Saturday, Aug 16th, 2014, Ned White

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing J,Q,Z)

Blocks: 28

  Mr. White's last puzzle was a Saturday also, Oct. last year - with its triple-triple grid spanners.  The relatively 'easy' triple-7 corners of today's grid made this one look less of a challenge, but there were plenty of vague clues and proper names to slow me down, plus a fair amount of multi-word answers, too.  Had to admit to one bad letter - happened in that Oct. puzzle, too - but in reviewing that crossword, I treated myself to the Van Halen link I posted~!  Just the two 11-letter spanners to round out today's longer fill;

20a. Like one claiming to be short, maybe : TIGHT-FISTED

57a. Source of wisdom : TRIBAL ELDER

Oh, so close, but On...(ugh)...ward

ACROSS:

1. Like fairies : MAGICAL - oh, uh, that kind of fairie

8. Avocation, slangily : BAG - custom carpentry is "my bag"

11. Plant activity: Abbr. : MFG - first fill, and it felt iffy

14. "Almost done" : ONE TO GO...

15. Mostly : AS A RULE

17. Experienced : VETERAN - the adjective, here

18. Attacks with gusto : DIVES IN

19. "Rescue 911" fig. : EMT

22. Persian Gulf capital : DOHA - Shout out to Doc~!

24. One in charge of many couples : NOAH - Dah~! This nearly got me for the second time in two weeks

25. White __ : NOISE - I threw in HOUSE - BzzzT~!

26. Yards, e.g. : UNITS - ah, that's the word I couldn't think of...

28. Colorado __, Colo. : SPRS - my "meh" answer for the day; SPRINGS abbr. (?!)

30. Common result of use : WEAR

31. Grinder : PESTLE - I went with HOAGIE, the sa'mich Grinder/Sub/Hero, but we're looking for the implement here

33. A little, in music : POCO

35. Some NFL blockers : RTs - Right Tackles

36. Cleese antic in a Monty Python sketch : SILLY WALK

39. Ring gp. : WBA - World Boxing Association, that kind of 'ring'

42. Per __ : DIEM

43. Dominions : REALMS

47. Flavor enhancer : HERB - Tried SALT

49. Stop : STEM

51. "Paper Moon" Oscar winner : O'NEAL

52. 19th-century presidential middle name : ABRAM - James Abram Garfield, whose term lasted the second shortest in Presidential history - Wiki

54. Hat tipper's word : MA'AM - Pondered "G'Day"

56. Kerfuffle : TO-DO

60. Identify : PEG - I had her 'pegged' as being about 21....see 63d.

61. Hogan dwellers : NAVAHOS - my one bad letter - went with "J" and not "H", plus it worked in "MAJAL", too - at least, in my head

62. Evil laugh : "MWA-HA-HA~!!!"

64. Excess : OVERAGE

65. One that didn't show? : ALSO-RAN

66. JFK speechwriter Sorensen : TED - a WAG with "D" in place; I figured it was not a self-gratuitous "NED"

67. Burn cause, perhaps : LYE - Tried "SUN"

68. Unknowns to figure out : X's AND Y's - Brilliant bottom line fill; good thing I know who Mad Max is

DOWN:

1. Advanced : MOVED UP

2. Clematis relative : ANEMONE

3. Rumor starter? : GET THIS...

4. Brooklyn closer : ITE - BrooklynITE

5. Actor Bud of "Harold and Maude" : CORT

6. "Not __!" : AGAIN

7. Solo couple? : LONG Os - Following the "Hard C"s of yesterday's puzzle, S-ō-L-ō

8. It may be over one's head at first : BAD THROW - I watched some Little League World Series at the restaurant where the bench project is going on - blow out in the first inning, 13-0

9. "Oh, sure" : AS IF - "Sha, as if"

10. MacLeod of "The Love Boat" : GAVIN

11. More like the typical attic : MUSTIER

12. Attacks : FLIES AT

13. Bases for some roles : GENDERS

16. Plant anew : RESOW

21. McDonald's offering : HAPPY MEAL

23. Court workers: Abbr. : ATTorneys

27. Dropped : SLID - like the price of gas around here since July 4th - not complaining~!

29. Traumatize : SCAR

32. Clinton and both Bushes, but not Obama : ELIs - Yale attendees

34. Stick in a dish : OLEO

37. "Hmm ..." : "LET ME SEE..."

38. "The Metaphysics of Morals" writer : KANT

39. More of the same : WHATNOT

40. Encouraging words : BE BRAVE - Had the first "B" and last "E" - total WAG on this one

41. Got in : ARRIVED

44. Impala predator : LEOPARD - the hostess at the restaurant had a leopard print dress on last Friday; the one she wore Tuesday? - ha-muna-ha-muna

45. Seized the opportunity : MADE HAY - Progessing nicely with the bench project; did not waste anything but scrap in getting the corner backrest angles correct~!

 46. Spot finishers, often : SLOGANS - Commercial Advertisement "spots"

48. "Histoire de __": French children's book : BABAR - filled via perps

50. Mel Gibson persona : MAD MAX - there's a new one in the works

53. Urdu for "palace" : MAHAL - and "Taj" means 'crown'

55. Whimpers : MEWLS

58. Hardly energetic : LOGY - Pondered LAZY, but the "Z" wouldn't work

59. Tabula __ : RASA

63. Doll : HON - and yes, the hostess is a doll - looks like Taylor Swift; I was "\ /" this close to asking her out today when I found out how old she was; don't ask....

