Thursday, June 26, 2014 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Hello…Hello…Hello…

17-Across. Last words of the Parable of the Marriage Feast : BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN.

28-Across. Nocturnal bird with a harsh cry : SCREECH OWL. Listen here.

43-Across. Dojo move : KARATE CHOP. HAI-yah!

56-Across. Add one's voice : JOIN IN THE CHORUS. Let's hear your comments!

And the reveal:
34. Radio studio feature, and what each of this puzzle's four other longest answers literally is : ECHO CHAMBER. Each answer is a container for the word ECHO.  Pretty clever!

Another fun puzzle from our fearless leader.  I found the fill in this one to be especially smooth for a Thursday, and almost finished in my typical Monday time. But I got hung up in the SW by entering a wrong answer at 34-Down. Oh well, that's the way the HO HO crumbles!

Across

1. Condo coolers : ACs.

4. Link between God and you? : BLESS. Gesundheit!

9. Hostess snack cakes : HO HOs.

Love 'em or hate 'em?

14. Clog part : TOE. The only other parts of a clog are the heel and the sole. I can count. Both of those were too long.

15. Hair-raising : EERIE.

16. Like bighorns : OVINE. Sheep:ovine.

20. Introductory studio class : ART I. Art thou?

21. Rebecca's firstborn : ESAU. If you don't know your biblical genealogy by now, you'r better get cracking!

22. Braying beast : ASS. Donkey:Asinine.

23. Woodstock style : TIE DYE. John Sebastian comes to mind. 3:23

26. Triceps locale : ARM.

27. "Am __ believe ..." : I TO.

31. Banned orchard spray : ALAR. I never know how to pronounce it. I just found out it sounds like EY-lahr.

32. On the job : AT IT. Parse it however you like.

33. Not for the squeamish : GORY. I just can't watch movies like "Saw." Heck, I can't even watch the trailers!!

39. Ruler deposed in 1979 : SHAH.

41. Eternally : EVER.

42. It may be sticky : NOTE. This seems to be popping up a lot lately.

49. MD workplaces : ORs.

50. Zip : PEP. Hands up for thinking "nil"??

51. Goddess who turned Medusa's hair to snakes : ATHENA. So that's the goddess who gives me bad hair days!

52. Subj. of a '90s CIA search : WMD. Weapons of Mass Destruction (Iraq.)

53. Behind : REAR.

55. Some govt. prosecutors : ADAs. Assistant District Attorneys.

61. When rights may not be denied? : ON RED. Is "right turn on red" allowed in your state?

62. King of Judea : HEROD.

63. Dijon season : ETE. French summer.

64. Self-titled 2000 pop album : BETTE. The Divine Miss M.

65. Links measures : YARDS. What's your longest drive, HG?

66. Go-ahead : NOD. "He gave us the nod."


Down

1. Plate appearances : AT BATS. Bat:pteropine. Baseball:C.C.

2. "Katie" host : COURIC.

3. Volleyball position : SETTER.  It's like the QB in football.

Kerri Jennings

4. Drone, e.g. : BEE. Bee:apian.

5. Treasury Secretary Jack : LEW.

Before and after a mandatory course in Palmer penmanship

6. Chunk of history : ERA.

7. Stable stud : SIRE. Horse:equine

8. Vacillate : SEESAW.

9. Dull : HO-HUM.

10. Ab __: from the start : OVO. Literally. Latin for "from the egg."

11. Alluring dockside greeting : HI SAILOR. Loved this fill!

12. Poor Yelp rating : ONE STAR. Beware of fake reviews on their site.

13. Kind of overload : SENSORY.

18. Bona __ : FIDE. Gen-you-ine.

19. Baseball's Yastrzemski : CARL. My late father's favorite Red Sox player.

24. Word accompanying a fist pump : YEAH. I hear Tiger is returning this weekend after back surgery in March.

25. Outer: Pref. : ECTO.

29. Poppin' Pink Lemonade brand : HI C.

30. Questionnaire catchall : OTHER.

31. Sit in a barrel, maybe : AGE. Because "go over Niagara Falls" wouldn't fit.

34. Dines on humble pie : EATS DIRT. I had EATS "crow" at first. Slowed down my time until I got it all sorted out.

35. 2008 Benicio del Toro title role : CHE. Guevara.

