Friday, June 3, 2011, Pancho Harrison

Theme: Sounds Like I ate it. The first word in each of the two-word theme answers is transformed  from a  "EYT" sound ending into a different word with the similar "EYD" sound ending, creating  a new, and rib tickling phrase. There is a A B B A pattern to the replacement word ending.

Well, our first offering in some time from Mr. Harrison, who was the very first constructor we encountered when the original cast of the Corner was switched to the LA Times puzzles. Lemonade here, so let's see what Pancho has learned in the last two years.  

17A. Family member whose age is showing?: GRAYED UNCLE. The beautiful boy and girl whose pictures I have posted make me a GREAT UNCLE, who also happens to have GRAYED.

27A. Horse-cavalry soldier who's hardly capricious?: STAID TROOPER. Most STATE TROOPERS are rather serious, scaring looking people.

46A. Aggressive drug enforcement strategy?: RAID INCREASE. I wish the bank would arrange a RATE INCREASE on our savings accounts; my first thought was it could have been clued as needing more bug spray.

61A. Bride's unraveling problem?: FRAYED TRAIN. Well, I guess a few honeymooners without any cash hopped on a FREIGHT TRAIN to see the world, and the brides were likely to have an old gown.

On to the show:

Across:

1. Pilfer: SWIPE. Well, STEAL also has five letters, starting with S, tough start.

6. Massenet opera: THAIS. Wow, follow that up with this opera (pronounced TA EES) based on the novel of the same name by Anatole France, and we are going very slowly. It is from the French lack of a soft TH we get T'ank You, T'ursday and T'em.

11. JFK, but not LGA: DEM. Not the airports, but the politicians they are named after, as Kennedy was a Democrat, and Fiorello LaGuardia was a Republican.

14. Distinctive characters: AURAS. I think this must be a typo, as an aura is a distinctive CHARACTERISTIC.

15. Wrap-up: RECAP.

16. Chill: ICE. Dear, it is time to chill the champagne.

19. Co. led by David Sarnoff until 1970: RCA. They owned NBC also for many years; his son went to the Rectory School, which is the reunion I am just back from attending.

20. Tivoli's Villa d'__: ESTE. This magnificent home and grounds were built by Cardinal Este, who was a son of Lucrezia Borgia, if anyone is watching the new miniseries. It has magnificent GARDENS.

21. Staff entry?: REST. This tricky clue refers to a musical notation, I believe. JzB?

22. Worn down: EATEN. The waves of the ocean eat away the shoreline.

24. Solid alcohol: STEROL. Sterols are also known as steroid alcohols. We all are familiar with the important animal one called CHOLESTEROL. They are not Scotch, frozen and eaten with a fork.

26. Vortex: EDDY. A shout out to Eddy B.

33. Line of clothing?: HEM. My mother was a wonderful nurse, but we used to have to stand by a staircase to mask the different lengths of our pant legs.

36. Jubilant cry: HOORAY. Hip, hip!

37. Pool game, perhaps: POLO. Nice deception, as water polo is played in a pool, a serious game, unlike its cousin MARCO POLO. Not to be confused with 11D. Unsportsmanlike conduct: DIRTY POOL. And as Jerome would point out a POOL can become a POLO.

38. "Unlimited free mileage" rental pioneer: ALAMO. This company began in Florida back in the 70s and was a boon to the business traveler with mileage free.

40. Washington Sq. campus: NYU. Greenwich Village New York.

41. Bikini, e.g.: ATOLL. Not the bathing suit, the islands.

42. Vacation site: ISLE. More islands.

43. Baker's container: PIE PAN. Whatever happened to the Mother Butler's Pie Shops?

45. Golfer Westwood who replaced Tiger Woods as World #1 in October 2010: LEE. Since replaced by Martin Kaymer and now Luke Donald.

49. H.S. math course: CALC. Calculus, not your easy math.

50. One who digs your jive: HEPCAT. Old beatnik talk from the 50s.

54. Swindle decoy: SHILL. The paid associate who plays the game and wins, so others will try.

56. Feint on the ice: DEKE. Any BRUIN or CANUCK fans out there? It is just an abbreviation of DECOY.

59. 39-Down recipient: HERO. 39D. Award for a 59-Across: MEDAL. One of those combinations that can't be solved on their own.

60. John of England: LOO. Not Elton, but the WC.

64. Homer's donut supplier: APU. Are you doubters beginning to see the Simpsons are an important part of Americana?

65. Dog-__: EARED. As a reader, I do not like when people do this to books.

66. Western party: POSSE. Again, deceptive, not a hoe down, but a group put together to chase bad guys.

67. Junio, por ejemplo: MES. June for example, months. We have had this before.

68. Titles: DEEDS. Titles to real property, and our first legal word of the day.

69. Unsettling expression: SNEER. My favorite is this FACE

On to the other half.

Down:

1. Wise guys: SAGES. Not the Sopranos, actual smart people.

2. Knack attachment?: WURST. This German food is not spelled KNOCKWURST

3. Hot: IRATE. I wanted to put in HOT DOGS in the wurst way.

4. Sugar daddies, e.g.: PAYERS. Finally old enough to be one, and I spent all the money already, damn.

5. Ethnic ending: ESE. Japanese, Portuguese etc.

6. "__ Lies": Schwarzenegger film: TRUE. I liked the MOVIE but maybe not anymore.

7. Brooding group: HENS. Nice imagery.

8. Invoice abbr.: ACCT. Usually followed by NO.

9. Editor's add-on?: IAL. Editorial.

10. Muscle beach brand: SPEEDO. Tight and tighter.

12. Behold, to Livy: ECCE. A bit of Latin crosswordese, meaning BEHOLD.

13. Ornery: MEAN. A good western word.

18. Traveling circus organizer in a 1964 film: DR LAO. A wonderful MOVIE with Tony Randall

23. Take in: ADOPT. I would love to adopt those four puppies.

25. First century Roman emperor: OTHO. Ah, the unexpected benefit of having a son who wants to be a Roman Archaeologist, and explaining to me about the YEAR OF FOUR EMPERORS . A very obscure answer.

