Saturday, Aug 25th, 2012, Jeff Chen

Theme: None

Words: 68

Blocks: 37

I do believe that this is Jeff Chen's first themeless (Saturday) puzzle - at least for the LA Times. In fact, we last saw Jeff with his Aug 8th "L.A." puzzle, and his well done "VW" women's initials puzzle in July - and this means he has "batted for the cycle", having a puzzle published every day of the week; S, M, T, W, T, F, and now S. Two grid spanners,

14A. Period, say : PUNCTUATION MARK - straight up definition, though the word has several meanings

47A. Tavern order : I'LL HAVE A COLD ONE - ah, the "old" days for me, but I never asked for a beer quite this way - someone will raise a glass for me tonight, tho it might not be 'cold'~!

and pyramid stacks of 11- and 13-letters, including:

12A. Source of a large reserve supply : NATIONAL GUARD - now I know we have several retired military members here at the blog, but are any of us part of this organization?

51A. Hybrid sport with seemingly incompatible components : CHESS BOXING - never heard of this; requires skill in both areas - chess and boxing, in alternating rounds....I'll bet the later rounds of chess get harder with each left hook you take....

On~ward Orthorunicans~!

ACROSS:

1. Bout with padded weapons : PILLOW FIGHT - can't say I have ever participated, and I was married to a woman with a young child, too; I would like it to be "all out" and have the feather stuffing strewn all over the place~!

16. Score direction: Abbr. : RITARDando - Gradual slowing of the tempo

17. Gull-like bird : TERN

18. Island food in a bowl : POI

19. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" composer : STYNE - a WAG, but the perps took care of 80% of the fill; I would have to say this one was a Natick for me, crossing nuiT, and a clecho with 9D - how's that for cramming in some CW blog phrases?

20. Some shooters, briefly : SLRs - Cameras, that is

21. Go on (one's way) : WEND

22. Certain hustler's tools : CUES

23. Setting for Ariadne : MAZE - Daughter of Minos - from the labyrinth myth

24. Observation after "Clean your room!" : IT'S A MESS~!!!

29. Pea family trees : CAROBS

31. Student's supper spot : COMMONS

32. "Oh no!" from Poirot : MON DIEU - French

33. Showed contempt for : SPAT AT

34. Where Daniel was thrown : LION'S DEN - First line here, from one of my favoritest bands Monster Magnet

35. Sellout signs : SROs - Standing Room Only

36. President under whom Texas was annexed : POLK - Hey, four letters and a president~! Another clecho, too; 43D. 34th pres. : DDE - Dwight David Eisenhower

37. "__ be in England ...": Browning : "OH TO"

38. Goggle : GAWK

39. Fragment : SHARD

44. Co-star with Betty, Rue and Estelle : BEA - 'Golden Girls' foursome

45. Bartlett relative : BOSC

46. Whistled at, perhaps : HAILED - oh, for a cab, not those legs.... see below

50. Characterized by extremes : FEAST OR FAMINE - seems that way in carpentry; now that I am involved in a large project, everyone seems to need some work done~! (BTW, I am not complaining~!)

DOWN:

1. __ hose : PANTY - ah, Jeff, pantyhose, the perfect clue/ans for me; have to restrain myself and pick just one image~!

2. "Txtng & Drivng ... __ Wait": AT&T ad tagline : "IT CAN" - pretty harsh commercials, but then again, what I see here on the roads of Long Island is far more terrifying....

3. BP unit : LITRE - British Petroleum, and the English spelling

4. Hard to look at, in a way : LOUD - like this outfit

5. Words with diet or dime : ON A

6. Turkey features : WATTLES - seen here

7. Circulars : FLIERS

8. Sikorsky and Stravinsky : IGORs - 'copters and composers

9. '50s-'60s title detective whose show's theme was composed by Mancini : GUNN - Earworm~!

10. Breakfast choice : HAM

11. Figure with two legs askew : TRAPEZOID



12. Matin preceder : NUIT - Ugh, morning & night

13. Queen's mate : DRONE BEE

14. Button on older phones : PRS - the other 'odd' one was WXY



15. Razz : KID

20. Figure (out), in slang : SUSS - Dah~! I left this one out of my little run at 19A~!

21. Districts : WARDS - Did any of you like the movie "District 9"~?

22. Lincoln's place? : CENT



23. Author of the novel "Doctor Faustus" : MANN

24. Suffix with robot : ICS - RobotICS

25. Of the best quality : TOP SHELF

26. "Everyone's a comedian" : SMART ALEC

27. Kid's retort : AM TOO

28. Extinct kiwi relatives : MOAs

29. One who's at home on the range? : COOK

30. Nearest star to Pluto : SUN - Duh~! I thought "hey, Alpha Centauri is no closer to Pluto than to Earth at 4.37 light years....oh wait....

32. Take advantage of : MILK

34. Like the Atkins diet : LOW CARB

36. Leisurely walks : PASEOs

37. "Memoirs of a Geisha" prop : OBI - our Crossword sash

38. State runners: Abbr. : GOV'TS

39. Highly seasoned pheasant stew : SALMI

40. Used for cover : HID IN - remember this hiding spot?

41. During : ALONG

42. Russo of "Tin Cup" : RENE

45. Supporting part : BASE

46. Fraud : HOAX

48. Cry of derision : HAH~!!!

49. Fiscal VIP : CFO - oops, not CPA

Answer grid.

