Saturday, August, 18, 2018, Tracy Bennett and Erik Agard

Themeless Saturday Puzzle By Tracy Bennett and Eric Agard

Today is National Geocaching Day. My first attempt at this sport was done using a similar GPS device and reading it while driving at 60 mph. My dippy partner from Omaha was about as useful as a screen door in a submarine.

We found our "cache" in a cemetery and it contained one playing card and then we found four other cards at four other sites to make our poker hand and compete for quickest time and best hand. When we got back to the classroom, a group of young ladies who did not even have to leave the campus had beaten us by one minute although our poker hand did beat theirs! Am I crying discrimination? Well maybe I'm just whispering 😇

Competitive? Me? Yeah, a little!

Today's constructors are Tracy Bennett and Erik Agard. I had a themeless Saturday puzzle from  Erik on June 2 of this year and will repeat my link to Erik Agard interview with C.C. 

Here is some bio info on Tracy - Tracy lives in Ann Arbor, Mich., where she manages a staff of 17 copy editors for Mathematic Reviews. Married to a jazz drummer, with a 12 -yr-old son she describes as "puzzling". Tracy started constructing crosswords after attending her first ACPT in 2011. She credits Patrick Berry's Crossword Puzzle Challenged for Dummies for teaching her the ropes.

Tracy Bennett                        Erik Agard

My solve yielded as many empty cells as Alcatraz in 2018 until I hit the SE corner where I couldn't fill fast enough and then worked my way back north and those cells soon looked like Alcatraz circa 1939. There was just enough spice to make for a delightful etymological brew.

Now let's see the eclectic fill supplied by this twosome:

Across: 

1. Break away from the pack: PULL AHEAD - No matter how they come out of the blocks, he knows he can PULL AHEAD

10. Mixer setting: WHIP  - Oster must have had someone in charge of assigning these verbs

14. One in a deli dozen: ONION BAGEL 

16. Accent sound?: HONK - Car names like the one on this Hyundai allow much cluing mischief

17. Eligible voters: ELECTORATE - Not going there...

18. Bill nos.: AMTS - The Persian character for 1,000 is ۱۰۰۰. I assume Tracy and Erik did not mean AMTS on bills you pay

19. Strips on a tree: TINSEL - Besides adorning Christmas trees, metal strips can also scare away birds from orchards and vineyards

20. Under-the-bed figment, hopefully: MONSTER - I never looked!

22. "__ 281": film about the making of "Citizen Kane": RKO - 281 is the original production number of this RKO movie and this documentary tells the incredible story of the many difficulties in making what some consider to be the best American movie of all time. Want to know more?

23. Crest: APEX - ACME, we'll give you the next puzzle

25. Capital city that's home to the Garden of Babur: KABUL - Developed in 1528 and named for the first Mughai Emperor. Babur's burial site is here

27. "__ Blues": "White Album" track: YER - If you must -  John singing Yer Blues with the Plastic Ono Band

28. Heat fig.: BTU.

29. Burrito filling word: ASADA - A Carne ASADA (literally "meat grilled") burrito 

30. "Be right there": WAIT JUST A SEC - A "Leaving Mantra" for my wife and two daughters  

34. Words dismissing the statement that preceded them: SAID NO ONE EVER - ... and yet they persist

36. "That's enough of that": WE'RE DONE HERE - Kitty in charge

37. "__ porridge hot ... ": PEASE  - The original singular was pease, and the plural was peasen. Over the centuries, pease became used as the plural, peasen was dropped, pea was created as a new singular, and finally pease was respelled peas. You're welcome!

38. Cybertalk elements: IM'S - Grandkids want to came to see us for the last weekend before school. The event was set up with 10 Internet Messages 

39. "Portlandia" network: IFC - Independent Film Channel owned  by AMC Movie Corporation

42. Rhyme scheme for Edward Lear: AABBA - Our own Owen brilliantly utilizes this scheme at this electronic popsicle stand

43. Sounds from squeaky toys?: YIPS - Our neighbor's dog is a Toy Poodle and his YIP is annoying

45. Emulating: ALA.

46. "The Wiz" tune with the lyric "You're the bravest of them all": BE A LION - An inspirational song with a stellar cast!

48. Samples: TASTES.

51. Former?: MOLD - Shaking the Jell-O after it has been removed from the MOLD

52. Seriously sedate: PUT TO SLEEP - Two sad days when we did this to our first two Siamese kitties

54. Dictate: RULE.

55. Covert '50s-'70s federal flier: AIR AMERICA - The CIA's "airline" that flew out of these East Asian bases and was disbanded after the Vietnam War ended, so they say...

56. Eminem-inspired word for a rabid supporter: STAN - A depressing song about an obsessed Eminem fan named STANley Mitchell and what happens to him. MTV censored some of the graphic lyrics and images. Google if you must

57. Wicked "stawm": NOR'EASTER - Neither Christmas NOR EASTER were at our house last year. Yeah, I'll keep my day job.


Down:

1. "The only thing that matters": cummings: POETRY - Whatever floats your boat, e.e. 

2. Not typical of: UNLIKE - UNLIKE most, e.e. often used lower case letters for his name 

3. Property claimant: LIENOR - I suppose

4. Loans drawn as needed: Abbr.: LOCS - Our potential Line Of Credit is very high but will never be used

5. Stud stake: ANTE - a way to answer the poker question 43. "Coming along?": YOU IN?

6. Spanish cable network: HBO LATINO - It is on channels 517 (E) and 524 (W) in our town

7. Audition user?: EAR - Used here as a synonym for hearing

8. Height of one's ability: A GAME

9. Cleanse goal: DETOX - My dad went through this in 1971 

10. Hockey announcer's "Great stop!": WHAT A SAVE - Certainly applies here

11. Principal place of operations: HOME BASE - Union Pacific RR's is in Omaha

12. One breaking in: INTRUDER.

13. World Cup tiebreakers, for short: PKS - On Penalty KickS, the goalie has to guess, left/right/middle, high/low 

15. Dance judge Goodman: LEN - Okay

21. Camel performers: SKATERS  - Here is a SKATER doing a Flying CAMEL SPIN. The origin of the CAMEL name is up for debate (Hmmm..., three sports GIF's in a row)