Splynter

Friday, August 15, 2014 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme:  Look what the WIZARD of ID did to our puzzle, all the Freudian sex stuff added!

Wow, JW is back again, and this time he has inserted the letters ID into four phrases to change their meaning to a new humorous clue. His reveal is in the dead center of the puzzle,
36A. Bouncer's demand, and this puzzle's title : LET'S SEE SOME ID. I added my title to the mix since two of the new phrases sound like the Wizard (soft ID) and two sound like what you have to produce to satisfy a big, steroid raging bouncer (hard ID). Except for some difficult clues/fill, this felt more like a mid-week puzzle, with many 3/4 letter words, with a few nice answers like: DEMEANS, BUMS A RIDE,  I’LL BE AWAY,  PEKINGESE, and  ROSE MARIE, though the ID in "bum's a ride" is a little troubling. Let's examine this latest from Jeffrey, the self-proclaimed Rip Van Winkle of construction.

17A. Cause of brittle cigars? : DRY HUMIDOR. A little self assessment here, with his sense of humor becoming a excuse for bad cigars. Does he puff?

29A. Rebuke a revolutionary? : CHIDE GUEVARA. Now here is where it gets eerie; as you recall Robin Stears just had Che as a theme answer where she added "IT" (taking out the H) to her theme answers. ID happens to be the Latin word for IT, which is where Freud got the term, but it is all irrelevant because JW was thinking Identification ID. Oops, Freud wrote about THAT as well.

44A. Tolerate a Midwest capital? : ABIDE LINCOLN. A CSO to HG and his Nebraska buddies, built from Honest Abe.

60A. God of honeymoon truck rentals? : RYDER CUPID. Very timely fill, as the Ryder Cup (US versus Europe) is coming soon. Phil's second place finish at Valhalla cemented his position on the team, while Tiger (wisely) withdrew from consideration. Rory's third win, and second major in a row makes Europe the favorites. (Another clue fill conflict) 62D. Ryder Cup team : USA. JW?

And I remind you of the reveal:
36A. Bouncer's demand, and this puzzle's title : LET'S SEE SOME ID.
let's see some action:

Across:
    
1. Classic beginning or ending? : HARD C. This one had me going for a while, until I got 4D (DOH) and 5D (CLUTCH) then the bell in my head rang. Hey Don Gagliardo!

6. __ bag : GRAB.

10. Some NYSE traders : ARBS. Back again.

14. Playwright Fugard : ATHOL. I did not know this man at all, but he seems INTERESTING. Maybe Gareth Bain can provide some insight, enjoyed his puzzle on Thursday.

15. Smart Simpson : LISA.  You all can finally catch up watching every episode, all 207 hours. 4D. "I should have thought of that!" : DOH. The Homer Simpson spelling.

16. Wet course : SOUP. Logical but I am unfamiliar with this term.

19. "This __ Song": Petula Clark hit : IS MY. College years. Going Downtown.

20. Intention : AIM. It is our aim to entertain and educate and learn.

21. Bit : TAD.

22. Artistic surroundings? : FRAMES. Cute.

24. Inventor for whom a N.J. township is named : TAE. Those of you who do not know Edison Township, or think it is unfair to get just the initials of Thomas Alva Edison did not see that NJ tells you what is coming.

25. Said "You're on!" to : CUED.

27. Friar __ de Torquemada : TOMÁS. No clue about first name of this man mentioned in the Catholic ENCYCLOPEDIA. No religion, no politics, no comment. One of the Friday clues/fill.

32. NYSE event : IPO. Initial Public Offering.

34. Tortilla dough : MASA. Well this is the Spanish word for dough. Corn tortillas I think are made of masa de maize (help Lucina!). A Friday clue.

35. Manipulate illegally : RIG. Boxing, basketball and the 1919 Black Sox come to mind.

41. Jan. honoree : MLK. Martin Luther King.

42. 7UP's opposite? : COLA. Remember WHEN (1:01)? Clecho- 50A. 7UP, e.g. : SODA.

43. "Pioneer Woman" cookbook writer Drummond : REE. Another CHEF.

49. Red head : LENIN. Cute misdirection.

51. Olympic diver's ideal : TEN.

54. Former vice-presidential family : AGNEWS. Hmm, there are so many...and the plural?

57. "... from __ far country blows": Housman : YON. From A.E. Houseman's 40th poem in A Shropshire Lad, also inspired the title of  of Nevil Shute's The Far Country. (per wiki and other places).
        Into my heart an air that kills
        From yon far country blows:
        What are those blue remembered hills,
        What spires, what farms are those?

        That is the land of lost content,
        I see it shining plain,
        The happy highways where I went
        And cannot come again.

58. Kitchenware giant : OXO.

59. Actor Wilson : OWEN. Luke also has 4 letters. I now find Luke boring.

63. Vintner's quantity : CASE. Cask?

64. Certain tunnelers : ANTS.

65. Virtual transaction : E-SALE. Now we have A words and E words.

66. Batik artist : DYER. I was looking for a famous one, not just the job.

67. Garden headache : PEST.

68. Obliterates : RAZES. Always loved how the homophone RAISES is so opposite, learning English is such fun.

Down:

1. Tackled : HAD AT.

2. Heart chambers : ATRIA.

3. Sound mostly the same : RHYME. A CSO to all of our resident poets.

5. Shifting aid : CLUTCH. More than aid, I think.

6. Moved smoothly : GLIDED. Not when I am driving stick....

7. Free : RID. Finally I am free of those stupid emails.

8. Since : AS OF.

9. Epstein-__ virus : BARR. Completely unrelated to Roseanne.  LINK. One of those from the happy herpes family.

10. Heinlein contemporary : ASIMOV. To me the greatest.

11. "The Dick Van Dyke Show" actress : ROSE MARIE. She was a child actress.

