Thursday July 28, 2011 John Dunn

Theme: IN THE MIDDLE (17D. Like this answer's position, and what can follow the starts of 16-, 24/51-, 38-, 60- and 69/1-Across) - IN THE MIDDLE can follow all the below green-highlighted words.

1A. See 69-Across : AROUND. And 69A. With 1-Across, spend time frivolously : MONKEY. Monkey in the middle is a children's game a la Wiki. Not familiar to me.

16A. Breakfast option : SOFT-BOILED EGGS. Soft in the middle.

24A. With 51-Across, Presley hit with "glue" in the lyrics : STUCK. And 51A. See 24-Across : ON YOU. Stuck in the middle.

38A. "A Clockwork Orange" star : MALCOLM MCDOWELL. "Malcolm in the Middle".

60A. End the chat room suspense, in a way : MEET FACE TO FACE. Meet in the middle.

C.C. here. Are you missing Al? I am.

The unifier IN THE MIDDLE is easily placed in the very heart of the grid. But quite a feat to cross it with the other three long theme entries. 14's are always a challenge and you don't see them on Row 3/13 often, same with 12's and 13's.

I've yet to become a fan of split theme entries. I'm OK with 1A Across and the last Across entries to bookend the grid, even with the reverse order. But the 24/51 style split distracts me.

Across:

7. Catch-22 : PARADOX. Nice scrambly entry.

14. Retro headgear : BEANIE

15. Quintessence : EPITOME

18. Mountain Dew producer, informally : PEPSI. "For those who think young".

19. Slight winning margin : NOSE. By a nose.

20. Not divided : ONE

21. Easy melodies : LILTS

29. Mediterranean smoker : ETNA. The volcano.

31. "__ Coy Mistress": Andrew Marvell poem : TO HIS. I'll let Clear Ayes comment.

33. Uffizi display : ARTE

34. "Big Love" actress Sevigny : CHLOE. Here she is. I like the name Chloe.

36. Asylum seeker : EMIGRE. Some lie to get accepted. Ex-IMF chief accuser, for example.

42. Gushed on stage : EMOTED

43. Massey of "Rosalie" : ILONA. She does resemble Dietrich, no?

44. Talk with one's hands : SIGN

45. Like days of yore : OLDEN

47. "Great shot!" : NICE

53. Professional pitcher? : AD MAN. One who pitches stuff. We've seen similar clue before.

55. Edit out : CUT

56. Comedian Hartman : PHIL

58. Excludes : OMITS

66. Chaplin's tramp, e.g. : PERSONA

67. Boorish sorts : CHURLS. And 3D. Dumbbells : OAFS

68. Non-specific : GENERAL

Down:

1. Out of the picture : ABSENT

2. Start up after a fire, say : REOPEN. Like a nightclub. I suppose.

4. Before : UNTIL

5. Tip for a writer? : NIB. "Writer" here refers to pen, correct? It writes.

6. __ gratiam habeamus: Kentucky's Latin state motto : DEO. "Let us be grateful". Unknown to me.

7. Boehner's predecessor : PELOSI (Nancy). Man, they often make me speechless, both.

8. Plays Simon says with : APES

9. Harley outings : RIDES. Here is Harley model Marisa Miller, who has the best abs in the world.

10. Got fed up? : ATE. Awesome clue.

11. Follow : DOG. Verb.

12. Texting exclamation : OMG

13. Cancels (out) : X'ES

18. Macabre master : POE. True.

22. Tepid response to "How's this?" : IT'LL DO

23. Tower (over) : LOOM

25. Home of Nationals pitcher Chien-Ming Wang : TAIWAN. He was with the Yankees for a few years.

26. Try to convince : URGE

27. PC key : CTRL

28. Nautical spine : KEEL

30. Passbook ID : ACCT NO. Wow, did not come to me readily.

32. Sonoran Desert resort city : SEDONA

35. Plot device? : HOE. Oh, garden plot.

37. Work wk. start : MON

38. Prefix with -zoic : MESO

39. "The Last King of Scotland" tyrant : AMIN

40. Lethargic : LOGY. Here it comes again.

41. Skelton persona Kadiddlehopper : CLEM

46. Not of the cloth : LAICAL. We see LAIC more often.

48. Standoffish one : ICICLE

49. Like Care Bears : CUTESY

50. "Avatar" extras : ETs

52. Ready and willing to do : UP FOR

54. Like a stick-in-the-mud : NO FUN. Nice answer.

57. '80s tennis great Mandlikova : HANA. Faintly rings a bell.

59. New Testament figure : MARK

60. Sticker stat : MPG

61. Shoe spec : EEE. Somehow I feel it's a cop-out to put SSS in the grid, but not EEE. Weird.

62. Coastal raptor : ERN

63. Prufrock poet's monogram : TSE (T.S. Eliot)

64. Cable sta. for vintage films : TCM

65. "Gotcha!" : OHO

Answer grid.

And yes, yesterday's mystery boy is Red State Democrat, Matt in real life. The photo was cropped due to my sensitivity towards a recent event. Maybe he will link the full photo in his own website someday.

C.C.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011 Jonathan Black

Theme: FLEA Market. Three entries have the hidden word "flea" spanning the words. Jonathan had his first puzzle on a Sunday LAT in January. I am here to blog his second offering of a weekday puzzle for us.

17A. Woods has often been atop it : GOLF LEADER BOARD. Tiger Woods is not playing lately, because of injuries. But there are still a lot of exciting players to watch. Darren Clarke was wonderful at "The Open".

26A. Hold one's nose, perhaps : STIFLE A SNEEZE. Achooo!

42A They're fun to jump in : PILES OF LEAVES. Not so much fun to rake...

55A. Pet owner's bane, and a hint to what's hidden in 17-, 26- and 42-Across : FLEA INFESTATION

I think it would have been more elegant to have the third "flea" entry be of the FL - EA separation. As it is, we have two with F-LEA and one with FLE-A. But how to do FL-EA? How about NFL EASILY ENDS NEGOTIATIONS??? YAAAAYY- we'll have football this year! DH is happy, because if there were no football I would have him doing all kinds of projects around the house...

Marti here, filling in for our Melissa. I am itching to get started on this one!

Across

1. People person : CELEB. "People" magazine. Unless you are Britney Spears, then you definitely don't like people, especially ones who want to take your picture...