26. Hatch back?: ERY. HATCHERY, another way to disguise a suffix.

28. Greek column style: IONIC. Which do you like best, Doric, Corinthian or Ionic?

29. Where some pairs are separated: DRYER. The case of the missing sock.

30. Brownish gray: TAUPE.

31. Glamour rival: ELLE. The magazines.

32. Part: ROLE. In a play.

33. Narrow margin: HAIR. He won by a hair.

34. "Lohengrin" soprano: ELSA. If you click no other link, listen to this MUSIC .

35. Motivated by spite: MALICIOUS. From the Latin MAL, meaning bad.

41. "As I Lay Dying" father: ANSE. One Faulkner's best NOVELS .

43. __ Park: Pirates' field: PNC. I can never remember if this is for Pittsburgh National Corporation or Provident National Corporation, so I looked it up, and they merged to form PNC.

44. Sounded satisfied: AAHED. Are you ooers or aahers?

47. Skinny or small, probably: ILL-FED. I associate this with skinny only, but I guess it is correct.

48. "You've Got Mail" writer/director: EPHRON. NORA is a very talented woman.

51. Belay: CEASE. A nice nautical term as we near the end.

52. Surface: ARISE. What kind of problems were coming out for Jim Tressel at Ohio State?

53. Office supply: TONER. Messy stuff.

54. Grand __: SLAM. How fitting during the French Open.

55. Optimism: HOPE. I hope you have enjoyed this Friday presentation.

56. Show gumption: DARE. I dare to believe it has turned out well.

57. Got a load of: EYED. Once you have eyed the work of this resident eye patient.

58. Converse competitor: KEDS. Yes, I wore, as converse were for basketball players and I was too short after 7th grade.

62. Actress __ Dawn Chong: RAE. Tommy Chong's pretty little daughter is now 50 .

63. Decorates in a prankish way: TPS. Toilet Papers, which I guess will be my exit line as we have put another Friday to bed. Enjoy all.  No French lesson, but a very fun and doable puzzle with a couple of very hard clues, and a witty, concise theme. Thanks Pancho (oh Cisco!).

Answer grid.

Lemonade

Thursday June 2, 2011 Ed Sessa

Theme: ALTERED STATES (58A. Paddy Chayefsky novel, and literally, what the beginnings of 20-, 32-, and 43-Across all are) - The starting words of each common phrase is an anagram of a US state. "Altered" is a indicator of anagram in Cryptic crossword.

20A. Words of regret : HAD I ONLY KNOWN. Anagram of Idaho. Spanning three words.

32A. Samaritan's assurance : I MEAN NO HARM. Maine. Bridging two complete words.

43A. Classic kids' wagons : RADIO FLYERS. Florida. Crossing two words again.

C.C. again. Al has been working non-stop since Memorial Day and badly needs some sleeping time. He had an amazing consecutive 43-week blogging streak at the Corner.

Another clever gimmick from Mr. Ed, whose puzzles always have an unexpected unifier and give me the most satisfying head slap.

Smooth grid. Several awesome long non-theme entries. Some of the clues (mostly for small words) are confounding.

Across:

1. Elbows and bow ties : PASTAS. Easy start.

7. Floppy-eared "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" demon : CLEM. No idea. Google yourself. The image scares me.

11. RMN's first veep : STA (Spiro Theodore Agnew). Did not know his middle name.

14. Pre-deal demand : ANTE UP

15. Roll call response : HERE

16. Gist : NUB

17. City on the Rio Grande : LAREDO. U.S./Mexico border city.

18. Plane folks? : AVIATORS. Great clue.

22. Lair : DEN

23. Vodka brand that sounds like a toast : SKOL. Sounds like "Skoal".

24. Martial arts schools : DOJOs

26. TV's Mrs. Peel : RIGG (Diana). First thought is EMMA.

28. Oil holder, perhaps : LAMP

31. Hawaiian coffee region : KONA

36. Freq. performer at Tanglewood : BSO (Boston Symphony Orchestra). Got me.

37. Lauderdale neighbor : BOCA. Dennis' favorite haunt.

38. Bleachers sound : ROAR

40. Non-Rx : OTC

48. Good time : BOOM

50. Memo starter : AS TO

51. Physical, e.g. : EXAM

52. Responded to a bailiff's request : STOOD. This guy is really in a class by himself when it comes to scandal.

54. Brittle cookie : SNAP

57. Actress Zadora : PIA

62. Piker's nickname : EL CHEAPO. Excellent fill.

63. Nailed the test : ACED IT

65. Earl or Lady Grey : TEA

66. Rodent control brand : d-CON. Could only think of RAID.

67. Like pine pitch : RESINY. Wow, this is a word.

68. N.C. summer hrs. : EDT

69. Africa's Mobutu __ Seko : SESE

70. Things on strings : ID TAGS. What were you picturing?

Down:

1. Sidekick : PAL

2. Angels' home : ANAHEIM. Anaheim Angels.

3. Off-the-wall : STRANGE

4. Fit to be tied, with "off" : TEED

5. Wiesbaden wheels : AUDIs. Alliteration.

6. Scare : SPOOK

7. Traditional Jewish bread : CHALLAH

8. Assess : LEVY

9. The Phantom of the Opera : ERIK

10. "__ My Shadow": 1927 song : ME AND. Was ignorant of the song.

11. Flattering trickery : SNOW JOB. Great entry.

12. Excitement generators : TURN-ONs.

13. Six-pack __ : ABs. Best abs you'll ever see.

19. Had the desired effect : TOOK

21. Some mutual funds : NO LOADS. What does it mean? I've only heard of no front-load.

22. Soft & __: deodorant : DRI

25. __ Paulo : SAO

27. Jabber : GAB

29. Abandons at sea : MAROONS

30. Plum's title, briefly : PROF. Professor Plum.

33. Postal motto word : NOR. "Neither rain nor snow...".

34. Sweet Sixteen gp. : NCAA

35. __ de mer : MAL

39. Catcher's place? : RYE. "The Catcher in the Rye".

40. Dictionary cousin of arch. : OBS. Obsolete I suppose. Arch = archaic. I don't like this clue.

41. Unsalvageable after an accident : TOTALED

42. Hipster : COOL CAT. I think Jazzbumpa is cool!

44. Cook's announcement : IT'S DONE

45. "Where you book matters" online service : EXPEDIA

46. Barn ritual : RAISING. What barn?

47. "He'll hae misfortunes great an' __": Burns : SMA. Quote freezes me.