12. Hitches : BUMS A RIDE. Nice hard Friday fill, but the ID in the fill seems ????

13. Furtive sort : SPY.

18. Wailuku's county : MAUI.

23. Crackerjack group : A-TEAM. No Mr. T.?

26. Humiliates : DEMEANS.

28. Lose some support : SAG. I am sure Lois has never lost her support from here at the Corner.

29. Camp sight : COT.

30. Natural resource : GAS. When I am around my youngest son, I am not so sure how natural it is.

31. Mil. morale booster : USO.

32. "That's my vacation time" : I'LL BE AWAY.

33. Typically long-haired breed : PEKINGESE. Did you do the NYT where the fill was   PIQUE PEKE PEAKED, or something like that?

37. Dramatic division : SCENE.

38. Sonora sun : SOL. Another Spanish word.

39. Timothy Omundson's role on "Xena" : ELI. No clue.  Watch.

40. Coastal raptor : ERN.

41. Content beginning? : MALcontent. From the French for bad.

45. "What's for __?" : DINNER. Really? Leftovers.

46. Least straightforward : COYEST. Nice clue.

47. Burning sulfur quality : ODOR. Funny, as this is often related to damnation.

48. Cavalry soldier : LANCER.

51. November birthstone : TOPAZ.

52. Napoleon, ultimately : EXILE. Using it as a noun was tricky.

53. Meeting places : NODES. CLUBS? No. I love this misdirection, as this botanical and biologic term does define where things meet, or intersect. I would like to intersect with the young lady from Splynter's last blog.

55. Stole, for one : WRAP.

56. January 1 word : SYNE. This clue getting auld?

59. It typically involves repetitive behavior, briefly : OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

61. Sot's woe : DTS. Delerium Tremens. 11th grade math teacher, first period, his coffee cup shaking and rattling- a memory for all time!

Speaking of memories, I recall it is time to thank JW for another romp in his world, thank you all for reading, thank C.C. for being our Werowance and best wishes for Alan, and the three people who I know who are have their birthday today, and DIL tomorrow. Lemonade out.

Thursday, August 14, 2014 Gareth Bain

Theme: Back in Kansas

18-Across. "Good lad!" : THERE'S MY BOY. The phrase sounds strange to my ear. I would more likely say "That's my boy!" And only in reference to a dog.

23-Across. "I'm positive" : NO MISTAKE.

30-Across. Atlas index listing : PLACE NAME.

47-Across. "Whatever floats your boat" : LIKE I CARE. I had "As if I CARE" at first. (As if you care, right?)

54-Across. Base among boxes : HOME PLATE.

61-Across. Character who, in an 8/15/1939 Hollywood premiere, speaks the first words of this puzzle's five other longest answers : DOROTHY GALE. "The Wizard of Oz" gal.

58 theme letters is pretty dense, and you might expect some compromise in the fill. But this seemed pretty straight-forward, almost Monday-like.

Across

1. Clothing line : HEM. I have seen the same clue for "seam."

4. "Egad!" : YIPE. or YIPEs. Both are correct.

8. Sprint Cup org. : NASCAR.  The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The title seems a bit redundant, with both Car and Auto. But it would be too difficult to pronounce NASCR, I guess. And 46-Down. Earnhardt of 8-Across : DALE.

14. Toothpaste letters : ADA. American Dental Association.

15. Arabian ruler : EMIR.

16. Pump figure : OCTANE. It's about $3.49 / gallon around here.

17. Netflix rental, for short : VID. In 1956, a video recorder was about $50,000, and a single 1 hour videotape cost $300. I don't think Netflix would get much business at those prices!

20. Latin catchall : ET ALII. And others.

22. Looks like a wolf : LEERS.

26. LAX postings : ETAS. I took a chance and entered the A before checking perps.

29. One "who intimately lives with rain," in a poem : TREE. And then we have 41-Down. Slam offering : POEM. The first poetry slam was held in Chicago in 1984. It is a competition where poets read their compositions and are judged by selected audience members. Do you think Kilmer would have won with this?

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,	5
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.	10
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.                                         Joyce Kilmer

33. Muscular problem : SPASM. "Cramp" would also fit...just sayin'.

36. Start of a series : OPENER.

37. Salon item : GEL. It was a toss-up between GEL and "dye."

40. Ab __: from the beginning : OVO.

41. Historic beginning? : PRE. Prehistoric.

42. Strands in a cell? : DNA.

43. Good to grow : ARABLE.

45. Like cutlets : BONED. I had B*kED at first because of a goof at 31-Down. Huh? Baked cutlets? (I always sauté them.) (And PaEM made absolutely no sense for 41-Down.)

