Sunday December 15, 2013 Jeff Chen

Theme:  "And 100 More!" - C is added to each familiar phase. Love the title.

22A. Big tips on cruises? : LINER C-NOTES. Liner notes.

32A. Beginning piano student's first scale? : C MAJOR DISASTER. Major disaster.

49A. Shockproof battery? : PADDED C CELL. Padded cell.

63A. Channel for channel surfers? : SHORT ATTENTION C-SPAN. Short attention span.

79A. Food problem at the front? : C RATIONS OUT. Rations out.

93A. Tech news site's nefarious plan? : NOTHING BUT CNET. Nothing but net.

107A. Painfully out-of-tune note? : RAZOR C SHARP. Razor-sharp.

 

This would be very cool if there were no other C's other than those in the theme entries. But then the fill would not be sparkling.

Typical Jeff Chen grid. Fun theme/fill and super smooth. Spoiler alert: Jeff also has today's NY Times. A rare Sunday doubleheader.

I've been enjoying Jeff's notes on those NYT puzzles. He points out the strength and weakness in each grid and his comments are always observant & informative. Sometimes he's goofy.

Across:

       

1. Brief regrets, maybe : RSVPs

6. Agitated state : STEW

10. Order from on high : FIAT

14. DJIA stock : IBM. Their ThinkPad is owned by Lenovo, a Chinese company.

17. Nobelist Root : ELIHU

18. Source of heat : STOVE

19. It's for the dogs : ALPO. Indeed.

20. Campus center : QUAD

24. Chicken __ : KIEV. Boomer made more General Tso's Chicken last night. But he added in some cashew nuts, which are mostly used in Kung Pao Chicken.

25. Many a jazz combo : TRIO

26. Willing to listen : OPEN

27. Peace Nobelist Wiesel : ELIE

28. One good at stretching? : LIAR. Stretching the truth. Of course I was thinking of Ichiro.

29. Tubular carb source : PENNE

30. Green sage of films : YODA. Why is he green?

36. Stars and Stripes squad : TEAM USA

39. They're noted for their neutrality : SWISS

40. Civil offenses : TORTS

41. LAX listing : ARR (Arrival)

42. Sassy : PERT

44. Fútbol cheer : OLE

45. Panther's color? : PINK. Pink Panther.

46. Nigerian people : IBO. Learned from doing xwords.

52. Stumblebums : OAFS

53. Multiple millennia : AEON

54. Latin 101 verb : ESSE. In esse.

55. Code breakers' cries : AHAS

56. Sugar bowl fans : ANTS. Ha ha.

57. Capital of Belarus : MINSK

58. __ Aires : BUENOS

61. Twosome in the news, or the news itself : ITEM. Nice clue as well.

62. Appear eventually : TURN UP

67. Sitcom lover of Chachi : JOANIE. Was unaware of "Joanie Loves Chachi", a spinoff of "Happy Days".

68. Give up : CEDE

69. Start of a balcony delivery : O ROMEO

70. Queen __ lace : ANNE'S

71. Via, informally : THRU

72. Locking horns : AT IT

73. City on the Arno : PISA

77. Manufactured locks : WIGS. Another great clue. "Locks" always refer to "hair" in xwords.

78. Startled cries : EEKS

82. One of several H.S. subjects : SCI

83. Black Friday event : SALE

84. Owing : SHY

85. Rough patch? : ACNE. Oh I have a question: can you pluralize ACNE?

86. Slick, perhaps : WET

87. Hugo title word : NOTRE. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".

89. Deliveries at Lincoln Center : ARIAS

91. "CHiPs" co-star : ESTRADA (Erik)

97. Sorority letters : PHIS

98. Nonspecific checkbox : OTHER

99. "Born Free" lioness : ELSA

100. Skye of film : IONE.  "Say Anything..." is pretty good.

102. Classic muscle cars : GTOS

105. URI's hoops conference : A TEN. Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10). I drew a blank.

106. "Sometimes you feel like __ …" : A NUT. Hence the 105A clue. Jeff does not want two consecutive "a..." style partial clues.

110. Hamburger man : HERR.  So people from Hamburg are called "Hamburger"?

111. Miller __ : LITE

112. John Paul's Supreme Court successor : ELENA

113. Out-and-out : UTTER

114. Playa del __: L.A. coastal region : REY

115. Pic to click : ICON

116. Binds : WEDS

117. Arnold's art : POESY. Which "Arnold" are we talking here?

 

Down:

1. HR dept. concern : RELO

2. Err : SLIP

3. Oenophile's vacation destinations : VINEYARDS

4. Promising whiz : PHENOM

5. California's Big __ : SUR

6. Vulcan in demeanor : STOIC. Spock.

7. Tribal emblems : TOTEMS

8. Holiday preceder : EVE

9. Director Craven : WES

10. Muslim ascetics : FAKIRS. Forgot. We had this before. 

11. Homer classic : ILIAD

12. Appetite stimulants : APERITIFS

13. "Mazel __!" : TOV

14. Measure of brightness : IQ TEST

15. Color in the original "Crayola 48" : BURNT SIENNA. And 64. Motto on an inspirational cat poster : HANG IN THERE. Jeff made great use of the long slots.

16. It was admitted as a free state as part of the Missouri Compromise : MAINE. Also a learning moment. I know nothing about Missouri Compromise.

