Saturday, September 24, 2011, Gareth Bain

Well DOUBLE STUF me ~!!

Theme: O - R - E - O

Words: 72

Blocks: 38

It's a Saturday Puzzle with a "theme" - Gareth Bain 'treats' me to a grid with three across clues relating to the unifier and ubiquitous crossword cookie -

50D. Food associated with the starts of 16-, 36- and 56-Across : OREO

and the theme 'creme' fills;

16. Common closer : TWIST-TIE

36. Superficial, uncaring effort : LICK AND A PROMISE

56. Carnival game in which a suit is worn : DUNK TANK

Twist, lick and dunk, like they do here

I did think the grid looked less intimidating than our usual Saturdays, but definitely a tad more difficult than a Friday level; and imagine my surprise when I got to the SW corner ~!

Thanks Gareth ~!

Onward ~!

ACROSS:

1. Aleutian island : ATTU - switched to DOWN, came back later

5. Upheaval : ADO

8. "Superbad" co-screenwriter Seth : ROGEN - didn't see it, no desire to either

13. In a bind? : CORSETED - like her, oh baby ~!

15. Prison break? : PAROLE - nailed it; there's only a "break" if you violate, and go back to prison

17. "Yea, verily" : IT IS SO

18. Rash : SPATE - as in a rash of car thefts

19. Calms : REPOSES - sounds soothing

20. Nuttiness : LUNACY

23. Folkie DiFranco : ANI

24. Training gear? : BRA - Ah

26. Art able to : CANST - Cute clue/answer

28. Troopers' gps. : PDs - I believe this is Police Departments; here on Long Island, we have PDs, but the Troopers are State Police, and only patrol the Interstate, the L.I.E., US 495

31. Goalpost component : CROSSBAR - Yes in football, no in hockey - totally separate piece of iron - at least in my goalie mind....

34. Its state fish is the chinook salmon : OREGON - I had _R_G__, so....

38. City known for wool : ANKARA - Tried Merino first

39. "Go ahead" : FEEL FREE

40. Tiny part of a hard drive : MEG - We're into Gigs and Teras now

41. Pulitzer-winning poet Conrad __ : AIKEN

43. Aged : OLD

44. Wee hrs. : AMs - Like the 4am I have to get up for again next week....oh well

46. Name meaning "gift of Isis" : ISADOR - Tried Osiris first; more here

49. Verdict readers : FOREMEN - Just watched "The Juror" yesterday

52. Brewery equipment : OASTS

55. Give holy orders to : ORDAIN - I thought this meant "inducted" into the church; I guess that's the sense of "orders" here.

59. Tease : NEEDLE

60. Informal essay : CAUSERIE - new word for me; from French, 'coh - zuh - REE'

61. Gifted one? : DONEE - we just had this Friday

62. Spot checker? : VET - Nailed it, but it is a "WAG" clue, too - as in Spot the dog, his tail, and his doctor the Veterinarian

63. Forming strands : ROPY

DOWN:

1. Spiel, e.g. : ACT

2. Helps to water-ski : TOWS - well, uh, kinda hard to do it without this, really

3. "See you next fall!" elicitor : TRIP - I know this quaint little phrase, but I was looking for the actual person who elicits, like EYER...

4. WWII battlecruiser in the Pacific : U.S.S. ALASKA - Pictured here

5. Where unison countdowns usually begin : AT TEN...nine!, eight!, seven!...

6. Agnus __ : DEI - Opus DEI, Susan DEY, break of DAY

7. Lofty lines : ODE - Poetic praise

8. With "The," 1960s series set in the North African desert during WWII : RAT PATROL

9. Hunter killed by Artemis, in some accounts : ORION - If I have a son, this will be his name. Metallica instrumental

10. TV drama narrated by a teen blogger : GOSSIP GIRL - I had GOS_ to start, and knew of the show, but never watched

11. If not : ELSE

12. Revivalists : NEOS - WAG

14. Words indicating betrayal : ET TU -, Brute? Caesar, from the island of ATTU (right?)

15. Trivial Pursuit symbol : PIE - eh, more like player piece, really

19. Rembrandt van __ : RYN

21. Phillips, e.g.: Abbr. : ACAD.emy - Andover

22. Wine orders : CARAFES

24. Tuna preserver : BRINE

25. Common Zen temple feature : ROCK GARDEN - funny, I missed the word "feature" the first time through - what the heck is a 'common Zen temple' ???

27. Nursing a grudge : SORE

29. Gave two tablets to, say : DOSED

30. "The Mikado" weapon, briefly : SNEE - a knife used as a sword, a little here

31. Smackeroo : CLAM - Double meaning; right in the mouth, the clam, the smackeroo; and the slang for a dollars - clams and smackeroos

32. Hall & Oates's first Top 10 hit : SARA SMILE - if you get the chance, watch the "Behind the Music" on this duo - very interesting. My favorite from them was " I can't go for that ", which got sampled under this tune, which is pretty good, too

33. __ B'rith : BNAI

35. "Howards End" author : E.M. FORSTER - I had to know more; the Wiki

37. Transportation secretary under Clinton : PEÑA - Federico

42. Cousin, for one : KIN

45. Gettysburg general : MEADE - and the winner, too

47. Sweet ring : DONUT

48. Cork sources : OAKS

49. Attracted to, with "of" : FOND

51. Hydrocarbon suffix : ENE - double bond Carbons create PropENE, ButENE, octENE

53. South Seas staple : TARO

54. Tonsorial sound : SNIP - oh, the haircut, right

56. V x XI x XI : DCV - lazy, resorted to the desktop calculator to do the math; Roman 5 x 11 x 11 = 605

57. Country that incl. Sharjah : UAE - United Arab Emirates; map

58. Map feature : KEY - the window at the bottom for figuring out symbols, like this

Answer grid.

