Friday. December 27, 2013, Mike Peluso

THEME: CAR POOL TUNNEL SYNDROME*
Pun times in the LA Times.

This is our 29th from Mr. Peluso since conversion, and my first since December 23, 2011. Mike is a retired teacher/principal who gave us some insight in this INTERVIEW in 2009. Please take note in the comments section, where C.C. responds to Linda's suggestion about C.C. constructing puzzles. Anyway, back to today, we have 4 theme answer where common phrases are replaced by sound-alike ones using automobile brand names, clued by model names for each car company. I bet Barry G. and Dennis found this one easy. It took me a bit to suss out some of the theme answers, but they helped make the solve go well. The rest is standard Friday with some obscure and difficult patches and some fun word combinations. I like the overall cluing very much. let's see what you all think.

20A. Facilities on a 911? : PORSCHE POTTY. (13). (Porta potty). First you need to know the 911 and not be distracted by 9/11. Then you need to pronounce the car name Porsha (listen LINK) (0:03).

36A. Oater pal in an A3? : AUDI PARDNER. (11). (Howdy pardner). Again, the sound OWDI not AWWDI, makes this extra hard.

43A. Tales of a 9-3? : SAAB STORIES. (11). (Sob stories). I guess most know how to pronounce Saab, but the 9-3 may be quite unknown.

57A. Relative in a 370Z? : NISSAN NEPHEW. (13). (Niece and Nephew). This was the odd one out for me and the hardest to understand; I knew Nissan, having had a 260Z for years, but it took perps to see where this was going, especially having to break it into two words.

Across:

1. 1967 White House groom : ROBB. CHUCK who married Lynda Bird Johnson and became a governor and Senator.

5. "Erin go __" : BRAGH.  Loosely, Ireland forever.

10. Swedish singer Jenny : LIND. I  learned of the Swedish Nightingale from watching the old Maverick tv series.

14. Thus : ERGO.

15. Former Dodger first baseman James : LONEY. Not a star, really pretty obscure,  except perhaps for Tin, as Loney has resurfaced in a Tampa Bay Ray uniform.

16. Sharp : ACID. All perps, I guess like acid tongued.

17. Windows alternative : UNIX. An operating system.

18. Microwave brand : AMANA. Followed immediately with...

19. Microwave : NUKE.

23. Florida University named for a pope : ST. LEO. I imagine this was another gimme for Tin, as it is up the road near Tampa. For this rest you probably need to READ the history.

24. Eroded : ATE AWAY.

28. Follow : TRAIL. Another tricky clue, following behind...

32. Place to play : ARENA.

33. 13-Down predecessor : HST. Harry S. Truman; the S does not stand for anything.

39. Other, overseas : OTRA. Spanish 1.

41. Boston drummer Jeff et al. : NEALS. I guess on Friday you do not need a second one, like Patricia, but not many would know this drummer. I loved Boston but never heard his name.

42. Peruse : SCAN.

46. Pay stub abbr. : HRS. How many hours was that?

47. Für whom Beethoven wrote a bagatelle : ELISE. Always worth a LISTEN. (2:58). Also, 49D. Beethoven's Opus 20, for one : SEPTET. MORE.

48. Marks of approval : SEALS. Started with 'stars' until I saw 52D.

50. Corolla competitors : ALTIMAS. Foreshadowing the final theme fill.

53. Mexicali-to-Tijuana dirección : OESTE.

61. Electric weather phenomenon : BOLT. The answer came to me like bolt from the blue (still marveling at C.C.'s clue/fill yesterday).

64. Cornered : AT BAY. Eh, I see this as the opposite of each other.

65. Roll on a tarmac : TAXI. I know airports have taxiways and runways, but I do not know where the term comes from? Corner?

66. Hives, e.g. : RASH.

67. Spiked cakes : BABAS. My friend Ruth used to make the best Rum Cake; I could not resist this LINK. Mari?

68. Verve : ELAN.

69. Velázquez offerings : ARTE. More Spanish and I guess trickier than Laugh-in Johnson.

70. Whooping __ : CRANE. Cough also fit.

71. Heist haul, to a hood : TENG. I spent way too much time looking this up and never found it but the perps were sound. We usually have reference to Mao. (From C.C.: Parse it as TEN G, 10 Grand)(From L: duh!, silly me).

Down:

Speaking of down, DOWNTON ABBEY is back January 5. If you have already watched season 4 during its run in England, I hope you liked it.

1. Opts for another hitch : RE-UPS.

2. "... however, I may be all wet" : OR NOT. "I am absolutely certain you said that dear, or not."

3. Speakeasy socializer : B-GIRL. I guess the B is for bar, as they were the girls trying to get you to buy them fake drinks to add to the profits, while you got drunk.

4. "Complete series" DVD purchase, say : BOX SET.

5. Flat : BLAH.

6. 1960 Olympics city : ROME. The first one I remember, with Wilma Rudolph and Cassius Clay.

7. Take __: drop off : A NAP.

8. Italian seaport : GENOA. I cannot think of a salami pun, help?

9. Hilton rival : HYATT.

10. ID holders : LANYARDS.  A pretty one from CHINA.

11. Hosp. area : ICU. Intensive Care Unit. 2 years + since my 9 day visit.

12. Peace ender? : NIK. Peacenik.  popular in the anti-war years.

13. 33-Across successor : DDE. I had Jenny, so this was easy.

