Saturday, Sep 17th, Tom Heilman

Theme: None

Words: 72

Blocks: 30

Good day to you all~! Our last from Mr. Heilman included the word "pasquinade", and our latest offering is a tough one that I could not finish in my personally allotted time frame - and I needed some red-letter help in the SE. Four triple-stacks of sevens in each corner, and a grid-spanner that took a long time to parse:

36A. Beyond unethical : MORALLY BANKRUPT

- but enough entries for WAG-ing, so as to "bend" the brain without breaking it...

Onward~!

ACROSS:

1. Make even, in a way : JUSTIFY

8. Key rings? : JANGLES - Once the "J" from Jibes came up, I found this to be cute - rings as in the sound

15. More than concerned : ALARMED - makes me think of this movie scene quote

16. When forging started : IRON AGE - pretty obvious, no?

17. Juntas, e.g. : REGIMES - a WAG, but it was lurking there in the grey matter

18. Discarded storage technology : BETA-MAX - Sony's alternative to VHS, and "the" format in the studio when I worked on the TV movie back in the late '90's

19. Consider necessary : SEE FIT - I had DEEM AS to start

20. Round seed : PEA - tried NUT first

21. Blew, so to speak : WENT - oh, uh, as in "blew out of here", right

22. Moving experience? : EXODUS - needed the "X" to get it

24. Fine-grained soil : LOESS - more from Wiki; can you have Feet of Loess? (6D.)

25. Othello game piece : DISC - Yeah, I guess; I was trying too hard, and thought "OREO" would work - see here (OK, half an Oreo....)

28. Corpulent : FAT - such a polite way to say someone is obese

29. Unfavorably influence : JINX - I got JINXED last night on a carpentry job

30. PIN holder's record : ACCT - well, PIN is abbr. for "Personal Identification Number", so ACCT is OK, but see 35D.

31. Make fit : CRAM IN

33. Suffix with nanny : CAM - nanny-cam, for spying on your kid's babysitter

39. "Bambi" character : ENA - Bambi's aunt, and I gotta say, never saw the whole movie, still

40. Wire function : BALING - I used this when I worked in the supermarket, in the back room at the cardboard compactor - I actually enjoyed the task

41. Man cave channel of choice : ESPN - Entertainment and Sports Programming Network - the E part allows them to show poker, billiards, etc.

42. Wile : PLOY

44. __ vindice: Confederacy motto : DEO

45. Parker who played Daniel Boone : FESS - too '50's for me; this guy

46. Underlying values : ETHOS - WAGed it

48. Like protozoa : MOTILE - Def: biol. - 'capable of moving spontaneously'

50. Has a turn : GOES

51. Improved one's record : WON

52. Akkadian king who conquered Mesopotamia : SARGON - does anyone watch "Ancient Aliens" ? - This guy sounds like he could be in the next episode....

56. Kitchen tools : GRATERS - had to wait for a few crossers first

58. "Olly olly oxen free!" : IT'S SAFE - well, I knew it was a kid's game; this I found interesting

59. Dominions : EMPIRES

60. Mess up, as a punch line : MISTIME - have you ever tried to "pass on" a joke, then heard that same person garble it completely ???

61. Lot : DESTINY - C-3PO quote in Star Wars, ep. IV (0:15)

62. Slid (over) : SCOOTED

DOWN:

1. Makes shake : JARS - A tough puzzle JARS my brain

2. Fonda role : ULEE - This movie

3. Ranch brush : SAGE

4. Long-odds bet : TRIFECTA

5. Amalgamate : IMMIX - seen it before, this time, I put it right in (after having the MM)

6. Character flaw : FEET OF CLAY - A reference here; also a book by Terry Pratchett; funny, but the TV movie I worked on was about a Golem, a man made of clay....

7. Meas. of some field losses or gains : YDs - yards in football

8. Sailing maneuvers : JIBES - sudden shift from one side (of your course) to the other

9. Code word? : AREA - Area Code, a bit meh

10. "Psych!" : NOT~!!!

11. Eat at, as one's conscience : GNAW ON

12. Classroom response, at times : LAME EXCUSE - not really a 'response', but I get it

13. Pulitzer-winning writers Timothy and Jennifer : EGANS

14. Times of prayer in the Divine Office : SEXTS - I did not know this - but I am not Catholic

20. Tried to buy at auction : PUT A BID ON

23. She played Elle in "Kill Bill" : DARYL - the one-eyed nemesis of Uma's character Beatrix; typical Tarrantino, but I liked it

24. Online convenience : LINK

25. Pulp figure : DAME

26. Tiny paper clip, e.g. : ICON

27. Settings for "Junkyard Wars" : SCRAP HEAPS - fun show, where two teams would go into a junk yard to find bits for making odd vehicles and such, including boats, racing cars, garbage collectors, and my favorite episode, the "dragon" wrecker.

29. Loyal to a fault : JINGOISTIC - from the noun "Jingo", a person who announces loudly his or her patriotism

32. Zola portraitist : MANET - Image

34. Droid downloads : APPS

35. Chain letters? : MTNs - I'll let it slide, but there's no hint at an abbreviation; mountain chain

37. NYSE deals : LBOs - Leveraged Buy Outs - unpleasant, I believe

38. Cites : REFERS TO

43. Flipped : LOST IT

46. Vandalized, in a way : EGGED - Halloween prank

47. "Chestnuts roasting ..." co-writer : TORME - Mel, the "Velvet Fog"

48. Like some forest ground : MOSSY

49. Neck line? : LASSO - if you're a steer

51. Cactus __: state bird of Arizona : WREN

53. Canter, for one : GAIT

54. "Memories __": Billy Crystal film : OF ME - This movie; didn't know it or see it

55. Requisite : NEED

57. "__ tu che macchiavi quell'anima": Verdi lyric : ERI

58. Uses Trillian, briefly : IMs - I knew of the character from Hitchhiker's Guide, but not this software

Answer grid.

