Interview with Alex Bajcz

I was so delighted with the ZERO G puzzle Alex Bajcz (Hungarian name, pronounced like "Badges") constructed for us in February. I had previously seen a couple puzzles with a simple G dropping gimmick, so the spelling changes Alex implemented in his theme struck me as more nuanced and elegant. Just a wonderful debut puzzle and I look forward to many creative grids from Alex,  a PhD student at University of Maine. Hello ORONO!

 
How did this theme come to you and what were the trouble spots in your constructing process? 13's as the first & last entries always make gridding/filling trickier.

Let's see...I recently re-took up crossword writing last summer, and this was the puzzle idea that drove me to do it. Not sure how exactly it came to me. I think I was reading up on types of themes and came across "container" themes and UNDERCOVER COP just came to me in a flash. As for the grid, I can't really remember struggling with any particular part. My grid designing skill is most definitely better now, I'll say that much. I do remember the NE was a little tricky (that ELIO/ AND ON crossing is yucky, I know!), as was getting LIQUORED UP to work...Qs are hard haha. 

What's your background and how did you get into crossword construction?

I took up crossword solving my freshman year in college because A) paying attention in class is hard for me and B) no one would play Scrabble with me any more. In all actuality, I'm not terribly good at Scrabble, but I do know my QINDARs and QANATs if you catch my drift. Crosswords gave me my word game fix without having to involve any other people. It's funny to me that I like word games as much as I do because I am an atrocious speller (something that hasn't cost me while writing a puzzle....yet (knock on wood)). I took up crossword writing because I was A) tired of being bad at solving crosswords and B) because I wanted to contribute rather than just consume. I'm still bad at solving, but now I get twice the enjoyment out of crosswords! haha

What kind of theme and fill excite you and what kind do you try to avoid in your grids?

I think all themes are potentially good. I think perhaps I prefer themes that are "tricky;" there's a NYT puzzle from a while back that had MIXED METAPHOR as a central answer and 6 anagrams of METAPHOR crossing it, which probably ranks as my favorite puzzle to date. But I think "straight" themes can be charming to solve also. Basically, when I finish a puzzle, I want to feel two things: "This puzzle definitely exists for a reason" (a good idea spawned it) and "This constructor really took their time choosing theme and fill answers." If I feel those two ways, I'm satisfied. 

Clean fill is super important to me. For every spot, I search at least two databases and create lists of all the words that could go there, and then choose only the ones I like well enough to use. I avoid things like partials, obscure words, and things I personally wouldn't have recognized (but there are always exceptions). I prefer multi-word answers (PICK OVER) and "vocalizations" (LET'S PLAY) the most. I also have to admit I really like "debuts." Anything that might make folks smile as they fill it in is also a plus--things like HARPOON GUN or BALL PIT and the like.

Which part do you normally spend the most time on in the construction process: theme brainstorming, gridding or cluing?

Cluing is almost an afterthought for me, I'll admit. I give it two passes. If I can't come up with something clever after two "tries," I give up and leave it to the editors. That said, I do try hard these days to make all my clues "new." 

Filling takes the most time because I'm patient and do it "by hand," but theme brainstorming is by far where the most mental energy of mine goes. I get writer's block big time with crosswords--I'm useless without inspiration! That's why it has been fun for me to collaborate with a fellow constructor recently. 

What puzzles do you solve every day and which constructors constantly inspire you?

I solve the NYT every day. I used to solve the LAT every day back in undergrad, but I switched about two years ago. Elizabeth Gorski and Jeff Chen are probably my favorite constructors right now. Liz always amazes me with her creativity, and they both almost always produce sterling, lively fill, which I really value. Patrick Berry's puzzles also tend to impress me, even though I can almost never solve them.

Besides crosswords, what are your other interests? 

I'm an evolutionary ecology PhD student who studies the reproductive behavior of fruiting plants. In other words, I study why fruits are the way they are--it's very delicious research. I'm working on wild blueberry right now, but I've worked on raspberries in the past and would like to return to them some day. I'm also a big trivia nut in addition to my love of word games. I attend a weekly trivia contest, run my own private trivia league for my friends, and play on LearnedLeague. I'm as bad at trivia as I am at solving crosswords, but I love them both. 

Thursday, March 21, 2013 Alex Bajcz

Theme: Covert OPs

20A. Hot sauce ingredient : TABASCO PEPPER.

27A. Vox populi : PUBLIC OPINION.

43A. Genre artist of mid-18th century Europe : ROCOCO PAINTER.

49A. Stinger? (and what's literally found in 20-, 27- and 43-Across): UNDERCOVER COP.

