Friday, July 14, 2017, Ed Sessa

Title: Babar where are you?

I apologize for an abbreviated write up but I was supposed to have surgery last Friday and then it got moved to Wednesday and then after waiting around the hospital it got cancelled again and I was quite bummed. Anyway, Ed Sessa a consistent pro has created a puzzle that seems to have only three theme fill, all grid-spanners and all related to elephants. I have always loved them since my mother read Babar to me and have about 75 images made from paper to jade.  Anyway, this is a puzzle filled with really fun cluing and if there is more to the theme, I am sorry but I do not have time. However, I will point out the some excellent fill like BACK LINK,  DON ADAMS,  FENDS OFF,  NAME DROP, SEXTANTS,  TAP DANCE, IGNORAMUSES and  OVEREXCITED; also a mini-theme of French words and the grid-spanners-

17A. Ring heavyweights : CIRCUS ELEPHANTS (15).

33A. Makes next to nothing : WORKS FOR PEANUTS (15).

49A. Jack's spot : AUTOMOBILE TRUNK (15).

Across:

1. Innocents : LAMBS. A biblical metaphor.

6. Afternoon tea accompanier : CHAT. Not the French word for cat, but small talk.

10. Longtime shipboard scurvy preventative : LIME. Because lemon would not fit.

14. Piles (of) : A HEAP. Can you sing the song that includes this line, "To have a heapin helpin of their hospitality..."?

15. "Yo" : HI YA.

16. Matched, in Paris Match : EGAL. French for equality, as in liberté égalité fraternité, the motto of the French Revolution.

20. Big cheese : KRAFT. Cute clue/fill and a fascinating history of food in AMERICA.

21. NYC building that was Lennon's last home, with "The" : DAKOTA. Not far from Strawberry Fields at New York's Central Park. A nice walk to the Museum of Natural History.

22. Literary intros : PROLOGS.

25. "Real Time" host : MAHER. A run of the mill comic who reemerged as a political satirist from the left.

26. Western ambush site : RAVINE. I grew up on Gilman Street which connected to Ravine Street.

27. '80s voice of Inspector Gadget : DON ADAMS. Don is more famous as Maxwell Smart.

30. "You said it!" : AMEN.

31. Protest movement : MARCH.

32. Angus beef? : MOO. What a cow says when complaining - brilliant.

37. San Jose-to-Sacramento dir. : NNE.

38. Uncultivated land : HEATH. made famous by the Bronte sisters.

39. Regarding : AS TO.

40. Navigation tools : SEXTANTS. How do they figure these things out. LINK.

42. Grapefruit's bigger cousin : POMELO. You need to learn citrus TAXONOMY or remember the French word Pamplemousse.

44. Common bugs : COLDS. Another fun Friday misdirection.

45. Baroness Blixen's pen name : DINESEN. Isak Dinesen was the pen name for Baroness Karen Christenze von Blixen-Finecke most famous for Out of Africa and appearing in crossword puzzles.

46. Women's clothing chain founded on Florida's Sanibel Island : CHICOS.  They have three BRANDS.

48. Like Olympic racetracks : LANED.

54. Appear : SEEM.

55. Unnerve : FAZE.

56. Was successful in : WON AT.

57. "Nothing lived in him but fear and hatred" : HYDE. The dark side of Dr. Jekyll from the mind of Robert Louis Stevenson. He also wrote Treasure Island.

58. Become undone, in a way : FRAY. Cuffs on dress shirts e.g.

59. Gets down to business? : OPENS.

Down:

1. Senegal's pink-watered __ Rose : LAC. from the French for Pink Lake. LINK.

2. Sushi selection : AHI.

3. Cannes view : MER. The sea in French.

4. Website-to-website connection : BACK LINK. No idea but it fits.

5. Embolden : SPUR ON.

6. Ones doing the dishes : CHEFS. Not washing them, but creating them. Again, bravo!

7. Sword handle : HILT.

8. Maritime agreement : AYE aye cap'n.

9. Cagney does it on stairs in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" : TAP DANCE.

     
10. Came out somehow : LEAKED. Politics.

11. Dolts : IGNORAMUSES. I asked and the world answered.

12. Damon of the Bourne films : MATT.

13. Big cat of film : ELSA. Born Free.

18. Wise one : SAGE.

19. "Very funny!" : HA HA HA. The Thai word for the number 5 sounds like HA, so 555.

22. Seafood order : PRAWNS. I do not know but read prawns have claws on three of their five pairs of legs, shrimp have claws on two of their five pairs of legs. Their gills and body shape are different too. As far as cooking them goes, they are virtually identical and interchangeable. Various sources. (Edited later: the source is JoleneAlaska on StackExchange).

23. Punk rock surname : RAMONE.

24. Hyped-up : OVEREXCITED. Give them Ritalin.

25. Transform : MORPH. Power Rangers?

27. Pub entertainment : DARTS.

28. Mark with blotches : MOTTLE. Mottled skin, also known as livedo reticularis, is alone a harmless condition that is commonly seen with vascular issues and autoimmune diseases. Various sources.

29. "Already?" : SO SOON.

