Friday February 5, 2010 Gary Cee

Theme: BE ON THE BALL (38A. Demonstrate effectiveness, and a literal hint to the puzzle theme found in the answers to starred clues) - The embedded word BE in each theme answer is placed directly above/on the embedded BALL in the grid. See the circled illustration.

14A. *First family member: ABEL. The middle son of Adam and Eve. Biblical "First family".

17A. *Old street corner singer: BALLADEER

21A. *Arthur in a dress: BEA. I know Bea Arthur. But why "in a dress"?

25A. *Receptacle for choice slips: BALLBALLOT BOX

47A. *Brit. award: OBE (Order of the British Empire)

55A. *Danseur noble's partner: BALLERINA. Danseur noble is male ballet dancer.

62A. *Ball honorees: BELLES. Ball should not be in the clue as it's part of the theme answers.

65A. *Southwestern horseman: CABALLERO. New word to me. Hey, Chuck of the West!

A solid CEE, Gary! It would be utterly cool if all the embedded BEs in the grid followed the same pattern. The "starred clues" in the unifying theme answer did not prevent me from noticing the BEs in OBESE (70. Extra large?) or BENT (25. Inclination). They went rogue.

I'll still shout an OLE (6D. 65-Across's "Bravo!") for the creative theme concept and for including our unofficial blog mushroom MOREL (8D. Provençal cuisine delicacies) in the grid. Don't know why they are "Provençal cuisine delicacies". Morel are prized every where, with the delicate flavor and high prices. Maybe because the French put morels in coq au vin?

You might have noticed that not all the theme answers are symmetrical, unlike the Will Nediger "Watch the Birdie" puzzle we had last June. Birdie is ONE UNDER PAR in golf. And Will put ONE under PAR in 10 different places, all symmetrically. Just perfect. Like today's explanatory answer BE ON THE BALL, Will's ONE UNDER PAR is also positioned in the very heart of the grid.

An easier Friday for me. Thee/four letter fill aplenty. My favorite clue today is PICABO ( 11D. Street going downhill?). Picabo Street was a skier. Her name is pronounced like "Peekaboo".

Across:

1. __ St Ives: Cornwall museum: TATE. I only knew the two Tate galleries in London (Tate Britain and Tate Modern). Wikipedia says the Tate also has a museum in Liverpool.

5. Drift: ROAM

9. Caught on video: TAPED. Poor John Edwards.

15. Muppet who testified before Congress: ELMO. In 2002. For increased funding in music education. Nice to learn this trivia.

16. Spry: AGILE

19. Director De Mille: CECIL. His last film is "The Ten Commandments".

20. Keys: ISLETS

23. Orkan sign-off word: NANU. Mork always signs off with "Nanu-nanu" ("goodbye"). From "Mink & Mindy". Learned from doing crossword.

27. Publisher often seen in PJs: HEF. Hugh Hefner. Publisher of the "Playboy".

28. Park, in NYC: AVE. Park Ave.

30. Cpl.'s superior: SGT

31. Valuable rock: ORE. Wrote down GEM first.

32. Mine entrance: ADIT. Like this.

34. Cover letter letters: ENC (Enclosed/Enclosure)

36. Diamond stat: ERA

42. Farm dweller: ANT. Ant Farm. Got the intersecting A from TEA (33. Drink from a bag) quickly, so I did not think of EWE or anybody else.

43. Musical ability: EAR

44. D.C. fundraisers: PACS (Political Action Committees)

52. Eastern principle: TAO. Literally "way" in Cantonese. Mandarin Chinese is DAO. Japanese is do, as in Judo ("gentle way").

54. "Murder, __ Wrote": SHE

58. Eucharist plate: PATEN. To put bread on. I simply forgot.

60. Culinary author Rombauer: IRMA. Author of the "Joy of Cooking". I tend to mix her up with Erma Bombeck the humorist.

61. 63-Across hdg.: ENE. And STORM (63A. Besiege)

67. Musher's wear: PARKA

68. Abbr. that shortens text: ET AL

69. Gossip columnist Cassini: IGOR. Brother of OLEG, the only Cassini I know of.

71. Con: SHAM. So is SCAM first.

72. Three-part nos.: SSNS. Social Security Numbers.

Down:

1. "Bewitched" role: TABITHA. No idea. I've only heard of ENDORA.

2. Hangdog: ABASHED. See unabashed more often.

3. Lie: TELL A FIB.

4. Actress Barkin: ELLEN. Somehow I don't think she is Dennis's type.

5. Ruby and others: REDS. My first reaction was DEES.

7. Microscopic organism: AMEBA

9. Middle x: TAC. "Middle x" in the game of Tic- Tac-toe. And ALGEBRA (22D. Course with x's). Nice x echo.

10. One taking a little off the top?: AGENT. Delicious clue!

12. Emma's "Sense and Sensibility" role: ELINOR. Played by Emma Thompson.

13. Ritzy: DELUXE

18. Aleutian island: ATKA. Or ATTU.

26. Other, in Spain: OTRA. Sometimes it's OTRO.

29. Risky undertaking: VENTURE

35. Fidel's friend: CHE (Guevara). Fidel Castro. Not dog.

37. Finsteraarhorn, e.g.: ALP. Finsteraarhorn unknown to me. The highest peak of the Bernese Alps. Located in S central Switzerland.

39. Start of many a story: ONCE. Once upon a time.

40. "Do I dare to __ peach?": Eliot: EAT A. I know what's going on in your mind, Argyle!

41. Near-exhaustion metaphor: LAST LEGS. Idiom: on one's last legs.

45. Root for: CHEER ON

46. Radar guns, e.g.: SENSORS

47. San Luis __, California: OBISPO. Literally "bishop" in Spanish.

48. Bill for shots: BAR TAB. Drink "shots".

49. Author Leonard: ELMORE. He once said "Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip."

51. Chops finely: MINCES

53. European auto: OPEL. Still belonged to GM, after the turmoil.

56. Carefree diversions: LARKS

57. Bard's "below": 'NEATH

59. "__ forgiven": ALL IS

64. West who said "To err is human, but it feels divine": MAE. Lois is the Mae West of our blog.

66. Repeated nursery rhyme opener: BAA. "Baa, Baa, black sheep...". No nursery rhyme in my childhood. Brought up by my grandma who was completely illiterate.

Thank you for the nice comments on my husband's blogging yesterday. He had fun reading them last night.

