Friday, November 17, 2017, Alex Eaton-Salners

TITLE:  THE GREAT ESCAPE

Husker Gary in the cockpit for one more Friday. Alex's puzzle today has the word GREAT escaping the puzzle on all sides! Alex has taken ten phrases that start with the word GREAT and has put them on the perimeter of the gird sans that leading word. I have decided to try to show both ideas with the grid below where I have chosen a graphic that illustrates the entire phrase and placed it so that it abuts (a fav word here) the word that would follow GREAT.

Here are Alex's GREAT themers starting in the NW and going clockwise.

1. "Holy cow!" : SCOTT - SCOTT had to be correct but the implied GREAT didn't hit me until the next fill. I sometimes confuse Doc Brown's phrase with what Clark Kent's boss used to say on TV.

6. "Atta girl!" : JOB and 13. Considerable achievement : SUCCESS - Both remind me of our lovely blogmistress C.C.!

9. Like thinkers : MINDS - The GREAT ones here often do think alike and then there's yours truly

49. Scotland's island : BRITAIN - Scotland's division with Britain is the Cheviot Hills seen here and not Hadrian's Wall as I thought

74. Wheeler Peak's national park : BASIN - Defined as being a contiguous watershed between the Rockies and the Sierra Nevadas and Cascades with no outlet to the sea as you can see in the yellow part of the map above

73. Bonobo, for one : APE - A word I appreciate greatly as a noun and not as a verb

72. Dogs in the AKC's Working Group : DANES - GREAT is a pretty good adjective here

42. Oldest of the Seven Wonders : PYRAMID - Using cosmic rays, scientists have recently discovered evidence of a hidden chamber in the GREAT PYRAMID where Khufu is 53. Lay to rest : ENTOMBed

1. Blue Ridge range : SMOKIES - Our only trip through the beautiful GREAT SMOKIES range was in a driving rain storm.

and the reveal

39. Landmark that, in a way, is a border feature of this puzzle and a hint to what's missing from 10 answers : GREAT WALL - Finally we see our word escapee that is forming an implied WALL around the grid! 

The FLOTUS touring the GREAT WALL last week

...and now for Alex's other, uh, GREAT clues!

Across

14. Group that bestows a "Select" distinction on five board games annually : MENSA - The 2017 winners

15. Barnyard mother : EWE - Not so much on HEN, COW or SOW

16. Paris parting : ADIEU

17. Arkansas' __ National Forest : OZARK - Kind of a gimme doncha' ya think?

18. X, maybe : TEN 

19. Something to talk about : TOPIC

20. Kit__ bar : KAT

21. Ones responsible for paper cuts, briefly? : ED.S -  Clever!

23. Comedian Rogan : JOE - I've never seen him work

25. 39-Acr. locale : PRC - Of course that wall in the reveal is located in the Peoples Republic of China!

26. Like Vivaldi's "Spring" : IN E - In the puzzle I blogged last Friday, I showed Ray Charles's great Mean Woman Blues also written IN the key of E

27. More diverse : MOTLIER - This is one Shakespearean word that has stuck with me

29. Suffix with brom- : IDE

30. "Bambi" doe : ENA - ENA and her daughter Faline are on the right. ENA is Bambi's aunt and becomes his mother-in-law

31. Jane of fiction : EYRE

32. __ Island: NYC prison site : RIKERS - A destination for many a bad guy on Law And Order

34. Blood fluids : SERA - Plural for serum. Getting diptheria SERA/antitoxin to Nome in 1925 was done by dogsled in a heroic effort 

36. Director Riefenstahl : LENI - Adolph's favorite filmmaker

38. Buenos __ : AIRES

42. Gumby's pony : POKEY

45. Othello, for one : MOOR - Olivier and Dame Maggie Smith as Othello and Desdemona 

46. Workers' rights org. : NLRB - National Labor Relations Board - a 1935 board established by FDR

50. "... through __ window breaks?" : YONDER - Leonardo DiCaprio and Clare Danes as Romeo and Juliet

52. Together, in Toulon : UNIE - Notre famille a besoin d'être unie (Our family needs to be united)

54. Back to front? : IER - You can put IER on the back of front to get FRONTIER

55. Line score initials : RHE - Baseball fans will recognize this 1956 line score as perhaps the most famous in baseball history

56. Taken (with) : SMITTEN 

58. Egg: Pref. : OVI

59. In the manner of : A LA - Next Friday's blog should be A LA Lemon

60. P.O. box item : ENV

61. Short order? : BLT -BLT and mayo started out as diner lingo but are now mainstream

62. Badminton need : NET

63. Familia member : MADRE

65. Tuna variety : AHI

67. Tippett's "King Priam," for one : OPERA and 69. "King Priam" is based on it : ILIAD - Nice juxtaposition 

70. "Kidding!" : NOT

71. Argentine soccer superstar : MESSI - Lionel MESSI plays for FC Spain for $42,000,000/ year

Down

2. "The Card Players" artist : CEZANNE - What does it say about a Qatari family who can spend $250,000,000 for this painting? 