I missed Alex's debut puzzle on February 1st, since I was on the beach in Florida with no Wi-Fi. There are not many ways to split a three letter word, but all three phrases are in the lingo, so it felt pretty easy for a Thursday. And even though there were several unknown names, the crossings were all solid.  Marti here for your regular Thursday programming.

Across:

1. ___-minded : CIVIC. Nice palindromic word.

6. Skating team : PAIR. Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo of China won the pairs competition at the 2010 Olymics. This is why. Performance around 5:30, then the judging. Total 10:58

10. Strong desire, with "the" : HOTS. What screen idol do you have the hots for?

14. Caught this morning : FRESH. Fresh clue!

15. "Look ___ when I'm talking to you!" : AT ME.

16. Auth. of many snarky blog somments : ANON. Don't feed the trolls.

17. "Scrubs" head nurse : CARLA. Played by actress Judy Reyes.

18. Nurses : SIPS. So was your mind still on Carla?

19. "___ 911!": police series parody : RENO. Never saw the show.

23. Beret-sporting revolutionary : CHE. Guevara.

25. Operation Overlord vessel, for short : LST. Code name for the invasion of Normandy, where many Landing Ship, Tanks were put into service.

26. Concerto standout : SOLOIST. I don't think this one has been linked before. For you, Jazzbumpa!

30. Monstrous : OGRISH. Yes, it's a real word. So is ogrism, which leads me down a whole different path...

31. Off ___: sporadically : AND ON.

32. NBAer who tweeted "I'm about to retire" in 2011 : SHAQ. Shaquille O'Neal. And he did.

33. Wrinkly toy : PUG. Awwww...

34. Silver-tongued : GLIB.

38. No later than : UNTIL.

41. British blame game? : CLUEDO. Never heard of the British version of Clue.

45. Men's department fixture : TIE RACK.

47. Vessel near the desserts : URN. Coffee urn.

48. Droop : SAG.

52. Produced fiction? : LIED.

53. Say and mean : AVER.

54. Slapstick sidekick : OLLIE. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were probably the best slapstick comedy team, ever.

57. "House," in Inuit : IGLU.

58. Suckling spot : TEAT. I feel sorry for the little guys on the bottom.

59. Favors, with "toward" : LEANS.

60. Fanfare : POMP...and circumstance.

61. Woody's son : ARLO.

62. "Tearin' Up My Heart" band : 'N SYNC. They officially broke up about eight years ago, but live on in crosswords.

Down:

1. Compound once used as aerosol propellant: Abbr. : CFC. Chlorofluorocarbon.

2. NPR's "Science Friday" host Flatow : IRA.

3. Anatomical column component : VERTEBRA.

4. Land in el agua : ISLA.

5. Dry French wine : CHABLIS. I prefer Sauvignon Blanc.

6. Target in the end zone : PASS TO. Now that Wes Welker has defected to the Broncos, Tom Brady will have to find someone else to PASS TO in the end zone.

7. System ending? : ATIC. Systematic.

8. Eliciting awe : IMPOSING.

9. Plead in court, say : RESPOND.

10. Whaling weapon : HARPOON GUN.

11. Bowler's target : ONE PIN. Boomer!

12. Strengthens : TONES. Does anyone use an XBox for exercising? My personal trainer in the video is a real b*tch...

13. Sound from the bull pen : SNORT. Well, I guess it would depend if they were winning or losing the baseball game...(^0^)...snort

21. "The Nazarene" author Sholem : ASCH.  Sholem Asch (1880-1957) seems to have offended Jewish people everywhere with the trilogy, which also included "The Apostle" and "Mary."

22. Belgian prime minister Di Rupo : ELIO. Never heard of him.

23. Coast Guard noncoms : CPOs. Chief Petty Officer (s).

24. Jackman of "Les Miserables" (2012) : HUGH.

28. Sloshed : LIQUORED UP.  You should have 18-Acrossed those drinks!

29. São ___ : PAULO.

33. Examine, as produce : PICK OVER.

35. "Game on!" : LET'S PLAY.

36. Coconut product : IDEA. HaHa, "coconut" as a slang term for "head" here.

37. McEnroe rival : BORG. John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg.

39. Tar Heel St. : N. CAR. North Carolina Tar Heels.

40. Improvisational piece : TOCCATA. From the Italian "to touch." Here is a famous one, attributed to Bach.

41. Gideon Fell creator John Diskcon ___ : CARR.  Subject of more than 20 detective stories by Carr.

42. Apt vehicle in a presidential motorcade? : LINCOLN. Nice clue.

43. Furniture wood : RED ELM. It is beautiful wood for cabinetry.

44. ___ Rico : PUERTO.

