Thursday, March 17, 2011, Bruce Venzke

Theme: Air-raising. All four theme answers are in turn clue definitions for the (same) answer to 53 Down: Clue for 17-, 26-, 45- and 60-Across: LIFT.

17A. BRITISH ELEVATOR.

26A. FOOTWEAR INSERT.

45A. BOOST IN SPIRITS.

60A. HITCHHIKERS RIDE.

Hi all, Al here. I guess this makes it as a Thursday crossword because it contains a second, third, and fourth meaning of a word, which you usually see late in the week as a clue, one where you can't just pop in the first answer that comes to mind. I started writing this explanation and struggled with it to the point where I started confusing myself in the attempt to be clear. Let's hope I got this right:

HOMONYMS sound alike, spelling may be either the same or different.

HOMOGRAPHS are spelled alike, sound may be either the same or different.

HOMOPHONES sound alike but have different spellings.

HETERONYMS are spelled alike but sound different.

So, In the theme today for all four cases, LIFT is both a homonym and a homograph, but not a homophone, nor a heteronym. As a side note, heist is related to hoist, because both are the action of something being LIFTed.

ACROSS:

1. Bingo call: B-TEN. Typically there are 75 numbers in play so, "under the B" could be 1-15. However there is a 90 number variant that would make it be between 1-18.

5. Gordon __: Michael Douglas's "Wall Street" role: GEKKO. 1987 Best Actor Oscar.

10. One may require stitches: GASH.

14. German import: AUDI.

15. Slangy negative: IXNAY. Pig Latin for NIX.

16. Control: RULE. The measuring stick is the source for the verb in the sense of to "guide on the straight correct path", with "rule of thumb" appearing somewhere along the way.

20. Fairy tale ender: AFTER. As in "and they all lived happily ever after."

21. Amazement: AWE. From Old Norse agi "fright".

22. Early surgery aid: ETHER. But highly flammable, and with side effects such as nausea and vomiting.

23. Talking with one's hands?: Abbr.: ASL. American Sign Language. Those with delicate sensibilities about language should not click this link, but it is quite well done, with over 1.5 million views and only 207 dislikes.

25. Ante-: PRE. A prefix for a prefix, for example: antecedent (to go before).

34. Washington's Grand __ Dam: COULEE.  Here's a crossword staple, Arlo Guthrie.

35. Fierce anger: RAGE.

36. Carnival city: RIO. I'll spare you from linking to Duran Duran...

37. Old, in Oberhausen: ALTE. German.

38. "Good heavens!": EGADS. and 51D. "Gadzooks!": YIPE. Gad being a euphemism for God.

40. Humdinger: LULU.

41. Relieve (of): RID.

42. Pencil remnant: STUB.

43. Legal-sized fish: KEEPER. Take your pick.

48. Neighbor of Nev.: ORE. Nevada, Oregon. Pronounced like "Or-ee-gn", and the locals appear to get a bit territorial if you pronounce it like the ending of a geometric shape.

49. Reggae singer Kamoze: INI. New to me...

50. Big name in food service: SYSCO. Restaraunt supplier.

53. Brine-cured delicacy: LOX. Smoked salmon.

55. Remove forcibly: EXPEL. Related: repel, dispel, propel, from latin pellere "drive".

63. Andy Taylor's son: OPIE. Little Ronnie Howard from Mayberry, RFD.

64. Submit taxes, nowadays: E-FILE.

65. Kong's kin: APES.

66. Guam, for one: Abbr.: TERRitory. Today's geography lesson.  Very close to the center of the map, you can see the Caroline Islands.  Guam is just above that.

67. 50s experiment, briefly: H-TEST. Off to the right on the same map as Guam are the Marshall Islands.  Look just above that to see Bikini.  The Bikini Atoll is where the test was detonated.

68. Longings: YENS.

DOWN:.

1. Cake with a kick: BABA. au Rhum.

2. Horse racing surface: TURF.

3. Cut, perhaps: EDIT.

4. Nick at __: NITE. "Family" cable channel, reruns and sitcoms.

5. Dogfaces, briefly: GIS. Usually only infantrymen were called that.  Slept in pup tents, stayed in foxholes, wore dog tags, ordered around like a dog.

6. Yoga instruction: EXHALE.

7. Had no doubts about: KNEW.

8. Leafy vegetable: KALE.

9. Santana's "__ Como Va": OYE.

10. Irritates, with "on": GRATES.

11. One may have an agt.: AUTHor.

12. Fruit used to flavor gin: SLOE.

13. Bavarian mister: HERR.

18. Really peeved: IRATE.

19. Fogg's creator: VERNE. Phileas Fogg, Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne.

24. Honeybunch: SWEETIE. What my wife calls me when she is not happy.

25. What might be used when a bomb is hurled on a field?: PIGSKIN. A long pass in football, or a scene from The Mouse That Roared.

26. Port closing?: FOLIO. All your personal investments summarized in a portfolio.

27. Show up: OUT-DO.

28. Flamenco exclamation: OLE. Bravo.

29. Bedouins, e.g.: ARABS. Arabic badawin "desert-dwellers," an already pluralized form of badawi. Silly to pluralize it again, but that's English for you.