49. Adult silkworm : MOTH

53. Some sealed documents : DEEDs

55. Arcade games leader : ATARI

56. Took measured strides : PACED

59. America's Cup competition, say : RACE. Yachting.

60. Poetic saga : EPOS. Like "Paradise Lost". You wanted EPIC too?

61. Drill : TEST

62. Summer in the cité : ETE

64. TV host Pennington et al. : TYs

Answer grid.

C.C.

Wednesday June 1, 2011 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Center of Attention.  Four theme answers plus the unifier start with synonyms for the human midriff.

17A. Abdominoplasty, familiarly : TUMMY TUCK. Two terms for the surgical removal of unwanted fat and droopy skin from the center of the body.

23A. Pepto-Bismol target : STOMACH ACHE. Hospital-tested, pink Pepto-Bismol provides fast, temporary relief from various internal disorders of the central region. Temporary side effects may include turning your tongue black.  Lovely.

36A. Bourgeois : MIDDLE CLASS. Bourgeois is derived from the Middle French word for townsman, and is therefore similar in historical intent to the German BURGHER. Connotations of these words varied a bit across history. I'm guessing they originated during the late medieval period, as the merchant class developed in the towns of Europe, midway in social status between peasants of various sorts and the landed gentry.

49A. Lint receptacle? : BELLY BUTTON.   If you sussed the theme, this was an easy fill (so to speak.)  Proper lint removal technique is demonstrated here.

59A. Easy A (or where to learn about this puzzle's theme?) : GUT COURSE.   I've never seen this phrase outside of a crossword, and I never had the occasion to take one, either.  I guess that's why my average was only a B.  Of course, in a literal GUT COURSE the midriff would be the center of attention.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here, with a cute and fun offering from Donna.  Nothing middling about it.  Let's get right into the center of things.

Across:

1. Turkish title : AGHA. This can be the title of either a civilian or military officer.

5. Dept. of Labor agency : OSHA.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration.   Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees, including ordinary safety-toed footwear, ordinary prescription safety eyewear, logging boots, and ordinary clothing and weather-related gear.

9. Isn't serious : JESTS.  OSHA never JESTS.

14. Aloof : COOL.

15. Lovey-dovey exchange : COOS.  From the billing and cooing of love birds.

16. Ready for use : ON TAP.  I could use a beer.

19. Salad dressing restriction : NO OIL.  Fat free, lo-cal.

20. One at the top of the board : LEADER.  From golf, where tournament standings are listed on the leader board.

21. Evil intent : MALICE

22. Hearing aid? : EAR.  The outer ear funnels sound into the inner ear, which I guess is better than a simple hole in the head.

26. General __ Chicken : TSO'S.   I've seen this many times in crosswords, but never on a menu.  If I ever do, I will order it.

28. Poet who wrote of the wasp, "I distrust his waspitality" : NASH.  Ogden, who also wrote the famous couplet, re: billing and cooing:  Candy is dandy/But liquor is quicker.

29. Envy, e.g. : SIN.  Not just any old sin, but one of the deadly ones.  Can you name them all?  No peeking.  (But I'll help.  Lust is number 1!)

30. Self-help guru Deepak : CHOPRA.  Author of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.

33. Sandra's "Speed" co-star : KEANU.   Sandra Bullock and KEANU Reeves. 

39. Anklebone : TALUS.  Since we're boning up on anatomy, here is a view.

40. More than interest : ENGAGE.  I was interested before I got engaged, so I guess this makes sense.

43. Chef's phrase : A LA.  This means cooked or prepared in a specified style.  Jeannie?

46. Parts of the hip : ILIA.  You have a pair, hence the awkward Latin plural of ILIUM.  Here they are in context.

48. From square one : ANEW.  One more time, from the top.

54. Jeanne d'Arc, e.g.: Abbr. : STE.  The French abbr. for a female saint.  While in her teens, she led the French army to several important victories in the 100 Years War.  She was captured by the Burgundians, who sold her to the English.  Now, you might think the Burgundians were French, and you'd probably be right.  But allegiances were rather slippery in those days, and money talked.  The English tried her in an ecclesiastical court, and burned her at the stake at age 19 in 1431.  Twenty-five years later, pope Callixtus III reexamined the trial, found her innocent, and declared her a martyr.  Four hundred ninety-one years later she was cannonized.  She had the patience of a STE.

55. Nimbi : HALOES.  Not In My Back Ilium!  A nimbus is a cloudy radiance surrounding the moon, or the head of a STE.  I'm guessing Jeanne got hers right away.

56. Enjoys surreptitiously, as a smoke : SNEAKS.  Did you ever sneak a smoke?

58. La Scala production : OPERA. La Scala is the opera theater in Milan.

62. Loses one's temper : RAGES.  This is occasionally observed on the road.

63. Fifth color of el espectro : AZUL.  Blue, in Spanish, like el Cielo.

64. Stopped working : DIED.  When my hard drive died on my new lap top a couple of months ago, the Geek Squad guy called the appearance on the monitor display, "The Azul screen of death!" 

65. Surgical tube : STENT

66. Salad, at times : SIDE.  As in SIDE dish.  As an aside, I had a salad for dinner, not a side, at Panera.

67. __-bitty : ITTY.  This means teeny-tiny.

Down:

1. Tread the boards : ACT.  Slang term for being a thespian.

2. European stew : GOULASH.  From the Hungarian Gulyás, meaning herdsman, who would chow down on this thick, meaty stew. 

3. Where school attendance is usually taken : HOME ROOM

4. __ mater : ALMA.  That school you went to, way back when.

5. Hawaii's "main islands," e.g. : OCTET.   Evidently there are eight.  I did not know that.

6. Become disenchanted with : SOUR ON. 

7. Ad __ : HOC.  Meaning, "For this" in Latin, referring to something set up for a specific purpose, not general use.

8. Inquire : ASK

9. Syndicated columnist Goldberg : JONAH.  No comment.

10. First name on an historic WWII bomber : ENOLA.   Pilot Paul Tibbets named this B-29 bomber after his mother, ENOLA Gay Tibbets.  It dropped the bomb on Hiroshima.

