Saturday, Oct 15, 2011, Barry C. Silk

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 30

Huh~! I thought I had the wrong puzzle, since I thought I just did a Barry Silk - then I practically ran through this one, and was really sure I had already done this - but no, our second Silkie in the last three Saturdays....a cool-looking grid with two crosses and a staircase, and missing only a "B" in the outcome. Triple stacks of tens and eights in a pinwheel fashion, and I must admit, the only red-letter I needed was the "Z" in LINZ - too "lay - Z" to look it up.

Onward~!

ACROSS:

1. Nightly news graphic : WEATHER MAP - switched to DOWN, did a "33A" on 'WASTES', came back to this with a WAG off the "W"

11. Dweeb : TWIT - my mother's favorite insult

15. Mechanic's supply : AXLE GREASE

16. Memorable word from Pilate : ECCE - Painting "Ecce Homo!" with Pilate offering Jesus

17. Memory aids : SMART DRUGS - new to me, came from the perps; a little research here

18. Beyond the horizon : AFAR

19. Vacation souvenir : TAN - if I go on vacation, I come home with a T-shirt - otherwise, my color is usually 'red'

20. Practice with dolls : VOODOO - oh, the religious practice - DF this early in the AM?

21. Austrian city on the Danube : LINZ - NOW I look at Google maps

22. It was founded by Henry VI : ETON - had the "E", guessed from there - what else can you 'found' when you're the King ???

24. Chance to shine : SOLO - ah, like with a guitar

25. Stamp closer? : EDE - Stampede - anyone remember this??? (cheats even back in those days)

26. Cuban title : SENOR

28. Name from the Latin for "I trust" : FIDO - I tried LIDO to start, then DIDO

30. Prepare for a coup : PLOT

31. One of two in Dickens's "Martin Chuzzlewit" : ZED

33. "Perfect!" : NAILED IT~! - a blog staple, for knowing an answer, and it's much more pleasing as the length of the word increases; 10-letter WEATHER MAP was pretty good for me

35. Seller of torpedoes and bullets : QUIZNO'S - sandwich shop, we have them here on Long Island - very similar to what I used to see in Ohio, called Grinders - toasted heroes

39. Gets one's act together : SNAPS TO

40. "The Beverly Hillbillies" sobriquet : UNCLE JED - Earworm - just had Flatt and Scruggs, too

42. Keystone figure : KOP

43. Downwind : ALEE

44. Warning : OMEN

46. 1965 protest site : SELMA

50. Basic, in coll. : REQ - uired, as in Manual Drafting before you can take AutoCAD

51. "No kidding?" : IT IS?

53. Outcry : ROAR

54. Playless? : TAUT - ah, as in a tarp

56. Bargains : STEALS

58. Old TV component : CRT - Cathode Ray Tube

59. Adman's start : IDEA - any one's start, really

60. Mollify : CONCILIATE

62. Look like a satyr : LEER - I had DEER, which sort of fit - Image

63. Particle physics subject : ANTI-MATTER

64. Actress Best : EDNA - Her Wiki

65. Minuscule : TEENY-WEENY - I had ACID jazz to start, and tried this, changed it, then went back

DOWN:

1. Squanders : WASTES

2. Subject of an awkward meeting, perhaps : EX-MATE

3. Program with steps : AL-ANON - AA, too, along with OA, GA, NA, and any other self-help group with these 12 steps


4. Rx instruction : TER - three times a day, I think

5. "Designed to Sell" network : HGTV - one of my favorite networks, I watch all the "Crashers" shows on Saturday mornings

6. Hungarian mathematician Paul : ERDOS - This guy

7. Deal with leaks in, perhaps : REROOF - this took too long for me - I had RE-SEAL for the longest time

8. Schmaltzy : MAUDLIN

9. On a par with : AS GOOD AS

10. Cozumel coin : PESO

11. Color akin to pine green : TEAL

12. "A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her" speaker : W.C. FIELDS

13. Volunteer's assurance : I CAN DO IT

14. Dvorák piece for two violins and viola : TERZETTO

23. Hose projection : NOZZLE

27. '70s-'80s Quebec premier Lévesque : RENE

29. Pen emanation : OINK - The pig pen, that is

30. Besiege (with), as questions : PEPPER

32. Zen meditation hall : DOJO

34. The Mekong flows along its border : LAOS

35. Statistical dividing point in a four-group data set : QUARTILE

36. On-road vehicle requirement since 1996 : UNLEADED

37. Haughty, unemotional woman : ICE QUEEN - Liz, the "ice queen" at SUNY once asked me to dinner - I was so shocked, I missed my chance....

38. Musical half step : SEMITONE - Right, JazzB?

41. Global warming? : DETENTE - Cute

45. Vitamin in liver : NIACIN

47. Spot : LOCATE - The verb here

48. Mink relative : MARTEN - This - uh, no, not minx, this (OK, to be fair, here's one for the ladies)

49. Major route : ARTERY - this one doesn't fool me anymore

52. Like guck : SLIMY

55. Skater Lipinski : TARA

56. Jazz style : SCAT - not ACID, like these guys

57. Side with a hero : SLAW

61. Suburban suffix : ITE - SuburbanITE - that's me, now - I plan to be a country recluse in retirement

Answer grid.

Splynter

Friday, October 14, 2011, Gene Newman

Theme: My, you look good enough to eat. The last name of four celebrities are replaced with sound alike foods, and presented as the favorite food of the individual, leading to a punny, yummy puzzle. This is our second Gene Newman puzzle, though he has been published many times in the NY Times over the last three decades. I found many layers of wit and some new stuff, so let's go.

