Sunday Feb 23, 2014 Gail Grabowski

Theme:  "Age Isn't Everything" - AGE is removed from each familiar phrase.

25A. Plight when the caterer cancels? : HOST CRISIS. Hostage crisis.

27A. Kit with a parachute? : BAILOUT PACK. Bailout package.

45A. River project evaluation? : DAM ASSESSMENT. Damage assessment.

82A. Psychiatrist who falls asleep during sessions? : SHRINK PROBLEM. Shrinkage problem.

97A. Pedicured tootsy on a video-sharing website? : YOUTUBE FOOT. YouTube footage.

103A. Course for new cattle farmers? : STEER CLASS. Steerage class.

35D. Scenes of Oscar Madison's room? : RECORDED MESS. Recorded message.

40D. Cleaning out a clothes closet? : GARB DISPOSAL. Garbage disposal.

I normally don't touch letter addition/deletion/altercation theme type as I'm awful making sense of those wacky phrases. I do know, however, it's harder to delete than to add.

Have you all read this article about our 100-year-old constructor Bernice Gordon? Very nicely written. 

Scroll down a bit: "...Bernice's themes and puzzles are almost always straightforward, not at all gimmicky or tricky," said Rich Norris, puzzle editor at the Los Angeles Times. "Yet there's an elegance in her simplicity. She finds relationships among words that are so obvious when you first see them that you wonder why you've never seen this before."

I thought of Gail when I read Rich's comment. She's not going to shock and awe you, but there's an elegance & beauty in Gail's simplicity, often the result of hard work.

 

Across:

1. Reach across : SPAN

5. Scraps : SPATS

10. Resort city along the Roaring Fork River : ASPEN

15. Harbor vessel : SCOW

19. Hokkaido native : AINU. Here they're in their traditional Ainu dress.

20. Words to a hopeful traveler : HOP IN

21. Make a point : SCORE. Nice clue.

22. Asian beef center : KOBE

23. Current designation : AC/DC

24. Down East university town : ORONO. University of Maine.

30. One who shouldn't be looking : PEEKER

31. Fangorn Forest denizens : ENTs

32. Publicized : AIRED

34. Words on jackets : BLURBS. So I read "What Falls Away". I guess we all have a cross to bear.

38. Strays on the range : DOGIES

41. Western formation : BUTTE

43. Most conceited : VAINEST

44. Spat end : ULA. Spatula. And 75A. Front end? : IER. Frontier. 63D. Super finish? : IOR. Superior. Necessary evils. 

49. Round fig. : CIR. OK, circle.

50. Multipurpose : VERSATILE

52. Boss of Tammany Hall : TWEED. Was he as important as this book suggests?

53. Programmer's output : CODE

54. Held in check : AT BAY

55. Rare indication?: RED. Meat.

56. Appears to be : SEEMS

57. Crowd, supposedly : THREE

58. Woman's title : LADY

59. "Doctor Who" creatures : ETs

60. Rickman role in Harry Potter films : SNAPE. He was in "Love Actually" also.

61. Surrounded by : AMIDST

62. "If only!" : I WISH

64. "Ocean's Eleven" job : HEIST

65. Recurring sequence : CYCLE

66. Tapered-top piece : BISHOP. I don't get this clue. What is "Tapered-top"?

68. Exhilarating : HEADY

69. Contemporary of Bela and Boris : LON (Chaney)

70. Gathering dust : IDLE

73. Stock phrase : AT PAR

74. Shooting Starr : BELLE. I only know Annie Oakley.

76. Tutorial features : DEMOS

77. Soak up : BLOT

78. Folksy accounts : TALES

79. Broadway designer's jobs : STAGE SETS. Nice fill.

81. They, in Calais : ILS

85. Sault-Marie link : STE

86. Santa portrayer in "Elf" : ED ASNER. Super crossword-friendly name.

88. Woman "in my dreams," in song : IRENE. Oh, "Goodnight, Irene".

89. Commonly sculpted figures : TORSOS

91. Went wild on the drums, maybe : SOLOED

92. Diminishes : WANES

94. Nora was his mistress : ASTA

95. Get the factory going again : RE-OPEN

107. Spin-off starring Valerie Harper : RHODA

108. Arctic sight : FLOE

109. Stroked tools : OARS

110. Arena for MacArthur : KOREA. Korea War is heavily covered in Chinese history books.

111. Doughnut-shaped : TORIC

112. Do nothing : LAZE

113. Kindergarten handful : BRAT

114. Manner : STYLE

115. Tried to wake, in a way : SHOOK

116. Seeing things : EYES. Indeed, eyes see things. Great clue.

Down:

1. 9-3 automaker : SAAB

2. Type type : PICA

3. "__ quote:" : AND I

4. Cell centers : NUCLEI

5. Gives an earful : SHOUTS AT

6. New York and Los Angeles : PORTS. Where the Saturday Stud & Monarch Steve I of Studio City live. 

7. Per : A POP

8. Turner on stage : TINA

9. Treaded transports : SNO-CATS

10. Grate refuse : ASH

11. Sharpshooter's tool : SCOPE

12. Sat : POSED

13. "Symphony in Black" artist : ERTE

14. Strip around a collar : NECKBAND. Never wore one.

15. Downhill course : SKI RUN

16. NYSE listings : COs

17. It's a cinch in Sapporo : OBI

18. Jazz guitarist Montgomery : WES

26. Kindled anew : RE-LIT

28. Eventually : ONE DAY

29. Popular beach toy : KITE

33. Quit worrying : REST EASY.  Sometimes you just can't.

36. They're rarely hits : B SIDES

37. Bourbon __ : STREET

38. 2001 British Open winner David : DUVAL. His only major. He always seems so distant. Probably the sunglasses.

