Wednesday, October 14, 2015 Dan Margolis

Theme: A Capital Idea

Dan has some gazetteer fun with us as he takes world capital city names and, using their pronunciation or a reasonable facsimile thereof, creates a fun gimmick. Each city is paired with another word to make an "in the language" phrase or "close enough" sound-a-like. Some theme answers are just one word and some are two. 

C.C. saw Dan and Me and decided to PARIS UP. :-) 

17. Irish city in a recession? : DUBLIN DOWN/DOUBLING DOWN  - Ireland's capital or Blackjack's elided strategy of doubling your bet after seeing first two cards (esp. with a 10 or 11)

27. Result of a Czech checkup? : PRAGUENOSIS/PROGNOSIS - Capital of the Czech Republic or a doctor's educated guess. Seven miles south of here, they pronounce it PRAYG, Nebraska

47. North African dieter's light fare? : TUNIS SALADS/TUNA SALADS - Capital of Tunisia and also a favorite of ours and our kitty Lily (sans celery).

63. South Korean sailors? : SEOUL MATES/SOUL MATES - Capital of the Korea that doesn't have a maniac running it and me with my SOUL MATE in Venice (Gondolier is reaching for his cell phone)

Across:

1. Volkswagen Type 1, familiarly : BUG - Designed for Hitler by Ferdinand Porsche (far left)

4. Yemeni neighbor : OMANI

9. Old-timey oath : EGAD

13. 1956 Gregory Peck role : AHAB - Many (including me) thought he was really miscast

15. Add a lane to, say : WIDEN

16. University of New Mexico athlete : LOBO

19. Watched warily : EYED

20. One with a stable job? : GROOM - The GROOM for Triple Crown Winner American Pharoah was Eduardo Luna

21. Like dotted musical notes : STACCATO - Abrupt, disconnected sounds when above or below the note (Think Buddy Holly's Peggy Sue). After a note, a dot means 1/2 more of a beat.

23. Cellphone accessories : EARBUDS

26. Body work, briefly : TAT - Tattoo shorthand

33. Catches some rays : SUNS - C'mon, you put TANS first too didn't cha?

37. Home ec alternative : SHOP - Industrial Tech today

38. Louisville's KFC Yum! Center, e.g. : ARENA - Home of the Cardinal basketball teams

39. Dessert pancake : CREPE - Pierre says Krep, Pete says Krape

41. Part of USDA: Abbr. : AGR - United States Department of AGRiculture

42. Spirited diversions : LARKS

43. Febreze targets : ODORS

44. It's on the house : ROOF - MIL needs a new one but hail avoids her!

46. Not as pricey : LESS

50. Originally called : NEE - Hillary (née  Rodham) Clinton

51. Jackhammer sound : RAT-A-TAT - Sometimes called the jackhammer of the forest

56. Malady : SICKNESS

61. Thrill to pieces : ELATE - I've used ELATED and ELATION but not the verb

62. Bibliog. catchall : ET AL - ...and some other guys

66. Cartoon maker of explosive tennis balls : ACME - I think Wiley Coyote had an ACME charge card

67. Pile up : AMASS

68. Jib or mizzen : SAIL - The site says this has a JIB, JIB topsail, Foresail, Mainsail, MIZZEN Mast and MIZZEN Topsail. I live 1,500 miles from an ocean but I think the Jib SAIL in the bow and the Mizzen SAIL is astern. Spitz?

69. Where to store hoes and hoses : SHED

70. Tense with excitement : WIRED  - Or on 65 Down

71. Genetic material : RNA
 
Down:

1. Western movie star? : BADGE - Gregory Peck looks better with this "Western movie star" than with a harpoon

2. Crewmate of Chekov and Sulu : UHURA - The Enterprise's communication officer is sending Spock a message

3. Eva or Zsa Zsa : GABOR - The Kardashian's of their day

4. Part of BYOB : OWN

5. Prefix with day or night : MID

6. Fusses : ADOS

7. Small salamander : NEWT

8. Present from birth : INNATE

9. Like a political "college" : ELECTORAL - By winning this vote but not the popular vote, we got Rutherford B. Hayes, Benjamin Harrison and George W. Bush

10. Fiesta Baked Beans maker : GOYA - I didn't know beans about this company but it is the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the U.S.

11. Collude with : ABET

12. Extinct bird : DODO - Alas, we lost our own DODO in April

14. Gooey clump : BLOB - Your movie career has to start somewhere

18. "It's not too late to call" : I'M UP - Joann's twin is up past midnight every night

22. Waterway with locks : CANAL

24. JAMA subscribers : DRS - Journal of the American Medical Association 

25. Much of Libya : SAHARA - Earth's largest "hot" desert 

28. "Diary of a Madman" author : GOGOL - I didn't know beans about this Russian either

29. Hubbub : UPROAR

30. Bone-dry : SERE - 25 Down and this...

31. 26-Across materials : INKS

32. Fresh talk : SASS

33. Craig Ferguson, by birth : SCOT - Former Late Late Show host on CBS

34. Pakistani language : URDU 

35. Eye-catching sign : NEON

36. Rained gently : SPRINKLED

40. City on the Ruhr : ESSEN - 90% of the town center was destroyed during WWII as the Krupp munition plant was a big target

45. Cosmetics-testing org. : FDA

48. Playground piece : SEESAW 

49. Originate (from) : STEM

52. Wistful word : ALAS

53. Golden Horde member : TATAR - A TATAR horseman

54. Ordered pizza, perhaps : ATE IN

55. Car named for a physicist : TESLA - Every physics teacher has used a TESLA coil

56. Wet septet : SEAS - Do you remember the song where wonderful Annie Lennox sang, "I travel the world and the SEVEN SEAS"? 

57. Scratching target : ITCH 

58. Attended the party : CAME - I hope they  RSVP'ed

59. Big Mack : SEMI - Mack The Transporter

60. Fly like an eagle : SOAR - Steve Miller band tune

64. "It's no __!" : USE

65. "Dropped" '60s drug : LSD - Ex combo rat friend of mine was no stranger to this stuff

I CANBERRA DNF sometimes but not on this one! 3...2...1...Comment...

Tuesday, October 13, 2015 Mike Peluso

Theme: "therein lies a tale" - to paraphrase Shakespeare.

18A. Ruthless adversary : MORTAL ENEMY

27A. Serious software problem : FATAL ERROR. Dreaded blue screen.

39A. '60s-'70s "Hollywood Squares" semi-regular : RUTA LEE. Her website.

49A. Wisenheimer : SMART ALECK

62A. Truth known only to a few ... and a hint to a word hidden in 18-, 27-, 39- and 49-Across : INSIDE STORY

Argyle here. A little twist; a synonym for STORY is what's hidden in the theme entries. All three ways to split TALE are used with two and two in the center. A step up from Monday.

Across:

1. Attorneys' degs. : JDs. (Juris Doctor)

4. Clipper or Laker, briefly : NBAer. Basketball player.

9. Up to now : SO FAR

14. Sup : EAT

15. Get up : ARISE

16. Jigsaw puzzle unit : PIECE

17. Norse war god : TYR

20. Planting ground : SOIL

22. Have debts : OWE

23. Joints often sprained : ANKLES

24. Words before card or lock : PICK A. Any card.

26. Precious : CUTE

30. "Rats!" : "DANG!"

34. Hyundai luxury model : AZERA. Currently the AZERA slots between the midsize Sonata and the Genesis sedan. Car and Driver were not impressed. Story.

35. Victor's cry : I WIN

37. Besides : TOO

38. Actress Hagen : UTA. Bio.

42. __ bind: stuck : IN A. The Devil was in a bind when he down to Georgia.

43. Video game letters : NES. (Nintendo Entertainment System)

44. Circular imperfection in wood : KNOT

45. Slip-on shoes : PUMPS. Jimmy Choo's idea of pumps.

47. One with a killer serve : ACER

52. Obsessed whaler captain : AHAB

54. Boating stopover : ISLET

55. Half of the hip-hop duo Black Star : MOS DEF

58. Certain NCO : SGT.

59. Billions of years : EONS

65. Agcy. with narcs : DEA. (Drug Enforcement Administration)

66. Mark with a sale price, say : RETAG

67. Greek goddesses of the seasons : HORAE. ( literally translated as "the hours")

68. Vex : IRK

69. Airline seat choice : AISLE

70. Hinged fasteners : HASPS

71. McMahon and Sullivan : EDs

Down:

1. One of two MetLife Stadium NFL teams : JETS. The other's the Giants.

2. Belafonte hit : DAY O. (The Banana Boat Song)

3. Erotic dance : STRIP TEASE

4. "Platoon" war zone : NAM

5. WWI era English poet Rupert : BROOKE. Bio.

6. High-flying battles : AIR WAR

7. East, in Mexico : ESTE

8. "Michael Collins" actor Stephen : REA

9. Exhausted : SPENT

10. Made a pig of oneself? : OINKED

11. Have a hunch : FEEL

12. Summit : ACME

13. Husband-and-wife creators of Curious George : REYS. Margret and H. A. Rey

19. Doctor House portrayer Hugh : LAURIE. More links please.

21. Prevaricator : LIAR

25. Lewis' partner : CLARK. Can you believe I drew a blank here?

26. Monastic hood : COWL

27. Flora's partner : FAUNA

28. Ancient Mexican : AZTEC

29. Rodeo rope : RIATA

31. Life-ending season in Ecclesiastes : A TIME TO DIE

32. Socially insensitive, in a way : NON-PC

33. "__ your mother" : GO ASK

36. Tibet neighbor : NEPAL

40. More than a little risky : UNSAFE

41. Mausoleum : TOMB

46. 1997 movie beekeeper : ULEE

48. Tire type : RADIAL

50. Hardships : RIGORS

51. Letter-shaped shoe fastener : T-STRAP

53. Line of shrubbery : HEDGE

55. Juan's "Look!" : "¡MIRA!"

56. "Dedicated to the __ Love" : ONE I

57. Grounded fast planes, briefly : SSTs. (Supersonic transport)

58. Spartan promenade : STOA

60. Techie, stereotypically : NERD

61. Fifth Avenue retailer : SAKS

63. Librarian's rebuke : "SHH!"

64. "Amen!" : "YES!". The end. After my write-up I realize this is harder than I originally thought.

           Dang me! I forgot to color the center TALE.

Argyle

Note from Mike Peluso:

"Joe Krozel helped me design the grid. It was quite tricky with a 7-letter word right in the middle, and I was having no luck designing the grid. I e-mailed Joe and he was happy to help me, and I was able to complete the puzzle. Thanks, Joe!"

Monday, October 12, 2015 Ron Toth & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Synonyms - Did you grasp the idea?

17A. *Strapless handbag : CLUTCH PURSE

38A. *Party favors holder : GRAB BAG

10D. *Runner-on-third play : SQUEEZE BUNT

25D. *Carpe diem : SEIZE THE DAY

63A. Warning in a roller coaster, and a hint to the first words of the answers to starred clues : HANG ON TIGHT

Argyle here. JzB and C.C. third time here. Pin wheel grid today with Monday level theme and fill. Eleven letter vanes with a seven letter hub. Very nice.

Across:

1. Frozen treat shown on its package with syrup : EGGO

5. Computer storage media : DISCS

10. Sunscreen letters : SPF. (Sun Protection Factor)

13. Maxwell House decaf brand : SANKA

15. From Taiwan, say : ASIAN

16. On the __ vive: alert : QUI. "on the qui vive", on the alert; attentive; from French, literally: long live who?, sentry's challenge. "Vive-le-roi!"

19. www address : URL

20. "Whoops!" : "OH, OH!"

21. "Get this away from me" : "I HATE IT!". Interesting pairing.

23. Former great : HAS BEEN. Still better than, "Never was".

26. Carolyn who created Nancy Drew : KEENE. The original Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series, begun in 1930, was ended in 2004 and a new series, Girl Detective, was launched, in which the title character drives a hybrid electric vehicle and uses a cell phone.

27. "Aha!" : "I SEE!"

28. Home __: Lowe's rival : DEPOT

32. Old Russian autocrat : CZAR

33. Neglect, as duty : SHIRK

35. "Ten-hut!" reversal : "AT EASE". "I'll be in the area all day."

37. "Oh yeah? __ who?" : SEZ. Another interesting pairing.

41. Physique, briefly : BOD

44. __ Field: Brooklyn Dodgers' home : EBBETS. Ebbets Field, built by club owner Charlie Ebbets, was partially built on a garbage dump called Pigtown, because of the pigs that roamed there.

46. Piano practice piece : ÉTUDE

48. Sagan's sci. : ASTR. (astronomy)

50. Wined and dined : FETED

53. Frosty flakes : SNOW. Cute.

54. Physical therapy, briefly : REHAB. (Rehabilitation)

56. "Better luck next time!" : "NICE TRY"

58. Pizza seasoning : OREGANO

61. Like much fall weather : COOL

62. Very angry : MAD

68. Org. for shrinks : APA. (American Psychological Association) or (American Psychiatric Association)

69. Fur fortune-maker : ASTOR. John Jacob Astor (1763 – 1848)

70. "Everything all right?" : "YOU OK?"

71. Introverted : SHY

72. Start of a wish : I HOPE ...

73. Texter's goof : TYPO

Down:

1. PC undo key : ESC

2. 65-Down's lass : GAL; 65D. 2-Down's fellow : GUY

3. Bearded antelope : GNU

4. Bavarian "fest" month : OKTOBER

5. Novelist du Maurier : DAPHNE. Lady Browning DBE. Interesting LINK.

6. Ames sch. : ISU. (Iowa State University of Science and Technology)

7. "What can I help you with?" iPhone app : SIRI

8. __ cow: big income producer : CASH. Origins.

9. Go furtively : SNEAK

11. Dog Chow maker : PURINA

12. Coffeemaker insert : FILTER

14. Workout woe : ACHE

18. Cleared weeds, say : HOED

22. Nero Wolfe and Sam Spade, briefly : TECs. (de-tec-tives)

23. Snake's sound : HISS

24. "Off the Court" author Arthur : ASHE

29. Blue Ribbon brewer : PABST

30. Horseplayer's letters : OTB. (off-track betting)

31. Herbal brew : TEA

34. CIA Cold War foe : KGB. The Ruskies.

36. Mellow, as wine : AGE

39. NFL official : REF

40. Consumed : ATE

42. Smell : ODOR. Pigtown, so they said.

43. Damp at dawn : DEWY

45. Blow one's own horn : BRAG

47. "The Waste Land" poet : T.S. ELIOT

48. Kitchen allures : AROMAS

49. High-ranking angel : SERAPH

51. "Play another song!" : "ENCORE!"

52. Singer Celine : DION. "Pour que tu m'aimes encore"

55. Persian faith that promotes spiritual unity : BAHÁ'I

57. Perfume giant : COTY

59. Poet Ogden : NASH

60. Not fooled by : ON TO

64. George Bush's org. : GOP. (Grand Old Party)

66. Dance for teens in socks : HOP

67. Fight ender, briefly : TKO. (Technical Knock Out)

 Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Jazzbumpa (Ron) came up with this puzzle idea and the neat reveal entry. I went for a super smooth ride.

Sunday Oct 11, 2015 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "Bringing Your 'A' Game" - Long E sound is changed into Long A sound.

21A. What echolocation is used for? : WHALE BEARINGS. Wheel bearings.

31A. Bit of theatrical thievery? : COPPING A PLAY. Copping a plea.

51A. Fight at the coffee shop? : CAFFEINE FRAY. Caffeine-free.

68A. Barbie and Ken's servant? : VALET OF THE DOLLS. Valley of the Dolls.

89A. Aversion therapy tool? : HATE DETECTOR. Heat detector. Two of the sound changes happen with the first words.

104A. Quick question at the building site? : WALL STRAIGHT? Wall Street.

121A. Cosmetics counter freebie? : SHOPPING SPRAY. Shopping spree.

I certainly did not have my A game today. My stupid loose tooth, the dental visit last Friday  and future periodontist visits have been bothering me endlessly.

I normally can sense the theme from get-go, at times by the puzzle title alone. Not many proper names today, but the few really got me. 

Across:      

1. "Ivy Mike" test weapon : H-BOMB. Never hear of the "Ivy Mike". Filled in ?BOMB and moved on.

6. Bush trip : SAFARI. Tricky area to disentangle. I kept thinking of the two presidents.

12. University of Idaho city : MOSCOW

18. Group at Asgard : AESIR

19. Listen to completely : HEAR OUT.  Big "thank you" to those who gave me advice & comfort last week.

20. Working parents' aid : DAYCARE

23. Spice up : ENLIVEN

24. Hound : NAG. Ah, OK.

25. Hayworth's second husband : WELLES. I know this trivia.

26. Shrek, notably : OGRE

28. Unaffiliated: Abbr. : IND. And  38. Liberal side? : ELL. This refers to the letter on either side of Liberal.

29. Strikes down : REPEALS

36. Dessert table vessel : URN

37. Acted indolently : LOLLED

39. First name in exploring : LEIF (Ericson)

42. Conn of "Grease" : DIDI. I can never remember her name.

45. Dismissals in a '70s-'80s game show : GONGS

47. __ Rock: Australian attraction : AYERS. Also known as Uluru.

54. Flair : ELAN

56. Go flat? : LIE. Lovely clue.

57. Hosp. titles : DRs

58. Ornamental shrub : SPIREA

59. Space travel meas. : LT-YR

60. Bubbly region : ASTI

61. Speak pompously : SPOUT. Not ORATE.

63. Lift charge : CAB FARE. Thanks to crosses.

66. Epic Trojan warrior : AENEAS

72. Garden feature : GAZEBO. Our Hmong neighbor built a gazebo in his backyard.

75. Banking control : AILERON. Plane's banking.

76. Sponsorship : AEGIS

80. It might be gray : AREA

81. Change one's mind about changing : STET. Another tricky clue.

84. "The Wizard of Oz" prop : TIN HAT

86. Maniacal leader? : EGO. Egomaniacal.

87. Punster : WIT

88. Passion : ZEAL

92. "The Family Circus" creator : KEANE

94. Passover month : NISAN

96. Hematology prefix : SERO. Had S??? earlier on, then waited.

97. Melissa Joan of "Melissa & Joey" : HART. Stranger to me.

98. The Snake R. runs through it : IDA
 

100. Pleasure trip : JUNKET

102. Oliver Stone's alma mater : NYU. Unknown trivia to me.

108. Catalog giant : SPIEGEL. Still in business?

112. Supermarket letters : IGA

113. Bangkok bread : BAHT. For Lemonade's Oo. So sweet. I love her flower crown.

114. Quakers in the forest? : ASPENS. The clue made me smile.  

116. Anago or unagi : EEL

118. One who puts you to sleep : SANDMAN.  Got via crosses also. Nice clue.

125. Seat of Washington's Snohomish County : EVERETT. What's it famous for?

126. Portuguese wine : MADEIRA

127. Beethoven dedicatee : ELISE

128. Fixes, as a seam : RESEWS

129. Stretchable, in product names : ELASTO. Learning moment to me also.

130. Collaborative 2012 Streisand album : DUETS

Down:

1. "Cactus Flower" Oscar winner : HAWN (Goldie). Have any of you watched the movie?

2. "The View" alum Joy : BEHAR

3. Missouri tributary : OSAGE

4. Part of a GI's URL : MIL

5. Craft __ : BREWER

6. Arctic barkers : SEALS

7. River to the Rhein : AARE

8. California city nickname : FRISCO. Two of my sisters-in-law live in Bay Area. They don't call it Frisco.

9. Chicago's __ Center : AON

10. Word after scatter or throw : RUG

11. "Come on in" : IT'S OPEN

12. Horsemanship school : MANEGE. New word to me.

13. Olive desired by Bluto : OYL

14. School subj. : SCI

15. Nitpick : CAVIL. I like this word.

16. Cutesy nickname for a former home of the Orlando Magic : ORENA. Short for Orlando Arena. This might stymie some.

17. Darling girl : WENDY

19. "'__ is empty / And all the devils are here'": "The Tempest" : HELL

20. Laura of "Jurassic Park" : DERN

22. Tortilla chip go-with : BEAN DIP

27. Role for Sally or Sandra : GIDGET. Needed crosses as well.

30. Bit of smoke : PUFF. Easy in retrospect.

32. Lingerie brand : OLGA. Never wore this brand.

33. Tricky tactic : PLOY

34. Severus Snape portrayer Rickman : ALAN

35. Work at : PLY

37. Hitchcock survival film : LIFEBOAT. My favorite Hitchcock movie is "To Catch a Thief". What's yours?

39. Some TV screens : LCDs

40. Morgan or Wyatt : EARP
 

41. Words often before "then" : IF SO

43. Way to pack fish : IN ICE. I could not get TIN/CAN out of my brain.

44. Emulate the Piper : DE-RAT

46. Breed of dog? : SLY. Nailed it as well.

48. End of a threat : ELSE

49. Poet Dove : RITA

50. Jaime's half-dozen : SEIS. I though "Jaime" indicates the answer is French?

52. Cornerstone abbr. : ESTAB

53. One-named children's singer : RAFFI. Another stranger to me.

55. Shrunken sea : ARAL

59. Most suspicious : LEERIEST

60. "As I Lay Dying" father : ANSE. No idea.

62. Iris holder : UVEA

64. Hawks, on NBA scoreboards : ATL

65. Butler of literature : RHETT

67. Lift up : ELATE

69. Throw a fight, say : LOSE

70. Where, in Juárez : DONDE. No idea. I can nail basic French words, but not Spanish.

71. "__ Majesty's Secret Service" : ON HER

72. Stare : GAWK

73. India born in Denver : ARIE. India Arie. I know her.

74. Sweater letter : ZETA

77. "__ grip!" : GET A

78. Inventor Sikorsky : IGOR

79. Laundry room step : SORT. I had SOAK first.

82. Beach shade : TAN

83. Seder prophet : ELIJAH

85. Penitent : ATONING. I'm sure atoning now for my misspent bar-hopping youth, D-Otto/Gary.

88. Puzzle pieces in Penzance? : ZEDS. Letter Z. (Thanks, Owen.)

89. Display, in a way : HANG. Lovely clue also.

90. Pharaoh's cross : ANKH

91. Big belt : CHUG. Simple entry, but completely got me. 

93. It means nothing at all : NIL

95. "No argument here" : SUITS ME

99. Turns up at home? : AT BATS. Home plate.

101. Troop encampments : ETAPES. Learned from doing crosswords.
 

103. Agreed with : YESSED

104. Older partner, hopefully : WISER. Hopefully.

105. Tequila source : AGAVE

106. Where to see x's in boxes : LANES. Strikes in bowling. Not tic-tac-toe.

107. Blog, at times : RANT. Rich must have fun cluing this one.

108. Predecessor of Gerald : SPIRO

109. Elizabeth of "La Bamba" : PENA. Another unknown figure.

110. Goosebump-inducing : EERIE

111. " ... to say the __" : LEAST

115. Hot rod : SPIT. Barbecue! Nice clue.

117. Strong alkalis : LYES. Guilty of using the plural myself.

119. Hip-hop Dr. : DRE

120. Persian plaint : MEW

122. Kubrick's out-of-control computer : HAL

123. "Ghost" psychic __ Mae Brown : ODA. Fun character. I love "Ghost".

124. Like mice and men: Abbr. : PLU (Plural)

C.C.

Saturday, Oct 10th, 2015, Bruce Venzke

Theme: None

Words: 68 (missing Q,V,X,Z)

Blocks: 30

 My experience with Mr. Venzke's puzzles has been tough, but do-able.  Today, however, I smoked through his construction in half my personal allotted time. Lots of "definitions" which helps avoid the names of people and places.  Triple 9-letter corners, two 10-letter climbers, and one spanner;

38a. House adjustment : REAPPORTIONMENT - The US House of Representatives; more here

16a. Calculated : TOTALED UP - straight up

36d. Pleasant : ENJOYABLE

55a. Nebraska tribe : WINNEBAGO

  

3d. Eroded : ATE AWAY AT

On(e)wa Rd ~!

ACROSS:

1. Ray in the water : SKATE - oops, not MANTA

6. Lasting consideration : SHELF LIFE - I find it peculiar that my bottled water has a shelf life....

15. Times in ads : NITES - this had to be right, so it made me take out MANTA

17. On one's toes : ALERT

18. Periodic synchronizations : LEAP YEARS

19. Key ingredient in a Bloody Caesar : CLAMATO - I vaguely remembered this, but where it comes from is new to me - the Wiki
 

21. High-fashion shoemaker Jimmy : CHOO - HeartRx is all too familiar with this brand

22. Royal Botanic Gardens locale : KEW

23. Chef's introduction? : SOUS - working in the restaurants, this was easy for me

25. Do a farm vet's job : DEHORN

27. Frank's cousin : BRAT - oh, that frank(furter)

29. Cried from a shelter : YIPPED

31. 1989 James Cameron film, with "The" : ABYSS - I did see it, but didn't recall it right off the bat

33. Discontinues : SURCEASES - my Latin helped me here

40. Initiates detailed plans : SETS A DATE - think wedding

41. 1932 Lake Placid gold medalist : SONJA - one of the few proper nouns in today's puzzle, this one was mostly perps

42. Least exciting : TAMEST - did not get my ta-DA~! because I had Lamest first

44. Rapper __ Moe Dee : KOOL - I went with Cool first, and knew it was wrong

45. Malting material : BARLEY - think beer

49. Itinerary elements: Abbr. : RTEs

51. Sometime substitute for 45-Across : RYE

52. Spread on the table : OLEO

53. Native whose land has an Atlantic and Caribbean coastline : HAITIAN

60. Don't disturb : LET BE

61. Sign, as an agreement : ENTER INTO

62. Challenge for a future doctor : ORALS - I threw in MSATS

63. Hit from behind : REAR-ENDED - happened to me in 1989; took 4 years to recover the money from the other insurance company

64. Items in a slush pile: Abbr. : SASEs - the envelopes included with the manuscripts

DOWN:

1. Bite sites : SNACK BARS

2. First recurring "SNL" character : KILLER BEE

4. Insurance policy datum : TERM

5. Spanish pronoun : ESTAS

6. Edward Jones Dome athlete : St. LOUIS RAM - mostly perps; glad to see we had a hockey-themed puzzle for the opening of the season this week.  Not so much the football season

7. Masonry tool : HOE

8. Seventh of 24 : ETA - Greek letters

9. Once around : LAP

10. 1986 Jeff Goldblum film, with "The" : FLY - the more graphic version - IMDb

11. It's hard to get rid of one : LEECH

12. Wyoming neighbor : IDAHO

13. Hubbub : FUROR

14. Big name in printers : EPSON - since I had the "O", XEROX seemed likely

20. Bichon Frise, e.g. : TOY - dogs, learned from doing crosswords

24. Sound flustered : SPUTTER - oooh, so close, I had sTutter

25. Chrysler Building style : DECO - Art Deco, and my favorite building of the NYC skyline - and here combined with one of my other favorites

26. Heavens : EDENS

28. Rx amts. : TSPS

30. Group of fathers : PRIESTHOOD

32. Sudden rush : SPATE - yeah, um spaLe was, uh, wrong....

34. Frenzily : AMOK

35. Misses at many bullfights : SENORITAS - the ladies, not the "close calls"; need to call in the Farm Vet from 25a.

37. Lack of originality : STALENESS

39. Jazz singer Anita : O'DAY - dredged from the nether regions of the mind

43. Word with caddy or ball : TEA - tea caddy I get, but a tea ball is new to me

45. Shaded recess : BOWER - reminds me of this Led Zeppelin song

Gallows Pole - lyric @ 2:18

46. Flared dress shape : A LINE

47. __-Wreck : RENT-A

48. Hardly an extrovert : LONER

50. Storage areas : SILOS - semi-clecho at 57d.

54. Prefix with hertz : TERA - went with MEGA - that's 50%, 100% correct

56. Poetic preposition : ERE

57. Storage place : BIN

58. Word between two ages : AND - ummm....

59. Onetime Bell Atlantic rival : GTE

Splynter

Friday, October 9, 2015, Bruce Haight

Theme: A few quick NOTES.

I knew it was Friday and we were in for some shenanigans when I saw the blank grid with the three interesting shapes from NW to SE.  I was not immediately sure what they were, but having done Bruce's E puzzle, I was ready. The asterisks and the reveal made this doable but it was a challenge. Bruce has decided to create a six themer,with a reveal, where each 7 letter word has only letters which can be notes (A B C D E F and G). This one is a visual treat, with the short theme answers leaving room for a boatload of sparkly fill.  AKIHITO,  A LACK OF,  APOLLO I,  BAGGAGE, BUSSING,  DO I DARE,  EROTICA, GONERIL, LATINOS, OLEANNA.  ON TOP OF, RELEARN, POP-UP ADS,  BICAMERAL,  NATURALIST, POLICEWOMAN. These are not all easy, but they were fun. He also uses the downs to create triple stacks of 7s in each corner with the theme on the outside, intersecting with two double stacks. Add two 10 letter climbers and there is your puzzle. Bruce, I like your style. let's walk.

32A. *Vandalized, in a way : DEFACED (7). Like your street artists?

39A. *Head of the produce section? : CABBAGE (7). Lettuce dispense with bad vegetable puns, please!

1D. *Yielded : ACCEDED (7).

12D. *Place for oats : FEEDBAG (7). No horsing around.

36D. *Emotional burden : BAGGAGE (7). Looks like CABBAGE's evil twin.

42D. *Wiped out : EFFACED (7). I realize with the limitation of using only 7 letters things will look similar, but this and 32A are really close.
and the reveal

52A. They're graphically represented three times in this grid ... and the answers to starred clues are the six longest common words than can be spelled using only them : NOTES (5).

Across:

1. Stirs : ADOS.

5. He wrote about "a midnight dreary" : POE. Now, 170 years since publication; a sample:
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

8. Gobble (up) : SNARF.

13. Die, with "out" : CONK. Like a car engine.

14. Blog entry : POST. Weekly.

15. Capital of India : RUPEE. We get both kinds back to back in this clecho.

16. Capital __ : CITY.

17. Colorful fish : OPAH. Also known as moonfish.

18. Took the wrong way? : STOLE. Nice clue.

19. Old Tokyo : EDO.

20. Haul to the kitchen, as groceries : LUG IN. I like the word lug, but no this fill.

22. Word before or after dog : SLED.  I do like the challenge of before and after words. 4D. Word before or after blue : SKY.

23. High-five relative : DAP. We had this fist bump recently.

24. Poison remedy : IPECAC. Now controversial emetic. LINK. And more next door clecho.

26. Poison test site : LAB.

27. Steamy stuff : EROTICA.

30. Queen of the Goths in Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus" : TAMORA. We get some Shakespeare almost every Friday.

33. Romantic activity : BUSSING. Great word; not affirmative action but "a kiss," 1560s; probably of imitative origin, as are Welsh and Gaelic bus "kiss, lip," French baiser "kiss" (12c., from Latin basiare), Spanish buz, German dialectal Buss. (Dictionary).

34. Words of wisdom : SAWS. Generally old ones.

35. Country on the Strait of Hormuz : IRAN.

36. Ravel classic : BOLERO. A brief X-rated scene

43. Old-style warning : ALARUM.

44. Rather little : A LACK OF.

45. Understand : GET. Ah, I get it.

46. Deli staple : SALAMI.

49. Like Beethoven's "Pastoral Symphony" : IN F.

50. Horse show concern : GAIT.

53. 2000 World Series venue : SHEA. The SUBWAY Series.

54. Yearbook, e.g. : ANNAL.

56. Bakery buy : TART.

57. Newspaper fig. : CIRCular.

58. Little garden party? : GNOME. Really cute clue for an ugly statue.

59. Mazatlán Mrs. : SRA. Senora.

60. End in __ : A TIE.

61. Facilitated : EASED.

62. Suffer : AIL.

63. Squealed : TOLD. My brothers and I learned early to never squeal on each other.

Down:

2. "Is it worth the risk?" : DO I DARE. Nice letter pattern and stack.

3. Knowledgeable about : ON TOP OF. Old Smokey?

5. Online annoyances : POP-UP ADS.

6. Oklahoma county in which a 2008 Pulitzer-winning drama is set : OSAGE. Anybody? LINK.

7. Work __ : ETHIC.

8. Many AARP mems. : SRS. Seniors,

9. "Darn it!" : NUTS.

10. Ill-fated 1967 mission : APOLLO I.  Sad HISTORY. HG?

11. Brush up on : RELEARN.

14. Member of the force : POLICEWOMAN. PEPPER was so spicy. 28D. 14-Down's need, at times : TASER.

21. Darwin, for one : NATURALIST. He ran around without clothes?

25. Fruit named for a Turkish town : CASABA. This MELON named for KASABA.

29. Legendary flier : ICARUS. Poor guy, it was his fall that made him famous.

31. "Morning Joe" airer : MSNBC. Do you watch?

33. Like Congress : BICAMERAL. Two bodies.

37. 1992 Mamet play : OLEANNA. And 1994 MOVIE.

38. Fast-growing U.S. ethnic group : LATINOS.

40. Reigning emperor of Japan : AKIHITO.


41. Regan's poisoner, in Shakespeare : GONERIL. An extra Will.

47. "__ luck!" : LOTSA.

48. Asteroids maker : ATARI.

51. Subdue : TAME.

53. "Buzz off!" : SCAT. I see scat for four legged animals, buzz off for two.

55. Went first : LED. In this case, out the door as another week has passed. Thanks Bruce for your semi-annual Friday LAT. Another week, on that note.... Lemonade out.

Thursday, October 8th 2015 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Riches to Rags - The Dow goes up, the Dow goes down, the Dow goes up, the Dow goes down.

2D. Common comedy club requirement : TWO DRINK MINIMUM. Noooo problem!

4D. Xbox 360 rival : NINTENDO WII. The company name roughly translates as "leave luck to heaven".

22D. "Right Ho, Jeeves" writer : P. G. WODEHOUSE. If you've not seen the BBC adaptations of the books starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, you're in for a treat over on YouTube. All the episodes are available.

10D. "Where was the mistake?" : WHAT DID I DO WRONG? The crossword-solvers lament.

and the reveal:

16D. Wall Street phenomenon suggested by this puzzle's circled letters : MARKET SWING

What ho! Steve here sailing into uncharted Thursday waters - I'll see if I can find Marti's navigation notes somewhere! Circles from C.C. - she told me last week that Rich adds the circles, she doesn't construct with them.  I like this one - the reason the theme entries run north-south rather than the usual east-west is so that the word DOW can run up and down, not side to side. (Note from C.C.: I did have circles in this puzzle submission, Steve, but used "... and a hint to the four letters in the answers to the starred clues in this puzzle" for last week's WILD CARD. That extra circled A in 4-Down caused some confusion for a few of our regulars.)

