Wednesday, January 29, 2014 C.C.Burnikel

Theme: ALL CAPS. Each theme entry clues a state abbreviation by its capital except 46A, punctuates the resulting two-letter form and adds the solution of the second part of the clue to get to the final answer.

Wow, that took me almost as long to explain as C.C. probably spent coming up with the idea!

4A. Hartford market checker's action? : C.T. SCAN. Get your Computed Tomography scan in Connecticut.

17A. Boise jewelry? : I.D. BRACELET. Identify yourself in Idaho.

31A. Harrisburg loudspeaker network? : P.A. SYSTEM. Address your public in Pennsylvania.

41A. Jackson hair styles? : M.S. DOS. Microsoft boots your computer in Mississippi. I wanted to put AFROS here before I figured out the theme, and then one shows up at 53D!

46A. Tulsa bull pen? : O.K. CORRAL. Host your neighborhood gunfight in Oklahoma.

64A. Richmond medical center? : V.A. HOSPITAL. The Department of Veteran's Affairs takes care of you in Virginia

70A. Baton Rouge equipment? : L.A. GEAR. Get your Angeleno kicks in Louisiana.

Morning all! Steve here in a rather chilly Manhattan (18F as we speak) checking out the weather before the "Big Game" on Sunday. I can't call it by its proper name otherwise I'll get sued by the NFL! I'm scooting back to Los Angeles later today to defrost.

I thought this was a neat theme and execution from C.C. today; I was a little bamboozled at first but then had my "aha" moment with OK CORRAL and things went a lot more swimmingly after that.

Two minor nits - the 1A "Question Mark" clue was the only one of these not theme-related, and the second word of the 41A theme entry is technically also an abbreviation, the only one of the six.

Let's see what else caught my eye:

Across:

1. Fly-by-nighter? : OWL

10. To be, to Brutus : ESSE

14. Pod resident : PEA

15. La Quinta rival : RAMADA

16. Mocked, in a way : APED

19. Radius neighbor : ULNA. The smaller of the two forearm bones. I broke my right one a couple of times as a kid before my mother pretty much told me if I did it again I'd wish I'd never come home.

20. Huffington Post piece : ESSAY

21. Catches on, with "up" : WISES

23. Helen Reddy's "__ Woman" : I AM

24. Signs of approval : NODS

26. Seek, as a fugitive : HUNT

28. Like Mont Blanc : ALPINE. It's the tallest of the Alps and forms part of the border between France and Italy.

35. China's Chou En-__ : LAI

36. "My Fair Lady" composer : LOEWE.  I can't miss up the opportunity to link to the lovely Audrey Hepburn singing a Lerner and Loewe classic.

38. Piddling : MERE

39. Best of Hollywood : EDNA

42. Pull an all-nighter, perhaps : CRAM

43. "The Ides of March" actor Gosling : RYAN

44. Grind to __ : A HALT

45. Environmental prefix : ECO. Have you ever heard of anything being eco-unfriendly?

48. Lyric poems : EPODES

51. New Rochelle campus : IONA. 20 miles north of where I'm sitting. Very cool old seal.

52. Agenda unit : ITEM

53. Every little bit : ALL

54. Like Richard Burton, by birth : WELSH. Because "Hell-Raiser" doesn't fit.

58. First name on a 1945 bomber : ENOLA

62. Commotion : FLAP. Also part of a 1945 bomber.

66. Start from scratch : REDO

67. Pass by : ELAPSE

68. Spleen : IRE

69. Evangelist Roberts : ORAL. Quiet in the back.

71. Doo-wop horn : SAX

Down:

1. Mayberry kid : OPIE

2. Unites : WEDS

3. Physical exam tests : LABS

4. Coloring stick : CRAYON

5. "Tic __ Dough": old TV game show : TAC

6. Small diving ducks : SMEWS. Small enough to escape my attention all these years. They can't even be good to eat, otherwise I'd surely have heard of them. Pretty though.

7. City SW of Bogotá : CALI

8. Lemony drinks : ADES

9. Cager Archibald : NATE. Nathaniel "Tiny" Archibald, basketball Hall-Of-Famer. Of course I had no clue (and thankful for the crosses) being as he retired in 1984 and I didn't see a pro basketball game until 1993.

10. Evian water : EAU

11. Broke into small, sharp pieces : SPLINTERED.

12. Contest for a seat : SENATE RACE. I prefer musical chairs, much more fun.

13. Cheese in a red coat : EDAM. Food! Finally!

18. Delhi royal : RANI

22. Hardly outgoing : SHY

25. Beach town NW of San Diego : DEL MAR. "Where the Surf meets the Turf". The Del Mar Racetrack hosts the Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes each summer. Pretty place.

27. "Semper Fi" org. : U.S.M.C. Just north of Del Mar is Camp Pendleton, the West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps.

28. Last Olds model : ALERO

29. Playboy : LADY KILLER

30. Rum-and-coconut drink : PINA COLADA

31. Organ part : PEDAL

32. Illegally off base, briefly : A.W.O.L. Marines Absent Without Leave at Del Mar?

33. Six-line sonnet section : SESTET. Crosses helped me out here. I was going to use this as an excuse to quote one of my favorite Shakespeare sonnets, but then I discovered that it's Italian sonnets that have an octave followed by a sestet, whilst English ones have a quatrain followed by a couplet. I'll forget all that by tonight.