39. Jazz singer Adams who collaborated with Tears for Fears : OLETA. Nope. No memory of her.

41. Barn dance seating : BALES

42. Like many auction items : USED. Argyle likes to visit those auction events.

43. Winning signs : VEEs

46. Gaiety : MIRTH

47. Won every game : SWEPT

48. Internet __: fast-spreading item : MEME. I don't find those Ryan Gosling "Hey Girl" meme funny. You?

51. "Come again?" : SAY WHAT

53. Spicy pods : CHILIES. I imagine Lucina puts chiles in everything she cooks. How about you, spicy or mild?

56. Cutting : SNIDE

57. HBO competitor : TMC

59. Mentalist's claim : ESP

60. Mukluk material : SEALSKIN. See here.

61. Author Rand : AYN

64. Hunt of "Cast Away" : HELEN

65. Pinkish shade : CORAL

66. Treats carefully : BABIES

67. "I suppose that's okay" : IT'LL DO. Very good.

68. Prefix with pad : HELI

69. Leave alone : LET BE

71. Game rarely won : LOTTO

72. Fussy twosome? : ESSES. Two letter S in "Fussy".

74. Mystery writer Nevada : BARR. Needed crossing help.

75. "Help __ the way" : IS ON

76. Reduce in rank : DEMOTE
 

78. Waterfront area : THE DOCKS. Pricey area.

80. Recoups : GETS BACK

82. Villainous look : SNEER

83. Victimize, with "on" : PREY

84. Honeymoon destinations : RESORTS

87. Most angry : SOREST

90. Fund-raising event : RAFFLE

92. Worn down : WEARY

93. First name in nature photography : ANSEL (Adams). Or John (Lampkin).

94. Speaker's output : AUDIO

96. Conspiracy : PLOT

98. "Could be a problem" : UH OH

99. Mower maker : TORO

100. Big name in skin care : OLAY. Discovered Simple last year. Love their toner.

101. Trickle : OOZE

102. Driving aids : TEES

103. Blubber : SOB

104. Car wash challenge : TAR

105. Notable time : ERA

106. MS. enclosure : SAE (Self-Addressed Envelope)

Happy 75th Birthday to dear Keith Fowler! You can read more about Keith here. He even lived in Stratford-upon-Avon for sometime. Keith said:

"My branch of the family is not known for longevity, so it will be an enormous leap for me to reach 75 this coming Sunday--Feb 23 at 7:19 pm PST!  At that day/time I will be two years older than any recorded Fowler (of the Shryvenham to London to NY to CT to TN to CA tribe of Fowlers) ever got to be.

My mom (actually a Hocking) reached 73, and my dad's grandfather hit that number too.  while a great many folk live much longer, it just feels mighty strange to me, like teetering on a very high pole, or maybe soloing for the first time, and very slowly."

 

Keith Fowler

Also, if you are going to New York for the ACPT (American Crossword Puzzle Tournament), say hello to George Barany, who will be there competing. Maybe Rich Norris and Patti Varol will be there too, both are fast solvers. (Added later: George will be judging!)

Also, don't miss the Friday night Cru Dinner. Marti can tell you how friendly Mike Alpern is.

C.C.

Saturday, Feb 22nd, 2014, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 72 (missing Q,X)

Blocks: 28

   Considering the last two Saturday puzzles, I expected to take a beating today, and I was not all that surprised when it happened to be a Silkie - and a pinwheel of triple-10's at that~!  Yet despite my first pass looking like the front yard ( here on LI, we're still knee-deep in snow ), my second pass pretty much wrapped it up.  Have to admit, there were some s=t=r=e=t=c=h=e=s in the clues, but what else do you get on a Saturday?  Some of the longer fill today;
 

17a. What "c" might mean : LIGHT SPEED - E=mc²

12d. Response to a knock : WHO CAN IT BE - gotta have this musical link

28. Caspian Sea republic : AZERBAIJAN - Scrabbly fill~!

69a. Pronunciation aid : STRESS MARK - see 29d.

ON - the - WAshington - RoaD~!

