Thursday, February 3, 2011, Annemarie Brethauer

Theme: A cold war challenge: 63A. With the ends of 18-, 32-, 38- and 49-Across, an historic demand: MR GORBACHEV

18A. Normal damage: WEAR AND TEAR

32A. End zone dance preceder: TOUCHDOWN

38A. "Pay attention!": WATCH THIS

49A. Extensive Asian landmark: GREAT WALL.

And a bonus entry (No symmetrical partner):

54D. Born 2/6/1911, speaker of the demand: REAGAN.

Hi all, Al here.

Interesting variation on the old quotation on a Thursday puzzle we used to get.  Not an easy one for me to finish, and the theme didn't really help me at all.  I'll just skip to the comments.


ACROSS:

1. One not standing after a strike: PIN. This clue bowled me over.

4. "Così fan tutte" composer: MOZART. Short excerpt with a prop malfunction, worth a smile even if you can't understand. Misogynistic plot roughly translates to "women are like that". Two soldiers attempt to deceive each others' fiancée (sisters) to show that women are fickle. There is also a wager involved.

10. Fuel used in smokeless briquettes: PEAT.

14. United: ONE.

15. Tater Tots maker: ORE-IDA. Portmanteau word of the Oregon/Idaho border area where the company started.

16. Humerus neighbor: ULNA. Your "funny" bone is actually the Ulnar nerve at the distal end of the humerus.

17. School gp.: PTA. Parent Teacher Associations are state or even nation wide, so dues go out and some funding is provided back in. A Parent Teacher Organization is local and does not pay dues to a wider association.

20. Object held by some Monet subjects: PARASOL.

22. "Born to Fly" singer Evans: SARA. Country appeal.

23. __ out: barely makes: EKES. To increase or lengthen. You can eke out your salary with a second job, but you can't eke out your existence.

24. Bribes: SOPS. Bread soaked in liquid. The meaning "something given to appease" is an allusion to the sop given by the Sibyl to Cerberus in Virgil's "Aeneid."

27. Exodus landmark: SINAI.

30. Cubicle items: DESKS. And red Swingline staplers.

34. Way to get up: STEPS.

36. Party drink: TEA. The whole point was to toss it in the harbor instead of drinking it, wasn't it?

37. Like Mars: RED.

42. Nimitz letters: USS. Nuclear-powered Navy supercarrier.

45. "Livin' Thing" rock gp.: ELO.

46. Horde member: NOMAD.

53. Worker with rattan: CANER.

55. Jockey rival: HANES.

56. Israeli prime minister, 1969-'74: MEIR. Golda

58. Diet brand word: LITE.

59. Logician's "E," perhaps: ERAT. Q.E.D. Latin: quod erat demonstrandum "which was to be demonstrated."

61. Thames neighborhood: CHELSEA.

67. Where Dover is: Abbr.: ENG.land. The one with the white cliffs. Also one in DELaware, just to confuse you.

68. Jezebel's husband: AHAB. Ahab was king of north Israel, Jezebel was a power behind the throne. After Ahab died, his son was overthrown and killed by Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat. Jehu went on to confront Jezebel and incite her court officials to throw her out a window (defenestration) where she was left to be eaten by dogs. In some interpretations, she dressed in finery and put on makeup before her execution which led to the association of use of cosmetics with "painted women" or prostitutes.

69. City WNW of Boca: ST. PETE. Direction and St. Petersburg abbrevs.

70. LAX listing: ETA.

71. Jobless benefit: DOLE. Shortened from Old English gedal "portion," later "charitable portion" Related to dæl "deal", to dole out.

72. Assembly sites: PLANTS.

73. Man cave, maybe: DEN.


DOWN:

1. Visited unannounced, with "in": POPPED.

2. See 7-Down: INTAKES. 7D. With 2-Down, engine conduits: AIR.

3. Most convenient: NEAREST.

4. Does some yardwork: MOWS.

5. Droxies used to compete with them: OREOS. Hydrox cookies, bought by Keebler then renamed. Oreo just out-advertised them. Plus, name changes will lose sales from brand-loyalty customers. I don't remember ever seeing either name.

6. Extremist: ZEALOT. From Late Latin Zelotes "Member of a militant 1st century Jewish sect which fiercely resisted the Romans in Palestine".

8. Nutritional amt.: RDA. Recommended Daily Allowance. Sufficient to prevent deficiency diseases. Not necessarily the optimum amount.

9. Darkens in the sun: TANS. The color of leather, also to make leather.

10. Foul-smelling: PUTRID. From several Latin words, putridus, from putrere "to rot," from putris "rotten, crumbling," related to putere "to stink". Anyone have breakfast yet?

11. Aquitaine duchess: ELEANOR.

12. Women's tennis star Ivanovic: ANA. Photogenic.

13. Sailor: TAR.

19. Track event: DASH. Also Race, jump, heat.

21. Out of line: ASKEW.

25. Road hazard: POTHOLE.

26. Plum pudding ingredient: SUET. I've never had this. Beef fat, who knew? To hold it together, I suppose?

28. Blow away: AWE. From Old Norse "agi": fear, fright.

29. Pacers' home: Abbr.: IND. Basketball, Indiana.

31. Balneotherapy venue: SPA. Treatment of disease by bathing. New word for me.

33. "Come Fly With Me" lyricist: CAHN. Sammy.

35. Burgoo, e.g.: STEW. Reading the explanation for this reminded me of the "stone soup" parable, everybody brings something to add, meat, veggies, etc.  This was new to me too.  Around here, they make booyah in 25 gallon quantities, but with chicken instead of red meats.

39. Bit of dough: CLAM. Both are terms for money.

40. Org. with an interlocking rings logo: IOC. International Olympic Committee.

41. Trivial: SMALL.

42. "That's disgusting!": UGH.

43. E. Perón's title: SRA. Evita, Senora abbrevs.

44. It nearly surrounds Gambia: SENEGAL. Today's geography lesson.

47. Liqueur flavoring: ANISEED.

48. Cold War thaw: DETENTE. A borrowing of French détente "loosening, slackening" (used in the Middle Ages for the catch of a crossbow).

50. Oxygen-loving organism: AEROBE. One which oxidizes sugars or fats to produce energy.

51. Peter the Great, for one: TSAR. Derived from Latin Caesar.

52. Fungus-alga union: LICHEN. Symbiosis.

57. Butler at Tara: RHETT.

60. 1/2 fl. oz.: TBSP.

