Saturday, Aug 3rd, 2013, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 70 (missing F, J, Q, X)

Blocks: 28

    I figured we were headed for a Silkie, and this was no disappointment - in fact, I feel like it was made just for me - 36A and associated clechos.  9's and 7's intersecting in the NW & SE corners, and nothing longer than that.  Lots of Periodic Table references, too, so I better add a link for your viewing pleasure and edification~!

36A. Game with checks : ICE HOCKEY - I have been working on a board game that centers around the way chess men move, and so I was stuck in that kind of "check"; then I got to -

48A. 36-Across great : ORR - and thought "hmmm, OTT and baseball~?" - and ducked, right before the V-8 can hit me; and it doesn't end there -

12. Dramatic 36-Across final-minute situation : OPEN NET -  in the last 90 seconds or so of the third period in a one-goal game, an NHL coach might pull his goalie for an extra skater, giving the team's offense a chance to score as if they were on a power play; the down side is that the defensive team can just shoot for the empty net - although that might lead to 'icing', and now it's getting complicated....I am never 'pulled' from goal when I play - we suffer the ignominious defeat

BONUS:

62A. Line on New York's state quarter : ERIE CANAL

\ 'ȯn- wərd, 'än- \ ~!

ACROSS:

 1. In an innovative and memorable way : SEMINALLY

10. There's a point to it : SWORD - I went with SPIRE first

15. Dangerous element : PLUTONIUM - Uranium was too short; Pu worked (q.v.#94)- why did they not go with Pl for the symbol?

16. Get to the point? : TAPER - like a candle

17. Site of 1890s gold rushes : AUSTRALIA

18. "Your wish is my command" : "USE ME"

19. Fort Laramie hrs. : MST - I threw in PST, just to see - I was off by three letters (M-N-O-P) & one time zone

20. Kirshner of "The L Word" : MIA

21. Audited : SAT IN ON - like a class, not your tax return

23. __ en scène : MISE - Mise en scène, Frawnch "placing on stage", the use of all the tools in filmmaking to produce a more dramatic effect; I found a pretty good site here

25. Cartoonist awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 2000 : SCHULZ - Charles,  for 'Peanuts'

27. AEC successor : NRC - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission - keeping their eyes on 15A

28. Poetry slam, e.g. : EVENT

30. "__ for me" : SAME - I tried "DO IT..."

31. Coordinate nicely : MESH - MESH, MELD, went with the wrong one first

32. Almost went down : REELED - like in boxing

34. Make milk : LACTATE

38. Brand of attachable rotary mower : BUSH HOG - I had not heard of this company, but I am sure there are plenty on the blog who have

40. Job seeker-to-be, often : SENIOR - from college; I was already working at Grossman's when I was 16, and a sophomore in high school

44. Shut (up) : PENT

45. First to be called up : ONE A - Draft status;  Saturday cluing

47. Israeli statesman Dayan : MOSHE

49. Rhoda's sister : BRENDA - a WAG, with some perps in place

51. Brae toppers : TAMS - hills and hats in Scotland

52. Issue : PROGENY - I have always heard this meaning 'offspring' or children, but the dictionary says it applies to products, too

54. Pro-__ : AMs - Like poetry slams for professionals and amateurs

56. Well-connected co.? : ISP - Internet Service Provider

57. Israel's southernmost city : EILAT - map

58. First stroke for many : DOG PADDLE - I was thinking golf at first - DRIVE, TEE SHOT, etc

61. Whoops : YELLS

63. Christopher Hitchens work : ESSAY

64. "Lend a Hand - Care for the Land!" spokescritter : WOODSY OWL

DOWN:

1. Modern junk dealer? : SPAMMER - Spam, Hormels' "SPiced hAM", now redefined in the digital age as the junk you get in your email inbox

2. Hard to pin down : ELUSIVE

3. It's highly touted : MUST SEE

4. Sitcom cousin : ITT - Du-du-du DUN (snick, snick)~!

5. Benchmark : NORM

6. First name in erotica : ANAIS - Nin, usually the fill we see; more on the "DF" here

7. Sweet-smelling bloomers : LILACS

8. That guy, to Guy : LUI

9. Singer known as the "Peruvian songbird" : YMA SUMAC - again, we usually get "YMA", or "SUMAC", but never the two together~!

10. Bearcat maker : STUTZ - I am familiar with the "Blackhawk" - I have the Hot Wheels version; here's the 1912 Bearcat

11. "How __ to know?" : WAS I - "But how was I to know/that she'd been shuffled before/said she never had a royal flush/but I should have known....what song? what band?

13. Contrition : REMORSE

14. Saturate : DRENCH - what UPS does to my shirts

22. Smart ones? : ALECKS

24. Join : ENLIST

26. Fluorine or iodine : HALOGEN - in orange on the table, the "Salt formers", Fl,Cl, Br, I, and At - Astatine (q.v.#85), which, according to EMD's PTE, occurs naturally in such small quantities that the whole Earth contains about 70g.

29. Texas __ : TECH

31. Lack permission to : MAY NOT - no, you mayn't....

33. Make safer, as livestock : DE-HORN - along with "lactate", "erotica", and "must see" in the puzzle, who will be the "smart alecks" to pull it all together?