45. Dutch export : TULIP.  Tulip service?

46. Covent Garden architect Jones : INIGO. Oh my, I just got INIGO Montoya etched into my brain, and now there's another one?

50. Scaloppine meat : VEAL. I like VEAL piccata, too.

51. Fútbol cheers : OLES.

55. Resting place : INN. "Mausoleum" just wouldn't fit...

56. "I didn't mean to do that" key : ESC.ape.  Time for me to slip out the back door. See you next week!

Hugs,

Marti

Wednesday, March 20, 2013 Amy Johnson

Theme: Gangster's Gotchas: Four tools in the grab-bag of crime-fighting.

20A. Shot from the side: PROFILE PICTURE. I looked for a picture of Barbra Streisand to illustrate the point, but instead found this rather neat example:

34A. End of Ali's memorable boast: STING LIKE A BEE. Not Ali MacGraw's "Love means never having to sting like a bee"? - no, wait.

42A. Diner’s cell app: TIP CALCULATOR. Please tell me no-one uses this app. I once had lunch with a business associate who got a tip card out of his wallet to calculate the tip on a $99 check.

56A. Makeshift radio antenna: WIRE COAT-HANGER. Almost every car in the UK had one of these when I was growing up. The "disaffected youth" had a habit of breaking off the factory-installed telescopic ones. People got creative with them:

and the unifier:

71A. Agts. who might use the starts of 20-, 34-, 42- and 56-Across: G-MEN. George "Machine Gun" Kelly's nemeses according to the official history of the F.B.I.

Hi everyone! Steve here with Wednesday's offering from Amy Johnson. I liked the theme and I found some fresh cluing and fill. A couple of long downs too, so a lot to like. I think I had just one grumble or gripe and that was it. Let's see what else we've got.

Across:

1. Beavers’ projects: DAMS

5. Eat on the run, as a sandwich: GRAB

9. Dainty drinks: SIPS

13. Thick-furred dog: SPITZ. This one is called Boov:

15. Opera that premiered in Cairo in 1871: AIDA

16. Make ribbing with needles: KNIT. I tried to learn to knit once to make a beanie to ski in. After six months I gave up and bought one.

17. Ski lodge mugful: COCOA. Not my first thought here - Glühwein, Vin chaud, Mulled wine, Hot Toddy. After a day out there I need warming up with something stronger than cocoa!

18. Febreze target: ODOR

19. Wine bucket, e.g.: ICER

23. Bygone full-size Ford: LTD. Pronounced "El-Tee-Dee" and still going strong in some places:

24. Federal air marshals’ org.: T.S.A. I'm very familiar with the Transportation Safety Administration who have limited the size and quantity of items which may be carried through the security checkpoint. For further information, I can contact my carrier or the nearest T.S.A official. Ya think I go through airports much?

25. __ Nashville: country music label: MCA

26. Cosmetics mogul Mary Kay: ASH. I had no idea this was her full name.

29. Physics particles: IONS

32. Celeb with all the answers: TREBEK. I read today that Alex will probably not sign a new "Jeopardy" host contract when his current one expires next year, and Matt Lauer, Anderson Cooper and Dan Patrick are all being mentioned as possible replacements.

37. Green Hornet’s driver: KATO

38. Habit wearer: NUN

39. Sack lead-in: KNAP

47. Like cheerleaders: RAH-RAH

49. __ majesty: high treason: LESE. I'd seen this phrase before but I don't think I knew the definition. Apparently from the Latin and translated as "Injured Majesty". Nice to know!

50. Scheming: SLY. I like that a sly plan could be a scheming scheme.

51. Legal ending: -ESE

52. Lamb’s pop: RAM

54. Billy’s bleat: MAA. Of course, I can always tell if it's a goat or a sheep behind me. Sheep go BAA.

62. Valentine’s Day deity: AMOR. Now this one I have a little problem with. I'd call the deity the god or goddess of love, not the love itself. Cupid or Venus would be the dio or dea dell'amore? What think ye?

63. “Modelland” author Banks: TYRA

64. Scrabble’s blank pair: TILES. Not my Scrabble Blank Stare when I'm looking at a rack of ZXTKQDJ

66. Respond to hilarity: ROAR

67. “A likely story”: I BET

68. Bridge bid, briefly: ONE NO. Slight misstep here when I filled in ONE NT for those No Trumps.

69. Netflix rentals: DVDs These will be joining VHS tapes as "Bygone Rentals" before very long when we're all beaming digital movies directly into our brains, or at least into our Google Glasses.

70. So-so grades: CEEs It's relative. I was delighted when I got my first C in math when I'd been mired in the D-territory for so long I despaired I'd ever get out.

Down:

1. Gallantry-in-combat mil. award: D.S.C. The Distinguished Service Cross.

2. Per: A POP. I like this!

3. Very small: Pref.: MICR. Hmmm. Not convinced. I've been trying to think of something very small where the prefix wasn't actually MICRO and I've drawn a blank.

4. Island seating: STOOL. Kitchen island aha! I was wondering why stools were peculiar to maritime islands.

5. Brit’s joint: GAOL. Oscar Wilde wrote a fine poem "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" when he was incarcerated there. The nature of the conviction against him forced the publication of the work under the pseudonym "C.3.3" which stood for Cell block C, Landing 3, Cell 3.

6. Hitchhiker’s hope: RIDE

7. Get a pound pooch, say: ADOPT

8. Coffeehouse specialist: BARISTA. A few years ago we'd all have been scratching our heads "wha'?". Now it goes straight in.

9. Satirical miniature: SKIT

10. Officeholders: INCUMBENTS. I was on the filing cabinets or paper trays track for a while.

11. Fillmore’s successor: PIERCE. Franklin following Fillmore; POTUS numbers 13 and 14 respectively.

12. Bolt in the buff: STREAK. Fun clue.

14. Full-figured: ZAFTIG. More learning for me today. I must have seen the word at some time because I did recognize it, but I sure had some non-PC ideas when I had -A--IG. "DAM BIG" was the least offensive.

21. Superstar search show, to fans: IDOL. Not an American Idol fan, I don't think I've ever seen an episode in it's entirety.

22. Atkins no-no: CARB. Funny how some eating plans work for some and not for others. Probably 50% of my diet are carbohydrates.

26. Pose: ASK

27. RR stop: STA

28. “Get lost”: HIT THE ROAD. I think only people called Jack can be told to hit the road.

30. Simone of jazz: NINA.  And a perfect excuse to hear the wonderful voice of the lovely Nina Simone

31. Hard head?: SKULL

33. “__ mouse!” EEK! A I know some purists might not like this partial, but I did for some reason.

35. Bleak film genre: NOIR.

36. Suffix with differ or defer: ENCE

40. Pioneering ISP: AOL.

41. Meddle: PRY

43. Jardin du Luxembourg, par exemple: PARC. A big park in Paris. My favorite is the Parc des Princes, the national soccer and rugby stadium. The landscaping is a little different.

44. Utterly confused: CHAOTIC

45. West Point inits.: U.S.M.A. The United States Military Academy. Looks like a nice, tranquil place to complete your Bachelor's degree and I'm sure the food is good.

46. Primitive shelter: LEAN-TO

47. Wanted poster offer: REWARD

48. “Foundation” author: ASIMOV. I had the "S" and the "V" and I'd struggle to think of any other author that would fit

53. “It could happen”: MAYBE

55. Gerontologist’s concern: AGING

57. Gets the wrong total, say: ERR. And the erring never seems to be in your favor when it happens.

58. Branch locale: TREE

59. Small business owner’s figurative array: HATS. Is there a theoretical maximum to the number of hats one can wear?

60. Ne or Na: ELEM. The elements Neon and Sodium. New game - best word you can make with two elements and a conjunction? Mine's PANDAS for phosporus AND arsenic

61. Artist Magritte: RENE

65. George W., to George H.W.: SON. Four presidents in today's puzzle.

I discovered the phrase "Post Turtle" last week and I'm still laughing about it. I'll leave it at that in case you think I'm implying that one of our 11D or 65D gentlemen prompted me to mention it. See you next time!

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to dear Spitzboov (Al), who served in the Navy in the late 50s. He also  served in the Navy Reserve for 21 years. When he retired at age 60, Al was a Commander. Now you know his love for the Navy! Al made it possible that Boomer and I have the best flag in the neighborhood.

Spitzboov & his lovely wife Betty, US Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT,
August 2012

 

2) Argyle  commented "Oh-oh, one of those words" on yesterday's entry AREEL (54A. Spinning dizzily). I received this email from Don in California. He said:

"I do the LA puzzle every weekday (too "crazy-hard" on the weekend!). I'm a casual reader of your blog who enjoys your daily write-ups and I don't want to post anything. I was wondering what you think of, or how you deal with, puzzles that contain "words" that don't appear to be real words like "AREEL" and are not found in the dictionary. Isn't there some sort of rule that they need to be in the dictionary? It's bad enough with all of the "sayings" that appear constantly like "NODUH".

I did not find AREEL in my Webster's College dictionary, or any online dictionary. But I remember once complaining about ALOP, then someone found ALOP in a dictionary. I'd like to hear your thoughts on Don's email. What words/abbrs do you hate to see in a crossword grid?