21. ESPN baseball analyst Alex : CORA. Another very obscure baseball reference to an ex-Dodger (Bill G., you also getting these?) who I only know because he went to the U.

22. Shed thing : TEAR. It took me a while to abandon pictures of a small building.

25. Shakespearean servant : WENCH. A lovely word.

26. "Dark-brow'd sophist, come not __": Tennyson : ANEAR. Drat, even successful poets use A words. I never like Alfred's work, Owen?

27. They may be spun : YARNS. Tales, though my son did buy his new gf some yarn as she loves to knit. Mixes well with 31D. Taletellers : LIARS.

29. Reunion attendee : AUNT. Somehow she is always the one to be there.

30. Logical beginning? : IDEOlogical.

33. Book after Daniel : HOSEA.

34. One way to buy time : STALL. I wonder who gets paid when you 'buy' time?

35. Character piece? : TRAIT.

37. Jeté relative : PLIE. Ballet moves.

38. Cruising : ASEA. See: an A word.

40. Potent licorice-flavored liqueur : ABSINTHE. Now legal once again. Promise Me.

44. Rig : SEMI.

45. Gin flavoring : SLOE.

51. Easy __ : AS ABC.

52. Red giant : S-STAR. Please re-explain all the star categories.

54. Oil source : SHALE. Which probably can be found in Texas.

55. Odessa native : TEXAN. On the way to El Paso.  They love rock and roll.

56. Any of several fictional multimillionaires : EWING. Speaking of oil and Texas, J.R. and family. I really like how Mike uses the related but un-referenced clues.

58. "The Winner Takes It All" quartet : ABBA. I also enjoyed this letter combination next to

59. Mumbai bread : NAAN. A poetic couplet to me.

60. NASDAQ competitor : NYSE.

61. Source of support : BRA. Like the double letters above, the DOUBLE D  Challenge (4:18), Dennis?

62. Lock insert : OAR. or Key?

63. D-Day lander : LST. Landing ship tanks.

Wow, another year done for me here. Thanks all. I hope your holidays and new year are great. Mr. P. thanks for the workout. As for the puzzle title...

When I got a new job that required me and my co-workers who rode to work together take US 1 under the New River, I found I was developing an odd pain in my elbow by the time we reached the office. I finally went to the doctor and he told me I had...*

CAR POOL TUNNEL SYNDROME.

Ouch and a Happy New Year to all.

Lemonade

Note from C.C.

Happy Birthday to dear Dudley, our handsome pilot.

Left to Right: Marti, Dudley, Hondo & Montana

Dudley and his wife at their Block Island wedding in 2008

Click here to see a few more photos of Dudley. They were taken during Montana's visit to Northeast on September.

Dudley, tell us what's the most exotic place you've flew to.

Thursday, December 26, 2013 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "I've got my EYE on you!!"

I bet very few people would be able to "see" this theme without the unifier smack-dab in the middle of the grid. (I know I didn't!)

39-Across. Minnesota's state fish, and a hint to all 12 border answers in this puzzle : WALLEYE. We were just talking about state dogs a few weeks ago. Who knew, Minnesota has a state fish?

All of the answers along the perimeter (WALLs) of the puzzle could precede the word EYE. 59 squares devoted to theme entries. Minimum for an LA Times weekday is 35 squares. Let's march clockwise around the grid to see them all.

1-Across. Chess side : BLACK. A black eye could be fixed by using a...

6-Across. Chest bone : RIB. …ribeye steak!

9-Across. Stripped : NAKED. The naked eye can see faint stars up to +8 brightness in a perfectly dark sky.

13-Down. Like some humor : DRY. But when a sad story is told, I bet there won't be a dry eye in the house!

28-Down. Two under par : EAGLE. If you had an eagle eye, you could spot a rabbit up to two miles away!

55-Down. Compulsory poker bet : BLIND. Just turn a blind eye and pretend you didn't see this comment...

69-Across. Brooks Robinson's base : THIRD. In Hinduism, the third eye refers to the brow chakra.

68-Across. Rosy : RED. The red-eye flight from LA to Boston is one I used to take sometimes.

67-Across. Calm water metaphor : GLASS. All I could think of was the parody of the old song, "After the Ball Was Over":

After the ball was over, Bonnie took out her glass eye,

Put her false teeth in the water, hung up her wig to dry;

Placed her false arm on the table, laid her false leg on the chair;

After the party was over, Bonnie was only half there!

60-Down. Important : BIG. Bigeye could refer to the ahi tuna used in sushi.  There is also a tropical bigeye fish that is orang-y in color. But I bet C.C. was thinking of the sushi one...

33-Down. Hogwarts teaching : MAGIC. "Magic Eye" is a series of books containing autostereograms. You know those 2-D pictures that appear 3-D when gazed at in just the right way, like these?

1-Down. Swallows, e.g. : BIRDS. So, I hope I have given you a birds-eye view of the theme.

Now, let's see what else C.C. has dished out for us.

Across:

14. Ancient region in Asia Minor : IONIA. In what is present-day Turkey.

15. Republic on St. George's Channel: Abbr. : IRE.land.

16. Basket willow : OSIER. Learned this from crosswords...

17. Pompeii attraction : RUINS.

18. Quicken Loans Arena NBAer : CAV.aliers of the Eastern Conference.

19. Strike site : ALLEY. Shout-out to Boomer!

20. Place to see FDR : DIME.

21. 40-decibel unit : SONE.

