Friday, April 24, 2015, Harald Hornung

Theme: FOR score and seven puzzles ago...

In our second offering from Mr. Hornung (not  Paul) we have FOR added to the first word of an in the language phrase, creating a new and amusingly clued phrase. The first three all are attached to words beginning with "G" - the last not. We remain in our current pattern of average word length of less than 5 letters on Friday. Some good intermediate fill like ANGELO, GLOBES, GOTCHA, HEAPED, ORWELL, PHOTOG,, DISSUADE, LOVE SEAT, LOOKING ON,  TAX REFUND. When you are adding three letters it limits the choices and I think these themes are all amusing.

20A. Advice to a shaken quarterback? : FORGET THE SACK (13). Being sacked (fired) is worse than being tackled behind the line.

27A. Eschew a potassium source? : FORGO BANANAS (12). From losing it to restricting your diet.

43A. Excuse that last jeer? : FORGIVE A HOOT (12).  This CAMPAIGN came to mind.

53A. Take a vow of silence? : FORSWEAR WORDS (13). My favorite fill and for many not using the f word would keep them silent.


Across:

1. Hogwarts co-founder Hufflepuff : HELGA. Not a devotee of Harry (Potter or Prince) but the alliteration seemed logical.

6. Claimed in court : PLED. I hope this debate has been put to bed, if not I will feel...

10. In a funk : GLUM.

14. Betelgeuse's constellation : ORION. If I were to go back to college now I would study Astronomy as this all is very fascinating. The STAR is not named after a Michael Keaton movie.

15. Pad opening : HELI. No go to this week.

16. Exude : OOZE.

17. Rue Morgue killer : ORANG.  Spoiler alert! The murderer in the very first 'officla' mystery from Mr. Poe. I do not understand why we need CHIMP, ORANG etc.  Are we HUMA?

18. Stout trees : OAKS. Last week staid elms, this week....

19. Considerable effort : TOIL. The syntax seems off, though I toiled and I put forth considerable effort and filled.

23. Prom attendees: Abbr. : SRS. Seniors.

24. Language of Southeast Asia : LAO. Similar in structure to Thai, which I am learning very slowly. LINK. More language in 36A. Where some natives speak Azeri or Luri : IRAN. I personally favor Persian, but if you want to know more. LINK 2.

25. Square : UNHIP. Be there or be square.

31. King's downfall : MATE. Really cute misleading visual clue.

34. Style : MODE.

35. Grissom on "CSI" : GIL. William Petersen is long gone and after starring on the number show on TV is now back on WGN original SERIES.

37. Feudal lord : LIEGE.

39. Singer commonly seen wearing sunglasses : BONO.

40. Site for aspiring idols : FOX. The network of the fading American Idol.

41. "Star Trek" race : BORG. They had Jean-Luc Picard for a while.

42. Throw in a chip : ANTE.

48. Big fight : MELEE.

49. Balancing aid : EAR.  If you want to LEARN.

50. Indian state known for its beaches: GOA.

57. Musical souvenir : STUB. Tricky; how may have used Stub Hub?

59. Russell's "Tombstone" role : EARP. Wyatt.

60. They're heavier than foils : EPEES.

61. You may look through one : PANE.

62. Luyendyk of auto racing : ARIE. There are two, a senior and junior. I could not find a picture of them together.

63. Discovered accidentally : LIT ON. A vague Friday; HIT ON appealed to me.

64. Puts in : ADDS.

65. Put up, in a way : TEED. Also tricky, on a small stick.

66. Isn't straight : LEANS. Pisa anyone?

Down:

1. Legs (it) : HOOFS. Archie Goodwin was always deciding to hoof it rather than getting the Heron from the garage.

2. Slip : ERROR.

3. Humbugs : LIARS. Humbug is a fun word.

4. Big ringer : GONG.  There are t-shirts which say, "I have a really big Gong."

5. San __, Texas : ANGELO.

6. SLR buff : PHOTOG.

7. Mother of Judah : LEAH.

8. Paul's "The Prize" co-star : ELKE. Newman and Somer. The movie is based on an Irving Wallace novel about certain prize winners; I read most of his at the time. It also included Peter Sellers' future wife Britt Ekland as a nudist in an uncredited part where Paul must undress. Interestingly, the following year Sellers had a similar scene in a nudist colony with Elke Somer.

9. Convince not to : DISSUADE

10. Prankster's cry : GOTCHA.

11. Gawking, perhaps : LOOKING ON.

12. Gun designer __ Gal : UZI.

13. Porky's longtime voice : MEL.

21. It's on the road: TAR.

22. Last Stuart queen : ANNE. She succeeded William and Mary, her sister. She managed to be survived by no children despite 17 pregnancies. She seemed a pleasant woman. LINK.

26. Coat material : PAINT. A little Friday trickery.

27. Swampy area : FEN. and the clecho 29A. Swampy area : BOG.

28. Horseshoe-shaped letter : OMEGA. Ω.

30. Liquor-flavoring fruit : SLOE. Used with gin.

31. Rile : MIFF.

32. Woolf's "__ of One's Own" : A ROOM.

33. Source of extra spending money : TAX REFUND. Where you get your own money back to spend; how wonderful.

37. Place where three's a crowd : LOVESEAT. I love this clue/fill.

38. Snit cause : IRE. I do not like the clue.

39. Cricket __ : BAT.

41. Oktoberfest quaff : BIER.

44. Geography aids : GLOBES. Another Nero Wolfe related clue (if you are me)

45. Supplied in abundance : HEAPED.

46. Boat propeller : OAR. Har, har.

47. Creator of the language Newspeak : ORWELL. How cool is it that this clue from Nineteen Eighty-four is next to...

50. "On the Record" host Van Susteren : GRETA.