Splynter, down to two days of vacation - but it's been a rough week, so....

Friday, September 23, 2011, Daniel A. Finan

Theme: NO CAPITAL? - Capital idea. If you read the wonderful INTERVIEW of Mr. Finan from a couple of years ago, you will know he loves to hide his themes, so even when the puzzle is complete, the solver has work to do, and this puzzle is no exception. I blogged two of his puzzles last year, the wonderful ANAGRAM/PANGRAM, and the CLUELESS clues. Al blogged his hidden clues this year. And, in the words of Monty Python, now for something completely different- Each of the three theme answers incorporates its numerical placement in the puzzle as part of the clue. This is exposed (obscure, but gettable) because only these three clues do not begin with a capital letter. There are also some tricky and difficult clues. I love this effort.

20. (Twenty) questions: FUN GUESSING GAME. so simple once you see it, but it did not jump out at me; I was about to call Argyle.

36. (Thirty-six) hours: ONE AND A HALF DAYS. Twenty-four plus twelve = thirty-six

49. (Forty-nine) ers: FOOTBALL PLAYERS, from San Fransisco, with new coach Jim Harbaugh. This is the one that revealed the theme, as Daniel certainly was not going to help.

ACROSS:

1. Dollar bill weight, roughly: GRAM. A great start for the Gram man who gave us Anagram /Pangram; I think this is a shout out to himself, as he has used Daniel in his puzzles.

5. Dey job?: LA LAW. SUSAN (1:27) DEY, the cute one who hooked up with Harry Hamlin. Classy clue.

10. __ Stream: GULF

14. San __ : REMO. The Italian city on the Riviera is beautiful, but it is one word, but still...

15. Silly: INANE. Sometimes my middle name. We also have a semi-clecho, 8D. Silliness: ANTICS.

16. Adidas alternative: AVIA. They sneak this one in often.

17. From the top : ANEW. Our A word.

18. Blanche __, pseudonymous author of the 1983 best-seller "Truly Tasteless Jokes": KNOTT. Do not know the books, or the author, Ashton Applewhite.

19. "No ice, please": NEAT. Just the way the TIN MAN likes his pinch.

23. Terhune collie : LAD. This AUTHOR and dog, not to be confused with Lassie, who was always played by a Lad.

24. Annual sign of bad behavior?: COAL. Hard to put heating oil, or central heating in the Christmas stocking.

25. "Alice" singer Lavigne: AVRIL. A favorite Canadian punk rocker, there is this TUNE, (3:25) but I like Complicated better. Hey my boys are her age.

28. Orator's vocal quality : RESONANCE. A wonderful word; if you want to read about this vocal tool, I suggest Robert Harris' Imperium, about Cicero..

33. Sacramento daily: BEE. A nice shout out to our own melissa.

34. Sched. B item on a 1040: INTerest.

35. High point of an Alaskan trip: DENALI. Literally the "high one." Also known as Mt. McKinley.

40. Seven-time N.L. batting champ: MUSIAL. Stan the Man from St. Louis.

41. Storm dir.: ENE

42. They lead to an F: CDE. Well, we will not grade this clue, as Daniel was just stringing us along.

43. Six-pack abs?: BEER BELLY. Really cute visual clue, and a Beer reference.

45. Seat of Colorado's PitkinCounty: ASPEN. More pretty country. DF lives in Colorado I think. Since fall is falling today...

47. TriBeCa neighbor: SOHO. South of Houston.

48. Blueprint subject, perhaps: ELL. In architecture, an ell is a wing of a building that lies perpendicular to the length of the main portion.

57. Frankfurt's river: ODER. And we have crossing at the D, 50D. Nose wrinkler: ODOR. An extra clue. I thought of this nose wrinkler THEME.

58. Phils, e.g.: NL ERS. For Dennis' champion Phillies, National Leaguers.

59. Deception FLAM. A shout out to my fan club.

60. '70s pinup name: LONI. Anderson, ex-wife of Burt Reynolds, poor Burt is being foreclosed..

61. Beneficiary: DONEE. One of those made up legal words.

62. Its state bird is the cardinal OHIO. Then why do they play in Missouri?

63. 2-Down unit: DROP. Eye drops; I am down to six a day; 2D. Eye care brand : RENU.

64. Fixes: SPAYS. Ouch! Be careful Lad!

65. Place to cross, on signs: XING

DOWN:

1. Seles rival: GRAF. Andre Agassi's wife STEFFI.(5:01) Wonderful tennis.

3. Flock response : AMEN. Baa, I hope this did not fool you.

4. "The Jungle Book" boy: MOWGLI

5. Dug, so to speak : LIKED. Maynard G. Krebs anyone?

6. Heart lead singer Wilson et al: ANNS. The clue is meh, but the SINGING (4:17) is great.

7. Where kip are spent: LAOS. Now I know two obscure currencies, this and the Ethiopian BIRR.

9. Party pooper: WET NOODLE. Wonderful fill, though usually associated with 20 lashes, while Blankets ruin parties.

10. Underworld: GANGLAND. Since you did not like my Catherine Parr pic last week, how about one from Underworld? TRAILER. (1:57).

