Friday. May 3, 2013, Norm Gugenbiller

Theme: Gold-diggers unite! Anna Nicole Smith and the Life of Riley.

Each of the three similarly clued answers describe someone who is wealthy who takes care of another, usually a person taking advantage of the rich one. This is one of our infrequent puzzles from Mr. Guggenbiller, who also has 3 solos at the NYT, but none in years. A more conventional Friday than we have have seen in a while, with many fun fills like COASTERS, DRIP DRY, LIP READER,  MACEDONIA, MR. CLEAN, ROUGHAGE, and SCARFED. A workout but another different doable effort. I wonder if Cheers made his life miserable.

18A. Supporter # 1 : RICH UNCLE. (9) Mine used to buy us toys, and then kept them in his attic so they would not get broken. Only our little hearts were broken.

24A. Supporter # 2 : SUGAR DADDY. (10).  Like Anna Nicole's 90+ husband. Are they so named because they are suckers?

53A. Supporter # 3 : MEAL TICKET.(10). Ironically, Anna Nicole was the other Howard Stern's meal ticket.

Sort of a reveal,

59A. Supporters 1, 2 and 3 : FREE RIDES.(9).

Bonus themeage:

47D. Where you might be with this puzzle's 59-Across? : FAT CITY.(7). This is a type of slang that adds city to a word to indicate a "location" of some condition. The idea being only rich people could afford getting fat.

On to the rest,

Across:

1. Tricky stroke : MASSE. Do not know why, but this popped right into my head. I used to play lots of pool, but I was never good at this shot. Without getting this, the corner would have been a bear.

6. Don't deny : ADMIT. In pleadings, the answer can be as simple as admitted or denied.

11. Fr. address : MME. Mademoiselle. Not an address, but an address. "Bon Jour, MME." This is the cleanest version

14. Belief of more than a billion : ISLAM.

15. It's tossed : TRASH. I was happy with SALAD until I wasn't.

16. Jets coach Ryan : REX. One of the twin sons of coaching legend Buddy Ryan. They finally released Tebow this week. Rex is a foot fetishist. Don't you want to be famous?

17. Watts of "The Impossible" : NAOMI.

20. Hip-hop Dr. : DRE. He is so popular he is back for an encore this week.

21. Carp : GRIPE. Not to be confused with CRIPES.

23. Word with power or panel : SOLAR. This was easy because they were talking on the radio this morning about this awesome CAR. Dennis, there is a used one for sale in Palm Beach for $69,000.00 if you are interested.

27. In transit : SENT. This should be easy but was not.

28. Chosen groups : ELITES.

29. Fiber source : ROUGHAGE. I never really knew this word, but I was always told to eat my salad (back again!) for the roughage. As a child it did not sound appealing at all.

31. Portable digs : TENT. Nice simple clue.

32. Traveling Wilburys co-founder Jeff : LYNNE. More famous from his days with ELO.

33. Nancy Drew's guy : NED. Back again.

34. Sherpa's sighting : YETI. The abominable snowman. I finally got to watch the Castle episode with Ioan Gruffudd, who played Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic in the Fantastic Four Movies, as well as Horatio Hornblower in the PBS movies. He has been in lots of movies, ladies, and was 'married' to Jessica Alba in the FF movies.

37. Clichéd film assistant : IGOR. Was there any better than Marty Feldman? (1:37).

39. Volume control? : SHH. For three letter fill, I liked this one.

42. Old-style shade : SEPIA. The color of old photographs.

44. Minnesota's St. ___ College : OLAF. Is it real or merely part of the GOLDEN GIRLS?

48. Wood protectors : COASTERS. My mind was all about varnish, etc. for too long.

50. Prison in 1971 news : ATTICA. Generally we do not hear about prisons unless there are escapes or riots.

52. "I ___ stupid!" : AM SO. I often feel that way when blogging.

55. Like wall phones : RETRO. Yes but only if they have rotary dial.

57. Come to ___ : A HALT. This is how to avoid the dreaded A words.

58. Abbr. used for brevity : ETC. Justice Holmes who agreed that brevity is the soul of wit, wrote all of his opinions standing on the theory that weak knees inspire concise writing. Sadly for you all, I am sitting.

61. Asian capital : HANOI. Vietnam.

63. Shakespearean adverb : E'EN. Love my Shakespeare.

64. Aces : GREAT.

65. It may be historical : EVENT.

66. Deg. for Tim Whatley on "Seinfeld" : DDS. Doctor of Dental Science. LINK. (1:06) played by Bryan Cranston who is now a big hit on Breaking Bad, after a stint in Malcolm in the Middle.

67. Things found around the house : YARDS. Nicely literal but deceptive clue.

68. Nephew of Donald : DEWEY. No not Huey, nor Louie. Donald was not the rich one.

Down:

1. Outlook : MINDSET. These next few are all good and Friday worth.

2. In most instances : AS A RULE. This took all the perps.

3. Red liqueur : SLOE GIN. I always think of it as Pink Gin. Anyone like Singapore Slings? Have some stories....

4. "The Lord of the Rings" hobbit : SAM. Samwise Gamgee, played brilliantly by SEAN ASTIN, (3:21) Gomez Addams' son.