11. Zeno's followers : STOICS.  This is derived from frequent crossword fill, STOA.  The  Stoics believed that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment.  I believe they had it exactly backwards.

12. Meditative martial art : TAI CHI.  You can get started here.

13. Bad temper : SPLEEN

18. NFL rushing units : YDS.  Yards.

21. 1960s Borgnine sitcom role : McHALE.  The show was McHale's Navy.  Here's a sample.

22. List-ending letters : ETC.  And so on, and so forth.

24. Succeeds : MAKES IT.

25. "Just __!": "Be right there!" : A SEC. 

27. Polish partner : SPIT.  SPIT and polish refers to appearance and good order.  The expression originated in the military, evidently from using a little saliva to put a shine on something.

31. Dietary guideline letters : RDA.  Recommended Daily Allowance

32. Talks off the cuff : AD LIBS.  A good way to get into trouble, these days.

34. Tandoori bread : NAN.  Tandoori is a spicy chicken dish from India.  NAN (or NAAN) is a flat bread to go with it.  I've had it.  Yum!

35. Org. that stages an annual June open : USGA.  U. S. Golf Association.

37. Doozy : LULU.  Something special, odd, or out of the ordinary, not always in a good way.  Here's an example.

38. Classical language of India : SANSKRIT.  It stands in the same relationship to modern Indian languages that classical Latin or Greek do for European languages.

41. Prepares : GETS SET

42. Maa, in "Babe" : EWE.  Babe is a pig who wants to be a sheep dog.  Maa is one of the sheep. 

43. Detests : ABHORS

44. Show enthusiasm for, as an opportunity : LEAP AT

45. Purport : ALLEGE

47. Available for siring : AT STUD.  Refers to a critter that could be gotten for some begettin'.

50. Actress Sophia : LOREN.  Famous actress, here illustrating the theme.

51. You often get a rise out of it : YEAST.   If you're a loafer, I suppose. 

52. Frère of a mère or père : ONCLE.  Bro of mom or pop.  All in the French family

53. Classical beginning : NEO.  NEOclassicism is a revival of classical norms, forms, and methods in art  or a intellectual discipline.

57. Autobahn auto : AUDI.  A German car on a German road.

59. 57-Down filler : GAS.  Fill for the fuel tank.  Should be petrol.

60. Israeli weapon : UZI.  A sub-machine gun brand since 1950.

61. Big name in ice cream : EDY.  This company goes back to 1928, when it was founded by William Dreyer and Joseph EDY.  Use in moderation.  Too much of this can lead to excess themage, a STOMACH ACHE or even a TUMMY TUCK.

Answer grid.

Cheers!

JzB

Tuesday May 31, Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: Dick and Harry's friend - Four famous Toms start the theme entries. No fooling...'til you get to the unifier.

17A. Port of call : CRUISE STOP. TOM CRUISE, Here as Maverick in "Top Gun".

24A. Readily interchangeable, fashionwise : MIX AND MATCH. TOM MIX, here in the white hat, of course.

35A. Office fund for minor expenses : PETTY CASH. TOM PETTY, here, with whitish hair, singing "I Won't Back Down".(2:56)

49A. Head locks : HANKS OF HAIR. TOM HANKS, here as Captain John Miller in "Saving Private Ryan".

58A. Horseplay, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 35- and 49-Across : TOMFOOLERY

C.C. here. Argyle's computer was down before he could finish the write-up. I'll get his draft published. Then I'll do the formatting and fill in some comments. (Updated at 6:10am: Write-up is complete now).

Across:

1. McCartney bandmate : STARR (Ringo)

6. Minimal effort : EASE

10. "It seems to me," online : IMHO (In My Humble Opinion)

14. Fax predecessor : TELEX. Four X'es in this grid.

15. Makes collars, say : SEWS

16. Armstrong on the moon : NEIL

19. Hindu royal : RAJA

20. Rip to shreds : REND

21. City near Lake Tahoe : RENO. Janet's favorite city.

22. Inner Hebrides isle : IONA

23. Switch settings : ONs

27. Bygone deliverer : ICEMAN

29. "Rabbit, Run" author : UPDIKE (John)

30. Office copy : XEROX

31. Aid for a ref's review : SLO-MO

34. Original Dungeons & Dragons co. : TSR. Was this a gimme for you?

38. Held a hearing, say : MET

41. Give a rude awakening to : ROUST

42. African capital contained in its country's name : TUNIS. Tunisia. Ben Ali started this whole Arab Spring.

46. Easily bent : PLIANT

48. Ochoa of the LPGA : LORENA. Retired now.

53. Upsilon follower : PHI

54. Bozo, in Bath : TWIT. Bath, England.

55. Take it easy : LOLL

56. Place for a snow blower : SHED

57. Barrel of laughs : RIOT

60. Pacific island half? : BORA. Bora Bora.

61. Masterful server : ACER

62. "Fame" singer David, 1975 : BOWIE

63. Attends to, as a dry stamp pad : INKS

64. Terrier type : SKYE

65. Jokes around : JESTS

Down:

1. Largest of the Virgin Islands : ST. CROIX. Good entry.

2. "Separate Tables" dramatist Rattigan : TERENCE. Not a familiar name to me.