24. Deceive: PUT ON 

26. Wisconsin's Fond du __: LAC  - It means "bottom of the lake". In this case it's Lake Winnebago

28. Agreement with Satan, by most accounts: BAD DEAL - A trailer for a wonderful musical about Joe Hardy (Tab Hunter) selling his soul to Satan (Ray Walston) to become a great ball player in exchange for his soul

30. Capital of Hesse: WIESBADEN - This central German town's name literally means "Meadow Bath" for its hot springs, 14 of which are still active

31. Average __: JOE - See Joe Hardy above and our own Average Joe who rarely shows up any more at our electronic popsicle stand and is sorely missed

32. Not cool: UNHIP - 33. "I'd say ... ": SEEMS TO ME to me Grandpa that the chains and backward ball cap on you is UNHIP

34. Check into: SEE ABOUT - Last week I posted the 1964 Beatles appearance on Ed Sullvan. Here's another trip in Mr. Peabody's Wayback Machine to see this super group on Shindig in 1964 singing this fill

35. Strauss opera: ARABELLA - A choice between this Strauss Opera or Damn Yankees? With my plebeian taste, it's not even close

36. New Deal agcy.: WPA - The Works Progress Administration built the Oak Ballroom in Schuyler, NE using oaks from the nearby Platte River

39. Disappointing reply to "Where's the last chocolate truffle?": I ATE IT - Then three-year-old granddaughter made me a birthday cupcake but when she saw me she said, "Papa, here's the deal I ATE your cupcake". Ten years later this June it became part of my Father's Day gift from her!

40. Cool-weather material: FLEECE.

41. Reagan defense secretary Weinberger: CASPAR - A Republican workhorse

44. Opening: INTRO - I try to use a "holiday" and some public domain bio info on our constructors

47. Hoppy initials: IPA - India Pale Ale - A British brew named for it popularity with British soldiers in India

49. On the water: ASEA  might be a 53. One on the water: TAR - Just add an "e" to "On"

50. Shutterbugs' buys: SLR'S - My iPhone camera is great and always handy but there are times I wish I had a Single Lens Reflex camera 

51. Woolf's "__ Dalloway": MRS - I like to compare how different publishers present a book

Now I hope you can find your way to cache your comments without needing a GPS device:

DA GRID:

Friday, August 17, 2018, Paul Coulter

Title: Breaking out the creatures.

PC makes a rapid return with this very creative 'reorganize the word' theme. As an added bonus each separation results in a living being.  The themers are set out in a pinwheel pattern, with wonderful consistency, as 1, 3 and 5 have an animal appear with 2 and 4 revealing bugs. Really well done. This is not an easy solve, but if you remembered the people in AVATAR are called NA'VI the whole puzzle falls in place. We have had many puzzles where the reveal was dependent on reparsing a word, but I do not recall one like this one. The hard part, of course, is that the clue does not inform as to the fill directly. The fill is just the pieces that together make a real word. The challenge of the concept left little room for much long fill, but we do get AMASSES  ROSEATE ROUTINE SMOTHER and TRISECT.

17A. Alien reptile in "Avatar"?: NA'VI  GATOR.(9). NAVIGATOR. This word is derived from the identical Latin word Navigator. Na'vi came from the mind of James Cameron; I loved the MOVIE. You think Cameron was thinking about the Navy?

42A. Pest that's gotten into the cheese?: BRIE  FLY (7). BRIEFLY. Brie was named from where it was first made; briefly from the Latin BREVE, which also gave us brevity. 

68A. Long-eared mascot of an L.A. newspaper?: TIMES  HARE (9). TIMESHARE. I love this CSO to the publisher, though I doubt a rabbit is the mascot of the paper. Most have decided timeshare is a waste of money, but the business still thrives.

11D. Tiny insect that casts spells?: COVEN  ANT (8). COVENANT. They both derive from the Latin word "convenire", which is a contraction of "com venire" or "come together". The words convene (to come together at an appointed place and time) and convent (a home for nuns) also have the same root. various. I love the imagery of some ants getting together inside a pentagram. 

41D. One of a group of feline predators?: GANG  LION (8). GANGLION.  Another wonderful mental picture of lions wearing leather and tats hanging out by their hogs.  It all has nothing to do with a structure containing a number of nerve cell bodies, typically linked by synapses, and often forming a swelling on a nerve fiber. I have a ganglion cyst on my shoulder. Oo plays with it and considers it her 'toy.'

On that bizarre note on to the solving. 

Across:

1. Amendment dealing with states' rights: TENTH. "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." No politics.

6. Hobby shop buy: KIT. A CSO to former hobby shop impresario and longtime Corner fixture DENNIS.

9. Longtime Wall Street name: SACHS. Goldman Sachs is major and controversial diversified investment company which was led by founder Marcus Goldman and his son-in-law SAMUEL SACHS. No politics.

14. Spanish month: ENERO. January.

15. Draft pick: IPA. Not a sports clue, but draft beer and India Pale Ale.

16. Outfielder Mike who finished first (twice) or second (three times) in 2012-2016 A.L. MVP voting: TROUT. This excellent PLAYER is not related to one of my favorite Detroit Tiger players of the past Dizzy Trout.

19. Snake, e.g.: RIVER. This water often winds its way into a grid.

20. Racks up: AMASSES.

21. Corpulent: OBESE. Or perhaps - fat, overweight, plump, portly, stout, chubby, paunchy, beer-bellied, heavy, bulky, chunky, well upholstered, well padded, well covered, meaty, fleshy, rotund, broad in the beam, tubby, pudgy, beefy, porky, roly-poly, blubbery, corn-fed. Cruel or not?