Tuesday, March 19, 2013 Pancho Harrison

 Theme: Double Double-Aught - It's like looking at the business end of a pair of doubled-barrel shotguns.

17A. Play some b-ball : SHOOT HOOPS

25A. Tinted feature of some cars : MOONROOF

37A. Infallible, as a scheme : FOOLPROOF

51A. "The Hustler" setting : POOL ROOM

62A. Cereal with a spokestoucan : FROOT LOOPS

Old Sure-shot Argyle here. It would be hard to miss this theme staring you in the face. Anchored by those seven-letter columns in the corners.

Across:

1. Al who created Fearless Fosdick : CAPP. A Dick Tracy-type who would show up in Dogpatch upon occasion.

5. Sign between Virgo and Scorpio : LIBRA

10. Sailboat's team : CREW

14. Trac II successor : ATRA

15. See eye to eye : AGREE

16. "Divine Secrets of the __ Sisterhood" : YA-YA. 2002 comedy-drama I plan to watch...someday.

19. Well, in Paris : BIEN. Très bien; words I seldom heard from my French teacher.

20. Brain scan letters : EEG

21. What a red "X" may mean : ERROR. Letter I often saw on my French papers.

22. Charged atoms : IONS

23. Tavern game : DARTS

28. Motley : RAGTAG. and bobtail.

31. __ of speech : FIGURE. Like the entry above.

32. "OMG, stop with the details already!" : "TMI!". "Too Much Information!"

33. Support column : PILING. Often unseen but is what holds up the rest of a structure.

36. Hamilton's bill : TEN

40. Nervous mannerism : TIC

43. Pluto, for a time : PLANET. "I was?"

44. Curvy letter : ESS

47. The Negev's nation : ISRAEL

49. Put under : SEDATE

54. Spinning dizzily : AREEL. Oh-oh, one of those words.

56. __ Linda, California : LOMA

57. "Like, obviously!" : "NO DUH!"

60. Nutritional no. : RDA. (Recommended Dietary Allowance)

61. Smallish iPod : NANO

64. Pac-12 team since 2011 : UTEs. University of Utah.

65. Boxer Mike : TYSON

66. Run amok : RIOT

67. With 5-Down, Cowardly Lion player : BERT. 5D. See 67-Across : LAHR

68. Big name in farm equipment : DEERE. The big green machines; "Nothing Runs Like A Deere"

69. 649,739 to 1 against being dealt a royal flush, e.g. : ODDS. The ultimate hand.

Down:

1. Looked for security cameras, say : CASED. When planning to abet.

2. In the most basic way : AT HEART

3. Usher's handout : PROGRAM. "Can't tell the players without a program"

4. Kung __ chicken : PAO. Peanuts and peppers, oh my!

6. "What hump?" lab assistant : IGOR. A quote from "Young Frankenstein".

7. Ump's plate cleaner : BROOM. (whisk broom, that is.)

8. Copy, briefly : REPRO

9. '50s Dem. presidential candidate : AES. (Adlai Ewing Stevenson II) They are up to Adlai Ewing Stevenson V, now.

10. Bionic Woman, for one : CYBORG. A spin off from The Six Million Dollar Man TV show.

11. Reason for a tarp-covered field : RAINOUT

12. Condemned building, maybe : EYESORE. Or something on this site.

13. Pasty-faced : WAN

18. Skills evaluation : TEST

22. __ Montoya: "The Princess Bride" role : INIGO. "En Garde!"

24. "About time the week ended!" : TGIF

26. Deserving attention : OF NOTE

27. Wetland : FEN

29. Hunky Greek god : APOLLO. What is his connection to Adonis?

30. __ monster: lizard : GILA. Colorful critter with a bad bite.

34. Hosp. staffer : LPN. (Licensed Practical Nurse)

35. Ticks off : IREs

38. "Carmen," for one : OPERA

39. Phobia : FEAR

40. Insider's hint : TIP

41. Cut off from others : ISOLATE

42. Michael Bublé, e.g. : CROONER

45. Drug banned by most pro sports : STEROID

46. Bean container : SEED POD

48. Nearly : ALMOST

50. Writer Roald : DAHL

52. How pastrami may be served : ON RYE. Corned beef gone already!?

53. Caribou cousin : MOOSE

55. Has a long shelf life : LASTS

58. Way in : DOOR

59. __ Reader: eclectic magazine : UTNE. If you haven't learned this yet, study it; it will be back.

61. Much-used pencil : NUB

62. Bouquet dely. facilitator : FTD. (Florists' Transworld Delivery)

63. Gold, in Granada : ORO. Old map of the Granada in Spain.

Argyle

Monday, March 18, 2013 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: One Big Happy Family - because in the end, they're all ARKIN (our kin).

17A. 2012 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee : BARRY LARKIN

24A. Best Supporting Actor nominee for "Argo" : ALAN ARKIN

38A. Relatives, and an apt title for this puzzle : KINFOLK

45A. Iowa senator since 1985 : TOM HARKIN

57A. Al Pacino's "Sea of Love" co-star : ELLEN BARKIN

Argyle Markin here. C.C. has delivered a crunchy Monday. Full names, that's always nice. Nine-letter Down fill is nice but more than a few three-letter fill was needed. Foreign words and locations add little nuggets of crunch.

Across:

1. Discoverers' shouts : A-HAs

5. Dictation takers : STENOs. These days they can find work as a 'court stenographer'. Beyond that?

11. "Every kiss begins with __": jeweler's slogan : KAY. "Since 1916, Kay Jewelers has grown from one store to more than 900 from coast to coast ... the #1 specialty jewelry brand in the United States" from the company web site.

14. Red salad veggie : BEET

15. Clear the fustiness from : AIR OUT. Like using a leaf blower to clean your car?

16. Grand __ Opry : OLE

19. Not too bright : DIM

20. Volume of maps : ATLAS

21. Versailles ruler : ROI. Des résidences du Roi au château de Versailles.

22. Plucky movie pig : BABE. (1995) Seventeen years ago already.

23. Michelle, to Barack : WIFE

27. Patio furniture repairman : CANER. I'll bet they are hard to find and expensive.

28. Expressive music subgenre : EMO. (no link available)

29. Report card figs. : AVG's

30. Hopi home : PUEBLO. Not as grand as Versailles.

34. Kind : ILK. Kind is derived from the same root as KIN; ILK is not but they have come to mean the same thing.

37. Modern, in Munich : NEU

39. "__ do not!" : NO, I. and never did.

40. Hee-hawing critter : ASS

41. Watchdogs from Japan : AKITAs

42. Get snippy with : SASS

43. Unrefined find : ORE

44. Superhero duds : CAPES. like 48D. Superman, on Krypton : KAL-EL

51. Elevator innovator : OTIS

52. "Can I get a word in?" : [AHEM!]

53. D-backs, on scoreboards : ARI. Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks.

54. Formal decrees : DICTA. Singular, DICTUM (edict, decree, fiat, order, declaration)

56. Party coffeemaker : URN

60. Statistical data: Abbr. : NO's

61. City known for its Boys' Choir : VIENNA

62. Giggly Muppet : ELMO

63. "Schedule uncertain at press time" abbr. : TBA. (to be announced)

64. Passages between buildings : ALLEYS

65. Gets the point : SEES

Down:

1. "Fernando" band : ABBA. No need to link; you're probably hearing it in your head already.

2. Stretches in the high 90s, say : HEAT WAVES

3. Flier with a shamrock logo : AER LINGUS

4. Fires on from above : STRAFES

5. "My gal" of song : SAL. The mule on the Erie canal, ye haven't forgotten her already, have ye?

6. Sparkling topper : TIARA

7. Flamboyant Flynn : ERROL. The best swashbuckler ever.

8. Cellphone giant : NOKIA

9. "I'd love to, Yvette!" : "OUI!"

10. MTA stop : STN. Unless you're poor old Charlie. He couldn't get off of that train.

11. Camera name since 1888 : KODAK

12. Suspect's excuse : ALIBI

13. Aden's country : YEMEN

18. Belgian river : YSER. So much geography, so little time.

22. Dude : BRO

25. Actress Carter and "little" Dickens character Trent : NELLs. Nell Carter was on Gimme a Break! and was noted for her 42-Across. "Little Nell Trent" was a character in Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop.

26. Hog-wild : AMOK

27. Water-to-wine village : CANA

30. Penny pincher : PIKER. Etymology is in question.

31. Prefix with cycle : UNI

32. Wee newt : EFT

33. Showy wrap : BOA

34. Up the creek : IN A PICKLE. Funny, after having Vlasic yesterday.

35. Runs too slowly, as a watch : LOSES TIME

36. X, in valentines : KISS

38. Former "Idol" judge DioGuardi : KARA. She seems quite qualified to be a judge so she only lasted two seasons.

42. Ironic sketches : SATIRES

43. Resistance measure : OHM. Symbol: Ω

44. Musical wrap-up : CODA. Coda is the Italian word for “tail.” Makes sense now.

45. Talk trash to : TAUNT

46. "The Dick Van Dyke Show" catchphrase : "OH, ROB!". At 1:10.

 

47. Brainy bunch : MENSA

49. Dancer Castle : IRENE

50. Simpleton : NINNY

55. Years in España : ANOs

57. One of the Gabors : EVA

58. Small, in Dogpatch : LI'L

59. History majors' degs. : BA's

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) This is my original submitted grid with no unifier, just 5 *KIN people:

Rich said: "This is potentially a cute theme, but it needs a unifying element. The one that jumps out at me is KINFOLK. If you can figure a way to include that with 5 entries, that'd be great--but if not, I'd suggest cutting to 4 entries..."

  

I could not come up with clean fill with my 5 entries plus the unifier, so I chickened out and used 4. K's gave me trouble.

 

2) Happy Birthday to dear Warren, who has not made a comment since we started the Captcha. Hope all is well with you and Ruth!

Left to right:  Warren, JD, EddyB, Chickie

Sunday March 17, 2013 Alan Arbesfeld

Theme: Disorderly Conduct - The initial consonant sounds of the "A THE B" phrases are switched. All conversions experienced spelling changes.

23A. Avoid caviar? : SHUN THE ROE. Run the show.

28A. Rouse a duck? : WAKE THE TEAL. Take the wheel.

34A. Back beachgoers? : STAKE THE TANNED. Take the stand. Was surprised by the two "Takes".

51A. Strongly desire daredevils? : CRAVE THE BOLD. Brave the cold.

61A. Respond to a face-licking? : KISS THE MUTT. Miss the putt. (Correction: Miss the cut. Thanks, Barry!)

77A. Work for nothing? : WAIVE THE PAY. Pave the way.

88A. Forgo long stories? : SKIP THE TALES. Tip the scales.

102A. Select one's jousting weapon? : CHOOSE THE LANCE. Lose the chance.

111A. Apportion a side dish? : DOLE THE RICE. Roll the dice.

  

121A. Bench a cab company softball team player? : SIT THE HACK. Hit the sack.

Quite a sophisticated theme for a non-English speaker. Spelling changes always make the gimmick harder for me. When did you grok the theme?

Bold grid arrangement today, esp considering there are 10 theme entries. Four 10-letter non-theme entries placed in Across. Sometimes they confuse solvers as to whether those are theme entries. But today's theme clues all have question marks, so there shouldn't be any confusion. 

I'd be a coward and black out squares 20, 25 & their symmetrical partners. Alan Arbesfeld (on the right) is a real pro.

 

Across:

 1. 1994 Nobel Peace Prize sharer : RABIN. Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin.

6. Campfire rod : SPIT. 26. Camp sight : TENT

10. Biblical king of Israel and a captain : AHABs. Not familiar with the king.

15. Small matter? : ATOM. Can't fool me.

19. Coral reefs, e.g. : ECOSYSTEMS

21. Amazon tributary : NEGRO. Never heard of it.

22. Roof pointer : VANE

24. Sheets for jotting : SCRAP PAPER. I have my pretty little notebooks.

27. Sign : OMEN

29. Stella __: cookie brand meaning "star of gold" : D'ORO. Very helpful clue.

31. "__ tree falls ..." : IF A

33. Cigarette ad phrase : LESS TAR

39. 2000 title role for Renée : IRENE. In "Me, Myself & Irene". Not an easy clue.

42. HMS component : HER

43. Marx observation : QUIP. The Marx Brothers.

44. Tiny : WEE

45. Düsseldorf direction : OST. East.

47. See 82-Down : CAN. 82. With 47-Across, 2008 campaign slogan : YES WE.

48. Saharan : ARID

50. NBA scoreboard item : PTs

55. Weirdo : CREEP

57. What an applauding audience may want : MORE

59. Academy founder : PLATO. I was thinking of Oscar.

 

60. Word on a dollar : ORDO. Novus Ordo seclorum. Latin for "New Order of the Ages".

64. Over : ATOP

65. Thor's father : ODIN

66. Python in "The Jungle Book" : KAA

67. Guesses : STABS

69. Routine : ACT

71. For fear that : LEST

74. Golfer Jay : HAAS. Saw him in 3M Championship. His son Bill Haas plays in the PGA Tour. 

83. Iams competitor : ALPO

84. Title role for Michael and Jude : ALFIE

86. Whole bunch : SCAD. Often in plural.

87. V-formation fliers : GEESE

91. __ Fáil: Irish coronation stone : LIA. We used to have fun with this entry.

93. Mmes., across the Pyrenees : SRAs

94. Polite title : SIR

95. Put a coat on? : WAX. Nice clue.

96. Inside look, briefly? : MRI

97. LAX postings : ETDs

99. "Charlotte's Web" monogram : EBW. E. B. White.

100. In reserve : ON ICE

106. "Can you imagine?!" : THE IDEA. Can you imagine TTP goes 0/7 this week?

