Tuesday, June 14, 2011 Donna S. Levin

Theme: 1963 Pete Seeger hit - Clip(1:55)

17A. FedEx, for one : SHIPPING SERVICE. It's always fun opening a FedEx box, like a mini-Christmas.

33A. What many a game of Battleship is played on : GRAPH PAPER. What graph paper looks like, in case you are unfamiliar with it.

45A. Stamp seller : POST OFFICE. If it fits, it ships®

65A. Manhattan's Minskoff, e.g. : BROADWAY THEATER. Now Showing, "The Lion King". Ironically, I don't believe the Minskoff has box seats.

71A. Spars in the ring, and features of the four longest puzzle answers : BOXES. Sparring is shorter than a bout so I think that qualifies them as little boxes.

Argyle here. Today we have Donna's delight after Jeff's jewel yesterday. It would have been nice if 17- and 45-Across weren't the same type of boxes but that's a nit. Two grid spanners on a Tuesday makes up for one little nit.

Across:

1. Give in to gravity : SAG. No comment.

4. Louvre Pyramid architect : I. M. PEI. Has anyone been there, in person?

9. Descendant : SCION. Comes from twig, sort of like a chip off the old block.

14. "Born in the __" : USA. Springsteen song.

15. Cleaning crew : MAIDS

16. Fencer's deflection : PARRY

20. Skating great Sonja : HENIE. Olympic Champion from way back.

21. King Abdullah subject : SAUDI

22. Took a load off : SAT

23. Tailor's measurement : INSEAM

25. Pauses that refresh : RESTS

27. Simple bed : COT

29. 1983 Woody Allen title role : "ZELIG". It sounds like an interesting story but it is still Woody Allen, if you know what I mean. I would like to hear from actual viewers though.

40. Trevi Fountain city : ROME. Three Coins in the Fountain(3:09), Connie Francis version.

41. Chaplin's last wife : OONA

42. Planet after Saturno : URANO. Spanish/Italian, Portuguese, too? And 70D. River, to Ricardo : RIO

43. Caspian Sea country : IRAN

44. Proverbial sinking ship deserters : RATS

47. Rainbow maker : PRISM. Image.

49. Schuss, e.g. : SKI

50. "... your cake and __" : EAT IT

54. Fla. coastal city : ST. PETE. Map

59. Response to a doctor : "AAH" / 38D. Drs. eliciting 59-Acrosses : ENTs. (ear, nose, and throat)

62. Prohibited acts : NO-NO's

64. Resignee of 1974 : NIXON. The release of the Pentagon Papers will bring his name in the news again. Which brings up 4D. Accuse of misconduct : IMPEACH

68. Frighten : ALARM

69. Jazzy Armstrong : LOUIS

72. Quick garage jobs : LUBES and 57D. Front-end alignment : TOE IN.

73. Abby's twin : ANN. The Dears.

Down:

1. Fish in a roll, perhaps : SUSHI

2. Wan : ASHEN

3. "Capital" profits : GAINS

5. __ tai : MAI

6. Frat jewelry items : PINS

7. Mystery award : EDGAR. The Edgar Allan Poe Awards (popularly called the Edgars), named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America.

8. Contentious subject : ISSUE

9. Cologne squirt : SPRITZ. From Yiddish, not surprisingly.

10. Cleveland cager, briefly : CAV

11. Bearded flower : IRIS

12. Black-and-white sea giant : ORCA. Welcome back, old friend.

13. "My eye!" in Minsk : "NYET!"

18. Lemon meringue, e.g. : PIE

19. Both Begleys : EDs. Sr. died when Jr. was 20 but I couldn't find a picture of them together.

24. Attend to a spill : MOP UP

26. Calligrapher's flourish : SERIF

28. Tropical tuber : TARO. A lot of alliteration there.

30. Actress Petty : LORI. Don't tell me you missed Tank Girl?

31. Apple computer : i-MAC

32. Biological inheritance : GENE

33. Trail grub : GORP. From "good old raisins and peanuts".

34. Emulate MGM's lion : ROAR

35. Against : ANTI

36. Out of date : PASSÉ

37. __ de deux : PAS. French for "Step of Two" and is what partnering is called in ballet.

39. Pieces that castle : ROOKS. Chess move.

46. Exercise program goal : FITNESS

48. "Melts in your mouth" candy : M AND M's

51. Pull : TOW

52. Totally : IN ALL

53. "What's it __?" : TO YOU

55. Former NBC anchor Lindstrom : PIA Image. Deceptive clue, she was a news anchorwoman for WNBC-TV Channel 4 News, a local station in NYC.

56. Spare : EXTRA

58. 2000s symbol of corporate financial misconduct : ENRON

59. Simple rhyme scheme : A B A B

60. Woody's son : ARLO

61. Fraud : HOAX

63. Bang, as one's toe : STUB

66. Exist : ARE

67. Move it : HIE. Bye.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, June 13, 2011 Jeff Chen

Theme: Small Cup? - The four men used for the theme all have AA in their names and the reveal is about batteries, not bra size, but I'm more DF than that.

