Friday, March 15, 2013, Jack McInturff

Theme: SPelling test. With all the teachers we have here, I bet SP has been written a million times on papers being GRADED.

A classic add letters Friday, with SP added  to the last word in a phrase to create a new amusing one. Jack Mac is back. Mr. McInturff, one of our senior regular constructors, and one of my favorite Friday fillers. Heavy themeage, with two grid spanners, 3 others  and a reveal. It also has some great clue/fill like BERATES,  DOSAGES,  LIMPS IN, DULCINEA, GARDENIA,  NO BITING,  ONE MONTH.  Time to solve.

17A. Cherub? : RELIGIOUS SPRITE. (15). A rite becomes a little sprite. A timely clue for a week where a new pope has been chosen.

30A. Slogan for certain Lee fans? : I LIKE SPIKE. (10). My earliest memories are of the 1952 election and the Eisenhower bumper stickers; these days Spike Lee watches basketball more than he makes movies, I think.

35A. Sendoff for a Christmas shopper? : HAPPY SPENDING. (13).  Exactly what I used to tell my ex-wife. I had to carefully massage my answer to this to avoid being too DF.

45A. Pepper? : BLACK SPICE. (10). For you Southerners, Black Ice is the kind you cannot see, and often leads to spills and accidents. Pepper is not always black but the most common table form is.

61A. Windy day misfortunes during a spa visit? : HATS IN THE SPRING. (15). Apparently this Spa has a hot spring. Hat in the ring comes from the sport of boxing where it was literal.  
The reveal:

66A. "500" index that hints at this puzzle's theme : S AND P. Standard and Poor's.

Okay onto the rest.

Across:

1. Suggests for the future : BODES. Getting 1A, bodes well for my solving experience. 

6. Mark on a paper : GRADE. Cute clue, but I bet with all of our teachers, I bet this was easy. 

11. Kid's cry : MAA. Kid as in baby animal, I kid you not.

14. Harden : ENURE. I bet Lois has better synonyms than this.

15. It may shimmer in the desert : OASIS. As do mirages.

16. Off-road transp. : ATV. All Terrain Vehicle.

20. Film buff's station : AMC. American Movie Classics. 

21. Luanda is its cap. : ANGola.

22. Share the bill : CO-STAR. Last week I had a co-tsar.

23. Put in long hours : TOIL.

25. Chewy caramel candy : ROLO.

28. Carpet cleaners, briefly : VACS. Vacuums.

29. Sicilian resort city : ENNA. enna of you been there?  LINK.

33. Part of a process : STEP. Step one, print the puzzle.

34. Sorvino of "Mighty Aphrodite" : MIRA. Another Woody Allen film which I enjoyed, and she was quite fetching and unlikely as a foil for Woody, I think she is close to 6' tall. Since her father, Paul,  likes singing opera, Mira may have developed a wonderful set of lungs.

42. Van Gogh subject : IRIS. I will let someone else link the pic.

43. Adult polliwog : TOAD. My brother's nickname for one of his children, who I guess was a squirmer, polliwog to toad.

51. Spanish river to the Mediterranean : EBRO. A crosswordese answer.

52. Firenze fellow : UOMO. Firenze is Florence and Uomo is man,  like Homo Sapiens. 

53. "But all I want is ___ 'iggins' 'ead!":"My Fair Lady" lyric : 'ENRY. 

54. Unburdens : RIDS.

55. Little rascals : SCAMPS. 

58. Fish you can smoke : EEL. Not to be confused with 65A. Divine healer in "Xena" : ELI.. An obscure character played by Timothy Omundson, who is a regular on Psych and was also on Deadwood.

60. Oolong, for one : TEA. A variety of Chinese teas and what they had in mind when they said they would not do it for all the tea in China.

67. Unexpected lamp benefit? : GENIE. Does this clue rub you the wrong way or you are a fan?

68. Aspin of the Clinton Cabinet : LES. The long time opponent of the Vietnam war who was the Secretary of Defense.

69. In a fitting way : APTLY.

70. Aircraft fuel portmanteau : AVGAS. The mushing together of Aviation Gasoline.

Down:

1. Reams out : BERATES.

2. Calendar unit, perhaps : ONE MONTH.

3. Beloved in "Man of La Mancha" : DULCINEA. My junior year at the University of Connecticut my two older brothers and I all took Charlie Brover's word literature class, and it was in discussing Cervantes' Don Quixote where we unleashed our triple threat.

