Thursday, January 26, 2012 Billie Truitt

Theme: Ham and Jeez. Four cross-referential answers that hinge on the unifier for definition.

17A. See 38-Across : RADIO ENTHUSIAST. Ham radio operators are amateurs without any monetary interest, as opposed to commercial broadcasters.

26A. See 38-Across : SCENERY CHEWER. A ham is one who acts melodramatically. They "chew up the scenery" by focusing all attention on themselves, rather than the stage set or other actors.

43A. See 38-Across : HOLIDAY ENTREE. Most popular entrées for Christmas are ham or turkey. For Hanukkah (or Chanukah), I think it would be brisket? But I defer to Hahtool for that one.

57A. See 38-Across : NOAH'S WAYWARD SON. Noah begat Ham, Shem and Japheth when he was 500 years old. Wow! I want to know where he got his Cialis?

And the unifier:

38A. Clue for 17-, 26-, 43- and 57-Across : HAM. Jeez, how simple!

How about "GREEN EGGS SIDE"? Can you think of others to fit this theme?

Marti here, signing in for this Thursday's theatrics.

Across:

1. Utah's state gem : TOPAZ. November birthstone, and also a symbol of friendship. So gals, if he gives you a topaz ring instead of a diamond...better start looking elsewhere.

6. Stable newborn : FOAL

10. Emblem : ICON

14. "Don't try to be ___" : A HERO. "Billy, don't be...". That song was released by Paper Lace in 1974, so many thought it referred to the Vietnam war. It was actually a reference to the Civil War.

15. ___ jure : IPSO. "By the law itself"

16. Slicer's warning : FORE. Does a hooker also yell this?

20. Passed down, as folk mus. : TRAD itional. Abbr. of "music" suggests the correct answer.

21. Shop gripper : VISE. Workshop. Not a security guard in a store.

22. Four Holy Roman emproers : OTTOS. Starting with Otto I who died in 973, and ending with Otto IV who died in 1218.

23. '40s-'50s pitcher Maglie : SAL. He was known as "Sal the Barber" because he gave close shaves: i.e., he pitched inside to hitters. So, another baseball name to add to my ever-growing list!

24. Tangle of hair : MAT. Sometimes found on the bath mat.

25. P.D. alert : APB. "Police Department" All Points Bulletin.

33. Silver and gold : METALS. Anyone else fill in "medals"?

35. Absorb, as a loss : EAT. Eat it. Just too "Weird" for me to link...

36. Via, à la Burns : THRO. "Comin' thro the rye...". Did you know that the book by J.D. Salinger was named after this poem?

37. "___ you clever!" : AREN'T. Me? No. Jerome? Definitely, yes!

39. Intersect : CROSS. Like "perps".

40. Unlike Wellesley College : CO-ED. One of the "Seven Sisters" colleges in the Northeast. Without looking on Wiki, can you name any of the other six?

41. Board partner : BED. I usually think of "room and board", so this one eluded me for a while.

42. Downloadable media player : I-TUNES

46. Clunker : DUD

47. Cruet fluid : OIL. "Vinegar" wouldn't fit...

48. Corn serving : EAR

51. That and that : THOSE. Clever clue!

54. Proverbial equine escape site : BARN. To "close the barn door after the horse has bolted" means doing too little, too late.

56. Sharp part : EDGE. Like a knife edge.

60. Plotting : UP TO. Whenever we were quiet, my mother would always yell from the other room, "What are you kids up to?"

61. Head start? : IDEA.

62. Neutral shade : BEIGE

63. Dry run : TEST

64. No sweat : EASY...peasy lemon squeezy.

65. Being pulled : IN TOW

Down

1. Knave of Heart's loot : TARTS.

"...The Knave of Hearts

He stole those tarts,

And took them clean away..."

2. Fictional plantation owner : O'HARA. Frankly, I don't give a damn...

3. Guitar played with hands and feet : PEDAL STEEL. This was a total unknown for me. Maybe Jazzbumpa knows?

4. Dry : ARID.

5. San Diego attraction : ZOO. J.D. just visited it with her grandsons last week on her birthday visit. How was it?

6. Having limits : FINITE

7. Makes a choice : OPTS

8. U.S. Open stadium : ASHE. Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, NY.

9. Rickey broke his stolen base record in 1991 : LOU. Lou Brock was outdone by Rickey Henley Henderson, known as "The Man of Steal". His 1,406 career steals record is 50% higher than the previous record of 938 by Lou. (Did I get it right, C.C.??) (From C.C.: Just one short of 50% more than Brock's. Rickey Henderson holds quite a few MLB records, including leadoff home runs, stolen bases in a single season.)