3. Four-time Indy 500 winner : AL UNSER. Comment away, eddyB.

4. Senate majority leader Harry : REID

5. Prescriptions, for short : RXs

6. County northeast of London : ESSEX

7. Insurance giant : AETNA

8. Beatles concert reaction, often : SWOON. More of a Justin Bieber concert reaction now.

9. Uncanny gift, for short : ESP

10. Encroachment : INROAD

11. Wasn't kidding : MEANT IT

12. Takes by force : HIJACKS

13. Ending for pay : OLA. Payola.

18. Ireland, in poetry : ERIN

22. Identity thief, e.g. : IMPOSTOR

24. Dada pioneer : MAX ERNST. Nice full name.

25. Russian assembly : DUMA. The term comes from the Russian word (dumat’), "to think" or "to consider".

26. "I've Grown Accustomed to __ Face" : HER

28. Swabbing tool : MOP

31. R-V connectors : S T U. Alphabetically.

32. Lille lily : LYS. As in Fleur de Lys. The flower.

33. Mo. to see Dracula at your door? : OCT. Halloween.

36. Pooch in Oz : TOTO

37. "Ben-__" : HUR

38. Dashboard abbr. : MPH

39. Walking-on-air feeling : ELATION

40. Craft using the element Sn : TIN WORK. Sn = Tin

43. Reunion attendees : NEPHEWS. Family reunion, not class.

44. Come into some money, maybe : INHERIT

45. Answered affirmatively : SAID YES

47. Tough watchdogs : AKITAs. Dennis' previous dog. Welcome back, Dummy!

48. Disney girl who adopted Stitch : LILO

50. Shepherd's charge : FLOCK

51. Comfy-cozy : HOMEY

52. Actress Woodard : ALFRE. Always have trouble remembering her name.

56. Plumlike fruit : SLOE

57. Baseball stat : RBI

58. Coll. helpers : TAs

59. Word after a transitive vb. : OBJ.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, May 30, 2011 Dan Schoenholz

Theme: One and the Same - The start of the first three themes and the start and end of the fourth create an ascending order of prime numbers as the fifth theme suggests. A prime number can be divided, without a remainder, only by itself and by one.

17A. *Many a sports car, capacity-wise : TWO-SEATER

23A. *Genie's offering : THREE WISHES

39A. *Eisenhower became one in 1944 : FIVE STAR GENERAL

49A. *Slurpee seller : SEVEN-ELEVEN

61A. When most top-rated shows are on, and a hint to the kind of numbers in the starred answers : PRIME TIME

Argyle here with a nod to fermatprime. Dan threw me a little curve when FOUR didn't appear as the third entry and it was neat how 7-ELEVEN provided two theme entries. Perhaps it was the seed entry. This is the second puzzle from Dan this month.

Across:

1. Most-preferred invitees : A-LIST. The ones you roll out the red carpet for.

6. Courteney of "Friends" : COX. Here she is on the red carpet.

9. Backyard lounging locale : PATIO

14. Atra or Sensor : RAZOR

15. Civil War prez : ABE

16. Staples Center, e.g. : ARENA. A multi-purpose sports arena in downtown Los Angeles.

19. Tears apart : RENDS

20. The last word? : END

21. Gets on in years : AGES

22. Town square centerpiece : STATUE

25. Texas or Ukraine city : ODESSA

29. "__ Miz" : LES. The musical, Les Misérables.

30. Top-of-the-line : A-ONE

31. __ gin fizz : SLOE

34. Mistreat : ABUSE

42. "Funny Girl" composer Jule : STYNE. This man(in glasses) had a few successful musical himself. Bio site.

43. School restroom sign : BOYS

44. List in order of importance : RANK

45. Fury : IRE

47. Championships : TITLES

55. Dover's are white : CLIFFS. Image.

56. Require : NEED

57. Maple tree yield : SAP

60. Former "The View" co-host O'Donnell : ROSIE

63. "Some people swallow the universe like __": Stevenson : A PILL. Robert Louis Stevenson.

64. Isaac, to Abraham : SON

65. Diner : EATER

66. Doled (out) : METED

67. Helpful contacts : INS

68. Plastered : DRUNK. Refreshing to see just plain DRUNK instead of some euphemism.

Down:

1. Johnson of "Laugh-In" : ARTE.

2. Croquet venue : LAWN. Do they have Extreme Croquet, I wonder?

3. Phillips-Van Heusen brand : IZOD. IZOD is the series title sponsor for the the IndyCar Series. Unbelievable finishes to both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 yesterday.

4. Distress call letters : SOS

5. Alternatives to tricks : TREATS

6. Provide food for : CATER

7. Extremely overweight : OBESE

8. Gen-__: boomer's kid, usually : Xer

9. Like much politics : PARTISAN

10. Geometry calculations : AREAS

11. Bowler's final frame : TENTH

12. All __ time: as a matter of course : IN DUE

13. Where to find dates? : OASES. Midnight At The Oasis(3:39)

18. Horrified : AGHAST

22. Nor. neighbor : SWE.. Norway/Sweden.

24. Mournful poem : ELEGY

25. Klutzes : OAFS

26. Attend to the job : DO IT

27. Jealousy without resentment : ENVY

28. Witnessed : SEEN

32. Designer's identification : LABEL

33. Gold, in Guanajuato : ORO. Where the heck is Guanajuato? Here and here.

35. Ernie's Muppet pal : BERT

36. River to the Caspian : URAL

37. In one's right mind : SANE

38. Fraternal order : ELKS. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE).

40. Kramer's neighbor : SEINFELD. TV

41. Hold in high regard : ESTEEM

46. Legal thing : RES and 57D. In __: as originally placed : SITU

48. "Most assuredly!" : "INDEED!"

49. Vamoose : SCRAM

50. Say "I do" without a big do : ELOPE

51. Come calling : VISIT

52. Submit tax returns online : E-FILE

53. Bankrupt energy giant : ENRON. As you can see by their logo, they were never on the level.

54. Blood carriers : VEINS

58. "You can say that again!" : "AMEN!"

59. Exec's car, say : PERK

61. Tire gauge meas. : PSI. Pound per Square Inch. Unless it's metric. Then it could be kPa(kilopascal) or kgf/cm(kilogram-force per square centimeter).

62. Roofing material : TAR

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to eddyB & Splynter's mom!

Sunday May 29, 2011 Matt Skoczen

Theme: For the Record - Each two-word phrase start with L & P.

27A. George Bush in late 1992, say : LAME-DUCK PRESIDENT. Bush Sr.

43A. Delivery lead-in : LABOR PAINS

72A. Make-believe intro : LET'S PRETEND. I like this answer.

97A. Heads-up discovery : LUCKY PENNY

118A. Danube School artists : LANDSCAPE PAINTERS

16D. Edward Lear output : LIMERICK POETRY. Carol is our queen of limerick.

52D. Kaufman play based on the Matthew Shepard incident, with "The" : LARAMIE PROJECT. Not familiar with the book. The story happens in Laramie, WY.

Lake Poets, Launch Pad, what other L* P * phrases can you think of?

Simple theme. Easier to find phrases that spell out two letters than three letters. Still a daunting task to ferret out sparkly entries with matchable letter count. The whole grid feels very smooth to me.

Across:

1. Modern letters : E-MAILS

7. Surprise at the end : TWIST. Do you like "The Crying Game"?

12. Hot air : GAS. Empty talk.

15. Sight from Salzburg : ALPS. Salzburge is the setting of "The Sound of Music".

19. Trumpet relative : CORNET

20. Bandleader Shaw : ARTIE

21. Job: Abbr. : OCC. OK, occupation.

22. Dismiss : FIRE

23. Even (with) : ON A PAR

24. Composer Saint-__ : SAENS. French composer.

25. Like some bandits : ONE-ARMED. This refers to the slot machines, correct?

30. Green gp. : EPA

31. Persian Gulf prince : EMIR

32. Unruly crowds : MOBS

33. In-flight no. : ALT

34. Rip into : TEAR AT

36. Oaxaca "Of course!" : SI, SI

37. "It Ain't All About the Cookin'" memoirist Deen : PAULA. She doesn't like Tofu, Jayce!

40. Cut off : LOP

42. Houston school : RICE

47. Bolts again : RE-LOCKS

50. Animation frame : CEL

53. Wine bottle word : CRU. Grand Cru.

54. Requiem Mass hymn word : IRAE. "Dies Irae".

55. Nook download : E-BOOK

56. 60 minuti : ORA (Hour). 60 minutes.

57. Souped-up wheels : HOT ROD

60. "Psst!" : HEY YOU

62. How a player may turn : PRO

65. "Have __!" : MERCY

67. Missed __ : A CUE

69. It's charged : ION. True.

70. Either 2007 Best Director : COEN. The Coen Brothers. For "No Country for Old Men".

71. H.S. freshmen may take it : PSAT

76. Webster's entries: Abbr. : DEFs (Definitions)

77. Twenty somethings? : ATMs. The clue confuses me grammatically.

78. Poet's preposition : ERE

79. Prehistorical author Jean : AUEL

80. "Understand?" : GET IT?

81. Who, in Quebec : QUI

82. "Soap" actor Robert : MANDAN. Stranger to me.

85. Phone button : REDIAL

88. Code carrier : RNA. Genetic code.

89. Take away : ERASE

91. Noggin : DOME. Slang for head.

93. "Ciao!" : BYE

94. "__ Blues": Beatles "White Album" song : YER. I've never heard of the song.

95. Facets : ASPECTS

101. Field shield : TARP

102. Numerical prefix : TRI

104. He replaced Gumbel on "Today" : LAUER (Matt)

105. Old U.S. gas : ESSO

109. Soldiers : TROOPS

112. Baby docs : OBs

114. Hi's spouse, in comics : LOIS. "Hi and Lois".

116. At what point : WHEN

117. Old rule in India : RAJ

123. Pub : ALEHOUSE

125. Worst or best conclusion? : OF ALL

126. Like olde England : MERRIE

127. Winans of gospel : CECE

128. Former Giants closer Robb __ : NEN

129. __ Islands: autonomous Danish province : FAROE. No idea. See this map. Quite a way from Denmark.

130. Eye slyly : PEEP AT

131. French bean? : TETE. Head again.

132. One may have several scenes : ACT

133. Some grenades, briefly : FRAGs

134. Lifts : STEALS

Down:

1. Places to study anglais, perhaps : ECOLEs. French for "school".

2. Endearing words from Étienne : MON AMI. "My friend". Splynter probably wants something different. Mon cheri, maybe, from a girl.

3. Friend of Athos : ARAMIS

4. At risk : IN PERIL

5. Heavy metal : LEAD

6. Pick alternative : STRUM

7. Launches may originate from one : TASKBAR. Computer.

8. Concludes : WRAPS UP

9. Roman road of yore : ITER

10. Trig ratio : SINE

11. "Veronica Mars" actress Thompson : TESSA. Who?

12. Treating nicely : GOOD TO

13. Proactiv target : ACNE. Proactiv is quite good.

14. Essence : SCENT

15. Liberia's cont. : AFR

17. Assortment for sale as a unit : PRE-PACK

18. Gets ready for surgery : SEDATES. Glad Bob is fine, JD.

26. Dined : ATE

28. Quit (on) : COP OUT

29. "Maybe" : I'LL SEE

35. Back for a buck? : AROO. Buckaroo.

38. Home in bed, perhaps : LAID UP

39. Word with ball or guitar : AIR

41. Exploit : PREY ON

44. Sore : ACHY

45. Monastic title: Abbr. : BRO

46. "Uh-uh" : NAH

48. WWII issue : E BOND

49. Actor __ Diamond Phillips : LOU

50. 2002 Hewlett-Packard acquisition : COMPAQ. Pushed by Carly Fiorina.

51. Title words repeated after "Como una promesa," in a 1974 song : ERES TU. Sounds familiar?

58. Gave two stars, say : RATED

59. It produces lieuts. : OCS. Officer Candidates School.

61. Return : YIELD

63. Purify : REFINE

64. GM tracking system : ON STAR

66. Dol. parts : CTs

68. Generation : ERA

70. B-F span : CDE. Alphabet.

72. Not under, with "at" : LEAST

73. One of the Gallos : ERNEST. The wine brothers. Ernest Gallo & Julio Gallo, a la Wiki.

74. "Aha!" : EUREKA

75. Casual shirt : TEE

80. Secluded valley : GLEN

82. Big __ : MAC

83. They're extemporaneous : AD LIBS

84. __-TURN : NO-U

86. Spanish airline : IBERIA. Easy guess.

87. Author Rand : AYN

90. Bank seizure, for short : REPO

92. 12th-century date : MCL. 1,150.

95. Engage : ATTRACT

96. Hillshire Farm parent company : SARA LEE. Hillshire Farm is their meat brand.

98. Holiday warmer : YULE LOG. Hi there Santa!

99. Community inhabitants : PEOPLEs

100. Longbow wood source : YEW TREE. New trivia to me.

103. Porcupine, e.g. : RODENT

106. Himalayan leader : SHERPA

107. Soap, e.g. : SERIAL. Soap opera.

108. Starts : ONSETS

110. Mideast org. since 1964 : PLO

111. Gym plus : SAUNA

113. Sneer (at) : SCOFF

115. Ninnies : SIMPs

119. Tiny amt. of time : NSEC. Nanosecond.

120. At a distance : AFAR

121. Chute opener? : PARA. Parachute.

122. Old Nair rival : NEET

124. Bit of a laugh : HEE

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday, May 28, 2011 Bonnie L. Gentry

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 31

It's been seven days since the "End of the World"....how was your week?