17A. Mike Hammer portrayer's favorite food : STACY QUICHE. STACY KEACH a quintessential tough guy playing Mickey Spillane's HERO. (7:12) here shown with Barbara Bain from Mission Impossible.

62A. Sportscaster's favorite food?: BRYANT GUMBO. BRYANT GUMBEL, one of two sports caster brothers, who now has his own show on HBO, REAL SPORTS.(1:39)

10D. Cabaret singer's favorite food?: EDITH PILAF. EDITH PIAF, the French singer who died too young but left a legacy of MUSIC.(2:05)

28D. Tennis great's favorite food?: IVAN LENTIL. IVAN LENDL, who like Petr Korda has daughters who are excellent golfers. Ivan does both, but was RELENTLESS (2:10) on the court.

In keeping with the food theme, I also saw these subtle clues,

26A. Estrange: ALIENATE. Who did the alien eat?

53A. Threat to Crusoe: CANNIBAL. Does that make him a cannibal, or it a reference to the foods eating the peoples names?

68. Ruhr city: ESSEN. Which in German means food, or eating. Tricky.

Across

     

1. __ Verde: Colorado national park: MESA.  Looks worth a visit.

5. Gobs: SWABS.  Synonyms for Sailors.

10. It might be slippery: ELM. A type of tree whose bark is used in natural medicines.

13. Inclined: ATILT. My "A" word.

15. Ruth's number: THREE. For a moment I was wondering why this biblical figure had a number, and then, I remembered this IMAGE, whose uniform number was #3.

16. __ gratia: DEI. By the grace of G-d, and a nice change from Agnus.

19. Place to retire?: INN. Just for the night.

20. Perón title: SENORA. Eva.

21. In close combat: TOE TO TOE. A nice visual clue, best shown as boxers.

23. Distillery equipment: VATS.

25. What a frosh studies to be?: SOPH. Nice logical misdirection.

26. Estrange: ALIENATE.

30. Gift for dad: TIE PIN. No thanks boys.

33. Book after Exod : LEV. Book of Leviticus, so named from the Levites, the tribe of priests, and third book of Moses.

34. Plumbing supplies: TRAPS.

36. Instant: TRICE. From the Dutch, meaning one quick pull.

37. It's always 13-Across: Abbr.: ITAL. Italics are always atilt.

39. Attained: MET. Your goal, your quota, etc.

40. Cry of dismay: ALAS.  Woe is me.

41. Flub: BONER. and directly below we have 47A. Like some decorative furniture: INLAID.

43. Fire blight victims: PEARS. My learning moment. LINK.

46. Army member  ANT.

49. They'll take you up  SKI LIFTS.

51. Gaelic tongue: ERSE. Are we all up on the ERIN, EIRE, ERSE fill?

52. "The Blackboard Jungle" author Hunter: EVAN. A very prolific author who wrote, as Ed McBain, the wonderful 87th precinct novels.

53. Threat to Crusoe: CANNIBAL. Robinson Crusoe who pioneered the phrase, TGIF.

57. Make beloved: ENDEAR.

61. "Our remedies __ in ourselves do lie": "All's Well That Ends Well": OFT. Loves me some Shakespeare.

64. Diagnostic proc.: MRI.Magnetic resonance imaging. 

 

65. Deceive: LIE TO.

66. Dive, in a way: SCUBA.

67. House dealer?: POL. House of Representatives. Are you all comfortable with this term being accepted without needing an indication of an abbreviation?  I am and I like the misdirection.

68. Ruhr city: ESSEN. Nice letter combination make this fill very popular.

69. Old autocrat: TSAR. last week we had CZAR.

And now in the words of Petula Clark, time to go

DOWN town

1. Eucharist liturgy: MASS. The seminal ritual of Catholicism.

2. Suffix pertaining to size: ETTE. Cigarette, yes; suffragette, no, or were they all small?

3. Phillips who played Livia on "I, Claudius": SIAN. I have linked her wonderful performance as the mother of Tiberius before.

4. Niche: ALCOVE. Does not rhyme with QUICHE.

5. "The Simpsons" leisure suit wearer: STU. Sing along to this SONG.(2:24)

6. Small amount: WHIT. I don't give whit if you do not like the Simpsons.

7. Violinist's direction: ARCO. Literally, with a bow. Used chiefly as a direction to indicate the resumption of bowing after a pizzicato passage. I will leave pizzicato to JzB. Son 2 began his music playing the violin.

8. Urgent prompting: BEHEST. Nice King Arthur word.

9. Act with diligence: SEE TO IT. The main dialogue between Cardinal Cronin and Bishop Blackie in Father Greeley's wonderful books. Or do you like Captain Picard's "Make it so", better.

11. Frequent Carson stand-in: LENO. Still there.

12. Blasting site: MINE.

14. Coup target, perhaps: TYRANT. Khadaffi anyone?

18. One of the Gulf States: QATAR. They play golf there and the announcers cannot decide if it is pronounced KA-TAR, or CUTTER.

22. It may be comic: OPERA. Always my weak spot on jeopardy, and I did want to give a shout out to the great job JOON PAHK did on Jeopardy. He did all of us in the crossword puzzle universe proud, though you could see the pressure building day after day. Bravo. Meanwhile if you want more HISTORY.

24. Show petulance: STAMP. She stamped her foot impatiently.

26. "I had to visit my sick aunt," e.g.: ALIBI. I am sure my fan club will have a better clue in mind.