35. Overflow : TEEM

37. Muskmelon cultivar : HONEYDEW - learning moment for me; didn't know what a 'cultivar' was; I had Honey BEE to start; the Wiki

38. Smoothie sweeteners : BERRIES

39. Presents for display, as blueprints : UNROLLS - Ah, I had SPREADS first

41. Emphatic turndown : "I SAID NO~!"

42. Current principle : OHM'S LAW - Electrical current, that is

43. Edit, in a way : RESPELL

44. Robin Williams title role : POPEYE - never saw this movie; Mrs. Doubtfire did not fit

46. Slowly : ADAGIO - music scores

49. Title auto in a 1978 Harold Robbins film : BETSY - I wanted VW Bug (Herbie, the Love Bug, but that was 10yrs prior) - never heard of this movie - lots of famous names in there, too

50. Pumped (up) : AMPED

53. Big party : GALA - which one, GALA, or FETE~?

55. Pouches : SACS

59. Número atómico 79 : ORO - last chemistry of the day - Gold, in Spanish (um, well, q.v.#79....)

60. One might be lazy : DAY - rainy days are lazy days for me

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Melissa, who delights us every month with her beautiful write-ups and incredibly picture & video links. I still remember vividly the first time when Melissa visited our blog. She brought us this hilarious "Sex Bomb".

Friday, August 2, 2013, Jack McInturff

Theme: O, U r such a punny guy.

What an elegant offering from one of our steady senior scribes, Jack Mac; as seen below the letter "O" is renimoved from the last word of a phrase and replaced with a "U" creating a new and whimsical phrase. All of this in a package of 2 13s, 2 15s, a 9 and a 5 letter hint. 69 letters and yet the rest of the fill includes some originality and sparkle, such as OFF MIKE, VALID ID, GET SORE and the almost related UNHUNG.

Back in the Friday saddle, thanks Boomer for the assist; let's get to it.

20A. Gap that's easy to bridge? : MINIATURE GULF. (13). Gulf= Golf. HG, are you a miniature golf whiz with all the big boy golf you play?

28A. Prize for neatest coloring? : KINDERGARTEN CUP. (15). Cup=Cop. ARNOLD.(2:16)

36A. Kiss while hiking? : TRAIL BUSS.(9). Buss=Boss. How many of us oldster thought of Ward Bond in Wagon Train, or Erik Fleming in Rawhide?

49A. Alien adopted by Herman and Lily? : THE GREEN MUNSTER.(15). Munster=Monster. I have had the pleasure of sitting at Fenway and watching balls hit over the famous left field fence. I love the visual of ET moving in with Fred Gwynne.

57A. "If you don't go to bed, Santa won't come," e.g.? : CHRISTMAS RUSE.(13). Ruse=Rose. This PLANT is in a family not related to Roses, and a threat to animals as our friend Gareth Bain could explain better; and the hint

64A. Words to a kidder, and a hint to how this puzzle's five longest answers were created : OH YOU.(5).

Across:

1. Track : OVAL. Did anyone watch the NASCAR race at Indy last weekend?

5. Put up : BUILD. A parking lot? What song?

10. Agile : SPRY. To irritate me, my children suggest I am quite spry. but not a 27D. Wire wearer : SPY.

14. Song in the musical "Kismet" : FATE. Do not know the play or tune, but how easy was this?

15. 1973 Stones ballad : ANGIE. 40 years ago, a hair band!

16. Small music group : TRIO. Music intensive today, who is your favorite, Kingston?

17. Custard concoction : FLAN.

18. Sticking point : THORN.

19. Big refs. : OEDS. OED: Oxford English Dictionary.

23. Chemical ending : IDE. Need a bromide yet?

24. Animal enclosure : PEN. Noun and verb.

25. They're found in mines and minis : SEAMS. Another interesting visual. CED I gave up after ten minutes looking for a girl in a mini in a gold mine.

33. Icelandic literary collection : EDDA. and the unrelated, 35A. Ice cream entrepreneur Joseph : EDY

34. Look down on the clouds, perhaps : SOAR.

41. Diving bird : AUK.

44. ___ vodka: ristorante phrase : ALLA. Tinman, do we mix any Vodka in our marinara?

45. Ally of Roderigo : IAGO. Interesting use of the word ALLY, as Iago was his own player.

54. Big name in beauty : ESTEE. Do your criticize her of Lauder?

55. That, in Madrid : ESO.

56. Inc. abroad : LTD.

62. Lion portrayer : LAHR. Some Oz, other than Amos.

65. "___ off?" : ON OR. Written by a parent with a child who keeps turning lights on and off.

66. It's not a big case : ETUI. Nice pun, and gist for every lawyer.

67. ___ lazuli : LAPIS. Semi-precious stone.

68. Sandy shade : ECRU.

69. Family fare letters : TV-PG.

70. Plato's market : AGORA. The Ancient Greek marketplace.

71. Soccer broadcaster Messing : SHEP. The goalkeeper for the NY Cosmos Soccer team, now talking about 'football. LINK.(4:32).