51. Pope's "__ Solitude" : ODE ON.

52. Gps. with similar goals : ASSNS.

54. Kitchen attachment : WARE. Kitchenware generates about 31,300,000 results(0.42 seconds) on Google. 

55. City seen from Presque Isle State Park : ERIE. Wow has this become the go to CSO or what?

56. Old sitcom redhead : OPIE. Ron Howard, they will never forget!

57. Hotel amenity : SPA. Is it an amenity if you have to pay extra?

58. Little : TAD. What a perfect place to end if we add an "A."  TADA!

Well my time is done and now it is your turn.  Have at it. Lemonade out.

Thursday, April 23, 2015 Julian Lim

Theme: "Puff"

17-Across. *Skedaddling : TURNING TAIL. Colorful phrase to start us off!

27-Across. *Food often served with ranch dip : BUFFALO WINGS. Yum! ( I looked back at the first theme entry and noticed the avian parts.)

45-Across. *Weigh, with "at" : TIP THE SCALES. (Uh-oh, so much for my bird theory...)

59-Across. *Real ordeal : TRIAL BY FIRE. (Aha! By jove, I've got it. DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS, right?)

(Almost:)
35. With 38-Across, band with the hit "Radioactive," and a hint to the ends of the answers to starred clues : IMAGINE 38-Across. See 35-Across : DRAGONS. Yes, I can just imagine. Oh, you mean the band? 4:03ì

Fun theme, and a fresh reveal. The fill also made the solve very enjoyable for me. You?

Across

1. "Carrie" Oscar nominee : SPACEK. Ah yes, I had nightmares for weeks after seeing that one.

7. Letters about time : AM-PM.

11. __ Fit: video exercise game : WII. Gimme - I use mine every day!

14. Acid neutralizer : ALKALI.

15. Restaurant chain named for a Mozart opera : COSÌ...fan tutte.

16. It's often cured : HAM.

19. Physician's org. : AMA. Academy of Model Aeronautics.  Doctors do like their toy planes! ;-)

20. Snack brand creator Wally : AMOS. He's famous, ya know.

21. Karaoke option : DUET.

22. Take one's sweet time : DALLY. Are you eating sweet pickles slowly if you DILLY DALLY?

24. Half a score : TEN. "Four score and seven years ago..." A score is 20 years.

25. Auction cry : SOLD.

26. Lamp emission, if you're lucky : GENIE. Fun entry and clue!

30. __ Navidad : FELIZ.

33. First-line national anthem word : SEE.  Tricky clue. "Say", "can" or "you" also fit... And then we have 41-Across. First-line national anthem word : SAY. Well, at least I eliminated one choice at 33-Across!

34. Prefix with caching : GEO. How's your knee doing, CrossEyedDave? Is it still keeping you from geocaching?

42. Pigs out (on) : ODs.

44. __ attitude : CAN DO.

50. Sensible : LEVEL.

51. Stats for Mike Trout : RBIs. Total WAG. Born in 1991, he's just a baby, for gosh sake!

52. Meditator's intonations : OMs.

55. Sand bar : SHOAL.

56. Appear : SEEM.

57. Purveyor of many flat packs : IKEA. I just put together 8 new base cabinets for my kitchen remodel. Not from IKEA.

58. Burst : POP. Did you wonder if it was present or past tense, too?

62. Part of UCSD: Abbr. : CAL. Univ. Cal. San Diego.

63. Cheese that's sometimes stuffed : EDAM. Keshi Yena is a traditional stuffed Edam cheese dish that is common on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao.

64. Begin gently : EASE IN.

65. Cut : AXE.

66. Smashes : RAMS.

67. They're often ruled : ROOSTS. Who rules yours? (Here, it's our cats.)


Down

1. Occupied, as a table : SAT AT.

2. Nice pen : PLUME. The French city Nice. Were you fooled? My mistake was thinking "stylo," which is more like a ballpoint or fountain pen. A PLUME would be an old-fashioned quill pen, I think. Kazie?

3. Firestone Country Club city : AKRON. The home of the WGC's Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament every August.

4. Spam holders : CANS. Were you thinking email junk folders? Nope, that was reserved for 31-Down. Phishing scam, e.g. : EMAIL HOAX. Nice fill.

5. Lilly of pharmaceuticals : ELI. Gimme.

6. In a way : KIND OF.

7. Played the part of : ACTED AS.

8. Asset in a castle siege : MOAT.

9. Chi follower : PSI. Χ and Ψ. Penultimate Greek letter before Ω.

10. Shower problem : MILDEW.

11. Beating heavily, as with a sledgehammer : WHALING ON. Yikes! What a visual.

12. Post-apocalyptic Will Smith film : I AM LEGEND. Will Shakespeare? IAMB LEGEND.

13. "Perhaps" : I MAY.

18. __ of Mexico : GULF.

23. Young Darth's nickname : ANI.

25. Singer Quatro : SUZI. Over 50 years on the rock scene!

26. Church attachment? : GOER. and 32-Down. Church attendees : LAY PEOPLE.

27. Popular : BIG.

28. Took charge of : LED.

29. Just fair : SO-SO.

30. __ bump : FIST.

36. "O Holy Night," for one : NOEL.

37. Journalism VIPs : EDs.

39. Far from fails : ACES.

40. It's often bought at an island : GAS.

43. Horror movie sounds : SCREAMS. Like me, when watching "Carrie" for the first time.

46. Dam-building org. : TVA. Tennessee Valley Authority.

47. __-skelter : HELTER. brrrrrr...shades of Charles Manson.

48. First fratricide victim : ABEL.

49. Loosen (up) : LIMBER. A must, when using your WII Fit.

52. 1930s migrants : OKIES.

53. Worthiness : MERIT.

54. Composer Saint-__ : SAËNS. Jayce likes his "Danse Macabre." 7:09

55. Org. for strays : SPCA. Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

56. Place that gave its name to a cat breed : SIAM.ese.

57. "Say that's true ... " : IF SO.

60. No. for the health-conscious : RDA. Recommended Daily Allowance. I must confess, I don't always get mine.

61. Retired NBAer Ming : YAO. The 7' 6" Houston Rocket. Off the court, he is a white rhino and elephant conservationist!

That's all I got.
Marti

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015 Marti DuGuay-Carpenter

Theme: Crack the Code - The first word of each theme entry can be 'cracked'.