31. Medieval barriers : MOATS.

34. Hebrew greeting : SHALOM. Shabbat shalom.

35. Drives back : FENDS OFF.

36. Make a personal connection? : NAME DROP. Great. How many name droppers do you know? Not counting me.

41. On the way : TO COME.

42. Softwood tree : PINE.

43. Knockout couple? : ONE TWO. Give 'em the old one two.

45. Prominent mayor at the 1968 Democratic Convention : DALEY. The year of the riots, vote with your feet etc.

46. What's in your wallet : CASH. Not always.

47. News headliner Lewis? : HUEY. His band.  Their WEB-SITE.

48. "__ With a 'Z'": 1972 TV special : LIZA. I liked her in Cabaret, not much else.

50. Military band? : BAR.  On the shoulder.

51. A, in Avignon : UNE. Just French.

52. Photographer Goldin : NAN. I should have remembered this WOMAN.

53. Board jumpers: Abbr. : KTS. We end with an abbreviation I am unfamiliar with; the Knights in a Chess match.

I have just enough time to give a filled grid and wish you all a pleasant Bastille Day, which fits right in with all the French in this puzzle.  Thank you Mr. Sessa.  Lemonade out.

Thursday July 13 2017 Bruce Haight

Theme: Horse Play - the four theme entries are equine-related homophonic, or near-homophonic phrases.

17A. Arabian's head covering? : BRIDLE VEIL. Bridal veil. Arabian in the horse breed sense.

26A. Mounting problem at Churchill Downs? : STIRRUP TROUBLE. Stir up trouble.

42A. Something well in hand at Waterloo? : REIN OF NAPOLEON. Reign of Napoleon.

55A. Feature of 50-Down? : HORSE VOICE. Hoarse voice.

and ..

50D. '60s TV personality who would especially enjoy this puzzle : MR. ED

A straightforward-enough punning theme from Bruce with the character reveal tucked away neatly at the bottom of the puzzle.

I'm not sure if I'm bothered or not by STIRRUP TROUBLE - it's certainly an outlier from the other three homophone theme entries, both by not being a homophone and the original phrase having three words, not two.

Not a deal-breaker though, so let's see what else we've got:

Across

1. Unit of heat energy : THERM

6. Like wild boar meat : GAMY and  54. Like wild boar meat : LEAN. Nice clecho.

10. Rock-in-pond sound : PLOP. More like a pebble sound. I think a rock would make more of a KA-BLOOSH sound.

14. Bit part : CAMEO. Konstantine Stanislavsky, the great character actor and theatrical director remarked "there are no small parts, only small actors".

15. Matty of baseball : ALOU. Talented family, those Alous.

16. Most Rembrandts : OILS. Here's one that's not - "Self-portrait, Staring". Aptly titled!

19. "Concord Sonata" composer : IVES. Thank you, crosses. Charles Ives composed what is officially titled Piano Sonata No. 2 "Concord, Mass., 1840-1860". I tried listening to it but gave up after a couple of minutes, it's not my cup of tea.

20. Nevertheless : YET

21. Cools quickly : ICES

22. Physicist Rutherford : ERNEST. His research led to the first atom-splitting by nuclear reaction in 1917.

24. Arequipa's land : PERU. Second most populous city in the country.

25. Pats dry : BLOTS

31. Film that's barely shown? : NUDIE. As a side-theme note, Nudie Cohn was the original "Rhinestone Cowboy" known for his flamboyant clothing design (and custom car design too).

32. Carry on : WAGE

33. 2008 TARP beneficiary : AIG

35. Bit that can be split : ATOM. Rutherford from 22A figured this out.

36. Luges, e.g. : SLEDS

38. Attracted : DREW

39. Sci-fi vehicle : POD

40. Midwestern tribe : OTOE

41. Prairie wanderer : DOGIE. A calf separated from its mother.

46. Stole (in) : CREPT

47. Track piece : RAIL

48. "Wait, start again, please" : I'M LOST. As the dogie said to the cowpoke.

50. Track event : MILE. I like that the mile race is still run even though the other race distances with the exception of the marathon are all metric.

51. Horned viper : ASP

58. Bollywood garment : SARI

59. Help in a bad way : ABET

60. Triage MD : E.R. DOC. Ouch. Least favorite fill of the day.

61. Writer Waugh : ALEC. Elder brother of the better-known Evelyn Waugh. He was a prolific writer, but according to his nephew Auberon "[he] wrote many books, each worse than the last". Tough crowd.

62. Bustle : TO DO

63. Symbols among notes : RESTS

Down

1. Frozen dessert chain : TCBY "The Country's Best Yogurt".

2. Overconfident fable critter : HARE. Beaten by the tortoise.

3. Throw off : EMIT

4. White alternative : RED. Vino.

5. "Le Misanthrope" playwright : MOLIERE

6. Allowed from the mound : GAVE UP. Baseball nomenclature - the pitcher gives up a hit or a run.

7. See 45-Down : ALES.

8. "You think I did it?!" : MOI? Accompanied by innocent eyebrow raising.

9. Christmas cracklers : YULE LOGS

10. Destination in a simple itinerary : POINT B. Early Google Maps didn't always give you quite the correct route.

11. Has extravagant ways : LIVES LARGE

12. Fútbol cheers : OLÉS

13. Attractive sound? : PSST! Attention-attracter.

18. Lampshade shade : ECRU

23. Cad : ROUÉ

24. Stuffy : PRIM

25. "Ratatouille" director Bird : BRAD. More crosses, thank you.

26. Word with brim or bean : SNAP. I'd never heard of a snap bean until today. Live and learn.

27. Coach : TUTOR

28. "My word!" : I DO DECLARE!

29. Many a Belieber : TWEEN. Generally agreed to be the pre-teen years between 10 and 12 when your children start to hate you.

