Monday, July 1, 2013 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: This One is for Beetle Bailey - Key letters from the reveal begin the theme entry words.

53A. Military mess assignment, and this puzzle's title : KP DUTY

6D. Tot's wading spot : KIDDIE POOL

10D. Deli sandwich freebies : KOSHER PICKLES

18D. Decisive end to a boxing match : KNOCKOUT PUNCH

30D. Rustic paneling wood : KNOTTY PINE

Argyle here. Rabbit, rabbit. Bit confusing for a Monday. Four columns for the main entries and an across for the reveal. Until I replaced TATER with TUBER, my SE corner would not fill. A challenging Monday.

Across:

1. Toast go-with : JAM

4. Its pH is more than 7 : ALKALI. Less than 7 is acidic.

10. Queen's spouse : KING. Too easy, didn't trust it.

14. "__ live and breathe!" : AS I

15. Spoil, as a barbecue : RAIN ON. Let's hope it won't rain on your parade Thursday.

16. Most eligible to be drafted : ONE A

17. Conceded the point : BACKED DOWN

19. Sean Connery, by birth : SCOT

20. Connected the opposite shores of, as a river : SPANNED

21. Flammable gas : ETHANE

23. Caravan's watering hole : OASIS

25. Feel remorse over : RUE

26. Like-minded groups : BLOCS

29. Yosemite grazer : ELK. I'm not sure of the location but it's pretty.

Update: Yosemite no longer has grazing elk. This elk is in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, CO.

31. Cattle marking : BRAND

35. Geologist's collectible : ROCK

36. Backbone : SPINE

38. Fishing spot : PIER

39. Turnpike traveler : AUTO

40. With 69-Across, Dr. Seuss classic : HOP ON. 69A. See 40-Across : POP

41. State where Interstates 35 and 80 cross : IOWA

42. Prie-__: kneeler : DIEU. Has this become a Monday word?

43. Receives guests : HOSTS

44. Symbol before the sharps and flats : CLEF

45. Dust-up : SET TO

47. Way past tipsy : LIT

48. Dress bottom : SKIRT

49. Influential D.C. group : PAC

51. Medication for insomniacs : NYTOL. Brand name.

56. Developmental stage : PUBERTY

60. Sentence subject, as a rule : NOUN

61. "Is that a guarantee?" : "CAN I BE SURE?". Hah!

64. Oil cartel acronym : OPEC

65. Repair shop courtesy : LOANER

66. Wire thickness unit : MIL

67. Second-youngest March sister, in literature : BETH. "Little Women"

68. __ Glue-All : ELMER'S. Another brand name. 

Down:

1. They set up the 18-Down : JABS 18D. Decisive end to a boxing match : KNOCKOUT PUNCH. (in case you forgot)

2. Quickly, in memos : ASAP

3. Flaky mineral : MICA

4. Sports venues : ARENAs

5. Puts on cargo : LADES

7. 12 months in Madrid : AÑO.  Update: Tilde added thanks to PaulG's comment. Perhaps I've learned my lesson.

8. Close to the ground : LOW

9. Word before circle or peace : INNER

11. Ancient Peruvian : INCA

12. Eye-catching sign : NEON

13. Airport boarding area : GATE

22. Bathroom fixture : TUB

24. Enters stealthily : SLIPS IN

26. Thin nails : BRADS

27. Huey and Dewey's brother : LOUIE. Donald's nephews.

28. Four pairs : OCTET

32. Garlicky sauce : AIOLI. Mayo with attitude.

33. More modern : NEWER

34. Preliminary version : DRAFT

36. Librarian's admonition : [SHH!]

37. Nav. officer : ENS.

46. Bit in a horse's mouth? : OAT. A bit is part of the bridle that goes in the horse's mouth.

48. Recovers from a bender, with "up" : SOBERS

50. Washer phase : CYCLE

52. Yam, for one : TUBER

53. Handle near a keyhole : KNOB

54. Francis or John Paul II, e.g. : POPE

55. Song for two : DUET. 58D. Song for three : TRIO

57. Beef cut : RUMP

59. Shrill cry : YELP. This got me; I had YELL.

62. Internet giant that owns MapQuest : AOL

63. '60s combat venue, briefly : NAM

Argyle

Sunday June 30, 2013 Elizabeth C. Gorski

Theme:"PH Balance" - P & H bookend each theme entry.