3. Winning steadily : ON A TEAR

4. Train syst. across Russia : TSR - Trans Siberian Railway - Dr. Zhivago inspired great interest in this railway but the train scenes were actually shot in Finland

5. "I wanna go too!" : TAKE ME

6. LAX-to-JFK flight shortener : JET STREAM - LA to NY takes about 40 min. less

7. Be shy : OWE

8. Dog star : BENJI

9. Stand-up's need : MATERIAL

10. Words often heard after "shall live?" : I DO - "...as long as we both shall live" (or decide  we can't do this anymore)

11. Colder : NIPPIER

12. Tragic heroine of Irish legend : DEIRDRE - New to me but I like the painting

22. Watson's creator : DOYLE - No, I am not going to say "Elementary..."

24. Anthem preposition : OER - It is sung five notes before the real test of hitting the note for "FREE" without going into falsetto 

28. Offered free use of, as a library book : LENT OUT - They LENT OUT every Hardy Boy Mystery to me in my ute!

33. Pottery oven : KILN

35. Treated like wine : AGED

37. "You're safe with me" : I WON'T BITE - Unless...

40. Some field starters : RYE SEEDS - RYE is used as a winter cover crop here

41. Red-headed Disney princess : ARIEL 

43. "Très chic!" : OOH LA LA 

44. Add, as raisins to bread dough : KNEAD IN - As this cute little kitty is learning to do

47. Elsa or Nala : LIONESS

48. Game with two-toned discs : REVERSI - When I played this game, it was known as 45 Across

51. Watergate pres. : RMN - It's usually the coverup that gets 'em

57. Donald Jr.'s mom : IVANA

64. Singer Carly __ Jepsen : RAE 

66. Hip follower : HOP - The rhythms are infectious but some of the "lyrics" are so offensive 

68. Green sphere : PEA

As Tony the Tiger would say, we are ready for your GRRRRREAT comments:

Thursday, November 16 2017 Jason Chapnick and C.C.Burnikel

Theme: Beer me up, Scottie! The beer part of the boilermaker is highlighted:

18A. News provider in front of a camera : TV REPORTER

This is the cleanest example of TV Reporter incidents I could come up with. Google "TV Reporter Fail" and you'll see what I mean.

24A. 1993-2002 Ford-Nissan minivan : MERCURY VILLAGER

40A. Banish : CAST OUT

51A. Many a Poe work : HAIR-RAISING TALE

60A Half a boilermaker ... and what's aptly hidden in 18-, 24-, 40- and 51-Across : BEER CHASER

Whisky shot, beer to back it up. Purdue University are nicknamed The Boilermakers, and have a game shout "Boiler Up", which I always find comical. Go Irish! Go Blue! Fight On! Woo Pig Sooey! Those are shouts I can get behind. Boiler Up? What the heck is that all about?

A corner duo today with Lemonade (Jason) and C.C. - the first joint effort was back in 2014. Neat theme, I've just started a new job with a company who's offices provide free draft beer - five varieties - in the common area. Next time I'm in the office I'll "cheers" you all with as many of the theme beers I can find. Forget the free coffee, I'm going for the Pilsner.

Across:

1. El Misti's land : PERU. What? I asked my Peruvian friend who was conveniently sitting next to me, it's a volcano.

5. Want as a price : ASK

8. Debit card action : SWIPE. Less common now, more INSERT with the chip thing.

13. Shock jock Don : IMUS. I think Howard Stern out-shocked him.

14. Invoice stamp : PAID

16. Schumer's "Trainwreck" co-star : HADER. I was so close to a personal Natick with HADER crossing PEELE. The "E" seemed the most likely.

17. Attend : COME

20. Takes too much, briefly : OD'S

22. Field mouse : VOLE. Is a vole a mouse? I thought they were different beasts.

23. Head light : HALO. Fun clue.

28. Status symbol suit : ARMANI. I have an Armani blazer, I never thought of it as a status symbol. I bought it in a thrift store in Toluca Lake for peanuts and I wear it often.

29. Pull : TOW

30. Lion's home : LAIR

31. Squad : TEAM

35. Cut corners : SKIMP. I majorly skimped on the blog last week, as in I didn't write it up at all. C.C. was so generous with my faux pas.

39. Subj. for many an au pair : ESL. I dated a Danish au pair many moons ago in London. She was a classic Danish blonde, smoked a pipe, drank LAGER and drew a lot of attention in the pub. Her English as a Second Language what just what you would expect from a Scandinavian. I was a mess at "Hello". She was working for the family of a great musician, she married a guitarist in a huge rock band. I could never compete with the riffs. Happy memories.