30. Refrain from singing as a child? : EIEIO. Old McDonald and his noisy farm.

34. Singer Stefani : GWEN. She recorded a great remake of Talk Talk's 1984 hit It's My Life

36. "Enough!" : STOP THAT!

37. Room at the top : LOFT

38. Kid's tea party attendee : DOLL

40. Singles : ONES

41. "You bet!" : DO I EVER

43. Like much humor : IRONIC

44. Blue blood, for short : ARISTO

45. With 7-Down, bitter brews : PALE. It's the hops in the ale that gives it the bitter note.

48. "Play it once, Sam" speaker : ILSA

49. Spread, maybe : MEAL

51. Supports : AIDS. We have both aid and abet today.

52. Macbeth or Macduff : SCOT. Aye.

53. Muscle Beach display : PECS

56. "That price is negotiable," in ads : OBO

57. Vein output : ORE

I think we just need a grid and a by-line and we're done, so here they are:

Steve

Wednesday, July 12, 2017 Gary D. Schlapfer and C. C. Burnikel

Theme: SCHOOL DAYS.  Various activities that school children may be involved in are indicated by the clues with asterisks.

18 A. *Annual kids' competition aired by ESPN : SPELLING BEE.  A contest to see who can correctly spell obscure words nobody will ever see or hear again.  In the class room version, I hope the target words are more useful.

24 A. *Excursion that may require permission slips : FIELD TRIP.  Visit to a dairy farm, fire station, or some other location that might be of educational interest.  The permission slip allows the teacher and helpers to take the students away from school premisses.

37. *Evacuation exercise : FIRE DRILL.  A practice run for leaving the building in a safe and orderly fashion, so that all occupants can be accounted for.  We had these where I worked, with several thousand people gathering in a number of assigned locations.  As department safety coordinator, I made sure everyone participated.

50 A. *Year-end hurdle : FINAL EXAM.  Year being the school year, not the calendar year.  The last test of acquired knowledge before moving on - or not.

And, the unifier -- 57A. Group lawsuit ... and what each answer to a starred clue is? : CLASS ACTION.  In the lawsuit, a group of people with a common complaint join together to take legal ACTION against some entity. In the CLASS room, it's an activity in which the students participate.

Hi, Gang.  JazzBumpa here for todays lesson. Pretty straight-forward theme - all of these ACTIONS clearly relate to things that students and teachers might be doing, though a couple of them can also occur in other contexts.  You'd almost think that the idea came from someone with inside-the-classroom experience! So - let's put on our thinking caps and see what we can learn.  

Across

1. Place for fuzzy navels : BAR.  This concoction of orange juice and peach schnapps [or many other potential ingredients] might be served in a tavern.

4. Plots of land : TRACTS.   Refers to [usually] large areas of indefinite extent.

10. Animated internet pics : GIFS.  The Graphics Interchange Format was developed in 1987 by Steve Wilhite's team at CompuServe.


via GIPHY

14. Whopper, but not a Big Mac : LIE.   Deliberately untruthful statement of some magnitude, not a large hamburger sandwich.

15. Reconciled : MADE UP.  I thought that they had gotten back together, but it was just a story somebody MADE UP. { I loves me the English language!}

16. "You said it, sister!" : AMEN.  Or brother.  Let's be inclusive.

17. Safari find : URL.  Safari is the browser on Apple computers.

20. Kazan who directed Marlon in his first Oscar role : ELIA.  This was Mr. Brando's 4th best actor nomination.  Can you name this 1954 film?  It was also the big screen debut of Eva Marie Saint.

22. Crème de la crème : ELITE.  The ones who are best at something, like ELITE athletes or musicians.

23. Neruda's "__ to Common Things" : ODE.   You can read it here.

27. Not as well-done : RARER.  As a steak, not a task.

29. Not hidden : IN VIEW.  I can see it.

30. Airfield fixtures : TOWERS.  The better to see with.

31. Bridal bio term : NEE.  Referring to her birth [or maiden] name.

32. Reader at Mass : LECTOR.  One who reads a scriptural passage as part of a church service.

36. Pigs out (on), briefly : OD'S.  Over-Doses.  Trivializing a term that otherwise relates to a serious public health problem.

39. Sergeant's address : SIR.  As the Sergeant would be addressed by his underlings, or would address her/his superior officers.

41. Balkan first-timer in the 2016 Olympics : KOSOVO.  Over Serbia's protest, they sent 8 athletes who competed in five events, and took home one gold medal, won by Majlinda Kelmendi in judo.

42. Vandalize : MAR.  Cause damage.

45. Oasis visitors : CAMELS.  And, presumably, their riders.

47. Urbana-Champaign "Fighting" team : ILLINI.  University of Illinois sports mascot.

49. What might make a Cardinal an Oriole : TRADE.  From a National League team to one in the American League.  You knew there had to be some baseball in here somewhere.  A quick google search did not reveal any player-for-player trades between these teams in recent years.

53. Wood cutter : SAW.  Carpenter's tool.

54. Maine college town : ORONO.  Home of the University of Maine.  But why is there never any love for ORONO, Minnesota, in Hennepin County on the north shore of Lake Minnetonka?

56. Understands : GETS.  Comprehends.

61. Homeric outburst : D'OH.  Simpson, not the author of The Iliad.

62. Dynamic leader? : AERO-.  Prefix.

63. Crunchy breakfast : MUESLI.  Ugly sounding word for granola.

64. "Just sayin'," in texts : IMO.  In My Opinion.   Admit it - you have one!