36. Co-star of Burt in "The Killers" : AVA. Lancaster (thanks, Lemony!) and Gardner in a classic 1946 film noir.

37. Data lead-in : META.

38. Author Harte : BRET.

39. Calculated flattery : SNOW JOB. More great fill!

40. Insulin, e.g. : HORMONE. "How do you make a hormone? (Tell her a bad joke!)"

43. Sharp : KEEN.

44. "Why bother?" attitude : APATHY.

45. Secretary of Labor under Bush : CHAO.

46. "Marnie" star : HEDREN. Tippie.  I remember her from "The Birds."

47. Working by itself : ON AUTO. Some mornings I feel like I'm ON AUTO pilot.

48. Avoided flunking : PASSED.

50. It's hard to swallow : PRIDE. Lion:leonine.

54. Ostrich kin : RHEA. Ostrich:ratite.

57. Monarch catcher : NET. Butterfly:pierine. I always leave a few milkweed plants in my garden to attract them.

*From C.C.: Here is Marti's milkweed pod arrangement we put on the blog last year. She said:
  

"This is one of my favorite flower arrangements, I make at least one every year, when the milkweed pods are ripe. Doesn't it look like a bunch of parakeets sitting around a garden?"

58. Go amiss : ERR.

59. Dried fish in lutefisk : COD. Fish:piscine. This was a staple on Christmas Eve in our house.

60. Most TVs, now : HDs. High Definitions.

And that wraps it up for this week. Thanks, C.C., for all the fun!

Marti

Notes from C.C.

Happy 49th wedding anniversary to Spitzboov and his lovely wife Betty! I've never heard Al complain about anything, despite what he and Betty went through the past few years. He's always there sharing with us his knowledge on word etymology (esp German & any nautical-related terms) & fun video clips. Do you see Max regularly, Al?

 US Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT,
 August 2012

Wednesday, June 25, 2014 Matt Skoczen

Theme: ALL THAT BLOWS IS NOT THE WIND. [With a H/T to Bill G from comments yesterday.] The first word of each theme answer can follow the word BLOW, yielding a common, in-the-language phrase.

17 A. *Bit of formalwear : TOP HAT.  To BLOW one's TOP is to get very angry.  But nobody could be angered by Fred Astair showing us the entire formal outfit.

 18 A. *Interrupt : HORN IN ON.  This implies a forceful and unwelcome interruption or coercion -- or something a trombonist might happily do.

39 A. *Scandal management ploy : COVER UP.  You can run, but you can't hide.  I'm sure you can think of an example or two.  Seems like somebody always BLOWs the COVER, though.

60 A. *Less intense workout after a workout : COOL DOWN.  Self explanatory, I hope.  After working on my feeble high register, I COOL DOWN by playing low notes.  BLOWing one's COOL is similar, but perhaps less severe than BLOWing one's TOP.

11 D. *Psychologically manipulative tactics : MIND GAMES.   A series of deliberate ploys planned to achieve some advantage or superior position.  To BLOW one's MIND is to make a particularly strong impression.

33 D. *Snoop : NOSE ABOUT.  I'm not sure this is a common phrase, but the meaning is clear enough.  As for BLOWing one's NOSE - well, it's allergy season, s'nuff said.

And, of course, the unifier. 62 A. Lose when you should have won, and a hint to the start of the answers to starred clues : BLOW IT.  But viewed from the other side, it's a clutch come-from-behind victory.  It all depends on whose ox is being gored.  But why am I thinking about Joe Nathan?

Hi gang, it's JzB, your humble resident trombonist and frustrated Tigers fan, in case you haven't guessed by now.  Today we have a very rich and well-executed, perfectly symmetrical theme, with horizontal and  long vertical crossing entries.  Did it BLOW your MIND?  Let's see if I can lead the way through without BLOWing IT.

Across

1. Looking at the stars : GAZING.  Astronomy perhaps. Star gazing can also imply absorption in chimerical or impractical ideas, or the quality or state of being absent-minded. How do you spend your nights?  

7. Dog star's first name? : RIN.  RIN Tin Tin.  And I'm Sirius.

10. Singing an olde-fashioned love song? : SMIT.  Derived from "smite" to strike forcefully - yet another kind of BLOW.  Here, pierced by Cupid's arrow -- but --
 
I've heard of being SMITTEN, but not being SMIT,
There are old-fashioned love songs, but this doesn't quite fit.
So SMIT can be today's odd SMITTEN nit.