ACROSS:

 1. Honolulu memorial : USS ARIZONA - I get this a lot in crosswords

11. Stroked : SWUM - oh, uh, that kind of stroked....

15. Approached : CLOSED IN ON

16. Quite : OH SO - ah, not "VERY"

18. Cold War capital : BONN

19. Befogged : AT SEA

20. Beginning for metric : BARO - BAROmetric

22. Hipster : CAT - I went with "KAT" first

23. Rat : SING - a slight meh, since I think it should be "rat OUT"

26. Do maintenance on, as a roof : RE-SLATE - I'd love a slate roof on my house - but the weight and cost is prohibitive

28. Inlet : ARM - meh #2; I get it, but, well....meh

31. Adopted great-nephew of Claudius : NERO

33. Self-titled 1991 debut album : ALANIS - Morisette; this was her 'dance-pop' album she recorded at the age of 17; 4 years later came the album everyone else knows, the 33million-copies-sold "Jagged Little Pill"

34. Fashionable '40s garb : ZOOT SUITS

37. Jumbles : OLIOs

38. Nervous : EDGY

39. Honored, in a way : FETED

41. 8 for O, e.g. : AT. No. - Atomic # 8, for Oxygen

42. Lively dances : REELS

44. Apple Store tech support station : GENIUS BAR - I'm PC - the genius is in ME

46. Cram : BONE UP

48. Cheer : ROOT

49. One wearing a "Y" shirt, perhaps : ELI - we had this yesterday; NOTE: if you punch in "Y shirt" on Google, and leave the ELI or YALE part out, you get much raunchier pictures~!

 

50. Formal talk : ADDRESS - Harrison's Inaugural Address was 8,445 words - see 35d.

52. Messenger molecules : RNAs

54. SS supplement : IRA - Social Security and Individual Retirement Account

55. "Deputy __": old toon : DAWG

57. "The King and I" group : HAREM - Gotta get me one of these

61. Nonsense : JIVE - "excuse me miss, I speak JIVE"

63. Don't bother : LEAVE ALONE

66. 2013 Zipcar acquirer : AVIS

67. Pinocchio, for one : MARIONETTE

68. Composer Rorem and others : NEDs

DOWN:

1. Pauley Pavilion team : UCLA

2. Fine cut : SLIT

3. Soaks, in British dialect : SOGS - My parents were born and raised in England, though I can't say I ever heard them say this

4. Fire proof : ASHES - Fire PROOF, not FIREproof

5. Hires to handle the case : RETAINS

6. Names : IDs

7. Letter number : ZIP - code; great clue for one of the numbers on a written letter

8. Spoiler of a perfect semester : ONE B - funny, because I got straight A's in my first semester at Island Drafting except for "one B"

9. Musical deficiency : NO EAR - because TIN EAR would not fit

10. Tenor Bocelli : ANDREA - that's a man, baby - and my ex-wife's name.  Awkward.

11. Sound of distress : SOB

13. Amer. citizen, e.g. : U.S. NATIONAL

14. Education innovator : MONTESSORI

21. __ Accords: 1993 agreement : OSLO

24. Huit follower : NEUF - 8 and 9, in Frawnche

25. Composer who incorporated Norwegian folk music into his work : GRIEG

27. Singing syllables : LALAs - Shout-out to Linda~!

29. Haute couture shopping area : RODEO DRIVE - because it's "haute couture", the pronunciation is rho-'DAY-o; everywhere else it's 'RO-dee-o; sort of like Marty Brodeur, goalie for the NJ Devils; when he makes a spectacular save, he becomes 'MAR-'TAN 'BRO-'DOOOR~!

30. Hexagram on the Israeli flag : MOGEN DAVID - Because Star O' David seemed too Irish to me; I did not know about this 'speculative' astronomical idea

32. River player : OTTER - ah, not a Texas Hold 'em reference

35. Harrison's successor : TYLER - US Presidents; the former for 30days, 12hours, 30minutes

36. Toledo title : SEÑOR

40. "I Wonder Why" lead singer : DION - someone else's turn

43. Took to court : SUED

45. St. George residents : UTAHANS

47. Job follow-up? : PSALMS - ah, Bible reference

51. Part of Churchill's offer : SWEAT - Winston Churchill - more here

53. Capital on the Willamette : SALEM

56. "Mr. Mom" actress : GARR

58. Personnel list : ROTA

59. Start of an intermission? : ENTR'acte, Frawnche for "between the acts"

60. Yielding : MEEK - ah, not "WEAK"

62. Winding path : ESS

64. Contend : VIE

65. Aurora, to the Greeks : EOS

Splynter

Friday, February 21, 2014, Peg Slay

Theme: I need to break you the LLs up!

Great symmetry in this letter replacement puzzle,  with the first "L" of double Ls in four letter words ending 'ALL', are replaced with an I (the first word in theme 1,3 and 5; the last word in theme 2,4) to give a new phrase clued with humor. This is our second offering from Ms. Slay, with marti expostulating on a letter add on in May of 2013. I found this on the easy side for a Friday, but since it is gimmick free that may be all I needed to make me happy. The pallbearers morphing into milkmaids seemed a bit macabre, but the rest were amusing. Let's look over the puzzle.

17A. Device that tracks certain weather? : HAIL MONITOR. (11). (HALL monitors prowl dormitories) This would be a very limited use device, but we do get a few hailstorms every year, once in a while enough to dent cars.