27. Blabbed: LET ON. An old fashioned way to say spilling the beans. A toughie.

29. Weapons seen on pistes: EPEES. A new clue for an old favorite, the PISTE is part of the setup to allow the accurate electronic scoring.

31. Quitter's word : I CAN'T.  Yes you can!

32. Packs, as a set of mixing bowls: NESTS. Because they fit inside of each other.

35. Camping support: STAKE. For the tent.

38. Hear about : LEARN.

42. Disposed to laugh: RISIBLE. What a great word, from the french "rire" to laugh.

44. Hull fastener: RIVET. I wonder if any other generations recall this wonderful image:

45. Jargon : SLANGS.

48. Rubbish: DEBRIS. A great word next to risible.

50. Add to the service: INDUCT. Armed service.

53. Casino reward: COMP. COMPLIMENTARY, or free room.

54. Big do: AFRO.

55. They're pros: AYES. They are voting yes, unlike the ANTIS. Right CA?

56. Hurrying, maybe: LATE. for a very important date.

58. Flightless birds: EMUS. Very lean meat they say, Kazie?

59. "Waterloo" group: ABBA. and now for a musical INTERLUDE.(2:50)

60. Comedy club sound: ROAR. The roar of the grease paint, the smell of the crowd.

Wow, we are done already with another week, thank you Mr. Newman for a nice work out, and thank you  all for tuning in. Until next time, will anyone watch the World Series in November with no star teams? Is the NBA history? Come back next week for the answers.

Answer grid.

Lemonade

PS I keep forgetting to thank Argyle for inspiring the listing of the play times for the video links.

Thursday, October 13, 2011 Tom Heilman

Theme: Would you like paper or plastic? It's a:

63A. Variety, and what's literally hidden within 17-, 23-, 32-, 42- and 50-Across : MIXED BAG. Anagrams of “BAG” are found in the middle of the theme entries. Nicely done, with each “mixed” bag in a different combination: GBA, ABG, AGB, BGA and GAB. This theme could be dedicated to our own Jerome, who is a master of anagrams!

17A. Cher title words before "my baby shot me down": BANG BANG Do you remember Nancy Sinatra’s version, the same year?

23A. Lawn invader: CRABGRASS. DH fights this invader all the time.

32A. Olympics opening ceremony VIP: FLAG BEARER. Clara Hughes was the flag bearer for Canada at the 2010 Olympics.

42A. Place to keep thyme: HERB GARDEN. I have been harvesting the last of my thyme, rosemary, oregano, chives, mint and tarragon this week. The kitchen smells wonderful, with all the herb bunches tied and hanging from the windows!

50A. Evoke something from the past: RING A BELL. Does this?

Marti here, so it must be Thursday! This is my favorite day of the week for puzzles. They are just difficult enough to be a challenge, but not as hard as Friday (bless you , Lemonade!) or Saturday (you too, Splynter!).

Across:

1. Punch with a point : AWL

4. Handle trouble : COPE

8. Shake : JOGGLE. Did Santa “joggle” like a bowl full of jelly?

14. Article sometimes dropped : THE. Can you think of phrases where “the” is left out?

15. Cracked just a bit : AJAR

16. Pallor cause : ANEMIA

19. A cupcake's may be creamy : CENTER

20. "The Bourne Identity" malady : AMNESIA

21. Bar closing? : CODE. "closing" is a hint that this refers to a word that can follow "bar". In this case, the UPC bar CODE on all grocery items. You can generate your own at this site. And a clecho (clue echo) with 68A. Bar measure: SHOT. (Bang bang!)

22. Wrist exercise provider : YOYO

28. Revolt : RISE UP

31. We're on it : EARTH

36. Future school? : ROE. Fun clue, for a “school” of fish.

37. Fresh : RECENT

38. Have ambitions : ASPIRE

41. "__-hoo!" : YOO

46. Become a member : ENROL. I always have a problem between “enroll” and “enrol” . BTW, spell-checker doesn’t like “enrol”, either!

49. Rubeola spot : MEASLE. Some people complain about too many “plurals” in puzzles. But for the life of me, I have never heard of a single MEASLE.

52. Low-growing greenery : MOSS

56. Yarn source? : LIAR. Great clue!

57. Respectfully give the final word : DEFER TO

60. Ripping results : SHREDS

64. Spring sign : TAURUS. Taurus in the astrological sign for anyone born between April 21 and May 20. So definitely "spring" sign.

65. Ancient Egyptian agents of capital punishment : ASPS. Used for "elite" criminals.

66. Word with white or shell : EGG

67. Former CIA agent counterpart : KGB SPY

69. "L.A. Law" actress : DEY. This actress, also known for her role on “The Partridge Family”

And now, Let Me Take You Down...

1. Held in check : AT BAY

2. Frisbee maker : WHAMO

3. Bruce in a 1974 film : LENNY. This movie.

4. Semi sections : CABS. Tractor trailers.

5. Ventura County resort city : OJAI. Oh, hi!

6. Quack's wonder drug : PANACEA

7. Physics class unit : ERG

8. Biblical twin : JACOB. You all know Esau, his brother?

9. Strung out : ON EDGE

10. Biological family subdivisions : GENERA

11. Clock std. : GMT. Greenwich Mean Time, the “0” hour that the rest of the world relates to.

12. Links concern : LIE. Every golfer tries not to LIE about their score…Oh wait, this clue refers to the situation of the golf ball as it sits on the fairway (or, in a divot).