6. Throw for a loop : FAZE. From Feese, 1350–1400; Middle English fese blast, rush, fesen to drive, chase, frighten.

10. Crew cut's opposite : AFRO. You be the judge. Opposite? Scroll down to see the explanation of Afro and crew cut.

14. Good on one's feet : AGILE. Like Mohammed Ali or his daughter Laila.

15. In __ of: as a substitute for : LIEU. You are getting me today, in LIEU of Melissa. Sorry!

16. Ring out : PEAL. I wanted to PEAL my orange this morning, and ring out my wet laundry. Oops, sorry. Just googled those, and it should be "peel" and "wring"...

20. Mass. hours : EST. Going to an all-girls Catholic school, "mass" hours to me meant 6 A.M. to 7 A.M., 9 A.M. to 10 A.M. and (for the really lazy ones) 11 A.M. to 12 noon!! But this clever clue abbreviates "Massachusetts", meaning Eastern Standard Time hours.

21. Food with a Veterinary Formula : IAMS. I feed my tubby tabbies Hills (low fat, "adult" diet).

22. Ungentle giants : OGRES. Oh, I dunno - Shrek seems like such a nice guy...

23. Cilantro, e.g. : HERB. Do you like it in salsa? DH, not so much...

24. Word on some euros : EIRE. For Ireland. I'll be darned - you're right!!

31. Power strip inserts : PLUGS. Or, "Talk show guest's blatant promotion(s)". (Would that be a plug for my Monday puzzle???)

32. It may be promised : LAND.

33. Dedicated work : ODE. (Although, I don't know how dedicated I can become to a Grecian urn. But, it might grow on me after a while, I guess...)

35. Justice appointed after Clarence : RUTH. Are we talking Clarence Thomas and Ruth Bader Ginsburg? Actually, I am not on a first name basis with either one of them. You?? Maybe Hahtool or Lemonade?

36. Religiously devoted : PIOUS. See 20A.

38. Go up the creek without a paddle? : SWIM. HaHa, loved this clue/answer.

39. Doggy bag item : ORT. Scrap or morsel of food left at the end of the meal. A very old origin of the English word "eat". Really. Look it up! (Do I have to do all the work around here???)

40. She had a big hit with "Thank You" in 2001 : DIDO. Our first musical interlude. I really didn't know her, but I like her voice a lot.

41. Prepares, as a hook : BAITS. We went camping a couple weeks ago, and went fishing off the kayaks. DH had to BAIT my hook...eeewwww, I cannot deal with worms!!

46. Ben-Gurion airline : EL AL. Crosswordese.

47. Toll-road toll unit : AXLE. On the MASS Pike, the charge is $5.10 for a passenger two-axle vehicle if you go from west to east, but $8.60 if you go from east to west. Huhhh????

48. Talk Like a Pirate Day cry : AARGH. Really, there is an "International Pirate Day" every September 19th. (Would I kid you???) (I'm putting it on my calendar...)

51. Thrift store stipulation : AS IS.

52. Counterterrorism org. : FBI

59. Case the joint, say : ABET. "Assisting in wrongdoing". Don't let the 52A catch you.

60. Plant used for first aid : ALOE. I slathered it on after our book club "day at the lake" last weekend!!

61. Blair's predecessor : MAJOR. Tony Blair, John Major. British Prime Ministers.

62. Tool used to create 42-Across : RAKE. I cry foul on this one: I really don't like a non-theme entry referring to a theme entry. But, that's just me...

63. "__ of Steel": '80s workout video : BUNS. I have this video...It didn't work...Don't waste your money...

64. Sudden increase : SPIKE. Like Viagra? ( I mean, sales...don't go getting all DF on me!)

DOWN

1. Hamster's home : CAGE. I was thinking of this handsome guy...

2. Prima donnas have big ones : EGOS.

3. Happy tune : LILT. So you won't be afraid...

4. Will Ferrell holiday comedy : ELF. OK, there is just too much good stuff here!!

5. Personal theology elements : BELIEFS.

6. Burn a dessert on purpose? : FLAMBE. At Brennan's in New Orleans, they do this on a regular basis to bananas...

7. Helps out : AIDS.

8. End of a common list : ZEE. A, Be, Zee?

9. It's W of the Urals : EUR. The Ural Mountains separate Asia from Europe. Map.

10. Orbital high point : APOGEE. Low point = Perigee.

11. More than just butterflies : FEAR. Moths? Bats? No, just that feeling in the pit of your stomach when you have to speak before an audience of 500....

12. "Still mooing," at a steakhouse : RARE. I like mine "medium rare"...

13. Bygone automaker : OLDS. Aptly.

18. Banjoist Scruggs : EARL. I always mix him up with Ernest Tubb.

19. Watching the clock, perhaps : BORED. Ho, hum. Is it 2 A.M. yet?

23. Above the strike zone : HIGH. I had a different clue for this one...

24. Biblical birthright seller : ESAU. You'll do anything if you are hungry enough. But giving away your heritage for a bowl of stew? Really?

25. Getaway spots : INNS

26. Suck down : SLURP. Fun word!

27. __-frutti : TUTTI.

28. Hard to get close to : ALOOF. Do you think I am like Greta Garbo? "I vant to be alone..." (Naaahhh, I didn't think so...)

29. "Yikes!" : ZOWIE. Wowzah! Another fun word!

30. Puts in a good word? : EDITS. HaHa, Rich always puts in a good word for his constructors!

31. Debate side : PRO. Or con: take your pick! Was anyone else on the debate team? I hated it when I had to argue for the side I was actually against. But I did it vehemently!

34. Miami couple? : EMS. Classic crossword question mark - should have alerted you to the two "ems" in MiaMi. I'm sure no one on this corner was fooled...

36. City on the Arno : PISA. "When the moooon hits your eye like a big Pisa pie..."

37. 1-Across, usually : IDOL. Britney Spears? ...Really???