62. Halloween et al.: EVES. All Saints Day, otherwise known as All Hallows, continued ancient Celtic traditions. The evening prior to the day was the time of the most intense activity, both human and supernatural. People continued to celebrate All Hallows Eve as a time of the wandering dead, but the supernatural beings were now thought to be evil. The folk continued to appease those spirits (and their masked impersonators) by setting out gifts of food and drink. Subsequently, All Hallows Eve became Hallow Evening, which became Hallowe'en.

63. Moonstruck: MAD. The moon gets blamed for all sorts of lunacy...

64. 17th Greek letter: RHO.

65. Falcons, on scoreboards: ATL. Football, Atlanta.

66. Yr.-end adviser: CPA. Certified Public Accountant.

Answer Grid.

Al

Wednesday February 2, 2011 Bernice Gordon

Theme: OWIE's Pals - Common crossword answers (hence all capitalized) with the O?IE pattern serve as clues, resulting in four grid-spanning phrases.

20A. OPIE : CHILD IN MAYBERRY . "The Andy Griffith Show" boy. Played by Ron Howard.

34A. OBIE : THEATRICAL AWARD. Off-Broadway.

43A. OKIE : MAN FROM MUSKOGEE. Does this refer to Merle Haggard's "Okie from Muskogee"?

58A. ODIE : GARFIELD'S FRIEND. Drooling dog.

C.C. here. Got up and found no post from Melissa. Hope she's safe.

I'll get the blog skeleton here so the post will be published in time. Will fill in more content later. (Updated at 5:50am: Blog is complete now. Thanks for the patience.)

Bernice Gordon is 96 years old, probably the oldest constructor in the world. Here is a fascinating article about her. Inspiring! (Correction; Ms. Gordon just celebrated her 97th birthday. Thanks, Rich.)

Across:

1. Purchases : BUYS

5. One way to cope : ADAPT

10. Key of Brahms's Symphony No. 3 : F MAJ. Got via crosses. Waiting for Jazzbumpa for the perfect link.

14. Midwest native : OTOE. Quite close to the O?IE pattern.

15. Speeder's downfall : RADAR

16. Attorney general under Clinton : RENO (Janet)

17. Long story : SAGA

18. African title of respect : BWANA. ''Call Me Bwana" .

19. Earth, in Essen : ERDE

23. China's Sun __-sen : YAT. Played a critical role in overthrowing the last emperor of China. He's the brother-in-law of Chiang Kai-shek.

24. Gallery administrator's deg. : MFA

25. Cry of success : YES

26. "Wait, there's more ..." : AND

29. Ring 5-Downs : REFS. Boxing ring I presume? And 5D. Settler? : ARBITER

32. Last: Abbr. : ULT

40. __-B: dental brand : ORAL

41. Trail : LAG

42. In charge of : OVER

48. Just fine, at NASA : A-OK

49. Hors d'oeuvre spread : PATE. Pâté de foie gras.

50. Fairbanks-to-Anchorage dir. : SSW

51. To the rear : AFT. So is ABAFT.

54. Afternoon break : TEA

56. Sportscaster Cross : IRV. Not familiar with the guy.

65. Leaf-to-branch angle : AXIL. Good illustration.

66. Threshing instrument : FLAIL

67. Sculptor's material : CLAY

68. Anatomical blood carrier : VENA.Vena cava.

69. Specialty : FORTE. I always have the stress on the second syllable.

70. Queen's home : HIVE. Fun fill for Melissa.

71. Blue-pencil : EDIT

72. Shore eagles : ERNES. TERNS too.

73. River to the North Sea : YSER

Down:

1. Northwestern pear : BOSC

2. Where Pioneer Day is celebrated : UTAH. Not aware of this holiday.

3. Teammate of Mickey and Whitey : YOGI. Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford.

4. Simmons alternative : SEALY

6. Early light : DAWN

7. "Bonanza" brother : ADAM

8. Flier until '91 : PAN-AM

9. Waiter's burden : TRAYFUL

10. Thrown in : FREE

11. Like Hood's men : MERRY. Robbin Hood.

12. Tennis great Agassi : ANDRE

13. Down under kids : JOEYS. Kangaroo's kids. "under" should be capitalized.

21. Thrown missile : DART

22. __ Cynwyd, Philadelphia suburb : BALA. No idea.

26. Tiny particle : ATOM

27. Dragsters' org. : NHRA (National Hot Rod Association)

28. Campus VIP : DEAN

30. Kodak product : FILM

31. Rascal : SCAMP

33. "__'Clock Jump": Harry James recording : TWO O'. Total stranger to me.

35. A, in communications : ALFA. NATO alphabet. Spitzboov likes to say "Brave Zulu", meaning very good.

36. Cancún quencher : AGUA

37. Miles per gal., points per game, etc. : AVGs

38. Roger of "Cheers" : REES. His face looks familiar.

39. Made faces, perhaps : DREW. I don't get this clue.

44. Roast, in Rouen : ROTI

45. Painter of Southwestern scenes : O'KEEFFE (Georgia)

46. Puts down : STIFLES

47. "The King and I" actress, 1956 : KERR (Deborah)

51. Desert growth : AGAVE

52. Sent, in a way : FAXED

53. Pop singer Lopez : TRINI. "If I Had a Hammer" singer, though I prefer Peter, Paul and Mary's version.

55. "It's __ nothing!" : ALL OR

57. French hot springs town : VICHY. Oh, so the Vichy Government was named after this town.

59. In need of tuning : FLAT. Tuning what?

60. Do some mending : DARN. Love Kazie's darning avatar.

61. Location : SITE

62. "The Whiffenpoof Song" collegians : ELIs. "The Whiffenpoof" is Yale's a cappella group. Another unknown to me.

63. Church section : NAVE

64. Certain colorist : DYER. Locks changer again.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Interview with Bruce Venzke

Many of us enjoy Bruce Venzke's puzzles, which often feature colloquial, "everyday language" 15-letter spanners and smooth fill.

Bruce (in the middle) is a veteran constructor with over 500 puzzles under his belt. He has been published by the NY Times, LA Times, NY Sun, Newsday, Wall Street Journal, CrosSynergy and various newspapers and magazines. Rich Norris mentioned at the end of last year that Bruce Venzke is one of the top 10 constructors for the LA Times in 2010.

Bruce will be at ACPT during March 18-20, 2011. Say Hi to him if you also attend the event. I'd also like to say "Thank you" to Gail Grabowski for making this interview possible.

Can you tell us a bit of your background and how you got into crossword construction?

