Friday, May 2, 2014, Gareth Bain

Theme: C'mon boys, saddle up and let's go get 'em.

The letters EM are added to 4 in the language phrases with an extremely clever reveal. We are back basking in the complicated mind of our favorite South African veterinarian, GARETH Bain, who as you can see from the Interview linked has been with us almost from the beginning of the switch to the LA Times, which coincided with his getting published in the US. The reveal HOLD 'EM, is reminiscent of his first puzzle where the letters ON were removed, with the reveal NIXON. I really enjoy how he locks onto these words and phrases and builds a puzzle. He also obviously works very hard to use a varied fill drawing from many parts of pop and historic culture. He also manages to make the puzzles very accessible to Americans despite his own background. We also get some interesting animal information. Finally, there is some really fun long down fill (to keep from being confused with the across where the theme is) like DAIRY FARMER, KODAK MOMENT. It is so obvious how much effort he puts in to his grid, still finding time for his work and blogging at Crossword Fiend.

19A. Organized group of female monarchs? : EMPRESS CORPS (12). A nice visual of Queen Elizabeth hosting a bunch of female world leaders; more interesting than a bunch of news people.

30A. Ingredient in a concrete American flag? : RED CEMENT (9). A simple penny becomes another visual.

40A. Plastic leg bone? : FAKE FEMUR.(9).Fake fur no more.

53A. Line of hunky monarchs? : HEMAN DYNASTY.(12). I am not an expert on the Han Dynasty, but we have C.C. and others to fill in the blanks. (Note from C.C.: My hometown Xi'An (called Chang'An then) was the capital city of Han Dynasty. Xi'An was the capital city to four Chinese dynasties: Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang. Hence my given name Zhouqin. Chinese written characters are called "Han characters", and over 90% of Chinese are ethically Han people). (Correction: ethnically. Thanks, Big Easy!)

and the reveal

57A. Poker variety ... and what the four longest across answers do? : HOLD 'EM.

Across:

1. It comes from goats : MOHAIR. We begin in the animal kingdom, but my mind goes to this LINK.

7. Old hand : PRO. Gareth was 22 and just beginning in 2009, now he is an old pro.

10. Margery of nursery rhyme : DAW. An old time British (Steve?) nursery rhyme that I heard in my early days. WATCH. (0:53).

13. Reason to be at sea? : ENIGMA. This is the idiom, being at sea, as lost confused.

14. Leak slowly : SEEP.

15. Pub choice : ALE. For Tin and my children.

16. Colorful freshwater fish : TETRAS.

17. 1994 Schwarzenegger film : TRUE LIES. Some very funny parts with Jamie Lee Curtis.

21. Waterskiing challenges : WAKES. from the boat pulling you.

24. Role for Ronny : OPIE. The old Andy Griffith Show gets lots of puzzle exposure.

25. Blood __ : TYPE. Clecho alert!

26. Blood system letters : A B O.

27. Pelion neighbor : MT. OSSA. There is also one in Tasmania, but we climb here in GREECE.

29. Vulpine critter : FOX. More animal info, one of the many groups ending in INE, reminiscent of a recent puzzle.

33. Overwhelming amount : SEA.

35. Feel a strong desire (for) : STARVE. Affection anyone?

36. Former German chancellor Adenauer : KONRAD. I do remember DER ALTE.

39. Fancy carp : KOI. The goldfish of the rich.

43. Mooch : BUM When I smoked it was often OP cigarettes.

45. "Cows of Our Planet" cartoonist : LARSON. The far Side guy.

47. Mesozoic, e.g. : ERA.

48. Old folk song composer, often: Abbr. : ANON. A shout out to our trolls.

50. Bread often served with ghee : NAAN.

51. Hat material : STRAW.

56. Catholic recitation phrase : AVE MARIA. Latin.

61. Chess components : MEN. Even the Queen; very un-pc.

62. Parker array : PENS. Old time company.  LINK.

63. Restless feeling : UNEASE.

64. Hill occupant : ANT. If it is three letters, it is ant.

65. Anti-aging treatment target : SAG. I will not link any pictures out of respect.

66. Named : TERMED. This was tricky, even thought it makes sense.

Down:

1. Ran into : MET.

2. 1992 U2 song : ONE. Do you really remember songs by the year? LISTEN.(4:36).

