Saturday, September 3, 2011 Barry C. Silk

Saturday Silk ~!

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks:27

A grid of triple sevens in each quadrant, and two 14-letter spanners, one of which may possibly be our constructor's seed entry;

19. 1966 Candlestick Park highlight : BEATLES CONCERT - their last live commercial concert; I knew the Giants of baseball played here; more from Wiki, very interesting

55. Subject of an annual contest held in Brooklyn : NATHANS HOT DOGS - a half-WAG for me, since I have heard of the contest at Coney Island; more Wiki

Onward~!

ACROSS:

1. Name thought to mean "father of many" : ABRAHAM - Took me a minute

8. Like Rubens : FLEMISH - was thinking cheesy, gooey, etc.

15. Song title words after "The future's not ours to see" : QUE SERA - "what will be, will be"

16. Novel genre : ROMANCE - nailed it

17. 20th-century Riyadh-born ruler : IBN SAUD - I had the _B_, so I WAGed the IBN part, and Riyadh is in SAUDia Arabia

18. Axes to grind : AGENDAS

21. Pier gp. : ILWU - I knew it was longshoremen, but the "W" part stumped me - the International Longshore and Warehouse Union

22. Correct : EDIT

23. "I give up!" : DUNNO - slang for "Don't know"

24. Inclement weather sounds : PEALS - of thunder

26. Early L.A. Times publisher Harrison Gray __ : OTIS - didn't know him; this little block did me in today, with 31A and 20D; had to switch to red-letter

28. Acronymous gun : STEN - just had this yesterday; acronymous means from the initial letters (acronym); the gun's designer's names

29. Old Turkish leader : SULTAN

31. "The Curse of Capistrano" hero : ZORRO - DAD GUM~!, shoulda know this one

33. Small missions? : OPS - Military OPerationS, small meaning abbr.

34. Baseball glove part : WEB - finger, thumb, heel, palm - AH - web

36. Theoretical extreme : Nth

37. Health facility : SPA

40. Not at all active : INERT - like atoms

42. Mainline? : AORTAL

44. Ride : SPIN - as in, "go for a _ "

47. Stiff : TAUT

49. Close call : SCARE

50. They're involved in joints : ULNAS - a break from "radius neighbor"; image

52. Old pol. divisions : SSRs - Soviet Socialist Republics

54. Emmy-winning NFL analyst Collinsworth : CRIS

58. Suppress : SQUELCH - great word, sounds suppressive

59. Ambushed : WAYLAID - I thought this was way-laYED, but I am wrong

61. "1984" superstate : EURASIA - I guessed OCEANIA, good enough to get started; 1984, the novel by George Orwell, and his "Big Brother" government - Wiki

62. Son of Aaron : ELEAZAR

63. Arrival time for the fashionably late? : TEN-PAST

64. Diminishes : LESSENS

DOWN:

1. EPA stat : AQI - just had this one, as well, last Friday - Air Quality Index

2. Aptly named soda brand : BUBBLE-UP - short history; and, 43D. Pops since 1905 : RC COLAs - Royal Crown

3. Circulation measure : RENEWALS - Not sure if this was referring to blood, or magazines before I got it

4. Charge : ASSAULT

5. Wave makeup : HEAT - I had "FANS" to start, like the stadium wave; HEAT WAVE, meh

6. "Any fool can make __": Thoreau : A RULE - it rhymes

7. Squeaked by : MADE DO - not EKED

8. Small part : FRACTION - thought this might be "walk-on" or cameo related, as in acting

9. Wikipedia's globe, e.g. : LOGO


10. Correct : EMEND

11. Nick of "Heartbreakers" : MANCUSO - seems a bit vague; more here

12. Move from the edge : INDENT - like paragraphs

13. "The Odds Against Me" autobiographer John : SCARNE - magician, and a card counting thing; the Wiki

14. 1956 Moses player : HESTON

20. __ bath : SITZ - got me; and I have not heard of these; uh, sounds like it makes sense

21. __ facto : IPSO - Latin

25. Shortened, in a way : SAWN - had MOWN to start

27. Certain Eur. miss : SRTA - ugh, had ELLE, ETTE, ETTA....

30. Old Nair alternative : NEET

32. Density symbols, in physics : RHOs

35. Military bigwig : BRASS HAT

37. Daydream : STARGAZE - a bit meh

38. Sartre, for one : PARISIAN

39. They may be brown or pale : ALES

40. Not stacked : IN A HEAP - I pictured pancakes "in a heap"

41. Rear : TUSH - backside, derriere, bum, bottom

44. Final stage, as of a career : SUNSET - SWAN SONG was too long

45. Memorial tablet : PLAQUE

46. How batters must bat : IN TURN - more baseball

48. Gardening gadget : TROWEL - masonry gadget, too

51. Hot stuff : SALSA

53. Old : STALE

56. CBS maritime drama : NCIS

57. Hair treatments : DYES

60. J et al. : DRs - Dr. J, Julius Erving, basketball fame

Answer grid.

