Monday, June 20, 2011 Kelly Clark

Theme: Blunt-force Trauma - (Non Sequitur comic) I counted four synonyms surrounding a fifth in the middle of the squared ring. The unifier is standing alone in the NW corner and an extra standing in the SW corner.

1A. "Yipe!" (or an apt title for this puzzle?) : "OUCH!". The unifier.

The protagonists:

17A. It's roughly between a batter's chest and knees : STRIKE ZONE

39A. Maynard G. Krebs of old TV, notably : BEATNIK

64A. Begin traveling : HIT THE ROAD

11D. Whence fruity drinks are ladled : PUNCH BOWL

34D. Pie-throwing comedy : SLAP STICK

and

58D. Animal hide : PELT. The extra.

Argyle here. Somewhat unusual Monday. Our first puzzle from Kelly but by no means her first puzzle. Read here. She constructed one ACPT tournament puzzle this year.  I was struck by the imagery and the lack of abbreviations and yet still a doable Monday.

Across:

5. San Antonio shrine : ALAMO

10. "__, sesame!" : OPEN

14. Skin cream ingredient : ALOE

15. Popular plastic wrap : SARAN

16. Without a stitch on : NUDE

19. Terminates : ENDS

20. Ryan who played Granny on "The Beverly Hillbillies" : IRENE. Image.

21. Cornerstone abbr. : ESTD. Established.

22. "Shoo!" : "SCAT!"

23. Polynesian wrap : SARONG. Tutorial.

25. Quarter half : EIGHTH

27. Puts to work : USES

29. Within view : SEEABLE

32. Put in the "circular file" : TOSS

35. Recent: Pref. : NEO

37. Sing soothingly : CROON

38. Actor Holbrook : HAL. Image.

42. "Ease on Down the Road" musical, with "The" : WIZ. Clip(2:39).

43. Self-mover's rental : U-HAUL

45. 2,000 pounds : TON

46. __-ran: loser : ALSO

47. Visible means of __ : SUPPORT

50. Pesky little biter : GNAT

52. Mad magazine specialty : SATIRE

54. Play in the pool : SPLASH

58. Brad of "Ocean's Thirteen" : PITT. Image.

60. Attorney's matter : CASE

62. Expensive fur : SABLE

63. Arab ruler : EMIR

66. Doily material : LACE

67. Like neon and xenon : INERT

68. Crisscross pattern : GRID

69. Toddler : TYKE

70. Slalom curves : ESSES

71. Europe's highest active volcano : ETNA. Image.

Down:

1. Desert refuge : OASIS

2. Extreme : ULTRA

3. Gadget to remove apple centers : CORER

4. Abominable, as a crime : HEINOUS

5. Enzyme suffix : ASE

6. Stretch out in the recliner, say : LAZE. "Ahhh!"

7. Stood up : AROSE

8. "Praying" insect : MANTIS. No image.

9. Tense : ON EDGE

10. Poor movie rating : ONE STAR

12. Old Norse poetry collection : EDDA

13. Bird's home : NEST

18. Barbie counterparts : KENS

24. Kelly of song and dance : GENE. Does our constructor like to get her name into the puzzle? I wonder.

26. "What the __!" : HECK

28. Dead __ Scrolls : SEA. A collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 at Khirbet Qumran on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea from which it derives its name.

30. Superman's Lane : LOIS

31. Automaker Ferrari : ENZO. Fast lane.

32. Therefore : THUS

33. Pearl Harbor's island : OAHU

36. Giant Mel of Cooperstown : OTT

39. Sponge up : BLOT

40. Yuletide cupful : NOG

41. Travelers' havens : INNS

44. Like a cornered cat : UP A TREE

46. Not yet captured : AT LARGE

48. "Hello" singer Lionel : RICHIE. Clip(4:04).

49. Lionels under the tree : TRAINS. Cute connection.

51. Church recess : APSE

53. __ Park, Colorado : ESTES

55. Scrub the launch : ABORT

56. Done in, as a dragon : SLAIN

57. Hopper of old gossip columns : HEDDA. Trivia: She had one child, actor William Hopper, best known for playing Paul Drake in the Perry Mason series.