42. __-wop : DOO

43. Best Picture Oscar nominee directed by Ava DuVernay : SELMA

45. Little chirp : PEEP

46. Big name in banking : CITI

47. __ de Triomphe : ARC

49. Musical works : OPUSES. OPERA is the plural in Latin. Irregular.

57. MLB playoff event : ALCS. Hi, C.C! American League Championship Series

58. Like webs : SPUN

59. Bailed-out insurance co. : AIG

63. Avian crop : CRAW. Something to get food stuck in. Pheasants eat little pebbles to avoid the sticking problem. I know this from dressing wild pheasant back in the old country.

66. Like Wrigley Field's walls : IVIED

67. Fraught with danger : DIRE

68. Luke's sister : LEIA. I always struggle with the Star Wars clues. I know all the names, I never know who is related to whom.

69. Works behind, as a bar : TENDS. I was a bartender in an Irish bar in London as my evening job when I first moved to the Smoke when I was 18. Filing marine insurance claims during the day, earning minimum wage, pouring Guinness and whiskey (with the "E") and be quick about it. I really enjoyed it. I can still pour a perfect pint of the black stuff. That was the Irish boilermaker along with a shot of Jameson's.

70. List-ending letters : ETC

71. Reef dwellers : EELS

Down:

1. Many a JPEG file : PIC. Technically every JPEG is a picture.

2. Expressive rock genre : EMO. Usually miserably expressive. I'd post a musical link here to The Smiths but I'd only depress you all.

3. Means of spreading dirt? : RUMOR MILL. Located next to the water cooler.

4. Wheels with a history : USED CAR. I wanted all kinds of varieties like FERRIS or MODEL-T and found nothing would fit. Eventually the cent dropped.

5. On the mark : APT. An apt remark, an apt comment.

6. Shrewdly informed : SAVVY

7. Former name of the Mariinsky Ballet : KIROV. Learning moment, thank you. I didn't know that the Kirov underwent a name change.

8. "Shameless" network, briefly : SHO. Had the "O". Went with HBO. Was wrong.

9. Bellicose sort : WAR HAWK. The WAR part was new to me. I know Hawk and Dove to describe the two opposing opinions.

10. Pet pendant : ID TAG

11. Comedy duo Key & __ : PEELE. See Natick note at 16A

12. Computer warning : ERROR

15. Sub station : DELIcatessen

19. Hide : PELT

21. One rising at dawn : SUN

24. Guys : MALES

25. Clear data from : ERASE

26. Actress Wilson of "Sleepless in Seattle" : RITA. Wanted OWEN and then read the clue properly.

27. Without a clue : LOST

32. Clairvoyance letters : ESP Both ESL and ESP today.

33. Put away the dishes? : ATE. Because "Empty the dishwasher, polish and replace in the cupboard" doesn't fit.

34. Stooge with bangs : MOE

36. Contrarian's reply : I DISAGREE

37. Econo Lodge, e.g. : MOTEL

38. Composure : POISE

40. Oakland Raiders' quarterback Derek : CARR. Oakland have had about five thousand QB's. It's hard not to have been a Raider quarterback.

41. Informed about : UP ON

44. Color that isn't an Earth tone? : MARS RED

46. Manicure concern : CUTICLE

48. Twenties, say : CASH

50. Vardon Trophy org. : P.G.A. The USA's Professional Golfer's Association award to the year's leader in scoring average. There's also a Harry Vardon Trophy in Europe too, awarded by the European Tour for a completely different reason just to muddy the issue. The P.G.A. Championship, the year's final major, awards the Wanamaker Trophy to the winner. Confused yet?

51. Order clothes : HABIT

52. Advil alternative : ALEVE

53. Strand at a chalet, maybe : ICE IN

54. Apple tablet : IPAD

55. Girl in "Calvin and Hobbes" : SUSIE. I loved the Calvin and Hobbes strip, I was surprised didn't remember her name

56. Like argon and krypton : INERT. And me, after a long day.

61. Burnable media : CD'S

62. TiVo button : REC. REC/REW - wait for the cross.

64. Feel sick : AIL

65. "That __ close!" : WAS 

Well, here's the grid, and I'm on my way to blog redemption. I'm no longer the Cal Ripken Jr. of the corner! Sorry, C.C!

I'm off back to the UK tomorrow for a vacation over Thanksgiving week before I dive into my new job; so next week's Turkey Day blog will have an English accent. Quite ironic, really.

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

1) Congratulations on your new job, Steve! Sounds like a fun company. Do you still need to travel a lot?

2) Here are the two pictures Abejo (Bradley) took yesterday. Make sure you read his comments here. What a fun encounter. Nice to "see" you, Madame DeFarge!

  Madame DeFarge's License Plate

3) For those who are new on the blog, you can click here to see all the pictures of blog regulars. Please email me crosswordc@gmail.com if you want your picture included in the Blog Pictures archive also. I snipped some of yours from your blog Comments, Picard. I hope you don't mind.