I got very involved in pocket billiards while at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. That led to my writing a monthly magazine column about pool and billiards for 30 years, until 2004. I had done a few small pool-theme puzzles for that column along the way, and in the process of trying to do those in a halfway legitimate way, I had found out a bit about the mainstream puzzle construction process. So, for whatever reason (I'm still not exactly sure), I decided to see if I could successfully do a "real" puzzle or two. On my second submission, I was lucky enough to stumble onto a theme which Rich Norris felt had promise, and with his kind counsel and assistance, got my first acceptance (March, 2002). Friends made me feel like I'd split the atom or something, so I kept going. (I guess that really means "ego.")

How would you describe your puzzle style? I noticed that your grids often feature nice grid spanners.

If I even have a signature style, it would probably derive from the emphasis on using predominantly "everyday language." I'm not a great solver by any means, having a limited education, particularly in the area of history, literature, the arts, etc. So in constructing, I soon decided that I ought to concentrate most on what I know best. As a result, I try very, very hard to keep what I consider "difficult" words and entries out... yet still have as much lively stuff as I can muster up. Each of us would draw a different "line in the sand" for assessing that quality, of course. But I'm pretty sure that if asked, top tier solvers would agree that most of my themed puzzles are too easy for their liking. (Some have said that even without being asked!) But I'm very much an "every man" myself, and I guess I try to construct with me in mind. If that makes me mostly an "early-week" constructor, it's OK with me; there are lots of tough puzzles out there for the cracker-jack solvers to solve. (And they really can solve, can't they? I'm just astonished watching the ACPT tournament every year! Unbelievable.)

I do like the elegance of 15s in the grid when possible, and I'm pleased you noticed that I use them when appropriate.

Which part do you normally spend the most time on, in the construction process: theme brainstorming, gridding or cluing?   

Building and filling grids is what I enjoy the most about constructing, and I think I probably spend more time at that than the average constructor, even for routine grids. I really dislike partials, cheaters, one-way-in corners and grid patterns without lots of interlock throughout, and trying to avoid those is time-consuming (at least for me!). And of course, they're not always totally avoidable. But I try hard. As for theme development, well, the longer I construct, the more time it takes, as new ideas get to be more and more elusive. Finally, cluing is the phase I like least, and as a result, it often takes the longest of all. (Note: On the nearly 400 collaborative puzzles I've done, my collaborator has done the clues on... every single one.)

You're one of those few constructors who make both themed and themeless puzzles. What are the major differences in your approach in terms of construction?

The biggest difference for me is that for themeless puzzles, which are to be more challenging, I drop much of my self-imposed restriction on the "difficult words" I seek to avoid in themed puzzles. That means I'm constantly looking up oodles of words that I don't happen to know, and trying to assess whether they're genuinely obscure or too difficult (as I might first think), or just another word that I don't personally know, and that would be fine in the puzzle. As a result, themeless puzzles take me a lot more time. I'm also a sucker for trying to have visually appealing symmetry or grid patterns in a themeless. That also translates into more time.

What kind of reference books/websites do you use for theme entry selection assistance and clue accuracy checks?

RH2 is a must for me, as is OneLook and all of its related sources of information. Even Wikipedia, taken with a careful grain of salt, is very helpful. Google, of course, gives us basically the whole Internet.

You've had over 500 puzzles published by various newspapers/magazines since you started constructing in 2002; where do you find your theme inspirations and how do you maintain productivity?

I've been very fortunate to collaborate with several fine constructors, starting with Stella Daily in 2002. We did almost 300 puzzles together, until she retired last year (only temporarily, I hope). Vic Fleming and I have also teamed up on 50 puzzles since 2005. And now Gail Grabowski and I have joined forces quite recently, agreeing to do ongoing collaborative work, and creating about a dozen puzzles so far. I mention this not only because they have all been so valuable and helpful to me, but because it means they've contributed about half of the themes needed! Good themes are always in demand. Like many constructors, I do keep a pad in my pocket and at the ready at all times. I jot down every fragmented (and often half-baked) idea that comes to mind. About eighty percent of them don't make the cut, but to date, about one a week has, so that's fine. In any case, coming up with themes poses the overall biggest challenge for me.

What kind of puzzles do you solve every day and which constructors do you find most inspiring?

I solve the early week NYTs, and the LAT daily. And I see (if not solve) the CrosSynergy puzzles as they're being developed, of course. Not being a great solver -- as well as being hooked on KenKen -- that activity represents enough daily solving and puzzling for me. As far as my favorites among constructors is concerned, wow! I'm impressed over and over again by the work of so many constructors, that to start naming them would necessarily do an injustice to those I would have to omit from any list I compiled. I'll just rely on the old saying: "You know who you are."

Besides crosswords, what else do you do for fun?

Principal fun? My wife Jeanne and I have been to 27 states to ride 325 different roller coasters in the past 11 years; that's now our principal hobby together, along with being parents of two and grandparents of two. (All four in Austin, Texas, so we spend some time there, as well.) I go to Vegas twice a year with "the boys," and I've also been going to a certain tournament on the East Coast every winter for several years now. Poker club every two weeks, too. That's about it!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011 Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski

Theme: Rack 'Em - The first word of the theme entries relate to that trouble they had in River City. Yes, I said trouble. Trouble with a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for 65-Across!

17A. Coach's pregame lecture: CHALK TALK. A coach will often use a blackboard as a visual aid during the pep talk. A pool player uses chalk on the tip of the cue to aid in applying "English" to the cue ball.

24A. Home seller-and-buyer's short-term loan: BRIDGE FINANCING If one has bought a new home that they were going to pay for with the proceeds from the sale of their old home and the old one hasn't sold yet, a bridge loan can cover the gap. In pool, a special stick, can be used when striking the cue ball has to be done bridging another ball.

41A. 1929 women's air race, as dubbed by Will Rogers: POWDER PUFF DERBY. I don't believe Will's term is politically correct nowadays. Talc powder is used to keep a player's hand smooth and dry while making a pool shot.

51A. Production number director's cry: CUE THE ORCHESTRA This cue is the spelled name of the letter q which is an abbreviation (found in acting scripts) of Latin quando, "when". (News to me.) The cue stick comes from the word queue, because it is similar to the long and tapering braid of hair called a queue?

65A. Summer shindig, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 41- and 51-Across: POOL PARTY. Again, the word pool has come from to different meanings. The game is so-called because a betting pool was established prior to playing the game. "I am shocked — shocked— to find that gambling is going on in here!"

Argyle here. 