65. Must have : NEED.

66. Out in a hammock? : ASLEEP.  Outdoors, and catching some Z's.

67. Empire St. paper : NYT.  New York Times, a continent away from the Golden State's L.A. Times.

Down

1. Much sushi- and sashimi-grade tuna : BLUEFIN.  Several species of tuna in the genus Thonnus, found in many places around the world.

2. Southwest, e.g. : AIRLINE.  The plane truth.

3. Take over for : RELIEVE.  As a baseball pitcher, perhaps.

4. Corp. symbols : TMS.  Trademarks (™).  

5. Eschew the doorbell : RAP.

Rap, rap.
Who's there?
Hip Hop.
Go away, I hate rap.

6. Like __ in the headlights : A DEER.  Refers to someone with a glazed over expression, or frozen into inactivity by fear, panic or confusion.

7. Ma's strings : CELLI.  There are 4 strings on one CELLO.

8. Showy April bloom : TULIP.

9. Shish kebab holder : SPIT.  A rod or stick upon which the meat is skewered.

10. __ rule : GAG.  A imposed prohibition to speak about a specified topic.

11. "There's nothing to do" : I'M BORED.  I have no idea what that feel like.

12. Birdseed buffets : FEEDERS.  

Where birds meet, greet and eat

13. Contemptuous looks : SNEERS.

The masterful Alan Rickman

19. Fiddling emperor : NERO.   Nerō Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus [37-68 A.D.], the last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, from 54-68 A.D.  There is much good and bad to be said abut him.  But he certainly did not fiddle, for that instrument would not be invented for another 900 years.  Rumor had it that he sang and/or played the lyre while Rome burned in July of 64 , but he was out of town at the time.  He organized and participated in relief efforts, and made a new urban plan, with wider roads and more widely spaced brick houses.  But he was scapegoated for the fire, and deflected blame on to Christians, who were then brutally tortured and murdered.  Definitely not this guy.

21. Liston opponent : ALI. Sonny and Muhammad [born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.] respectively

25. Where heros are made : DELI.  Sandwiches.

26. Sexy dance moves : TWERKS.  Sexy or downright obscene?  You be the judge.

28. Mil. no-show : AWOL.  Absent Without Official Leave.

30. "Jeopardy!" fare : TRIVIA.

33. VIP with a corner office, perhaps : CEO.  Chief Executive Officer.

34. NFL six-pointers : TDs.  Touchdowns.

35. Guatemala gold : ORO.  Spanish

37. Mister Rogers : FRED. Seen here making sexy dance moves.


via GIPHY

38. Take it easy : LOLL.   Just layin' around.

39. Mrs. Smith's rival : SARA LEE.  Purveyors of pre-packaged deserts.

40. "It's not news to me ... " : I'M AWARE.

42. Blended : MIXED IN.  Shaken or stirred.

43. Gray area? : ANATOMY.  Refers to a medical text book of the human body by Henry Gray with illustrations by Henry Vandyke Carter, first published in 1858. The TV medical drama, now in it's 13th season, is GREY'S ANATOMY.  

44. Drummer's sound after a one-liner : RIM SHOT.  Find it here.

45. Med. imaging procedure : CT SCAN. Computerized Tomography combines a series of scanned X-ray images taken from different angles, and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images of bones, blood vessels and internal organs.

46. Some summer births : LEOs.  The 5th Zodiac sign, in the fire group, symbolized by the Lion.

Leo

48. Triangle side : LEG.  All triangles have legs.  Some legs have triangles.

Try Angles?

50. Prepare to shoot with a Canon : FOCUS.  Camera, not heavy artillery.

51. Maker of chips : INTEL.   With headquarters in Santa Clara, CA, they are not to be confused with Frito-Lay, with headquarters in Plano, TX.  INTEL has many Trademarks.

52. Cacophony : NOISE.  Cacophony traces back to Greek roots meaning "bad" and "sound."   NOISE, via Old French traces back to the Latin word for seasickness, nausea, which does sound bad.

55. Major Hindu deity : RAMA.  The 7th avatar of Vishnu, the Supreme Being in some Hindu traditions.

58. Lawn roll : SOD.  A grassy layer of earth.

59. Bullring cry : OLE.  An interjection used as a shout of encouragement or approval.

60. Puppy bite : NIP.  Playful, one hopes.

OK, kids - CLASS dismissed.  Our own C.C. and Gary gave us a great lesson plan today.  Hope you found it enlightening.  Now go do your homework.

Cool regards!
JzB

P.S.  In case you didn't know and haven't G-spotted that Eva Marie Saint movie cited above, its On The Waterfront.

Tuesday, July 11, 2017 Patti Varol

Theme: Shhh! - Variations on a theme.

20A. "Hush": "PLEASE BE QUIET"

32A. "Hush": "DON'T SAY A WORD"

41A. "Hush": "PUT A SOCK IN IT"

57A. "Hush": "BUTTON YOUR LIP"

Argyle here with Constructor and Editor, Patti Varol. I notice a subtle increase in harshness in the HUSHes, IMO.

Across:

1. Like a rough winter: HARSH

6. Opera number: ARIA

10. "Beat it!": "SCAT!"

14. Nebraska city on the Missouri: OMAHA

15. "Shoot!": "DARN!"