14. Saudi neighbors : OMANIS. To the East.

15. Poetic preposition : ERE.  I've heard this before

16. Opera set in Egypt : AIDA.  Premiered in Cairo in 1871.  The story of a love triangle between AIDA, an Ethiopian Princess captured and enslaved by the Egyptians; Ramides, an Egyptian military commander torn between duty and his love for her; and Amneris, the Pharaoh's daughter, whose love for Ramides is unrequited.  "In fact, a perfect opera."

20. Wear a long face : MOPE.  I have granddaughters who have raised this to the level of high art.

21. Lucrative way for a handicapper's bet to pay off : TENFOLD.  A long shot winning at 10-1 odds.

22. Supply with weapons, old-style : ENARM.  The erstwhile arms race, as 'twere.

24. Letters for the Queen Mary : HMS.  Her Majesty's Ship.

25. Numeral : DIGIT.  Any number, suitable for counting on your fingers.

28. Mideast ruler : EMIR.

30. Delaware tribe : LENAPE.  Also known as the Delaware tribe.  Because of displacements from their native territory along the Delaware River watershed, they are now mainly located in Ontario, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma.

31. "General Hospital" extra, for short : LPN.  Licensed Practical Nurse

34. Territory in dispute between Russia and Ukraine : CRIMEA.   The OTHER Crimean war occurred from 1853 to 1856.  Either way, a sad story.

37. FBI agent : G-MAN.  Government Guy.

38. U.N. workers' rights agcy. : I. L. O.   International Labor Organization.

41. Memphis-to-Nashville dir. : ENE. East North East.

42. Condé __ Publications : NAST.  A mass media company headquartered in New York, and famous for its many magazines.  Read all about it.

44. Like Enya's music : NEW AGE.   Eithne Patricia Ní Bhraonáin has shown up as fill so many times in puzzles I've blogged.  It's refreshing to see her in a clue.  As a music genre, NEW AGE is rather bland and amorphous, intended to inspire relaxation, optimism and NEW AGE spirituality, sadly characterized by a conspicuous absence of trombones.  It probably will not BLOW your MIND.

45. Emulated Miss Muffet : SAT.  On a tuffet.  Said Miss Muffet to the Spider:  "Get out of my whey!"

46. Vigor : ENERGY. 

48. Open carriage : SHAY.   It seems this is a back-formation from chaise, taken as plural.

50. Jazz player, briefly : NBA- ER.  As you can well imagine, this had me entirely down the wrong track.  I hold this fill in the same high regard that I hold NFL-ER, AL-ER, and NL-ER.  Which, I suppose, makes me a nitter.

51. "__ seen enough!" : I'VE.  Well placed fill, IMHO.

53. Stavros superior, in '70s TV : KOJAK.  Another famous show I never watched.  But I still know "Who loves ya!"

57. "Star Wars" weapon : BLASTER.  Which makes me wonder why the Imperial troops even bothered with their totally ineffective armor.

59. Mandlikova of tennis : HANA.  From the '80's.

 Who loves ya, baby?

64. Molokai neighbor : MAUI.  Islands.

65. When repeated, a Kenyan rebel : MAU.  The MAU MAUs revolted against British occupation in the 50's.

66. Puccini's "La __" : BOHEME.   More opera.  Its premier was in  Turin in 1896, conducted by Arturo Tuscanini.  The Bohemians were the dirty hippies of a by-gone time. 

67. Times in the p.m. : AFTS.  AFTernoonS.  Also, I'm guessing, the best time to go to the back of a boat.

68. Suffix with Canton : -ESE. Food, language, people.

69. Quarters : ABODES.  Living quarters, not fourths of things.

Down

1. "I dunno" : GOT ME.

2. "There's __ Out Tonight": 1961 hit : A MOON.  When you get tired of Star GAZING, you can go MOONing.

3. Rock legend Frank : ZAPPA.  Pappa of Dweezil and Moon Unit.

4. Response from the next room : IN HERE.  Where are you, Pappa?

5. Singer Peeples : NIA.   Virenia Gwendolyn Peeples is also an actress.

6. Clock-setting std. : G.S.T.  Greenwich Sidereal Time. More astronomy.

7. Sew up again : REHEM.  A HEM is a narrow cloth edge folded over and sewn to provide a finished look and prevent unraveling. REHEMing a dress or skit would make it shorter.  Selena Gomez demonstrates.

Same pic I used the last time with Matt's puzzle

8. Presses : IRONS.  Next step after REHEMing.

9. Indoor ball brand : NERF.  The trademark for this line of polyurethane foam game and play products introduced in 1970 is in all caps.