18. NBC staple : SNL

21. Shaker, so to speak : DOER. Not your salt/pepper shaker. Tricky clue.

23. Quit : CEASED

28. Get shellacked, say : LOSE

29. Part of PRNDL : PARK

31. Pigeon : DUPE

33. Delinquents of a sort, briefly : AWOLS

34. Memorable climber : JILL. Jack and Jill.

35. George Foreman's five Georges : SONS. This would be very confusing to me.

36. Record, in a way : TAPE

37. Historical periods : ERAS

38. Things known to a select few : ARCANA

43. Knickknack : TCHOTCHKE. Yiddish, isn't it?

45. He played Arnold on "Happy Days" : PAT MORITA. More familiar with his role in "The Karate Kid".

47. Short deck hand? : BOSUN (Boatswain)

48. Doing mil. drudge work : ON KP

50. Fillets : DEBONES

51. Hunters' holidays : EASTERS. Egg hunters.

52. A smidgen : ONE IOTA

53. Preps for a snack, as corn : AIR-POPS

56. Long-distance letters : AT&T

57. Ponder : MUSE. Hi there Gary!

59. "Exodus" novelist : URIS

60. Hot time in Quebec : ETE

61. Like Beethoven's Sonata Op. 109 : IN E

62. Airer of vintage films : TCM

63. NBAer until 2008 : SONIC. Now the Thunder.

65. URL tag : EDU

66. Observe : NOTICE

67. Steel-toothed Bond villain : JAWS. In "The Spy Who Loved Me".

71. Like some anchors : TELEGENIC. Who's your favorite TV anchor?

72. Early Indo-European : ARYAN

74. Big 12 wrestling powerhouse : IOWA STATE

75. Went after : SUED

76. "__ boy!" : ATTA

78. Make : EARN

79. In : CHIC

80. Without a buyer lined up : ON SPEC

81. Belg. neighbor : NETH

83. The cooler : STIR

84. Span. miss : SRTA

88. Writer with an award named for him : O HENRY

89. "Pride and Prejudice" novelist : AUSTEN

90. Grabbed : SEIZED

92. "You betcha!" : RIGHTO

93. Father of Shem, Ham and Japheth : NOAH

94. Aquatic frolicker : OTTER

95. Belushi's "Animal House" role : BLUTO. Needed crossings.

96. Cel mates? : TOONS. Cute clue.

101. Org. that sticks to its guns : NRA

103. Metal refinery input : ORES

104. Nimble : SPRY

106. Frazier's Fight of the Century foe : ALI. Have you seen this clip from the Jack Parr show? Ali is a good rapper.

107. Clicker button : REW

108. Microbrew selection : ALE

109. Slangy "How's things?" : SUP

1) Our local Star Tribune has a nice article on Twin Cities crossword community. Click here. George Barany & Victor Barocas are featured. Nodding my head at George's comment: "It’s probably one of the lowest-paying jobs you could find on a hourly basis. It’s strictly a labor of love." Victor's puzzle is not for the LA Times, by the way, it's for the Chronicle of Higher Education.

2) For those Gmail users, if you don't want Google to group all your emails with the same subjection into one line in the inbox, please click on Settings, then under "Conversation View", click  "Conversation view off". I really dislike the one lump. So messy and hard to file.

C.C.

Saturday, Dec 14th, 2013, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 72 (missing J,Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 34

    I really like the look of this labyrinthine grid - I hope it was not as hard for you to work through as it was for me - but I might just be tired.  I got blanked in the NE, had to Google a couple of things in order to get anything at all.  One grid climber today:

6D. The Falcons of the Mountain West Conference : AIR FORCE ACADEMY - Colorado Springs, CO

and some of the two pairs of 10's and 9's in the corners;

17A. Honda CRF, e.g. : TRAIL BIKE - one I had to look up; I pondered ELECTRIC CAR, but it ran out of juice

28D. Its English version has more than 3.5 million entries : WIKTIONARY - Started with DICtionary, and that was close enough

3D. Silly goose or sitting duck : NOUN-PHRASE - learning moment for me - the Wiki

54A. Loretta Lynn's father was one : COAL MINER - is a child who was bad this year going to be a "COAL MINOR" at Christmas?

ward on~!

ACROSS:

1. Fiji neighbor : TONGA

6. Round server? : ALE HOUSE - DAH~! I tried BARMAID, too short, BARTENDER, too long....

14. Cutter cousin : SLOOP - boats - or should I say, ships

15. Research activity : FIELD TRIP - I took a "field trip" this week; UPS sent me to Queens for two days to deliver - what a completely different operation~!  I spent my 10-hours yesterday on FOUR blocks, period, delivering 300 packages.