30. "Really cool!": RAD. Shortening of "radical".

31. Break out, as violence: ERUPT.

32. Ticks off: RILES.

33. Organized string of gigs: TOUR.

34. Atkins diet taboo: CARB. So close, but too far in the wrong direction with meat. Excess protein is broken down into sugar and urea, which places stress on the kidneys and doesn't really solve the stored fat problem long term.

39. Pistol: GUN. and 50D. Used a 39-Down: SHOT.

40. Island welcome: LEI.

42. Old Detroit brewery name: STROH.  Bottoms up on St. Paddy's Day. (Link wasn't working, so I replaced it. And yes, I know the new one isn't Stroh's)

44. Lakeshore natives: ERIES.

46. World Cup sport: SOCCER.

47. Digital dots: PIXELS. Individual component makeup of pictures, shortened to pics, then pix, a Variety magazine word.

52. Swizzle: STIR. Swizzle of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of switchel "a drink of molasses and water" (often mixed with rum.)

54. Haggard's "__ from Muskogee": OKIE. Even back when times were simpler, people were still resisting change.

56. See-through, in comics: X-RAY. An old advertisement for the unwary, whose money would soon be departed.

57. Meerschaum or brier: PIPE.

58. Genesis locale: EDEN.

59. Subtraction word: LESS.

61. Half a devious laugh: HEH.

62. Living in Ariz., maybe: RETired.

Answer Grid.

Al

Wednesday, March 16, 2011, John Lampkin

Theme: I am Positive this Puzzle is a Plus: Each of Five theme answers are words which when paired with the unifier POSITIVE, which is also presented symbolically by the PLUS sign in the middle of the grid, portray a very upbeat approach to life. Based on his conversations here, I would guess this puzzle presents JL's philosophy.

17A. *Survey response: FEEDBACK. POSITIVE FEEDBACK, the pat on the back children and workers are always seeking.

21A. *Trying to remember: THINKING. POSITIVE THINKING means Norman Vincent Peale to me.

26A. *Prospects: OUTLOOK. POSITIVE OUTLOOK is what public companies and political spin masters are peddling.

48A. *Disposition: MINDSET. POSITIVE MINDSET is a way to get yourself ready for a difficult task, allowing you to use the full power of your mind. I read the works of Jose Silva.

55A. *Cocky manner: ATTITUDE. POSITIVE ATTITUDE is difficult to achieve as a teenager, and must not be confused with arrogance.

And the unifier,

63A. Word (suggested by the black shape in this grid's center) that can precede the answers to starred clues: POSITIVE. The black shape being a Plus Sign, also used as symbol for POSITIVE in chemistry, on batteries etc.

Happy day all, your pseudo-guest blogger Lemonade here,(?)once again amazed by Mr. Lampkin's mind. His originality and creativity is not limited to the cluing or the theme, but to the visual aspect of the puzzle, where like Don G's L-BAR puzzle, he creates a grid which itself is a clue. He includes his humor, his music and delivers another wonderful time had by all. On to the specifics....

Across:

1. Inedible Swiss cheese part?: HOLE. A simple but witty visual clue to begin.

5. Sched. uncertainty letters: TBA. To Be Announced, what shows up on your cable tv guide when the power goes off.

8. Greets the bad guy: HISSES. A shout out to our friend Snidely Whiplash?

14. Bard's black: EBON. Sing a long now? SONG 1.

15. "__ Latest Flame": Presley hit: HIS. Or sing later SONG 2; when I first heard the Beatles and Elvis, I was not impressed, proving my total lack of musical knowledge.

16. Bird that hangs its nest from a branch: ORIOLE. I grew up admiring this BIRD.

19. Rang: TOLLED. "Ask not for whom the bell tolled..."

20. Juliet's volatile cousin: TYBALT. We have seen this recently, but I love how John worked 68A. Oppressive boss: TYRANT into the grid.

23. Suffer defeat: LOSE OUT.

25. Cubic roller: DIE. Nice visual again, 1 DIE, 2 DICE.

29. Cartoon skunk Le Pew: PEPE. He's back.

32. Mideast political gp.: PLO.Palestine Liberation Organization.

33. UPS delivery: PKG. Package.

34. Know-it-all: SMARTIE. I don't see the normal continuation, "PANTS"

38. "Tomorrow" musical: ANNIE. Does anybody recall Sarah Jessica Parker as Annie on Broadway?

40. Push-up sound, perhaps: GRUNT. While not a simple clecho, I love the added 46A. Push-up garment: BRA, which emphasizes how tricky our language is, and therefore our puzzles. A twisted clecho master.

41. Longtime Dodgers manager: LASORDA. Tommy who said he bled Dodger blue.

44. Org. with shrinks: APA. American Psychological Association.

47. Software buyer: USER.

50. Chinese menu general: TSO. Chicken anyone?

53. Beethoven's only opera: FIDELIO. I am not familiar with this OPERA but I knew we would have some of John's music knowledge, and this and 30D. 19th-century Italian violin virtuoso: PAGANINI did not disappoint. Also, 49D. Like staccato notes: DOTTED. I no longer remember musical notation, but I am sure our resident composer does, as well as JzB.