5. Political fugitive : EMIGRE. This is great fill, but the clue was misleading me.

6. Chest chambers : ATRIA. Of the heart.

7. Hang on a line : DRIP DRY. Alliteration is always welcome.

8. Landlocked European country : MACEDONIA. My American geography lack made this a struggle. Alexander the Great and his father Philip II were from there.

9. Qualifying suffix : ISH. This was hardish?

10. Consequently : THUS. I had to work harder to finISH?

11. Magic Eraser spokesman : MR. CLEAN. He was the cool bald guy like Yul Brynner and Kojak.

12. Mishmash : MELANGE. Great word.

13. Put to vigorous use : EXERTED. I hope none of us over-exerted our brains for this one.

19. Bite : NOSH. American Yiddish.

22. Hwys. : RDS.

25. One who may object: Abbr. : ATTY. I wish they would do courtroom objections on TV with some degree of reality.

26. Egg foo ___ : YUNG. Is this real Chinese C.C.? (From C.C.: I never heard of Egg foo young/yung until I came to the US.)

30. Former Prizm maker : GEO.

32. One who can see what you mean : LIP READER. I love this clue, takes thought to get there.

35. Appraisal no. : ESTimate.

36. Overflow : TEEM.

38. Scholarship-offering federal gp. : ROTC. Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

39. Inhaled, with "down" : SCARFED. Just picture a big man at an all you can eat buffet, or Michelle at lunch.

40. Had a big hit : HOMERED. A nice baseball reference.

41. Moves quickly : HASTENS. Do you all remember my hasten Jason poem?

43. Leads : IS AHEAD. Lots of tricky two word fill to parse.

45. As good as ever : LIKE NEW. See, what did I tell you?

46. Salon solvent : ACETONE. Oh the smell! There is a nail place on my walk and I have to circle wide to avoid the fumes; I do not know how the workers do it day after day. All the more reason to do your own grooming.

49. Embittered : SORE.

50. N.L. city : ATLanta.

51. Pledged, in a way : TITHED. One tenth your earnings.

54. Continues : LASTS. This is a trait which is very important if you plan to go to an

56. Unrestrained indulgence : ORGY. Now that we have a theme for our summer solstice party....

60. Portfolio letters : IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

62. Lettered Bklyn. thoroughfare : AVE. A rather esoteric bit of trivia as Brooklyn, N.Y. has all 26, A to Z, and since Z is the end, It is time for me to end my Friday tour having guided us through the pitfalls and joys of another word journey. Half way to summer, and it snowed again. be safe and be warm, but not too warm.

Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Here are 3 more pretty pictures of Lemonade's granddaughter Charlotte. So much much love, hope & pride in the first one. 

Sweet Charlotte & her loving parents

Thursday, May 2, 2013 Matt Skoczen

Theme: Back to Basics.

Your basic "definition" type theme, that is.  But with a cute twist at the end. And I like the way the NUTS and BOLTS clues alternate.

17-Across. NUTS : ARDENT FANS.

24-Across. BOLTS : FABRIC ROLLS.

33-Across. NUTS : OFF ONE'S ROCKER.

48-Across. BOLTS : HIGHTAILS IT.

57-Across. NUTS AND BOLTS : ESSENTIALS.

For some reason, I just thought this was really fun, and actually giggled at 57-Across. Am I NUTS?

Marti here, to check out what else Matt has served up today.

Across:

1. Turn near home : AT BAT. Bamboozled on the first entry, I started looking at the downs immediately. I got the first "A" from those, and nothing else. Moving on...

6. Boxers' sounds : ARFS. Ahh, one I can fill.

10. ___ Said: Suez Canal harbor : PORT. Ooh, ooh, another one!

14. Watson's creator : DOYLE. ...is this really a Thursday puzzle?

15. Veggie that leaves a purple stain : BEET. OK, I know I am going to get slammed down south. This is starting out too easy...

16. Playfully roguish : ARCH. (skip it and come back later)

19. End of an old boast : VICI. Veni, vidi, vici.

20. It's après après-midi : SOIR. French for "evening," which comes after afternoon.

21. Part of the inn crowd? : MAID. ...not fooled.

22. Elevator stop : FLOOR. Gimme.

23. Spike TV, once : TNN. The Nashville Network, then The National Network, and now Spike.

26. Sells out : RATS ON.

28. Dive into, as a pile of correspondence : HAVE AT.

29. Take into custody? : ADOPT.

30. County bordering Galway : MAYO. Hold it!

39. Heavy load : ONUS.

40. "Hill Street Blues" regular Veronica : HAMEL. I wasn't a big fan. She played Joyce Davenport.

42. Red choice : CLARET. "Merlot" also fit. Just sayin'...

47. Advice-and-consent body : SENATE. I always mistakenly thought it was "Advise" because of this novel.

52. Felix or Morris, e.g. : CAT.

53. Pal of D'Artagnan : ATHOS. So what are Porthos and Aramis, chopped liver?

54. Squeal : SING.

55. "How the Other Half Lives" author Jacob : RIIS. He became a social activist in New York, exposing the life of poverty and desperation in the slums. Interesting that the next clue hints at where he was born.

56. Dutch burg : STAD. If you know that a German city is called a "stadt" it wouldn't be too difficult to suss the Dutch word.