Wednesday November 15, 2017 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: SHUFFLES AND CUTS THE DECK- Three different anagrams of DECK span across each theme answer.

 

18A With 57-Across, what a 37-Across does; also, as the circles show, what each answer containing them does : SHUFFLES AND

24A. Item that isn't on its regular hook : MISPLACED KEY

37A. Casino employee : BLACKJACK DEALER

48A. Prepared goodies for the fundraiser : BAKED COOKIES

57A. See 18-Across: CUTS THE DECK

Boomer here.

Good morning or evening as the case may be.  Remember, it's always morning somewhere.  The puzzle was a bit difficult with some stretches to get something to fit.  However, since I have never constructed a puzzle, I can only imagine how difficult it can be.  "DECK" letters are integrated in several answers, and he got "BLACKJACK DEALER" to accomplish that. Quite a found.

I believe most casinos now refer to that game as "21".  Here's hoping all have a safe and pleasant Thanksgiving holiday and an eventful "Black Friday !!"

 

Across:

        

1. "Rhoda" production co. : MTM - Initials of Mary Tyler Moore.  She turned the world on with her smile, and Mary's statue is proudly displayed on the Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis.

4. It may follow cries of "Bravo!" : ENCORE - I don't know about this.  Bravo is usually after curtain calls at a play.  Encore is "sing another song".

10. Brink : EDGE - Gillette shaving gel too.

14. Longtime coach Parseghian of Notre Dame : ARA - Extremely famous.  Notre Dame has more followers than Minnesota has snow.

15. Chestnut horse : SORREL

16. Witnessed : SEEN

17. B.A. or B.S. : DEG - This is one of those needed fillers that is not a word but a made up abbreviation.

20. Alamo competitor : AVIS - I first thought of Davy Crockett.  I only rent a car once a year and I don't use the expensive brands (or cars).

22. DDE's overseas command : ETO - European Theatre of Operations.

23. Racers in some Wii games : KARTS - I do not have a Wii, but I have ridden go karts.  The best ones are at Wisconsin Dells.

28. Gear components : TEETH - You said a mouthful.

29. Assist : AID

30. Peace, to Pedro : PAZ - I think most of you know how I feel about foreign words in crosswords.

33. Say yes : AGREE

35. Journalist Curry : ANN

36. Warsaw native : POLE - I get it but I think "Minnesota fishing stick" might be a better clue for me.

41. The two : BOTH

42. Tolkien forest shepherd : ENT -  ??? Never heard of the Tolkien Forest but I once worked at an ear nose and throat clinic.

43. In __: unborn : UTERO - I don't think I have ever heard or seen this word.  But I am only 70, there's still time.

44. Stun : AWE - Aw shucks

45. "The A-Team" actor : MR T - I know crosswords like a lot of four letter words with three vowels, but they also like three letters with no vowels from the A-Team.

46. The "A" in James A. Garfield : ABRAM - I never knew this, however Garfield was president before I was born.  I think we started paying attention to presidential middle names after Harry Truman did not have one, so he put an "S" between Harry and Truman.

52. Blotch : SMEAR

55. Former transp. regulator : ICC - Another three letter acronym for something.  You know what I say - "LBJ took the IRT across the USA, what did he see? The youth of America on LSD."

56. Confident words : I CAN

61. Keogh plan rel. : IRA - This is a great service to everyone.  But remember to take some and spend it when you are 70 1/2, or pay a penalty.  (Good luck trying to find out how much you need to withdraw!)

62. Many : A LOT

63. Paradise : UTOPIA - This is a book by Sir Thomas More about a fictional island in the sun.  I of course disagree, because there are no bowling centers or golf courses on this island.

64. Third-qtr. ender : SEP - or this could be a contribution to your IRA.

65. Actress Russo : RENE - One of my favorites from "Tin Cup"

66. Fireplace shelf : MANTEL - I wonder if this is where Mickey displays his MVP trophies

67. Goal line crossings: Abbr. : TDS - Ok - I have said enough

  

Down:

1. Start of a famous palindrome : MADAM - This word in itself is a palindrome,  I think it refers to "Madam I'm Adam"

2. Eternal City fountain : TREVI

3. Legal administrator : MAGISTRATE - "ALL RISE"  Rookie of the year

4. Difficult curve : ESS - Wonderful Lombard Street - San Francisco, California, USA.

5. Tenant's winter complaint : NO HEAT - Or The heat in Miami - "No LeBron".

6. Source of support : CRUTCH

7. "Friend __?": sentry's query : OR FOE

8. Slo-mo reviewer : REF - Or in hockey - the guy with the red stripe on his black and white shirt.

9. Pipe shape : ELL - Nope - the pipe is straight, the ell is a pipe fitting.

10. Composed piece : ESSAY

11. Expensive : DEAR - I may have clued " ___ Abby" and those of us over 40 would have gotten it right away.  Did you know --?  Abby Van Buren whose real name was Pauline Philips has a grandson, Dean Phillips who is running for third district congressman in Minnesota.