23A. Make a mournful cry louder? : DRIVE UP THE WAIL. (somebody wailing, like at the dentist, would drive me up the WALL).

39A. Follow, oater-style? : TAIL IN THE SADDLE. (TALL in the saddle will always conjure this IMAGE) (1:05).

48A. Run-of-the-mill letters? : PEDESTRIAN MAIL. ( I visited the 16th Street MALL when last in Denver)

61A. Eight maids a-milking? : PAIL BEARERS. (This combination cast a slight PALL on my solving experience, because images of funerals bring back memories). I think their are usually 6 pallbearers. Are Jack and Jill the most famous pail bearers?

Across:

1. "Sesame Street" lessons : ABCS.

5. Logo, e.g. : EMBLEM.

11. NASA vehicle : LEM. An actual acronym Lunar Excursion Module.

14. Word spoken con affetto : CARA. Some Italian, with affection dear.  22A. Together, in music : A DUE. Italian again, due is two.

15. Lead ore : GALENA. This is something I know only from doing puzzles; do we have geologists in our midst? I have a nephew who works in that field.

16. "Should I take that as __?" : A NO. Yes.

19. Ken. neighbor : INDiana.

20. Handle : SEE TO.

21. Karaoke need : MIC. I guess the world has decided this is an independent word.

27. Bulldog, perhaps : ELI. Yale has more than one nickname. This sort of ties to 37D. Annex, maybe : ELL, which I thought would not be in the puzzle because of the LL.

28. German article : DAS. The neutral (non-masculine or feminine) LINK. 1D. Rhine whines : ACHS. Little pun on wine/whine. Maybe you need a dictionary? LINK. Our multilingual crowd (Kazie, marti, etc., will tell you more).

29. Lollapalooza gear : AMPS. Another abbreviation (amplifiers) that appears to now be a word.

33. They may be in columns : ANTS. Army ones anyway.

36. More ironic : DRIER. senses of humor I guess, I thought this was very hard to suss.

42. Short exile? : EX-PAT. He is only  5'8" For all my New England Patriot cornerites.

43. Tops : A-ONE.

44. __-portrait : SELF. Selfies from the phone are taking over.

45. Watch : EYE.

46. 64-Across opposite : NAY. 64A. 46-Across opposite : YEA.

56. Pie crust ingredient : LARD. Not many big companies use pig fat anymore.

57. Tidy sum : WAD. He had quite a wad of cash.

58. Warmer for a snowy day : COCOA. Maybe this would WORK; I will mail you the A.

60. Tree ring revelation : AGE. Yes when the sequoias get together for a reunion, it is always a circus.

65. Jeans measure : INSEAM. Just be careful who is doing the measurements for you.

66. Auditor's mark : TICK. The check mark.

67. Humerus locale : ARM. Near the funny bone.

68. Expels : EGESTS. IN = into: E = from, immigrate, emigrate. Just simple Latin.

69. Santa __: dry winds : ANAS. A day late for our own Santa baby.

Down:

2. Sounded like a flock : BAAED. The were baaed to the bone.

3. Old-time newsman : CRIER. Really going back when you got your news from the town crier, who did not whine.

4. 1972 missile pact : SALT I. Strategic Arms Limitation Talks ; I was ratified, II was abandoned when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan.

5. Id checker? : EGO. Nice Freud lesson, our ID (as in libido) is kept in check by our EGO.

6. "Holy cow!" : MAN.

7. Skycam carrier : BLIMP. Goodyear I lives nearby me. Come for the TOUR, then stop by for a snack.

8. The Beatles' "__ Be" : LET IT.  You want to be in this STUDIO. (3:09)

9. Cain's oldest son : ENOCH. Exile or not.

10. Deface : MAR.

11. Saved for the future : LAID ASIDE. In this context I always say PUT aside, but this WORKS.

12. Blasé state : ENNUI.

13. Hobby shop purchase : MODEL.A shout out to Dennis who is tolerating the Florida winter rather well. Speaking of models, Kate Upton.

18. Stir : MOVE.

22. Accolades : AWARDS. Comes from a Latin word for neck (collum) because recipients got stuff to wear around their neck. We still give out medals (see Olympics) that way.

24. Panache : ELAN.

25. Utah's __ Mountains : UINTA. We have had these a couple of times before, but they have not stuck in my mind.

26. Norse mythology source : EDDA. Classic crossword answer.

29. Put away : ATE.

30. "Where the Wild Things Are" boy : MAX. My youngest loved the story and we went to the movie when it came out many years later; he loved it. I did  not.

31. Winning the lottery, usually : PIPE DREAM. From the dreams of OPIUM DENS?

32. Left rolling in the aisles : SLAYED. Comedians, kill, slay,

 crush...

34. E'en if : THO'.

35. Medicinal shrub : SENNA. A multi-talented PLANT.

38. Instant replay watcher : REF. The third abbreviation which is in this puzzle which has apparently become a stand alone word.