59. "If __ make a suggestion ..." : I MAY

61. To be, in Bordeaux : ÊTRE. French.

65. Elevs. : HTS. Elevations/Heights.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday June 19, 2011 Pamela Amick Klawitter

Theme: Broadway Showstoppers - The last word in each theme entry is a well-known one-word Broadway show.

23A. Airport pickup spot : BAGGAGE CAROUSEL. The conveyor belt in baggage claim area. "Carousel".

39A. Norman landmark : UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA. "Oklahoma!". Hi, Lois!

56A. Troublemaker's credo? : NO REST FOR THE WICKED. "Wicked". My favorite entry.

82A. One might prompt a curtain call : BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE. "Applause". Unknown to me.

99A. Fleeting celebrity : FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME. "Fame".

120A. Relax : LET DOWN ONE'S HAIR. "Hair".

C.C. here. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers who read this blog.

When I first read the puzzle title, I was worried that each theme entry might be a truncated Broadway show, you know, the names just stop suddenly, like our absurd Thursday puzzle. Was hugely relieved when I nailed the third entry and grokked the gimmick.

We often see 7-9 theme entries on Sunday. This grid only has 6,  mainly because all the answers are very long. Hard to negotiate the maze and build a clean grid.

Across:

1. Cotton-picking handful : BOLL

5. Like pro football players : MALE

9. Libreville is its capital : GABON. I know capitals of all Asian countries. Not African.

14. Seasonal crew? : ELVES. For Darling Santa.

19. Moises of baseball : ALOU

20. One often thickens on stage : PLOT. Nice clue.

21. Word with soap : OPERA. Soap opera.

22. Corporate reward : RAISE. Salary.

26. Ballet __ : RUSSE. So the plural is Ballets Russes?

27. "__ and his money ..." : A FOOL

28. Toledo toast : SALUD. French is SALUT.

29. Certain Honshu resident : OSAKAN

31. __ Sauer: handgun : SIG. Not familiar to me.

33. Library ID : ISBN

35. Urges : ITCHES

46. Prop- suffix : ANE

47. Captain Hook's last words are its motto : ETON. What's their motto?

48. Gives an earful : YELLS AT

49. Frat characters? : PSIs. This clue often stumps me.

50. Some HDTVs : RCAs

52. Sunscreen additive : ALOE

54. Alas., once : TERR (Territory). Alas! I did not notice the . at first.

55. Iona College athletes : GAELS

61. British miler Steve : OVETT. Total stranger.

62. One in a pool : STENO.  Office pool.

63. Trendy tea : CHAI. Spiced tea.

64. Some NFL linemen : RTs

67. Class unit : LESSON

69. Assistants and such : STAFF

72. Like a wake : ASTERN. Wave wake.

74. 2000 Gere title role : DR T

75. It may be fenced : LOOT. Not yard fence.

78. Mrs. Gorbachev : RAISA

81. Relative of -ish : ESQUE. As in Rubenesque vs. zaftig.

86. Dressing target : SALAD

89. "Let __!" : IT GO

90. Inventor Sikorsky : IGOR

91. Cheese holder : RITZ

92. Nutmeg covering : ARIL. Classic crosswordese.

93. Like most sandals : TOELESS

96. Fictional futuristic race : ELOI. "The Time Machine" race.

98. Big foot letters : EEE

103. Some kitchens : EAT-INS

104. Gossip : DIRT

105. Moral slip : SIN. Forgive me, Father, for I slipped.

106. Cellist awarded a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1989 : CASALS (Pablo)

110. Second-deepest U.S. lake : TAHOE

113. Convertible alternatives : T-TOPS

117. Burst of activity : SPASM

123. Come to terms : AGREE

124. Many a chat room visitor : AOLer

125. __ Center: N.J. arena : IZOD. Learned from doing Xword.