Solid puzzle. Grid spanners. Blocks in the corners. I wrote so much on the theme I don't have much left for the rest so I better get to it.

Across:

1. One in charge : BOSS

5. Ticketless rail rider : HOBO. and 44A. Rail rider : TRAIN

9. Resell at a major markup : SCALP

14. Pirate's syllables : YO, HO. Some scalpers are pirates.

15. Bean product? : IDEA. Bean, slang for head.

16. More virtuous : PURER

19. University of Maine town : ORONO

20. Raptor's roost : AERIE

21. Late-night Jay : LENO

23. Diarist Anaïs : NIN

28. TV revue since '75 : SNL. Saturday Night Live.

29. Acting instructor's deg., perhaps : MFA. Master of Fine Arts.

30. Start to knock? : ANTI. Gasoline additive.

34. Pop music's Lady __ : GAGA. Sounds better than she looks, IMHO.

37. Surround securely : EMBED

45. 1944 invasion city : ST. LO

46. Spot for a hoop : LOBE. Earring.

47. WWII espionage gp. : OSS. Office of Strategic Services.

49. Oktoberfest cry : "ACH!"

60. Gambling letters : OTB. Off-track betting.

61. Gambling city : RENO. Clecho.

62. Assumed identity : ALIAS

63. Absolut rival, for short : STOLI. Vodka

68. Fruit served in balls : MELON

69. Way to store pix : ON CD

70. Prepare for a shot : POSE

71. Speak at length : ORATE

72. Soup veggies : PEAs

73. Job opening : SLOT. I also tried SPOT and SHOT, close but no cigar.

Down:

1. How many city folks travel : BY CAB

2. Fireworks watcher : OOHer

3. Puppeteer Lewis : SHARI

4. Three-dimensional : SOLID

5. Wallop : HIT

6. Harem room : ODA

7. Attorney Melvin : BELLI. The palimony lawyer.

8. Like wine barrels : OAKEN

9. Pampered : SPOON-FED

10. Mangy mongrel : CUR

11. Rice-__ : A-RONI

12. Bolshevik leader : LENIN

13. Plug projection : PRONG

18. Tapped barrels : KEGS

22. '60s-'70s service site, briefly : NAM

25. Certain Caltech grad: Abbr. : ENGR.

26. Envelope parts : FLAPS

27. Desert mount : CAMEL. Got me!

30. Well-chosen : APT

31. Fish-fowl connection : NOR

32. Bygone intl. carrier : TWA. Trans World Airlines.

33. Jerk : IDIOT

35. Instinctive, as a feeling : GUT

36. Company with a web-footed spokescritter : AFLAC. He won't go away!

38. Short relative? : BRO

39. Recede : EBB

40. Change, as one's locks? : DYE

42. Elect to a Hall of Fame, say : ENSHRINE

43. Nina of "Spartacus" : FOCH. Image.

48. "What did I tell you?" : "SEE!"

50. Disorderly mound : HEAP

51. Women's mag : COSMO

52. Put into words : UTTER

53. African virus : EBOLA

54. "Hop __": Dr. Seuss book : ON POP

55. ABC's Arledge : ROONE

56. High-fives, e.g. : SLAPS

57. Divided Austrian state : TIROL. German spelling of TYROL

58. Joe's "Midnight Cowboy" pal : RATSO

59. Up to this point : AS YET

64. Subdivision unit : LOT

66. Andean tuber : OCA

67. Mormons' gp. : LDS. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (abbreviated as the LDS).

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, January 31, 2011 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Audio Alerts - The last word of the first three theme entries can precede the last word of the fourth.

17A. Exec's perk: COMPANY CAR

23A. Tempts fate, in a way: PLAYS WITH FIRE

50A. Second in a Sue Grafton series: 'B' IS FOR BURGLAR

61A. Fairly spicy, as chili (and like this puzzle, literally, based on the ends of 17-, 23- and 50-Across): THREE ALARM

Argyle here. One minor problem and that may be just me. Solid construction but not much spice, even though spice is mentioned several times. LOL. If you look for them, there are quite a few connections, intentional or not.

Across:

1. Dissolves into a puddle : MELTS

6. Firing range rounds : AMMO

10. Dog bugger : FLEA

14. Audibly astonished : AGASP

15. Pastry served au rhum : BABA. A small yeast cake saturated in rum.

16. Bee, to Andy : AUNT. From the Andy Griffith Show

19. Adriatic resort : LIDO

20. Sixth sense letters : ESP

21. Tableland : MESA

22. Conestoga, e.g. : WAGON

27. God of manly beauty : APOLLO

29. Actor Diggs : TAYE. This man.

30. "Saturday Night Fever" dance genre : DISCO

31. Bogus plan : SCAM

33. Actress Cheryl : LADD. Image, of course.

37. Acolyte's suffix : IST. Can someone explain this? Donna?

38. One in an extra-large baby carriage, perhaps : TRIPLET

41. Angus's greeting : MOO. I had this strange picture of Scots going around saying, "Moo", to each other. Must be the Monty Python effect.

42. Space Shuttle gp. : NASA

44. Feb. 14 : V-DAY. Saint Valentine's Day.

45. Colorado resort : ASPEN

47. "Of __ I Sing" : THEE

49. Mideast fleet : OILERS. The big oil tankers.

55. One more time : AGAIN

56. "Trick" or "treat" : VERB. But NOUN works too.

57. Horn for a Muppet named Zoot : SAX

60. Defame : SLUR

64. Charged particles : IONS

65. Feathery wraps : BOAs

66. Dance in a line : CONGA

67. Layer of paint : COAT

68. Eyelid woe : STYE

69. Praise : KUDOS

Down:

1. Nutmeg spice : MACE

2. Boardroom clashers : EGOs

3. Streetlight supports : LAMPPOSTS, And lampposts are traditional supports for drunks.

4. 1/6 fl. oz. : TSP

5. Musical with the song "The Holy Grail" : SPAMALOT. Still looking for the Holy Grail!

6. Bottomless pit : ABYSS

7. Avian chatterbox : MACAW. Pretty bird.

8. Wharton deg. : MBA

9. Galley mover : OAR

10. Pita filling : FALAFEL. Falafel is made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans and spices.

11. "Super Mario" brother : LUIGI. Video game.

12. Biblical witch's home : ENDOR. I think of Endora, from TV's "Bewitched".

13. Do penance : ATONE

18. R&B artist with the 2006 #1 hit "So Sick" : NE-YO. Unknown to me but this (3:29)(with lyrics) is pretty good.

22. "For what reason?" : "WHY?"