Splynter

Friday, September 2, 2011 Pancho Harrison

Theme: These PUNS really raised my IRE. Each phrase is a sound alike of a common phrase with a word rhyming with the "IRE" replaced with a homonym. Really very clever, with the first three in the first word and the remaining two changing the second word. I have a soft spot for Mr. Harrison as he was our first LA Times constructor when the change was made, and his interview warned of his interest in music and puns, both of which make this a Friday delight. Lemonade back again, and found this a real treat, inspiring many musical links (remember, you do not have to click all of them, just the ones you want) and some fun stuff. let us see where we go. Oh Pancho!

17A. Sign some new sluggers? : HIRE POWER. HIGHER Power, like a deity, unlike the Indians getting Jim Thome back from the Twins.

24A. Henna and such? : DYER NEEDS. DIRE Needs. Henna makes hair red for you boys.

40A. Stand-up gig for Richard?: PRYOR ENGAGEMENT. PRIOR Engagement. My favorite pun in the puzzle, not just because of the wit of this COMEDIAN (please do not link if you are offended by profanity) but the humor within humor is appealing.

50A. Instrument in need of cleaning?: DIRTY LYRE. Dirty LIAR. Ok, I lied, this is my favorite.

64A. Augustine, for one?: DEEP FRIAR. Deep FRYER. Another witty pun with the deep thinking St. Augustine compared to a turkey fryer.

ACROSS:

1. Some rentals, in ads: APTS.

5. "Gimme just __": A SEC. Really, what can you do in a second?

9. Chew the scenery: EMOTE, ham it up so to speak.

14. Aquatic bird: COOT. In the rail family, strictly by perps for me.

15. Rowlands of "Gloria": GENA, a fine actress who appeared in this odd mob MOVIE.

16. Deteriorate: DECAY.

19. Word with time and space: WASTE. No need to comment, it would be a....

20. __ nous: ENTRE. French lesson: Between Us.

21. Like some nests: EMPTY. My boys have been gone for 4 years.

23. Wartime submachine guns: STENS. The British weapon along with the BREN; crosswordese. Why is it "SUB" machine?

29. Giant legend: OTT. By far the most famous baseball player in puzzledom and two time home run king of the National League.

31. Nagpur native: INDIAN. Really? Seemed too easy.

32. Granola grain: OAT.

35. 1805 Vienna premiere: EROICA; originally Beethoven's Third Symphony was written as a tribute to Napoleon Bonaparte, but the name was changed when Napoleon like Julius Caesar before him, declared himself Emperor.

39. Lambs: Lat.: AGNI. We are more used to the single "lamb" in AGNUS DEI.

43. Old wrap: TOGA. Gee, speaking of Caesar...

44. Original Speed Stick maker: MENNEN. Does someone else make it now?

45. Children's author Asquith: ROS; this was my obscure clue of the day, but it Friday and the perps were there, so I pass. Apparently a cartoonist as well, in England. Nice Cuppa?

46. Composer/violinist who taught Menuhin: ENESCO, luckily Devin studied Violin for a few years so I know this name and Yehudi.

48. U.S. Army E-5: SGT.

54. Sci-fi character whose first name, Nyota, was first revealed in film in 2009: UHURA.

58. Did a little courting: COOED. Don't you all love puzzles that have COOT and COOED both?

59. Like some denim jackets: LINED. For you of the Northern persuasion.

60. Flop with fins: EDSEL. Fond childhood Memory.

66. Best Actress nominee for "Ordinary People": MOORE. Put this MOVIE on your Netflix, I forgot how good it was.

67. Miss Megley's charge, in a Salinger story: ESME. With Love and Squalor, JD stood for Jerome David.

68. Lavish affection DOTE. Lavish the verb, not the adjective.

69. 1830s revolution site: TEXAS.

70. Grand jeté, e.g.: LEAP. A particular ballet move.

71. Go bananas: SNAP. Did you hear about Beyonce's sister, the inflatable banana and the switchblade?

relax, it is time to go:

DOWN:

1. More than twinges: ACHES.

2. Salient feature: POINT. You catch my drift?

3. High-calorie cake: TORTE. Which I guess brings us to Marie Antoinette to complete the Napoleon reference. Not to be confused with TORT, a civil wrong.

4. Jellied fuel: STERNO. Got me through Hurricane Wilma.

5. Past word: AGO.

6. Hemmed but didn't haw: SEWED. Really cute.

7. Ones not with you: ENEMY. If you ain't for me, your agin me.

8. __ diem: CARPE; Latin, Seize the Day.

9. He voiced Disney's Mad Hatter: ED WYNN; his voice helped make the Disney ALICE so special.

10. Drop-line link: ME A , not MEA Culpa.

11. Mil. training site: OCS. Officer Candidate School.

12. Ink spots, briefly?: TAT. Tattoo. Another clever clue.

13. Center: EYE How appropriate, the center of the storm in hurricanes. (and a nice personal reference).

18. Bedevil: PESTER. My fan club.

22. "M*A*S*H" procedures: TRIAGES, the initial exam to see who needs what.

25. Queso relleno cheese: EDAM; Queso means cheese in Spanish.

26. Peak in an Eastwood film: EIGER. THe peak in the Alps where Clint's CHARACTER had to perform his last SANCTION (assassination) in the eponymous movie.