126. Italian hot spot : ETNA

127. Like some bulls : PAPAL. Papal bull. Got me.

128. Hoity-toity types : SNOBS

129. British tax : CESS

130. Voicemail accumulation: Abbr. : MSGs

Down:

1. Radner's Wawa : BABA

2. Minnesota's St. __ College : OLAF. Gimme, gimme!

3. Company symbol : LOGO

4. 1931 count portrayer : LUGOSI (Bela). Count Dracula.

5. SUV stat : MPG

6. Some draft picks : ALEs. Can't fool me again.

7. Like "la vida" in a Ricky Martin hit : LOCA. Crazy!

8. And others, to Cicero : ET ALII

9. Splitting word? : GOODBYE. Nice clue too.

10. Springfield storekeeper : APU. "The Simpsons".

11. Carlos's kiss : BESO. Remember your first kiss? How old were you?

12. Mined finds : ORES

13. "The Lion King" lioness : NALA

14. Slips : ERRATA

15. Takeoff place : LAUNCH PAD. See, only on Sundays can you have 9-letter non-theme fill.

16. Before and after "à," compared with : VIS. Vis-à-vis.

17. Safe opener? : ESS. The opening letter in Safe.

18. Have a look : SEE

24. Better way to be wanted? : ALIVE. Dead or alive. I drew a blank.

25. Needing practice : RUSTY

30. Clan attire : KILT

32. Gain access to : GET AT

34. "Peaceful Warrior" actor : NOLTE (Nick)

36. Flimflam : HOSE

37. Silents star Jannings : EMIL. First Oscar Best Actor.

38. Sign of freshness : SASS

39. Find out : UNCOVER

40. Most handy : NEAREST

41. Massages deeply : ROLFs. Stumped me last time. Again today, Melissa!

42. Hoity-toity type : SNOOT

43. Took off : FLEW

44. "Hamlet" courtier : OSRIC

45. Olympic volleyball medalist __ Kiraly : KARCH. No idea. Great shot.

46. Big name in traitors : ARNOLD (Benedict). Schwarzenegger too I suppose.

51. Match parts : SETS

53. Part of a Spanish 101 conjugation : ERES. You are.

55. Seuss, actually : GEISEL

57. Not easily excited : STOLID

58. "The Closer" channel : TNT

59. Stock and then some : HOARD

60. "The Jungle Book" python : KAA. Complete unknown to me.

64. Passing notes? : REQUIEM. Xchefwalt would have loved this clue.

65. Chairman of the board, for one : TRUSTEE

66. Blessed event? : SNEEZE

68. Fireside quaff : NOG

70. __ Schwarz: 5th Avenue toy store : FAO

71. '30s-'40s actress D'Orsay : FIFI. Man, that's old. Nope. Nope!

73. Former despot : TSAR

76. Hunter of the stars : ORION

77. Carved pole : TOTEM

79. Prudent advisers : SAGES

80. Skating gold medalist __ Anton Ohno : APOLO

82. Latvia-Sweden separator : BALTIC SEA. Another highlight of the grid.

83. Grapefruit relative : UGLI. I tried one last year. Quite sweet.

84. Eternally : NO END

85. Faculty mems. : PROFs

86. Heist target : SAFE. Dupe with earlier ESS clue.

87. La Scala highlight : ARIA

88. Garage apparatus : LIFT

93. Angel Clare's love, in an 1891 novel : TESS

94. Lochinvars : SUITORS

95. Turkey's place, in song : STRAW. What song?

97. "__ Lovin' That You Want": Rihanna hit : IF IT'S. Not a Rihanna fan.

100. Crown cover : ENAMEL

101. Like some restaurants : ETHNIC

102. Game opener : ANTHEM

107. It might precede bad news : ALAS

108. 2009-'11 CIA director Panetta : LEON. Next Secretary of Defense.

109. City of NW France : ST LO

111. Slow flow : OOZE

112. "The Dukes of Hazzard" deputy : ENOS. Slaughtered me. No idea.

114. Porridge base : OATS

115D. Ball game opener? : PING. Ping pang. (Correction: Ping Pong.)