I'm on vacaTION (tiss) ~!

I'm on vacaTION (boom)~!

I'm on vacation~!.....

Splynter

Friday, September 16, 2011, Donna S. Levin

Theme: The YES PUN! Each of the theme answers are common phrases where the last word is replaced with a sound-a-like word meaning yes in a foreign language. So we have both a pun and a consistent theme of non-English words meaning yes. A lively romp from dear Donna, anchored by two grid spanners.

20A. Approval from a Cádiz resident?: MEDITERRANEAN SI. Mediterranean SEA. We begin with our Spanish clue, which is tough if you do not know Cadiz.

29A. Approval from Louis XIV?:THE ROYAL OUI. Royal WE; the British Queens often expressed their dissatisfaction by saying, "we are displeased."

40A. Approval from a shocked Scot?:ELECTRIC AYE. Electric EYE. I go back to the new eye doctor today, where I can practice my Highlands accent from reading all the Hamish Macbeth books.

50A. Approval from a sushi chef at the lunch counter?: TWELVE O'CLOCK HAI. 12 O'Clock HIGH.

I learned the Japanese word from this CLASSIC. There was a wonderful TV series about fighter pilots...

Across:

1. Last of three Catherines: PARR. Henry the VIII had only one widow, and this was she. Quite the looker. See Image above.

5. Plot: CABAL This from the Hebrew root word, Qabbalah, referring to those who band together.

10. Pathfinder org.: NASA. Mars Pathfinder was designed to be a demonstration of the technology necessary to deliver a lander and a free-ranging robotic rover to the surface of Mars in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

14. Natural balm: ALOE. Living in the sunshine state, I love aloe, it is the bomb (silent L).

15. Last of the Oldsmobiles: ALERO.

16. Old Persian poet: OMAR. Do you like his POETRY?

17. Folio part: LEAF. Like a page, not the kind the senators fool around with.

18. Word of thanks: MERCI. French lesson, Jeannie; after you say, Oui, Oui monsieur, I say Merci.

19. Corn detritus: SILK. Detritus has become a popular word because of all the CSI books and shows which began with Patricia Cornwell and her Scarpetta character.We used to just say debris.

23. High-and-mighty: SNOOTY. Like Catherine Parr?

24. Cambridge business school: SLOAN. In Massachusetts, not London for this PLACE

25. Pair of barbershop groups: OCTET. 2x4 = 8.

27. Admission req. for 24-Across:GMAT. Graduate Management Admission Test. Ok, one is good.

33. Code on some NYC-bound luggagetags: LGA. La Guardia in NYC.

36. Cambridge Conservative: TORY. The party in Great Britain.

37. Jack's UN ambassador: ADLAI. Stevenson, was the first for Jack Kennedy.

38. Markers: IOUS. I love a puzzle with anagrams OUIS/IOUS.

39. They're sometimes special: OPS. Operations.

.42. "Fake is as old as the __tree": Welles: EDEN. Orson Welles. Eden Tree? No wonder Rosebud was a sled.

43. It has some smart Alecs: MENSA. For the newbies, the corner has its own group, DENSA.

44. "Full House" co-star: SAGET. Foul mouthed COMEDIAN masqueraded as a father figure.

47. Place to get bogged down: MORASS. I always thought this was every man's dream.

55. Rough talk: RASP. Hoarse of a different color?

56. Indira's son: RAJIV. His second appearance this week.

57. 50-and-up group: AARP.

58. Concerning: AS TO.

59. Encourage none too gently: SHOVE.

60. Nursery rhyme tub assembly, e.g.: TRIO. Rub a dub dub, three men in a tub.

61. Sharpen: WHET. Probably comes from the German wetzen.

62. Rutabaga, for one: TUBER. From the Latin meaning swollen. Not to be confused with someone who watches too much you tube. Did you see the old people filming themselves? CLIP. Viral.

63. Squeezed (out): EKED. real old fashioned crosswordese.

phew, halfway home

Down:

1. Chiromancer's reading material: PALM. This was Friday hard, unless you recalled your Latin that CHIR (or CHIRO) means hand. No wonder people did not trust chiropractors. Anybody who was a "mancer" was suspect.

2. Like the northern Lesser Antilles, vis-à-vis the Windward Islands : ALEE. My A word; I had leeward last Friday.

3. Sporty two-seaters: ROADSTERS.

4. Sugar plant: REFINERY. You see it is not all about beer. Nice trickery with plant not being botanical.

5. Carved sardonyx: CAMEO. Pretty

6. Bright-eyed: ALERT. Do not forget bushy-tailed.

7. Smoothie ingredient: BERRY. Rather nondescript.

8. Conquistador's chest: ARCA. Spanish for ARK, like the ark used to hold the covenant.

9. Tender cut: LOIN. Or what kids do in school in Brooklyn.

10. Margarita choice: NO SALT. So are we salt, or no salt?

11. __ acid: AMINO.

12. It might be caliente: SALSA. Caliente= hot.

13. "Catch-22" actor: ARKIN. He played YOSSARIAN, the naked one. A wonderful book and movie..

21. "Africa" band TOTO. Now for our musical INTERLUDE.

