Saturday, April 7th, 2012, Peter A. Collins

Theme: None

Words:

Blocks:

Now THAT'S a pinwheel ~!!!

Triple 8's and 6's going counterclockwise around a "cross" - I love the pure symmetry. As for the solve, well, that was not as pretty. I have to admit, I needed to look up two locations to get me to completion, but in my defense, I do not live in California - or the Bible; namely -

1D. City where a Pauline letter was received : PHILIPPI - so I did not know my Paul epistles, and I went searching for a list, here - I had "-PPI", so I figured it out from there

and from the other quadrants, for no particular reason;

18A. Clancy's Jack Ryan, e.g. : CIA AGENT - I liked Alec in "Red October"; and Harrison in "Patriot Games"

36D. Japanese restaurant order : TERIYAKI - also a wings flavor at Buffalo Wild Wings, #2

59A. Regularly monitored, in a way : ON PAROLE - I was going for "ON PATROL", but my 40D was definitely right - and then the V-8 can...

Onward~!

ACROSS:

1. Human mind : PSYCHE - argh~! I knew this...

7. Petty disagreement : SQUABBLE - Great word

15. Show whose original house band was The Buckaroos : HEE-HAW - too young to know this one

16. Shoe parts : OUTSOLES - well, sure, if there's an IN sole, there must be...

17. Phrase that gets a caller's attention? : I RAISE - ah, not "FREE ME", but a poker 'call'

19. Closer : LATCH - not really a closer, more like a "keeps closed" device - and I wasn't sure if this was cloZer or cloSer, like "not far", or 'a near'

20. Round Stic maker : BIC - disposable pen

21. Frond part : PINNA



22. __ jure : IPSO - legalese, right Lemon?

23. Nut crackers : BEAKS

25. Modify : EDIT

26. 21st Greek letter : PHI - well, I can never remember the order; PHI, CHI, PSI - hey, the "I" is always right....

27. Hairstyles like MacGyver's : MULLETS - sorry, not linking an image...

29. Understand : SEE

30. Upright citizen? : PIANIST - upright piano, and its player

32. Meshed dividers : NETS

34. Words from the head of a line : I'M NEXT

35. Kind of justice : POETIC

39. Work that can't be done alone : DUET - unless you're this "guy"

41. Undermine : TORPEDO

42. Wagner's "__ Rheingold" : DAS

45. Pump pick : PREMIUM - not REGULAR

47. Rabbit friend : ROO - From Winnie the Pooh

48. Marine predator : ORCA

50. Leg strengthener : SQUAT - Two "Qs", one "Z" and "X", but no F and J in today's grid

51. Streamlet : RILL

52. City in Florida's horse country : OCALA

54. Carrier letters : USS - was SO wanting this to be uPs, but it's aircraft carrier, not parcel carrier

55. Enter : KEY IN

56. Home entertainment piece : WALL UNIT

58. Delivery class? : LAMAZE - About the only thing we DON'T deliver at UPS...

60. Brings out : EVOKES

61. City near the Khyber Pass : PESHAWAR - geography lesson

62. Shooting locale? : RAPIDS

DOWN:

2. Ranking angels : SERAPHIM - just had this as "9D. Celestial creatures : SERAPHS" yesterday

3. Reminiscent of the 1919 poem "The Second Coming" : YEATSIAN - having to do with poet YEATS; is this poetic justice?

4. City with a California State campus : CHICO - My other "cheat", found the list here

5. Dish of leftovers : HASH - OLIO, STEW, SLOP, ah, yes....

6. Lea bleater : EWE

7. Talkative : SOCIAL

8. Popular financial software : QUICKEN

9. Hagen of the stage : UTA

10. "Immediately!" : ASAP - I prefer this A.S.a.P. - Adrian Smith and project - Zak Starkey on drums

11. "I made more lousy pictures than any actor in history" speaker, familiarly : BOGIE - Humphrey BOGART

12. Homogenizes : BLENDS

13. "Of Mice and Men" rabbit lover : LENNIE

14. Impressive spread : ESTATE - not pâté, more like this

20. Middle manager? : BELT - very good - my middle section needs more than a belt lately

23. Raid squad : BUSTERS

24. Run an errand, say : STEP OUT

27. Error : MIX UP

28. It's often preceded by a warning : STORM

31. "Pushing Daisies" pie maker : NED - never watched the HBO show

33. Ninth in a series: Abbr. : SEPtember

37. Adored : IDOLIZED

38. Hipster's trait : COOLNESS

40. Only word heard in a 1958 song of the same name : TEQUILA - Not Wipeout

41. Reunión attendees : TIAS - the accent denotes a foreign word, this time Spanish

42. Genre characterized by nonsense syllables : DOO-WOP - link away ~!

43. Recherché : ARCANE - that F-F-French again

44. Works near an arena, perhaps : SCALPS - sells tickets "illegally" at a higher price, hence....

46. Assemble, as troops : MUSTER

49. To whom many pray : ALLAH

51. Clean again : RE-MOP

53. Vibes : AURA

55. Island brew : KAVA

57. "Immediately!" : NOW - ASAP didn't fit; oh wait....

58. The Once-__: "The Lorax" character : LER - The Wiki

Answer grid.