59. Differently : ELSE.

60. Money guru Orman : SUZE. This section with SUZE and PETR crossing LISZT could be a bear for some. (Not moi!!)

61. Name on a bottle of Pleasures : ESTÉE. Why, yes, there it is. Right at the top. However, "pleasures" is never capitalized.

62. Sinks out of sight : SETS.

63. '80s-'90s tennis star Korda : PETR. All perps and wags.

64. Farm machinery giant : DEERE.

Down:

1. To the stars, in mottos : AD ASTRA. Many mottos include those Latin words. I imagine this corner might also give some people fits, with Latin, an old car and a tricky phrase, all starting off 1-2-3.

2. Olds luxury model : TORONADO. Jay Leno has a 1000hp one.

3. Owing to : BY DINT OF. DINT is used only in this phrase, and means "force." By dint of hard work, they were able to finish the job on time.

4. 11-down, e.g., briefly : ALER. American Leaguer.

5. Royal flush part : TEN. Had to be ace or TEN.

6. Britcom with Edina and Patsy : AB FAB. Short for "Absolutely Fabulous." I believe Lemony is a fan of this show.

7. Run over : RE-AIR.

8. Upscale handbag : FENDI. I love this one. But not $2,890 worth of love...

9. Canonized gp. : STS. Saints. I didn't know that the NOLA team had been canonized!?!  (^0^)

10. 1904 Nobel-winning physiologist : PAVLOV. Instant reflex to fill this in.

11. Camden Yards player : ORIOLE. My mind was somewhere over in England. I finally remembered this ballpark.

12. Dr Pepper alternative : RC COLA, which can quench your...

13. Desire : THIRST.

18. Fed. investigator : T-MAN. Treasury Man. I always have to wait for perps before deciding whether to put T- or G-.

22. Monk's address : FRA.

24. Snap, in ads : FOTO. Go ape? Zing?  E-Z? My mind definitely was not on "pics."

25. Half a little train? : CHOO...choo.

27. Bain de Soleil abbr. : SPF. Sun Protection Factor. I always wondered why it isn't called "Skin" protection factor.  After all, that's what needs protection, not the sun!

30. The Beatles and the Stones, e.g. : MEN.

31. Sun Devils' sch. : ASU. Arizona State University. A gimme for Thelma and Lucina.

32. Timeline nos. : YRS. Years.

34. "___ problem!" : NOT A.

35. Jazzman Baker : CHET. A brilliant musician with a very checkered career.

36. Kal ___: Iams rival : KAN.

37. Make gaunt : EMACIATE.

38. Merchant : RETAILER.

41. Thoughtful words : LET'S SEE...(where was I?)

42. Goes after : CHASES. Warning - this chase scene might cause dizziness! 1:03

43. Unimportant : LITTLE.

44. Overcome with shock : AGHAST.

45. Scholarship founder : RHODES.

46. Many "Star Trek" characters, briefly : ETS. Extra-terrestrials.

47. Billboard, say : SIGN.

49. Thing to resolve : ISSUE.

50. Composer who wrote piano transcriptions of Beethoven's nine symphonies : LISZT. Here is one of my favorite pieces...1:29

51. Evil look : SNEER.

55. Climb : RISE.

57. Psychic letters : ESP. Extra-sensory perception.

58. "How I Met Your Mother" narrator : TED. I still don't know how he met her, but this is the final season for the show.

Time for me to BOLT outta' here. See you next week!

Hugs,

Marti

Wednesday, May 1 2013, Erik Agard

theme: BOARD GAMES - anagram of BOARD starts each theme answer.

20A. *General outline components : BROAD STROKES

37A. *16th/17th-century dramatic nickname : BARD OF AVON 

43A. *2009-'10 Lady Gaga hit : BAD ROMANCE

56A. Cruise ship game ... or how to start each of the answers to starred clues? : SHUFFLEBOARD

melissa here.

i imagine puzzle constructors see most everything through the filter of word games. most of us see the word 'shuffleboard,' and think … you know .. shuffleboard, not shuffle board. 

across

1. Aveeno's parent co. : J AND J. johnson and johnson. tough start.

6. Hebrides native : SCOT. also tough.

10. Madcap : ZANY. great puzzle word.

14. Olds's last compact : ALERO. 

15. Biblical prophet : EZRA

16. "En garde" weapon : EPEE

17. Louis of MGM : MAYER. metro goldwyn mayer.

18. Taps : CALLS UPON

22. Actor Aykroyd : DAN

23. SFO hrs. : PST. pacific standard time.

24. They may grade univ. papers : TAS. teacher's assistants.

27. __-di-dah : LAH

30. Shell-shocked : NUMB

33. Ad time : TONITE

35. Steamed : IRED

39. Scrawny sort : SCRAG

41. First person in France? : MOI

42. "Shrek" ogress : FIONA

46. Distance measures : FEET

47. 2003 self-titled folk album : ODETTA

48. Lawless TV role : XENA

50. Dr. with Grammys : DRE

51. Composer Rorem : NED

52. Windy City rail and bus org. : CTA. chicago transit authority.

54. "Community" network : NBC

62. Go motoring : TAKE A RIDE

65. Studio sign : ON AIR

66. Operating system developed at Bell Labs : UNIX

67. Sandusky's lake : ERIE. sandusky, ohio.

68. Short and probably not sweet : TERSE

69. Like the Nissan Cube : BOXY

70. Swabbing site : DECK. not ear.

71. Pounded the keyboard : TYPED

down

1. Door part : JAMB

2. Banned orchard spray : ALAR. banned in 1989.

3. "Miss Independent" R&B singer : NE-YO. Wiki: The stagename "Ne-Yo" was coined by Big D Evans, a producer with whom Ne-Yo once worked, because Evans claimed that Ne-Yo sees music as Neo sees the matrix.