27. Chin Ho co-worker, in a TV cop show: DANNO, now played by Scott Caan, son of James. Book 'em.

28. Miffed states: SNITS. Is this a word which applies only to females?

30. Vibrating effect: TREMOLO, more music. I defer to JzB for detail.

32. Made a choice: OPTED, yes, I opted not to discuss tremolo.

33. Product suffix created in San Francisco in 195: A-RONI a San Fransisco treat (try and keep that jingle out of your head).

34. Blake title feline: TYGER . A nice poem, you think CA?

36. "A Chorus Line" song: ONE

37. Starter: Abbr.: IGN, IGNITION. Meh.

38. Axe: CAN; Cleopatra records are going to re-release all of the AXE albums; yipee.

41. Hops drier: OAST. The now familiar brewing reference.

42. Swallow up: ENGULF.

47. Economic series: CYCLES, is it a cycle or a roller coaster off the tracks?

49. Bs in the key of G, e.g.: THIRDS, more music, need more help.

51. Sing "The Lonely Goatherd," say: YODEL performed by some favorites.

52. Entrepreneur inspired by Hershey: REESE, Peanut Butter Cup?

53. Fluid buildup: EDEMA, don't you love a puzzle that has EDAM and EDEMA?

55. U.S.S.R. part: UNION.

56. Gaucho's rope: REATA.

57. One concerned with the spot market? AD REP, cute advertising spots, not commodity prices.

60. 911 respondent: EMT, Emergency Medical Technician, well not too many Acronyms this week.

61. Female rabbit: DOE, who knew?

62. Chi-Town team: SOX, Nellie Fox was my childhood hero.

63. Historical span: ERA, also clothes washing product and an amendment that didn't.

65. __ rally: PEP, just in time, as I have run out of mine. Great long holiday weekend all, be careful and no more white pants or belts.

Answer grid.

Lemonade

Thursday September 1, 2011 Steve Salitan

Theme: ROUNDS (64A. Clue for this puzzle's four longest answers) - Theme entries are four definitions of ROUNDS.

17A. See 64-Across : AMMUNITION UNITS

24A. See 64-Across : SPARRING PERIODS

42A. See 64-Across : TOURNAMENT PARTS

56A. See 64-Across : TRAYFULS OF BEERS

Boomer here. Good Morning and Happy September Fool's Day to all.

I found this puzzle difficult and also tough to cheat. After all, you cannot Google "See 64 Across" and get any help from the techno know-it-all. We had to rely on the Downers a lot. But once we got it figured out, I am thinking Trayfuls of beer is not correct. Traysful of beer seems better, but if it's truly a round, there better be a Manhattan for me on one of the trays. I don't like beer.

Enjoy the Labor Day weekend. Why do they call it Labor Day and then give 90 per cent of the population the day off work??

Across:

1. "Close!" : ALMOST

7. Cartoon monkey : ABU - From Disney's "Aladdin"

10. __ bonding : MALE

14. Create trouble : CAUSE A STIR - Highlight of the puzzle.

16. Mount near Olympus : OSSA

19. Marx's "__ Kapital" : DAS

20. Smallish quarrel : SPAT - I had to read the clue twice. I was trying to think of a small squirrel.

21. With attitude : SASSY

22. It may be painted : TOE - Yeah, ladies polish their toe nails, but I could think of a thousand better clues for TOE

23. NASA moon lander : LEM - Acronym for Lunar Excursion Module

33. "Alfred" composer, 1740 : ARNE - Thomas Arne, a British Composer

34. Study fields : AREAS

35. Something golfers often break : TEE - I first wrote in "PAR". I never break a tee. (I never break PAR either.)

36. Martial arts facility : DOJO - This is a Japanese name. In the US it's called a Chuck Norris Movie.

37. Molasses-like : THICK - Okay, but I'd rather have a chocolate malt.

38. LaBeouf of "Transformers" films : SHIA - Shia Saide LaBeouf. You had to know this. I didn't. I suppose it would have helped if I saw the movie.

39. Latin 101 word : AMO - "I Love." I learned this in Brother Albert's Class. Amo, Amas, Amat, I love, you love, he loves - but nobody loved Latin class.

40. Drummer in Goodman's band : KRUPA - Gene Krupa, a very famous percussionist. My Mom listened to Benny Goodman. I was more of a Ringo Starr fan.

41. Crammer's concern : TEST

46. Quite a while : EON

47. Unsafe? : OUT - I had to think awhile to realize this was a baseball reference. I never heard an umpire holler "Unsafe".

48. It's sometimes shaved : SCALP - Again, it didn't hit me right away, even from a Jesse Ventura state.

51. Smith's item : SHOE - Making it tough - they could have maybe said "Blacksmith"

53. Contend : VIE

60. "__Cop": 1987 film : ROBO - Beverly Hills didn't fit

61. Plant-based weight loss regimen : HERBAL DIET - One of many

62. Former cygnet : SWAN - Well known in Hans Christian Anderson's "The Ugly Cygnet"

63. Scale notes : FAS

Down:

1. Riding sch., e.g. : ACAD

2. Dharma teacher : LAMA

3. Rose Parade flowers : MUMS - Mostly roses are featured, but I suppose there are a few mums.

4. Home of the Woody Hayes Athletic Ctr. : OSU - Ohio State - Woody is the only coach I ever knew who actually went on the field during a play and tripped or tackled an opposing player who was running for a touchdown. A colorful and ultra successful coach.