Splynter

Friday, April 6, 2012, Jack McInturff

THEME: LET us give thanks. Each of the theme answers is a two word, in the language phrase with LET appended to the second word, and clued in a wonderful wacky way. This is our 4th puzzle this year from Jack. When I last blogged his work in January, I reminded you all that he started constructing when he was 73. A very compact, concise puzzle, with humor and misdirection. Let us see the latest from our octogenarian.

17A. PricewaterhouseCoopers, e.g.? : BUSINESS TRIPLET. I wonder if these three companies which are now one ever ride the ACELA when the go out to visit their clients?

25A. Original Roanoke settlement? : VIRGINIA HAMLET. This one was hard and without the theme I would never have tried this answer, I was trying to fit in BIG LICK VIRGINIA and it would not. Do you all prepare a Ham for Easter; I will be making brisket and potato pancakes along with other goodies for tonight's first SEDER.

41A. Actress failing to live up to expectations? : FALLING STARLET. Do you recall this SONG? (2:30). A Mel Torme contemporary, Perry ended up living in Jupiter, Florida where he and Burt Reynolds became good friends.

54A. Bit of style in one's blood? : FASHION PLATELET. My favorite one, as I love good serologic humor, especially knowing platelets do not carry DNA and probably don't even match their socks.

Across:

1. TWA rival : PAN AM. I have had this fill twice in the last month, link your own Christina Ricci pic.

6. Med. care providers : HMOS. Health Maintenance Organization here we go again...

10. Frequent ESPN subject : NCAA. National Collegiate Athletic Association.

14. Amtrak express : ACELA. A high speed train in the Northeast; how many of our group have ridden this rail?

15. Four-star : A-ONE. More than just a steak sauce.

16. Bee, for one : AUNT. This LADY from the Andy Griffith Show.Bet you thought it was BEA.

20. Fitting : APT. How apt the next clue is a shout out to my beer making boys.

21. Hops heater : OAST. I think this is where Horace Greeley told Adolph Coors to go.

22. Tweaks, say : ADAPTS. When did tweaking become a good thing?

23. Aqua Velva alternative : AFTA. Or you could have gotten a SLAP in the face.

24. German GM subsidiary : OPEL.

31. Football Hall of Fame locale : CANTON. Canton, Ohio was selected as the location for the Hall of Fame for 3 reasons: First, the NFL was founded in Canton in 1920 (at that time it was known as the American Professional Football Association); second, the now-defunct Canton Bulldogs were a successful NFL team based in Canton during the first few years of the league; and finally, the community of Canton successfully lobbied the NFL to have the Hall built in their city. Per wiki.

32. Title acquired at church, perhaps : MRS. Not Rev. or Fra.

33. Losing line : OXO. In Tic Tac Toe ano win situation; in a letter, not so bad.

34. Reacted to a dealer's request : ANTED. Ante with the "E" pronounced sure looks like it would bug some.

35. Used to be : WAS. Or What Annette Said.

36. "It Wasn't All Velvet" autobiographer : TORME. I do get Mel pretty often, enjoyed him on NIGHT COURT, (2:55) fog and all. I promise I did not...

38. Caustic stuff : LYE.

39. Goal : AIM. I aim to please, but we have slowed. Please relax.

40. Blew up : SAW RED. In French it is VOIR ROUGE.

45. Gives support to : AIDS.

46. Toon wisecracker : BUGS. What is up, Doc?



47. __ center : CRISIS. It is also C.C. like the Corner, hmmm.

50. Get useful material from : MINE. No, you can't have it is mine!

51. Lyric poem : ODE. A true crossword staple. and the beginning of an "O" fest; 57a. Venetian arch shape : OGEE. The design was taken from the Arab world; and 58A. City SSW of Moscow : OREL. Never heard of this city, but it was a pleasant change from the baseball clue: Hershiser.

59. Toss out : EVICT. One of the hard parts about doing foreclosures.

60. Goes after : SUES. Damn lawyers!

61. Unlikely track winners : NAGS. This term for a old beat up horse goes back to the 1500's, but no one knows why.

62. Hamburger helper's reward? : DANKE. Wonderful clue with alliteration, misdirection and humor.

Now time for.

Down:

1. Out-of-favor sunscreen ingredient : PABA. PARA-AMINOBENZOIC ACID is also taken internally as a cure for many ailments though its safety and efficacy is questioned inside or out.

2. Lingerie size : A-CUP. Well it is a common size, how about KEIRA.

3. Robin's digs : NEST. Not Hood, red breast. Or maybe Colorado for or flying nurse. Hey fishy.

4. Ring icon : ALI. Did I tell the story of where he almost killed me with his Rolls at LAX?

5. Graham, for one : MAN OF G-D. BILLY Not to be confused with BILLY.

6. __ II: 1961-'99 Moroccan king : HASSAN. Affectionately know as a "RUTHLESS DESPOT."

7. Almost all : MOST. Wow, almost in the clue?

8. Mich. neighbor : ONTario.

9. Celestial creatures : SERAPHS. The real plural is seraphim. Tradition places seraphs in the fifth rank of ten in the Jewish angelic hierarchy and the highest rank in the Christian angelic hierarchy, though these winged creatures look more like demons to me.

10. Incendiary gel : NAPALM. A bad memory along with agent orange.

11. "I Spy" co-star : CULP. Starred with Bill Cosby which he talks about in this INTERVIEW.

12. "Joy is __ of love by which you can catch souls": Mother Teresa : A NET. A semi shout out to my fellow south Floridian from the saint with whom I share a birthday.