 4. Can't contemplate : DREAD

5. "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" river : JORDAN

6. Schism group : SECT

7. Peter or Paul, but not Mary : CZAR. fun clue.

8. Ship's lowest 70-Across : ORLOP. new to me, lowest deck of a ship.

9. Consults : TALKS TO

10. Son of Cronus and Rhea : ZEUS

11. "Angry Birds," e.g. : APP

12. New beginning? : NEO

13. Japanese dough : YEN. were you fooled?

19. Hit the road : SET OFF

21. Intentionally fail to invite : SNUB. i see how it is.

24. Recorded, nowadays : TIVOED

25. Sorry sort : ATONER

26. Obama left it in November, 2008 : SENATE

27. Capital WSW of Madrid : LISBON

28. Game sanctuary? : ARCADE. nice.

29. Kept together, as sheep : HERDED

31. Doll's cry : MAMA

32. Place with a cheer named for it : BRONX. Bronx cheer.

34. Inexperienced one : NAIF

36. Zip : DART

38. Yahtzee need : DICE

40. "Tricked you!" : GOTCHA

44. Turned from green to red, perhaps : MATURED

45. Kin of -trix : ENNE

49. Costello's partner : ABBOTT

53. Blazing : AFIRE

55. Brooklyn's __ Island : CONEY

56. Quite the fox : SEXY

57. Abbr. in a bank ad : FDIC

58. Onionlike veggie : LEEK. hard to clean.

59. "To serve, not to be served" group : AARP. their motto, taken from the new testament book of matthew.

60. Ascent : RISE

61. Stowe antislavery novel : DRED

62. Place to unwind : TUB. ahh.

63. Year in Madrid : ANO

64. Puffed cereal with a Berry Berry variety : KIX. might as well just eat the box.

melissa

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 Amy Johnson

Theme: Brr x 2 - The unifier can precede both parts respectively.

17A. *Protective fuse container : BREAKER BOX. ICE BREAKER, a ship that opens up the ice. ICE BOX, dare I mention refrigerator?

39A and 40A. With "Baby," a 1990's hip-hop hit that answers the question, "What can precede both parts of the answers to starred clues?" : ICE and ICE. If you care to listen. Link.

61A. *Tailgater's brew chiller : BEER BUCKET. ICE BEER, so much hype. ICE BUCKET, to keep it cold.

11D. *Flood control concern : STORM WATER. ICE STORM, I hope you all escaped any serious one this winter. ICE WATER, or iced water. Cold either way.

29D. *Era of mass production : MACHINE AGE. ICE MACHINE, built-in, in some refrigerators. ICE AGE, a time, a movie(with sequels).

Argyle here. I like the grid arrangement; center reveal with the themes surrounding it. Tougher than the usual Tuesday. What will tomorrow bring?

Across:

1. 1860s Grays : REBS. Civil War.

5. Danger : PERIL

10. __ Spumante : ASTI

14. 50+ group : AARP. It is still called by the four letters but they don't stand for anything other than their organization. So it isn't an anagram or initialism since 1999. Before then, 21A. Part of 14-Across, originally : RETIRED. (American Association of Retired Persons)

15. Verdi aria : ERI TU

16. Trans Am roof option : T-TOP

19. Mower brand : TORO

20. Set up for a fall : ENTRAP

23. Gift for el 14 de febrero : ROSAs. Some roses for your señorita on día de San Valentín.

26. Tree for which New Haven is nicknamed : ELM. But, like most places, only a few of those elms of centuries past are still standing.

27. Summits : ACMES

30. Native American weapons : TOMAHAWKS

35. "Get a __ of this!" : LOAD

36. Loud, like sirens : ABLARE. An "A" word.

37. MSN alternative : AOL. Like AARP, it was previously known as America Online but uses only the letters now.

38. Partners' legal entity: Abbr. : LLC. An initialism for Limited Liability Company.

41. Lao Tzu's "path" : TAO

42. July 4th reaction : [OOH!]

43. Early Florida explorer : DE SOTO. Early Chrysler car.

45. Get gooey : MELT

46. School term : TRIMESTER

48. Saintly circles : AURAS

49. "Uh-uh, lassie!" : "NAE!"

50. Groupon offerings : DEALS

52. Rodeo hat : STETSON

56. With 48-Down, Felipe's outfielder son : MOISES. 48D. See 56-Across : ALOU

60. Keister in a fall? : PRAT. (means buttocks)

64. Bird house : CAGE

65. Really miffed : IRATE

66. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" heroine : AYLA

67. Thumbs-up votes : AYES

68. Bellhop, at times : TOTER. One who totes.

69. Out of concern that : LEST

Down:

1. Broccoli __ : RABÉ. Dark green leaf of the mustard family.

2. Be worthy of : EARN

3. Novelist __ Easton Ellis : BRET. West coast boy who came east for an education. (Bennington College)

4. Trained with gloves : SPARRED

5. Marshmallowy Easter treats : PEEPS. Probably stale by now.

6. Miscalculate : ERR

7. Curved bone : RIB

8. "Click __ Ticket": seatbelt safety slogan : IT OR. Is this PSA nationwide?

