Sunday, April 26, 2015 Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Tea Party. Adding a TE, TEE or TY to a common phrase for a punny result was enough, but C.C. and Don also made a vowel sound in the new phrase with an alternate spelling. This made for a delightful "TEA PARTY" that is short on finger food but long on wit and cleverness.

It was a hoot to work and I am tickled to try to 'splain some of the wonderful fill these two great constructors have provided us! I am so pleased C.C. chose this FAULTY GUY to blog her and Hard G's construction!

Theme Answers

23A. Profitable agreement? : PLUM TREATY - Some of those treaties were more plum for one side than the other. One side didn't get so much as a PLUM TREE

29A. Ending a relationship in a text? : FAULTY BREAK - Talk about being on different pages! Maybe it happened during FALL BREAK and someone was feeling restless. Still a gutless thing to do!

37. Sherpa's responsibilities? : MOUNTAIN DUTY - After having a MOUNTAIN DEW?

63. Sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees? : MIGHTY MISTAKE - Mated autographs of the greatest baseball player ever and the idiot who sold him to the Yankees to finance some Broadway musicals. Did he ever say, "That was MY MISTAKE!"

81. Search for the right beard? : GOATEE HUNTING - You could GO HUNTING among these for what you want. Do you recognize all the famous owners?

103A. Adoring father-to-daughter words? : THAT'S MY CUTIE - When she looks at me like that, THAT'S MY CUE to tell her what a cutie she is!

113. Result of substituting fabric strips for chips? : RAGGEDY ANTE - Yeah, substituting these for poker chips might make for a sloppy game even for RAGGEDY ANN

124. Delicate one in the kitchen? : DAINTY COOK - Probably never heard of comedian DANE COOK

Across         

1. Walk casually : AMBLE

6. Work : OPUS - A compilation of Michael Jackson's work

10. Soul, to Aristotle : ANIMA

15. In addition : ALSO

19. Place for highlights : SALON - Before and after

20. Walked out : WENT

21. Complete : TOTAL

22. __-pedi : MANI - I had one of these in a SALON and felt like a fish out of water

25. Path : TRAIL

26. Organic food giant : EDEN - New to me

27. Arabian pop : SIRE - A black Arabian Stallion

28. Canadian roadside sign : ESSO 

31. Ideal chaser? : ISM. Idealism.

33. "Wanderlust" actor Alan : ALDA - He'll always be Hawkeye, won't he?

35. "Love Jones" co-star Long : NIA - Okay, new to me

36. Ice show venues : RINKS

42. Elantra competitor : CIVIC - Kelly Blue Book says it was the 9th best selling vehicle in 2014

44. "Head and Shell" artist : ARP - One of Jean's pieces

45. Cal. listing : APPT - I've got APPT's with four different doctors this upcoming week just for checkups 

46. Exhausted : BEAT - Have you ever heard exhaustd as, "All in but your shoelaces!"

48. Aleve alternative : ANACIN - You're near my age if you remember this

52. Chilling spot : SOFA

54. Shanghai locale : ASIA

56. Stick together : COHERE 

59. Lennon's love : ONO - Our ubiquitous crossword resident

60. "Edda" author __ Sturluson : SNORRI (11-79 - 1241) - Yeah, if you thought I knew this guy, I've got some ocean front property in the Nebraska Sandhills I'd like to sell you

66. First, second and third : ORDINALS - Here compared to Cardinal numbers

69. More work : UTOPIA - Thomas More's 1516 work

70. Sea damaged by Soviet-era waterworks : ARAL - In 1989 and 2014

71. Like some breezes : GENTLE

72. Windows runners : PCS - We now officially have nary a Windows machine in our house!

73. "Murdering Airplane" and "The Hat Makes the Man" : ERNSTS - This is Dadaist Max Ernst's 1920 "Murdering Airplane" collage that depicts man's powerlessness against modern warfare

75. Mountain lake : TARN - From the Scandinavian tjǫrn

77. H.S. cooking class : HOME EC - My Family and Consumer Science colleagues bristled when I said Home Ec. BTW, no one takes "Shop" anymore either.