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

Here are two great pictures from Yellowrocks' 2009 trip to Costa Rica (Sorry for the error earlier). The first is of her and her son Alan. The second is of her and their guide & driver.

Friday, August 24, 2012, Marti Duguay-Carpenter

THEME:

A rhyme for Clear AYES. Each of the four themes answers are two word phrases which are sound alikes for a word ending with IZE. What makes this even more special, hearti accomplishes this feat with each second word a different spelling of the sound of "IZE." The two word phrases also end and begin with the same letter to preserve the sound. This is another wonderful glimpse into the punny, funny mind of our dear marti. Naturally she begins with a ski reference. let's start on our downhill run.....

17A. Trendy ski area? : POPULAR RISE.(11) (POPULARIZE) We all wanted a particular resort, until the perps cleared that hurdle.

26A. Monogrammed neckwear? : ALPHABET TIES. (12) (ALPHABETIZE). I have some shirts, but no ties with initials.

45A. Red, blue and green food colors? : STANDARD DYES. (12) (STANDARDIZE) My favorite.

61A. Indicators of royal contentment? : QUEENS SIGHS. (11) (QUEENSIZE). I cannot decide if this really one word or two, but you should have the theme by now anyway.

no unifier so we are going to go....

Across:

1. Where a canary sings : PERCH. We're off.

6. Loser's catchphrase : NO FAT. Ah, that kind of loser, a dieter.

11. Blackjack variable : ACE. This word has so many meanings, from military fighter pilots, to a golfer's hole in one, a test well taken...

14. Last Olds model : ALERO.

15. Living proof : PULSE. Love this clue, it is literal but very tricky as they do check the pulse to see if the victim is still living.

16. Test to the max : TAX. Did this puzzle TAX your brain?

19. Front-end protector : BRA. Like THIS?

20. Assumed name: ANONYM. The less famous Pseudonym.

21. Diamond offense: SPITBALL. Baseball diamond; a pitch outlawed in the 30's.

23. Skelton's Kadiddlehopper : CLEM.

25. Tried to hit : SHOT AT.

31. Levi alternative : LEE. I love this AD. (1:00)

32. Mini successors? : NANOS.

33. Henhouse : COOP.

37. Scout's honor : AWARD. Cute boy scout pun.

39. Pub. with more than 100 Pulitzers. : NYT. Home to Will Shortz and others.

40. Serengeti heavyweight : RHINOceros.

41. Nonproductive : IDLE. Not around here, too much to do.

42. More than strange : EERIE.

44. Watch faces, briefly : LCD. Liquid Crystal Display.

49. Lesser partner : JUNIOR. A law firm staple.

52. Southern cuisine staple : PONE. See, made from corn.

53. Trucker's view : OPEN ROAD. A shout out no doubt to my recent exploits in the 26' Penske for 1991 miles, thanks m.

56. "Same old, same old": NO NEWS. Is good news?

60. Airport 100+ miles NW of PIT: CLE

63. Tease: KID. I am serious, I like this clue.

64. GI's home : U.S. OF A. My home too.

65. Ready and then some : EAGER. I am getting excited about the Down clues now, I can smell them

66. Mud bath site : STY. Not a SPA, devious.

67. Itty-bitty : EENSY. This is from the SIMS (2:26) video game.

68. Impedes : SLOWS. I hope all these tricks have not slowed anyone down too much.

Down:

1. Literary nickname : PAPA. Hemingway; since I grew my beard one of my lawyer friends want me to go to Key West and enter the contest.

2. The Phoenix of the NCAA's Southern Conference : ELON. My very first comment on this blog was about schools whose mascots did not end in "S." I also worked closely with a graduate of this fine institution.

3. Forfeited wheels : REPO.

4. Exercise unit : CRUNCH. The word makes my abs hurt; personally I would rather have a candy bar.

5. Pilgrimage destination : HOLY LAND.

6. "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!" airer : NPR. Wonderful show; let's go BEHIND THE SCENES.(8:00)

7. Relative of mine : OURS. Really well done, misdirection, not a relative hers, well sort of...

8. Yes-or-no decision method : FLIP. The coin.

9. Original home of the Poor Clares : ASSISI. We have had this information a few times.

10. Raise canines? : TEETHE. Not in kennel but in your young child's mouth; also a pun on raising Cain.

11. Ready to swing : AT BAT. Baseball for C.C.

12. Sarkozy's wife ___ Bruni : CARLA. A FIRST LADY?

13. Put on a pedestal : EXALT. As I am sure Mr. Sarkozy does for Carla.

18. Low life? : AMEBA. I LOVE THIS! I am abandoning douche bag as my favorite insult and going to AMEBA (var.).

22. "The Garden of Earthly Delights" artist : BOSCH. I knew this because I read books by MICHAEL CONNELLY.he also appears often on CASTLE.

24. Teen Spirit deoderant brand : MENNEN. Never heard of this PRODUCT.

26. Kyrgyzstan border range : ALAI. I am so glad we saw this alternative to JAI___ recently.

27. Bawdy : LEWD. My kind of clue!

28. Series of rings : PEAL. Not like Mari, but in the bell tower.

29. Played around (with) : TOYED. Marti clearly was toying with us with these clues.

30. Letter shaped shoe fastener : T-STRAP. Like Mary Janes; not to be confused with G-strings.

34. Like some garage floors : OILY.

35. Almost never, maybe : ONCE. Oddly, this reminded me of the Rock Hudson line from a movie with Doris Day, where he explains to Tony Randall that Ms. Day's character is a Demi-virgin: tried it once and did not like it.