5. Electric eye, e.g. : SENSOR - Speaking of football, a tight end Joe Sensor played a number of years for the Vikings. Now he has a few restaurants in town.

6. Capital SSW of Seoul : TAIPEI - In Taiwan. I think we called it Formosa when I was a kid.

7. Going head to head : AT IT

8. Vita : BIO -Curriculum Vitae?

9. Spigoted vessel : URN - Well a coffee urn has a spigot, but I also know of others that do not.

10. Parisian words of friendship : MON AMI - I had only one year of French, my friend.

11. Sale caveat : AS IS

12. WWII transports : LSTS - LST is an acronym for Landing Ship, Tank

13. Lenient : EASY

15. Short stop? : STA (Short for Station)

18. Windows openers : USERS - this would be for Microsoft Windows. Another window opener could be a rock.

22. Palm in one's palm? : TREO - Some kind of Smart Phone. Please put them away when driving.

23. Reporter's source : LEAK - Deep Throat Mark Felt was the most famous

24. Co-Nobelist with Begin in 1978 : SADAT - Anwar tried for peace in the Middle East, like those before and after.

25. Teaser : PROMO - Way too many on TV these days

26. One variety of it remains green when ripe : ANJOU - I was thinking of a grape. When you pare a pair of pears, it's hard to tell the difference.

27. Book after Micah : NAHUM - One of the twelve prophets

28. Kvetch : GRIPE - I guess I've been kvetching about some of the clues in this puzzle.

29. Hard nut to crack : PECAN - Actually, pecans have an easy to crack thin shell, but hard to harvest the nut in two pieces.

30. Questionnaire catchall : OTHER

31. Certain believer : DEIST - A religious belief. I stay away from religion and politics.

32. Election prizes : SEATS

37. Air__: Southwest subsidiary : TRAN

38. BA or HR : STAT - Baseball leads all sports in stats.

40. Titan of publishing : KNOPF - Alfred Knopf founded his publishing house in 1915, It was acquired by Random House in 1960.

43. Put trust in : RELY ON

44. Where distasteful humor often goes : TOO FAR - But may be okay on September Fool's Day.

45. Hopi home : PUEBLO

48. Violas, cellos, etc.: Abbr. : STRS (Strings)

49. Bad thing to eat : CROW - I wonder if anyone has ever really eaten crow. Does it taste like chicken?? Colonel Sanders Kentucky Fried Crow.

50. "Rubáiyát" rhyme scheme : AABA. Whatever.

51. Georgia and Latvia, once: Abbr. : SSRS - Once a Soviet Social Republic

52. Fireplace shelf : HOB - I thought the hobs were the side pieces that hold the grate. Shelf seems a bit misleading.

53. Gold source : VEIN

54. Really ticked : IRED

55. Some attendance figs. : ESTS (Estimates)

57. TV dial letters : UHF (Ultra High Frequency). LOAITP - (Lots of acronyms in this puzzle)

58. Herd dining area : LEA

59. Prof's address letters : EDU

Answer grid.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

Here is a photo of baby Boomer. I just couldn't remove the right camera light on his left leg. (Added later: Photo fixed. Thanks to Kazie and Fermatprime.)

Wednesday, August 31 2011, Gareth Bain

Theme: BE MINE

aw. this would be a good valentine's day puzzle. each theme answer ends with a synonym for either kiss (x) or hug (o).

18A. Method of looking for keys? : HUNT AND PECK

28A. Finishing by the deadline, sometimes : TIGHT SQUEEZE

48A. Bad-mouthing someone : TALKING SMACK

64A. Call waiting diversion : MUSIC ON HOLD

the unifier:

63. Love letter closing, and in sequence, a hint to the ends of 18-, 28-, 48- and 64-Across : XOXO

and a few bonus entries:

24A. Love god : EROS

67A. Big name in kitchen gadgets : OXO

54D. X-rated : ADULT

55D. Hale : LUSTY

melissa here.

gonna make it a quick one, got a late start.

Across

1. "Les __" : MIZ. short for les miserables.

4. As a friend, in French : EN AMI

9. Actor Romero : CESAR

14. N.L. West team, on scoreboards : ARI. arizona diamondbacks.

15. Noble gas : XENON

16. Latin stars : ASTRA

17. MLK birthday month : JAN. holiday for most in the u.s.

20. Relay race closer : ANCHOR. several sports include relay races, including track and swimming. the anchor is usually the fastest competitor on the team.

22. Peace Prize winner Wiesel : ELIE

23. Wide shoe size : EEE

26. Working parts : INNARDS. evokes an image, but i'll leave it to your imagination. you're welcome.

32. Computer pioneer Lovelace : ADA. who knew?

33. Young newt : EFT

34. Many Semites : ARABS

38. Reveal : TELL

40. Knight's ride : STEED

43. Harald V's capital : OSLO. king of norway. made a touching speech after the recent attacks in norway. "I cling to the belief that freedom is stronger than fear. I cling to the belief of an open Norwegian democracy and society. I cling to the belief in our ability to live freely and safely in our own country."

44. Capital on the Willamette : SALEM. willamette river, oregon. according to the usgs, 100% of u.s. rivers and streams are contaminated with carcinogens.