4. Airport near a Gt. Lake : ERI. The airport in Erie, PA is actually am international airport.

5. Dreamcast maker : SEGA. I still have my sons' Dreamcast if anyone is a collector.

6. Number beyond comprehension : GOOGOL. Also known as  ten thousand sexdecillion; just a really big number 1 followed by 100 zeroes.

7. Indian author Santha Rama ___ : RAU. Never heard of HER.

8. Biblical mount : ASS. Not one you climb, but one you climb on.

9. Frisbee, e.g. : DISC.

10. Hockey's Phil, to fans : ESPOsito. He and his brother were both All-Stars.

11. Rum and curaçao cocktail : MAI TAI. The original umbrella drink.

12. "Sic 'em!" : ATTACK.

13. Ill-disposed : AVERSE.

18. Crucifix letters : INRI. Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum. There is no "J" in Latin.

19. "Let us know," initially : RSVP. Respondez s'il vous plait.

24. Reindeer raiser : LAPP. 

26. Enters the poker pot with a minimum bet, slangily : LIMPS IN. Does anyone watch any Poker on TV? 

27. "The Grapes of Wrath" character : OKIE. From the OKlahoma sand storms.

31. Sea eagle : ERN.

32. Living in a blue state? : SAD. Not the red and blue of politics, just not happy.

36. Water ___: dental gadget : PIK. They seemed so revolutionary back in the 70's.

37. Jr. and sr. : YRS.

38. '70s-'80s quarterback Brian : SIPE. played for the Browns.  Very obscure player.

39. Road to the forum : ITER. Just the Latin word for road.

40. Mom's admonishment to a rambunctious tot : NO BITING. My favorite clue. 

41. Fragrant white flower : GARDENIA. They can be overpowering here in SoFla.

44. Amounts that often specify a time frame : DOSAGES. At meal time.

45. Orchardist's market measure : BUSHEL. Is that word?  How about them APPLES?(2:47)

46. Place : LOCALE.

47. Valuable violins : AMATIS. Either  this or STRADS.

48. Dot-___ : COMS. Bubble burst.

49. Spine-tingling : CREEPY. But not Crawly?

50. Buds on spuds : EYES. Like the rhyme.

56. Tower site : PISA. I guess the city dresses left.

57. Clothes closer : SNAP. No crackle pop, here.

59. Org. for women drivers? : LPGA. Ladies Professional Golfers Association. that kind of driver, See Stay Lewis from Yesterday.

62. Detonation cause : TNT.

63. Cholesterol letters : HDL. The good kind; mine is marginally low.

64. Gun : REV.  Let's finish on this NOTE. (3:11).

Another nice visit with Mr. McInturff, and another week done, it will be spring when I see you all next; enjoy

Lemonade out.

Thursday, March 14, 2013 Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "As American As Apple π"

18A. How 58-Across can be written : ENDLESSLY.

27A. 34-Across factor : DIAMETER.

34A. 58-Across times 27-Across : CIRCUMFERENCE. Pi X DIAMETER = CIRCUMFERENCE (Can also be written as 2 π r.)

47A. Mathematically, what 58-Across is : CONSTANT.

58A. Subject of an annual March 14 celebration and of this puzzle, celebrated in its circled squares in both a literal and a numerical way : VALUE OF PI.  Celebrated on 3.14 because those are the first significant numbers contained in Pi (3.1415926...)

But wait! There's more!  If you look at the circles (going from left to right in the puzzle), it is not only the letters you should notice, but their associated numbers:

3.  14   15   9   26
p....i....d....a....y

Clever execution of the theme for National Pi day. Don G. and C.C. often add extra layers to their puzzles. I imagine the circles made it quite a design challenge, since the numbers had to appear in order.  The "helper" square at the end of 1-Across was put in just for that purpose, I expect.

Marti, here, to see what other gems we can dig up.

Across:

1. Retained : KEPT.

5. Music storage medium : IPOD.

9. In the thick of : AMID.

13. Kirin rival : ASAHI. Two well-known Japanese beers.

15. Arp's art : DADA. Jean (Hans) Arp

16. Scale pair : SO-LA.

17. Last one in : LOSER. Because "rotten egg" wouldn't fit...

20. Diamond deal : TRADE.

22. Heartfelt : EARNEST.

23. Quote from a pitcher? : AD RATE. From one giving a sales pitch.

25. Rigid : PRIM.

26. USN clerk : YEO.man.

29. "A Doll's House" playwright : IBSEN.