49. Memo demand : ASAP.

53. More than passed : ACED.

57. Sonneteer's Muse : ERATO.

60. Nativity tableau : CRÈCHE.

65. Gun in the driveway, maybe : REV. Haha. Were you picturing a chalk outline and key evidence?

66. Keys with Grammys : ALICIA.

67. First word of "Greensleeves" : ALAS. Here's a lovely version by Celtic Women. 3:19

68. Billings-to-Bismarck dir. : ENE.

69. Less bold : MEEKER.

70. Risks : BETS.

71. Pop : DAD.


Down

1. "__ the foggiest!" : HAVEN'T. I started filling in "I haven"...and ran out of room.

2. Text __ : EDITOR.

3. European title : MADAME. I was looking for something more noble.

4. Hard-to-photograph Himalayans? : YETIS.

5. Paintball cry : I'M HIT.

6. Trivial Pursuit symbol : PIE.

7. Make a left instead of a right, say : ERR.

8. It smells : NOSE. Haha.

9. It can't be topped : ACME.

10. Compound used in plastic manufacturing : STYRENE.

11. Where business is picking up? : CAB STAND.

12. Enero to enero : ANO.

13. "Summertime Sadness" singer Lana Del __ : REY. All perps.

19. Zeno's home : ELEA.

21. Is situated : LIES.

24. Lhasa __ : APSO.

25. Air France-__: European flier : KLM. The two airlines merged in 2004.

27. Revival cry : AMEN.

28. They're measured in shots : SERA. Because "booze" wouldn't fit!

31. It may be popped : CORN. Naturally, I had "cork" at first...which led to no end of problems with the perps.

32. Foil kin : EPEE.

34. __ sci : POLI.

35. Preposition for Poirot : AVEC. French "with."

37. Blowout, so to speak : GALA.

38. "South Park" boy Cartman : ERIC.

39. Site of a critical 1813 battle : LAKE ERIE. The Battle of Put-in-Bay. I bet Abejo knows all about it.

44. Firm foundation : BEDROCK. It's where the Slate Rock & Gravel Company was founded...

;-)

45. Guy friend : BRO.

48. Hailing cry : AHOY.

50. Like some cows : SACRED.

51. Greek goddess of wisdom : ATHENA.

52. In a snit : PEEVED.

55. Showy display : ÉCLAT.

56. Button word : PRESS. So simple.

58. End in __ : A TIE.

59. Yonder, on the Pequod : THAR.

61. Block up : DAM.

62. Bit of World Cup encouragement : OLÉ.

63. Go on and on : GAB.

64. Draft order : ALE. I'll leave this for others to toast at sunset.

Cheers!

Marti

Note from C.C.:

The beautiful Andrea Carla Michaels (who co-authored our Monday LAT puzzle) visited Minnesota again this week. Below is a picture of the local constructor gathering last night. I did not feel well enough to make the trip. I snacked the whole jar of homemade pickles on Tuesday and my lower right abdominal pain just won't go away.

Also missed the PBA50 finals yesterday. Boomer went alone and watched Walter Ray Williams won the tournament. I did chat with Walter Ray again last Sunday, TTP. Also met Norm Duke for the first time.

L to R: Victor Barocas, George Barany,
Andrea Carla Michaels, David Hanson & Tom Pepper

Wednesday, August 13, 2014 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Critic's Nightmare - The last word of each theme entry indicates a less-than-stellar assessment of a production.

17A. High-jump style named for 1968 Olympic gold medalist Dick : FOSBURY FLOP. Revolutionary (!) technique introduced by this OSU student:

23A. Morning-after shot : HAIR OF THE DOG. I swear I've never felt like I've needed one, honestly. No, really. Oh well, maybe once.

36A. Last Martin/Lewis film : HOLLYWOOD OR BUST. Dean and Jerry road caper also starring Anita Ekberg. She gets the picture honors.

49A. Subject of 1950s testing : HYDROGEN BOMB.

58A. Lays it on the line : TALKS TURKEY. A curious expression, with no truly believable explanation as to it's origins (apostrophe uncertainty precedes).

Hi everyone - Steve here with Kurt's latest midweeker. I enjoyed the theme and, as convention allows, there's no reveal required as the link between the entries is reasonably obvious. Some nice long downs too. Although there were quite a few 3's, the grid was thankfully light on abbreviations. Nice job!

Let's see what else jumps out.

Across:

1. AARP concern : AGEISM

7. Other, in Oaxaca : OTRA

11. AOL chats : IM'S. Instant messages, IMHO.

14. Quick look : GLANCE

15. Need to retake in summer school, say : FAIL

16. Sylvester, to Tweety : TAT. More usually "Puddy Tat".

19. Andean vegetable : OCA. They call it a yam in New Zealand, for absolutely no good reason that I can see. Popeye in New Zealand says "I oca what I oca". No, I made that up. Food!

20. Adams of "American Hustle" : AMY. Thank you, crosses. 2013 comedy drama which never even blipped on my radar, I had to go look it up.

21. Sitter's handful : BRAT

22. Signal to stop, with "down" : FLAG

27. Spoke out against : OPPOSED

30. Zany : LOONY. Tweety's "Tunes" brand name is spelled with an additional "E".

31. Lobster part : CLAW. Not if you're a spiny lobster. Food!

32. "Wish you __ here!" : WERE

33. Expose, in verse : OPE. Romeo, on the subject of Juliet:

"She will not stay the siege of loving terms,

Nor bide th' encounter of assailing eyes,

Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold."

She sounds like one tough cookie!