13. Stirrup site : EAR. It is in the middle ear, here.

18. Dennis the Menace's neighbor Wilson : GEORGE. Dennis's cranky, cantankerous middle aged next-door neighbor; a retired postal carrier and (at least as far as Dennis is concerned) his best human friend.

21. Flowing garment : CAPE

24. Robot play : R.U.R. In the Czech language, by Karel Čapek.

25. Toiletry product whose slogan once began "Don't be half-safe" : ARRID. Deodorant brand.

26. Put away : STORE

27. Radiance : SHEEN

29. Arabic "son of" : IBN. Arabs often use bin, which is a form of ibn, in their full names.

30. Green who played a werewolf in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" : SETH. I like his hair!

32. Young chicken : FRYER. Sounds like these young chickens are doomed...

33. "The Family Man" co-star Téa : LEONI. This lady.

34. Squash variety named for its shape : ACORN

35. Syncopated pieces : RAGS

39. Erie Canal mule : SAL. Made famous by this song.

40. Specialized undergrad track : PRE-MED. I took pre-med as an undergrad.

43. Part of FEMA: Abbr. : EMER...gency.

44. Fam. tree entry : REL...ative

45. Somewhat spotty on top? : BALDISH. (frown)

47. Lascivious lookers : OGLERS

48. Sidelined : LAID UP

51. Very low : BASSY. (frown)

53. Globular : ORBED

54. Developmental period : STAGE

55. Soaked : SOGGY

58. National, before moving : EXPO. No idea. Must be baseball related! (Or, maybe soccer??) Any help here would be appreciated... (From C.C.: Montreal Expos became Washington Nationals in 2004.)

59. Gab attachment : FEST. My gal pals and I always have a gab fest whenever we get together for book club.

60. Trader's buy: Abbr. : STK. "Stock" (frown)

61. Cauldron tender : HAG. (smile) “Double, double toil and trouble: Fire burn and cauldren bubble…”, from Macbeth. And another Shakespearean tribute at:

62. Obstacle, to Hamlet : RUB. “To sleep, perchance to dream: ah, there’s the rub…” 63. Some parents : MAs. OK, some parents might have a “Master of Arts” degree, but is that a prerequisite? (...Postscript: I guess the last clue refers to "MAs", as partners of PAs)

Answer grid.

Hugs to everyone on this fine Thursday!

Marti

Note from C.C.:

Sorry for the font mix-up earlier. Blogger did some maintenance last night and we had trouble fixing a few glitches.

Wednesday, Oct 12, 2011 Patti Varol

Theme: uptight- the last word of each theme answer, when preceded by the word 'tight,' forms a common phrase.

16A. *Itching for a fight : TWO FISTED. tight fisted.

23A. *Steady guy or gal : MAIN SQUEEZE. tight squeeze.

36A. *Third base, in baseball lingo : HOT CORNER. tight corner. did not know the baseball lingo.

54A. *Shower convenience : SOAP ON A ROPE. tight rope. made me think of man on wire.

62A. Football linemen, or an apt description of the last words of the answers to starred clues : TIGHT ENDS

what about tight-lipped? Lots of non-theme 7's in this puzzle.

melissa here. had trouble right away, some clues seemed a bit obscure for a wednesday.

across:

1. Skips, as stones : DAPS. if i've heard this word before, i forgot it. definition: to skip or bounce, especially over the surface of water.

5. __ jure: by the law itself : IPSO. latin.

9. Ancient Briton : PICT. i'm in awe of anyone who knew this.

13. Catchall survey opción : OTRO. opción = spanish for option. otro = spanish for other.

14. Like a prof. emeritus: Abbr. : RETD. retired.

15. Raw fish dish : SUSHI. this was my first fill-in.

18. From years past : OLDEN

19. Elephant in stories : BABAR

20. Prints a new edition of : RE-ISSUES. and 38. Start from scratch : RE-DO.

22. Suffix in taxonomy : OTA. taxonomy is the science of classification. Eukaryota (plural of eukaryote). which seems even more obscure than pict.

26. Gathered together : MET

27. Objective : AIM

28. "Cats" poet's monogram : TSE. andrew lloyd webber's musical based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by t.s. eliot.

29. Up to, casually : TIL. from dusk til dawn.

30. Author Harte : BRET. déjà vu.. he appeared just last wednesday. part of the the brat pack of literature.

32. "Let's not" : NAH

34. Like law school courts : MOOT. open to discussion or debate.

40. Gumbo thickener : ROUX. equal amounts of fat and flour, heated, blended, and used as a basis for sauces.

42. Quite small : WEE

43. "Oedipus Tex" composer P.D.Q. __ : BACH. see wikipedia.

47. "There's no __ team" : I IN. teIam. problem solved.

48. Cat's pajamas? : FUR. cute.

51. Man of the house : DAD

53. However, briefly : THO. shortened though.

57. Suffix for velvet : EEN. velveteen. from the classic children's book, the velveteen rabbit:

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

58. Batman, for Bruce Wayne : ALTER EGO

59. Surprise hit, maybe : B-SIDE. singles where both sides became hits are known as 'double a-sides.' example: queen: we will rock you / we are the champions.

61. Threw verbal tomatoes : BOOED. no tomatoes, but tiger did get a hot dog thrown at him on sunday. i am just glad the tournament is over - it was a zoo. the players got free vouchers for meals and spa treatments, and even so, most of them did not tip.