12. Bloke : GENT

13. Fades to black : ENDS

19. __ out a win : EKED - A good verb for the Vikings in the nation's capital last Sunday.

21. The State of the Union, for one : SPEECH

25. Onionlike veggie : LEEK - I have never had one.  How do they taste?

26. Moist and chilly : DANK - This is one of those crossword words.  Does anyone ever say "dank".  "Do you want to go for a walk ?" "No, it's too dank".  "What's the weather forecast?"  "Cloudy and dank."

27. Nice : KIND

30. One drawn to controversy : POLEMICIST - I thought this was a guy that did the vault in the Olympics.

31. Oriole or Jay : ALER - Sorry, never heard of this.

32. MapMyWalk starting point : ZERO - Beetle Bailey's Pal

33. "Waterloo" band : ABBA

34. Healthy look : GLOW

35. Pretend : ACT

36. Former New York governor George : PATAKI - Anyone who watches "Law & Order" reruns will have no problem with this one.

38. Weightlifting move : JERK - Yes it is.

39. Start a pot : ANTE - I wonder how many times this word has appeared in crosswords. (And it doesn't even have three vowels.)

40. German capital : EURO - I guess capital is money, but why be so tricky?

45. Retail outlet : MART

46. Say yes : ACCEPT

47. Italian lawn bowling : BOCCIE - I played Boccie ball as a kid, but I did not know how to spell it.  Now I do.

48. Keep moist, in a way : BASTE - Thanksgiving Day is coming.  Keep that baster handy. 

49. "What I __ My Summer Vacation": school essay : DID ON

50. Like some seals : EARED -  I Like some Mousketeer hats better

51. Spells, as of cold weather : SNAPS - How about some warm Ginger cookies

52. Emotional mark : SCAR

53. Beast of burden : MULE - 20 of them are on a team of Borax.

54. Thames academy : ETON

58. Run smoothly : HUM

59. LAX announcement : ETA

60. __ Kan pet food : KAL

Boomer

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 ~ Janice Luttrell

Theme: Commonality - The reveal shows how the target word, FLAT, can be FINNISHed by the first word of the starred answers.

16A. *2010 Grammy winner for Best Metal Performance: IRON MAIDEN. Flat iron.

39A. *TV cooking competition hosted by Padma Lakshmi: TOP CHEF. Flat top.

10D. *Started a construction project: BROKE GROUND. Flat broke.

24D. *Money-saving investment accounts: TAX SHELTERS. Flat tax.

59A. Paint choice ... and what the first word of the answers to starred clues can literally be: FLAT FINISH

Argyle here. Janice has a nice Tuesday level offering. Classic pinwheel grid.

Across:

1. Fancy pillowcase: SHAM. What is a sham? Here

5. Not as expensive: LESS

9. Stats for sluggers: RBIs

13. Lotto variant: KENO

14. Actress Davis played by Susan Sarandon in TV's "Feud": BETTE. "Feud" was a television series on FX.

15. "Alice's Restaurant" singer Guthrie: ARLO

18. Opinion sampling: POLL

19. 2,000 pounds: TON

20. French possessive: SES. French - his.

21. __-Ball: midway game: SKEE

22. Discreetly, in slang: ON THE DL. "On the down low" unfortunately, has a sexual slang meaning. LIU, if you want.

26. Nag, nag, nag: PESTER

28. Black-eyed __: PEAs

29. Electrified particle: ION

31. Without an escort: STAG

32. Bygone Honda sports car: CR-X

                         Full race mode.

33. Impassive type: STOIC

35. Dry-sounding deodorant brand: ARRID

38. ICU drips: IVs

41. Sch. in Columbus: OSU. Ohio State University--Columbus, OH. We recently had the OSU in Corvallis, OR.

                              Wexner Medical Center

42. Tiny laugh: TE-HEE. I prefer TEE-HEE.

44. Bundle of papers: SHEAF

45. Put into service: USE

46. Airline to Tel Aviv: EL AL

48. Flub it: ERR

49. Letter-shaped hardware item: T-NUT

50. Sinuous ski race: SLALOM

52. Gets in the way of: IMPEDES

54. H.S. exams: SATs. Paper-based standardized test, originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, now just S A T.

55. Dripping: WET

57. SEAL's org.: USN

58. Tech news site: CNET

64. Longfellow's "The Bell of __": ATRI

65. Standoffish: ALOOF

66. Just sitting around: IDLE

67. Pear variety: BOSC

    Alright, who's the wise guy?

68. Mix, as a salad: TOSS

69. What Simon does: SAYS

Down:

1. Word before bum or bunny: SKI

2. "Tell __ About It": Billy Joel hit: HER

3. "That's __-brainer!": A NO

4. Wall calendar pages: MONTHS

5. Welcoming prop on "Hawaii Five-O": LEI

6. Scheduled takeoff hrs.: ETDs

7. Opposite of cheap: STEEP

8. Taste and touch, e.g.: SENSES

9. Nas or Nelly: RAP STAR

11. More green around the gills: ILLER. Ugh!

12. Shoe bottom: SOLE

14. Old Western villain: BANDITO

17. "The Simpsons" bartender: MOE

22. Footnote ref.: OP CIT. "in the work cited."

23. __-racking: very stressful: NERVE

25. Belt holders: LOOPS

27. Chief of __: Army leader: STAFF

30. Wall recess: NICHE

33. Make off with: STEAL

34. Sorbonne sweetie: CHERI. Mon ami.

36. Point to debate: ISSUE

37. Collaborative 1993 Sinatra album: DUETS

40. Half a winter warmer: EARMUFF

43. Stretchy: ELASTIC

47. Like 1% milk: LOW FAT

49. Wimbledon sport: TENNIS

50. __ Domingo: Dominican capital: SANTO

51. __ Yello: soft drink: MELLO

53. 23rd Greek letter: PSI

54. Picket line crosser: SCAB

56. New Mexico town known for its art scene: TAOS

60. Lean-__: shacks: TOs

61. Wash. neighbor: IDA.

62. Tricky: SLY

63. Guys: HEs

Argyle

Monday, November 13, 2017 ~ Mark McClain

Theme: Triple A - They will give you a TOW.

17A. Saber-rattling: THREAT OF WAR

27A. Shed a few pounds: TAKE OFF WEIGHT

45A. Romantic triangle figure: THE OTHER WOMAN

60A. End up just fine: TURN OUT WELL

69A. Highway breakdown need ... or, initially, feature of 17-, 27-, 45- and 60-Across: TOW

Argyle here with what may be one of Mark's easiest puzzles. It's cool none of the 'O' words are repeated.

Across:

1. Position at work: JOB

4. Busy as __: A BEE

8. India neighbor: NEPAL

13. "You __ here": mall map words: ARE

14. Banquet, e.g.: MEAL

15. Top-quality: SELECT

16. With 36-Across, Polo Grounds great: MEL. 36-Across. See 16-Across: OTT. Back when the Giants played in Manhattan.

19. Ravel classic: BOLERO

21. Car dealer's no.: MSRP. (manufacturer's suggested retail price)

22. Bro's sib: SIS

23. Carry on wildly: RANT

25. Regatta propellers: OARS

32. California's San __ Obispo: LUIS

                                       The Nine Sisters

34. Disco __: "The Simpsons" character: STU

35. More up-to-date: NEWER

37. Shed purpose: STORAGE

40. Dismantled Brit. music conglomerate: EMI. An initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, it broke-up in 2012.

41. Truckee River's lake: TAHOE. The Truckee is the outlet of Lake Tahoe and empties into Pyramid Lake. Pyramid Lake has no outlet.

43. Crude __: OIL

44. Small cut: SNIP

49. Continuous change: FLUX

50. "__ le roi!": French Revolution cry: À BAS. "Down with the king!"

51. Relaxing retreat: SPA. Retreat - A place providing peace and quiet.

54. Drop from a list: OMIT

56. Rose garden pests: APHIDS

63. After-tax: NET

64. What a password provides: ACCESS

65. Not working: IDLE

66. Rocks in a bar: ICE

67. Giggly sound: TE-HEE. I prefer tee-hee.

68. Little dog breeds: TOYS

Down:

1. Vertical door part: JAMB

2. Two-toned cookie: OREO

3. Inventor associated with telephones: BELL

4. California Zephyr operator: AMTRAK

5. "Tell it like it is": "BE HONEST"

6. Sensory organ: EAR

7. Sch. before junior high: ELEM. (elementary)

8. Wetsuit material: NEOPRENE

9. North Pole assistant: ELF

10. Seats for the flock: PEWS

11. Palm tree berry: ACAI

12. Acronym parts: Abbr.: LTRs. (letters)

15. McDonald's freebie: STRAW

18. Starting on: AS OF

20. Important periods: ERAs

24. Dorothy's dog: TOTO

26. "Sprechen __ Deutsch?": SIE

27. Ten percent donation: TITHE

28. Public commotion: FUROR

29. Edmund who played Kris Kringle: GWENN. Miracle on 34th Street

30. Prefix with sphere: HEMI

31. __ odometer: TRIP

32. Ronnie in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: LOTT. Number 42 with the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Defense.