3. Popular song : HIT. Perfect follow up to the song. Do you...

4. Correspond : AGREE.

5. Mosque VIPs : IMAMS.

6. Gravelly sound : RASP. Janis Joplin?

7. Don't give up : PERSIST.

8. Practices one of the environmental three R's : RE-USES. I was not familiar with this CONCEPT.

9. Barrel-conscious gp. : OPEC. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

10. Jersey owner, maybe : DAIRY FARMER. Jersey Cows, unrelated to Gary Larson, but nicer clue/fill.

11. Syria's most populous city : ALEPPO. Not Damascus. LEARN.

12. Thomas Hardy setting : WESSEX. All you need to know and MORE.

14. Squish : STEP ON.

18. Nephew of Abraham : LOT. I wonder if he learned to hate salt? Anyway, did anyone see NOAH?

20. Dull repetition : ROTE. Not Kyle or Tobin....

21. Cola __ : WARS.

22. Help in a heist : ABET.

23. Ideal time to snap? : KODAK MOMENT. Really great fill.

27. Bovary title: Abbr. : MME. Abbreviation of the French Madame.

28. Starting from : AS OF.

31. HUN neighbor, to the IOC : CROatia. The International Olympic Committee like three letter Country names.

32. Baleful : EVIL.

34. Capt.'s course : ENE.

36. Knowledge : KEN. From the Scottish I believe and unrelated to Barbie.

37. Mystique : AURA.

38. Billiards backspin : DRAW. Another example of the wonderfully diverse knowledge in a GB puzzle.

40. Wearing a lot : FRAYING. A fun reverse clue, where the wear is on a tear.

41. Yoga class regimen : ASANAS. A new yoga STUDIO opened 100 feet from my apartment.

42. Hawaiian coffee-growing region : KONA. I wonder where all of our Hawaii readers are hiding.

43. Grand __ : BAHAMA. Freeport, very close to Fort Lauderdale.

44. Spotty : UNEVEN.

46. Lead singer of the Irish rock group The Corrs : ANDREA. Hmm, U2, the Corrs...

49. Where many vets served : NAM. Too many died.

51. Peach pit : STONE.

52. "House of Payne" creator __ Perry : TYLER. TV show from the very successful producer/actor. LINK.(2:37)

54. Snoozes : NAPS.

55. Turned (off) : SHUT.

58. Sire's mate : DAM. Our final animal clue of the day.

59. Legal closing? : ESE. Legalese.

60. Club __ : MED. Short for Mediterranean and the first of the all-inclusive vacation sites.

I had such a good time I may have gotten carried away; thanks Gareth and I hope you all enjoy the tour.  Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

The third Minnesota Crossword Tournament will be held on June 22 at The Landmark Center in Saint Paul. Please click here for more information. The puzzles are all made by our local constructors or constructors with MN ties (Andrea Carla Michaels, e.g.).  The local constructors include Tom Pepper, George Barany, David Hanson, David Liben-Nowell, Dan Kantor, Jay Kaskel & Victor Barocas (also our editor). Don G and Andy Kravis also took part in the effort. A few are our LA Times constructors. All have been published by the NY Times.

I look forward to seeing some of you there. You'll love this year's puzzles!

Left to right: Tom Pepper; Marcia J. Brott; George Barany; David Hanson; DK, C.C.; Andrea; Boomer & Victor Barocas

June 2013 

Thursday, May 1, 2014 Mary Lou Guizzo

Theme: Triple-O

17. Canadian city named for a historic battle site : WATERLOO, ONTARIO. Home of the BlackBerry smart phone. I saw the three O's here and suspected a theme was in progress. Tic-tac-toe row? Hugs, on an envelope? Reading after resetting? Out of office?

25. Stressed commuter's complaint : IT'S A ZOO OUT THERE. Nice zippy fill. And yep, it fits the theme.

43. "Enough kid stuff!" : I'M TOO OLD FOR THIS. My sentiments, exactly.

57. Totally lacks pep : HAS NO OOMPH AT ALL.  I always say "I'm too pooped to pop." (And that has six O's!!!)

65. Triatomic gas in a thinning layer ... and, symbolically, what appears in this puzzle's four longest answers : OZONE. Chemical symbol O3.

I liked the conversational feel of # 2 and #3, and I do like the word OOMPH. "Honestly officer, I wasn't speeding. I was going OO MPH!"

Marti here, to 'splain the rest.

Across:

1. 2003 NFL rushing leader __ Lewis : JAMAL. He helped win Super Bowl XXXV as a rookie with the Ravens.

6. "Shoot!" : DARN.

10. Pro-prohibition org. : WCTU. (Tinbeni, cover your ears.) "Women's Christian Temperance Union."

14. Olds compact : ALERO.

15. EKTORP sofa seller : IKEA. Ektorp is a mansion in Haningen, Sweden. I am not sure if that is why the IKEA sofa is so-called. Doesn't look too much like mansion material to me...

Ektorp sofa

16. 1800s law-enforcement family name : EARP.

20. Mom, to auntie : SIS.

21. Merits : EARNS.

22. John who sang "Daniel" : ELTON. My music link!

23. "Star Trek" spinoff, briefly : TNG. "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

24. Part of a stable diet? : OAT. Mr. Ed, can you eat just one?

34. Horned beast : RHINO.

35. Main points : GISTS.

36. Statesman Hammarskjöld : DAG. Anyone growing up in the fifties remembers him. He died in a plane crash that is still shrouded in mystery.

37. Fine things? : ARTS. The fine ARTS. Traditionally they consisted of painting, sculpture, music, poetry and architecture. Now "Fine ARTS" also includes film and performance art.

38. Scrabble squares : TILES.

39. Kitchen timer sound : DING. I have a new LG Double oven range that plays musical chimes and tunes for me. Love it!

40. Acting as : QUA. Loose translation of the Latin.

41. Canonized fifth-cen. pope : ST LEO.

42. Best : OUTDO.

46. Narc's find : PCP. Short for 1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl)piperidine), also called Phencyclidine. Known on the street as Angel dust, KJ (kristal joint), Ashy Larry, illy, or wet.

