Tuesday May 25, 2010 Jerome Gunderson

Theme: Name That Phrase - Common phrases are humorously reinterpreted and clued as if the last word were two people who share the first name.

20A. Robinson and Thomas?: BALLPARK FRANKS. A pair of Major League Baseball players. Frank Robinson is a former player and manager in the 60's and 70's. He was an outfielder, most notably with the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He served as the first African-American manager in Major League history and is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Recently retired designated hitter and first baseman, Frank Thomas became one of baseball's biggest stars in the 1990s, playing for the Chicago White Sox. Nicknamed "The Big Hurt".

37A. Owens and Henry?: COUPLE OF BUCKS. Buck Owens (1929-2006), was an American singer and guitarist and is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Owens called Bakersfield, CA, home and pioneered what came to be called the Bakersfield sound.

Buck Henry is an American actor, writer, film director, and television director. Noted for his dry sense of humor, Henry hosted NBC's Saturday Night Live ten times.

54A. Garfunkel and Tatum?: PERFORMING ARTS. "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer, poet, and actor, best known as half of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel. In particular, he is remembered for being the lead singer on the #1 hit single, "Bridge Over Troubled Water".

"Art" Tatum Jr. (1909 – 1956) was an American jazz pianist and virtuoso and is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. He was nearly blind. (He also had an encyclopedic memory for Major League Baseball statistics.)

Argyle here.

I had fun doing this puzzle but I had trouble deciding what to call the theme. The first and third phrases can be said to describe the people associated with them but what to do with a COUPLE OF BUCKS. Won't buy ya' much. Maybe I'll let C.C. decide.

A lot of alliteration today. No links today, but feel free to put in your own links. As a group, we have gotten real good at it and always interesting.

Across:

1A. Indiana senator Evan: BAYH.

5A. Half a '60s pop group: MAMAS. And the Papas

10A. News article: ITEM.

14A. Start of a crystal ball user's prediction: "I SEE".

15A. Dedicatee of Beethoven's "Bagatelle in A Minor": ELISE.

16A. Haydn sobriquet: PAPA. "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet", Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809) was an Austrian composer.

17A. __ monster: lizard: GILA. Poisonous.

18A. Patty Hearst's SLA alias: TANIA. She was abducted by the Symbionese Liberation Army in the 70's.

19A. Landed: ALIT.

23A. Sense of self: EGO.

24A. Poor offering: ALMS.

25A. Skewered fare: KABOB.

27A. "Impossible!": "NO WAY!".

29A. Where the buffalo roam: LEA.

31A. Fruity refreshment: ADE.

32A. Argue: QUARREL.

36A. Passed with flying colors: ACED.

40A. PBS science series: NOVA.

41A. Most corpulent: FATTEST.

42A. Do an impression of: APE.

43A. Jay-Z's genre: RAP.

44A. Point of contention: ISSUE.

48A. City of Light, to Cole Porter: PAREE. Paris.

50A. Memphis middle name: ARON. Memphis was the home of Elvis ARON Presley.

53A. Cease: END.

58A. Lively style: ELAN.

59A. Sylvan setting: WOODS.

60A. Muddy area: MIRE.

61A. Legendary Asian beast: YETI.

62A. Sweden neighbor, to a Swede: NORGE.

63A. Heavy hammer: MAUL.

64A. Let up: EASE.

65A. Marksman's game: SKEET.

66A. Corrida encouragements: OLÉs.

Down:

1D. Nickname of London's Great Bell: BIG BEN. In the clock tower at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England.

2D. Italian region known for its cheese: ASIAGO. We haven't discussed cheese lately.

3D. Brick road color: YELLOW. Some cheese color, too.

4D. Cure: HEAL.

5D. Heavy rock?: METAL. Another musical genre.

6D. Frighten: ALARM.

7D. Weasel cousins: MINKS.

8D. "Yeah, right!": "AS IF!".

9D. Char: SEAR.

10D. Bucky Beaver's toothpaste: IPANA.

11D. Sass, with "to": TALK BACK.

12D. 45-Down parts: EPISODES.

13D. Wrestling surface: MAT.

21D. Settle a debt: PAY UP.

22D. Wanted poster letters: AKA.

26D. Garden plot: BED.

28D. Color similar to robin egg blue: AQUA.

29D. Baseball field?: LEFT. Center and right would be the other two fields.

30D. Hamburg's river: ELBE.

33D. A, in communications: ALFA. Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, etc.

34D. Gather: REAP.

35D. Balderdash: ROT.

36D. Play segments: ACTS.

37D. Bargain for reduced charges: COP A PLEA. In a judicial court. And 43D. Court arbiter: REF. On a sports court.

38D. Pigs out: OVER EATS.

39D. Taking advantage of: USING.

40D. Doze: NAP.

45D. Story published in installments: SERIAL.

46D. Like lies: UNTRUE.

47D. Ford failures: EDSELS.

49D. Ford from Tennessee: ERNIE. But he was a success.

50D. Luigi's love: AMORE. Italian

51D. Mountain feature: RIDGE.

52D. Start: ONSET.

55D. Holds the deed to: OWNS.

56D. Rank-and-file chess piece: ROOK. But it can't move on a diagonal.

57D. Firearm filler: AMMO.

58D. CBS symbol: EYE.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday May 24, 2010 John Lampkin

Theme: M & M's - Letters Ms are initials of each two-word theme entry, the first word being a term of address.

20A. Etiquette authority: MISS MANNERS. A syndicated advice column written by Judith Martin. Since 1978, she has answered etiquette questions contributed by her readers and writes short essays on problems of manners, or clarifies the essential qualities of politeness.

38A. Cantankerous toon: MISTER MAGOO. Quincy (who knew?) Magoo is a cartoon character created at United Productions of America (UPA) in 1949. His stubborn refusal to admit his nearsightedness puts him into a series of sticky situations which he is quick to blame on other people.

57A. Sheridan's misuser of words: MRS. MALAPROP. Richard Sheridan (1751 – 1816) produced his play, The Rivals, a comedy of manners in five acts, in 1775. Mrs. Malaprop is the chief comic figure of the play, thanks to her continual misuse of words that sound like the words she intends but mean something completely different. (The term malapropism was coined in reference to the character.) Examples.

45D. Mars mouthful; also, a hint to this puzzle's theme: M AND M's. The Mars confectionery company produces, besides M&M's, the eponymous Mars bar, Milky Way, Twix, Skittles and Snickers.

Lots of long words in this 74-entry puzzle. Total 18 six-letter words.

Argyle here.

A great Monday. Perhaps a few too many proper names. Notice the themes go from MISS to MISTER to MRS.

Across:

1A. Criminal group: GANG.

5A. What a judge sets: BAIL.

9A. Modify, as a motion: AMEND.

14A. Suit to __: A TEE.

15A. Gillette's __ Plus razor: ATRA.

16A. City chief: MAYOR. "Mayor McCheese". Alliteration.

17A. Basted, but not with butter: SEWN. To sew loosely with large running stitches so as to hold together temporarily.

18A. Charge with a crime: BOOK. "Book 'em, Danno!". Alliteration.

19A. Cheri who impersonated Judge Judy on "Saturday Night Live": OTERI. I finally fill her name in without a second thought.

23A. Fiver: FIN. Five dollar bill.

24A. Critter that can carry many times its own weight: ANT.

25A. Forty-niner's find: ORE.

26A. Just after sunset: AT DUSK. Gloaming, in Scotland.

28A. Take the wheel: STEER.

30A. Bridge distance: SPAN.

33A. Antlered grazers: ELKS.

34A. Arboreal Australian critters: KOALAs. Easy after yesterday's discussion. Partly alliteration.

36A. Upper-story storage: ATTIC.

41A. Strikes through, as text: X's OUT.

42A. Seek aid from: TURN TO.

45A. Early 15th-century year: MCDI. 1401

48A. Actor Kristofferson: KRIS.

50A. '90s Defense secretary Les: ASPIN.

51A. "... my kingdom for __!": A HORSE. from Richard III by William Shakespeare: Act 5. Scene IV

53A. Bad review: PAN.

55A. Jungle swinger: APE.

56A. Prefix with conservative: NEO.

61A. Friend of Eminem: DR. DRE. Rap stars.

63A. Injured: HURT.

64A. Sitar master Shankar: RAVI.

65A. Mazda roadster: MIATA.

66A. Last word in a threat: ELSE.

67A. Serpent's home in Genesis: EDEN.

68A. Jewish feast: SEDER.

69. Bambi, for one: DEER.

70A. Flippant: PERT.

Down:

1D. Riot squad gear: GAS MASK.

2D. Corroded: ATE INTO.

3D. Group that breaks breaking stories: NEWS TEAM.

4D. Mil. leaders: GENS.. Generals.

5D. Picture book elephant: BABAR. Image. A French children's fictional character who first appeared in Histoire de Babar by Jean de Brunhoff in 1931.

6D. Does penance (for): ATONES.

7D. Gadget that gets out the creases: IRON. A gadget?!?

8D. Boating spot: LAKE.

9D. "It's __ Unusual Day": 1948 song: A MOST. Here sung by a most unusual trio. Clip.

10D. Doorway welcomer: MAT.

11D. Good-looker: EYEFUL. YES!. Maybe.

12D. Perfectly safe, as an investment: NO RISK.

13D. Bar buys: DRINKS.

21D. Marshy tract: MORASS.

22D. Beat up on verbally: RANT AT. Clunky.

27D. Room treatments: DECORS.

29D. Cure-all potion: ELIXIR.

31D. Miniseries' first section: PART I.

32D. Deposit or withdrawal gizmo, briefly: ATM.

35D. "Dracula" author Bram: STOKER.

37D. Big lizard: IGUANA.

39D. The Continent: Abbr.: EUR.. Europe.

40D. Displayed in a public procession: ON PARADE.

43D. Cause to topple: TIP OVER.

44D. Eighth of a gallon: ONE PINT.

46D. Paris sweetie: CHERIE.

47D. Thingy: DOODAD.

49D. Thinly populated: SPARSE. Sparse, that is what my comments are today.

52D. Blur, as wet ink: SMEAR.

54D. Change: ALTER.

58D. Backyard storage: SHED.

59D. Stubborn beast: MULE.

60D. Get ready, for short: PREP.

62D. Hwy.: RTE..

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday May 23, 2010 Pamela Amick Klawitter

Theme: They're Beside Themselves - The embedded three-letter common names that end the first words of all two-word theme entry are the same as the ones that start the second word.

22A. Introductory assortment of wreckage?: FLOTSAM SAMPLER. Flotsam. Jetsam.

40A. One-of-a-kind book? CUSTOM TOME

65A. Place to leave the flock during vacation?: CHICKEN KENNEL. Chicken want to live in the coop.

92A. Try to get tallow?: PURSUE SUET. My first theme answer.

114A.Music for painters?: ENAMEL MELODIES

15D. Scallions for an anniversary party?: JUBILEE LEEKS. To me, scallions are just green onions.

59D. Short treatise on junk e-mail? SPAM PAMPHLET. Fun clue/answer.

I only realized all the embeds are common names after I typed in & green-highlighted all the the letter string repetitions. Great theme title. Nice play on "beside oneself".

The puzzle is one Q away from a pangram. As the norm with our Sunday puzzles, quite a few entertaining clues. My favorite is FEET (109D. Pump inserts). D'oh, pump shoes.

I still don't like the clue for PEDAL (105D. Step on it). The "it" grammar confused me last time. I just don't feel the clue and answer fully correspond to each other, unlike the clear "them" reference in LEADS (97D. Reporters chase them).

Across:

1. Garfield's middle name: ABRAM. Can never commit his name into my memory. Did get KENNEDY (49D. President under whom the Peace Corps was formed).

6. Tiptop: ACME

10. Timber shaper: ADZ. Or adze.

13. Big Indians: RAJAS. Thought of Native American Indians.

18. At large: LOOSE

19. Property claim: LIEN. And DEED (11. Safe document).

20. Scripps competition: BEE. Spelling Bee.

21. Disqualify (oneself), in court: RECUSE

25. Protozoan: AMEBIC. Or ameobic.

26. Swears to: ATTESTS

27. Home of Texas A&M International University: LAREDO. U.S./Mexico border city.

28. Pooh-pooh: DERIDE

29. Manhattan component: RYE. Rye is an affluent suburb of NY City, a la Wikipedia.

30. Boris Godunov, e.g.: TSAR. Don't know Boris Godunov.

31. Lost the point: RAMBLED

32. Vardon Trophy org.: PGA. Gimme. Vardon Trophy is awarded to PGA player who leads in scoring average. Named after British golfer Harry Vardon.

35. Be of service to: ASSIST

38. Pointed remark: BARB

39. Legal conclusion?: ESE. Legalese.

43. Exercised in a lane: SWAM. Can't jam in BIKED.

45. Barely earn, with "out": EKE

47. Online bulletin board mgr. : SYSOP (System Operator)

48. Pub staple: ALE

49. It isn't really a bear: KOALA. What is it then, Kazie? Sure looks like bear though.

50. Vestige: RELIC

53. Put in the warehouse: STORE

55. Cut down: FELLED

56. One who follows the news?: LENO. Because Leno's show is after the evening news?

57. Cinnamon tree: CASSIA. Wow, it's Chinese cinnamon. No idea.

60. IV to III?: SON. Nailed it.

61. River duck: TEAL

63. Writers: PENS. Did not know "pen" can refer to a person who writes.

64. Marching start?: HUP. "Hup, two, three, four". The military march. Got me again.

70. Hobby shop buy: KIT

71. Significant times: ERAS

73. Hard on the eyes: UGLY. No, I will not link anything hard on the eyes. Al's Hart.

74. Thing to bend or lend: EAR. Nice rhyming clue.

75. Speaks disrespectfully to: SASSES

77. "If it's all the __ to you ...": SAME

78. Star's opposite: NOBODY

80. Bow ties and elbows: PASTA. Nice "bow" echo.

82. Early mobile home: TEPEE. Yurt too.

84. Soap whose first slogan was "It floats": IVORY

85. Scroogean word: BAH

86. Uses a keyboard: TYPES. And ENTER (120. Put in)

90. Rule of crime writing: ANN. I've never heard of Ann Rule. Good clue though.

91. BlackBerry message: TEXT

94. Fire or side attachment: ARM. Excellent play on fireside.

96. Secluded lowland: GLEN

98. Continued: GONE ON

99. Practice, as a trade: PLY

100.Comebacks: REPLIES

102.Like some telegrams: SUNG. I don't get this clue. How can telegrams be sung?

103.Dosage amt.: TSP

106.Goddess of wisdom: ATHENA

107.Noisy summer bug: CICADA. Ear-splitting!

109.Artful handling: FINESSE

113.Lost some locks: BALDED. Locks always refer to hair in Xword.

116.Feudal lords: LIEGES. Another hard to remember word.

117.He played Quasimodo in 1923: LON (Chaney). Easy guess.

118.Justice's garb: ROBE

119.Dylan Thomas's home: WALES

121.Explosive letters: TNT

122.Whack: SWAT

123.Skiing locale: SLOPE. Didn't jump to me immediately.

Down:

1. __ Romeo: ALFA. The sport car.

2. Cloth quantity: BOLT

3. Cheer: ROOT

4. Sunflower relative: ASTER. Oh, OK.

5. Like Oscar Madison's room: MESSY. And STY (89. 5-Down place).

6. Charity: ALMS

7. Grafton's "__ for Corpse": C IS

8. When many a bell is rung: MEAL TIME. Where?

9. As a group: EN MASSE

10. More competent: ABLER

12. Nonentity: ZERO

13. Common word in rallying slogans: REMEMBER. I peeked at the answer sheet.

14. Biting: ACERB

16. Parenthetical comments: ASIDES

17. Withdraw: SECEDE

21. Hawkeye associate: RADAR (O'Reilly). Both M*A*S*H characters. And WALTER (44. 21-Down's real first name, on TV). Unknown to me.

23. Starting squad: A-TEAM

24. Duff: PRAT

31. Islamic holy month: RAMADAN

32. Modern office staples: PCS

33. Chap: GUY

34. Mule's papa: ASS

36. Antares, for one: STAR

37. Something to walk on: SOLE. Indeed.

38. Whalebone: BALEEN. New word to me.

41. Chuck: TOSS

42. __ nerve: OPTIC. Also new to me.

43. Sun, in Spain: SOL. Alliteration.

46. Food for sea urchins: KELP. I use kelp for miso soup base sometimes.

51. Navel phenomenon: INNIE

52. Expenditures: COSTS

54. Hawaii's "Gathering Place": OAHU. "Gathering Place" is its nickname.

55. Other side: FOE

57. Pirate booty holder: CHEST

58. Halos: AURAE. Or auras.

60. Luxury seating: SKYBOX

62. Discounted: LESS

66. Fires up: IGNITES

67. Split, as some hoofs: CLOVEN. Past participle of "cleave".

68. Round Table knight: KAY. Not familiar with Sir Kay. Another lady sounding name.

69. Starbucks buy: LATTE

72. As __ on TV: SEEN

76. Indicates: SAYS

79. Fido's dinnertime extra: ORT. Classic crosswordese.

80. Trim, as apples: PARE

81. Semi-serious "I understand": AH SO

83. Casey Jones, e.g.: ENGINEER. Have never heard of Casey Jones. He must be very famous to be honored with a stamp.

85. Cottage: BUNGALOW

87. Lassie, once: PUP. The answer surfaced itself.

88. Slender swimmer: EEL. Slender indeed.

92. Thinks over: PONDERS

93. Up to: UNTIL

94. Like productive land: ARABLE

95. Hang on to: RETAIN

98. Largest of the Marianas: GUAM

101.Outcropping: LEDGE. Like this protruding part.

102.Meager: SCANT

104.Hoodwinks: SNOWS. Learned this slang meaning of snow a few weeks ago.

107.Breton, e.g.: CELT

108.Privy to: IN ON

110.Storage cylinder: SILO

111.Trickle: SEEP

112.Start of North Carolina's motto: ESSE "Esse quam videri" (to be rather than to see). Another learning moment for me.

115.Many a Wharton grad: MBA

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday May 22, 2010 Victor Fleming

Theme: None

Total words: 66 (Four intersecting grid-spanners)

Total blocks: 30

No theme today, Saturdays are themeless, although I think the answer for 8D. Educated Guesses was a good name for this puzzle. There were a lot of initial fill-ins that I wasn't entirely sure of, but they just felt right somehow.

Al here today, killing time while waiting for some off-hours processing to finish for work.

Across:

1. McCarthy era phenomenon: RED SCARE. Technically, the second one, from 1947-1957 in which the Cincinnati Reds temporarily renamed themselves the “Cincinnati Redlegs” to avoid the money-losing and career-ruining connotations inherent in being ball-playing “Reds”. The first Red Scare was from 1917-1920.

9. Trysting relationship: AFFAIR. What one "has to do" from Old French à faire "to do".

15. Flattered, in a way: IMITATED. Imitation is the sincerest of flattery -- Charles Caleb Colton.

16. Grand Canal span: RIALTO. Contracted from Rivoalto and named for the canal (Latin rivus altus "deep stream") which it crosses.

17. 1985 John Irving best-seller: CIDERHOUSE RULES. Made into a movie starring Spiderman (Tobey Maguire) and the latest Alfred (Batman's butler) Michael Caine, who also was the lead in a movie called Alfie.

19. Architect Saarinen: ELIEL. And his son EERO (who designed the Gateway Arch among other structures). If you don't know these two names by now, just resolve to commit them to memory if you're planning on doing more crosswords.

20. Baby's asset: CUTENESS.

21. Goes back: RETROGRADES. Straight from the Latin: retro- backwards, Gradus: steps.

24. "Shucks!": RATS. An interjection. Remember Schoolhouse Rock?

25. Displays, with "out": TROTS. Originally connected with showing off horses in 1838, it was recorded as slang later by 1845. A recorded connection with "the runs" precedes both of those by 30 years.

30. Rested: TOOK FIVE. Roughly the amount of time it takes to smoke a cigarette. Here's a better use of your five minutes.

35. Frequent saver: GOALIE. Hurling, association football, Gaelic football, International Rules Football, handball, ice hockey, field hockey, netball, water polo, bandy, lacrosse, floorball.

36. Medical malpractice issue: INFORMED CONSENT. For instance, if someone says OK to having a procedure done, but only because they felt intimidated, whether by the influence of the practitioner's strong expression of convictions, or they were cowed by the perceived difference in education on the subject, then it's an issue.

38. Naval construction worker: SEABEE. CB, Construction Battalions.

39. Garden entrance component, perhaps: GATEPOST.

40. Beefy-T maker: HANES. Tee shirt manufacturer.

41. A psychic may see one: AURA. When there is "a certain air" around someone. From Greek aura: gentle breeze

42. It's right before the end: HOME STRETCH. The straightaway from the last turn to the finish line on a horse racetrack.

49. Goes before: PRECEDES.

53. "Corporations have been enthroned and ___ of corruption in high places will follow": Lincoln: AN ERA.

54. Cryptozoologist's subject: LOCH NESS MONSTER. Crypto: hidden. Zoology: animal studies. (Zoo from Greek zoion, a living being)

57. Celebrate a promotion, maybe: EAT OUT. There was probably a raise involved as well...

58. Grin measure?: EAR TO EAR. A creepy Cheshire cat.

59. Shows exhaustion: DROOPS.

60. Aviation pioneer: SIKORSKY. Igor. A Russian immigrant, he designed the first multi-engine fixed-wing aircraft, the first airliner, Pan-am flying boats, and the first viable American helicopter.

Down:

1. Sous chef's gadget: RICER.

2. '60s boxing champ Griffith: EMILE. Not a boxing fan, unknown to me.

3. Finished the job: DID IT.

4. Guide: STEER. The verb, not a Sherpa.

5. Swindler Ponzi, at birth: CARLO. The Ponzi Scheme.

6. Sports fig.: ATH. Figure and Athlete, both abbr.

7. Popular '20s auto: REO. Educated Guess, three letters, old car, that had to be it.

8. They're not wild: EDUCATED GUESSES. Intuition isn't entirely psychic...

9. Narrow ridge: ARETE. From Latin "arista": ear of grain. OK, that's what it says, but I don't see the connection.

10. Early Ford supplier: FIRESTONE.

11. Woodland spirit: FAUN. Latin Faunus, Greek Pan. A goat-man/god similar to a satyr. A faun is man still in intimate communion with Nature, a satyr is a man still swayed by bestial passions.

12. Everyone, in Essen: ALLE. alles alles auch sind frei.

13. Suburban followers?: ITES. Suburbanites. A suffix clue made a bit trickier by the plural phrasing, so the sense of individual letters, not the whole syllable.

14. 18th-century sewer: ROSS. Betsy Ross. Sewer = One who sews. Not something with a manhole cover... There is some debate about the story of the flag origin, but the lack of actual records either way makes it difficult or even impossible to prove or disprove.

18. Brewski: SUDS. Beer slang. Using compressed nitrogen instead of carbon dioxide makes the "SUDS" richer, and more aromatic.

22. Ugly buildup: GRIME. from Middle English "grim": dirt, filth.

23. Show approval, or disapproval: RAVE. A rave review, or to show signs of delirium, i.e. rant.

26. Grating sound: RASP. Wolfman Jack comes to mind.

27. It's sold in bars: OLEO. Sticks, maybe. I've never heard of them as bars... Unless maybe as the contents in baked goods...

28. Pie containers: TINS. The origin of the frisbee.

29. Paving stone: SETT. Quarried or shaped to have square edges, cobblestones are natural shapes.

30. Mrs. Addams, to Gomez: TISH. He became especially amorous whenever she spoke French. I wonder if that wasn't put in there to slip something past the censors.

31. Service rank: ONE-A.

32. "Confessions __ English Opium-Eater": 1821 De Quincey work: OF AN.

33. Capital of Hyogo Prefecture: KOBE. Or a dishonored Basketball player. Settled out of court, and is playing again.

34. Shower and change, say: FRESHEN UP.

35. Touched: GOT AT. I thought maybe got "to", got at sounds like more than just touching.

37. Traffic units: CARS. Could have been vans.

41. "Life With Father" co-star Leon: AMES. Before my time.

43. "Night Music" playwright: ODETS. Also before my time.

44. Sought aid from: RAN TO. Frankly Scarlett...

45. "Christ's Entry Into Brussels in 1889" artist: ENSOR. James. Lots of names today, it seems.

46. Beans of Paris?: TETES. French for "heads".

47. Reason to lubricate: CREAK. I'll put oil on my floor then?

48. Potter of fiction: HARRY.

49. Asked in earnest: PLED.

50. Jungle warning: ROAR.

51. Plasm lead-in: ECTO. Prefix, ectoplasm. Also called the cortex, the outer smooth part of a cell's cytoplasm. Unless you're one of the ghostbusters, that is, then it's just slime from paranormal activity.

52. Half a track sound: CHOO. And the other half is AH. (Correction: The track sound is choo-choo. Thanks, Anonymous @6:54am.)

55. It follows April in Paris: MAI. French for May.

56. Where "Shazbot!" is a curse: ORK. From Mork and Mindy, an alien who reported back to Ork how badly we humans treat each other for very silly reasons. The show jumped the shark when they added Jonathan Winters as a very large baby. Because that just wasn't believable.

Answer grid.

Al

Friday May 21, 2010 Mike Peluso

Theme: PLANE TALK ( 63A. This puzzle's title?) - Part of a plane related two-word common phrase is substituted by a homonym, and the resulting punny phrase is humorously clued.

17A. Capri beach chairs?: ISLE SEATS. Aisle Seats. Isle of Capri.

25A. Quiz a Roman judge?: TEST PILATE. Test Pilot. Pilate is the Roman judge who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus.

38A. Affable terriers?: FRIENDLY SKYES. Friendly Skies. Skye terriers.

51A. Really dark beers?: BLACK BOCKS. Black Box. I am not familiar with the Bock beer.

Nice theme. I like the pun on "plain talk" too, though I do feel the resulting phrases are just the opposite of the tie-in PLANE TALK.

Quite a few creative clues today. My favorite is ALTAR (60A. Where to see an approaching train?). D'oh, the wedding gown "train".

Across:

1. Like a javelin's path: ARCED

6. Balancing pro?: CPA. Nailed it.

9. 2.3, roughly: C-PLUS. Oh, I don't know this equivalent.

14. "The Wreck of the Mary __": DEARE. Have never heard of this film (1959). Starring Gary Cooper.

15. Steak seasoning: RUB. Alliteration.

16. Picked up: HEARD. Did not come to me immediately.

19. Rhythmic feet?: IAMBS. Poetic feet.

20. Faint: DIM

21. "The Metaphysics of Ethics" author: KANT

22. Camera type, briefly: SLR (Single-Lens Reflex)

23. Sailing, say: ASEA. Alliteration.

30. Play with a brushing motion: STRUM. I see, play with musical instrument.

32. Fights in the sticks: RASSLES. Hillbilly for "wrestles".

33. Idealist: DREAMER

37. Post-WWII alliance: OAS

42. "Who, me?": MOI. Who will educate us about French when Kazie leaves for Oz next Wednesday? She'll be gone for a whole month!

43. They're not content to see you: RAISERS. Poker term "see", to match (a bet). Got me.

44. Stays in memory: LIVES ON

47. Greek fabulist: AESOP

55. See 54-Down: REMO. And SAN (54D. With 55-Across, Italian site of a post-WWI Allied conference). I only know it as a resort.

56. Golfer's concern: LIE. The position of the golf ball. We also have PUTTS ( 7D. Uses the "flat stick," in golf). "Flat stick" is slang for putter, which is flat comparing with other clubs.

57. Many a Middle Easterner: ARAB

59. Tokyo-based chip maker: NEC. Was unaware that NEC makes chips.

65. Like a game in baseball's record books: NO HIT. And MLB (42D. Bud Selig's org.). Selig is the current commissioner.

66. Sitcom E.T.: ALF

67. Coco rival: ESTEE (Lauder). Cosmetics.

68. Traveling options: TOURS

69. Pin site: MAT

70. "Grace Under Fire" star Butler: BRETT. Total stranger to me. A male sounding name.

Down:

1. Puma competitor: ADIDAS

2. Put up a fight: RESIST. I've learned to yield.

3. Less windy, say: CALMER

4. Bard's preposition: ERE. Before.

5. Certain sergeant's post: DESK

6. Rail relative: CRANE

8. Workout targets. ABS. This is for Jeannie. Clear Ayes likes Ryan Reynolds too.

9. Tex-Mex restaurant chain: CHILI'S. Headquartered in Texas.

10. Bits of wisdom?: PEARLS. Pearls of wisdom.

11. Flight: LAM

12. Suffix with sub- URB. Suburb.

13. 1968 Columbia U. protesters: SDS (Students for a Democratic Society). Why Columbia U in particular?

18. Put away: EAT. Not the "put away" I have in mind.

22. Hardly dense: SPARSE

24. BMW competitor: AUDI

26. Small diamonds: TREYS. Of course, I was picturing real diamonds, not playing cards.

27. Soothing lotion: ALOE

28. Chai and oolong: TEAS

29. Mountain road feature: ESS

31. Desert Storm mess, briefly?: MRE (Meal Ready to Eat). Again, I was in real snafu mess direction. Not military meal mess.

34. Prepare for court, perhaps: ENROBE. OK, for the judge.

35. Town in a 1945 Pulitzer-winning novel: ADANO. Hersey's "A Bell for Adano".

36. 11th-century year: MLI. 1,051.

38. Prevent: FOIL

39. 1972 Kentucky Derby winner __ Ridge: RIVA. Mike used the identical clue in a Sunday puzzle last year. I simply forgot. The horse won 1972 Belmont Stakes as well.

40. Malay Peninsula's Isthmus of __: KRA. See this map. Stumper for me.

41. Belgian river: YSER

45. Iced pastry: ECLAIR

46. Sidesteps: SKIRTS

48. Legislative century: SENATE. Senate has 100 members.

49. It's folded and filled: OMELET. Nailed it.

50. Sink, as a billiard ball: POCKET

52. __ lily: CALLA

53. "Make today delicious" food giant: KRAFT

58. U.K. network, with "the": BEEB. Nickname for BBC I suppose.

60. Hill dweller: ANT

61. Manchester head?: LOO. Ha ha, toilet "head". I was tricked again. I thought of MAN, since MAN starts the word Manchester.

62. Cal. column: THU

63. Robin's "Mork & Mindy" co-star: PAM (Dawber). Easy guess.

64. Dungeons & Dragons co.: TSR (Tactical Studies Rules). No idea. Wikipedia says TSR was purchased in 1997 by Wizards of the Coast, which no longer uses the TSR name for its product.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Thursday May 20, 2010 Dave Eckert

Theme: Seconds - All the theme answers are clued as definitions of "Seconds".

17A. Seconds: AIDES FOR DUELERS. The attendants of duelers.

24A. Seconds: EXTRA HELPINGS. Who doesn't go for seconds?

41A. Seconds: INFERIOR GOODS. I liked this entry and 24A, as we often use the seconds in plural form.

55A. Seconds: TICKS OF THE CLOCK. A bit contrived.

Like David Cromer's ACE puzzle last Wednesday, normally all letters of the clue for this kind of definition puzzle are capitalized. I wonder why this one is an exception.

A nice 74-worder debut from Dave Eckert. You can see he put lots of time and effort on each clue, and I think Rich kept most of his originals. Very refreshing. My favorites are:

50A. They may be felt on the range: STETSONS. Felt hat.

9D. Its home is on the range: SAUCEPAN. Tricky clue. Range echo.

40D. Cinematic opening, but not ending?: SOFT C. Refers to letter C in the word Cinematic. Brilliant clue.

Across:

1. Thick piece: SLAB

5. Kelly's cohort: REGIS (Philbin).

10. __ bath: SITZ. From German verb "sitzen," meaning "to sit.". I've never heard of it before.

14. Corduroy feature: WALE. New word to me.

15. "West Side Story" role: ANITA. I just mentioned this role in my Rita Moreno comment yesterday.

16. Flowering succulent: ALOE

20. Appreciative: GRATEFUL

21. Privacy metaphor: CLOSET. Oh, in the closet.

22. Troubled insurance giant: AIG. Tragic.

23. Dry, like some Spanish wine: SECO. Our sec.

30. They have caps: KNEES. Kneecaps. I also like PEWS (60. Seats with kneelers).

31. Enjoy New York, say?: READ. New York magazine. I was stumped.

32. Hit hard: RAM

34. Isle where Saint Columba died: IONA. No idea. Don't know Saint Columba. Must be an Irish.

35. Received, as a salary: DRAWN

37. "See ya": TATA

38. Ring decision: TKO (Technical Knockout).

39. Part owner of Chrysler since 2009: FIAT. Was ignorant of this fact.

40. Nasal spray brand: SINEX. Vicks Sinex. P&G brand. New to me.

45. Env. directive: ATTN

46. Sound from Sandy: ARF. Alliteration. Sandy refers to Little Orphan Annie's dog, correct?

47. "Jeopardy!" clue, e.g. : ANSWER

57. Tribe related to the Iowa: OTOE. Always connect them with Lois' Oklahoma, not Iowa.

58. "One for My Baby" composer: ARLEN (Harold). Here is Frank Sinatra's version.

59. Samoan seaport: APIA. Alliteration.

61. Some designer dresses: DIORS. Partly alliteration.

62. Discreet attention-getter: PSST

Down:

1. Ill-gotten gains: SWAG. Slang for booty.

2. Place to hibernate: LAIR

3. "Crimes and Misdemeanors" actor: ALDA. Have never seen the movie.

4. Sugar source: BEET. Alliteration.

5. Weaver's fiber: RAFFIA. See this raffia palm. I wanted RATTAN. It's used in weaving too.

6. Once, perhaps: ENOUGH. Once is enough.

7. Madonna's "Material __": GIRL. She is too much for my taste.

8. "__ be my pleasure!": IT'D

10. Oater setting: SALOON

11. Places in la mer: ILES

12. Went like the dickens: TORE. Nice clue.

13. Citrus peel: ZEST

18. Chicago tower builder: SEARS

19. 1961 Heston role: EL CID

23. Did in: SLEW

24. Japanese mushroom: ENOKI. With thin & long stems. I use them for soup occasionally. Enoki is short for enokitake, the ending "take" means "mushroom", as in shiitake.

25. It's a gas: XENON. Noble gas.

26. Some like it hot: TEA. Saw this clue before. Still like it. I am in love with "it"/"they" type clues.

27. Troubadour's Muse: ERATO. Muse of poetry.

28. Piano type: GRAND

29. Stuffs: SATES

30. Frontiersman Carson: KIT. Was unaware of this guy. Kit is a girl's name to me.

33. "Mad __": 1979 Gibson film: MAX. No idea. What's it about?

35. Rural route: DIRT ROAD. Alliteration.

36. Showers, e.g.: RAIN

37. Uncle, in Uruguay: TIO. Alliteration.

39. Regales: FETES

42. United Kingdom's Guy __ Night: FAWKES. Bonfire Night. My lethologica moment.

43. To a certain extent: RATHER. It's like yesterday's "To the third degree", Bill G, I had difficulty understanding the exact part of speech of the clue again.

44. Salad makings: GREENS

47. Straddling: ATOP. Wait for Lois to comment.

48. Evening, informally: NITE

49. Harbor vessel: SCOW

50. WWII battle site: STLO

51. Reaction to freshness?: SLAP. I keep forgetting the slang meaning of "fresh".

52. "My bad!": OOPS

53. Mark Harmon TV series: NCIS ( Naval Criminal Investigative Service). Stymied me.

54. Game using only cards higher than six: SKAT. I only know it's a card game for three.

56. Part of T.G.I.F.: Abbr.: FRI. Called to mind Gunghy's funny WTF observation last time when we had MTWTF.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Wednesday May 19, 2010 Don Gagliardo

Theme: B-29 -There are total 29 letter B's in the grid.

17A. Trivial Pursuit edition: BABY BOOMER. Both words of the four 10-letter theme answers start with B. Constructor's note is attached at the end of my write-up.

27A. Luxurious soak: BUBBLE BATH. Four B's in this entry alone.

39A. Enola Gay, e.g. (and a hint to this puzzle's unusual feature): B-TWENTY-NINE. Strange to see B-29 spelled out, isn't it? Very creative tie-in! I had no idea that Enola Gay is a B-29 type bomber though.

53A. Party recyclable: BEER BOTTLE

64A. Place for low-priority issues: BACK BURNER

Besides the above five nominal theme entries, there are 38 other B-containing words/phrases in the grid. Total 43 (out of the 78 entries). With his "Hard G" and the previous K & W puzzles, now Don Gagliardo holds four records.

Again, quite a few music references (Don is a piano technician):

10A. Beatles nonsense syllables OB-LA. "... Ob-la-Di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah!..". New to me. I like how it intersects LET IT BE (12D. Beatles song with "Mother Mary"). Nice Beatles echo.

14A. "__ Mio": 'O SOLE. "My Sun".

67. Moreno with Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards: RITA. She's Anita is "West Side Story".

13. Franklin of soul: ARETHA

31D. Like bass notes: LOW

41D. Bach's "Mass __ Minor": IN B. Another B.

Don's puzzles are always marked by long Down entries. In today's grid, there are four 8-letter answers, five 7-letter entries and ten 6-letter answers.

Across:

1. To the third power: CUBED. Had difficulty understanding the exact part of speech of the clue.

6. Motorcyclist's hog: BIKE. Hog is a slang for motorcycle.

15. Prefix with mensch: UBER. Übermensch. Superman.

16. Uncle Remus title: BR'ER. Br'er Rabbit/Fox

19. Download source: SITE. Website.

20. Pugilists' gp.: WBC (World Boxing Council). Only know WBA (World Boxing Association)

21. Give it a shot: TRY

24. Smidgen BIT. Wanted TAD.

25. Flight to Eilat: EL AL. Literally "skyward". Eilat is Israel's southernmost city, according to Wikipedia.

30. Asian palm: BETEL. Ah, poor Dennis' Vietnam memory. Both the nut and leaves are chewable, correct, Dennis?

32. Très __: very little: PEU. Un petit peu = a little bit.

33. Word in a Flintstone yell: YABBA. "Yabba dabba doo!".

34. ISP with chat rooms: AOL

36. Gp. that has issued more than 420 million IDs: SSA. Doesn't really sound like a lot.

38. Braves' div.: NLE (National League East)

42. "Phooey!": BAH

43. Ball belle: DEB. Alliteration.

44. "Pick a number from __ ...": ONE. Crossing A NO (37D. "I'll take that as __" ).

45. "Idol" success Clay: AIKEN. The most famous "Idol" non-winner.

47. Ballot choices: X'ES

49. Fiber-rich cereals: BRANS

56. Tongue trouble: SLIP. Slip of the tongue. Alliteration.

57. Show with "Celebrity Jeopardy!" spoofs, briefly: SNL

58. Dadaist Jean ARP. The Dada pioneer.

59. Like many dicts.: ABR (Abridged)

61. Post-op area: ICU

62. Getting the job done: ON IT

68. '40s film critic James: AGEE. Had no idea that he's film critic.

69. Guadalajara "good": BUENO. Alliteration.

70. Max of '30s boxing: BAER. Learned from doing Xword.

71. Proof of ownership: DEED

72. "The Beverly Hillbillies" star: EBSEN (Buddy)

Down:

1. Spider's doing COBWEB

2. In working order USABLE. And BRIBABLE (11. Like one who can be bought). Two able ending words. Venal means bribable too. I tend to confuse venal with venial.

3. Hare-hunting feline: BOBCAT. Oh, I was ignorant that bobcat eat hare. Hare with morels, that's what those people eat in Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party". I love "Amélie", Dudley.

4. Cambridgeshire cathedral town: ELY. Often it's just clued as "English cathedral town".

5. Plastic user's concern: DEBT

6. Keep afloat: BUOY UP

7. ThinkPad maker: IBM. We also had POD (22A. i follower). iPoD.

8. Stay active: KEEP BUSY

9. Flamboyant Flynn: ERROL

10. No longer used, as a word: Abbr.: OBS. OK, obsolete I suppose.

18. Celestial sight: ORB. Alliteration.

23. Actress Susan: DEY

26. Sofa material: LEATHER

28. Safest option: BEST BET. Both word start with B also.

29. Pennants: BANNERS

35. Headed up: LED

39. Collectible plastic jewelry: BAKELITE. Kitchenware too.

40. Words clicked to see more: NEXT PAGE. Nice entry.

42. Two-year periods: BIENNIA. Plural of biennium. I obtained the answer with crosses.

45. Take in: ABSORB

46. Hoops org.: NBA

48. Quenched: SLAKED

50. Dior skirts: A-LINES. First introduced by Christian Dior in 1955.

51. Christianity's __ Creed: NICENE

52. Press forward: SPUR ON

54. "... for there is nothing / either good __, but thinking makes it so": Hamlet: OR BAD. Easy guess.

55. Tidal action: EBB

60. Hick: RUBE. Parallels with RUB (66. Erase, with "out")

63. La Brea material: TAR

65. Average mark: CEE

Don's note:

The inspiration for this puzzle comes from Crossword Corner. I was asked about a puzzle that was memorable, and one that stood out was where I had 30 K’s in the grid. I had a lot of favorable response to that one. It got me thinking how I could do that again. My first thought was B-52. Would you believe I thought I could put 52 B’s in a puzzle? I was lucky to get 29. I also thought the puzzle should have two-word phrases where each word begins with B. It is a simple idea, but very difficult to pull off when it comes to filling a grid. I think it went back and forth to Rich at least three times. Many thanks to C.C.!

Answer grid.

C.C.

Tuesday May 18, 2010 Timothy L. Meaker

Theme: Trip - Counterculture phrase formed by the first two words of 20A, 37A, 53A, and coined by 66A in the 1960's.

20A. Provide some room illumination: TURN ON THE LIGHT

37A. TV promo exhortation: TUNE IN TONIGHT

53A. Disappear from the radar, so to speak: DROP OUT OF SIGHT

66A. Timothy who preached the message found in this puzzle's theme: LEARY. Notice the constructor's name Timothy also?

Argyle here.

Today's puzzle is like a mini-quote. Dr. LEARY recommended the use of LSD to achieve his message ("Turn on, tune in, drop out"), resulting in "trips". Unfortunately, some of these trips turned back. I hope no one here has a flashback from doing this puzzle.

Ah, yes, the puzzle. Easy theme (if you can remember the '60's) with decent fill. I'm blogging from my sister's laptop so I'm somewhat discombobulated.

Across:

1A. Resolute about: SET ON.

6A. Unwanted e-mail: SPAM.

10A. Church recess: APSE.

14A. Wind: Prefix: ANEMO. A typical wind anemometer.

15A. Doily material: LACE.

16A. Dom Perignon producer, familiarly: MOËT. Moët et Chandon champagne.

17A. Grammy winner Jones: NORAH. She is the daughter of Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar. (An echo of the '60's.)

18A. Gillette razor: ATRA.

19A. College in New Rochelle, N.Y.: IONA.

23A. In the past: AGO.

24A. Monogram of a '50s White House aspirant: AES. Adlai Ewing Stevenson.

25A. Speedy: RAPID.

27A. "Popcorn" shellfish: SHRIMP.

30A. Conditions: IFS.

32A. Anthem contraction: O'ER.

33A. On the fence: NOT SURE.

36A. Really long time: EONS.

40A. Decorative vases: URNS.

41A. Bright spot on a lunar halo: MOONDOG.

42A. Brit's rainwear: MAC (Mackintosh)

43A. Hymnals may be found in one: PEW.

44A. Marked down: ON SALE.

48A. Emergency tire: SPARE.

50A. Lab greeting: "ARF". Labrador Retriever.

52A. Teachers' org.: NEA. National Education Association

58A. Kennedy half, e.g.: COIN. The half dollar coin.

59A. Resting on: ATOP.

60A. Dote on: ADORE.

61A. Thoreau's Walden __: POND. Published in 1854, the title didn't mention the pond. "Walden; or, Life in the Woods"

62A. Jeweler Lalique: RENÉ. Renowned for his stunning creations of perfume bottles, vases, jewelery, chandeliers, clocks and in the latter part of his life, automobile hood ornaments. I did not know that.

63A. More under the weather: ILLER. The only real clunker in the bunch.

64A. Golden Fleece ship: ARGO.

65A. Went lickety-split: SPED.

Down:

1D. December temps: SANTAs. Can you believe it, this gave me trouble!

2D. "Stop!": "ENOUGH!".

3D. More than just fear: TERROR.

4D. Arabian Sea nation: OMAN.

5D. Manhattan area above Houston Street: NOHO. Stands for North of Houston Street . Soho is South of Houston.

6D. Pool table layer: SLATE.

7D. They may be beaten: PATHS.

8D. Farm unit: ACRE.

9D. Cafeteria offering: MEAL.

10D. Chihuahua gal pal: AMIGA. Spanish for "girlfriend". Chihuahua doesn't refer to the dog but the state in northern Mexico.

11D. Express disdain for: POOH-POOH.

12D. Conscious: SENTIENT.

13D. Greek vowel: ETA.

2D1. Quiet period at day care: NAP TIME.

22D. 1040-issuing org.: IRS.

26D. AMA members: DRs.

28D. Holiday buildings?: INNS. A reference to the movie, "Holiday Inn"?

29D. Bartender on "The Simpsons": MOE.

30D. Red meat nutrient: IRON.

31D. Keep away: FEND OFF.

34D. Winter blanket: SNOW.

35D. __-Aztecan languages: UTO. Got from the perps.

36D. Bacon go-with: EGGS.

37D. Hidden way out, maybe: TRAP DOOR.

38D. Hardly sympathetic: UNCARING.

39D. Electrical particle: ION.

40D. Speaker's hesitations: UMs.

43D. Get-up-and-go: PEP.

45D. Zambia neighbor: ANGOLA.

46D. "PBS NewsHour" anchor Jim: LEHRER.

47D. Hash house, e.g.: EATERY.

49D. Sonata movement: RONDO.

50D. Make things right: ATONE.

51D. Blocked (off), as a crime scene: ROPED.

54D. Dory propellers: OARS.

55D. Sun Bowl Stadium coll. team: UTEP. The University of Texas El Paso.

56D. Go to sea: SAIL.

57D. Goofing off: IDLE.

58D. 22-Down employee: CPA.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday May 17, 2010 Jack McInturff

Theme: A Man and his Horse - Celebrity cowboys and their horses.

17A. Cowboy who rode the end of 25-Across: ROY ROGERS. And 25A. Sensitive gun-firing mechanism: HAIR TRIGGER. Trigger was Roy's horse and his dog was Bullet.

31A. Cowboy who rode the end of 41-Across: LONE RANGER. And 41A. Anti-gold standard policy that climaxed in the Bryan-McKinley campaign: FREE SILVER. Some might say that the Lone Ranger wasn't strictly speaking, a cowboy and they'd be right. "FREE SILVER" policy can't be really explained in a few sentences. The gist of it was that it would promote inflation, which would make it easier for the little guy to repay loans and debts. The big financial institutions were against it.

46A. "Good Morning America" weatherman: SAM CHAMPION. And 58A. Cowboy who rode the end of 46-Across: GENE AUTRY. I'm partial to Gene because he sang "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer". I'm not familiar with this weatherman.

Argyle here.

Although I liked the theme (total 60 theme squares), I find many problems with the puzzle on the whole. The Lone Ranger not being a cowboy, I mentioned already. It would have been nice if Champion/Autry order could have matched the first two, the rider then his horse. But of course, the total number of letters of the pair dictates their order symmetrically.

There are obscure people, at least, obscure by Monday's standards. And then there is the glaring (because they are so close together) answer as part of a clue. 6D. Fragrant resin: ELEMI. /37D. Varnish ingredient: RESIN.

An ambitious effort with heavy blocks in two corners but I feel it falls short of a good Monday puzzle.

Across:

1A. Diagnostic procedure: SCAN.

5A. Potatoes' partner: MEAT. (meat and potatoes)

9A. Robert Burns and Sean Connery, e.g.: SCOTS.

14A. Inner Hebrides isle: IONA. Off the western shore of Scotland. Nice echo.

15A. Et __: and others: ALII. (masculine plural)

16A. Seer's card: TAROT. The whole deck is known as tarot, also

19A. Santa __ racetrack: ANITA. Horse racing, appropriately.

20A. Hustlers: CON MEN.

21A. Underage one: MINOR.

22A. Place to wipe your shoes: MAT.

27A. Three, in Tours: TROIS. French

29A. Enero begins it: AÑO. Enero / AÑO, today; año / ENERO, yesterday.

30A. Early bird's victim: WORM.

38A. Pat down, as dirt: TAMP.

39A. Came to: AWOKE.

40A. Flying shore scavenger: ERNE.

43A. Gen-__: post-baby boomers: X-ERs.

44A. One quarter of M: CCL. 1000÷4=250

45A. 10th-century emperor known as "the Great": OTTO I. 912-973 Considered by many historians to be the founder of the Holy Roman Empire.

53A. __ Arbor, Michigan: ANN.

54A. Golf tournament kickoff, often: PRO-AM.

55A. Basketball big man: CENTER. Big means tall; the player closest to the basket where his/her height helps in getting rebounds.

57A. Acrobat software creator: ADOBE. Founded in December 1982 by Charles Geschke and John Warnock, it was named after Adobe Creek which ran behind Warnock’s home in Los Altos, California

62A. Croatian-born physicist Nikola: TESLA. The only Nikola I know.

63A. Always: EVER.

64A. Olin of "Chocolat": LENA. I've never seen this movie. Is it any good?

65A. Legree-like look: SNEER. Another Simon. Simon Legree was a slave owner in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin.

66A. Designer Saarinen: EERO. Son of Eliel, also a Finnish architect and furniture designer.

67A. Test: EXAM.

Down

1D. Knight's title: SIR.

2D. Whisper sweet nothings: COO.

3D. "__ questions?": ANY.

4D. Drug cop: NARC.

5D. __ Carta: MAGNA. Briefly, the first document forced upon an English King to limit his powers by law and protect individual privileges.

7D. Broadcaster: AIRER.

8D. Old-fashioned denial: 'TISN'T.

9D. Endurance: STAMINA.

10D. "My turn?": "CAN I GO NEXT?".

11D. Round sealing gasket: O-RING.

12D. From head __: TO TOE.

13D. Ringo of the Beatles: STARR.

18D. Fireworks cries: OOHs.

22D. Workweek sequence: Abbr.: M T W T F. Tricky.

23D. Like a cheering crowd: AROAR.

24D. Velvet-voiced Mel: TORMÉ.

26D. Harder to find: RARER.

28D. Flawless: IMPECCABLE.

31D. Boxer Ali: LAILA. Muhammad Ali's daughter.

32D. "Wise" bird: OWL.

33D. Turkey mo.: NOV..

34D. __ out a living: EKE.

35D. Reclusive actress Garbo: GRETA.

36D. Bankrupt energy giant: ENRON. ENRON's leaders are reclusive now.

42D. Lay on thick, as cream cheese on a bagel: SCHMEAR. Most reference this as a small amount.

45D. Fit to serve: ONE-A.

46D. Tiffs: SPATS.

47D. Shakespearean forest: ARDEN. The setting for Shakespeare's play "As You Like It".

48D. Maine's state animal: MOOSE.

49D. Fibber or Molly of old radio: McGEE.

50D. "Pet" irritation: PEEVE.

51D. Kind of tube or ear: INNER.

52D. Alamogordo is its county seat: OTERO. In New Mexico. (Map) I think we've had it before but I don't know why!

56D. Occupy the throne: RULE.

59D. Stereotypical cowboy nickname: TEX. A slight echo.

60D. Genetic transmitter: Abbr.: RNA.

61D. Candied veggie: YAM.

Answer grid.

LA Times website does not work. You can download the puzzle here.

Argyle

Sunday May 16, 2010 Bonnie L. Gentry

Theme: Mark Time - Each theme answer contains GPA ( 110D. Scholastic mean, briefly, hidden in this puzzle's seven longest answers).

27A. It's a racket: PING-PONG PADDLE. Indeed. A racket. I am very fond of "it" or "they" containing clues.

41A. S.O.S, for one: SCOURING PAD

64A. "Come again?": BEG PARDON? Would be interested to know what Dennis was thinking.

89A. Group in power: RULING PARTY

101A.State of inaction: HOLDING PATTERN

15D. You might get it in your pajamas: MORNING PAPER. Another "it".

58D. More than a walk-on: SPEAKING PART

All of ING-ending phrases are in-the-language. Not the simple ING progress verb form.

Of all the theme answers, I like BEG PARDON the most.

Quite a few sports references in the grid too:

15A. National League East team: METS. But YANKEE (30A. New Englander) is not clued as baseball related.

40. Bobby Orr, for most of his career: BRUIN. Boston Bruins. Good to see Orr as a clue.

40. Mile High athlete: BRONCO. Denver Broncos. I've never heard of Mile High Stadium. Don't follow football.

80. Baseball Hall of Famer Wilhelm: HOYT. Pitcher. Have no recollection of his name, though I might have one or two of his baseball cards.

Very enjoyable puzzle. As the norm with Sunday puzzle, lots of entertaining clues. MESA (108. Big butte) made me laugh. Precious!

Across:

1. Group of notes: CHORD. Wanted SCALE.

6. Is, in Ixtapa: ESTA. Ixtapa is a beach resort in Mexico. Unknown to me. Alliteration.

10. Prefix with grain: MULTI. Multigrain.

19. Renée's "Chicago" role: ROXIE. Catherine Zeta-Jones played Velma.

20. Milky Way ingredient?: STAR. Sweet clue. I bet many thought of the chocolate bar first.

21. Guesstimate word: ABOUT

22. Speed-skating rink, e.g.: OVAL

23. Invites the public: OPENS

24. You can't go when you're in it: PARK. Another tricky "it".

25. Districts: ZONES. Plunked in AREAS first.

26. Pantheon site: ROME. And GODS (103D.Pantheon figures). Pantheon echo. We also have ITALIA (56. Venezia's land). Venice.

32. Begin to use, as resources: TAP

33. Just so: NEAT. I don't get this clue.

34. Most violent: GORIEST

35. __ de corps: ESPRIT

38. Caravan stopovers: OASES

43. Trevi Fountain coin count?: TRE. And TRI (99. Bi- plus one). I have no objections to words of same roots.

44. Gelling agents: AGARS

48. Having just seen a ghost, maybe: PALE

49. Mechanical connectors, half the time: MALES. Wikipedia says the "female" connector is generally a receptacle that connects to and holds the "male" connector. I've never heard of this term before. Sounds so DF.

50. Jumping contest entrants: FROGS

52. __ du jour: bistro special: PLAT. Sipped on SOUP first.

53. Hundreds of wks.: YRS. I liked the clue.

54. Cavalry blade: SABER. And EPEES (114. Duel-purpose equipment).

58. Feed store?: SILO. Would be a tricky though still valid clue without the question mark.

59. Alpine mont: BLANC. Mont Blanc. Highest mountain in the Alps.

60. Managing: COPING

61. Acts of faith?: LEAPS. Leaps of Faith.

68. Like urban populations: DENSE

69. In __ and out ... : ONE EAR. A 6-letter fill-in-the-blank partial. An exception to the 5-letter limit rule.

71. Pottery ovens: KILNS

72. Frankenstein aide: IGOR. I often confuse him with the "Othello" villain IAGO.

74. Throw a feast for: REGALE

75. Data transfer unit: BAUD. No idea. It's named after the French inventor J.M. E. Baudot.

76. Odessa's home: TEXAS. Ukraine too.

78. "Like that's gonna happen!": HAH

81. "Gymnopédies" composer Satie: ERIK

82. 1936 Olympics champ: OWENS. The only 1936 Olympics champ I can think of.

84. Simple fellow: SIMON. What? I only know Simon as a guy's name.

85. Seat of Hawaii County: HILO

86. Plebe's denial: NO SIR

88. Some hangings: ART

91. Asian menu assurance: NO MSG. Great entry.

93. Musical "don't play": TACET. Literally "Be silent". Same root as "tacit", Jazzbumpa?

94. "Very well": SO BE IT

95. Disconnects: HANGS UP

98. Knot, as of hair: HANK. A hank of hair.

100.Justice of the peace customer: ELOPER. Have never heard of Justice of Peace.

109."Enough already!": I GIVE.

111.Dig find, perhaps: TOOL. Primitive tool.

112.Part of a TV signal: AUDIO

113.Constantly: EVER

115.Command after "Oops!": UNDO. Nice clue.

116.Touches the tarmac: LANDS

117.Brooding place: NEST

118.Soup scoop: LADLE. Alliteration.

119.Thorn in one's side: PEST

120.Cut drastically: SLASH

Down:

1. Harvester's haul: CROP. And OXEN (3. Farmer's helpers).

2. Northern Arizona native: HOPI. They make beautiful ollas. Today's constructor is from Scottsdale, AZ, the same city as our Lucina and Frenchie.

4. Sound right: RING TRUE

5. Lose heart: DESPAIR

6. Armchair QB's channel: ESPN. Nailed it.

7. Men-only affair: STAG. And LONE (12. Sans companions lone)

8. Field shield: TARP. Rhyme.

9. Hot Springs National Park state: ARKANSAS

10. Tribute and Miata: MAZDAS. Had trouble obtaining the answer.

11. It might have a nut at each end: U-BOLT. Another "it".

13. Digital watch abbr.: TUE

14. Dress shop compliment: IT'S YOU

16. Draw forth: EVOKE

17. Emulates a horse whisperer: TAMES. I loved the movie "The Horse Whisperer".

18. Frozen drops: SLEET. And RAINS (46. Gully fillers).

28. Most favorable: OPTIMAL. Nice non-est ending entry.

29. Scout's good work: DEED

31. Mezzo's moment: ARIA

34. Sportscaster Gumbel: GREG. Oh, his mug is very familiar.

35. See from afar: ESPY

36. Wound remnant: SCAR. Scab too.

37. Campaign vets: POLS. And TREND (43. Exit poll indication).

38. Eye impolitely: OGLE

39. One making a good impression?: APER. Indeed. Fun clue.

42. Mover and shaker: NABOB. Learned this phrase from Agnew's "nattering nabobs of negativism". I can see Dennis nodding in agreement.

45. Exhausted: ALL IN

47. Frontier transport: STAGE. Stagecoach.

50. What the dauntless lack: FEARS

51. [Quoted verbatim]: SIC. Only ten 3-letter words in this grid.

54. Rope fiber: SISAL. Can never remember this word.

55. Needing spicing: BLAND

57. Ruckuses: TODOS

59. High 80s, roughly: B PLUS. Oh, good to know. We did not have A, B, C grading when I was college.

61. "Space Cowboys" actor __ Dean: LOREN. Nope. First meeting with this actor.

62. Start of a new año: ENERO. January.

63. Tutelage: AEGIS. Sometimes it's spelled as egis.

65. "La Dolce Vita" actress: EKBERG (Anita). I peeked at the answer sheet.

66. Beanstalk menace: GIANT. From "Jack and the Beanstalk".

67. President who appeared on "Laugh-In": NIXON. "Sock it to me?".

70. '20s-'30s Flying Cloud, e.g.: REO. I think we had this clue before.

73. Rap genre: GANSTA

76. Scrabble piece: TILE.

77. Throw off: EMIT. New meaning of "throw off" to me.

79. Cathedral voices: ALTI. Plural of alto?

83. Slender-bodied stinger: WASP

84. Silently endure difficulty, in slang: SUCK IT UP. Cool fill.

85. Chronic: HABITUAL

87. Greeted the judge: ROSE

89. "Atlas Shrugged" author: RAND (Ayn)

90. Internet gateways: PORTALS

92. Spark in a bookshop: MURIEL. Muriel Spark, Scottish novelist. Unknown figure to me.

93. "Thy Neighbor’s Wife" author: TALESE (Gay). Stumper also.

95. Studly sorts: HE-MEN

96. Naproxen brand: ALEVE

97. Small victory margins: NOSES. Win by a nose.

98. Crude abode: HOVEL

101.Zipped: HIED. And NONE (102.Zip). Zip echo. Different meanings.

104.Conspiracy theorist's subject: PLOT

105."Show Boat" author Ferber: EDNA. Several authors in today's puzzle.

106.Clears (of): RIDS

107.Small snack: NOSH. Alliteration.

Answer grid.

Happy 89th Birthday to Jazzbumpa's mom!

C.C.