34. Bulletin board postings : MEMOS

37. Workplace protection agcy. : O.S.H.A.

40. Like most Internet trolls: Abbr. : ANON. We have our share of Anons on this blog, but most of them appear to be shy, rather than trolls, which is rather different. Unless they're cute trolls:

47. Unpolished : RAW

49. Eye : PEEPER

50. Upscale hotel chain : OMNI. Is this one in San Diego where all the Marines who go AWOL from Camp Pendleton stay when they've been to the track at Del Mar? There's a Ramada and a La Quinta close by too. Now there's a mini-theme for you!

52. "Fingers crossed" : I HOPE

53. Curly hairdo : AFRO

55. Stunt legend Knievel : EVEL

56. Singer's syllables : LA LA. Not to be confused with L.A. in 70A

57. Chase, as flies : SHAG. I had SWAT first, which slowed me down a tad.

59. Elevator man : OTIS

60. "60 Minutes" correspondent Logan : LARA

61. "Jeopardy!" fixture, to contestants : ALEX. "Crosswords for 600 please, Alex." "Answer: Rich Norris keeps this newspaper's puzzle on track".

63. Capitol Hill fig. : POL.

65. Fed. benefits agency : S.S.A.

That about wraps it up from me. I've got a nice view of the Chrysler Building from my hotel room which makes a change from the backside of the hotel next door that I'm usually looking at. Keep warm, everyone!

Steve

Tuesday, January 28, 2014 David Poole

Theme: Double Time - Geometric sequence.

20. 2002 Sandra Bullock film : "TWO WEEKS NOTICE"

24. 1981 Alan Alda film, with "The" : "FOUR SEASONS"

45. 1988 John Cusack film : "EIGHT MEN OUT"

54. 1984 Molly Ringwald film : "SIXTEEN CANDLES"

Argyle here. This ought to make our mathematicians happy. Tight theme: all movie titles.

Across:

1. Scale units: Abbr. : LBs.

4. Does as told : OBEYS

9. Jazz singer Carmen : McRAE

                             LINK

14. Pop-up path : ARC

15. Gold purity unit : KARAT

16. Greeted the day : AROSE

17. Resembling an equine : HORSELIKE

19. Some IRAs, informally : ROTHs

22. Like the articles "a" and "an": Abbr. : INDEF. (indefinite article)

23. Baseball Hall of Famer Speaker : TRIS

31. Spread throughout : PERMEATE

35. Enjoy eagerly : LAP UP

36. Blue hue : AQUA

37. TV host Philbin : REGIS.

40. Zip : NADA

41. They're the littlest in their litters : RUNTS

43. Peter and Paul, but not Mary : APOSTLES

48. Deserve : EARN

49. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch," e.g. : ADAGE

59. Former Portuguese colony in China : MACAU. Little over 11 sq. mi.

60. Unwilling : RELUCTANT

61. Unifying idea : THEME

62. Storm drain cover : GRATE

63. Fish eggs : ROE

64. Sharon of "Cagney & Lacey" : GLESS

65. Toys that have their ups and downs : YO-YOs

66. Month after Feb. : MAR. Can't come soon enough.

Down:

1. "Chicago Hope" Emmy winner Christine : LAHTI

2. "Peanuts" family name : BROWN

3. New England food fish : SCROD

4. "Cow's Skull with Calico Roses" painter Georgia : O'KEEFFE

5. Bundle in a barn : BALE

6. "CHiPS" star Estrada : ERIK

7. Gabs and gabs : YAKS

           "Hey, this is a personal discussion."

8. Angioplasty implants : STENTS

9. Word before arts or law : MARTIAL

10. Buttery bakery buy : CROISSANT

11. Campus recruiting org. : ROTC

12. Arthur of tennis : ASHE

13. Some MIT grads : EEs. (electrical engineer)

18. Stockholm's country: Abbr. : SWE. (Sweden)

21. Mined material : ORE

25. Sculling blade : OAR. Oh, ha-ha.

26. Beehive State native : UTE. (Utah)

27. Lear's middle daughter : REGAN. (Goneril, Regan and Cordelia)

28. Iridescent gem : OPAL

29. Without a thing on : NUDE

30. Health resorts : SPAs

31. Remove the rind from : PARE

32. Kin of iso- : EQUI. “equal”

33. Hierarchy level : RUNG

34. Trig finals, e.g. : MATH EXAMS

38. Wall St. event : IPO. (initial public offering)

39. Trifling amount : SOU

42. Easter Island attractions : STATUEs

44. Batting postures : STANCES

46. G.I. ration : MRE. (meal ready to eat)

47. E, in Einstein's formula : ENERGY

50. Banned bug spray : DDT. since 1973

51. Clock radio feature : ALARM

52. Salami selection : GENOA. (hard salami)

53. Fragrant compound : ESTER

54. Political satirist Mort : SAHL

55. Slurpee alternative : ICEE

56. Fiddling emperor : NERO

57. Potter's purchase : CLAY. Good alliteration.

58. Coupe or convertible : AUTO

59. Appt. calendar entry : MTG. (meeting)

Argyle

Monday, January 27, 2014 Patti Varol

Theme: Meanwhile, back at the lodge - Things you might find around the base of the mountain after a day on the slopes.