16. Hot-and-cold feelings : AGUES - meh

18. Cost : RAN TO - this one still gets me; needed some perps to remind me

19. Honda et al.: Abbr. : MFRs - slight clecho from 17A; manufacturers

20. 1969 Tommy James and the Shondells hit : "SHE" - The other one I needed to look up

21. Canadian road sign letters : KPH - Kilometres per hour - no, wait that's British....Columbia???

22. Recent delivery : NEONATE - I just couldn't think of anything but NEWBORN

25. Architect Mies van der __ : ROHE

26. Cellphone display : BARS - signal strength

27. Midwestern tribe : IOWAs

31. Like some discount mdse. : IRRegular

32. "Powerage" band : AC/DC - going with a gratuitous Hard Rock music link from their previous album

33. Go away : VANISH

34. Org. led by David Stern : NBA - All perps; don't follow basketball

35. Infuse with : STEEP IN

37. The Wildcats of the Big 12 Conf. : KSU - A bit of a redundancy with the grid climber

38. Composer Holst : GUSTAV - English composer, famous for "The Planets"; his "Mars" piece was the inspiration for this number from the godfathers of Heavy Metal

40. Is not misused? : AIN'T - Isn't, misused

41. Noir protagonist : TEC - Detective, from the genre

42. Power : STEAM

43. Troubling spots : ACNE

44. Drop : SINK

45. Haberdashery items : TIE TACS

47. On a roll : HOT

48. Devil : IMP

51. Bank deposit : LODE

52. Philatelist's purchases : PANES - of stamps

57. Get around : EVADE

58. "Li'l Abner" Tony winner, 1956 : EDIE ADAMS

59. iComfort maker : SERTA - hey~! NOT an Apple product~!

60. With equanimity : SEDATELY

61. "Shame __!" : ON YOU

DOWN:

1. Peter the Great, e.g. : TSAR

2. First International Gymnastics Hall of Fame inductee : OLGA KORBUT - seemed like the best WAG money could buy

4. "Faust" author : GOETHE

5. It roughly translates to "bearded" in Tibet : APSO

7. Picks up : LEARNS

8. Woman in a "Paint Your Wagon" song : ELISA

9. Aerobic exercise can raise it, briefly : HDL - ah, not BPM (heart-rate)

10. Wagering option, briefly : OTB - Dah~! not I.O.U.?

11. "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" screenwriter : URIS (Leon)


12. Punjab sect member : SIKH

13. It's almost pointless : EPEE - tough way to clue a crossword staple - I could think of so many items without a point - even considered "KNEE" for a moment

15. NSA headquarters site : Ft. MEADE

22. "Grimm" network : NBC-TV - I WAGed ABC-TV, and was 80% right

23. Red Sox Hall of Fame pitcher Luis : TIANT - I defer to our C.C., who is proabably jonesing for some baseball these days (C.C.: I drew a blank. Wiki shows he was with the Twins in 1970. Notice the wording of the clue: He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame, not Cooperstown.)

24. Forever and a day : EON

25. Gymnastic event : RINGS

29. Gave the go-ahead for : ASSENTED TO - started with SAID ---- TO

30. Peel off : SHUCK - not SHAVE - that showed up at 44D

32. "Same here" : AS AM I - what's an "asami"?

33. Jungle features : VINES

36. Grasping organ : PINCERS - not very useful on those VINES in the Jungle, though.   Some singular/plural deception

39. Bit of ink : TATtoo

43. Like some Hindemith works : ATONAL - If Mr. Silk says so....

44. Cut off : SHAVEN

46. Fail to say : ELIDE

48. Secures : ICES

49. Way : MODE

50. Took care of, in a way : PAID

52. Chilean cabbage? : PESO

53. Junior on the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team : SEAU

55. Rural area : LEA

56. Door closer? : MAT - Doormat - I've seen some funny ones at work (some are a little crass)

Splynter

Notes from C.C.:

1) Please click here for a great tribute puzzle George Barany & Friends constructed.

2) Bill G, you did it! The first one on the blog. You rock!!

3) Here is a picture of our Farmer/Philosopher Windhover. Click on it for a clearer image. He said this on the blog:

"I'm not generally in the habit of wearing feather boas (again, not that there's anything wrong with that). The pic was taken at a recent Hallowe'en party. The Irish went as Little Debbie (the Atlanta-based snack food entrepeneuress, not the one who "Did Dallas") and I was a Swiss Roll snack cake. I figured no one would "get it", but I was wrong. They were all already drinking when we arrived, and as you know alcohol sharpens the mind. (I learned that from Cliff on Cheers)."

Click here to see a picture of his lovely wife Irish & my favorite picture of him.

Friday, December 13, 2013, Michael Wiesenberg and David Steinberg

Theme: Down is up, lets spawn.

Another visual challenge saved for our Friday delight, and a collaboration between wunderkind David Steinberg, and the very interesting Michael Wiesenberg. Well we have 2 mountains to climb (right Spitzboov), as there are five (5) types of Salmon  (72 across, which I think should refer to both 3 and 41 down) which are presented in the down clues, reading from bottom to top with the reveal the unique pattern of these fish to go against the current to return to where they began to continue the cycle of LIFE. Other than the trickery, this did not feel like a Friday, lots of words, many 3 and 4 letter ones, with some interesting 7s, like CARRERE, CHORIZO, CRIPPLE, INDIANA,  SEE ALSO and TOWERED. I know the Corner has had an intense and very negative response to the use of trickeration in fill, so I am curious how you all react to this one. Let us see where this duo led us.

72A. Creature known for 3-Down : SALMON. (6)The other pink meat. Read all about them. LINK.

3D. With 41-Down, 72-Across phenomenon that's graphically demonstrated five times in this puzzle : SWIMMING.(8) 41D. See 3-Down : UPSTREAM. (8)  SWIMMING UPSTREAM.

9D. Type of 72-Across : EYEKCOS. (7) SOCKEYE. The red salmon of the Pacific Northwest.