47. "Yo!" : HEY. Adrian!

48. Rouge target : CHEEK.

51. Orbiting phenomenon : ZERO G.ravity.

54. Red leader : MAO.

60. "The Time Machine" race : ELOI.

61. Move like a monarch : FLIT.

62. Bare : NAKED.

63. Peel : ZEST.

64. Dieter's calculation : FATS. I'll take mine unsaturated, please.


Down:

1. Benchley thriller : JAWS.

Dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum….

2. Jai __ : ALAI.

3. Team with a skyline in its logo : METS. Total WAG for me.

4. Is for two? : ARE. Didn't fool me this time!

5. Medici known as "the Magnificent" : LORENZO. He was the patron of artists like Da Vinci, Botticelli and Michelangelo.

6. Gucci rival : DIOR.

7. Senegalese-American rapper : AKON. Other than his rap fame, he holds the Guinness #1 record for top-selling ringtones.

8. Popular '20s cars : REOS.

9. Indian bread : NAN.

10. Prosperity : WEALTH.

11. Market vehicle : CART.

12. Jazz combo, often : TRIO.

13. Informed about : UP ON.  Is it just me, or did a lot of today's clues seem really straight-forward?

18. Vacación destination : LAGO. I visited LAGO Como last summer while I was on vacanza in Italy. Same word in Spanish and Italian for "lake."

19. Milk sources : TEATS.

23. Salon goals : TANS.

24. Giant Mel et al. : OTTS.

25. Samarra native : IRAQI.

26. Finger-tapping sound : THRUM.

27. Pull a chair up to : SIT AT.

28. Disney's "Darby __ and the Little People" : O'GILL. I don't remember this 1959 movie, but it starred Sean Connery as the love interest of Darby's daughter.

29. Pie-eyed : OILED. I only know the term "well OILED" as a substitute for "drunk."

30. Make __: employ : USE OF.

31. Mrs. Roosevelt : EDITH.

32. "Amazing" illusionist : RANDI. Debunker of paranormal charlatans.

"The Amazing Randi"

33. Pop-up frozen fare : EGGOS.

38. Firebird option : T-TOP.

39. Tax : DUTY.

41. Successful, in slang : SOCKO.

42. Pizzeria herb : OREGANO.

44. "Let's see what you got!" : OPEN IT.

45. "Yikes!" : OH-OH!

48. Café sign word : CHEZ.

49. Healthy : HALE.

50. Those, in Tijuana : ESOS.

51. "J'accuse" author : ZOLA.

52. Throw out : EMIT. Hands up for "toss?"

53. Sch. research papers : RPTS.

54. Shortfin or longfin predator : MAKO.

55. Architect William Van __ : ALEN. You may know him as the architect of this N.Y. icon.

Chrysler Building

56. Merrie __ England : OLDE.

58. Broadway opening? : OFF. "Off-Broadway" gave rise to the "Obie" awards. (O-B.)

59. Toon spinner : TAZ.

The Tasmanian Devil

And that's my spin on today's puzzle!

Marti

Wednesday April 30th, 2014 Steve Blais

Theme: Multiple Meltdowns. Each theme entry features some form of personal crisis.

17A. What an angry mermaid might do? : GO OFF THE DEEP END

26A. What an angry Santa might do? : HIT THE ROOF

46A. What an angry Humpty Dumpty might do? : GO TO PIECES

59A. What an angry witch might do? : FLY OFF THE HANDLE

Good morning everyone - Steve here with Mr. Blais' latest. Four solid theme entries and one possible unifier hidden away at 57D. I enjoyed the cluing style for the theme, and I had a couple of missteps here and there but nothing too dramatic. Let's see what else we've got.

Across:

1. Minor error : LAPSE

6. Catcall : JEER. Sports fans are prone to do this after a 1A.

10. Vishnu incarnation : RAMA. Just one of his ten avatars.

14. "This Old House" carpenter Norm : ABRAM

15. Like many a shoppe : OLDE. Often seen with "Ye" and "Gifte" also.

16. Color of Death's dart, in "Venus and Adonis" : EBON. Nice clue for the poetic "black". I didn't realize that Shakespeare wrote the poem.

20. Not many : SOME

21. Pop's bro : UNC. Do you cry "Uncle" if he's got you in a headlock?

22. Hard to figure out : KNOTTY

23. "Baseball Tonight" airer : ESPN. Originally the "Entertainment and Sports Programming Network". Pretty much just sports now.

25. Not good : POOR

30. Frozen dessert franchise : TCBY. All crosses, I'd never heard of this chain.

34. Part of NCAA: Abbr. : ATH. From the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

35. Don't exist : AREN'T

36. Pong developer : ATARI

37. Supermodel Cheryl : TIEGS. Multiple cover appearances for Sports Illustrated and Time magazines.

39. 1860s govt. for four years : CSA. This was my last fill in the grid - I had CIA for no good reason at first, and then saw that ONIET wasn't going to cut it.

