Monday, November 6, 2017 ~ Brian Thomas

Theme: GRANDPA - Gr and Pa start the starred answers.

17A. *Degree earner's celebration: GRADUATION PARTY

27A. *Math student's pad: GRAPH PAPER

39A. Pop's pop ... or, divided into three parts, what the answers to starred clues have in common: GRANDPA. GR and PA

48A. *Lawn repair piece: GRASS PATCH

63A. *More promising job, say: GREENER PASTURES

Argyle here with Brian's much simpler puzzle that his debut. Here.

 Grandma already had her puzzle. Here.

Across:

1. Draw forth: EVOKE

6. Vitello __ parmigiana: ristorante offering: ALLA

10. Map out: PLAN

14. Jeans material: DENIM

15. Porky Pig or Elmer Fudd: TOON

16. Hawaiian dance: HULA

20. "Life of Pi" author __ Martel: YANN

21. Cookie containers: TINS

22. Fields of study: AREAS

23. Off base sans permission, in the mil.: AWOL

25. Italian volcano: ETNA

31. Big galoots: OAFS

35. Vermouth bottle name: ROSSI. Martini & Rossi Distilleria.

36. Dazed and confused: IN A WHIRL

38. "Lost" network: ABC

42. Foe of Chiang: MAO

43. '40s coat-and-trousers outfit: ZOOT SUIT

45. Quickly looks over: SCANS

47. Jazz legend James: ETTA

51. Dick Tracy's love __ Trueheart: TESS

53. Thin stream of smoke: WISP

54. Is __: likely will: APT TO

57. Many a freshman: TEEN

59. Triangle ratio: SINE

66. Crowd sound: ROAR

67. Casting-off place: PIER

68. The John B, e.g.: SLOOP

69. Requests: ASKS

70. Tarzan raisers: APES

71. Coin with Lincoln: PENNY. No relation to Shatner.

Down:

1. Like avant-garde art: EDGY

2. Aloe __: VERA

3. __ empty stomach: ON AN

4. Snatches for ransom: KIDNAPS

5. Flightless Aussie bird: EMU

6. Number one Hun: ATTILA

7. Pork cut: LOIN

8. Bit of unfinished business: LOOSE END

9. Cape NNW of Cod: ANN

10. Exodus tyrant: PHARAOH

11. Attract: LURE

12. Opposite of baja: ALTA. In place names, Spanish baja, literally "lower," either in elevation or geography so does ALTA mean higher?

13. Those opposed: NAYS

18. Perched on: ATOP

19. Searing utensil: PAN

24. Taylor and Fillmore, politically: WHIGS. Back in the day.

26. Ensnare: TRAP

27. Enjoy the field, as cattle do: GRAZE, but the bovines are always looking for 63-Across GREENER PASTURES and will break a fence to get to it if they have to.

28. Automaton: ROBOT

29. Neckwear for Fred in "Scooby-Doo": ASCOT

30. Ship of 1492: PINTA

32. Set one's sights on: AIM AT

33. Swiss coin: FRANC

34. Trudge through water: SLOSH

37. Hornets and yellow jackets: WASPS

40. Persians on the floor: RUGS

41. Local landing location: AIRSTRIP

44. Ragged clothes: TATTERS

46. Time-release med: CAPSULE

49. Takes an oath: SWEARS

50. Reasons to repent: SINS

52. Waiting time at the DMV, seemingly: EON

54. Taj Mahal city: AGRA

55. Golf instructors: PROs

56. Shipbuilding wood: TEAK

58. Sport with swords: ÉPÉE

60. Cold War curtain material?: IRON

61. Bright sign: NEON

62. Catch sight of: ESPY

64. UV index monitor: Abbr.: EPA. (Environmental Protection Agency)

65. Sugar amt.: TSP. (teaspoon)

Argyle

Sunday November 5, 2017 Mike Peluso

Theme: "Gridiron Glossary" - Football terms are re-phrased.

23A. Goose's medical concern? : LOSS OF DOWN. Geese seem to be here year-round now.

25A. F? : FALSE START. Creative clue.