23. Connecting point: NODE.

24. "Bad Moon Rising" band, initially: CCR. Credence Clearwater Revival.

                                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BmEGm-mraE

26. First of a series: OPENER.

29. Small amount: TRACE. Made famous by CSI.

31. Worked the soil: HOED. Be careful there Mr. Imus.

33. Shopper stopper?: SALE.  Who doesn't love a good rhyming clue?

34. TV schedule abbr.: TBA. To Be Announced.

36. Buttonhole, say: SLIT.

38. Affirmative action: NOD. Cute.

39. Bit of horseplay: GAG. For three letters, this was tricky.

44. Castilian kin: TIO. Uncle. Spanish.

45. GP gp.: AMA. American Medical Association for General Practitioners.

46. Mex. miss: SRTA. Senorita. Spanish.

47. Jr. and sr.: YRS.

49. Brass component: ZINC. Brass is a metallic alloy that is made of copper and zinc.

51. Bit of swearing: OATH.

53. Slate et al., for short: EMAGS.

57. Merchant ship flotilla: ARGOSY. 1. a large merchant ship, esp. one with a rich cargo. 2. a fleet of such ships. 3. an opulent supply or collection. Not a word I use.

59. Ring bearer: EAR. Cute misdirection.

61. Baker: OVEN. More misdirection as it is, after all,  the oven that bakes it.

62. Sprite flavor: LEMON. I knew Paul liked some of my write-ups, and it is great to be in one of his puzzles - oh it wasn't for me?

64. Stage bit: ROUTINE.

66. North African site of a 1943 conference: CAIRO. An echo of last week's WWII conferences.

70. Stun: SHOCK.

71. "We've exceeded seating capacity" sign: SRO.

72. Gauge: METER.

73. Chief Justice after Marshall: TANEY. Two very influential jurists, and members of a very exclusive group. There have only been 17 CHIEF JUSTICES compared to 45 Presidents. No politics.

74. It's big in London: BEN. Clock humor.

75. Salad green: CRESS. We have this word going back to 2008 when C.C. did all the blogging. LINK.


Down:

1. Letter?: TENANT.  This is also cute but is not a real word, as it is the landlord who has an apartment to let-  "chiefly British: to offer or grant for rent or lease let rooms."

2. Captivate: ENAMOR. Derived from the French, AMOUR. Love.

3. Area 51 locale: NEVADA. The true STORY.  Or if you prefer...

4. Cut into three equal parts: TRISECT. BI = 2. TRI = 3.

5. Keeps to oneself: HOGS.

6. Lawn gnomes, e.g.: KITSCH. Not to be confused with brownies. Infra. Kitsch is considered to be in poor taste but appreciated in an ironic or knowing way.

7. Snapchat had one in Mar. 2017: IPO. Initial Public Offering. Stock offering, actually pioneered by Goldman and Sachs, I think.

8. Poi source: TARO. Do you think a Hawaiian dish made from the fermented root of the taro, which has been baked and pounded to a paste sounds yummy?

9. Antibiotic target: STREP. Streptococcus bacteria. A nasty little guy a threat not only to your throat.

10. Crops up: ARISES.

12. Peach, e.g.: HUE. Hey you, what your hue, Hugh?

13. Orch. section: STRings.

18. Old nuclear agcy.: AEC. We had this recently.

22. __ harm: BODILY.

25. Promising: ROSEATE. Picturing the world through rose-colored glasses.

27. Wells race: ELOI. Always nice to have an excuse to post a pic of Yvette Mimieuz.

28. Make over: REDO.

30. Drops off: EBBS. And flows.

32. Brownie, in folklore: ELF. This was unknown to me. The most well-known and loved house elf in folklore is the Scottish Brownie. A brownie or broonie, also known as a brùnaidh or gruagac. The Brownie is a small male creature, between one and two feet tall, who takes up residence in a deserving family's home and is helpful. They were the precursor to Alexa and other modern household helpers. Various sources.

35. Dry gulch: ARROYO.

37. Rubber in a boot?: TYRE. Boot being British for the trunk of a car where you keep your spare "tire."

39. __ Strip: GAZA. Gaza is a densely populated strip of land that is mostly surrounded by Israel and peopled almost exclusively by Palestinians. Israel used to have a military presence but withdrew unilaterally in 2005. Gaza was part of the Ottoman Empire before it was occupied by the United Kingdom (1918–1948), Egypt (1948–1967), and then Israel, which in 1994 granted the Palestinian Authority in Gaza limited self-governance through the Oslo Accords. Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has been de facto governed by Hamas, which claims to represent the Palestinian National Authority and the Palestinian people. Various sources. No politics.

40. "The Kite Runner" boy: AMIR. A very powerful and disturbing book and movie. A must watch, but no politics.

43. "Give __ rest!": IT A.

48. Overwhelm: SMOTHER.  A little daily double of mayhem, with...

50. Strong-arm: COERCE.

52. Mark of "NCIS": HARMON. When I first watched NCIS, initially it seemed like a mediocre cop show, as some have suggested. Now having watched all 15 seasons with Oo I see the skill of the writers who are putting forth a family drama, with all kinds of interesting twists and turns of personality.

54. Do the Wright thing?: AVIATE. I did not say it was not a real word, it just sounds funny to me. Now on the popular list.

55. Types: GENRES. I learned the word from watching movie reviewers.

56. Nasty smiles: SNEERS. Snidley Whiplash had my favorite sneer.

58. Idaho's __ Mountains: SMOKY. This chain is part of the Rocky Mountains and not to be confused with the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.

Idaho                      Tennessee
↞                            ↠






60. Fluke-to-be: ROE. Roe is fish eggs, and Fluke is a fish.
All Fluke Are Flounder but Not All Flounder Are Fluke. Generally speaking, left-side up flounder are flukes, and right-side up flounders are called flounders.  That sounds easy enough to remember, but it gets worse.  Flukes are also called “summer flounder,” and flounder, or right-side fish, are called “winter flounder.”