65. Black hues, in poetry : EBONS

66. Spread in a tub : OLEO. no comment.

67. Pierre's South Dakota? : ETAT. etat is french for state.

68. A whole bunch : LOTS

69. Tiny fraction of a min. : PSEC

70. One of the Gilmore girls : RORY. i've never seen the show. rory gallagher is more my speed.

down:

1. Internet failure, punnily : DOT BOMB

2. '80s Republican strategist Lee : ATWATER

3. Court concerned with wills : PROBATE

4. Crash site? : SOFA. very true for my 'empty' nest.

5. E-file org. : IRS. internal revenue service.

6. Apple of one's eye : PET. a person especially cherished or indulged; favorite: He was the teacher's pet.

7. Not easily amused : STERN

8. Most likely to raise eyebrows : ODDEST. didn't come easily.

9. Vital sign : PULSE

10. Happens because of : IS DUE TO

11. Cracker with a hole in the middle : CHEEZIT. yech. and 45d. 11-Down flavor : CHEDDAR

12. Holiday glitter : TINSEL. people are funny about tinsel - it seems to be a love it or hate it thing.

15. "What are you gonna do about it?!" : SO SUE ME

17. "__ la Douce" : IRMA. billy wilder film based on the french musical of the same name.

21. Mensa stats : IQ'S. intelligence quotients.

24. Grammar class no-no : AIN'T

25. 13-year-old Apple : iMAC. timely nod to steve jobs.

31. TGIF eve? : THU. thursday. (thank god it's friday).

33. Question of method : HOW

35. Ball : ORB

37. Laced dress shoes : OXFORDS

39. Tide table term : NEAP. tide that occurs when the difference between high and low tide is least.

40. 1970 John Wayne western : RIO LOBO. the third film in a trilogy directed by howard hawks: the other two films were Rio Bravo (1959) and El Dorado (1966), both also starring john wayne.

41. Painting the town red : ON A TOOT. new to me.

44. Eroded, as profits : ATE INTO

46. Lincoln forte : HONESTY. honest abe.

47. Writer Allende : ISABEL. chilean author, wrote 'the house of the spirits.'

49. French 101 article : UNE. a, or an.

50. Convertible, in slang : RAGTOP

52. Balance due, e.g. : DEBT

55. Hammer parts : PEENS. this is the peen.

56. Churns up : ROILS

60. Reader of signs : SEER

63. "Go figure" : GEE

64. Ad __ committee : HOC. committee formed for a specific task or objective, and dissolved after the completion of the task or achievement of the objective.

and finally, for INXS fans .... tight.

Answer grid.

melissa

URAQT

#7 of our Curious Conundrums series.

Marti constructed this puzzle for the 2010 Valentine's Day (also Marti's birthday). Rich liked the theme but he already had another puzzle lined up.

14's as the first and last theme entries are always hard to place, esp on Row 3 & 13, as they immediately necessitate a pair of 3-block side pockets along the corner edges. Marti did very well with a pair of nice 9's going down, avoiding more black squares along the left and right edges of the grid.

Lots of sweet clues. Marti, URAQT, your bubbling personality shines through.

Puzzle:

Here is PDF (click on File, then Download).

Here is puz file (click on Download).

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid.

Thanks for solving, and we look forward to your comments.

C.C.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011 Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel

Theme: The X Factor - Four grid spanners! The three Across ones start with the admonition for RR safety and the Down is when you should use it.

17A. Visit the local watering hole : STOP IN FOR A DRINK

38A. "Let's try a different approach" : LOOK AT IT THIS WAY

59A. "Pay attention" : "LISTEN CAREFULLY"

7D. What one does after observing reminders that start 17-, 38- and 59-Across : CROSSES THE TRACK

Good Moron here. ;~) Two grid spanning entries yesterday and four today. What will tomorrow bring? Fewer proper names than yesterday, too. Any nit about TRACK being singular, see the constructor's note at the bottom.

Across:

1. Windy City paper, familiarly : TRIB

5. Baroque musical family : BACHs. These guys.

10. "__, can you see ..." : O SAY

14. Like molasses : OOZY

15. "Snowy" bird : EGRET. The cattle egret didn't make the discussion the other day.

16. Nevada gambling city : RENO

20. Honda Accord, e.g. : SEDAN

21. In concert : AS ONE

22. San Diego attraction : ZOO. Isn't that the one whose animals would visit Johnny on the Tonight Show?

23. "I can't remember it, Miss Ilsa. I'm a little rusty on it" speaker : SAM. Clip.(1:23)

25. Give a barbiturate to : SEDATE

27. Breaks, as in a wall : GAPS

30. Lambs' moms : EWEs. "Ewe must remember this...."

32. Arctic dwellers of Scandinavia : LAPPS. Mostly of Finland. Map.

35. Shortened, as a dict. : ABR. Abbreviation of abbreviation. 9:07 I got too cute for my own good; ABR is "abridged".

36. Yaks : JAWS

37. Lovers' lane pace : STROLL

41. Ship with rich cargo : ARGOSY. It seems the name came from Ragusa, an ancient city on the island of Sicily.

42. Feature of many Viking helmets : HORN. Just a myth, I understand.

43. Immigrant's subj. : ESL. English as a Second Language.

44. Longtime senator Thurmond : STROM. He set record for oldest serving member at 94 years (1997), then set the then-record for longest cumulative tenure in the Senate at 43 years (1997), increasing to 47 years, 6 months at his retirement in January 2003, surpassed by Robert Byrd in July 2006. He was the only senator ever to serve at the age of 100. He represented South Carolina.