116. Ladies of Sp. : SRAs

117. It's tapped for syrup : SAP

118. FedEx Cup org. : PGA. 8-shot lead for McIlory. The kid is good.

119. Ernst collaborator : ARP (Jean)

121. Belle of the ball : DEB. Lovely "ball" clechos.

122. People people, briefly : EDs (Editors). "People" magazine.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday, June 18, 2011 Peter A. Collins

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 28

A tough offering from one of our regular constructors - I went with the Downs first, and so I didn't nail the first grid spanner right away-

17A. Top 10 single on the 1970 album "Abraxas" : BLACK MAGIC WOMAN - Santana

...had me a grid that was predominately blank for most of the time, until I hit on

29A. They're not near the action : CHEAP SEATS

... which broke it open for me; before that, I was considering throwing in the "red-letter" towel; and the other spanner,

54A. Didn't just go : ASKED PERMISSION - a simple, yet thoughtful fill

Splynter, here with another Saturday offering for your perusal

Across:

1. Old Eurasian letters : USSR - did anyone else start with CCCP, the Cyrillic version?

5. Bean counter : NUMBERS GUY - stared at "_u_bers guy" for a long time...

15. Home of H. Rousseau's "The Sleeping Gypsy" : MOMA - TATE? had to be a museum or art gallery, I figured

16. How travelers' bags are screened : ONE AT A TIME - I have not traveled by air for 8 years, was thinking "IN AN XRAY _ _"

19. Old-style street show : RAREE - I have heard of this

20. Tub contents : BATH - I had oleo to start

21. Depend : REST - I had RELY to start

22. Affected : ARTSY

23. A, B or C, perhaps: Abbr. : ANS - thought KEY, GRADE, etc.

24. Like an alias : FALSE - I usually hear "FALSE ALIBI", not FALSE ALIAS

25. Writ word : HABEAS - we have legal experts on the blog who can step in here

27. Wane : SAG - I had EBB to start

28. 1992 gold medal-winning Dream Team coach Chuck : DALY - I don't do basketball - personally, a waste of time and good hardwood....

35. Some six-pack contents : ALE - Felt good about my "ABS" here

36. Six-pack alternative? : BEER GUT - great answer, I had BEER KEG

37. It's best if it's well-seasoned : WOK - cast iron pans, too

38. Party stipulation : NO CHILDREN - I agree

40. Gentle way to go : EASY

41. Picker-upper's concern: Abbr. : ETA - Did anyone else think "Bounty", the paper towel?

42. Shuts out, in slang : SKUNKS - Both the Bruins and Canucks got shut out twice in the Stanley Cup finals; Vancouver in game 7, at home - they just plain "STUNK" in the series.  My brother drove up to Boston for the parade

44. Takes it slow : LOLLS

47. Eastern way : TAO - getting to be a crossword standard

49. '70s toothpaste with "green sparkles" : GLEEM

51. Call, in a way : HAIL - as a cab

52. Pot user : CHEF - uh, not my first thought....

53. Language that gives us "shampoo" : HINDI

57. Very loud : STENTORIAN - A STRAIGHT UP ADJECTIVE I HAVE NEVER HEARD BEFORE - BUT TYPING IN CAPITALS TENDS TO IMPLY SHOUTING; DOES IT BOTHER YOU ????

58. Wood fastener : T-NUT - this do-dad

59. Certain tax determinant : ASSESSMENT

60. They may be first class: Abbr. : SGTS

Down:

1. Sunspot center : UMBRA - Latin for shadow; in this case, it's actually a "cool" spot on the sun's surface, relatively speaking

2. Phenomenon caused by ice crystals between the Earth and sun : SOLAR HALO - I don't think I have witnessed this; I have seen something similar, at night with the moon, so I thought "LUNAR" at first - I did have the HALO part....and two Astrological clues in a row....

3. One making cracks : SMART ALEC

4. Happens quickly : RACES BY

5. Camus, for one : NOM - see 43D - Albert Camus was "French", hence his "name" in French

6. Brazen : UNABASHED

7. Kid-lit Judy Moody series author McDonald : MEGAN - new movie coming out based on this popular character when I was a kid - but I was a boy, I didn't read about 'girls', with their cooties....