17A. Hitchhike : BUM A RIDE. Ski bum.

25A. Far from being in agreement : POLES APART. Ski poles.

39A. What a pep talk is meant to do : LIFT ONE'S SPIRITS. Ski lift (and spirits for Tenbeni).

51A. Graduation garb : CAP AND GOWN. Ski cap.

63A. Time relaxing in a chalet, and where the first words of 17-, 25-, 39-, and 51-Across may appear : APRÈS SKI. After ski.

Argyle here. Patti may have been inspired by Marti for this puzzle. A couple of moguls make it a bit harder than usual but a smooth run down Mount Monday.

Across:

1. Apply, as with a cotton swab : DAB

4. Dinner bills : TABs. Can you run a tab for dinners?

8. Defeat decisively : THRASH

14. Dean's email suffix : .EDU

15. Overlook : OMIT

16. "Respect" singer Franklin : ARETHA. The Queen of Soul.

19. Rented : LEASED. Maybe a little A-frame chalet in the mountains.

20. Write back : REPLY

21. Amazement : AWE

                             LINK

23. Pod fillers : PEAs

24. Out of the wind : ALEE. The warming hut.

28. More in need of moisturizer : DRIER. Your skin after a day on the mountain.

30. __ noire: dreaded thing : BÊTE. A person or thing especially disliked or dreaded: literally, black beast. (or a good name for a diamond ski run.)

31. Before today : AGO

33. Contact lens care brand : RENU

35. Indian prince : RAJAH

43. Pixieish : ELFIN

44. Strong veiny cheese : BLEU

45. Chanced upon : MET

46. Chess corner piece : ROOK. Castle.

49. Pizazz : OOMPH

55. Quantity of 53-Down : REAM

58. Grifter's game : SCAM

59. Diminish : EBB

60. Prima __: opera star : DONNA

61. Schoolchildren : PUPILS

66. Some nuclear trials : A-TESTS

67. Earth's natural satellite : MOON

68. Archaic : OLD

69. Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo : NERUDA. Ode to Broken Things.

70. Graph's x or y : AXIS

71. Nintendo's Super __ console : NES. (Nintendo Entertainment System)

Down:

1. Actress Messing of "Will & Grace" : DEBRA

                            LINK

2. "I challenge you to __!" : A DUEL

3. Took out, gangland-style : BUMPED OFF

4. Conservative Brit : TORY

5. Bordeaux boyfriend : AMI

6. Offer at Sotheby's : BID. (auction house)

7. Great bargain : STEAL

8. "Honor Thy Father" writer Gay : TALESE

9. 1,000-year Eur. realm : HRE. (Holy Roman Empire, 962–1806)

10. Come back into view : RE-APPEAR

11. In a total fog : AT SEA

12. Use wool clippers on : SHEAR

13. Owned, in the Old Testament : HADST

18. K.C. Royal, e.g. : ALer. Baseball.

22. E.B. White's "Charlotte's __" : WEB. Hey, man, check this out; there at the bottom. Wiki.

25. Ball-__ hammer : PEEN

26. Normandy river : ORNE. In northwestern France.

27. Naturally lit courtyard : ATRIUM

29. Clothing patch type : IRON-ON

31. Pale or malt brew : ALE

32. Baseball's Hodges : GIL. Played most of his career for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers.

34. PC-to-printer port : USB

36. "Sesame Street" puppeteer : JIM HENSON

37. Had a meal : ATE

38. FDR successor : HST

40. Italian dessert sometimes made with espresso : TIRAMISU

41. Like much post-Christmas business : SLOW

42. Drudge : PEON

47. Black Sea port : ODESSA

48. Old USSR spy gp. : KGB

50. Golf instructors : PROs

51. TV from D.C. : C-SPAN

52. Sharp, as an eagle's eyesight : ACUTE

53. Photocopier supply : PAPER

54. Only U.S. president born in Hawaii : OBAMA

56. Foot-to-leg joint : ANKLE

57. Hotel cleaning crew : MAIDS

60. Cozy rooms : DENS

62. U.K. business abbr. : LTD

64. Chicken __ : POX

65. French king : ROI

Argyle here.

Sunday January 26, 2014 Mark Feldman

Theme:  "Just Say No" - No is inserted into each common phrase.

24A. Congressman lacking influence? : LEGISLATIVE NOBODY. Legislative body.

31A. Inexperienced company leader? : NOVICE PRESIDENT. Vice president.

53A. Conquer one's Pachelbel addiction? : KICK THE CANON. Kick the can. Click here. Jayce probably needs to conquer his Pachelbel addiction. I'm not familiar with the guy or his Canon.

69A. Flight getting in at 12:00? : NOONTIME ARRIVAL. On-time arrival.

85A. Chamber group income? : NONET REVENUE. Net revenue.

103A. Promo line for an open wine bar? : BOTTOMLESS PINOT. Bottomless pit.

116A. Unimportant orbiter? : MINOR SPACE STATION. Mir Space Station.