16. Bear whose bed was too hard: PAPA

17. Like granola bars: OATEN

18. Arabian sultanate: OMAN

19. "College GameDay" airer: ESPN. (Originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Networks)

23. Funnyman Caesar: SID. Argument to Beethoven's 5th.

24. It's often heated up for dinner: OVEN

25. Table salt additive: IODINE

28. Banishment: EXILE

30. FYI relative: BTW. (For Your Information / By The Way)

31. Cincinnati ballplayer: RED

36. Cathedral area: APSE

39. Ocean west of Eur.: ATL. (Atlantic)

40. Murray or Roddick of tennis fame: ANDY

46. Big bird Down Under: EMU

47. Pizza __ restaurant: HUT

48. Ready to pour: ON TAP

51. Forbidden actions: TABOOs. 44D. Forbidden action: NO-NO

53. Payroll IDs: SSNs. (Social Security number)

55. Lav of London: LOO. Head, john, little house outback.

60. "Shake a leg!": "C'MON!"

62. Pakistan neighbor: IRAN. 8D. Baghdad's land: IRAQ

63. Despicable character: LOUSE

64. Painter Chagall: MARC

65. Fictional sleuth Wolfe: NERO

66. Tacked on: ADDED

67. Hathaway of "Interstellar": ANNE

68. Olympian's goal: GOLD

69. Marsh stalks: REEDS

Down:

1. Basketball targets: HOOPS

2. Charlotte __: U.S. Virgin Islands capital: AMALIE. Wiki link

3. Like adult movies: RATED X

4. __ butter: cosmetic moisturizer: SHEA

5. Space pilot who insists, "I take orders from just one person: me": HAN SOLO

6. Photoshop software developer: ADOBE

7. Budget noodle dish: RAMEN

9. Retirement income source: ANNUITY

10. Radar gun reading: SPEED

11. Like some durable skillets: CAST IRON

12. Smartphone download: APP. (Application)

13. Almond-colored: TAN

21. Fairly matched: EVEN

22. Where Grant Wood's "American Gothic" house is: IOWA

26. Geeky type: NERD

27. Jacuzzi effect: EDDY

29. Inventor's spark: IDEA

30. "__ Ha'i": "South Pacific" song: BALI

The lyrics can be found on the YouTube link.

33. Ambassador's asset: TACT

34. E*TRADE purchase: Abbr.: STK. (stock)

35. Light bulb unit: WATT

36. In __: moody: A PET

37. Mountain cat: PUMA

38. Tough to budge: STUBBORN

42. Small liquor amount: SHOT

43. Giving the boot: OUSTING

45. Completely cut off: INSULAR

49. Refer (to): ALLUDE

50. Self-assured: POISED

52. Postal scale unit: OUNCE

53. Hairbrush target: SNARL

54. Church council: SYNOD

56. Pages for opinions: OP EDs

58. Cookie shaped like two of its letters: OREO. A new clue for an old answer.

59. Biked, e.g.: RODE

60. Nashville awards gp.: CMA. (Country Music Association)

61. Guy: MAN

 Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Chickie (Leah) was not able to post from her Blogger account. She sent me below. Hopefully she'll return to our blog soon.

"Please send my thanks to everyone on the Corner. The virtual hugs, condolences, and thoughts for me on Bill's passing are so very comforting."

2) Happy birthday to dear CanadianEh!, who's been with our blog for a few years. Her comments are often always so warm and insightful. Dinner at the winery, CanadianEh!?

Monday, July 10, 2017 George Jasper

Theme: Stuck in the middle with you (Stealers Wheel) - A partner to the target word (AGE) may be found in the middle of the theme answers.

17. Beverage from a German vineyard: RHINE WINE. New Age.

27. Unauthorized recording: BOOTLEG ALBUM. Legal Age.

44. Nuclear power: ATOMIC ENERGY. Ice Age.

61. Period after young adulthood ... and a hint to each set of circles: MIDDLE AGE

Argyle here. George Jasper appears to be a newcomer. Very easy except .... I think one might still find the AGEs without the circles. They aren't perfectly in the middle but they do span two words.

Across:

1. Stinging insect: WASP

5. Storied broom riders: HAGS. I didn't remember Hogwarts librarian Irma Pince.

9. Distinctive aroma: SCENT

14. Govt. workplace monitor: OSHA. (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

15. Yemen neighbor: OMAN. They are the toe and heel of the Arabian Peninsula boot.

16. Copier need: TONER

19. Wheel spokes, geometrically: RADII

20. Triangular Greek letters: DELTAs

21. Coexist peacefully: GET ALONG

23. French fashion monogram: YSL. (Yves Saint Laurent)

24. Boot front: TOE

26. Anteater's slurp in the comic "B.C.": ZOT

33. Do the play-by-play, say: ANNOUNCE

36. Like Cheerios: OATY

37. Slightest: LEAST

38. Medical ins. plan: HMO. (health maintenance organization)

40. Tree trunks: BOLES

41. "To know me __ love me": IS TO. No need for sugar in your coffee this morning. 60A. Whitney Houston's "__ Always Love You": I WILL

42. Musician at ballparks and churches: ORGANIST

48. Put the kibosh on: NIX

49. Klutz: OAF

50. Noah's boat: ARK

53. One of a group of versifiers that included Wordsworth: LAKE POET. The Lake Poets were a group of English poets who all lived in the Lake District of England. Wiki link