Down:

1. Not meant to be public : OFF MIKE. Fresh fill.

2. Airport security req. : VALID ID. don't you love IDID?

3. Over : AT AN END. Lots of multiple word entries today.

4. Filmmaker Riefenstahl : LENI. Hitler's filmmaker.

5. Cupcakes-to-be : BATTER. Cute clue.

6. Like curtains to be installed : UNHUNG. Be careful Lois.

7. Role for Marty Feldman : IGOR. That is pronounced EEEEgore.

8. Currency until 2002 : LIRE. In Italy.

9. Leader after Mao : DENG.  I leave any practical commentary to C.C. about this MAN. (From C.C.: Deng opened China to the outside world through his "Open Door Policy". He is famous for saying "It doesn't matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice." Wiki explains it quite accurately: "In other words, he did not worry too much about whether a policy was capitalist or socialist as long as it improved the economy.")

10. Pinched : STOLEN. I hope the pinch was not.

11. Where some thank-yous are written : PREFACE. All perps, but now it makes sense.

12. Divested (of) : RID..

13. Howdies : YOS. Images of both Arnold and Sly in one puzzle, and juxtaposed two.

21. Clod : APE. Hmmmm.

22. False friends : USERS.

26. Sludge : MUD. Well that should be clear.

29. Latin case: Abbr. : DATive.

30. Guardian of Narnia : ASLAN.

31. Co-star of Carroll, Jean and Sally : ROB. Reiner, All in the Family.

32. Cross-shaped letter : TAU.

37. Not as prevalent : RARER.

38. Draft pick : ALE. Not by a sports team but customer at Hops & Pie.

39. Mer land : ILE. Mer=Sea in French.

40. One of the fam : SIS. She is a sib too.

41. Bolted down : ATE. Part of why Americans become obese, eating too fast. Fast Food, an oxymoron?

42. Hesitating sounds : UHS. Um, er....

43. Whopper topper : KETCHUP. Speaking of fast foods, and the antonym to 6D.

46. Unavailable, in a way : AT LUNCH. At Burger King it seems.

47. Become irritated : GET SORE. Aw, Wally don't get sore.

48. Cook's "Food's ready!" : ORDER UP. Ding!

50. Baseball's "Iron Horse" : GEHRIG. Wally Pipp's favorite backup.

51. Obama's "Dreams From My Father," e.g. : MEMOIR.

52. Olympics chant : USA USA.

53. Terrible twos cries : NOS.

58. City in Kansas : IOLA. Well this one is obscure but has great letters. LINK.

59. Go after, as flies : SHAG. baseball again, not Austin Powers.

60. Slip in the pool? : TYPO. Typing pool, very nice.

61. Some reddish deer : ROES. Learning moment. WATCH. and listen, (2:12)

62. Rent : LET.

63. Beach transp. : ATV. All Terrain Vehicle.

Well I made it, Thanks Jack for the laughs and thank all of you who read these words whether you comment or not. Happy August all, my youngest is coming to visit. Lemonade all squeezed out.

Thursday, August 1, 2013 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "Take It Or Leave It" (It's your choice!)

15-Across. Choice words for gamblers : PUT UP OR SHUT UP.

33-Across. Choice words for super-patriots : LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT.

55-Across. Choice words for anglers : FISH OR CUT BAIT.

23-Down. Choice words for those out of options : DO OR DIE.

Unique grid design.  More blocks than we usually see in a LAT Thursday, but only 70 words - which is more typical of a Friday or Saturday. Two thirteens and a fifteen across, with a seven-letter theme entry going down, does not leave much room for finagling the rest of the grid. Great job getting it all to work, Jeffrey!

Lots of fresh fill made this a fun ride, starting at:

Across:

1. Easy job : KID STUFF. Nice!

9. EMS destination : HOSP.ital. Emergency Medical Service.

13. Extremely puffed-up quality : EGOMANIA.

14. Poker starter : ANTE.

17. As per : A LA.

18. Highway sign word : GAS. "Eat Here And Get GAS...."

19. Often-farmed fish : TILAPIA. One of my favorite fish to cook with. It takes on the flavor of whatever you add, because it is so mild.

21. Monocle, essentially : LENS.

23. "Spring ahead" abbr. : DST. Daylight Savings Time.

24. Ones falling in alleys : PINS. They usually all fall for Boomer! (Just as C.C. did...)

27. Misfortune : WOE.

28. Network offering home improvement advice : DIY. Do It Yourself.

29. "___ they've canceled my blood type": Bob Hope : I'M SO OLD...Great fill!

32. Honey in Dijon? : AMIE. French for "girlfriend."

37. Geraint's wife : ENID.

38. Trattoria preference : AL DENTE.

39. In-flight display no. : ALT.itude.

40. Geraint's title : SIR.

41. Rig : TRUCK.

45. Pair : DYAD.

47. With 25-Across, wine : THE. and 25-Across. See 47-Across : GRAPE.  Never heard this euphemism.

48. Mountain topper : SNOW.

49. Warrior in "Rashomon" : SAMURAI. The film was only aired at a few cinemas worldwide, but is considered an artistic masterpiece. Besides, he couldn't very well use the clue "Warrior in 'The Last Samurai,'" could he?