And to those who still google the old "Star Tribune Crossword Corner" blog title or the current "LA Times Crossword Corner" to find us every day, why not come to the Comments section and let your voice be heard? Here is detailed instruction on how to get your profile and turn blue. Come join us for the fun!

Answer grid.

C.C.

Thursday February 4, 2010 James Sajdak

Theme: ??? - I had to stop to think about the theme title but it never came to me. I guess I forgot to start up again.

17A. Start of a quote: DID YOU EVER

23A. Quote, part 2: STOP TO THINK,

38A. Author of the quote: A.A. MILNE

51A. Quote, part 3: AND FOR GET TO

60A. End of the quote: START AGAIN

Boomer here.

I was not thrilled with this quote theme, even though the constructor worked "Author of the quote" into the center of grid, a significant improvement over the old formulaic Alan Olschwang style Thursday quip under Wayne R. William regime: Start of quip/Part 2 of the quip/part 3 of the quip/end of the quip.

I did like the baseball references:

5A. Grass surfaces: TURFS - Interesting that the Twins are opening Target Field in a couple of months. They are calling their new surface grass. They've been playing on artificial TURF in the Metrodome for years.

52D. 'Stros, for example: NLERS - Tired of seeing the non-existing ALERS and NLERS in crosswords? Houston Astros belong to the National League.

62D. Baseball's Cobb and Cline: TYS - HOFer Ty Cobb is one of only two players to amass over 4000 hits in his major league career. Ty Cline kicked around the majors for 12 years and amassed only 437 hits. Neither was Buster Brown's dog.

Across:

1. Clip contents: AMMO

10. Whirlpool: EDDY. I think a whirlpool is called an Eddy because of Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds' first husband and Liz Taylor's fifteenth or so. Because when you fish for sunfish and hook one, they tend to swim in a tight circle and create an eddy.

14. Wagered: LAID. Bet didn't fit. Normally when you LAY a bet you are giving odds.

15. Slanted: ATILT. Something to avoid when playing pinball.

16. Like undecorated walls: BARE. Goldilocks encountered three of them.

19. Slammer at sea: BRIG. Hoosegow didn't fit. "Slammer" slang for "prison". BRIG is sailor's prison.

20. VIP roster: A LIST. Is there a "B" list? I'm probably on it, but not on the first page.

21. With no margin for error: EXACTING

26. Grifter's easy mark: LIVE ONE. Bernie Madoff and Tom Petters found a few.

29. Prohibition action: RAID. I'm picturing Elliot Ness with a spray can of insect repellent.

30. It's gnus to the lions: PREY. Since there is no NFL team called the gnus, I'm afraid Detroit will need to look for different prey. Nice gnus/news wordplay.

33. Pilgrim's destination: MECCA. Plymouth Rock didn't fit.

42. Photographer Adams: ANSEL. His photos are all black and white. Kind of like Minnesota streets in the winter.

44. Curly poker?: MOE. And STOOGES (45D. Curly group?) - Larry, Moe, and Jack were the original Stooges. Curly came along later Wup, Wup, Wup, Wup.

45. Geisha's cupful: SAKE. Japanese rice wine.

46. Ragtime piece that became Vincent Lopez's theme: NOLA. Also a city in Louisiana - good luck in the Super Bowl!

49. Hit, as flies: SWATTED. The sultan of swat was Babe Ruth. He hit some BIG FLIES!

54. Quivering: AFLUTTER. Peanut sitting on a railroad track. Heart was all aflutter. Train came rolling down the track, Choo Choo peanut butter.

55. Salad bar pair: TONGS

59. Cuernavaca crowd?: TRES. Spanish for "three". Idiom: Three is a crowd. Cuernavaca is in Central Mexico.

63. Raced: TORE

64. "Whoopee!": OH BOY. One of Buddy Holly's early hits. One day after the anniversary of the day the music died. Feb 3, 1959.

65. Logician's word: ERGO. "Cogito, ergo sum". I took four years of Latin in HS and I still don't understand it.

66. Empire until 1991: Abbr.: USSR. I thought an empire needed an emperor. Russia had a Premier, but I guess he thought he was an emperor.

67. Doesn't put anything away for a while?: FASTS. Put away: eat.

68. Harbor hauler: SCOW

Down:

3. Skirt length: MIDI. I don't see these much any more. Passing fad?

4. Homeric inspiration for Joyce's "Ulysses": ODYSSEY. Also the name of a putter. I think the PGA still allows them, as long as there are no square grooves.

5. Ancient cross shape: TAU. Greek T is cross-shaped.

6. Beehive State native: UTE. I don't know why Utah is the Beehive state, it just is.

7. Bit of bridge-building hardware: RIVET. Many are still wishing they had used stronger ones on the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi.

8. Biceps, e.g.: FLEXOR. MUSCLE fit nicely into the little boxes. I had to use Wite-Out later.

9. Sedimentary rock layers: STRATA. Also a Top Flite golf ball brand

10. Good time for a beachcomber: EBB TIDE. Looking for Sharks' teeth.

11. "Splish Splash" singer: DARIN (Bobby). More famous for "Mac the Knife". "Oh the shark has, pretty teeth dear, and he shows them pearly whites......"

12. Manhattan, for one: DRINK. The best is a VO Manhattan on the rocks with a little bit of cherry juice. One's the limit if you're driving.

13. Safecracker: YEGG. This is a real word?

18. Name of four Holy Roman emperors: OTTO. Also the name of SGT. Snorkel's dog.

22. Doorbell sound: CHIME. Our doorbell goes "ding dong".

24. Four-F's opposite, in the draft: ONE A. I was ONE A once. Then I became PVT.

25. Wave maker: PERM. I wanted to put a part of a boat here. I don't have enough hair to think about a permanent wave.

26. Women's links gp.: LPGA. Great players. Now that Annika has retired, the door is open for the next wave of stars. No squared grooves though - that's cheating.

