Wedesday, June 15, 2011 Jennifer Nutt

Theme: oh, bother. the first word of each theme phrase is a synonym for predicament.

17A. *Aid for loose-leaf filing : HOLE PUNCHER

10D. *Pay for a verdict : FIX THE JURY

14D. *Random sample : SPOT CHECK

29D. *Improvisational gig : JAM SESSION

32D. *Deli container : PICKLE JAR

61A. Trouble at the starts of the answers to starred clues : PREDICAMENT

melissa here. right up my alley today. what else? problem, mess, trouble, quandary, dilemma. and a few other unmentionables. pretty straightforward theme, but fun when the theme answers are both across and down.

Across

1. Highlands miss : LASS

5. Soup and a sandwich, sometimes : LUNCH. bill g., what's on the menu today?

10. "The dog ate my homework," e.g. : FIB. my first thought was 'excuse.'

13. Issues : EMITS. tricky.

15. Opener : INTRO

16. Hosp. area : ICU. intensive care unit.

19. '90s collegian, probably : X-ER

20. Chemistry subject : ISOTOPE. dr. dad?

21. Actor Matthau : WALTER. HIGH-larious.

23. Certain two-seater : TANDEM. '...but you'd look sweet, upon the seat ..'

26. Quite : OH SO

27. Goal : OBJECT

31. Go by : ELAPSE. time.

33. Refuse : TRASH. sneaky, noun - not verb.

34. Done, in Dordogne : FINI. french.

35. Piece of work : JOB. nice.

38. Former Fiesta Bowl site : TEMPE. arizona.

39. Geese flight formation : VEE. as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. i can think of another reason, too.

40. Unrefined : CRUDE. but no one here, of course.

42. Hosp. areas : ORS. operating rooms.

43. Highlands family : CLAN

45. Popular Japanese beer : KIRIN

46. American realist who painted "The Gross Clinic" (1875) : EAKINS. i had no idea. the painting depicts physician samuel david gross overseeing a surgery and lecturing to a class of medical students.

48. Was overly sweet : CLOYED. echh.

49. Bridge call : PASS

51. Sprout incisors : TEETHE.

53. Apartment dweller, often : LESSEE

55. Commits piracy, in a way : HIJACKS

60. Former press secretary Fleischer : ARI. thought of this ari.

64. __ Pepe: sherry brand : TIO

65. Consumer : EATER

66. He's got the life : RILEY. the life of riley.

67. Egg producer : HEN

68. Serengeti grazer : ELAND

69. Like variable work time : FLEX. flex-time.

Down

1. Mormon prophet, or the Utah city named for him : LEHI. not up on my mormon prophets.

2. Israeli writer Oz : AMOS. or my israeli writers. he is also a professor of literature at ben-gurion university in ve'er sheva. my favorite amos.

3. Missile housing : SILO. scroll down this page for pics.

4. "Let it stand" : STET

5. Summer suit material : LINEN

6. Auntie's mate : UNC

7. Utmost degree : NTH

8. Sailor : CREWMAN

9. Dance involving a chair, perhaps : HORA. tradition.

11. Frozen sodas : ICEES. never really thought of it as a frozen soda.

12. Sancho Panza's mount : BURRO and clecho 47. Biblical mount : ASS

18. __ the crack of dawn : UP AT. or if you're a teen, the crack of noon.

22. Spanish article : LOS

24. Moat purpose : DEFENSE

25. Writer Wiesel : ELIE. jewish-american writer, professor, political activist, nobel laureate and holocaust survivor.

27. "Beetle Bailey" dog : OTTO. relied on perps, did not remember his name.

28. Uncle Remus title : BRER

30. Psychic power : ESP. extra sensory perception.

36. "Garfield" dog : ODIE. big tongued dog.

37. Road turn : BEND

39. Roof spinner : VANE

41. Brazil's capital until 1960 : RIO

44. Word-for-word : LITERAL

48. À la mode : CHIC

49. "The Bell Jar" author : PLATH. sylvia.

50. Eagle's home : AERIE

52. Wade Boggs's base : THIRD

54. Fencing blade : EPEE

56. "I __ you are": "Ready?" answer : AM IF

57. An amoeba has one : CELL. cute.

58. Patella's place : KNEE

59. Charon's river : STYX. mythology.

62. Part of a pilot's announcement, briefly : ETA. estimated time of arrival.

63. TV room : DEN. a little dated ... anymore, this could be any room.

Answer grid.


melissa

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