10. Asea : SAILING.  Literally out on the waves.  Another frequent filler turned refreshingly into a clue.

12. Words often said in front of a priest : I DO.  Not always.  We got married in the Courthouse in Dearborn.  As it turned out, not the best VENUE.

13. Brown shade : TAN.  Can be confusing at times

Whatevah

19. Plant stem joint : NODE.

It all stems from this

21. Flourish : THRIVE.

23. DL x IV : MMCC.  Erstwhile 550 x 4 = 2200.

26. "Brusha, brusha, brusha" toothpaste : IPANA.  Takes me back to my 'ute.

27. Maxim : TENET.  Core belief.

29. "The Twilight Zone" plot device : IRONY.  In this sense, dashed expectations, often associated with a plot twist.

30. Chuckle : LAUGH.  HA!

31. Flax fabric : LINEN. 

32. Something to fall back on : PLAN B.  If you BLOW plan A.

35. Litter sound : MEW.  Kittens.

36. Pencil topper : ERASER.  Mistake eliminator.  Necessary with Sudoku.

40. Busiest type of season : PEAK. 

43. Ivy support : TRELLIS. 

47. Alum : GRAD. Alumnus and GRADuate.   A former student who made the grade

49. Start of a pirate's refrain : YO HO HO.   And a bottle of rum.  Absolutely no ice, though.

51. "__ a dark and stormy night ..." : IT WAS.  Does any story actually start this way?

52. Locale : VENUE.  Place where something happens.

54. Yakked : JAWED.  Gabbed.

55. Cartoon genre : ANIME.  The concept seems a bit muddled, but I guess I know it when I see it.  It can look like this.

 Breaking the Ice

56. Beckinsale and Chopin : KATES.   Kathrin Romary Beckinsale (b. 1973) is a British actress.  Katherine Chopin (nee O'Flaherty, 1850 — 1904) was an American author of short stories and novels.

58. A few : SOME.  Not many.

60. Awards often co-hosted by Carrie Underwood: Abbr. :  C.M.A.  Country Music Awards.  No link.  I'm not a fan.

62. Mgr.'s degree : B.B.A.  Bachelor of Business Administration.

63. Toss : LOB.  A soft throw.

We made it.  Nice puzzle, with some musical interludes.  There were a couple of nits, but nothing to BLOW your COOL over.  I had a lot of fun with this one, and hope you did, too.

[Not BLOWN] Cool regards!
JzB

Note from C.C.:

Below are 2 sweet photos of JD, Bob and their grandsons. JD, who is now in Amsterdam,  said:

"This was taken on Sat. at Cameron’s 4th birthday. Grady will soon be 5, and Truman will be 7. Dylan was already down for the night when we took this. They are growing up fast."

 Left to Right: Cameron, JD, Grady, Bob & Truman

Here they were in 2010:
 

Taken on July 5, 2010.

From left to right: Grady (11 months), Truman 3 & Cameron (2 weeks)

Tuesday, June 24, 2014 Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski

Theme: Three Runners - The unity is in the clues.

20A. Runner on a corridor floor : HALLWAY CARPET

40A. Runner in a long race : MARATHON ENTRANT

58A. Runner in a nursery : PLANT OFFSHOOT

Argyle here. I like the cop shows where they confront a suspect and he takes off, "We've got a RUNNER!" We caught three runners today. Some stumble spots but the perps get it in the end.

Across:

1. "Dracula" author Stoker : BRAM

5. + or - particles : IONs

9. Ocean movements : TIDEs

14. Wine city near Sacramento : LODI. So it's not so bad to be stuck in Lodi again.

15. "The Bridge on the River __": 1957 film : KWAI. Link to the story behind the score.

16. "Step __!": "Out of my way!" : ASIDE

17. Goes on to say : ADDS. "I'm important; let me through!"

18. Pizazz : ELAN

19. Trademarked copy : XEROX

23. Derisive expression : SNEER. This goes along with 16- and 17-Across.

24. Harbor structure : PIER

25. Public health agcy. : CDC. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

28. Brake part : DISC. I feel old; I put in drum first.

31. Actress Loren : SOPHIA. She began her career at age 14 and is 79 now.

33. Sunscreen letters : SPF. (sun protection factor)

36. Twenty-one-gun show of respect : SALUTE

39. Multi-vol. references : OEDs. (The Oxford English Dictionary)

43. Steam-emitting appliance : IRON

44. "__ Fideles": carol : ADESTE

45. Qt. halves : PTs. Gallons and quarts and pints, oh my!

46. Dry twigs for a fire : TINDER

48. Old Russian ruler : TSAR

50. DDE's predecessor : HST

51. Eye protector : LASH

54. Stiller's comedy partner : MEARA. (Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara) Parents of Amy Stiller and Ben Stiller.