79. According to, with "in" : AS STATED 

84. Waffle : SEESAW - To be or not to be, make a decision already, Hamlet!

86. Bach's "Mass __ Minor" : IN B - Sure, I guess...

87. Surfing needs : BOARDS

88. 4 for He, e.g. : AT WT - 4x heavier than H, but doesn't blow when used in blimps!

91. Spanish surrealist : DALI - For him time didn't fly, it melted

92. Rankle : FESTER - Let it go, already! 

94. Talk back to : SASS

96. Exercise consequence, maybe : ACHE

99. __ cat : LAP - Ours is named Lily

100. Early Indo-European : ARYAN

106. Eddy : WHIRL

109. Poseidon's realm : SEA

111. Bullring cries : OLES

112. Chicago's __ Center : AON - At 200 East Randolph Drive

116. Condé __ : NAST

118. Societal troubles : ILLS

122. Run in place : IDLE

123. Jetson at the Little Dipper School : ELROY - George and Jane's 'toon boy

126. Traffic sound : TOOT - Road rage ain't worth it!

127. Provide, as money : PUT UP - As noted above, Harry Frazee sold the Babe so he could PUT UP money for theatrical productions

128. Mid-seventh-century year : DCLI - Into each puzzle some compromise must fall

129. Way around Paris : METRO - A single ride ticket is €1,80. Unlimited day pass €7 ,00 and up

130. Grandson of Adam : ENOS

131. Hit hard, biblically : SMOTE - Adam's youngest son was SMOTE by his older brother 

132. Check : TEST

133. Time-time link : AFTER - A lovely song by Cyndi Lauper  
 

Down:
 
1. Some hieroglyphic squiggles : ASPS - There he is

2. Niger neighbor : MALI - Sure, it's between Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Niger 

3. Indistinct memory : BLUR - Joann said we had the month of March this year, but it's a BLUR to me

4. Chinese menu offering : LO MEIN

5. Upper-level doc? : ENT - These docs work on our upper-levels

6. Is behind, perhaps : OWES

7. "Frankenstein" torchbearers : PEASANTS - Pitchforks too

8. Incalculable : UNTOLD

9. Babe's home : STY 

10. Naan flour : ATTA - New to me

11. Like a shutout : NO RUN - Don Larsen's no hit,  NO RUN, perfect game in the 1956 World Series

12. Right-leaning, in a way : ITALIC

13. Curaçao cocktail : MAI TAI

14. Side (with) : ALLY

15. Longtime de facto U.S. national anthem : AMERICA - Rasmussen Reports survey said 82% of Americans favor keeping The Star Spangled Banner

16. Weighed down : LADEN - See Sherpa above

17. Stealthy sort : SNEAK

18. Pen emanations : OINKS

24. Update, as charts : REMAP - Before the Corps of Engineers channelized the Missouri River, the Nebraska/Iowa border had to be REMAPPED every so often

29. Lot : FATE - My feeling on FATE

30. Pickling liquids : BRINES

32. __-puf: old laundry product : STA

34. Home to the skyscraper Burj Khalifa : DUBAI

37. Considerable number : MASS

38. Maine college town : ORONO -Proud home of

39. Available to the highest bidder, say : UP FOR GRABS - If you don't buy Boardwalk when you land there, it's this

40. Bar brew, briefly : IPA - India Pale Ale that is regularly on tap here

41. Rides for tycoons : YACHTS - From the Dutch word Jacht which means "hunter". They were originally fast boats for chasing pirates

43. "Esthetic" and "egis" : VARIANTS - Can also be spelled Aesthetic and Aegis 

47. Miss Gulch's bane : TOTO

49. Large-grain seasoning : COARSE SALT - They sell 'em both

50. "__ Dinka Doo" : INKA - A signature song for Jimmy Durante who wrote the music

51. December number : NOEL - One more Christmas Carol in December and I might have lost it

53. Gung-ho : ARDENT

55. Uses Gchat, e.g. : IMS  - Instant Messages. See 29A. in theme answers above for a stupid one

57. Plugs : HYPES - We'll be hearing HYPE from now until Nov. 3, 2016

58. 34-Down dignitaries : EMIRS

61. Dog star's first name? : RIN - A staple of my youth

62. Supposedly : IN THEORY - Bobby Burns warning on what should work

64. Prada competitor : GUCCI - C.C. have you got $750 for Stonewashed GUCCI jeans to go with your Jimmy Choo shoes? ;- ) 


65. Covered in ink, with "up" : TATTED - Don't complain if you interview with all your TATS showing and fail to get a sniff at the job