27. Pressing need?: IRON. Missed the boat. This is an LPGA tool of the trade.

28. Examiners of boxers: VETS. So when Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear, did he go to the Vet?

35. Greek salad slice, briefly: CUKE. Not sure why it has to be a Greek salad. I put cuke slices on lots of things.

36. Like good bourbon: AGED. Many things get better with age.

38. High, as a kite: ALOFT. Avoid Charlie Brown's Kite-Eating Tree though.

39. Get rid of: LOSE

40. Ex-Speaker Gingrich: NEWT. Are his eyes used in witches brew?

43. Retail computer buyer, e.g.: END USER. When I buy a computer I use the whole thing, not just one end.

47. Much: LOTS OF

48. First name in soul: ARETHA (Franklin)

53. Up for __: GRABS

54. Alaskan island closer to Russia than to Alaska: ATTU. Maybe that's where Sarah Palin goes to see Russia.

56. DEA raider: NARC

57. Cautionary data entry acronym: GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out). OK, if you say so.

58. Winter blanket: SNOW. I'm familiar with that. I've shoveled the blanket a few times this year.

61. Twaddle: RAT. No idea. When we ratted on someone, it was called tattle. (Corrected later: The answer is ROT, not RAT).

Welcome back, Papajim! Your blue profile is still there.

Answer grid.

Boomer

Wednesday February 3, 2010 Dan Naddor

Theme: JABBER (40D: Talk on and on, and a hint to the three-letter starts of 16-, 22-, 43- and 51-Across) - The first three letter of each theme answer is a synonym of JABBER.

16A. India's first prime minister: JAWAHARLAL NEHRU. Can never remember how to spell Nehru's given name. Quite a pragmatic figure in movie "Gandhi".

22A. Washington wine region: YAKIMA VALLEY. What does Yakima mean?

43A. Chicago 'L,' e.g.: RAPID TRANSIT. Indeed, RAP is a slang for "chitchat" also.

51A. Part of a twill suit: GABARDINE JACKET. Gabardine is a sturdy & tightly woven fabric used to make suits. Just learned that the material was invented by Thomas Burberry, founder of Burberry house.

All of the three-letter JABBER words are embedded in the start of first word of a two-word common phrase. All in non-JABBER context of course. Very consistent.

This puzzle is quite similar in concept to Jerome Gunderson's "Just a Tease" puzzle. Jerome's theme answers are:

17A: Mojave Desert grower: JOSHUA TREE

26A: Flashy theatrically: RAZZLE-DAZZLE

44A: VIP at a grand opening: RIBBON CUTTER

60A: Place to wade: KIDDIE POOL

Jerome's theme eluded many last time because he did not have a similar unifying & explanatory JABBER entry. In fact, he did have NEEDLE in the grid, but it's clued as "Bit of Christmas debris".

Today's Dan Naddor Index (non-theme entries with 6 or more letters) is 7. A bit low in his standard, perhaps due to theme entry constriction (58 theme squares). The three Js, three Vs & three Ks sure liven up the grid.

Dan mentioned during his April 15, 2009 interview that he had about 50 LAT puzzles on queue. This is #46 I've blogged. We should have a few more pre-Interview Dan puzzles in the pipeline.

Across:

1. Bogs: FENS

5. New moon, e.g.: PHASE

10. Month, in Mexico: MES. Constructors like to use the month "mayo" (May) to trap us.

13. Short article: ITEM. Short news article.

14. Memory mishap: LAPSE

15. Brewer's need: MALT. HOPS & OAST also have 4 letters..

19. Lead-in for suited or timed: ILL. Ill-suited. Ill-timed.

20. Slurpee alternative: ICEE

21. Wrinkle-resistant fabric: ORLON

26A. Used the alley, in a way: BOWLED. Bowling alley, sure. But most bowlers would use "lane" rather than "alley".

28. Tweak, e.g.: ALTER

29. Nymph associated with Artemis: OREAD. The mountain nymph. Oros is Greek for "mountain".

30. Careful shopper's criterion: VALUE

33. Malice: VENOM

38. Taxpayer, e.g.: FILER

39. Iraqi, for instance: ASIAN. Funny how I seldom think of Iraqis as Asians.

40. Subway Restaurants spokesman __ Fogle: JARED. I find him to be very annoying.

42. Lake that's a source of the Mississippi: ITASCA. Lake Itasca. Literally "true head". It's located here in Minnesota.

46. Leg bone: TIBIA. So is the 5-letter word FEMUR.

47. Actress Sommer: ELKE. Oh, I recognized this lovely picture when I googled.

48. Model Landry: ALI. The Doritos girl. Gorgeous!

55. Southernmost cross-country U.S. highway: I-TEN.

57. Chick tenders: HENS. In Chinese, chicken is slang for "prostitute".

58. Away partner: FAR. Far and away.

59. Letter-shaped opening: T-SLOT. No idea. Which opening? I did not see any T-shape. (Added later: This is a better illustration.)

60. May race, for short: INDY

Down:

1. Pacific island nation: FIJI. Where Vijay Singh comes from.

2. Research paper abbr.. ETAL

3. Honeymooner, probably: NEWLY- WED. Where did you spend your honeymoon?

4. Wee, to Burns: SMA. For "small" I presume.

5. Unruffled: PLACID

6. Polygamous household group: HAREM. Literally "forbidden place" in Arabic. Section solely for women in Muslim households. I thought of the Waco Siege. What's the name of that group?

7. Cop __: A PLEA

8. FICA funds it: SSA (Social Security Administration)

9. Sushi bar serving: EEL. I've got to have unagi every time I visit a sushi bar.

10. "Symphony of a Thousand" composer: MAHLER (Gustav). Austrian composer. More known for his song cycle "Das Lied von der Erde" (The Song of the Earth).

11. Judy Jetson's brother: ELROY. Stumped me. I've never seen "The Jetsons". Elroy means "the king". Strange combination of Spanish article "el" and French word "roy" (roi).

12. Leave speechless: STUN

15. First name in country: MERLE (Haggard)

17. Raised: HIKED. Like tax.

18. "The Prince of Tides" co-star: NOLTE (Nick). Nailed it with the last two letter TE in place. Man, I rock, Lois!

23. Quaint complaint: ALAS

24. Medalworthy behavior: VALOR

25. Homecoming guest: ALUM

26. Conk: BOP

27. Juegos Olímpicos goal: ORO. Spanish for "gold". Juegos Olímpicos = Olympic Games. Easy guess.

30. African grassland: VELDT. In southern African. Old Dutch for "field". I can never remember this word either.

31. "Wheel of Fortune" purchase: AN E. Or AN I/O/U. Any vowel.