22. St. Pat's Day, e.g. : HOL.iday. Did everyone have a nice holiday celebration this year?

23. Pretend to be : SEEM.

24. Cricket call : CHIRP.

26. French pop : PERE.

29. Large primates : APES.

31. Barbary Wars participant, now : ALGERIA.

33. One of the smart set : MENSAN.

36. Seaweed extract : AGAR.

37. Ballpark fig.? : AVG.erage. Anyone else want "est."?

38. Boxing biopic : ALI. Played by Will Smith in the 2001 movie. There's a new one about his conscientious objection to fighting in Vietnam, which went to the Supreme Court.

41. Chum : PAL.

42. Do goo : GEL.

43. Covent Garden highlight : ARIA. Covent Garden is the site of the Royal Opera House in London.

44. Dalmatian's spot : DAPPLE. I always think of sunlight on the forest floor when I see this word.

46. Slothfulness : INERTIA.

48. Meyers of "SNL" : SETH.

49. Motor suffix : CADE.

50. "Coffee __?" : OR TEA.

52. Pequod captain : AHAB.

56. Shade provider : ELM.

58. Put in shells, say : LOAD. HaHa, I was thinking of the pasta dish "stuffed shells."

59. Little brook : RILL.

60. Prove untrue : BELIE.

62. Like the vbs. "creep" and "weep" : IRR.egular.

63. "Please, Mom?" : CAN'T I. Our refrain as kids was usually "Can I huh, pleasepleaseplease???"

64. Lay to rest : INTER.

65. Bolted down some nuts : ATE. Fun misdirection.

66. '50s movie monster destroyed at Mount Aso : RODAN. I was too young to watch monster flicks in the fifties.

Down:

2. Acerbic dispatcher on "Taxi" : LOUIE. Played by Danny DeVito.

3. Moving manga : ANIME. Pronounced AH-nee-may.

4. Multiplexes : CINEMAS.

5. __ in kilo : K AS. After Juliett and before Lima in the NATO alphabet.

6. Some copiers : RICOHS.

7. "Argo" extra : IRANI. I still haven't seen the movie.

8. Drink : BEVERAGE.

9. Conductor of the first rescue mission : NOAH. All the animals on the ark.

10. At an angle : ASLOPE.

11. Best-selling program, in tech lingo : KILLER APP. Great fill!

12. Broad foot letters : EEE.

21. Novel query requirement : SCENARIO.

25. What possums do when threatened : PLAY DEAD.

27. Bing, to Google : RIVAL.

30. Investigate, tabby-style : PAW AT. Yesterday my cats had more fun with the discarded ribbons and boxes than they did with their new cat toys.

32. Classic : GREAT.

34. Kagan who clerked for Thurgood Marshall : ELENA. Now an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court.

35. Rosetta Stone discovery area : NILE DELTA.

36. Like : ALA.

40. 1997 film with the tagline "Coming soon. Honest." : LIAR LIAR. Starring Jim Carrey.

45. Giza pyramid builder : PHARAOH.

47. Depends (on) : RELIES.

48. Like some sesame-crusted tuna : SEARED.

51. Rich cake : TORTE.

53. Language that gives us "pajamas" : HINDI.

54. Scene of some sworn statements : ALTAR.

57. Seas, to Cezanne : MERS.

61. Blowup: Abbr. : ENL.argement.

63. Old PC monitor : CRT. Cathode Ray Tube, now largely replaced by LCD and plasma screens.

See you all next week, when some of us will still be nursing hangovers. Not moi!!

Marti

Note from C.C.:

I'd like to share with you an email I got yesterday from Phyllis Tamres:

  ".....I love to do xwords, cryptograms & sudokus.  I do them every morning to get my 82 year old brain going. then I work on my website designs and my books––just starting my third..."

Phyllis is the author of  "Maddy and Terri". She also said "I take delight in the comments and photos on your site".

This blog drives me crazy at times. I can't imagine working with codes and other design stuff at 82. You rock, Phyllis!

Phyllis Tamres

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 Marcia Mathis

Theme: Opening Presents - each of the four theme entries "opens" with a Christmas-related word

17A. Breeders' Cup track : SANTA ANITA. Now the only racecourse remaining here in Los Angeles - Hollywood Park closed two days ago after 75 years in business. Santa Anita is a beautiful venue though.

28A. Horticulturist with a berry named for him : RUDOLPH BOYSEN. I got "Boysen" from crosses and "Rudolph" once I realized the theme.

47A. 2000 Ben Affleck thriller : REINDEER GAMES. I never saw this, and judging by the reviews I don't think I missed much.

63A. Classic Leroy Anderson holiday tune : SLEIGH RIDE. A nice orchestral version here to get us in the swing of things today.

Merry Christmas everybody! Steve here with today's Yuletide challenge from Marcia Mathis. I don't see Marcia's name in the blog history so this may well be her LA Times debut; a nice Christmas present for her if it is!

I thought the theme was nicely worked - I had some quibbles with the fill - I thought there was some odd cluing - but nothing too upsetting. This was a slower-than-usual solve for me today, the north-west section was something of a struggle. Let's see what caught my eye.

Across:

1. Dying-out sound : PFFT. What? I'm still not sure I understand this and I've looked at it for a long time. Is it something to do with air escaping?