18D. Type of 72-Across : OHOC. (4) COHO. Very popular type which is found all over the US and in all of the Great Lakes including Michigan. Silver salmon.

21D. Type of 72-Across : DAEHLEETS. (9) STEELHEAD.  Steelhead salmon are ocean going while steelhead trout are freshwater fish.

45D. Type of 72-Across : KOONIHC. (7) CHINOOK. The King salmon, they are the largest of the Pacific salmon growing up to 100 pounds.

47d. Type of 72-Across : MUHC. (4) CHUM. The dog salmon from the teeth it has during spawning which resemble canines.

whew, that is lot of theme stuff...

Across:

1. 1994 movie based on an androgynous "SNL" character : IT'S PAT. Not one of my favorite TRAILER. (1:31).

7. 2013 Culinary Hall of Fame inductee : EMERIL. Yes, I am sure we all sat waiting for this event. Who knew it even existed. LINK.

13. Dwarfed, with "above" : TOWERED. When I was 6 and about 3 feet tall, I went with my father to pick up my mother from her job as a nurse at the hospital, and we ran into an intern who was  6'8" dressed in scrubs. I thought the Jolly Green Giant had come to life.

15. Nonspecific journal opening : DAY ONE.

16. Severely damage : CRIPPLE.

17. Cross-referencing phrase : SEE ALSO. In writing brief and memoranda of law, we use many of these types of references, See e.g., see supra....

19. Tailors' work : HEMS. Trying to work a HAW reference in here somehow.

20. Work with freight : LADE.

22. Kosher deli snack : KNISH. I must dispute this clue, as a pastry filled with meat, or potato or vegetable is a side dish, not a snack.

23. Wet tract : MIRE. We have been swamped with this fill lately. Don't let it bog you down.

25. Smart guy? : ALEC.  Guiness?

27. Prefix with con : NEO.

28. Old ring leader? : ALI. Cute clue for Muhammed.

30. Language that gave us "galore" : ERSE. All perps.

32. Course-prep course : HOME-EC. Nice use of the different meanings of 'course'.

34. Computer operating system with a penguin mascot : LINUX. Surprisingly, the first appearance in an LAT.

36. Name : CHOOSE. Tricky cluing, which is accurate but hardly my first thought.

38. Hanging aids : PEGS.

39. '80s-'90s legal drama : LA LAW.

40. Zap : NUKE.

44. Ice Capades performer : SKATER. Hey CA, wherever you are....

46. One who has class? : PUPIL. Obviously they are students of the pun.

47. Bone tissue : MARROW.

50. Right on el mapa : ESTE. Spanish for east.  el mapa?

52. Friend of Frodo : SAM. Wonderfully portrayed by Sean Astin, Gomez Addams' son.

53. Diminutive suffix : ULE. Like CapsULE. For once not ULEE,

54. Taking care of business : ON IT.

56. Part of Q.E.F. : ERAT. Same middle word, Quod Erat Faciendum.

58. Board : HOP ON. Woo, woo!

60. Common auto engine : V-SIX.

62. Hyde Park vehicle : PRAM.  What a Nanny drives.

65. Tapas bar sausage : CHORIZO. Want to TRY?

67. Tia who voiced Nani in "Lilo & Stitch" : CARRERE. Didn't we just see beautiful Tia, the Wayne's World babe?

69. Quiver carrier : ARCHER.

70. State on Lake Michigan : INDIANA. Plus Illinois, Wisconsin and of course Michigan.

71. __ Sutton, Bond girl in "A View to a Kill" : STACEY. Played by TANYA ROBERTS, (2:19) who also was one of Charlie's Angels briefly and played Sheena, the female Tarzan.

Down:

1. Hankering : ITCH. Not scratch but yearn.

2. Ran like the dickens : TORE.

4. Mountain Dew bottler, informally : PEPSI. originally Brad's Drink.

5. Dada pioneer : ARP.

6. Note handler : TELLER. At the bank handling all of those federal reserve notes.

7. 1958 Pacer, e.g. : EDSEL. No idea what the clue means but it filled in quickly.

8. Ginnie __ : MAE. The articulation of GNMA, Government National Mortgage Association established in 1968 to provide a way for banks to sell their loans and then use the money to make new loans, etc. etc to fuel home financing and sale.

10. Reddish mount : ROAN.

11. Queued up : INLINE.

12. One paying a flat fee : LESSEE. The old FLAT =Apartment misdirection.

14. Narc's agcy. : DEA. Drug Enforcement Administration.

24. Morgan of comics : REX. The venerable strip featuring Rex Morgan MD.

26. Self-help website : eHOW.  Never heard of IT.

28. Sight from the Brenner Pass : ALP. Hi Warti.

29. Excuse, sometimes : LIE. The dog ate it.

31. Skedaddle : SCAT.

33. List of options : MENU.

35. BOAC destination in a Beatles hit : USSR.

37. Some crew members : OARS. The ones who do all the work in CREW, the sport.

39. Aeration target : LAWN. HG, don't you hate it when the aerate the greens?

42. Optima or Soul : KIA.

43. Common street name : ELM. Tough to pin down, a slippery clue.

46. __ diem : PER.