13. Many "Suits" characters: Abbr. : ATTS. I have never ever seen this abbreviation for attorney anywhere but in CW.

18. Avoid restaurant crowds, perhaps : EAT IN. I like how this leads into and thereby adds to the misdirection of

19. It may be half-baked : IDEA.

23. Prado pictures : ARTE. Spanish museum, Spanish word for art.

24. Lock inserts : OARS. No not keys! This was the part of the puzzle I found tricky.

25. Sonya's uncle, in an 1899 Moscow premiere : VANYA. One of Anton Chekhov's plays.

26. Maker of some drivers : INTEL. The KING of the processing world.

27. Muslim leaders : IMAMS. Most similar to the role of the Rabbi.

28. "Casablanca" actor : LORRE. A wonderful STORY.

29. Strawberry, e.g. : EX-MET. But for drug woes, Darryl Strawberry might have been one of the all time greats in the game of baseball.

30. Pigeon tail? : TOED. Pigeontoed. Cute add on.

31. Range rover : CALF. Another misdirection with alliteration.

35. English court attire : WIGS. Still? Nice Cuppa? Steve?

36. Singled out : TARGETED.

37. Big-eyed birds : OWLS. Like Peter Lorre.

39. Words that replace details : AND SO ON. Had a hard time getting "soon" out of my head.

40. Place to relax : SAUNA. Well a hot time for all.

42. Coquette's asset : LASHES. Eyelashes for batting, not a whip for a dominatrix.

43. Rare clock number : IIII. Amazingly, I blogged the last PUZZLE which had this timeless concept, and Mel Torme was there too.

44. Govt. notes : T-BILLS. Notes and Bonds all have the same number of letters, be patient.

47. Fiscal execs : CFOS. They sometimes deal in 44D.

48. Milan meat sauce : RAGU. Back for another taste.

49. "So that's how it is" : I SEE. Well a little visual for me, as I usually do not..

50. Video CD file format : MPEG. Like JPEG for pictures.

51. Big name in chemicals : OLIN. They were Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation when I was growing up.

52. House addition : DECK. great misdirection clecho with 53D. Room addition : ETTE. Roomette.

55. Gp. with many arms : NRA. Arms, as weapons, get it, get it?

56. "On the Waterfront" Oscar winner __ Marie Saint : EVA. This ACTRESS has been around for 8 decades, which is how old I feel after this work out.

Answer grid.

Enjoy any holiday you may have and hope to see you all next time.

Okay have a fun Friday it is Lemonade signing out.

Mother's Day Crossword Puzzles

Don and I have constructed three fresh puzzles for Mother's Day. The puzzles have intriguing titles, incorporate lots of theme material and are clued with fun in mind. There's also an answer page with constructors' notes and interesting discussions about four entries in each puzzle.

For $5, you'll get the puzzles in PDF or Puz files & the answer page. It'll be a great gift for your mother or for yourself. Our PayPal email address is crosswordc@gmail.com. If you want to pay by check, please email crosswordc@gmail.com for our address.

Thanks for your support. We also want to thank Barry G, Argyle & Splynter for test-solving and giving us constructive feedback.

C.C. & Don

Added later: We'll send our Father's Day package free to all those who have purchased our Mother's Day series.

Thursday, April 5, 2012 Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: A Master Stroke! (And hopefully, what the winner does this week to win the tournament!)

I'll give the reveal first, so as to spoil the fun:

58A. Tournament that begins today (and collectively, words that begin 17-, 23-, 36- and 49-Across) : THE MASTERS. Every first word could begin with the word "master", hence, "collectively", they are all the "masters".

And the the entries are:

17A. One concerned with Times changes : COPY EDITOR. "LA Times", appropriately, for this blog. A MASTER COPY is one that you probably should keep in the safe.

23A. Offensive blueprint? : PLAN OF ATTACK. The offense would plan their attack carefully. A MASTER PLAN should probably also be kept in the safe...

36A. Beetle Bailey's boss : SERGEANT SNORKEL. The cartoon character was always trying to dodge his boss. A MASTER SERGEANT should be kept at a safe distance...

49A. Tonality indicator : KEY SIGNATURE. Major or minor keys in western music. The MASTER KEY should be kept safe in your bra. (Uh, unless you happen to be a guy...)

I just mentioned on Tuesday, that I enjoyed seeing Sam Snead and Arnie Palmer in the SJ2 puzzle, as The Masters tournament was beginning this week. And, WA-LA! Here appears a MASTERpiece puzzle from our own dynamic duo, that I get to write up!!

Hearti here, to do the honors...

Across:

1. Pig ___ : LATIN. Mo-hay, Mas-hay, Mat-hay

6. Out of the cooler? : FREE. "Cooler" is another euphemism for "jail".

10. Street prettifiers : ELMS

14. Kicking partner : ALIVE. As in, "I'm alive and kicking."

15. Maker of Old World Style sauces : RAGU

16. Wet bar : SOAP. Not the mini bar in your hotel room, but that tiny piece of stuff to wash your hands, on the hotel room sink.

19. Senate wrap : TOGA. Old Roman senate, that is.

20. "Roundabout" band : YES. I hope that this opens without an advert for you. 8:43 (Just listen to it in the background, while you finish reading the blog...)

21. Country club costs : DUES. The dues at Augusta National are quite "low": only $10,000 per year, because of all the income generated by THE MASTERS.