41. Cold War missile prog. : S.D.I. Strategic Defense Initiative, or derisively "Star Wars".

42. Sound from a pen : OINK

43. Former VOA overseer : USIA. Unknown to me - thank you, crosses! I now know that the United States Information Agency was the overseer of the Voice of America broadcasts.

44. "Bye Bye Bye" boy band : 'N SYNC. No music links yet - I'll spare you this one.

46. Stumped : AT A LOSS

52. Big-grin borders : EARS. Fun clue. Grinning from ear to ear.

53. Flying prefix : AERO

54. Unlike a spring chicken : OLD

57. "Alice" waitress : FLO. 70's-80's CBS sitcom.

62. San Antonio NBA star Duncan : TIM. A very pleasant, self-effacing man if you've ever seen him interviewed.

63. Skin soother : ALOE

64. Daily special, e.g. : ENTRÉE. When I moved to the US I was confused by this being the main course - in England and France it means a course between the appetizer and the main. Marti would not bat an eyelid at three courses, but wonder why we don't all have aperitivo, antipasto, primo, secondo e contorno, insalata, formaggi et fruti, dolce, caffè and digestivo every Wednesday. And that doesn't even include the wine! Fooood! I'm moving to Italy.

65. "Comprende?" : SEE? The more I think about this, the more it seems odd - wouldn't we expect a Spanish answer here (except that the only one I can think of is "Entiende?" and that doesn't fit!)?

66. Remain up in the air : PEND

67. Swordfish servings : STEAKS. Food-fest today.

Down:

1. Former Belgian camera brand : AGFA. Knew the name, but didn't know it was a Belgian company.

2. Steal, slangily : GLOM. Crosses helped here - I thought GLOM meant "cling to, annoyingly".

3. Simple : EASY

4. Having five sharps, musically : IN 'B'

5. Dives with a tank : SCUBAS

6. Like olde England : MERRIE. Quite a lot of times not so much; plenty of wars, famine, pestilence and London catching fire to keep you on your toes.

7. __ a good start : OFF TO

8. 1960s chess champ Mikhail : TAL. Crosses again. This might be a little obscure, what do you think?

9. Ebro, por ejemplo : RIO. 578 miles long, it drains into the Mediterranean Sea. Pretty!

10. Swiss skyline sight : ALP

11. "Shoulda listened to me!" : I TOLD YOU SO

12. Region on the South China Sea : MACAO. A short ferry ride from Hong Kong and popular with gamblers.

13. Immortal college coach Amos Alonzo __ : STAGG

18. Farm attachment? : YARD

22. Bog : FEN. This seems to have cropped up a few times recently.

23. Lupine cry : HOWL

24. Took it on the lam : FLED

25. Deere competitor : TORO

26. Field worker : HOER. Hmmmm. I'll leave it at that.

27. Adolph of publishing : OCHS. Former "New York Times" owner. I never made the connection before, but when Ochs built a new headquarters in 1904 for the Times on what was then Longacre Square in Manhattan, the city renamed it "Times Square".

28. Walk with effort : PLOD

29. Mom or dad, e.g. : PALINDROME. Nice word, fun clue.

32. Bowl-shaped pan : WOK

34. Greek consonants : PSIS

35. Greek vowels : ETAS

37. Ma with a cello : YO-YO. Great stuff.

38. Annex : WING

39. "If I told you __ ..." : ONCE

40. Tulip-to-be : BULB

45. Soon-to-be alumni: Abbr. : SRS

46. Fivers : ABES. "Lady Godivas" in UK rhyming slang (she's not on the note, alas!)

47. Flourless cakes : TORTES. Food!

48. Invoice figure : AMOUNT

49. Lifts with effort : HEFTS

50. Connecticut collegian : YALIE. We had the plural on Monday.

51. In one's birthday suit : NAKED. Just like Lady Godiva.

54. Pickled or deep-fried veggie : OKRA. Food!

55. Onion relative : LEEK. Food!

56. Colorist's supplies : DYES

58. Bug on a wire : TAP

59. Microbrew choice : ALE. Comes out of a 58D!

60. Horror star Chaney : LON

61. Driver's decision: Abbr. : RTE. I let Google Maps make those decisions for me now, it does a much better job than I ever did.

And, in the words of Sylvester and Tweety: That's all, Folks!

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to our Jam Master Chickie! Chickie has a loving & tight-knit family. Her kids and grandkids will probably celebrate her birthday this weekend.

L to R: Chickie, Lucina, Garlic Gal, JD, and Dodo

2) Happy Birthday to Spitzboov's wife Betty as well! Don't miss this "It Matters Where You Put the Tag" & this Christ the Redeemer construction work links Spitzboov got for us the past couple of days. This vacuum one made me laugh out loud also.

Spitzboov & Betty at the reunion dinner held at the US Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT, 2012

Tuesday, August 12, 2014 Ellen Leuschner and Jeff Chen

Theme: Friends - Although there are circles, it's doubtful they helped in solving.

39A. Close associates, and a hint to this puzzle's highlighted squares : CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

1D. 39-Across, in slang : PEEPS. Short for the people one considers friends or close pals.

57D. 39-Across, in slang : POSSE. Short for the people that congregate around a leader of sorts.

Argyle here. Starting at 12 o'clock, PAISANO, COMRADE, BRO, and AMI. Friends around the orb. Four beefy corners to the puzzle. Ellen Leuschner is a new name to us; hope she stops by.