67. Word heard coming and going : ALOHA - I hope to say this to our friend Chef Wendy on Kauai someday

68. Nocturnal primate : LEMUR

72. Watched the cats, say : PET SAT - Our dear neighbors PET SAT Lily while I was in the hospital. It was very comforting to know she was in good hands

74. Motor oil letters : S.A.E. - Society of Automotive Engineers.

75. Week-ending cry : TGIF - Everyday is Friday when you're retired!!

76. Crackerjack : A-ONE 

78. Pencil points and erasers : ENDS - Johnny Carson's pencils famously didn't have both

79. Cut taker: Abbr. : AGT 

80. __ Lama : DALAI

82. Big band era singer Ray : EBERLE - Sang with Glenn Miller

83. Sounding stuffy : NASAL

85. Picnic cleaner : WIPE - A staple at our house

89. Yuletide quaffs : WASSAILS

90. Where to see old MGM movies : TCM - Gets a lot of play here

93. They often have concentric circles : TARGETS - I think most of you know that the highest score in Darts is not in the innermost concentric circle or Bull's Eye.

95. Tongue site : SHOE

97. Marriott competitor : HYATT

98. Car starter? : ECO - Ecocars.Some of these cars are routinely getting over 100 MPG

101. Shelter : ASYLUM

102. Not far from : NEAR TO

104. Bridge holding : TENACE - Holding a broken honor sequence such as A❤ Q❤. Our Bridge players knew that.

105. Danny Kaye was its first celebrity goodwill ambassador : UNICEF

106. Blog, say : WRITE

107. Wore : HAD ON 

108. Digs in the snow? : IGLOO

110. Have __: be ready with an excuse : AN OUT - My sister always has one when she skips family functions and she fools no one

114. Acct. entries : DEPS - Early in our marriage, our DEPS and W/D's were pretty close 

115. Blog, say : TYPE

117. Sulky state : SNIT 

119. Ex-senator Trent : LOTT - Did LOTT's wife looked back when she left D.C.

120. Traditional accounts : LORE - I wonder if C.C. remembers any folkLORE tales from her days in Guangzhou (From C.C.: Have any of you heard of Cantonese opera? It's steeped in Cantonese folklore)

121. Hershey's toffee bar : SKOR - Love 'em

124. Banned pesticide : DDT 

125. Sumac of Peru : YMA

Husker Gary

Saturday, Apr 25th, 2015, Daniel Nierenberg

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing Q,Z)

Blocks: 30

  If I was feeling better about last week's Silkie, then this week's offering left me feeling downright blissful.  I liked getting an early 10-letter across fill with confidence, followed by an 11-letter down-er, and despite a few proper nouns which slowed me up, I was able to get through this one with little resistance, in about half my personal time.  Oh - and four four-letter gimme words today, too (*).  I hope your solve was just as enjoyable ( individual results may vary ).  Some of the longer fill:

15a. Video game that comes in a World Tour version : GUITAR HERO - call me ".22 caliber Splynter", because I nailed it ( I was driving nails into concrete today with my Ramset ).  I find the game harder to play than a real guitar

11. Freetown is its capital : SIERRA LEONE - I don't know why I put in Sierra Madre first

22. Dieter's brand : LEAN CUISINE - nailed it

O N W A R D ~! 

ACROSS:

 1. Breakfast spread : APRICOT JAM - really just too many choices to even start with WAGs

11. Attempt : STAB

16. Part of the Louisiana Purchase : IOWA - now this was a W.A.G.; I figured Ohio was already in the union, but now I see that it joined a mere 60 days before the U.S. spent $15mil for 828,000sq. miles