17A. Chinese course in a bowl : EGG DROP SOUP. Food! Chicken broth, beaten eggs, pepper for seasoning, scallions to garnish.

25A. Reason to skip the Skippy : NUT ALLERGY. More food! I prefer Laura Scudder's Crunchy peanut butter. I put Marmite on mine, not jelly.

35A. Classic cop show catchphrase : BOOK 'EM DANNO. Lt. McGarret's closing line on many a "Hawaii 5-0" episode.

49A. Browse on Madison Avenue, say : WINDOW SHOP. Oddly, I don't associate Madison Avenue with retail stores. I'd be on Fifth Avenue.

and the reveal:

56A. Begin working, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 25-, 35- and 49-Across : GET CRACKING

Steve here and yay! for another blogger-constructor puzzle today from Marti. A neat theme, some freshness in both the theme entries and the fill and enough misdirection in the cluing for a solid Wednesday. Let's look at the rest.

Across:

1. Source of fine wool : ALPACA. I waded straight in with MERINO and then had to wade back and towel off.

7. Flotation device : VEST

11. 24-hr. banking service : ATM. When my bank in England installed their first ATM way back when, they put it inside the building which rather defeated the purpose. In those days the bank opened at 10AM and closed at 3PM. The tellers would take their lunch break at the same time as the rest of us, so they had half the staff available at the busiest time of day. Brilliant.

14. Thingamabob : DOODAD

15. "__ the Woods" : INTO. Meryl Streep garnered an Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance in the 2014 movie adaptation.

16. La Mancha Mrs. : SRA. Spanish Señora

19. Elton John's title : SIR

20. "Vive __!" : LE ROI. Literally "Live the King!" Seems odd that the French don't need a "Long" first.

21. Milk source : TEAT

22. Assuage : EASE

29. Plastered : LIT

30. Believer's suffix : -IST. As cruciverbalists, we believe in Marti and the other constructors to produce great puzzles.

31. One working in a studio : PAINTER

32. Like a ballerina : FLUID

34. 38th-parallel land : KOREA. One half is most definitely not like the other.

39. Enjoys a bistro, with "out" : DINES

40. Set of moral precepts : ETHIC. I didn't know this referred to a plurality of precepts.

43. Hanukkah toy : DREIDEL

46. Expected : DUE

48. "Don't think so" : NAH

51. Excellent : A-ONE

52. Tequila sunrise direction : ESTE. On my 18th Birthday, my friends took me out and forced a rather astonishing number of Tequila Sunrises into me. I had absolutely no idea which way the sun came up the next day.

53. Siouan speakers : IOWAS

55. Director Ang : LEE

62. P.O. delivery : LTR. My Post Office now delivers packages on Sunday. No letters though.

63. Without restraint : AMOK

64. Serengeti heavyweights : RHINOS. Heavy indeed - white rhinos can grow to more than 5,000lbs.

65. Help-wanted sign? : S.O.S.

66. Word on some family business signs : SONS. Let's have some music from Mumford and Sons

67. "Gracias" reply : DE NADA

Down:

1. Fruity drink : ADE

2. Fuel for the fire : LOG

3. Faddish '90s disc : POG. The name comes from POG (Passionfruit, Orange, Guava) bottle-caps originally used to play the game in Hawaii. I wonder if the 5-0 guys played between "book 'em" action.

4. Confuse : ADDLE

5. Part of TLC : CARE, of the Tender, Loving kind.

6. Festoons : ADORNS

7. Call on : VISIT

8. "Small Craft on a Milk Sea" musician : ENO

9. "The Simpsons" disco guy : STU

10. Tank or tee : TOP

11. Claim with conviction : ASSERT

12. Emergency priority system : TRIAGE

13. Saint Agnes, e.g. : MARTYR. The story isn't pretty. I'll spare you the details.

18. Sulk : POUT

21. One living in a studio : TENANT. Can't you buy your own studio?

22. Keebler spokesman : ELF. I had no idea - crosses all the way for me. At least it wasn't a long way.

23. Feel poorly : AIL

24. Bump, as a toe : STUB. Can you stub your finger? I once stubbed my index toe so hard while wearing flip-flops in a darkened medieval church in the Canary Islands that I cracked the bone. I don't think my language was church-appropriate.

26. Like two peas in __ : A POD

27. Croft of video games : LARA

28. Holder of a collateral loan : LIENEE. Wow, never heard this before.

30. Enthusiastic yes : I DO I DO

33. Table salt additive : IODIDE I OD I DE? I was still chuckling about LOG/POG and came across this pair with 30A that me laugh out loud. I'm easily amused.

34. Irish rd. sign abbreviations : KMS. Irish Miss - when did the change happen? I had no idea the Emerald Isle was now metric - can you still get a pint? It's still a long way to Tipperary, but it sounds longer in kilometers.

36. "... Yorick! I __ him, Horatio" : KNEW. Alas, poor chap.

37. Slippery ones : EELS

38. "That's terrible!" : OH NO

41. "Atonement" novelist McEwan : IAN. An immensely-talented writer.

42. Ally of Fidel : CHE

43. Lives : DWELLS

44. Meet, as a challenge : RISE TO

45. Signs up for : ENTERS, as in a competition

46. Bouncer's post : DOOR

47. __ mobility : UPWARD

50. Sticks figures : HICKS. AKA Goonies from the Boonies?

51. Invite for a nightcap, say : ASK IN. A "nightcap"? Yeah, right ....

54. Throb : ACHE

56. Fun time : GAS. As in "Jumpin' Jack Flash". Let's have ourselves some Keef and Mick.

57. Punk rock subgenre : EMO. I linked Green Day the last time this came up. I've used up my music links for the day.

58. Exaggerated homework amount : TON

59. "Barefoot Contessa" host Garten : INA. More Food!-related content, she of Food Network fame.

60. Agree quietly : NOD

61. Govt. procurement agency : G.S.A. The jolly General Services Administration.

Here's the grid and stick a fork in me, I'm done!