38. Word processing command : SAVE.

40. Indian metropolis : DELHI. Vidwan can fill us in...

41. Aromatic firs : BALSAMS. The Balsams is a beautiful resort in NH.

43. Emissary : LEGATE. This sounds suspiciously legalese to me...Lemonade, Hahtool??

44. Misses : LASSES. Did anyone think faults, errors, craves, yearns, etc., etc.???

45. Escape hatch, e.g. : EXIT. Just don't leave HAL in charge...

48. Way, way off : AFAR

49. Jessica of "Fantastic Four" : ALBA. So pretty.

50. Stink to high heaven : REEK. I won't go there...

51. Long, long time : AEON

52. Pacific archipelago : FIJI

53. Volume : BOOK. Loud?

54. Memo header : IN RE. More legalese, "In the matter (of)". Not to be confused with another crosswordese fill, "INRI ", crucifix letters (Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum ). But, crosswordese actually helps me very much in solving puzzles, as I know immediately what the answer should be. And it often helps to fill those perps...

56. Catch red-handed : NAB.

57. Fever cause : FLU. I hope our dear Santa doesn't have a fever with his pesky summer cold...

58. Suds source : TAP. Oh, "beer", not "laundry". And now, I am all tapped out!!

Answer grid.

Hugs,

Marti

Note from C.C.:

Here is another "Hard to Believe" photo from a current blog regular with a cool colorful avatar name. He said: "This is a Halloween costume from when I was 10 years old. It was my foster father's uniform before he was promoted to Detective. It was taken 31 Oct 1978. "

The Man in Red, White and Blue

Our Curious Conundrums series continues.

I'd like to share with you "The Man in Red, White and Blue" Don "Hard G" created. The grid looks simple on the surface, but the gimmick he employs and the extra traps he places to deceive put lots of restrictions in the construction.

Let us know your solving experience.

Thanks.

C.C.

Puzzle:

Here is puz file (Across Lite).

Here is PDF.

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid with yellow highlight for the theme gimmick.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 Jeff McDermott

Theme: Toast Toppings - The four themes contain a synonym for that sweet spread you might slather on your toast. Two in front. Two in the back.

17A. Filled to capacity : JAM PACKED

27A. Certain wildlife refuge : STATE PRESERVE

47A. Hit from the "Moulin Rouge!" soundtrack : LADY MARMALADE. A unique version.(3:36)

62A. Spineless one : JELLYFISH

Argyle here, in the grip of a summer cold. Luckily I didn't have to think much on this one.

Across:

1. Aaron of Cooperstown : HANK. Cooperstown, NY, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

5. Fast ender : MEAL

9. Drink in a Dixie cup? : JULEP

14. Lotion additive : ALOE

15. ___ breve: 2/2 time : ALLA

16. Get under one umbrella, so to speak : UNITE

19. Panel member : JUROR

20. Soaking and relaxed : IN A TUB

21. One seeking repayment : CLAIMANT

23. Form W-4 fig. : SSN

24. NFL mike wearer : REF

26. Ballpark fig. : EST.

34. Annoying kid at the pool : SPLASHER

36. Catch, as a podcast : TUNE IN

37. Panache : ELAN

38. What a fluid oz. measures : LIQ.. Man, did I overthink this one.

40. Half of MCDII : DCCI. 1402/701

41. Geometry measure : LENGTH

44. Was in pain : SUFFERED

49. Ending with Cray : OLA. Oddly worded clue.

50. CBS's Rather : DAN

51. Shakespearean exclamations : AYs

54. Ticking danger : TIME BOMB

59. Summer pitcherful : ICE TEA

61. Stradivari's tutor : AMATI

64. Star in the same constellation as Betelgeuse : RIGEL

65. Latin 101 infinitive : ESSE

66. Collette of "United States of Tara" : TONI. United States of Tara (TV Series 2009– ) on Showtime. "A woman struggles to find a balance between her dissociative identity disorder and raising a dysfunctional family." Ms Collette has many looks so I'll link Google Images..

67. Ouzo flavoring : ANISE

68. White House maiden name : TODD. Mary Ann (née Todd) Lincoln.

69. Name-dropper, often : SNOB

Down:

1. Pilgrims to Mecca : HAJIS. Once again, wait for the perps to determine the spelling.

2. Greenspan and Turing : ALANS

3. Area of uncertainty : NO-MAN'S LAND

4. Held on to : KEPT

5. Shakespeare's shortest tragedy : MACBETH

6. Yellowstone grazer : ELK

7. Guinness of "Star Wars" : ALEC. Obi-Wan Kenobi.

8. Soup kitchen volunteer : LADLER. Dispensing the soup.

9. Martial art emphasizing throws : JUJITSU

10. Word on a dime : UNUM. E pluribus unum.

11. Pre-euro Italian currency : LIRA

12. Harrow rival : ETON. Eton College and Harrow School.

13. Cheeky : PERT

18. New Age-y emanations : AURAs

22. Words before "of rules" : A SET

25. Have a hunch : FEEL

28. Like some barbecue sauce : TANGY

29. Periscope part : PRISM

30. Wrapped up : ENDED

31. Hiking or biking : RECREATION

32. Nasty habit : VICE

33. Oklahoma city : ENID

34. Broker's order : SELL

35. Entreaty : PLEA

39. Four-sided campus space : QUAD

42. BlackBerry network choice : T-MOBILE

43. Saintly ring : HALO

45. Made things harder for the lifeguard : FLAILED

46. Ornate : FANCY

48. Engine for missiles : RAMJET

52. Like some easy questions : YES/NO

53. Indian honorific : SAHIB

54. O'Hara plantation : TARA. It was a different Tara (66-Across) but still....

55. "See you," in poker : "I'M IN"

56. Star-struck trio? : MAGI

57. Hot times in the cité : ÉTÉs. L'été dans la cité Clip.(2:03)

58. Anka's "Eso __" : BESO. How about "Eso Beso" but by Trombones Unlimited.(2:09)

60. Young newts : EFTs. Image.

63. Source of some '60s trips : LSD

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, July 25, 2011 Marti DuGuay-Carpenter

Theme: Shrinkage - No shrinking the theme. Three spanners and two almost, all starting with a word for size and in diminishing order. Note from Marti at the end.