58. Draw into wrongdoing: ENTRAP. A very complicated issue, and John's shout out to an old criminal defense lawyer?

62. __ Tomatoes: film review website: ROTTEN. Initially an irreverent little site, but now the most mainstream central location for movie critiques. Anyone ever throw a rotten tomato at a performer?

65. "Wait!": ONE SEC. Literally man!

66. Calendar col.: THU. COL. abbreviation for COLUMN, eh.

67. Weighty production: EPIC.

69. Short flight: HOP. I guess because you go up and down so quickly; quiet LOIS!

70. Cubicle furnishing: DESK. Dilbert lovers unite.

Okay a short nap, and moving on.

Down:

1. Test the weight of: HEFT. Not a good idea when wooing a new girl friend.

2. Carry out: OBEY. Not a good idea when wooing a new girl friend.

3. Leopold's co-defendant: LOEB. A most horrendous CRIME .

4. Ultimate goal: END ALL. That is the BE ALL and END ALL.

5. "Not to worry": THAT'S OK.

6. Cristal maker: BIC. I could not fit Louis Roederer in three spaces, so it had to be the see through PEN which was the object of my earliest memories, and which betrayed me.

7. Mail an invitation for, as a wedding: ASK TO. I am going to one on the 26th, my ex-anniversary?

8. Best-seller: HOT ITEM.

9. Age opening?: IRON. Right after Bronze in your history books.

10. Hairlike corn feature: SILK. None better than our own BARRY.

11. Like a rock: SOLID.

12. Nicholas Gage memoir: ELENI. Do not confuse him with NICHOLAS CAGE.

13. Rushlike plant: SEDGE. This includes the water chestnut plant.

18. "SportsCenter's Not Top Plays" videos, e.g.: BLOOPERS.

22. Marching syllables: HUPS. And a quick salute to Dennis and our other veterans!

24. Pre-op test: EKG.

26. Play-of-color gem: OPAL. Nice phrase, again very visual, you picture how the light changes color when you move an opal around.

27. Forearm bone: ULNA. Not very HUMERUS anymore.

28. Lots: TONS.

31. Commit 18-Down: ERR. It is after all human.

35. Old boats: TUBS. I think this comes from the boats they used to teach people to row, but I cannot confirm.

36. Memo "apropos of": IN RE. A semi-legal term for me!

37. Pierre's state: ETAT. Our French lesson, Jeannie; we see État often, it just means "STATE" like I live in Florida, and as Kazie explained many moons ago, the English word is the French word where the accent became an "S"

39. Paper in a pot: IOU. Not rolling papers, but in a gambling pot.

42. Gone: DEFUNCT. Like the Studebaker and the DeSoto.

43. Bone-dry: ARID. And a fine deodorant, which really do not de-odor, but mask our smells?

44. Pierre's soul: AME. More French; do you all have "l'âme soeur?"

45. More than fills the inbox: PILES UP. A clue that is only visual.

50. Medium's medium: TAROT. Nice internal clue.

51. Expressionless: STONY.

52. Playful swimmer: OTTER.

54. Diver's concern: DEPTH. Be careful before you dive in strange waters.

56. "__ girl!": ITS A. No, not many in my family, though we do have little Amelia (Mia).

57. Former girls' magazine: TEEN.Aha, the real theme, girls!

59. Ready to eat: RIPE. Not like I am now, but the Orange in the kitchen.

60. Brutus' bird: AVIS. Followed immediately by 61D. Eat like a bird: PECK. Another theme, because we had Oriole above!

64. "Now I get it!":O HO. I am more of an A HA man myself. Now I have done it.

Answer grid.

A treat to solve and blog with the greatest visuals in the grid and the clues; John also sent us some beautiful pictures from his many adventures. Where did ewe hide the LAMB reference Mr. Lampkin?

Until next time, see you soon (hopefully, eye doctor today).

Lemonade

Note from C.C.: Lemonade won't be available next week, so he's blogging twice this week.

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011 Gary Steinmehl

Theme: "ET TU, BRUTAL"?  -

Exercise and workout terms for today, the 15th, and Ides, of March.

20A. Last leg of a race : HOME STRETCH - Highly recommended activity before any activity; as a goalie, it is imperative that I STRETCH first.

27A. Chocolate bar with crisped rice : NESTLE CRUNCH - Too many of these, and you'll need to do more CRUNCHES, those sit-ups for 'rock hard ABS', a crossword staple (but not today).

49A. Overseas news-gatherers : FOREIGN PRESS - Leg, bench PRESS, etc., as I am sure there are others.

59A. Very little, in slang : DIDDLY SQUAT - wonderful phrase to speak, like "my pay is diddly squat", and a SQUAT; bend at the knees with a straight back - harder than it sounds, let me tell you.

and the unifier at 57D: PR specialists, and a word associated with the ends of 20-, 27-, 49- and 59-Across : REPS - PR Public Relations REPresentative, (ixnay on Mr. Sheen) and a REPetition, the number of times each exercise is performed within a set - and I am not a gym rat; all my exercise comes from 4 straight hours of carrying varying sizes of packages from the conveyor to the UPS truck.