17A. Johnny Carson's predecessor : JACK PAAR

21A. "Misery" co-star : JAMES CAAN

36A. "I, Robot" author : ISAAC ASIMOV

55A. Vice president involved in a historic duel : AARON BURR

61A. Common batteries, and a feature of 17-, 21-, 36- and 55-Across : DOUBLE A'S

A newly refurbished Argyle here. Jeff has started our week off with a nice, compact puzzle. I admit if I had started with the reveal, I'd have had a easier time with the spelling of the gentlemen's names.

Across:

1. Frying pan spray : PAM

4. Fanatic's feeling : ZEAL

8. Player on stage : ACTOR

13. Santa __: city SE of Los Angeles : ANA

14. "Joy of Cooking" writer Rombauer : IRMA. Rombauer privately published The Joy of Cooking in 1931.

15. Curvy ski race : SLALOM

19. "I need a hug" : "HOLD ME"

20. Pong producer : ATARI

23. Pat of "The Karate Kid" : MORITA. "wax on, wax off" Image

25. Binary code digit : ONE

26. Animal like new? : GNU

27. "Famous" cookie creator : AMOS

28. Floated upward : ROSE

31. Alternative to leaving a test question blank : GUESS

33. Roget entry: Abbr. : SYN

34. Pulled in different directions : TORN

35. Pasty : WAN

40. "Car Talk" airer : NPR. Although radio stations quiver when the Tappet Brothers say it, "National Public Radio".

41. Front of a clock : FACE

42. LAX approximation : ETA

45. Worry persistently : BROOD

48. Blue state? : FUNK

49. Dab at with a towel, as a spill : BLOT

50. __ Tin Tin : RIN. Early TV dog.

51. NATO part: Abbr. : ATL. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization

53. Turn like a chair : SWIVEL

59. Justice Kagan of the Supreme Court : ELENA. Sorry, but she looks more like a homeroom mother.

60. Masonry finish applied when wet : STUCCO

63. Pick up the pace : HASTEN

64. Vaulted recess : APSE

65. Windsor knot neckwear : TIE

66. Clam-digging area : SHORE

67. Blacken on the grill : SEAR

68. Gore and Hirt : ALs

Down:

1. Bedtime garb : PAJAMAS

2. TV's "Grey's __" : ANATOMY

3. Cheese companion : MACARONI

4. "Not another word!" : ZIP IT

5. Prohibition __ : ERA

6. Key with three sharps: Abbr. : A MAJ. Another entry I let the perps take care of.

7. Zhivago's beloved : LARA

8. Pale : ASHEN

9. Nip and tuck contest : CLOSE GAME. I had the brief image of two plastic surgeons going head to head.

10. Skin-soothing powder : TALC

11. Golden years : OLD AGE

12. Friends-countrymen link : ROMANS

16. Lists of computer options : MENUs

18. Singer Kristofferson : KRIS. I expect we will get some more links for KRIS today.

22. Stooge with a bowl haircut : MOE

24. Cacophonous, as a crowd : AROAR

29. "The Lord of the Rings" monster : ORC

30. Major mess : SNAFU

32. Spanish 25-Across : UNO

34. Hoofer, so to speak : TAP DANCER

35. Candle threads : WICKS

37. Commercial prefix with Cone or Ball : SNO

38. Japanese honorific : SAN

39. Kraft cheese spread : VELVEETA

43. Polished part of a piggy? : TOENAIL

44. Books of maps : ATLASES

45. Full of chutzpah : BRASH

46. Rodeo gear : RIATAs

47. Surge : ONRUSH

48. Cause of chills and fever : FLU

49. Tab at a bar : BILL

52. Steak selection : T-BONE

54. Big brand in barbecues : WEBER. I like these two together.

56. Prefix with -pus : OCTO. Or with Mom.

57. Nutrient guidelines, briefly : RDAs

58. Rodeo gear : ROPE

62. Mex. neighbor : USA

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday June 12, 2011 Paul Hunsberger

Theme: Wide-Eyed - W is attached to the start of one word in each common phrase, which also goes through a spelling change. The resulting vowel sounds remain the same. Neither I nor Argyle gets the title though. Marti?

23A. Sale at the helicopter dealer? : WHIRLYBIRD SPECIAL. Early bird special.

39A. Breakfast table exposé? : THE WAFFLE TRUTH. The awful truth.

60A. Bittersweet title for a waterskier's memoirs? : WAKES AND PAINS. Aches and pains.

84A. Lacking lingerie? : OUT OF THIN WEAR. Out of thin air.

104A. Sweater under the tree? : CHRISTMAS WEAVE. Christmas Eve.