Steve

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 John Lampkin

Theme: Voyeurism - Cruciverbally watching someone take a shower.

18A. Controversial coal-extraction process : STRIP MINING

27A. Buy lots of presents for : SHOWER WITH GIFTS

47A. Wry wit : DRY SENSE OF HUMOR

59A. Opera house section : DRESS CIRCLE. Diagram

57D. Appropriate room for the sequence comprised of the starts of 18-, 27-, 47- and 59-Across : BATH

Peeping Argyle here. Did you need John's unifier? Two spanners again today and a touch of tomfoolery. Well done.

Across:

1. Stick (out) : JUT

4. Chocolate syrup choice : BOSCO. Perhaps oc4beach said it best. "When I was a kid I believed the Bosco commercials and pestered my mother until she bought a jar for me. After one glass of it I realized it was terrible Brown Sludge. To teach me a lesson, my mother made me drink a glass every day until it was gone. I didn't pester her as much about buying stuff after that."

9. Call to mind : EVOKE

14. Self-image : EGO

15. Chipmunk's morsel : ACORN

16. "America by Heart" author Sarah : PALIN

17. Good name for a tree-lined street : ELM

20. Long gun : RIFLE

22. Really mad : BOILING

23. __-Loompa: fictional chocolate factory worker : OOMPA. No Bosco here.

26. Bagpiper, often : SCOT

33. "2001" computer : HAL

34. Cinematic shootout time : NOON

35. Monica of tennis : SELES

36. Allowed to ripen, as cheddar : AGED

38. Kind of card or drive : FLASH. It seems there is a large online market for flash cards.

41. Senate slot : SEAT

42. Rose (up) on hind legs, to a cowhand : RARED

44. Beat to a froth : WHIP

46. Doctor's org. : AMA

51. "¿Qué __?" : PASA. "What's up?"

52. Jazz singer Krall : DIANA

53. Curse-inflicting stare : EVIL-EYE

56. Some Balkanites : SERBS

62. Kit __: candy bar : KAT

63. Everglades wader : EGRET

64. Pro basketball player, briefly : NBAer. Member of the National Basketball Association

65. H-like letter : ETA

66. "Think again!" : "NOT SO!". "Au contraire, mon frère"

67. Decent chaps : GENTS

68. "Give __ thoughts no tongue": "Hamlet" : THY. Mum's the word.

Down:

1. Bit of heckling : JEER

2. Aptly named fruit : UGLI

3. Horseplay : TOMFOOLERY

4. Infielders : BASEMEN. What about the shortstop?

5. Autumn mo. : OCT.

6. Fraternity counterpart: Abbr. : SOR. (sorority)

7. Nursery bed : CRIB. Time to think about garden nurseries. Just heard my first thunder for the year.

8. Like some military housing : ON POST

9. Literary postscripts : EPILOGS

10. Makeup tables : VANITIES

11. "Chocolat" actress Lena : OLIN

12. Royal flush card : KING

13. Second lang., for some : ENG. (English)

19. Wisc. neighbor : MICH.

21. Stuck-in-the-mud gear : LOW. Just when it was drying up, we get a week of rain. Would like to send it to those of you that need it.

24. University VIP : PROF. (professor)

25. AFB truant : AWOL. (AFB-Air Force Base)

27. Broken pottery piece : SHARD

28. Helga's Viking husband, in comics : HAGAR. Not a shower man.

29. Extremely impressed : IN AWE

30. Bargain hunter's mecca : FLEA MARKET. Look for C.C. there.

31. Spanish "I love you" : "TE AMO"

32. Astronomical red giant : S-STAR

37. More than dislikes : DESPISES. Snarky anons.

39. Not barefoot : SHOD

40. Old audio system : HI-FI

43. Includes in the poker game : DEALS TO

45. Sci-fi weapons : PHASERS

48. Tiny fraction of a min. : NSEC. One billionth (10-9) of a second.

49. Adage : SAYING

50. One in Paris : UNE

53. Therefore : ERGO

54. Opposite of hor. : VERT. Could be a perp in either direction.

55. Kathryn of "Law & Order: C.I." : ERBE

58. Legal suspension : STAY

59. Family room : DEN

60. Soda container : CAN

61. Do-over on the court : LET. Tennis court.

Argyle

Monday, April 20, 2015 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Three's a ..., you know.

59A. Conforms, or what each last word of 16-, 27- and 44-Across literally does : FOLLOWS THE CROWD

27A. Automatic setting for highway driving : CRUISE CONTROL. Crowd Control. "Turn on the water hoses, boys." ~ Chief Wiggum.

16A. Unnamed news supplier : ANONYMOUS SOURCE. Crowdsource. A rather new term for gathering information from social media. The idea is as old as thumbs up/thumbs down in the Colosseum.

44A. Christmas display : NATIVITY SCENE. Crowd Scene. Time was the movies used tons of extras for crowd scenes; it is done (might say overdone) by CGI now.

Argyle here with our hostess with the mostess. Two grid spanners plus two other long theme entries, plus two longish columns.

Across:

1. Hackneyed : TRITE

6. Work out ahead of time : PLAN

10. Lily of France garment : BRA. Founded in 1915 and now part of Fruit of the Loom. Today's website.

13. Prepared potatoes, as for hash browns : RICED

14. Boxcar hopper : HOBO. Are they still around?

15. Campus courtyard : QUAD. Shortened quadrangle.

19. ID theft target : SSN. (Social Security number)

20. Used a bench : SAT

21. Injector for severe allergic reactions : EPIPEN. Yup, the bees and wasps are waking up.

22. Slice opposite, in golf : HOOK

24. Snappy dresser : FOP

26. Actress Aniston, in tabloids : JEN

33. Nabokov nymphet : LOLITA

35. Cold draft server : PUB

36. Weed whacker : HOE

37. Wipe off the board : ERASE

38. Tidal retreat : EBB

39. Take control of : SEIZE

41. Rm. coolers : ACs

42. Lao Tzu's "path" : TAO

43. Puts a gloss on, as shoes : SHINES

48. Country singer McGraw : TIM

49. Jamaican music : SKA

50. Annual spelling bee airer : ESPN

53. Understood by only a few : ARCANE

56. Portfolio part, briefly : IRA

58. Exceedingly : TOO

63. Seatback airline feature : TRAY

64. Otherworldly glow : AURA

65. Actress Zellweger : RENEE

66. "The Fountainhead" author Rand : AYN

67. Blue books? : SMUT

68. Pretty pitchers : EWERS

Down:

1. Dumpster fill : TRASH

2. Classic Unilever laundry soap : RINSO

3. Religious rebel : ICONOCLAST

4. Bowling pin count : TEN

5. Frozen custard brand : EDY'S

6. Instagram uploads : PHOTOS

7. Soul singer Rawls : LOU

8. Crunched muscles : ABs

9. Bit of cosmetic surgery : NOSE JOB. Rhinoplasty.

10. Dinner table faux pas : BURP

11. Kentucky Derby, e.g. : RACE. 141th Kentucky Derby is on May 2, 2015.

12. Yemen's Gulf of __ : ADEN

15. One of five in a maternity ward delivery : QUINT. One of a quintuplet.

17. Criminal group : MAFIA

18. Ready for business : OPEN

23. Singer Kristofferson : KRIS

25. Auto parts chain : PEP BOYS

28. Sport-__: off-road vehicle : UTE. "utility"

29. Chicago ballplayer : CUB

30. Fake diamond : RHINESTONE. Neither Tim nor Kris sang "Rhinestone Cowboy". Aren't you lucky?

31. Move like honey : OOZE

32. Dregs : LEES

33. Low in fat : LEAN

34. Aquatic predator : ORCA

38. Grab a bite : EAT

39. "__ Loves You": Beatles : SHE

40. One, in Dresden : EINE

42. "Used to be ... " : "TIME WAS .."

43. Frighten : SCARE

45. Sicily's country : ITALY

46. Sicily's wine : VINO

47. Headgear on the slopes : SKI HAT. This brings up the question; Did Marti ever ski in Sicily?

51. Strength : POWER

52. Botanical connecting points : NODES

53. Mennen lotion : AFTA

54. One of the Gilmore girls : RORY. No idea.

55. Kilted family : CLAN

57. Land measure : ACRE

60. Total amount : SUM

61. Capote nickname : TRU. Short for Truman.

62. Opposite of fast fwd. : REW. "TIME WAS .."

Argyle

Sunday, April 19, 2015 Tracy Bennett

Theme: - "French Twists" - The last word in each theme entry is replaced by a homophonic word rooted in French.

27A. Testy lover? : CROSS BEAU. Crossbow. *EAU ending is common in French.

29A. Musical work expressing resentment? : BITTER SUITE. Bittersweet.

39A. Napped fabric, without a doubt? : EASILY SUEDE. Easily swayed.

52A. Bridezilla's fabric of choice? : POWER TULLE. Power tool. Fun clue.

72A. Measly computer storage? : PETTY CACHE. Petty cash. The verb is cacher, "hide".

 

85A. Surviving spouse's irritation? : WIDOW'S PIQUE. Widow's peak. New to me. I googled, then found out I don't have "widow's peak". Quite a sad name.

96A. The latest in foal fashions? : ARABIAN CHIC. Arabian sheik.

98A. Beauty needing a lift? : BLUE BELLE. Bluebell.

I had no idea that both SUITE and SUEDE are rooted in French. I guess SUAVE too, the way it's pronounced. SU+ another vowel.

Super smooth grid with only 134 words. It helps that there are only 84 theme squares (minimum for Rich), but this would be a 142 or 144 in my weak hands.

Tracy Bennett is an accomplished crossword constructor. She made the puzzle one for this year's ACPT tournament.

By the way, did you see the picture of the contestant dressed in pope's costume? You can click here for more pictures.  I wish they had captions.

Across:

  

1. Show no humility : BRAG. Boomer bowled no 300 this season. He's stuck at 18.

5. Golf club feature : LOFT

9. Refers (back), as to a prior subject : HARKS

14. Apprehends : GRABS

19. Old wisdom : LORE

20. Transportation network app : UBER. Our first "app" clue for UBER. "Ultra" & "Very"  can take a rest.

21. So long, in Avignon : ADIEU

22. He had a way with words : ROGET.  Indeed.

23. Hops drier : OAST

24. '30s Lorre role : MOTO. Mr. Moto.

25. 1959 Broadway family name : TRAPP.  "The Sound of Music" .

26. Multicolored marble : AGATE

31. Musical symbols : NOTES

32. Ikea offering : SOFA. Have you tried the meatballs in Ikea?

33. Came to fruition : RIPENED

34. Key of Mozart's 40th symphony : G MINOR

36. 'Mongst kin? : TWIXT

38. Cops on base : MPs

41. Camaro __-Z : IROC

43. Southwestern hill : LOMA. I could only think of MESA.

47. Quaker abolitionist Lucretia : MOTT

48. Eagles' 84-Acrosses : AERIES. And 84. Chick's starter home : NEST. "Starter home" makes me smile. Also 77. Latin 84-Across builder : AVIS. Latin for "bird".

49. Bustle : TODO

50. Beyond the horizon : AFAR

51. Wedding followers : TRAINS. Oh, wedding dress trains.

54. Like Catwoman, e.g. : MASKED

58. Less fusty : NEWER

60. City once sought by Sir Walter Raleigh : EL DORADO. At least, he mapped out the Amazon.

61. Revival chorus : AMENSs

62. Primed for a fight : RILED

64. Stimulating nut : BETEL

65. Act without restraint : GO TO TOWN. New meaning to me.

69. Worrywart, at times : PACER

71. One-named Tejano singer : SELENA

74. Sprain application : ICE BAG. Frozen peas work also.

76. Doubting words : I BET

78. Irregular : SPOTTY

79. Brylcreem applications : DABS. Clue echo with 74A.

83. "I'm all __" : EARS

87. Gal follower? : PAL. Gal pal.

88. __ curls : BICEP

89. Sentence component : CLAUSE

90. Citrus refreshment : LIMEADE

94. More than satisfy : SATE

95. Queen of Kings : SHEBA. Queen of Sheba. Books of Kings.

102. Cristiano Ronaldo's longtime jersey number : SEVEN. He's the world's highest paid soccer player. We also have 107. Common fairy tale number : THREE. Mantle & Ruth.