51. Queen's consort : BEE.

54. Has been : WAS. Cute misdirection.

58. Inner: Pref. : ENTO. Ento- endo- dilemma again.

59. Galápagos denizen : TORTOISE. Because "iguana" was too short...

60. Methods : WAYS.

61. Left helpless : STRANDED. I liked how this one crossed 57-Down. Succor : AID.

Down:

1. NASA space observatory named for a Renaissance astronomer : KEPLER. Because "Galileo" was toooo long.

2. Galapagos denizen : IGUANA. Aha! There's my iguana from 59-Across!

3. Pointillist's unit : DOT. "Dab" also fit. Just sayin'...

4. Like the cat that swallowed the canary : SMUG. My cat is not feeling too smug right now.  She had to swallow an antibiotic pill after dinner, and is still trying to hack it up...

5. Spanish morsel : TAPA.

6. Jose's ones : UNOS.

7. Douglas ___ : FIR.

8. Hot retail item : FAST SELLER. More fresh fill.

9. Schlep : HAUL.

10. Ready to pour : ON TAP.

11. "What was I thinking?!" : STUPID ME. (To quote Marti, after finishing the puzzle...) More fresh fill.

12. Charlemagnes's father : PEPIN III.

16. Popular : HIT.

17. Calculus prereq. : ALG.ebra.

20. To this point : AS YET.

22. Caught a glimpse of : SPIED.

26. U.K. record label : EMI. Electric and Musical Industries, Ltd. Now defunct.

27. Warm tops : WOOL SHIRTS. Not needing any of those recently!

30. Bus sched. entry : STA.tion.

31. Man cave, e.g. : DEN.

32. States as truth : AVERS. I was having my avers-avows dilemma before checking perps.

33. Detective's needs : LEADS. "Clues" would fit. Just sayin'...

34. Not many : ONLY A FEW.

35. Carrot nutrient : VITAMIN A. β-carotene was too long.

36. QB's statistic : ATT.empt.

42. Showing poor judgment : UNWISE. Like being egged on to do something stupid with a skateboard or bike...right, Steve?

43. Like easier-to-swallow pills : COATED. I don't think my cat's pills are coated...

44. Elec. units : KWs. Kilo-watts.

46. Failing the white glove test, say : DUSTY. Not my house!!

47. Way of the East : TAO. Literally, TAO means "way" in Chinese. 道

50. Sigma preceders : RHOS. And sigma precedes "tau." (Not to be confused with 道 )

51. Hamilton foe : BURR. Hah!  I just used "Hamilton-Burr contest" in a puzzle to clue the word DUEL. So this was a gimme.

52. She rode on Butch's handlebars : ETTA. Remember "Place in a 1969 western," which clued the first name ETTA? Also one of Jeffrey's puzzles. (22-Across)

53. Dark, poetically : EBON.

56. Camper's bed : COT. And an annoying rhyme video...but, she forGOT "B-O-T", "G-O-T", "J-O-T," "L-O-T," "S-O-T" and "T-O-T."  Time for me to hit the cot!

Till next week,

Marti

Wednesday, July 31, 2013 Susan Gelfand

Theme: Cross beams!

20A: Chocolate-and-crisped-rice candy: NESTLE CRUNCH

 

42A: “It floats” sloganeer: IVORY SOAP

37A: Solid investment?: GOLD INGOT

and the unifier:

57A Gymnast’s event, or what 20-, 37- and 42-Across literally are in this grid: PARALLEL BARS

Hi everyone - Steve here with the Wednesday offering to wrap up July. Susan Gelfand's name doesn't pop up in the blog labels as being seen before, but the last time I congratulated a debutant it turned out that he'd had a slew of puzzles published in the past, so I'll defer to C.C. and the rest of the crew before offering figurative back-slaps. (From C.C.: Susan has 9 puzzle published by the NY Times, but I believe this is her LAT debut.)

It did take me a little while to figure out the theme when I'd finished the puzzle, it was the "literally" in the unifier that finally got the penny to drop - the three theme entries are all kinds of bars, and they all literally run parallel to each other in the grid.

There was some nice fill too and it all added up to a pretty smooth Wednesday. I had a couple of missteps along the way, but nothing too serious. I needed quite a few crosses to help with a number of unknowns, and I had a borderline personal Natick with AD REM/AMOS OZ, but that's what good cluing is all about.

Across:

1 Rooters with beers, maybe: FANS. Nice opening.

5 Pampering places: SPAS

9 Spunk: MOXIE

14 Stargazer’s focus?: IDOL. Another nice little misdirection. I definitely had the night sky in my mental sights for a while here.

15 Basil or Ginger, e.g.: NAME. I thought this clue was very elegant in that it disqualifies the potential "HERB" answer by cluing a spice and a herb. It would have been easy (and possibly mean) to misdirect with "Basil or Rosemary, e,g."

16 Attention-getters: AHEMS

17 “__ put it another way ...”: OR TO

18 Switch ender: EROO. Switcheroo.

19 Pinkish wines: ROSÉS. The French and Spanish rosés are wonderfully dry, unlike the Californian white zins which give pink wines a bad name.

23 “Jews and Words” co-author: AMOS OZ. The M was my last letter to fill. I'm calling it a semi-WAG.