123A. Charge against an illegal fly-fishing conspirator? : WADING AND ABETTING. Aiding and abetting.

16D. Comment to an out-of-shape runner who reaches the finish line? : WHEEZY DOES IT. Easy does it.

67D. Homo sapiens' cleverness? : THE WILE OF MAN. The Isle of Man.

Notice there's no extraneous W in any of the theme entries? An important factor to consider in this letter dropping/adding/substituting gimmick.

I think this might be Paul Hunsberger's LA Times debut. If so, congratulations! I like the theme entry arrangement & overall fill. Very well done. Smooth! Several V-8 clues. Could be from Rich. That's his lovely wife Kim on the left, sharp wordsmith as well.

Across:

1. Builder of paper houses : WASP. Did you nail it, JD?

5. [Yawn] : HO-HUM. First thought was ENNUI.

10. Avenue before the Income Tax square, in Monopoly : BALTIC. I've never played Monopoly.

16. Bath bathrooms : WCs. Bath the city in England.

19. Guitarist's effect : WAWA

20. Where the puck stops ... and starts : ARENA. Hockey, just for eddyB & Splynter.

21. Iberian wine city : OPORTO. North of Lisbon. Porto also.

22. Prosciutto, e.g. : HAM

26. Poet's "before" : ERE

27. Press-on cosmetic : NAIL. Wanted LASH.

28. It's nothing in Normandy : RIEN. De rien = You're welcome.

29. Down Under dog : DINGO

30. Greek "H" : ETA

31. Ticker tape, briefly? : ECG. Or EKG.

33. White team : SOX. White Sox.

35. "La Vie en Rose" singer : PIAF (Edith)

37. Air purifying gadget : IONIZER

44. Pastoral poems : IDYLs

45. Animated explorer : DORA

46. Cause for a shootout : TIE. Not gunfight.

47. Smoky places : FLUEs. Was picturing a smokey bar.

49. Some green rolls : SOD. Not money.

50. Buzz together : SWARM

52. Weak, as an excuse : LAME

55. Make swell : BLOAT

57. Green lights : OKs

64. "Twin Peaks" Emmy nominee Sherilyn : FENN. Total stranger to me.

65. Play kickoff : ACT ONE. Made me think of football.

68. Beats by a nose : EDGES

69. Loc. __ : CIT

70. Cruising : ASEA

71. Hawaiian priests : KAHUNAS. Nice entry.

73. 2000s leadership nickname : DUBYA. I like Sr.

75. Requiring slower driving : CURVIER

77. Smooth : EVEN

78. Some like it hot : TEA. I do. I've never watched the movie though.

80. Money : LUCRE. Filthy.

82. Mosey : TOOTLE. New meaning to me.

83. Salacious : LEWD

87. "Take me __ am" : AS I

88. Kodak prefix : INSTA. Instant?

89. Get a whiff of this : ODOR

90. Actors without lines : MIMEs

94. Civil Rights Memorial architect : LIN (Maya). Lin is a quite popular surname in China, meaning "forest".

96. The Concert for Bangladesh instrument : SITAR. I know Ravi Shankar was involved.

99. Antique auto : REO

101. Color on a Florida Marlins uniform : TEAL. C'est vrai.

102. Spy : AGENT

108. Got free, in a way : MOOCHED

111. Nutmeg spice : MACE

112. Trans-Canada Hwy. rate : KPH. Kilometers/Kilometres per hour.

113. Conducted : LED

114. '80s sitcom puppet : ALF

115. Avoid a reception : ELOPE. Wedding reception.

118. Staked shelter : TENT

120. "Don't play" symbol : REST

122. Dandy guy? : JIM. Jim Dandy.

128. Reproductive cells : OVA

129. Tout de suite : AT ONCE. Would be nice to see TOUT DE SUITE as an answer someday.

130. Psychology __ : TODAY. Unaware of this magazine. Maybe Lois reads.

131. Le Havre lady friend : AMIE

132. Cartoon Chihuahua : REN

133. Emphatic acceptance : YES, YES

134. Hitches : SNAGs

135. Get loud : YELL

Down:

1. Dot-com start-up? : WWW

2. Hot tub reaction : AAH

3. Benny Goodman is credited with starting it : SWING ERA. My favorite fill today.

4. Trooper lead-in : PARA. Paratrooper.

5. Rural storage area : HAYLOFT

6. __ weaver: spider : ORB

7. Next in line : HEIR

8. Like green peppers : UNRIPE. Tricky clue.

9. Arrived : MADE IT

10. Jazz genre : BOP

11. Mimicked : APED

12. Hubs : LOCI

13. Singer Lopez : TRINI. Learned from doing Xword.

14. Give __: try : IT A GO. Two partials in this grid. Not bad.

15. Mayflower passenger : COLONIST

17. Price-fixing group : CARTEL

18. Slings mud at : SMEARS

24. Overachieving Simpson : LISA

25. Wolf (down) : SNARF

31. Deicing may delay them: Abbr. : ETDs

32. Grub : CHOW

34. Folder for Mulder : X-FILE. Fox Mulder. Nice rhyme.

36. Lust ending : FUL. Lustful.

38. Short agreement : I DO

40. Battle scar : WAR WOUND. Thought of the Marlboro marine.

41. Car dealer's offer : LEASE

42. Low wind : TUBA. Wind instrument.

43. Spiral: Pref. : HELIC

48. Former Seattle NBAer : SONIC

51. "Death in Venice" author : MANN (Thomas)