17A. Winter Olympics event with gates : GIANT SLALOM RACE

23A. One stalking lions or tigers : BIG GAME HUNTER

38A. T-bone with a warm, red center : MEDIUM RARE STEAK

48A. Lass awed by the big city, maybe : SMALL TOWN GIRL

58A. He "runs through the town ... in his nightgown" : WEE WILLIE WINKIE

Argyle here. A fine job from Marti(HeartRx)

Across:

1. Burn badly : SCALD. With hot liquid or steam.

6. The lightning bolt on Harry Potter's forehead, e.g. : SCAR

10. Squirrel away : SAVE

14. "__ World": ticklish Muppet's "Sesame Street" segment : ELMO'S

15. Woody Guthrie's son : ARLO

16. Candy that comes in twos : TWIX. Image.

20. Invoice fig. : AMT. Amount.

21. Place for inks or oinks : PEN. Cute one.

22. Subtle vibes : AURAs

28. It.'s continent : EUR. Italy's/Europe.

29. Raw rocks : ORES

30. "Octopus's Garden" singer Ringo : STARR. And writer, too. Clip.(2:52)

33. Talk show guest's blatant promotion : PLUG

35. Swelled head : EGO

42. Colorful card game : UNO

43. Lends a hand to : AIDS

44. Lecture rooms : HALLS

45. Abel's assassin : CAIN

47. Jazzy horn : SAX

54. Bright : SMART

55. Sis's sib : BRO

56. IM offerer : AOL

63. Thomas __ Edison : ALVA

64. Tater __: Ore-Ida product : TOTS. Image.

65. Big tractor name : DEERE

66. Movie house suffix : PLEX. Used to indicate multiple screens.

67. Allergy trigger, often : DUST

68. Passover dinner : SEDER

Down:

1. Nintendo competitor : SEGA

2. Start up the mountain : CLIMB

3. Italian violin maker : AMATI

4. Chaney of horror : LON

5. "Spring ahead" hrs. : DST. Daylight Saving Time.

6. Witch trials town : SALEM

7. Whooping bird : CRANE

8. Entirely : ALL

9. Kanga's kid : ROO

10. Vain walks : STRUTS

11. In the loop : AWARE

12. Anglican parish priest : VICAR

13. Flames that have cooled? : EXES

18. Box for practice : SPAR

19. Horse's hair : MANE

24. Spice Girl Halliwell : GERI. Then and Now.

25. Ashram authority : GURU. Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage.

26. Store posting : HOURS

27. Craving : URGE

30. Sch. in Big D : SMU. Southern Methodist University - near the heart of Dallas.

31. Commandment count : TEN

32. Hubbub : ADO

33. Painting reproduction : PRINT

34. Schoolboy : LAD

35. Slippery fish : EEL

36. "For Me and My __" : GAL. Clip.(4:56) Gene Kelly, Judy Garland.

37. Gives the nod : OKs

39. Postal sackful : MAIL

40. Layered haircut : SHAG

41. Crosstown bus alternative : TAXI

45. Auto finish protection : CAR WAX

46. Height: Pref. : ALTItude

47. Chilly powder? : SNOW. Another cute one.

48. What the nose knows : SMELL

49. "Circle of Friends" writer Binchy : MAEVE. Why she looks like she would be right at home on the Corner. Image.

50. Newspaper bye lines? : OBITS

51. Seize (from) : WREST

52. Gathered, as fallen leaves : RAKED

53. Orléans's river : LOIRE. In the heart of France. Map.

54. Exchange : SWAP

57. Ogle : LEER

59. India Inc.? : LTD. A business incorporated under the laws of England, Wales, Scotland, Canada, other Commonwealth countries.

60. Gehrig who played with Ruth : LOU. Famous Yankees.

61. Credit card users may be asked for them, briefly : IDs

62. Society page word : NÉE

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from Marti:

This was the most difficult one I have constructed so far. I had five theme entries, each exactly three words, and they had to be used in a specific order. So, no swapping around theme entries to get better fill. Rich saw it and immediately wanted to use it on a Monday. So, a lot of the "Friday-ish" fill had to go. I ended up re-designing the grid more than eight times, to get a Monday-friendly fill.

Sunday July 24, 2011 Caleb Rasmussen

Theme: An Author Thing Coming - Punning on well-known author names.

26A People who recite "Jabberwocky" door-to-door during the holidays? : CHRISTMAS CARROLLERS. Christmas carolers. Lewis Carroll.

49A. Fictional tornado protection? : BAUM SHELTER. Bomb shelter. L Frank Baum: "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".

56A. Periods when Harry Potter books are unavailable? : ROWLING BLACKOUTS. Rolling blackouts. J. K. Rowling.

67A. "A Room of One's Own" writer wearing a wool sweater? : WOOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING. Wolf in sheep's clothing. Virginia Woolf.

84A. Medical procedure done while reading "The Outcasts of Poker Flat?" : OPEN HARTE SURGERY. Open heart surgery. Bret Harte.

95A. "Salomé" writer's pet? : WILDE ANIMAL. Wild animal. Oscar Wilde.

113A. Not as hard to pronounce as some 17th-century poetry? : EASIER SAID THAN DONNE. Easier said than done. John Donne.

I think this is Caleb Rasmussen's debut LAT. Congratulations!

The first theme answer confused me. Why not CHRISTMAS CARROLL for theme consistency? All the others have the author names. Am I missing something?

Across:

1. Guadalajara gal pal : AMIGA. Alliteration.

6. Determined by the stars, as time : SIDEREAL. Strange looking word.

14. Music box? : CD CASE. Nice clue.

20. Indiana's senior senator : LUGAR (Dick)

21. Pre-fight steps? : WAR DANCE

22. Eavesdropper, say : HEARER. Sometimes you just need a cringy fill.

23. Reason for a market recall : E. COLI

24. Totaled, with "to" : AMOUNTED

25. Home of big-eared elephants : AFRICA

29. Name of 13 popes : LEO

30. Match part : SET. Tennis.

31. Disney lioness : NALA."The Lion King".

32. Gp. jet-setters stand in line to see? : TSA. Fun clue.

35. Miles per hour, e.g. : RATE

38. Stick in : ADD. Needed Dummy Dennis to explain this clue for me. Sometimes simple things stymie me.

41. Applies lightly : DABs

44. Betrays : RATS OUT

46. For K-12 use : EL-HI. El(mentary)-Hi(gh). It's here to stay.

47. Lows in a field : MOOs

51. One of a Vegas pair : DIE. Singular of dice.

52. Feverish fits : AGUEs

54. Apt. units : RMs

55. Stuffed grape-leaf dish : DOLMA. I've only had stuffed banana-leaf dish.

62. More than tear up : WEEP

63. Allen or Frome : ETHAN

64. Prepare for takeoff : TAXI

65. Helpful connections : INs

77. Lennon lover : ONO

78. Phillies catcher Carlos : RUIZ. Here he is. Not as cool as Joe Mauer.

79. Ear-related : AURAL

80. Russian car : LADA. And 59D. 1980s-'90s Olds : CIERA. Ask Argyle if you have any car questions.

90. Them, with "the" : ENEMY

92. Appomattox loser : LEE

93. Highlights segment : RECAP

94. Small belt : NIP. Oh, that belt.

99. Closed : SHUT

100. Vital part : PITH

101. "Can we proceed?" : IS IT A GO. Yes!