8. Entices : BAITS

9. Permanently mark : ETCH

10. Word with deal or nerves : RAW - First fill for me

11. Possible reason for folding : STORAGE

12. Letter on a dreidel : GIMEL  - I am not up on my Hebrew alphabet

13. Sch. with a Lowell campus : UMASS - so here's a map, just because there isn't much to link today

14. "Fiddler on the Roof" matchmaker : YENTE - Did consider YENTA to start

18. __ Luke of Charlie Chan films : KEYE

24. Ritual abstinence : FAST

26. Rapid Northeast train : ACELA - AMTRAK

27. Moxie : SPUNK

28. Castellaneta who voices Homer Simpson : DAN - the man who improvised "D'oh", which is now in the dictionary

30. Transpose digits, say : ERR

31. Golden, Silver, Bronze and Iron, to Ovid : AGES OF MAN - tried "precious" here

32. One may be rude : AWAKENING

33. Ejected : TOSSED OUT

34. Diving milieu : SKY - had SEA first

36. Smithereens : BITS

39. Athens native : HELLENE - Tried GRECIAN early on

40. Volunteers : ENLISTS

43. Disgusted chorus : UGHs - like seeing French in my crosswords....

44. High capital : LHASA - DENV'R didn't fit

45. Hops driers : OASTS

46. Fancies : LIKES

47. 100,000 BTU : THERM - Learning moment for me

48. John Denver album with an eagle's silhouette on the cover : AERIE - I am a HUGE fan, but this one I did not know - came out when I was 9 months old....nice alternative to "high nest"

50. Cashier's counter bowlful : MINTS - the progress was PENNY, COINS, CENTS, MINTS

52. Naval noncoms : CPOs - Chief Petty Officer

55. AA issue : DTs - Delirium Tremens, more of a medical issue - THEN they suggest you start going to meetings....trust me, I have been there, and I am still there - see "Leaving Las Vegas" for a good example

56. QB's miscue : INT-erception, that is, passing it to the other team

Answer grid. 

Splynter

Friday, June 17, 2011, Gareth Bain

THEME: Kooky Curriculum. Each of the five, in the language phrases, is reclued with the second word a synonym for the credit hours needed to procure a degree, producing a new and witty study.  We have one of the most dependable and entertaining of the stable of regular contructors giving as a nice Friday work out with very few proper names, and lots of misdirection and wit. Lemonade here to lead you through the amazing maze of words, and the five (5) theme answers including a central grid spanner.

18A. Part of an astronomy degree?: LUNAR MODULE. Some university schedules are set in groups of requirements, called modules, so there the study of the moon would be the Lunar Module, as is the LEM which took the astronauts across the moon's surface.

24A. Part of a surgery degree? CUTTING CLASS. My favorite image, as surgeons do  consider themselves cutters, and we all have cut some classes.

36A. Part of a physics degree?: COLLISION COURSE. Even here I have trouble with Physics, even though I know objects do collide, and I guess one could study that. Neils Bohr, where are you? (hmm)

47A. Part of an economics degree?: MONETARY UNIT. We all study money, one way or another.

55A. Part of a theology degree?: GRACE PERIOD. Ah, the extra time we are given to pay a bill before going default, becomes a class where we study (a) how to say a prayer before a meal? or (b) achieving a state of tranquility with divinity?

Okay on with the show...

Across

1. Tool used for loosening: HOE. Gee Gareth, we all hate not getting 1 across and this was tricky; how do you spell wrench or screwdriver in three letters? Oh, loosening the earth to plant something, it is spring.

4. What some chambers hold: AMMO. Chambers of a revolver, not bedrooms, I guess it must be Friday.

8. Put down: ABASED.

14. Calder Cup org.: AHL. The trophy at the end of the minor league hockey season of the American Hockey League, named for Frank Calder, first president of the NHL. Pretty obscure.