5. Arafat's successor : ABBAS

10. __ job : SNOW. This slang term for a cover-up was new to me; part of a mini-theme going on too.

14. Aftershave additive : ALOE

15. "Tales of Trail and Town" author : HARTE. Crosses all the way. This Bret Harte book was published way back in 1898.

16. Super : A-ONE

19. Paid attendance : GATE. I love it when you're at a baseball game and the paid attendance is announced - usually it's at least twice as many as there are people in the stadium. Season-ticket holders are counted even if they're not at the match.

20. Soft drink options : SIZES. Hmmm. Not sure about this one.

21. Hangout featuring doo-wop music : MALT SHOP

23. Doo-wop __ : ERA. Nice pairing with the previous clue.

24. Uganda's Amin : IDI

27. Toll booth waiter : CAR. I sat in 20-minute "cash only" line in a rental car a couple of years ago at the Holland Tunnel into Manhattan - only to be told that I had EZ-Pass when I got to the front of the queue. Doh!

35. Part of an act : SCENE TWO

37. Sucking-up type : TOADY

38. Anklebones : TALI. Latin plural of "talus". I'm glad I was paying attention in Latin class all those years ago.

39. Watertight frames : HULLS. I've never considered a hull being a "frame" before. Doesn't the planking over the frame complete the hull?

42. Oscar-nominated Peter Fonda role : ULEE. From the movie "Ulee's Gold".

43. Home that may include a tunnel : IGLOO. Second mini-theme entry.

45. Ostensible : APPARENT

50. Bill: Abbr. : INV.  No idea. Someone smarter than what I is will need to explain this one! (Added later: Invoice)

51. Parisian pal : AMI. That friend has probably got a tête full of idées too.

52. Peter, Paul and Mary: Abbr. : STS. Three saints.Nice!

55. Periodically : OFF AND ON

60. Bowler's concern : SPLIT. I'm sure Boomer can tell us exactly how to handle this tricky problem. (Boomer here, - I have left this now and then, it usually results in an open frame.  You need to roll the ball perfectly to the right of the six pin.  The ball will take out the ten and the six needs to slide across the lane and hit the seven.  I would say about 5% conversion rate, even for an accomplished bowler.)

62. Former student : ALUM

66. Popular bar game : KENO

67. Old piano craftsman's raw material : IVORY

68. Word in many golf tournament names : OPEN. An "open" tournament means that anyone can enter for qualifying to play in the event (subject to certain minimum playing standards). Some gatecrashers always seem to make it into the first round of qualifying, however.

69. Fifth Avenue store : SAKS

70. Midmorning hr. : TEN A.M.

71. Beckoning sound : PSST. More "air escaping" sounds!

Down:

1. Old hat : PASSÉ

2. Natural ability : FLAIR

3. Sitcom Arthur better known by his nickname : FONZARELLI. The Fonz. I wasn't sure if there was an "A" or an "E" after the "Z" contributing to my slow progress in this area.

4. Idée source : TÊTE. Those French ideas have to come from somewhere.

5. Exclamation when a light goes on? : AHA! All of us have these moments solving puzzles.

6. Prohibit : BAN

7. Edge : BRIM

8. Staple or glue : ATTACH

9. Aquanaut's workplace : SEA LAB. Here's the first one:

10. Drops over time : SAGS. Never a good thing, no matter what is sagging.

11. Biblical captain : NOAH

12. Not taken in by : ON TO

13. Blubber : WEEP

18. In reserve : ASIDE

22. Easy pace : TROT

25. "The bell __ toll for him ...": Donne : DOTH. From John Donne's 16th-century poem. Also contains the oft-quoted "Ask not for whom the bell tolls - it tolls for thee" and "No man is an island".

26. Stevedore's gp. : I.L.W.U. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union.

29. Confederacy foe : UNION

30. Frigid : POLAR. Third of the mini-theme.

31. "__ kidding!" : YOU'RE

32. Christmas shopper's accumulation : SALES SLIPS

33. Paradise : EDEN

34. Duma negative : NYET. A duma is a Russian parliament or assembly. Complete WAG for me, to be honest - I had to look it up afterwards!

35. Ado : STIR

36. Ticket seller's enclosure : CAGE

40. Solheim Cup co-sponsoring org. : L.P.G.A. The Solheim Cup is a team competition in women's golf between the USA and Europe. The Ladies' Professional Golf Association and the Ladies' European Tour sponsor the event.

41. Junk email : SPAM

44. Chief Valhalla god : ODIN

46. "Witness" sect : AMISH. Harrison Ford starred in the movie.

48. Throws him out, say : ENDS IT

49. Develop slowly : EVOLVE

53. Nautical table listing : TIDES

54. Arterial implant : STENT

55. Flooring trees : OAKS

56. Dog bugger : FLEA. A "bugger" in the UK is something quite different, I'm not sure this clue would be allowed there.

57. Dejected spell : FUNK

58. Big name in cookies : AMOS. A famous name indeed.

59. Flashy sign : NEON

61. "West Side Story" knife, e.g. : PROP. I was looking for a slang word for "knife" for quite some time.

64. Playwright Levin : IRA

65. Training site : GYM

 Steve

Notes from C.C.:

1) Merry Christmas! Today we also celebrate the birthday of three regulars: The erudite & always positive Yellowrocks (Kathy), math-whiz Fermatprime (send me a photo) & the car expert Zcarguy.