63. Black-box analyzers: Abbr.: NTSB. National Transportation Safety Board.

65D. Camp Pendleton letters: USMC. United States Marine Corps.

66. K.C. hours: CST. Central Standard Time.

67. "Caught you!": AHA. We all have our AHA moments here, as well as ones that inspire...

69. Rage: IRE.

I hope you have all put aside any anger in your lives and felt the joy of solving another fun but challenging puzzle from Paul. There was lots going on but in the end, we came to the end. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Here are two pictures of Lemonade's lovely granddaughters Charlotte and Harper. Lemonade said, "Charlotte is in real kindergarten" now. Click here for more. 

 

 

Thursday, August 16th 2018 Bruce Haight

Theme: Cubed Rouge - square dancing with the noble grape:

The reveal:

37A. With 40-Across, party supplies found in this puzzle's four corners: BOXED

40A. See 37-Across: WINES

Each corner contains the word WINE rendered as a little cube surrounded by the other entries, hence "boxed wine". Placing the reveal centrally with two stacked 5's means that Bruce had to stretch the puzzle vertically, so it's a 16x15 grid.

Neat theme, especially as Bruce uses the elbow room in the downs to add some nice lengthy fill. The WINE boxes start in turn in each cube in the SW,  NW, SW and NW, so very pleasing to the eye.

Boxed wine deservedly had a bad rap at one time, now, if you choose carefully, you can get some very drinkable stuff for your daily house wine or your casual party. A winemaker told me once that you won't get great wine in a box, because great wine needs a bottle to age in, but if you're buying wine for "bulk" consumption, you're not going to be laying it down in your cellar.

Some good advice I once read is to serve it in one of those indestructible Duralex glass tumblers you drink the house wine out of in France, and you're on the right track. Save the Riedel stemware for the posh stuff. Cheers!

Let's see what else we've got to challenge our Thursday minds:

Across:

1. Set of options: MENU

5. Dodge: EVADE

10. "Sing it, Sam" speaker: ILSA. I tried RICK at first without thinking. Sheer nonsense, of course.

14. Gospel singer Andrews: INEZ. This corner was a little tricky for me. INEZ crossing ENID could have been a Natick, but logic prevailed.

15. Annual Big Apple parade sponsor: MACY*S

16. Darned: SEWN

17. New Zealand bird: KIWI. There's a debate about changing the New Zealand national flag. A lot of the proposed designs have a kiwi on them. The rest have the silver fern beloved of the national rugby team.

18. __ Wars: Rome vs. Carthage: PUNIC

19. Tizzy: SNIT

20. Vogue VIPs: EDS. Editors of Vogue magazine. I've cracked this particular crossword code.

21. __ wrench: ALLEN

22. With 22-Down, "People's Court" rival: JUDGE

23. KOA campground area: R.V. LOT

25. Bond film?: GLUE. Nice clue for this little word. Might be my favorite of the day.

27. Ally of "WarGames": SHEEDY. Who? This lady, apparently, from 1983:

29. "Westworld," e.g.: HBO DRAMA. I saw the original movie back in 1816, or something. Yul Brynner was the cowboy. It was quite good.

33. "It's a Wonderful Life" director: CAPRA

34. Juicy fruit: BERRY

35. Up to, briefly: TIL. To quote Bill the Bard:

O, gentlemen, help! 

Mine and your mistress! O, my lord Posthumus! 

You ne'er kill'd Imogen til now. Help, help! 

Mine honour'd lady!

Cymbeline, Act V Sc. 5

36. Revlon rival: AVON

38. Beige shade: BONE. I was tempted by ECRU first, but I resisted said temptation.

39. Hard to find: RARE

41. Fail to mention: OMIT

42. Hill builder: ANT

43. Cantina toast: SALUD!

44. __ donna: PRIMA. Is there a seconda donna? We should be told.

45. Fundamental measurement: BASE UNIT

47. __ exercise: upper arm strengthener: TRICEP

48. The "G" of GTO: GRAN. Gran Tourismo Omologato, of course. Lots o' Italian today.

49. Apple __: CRISP. I thought the insurance company was SIGNA, which left me frowning at SR___, that didn't look right at all.

50. Start of a French oath: SACRÉ. BLEU! In French, this is actually one word and the "E" is not accented. There, now you can start a trivia argument in the bar.

53. Norwegian contemporary of Tchaikovsky: GRIEG. Let's have a little "Hall of the Mountain King". The comments on the video are priceless if you've got the time.

55. Bullfight "Bravo!": OLÉ. Huzzah! No "World Cup" clue this week.

58. One-fifth of a limerick: LINE. The actor David Niven's very first audition for Sam Goldwyn included the unexpected request to recite a limerick. I won't quote it here, but apparently it was the only part of the screen test which had any merit and won him a contract with Goldwyn.

59. Guadalajara gal pal: AMIGA

60. Target Field player: TWIN. Minnesota, natch. C.C. would know.

61. Is indebted to: OWES

62. Lacked: HADN'T.

63. Make (one's way): WEND. I picture wending as not being a direct route. Nothing to say you can't wend on a straight line though.

64. Skin pics: TATS. I'm still tattoo-less after all these years. I do have my eye on one. Maybe one day.

65. "My take is ... ": I'D SAY

66. Circle parts: ARCS

Down:

1. Karaoke need: MIKE. Funny, we had MIC a couple of weeks ago, and I was mulling over whether MIKE was an acceptable variant. I guess it is! *drops mic*.

2. Novelist Bagnold: ENID

3. Bulletins, e.g.: NEWS REPORTS

4. "Argo" weapon: UZI. I had "Argo" confused with the Persia vs. Sparta war movie "300", so an assault weapon didn't immediately spring to mind.

5. Use: EMPLOY

6. Event for which Kerri Strug is famous: VAULT. She sprained her ankle in a prior event, but famously strapped it up and nailed her landing to help the USA to team gold in gymnastics at the 1996 Olympics.