Splynter filling in for a Santa with a sick "Elf".

And away we GO~!

ACROSS:

1. Cote bleats : BAAS - [koht] - noun: 1. a shelter, coop, or small shed for sheep, pigs, pigeons, etc.

5. Further : ALSO - also: hence, therefore, ergo, and, then....

9. Big name in restaurant guides : ZAGAT - established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979; see the Wiki article.

14. Flattop opposite : AFRO

15. Steady fellow : BEAU - French

16. Author Zola : EMILE - French Author, a regular in crosswords.

17. Plane or sander : TOOL - got me several of these. Plane.

18. Elongated fish : EELS - the plural implication on "fish" got me on this one.

19. Turning point : PIVOT

23. Nice season? : ETE - oh man, French, again, I seem to get a lot of this - Nice, the city in France, and the French word for summer (season).

24. Snail mail need : STAMP - I just used one yesterday, first time in forever....

25. Color in the four-color process : CYAN - CYMK, the process that uses CYAN, Yellow, Magenta, and blacK; as opposed to the RGB, two of the options in Photoshop and printing processes.

34. Plug-and-play PC port : USB - another computer term, Universal Serial Bus, for connections between devices. The abbr. of PC for Personal Computer = the abbr. answer.

37. Borat creator Sacha Baron __ : COHEN - love him, or hate him, I guess I am on the fence....

38. Trapper's gear : SNARE

39. Sheltered Greek walkway : STOA

41. Number-guessing fund-raiser : LOTTO

43. IRS agent : T-MAN - Tax Man, like a G-man, a Gov't Agent.

44. False __ : ALARM

46. Paris's __ la Paix : RUE DE - Eh, more French. Map, middle right going diagonally right.

48. Ambulance initials : EMS

52. Run or ruin : DASH - as in "dashed hopes"

53. Times spent in prison or in office : TERMS

57. Dusting aid : RAG - thought MOP first

64. Remove from the videotape : ERASE

66. Cleveland's lake : ERIE

67. DDE's alma mater : USMA - Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th president, and the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY.

68. Argentine grassland : PAMPA - Image

69. Ole Miss rival : 'BAMA - Alabama, crossword regular.

70. Modern Roman, e.g.: Abbr. : ITALian

71. Take badly? : STEAL - Good clue

72. Disappearing slope apparatus : T-BAR Skiers' assist getting up a hill.

73. Big Board letters : NYSE -New York Stock Exchange - I think this was in my first blog, too....

DOWN:

1. They're drawn in tubs : BATHS - very good clue; did anyone think "rings"?

2. In progress : AFOOT - "Strange things are AFOOT..."

3. Bakery quality : AROMA

4. Serious : SOLEMN

5. Aid's partner : ABET

6. Look that may be accompanied by a smirk : LEER

7. Shopping news : SALE - another great clue

8. Bounce, as from a bar : OUST

9. Gentle winds : ZEPHYRS

10. Porthos, to Athos : AMI - uh, French !

11. Abraham, to Lincoln : GIVEN NAME

12. Oodles : ALOT - never liked this answer

13. Place for a beret : TETE - yup, it's French

21. Risky business, briefly : SPEC - Speculation, that someone might come along and buy, as a house.

22. Brutus' 300 : CCC - Hey~! Ides related~! Roman 100 = C

26. Bee or Em : AUNT

28. Fa follower : SOL

29. Rose feature : THORN

30. Rain more gently : LET UP

31. Rectangular computer key : ENTER - Space, too

32. Stuff (into) : CRAM

33. Lady birds : HENS

34. DoD fliers : USAF - Department of Defense, U.S. Air Force.

35. D-Day target city : STLO - Oh, man, French - Conan had a guest last week who claimed in shock, he "turned white as a Frenchman's Flag" - that's funny....

36. Monopoly, for one : BOARD GAME - one of my favorites; you can get them custom made to any city, and movie, too.

40. House painter's calculation : AREA - height is a factor, too - ever try to paint a stair well?

42. Dedicated verse : ODE

45. Card player's goof : MISDEAL

47. Ballpark figs. : ESTS - Estimates. - What's your Ballpark, C.C.?

50. Letters under a 4 : GHI - duh, got me. Look at your phone.

51. Fashion sparkler : SEQUIN

54. Out of practice : RUSTY

55. Cass and Michelle, famously : MAMAS

56. Old hat : STALE

58. "I smell __!" : A RAT

60. Unpaid loan, e.g. : DEBT

61. Not bright at all : DRAB

62. Bean town? : LIMA - ah, not a Bahston reference, but the Peruvian city.

63. Wine taster's guesstimate : YEAR - our friend Tinbeni, any good at this ? I did not drink for the "year", let me tell you....

65. Healthful resort : SPA - after a good workout, head for the SPA~!

Answer grid.

Thanks for the chance to "pinch hit", C.C., look forward to more opportunities.

Splynter

Monday March 14, 2011 Billie Truitt

Theme: What can I say? Each two-word theme answer consists of a present participle functioning as adjective & a three-letter noun ending in G. Did I miss something?