Kathy & Buddha, Japan, 2008. Kathy speaks Japanese.

 

Zcarguy and his wife Kathy

2) Lemonade & Montana finally met in Denver! Lemonade is visiting his son and Montana (Darlene) is babysitting her grandkids. I recognize Lemonade's son on his left.

Lemonade & Montana, Denver, 2013

Tuesday, December 24, 2013 Ray Hamel

Theme: i is for Apple - The start of each theme entry is a iPod type.

17A. Score before an extra point : TOUCHDOWN. iPod Touch.

25A. Ship deck game : SHUFFLEBOARD. iPod Shuffle.

41A. Microscopic bit : NANOPARTICLE. iPod Nano.

54A. Part of many a Mod wardrobe : MINISKIRT. iPod Mini.

61A. Popular Apple, versions of which begin 17-, 25-, 41- and 54-Across : iPOD

Argyle here. There are plenty of Raymond Hamel’s CrosSynergy / Washington Post crosswords but this appears to be his first LAT in recent years. He certainly shows an adept hand at construction. Perhaps he will drop by and give us an update on his status. I hope so.

Across:

1. Peak : ACME

5. Morning co-host Kelly : RIPA

9. Sub finder : SONAR

14. Paint layer : COAT

15. "An apple __ ..." : A DAY. Sly entry.

16. Japanese cartoon art : ANIME

19. Annapolis frosh : PLEBE

20. Slide down a slope : SKI

21. Artist's choice : OILS

22. Actress Sissy : SPACEK

23. Extinct emu-like bird : MOA

24. Ones who don't stay off the grass? : STONERS. A Christmas story.

                          LINK

30. Juan's "Enough!" : "NO MAS!"

31. Australian canine : DINGO

32. Put bucks on the Bucks, say : BET

35. Droid downloads : APPs

36. Fashionable beach resorts : LIDOs. "The Lido" is a byword for a beach resort. It started in Venice, Italy. History

37. Do away with, as a vampire : SLAY

38. Foot, in anatomy : PES

39. Bit of info : DATUM

40. Delivery specialist? : STORK. Good one.

43. Fan mail sender, e.g. : ADMIRER

46. Rower's blade : OAR

47. Grouches : CRANKS

48. Far from daydreaming : RAPT

50. Hawaii's Mauna __ : LOA. One of the five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii

53. New staff member : HIREE

56. Spring water brand : EVIAN

57. Screen symbol : ICON

58. On the briny : ASEA or 10D. Not 58-Across : ON LAND

59. Reckons : DEEMS

60. Instrument hit with a mallet : GONG

Down:

1. Takes steps : ACTS

2. Kitchen worker : COOK

3. Haleakala National Park's island : MAUI

4. And so on: Abbr. : ETC.

5. Firestone offering : RADIAL

6. Fan mail recipient : IDOL

7. Furry feet : PAWS

8. "Atlas Shrugged" author Rand : AYN

9. Japanese city that hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics : SAPPORO. Portland, Oregon, is a sister city.

11. Sister's daughter : NIECE. No idea what city that would be.

12. "America the Beautiful" shade : AMBER. "...amber waves of grain"

13. Stinks : REEKS

18. __ it: travels on foot : HOOFS

22. Antler sporters : STAGS

23. Museum curators' degs. : MFAs. (Master of Fine Arts)

24. California wine valley : SONOMA

25. Pic : SNAP

26. Keep the faith : HOPE

27. "Steee-rike!" callers : UMPS

28. Manuscript recipient : EDITOR

29. Make more expensive, as on eBay : BID UP

32. Political coalition : BLOC

33. Actor James __ Jones : EARL

34. Tot : TYKE

36. Pool paths : LANES

37. Use a swizzle stick : STIR

39. Grows dimmer : DARKENS. As it latens.

40. Baseball card figures : STATS

41. Common workday starting hr. : NINE AM

42. Rodeo skill : ROPING

43. Was sore : ACHED

44. Motivation : DRIVE

45. Nobelist Curie : MARIE

48. Loaded, in Lima : RICO. Rich in Spanish, Italian is ricco and French is riche. German is reich.

49. In a short time, quaintly : ANON

50. Speech therapist's target : LISP

51. Sandwich cookie : OREO

52. Ever so slightly : A TAD

54. Russian jet fighter : MIG

55. Chiang __-shek : KAI. He ruled mainland China for 22 years, and Taiwan for 30 years.

Argyle

Monday, December 23, 2013 Patti Varol

Theme: Think! - The starred entries are headed up by a euphemism for head(our unifier).

17A. *Scoop for fruit : MELON BALLER

65A. *Single-minded auditor : BEAN COUNTER

11D. *Certain palm tree extract : COCONUT OIL

30D. *Pasta-based first course : NOODLE SOUP

62D. Noggin, and a hint to the starts of the answers to starred clues : HEAD

Argyle here. Interview with Patti here. Only 35 black squares. Definitely some interesting fill.

Across:

1. Given to back talk : LIPPY

6. Not together : APART

11. Org. in many Tom Clancy novels : CIA

14. Love lots : ADORE

15. Serious grime : FILTH

16. Former Boston Bruin Bobby : ORR

19. Photo taker, briefly : CAMera

20. Place to swim : POOL

21. Brand with a "Twist, Lick, Dunk" app : OREO

22. Holy images : ICONs

24. Post-OR place : ICU. After the Operating Room you might go to the ICU(intensive care unit) if you had serious surgery.