11. Where the iris is: UVEA. Oh goody, more eye-ducation. The vascular middle layer of the eye. It is traditionally divided into 3 areas, from front to back, the iris, ciliary body, and choroid. From the Latin, UVA meaning Grape, think about why.

12. Neeson who voiced Aslan in the"Narnia" movies: LIAM. Nice voice, but what other Neesons are there? My 280 Z?

13. You may have a brush with it FATE. Stubbornly wanted Destiny, which show how foolish I can be.

21. It merged with Continental in 2010: Abbr.: UAL. United Air Lines. Is there a sign pinned to my back, Acronym me?

22. Swindler, in slang: GANEF. Yiddish or low German for thief, though we usually spell it Goniff.

25. Trinity test subject: A-BOMB

26. Locale: VENUE

27. Maker of pieces?: REESE. I linked his Wikipedia history last time.

28. Genetic letters: RNA. Okay I will give you 2 guesses...

29. One of the convicted Rosenbergspies: ETHEL. We know her husband, Julius was a communist spy, but was SHE?

30. Image Awards org.: NAACP. Aw, c'mon. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

31. 1930s public enemy: CLYDE. Mr. Barrow.

32. NFL Network sportscaster Rich: EISEN.One of many ESPN refugees.

34. Devil's tools, metaphorically: IDLE HANDS. This maxim has been traced back to Chaucer's 'Tale of Melibee' (c. 1386). And, 46D. Sneaky devil: SLY FOX.

37. Touchdown site: AIRSTRIP. END ZONES looked bad, now I know why.

38. Big shot: NABOB. Are they nattering?

39. More than zero: ANY.

44. Walk bouncily: LOLLOP. Never heard of this word. I guess it is related to Lolling about, maybe British. NC?

45. Modeled after: A LA. Just a dollop of French today.

48. "It's nobody __business": ELSE'S.

49. Go out: FOLD. Card games, especially Poker.

51. Sommelier's prefix: OENO. Becoming too common.

52. Singer Horne: LENA. CLASSIC. (5:01)

53. Hunted: PREY

54. Pre-coll. catchall: EL-HI. Like the man said, for great clues, you have to use some clunkers.

55. Shower in public?: RAIN. Put aside your dirty minds, it is that time of year for showers here.

56. Urban miasma: SMOG. Miasma, a great word: a heavy vaporous emanation or atmosphere.

Answer grid.

Wow, another season has come and gone, and now the days will be shorter than the nights, so cuddle you cuddles, and keep on solving. Thank you Daniel for a really Fine 'un.

Lemonade

Thursday September 22, 2011 Betty Keller

Theme: Fowl Play -Another word is attached to the end of each fowl-starting two-word common expresson. The new phrase is then humorously clued.

17A. Daffy trying to hit the piñata? : DUCK BLINDFOLDED. Duck blind.

25A. Survey response at the farm? : CHICKEN FEEDBACK. Chicken feed.

43A. Tom fooler? : TURKEY LEGPULLER. Turkey leg.

57A. Loosey's cake-making aid? : GOOSE EGGBEATERS. Goose egg.

C.C. here, filling in another blogging gap.

Love this theme. Tight and fun. Four 15s are quite a lot to place in a grid. Luckily they don't have to be in a particular order. Otherwise, problem could arise, esp if rare letters (Z, Q, J & X) are involved.

Across:

1. Clips for trailers : SCENES. Movie trailers.

7. Fridge incursion : RAID

11. Triangular sail : JIB

14. Kia model : OPTIMA. The "a" in Kia means "Asia". Ki = Rise. So, "rise out of Asia".

15. Dagwood's pesky kid neighbor : ELMO. No idea.

16. Japanese salad ingredient : UDO. Like this. Kind of Sansai (mountain veggie). San = Mountain. Sai = Veggie.

20. Campfire remains : ASH

21. It originates from the left ventricle : AORTA

22. Pops : DADDY

23. "Garfield" waitress : IRMA. Another no idea. Would only nail it if it were clued as "____ la Douce" or "Joy of Cooking".

24. Detective Spade : SAM

33. Stows in a hold : LADES

34. x, y or z : AXIS

35. Many a Louis : ROI

36. Supplies for Seurat : OILS

37. Sends regrets, perhaps : RSVPs

39. Entry in a PDA : APPT

40. Maui strings : UKE. LEIs too. Hi there JD!

41. Waterfall sound : ROAR

42. Not at all good at losing? : OBESE. Losing weight.

47. Only reason to watch the Super Bowl, some say : ADs. True for me.

48. Like a pretentious museumgoer : ARTY

49. Plane parking place : APRON. Sweet fill for our pilot Dudley.

52. Mountaintop home : AERIE

54. Likely result of failing a Breathalyzer test, briefly : DUI

60. Dedicatee of Lennon's "Woman" : ONO

61. Jazz singer Laine : CLEO

62. Blanche Dubois's sister : STELLA. In "A Streetcar Named Desire" . "Hey Stella!".

63. Place with presses : GYM

64. It may be a peck : KISS

65. "Mustn't do that!" : TSK-TSK

Down:

1. Fizz in a gin fizz : SODA

2. PC "brains" : CPUs

3. Make quite an impression : ETCH

4. Beat back? : NIK. Beatnik.

5. Boards at the dock : EMBARKS

6. Strauss opera based on a Wilde play : SALOME. Just learned it's originally written in French.

7. Flat bread? : RENT. Great clue. Flat = Apartment.

8. "M*A*S*H" actor : ALDA

9. Currency-stabilizing org. : IMF. What a club!

10. Thingamabobs : DOODADs. Nice word.

11. Hirsch of "Numb3rs" : JUDD. Have never seen "Numb3rs".

12. Picked from a lineup : ID'ed

13. Shampoo ad buzzword : BODY. Give your hair more body. Get to know Miranda Kerr!

18. Shah's land, once : IRAN

19. New ewe : LAMB

23. Brain freeze cause : ICES

24. Juanita's half-dozen : SEIS. In Chinese, it's LIU, falling tone. The LIU in Lucy Liu is rising tone. 4 tones in Chinese.

25. Leverage : CLOUT

26. 17-syllable verse : HAIKU

27. Slugabed : IDLER

28. Green Bay legend : FAVRE (Brett). Which legend doesn't have a few foibles?

29. Abbr. on food labels : EXP

30. Adrien of cosmetics : ARPEL

31. Small woods : COPSE. Want to take a walk?

32. Bad-check passer : KITER

37. Acuff and Clark : ROYs

38. Actor Mineo : SAL

39. With skill : ABLY

41. Scapegoat in some down-home humor : REDNECK. Fun entry.

42. Downs more dogs than, in an annual contest : OUT-EATS. Those guys must have have a very elastic stomach.

44. "Get Smart" evil org. : KAOS

45. Shirts and skirts : GARB. Rhyming.

46. Mass leader : PRIEST

49. Visibly wowed : AGOG

50. Chincoteague horse : PONY. Chincoteague is new to me, Lois! Wikipedia said it's famous for its Chincoteague ponies.

51. Sufficient space : ROOM

52. Sits in a wine cellar : AGES

53. Inflatable items : EGOS

54. Shoulder muscle, for short : DELT

55. Bing info : URLs

56. Writer Dinesen : ISAK. Author of "Out of Africa".

58. Bulldog booster : ELI. Yale. Jayce's alma mater.

59. Shatner's "__War" : TEK

Answer grid.

Here is a lovely picture from our long absent Moon. She said: "... As before, reading the blog is a daily ritual (except Saturdays, when I don't do the crossword). ... I turned 33 this year and to commemorate the mile-stone, I'm running 3 half-marathons over the course of 6 weeks..." She just completed her second half-marathon last Sunday.

I think she doesn't like hockey, Splynter!

C.C.

Wednesday September 21, 2011 Julian Lim

Theme: JOIN THE CLUB (55A. "That's exactly how I feel" ... or what each starred clue's first word can do? ) - The first word of each two-word theme entry can precede CLUB.

17A. *Title role in the 2009 Tony winner for Best Musical : BILLY ELLIOT. Billy club.

24A. *Advantage of some military goggles : NIGHT VISION. Nightclub.

45A. *Freetown is its capital : SIERRA LEONE. Sierra Club.

11D. *Unauthorized stories written by devotees : FAN FICTION. Fan club.

28D. *Pro shop freebie : GOLF PENCIL. Golf club.

Hello everyone, Boomer here and hopefully I'll be using one of those golf pencils today. I just hope those double digit numbers will fit in the small boxes on the card. I happened to think that the word "Puzzle" has two "Z"s as a double letter. There are a few other words with double Z but I was trying to think of a word with two Zs not together. I only came up with Marc Rzepczynski (Nickname "Scrabble"), a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. I wonder how many autographs he gets to sign each year.

Here goes today's puz zle:

Across:

1. Its median score is 100 : IQ TEST - You can now take these tests on the internet, but at the end they ask for your cell phone number. hmmmm

7. Weapon for Tyson : FIST - This of course would be the heavyweight ear muncher, Mike.

11. Christmas choice : FIR - I suppose, but a Norway Pine or blue spruce is a great choice also. Too bad most choices are green plastic trees from Walmart, paid for with gold plastic.

14. Former drug giant : SEARLE : Founded in Omaha, and once led by Donald Rumsfeld. Contributions included Celebrex and Nutra Sweet - (Aspartame)

15. Sans employment : IDLE - I would prefer "Sit at a stop light". Something we all do daily.

16. Enjoyed hors d'oeuvres, say : ATE

19. Drop off briefly : NAP

20. Shoe with a swoosh logo : NIKE - They must make a lot of $$$ on those shoes. Plenty to share with Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Michelle Wie, and others.

21. Tex-Mex snack : TACO

22. M-16, e.g. : RIFLE - Introduced in the Vietnam conflict. Light weight weapon.

26. Bottlenecks : LOGJAMS - Approach one on the highway and your engine will IDLE.

30. Not hard to grasp : BASIC

31. Plaza Hotel imp : ELOISE - Sorry, I really didn't get this one. Something about a hotel in New York, where I dare not go, after dark.