40. Jersey add-on : ITES.

41. Hannity of "Hannity" : SEAN. hard not link something political HERE.(2:37).

47. Gesture-driven hit : YMCA. The boys from the Village.

48. __ del Carmen, Mexico : PLAYA. mean beach in Spanish. Lucina?

49. Bright-eyed : EAGER.

50. Country sound : TWANG. All you ever wanted to know and MORE.

51. Put up : RAISE. Or shut up?

52. Isn't busy : IDLES.

53. It originates from the left ventricle : AORTA.

54. Trap at a chalet : ICE IN.

55. Spanish poet Federico García __ : LORCA. I wish Clear Ayes was here to speak of this POET, a very influential Spanish writer killed by Franco's men during the civil war.

59. Queries : ASKS.

61. __ chart : PIE.

62. Cricket club : BAT. Cute misdirection.

63. 911 response letters : EMS.

Well I am not in Kansas any more, only passing through to Colorado, but I hope this Friday frolic left you smiling and confident in your skills. Lemonade out.

Thursday, February 20, 2014 Paul Hunsberger

Theme: "I'm Drawing a Blank"

19. Blank : EXPRESSIONLESS.

24. Blank : HOLD SCORELESS.

43. Blank : LINE ON A SURVEY.

48. Blank : EMPTY CARTRIDGE.

This is a "definition puzzle."  Usually in this type of puzzle, all of the theme entries have the same clue. In this case, not only do the four long entries have the same clue, but every clue in the puzzle has a "fill in the BLANK."  So that's an impressive 179 squares with theme entries. Has that ever been topped in a weekday puzzle?  Kudos to Rich for seeing the brilliance of this one!

OK, since I can't review all the "theme" entries, let's play a little psychology game with this one.  Say the first thing that pops into your mind when you read each clue (whether the # of letters fits or not!!)  Let's have some fun!! My first thoughts are in caps, in parentheses. But bear in mind, most of my answers are tongue-in-cheek.

Across:

1. __ Club : SAMS. (BOOK)

5. Eat __ : CROW. (SHIT)

9. Film __ : NOIR. (STAR)

13. Sleep __ : APNEA. (IN)

14. Mata __ : HARI. (HARI)

15. "I'm __ you!" : ON TO. (BEGGING)

16. "__ to please!" : WE AIM. (Sign in the men's restroom: YOU AIM TOO, PLEASE!)

17. __-steven : EVEN. (CAT)

18. SWAT __ : TEAM. (FLIES)

22. __ of bounds : OUT. (OUT)

23. Electric __ : EEL. (GUITAR)

31. "It __ to reason" : STANDS. (STANDS)

33. "You're taking a big __" : RISK. (BITE)

34. __-TURN : NO U.  (U)

35. Good for what __ you : AILS. (AILS)

36. Costa del __ : SOL. (MAR)

37. __ Elevator Company : OTIS. (OTIS)

38. "I Like __" : IKE. (IT LIKE THAT)

39. __ the scales : TIPS. (TIPPED)

41. San Diego __ : PADRES. (CONVENTION CENTER)

46. Hopping __ : MAD. (TOAD)

47. Jacqueline Kennedy __ Bouvier : NEE. (She had another name???)

56. Quod __ demonstrandum : ERAT. (ERAT)

57. __ to one's senses : CAME. (COME)

58. Shed __ : A TEAR. (BLOOD)

59. __-Honey : BIT-O. (God, i loved those things when I was a kid. But I haven't had one in ___ ...)

60. "Rock of __" : AGES. (...AGES)

61. From beyond the __ : GRAVE. (UNKNOWN)

62. __ nuts : BEER. (CHOCK FULL O')

63. "__-a-Cop": 1988 film : RENT. (RENT)

64. "Jane __" : EYRE. (DOE)

Down:

1. X-Ray __: U.K. punk band : SPEX. (VISION)

2. Take __: doze : A NAP. (A NAP)

3. Golda __ : MEIR. (MEIR)

4. "It's the __ story" : SAME OLD. (SAME OLD)

5. __ of drawers : CHESTS. (CHEST)

6. __ Shankar : RAVI. (RAVI)

7. __ Cakesters : OREO. (OREO)

8. __ circle : WINNERS. (ARCTIC)

9. __ motel : NO TELL. (ROACH)

10. "A Room of __ Own" : ONE'S. (ONE'S)

11. "Take __ a compliment" : IT AS. (IT AS)

12. CD-__ : ROM. (PLAYER)

13. "I'm in __": "Wow!" : AWE. (FRONT)

20. Soap __ : SUDS. (OPERA)

21. __ and potato soup : LEEK. (LEEK)

24. Van __ : HALEN. (GOGH)

25. Carry-__: luggage : ONS. (FORWARD) (Hey, it's tax season!!)

26. Victoria __ : CROSS. ('s SECRET)

27. Olive __ : OIL. (OYL)

28. __-level : ENTRY. (SPLIT)

29. Peau de __: satin-weave cloth : SOIE. (SOIE)

30. __ 22-Across: solve : SUSS. (huhhh??)