7. Unpopular spots: ACNE

8. Endangered species: DYING BREED

9. PC bailout key: ESC

10. Library, cardwise: ISSUER

11. Give for a while: LEND

12. Belt: SWIG

13. Deal preceder: ANTE. Ante up your stake before a poker hand is dealt.

21. "Bridge of Spies" actor: ALDA

22. See 22-Across: JUDY

24. Fogg's creator: VERNE. Phineas Fogg in Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 days". It's pretty much impossible today if you don't fly. There are no commercial passenger services across the Pacific.

26. Some aristocrats: LORDS

27. Egyptian beetle: SCARAB. 

28. Morro Castle city: HAVANA. Learning moment, but I had most of the crosses, so I didn't think more than a beat or two.

29. Threaded fastener: HEX NUT

30. Electricity producer, perhaps: ATOMIC POWER. Is "perhaps" a cover-yourself moment from Bruce here? I think "nuclear power" myself

31. Dr. Evil's cohort: MINI ME. From the "Austin Powers" movies. The actor Verne Troyer who played the character sadly passed away recently. A mini-tribute to Verne with the 24D entry.

32. Pub handle: ALE TAP. I call it a beer tap or hand pump in my pub.

34. Seeing red: BOILING MAD

37. African title of respect: BWANA. From the Swahili.

38. Foe of "moose and squirrel": BORIS. Boris Badenov from the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.

43. "You bet": SURE!

44. Fussy sort: PRIG

46. Means of escape: EGRESS

47. International agreement: TREATY

49. Insurance giant: CIGNA. Not SIGNA then. Oh.

50. Part of a piggy bank: SLOT

51. Bygone audio brand: AIWA. What happened to them? They were ubiquitous in the '70s.

52. Site for techies: CNET

54. Empties (of): RIDS

56. "The Mod Squad" cop: LINC. Colleague of Pete and Julie, of course we all knew that. The final episode aired in 1973. Needless to say, I never saw it.

57. Circle's lack: ENDS

59. Tuna at a luau: AHI

60. Airline once owned by Howard Hughes: TWA. He gave up control of the airline in the 1960's.

And - grid, artfully colored. I'm glad I got out of New York last weekend; the East Coast has been pounded again by some awful weather. Be safe, everyone out there.

Steve

Wednesday, August 15, 2016 Roger and Kathy Wienburg

Theme: SPINNING YOUR WHEELS.  The letters of the word TIRE are embedded within the theme answers in rotating order.  THUS: IRET, RETI, ETIR, then TIRE in the unifier.

20 A. Way to move funds: WIRE TRANSFER.  An electronic TRANSFER of funds between entities via a network maintained by hundreds of banks around the world.

28 A. Good manners: PROPER ETIQUETTE.  Conducting one's self according to the most appropriate social norms.   Check here is you're uncertain.

47 A. Artist ErtÈ's real name: ROMAIN DE TIRTOFF.  He [1882-1990] was a Russian-born French artist and designer of the Art DEco period,  known by the pseudonym Erté, from the French pronunciation of his initials, R T.

55. Regular vehicle maintenance suggested by this puzzle's circles: TIRE ROTATION. Moving the wheels and tires from one position on the vehicle to another, in order to achieve even wear and extend the useful life of the TIREs.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here to make sure this puzzle does not wear you down.  The elegant aspect of this theme is the presentation of the hidden word in a strict rotation of the first letter presented, with the remaining letters following in the order of the proper spelling of the word.  Let's see what other fun letters we can find.  We may have to tread lightly.

Across:

1. Beats Electronics co-founder, familiarly: DRE.  This is a division of Apple, Inc. that produces audio products.  It was founded by rapper Dr. DRE [Andre Romelle Young, b. 1965] and Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine.

4. Birdbrain, or an extinct bird: DODO.  Read all about it.

8. Scrap: TAG END. The last remaining part of something.  Scrap?  Not so sure about that.

14. The guy for ewe: RAM.  They are a wooly couple, sometimes feeling sheepish.

15. "Right you are!": AMEN.  Emphatic agreement.

16. Vanderbilt of fashion: GLORIA. Ms GLORIA Laura Vanderbilt [b 1924 and still going] is an American artist, author, actress, fashion designer, heiress, and socialite.  In 1925 her father died, leaving her with a large trust fund.  A legal battle ensued between her mother, GLORIA Morgan Vanderbilt and her paternal aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt, over custody of the child and control of the trust fund.  The aunt won.  I would have clued this as JzB's L.W.

17. PD alert: APB.  All Points Bulletin, a radio message sent to every officer in a police force giving details of a suspected criminal or stolen vehicle.

18. In fun: FACETIOUSLY.  Don't take this seriously.

22. Slangy turnarounds: UEYS. U-turns. A sharp turn of a vehicle along a U-shaped path in order to proceed in the opposite direction.  Figuratively, a reversal of some plan or policy.

23. "Silly me!": D'OH.

via GIPHY

24. Mardi Gras wear: MASK.

Who are you?

33. "Dear Yoko" dedicatee: ONO.  Yoko ONO [b 1933] a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, song writer and peace activist, also known for performance art and film making.  She married her third husband, Beatle John Lennon, on March 20, 1969.

34. Volcanic event: ERUPTION.  A sudden, violent outpouring - in this case of steam and lava [hot, molten or semifluid rock.]

35. Org. with lanes: PBA. Professional Bowling Association. Members are advised to stay out of the gutters.

38. Sch. with a Shreveport campus: LSU.  Louisiana State University.

40. Activate, as a mobile app: TAP.  Lightly touch the app's icon on the device screen to launch it.

41. Wee hour: TWO.  In the morning.  ONE also fits.  The hours after midnight until some uncertain later time before sun rise, indicated on the clock by small numbers.

