Monday, July 8, 2013 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Anything for me? - The last word of the theme entries might be in the mail. Honest!

21A. Wild West showman : BUFFALO BILL. OK, definitely in the mail.

54A. Character written in kindergarten : BLOCK LETTER. Probably from Geico, et al.

3D. Ticket from a postponed ball game : RAIN CHECK. May not be in the mail.

35D. Game accessory with 24 numbered squares : BINGO CARD. E-cards are all right but you can't save them for years in the bottom of a drawer.

39A. Sack on a red-white-and-blue truck, which can hold the ends of 21- and 54-Across and 3- and 35-Down : MAIL BAG. Papa's Got a Brand New Bag(2:05)

Argyle here. The duo have given us a challenge for a Monday in a neat pinwheel around the unifier. Well done.

Across:

1. __ acid: antiseptic cleaner : BORIC. Multipurpose household item

6. Raindrop sound : [PLOP]

10. Hunter's quarry : PREY

14. Texas shrine : ALAMO

15. Civil rights icon Parks : ROSA

16. Mortgage adjustment, briefly : REFI. (refinance)

17. Figure of speech : IDIOM

18. Waikiki's whereabouts : OAHU

19. Aunt Bee's grandnephew : OPIE

20. Countdown kickoff : TEN. nine, eight, seven, ...

24. Makes small talk : CHATS

26. Did some pressing work? : IRONED

27. South Pacific island : TAHITI

29. Spotless : CLEAN

31. Sent packing : AXED

32. Egyptian portrayed by Liz : CLEO

34. Prize with six categories : NOBEL.

Physics ( decided by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences )

Chemistry ( decided by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences )

Physiology or Medicine (decided by the Karolinska Institute )

Literature ( decided by the Swedish Academy )

Peace (decided by a committee appointed by the Norwegian Storting )

Economics ( decided by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences )

Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize

38. Dwarf wearing specs : DOC

41. Savings option, briefly : IRA

42. A parolee may wear a monitor on it : ANKLE

44. Vehicle on runners : SLED

45. Door opener : KNOB

46. Muse who inspires poets : ERATO

48. Barcelona buddies : AMIGOS

50. Phase : ASPECT

53. NFL replay aid : SLO-MO

57. Foldable sleeper : COT

60. Criticize severely : BASH

61. Good-sized home site : ACRE

62. Arcade pioneer : ATARI

64. Dust Bowl refugee : OKIE

65. Send, as packages : SHIP

66. Enticed : LURED

67. Asian holidays : TETs

68. Does better than : TOPS

69. Grasslike marsh plant : SEDGE

Down:

1. Angler's bucketful : BAIT. My angler was successful, his bucket was full of fish...for a while.

2. Shoppe adjective : OLDE

4. "If you ask me," in texts : IMO. (In My Opinion)

5. Battle : COMBAT

6. Univ. employees : PROFs

7. Waste time : LOAF

8. Dept. of Labor protection arm : OSHA

9. Talking parrot of film : PAULIE

10. Free, as legal work : PRO BONO

11. Fasten anew : REPIN

12. Use TurboTax, say : E-FILE

13. Triangular traffic sign : YIELD

22. New York city : UTICA

23. Malaysian ape : ORANG

25. Stayed out of sight : HID

27. "I did it!" : "TA-DA!"

28. Neural transmitter : AXON

29. Yo-Yo Ma's instrument : CELLO

30. Ear part : LOBE

33. Marketgoer's memo : LIST

36. Suffix with switch : EROO

37. "CSI" facilities : LABS

39. Pharmaceutical giant : MERCK

40. Allan-__: Robin Hood cohort : A-DALE. Allan-a-Dale (also spelled Allen-a-Dale, Alan-a-Dale, Allin-a-Dale, Allan A'Dayle etc.) is a figure in the Robin Hood legend. According to the stories, he was a wandering minstrel who became a member of Robin's band of outlaws, the "Merry Men."

43. Bloodsuckers : LEECHES

45. Actress Basinger : KIM. Hot.

47. "It's about time!" : "AT LAST!"