33. Beehive State: UTAH

37. Let free: SET LOOSE

38. Old Sony brand: AIWA

39. "Think __, act locally": GLOBALLY

42. Cartoon fight sound: [OOF!]

44. Merit badge holder: SASH

46. Garden fertilizer: HUMUS. Don't mix your HUMUS with your hummus.

47. Red sign over a door: EXIT

48. Syrup trees: MAPLEs

51. ASAP, to an MD: STAT

52. Brownish purple: PUCE

53. Foot part: ARCH

55. Silly goose: TWIT

57. Not yet eliminated: IN IT

58. Art __: DECO

59. Hearty bowlful: STEW

61. Word seen between married and maiden names: NÉE

62. Old name for Tokyo: EDO

 Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to the real Big Easy (George Simpson), who volunteers at the annual Zurich Classic where he has met the other Big Easy a few times. Off the blog, George is a very caring friend to me. I enjoyed working with him on our puzzles.

Big Easy and his wife Diane

Sunday, Nov 12, 2017 Thomas Takaro

Theme: "Your Eyes Become You" - I is replaced by U in each theme entry.

23A. Traffic jam? : MUDDLE OF THE ROAD. Middle of the road.

33A. Serve leftover rolls? : RECYCLE BUNS. Recycle bins

42A. Dispute over young flowers? : BUDDING WAR. Bidding war.

59A. Last pat? : THE BUTTER END. The bitter end.

68A. Coin-making tool? : PENNY PUNCHER. Penny-pincher.
 
84A. Mediocre deli item? : DULL PICKLE. Dill pickle.

93A. Mallard's beard? : DUCK VAN DYKE. Dick Van Dyke.

107A. Pair of vehicles in a plot? : TWO CAR COLLUSION. Two-car collision.
 
15D. Viking descendant on a rampage? : NORMAN MAULER. Norman Mailer.

59D. "Don't forget the rubber disk"? : TAKE YOUR PUCK. Take your pick.

This puzzle has 10 theme entries, occupying total 120 squares. Very heavy in themeage. I don't think I've blogged a 120-themer before.

Rich's minimum requirement is 84. Tough to fill a grid cleanly when the theme entries have over 100 squares. 120 is much much tougher, hence the 88 black squares.

This is also Thomas's first Sunday puzzle. Congratulations!

Across:
       
1. Ball stars : DEBS

5. Baseball's Hammerin' Hank : AARON. And 30. 5-Across broke his record, with "The" : BABE. Home run record. 715. That ball must be in Cooperstown. We also have 67. Giant of a Giant : MAYS (Willie)

10. Latin foot : PES

13. Cline portrayer in "Sweet Dreams" : LANGE (Jessica)

18. It comes from the head : IDEA

19. Bunkum : TRIPE

20. Meter preceder : ALTI

22. Thrown for __ : A LOOP

26. __ Rossi: Gallo brand : CARLO

27. View from Anchorage : DENALI

28. What may be intended by inadvertent wordplay? : NO PUN. No pun intended.

29. Theater giant? : IMAX

30. Verdi's "Un __ in maschera" : BALLO. Meaning "A Masked Ball". Learning moment for me.

37. "__ news?" : ANY

38. "It's Only a Paper Moon" composer : ARLEN. I need Harold in the clue.

39. Watch : EYE

40. Bay Area county : MARIN

47. Below average : SUBNORMAL

51. Rescue squad initials : EMS

52. "What should __?": dieter's quandary : I EAT

53. Totally lost : AT SEA

54. Boating implements : OARS

55. Goose cooked in its own fat, say : CONFIT. I don't think I've ever had goose. Duck yes.

57. Takes another tack : VEERS

58. Night in Nantes : NUIT

62. Low areas : DALES

63. Hawaiian non-natives : HAOLES. Just remember it as A HOLES.

64. "__ any drop to drink": Coleridge : NOR

65. Grammarians' concerns : USAGES

67. Strong sharks : MAKOs

72. Words before "of rules" : A SET

73. Beaded counters : ABACI. Mine was pretty heavy.

75. Sealy alternatives : SERTAs

76. Ma playing music : YO YO. See the three white Chinese characters? Ma Yo-Yo. Chinese put surname first.

77. Bell sounds : DONGS

78. Traveler's option : RAIL

79. Filing tool : TAB

82. Some travelers put them on in winter : SNOW TIRES

87. "__ Gold": Fonda film : ULEE'S

88. Green Giant orb : PEA

90. Letter-shaped 95-Down opening : F-HOLE. And 95. Instrument with two 90-Acrosses : VIOLA

91. Birdie plus one : PAR

99. Agreements : YESES

100. Some dadaist art : ARPs. Jean Arp.

102. Fear-inducing : HAIRY

103. Not acceptable : UNCOOL

105. Made level, with "up" : TRUED
  

112. Vanzetti's partner : SACCO. I forgot. We had this before.

113. Price-slashing event : SALE

114. Eight-related : OCTAL

115. Island near Corsica : ELBA
 
116. Westernmost Canadian territory : YUKON

117. Confident ending? : IAL. Confidential.

118. Italian's "That'll do!" : BASTA

119. Similar : AKIN
  
Down:
 