36. Pea jackets : PODS. Another nice misdirection if you know what a Pea Coat is.

38. Amber, for one : RESIN. made famous in the Jurassic Park movie and book.

40. Caroling consequences : RED NOSES. Nice visual.

43. Pressing needs? : IRONS. Again, a double clue.

46. Twisting force : TORQUE.

47. Stimulate : AROUSE. Did my BRA pic arouse anyone?

48. First stage of grief : DENIAL. Or are you all from Egypt and swim in the river.

49. Serious players : JOCKS. Also a strap word; hmm a mini theme maybe.

50. Like Mount Rushmore at night : UPLIT. Nothing to do with UPSKIRT, but like this

51. High maintenance : NEEDY. Five letters, hell, it had to be PEGGY, my first wife!

54. Many ages : AEON.

55. Dict. entries : DEFS. Definitions.

57. Food fought over in old food ads : EGGO. Leggo my eggo.

58. "Man, it's hot!" : WHEW. Yes, it is but we are almost done.

59. Red gp. : SSRS. Okay enough of this clue!

62. Rejection : NAY. Please do not go away mad, just time to go away.

Answer grid.

Once again a fun Friday romp in Marti's world; watch out for Isaac and get ready for Monday's party.

Until next time I leave you with this SONG. (2:38)

Lemonade

Note from C.C.:

Here are a few wonderful pictures from Spitzboov's Navy reunion trip last week to Groton, CT. I just love the third picture of him and his lovely wife Betty.

Thursday, August 23, 2012 Richard F. Mausser

Theme: Where in the world...?

17A. Cairo's location? : FIFTY ACROSS. Why, it's 50A. "Aida" setting : EGYPT!

61A. Havana's location? : SEVEN ACROSS. And that would be 7A. It's east of Yucatán : CUBA

11D. Jerusalem's location? : TWELVE DOWN. Of course, we find 12D. Mount Carmel locale : ISRAEL

28D. Lima's location? : THIRTY DOWN. And finally, we go to 30D. Cole Porter's Indiana hometown : PERU

Fun theme, with a word search to find the locales hinted at by the theme entries. I loved this unique theme, using crossword locations to find geographical locales!

Marti here. I got back from the races in Saratoga, unpacked, then re-packed to go down to the Cape for a few days. I got home late in the evening, just in time to sort out the rest...

Across:

1. Chandelier danglers : PRISMS. One prism on my antique Viennese chandelier cost me $25 to replace...At that rate, I could sell the chandelier and pay off the mortgage!

11. Nervous reaction : TIC

14. Prophet in Babylon : DANIEL

15. Short mystery writer? : ANON. HaHa!! loved this clue.

16. Evergreen State sch. : WSU. Washington State University. And 18D. 16-Across mascot : COUGAR

19. Miss a fly : ERR. I assume that would mean, missing a fly ball in baseball??

20. Get licked by : LOSE TO.

21. Place to fill a flask : CHEM LAB. Not my first thought on this one!

23. She played Honey in "Dr. No" : URSULA. Andress. This chick.

25. Flood zone structure : LEVEE

26. Letters followed by a colon : HTTP

29. [I'm in trouble!] : GULP

31. Neuter, as a stallion : GELD

32. Backrub response : AAH

33. Short race : DRAG. I never could understand this sport...seems like a waste of good rubber, to me!

35. "Holy Toledo!" : EGAD

37. More succulent : JUICIER

39. Breakfast in a bar : GRANOLA

42. Red herring : RUSE

43. Paint ineptly : DAUB. Like this one?

44. Walked away with : WON

45. Two-timers : RATS

47. Briquettes, e.g. : FUEL. Charcoal briquettes used to fuel the grill...

49. Exclusively : ONLY

52. Texas slugger Cruz : NELSON.

55. Where some manners are important : BEDSIDE

57. Sports negotiating group : OWNERS

60. "Need ___ on?" : I GO. Why...I must!

64. Blue ___ : LAW. Blue Laws mostly have to do with the prohibition of alcohol sales on Sundays...but in Illinois, it also relates to car sales! (Go figure!)

65. Sheet music symbol : CLEF

66. Bit of roller coaster drama : PLUNGE. Yikes!

67. Hosp. worker : LPN. Licensed Practical Nurse.

68. Help with an answer : HINT. I could have used a few when solving this one!

69. It has 100 seats : SENATE

Down:

1. Common email attachment format : PDF. Portable Document Format.

2. Support bar : RAIL

3. What FAQs offer : INFO

4. Shows interest : SITS UP

5. Filmmaker Russ : MEYER. He is best known for his low-budget sexploitation films that featured campy humor, sly satire and large-breasted women. Sounds like he would fit right in on this blog!