34. Tony's portrayer on "NYPD Blue": ESAI (Morales)

35. All wet: MISTAKEN

36. Buddy: MAC

38. Frock wearer: FRIAR

39. Confused: AT SEA

41. Like some swarms: APIAN. Bee-like.

42. Type of printer: INK JET

43. Gaucho's rope: RIATA. Or REATA. Lariat comes from "la riata".

44. Related to the kidneys: RENAL

45. Last Olds off the line: ALERO. The model was made between 1999-2004.

46. Cry after a hard week: TGIF. And ITS (53D. Part of 46-Down).

49. Extend credit: LEND

50. Minuscule: ITSY. Is this a real word? I only know it from "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini".

52. It ends in Nov.: DST (Daylight-Saving Time). DST starts on the second Sunday of March, and ends on the first Sunday of November.

54. Fraternity letter: CHI. The Greek X.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Bruce Venzke

Theme: Room (66A: Dorm unit, and a word that can follow each word in 18-, 27-, 34-, 47- and 57-Across.)

18A: Laundry room device: STEAM PRESS.

27A: Nonmember's club amenity: GUEST LOCKER.

34A: Place for a dip on the road: HOTEL POOL.

47A: Patient strategy: WAITING GAME.

57A: Indisputable evidence: SMOKING GUN.

Argyle here. There is really little to say about the theme. Pretty straightforward though some of the rooms may not be common, they exist. The use of ROOM in the 18A clue is unfortunate. It would have been better clued as Commercial laundry device.

Some old crosswordese reappears today, also. I think 2D: Prepares, as leftovers: HEATS UP sums up my feeling today. We have been served hash.

Across:

1A: Weary comment: "AH, ME".

5A: Rx's: MEDS.

9A: By oneself: ALONE.

14A: Square fare?: MEAL. "Three square meals a day". Nice rhyme.

15A: Film beekeeper: ULEE. Old crosswordese. Film: "Ulee's Gold".

16A: Defunct flier with a blue-globe logo: PAN AM.

17A: Links goals: PAR. Not quite true; the goal is to use the fewest number of strokes.

20A: "Four Quartets" poet: TS ELIOT.

22A: Leavening agent: YEAST.

23A: Havana residue: ASH. (Cigar)

24A: Organ with a hammer: EAR. Also called the Malleus.

25A: Some daisies: SHASTAS.

30A: "__ Beso": Anka song: ESO. Old crosswordese.

31A: Printer brand: EPSON.

32A: Cone maker: FIR.

33A: Zoomed: SPED.

38A: __-date: current: UP-TO.

41A: Harem chamber: ODA. Old crosswordese.

42A: Like Homo sapiens: HUMAN.

46A: Arafat's gp. until 2004: PLO. Old crosswordese.

50A: Jones or Johnson: SURNAME.

52A: West in old films: MAE. Old crosswordese. Mae West.

53A: Swaying direction: FRO. To and Fro.

54A: Crete peak: Abbr.: MT. IDA. Old crosswordese.

55A: Mental blackout: AMNESIA.

59A: Okra units: PODS. Not like pea pods. These are cut up whole, not shucked.

61A: Mortise's mate: TENON. Old crosswordese. See this illustration.

62A: 1993 Nobelist Morrison: TONI. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed black characters. Among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, and Beloved.

63A: Land east of the Urals: ASIA. The Ural mountain range runs north/south and is used to divide Europe from Asia.

64A: Lead singer with The Police: STING.

65A: Graceful molding: OGEE. Old crosswordese.

Down:

1D: Roadie's load: AMP. Old crosswordese.

3D: Heron habitats: MARSHES.

4D: "Anything __?": ELSE. A new clue?

5D: Stan "The Man" of baseball: MUSIAL.

6D: Matador's opponent: EL TORO. Old crosswordese.

7D: Insect repellent ingredient: DEET. Old crosswordese.

8D: Triton's realm: SEA. Greek God of the Sea.

9D: Perform on stage: APPEAR.

10D: "__ Theme": "Doctor Zhivago" melody: LARA'S. Some cool images with this clip.

11D: Basic dance: ONE STEP.

12D: Ilie of tennis: NASTASE. Ahh, his last name for a change.

13D: Ambulance initials: EMS. Emergency Medical Service.

19D: Rescued damsel's cry: "MY HERO!".

21D: "... __ man put asunder": LET NO.

23D: Some lie about theirs: AGE.

25D: Partner of hop and jump: SKIP. 'Hop, skip, and jump' is a track event.

26D: Groundskeeper's buy: SOD.

28D: Artsy Manhattan area: SOHO. Old crosswordese.

29D: Key equivalent to B: C-FLAT.

33D: Punch hard: SLUG.

35D: Without exception: TO A MAN.

36D: Falco of "The Sopranos": EDIE. Old crosswordese.

37D: "Gosh": ""OH, GEE".

38D: Co. with brown uniforms: UPS. United Parcel Service, what can brown do for you.

39D: Nose-dive: PLUMMET.

40D: Trattoria dessert: TORTONI. An ice cream made with eggs and heavy cream, often containing chopped cherries or topped with minced almonds or crumbled macaroons.

43D: Crime family member: MAFIOSO.

44D: Medium with much talk: AM RADIO.

45D: Prefix with natal: NEO.

47D: Walking in the shallows: WADING.

48D: Protected by shots, perhaps: IMMUNE.

49D: Family nickname: NANNIE. Not in my family. Nana is common though.

51D: F-series camera maker: NIKON.

55D: Bug-eyed: AGOG.

56D: Practice on canvas: SPAR.

57D: Bourbon et al.: Abbr.: STS. (Street)

58D: Pontiac in a '60s hit song: GTO.

60D: "Casablanca" pianist: SAM.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, February 1, 2010 David W. Cromer

Theme: Gambler's Action - The first word of each familiar phrase are things one might do while playing POKER (69A: Texas Hold 'em, e.g., and a hint to this puzzle's theme).

20A: Broadway premiere: OPENING NIGHT. First official presentation of a new play.

28A: Making lots of noise: RAISING A RUCKUS. Ruckus (1890), possibly a blend of ruction "disturbance" (1825) and rumpus (1764), of unknown origin.

47A: Start of a wide-area police radio alert: CALLING ALL CARS. Aka, APB.

57A: Seating for extra guests, maybe: FOLDING TABLE. I thought it would have been better to clue this as "Seating for the kids" to lead away from FOLDING CHAIR.

Bonus fill: SEVEN (23A: __-card stud). This is related to poker, of course, but not to Texas Hold'Em or to an action.

Update (7:25am): What with Texas Hold'em so big, I forgot some of us may not understand the poker terms.

OPENING: making the first bet.