58. Stubby piece: NUBBIN. A variant of Middle Low German knubbe, knob?

63. Excessive enthusiasm: MANIA

64. Partner of proper: PRIM

65. On a yawl, say: ASEA

66. Small hippo type: PYGMY

67. Trillion: Pref.: TERA

68. Mix together: MELD

Down:

1. Verbose: WORDY

2. Barbecue residue: ASHES

3. Con man's setup man: SHILL

4. Breathe heavily: PANT

5. Question in response to "I need this in a hurry": "HOW SOON?"

6. French friend: AMI

7. Criminal group: GANG

8. React to pepper: SNEEZE

9. Layer upon layer: STRATA

10. Mined fuel: COAL

11. Prefix meaning "within": ENDO

12. German no: NEIN

13. Pre-calc math course: TRIG

18. Go to a steakhouse, say: EAT OUT

22. Get dolled (up): TOG

25. Make an engraving: ETCH

27. __ buddy: BOSOM

28. Citrus fruit: LEMON. CSO.

29. Senseless: LOONY

30. South Pacific resort island: BALI

31. Sport-__: versatile vehicles: UTEs. Sport-youths?

32. Classic PC game: MYST

33. Et __: Latin for "and others": ALIA

34. Source of many tweets: NEST

35. Partnership for Peace international gp.: NATO. (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

39. Sandwich cookie: OREO

40. "Baa Baa Black Sheep" wool unit: BAGFUL

43. Mom's mom: GRANDMA

45. Not out-of-bounds, as a ball: IN PLAY

46. AFL merger partner: CIO. (American Federation of Labor / Congress of Industrial Organizations)

47. Not subject to taxes: EXEMPT

50. Demean: ABASE

51. Bright Orion star: RIGEL. (Beta Orionis)

52. Work, as dough: KNEAD

53. Like a wet noodle: LIMP

54. On a trip: AWAY

55. Mattress option: KING

56. Kind of tournament round, briefly: ELIM. Usually, a single-elimination tournament.

57. Run out of gas: TIRE

59. Smile broadly: BEAM

62. S, SE or SSE: DIR. (direction)

Argyle

Sunday July 9th, 2017 John Lampkin

Theme: "Cereal Boxes"- Different grains bookend each theme entry.

25A *Lids for a fancy box? : OPERA HATS. Oats. English is strange. Oats are always plural, but not other grains.

27A. *Easy order for a mixologist : WHISKEY NEAT. Wheat.

39A. *Ceremonious choreography : RITUAL DANCE. Rice. Have any of you cumin rice?

42A. *Lothario's organ : ROVING EYE. Rye.

65. *Ring leaders : BARNUM AND BAILEY. Barley.

88A. *Joe may come from one : COFFEE URN. Corn.

91A. *Moved like a crowd : MILLED ABOUT. Millet. I just mentioned to TTP yesterday that no matter how I try, my millet porridge is never as good as my grandma's.

106A. *Significant other : MAIN SQUEEZE. Maize. Isn't it the same as corn?

Reveal:

110. Deep-rooted ... and what the uncircled letters of the answers to starred clues are? : INGRAINED

John's set is close to complete. Sorghum is unworkable, hence its absence. It's actually gluten-free, like oats, millet, corn & rice. I never had it, but many of the pricey liquors in China are made of Sorghum.

John broke with the convention and started his themers in Row 4 rather than Row 3. I'm guessing he tried Row 3 but did not like the result.

Lots of playful clues/fill, PYROMANIAC (73D. One who remembers old flames with fondness) is my favorite. It sums up John's style perfectly.

Across:     

1. Hunk : GLOB. Thought of STUD.

5. Tortilla-wrapped serving : FAJITA. You won't like this if you don't like cumin.

11. Hardly a haymaker : JAB. Boxing punch.

14. Pulled up a chair : SAT

17. Whom Samwise accompanied to Rivendell : FRODO

18. Backspace key, often : ERASER

19. One who might err on the safe side? : UMP. Nailed it.

20. __ dixit: assertion without proof : IPSE

21. Add zing to : LIVEN. 29. Zing : PEP

22. Berate : RANT AT

23. "Heavens!" : GOODNESS!

30. Donizetti aria "Regnava __ silenzio" : NEL. This is clued as [First word in Dante's "Inferno"] last Sunday.

31. Bee bunch : SWARM

33. Watergate figure with a radio talk show : LIDDY. G. Gordon Liddy.

34. Exude : OOZE. It's great to see your previous avatar, Yellowrocks!

36. Learn : HEAR OF

37. Giant __, world's largest antelope : ELAND. Learning moment for me. Hello!

46. Bearded blossom : IRIS

47. G, in the key of C : SOL. Got via crosses.

48. Adjust, as a chronometer : RESET

49. Tat misreadable as WOW : MOM. Tattoo.

50. Honey : TOOTS. Chinese are quite reserved, not many "sweet" words. "Respect" trumps all. 

52. Tweaks : MODIFIES

56. "Is this some kind of __?" : A JOKE

58. New England cape : ANN

59. __ chi : TAI

61. Biting : ACID

62. "Good-bye, cruel world!," in Westerns : I'M A GONER

68. Worldwide anticrime gp. : INTERPOL. Currently headed by a Chinese.
 

71. Rod's partner : REEL

72. Author Deighton : LEN

73. Bench press muscle : PEC

76. Ethel on "I Love Lucy" : MERTZ. So many "I Love Lucy" collectibles at the flea market.

77. Produce a steady stream of : CHURN OUT

80. Words with remember or forget : TRY TO.  We also have 48. Word with debt or guilt : RIDDEN. 56. Bond or bonding follower : AGENT. Playfulness & originality!