48. Island farewells : ALOHAS. Hello Hawaii.

49. News show staple : REPORT.

51. Natives of Paris and Odessa : TEXANS. Yes, we in America have borrowed my many European city names. Paris is one of the most common appearing in 26 states.

55. "It floats" soap : IVORY. When I was little and being bathed, the floating soap was a thing of awe.

57. National Poetry Month : APRIL. Owen, did we know this?

59. Seal hunter : ORCA.

61. "Vous êtes __": Paris map words : ICI. "You are here" en francais. No clecho for me.

63. Italian river : ARNO.

64. Bell curve center : MEAN. Like her friends MEDIAN and MODE. I figure it is feminine since it has curves.

66. Zombie leader? : ZEE. The first letter.

68. Old vitamin bottle no. : RDA. Recommended Daily Allowance.

Well I think you all have reached your RLW, reasonable lemonade write up, so I will head back to the world and wish you all a very happy and safe Friday the 13th. (Yes my name is Jason and the movies are so 'special' to me). Thanks David and Michael and all of you.

Lemonade

Notes from C.C.: 

As we all learned from yesterday's puzzle that crossword will celebrate its 100th anniversary on Dec 21, 2013, I'd like to mention a book I just read: The Centenary of the Crossword by John Halpern, known as "Paul" from The Guardian.

Who knew prisoners in Sing Sing were provided with crosswords in the 1920s? Fascinating snippets of crossword history. I also enjoyed reading the section on crossword setters/constructors and editors, esp LA Times Daily Crossword editor Rich Norris who does not give interviews often. I actually pulled out the Dan Naddor "Word Chain" blog post while reading Rich's words. I've never solved a cryptic puzzle, so I found the "How to Solve Cryptic Crosswords" chapter very informative and educating. 

You'll also find in the book Marti's 5 favorite clues. Also two from today's co-constructor David Steinberg. Please click here  for more information. Great read!

Thursday, December 12, 2013 Robert W. Harris

Theme: 100 Years of Puzzling

16-Across. How to start working on a 35-Across : EXAMINE ALL CLUES.

35-Across. Pastime that will celebrate its 100th anniversary on 12/21/2013 : CROSSWORD PUZZLE.

54-Across. How to finish working on a 35-Across : WRITE THE ANSWERS.

17-Down. Inventor of the 35-Across : ARTHUR WYNNE.

Of course, I am well aware of the impending anniversary, and when I saw the clue for 16-A, I immediately checked the letter count at 35-Across. I filled that one and 17-Down immediately, which gave me wide swaths that were filled in seconds, and prevented a lot of mis-steps that I would otherwise have had with the tricky clueing on this one.

Across:

1. Keyless : ATONAL. Not like "keyless lock," but lacking a key, musically.

7. Top : BLOUSE.

13. Crude dudes : CAVEMEN. Cute misdirection with 7-Down. Crude meas. : BBL. and 9-Down. Crude fleet : OILERS.

15. Some woodwind players : OBOISTS.

18. Missile spot : SILO.

19. Socially awkward type : NERD.

20. Fish-eating eagle : ERNE.

21. Talking Trans Am of classic TV : KITT. From the '80s TV show.

Knight Rider

22. Speak incessantly about : HARP ON. Waffled between "carp on" and "harp on."

24. Spenser's "The __ Queene" : FAERIE.

28. Some elimination rounds : HEATS.

30. Quite a lot : OFTEN.

31. Kirsten of "Melancholia" : DUNST. Never saw the movie. You?

32. Otologist's concern : EAR.

38. Saturn model until 2007 : ION.

39. Pet sounds : MEOWS. I bet dog lovers entered "woofs," right?

40. Nostrils : NARES.

41. Name of eight English kings : HENRY. And who didn't think of this song?

42. Lunch, say : REPAST.

43. It may be used after a break : SPLINT.

46. Requisite : NEED.

48. Quite a while : AEON.

49. Not even semi-pro? : ANTI. Favorite clue of the day!

50. Vocalist James : ETTA. At last...a clue I can relate to!

58. Corrida figures : TOREROS.

59. Gets in order : LINES UP. (As ducks in a row.)

60. Tense : ON EDGE.

61. Satisfies the munchies : NOSHES.

Down:

1. Nails, as a test : ACES.

2. Doorman's cry : TAXI.

3. Roundish : OVAL.

4. Literary sea captain : NEMO.

5. Porthos, to Aramis : AMI. French for male friend.

6. Gentle giant in "Of Mice and Men" : LENNIE.

8. __ cit. : LOC. Latin abbr. for "loco citato," or "in the place cited."

10. Seize : USURP.

11. Pool worker : STENO. Are there really still stenos out there?

12. Chief Ruhr River valley city : ESSEN. Our favorite German city makes an appearance.

14. Discontinued depilatory : NEET.

15. Long-established : OLD. I guess I must be long-established.

21. Branches on some trees : KINSMEN. Family trees, that is.

22. Metal fastener : HASP.

23. Adjusted (to) : ATTUNED.

24. Central points : FOCI.

25. High style : AFRO. Nice misdirection.

26. Avenger John Steed's alma mater : ETON. (He's the one on the left…)

John Steed and Emma Peel

27. Thing in court? : RES. Latin for "thing."

29. Limits : ENDS.

31. __ prize : DOOR.