42. Medium for van Gogh: OIL PAINT.  He is best known for these, but also produced over 150 watercolor paintings.

45. Understand: SEE.  I get it.

52. Winter Palace resident: TSAR.  Russian autocrat, prior to 1917.

53. Mexican gold: ORO.  Spanish, of course.

54. Limo bar: AXLE.  The rod or spindle of any vehicle upon which the TIRES  ROTATE, but not in the same sense as indicated by the theme.

60. Spring cleaning may lead to them: GARAGE SALES.  An event held to raise cash by disposing of unwanted household items, usually in a GARAGE or driveway.

63. Firecracker that doesn't crack: DUD.  Fizzler.

64. Brought to mind: EVOKED. Reminded, awakened, aroused.

65. Small change: CENT.  A penny.

66. Afore: ERE.  Earlier than.

67. They're fed at curbside: METERS.  Parking Meters are "fed" coins larger than pennies to pay for the privilege of leaving one's vehicle there.

68. Icelandic literary work: EDDA.  Old Norse poetic and literary works.

69. "Danny and the Dinosaur" author Hoff: SYD. [1912-2004] American cartoonist and children's book author, along with his most famous work.

Also a short video

Down:

1. Prepare, as plans: DRAW UP.  Put together the initial version.

2. Thin sword: RAPIER. A weapon better suited for thrusting than for slashing or cutting.

3. Early stage of life: EMBRYO.  An unborn or unhatched offspring in an earlier stage of development than the fetus.

4. Birdbrained: DAFT.  Lacking intelligence - DODO-like, perhaps.

5. Actor Sharif: OMAR. Michel Dimitri Chalhoub [1083 1932-2015] was an Egyptian actor of Syrian ancestry, best known for the role of Dr. Zhivago.  He was also a horse racing enthusiast and one of the world's best bridge players

6. The aughts, for one: DECADE. Ten year periods starting with years ending in zeros.

7. Musically monotonous: ONE NOTE.  You decide.

8. "Bring on the weekend!": TGIF. Thank God It's Friday.

9. Natural emollient: ALOE.  Specifically ALOE VERA, since the genus ALOE contains over 500 species of succulent plants.  Extracts of the plant have various medicinal uses.

10. Foodie: GOURMET.  Culinary connoisseur.

11. Hosp. areas: ERS. Emergency Rooms, where situations needing immediate care are treated.

12. Zero: NIL.  Nothing here.

13. __ trader: DAY.  One who buys and sells financial instruments within the span of the same day.

19. Summer top: T-SHIRT. A pull-over shirt, generally with a crew neck and short sleeves, and so named because the bod and sleeves approximate a T shape.

21. Bruins star Phil, to fans: ESPO.  He played 18 seasons in the NHL, the first 3 with the Chicago Blackhawks, 8 with the Boston Bruins, and 7 with the N. Y. Rangers.

25. Working hard: AT IT. Or arguing.

26. Put in the overhead bin: STOW.  Pack an object into a particular place.

27. Vegas game: KENO.  A lottery-like game of chance.  Players chose numbers, then winning numbers are selected in some random manner.

29. Baritone Chou in the opera "Nixon in China": ENLAI.   [1898-1976] the first Premier of the people's Republic of China, serving from 1949 until his death.

30. Violinist's supply: ROSIN.  It increases friction so that the bow can grip the strings more firmly to get a clear, strong vibration.

31. Kinda-sorta: QUASI-. Partly, almost, seemingly - but not really.

32. Bunk with a ladder: UPPER.  So you don't have to make a high jump.

35. Left on board?: PORT.  Right is starboard on a ship.

36. "About the author" pieces: BIOS.  Biographies.

37. Michigan city or college: ALMA.  The city is located in the central lower peninsula, 50 miles west of Saginaw and 18 miles south of Mount Pleasant, home of Central Michigan University, where I will have two granddaughters as honors students in just a few days.  Alma College is a private liberal arts college associated with the Presbyterian Church.

39. Annuls: UNDOES.  Negates.

43. Share (in): PARTAKE.  engage in an activity.

44. Upscale apartment feature: TERRACE. A level paved area adjacent to a building.

46. Coup d'__: ETAT.  A violent seizure of power from a government.

48. Rode (around): TOOLED.  Drive a vehicle with no particular destination.

49. Rust and lime: OXIDES. of iron and calcium, respectively.

50. Like a baker's hands: FLOURY.  Covered with flour.

51. Shifted (for oneself): FENDED.  To take care of one's self without assistance.

56. Disney head Robert: IGER. [b. 1951]  Named COO in 2000, and succeeded Michael Eisner as CEO in 2005.

57. Wine list heading: REDS. Opposite the Whites.  Can be dry or sweet.

58. Take care of: TEND. Bar tenders take care of taverns, chicken tenders have a fowl purpose.

59. Hammett dog: ASTA.  Pet of Nick and Nora Charles from Dashiell Hammet's 1932 novel The Thin Man, a seminal text in the hard-boiled mystery genre, but also as much a comedy of manners as a mystery.  A highly successful series of movies followed from 1934 to '47.  Later adaptations ensued on radio, television, as a Broadway musical and a stage play.

60. Real peach: GEM.  An exemplar of some sort.

61. Monopoly deed abbr.: AVEnue. 

62. Go bad: ROT.  Spoil.

Hope you found some traction and made it through without too many skids.

Cool regards!
Jazie Bee [The Other Erté]

Tuesday, August 14, 2018 Jon Markman & Jeff Chen

"MLB CLOSERS"

16. N.L. West team's pests?: GIANTS ANTS.

22. N.L. East team's untruths?: PHILLIES LIES.

28. N.L. East team's parties?: BRAVES RAVES.

39. A.L. East team's cheers?: ORIOLES OLES.

46. N.L. Central team's pitchers?: BREWERS EWERS.

57. Ace relievers, briefly ... and a hint to 16-, 22-, 28-, 39- and 46-Across: MLB CLOSERS.

Loved this puzzle.  I think it was made a little tougher because the cities weren't named in the clues.  If you don't follow sports in general and professional baseball in particular, you may have had to work a little bit harder to get the solve. 