Last Sunday we had "Oh, No!", today we have "Just Say No". Eager to see what's the gimmick for next Sunday's LAT.

Three NO's are attached to the beginning of the first word, one attached to the start of the second word, three are inserted inside the word. This multiple approach in letter insertion does not happen often with LAT.

Across:

1. Paddle : OAR

4. Peter who produced James Taylor's debut album : ASHER. Unknown figure to me.

9. Stash : STORE

14. Old Dodge : ARIES

19. Pair : DUO

20. Now, in Spain : AHORA. Vowel-rich, like most foreign words in Xwords.

21. Yam, e.g. : TUBER

22. Time-share unit, often : CONDO

23. Investment adviser's suggestion, for short : IRA. Are you still thinking of retiring, TTP?

27. Where you might see "Hello" : NAME TAG. Hello, my name is ...

29. Take on : HIRE

30. O. Henry device : IRONY

36. Wit : CARD

39. Those, in Spain : ESOS

40. Myth ending : ICAL. Mythical.

41. __ room : REC. And 46. __ room : HOTEL.

44. Really enjoyed : ATE UP

49. 1987 Costner role : NESS (Eliot)

50. Slightly, to Salieri : POCO. Italian.

51. Cheerleader's accessory : POM-POM

56. Doe in "Bambi" : ENA

57. Becoming fond of : TAKING TO

61. Rib : NEEDLE

62. "Smokey and the Bandit" city : TEXARKANA. Tex-Ark-ana. Sort of portmanteau word.

64. Scout group : TROOP

68. Tart fruits : SLOES

72. Santa ___ : MARIA

75. "Oklahoma!" aunt : ELLER

76. Gashed : LACERATED

80. Ukrainian port : ODESSA

82. Teacher's concern : ABSENTEE. Me in college. I bet Yellowrocks seldom missed her classes. Great news about your shoulder.

84. Altar vow : I DO

89. Bland stuff : PABLUM

91. Significant periods : ERAS. Cultural Revolution is certainly the most important period in my life. Been through quite a bit of the nightmares in my life.

92. Angry : IRED. Spell check does not like this word.

93. Scrawny : GAUNT

97. Family member : NIECE

98. __ Aviv : TEL

99. FDR's mother : SARA. Oh, I did not know this.

100. They're expected : PARS. For the pros.

102. Keats creations : ODES

109. Slow movement : LARGO

111. "You really think that's true?" : IS IT

112. At : TOWARDS.  I often struggle with one-word clues.

121. See 122-Across : OUT. And 122. With 121-Across, force from hiding : SMOKE

123. Persona : IMAGE

124. First-aid kit item : GAUZE

125. Half and half : ONE. Simple & effective clue.

126. Some are dominant : GENES

127. Colorado resort : ASPEN

128. Bugs' nemesis : ELMER

129. Not many : FEW

Down:

 1. Thor's father : ODIN

2. Ghostly glow : AURA

3. Gad about : ROAM

4. Finnish architect Alvar __ : AALTO. Splynter might have heard of this guy. Not me. What's his most famous work?

5. Bundle, as wheat : SHEAVE

6. Greedy : HOGGISH. Not a word I use.

7. "___ tu": Verdi aria : ERI

8. Most daring : RASHEST

9. Oldest Beatle : STARR. My former boss is named Ringo because he liked Ringo Starr. Most people in Hong Kong have a Chinese name & an English name.

10. One in a class by himself? : TUTEE. Nice clue for a blah fill.

11. Kimono sash : OBI

12. Gun : REV

13. Before, in poems : ERE

14. __ squash : ACORN.  This looks yummy & perfect for D-Otto who just went through a yankage. Never had cranberries before. I bet raisins work as well.

15. Automaton : ROBOT

16. Part of, plotwise : IN ON

17. Whirlpool : EDDY

18. Tofu base : SOY. Have any of you tried fermented Tofu? It's definitely an acquired taste. Sort of like Blue cheese.

25. Sass : LIP

26. Ratings giver : NIELSEN

28. Eventually become : END UP

32. Gentle sound : COO

33. Ruin : SINK

34. "New Jack City" actor : ICE-T

35. Short run : DASH

36. 10th century French king : CAPET. Hugh Capet. Stranger to me.

37. Make amends : ATONE

38. Big name in real estate : RE/MAX

41. Sonata section : RONDO

42. Pierre's school : ECOLE

43. Scoop holders : CONES

45. Hearty entrée : POT ROAST. I just can't seem to like beef.

47. Hosp. test : EKG

48. One who more than just trash-talks? : LITTERBUG. Ha ha.

50. Spanish dish : PAELLA

52. Deadly shark : MAKO

54. Mrs. Dithers in "Blondie" : CORA

55. Special delivery? : CESAREAN. Nice clue also.

58. Classic Welles role : KANE

59. Part of IBM: Abbr. : INTL

60. Clinch : NAIL

63. Liqueur flavorings : ANISES

65. Heraldic border : ORLE

66. Setting for Camus' "The Plague" : ORAN. Gimme!

67. Ancient Celt : PICT

70. Average : MEAN

71. Nixon, in the '50s : VEEP. To Ike.

72. "Haystacks" series painter : MONET. Monet, Manet dilemma.