40. Still in bed : NOT UP

41. Accustom : ENURE

42. Western Wyoming county : TETON. Home of the Grand Teton National Park.

44. __-Foy, Quebec : STE

45. Tabula __: blank slate : RASA

48. Opportunity, metaphorically : DOOR. "As one door closes another opens".

50. Backside : REAR

51. Verdict challenge : APPEAL

54. Spot for a facial : SPA

56. Pool float : RAFT

62. Undecided : TORN

63. Smallest Great Lake by volume : ERIE. Lake Ontario is the smallest by area.

64. Where subs are assembled : DELIS. Because "Naval Shipyards" doesn't fit.

65. __' Pea : SWEE

Scooner Seawell Georgia Washenting Christiffer Columbia Daniel Boom

66. Actress Meg : RYAN

67. Skilled : ADEPT

Down:

1. Internet connectivity frustrations : LAGS

2. Peek-__ : ABOO

3. Titan who gave fire to humans : PROMETHEUS. Zeus was annoyed about this, and shackled him to a rock to have his liver eaten anew each day by a raven. Not one to be trifled with, that Zeus fellow.

4. Least risky : SAFEST

5. "Unbelievable" techno-funk band : EMF. This was their first single and topped the charts in many countries including the USA, but not their native UK.

6. Philosopher Locke : JOHN

7. Gas alternative: Abbr. : ELEC

8. Former "Tonight Show" announcer Hall : EDD

9. Be strongly pervaded with : REEK OF. Usually in a bad way.

10. Keep apprised of one's activities, as a superior : REPORT TO

11. Assist with a crime : ABET

12. Chamonix peak : MONT. I confidently filled in ALPE first. I've skied Mont Blanc from Chamonix. The village is pretty.

13. Garcia of "Ocean's Eleven" : ANDY

18. Pitch-changing pro : TUNER. I was thinking baseball for the longest time. Nice misdirection.

19. Brian who produced or co-produced several Talking Heads albums : ENO. Brian's been popular in recent puzzles.

24. Terrible twos, one hopes : PHASE

25. Chips-to-be : POTATO

26. Fan's opposite : HATER. Plenty of the anti-Lakers variety here in Los Angeles.

27. Turner memoir : I, TINA

28. Parish head : RECTOR

29. First stage : ONSET

31. String-pulling game : CAT'S CRADLE. It's been a long time since I played this game - I'd almost forgotten about it.

32. Ogre : BRUTE

33. "Holy mackerel!" : YIPES

36. Lennox of the Eurythmics : ANNIE. The foodie anthem: "Sweet dreams are made of cheese, who am I to dis a Brie? I Cheddar the world and the Feta cheese. Everybody's looking for Stilton"

38. Elementary level : GRADE ONE. Hmmm - not sure about this one as clued. Wouldn't "First Grade" be more correct? I think of "grade one" as "of the best quality".

43. Book club leader for 15 years : OPRAH

46. One following a course : GOLFER. Following very approximately in my case. I've seen parts of golf courses rarely visited by humans. I once had to climb down a cliff in Wales to retrieve my driver from the rocks below - my hands were so cold it flew out of my grip when I teed off. We repaired to the clubhouse for medicinal whisky and a fireside seat shortly afterwards.

47. Worked for : EARNED

49. Big ape : OAF

51. Times to call, in ads : AFTS. Afternoons.

52. Field machine : PLOW

53. Flammable pile : PYRE

54. Branch of Islam : SHIA

55. Hammer part : PEEN

57. Lose one's cool : FLIP. This could be the theme unifier, but it's not noted as such. I'm going to call it anyway.

58. Quiz : TEST

60. Do one's best : TRY

61. Aquafresh tube letters : ADA. Toothy smiles all round.

And with that, I'm done!

Steve.

Note from C.C.:

Here are a few beautiful photos from JD's Puerto Rico trip. (Correction: Costa Rica trip.)  Please click here for more pictures and her notes. She made a whole album of 97 brightly-colored pictures.

 

 

Tuesday, April 29, 2014 Jack McInturff

Theme:Don't Lose It - KEEPER can follow the first word of the entries.

18. Generic product : STORE BRAND. Like the mercantile retailer in an oater, STOREKEEPER.

26A. Xbox One, for one : GAME CONSOLE. GAMEKEEPER Perhaps there is one employed at Downton Abbey?

37A. Referee's call : "TIME OUT!". Then he may request the TIMEKEEPER put 3 more seconds on the clock.

47A. Image on many tie-dyed shirts : PEACE SYMBOL. Meanwhile, back at the oater, a different idea of a PEACE KEEPER.

 

62A. Angler's "I don't have to throw this one back," and hint to the first word of 18-, 26-, 37- and 47-Across : "IT'S A KEEPER". Say, do we have any anglers here?

Argyle here. I say this puzzle is a keeper.

Across:

1. Cabbage side : SLAW

5. Airplane maneuver : CLIMB. Can't hardly be called a plane if can't CLIMB, right Dudley?

10. Cookbook amts. : TSPs

14. Go it alone : SOLO. Also, airplane related.

15. Wild West movie : OATER

16. Peter Fonda's beekeeper : ULEE

17. Nursery school adhesive : GLUE

20. Southern Florida "trail" that's a portmanteau of the two cities it connects : TAMIAMI

22. Generating, as interest on an account : EARNING

23. Move covertly : SLINK

25. Bert's buddy : ERNIE. from Sesame Street.

30. Indiana hoopster : PACER. They are members of the Central Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association.