62. Sheikdom of song : ARABY. For Bill G.

64. Sunburn soother : ALOE

65. Golden Fleece ship : ARGO

66. Access Facebook, say : LOG ON

67. Prefix with bucks : MEGA

68. Vitamin __: PABA : B-TEN

69. Noisy migratory birds : GEESE

70. Subtle call for attention : [PSST!]

71. Satisfy to the hilt : SATE

Down:

1. Slight depression, with "the" : BLAHS. Not as deep as the blues.

2. '50s sci-fi monster : RODAN

                           Specifications

3. Confuse : ADDLE

4. Gave false clues to, e.g. : MISLED

5. Swedish furniture chain : IKEA

6. Big-eyed : OWLY

7. Civil rights org. : NAACP. (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)

8. Mount climbed by Moses : SINAI

9. Many an H&R Block employee : TAX PRO

10. "It's clear now" : "I SEE"

11. Very inexpensive : DIRT CHEAP

12. Old name for Tokyo : EDO

13. Male or female : SEX

21. What a cuff may cover : WRIST. Links.

22. Is indignant about : RESENTS

26. Failed to : DIDN'T

27. Lets the lure fly : CASTS. Cute one.

29. Desertlike : SAHARAN

30. Bumbling sort : CLOD

32. __ ejemplo: Juan's "for example" : POR

33. Patti of punk rock : SMITH

34. City on the Seine : PARIS

35. Where the major headlines are : FRONT PAGE

37. A, in Arles : UNE

38. Diagnostic aid : TEST

41. "What's more ..." : "...AND..."

42. Tigers and Cubs : TEAMs. Oh my!

47. Comical Boosler : ELAYNE. Why oh why did she use a Y?

49. Fixes up, as a fixer-upper : REHABS

52. Snail-mail attachment : STAMP

53. Putters' targets : HOLES

55. Primary artery : AORTA

56. Name synonymous with synonyms : ROGET. Roget's Thesaurus.

57. More than apologize : ATONE

59. Debt-laden corp. takeovers : LBOs. (leveraged buyouts)

60. Clouds (up) : FOGS

61. Accomplishment : FEAT

62. Calc. prerequisite : ALG. (calculus/algebra)

63. Fish delicacy : ROE. (shad roe on grits)

                     Source

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy 26th wedding anniversary to Dennis and his lovely wife Linda  (second from the right)! Dennis is ageless. He looks the same as he did when he joined our blog in Feb 2008.

2) Happy 25th anniversary to TTP and his wife as well! I recall you really annoyed your wife the first time you met, right?


3) Today also marks the 500th post Argyle blogged for us. Every time I hear "One Night in Bangkok", I think of the young Marine Argyle. He has lots of stories to tell, but he's not a talker.  Thank you for all you've done to help me, Santa!

15-year-old Argyle

Monday, June 23, 2014 Amy Johnson

Theme: Cocktail Drops Drinks often call for Angostura bitters; today's puzzle calls for entries that can follow BITTER.

17A. *Totally, as sober : STONE COLD. Bitter cold.

21A. *Interior decorator's asset : GOOD TASTE. Bitter taste.

38A. *Facetious treatment suggestion to a bundle of nerves : CHILL PILL. Bitter pill.

59A. *Somewhat deceptive statement : HALF TRUTH. Bitter truth.

65A. Finale to fight to, and what 17-, 21-, 38- and 59-Across each literally has : BITTER END

Argyle here. No fight to the bitter end here. It all went well. I can't say that about last week. I liked seeing the overlapping entries. All in all, a good mix that should be an easy solve. Several partial clechos.

Across:

1. Home of Iowa State : AMES

5. Glasgow native : SCOT

9. Back-to-school mo. : SEPT.

13. First name in denim : LEVI. (Strauss)

14. Part of a.k.a. : ALSO

15. Butterlike spreads : OLEOs

19. "Help" signal fired from a gun : FLARE

20. Vivacity : ELAN

23. Maury of tabloid talk : POVICH. "We will have the test results at the end of the show."

25. Gal sib : SIS

26. Sharing word : OUR

27. Mined find : ORE

28. "Damn Yankees" vamp : LOLA. What she wants, she gets.