RAISING: increasing the size of the bet.

Which leads to the last two entries.

CALLING: matching the bet and any raises.

FOLDING: discarding one's cards and losing out on the current pot.

Argyle here. Not bad for a Monday. Four theme answers and a clarifying clue (and a bonus). Can't you just see Bogie hailing a taxi and asking the cabbie, "Where can I find a little action in this town?"

Across:

1A: Cribbage pieces: PEGS. Is there any gambling involved in cribbage? It's not what Bogie was looking for.

5A: Shaving gel alternative: FOAM.

9A: More than disliked: HATED.

14A: Power co. product: ELEC..

17A: Volcano feature: CONE.

18A: Equestrian's control: REIN. In dressage, control is done mostly with the knees.

33A: Genealogist's chart: TREE.

34A: No-treat consequence?: TRICK. Trick or Treat. At Halloween.

35A: Speech impediment: LISP.

39A: Arises (from): STEMS.

42A: Till bills: ONES. Fine rhyme.

43A: Like draft beer: ON TAP.

45A: 1492 Atlantic crosser: NINA. With Pinta and Santa Maria

54A: By way of: VIA.

55A: Athletic shoe's turf grabber: CLEAT. Forgot about the Pro Bowl. No biggie.

61A: Yell: SHOUT.

64A: __ club: singing group: GLEE. Anyone watching "Glee"?

65A: Decisive victory: ROUT.

66A: Lower in esteem: ABASE.

67A: Name on many Irish coins: EIRE. Pic

68A: Far Eastern detective played by Lorre: MOTO. That's Mr. Moto, if you please.

70A: Boys: TADS.

71A: British weapon of WWII: STEN.

Down:

1D: __ Bill: legendary cowboy: PECOS. Freshest entry today.

2D: Romeo or Juliet, marriagewise: ELOPER. Were they married?

3D: Swiss city on the Rhone: GENEVA.

4D: First part of an act: SCENE I.

5D: Plant with fronds: FERN.

6D: Designer Cassini: OLEG.

7D: Ugandan dictator: AMIN. Forest Whitaker portrayed Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland" (2006).

8D: Seles of tennis: MONICA.

9D: Discuss thoroughly: HASH OUT.

11D: La Brea stuff: TAR.

12D: CPR giver, often: EMT.

13D: Hair styles: DOs.

21D: MIT, for one: Abbr.: INST.. An institution of higher learning

25D: Porous organ: SKIN.

26D: Brownish purple: PUCE.

30D: Keep after taxes: NET.

31D: Davis who played Thelma: GEENA. "Thelma & Louise"(1991). Geena Davis played Thelma and Susan Sarandon played Louise. Thelma quote: "I've had it up to my a** with sedate."

32D: __-Magnon: CRO.

35D: Bonkers: LOCO.

36D: Words before instant or emergency: IN AN.

37D: WWII invasion city: ST LO. Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France.

38D: Good bud: PAL. Primo.

40D: Wire diameter measure: MIL.

41D: NBC weekend hit, briefly: SNL.

44D: One doing a pirouette, e.g.: PIVOTER. Worst entry.

46D: Brokerage cust.: ACCT..

48D: It's nothing: NIL.

49D: Thingamajig: GADGET.

50D: Security devices: ALARMS.

51D: Start again, as after a computer system crash: REBOOT.

52D: Military greeting: SALUTE.

56D: Wyoming's __ Range: TETON.

57D: Firecracker cord: FUSE.

58D: Hip bones: ILIA.

59D: Socially inept type: NERD

60D: Thousands, in a heist: GEES. Gee stands for a grand($1000)

61D: Maple syrup base: SAP.

62D: "True Blood" network: HBO.

63D: Acorn's destiny: OAK. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday January 31, 2010 Matt Skoczen

Theme: Running on Empty (M.T.) - Letters M & T start each two-word familiar phrases.

23A. Crisp named for an opera singer: MELBA TOAST. Named after the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba.

25A. Illusion: MAGIC TRICK

36A. Popular date destination: MOVIE THEATER

51A. 1936 Chaplin classic: MODERN TIMES. Also EXILE (19A. Charlie Chaplin, from 1952 to 1972).

72A. Frankie Laine chart-topper: MULE TRAIN. Doesn't ring a bell. Here is a clip.

89A. Painter's aid: MASKING TAPE

105A. 1979 Nobel Peace Prize recipient: MOTHER TERESA. She was from ALBANIA (4D. NATO member since 4/1/2009).

120A. Singer's voice, e.g.: MEAL TICKET

123A. Money-making knack: MIDAS TOUCH. Esp in stock market.

Very straightforward clues and natural, easy to get & "in the language" theme answers. Sometimes those question marked theme clues and resulting wordplay answers can be a bit strained. Or hilarious if the pun works for you.

When did you cotton onto the theme? I did not grok it until I completed the whole grid and studied each theme answer. Read M & T together, they do sound like "empty".

I am guessing today's constructor Matt Skoczen loves music. Look at the below clues:

44A. __ canto: BEL. Italian for "beautiful singing". New opera term to me.

98A. Con __: briskly, in music: MOTO. Italian for "with motion". Also new to me.

29D. Calliope power: STEAM. I've never heard of musical instrument steam calliope.

70D. Musical note feature: STEM. The vertical line forming part of a note.

Most of the other non-theme clues today are straightforward and "honest". The puzzle itself feels very smooth. I really enjoyed the solving. I bet JD too.

Across:

1. Amy Winehouse Grammy-winning song: REHAB. The only Winehouse song I know of.

6. Annapolis inst.: USNA. And PLEBE (110D Annapolis newbie).

10. At least as: NO LESS

16. Apr. advisor: CPA. Apr. = IRS month.

21. Hardens: INURES

22. Leia's love: HAN (Solo). From "Star Wars".

27. Pump measure: OCTANE

30. H+ and Cl -: IONS. Charged particles.

31. Ex-Dodger Hershiser: OREL

32. Squelch: NIX

33. Narcs, e.g.: BUSTERS

35. Disconcerting look: STARE. So is GLARE.

40. They're slanted: ITALICS. Indeed.

43. Starting point, perhaps: IDEA. "Perhaps"!

45. It can span centuries: SAGA

49. Union: NORTH. Was thinking of "merger" union, not the Civil War side.

56. Bankrupt Korean automaker: DAEWOO. Dae = Great. Woo = Universe. Literally "great universe". I recognize the meaning of Korean only if they are in written in Hanja.

