAME. Some words are fun to clue, like NAME, NOUN, VERB, etc. Some are plain boring, like RARA, IRAE. You just don't have other choices.

34. Go without food : STARVE. I always eat fish on New Year's day. Superstition. I'm worried that I'll starve again. 

36. "True __": Wayne film : GRIT

39. CFO's degree : MBA

 

43. Swiss peak : ALP

44. Gas in a sign : NEON

45. Knocks for a loop : FLOORS

46. Scallion relative : LEEK. I think Yellowrocks has killer potato leek soup recipe.

48. Space-saving abbr. : ETC

50. Team statistic : LOSS. Twin Cities has all the major sports teams. Lossville though.

51. Finale : ENDING

54. Selling fast : HOT.  I snatched a set of this Carolina Herrera cute bags. $9.99 at Target. All gone now. Look closely at the design of the biggest bag.  What do you see?

66. "Seinfeld" woman : ELAINE. She always has big salad.

67. Albany's canal : ERIE. Hello Abejo!

68. Actress Hagen : UTA

69. Sticky-toed lizards : GECKOS

70. Tadpole's breathing organ : GILL

71. LPGA star Se Ri __ : PAK. Her name is actually Park. Error in filling in some form, then she decided to keep the wrong PAK.

72. Be agreeable : ASSENT

Down:

1. Red planet : MARS

2. Ill-fated Biblical brother : ABEL

3. Diddly, to Dalí : NADA

4. To-do list entry : ITEM

5. Oscar winner for "Cat Ballou" : LEE MARVIN. Nice full name.

6. Part of FDA: Abbr. : ADMIN

7. Gets in one's sights, with "at" : AIMS. Watch the action at 1 minute mark. Thanks, again, TTP!

8. Campus sports org. : NCAA

9. Tot's belly : TUMMY.  And 10. Tot's drawing tool : CRAYON

11. Clumsy actor : HAM

12. Special forces weapon : UZI

13. Arthur who played Maude : BEA

19. Marseille Mrs. : MME

21. The Big Apple, initially : NYC. A snapshot of the top visitors to our blog two days ago. Don't know where "not set" is located.

24. Latin ballroom dances : MAMBOS

25. Orange-yellow gemstones : AMBERS

26. Gets warmer, in a game : NEARS. I don't get this clue.

27. Taken in a break-in : STOLEN

28. Slept next to the trail, say : CAMPED
 

29. Upper limb : ARM

31. Sales rep : AGENT

32. Opposite of post- : PRE

34. Weighing device : SCALE. Boomer weighed 214lbs in his Army days, with a 34' waist. His weight has not changed much over the years, but his waist has gone through the roof.

35. Somme summer : ETE

37. Global currency org. : IMF

38. Stretch the truth : TELL TALES

41. Bathwater tester : TOE. Fun clue.

42. Dairy farm sound : MOO

47. Late-night host Jimmy : KIMMEL. I like Fallon.

49. Revolutionary Guevara : CHE

52. Inveterate faultfinder : NAG

53. Word with hug or therapy : GROUP. Do you often find this type of "Word with what or what" clue more challenging?

55. Alpha's opposite : OMEGA

57. Teensy amount : IOTA

58. Fargo's st. : N DAK. Hi there Qli.

59. Apples with screens : MACs

60. Karaoke prop : MIKE

61. Many a folk song, composer-wise: Abbr. : ANON

62. "__ we forget" : LEST

63. Ryan of "Sleepless in Seattle" : MEG. Did anyone watch her "Courage Under Fire"? I was so confused and could not tell who's telling truth.

64. Hosp. scan : MRI

65. 1,000 G's : MIL

A couple notes:

1) Click here for details of the Second Minnesota Crossword Tournament to be  held on Feb 3, 2013.

2) I'm so happy to see more new faces on the blog the past week, despite our blog trouble.  Here is some basic guide on how to turn blue. It's not updated. So feel free to pop in Comments section if you need help.

C.C.

(MMMM, from Argyle)

                                                          

Sunday Jan 27, 2013 Elizabeth C. Gorski

Theme: "That's a Wrap" - THATS bookend (wrap) each theme answer.