31. Safe and sound : SECURE

33. Cato's "to be" : ESSE

35. The Big Easy acronym : NOLA. (New Orleans, Louisiana)

37. Ran easily : LOPED

41. Youngest Obama : SASHA

44. Glasgow gal : LASS

45. 1998 Sarah McLachlan song : ADIA. Peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, 1998.

49. Busy in a cubicle : AT WORK

51. Something to keep under your hat? : HEAD. [ha, ha]

53. Mischievous kid : IMP

54. '70s radical org. : SLA. (Symbionese Liberation Army)

55. SSE or NNW : DIR. (direction)

57. "Pucker up!" : "KISS ME!"

63. Florist's container : VASE

64. China's Zhou __ : ENLAI

68. Thunder-and-lightning event : STORM. Catastrophic events of late.

69. Gaga over : INTO

70. Part of NIH: Abbr. : INST. (National Institutes of Health)

71. __ bit: slightly : A WEE. Little more of Glasgow.

72. Scruff of the neck : NAPE

73. Canonized mlles. : STEs. French saints.

Down:

1. Capp and Gore : ALs. Capp penned Li'l Abner.

2. Shooting stars : METEORs

3. Develops over time : EVOLVEs

4. Egypt's __ Peninsula, which borders Israel : SINAI

5. Anatomical pouch : SAC

6. Bathtub trouble : CLOG

7. Capital NNW of Copenhagen : OSLO

8. Hubbubs : TO-DOs

9. Subtle marketing technique : SOFT SELL

10. "Enchanted" title girl in a 2004 film : ELLA. "Ella Enchanted"

11. Dense fog metaphor : PEA SOUP

12. Agony : TORTURE

16. Get hot under the collar : SEE RED

18. Something besides the letter: Abbr. : ENCL. (enclosure)

22. Bad-mouth : DIS

23. American master of the macabre : POE or EAP, to some people.

24. Hägar and Helga's daughter : HONI. (l. to r.): Snert, Hamlet, Helga, Hägar, Honi, Kvack (save for future reference.)

29. Kick back : LOLL

30. Islamic deity : ALLAH

32. Coca-__ : COLA

34. Cave feedback : ECHO

36. Vaulted church area : APSE

39. Period in the pen, to a con : HARD TIME

40. "Out of Africa" novelist Dinesen : ISAK

41. Girl Scout accessories : SASHes

42. Home of Georgia Tech : ATLANTA

43. One of the birds that "come back to Capistrano," in song : SWALLOW

46. Voice an objection : DISSENT

47. Bigger than big : IMMENSE. Don't forget you can click on the pictures to see bigger results.

48. Chest-beating beast : APE

50. White wine apéritif : KIR. Blackcurrant liqueur topped up with white wine.

52. Plunge : DIVE

56. Apply during a massage : RUB IN

58. Bollywood wraps : SARIs

60. Bus rider's payment : FARE

61. Fey of "30 Rock" : TINA

62. Internet address letters : HTTP

66. From head to __ : TOE

67. Rehab woe : DTs

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

I'd like to share with you a few photos from the third Minnesota Crossword Tournament held at The Landmark Center in Saint Paul yesterday. Those who missed the tournament should be able to buy the puzzles online for $5.

It's fun catching up with Tom Pepper, George Barany, David Hanson, David Liben-Nowell, Dan Kantor, Jay Kaskel, Michael David and our hard-working editor Victor Barocas. I was also delighted to finally introduce myself to the talented Andrew Ries. Also lovely to meet with Peter Broder (author of THE CROSS NERD blog). He traveled from Canada for the event.

We missed you, Andrea Carla Michaels! Wish Don G and Andy Kravis were here too.

Left to Right: Jay Kaskel, Tom Pepper, David Liben-Nowell & David Hanson (David H used "Rosebud" avatar and posted on our blog long long time ago).

Left to Right: George Barany, Andrew Ries, David Liben-Nowell, C.C.,

Tom Pepper, Victor Barocas, David Hanson & Peter Broder 

Please click here for more constructor photos.

I watched Public Enemies long time ago. Don't remember the John Dillinger Minnesota tie at all. It turns out that his girlfriend Evelyn Frechette lived close by and was tried at The Landmark Center.