49. Fable conclusions : MORALS

50. Monk's superior : ABBOT

51. Quench : SLAKE

52. Assume to be true : POSIT

53. Staircase units : STEPS. Meh.

55. Canyon feedback : ECHO

56. Lose one's footing : TRIP

58. Calif. neighbor : OREG. (Oregon)

59. Ocean motion : TIDE

63. Wed. preceder : TUE.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Here are two more pictures of Lemonade's beautiful granddaughter Charlotte. Please click here for more. Oh, I just noticed she's wearing earrings. She's just so pretty!

 

 

Sunday July 7, 2013 Gail Grabowski

Theme: "Tee Time"- TY (Tee sound) is added to each two-word theme entry.

27A. Really old deck of cards? : RATTY PACK. Rat Pack.

29A. Feline in the headlines? : PRESS KITTY. Press kit.

48A. Thief who begs to be arrested? : CRIME NOVELTY. Crime novel. 

65A. Frogumentary? : WARTY FILM. War film. Fun clue.

82A. Price tag on a toilet for tots? : POTTY STICKER. We call it Jiaozi in China.

101A. Humongous harbor wall? : JUMBO JETTY. Jumbo jet. Asiana has great food. I still think Cathay Pacific is the best.

104A. Sitcom with spiteful scripts? : CATTY SHOW. Cat show.

36D. Flickering bulb? : SPOTTY LIGHT. Spotlight. The only entry where the base phrase is one word.

40D. Nitpicking kid minder? : PETTY SITTER. Pet sit.

This is another puzzle where the theme entries start at Row 4 rather than Row 3. Gail likes this kind of Across & Down pinwheel design. 

If she had a pair of 13's rather than 12's, she might have put a pair of 9 & 11 in Row 3. Grid design is rather subjective, just like fill.

Across:

1. Put one's hands together, in a way : CLAP

5. Apple products : MACs

9. Concert memorabilia : STUBS

14. Preserves, in a way : SALTS

19. Hip dance? : HULA

20. "Summertime," for one : ARIA

21. They're forbidden : NONOs. Like D-Otto's Russian triangle.

22. Genre of Vasarely's "Zebras" : OP ART

23. Before thou know'st : ANON

24. Many a cheerleader : GIRL

25. Golf green border : APRON. I call it fringe.

26. South-of-the-border residences : CASAs

31. Catamaran mover : SAIL

32. WWII torpedo vessel : E-BOAT

33. "Uh-uh" : NAH

34. Guarantee : ASSURE

37. Like skilled negotiators : SHREWD

39. Perch in a pond : LILY PAD

43. __ Robert: nickname for pitcher Bob Feller : RAPID. Also "Bullet Bob". 44 shutouts.

44. Watchdog breed : AKITA

45. Go bad : ROT

46. From Athens to Augusta, Ga. : ESE

47. When some deadlocks are broken, briefly : IN OT

52. Word alphabetizers ignore : THE. I pronounced it as "de" when I started learning English. TH is not easy.

53. Get stuck for, as a cost : EAT

54. Stroked tools : OARS. Huh?

55. Mouth piece? : LIP

56. Sunrise service occasion : EASTER

58. Jazz nickname : SATCHMO. Louis Armstrong.

60. Wrecker's fee : TOWAGE. Spelling check does not like this word.

63. Hickman who portrayed Dobie Gillis : DWAYNE

64. Decade divs. : YRs

68. Where Hillary was a sen. : NYS (NY State)

69. Miss the beginning : BE LATE

72. Macadamia product : NUT OIL. Not fond of macadamia or pecans.

73. Quitter's words : I RESIGN

77. Tampico pals : AMIGOS. Never heard of Tampico.

78. Union agreement? : I DO

79. Epitome of virility : STUD

80. Excessively : TOO

81. Christmas cupful : NOG

87. Initial step : A TO B

88. Ultimate power : NTH

89. Certain suit top : BRA. Bathing suit.

90. Deduce : INFER

91. 1980s attorney general : MEESE (Ed)

92. Uncaged : SET FREE

95. Cuddly companion : LAP DOG

97. It's not good to be over one : BARREL. Oh, over a barrel.

98. Dawn deity : EOS. This is Lemonade's word.

99. People now known as Sami : LAPPS

100. Mark's successor : EURO

109. Sweetheart : SUGAR

110. Trying to lose, after "on" : A DIET

111. Share a border with : ABUT

112. Makeshift swing : TIRE

113. Saxon leader? : ANGLO. Anglo Saxon.

114. Old laundry soap : RINSO

115. Start over : RE-DO

116. They're drawn in bars : ALES

117. Saunter : MOSEY

118. Conservative IRA asset : T-NOTE

119. WWII weapon : STEN

120. Traffic sound : TOOT

Down:

1. Turn black : CHAR

2. Moon goddess : LUNA

3. Often : A LOT

4. Saint Laurent's Le Smoking, e.g. : PANTSUIT

5. Chatterbox : MAGPIE

6. Serif-free font : ARIAL

7. Copies per day, say: Abbr. : CIRC

8. Virologist Jonas : SALK

9. Edible with a crisp pod : SNAP BEAN. I just harvested a few snap peas.

10. Cheap-seats spot : TOP ROW

11. Like much small print : UNREAD

12. Leg up : BOOST

13. Three-part figs. : SSNs

14. Gregarious : SOCIAL. Lucina's sisters are all gregarious.

15. Ho-hum feeling : APATHY

16. Wear : LAST

17. Server's aid : TRAY

18. Rd. atlas listings : STs

28. Place to play bocce, perhaps : YARD

30. Like sweaters : KNITTED

32. "Symphony in Black" artist : ERTE

34. Taurus neighbor : ARIES

35. Arabian peninsula capital : SANA'A. Yemen.

37. Items on an auto rack : SKIS

38. "I Will Follow ___": 1963 chart-topper : HIM

39. Twitter titter, and then some : LOL

41. Visibly frightened : ASHEN

42. Mower handle? : DEERE. Can't fool me.

44. Hood's missile : ARROW. Robin Hood.

45. Force back : REPEL

48. Baby or nanny follower : CAM.  Male nanny = Manny.

49. Norwegian king, 995-1000 : OLAF I

50. Watch : VIGIL

51. Was about to nod, maybe : YAWNED

54. "Quit worrying about it" : OH STOP. This comment is from a man!

57. Comes out with : SAYS

59. Mountaineer's challenge : CRAG. Dictionary says it's "A steep rugged mass of rock projecting upward or outward."

60. Pete's wife on "Mad Men" : TRUDY

61. Bismarck et al. : OTTOS

62. Devils Tower st. : WYO (Wyoming). I've only used WY.

66. Santa __ racetrack : ANITA

67. Carpentry joint : MITER

69. Premarital posting : BANNS

70. Act the wrong way? : EMOTE

71. Anka hit with a Spanish title : ESO BESO

74. Capek play about automatons : R.U.R.. It introduced the word "robot".

75. Silly sort : GOOSE

76. Dynamite guy? : NOBEL. Nice clue.

79. Surfboard fin : SKEG

83. Half of sei : TRE

84. What one might sneak out on : TIPPY TOE

85. Swing voters: Abbr. : INDS. Independents.

86. Fiscal exec : CFO

87. Balloon or blimp : AEROSTAT. New word to me.

91. Gardener of rhyme : MARY. "Mary, Mary, quite contrary / How does your garden grow?...". I drew a blank. Nursery rhyme often stumps me.

93. What "F" often means : FEMALE

94. Cocktail with scotch : ROB ROY

95. Bodega patron : LATINO

96. Most fitting : APTEST

97. Symbol of precision : BUTTON. "Neat as a button", right?

99. Escorted : LED IN

100. Scriabin composition : ETUDE. Alexander Scriabin.

101. Jupiter's wife : JUNO. Hera in Greek.

102. Trendy warm boots : UGGS

103. Lawn game missile : JART

104. They're sometimes seen in jams : CARS

105. Partner of aid : ABET

106. Big Island port : HILO

107. Versatile cookie : OREO

108. Wild place, once : WEST

109. Avuncular top hat wearer : SAM. Uncle Sam.

C.C.