103. Doth proceed : GOETH

104. Olympic event involving runners : LUGE. Did not know those blades are called runners.

105. Calendar col. : TUES

106. Still : INERT

108. Swing and others : ERAS

109. City whose name differs by one letter from a nearby volcano : ENNA. Etna.

110. Micronite filter cigarettes : KENTS

111. Monastery sights : HOODS

112. Hurston's "Their Eyes __ Watching God" : WERE

113. Pepper and Stubby: Abbr. : SGTs. Never heard of Stubby. Turns out he's a dog.

Down:

1. Allied voters : BLOC

2. 2013-'14 Katy Perry hit : ROAR

3. One with a burning passion : ARSONIST. You nailed it, right?

4. Wastes no time : GETS ON IT

5. Place for cutting boards : LUMBERYARD

6. Orchestral winds : OBOES

7. Vegan Greek salad omission : FETA. I admire those vegans. I don't eat dairy products (few Chinese do), but seafood is too tasty to give up.

8. Slangy slacks : TROU

9. Cloche carriers : HAT BOXES

10. Out of control, at sea : ADRIFT

11. Rodeo catcher : RIATA

12. Wouldn't surrender : KEPT

13. Big one on a runway : SUPER MODEL. Gisele remains my all-time favorite. Still can't believe my Gisele/Giselle goof last time.

14. Apprehends : GRASPS

15. Rapscallion : ROGUE

16. "There you go __": Reagan : AGAIN

17. Davis of "Dead Ringer" : BETTE

18. "... a __ flying fearless and fleet": Longfellow : STEED

28. Small one on a runway, briefly : STOL (Short TakeOff and Landing)

30. Chute mechanism : RIPCORD. New word to me.

32. Glancing blow : SIDESWIPE

34. Little shiner : GEM

35. "Women hold up half the sky" proclaimer : MAO. Gimme.

36. Winter Olympics host before Vancouver : TURIN

37. "Mad Men" creator Matthew : WEINER. Gimme. No relation to Carlos Danger.

40. Diver's milieu : SEA

41. Olympian Midori : ITO

42. Investment firm T. __ Price : ROWE

43. Victory emblem : LAUREL

44. Recently : OF LATE

45. "The Streets of San Francisco" co-star : MALDEN (Karl). Stumper. OK, another police drama. Nothing beats "NYPD Blue". Sipowicz, LaLalinda!

46. Iris ring : AREOLA. It's back.

51. Ready to snap : TESTY

52. Steep cliff : PRECIPICE

53. "Ain't Too Proud __": Temptations hit : TO BEG. Got via crosses.

54. Chatty flier : MAGPIE

55. Pond protozoan : AMOEBA

56. Popular gundog : SETTER

57. Fife player : KNOTTS (Don). Barney Fife.

59. That woman, in Brasilia : ELA. Also 101. Those women, in Bolivia : ESAS

63. Solve, in a way : DECODE

66. It precedes Oilers games : O CANADA

67. Kindred spirits are often on the same one : WAVELENGTH. I'm seldom on the same wavelength with those Saturday constructors.

68. CBS maritime drama : NCIS

70. Pave anew : RE-TOP

71. Obeys a shooter : SAYS CHEESE

73. Post-FDR prez : HST

75. Texter's afterthought intro : BTW

78. Alternates : SWITCHES

79. Hyperglycemia cause : DIABETES. High blood sugar. Poor Boomer has to poke his finger every day.

80. Apparatus co-invented by Cousteau : AQUALUNG. Lovely entry.

81. Do diner work : BUS

82. "… blind, but now I __" : SEE

86. Roman commoner : PLEB

87. Oils, e.g. : PAINTS. Oh, oils is a verb here then.

88. Tempted : BAITED.  And 99. Tempt : LURE

90. Type of refractive surgery : LASIK. Who on our blog had LASIK surgery?

91. Sherlock's adversary Adler : IRENE

92. Connoisseur : MAVEN

93. His final blog post closes with "I'll see you at the movies" : EBERT

94. Courageous woman : SHERO. Never heard of this word before. Looks like a combo of She & hero.

95. Sweets-lover's craving : SUGAR. I learned from Barry G. It's key to good pasta sauce.

97. Pacific salmon : COHO

98. Erupted : BLEW

100. Forgoing time : LENT

I'm sad to learn from Lucina that we lost Dodo (Dorothy Dodson, hence Dodo) last Thursday. Dodo was very active on the blog for a few years. Very loving and caring. Our Californian Coven (Chickie, JD and Garlic Gal) visited Dodo every year when Lucina traveled to California. Chickie talked to Dodo from time to time. Dodo would be 90 years old this Oct. 

Left to right: Chickie, Lucina, Garlic Gal, JD, and Dodo, June 4, 2014

C.C.

Saturday, Apr 18th, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

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

Blocks: 27

  I have to say, I was much in the mood for a Silkie today, having been roughed up over the past few weeks.  Really looking forward to finishing without a cheat, but alas, it was not to be - again.  Had just one, a proper name, but it cleared up the otherwise locked-up, poorly WAGed NW corner.  There's always next Saturday....Bit of a change in our usual grid, having triple 7-letter stacks in the down to start, and the longer, triple 9-letter acrosses over to the right.  Always seems "easier" when the first clue is not a huge span of white.  Some 8-letter circumferential fills in the center, too;

29a. Citizens Bank Park team : PHILLIES - I had the --LIES, and that was enough, considering I am not a big baseball fan.  I was over my buddy Mike's house last night, and he tuned into the Yankee game; sorry, C.C., it just doesn't hold my attention....  :7(  The NY Rangers of hockey are up 1-0 in their series against another Pennsylvania team, the hated Penguins; the Islanders are tied 1-1 with the Washington Capitals.  I plan to play hockey this coming week; the head feels better

37a. Youthful nickname for the 1950 29-Across : WHIZ KIDS - before my time

ACROSS:

1. Chaps : LADS - I sensed this was a 'male buddy' clue, not the leather pants type; went with GUYS, as I was trying some GUN fills for 1d.

