Thursday, March 5, 2015 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "Unchained Melody?"

If you only look at the surface of the answers, the puzzle may have seemed rather run-of-the-mill:

1-Across. *Onetime owner of Waldenbooks : KMART.

5-Down. *Bullseye logo company : TARGET.                  

29-Across. *Seller of Geoffrey Bandages : TOYS"R"US. Geoffrey is their giraffe mascot.

30-Down. *Bergdorf competitor : SAKS.

43-Across. *Craftsman company : SEARS.

46-Down. *Costco rival : SAMS CLUB.

But if you can visualize what C.C. has done with their placements (see the grid diagram at the bottom of the page), she elevates the whole thing with the coolest reveal(s) I have ever seen:
9-Across. With 74-Across, what each of the answers to starred clues is : CHAIN. Each of the theme entries is a CHAIN STORE.
74-Across. With 9-Across, what the answers to starred clues form : STORE. And when linked end to end, they form a STORE CHAIN. Brilliant!

And there was plenty else to like in the grid, with several AHA moments and smiles when I "got" the clues.

Across

6. TiVo predecessor : VCR. Obsolescent now?

14. Ancient Asia Minor region : IONIA. I never knew Asia Minor stretched as far as Michigan! ;-)

15. Mobile setting: Abbr. : ALA.bama.  I was all over the place on this one. Mobile phone? Mobile home? Aha! The city!!

16. __ trot : HOT TO.

17. Ocean tracker : SONAR.

18. Listen : LEND AN EAR. Nice fill.

20. __ Balls: snacks : SNO.

21. Hoedown honey : GAL.

23. 1841 French ballet heroine : GISELLE. The ballet premiered in Paris in 1841, to huge critical and commercial success. It is still performed to this day.

24. Minn. winter hrs. : CST. Central Standard Time, for C.C.!

25. Gets into a seat : ELECTS. You "get" your favorite pol into a seat, but only if you vote!

27. Compete for the America's Cup : SAIL. I think the last winner in 2013 was the USA team "Oracle." 

28. "Gotcha" : AHA.

31. Tic __ mints : TAC.

32. Speck : MOTE.

34. Ryder Cup chant : USA USA.  Do you think Davis Love can bring the USA to victory in 2016?

35. "Lux" composer : ENO. Stunning images, capturing light at different times of day. 4:45

36. Austere : STERN.

38. Halloween reactions : EEKS.

40. Spare pieces? : RIBS. Fun misdirection. DH makes the best spare ribs.

47. First name in shipping : ARI. Onassis.

50. Chalk holder : CUE TIP. Because "blackboard tray" wouldn't fit, and besides that, I really wondered if schools even use chalk any more?

54. Price number : ARIA. Nice misdirection - Leontyne Price is an amazing American soprano. I used to have the album of her and Placido Domingo from "Tosca."

55. "Well, lah-di-__!" : DAH.

56. ESPN Deportes language : ESPAÑOL.

58. Many a Persian : TOM. About half of them, I'd say?

59. Stringed instrument : VIOL.

61. Big headache : HASSLE.

62. "Who Gets the Last Laugh?" network : TBS.

63. Running things : IN POWER.

65. Excessively : TOO.

66. Common flight path : ARC.

67. Tom Jones' last Top 10 hit : SHE'S A LADY.

69. Birth-related : NATAL.

71. Let up : EASED.

72. Up to, in store signs : TIL.

73. Romantic text : I LUV U.

75. It may have a patch : EYE.  Arrrgh.  This year, Talk Like A Pirate Day is September 19, mateys!

76. Discharge, as from the RAF : DEMOB. DEMOBilization.


Down

1. They catch busses at stadiums : KISS CAMS.  Loved this clue / entry!! The word "buss" means "kiss."

2. NASA launch : MOON SHOT. Another great entry.  Did you know, that mooning someone is not illegal in Maryland?

3. Provide critical comments on : ANNOTATE.

4. Fjord relative : RIA.

6. Depressed areas : VALLEYS. Oh, I was thinking of economic depression.

7. Progressive Field team, on scoreboards : CLE.veland.  If nothing else, know your teams, fields, and baseball stars if you want to nail a C.C. puzzle! 

8. Sounded right : RANG TRUE.

9. Cartoonist Addams : CHAS. You may remember him best as the brains behind "The Addams Family"? I used to love his morbid cartoons in "The New Yorker."

10. Fine-tunes : HONES.

11. Took courses at midnight? : ATE LATE.

12. Salad bar option : ITALIAN. My favorite is Makoto ginger dressing.

13. SensoTouch 3D shaver, e.g. : NORELCO.

19. Neglect : DISUSE. Not to be confused with "misuse."

22. Baseball's Moises : ALOU. See? What'd I tell ya at 7d?

26. Rebel org. : CSA. Confederate States of America.

33. Slip : ERR.

37. "Way to go!" : NICE.

39. "Captain Phillips" setting : SEA. So simple, but would you believe, I had to wait for perps to be sure?

41. Orchard unit : BUSHEL.

42. Take apart : SEPARATE.

44. Fats Waller contemporary : ART TATUM. Here's the two of them together. 5:23

45. Border river, to Mexicans : RIO BRAVO. Gringos call it the "Rio Grande."

Map

47. Counsels : ADVISES.

48. Shower covering : RAIN HAT. I was wondering why anyone would wear anything while they were taking a shower?

49. "Fingers crossed" : I HOPE SO. Nice.

51. Campus aides, for short : TAs. Teaching Assistants.

52. Trendy : IN STYLE.

53. Golf Galaxy buy : POLO.

57. Ex-Soviet leader Brezhnev : LEONID.

60. Sore sort, maybe : LOSER.  How about someone who has snow-blowed and shoveled more than 100" of snow this winter, huh??!?!?!