26. Like some bases and kisses : STOLEN. And if you add an 'L'...

28. Parade debris : CONFETTI

32. Slump in one's seat : SLOUCH. "SIT UP STRAIGHT!"

35. Stay away from : AVOID

36. The "I" in IBM: Abbr. : INTL. (International Business Machines)

38. However, for short : THO

39. Bishop's domain : DIOCESE

41. Earlier than desired : TOO SOON

44. Finish : END

45. Paris airport : ORLY

47. Totally out there : WEIRD. Wigged out, man.

48. Bank employee : TELLER

51. "M*A*S*H" star : ALAN ALDA. Full name.

53. Firstborn : ELDEST

55. Battleship letters : USS

56. "My Cousin Vinny" star Joe : PESCI

58. Pressure from the cops : HEAT

60. Govt. job-safety gp. : OSHA. Haven't seen this old favorite in awhile. (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

64. Gen. Eisenhower's WWII command : ETO. (European Theater of Operations)

68. Bearded African beast : GNU

69. More pathetic, as excuses go : LAMER

70. French Revolution figure killed by Corday : MARAT. Jean-Paul Marat was murdered in a bathtub.

71. Tree juice : SAP

72. Piano practice piece : ÉTUDE

73. Walks with difficulty : PLODS

Down:

1. Bedside light : LAMP

2. Thought: Pref. : IDEO

3. Sport played on horseback : POLO

4. Very productive, as a writer : PROLIFIC

5. Currency of Japan : YEN

6. Many miles off : AFAR

7. Enters all at once : PILES IN

8. Distribute in shares : ALLOT

9. U.S. 66, for one : RTE.

10. Wave of excitement : THRILL

12. Tehran's country : IRAN

13. "A Farewell to __" : ARMS. A novel by Ernest Hemingway.

18. Prizefight : BOUT

23. Corporate VIP : CEO. (chief executive officer)

25. Hand over : CEDE

27. Norwegian metropolis : OSLO

28. Army trainee : CADET

29. Like ewes and rams : OVINE

31. Ballpark level : TIER

33. Musical triad : CHORD

34. Civic or Accord : HONDA which are 52D. Civic or Accord : AUTO

37. Texter's "until next time" : TTYL. (Talk To You Later)

40. Hopping mad : SORE

42. Possesses : OWNS

43. Like Christmas wrap and tree ornaments : SEASONAL

46. Approached bedtime : LATENED. We haven't had this word in a while.

49. Partners' legal entity: Abbr. : LLC. (Limited Liability Company)

50. Safe to consume : EDIBLE

54. SeaWorld orca : SHAMU

56. Wooden pins : PEGS

57. Europe's highest active volcano : ETNA

59. Land measure : ACRE

61. Houston MLBer : 'STRO. A slang term for the Houston Astros baseball player.

63. Liberal __ : ARTS

66. Do lunch, say : EAT

67. Official behind a catcher : UMP

Argyle

Sunday December 22, 2013 Pam Amick Klawitter

 Theme: "Extras"- Parsed it as "Extra S", an S is added to the start of the last word.

23A. Comment about paparazzi? : LOOK WHO'S STALKING. Look Who's Talking.

36A. Momentum in Hagel's department? : DEFENSE STEAM. Defense team. Chuck Hagel.

54A. Alpine fabric sample? : SWISS SWATCH. Swiss watch. Here, Swatch is a Swiss watch also.

77A. Young John McEnroe? : TENNIS SCAMP. Tennis camp.

95A. Why the clown retired? : CIRCUS STRAIN. Circus train.

112A. What the fencer proved he was? : AS GOOD AS HIS SWORD. As good as his word.

15D. Forgetful night watchman? : KEYLESS SENTRY. Keyless entry.

53D. Accessories for Lansbury? : ANGELA'S SASHES. Angela's Ashes.

Love the puzzle title! And I grokked the gimmick very early on.

Do you think S is the most popular letter in this grid? How many S'es do you think we have?

I also don't get the LEAST (98D. LCD component) clue.

Across:

1. Stonewaller?: MASON. I'd nailed it if the clue were "Stone worker"

6. Shooter's stockpile : AMMO

10. Building toy : BLOCK

15. '70s-'80s Big Apple mayor : KOCH (Ed)

19. With 30-Across, Revolutionary patriot : ETHAN. And 30. See 19-Across : ALLEN
 
20. Nest protest : PEEP

21. 1978 Broadway revue : EUBIE. I definitely need "Blake" in the clue. Never heard of this.

22. Quito's land: Abbr. : ECUA (Ecuador)

26. See 86-Across : YARD. 86. With 26-Across, London police group, familiarly : THE. More familiar with the common Scotland Yard.

27. Lend, as a fin or a fifty : SPOT

28. Turkish VIP : AGHA

29. Home __ : PLATE

31. Less than medium : RARE

33. Nicklaus has won five of them, briefly : PGAs. The refers to the major  PGA Championship.

34. Arabian Peninsula locale : MIDEAST. Different from Middle East?

41. Foundation : BASIS

42. Once more : AFRESH

43. "Here Comes Santa Claus" co-songwriter : AUTRY (Gene). Timely.