23A. 11-part documentary with the episodes "Caves" and "Deserts" : PLANET EARTH

 

37A. "Peanuts" Halloween setting : PUMPKIN PATCH. Remember John Lampkin's Pumpkin puzzle?

68A. Yamaha seat, perhaps : PIANO BENCH

71A. It can help you put on a coat : PAINT BRUSH

100A. Soapbox delivery : PUBLIC SPEECH. And 107A. 1942 Cooper role : GEHRIG (Lou). The Pride of the Yankees. "... today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth" is one of the best public speeches. 

121D. Fruity pastry : PPRUNE DANISH

33D. Hybrid language : PIDGIN ENGLISH

 

35D. A former ace might be one : PITCHING COACH

 

Simple theme today. Liz Gorski's NYT puzzles often have an extra layer of visual involved. She's a true artist. 

She's also a brilliant clue writer. Rich probably changed only a few words of her clues.

 

Across:

1. Sixth-day creation : ADAM

5. Iraqi port : BASRA. Sinbad's hometown.

10. Exchange : SWAP

14. Supermodel with a Global Chic collection : IMAN. Never tried her products, but I'm aware of the line.

18. Jared of "Lonely Hearts" : LETO

19. Places of worship : ALTARS

21. Kent State state : OHIO

22. Upscale : TONY

25. Lopsided win : ROMP

26. Trumpeter, e.g. : SWAN. Trumpeter swan. Wiki said it's "the heaviest bird native to North America and is, on average, the largest extant waterfowl species on earth."

27. Motorcade wheels : SEDANS

28. Flea market transactions : RE-SALES

30. Meager : SCANTY

32. Happy outdoorsman? : CAMPER

34. Grafton's "__ for Malice" : M IS

35. "The Little Sparrow" : PIAF (Edith)

36. "My Cousin Vinny" Oscar winner : TOMEI (Marisa)

42. E. African land : ETH (Ethiopia). Has any of you dined at the Red Rooster?

44. Year-span separator : EN DASH

47. After-dinner drink : PORT

48. Noodlehead : SCHMO. The SCHMO in our association has a garage sale almost every week. 8 bikes on his lawn yesterday! He called those who complained about him "Racist". And 94D. Downsizing event? : DIET. Not yard sale, you SCHMO!

49. Quaint writer : QUILL

51. Despondency : GLOOM

53. Personal quirk : TIC

54. Resort NE of Los Alamos : TAOS

55. __ Reader: eclectic magazine : UTNE

56. "Beats me!" : I DUNNO

58. Fancy pillowcase : SHAM

61. Blast cause : TNT

62. "Let __!": "Move on!" : IT GO

63. Power dept. : ENER

64. __-pah band : OOM

66. Personal ltrs. : INITS. How many letters in your name? Mine has 15 and quite scrabbly.

75. Italian fashion center : MILAN

76. Get takeout, say : EAT

78. "Bus Stop" playwright : INGE (William)

79. Visiting the Getty Center, briefly : IN LA

80. Turkish honorific : AGA

82. NASA hire : ENGR

84. Landing strip : TARMAC

86. Britney's ex, in tabloids : K-FED. He was her backup dancer at the beginning. J-Lo's current boyfriend is her backup dancer as well.

87. Long lunches : SUBS

89. Schlep : LUG

91. "... farm, __" : E I E I O

92. Aptly named novelist : READE (Charles)

93. "Dust Tracks on __": Zora Neale Hurston autobiography : A ROAD

95. Apple product : iPOD

97. Bank ad number : CD RATE. Ultra low.

99. El Al home: Abbr. : ISR

103. Humidor item : CIGAR

105. Radio host John : TESH

106. __ Balls: Hostess snack food : SNO

109. Hospitality : WARMTH

112. From now on : ANYMORE

114. Iron target : ANEMIA

118. Berry touted as a superfood : ACAI. This always stumps some on our blog. Super friendly letter combo, so you'd better commit it to your memory.