24. Partnership letters : LLC. Limited Liability Company.

25. Country with a da Vinci drawing on its one-euro coin : ITALY. Image.

26. Docile : TAME

27. Score after deuce : AD IN. One more letter and it's AD OUT, depending on which tennis player has won the next point, thus giving them the advantage.

28. Galileo's birthplace : PISA

31. Flip of a hit single : SIDE B

32. IRS audit rep : CPA

34. Barnes & Noble link? : AMPERSAND

35. Perpetrator : DOer

36. Crime bosses : DONS

39. Winnebago owner, briefly : RVer

40. NFL ball carrier, often : TAILBACK

43. In the beginning : AT FIRST

46. Gp. that abducted Patty Hearst : SLA. Symbionese Liberation Army. It happened in 1974.

48. Sweetie : HON

49. Meanie : OGRE

50. Rudimentary : BASIC

51. Inuit home : IGLOO. The Inuit were once known as Eskimos.

52. Sweat box? : SAUNA. Now that's funny; sweat box following the ice box(igloo).

53. Sun danger : UV RAY

54. Witherspoon of "Walk the Line" : REESE. The story of Johnny Cash.

58. Jason's vessel : ARGO

59. Dec. holiday : XMAS

61. "Very funny" TV station : TBS. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

62. In vogue : HOT

63. '70s TV boss of Mary, Ted and Murray : LOU. Mary Tyler Moore Show, editor LOU Grant(Ed Asner).

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Patriots' faithful fan Joshua (Barry G's handsome boy), who turns 6 years old today.

Happy Birthday to Bill G too. Sheng Ri Kuai Le, Bill!

Sunday January 30, 2011 Mel Rosen

Theme: How to Read the Personal Ads - Words in Personal Ads are humorously (or rather cynically) interpreted.

23A. "Free spirit" means ... : I LOST EVERY JOB I EVER HAD. A true free spirit!

31A. "Enjoys long conversations" means ... : I DIDN'T PAY MY CABLE BILL

49A. "Likes home cooking" means ... : I'M TOO CHEAP TO EAT OUT. Or you're having food intolerant/sensitive problem.

67A. "Adventurous" means ... : I HAVE BEEN TO THE ZOO ONCE. This answer doesn't click for me.

85A. "Enjoys the beach" means ... : I OWN A METAL DETECTOR. What's the connection between "beach" and "metal detector"?

103A. "Likes to cuddle" means ... : MY APARTMENT HAS NO HEAT.

112A. "Takes long walks" means ... : MY CAR'S BEEN REPOSSESSED. Sad excuse.

Great to see Mel Rosen's by-line. He coined the word cruciverbalist and introduced the term "fingers" into crossword construction. Fingers refer to those 2 or 3 black square blocks along the edges of the grid. They look like fingers poking into the grid.

Very often Sunday puzzles are a challenge for me. The sheer size is daunting. And the pressure of finishing the puzzle & getting the write-up done in time take away some pleasure from me. Today I had lots of fun. Nailed those long theme entries with only a few letters in place. Most of the unknowns were easily obtainable via crossings.

Across:

1. Like electric basses : AMPED

6. Chorister's cover : ROBE. One who sings in a choir is a chorister.

10. One of the Wayans brothers : SHAWN. Got his name via crosses.

15. Story morals, e.g. : TAGS. New meaning of tag to me.

19. Rouen room : SALLE. French for "room". Alliteration.

20. Airline since 1948 : EL AL. Israel was established in 1948.

21. Chevy model : TAHOE

22. Another, in Ávila : OTRA. Also OTRO.

27. Without delay : NOW

28. Outback runner : EMU. Lean meat.

29. Have something : AIL. Wanted EAT.

30. Sarge's boss : LOOIE. Nickname for lieutenant.

39. Spohr's Opus 31 and others : NONETS. Not familiar with Spohr, a German composer who was once as famous as Beethoven, a la Wikipedia.

40. Flying Clouds, e.g. : REOs

41. Came to the rescue : AIDED

42. Fractions of a joule : ERGS. Work units.

43. They don't skip 48-Downs : LOCS. And 48D. Stop: Abbr. : STN. I am at sea. What is LOC? (Added later: It's local.)

44. "Otello" composer : VERDI. And 115D. "__ tu": 44-Across aria : ERI. Literally "are". Tu = You.

46. They may be dirt: Abbr. : RDs

55. Solfeggio syllables : FAs

58. Syr. and Eg., once : UAR (United Arab Republic, 1958-1961)

59. "Wassup," formally : HELLO

60. Big name in vacuums : DYSON. Have never paid attention to our vacuum brand.

61. Word of exhortation : RAH

62. E-mail button : SEND

64. Call's partner : BECK. Beck and call.

66. Writable storage media, briefly : CD-Rs. R stands for "recordable".

74. Daughter of Phoebe : LETO. Mother of Apollo.

75. Seaside cottage asset : VIEW

76. Describe in detail : LIMN. Fancy word.

77. Canon camera named for a goddess : EOS. Goddess of the dawn.

78. Alley "oops" : SPLIT. Bowling alley. Great clue.

80. Common people : PLEBS. Windhover likes to use this word to describe his no-NY Times crossword taste.

83. Rented : LET

84. Must-take coll. course : REQ

91. Slapstick prop : PIE

92. Cuts, say : EDITS

93. Big cut : GASH. Nice "cut" clecho.

94. Terrier of film : ASTA. "The Thin Man" dog.

98. Ring for breakfast : BAGEL

100. Brewery oven : OAST

101. Sans contractual buyers : ON SPEC. On speculation. Not specification.

108. Pesto or aioli : SAUCE. I like neither.

109. Ending for ranch : ERO. Ranchero.

110. British ref. : OED

111. Compass dir. : NNE. Could be any direction.

120. Env. stuffer : ENCL

121. "History of the World: __": Brooks film : PART I. Needed crosses for the I part.

122. "La __ Breve": de Falla opera : VIDA. Literally "life".

123. Tropical palm : ARECA. Source of betel nuts.

124. Handy abbr. : ET AL

125. Liqueur herb : ANISE

126. Struck (out) : EX'ED

127. Small songbirds : LARKS

Down:

1. Just plain silly : ASININE. Silly word.

2. Stink : MALODOR

3. Digging up some dirt : PLOWING

4. 2002 British Open champ : ELS (Ernie). I remember that brilliant bunker shot.