82. Bon __: Comet rival : AMI

83. "__ the loneliest number" : ONE IS

85. "Argo" org. : CIA

87. Fine __ : ARTS

 95. Crease-resistant fabric : ORLON

96. Estefan with Grammys : GLORIA

98. Consider to be : DEEM

99. Steel, e.g. : ALLOY. Not METAL.We also have 40. Metal that's pumped : IRON

101. Form opener : LINE A

102. Key preposition : O'ER. Francis Scott Key

103. Boxer with feats of Clay? : ALI. Cute.

113. Rank people? : AMATEURS. Another great clue.

114. Swab's assent : AYE SIR. Normally with two Ayes, right?

116. Blink of an eye : TRICE

117. D.C. pros : NATS

118. Cleo's undoing : ASP

119. Fix, as a pump : RE-SOLE

120. Former Midwest territorial capital : OMAHA. Another learning moment for me, Gary!

121. Is for you : ARE

122. Steely __ : DAN

123. Airborne camera holders : DRONES. Used by quite a few YouTubers.

124. Many a competition : RACE

Down:

1. Bone to pick : GRIPE

2. Fictional turn-on : LOVE POTION. Hey, this is even organic.

3. Smelly-sounding German river? : ODER. Odor.

4. Windfall : BONANZA. Great word.

5. Wild : FERAL

6. Smell __ : A RAT

7. Fugitive portrayer before Ford : JANSSEN (David). I've only seen Harrison Ford's movie.

8. Believer's suffix : IST

9. Pots, cups, etc. : TEAWARE

10. Prefix with -pod : ARTHRO. Prefix for "Joint".

11. Handled containers : JUGS

12. Every which way : AMOK

13. Fraternal initials : BPOE

14. Leadfoot : SPEED DEMON. So what's the plural for "Leadfoot"? Leadfoots or Leadfeet?

15. Syrian president : ASSAD

16. Touchy : TESTY

17. Bomb : FLOP

20. Baseball unit with distinct halves : INNING

24. Musician with a Nobel Prize : DYLAN. Pride of Minnesota. I had a lovely walk around Lake Harriet with Andrea Carla Michaels last week. Another Pride of Minnesota. Then another long walk with Boomer in our favorite trail on June 30, D-Otto, followed by buying a rice bowl like this in our local Asian store. I think I want one more. Really like the dragon at the bottom.

26. Bread butts : HEELS

28. The Who classic : I'M FREE. Got via crosses.

32. Female in WWII : WAC. Women's Army Corps. Do you still remember Southern Belle? She was a WAC during the Korean War. She used to comment regularly.

35. Boot from power : OUST

36. Heavenly topper : HALO

37. Original sinner : EVE

38. Fired up : LIT

39. Dexter's wife in "Dexter" : RITA. Easily obtainable,

 41. __ effect : DOMINO. Not RIPPLE.

43. Alternate version, in scores : OSSIA. Unknown to me. You'd think it's related to bone.

44. Farm connection : YOKE. Farm animal.

45. ER part: Abbr. : EMER

51. HBO rival : STARZ

53. Beaver's work : DAM

54. Victim of hot wings? : ICARUS. Another great clue/fill.

55. More classy : FINER

57. Delight : JOY. I linked Amy at Costco clip a years ago when "Call Me Maybe" was hot. Which song do you like the best?

60. Dada daddy? : ARP (Jean). Dada co-founder.

63. "Uncle" of old TV : MILTIE

64. Flagon filler : ALE. I did not know this is called "Flagon".

65. Risk : BET

66. Peptic problem : ULCER

67. Rain-__ gum : BLO

68. Apple computer : iMAC

69. Nautilus captain : NEMO

70. Like poison ivy : TRIFOLIATE. Having three leaves. Also a new word to me.

74. Shocked accusation : ET TU

75. Outlay : COST

78. Actor Pat of Batman films : HINGLE. Never heard of him.

79. NCAA's Bruins : UCLA

81. Broccoli __ : RABE

83. LBJ's antipoverty agcy. : OEO. Office of Economic Opportunity

84. "The Sound of Music" extra : NUN

86. Calculating snake? : ADDER. Amazing clue.

89. Leads, as a band : FRONTS

90. "Family Ties" mom : ELYSE

91. Ancient Roman currency minter : MONEYER. Guessable.

92. Anger : IRE

93. Go-between : LIAISON

94. Bubbler : AERATOR

97. Gecko, for one : LIZARD. John sent me this fun picture. He said "Costa Rica's Jesus Christ Lizard is supposed to be able to walk on water. This one failed miserably and can’t even open a can of soda without spilling it."

 

99. Dryer brand : AMANA

100. Texas university in Beaumont : LAMAR

102. Fairy tale baddies : OGRES

104. Café con __ : LECHE. Not fond of putting milk in coffee or tea.

105. Thought : IDEA
 
107. Campus area : QUAD

108. Heavenly bear : URSA

109. "Monday Night Football" channel : ESPN

111. Shade of green : NILE

112. Hogwarts librarian __ Pince : IRMA. Gimme for Santa.

115. That thing in Tijuana : ESO

Happy Birthday to dear Tony (AnonT), who's always been so kind and caring to everyone on our blog. He's also a foodie. This picture cracks me up.