119. Org. with part of a prominent statue in its logo : ACLU

123. It may be ear-to-ear : GRIN

124. Wild way to run : RIOT

125. Doddering : SENILE. I often wonder if Deep Throat revealed his identity willingly.

126. Sussex streetcar : TRAM

127. Dover delicacy : SOLE

128. Breadbasket bunch : PATS

129. Parts of goblets : STEMS

130. It often takes place in a bar : JOKE

Down:

1. Skier's mecca : ALPS

2. Editing mark : DELE

3. Hardly at all : A TAD

4. Rainier's locale : MONACO. Oh, I was thinking of Mt. Rainier. Not the prince.

5. Cricket players : BATSMEN

6. Bass in a glass : ALE. Bass ale.

7. It may be glassy : STARE

8. Less common : RARER

9. Dance and such : ARTS

10. Touchy subject : SORE SPOT

11. Villagers below Mount Crumpit : WHOS.  Dr. Seuss.

12. Goal : AIM

13. Visits on a whim : POPS IN

14. "Believe you me!" : IT'S A FACT. Never said "Believe you me".

15. Cut : MOWN

16. Constitutional subj.? : ANAT. Great clue.

17. Abbr. on Manhattan mail : NY, NY

20. SeaWorld headliner : SHAMU

24. Tooth coating : ENAMEL

29. Tired : LIMP

31. They may be used for emphasis : CAPS

36. Doohickey : THINGAMABOB. Nice entry.

37. Sound unit : PHON. So is SONE.

38. Reality TV matriarch Jenner : KRIS. Grandma to North West.

39. Ethical complaint : THAT'S UNFAIR

40. "Hurry!" : C'MON

41. Olympics city, e.g. : HOST

42. Furnish : EQUIP

43. Everyone, in orchestral scores : TUTTI

45. Noted Mayflower passenger : ALDEN (John)

46. Origin : SOURCE

50. "Spanglish" actress Téa : LEONI

52. Phone button sequence : MNO

57. Alley in comics : OOP

59. Pay (up) : ANTE

60. Will Smith film series, briefly : MIB (Men in Black). And 104D. Will Smith's role in 60-Down : AGENT J. Tommy Lee Jones is Agent K.

63. "Personal Witness: Israel Through My Eyes" author : EBAN (Abba)

65. Injured badly : MAIMED

67. Playground ride : TRIKE

69. Grand __ Opry : OLE

70. Bowler, for one : HAT. Nailed it.

72. Lead __: EPA concern : IN AIR

73. Flexible Flyers, e.g. : SLEDS

74. Recent "SNL" regular Bill : HADER

77. Inventor's monogram : TAE. Thomas Alva Edison.

80. Urgent acronym : ASAP. Hurry up to Home Depot, while you're still young.

81. Trusted adviser : GURU

83. College hoops coach with 876 victories : RUPP ( Adolph). Gimme for PK. I drew a blank. Rupp Arena is named after him.

85. Really funny : RICH

88. Grueling workplace : SALT MINE. Yet salt is so cheap.

90. Freaks out : GOES NUTS

92. Capital west of Winnipeg : REGINA

96. Turn down : DENY

98. Cross words : TIRADES. Another great clue.

101. Note in a D major scale : C SHARP

102. Free stuff : COMPS

107. Weight room sound : GRUNT

108. "__ Meenie": Kingston/Bieber song : EENIE

109. Wits : WAGS

110. High opening : ACRO

111. Track boundary : RAIL

112. Tremendously : A LOT

113. Holders of buried treasures : ORES. Love it. Hard to come up fresh clues for ORES.

115. Joan of art : MIRO

116. "Winter's Tales" author Dinesen : ISAK. Only know her "Out of Africa".

117. Words of lament : AH ME

120. Org. in Clancy novels : CIA

122. Spreading tree : ELM

C.C.