15. Take it easy: LOAF. Probably adapted from German landläufer ‘vagabond’, a compound of ‘land’ and läufer ‘runner.’ 

16. __ threat: performer who can sing, dance and act: TRIPLE.

17. Ergot host: RYE.  Fascinating stuff which grows in rye bread as it goes bad, creating a substance with hallucinegenic properties. If you want the history and the alleged tie to the Salem Witch trials and LSD read this LINK .

20. All of us, to Bugs: DOCS.  What's up?

22. Like Inverted Jenny stamps: RARE? Do we have any philatelists among us?

23. As it __ : WERE.

27. Reward of a kind: RAISE. In this economy not getting a pay cut is a bonus.

28. "Good move, torero!": OLE. This means bullfighter; only English speaking people call the man with the cape the Matador; in Spanish, it is Matador de Toros, the killer of the bulls.

29. Shot target: FLU. How many had the shot this winter?

32. Component of some screwdrivers, briefly: STOLI.  A Russian vodka made from wheat and rye, full name Stolinyacha, which means Capital

34. West of Brooklyn: MAE. Very tricky, not another borough, but the creator of the buxom blonde persona. 

35. Crabby  SOUR. Sourpuss is such an evocative word, and so accurate.

40. Responsibility: ONUS. Burden.

41. Gp. for GPs: HMO. Group for General Practitioners, the non-specialists.

42. Like mottoes: PITHY. Pith being the core of a plant or an idea.

43. They're often sold in blocks, for short  TIX.  Tickets.

44. Bra part: CUP. I never thought of bras having parts; I have never taken one apart.

45. Surprise, sometimes: PARTY. How many have had their birthday's sprung on them? 

51. Bit with a nucleus: ATOM.

53. Act the affectionate grandparent: DOTE.  It works with grand nephews and nieces as well, see latest avatar of little Mia.

54. High-grade cotton: PIMA.  The best sheets.

58. Code word for "N" in the old U.S. Phonetic Alphabet: NAN.

59. Rather, once: ANCHOR.  Dan, the man.

60. Security concern: MOLE. The underground spy named after the gopher like animal.

61. __ salad: EGG. You got any other three letter salads? Eel?

62. Mendel's field: BOTANY. Yes, it was with plants he studies genetic progressions.

63. Actor Morales: ESAI. He was a regular back in the old pre LA Times days, where they loved that vowel combination.

64. The car in Thurber's 1933 story "The Car We Had to Push": REO.  Again, you know any other three letter cars from 1933?

DOWN:

1. Repeated cacophonic sound?: HARD C. Not our friend Don.

2. Words to a kidder: OH YOU. Sometimes, but today I am being serious.

3. Hoover rival: ELECTROLUX.  I still remember when my mother got hers.

4. Without exception: ALL. Hmm, so simple.

5. Grieves: MOURNS. Our thoughts to all who have lost anyone, a sad part of life we all most face.

6. Conduct: MANAGE. Like a business, not a symphony and not the noun.

7. Joan __: OF ARC. My favorite French Maiden Warrior appears again.

8. Gas station convenience: ATM.  Convenience? They charge you to get money for things you pay too much for, eh!

9. Shop for books: BROWSE.  In this day and age of web browsers, it was hard to focus on this 1870s meaning.

10. White House staffers: AIDES.

11. Type of poker?: SPUR. I wanted STUD, but I guess we are referring to attachment riders use to poke their horses to get them going.

12. Model Macpherson: ELLE.  Beautiful export from Oz.

13. "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" author Brown: DEE. A very interesting perspective of the mistreatment of the indigenous tribes of the Americas, which may not be accurate, but is a major best seller.

19. Bit of kindness from a bank: RELOAN. Kindness? Really, I have been a banker and a loan is not a kindness.

21. Gate divisions, at the track: STALLS. Where they line up before, "They're off!"

25. Unusual clock number: IIII. I have actually seen this instead of IV, but why?

26. Smart __ : ALEC. Baldwin?

29. Clementine's dad, for one: FORTYNINER.

30. Verdant: LUSH.  Green, like a golf course.

31. 1934 chemistry Nobelist: UREY. Never heard of this expert on ISOTOPES who trained with puzzle favorite Neils Bohr.

