Saturday, Sep 10, 2011, Brad Wilber

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 31

My second Brad WilbEr in a month (August 6th), which offered us "This Is Spinal Tap"; this puzzle's movie is-

62A. 1988 film set in a New England pie maker's shop : MYSTIC PIZZA - which I know stars what's-her-name, but not one I have seen;

moving around our 11-letter pinwheel grid, we have -

15A. Pompous : OVERWEENING - a new word for me - I had over-BEARing to start

18A. Risky telecast : LIVE EPISODE - like much of early TV, but before my time

58A. Tenant, say : LEASE HOLDER - this whole block came easily for me, but I did have to dip into Red-letter for the first time in a while to get this one done - PHEW~!

Onward~!

ACROSS:

1. Charade : ACT - don't get the opening three-letter word right away? Not a good sign....

4. Range barrier : BARBED WIRE - at one point, I thought this might be a firing range clue; looking for "cement wall"

14. Roller coaster part : CAR

17. Link between handles? : A.K.A. - "Also Known As" from police reports, a very misleading clue. I had CBs

19. Reduced in status : DECLASSE

21. Gave away : LET ON

22. Some Olympians' tools : EPEES - not Fencing blade

23. Movement traced to an ancient flower sermon : ZEN

26. Dean's reality TV partner : TORI - complete unknown to me; this show

27. Hall of Fame NFL owner Wellington __ : MARA

28. Natural history museum attractions : T-REXES - had the "X" from eXcuses

31. Divided country : USA - believe it or not, this was my first guess at a three-letter country, but I couldn't commit to it; divided into states, that is, not 'Nam (N & S Vietnam)

32. Sucker : ENSNARE - ah, the verb

34. Court address : COUNSEL

36. 1998 Apple rollout : IMAC - not a Mac person, and I am disappointed with my iPhone, too - only my iPod still works, and that was my first fill

37. Sch. whose students have won more than 200 Olympic medals : UCLA

38. Reach equilibrium : EVEN OUT

41. Steamy container : SOUP POT

45. When the French Open starts : MAY

46. Cymbeline's daughter, in Shakespeare : IMOGEN

48. Japanese script : KANA

49. Botched : BLEW

51. Palindromic Altar : ARA

52. 2008 Palin counterpart : BIDEN - as in "potential" VP status

53. Mystery middle name : ALLAN - Edgar ALLEN Poe

55. "Dead Man Walking" Oscar winner : SARANDON - Spelled it wrong, had -AN, and One-a-Cat sounded good enough for me

61. Yegg's haul : ICE - as in diamonds

63. Hammer site : EAR - misdirection to the three little bones in the ear

64. Cut with the tenderloin removed : SHELL STEAK

65. Oink spot : STY - cute clue for the day

DOWN:

1. Egghead's environs : ACADEME - WAGed at AV ROOMS, and left the "S" in place; didn't help

2. Where the batter goes : CAKE PAN - I know C.C. was not thinking this batter

3. Shipping inquiries : TRACERS - tracking number was too long

4. Corded weapons : BOLAs - this weapon

5. Alamo rival : AVIS - they try harder

6. Tach count : REVs

7. Succeed without difficulty, with "in" : BREEZE

8. Romano source, usually : EWE - sheep's milk cheese?

9. ATM transaction : DEPosit

10. "Gravity and Grace" writer Simone : WEIL

11. Cartographic closeup : INSET - like this

12. Uninhibited : RIOTOUS

13. Stand behind : ENDORSE

16. Good-natured : GENIAL

20. Sit angularly, as a wall : LEAN IN - if your wall is starting to "lean in", better call someone fast; I had Bend in, which seems to make a more artistic impression

24. "My alarm didn't go off," e.g. : EXCUSE

25. One who's now right-brained? : NEOCON - extremist political term - more here

28. Therapist's concern : TRAUMA

29. Parish leader : RECTOR

30. Sci-fi character named for an Asian sea : SULU - of Star Trek fame; still riding the popularity wave after having come out of the closet



33. Mine, in Metz : A MOI - this would be French, non?

35. You'll need more than one in a rib joint : NAPKIN - the ones around here leave you a roll of paper towel

38. Insulate from change : EMBALM - oh, so cool for a clue

39. Big dips : VALLEYS - had plunges at first

40. Very slim margin : EYELASH

42. Rice fields : PADDIES

43. Baseball-like game with two bases : ONE O'CAT - Origins of Baseball

44. Leather maker : TANNERY - the shop, not the person

47. Like many Sherlock Holmes settings : GAS-LIT

50. Profligacy : WASTE

52. 2000 Camp David summit attendee : BARAK

54. Diamond in music : NEIL

56. Bladed tool : ADZE

57. Two-time Tony-winning playwright Yasmina __ : REZA

59. Strong acid, chemically : HCL - HydroChLoric Acid

60. Black __: spy doings : OPs - this and OXO are getting to be popular

Well, not much for me to link today, mostly words of a self-explaining nature - and the blog site was giving me trouble tonight,too....see you next Saturday~!

Answer grid.

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

A belated Happy 39th Wedding Anniversary to Kazie. Today, we celebrate the 46th Wedding Anniversary of Jayce and his beautiful wife, who was born & grew up in Hongkong. Look at these sweet "Then and Now" pictures.