109. N.L. Central team : STL

110. Massachusetts Bay city : LYNN. Unknown to me also.

114. Jeté, say : LEAP

117. Familia members : TIAS

120. With "The," Frederick Forsyth thriller : ODESSA FILE. Lemonade might have read this book. He's into thrillers.

123. Menu : LIST

124. Doctor's orders : DOSES

125. Pasta that doesn't sound very appetizing : VERMICELLI. "Little worms". Have you ever had Chinese bean thread noodles? They're often translated as Vermicelli.

126. Hardy heroine : TESS

127. New followers? : AGERS. New Agers.

128. Roles : USES

129. Bear, to Brutus : URSUS

Down:

1. Leftovers : REST

2. Feel pain : ACHE

3. Parental settings : BOUNDARIES. Oh, set the boundaries.

4. Falls short of being acceptable : ISN'T OK

5. News initials since 1851 : NYT. Let me check LA Times... 1881.

6. Part of a goblet : STEM

7. Parent to Philippe : PERE

8. "Leave that to me" : I'M ON IT

9. "The Waste Land" monogram : TSE

10. Looped handle : ANSA. Classic Xword word.

11. Give a hard time at the comedy club : HECKLE
 
12. "Deal!" : AGREED!

13. Nightmares for nana : BRATS

14. Campus group : SOPHS

15. 2009 James Cameron epic : AVATAR

16. Save for later playing : TAPE-RECORD. Wish I had tape-recorded some family stories my grandma & dad told me.

17. Most fit to serve : ONE-A

18. Jazz keyboardist Saunders : MERL. The guy on the left. I must have googled him before.

20. Grow dramatically : SHOOT UP

25. Dress designation : PETITE

28. Baseball Hall of Famer Paul or Lloyd : WANER. Husker Gary mentioned last time that Paul is the "Big Poison". Lloyd "Little Poison".

30. Like basic courses: Abbr. : REQ

32. "The Burning Bed" star : FAWCETT (Farrah). Never saw the movie.
 

34. Hovel : SHACK

35. Country singer Clark : TERRI

36. Casino request : HIT ME. Boomer will be bowling at Treasure Island today. Fantastic buffet at the casino.

37. __ Downs : EPSOM

38. Tide table term : NEAP

40. Nita of silents : NALDI

41. __ a sour note : END ON

45. "Beetle Bailey" dog : OTTO. And 112. "Garfield" pooch : ODIE

46. Patronize : SHOP AT

49. Big Apple locale? : DESKTOP. Not New York.

52. Big name in pickles : VLASIC. Love this word. Love pickles.

53. Put away : EAT

54. Coverings for tiny toes : BOOTEES. Do you spell it as BOOTIES as well?

56. Educ. fundraiser : PTA

58. Georgia neighbor : RUSSIA. Georgia is always the country in Xwords, unless it's Ty Cobb related.

62. Comedy club sounds : HA HA HA

63. Fancy marble : TAW. Learned from doing Xwords.

68. Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh, e.g. : BASSIST

70. Use MC or Amex : CHG. OK, MasterCard. Charge.

71. Roy Rogers prop : LASSO

72. "The Magic Kingdom" novelist Stanley : ELKIN. No idea.

73. Lethargic : SPIRITLESS

75. "Potent Potables for $200, __" : ALEX. Misty loves him. Not me.

76. Back on board : AFT. Back of the ship.

78. Parking lot runner, perhaps : VALET
 
79. Head of Hollywood : EDITH. Edith Head the costume designer.

80. Tulips and dahlias : PERENNIALS. We had an awful experience dealing with Michigan Bulb last year.

81. Easy __ : AS ABC

85. Sesame Street giggler : ELMO

89. Brief online updates : TWEETS

90. Uneven : EROSE

92. Long Island university : ADELPHI. Well, I'm sure the Saturday Stud nailed it. Splynter has beautiful handwriting, by the way.

98. Shifty : SLY

101. Storage units : CHESTS

102. Red shade : CERISE

103. Arm raiser on the street, often : HAILER. Hail a taxi.

104. Magazine awards : ELLIEs. From Wiki: They are generally considered the highest award in the magazine industry; in the magazine world, they are roughly equivalent to the Pulitzer Prizes.

105. Stamen part : ANTHER

107. "If __ Hammer" : I HAD A

108. Get the mist off : DEFOG

111. Knucklehead : DOLT

113. British tax : CESS

115. To be, to Brigitte : ETRE

116. 20 holders, briefly : ATMs

118. Rights gp. : ACLU

119. They're worn on moguls : SKIs. Slope moguls.

121. "Law & Order: __" : SVU. I don't like this spinoff at all.

122. Bygone French coin : ECU

C.C.