Monday, July 29, 2013 Patti Varol

Theme: Game On! - The three starred answers begin with a type of team sport ball.

20. *Page-bottom reference indicated by an asterisk : FOOTNOTE

34. *Skydiver using low-altitude starting points : BASEJUMPER

41. *Nervous wreck : BASKET CASE

54. Angels or Dodgers, and, in a way, what the first words of the answers to starred clues comprise : BALL CLUB

Argyle here on a very Monday. Patti (interview) shows us how to construct a simple Monday puzzle. A nice touch are the the two columns, each spanning two answers.

Across:

1. Mustard-colored kernels : CORN

5. Campaign ad target : VOTER

10. Best buds : PALS

14. Toward shelter, at sea : ALEE

15. Boxing venue : ARENA

16. Dr. Frankenstein's helper : IGOR

17. Musical Horne : LENA

18. Lost some color : PALED

19. Refuse to continue : QUIT

22. Exotic lizard : IGUANA

24. St. Elmo's __ : FIRE

25. Yawn inducer : BORE

26. Vowel sound in "bug" : SHORT U

29. Designer Gucci : ALDO

30. That ship : SHE

33. Junction point : NODE

37. Dickens's Heep : URIAH

39. Mom, to Auntie : SIS

40. __ bear : POLAR

44. Ecstatic review : RAVE

45. Concorde, e.g., for short : SST. (supersonic transport)

46. Crazy as a __ : LOON

47. Like a three-piece suit : VESTED

49. Supply that exceeds demand : GLUT

50. Like the Magi : WISE

51. "On the wall" beauty judge in a film classic : MIRROR. "Snow White".

58. Garfield's pal : ODIE

59. Hot under the collar : IRATE

61. Norway's capital : OSLO

62. Alternative word : ELSE

63. Like anchovies : SALTY

64. Funnyman Carvey : DANA. SNL Audition(2:22)

65. Plant's beginning : SEED

66. "__ are the times that ...": Paine : THESE. “These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value.” Complete text LINK.

67. State, in France : ÉTAT

Down:

1. Young cow : CALF

2. Topping in a tub : OLEO

3. Nevada gambling city : RENO

4. Compulsive tidy-upper : NEAT FREAK

5. Vicks mentholated ointment : VAPORUB®

6. Address the crowd : ORATE

7. Prefix with vision : TELE

8. WSW's opposite : ENE

9. One supplying drive-time music, briefly : RADIO DJ

10. Stimulate, as curiosity : PIQUE

11. Juanita's water : AGUA

12. Choice cut : LOIN

13. Mlle., in Mexico : SRTA.. French in Spanish.

21. Point trivially picked : NIT

23. Word after support or study : GROUP

25. Sanctify : BLESS

26. Deliberately doesn't invite : SNUBS

27. Jewish wedding dances : HORAs

28. Dedicative poet : ODIST

29. Made in Taiwan, say : ASIAN

30. Wet impact sound : SPLAT. Bug-hits-windshield sound.

31. Let out, as a sigh : HEAVE

32. Messed up : ERRED

35. Knotted neckwear : ASCOT

36. System with dots and dashes : MORSE CODE

38. "You had me at __": "Jerry Maguire" line : HELLO. (movie)

42. Camera-toting traveler, often : TOURIST

43. Curse-inducing stare : EVIL EYE

48. Immigrant's subj. : ESL. Another from Sunday's.

49. Avarice : GREED

50. Light bulb units : WATTS

51. "The Simpsons" tavern : MOE'S

52. Gathering dust : IDLE

53. Increase : RISE

54. Hayloft bundle : BALE

55. Atty.-to-be's exam : LSAT. ( Law School Admission Test)

56. Forearm bone : ULNA

57. Tub toy : BOAT

60. Stadium cheer : [RAH!]

Argyle

Sunday July 28, 2013 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Networking" - Theme entries all have TV channels as initials.

 27A. *"Perhaps" : THERE'S NO TELLING. TNT. Endless "Law & Order".