64. Get one's feet wet : WADE. Which is what we'll be doing when it all starts to melt!

68. Tinkering letters : DIY. Do It Yourself.

70. Pub pint : ALE.

That's it for now - I have to go check out all the sales!!
Marti

Notes from C.C.: 

1) Rich makes the reveal entry cool, Marti, My CHAIN clue is simply: "With 74-Across, what the answers to the starred clues form. Then "See 9-Across" for STORE.  I also clued GISELLE as "Bündchen who's Forbes' highest-paid model for 7 consecutive years". Gosh!

  

2) The Indie 500 tournament is now open for registration. Click on Register for detailed information. The constructors are Erik Agard, Evan Birnholz, Peter Broder, Neville Fogarty, Andy Kravis and Finn Vigeland. 

Wednesday, March 4, 2015 Don Gagliardo

Theme:  SECRET SUPPORT.  The cheering word "RAH!," presumed to be shouted by the fans - e.g. SUPPORTers - of a sports team, is hidden in three theme entries.  So maybe in this instance RAH is whispered, not shouted.

17 A. Seeking lodging : LOOKING FOR A HOME.   I was thinking of overnight lodging, but this is more permanent.  In this answer RAH is divided, or SECTIONED twice.

27 A. Pulling away : FURTHER AHEAD.  Figuratively increasing the gap between the leader and the also-rans.  If it were literal, it would be FARTHER AHEAD.

45 A. More at dinner : EXTRA HELPING.  Refilling your plate, as if one plateful weren't enough.  I do this all too often. 

And the unifier -- 60 A.  Stadium supporters, and a hint to their cry hidden in 17-, 27- and 45-Across : CHEERING SECTION.   Not the architectural elements that buttress the arena's structure.  Instead, this is an area of the grandstand reserved for the SUPPORTers of one of the teams in an athletic contest.  And it also indicates that the cheering word RAH has been SECTIONed, or divided, across two or more words in the theme fill.  The ever-meticulous Don G has made sure that the word RAH has been sectioned in every possible way.  In a different sense, an athletic supporter is any sports professional with a family.

Hi gang.  JazzBumpa here to cheer you on through this excellent puzzle.  Don has taken the rather simple idea of a hidden word, and executed it in a most elegant fashion.  Also, the first theme answer and the unifier are both are grid spanners.  The average word length is hefty 5.25 letters, way above the 4.91 typical of a Wednesday.  Plus, it's only a Q and V short of a pangram.

Across

1. Thin streaks : WISPS.  As smoke or snow in the air.  

6. Influenced by, recipe-wise : A LA.  in the manner of  .  .  .

9. Ones who deal with dealers : NARCS.   Clever clue.  NARCotic agents are concerned with drug dealers.

14. First name in furniture : ETHAN.  Allen.

Functional Elegance

15. Editor's job : REDACTION.  Broadly, REDACTION is simply editing.  More specifically, it is removing or obscuring sensitive text in a document prior to publication.   Despite Monday's BLUE PENCIL, editing can be done with a red pen, so this can also be parsed as RED ACTION.

19. Unidentified Jane : DOE.  John Doe's female equivalent.  These are placeholder names for a party whose true identity is unknown or must be withheld in a legal action, case, or discussion.

20. Tugboat sound : TOOT.   The relatively high pitched sound of its horn or whistle.

21. Commodities dealer : TRADER.    A partial clecho with 9 A.

22. Summit meeting goal : PACT.  A strategic agreement of some sort between or among governments.

24. 18-Down, with "down" : JOT.   Write something for future reference.

26. Rearing place : NEST.  It's for the birds.

31. This and that : OLIO.  A miscellaneous collection of things - what you might find in your junk drawer.   Or, perhaps, this.




32. Deep gulf : ABYSS.





33. Global financial org. : IMF.  International Monetary Fund.

36. Mexican supermodel Elsa : BENITEZ

39. Hardly transitory : ETERNAL.  For ever and ever.

41. Gig session : SET.  A group of songs played between breaks.

42. Venetian island : ISOLA.  Any Italian Island

44. 1998 Sarah McLachlan hit : ADIA.





48. Suffix with school : MARM.   A lady teaching in a one room schoolhouse, stereotypically prim and strict.

51. CIA predecessor : O.S.S.  Office of Strategic Services.

52. London home of Constables and Sargents : TATE.  Not Scotland Yard.  Outstanding misdirection to the museum where you can finds works by John Constable and John Singer Sargent.

53. Block deliverers of yesteryear : ICE MEN. Here they cometh.

55. Powerful lobby for seniors : A.A.R.P.    American Association of Retired Persons.

57. Cape Canaveral's st. : FLA.   Florida.

63. Self-control : RESTRAINT. 

64. Felt poorly : AILED.

65. "Golden Boy" playwright : ODETS.  Clifford (July 18, 1906 – August 14, 1963.)

66. "Hello, ewe!" : BAA.   Sheep talk.

67. Mausoleums : TOMBS.  Dead spaces.

Down

1. Metalworking union : WELD.   Another great misdirection - not a trade or labor union, but a technique for fastening metal pieces. Very important in vehicle construction.

2. "Was __ hard on her?" : I TOO.   I'm not going to answer this question

3. Crime scene clue : SHOE PRINT.  Finger and toe don't fit.  But if the SHOE fits  .  .  .

4. K2 is on its border: Abbr. : PAKistan.   Per Wikipedia: "K2, also known as Chhogori/Qogir, Ketu/Kechu, and Mount Godwin-Austen (Urdu:شاہ گوری), is the second highest mountain in the world at 8,611 metres (28,251 ft), after Mount Everest. It is located on the border[2] between Baltistan, in the Gilgit–Baltistan region of northern Pakistan, and the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China.[3] With a peak elevation of 8,611 m (28,251 feet), K2 is the highest point of the Karakoram Range and the highest point in Pakistan."