6. Mattress supports : SLATS

7. Caboose, for one : CAR

8. Petroleum giant that merged with Chevron in 2005 : UNOCAL. New to me.

9. Hogwash : BOSH

10. Adams who shot El Capitan : ANSEL. Stunning photographs!

13. Kept in check : CURBED

22. Fox of "Transformers" : MEGAN. You like her?

24. Big galoot : LUG

26. Uris novel, with "The" : HAJ. I haven't read it (yet). You?

27. Upsilon preceder : TAU

33. Bad-mouth : DIS

34. Diver's domain : REEF

36. Debatable "gift" : GAB

38. Crescent moon points : CUSPS

39. Tank unit : GALLON

40. "OMG, too funny!" : LOL. "Laugh Out Loud!"

41. "___ volunteers?" : ANY

43. What makes an amp damp? : DEE. Did the clue fool you?

45. Send a new invoice to : REBILL

46. Marital challenge, perhaps : AGE GAP. Oh, I don't know...some of my best husbands were older than me!

48. Rugged : UNEVEN

49. Like many an extra-inning game : ONE RUN

51. Former CBS head Laurence : TISCH. Needed all the perps for this one!

53. Trades : SWAPS

54. Réunion attendee : ONCLE. French for "uncle".

56. Lunch spot : DELI

58. Novelest Jaffe : RONA

59. USAF rank above senior airman : SSGT. Staff Sergeant.

62. Newt, once : EFT

63. Make sure : SEE

Answer grid.

Until next Thursday,

Hugs!
Marti

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Tinbeni! I'm raising my mug of soy milk, Cheers!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012 C. C. Burnikel

Theme: 13,203.58 down 68.06 (0.51%) This is the level of the DOW Jones 30 Industrial Average stock index, commonly referred to simply as the DOW, as of Tuesday's close. Each of five theme entries contains the name of one of the component corporations, split across two words of the answer.

16A. Certain music teacher : VOCAL COACH. This music teacher has a heart of Aluminum, indicated by the firm formerly known as the Aluminum Company Of America. [8.82 up 0.02 (0.23%)]

21A. Outmoded street fixture : COIN TELEPHONE. Back in the day, this chip maker's products were not at the heart of pay-per-use telecommunications devices. Now, its hardware and software are in computers, disk players, mobile phones, and possibly in places where you would least expect them. Now you know INTEL. [26.11 down 0.12 (0.46%)]

36A. Succulent part of a rack : RIB MEAT. Hmmmm. The closer to the bone, the sweeter is the meat. In this RIB cage we find not a heart, but the International Business Machine Corporation. [198.65 down 1.85 (0.92%)]

48A. International Tennis Hall of Famer who won consecutive US Opens in 1997 and 1998 : PATRICK RAFTER. News to me, since I don't follow tennis. Did you know that Oreo cookies and Oscar Mayer meats are brands owned by KRAFT Foods? [41.11up 0.34 (0.83%)]

59A. Louisiana nickname : THE BIG EASY. Is N'walins the heart of LA? Maybe Hatoolah can fill us in. This is the nickname of that famous city. Hidden deep in the 9th ward we find the initials of the General Electric Company. [20.85 down 0.08 (0.38%)]

And the unifier: 67 A. With “the,” much watched index, a different component of which is hidden in 16-, 21-, 36-, 48- and 59-Across : DOW. The DJIA is one of many indexes presented by DOW Jones and Company.

Hi, gang! Company man JazzBumpa here. Are you ready to take stock of this puzzle? It's a product of our fearless leader. Let's get down to business.

Across:

1. Run headlong into : RAM. Also a male sheep or goat, and trademark of the Chrysler Corporation.

4. Leave in stitches : SLAY. In a purely comedic sense.

8. Soupçon : DAB. A little DAB will do ya, it's said. But Google translate renders "soupçon" as "suspicion." I'm confused. Kazie?

11. Ostrich cousins : EMUS. So far as I know, this large, flightless bird has nothing to do with Eastern Michigan University, alma mater to many in my clan, whose mascot is, inexplicably, the eagle.

13. Henchmen : THUGS. A thug is a cruel or vicious criminal. A henchman is a gang member or gangster's underling. Not a perfect correspondence.

14. Printing measure : PICA. A type face size used on some versions of an obsolete device known as the typewriter. Remember them? They were never favored by the elite.

15. Speech therapist’s concern : LISP. I think I underthtand.

18. Keen on: INTO. The THUG was crazy about the house he broke INTO. I'm INTO silly word play.

19. Je ne ____ quoi : SAIS. I do not know what this means.

20. Freebies near the register : MINTS. The items of coinage are made at the MINT.

24. Play a good joke on : GET. Did I GET you with 19A?

25. Moose feature : ANTLER. What's the best part of this rack?

28. Word with tie or cord : POWER. POWER tie. POWER cord.

31. It may be bleeped out : OATH.

34. Write to a disk : SAVE.

35. News initials : UPI. United Press International

39. Mario Brothers letters : NES. Nintendo Entertainment System. It's all a game.

40. "The Mod Squad" role : LINC. This requires a Linc link.

42. "Way to go!" : NICE. Good job!

43. Insurance worker : AGENT.

45. Study intently : PEER AT.

47. “The Simpsons” shopkeeper : APU. I'm not a Simpsons watcher. Leaned about this guy from X-words. Anyone for some tandoori jerky?

55. __-load: prep for a marathon : CARBO. Loading up on high carbohydrate, low glycemic index foods as an energy storage strategy the day before an endurance contest, such as a triathlon or marathon.