22. Morales in movies : ESAI.

25. Name of four Holy Roman emperors: OTTO. And Sgt. Snorkel's dog.

26. Rough waters: CHOP. Or maybe we could go back to the Hai Karate commercial

27. Source of milk for chèvre: GOAT. Goat cheese.

28. Sierra Club's first president: MUIR. Interesting man and legacy.

30. Third-oldest U.S. university: YALE. Without Google can you name the first two?

31. Yemen's chief port: ADEN

32. Corp.-partnership hybrid : LLC. Limited Liability Company.

33. One garnering lots of interest: LOAN SHARK. Nice misdirection.

34. Chaps: GUYS.

35. Cruising : ASEA. Okay my other A word.

38. Support for a Salchow : ICE SKATE. Like this CLIP, as always a tip of the ice to our own CA and our missing in action Red Shoe nurse, wherever she is. Be well fishy.

40. Ron Howard send-up of reality shows: ED TV. TRAILER.

41. Apple on a desk: iMAC.

42. Sniggling gear: EELPOT. A boxlike structure with funnel-shaped traps for catching eels. Which would make a good present for eel loving fearless leader.

44. Frozen margarita insert: STRAW. No umbrellas here, boys.

45. Teeming (with): AWASH. My final A word.

46. Chansons de __: medieval Frenchpoems: GESTE. The most famous one which was preserved by the jongleurs is the SONG of ROLAND which figures prominently in Ken Follett's epic The Pillars of the Earth. Wonderful read.

47. Dead end, workwise: MCJOB.

48. Drab color: OLIVE. Poor olive stuck with both drab and Oyl.

49. Rootless sort: ROVER. Not nomad?

51. Aforetime: ERST. Sounds better in erstwhile.

52. Mount Ka'ala is its highest peak: OAHU. Hey Hawaiian friends, IPO and the other lost ones.

53. R&B singer India.__: ARIE. Born India Arie Simpson; no relation to Homer. TUNE.

54. Touch or shuffle: iPOD.

Answer grid.

There may be no I in team, but we have both iMAC and iPOD, and now it is time I am out of here. Another one done. Have a wonderful weekend, and Marti, i love to see a blog inspiring more than 100 comments, well done.

Lemonade.

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Moon! Hope all is well with you. Do drop us a note whenever you stop by.

Thursday, September 15, 2011 Ed Sessa

Theme: SSSH !! - The circled letters (see Answer Grid, highlighted in red in my write-up) orderly spell out LAMBS, and they're silent in all the theme entries.

14A. Corner-to-corner lines : CROSSWALK Silent L. OK, hands up for everyone who wrote in "diagonals"???

18A. Brand with a cuckoo mascot : COCOA PUFFS Silent "A"

34A. Recall aids : MNEMONIC DEVICES Silent "M"

55A. Disapproval : THUMBS DOWN Silent "B"

60A. Nassau Coliseum NHL team : ISLANDERS Silent "S"

And the unifier:

39. Characteristic of this puzzle's circled letters, which suggest a 1991 Oscar-winning film : SILENCE.

"Silence of the Lambs". Creepy movie that I have never been able to watch. But, I did recently see an extremely interesting documentary about the making of this film, with commentary from Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.

Did your puzzle have circles? Mine did not, but I didn't need them to suss this clever theme!

Marti here, and I hope that this is not a disappointing puzzle, after yesterday's blockbuster Don G and CC offering (aka DCC)!

Across:

1. Cabernets, e.g. : REDS. Yep, my favorite!

5. __ Ababa : ADDIS

10. It's in poetry? : TIS. Or, the sequel to Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes"

13. Ray's mom on "Everybody Loves Raymond" : MARIE

16. Blowing away : AWING. (On a wing and a prayer?)

17. Small smoke : CIGARILLO

20. Enunciate poorly : SLUR. The way I speak, after having too many 1As.

21. Spanish liqueur : ANIS. I know the spelling as "anise". Anyone else?

22. Literary schnauzer : ASTA. Oh, so now it's a literary dog??? When did he learn to read?

23. Invitation sender : HOST

24. Took care of : DID. I took care of DH last night...

25. Last pres. born in the 19th century : DDE. Dwight David Eisenhower, our 34th president.

26. Fish and chips fish : COD

29. Jazz guitarist Montgomery: WES

30. IM user, perhaps : AOLER. OK, I officially pronounce this clue/answer as dead! (...until I need it in a puzzle!)

32. News distributors : MEDIA

40. Adams's "Nixon in China," for one : OPERA. Interesting factoid here. Hands up for anyone who knew this opera?...anyone???

41. Rice follower, at the market : A-RONI. The San Francisco treat...

42. Colorful subway poster : MAP. Who wanted "graffiti artist"??

45. Reagan era acronym : SDI. "Strategic Defense Initiative"

46. Load : TON

48. CCCX x V : MDL. (What , not DCC???)

49. '40s film critic James : AGEE

51. Injury reminder : SCAR

53. Concert wind : OBOE

54. Herring prized for its eggs : SHAD

57. Not easily comprehended : HARD TO SEE

59. Like some pride : CIVIC

61. Coeur d'__ : ALENE. Idaho city

62. "The X-Files" extras : ETs. Extra Terrestrials.

63. Proposal rarely made on one knee : TOAST. HaHa. Funny clue / answer.

64. Arctic hazard : BERG. Just ask anyone on the Titanic...

Down:

1. Salad veggie : RAW ONION

2. "Spamalot" co-creator : ERIC IDLE.