5. State secrets? : SNITCH.  Sing like a canary. One more great misdirection.  Here, state is a verb.

6. Cornstarch brand : ARGO.  Nothing about golden fleece?

I understand it makes lump-free gravy

7. Right hook setup : LEFT JAB.  Boxing maneuvers.

8. Noisy scene : ADO.

9. "Mayberry R.F.D." setting : N. CAR.   North Carolina.

10. Nearby : AT HAND.

11. __ la Plata : RIO DE.  "River of Silver" - located between Uruguay and Argentina along the Atlantic Ocean, this is the the estuary of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers.

12. Attends : COMES.  As to a meeting or church service.

13. Dik Browne pooch : SNERT.   Hägar's Hound.

 Image found here [of all places]

16. Evaluation for creative types : ART TEST.

 I think van Gogh would have failed

18. Make a memo of : NOTE.  Or JOT it down, as per 24A.

23. Yours, to Yvette : A TOI.   French possessive pronoun.

25. "Now I remember!" : OH YEAH.

27. Watch chains : FOBS.

 Right on time

28. Peter Fonda's beekeeper : ULEE.  From the movie

29. Medicine cabinet items : RAZORS.   Close shave

30. Suffix with malt : ASE.  -ASE makes it an enzyme;  -OSE makes it a sugar; -ESE makes it a Falcon.

33. Low-budget pic, usually : INDIE FILM.  For Independent - not produced by a major studio,

34. Chief : MAIN.  Most important in a list of items.

35. Coach's challenge indicator : FLAG.  Pro Football - If the coach disputes a referee's call, the challenge causes a video replay review.  There have been so many missed calls of goalie interference in the NHL this year that a similar challenge is being considered [or at least wished for] in hockey.

37. StubHub offerings, briefly : TIX.   Tickets to arena events

38. Latvia neighbor : ESTONIA.  Baltic Sea countries.

40. Spellbound : RAPT.  Having one's attention tightly held, as if by magic.

43. Baked, layered entrée : LASAGNA.   Sauce, Noodles, Meat, Cheese, Repeat.

45. Clown Kelly : EMMETT.

Weary Willie, based on Depression Era hobos

46. French I infinitive : ETRE.  To be French

47. Purring snuggler : LAP CAT.  Furry pet.

Typical?

48. Extremely tiny : MICRO.  Adjective or prefix?

49. Needed liniment : ACHED.  Muscle soreness.

50. Creator of many pieces? : REESE.  Candy, not musical compositions.

I scream

54. Writes the wrong zip code, say : ERRS.  Makes any sort of mistake

56. Pooch in whodunits : ASTA.  Nick and Nora's hound.

 The Thin Man movie series

58. Award-winning comic book writer Jeph : LOEB.

 Interview

59. Additions : ANDS.  Afterthoughts, maybe.

61. Pointed end : NIB.  of a calligraphy pen.

62. South-of-the-border uncle : TIO.   Mexican relative.

Nit free, with musical interludes, and despite having gone to the dogs a couple times, then even to the sheep, I'm still willing to cheer for this puzzle.  RAH!  What do you think?

Cool Regards!
JzB  [who will play a set including OLEO later this Spring]

Tuesday, March 3, 2015 Mike Buckley

Theme: The game is afoot! - "The Transient Associate Adventure" The various Dr. Watson portrayers.

Let's start with the author.

15D. With 48-Down, 1-/69-Across creator Arthur : CONAN.

48D. See 15-Down : DOYLE. And then:

1A. With 69-Across, subject of this puzzle : DOCTOR

69A. See 1-Across : WATSON ...and our cast.

7A. Portrayer of 1-/69-Across in "Sherlock Holmes" (2009) : JUDE LAW

38A. Portrayer of 1-/69-Across in the BBC's "Sherlock" : MARTIN FREEMAN



Freeman



68A. Portrayer of 1-/69-Across in CBS' "Elementary" : LUCY LIU



Liu



Argyle here. Mike's puzzle two years ago was a pip. Link Scroll down to the grid to see the genius of that puzzle. Some fill and theme entries are the same length while four verticals are only bested by the central theme for length. It isn't a detriment to the solve. It has a fresh feel to it and I liked it.

Across:

14. Not straying from the subject : ON TOPIC

16. Satan : EVIL ONE

17. "The Diary of Anne Frank" police : GESTAPO

18. Muscle-to-bone connectors : TENDONS

19. Audio jack label : MIC

20. Took charge of : RAN

21. Wise folk : SAGES

22. Rewrite for the screen : ADAPT

24. Set a price of : ASK

26. Northern California town that once had a palindromic bakery : YREKA. Yreka Bakery is no longer in business.

29. Mentally sound : SANE

30. Live, in the studio : ON AIR

32. Kool-Aid instruction : STIR

33. Ostrich kin : EMU

35. "I __ Fine": Beatles hit : FEEL

37. Antlered beast : ELK

42. World games org. : IOC

43. A bit open : AJAR

44. "C'est la __" : VIE

45. Cry for seconds : MORE

47. Battery end : ANODE

49. Rise dramatically : SOAR

53. Sticking point : PRONG

55. Game won by discarding all your cards : UNO

56. Iditarod jacket : PARKA

57. Wood finish : STAIN

59. DKNY rival : YSL

61. Press __ : KIT

62. Dannon yogurt brand : ACTIVIA

64. Natives of Tibet's capital : LHASANS

66. Unlisted candidate : WRITE-IN

67. Erode, as savings : EAT INTO

Down:

1. Rigid beliefs : DOGMAs

2. Tableware company named for a New York town : ONEIDA. NNE of Elmira.

3. ER diagnostic tool : CT SCAN

4. Day care attendee : TOT

5. Eyeball-bending gallery display : OP ART

6. TV host Kelly : RIPA

7. Watercraft rider : JET SKIER

8. Eye layer containing the iris : UVEA

9. Dull-colored : DINGY

10. Senior officials : ELDERS

11. It's brewed in infusers : LOOSE TEA

12. Political writer Coulter : ANN

13. Director Anderson : WES. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel, as well as for Best Animated Feature for Fantastic Mr. Fox.

23. Jury member : PEER

25. Paella spice : SAFFRON

27. Ceramics oven : KILN

28. Noah's flood insurance : ARK

30. Message-spelling board : OUIJA

31. Superman player Christopher : REEVE

34. Former Boston commuter org. : MTA. (Metropolitan Transit Authority)

36. "Welcome to Hawaii" gift : LEI

38. Secure in a harbor : MOOR

39. Quotation puzzle : ACROSTIC

40. Mork's sign-off : NANU NANU. 50D. Mork's people : ORKANS

41. Southwestern tableland : MESA

42. Tough kid to handle : IMP

46. Thing : ENTITY

51. Quite like : AKIN TO

52. Gives away to the cops : RATS ON

54. "Sold!" punctuator : GAVEL

56. Spanish silver : PLATA. Remember the state motto, "Oro y plata"?

58. Four, on some sundials : IIII

60. "Major Barbara" playwright : SHAW. (George Bernard Shaw)

62. Hole-making tool : AWL

63. French wine word : CRU. It means vineyard; we had it last month.

65. "Grab a chair" : "SIT"

Mike Buckley, Tuesday 3/3/2015

Argyle

Monday, March 2, 2015 Roland Huget

Theme: What's your mood? - Colors from a mood ring, and they're all used as verbs in each theme entry.

17A. Give the okay : GREEN-LIGHT

27A. Bring lunch from home, say : BROWN-BAG

46A. Dismiss from the job : PINK-LIP

59A. Alter a manuscript, e.g. : BLUE-PENCIL

11D. Gloss over : WHITEWASH

34D. Ostracize : BLACKLIST

Argyle here with a new constructor. He has a few crunchy nuggets in there but given the ease of the theme, it's all good.

Across:

1. Norms: Abbr. : STDS. (Standards)

5. Channel with a "Congressional Chronicle" online archive : C-SPAN

10. In an unexpected direction : AWRY

14. Hawkeye State : IOWA

15. Curly-tailed Japanese dog : AKITA

16. Old conductance units : MHOs. The reciprocal of an ohm.

19. Trusted assistant : AIDE

20. Move it, old-style : HIE

21. Thames islands : AITs. Crosswordese.

22. Northern Ireland province : ULSTER

24. Leaves for a cigar : TOBACCO

26. Came up : AROSE

29. __-Mart Stores, Inc. : WAL

32. Walks leisurely : AMBLES

35. Christmastide : YULE

36. Boxing legend : ALI

37. Manicurist's tool : FILE

38. Tit for __ : TAT

39. Baking amts. : TSPs. (teaspoon)

40. Pie __ mode : À LA

41. "Never Wave at __": 1952 film : A WAC. Starring Rosalind Russell and Paul Douglas. I could link the whole movie but couldn't find a clip!

43. Tread water to check out the surroundings, as a whale : SPY HOP. Whale, tread water?

45. DVR button : REC

48. "Hogan's Heroes" colonel : KLINK

50. Oft-rented suits : TUXEDOS

54. Insert new film : RELOAD

56. Spice Girl Halliwell : GERI

57. One: Pref. : UNI

58. Settled on the ground : ALIT

62. Savior in a Bach cantata : JESU

63. Path for a drink cart : AISLE. Tinbeni clue?

64. Kitchenware brand : EKCO. Buy some NOW. Link

65. Play segments : ACTS

66. Like some private communities : GATED

67. Coloring agents : DYES

Down:

1. Vision : SIGHT

2. "Road __": 1947 Hope/Crosby film : TO RIO. Another old movie; this one starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour.

3. Nerdy sort : DWEEB

4. Enc. with some bills : SAE. (Self Addressed Envelope, no stamp)

5. Colorful cats : CALICOS. My favorites.

6. Chair lift alternative : SKI TOW

7. Sty residents : PIGS

8. Sports fig. : ATH. (athlete)

9. Kin of organic, at the grocery store : NATURAL

10. Stockpile : AMASS

12. Went by scooter : RODE

13. River of Flanders : YSER

18. Mother-of-pearl : NACRE

23. Theater box : LOGE

25. Equal to the task : ABLE

26. Border on : ABUT

28. New York City suburb on the Hudson : NYACK





Nice place for a wedding, I guess.



30. Dog food brand : ALPO

31. Speech problem : LISP

32. At a distance : AFAR

33. Runner's distance : MILE

38. Propane container : TANK

39. Use a keypad : TYPE

41. Samoan capital : APIA. The city, not the money.

42. Blowhard : WINDBAG

43. Ate noisily, as soup : SLURPED

44. Playful sprite : PIXIE

47. "Remington __": '80s TV detective show : STEELE

49. Cross-legged meditation position : LOTUS

51. Dr. Mallard's apt nickname on "NCIS" : DUCKY. He puts the emphasis on the last syllable.

52. Chilling in the locker room, as champagne : ON ICE

53. Storage towers : SILOs

54. Indian royal : RAJA

55. Util. bill : ELEC.

56. Sudden wind : GUST

60. __ Fáil: Irish coronation stone : LIA. On the Hill of Tara in County Meath, Ireland

61. Actor Beatty : NED

So what's your mood?