32. Write quickly : JOT - Scribble didn't fit

33. Sports car roof option : T-TOP - I think the Corvette was the first to sport a T-top. I never knew where they put the two roof pieces in case they were needed when it rained.

36. SkyMiles airline : DELTA - based in the huge Atlanta Airport. They have now merged with Northwest to have a major presence at MSP.

37. Make, as a sandwich : FIX

38. Ethiopia's Selassie : HAILE - Of course I remember Haile Selassie. I just can never remember how to spell his name.

39. Like flannel and fleece : SOFT - I might try like "a six and an ace"

40. Creepy-crawly : BUG

41. Tiered Asian temple : PAGODA - Also reasonably priced jewelry kiosk at many malls.

42. Butterfly's perch : PETAL - Another clue that got me.

44. Noble headpiece : CORONET - Also 110 of them followed J.P. Sousa's 76 trombones.

48. Response to a dare : CAN SO - We usually said "Can too!"

49. __ II razor : TRAC

50. Actor Morales : ESAI - Famous for role in "NYPD Blue".

54. Film buff's channel : AMC - Naturally I put TCM first. Pass the Wite-Out.

58. Stat for Ryan Howard : RBI - looks like Ryan and the Phillies are headed for the playoffs again. He is a horse, but my choice for MVP this year is the other Ryan. (Braun of the Brew Crew)

59. Having the knack : ABLE

60. Tough leather : OXHIDE - I've never known anything to be made of oxhide.

61. Subj. that helps people assimilate : ESL - Sorry, this clue escapes me

62. Niggling things : NITS - this one also

63. "Enough already!" : STOP IT

Down:

1. Publisher's ID : ISBN - I prefer puzzles with words

2. Royally named liner, briefly : QE II - see comment above

3. Heart-to-heart : TALK

4. Gardner of mysteries : ERLE - Of course famous for "Perry Mason" novels, and famous for crosswords because of the way his mom spelled his given name.

5. Shrewd : SLY - Or "Rocky" or the guy with the family Stone.

6. When strokes begin to count : TEE TIME - Oh, I thought it was not until after the second mulligan. (Or before the last gimme)

7. Rip off : FILCH

8. Couch potato's fixation : IDIOT BOX - Wow, I haven't heard the TV called that since someone thought of Boob Tube.

9. Pavement warning : SLO - could this be Slow without the W???

10. Game with tumbling blocks : TETRIS - I was addicted for awhile, but the game was not as mesmerizing as Pac Man.

12. Author Calvino : ITALO

13. Confine again, as swine : REPEN - I get it, but I'm not even sure if this is a word.

18. Trails : LAGS - Okay, but you won't hear Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing "Happy Lags to You".

23. "Did we get the bid?" : IS IT A GO - a little slangy

24. Orion Mars mission gp. : NASA

25. Acid container : VAT - I'm a baby boomer where acid was LSD. I thought they kept wine in a vat, or maybe I'm just whining.

26. Some arena displays, briefly : LEDS - Acronym for Light emitting diodes. Not too excited about using a plural form.

27. Bar from a dairy case : OLEO - I object! A bar from a dairy case might be an Eskimo Pie, a Klondike bar, or a Dreamsicle. Oleo comes in sticks, tubs, or bags. The clue could be fake butter, corn oil spread, Iowa butter, or banned in Wisconsin.

29. Pre-speech obstacle : JITTERS - Just picture everyone in the audience naked.

32. St. Patrick's Day dance : JIG - After a few green beers.

34. Ye __ Shoppe : OLDE

35. Bog fuel : PEAT - I've heard of peat bogs. Not sure if the fuel would be any good.

37. Big name in online poker : FULL TILT - Turns out that whether or not you won, you still lost. Players accounts were raided to pay the big shots. Ponzi Poker??

38. March __: Carroll character : HARE - "No time to say hello, good bye, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late"

40. Sound at a shearing : BAA - Yup, I Baa'd every time my dad cut my hair

41. Stormy weather gear : PONCHOS - Plastic ones were seen frequently at ballparks this year.

43. USC athlete : TROJAN - In a little trouble with the NCAA, but who isn't. Barely squeaked by the Gophers a couple of weeks ago, (And the Gophers aren't that good, even with a coach named Kill).

44. Cold weather wear : COAT - And the cold weather will be here sooner than you think.

45. Give the creeps : SCARE

46. Sonnet line fivesome : IAMBS

47. Maritime birds : ERNES - Terns and ernes seem to turn up in many puzzles

50. Footsteps-in-an-empty-hallway sound : ECHO - Didn't like the clue. I'd prefer something like Alps answer, or Yodel back atcha.

51. Blunder : SLIP

52. BMW rival : AUDI

53. "Yeah, sure!" : I BET - "I BET I can't SLIP into an AUDI"

56. Shizuoka sash : OBI

57. Phone no. addition : EXT

Answer grid.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

I'd like to share with you a few recent pictures of Boomer and his sports collection.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011 John Lampkin

Theme: Short Alliterations - A hyphenated word, imitative with both parts alliterations and followed by another alliterated word times four. The vowels are all in I, O, A order.

20A. Hullabaloo over a sudden policy reversal? : FLIP-FLOP FLAP. Or the sound of walking in thong sandals

33A. Sign of table tennis tendonitis? : PING-PONG PANG. Ping-Pong is a trademark for Parker Brothers!