58. Make out: SEE

60. International show: EXPO

61. State that's home to Nike H.Q.: ORE (Oregon)

62. Powwows: TALKS. Only know the Native American ceremony meaning of "Powwow". Conference

67. Completely fall apart: GO TO RUIN

70. New Orleans player: SAINT. Hey, Haltool! Who Dat?

75. Under siege: BESET

76. Uses as partial payment: TRADES IN

78. Dark genre: NOIR. Film noir.

79. Revlon offering: SCENT. Have never tried any of Revlon's perfume.

81. Dark time for poets: E'EN. And MORNS (108A. Blake's daybreaks). British poet William Blake.

82. Cut out, e.g.: EDIT

84. French pronoun: CES. French for "these".

86. Regular crowd: USUALS

94. Fashion: STYLE

97. Choice word: ELSE. Or else.

100. Hiring term initiated under LBJ: EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity)

101. Chips follower?: AHOY. Chips Ahoy!

102. Sways while moving: CAREENS

109. Source of flowing water: OPEN TAP

111. Teeny bit: TAD. And SMIDGEN (63D Teeny bit). I totally adore clue echos.

112. Words of woe: AH ME

113. Cyan relative: TEAL. Both blue.

116. Flares up: ERUPTS

125. E-bay action: BID

126. Place for a drip, briefly: IV TUBE

127. Attacking the job: AT IT. Ah, it's back.

128. __ Bubba: gum brand: HUBBA. Have never heard of this Wrigley brand. Don't chew gum.

130. Blotto: LOOPED. Both slang for "drunk". Both new to me.

131. Endangered island flier: NENE. Hawaii's state bird.

132. Nineveh's land: Abbr.: ASSYR (Assyria). Nineveh is the ancient capital of Assyria. Its ruins are opposite Mosul, on the Tigris River, in N Iraq. Stumped me.

Down:

1. Riviera resort San __: REMO

2. Business VIP: EXEC

3. Weapon handle: HILT

5. Retro headgear: BEANIE

6. Area 51 sighting, briefly: UFO

7. "Click it or ticket" subject: SEAT BELTS

8. New Hampshire city: NASHUA. What's it famous for?

9. Experts: ARTISTS

10. Strategic math game: NIM. Surprised to learn it originated in China.

11. Broadcasting: ON AIR

12. Count player: LUGOSI (Bela). He played Count Dracula in "Dracula".

13. Hibernia: ERIN. Hibernia is Latin for Ireland. A Hibernophile is a person who loves all things Irish. I mentioned this on the blog a few times before.

14. Brief moments: SECS. Nice clue.

15. Its last flight was Nov. 26, 2003: SST. Trivia is always appreciated.

16. Former French president: CHIRAC (Jacques). Retired life is not so sweet for him, obviously.

17. Harness horses: PACERS. Dictionary defines it as "a standard-bred horse that is used for pacing in harness racing".

18. It's commonly turned: ANKLE. "It's commonly twisted" too.

24. Typical, as a case: TEXTBOOK

26. Corkscrew pasta: ROTINI. Italian for "twist".

34. Therefore: ERGO

35. Thin cut: SLIT

36. Even-tempered: MILD. Not a word to describe Dennis or Windhover.

37. Greek music halls: ODEA. Plural of odeum.

38. Shakespearean merchant Antonio et al.: VENETIANS

39. "__ Alibi": Selleck film: HER. Nope. Who's the girl?

41. Silvery game fish: TARPONS. The name escaped me. Had this clue before. Huge.

42. "Are too!" response: AM NOT

49. Nick of "Affliction": NOLTE

50. Loaf's end: HEEL

52. Vet: EX-GI

53. Ringo and George each wore one: MOUSTACHE. Came to me slowly.

54. Lake-effect snow city: ERIE

55. In the mail: SENT

57. Fairy godmother's prop: WAND

59. Garden locale: EDEN. The first garden ever.

65. Pontiac muscle car: GTO

66. __ the Red: ERIC. Or Erik.

68. Quite heavy: OBESE

69. Bausch & Lomb brand: RENU

71. High pressure __: AREA

73. Curriculum part: UNIT

74. Mars counterpart: ARES. Greek god of war.

77. Suspect: SENSE

80. Skirtlike trousers: CULOTTES. Does this girl look sexy to you?

83. Inverness topper: TAM

85. Saturated with: STEEPED IN

87. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" author: LOOS (Anita)

88. Tofu source: SOYA

90. Wheat seed: KERNEL

91. The Philippines, to Philippe: ILES. The Philippines (Islands), to a French man.

92. Pear or apple: POME

93. Broad collars: ETONS

95. "__ durn tootin'!": YER. The redneck's equivalent of "yes, of course". I've never heard of it before.

99. Armchair partner: OTTOMAN

101. Herculean: ARDUOUS

102. One sharing the wealth?: CO-HEIR. Was thinking of DONOR.

103. Noted 1588 loser: ARMADA. The Spanish fleet. Defeated by the English navy.

106. Descendant of Noah's second son: HAMITE. No idea. Ham is the second son of Noah.

107. Singer Kitt: EARTHA. Ah, "Santa Baby" for Argyle.

108. Deadly African snake: MAMBA. Terrifying head.

113. Show saver: TIVO

114. Prefix with plasm: ECTO. Meaning "outer"/"external". Opposite "endo".

117. Taverns: PUBS

118. Frozen dessert franchise: TCBY

119. __-Pei: strong dog: SHAR. The wrinkly dog. Shar = Sand, Pei = Skin. "Sand skin" refers to its rough sandy coat.

122. "Dilbert" Generic Guy: TED. Not familiar with Ted the Generic Guy.

Answer grid.

Awesome memory tag Gessica Alba for GALBA, Lemonade, thank you! Now how about ERNANI?

C.C.

Saturday January 30, 2010 Brad Wilber

Theme: None

Total block: 30

Total words: 72

Tough slog again. Bogged down from the very start. Wanted CAREW instead of BOGGS (1A. Winner of five of six A.L. batting titles from 1983 to 1988). Rod Carew actually is a winner of seven batting titles and retired in 1985. Wade Boggs (Hall of Famer, 2005 Class) had a stellar career with the Red Sox. His baseball cards are very affordable, even the authenticated signed ones.

Quite a few tricky clues in the grid. My favorites are the two short ones:

49A. Serial ending?: IZE. Ending of the word serialize.