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

I'm excited to share with you that the SLIDE puzzle Jazzbumpa (Ron) and I made last year was nominated for the Orca Best Easy Puzzle. Sam Donaldson even remembered that it's Ron's debut. Thanks, Sam! And Ron is 2 for 2 with his LA Times submissions.

Sunday March 1, 2015 Pamela Amick Klawitter

Theme:  "Say What?" -  The spoken phrase in each clue modifies the first word of each theme answer & serves as an example of the whole theme answer. 

22A. "I got a C" : PASSING COMMENT. In my school days, it's 60.

37A. "Edison was born in 1847 and died in 1931" : LIFE SENTENCE

67A. "This is my fishing spot--please find your own" : BANK STATEMENT. Barry G loves fishing. But he's too polite to utter that statement.

96A. "Heart, liver, kidneys, ... " : ORGAN RECITAL

117A. "I survived boot camp!" : PRIVATE MESSAGE. Love the clue/answer.

16D. "That's the worst synopsis I've ever read!" : SUMMARY JUDGMENT

45D. "Do you know how to copy this disk?" : BURNING QUESTION

Fun theme. I like Sundays when the theme answers are all solid in the language and the clues play a major part in the gimmick.

Nice theme placement also. Those top/bottom 6/7 breaks are not easy to fill in cleanly.

Across:     

1. Prohibition specifics : TABOOS. And18D. Prohibition notable : NESS (Eliot). Clue echo.

7. Embodiment : EPITOME. My first Across fill.

14. Bad flareup? : ARSON. Great clue. Was thinking of arthritic flare-up.

19. Yukon neighbor : ALASKA

20. Supermodel Schiffer : CLAUDIA. The iconic Guess girl.

21. Ring bearer, often : SPOUSE. Another great clue.

24. Causes for pauses : COMMAS. Rhyming clue.

25. Bordeaux bud : AMI

26. End of a series, briefly : ET AL

27. Worldwide cultural org. : UNESCO

29. Adams and Grant : AMYs

30. Fish order : SOLE

32. Exeter exams : A-LEVELS. Got via crosses.

35. 1986 rock autobiography : I, TINA. Big gimme for all crossword vets.

41. Bases for deviation : NORMS

44. Put up with : ABIDE

46. '80s IBM models : XTs. No idea.

47. Eagle-eyed raptors : ERNES

49. Word from a pro : YEA. The "in favor of" pro.

50. Rig : TRUCK

51. C-ration successors : MREs

53. __ set : JET

54. Obstacle to progress : LOGJAM

56. Atmospheric prefix : AERI. Always want AERO.

57. French for "under" : SOUS. Underground: Sous terre.

58. Tries to buy, on eBay : BIDS ON

60. Arrivals at home? : RUNS. Home plate.

61. Bach choral works : CANTATAS

63. Market order : SELL

64. Worked (up) : RILED

66. Govt. assistance program : SSI

70. Econ. yardstick : GNP. No GDP error today due to the easy NANOS (71D. Some iPods).

73. North of Nogales : NORTE. Same root.

75. Hammer sites : EARS. Nailed it.

76. Grade school exhibits : DIORAMAS

78. They're deliberately broken so they can be fixed : EGGS. I love banana egg pancakes.

80. Oft-swiped item : ID CARD

82. Vicious and others : SIDs

83. Little houses on the prairie : PENS. All crosses. Clever clue also.

84. Kitchen toppers : TOQUES

86. Gator tail? : ADE. Gatorade.

87. Hairy "pet" : CHIA. So, do any of you eat Chia seeds?

88. "Ready __ ... " : OR NOT

89. R&B group __ Hill : DRU

90. Start to foam? : STYRO. Styrofoam.

92. White wine apéritif : KIR

93. FDR and JFK : INITS. Tricky clue. Makes you think of DEMS

94. Moves very slowly : SEEPS

100. Farm call : SOOEY

102. StubHub offerings : TICKETS. Husker Gary buys concert tickets from StubHub.

103. Actress Gilbert of "The Big Bang Theory" : SARA

107. Riga resident : LETT

109. Pinpoint : LOCATE

112. "Let __ There": Newton-John hit : ME BE. Not familiar with the song.

114. Price __ : WAR

115. Panini cheese : ASIAGO.  And 15D. It's often grated : ROMANO

121. Exactly right : SPOT ON

122. Control on a wing : AILERON. For Dudley.

123. Just-in-case items : SPARES

124. Ecclesiastical council : SYNOD

125. Weatherproofing application : SEALANT

126. City where the Alcázar is located : TOLEDO. Lucina might have visited this place.

Down:

1. Salamanca snacks : TAPAS

2. Memorable shrine : ALAMO

3. Pho soup garnish : BASIL. I don't like basil at all.

4. Org. that employed Julia Child during WWII : OSS. She graduated from Smith College. OSS employees were mostly from prestigious colleges those days. 

5. Steinbeck's Tom Joad, e.g. : OKIE

6. Capital east of Gallup : SANTA FE. Never heard of Gallup, NM. What's it famous for, Owen?

7. "Turn! Turn! Turn!" source: Abbr. : ECCLES. No idea.

8. Gaza Strip gp. : PLO

9. "Who __": 2001 #1 country hit : I AM. Unfamiliar to me also. I don't like country songs.