Across:

1. __ tag: game with infrared beams: LASER.

6. Make full: SATE.

10. Bro: BUB.

13. 10th-century Holy Roman emperor: OTTO I.  I believe one of his descendants lives in Roman Forest under an alias !

14. Letter-shaped fastener: T-NUT.

15. Restaurant list: MENU.

18. Martial __: ARTS.

19. Muddy pen: STY.

20. Not quite a B: C PLUS.

21. Illuminated from below, as a statue: UPLIT.

24. Reach: ATTAIN.

27. "Peachy-__!": KEEN.

32. Cry from a crib: WAH.

35. Sumptuous: LUXE.

36. Swelled head: EGO.

37. Metered ride: TAXI.

38. "You rang?": YES.

43. "Around the __": ESPN panel show: HORN.  Weekday program targeted at sports junkies,  with a cast of sports journalists opining and arguing about current sports events and sports headline stories.

45. Exercises, as power: WIELDS.

51. Dice throws: ROLLS.

52. Govt. security: T-BILL.  T-Bill Explained at Investopedia

53. Milne hopper: ROO.

56. Poker buy-in: ANTE.

59. "O.G. Original Gangster" rapper: ICE T.

O.G. Original Gangster was his 1991 album.  It is often referenced as one of the key factors in developing the genre of gangster rap.

A rapper turned actor, Ice-T plays Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Here shown with Mariska Hargitay who plays Lieutenant Olivia Benson.

60. Glimpse: PEEK.

61. Flat-package furniture stores: IKEAs.

62. Neither's partner: NOR.

63. "American __": Starz series based on a Neil Gaiman novel: GODS.  Never heard of it, but easy to perp in.

64. Nabisco wafer brand: NILLA.

Down:

1. Ships' records: LOGS. Spitzboov would know about these.

2. "They're __ again!": AT IT.

3. "Don't move, Rover!": STAY.

4. Ages and ages: EON.

5. "Sherlock Holmes" director Guy: RITCHIE.  Name looked familiar.  Was married to Madonna.

6. Slot in a stable: STALL.

7. Declare void: ANNUL.

8. Rwandan tribe: TUTSI.

9. Sci-fi visitors: ETs.

10. Cold War dividing line until 1989: BERLIN WALL.   Who famously proclaimed,  "I am a jelly doughnut !"  ?

11. Loosen, as laces: UNTIE. "Bad spellers of the world..."

12. Sculpted works: BUSTS.

15. Breakfast syrup type: MAPLE.

17. Manipulates politically: SPINS.

21. Exploits: USES.

22. Cover with asphalt: PAVE.

23. __ out a living: EKE.

24. With competence: ABLY.

25. Loyal: TRUE.

26. Financial adviser's suggestion: TAX SHELTER. Tax Shelter Explained at Investopedia

29. Outdoor gear brand: REI.  Recreational Equipment Incorporated. 

30. Earlier: AGO.

31. Encyclopedia bk.: VOL.

33. Chopped down: AXED.

34. King cobra warning: HISS.

37. On one's __: alert: TOES.

39. Mine contents: ORES.

40. Mil. time off: RNR. Rest and (Recuperation, Relaxation or Recreation).  Here's an image of a  booklet of unused scrip from my trip to Armed Forces Recreation Center Ski School Berchtesgaden for  a little R&R.   Learned Alpine skiing there.  Of course, went up to Obersalzberg to see the "Eagle's Nest" while there. 

41. Tom of "The Seven Year Itch": EWELL.

42. Beef cut: SIRLOIN.

44. Little hooter: OWLET.

Owl Owlets GIF from Owl GIFs

46. Really smart person: BRAIN.

47. Veg-O-Matic maker: RONCO.

48. Canonized pope known as "The Great": ST LEO.

49. Flowed back: EBBED.

50. Candle threads: WICKS.

53. Film spool: REEL.

54. __ hygiene: ORAL.

55. Legendary Greek mount: OSSA.  If you are going to climb it, consider stopping by REI to buy your ice axe, backpack and other hiking equipment.

57. Fuel efficiency stat: MPG.

58. Hit the slopes: SKI.

Abejo would like to pass along his CONGRATULATIONS to the Elk-McKean Little League team from Kane, Wilcox, JOHNSONBURG and Ridgway, Pennsylvania in making it to the Junior League World Series. Only 12 teams from around the globe make it this far. Elk-McKean plays tonight at 7C.   You can watch the games at upstream.tv

Monday August 13, 2018 Craig Stowe

Theme: POSTCARD (59. Vacation memento ... or where you might find the ends of the answers to starred clues?) - Card can follow the last word of each theme entry.

 17. *NYSE nickname, with "The": BIG BOARD. Cardboard.

 24. *"I Want You to Want Me" band: CHEAP TRICK. Card trick.

 35. *Stingray predator named for a tool: HAMMERHEAD SHARK. Card shark.

51. *Clairvoyant: MIND READER. Card reader.

Boomer here.  Greetings and a warm Monday to you all. I mentioned last week that I had entered another Pro Am bowling event, this time with the Women pros. Results were not good. I was not able to hit my average in any of the three games, even though 9 pins on the first ball counted as a strike!  I watched the finals on TV Saturday and noticed that even the professionals had a difficult time keeping the ball right of the head pin.  The pattern was short oil, 37 feet, and many of my friends with higher averages struggled like I did. I had the right ball, a Roto Grip Dare Devil Trick. Tournament winner, Rocio Restrepo was using the same model.

So, today we have CARDS. Ace Hardware, Roger Miller's "King of the Road", Las Vegas Hotel the Four Queens, and new Hall of Fame pitcher Jack Morris. The rest is my golf scorecard - All the other numbers might be on it (except two and three.) 