23A. Husky features : THICK COATS

38A. Disney film featuring Berlioz, Toulouse, Marie and their mom Duchess : THE ARISTOCATS

71A. Tom yum soup servers : THAI RESTAURANTS. I've yet to try Tom yum soup. Looks spicy.

 

102A. Packages from recent guests, perhaps : THANK YOU GIFTS

123A. The Chicago Bulls had two in the '90s : THREEE PEATS

14A. Trademark caps for Ashton Kutcher and Justin Timberlake : TRUCKER HATS.

71A. Household regulators : THERMOSTATS. The only one-word entry.

LIZ (60A. First name in fashion) gave us a few nice variations: TH*ATS, THA*TS, T*HATS.

Sometimes I get theme of as soon as I see the puzzle title. Sometimes I get it after one or two theme entries appear. Often I get it half-way through solving.

Today I had to study all the theme entries afterwards to grok the gimmick. How about you?

Across:

1. Actress Birch : THORA. She's in "American Beauty".

6. Trattoria glassful : VINO

10. Many a GE product : APPL. GE stock is undervalued.

14. Ruse : TRAP

18. Have lunch at home : EAT IN

19. Pressing need? : IRON. We've seen this clue a few times.

20. Set of beliefs : CREED

22. Tear down, in Tottenham : RASE. Clue alliteration.

25. Line at a rodeo? : REATA

26. "QB VII" author : URIS (Leon)

27. "$40 a Day" chef Ray : RACHAEL. Like Marti, She's always bubbly. She coined EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil).

28. __ facto : IPSO

30. Librarian's reminder : SHH

31. Players : CAST

32. Grafton's "__ for Lawless" : L IS

34. Scottish tongue : ERSE

36. Supermodel Wek : ALEK. Hasn't been active the past few years. From Sudan.

44. Nontraditional performance genre : LIVE ART. Like what?

48. Carpet cleaning tool : RUG BEATER

49. Poses : SITS

51. Route to the lungs : AIRWAY

52. Swashbuckler Flynn : ERROL

53. Arise (from) : STEM

55. Codger : COOT

57. High-speed scene : CHASE. Still have not caught the little mouse. I just saw him in our computer room a few minutes ago. He's super fast & clever. He just ignored the 2 traps we have. Maybe we need more traps.

58. Bledel of "Gilmore Girls" : ALEXIS. She has the most beautiful eyes.

62. Fruity treats : PLUM TARTS

64. It ends in Nov. : DST

65. Ready for aromatherapy, say : STRESSED. You've got to watch this cat link Dave found last night. Big stress reliever.

69. Blood typing letters : ABO

70. Spot in front of the telly? : TEA. Clever clue.

74. "I'm not impressed" : MEH

76. "Was __ blame?" : I TO

77. Big Island volcano : MAUNA LOA. Literally, "long mountain".

78. Like a bunch-spoiling apple : BAD

81. Numskull : LAME BRAIN

84. NBC weekend staple : SNL

85. Old Athens enemy : SPARTA. I really like "300".

87. Astrologer to the rich and famous : OMARR (Sydney). Learned from constructing puzzles.

88. One who's not striking : SCAB. 1989 (Tiananmen Square protest) is a very confusing year for me. I don't remember we had any worker/student protest in China before.

90. It has its highs and lows : TIDE

93. Not as warm : ICIER

94. C.P.E. Bach's birthplace : WEIMAR. And 6D. Soloists in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 : VIOLISTS. Gimme for Jayce/Pas de Chat. Liz Gorski is a musician.

96. "Up and __!" : AT 'EM

98. Court plea : NO CONTEST

100. 2011 World Series champs : ST. LOUIS. Then Pujols left for the Angels during the off season. Money talks. Baseball listens.

104. Symbol of purity : SNOW

105. Time past : YORE

106. Sailor's direction : AFT

107. Clump : TUFT

110. Bread in a jar? : TIP. Look!

112. Gp. with forces : NATO

114. Lasagna cheese : RICOTTA

120. Madonna's "La __ Bonita" : ISLA

121. Call forth : EVOKE

125. Future doc's exam : MCAT

126. Lats' neighbors : DELTS

127. It's south of Vesuvius : ETNA. Volcano.

128. Like ballerinas, at times : ON TOE

129. Cake mix additions : EGGS

130. Late for a party, maybe : LOST

131. Berth place : DOCK.  Sweet clue.

132. Some aromatic cakes : SOAPS. Did you sense the "cake" trick immediately?

Down:

1. Four: Pref. : TETR. Or Tetra.

2. "Yuk yuk" : HA HA. Har Har for Splynter/Linda.