10. Uproars : TUMULTS

11. Danish seaport : ODENSE

12. "Battle Hymn of the Republic" possessive : MINE. Was it gimme for you? I was stumped.

13. Wolfs down : EATS

14. Pvt. address : APO

17. Anthem opener : O SAY

21. Alexander Graham Bell, e.g. : SCOT

23. Major blow : GALE

28. Diez squared : CIEN. Diez = 10.  Dix in French.

31. Draw out : ELICIT

33. Aggravates : VEXES

34. Frodo's forest friends : ENTS

36. Words before many words : IN SO.  Far trickier a clue than " ___  many words".

38. Texting shrug : IDK. I Don't Know.

39. Space __ : NEEDLE

40. Increasingly rare screens : CRTS

42. Average : MEAN

43. Shopping club : SAM'S

44. Gray ones are debatable : AREAS. Gray areas.

48. Causes of unusual weather : EL NINOs. It's plurable, D-Otto?

50. Tic __ : TACs

51. Sounded like the wind : MOANED

52. '60s secretary of state : RUSK (Dean). JFK era.

53. Leaves painfully : JILTS. Not an easy clue for me.

55. LSAT cousin : GRE

57. Supporter of a strong, centralized government : STATIST. New word to me.

58. What a sports star may sport : BEARD

59. Company founded by Gem State brothers : ORE-IDA. I did not know this trivia. 

62. Condensed, condensed : ABR (Abridged). The second "condensed" indicates abbr.

63. Gawk : STARE

65. Paper size: Abbr. : LTR

68. Salt : SEA DOG

69. 16th-century date : MDII. 1502.

72. Head-turner of a sort : PSST

74. The Cowboys of the Big 12: Abbr. : OSU. Oklahoma State.

77. March followers : APRILS

78. SFO postings : ETDs

79. Quayle follower : GORE. VP.

81. Vocalist Vikki : CARR

82. Green 2001 title hero : SHREK. Easily obtainable via crosses.

85. Canadian pump name : ESSO

87. Pub. concern : CIRC. Circulation. Pub is for "Publisher" I suppose.

88. "Bird-Wire" link : ON A. Bird on a wire.

91. It has a string attached : YO-YO

92. Big name in stunt jumping : KNIEVEL

93. "We did the right thing" : IT'S BEST. Not a phrase I used.

95. Chip source : POTATO

97. Number one Hun : ATTILA. We learned a lot about Genghis Khan in school. Somehow not Attila the Hun.

98. Binding material : CEMENT

99. Column couple : ITEM. Oh, newspaper columns.

101. Tar Heel State campus : ELON

104. Tuned in : AWARE

105. Flowed furiously : RAGED

106. Sandbox rebuttal : ARE SO

107. Girl : LASS

108. Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, e.g. : ESPY. Never heard of  Jimmy V.

110. Bk. reviewers? : CPAS. I nailed it also.

111. Singer India.__ : ARIE

113. Old Bruin nickname : ESPO. Phil Esposito.

116. Word on U.S. coins : GOD

118. Celestial altar : ARA

119. Gross __ : TON

120. Muppet monkey Minella : SAL. Stranger to me also.

 C.C.

Saturday, Feb 28th, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 72 (missing F, J, Q)

Blocks: 30

This one just plain gave me a genuine headache - and it's all my fault.  My WAGs were spot on, but my "I know this" answers were completely, utterly wrong, and that made for some really difficult solving.  Oh well.  The NE was a shambles, and it took w-a-a-a-y too long to see some really obvious fills.  Add to that the proper name vagueness, and....Triple 10's in the across corners, and paired 10- and 11-letter climbers on the inside, with a couple of 9's thrown in, to boot;

17a. Correct : ON THE MONEY - can't say I was this today

12d. Metal-bending aid : ANVIL BLOCK - Does anyone else consider this Duran Duran~? That is, redundant~? I proudly filled in PRESS BRAKE - seen here - and just could not get this corner to co-operate.  Guess I'll go stick my head under the "water faucet"

56a. What "D" may mean, monetarily : DENVER MINT - nailed it - rare coins

36a. Square shooter? : BOX CAMERA - once the last "A" popped in, I got the CAMERA part; the rest~?  Nothing.

OW~! DARN~!

ACROSS:

1. Shower alternative : SPONGE BATH - went with ---BATH, but the rest would NOT come to me, even when the "P" showed up

11. Hollow : DALE - Sleepy Hollow, e.g.

15. "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1934) actor : PETER LORRE - before my time, so semi-vague

16. NASA unit : ONE G - I considered LT YR at first

18. Pigmented layer : UVEA - skin seemed too easy

19. Takeout menu eponym : TSO - The General, of American Chinese food

20. Smartens (up) : WISES - ah, I was in a "primp" & "tidy" frame of mind, not an intellectual one

21. 1954 Detroit Auto Show unveiling : T-BIRD - eh.  I went with EDSEL, knew it was wrong because I read up on it recently; I felt like an "abbr." was needed here

22. Battery, e.g. : TORT - I knew this was a legal term "battery"; Metallica's take

Metallica - Battery

23. Ride and Brown : SALLYS - knew this, filled it in, then 12d. made me change it - and it was all downhill from there ( or is that uphill~? )

24. Maker of Neo soft drinks : RC COLA - Cheated.  Had to Google.

27. Capital NNE of Rome : ZAGREB - Had the "G" and the "B", but took too long to fill in the rest.

29. Prayer opening : O LORD - "please help me find my mistakes~!"

30. Feelers : TENTACLES - I was on the right wavelength with "antennae", but was short a letter

33. Noggin : BEAN

34. Chain with a red cowboy hat logo : ARBY'S

35. __ Raven: Baltimore neighborhood : LOCH - ah, so that's why the football team is the Ravens~?