31. Set __ : SAIL. (THE TABLE)

32. __ torch : TIKI. (CARRY A)

36. Day __ : SPA. (-O, DAY-O, DAYLIGHT COME AND ME WAN' GO HOME)

37. "__ to Joy" : ODE. (ODE)

39. Suit __ : TO A T. (CASE)

40. __ Series: auto races : INDY CAR. (No clue…wait a minute while I check the perps.)

41. __-à-porter: ready-to-wear : PRET. (PRET)

42. __ Joe : AVERAGE. (AVERAGE!  On the Crossword Corner!!)

44. Caveat __ : EMPTOR. (EMPTOR)

45. Civil __: protest : UNREST. (RIGHTS)

48. __ Canal : ERIE. (ROOT) 

49. __ for life : MATE. (FIGHT)

50. Rib __ : CAGE. (EYE STEAK)

51. "__ to that!" : AMEN. (AMEN)

52. "Lord knows __!" : I TRY. (I'VE TRIED)

53. __ Abby : DEAR. (DOWNTON) (I know, I know - it's "abbey")

54. __ birth to : GAVE. (GIVE)

55. "... __ I saw Elba" : ERE. (ERE)

56. __ and flow : EBB. (EBB)

So, how did you do?  I think I matched about a third of them immediately, which helped fill in the others big time.

Happy Thursday!

Marti

Note from C.C.

Happy Birthday to dear Santa Argyle, my trusted adviser & friend, who's always, always there for me when I'm in trouble.

Wednesday, Feb 19, 2014 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Heads Up! The first word in each theme answer references a Head of State.

17A. Confederate slogan symbolizing financial independence : KING COTTON. 

King Charles I of England

24A. Romaine lettuce dishes : CAESAR SALADS. Food! Created in Tijuana in 1924 by Caesar Cardini.

Caesar Augustus

39A. "Happy Feet" critters : EMPEROR PENGUINS. There are King Penguins too. I believe "penguin" comes from the Welsh for "black head".

Emperor Napoleon

50A. Study guides for literature students : MONARCH NOTES. This is the slight odd-man-out of the five as "monarch" is a collective term for Kings, Kaisers, Caesars and Emperors (amongst others) - There's no "Monarch Steve I of Studio City" as much as we may like to have one.

64A. Sandwich choice : KAISER ROLL. More! Food! There are many theories around the origin of the name.

Kaiser Wilhelm I of Prussia

Happy Wednesday everyone - Steve here with Jeffrey's foray through the crowned, be-hatted or be-laurelled luminaries of historical Europe. Some nice symmetry with the theme - three plurals bracketed by a singular top and bottom. If I was to put on my purist hat (or crown) then the slight odd-man-out-ness of the "Monarch" entry would bother me, but I'll leave that hat in the closet and I'm happy!
 
Across:

1. Appliance connector, briefly : AC PLUG. The handiest gadget I've got in my travel bag is a universal adapter for my US-standard AC plug and any international socket.

7. Cairo cobra : ASP

10. Selling site with a Half.com division : EBAY

14. Point in the right direction : ORIENT

15. Bather's facility : SPA

16. No longer green, perhaps : RIPE

19. Asia Minor honorific : AGHA

20. Swipe : STEAL

21. Thin soup : BROTH

23. Plywood wood : FIR

27. Literary alter ego : MR HYDE. Growing up, I always thought Dr. Jekyll seemed more fearsome just from the sound of the name.

Egads!

30. Slowing, to the orch. : RIT. From the Italian "ritardando", gradually getting slower.

31. Great Lakes' __ Canals : SOO

32. Speak harshly : RASP

36. Co-founding SkyTeam airline : DELTA. I've flown over a million miles, and oddly only a single round trip from LAX to Atlanta on Delta.

43. Small thicket : COPSE

44. Sans serif, e.g. : TYPE. In honor of this clue let's use Helvetica as the typeface.

45. Razor-billed diver : AUK

46. "Isn't __ shame?" : IT A

47. Sudden jets : SPURTS

56. Cousin of edu : ORG. There used to be a only couple or three more cousins like .com, .gov and .mil, now there's a whole bunch.

57. Municipal ribbon cutter, often : MAYOR. Or John Lennon.

58. Rapper __ Shakur : TUPAC

62. Femme fatale : VAMP

66. List catchall : ET AL From the latin "et alia", "and others". Compare and contrast with "et cetera", "and the rest".

67. Sci-fi staples : E.T. s. They bring their own cellphones with them now.

68. Rest of the afternoon : SIESTA

69. Modernize : REDO

70. Messy digs : STY

71. How coal may be priced : PER TON

Down:

1. Launchpad thumbs-ups : A-OKs. A shameless plug for Team Oracle's stunt pilot Sean Tucker.

2. Review, briefly : CRIT

3. Long (for) : PINE

4. Inheritance : LEGACY

5. Naked : UNCLAD

6. Potent '60s-'70s Pontiac : GTO

7. Stars in Kansas' motto : ASTRA. "Ad astra per aspera" - "To the stars through adversity". Very similar to the Royal Air Force's "Per adua ad astra" - "Through struggle to the stars". Lots of Latin today!