Across:

1. Aerospace giant __ & Whitney : PRATT

6. Oft-mispunctuated word : ITS. or is it IT'S?

9. Bravery in battle : VALOR

14. Like a foggy graveyard : EERIE

15. Letters in a graveyard : RIP. Finding regular letters in a graveyard might be considered EERIE.

16. Love a lot : ADORE

17. Name on a WWII bomber : ENOLA

18. Brewpub offering, for short : IPA. (India Pale Ale)

19. Actress Watts : NAOMI. Here with her little buddy.

20. Garden mulch : PEAT MOSS

22. Monkeylike : SIMIAN. or King Kong like.

23. Evening in Parma : SERA. Parma is near the top of the Italia boot.

24. Like shrinking violets : SHY

25. Fashion-designing twins : OLSENS. Famous for being famous.

26. "Conan" channel : TBS

28. Puerto Rico, por ejemplo : ISLA

29. Musical genre related to punk : EMO

32. Actor Quinn : AIDAN. Captain Gregson on TV's "Elementary"

35. Startle : ALARM

42. Become sour : GO BAD. But not bad if talking about some pickles.

43. Hard to startle : STOIC. Really?

44. Granola grain : OAT

45. Brest beast : BÊTE. As in bête noire.

47. Eponymous guitarist Paul : LES. Many guitars bear his name.

49. Smartphone feature : CAMERA

52. Vino opener? : VEE

54. Show appreciation, in a way : CLAP

58. Exaggerate : OVERDO

59. Legendary city of gold : EL DORADO

61. Heaven-sent food : MANNA

62. Usher's offering : ARM

63. Angler's bucketful : WORMS

64. Heaps : PILES

65. Pennsylvania, for one: Abbr. : AVEnue

66. Singer Costello : ELVIS

67. Slow-moving arboreal critter : SLOTH

68. "On __ Majesty's Secret Service" : HER

69. Blue-gray : SLATE

Down:

2. Three-time Golden Globe winner Zellweger : RENÉE

3. Riotous, as a crowd : AROAR

4. Charge, in a joust : TILT AT

5. Jets, Mets or Nets : TEAM

6. From Donegal, say : IRISH. Although born in Chicago, Aidan Quinn had Irish parents and spent time growing up in Ireland.

7. A bit buzzed : TIPSY

8. Place to chill : SPA. 62D. "Yeah, that's the spot!" : "AAH!"

9. Rapper whose name sounds like a dessert : VANILLA ICE

10. Water, facetiously : ADAM'S ALE

11. Sarge's superior : LOOIE. (Lieutenant)

12. Finance guru Suze : ORMAN. Often seen on PBS.

13. Buckboard controls : REINS

21. Davis who was married to Ruby Dee : OSSIE

22. Letters in the sand, perhaps : SOS. On a deserted isla, ok; in a cemetery, eerie.

27. "Horsefeathers!" : "BALDERDASH!". A nice long entry partnered with Vanilla ice. Hmm.

28. Facts and figures, for short : INFO

29. Heart chart: Abbr. : ECG. (electrocardiogram)

30. "O Sole __" : MIO

31. Mars or Venus : ORB

33. Two pills, e.g. : DOSE

34. Toward the back of the boat : AFT

36. "It's __-brainer" : A NO

37. Nutritional qty. : RDA. (Recommended Daily Allowance)

38. Hours in Tempe, Ariz. : MST. (Mountain Standard Time)

40. Popular wine grape : CABERNET

41. Hot under the collar : RILED

46. Lao Tzu's "path" : TAO

48. Move with a mouse wheel : SCROLL

49. Freebies : COMPS. Items received free of charge, complimentary.

50. Be of help to : AVAIL

51. __ Park, N.J. : MENLO. Thomas Edison set up his home and lab on the site of an unsuccessful real estate development, "Menlo Park".

52. Enthusiasm : VERVE

53. Toon hunter who has twouble with some wanguage : ELMER. Bugs called him, "poor little Nimrod".

55. Immature insect : LARVA

56. Let in or let on : ADMIT. Neat clue.

60. Is in the red : OWES

Argyle

Monday, August 11, 2014 Kevin Christian and Andrea Carla Michaels

Theme: How are you? - “Everyone Is a House with Four Rooms, a Physical, a Mental, an Emotional, and a Spiritual.” Indian proverb

17A. What regular exercise helps maintain : PHYSICAL FITNESS

27A. Mindreader's claim : MENTAL TELEPATHY

44A. 1980 Rolling Stones hit : "EMOTIONAL RESCUE"

56A. Priest or lama, e.g. : SPIRITUAL LEADER

Argyle here, in the room with padded walls. Thank goodness Google was here to give me the theme. All four themes were grid spanners, too. The fill didn't suffer either. Our constructors should show some 38-Across for this offering.

Across:

1. Jiggly see-through dish : ASPIC

6. Character deficiency : FLAW

10. Cutting remark : BARB

14. Formal "will" : SHALL

15. 1970 Kinks hit : LOLA. Live(4:31)

16. Matty or Felipe of baseball : ALOU. Our usual baseball family.

20. Run __ of the law : A FOUL

21. Like very cheap merchandise : TRASHY

22. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYStem

25. "__ voyage!" : BON

26. Solo who loved Leia : HAN

34. Delta rival, as it was formerly known : USAIR. US Airways now.

35. TiVo predecessors : VCRs

36. Actor Stephen : REA

37. Cocktail hour bowlfuls : DIPS

38. __ and joy : PRIDE. Often found in little bundles.