17A. Lather-holding cup : SHAVING MUG - I shave my mug every morning, but the lather comes from a can.

25A. Sock mender's tool : DARNING EGG - I'm not sure why it's called an egg. Looks more like a bowling pin to me. But then, everything looks like a bowling pin to me.

36A. Violin knob for pitch adjustments : TUNING PEG - The clue reminded me of Frankie "Sweet Music" Viola adjusting pitches in the 1987 World Series.

48A. Retriever or pointer : HUNTING DOG - Ours was a German Shorthair named Bruno. He could scare up pheasants 100 yards away.

57A. Joke that gets funnier with repetition : RUNNING GAG - See Jack Benny later in this blog.

Can you find a phrase in the above pattern but ending in a three-letter noun ?IG, which would allow us to   have different vowel variable in the last word.

Good Morning All. Argyle's computer is sick. This is the Boomer from snowy Minnesota, but Spring is in the air - finally.

Across:

1. World Wide __ : WEB- Gets more tangled every day.

4. Gunpowder element : SULFUR - that great firecracker smell on the 4th of July.

10. Turns seaward : EBBS - Hmmmm - I thought ebb just meant recede - like my hairline.

14. Firefighter's tool : AXE

15. Dream up : CREATE

16. Losing strategy? : DIET - Losing weight. I was trying to think of a four letter word defining the play of the NBA Timberwolves or Cavaliers.

19. Homely fruit : UGLI

20. Eye part containing the pupil : IRIS

21. Timeline divisions : ERAS - Eras divided by Timelines are indefinite. I would have used "Pitcher's stats"

23. Habit wearer : NUN - I was taught by the good Sisters of St. Joseph, and there is a great Benedictine Convent in Clyde, MO, but the long black robes are becoming a thing of the past, not worn by many sisters any longer.

24. Kimono sashes : OBIs

28. Magi : WISE MEN - Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar.

30. Sweden neighbor : NORWAY - Ya sure, you betcha!

31. Utmost degree : NTH

32. Church instrument : ORGAN

35. Flag maker Betsy : ROSS

38. "__ to that!" : AMEN

40. Ecstatic way to walk : ON AIR

41. Roman 700 : DCC

44. 1992 Olympic skating champ Yamaguchi : KRISTI. A past champion of "Dancing with the Stars".

46. As an alternative : INSTEAD

51. Heidi's heights : ALPS - I liked her better on the "Good Ship, Lollipop".

52. 2011 minus year of birth, roughly : AGE

53. It replaced the franc : EURO

54. Handling the job : ON IT

55. Member of an Iraqi minority : KURD. 17% of Iraq's population.

61. "Now ___ me down ..." : I LAY

62. Complete : ENTIRE

63. Hurry, old-style : HIE

64. Clearance event : SALE - See 65A.

65. Smells to high heaven : STINKS - Yeah, Stinks could also be a "Clearance Event."

66. Blasting sply. : TNT - I wasn't sure of "sply". TNT is in a lot of puzzles.

Down:

1. Used to be : WAS

2. Lettered piece of court evidence : EXHIBIT - I get it. I watch "Law and Order" on TNT.

3. Pessimistic about Wall Street : BEARISH - Not sure about the bear, but Wall street has been "ISH" for a couple of years.

4. Biol. and chem. : SCIs

5. Coffeepot for a crowd : URN

6. Jeans part : LEG

7. Hall of __: enshrined athlete : FAMER - My all time favorite is Harmon Killebrew, now fighting cancer. On his left is C.C.'s avatar Justin Morneau.

8. One-eighty : U-TURN

9. Win back : REGAIN

10. Campus e-mail address letters : EDU

11. Special report subject : BIG NEWS - Lots of special reports on CNN coming from Japan this week. Mother Nature can be nasty. I feel sad for those who lost loved ones, homes, and had their lives disrupted.

12. Sturgeon yielding expensive caviar : BELUGAS - I have heard of Beluga whales. The St. Croix River will sometimes yield Sturgeon over 90 pounds, but I had never heard of a beluga sturgeon. Also known as Huso huso, these sturgeon are found in the Caspian Sea, and their eggs are the most expensive caviar around. Would you believe $7,000 to $10,000 per kilo?

13. Tight-fisted : STINGY - This word was invented for Jack Benny. Once a crook held him up, saying "Your money or your life!". The robber became impatient with Benny's silence, until he finally responded - "I'm thinking, I'm thinking".

18. Workbench clamp : VISE

22. Noisy sleepers : SNORERS - I stayed up all last night to see if I was one, but I didn't hear me snore at all.

24. Part of BYOB : OWN

25. Bruce of "Coming Home" : DERN

26. Prefix with -plasty : ANGIO

27. Pirate's quaff : GROG - Those ballplayers from Pittsburgh haven't had champagne for a while, but Snowshoe grog is wonderful on a cold day. A mixture of brandy and peppermint schnapps - keeps you warm in the winter.

29. Canadian lawman on horseback : MOUNTIE - Of course the most famous was Dudley Do-Right, constantly in pursuit of Boris and Natasha.

33. Raggedy doll : ANN - A wonderful simple kid's toy from years gone by. She had a twin brother Andy.

34. Whodunit writer Marsh : NGAIO. A Kiwi writer.

36. Try out : TEST

37. Unwelcome engine sound : PING - Has anyone noticed an engine ping doesn't sound like a ping at all. I once had a Ping putter - that thing could really ping. They don't make them like they used to.

38. Peppery salad green : ARUGULA - I use green peppers, or grind some fresh black pepper. Arugula sounds more like a former relief pitcher for the Twins and Mets: Rick Aguilera.

39. Twenty Questions choice : MINERAL - Toss in Animal and Vegetable and you've already used up 3 questions.

41. "Afternoon __": suggestive #1 hit of 1976 : DELIGHT

42. Ship's leader : CAPTAIN - Okay, but most military branches have captains. Those big ships like the USS Nimitz are actually led by Admirals. I don't remember Captain Kangaroo leading a ship, but I do remember that Mr. Green Jeans' pants had legs.

43. Jewel box contents, briefly : CDs

44. Military pants : KHAKIS - Khaki is a strange word. I think it actually describes a color, which is a light brown. The khaki uniform was between fatigues and full dress, and consisted of pants, shirt, and a soft cap.

45. Hardens : INURES

47. Zesty taste : TANG - Also an orange drink that astronauts made famous.

49. McJob holder : GRUNT - A bit condescending - I sold burgers for a few years back when they were 15 cents. Earned money for a car, a date now and then, and tuition, but never felt I was a grunt - (until I went into the Army).

50. "__ know you?" : DON'T I

54. Vending machine bills : ONES - Sad but true. Used to be you could buy most anything from a vending machine for a quarter or less. Now they have slot machines that accept $100 bills!

56. Hair coloring agent : DYE

58. Author Anaïs : NIN

59. Rub the wrong way : IRK

60. Retrieve : GET

Answer grid.

Boomer

Sunday March 13, 2011 Jack McInturff

Theme: I Before E's - I (short I) is replaced by EE in each familiar phrase.

23A. Meek Jolly Roger crewmen? : PIRATE SHEEP. Pirate ship.

42A. Polish protector? : SHEEN GUARD. Shin guard.

51A. Red-costumed actor in "Veggie Tales"? : BEET PLAYER. Bit player.

59. Take really short catnaps during a Henny Youngman routine? : SLEEP BETWEEN THE CRACKS. Slip between the cracks. I remember Youngman's "Take my wife, please".

76A. Tiny nestling's cry? : MICRO CHEEP. Microchip.

88A. Ownership dispute? : DEED BATTLE. Did battle.

109A. Meryl as a coquette? : STREEP TEASE. Striptease.

16D. Drug money? : EVIL GREEN. Evil grin.

74D. Fund for hammer parts? : PEEN MONEY. Pin money.

The straying I's in 23A, 76A & 16D are not short I, so their appearances shouldn't be bothersome.

I like the title, you? Caught onto the theme gimmick rather quickly, but still struggled in various spots. Names always give me trouble, and obviously Jack and I don't know the same people.

Neat stacks of 9s in NE & SW corners. We've seen a few Dan Naddor puzzles with similar design, where non-theme entries have the same number of letters as the themed ones. Quite a challenge to pull if off.

Across:

1. Like good jokes : RETOLD

7. Night music : TAPS. In military bases.

11. Focus at a boxer's school? : OBEDIENCE

20. Brought out : EVOKED

21. Got off : ALIT. Shouldn't it be "Got down"?

22. Source of a vital supply : RESERVOIR

25. Rear-ends, say : SLAMS INTO

26. Theater aisles, usually : RAMPS

27. NASA's "Go" : A-OK

28. Some reality show winners : IDOLS

30. Flowery welcomes : LEIs

31. R.E.M. hit, with "The" : ONE I LOVE

33. "Games People Play" author Eric : BERNE. No idea. Was he or his book very well-known?

34. Hang behind : LAG

36. One-million link : IN A

37. Old strings : LYRES

38. Sporty Italian wheels : FERRARI

45. Spent the cold season (in) : WINTERED

46. Pro foe : ANTI

48. How some soccer games end : IN A TIE

49. N.J. neighbor : DEL

50. Selection word : EENIE. Eenie, meenie, miney, mo.

53. Moses sent him into Canaan to spy : CALEB. Learned from doing Xword.

55. Misses some of the lecture, perhaps : NODs

56. Swedish city connected by a bridge to Copenhagen : MALMO. Not in my knowledge zone. See this map.

57. Root vegetable : PARSNIP

69. Failed flier : EASTERN. Eastern Air Lines, 1926-1991, a la Wiki.

70. Culture: Pref. : ETHNO

71. Collar victim : PERP

75. Spin-off starring Valerie Harper : RHODA

81. Sets straight : TRUES

83. Mil. spud duties : KPs. KP = Kitchen Police

84. Paddled boats : CANOES. This clue works for OARED also.

85. Raw rocks : ORES

86. Mineral involved in much litigation : ASBESTOS

90. "Casey at the Bat" autobiographer : STENGEL (Casey). Fun guy. As quotable as Yogi Berra.

91. Barrage : SALVO

92. "To Kill a Mockingbird" Pulitzer winner : LEE (Harper)

93. Boston transit syst. : MTA

94. Londonderry's river : FOYLE. In Ireland. I've never heard of the river.

95. R rating cause : VIOLENCE

100. Mideastern pastry dough : FILO. Flaky..

103. Kurdish relative : FARSI. Oh, language Kurdish.

104. Confectionery collectible : PEZ

105. Hair cover : SNOOD. Another classic crosswordese.

106. Cry of anticipation : I CAN'T WAIT. Nice one.

112. Check before cutting : REMEASURE

113. Stadium stratum : TIER

114. Oriole Park at __ Yards : CAMDEN

115. Words before an important announcement : STAY TUNED. Good one too.

116. 1974 CIA spoof : SPYS

117. Hotel meetings, perhaps : TRYSTS

Down:

1. It's not an original : REPRO

2. Water source : EVIAN

3. Crooner Mel : TORME. "The Velvet Fog".

4. Giraffe relative : OKAPI

5. Leaves alone : LETS LIE. Fun when you parse the answer as "Let's lie".

6. Pres. during Brown v. Board of Education : DDE. Was unaware of the this trivia.

7. Chevy SUV : TAHOE

8. Supermodel Wek : ALEK. Here she is.

9. Dessert choice : PIE

10. French isl. south of Newfoundland : ST PIERRE. Guessable.

11. Bean and Welles : ORSONs

12. Ball girl : BELLE

13. Those, in Tenerife : ESAs

14. Obama, e.g.: Abbr. : DEM. First thought: CIC?

15. Form letters? : IRS. Tricky clue.

17. Zip : NONE

18. Credit card name under a red arc : CITI

19. Cupid's counterpart : EROS

24. Tropical grassland : SAVANNA

29. Stowe novel subtitled "A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp" : DRED

32. NBC newsman Roger : O'NEIL. Stumped me last time.

33. One way to get to Paris : BY AIR

34. Novelist Deighton : LEN

35. Prado pictures : ARTE. Art in Spanish.

37. Old strings : LUTE

38. Boston department store founder : FILENE. Well, I bet Barry G knows. I've got no clue.

39. River of Tuscany : ARNO

40. Nevada senator : REID (Harry)

41. Time to beware : IDES. Ides of March.

42. Stone marker : STELE. Haven't seen this word for a long time.

43. Request to a dealer : HIT ME

44. Coming-out party? : GAY. Party here refers to the person.

45. Like Tom Jones, by birth : WELSH. Ah, remember this clip Melissa brought to us?

46. SDI weapons : ABMs

47. Oscar winner Patricia : NEAL

49. Missile with a feathery flight : DART

52. Benedict XVI, e.g. : POPE

53. Half a dance : CAN. CHA too.

54. Pen name : BIC. Saw this clue before.

57. Proverbial sword beater : PEN. The pen is mightier than the sword, probably the only way to get PENIS in a puzzle. Duplication with clue for 54A.

58. Occurring before: Abbr. : PREC. Preceding I presume.

60. Block : BAR

61. '60s Israeli prime minister : ESHKOL (Levi). Total stranger.

62. Some 'Vette coverings : T-TOPs

63. Unites : WEDS

64. Jazz __ : ERA

65. Dramatist Fugard : ATHOL. An South African. Sometimes we see ALOES clued as his "A Lesson from Aloes".

66. Dear, in Dijon : CHERE. Feminine form.

67. You can get down on one : KNEE. Nailed it.

68. Illegal payments : SOPs. This little word often poses trouble for some. Not to me.

71. Class-conscious gps.? : PTAs. Class in school.

72. Formerly, formerly : ERST

73. Bumpkin : RUBE

76. "Circle of Friends" author Binchy : MAEVE. No idea. Irish author.

77. __-European languages : INDO

78. Corn holder : COB

79. Accomplish : REALIZE

80. Bone: Pref. : OSTEO

82. Certain NCO : SSGT

84. Orchestra members : CELLISTS

87. It may be taken in a parlor : TEA

88. Popular shift : DAYS

89. Early communications satellite : TELSTAR. Launched in 1962.

91. Put into groups : SORTED

94. Elizabethan expo : FAIRE. I don't get this clue. Isn't FAIRE a French word?

95. Turns : VEERS

96. Ones against us : ENEMY

97. Wikipedia policy : NO ADs. They just ask for donations once a year.

98. Math subgroup : COSET

99. Blissful settings : EDENS

100. Douglas and others : FIRS

101. Gangsta rap pioneer : ICE-T

102. Tibetan priest : LAMA

103. Satyr's kin : FAUN

104. Hunted : PREY

107. Make lace : TAT. Not tattoo today.

108. Northwestern sch. where Cougar Gold cheese is made : WSU (Washington State University). Their sports teams are called Gougars. Not familiar with the cheese.

110. Inside info : TIP

111. Pie chart fig. : PCT

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday March 12, 2011 Brad Wilber

Theme: None

Total words: 70

Total blocks: 29

Triple stacks of 10s are very common in themeless. But we don't often see grid structure like today's: black square in the middle, a pair of 7s flanked by a pair of 12s. Often you'll find short-entries in the middle.

Here are marquee answers:

1A. Closer's bane : BLOWN SAVE. Baseball. Could also be Home Run or Base Hit.

15A. "My Father at 100: A Memoir" author : RON REAGAN. I like him a lot. Very articulate.

17A. Spoiled brat, stereotypically : ONLY CHILD. Made me think of China's "One-child policy". 

31A. Thematic musical release : CONCEPT ALBUM. New to me.

39A. Like architecture involving cedar shakes : SHINGLE STYLE. I bet it's a familiar term to Splynter. Have a look at his work. Isn't it gorgeous?

58A. Band with the 1997 double platinum album "So Much for the Afterglow" : EVER CLEAR. Are they very famous?

61A. "This doesn't look good, guys!" : WE'RE TOAST. I've been hassling Dennis about the validity of some colloquial expressions.

63A. Drains : ENERVATES

Probably my favorite Brad Wilber puzzle. Quite a few entries resonate with me, esp the stacks in upper left corner.

Across:

10. Like some drinking cups : CONIC. Lots of whining about CONED last time.

16. Race arbiter, at times : SLO-MO

18. Fibonacci, by birth : PISAN. Identical clue in a Dec 2010 LAT.

19. __ mission : ON A

20. Eagle relative : KITE. Husker Gary must be thinking of golf score "eagle".

21. Comic strip units : PANELS

22. __ Lisa Vito: "My Cousin Vinny" role : MONA. Easy guess.

24. Tree with above-ground roots : BANYAN. I wouldn't want to look like this if I were a tree.

26. "Out of Sight" co-star, familiarly : J-LO. With George Clooney.

27. PMs or GMs : LDRS (Leaders). PM = Prime Minister. GM= General Manger. Not a good fill. Nice clue.

29. Sleeper, for one : CAR

30. Surge in sales : BOOM

35. Environmental summit topic : ETHANOL

38. Gluck opera based on a Euripides play : ALCESTE. No idea. Gluck is a German opera composer.

41. Hand over : CEDE. Power.

42. Cheerios grain : OAT

43. Pinned arrangement : UPDO. Was worried the clue might be asking for the wrestling "pinned".

46. Galoot : APE

47. Feature of some Birkenstocks : T-STRAP. Sandals.

50. Ruin : SINK

52. Cattle drive gear : RIATAS. Or reatas.

54. Brash radio host : IMUS (Don). And 30D. Cover-ups involving 54-Across? : BLEEPS.

56. Org. with June finals : NBA

57. Country on the Gulf of Guinea : GABON. West Africa.

60. Pax Romana year : ONE AD. Got me. Wikipedia says Pax Romana spans 207 years, from 27 BCE to 180 CE.

62. Chalet beverage : TODDY

Down:

1. Curling tool : BROOM. Neat clue.

2. The Khmer Rouge overthrew him : LON NOL. Always preferable  to see a full name, not to mention a  palindromic one.

3. No longer cruising : ON LAND

4. Like some one-liners : WRY

5. Banjo part : NECK

6. Indian honorific : SAHIB. Urdu for "master".

7. Mylanta target : AGITA

8. Number denoting an ion's bonding capacity : VALENCE. The clue means nothing to me.

9. Close : END

10. House channel : C-SPAN. Congress. Remember the tricky "House shower" clue? Show-er.

11. Lena of "Chocolat" : OLIN

12. Some facial surgeries : NOSE JOBS. Nice entry.

13. Disappointing news about a sale item : I'M ALL OUT. Another good one.

14. It requires a lot of simmering : CONSOMME. Stock, broth, all same to me.

21. Somewhat : PARTLY

23. Obscure : ARCANE

25. Pester shrilly : YAP AT. Like dogs.

28. "Yesterday" or "Tomorrow" : SONG. Nailed it.

32. "He won't be missed" : NO LOSS. Didn't come to me quickly.

33. Turf piercer : CLEAT

34. First Amdt. lobby : ACLU. So Amdt = Amendment? I've never seen this abbreviation before.

35. Bistro appetizer : ESCARGOT. Yummy!

36. "Schindler's List" beat it for Best Picture : THE PIANO. 1993. I like Anna Paquin's character.

37. Studio space-saver : HIDE-A-BED. Studio apartment.

40. Tried hard : STRIVEN

44. Patronize, in a way : DINE AT

45. Contemplating stealing, maybe : ON BASE. Baseball again.

47. "Driving Miss Daisy" Oscar winner Jessica : TANDY

48. "Honour is __ scutcheon": Shak. : A MERE. Saw this clue before.

49. More pristine : PURER

51. Small racers : KARTS

53. No dreamboat : TOAD

55. Show with an "American Bandstand"-like spoof called "Mel's Rock Pile" : SCTV (Second City Television). Canadian TV.

58. Pronoun in a rebus : EWE. For you. See here. You are the apple of my eye.

59. Long, on Lanai : LOA. As in Mauna Loa (Long Mountain).

Answer grid.

C.C.