45A. Ginger cookie factory statistic? : SNAP COUNT

69A What results from failure to stop at a deer crossing? : DELAY OF GAME. We saw two deer last time when we walked at Springbrook. They also have wild turkeys.

91A. So-so haul in the fishing industry? : FAIR CATCH

110A Home security system at no cost? : FREE SAFETY. Quite a few ADT signs in our neighborhood.


114A. "Hamlet" in progress? : PLAY ACTION
 
32D. Prohibited courtroom procedure? : ILLEGAL MOTION

35D. Unpleasant singles bar come-on? : OFFENSIVE LINE

Re-phrasing is one of my favorite theme types. You don't need to be a fan to solve the puzzle, though your enjoyment will be enhanced if you're into football or golf or other sports. Mike Peluso is a Seahawks fan, by the way.


Mike also arranged his theme entries nicely, placing 7 in Across and the two 13s in Down slots. Great design for a 9-themer.

Across:    

1. Museum curators' degs. : MFAs

5. Considers : DEEMS

10. "Ain't happening" : NOPE. Also 28. Ain't right? : AREN'T. So is IS NOT.


14. Hobbyist's knife : X-ACTO. Owned by Elmer's.

19. 1814-'15 exile site : ELBA

20. China's Zhou __ : ENLAI. I mentioned last time that he protected many from being persecuted during Culture Revolution. Read here to see how he helped the last wife of the last Chinese emperor.

21. Pats on the table : OLEO. Not on our table.

22. Tiger Woods has won a record 21 of them : ESPYs. Of course I was thinking of tournaments. Not that I can think of any. 
 
27. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Jerry : SLOAN. Wiki says "Sloan had a career regular-season win–loss record of 1,221–803, placing him third all-time in NBA wins at the time he retired. Sloan was only the fifth coach in NBA history to reach 1,000 victories and is one of two coaches in NBA history to record 1,000 wins with one club (the Utah Jazz)...."

30. Hastings head : LOO. Hastings is also a county here in MN.

31. Two-element tubes : DIODES

33. Energetic mount : STEED

34. One of Jupiter's Galilean moons : EUROPA. The only other Jupiter moon I know is LEDA.

38. Woody's son : ARLO

39. Ones with will power? : HEIRS. Nice clue.

41. Discontinued allergy brand : ACTIFED. Never heard of this brand.

42. Sundae topping item : WALNUT. Brain food.
 
49. Brut alternative : AFTA

50. What "L" may mean: Abbr. : LGE

51. Fared reasonably well : DID OK

53. Melodious : ARIOSE. Or ARIOSO.

55. Short albums, for short : EPs

56. Crystalline rocks : GEODES

58. __ to go: eager : RARIN'

60. Troubling spots : ACNE. Saw ACNES in a puzzle once and had to ask Argyle and D-Otto.

62. Longtime Priceline pitchman : SHATNER

64. Cries over : LAMENTS

66. Perp stopper : TASER

68. Beer ingredient : MALT

72. "__ le roi!" : VIVE

73. Equally irate : AS MAD

75. Male escorts : GIGOLOS. Learned this word from "American Gigolo".

76. Kenny Rogers quartet : EX-WIVES. Crossing 71. Joe Namath, notably : EX-JET. Tiny dupe. Also 14. Crosses off : X'ES OUT.

78. Socks : HOSE

79. Subject for Archimedes : LEVER

80. Convince using flattery : CAJOLE. Nice fill.

81. Window sill item : POT. Love my pot of rosemary. So good with roasted potatoes.

82. Yellow Teletubby : LAA LAA

85. Kitchen gadget : CORER

86. Hasty departure : LAM

89. Enthused : AVID
 
94. Raising a ball, with "up" : TEEING

96. "Il Trovatore" heroine : LEONORA. Also 101. Verdi title bandit : ERNANI. Both learning moments for me.