102. Smell : ODOR

104. "No seats" sign : SRO (Standing Room Only)

105. Victrolas, e.g. : RCAs

106. D.C. VIP : SEN

107. Better part of a loaf? : HALF. "Half a loaf is better than none".

109. Guitar great Paul : LES. Both Splynter & Al play guitar.

111. Super Mario Galaxy 2 console : WII

122. Dashingly? : AT A RUN. Couldn't parse my answer.

124. Broadly and happily : EAR TO EAR

125. Out on a limb : TREED

126. Steppes settlers : TATARs

127. Most suave : URBANEST

128. Square things : ATONE. Square is verb here.

129. Lace place : EYELET

130. Expresses opposition : DISSENTS

131. Lost cause : GONER

Down:

1. Smart fellow? : ALEC

2. Little's opposite : MUCH

3. Stereotypical lab assistant : IGOR. "Young Frankenstein".

4. Name on Pisa's airport : GALILEI. Galileo Galilei Airport.

5. Get up : ARISE

6. Stroked : SWAM

7. "__ Rock": 1966 hit : I AM A

8. Inferior material : DROSS

9. Brought out : EDUCED

10. Accumulated charges : RAN A TAB

11. __'acte : ENTR

12. Excellent server : ACER. Rich never clues this as the computer brand. Don't know why.

13. Tricked : LED ON

14. Braided bread : CHALLAH. Faintly recall Clear Ayes likes this eggy bread.

15. Vanquished : DEFEATED

16. Mystery writer John Dickson __ : CARR

17. Teacher of Alexander the Great : ARISTOTLE

18. You may be asked to hold on for one : SEC. Hold on a sec.

19. Period : ERA

27. Without exception : TO A MAN

28. Metallica drummer Ulrich : LARS. No idea. I'm sure it's a gimme for Red State Democrat.

33. Defiant challenge : SUE ME

34. "It's __!": warning shout : A TRAP

35. Sketched over : RE-DREW

36. San Francisco mayor, 1968-'76 : ALIOTO (Joseph). Tough to spell.

37. "My Generation" band : THE WHO

39. Rapper Snoop __ : DOGG

40. Misgivings : DOUBTs

42. Dogwood cover, aptly : BARK. Another fun clue.

43. Contest in a dohyo : SUMO. Dohyo is sumo ring. New to me also.

45. Decelerate : SLOW

48. Repeated word in Psalms : SELAH

50. East Lansing sch. : MSU

53. __-Coburg: former Bavarian duchy : SAXE

57. Kobe's team, on scoreboards : LAL. Bill G's LA Lakers.

58. Dope : INFO

60. Up to, in ads : TIL

61. __-cone : SNO

66. Night sight : STAR

68. Rescuer of Odysseus : INO. Drew a blank.

69. Queue before Q : NOP. Alphabet.

70. Siamese sign of contentment : PURR

71. Places : SITEs

72. Pole neighbors : CZECHs

73. Affectionate gesture : HUG. Can you imagine meeting with Marti for the first time?

74. Peaceful : IRENIC

75. Japan Airlines hub : NARITA. This could be a problem for some.

76. Pictographs : GLYPHs

80. "Mere Christianity" author : LEWIS. C. S. Lewis.

81. Licorice-flavored seed : ANISE

82. Describe pictorially : DELINEATE

83. Bill of Rights part: Abbr. : AMDT. OK, amendment.

85. Samuel's teacher : ELI

86. Nautilus captain : NEMO

87. Move (toward) : HEAD

88. Dino's tail? : SAUR. Dinosaur.

89. Like Harlem in Manhattan, say : UPTOWN

91. Sarcastic reply : YEAH SURE

96. Touching : AGAINST

97. Florida State player, familiarly : NOLE. No idea. Short for Seminole?

98. Flirtatious adolescents : LOLITAs. Hi Jeannie!

100. Before : PRIOR TO

103. Fixed up : RE-DONE

108. Slip eponym : FREUD

110. Dutch painter Jan : STEEN

112. Collar accessory for Fido : ID TAG

114. Asian sea : ARAL

115. Indian wrap : SARI

116. Wall St. traders : ARBs (Arbitragers)

117. "And __ thou slain the Jabberwock?" : HAST

118. Skills : ARTS

119. Sign gas : NEON

120. Hawaii's state bird : NENE. Do you know what is Minnesota's mushroom?

121. Linda of Broadway's "Jekyll & Hyde" : EDER. Forgot also. Here she is.

122. Consumed : ATE

123. Scotland's longest river : TAY. River Tay.

Answer grid.

Saturday's "Hard to Believe" adventurer is Sallie.

C.C.

Saturday, July 23, 2011 Barry Silk

Saturday Silkie

Theme: None

Words: 72

Blocks: 28

Well, now, what a stark change from last week's offering - IMHO. I seemed to sail through this one, with a LOT of WAGs, and just a few gaffes. Yet another Barry Silk Saturday - I think he might have more than any other constructor. Triple stacks in a pinwheel fashion again, with a grouping of unique answers in the NE corner -

5. They're waved : MAGIC WANDS - I am in no hurry to see the final installment of Harry Potter, despite having read all the books, and being a huge fan

16. Much of it is shipped via the Strait of Hormuz : IRANIAN OIL - map, here - top right

18. Critical period : CRUNCH TIME - the Eleventh hour, the Two-minute warning, etc.; for me, Crunch Time is 9am, trying to get 30+ trucks rolling for "timely" parcel delivery


ACROSS:

1. __ Cup: Canadian football trophy : GREY - I prefer the Stanley Cup

15. Sound detected with a stethoscope : RALE - BEAT, no, RASP, no....

17. What injured parties may try to get : EVEN

19. Gumshoe : TEC - DeTECtive

20. Walked : TROD

21. "It will be fair weather: for the sky __": Matthew : IS RED

22. Gallery event : ART SHOW - nailed it

24. Like some candle scents : PINY - looks funny, to me

26. Bach, e.g. : GERMAN

27. Reasonable : SANE - I had FINE first, as in "Gimme $10 for it? - that's FINE"

28. Dave Matthews Band label : RCA

31. Lander at Orly : AVION - French for aeroplane, found this in my search

32. Library supporter? : BOOKSHELF - nailed it, great clue/ans

34. "Little Caesar" gangster : RICO - been in a few puzzles recently, right?