3. Prehistoric critters, briefly : DINOS. Like this one.

4. Dreamcast maker : SEGA

5. Impeach : ACCUSE. How many U.S. presidents have been "impeached"?

6. Go with the tide : DRIFT

7. Having a mug like a pug : DOG-FACED. Awww, who couldn't love these faces?

8. "A miss __ good ..." : IS AS

9. Belarus, once: Abbr. : SSR. Soviet Socialist Republic.

10. Soapmaking material : TALLOW

11. Treat like dirt : ILL USE. (Hmmm... I think I'll use this one sometime.)

12. Hybrid apparel : SKORTS. Are guys disappointed to see what is underneath these...?

13. Crushed-stone surface : MACADAM

15. Words after a splash in a fountain, maybe : WISH

19. Artificially inflate : PAD

25. Dilating application : DROPS. I think of Abejo and his eye drops. How are you doing??

27. Poetic dedication : ODE. I'll let Clear Ayes choose...

28. Place to recline : DIVAN. Yes, I'll recline on my divan and watch some "Hoarders" on reality TV...

31. Genre of the band Jimmy Eat World : EMO. Hmmm, never heard of this group. You??

32. __ Nashville: record label : MCA. Label of George Strait and Scotty McCreery, among others...

33. Mattress filler : AIR. Hot?

35. "Waking __ Devine": 1998 film : NED. Great film. If you have never seen it, order here!!

36. Dún Laoghaire's waters : IRISH SEA

37. Trump has an elaborate one : COMB-OVER

38. Providing funds for : ENDOWING

42. Old golf club name : MASHIE

43. White as a sheet : AGHAST

44. Diver's quest : PEARLS. (Not muffs?)

46. Least likely to bite : TAMEST. OK, so the tamest pit-bull is least likely to bite? I don't want to be the one to test that theory!

47. Globe : ORB

50. Icelandic source of mythology : EDDA

52. Callers at round dances : CUERS. Yellowrocks, any comment??

53. Ballet's Black Swan : ODILE

55. Uproar : TO-DO

56. Unpopular worker : SCAB (Not to be confused with 51A)

58. Blast cause : TNT. Dy-no-mite!!

Th..Th..Th..Thats all, folks!

Answer grid.

Hugs, from Marti

Wednesday, September 14, 2011 Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Lettering in Wheel. Of. Fortune. Or: And sometimes Y -- but not this time. The final letters of the final word of each asterisked theme answer is An/A + vowel, the item bought on that TV Game Show that I never watched. And, at no extra charge, they're presented in alphabetical order!

17A. *"The Music Man" number : GARY INDIANA. Gary - Gimme an A!

21A. *Sweet stocking stuffer : CANDY CANE. All I want for Christmas is an E!

34A. *Lead singer in No Doubt's hit "Don't Speak" : GWEN STEFANI. Don't speak - just gimme an I!

42A. *Instrument using rolls : PLAYER PIANO. Roll me an O!

52A. *Seven-time Grammy-winning jazz singer : AL JARREAU. You, Al - gimme a U!

And the unifier -- 62. Words in a classic game show that can be followed by the ends of the answers to starred clues : I'D LIKE TO BUY . . . all of the above.

Hi, gang - JazzBumpa here. Quite a technical tour de force by our prolific and dynamic duo. Six theme entries, with the unifier, all of 10 or 11 letters. Lots of music to link, too.

Let's have AT IT!

Across:

1. Wasn't renewed : LAPSED. Like a magazine subscription. Anybody remember them?

7. Fiend's tail? : ISH. A feindISHly clever affix clue.

10. Biographical datum : AGE. Or a closely guarded secret. I'm 39 for the 25th time.

13. World Cup chant : OLE! OLE! The old corrida cheer doubled. Evidently, it is not derived from the Spanish verb OLER, meaning "to smell;" else it would mean, "You smell! You smell!" Lucina?

14. They're "high" but not dry : SEAS. Clever clue for the high SEAS.

16. Little shaver : LAD. I didn't shave until I was in the 8th grade.

19. Ginormous : BIG. The LW uses this word to describe really amazingly, hugely big things, like that spider she saw in the garage yesterday.

20. Early computer : ENIAC. Developed in WW II to compute trajectories for ordnance.

23. Not quite a compulsion : ITCH. I thought about going to Japan, but didn't have the Yen to travel.

25. W-2 info: Abbr. : SSN. Social Security Number. Keep it secure from identity thieves.

26. Perceptive : ASTUTE.

30. Predecessor of 33-Down : JOHNSON. Robert JOHNSON, b 1911, was a blues singer before Marnie Nixon was even born (1930).

37. Bee fore? : API. Clever word play in another devious affix clue. API is found at the beginning of words like APIARY, which is home to bees, not apes.

38. Plate in a park : HOME. Baseball, of course. Hi-ya, C.C. I'm watching the Tigers flatten the White Sox - again! 5-0 final, and another win for Verlander.

39. Took by the hand : LED. Astray, for example.

40. Aptly named movie channel : FLIX. A cable channel brought to you by Showtime.

41. Ernst contemporary : ARP. Someday, I will remember him.

46. Grab ahold of, as an idea : SEIZE ON. Carpe brainstorm.

48. Cross to bear : BURDEN. That's a load.

49. Trivial amount : SOU. An old French coin. Must not have been worth much.

50. Sandbox sight : PAIL.

56. Tibetan capital : LHASA

61. Showy wrap : BOA. A long skinny scarf.

64. Lumber tree : ELM. In days of yore.

65. Geological time division : AEON. Rocks are very patient.

66. Fare-minded one? : CABBIE. The charge for riding in a cab is a fare. More cleverness

67. Family pooch : LAB. One possibility among many.

68. Command to a 67-Across : SIT. Stay. Shake. Roll over.

69. WWII fleet : U-BOATS. German submarines - Untersee Boots.

Down:

1. Prime seating : LOGE. A theater box, and a learning moment for me

2. Rickman of Harry Potter films : ALAN. Professor Severus Snape. Complex character.

3. Prefix with meter : PERI. A straight-forward affix clue. No beating around the PERIMETER here.

4. Miso bean : SOYA. Simply soy beans to us 'Muricuns

5. Extracts : ELICITS. Draws out a comment or response.

6. Place to relax : DEN. As long as there are no lions - and that's the truth!

7. Hoops legend Thomas : ISIAH. Of the Detroit Pistons

8. Penn of "Milk" : SEAN. Movie about a murdered politician

9. Like computer lab learning : HANDS ON. As opposed to book larnin'

10. Goya's "Duchess of __" : ALBA. Sorry. Can't resist.

11. Put on a spare tire? : GAIN. Very clever. Not those round Dunlops on your car, but that other round thing that done lops over your belt.

12. Upper hand : EDGE

15. Greets someone with more than a nod : SAYS "HI"

18. LXX x X : DCC. The old Roman 700 club. Or, initially speaking, our dynamic duo, in an Alfred Hitchcock moment.

22. MSNBC rival : CNN. Cable TV news channels.

24. Vietnamese holiday marking the arrival of spring : TET.

26. Ottoman big shots : AGHAS. The H threw me.

27. Talked a blue streak? : SWORE. A fast string of blue words, no doubt. More cleverness.

28. Musical speeds : TEMPI. Presto, larghetto, etc.

29. French article : UNE.

30. Shade of green : JADE.

31. Leaves for lunch? : SALAD. I love this clue. Lettuce have more cleverness!

32. Speak one's mind : OPINE. Which I do occasionally all the time.

33. Successor to 30-Across : NIXON. Marnie Nixon was a singer who's voice was dubbed in for actresses of lesser vocal ability, like Marilyn Monroe, Debra Kerr, and Audrey Hepburn. Actually, though they were both singers, it's kind of hard to understand in what sense Robert Johnson was Marnie Nixon's predecessor. Maybe it's supposed to be these happy fellows.

35. Pizazz : ELAN. Lots of ELAN in this puzzle.

36. Tina of "30 Rock" : FEY. Funny Lady.

40. Tree often brought into the house : FIR. At Christmas time.

42. Illinois River port : PEORIA. A city 161 Mi (260km) from GARY, INDIANA

43. French pilgrimage site : LOURDES. The site of miraculous cures.

44. DH's stat : RBI. Runs Batted In. Victor Martinez is close to 100.

45. Can opener : PULL TAB. Pop, pop - fizz, fizz.

47. When doubled, sister of Eva : ZSA. Not my favorite Hungarian girl, by half.

50. A stripper takes it off : PAINT. I love this clue, but hate using the nasty stuff.

51. Arctic diver : AUK. If a penguin could fly, it would be an AUK. Actually, they are not closely related.

52. Genesis shepherd : ABEL. He annoyed his older brother, a farmer, and was then fatally Cained.

53. 1970 Kinks classic : LOLA. Things got a bit crossed up.

54. It's perpendicular to a threshold : JAMB. The side of a door frame.

55. "The Time Machine" race : ELOI. Always a favorite here at The Corner.

57. Vagabond : HOBO. From the other great depression.

58. "Take a Chance on Me" quartet : ABBA. Take a chance on a link.

59. Dressy duds : SUIT. Except on your birthday.

60. Thumbs-up votes : AYES. Any thumbs-up for this puzzle?

63. Former French coin : ECU. Of more value than a SOU, I suppose.

Answer grid.

Fun romp, IMHO, worth a thumbs up and an ECU or two.

Jazzbumpa

Constructors' notes from C.C. and Don:

Don came up with this theme. Our original unifier is PURCHASE, partnering up with a 9-letter TOP BANANA. Rich did not feel PURCHASE is a strong closer and suggested a more proper 11-letter I'D LIKE TO BUY. Then we made a wholesale change of all our theme entries. We tried but failed to find a short and common ANI ending phrase, so we settled down on GWEN STEFANI. It was a fun challenge to see if we could arrange six theme entries with four 11-letters long. We hope you enjoy our work.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Not So Fast - Four phrases that end with a verb that can mean an impediment.

20A. Shareholder's bonus : DIVIDEND CHECK

29A. Kitchen island material : BUTCHER BLOCK

46A. Wrap for leftovers : ALUMINUM FOIL

56A. Laundry convenience : CLOTHES HAMPER

Argyle here. I do like this puzzle but it has some clues I think were lifted from old puzzles and they weren't quite right then. The fact that all of the theme words have a different meaning than what they had in the phrases is nice.

Across:

1. Yawn-inspiring : BANAL

6. "Arabian Nights" birds : ROCS. They could fly off with an elephant.

10. Big name in razors : ATRA

14. Alpaca kin : LLAMA. In case you need to tell them apart. Images

15. Pop singer Brickell : EDIE. Brickell married singer-songwriter Paul Simon on May 30, 1992 and now they have three children - Adrian, Lulu and Gabriel.

16. Washerful : LOAD

17. Word on a French postcard : AVION. PAR AVION - by plane(air mail).

18. Laura of "Jurassic Park" : DERN. She portrayed Dr. Ellie Sattler, a graduate student specializing in paleobotany, which deals with plant fossils and ancient vegetation.

19. Forever, so to speak : EONS

23. Dir. from Memphis to Nashville : ENE

24. Something to grind : AXE

25. Throw easily : LOB

26. Phone bk. info : NOs. To us gearheads, NOS means Nitrous Oxide Systems, the go fast gas.

32. Spinning sound : WHIR

35. "It's a Wonderful Life" studio : RKO. Clip.(0:31)

36. Brief fisticuffs : SET TO

37. It has lots of slots : RENO

38. Invite to one's penthouse : ASK UP

41. Some necklines : VEEs. I like the pattern.

42. Macaroni shape : ELBOW

44. "I could win on my next turn!" : "UNO!". A card game favorite with kids. A player who forgets to say "uno" after his/her second-to-last card touches the discard pile and is caught by another player, they have to draw two cards.

45. Bk. before Job : ESTHer

50. __-Tiki : KON. The raft used by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl in his 1947 expedition across the Pacific. His book was also so-named.

51. Wimple wearer : NUN. A wimple is a garment worn around the neck and chin, and which usually covers the head.

52. Window units, briefly : ACs. Air Conditioner.

53. Mud bath venue : SPA

60. Empty room sound : ECHO

62. Roll of fabric : BOLT

63. Garlicky sauce : AIOLI

64. In __ of: replacing : LIEU

65. Everyone, to Ernst : ALLE. German.

66. Stops bleeding : CLOTS

67. Sail support : MAST

68. Meg of "Courage Under Fire" : RYAN. "Smile when you say that, pardner". Image. From this interesting blog site, Dorothy Surrenders.

69. Have an inkling : SENSE

Down:

1. Little shaver : BLADE. Should have been clued better.

2. Troublemaking chipmunk : ALVIN. Songs, movies, TV shows.

3. Too trusting : NAIVE

4. Madame's "mine" : A MOI

5. Two-seated carriage : LANDAU

6. Jeff Foxworthy jokes about them : REDNECKS

7. Pigged out (on) : ODed. OD seems a little strong for pig out.

8. Word with sewing or traffic : CIRCLE

9. Lisbon mister : SENHOR. Portuguese

10. Actor Baldwin : ALEC

11. Created a study aid in class : TOOK NOTES

12. Was on the ballot : RAN

13. Program breaks : ADs

21. One in a crowd scene : EXTRA

22. Goes back to sea? : EBBS

27. Large wedding band : OCTET. We have had this before (Dan Naddor 3/2/2011) and it was deceptive then. Octet refers to the number of prongs holding the stone. The finger size of the ring doesn't matter. This clue/answer should be retired. Further study shows it may refer to the band at the reception. I suppose TRIO would be a small wedding band.

28. Smidge : SKOSH. Japanese.

29. Witch craft? : BROOM

30. Balderdash : HOKUM

31. Flat : LEVEL

32. Inflict, as havoc : WREAK

33. Nametag greeting : HELLO

34. How grapes grow : IN BUNCHES

39. Remove the chain from, say : UNFASTEN

40. Doggie : POOCH

43. Skid row regular : WINO

47. Crunchy snack : NUT BAR

48. Not at all sacred : UNHOLY

49. "Compromising Positions" author Susan : ISAACS. She also wrote the screen play for the film, starring Susan Sarandon.

53. Gazpacho eater's need : SPOON. Cold soup.

54. Furrier's stock : PELTS

55. Hop out of bed : ARISE

57. Boorish sort : LOUT

58. Jazzy Fitzgerald : ELLA

59. __ High City: Denver : MILE

60. Shade source : ELM

61. "The Bourne Identity" org. : CIA

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, September 12, 2011 James Sajdak

Theme: Back in School - Four grid spanners that start, in order, with high school/college grades.

16A. Newcomer to Capitol Hill : FRESHMAN SENATOR

25A. Promising rookies' doses of reality : SOPHOMORE SLUMPS

41A. Young company supervisor : JUNIOR EXECUTIVE

56A. Breaks for AARP members : SENIOR DISCOUNTS

Argyle here. If you didn't get this theme, well.... Our constructor is more familiar for puzzles towards the end of the week and some of the fill reflects that. I confess I lingered over the NE corner way too long. The theme entries are all solid in language phrases.

Across:

1. Hawaiian greeting : ALOHA

6. Recital highlight : SOLO

10. Fr. religious figure : STE.

13. Fragrant purple flower : LILAC

14. Stadium level : TIER

15. Bookstore sect. : BIOG. Biography.

19. Long story : SAGA

20. Vessels like Noah's : ARKS

21. Frère du père : ONCLE. French, brother of father : uncle.

22. Massage facility : SPA

24. Begin a trip : SET OUT. I was 31-Across and thought it might be the start of a fall.

31. Nitwit : IDIOT

32. They may be locked in battle : HORNS. Clip(1:46) Yes, I know they are antlers. Stifle yourself.

33. Flexed : BENT

34. Heavenly head covers : HALOs

35. "Whatever shall I do?" : "AH, ME"

39. Writer Diamond or actor Leto : JARED. Jared Mason Diamond authored The Third Chimpanzee, Guns, Germs, and Steel, and Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. He is currently Professor of Geography and Physiology at UCLA. Jared Joseph Leto - American actor, director, producer, musician and of late, sharing crossword space with Apollo's mother.