A thumping 63 letters of themage, including two grid-spanners. Let's see what else we've got:

Across:

1. Night table : STAND

6. Covers a lot of ground : SPRAWLS

13. One learning the ropes : NEWBIE

14. Stir-fried dish with rice noodles : PAD THAI. Food! Once of my favorite Thai dishes. I'm lucky enough to have a Thai market close by that carries the "secret" ingredients - pickled radish, lime leaves, Thai basil and tamarind paste.

15. Receipt datum : AMOUNT

16. Sources of inside info? : MRI SCANS. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, according to WebMD. People tell me it's claustrophobic inside the scanner.

17. Heart : MIDST

18. European coal region : SAAR. Partly in Germany, partly in France.

19. Your, to Pierre : TES. Thursday-level French.

20. Pre-splashdown stage : RE-ENTRY

22. Rice source : PADDY

24. Sports media consultant Fleischer : ARI. Former White House Press Secretary under G.W. Bush.

26. Hiding places : NOOKS

27. Moo goo __ pan : GAI. Yay! More stir-fry - Chinese this time. 蘑菇雞片

28. Good times : FUN

29. Blue Devils' school : DUKE. Perennial basketball powerhouse.

30. Strolled in the shallows : WADED

33. Invite as one's date for : ASK TO

35. UFO crew, so it's said : E.T.S

37. Willow twig : OSIER. Crosses for me. I think I knew this, but I needed lots of help to prod the memory.

38. Cut even shorter, as a green : RE-MOW

39. Chips source : SPUD. The largest potato was grown in the UK in 2010 and weighed in at a whopping 8lbs 4oz. That's a lot of chips!

41. R&B group __ Hill : DRU

42. Ristorante suffix : INI

43. "Pearls Before __": Stephan Pastis comic : SWINE

44. Tuba syllable : OOM

45. Supernatural benefactors : GENII

47. Do-it-yourselfer's website : WIKIHOW. Current front-page items include "How to wrap wontons", "How to help someone with low self-esteem" and "How to choose a good dairy cow breed". Fascinating.

49. Boxer Laila : ALI

50. Typically rectangular glass piece : PANE

51. Hatch in the Senate : ORRIN

54. Attractive : TEMPTING

57. Numbers game : SUDOKU

58. Produce eggs : OVULATE

59. Online newsgroup system : USENET. Is this a thing any more?

60. Pangs of conscience : REMORSE

61. Largely submerged threats : BERGS

Down:

1. Cargo carrier : SEMI

3. Cyberbullying, e.g. : ABUSE

5. "NYPD Blue" rank : DET.

6. Attacks in a hose fight : SPRAYS

7. Tango team : PAIR

8. Byways: Abbr. : RDS

9. LAX tower service : A.T.C. Air Traffic Control at my local airport. A lot of people think this is the control tower at LAX - it's not, it's a restaurant.

11. Like highways : LANED

12. Actress Spacek : SISSY

13. '60s hot spot : 'NAM

18. Stir up : STOKE

21. __-turn : NO U

23. Remote batteries : AAA'S

24. Way out yonder : AFAR

25. Trick : RUSE

31. Designer Saarinen : EERO. This is one of his - the TWA Flight Center at JFK.

32. One frequently hit on the head? : DRUM

34. "Un-break My Heart" singer Braxton : TONI

36. Sudden increase : SPIKE. As in voltage spikes.

40. Verse starter? : UNI. Cue some Beatles from the album "Let It Be".

43. Jolson classic : SWANEE

45. Swamp thing : GATOR

46. Lycée student : ÉLÈVE. Definitely Thursday-level French.

48. Monastic group : ORDER

50. Cherry discards : PITS

52. Turner and Clanton : IKES

53. Aficionado : NUT

55. Gaza Strip gp. : P.L.O. Palestine Liberation Organization.

56. It covers a lot of ground : TAR. There are approximately 2,500,000 miles of paved roads in the USA. That's a lot of blacktop!

57. One coming off the bench : SUB

Just time for the grid and my work here is done. Have a great day!

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

1) I apologize for those cringy entries today, everyone. You know I got desperate when I put OSIER in. Limited theme entry choices, heavy themage and the middle 13 all gave me troubles. I even used two corner black cheaters (Rich does not like them at all).
 
2) Happy Birthday to dear Jayce, who lights up my day every time he comments. Jayce lived in Taiwan for a few years and integrated himself into the local culture and tradition. He speaks fluent Chinese and eats many of the same authentic Chinese food I eat. Boomer thinks they're weird and never touches my fried Tofu or seaweed salad, yet he puts soy sauce on freshly cooked rice, weird!

Jayce and his lovely wife on their wedding day

Click here for a few more photos of Jayce and Mrs. Jayce (she won't like two of today's theme entries).