24 Heavenly lion: LEO

25 Ballpark fig.: EST. I thought at first this was some kind of baseball stat that I'd never heard of, but then ohhhh! An estimate!

28 Official symbol: SEAL. This is one very nice example:

31 Puzzling problem: ENIGMA. Winston Churchill memorably described Russia as "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma"

33 Like a Chihuahua’s ears: ERECT

39 Many an auctioned auto: REPO

40 P-like Greek letter: RHO

41 Sprinted: TORE

45 Lost cause: GONER

46 Bird in a clock: CUCKOO. I don't know how people can put up with one of these things in the house, unless they get so used to them they can filter out the racket, which rather defeats the purpose.

47 Pianist Peter: NERO. Needed crosses here. I'm not really up on my pianists.

49 Chuckle sound: HEH

50 Looker’s leg: GAM. This seems such an inelegant word for what is meant to be a very attractive leg. It does, however, give me a great excuse to post a picture of the incomparable gams of Cyd Charisse!

52 Beehive, e.g.: HAIRDO

60 Crosswise, nautically: ABEAM. Quibble. I think "athwart" answers the definition here. ABEAM describes the position of an object 90 degrees off the side of a vessel. Thoughts?

63 Refusals: NOES

64 Scoreboard figure, at times: STAT

65 Coup group: JUNTA. You always hear news reports of a "military junta". Can you have a non-military junta?

66 Vegan staple: TOFU

67 German article: EINE

68 Inner turmoil: ANGST. I was on the digestive tract (mis)track for a while with this one.

69 Six-legged marchers: ANTS

70 American-born Jordanian queen: NOOR

Down:

1 Pop singer Apple: FIONA. Great live version of her hit "Shadowboxer" here

2 Relevant, in law: AD REM. From the Latin "to matter".

3 Untrue: NOT SO

4 Casino lineup: SLOTS

5 React to sunlight, maybe: SNEEZE. Gesundheit!

6 Paris’s Bois de Vincennes, par exemple: PARC. Clue in French, answer in French.

7 Son of Venus: AMOR

8 1988 Summer Olympics city: SEOUL. These Olympics produced the most stunning men's 100 meters sprint final when Ben Johnson shattered the world record with a time of 9.79 seconds. The next day he tested positive for steroids and was stripped of the gold medal. Oops!

9 Pioneer in wireless telegraphy: MARCONI

10 “Oopsie!”: OH-OH

11 Survey marks: XES

12 “__ Mine”: Beatles song: I ME

13 Double curve: ESS

21 2000s TV drama that ended in a church: LOST. I think I'm one of the few people in the country that never watched a minute of single episode of this show.

22 Have to have: NEED

25 Encourage: EGG ON. I think of this in the "encourage to do something totally dumb" context, almost certainly involving a skateboard or a bicycle, a set of steps with a handrail and the inevitable result of much pain and suffering.

26 Camper’s dessert: S'MORE

27 Spud: TATER

29 Prefix with business: AGRO. I had "AGRI" first which had me wondering what SIAP was.

30 Lindsay of “Mean Girls”: LOHAN. That's putting it nicely. I can think of many more unflattering ways to clue this one!

32 Gung-ho about: INTO

33 Psychoanalyst Fromm: ERICH. Crosses. I'm as up on my psychoanalysts as I am my pianists.

34 Variety show: REVUE

35 Noteworthy period: EPOCH

36 Eco-friendly tile material: CORK. The Cork Forest Conservation Alliance has answers to any question you could ever think to pose about this abundant natural resource, including scotching the screw-top wine bottle myth that there is a cork shortage. Who knew?

38 Run easily: LOPE

43 Place for meditation, for some: YOGA MAT. Not me. When I'm on my yoga mat I'm being bullied into doing outrageous Pilates maneuvers that my body was not designed for. I'm crying, rather than meditating.

44 Fly high: SOAR

45 Hockey score: GOAL

48 Animal for which a blood factor is named: RHESUS. Rhesus macaques have assisted in a number of scientific projects and have been into orbit on many occasions.

51 Tropical ray: MANTA

53 Hedda Gabler’s creator: IBSEN.

54 Proportion: RATIO

55 Backup-beating brand: DRANO. I enjoyed this - I was on the computer-file backup track for a while.

56 Maker of the MyBlend blender: OSTER. I can't see this brand name now without wincing - last year I was pulling my Oster blender out of the cupboard above my oven and I dropped the (heavy!) glass mixing bowl. Instinctively I wanted to save it from shattering on my tiles so I intelligently stuck my bare foot between it and the floor. I broke two bones in my foot and the darn thing still shattered.

58 Bird on Canada’s dollar coin: LOON

59 Hit the road: LEFT

60 1977 Steely Dan album: AJA. Their best-selling album.

61 Burger holder: BUN

62 Tower of London loc. ENG. I wonder if there's a tower in London, Ontario as well as London, England?

And there we have it. That's it from me today - have a great Wednesday and see you next time.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013 Steve Blais

Theme: I resemble this theme - Three terms for a, shall we say, abundant stomach.