32. Biblical reformer : EZRA.

33. Brown or golden drinks : ALES.

34. Take ten : REST.

36. Made an exit : WENT.

37. Microwave : ZAP.

41. Was indirect : HINTED.

42. Keep from getting out of control : REIN IN.

43. Took care of : SAW TO.

44. Former Argentine ruler : PERON.

45. Longest river in France : LOIRE.

47. Catchall abbr. : ET. AL. More Latin abbr. for "et alia," meaning "and others." And, how I usually include everyone in my morning greeting.

49. Sounds of contentment : AHS.

50. Woolly females : EWES.

51. Composer who was a CBS reporter : TESH (John). Prolific composer and award-winning broadcaster. I couldn't decide which of his works to link, so I'll let you choose your own.

52. Veracious : TRUE. I read this as "voracious" at first.

53. Threatening slitherers : ASPS.

55. Centimeter-gram-second unit : ERG.

56. Shoe part : TOE.

57. __ Balls: Hostess snack food : SNO. They did a tie-in with "Green Lantern" movie by putting these on shelves.  I wouldn't even think about eating one.

Link GloBalls

And for all our contractors on the blog, this should make you smile. It is what we found underneath the ugly ceramic tiles in the living room next door, woo-hoo!!!:

That's all for today. See you next week!

Marti

 

Note from C.C.:

I failed to mention an important step in yesterday's Big Avatar Picture instruction. Here it is again:

Click on your Blue Name, then "Edit Profile" on the upper right, then scroll down to "Profile Picture", then click on  "From the web. Paste an image URL below". Then paste. Then hit the Right Arrow button on your keyboard. Then wait for your picture to appear. Once it does, click on "Save Profile".

I'm eager to see if any of you can succeed today.

Wednesday December 11, 2013 Rick Papazian

Theme:  GET A ROOM (63A. "Whoa! Do that somewhere else!" ... which hints at what can be shared by the beginning and end of the answers to starred clue) - Room can follow the first word & precede the second word in each theme entry.

16A. *Colonial imposition that led to a "party" : TEA TAX. Tea room. I had to ask Argyle what "Room tax" is.

17A. *After-school chum : PLAYMATE. Play room. Roommate. 

28A. *FedEx, for one : DELIVERY SERVICE. Delivery room. Room service.

37A. *Wrestling move : LEGLOCK. Legroom. Room lock. I just call it "lock", never "room lock".

46A. *Some like it hot : BATH TEMPERATURE. Bathroom. Room temperature. This is often a TEA clue.

65A. *Summary of atlas symbols : MAP KEY. Map room. Room key.

C.C. here, filling in a blogging gap.

 

It's hard than it looks to come up with natural phrases where both words can precede/follow a certain word or like today's, one precedes/one follows.

This type of grid with stacked 8's & 6's start is notoriously hard to fill cleanly. There is a reason why most first theme entry is 9+ letters. And this grid has 7 themes (2 grid spanners). So you could imagine the changes the constructor faced during the filling process.

I think this is Rick Papazian's LAT debut. Congratulations, Rick, I'm sure your next grid will be easier :-)

Across:

1. __ Husky : SIBERIAN

9. Shoot for, with "to" : ASPIRE

15. Like poisonous mushrooms : INEDIBLE. I'm not an adventurous mushroom eater. I also find it hard to make mushrooms tasty.

18. "I __ a clue!" : HAVEN'T

19. Fun-with-bubble-wrap sound : POP

20. Sign of success? : SRO (Standing Room Only). Marti might have gone with ALTA for 7D to avoid the ROOM dupe.

21. Sweetie : DOLL

22. Novelist Hunter : EVAN.  Also known as Ed McBain. Lemonade likes him.

24. Dropped in : CAME OVER

32. Simple : BASIC

33. Sty fare : SLOP

34. Prince Valiant's boy : ARN. ALETA isPrince Valiant's wife. I learned both from doing xwords.

 

41. Record producer Brian : ENO

42. Tract for Heathcliff and Cathy : MOOR. "Wuthering Heights"

44. Any Elvis number : OLDIE

53. Direct opposites : INVERSES

54. Receiving customers : OPEN

55. Wild party : BASH

56. Sportscaster Costas : BOB. Who is your favorite sportscaster, Buckeye Bob?

59. Hwy. : RTE

60. 7-Up, in old ads : UNCOLA

66. Notice in passing? : OBITUARY. Nice clue.

67. Cheers up : AMUSES

68. They're often displayed on a cart : DESSERTS. This Apple strudel is waiting for me at the fridge right now. I was too full to eat yesterday. 

 

Down:

1. Nursed : SIPPED

  

2. Under Cupid's spell : IN LOVE. I was 16 when I fell in love with the boy I grew up with. We were together for 7 years. How about your first love?

