Monday, July 22, 2013 Billie Truitt

Theme: It will floor you - The last letters of these two word phrases will knock you out, K. O.

17A. Genre with listener participation : TALK RADIO

25A. Homeric protagonist : GREEK HERO

38A. Some fight endings, and a hint to the word endings in 17-, 25-, 46- and 60-Across : KNOCKOUT PUNCHES

46A. Three-time Masters winner : NICK FALDO. Congratulations to Phil Mickelson on his British Open victory.

60A. Enter forcibly, as a home : BREAK INTO

Argyle here. Tough Monday (in more ways than one). Cool span reveal that didn't help me until it was too late. Just something about the way the clue was written that I didn't get. Your mileage may vary.

Across:

1. "__ to you, buddy!" : SAME

5. Mon. or Jan., e.g. : ABBR. abbreviation, not date

9. Ringo of the Fab Four : STARR

14. Fan club focus : IDOL

15. Painfully tender : SORE

16. __ for: sublime : TO DIE. Sublime - exalted, noble.

19. Cook in an oven : ROAST

20. Clean air org. : EPA

21. Olympics sword : EPEE

22. Harboring a grudge : BITTER. Looks like a place for the QOD.

23. Milkshake insert : STRAW. But not hay. Glad we got that straightened out.

27. Den piece : SOFA. It's what bears sleep on during hibernation.

29. Pitching whiz : ACE

30. Outfielder Suzuki : ICHIRO. Plays for the Yankees.

33. Mexican Mrs. : SRA. Señora

34. Ice cream drink : SODA

41. Tonsillitis-treating MDs : ENTs. (ear, nose, throat)

42. Have a bite of : TRY

43. Boozehounds : SOUSES

44. "__ Believer": Monkees hit : I'M A

45. "Class dismissed" sound : BELL

51. Very very : ULTRA

55. Like some clothing patches : IRON-ON

56. Grand-scale tale : EPIC

58. Have a bite : EAT

59. Eva of Argentina : PERON

62. Leaving nothing out : IN ALL

63. "__ your pardon" : I BEG

64. Rain like crazy : TEEM

65. Singer Furtado : NELLY. Sorry about the ad. Update: The 30 sec. ad only appears if you watch it directly on YouTube.

66. Keyboard goof : TYPO

67. Avg. levels : STDs (standards)

Down:

1. Web destinations : SITES

2. Get used to new conditions : ADAPT

3. Place for a dental crown : MOLAR

4. Broad-antlered deer : ELK

5. On the double, in memos : ASAP

6. Latino corner store : BODEGA

7. Prickly shrub : BRIER

8. Vintage touring car : REO. Vintage crossword.

9. Swing and a miss, say : STRIKE

10. Incisor, for one : TOOTH

11. See 61-Down : ... A DATE". 61D. With 11-Down, "See you then!" : "IT'S ...

12. Choir platform : RISER

13. Nostalgically styled : RETRO

18. Edit considerably : REWORK

22. All-purpose answer to "Why?" : "BECAUSE!"

24. Sneaker brand : ASICS. Colorful.

26. Lawman Wyatt : EARP

28. Butler's underling : FOOTMAN

30. Prez after Harry : IKE

31. MSNBC rival : CNN

32. Sweltering : HOT

33. Pig's place : STY

34. Racing shell : SCULL

35. Sounds of surprise : OHs

36. Barely passing grade : DEE

37. Donkey : ASS

39. __ Mountains: Eurasian border range : URAL

40. "Can't catch a break" : "NO LUCK"

44. "Wouldn't that be nice!" : "IF ONLY!" These two seem to fit together.

45. She lost her sheep : BO PEEP. (nursery rhyme)

46. __ the bud : NIP IN

47. Goodnight girl of song : IRENE

48. Snorkeler's vista : CORAL

49. Hillock : KNOLL

50. Churchill Downs event : DERBY. at Louisville, Kentucky.

52. Basis of a creed : TENET

53. Given four stars, say : RATED

54. Tiny elemental components : ATOMS

57. Othello's confidant : IAGO

60. Bridle mouthpiece : BIT

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

JD's new grandson Dylan Flint arrived on July 19th Friday evening "just in time for Grandma to slip in to witness his arrival". JD said: "Words cannot express that miracle. He weighed in at  8'9".