9. Elegance : LUXE

10. Hun honcho : ATTILA

12. Ran fast : TORE

13. Apple for a music teacher? : iPOD

18. "Get Smart" evil agency : KAOS. Spelled with all capital letters but pronounced as a single word, it also is not an anagram. The individual letters do not represent anything. We have a mini-theme going here.

22. Little chuckle : TE-HEE. So little, there is only one E in TE.

24. In a perfect world : AT BEST

25. Sevillian sun : SOL. Seville, a city and province in Spain.

27. Portion out : ALLOT

28. Enjoy crayons : COLOR. The ones from Easton, PA. Remember? (Crayola manufacturer)

31. __ d'hôtel: headwaiter : MAÎTRE

32. With the bow, to a cellist : ARCO. But on the road, to a driver, it's an anagram for Atlantic Richfield Company.

33. Cuddly-looking marsupial : KOALA

34. Casino attractions : SLOTS

36. Unreturned serves : ACES

39. Inventeur's list : IDÉES. In France.

44. U.K. lexicological work : OED. (Oxford English Dictionary)

45. Many a Tony winner : MUSICAL. The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, known informally as the Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. - per Wikipedia.

47. Unglossy finishes : MATTEs. Enough with the MATTES.

51. Jewelry resin : AMBER

52. Pet adoption org. : SPCA

53. Printer paper holder : TRAY

54. Final bio? : OBIT

55. Detective Wolfe : NERO

57. Largest of the Inner Hebrides : SKYE. (Scotland)

58. Wiggly swimmers : EELS

59. On-base pct., e.g. : STAT. (statistic)

62. Have a meal : EAT

63. 66, notably: Abbr. : RTE. Time to hit the road!

Argyle

Interview with Patti Varol

Patti Varol is the assistant to Rich Norris, editor of LA Times Crossword. She delivers the good & bad news to constructors on whether their puzzles are accepted or rejected. Patti's emails are always clear, thoughtful & gentle. As a constructor, I appreciate very much the constructive feedback she and Rich provide.

Patti is also a fast solver (176th at the ACPT 2011) & a brilliant constructor. If you click here, you'll see all the puzzles she constructed for the LA Times the past few years. They are all theme-dense & super smooth in fill. She makes things look easy.

Can you tell us a bit about your background? How did you get interested in crosswords?

I can’t think of a time when I wasn’t solving puzzles! When I was a kid, I used to devour Games Magazine with my grandparents, and we’d solve all kinds of newspaper crosswords together – we weren’t picky! If it had clues and a grid, we tackled it. Puzzles and games were a big part of my childhood.

Most of the jobs I’ve had – and I’ve had a lot of very different jobs – were just a way to pay the bills while I finished school and tried to become a writer. But then I spotted an ad for a puzzle editor, and I couldn’t apply fast enough.

Being a puzzle editor for Penny Press was more than just a way to pay the bills, and I spent twelve very fun years there. I’ve edited or constructed just about every kind of puzzle you can think of, and I’ve worked on every stage of puzzle publishing – layout, design, even software development.

My first year at Penny Press, which was also Rich’s first year as the LAT editor, Rich and I met at the Pleasantville crossword tournament. About a year later, we worked together at another tournament (at Iona College, my alma mater), and we became very good friends.

Rich invited me to be an LAT test-solver, and then hired me to test-solve and fact-check puzzles for Crosswords Club. He encouraged me to start constructing crosswords, and he convinced me to go to ACPT. When I left Penny Press to become a freelance writer, Rich offered me the Assistant's job.

I usually describe myself as a freelance writer and editor, and I do still write book reviews and essays and the occasional short story, but the majority of my freelance work is in crosswords and word games. I play with words all day. Jobs don’t get better than this!

 

What's your philosophy when it comes to fill a Monday grid? You have 5 themes today, 5 in your last Monday puzzle. All pretty long entries, yet the fill is so clean.

Easy, early-week puzzles are such a challenge to make. A Monday needs to be accessible to every solver, even the most inexperienced – the last thing a Monday should do is frustrate a brand-new solver. The theme needs to be straightforward, the fill can’t have anything too weirdly obscure, and the clues should lead the solver to the answer. But it should also be fun and interesting for experienced solvers – that’s the trickiest part. Having 5 or more themers in a Monday can help make an easy puzzle more interesting for experienced solvers.

What kind of theme & fill fascinate you and what kind do you try to avoid in your puzzles?

I love being surprised by a puzzle – a clue that makes me look at an ordinary word in a new way, or a pun that makes me laugh out loud, or a theme with an unexpected twist. And I’m always impressed with a puzzle when the nontheme fill is as lively and as interesting as the theme itself.

Every solver has hit something in a puzzle – a lame or inconsistent themer, too-trivial trivia in a clue, crossing obscurities in a grid -- that makes you want to throw your newspaper across the room. I try to avoid the stuff that makes you want to throw things.

Which part do you enjoy the most in the construction process: theme development, filling or cluing?

It’s all great, but cluing is my favorite. Each part of the process is a different challenge for me. I’m very good at coming up with solid themes … that have been done a million times already. I’m also very good at coming up with themes that will never in a million years fit in any grid. So, when I get to the cluing stage, the hardest work is behind me. And I get to play with words some more.

What kind of tools & references do you use for theme brainstorming, cluing and fact checks?

I have a ratty old graph paper notebook that I use for developing themes and for trying out grid designs, but I use Crossword Compiler for constructing. I often dip into Steven Glazier’s Word Menu for inspiration (themes and clues). As anyone who has ever helped me move can attest, I own more dictionaries and reference books than I feel like counting or listing right now. Friends who have helped me move my very heavy reference books do not want to know that a) I do much of my fact-checking online and b) the one book I use every day is the tiniest: Strunk and White’s Elements of Style.

How challenging is it to be Rich's assistant?

I have the best job ever, with the best boss ever (and I’m not just saying that because I know he’ll read this). Rich and I have been friends and colleagues for many years; we make a great team, and I love working with him.

The biggest challenge of the job is writing emails to constructors when a theme just doesn’t appeal to Rich. Rich and I both firmly believe that constructors need detailed feedback on their work: newbie constructors can only benefit from hearing precisely what works and doesn’t work in the puzzles they’re making. And more senior constructors can sometimes develop blind spots about their puzzles. The more specific we are in our acceptance and rejection letters, the better our constructors will be.

Sometimes, though, a theme just doesn’t appeal to Rich, and there’s not much more to say about it. It’s just a taste thing. Those are the hardest letters to write, because I never want constructors to feel like they’ve been sent a form letter or that we didn’t evaluate a puzzle thoroughly.

Besides crosswords, what else do you do for fun?

At the moment, I am stiff and sore and sunburned from a 15-mile bike ride, so I’m hesitating to call it “fun,” but I do love exploring my little part of California on my bike.

I’m a Mets fan, and I’m listening to them lose to the Phillies (… again) as I’m typing these answers, so I’m starting to wonder if there’s anything I do that can be called “fun”!

I’m a bit of a foodie, and I love discovering new restaurants as much as I love to cook. I have a weakness for farmers markets, and this New York girl cannot get enough of the fresh produce available here in California year-round. I still can’t believe I can buy avocados and ginger and grapefruit at a farmers market! I really enjoy experimenting with new recipes and ingredients. Cooking helps me unwind; it’s a meditative experience for me. I just hate doing the dishes.

I’m also a bookworm; I read three or four novels a week. And I play video games more than I probably should, and I watch old episodes of Doctor Who more than anyone should.

Monday, April 29, 2013 Patti Varol

Theme: Breakfast treat - A puzzle that passes the breakfast test with flying colors. The theme entries end in varying shades of the unifier.

17A. Lacking a strong foundation, metaphorically : BUILT ON SAND

24A. Snoopy's WWI plane : SOPWITH CAMEL

38A. Shutterbug : PHOTOGRAPHY BUFF

48A. Farina-based hot cereal : CREAM OF WHEAT

60A. Ideal toast color, and a hint to the ends of 17-, 24-, 38- and 48-Across : GOLDEN BROWN

Argyle here. It would be only fitting that I should have some toast as I type this up but, alas, I am at the tail end of my loaf of bread. Oh well. It was a fun solve with a grid spanner in the middle.

Across:

1. Under-the-table money : BRIBE. Not the same as in-the-seat-cushion money.

6. Teamster's rig : SEMI. (truck)

10. Tight-lipped : MUM. Yes, mum's the word.

13. Dubuque natives : IOWANS. Native American Siouan people.

15. "Once __ a time ..." : UPON

16. Chowed down : ATE

19. Corp. board member : DIR. (director)

20. __ over backward : BEND

21. "That feels good!" : "AAH!"

22. Florence's country : ITALY. (Firenze, Italia)

Click to enlarge.

28. Prize on the mantel : TROPHY

31. Hors d'oeuvre cracker : RITZ. Golden brown cracker.

32. Northwestern Canadian territory : YUKON. (Yukon gold)

33. Naval hoosegow : BRIG

35. Brew in a bag : TEA

42. Mork's planet : ORK. (TV show)

43. Senate staffer : AIDE

44. Lusterless finish : MATTE. As opposed to gloss.

45. Windy day toy : KITE. We've had a few good kite flying days.

47. Put the blame on : ACCUSE

53. Egypt neighbor : LIBYA

54. Subway whose first line had a terminus at NYC's City Hall : IRT. (Interborough Rapid Transit)

55. Suffix with wagon : ETTE. A light four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle with two lengthwise seats facing each other behind a crosswise driver's seat.