3. "Help me out, will ya?" : BE A PAL

4. Eponymous ice cream maker : EDY

5. Salty spots on margarita glasses : RIMS

6. Steel beam : I-BAR

7. Midrange voice : ALTO

8. Wedding column word : NEE

9. Where telecommuters work : AT HOME. Do you work at home also, Anon-T?

10. Deck coating : SEALER. Oh, I thought it's called SEALANT. 

11. __ dog: conditioned reflex experiment : PAVLOV'S

12. Meteor tail? : ITE. Meteorite.

13. Was published : RAN

14. Telephone no. add-on : EXT.

21. Courtroom VIPs : DAs

23. Beak : NIB

24. One-eyed monster : CYCLOPS

25. Repulsive : VILE

26. Nobel Prize subj. : ECON

27. Confiscated auto : REPO

29. Actor Kilmer : VAL

30. Laramie-to-Cheyenne dir. : ESE

31. Big truck : RIG

34. Prefix with dextrous : AMBI

35. Colorful horse : ROAN

36. Kid's punishment : NO TV. Like GOUP & PERSE, Tricky to parse at times.

 

38. Bullfight "All right!" : OLE

39. USN officer : CDR. Spitzboov was a Commander when he retired from the Navy Reserve. I love these pictures.

Sallie & Spitzboov

40. Sephia automaker : KIA

43. South African antelopes : RHEBOKS

45. Ike's WWII arena : ETO (European Theater of Operations)

47. Seat of County Kerry : TRALEE. Unfamiliar to me. What's it famous for?

48. School writing assignments : ESSAYS

49. "So what" : MEH

50. Racket : UPROAR

51. Sharp comeback : RETORT

52. "The __ in view; draw up your powers": "King Lear" : ENEMY'S. For Keith.

56. Actress Neuwirth : BEBE

57. Elevator name : OTIS

58. Dugout rackmates : BATS

60. Thurman of "Kill Bill" : UMA

61. '60s-'70s arena, briefly : NAM

62. PC component : CPU

63. Word on U.S. currency : GOD

64. Repent : RUE

Here is one more tip for Sallie and those who want a clearer picture for their avatar. 

Click on your Blue Name, then "Edit Profile" on the upper right, then scroll down to "Profile Picture", then click on "From Your Computer", then upload the picture & click on "Save Profile".

If you click on my blog picture on the left, you'll notice that it can be enlarged while others on the blog remain the same. It's because I did not click on "From Your Computer", I picked the second "From the web. Paste an image URL below". See below (click it, a clearer picture will show up).

I simply copy and paste a link from my Ginger Roots blog. You can copy & paste any link you like, whether it's from my Ginger Roots Blog Photo archive, or your Facebook, Instagram or any website (like here for Sallie's Crab).

Again, it might take a few tries. Be patient.

C.C.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Downers - Three things that will head you into a fall, either meteorologically, literally, or metaphorically. And they are all in the Down columns.

11D. Destined for one's comeuppance ... or what the last words of 3-, 9- and 25-Down are doing? : HEADING FOR A FALL

3D. Sultry stretch : DOG DAYS OF SUMMER. "the days dwindle down to a precious few"

9D. Vacation with worms? : FISHING TRIP. TRIP - fall down.

25D. Slogan on a Boston basketball fan's shirt : CELTIC PRIDE. Pride goeth before a (down)fall.

Argyle here. What have we done to deserve such largesse? First Marti and now C.C. and I have the privilege of blogging them both. Today we have two grid spanners and perhaps a tick harder fill so I think Rich got them in the right order.

Across:

1. Says "I do" to : WEDS. Doesn't need the 'to'.

5. Harvest bundle : SHEAF

10. Bone below the knee : SHIN

14. Big name in skin care : AVON. Still ringing doorbells?

15. Sculpture subjects : TORSI

16. Jay with a column in Popular Mechanics : LENO. "Jay Leno's Garage"

17. Smokes : CIGARETTES

19. Speak wildly : RANT

20. Dated song : OLDIE. From our collective adolescence.

21. Computer repair pros : TECHs

23. Fizzle out : DIE

24. 2013 Literature Nobelist Munro : ALICE

26. Words sighed after a defeat : I TRIED

28. Ice cream maker Joseph : EDY

30. Cultural funding gp. : NEA. (National Endowment for the Arts, not National Education Association)

31. Let loose, as pigs : UNPEN

32. Large group : PASSEL

34. Two-time Oscar-winning director Lee : ANG. Spike Lee hasn't won an Oscar.

35. Turkish general : AGHA

38. Pop star : IDOL

39. Fortuneteller's deck : TAROT

41. Corp. moneymen : CFOs. (chief financial officer)

42. Sidewalk eatery : CAFÉ

43. Suffix for a school of thought : ISM

44. Chopper blades : ROTORS

46. Classic role for Nimoy : SPOCK

                            LINK

48. Highchair protection : BIB

49. Be a fink : RAT

50. "Zip it!" : "SHUT UP!"

52. "Aida," for one : OPERA

54. Sewn edge : HEM

55. Catches in a sting : TRAPS

58. Until now : SO FAR

61. Poor box deposit : ALMS

63. "Tell me about it" : "I CAN RELATE"

65. Kennel pest : FLEA

66. "You've Got Mail" co-screenwriter Ephron : DELIA. Here with her late sister, Nora.(left)

67. Complete failure : FLOP

68. Civil suit cause : TORT

69. Philosophy test component : ESSAY

70. Shade trees : ELMS

Down:

1. Home of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame : WACO (From C.C.: TTP, do you remember you tricked me last time with your Texas Ranger Hall of Fame link? That's the clue I  submitted.)