35. They extract oxygen from water : GILLS

36. With 40-Across, nocturnal noisemaker : HOOT ; 40. See 36-Across : OWL - can't help it - I'll take #3, keep the beer....

37. "Help!" predecessor : BEATLES VI - Contained "Eight Days a Week", the only song I recognize

39. Viking language : NORSE

41. Fleshy-leaved plant : ALOE - WAG, but a four-letter plant in a CW?

42. Blackmailer : GOUGER

43. Part of NBA: Abbr. : ASSN - had NAT'L to start

44. Bridge units : TETRADS - group of four, not necessarily in bridge

45. Unalaska denizen : ALEUT - WAG - map - bottom left

48. See : DATE

49. Govt.'s Laboratory of Hygiene, now : NIH - National Institute of Health - also been popular lately

50. Ancient rock engraving : PETROGLYPH - nailed it, but I am a big fan of "Ancient Aliens" on the History Channel, and they talk about these all the time

53. Gershon of film : GINA - this fine lady

54. City near Randolph Air Force Base : SAN ANTONIO, Texas

55. Sea of __, shallowest in the world : AZOV - still, at 46ft, it's pretty deep - map

56. Colorful : OPALESCENT

57. Pool member : GENE

DOWN:

1. "Ninotchka" star : GRETA GARBO - All "guy" links today, so I will add some balance

2. Pan's opposite : RAVE REVIEW - how does my hunk pic do?

3. Outlet type : ELECTRICAL

4. Itch : YEN

5. .000001 meters : MICRON

6. Mall map symbol : ARROW - as in "You Are Here"

7. Showy trinket : GAUD - and hence, "GAUDy"

8. Place to retire : INN

9. Title spelled out in Art. 2 of the U.S. Constitution : C.I.C. - Commander In Chief, the POTUS - President of the United States

10. Surfer girls : WAHINES - pronounced "wah-hee-nee", it's a Hawaiian boy or girl; slang it's a surfer girl - I would guess the equivalent of a "Tom Boy"

11. Restless : ANTSY

12. Film __ : NOIR

13. Olive branch site : DIME - Drinks are $1.10 in the vending machines as UPS, so I bring a pocketful of dimes with me to work

14. Winter scene staple : SLED

20. Comparison word : THAN

23. 1930 tariff act co-sponsor : SMOOT - and some interesting history here

24. Philadelphia suburb : PAOLI - Pennsylvania - map

25. Pens' contents : INKS - had the K from "Bookshelf", so it wasn't "PIGS"

27. Unravel : SOLVE - the 'good' kind of unravel - this puzzle, not your sweater

28. Overhaul : REORGANIZE

29. Got ready to trap : CLOSED IN ON

30. Occasional stinger : AFTERSHAVE - not gonna link it....

32. Nomadic grazers : BISON

33. Time to attack : H-HOUR - like D-Day

35. Stylist's stock : GELS

38. Warning to an overindulgent bar customer : LAST ONE - or it can lead to drunken bar brawls

39. Bank robber's aid : NOTE - a .45 comes in handy, too

42. Break 90, say : GET HOT - despite hitting 100° here yesterday, I was thinking about a low golf score, aided by 44D

43. Acoustic : AURAL - I have an article that describes Blue Öyster Cult as "Aural Liquid Plumbr"

44. Green stroke : TAP-IN - Putting green

45. Lhasa __ : APSO - cute

46. Spring : LEAP

47. 1928 destroyer of the village of Mascali : ETNA - WAG

48. Physics unit : DYNE

51. Sporty cars : GTs

52. __ cit. : LOC - Legal term; I defer to the Legal Firm of "Dewey, Cheatem & Howe"

53. __ order : GAG - more legalese

Answer grid.

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

Here is another mysterious "Hard to Believe" picture from a blog regular. One hint: Egypt 1993.

Friday July 22, 2011 David Poole

Theme: "Oh, S**T !" The S and T in common phrases are swapped, to make whacky phrases with funny new meanings.

18A. Scene in "The Hustler"? : FATS BREAKS. I wonder if this was the seed entry, as the movie is about "FaST Eddie" wanting to beat Minnesota "FaTS". The "break" is the first shot at the rack of balls in billiards. A "fast break" is an offensive strategy in basketball, where the offensive team rushes up the court, leaving the defense no time to arrange their positions.

23A. Adam's apples? : EATS OF EDEN. Ok, this one made me chuckle, too. I hope Adam knew what he was getting into! The movie "East of Eden", starring James Dean, was one of his most brilliant performances, IMO.

38A. Tubby tabbies? : BROAD CATS. And LOL at this one, as my two tubby tabbies are sitting at my feet. Of course, many of us listen to a daily "broadcast" of news, weather, etc. This entry was my one "meh", as "broadcast" is one word, while the theme entry breaks it into two. (O.K. Lemonade, I KNOW I am nit-picking, but that's what a critic does...)

52A. Visitors to the Winter Palace? : TSAR GAZERS. The first paparazzi? "Star gazers" would be our own Spitzboov and Bill G., if I am not mistaken?

58A. Tusk warmers? : IVORY COATS. So, why would an elephant in Africa need a coat? With the temps in the 90s and above, I would think they'd need air conditioning! (Like most of us, this week.) The "Ivory Coast"(or, Côte d'Ivoire, for all you Francophiles) is our one geography lesson for today...

Marti here, with a really fun Friday puzzle, with some great stuff. So, let's get to it!