73. Be gaga over : ADORE

74. Kind of artery : RENAL

77. Did floor work : TILED.  And 113. It may be 77-Down : ROOF

78. Draw out : EDUCE

79. Field protectors : DOMES

81. British bluebloods, informally : ARISTOS

83. Vast amount : SEA

86. Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT

87. ___ Beach, Fla. : VERO

88. Wax-wrapped cheese : EDAM

90. Regional life : BIOTA

94. Steal the spotlight from : UPSTAGE

95. Drop off : NAP. And 101. Drop off : SNOOZE

96. Isotope of hydrogen : TRITIUM. Learning moment to me also.

103. Penniless : BROKE

104. Fairy tale baddies : OGRES

105. Feudal lord : LIEGE

106. City near Düsseldorf : ESSEN

107. Pose : SIT

108. One with a title : OWNER

109. Green shade : LIME

110. Before long : ANON

114. Buggy site : DUNE

115. Brood : STEW

116. Stir-fry additive : MSG. Not in my stir-fry. Nor do I use any cornstarch.

117. Actress Zadora : PIA

118. Morning hrs. : AMs

119. Cover : CAP

120. Singer Bachman : TAL. Canadian singer. Also an unknown figure to me.

C.C.

Saturday, Jan 25th, 2014, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 72 (missing J,Q)

Blocks: 32

    There are three reactions during the solve of a crossword, I believe; 1), the "I know this" and you fill in with confidence; 2), there comes an answer and you go "oh, I get it, that's pretty clever"; and 3), when the V-8 can comes sailing across the room and you think "D'oh, I shoulda known that~!"  Mr. Silk's offerings are like this for me most of the time, but today I had a fourth emotion - one of those rare, "Rrrr", teeth-gritting moments; see below.  Challenging triple 10-letter stacks in the four pinwheels, and two 12-letter climbers:

5D. 69-Across preservation technique : FREEZE DRYING - 69-Across being "rose petals", and it's getting close to Valentine's Day, guys - personally, I have no one to cater to ;(

21d. 1982 James Bamford book about the NSA, with "The" : PUZZLE PALACE - more here, for those curious

onward~!

ACROSS:

1. "Giant" novelist : EDNA FERBER - Once I did a 'Down' pass, there were enough letters to figure this one out; falls into the #1 category

11. Sweeping : EPIC - I started with "WIDE", which slowed me down in the NE corner for too long; falls in to category #2

15. 1971 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year : LEE TREVINO - again, enough Down fill to get this one

16. MillerCoors brand : ZIMA - the "Clear Beer" that was the big thing just as I turned 21, but alas, has gone away

17. Where one can swing close to home? : BATTER'S BOX - nailed it (that's a #1 response), and I am sure C.C. did, too

18. Jaws : RAPS - GABS, YAKS, etc

19. Pitcher of milk? : ELSIE - the spokes-cow who 'pitches' milk in ads

20. Fall preceder : SLIP - started with "TRIP"

22. Japanese drama : NOH - Part of me wanted "OKE", from our earlier-in-the-week discussion

23. Kingpin : CZAR

26. Email program named for a writer : EUDORA - never heard of this software, or the author

28. Union fighter: Abbr. : CSA - REB? or CSA? - I went with the former, of course - that's a #2 in my book - reference to the Confederate States of America

31. Cheese shop offerings : EDAMS - went with "CUBES" first, thinking about samples

34. Peels : ZESTS -  PARES, the verb, RINDS, the noun? ARGHHH~!

35. With it : HEP - Filled in hIp, which was good enough to start

36. Daughter of Jacob and Leah : DINAH - not up on my Bible lineage, so I went with SARAH, and that was - D-otto, check me - 40% correct

37. Letters from Greece : ZETAs - could only be this, "Betas", or "iotas"

38. 1940s command: Abbr. : ETO - we've seen this once this week

39. Traditional Amish toy : RAG DOLL

41. Together : ONE - clever; technically, two = one

42. Evaluate : ASSAY

44. Do away with : ERASE - Had TrasH to start; 60% right

45. 10, at times: Abbr. : OCT - the 10(th) month

46. Eponymous German bacteriologist : PETRI - ah, and his dishes were popular, too

47. Pass a second time, in a race : RE-LAP

48. French article : LES - I put in DES to start

49. Overthrow target : TYRANT - For some reason, I had the image of a Quarterback's spiral in my head, so I was trying to fit "HAIL MARY" here

51. Lee of Marvel Comics : STAN

53. Flying Cloud, e.g. : REO

54. Proceeds : GATE - The noun, in this case, or money collected

57. Ruy __: chess opening : LOPEZ - this falls in to the #1 category, since I learned this from doing crosswords - and it was on a Saturday, no less; a clip for the chess player

61. Car trip game : I SPY - with my little eye, something beginning with "M"

63. Tanks : TAKES A DIVE

66. Pacific salmon : COHO - remembered this from the salmon puzzle we had recently

67. Compound used in photographic film production : ACETIC ACID

68. Was onto : KNEW

69. Florist's decorative supply : ROSE PETALS

DOWN:

1. Dresden's river : ELBE

2. Pass out : DEAL - ah, that kind of "pass out" - I used to do a LOT of the other kind

3. Brooklyn team : NETS - Basketball, and the local NBA team for me, which I don't follow; interferes with hockey, tho not as much this year. 