57. Liposuction target : FLAB. No images, please.

58. Overdue book penalty : FINE. They get their book back, my purse is lightened sans liposuction, all is FINE.

61. "Absolutely!" : AMEN. It's FINE with me.

62. Upbeat : ROSY. Optimists see the word through upbeat glasses.

63. Farm girls? : MARES. Horse ladies. Along with does, they eat oats.

64. Telegram : WIRE. Back in the day, you could send a kiss by wire. These days, sexting is more direct.

65. Fleur-de-___ : LYS. A French flowery symbol.

66. Cabled carrier? : TRAM. AKA a cable car.

Down:

1. Museum piece : RELIC.

2. Acid type : AMINO.

3. “__ paint you a picture?” : MUST I? You must, you must.

4. Sand bar : SHOAL. Don't run aground.

5. Desi’s daughter : LUCIE. Lucie Désirée Arnaz is now 61.

6. Shocked : AGASP. I am AGASP, AGASP to find . . .

7. Maker of Opium, initially : YSL. A lady's fragrance by Yves Saint Laurent.

8. ""Unfaithful" Oscar nominee : DIANE LANE. I didn't know there was an Oscar nomination involved.

9. Money in the bank: Abbr. : ACCT. Account.

10. Curmudgeonly cries : BAHS. Humbug!

12. Cleaning aid : SPONGE.

13. Best Buy buy : TV SET. That's where I got mine. Costco had it cheaper, I later found out.

14. Shows the way : POINTS. But nobody pointed me there

17. "Hurry up!" : C'MON. I would have gone.

22. Okla., before 11/16/1907 : TERR. Territory. Per Wikipedia, "territories of the United States are one of the four types of political division of the United States, overseen directly by the federal government of the United States and not any part of a U.S. state." As Okla. shows us, territories can become states. Kukla never made it.

23. "Good one" : HA-HA. Unlike that Kukla bomb.

26. Square, moneywise : EVEN. Check your ACCT.

27. Sit for a spell : REST. Conjures on image of rocking chairs on a wrap-around porch.

28. Juicer refuse : PULP. See 30D.

29. Mayberry boy : OPIE. Ron Howard, the early years.

30. Napa equipment : WINE PRESS. The pulp is called "must."

31. Back-tied sash : OBI. I read this as "black-tied" which caused no end of confusion. Anyway, there are other options.

32. "Breaking Bad" cable channel : AMC. Yet another show I've never seen.

33. Place to start a hole : TEE. Golf.

37. Kind of verb: Abbr : INTR. Intransitive. This is a verb that does not take a direct object or complement. Frex: "The lion sleeps tonight."

38. Bite with un aperitivo : TAPA. A drink and appetizer served before a meal.

41. Cantankerous : CRABBY. Not like any of us at the corner.

44. Belly laugh : GUFFAW.

46. Yours, to Yves : A TOI.

47. Chain with Market Fresh sandwiches : ARBY'S.

49. Lead in to bad news : I FEAR . . .

50. Silicon Valley’s Santa ____ : CLARA. City and county of the same name. Do you know the way to San Jose?

51. Deejay Casey : KASEM. For four amazing decades.

52. Like a wallflower : TIMID. Such was I in my unspent yout'.

53. Madrid month : ENERO. January in Spanish. Not thrilled with this clue. Last I looked, there were doce meses.

54. Ask for more Money? : RENEW. Not sure I grok. If you RENEW a subscription, frex, you have to pay more. Is this it? (From C.C.: Money refers to the magazine here.)

55. PC key : CTRL. Control.

56. Shout between ships : AHOY.

60. London hrs. : GMT. Greenwich Mean Time.

Answer grid.

Don't mean to be mean, but my time is up. Not a great day for the Dow, but - despite my nits - this was a fun puzzle. Hope the time you invested paid some pleasurable dividends.

Jazzbumpa

Notes from C.C.:

1) A big "Thank you" to Barry G & Splynter for test-solving this puzzle and giving me valuable feedback.

2) Here are few lovely photos of Husker Gary's grandkids "in the Fontanelle Forest in Bellevue, NE just south of Omaha last week. These same woods hosted Lewis and Clark for a few days over 200 years ago."

Tuesday, August 21, 2012 David W. Cromer

Theme: location, location, location - The unifier can be located behind the last word in the three theme entries.

17A. Former kids' show title character named for the large pockets in his coat : CAPTAIN KANGAROO. Kangaroo Court, a court that jumps to a foregone conclusion on an invalid basis.

27A. Fuse blower : SHORT CIRCUIT. Circuit Court, where a traveling judge would preside over over various locations at set intervals. If you were locked up, you had to wait for the judge to come to town.

44A. Apollo Theater tryout for nonpros : AMATEUR NIGHT. Night Court, convenes at night for the quick disposition of charges and the granting of bail. And an excuse for this clip: Necco Wafers(3:30)

58A. Judge's demand, and a hint to this puzzle's theme words, which end 17-, 27- and 44-Across : ORDER IN THE COURT. And a little more from Night Court.(0:41)

Argyle here; I have to tear myself away from those clips and write this post. A crossword regular, Mel Tormé, was often on the show.

A little more standard puzzle today. Two impressive grid spanners, a nice mix of other length entries and no cheater squares. Throw in a clecho and no Naticks that I noticed and we're good to go.

Across:

1. Like a visit from Benedict XVI : PAPAL

6. Ginormous : VAST

10. Currier's partner : IVES. "The Fair Ground"

14. Sans chaperon : ALONE. (sans = without)

15. Mystery writer __ Stanley Gardner : ERLE. Perry Mason creator.

16. Maryland athlete, briefly : TERP. The Maryland Terrapins.

20. U.K. record label : EMI

21. Egg container : NEST

22. Popular name for a tree-lined rd. : ELM ST. In the day.

23. Any of the "Be My Baby" singers : RONETTE. No lip-sync Clip.(2:46)

26. Scott of "Happy Days" : BAIO. Chachi Arcola.

32. Like the first stage of a car wash : SOAPY

35. Really riles : IRES

36. TV Guide's "We don't know yet" : TBA. (To Be Announced)

37. Pseudo-sophisticated : ARTY

38. Chopper blade : ROTOR. (helicopter)

40. "__ Harry Met Sally..." : WHEN

41. Understand : GET

42. Mrs. Dithers of "Blondie" : CORA

43. Nuisances : PESTS

48. Morse creation : CODE

49. Yellow-disked flowers : DAISIES

53. Puppet pal of Fran and Ollie : KUKLA

55. Pants part : SEAT. Hand up for SEAM.

57. Teachers' lobbying org. : NEA. (National Education Association). The other NEA.

62. Hymn starter : "O, GOD ..."

63. Brussels-based defense gp. : NATO

64. Where eagles dwell : AERIE

65. Toy with theme parks : LEGO

66. No.-crunching pros : CPA's. (Certified Public Accountant)

67. Kennel club classification : BREED

Down:

1. Harness race horse : PACER. And trotters.

2. Texas mission : ALAMO

3. Show up unannounced : POP IN

4. Tiny soldier : ANT

5. Where the herd grazes : LEA

6. Plywood layer : VENEER

7. Boats like Noah's : ARKS

8. Blind component : SLAT

9. Perfect score : TEN. If you're into quantification.

10. Slanty, typewise : ITALIC

11. Martini ingredients : VERMOUTHS. The Perfect Martini: gin, dry vermouth and sweet vermouth.

12. Love personified : EROS

13. Notice : SPOT And 24D. Notice : ESPY

18. Division word : INTO

19. Shifted car parts : GEARS. If you have a standard transmission.

25. Biblical possessive : THY

26. Oktoberfest draft : BIER. Beer in German.

28. One of a powerful race of gods : TITAN. The elder gods, ruled the earth before the Olympians overthrew them.

29. __-Magnon : CRO. The first early modern humans.

30. "As if!" : "I BET!"

31. Beachgoers' hues : TANS

32. Epic story : SAGA

33. Utah city : OREM

34. Junkyard guard : ATTACK DOG

38. Casanova : ROUE

39. Bruins Hall of Famer Bobby : ORR

40. Makes moist : WETS

42. Fragrant wood : CEDAR

43. __ Beta Kappa : PHI

45. City west of Cleveland : TOLEDO. T-town.

46. Gem State potatoes : IDAHOs

47. Scandal suffix : GATE. As in Watergate or Nannygate.

50. Accustom (to) : INURE

51. Paranormal, say : EERIE

52. Filled completely : SATED

53. __ & the Gang: "Celebration" group : KOOL. Clip.(2:20)

54. Yen : URGE

55. Go past one's breaking point : SNAP

56. Jazzy James : ETTA

59. Ltd. counterpart, in the States : INC.

60. Airport queue vehicle : CAB

61. Above, in verse : O'ER

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, August 20, 2012 Melanie Miller

Theme: H-H-H-H - What the "H"s in 4-H stand for. Celebrating its hundredth year.

16A. *Place to prop a pillow : HEADBOARD

29A. *Vital central section of a country : HEARTLAND

36A. Youth organization whose focus areas begin the answers to starred clues : FOUR-H CLUB

47A. *Effortless way to win : HANDS DOWN

61A. *Recuperative resort : HEALTH SPA

Argyle(former 4-H member) here. It appears to be a debut for Melanie Miller here on the Corner. The shortness of the themes, nine letters, meant the fill had to be on the long side to keep the word count in check. Also note the three letter fill on the sides. An interesting Monday.

I pledge...

My head to clearer thinking,
My heart to greater loyalty,
My hands to larger service,
My health to better living
for my club, my community,
my country and my world.

About the Pledge. Link.

4H website.

Across:

1. No. on a utility bill : ACCT. (account)

5. Show of affection : KISS

9. Dust and grime : DIRT

13. Old woman's home, in a nursery rhyme : SHOE. Poem Where was Child Protective Services?

14. Capital NNW of Copenhagen : OSLO

15. TV's Uncle Miltie : BERLE

18. Win by __ : A NOSE

19. St. Francis's home : ASSISI

20. Emulate Georgia O'Keeffe : PAINT. Before she went west, "Lake George".

21. Well-suited : APT

22. Luck of the draw : CHANCE

25. French girlfriend : AMIE

27. Deadlocked : TIED

31. Sawbones : MEDICO

34. Joint-bending ballet move : PLIÉ. Bending of the knees outward by a ballet dancer with the back held straight.

35. Actor Beatty : NED

39. Leave open-mouthed : AWE

42. Oklahoma tribe : OTOE. They were Nebraska natives on Friday.

43. Spread here and there : STREWN

50. Length x width, for a rectangle : AREA

51. Wheel holder : AXLE

52. "... nothing to fear but fear __" : ITSELF. FDR's First Inaugural Address.

55. Unspecified high degree : NTH

56. Bundled, as hay : BALED. A 4Her would know something about that.

58. Pretenses : GUISES

60. Chutzpah : NERVE

64. Raring to go : EAGER

65. Part of ISBN: Abbr. : INTL. (International Standard Book Number)

66. Resting on : ATOP

67. Small bills : ONEs

68. Barely passing grades : DEEs

69. Spoil, with "on" : DOTE

Down:

1. Bat wood : ASH

2. Any product at a dollar store : CHEAPIE

3. Rolled with the engine off : COASTED. A cheapie saving on gas?

4. "Bill & __ Bogus Journey" : TED'S. 1991 sequel to their Excellent Adventure.

5. __ ball: rubber toy fad of the '80s : KOOSH

6. Old Testament prophet : ISAIAH

7. Camera type, for short : SLR. (single-lens reflex)

8. Roll-your-own grass : SOD. A 4H project?

9. "It wasn't me," e.g. : DENIAL. Now isn't this convenient, right after 8-Down.

10. Armored superhero : IRONMAN

11. "Goosebumps" series author : R. L. STINE. "Goosebumps".

12. Casual shirt : TEE

15. Sheep's bleat : [BAA!]. Bring it on!

17. Ballpoint brand : BIC

20. Hazards : PERILS

21. 24-hr. cash source : ATM

23. Brothers of nieces : NEPHEWS

24. Differential or integral math subj. : CALC. (calculus)

26. Onetime Leno announcer Hall : EDD

28. "What's the __?": "Seems the same to me" : DIF. Shortened "difference".

30. German: Abbr. : TEUT. (Teutonic)

32. Lovey-dovey murmurs : COOs

33. Surpassed in performance : OUTDID

37. Ginger or ginseng : ROOT

38. Lingerie top : BRA

39. "I get it!" : "A-HA!"

40. Yellow-podded veggie : WAX BEAN

41. Make bigger : ENLARGE

44. Che's given name : ERNESTO

45. Slippery area to mop up : WET SPOT

46. "Let's not" : "NAH"

48. Probes, with "into" : DELVES

49. Prove false : NEGATE

53. Calm spells : LULLS

54. Strong and healthy : FIT

57. Suffix with auction : EER

59. Herring known for its roe : SHAD

60. Recent: Pref. : NEO

61. Stayed out of sight : HID

62. WSW opposite : ENE

63. Mimic : APE

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday August 19, 2012 Pancho Harrison

Theme: "Invitation to the Dance" - A Gene Kelly tribute puzzle. Seven of his most well-known movies are featured in the grid.

22A. 117-Across film which he also co-directed : ON THE TOWN. Never heard of the film. Also starring Frank Sinatra.

27A. Film that earned 117-Across a Best Actor nomination : ANCHORS AWEIGH. Also starring Frank Sinatra.

43A. Film pairing 117-Across with Fred Astaire : ZIEGFELD FOLLIES

60A. With 75-Across, Scopes Trial film featuring 117-Across : INHERIT. And 75A. See 60-Across : THE WIND. The only split-up film.

66A. 117-Across Oscar-winning film : AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. Lovely movie. Leslie Caron went back to him in the end.

91A. 117-Across film with a classic umbrella scene : SINGIN' IN THE RAIN

106A. 117-Across's film debut : FOR ME AND MY GAL. Judy Garland was in the movie too.

117A. Song-and-dance man born 8/23/1912 : GENE KELLY

Today we have 105 theme squares. I mentioned before that gridding gets trickier when the number goes over 100.

Additionally, Pancho has 9 theme entries to deal with. 7 entries with the same 105 theme squares are easier to tackle. Hence the 82 black squares in this grid. Most of the time the count is capped at 78.

Across:

1. Frivolous : FLIP

5. Household moniker : PAPA. For Husker Gary.

9. Farm houses : COOPS

14. Medieval Italian chest : ARCA. Learned from doing Xword.

18. Western casino city : RENO

19. Portent : OMEN

20. Longtime talk show : OPRAH. She said she coined "Aha moment".

21. Sewing case item : SPOOL

24. She won the All-Around gymnastics gold eight years before Mary Lou : NADIA (Comaneci). In 1976. Mary Lou 1984. I drew a blank.


25. Male prefix : ANDRO. "Female prefix" is GYNOUS. Androgynous.

26. Simoleons : MOOLAH

30. Prize hopeful : NOMINEE

33. Shakespeare's fairy queen : TITANIA. "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

34. Instead : ELSE

38. Chaney of chillers : LON

39. Garment district biz : RAG TRADE

46. Former Toyota models : ECHOS

51. Kingly : REGAL

52. Mauna __ : LOA

53. Brouhaha : ADO. The brouhaha over Gabby Douglas' hair confused me.

54. Rest : OTHERS. Was thinking of verb.

55. Like reel-to-reel recordings : ANALOG

57. Prepare : READY

61. Newer, in a way : REVISED

64. Leb. neighbor : ISR

65. Handbook list, briefly : REGS (Regulations)

71. Moment to shine : SOLO. For Hope.

73. Publicity : INK

74. "Good heavens!" : MERCY ME. I thought eating walnuts make you smarter, as they resemble human brain.