22. Related : AKIN

27. Diamond : INFIELD. Of course, we had to have a baseball shout out in this golf theme!

30. Disney girl with a seashell bikini top : ARIEL.

31. Dieter's catchword : LEAN. Cuisine.

32. Stomach discomfort : KNOT

33. Little devil : IMP

41. Navy VIP : ADM. iral

42. Wall St. deals : LBOS. Leveraged Buyouts.

43. Vintner's prefix : OENO. I am an oenophile, "So sue me!"

44. British Petroleum took majority ownership of it in 1978 : SOHIO. Standard Oil of Ohio was bought out by BP, I think in 1968?

46. Answers the call : STEPS UP. Every Wednesday night, that's what I do! And this is a chance to link some impressive STEPS that JD sent to me this week. This artist walks every day in the snow, to make amazing patterns. His name is Simon Beck, and you can find more patterns here.

52. Conde ___: Vogue publisher : NAST

53. Carvey of "SNL" : DANA.This was one of his auditions for "Saturday Night Live". 4:33

54. URL-ending letters : EDU. Anyone else fill in ".com" first, without checking the downs?

57. Rock ending : ETTE. One of these.

61. Part of ABA: Abbr. : AMER. American...er, Bankers Association, British Academy, Bar Association, Birding Association, Bookseller's Association, Bandmaster's Association, Baptist Association...(did I leave anyone out???)

62. Mouse pad? : HOLE. Fun clue!

63. Hair raising : EERIE

64. GOP rivals : DEMS

65. Receiving customers : OPEN

66. Quits : STOPS. I'm not going to STOP yet, I still have to go:

Down:

1. Like some lingerie : LACY. I bet this was Don's clue!

2. Sunscreen additive : ALOE

3. They may be pooled : TIPS

4. Wall climber : IVY

5. Poke fun at : NEEDLE

6. One you might 5-down : FRIEND. I would never needle Don and C.C. !!

7. "Midnight Cowboy" role : RATSO. Rizzo. The guy on the left.

8. Star quality : EGO

9. It. is there : EUR. Italy is in EURope.

10. What's left : ESTATE. Ha! I'm going to spend it all, nothing left!!

11. Doubles : LOOK ALIKES. All babies LOOK ALIKE to me!

12. Potter's practice : MAGIC. Harry Potter, of course.

13. Hit on the rear : SPANK. Oooh, spank me!

18. Twofold : DUAL. See 11D, above.

23. Big name in golf clubs : PING. I have a Ping sand wedge. I bet some of the guys playing this week also have some Pings in their bags. You, Husker?

24. Summer coolers : FANS

25. "East of Eden" twin : ARON. Caleb and Aron Trask.

26. Former Yugoslav leader : TITO. A dynamic, enigmatic, controversial, but well-loved figure.

27. To whom Rick said: "The Germans wore gray. You wore blue." : ILSA. From "Casablanca". Have you seen it?

28. Call for : NEED. Need I say more?

29. Minor leagues : FARM SYSTEM. Of course, another baseball reference...

32. Gold meas. : KTS. Karats. for these:

34. Word after file or edit : MENU

35. Alka-Seltzer sound : PLOP...plop, fizz, fizz

37. K-12 : EL-HI. OK, bring on the complaints!

38. "It's not ___ deal" : A BIG

39. Midday : NOON

40. Dogie catcher : ROPE

45. Some blenders : OSTERS. My Oster blender quit after only 23 years...

46. Pollen bearer : STAMEN

47. Fast-swimming fish : TUNA

48. Wipes clean : ERASES

49. Work with dough : KNEAD

50. Words on a Wonderland cake : EAT ME. No comment...

51. Fred's first partner : ADELE. Astaire. Fred's younger sister, with whom he had a successful vaudeville act in 1905.

54. First name in architecture : EERO. Who can forget the Gateway Arch designer Saarinen?

55. Problem for a plumber : DRIP. Also a problem at a pick-up bar...

56. Versatility list : USES

58. Even if, briefly : THO

59. Short trip : HOP

60. Hanoi New Year : TET. Not to be confused with this. (Fooled ya, didn't I?)

Answer grid.

Hugs,
Marti

1) Note from C.C. & Don:

The theme came to me while thumbing through an old issue of Golf Digest. Don tried to spice up the unifier a bit, but we could not come up with a snazzier reveal of suitable length (11-letters or less, since we wanted 5 theme entries). A bit of trivia for you: Don caddied once for Jack Nicklaus (Six-time Masters champion) in 1976 at Muirfield Village. He said, "It was my first day there, it was late and I was tired, and wouldn't you know Jack came in and wanted to play nine holes. In that group was John Cook, who was attending Ohio State at the time."

(Marti's note: Waaaaay cool, Don!!)

2) Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Irish Miss! So happy that you're feeling better. Happy Birthday to beer lover Abejo also! Have you heard that James Bond will be drinking beer rather than martini in the next movie?

Wednesday, April 4 2012, Julian Lim

Theme: size matters

first, the unifier:

54a. 19th-century American doctrine suggested by the phrase formed by the first words of the answers to starred clues : MANIFEST DESTINY

the first words of all the theme answers spell out the phrase go west young man, a quote by American author Horace Greeley concerning America's expansion westward, related to the then-popular concept of Manifest Destiny.