New constructor for me and a fairly straight-forward Saturday, just a few spots that were not "REAL EASY" - for me; it was the central

36A. Gain notoriety, as via 38-Across : GO VIRAL

38A. See 36-Across : YOU TUBE

that broke it wide open. Two grid-spanners, and two climbers;

17. Moving locks? : HAIR REPLACEMENT - locks, such as this organization

58. Exact opposites? : BALLPARK FIGURES - a subtle shout out to our leader, C.C.

6D. From time to time : EVER AND ANON, a phase I have never heard, and

23D. Glancing : RICOCHETING - from obscure French

Some of you did yours "IN INK", I am sure~!

ACROSS:

1. Hardly a square : HIPSTER - wondered if this was a misdirection to 'ellipse'

8. Duplicate : REPLICA - the noun

15. Duty-free? : ON LEAVE - I am duty free from UPS til Tuesday

16. Unlikely to cheat : ETHICAL - had AXED for ICED, messed me up here

19. Service rank : ONE A - crossword standard

20. Muddy, as water : ROIL

21. Signal agreement : NOD TO

22. Juice source : BATTERY - juice, as in electricity

24. "The Sea-Wolf" captain : LARSEN - the main antagonist

28. Decide not to walk, perhaps : HAIL A CAB

33. Made an impressive delivery : ORATED

34. Corner key : ESCape

35. Exclusive : SOLE

40. Eclipse, to some : OMEN - or a Mitsubishi to others....

41. Team feature? : NO I - "there's no I in team; there's no crying in baseball~!"

43. Appear unexpectedly : CROP UP

44. Got comfy in a sofa : SANK DOWN - a bit of a giveaway, with "in" a sofa

46. Women-only residences : HAREMS - where can I get one?

47. Nonbeliever, to some : INFIDEL

49. Crossing the keel : ABEAM

53. Pre-med subj. : ANATomy

54. Magical beginning : ABRA - cadabra, love this song

61. Letters read with feeling? : BRAILLE - good one~!

62. Raving : ON A RANT

63. Fixes, as pumps : REHEELS - pumps, like these(~!~); I was thinking bike tires

64. Ma and Pa Kettle debut film, with "The" : EGG AND I - fascinating, captain; I did not know this

DOWN:

1. Cream-filled treat : HO-HO - had Oreo to start, messed me up

2. __ instant : IN AN

3. Bend at the barre : PLIE

4. Medical supplies : SERA

5. Gob : TAR - Gob is slang for a US Navy sailor, another sailor word is Tar.

7. Find a new home for, in a way : REPOT

8. Not at all complicated : REAL EASY

9. And more: Abbr. : ETC - Et Cetera

10. Derived from benzene : PHENYL

11. Long ride? : LIMO - accepted as not needing to be Abbr. in clues

12. Bumped off : ICED - where's the "TEA" when it fits ????

13. Jargon : CANT

14. Glee club member : ALTO - vocal range

18. Pliant : LITHE

22. Suds, so to speak : BEER - I, uh, liked this too much - see 57D

24. Apple and peacock, e.g. : LOGOS - these two examples

25. Bakery emanation : AROMA

26. First bird off the Ark, in Genesis : RAVEN - is this a 40A?

27. Deserve no stars : STINK - a thumbs down, I'd say

29. Notable Titanic casualty : ASTOR - 100 years, next year

30. Compact, perhaps : COUPE - as in cars

31. Place for snaps : ALBUM - snap-shots, photos

32. Summons : BEEPS

37. American enticements : LOW FARES - the airline, American

39. Caspian feeder : URAL - map

42. How hard crosswords are usually not done : IN INK

45. Golf ball feature : DIMPLE

48. Willem of "Spider-Man" : DAFOE - as the Green Goblin

49. Can. or Mex., e.g. : ABBR - a little misdirection, using countries

50. Reveal : BARE - show me some leg~!

51. Where Goliath was slain : ELAH

52. "I Just Can't Live __": Carrie Underwood song : A LIE

54. Mystique : AURA

55. Cereal material : BRAN - started with rice

56. Rip to bits : REND

57. Piedmont product : ASTI - the bubbly, loved the stuff - looks like a cool website

59. Completely : ALL

60. __ rule : GAG - had "AS A" here...

Answer grid.

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

Click here for some info about today's constructor Bonnie L. Gentry.

Friday May 27, 2011 Julian Lim

Theme: Put on another building block - Synonyms of "lid" are added to the top of each theme answer, verbally and visually, in order to create a new phrase. By having all the theme entries in the down section, the add-ons are literally above the words. We have had a few of these multi-level themes lately, let us see how Mr. Lim chose to attack our minds.

4D. Surpassing a classic arcade game?: TOPPING PONG. PING PONG morphs into PONG the introductory Atari game.

9D. Boxed pasta that's different every time you open it?: CAPRICE-A-RONI. The San Fransisco treat, RICE-A-RONI becomes a capricious pasta. This is my favorite, but then I never trusted those rice and pasta combos.

21D. Wheels for a spy?: COVERT MOBILE. T-Mobile. The cell phone company becomes a spy car.

27D. "Hush!" (and hint to how 4-, 9- and 21-Down are formed): PUT A LID ON IT.. LID being a synonym for TOP, CAP and COVER.

Well, Lemonade here to make some sense of this seemingly straight forward Friday, with a few zingers.

Across:

1. Brewery fixtures: OASTS. Okay, I just cannot ignore how often we get this brewing clue, and references like:

16A. Like some ale: PALE. Number 1 son is driving to meet me in Connecticut and touring breweries on his way.