98. Stop before surgery : PRE-OP

100. Pesky biter : GNAT

102. Invigorate Dry Spray maker : ARRID

104. Soprano Fleming et al. : RENEEs. Also 57. James and Jones of jazz : ETTAs

107. Private eye : TEC

108. Manila envelope feature : CLASP

109. Infamous fictional motel : BATES. That's a scary movie.
 
119. Martini partner : ROSSI
 
120. Logical beginning? : IDEO. Ideological.

121. Long-legged fisher : EGRET

122. Sein, across the Rhine : ETRE. I did not know the the meaning of Sein, "to be" in German.

123. Lessen : ABATE

124. Swiss capital : BERN

125. DEA activity : RAIDS

126. Connecticut senator Chris : DODD. Former.
  

Down:
 
1. 2-Down's boss : MEL. And 2. 1-Down's sitcom employee : FLO

3. Crunch targets : ABs

4. Hairstyling legend : SASSOON. Here is one of their ads in China.

5. Friday creator : DEFOE (Daniel)

6. Hyphen relative : EN DASH

7. North Carolina university : ELON

8. Cavernous opening : MAW

9. Rat Pack leader : SINATRA

10. Like some bank services : NO FEE

11. Chan portrayer : OLAND (Warner). Charlie Chan.

12. Bombard : PELT

13. Daybreak deity : EOS
 
15. Oregon port : ASTORIA

16. Auditing pro : CPA

17. Norse war god : TYR. MARS in Roman.

18. Opposite of west, in Dortmund : OST

24. Stale : OLD

26. Puts into office : ELECTS

29. Court defendant: Abbr. : RESP (Respondent)

31. Bore : DRAG
 
33. Go down : SINK

36. Tardy people, to some : PET PEEVE. You won't ever find Boomer late. He's always a few minutes earlier, rain or snow.

37. Courtroom figs. : ADAs

38. Leatherwork tool : AWL

40. Those, in Oaxaca : ESOS
 
41. "Is that __?" : A NO

43. Hokkaido noodle : UDON. I love seafood udon. 

44. Helped through a tough time, with "over" : TIDED

46. Tend to : CARE FOR

 47. Letter-shaped gaskets : O-RINGS

48. Utah range : UINTA. Looks like a great hiking spot. I recall Dave linked this clip once. I reached all the peaks.

52. Loosening of govt. standards : DEREG

54. Take in : EAT
 
58. Duracell competitor : RAYOVAC

59. Whac-__ : A-MOLE

61. Nitpick : CAVIL

62. Wee, in Dundee : SMA

63. Discuss in detail : HASH OVER
 
64. California-based shoe company : LA GEAR

65. Feature of a no-holds-barred campaign : SMEAR. Politics can be so ugly.

67. Legal thing : RES
 
70. Actress Palmer : LILLI
 
74. Costa __ Sol : DEL

77. Eroded : WORE

80. Pacific salmon : COHO. Huge.

81. Ashen : PALE

83. Toto hit that mentions Kilimanjaro : AFRICA. Helpful hint.

84. Routing org. : AAA

85. Included in the email loop, briefly : CC'ED
 
87. Santa __: dry winds : ANAs

88. Corp. big shots : MGT

90. Proof of paternity, perhaps : DNA TEST

92. Loan figs. : APRS. Annual Percentage Rate.

 93. The Beatles' "Day __" : TRIPPER

95. Spewed : EGESTED

97. Baby's first garment : ONESIE

99. Implored : PRAYED

102. Not leave as is : ALTER

103. Belted tire synthetic : RAYON
 
105. La Floride et La Virginie : ETATS. Interesting, states are all feminine. I think Mike speaks fluent French.


106. Japanese chip maker : NEC

108. Turn over : CEDE

109. Adriatic port : BARI

110. Monastery title : FRA
 
111. Carl's director son : ROB. Mel Brooks mentioned in a interview that he and Carl Reiner meet every day. They love watching movies together and chatting. 

112. Conductor __-Pekka Salonen : ESA

113. It's not a bad lie : FIB. I was picturing a golf ball in an uphill lie. Definitely not a bad lie. Easy to hit.


115. JFK alternative : LGA

116. Simpson trial judge : ITO
 
117. Command from a maj. : ORD. OK, order.

118. Actor Beatty : NED

Saturday, November 4, 2017, C.C. Burnikel

Theme: CCCW~!