59. Before today : AGO

64. Hamlet, to Gertrude : SON

65. Change a manuscript : EDIT

66. "I, Robot" author : ASIMOV. (Isaac Asimov)

67. Butt in : PRY

68. 2013 Oscars host MacFarlane : SETH

69. Pert : SASSY

Down: (as in down to the heel of my loaf of bread)

1. Light-green lettuce : BIBB

2. Disreputable fellow : ROUE

3. "Heads __, tails you lose" : I WIN

4. Rogaine target : BALD SPOT

5. Dr. who treats snorers : E.N.T. (ear, nose, throat)

6. Bite-size raw Asian dish : SUSHI

7. Water quality org. : EPA. (Environmental Protection Agency)

8. Start of a wk., workwise : MON. Today

9. Formally charge, in court : INDICT

10. Sir's counterpart : MADAM

11. More than decorative : UTILE

12. Streep of "The Iron Lady" : MERYL

14. All lathered up : SOAPY

18. Folksy negative : "NAW"

23. Whirling toon devil, for short : TAZ

25. "How awful!" : "OH, NO!"

26. Hogwash : TRIPE

27. "__ Noon": Gary Cooper Western : HIGH

28. Printing error, perhaps : TYPO

29. German mining region : RUHR

30. "Quit nagging! I'll do it!" : "OK! OK!"

33. To the point : BRIEF

34. "Way cool!" : "RAD!"

35. "Black Swan" skirt : TUTU

36. Immature newts : EFTs

37. Set __: name the price : A FEE

39. Ratón chaser : GATO. Spanish mouse and cat.

40. Org. that usually has a community pool : YMCA

41. Neosporin target : BACTERIA

45. Mary __ cosmetics : KAY

46. Publicists' concerns : IMAGES

47. Blue Cross rival : AETNA

48. Anklet fastener : CLASP

49. Strictness : RIGOR

50. Dense black wood : EBONY. Ebony is dense enough to sink in water. (I didn't know that)

51. Boot spec : WIDTH

52. Otto I's realm: Abbr. : HRE. (Holy Roman Empire)

56. Male turkeys : TOMS

57. What Noah counted by : TWOS. "...and two by two my human zoo

They'll be running for to come

Running for to come out of the rain" - Queen

58. Covet : ENVY

61. "__ to Joy" : ODE. Don't be afraid to join in.

 

 

62. Set ablaze : LIT

63. Undergrad tech degs. : BSs. Plural of BS.

Toast is gone. Now for some golden griddle cakes.

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

Here is a picture of Husker Gary and his lovely wife at their granddaughter Elise's 8th birthday last Friday. 

Sunday April 28, 2013 Julian Lim

Theme: "It'll Have to Do" - TLE is added to the end of each theme entry.

22A. Container for mystery meat? : SPAM BOTTLE. Spambot, which send out spam. That's why Captcha is used in our blog.

31A. Action scene in "True Blood"? : VAMPIRE BATTLE. Vampire bat.

49A. Courage of Manhattanites? : NEWYORK METTLE. New York Met.

71A. Cloak for a road trip? : HIGHWAY MANTLE. Highwayman.

92A. Reaction to an alarm? : RISING STARTLE. Rising star. 

102A. Baby's pre-vacation note to self? : PACK RATTLE. Pack rat.

 

3D. Venue for poetry readings in space? : SLAM SHUTTLE. Slam shut.

62D. Livestock kept between buildings? : ALLEY CATTLE. Alley cat.

Fun theme. Reminds me a bit of this BLE added NYT puzzle. And the theme set is tighter here, with TLE added to the second word only.

Also, fantastic grid design. Noticed how four of the theme entries intersect? I'd probably try a paralleled two 9's in the upper right and lower left corners, not 3. Julian Lim is so good. That's why our Lucina loves him!

Across:

1. Skip it : PASS

5. Jotting on a Post-it : MEMO

9. Lowest of the low : NADIR

14. Artist who was an admirer of Freud : DALI. He was? I know Dali and Mia Farrow were close friends. Surreal!

18. Partner : ALLY

19. Invites over : HAS IN

20. "Invisible Cities" author Calvino : ITALO

21. Well-versed in : UP ON

24. How some sleep : NAKED. Do you?

25. Nanny __: security devices : CAMS

26. Fiddled (with) : TAMPERED

27. Word repeated after "que," in song : SERA

28. Lure into crime : ENTRAP

30. Rapture : ECSTASY

34. Pakistani city : LAHORE. Capital of Punjabi.

35. Order to pounce : SIC 'EM

36. Like some personalities : DYNAMIC

37. Fluent speakers avoid them : UMs

38. Dull finish : MATTE. 72. Bright finish : GLOSS

39. Runner on snow : SKI. We went on a long nature walk yesterday. Still ice and snow on some lakes. 

41. Out of breath : SPENT

42. Ones giving marching orders: Abbr. : SGTs

44. Like NES video games : RETRO

45. Pulitzer winner Walker : ALICE. The organic food pioneer is Alice Waters. I used to confuse those two.

47. Opposite of exo- : ENDO

48. Hamilton's prov. : ONT. "Prov." sure helped.

52. Crew member : TAR. Sailor.

53. Topple : FALL OVER

55. Satan's little helpers : IMPS

56. Mil. decoration : DSM

58. Wrote with limited characters : TWEETED. Information overload.

59. Vineyard grape : PINOT

61. Assess flight risk, in a way : SET BAIL

65. Crossword heading: Abbr. : ACR (Across)

66. Weirdo : WACK

67. Panaceas : CURE-ALLS. Looks strange piled together.

68. Report card calamities : EFs.

75. __ Fáil: Irish "stone of destiny" : LIA. Our old puzzle used to feature this word often.