17a. *Stand to reason : GO WITHOUT SAYING

22a. *Show with Sharks : WEST SIDE STORY

36a. *Immature : YOUNG AND FOOLISH

47a. *"The Impossible Dream" musical : MAN OF LAMANCHA

from wikipedia: "The phrase "Manifest Destiny" is most often associated with the territorial expansion of the United States from 1812 to 1860. [...]During this time, the United States expanded to the Pacific Ocean—"from sea to shining sea"— largely defining the borders of the contiguous United States as they are today."

across:

1. "Survivor" host Probst : JEFF. does anyone still watch this show?

5. Dan Patrick's former employer : ESPN

9. Treble and tenor : CLEFS. musical symbols that indicate pitch in written music.

14. Leap on skates : AXEL. figure skating jump with a forward take-off, named after the Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen, who first performed the jump in 1882.

15. By way of, in verse : THRO

16. "Groundhog Day" director Harold : RAMIS

20. Product design dept. : R AND D. research and development. my former employer, bnr = bell northern research, the r&d side of the now bankrupt nortel.

21. Lace place : EYELET. example of eyelet lace.

26. Sunset feature : HUE

27. Frigid : ICY

28. Maritime military org. : USN. united states navy.

29. Liver, for one : ORGAN. an organ is made up of two or more tissue types.

31. Part of MoMA : ART. museum of modern art.

32. Move like a bee : FLIT

40. On a clipper, say : ASEA

41. "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" video game console : NES. nintendo entertainment system.

42. Salk vaccine target : POLIO.

43. Aleppo's land: Abbr. : SYR. aleppo is the largest city in syria.

44. It may precede a treaty : WAR

46. Swiss river : AAR. we get this a lot, should be a gimme by now.

51. Speedily : AT A RUN

53. __ male : ALPHA. the leader of the pack.

59. Turn __ ear : A DEAF

60. Place with slips and sloops : PIER. cute. a slip is a a ramp by which boats can be moved to and from the water, and a sloop is a certain kind of sailboat.

61. Juggle conflicting demands : COPE. another musical link, citizen cope's healing hands.

62. Word before bad news : SADLY

63. Canadian singer Murray : ANNE

64. Offended : HURT

down:

1. Binge : JAG. as in a crying jag, or binge.

2. Prefix with -thermic : EXO

3. Chosen number? : FEW. the chosen few.

8. "Kidding!" : NOT

9. Preschooler's writing tool : CRAYON

10. Coating : LAYE

11. Poet Dickinson : EMILY. we want our clear ayes back!

12. "Okay" : FINE

13. Army NCO : SSGT. non-commissioned officer, staff seargant (correct me if i'm wrong).

18. Subduing with a shock : TASING. don't tase me, bro!

19. Begins : SETS TO

22. "__ gonna call? Ghostbusters!" : WHO YA. hard to believe that movie came out in 1984. written by dan aykroyd and 16a harold ramis.

23. Bicolor coins : EUROS

24. Smooth transition : SEGUE

25. Go from blog to blog, say : SURF

30. Santa __ winds : ANA

31. Many craigslist postings : ADS. not all?

32. Mel's Diner waitress : FLO. polly holliday. she also played a secretary in all the president's men.

33. Purple shade : LILAC

34. Former hoops star Thomas : ISIAH. player and coach, a.k.a. zeke.

35. Birch of "Ghost World" : THORA. will always remember her for her role in now and then (third from left).

37. "__ else?" : ANYONE

38. Soft ball : NERF

39. __ Book Club : OPRAH'S. no comment.

43. Big Bird's mammoth friend, familiarly : SNUFFY. short for snuffleupagus, seen only by big bird until the 17th season.

44. Thoreau memoir : WALDEN. a great read.

45. Unit of current : AMPERE. from wikipedia: named after André-Marie Ampère (1775–1836), French mathematician and physicist, considered the father of electrodynamics.

47. Like lions and horses : MANED

48. Helvetica alternative : ARIAL. typeface. everything you ever wanted to know about helvetica vs. arial.

49. Like about half of American states' mottos : LATIN

50. "You bet!" : 'NATCH. slang for naturally.

51. Basic 49-Down word : AMAS. you love.

52. "I did it!" : TADA

55. Massage locale : SPA

56. Debtor's letters : IOU

57. "Morning Edition" airer : NPR

58. Thus far : YET

Answer grid.

melissa

Tuesday, April 3, 2012 Steven J. St. John

Theme: A Gem of a Puzzle - To make it a little harder, the loot is divvied up between two words.

58A. Some buried treasure, or what are literally found in the answers to starred clues : HIDDEN GEMS

17A. *Ten times the seller's cost, say : HUGE MARK-UP

34A. *Green labyrinth : HEDGE MAZE

41A. *Groundbreaking desktop publishing software : PAGE MAKER. Wiki.

10D. *Fundraising receipts : PLEDGE MONEY

24D. *Child star's parent : STAGE MOTHER

Argyle here. I like the gems crossing each other in two spots. See grid. Steve gave us a pangram today with few three-letter entries and zero cheater squares. Maybe too many proper names though.

Across:

1. Word before dark or hours : AFTER

6. Black Friday event : SALE. AFTER Thanksgiving.

10. Prefix with fall : PRAT

14. Where towels are the usual attire : SAUNA

15. Nice price? : PRIX. (Nice is French this time.)

16. Rob of "Parks and Recreation" : LOWE

19. Actor McGregor : EWAN

20. "All My __ Live in Texas": George Strait song : EX's. Clip

21. Pre-A.D. : BCE. (Before the Common Era)

22. Waiters take them : ORDERS

24. Comes down hard : SLEETS. Comes down as frozen raindrops.

27. Come to terms : AGREE

28. Tin alloy : PEWTER. Certain athletic contests, such as the United States Figure Skating Championships, award pewter medals to the fourth place finishers. Per Wiki.

31. "__-ho!" : HEAVE

33. Homeric war epic : ILIAD. So not on my reading list.

38. Dynasty known for porcelain : MING

39. Sleepiness inducers : BORES

40. Draft animals : OXEN. They are giant yet docile creatures.

43. Golfer Sam : SNEAD. (Slammin' Sammy)

44. Less than zero : MINUS

45. Competes in a bee : SPELLS

46. Where dos are done : SALON

49. How the rain in Spain falls on the plain : MAINLY

51. Warning to a pest : "QUIT IT!"

53. Once named : NÉE

54. Slangy morning drink : JOE. Coffee (and another shout-out).

57. Provo's state : UTAH

62. Top-notch : A-ONE

63. Lake near Lake Ontario : ERIE

64. College big shots : DEANS

65. Ivan IV, for one : TSAR

66. "Das Kapital" author : MARX.(Karl) I think of Russia when I hear his name but he was German and died in London.

67. "The King" of golf, to fans : ARNIE (Palmer). Remember Steve's last "The King" puzzle?

Down:

1. 1968 U.S. Open champ : ASHE Tennis.

2. Imitation : FAUX. What!? No FAUX gems here.

3. Harbor towers : TUGS. They are pushers, too.

4. Hydrocarbon suffix : ENE

5. Spoke absent-mindedly : RAMBLED. What my commentary feels like today.

6. Spending outing : SPREE

7. Genesis craft : ARK

8. Actress Lucy : LIU

9. Former Montreal player : EXPO. (baseball)

11. Dinghy propeller : ROWER. How's that for tricky?

12. Conscious (of) : AWARE

13. Uptight : TENSE

18. Excellent server : ACER. Back to the usual.

23. All-night party : RAVE

25. Maria __, former queen of Hungary : THERESA

26. Passover meal : SEDER

28. MTV's "__ My Ride" : PIMP

29. Director Kazan : ELIA

30. Chicken morsel : WING

32. Justice Dept. heads : AG's. (attorney general)

34. Hooey : HOKUM

35. It may follow a Salchow : AXEL

36. Intensity : ZEAL

37. Conclusions : ENDS

39. Prohibition : BAN

42. Revealing skirt : MINI

43. Dieter's sweetener : SPLENDA

45. Dagger of yore : SNEE

46. Powerlifter's move : SQUAT

47. Roadsters, e.g. : AUTOs

48. Rainforest vine : LIANA

50. Back-of-the-book reference section : INDEX

52. The opposition : THEM

54. Stapleton who played Edith Bunker : JEAN

55. Luxury hotel : OMNI

56. In __: actually : ESSE. As opposed to "in posse": in potential

59. Nest egg letters : IRA

60. Movie set VIP : DIR.ector

61. Pol. neighbor : GER. (Poland/Germany)

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday April 2, 2012 Jeff Chen

Theme: Let Loose the L's - Four phrases that are in the pattern of "L__ of the L__"

20A. One completely lacking morals : LOWEST OF THE LOW

25A. 2009 Will Ferrell dinosaur movie : LAND OF THE LOST

42A. Woman with varying roles in Arthurian legend : LADY OF THE LAKE

47A. What exacting judges follow : LETTER OF THE LAW

Argyle here. Four long phrases with nothing in common other than the L of the L gimmick. Maybe I missed something. I hope so.

Here is something you might enjoy. "Love of my Life", by Queen with just a 12 string guitar, Freddie, and great audience participation. Clip(3:41)

Across:

1. Jon of "Mad Men" : HAMM. Unknown to me; not the way I like to start a puzzle. Shirtless image for you girls.

5. Knight fights : JOUSTS. And 62A. Animals for 5-Across : STEEDS

11. Roll of dough : WAD. Money leftover from Sunday?

14. Slangy prefix meaning "super" : UBER

15. Oust from office : UNSEAT

16. Ornamental climbing plant : IVY

17. Roller coaster feature : LOOP. Not the older ones.

18. Batter's position : STANCE. Unlike golf, baseballers use a variety of stances.

19. Anonymous John : DOE

23. Small batteries : AA's

24. Sound preceding "Oof!" : "POW!"

32. Vaudeville show : REVUE

33. Landlord's contract : LEASE

34. Paid athlete : PRO

36. "__ it now": "Understood" : I GET

37. Writer H.H. or Alice : MUNRO

38. Security breach : LEAK

39. Place for pickups : BAR. Out here in Dew Drop Inn country, there's a lot of pickups outside the bars, too.

40. They may be cracked using stethoscopes : SAFEs. They use the stethoscope to listen to the tumblers drop. A thing of the past?