5. Measure up : PASS MUSTER

15. "My Country" author : EBAN - dah~!  dah~!! DAH~!!!  Had to look this up; should have rung a bell, it's been a standard crossword clue for some time

16. Busy, in a way : ON THE PHONE - but you don't get a "busy" signal much these days

17. Stellar phenomenon : NOVA

18. Wheel of Fortune and others : TAROT CARDS - I was going to put this in, and thought, no, it's a TV game show thing.  Dang~!  I own a deck of tarot cards; keep them wrapped in silk ( hi, there, constructor~! ) per the book I bought on how to maintain and read the cards

19. Error : SLIP - had FLUB.  That's an error.

20. Oil sources : OLIVES - had O----ES,  so it was not "SHALES"

21. Airport NW of PIT : CLEveland

22. 1975-'76 World Series champs, on scoreboards : CINcinnati; I lived there from '97 to 2000; worked on my first movie set there - as for the baseball team, I recall the Big Red Machine, and I went and looked for my old baseball sticker album - I hope I can redeem myself, C.C.

23. Called, nowadays : SKYPED - my other buddy Mike regularly Skypes with China as he continues to do well with his game company; I present my game to him tonight when we get together for a long overdue bonfire

24. Not abundant : THIN - (sigh) like my hair

25. Recording acronym : ASCAP

27. Piece of Plymouth pizza? : ZED - P-I-Zed-Zed-A

28. Former National Security Advisor Scowcroft : BRENT - I WAGed tRENT

31. Picks up : RAISES

32. Alley group : PINS - Bowling

33. Barber's supply : TALC - Nailed it, but that's not saying much

34. Emotional : MOVING

41. Opposite of après : AVANT - Frawnche after and before

42. Monopoly item : DIE - not HAT; I always played the wheelbarrow, so I had something to carry my "cash" around

43. '30s-'40s Kildare portrayer : AYRES

44. Canada goose relative : NENE
 

45. Kind of acid in red wine : TANNIC - Ha~! I knew this one

47. Canadian sign letters : KPH - Kilometres/hour

48. Indian address : SRI

49. Cleaned up : DUSTED

50. Symbolic dance : HULA - or HORA~? I guessed wrong

51. Jackson 5 song covered by Mariah Carey : "I'LL BE THERE"

53. Sch. whose mascot is Paydirt Pete : UTEP - got this one, too - I can remember some past clues

54. Canadian asset : OIL RESERVE

55. Town near Padua : ESTE

56. Some lucky breaks : NEAR MISSES

57. Slate, briefly : SKED - quick way to schedule

DOWN:   

1. Shooter's protection : LENS CAP - got me; not thinking photography

2. Wipe out : ABOLISH

3. Fictional code name : Da VINCI - I liked the book and the movie

4. Piece of cake : SNAP - Dah~!  SLAB worked with my FLUB

5. "The Chosen" author : POTOK - I knew this one, too, because my friend Ibby gave me the book

6. Breaks down : ANALYZES

7. Road markings : STRIPES - I noticed yesterday that one of the local roads had fresh stripes painted - you'd think the potholes would have been the priority....

8. Left, with "off" : SHOVED

9. Doled (out) : METED

10. Bar IDs : UPCs

11. Oldies syllable : SHA

12. Flashlights, across the pond : TORCHES - parents are English, knew this

13. Court boundary : END LINE

14. Is in high dudgeon : RESENTS - this is the "#1 killer" of AA members; I harbor some resentments, still, even after a decade

23. Support piece : SPLINT - almost a gratuitous self shout-out

24. Requiring delicate handling : TRICKY

26. Skiing category : ALPINE

28. "The Human Comedy" author : BALZAC - the Wiki

30. Big initials in banking : ING - my IRA started out in ING; it's now Capital One 360

31. Italian counterpart of the BBC : RAI

33. Offended outburst : "THE NERVE~!"

34. Kennedy Compound component : MANSION

35. Blanket : OVERLIE

36. Plain-__ : VANILLA

37. Mearth portrayer in "Mork & Mindy" : WINTERS

38. Siberian metropolis : IRKUTSK - got it because I played a lot of RISK when I was a kid

39. Exhaust : DEPLETE

40. Like some curves : S-SHAPED - nice fill

42. Causes for pauses : DASHES

45. Rwandan ethnic group : TUTSI - all perps

46. Inventeur's notes : IDEES - more Frawnche; ideas

49. Judge : DEEM

50. Shades : HUES - I read your warning, Argyle, but couldn't resist; thankfully, HEartRx did not actually post a "hosiery" pic; I was going to go with a hunky guy for the ladies this week, but I have to make up for Thursday's 'tragedy'

52. Hardly a warm reaction : Brr - I officially put my gloves, car window scraper and winter coats away for the season

Splynter

Friday, April 17, 2015, Samuel A. Donaldson

Theme: Add a letter, add a pun and stir.

Four in the language phrases which have a word beginning with "W" are re-imagined by adding a "T" before the "W" and creating a soundalike, but differently spelled word. So we have a bit of add a letter and a bit of a punfest. This is our 10th LAT from the mind of Mr. Donaldson, who is a law professor with a fondness for tax law (coincidence this is tax week and his 2014 was published in April?) as well as a frequent visitor to other crossword blogs. His last effort here was a really fun letter substitution where we changed X to G and the meaning changed from prurient to pure. He was first published in the  NYT in 2008, with 16 under his belt there. You can read all about him in the 2009 interview which is linked to the right.