Sunday June 22, 2014 Mike Peluso

Theme: "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da" - Long E sound is changed into short O or "Ah" sound.

23A. Clancy explaining the spelling of his name? : THERE IS NO "I" IN TOM - There is no "I" in team. Tom Clancy would have confused me if he did explain so.

38A. Victoria's Secret seasonal line? : SUMMER BRAS. Summer breeze.

64A. Trading Clue, Monopoly, Life and Boggle? : FOUR-GAME SWAP. Four game sweep. World Series.

75A. Monastery grounds? : LAND OF THE FRA. Land of the free.

98A. Bathrooms decorated in denim? : LEVI'S JOHNS. Levi's Jeans.

116A. Character in "Satanic Star Trek"? : SPOCK OF THE DEVIL. Speak of the devil.

17D. Gorgeous farm gal feeding the pigs? : SLOPPING BEAUTY.  Sleeping Beauty.

49D. Stain left by a pool disinfectant? : CHLORINE BLOTCH. Chlorine bleach.

 

I hope I got the theme correctly. Sound change gimmick is always hard for me. I don't have problem with consonants or long vowel sound. It's those short ones that bother me, esp short E and short A. I pronounce "bad" & bed" the same.

 

Mike Peluso is a language expert. He taught French, German, Spanish and Latin at high school level. 

 

Today's grid is hard to fill. Look at the 18 7-letter entries alone! 6 pairs are stacked along the edges, intersecting at least 3 answers of 6-, 7- or 8- letter long. And a 140-worder. You rock, Mike!

The clue for  PASS GO (19D) should be "Round the Boardwalk corner". Cruciverb has "Round the Broadway corner". 

 

Across:

1. Favoring Mideast unity : PAN-ARAB. I wanted PRO-ARAB, but 2D said "No" immediately.

8. Jungle chopper : MACHETE

15. Creator of a cocky hare : AESOP

20. One who stole from thieves : ALI BABA. Also China's biggest e-commerce company.

21. Like spring jackets : UNLINED

22. __ fast one : PULL A

25. Walks heavily : PLODS

26. Costa __ : RICA

27. It's nothing to Hollande : RIEN. It's human nature to sin. God can't help us.

28. B followers : CDE

29. Blue gem, briefly : LAPIS

30. Provo neighbor : OREM

31. CXXII x V : DCX. 610.

32. 1978 film based on a Harold Robbins novel : THE BETSY. Never saw the film.

36. Square problem? : PEG. Nice clue.

37. Many OCS grads : LTS (Lieutenants)

40. Soup with a bento : MISO. You won't find Miso soup inside a Bento box though. Bento is for cold food. Miso is hot.

41. Run on : GAB

44. Sonora Mrs. : SRA

45. Like adobe : EARTHEN

47. One leading a Spartan lifestyle : ASCETIC

51. Barely move : INCH

54. Serenaded : SANG TO

57. Distinguished types : SCHOLARS

59. Bite-size appetizer : PUPU.  Pu-pu platter.

62. Treasury secretary under Clinton : RUBIN (Robert). From Wiki: He received more than $126 million in cash and stock during his tenure at Citigroup. 

63. Bear's cry : SELL

69. Photo lab process: Abbr. : ENL

70. First album in a Green Day trilogy : UNO. News to me. The ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré! trilogy.

71. Pro Football Hall of Famer Nagurski : BRONKO. Unknown figure.

72. Chances to golf with Mickelson or McIlroy : PRO-AMS. Yes to Mickelson. What a  gentleman!

73. Salty assent : AYE. The sailor "salt". And 34D. Salt : TAR

74. La Méditerranée, e.g. : MER

77. I'm-here link : OUTA. I use "outta".

78. Susan's "All My Children" role : ERICA

80. Sailing, perhaps : ASEA

81. Attacker of Athens, per Plato : ATLANTIS

83. Type A, often : DYNAMO

85. Reddish horse : ROAN

88. [Headslap] : SILLY ME!