45. "What __ got here is a failure to communicate": "Cool Hand Luke" : WE'VE. Clip.(0:10)

46. Private's group : ARMY

47. Draw out : ELICIT

49. Smidgen : DAB

51. Hef's party garb : PJs

53. Mother-of-pearl : NACRE. Haven't had this word in awhile. Image.

55. Smidgen : TRACE

62. From the U.S. : AMER.

63. Implied : TACIT

64. Rain hard : POUR

65. Neat as a pin : TIDY

66. Signed : INKED

67. It may follow You online : TUBE. Certainly see a lot of it here.

Down:

1. Distribute the dressing on : TOSS

2. Mechanical learning : ROTE

3. Polo rival : IZOD. Shirts.

4. Detour : BYPASS

5. Affleck of "The Town" : BEN

6. Belgium-based imaging company : AGFA. AGFA was the abbreviation for Aktien-Gesellschaft für Anilin-Fabrikation, given in 1873 to a company that had been founded in Berlin in 1867.

8. Parade honorees : HEROES

9. Witness's place : STAND

10. Bruin great Bobby : ORR

11. Successfully stage a coup : SEIZE POWER

12. __ Domini : ANNO

13. Beatle bride : YOKO

18. Words with pickle or jam : IN A

19. Traded, as goods : DEALT IN

24. Substantial : MEATY

26. Hold hands? : TARS. Tricky; hold aboard ship, ergo, the hands are sailors, i.e. TARS

27. Dance balls, e.g. : GALAs

28. Call off the launch : ABORT

29. Got somewhere : PROGRESSED

31. Teens conflict: Abbr. : WW I. The Great War (1914 - 1918, hence the teen conflict) was just World War from its occurrence until 1939, when it no longer was the "war to end war" and became WW I.

33. Proto- finish : PLASM. Protoplasm is the living contents of a cell that is surrounded by a plasma membrane.

34. With cunning : SLYLY

36. Tea-flavoring flower : JASMINE

37. Rip to pieces : SHRED

39. Smoke with menthol : KOOL

40. "Mazel __!" : TOV. "Good Luck!"

45. Certain goddess worshiper : WICCAN

46. Sudden : ABRUPT

48. "Pleeease?" : "CAN'T I?". "All the other kids are doing it!" or going or wearing, etc., ad infinitum.

50. Justice Dept. raiders : ATF. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is commonly referred to as "the ATF".

51. Land map : PLAT

52. Guitarist Hendrix : JIMI. He was left-handed. Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower (3:50) I'm not to sure of the lyrics that accompany the video.

54. Spooky-sounding lake : ERIE

56. Baseball family name : ALOU

57. Night spot : CLUB

58. Brontë's Jane : EYRE. If you got the time, check out all the different book covers.

60. Take a stab at : TRY

61. JFK update : ETD. "What time does your flight leave New York?"

Answer grid.

Argyle

Constructors' note:

Don came up with this theme idea. We originally have STOP*, LOOK* & LISTEN* intersecting CROSSING THE ROAD. Rich proposed CROSS(ES) THE TRACK as a unifier. He mentioned "Stop, look and listen" is the mantra for crossing railroad tracks, not just any road. This grid taught me it's not easy to make a Monday/Tuesday puzzle. We had to let go nice entries like DEAD AIR (for 19D) to remove a few answers which did not fit Rich's early week bill.

Monday, October 10, 2011 Jeff Chen

Theme: Colorful Characters - Four compound phrases that begin with a color and end with a character; the color can be descriptive of a human condition and the character can also represent a ball player. That is how the answer is clued.

17A. Terrified Detroit baseball player? : WHITE TIGER. Clip(0:22) and Image.

33A. Embarrassed Carolina football player? : PINK PANTHER. Clip(0:15) and Image.

39A. Depressed Miami football player? : BLUE DOLPHIN. Clip(0:10) and Image.

58A. Jealous San Francisco baseball player? : GREEN GIANT. Clip(0:30) and Image.

Argyle here. I labored over how to describe the theme longer than it took to solve the puzzle. Jeff has given us an almost clunker free fill. Some might say there were too many proper names; oh well.

Also noticeable in the grid is the two Down non-theme 15's:

3D. Fast food pickup site : DRIVE-THRU WINDOW

11D. Reprimands : READS THE RIOT ACT.

Across:

1. Cheryl of "Charlie's Angels" : LADD. Lovely Image.

5. Screwdriver liquor : VODKA

10. "Logically, then ..." : ERGO

14. The "height" part of a height phobia : ACRO. Acrophobia.

15. Have __ to pick : A BONE

16. Red Army leader Trotsky : LEON. Trotsky died in 1940 after he was attacked in his home in Mexico by a Stalin follower with an ice axe.

19. Vietnam neighbor : LAOS

20. Cuts off : SEVERS

21. Architect I.M. : PEI

22. Advantage : EDGE

23. Very long time : EON

24. Indy 500 entrant : RACER. Clip(1:19) of the crazy last lap of this year's race

26. Tippler : SOT

27. Memo-directing abbr. : ATTN.

29. Actress Sorvino : MIRA. Image.  or maybe this one. Image.  Let us know if they work for you. 10:50 Maybe this one will work. Image.

30. Voice below soprano : ALTO

32. "Don't make me laugh!" : "HAH!"