17A. What baguettes may be served in : BREAD BASKET

29A. Fifth wheel : SPARE TIRE

45A. Cozy place to read a book : BAY WINDOW

60A. Emotional response (which might be induced by 17-, 29- and 45-Across?) : GUT REACTION

Argyle here. I like that the three terms are not necessarily a bad thing; who doesn't like a bay window or a basket of bread? Yum! I understand some cars do not carry a spare tire any more. Not a good idea, here in the hinterlands. Oh, and I liked the puzzle, too.

Across:

1. Understand : GET

4. In a chair : SEATED

10. It may be crushed at a bar : ICE. Not to be found in any form at Villa Incognito.

13. Dinghy gear : OARS. A dinghy (or dingey) is a type of small boat.

15. Water-carved gulch : ARROYO. Most of the time dry except after heavy rains.

16. Traitor : RAT

19. Toronto's prov. : ONT. (Ontario)

20. Cover, in a way, as a car : INSURE

21. Baltic Sea republic : ESTONIA

23. "Hannah Montana" star Miley : CYRUS. Not what she looks like now. PIC.

26. Minor argument : TIFF

27. Mimic : APER

33. Bird: Prefix : AVI

34. Mobster's code of honor : OMERTÀ. Haven't seen this entry in a while.

36. Dashing style : ELAN

37. Old sheriff's badge : TIN STAR

39. Self-respect : DIGNITY

41. __-Seltzer : ALKA. Good entry for today's theme.

42. Jeans giant of the '80s : GITANO

44. Grant-giving gp. : NEA. (National Endowment for the Arts)

47. Identifies in a Facebook photo : TAGS

49. Penultimate-round game : SEMI. Before the final.

50. Egyptian life symbols : ANKHs

52. Numbers to crunch : RAW DATA

55. Title Gilbert and Sullivan emperor : MIKADO

59. Pub offering : ALE

63. Mud bath site : SPA

64. Manuscript fixer : EDITOR

65. Just : ONLY

66. __ ejemplo: Spaniard's "for example" : POR

67. Hate : DETEST

68. Cowboy singer Ritter : TEX

Down:

1. Mongolian desert : GOBI

2. Be worthy of : EARN

3. Very, in Vichy : TRÈS

4. Pirate's weapon : SABER

5. Time to remember : ERA

6. Latin art : ARS. The Latin word for art.

7. Casino gratuity : TOKE

8. Cause of blurry vision, perhaps : EYE STRAIN

9. Nashville's West : DOTTIE

10. Speck in a magnetic field experiment : IRON FILING

11. Kid's plea : "CAN I?"

12. Jazzy James : ETTA

14. Alfredo, for one : SAUCE

18. Timber trouble : DRY ROT

22. Frequently : OFTEN

24. Logon requirement : USER ID

25. Mar.-to-Jun. season : SPR. (spring)

27. Walled city of Spain : ÁVILA

28. Kids' digital deal-sealer : PINKY SWEAR. Shaking hands - except with only pinkie fingers.

30. When the cock crows : AT DAWN

31. Rent-a-car charges, e.g. : RATES

32. One-named Irish singer : ENYA. 'Fraid she doesn't fit with my singers today.

33. Run __: drink on credit : A TAB

35. Star brightness measure : MAGNITUDE

38. Cut, as logs : SAWED

40. "Wuthering Heights" genre : GOTHIC

43. One __ customer : TO A

46. Painted a picture of, say : IMAGED

48. Invite as one's date for : ASK TO

51. Target competitor : KMART

52. Coarse talk : RASP. Bit tricky.

53. Brand for a pooch : ALPO

54. Toiling away : AT IT

56. "__ She Sweet" : AIN'T

57. Mete (out) : DOLE

58. Jet-black gem : ONYX

61. GPS suggestion : RTE.

62. Camera named for a goddess : EOS

Argyle

Monday, July 29, 2013 Patti Varol

Theme: Game On! - The three starred answers begin with a type of team sport ball.

20. *Page-bottom reference indicated by an asterisk : FOOTNOTE

34. *Skydiver using low-altitude starting points : BASEJUMPER

41. *Nervous wreck : BASKET CASE

54. Angels or Dodgers, and, in a way, what the first words of the answers to starred clues comprise : BALL CLUB

Argyle here on a very Monday. Patti (interview) shows us how to construct a simple Monday puzzle. A nice touch are the the two columns, each spanning two answers.

Across:

1. Mustard-colored kernels : CORN

5. Campaign ad target : VOTER

10. Best buds : PALS

14. Toward shelter, at sea : ALEE

15. Boxing venue : ARENA

16. Dr. Frankenstein's helper : IGOR

17. Musical Horne : LENA

18. Lost some color : PALED

19. Refuse to continue : QUIT

22. Exotic lizard : IGUANA

24. St. Elmo's __ : FIRE

25. Yawn inducer : BORE

26. Vowel sound in "bug" : SHORT U

29. Designer Gucci : ALDO

30. That ship : SHE

33. Junction point : NODE

37. Dickens's Heep : URIAH

39. Mom, to Auntie : SIS

40. __ bear : POLAR

44. Ecstatic review : RAVE

45. Concorde, e.g., for short : SST. (supersonic transport)

46. Crazy as a __ : LOON

47. Like a three-piece suit : VESTED

49. Supply that exceeds demand : GLUT

50. Like the Magi : WISE

51. "On the wall" beauty judge in a film classic : MIRROR. "Snow White".