8. Animal trail : SPOOR. That's a nice polite way of describing it.

9. Khakis, e.g. : PANTS

10. Timeline chapter : ERA

11. Deceitful sort, on the playground : BIG FAT LIAR

12. Sap sucker : APHID

13. Century units : YEARS

18. "Very funny" TV station : TBS. TBS has a place in TV history as the first "superstation" when Ted Turner took the then-unheard of step of distributing this local Atlanta station via satellite enabling the station to be received nationwide.

22. Good start? : HARD G

25. Architect Saarinen : EERO

26. In __ of: replacing : LIEU

27. Connection rate meas. : M-SEC. Measuring the speed of data connections in milliseconds.

28. Cowboys quarterback Tony : ROMO

"I can't believe I just did that"

29. Fit to be tied : HOPPING MAD. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, often, after watching Tony Romo.

33. Getty collection : ART

34. Le Carré's Smiley, for one : SPY

35. Get-up-and-go : PEP

37. Fastener with flanges : T-NUT

38. Seeks, with "for" : ASKS

40. Picasso's "this" : ESTA

41. Provide with new weaponry : RE-ARM

42. __ egg : NEST

48. "The Dick Van Dyke Show" surname : PETRIE. Rob, played by Dick.

49. Figure of high interest? : USURER. Favorite clue/answer of the day.

50. Man with a van, perhaps : MOVER

51. Emulate Cicero : ORATE

52. "Ace of __": 2000s Food Network bakery show : CAKES. Food! or Art?

53. Marriott rival : HYATT

54. Like leaf blowers : NOISY

55. RN workplaces : ORs

59. Military assignment : POST

60. Certain chorister : ALTO

61. Family group : CLAN

63. West Bank gp. : P.L.O. Mahmoud Abbas is the current leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

65. Debatable "gift" : ESP

That's all,  Folks. As Tupac would say - "It's a rap".

Steve

Tuesday, February 18, 2014 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: Woof! - Stereotypical dog names found at the back of the entries.

20A. Phrase on a treasure map : X MARKS THE SPOT. "SEE SPOT RUN."

31A. Luxury SUV since 1970 : RANGE ROVER. "Red Rover, Red Rover, let Susie come over."

41A. Sophocles tragedy : OEDIPUS REX. Rex the Wonder Dog

53A. One of the things little boys are made of, and a hint to 20-, 31- and 41-Across : PUPPY DOG TAILS

Argyle here. Heel! Mr. Morris made an appearance here back in '09. Glad he made it back.

Classic song for today. Link (2:07)

Across:

1. JFK announcements : ETAs

5. Athletic shoe brand : PUMA

9. __ Haute, Indiana : TERRE

14. Red dessert wine : PORT

15. A party to : IN ON

16. Advil competitor : ALEVE

17. Two-toned treat : OREO

18. Bibliography, e.g. : LIST. Hand up for reading it as Biography. No excuse.

19. Washer cycle : RINSE

23. Sycophant : YES MAN

24. Captain of industry : TITAN. Titans are a mythological race of giants.

26. Novelist Deighton : LEN

28. Sinking ship deserter : RAT

29. Illuminated : LIT

36. Hard-to-hit tennis server : ACER

37. Black wood : EBONY

38. Vigor's partner : VIM

39. Locale : PLACE

40. Criminal, to a cop : PERP

43. Giant Mel enshrined in Cooperstown : OTT

44. NBC late-night comedy hit : SNL

45. Pull : TUG

46. First film to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature : "SHREK"

48. "Take care of yourself!" : "BE SAFE!"

57. Take as one's own : ADOPT

59. Desert tableland : MESA

60. Pirate booty : LOOT

61. Confused struggle : MELEE

62. Cool and collected : CALM

63. Blackthorn fruit : SLOE

64. Message limited to 140 characters : TWEET

65. Lotion additive : ALOE

66. __-de-camp : AIDE

Down:

1. Glue for a model kit : EPOXY

2. Mel, "The Velvet Fog" : TORME

3. Fields of study : AREAS

4. Nor'easter, for one : STORM

5. Light lager : PILSNER

6. Part of BTU : UNIT. (British thermal unit)

7. Dance wildly : MOSH

8. Bet all players must make : ANTE

9. Fossil-preserving spot : TAR PIT

10. "The Waste Land" poet : ELIOT

11. Budget vehicle : RENTAL CAR

12. Natl. park campers : RVs. (recreational vehicle)

13. Wide shoe size : EEE

21. Actress Cuoco of "The Big Bang Theory" : KALEY. Penny, on TBBT.

22. Guide for the Magi : STAR

25. Female relative : NIECE

27. Best-seller list entry : NOVEL

28. Make payment : REMIT

30. "Jurassic Park" predator, for short : T-REX. A little puppy repeat.