40. Overfill : BLOAT

46. Amerigo Vespucci, vis-à-vis America : EPONYM. Someone who gives his or her name to something

47. Score-raising stat : RBI. Baseball: bat in a run, raise the score. Question: Bottom of the ninth, tie score, runners on second and third. Batter hits into the corner and the runner on third scores before the outfielder reaches the ball. Is that the end or does the play continue until the ball is thrown back into the infield?

48. Whoop : SHOUT. Clip(0:02)

49. Home of the Buckeyes : OHIO

52. VCR insert : TAPE

59. Quod __ demonstrandum : ERAT. Latin.

60. "The Razor's __": Maugham novel : EDGE

61. Make sense, to a detective : ADD UP

62. China's Sun Yat-__ : SEN. Sun Yat-sen was the leader of China's republican revolution. He did much to inspire and organize the movement that overthrew the Manchu dynasty in 1911.

63. Arthur of tennis : ASHE. Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing, NY site of the US Open.

64. Varnish component : RESIN

Down

1. TV E.T. and namesakes : ALFs. Acronym for Alien Life Form.

2. Former coin of Italy : LIRA

3. Designer Cassini : OLEG

4. Just might pull it off : HAS A SHOT

5. "Bah," in Bavaria : "ACH". German.

6. Hollywood Walk of Fame feature : STAR

7. Sound from a snout : OINK

8. A smaller amount : LESS

9. Salem is its cap. : ORE

10. "Scrubs," for one : SITCOM

11. Get ready for production : TOOL UP

12. White wading birds : EGRETS

15. African language group : BANTU

17. Hat-tipping address : MA'AM

18. Yuletide carols : NOELS. Like 39D. "__ the World" : JOY TO

23. Stovetop item : POT

24. Federal IDs : SSNs

25. One of the fam : SIB

26. Shelley tribute : ODE

27. Wrestler's objective : PIN

28. Windy City airport : O'HARE

29. Pricey timepiece : ROLEX

30. Wash away slowly : ERODE

34. Injure : HARM

35. Cockpit reading : ALTITUDE

36. __ polloi : HOI. "The majority" in Greek.

37. Dallas NBAer : MAV. Basketball's Dallas Mavericks.

38. Août's season : ÉTÉ. French, August, summer.

40. Fella : BUB

41. James and Owens : JESSES. Jesse Woodson James, outlaw; James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens, track and field athlete.

42. "Psst!" from above : "UP HERE!"

43. Political columnist Peggy : NOONAN. Image.

44. Alaskan native : INUIT

45. Gator's cousin : CROC

49. __ and ends : ODDS

50. A bit tipsy : HIGH

51. "Makes sense to me" : "I SEE"

53. Common conjunctions : ANDS

54. Seed-spitter's sound : PTUI. Another baseball reference?

55. "Baseball Tonight" channel : ESPN

57. Stephen of "V for Vendetta" : REA. Also appeared in Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire, Breakfast on Pluto and nominated for an Academy Award for The Crying Game.

58. Rowing need : OAR

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday September 11, 2011 Robert H. Wolfe

Theme: Let Me Interject - One word in each common phrase is replaced by a sound-alike common interjection.

24A. Frat for complainers? : FIE BETA KAPPA. Phi Beta Kappa.

26A. "Look! Ghosts!"? : LO SPIRITS. Low spirits.

112A. Complaint about a weak morning cup? : COFFEE BAH. Coffee bar.

119A. Unfriendly store owner? : SHOO MERCHANT. Shoe merchant.

13D. At exhilarating times? : IN THE WHEE HOURS. In the wee hours.

36D. "Pauses are normal" adage? : TO ER IS HUMAN. To err is human.

42D. Like kittens and puppies? : AW- INSPIRING. Awe-inspiring.

52D. One skilled at expressing relief? : MAN OF PHEW WORDS. Man of few words.

Nice theme entry intersection!

I love puzzles where the base phrases of the wordplay are all familiar to me. And it's always a treat to solve Bob's puzzles. I looked at some of his earlier NYT a few weeks ago. They were so creative and fun.

Favorite clue today is GASPS (34D. Pants you can't wear).

Across:

1. Low tide revelations : MUDFLATS. Good start.

9. Dorm bosses, briefly : RAs

12. Give out : DIE

15. Like some tea : ICED

19. Coda relative : EPILOGUE

20. Nonresident doctors : EXTERNS. I only know interns.

22. Letter-bottom letters : SASE (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope)

23. Sea brass : ADMIRALS

28. Spill clumsily : SLOSH

29. Point a finger at : RAT ON

30. Doctor's order : PILL. I'm always afraid pills will mess up my brain.

32. Natural to a region : ENDEMIC

34. Gainesville gridder : GATOR. University of Florida.

39. Twisted look : SNEER

41. Baa maids? : EWES. Lovely clue.

42. Bottom-row key : ALT

45. Islands to which canaries are native : AZORES. On the west of Portugal.

47. Firefighter Red : ADAIR. Learned his name from doing Xword.

49. 17-Down's org. : NHL. And 17D. Old Bruin nickname : ESPO. Phil Esposito. Hall of Famer.

50. __' Pea : SWEE
51. Chest protectors : STERNUMS. Sterna too.

53. __ muffin : STUD. Oh, look at him.

55. First printing, say : EDITION. The first edition of "The Godfather" is worth a lot.

57. Public role : PERSONA

58. Like most mules : STERILE

60. "An Inconvenient Woman" author Dominick : DUNNE. Strange title.