38. Very small : MICRO

39. Sequoia Park Zoo home : EUREKA - California - link

40. Teaching model : MOCK-UP - meh.  I know very well what mock-up means, but a teaching model~? Ugh.  When I worked at G&K architects, they had to do a mock-up of this structure to get the aluminum framework cuts correct

41. Actress who starred in two Hitchcock films : HEDREN - Tippi~! From MN~! Semi-clecho with;

22d. Hitchcock thriller set in East Germany : TORN CURTAIN  - her IMDb

43. Jerk : YANK - Noun or verb?  Needed the "K" first

44. Garibaldi's wife : ANITA - Ugh.  Who?  Vague.  Her Wiki

45. Tons : SCADS

47. "Criminal Minds" network : CBS

50. Spanish address : DONA

51. Pointer's cry : "LOOK AT THAT~!" - Look at this~! My buddy Mike, the one with the games company, took home a Family Choice Award~!

53. When the ghost of Hamlet's father first appears : ACT I - I like these clues; it's usually "ACT", followed by "I" or "V"

54. Nanny's service : IN-HOME CARE

55. Fund-raising suffix : THON - like tele-thon

DOWN:

1. Tough __ : SPOT - this clue was a "tough spot" for me; "S**T" was a real possibility

2. They may be filled from wells : PENS - took way too long to dawn on me

3. Mort Walker dog : OTTO

4. Bk. about the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls : NEHemiah - I have a link to these

5. Aged : GREW OLD - Dah~!  The verb; I was thinking of wines

6. Where Mark Twain married Olivia Langdon : ELMIRA - Vague

7. Amplify : BOOST

8. "A-Hunting We Will Go" songwriter : ARNE - Ugh, vague.

9. Marne modifier : TRES - Frawnche for "very"

10. "Yo!" : HEY

11. Mouse action : DOUBLE CLICK

13. Distrustful : LEERY

14. "Tarnation!" : EGADS~!

21. Fictional house "built according to no architectural plan whatever" : TARA - seemed like a good fictional house WAG

23. Friday et al.: Abbr. : SGTs

24. Name in Virginia politics : ROBB - more vagueness - Wiki

25. Singer Laine : CLEO - even more vagueness

26. Gently convinced about : COAXED INTO

27. Barking horse relative : ZEBRA - once I finally got the "Z", it was obvious - but I had not heard of a 'barking' horse; I found some interesting reading on zebras

28. "The Cherry Orchard" daughter : ANYA - ugh, ugh, ugh.  Vague

30. Go a long way : TREK - not "LAST"

31. Neutral color : ECRU

32. Look for a good deal : SHOP

34. "Yes!" : AMEN

37. Region : AREA

38. Ginormous : MONSTER - nailed it

40. "___ X" : MADAME - took some perps

41. Charged : HAD AT - DAH~! I had RAN AT, and that makes MUCH more sense

42. Methuselah's father : ENOCH - WAG from the "H"

43. Comedian Smirnoff : YAKOV - Hey~!  I know this one~!

45. Acoustical unit : SONE

46. Columbia Pictures co-founder Harry : COHN - and back to vague.

47. Masala __: Indian beverage : CHAI - perps

48. Building with big doors : BARN - look at how big those...doors are...

49. Proof mark : STET

51. Top : LID

52. "__ Underground": cult film showcase : TCM

Splynter

Friday, February 27, 2015, John Farmer

Theme: Where did I hide that TV show?  I guess I will start at the bottom and work my way up.

Whenever I see a Friday with lots of black squares I know there is a visual aspect to solution, in this case the visual is revealed both by circles (if you do not have them, the 'theme' is virtually impossible to find) and by 55A. Appears ... and the contents of this puzzle's circles? : SHOWS UP (7). Words like BACK, UP and DOWN in a reveal let you know direction. This is a return trip for John, who. spoke with CC in 2012 . This layout has many short words, but quite a bit of longer fill like ATE DIRT, CHOLERA, ESKIMOS, ETHICAL, GULF WAR, NEMESES, PATRONS, PEACHES, PRIOR TO, SHOWS UP, TOO LATE. I am confused as to whether we were supposed to give up using the word Eskimo, but the rest are fun.

I will treat the hiding places for the theme, as the theme answers.

2D. Bit of deception : HOCUS POCUS(10). Which is basically a self-referential clue then. Reading from the bottom up, we see COPS revealed. This show launched Spike TV. Nicely juxtaposed with the Police.

8D. Realization often preceded by "Whew!" : IT WAS ALL A DREAM (14). I would bet this was the seed entry, and Mr. Farmer, while creating one of his more common themeless puzzles, noticed that DALLAS, (4:07) with its most famous episode, was hidden in this fill.

13D. Rodgers and Hart title lyric that precedes "I get no dizzy spells" : THIS CAN'T BE LOVE (14). I tried really hard to find a connection between CSI and these LYRICS but I had no success; did I miss something?

20D. James Brown memoir : I FEEL GOOD (9). Did they ever sing any James Brown on GLEE? EPISODE 21 season 1.

29D. One way to lighten the mood : CRACK A JOKE.(10) Nice fill, with a J! Well Telly Savalas as KOJAK (0:46) with his lollipop was a fun cop show....