4. Top story : ATTIC - DAH~!  Gets me every time~!  The top story of a building, not the newscast

6. Election end? : EER - ElectionEER, such as a campaign manager

7. Campground array : RVs - Recreational Vehicles

8. Chest protectors : BIBS - I put in RIBS, and then "EDNA" fixed that

9. Hydroxyl compound : ENOL - such as THIS one, (neat~!, please~!) which often leads to 2d.

10. "Chicago" song : ROXIE - I was thinking of the "wrong" Chicago (the 70's band, not the musical)

11. Book before Neh. : EZR - ARGHHH~!  Here's that fourth response - The book is EZRA, and I had to Google it; dropping the last "A" makes me grit my teeth on this one - and I worked out an alternative solution in this corner to avoid the crummy abbr.  - SLR, which is a camera, SPIC, as in SPIC N Span, Lima and not Zima - done~!

12. Bench alternative : PIANO STOOL - Clearly a #3 moment for me, as I was thinking cars, and therefore BUCKET SEAT.  Here's some piano funny

13. Weight : IMPORTANCE - I had ---NCE at the end, and pondered putting in OUNCE to see if that would lead me somewhere

14. Liquid holdings : CASH ASSETS

24. Song on Sarah McLachlan's "Surfacing" album : ADIA

25. Park __ : RANGER - oh, duh - I couldn't see this on the first pass.  Um, that's a #3

27. Two-point Scrabble tile : DEE - the only other 2pt tile is "GEE", which worked, too

28. "The Flame" band : CHEAP TRICK

29. Observes : SETS EYES ON

30. Sign of possession : APOSTROPHE - very clever, - a #2 in my book -  Splynter's, e.g.

32. Sierra __ : MADRE - OK, I put in LEONE to start - also #2

33. Isles of __: Gulf of Maine locale : SHOALS - A WAG after 83% perps

40. Quarterly half-day exam : LSAT - Saturday cluing for the test for Law School - if you're interested in taking the test, here's the schedule

43. Constellation next to Scorpius : ARA

50. Volga region native : TATAR - The Wiki - I once had a cute pen-pal in Kazan

52. Acknowledge silently : NOD AT

55. Bell or shell lead-in : TACO - Taco Bell, taco shell, nice

56. Squeezes (out) : EKES

58. Type size : PICA

59. Source of harm : EVIL

60. Letters from Lancaster : ZEDs

62. "Ouch!" : YOW

64. Festival d'__ de Québec: annual music event : ETE - Saturday cluing for "Summer in Somme"

65. Taste : SIP

Splynter

Friday, January 24, 2014, Daniel Nierenberg

THEME: From GEEK to CHIC, climb on our word ladder

In the never ending world of Friday puzzles looking for new ways to bamboozle and entertain the solvers, two items from the games page, Crossword Puzzles and Word Ladders, are combined. The Miami Herald runs a word ladder daily, which if you are unfamiliar is a series of words where you go  from word A (the first word) to word Z (the last word) by changing only one letter in each successive word. TEN to PIN would be ten-tin-pin. In this instance we also get a reveal of sorts, commenting on the joy of going from Geek to Chic. Obviously lots depends on the perps since there are no independent clues for the ladder words, though once you get a couple, you know you have a very limited choice for the next step. Some Friday difficulty, but since the theme words are only only four letters long there is  room for some fun fill like GLUTEUS in addition to toughies like OCELLI,  so lets climb down the ladder and see what Daniel used for the remaining fill.

1A. Start of a word ladder : GEEK. (4).
5A. Word ladder, part 2 :       PEEK. (4).
9A. Word ladder, part 3 :         PEEN. (4).
22A. Word ladder, part 4 :         TEEN. (4).
52A. Word ladder, part 5 :           THEN. (4).
64A. Word ladder, part 6 :              THIN. (4).
65A. Word ladder, part 7 :                CHIN. (4).
66A. End of the word ladder :             CHIC. (4).

37A. "West Side Story" song, or a hoped-for response after experiencing the transition in this puzzle's word ladder : I FEEL PRETTY. (11).  CLASSIC. (3:43).

Across:

13. Muscat native : OMANI.  This very common fill saved me from the initial frustration of knowing nothing.

15. Rough words : OR SO. Rough as in estimate.

16. "A Death in the Family" author : AGEE. James Agee is a regular answer, and if you are interested, he did a lot in a short life. LINK.

17. Tech giant : GATES. Interesting, as initially trying for a company name not Bill from Microsoft.

18. Alienated : ESTRANGED. Women left at the altar, or left after marriage used to sue their fiances' (husbands') new love interest for Alienation of Affection. The law still exists in 7 or 8 states.

20. Parts of wedding scenes : AISLES. Perfect juxtaposition for our cheating husband.

23. Buttocks muscle : GLUTEUS. There are actually FOUR, not just our friend Maximus.

25. Clothing : RAIMENT. Related to the concept of ARRAY. A nice old word.

30. Deadly biter : ASP. Cleopatra anyone?

31. Bites playfully : NIPS. The lesson, do not play with an asp.

33. Touch-y service company? : MIDAS.

34. It might be twisted : ANKLE. A very common problem in the NBA where the giant people are forever landing on each other's feet.