61. Biol., e.g. : SCI

62. White water? : SNOW. Nice clue too.

64. Jazzy Vaughan : SARAH

65. Inception : ONSET

66. Place to see a sched. : STA

69. Drop : OMIT

71. Jared of "Mr. Nobody" : LETO. He dated Cameron Diaz for a few years.

72. Indy additive : STP

73. Drinks for Radar : NEHIs. Knee-high.

75. Side with : FAVOR

77. Bud : CHUM

79. Creator of Auric and Julius : IAN (Fleming). Auric Goldfinger. Auric is the adjective of Au (Gold). Dr Julius No. Too sophisticated a clue for me.

82. Blow : ERUPT

83. Diagnostic school exam : PRETEST

85. Mention : REFER TO

88. Minx-like : VAMPISH. Firefox doesn't like this word.

90. Poor, as an excuse : LAME

91. David, to some scholars : PSALMIST

92. "My word!" : I SAY

93. It's heard in Isr. : HEB

95. Bottle size : LITER

97. One with net gains? : SEINER. Seine can mean "net" or verb "Fish with a net".

98. Novelist Deighton : LEN

99. Rob of "Parks and Recreation" : LOWE

100. Tropical starch sources : TAROS. I miss freshly made taro cakes.

102. Swimming pool concern : ALGAE

103. Word in some carriers' names : AIRWAYS

106. Show saver : TiVO

107. Capital near Lake Volta : ACCRA. Ghana's capital.

110. Exams during which students can talk : ORALS

122. Shop in airport stores, say : KILL TIME. So true.

123. Incites to attack : SICS

124. "Roots" Emmy winner : ED ASNER. Very friendly letter combo. Hence his frequent appearance in crossword.

125. Pottery worker, on occasion : ENAMELER. Any comment, Warren? And 129. Ones who swear in court : DEPOSERS

126. Road across Penn. : TPKE (Turnpike)

127. Retired flier : SST

128. Some ranges : GEs

Down:

1. Part of a seder : MEAL

2. Bun, for one : UPDO

3. Makes faint : DIMS

4. Resell quickly : FLIP

5. Petty of "A League of Their Own" : LORI. "Field of Dreams" is so much better.

6. Culture medium : AGAR

7. Subject of an annual Ottawa festival : TULIPS. Was unaware of the Ottawa festival.

8. Poems whose structure is based on the number six : SESTINAS. You'd think it's sextinas, since sex is Latin for "six".

9. Whistle blower : REF

10. Turning point : AXIS

11. Inscribed monument : STELE

12. City on the Elbe : DRESDEN

14. Conductor __-Pekka Salonen : ESA. No idea.

15. Son of Abraham : ISAAC

16. Hook or Cook: Abbr. : CAPT

18. Senior member : DEAN

21. "Whose radiant eyes your __ brows adorn": Dryden : EBON

25. Singer Kristofferson : KRIS

27. One following dogs : SLED

31. Minimum : LEAST

33. Combine : MELD

35. Worshiper of the rain god Tlaloc : AZTEC. Man, they had a rain god?

37. 49-Across's Bobby et al. : ORRS. And who else?

38. Vegas alternative : RENO

40. They may be last : RITES. True.

43. Sierra __: African republic : LEONE

44. Church holding : TENET

46. Important stars : SUNS

48. Countrified : RURAL

50. Double's doing : STUNT. On movie set.

54. Lead : DIRECT

56. Union exchanges : I DOs. Unison seldom refers to "labor union" in Xword.

58. Turn in place : SWIVEL. Great word.

59. Plastering strip : LATH

63. "... a Loaf of Bread ..." poet : OMAR

67. At risk of capsizing : TIPPY

68. Italian wine area : ASTI

70. Cereal brand : TOTAL

73. "On the Beach" novelist Shute : NEVIL. Another stranger to me. What's the novel about?

74. Rub the wrong away : ERASE. I like this clue too.

76. Pay : REMIT

78. Sq. mi., e.g. : MEAS (Measurement)

80. Adrift, perhaps : AT SEA

81. Dame intro? : NOTRE. Notre Dame.

84. Ambush, perhaps : SET AT

86. FRONTLINE target : FLEA

87. Disney's "__ and the Detectives" : EMIL

89. Restaurateur Toots : SHOR

91. Kicked up, as a fuss : PROVOKED

94. University of Cincinnati player : BEARCAT. Looks fiery.

96. "The Red" guy : ERIC. Eric the Red.

99. Neeson of "Schindler's List" : LIAM

101. 1959 Fiestas hit : SO FINE. Argyle, link away.

103. Got off the chair : AROSE

104. Approvals, in 105-Down : YAHS. And 105. Much street talk : SLANG.

107. Helper: Abbr. : ASST

108. Shoulder troublemaker? : CHIP. Oh, a chip on one's shoulder.

109. Prepare to fire : COCK. Are you there, Dennis?

111. Bygone cutter : SNEE

113. Tent part : FLAP

114. Red Muppet : ELMO

115. Times when Cognac heats up? : ETES. Cognac the town in France.

116. Venom : BILE

117. Part of USA: Abbr. : AMER

118. The lady's : HERS

120. Some tech sch. grads : EEs

121. __-80: old computer : TRS

Answer grid.

Today we remember 9/11 and those who lost their lives on that tragic day and thousands of American soldiers who died since that day. We also celebrate the birthday of our witty Husker Gary. May you lose less balls, drive straighter and score more birdies!

Additionally, JD, eddy & Chickie went to Warren and his wife Ruth's pottery sale yesterday. Here is a their picture. Everyone looks happy & cool!

C.C.