Friday September 9, 2011 Bruce R. Sutphin

Theme: Get your fat RS out of here! A letter removal puzzle with some real wit offered up for our Friday enjoyment. Each of 4 well known phrases has the letter combination R and S removed, including in the last one where they appear twice in the phrase. Bruce Sutphin had his first puzzle published in July on a Friday (the one adding “TAG”) so I may apply for a job as his blog caddy. Like his first one, I found this very entertaining and creative, but not as challenging as many Fridays. Let us see what he did this time.

17A. Village with very little gardening equipment?: ONE HORSE TOWN. An old phrase changed into a new, very DF one. See Don Imus below. Brave to use HOE in a puzzle.

27A. Entrance purchases for a conditioning program?: FIRST CLASS TICKETS. Fit class; how many belong to gyms?

44A. What Ruth forgot to bring to pool night?: CURSE OF THE BAMBINO. As all the Red Sox fans here (LaLa et al.) will tell you , the curse is long gone. Babe Ruth, not some random Biblical woman.

57A. Like calls between drudges?: PERSON TO PERSON. Rather cruel to poor peons.

and the unifier,

66A. Failures (and in another way, a hint to 17-, 27-, 44- and 57-Across): LOSERS, which you must parse as LOSE RS.

Nice theme, let's see some fill.

Across:

1. Gung-ho response: I'M ON IT. Yes boss, my nose is naturally brown.

7. Delay : LAG.

10. Evans of country: SARA, how many for Country Music? (4.02)

14. Buff: POLISH. Not a hunk, and not an Eastern European.

15. Farm female: EWE. Too bad you linked for Thursday, Argyle.

16. Left: QUIT. Left the room.

19. The NCAA's Runnin' Rebels: UNLV. University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Jerry Tarkanian's basketball teams put this school on the map.

20. Lab, for one: DOG. My first grandpuppy is half black lab, half boxer. Big sweetie.

21. Reject: NIX.

22. Sends: ELATES. Like, "Baby, you send me." Very fifties.

24. Jacket label letters: ISBN. International Standard Book Number. Back to acronymville.

26. Get off the shoulder, say: TOW. Nice visual clue.

35. Actor Milo: O'SHEA. A wonderful character actor, whose name no one knows.

36. Pool game call: MARCO. POLO. A most fun game I played with my brothers. It looks like this, but please turn down your speakers. (3.13)

37. Tiny beef: NIT. You think the other constructors are picking on you Hearti?

38. Fly on a line: LURE. Great clue.

39. Gives credit where credit is due: CITES. Including proper citations is vital in legal writing.

40. On the safer side: ALEE. There is windward and leeward.

41. Rational ending?: IZE. I wonder how mean people rationalize their behavior?

42. "__ it Art?": Kipling: BUT IS. A Poem.

43. 1955 UN joiner: SPAIN. Really I have them all memorized, they joined with Albania, Cambodia and Libya. NOT!

47. Morgan Freeman won its 2011 Life Achievement Award: Abbr.: AFI. American Film Institute.

48. Morning talker: IMUS. He was not my favorite even before this infamous broadcast.

49. Fly over the equator?: TSETSE. The whole fly and nothing but the fly.

52. Pleased cry: YES. More DF; WH, Dennis, I am afraid my video was censored.

53. Droid, e.g.: PDA. Personal Digital Assistant.

56. Slip through the cracks?: OOZE.

61. Run well: PURR. Man the engine on Barry G's 300 really purrs.

62. Unsound: ILL.

63. Like Napoleon: EXILED. Able was I ere I saw Elba.

64. Relaxing locales: SPAS. Hi, mb.

65. The Hartford logo: ELK. A real gimme for our Connecticut group?

Down:

1. Tune carrier: IPOD. No more Steve Jobs.

2. One-track: MONO. As opposed to stereo, not like the mind of most of the macho men.

3. Couturier Cassini: OLEG. Jackie O's favorite and father of Tina, but that's another story.

4. Med. research agency: NIH. Oh wow, surprise an acronym, National Institute of Health.

5. Bar opening?: ISO. Isobar. Meteorology; I personally thought of: "Are you from Tennessee? Because you're the only ten I see!"

6. Pistons' place: THE NBA. I think this is the first time we have seen the whole name.

7. Last non-priest to be named pope: LEO X. One of the de Medicis. For the ladies....

8. "Isn't that cute?": AWW. Have you seen my sweet bald grand niece? Awwwww.

9. It involves mapping: GENETICS. Nice misdirection.

10. Gripe: SQUAWK. Not to complain, but I had trouble with this one.

11. Reunion attendee: AUNT, unless you eat outside then it is ANT.

12. Stir up: RILE. Maybe too many acronyms could RILE some bloggers?

13. Off-rd. rides: ATVS. All Terrain Vehicle (S).

18. Worker with light metal: TIN SMITH. Leaves me speechless.

23. Bonkers: LOCO. Spanish.

24. Slush Puppie maker: ICEE, not to be confused with a Slurpee.

25. Radical '70s group : SLA. Symbionese Liberation Army. The captors of Patty Hearst.

27.__ acid: vitamin B9: FOLIC.

28. Amigo on the road: ISUZU. You all remember Joe?

29. Crowd starter?: THREE. Three's a crowd unless you were John Ritter.

30. "Socrate" composer: SATIE. A work for voice and piano by Erik Satie, a crossword specialist.

31. Nice compliment: TRÈS BIEN. You did not think we would get through without at least one French lesson? This catch all phrase means basically "very good" but is used in so many ways.