36. "!" on a road sign : DANGER. Hmm...

39. Positive particle : PROTON.

41. Advertising target : SALES. Target/ Goal?

42. Like some cereals : OATEN.

43. Filter : SIFT. Sometime, you have to let your brain sift through many choices before entering fill.

44. Political initials since 1884 : GOP. I think the initials have been used since 1874, though the Republican Party itself began in 1854. LINK.

47. Tut, e.g. : PHARAOH.  Most memorable TUT (2:39)?

49. Pudding starch : TAPIOCA. So confusing...

54. Picnic downer : SHOWER. The rains fall down? A pun?

55. Get-together request : CAN WE MEET?

60. Blue dyes : ANILS.

61. Word of dismissal : SHOO. Kitty, kitty.

62. "__ kidding?" : IS HE.

63. Part of an address, maybe : TITLE. What do you say to a Duke? LINK.

Down:

1. Be extremely excited : GO GAGA. While this was a perfectly fine clue/fill, the absence of any crossing words, made starting out very tricky. Great set of letters, like COO COO for Cocoa Puffs.

2. Modern messages : EMAILS. Is it one word, or E-Mail?

3. Devours : EATS UP. Do not parse E-atsup.

4. Showed reverence, in a way : KNELT. Just before you are knighted by the King, his majesty.

5. "The Gold-Bug" author : POE. Not my favorite of his short stories, but he won a $100.00 prize for it, which was probably the most he earned for any writing in his lifetime.

6. Once, old-style : ERST. Another old word.

7. Fragrant compounds : ESTERS.

8. North or South follower : KOREA. With all the North/South combos, this is the only 5 letter one I could think of.

9. God of shepherds : PAN. There was a wonderful movie called PAN's LABYRINTH.(1:04), sorry about the 15 second ad.

10. Whisking target : EGG. That clue should stir things up around here. No beating around the bush.

11. Broad size : EEE. None of the broads I know are triple Es.

12. "The Simpsons" character who says "Okily-dokily!" : NED. For all the non-Simpson fans...you should last 7 seconds

14. "Got it!" : I SEE.

19. Bring to life : ANIMATE. Just like Ned Flanders; I see, it all fits together and makes sense.

21. Submerged : SUNKEN.

24. Cat's perch, perhaps : SILL. I will let CED do his cat magic for cat's on sills, though my challenge will be to find a video of a feline with Beverly Sills.

26. Diner freebies : MINTS. When I was a baby in the crib, my parents said they would give me the mints the restaurants gave out, and I would just fall asleep holding them in my hand.

27. Anxious : EDGY. The sugar rush never made me edgy.

28. Glaswegian's negative : NAE. One from Glasgow is a Glaswegian for the same logical (?) reason someone from Norway is a Norwegian.

29. Original Dungeons & Dragons co. : TSR. Interesting I heard on the radio that this is the 40th anniversary of D&D which was created by people who called themselves TACTICAL STUDIES RULES. The first of the modern complicated role playing games, left in the dust by WOW and Magic the Gathering.

32. Brand originally named Brad's Drink : PEPSI. Oddly, I recently linked this piece of bubbly history.

34. "__ you" : AFTER. A part of vaudeville and silent movie HISTORY. (1:11).

35. One just born : NEONATE.

36. Change symbols, in math : DELTAS. If I were on Who Wants to be a Millionaire I would use Fermat as my lifeline, and have Bill G. ready. In the meantime LINK.

37. Wee bit : IOTA. Another Greek letter doing double duty.

38. It may be inflatable : RAFT. So was George's ego, I heard.

39. Father : POP. My youngest is currently calling me Pop or Pops.

40. Cheerleader's shout : RAH. Rah ree, kick'em in the knee. Rah rah rass, kick'em in the other knee.

43. "Holy cow!" : SHEESH.  They say this is a euphemism progression from Jesus. LINK. I wonder about the Lebanese, Sheesha, or shish.

44. Accompany : GO WITH. Will you accompany me to the senior prom?

45. Spots on a peacock train : OCELLI. From the Latin, diminutive of OCULUS, an eye, because they look like little eyes.

46. Astronomical distance : PARSEC. Another area where I have little KNOWLEDGE. Followed immediately by....

48. Resistance-related : OHMIC. OHM (symbolized by the Greek Omega!) is a measure of resistance named after Georg Ohm.

50. Slangy "Superb!" : PHAT. You can learn about BACKRONYMS.

51. Corinthian cousin : IONIC. Doric being his brother?

53. 90-year-old soft drink : NEHI. Go Radar.

55. Missouri hrs. : CST. Central Standard Time, and the official time of the Corner.

56. Sound at a spa : AHH.

57. "There's __ in 'team'" : NO I. Nor an O or U...

58. Prevailed : WON.  (almost looks like wonton, wonten and of course then to the wanton).

59. Sign of perfection : TEN. still classic?

Well with Bo in your view, running toward you, I am going away for another week. I do not recall if we have ever had a ladder puzzle in the LAT, though they appear in the NYT often. It looks like Daniel was busy as this was his second LAT barely 2 weeks after his maiden. Look forward to hearing the response from all; I wish you all a wonderful final week end in January 2014.  Lemonade out.