3. Of the ear : OTIC

4. Like chocolate truffle cake : RICH. At least CCC calories, I think.

5. "Diana" singer : ANKA

7. Lyricist Gershwin : IRA

8. Words of denial : NOT I

9. How freelancers may work : ON SPEC

10. Puzzle book offering : ACROSTIC

11. Teen leader? : PRE. Preteen.

12. Pod veggies : PEAS

13. "__ Weapon" : LETHAL

15. __ avis : RARA

16. Yard sale caveat : AS IS. I love neighborhood garage/yard sales.

17. Recurring pain? : PEST

21. Mexico's national flower : DAHLIA

24. "Drink to me only with thine eyes" dedicatee : CELIA. Never heard of this song.

29. Span. ladies : SRAs

33. Editor's "leave it" : STET

35. Legally bar : ESTOP

37. Kick out : EVICT

38. Gripping pattern : TREAD

39. Throws : HURLS

40. Everglades bird : EGRET

41. "... like __ of chocolates" : A BOX. "Forrest Gump".

42. Dog topper : RELISH. Do you put ketchup on your hotdog? Boomer does. He also over-cooks livers. He said livers have to be cooked thoroughly. 

43. Bully's words : OR ELSE
 

45. Mindful : AWARE

46. Dreaded Jamaican? : RASTA. Nailed it. Bob Marley visited a friend's Chinese herb shop ages ago.

47. Nautical ropes : TYES. Can anyone provide a picture?

50. Toyota Camry model : SOLARA
 

54. Midler's "Divine" nickname : MISS M

56. Friend of Shylock : TUBAL. Don't recall this character.  

59. Way up : STAIR

61. Z's overseas : ZETAS. Greek.

63. Old hi-fis : MONOS

66. Coolidge and Hayworth : RITAs

67. Symphony that includes a funeral march : EROICA. The second movement is a funeral march.

68. Intimidate : DAUNT

72. Disconnect : UNLINK

73. Recording : TAPING

74. "The Cryptogram" playwright : MAMET (David). Never heard of "The Cryptogram".

75. Online message : EMAIL

78. Lawyer's document : BRIEF

79. "This is only __" : A TEST

80. Bar fliers : DARTS

81. Valleys : LOWS

82. Big name in coffee makers : BRAUN. Part of P&G now.

83. Smartly dressed : NATTY. Nothing natty. But this is the best jorts picture I've seen.

86. Theater opening : ACT I

89. "Don't play games with me" : BE HONEST. Nice long entry.

91. 1977 ELO hit : DO YA

92. Environmental extremist : ECO FREAK. So many go extreme on organic food too.

95. Reacted with outrage, as a mob : RIOTED

97. Rooney __, who played Salander in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" : MARA. Lots of talk about this movie in our blog when it's first released.

99. Navel type : OUTIE
 

101. Turn at the bar, perhaps : SWIVEL

103. Brought home : NETTED

107. Coach's call : TIME

108. "The Perfect Storm" rescue gp. : USCG (United States Coast Guard)

109. Penalty __ : FLAG. Thought of KICK first.

111. Game divided into chukkers : POLO. I googled "chukkers" before,, then I promptly forgot.

113. "__ Be in Love": Kate Bush song : OH TO. Here is the clip.

115. Naval noncoms : CPOs. Spitzboov was a Commander when he retired from the Navy Reserve.

116. Vintner's prefix : OENO. Oenophile.

117. "Later," in London : TA TA

118. Camaro roof option : T-TOP

119. Grieg's "__ Death" : ASE'S

122. Gold meas. : KTs (Karats)

124. GOP platform-promoting org. : RNC. They just elected a new Chairman on Friday. Same old one.

The Second Minnesota Crossword Tournament will be held on Feb 2, 2013. Click here for details. All the puzzles are made by locals or people with MN ties, including one by Don and me.

C.C.