89. Spewed out : EGESTED

93. Itinerary word : VIA

95. Nevada city on US 50 : ELY. What's it famous for?

96. Melville title starter : MOBY

102. Four in a gal. : QTS. I did not see the . after gal.

105. Rose of rock : AXL. Of Guns N' Roses.

106. Cabbage side : COLE SLAW

107. Word with order or reel : GAG

109. Exec : SUIT

110. Rhone tributary : SAONE

112. Prez, to GIs : CIC. We just had this in Splynter's post yesterday: Commander In Chief.

113. Latin 101 verb : ESSE

114. Mozart's "__ kleine Nachtmusik" : EINE

115. Choir voices : ALTOS

120. Legal decrees : DICTA

121. Tiny stinger : FIRE ANT

122. How many a management group is trained : AS A TEAM. Oh, I read "How many" as a unit. Don't. Split it. 

123. One of Israel's 12 tribes : ASHER

124. Spoons : CUDDLES

125. "Don't beat around the bush!" : YES OR NO

Down:

1. Keep the beat? : PATROL. Another nice clue.

2. "Sugar Lips" trumpeter : AL HIRT

3. Holiday visitors, perhaps : NIECES

4. Garfield's middle name : ABRAM

5. Nunavut's __ Strait, named for an explorer : RAE. Named for John Rae.

6. "__ in the hand ..." : A BIRD

7. ABCs : BASICS

8. Subatomic particle : MUON

9. Singer DiFranco : ANI

10. "Hot enough for ya?," e.g. : CLICHE

11. Block : HINDER. Deluge in our area due to the excessive rain. Luckily the plumber arrived in time last week, otherwise, our basement might be totally flooded.

12. 1976 airport raid site : ENTEBBE

13. Formula One racer Fabi : TEO

14. Oilers, on NHL scoreboards : EDM (Edmonton)

15. Be relevant : APPLY

16. Faulkner vixen Varner : EULA. So hard to remember her name.

18. Many playlist entries : OLDIES

24. Connecting point : NEXUS. Or what's in D-Otto's hand.

32. Still destroyer : T-MAN. I googled and found out "Still" refers to the "Distilling device".

33. Many a presidential term, historically : ERA. Clinton era, e.g.

35. Bygone fliers : SSTS

39. It may be done on one foot : MRI. I was thinking of some tricky Yoga maneuver. Can you do this, Marti?

40. File __ : MENU

41. Natural sci. : GEOL

42. The pond, in the U.K. : ATL

43. Former Nigerian secessionist state : BIAFRA. No idea. Wiki said it existed from 1967 to 1970, "taking its name from the Bight of Biafra (the Atlantic bay to its south)".

46. Strings with pedals : HARPS

47. Fictitious : ASSUMED

48. Attraction for shutterbugs : SCENERY

50. Sing like Bing : CROON

52. One for whom Apr. is the cruelest month? : CPA. Fun clue.

53. Disgruntled word : HUMPH

55. Father of Tulip Victoria : TINY TIM. Never heard of Tulip Victoria.

56. Like most fleet cars : ON LEASE

58. __ Islands: Malay Archipelago group : SUNDA. So, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Bali, Timor are all part of the chain. Good to know.

60. Mari de la mère : PERE. Mari = Husband.

61. Lady Liberty's land, proudly : US OF A

65. Bygone theaters : RKOs

66. Menial helper : GOFER

67. __ and all : WARTS

68. Charlotte __ : AMALIE. Capital of the Virgin Islands.

71. Find fault with : BLAME

76. Eastern ideal : TAO. Literally "way". Spelled as "Dao" in Mandarin.

77. No more than : ONLY

79. Sly : CAGY

82. Every one : ALL

84. Scandinavian capital : OSLO

86. Declare frankly : AVOW

87. Biomedical research agcy. : NIH

90. __ Aviv : TEL

91. Apple consumer : EVE. I like this clue also.

92. Strife : DISCORD

94. Teen phase, often : ANGST

96. Israeli desert fortification : MASADA. I bet this is a gimme for Hahtoola, Yellowrocks  & Lucina.

97. Wood sorrel genus : OXALIS. We had this before. Some articles says it's tart and tasty, and that the Algonquin Indians considered it an aphrodisiac.

99. Cut through : SLICED

100. Canine predator : JACKAL

101. Walk casually : SASHAY. Hi there Lucina!

102. Shake : QUIVER

103. Strategic WWII island in the Northern Marianas : TINIAN. Total stranger to me.

104. High seas patron : ST. ELMO

106. Activist Chavez : CESAR

108. Monogamous waterfowl : GEESE

109. Take care of : SEE TO

111. Take heed : NOTE

113. Young newts : EFTS

116. Army E-7: Abbr. : SFC

117. More, on a score : PIU. Italian for "more".

118. 1300 hours : ONE

119. German article : DAS

Hope to see some of you at the third Minnesota Crossword Tournament this afternoon.

  

C.C.