46. Future fish : ROE

47. World games org. : IOC. international olympic committee.

53. Food packaging unit : CALORIE. technically, it is a unit of heat required to raise one gram of water, one degree celsius. amazing the things that stick in your head from school.

56. German river : SAAR. looks so still and peaceful.

57. Soccer star Freddy : ADU. born in ghana, at 14 years of age, became one of the youngest athletes to sign a professional contract in the u.s., just signed with philadelphia union.

58. In __: moody : A PET. not sure i've ever actually heard this phrase used.

60. Like Chris and Pat, genderwise : UNISEX. it's pat.

68. Violet lead-in : ULTRA. ultra-violet.

69. Steve of country : EARLE

70. Nth degree : MAX

71. Eyelid annoyances : STYES

72. In small pieces, as potatoes : RICED

73. Punk rock offshoot : EMO

Down

1. Whom Goya painted both nude and clothed : MAJA. should be a gimme by now.

2. OPEC co-founder : IRAN. organization of the petroleum exporting countries.

3. Penultimate element, alphabetically : ZINC. the last would be zirconium (zr).

4. Encourage : EXHORT

5. Couch disorders : NEUROSES. psychiatrist's couch.

6. Raggedy gal : ANN. raggedy ann. i can't stand the word 'gal.'

7. Speck of dust : MOTE. "... every saint and sinner in the history of our species, lived there on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam." carl sagan's pale blue dot.

8. How perjurers may be caught : IN A LIE. how else would they be caught?

9. Concerto highlight : CADENZA

10. Sixth sense, briefly : ESP. extra-sensory perception.

11. Brisket source : STEER. beef.

12. Curved : ARCED

13. Works in the garden : RAKES.

19. Lofted iron : NINE. golf.

21. Villainous laugh syllable : HEH

25. Acre's 43,560: Abbr. : SQ. FT.

27. Prefix with space : AERO

28. Fashion statements in the 'hood : TATS. Tattoos. not so much just in the 'hood anymore.

29. "Eureka!" elicitor : IDEA

30. Sass : GALL. okay then.

31. Early development sites? : UTERI. didn't we just have this?

35. 2-Down's location : ASIA

36. Political group : BLOC

37. __ puppet : SOCK

39. Actor Jared : LETO. guess i should know him, but i don't.

41. Ages and ages : EONS

42. He succeeded Coty as French president : DE GAULLE

45. Latin percussion pair : MARACAS

49. Plastic surgeon's job, for short : LIPO. no thank you.

50. Sharper, as eyes : KEENER

51. Smoothed in a shop : SANDED

52. Hosp. picture : MRI

53. "The Stranger" author : CAMUS. novel by albert camus, published in 1942.

59. Pad __: Asian noodle dish : THAI. popular cuisine in california.

61. A portion (of) : SOME

62. Checkup : EXAM

65. Wrath : IRE

66. Hobbit enemy : ORC

Answer grid.

melissa

Tuesday, August 30, 2011 Nancy Salomon

Theme: Get Thee Gone - The unifier would have us start each part of the themes with it's own start.

17A. *Sydney's locale, familiarly : DOWN UNDER. Go Down(Be nice.), Go Under.

21A. *Man, according to a longtime Desmond Morris best-seller : NAKED APE. Go Naked(Be nice.), Go Ape

33A. *Bluntly : STRAIGHT OUT. Go Straight(Be nice.), Go Out.

42A. *Skip-over-ads button : FAST FORWARD. Go Fast, Go Forward.

55A. *Hosting squad : HOME TEAM. Go Home, Go Team.

61A. Overachievers, and a hint to a word that can precede both words of the starred answers : GO-GETTERS

Argyle here. Lois should have blogged this one. Sort of doubled up on yesterday's theme. Very good fill.

Across:

1. Beat to a pulp : MASH

5. Dapper Dans : FOPS. "A dilettantism in nature is barren and unworthy. A fop of fields is no better than his brother on Broadway." - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

9. Very cold : GELID

14. Mental block buster : IDEA

15. Guinness who played Obi-Wan : ALEC

16. Memorable mission : ALAMO

19. Bantu-speaking South Africans : ZULUs

20. Ain't right? : AREN'T

23. WWII bond designation : SERIES E

26. Mental block buster : MUSE. I like my first choice better. MASE(maze).

27. Spoiled-rotten kids : BRATS

29. Doggone : DAD-GUM. Dictionary prefers DAD-GUMMED.

37. Sun Devils' sch. : ASU. Arizona State University in Metro Phoenix, Arizona.

38. Work like a dog : TOIL

39. Clumsy dummy : OAF

40. Iditarod racer : SLED

41. "I'm with ya" : "YUP!"

46. Like porn : X-RATED

48. Very strange : EERIE

49. Skyline-blurring phenomenon : HAZE

51. One begins parallel parking in it : REVERSE

59. Lucy's landlady : ETHEL. Mertz.

60. "It was you," in a Verdi aria : ERI TU. Musical interlude Clip(4:35)

64. Odom of the Lakers : LAMAR.

65. Pianist Gilels : EMIL. Gilels plays the Prelude in B minor(3:22).

66. Case for notions : ETUI

67. Annapolis frosh : PLEBE

68. Smelling awful : RANK

69. "Look __, I'm Sandra Dee": "Grease" song : AT ME. Clip(1:35).