31. Auto loan default consequence : REPO

32. Helps, as a 40-Across : ABETs. ...and you don't need to ante.

33. Santa's home : NORTH POLE. Warmer than here.

34. Econ. statistic : GNP. (Gross National Product)

35. YouTube clip, for short : VID

36. Pacino and Capone : ALs

39. Washington's __ Sound : PUGET

41. Peeling potatoes in the mil., perhaps : ON KP

42. Darts, commonly : PUB GAME

44. Seven-person combo : SEPTET

47. Indian currency : RUPEE

49. Tostitos dip : SALSA

50. Garlic mayonnaise : AIOLI. Do we know it now?

51. Monsoon aftermath : FLOOD

52. Makeup maven Lauder : ESTÉE

54. Gym site, briefly : YMCA

55. Negotiation goal : DEAL

56. Northern European capital : OSLO

57. Qty. : AMT. (amount)

58. Beads on the grass : DEW

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:
 
1) Happy Birthday to Santa's favorite naughty girl Lois, whose appearances on the blog always brighten up my day. Windhover, do you have a picture of you & Lois? I found none in our Blog Picture Archive.


2) Happy Birthday to Awol as well! Haven't heard much from you for quite some time. Hope all's well.

Awol

3) Glitch continues with Mensa. Please click Merriam-Webster site or Yahoo Game (Thanks, Old Sage). Both have the same format as Mensa.

Monday, February 17, 2014 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Cooperstown - Four players enshrined at the baseball Hall of Fame who also share a last name with a U.S. President.

17A. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 39th U.S. president? : GARY CARTER. Jimmy Carter and catcher.

24A. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 7th U.S. president? : REGGIE JACKSON. Andrew Jackson and Mr. October.

44A. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 17th and 36th U.S. presidents? : WALTER JOHNSON. Andrew Johnson and Lyndon B. Johnson, and pitcher.

55A. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 38th U.S. president? : WHITEY FORD. Gerald Ford and pitcher.

Argyle here. This would be a lock...if I actually remembered our presidents by their number. C.C. nailed this, easy for our senior members and crunchy for our junior members. What a Monday should be; visually pleasing grid.

Across:

1. Tubers rich in beta carotene : YAMS

5. Wasn't indecisive : OPTED

10. Bouillabaisse, e.g. : STEW. (fish and vegetables)

14. Taken by mouth, as medication : ORAL

15. Mrs. Gorbachev : RAISA

16. Dancer-turned-spy Mata : HARI

19. Tablet with a "mini" version : iPAD

20. Tummy muscles : ABs

21. Egyptian cross with a top loop : ANKH

22. Black belt activity : KARATE

27. Opposite of vain : MODEST

28. "How awful!" : "UGH!"

29. Greets with a hand gesture : WAVES

30. Hook's sidekick : SMEE. Our favorite pirates.

31. ChapStick target : LIP. Bet they've had a good year.

34. Forewarning : OMEN

35. Visits the mall : SHOPS

37. Computer support person : TECH

38. "__ and Peace" : WAR

39. Spring melt : THAW

40. Acted without speaking : MIMED

41. British rule in India : RAJ

42. "The Bachelorette" contestant, e.g. : SUITOR

49. Catching some z's : ASLEEP

50. Shed skin : MOLT

51. Tackle a slope : SKI

54. Celebrity : STAR

58. Fill-in worker : TEMP

59. Greek i's : IOTAs

60. Revered one : IDOL

61. Historic times : ERAs

62. Midterms and finals : TESTs

63. Tour de France, e.g. : RACE. Daytona 500 this Sunday.

Down:

1. Discipline using mats : YOGA

2. Many an Egyptian : ARAB

3. Red Planet explorer : MARS ROVER. First pictures sent back; the ones you weren't allowed to see.

4. Shifty : SLY

5. Borneo primates : ORANGS

6. "Sit!" : "PARK IT!"

7. 10% church donation : TITHE

8. Opposite of WNW : ESE

9. Period before the Renaissance : DARK AGES

10. Avoid, as duty : SHIRK

11. Spanish finger food : TAPAS

12. Verse writer's Muse : ERATO

13. Add a lane to, as a highway : WIDEN

18. Animal houses : CAGES. Quite a selection; needed the perps to decide with one.

23. Back woe : ACHE

25. Paradise lost : EDEN

26. Leap : JUMP

27. Mother, to baby : MAMA

29. Bowl over : WOW

30. Female pig : SOW

31. Bubbly citrus drink : LEMON SODA. CSO? I think not. (coincidental shout out)

32. Cake decorator : ICER

33. Scholar's deg. : PHD

35. Tina Fey attribute : SHARP WIT

36. Journey to Mecca : HAJJ

37. Longtime Yugoslav president : TITO

39. Shade provider : TREE

40. Hazy : MISTY. CSO.

42. Tried to hit in paintball : SHOT AT

43. Except if : UNLESS

44. What haste makes : WASTE

45. Fall bloomer : ASTER

46. Andean alpaca kin : LLAMA

47. U. of Maryland team : TERPS. Short for terrapins.

48. Leaves out : OMITS

52. Fast food tycoon Ray : KROC

53. Vegging out : IDLE

56. Weed killer : HOE

57. 39-Down with cones : FIR

Argyle