42A. Bit of applause for an equestrian event? : CLIP-CLOP CLAP. Clip-clop clip.

58A. Cry of frustration about a Hostess cake? : DING-DONG DANG. Her last words?

Argyle here. Like yesterday, there is more here than meets the eye at first glance. The alliteration, of course; the imitative sound of the compound word; all the vowels are short; theme entries starting on the left side of the grid rhyming, as do the two ending on the right side of the grid. There is probably more that I missed. Doesn't matter; it works as a fun, nonsensical puzzle anyway.

Across:

1. Word on a red octagon : STOP

5. Tree trunk greenery : MOSS

9. Channel covering Capitol Hill : C-SPAN

14. Coif makeup : HAIR

15. Queen Boleyn : ANNE. The second wife of Henry VIII.

16. Partner of well : ALIVE and 17. Partner of willing : ABLE. Interesting pairing.

18. Like tilted ltrs. : ITAL.

19. Moderated, with "down" : TONED

23. Ball supporter : TEE

24. Little mischief-makers : IMPS

25. Legendary Chicago cow owner : O'LEARY. The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871. Michael Ahern, the Chicago Republican reporter who created the cow story, admitted in 1893 that he had made it up because he thought it would make colorful copy.

29. Attack from above : STRAFE

31. __ Grande : RIO 32A. Co. bigwig : CEO 37A. Bushy coif : AFRO. Ending assonance.

40. Half of a double play : OUT. Also the other half.

41. Inventor's germ : IDEA

47. Big thing at McDonalds? : MAC. That's no Whopper.

48. Samaritan's offer : AID

49. Game one : OPENER. When playing a set of games between the same contestants.

53. Meditation instruction : EXHALE. After INHALE, of course.

55. Crossword hint : CLUE

57. Inventor Whitney : ELI

61. Montezuma, e.g. : AZTEC

64. Snug ... bug in ___ : A RUG

65. "Exodus" author : URIS

66. Musical pace : TEMPO

67. Easy pace : LOPE

68. Waiter's handout : MENU

69. Cuts and pastes, say : EDITS

70. Iowa State's city : AMES

71. Stage accessory : PROP

Down:

1. Great Pyramid passages : SHAFTS

2. One of two Commandments holders : TABLET

3. More greasy : OILIER

4. Make ready, briefly : PREP

5. Letter carriers : MAILMEN

6. Winning : ON TOP

7. Velcro alternatives : SNAPS

8. Note to __ : SELF

9. Book of available products : CATALOG

10. Hillside : SLOPE

11. Exemplar of neatness : PIN. Neat as a pin.

12. Hail, to Maria : AVE. Hullo, to Nice Cuppa.

13. Composer Rorem : NED. Apropos.(2:09)

21. Fido's poodle amie : FIFI

22. Pork cut : LOIN

26. Military sch. : ACAD.

27. Actress Russo : RENE

28. Class using mats : YOGA

30. For each one : A POP

31. Campus military gp. : ROTC

34. __ Samaritan : GOOD

35. Little Lab : PUP

36. Organ whistle : PIPE

37. High point : ACME

38. Source of linen : FLAX. You have to ret it first.

39. Yummy but fattening : RICH. A shout-out to our editor?

43. Parti-colored cats : CALICOs

44. Bank's claim : LIEN

45. Sprawls, as by the pool : LOUNGES

46. Take down __: humble : A PEG

50. Less remote : NEARER

51. Cause of odd weather : EL NINO

52. Equips for use : RIGS UP

54. Highly capable : ADEPT

55. PC data disk : CD-ROM

56. Gem grader's aid : LOUPE. The pocket size. Image.

59. Festive event : GALA

60. Trash destination : DUMP

61. Ended a fast : ATE

62. Alphabet ender in England : ZED

63. 1979 Pa. meltdown site : TMI. Three Mile Island. Marker.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Just want to mention that this is Argyle's 220 post for our blog. We failed to celebrate his milestone 200 due to a labeling lapse. He's simply the best! He blogs when he's sick. He blogs when the puzzle is not available in Cruciverb. He's just an Iron Horse. Off the blog, he's a dear Santa who always gives me and others help when in need. Thank you, Argyle!

Monday, September 19, 2011 Jeff Chen

Theme: What? No bread? - The first word from the theme entries gives us the famous quote from today's unifier.

17A. "No holds barred!" : "LET IT ALL HANG OUT!"

22A. Where there's gold, in prospector-speak : THEM THAR HILLS

38A. Swallow one's pride : EAT CROW

53A. Worker with icing and sprinkles : CAKE DECORATOR

60A. Ruler to whom the quote formed by the starts of 17-, 22-, 38- and 53-Across is often attributed : MARIE ANTOINETTE

Argyle here. Fantastic offering from Jeff today. To get all this in a Monday with hardly a hitch...amazing. Cruciverb was down last night so my comments will be few, not that they are needed anyway.