Down:

1. Big name in muffler replacement : MIDAS

2. Love to bits : ADORE

3. Runoff collector : SEWER

4. Memorable Alps crosser : HANNIBAL

5. Bleacher creature : FAN

6. Stale : OLD

7. Rounded hammer part : PEEN. Image.

8. "Get outta here!" : "SCRAM!"

9. Feasts one's eyes on : GAZES AT

10. Gave the slip : ELUDED

11. Tra-__ : LA-LA

12. "No need to wake me" : "I'M UP"

13. Two caplets, say : DOSE

18. Wombs : UTERI

22. Twisty-horned antelope : KUDU. They will never replace reindeer.

24. Droop : SAG

25. Cultural credo : ETHOS

28. Hillary's department : STATE

30. Big shindig : GALA

31. Web browser : USER

32. Emmy-winning newsman Roger : MUDD

33. River of Hades : STYX

34. Take to the road, as a rock band : TOUR. Styx on tour, cute. Memorabilia.

35. Philbin co-host : RIPA. Kelly.

36. "I'm gonna make him an __ he can't refuse" : OFFER. From Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather"(1972).

40. Popular Dixie drink : SWEET TEA

42. Main movie : FEATURE

43. Wood-shaping tool : ADZE. Here someone is using a small adze to form the interior of a bowl. Clip.(1:39)

44. Rock in a seam : ORE

45. Transfix : RIVET

47. What a treater picks up : THE TAB

50. Gung-ho : EAGER

52. Suave Butler : RHETT. Dashing.

53. Red Cross supply : SERUM

54. Borden's spokescow : ELSIE. Image.

55. "SOS!" : "HELP!". "Mayday! Mayday!"

56. Like some vaccines : ORAL

57. Play charades : MIME

58. NYC gallery : MOMA. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Tim Burton Entrance to MoMA's Special Exhibitions Gallery.

62. Bathtub booze : GIN

63. "Benevolent" fellow : ELK. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, August 29, 2011 Jennifer Nutt

Theme: Res - It's a legal matter. The unifier explains it quite well.

16A. *Not animated, in filmmaking : LIVE ACTION. Legal action, a judicial proceeding; one party prosecutes another for a wrong done or for protection of a right or for prevention of a wrong.

23A. *Like replays that reveal bad calls : SLOW MOTION. A motion is a procedural device to bring a limited, contested issue before a court for decision.

49A. *One who can't function under stress : BASKET CASE. A legal case may be either civil or criminal. A dispute between opposing parties to be resolved by a court.

10D. *Ineffective executive : EMPTY SUIT. A lawsuit is a civil action brought by a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant actions and demands a legal or equitable remedy.

33D. *Hunk or babe's attribute : SEX APPEAL. After a final decision has been made, either party or both may appeal from the judgment if they believe there had been a procedural error made by the trial court.

59-Across. Where the ends of the starred answers are filed : COURT OF LAW

Argyle here. How did I get Lemonade's puzzle? It might be because I was trying to watch "Amistad" on TV at the same time I was blogging. It is the 1997 Steven Spielberg movie about the 19th century slave ship, events, trial, politics and eventually, the Supreme Court.

Six theme entries proves a Monday doesn't have to be minimal. I checked; Jennifer is proficient in this format. Always a pleasure.

Across:

1. Cookie holders : JARS

5. Baseball feature : SEAM

9. What gears do : MESH

13. Lake into which Ohio's Cuyahoga River empties : ERIE. "Cuyahoga" means "crooked river".

14. Alabama march site : SELMA

15. Austen novel : EMMA

18. Rotating cooking rod : SPIT

19. Grassland : LEA

20. Plunked oneself down : SAT

21. Disco dance : HUSTLE. You may avoid this ear worm if you like. Do the Hustle(4:00)

27. "Affirmative!" : "YES!"

28. Traveler's guide : MAP

29. Dental fillings : INLAYS

31. "A Doll's House" playwright : IBSEN. Henrik Ibsen.

34. __ noire: literally, "black beast" : BÊTE

35. Enveloping glow : AURA

38. "I __ Pretty": "West Side Story" song : FEEL

39. Doves' homes : COTES

40. Do-it-yourselfers' buys : KITS

41. __-Coburg, Bavaria : SAXE. Map, city of Coburg.

42. Like speaking : ORAL

43. Wee parasites : MITES

44. Word with power or reactor : ATOMIC

46. "Casablanca" pianist : SAM

47. iPhone download : APP

53. Mealtime lap item : NAPKIN

55. "That feels great!" : "AAH!"

56. Org. issuing many refunds : IRS

58. Garden of Eden's __ of life : TREE

63. Emblem of authenticity : SEAL

64. Proverbial waste maker : HASTE

65. Movie lioness : ELSA

66. Online business review site : YELP. Yelp was founded in 2004 to help people find great local businesses like dentists, hair stylists and mechanics. The name "Yelp" comes from a friend of the founders who simply liked the word. But it also serves as a nifty contraction of "yellow pages."