41. Abacus pieces : BEADs

45. __ guzzler : GAS

46. Indian bread : NAN. Or Nann.

55. __ Mahal : TAJ

56. Political fugitive : ÉMIGRÉ

57. Delude : DUPE

58. Big fuss : ADO

59. Singer Bette : MIDLER

60. Team on a farm : OXEN. Not many of them around anymore.

61. Alphabet ender : ZEE

63. Call to a queue : NEXT

Down:

1. Boat's bottom : HULL

2. "Peek-__!" : A-BOO

3. Siamese sound : MEOW

4. Longtime logo with a top hat and monocle : MR. PEANUT. I can't pass this opportunity up. Clip.(0:56) Classic.

5. Exactly right : JUST SO

6. Suspicious of : ONTO

7. Defense gp. with pilots : USAF

8. Mailed : SENT

9. Gadget measuring rpm : TACH. (tachometer)

10. Church high point : STEEPLE

11. Hairline's midpoint, perhaps : WIDOW'S PEAK

12. Swear : AVOW

13. Change the color of, as hair : DYE

21. "Smooth Operator" singer : SADE. Clip.(4:19)

22. Lav in Leeds : LOO. Today's geography. Leeds.

25. Word before pad or tender : LEGAL

26. Common man with a six-pack? : AVERAGE JOE. How's that for a shout out?

27. Plump (up) : FLUFF

28. Basic principle : TENET

29. Severe : HARSH

30. That, in Tijuana : ESO

31. Swap : TRADE

32. You might brush barbecue sauce on one : RIB

35. Approves : OK's

37. "Little Red Book" writer : MAO

38. Used for support : LEANED ON. Literally and metaphorically.

40. Gamblers' methods : SYSTEMS

41. Dull : BLAH

43. "Who __?": New Orleans Saints' fans chant : DAT

44. Keys in : ENTERS

47. Stow below : LADE

48. Give off : EMIT

49. Disney World's Space Mountain, e.g. : RIDE

50. Leer at : OGLE

51. Wilma Flintstone's guy : FRED

52. Opulence : LUXE

53. Highest point : APEX

54. "What __ wrong?" : WENT

55. Looney Tunes devil, casually : TAZ

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday April 1, 2012 Robin Stears

Theme: Front Money - The first word of each theme entry can precede "Money". And a Dollar ($) sign is formed by black squares in the middle of the grid.

23A. Pride of a collection : PRIZE SPECIMEN. Prize money. The jackpot.

37A. Nexus One, for one : SMART PHONE. Smart money. Wise investors or investment. Boomer used to subscribe SmartMoney magazine. And 6D. 37-Across download : APP

102A. Accountant's creation : PAPER TRAIL. Paper money.

118A. Line in many a dairy ad? : MILK MOUSTACHE. Got Milk ad. Milk money. Not such money for me as a kid. Did not drink milk. Still don't.

13D. "Why is a raven like a writing-desk?" inquirer : MAD HATTER. Mad money. Emergency fund. Or Jim Cramer's shouting program. He's so loud.

15D. 1994 Sony release : PLAYSTATION. Play money. Monopoly.

65D. Shoes with a basset hound logo : HUSH PUPPIES. Hush money. To buy silence.

81D. Aircraft carrier pilot's waiting area : READY ROOM. Ready money. Cash. Ready room is a new concept to me.

When I downloaded puzzle and saw the title, I thought the first word of each theme answer would be cabbage, clam, dough, etc, slang for money.

I was wondering why the grid has 83 black squares with only 8 theme entries of relatively short length. 74-78 is our Sunday norm. Then I found out the Dollar sign. No wonder. Great concept, Robin!

Across:

1. Golden Raspberry, e.g. : AWARD. Razzie awards. The worst actor/actress, etc.

6. "__ Fideles" : ADESTE

12. "__ doctor, not a bricklayer!": "Star Trek" line : I'M A

15. "Frontline" airer : PBS

18. What Fuzzbusters detect : RADAR

19. Some boas : PYTHONS

21. It can be hard to refold : MAP. What were you picturing?

22. Cut off : LOP. Thought of Irish Miss's finger story yesterday. Ouch! All your scar stories are scary.

25. Admire to excess : ADULATE. Then you start to "Worship".

27. Pacific Surfliner operator : AMTRAK. A blend of America and track.

28. Authority figure : HIERARCH. We see "Hierarchy" more often.

30. Thornfield Hall governess : EYRE (Jane)

31. Golfer's slice, say : MIS-HIT. I've never learned how to fade/draw.

34. U.S. document publisher : GPO

35. Taken down a peg : ABASED

41. "Scrumptious!" : YUM

42. Judges on "Top Chef" : TASTES. I like "Chopped". You, Steve?

43. Food spearer : TINE

44. Summoned : RANG

45. Bach work : PARTITA. No idea.What does the word mean?

47. Prefix for calling : AREA CODE

49. 401(k) relative : IRA

52. "Joyeux __!" : NOEL

53. Pro __: for now : TEM

56. Sister of Clotho : ATROPOS. One of the three Fates. Wiki said she chose the mechanism of death and ended the life of each mortal by cutting their thread with her "abhorred shears". And Clotho spun the thread and Lachesis measured the length.

57. The 5 in "10 ÷ 5," e.g. : DIVISOR

59. Loaded, in Logroño : RICO. Rich in Spanish.

60. 2012 rival of Mitt and Rick : NEWT

61. Like LAX, around the clock : OPEN

62. Methuselah's father : ENOCH. Methuselah is Noah's grandfather.

63. Chevy SUV : TAHOE

67. Isr. neighbor : SYR (Syria)

69. Org. with quarantine authority : CDC

72. Kroner spenders : DANES. Kroner is also the money unit in Norway.

73. Horse play : EQUUS. Rare UU combo.

74. DOJ employee : ATTY. Department of Justice.

78. Charged things : IONS

80. One of the deadly sins : LUST. Lusting long legs is a sin, Splynter.

81. "Fear Street" series author : R.L. STINE. Never read the book.

84. Less wasteful : GREENER

88. "Well, __-di-dah!" : LAH

89. Green of Austin Powers movies : SETH

90. Giant legend : OTT (Mel). NY Giants (1926-1947).

91. Stuffed, cylindrical dishes : ROULADES. From French "rouler", meaning "to roll". This looks tasty, Bill!

93. Slathered on, as Brylcreem : POMADED

96. "Categorical imperative" philosopher : KANT (Immanuel)

97. Data : INFO

98. Accustomed : INURED. I'm enured to the new D-Otto, who prefers naughtiness over NATTINESS, and G-string over G-STARS.

100. Killer in a classic "SNL" sketch series : BEE

104. __ Square, adjacent to the Boston Marathon finish line : COPLEY. Well, gimme for Barry G & Marti. Unknown to me.

105. Item in a lock : OAR. Boat!

106. 1987 Beatty flop : ISHTAR

107. "Real dogs eat meat" brand : ALPO

108. Upbraid : REPROACH

111. Whitman's dooryard bloomers : LILACS. "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd.."

116. Colorful arc : RAINBOW

121. Somme one : UNE

122. Preschool group? : ROE. Clever clue. Fish swim in schools.

123. Custard-filled desserts : ECLAIRS

124. Divider of continents : OCEAN

125. Conscription org. : SSS

126. Hrs. in classifieds : AMs

127. Minute Maid Park team : ASTROS. Houston Astros.

128. Geeky types : NERDS

Down:

1. Instrument for Giuseppe's glissandi : ARPA. Italian for "harp"?

2. Not so hot : WARM

3. Mine entrance : ADIT. Haven't seen this word for a long time.

4. Motorola flip phone introduced in 2004 : RAZR

5. Emulated Alice : DREAMT

7. Salon supply : DYE

8. Artwork in a clichéd come-on : ETCHING

9. Islamic sectarian : SHI'ITE. And Sunni.

10. Large volume : TOME

11. Loafer's lack : ENERGY

12. "There's no step 3!" computer : iMAC

14. Kwik-E-Mart operator : APU

16. Sacred Indian fig : BO TREE. No clue. It's said Buddha achieved his enlightenment under this tree.

17. Earns a citation? : SPEEDS

20. Beat others to, as sale merchandise : SNAP UP

24. Train for a fight, say : SKIP ROPE. Boxing, right?

26. Slightest : LEAST

29. Appian Way builders : ROMANS

32. They're rarely seen on rainy days : SHADOWS

33. "Such a lonely word," to Billy Joel : HONESTY

36. Judge's determination : BAIL

37. Union Sq., e.g. : STA

38. "See, señor!" : MIRA. Spanish for "Look!". New to me also.

39. Work without __ : A NET

40. Back : REAR

46. Joey in a Milne book : ROO. Joey is baby kangaroo.

48. Volcanic formations : CONES

49. 2011 Colbie Caillat hit : I DO

50. Upholstery problem : RIP

51. Street sign abbr. : AVE

54. Brutus's "Behold!" : ECCE

55. Eponymous mineralogist : MOHS. Hence Mohs scale.

58. Forbes rival : INC

59. Messenger molecule : RNA

62. Father of Henry II : EDSEL

63. Squeal : TELL

64. Cyan : AQUA. Same as Tiffany Blue, right?

66. Tagged between bases : OUT

68. Hamelin critter : RAT

70. Word whose last two letters are an example of it : DIGRAPH. PH together represents one sound F.

71. Noble's crown : CORONET

75. Madre's hermano : TIO

76. Blowup cause : TNT. Love this clip CrossEyedDave linked yesterday. Did sound like a spoof.

77. On the other hand : YET

79. Some earth tones : NEUTRALS

82. Old Ford luxury car : LTD

83. 1984 Cyndi Lauper hit : SHE BOP. I skip those YouTube songs with ads.

85. "We wear short shorts" brand : NAIR

86. Tracy Turnblad's mom in "Hairspray" : EDNA

87. S&L offering : RE-FI

89. Hook's right hand : SMEE

92. Beethoven's fifth? : SOL. Oh, I see, "Do re mi fa SOL..."

94. DuPont acrylic : ORLON

95. "Oh, my" : DEAR ME

96. Region known for its wool : KASHMIR

98. Ill-fated son of Daedalus : ICARUS. Thanks to Lemonade, now I remember Daedalus.

99. "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" family : NOLANS. Drew a blank. The only way I could nail this one is when the clue is "Pitcher Ryan and others".

101. Beethoven's Third : EROICA

102. Complain about : PICK AT

103. Neptune's largest moon : TRITON

109. Ladies on a lea : EWES

110. "__ fair in ..." : ALL'S. In love and war and crossword.

112. Valentine trim : LACE

113. Maker of Aspire computers : ACER. Finally the computer clue! Rich always clued ACER as tennis related.

114. Sudan neighbor : CHAD

115. D.C. 100 : SENS

117. Lingerie item : BRA. Lovely.

119. El Dorado treasure : ORO. Gold.

120. __ Nautilus : USS

Answer grid.

C.C.