8D. Drunk's chaser?: ARD. Ard is the end of drunkard, hence the literal "chaser".

Anyway, I am now resigned to the fact that I will always have to struggle with Brad Wilber puzzles. His name equals "trouble" for me. Besides, I just can't handle themeless!

Across:

6. Produce unit: HEAD. Lettuce/cabbage, etc.

10. Mil. stores: PXS. PX = Post Exchange. Three Xs in this grid.

13. Taking undeserved credit, perhaps: ON AN EGO TRIP. Alas, my multi-word trouble continues!

16. Psychotic TV pooch: REN. And TOON (57A. 16-Across, e.g.). "The Ren and Stimpy Show". I was ignorant of the fact that Ren is a psychotic. Stimpy is the cat.

17. "Fully loaded" purchase: DELUXE MODE. I am all for basics, even my iPod is Classic.

18. "Bed-in for Peace" figure: ONO (Yoko)

19. Regress: EBB

20. Next: THEN

21. Barn loft: HAYMOW. New term to me. Dictionary says it's called hayloft.

23. Fish preparation gadgets: SCALERS

25. Like "Marley & Me": RATED PG. Have yet to see "Marley & Me". I like most of the Jennifer Aniston movies.

26. Place for wallowers: STY

27. "Heartland" autobiographer: MORT SAHL. Nice to see his full name in a grid. Not aware of his autobiography though.

28. Joes at a diner: JAVAS. Coffees.

31. Aptly named novelist Charles: READE. The English novelist. Pronounced like "read". Apt indeed then!

33. Perched: ALIT

34. Casual pants, briefly: CORDS. Corduroys.

35. Friday player: WEBB (Jack). Of "Dragnet". He played Joe Friday.

37. Footwear ill-suited for stealth: CLOGS

38. Paris's __ d'Orsay: MUSEE. My favorite place in Paris.

39. Volcanic crater feature: LAVA LAKE

41. Grafton's "__ for Noose": N IS. The only way to clue NIS.

42. Seismograph stimuli: TREMORS

43. Waltz segment: BOX STEPS. Stymied me also.

47. 1844 Verdi premiere: ERNANI. Last time Dan Naddor clued as it "Verdi title bandit". I simply forgot. The opera was based on Hugo's play "Hernani". H is silent I suppose.

48. Act as lookout for, e.g.: ABET

50. Emmy-nominated Charlotte: RAE

51. Utility offering: ENERGY AUDIT. Didn't yield readily.

54. Sch. where Buzz Aldrin got a doctorate: MIT. Unknown trivia to me.

55. Castaway's dream come true: RESCUE PLANE

56. __-pitch: SLO

58. Hand net user, perhaps: EELER. Thought eelers use pot.

Down:

1. Augurs: BODES

2. Last year of its kind: ONE BC. Oh, last non-A.D. year. I did not parse "last year" properly.

3. Nero's successor: GALBA. Will probably forget his name again next time.

4. Serengeti antelope: GNU

5. Some chamber works: SEXTETS. Group of six.

6. Geography-class mnemonic: HOMES. The Great Lakes mnemonic. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior.

7. 007's alma mater: ETON

9. Hardly fair-weather friends: DIE-HARDS

10. Some limo sharers: PROM DATES

11. Anti-diversity type: XENOPHOBE. Xeno is a prefix for "alien/strange".

12. Popular paperweight: SNOW GLOBE.

14. Frank __, architect of L.A.'s Walt Disney Concert Hall: GEHRY. Complete stranger to me. I wrote down LLOYD, thinking of Frank Lloyd Wright.

15. Missouri tributary: PLATTE

22. Thumbs-up: YES

24. Aspiring atty.'s hurdle: LSAT

25. Courses: ROADS. Was thinking of meal "courses", not "route".

27. Amalgamate: MERGE

28. Consequences of one's convictions: JAIL TERMS. Again, my mind was in "belief" convictions direction, not guilty conviction.

29. Communion line setting: ALTAR RAIL

30. Upscale Roman shopping street: VIA VENETO. No idea. Have never been to Rome. Red roses, how romantic! Via is Italian for "avenue", right?

31. Corner pieces: ROOKS

34. Its trill opens "Rhapsody in Blue": CLARINET. Should be a gimme for Jazzbumpa. I am clueless.

35. Doormat: WUSS. No WIMP wobbling for me today due to the intersection U.

37. Plant geneticist, at times: CLONER. OK.

38. Homemade cassette with assorted songs: MIXTAPE. Mixedtape is more common, no?

40. Docs' lobby: Abbr.: AMA

41. "__ hath seen such scarecrows": "Henry IV, Part I": NO EYE. Shakespeare's stuff got me all the time.

43. Red Ryder, for one: BB GUN. It's featured in "A Christmas Story".

44. Word with bore or basin: TIDAL. Don't know what a tidal bore is.

45. Paperless read: EZINE

46. Fizzle (out): PETER

48. Not pizzicato: ARCO. Musical term for performance "with a bow". Same root with "Arc". Pizzicato is plucking rather than bowing the strings. I simply forgot.

52. That, to Teresa: ESO. Penned in ESA, since Teresa is a girl's name.

53. Diminutive suffix: ULE. Like nodule.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Friday January 29, 2010 Don Gagliado

Theme: THE WALLS HAVE EARS (38A. "Be careful what you say," and a hint to a feature shared by this puzzle's perimeter answers) - The string of letters EAR can be found along the outer edges (walls) of the grid. I've circled them for illustration.

1A. Poet Edward and a king: LEARS. King Lear. My first encounter with the British poet Edward Lear.

6A. "Like Mike" actress: MEARA (Anne). Ben Stiller's mother.

11A. Make on the job: EARN

69A. Wine industry reference point: YEAR. Wine vintage.

70A. Tough test metaphor: A BEAR

71A. Promise: SWEAR

1D. Shoe co. founded in Venice Beach: LA GEAR. Stymied me.

14D. Close one: NEAR MISS

38D. Like some football jerseys: TEARAWAY. Some people go nuts bidding on those game worn smelly jerseys.

52D. Show up: APPEAR

Ten EARS on the walls, perfect! A special 16*15 grid to accommodate the 16-letter unifying theme entry THE WALLS HAVE EARS. Neat that you can't find any non-theme entry containing **EAR** in the grid.