Across:

1. Penicillin source : MOLD. Eeewww...Alexander Fleming, get that old bread out to the trash, this instant!

5. Wee bit : ATOM

9. "The Maltese Falcon" actress : ASTOR. Mary Astor was Humphrey Bogart's femme fatale in the 1941 version. But does anyone remember the 1931 version with Bebe Daniels in that role? (Didn't think so...)

14. Say it's so : AVER. Does anyone else pause and think "Is it aver...or avow?"

15. 1970 N.L. batting champ Carty : RICO. O.K., C.C., take it awaaaay...

16. Gather : GLEAN. I gather you all got this one, right?

17. Debussy's dream : REVE. Wonderful clue, as Debussy was French, and "Reve" (which means "dream", in French) was one of his important piano solo compositions. Beautiful, but I prefer La Mer...(and, since I am blogging, that is what you are going to get!)

20. Not wilted : CRISP. My gardens are not looking very "crisp" right now, with all the heat. (Then again, neither am I...)

22. In the future : AHEAD

26. Duchamp genre : DADA. OK, if Marcel Duchamp can take a urinal and make it into art, then LA DA DA for him!!

30. Orlon, for one : ACRYLIC. "Orlon, rayon, nylon...wait for the perps..." Ooops! this one clues the synthetic polymer fiber! Why didn't he just go with "Fake nails"???

31. Hot and humid : TROPIC. So, do they need COATS there?

33. "A Challenge for the Actor" author Hagen : UTA. Does anyone remember her role in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf"?

34. Grover's veep : ADLAI. Stevenson.

37. Correspond : AGREE.

40. Faith symbolized by a nine-pointed star : BAHÁ' Í . Did not know this - relied on perps.

43. Blemish : TAINT. ("T'aint necessarily so...")

44. Off-rd. transport : ATV. All Terrain Vehicle.

47. "The Tempest" king : ALONSO. Shakespeare 101...

49. Canal problem : EARACHE. Ear canal, not the Suez...

51. Even : TIED

55. Gives off : EMITS

57. Provide with lodging : PUT UP. (Or shut up!)

63. Sommelier's selection : ROSÉ . I was the sommeliere at a local restaurant for years, and never once suggested a rose!

64. Plum tomatoes : ROMAS. Yummm...

65. Lima's home : OHIO.

66. Start of an intermission? : ENTR' acte. French for "between the acts".

67. Apprehension : ANGST. I have a lot of angst when I blog...something about that debacle when the site went down as I was doing my first blog...

68. Mr. Potato Head piece : LIPS. Oh yeeessss!!! I've waited to use this video...

69. Mtg. : SESS. (Session)

DOWN:

1. His clown alter ego was Bip : MARCEAU. Marcel, the great mime.

2. Be heavy-handed, in a way : OVERACT. Hmmm, heavy handed?

3. Viagra competitor : LEVITRA. OK, I know nothing about these two pharmaceuticals. Anyone have experience? Anyone?...

4. Stylish : DRESSY.

5. Response from 24-Down : ARF. Or 38A, "Meow!!"

6. Familia member : TIA. Italian. "Aunt" (as in, "Tia Maria")

7. The planets, e.g. : OCTAD. OK, we have had "Holst" with his "septad" movement suite, and the old "nonad", (which included Pluto)...so now we are at octad???

8. Arens of Israel : MOSHE

9. Pearl Mosque setting : AGRA. a.k.a the "Taj Mahal"

10. Northerners with a lot of pull? : SLED DOGS. Fun clue. But, the problem with riding in the sled, is that you always have the same view...

11. Mad Hatter's offering : TEA

12. Iowa's state tree : OAK. Duh, three letters - oak, or elm??

13. Hosp. workers : RNS.

19. Proclivity : BENT. Is this common? "I have a bent for sarcasm..."

21. Part of the Little Dipper's handle : POLARIS. Spitzboov, Bill G. ? Help me out here?

24. Rover's pal : FIDO.

25. Fanfare : ÉCLAT.

27. Abbr. in car ads : APR. Annual Percentage Rate.

28. Gaming cube : DIE. Singular of "dice".

29. Roy Halladay or the Red Baron : ACE. Roy Halladay pitched the 20th perfect game in MLB history. The Red Baron was a different, "flying" ace.

32. Fleabag : RAT TRAP. Ever stay at a rat-trap hotel?

35. Nabokov novel : ADA

36. More unfriendly : ICIER. I could do with someone icier tonight - IT's HOT!!!

38. Voice of Puss in Boots in "Shrek" sequels : BANDERAS. Antonio.

39. Cheaters, to teachers: Abbr. : ANAG. "Cheaters" is an anagram of "Teachers".

40. It may be held by one on deck : BAT

41. Thrilla in Manila winner : ALI. Muhammed Ali...who could forget that fight with Joe Frazier?

42. Gardening aid : HOE

44. Nail polish remover ingredient : ACETONE. For those fake acrylic nails...

45. Fencing moves : THRUSTS. Ooooh, I could get DF with this one...

46. Evening service : VESPERS. ...but this one brought me back to my Catholic upbringing.

48. Suffix with psych : OTIC. Narc-, acid-, er-....

50. Common blues : AZURES

53. Bar goer's option : STOOL. I don't even want to mention what I thought when I filled this in...

54. Popular Japanese beer : ASAHI

56. Games magazine's 1994 Game of the Year : MYST. I spent many hours with that game. Anyone else?

58. Author Levin : IRA

59. Word in many German names : VON

60. Online "Yikes!" : OMG. Has anyone seen the billboard with the cracked glass and blood stains, with the title "OMG - Get the message. Texting while driving is a deadly distraction"?

61. Thing that comes to those who wait : TIP. I really chuckled at this one - waiters and waitresses just WAIT for those tips!

62. "Mamma Mia!" song : SOS. Sorry, I have to leave you with Abba singing this one...

Answer grid.

Hugs to all from Marti!

Note from C.C.:

1) Yesterday's mystery boy is Bill G. Email me crosswordc@gmail.com if you have any "Hard to Believe" pictures to share.

2) Lemonade will be back blogging next Friday.

Thursday July 21, 2011 Claiborne Thompson

Theme: Smell the Cork - A wine quip puzzle.