44. Said under oath : ATTESTED

48. Mine in Milan : MIO.  "O Sole Mio". "My sunshine".

49. Uffizi display : ARTE

50. GameCube successor : WII

51. Carrier renamed in 1997 : USAIR

52. It's up your sleeve : ULNA

58. Shore flier : ERNE

59. Sugar and sweets : PET NAMES. Sweet!

61. Sites for mice : PADS. Mouse pad.

62. Lacking : IN NEED

64. "What __ around ..." : GOES

65. Method : MEANS

67. Sports number : STAT

68. Target of a 1984 breakup : MA BELL

71. Smarmy : OILY

72. Fence-sitters : NEUTRALS. Fashion bloggers use this word a lot, for colors.

76. Parisian peer : EGAL

81. Casual agreement : YEAH

82. Ear-relevant : AURAL

84. Pencil game loser : XOX

85. As indicated : THUS

87. Makes privy to : LETS IN ON. Poor TTP. The Target 10% discount would not lessen his stress.

89. Studio sign : ON AIR

91. Ballet position : POINTE. On pointe. My feet hurt looking at this.

94. First Niagara Center NHLer : SABRE. Gimme for Splynter.

97. Annual bestseller : ALMANAC

100. Canonical hour : SEXT. LA Times is a bit conservative, so no naughty clue here.

101. Apollo org. : NASA

102. Knock off : CEASE

103. Weaving fiber : ISTLE. And 45. Container weight : TARE. Both classic crosswordese.

105. Curious as __ : A CAT.  Perfect phrase to describe Dave.


107. Small cleaner : Q-TIP

111. 91-Down section : MATH. And 91. H.S. exams : PSATS

115. Tivoli's Villa d'__ : ESTE

116. Coup __ : D'ETAT

117. Shuffle follower : DEAL

118. Shire of "Rocky" : TALIA

119. Jeanne d'Arc et al.: Abbr. : STES

120. Aides: Abbr. : ASSTS

121. Granola grain : OATS

122. Reporters : PRESS. Bottom row tends to be S-heavy.

Down:
 
1. Sitcom eatery : MELS

2. Sitting on : ATOP

3. "Buzz off!" : SHOO

4. Yellow ribbon site of song : OAK TREE

5. Miami-to-Orlando dir. : NNW

6. Orbital point : APOGEE

 7. Screen door makeup : MESH

8. Arizona desert sight : MESA

9. Make a decision : OPT

10. Ralph who played FDR in "Sunrise at Campobello" : BELLAMY. First encounter with this guy.

11. Haas of "Jobs" : LUKAS. He looks familiar. Don't recall his name though.

12. Passing remarks? : OBIT

13. Movie-related : CINEMATIC

14. Frat party dispenser : KEG

16. City in Florida's horse country : OCALA

17. Magic bullets, so to speak : CURES. Wish our body has a "Reset" button.

18. Lacked : HADN'T

24. Like taskmasters : HARSH

25. Eponymous newborn score creator : APGAR. Apgar score.

30. Bid word : ADIEU

32. Short reply? : ANS (Answer). Short indicates "Abbr.".

33. "For __ sake!" : PETE'S

35. Believer's ending : IST

36. Obstruct : DAM UP

37. IRS requirement, often : E-FILE

38. Battle site : FRONT

39. "Slumdog Millionaire" wear : SARIS

40. Sounds of rebuke : TUTS

41. Sets, as a trap : BAITS

46. German "a" : EINE

47. Slave Scott : DRED

49. Leaves wide-eyed : AWES

50. Rolls (up) : WADS

54. Refine, as ore : SMELT

55. Fixes : SPAYS

56. Washed-out : WAN

57. __ for a loan : HIT UP

60. MapQuest parent : AOL. Been using MapQuest for a long time. Never aware AOL owns them though.

63. D.C. player : NAT (Nationals)

65. Seductress : MINX

66. Giant Manning : ELI

67. Sch. periods : SEMS

68. Happy __ : MEAL

69. It can give you fits : AGUE

70. Toon troublemaker : BART

71. Live-income filler : ON ONE. Live on one income.

72. Pacific island republic : NAURU. Same letter count as TONGA.

73. Blue Cross rival : AETNA

74. Christine who directed the Oscar-winning short film "Lieberman in Love" : LAHTI. Read here. The author had no idea that his short story was turned into a film.

75. Polish : SHEEN

78. Emulates Father Damien, in a 1973 movie : EXORCISES

79. Where to begin : START

80. Stylish : CHIC

83. Former NPR host Hansen : LIANE. She was married to Neal Conan, also from NPR.

88. Jazz gp. : NBA. And 92. Five-minute 88-Down periods : OTS

 89. Leopardlike cats : OCELOTS

90. Said no to : NIXED

93. 21st-century conflict : IRAQ WAR. Nice entry.


96. Sluggards : SNAILS

97. Pinnacles : ACMES
 
99. Photo finish : MATTE

100. Weasel relative : STOAT

104. Friday and York: Abbr. : SGTS

105. Crossing the ocean : ASEA

106. Casual talk : CHAT

108. Gilded metalware : TOLE

109. You can see right through it : IRIS

110. Modern organizers, for short : PDAs

112. Oral health org. : ADA

113. Kerfuffle : ADO

114. Longtime sponsor in NASCAR events : STP

Happy Birthday to dear Misty, whose posts are always gentle and loving. Hope you have a great staycation with your husband next week!