 41A. *Snacks not needing an oven : NO-BAKE COOKIES. NBC.

 53A. *"When I say so," militarily speaking : AT MY COMMAND. AMC.

 78A. *Signature song for Sammy Davis Jr. : THE CANDY MAN. TCM. Online version has no asterisk. But it should.

 88A. *Practically guaranteed : ALL BUT CERTAIN. ABC.

 107A. *Ambushed : TAKEN BY SURPRISE. TBS.

 16D. *Fair forecast : CLEAR BLUE SKIES. CBS.

 48D. *Settling request : PLEASE BE SEATED. PBS.

 91D. Weekly magazine where the initials of the answers to starred clues can be found : TV GUIDE

Often I have a basic idea of where the theme is going after scanning at the title. Not today. Clueless until I hit the reveal entry, which intersects 2 more theme entries.

The gridding would be a bit trickier if Ed tried to place TV GUIDE in the very lower right corner or central row. Intersection can ease up the filling considerably. Look at how nice today's long 9's (total 8) are.

Across:

 

1. Mature : ADULT

6. One of a typical schooner's pair : MAST

10. Water holders : DAMS

14. Sees eye to eye? : FACES. I don't get this clue.

19. Patty Hearst's SLA alias : TANIA

20. Alice's immortalizer : ARLO. This type of "Immortalizer" or "immortal" clue always cracks me up.

21. Inclusive ending : ET AL

22. Kate's TV mate : ALLIE

23. Bug-hits-windshield sound : SPLAT. Vivid clue.

24. Lab gel medium : AGAR

25. Stage highlight : ARIA

26. "CSI" part? : SCENE. Crime Scene Investigation.

30. Wedding proposal? : TOAST. Nice clue.

31. You-__: rural addresses : UNS. I only know y'all.

32. Fight unit: Abbr. : RND. Oh, round. Boxing.

33. Connection facilitators, briefly : ISPs

34. Fireplace place : HEARTH

35. Computer in a cubicle : DESK TOP

37. Wild talk : RANT

39. Roll on the ball field : SOD

40. "__ Mir Bist Du Schoen" (Andrews Sisters hit) : BEI. Literally "north" in Chinese, as in Beijing.

45. Tiger's ex : ELIN

46. Chem lab tube : PIPET. New word to me also.

49. Well-coiffed Byrnes : EDD

50. Cupid's wings : ALAE. The adjective is ALAR. We used to see these two a lot in the old Tribune puzzle.

51. __ bean: sprouts source : MUNG. Boomer like bean sprouts in his chow mein, served over rice. Very strange.

52. Cast member's part : ROLE

57. Military meal : MESS

58. Private insignia : ONE STRIPE

60. Carrie's org. on "Homeland" : CIA

61. Poor grades : DEEs

63. Smokey Bear broadcast, briefly : PSA

64. Like __ out of hell : A BAT

65. Critic Reed : REX

66. Rachael Ray sautéing initialism : EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

 
68. Royal Botanic Gardens locale : KEW

71. Big hauler : SEMI

73. Wet expanse : SEA. And 55D. Wet expanse : OCEAN

74. Auto trip problem : BLOWN TIRE

76. Court answer : PLEA

82. Psychic's verb : READ

83. Soldiers under Lee : REBs

84. Flor del amor : ROSA. My yellow tea rose must hate our garden, Marti.

85. Great Basin native : UTE. Gary & D-Otto use UTE a lot.

86. Oktober endings : FESTS. Oktoberfests.

87. Fancy molding : OGEE

93. __-relief : BAS

94. School support gp. : PTA

95. A fourth of doce : TRES.  doce = 12.

96. Carrion consumer : VULTURE

100. Fútbol cheer : OLE OLE

102. Computer info : DATA. 74. 102-Across units : BYTES.

104. "Wow" : GEE

105. Homer's neighbor : NED (Flanders). The Simpsons.

106. Close call : SCARE

112. Trig function : COTAN. I could only think of COSEC, Bill G.

113. No longer happening : OVER

114. Places : LOCI

115. Beetles, perhaps : AUTOS

116. Driver's lic., e.g. : IDENT (Identification).

117. Herb used with potatoes : DILL. I only like chives with potatoes.

118. Benediction opener : O GOD

119. Oodles : SLEWS

120. Like marshes : SEDGY. OK.

121. Operation Overlord time : D-DAY

122. Hinged entrance : GATE

123. "The Gondoliers" girl : TESSA. I forgot. We had this before.