5. Windup toy device : DETENT. New word to me. Looks like it has the same root as détente.

6. Excite : REV UP

7. Opry adjective : OLE

8. Piano or roll follower : BAR

9. Bridge guru Culbertson : ELY. Learned his name from doing Xword.

10. Impassive : STOIC

11. "Aquí se __ español" : HABLA. "Speak" in Spanish. Spanish spoken here. Aquí = Here.

12. Some sushi tuna : AHI. Yellowfin tuna.

13. Distressed state : WOE

14. Ariz. neighbor : NEV

15. Doughnut-shaped : TOROID. Adjective of torus.

16. Playwright Fugard : ATHOL. South African playwright. Sometimes we see ALOES clued as part of his novel title "A Lesson from Aloes".

17. Chalice's cousin : GRAIL

18. "Smooth Operator" singer : SADE. Here is a clip. Beautiful song.

24. Paramedics, briefly : EMTs

25. Rogers Centre team, familiarly : JAYS. Toronto Blue Jays.

26. North Sea feeder : ELBE. You've got to remember your European rivers.

32. Lucie's dad : DESI (Arnaz)

33. Buck suffix : AROO. Buckaroo.

34. "Guh-ross!" : YECCH

35. Six-Day War figure Dayan : MOSHE. With his trademark eyepatch.

36. Milhouse's pal : BART. Have never watched "The Simpsons".

37. Venice Film Festival site : LIDO. Learning moment for me.

38. Warhol "superstar" Sedgwick : EDIE. Such a tragic figure. Died when she's only 28.

43. "SNL" producer Michaels : LORNE

44. Restaurant worker who's rarely in the restaurant : VALET. True.

45. Historic period : EPOCH

46. "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" author : ROSSNER (Judith). No idea. See the book cover.

47. One may be an item : DUO. Oh, like Taylor Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal.

50. "La Bohème" waltzer : MUSETTA . Again, needed crosses.

51. Exercise portmanteau : TAE BO. From TAE kwon do and boxing.

52. Jostled : ELBOWED

53. Enlarge, in a way : ADD ONTO

54. Rookie : TYRO. Haven't seen this word for a long time.

55. Calendar col. : FRI

56. "That feels go-o-o-od" : AAH

57. "Let's" evoker : SHALL WE

63. Research assoc.? : DEV (Development). The D in R & D.

65. Kenan's TV pal : KEL

66. Tailed orbiter : COMET

68. Ore source : VEIN

69. Bug like a pup : NIP AT

70. Doesn't hold back : TELLS. Not easy to be Deep Throat.

71. Zip : ZILCH

72. Cedar Rapids college : COE. Coe College. Iowa.

73. Litigator's letters : ESQ

78. Just a taste : SIP

79. Luau dish : POI. Taro dish. Freshly baked taros are tasty.

81. Had, in the Bible : BEGAT

82. Hidden supply : STASH

86. Big opening? : MEGA. Like megabyte.

87. River of central Germany : EDER

88. Arcade foul : TILT

89. "¿Cómo __?" : ESTA

90. Hardly thoughtful : RASH

95. "The Faerie Queene" poet : SPENSER (Edmund)

96. New Jersey town near the George Washington Bridge : TEANECK. Total unknown to me.

97. Substituted for : ACTED AS

98. "Key Largo" co-star : BACALL (Lauren)

99. Me-tooer : APER

100. __ about : ON OR

101. Till bills : ONEs

102. "I won't sign" : NO DEAL

103. Is forbidden to, quaintly : MAYNT. "May not" I suppose.

104. New Mexico state flower : YUCCA. Yucca in bloom, from Gunghy's bike series.

105. Bumps into : MEETS

106. Banks called "Mr. Cub" : ERNIE. Spent his entire career with the Cubs.

107. "Such a pity" : SO SAD

108. Right-hook man in "Peter Pan"? : SMEE. Captain Hook has an iron hook to replace his right hand. Smee is his right-handed man. Somehow this clue doesn't work for me.

113. Mud bath venue : SPA

114. Block : BAN

116. Apple pioneer? : EVE. Because Eve is the first person to eat the apple.

117. Thumbnails, nowadays : PIX

118. Poetic praise : ODE

119. Málaga Mrs. : SRA

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday Januray 29, 2011 Gareth Bain

Theme: None

Total words: 70

Total blocks: 34

C.C. here. I think this is Gareth Bain's first LA Times themeless. Congrats!

Gareth anchors his puzzle with a stacked 15 & 14 on top and bottom of his grid:

17A. "West Side Story" duet : ONE HAND, ONE HEART. Tony & Maria's duet.

20A. Ecstatic cry : YES, THERE IS A GOD. This could be the seed entry.

45A. Go from 10 to 8, say : DROP A DRESS SIZE. Nice answer. Crazy SSS in the middle.

50A. Angel's concern : BROADWAY MUSICAL. Angel refers to Broadway financial backer.

How's your solving? Quite a workout for me. Sweated a lot over several geography references. Tough cluing overall.

Across:

1. Edmonton's prov. : ALTA (Alberta)

5. North __ Sea, Syr Darya River outlet : ARAL. Wikipedia says the North Aral Sea is part of the former former Aral Sea that's fed by the Syr Darya River, which is a complete unknown to me.

9. Russian city to host the 2014 Olympics : SOCHI. No idea. It's pronounced like SOH-chee. On the Black Sea. Right side, see it?

14. Sounds of triumph : HAHs

15. Move, in real estate : RELO

16. Some soli : ARIAS. Soli is plural of solo.

21. Loan guarantor : SURETY

22. Whiz : PRO

23. Stir vigorously : BEAT. Egg whites, I suppose.

24. Fish you don't want to be biting : PIRANHAS. Ozzie Guillén (White Sox manager, very funny guy) said Twins are like piranhas.

29. Attached, in a way : GLUED

31. One-footer, e.g. : TAP-IN. Tap-in putt. Golf.

32. Peke output : YIP. Pekingese dog. Yips are of course also golfer's nightmare. No tap-in gimme.

33. They fit in locks : OARS. Nope, no KEYS. Boat locks.

34. Deli suffix : WURST

35. __ Squalor, Count Olaf's girlfriend in "A Series of Unfortunate Events" : ESME. The name is a reference to Salinger's "For Esme – with Love and Squalor", which rings a bell. The clue as it is means nothing to me.

36. Overalls part : BIB

37. Billy Dee's "The Empire Strikes Back" role : LANDO. Lando Calrissian. I just have no desire to watch those "Star Wars" movies.