2. Villainous : EVIL

4. Slow mollusk : SNAIL

5. Fr. holy woman : STE.

6. Drink with dim sum : HOT TEA

7. Art Deco artist : ERTE. "R T"

8. "Be there in __" : A SEC

10. Nikon product, for short : SLR. (single- lens  reflex camera)

12. Navel type : INNIE

13. Well-known : NOTED

18. Queen, in Quebec : REINE. "queen" in French.

22. Additive sold at Pep Boys : STP. 740 stores

27. Flinch, say : REACT

28. Long heroic poem : EPIC

29. Pop, to baby : DADA

31. One, for Juan : UNO

33. Got some shuteye : SLEPT

34. Pitcher's asset : ARM

36. Jewish wedding dance : HORA

37. Lead-in for prof. or D.A. : ASST.

40. Show curiosity : ASK

45. More than heavyset : OBESE

47. Not at home : OUT

48. __ and Herzegovina : BOSNIA

50. Golf club part : SHAFT

51. Greeting word : HELLO

53. John who married Pocahontas : ROLFE. Pocahontas saved Captain John Smith's life but married tobacco planter John Rolfe. His story.

56. Top pilots : ACES

57. Buds : PALS

59. Molecule part : ATOM

60. Crunch count : REPS

62. Used a chair : SAT

64. Boxing's Sugar __ Leonard : RAY

Argyle

Note from C.C.:


To Sallie & all those whose Blogger account was accidentally converted to Google Plus, please click here on how to switch back to your old account. Misty successfully got hers back last time. Be patient, it might take a few tries.

Monday, December 9, 2013 Marti DuGuay-Carpenter

Theme: Y - Four theme entries that ask 'Why' but not a 'Y' to be found in the answers.

17A. "Why bother?" : "IT'S HOPELESS!"

27A. "Why me?" : "WHAT HAVE I DONE?"

43A. "Why worry?" : "FORGET ABOUT IT!"

57A. "Why not?" : "GIVE IT A SHOT"

Argle here. Warti is back upright for today's puzzle. Now can OwenKL give us some haiku.

Across:

1. Gem weight unit : CARAT

6. Three-line Japanese poem : HAIKU

11. Container for Peter Pan : JAR

14. "You __ busted!" : ARE SO

15. Past prisoner, for short : EXCON

16. Prefix for a lifesaving "Pen" : EPI

19. Bit of Morse code : DIT

20. Trivial gripe : NIT

21. Stow cargo : LADE

22. "57 Varieties" brand : HEINZ. Started with prepared horseradish.

24. Purr former : CAT. Cat update, Marti?

25. Plane for a small airstrip, briefly : STOL. Short TakeOff and Landing

33. Entire : WHOLE

34. Neeson of "Schindler's List" : LIAM

35. Carps at : NAGS

37. Blubber : BAWL

38. 90-degree pipe piece : ELL

39. Clinton's vice president : GORE. Al

40. Johnson of "Laugh-In" : ARTE

41. Island dance : HULA

42. Beast with one hump or two : CAMEL

46. Pet food brand with a ProActive Health variety : IAMS

47. Chimpanzee, e.g. : APE

48. Equally strange : AS ODD

51. Northwestern pear : BOSC

53. Revolutionary Guevara : CHE

56. Logician's proof ending : QED

61. Spoon-bending Geller : URI

62. Musical Merman : ETHEL

63. Eucalyptus-eating marsupial : KOALA

64. Civil War prez : ABE

65. Students' hurdles : TESTS

66. Kick out : EXPEL

Down:

1. Abel's older brother : CAIN

2. Class for potential painters : ART I

3. Remainder : REST

4. Residue in a smoker's tray : ASH

5. "You missed the deadline" : "TOO LATE"

6. Pay attention to : HEED

7. Wheel-supporting shaft : AXLE

8. Cold bagful for a party : ICE. or for your head after the party.

9. Bout enders, briefly : KOs. Knock Outs.

10. Without footwear : UNSHOD

11. "Star Wars" warrior : JEDI

12. Neat as __ : A PIN

13. Big name in hotels and crackers : RITZ

18. Hiker's route : PATH

23. Stretch out : ELONGATE

24. Phone screening service : CALLER ID

25. Underwater experiment site : SEALAB

26. Tiny Dickens boy : TIM

27. Pier : WHARF

28. Do-it-yourselfer's book genre : HOW TO

29. Indigenous Alaskans : ALEUTs

30. Grand Roman home : VILLA

31. Judd of country music : NAOMI

32. "Snowy" heron : EGRET

33. Fighter's org. : WBA. (World Boxing Association)

36. Salt, on the Seine : SEL. in France.

41. Partner of haw : HEM

42. Baked treat often wrapped in fluted paper : CUPCAKE. CED?

44. Gizmo : GADGET

45. Brewer's kiln : OAST

48. Greenish-blue : AQUA

49. Balkan native : SERB

50. Drooling toon dog : ODIE

51. Red root vegetable : BEET

52. Lubricates : OILS

53. Bloke : CHAP

54. Ice fishing access : HOLE

55. List-shortening abbr. : ET AL.

58. Suffix with Wyoming : ITE. Really

59. Old videotape type : VHS

60. Fenway team, for short : SOX. No wine reference today.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Hahtoolah, who never appears on the blog without an inspiring and thoughtful "Quote of the Day".  If you pay attention to the bracketed dates in Hahtoolah's quote source, you'll know that her quotes are never random. And she's been carefully selecting her quotes for us for a few years, talk about consistency! Her posts are also consistently caring & informative. (Dave, think cat!!)