Thursday, January 23, 2014 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "Rockin' Robin"


3-Down. "Sesame Street" segment with Dorothy the goldfish : ELMO'S WORLD.

4-Down. Combat with one survivor : FIGHT TO THE DEATH.

9-Down. Input for a personnel interviewer : FIRST IMPRESSION.

31-Down. "Dolphin Tale" co-star : ASHLEY JUDD.

And the reveal:

39-Across. Lullaby setting, and a hint to the starts of 3-, 4-, 9- and 31-Down : TREETOP. My reaction? 62-Down: AHA! "Now it's clear!"  I honestly did not see the theme until the reveal.  Nicely done, with the four theme answers going down the grid, with the TREE at the TOP of each one, all three letters. Very consistent. Let's see what else Jeffrey has to offer.

Across:

1. Took in : ATE.

4. Cartoon huntsman : FUDD.

8. One of the five Olympic rings : AFRICA. The original designer (Pierre de Coubertin) chose the colors from the flags of all the countries involved in the Olympics.  Before 1951 the Olympic Charter did specify that blue = Europe, yellow = Asia, black = Africa, green = Australia/Oceania and red = America. That statement was later removed, since it did not appear to be the designer's original intention.

14. __ Harbour, Fla. : BAL.

15. Memo term : IN RE.

16. Jeweled headgear : DIADEM.

17. Electrical unit : OHM. And 28-Across. Power units : WATTS.

18. France, in the time of the 6-Down : GAUL. And 6-Down. Pre-Christian Celtic priests : DRUIDS.

19. Julio's partner in wine : ERNEST. The Gallo Brothers.

20. Sponge : MOOCH.

22. The Beatles' "__ Just Seen a Face" : I'VE.  I refuse to link songs any more. You Tube has put annoying ads on every page now.

24. ERA and others : STATS.

25. Enchant : BESOT.

26. Mark : DENOTE.

30. Thought before taking a risk : DO I DARE? (Oh sure, go ahead!)

34. Excessively affected : TOO TOO.

36. First name in Chicago politics : RAHM. Rahm Emanuel, mayor of Chicago.

37. Pathetic : SAD.

38. Good Friday mo., often : APR.

41. Group __ : HUG.  Awww, how sweet!

Group Hug

42. 4-Across frame : CEL.

43. Golden __: Drake's ship : HIND. Forgot the name of his ship - she was originally called Pelican, but he changed the name half way around the world.

44. How aspirin is taken : ORALLY.

46. Single sock, e.g. : ODDMENT. I don't think I've ever seen this ODD word before.

48. "We hold __ truths ..." : THESE.

49. Superfan : ADORER.

51. Art nouveau, say : STYLE.

54. Musical flip : B-SIDE.

57. Sumac of song : YMA.  She could span more than four octaves with her voice.

58. Man of letters? : SAJAK. "Wheel of Fortune." (Can I buy an __ ?)

59. Hard to believe : UNREAL.

61. __ B'rith : B'NAI.

63. Down Under school : UNI. Late week doesn't indicate "for short." Kazie, do you call university "UNI"?

64. Mutual respect : COMITY. Another word that took all the perps to see.

65. Second : ECHO. "I ECHO your thoughts."

66. "Football Night in America" co-host Patrick : DAN.

67. Envelop : SWATHE. Another late-week word.

68. List maker : DEAN.  DEAN's List.

69. More than scratch the surface : DIG.

Down:

1. Enola Gay payload : A BOMB.

2. Lake bordering the Silver and Golden states : TAHOE.

5. Actress Merkel : UNA. She was big in early Hollywood.

7. Go deeply (into) : DELVE.

8. Citrusy drink : ADE.

10. Carried on : RANTED.

11. "The very __!" : IDEA.

12. "__ la vie!" : C'EST. "That's life!"

13. Figs. : AMTS. Amounts. Not to be confused with FIGs from today's tree.

21. Oft-checked item : COAT. Nice misdirection.

23. Use as a terminus : END AT.

27. "I know! Pick me!" : OOH OOH!

29. Città on the Po : TORINO. "Turin," in Italian.

32. Castro of Cuba : RAUL. Fidel's little brother.

33. Neither cool nor collected : EDGY.

34. Food truck offering : TACO.

35. Non-news page : OP ED. "OPposite the EDitorial"

36. It may precede meat and potatoes : RED. I was thinking of an appetizer or salad at first. RED meat / RED potatoes.

40. Sweepstakes mail-in : ENTRY.

45. Sleuthing films canine : ASTA.

47. Got there : MADE IT.

48. Semiconscious state : TRANCE.

50. Set : EMBED.

52. Island only 2% owned by Hawaii : LANAI. The other 98% is privately owned by Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle.

53. Barely acquiring, with "out" : EKING.

54. Tampa NFL team : BUCS. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

55. Bamboozle : SNOW. We only got about three inches of bamboozle from the big storm this week.

56. "__ la Douce" : IRMA.

60. Pipe cleaner : LYE. I wanted those fuzzy arts & crafts things...

62. "Now it's clear!" : AHA. Just as I said at the beginning!

That's it for me today. See you next week!

Marti