31. Mil. honor : DSM. Distinguished Service Medal.

32. Shout in la arena : OLE.

33. Forensic ID : DNA.

40. 1967 NHL rookie of the year : ORR.

41. Long time : AGE.

42. One of them, maybe : HIM.

44. "Let's Dance" singer : BOWIE. Musical interlude. 4:05

50. Walkoff hit stat : RBI. Run Batted In. Learning moment for me - a "Walk-off hit" is any game-winning drive, but it must occur in the bottom of final inning.  The team that makes a walk-off hit can walk off the field without finishing the inning. The term was originally intended for the pitcher, who had to walk off the field alone while the other team celebrated.

51. Sighed line : AH ME. Probably what the losing pitcher was saying to himself, you think?

54. Elect : CHOSEN.

55. Top player : ALL STAR.

57. Gluten-rich grain : WHEAT.

60. Sends out : EMITS.

63. Works that glorify : ODES.

64. Minnesota's state bird : LOON.

65. Leisurely stroll : PASEO. Usually taken in the evening.  It can also refer to the formal entrance of bullfighters into the arena.

66. Caesar and others : SIDS.

67. Fair : EXPO.sition.

68. Post office call : NEXT.

Down:

1. Actor Penn who has worked for the Obama administration : KAL. You may remember him as Kumar Patel on "Harold & Kumar".  He was Associate Director of The Office of Public Engagement for Obama.

2. That, south of the border : ESO.

3. Deli order : PASTRAMI.

4. Spring sign : THE RAM. Crocus also fits...(just sayin')

5. French bean product? : IDEE.  Cute clue for the French "idea."

6. Blast on Broadway : PAN.  "Blast" here means to trash, not a really fun time.

7. Farther out? : ODDER.

8. ___ Lama : DALAI.

9. Part of the LPGA: Abbr. : ASSN. Ladies Professional Golf Association. Stacey Lewis is currently leading the money list in the LPGA. Cute kid!

10. Isn't in a big hurry : MOSEYS.

11. "Let me check" : I'LL SEE.

12. Ohio home of the Wright Brothers : DAYTON.

14. Hopping mad : IRATE.

19. Valuable fur : ERMINE. Here he is in the Championship Fight. 1:10

21. Construction sight : DETOUR.

23. Throw in : ADD.

24. Blu-ray buy : DISC.

25. Its pages are often numbered i, ii, iii, etc. : PREFACE.

28. Common street name : ELM.

30. Outlaw : BAN.

33. Soak : DRENCH.

35. Le ___ Soleil: Louis XIV : ROI. He was known as "The Sun King."

36. Dream up : CREATE.  How do Don and C.C. dream up these clever ideas?

37. Common star characteristic : EGO.

38. Chew out : CHASTISE.

39. German article : EINE. Could mean a, an, one, you, someone or somebody.

43. Atlas abbr. : MTN. I was looking for misdirection and thought of the Atlas MTNs.  But those are always plural.  So it's just the straightforward Rand McNally atlas we're talking about.

44. Met cheers : BRAVOS. Really? When the Mets play baseball, the fans say "bravo?" ;-D

45. Start of a Beatles title : OBLA DI....obla da. 3:10

46. Left (to) : WILLED.

48. Blind followers : SHEEP.

49. Unanimously : TO A MAN.

52. Nonnative Hawaiian : HAOLE. Hoo boy, I needed perp help for this one. Totally forgot the word.

53. Dahl's "Fantastic" title critter : MR FOX.

56. Dope (out) : SUSS.  Were you able to suss the theme on this one before coming here?

57. Lush : WINO. And 62-Down. Lush : SOT.

59. Burst open noisily : POP.

61. DDE's birthplace : TEX.as. His mother originally named him David Dwight.

That's all for this week - see you next time!

Hugs,

Marti

Notes from C.C.:

1) Don came up with this creative theme.  I'd never have dreamed of this concept!

2) More sweet pictures from ACPT:

Here is a picture of Marti and Mike Alpern, who organized the annual ACPT Cru Dinner and warmly welcomed Marti. Thanks again, Mike! The picture is not as clearly as the above two as I stole the above from Mike's Picasa page. Please click here to view all of Mike's pictures.

Wednesday, Mar 13 2013, Gerry Wildenberg

theme: go green!

17a. GREEN : CONSERVATIONIST. environmentally beneficial.

27a. GREEN : VILLAGE COMMONS. a common, open area within a settlement.

48a. GREEN : PUTTING SURFACE. on a golf course, where the flagstick and hole are located.