 

At Wit's End near Carmel on Father's Day 2017

Saturday, Jul 8th, 2017, Samuel A. Donaldson

Theme: None

Words: 64 (missing J,X,Z)

Blocks: 30

Our last construction from Mr. Donaldson was one co-authored with Brad Wilber in October last year; prior to that, he had a Saturday dating back to 2009.  No hang-ups during the solve for me, a few proper names and some odd 'rare' words, but overall a fun puzzle. Chunky corners, only 4 three-letter words, and a friendly "get-there-from-here" grid which included single nines, paired nines and a couple of 10-letter answers;

30a. Riding in the far-left lane, perhaps : CARPOOLING

Check out the next door neighbor over the fence

37a. Producer who developed "The Jeffersons" : NORMAN LEAR

 EARWORM~!

12d. "No need to be scared of me" : I DON'T BITE - hard.  Or maybe you like being bitten....?

29d. Big storm : NOR'EASTER - where I live today, this type of storm and a full moon could lead to flooding.  Scary.

StO(n)p WA(rd)ffling~!

ACROSS:

1. Gone for the summer, perhaps : AT CAMP - Figured it was school related, and started with AT HOME, which was close

7. Elegant pool entrance : SWAN DIVE - I was thinking we were looking for a noun like 'diving board', not the 'action' of entrance; I had a diving board go out on one of my trucks yesterday - there's no limit to what we will ship these days....

15. Jet Ski competitor : SEA-DOO - I knew SKI-DOO would not fly, but I was close

16. NFLer from 1982-'94 : L.A. RAIDER

17. Trick : TRIP UP

18. Last of Sophocles' Theban plays : ANTIGONE

19. Off-base : ERRANT

20. Post-sunburn phase : PEELING

21. Midway game : RING TOSS - ah, not SKEE BALL

23. Number of hills di Roma : SETTE - knew the answer was "seven", but spelling it was....

24. "30 for 30" documentary series airer : ESPN

25. Touch with gauze : DAB AT

27. They may be fake : TANS - my favorite fake tan look

34. NYSE debut : IPO - New York Stock Exchange, Initial Public Offering

35. "Ciao Italia" chef Esposito : MARYANN - perps

36. Cable co. acquired by AT&T : TCI

39. Ocean hazard : REEF

40. Unalaska native : ALEUT

41. Blocking action : VETO

43. Performs surgery on, in a way : LASES

45. Braised chicken dish : COQ AU VIN - we've seen this before on Saturday

49. Runner with big eggs : OSTRICH

51. Final syllable : ULTIMA

52. Lobster sensors : ANTENNAE

53. Otis of elevators : ELISHA - I did not know his first name - his Wiki

54. Men's department fixtures : TIE RACKS

55. Forwarded : SENT ON

56. Decorative herbs : PARSLEYS - spell check is not happy, but it's OK with me

57. Training aids : TREATS - ah, dogs

DOWN:

1. Michaelmas daisy : ASTER

2. Country singer Gibbs : TERRI - filled via perps

3. Memorial rocks : CAIRN - oops, not STELE

4. Much magazine content : AD PAGES - well, I knew it was AD 'something', or 'something' AD(s), but PAGES took a while

5. Goes up : MOUNTS

6. Coke holder : POP-TOP CAN - "Coke" seems a little too specific - I can get Diet Dr. Pepper in a pop-top can, too - or is the author trying to throw us off with the "gram" type of coke~?

7. High-fives, e.g. : SLAPS

8. Ebb : WANE

9. Crafts in Cancún : ARTES

10. Attached by pounding : NAILED ON - I was close, had NAILED TO

11. Technology catchall : DIGITAL - I'm not a huge fan of all these companies that jumped on the Apple bandwagon and offer their products with "i-something" names; did you hear about Apple's new make-up line~? It's called iShadow.

13. Retaliation : VENGEANCE

14. Word of relative time : ERE - I had ERA, and did not get my "ta-DA~!"

22. Jam : SNARL

26. "What a long week!" : TGIF - Thank God It's already past July 4th, as far as I am concerned

27. Turner of music : TINA

28. Michael Corleone's first wife : APOLLONIA

31. Reuben setting : RYE - ah, had me confused at first

32. Finnish distance runner Nurmi : PAAVO - OK, I cheated - I Googled this answer to get a foothold in the middle

33. For the asking : ON REQUEST

35. __ instinct : MATERNAL

38. Summons (up) : MUSTERS

39. Dancer's program : ROUTINE

42. Like one looking down on his neighbor? : TALLER

44. On account of : SINCE

45. Musical whose plot involves a two-person tournament : CHESS - I had "-HE--", and this seemed like a logical WAG.  The game I conceived went with me again to Delaware last weekend and I worked out the details with Mike as a two-player version; now I need to get some people together and try it with four players

46. Windows 7 precursor : VISTA - I'm still with XP, and content - but Firefox has stopped supporting the software.  Gonna have to cave at some point to the "future"

47. Cry from one on a streak : I'M HOT - also got lessons from Mike on how to really play Texas Hold'em, since he gets out to the Dover casinos once in a while

48. Asian breads : NAANS

50. Like dried mud : CAKY

52. Novak Djokovic's org. : ATP - sounds like a tennis name to me

Splynter

Note from C.C.: 

I'm sad to let you know that Leah (Chickie on our blog) lost her husband Bill on July 6th. Chickie was very active on our blog for many years. She and Bill just celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary last month. You're in our thoughts, Chickie.