32. Caber thrower: SCOT. We remain in the highland to watch this SPORT.

33. "Unbreak My Heart" singer Braxton: TONI. LISTEN .

34. Milking murmur: MOO. Always alliterative.

35. Get ready to play: SUIT UP. Baseball players?

37. Ostracize: SHUN.

38. Bar: IMPEDE.  Like impediment.

39. Down-home theater: OPRY.  Grand olde.

44. "Be serious!": COME ON.

45. Artificial turf sites: PATIOS. Does anyone still have astroturf patio?

46. Ring of color: AREOLA. Where is C.C. now that you need her with her classic link?

47. Eponymous Yemeni seaport: MOCHA. Eponymous meaning taking the name of, and Mocha being now a coffee chocolate drink, though the seaport was the home of the leading naturally flavored coffee in the 1700s.

48. Singer with the 1995 album "Velvet and Brass": TORME. 

49. JPEG file content: IMAGE. Which picture format do you prefer?

50. Suggestive dance: TANGO. Aren't all dances suggestive? Marlon Brando? Paris?

51. Pisa's river: ARNO.  No new slant on this clue.

52. Savoir-faire: TACT. Quick French lesson; SAVOIR: to KNOW, FAIRE: to DO, together to know what to do.

55. Dubious "gift": GAB. Ah, the blarney stone.

56. Wield a crowbar: PRY.

57. Agnus __: DEI. We finish with a classic crossword clue. So I will leave you with best wishes for a wonderful Father's Day week end, and an entertaining US Open golf tournament and more questions than answers.

Answer grid.

Lemonade

Thursday, June 16, 2011, Bill Ballard

Theme: Wacky (absurd) cutoffs.  The last three letters have been removed (reduced) from the last word in accordance with the first word indicating that something is incomplete.

17A. Schubert's eighth, aptly: UNFINISHED SYMPHony.

27A. Reference book, aptly: ABRIDGED DICTIONary.

48A. Burnout symptom, aptly: DIMINISHED INTERest.

65A. Logical principle that applies to 17-, 27- and 48-Across, aptly: REDUCTIO AD ABSURdum. Too long to summarize succinctly, you can read it if you wish.

Great theme, four grid-spanning 15 letter answers all with the same number of letters removed. Some of the fill was a bit rough, quite a few abbreviations to make it all work.

ACROSS:

1. Needle-nosed fish: GAR.

4. Work unit: Abbr.: FT LB. Foot Pound. Lb is an abbreviation of Latin libra, the word for pound, or balance as with a scale.

8. __ Island, Florida city near Naples: MARCO. Map.

13. Put away: ATE.

14. Dickens's Heep: URIAH. Also a 70's rock band.

16. Some fitness ctrs.: YMCAS. Young Men's Christian Association.

20. Butcher's offering: LOIN. Chart of meat cuts.

21. Besides: AT THAT. My concept of this idiom is more one of concession or appeasement to smooth over an argument... But it might be right at that.

22. Garden veggie: PEA.

23. Try to be elected: RUN.

25. Sue Grafton's "__ for Lawless": L IS.  A gimmie answer, even if you never have read her books. The first letter always gives it away.

36. It goes with boo, woo or yoo: HOO. Echoic emphasis.

37. Puppet dragon of early TV: OLLIE. Along with Kukla and Fran.

38. Dix follower: ONZE. French for ten and eleven.

39. Off-white shade: ECRU.

41. Banana oil, e.g.: ESTER. An artificial flavoring, Isoamyl acetate is released by a honey bee's sting apparatus where it serves as a pheromone beacon to attract other bees and provoke them to sting.

43. Pickup attachment: PLOW.

44. John Isner, a record 113 times, in a 2010 Wimbledon match: ACER. Un-returned tennis serves.

45. Lot units: ACRES.

47. Chemical suffix: ENE. Would it be so much to ask to add the phrase "indicating a carbon double-bond" to this clue?  At least that way it isn't just "three random letters that you need to get from the perps".