Across:

1. Capital in Canada and Colombia?: CEE. Rocio Restrepo is from Columbia, South America.

4. Struggle with "s" sounds: LISP.

8. Puts on, as a show: STAGES. As Miss Kitty once said to Chester, "You should be on a stage. The next one out of town".

14. Suffix with form: ULA.  I don't like half a word. Might this be an acronym for the University of Louisiana?

15. "Otello" solo: ARIA. Also a luxury hotel/casino in Las Vegas. They give great acclaim to Chinese New Year. We were there.

C.C., Aria, Feb 9, 2014

16. Red, white and blue: COLORS.

19. Reversed, as a deed: UNDONE.  I like untied, like a shoe lace.

20. British __: ISLES.  We have a Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis, but it's just a big lake,  C.C. and I have walked around it a few times. I've yet to see an Isle.

Lake of the Isles

21. Depended (on): RELIED.  Can you think of anyone who lied once and then lied again?

23. __ butter: cosmetic moisturizer: SHEA. Also the old Mets Ballpark.

28. Walter of "The Odd Couple" (1968): MATTHAU.  Jack Klugman was a pretty good slob too.

30. Versatile vehicle, for short: UTE.  I thought UTE was a Native American, but I suppose it can also be an SUV.

31. MADD concern: DUI.  The stories that appear in the paper about repeat offenders really drives me up a wall.  Not that even one offense is tolerable.

32. Sudden power increase: SURGE.

34. Clairvoyant: SEER.

41. Pilate's "Behold!": ECCE.  Latin is a dead language, as dead as dead can be. First it killed the Romans, and now it's killing me.

42. Tea biscuit: SCONE.

43. China's Chou En-__: LAI. Sometimes spelled Zhou Enlai.  Ask C.C. if you don't believe me.

44. "It's cold in here!": BRR.  In Minnesota, we never say BRR.  We just swear.

47. First Hudson River automobile tunnel: HOLLAND.

54. "In __ of gifts ... ": LIEU.

55. Rug on one's pate: TOUPEE.  Reminds me of George Can't Stanzya on Seinfeld.

56. It's a wrap: SARAN.  Does anybody like this stuff.  I cannot get a piece to use without having it stick to itself in 12 different places.

57. "Now!" in Westerns: PRONTO.  State Fairs are everywhere with Pronto Pups to die for.  (Corn Dogs).

62. __-Price: toy company: FISHER.  Also a sunflower seed packager. I used to eat them by the hundreds when I had real teeth.

63. Small jazz combo: TRIO.  Not sure about Jazz.  I enjoyed Chad, Mike, and Joe aka the Chad Mitchell Trio.  "Hang on the Bell, Nellie, Hang on the bell …."

64. Cavs, on scoreboards: CLE.  What will life be without LeBron.

65. Talk show partner: CO-HOST.  Always liked Ed McMahon.

66. Rope material: HEMP.

67. Reading organ: EYE.

Down:

1. Picasso's movement: CUBISM.

2. Otis of elevators: ELISHA.  Kind of an up and down business.

3. Aerie youngster: EAGLET.

4. Vietnam neighbor: LAOS.  We don't hear much about Laos; Northwest of Thailand.  Thailand has some great female golfers and stupid soccer coaches.

5. Nest egg initials: IRA.  Individual Retirement Account.  Don't leave home without it.

6. Knight's title: SIR.  The Queen has anointed a few pro golfers.

7. Felipe's father: PADRE. A San Diego Baseball player.

8. Work on a statue: SCULPT.  I have never seen it in person, but I admire the Statue of Liberty.

9. This evening, in ads: TONITE.  "Today, the minutes seem like hours, the hours go so slowly, and still the sky is bright."

10. Guitar-making hardwood: ALDER.  Rumor has it, it is the best wood for guitars.  I wonder why they don't use it for baseball bats.

11. "Nice thinking!": GOOD IDEA.

12. Coastal bird: ERN.

13. Opposite of NNW: SSE.  These are the clues I always fill in first.

18. "I dunno": BEATS ME. What happens when you have 18 and the dealer has an Ace and a King?

22. Agua, across the Pyrenees: EAU.  A city in Wisconsin EAU CLAIRE.  I have a cousin there, nice bowling city.

24. "The Alienist" novelist Caleb: CARR.

25. Jackman of "X-Men": HUGH.  How about "Wyatt Earp"  Mr O'Brian.  We lost him only a couple of years ago.

26. One prompting: CUER.

27. Enterprise captain: KIRK. Then there is actor Mr. Douglas who appeared in many films before my time. My gosh! He will turn 102 in December.

29. Tint: HUE.

33. Wide shoe sizes: EES.  Nope - E is wide, EE is Extra wide, EEE is a small boat.

34. Brush-on wood finish: SHELLAC.  Also, what other major league teams are doing to the Twins this year.

35. Big wheel at sea: HELM.

36. Healthful berry: ACAI.

37. Canada's national apple: MCINTOSH. Named after John McIntosh of Ontario.

38. Throbbing pain: ACHE.  You name it, I've got it.

39. Knocker's place: DOOR.

40. "Weekend Update" show, in tweets: SNL.I don't watch it anymore.  I used to love it when the lady did Sara Palin acts.

44. Ogres: BRUTES.  I wonder why the NFL never adopted this name.  Maybe Washington should change ??

45. School assignment: REPORT.

46. Actress Charlotte: RAE. Or Martha.

48. Acclaimed war pilot: AIR ACE.  The Red Baron.

49. Almost: NEARLY.

50. Scottish port: DUNDEE.  Angus, MacFergus, McTavish Dundee.  Burl Ives.

52. "Tiny Bubbles" singer: DON HO.

53. Ocean measure: DEPTH.

56. Four-way __: certain intersection: STOP.  Some drivers don't think they have to stop.

57. Rank below cpl.: PFC.  It used to be a single stripe but then it was changed to a stripe with a rocker.  Not too many corporals.  My promotion was to Specialist 4.  They never told me what my specialty was.

58. 2016 Olympics city: RIO.  A lot of strange things went on down there.

60. Mined metal: ORE. Also St. south of Washington.

61. __ City: computer game: SIM.