Misty and her husband Rowland

C.C.

Saturday December 21, 2013 Marti DuGuay-Carpenter

Mini-theme: Crossword turns 100-year-old today, hence our 3rd crossword tribute puzzle.

39A. The first one appeared on this date in 1913 : CROSSWORD PUZZLE

7D. Finish a 39-Across without a single mistake, e.g. : BE LETTER PERFECT

   

C.C. here. Poor Splynter is sick. I'm so used to getting a write-up in the Draft folder every Saturday when I wake up. This is the first time the Stud missed a blog since May 21, 2011. He's that dedicated and disciplined.

Mini-theme often consists of 2 entries, they're either intersected in the very middle like Marti's today or placed in the first Across & last Across or any opposite symmetrical spots.

  

Across:

1. Raises one's spirits? : TOASTS. Great clue.

7. Reasons for seeing double? : BIFOCALS. By the way, Jayce, you're confusing Katharina Böhm with Katharina Boehm, who's an accomplished golfer.

15. Rapt : INTO IT. Totally.

16. Easter activities : EGG ROLLS. Oh, non-food reference, Steve!

17. Whistler, at times : KETTLE

18. Paintball kin : LASER TAG

19. __ du Diable : ILE. Devil's Island.

20. Loser's word : LITE. Weight loser.

22. Surgical tube : STENT

23. Point of Grant Wood's "American Gothic"? : TINE

25. Hulu offering : NET TV. Do you call yours NET TV, Bill G?

28. Mythical archer : EROS

29. Ahead : ON TOP

31. Headache cause : STRESS

33. Marie Antoinette and Louise de Lorraine : REINES. Queens in French.

35. "It is the __, and Juliet is the sun" : EAST

36. Org. that employed Julia Child during WWII : OSS (Office of Strategic Services)

42. QVC rival : HSN (Home Shopping Network)

43. Nitpick : CARP

44. Deprive fraudulently, in slang : ACE OUT

45. Figure-hugging : FITTED. For River Doc. Loved your post last night.

47. Milne mom : KANGA

48. "Just the __, ..." : SAME

51. Host : HORDE

53. Sailor's port : LEFT

54. West Indian sorcery : OBEAH. Similar to Voodoo?

56. Didn't recover from a trip? : FELL. I was thinking of traveling of course.

58. Bit of a chuckle : HEE

59. Bunk : NONSENSE

62. Buck's Fizz cousin : MIMOSA. Never had Buck's Fizz: two parts orange juice to one part champagne. Maybe Misty serves it in her annual Christmas party.

64. "Hold your horses!" : JUST A SEC. You started with "Wait a sec" as well?

65. Silvery food fish : SMELTS. So why is this fish plurable? English irregularities regarding plurals drive me crazy.

66. Pitched : AT A SLANT

67. "A Writer's Life" author : TALESE (Gay). Also wrote "Honor Thy Father".

Down:

1. Backyard party decoration : TIKI TORCH

2. Routine fare? : ONE LINERS. Love this clue also.

3. Care : ATTENTION.  D-Otto always welcomes newbies to our blog. Thanks for the care, Tom!

4. Tosspot : SOT

5. Cultivate : TILL. So sweet of your farmer to send you roses, PK.

6. "A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose" author : STEIN (Gertrude). Loved "Charmed Circle".

8. Market chain based in Chicago : IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance)

9. OT enders, often : FGS (Field Goals)

10. Crops of the pick? : ORES. I don't get this clue. Why "pick"?

11. 1519 Yucatán arrival : CORTES (Hernán). Learning moment to me. He overthrew the Aztec Empire. I see lip liner.

12. Doctor : ALTER. Verb "Doctor".

13. The plain in Spain : LLANO. Rhyming clue.

14. Certain NCOs : SSGTs (Staff sergeant)

21. French possessive : TES. Your. So are MES & SES.

24. Ages : EONS

26. Like much folk mus. : TRAD (Traditional)

27. "Roman Holiday" vehicle : VESPA

30. "Home Alone" actor : PESCI (Joe)

32. Unable to go further : STUCK

34. What a scythe may cut : SWATH

36. Montreal Protocol concern : OZONE HOLE. Not familiar with Montreal Protocol, signed in Sept 1987, the exact month I had my first kiss. Where were you in 1987?

37. Games with many runs : SLUGFESTS

38. Calm : SET AT EASE

40. "For here __ go?" : OR TO

41. Fervor : ZEAL

45. Big spreads : FEASTS

46. 34th POTUS : DDE. Easy. As I remember JFK is the 35th.

48. First name in skating : SONJA (Henie). Clear Ayes' favorite.

49. In the neighborhood of : ABOUT

50. Epitome of brightness : MENSA

52. Title loc. in five '80s films : ELM ST

55. Cure : HEAL

57. Bean named for a capital : LIMA. I grew a few rows of lima bean a couple of years ago.

60. DOD arm : NSA

61. Tester or Boxer: Abbr. : SEN. Jon Tester (Montana). Barbara Boxer.

63. Tillis of country : MEL

Marti also has a puzzle at George Barany's site. Click here to solve.

I don't know the exact date, but somewhere this year Rich Norris edited his 5000th puzzle  for the LA Times. Congratulations, Rich!

 
C.C.