40. Corridor : HALL

41. Gun for a gangster : GAT

42. Completely closed : SHUT

43. Language of India : HINDI

48. Quaint lodging : INN

49. Author Fleming : IAN

50. Mini-albums, for short : EPs. An extended play (EP) is a musical recording that contains more music than a single, but is usually too short to qualify as a full studio album or LP.

51. Bob Marley's music : REGGAE

54. Signs on for another stint : RE-UPs

61. Start of Caesar's boast : VENI. "Veni, vidi, vici" ("I came, I saw, I conquered")

62. Jason's ship : ARGO

63. Religious belief : CREED

64. Black-eyed veggies : PEAs

65. Eat, as ribs : GNAW

66. "The Metamorphosis" writer Franz : KAFKA

Down:

1. Egyptian slitherer : ASP

2. "Pipe down!" : "SHH!"

3. Foot the bill : PAY

4. "Casablanca" heroine : ILSA

5. Energy-boosting organic snack brand : CLIF BAR

6. Show off shamelessly : FLAUNT

7. Lounge about : LOLL

8. Furry TV E.T. : ALF. (Alien Life Form)

9. "Sit tight while I get help" : "WAIT HERE"

10. Fruit often sliced onto cereal : BANANA

11. Tavern orders : ALEs

12. __ Hashanah : ROSH

13. Like bees or beavers : BUSY

18. Chilly : COOL

19. Snares : TRAPS

22. Mark from an old eraser : SMUDGE

23. "No, you're not" retort : "YES, I AM"

24. Stand at attention : SNAP TO

28. "__ the season to be jolly ..." : 'TIS

29. Musical set in Argentina : EVITA

30. HDTV feature : LCD. (liquid crystal display)

31. Hypnotic state : TRANCE

32. Delayed : HELD UP

33. New Haven Ivy Leaguers : YALIES

38. Series of voice mail messages, say : PHONE TAG

39. Beat a retreat : RUN

40. Old what's-__-name : HIS

42. Mount for Moses : SINAI

43. Nag, nag, nag : HENPECK

45. Baghdad's river : TIGRIS

46. Hide out : LIE LOW

47. __ Julia of "The Addams Family" : RAUL

51. "Let me know," on invitations : RSVP

52. Fencing sword : EPEE

53. Actress Gershon : GINA

54. Music from India : RAGA

55. "Nobody doesn't like __ Lee" : SARA

57. Coffee hour server : URN

58. Phone letters on the "3" button : DEF

59. Cartoon scream : "EEK!"

60. No. formerly on vitamin labels : RDA. (Recommended Daily Allowance)

I left out a lot of musical options; feel free to link your favorites. I'll be in the music room.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

For those who missed the Andrea Carla Michaels interview I linked last time, here it is again.

Sunday August 10, 2014 Melanie Miller

Theme: "Catchy Phrases" -Y is added to the end of the first word or first part of the first word. Catch-Y phrases indeed.

25A. What determines when the bash ends? : PARTY TIMER. Part-timer.

27A. Awkward work period? : STICKY SHIFT. Stick shift.

46A. Chess great keeping warm? : TOASTY MASTER. Toastmaster. Four one-word base phrases in the set.

71A. Containers for some pork cuts? : BELLY JARS. Bell jars. The only one in plural form.

94A. Hoedown official having a bad day? : CRANKY CALLER. Crank caller.

113A. Demand for fabric softener? : DOWNY MARKET. Downmarket.

118A. Yellowstone roughneck? : BULLY MOOSE. Bull Moose, the party.

35D. Chauffeur who's off his rocker? : SCREWY DRIVER. Screwdriver.

40D. Agent in need of Weight Watchers? : STOCKY BROKER. Stockbroker.

Classical 9-themer grid design. 7 Across & 2 Down.

I had an easy time, probably because the grid is very solver-friendly (lots of 4 & 5 letter words) and super clean. No obscure words or strange abbreviations. In fact, there are a limited few abbreviations in this puzzle, that's hard to achieve with a 21 & 21 grid.

Across:

1. Place with canoes : CAMP

5. Tableland : MESA

9. Groups of foxhounds : PACKS. Oh, I only know wolves/lies.

14. Little one on a board : PAWN. Chessboard.

18. Sashes with bows : OBIS

19. Skating maneuvers : AXELS

21. Interwoven hair : PLAIT. Pretty braid.

22. "Wonderfilled" cookie : OREO.  3D. 22-Across variety : MINI

23. Unimposing : PUNY

24. Wrangler's rope : RIATA. Just fill in R?ATA, then you wait.

30. Walks leisurely : MOSEYS

31. Must : HAS TO

32. "The Thin Blue Line" director Morris : ERROL. Forgot. I googled him before.