This puzzle reminds me of Don "Hard G" Gagliado's "Shoe Store" puzzle, in which each four-square corner has a box of S H O E (arranged in counterclockwise pattern and the rotation is changed one space at a time). He has a creative & exploratory mind.

Like almost every one of his puzzle that I've blogged, today's theme concept is original and fun. Absolutely no predictability when you see his byline. Always an adventure. Don has kindly provided us the inspiration for this puzzle. Scroll down to the end of this post to read.

Across:

15. When Polonius says "brevity is the soul of wit": ACT II. From "Hamlet". Stumper for me.

16. Outdoor seating area: ARBOR

17. Old knife: SNEE. This has become a gimme.

18. Equatorial African country: GABON. I had ??BON sitting there forever.

19. Lindsay's "Bionic Woman" role: JAIME (Sommers). I just remember it as French "I love" J'aime.

20. Thompson in the Theater Hall of Fame: SADA. Sorry, have never heard of you. (Sorry for the wrong person. Here is the correct one. Thanks, Sam.)

22. Scrooge's visitors: GHOSTS

24. "Ta-ta!": LATER

25. "L.A. Law" extras: ATTS (Attorneys). And ABA (30D. Org. for 25-Across)

27. City near Provo: OREM

28. Chaos: MAYHEM

29. Swipe again?: RE-SCAN. Swipe a credit card.

31. Found, as tabloid fodder: DUG UP. Dug up the dirt.

33. Rec. label across the pond: EMI. One of the "big four" record labels.

34. The duck, in "Peter and the Wolf": OBOE. Can never remember which animal represents which instrument.

36. Liver oil source: COD

37. Home of the Big 12's Cyclones: AMES. Iowa State University.

43. Thought patterns, briefly?: EEGS. The brain tests.

44. Guitar cousin: UKE. Surprised to learn that it's pronounced like "ook", not "yook" in Hawaii. Thanks, KeaauRich! We also have HONOLULU (23D. Frequent Pro Bowl site).

45. Shade: TINT

46. Latin I word: AMO. Amo (I love), Amas (You love), Amat (He/She loves).

47. It's not on the level: SLOPE

49. Oceanic phenomenon that affects weather: LA NINA. Penned in EL NINO.

53. Baroque composer Jean-Philippe: RAMEAU. No idea. Is his hair real?

55. Jump in a rink: AXEL. Bet it's a gimme for Clear Ayes/Robin.

57. Unbalanced: A-LOP. Yep, it's a real word. Santa double-checked! Haysacks, all A-LOP.

58. Ever: AT ALL

59. Lens holders: FRAMES

61. Back talk: LIP

62. Erosive force: WIND. Erosive indeed.

63. Like candied fruits: GLACE. SWEET, anyone?

64. Revolutionary Chopin piece?: ETUDE. An intuitive fill. Not familiar with Chopin's "The Revolutionary Étude".

66. Play to __: A TIE

67. Dull: MATTE. Like some photos.

68. Where gobs go: TO SEA. Gob is slang for "sailor". Gimme for our Navy guys Frank and Spitzoov, I hope. if so, splice the main brace!

Down:

2. French card game similar to whist: ECARTE. Got me. Écarté (ey-kahr-TEY) is literally "discarded". Card game for two players.

3. Casey's turns: AT-BATS. And MUDVILLE (28D. Casey's team). Love the poem "Casey at the Bat". "... But there is no joy in Mudville— mighty Casey has struck out."

4. Ipanema's city: RIO. Maybe Argyle can find a good clip of "The Girl From Ipanema".

5. Do a number: SING. Musical "number".

6. College choice: MAJOR

7. Undid: ERASED

8. Adequate, and then some: A BIT MUCH

11. Blue book entry: ESSAY

12. Object of loathing: ANATHEMA. Know the meaning, not the exact spelling.

13. Mahdi, in Islam: REDEEMER. Mahdi (MAH-dee) is the Muslim messiah, like Jesus. New to me.

24. Sitter's offer to a tot: LAP

26. Garbage haulers: SCOWS

32. Bearded butter: GOAT. Butt-er, the one who butts. Goat butts.

35. Nevada city on I-80: ELKO. What's so famous about this city?

37. Health Net rival: AETNA. Named after the Sicilian volcano ETNA.

39. Iron ore: HEMATITE. Literally "bloodstone". Hemat(o) is prefix for "blood".

40. Dorian Gray's flaw: EGOMANIA. Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray". I cheated on this one.

41. Like exes: SEPARATE. Like the Edwards. Was amazed by the thick hair of John Edwards when I met him.

42. Bambi relative: ENA. Bambi's aunt.

47. __ Paradise, "On the Road" narrator: SAL. Nope. Have never heard of this novel.

48. Parimutuel bet: EXACTA. Picking the top two finishers in order.

50. Mishandling: ILL-USE. Same meaning as "misuse", right?

51. Shrugger's comment: NO IDEA. Well, I don't shrug my shoulders when I say so.

54. Respected one: ELDER. Esp in China/Japan, you don't argue with the elders.

56. Arab potentate: EMEER. See EMIR more often.

59. Tightening target: FLAB.

60. Jazz sessions: SETS

63. "Today" rival, briefly: GMA (Good Morning America)

65. Haul: TOW

Note from today's constructor:

“The Walls have Ears” was inspired by an episode of Rocky and Bullwinkle. I am very fond of many old cartoons, and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle is so fun because of all of the wordplay. The particular episode that I was watching featured an office of a spy headquarters, and wallpaper that featured images of ears. A wonderful subtle touch was that although it was never said, the image hearkened to the phrase from spy movies, etc., “the walls have ears.” Naturally, I decided right there that I had to do something with that. The phrase is 16 letters long, which adds a constraint to making the puzzle. I tried for putting as many different letters before EAR as I could around the ‘walls’ of the puzzle.

An interesting sidelight is that this puzzle was submitted a long time ago, last spring I think. It had to be shelved until a reasonable time elapsed after a similar theme was published. That theme was INNER EAR, which had EAR straddling words in a phrase. So it was a surprise when Rich e-mailed me in December that I had to change the puzzle. I had an entry, HERE HERE, which is inaccurate. It should be , HEAR HEAR. An ironic fate, being that HEAR HEAR has two ears in it. It was unfortunate, because I had a really good fill going in that corner. I had to do major revisions affecting half of the puzzle. Anyway, I was able to get the present version accepted before the deadline, and I just squeaked it by for January."

Answer grid.

C.C.