32. Zhou __: ENLAI, for you youngsters, your history lesson.

33. Happy Meals toy, e.g.: TIE IN. Generally to a movie promotion.

34. Writer of short letters: STENO. Stenographers use Shorthand when taking dictation. This concept was created by Cicero's slave Tiro.

39. Honey : CUTIE PIE. A cutie pie and an aww, this image.

40. NYPD notices: APBS. All Points Bulletin (S).

42. Ones who've got your back, in Internet shorthand: BFFS. Best Friend Forever (S)

43. Future George W. Bush Presidential Library site: SMU. Southern Methodist Universitym where dandy Don Meredith played quarterback.

45. "Hondo" et al.: OATERS. Westerns and a second shout out to HH.

46. Dutch brewery: AMSTEL. What Friday would be complete without a beer reference?

49. A-one: TOPS.

50. Food in a memorable "Seinfeld" episode: SOUP. Actually, many episodes. (3.59)

51. Pound of verse: EZRA. a major poet who was very antisemitic and supported Mussolini and Hitler and denounced the US.

52. White partner: YOLK, ha ha, not a black and white answer. The Yolk is on you!

53. "__ Eterno": 2004 sports documentary : PELE, arguably the greatest soccer player of all time. (3.29)

54. Active sort: DOER, how many of our retired teachers hate the axiom "the who can do those who can't teach?"

55. Addenda: ANDS, why use only four letters when you squeeze out 7?

58. Lascivious leader?: ELL. LASCIVIOUS. Another Df word form Bruce. Yummy.

59. Big name in kitchenware: OXO. Good grief, more good grips!

60. Tecs: PIS. Why not one more; Private Investigator (S).

Answer grid.

Well I had a really good time again, and I hope you all have a wonderful day and week end. Thanks Bruce for the work, maybe just a touch heavy on the acronyms; and "see" you all on the other side.

Lemonade

Thursday, September 8, 2011 Bill Thompson and Ann Thompson Richter

Theme: "What am I...?" *

This is Bill Thompson's second LAT puzzle, but I don't remember ever seeing Ann Thompson Richter. Maybe a father-daughter team? It would be interesting to hear from them today. Moving on...

18A. Portrayer of the Elf maiden Arwen in "The Lord of the Rings" : LIV TYLER. You may not know that this hauntingly beautiful lady is the daughter of Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.

26A. Exist like a mob informant, say : LIVE IN FEAR. I thought of Vinnie Antonelli in "My Blue Heaven". A hilarious comedy, and he didn't seem to be living in fear...

49A. Enjoy leisurely : LINGER OVER. I think Bill G. must linger over his delicious lunches!

60A. Solon : LAW GIVER. A "slightly" more modern clue would be John Huston's role in "Battle for the Planet of the Apes".

And the unifier:

69A. It's chopped, in a way, in 18-, 26-, 49- and 60-Across : LIVER. I thought it was elegant to "chop" in different ways in each theme entry.

*The phrase "What am I, chopped liver?" has different meanings, but generally refers to a feeling of being overlooked or under appreciated.

Marti here, blogging another Thursday. I love puzzles on this day of the week - not so frustrating as Friday or Saturday, but more challenging than those "simple" Monday - Tuesday offerings! So, let's analyze this puppy:

Across:

1. Leader elected by monks : ABBOT. I don't think Michael Sharp would argue about the accuracy of this clue.

6. Jazz aficionado : CAT. As in "Hep cat" or "cool cat".

9. "__ Astor": Sargent portrait : LADY. This lady.

13. Rule : GOVERN

15. Maker of Good Grips kitchen tools : OXO. Is this the new "asp"?

16. __ of mystery : AURA

17. Former quarterback Peete : RODNEY. He was the first player from USC to win the Johnny Unitas award as the best quarterback. His NFL career was less distinguished, though.

20. Hunk's pride : ABs

21. The sun, in Cancún : EL SOL

23. Award for books on tape : AUDIE. Apt name.

24. Torchiere, e.g. : FLOOR LAMP

29. Mlle. counterpart : SRTA

33. Nut in a cupule : ACORN

34. Words in a market report : ARE UP. (I wish...)

36. Equip with firepower : ARM

37. Somersaulting dive : GAINER. Do not try this at home!

39. Executive position : TOP JOB. This one started on the bottom floor, and worked up.

41. Tolkien creature : ORC

42. "Pink Shoe Laces" singer Stevens : DODIE. Yay! Music link!

46. Green shade : OLIVE.

47. Tourney ranking : SEED

51. 1988 Radio Hall of Fame inductee : AMOS 'N ANDY

53. Boss, in Swahili : BWANA. My Swahili is a little rusty, so I'll take your word for it!

56. Beatles title woman who "made a fool of everyone" : SADIE. Interesting comments by Lennon below this video. (Click on "Show more".)

57. Bit of work : ERG

62. Santa Catalina's only city : AVALON

64. All: Pref. : OMNI

65. Wrap up : END

66. Place for a picture : CINEMA

67. Narc's goal : BUST. Is this what they're after?

68. Old IBM PCs : XTS

Down:

1. Indian tomb site : AGRA. Hey Vidwan - we're back in Agra!

2. Nincompoop : BOOB. (see 67a)

3. Briefs not seen in court : BVDS. OK, I want to know what the "weight" and "softness" scales on the left side are really referring to???