31. Aegean island : IOS. But a search brings up iOS now; a phablet from Apple?

32. Computer input : DATA

36. Hold the title to : OWN

41. Young fellow : LAD

42. Barely makes, with "out" : EKES

44. Toyota __4: SUV model : RAV

45. Desert stopover : OASIS

51. Woodland deity : SATYR

54. Singer Lisa et al. : LOEBS

55. Readying a field, say : PLOWING

58. Fortified position : BASTION

64. Rooney of "60 Minutes" : ANDY. RIP

65. Sly look : LEER

66. Packed like sardines : IN OIL

67. Subject of adoration : ICON

68. Family chart : TREE

69. Group in pews : LAITY. Don't preach to the choir; preach to the laity.

70. Old-timey "not" : NARY. Nary a nit. Not likely.

Down:

1. NCO rank : SSGT. No mention a service branch can save a nit. (maybe)

2. Kinks girl who "walks like a woman and talks like a man" : LOLA

3. University grad : ALUM

4. Cry of distress : "WOE IS ME!"

5. Like some rays and dust : COSMIC

6. Spanglish speaker, often : LATINO

7. "Who am __ argue?" : I TO

8. Little more than : MERE

9. La __ Tar Pits : BREA

10. Show embarrassment : TURN RED

11. Done in, as a dragon : SLAIN

12. Old Finnish cent : PENNI

 

13. Marsh plant : SEDGE

19. Belgian composer Jacques : BREL. We've had him before but not often.

21. Make aware : ALERT

24. Evel on a bike : KNIEVEL. We've had him before but not often his last name.

26. Stare unsubtly : GAWK

27. Pimply condition : ACNE

28. U.S./Canada's __ Canals : SOO. Part of C.C.'s theme not too long ago.

29. Sch. whose mascot is Brutus Buckeye : OSU

 

30. "The Raven" poet : POE

33. Furthermore : ALSO

34. Wagger on the dog : TAIL. Cute.

35. Promos : ADS

38. 401(k) kin, briefly : IRA

39. Apple product : MAC. So is iOS.

40. Burial places : TOMBS

43. Surreptitious data-collecting computer program : SPYWARE

46. Choose not to vote : ABSTAIN

48. Estrada of "CHiPs" : ERIK

49. "Amen!" : "SO BE IT!"

50. Every September, say : YEARLY

51. Like milk on the floor : SPILT

52. Modify : ALTER

53. "We're off __ the wizard ..." : TO SEE

56. Playwright Simon : NEIL

57. Rowlands of "Gloria" : GENA. An old video of the song.

59. Ancient Andean : INCA

60. Fragrance : ODOR

61. Part of a B'way address : NY, NY. But truthfully, many places have a 'Broadway".

63. Hawaiian dish : POI

 

Argyle

Monday, April 28, 2014 Marti DuGuay-Carpenter

Theme: Long Vowel Progression - The first part starts with an S and follows with a long vowel sound that forms a word.

17A. "Waiting for your signal" : "SAY THE WORD"

24A. Be in complete accord : SEE EYE TO EYE

39A. Sound that may be "heaved" in a classroom : SIGH OF BOREDOM

54A. Oath-ending words : "... SO HELP ME GOD"

64A. "Alphabet series" mystery writer (she's up to "X") : SUE GRAFTON

Argyle here, pleased to be doing a Marti puzzle. Nice fill and six packs in the corners. Nice start to the week and the end of the month. Is it safe to say spring is here?

Across:

1. Nile dam : ASWAN

6. Start a card game : DEAL

10. Stone Age dwelling : CAVE

14. "The final frontier," on "Star Trek" : SPACE

15. Fairy tale meanie : OGRE

16. Curved molding : OGEE

19. Forest growth : TREE

20. Coastline concern : EROSION. And canyon former.

21. Garden entrance : GATE. "Out of my window I can see them in the moonlight,

Two silhouettes saying goodnight by the garden gate."

23. R-V link : S-T-U

29. Fill completely : SATE

31. Ex-NBA star Ming : YAO. He retired in 2011 due to injuries to his foot and ankle. He is 7 ft, 6 in.

32. Beginning : ONSET

33. Federal property agcy. : GSA. (General Services Administration)

36. Strikeout king Nolan : RYAN. He ended his career in 1993

38. Airport screening org. : TSA. (Transportation Security Administration)

43. __-dried tomatoes : SUN

44. Potpourri : OLIO

45. Wrath : IRE

46. Nebraska's most populous city : OMAHA

48. Genetic letters : RNA

50. Turn, as a burger : FLIP

58. Dictator Amin : IDI

59. __ Minor: Little Dipper : URSA

60. Continent-spanning landmass : EURASIA

62. Spanish artist Joan : MIRO. ???

67. Needing mending : TORN

68. "Gone With the Wind" plantation : TARA

69. Spanish painter El __ : GRECO. Toledo.

70. Fellows : GUYS

71. Ooze : SEEP

72. PlayStation and Discman : SONYs

Down:

1. Evaluate : ASSESS

2. Ancient Greek city-state : SPARTA

3. Exit door : WAY OUT

4. Behaves : ACTS

5. Classic grape sodas : NEHIs

6. "Iron Man" actor Robert __ Jr. : DOWNEY

7. A star may have a big one : EGO

8. LAX incoming flight datum : ARR. (Arrival)

9. Pigeon's perch : LEDGE

10. Word before boll or Bowl : COTTON

11. Goes along with : AGREES TO

12. Geese formation : VEE

13. Wide shoe spec : EEE

18. Fair-hiring abbr. : EOE. (equal opportunity employment)

22. One making amends : ATONER

25. Hammer or anvil, anatomically : EAR BONE

26. Toy on a string : YO-YO

27. Polite rural reply : "YES'M"

28. Greek "H" : ETA

30. It came before the chicken--or maybe after? : EGG

34. Shallow sea hazards : SHOALS

35. Yahoo! alternative : AOL

37. Tycoon Onassis : ARI

39. Japanese heavyweight sport : SUMO

40. Pressed for time : IN A HURRY

41. Law partnership, e.g. : FIRM

42. Rock's __ Leppard : DEF

43. Scouring pad brand : S.O.S

47. Great blue waders : HERONs

49. May-December wedding issue : AGE GAP

51. Pay attention : LISTEN

52. Foolishness : IDIOCY

53. Steinways, e.g. : PIANOs

55. Personal histories : PASTS

56. "... __ daily bread" : OUR

57. Fast, short auto races : DRAGS

61. Puffy hairdo : AFRO

62. Item on a business sched. : MTG. (meeting)

63. Letters from one who is short? : IOU

65. Persian Gulf fed. : UAE

66. Before, to a bard : ERE

Argyle

Sunday April 27, 2014 Gail Grabowski

 Theme:  "Featured Article"- Article THE spans across each two-word theme entry.

23A. Organic farming staple : COMPOST HEAP. My sister-in-law has a compose pile in her backyard. (Added later: I meant compost pile.)

25A. Co-beneficiary : JOINT HEIR

38A. Batsman's protection : CRICKET HELMET

49A. Slim down and shape up, say : GET HEALTHY. Oh, Jayce & Lucina, I never head of yesterday's Crab Rangoon either.  Cheese does not exist in real Chinese cuisine.

68A. "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" author : ERNEST HEMINGWAY

89A. Stand up to : MEET HEAD-ON

97A. Government appropriations session : BUDGET HEARING

117A. Became discouraged : LOST HEART

119A. Floor-warming technique : RADIANT HEAT

121D. Featured article hidden in this puzzle's nine longest answers : THE

Simple theme. Very consistent T & HE split.

Notice Gail placed THE at the last Down slot.  Not the last Across. Had she done latter, there would be triple-stacked 7's (not easy to fill cleanly) besides the 3's, or she would have to put two cheaters besides the final THE.

Across:

1. Spanish desserts : FLANS. Sweet start.

6. Loads of fun : A HOOT. And 21A. Words after make or devise : A PLAN.  Also 91A. "That's __!": director's cry : A WRAP.  Now you see why the first two are not clued as straight partials.

11. Loaded, in Limoges : RICHE. Alliteration is often used in foreign word entry. See also  79D. Tijuana title : SENOR

16. Local geog. division : TWP (Township)

19. Bar mitzvah reading source : TORAH

20. Help with the kids : NANNY

22. Member of the flock : EWE

27. Honshu city : KYOTO. Literally "Capital city". Tokyo means "Eastern capital", east of Kyoto, of course.

28. Regarding : AS PER

30. Pleads not guilty : DENIES IT. Not easy to parse.

31. Flimsy : LAME

33. Minimal effort : EASE

34. Salt in chem class : NaCL

35. Like some access : LIMITED

44. Hydrocarbon suffix : ENE

45. Second-smallest st. : DEL

47. Keema __: meat-stuffed bread : NAAN. Never had it. Did you really had Mexican food & beer after doctor's visit the other day, D-Otto? Or were you just kidding?

48. Compact coloring : ROUGE

54. Devices that can correct diplopia : PRISMS. Did not know "double vision" is called "diplopia".

57. Single, for one: Abbr. : SYN (Synonym). Single & One are synonyms. Lovely clue.

58. '60s "Super!" : GROOVY

59. Shows of support : YEAS

61. Garfield's "purebred clown" : ODIE

62. Energizes, with "up" : PEPS

63. Emulated a pirate : STOLE

64. Puts up : ERECTS

66. Food critic's criticism : NO TASTE. I like Cantonese food the most, the authentic one. It's a bit mild. Fresh seafood/fruits/veggie all year round there. No need to spice things up.