53. None-for-the-road gp.? : MADD. No alcohol!

54. Swamp : ENGULF

56. Sharp : ASTUTE

58. Be in the front row in a team photo, say : KNEEL. Vivid image.

59. Trap : SNARE

61. "Annie Hall" Oscar winner : KEATON (Diane). Hence sometimes we see "Hall of fame" for ANNIE.

62. Unveiling : DEBUT

63. Hitchcock classic : PSYCHO

64. One paying the least : FAVORITE

65. Cub Scout leader : AKELA

66. Troglodyte homes : CAVEs. Did not know the meaning of "troglodyte".

72. "The Sneetches" author : SEUSS

74. Not greenery-friendly : ARID

76. Drift : ROAM

79. Place with dusty keepsakes : ATTIC. Where's the shoebox with old baseball cards?

81. Vast, in odes : ENORM

85. Colorful words : OATH

86. Unleash, as havoc : WREAK

88. Like obstacles : IN THE WAY

91. Periodic table period? : MEALTIME. Not chemical.

92. A downspout may begin under one : EAVE

93. Husky's burden : SLED

95. Part of many bus. names : INC

97. One of a swinging pair? : ARM. Another devious clue!

98. Calf catcher : RIATA

100. Hawks once threatened by DDT : OSPREYs. Unaware of this trivia.

102. Key of Beethoven's "Kreutzer Sonata" : A MAJOR. Music is always my blind spot.

103. Cut to a roving reporter : GO LIVE. I like this entry too.

105. Bloodhound pickups : SCENTS

106. Muscle/bone connection : TENDON

107. Pique : WHET. Any tip on how to pick a good avocado at grocery store?

109. Thrill : ELATE

110. Bygone birds : DODOs. Hey, Dodo!

116. Like some air fresheners : PINY

117. Differ finish : ENCE. Difference.

119. "All finished!" : TADA

121. "Don't move a muzzle!" : STAY

124. Some light bulbs : GEs. GE's stock performance has been dismal.

125. Sack : BAG

126. Not a bit : NIL

127. Shaver's option : GEL

Answer grid.

Saturday, June 11th, 2011 Doug Peterson & Barry Silk

Five Spanner Saturday

An intimidating, but do-able Saturday grid from one of my "regulars" in a duo with another constructor whom I've seen before - Doug's "Run" puzzle from May 10th with Angela Olson Halsted.  Today we have three spanners, and two climbers;

34A. Copyright, e.g. : INTANGIBLE ASSET

38A. "Right on!" : NOW YOU'RE TALKING

39A. It can help you carry a tune : TRANSISTOR RADIO

5D. Song sung by Pinocchio : I'VE GOT NO STRINGS

10D. Lab synthesis substance : CHEMICAL REAGENT

Very blank grid to start, wondered if I had any chance at all ~!

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 36

ACROSS:  ( I actually started with the DOWNS )

1. Chia Pet, perhaps : GAG GIFT - CH- CH- CH- CHia ~! - never had one, but I think it's a cool gift, tho

8. "That's too close!" : BACK OFF

15. Stop flowing, in a way : ICE OVER - good misdirection; I was thinking clot

16. Daughter of Polonius : OPHELIA - From Shakespeare's Hamlet - not that I know any line from her

17. Drawing room? : GALLERY - First thought was Drafting Studio, but, uh, it wouldn't fit

18. Foil : PREVENT

19. Security item : I.D. TAG

20. Fancy wraps : MINKS

21. Handles abroad : NOMS - names, in French; handles, as in CB radio 'nicknames'

24. Key : MAIN

26. Non-coml. interruption : PSA - Public Service Announcement; I still zip through on the DVR

29. Body image, briefly : TAT - D'oh~! I had MRI, CAT, PET...TATtoo, body art

30. __ lamp : ARC - Thought I was sharp with OIL here

31. American leader? : ALL - ALL-American, like Bob Hope used to 'host' when I was a kid

40. Anthem elision : O'ER - "over the ramparts we watched" does sound a bit strained

41. "__ Calling": 2003-'05 supernatural drama : TRU - don't remember this show; two seasons on Fox

42. Will's "Glee" adversary : SUE - I do not watch this show

43. Bill holder: Abbr. : ENV - ENVelop(e), depending on where you are, I guess

44. Word in some school names : PREP - I figured this was going to be some Latin, like "Omni"

45. Quaint interjection : EGAD

47. "Romeo Must Die" star : JET LI

50. Power systems : GRIDS

54. Shake up : UNHINGE - Love this line from "Addams Family"

57. Curse : SWEAR AT

59. Deceiving : LYING TO

60. Conservative commentator who wrote "Let Freedom Ring" : HANNITY - I so do not buy into any of these "all news, all day" programs; truly, just talking heads.  Sean Hannity, another Fox TV show

61. Jerks, as a bell rope : YANKS ON - hey now, down in front....

62. Wind in a combo : ALTO-SAX - Isn't this Bill's instrument? (the other one...)

DOWN:

1. 1958 film with the song "The Parisians" : GIGI

2. Sch. : ACAD - ACADemy

3. Yiddish dough : GELT - got this from the clue last week - one of the few answers I had to start

4. __ Heights: disputed Mideast territory : GOLAN - took a moment for me to remember; had GAZA on the brain, and that's the strip, not the geography

6. Tableau Périodique #26 : FER - FER-ench for IRON, on the Periodic Table - actually, I like this better than "not agin"

7. Effort : TRY

8. Dizzy music? : BOP - Be-bop, from Dizzy Gillespie, and probably a shout-out to our own Jazzbumpa ~!

9. Loan letters : APR - you can tell my state of mind - I had IOU to start....

11. Bacon from Philadelphia : KEVIN - first answer I got, then wondered if it was Roger

12. Author Robert __ Butler : OLEN - Prize winner

13. Rat : FINK

14. Nuts are rich in them : FATS - this is where i got my first toe-hold, and finished the NE corner, inspired me to carry on

22. 1996 Cruise title role : MAGUIRE - Also from '96 was Ethan Hunt, Mission Impossible, but it didn't fit; SAMURAI did, but that was from "The Last Samurai", 2003

23. Provokes : STIRS UP

24. Brewery sugar : MALTOSE - so it actually helped that I brewed my own beer in college - and man, that stuff was strong ~!

25. Decorator's suggestion : AREA RUG - was on the wavelength, tried ART _ _ to start

26. Mottled horse : PINTO - since ARAB and ROAN wouldn't stretch - maybe an AROAN?

27. "Boring" : SNORE - "Snore ~!" - I had ENNUI to start

28. Not just squabbling : AT WAR

31. Out of the way : ASIDE

32. Red head : LENIN - I had HENNA here, but knew it was a lead-in to "red", as in communist Russia, and ask me about my "Vladimir" story....

33. Statehouse official: Abbr. : LT. GOV - Lieutenant Governor, like here in NY -David Paterson rose to the first seat after Elliot Spitzer wound up in the hot seat....

35. First name in objectivism : AYN - AYN Rand, of the "Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" books - nailed it.

36. It's made by one who doesn't go out : BET - not sure I get this

37. Jamaican genre : SKA - since REGGAE didn't fit

44. Xylophone sound : PLINK - when the answer's blank, a Xylophone can make a whole lot of sounds

46. Liquid lye brand : DRANO

47. Pioneer Day month, in Utah : JULY - only two choices, right?  June, and July - I guessed wrong

48. "Watermark" musician : ENYA - got it

49. Watery : THIN

51. Romance novelist Johansen : IRIS

52. Excel fodder : DATA - Excel, the Microsoft application software for compiling information into a spreadsheet

53. Netherworld flower : STYX - well, I seriously doubt there are fl-OW-ers in Hell.... Flow-ers = Things that flow.

55. Song from the same era as "Little Deuce Coupe" : GTO - the Beach Boys with "Little Deuce Coupe", and this number, from the days of my youth

56. Quite a stretch : EON - well, it's not "ages", right?

57. Oldie syllable : SHA - as in SHA-NA-NA

58. Retail store opening? : WAL - Wal-mart, the super chain - I don't shop there - I won't go near the place....

Answer grid.

Thanks, and we'll see you next week - Same Spy Time, same Spy Channel

Splynter

Friday, June 10, 2011, Marti Duguay-Carpenter

Theme: PUNish us Marti! Wow, an old fashioned punfest from another of our resident creative corner. The first word of each four common phrases is morphed into a  side-splitting sound-alike synonym of "story". What a joy to be here for this one:

20A. Mount Olympus and environs?: MYTH UNIVERSE. MISS UNIVERSE.

34A. Thinking like Aesop?: FABLE MINDED. FEEBLE MINDED. Are you talking about me?

40A. One majoring in traditional knowledge?: LORE STUDENT. LAW STUDENT.

54A. Quills for Chaucer?: TALE FEATHERS. TAIL FEATHERS. 

Very straight forward and amusing theme, in the Dan Naddor tradition, wrapped in a puzzle with many of the same delights as a DN. Marti has captured the multi-word  misdirection. Lemonade, now ready to lead the parade to the promised land of answers.

Across:

1. Small amount: DRIB. Well okay, a little drab but we have to start somewhere.

5. Otherwise: ELSE. Well, it could be somewhere else, but we are rolling now.

9. Rare score note: C FLAT. I will leave this to our resident music man JzB to explains C FLAT B Natural, or any other questions you all may have.

14. Spanish actress Chaplin (Charlie's granddaughter): OONA. really Marti, OONa O'Neill, Charlie's wife is not obscure enough for you you had to go for the GRAND DAUGHTER ? Well, she is cuter, and was in Quantum of Solace.

15. Songdom showgirl: LOLA. At the Copa, and Barry Manilow's house.

16. French garlic sauce: AIOLI. I see another trend here of ridiculous words with almost only vowels, and I do like my garlic sauces garlicky. Right GG?

17. Sauvignon __: GRIS. Ah, I see a mini theme here and more about our constructor, because we also have 6D. California's self-proclaimed "Zinfandel Capital of the World": LODI. GRIS means grey in both French and Spanish (French lesson of the day) and the not Blanc Sauvignon is rare, and is pinkish like many Zins.

18. Some govt. lawyers: A DAS. See what I mean about words that hard to parse,  like Naddor, assistant district attorneys (yes another attorney clue).

19. They don't mix with just anybody: SNOBS. I am so glad.

23. Court statistic: ASSIST. She fooled you here, not court of law, but basketball court, go HEAT!

24. Get ready for a competition, bodybuilder-style: OIL UP. You ladies would not want see THAT.

27. Eighth-century Japanese capital: NARA. This was the capital from 710 to 784, and is now part of the Kansai region in southern Japan.

29. Met: RAN INTO. Another double word.

31. Levels: KOS. Knocks Out. Not to be confused with 3D. Some OKs: INITS. Some are initials and some are abbreviations,

36. Simple step: A TO B. or a similar trick, 30D. Eat to excess: OD ON. Overdose on and another weird letter string, or 44D. Exactly: TO A T.

38. Nuke: ZAP. Have you ever microwaved a Moon Pie? Seen that movie?

39. First name in architecture: EERO. Mr. Saarinen, and more vowels. 57D. City north of Pittsburgh: ERIE. I wonder if Mr. Saarinen ever lived there.

45. Howard of Hollywood: RON. Our little Opie all grew up and making movies, with a few Happy Days on the way.

46. It may be tapped: BEER KEG. When my son says he tapped that, I do not have to get nervous because he is pointing at a Keg.

47. Sainted pope called "the Great": LEO I. I had this guy last Friday, so you know where to go to get more information.

49. Escargot: SNAIL. For anyone out there who did not know this fact, and has eaten and enjoyed escargot, I am sorry to disillusion you.

50. Sinus-clearing condiment: WASABI. This Japanese favorite is a relative of horseradish, cabbage and mustard.

58. Up and about: ASTIR. Oh, Marti, ans A-word.

61. Early Macy's Day Parade balloon designer: SARG. A really fine Friday clue, this PUPPETEER was a mentor to Bil Baird, who was popular when I was growing up.

62. Highchair component: TRAY. Simple, but true.

63. One of the Allman Brothers: DUANE. He like so many other musicians died too young, and was the inspiration for the southern rock movement, GREGG, his younger brother married Cher for a week or so.

64. "Grand" or "demi" ballet move: PLIE. Did you all spot any of this knee bending move (PLIER is to bend in French, lesson 2) in this MOVIE ?

65. Auxiliary: AIDE. Very popular at hospitals.

66. Game with blocks: JENGA. I have never played this game of careful building and un building.

67. Card, e.g.: NLER (National Leaguer). Very tricky, a St. Louis Cardinal, like Albert Pujols.

68. Break: REST.

How thoughtful of Marti to give us a pause before we start

Down:

1. Matter of faith: DOGMA. My favorite interpretation of this CONCEPT .

2. Golfer Sabbatini and actor Calhoun: RORYS. What an odd couple, an ill-tempered South African golfer and a handsome western actor from the 50s, who began his life robbing jewelry stores, and spent time in San Quentin.  We could have gone all golf with RORY McIlroy, since RORY is Gaelic for Red King.

4. Knock down during a raid: BASH IN. Elliot Ness was famous for that maneuver.

5. Hyundai sedan: ELANTRA.

7. Pole, for one: SLAV. Polish women are beautiful, but they are only part of this diverse ETHNO-CULTURAL group.

8. Facility: EASE. Not a place to stay, but a way to do it.

9. Kennedy designer: CASSINI. Oleg designed most of Jackie's wardrobe.

10. Small distinction: FINE LINE. I really like this tricky little fill.

11. Where to go in London?: LOO. Or WC, just not on a bobby's foot.

12. Eastern N.Y. airport: ALB. Albany.

13. "Angela's Ashes" sequel: 'TIS. Frank McCourt's autobiographical follow up.