Hello, Crossword Corner!

 Big brother Cameron, Dylan & the proud Dad

Sunday July 21, 2013 Amy Johnson

Theme: "Child's Play" - The last words are all kids' toys.

 

22A. Obstacles : STUMBLING BLOCKS

32A. Wild pair, sometimes : ONE-EYED JACKS

50A. "The Phantom of the Opera" setting : MASQUERADE BALL

65A. Morsel mentioned in '80s Australian tourism ads : SHRIMP ON THE BARBIE. Barbie is their slang for BBQ. The original 1959 barbies are worth thousands.

85A. Abstained, in a way : WENT ON THE WAGON

97A. Take the gold : COME OUT ON TOP. The guy to watch in Rio.

114A. Snap : LOSE YOUR MARBLES

Fun theme. When I was a kid, there were no blocks, or wagon or barbies or any plastic toys, we sewed our own little bags filled with beans or corn and played a very simple backyard game. Similar to this, except mine were prettier.

Across:

1. Tie-dye locale : CAMP. I like to nail 1-Across entry. Not today.

5. "Sonic the Hedgehog" developer : SEGA

9. Skunk Le Pew : PEPE

13. Pileggi of "The X-Files" : MITCH. Recognized his face. Not his name.  

18. Suffix for stink : AROO

19. Sea once fed by the Amu Darya River : ARAL

20. Round Table array : ARMOR

21. Cape Cod vacation destination : TRURO

25. End-of-term hurdle : FINAL

26. Put out there : AIR

27. Pealed : RANG

28. Barroom disorder : MELEE

29. Special Olympics founder Shriver : EUNICE

30. Picked up on : SENSED

34. Biblical verb : HAST

36. Playwright Ensler : EVE. Stranger to me.

37. Technology in Pixar films, briefly : CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery)

38. "Wicked Game" rocker Chris : ISAAK

41. Boastful opening : VENI . "Veni, vidi, vici"

43. Civil War historian Shelby : FOOTE

46. Aquarium fish : OPAH

53. With reason : SANELY

55. Coal industry org. : UMW

56. Conspiracy : PLOT

57. Get under the tag, hopefully : SLIDE

58. Hades, to Satan : REALM

59. Amanda of "2012" : PEET. Oh, I liked her Something's Gotta Give. Very pretty.

61. Like drag strips : LOUD. I don't get this clue.

63. 24-hr. convenience : ATM

64. A hitchhiker might have one : GAS CAN

70. Spots : ESPIES

72. Area usually not mowed : LEA. Simple in retrospect.

73. Pelican St. metropolis : NOLA

74. Spanish 101 verb : ESTA

77. Dummy on Bergen's knee : SNERD

78. As a companion : ALONG

80. "Herding Cats: A Life in Politics" author : LOTT (Trent)

82. Bargain basement letters : IRR

83. Seasoned sailor : SEA DOG

88. Cries from one standing on a chair, maybe : EEKs

89. Obeys : HEEDS

91. Kudrow of "Friends" : LISA. Phoebe.

92. Navel concavity : INNIE

93. "__ appétit!" : BON

94. NYC visitor's final destination, perhaps : JFK. Or first.

95. 1998 home run record chaser : SOSA (Sammy)

104. Puts into words : UTTERS

108. Unprincipled : AMORAL. Out of the $80,000 Eliot Spitzer spent on his self-destructive sexual liaisons, not one penny is from public money. I'd vote him for the Comptroller post, Splynter!

109. Reduce : LOWER

110. Pigeon shelter : COTE

112. Half-pretentious? : CHI. Chichi. Recognize him?

113. Shows pluck : DARES

117. Play, as Julius Caesar : ENACT

118. Curved moldings : OGEES

119. Blew the whistle : SANG. And 120. Blows the whistle : RATS. "Rat" always sets off  Whitey Bulger. I'd eat worms if he's not a FBI informant.

121. Shades : TINTS

122. Gamer's title island : MYST

123. Nice sweetheart : AMIE. The French city Nice.

124. Brief writer: Abbr. : ATTY. Legal brief.

Down:

1. Places on una avenida residencial : CASAs

2. Fictional Ziff infatuated with Marge Simpson : ARTIE. I'm just not into The Simpsons.

3. Wear black, perhaps : MOURN

4. Little Spitz, briefly : POM. Hello Spitzboov!

 
5. Dieters' lunch orders : SALADS

6. "__ Brockovich" : ERIN

7. Turf controller : GANG

8. Subj. with exponents : ALG. For Bill G. Thanks to his post last Tuesday, I learned the differences between "Hay" and "Straw".

9. Worker, informally : PROLE

10. Host : EMCEE

11. Gumby's sidekick : POKEY. The pony.

Gumby & Pokey

12. Relatives of ums : ERs

13. Honshu Isl. peak : MT FUJI

14. Youngest of the three Prozorov sisters : IRINA. Three Sisters.

15. Forum wear : TUNIC

16. Figure out : CRACK

17. Case weaknesses : HOLES

20. Coeur d'__ : ALENE

23. Dissolution : BREAK-UP

24. Low-budget flicks : B MOVIES

29. Advantages : EDGES

31. "Inside the NBA" analyst, to fans : SHAQ

33. Outer: Pref. : ECT

35. Wii locale : TV ROOM

36. Tight position? : END. Tight end.

38. Morning announcement : I'M UP

39. Word before time and place : SAME

40. At this very moment : AS WE SPEAK

42. Flip over : EAT UP

43. Trust : FAITH

44. "Grumpy" film title characters : OLD MEN. Grumpy Old Men.

45. Fútbol shout : OLE. Football in Spanish.

46. Part of a layette : ONESIE

47. Hippie bus decal : PEACE SIGN

48. __ marsala : ALLA

49. Choir number : HYMN

51. Perry of fashion : ELLIS

52. Hardly inconspicuous : BLATANT

54. Egyptian, usually : ARAB

60. Show places? : THIRDS. Nice clue.

62. Dressed to the nines, with "up" : DOLLED

64. Log holder : GRATE

66. Take back to the drawing board : RE-DO

67. Eye-catching signs : NEONS

68. Nuts go-with : BOLTS. Nuts and bolts.

69. Island greetings : ALOHAS

70. __ quam videri: North Carolina motto : ESSE. To be, rather than to seem (to be).

71. Three-time All-Pro Giant lineman Chris : SNEE. Knew him only because I needed a new clue for SNEE once. "Old dagger" just would not work.

75. Half-Betazoid aboard the Enterprise : TROI

76. "Alfred" composer : ARNE.  More familiar with his "Rule Britannia".

78. It might be inspired : AWE

79. Driving instructor : GOLF PRO. In the driving range.

81. Storm that's chased : TWISTER

84. Grave offender? : GHOUL

86. Neat finish? : NIK. Neatnik.

87. Med sch. subject : ANAT

90. Fangorn Forest inhabitant : ENT. The Lord of the Rings.

93. Toots one's horn : BOASTS

94. Outback young : JOEYS. Baby kangaroos.

96. Reason for oversleeping : OUTAGE. Since the alarm clock would not work? Not true for Husker Gary!

97. Future officer : CADET

98. Saudi neighbor : OMANI

99. Bugs with weapons : MORAN. Bugs Moran the gangster. Al Capone's rival.

100. Like a Siberian Husky's ears : ERECT

101. Informal science : OLOGY

102. Sketch artist's array : NOSES. "Array" made me think of the tools the sketch artist uses, not the stuff he draws.

103. Certain follower's reading : TWEET

105. Ostentation : ECLAT

106. One giving Scarlett a fever? : RHETT. Great clue.

107. No tough guy : SISSY

110. Study all night : CRAM

111. Luxury hotel chain : OMNI

114. "Ten Little Indians" actor Herbert : LOM. He's also in The Pink Panther.

115. Today preceder : USA. USA Today.

116. Victoria's Secret buy : BRA. Dave's daughter works there. Speaking of Dave, he mentioned last time "My Dentist has this poster on his door to keep your mind busy while he drills." I just could not see the man. You?

C.C.