67. Cut with acid : ETCH

68. Medvedev's "no" : "NYET". Dmitry Medvedev is the current President of the Russian Federation. Related- 34D. '90s Russian president Yeltsin : BORIS

Down:

1. Come together : JELL

2. Astrological Ram : ARIES

3. Opponent : RIVAL

4. "Get it?" : "SEE?"

5. Spat : SET-TO

6. Quarterback Manning : ELI. NY Giants.

7. __, amas, amat ... : AMO. One of the first things many people will learn when taking Latin.

8. Ways to get under the street : MAN HOLES

9. Army meal : MESS

11. Look happy : SMILE

12. Can't stand : HATES

14. Rascal : SCAMP

17. Nile dam : ASWAN

22. Italian "a" : UNA

24. Brunch staple : OMELET

25. Neckwear pin : TIE TACK

26. Santa Clara chip maker : INTEL. The world's largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue.

30. Central Washington city : YAKIMA. Map.

31. Uncertainties : IF'S

32. Actress Arthur : BEA. TV's Maude.

36. Numbered hwy. : RTE.

37. Barnyard brayer : ASS

39. Old buffalo-hunting tribe : COMANCHE

43. Like a he-man : MACHO

45. Kimono accessory : OBI

46. One of 50 : STATE

47. Unable to sit still : ANTSY

48. City of Light, in a Porter song : PAREE. Name That Song.

50. Mars neighbor : EARTH

51. Goofy : SILLY

52. Wipe off the board : ERASE

54. Brown seaweed : KELP

57. Whack : SWAT

60. Cheerios grain : OAT

61. Trojans' sch. : USC. University of Southern California.

62. Quagmire : FEN. "Feather-footed through the plashy fen passes the questing vole." - Evelyn Waugh.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday August 28, 2011 Robert A Doll

Theme: Fish Heads - The first word in each familiar phrase can precede (head) "fish".

23A. Constant threat, metaphorically : SWORD OF DAMOCLES. Swordfish.

33A. Confederate Memorial Carving site : STONE MOUNTAIN. Stonefish. Wikipedia says "It is the most venomous fish in the world".

42A. Pianist who claimed to have invented jazz : JELLY ROLL MORTON. Stranger to me. I love jellyfish salad, sprinkled with sesame seeds and flakes of red pepper. Try it, Bill!

71A. Doomed duo : STAR-CROSSED LOVERS. Great entry. Starfish.

97A. Esso ad phrase : TIGER IN YOUR TANK. "Put a tiger in your tank". Tigerfish. Look at his teeth.

105A. Light dessert : ANGEL FOOD CAKE. Not familiar with angelfish.

123A Source of spy movie suspense : CAT AND MOUSE GAME. Catfish.

C.C. here. I hope all our East Coast readers in the path of Irene are safe.

The puzzle title gives the theme immediately, yes? "Fish heads" & "Fish tails" style gimmick just can't fool me any more.

Slow-cooked soup is a daily must in Guangzhou where I worked for several years, and fish head soup is very popular. Supposed to make you smart. Fish is regarded as a good brain food there.

Across:

1. Building supports : I-BEAMS

7. Dirty dog : SCALAWAG. Scoundrel has one more letter.

15. Calyx part : SEPAL

20. Sarge, e.g. : NON-COM. Non-commissioned.

21. Drive off : ALIENATE

22. Said in an ugly way : SNIDE

25. Inscribed pillar : STELA. Read this about Stele Forest in Xi'An. It's half an hour from our home.

26. Floor square : TILE

27. Is deceptive, in a way : LIES

28. Nile reptile : ASP

30. Russian communications acronym since 1992 : ITAR. Itar-Tass.

31. Vacation area : SEASIDE. Sea unnerves me.

39. German article : DER

40. Healthy as __ : AN OX

41. Do goo : GEL

50. Yellow-fever mosquito : AEDES. New word to me. Wikipedia says the name comes from the Ancient Greek aēdēs, meaning "unpleasant" or "odious".

54. Bullfight cry : OLE OLE

55. __-de-France : ILE

56. Get the better of : ONE UP

58. Watch : EYE

59. Controversial orchard spray : ALAR

60. Comic Carvey : DANA. He's in Rich's DC Comics puzzle.

62. "On His Blindness" poet : MILTON. What's the poem about, Clear Ayes?

64. River to the Rhein : AARE

65. Places to pick up cats : NAPES. Tiny "cats" dupe with 123A. Used to bother me a bit. Not any more. Sunday puzzle is too big.

67. "La Loge" artist : RENOIR. Here is the painting.

69. Deep-seated : INBRED

76. Tiberius' villa at Sperlonga included one : GROTTO. Been there, Husker Gary?

78. Current events? : EDDIES. Water current.

79. Dabbling ducks : TEALS

82. Hot stuff : LAVA

83. 1951 Lanza role : CARUSO. Mario Lanza.

87. Early '60s Polo Grounds team, nowadays : JETS. NY Jets. I used to associate Polo Grounds only with Mel Ott's NY Giants until I read Marti's write-up last time.

89. "Dragonwyck" author Seton : ANYA

90. Island strings : UKE. LEIS too.

91. Country estate : MANOR

92. In place of : FOR

93. Trojan War counselor : NESTOR. Did you know he was an Argonaut?

95. Land in old Rome : TERRA

101. Amsterdam street adornment : ELM. Really? I only stopped at their airport once.

103. Results : ENDS

104. "Oz" airer : HBO. I've never heard of the show. You, Kazie?