21. Govt. jet set?: USAF. United States Air Force, nice clue and fill, the Govt. tells you it will be an abbreviation, the rest is nicely visual.

22. Go nowhere special: ROAM. Like the deer and the antelope and the jackalopes.

25. Fail, after "go": UNDER. Many businesses have suffered this fate in the last 6 years.

26. Wing: Prefix: PTERO. Our friend the flying dinosaur, the pterodactyl, for example. How many believe all dinosaurs were birds, even T-Rex? Who doesn't love a word with PT starting.

28. '70s congresswoman known as "Battling Bella": ABZUG. A wonderful woman who loved her HATS.

29. Ward off: REPEL. Yes, wear garlic and no vampires will be biting on you.

31. De__, Illinois: KALB. Named after a German national who died helping fight the Brits during the revolution, Also a county in Georgia.

32. Chiwere speakers: OTOES. Marti loves them vowels, and once again we have TOES in our puzzle, this time of the O nature. All perps for me, but I will try and remember for next time.

33. Philosopher Kierkegaard: SOREN. A very influential THINKER who discoursed on many subjects, and is considered the father of existentialism.

35. Boy: LAD. After our earlier debates, I have no comment.

37. Dressing down: BERATING. Yes, my father liked to give us a dressing down, but he would forget the "R."

41. Mountain destination: SKI AREA. Yes, just back from European skiing, she said.

42. Spill: TELL. 56D. Spill : FALL.  Clecho alert!

43. Yanni fan, maybe: NEW AGER. DEAF GUY also fits.

48. 1987 Beatty/Hoffman flop: ISHTAR. Has anyone seen it? All of it?

51. Isolated nest: AERIE. Crosswordese.

52. Finishing nails: BRADS. Not your finger ones.

53. "The best __ to be": Browning :  IS YET. Considering our average age, Robert Browning said it for us, "Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made."

55. Jazz venue?: ESPN. Oh, our sports fan has deceived with the Utah Jazz NBA team. Go HEAT!.

58. Trans. or intrans.: ADJ. The absolute hardest fill for me as I know these terms only with verbs not adjectives, but as always I am WRONG .

59. Go after, in a way: SUE. Enough lawyer jokes, already.

60. Avoid burning, perhaps: TAN. On that note, your very TAN humble servant has once again finished his mission, having had a great ride through the mind of our dear HeartRx, who put a perfect book end on a week with JL CC and Hard G, next time you need to get your name in grid Ms. D-C. (Are you related to the comic books?)

Answer grid.

Lemonade

Note from Marti (a ski bum, hence the great entry SKI AREA)

The "seed" entry for this puzzle was MYTH INFORMATION. But, I had to scrap that one in order to get better fill. I will never give up good fill for a theme entry, and am always willing to re-work a grid several times before I am satisfied that it will meet with The Corner's approval! I think MYTH UNIVERSE fills the bill in this case, though. I originally had  LORE CLASSES ("lower classes") and TALE FORTUNES ("Tell fortunes"), neither of which is really "in the lingo". So, this is the final product that I came up with, along with Rich's brilliant (devious?) editing of the clues, which make it a Friday-friendly (?) offering.  I hope it gave you all a challenge!

Thursday, June 9, 2011, James Sajdak

Theme: End for end. Suffixes are swapped between the two words of the answers to wackily change their meanings.

20A. Choir members during the sermon?: SINGERS WAITING. Singing waiters. Restaurant gimmick.

24A. Grocery employee dealing with a shortage of shelf space?: STOCKER STUFFING. Stocking Stuffer. Christmas.

47A. Top sellers sealing the deal?: CLOSERS PITCHING. Closing pitchers. Baseball.

53A. News hound's sign-off?: ROVER REPORTING. Roving reporter.

Hi all, Al (mostly) here again.  A pretty solid Thursday puzzle overall, I liked seeing SNORKEL and some of the clever clues.  Not much else jumped out and grabbed me, but I could just be sleepy yet.  On with the analysis then...

ACROSS:.

1. Sieben und eins: ACHT. German: seven and one macht eight.

5. Roe source: SHAD. Caviar.

9. Finish the doughnuts?: GLAZE. Wisconsin is down to one remaining Krispy Kreme. That wave sure peaked and receded quickly.

14. New York restaurateur: SHOR. Toots. Apparently a big deal with celebs. Anyone not from NY ever heard of him?

15. Not, some time back: NARY. Shortening of "never a".

16. "The Kiss" sculptor: RODIN. A depiction of illicit love taken from Dante's Inferno.

17. Certain conic sections: PARABOLAS.

19. Gladiator's milieu: ARENA.  From Latin harena "place of combat," originally "sand, sandy place"  The central stages of Roman amphitheaters were strewn with sand to soak up the blood.