Across:
  
1. Fall follower? : THUD. Well this puzzle did not begin with a BLAM.

5. Ophidian menace : ASP. Somewhat obscure, as OPHIS is Greek for snake.

8. Brightness stats : IQS. Paired with, 46A. Hardly bright : DIM.  Some intellectual elitism?

11. Arts supporters : PATRONS.

14. Frat letter : RHO.

15. Son of Akhenaten : TUT. The boy PHARAOH.

16. On the level : ETHICAL.

17. Battle of Khafji conflict : GULF WAR.

19. "Battle it out" quintet : AEIOU. Like facetious, a place to find the vowels in order, I guess.

20. Plasma particle : ION. Okay scientists, explain how plasma is a hot ionized gas consisting of approximately equal numbers of positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons.

21. Loafer's lack : LACE. The shoe, not your lazy neighbor.

22. Some audiobooks : CDS.

23. Pro shop supplies : SHAFTS. Golf clubs are made of many different materials, and having your clubs reshafted is not uncommon.

Now the question becomes is there a genteel way to ask our audience about whether they prefer stiff shafts...

26. Opposite of bids : ASKS. This is from the stock markets, as well as any auction.

27. Kool-Aid alternative : HI-C. Well they are drinks, but one primarily in powder form, one in liquid...

28. "__ Eterno": 2004 sports documentary : PELE.

29. Boorish : CRASS.

30. Detergent with Oxi Booster : ERA. Three letters had to be FAB or...

31. Bone: Pref. : OSTEopath? Osteoarthritis?

32. "Seasons in the Sun" songwriter : BREL. This BELGIAN was popular when I was young.

33. Dot on an MTA map : STN.

34. "Love in the Time of __": García Márquez work : CHOLERA. This winner of the NOBEL PRIZE for Literature. I am afraid was not on my radar. This was a very hard fill, especially as it crosses three (3) of the five theme holding fill. In the end, it was I FEEL GOOD that put me on the right track.

36. ICU staffer : LPN. Licensed Practical Nurses can work in the Intensive Care Unit.

39. "Can't argue with that!" : TRUE.

41. Former car-financing org. : GMAC. General Motors Acceptance Corporation. This became ALLY during the bailout process of 2009.

42. It may come after you : ARE. You are here. Not following you.

43. Court attire : ROBES. Does the 21st century really need the judiciary in robes?

45. Rooting sound : OINK. Certainly true of Arkansas fans, but he meant 'rooting', not 'rooting'. This word has many meaning, and they use pigs to root out truffles; also perhaps KZ can confirm this word means 'shagging' in Oz. Depending on your partner, it may have more meaning.

47. "Agreed!" : AMEN.

48. Title girl in a 1965 #1 hit : RHONDA. I was in high school.

50. Sushi topper : ROE. Bear in mind that fish eggs, are also known as CAVIAR.

51. Mall draw : SALE.

52. Sci-fi suffix : OID. Interesting factoid about androids and humanoids who use steroids and become freakazoids....

53. Signs of dissatisfaction : JEERS.

57. "Missed your chance!" : TOO LATE.

59. Brief facilities? : LAVatories.

60. Zing : PEP.

61. Early Alaskans : ESKIMOS. Help me Rhonda? Opps wrong clue.

62. Memphis-to-Nashville dir. : ENE.

63. Year abroad : ANO.

64. Payroll deduction, perhaps : DUES. In the old days union dues were common deductions.


Down:

1. The Police, most of the time : TRIO. The Police not the police. I am sure if you would get this wrong, it would sting.

3. A, in Argentina : UNA. Can you imagine a puzzle with each of these USA, UMA, UTA, UNA, UPA, UVA, ULA, UCA, UFA, UGA, UBA, UEA as fill?

4. ISP option : DSL. Digital Subscriber Line.

5. Shoptalk : ARGOT. Meh, this is more specific a term meaning a special language.

6. Treats as persona non grata : SHUNS.

7. D.C. figure : POLitician. How cool that this is next to...

9. Charlatans : QUACKS.

10. Hardly gloss over : STRESS.

11. Still-life subject : PEACHES. Really?

12. Swallowed one's pride : ATE DIRT. Dirt is not the only four letter word that fits, but....

18. Roadside warning : FLARE.

24. Inclusive pronoun : HE/SHE. Are there any safe comments?

Now if we shave that Adam's apple, and put on lipstick- maybe.

25. Quartet member : ALTO. I am confused because ALTO is for female voices with baritone, tenor and base for males not to mention soprano, contralto, mezzo-soprano, counter-baritone. So what quartet is this?

32. Word before or after name : BRAND. Brand name = name brand.

35. Key of Dvorák's "New World Symphony": Abbr. : E MINor.

37. Before : PRIOR TO.

38. They can't be beaten : NEMESES. An interesting plural.

40. Get Wired again : RENEW. The capital W lets you know this is referring to the magazine, Wired so it is a subscription that is being renewed.

43. Fight in the sticks : RASSLE.

44. Fred Astaire, by birth : OMAHAN. I am sure a fact known to our Nebraska contingent. HG?

48. President François Hollande's birthplace : ROUEN. Not to speak politics, but do many Americans know much about this socialite SOCIALIST?

49. Whale relative : HIPPO. Isn't SCIENCE grand!?!

54. Bulldog fans : ELIS. The mascot at Yale is the Bulldog, also at UGA.

56. Facial spot : SPA. Ha ha, not a Zit.

57. Brother of Jack and Bobby : TED. All gone now.

58. College Football Playoff champion crowned Jan. 12, 2015 : OSU. The Ohio State University. The third national championship for coach Urban Meyer.


Funny, yesterday we had 72 words and only 29 blocks with today having 74 words, 42 blocks (8 cheater squares), so many ways to build a grid. Anyway, while many of you may not get into this style, I really enjoyed this. It was good to have John back. Here comes March...Spring? Lemonade out