36. Boeing competitor : AIRBUS

38. Strolls down to the saloon : MOSEYS

43. Gun, as a V6 : REV. To accelerate an engine.

44. Ran a tab : OWED

45. Mine products : ORES

46. Talk like Daffy : LISP

47. __ Lanka : SRI

48. Went off course, nautically : YAWED

50. "Little Red Book" writer : MAO. Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung comprises 427 quotations, divided thematically into 33 chapters.

51. Prefix with directional : OMNI

53. "Community" network : NBC

54. Sealy alternatives : SERTAs. Mattresses.

57. Arp's art movement : DADA

60. Take too much of, briefly : OD ON. Over-Dosed on.

61. Me-tooer's phrase : SO DO I

62. Teen outbreak : ACNE

63. Noises from itty-bitty kitties : MEWS

64. Online status update limited to 140 characters : TWEET

65. 'Vette roof option : T-TOP

Down:

1. Cops enforce them : LAWS

2. Yen : ACHE

4. Pamper : DOTE ON

5. Chocolate factory vessels : VATS

6. __-Wan Kenobi : OBI. from Star Wars.

7. Where boxers and pugs play : DOG PARK

8. Leg joint protector : KNEE CAP

9. Cliffside nest : AERIE

10. Cosmo rival : ELLE

12. Looks that lovers make : GOOGOO EYES

13. Beginning : ONSET

18. Bird by the beach : ERN

24. __ Tin Tin : RIN. Clip. (0:32)

25. Yakked and yakked : RAN ON

27. Starbuck's captain : AHAB. Starbuck was the young first mate of the Pequod in Moby-Dick.

28. Like a custom suit : TAILOR-MADE. But I rather have these Taylor made.

29. Soup with sushi : MISO

31. Capt.'s subordinates : LTs. Lieutenants.

33. "I tawt I taw a __ tat!" : PUDDY

34. French friends : AMIs

35. Letters on reply cards : RSVP

37. Drone or worker : BEE. or melissa.

40. Unsophisticated : LOWBROW

41. Come before : PRECEDE

42. "If __ only listened!" : HE'D. It will be my epitaph.

46. Rope at a rodeo : LARIAT

47. City destroyed by fire and brimstone : SODOM. And Gomorrah.

49. Common teen emotion : ANGST

50. Ryan of "When Harry Met Sally..." : MEG. Gotta link the classic... Clip.

52. Actors McKellen and Holm : IANs

54. Agitated state : SNIT

55. A.D. part : ANNO

56. Armstrong's "small" stride : STEP

59. Fair-hiring inits. : EOE. Equal Opportunity Employer

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday October 9, 2011 John Lampkin

Theme: Seas the Day - One word in each common phrase is replaced by a nautical term.

24A. Course for sailors? : ANCHOR MANAGEMENT. Anger management.

40A. Measures to ensure restful sleep on-board? : BERTH CONTROL. Birth control. Did it trouble or delight you that BIRTH (10A. Hospital delivery) also appears in the same grid?

64A. The Red Baron, belowdecks? : ACE IN THE HULL. Ace in the hole.

72A. Result of eating French fries at the ship's wheel? : SLIPPERY HELM. Slippery elm. Fun?

97A. Irrational weeping over a broken spar? : MAST HYSTERIA. Mass hysteria.

116A. Philosophical shrug about channel markers? : BUOYS WILL BE BUOYS. Boys will be boys. Punning on both ends. John saved the best for the last, grid-wise.

3D. Positive report from a deck hand? : THE JIB IS UP. The jig is up. The only entry where the conversion word is not at the beginning or the end.

77D. Bit of gear for a nuclear-powered dinghy? : URANIUM OAR. Uranium ore.

More nautical fill for our sailors Spitzboov & eddyB:

22A. South, in a north wind : ALEE

70A, English sí, at sea : AYE

89D. Asian sea : ARAL

I like John's grid design, the theme answers (occupying a perfect 100 squares) are spread everywhere. Looks simple, but it's the result of lots of tries and pure hard work.

And of course, John is a true artist when it comes to cluing, puns and clue echos aplenty. I'll just point out these:

60A. Bug barrier : SCREEN

62A. Bug killers : ZAPPERS

45D. Bug film in which Gene Hackman voices General Mandible : ANTZ

54D. Bug for payment : DUN. "Bug" is a verb here.

117D. Bug catcher : WEB

His clues are to be enjoyed and admired.

Across:

1. Sax object? : ALTO. Punny start. Reminded me of "Clinton blew it" for SAX.

5. Passing fancies : WHIMS

15. Dandelion's home, often : LAWN

19. Wonka's creator : DAHL (Roald). Willy Wonka.

20. Like much floor tile : VINYL

21. In __: awaiting delivery : UTERO

23. Suit to __ : A TEE

27. Taking drive-thru orders, e.g. : McJOB

29. "When I Take My Sugar to __": 1931 hit : TEA

30. Leaves out : OMITS

31. Outdoes : BESTS

32. Ones in concert with con artists : SHILLS. Nice clue.

34. Pollen-bearing organ : STAMEN. See here.

36. Insurance gps. : HMOs

38. Moistens overnight, perhaps : BEDEWS

45. "I'd like to buy __" : AN I

47. Corny jokes : GROANERS.

49. Corny picks : EARS

50. Audit trailer? : ORY. Auditory.

51. Plane front : NOSE

53. 19th-century Mexican president Juárez : BENITO. Always thought it's an Italian name.