111. Aardwolf's diet : INSECTS. And 84D. Aardvark's tidbit : ANT. "Aard" means "earth".

116. Apply in a slapdash way : DAUB

117. Wood on a diamond? : ASH. I bet every baseball fan thought of Cubs' Kerry Wood. I did.

118. Peek-__ : A-BOO

120. Seed pod : ARIL

121. Literally, "to God" : ADIOS

129. Irritating : PESKY

130. Places for duds : ARMOIRES. I drew a blank. Sometimes I feel incredibly dumb.

131. Made square : EVENED

132. Head lock : TRESS

133. Foolhardy : RECKLESS

134. Ones who excite devils? : DARERS. Oh, daredevils.

Down:

1. MIT and others : INSTS

2. Alamo hero : BOWIE (Jim)

3. __ Gay: WWII plane : ENOLA

4. Plots that may be developed : ACRES. Lovely clue.

5. In style : MOD

6. Existed in a suppressed state : SMOLDERED. Do you say "Smoldering hot" or "Smothering hot"?

7. "Smooth Operator" singer : SADE. Love Sade, sad, but "Someone Already Broken My Heart".

8. Word with act or action : CLASS. Jim Thome is a real class act.

9. Draw a bead : AIM

10. Denebola's constellation : LEO

11. Mandela's org. : ANC (African National Congress)

12. __-Mart Stores, Inc. : WAL

13. TV group with B.A. Baracus and Hannibal Smith : A-TEAM. All I know about "The A Team" is Mr. T.

14. Bas-relief medium : GESSO

15. Barbecue sound : SSS

16. Authorize : ENTITLE

17. St. Peter's Basilica masterpiece : PIETA

18. Dwight's two-time opponent : ADLAI

19. Get wind (of) : LEARN

24. '80s Pontiac : FIERO. Wikipedia says it means "proud" in Italian and "wild", "fierce", or "ferocious" in Spanish. Looks fiery to me.

29. Curly-tailed dog : PUG. And 88D. Like a 29-Down : SNUB-NOSED. Hey, there, do you like this clue?

32. Poem of everyday life : IDYL

34. Hardly racy : TAME

35. Notable 1969 bride : ONO

36. "The world will little note, __ long remember, what we say here": Lincoln : NOR

37. Heap praises on : EXTOL

38. Ebb's relative : NEAP

42. Shaw title saint : JOAN. "Saint Joan".

43. Cinders of old comics : ELLA. Ella Cinders. Learned from doing Xword.

44. Vaults : LEAPS OVER

45. Lynn from Kentucky : LORETTA

46. Titanic, e.g. : LINER

47. Grassy plain : LLANO

48. Can. province : ONT

49. Con opener : NEO. Neo-con. The likes of Scotter Libby & Richard Perle, who's incredibly convincing.

51. Hopeful letter opener : DEAR SANTA. Argyle would be pleased to see this entry. Hope he has the internet connection.

52. Rochester's love : EYRE

53. __ money : SEED

57. TCU part: Abbr. : UNIV

61. S part : ARC. Feeling dumb again.

62. Botch : MISDO

63. Plenty mad : IRED

64. Up with, with "of" : ABREAST. Jazzbumpa would have given you a cute link.

66. Remained : SAT

68. Psych ending : OSES. Psychoses.

70. Surfing site : NET

72. Almond __: candy : ROCA. Have never had it before.

73. Tangy mustard : DIJON. Needs drops of honey.

74. On one's guard : LEERY

75. Düsseldorf direction : OST. East.

76. Oversupply : GLUT

77. Croupier's tool : RAKE

80. City about 200 miles from Marseille : LYON

81. Cutty __: Scotch : SARK. Let's hear from Tinbeni and eddyB.

85. "Vive le __!" : ROI

86. More than suggested : URGED

91. Shopping venue : MALL

92. Hall of Fame catcher Carlton : FISK. Another great player whose baseball card value does not match his achievement.

94. Libido symbol : EROS. It seems that I'm the only one who has never heard of Splynter's horndog before.

96. Nikes alternative : REEBOKS

98. Something besides the ltr. : ENC

99. Nutritional stat : RDA

100. Sch. in Athens : OHIO U

102. Writer's deg. : MFA

105. Show flexibility : ADAPT

106. Perennial '90s-'00s presidential candidate : NADER

107. False front : GUISE

108. One may be present when an envelope is opened : OSCAR. Pinkerton provides the security for those statuettes.

109. Midwest hub : O'HARE

110. Chair designer Charles : EAMES

112. Anxious : EAGER

113. Film set contraption : CRANE

114. Track official : TIMER

115. They may follow teams : SLEDS. Oh, dog teams.

119. Honcho : BOSS

122. Procedure: Abbr. : SYS

124. Cinephile's TV choice : TMC

125. Hunky-dory : A-OK

126. Nothing at all : NIL

127. Doctor of music? : DRE. Dr. Dre.

128. Stowe girl : EVA. From "Uncle Tom's Cabin".

Answer grid.

C.C.