10. "Assuming that's accurate," biblically :IF IT BE TRUE.

11. Winter garb : COAT. We don't need them so often this year, but I can live with that!

12. Guesstimate words : OR SO.

13. Takes home : NETS

18. Rogers's partner : EVANS. Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. "Hammerstein" wouldn't fit...

19. Last year's frosh : SOPH

24. Hot sandwich : MELT. Yummm, tuna melt!

25. Sequence of scenes : ACT

27. It's not posed : CANDID SHOT. Like this?

28. Aptly named author : READE. Charles, best known for "The Cloister and the Hearth". Has anyone reade it?

29. Holiday tuber : YAM. To go with the ham?

30. Dismissive bit of rhetoric : WHO NEEDS IT?

31. Highland tongue : ERSE

32. Legendary seamstress : ROSS. Betsy, famous flag seamstress.

33. Eponymous physicist Ernst ___ : MACH. Austrian physicist who studied shock waves. You wanna mach something of it?

34. Switch add-on : EROO. Ah yes, the old switch-eroo.

38. "I'm talking to you!" : HEY! (Yes, you!)

39. PC key below Shift : CTRL. On my Macbook, it's "Fn"

41. Wicked : BAD. Not the play...

42. Turner memoir : I, TINA

44. Member's payment : DUES

45. Where kroner are spent : NORWAY

49. Disco era term : A-GO-GO

50. Sign up for more : RENEW

51. Letter-shaped fastener : T-NUT. C-clamp, U-bolt, L-bar, S-hook, I-beam...???

52. Optimism : HOPE

53. Granola grain : OATS

54. ___ Bing!: "The Sopranos" nightclub : BA-DA

55. Some votes : AYES

56. First lady's garden site? : EDEN. Not this "rose" garden.

58. Golfer Michelle : WIE

59. Hitter's stat : RBI. Ha! Nailed this one. Hitter = Runs, ergo: Runs Batted In.

Answer grid.

So, I hope this puzzle was a home run for you solvers? Friday is coming, and may not be so easy peasy lemon squeezy.!

Hugs,

Marti

Note from C.C.:

Re: Marti's comment on 5-Down: Here is wonderful picture from JD's visit to Safari Park on Jan 14. She said "The baby gorilla is playing with some kind of rodent who keeps coming out of his little hole. The baby touched him several times...no fear with either of them."

Here is a picture of the cute little Cameron looking at a sea turtle.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 Nancy Salomon

Theme: SOFT DRINKS. Three long theme answers each take a common verb phrase and give it a humorous twist, while ending in a word that signifies a kind of (typically non-alcoholic) beverage. I loves me this kind of word-play.

19A. Outdo other guests seeking a party drink? : BEAT TO THE PUNCH. Do something before somebody else can, a term probably derived form boxing. PUNCH: A drink made with fruit juices, soda, other flavorings, and typically served in small cups from a large bowl.

36A. Order one so-so ice cream drink? : GET A FAIR SHAKE. To get a fair or unbiased opportunity for success. SHAKE: A cold drink made from milk, ice cream, and fruit or chocolate. Very amusing clue.

53A. Activate a dispenser for a fruit drink? : TURN ON THE JUICE. Flip the switch to "on". Activate the energy. JUICE: Fluid naturally contained in plant or animal tissue. Emphasis on the plants here, as we don't usually drink animal juices, though some can be quite potable.

Hi, gang, it's JazzBumpa, noting that any of these drinks could be made alcoholic, if one so chooses. With that in mind, shall we have a sip, or a big gulp? Onward!

Across:

1. Kid's summer spot : CAMP. Lots of options: I went to Boy Scout CAMP as a kid, some of the granddaughters have been to Theater CAMP. Oldest grandson will go to Band Camp this Summer. What are your experiences?

5. Ain't it the truth : FACT. No made-up CAMP stories, please.

9. Melville's Billy : BUDD. A sailor in a story left unfinished when Melville died in 1891. The story has a confusing history.