4. Sommelier's prefix : OEN

5. Like many a New England street : TREE LINED

6. Kid finishing a book, maybe : COLORER

7. They're under shoulder joints, anatomically : AXILLAE

8. "Mazel __!" : TOV

9. Bucks shots : LAYUPS. Milwaukee Bucks, basketball team.

10. Seasonal song starter : AULD. (frown)

11. Eins und zwei : DREI. Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn. (Quiz, to follow.)

12. Easy to maneuver, at sea : YARE. Or, "yar"

14. Versatile synthetic : NYLON

19. Cap with a pom-pom called a toorie : TAM

22. Remote hiding place? : SOFA. The TV remote always seems to get buried between the cushions, doesn't it? Clever clue.

24. Frond bearer : FERN

25. Stuck, after "in" : A RUT

26. Old Nigerian capital : LAGOS

27. Words of compassion : I CARE

28. Walt Disney, vis-à-vis Mickey Mouse : VOICE

30. Indira's successor : RAJIV. After Indian Prime Minister Indira Ghandi was assassinated, her elder son took office. Rajiv himself was assassinated in 1991. Sounds like a dangerous job...

31. Treasure stash : TROVE

32. Brew hue : AMBER

35. Unfortunate soul : POOR DEVIL

38. Chewy caramel candy : ROLO

40. Sneaky maneuver : PLOY

43. Buck the majority : DISSENT

44. Guts : INNARDS

45. Quaint outburst : EGAD

48. "Aw, shucks!" : DANG IT. EGAD, two in a row!

50. "Giant Brain" unveiled in 1946 : ENIAC. "Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer". Its design and construction were financed by the US Army during WWII to calculate artillery firing tables.

52. It follows April in Paris : MAI. Janvier Février Mars Avril Mai Juin Juillet Août Septembre Octobre Novembre Décembre. (Quiz, to follow.)

53. Shapeless form : BLOB. This was my first drive in movie. It scared the begeesus out of me!

54. U.S.'s largest S&L until its 2008 collapse : WAMU. Washington Mutual.

55. Botanical bristles : AWNS

57. Mtn. statistic : ELEV. Mtn. abbreviation indicates abbreviation of the answer. Elevation.

58. Where all roads lead? : ROME. When you get there, do as the Romans do.

59. Growl : GNAR. I thought this was short for "gnarly". Snowboarder friends use it a lot to describe awesome jumps. But there it is in the dictionary: snarl or growl. Oh well, what do snowboarders know, anyway??

61. Annoy : VEX

63. "Wheel of Fortune" purchase : AN I

Answer grid.

Until next time!

Marti

Wednesday, September 7, 2011 Michael Sharp

Theme: TURN TAIL - the last word of a a common phrase is turned into a homophone to create a new phrase. each change is consistent _ALE > _AIL.

17A. Bills and catalogues? : TYPICAL MAIL (typical male). a solution for the typical mail (phone books and catalogues) is catalogchoice.org. not sure there is a solution for the typical male.

29A. Monk's unusual appendage? : THE FRIAR'S TAIL (friar's tale, from chaucer's canterbury tales.)

48A. Where a kid's shovel may be found? : BEYOND THE PAIL (beyond the pale - meaning, outside the limits of acceptable behavior)

61A. Traditional December spin around the harbor? : YEAR-END SAIL (year-end sale, everything must go!)

i thought this was a tad easier than the typical wednesday. no snags, not much to talk about.

Across

1. Outlook : VISTA. nice view.

6. Previewed, as a joint : CASED

11. Attempt : TRY

14. Part of a squirrel's stash : ACORN

15. Abundant : AMPLE

16. Little hopper : ROO

19. "The Simpsons" character who graduated first in his class of seven million at the Calcutta Institute of Technology : APU. i have to guess this every time.

20. Advanced deg. : Ph.D. doctor of philosophy - the highest degree in the liberal arts field.

21. Quick look : ONCE OVER. not always that quick.

23. Remnant in a tray : ASH. cigarette ash.

26. Bygone : OLD

28. Tentative assent : I GUESS

33. Canaanite deity : BAAL

34. Source of light meat : BREAST

35. Nev. neighbor : IDA. nevada / idaho.

38. Ohio hometown of LeBron James : AKRON. didn't know the trivia but it filled in easily enough.

40. It ended Nov. 11, 1918 : WWI

41. The blahs : ENNUI

43. Vietnamese holiday : TET

44. Sci-fi invaders : ALIENS

47. Iowa State home : AMES

51. Take in : ARREST

53. Yanks' rival : SOX

54. Binghamton-to-Utica dir. : NNE

55. Show-off's shout : LOOK AT ME. okay, enough about me. what do you think about me?

58. Lyon king : ROI

60. "Disgusting!" : ICK

66. Top pitcher : ACE

67. Bert's pal : ERNIE. the two police officers in 'it's a wonderful life,' were also named bert and ernie.

68. Michelob __: light beer brand : ULTRA

69. Anderson Cooper, to Gloria Vanderbilt : SON. i keep forgetting that.

70. "__ Hope": '70s-'80s soap : RYAN'S

71. Dinner course : SALAD

Down

1. Large container : VAT

2. Dangerous, as a winter road : ICY

3. Bribe : SOP

4. You might do it over your own feet : TRIP

5. News show VIP : ANCHOR

6. Oriole great Ripken : CAL

7. BBs, for example : AMMO

8. Cross : SPAN

9. Brings out : ELICITS

10. Convention representative : DELEGATE

11. 1961 Ricky Nelson chart-topper : TRAVELIN' MAN. "... in every port i own the heart, of at least one lovely girl." how romantic.

12. Boxing ring borders : ROPES

13. Letter sign-off : YOURS

18. Go off-script : AD-LIB. if you know what i mean ....

22. French affirmative : OUI

23. Plate appearance : AT BAT

24. Tremble : SHAKE

25. Like one just jilted : HEARTBROKEN

27. "On the Origin of Species" author : DARWIN. charles.

30. Rapper __ Rida : FLO. new to me.

31. Walked down the 37-Down again : RE-WED and 37D. Bridal path : AISLE

32. 2010 Super Bowl champs : SAINTS

36. Scheduled to arrive : DUE IN

39. Pessimist : NAYSAYER. great word.

42. Brief sleep : NAP

45. Fundraising game : LOTTERY

46. Newly wool-less : SHORN. half shorn.

49. Rodent-induced cry : EEK

50. Genesis follower : EXODUS

51. Rap sheet name, maybe : ALIAS

52. Golfer Mediate : ROCCO. he won the fry's open last year, held where i work. tiger just announced he'll be playing this year.

56. "Every __ Tiger": Clancy book about Operation Desert Storm : MAN A. anyone read it?

57. "__ go bragh!" : ERIN

59. One of las Canarias : ISLA

62. Some MIT grads : EE'S. electrical engineer.

63. World's busiest airport: Abbr. : ATL atlanta, georgia.

64. Nest egg letters : IRA. individual retirement account.

65. Youngster : LAD

Answer grid.

Melissa

Note from C.C.:

Here are a few beautiful pictures from Melissa's Girls' Weekend outing. I love the first one, Melissa is on the far right in pretty pink. Look at her toes! Click here for more of her adventure.

A Day at the Movies

Our Curious Conundrums series continues.

I'd like to share with you "A Day at Movies" Don G and I created. The theme unifier is placed differently than our normal LAT arrangement. Let us know your opinion and solving experience.

Puzzle:

Here is PDF.

Here is puz file ((Across Lite).

Or you can solve the puzzle on-line here.

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid.

C.C.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011 Peter Koetters

Theme: Swine Fever - The first word of the starred clue answers can follow(tail) the word PIG to form a common phrase.

18A. *Typical Valentino roles : LATIN LOVERS. An actor in silent films in the '20s, Rudolph Valentino (Image) became a sex symbol known as the "Latin Lover". His sudden death at age 31 caused mass hysteria among his female fans, propelling him into icon status. PIG LATIN - ig-pay atin-lay.

59A. *Cold War symbol : IRON CURTAIN. As a it related to the Cold War, the term became famous from Winston Churchill's speech in Fulton, Missouri, March 5, 1946. The concept of the phrase goes back much further. "Even an iron barrier cannot separate [the people of] Israel from their heavenly father".- Babylonian Talmud. PIG IRON - The intermediate product of smelting iron ore and shipped in this form for remelting and refining later. Wiki article.

3D. *Quaint means of communication? : PEN AND PAPER. PIGPEN.

5D. *Was in charge of : HEADED UP. PIG HEADED - Stupidly stubborn. (From the notion that pigs are immovable and seemingly stubborn.)

26D. *To whom "Howdy, stranger" is often said : OUT OF TOWNER. PIG OUT - To overeat; to overindulge in food or drink.

40D. Girlish hairstyle (and what the starts of the answers to starred clues are?) : PIGTAILS. "Who you calling 'girlish'?", Willie.

Argyle here. I have trouble with the unifier because it usually is all one word and to work here, it should be two words, IMO. Some clunky clues but enough cute ones to make up for it. A strong lay-out, a decent Tuesday.

Across:

1. Tuck's partner : NIP. From cosmetic surgery.

4. Carpet type : SHAG

8. Summer brew : ICE TEA

14. Stuff to be smelted : ORE

15. Grape grower's prefix : OENO

16. "It's unnecessary" : "NO NEED"

17. Word with marked or masked : MAN

20. Declared : STATED

22. Itch scratchers : NAILS

23. Full sets of chromosomes : GENOMEs. A genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information.

25. Potpie piece from a pod : PEA

26. Western treaty gp. : OAS. The Organization of American States is the world’s oldest regional organization, dating back to the First International Conference of American States, held in Washington, D.C., from October 1889 to April 1890. Their site.

29. It's up when you're angry : DANDER. It has little to do with dandruff but probably from Spanish, redundar "to overflow". American English,(1831) "temper," originally (W.Indies) "fermentation of sugar."

31. Safe and sound : UNHURT

33. Race circuits : LAPS

35. __ Mountains: Eurasian border range : URAL

37. Mozart's "Cosi fan __" : TUTTE. Clip.(3:04)

38. Med school subj. : ANAT.

39. Cheesecake on a wall : PIN-UP

41. Crane component : BOOM

42. Conveyed, as water through a main : PIPED

44. Centers of attention : FOCI

45. Corp. money VIPs : CFOs. Chief Financial Officer.

46. Audiophile's setup : STEREO

48. Bothers persistently : NAGS AT

50. Musical ability : EAR

51. English channel, briefly : BBC. The Beeb or Auntie Beeb.

53. Swing by for a visit : STOP OFF

56. Former CBS News anchor Couric : KATIE

58. Response : ANSWER

63. Org. for piece lovers? : NRA. National Rifle Association, 'piece' is a fire arm.

64. Poses (for) : MODELS

65. Wheel attachment : AXLE. Or, more commonly, an AXLE attachment is a wheel. In any case, they're attached.

66. Aussie runner : EMU

67. Pint-size : PEE-WEE

68. For fear that : LEST

69. Free (of) : RID

Down:

1. Chinese menu assurance : NO MSG

2. Hopping mad : IRATE

4. Like vows : SOLEMN

6. Picnic crasher : ANT

7. Enter : GO IN

8. Taking the place (of) : IN LIEU

9. Car radiator need : COOLANT

10. They may be self-sealing: Abbr. : ENVs. Envelope.

11. Kickoff aid : TEE

12. Suffix with musket : EER

13. Spots on TV : ADS

19. Cat's pause? : NAP

21. Place for Pop-Tarts : TOASTER

24. Letter flourish : SERIF

27. Threepio's buddy : AR-TOO

28. What keeps bloomers up? : STEMS

30. Talked a blue streak : RAN ON

32. Wheel covers : HUBCAPS. How to spot a police car; they have hubcaps in lieu of wheel covers. The spot light is a give-away, too. Image

33. Run out, as a subscription : LAPSE

34. Santa __ racetrack : ANITA. Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

36. "Star Wars" mastermind : LUCAS. George Lucas.

43. Fiasco : DEBACLE

47. More than right, in triangles : OBTUSE. Less than a right angle, acute.

49. Shakespearean verse : SONNET

52. Columbus in N.Y.C. or DuPont in D.C. : CIRcle. The DuPont. The Columbus.

54. Nuclear pioneer Enrico : FERMI

55. Hoax : FRAUD

56. Was aware : KNEW

57. List-ending abbr. : ET AL.

59. Little devil : IMP

60. Microsturgeons? : ROE. Gets my vote for the cutest of the cute clues.

61. Poem of praise : ODE

62. Logger's tool : AXE

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, September 5, 2011 Andrea Carla Michaels

Theme: The Wet Ones - The four movie titles have bodies of water in them. Send them to Texas where they could use them.

20A. 1981 Fonda/Hepburn classic : "ON GOLDEN POND". Image.

27A. 2006 Bullock/Reeves romance : "THE LAKE HOUSE". Image.

48A. 1994 Streep/Bacon thriller : "THE RIVER WILD". Image.

56A. 2004 Kevin Spacey tribute (to Bobby Darin) : "BEYOND THE SEA". Image.

Argyle here.

I believe this is Andrea's first solo LAT puzzle since our TMS Daily to LA Times switch in March 2009, but she has had many NYT puzzles. All four movies are twelve letters. The fill ranges from 'Monday easy' to 'Monday hard'. The worst cross I thought was 54D and 69A. Your results might vary.

Across:

1. E.T. carriers, theoretically : UFOS

5. Fetch : BRING

10. Last letters in London : ZEDS. That would be ZEEs over here.

14. Calamine mineral : ZINC. White stuff on your nose.

15. Where one's name might go, on a form : LINE A

16. "Out of Africa" author Dinesen : ISAK. The film, "Out of Africa" (Redford/Streep) is a 1985 adventure drama film directed and produced by Sydney Pollack. The story is based loosely on the autobiographical book Out of Africa written by Isak Dinesen (the pseudonym of the author Karen Blixen), which was published in 1937. (from Wikipedia)

17. Composer Stravinsky : IGOR. Viola solo.(5:28)

18. Eight is enough for one : OCTET

19. Spitting sound : PTUI

23. Mac maker : APPLE

26. "I Ching" readers : TAOISTS

31. Back talk : LIP

32. "Hi-__, Hi-Lo" : LILI. The song was published in 1952, then featured in the movie, "Lili" in 1953. Clip.(1:56)(not by who'd you expect.)

33. Annual sports awards : ESPYs. ESPN awards.

37. In re : AS TO

39. Designer Karan : DONNA. DKNY, Donna Karan New York.

42. Donkey's need, in a party game : TAIL. Has anyone actually played this game?

43. Low on funds : SHORT

45. Winged peace symbol : DOVE

47. Director Ang or Spike : LEE

52. Sleeve opening : ARM HOLE

55. Puts in the mail : SENDS

60. Yankees superstar, familiarly : A-ROD

61. "Old MacDonald" refrain : E I, E I, O

62. New Zealander : KIWI. Kiwis are unique to New Zealand.

66. Mafia boss : CAPO

67. Dog's warning : SNARL

68. Michener novel, typically : EPIC

69. Tinkertoy alternative : K'NEX. Image. Closer to an erector set?

70. Playable on a VCR : TAPED

71. Do, re or mi : NOTE

Down

1. Israeli submachine gun : UZI

2. Source of Eve's leaves : FIG

3. Yoko from Tokyo : ONO

4. Dead Sea find : SCROLL

5. Web opinion piece : BLOG

6. Puerto __ : RICO

7. Part of IMF: Abbr. : INTL. International Monetary Fund.

8. Must : NEED TO

9. French sponge cake : GÂTEAU. Google images.

10. Having the most pizazz : ZIPPIEST

11. These, in Tijuana : ÉSTOS

12. Intimidate : DAUNT

13. Loses control on the ice : SKIDS

21. Host Conan of NPR's "Talk of the Nation" : NEAL. At a crossword tournament. Pic.

22. Rudolph's is red : NOSE. And I know why.

23. Book of maps : ATLAS

24. Engage in an online scam : PHISH. As in, phishing for identities.

25. __-Bismol : PEPTO. Get back in the pink.

28. Tease : KID

29. "Evil Woman" gp. : ELO. Electric Light Orchestra.

30. Delhi tongue : HINDI

34. "Going Rogue" author Sarah : PALIN

35. Give way : YIELD

36. Mushers' vehicles : SLEDS

38. Greek __ Church : ORTHODOX

40. Oct. follower : NOV.

41. D.C.'s Pennsylvania, e.g. : AVE.

44. Suffix with tele- or Dance-A- : THON

46. Celtic language : ERSE

49. Firstborn : ELDEST

50. Light-sensitive eye part : RETINA

51. Debilitate : WEAKEN

52. Taken __: surprised : ABACK

53. Showed again : RERAN

54. Mr. Magoo, e.g. : MYOPE. myope - any person afflicted with myopia(nearsightedness).

57. Jalopy : HEAP

58. Galway's land : EIRE. The Ould Sod.

59. Word after "going twice ..." : "SOLD!"

63. NASDAQ debut : IPO. Initial Public Offering.

64. Dorothy Parker forte : WIT. "I don't care what is written about me so long as it isn't true." More.

65. Arctic pier material : ICE. Image of the USNS Southern Cross at the ice pier in 1983.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday, September 4, 2011 Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "Secret Stash"(St as h). The "ST" of common phrases is replaced with "H", to make pun-y new phrases. As in:

24A. Jack Benny in his patented pose? : HAND UP COMIC. Pun on "STand up comic", which was a forte of Jack Benny. He always put his hand to his cheek when delivering his lines.

26A. One military stint after another? : CHAIN HITCH. Everyone who sews knows the "chain STitch". This is a funny pun on soldiers who continually re-up.

37A. Causes serious damage at sea? : HACKS THE DECK. "STacks the deck" is getting an advantage early. But the pun on this one has a very different meaning.

61A. Getting flattened by a gridiron lineman? : HUMBLING BLOCK. Oooh, to get put down by a lineman?? How humbling. It could be a STumbling block to any QB's career!

75A. Hollywood hopeful's pursuit? : PUBLICITY HUNT. Maybe they could do a publicity STunt to get recognized?

97A. Cad on his best behavior? : TEMPERED HEEL. Tempered STeel is tough stuff.

111A. Coven gatherings? : HAG PARTIES. STag parties are more fun, I bet.

117A. Give a ride to roadside yokels? : PICKUP HICKS. Did you ever play "Pickup STicks"?

14D. One going from theater to theater? : SHOW HOPPER. A show STopper would stop a show hopper. (Try saying that on three times fast...)

73D. Pawnbroker's niche? : HOCK MARKET. STock market might as well be a hock market, these days!

Marti here, again blogging a delightful offering from Don G. and C.C. So, let's get to it!

Across:

1. Award named for a Muse : CLIO

5. Carlisle's wife in "Twilight" : ESME

9. "No prob!" : A SNAP

14. Kane's Rosebud, e.g. : SLED. Did you all remember "Citizen Kane", starring Orson Welles?

18. Loch with sightings : NESS

19. Financial claim : LIEN

20. Hooch source : STILL

21. "I'd like a say" sounds : AHEMS

22. St. Petersburg is on it : BALTIC SEA

28. Recently retired NBAer : YAO. Yao Ming just retired from the Houston Rockets. He was 7' 6" tall. I could give him a job painting my ceilings!

29. Mac-PC battles, e.g. : AD WARS

30. Hole advantage : ACE

31. Expression of disdain : TUSH

33. Semicircular structure : ARCH. Like this one, in St. Louis.

34. "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" Newbery Medal-winning author : AVI. The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Avi is the single-named author of this 2003 winner.

42. Hautboy, more commonly : OBOE

46. Certain boss's group : GANG

48. 2, at Putt-Putt : PAR

49. Saintly Mother : TERESA

50. 29-Across units : SPOTS

51. Spider automaker : ALFA ROMEO

54. Cop's catch : PERP. Or what we cruciverbalists refer to as "the crossing answer".

55. Tradition-challenging genre : POP ART

56. Pageant topper : TIARA

57. "¿Cómo __?" : ESTA. (Ummm...need help here). I think it means "How goes it?" Lucina?

59. Under-the-hood knock source, perhaps : ENGINE ROD

65. You may read it before turning a page : (OVER)

66. Poehler of "SNL" : AMY

67. Wee start? : PEE

68. "... boy __ girl?" : OR A

69. UAL West Coast hub : SFO. United Airlines / San Francisco.

70. Consequence of over-toasting?: Abbr. : DUI. Used to be DWI (Driving while intoxicated). Now more often DUI, or "driving under the influence"...of hash, coke, pot, liquor, etc. Much more comprehensive.

73. Piltdown man, say : HOAX. Famous paleontological hoax by Charles Dawson (eerily similar to Charles DARWIN). It took over 40 years before it was exposed.

79. Stuff, pad, cover, etc. : UPHOLSTER

83. Hopper : FROG

84. Indian melodies : RAGAS

85. Breaks bread? : SLICES

86. Conn of "Grease" : DIDI. She played "Frenchie". Remember her?

89. "I'm not making this up!" : TRUE STORY. DH tells so may wild stories, that when he is serious he always has to tell me, "True story..."

91. Dweebs : DORKS

92. Elegy, for example : LAMENT

94. What big girls don't do, in a '60s hit : CRY. Our first musical interlude by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons...

95. Sport with Shinto rituals : SUMO

96. "Up and __!" : AT 'EM

100. Sch. in Nashville : TSU. Tennessee State University. Go Tigers!

101. Magician's opening : ABRA...ca-dabra

103. Bailiff's request : RISE

104. Pres. after JAG : CAA. James A Garfield was president for only 200 days, when he was shot by an assassin. He was succeeded by Chester A. Arthur.

106. Tilde feature? : SHORT I

109. Word after Wuzzy : WAS. Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear...

120. Ritual before a fall, hopefully? : RAIN DANCE

121. First pot chips : ANTES

122. Shower time : APRIL

123. Repair : MEND

124. Scientology's __ Hubbard : L. RON

125. Now, in the ER : STAT

126. Kid's choice word : MEENY. Or, eeny - whatever floats your boat!

127. __ listening : EASY. Typified by this one by Barry Manilow.

128. Give, but expect back : LEND. I'd give you a hand, but I expect it back...

Down:

1. "Street Signs" network : CNBC. This program focuses on the day's market action. In addition, prominent Wall Street analysts, investors and executives regularly appear on the program to offer their perspective.

2. Wife of Jacob : LEAH

3. Cuba, to Cubans : ISLA

4. Old Roman port : OSTIA

5. "Your Stinginess" : EL CHEAPO. Loved this answer!

6. "You bet, señor!" : SI SI. I wonder if C.C. was the inspiration?

7. Assemble : MEET

8. Puts into law : ENACTS

9. Shade of blond : ASH

10. "Don't move!" : STAY HERE

11. "Project Runway" judge Garcia : NINA. C.C knows all these people's names.

12. Designer Gucci : ALDO. I bet she knows him, too!

13. Like cats and dogs: Abbr. : PLU. Funny clue/ans. for "plural".

15. 1964 British Open champ : LEMA. Ironically, while flying a small plane to an exhibition appearance in 1966, he was killed when the plane crashed...on a golf course.

16. Qatar bigwig : EMIR

17. Mil. medals : DSCs. Distinguished Service Crosses

21. Current initials : AC / DC. (Back in Black?)

23. Foot part : INCH. Heel?

25. Use a lot? : PARK

27. Pizza the __: "Spaceballs" role : HUTT. A spoof of Jabba The Hut in Star Wars.

32. Herding dog name : SHEP

33. Here, in Havana : ACA

34. First name in mystery : AGATHA. Christie.

35. Drug for anxiety : VALIUM

36. Disrepute : INFAMY

38. Followed : CAME NEXT

39. Kmart founder : KRESGE

40. Yankees all-time hit leader Jeter : DEREK. HA! A baseball name I actually knew...

41. "Home Run Derby" airer : ESPN

43. Hog wild? : BOAR

44. Juan's "other" : OTRO

45. Abbr. before a year : EST'D. Established.

47. Duds : GARB

50. Loudness unit : SONE

52. "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-__": Irish lullaby : RAL

53. Handicapper's hangout, briefly : OTB. Off-track betting (parlor).

55. Turning point : PIVOT

58. Jesus of baseball : ALOU. Jesus, you'd think I would have all these names memorized by now...

60. "Beats me" : GO FIGURE.

62. "No thanks" : I PASS

63. Heavenly body : ORB

64. Little lower? : CALF. I chuckled at this one. I was thinking of DH scratching my back!

69. Burn badly : SCORCH

70. Where many bats are seen : DUGOUT. Wanted belfry.

71. Takes weapons from : UNARMS

72. Fitting room "That looks fabulous!" : IT'S YOU!

74. Corrida cries : OLES

75. Dress fussily : PRIMP.

76. NYC subway : IRT. Interborough Rapid Transit.

77. Mos. and mos. : YRS. Abbr. of mos. indicates abbr. for "years".

78. Bowlers, e.g. : HATS. Or, Boomer, for example!

79. Food stamp : USDA. United States Department of Agriculture.

80. Novel idea : PLOT

81. Take on : HIRE

82. Dutch treat : EDAM

87. Fur trader's supply : DEERSKIN

88. Cross letters : INRI. Latin, "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum". "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews".

90. Head turner, say : EYE CANDY

92. Green span : LEA

93. New Ager John : TESH

97. Stumble : TRIP

98. "Oh, no!" : DEAR ME

99. Hog fat : LARD

102. Heat meas. : BTUs. British thermal Units.

105. Even a little : AT ALL

106. Places with lots of white robes : SPAs

107. Request from one who's stumped : HINT. Uh, I coulda used a few while doing this puzzle!

108. Numerical prefix : OCTA

109. Rub dry : WIPE

110. Lot size : ACRE

112. Mother of the Titans : GAEA

113. Ones knocked off during strikes : PINS

114. Memo starter : IN RE. (Not to be confused with 88d). I always thought this was Latin for "in res". But nope, it's just short for "In regards..."

115. MBA course : ECON. omics

116. iPhone command : SEND

118. It may be cured : HAM

119. Crafty : SLY. Yep, those two are crafty ones, C.C. and Don!!

Answer grid.

Bye-Bye for now!

Marti

Note from C.C. & Don:

I thought it would be fun to take advantage of the hidden *AS* in a word and make a letter substitution puzzle. The first word I proposed to Don was actually SMASH (SM AS H), which did not yield enough phrases for us to choose. Don suggested STASH. I'm not a punny person, but with many trials and errors, we came up with a good number of potential theme answers. The type of puns in this puzzle require surface sense and a certain humor. By generating enough examples that seemed promising, we were able to have some fun with it. We both learned from the experience how to look at changed phrases in a way that the solver can enjoy the unexpected nature of an exquisite alteration.