38. Glove material : LATEX

39. How much radio is broadcast : IN STEREO. Did you get the answer immediately?

41. Pharmacist's datum : DOSE

42. Had a life : WAS

43. Tab competitor : DIET RC. Had trouble parsing DIETRC.

51. Site of a sacred building called the Kaaba : MECCA. Here is Kaaba (literally, "the cube") during Hajj. The most sacred building in Islam. So crowded.

52. Resort NE of Los Alamos : TAOS

53. Swarthy : DARK

54. Far from swarthy : PASTY. Nice "swarthy' clecho (clue echo).

55. Dustin's "The Graduate" co-star : ANNE (Bancroft)

56. Word of consequence : ELSE

Down:

1. Bridge call? : AHOY. Oh, ship bridge. Not the bridge game.

2. Pins may be at the ends of them : LANES. Bowling pins.

3. End-of-day destination for many : THE SUBURBS

4. Hardwood sources : ASH TREES. Used to make baseball bats.

5. CNN Gulf War reporter : ARNETT (Peter)

6. Towel off again : REDRY

7. Shrub with tubular flowers : ALOE

8. Anderson of "WKRP in Cincinnati" : LONI

9. Arid : SAHARAN

10. Ducks' home : OREGON. Ducks: University of Oregon. Beavers: Oregon State.

11. "Bye!" : CIAO

12. Like some copies and courts : HARD

13. Social end : IST. End to the word socialist.

18. Winning : AHEAD

19. Lively wit : ESPRIT

24. 1960s-'70s "Jeopardy!" announcer : PARDO (Don). Have faintly heard of the name.

25. __ jure: by the law itself : IPSO

26. Riotous : HYSTERICAL

27. Parisian lover's word : AIME. Love. Je t'aime.

28. Eyewear, commercially : SPEX

29. Home to many Bactrian camels : GOBI. Do you know the name for these camels?

30. Rested : LAIN

31. Some find it hard to carry : TUNE. Tricky clue.

34. 1955 treaty city : WARSAW. Warsaw Pact.

35. Manhattan's FDR Drive is on it : EAST SIDE. Guessed.

37. Traditionally, when women were allowed to propose marriage : LEAP DAY. Was unaware of this tradition.

38. Windblown soil : LOESS. Learned from doing crossword.

40. With an intermission : TWO ACT

41. Neglect : DISUSE

43. Familiar, perhaps : DEMON. Why? Don't get the clue.

44. Industry overseers : CZARS. Like Drug Czar.

45. "The Sopranos" Emmy winner De Matteo : DREA. Her name escaped me.

46. Elephants' predators, in myth : ROCs

47. It may be described in gigs : DATA. So gigs refer to gigabytes?

48. 2006 N.L. MVP __ Howard : RYAN. First baseman for Dennis' Phillies.

49. Sommer of "The Prize" : ELKE

50. Image file letters : BMP. What does BMP stand for, Al? Bitmap?

Answer grid.

C.C.

Friday, January 28, 2011 Don Gagliardo

Theme: Get the UGH out of here! The letters UGH are removed from the first word of a common phrase to reveal a different and rib-tickling, knee-slapping, new amusing phrase. As usual, constructor Don G's note is attached at the end of this write-up.

17A. Where to sleep off a bender?: SOT SHELTER. SOughT shelter. SOT being a very common crosswordese for a drunkard.

24A. Anxious campus society?: FRAT WITH TENSION. FRAughT with...FRAT being the accepted abbreviation of fraternity, lots of tension with those sorority girls around.

38A. Hair styling prodigy?: DO BOY. DOughBOY. Okay, I get it, a Hairdo creating young man; better than the poor fool who runs around for a girl, doing what she wants, while she dates his best friend.

46A. Talented jazzman?: CAT WITH THE GOODS. CAughT with...CAT being a cool jazz name forever. How about HERBIE HANCOCK . I did not think you were supposed to use a four word fill?

57A. "Airport music so early?": ENO ALREADY. ENOugh already. Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno is a pioneer in AMBIENT MUSIC . Airport, the same as elevator?

Lemonade here.

A very nice tight theme, two grid spanning theme answers, with no unifier, and a good Friday mix of unknowns, little knowns, with lots of long fill like BOILS DOWN TO, TREADS WATER and CAR FERRY. Let's dig into this G masterpiece.

Across:

1. Plain type?: JANE. Poor Jane, she gets to be both plain, and anonymous as JANE DOE. At least she did not end up as a nickname for a toilet.

5. Company whose name is quacked in ads: AFLAC. Along with the GEICO Gekko, the superstars of advertising; and you question our education system.

10. Finishing nail: BRAD. The little guys with the big heads: hey watch the comments.

14. Work: OPUS, classic Latin, or part of a mini-theme of funny ANIMALS .

15. Sporty Mazda: MIATA. I am afraid they are no longer considered anything.

16. Slick: OILY. We survived the BP oil spill, that was slick in so many ways.

19. Atl. republic since 1944: ICEL. We all love Don G., and this was easy, as ICELAND is one of the few republics in the Atlantic Ocean, and he told us it was an abbr., but I cannot find ICEL used this way anywhere.

20. Aurora's counterpart: EOS. Thanks Al for telling everybody an answer in this puzzle.

21. Smart guy?: ALEC. The expression comes from actual, though dubious PERSON.

22. Pivoting points: FULCRA. "Give me a lever and place to stand, and I can move the world." Archimedes' famous quote on the use of a fulcrum. Personally, it is the place to stand part I find a little silly.

27. La __ Tar Pits: BREA. We have lots of this one, which makes me wonder what you think of Uncle Remus and the Tar Baby ?

28. Yankee nickname: A ROD. The Steinbrenners are upset.

29. Worked with horses, in a way: SHOED. Yes they can be SHOD or SHOED, just do not let them run barehooved in the fields.

31. 2008 Libertarian presidential candidate: BARR. I liked the Newsweek tagline, "Time to Belly up to the Barr," for this CANDIDATE .

33. Like some rugs: OVAL, as are some offices, but rugs are also wool, or blue or...well, it slowed me down.

37. Pool shade: AQUA. Appropriate for a pool to be water colored.

39. Off the mark: WIDE.

40. Abbr. followed by a year: ESTD. The words put in the cornerstone of building for example.

41. Part of the dog days of Dijon: AOUT. Time for the Lemonade lesson on French, Août means simply August (my birth month) and as Kazie discussed, is one of the words where the accent becomes an "s" in Anglais. Dijon being a town as well as a mustard, not to be confused with Col. Mustard in the library with Miss Scarlett.