22. Reaction to one who's revolting: ICK.  That's sick.

23. Palais denizen: ROI. French: palace, king.

33. Neighbor of Arg.: URU. Argentina, Uruguay.

34. Evoke gaiety with gags at a gig: SLAY. Overwhelm.

35. He shared the peace prize with Shimon and Yitzhak: YASIR. Peres, Rabin, Arafat, 1994, the Oslo Accords.

36. "Do the __": MATH. An alternate idiom for "It doesn't add up"

38. Male sovereigns' address: SIRES. From Latin "senior" for elder.

41. Polynesian pendant: TIKI. Carved image of the creator-ancestor of Maoris and Polynesians.

42. Lent a hand: AIDED.

44. __ Jackson, Fonda title role: ULEE. I only got this because of how often it appears with Fonda's name in these crosswords.

46. One of the 10 lowest digits?: TOE. This one shouldn't have tricked me, but it did. Looking at too many numbers lately.

51. Monodrama about Capote: TRU.

52. Toy magnate __ Schwarz: FAO. Frederick August Otto Schwartz.

61. Anglo-__: SAXON.

62. Road safety feature: GUARDRAIL.

63. Throw out: EJECT. Literally in Latin: Ex- prefix(out) jacere (to throw).

64. Once, once: ERST. Earliest.

65. Make eyes at: OGLE. Low German oglen from oege, meaning eye.

66. Indian noble: RANEE.

67. "He __ not sleep": Shelley: DOTH. Adonaïs: An Elegy on the Death of John Keats.

68. Pill bottle instruction: DOSE.

DOWN:.

1. Some cobras: ASPS.

2. Spiced tea: CHAI.

3. Cape __: HORN. Chile. Not quite the lowest tip of South America, named for the city of Hoorn in the Netherlands.

4. Disastrous: TRAGIC. Tragedy is apparently literally "goat song," from tragos "goat" + oide "song." The connection may be via satyric drama, from which tragedy later developed, in which actors or singers were dressed in goatskins to represent satyrs.

5. Reef exploration gear: SNORKELS. From German navy slang Schnorchel "nose, snout," related to schnarchen "to snore". So called from its resemblance to a nose and its noise when in use.

6. Dutchman who painted "Gypsy Girl": HALS. Cleavage...

7. Got __ deal: A RAW.

8. "L.A. Law" actor: DYSART. Richard. I didn't recognize any characters even after I saw all the pictures...

9. Please: GRATIFY.

10. Actress Loughlin: LORI. I did recognize "Jessie's Girl" though.

11. Yemeni port: ADEN. Today's geography lesson.

 

12. Sock it to: ZING. "High pitched sound," of echoic origin.

13. Faline's mother, in Salten's "Bambi": ENA.

18. Bremen brew: BECKS. Imported bier aus Deutchland.

21. Pot marker: IOU.  Big Julie: "IOU one thousand --signed X."  Nathan Detroit: "How is it you can write one thousand, but not your name?"  Big Julie: "I was good in arithmetic, but I stunk in English."

24. Poison __: SUMAC. Three of a kind.

25. Hiker's route: TRAIL.

26. Best: OUTDO.

27. Heyerdahl craft: RA I. A papyrus craft that broke apart, but RA II made of Totora reeds survived his journey and proved that ancient mariners could have crossed the Atlantic using the Canary Current.

28. Corn product: SYRUP.

29. Budgetary waste: FAT. Oh how conceptions change over time starting with one flawed study by Ancel Keys... fat used to mean the "best or most rewarding" part.

30. Last Supper question: IS IT I. Mark 14:18-21 The passage about betrayal.

31. Maker of Coolpix cameras: NIKON.

32. "Peer Gynt Suite" composer: GRIEG.  In the Hall of the Mountain King.

37. Boys and men: HES.

39. Lilly of pharmaceuticals: ELI.

40. Outline, as a plan: SET FORTH.

43. International thaw: DETENTE. Related to the catch on a crossbow you use to relax the string, or the detent catch used to regulate a clock's action.

45. Convenient greeting: E-CARD. When you don't care enough to send the very best.

48. Sch. basics: RRR. The three "R"s. Spelling must not have been emphasized.

49. Progressed in waves: SURGED.

50. Dragster's wheels: HOT ROD.

53. Indian noble: RAJA.

54. Paddy team: OXEN.

55. Viva __: VOCE. Literally "with living voice" but usually translated as "by word of mouth".

56. Cannes cash: EURO.

57. Tense time?: PAST.

58. Emilia's husband: IAGO. The villain who thought Othello was sleeping with his wife.

59. Lofgren of the E Street Band: NILS.

60. TV show about a high school choir: GLEE.

61. Rev.'s speech: SERmon

Answer Grid.

Al

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to our always cheerful and caring Annette!