Down:

1. Like some retired racehorses : AT STUD

2. Apollo's nymph : DAPHNE. She didn't like him & became a laurel tree to escape his advances. She should have just come to America.

3. Conditional word : UNLESS. You want OR ELSE too?

4. One may be exposed during cross-examination : LIAR

5. Ore-Ida morsel : TATER TOT

6. Kettles from Cape Flattery : MA AND PA

7. Jason's vessel : ARGO. Hello Lemonade!

8. Shutter part : SLAT

9. Sped : TORE

10. Gives a hand : DEALS TO

11. Anchor position : ATRIP. Spitzboov & D-Otto won't mind this A* word.

12. Sewer lines : MAINS

13. Metallic by-product : SLAG

14. Followed a Lenten routine : FASTED

15. Big name in siding : ALCOA. I need the more obvious "foil" or "wrap" to make this a gimme.

17. Hardly dim bulbs : EINSTEINS

18. Hallucinate : SEE THINGS. Tricky to parse.

28. Hoity-toity sort : SNOB

29. Type starter : LINO. Linotype.

34. Cleaned, as a deck : HOSED DOWN

36. Low benders : KNEES

37. Try a new shade on : RE-DYE

38. "High Voltage" rockers : AC/DC

39. Bean who played Boromir in "The Lord of the Rings" films : SEAN. Never saw the series. Is he bad or good?

42. Neat : KEMPT. Only know unkempt.

43. __ Sutra : KAMA

44. Waterfront gp. : ILA (International Longshoremen's Association)

45. Supermodel born Melissa Miller : EMME. Wow, her name is quite close to the real supermodel Marisa Miller.

Emme

Marisa Miller

46. Stage aid : PROP

47. Charged atoms : IONS

53. Settle things, in a way : ARBITRATE

54. Familia member : TIA

56. Potpourri : MIX

59. Skye cap : TAM

62. Geological stretch : EON

65. "The Crying Game" actor : REA (Stephen). I saw the movie in Cantonese. So shocked.

66. Wabbit hunter : ELMER

67. U.S. govt. broadcaster : VOA

69. Latin 101 word : ERAT

70. Forms a union : WEDS

72. Relax : EASE

73. Wound covering : SCAB

75. Nottingham's river : TRENT

76. Schnoz like Durante's : PROBOSCIS. Another new word to me.

77. System of laws : LEGAL CODE

79. Havana hi : HOLA 

 

80. Course for would-be U.S. citizens : ESL
 

81. Il __: Mussolini : DUCE
 

86. Walk by singly : FILE PAST
 

89. To the nth degree : UTTERLY. I'd like to try Anonymous T's pizza crust some day. Sounds delicious!
 

90. Air__: low-cost carrier : TRAN

92. Heifetz's teacher : AUER (Leopold). Hungarian violinist.
 

94. More than enough : PLENTY
 

97. Gets together : UNITES

98. Seeds again : RE-SOWS

99. Historic Mesopotamian city : EDESSA. Today known as Urfa in southeast Turkey.

101. Long-armed ape : ORANG

102. Judean king : DAVID

103. Cub Scout leader : AKELA. Learned from Xwords.

107. Sweeney with scissors : TODD. So straightforward.

108. Opine online : BLOG. I blog.

109. Meditative practice : YOGA. Star Tribune just mentioned an outdoor weekly yoga somewhere near our neighborhood.

110. Many a bagpiper : SCOT

111. Reign : RULE

C.C.