1. Darken : DIM
 
2. School URL ending : EDU

3. Garden area : BED

4. Like polo ponies : SADDLED

5. Davidson College's NCAA conference, for most sports : A-TEN. Googled afterwards. Atlantic 10 Conference.

6. Like a crowd in full voice : AROAR

7. Go through hastily, as drawers : RIFLE

8. Vision-related : OPTIC

9. Bk. after Ezra : NEH (Nehemiah)

10. Prisoner's reward : PAROLE

11. Take off to get hitched : ELOPE

12. Outfielder Rusty who played for four different expansion teams : STAUB.  A la Wiki, the four expansion teams are: Astros, Expos, Mets and Rangers. You have to be a baseball fan to come up with this clue angle.

13. Place to swim, in Paris : LAC. Lake.

14. Jai __ : ALAI

16. __ Heights: disputed Mideast region : GOLAN. Somehow Golan Heights and Al-Qaeda were frequently covered in the daily 5-minute international news segment when I lived in China, the latter was just called "The Base". Boomer never heard of Al-Qaeda until 9/11.

17. Powerful adhesive : EPOXY

21. SSA-issued info : ID NUMBER

24. Actress Téa : LEONI

25. Suffix with consist : ENCY. ENCE works also.

 
31. Lily family member : ARUM

32. Honorary law degs. : LLDs

34. "You bet __ boots!" : YER

35. Grandmas : NANAs. 婆婆 (Po Po) or 奶奶 (Nai Nai) in Northern China. Different in Cantonese or other regions.

36. Welcome sign for concert promoters : SRO

41. Early metalworking period : IRON AGE

43. Sorrowful mother of legend : NIOBE

44. Group of related species : GENUS. And  96. Joshua tree's 44-Down : YUCCA

45. Float on the breeze : WAFT

46. Having a spat : AT IT

47. WWII firearm : STEN. I learned from doing crosswords.

48. Broken in : USED

49. Sign of spring : ARIES.  Perfect clue for ROBIN.

50. WWII carriers : LSTs

53. Some printer labels : AVERYS

55. Cartoon components : CELs

56. Game with yellow balls : TENNIS
 

60. Nocturnal hunter with a distinctive call : HOOT OWL

61. Mets sports commentator Darling : RON

62. Morse code tones : DAHS

63. Is attired in : HAS ON

65. Preposition often shortened to one syllable : UNTIL

66. Skull covering : SCALP

68. Window __ : PANE

69. Drs.' orders : ECGs

70. Biodiverse South American country : PERU

71. River to the Caspian : URAL

73. "Later, Louis!" : ADIEU

74. Sour red soups : BORSCHTS. Did not know this soup can be pluralized.

79. Ring outcomes, briefly : TKOs

80. Everyone, in Essen : ALLE

81. Fliers with stingers : BEES

83. "Ideas worth spreading" acronym : TED. Ted Talks. I just love Derek Sivers' first Ted Talk.

84. Father figure : DAD

85. "Nice Work __ Can Get It": 2012 Broadway musical : IF YOU

86. Handler with a self-named Netflix talk show : CHELSEA. Close friend of Jennifer.

88. Package : PARCEL

89. Irish New Ager : ENYA

91. Cline of country : PATSY

92. Pianist Claudio : ARRAU. Chilean pianist. We also have 94. Japanese piano maker : KAWAI
  

97. Half hitch and bowline : KNOTS

98. Showiness : ECLAT

101. Vino __: dry wine : SECO

104. Southwestern pot : OLLA

106. Author DeLillo : DON. "White Noise".

108. Hijack, e.g. : ROB

109. Sort : ILK

110. Wrap for Cio-Cio-San : OBI. "Madama Butterfly".

111. Indian flatbread : NAN

 

   

Happy birthday to Rich Norris, editor of LA Times Daily Crossword. I suspect today's STAUB clue is Rich's. He always tries to add interesting trivia, fun and humor to all the clues. Often half or more clues of our daily puzzles are Rich's hard work. 

Last time when I had STATE FAIR, Rich changed my [Place to see giant produce] clue to [Minnesota's annual one is held in Falcon Heights]. It brought a big smile to my face. Lots of clever clues you guy like in my grids are from Rich. He's just an incredibly generous and encouraging editor. We're so lucky. I'm very lucky.

PS: I forgot to mention that our Melissa was married yesterday. She left her beloved job in California a few years ago and moved to Oregon. Since then, she's been totally committed to Adopt an Inmate project, working long hours and going through incredible difficulties alone. Best wishes on your new journey, dear Melissa!

Left to Right: Melissa's daughter, Melissa's mom Barbara B, Melissa