42. Fund: ENDOW. Lots of rich people endow their Colleges and Universities, and as someone who attended UConn for graduate and undergraduate school, I am not sure if I am embarrassed by the booster who wants his money back because the school hired a loser coach to replace the guy who brought the team to a BCS bowl. Thoughts?

43. Friend of Dalí: SERT. I was not familiar with this ARTIST . I wonder if any of his work hangs at 45. Atterbury Street gallery: TATE?

53. Dag Hammarskjöld's successor: U THANT. As a young person, I was impressed by this man, and recall his saying, "Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves." very timely in the early 60s and still true.

54. Cramming method: ROTE. Drat, I used up all my Kyle Rote material last time.

55. Disturb, as the balance: TIP. I would link O.Neill, but why get political.

56. Frost, say: POET, another easy one I tried to talk myself out of with RIME and HOAR. As a New Englander, I am ashamed. CA, you have one for us?

60. Regarding: IN RE, finally, a tiny law phrase.

61. Dino's love: AMORE, ah, a generic Dino, not the Flintstones' pet.

62. Lhasa __: APSO. Woof woof.

63. Headlights starer: DEER, there are those among us who have notches painted on the side of his or her vehicle marking the unfortunate end of wild life on the highway, but I will not name names.

64. Mearth's mother, in a '70s-'80s sitcom: MINDY. The baby, played by Jonathan Winters, I like the name so much, I called my mother Mearth for years. She perhaps did not enjoy it as much as I.

65. Flunky: PEON. Maybe we can introduce him to our do boy.

Okay, it is all down hill from here.

Down:

1. Pianist Hofmann: JOSEF. I loves me a good CHOPIN both music and vodka, but did not know this fella.

2. "I'm just __ wayfaring stranger": song lyric: A POOR. More JOHNNY CASH ?

3. More than just into: NUTS ABOUT. Now in trying to teach anyone English, imagine explaining the many uses of the word NUTS, which can be so good, so mean, so yummy and so confusing. And the accompanying, 42D. More than ready: EAGER.

4. Indirect route: ESS. Our old friend the ess curve, wound its way back.

5. Earhart of the air: AMELIA. Well, we blessed bloggers of CC's domain, seem to always have at least one clue that fits the writer, and if you examine my latest avatar, you will see my brand new grand niece, AMELIA, born on Tuesday. How does Rich do that? I thought Amy Adams was a cute one, btw.

6. Sole order: FILET. Yes, please, no bones about it.

7. Door fastener: LATCH. I will always think of the controversy about the KIDS . We never locked the house, so it was not meaningful for us.

8. Scarfed up: ATE. makes it sound so yummy.

9. Frequent Martha's Vineyard arrival: CAR FERRY. If only Teddy had taken the ferry. There are bad jokes about the other ferries on cape cod, but they are only meant to amuse.

10. Is, when simplified: BOILS DOWN TO. Does the word convoluted come to mind? I really like this clue, but it took some serious unwinding to figure where he was headed.

11. "Sleepy Hollow" actress: RICCI. Little Wednesday from the Addams Family all GROWED UP .

12. Olds that replaced the Achieva: ALERO, if they sold as many as we see in puzzles, they might still be in business.

13. Singer/songwriter born Robert Zimmerman: DYLAN. A shout out from Hibbings, Minnesota to all our frozen friends.

18. Spoke uncertainly: HAWED. In case you forgot so quickly, it's back.

23. Card game with a pre-victory warning: UNO. I am sorry, but my family played SKIP-BO more.

25. Stays afloat, in a way: TREADS WATER. I really like this one.

26. Fateful card: TAROT. My youngest started reading them when he was 10, influenced by another boys mother, but that is another story.

29. MS. enclosure: SAE, I guess they ran out of stamps.

30. Operations ctrs.: HQS, headquarters, very military.

31. Diner option: BOOTH, would you like a table or a clean spoon?

32. __ Dhabi: ABU. The capital of the UAE, and one of the richest cities in the world, but the name means father of gazelles. If you have that much oil money, don't you think you could pick a better name?

34. Incriminating record, maybe: VIDEO TAPE. CSI has taught us to look out for all those cameras watching s everywhere.

35. Foofaraw: ADO. Wow, never heard of this really sweet word, I wish it were the fill, not the clue.

36. Kareem, at UCLA: LEW, Abdul-Jabbar back when he was an Alcindor.

38. Competitive missile hurlers: DART TEAM. In the Nero Wolfe series, the notoriously sedentary and fat, main character took up throwing darts as part of his exercise routine to prepare for world war two. That was the first time I heard darts called missiles; some funny scenes with Archie. And our near clecho, 46D. Missile-shooting god: CUPID.

44. German article: EIN. One.

45. Big name in tea: TETLEY. Were you LIPTON or TETLEY as a kid?

47. Make restitution: ATONE. A good clue for a nice Jewish boy like me.

48. "Ta-da!": THERE. I wish he had saved this for last and I could use to set up my exit line.

49. Town on the Firth of Clyde: TROON. Well, for GAH and the many golf addicts, this was a gimme, because this town is site of Royal Troon, one of the courses used to host the Open Championship, and where Arnold Palmer won his second Open title in 1962. revitalizing european golf, just as he had american golf.

50. Emulate Scrooge: HOARD. Why do I think of Scrooge McDuck, not the Dickens character?

51. Playground retort: DID SO. DID NOT!

52. Watch from the trees, say: SPY ON, a favorite of stalkers of all ages.

58. Feature of a two-ltr. monogram: NMI, no middle initial; just lazy parents.

59. "The Gold-Bug" monogram: EAP. Baltimore's own Edgar Allen Poe; I guess the flowers will be no more, like Marilyn, the vigil is over.

Answer grid.

Well that was fun; sadly after getting half finished I sneezed and erased all of my work, so it was an Emily Litella time for me. Thanks Don and have a fine week end all.

Lemonade

Note from Don G:

"No Ugh

I could have called this DONUT HOLE, because at some point in history someone got lazy and left out the UGH in DOUGHNUT, thus the hole.  That thought started me on this theme, although DONUT HOLE as a theme answer got lost in the process.  I remember having difficulty at one point in the construction process and mistakenly used the word TOUGH or ROUGH going down.  That is a nono, because strictly speaking it breaks the rule of the theme.  After all, we don’t want to confuse the solver.  Lastly, since there is no UGH, I suppose the puzzle doesn’t stink!  I knew someone of you would have thought of that angle."