Across:

1. Internet letters : WWW

4. President who appointed Kagan to the Supreme Court : OBAMA

9. Stuns with a blow : DAZES

14. Code cracker's cry : "AHA!"

15. Noses around : PRIES

16. Good smell : AROMA

20. Diplomatic quality : TACT

21. Like many rappers' jeans : BAGGY

28. Deli spread : MAYO

29. Kneecap : PATELLA

31. "Les __": show featuring Jean Valjean : MIZ

34. Aussie reptile : CROC

36. In a few minutes : SOON

37. Manipulate : USE

42. Singer Sumac : YMA. Did you remember?

43. Fleshy area below the knee : CALF

45. Scotch partner : SODA

46. Ellipsis element : DOT

47. Nibbled at, with "of" : HAD A BIT

51. Nadirs : LOWS

57. "... stirring, not __ mouse" : EVEN A. Sounds familiar.

58. Belgian river : YSER

66. Three-time U.S. Open winner Ivan : LENDL

67. Sympathetic words : I CARE

68. Directional suffix : ERN

69. Trumpets and trombones, e.g. : BRASS

70. "The Taming of the __" : SHREW

71. Deli bread : RYE

Down:

1. Animator Disney : WALT

2. Deli bread : WHEAT

3. Keep an eye on : WATCH

4. Decide : OPT

5. Garment with cups : BRA

6. Have a bug : AIL

7. __ toast : MELBA

8. B-flat equivalent : A-SHARP

9. "Rats!" : "DANG IT!"

10. Diamond-patterned socks : ARGYLEs. Sounds familiar.

11. Animal housing : ZOO

12. Aussie bird : EMU

13. Used a stool : SAT

18. Pair in the tabloids : ITEM

19. Turkish general : AGHA

23. Feudal armor-busting weapon : MACE

24. Banks of TV talk : TYRA

25. Owl's cry : HOOT

26. Bridges of "Sea Hunt" : LLOYD

27. Way to verify an ump's call, for short : SLO-MO

30. Med sch. subject : ANAT.

31. "__ obliged!" : MUCH

32. "I, Robot" author Asimov : ISAAC

33. Nintendo princess : ZELDA

35. Keeps in the e-mail loop, briefly : CC'S. Sounds familiar.

39. Hershey's candy in a tube : ROLO

40. Smell : ODOR

41. Trumpet effect : WA-WA

44. Documents with doctored birth dates, say : FAKE IDs

48. Cuts at an angle : BEVELS

49. Inkling : IDEA

50. 66-Across's sport : TENNIS

52. Eyelid affliction : STYE

54. "Shoestring" feat : CATCH

55. Big name in blenders : OSTER

56. Second effort : RETRY

59. Thinker Descartes : RENE

60. World Series org. : MLB

61. __ Lingus : AER

62. Cell "messenger" : RNA

63. Dinghy propeller : OAR

64. Anger : IRE

65. First word in four state names : NEW

Answer grid.

Thank you Jeff for all the shout-outs.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to our original musician Bill! I miss your grumpy comments!

Sunday September 18, 2011 Pawel Fludzinski

Theme: Idiom's Delight - Each common idiom is clued by an opposite idiom.

23A. Great minds think alike, but ... : FOOLS SELDOM DIFFER

38A. Ignorance is bliss, but ... : KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

95A. Birds of a feather flock together, but ... : OPPOSITES ATTRACT

110A. Two's company, three's a crowd, but ... : THE MORE THE MERRIER

16D. Don't judge a book by its cover, but ... : CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN. Very true here, the few websites I visit every day. See Anna Wintour, Marti?

33D. He who hesitates is lost, but ... : LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP

Were you delighted by the theme? This NY Times "Proverbial Conflicts" share 3 theme entries with our offering today.

Fun concept. Only 6 theme entries, but they're all quite long and occupy a solid 100 squares. I always love theme entry intersection. Just wish there were a short center theme answers in Row 11 today. It feels nice when theme entries are spread everywhere.

Argyle dug out this information about Pawel Fludzinski. Not sure it's our constructor. Congratulations on a fine Sunday debut!

Across:

1. Scarfed (down) : WOLFED

7. Taken __: startled : ABACK

12. Play mates? : CAST. Oh, Broadway play.

16. Jefferson Davis was its only pres. : CSA

19. "Ten-hut!" reversal : AT EASE

20. Neighbor of Maui : LANAI. The Pineapple Island. I like lightly stir-fried shrimps & pineapple, JD!

21. Away from gusts : ALEE

22. Hasty escape : LAM

26. Pay stub? : OLA. Payola.

27. River to the Bay of Biscay : LOIRE

28. Al __ : DENTE

29. On the house : GRATIS

31. Home to the Ibsen Museum : OSLO. The most popular capital in crossword.

34. Boolean operators : ORs. Are you familiar with Boolean logic?

36. Fail to keep up : LAG

37. Trains : TEACHES

43. Surrealist Magritte : RENE. This is not a pipe.

44. Kanga's little one : ROO. "Winnie-the-Pooh".

45. Took orders from : OBEYED

46. Evening in Roma : SERA

47. Doesn't just lurk, website-wise : POSTS. Hey, lurkers, don't just lurk, start posting today.

48. Like some silences : AWKWARD. Great clue/answer.

50. DOJ branch : DEA

52. Sharp-tongued talk : SARCASM. Boomer's sarcasm often escapes me.

54. Pro __ : BONO

55. It's been proven to grow hair : SCALP

57. Fort's defense : PALISADE. I can never remember how to spell this word.

60. Big Easy quarterback : BREES (Drew). Saints. And 100. Org. for 60-Across : NFL.

62. Split differently : RE-ALLOT

64. Wheyfaced : WAN

65. Mess with : KID

66. Some whistle blowers : REFs. Nailed it.

67. Iran's official language : FARSI

68. Texas's state tree : PECAN. Norway pine for us.

70. Rink feint : DEKE. Splynter is on vacation!!

71. Big fuss : ADO

72. Something to see, perhaps : BET. Card game "see", matching the bet. Always gets me.

73. Place where fresh water and salt water mix : ESTUARY

75. Along the rim : OUTER

76. Serious downpours : TORRENTS

79. Like some microbrews : MALTY

80. One of Esau's wives : ADAH. Wow, no idea. How many wives did he have?

81. Stud alternative : EARDROP. Earrings.

83. IV tripled : XII

84. Texas city named for a Kansas city : ABILENE. Oh really?

87. "Another __ Paradise": Phil Collins hit : DAY IN. Very moving song. I like his "Against All Odds" too.

89. Vibes : AURA

91. Puts on a happy face : SMILES

93. Month in Madrid : MES

94. Venerated one : ICON

98. Spills the beans : SQUEALS

101. Greek gp. : SOR. OK, sorority.

102. "My Way" lyricist : ANKA

103. Beat : PULSED

104. 1895-'96 __-Ethiopian War : ITALO. So Ethiopia was not under French colonization?

106. Nursery buy : MULCH

109. Alibi, perhaps : LIE

116. Constellation next to Scorpius : ARA

117. Zero : NADA

118. Daisylike flower : ASTER

119. Not just dangerous : DEADLY

120. OK at the corral : YEP. Brilliant clue.

121. Elemental bit : ATOM

122. Doesn't go on : STOPS

123. For a spell : AWHILE

Down:

1. Post-WWII feminine flier : WAF (Women in the Air Force). WAC = Women's Army Corps. WAAC = Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.

2. Tribe of Oklahoma : OTO

3. Sign of summer : LEO

4. Unused, as farmland : FALLOW

5. Former U.S. pump sign : ESSO

6. Lucille's guy : DESI

7. Reason for tears : ALLERGY. I like this answer.

8. Evil : BAD

9. "And giving __, up the chimney he rose" : A NOD

10. Oasis visitors : CAMELS

11. Snatches : KIDNAPS

12. __ con leche : CAFE

13. Landon of 1920s-'30s politics : ALF

14. Folk legend Pete : SEEGER

15. Veggie chip brand : TERRA. New to me. Will have a look at our grocery store next week.

17. Prominent : SALIENT

18. Pulls together : AMASSES

24. Worn away : ERODED

25. "And So __": Billy Joel song : IT GOES

30. Down's opposite : ACROSS. In crossword!

31. Gumbo pod : OKRA

32. Tundra blanket : SNOW

35. Husk : SEEDCASE

37. Like some warmup pants : TEARAWAY

39. Postgraduate burden : LOANS. I'm lucky that Chinese government paid all my college education.

40. Iberian river : EBRO

41. Pursuit of perfection : IDEALISM

42. Rolled lunch : WRAP

47. Aspirin target : PAIN

49. Bellyacher's litany : WOES

51. "__ My Sons": Arthur Miller play : ALL

53. Group sharing a crest : CLAN. Scottish clan, yes?

55. Msg. to the flock : SER

56. Champion of the common man : POPULIST

58. Flood barrier : DIKE

59. Fulda tributary : EDER

60. Wurst on the grill : BRAT

61. Take back to the drawing board : RE-DO

62. Run-down digs : RAT TRAPS

63. Break points at Wimbledon? : TEATIMES. Just a brilliant clue.

67. __ for oneself : FEND

69. Overreact to spilt milk : CRY

70. Two-part : DUAL

72. Capital near Zurich : BERN. My friend Reto grew up speaking four languages. Now he also speaks fluent Thai and understands some Chinese. Amazing.

74. Government demand : TAX

75. Pindar, notably : ODIST

77. 1987 All-Star Game MVP Tim : RAINES. Another good player whose baseball cards are worth nothing.

78. Course taken with a spoon : SOUP

80. Assist shadily : ABET

82. "And make it snappy!" : PRONTO

84. Warning of old : ALARUM. New word to me.

85. Violin part : NECK

86. Pronoun for Pedro : ESTA

87. Show publicly : DISPLAY

88. Pick up : ACQUIRE

90. To the extent that : AS FAR AS

92. Glucose and fructose, e.g. : ISOMERS. Some kind of chemical compounds.

95. So last year : OLD HAT

96. Most in need of a doctor : ILLEST. Every puzzle has a few "Meh" entries.

97. Full of team spirit : RAH RAH

99. Insurance giant : AETNA

104. Mosque VIP : IMAM

105. Bart and Lisa's bus driver : OTTO. I've never watched "The Simpsons".

107. Helen of Troy's mother : LEDA

108. Group in a shell : CREW

111. Pre-Tokyo Tokyo : EDO

112. Not square : HEP

113. Infamous Amin : IDI

114. 90-degree angle creator : ELL

115. Manhattan ingredient : RYE. The drink!

Answer grid.

Happy Birthday to Mom speaks out! Always enjoy your Brazilian tornado stories.

C.C.