17. Meditation goal : INNER PEACE - I'm still looking for a piece of my inner peace

18. Vet : EX-GI

19. Allowed : OK'D

20. Bull or cow, perhaps : RHINO - popular this week

21. Pipe material : BRIER - lead, copper, plastic~? Oh, that kind of pipe

22*. One may be compulsive : LIAR

23. Imposed : FORCED

24. Patsy : PIGEON

27. Copernicus Science Centre site : WARSAW - a strange occurrence; I had -ARSA-; just needed the "W"s

29. "Herbie: Fully Loaded" actress : LOHAN

30. Place to stretch one's legs : YOGA CLASS - yes~! yes~! stretch those legs~!

33. Like many a quote: Abbr. : ANON - and many a snarky commenter

34. Like some cereal : OATEN - dah, I was going to throw this in, but hesitated

35. What we have here, to Jorge : ESTA - in other words, 'this'

36. Sports demographic : NASCAR DAD - I am a "wannabe" hockey dad - I got the hockey part taken care of....the daddy part, not so much.  My NY Rangers eliminated the Penguins last night

38. Bach's "Jesu, meine Freude," e.g. : MOTET

39. Pisa native : TUSCAN - I am not familiar with specific locations of Italy - other than Rome - but once I had TU-C....as a builder and drafter, I feel the need to visit the Leaning Tower; I never had the chance to visit the World Trade Center, and I live 60mi away.

40. UTEP athletes : MINERS - popular on Saturday

41. Caroline portrayer in "Untamed Heart" : MARISA - Tomei; IMDb - you gotta read the summary

43. One may be recurring : ROLE

44. Important star group : A-LIST

45. "The Fountainhead" architect : ROARK - I am ashamed that I did not remember his name; it came to me once I had -O-RK.  Loved the book.

47. Hophni's father, in the Bible : ELI

50. Fictional knight : JEDI - Star Wars

51. Software for screenwriters : MOVIE MAGIC - Star Wars was movie magic; this is the software Wiki

53. Field laborers : OXEN

54. Secret discovered by a woodcutter : OPEN SESAME - ah, those woodcutters

55. Medium __ : RARE

56. Dating option : PERSONAL AD - SWM, 5'9", looking for SWF, never married, no kids; blue-eyed, dark-haired, about 5'4"; long legs preferred.  Contact me here at the blog

DOWN:  

1. Currency exchange fee : AGIO - I can never recall this

2. Kind of rock : PUNK

3. Zest source : RIND

4. Urban ending : ITE - urbanite

5. Buzzard attractor : CARRION
 

6. Bruce Wayne, e.g. : ORPHAN - all perps; didn't realize I got it til I came here

7. "The good is oft interred with __ bones": Shak. : THEIR - WAG

8. "Sleepy" woman in the song "Daydream Believer" : JEAN - odd; this was playing on the muzak at the restaurant this week

9. Violist's direction : ARCO - not pizzicato

10. Springfield bartender : MOE - more Simpsons this week

12. "Erin Brockovich" subject : TOXIC WASTE

13. "Rats!" : "AW GEE~!"

14. John Logie __, inventor of the first mechanical TV : BAIRD - there was a science program that discussed this invention, and I was fascinated; more here

21. Anjou cousin : BOSC - pairs of pears

23. Drescher of "The Nanny" : FRAN - liked her more as Bobbi Fleckman - what movie am I referring to~??  No cheating~!

24. Design : PLAN

25. Hebrides isle : IONA - I'm getting better with this clue/answer

26. 2007 Nicolas Cage title role : GHOST RIDER - seen some of the movie, but not intentionally

27. Odin's Germanic counterpart : WOTAN - perps and WAGs

28*. Like fine port : AGED

30. "Blah ..." : YADA

31. Dump closing? : STER dumpster; I need to rent one in June

32. Coll. acceptance factors : SATs

34*. Sea predator : ORCA

37. __ mgr. : ASST

38. Old calcium source? : MILKMEN - har-har

40. To a greater extent : MORE SO

41. Academic declaration : MAJOR - I declare that my only major in college was alcohol consumption, and I only "graduated" 10yrs ago

42. "Spy Kids" actress Vega : ALEXA - her first name is 55.5% of the way there

43. Comes down : RAINS - not ALITS

45. Partition, with "off" : ROPE

46*. Done : OVER

47. Alike, in Arles : EGAL - Frawnche

48. It was founded as Ciudad de los Reyes in 1535 : LIMA

49. Decorated, in a way : ICED

51. Cleanup aid : MOP

52. "__ result ..." : AS A - this is the last clue; as a result, I am signing off

Splynter

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