72. Water, often : DILUTER

75. Needles : TEASES

76. Drifters : HOBOS

80. Respond to "Let's hear it ..." : CLAP

81. Response to a capitán : SI, SI

84. Picked at random : DREW

85. Comfort : SOLACE

86. "Antz" effects, for short : CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery)

87. Opera set on Cyprus : OTELLO

93. Separate mil. service since 1947 : USAF

95. Thai language : LAO. Lots of Lao people in China too. We have 56 ethnic groups. Over 90% are Han.

96. Latin I verb : AMO

102. More significant : GREATER

105. Switch back? : EROO. Switcheroo. .

106. Hungarian castle city : EGER

107. Ranking symbol : STAR

108. Actor born Alphonso D'Abruzzo : ALAN ALDA. Vowel rich, like ED ASNER, hence their frequent appearances.

112. Jacksonville's county : DUVAL. Need crossing help.

114. Will of "Blue Bloods" : ESTES. Stranger to me.

122. Make a scene? : ACT. Nice clue.

123. Dangerous snake : ADDER

124. Idyllic regions : EDENS

125. Stagger : LURCH

126. Cross-country need, perhaps : SKI. I was amazed at the dry wall stuff Marti did, and the various DIY projects TTP accomplished. My rose water spray and body scrub are DIYed though :-)

127. "Needless __ ..." : TO SAY

128. Tailor's tucks : DARTS

129. Cropped up : AROSE

 Down:

 

 1. Consumer protection org. : FTC

2. "Get a load of that!" : LOOK

3. Multitude : ARMY

4. City mentioned in the song "That's Amore" : NAPOLI. Naples.

5. Aimed for : SHOT AT

6. Tiny Amazon : ANT. Amazon ant. Never heard of it.

7. "Good one!" : HA HA

8. "Be right with ya" : ONE SEC

9. Even (with) : ON A PAR 

10. Enters : TYPES IN

11. Indian friend of TV's Sheldon and Leonard : RAJ. Do you still love "The Big Bang Theory",  Irish Miss?

12. It can help you carry a tune : iPOD

13. Customer : CLIENT

14. "Steel Magnolias" actress Daryl : HANNAH. I watched the "Steel Magnolias" long time ago. Can't remember any detail.

15. Decoys : ENTICERS

16. Golf bag items : TEES

17. Big conflict, briefly : WWII

18. Flippant : PERT

24. Eventually : SOMEDAY. Any luck yesterday, Splynter?

26. "You there?" : HELLO

29. Sports news staple : RECAP

32. Pulitzer-winning biographer Leon : EDEL. I'm surprised to see this guy.  We got him a lot in the old Tribune Daily puzzles.

35. Hose in a shell : L'EGGS

36. Motionless : INERT

37. "Ditto" : ME TOO

39. Big name in syrups : KARO

40. Oklahoma city named for a Tennyson character : ENID. "Idylls of the King".

41. Inspiration sources : MUSES

42. Karnak's country : EGYPT. Has any of you visited Karnak?

43. Wound up : TENSE

46. Parsec's 3.26, roughly: Abbr. : LT-YRS (Light-years)

50. Hide : HOLE UP

51. Chris known for her ground strokes : EVERT

52. Auto antifreeze brand : HEET

53. Regatta entry : YACHT

55. Joins the chorus : SINGS

56. Catty remark? : MEOW. Can picture the smile from LaLaLinda.

60. Mount : STEED

62. Radio bribe : PAYOLA

64. Like many King novels : EERIE.  Stephen King had a great interview with "Fresh Air" last year. I loved what he said below about God and his view change over the years. 

"I choose to believe it. ... I mean, there's no downside to that. If you say, 'Well, OK, I don't believe in God. There's no evidence of God,' then you're missing the stars in the sky and you're missing the sunrises and sunsets and you're missing the fact that bees pollinate all these crops and keep us alive and the way that everything seems to work together. Everything is sort of built in a way that to me suggests intelligent design. But, at the same time, there's a lot of things in life where you say to yourself, 'Well, if this is God's plan, it's very peculiar,' and you have to wonder about that guy's personality — the big guy's personality. And the thing is — I may have told you last time that I believe in God — what I'm saying now is I choose to believe in God, but I have serious doubts and I refuse to be pinned down to something that I said 10 or 12 years ago. I'm totally inconsistent."

Click here for more.

  

65. Excessive flattery : SMARM

67. Lake near Squaw Valley : TAHOE

69. Tweet source : NEST

70. "Uh-huh" : I SEE

71. Handrail post : NEWEL

72. 1983 Mr. T comedy : DC CAB

73. 20th-cen. largely female labor org. : ILGWU. I had to google: International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. 

74. Scottish landowner : LAIRD

77. Lacking a knack for : BAD AT

78. Carol opening : O COME

82. Swing around : SLUE

83. To whom Rick said "We'll always have Paris" : ILSA. I can watch "Casablanca" again and again.

85. Cut : SHORTEN

87. Collapsible headgear : OPERA HAT

88. Propelled in a regatta, maybe : OARED

90. Follows (along) : TAGS

92. Deal sealer : AGENT

94. "Exactly what I thought" : FIGURED

98. City on Lake Erie : TOLEDO

99. Surfing wannabes : HODADS

100. More than 70% of its population lives in Clark County : NEVADA. What's your favorite spot in Las Vegas, Steve?

101. Landscaping machine : GRADER. Wow, I never knew  this is called grader.

103. "Stand and Deliver" Calif. setting : EAST LA

104. Garfield's successor : ARTHUR

108. Quaint plaint : ALAS

109. It may be picked : LOCK. Oh, hair.

110. Piedmont product : ASTI

111. Forte : AREA

113. Fluffy stuff : LINT

115. First name in Finnish American architects : EERO (Saarinen)

116. Egg holders : SACS

118. Not give up : TRY

120. Balaam's mount : ASS

C.C. 