17A. Start of a quip : I LIKE TO COOK

25A. Quip, part 2 : WITH WINE,

32A. Quip, part 3 : SOMETIMES

46A. Quip, part 4 : I EVEN PUT

52A. End of quip : IT IN THE FOOD

Hello Everyone. Boomer here, sitting in for Al, who is taking the next few months off due to extra workload.

I understand the quip, my sisters live in the wine country of Northern California. I stayed in the Scandinavian heartland, and no matter how much wine you put on the lutefisk, or drink with the eelpout, you will never improve the taste.

Across:

1. Grafton's "A" : ALIBI - "A" Is for Alibi.

6. Mill fill : GRIST - You can use the grist with Coors Light to make batter for that lutefisk.

11. Witchy woman : HAG - "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!"

14. Aristotle forte : LOGIC

15. Major outlet : AORTA - I think more of an artery. An outlet is a store that sells last year's stuff for half price, or the thing on the kitchen wall into which you plug your toaster.

16. Chemical ending : IDE - Aristotle says this clue is logical

19. Lot : TON -

20. First name in hair products : VIDAL - I first thought of ESTEE. Pass the White Out.

21. Spanish possessive : NUESTRO Never cared much for foreign words in puzzles

23. Like the 4-Down in a 1960 chart-topper : TEENIE - This took a while to get. "One, Two, Three, Four, tell the people what she wore."

26. Bear : BRUIN - Chicago NFLers may not compare to Boston's hockey team.

27. Champagne designation : SEC - Champagne is home to the Fighting Illini. They're in the Big Ten, not the SEC.

28. "them" author : OATES. Joyce Carol Oates.

29. Payoff : SOP - Sorry, I don't get this on at all.

30. Acquire : GET

31. Word in a current account? : AMPERE - Now we're talking electricity, just don't plug it in to your AORTA.

35. Take willingly : ACCEPT

38. Dreyer's partner in ice cream : EDY - They don't make sugar free.

39. River wriggler : EEL - Don't cook them in wine, it won't help

42. Don't just want : CRAVE

43. Top-secret org. : NSA

44. PETCO Park player : PADRE Who was Jack Murphy and what happened to him?

48. Hawks' homes : AERIES - I thought only eagles built aeries. The Hawks home is Atlanta.

49. Outclassed by a large margin, as competitors : DWARFED - "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work we go"

50. You are, in Yucatán : ESTAS - Another foreign word - Yuc

51. Mid-seventh-century date : DCL - Anyone this old would not be much of a date.

56. Deborah's "The King and I" costar : YUL - Shaved his head before Michael Jordan made it stylish.

57. Thumbs-up person, perhaps : RATER - Or maybe sizes ripe olives.

58. "Amazing" magician : RANDI - Again I'm lost. David Copperfield nor Criss Angel would fit.

59. Ike's WWII domain : ETO

60. Alex's mom on "Family Ties" : ELYSE - I remember her in "Bridgette Loves Bernie"

61. Words of reassurance : IT'S OK - Thank you

Down:

1. Poetic pugilist : ALI - "The Greatest" self acclaimed

2. Online chuckle : LOL

3. "Tell me already" : I GIVE UP - or "Holler Uncle!!"

4. See 23-Across : BIKINI - I know it was a yellow polka dot one, but I never knew if the polka dots were yellow, or if it was yellow with a different color dots.

5. Stranded in winter, perhaps : ICED-IN - Oh Oh, you may have to get a filet of lutefisk out of the freezer.

6. Reading pen? : GAOL. Reading Gaol, prison in England.

7. Fabled flier : ROC

8. Like many "Twilight Zone" episodes : IRONIC - I thought it might be SciFis.

9. Pub choice : STOUT - Also a college in Menomonie WI.

10. Pay after taxes : TAKE HOME - It keeps getting smaller, and hopefully you still have a home.

11. Member of an ancient Asia Minor empire : HITTITE - I have heard of them, but whenever I see the word in print, I always think of a pitch, High and Tight.

12. Beautifier : ADORNER

13. Columbus, by birth : GENOESE

18. __ Bo : TAE - Could have asked for the initials of the guy who invented uses for 31 Across

22. Exchanges : SWAPS - Also a Kentucky Derby Winner in 1955 under Willie Shoemaker. Held off favorite Nashua at Churchill Downs.

23. "Conan" channel : TBS _ The commercials tell you - "TBS - very funny". Sorry that's an oxymoron. If Conan was funny, he's still be on NBC.

24. Handel cantata "__ e Leandro" : ERO

25. Least arid : WETTEST

27. Go out with : SEE - And have fun, as long as your date isn't 650 years old.

30. It's eight hours later than PST : GMT - Greenwich Mean Time. I always thought mean time was when your alarm clock goes off.

31. Singer Grant : AMY - I first thought of Gogi and her one hit "The Wayward Wind".

32. Cut : SEVER

33. Forest safety concern : OPEN FIRE - Smokey the Bear (or Bruin) is on the lookout. There's a wonderful statue in International Falls, MN.

34. Actress Lupino : IDA - Famous in crosswords as well as movies and TV roles. I remember her mostly with her then husband Howard Duff in a TV show, Mr. Adams and Eve.

35. Wool-coloring agent : ACID DYE Not familiar with this, sounds dangerous. I think I'll keep my sweaters the color that they came in.

36. Close-cropped hair style : CREW CUT - Military hairstyles are making a comeback.

37. Italian horse : CAVALLO - Another one of those foreign words.

39. Inventing family : EDISONS - And here's another tie in to the outlet and ampere.

40. Prior to : ERE

41. French article : LES

43. Feature of one who is barely sleeping? : NUDITY - What can I say, clever clue, got me.

44. "Great" czar : PETER I

45. Former PLO leader : ARAFAT

47. Corolla part : PETAL - If this a Toyota Corolla, then the answer would be PEDAL.

48. Pompeii burier : ASH - This clue threw me. Ash is a common word, I could think of a more common clue. Oh well.

50. French 101 verb : ETRE

53. Nintendo's Super __ : NES - Mario did not fit. NES is an acronym for something

54. Meter lead-in : ODO

55. Hägar creator Browne : DIK - Unusual spelling makes him a favorite of crosswords. He also teamed with Mort Walker on Beetle Bailey - one of my favorites.

Answer grid.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

Here are two more wonderful "Hard to Believe" photos from another blog regular. Both taken by his father. And the boy is ??? (Answer: Bill G.)