Words: 70 (missing F,J,Q,V,X,Z)

Blocks: 30

Another puzzle from our ever-producing blog hostess C.C. - four constructions for the LA Times in October - that's impressive.  This time, however, there was to be no "STOG" - that Straight TO Google beast I got roughed up by in September.  Not even red-letter this time.  A plethora of 9-letter answers, and pairs of 10-letter answers in the down corners;

1a. It features remotely controlled utilities : SMARTHOME - I was not sure if this was an actual brand name, or just a phrase - turns out to be both.  I can argue that I have a smart home because Alexa can turn my lights on for me with just a voice command, and I can do it thru my "smart" phone as well

11d. Restaurant freebie : DINNER ROLL - PEPPERMINT fit as well, and even worked with my crossing WINE @ 35a.

53a. Crowdfunding website : INDIEGOGO - no clue.  Perps and WAGs.  What a great idea this is.  I might have to look further into the website as a source of funds to get my board game started.  Speaking of which, my buddy Mike was in Orlando this weekend for a Toy Convention - recognize the guy he's with~?

 Hint - go fish

 26. Program that holds you up? : RANSOMWARE - never heard of it - scary - the Wiki

O&W%$^R-//_d~!

ACROSS:

10. Blue Moon of '60s-'70s baseball : ODOM - Baseball~!  "Johnny Lee" to his parents, I am guessing - his Wiki

14. One who fits perfectly : MALE MODEL - yep, damn ski(m)ppy

15. Your, of yore : THINE

16. Consequences of compliments : EGO BOOSTS

17. Seashore birds : ERNES - ERNES or TERNS~?

18. Oscar Wilde, e.g. : WIT

19. Bud : BRO

20. Biscotti bits : ALMONDS

22. Lane of "Unfaithful" : DIANE - crossword popular lately

24. Sunny : UPBEAT

25. Without question : TRULY

27. Expo display : DEMO - Home Depot once had a store here on L.I. called "Expo", and it was all high end home improvement items; they had vignettes of kitchens and bathrooms that were over the top expensive, but way cool, too.

29. Deli option : RYE

30. Action film scene : CHASE

31. Works out : PUMPS IRON - ah, the exercising kind; I wondered if this was the "this came out good" works out

33. Hair piece : HANK - dah.  Not LOCK

34. Lines at department stores : SEAMS - wow, that's vague.  SEAMS on clothing.  How 'bout these seams~?

35. Blanc, e.g. : MONT - my first thought was WINE.  Can you tell I work at a vineyard now~?  I spent the last two weeks re-working the warehouse with better shelving that is customized to what needed to go on them.  Here's a pic of what I accomplished, for TX Ms.; yes, there's carpentry and mechanics involved, so this is just about the perfect place for me.

36. Online place for handmade goods : ETSY STORE - seems redundant.  I am familiar with the website - here;  I have bought some cool stuff there.

38. Vexes : GALLS

39. Bustle : ADO

40. Koi __ : POND

41. In a romantic fashion, lighting-wise : DIMLY

42. "Grey's Anatomy" star Ellen : POMPEO - never watched the show, did not know this actress; filled via perps.  Strange that she was born in Everett WA, and came to NY - I was thinking about leaving NY for Everett WA about 15 years ago

44. Running legend : OWENS - my first thought was the crossword staple Emil (Zátopek), but neither name fit; instead, we were looking for Jesse Owens

46. Rabbit danglers : DEWLAPS - I tried LOP EARS.  Bzzzt.  I did not know that this was called a dewlap - I know only of the kind on iguanas

48. 2015 World Golf Award winner for Golf Course Designer of the Year : ELS - three letters and golf related~?  Ernie ELS

49. Ended a standing ovation : SAT

52. Light __ : AS AIR - SABER worked, too - at least the "R" did

56. Focus quartet : TIRES - a-ha~! My first thought.  A FORD Focus, that is - I would love to tear up the road in one of these

57. Disorderly places : RATS NESTS

58. "Vous __ ici" : ETES - Frawnche that translates to this

59. Bar item : SHOTGLASS

DOWN:

1. Eurasian duck : SMEW - Dah~!  Not TEAL - they're North American

2. Star followers : MAGI - "WARS" fit, but didn't jibe

3. Loads : A LOT

4. Gray : REBel - The Confederate side of the Civil War.  I tried APE, was thinking ALIENS

5. Sprint competitor : T-MOBILE

6. "Woo-hoo!" : "HOORAY~!"