Saturday, Apr 26th, 2014, Brad Wilber

Theme: Mini-theme Crossing in the Middle

Words: 70 (missing Q,X)

Blocks: 36

  The triple-packs in the corners today run in the Down direction, allowing shorter Across answers to start; that made this puzzle seem a little less intimidating - despite the crossing of two related 15-letter fills in the center of the grid.  I can think of someone here at the blog who is probably tired of the endless drain on time and money that house repairs can cost, but those two answers are right up my alley, and I am offically a 'house hunter' now....sorry, I was just daydreaming....anyway, just two other long answers, and what I believe is an even spread of proper names, literary references, math, science, biology, and history. 

Mini-theme:

32A. Reason for a loan : HOME IMPROVEMENT - the reason for my loan is just "HOME"

7D. You must keep it up throughout 32-Across : LOAD-BEARING WALL - the longer I looked for an image, the more ambiguous the results got

Other long entries:

25. "Something Wicked This Way Comes" novelist : RAY BRADBURY - love the title, but did not know anything about its author or plot

46. Deep-fried American Chinese dumpling dish : CRAB RANGOON

ardonwardonwardonw

ACROSS:

1. Sedona and others : KIAs - Automotive company, and I nailed it - had a good run to start

5. Wok bottom coats : OILS

9. Closed, for the most part : AJAR

13. Digging : INTO

14. Image on Maine's state flag : MOOSE - I thought it was a SNAKE, but that's this flag

16. Function : ROLE

17. "Yer __ tootin'!" : DURN - a bit meh, as I went with dArn, and figured it might be dErn, but dUrn~?

18. Bestow : AWARD

19. Liturgy : RITE

20. 18th/19th-century Neapolitan guerrilla __ Diavolo : FRA - "Brother Devil", Michele Pezza; the Wiki

21. Cameroon neighbor : CHAD

22. Complained : WHINED

24. Hall of Fame quarterback Dawson : LEN - dredged up from somewhere in my brain's crossword archives

27. Does some 32-Across, perhaps : ADDS ON - That's what I plan to do when I find the right property; so far, I found a 500sf house, and it was perfect, but already in contract.  I am going to try and look at another today

29. Cap extensions : EARLAPS - the Princess Leia version

30. Unlikely to come unglued : STOIC - not STUCK; this is more "resolve" than "Elmer's"

31. Golfer's challenge : SAND

39. Word with check or date : RAIN

40. 1969 Tony nominee for Best Musical : ZORBA

41. Mideast rubber : ALADDIN - ah, now I get it; not looking for rubber, but magic lamp rub-ber

45. Acorn-bearer with shallow roots : PIN OAK

48. Astoria-to-Salem dir. : SSE

49. Gentle blow : ZEPHYR - I was thinking "LOVE TAP" kind of blow, not the wind

50. Remove : WIPE

51. Give-go link : IT A

52. "I Got You Babe" record label : ATCO

53. Heavy lifter : CRANE

55. Memorable anticipator of 39-Across : NOAH - my mother said this movie was great, which surprised me; I am keyed up for the new "Godzilla"

56. Surf phenomenon : ROAR

57. Having more yellow than usual : YOLKY - because Jaundiced was a tad too long

58. Crucifix inscription : INRI - Crossword staple

59. People who are tight : SOTs - 9yrs, 3months, 18 days in my past

60. Further : ELSE

61. Head-turner : "PSST~!"

DOWN:

1. One of DC Comics' Teen Titans : KID FLASH - all perps

2. No longer fazed by : INURED TO

3. Willy-nilly : AT RANDOM

4. Family address : SON

5. Fred Astaire, for one : OMAHAN - I W.A.G.ed "OHIOAN"

6. State in a "State Fair" song title : IOWAY - Rodgers & Hammerstein - Link

8. Moldavia, once: Abbr. : SSR

9. Speedy exhortation : ARRIBA - I tried "ANDALE~!"

10. Enlist : JOIN UP

11. Takes in or lets out : ALTERS

12. Not robust, vocally : REEDY - tried RASPY at first

15. Short-lived English king of 1483 : EDWARD V - murdered (?) in the Tower of London

21. Saffron-yielding blooms : CROCI

23. Blood test initials : HDL - Cholesterol number

26. Monopolized the conversation : RAN ON

28. Salzburg pronoun : SIE

31. NATO member since 1982 : SPAIN

33. Jane Austen's "most disagreeable man in the world" : MR. DARCY

34. You might subscribe to it via PayPal : EZINE

35. Many a fed. holiday : MONday - MLK, President's, Memorial, Labor, and Columbus DAYS

36. Canyon formers : EROSIONS - anyone try working with RIVER?

37. Jazz greats, maybe : NBA STARS - second time this week with this misdirection

38. Suffer financially : TAKE A HIT

41. Bit of schoolyard backtalk : "ARE TOO~!"

42. One getting strokes, in a good way : LAP CAT - uh-huh, that's just what I was thinking....

43. Can't tolerate : ABHORS

44. Uninspiring : DRY

45. Olive enthusiast : POPEYE

46. Moguls : CZARS - Tried HILLS, which could have worked

47. Farmyard chorus : OINKS

54. Ocean delicacy : ROE

55. Chill : NIP

Splynter