The puzzle sets up as a more conventional Friday based on word length and blocks, with some nice non-theme fill like FELT HAT,  SEASIDE, LAKE ERIE,  ONE FIFTH,  PEDIGREE,  TEA LEONI, CREAM SODAS, ERIC KARROS. He had told C.C. he like compound answers so see how many you find. Anyway, let's take a ride together. The combination with two gridspanners and humor and as well as picking the right words is hard to flesh out, so let me know what you think.


16A. Nail the Miley Cyrus impression? : TWERK LIKE A CHARM.(15). WORK like a charm mean it does well (like magic?) and we all know twerking. right? PG13 (2:18)

24A. Permanently deleted electronic message? : SHREDDED TWEET. (13) Shredded WHEAT.

41A. Minor trade adjustment? : BUSINESS TWEAK.(13)Business WEEK magazine.

55A. "The spasm preceded the other symptoms, Doc"? : TWITCH CAME FIRST. (15). WHICH came first, the chicken or the egg?

ACROSS:

1. Year in which Salieri was born : MDCCL. I did not recall this Italian composer who also was a teacher to some very famous pupils. LINK. This made for a tough start.

6. Spunkmeyer of cookie fame : OTIS. No elevator here, this sweet clue.

10. Sports __ : BRA. Any more famous than this picture?

13. Key artery : AORTA.

14. Seattle's __ Place Market : PIKE.. A little home field clue for Sam who lives there.

15. Hazmat suit hazard : TEAR. Tear not tear; defeats the whole purpose.

19. "Madam Secretary" star : TEA LEONI. She has many failed tv shows.

20. "Family Feud" source : SURVEY. "Survey says...."

21. Stately tree : ELM.Stately Elm by Robert Hinshaw

Elm once clad in gold
   Has shed its colorful cloak
       Awaits winter storms
         Bare limbs lifted heavenward
            As if in supplication.

22. "... __ the set of sun": "Macbeth" : ERE. Shakespeare or not, three letters it is going to be ere.

23. Disney title girl from Hawaii : LILO.

30. Cinch : SHOO- IN. Nice fill.

32. "Ah, broken is the golden bowl! the spirit flown forever!" poet : POE. Lenore. LINK.

33. GPS suggestion : RTE. Route.

34. Prod : NUDGE.

35. Michaels et al. : ALS. The sports announcer from the 1980 miracle Olympic Hockey broadcast and now voice of MNF.

36. End notes? : OBITS. Like this clue/fill as well.

38. Pay extension? : OLA. Payola. Radio scandal from my childhood.

39. It goes around in winter : FLU. Sad but true.

40. Antarctic transport : SNO-CAT. Logical if unknown.

45. Majestic quality : HALO.  Angelic?

46. Playboy nickname : HEF.

47. Kentucky Colonels' org. : ABA. About the fifth time I have gotten the old American Basketball Association.

50. "The Caine Mutiny" Oscar nominee : BOGART. Wonderfully acted movie. Also a synonym of
25D. Be selfish about, in a way : HOG.

53. Genealogical record : PEDIGREE. We think more about animals but it applies to people as well.

57. Used to be : WERE.

58. Hendrix hairdo : AFRO.

59. Royal __: scheduled 2016 British Open site : TROON. St. Andrews this year. LINK.

60. Unmatched : ODD. Fooled me. I luckily do not lose many socks in the wash.

61. The Taj Mahal, e.g. : TOMB. I was taught it was man's greatest erection for woman.

62. Garden plant that thrives in shade : HOSTA.

Down:


1. Lackluster finish : MATTE. Also tricky adding to the rough start for me.

2. Wooden pin : DOWEL. But this was easy....

3. Vanilla treats : CREAM SODAS. This was not easy,  but really nice fill.

4. Key not used alone : CTRL. Computer key, duh!

5. Bass Islands locale : LAKE ERIE. A CSO to our own.

6. Wrote an essay, maybe : OPINED.

7. Polynesian carving : TIKI. This is part of a CULTURE.

8. Turner of entertainment : IKE.

9. Vacation area : SEASIDE. How quaint.

10. Oregon State athlete, for short : BEAVers. In this age of pc sports team names, this animal does live on the edge.

11. Rather red : RARE. Nice alliteration and misdirection for 4 letter fill.

12. Legion : ARMY.

15. Lose illegally : THROW. The college basketball scandal of the 50's another from my youth.

17. Winner of six David di Donatello acting awards : LOREN. The ageless beauty....

18. __ film : CULT.

23. Some August babies : LEOS. My father was one.

26. Low grade : D PLUS.

27. Fox commentator who was the 1992 N.L. Rookie of the Year : ERIC KARROS. One of many failed Dodger first baseman since Gil Hodges.

28. Singer James : ETTA. Time for another LISTEN. (3:00).

29. Try : TEST. My patience?

30. Self-appointed expert : SNOB.

31. Online TV giant : HULU.  Their story. LINK.

35. Moreover : ALSO.

36. Common liquor purchase, once : ONE FIFTH. It is 1/5 of a gallon. Now the bottles are 750ml.

37. Scary squeezer : BOA. Alliteration again.

39. Homburg, for one : FELT HAT. Bah.

40. Nobel, for one : SWEDE. A Friday misdirection.

42. "__ when that happens" : I HATE.

43. Buster? : NARC. Another misdirection, nice!

44. Tough syndicate : THE MOB. Next to the narc?

48. Get drunk : BESOT.

49. Insurance giant : AETNA. This unlocked the entire corner for me.

50. USAF stealth plane : BTWO. I will leave commentary to all of our flyboys.

51. Due : OWED.

52. Prepare, as for action : GIRD. Ah, the loins. GIRD GIRO, so close.

53. Chicken __ : PARM. Hmm, do you serve Chicken Parmigiana, or chicken parmesan?

54. Early copter : GIRO. Easily infer-able but I find no reference to this other than as AUTOGIRO.

56. One may be a CPA : CFO. Chief Financial Officer.

Well another Friday done with lots to talk about, Sam stop by and give us some insight. Enjoy all; lemonade out.