54. Five-O booking agent : DANO. Or Danno.

55. Sleeper's choice : TWIN

56. Suit that beats the other three : TRUMP. And 68. Beat badly : TROMP.

58. Addams family cousin : ITT

59. Dastard : CUR

71. Noodle rings? : HALOS. "Noodle" = "Head".

76. Sweats : GYM SUIT

80. Word spoken before a shot : CHEESE. Say "Cheese". We say "Qie Zi" (eggplant) in Chinese.

81. Suffix with Caesar : EAN. Caesarean.

82. H.S. math course : ALG

84. Political housecleaning : PURGE. Like China's Cultural Revolution.

85. Flag throwers : REFs

86. "Ring around the collar" detergent : WISK. I've never used this brand.

88. Pesto herbs : BASILs

91. Try to find on the road, say : PAGE. Don't get this clue.

92. Some busts : ART

93. Stable upstairs? : SANE. Don't get this pun.

94. Stout, for one : DARK BEER. Hi there Jerome!

96. Citi Field team, on scoreboards : NYM. NY Mets.

100. St. Clare's town : ASSISI

102. Drain stain : RUST

103. Barbizon School artist : MILLET. Famous for his "The Gleaners". Saw it in Musée d'Orsay.

105. "Uncle!" : ENOUGH

108. Sock synthetic : ORLON

111. Yeshiva leader : REBBE. New word to me.

113. Four times daily, in an Rx : QID

115. How many nightclubs are lit : DIMLY

120. Gad about : ROAM

121. French fashion mag : ELLE. I like Elle Asia.

122. Quintessential flop : EDSEL

123. "__ in Words": New Ager's memoir : YANNI. He attended University of Minnesota here.

124. Deservedly get : EARN

125. Copyright datum : YEAR

126. 1970s Big Apple mayor : BEAME (Abe)

127. Lane associate : OLSEN (Jimmy). "The Daily Planet". Lois Lane.

128. "__ Tu": 1974 hit : ERES

Down:

1. John in the White House : ADAMS. John Adams. John gets his name into the clue.

2. Closing mechanism : LATCH

4. Fútbol cheer : OLE OLE. Fútbol = Football. Their soccer.

5. Wheeling's st. : W VA

6. Clue or cue : HINT

7. Like the ocean's roar : INCESSANT

8. What I might eat in defeat? : MY HAT. Made me smile.

9. __-mo : SLO

10. Downers : BUMMERS

11. "If __ broke ..." : IT AIN'T

12. Musical based on Puccini's "La Bohème" : RENT

13. Raccoon attractor : TRASH CAN. Any raccoon in your neck of the wood, Creature? What's their life expectancy?

14. Refuse to share : HOG

15. Least believable : LAMEST

16. Stout alternatives : ALES

17. Headed out : WENT

18. Butterfly catchers : NETS

25. Classical guitar family name : ROMERO. Gimme for Splynter/Bill G. I've never heard of the brand before.

26. Poetic blacks : EBONs

28. Campus unit: Abbr. : BLDG

33. Balkan native : SERB

35. Be an accessory to : ABET

37. In a moody way : MOROSELY

39. "Alas!" : WOE IS ME.

41. Home, metonymically : HEARTH. Look, Marti, H-E-A-R-T!

42. Wheel on a spur : ROWEL. See here.

43. Bay window : ORIEL

44. Singer Loretta : LYNN

46. Ibsen's "doll" : NORA. No idea.

48. Silents star Naldi : NITA. She just won't die in crosswords.

52. Frat bash refuse : EMPTIES

55. Bind tightly : TRUSS UP. New phrase to me.

57. Heist participants, to cops : PERPs. Or crossing entries, to our blog crowd.

59. Sky over Paris : CIEL

61. Bite : CHOMP

63. Ravine-crossing hauling systems : ROPEWAYS. Oh, these.

65. "All the Way" lyricist : CAHN (Sammy)

66. See : EYE

67. Dickers : HAGGLES

69. Out-of-the-box feature : PRESET

72. Toondom's Princess of Power : SHE-RA. He-Man's twin sister.

73. Johansson's jabs : LEFTS. Ingemar Johansson, the Swedish boxer. I can only think of this Johansson. Good enough match for the OVERCOAT guy yesterday, I think.

74. Chew the fat : YAK

75. False front : MASK

78. Punk star __ Pop : IGGY

79. Be crawling (with) : TEEM

80. Jam-pack : CRAM

83. Celebratory drinks : LIBATIONS. And 118D. Intoxicating letters? : BYO. Is it "Brew Your Own" or "Bring Your Own"?

87. Good way to take things : IN STRIDE. I like this clue too.

88. Security holder, in law : BAILEE

90. Zairian dictator Mobutu __ Seko : SESE. He lives on in crossword also. As I mentioned last Sunday, crossword is a medium where well-done is rare. Every puzzle has a few SESE, NITA & UGLI.

93. Eschews : SHUNS

94. Court action : DRIBBLE. Basketball.

95. Coat to peel off : RIND

98. Verne __, Mini-Me portrayer in Austin Powers films : TROYER. Recognized his mug after I googled.

99. Symbol : EMBLEM

101. Evening musicale : SOIREE

104. Tantamount : EQUAL

106. A polarizing filter reduces it : GLARE

107. Choral offerings : HYMNs

108. Follow : OBEY. And 109. Thing to follow : RULE.

110. She gets what she wants : LOLA. From the "Damn Yankees".

112. "Lohengrin" heroine : ELSA

114. Force unit : DYNE

119. Biblical no-no : SIN

Answer grid.

Seas the Day! Tomorrow is not promised to any of us, a la Kirby Puckett.

C.C.