76. Villain's base : LAIR

78. Architect Saarinen : ELIEL. Eero's father.

79. High-ranked Atlanta school : EMORY

80. Bane for bugs : DEET

81. Wrapped up : ENDED

83. Windy City airport code : ORD

84. Water filter brand : BRITA

85. Pivotal : KEY

86. Paleness causes : ANEMIAS. Did not know this word is plurable.

88. __ Manor: "Batman" setting : WAYNE

89. High light? : BEACON. Great clue.

95. Two guys out to dinner, say : MAN DATE. Wanted BRO DATE.

96. Noted lawmaker : NEWTON. Law of gravity. I was thinking of DRACO-like lawmaker.

97. MLB credits : RBIs. Twins beat the Rangers yesterday, Bill.

98. Concert setup, briefly : PA SYSTEM

99. "Look no further than me" : I'M IT

100. Require : EXACT

104. What a ponytail covers : NAPE. "Do you know my name?"

105. River measure : WIDTH

106. "Coffee __?" : OR TEA

107. Earthenware pot : OLLA

108. Turned right : GEED. Gee = Right. Haw = Left.

109. Puréeing aid : SIEVE

110. Hardy's "Pure Woman" : TESS.  "Tess of the D'Urbervilles".

111. Drudge : PEON

Down:

1. Washed-out shade : PASTEL

2. Andean herd member : ALPACA

4. Diagnostician's clues : SYMPTOMS

5. Brit's bro : MATEY

6. Abbr. before a year : ESTD

7. Part of a GI's URL : MIL. For Military.

8. Late lunch hour : ONE. And 9. Late dinner hr. : NINE PM

10. __ 2600: old video game console : ATARI

11. Capital NW of Monrovia : DAKAR. Capital of Senegal. Click on the map. It'll enlarge.

12. Loire land : ILE

13. Passed on a 19-Down : RODE BY. 19. Silver in movies : HORSE. Lone Ranger's horse Silver.

14. Versatile roll : DUCT TAPE

15. Common rental : APARTMENT

16. California city name meaning "pretty knoll" : LOMA LINDA. Loma means "knoll" then. New to me.

17. Yard worker? : INSPECTOR. OK, Scotland Yard.

23. Is worthy of, as repeating : BEARS. It bears repeating that...

27. Hook underling : SMEE

29. Persian breads : NANS.  I always thought of NAN as Indian bread. Has no idea that the Iranians eat Nan too. Chinese Muslims call theirs Nang. Delicious.

31. In __ fertilization : VITRO

32. One may be supporting : ACTOR. Nice clue.

33. Queen's decree : EDICT

35. Dionysian reveler : SATYR

38. Asked to be stroked, perhaps : MEWED

39. Pursued one's dreams? : SLEPT. Sweet!

40. Press packets : KITS

42. Out of shape : SOFT. Huh? Never heard "Out of shape" expressed as "SOFT". Long winter here. I'm SOFT.

43. Eat like a chinchilla : GNAW

44. Stargazer's state : REVERIE

45. Supplies for Rambo : AMMO

46. Geriatrician's concern, with "the" : ELDERLY

49. V-shaped mark : NOTCH

50. Twisted : KINKY

51. First name in makeup : ESTEE. To me, this is their best product. Get this for your wife/girlfriend. They'll love you.

54. Cow patch : LEA

57. Wharton Sch. conferral : MBA

59. Played with, cat-style : PAWED

60. Alphabet addition? : ICAL. Alphabetical.

61. Kama __ : SUTRA

63. Rival of Bjorn : ILIE (Nastase)

64. Some srs.' source of stress : LSAT

66. Propeller noise : WHIR

67. Thou tenth : C-NOTE. Sometimes it's C-SPOT. Thou is Thousand here.

68. Webinars, e.g. : E-LEARNING. I guess we e-learn every day.

69. Mortgage acronym : FANNIE MAE. So is Freddie Mac.

70. Glancing blow : SIDESWIPE

73. Sophie player : MERYL. "Sophie's Choice". Pure talent.

74. Nitrogen compound : AMINE

77. Sent payment : REMITTED

80. What bad traffic sometimes comes to, with "a" : DEAD STOP

82. "The Flintstones" answer to Fido : DINO

84. Swings at home : BATS. Home plate.

85. Maasai Mara game reserve locale : KENYA

87. '60s-'70s veep and family : AGNEWS. Spiro Agnew.

88. Twist in agony : WRITHE

89. City about 300 miles from Baghdad : BASRA.  Iraq's  second largest city, after  Baghdad.

90. 1887 La Scala premiere : OTELLO. Based Shakespeare's "Othello".

91. Like the lion slain by Hercules : NEMEAN. Nemean lion.

93. __ union : TRADE

94. "Suburgatory" airer : ABC TV. Never watched "Suburgatory". Wiki says it's a portmanteau of "suburban" and "purgatory".

95. Nets : MAKES

98. Statistician's figs. : PCTs

101. It may be seen opposite VI : XII. Clock.

102. Nursery container : POT

103. "The Kids __ All Right": 2010 Best Picture nominee : ARE

C.C.