34. Outlaw tracker : POSSE

38. Vision-correcting aid : LASER

41. Student-teacher calculation, say : RATIO

43. Savanna newborn : LION CUB

45. Acct. posting : INT. 23-Across, if any.

51. "For that reason ..." : ERGO

52. Uncultured sort : BOOR

54. Chevy subcompact : AVEO. Hi there Gary!

55. Soap staple : DRAMA

56. Superman portrayer Cain : DEAN. With Terri Hatcher.

57. Italian cheesecake cheese : RICOTTA

59. Crisp quality : NIP

62. Sudden burst : SPATE

64. Like Thurber's humor : WRY.  James Thurber.

65. Tattoo sites, perhaps : ANKLES

66. Course often taken first : SALAD. Lovely clue.

68. Thermal __ : ENERGY

70. Modus operandi : STYLE

73. '50s sci-fi flier : RODAN

76. Unlikely to be talked out of : BENT ON

78. Looks : SEEMS

79. Reporter's need : SOURCE. I miss Anthony Shadid.

80. Disfigure : MAR

82. Planter : SOWER

84. R.I. summer hours : EDT

85. Bullet propellant : CORDITE. New word to me.

86. Macbeth, for one : SCOT

88. Prompt, as a forgetful actor : RE-CUE

90. Give a tongue-lashing, with "out" : REAM

92. Passionate : AVID

93. Reheat, in a way : NUKE

98. Pre-event period : EVE

99. Like Marilyn Monroe's voice : BREATHY. Jackie Kennedy's voice too.

101. Stoppers of spirits : CORKS. I need to stop thinking of ghosts when I see "spirits".

102. Paddled : OARED

104. __ Rossi: wine brand : CARLO. Gimme for Marti.

105. Was brilliant : SHONE

107. Pastry bag filler : ICING. I know the tool, D-Otto, not the term pastry bag.

110. Mile High player : BRONCO. Mile High Stadium.

122. Diving birds : LOONS

123. Take the edge off : EASE

124. Biblical barterer : ESAU

125. Actor with seven Emmys : ASNER. It's a record for a male actor.

126. Causing shudders, maybe : EERIE

127. "Slippery" trees : ELMS

128. Stare : GAPE

129. Swamp growths : REEDS

130. Ones breaking away : SECT. Stupidly put S in the last square.

131. Bug repellent ingredient : DEET

Down:

1. Cruiser drivers : COPS

2. Bump up against : ABUT

4. Freudian concern : PSYCHE

5. "The Bells of St. __" : MARY'S. Did any of you see this movie?

6. Be real : EXIST

7. Fish that swims upright : SEAHORSE

8. Voices in il coro : ALTI. Used Google Translate: il coro = the choir.

9. Very quietly, in music : PPP

10. 1836 battle site : ALAMO

11. December number : CAROL

12. Hobbyists' purchases : KITS

13. Eyelid irritation : STYE

14. Like a certain fairy tale apple : POISONED. Putin only eats food prepared by his Russian chefs, even if he's traveling abroad.

15. Give pieces to : ARM

16. Very early: WEE

17. Scand. land : NOR

20. Rare football result : SAFETY.  I don't follow football. How rare?

26. Dash for cash, e.g. : TYPO. So easy in retrospect.

28. Go-__ : KART

29. Remove fat from : TRIM

33. Teams are often on it, with "the" : ROAD

36. Baking staple : SUGAR

37. Key wood : EBONY. Did you read it as "Key word"?

38. Ones who are astrologically balanced? : LIBRAS. Scales.

39. Honor with oil : ANOINT

42. Unkeyed : ATONAL

43. Racing's 24 Hours of __ : LE MANS. Held in the French city Le Mans.

44. On the warpath : IRATE

47. Feed bag feed : OATS

48. Clark's "Mogambo" co-star : AVA

49. Most retirees: Abbr. : SRS

50. Winds down, with "off" : TAPERS

53. "Good Times" star : ROLLE (Esther)

58. Romeo and Juliet, e.g. : TEENS.  Also a great clue for  ROLES.

60. Afflictions : ILLS

61. Word on a check : PAYEE

63. Eraser target : ERROR

66. Adviser to Nero : SENECA

67. Worked a dance, for short : DJ'ED

69. Cheese from the Netherlands : GOUDA

71. Manhattan area, with "the" : BOWERY

72. Sunset Limited operator : AMTRAK. Did you nail this, Anon T?  I'm not familiar with Sunset Limited.

74. Busy : ACTIVE

75. More than wanted : NEEDED

77. Liberty Island symbol : TORCH

79. Not all : SOME

80. Cable news station : MSNBC

81. Legend creator : ACURA. Can't fool me.

83. Preside over : RUN

85. 20th-century White House nickname : CAL

87. Crayola color retired in 2003 : TEAL BLUE

89. Kitchen gadget brand : EKCO

91. Kronborg Castle, in Shakespeare : ELSINORE. "Hamlet".

95. Over there, to Shakespeare : YOND

96. Big Easy cuisine : CREOLE. Hi there, Big Easy on our blog.

97. Author Jaffe : RONA

100. British Conservative : TORY

103. Was like-minded : AGREED

105. Quick bread choice : SCONE. I made sweet potato scones last year. Not as good as they look here.

106. Took for a ride : HOSED

108. Pessimist : CYNIC

109. "Nothing more required here" : I'M SET

111. Epps of "The Mod Squad" : OMAR

112. Wine taster's concern : NOSE

114. Hardships : WOES

115. Leafy vegetable : KALE

116. Salinger's "With Love and Squalor" girl : ESME

117. __ pilot : TEST

118. Mooch : BEG

119. "White Collar" network : USA. Irish Miss & JD might be following this show.

120. Full circuit : LAP

121. Waffling sounds : ERs

C.C.