52. California's __ Gabriel Mountains: SAN. Near LA.

53. PC brain: CPU. Central Processing Unit.

54. Govt. mortgage agency: FHA. Federal Housing Administration.

57. Brute: SAVAGE. Old French sauvage, salvage "wild, savage, untamed," from Late Latin salvaticus, alteration of silvaticus "wild," lit. "of the woods," from silva "forest, grove." Related word: sylvan, diety of the woods.

61. Engels collaborator: MARX. The Communist Manifesto. It argues that class struggles, or the exploitation of one class by another, are the motivating force behind all historical developments. Class relationships are defined by an era's means of production. However, eventually these relationships cease to be compatible with the developing forces of production. At this point, a revolution occurs and a new class emerges as the ruling one.

68. Mezzo role in Barber's "Vanessa": ERIKA. An Opera by Samuel Barber.

69. Big cats: PUMAS. Can be either black or tawny, spotted when young.

70. "So that's it!": AHA.

71. Cartridge contents: TONER.

72. Protective cover: TARP.

73. Meddle: PRY.

DOWN:

1. Caesarean conquest: GAUL. The Roman Empire vs ancient France.

2. Elemental ID: AT NO. Atomic number.

3. Homeowner's way to raise money, briefly: RE-FI. Refinance with cash back.

4. Pleasure: FUN.

5. Bermuda shape?: TRIANGLE. Smack in the middle of hurricane alley, the Gulf stream current cuts through it and is home to the Puerto Rico trench, the deepest point of the Atlantic.  Good luck finding anything that happens to wreck there. I kind of also like the methane hydrates theory, too.

6. Supermarket need, maybe: LIST.

7. Thai money: BAHT. What, no "bread" clue on a Thursday?

8. Arcane: MYSTIC.

9. "Rehab" singer Winehouse: AMY. Now, that's ironic.

10. Dudley Do-Right's gp.: RCMP. Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

11. New England attraction, with "the": CAPE. Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard.

12. Org. concerned with asbestos stds.: OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration

15. Sneaky laugh: HEH.

18. Cross letters: INRI. Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum. Jesus, the Nazarene, King of the Jews.

19. Picasso contemporary: DALI. We've seen enough "Persistence", here are Picasso and Self sculptures.

24. Japanese veggie: UDO. Doesn't appear particularly appetizing.

26. Station: STOP. Railroad departures.

27. In first: AHEAD.

28. Game for bowlers: BOCCI. Anglicized form of BOCCE.  Tricked me.

29. Composer Ned: ROREM. I have heard of "Our Town", but otherwise not on my radar.

30. "__ Dream": "Lohengrin" aria: ELSA'S. Wagner Opera.

31. Lose on purpose: DITCH. Literally "to throw into a ditch".

32. 43-Across maker: DEERE.

33. Fjord: INLET.

34. Depleted layer: OZONE.

35. Like a 2011 model, say: NEWER.

40. "QB VII" author: URIS.

42. Aromatic evergreen: RED CEDAR.

46. Try a little of: SIP.

49. Its Hall of Fame is in Charlotte, N.C.: NASCAR. National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing

50. "For those listening __ home ...": IN AT.

51. Insensitive: NUMB. Old English "nimen" for "taken".  The current meaning comes from the notion of being "taken" with cold, or shock. Oddly related to the word "nimble", quick to grasp (take).

54. Neck piece: FRET. On a guitar neck.

55. Super Bowl party order: HERO. Sub, hoagie, togo, etc.

56. Game point: AD IN. Tennis.

58. Big cheese: VIP. Very Important Person. I know you all know that, I'm just pointing out abbreviations.

59. Juillet's follower: AOUT. More French: July, August.

60. Vasco da __: GAMA.

62. Rush job notation: ASAP. As soon as possible.

63. German industrial region: RUHR.

64. Like a certain superpower: X-RAY. Superman's vision.

66. Luau strings: UKE.

67. Nile biter: ASP.

Answer grid

Al