7. Can't stop eating, as snack food : ODs ON

8. Bumped into : MET

9. Animated queen of Arendelle : ELSA

10. Laura's classic cry on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" : "OH, ROB."

13d. Private dining rooms? : MESS TENTS - dining for army privates

12. Sale limit : ONE DAY ONLY - Macy's seems to run sales like this

15. Playing speeds : TEMPOS

21. Sweetener units : LUMPS - not GRAMS

22. Like late twilight : DUSKY

23. Facebook co-founder Saverin : EDUARDO

25. "I've had enough!" : "THAT DOES IT~!"

28. Palindromic supermodel : EMME - Dah~! Not "ELLE"; never heard of this first-of-her-kind plus-size model

30. Easy-to-please companion : CHEAP DATE

31. Grunt : PEON

32. Mosque leaders : IMAMS

34. Condescend : STOOP

37. Sticks a fork in : SPEARS

38. Root widely used in traditional Chinese medicine : GINSENG

41. Remove from an exchange : DE-LIST

43. Barre bends : PLIES - forced me to change my LOP EARS

45. United with : WED TO

47. Formal addressees : SIRs

49. Player who failed to lead the league in all three seasons in which he hit 60+ home runs : SOSA - a lot of clue for a little answer - but it's more baseball from C.C.~!

50. CIA operatives : AGTs

51. Scrap : TOSS

54. Casual denial : "NAH."

55. Holder of locks : GEL - I could not find a decent hair gel until I spoke with Maggie, who cuts my hair (I was there on Thursday) - I actually resorted to using Elmer's Glue - hey, it's water-based, and it worked.  Maggie had Suavecito pomade - I like it.

Splynter

Friday, November 3, 2017, Daniel Nierenberg

TITLE: HIGH TECH CUT AND PASTE

Husker Gary here taking over the Friday bridge for a few weeks. Daniel has a supplied a delightful challenge to you and me as he does some word EDITING on the word GENE under the rubric of GENETIC EDITING we see in his reveal:

50. Molecular manipulation technique ... and a hint to the starts of the three other longest puzzle answers : GENE EDITING - Which is shown symbolically here

Since our mission here is in the linguistic and not biological sciences let's confine our discourse to the former and not the latter. Daniel has taken the word GENE and has edited that word by replacing the fourth, second and third letters respectively and using that product as the first word in three fun theme entries. Very cool!

Let's start by looking at Daniel's three themers:

21. Counseling for boomers' kids? : GENX THERAPY (the E is edited to an X) - 

A Medical Procedure and GEN X Prototypes
who are getting some Breakfast Club therapy

26. Sign on a film studio employee's door? : GONE SPLICING (The E is edited to an O)

A Medical Procedure and a Film Editor's Job

43. Altered clone of actor Richard? : GERE MUTATION (The N is edited to an R)

A Medical Procedure and RICHARD GERE altered
and not really mutated 😜

Now let's see how Daniel tested our genetic makeup today:

Across

1. Free : LET GO - Verb not adjective

6. Crusty formation : SCAB

10. One in a farm array : BALE - Round BALES have mostly supplanted old, labor intensive rectangular ones

14. Truism : AXIOM - The whole is greater than the part - Euclid

15. Kappa preceder : IOTA

16. Entry : ITEM - My lovely OCD bride checks every ITEM on every receipt when we get home!

17. Saint toppers : NIMBI - No idea for this verbal cowboy and since I chose the Y for 5. "Yikes!" : O MI GOSH (which yields NIMOY? across), I'll take one bad cell and go to my room.