77. "Wonder Woman" star Carter : LYNDA

79. It's measured in litres : PETROL

84. Corkscrew pasta : ROTINI

85. Uruguayan uncle : TIO. Alliteration.

86. PBS funder : NEA

89. Hindemith's instrument : VIOLA. Gimme, Jayce? I'm not familiar with Paul Hindemith.

90. Journalist Alexander : SHANA

95. Uses a cell : DOES TIME. Prison cell.

97. Lateral opening? : TRI. Trilateral.

98. Marine flier : ERNE. Always picture Dennis rather than ocean when I see "Marine".

99. Calgary's province : ALBERTA

103. So-so : AVERAGE

110. Daring : HEROIC

115. Caribbean honeymoon destination : ARUBA. Where did you go on your honeymoon?

116. Discontinue : CEASE

120. Cave __: beware of the dog : CANEM

121. "Oklahoma!" aunt : ELLER

122. Airport sign in red letters : AVIS. Tricky clue.

123. Fateful day : IDES

124. Bk. after Genesis : EXOD (Exodus)

125. Floor : STORY

126. Not at all wandering : RAPT. I feel CrossEyedDave is easily distracted.

127. Arboreal abode : NEST

Down:

1. Package label word : FROM. Argyle finally has a Trader Joe's in his neck of the woods. I told him about the must-try fig butter. He thought it's buttered fig.

2. "Leading With My Chin" author : LENO

3. Absorbed by : INTO

4. Sci-fi writer whose career spans more than 70 years : POHL (Frederik)

5. Place for a patch : POTHOLE

6. Latin trio word : AMO. "I love".

7. Chapel bench : PEW

8. 1997-2006 U.N. chief : ANNAN (Kofi)

9. Bury, say : CONCEAL

10. Colorful fish : OPAH

11. Novus __ seclorum: dollar bill phrase : ORDO

12. Dancers, often : PAIR

13. Alternatives to Nehis : SHASTAS. I wonder what Melissa's favorite drink is. Maybe tea. She's spiritual.

14. Nighttime problem : APNEA

15. "The Kiss" sculptor : RODIN

16. Herder from Wales : CORGI

17. Lei giver's greeting : ALOHA

21. Tool serrations : SAW TEETH. And 54. Sloped connection : ON RAMP. What Husker Gary said yesterday: "I can hear the HUM of Splynter’s circular saw!"

23. Caesar's end? : EAN. Caesarean.

28. "I, Claudius" role : NERO

29. Crisis offering : AID

31. Gal in a gang : MOLL

32. __-European : INDO

34. Literary Pound : EZRA. Ezra Pound the poet.

35. Financial claim : LIEN

36. Saturn maker : SEGA. Sega Saturn video game. Unknown to me.

37. The same to vous? : EGAL. And 47. Sorbonne sweetie : CHERI. Mon chéri. Ma chérie.

40. Pleased : GLAD

41. Like some sums : TIDY

42. Antique auto : REO

44. Regional plant life : FLORA

45. Language for a 69-Down : FARSI. 69. 45-Down speaker : IRANI.

48. Word spoken with one hand up : HERE'S. Toast.

49. Copier insert: Abbr. : ORIG

50. Grounded fleet: Abbr. : SSTS

56. Sign of spring : GEMINI

58. Common Mkt. : EEC

59. What Butler didn't give : A DAMN. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn".

60. 1960s Cosby/Culp show : I SPY

62. Sell : VEND

63. Miff : IRK

64. Business abbr. : INC

66. Prince Valiant's wife : ALETA

67. Like a hopeless situation : NO WIN

68. Composer Rorem : NED

70. "Still Me" memoirist : REEVE

71. Narrow waterways: Abbr. : STRS (Straits)

72. "I know! I know!" : OH OH

76. Where Alice's adventures really took place : IN A DREAM

77. Household screen target : LINT

78. "You can observe a lot by watching" speaker : YOGI (Berra)

80. Improvised swing : TIRE.

81. Banzai Pipeline sound : ROAR. Never heard of this Pipeline, JD.

82. Ken of "Brothers & Sisters" : OLIN

83. Country way : LANE

85. "__ better to have loved ...": Tennyson : 'TIS. "... 'Tis better to have loved and lost /Than never to have loved at all...".

87. __'acte : ENTR

88. Big name in shaving : ATRA

91. Where to find happy mediums? : SEANCES. Nice clue.

92. Poetic technique : IMAGERY

93. St. Petersburg's river : NEVA

94. Most costly : HIGHEST

96. Taxonomic suffix : OTA. What?

99. "I've Just Seen __": Beatles : A FACE

100. His story is told by the Once-ler : LORAX. I don't know who Once-ler is.

101. Kirby of "City Slickers" : BRUNO. He's in "Good Morning, Vietnam".

102. Surround tightly : EMBED

104. "Enigma Variations" composer : ELGAR

105. Cry of fear : EEK

107. Shoulder muscle, for short : DELT

108. Bueno's opposite : MALO. French is "Mal".

109. Nieuwpoort's river : YSER

111. Check : REIN

112. Retro sign word : OLDE

113. Spots in la mer : ILES

114. Dermatologist's concern : CYST

118. "Little" '60s singer : EVA

119. Swig : NIP

Answer grid.

C.C.