58. Garfield's pal : ODIE

59. Hot under the collar : IRATE

61. Norway's capital : OSLO

62. Alternative word : ELSE

63. Like anchovies : SALTY

64. Funnyman Carvey : DANA. SNL Audition(2:22)

65. Plant's beginning : SEED

66. "__ are the times that ...": Paine : THESE. “These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value.” Complete text LINK.

67. State, in France : ÉTAT

Down:

1. Young cow : CALF

2. Topping in a tub : OLEO

3. Nevada gambling city : RENO

4. Compulsive tidy-upper : NEAT FREAK

5. Vicks mentholated ointment : VAPORUB®

6. Address the crowd : ORATE

7. Prefix with vision : TELE

8. WSW's opposite : ENE

9. One supplying drive-time music, briefly : RADIO DJ

10. Stimulate, as curiosity : PIQUE

11. Juanita's water : AGUA

12. Choice cut : LOIN

13. Mlle., in Mexico : SRTA.. French in Spanish.

21. Point trivially picked : NIT

23. Word after support or study : GROUP

25. Sanctify : BLESS

26. Deliberately doesn't invite : SNUBS

27. Jewish wedding dances : HORAs

28. Dedicative poet : ODIST

29. Made in Taiwan, say : ASIAN

30. Wet impact sound : SPLAT. Bug-hits-windshield sound.

31. Let out, as a sigh : HEAVE

32. Messed up : ERRED

35. Knotted neckwear : ASCOT

36. System with dots and dashes : MORSE CODE

38. "You had me at __": "Jerry Maguire" line : HELLO. (movie)

42. Camera-toting traveler, often : TOURIST

43. Curse-inducing stare : EVIL EYE

48. Immigrant's subj. : ESL. Another from Sunday's.

49. Avarice : GREED

50. Light bulb units : WATTS

51. "The Simpsons" tavern : MOE'S

52. Gathering dust : IDLE

53. Increase : RISE

54. Hayloft bundle : BALE

55. Atty.-to-be's exam : LSAT. ( Law School Admission Test)

56. Forearm bone : ULNA

57. Tub toy : BOAT

60. Stadium cheer : [RAH!]

Argyle

Sunday July 28, 2013 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Networking" - Theme entries all have TV channels as initials.

 27A. *"Perhaps" : THERE'S NO TELLING. TNT. Endless "Law & Order".

 41A. *Snacks not needing an oven : NO-BAKE COOKIES. NBC.

 53A. *"When I say so," militarily speaking : AT MY COMMAND. AMC.

 78A. *Signature song for Sammy Davis Jr. : THE CANDY MAN. TCM. Online version has no asterisk. But it should.

 88A. *Practically guaranteed : ALL BUT CERTAIN. ABC.

 107A. *Ambushed : TAKEN BY SURPRISE. TBS.

 16D. *Fair forecast : CLEAR BLUE SKIES. CBS.

 48D. *Settling request : PLEASE BE SEATED. PBS.

 91D. Weekly magazine where the initials of the answers to starred clues can be found : TV GUIDE

Often I have a basic idea of where the theme is going after scanning at the title. Not today. Clueless until I hit the reveal entry, which intersects 2 more theme entries.

The gridding would be a bit trickier if Ed tried to place TV GUIDE in the very lower right corner or central row. Intersection can ease up the filling considerably. Look at how nice today's long 9's (total 8) are.

Across:

 

1. Mature : ADULT

6. One of a typical schooner's pair : MAST

10. Water holders : DAMS

14. Sees eye to eye? : FACES. I don't get this clue.

19. Patty Hearst's SLA alias : TANIA

20. Alice's immortalizer : ARLO. This type of "Immortalizer" or "immortal" clue always cracks me up.

21. Inclusive ending : ET AL

22. Kate's TV mate : ALLIE

23. Bug-hits-windshield sound : SPLAT. Vivid clue.

24. Lab gel medium : AGAR

25. Stage highlight : ARIA

26. "CSI" part? : SCENE. Crime Scene Investigation.

30. Wedding proposal? : TOAST. Nice clue.

31. You-__: rural addresses : UNS. I only know y'all.

32. Fight unit: Abbr. : RND. Oh, round. Boxing.

33. Connection facilitators, briefly : ISPs

34. Fireplace place : HEARTH

35. Computer in a cubicle : DESK TOP

37. Wild talk : RANT

39. Roll on the ball field : SOD

40. "__ Mir Bist Du Schoen" (Andrews Sisters hit) : BEI. Literally "north" in Chinese, as in Beijing.

45. Tiger's ex : ELIN

46. Chem lab tube : PIPET. New word to me also.

49. Well-coiffed Byrnes : EDD

50. Cupid's wings : ALAE. The adjective is ALAR. We used to see these two a lot in the old Tribune puzzle.

51. __ bean: sprouts source : MUNG. Boomer like bean sprouts in his chow mein, served over rice. Very strange.