18. Equine footwork : GAIT

19. Glitz : GLAM - GLAM rock was not a big part of my world

20. Renewed one's energy, in a way : ATE

24. Santa __: Sonoma County seat : ROSA - So much was destroyed in the recent fires

25. Complimentary writers : ODISTS

31. Words of desire : I WISH

32. Room at the hacienda : SALA

33. Fast hit : JAB - Derek Jeter wants no part of a JAB from "The Greatest"

36. Gave for a while : LENT





37. Some rank indicators : BELTS - Judo BELTS

39. Corona product : BEER

40. Disturbance : ADO

41. "Write once, run anywhere" software : JAVA - Cross platform for sure. 

42. One with many mouths to feed? : HYDRA

46. French gambling game : ECARTE - Ce jeu est nouveau pour moi (This game is new to me)

49. Zero : NONE - Describes my previous knowledge of ECARTE after I saw the answer was not baccarat 

53. Sudden turn : ZAG

56. Advantage : EDGE

57. Bunches : A LOT

58. Immune system component : T CELL - An important topic in HIV discussion

60. Food preservative : SALT - The Lincoln, NE minor league team is named for this valuable resource found there 150 years ago

61. Cithara relative : LYRE - The oldest cithara shown here was not big in GLAM rock.

62. Clear, in a way : ERASE

63. "__ bien!" : TRES - My granddaughter's description so far of her semester in Grenoble, France

64. Word appearing twice in a Woody Guthrie title : LAND - This LAND is your LAND

65. Synthetic polymer : NYLON


Down

1. Turner of "The Bad and the Beautiful" : LANA - She plays a woman who is victimized by a studio head played by Kirk Douglas. Nah, that could never happen!

2. It's a turnoff : EXIT - If you miss EXIT 193 on the Florida Turnpike, the next one is 48 miles away

3. What's up at the deadline? : TIME - I can't tell you how many kids have their project done the day AFTER the deadline

4. Mushy lump : GOB


6. Traffic or turn follower : SIGNAL - "Is my turn SIGNAL working?" "Yes, no, yes, no..."

7. Influence with flattery : COAX - More carrot and less stick

8. Studying like crazy, say : AT IT

9. Tub soothers : BATH OILS

10. Interstate rumbler : BIG RIG - Two BIG RIGS hauling a, uh, BIG RIG

11. Condemned Titan : ATLAS - He was condemned to hold the Earth (Gaia) on his shoulders

12. Jumped : LEAPT

13. "Game of Thrones" accumulation : EMMYS - I'm the guy who has never watched it

22. Zener cards presumably tested for it : ESP - He never had a chance did he?

23. "Show Boat" author Ferber : EDNA

24. Take a load off : REST

26. __ monster : GILA


27. Was required to pay : OWED - To whom is the money shown here OWED?

28. Yucatán youngster : NINO - Who is this kid and why is he messing with our weather?

29. Sunni's religion : ISLAM

30. Indoor __ : CAT - Our Lily is clearly one and it appears she brought M & M's to the manger

33. Force user : JEDI

34. NASA prefix : AERO - My golf pro's daughter is on the left and is a member of the UNL AEROspace Engineering team that is building a retractable arm to be used on a future NASA vehicle at Langley.

35. Muffin option : BRAN

37. Left nothing out : BARED ALL

38. Big event lead-in : EVE - All Hallows' EVE just passed 

39. Data measure : BYTE

41. Ballet jump : JETE - A dramatic view of one

42. Do a surfing maneuver : HANG TEN - Toes overboard!

43. Shakes hands with, say : GREETS

44. Bonded : UNITED

45. Weigh station unit : TON

46. Get rid of : EGEST - I get Amazon videos but this is not making my playlist

53. Gusto : ZEAL - A little too much being shown in the EGEST movie above

47. Wood for grilling planks : CEDAR

48. What "x" may be in trigonometry : ANGLE

51. Former NHL winger Kovalchuk : ILYA - Я не имел понятия об этом парень! (I had no clue about this guy!)

52. Uncertain : TORN

54. "Just one more thing ... " : ALSO

55. Narrow valley : GLEN - Oh Danny Boy, The pipes, the pipes are calling. From GLEN to GLEN and down the mountainside

59. Sound of woe : CRY

DA GRID:

It's time to SPLICE your responses to this exposition: