Thursday, Jul 7, 2011, Marti DuGuay-Carpenter

Theme: Lawesome puns. Some of these are truly lawful, others are just a law deal.

17A. Fine print in Yogi's contract?: BEAR CLAUSE. (claws). A clause is an article or section of text; it originally meant conclusion, but lost that meaning over time.

25A. Court allegations requiring consideration?: ATTENTION PLEAS. (please) Plea from Old French plait: lawsuit.

42A. Product liability problems for Willy Wonka?: CHOCOLATE TORTS. (torte) Middle Latin tortum: injustice.

57A. Vague religious law?: LOOSE CANON. (cannon) From Latin "canon": straight line, rule.

Hi all, Al again, and another puzzle by one of our own, Marti. I think this should have been Lemonade's to blog though, I'm a bit out of order here.

ACROSS:

1. President known as "Big Bill": TAFT. William. At 5'11", he weighed about 335 lbs. at his peak.

5. Beat it: SPLIT. Scram, leave.

10. Shady growth: MOSS. Not exclusive to north sides, trees can shade other trees, and prevailing winds can dry out the "wrong" side as well. Keep your GPS handy.

14. Jamaican tangelo: UGLI. Cross between orange, tangerine, and grapefruit. The one time I tried one, it tasted like a grapefruit, so why bother? Anyone have one "in the wild" that tasted any better?

15. Stag: ALONE. Well, OK it can mean that, but I think of this term more as meaning male-only, like a men's club.

16. Wheelset piece: AXLE.

19. "Swell!": NEAT.

20. Body in a belt: ASTEROID. Between Mars and Jupiter.

21. Abby and Martha, to Mortimer, in "Arsenic and Old Lace": AUNTS.

22. Exempt attachment?: ION. Exemption.

23. Tab, for one: COLA. Sales declined sharply with the introduction of diet coke, but it is still available. Initially used cyclamates (banned), then saccharin(warning label), then aspartame (should be banned) as the sweetener.

32. Clip: SPEED. I worked through this puzzle at a good clip.

33. A lot of nothing: NILS. Normally, plurals evoke a "meh" from me, but the clue for this one made it better somehow.

34. Many a '50s-'60s pop act: DUO. Here are some, most I'm too young to know or remember...

35. Fine cotton: PIMA. Had not heard of this.

36. Moving aid: DOLLY. Applied from 1792 to any contrivance fancied to resemble a doll in some sense, especially "a small platform on rollers". Doesn't look like one to me, either.

38. Douglas and Fraser: FIRS. My wife seems to prefer Frasers at Christmas. I prefer artificial. Guess who wins?

39. Medium power?: ESP. A 4' tall psychic successfully eluded police after a bank robbery. The headline read: Small medium at large.

40. Show enthusiasm: RAVE.

41. Hershey's raw material: CACAO. Chock full of antioxidents, dark chocolate is actually healthful in small quantities, if only they don't use milkfat instead of cocoa butter. Milk in chocolate negates any benefit.

46. Biblical middle child: ABEL. According to Genesis 4:25, Seth was born after the slaying of Abel by Cain, and Eve believed God had appointed him as a replacement for Abel.

47. Jamaican spirits: RUM. Originally rumbullion, rombostion, of uncertain origin, perhaps from the ajective form of rum, meaning fine or excellent used approvingly by rogues in reference to one another.

48. Thin: SPARE. Old English, sense of frugal or absence of fat.

51. Get the most out of: MAXIMIZE. Latin maximum, largest, greatest.

56. America's first spy: HALE. Nathan. Symbol of bravery and patriotism.

59. Elects: OPTS.

60. Sat rocking, say: IDLED.

61. Ivory Coast neighbor: MALI. Today's geography lesson.

62. New Mexico resort: TAOS. I should have taken that left turn at albuquerque

63. Spanish filmmaker Almodovar: PEDRO.

64. Hardly at all: A TAD. Perhaps from a shortening of tadpole.

DOWN:

1. Big band wind: TUBA. I liked the crossing of big wind and a politician in the NW corner.

2. Gets along in years: AGES.

3. Place to take 27-Down: FLAT English Apartment, along with 27D. See 3-Down: TEA.

4. Turnpike roller: TIRE.

5. Oater joint: SALOON. Anglicized form of salon, a large hall.

6. Lament: PLAINT. Vaguely theme-related, from French plaintif (complaining).

7. More than just eye-catching, clotheswise: LOUD.

8. Good tennis returns: INS.

9. Where to start playing a round: TEE. Golf. The grassy area and the peg the ball is placed upon.

10. Guide: MANUAL.

11. Team with a lot of pull?: OXEN.

12. Blind section: SLAT.

13. Directors' milieus: SETS. Milieu is French for place, related: lieu (in lieu of).

18. Exclaimed: CRIED.

21. Range in seven countries: ALPS.

23. DNA shape: COIL. A double helix, actually.

24. Singular: ONLY.

25. Silly: APISH. Quit monkeying around...

26. A conductor sets it: TEMPO. Italian, literally "time".

28. Firth or fjord: INLET. a long, narrow inlet with steep sides, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.

29. Proclamation: EDICT. Theme related bonus word.

30. Subtle qualities: AURAS.

31. Not too hot: SO-SO.

32. What houses may be built on: SPEC.

36. Valley: DALE. Glen, vale.

37. Like the lenses on some granny glasses: OVAL.

38. Considerably: FAR.

40. Courtroom cover-up: ROBE. Judge's dress.

41. Book with drawings: COMIC. Manga too.

43. Tender touch: CARESS.

44. Test-taking tip?: ERASER. Cute, a pencil end.

45. Prom dress: TUXEDO. M/F bender. Lots of trickster clues today.

48. Tavern measure: SHOT. One ounce. A jigger is 1.5 oz.

49. Senior Smurf: PAPA and 52D. 49-Down's partner: MAMA. Before anyone complains about there not actually being a mama smurf character (Smurfette was the only female Smurf), the reference clue for 52 was to the answer for 49, not for the clue to 49.

50. Chorus line: ALTO. I assume because they stand altogether...

51. Bread concern: MOLD. Another Thursday and another clue not about money.

53. __ the finish: IN AT.

54. "J'accuse" author: ZOLA. An accusation of outrage against someone powerful. An open letter in the newspaper L'Aurore by the influential writer Emile Zola, was addressed to the President of France, and accused the government of anti-Semitism and the unlawful jailing of a French Army General Staff officer for espionage. Zola pointed out judicial errors and lack of serious evidence. The letter was printed on the front page of the newspaper. Zola was prosecuted and found guilty of libel. To avoid imprisonment, he fled to England.

55. City west of Tulsa: ENID.

57. Sass: LIP.

58. Writing on an urn: ODE. Ode on a Grecian Urn -- John Keats.

Answer grid.

Al

Wednesday, July 6, 2011 Gareth Bain

Theme: "Pop" goes the weasel.  This was an unusual theme, which would be almost impossible to suss without the unifier:  45D. Asked, burst open, extracted, or broke, as the ends of this puzzle's four longest answers : POPPED. Or, as my title for the theme suggests "Jumped out". Can you think of any other meanings?

17A. "Will you marry me?" is one : YES OR NO QUESTION  (I would, Gareth, but DH might object!)

"Popped the question" uses the first unifier verb, meaning "asked".

32A. Steak au poivre flavoring : PEPPERCORN. "Poivre" is French for "pepper". And "popped corn" demonstrates the second unifier verb, for "burst open". 

41A. Administrative area on Ireland's south coast : COUNTY CORK.  A "popped cork" uses the third unifier verb for "extracted". 

59A. Bit of wedding toast effervescence : CHAMPAGNE BUBBLE. A "popped bubble" is the final unifier verb, meaning "broke".

Marti here, with what I hope was a logical explanation for this puzzle.

Across

1. English horn, e.g. : REED. And clecho 47. __ anglais: English horn : COR. Cor Anglais is the French term for English horn.  But it is not from England, and is not a horn.  It is a double-reed woodwind in the oboe family. 

5. No Doubt lead singer Stefani : GWEN. Their first ska-pop album failed to make any waves. Gwen went on to launch a solo career with her successful album "Love. Angel. Music. Baby". "Hollabak Girl" from the album was one of the most popular songs of 2005. Judge for yourself.

9. Hard stuff : BOOZE. Did anyone want "cider"?

14. Old apple treatment : ALAR. 

15. Gaelic tongue : ERSE. 

16. Part of A/V : AUDIO. 50/50 shot of getting this one right..

20. Play flawlessly on the green : ONE PUTT. I'd rather pitch in for eagle.

21. Gets ready for market, as livestock : FATTENS

22. "Stillmatic" rapper : NAS. "One Mic" from the album (released in 2002), samples a portion of Phil Collins's "In the Air tonight".  Can you hear it? 

23. Commoner : PLEB

25. 4:00 English drink : TEA. I guess that would be 11:00 AM in Boston? 

26. Levi's alternative : LEE. Both popular brands of jeans.

27. Big pitcher : EWER. Weighing in at 270, NY Yankees pitcher Andrew Brackman would also qualify.

29. General Arnold of WWII : HAP. The only five-star general in both the Air Force and the Army, he was instructed how to fly by the Wright brothers.

36. Danish toy brand : LEGO.

37. Sacha Baron Cohen alter ego : ALI G. He also portrays Borat and Bruno in his whacky comedy routines.

38. See red? : OWE. Great clue.

39. Orenburg's river : URAL

40. Elizabeth of "Jacob's Ladder" : PENA. I can't watch thriller/horror movies like this.  You?

44. Street sign abbr. : AVE

45. Shroud of gloom : PALL. "McCarthy got drunk at Sullivan's wake, fell off the bar stool and broke his leg...threw a pall over the entire funeral!"

46. Much : WAY. As in, "I've had WAY too much to drink..."

48. Fall short : FAIL

50. GI entertainers : USO. "United Service Organizations"

53. Bit of moral fiber : SCRUPLE. From the Latin "scrupulus", meaning "pricking of conscience"; literally, "small stone". Like a pebble in your shoe, giving you anxiety.  

57. Skateboarder's wear : KNEEPAD

61. Peregrine's place : AERIE.

62. Reason to warn boaters : GALE. Does anyone remember the old sitcom "The Gale Storm Show"?

63. Caramel candy brand : ROLO. Yummm. Who doesn't like chocolate and caramel?

64. Pollster's find : TREND

65. Sardine's cousin : SHAD

66. Wilson of "Drillbit Taylor" : OWEN. Is this Friday? That was one of his more obscure (and poorly rated) movies, as I remember him better for "The Royal Tenenbaums", "Marley and Me", "Zoolander', "Starskey & Hutch" or "The Wedding Crashers".

Moving on...

DOWN

1. Lustrous synthetic : RAYON. As I have said before, nylon, orlon, rayon...just wait for the perps.

2. 2010 tennis retiree Dementieva : ELENA. She won the singles gold at the Beijing Olympics. Interesting website.

3. Alleviates : EASES.  Aleve alleviates arthritis pain...

4. Pearl __ earring : DROP. I think of this painting by Vermeer.

5. Less violent : GENTLER

6. Authored : WROTE

7. Lawyer's letters : ESQ. Why are they "esquires"?

8. Bordeaux ball team? : NEUF. HaHa..."NEUF Ball". Get it? (Nerf ball?)...oh, never mind. I think Gareth meant there are nine on a ball team, and neuf is French for nine. (This is getting WAY too complicated, so I'll move on now).

9. Turkey-roasting tool : BASTER. That little syringe-y think that sits in your drawer all year, and comes out only on Thanksgiving.  Remember?

10. "I'm __ here!": "Bye!" : OUTTA. Not yet!  I still have more 30 more clues to unravel!

11. Comic strip dog : ODIE. One of my favs, from "Garfield".

12. Mount sacred to Judaism : ZION

13. Geologic periods : EONS

18. Indian capital : RUPEE. One of these days, they are actually going to be looking for "Delhi" as the answer.

19. Unlike leftovers : EATEN. Why, that's true! My leftovers usually sit in the 'frig for about two weeks, and then they are tossed.

24. Old English epic poem : BEOWULF. Did anyone see the 3-D version with Anthony Hopkins?

26. Org. for Paula Creamer : LPGA. Ladies Professional Golf Association.

28. Birdhouse songbird : WREN

29. Po' boy relative : HERO. Or Hoagie, sub, grinder, torpedo, blimpie...

30. Ice cream thickener : AGAR. Much better image than "bacteria-growing medium".

31. Mexican War president : POLK. James Knox Polk, served 1845-1849. The victory in this war gave the USA much of the present southwest.

32. Bear with a hard bed : PAPA

33. Mountain sign no. : ELEV. Elevation.

34. Turpentine source : PINE

35. Not nerdy : COOL

36. "Peanuts" fussbudget : LUCY

41. "Cheers" barmaid : CARLA. Her full name was Carla Maria Victoria Angelina Teresa Apollonia Lozupone Tortelli LeBec.  

42. Hotel room choice : TWIN BED. Make mine a double...

43. New Eng. school since 1701 : YALE U. Hard to suss this one. I think of it as simply "Yale".

47. Curry flavoring : CUMIN

49. "The Jungle Book" pack leader : AKELA. Not familiar with this lone wolf.

50. Violin stroke : UP BOW. The player pushes the bow from tip to the frog (bottom of the bow), moving it towards the left shoulder. 

51. Hôtel room : SALLE. More french. I wanted "chambre".

52. Cineplex name : ODEON

53. Gibberish singing style : SCAT. Ella Fitzgerald was one of the greats.

54. Mother of Chaz : CHER. Chaz is a transgender advocate, having completed a female-to-male gender transition in 2010.

55. A bit beyond raw : RARE. I like both raw tuna and rare steak.

56. Breakfast order : EGGS. These, I like cooked!

58. River to the Mediterranean : EBRO. Northern Spain. Want some monster catfish? Map.

60. Slangy dismissal : NAH. Yeah, now I'm OUTTA here!

Answer grid.

Marti

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to our blog matriarch (good one, Dennis) Clear Ayes. Thanks for being here for us.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011 Kevin Christian

Theme: Dog Days - Seven dogs and their greeting & food brand. (Click on name for image.)

9A. *Jake LaMotta, e.g. : BOXER

17A. *Mexican neighbor of New Mexico : CHIHUAHUA

24A. *Skiers' patron : SAINT BERNARD

41A. *Like Hammett's falcon : MALTESE

43A. *Piece of advice : POINTER

54. *Labrador was added to its provincial name in 2001 : NEWFOUNDLAND

67A. *Beijing dialect : PEKINGESE

Unifiers:

58D. Steadfast belief (and parent of each answer to a starred clue?) : DOGMA. (DOG MA, get it?)

73A. Greetings from the answers to starred clues : BARKS

Bonus entry:

51A. Brand for a 58-Down : ALPO

Argyle here. Easy theme but a lot of it! It has been over a year since Kevin's last LAT puzzle and a pangram to boot. Welcome back.

Across:

1. Word after boom or Bean : TOWN. BEANTOWN/ Boston.

5. Dickens's Uriah : HEEP. From the novel David Copperfield, the character is notable for his cloying humility, obsequiousness, and insincerity.

14. Aleve target : ACHE

15. Fall birthstone : OPAL

16. "All systems __" : ARE GO

19. Feature of "butte" but not "but" : LONG U. I'm catching on to this gimmick quicker now.

20. Like lava flows : OOZING

21. Austin-to-Dallas dir. : NNE

23. British golfer Poulter : IAN. Colorful.

28. NYC hub : JFK and 68D. Inbound flight posting at 28-Across : ETA

31. Tolerate : BEAR

32. 2008-'09 Japanese prime minister Taro __ : ASO. Image.

33. Sans serif typeface : ARIAL

35. Expansive : VAST

37. Ye __ Tea Shoppe : OLDE

45. Information storage unit : BYTE

46. Choice word : ELSE

48. __-wip: dessert topping : REDDI. Whipped cream in a can.

49. Bear: Sp. : OSO

53. Follow-up film: Abbr. : SEQ.

59. Pie __ mode : À LA

60. Suffix for glob : ULE

61. Home builder's subcontractor : ROOFER

65. Get started : BEGIN

70. Upright : ON END

71. "They're __ again!" : AT IT

72. Desert tableland : MESA

74. Lord's partner : LADY. Can't be clued as Tramp's partner to avoid conflict with the theme.

75. Tiny power source : ATOM

Down:

1. Filled tortilla : TACO

2. Cuatro times dos : OCHO. Spanish 4 X 2 = 8

3. Ace : WHIZ

4. Classic grape sodas : NEHIs

5. Philly's signature sandwich : HOAGIE. What? Not the cheesesteak?

6. N.T. book after Galatians : EPH.. Ephesians. The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, often shortened to Ephesians, is the tenth book of the New Testament. Its authorship has traditionally been credited to Paul, but it is considered by some scholars to be "deutero-Pauline," that is, written in Paul's name by a later author strongly influenced by Paul's thought.

7. Seine contents : EAU. French / water.

8. Backup strategy : PLAN B

9. Agricultural cubists? : BALERS. Shout out to WH. Forgot to mention yesterday, I thought of Jeannie when I saw the riddle about the HAIR. I hope she's still afloat.

10. Yellow metal, in Mexico : ORO. Maybe we can get an answer today from yellowrocks about his her name. (Oops)

11. Seat of Greene County, Ohio : XENIA

12. Samantha of "Doctor Dolittle" : EGGAR. Image.

13. Set of drinks for the table : ROUND

18. Lacking capacity : UNABLE

22. "Cool!" : "NEATO!"

25. Umbilical terminus : NAVEL

26. __ la la : TRA

27. Not a soul : NO ONE

28. Doorframe part : JAMB

29. Start to unravel : FRAY

30. Scot's skirt : KILT

34. Dined on, biblically : ATE OF

36. Witch's incantation : SPELL

38. Old Ford models : LTDs

39. "__ Dinah": 1958 Frankie Avalon hit : DEDE. Clip.(2:15) A wailing sax on the bridge.

40. La Salle of "ER" : ERIQ. Image.

42. Asian Olympics city of 1988 : SEOUL

44. Like some patches : IRON ON

47. Blue : SAD

50. Squeaks and creaks : SOUNDS

52. Equivalence : PARITY. Often heard in sports talk.

54. Big wheel : NABOB

55. 2010 Supreme Court appointee Kagan : ELENA. Kagan is the first justice appointed without any prior experience as a judge since William Rehnquist in 1972. (Check out Hahtool's avatar from yesterday.)

56. Staked amount : WAGER

57. Himalayan country : NEPAL

62. Acre's 43,560 square units : FEET

63. Bygone U.S. gas : ESSO

64. 500 sheets : REAM

66. Octopus's defense : INK

69. Joke around with : KID

Answer grid.

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Look at this adorable boy. Can you guess who he is (from our blog, of course)?

2) Many of us have been receiving free daily Word of the Day mini-crossword from Paul Stynsberg, who always tries his best to provide the most relevant & informative crosswordese of the day. He said in his email yesterday: I'm running a 5K on July 16th to raise money for the fight against ALS. My goal is to get 50 people to kick in a buck or two. If you'd like to be a part of this, please make a check payable to "ALS Fundraiser" and try to get it to me sometime before the race. (I'm sorry, I don't have a way for you to do this on-line.) Mail to:

Paul Stynsberg

705 4th St. NE

Roseau MN 56751

Let's help and motivate Paul to run faster. Thank you!

Monday, July 4, 2011 Peter A. Collins

Theme: Fourth of July - The date of the adoption of the declaration and, coincidentally, the date the author of the preamble and the author of the document itself passed away within hours of each other.

39A. Chief author (who died 7/4/1826) of 5- and 9-Down : THOMAS JEFFERSON

5D. With 9-Down, document signed 7/4/1776 : THE DECLARATION and 9D. OF INDEPENDENCE

7D. With 51-Down, chief congressional advocate (who died 7/4/1826) of 5- and 9-Down : JOHN 51D. ADAMS

Argyle here. Happy and safe holiday! Due to the constraints of the theme, the puzzle has MIRROR crossword symmetry. Good fill considering the length of the main theme entries.

Across:

1. Racecourse setting for a "My Fair Lady" scene : ASCOT

6. IHOP beverages : OJs. With or without pulp?

9. Unseats : OUSTS

14. Coach Bill whose 49ers won three Super Bowls : WALSH. 1981, '84 and '88 (XVI, XIX, XXIII).

15. Highchair user : TOT

16. Camera setting : F-STOP

17. Fill with joy : ELATE

18. "__ will be done ...": Lord's Prayer : THY

19. Prefix with -clast : ICONO. A person who attacks cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, etc., as being based on error or superstition.

20. UFO pilots, in theory : ETs

21. Speak dully and endlessly : DRONE ON

24. Actor Beatty : NED. He should not be confused with Warren Beatty.

25. Fate : KISMET. From Turk. qismet, from Ar. qismah, qismat "portion, lot, fate," from root of qasama "he divided."

27. Stick (to) : ADHERE

29. Sprinted : RACED

31. Starting squad : A-TEAM

32. Dote on : SPOIL

34. Bruin Bobby who wore #4 : ORR

36. Chopin's instrument : PIANO

42. NASA vehicle : LEM. lunar excursion module

43. Cheers for : ROOTS ON

44. Like Robitussin: Abbr. : OTC. Over-the-counter cough medicine'

45. GM navigation system : ON-STAR

47. Danish birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen : ODENSE. Map.

49. Drew, as a magnet : ATTRACTED

53. Video game pioneer : ATARI

56. Org. for drillers? : ADA. American Dental Association(Did it fool anyone?)

57. Innocent ones : NAIFs

61. "Bedtime for __": Reagan film : BONZO. 1951.

62. Used a chair : SAT

63. Nav. officers : CMDRs. Commanders.

64. Sir Arthur __ Doyle : CONAN. Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes.

65. HBO alternative : TMC. The Movie Channel (TMC) on Showtime.

66. Moray fisherman : EELER

67. Ollie's partner : STAN. Laurel and Hardy.

68. Bat wood : ASH

69. Matches, as a bet : SEES

Down:

1. See 38-Down : A WEEK. 38-Down. With 1-Down, every seven days : ONCE

2. 1972 U.S./Soviet missile agreement : SALT I

3. Pupils' places : CLASSROOMS

4. East, to Ernst : OST. German.

6. Director Preminger : OTTO. Austro–Hungarian-American but not German.

8. Eye malady : STYE

10. Pac-10 sch. : USC. University of Southern California.

11. Worker with rocks : STONE MASON

12. Copier filler : TONER

13. Fine china brand : SPODE. Spode is a Stoke-on-Trent based pottery company that was founded by Josiah Spode.

22. GPS suggestion : RTE

23. Feedbag grain : OAT

26. Injure badly : MAIM

28. What can't be parted after it's departed? : HAIR. Ha-ha, very funny.

30. School where belts are earned : DOJO. Japanese martial arts.

31. Sounds from pounds : ARFs

32. 1944 battle city : ST-LÔ

33. Withdrawn diet-drug combo Fen-__ : PHEN

35. Like a gen. who no longer has men : RET.

37. Have-__: the needy : NOTS

40. Put mail in boxes, say : SORT

41. Third of a yard : FOOT

46. "__ of the Apes" : TARZAN. I actually read the book and discovered the ending wasn't anything like what Hollywood had me believing.

48. Mingo portrayer on "Daniel Boone" : ED AMES. Oh boy, a chance to link one of my favorite clips.

50. Certain Jamaican believer : RASTA

52. Hidden problem : CATCH

53. Preschool basics : ABC'S

54. Honk : TOOT

55. Kournikova of tennis : ANNA. What? She plays tennis, too? Cowgirl.

58. Not doing anything : IDLE

59. Gratis : FREE

60. Lith. and Ukr., once : SSRs. Soviet Socialist Republic.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday July 3, 2011 Samuel A. Donaldson

Theme: Say Again - Common phrases are humorously re-interpreted with their heteronym meanings. Heteronyms are words with identical spellings but different meanings and pronunciations.

23A. Understudy's crime? : LEAD POISONING

33A. Short ovation? : MINUTE HAND

49A. Instrument with colored bands? : STRIPED BASS

68A. Compliment on a skillful asphalt job? : GOOD EVENING

84A. Anesthetist's error? : WRONG NUMBER. Numb-er, stuff that numbs you.

101A. Fight among forest females? : DOES' BATTLE

117A. Clean kielbasa? : POLISH SAUSAGE

16D. Telescope? : METEOR SHOWER. Show-er. We've seen C-SPAN clued as "House shower" before.

64D. Jeans feature after a barbed wire encounter? : TRAIL OF TEARS

I bet Clear Ayes had fun with this puzzle. She's talked about & linked heteronym, homophone & homonym a few times on the blog.

This theme has been done before. Still fun to solve. Outstanding grid layout and fill.  Lots of sparkly phrases.

Across:

1. Woodcutter who knew the magic words : ALI BABA. "Open sesame!"

8. Wide divide : CHASM

13. Tribal magicians : SHAMANs.

20. European triumvirate : BENELUX. Belgium is so stuffy, including their Etam lingerie shops. Their "words of support" (a la Grumpy & Splynter yesterday) just don't feel sexy.

21. Variety show : REVUE

22. Catches the show : TUNES IN

25. Steamy stuff : EROTICA

26. Israeli weapons : UZIs

27. With 116-Down, "Bed-In for Peace" co-organizer : YOKO. And ONO (116D. See 27-Across).

28. Make amends : ATONE

30. Be a disincentive to : DETER

31. Eager, in dialect : RARIN

36. Sound on Old MacDonald's farm : OINK

37. Responses to the obvious : DUHs. D'ohs too.

39. Office orders : REAMS

40. __ Shore : JERSEY

42. The Joker portrayer : ROMERO (Cesar). I can only remember Heath Ledger.

45. Spot for "Spot" : TAG. Got me.

47. Concordes: Abbr. : SSTs. Crossing SSN (47D. No. under the year on many tax forms). Constructors' crutch fill.

48. Triumphant shout : AHA

55. Seafaring salutations : AHOYs

59. Some tablets : PCs

60. Official declaration : EDICT

61. "The Gates of Hell" sculptor : RODIN. See here.

62. Goes __: deteriorates : TO POT

63. Like some advanced research, briefly : POSTDOC (Postdoctoral)

65. Cues from a stage coach : LINEs. Theater stage. Not the wagon.

66. "Trust me!" : I SWEAR

67. Epps of "House" : OMAR

72. Mother of the Valkyries : ERDA. Drew a blank.

73. Short summaries : RECAPs

75. Garfield's creator : DAVIS (Jim). Gimme for JD/eddyB.

76. Clue room : LIBRARY

78. Shinto temple gateway : TORII. Wouldn't it be nice to clue it as Torii Hunter and cross-reference LAA (86A. A.L. West team, on scoreboards)? Hunter is the right fielder for the Angels.

79. Enter, as data : KEY IN

80. Start a rally : SERVE. Tennis.

82. Ballpoint brand : BIC

83. Fishhook-to-line connection : SNELL. Learned from doing Xword.

87. Vow : OATH

89. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" band : YES

90. Still in the outbox : UNSENT. Mine is in the Draft.

92. Andre's love : STEFFI (Graf)

95. 10% donation : TITHE

99. One might go around on the patio : SPIT. Lovely clue. Skewer.

100. __ Neuf: Paris bridge : PONT

105. Mitigates : EASES

109. Rubber tree yield : LATEX

111. Astound : FLOOR

112. Tug : YANK

114. Kennel sound : YELP

115. Got one's money's worth at the buffet : ATE A LOT. Only if they have pickled herrings. Then I might pig out.

120. Pottery casserole dish : TERRINE

121. "You're __ talk!" : ONE TO

122. Unpredictable : ERRATIC

123. Therapy time : SESSION

124. Exorcist's foe : DEMON

125. Old West gang : DALTONS. The Dalton Gang.

Down:

1. "It was over so fast" words : A BLUR. It's all a blur.

2. TV host Gibbons : LEEZA

3. "... bombs bursting __" : IN AIR

4. Like some comforting manners : BEDSIDE

5. Mont Blanc, e.g. : ALP

6. Lift : BUOY

7. Geometry class list : AXIOMS. All a blur to me, my geometry class years.

8. Serenade, perhaps : CROON

9. Fox's prey : HEN

10. Pilot : AVIATE

11. Naturally brewed beverage : SUN TEA. Lovely.

12. A lot of resistance : MEG OHM. OHM is resistance measure.

13. "The Feast of Saint Nicholas" painter : STEEN (Jan)

14. Judah Ben-__ : HUR

15. Give __ to: okay : A NOD

17. Currently : AS IT IS

18. Like a noted creed : NICENE. Nicene Creed.

19. Crotchety : SNARKY. Like some blog comments.

24. Go downhill fast? : SKI. I'm picturing Marti in action.

29. "If I Ruled the World" rapper : NAS

32. Helped get healthy : NURSED

34. Impulse : URGE

35. Short spinners? : DJs. "Short" implied an abbr. in answer.

38. Ballpark staples : HOT DOGS

41. Virginie-Occidentale et al. : ETATS. Virginie-Occidentale is French for West Virginia.

42. Close connections : RAPPORTs

43. "You can't be serious" : OH COME ON. Good entry.

44. Blowout on the court : MASSACRE. Crushing defeat!

45. First O, say : TIC. Tic-tac-toe.

46. Fitting : APT

50. Diamond wearer in "Copacabana" : RICO. Spanish for "rich".

51. With accuracy or distance, a golf stat : DRIVING. Nice clue.

52. Fox forensic drama : BONES

53. City SSE of Sana'a : ADEN. See this map.

54. Spanish ayes : SI SI

56. In working order : OPERABLE

57. "Rocky" catchphrase : YO ADRIAN. Great one.

58. Future adoptee, perhaps : STRAY CAT. Meow!

65. "Deathtrap" playwright : LEVIN (Ira)

66. "You win" : I GIVE UP

69. Baltic Sea feeder : ODER

70. "The Banana Boat Song" opening : DAY-O

71. Workers' rights agcy. : NLRB (National Labor Relations Board). No idea.

74. Rice preparation : PILAF. Like pilaf, Bill?

77. Longtime collaborator with Elton : BERNIE (Taupin). He wrote most of Elton John's songs.

79. Util. unit : KWH

80. You might do it after hiring a lawyer : SUE. Interesting turn of event in the ex-IMF chief case. Still a bad guy.

81. Marxism extremes? : EMs. The both ends of the word.

85. "Wrong, comrade" : NYET. Russian for "No".

88. Three times daily, on an Rx : TID. Ter in die.

91. Spends the night in : STAYS AT

92. Evidence of egg toss errors : SPLATS

93. Just right : TO A TEE. Always tricky to parse.

94. Goes on stage : ENTERS

95. Business card no. : TEL

96. 14-legged crustacean : ISOPOD

97. "The First Billion is the Hardest" author Pickens : T BOONE.

98. Cotton Club site : HARLEM. Not familiar with the Cotton Club, a nightclub in NY in Prohibition era, a la Wiki.

99. Had a hunch : SENSED

102. Regularly : OFTEN

103. "Sounder" Oscar nominee : TYSON (Cicely). No idea. She was married to Miles Davis.

104. __-di-dah : LAH

106. Defense gp. formed in Manila : SEATO. Gone in 1977.

107. Classic watch : ELGIN

108. See-thru wear? : SPECS. Great clue.

110. Super Bowl at which Tom Petty performed : XLII. 2008 Super Bowl. I was clueless.

113. Two-season "American Idol" judge DioGuardi : KARA

118. 1989 World Champion figure skater : ITO (Midori)

119. Web ID : URL

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday, July 2, 2011 Barry Silk

Theme: None

Words: 72

Blocks: 31

Hey~!

 We start off the holiday weekend with a Saturday Silk, two triple stacks of 10 in the NW and SE.  Lots of entertainment clues, most before MY time....Not a tough one, but I did have to check red-letter for my first guess at 9D.  Oh well.  6 "Z"s, but no 59D - missing the "Q-U"

Let's go to the video tape ~!

 Splynter

ACROSS:

1. Extraterrestrial factor in creating much of Earth's carbon-14 : COSMIC RAYS - first thoughts were SOLAR FLARE or COMET/METEOR something....

11. '90s TV toon therapist : KATZ - Dr. Katz - this was on Comedy Central, but I couldn't watch because of the annoying jittery animation, described here

15. "The Defense Never Rests" co-author : F. LEE BAILEY - I defer to others

16. You may bid on it : EBAY

17. Circulation aid : CEILING FAN - good answer, I just installed two.

18. Five-time Wimbledon winner : BORG - Bjorn, of Sweden

19. American Fur Company founder : ASTOR

20. Firenze field : CAMPO - hey, thanks to yesterday, this one was a gimme ~!

21. "__ to Canaan": Carole King hit : BEEN - tried "ROAD" to start

24. Harris trickster : BR'ER RABBIT - a contraction of "brother", he's a character of folklore with more here

27. Sin tax, e.g. : EXCISE

29. Take-charge type : DOer

30. __ Genevieve: Missouri county or its seat : STE

31. __-ovo-vegetarian : LACTO - a guess, and I surmise that this is a person who is OK with consuming milk and eggs

32. Cry of delight : YOWZAH - last word heard here (warning: lyrical content~!).  Fun to sing and play; tough solo

34. Low life? : AMOEBAE - yes, a play on the plural, like I had before; this time, the Latin plural for our one-celled organisms

36. Remote drivers? : AA CELLS - AA batteries for one's TV remote - got this one with a smile - thinking about a similar answer in a puzzle of my own....

40. Attached, as some decals : SEWN ON - meh, but I guess if it read "patches" instead of decals, it'd be a gimme.  I tried IRON ON to start

 

42. Certain elephant : ASIAN - funny, but I couldn't get Indian or African to fit....

43. Dander : IRE

46. Pro __ : RATA

47. Miss Hungary of 1936, familiarly : ZSA-ZSA - our cop-slapping drunk driver - here

48. Where Massenet's "Don Quichotte" premiered : MONTE CARLO

51. Grate : RASP

52. Obscured : HAZED

53. Edge : SIDLE

55. Desert antelope : ORYX - image

56. Insolvent bailout beneficiary : ZOMBIE BANK - today's learning moment for me; based on the way things are after the $700B bailout of '08, I would prefer my "cut" of $22,000.

61. Michelle Phillips was one in the '60s : MAMA -of the Mamas & Papas

62. Man in the street : AVERAGE JOE - I could do without this guy's 15mins of fame in the next presidential election....but a shout out to one of our new members~!

63. Hot times in 48-Across : ETES - not gonna say it....

64. Coconut-flavored cocktail : PIÑA COLADA - gettin' caught in the rain....

DOWN:

1. Ozone-threatening compound : CFC - ChloroFluoroCarbon - here

2. Word of support : OLE~!!!

3. Half of dodici : SEI - Italian for 12 and 6 - it filled itself in via perps

4. Black garnets : MELANITES - image

5. Spoonbill's cousin : IBIS

6. "No way!" : CAN'T BE

7. Inflexibility : RIGOR

8. Served with a creamy cheese sauce : ALFREDO

9. Word of support : YEA - I had "PRO" to start, and it wasn't working for me - "FOR" was not much better; considered "BRA".

10. Lexicon abbr. : SYNonym

11. Word from the Turkish for "roasted meat" : KEBAB

12. Subj. of Cold War tests : A-BOMBS

13. Asphalt trap : TARPIT

14. Fallopian tube traveler : ZYGOTE - that is, coming down....

20. Bolívar's birthplace : CARACAS - map - Simon Bolivar

21. Coach of Nadia and Mary Lou : BELA - too 52A for me - I just know these were two Olympian gymnasts.

22. Physical, e.g. : EXAM

23. Danish shoe brand : ECCO

25. Martin's partner : ROWAN - Rowan & Martins' Laugh-in, which I saw in reruns as a kid, and where I learned about Arte Johnson - lots of famous people, including 47A

26. Iran's Mohammad Shah __ Pahlavi : REZA - um, OK, sure...

28. Dried out, with "up" : SOBERED - I "dried out" 2,365 days ago

32. Busybody : YENTA

33. 1962 chart topper whose title subject "doesn't do what everybody else does" : HE'S A REBEL - someone else might appreciate this more than I do

35. "Never Wave at __": 1952 film : A WAC - WAAAY before my time

37. "__ With a 'Z'": 1972 TV special : LIZA - again, WAAAY before my time - I WAGed it when the Z showed up

38. Miss : LASS

39. Breeze : SNAP - as in "that was a _"

41. Crew members : OARSMEN - SAILORS fit, too

43. Arrival announcement : I'M HOME

44. Find very funny : ROAR AT

45. Catalytic protein : ENZYME

47. Group of signs : ZODIAC - nailed it.  How's your life now that there are 13 signs?  I actually had to "switch" to Capricorn from Aquarius - it's OK, it's a more manly sign, anyway.

49. Gulf state : TEXAS

50. 47-Down member : LIBRA - my younger brother is one

54. Block brand : LEGO - loved this toy as a kid - still have it all in my closet

56. Reheat, in a way : ZAP - we say "Nuke" in my house

57. Duct opening? : OVI - I had VIA to start; any relation to the Zygote?

58. Grammy-winning Steely Dan album : AJA - I like old Steely Dan; the new stuff, not so much

59. Doze : NOD - NAP fit, too.

60. Mauna __ : KEA - OK, so did you go with LOA or KEA to start?

Answer grid.

Splynter

Friday, July 1, 2011, Mike Peluso

Theme: Get Real! 62A. "We're on to you!" (and a hint to how this puzzle's other four longest answers were created): DROP THE ACT. Each of the four central theme answers are in the language phrases with the word ACT removed to reveal a new, and witty phrase.

17A. Free garden supply?: COMPACTED SOIL. COMPED meaning given as complimentary item.

24A. Cost at a Walmart competitor?: TARGET PRACTICE. Target is catching Walmart.

38A. Become more forgiving?: LACTOSE INTOLERANCE. Being milk intolerant, this is my favorite, as the original phrase and the new are both very positive.

50A. Pessimistic brat?: NEGATIVE IMPACT. These on the other hand are quite negative.

Hey all, it is I, Lemonade, so it must be Friday, and we have another seemingly easy Friday, that does have some very tricky clues and a very fun letter removal theme, so on with Mr. Peluso's masterpiece.

  

Across:

1. South American plain: CAMPO. Okay, again with a difficult start; my Spanish is not great, but I believe this means field. or country (like Casa de Campo- country house) and not Plain which is a flat field mostly devoid of trees. Ah well, I am probably wrong again.

6. Fifth pillar of Islam: HADJ. Okay, the end of our lesson for the week in the religion, HADJ (or HAJJ) is the pilgrimage; the other four are: (1) the shahada (creed), (2) salat (daily prayers), (3) sawm  (fasting during Ramadan ), (4) ( zakat alms giving) ).

10. Back country transports, briefly: ATVS. All Terrain Vehicles. Lots of acronyms.

14. Poppy product: OPIUM. Mini-clecho: 15. Bean product?: IDEA. Not a green one, but your head.

16. Antihero?: GOAT. This meaning comes from the old Hebrew tradition of send out a goat to take on the sins of the people, the SCAPE GOAT.

19. Tahoe bar, say: AXLE. The Chevrolet SUV, not the beautiful city on the lake.

20. Cheese from Veneto: ASIAGO. Cheeses like wines have regions, you can read this LINK .

21. Cognac designation: VSOP. I am not sure if this was intention but Cognac is a region as well, and it is graded as Very Special Old Pale.

23. It may follow sex: ISM. A cigarette? A loud scream, oh, I see....sexism.

27. Main response?: AYE SIR. The main, meaning the sea, the bounding main.

29. Feminine principle: YIN. After Al's explanation, you are supposed to know this.

30. Bass, e.g.: ALE. The beer reference so I do not feel lonely.

31. Boomers are swelling its ranks: AARP. The old reference so I don't get uppity.

34. Vast expanse: OCEAN. Danny?

42. Only brother not in any Marx Brothers films: GUMMO. He was born MILTON .

43. Foreign minister under Meir: EBAN. Abba Eban, a very fascinating and intelligent man that I had the pleasure of meeting when he was here appearing on a locally produced Israeli TV show.

44. Comic Margaret: CHO. The Kontroversial, Korean Komedienne, watch unless you are AFRAID .

45. Petting zoo chorus: AWS. How cute!

47. Metaphorical hiding place: CLOSET. Where we have our skeletons, and our gay people; it must be crowded in theirs.

54. Palme __: Cannes award: D'OR. Of gold, in French.

55. Words of agreement: NOR I. I kept seeing seaweed.

56. Super Bowl party array: SALSAS. The Tijuana place next tome has 23 salsa for your burrito, some will curl your eyebrows.

60. Work: OPUS.

64. Sci-fi shots: ZAPS.

65. Shekels: GELT. More Yiddish, as well as the currency of old Israel. Money honey.

66. Hartford-based insurance giant: AETNA. Hartford is the Insurance Capital .

67. Harper's Bazaar artist: ERTE. Romain de Tirtoff .

68. The same, to Alain: EGAL. French lesson, not only the same as Equal, it is the root word.

69. Discomfiting look: SNEER. I already did my Snidely Whiplash, so use your imagination.

DOWN:

1. First name in soft drinks?: COCA. Coca Cola, first name, get it!!!!!

2. Mil. addresses: APOS. Army Post Office.

3. "La Bohème" role: MIMI. My grandmother was called that from the French mémé.

4. Leave the larva stage  PUPATE. really, sounds like fun.

5. James Bond and JFK have worn them: OMEGAS. The watch.

6. __ Honor: HIS. Speaking of sexism, why HIS?

7. "... and gentle as __": Matthew: A DOVE.

8. Jefferson, notably: DEIST. A practical form of Christianity, devoid of miracles.

9. Heap: JALOPY. They are uncertain where this word comes from, but it means an old, badly maintained car.

10. Turkish title: AGA. And a cooker in England, where are you our limey friend?

11. Destructive, as a relationship: TOXIC. Man, we have all been in those with beautiful but bad for us partners.

12. Sibelius's "__ Triste": VALSE. This was a work written by the most famous Finnish composer, for a  play written by his brother; truly awesome MUSIC ; I think the title means Sad Waltz, in French.

13. Keep from flowing: STEM. Stem the tide boys!

18. Gray painted by Basil Hallward  DORIAN. The only novel written by Oscar Wilde, ever published, not a color of paint, but the central character. A truly well thought out and frightening book and movie.

22. Conviction, maybe: PRIOR. In TV cop talk, how many priors?

25. Fireplace insert: GRATE. Gitta out the logs someplace.

26. Old empire builder: INCA.

27. Winningest manager in Expos history: ALOU. Felipe, the oldest of the three brothers, who all played in the same outfield for one game with the San Fransisco Giants; because the Montreal Expos do not exist any more, Felipe will keep his record.

28. Polite rural reply: YES'M.

30. Subj. for solvers: ALG. Al Gebra, or old math friend.

32. Steal from: ROB. I won't quibble, but there is a big difference in the law, as robbery requires the use of force in confrontation.

33. Not quite win: PLACE. Horse racing, Win, Place and Show. I like this clue, both for me and my degenerate friends.

35. Confer ending: ENCE. Conference.

36. Vier times zwei: ACHT. Four times two = eight, German lesson.

37. Paleo- opposite: NEO. Neo mean new, Paleo ancient, prehistoric, both from Greek roots.

39. Slate, e.g., for short: E-MAG. I learned from the puzzles, I have never seen this online publication.

40. Hoover, for one: IOWAN. Herbert Hoover the 31st president and the one who presided over the beginning of the depression. Other famous Iowans include Johnny Carson (who moved to Nebraska) Marion Morrison, better known as John Wayne, and sadly a transplanted Chicago boy whose family moved to Waterloo,  named John Wayne Gacy, who became known as the Killer Clown. A presidential hopeful recently opened her campaign in Waterloo, Iowa because it was the home of that great American, John Wayne, but she had the wrong one. It may be her Waterloo.

41. Join: ENLIST.

46. Stuffy type: STODGE. I guess one who acts stodgy would be, but eh.

48. Midwestern natives: OMAHAS. This references the Native American Tribe, not Omahans, I think; HG, help.

49. It may be vented: SPLEEN. I have had this also in previous blogging days.

50. Without face value: NO PAR. Corporations determine a basic value for each share of stock, which would be the minimum they would pay to redeem shares.

51. Blow: ERUPT. Like a volcano, or that prom night zit coming up. It surely blows to have a pimple at the prom.

52. Thrift store abbr.: IRREG. Irregular.

53. One of two in Mozart's string quintets: VIOLA. Do any of you Ryders play Viola or Cello?

54. Drop off: DOZE. Hey, WAKE UP,  I am doing my best.

57. Bloat, maybe: SATE. When I was little my parents hid the Halloween candy on the sun porch so my brothers and I would not eat it too quickly. On the morning of the 31st when they went to get it, there was a mouse in the bag, his stomach five times bigger than he was; he was dead, but he had a big smile. He was sated and bloated.

58. Promgoer's concern: ACNE.

59. Have the lead: STAR. Not first dog, but the lead in a play or show.

61. Captain's hdg.: SSE. An attempt to make random letters sound good.

63. Scandalous '80s initials: PTL. Praise the Lord, and pass the mascara. The televison ministry of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Did not end so well for them, but my work is ending well, as we have conquered another puzzle, one with deception, wit and I am telling the truth, NO ACT here either. Enjoy your holidays and Happy Birthday USA, and many more.

Answer grid.

Lemonade

Note from C.C.:

Here are a few sweet photos from Don "Hard G". He and his beautiful wife Barbara adopted two Havanese (Pansie & Cosmos) from puppy mills earlier this year after their dog Violet passed away.