13. Craft seen at many a 1-Across : CANOE. Watercraft, not arts and craft, and only if the camp is on a lake or a river.

14. Banned apple treatment : ALAR. This plant treatment regulated the growth, improved the color, and made the harvest easier. Per Wikipedia, it was also intended to be used on cherries, peaches, pears, Concord grapes, tomato transplants and peanut vines. It actually was not banned. It was withdrawn from the market when the EPA proposed banning it. Details.

15. Current about : UP ON. It pays to be UP ON your FACTS.

16. "Family Matters" nerd : URKEL. Waaay too annoying for a clip.

17. __ dry eye in the house : NOT A. We were all wailing and gnashing our teeth.

18. Hindu music style : RAGA. Indian music sometimes uses quartertones - notes between the scale notes we in the West are used to hearing. This gives it quite an exotic sound. Here is an example. It's over 9 minutes, but you can sample less.

22. Hotel annex? : IER. Hotelier. Typically cliched misdirecting clue for an affix. We are not amused.

23. Carson's late-night predecessor : PAAR. Jack.

24. Thurmond who was a senator for 47 years : STROM.

26. Fancy neckwear : CRAVATS. Warnings to not tie them too tightly are CRAVATS caveats.

29. Bay Area airport letters : SFO.

31. Lux. locale : EUR. Abbrv. for Europe. Luxembourg is a tiny land-locked country, over there somewhere. Maybe one of our world travelers can enlighten us.

32. Pitcher of milk? : ELSIE. Needed lots of perp help, 'til the light came on. ELSIE was the advertising spokesbovine for Bordon Dairy Products. Great clue.

34. Size up : ASSESS. When you ASSESS, you must also mind your spelling.

39. Throw in the direction of : TOSS TO. As what one might do with a hot potato.

40. __ one's game: performing below par : NOT ON. As when one drops a hot potato.

41. Bribe : SOP. More perp help needed. Couldn't bring this together, but it's legit. Also, an acronym for Standard Operating Procedure. Hmmmmm . .

42. Slice of history : ERA. Frex, Jazz ERA.

44. Hardly silk purse material, in an idiom : SOW'S EAR. Cute, but obvious clue.

48. Building brick : ADOBE. A brick of sun or kiln dried clay. Not this. Not him.

50. Bearing : MIEN. Probably from the same root as demeanor.

52. Unnamed degree : NTH. Specific, but unspecified. Oh, the uncertainty.

57. Civil rights icon Parks : ROSA. Perhaps the most famous bus rider, ever.

58. "You bet, señora!" : SI SI. As we say to our esteemed hostess, "SI SI, C.C." See?

59. Rye fungus : ERGOT. This fungus renders the grain toxic. Those who speak of it in arcane terms are using ERGOT argot.

60. A very long time : AGES. It's been a long, long time.

61. Lobe adornment : HOOP. Check it out.

62. Slasher's title hangout, in film: Abbr. : ELM ST. The slasher is Freddy Kruger from the Nightmare on ELM ST. Movies

63. Schools of whales : PODS. Does anyone know why?

64. Pops the question : ASKS. Put this way, it could be any old question. Shouldn't it be the specific one for Lida Rose?

65. H.S. junior's exam : PSAT. Pre-SAT. Let's not teach to the test, though.

Down:

1. Job, and then some : CAREER. Engineering used to be a a CAREER. Now, it's just a job.

2. Asian capital on a peninsula : ANKARA. Turkey

3. Champagne brand : MOET. Now here is some French I can go for.

4. Assail (with), as snowballs : PELT. Definitely different from TOSS TO. PELT implies force and/or violence. We PELTED him with snowballs until his pelt was caked and soggy.

5. Classic film with dancing hippos : FANTASIA. This is one of the worst pieces of classical music ever, IMNSHO. I had to play it once. After Allan Sherman, it's almost impossible to keep a straight face. Still, here is the clip.

6. Hawaiian hi or bye : ALOHA. Indicates you most likely have recently or are about to get leied.

7. Works a wedding : CATERS

8. Catch : TRAP

9. Too well-done : BURNT. This would qualify as well done, but not done well.

10. Where not to be paddleless? : UP A CREEK. Severity of the dilemma depends on the nature of the creek. Best not to be in a concrete canoe.

11. Whence a front yard growl : DOG HOUSE. From yon DOG HOUSE emanateth yon bark.

12. It may be used to ID a perp : DNA. Not our kind of perp. Genetic material used to I.D. a criminal

13. Like dice, shape-wise : CUBIC.

20. Chooses : OPTS FOR

21. G.I. entertainment : USO SHOW. Bob Hope did these in WW II and for decades after. Here is one example. We play this song for the 4th of July park concert every Summer, while honoring the service vets. Even for crusty old me, it is very moving.

25. Robinson of song : MRS. From the movie, The Graduate. Still sounds good.

27. November honorees : VETS. See 21 D.

28. Support group for kids of substance abusers : ALATEEN. Fortunately, this is outside my experience.

30. Scam that's "pulled" : FAST ONE

33. Hamburger's article : EIN. German for "one" or the indefinite article "a."

35. Without : SANS. I could do SANS the French

36. All set : GOOD TO GO

37. Championed, as a cause : ESPOUSED

38. Fruit used as a vitamin C supplement : ROSE HIPS. From the same plant that gives us the flower. Somewhere, there must be a lady named ROSE HIPS.

39. Airport safety org. : TSA Transportation Safety Administration.

43. Prenatal tests, for short : AMNIOS. Abbrev. for amniocentesis, a rather dangerous procedure.

45. Baffling problem : ENIGMA. Speaking of Soviet Communism, Winston Churchill said: "It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an ENIGMA." I hope that is clear.

46. Not marked up : AT COST. This has to do with selling prices, not graffiti.

47. Classic role for Clark : RHETT. From Gone With The Wind. Do you give a damn?

49. Military bigwigs : BRASS. Looks like this might be a shortened form of "BRASS Hat," so called for the gold braid on the hat.

51. "Everything's fine" : IT'S OK.

54. Worker protection agcy. : O. S.H.A. Occuptional Safety and Health Administration. Not the impudent wilding woman who knows that Winter Is Coming, here seen holding her own against Theon Greyjoy.

55. Cherokee maker : JEEP. The 2012 lineup only has a Grand Cherokee.

56. www addresses : URLS. Universal Resource Locators on the World Wide Web.

57. 50 Cent's genre : RAP.

Answer grid.

Ahhhh! A fine, refreshing quaff from one of puzzledom's greats. I'll admit, though, that I did all this with a snifter of Pinch at my elbow.

Cheers!

JzB

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 Julian Lim

Theme: Not Quite Black - Five entries whose last word, if placed after the word DARK, form a new phrase.

64A. *When night owls thrive, or where the last words of the starred answers can go : AFTER DARK. (shouldn't have had a star on this clue though.)

17A. *Artsy-sounding microbrew : CRAFT BEER. DARK BEER are usually brewed from a pale malt or lager malt base with a small proportion of darker malt added to achieve the desired shade. Other colourants—such as caramel—are also widely used to darken beers. Very dark beers, such as stout, use dark or patent malts that have been roasted longer. Some have roasted unmalted barley. (as per Wiki, perhaps Lemon can elaborate more fully.)

29A. *Brains, informally : GRAY MATTER. DARK MATTER - "By fitting a theoretical model of the composition of the Universe to the combined set of cosmological observations, scientists have come up with the composition that we described above, ~70% dark energy, ~25% dark matter, ~5% normal matter. What is dark matter?

We are much more certain what dark matter is not than we are what it is." NASA Science

47A. *Officially restricted yet widely known information : OPEN SECRET. DARK SECRET, often proceeded by DEEP; we all have them, eh?

10D. *Many "South Park" jokes : TOILET HUMOR. DARK HUMOR - Humor that is viewed as dark, morbid, cruel, offensive to some, and or graphic in nature and is yet, still found funny. (per Urban Dict.)

25. *Classic Greek ruse : TROJAN HORSE. DARK HORSE - A term used to describe a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence, especially in a competition of some sort.

Argyle here. I was here yesterday and so were a lot of the answers. Not much excitement so let's get to it.

Across:

1. __ facto : IPSO. (by the fact itself)

5. Cut in stone : ETCH

9. Carell of "The Office" : STEVE

14. Tex-Mex snack : TACO

15. "That's not enough!" : "MORE!"

16. Reason for a skull-and-crossbones warning : TOXIN

19. Spoke (up) : PIPED

20. Sci-fi computer : HAL. From the film, "2001: A Space Odyssey".

21. Crumpled into a ball : WADDED

23. Unhappy times : LOWS

24. Newspaper big shot : EDITOR

26. "Fantastic!" : "SUPER!"

28. Honeybunch : DEAR

34. High-pitched winds : OBOEs

36. "La __": Puccini opera : BOHÈME

37. Muslim pilgrim : HAJJI

40. Spot for a facial : SPA

42. Like pulp magazine details : LURID

43. It's held underwater : BREATH

45. __ salts : EPSOM

49. Gave the go-ahead : OKed

53. Sonnet feature : RHYME

54. Basic chalet style : A-FRAME

56. Cookie used in milkshakes : OREO

58. Security request, briefly : ID CARD

61. DVR button : REC

62. Pitcher Martinez : PEDRO. Retired now, he is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion.

66. Humiliate : ABASE

67. Sound from Simba : ROAR. The Lion King.

68. Play to __: draw : A TIE

69. "See ya!" : "LATER!"

70. Taxpayer IDs : SSNs

71. Mix : MELD

Down:

1. Bugged, as a bug bite : ITCHED. ???

2. Event with floats : PARADE

3. Justice Antonin : SCALIA

4. Gut-punch response : "OOF!"

5. Ban on trade : EMBARGO

6. See 18-Down : TOED. 18D. With 6-Down, kind of sloth : TWO

7. Believability, to homeys : CRED. Short for "credibility".

8. Joan of Arc's crime : HERESY

9. Sponsor at some NHRA events : STP. National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)

11. Overseas trader : EXPORTER

12. Hillside house asset : VIEW

13. Finales : ENDS

22. Not bright at all : DUMB

27. Renaissance painter Veronese : PAOLO

30. High-__ monitor : RESolution

31. "__ your instructions ..." : AS PER

32. Brit. record label : EMI

33. Lobster color : RED. Not in their natural state.

35. Itsy-__ : BITSY

37. "The Wire" airer : HBO. Central to the structure and plot of the show is the use of electronic surveillance and wiretap technologies by the police—hence the title "The Wire".

38. Dadaist Jean : ARP. Sculptor, painter, poet and abstract artist. Also, frequent crossword visitor.

39. Derided : JEERED AT

41. Orangutan or chimp : APE

44. Prefix with sphere : HEMI

46. Rubberneckers : STARERS

48. Trees used for shingles : CEDARS

50. Discipline with kicks : KARATE

51. "Kick it up a notch!" chef : EMERIL. His site.

52. Floored with a haymaker : DECKED. A haymaker is slang boxing term for a wild swinging punch, using much of the same motion of someone using a scythe, twisting his waist and shoulders round before turning back.

55. Depression era pres. : FDR

56. Down Under gem : OPAL

57. McEntire sitcom : "REBA"

59. Corp. cash mgrs. : CFOs. (chief financial officer)

60. __ earlier time : AT AN

63. Opposite of 'neath : O'ER

65. River blocker : DAM

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, January 23, 2012 Johanna Fenimore

Theme: Do En Do Do - Clip(3:05) I hope it shines on all of you.

17A. Hexes : PUTS UNDER A SPELL

27A. Surprised party, metaphorically : MONKEY'S UNCLE

44A. Destination not yet determined : PARTS UNKNOWN

58A. Beatles song, and a hint to the hidden word in 17-, 27- and 44-Across : "HERE COMES THE SUN"

Argyle here with your earworm for a Monday. I believe this is our constructor's first LAT puzzle. She has collaborated with Andrea Carla Michaels on several other puzzles and Andrea had her own solo effort here last September. Two full length themes anchor the grid firmly and aside from a shortstop, the fill is pleasant.

Across:

1. Thumbs-way-up reviews : RAVES. "Have you ever been to a rave?" (quote from a really strange PSA.)

6. Knocks with one's knuckles : RAPS

10. Not feral : TAME

14. Low-budget, in company names : ECONO

15. Happily __ after : EVER

16. October birthstone : OPAL

20. Dined : ATE

21. Twosome : PAIR

22. Heart chambers : ATRIA

23. Positive thinker's assertion : "YES I CAN!"

25. Cleopatra's river : NILE

32. Beelzebub : SATAN

35. Oboe or bassoon : REED

36. Baled grass : HAY

37. "Jurassic Park" terror, for short : T-REX

38. Meanspiritedness : SPITE

40. Home plate, e.g. : BASE

41. Above, in verse : O'ER

42. Apple computer : IMAC

43. Showed on television : AIRED

48. Detest : HATE

49. Oscar-winning film about Mozart : "AMADEUS"

53. End of __ : AN ERA

56. Yard sale warning : AS IS

57. British mil. award : DSO. Distinguished Service Order.

62. Opera solo : ARIA

63. Like a steak with a red center : RARE

64. "That is to say ..." : "I MEAN ..."

65. Double O Seven : BOND, James BOND.

66. "P.U.!" inducer : ODOR

67. Willy-__: sloppily : NILLY

Down:

1. Satisfy, as a loan : REPAY

2. Like most triangle angles : ACUTE. (less than 90°)

3. Chooses at the polls : VOTES

4. USNA grad : ENS.ign

5. Slight trace : SOUPÇON. Origin: 1760–70; < French: a suspicion, Middle French sospeçon < Late Latin suspectiōn- (stem of suspectiō ), for Latin suspīciō suspicion. What is that little mark under the C? Cedilla, a character ( ¸ ) placed underneath a c before a, o, or u, esp in French, Portuguese, or Catalan, denoting that it is to be pronounced (s), not (k). The same character is used in the scripts of other languages, as in Turkish under s

6. Symbol of financial losses : RED INK

7. State firmly : AVER

8. For each : PER

9. Málaga Mrs. : SRA. Map of Spain showing Málaga.

10. Best-seller list : TOP TEN

11. Mimic : APER

12. West African country : MALI

13. Jazzy Fitzgerald : ELLA

18. Indian bread : NAAN

19. "To your health," to José : "¡SALUD!"

24. Big-screen format : IMAX. No connection to 42-Across : IMAC

25. Russian rejection : NYET

26. "That's clear now" : "I SEE"

28. Angels shortstop Aybar : ERICK. This guy.

29. Sear : CHAR

30. Operate with a beam : LASE

31. Kept in view : EYED

32. Halt : STOP

33. Zone : AREA

34. Alaska, once: Abbr. : TERR.

38. Obscene material : SMUT

39. Glazier's fitting : PANE. (window)

40. Tough spot : BIND

42. Newton or Stern : ISAAC

43. Inundated with : AWASH IN

45. Needle's partner : THREAD

46. Sadat's predecessor : NASSER. He was the leader of a successful military coup to depose King Farouk in 1952. Nasser became the president of Egypt in 1956 and remained president until his death in 1970.

47. Leave out : OMIT

50. '50s Ford flop : EDSEL

51. Typical : USUAL

52. Hot-headed Corleone brother in "The Godfather" : SONNY

53. Moby Dick chaser : AHAB

54. Fiddling emperor : NERO

55. "__ Brockovich" : ERIN. "Erin Brockovich" is a 2000 biographical film directed by Steven Soderbergh. Julia Roberts won the Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors' Guild Award and BAFTA for Best Actress

56. Flying prefix : AERO

59. Gold, in Granada : ORO

60. Insane : MAD

61. Record label initials across the pond : EMI. (Electric and Musical Industries)

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

JD and her family went to San Diego to celebrate her birthday last Saturday (Jan 14). Here is a beautiful picture of the happy family. Let's see if I get the order right.

Back row from left to right: Bob (JD's husband), JD, Shelby (JD's oldest daughter) and Shelby's husband Joe, who is holding their handsome son Cameron.

Front row from left to right: Derek (Corie's husband, a Welsh) and son Grady, Corie (JD's younger daughter) is holding her son Truman. Grady is Truman's little brother.

JD said "We saw the zoo on Fri. Sea World on Sat and the Safari Park on Sunday. It was my best birthday ever, and we didn't even have time for cake."

Sunday January 23, 2012 Jeff Chen

Theme: "Pajama Party" - Each two-word common phrase starts with letters P & J.

23A. April first activity : PRACTICAL JOKE. And 92. Good 23-Across, say : RIOT.

28A. Place to connect : PHONE JACK

34A. Commercial flier : PASSENGER JET

50A. Skin lotion ingredient : PETROLEUM JELLY. Sounds so greasy to me. I've never used Vaseline.

63A. Many a bar : PICK-UP JOINT. Wow, I don't know there's a term for this. I know almost every bar in Guangzhou. Wasted youth, but I had fun.

84A. Piña colada ingredient : PINEAPPLE JUICE. Great tenderizer also.

94A. Local connection vehicle : PUDDLE JUMPER. Also new to me.

104A. Unlikely beauty contest entrant : PLAIN JANE

112A. Being hoist with one's own petard : POETIC JUSTICE. OK, help me. The clue is an adjective phrase, the answer is a noun. No?

I often try to guess what the theme is after I read the puzzle title on Sundays. Today I guessed right! Constructing has definitely improved my solving skill.

9 theme answers with 107 squares are quite a lot to grid, esp with those scrabbly J's. Today's grid is remarkably clean. The four corners (NW, NE, SW & SE) are challenging to pull off, hence the four helper squares.

Across:

8. Lets out : FREEs

13. Get down from : HOP OFF

19. Baja California city : TIJUANA. This is where Dennis sinned. Argyle too.

20. Great Seal symbol : EAGLE

21. Uniform adornment : EPAULET. Or EPAULETTE. French for "little shoulder".

25. Servile followers : MINIONS

26. Some tabloid pairs : EXES. Like J-Lo and Mark Anthony.

27. Beverage nut : KOLA

30. Wax partner : WANE

31. Blow, as a lead : LOSE

33. Delights : ELATES

40. Crazes : FADS

42. 1976 raid site : ENTEBBE. Uganda. "Seat" in its local language, according to Wiki.

43. Moving through water, in a way : OARING. Why do I want an extra R?

45. Dexterous : DEFT

49. Mother __ : TERESA. One tenacious tiny lady.

54. Hot under the collar : IRATE

55. Not seasoned : RAW

56. Eponymous Hungarian inventor : ERNO RUBIK. Hey, full name.

57. Strike lightly : TAP ON

58. Tim Tebow teammate : BRONCO. Gator Mom started raving about Tebow 2 or 3 years ago on the blog.

62. What you will : ESTATE. Nice clue.

67. Jordan neighbor : ISRAEL

72. Unkempt : SLOPPY

73. Military material : KHAKI

78. Klondike Gold Rush figure : SOURDOUGH. Not familiar with Klondike Gold Rush (1897 and 1899). Ended when gold was found in Nome, "prompting an exodus from the Klondike".

82. Key near F1 : ESC. Did you peek at your computer?

83. Consumed : EATEN

88. "Black Swan" director Aronofsky : DARREN. Gimme. His long-time girlfriend Rachel Weisz just married the latest Bond last year.

89. Madrid Ms. : SRTA

90. 2007-'08 NBA Rookie of the Year Kevin : DURANT. Is he still good?

91. Real : GENUINE. So I heard Lemonade's voice last year. Very young.

97. Capital west of Baton Rouge : AUSTIN

101. K-6 : ELEM

103. Hayworth of Hollywood : RITA

106. Hawaii's coffee capital : KONA

107. Cuba o Majorca : ISLA

111. Typical sudoku entry : INTEGER. Man, I just can't handle Sudoku. Gives me headache.

117. Most stretched : TAUTEST

118. Finished : ENDED

119. Only place where some ideas look good : ON PAPER. Great clue/answer.

120. Wears : SPORTS

121. Winter fabrics : WOOLS

122. Some younger lovers, in slang : BOY TOYS. J-Lo's new boyfriend won't like this clue.

Down:

1. "The Racer's Edge" : STP

2. Green land : EIRE. Also ERIN.

3. "Iliad" hero : AJAX

4. Fortune founder : LUCE. Also "Time".

5. Nearly four-hr. exams : SATs. 53. Some 5-Down takers : JRS

6. Cycle starter : UNI. Unicycle.

7. FedEx delivery : PACKAGE. Sometimes I don't think those guys love their job. Marti's mail carrier is an exception. So is our blog Saturday man.

8. Hall of Fame pitcher known as "Bullet Bob" : FELLER (Bob). Dazzling fastball.

9. Delhi prince : RAJA

10. Source of chutzpah : EGO. I like the word "chutzpah".

11. Fraternal order member : ELK

12. Oozes : SEEPS

13. Blood: Pref. : HEMO

14. Made a suggestion, say : OPINED

15. Judging groups : PANELs

16. Mystical board : OUIJA. "Yes" (French) and "Yes" (German).

17. A&W offering : FLOAT

18. Illicit dealer : FENCE

22. Clucking sounds : TSKs

24. Crackerjack : A-ONE

29. One often seen among Bunnies : HEFNER (Hugh). Can you picture Argyle lives Hef's lifestyle?

30. Seattle Storm's gp. : WNBA

31. "O, let me not be mad" speaker : LEAR

32. Another, in Argentina : OTRO

34. It may come before four : PETIT. Petit four, French for "small oven". I just knew it wouldn't be THREE.

35. Birth of __ : AN ERA. I've only used "End of an era".

36. Band : STRAP

37. Handle : SEE TO

38. "Beverly Hillbillies" star : EBSEN (Buddy)

39. Mark (down) : JOT

41. "Son of __!" : A GUN

44. Seine sight : ILE. French for "island".

45. Fifth bk. of the Torah : DEUT. Torah has the same content as Old Testament, right?

46. 1814-'15 exile site : ELBA. Napoleon.

47. Dart : FLIT

48. Kid : TYKE

50. Place for un pique-nique : PARC. French for "park". French "picnic" looks funny.

51. Furry moon dweller : EWOK

52. Bubbly name : MOET

55. HR consequence : RBI. And 108. 55-Down, for one : STAT. Here's another whimsy Haiku from Ant's book:

another cold front
i oil
my glove

59. Mu followers : NUS. Greek alphabet.

60. NCO below Sgt. : CPL

61. Eye, to Eduardo : OJO

63. Plunk down : PLOP

64. Crude gp. : OPEC. Crude oil.

65. __ dixit: assertion without proof : IPSE

66. Lincoln Ctr. locale : NYC

67. AOL et al. : ISPs

68. Dark time in Dijon : SOIR. "Evening". Bon soir!

69. Squirt : RUNT

70. Bailiwick : AREA

71. Child-care writer LeShan : EDA

73. Sandra's "The Lake House" co-star : KEANU (Reeves). They also co-starred "Speed" of course.

74. __-scarum : HARUM. New word to me. Sounds very DF.

75. Anchor position : ATRIP. Just off the bottom. From now on, I won't feel bad if miss any nautical term. See, our sailor D-Otto couldn't even tell whether he's a buoy or a gull.

76. Southern New Hampshire city : KEENE. What is it famous for again?

77. Private : INNER

79. Prom coif : UPDO

80. Allergen found in most bread : GLUTEN. Unless it's marked "gluten-free". Rice has no gluten.

81. HRH part : HER

85. Joke : JAPE. Tiny clue/Answer dupe with 23A.

86. "One" on a one : UNUM. "E pluribus unum". On a "one dollar" bill.

87. "__ be my pleasure!" : IT'D

88. Start of a familiarity illusion : DEJA

91. Find work : GET A JOB

92. Impostor : RINGER

93. Not seriously : IN JEST. Like some of the comments on our blog, esp Jazzbumpa's & Tinbeni's.

95. iPhone alternatives : DROIDS

96. "The Mod Squad" role : LINC

97. Make __ stop : A PIT

98. Radii neighbors : ULNAS

99. Showed sudden interest : SAT UP. You want to sit up and listen? 80% of women are wearing the wrong size bra. Bra fitting is a good career for Dummy.

100. Connect with : TIE TO

102. Skunk seeking l'amour : LEPEW

105. Liberal group? : ARTS. Liberal arts.

106. "Hooked on Classics" label : K-TEL.

107. '60s Cosby/Culp series : I SPY

109. Slimming option, for short : LIPO. I wonder why fat always grows on stomach area.

110. __-deucy : ACEY

113. John __ Lennon : ONO

114. Former name for Tokyo : EDO

115. Game with colorful cards : UNO

116. MD workplaces : ERs

Answer grid.

Some extra notes:

1) Thanks for the sweet comments yesterday, everyone. You all warmed my heart on this cold winter morning.

2) Happy 66th birthday to our witty constructor John Lampkin and Happy 80th Birthday to our proud grandma & great-grandma Marge!

3) Happy Year of Dragon! A year of hope and courage.

C.C.