52. Cast member's part : ROLE

57. Military meal : MESS

58. Private insignia : ONE STRIPE

60. Carrie's org. on "Homeland" : CIA

61. Poor grades : DEEs

63. Smokey Bear broadcast, briefly : PSA

64. Like __ out of hell : A BAT

65. Critic Reed : REX

66. Rachael Ray sautéing initialism : EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

 
68. Royal Botanic Gardens locale : KEW

71. Big hauler : SEMI

73. Wet expanse : SEA. And 55D. Wet expanse : OCEAN

74. Auto trip problem : BLOWN TIRE

76. Court answer : PLEA

82. Psychic's verb : READ

83. Soldiers under Lee : REBs

84. Flor del amor : ROSA. My yellow tea rose must hate our garden, Marti.

85. Great Basin native : UTE. Gary & D-Otto use UTE a lot.

86. Oktober endings : FESTS. Oktoberfests.

87. Fancy molding : OGEE

93. __-relief : BAS

94. School support gp. : PTA

95. A fourth of doce : TRES.  doce = 12.

96. Carrion consumer : VULTURE

100. Fútbol cheer : OLE OLE

102. Computer info : DATA. 74. 102-Across units : BYTES.

104. "Wow" : GEE

105. Homer's neighbor : NED (Flanders). The Simpsons.

106. Close call : SCARE

112. Trig function : COTAN. I could only think of COSEC, Bill G.

113. No longer happening : OVER

114. Places : LOCI

115. Beetles, perhaps : AUTOS

116. Driver's lic., e.g. : IDENT (Identification).

117. Herb used with potatoes : DILL. I only like chives with potatoes.

118. Benediction opener : O GOD

119. Oodles : SLEWS

120. Like marshes : SEDGY. OK.

121. Operation Overlord time : D-DAY

122. Hinged entrance : GATE

123. "The Gondoliers" girl : TESSA. I forgot. We had this before.

Down:

1. Like some retired racehorses : AT STUD

2. Apollo's nymph : DAPHNE. She didn't like him & became a laurel tree to escape his advances. She should have just come to America.

3. Conditional word : UNLESS. You want OR ELSE too?

4. One may be exposed during cross-examination : LIAR

5. Ore-Ida morsel : TATER TOT

6. Kettles from Cape Flattery : MA AND PA

7. Jason's vessel : ARGO. Hello Lemonade!

8. Shutter part : SLAT

9. Sped : TORE

10. Gives a hand : DEALS TO

11. Anchor position : ATRIP. Spitzboov & D-Otto won't mind this A* word.

12. Sewer lines : MAINS

13. Metallic by-product : SLAG

14. Followed a Lenten routine : FASTED

15. Big name in siding : ALCOA. I need the more obvious "foil" or "wrap" to make this a gimme.

17. Hardly dim bulbs : EINSTEINS

18. Hallucinate : SEE THINGS. Tricky to parse.

28. Hoity-toity sort : SNOB

29. Type starter : LINO. Linotype.

34. Cleaned, as a deck : HOSED DOWN

36. Low benders : KNEES

37. Try a new shade on : RE-DYE

38. "High Voltage" rockers : AC/DC

39. Bean who played Boromir in "The Lord of the Rings" films : SEAN. Never saw the series. Is he bad or good?

42. Neat : KEMPT. Only know unkempt.

43. __ Sutra : KAMA

44. Waterfront gp. : ILA (International Longshoremen's Association)

45. Supermodel born Melissa Miller : EMME. Wow, her name is quite close to the real supermodel Marisa Miller.

Emme

Marisa Miller

46. Stage aid : PROP

47. Charged atoms : IONS

53. Settle things, in a way : ARBITRATE

54. Familia member : TIA

56. Potpourri : MIX

59. Skye cap : TAM

62. Geological stretch : EON

65. "The Crying Game" actor : REA (Stephen). I saw the movie in Cantonese. So shocked.

66. Wabbit hunter : ELMER

67. U.S. govt. broadcaster : VOA

69. Latin 101 word : ERAT

70. Forms a union : WEDS

72. Relax : EASE

73. Wound covering : SCAB

75. Nottingham's river : TRENT

76. Schnoz like Durante's : PROBOSCIS. Another new word to me.

77. System of laws : LEGAL CODE

79. Havana hi : HOLA 

 

80. Course for would-be U.S. citizens : ESL
 

81. Il __: Mussolini : DUCE
 

86. Walk by singly : FILE PAST
 

89. To the nth degree : UTTERLY. I'd like to try Anonymous T's pizza crust some day. Sounds delicious!
 

90. Air__: low-cost carrier : TRAN

92. Heifetz's teacher : AUER (Leopold). Hungarian violinist.
 

94. More than enough : PLENTY
 

97. Gets together : UNITES

98. Seeds again : RE-SOWS

99. Historic Mesopotamian city : EDESSA. Today known as Urfa in southeast Turkey.

101. Long-armed ape : ORANG

102. Judean king : DAVID

103. Cub Scout leader : AKELA. Learned from Xwords.

107. Sweeney with scissors : TODD. So straightforward.

108. Opine online : BLOG. I blog.

109. Meditative practice : YOGA. Star Tribune just mentioned an outdoor weekly yoga somewhere near our neighborhood.

110. Many a bagpiper : SCOT

111. Reign : RULE

C.C.