63a. GREEN : THE COLOR OF MONEY. the color of US paper money, and the name of a 1986 movie starring paul newman and tom cruise, a follow-up to the hustler.

melissa here. 

two grid-spanning theme entries - the black squares look so pretty the way they  cascade diagonally down.

no extra charge (get it?) for these:

5a. Parsley family herb : DILL 

9a. Straight from the garden : FRESH 

23a. First word of "Greensleeves" : ALAS my love, you do me wrong.

33a. Green prefix : ECO. as in eco-friendly.

34a. Green shade : TEAL. check him out. 

57a. "The Green Hornet" airer, 1966-'67 : ABC. superhero, a little before my time.

across

1. Sound finely tuned : PURR.  motor.

14. Role for Ronny : OPIE. ronny howard, in the andy griffith show.

15. Neighborhood : AREA

16. Ceiling : LIMIT. i won't say it.

20. Next in line : ON DECK

21. Hobbyist's buy : KIT. model airplane or car, etc.

22. Tennis racket part : GRIP. the handle.

25. In a glass by itself : NEAT. tin!

35. Aimée of "La Dolce Vita" : ANOUK. fellini film, italian for the sweet life.

37. Cozy reading rooms : DENS

39. Personal property : STUFF. unless you have a cat, then not so much.

42. "At Wit's End" humorist Bombeck : ERMA

43. Drilling tool : AUGER

45. Buster? : NARC. new clue.

47. It might say "Wipe your paws" : MAT

52. __ carotene : BETA

53. Draws : TIES

54. Parlor piece : SOFA. quaint.

59. Puget Sound port : TACOMA. washington state.

66. Japan's commercial center, historically : OSAKA

67. Accessory on the handlebars : BELL. does anyone use these anymore?

68. TV part? : TELE

69. __-case scenario : WORST

70. Oscillation : SWAY. a little tricky.

71. Body art, briefly : TATS


down

1. Little, to Leoncavallo : POCO. italian opera composer, poco is italian for little.

2. Aware of, as the latest : UP ON

3. Fruit coat : RIND. peel.

4. Protect again, as a driveway : RESEAL

5. Pre-Renaissance period : DARK AGES. sometimes i think we're going back there.

6. Football commentator Cross : IRV

7. Drip, say : LEAK

8. Emilio Estefan, notably : LATINO

9. Producer Ziegfeld : FLO. short for florenz - creator of ziegfield follies.

10. Cellphone customer's creation, perhaps : RINGTONE

11. Mideast ruler : EMIR

12. "Right away, señor!" : SI SI. c.c!

13. Internet address letters : HTTP

18. Brilliance : ECLAT

19. Gossip tidbit : ITEM

24. Install in Congress : SEAT

26. Dr.'s group : AMA. american medical association.

27. Sanskrit scripture : VEDA. archaic form of sanskrit.

28. Frost over : ICE UP

29. Mute sound? : LONG U. trying to trick us.

30. Stuck (to) : CLUNG

31. Marilyn, before she was Marilyn : NORMA jeane mortenson.

32. Poison __ : SUMAC

36. Latest addition to the British Royal Family : KATE. not for long.

38. Reversals : SETBACKS

40. __ food : FAST

41. Genetic research insect : FRUIT FLY. haven't seen tse-tse in a while.

44. U.S. 1, for one : RTE

46. Lobster Newburg ingredient : CREAM. 

49. Emphatic type: Abbr. : ITALics

50. Big wheels : NABOBS. just sounds funny.

51. Author Fitzgerald : F. SCOTT. the great gatsby. 

54. Put in the overhead bin : STOW

55. Very : OH SO

56. Cold feet : FEAR. alright.

58. Seagoing help : CREW

60. Military classification : ONE A

61. Go all weak in the knees : MELT. mmmm.

62. Seagoing assents : AYES

64. Bit of muesli : OAT

65. Schnozz extender : OLA. ha.

melissa

Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski

 Theme: Acme - A synonym for acme, (high point), starts off each theme entry.

17A. Prime hours for television broadcasters : PEAK VIEWING TIME

23A. Down in the dumps : CRESTFALLEN

37A. "Greetings, Paddy!" : "TOP O' THE MORNIN'!"

53A. Moonshine, or a soda named for it : MOUNTAIN DEW

61A. Conduct observed during international negotiations : SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

Argyle here and, shore and begorrah!, a roundabout way to get an Irish greeting in! Took a couple of spanners but the job was done.

Across:

1. Zion National Park's state : UTAH

5. "Liquid diet" drinkers : SOTs. Nobody we know. ;~)

9. Low-prestige position : McJOB

14. Actress Rogers : MIMI. And competitive poker player; I did not know that.

15. Front of the boat : PROW

16. River in Lyons : SAÔNE. Oh, great, another river to remember.

20. Snorkeling spot : REEF

21. Quaint "before" : ERE

22. Scissors sound : SNIP

27. Scrape together, with "out" : EKE

28. Googler's success : HIT

29. Skinny Olive : OYL. But was she EVOO?

30. Transferred, as property : DEEDED

32. Small amount : IOTA

34. GM navigation system : ONSTAR. (OnStar)

42. List of corrections : ERRATA

43. Created, as a web : SPUN

45. Jim of "Liar, Liar" : CARREY. Canadian,; I did not know that.

48. Dreamer's acronym : REM. (rapid eye movement)

51. Dedicated lines? : ODE

52. Conquistador's treasure : ORO. (gold)

57. Connecting point : NODE

59. Game with Skip and Reverse cards : UNO. Fun for all ages.

60. Show one's pearly whites : GRIN

66. Delta rival, as it used to be called : USAIR

67. Southernmost Great Lake : ERIE

68. Top draft status : ONE A

69. Debussy's "slow" : LENTE. (French notation)

70. Studio payment : RENT

71. More-caloric egg part : YOLK. I did know that.

Down:

1. "Steee-rike!" caller : UMP. The Houston Astros will host the Texas Rangers in the first game of the 2013 regular season on Sunday, March 31 at 8 p.m. EDT.

2. Accessory with a Windsor knot : TIE

3. Liqueur sometimes used in amandine sauce : AMARETTO. Start with a trout from a clear Irish stream. amandine sauce recipes.

4. Backpackers' outings : HIKES

5. All gussied up : SPIFFY

6. Forty-niner's pay dirt : ORE. The eighteen forty-niners, looking for gold, not the footballers looking for the end zone.

7. Beach bring-along : TOWEL

8. Marble cake pattern : SWIRL

9. Flavor-enhancing additive : MSG

10. Maine Coon and Manx : CATS

11. Signed up for : JOINED

12. Ready for recording : ON MIKE. (ready or not, in some cases.)

13. Alerted, in a way : BEEPED

18. Legislative turndown : VETO. The executive branch may turn down the legislative branch.

19. Must : NEED TO

23. Ill. metropolis : CHI. Anybody know where this is?

24. Laugh-a-minute type : RIOT

25. Wahine's greeting : "ALOHA"

26. In the vicinity : NEAR

31. Coastal divers : ERNS. Normally, they dive down to the water but not in it.

33. Mimic : APER. (nouns)

35. Hoops dangler : NET. (Basketball)

36. Shrewd : SMART

38. City near Provo : OREM

39. Beta-test : TRY OUT

40. Little music player : iPOD NANO

41. Not decent, so to speak : NUDE. but not indecent, either. Depends on the context.

44. Still in the package : NEW

45. Government official working overseas : CONSUL

46. Inspire, as curiosity : AROUSE

47. Former NBAer Dennis : RODMAN. Yes, he inspired curiosity.

49. Predatory hatchling : EAGLET

50. Surrealist Joan : MIRO. but more surreal than Rodman?

54. Less than : UNDER

55. Bête __ : NOIRE. Something or someone particularly detested and avoided.

56. "Star Trek" co-star of Shatner : NIMOY

58. Radiate : EMIT

62. Anger : IRE

63. Tailor's fastener : PIN

64. Toon collectible : CEL

65. Talk and talk : YAK

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

Here are two lovely pictures of Kazie & her husband Barry with their then 6-week old granddaughter Lea. Click here for more pictures.

Kazie said Lea is raised to be bilingual. So she and Barry are Grandma and Grandpa, and Lea's German grandparents are Oma and Opa.

Lea and Grandma Kazie

 

Lea and Grandpa Barry

 Here is a picture of the wedding of Lea's mom & dad (Saxony, August 2008):

Left to right: Kazie' younger son, her husband Barry, the happy couple, her husband's brother and sister, the sister's husband and Kazie.

Monday March 11, 2013 Jeff Chen

 Theme: IOU's - The first word in each theme entry spells out I, O, U's phonetically.

17A. Cyclone center : EYE (I) OF A HURRICANE.

26A. Roy Orbison hit featured in a Gere/Roberts film : OH (O) PRETTY WOMAN. I used to think the song title was just "Pretty Woman".

43A. Exerciser's motto : USE (U's) IT OR LOSE IT

56A. Debtors' documents suggested by the sequence of the first words of 17-, 26- and 43-Across : PROMISSORY NOTES. Plural form as a 15-letter spanner eases up the gridding considerably.

C.C. here, giving Argyle another break. No new puzzle at Cruciverb. Their monthly glitch. I cried wolf last Monday. 

Excellent puzzle from Jeff Chen, who's a master at coming up with smooth Monday grids with eye-popping fill.

Across:

1. Money under a mattress, e.g. : STASH. And 39. Reliable moneymakers : CASH COWS. "Money" clecho (clue echo).

6. Poses a question : ASKS. To answer your question Bill G, it doesn't happen often with LA Times, but there are certainly times when I can't figure out a theme. As for when, no rules.

10. Hired rides : CABS

14. Singer Lena : HORNE

15. Apt name for a windstorm? : GAIL. Very strong wind here last night.

16. Hollywood celeb : IDOL. I really like Bradley Cooper now, esp since Daniel Craig & D-Otto never called me. Bradley, this is crazy, but here's my number, so call me maybe?

20. Spotted : SAW

21. Pitcher's mistake : BALK

22. Feral no more : TAMED

23. Adds highlights at the salon : DYES. I've been thinking of having the hairstyle Marti and Garlic Gal sport. But it's hard to pull it off. Looks like high maintenance.

25. Sources of storage chest wood : CEDARS.  So Blue Iris has some Peter Rabbit melmac dishes in her cedar chest. What's in yours? We don't have a chest.

31. By surface area, second-largest Great Lake : HURON

32. Rent-a-car choice : AVIS

33. Apply daintily : DAB

36. Ladder rung : STEP

37. Taj __ : MAHAL

39. Gospel singer Winans : CECE

40. Needing no Rx : OTC

41. Late-night Jay : LENO. Not my cup of Java.

42. Coffees, in slang : JAVAS

47. Shipping container : CARTON

49. Inaugural pledge : OATH

50. Sarandon of "Thelma & Louise" : SUSAN. She's in "Bull Durham".

51. Channel for business types : CNBC

53. Magna __ laude : CUM

60. 50-and-over org. : AARP

61. 1,000 meters, briefly : KILO

62. Hindu guru : SWAMI

63. Loch of legend : NESS

64. "By Jove!" : I SAY

65. Extremely pale : ASHEN

Down:

1. Her, subjectively : SHE

2. Hot Wheels and hula hoops : TOYS

3. Region : AREA

 4. Flower that usually blooms in winter : SNOWDROP

5. Playboy founder, for short : HEF. Newly wed.

6. Thunderstruck : AGHAST

7. Bellow in a library? : SAUL. Saul Bellow.

8. Spock's captain : KIRK

9. Photog's camera choice : SLR

10. Large, noisy insect : CICADA. I used to pick up cicada skins in the summer time, then sold them to the Chinese herb shops. I can't remember what they are good for.

11. Starters of the first race? : ADAM AND EVE. Great answer/clue.

12. Silly mistake : BONER. Rich won't allow HOOTERS in a grid.

13. Winter coasters : SLEDS

18. Help illegally : ABET

19. List components : ITEMS

24. Japanese money : YEN. It has the same character as Chinese currency Yuan.

25. Spiral shape : COIL

26. Too-too : OH SO

27. Sci-fi's Jabba the __ : HUTT

28. Forerunners : PRECURSORS

29. Search engine name : YAHOO

30. Appalachian state: Abbr. : WVA. WV is more common.

34. Berry in modern diet supplements : ACAI

35. Oscar category word : BEST

37. Chow __ : MEIN. Chow= Stir-fried. Mein= Noodles. Cantonese.

38. Picnic pest : ANT

41. Téa of "Tower Heist" : LEONI

42. Scribble (down) : JOT

44. Postal purchases : STAMPS

45. Drink named for a Scottish hero : ROB ROY. Scotch.

46. Like some nighties : LACY

47. Channel for political types : C-SPAN

48. Psychic glows : AURAE. Never know if it's going to end in S or E.

51. Forensics team members: Abbr. : CSIs

52. The Big Easy acronym : NOLA. Hi there Hahtoola.

54. The Beehive State : UTAH

55. Kid's enthusiastic "I do!" : ME, ME

57. Compete in a slalom : SKI

58. Clandestine govt. org. : NSA

59. Admission in a confessional : SIN

1) Congratulations to Marti on her first ACPT! We're so proud of what you achieved! Marti only had one week to prepare for the tournament. With more practice, she's going to jump way ahead next year. Congratulates to Dan Feyer as well. You're just amazing, Dan.

 

2) Happy Birthday to our beautiful Mari!  She said this photo "shows two of my favorite things: cats and needlepoint. It leaves out my two other loves: Crosswords and books! I also included recently discovered photos of my great grandparents and my grand parents."

Sunday March 10, 2013

Theme: Spring Forward - DST (Daylight Saving Time) is hidden inside each theme entry.

23A. Booze : HARD STUFF. Have you heard of Maotai? So-called China's National drink. Really hard stuff. High price too.

25A Furrier's service : COLD STORAGE

41A. Ron Howard, once : CHILD STAR. Opie.

47A. Chris Evert forte : GROUND STROKE. Or GROUNDSTROKE, one word.

70A. "On the Waterfront" actor : ROD STEIGER. Watched the movie long time ago.

74A. Beef often braised : ROUND STEAK

97A. One roaming on the range : WILD STALLION

100A. News grabber : LEAD STORY

121A. Circulatory system component : BLOOD STREAM. Or BLOODSTREAM as one word.

123A. Economical heater : WOOD STOVE

 

133A. Annual cause of losing an hr.'s sleep hidden in this puzzle's 10 longest answers : DST

Very consistent, all in the pattern of ?D ST*.

Ten theme entries is a lot, actually 11 if you count the short DST. We often see 7 or 8 entries on Sundays, occasionally 9. Luckily most of them are relatively short. When theme entries have 9/11 letters, or 10/10 letters, Gail and Bruce can put two in one row, which makes gridding easier.

I like that all the theme entries are placed in Across, visually they make all the DST stand out.

Also nice to see SOCK clued as "38. Argyle, for one". Has to be a shout-out to our Argyle.

 

Across:

1. Badge bearer : COP

4. Ancient: Pref. : PALEO. 

9. English : C :: Greek : __ : GAMMA

14. "The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?" playwright : ALBEE (Edward)

19. Rah relative : OLE

20. Like basic switches : ON/OFF

21. "__ Gold": 1997 film : ULEE'S. Hard life.

22. Fine partner : DANDY

27. Not under wraps : OVERT

28. "30 Rock," e.g. : SITCOM

30. Pasha in the Nixon White House, and others : YORKIES. I only know Checkers.

31. Salacious stuff : SMUT

34. Holiday dishes? : CHINA. You were picturing food!

35. Salmon yield : ROE

36. Spots in a Senate race, say : ADS

39. Most golf pencils lack one : ERASER

51. Coll. helpers : TAs

52. Port, e.g. : WINE

53. Env. contents : ENCS

54. Private club, briefly? : USO. Oh, soldier.

55. Uses an acetylene torch : WELDS

57. Took a little off : PARED

58. "Okey-__!" : DOKEY

60. Get via scheming : WANGLE. Only know "Finagle".

62. Word on an "evacuation route" sign : TSUNAMI

64. Mischief-maker : RASCAL. Hi there Spitzboov!

67. Tending to arouse : SENSUAL.Or Sensuous?

69. Annoying noise : DIN

76. Equal : ARE

77. Herbal brew : SAGE TEA. Never had it before.

79. Exchange worker : TRADER

80. Some Broadway performers : DANCERS

82. Game opener : ANTHEM. Not coin toss.

84. Big name in game shows : SAJAK (Pat)

88. Former TWA owner : ICAHN (Carl). I can never remember his name. Weird spelling.

89. Where glasses may be raised? : OPERA. Another great clue.

90. Cooler cooler : ICE

93. Stroll in the shallows : WADE

94. 32 years elapsed between his first and most recent Emmys : ALDA. Click here. His recent one is for "The West Wing" 2006. Shouldn't it be 34  then?

95. Slice of history : ERA

103. __ del Fuego : TIERRA

104. WWII carrier : LST

105. Vegas opening : LAS

106. Can't get enough of, in a way : OGLES

109. Cristie Kerr's org. : LPGA. Boomer likes Cristie Kerr a lot.

111. Relief : RESPITE

115. Lumber problem : DRY ROT

117. Felt sore : ACHED

126. Put out : ISSUE

127. __-Whirl : TILT-A

128. Connecting points : NODES

129. Hall of Fame quarterback Dawson : LEN

130. Holds, as an arena : SEATS

131. Clampett player : EBSEN

132. Stingray relative : SKATE

Down:

1. Silver salmon : COHO. I looked. It's not Dennis!

2. Patron saint of Norway : OLAV

3. Euro pop? : PERE. French. Mon père, ma mère.

4. Drivers of red-white-and-blue vans : POSTMEN

5. Colony member : ANT

6. Teammate of Babe : LOU (Gehrig). Do you think the film of  "The Pride of the Yankees" was flipped? Gehrig was left-handed. Gary Cooper was right-handed and never learned how to hit/throw properly left-handed.

7. Pair of duffers? : EFFS

8. Cop : OFFICER

9. Big name in leather bags : GUCCI

10. Crazy as __ : A LOON

 11. '40s-'60s dinnerware brand : MELMAC. Never heard of the brand.

 

12. Sweatshirt size: Abbr. : MED

13. Ancient empire on the Tigris : ASSYRIA. Gimme for JD.

14. Liked loads : ADORED

15. Carefree diversion : LARK

16. __ B'rith : B'NAI

17. Benefit of one-upmanship : EDGE
 

18. Seeing things : EYES. I like this clue a lot.

24. HMO members : DRS

26. Level and bevel : TOOLS. Rhyme time.

29. Confused : THROWN

32. Language of Pakistan : URDU. Written from right to left.

33. Sputnik reporter : TASS. Now Itar-Tass.

36. Started to pucker up? : AGED. Not ready to be kissed!

37. Reclusive 1962 film villain : DR NO

40. Longshoreman's chore : STOWAGE

42. Nos. on driver's licenses : HTS. 5'4'' for me, the height for average American women.

43. It's depicted by a cello melody in "The Carnival of the Animals" : SWAN. No idea.

44. Angry outburst : TIRADE

45. Lack of vigor : ANEMIA

46. It's bad for business : RED INK

48. Tech callers : USERS. Our Qwest support is based in India.

49. Places for 61-Downs : KEGS. 61. Kind of collectible handle : ALE TAP

50. "Oklahoma!" aunt : ELLER

56. Signify : DENOTE

57. Vital signs : PULSES

59. China's Sun __ : YAT-SEN. Father of Modern China. He helped overthrow Qing, the last imperial dynasty in China.

62. Treat for Tabby : TUNA

63. Teen safety org. : SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions). I thought it's Students Against Drunk Driving.

65. Barely burn : SEAR

66. They may be bummed, briefly : CIGS

68. Infer : SURMISE

70. Bias-ply alternative : RADIAL

71. Ancient prophet : ORACLE

72. "Gracias" reply : DE NADA

73. Agree to more issues : RENEW. Magazines.

75. Netful of shrimp, say : TRAWL

78. Abruzzo town in a Longfellow poem : ATRI. "The Bell of Atri".

81. Libya neighbor : CHAD

83. Bit of horse show gear : HALTER

85. Barred room : JAIL

86. Hullabaloos : ADOS

87. Margate's county : KENT. What's so special about Margate?

89. Stroked tool : OAR

91. SW corner key : CTRL

92. Frontier lawman : EARP

95. Dakota du Sud and Floride, e.g. : ETATS. South Dakota & Florida, in French.

96. Floral ornament : ROSETTE

98. Renounces : DISOWNS

99. "Louisiana Real & Rustic" chef/author : LAGASSE (Emeril). Who's your favoirte TV chef?

101. Arrives home safely, perhaps : SLIDES. Baseball. 111. 12 of these is the single-player record for an MLB game : RBIs. Guess who held the record? And 113. 1998 N.L. MVP : SOSA

102. Alpine melodies : YODELS

107. Prepare, as pizza cheese : GRATE

108. The "L" in L. Frank Baum : LYMAN. Oh, I did not know this.

110. One way to enjoy being in a cast : ACT

112. Other than this : ELSE

114. Mope : POUT. Hi Baby!

116. Helped oneself to : TOOK

118. Believe : HOLD

119. Pre-holiday periods : EVES

120. Ding, but not dong : DENT. Ha ha.

122. Umbrella part : RIB

124. Harem room : ODA

125. "Law & Order" title: Abbr. : DET. Learned a lot about NY from Detective Lennie Briscoe.

Happy Birthday to our no-nonsense guy Avg Joe, who posted one of the best comments (What if, 4:26pm) I've read in this blog. What's on the stove today? Or are you eating out??