6. Dramatist Connelly: MARC. Not familiar with this PLAYWRIGHT

10. One standing out in a field?: CZAR. Not a physical field, but an endeavor, like the drug czar.

14. Not see eye to eye?: STOOP. He stands tallest who kneels to help a child.

15. Specialty: AREA. My son's is Roman Archaeology.

17. Flaw-spotting aid: LOUPE. The jewelers glass, which is a type of magnifier.

18. Hard time: BUMPY RIDE. Dealing with Blogger these days has been one, at least for me.

20. Uncommissioned: ON SPEC. Houses, paintings, anything you create without being paid to do so, in the hope of selling when done.

22. Colt producer: MARE. I was thinking of the gun, but Julian was horsing around.

23. Officiate: REF. Did you watch the Heat? What finishes! Not to be confused with 13D. Snorkeling spots: REEFS, for which the Florida Keys are famous.

24. Immunity __:"Survivor" prop: IDOL. I have never watched this show, but have seen the idols from all the incessant plugging of the show.

26. Nursery needs: DIAPERS.

28. 14th-century European musical style: ARS NOVA. Literally NEW ART describing the polyphonic music of the 1300s, I will let our musical experts comment.

31. Neutral color: ECRU.

32. Dream analysis pioneer: JUNG. Carl, was Swiss and followed and built on Freud's theories.

33. One-tenth of a microjoule: ERG. Again, i defer to our engineers and scientists.

35. Need: ENTAIL. What will finishing the job require?

39. "Now!: ASAP. As Soon As Possible.

40. Mikhail's wife: RAISA. Mrs. Gorbachev, who became a world figure for women in politics.

42. Court fig.: ATTY. Okay, my shout out (and Hahtool, any more?)

43. Potential creditor's request: REPORT. The damn credit reports they hawk all of the time.

45. 1-Down's land: Abbr.: NOR. Norway, and 1D. Akershus Castle site: OSLO. You can read about this REGION .

46. Nut: LOON. An old fashioned word from the superstition that the moon made people act crazy, or is it real? Anyone who works in hospitals or law enforcement will tell you about full moons.

47. Identify: NAME.

49. You can't see beyond it: HORIZON. Well, that is why it is called the horizon, I like this clue.

51. Permanently: FOR GOOD. I always thought it was foolish to say, get out and stay out for good, when there was nothing good about it.

54. Without width or depth: ONE D. Dimensional, height, not my specialty

55. Organic dye: AZO. Very vivid colors, especially the yellows and oranges.

56. Very: Pref.: UBER. Kazie, our German teacher you want to take this one?

58. Solver's cry: I GOT IT. No, I am more the , "Whoopie!" type.

62. Community service often associated with a law school: TAX CLINIC. Really? I have never seen a law school do this and think it would be awful, we all just need Andy Dufresne.

65. Oafish: INEPT.

66. Port on its own lake: ERIE. An eerie coincidence?

67. "Prison Break" role: LINC. Lincoln Burrows, (played by Dominic Purcell), was falsely accused of murder.

68. Young girl: MISSY. If you want to irritate the female staff in your office, just use this word, not that I would ever do that.

69. __-Ball: SKEE. I wonder why it is not called get the ball in the hole?

70. Med. tests using leads:ECGS. Electro Cardio Grams, which are more often called EKGs now.

71. Lucy's neighbor: ETHEL. Mrs Mertz, played by Vivian Vance.

Down:

okay we are motoring now.

2. Oceans: A TON. I guess just meaning a lot of something.

3. __-chef: SOUS. Okay, back to French lessons, this means UNDER, which is what a sous chef is, acting under the head chef. SUR in over and SOUS under.

5. Phelps sponsor: SPEEDO. Michael, our record breaking Olympic swimmer and random toker.

6. Shelley queen: MAB. Percy Bysse wrote this POEM, MAB also is in Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare.

7. Jack-in-the-pulpit family: ARUM. Are you all familiar with this PLANT

8. Like "Psycho": REMADE. This was a really bad remake of a great movie.

10. Pressing activity?: CPR. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, the pushing on the chest to restart a heart.

11. Congo, once: ZAIRE. One of the many new names in Africa.

12. Electric guitar wood: ALDER. A good light WOOD .

19. Hanker: YEARN. Makes me thing of the mountain Williams hankering for their cousins.

25. Croft of video games: LARA. The Tomb Raider played by MRS> PITT.

28. Allowing a little light: AJAR.

29. Scheme: RUSE. A deception.

30. Go ape: SNAP. One more hour watching the kids and I would...

34. Singapore Sling ingredient: GIN. Well, there are as many recipes as there are people in Singapore, but hey all include GIN . it was also my first public drink at the Trailways bus station bar in Albany when I was 16.

36. Complete: A TO Z. A familiar letter combo to deceive.

37. "__, Sing America": Hughes poem: I TOO. A very powerful poem by Langston Hughes to remind white America that the blacks were part of our country as well.

38. NFL Hall of Famer-turned-politician Swann: LYNN. A wonderfully graceful wide receiver, who has difficulty articulating words but is very popular, like Hines, Dancing with the Stars Ward.

41. Trendy London district: SOHO. The name is unrelated to the SOHO in NYC, as here is no Houston Street in London in this reformed red light district.

44. "High Sierra" director Walsh: RAOUL. This DIRECTOR had the pleasure of a great John Huston script and Humphrey Bogart at his best.

48. Unspoiled: EDENIC. Of or relating to the Garden of Eden

50. Dieting and exercise, say: REGIME. From the King's rules.

51. "Thread of life" goddesses: FATES. CLOTHO is the spinner who spins the threads.

52. Arkansas city: OZARK. The name comes from the French AUX ARC, reflecting the bend in the river.

53. Client of Billy in "Chicago": ROXIE. Poor murderous RENEE in the movie.

57. Encircle: RING.

59. Radio host John: TESH. Piano playing, singer, song writer and host.

60. __ dixit: IPSE. The law Latin of the day, Literally he said it, something you are asked to take as true without proof.

61. IM sign-off: TTYL. Talk To You Later, I am a Tigger TTFN guy.

63. Company opening?: CEE. The letter which begins the word.

64. Keeps apprised, briefly: CCS. Carbon copies, from the days such were how you made and sent copies.

Answer grid.

Well there it is, I though it was overall an easy Friday, but some fun; be careful over the holiday and see you all later.

Lemonade