Friday, August 22, 2014, Tom McCoy

Theme: Cross-referential Olympics; where is FORD LUXURY MODEL (15) when you need it?

I happened to solve Mr. McCoy's debut puzzle last November in the NYT and read his comments about referential clues, so I was somewhat prepared for this style of cluing where there is a hidden word which is the clue for all of the theme answers.  The theme fill are not clued at all until you get 23 down, MERCURY, which also has no independent clue. There are many puzzles being constructed where there is a "meta" solution, a style which is embraced by many especially MATT GAFFNEY. This is not a metapuzzle because the solution is part of the puzzle, but it is conceptually based on the same skills. So the strategy becomes, solve 23 down and then it is a simple definition puzzle. We had a run of Friday puzzles which were variations of the definition puzzle at this time last year (including one from marti, and one similar to today's from Mr. Wechsler) so you all should be ready. Once again we get a Friday with an intricate theme but high word count and many 3/4 letter fill to balance the inherent difficulty. In the longer fill, PEACOCK,  SKEWING,  WRESTLE, CORAL SEA,  LEBANESE, ANTEROOMS,  ESCAPE KEY stand out. This is Mr. McCoy's LAT debut (he has 5 solos at NYT since last November) and I hope he likes the environment and appreciates his audience. He was kind enough to provide some commentary on this puzzle and its genesis, which follows this writeup. Knowing this group and its opinion on cross referential puzzles, I expect many Thumper comments, and a few who will appreciate the simplicity of this grid, with all four theme answers being grid spanners which fill in nicely once you crack the code. It is Friday, so let us all put on our long pants and get to work.


17A. See 23-Down : NEIGHBOR OF VENUS (15). A planetary reference for Mercury.
Study: First rock from the Sun. It orbits the sun in 88 days.

27A. See 23-Down : BAROMETER FILLER (15). An elemental reference for Mercury.
Review: 80 on the periodic table. A neighbor from my childhood murdered his wife injecting mercury into her Nissen doughnuts. (Is the factory closed marti?) She was a big eater. He fed small amounts to himself and  his child and he was free until he got drunk and bragged.

45A. See 23-Down : ROCK STAR FREDDIE (15). A pop culture reference for Mercury.
Listen: (2:17) The voice of Queen, he died young, replaced by Adam Lambert who is a...fine singer.


58A. See 23-Down : DIVINE MESSENGER (15). A pagan mythological reference for Mercury.
Learn: Usually referenced as the 'winged messenger' because of the ankle wings.
and the 'reveal:

23D. Clue for 17-, 27-, 45- and 58-Across : MERCURY (7). They all work.

Across:

1. Draft order : PINT. Well Tin, we start right off with some Ale, and not an order to report for duty. Nice clue for 1A on a Friday.

5. "__-A-Lympics": '70s Hanna/Barbera spoof : LAFF. Really had to dig deep and use some perp help. I would imagine the cross with AKON might be a Natick for some. LINK.

9. "Wicked!" : SWEET. A really appealing clue/fill combo for our New England contingent. The " marks give it away.

14. It's pressed in a corner : ESCAPE KEY. I really liked the visual here. 54A. PC key : ALT. Once again we have our clue and a fill with the same word used in the same context (computer key).

16. Feature of some stickers : AROMA. Scratch and Sniff anyone?

19. "__ So Fine": Chiffons hit : HE'S.

20. Turkic flatbread : NAN. A variant spelling from what we are more accustomed to seeing. No Bobbsey twin on a Friday.

21. Conks out : DIES. Cars, engines etc., hopefully not people.

22. Disadvantage : CON. Pro vs. Con, are any of you list makers for decisions?

23. Cohort of Larry and Curly : MOE. Chairman, who did you pay for so much publicity this week?

24. Sound of disapproval : TSK. Back again so soon; I like to see the pair.

33. Hadn't settled yet : OWED. Being a NYT veteran, the cluing style is heavy with the less common definition of words, but we are all familiar with settling our debts.

34. Paul McCartney title : SIR.

35. Sierra __ : LEONE. An interesting country and history, now the center of the EBOLA outbreak with more than 250 deaths. LINK.

36. Watch readout abbr. : LCD. Liquid Crystal Display.

37. Showy flier : PEACOCK.I have never seen one fly in person though we have many here, and especially at Lion Country Safari. Really pretty sight.

40. Anguish : WOE. I am Friday's child.

41. Tickle : AMUSE. Now where do you keep your fancy?

43. ET carrier, supposedly : UFO. Unidentified Flying Object.

44. Graybacks : REBS. Not a term I know, but easy to guess since we all know the blue and the gray.

49. Elizabeth Darcy __ Bennet : NEE. Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen has her own WIKI.

50. Whatever : ANY. Three letters but I needed the perps.

51. Toy power sources : AAS. batteries.

52. Joint high-tech project : WIKI. A vague NYT type clue that is easy only if you have perped the W and the I, the K and the I. Is an online anything considered high-tech?


55. Altar line : I DO. It does alter your life.

63. Downed water, say : DRANK. Tin?

64. Some entryways : ANTEROOMS. I think all entryways are anterooms, not all anterooms are entryways.

65. Having bite : TANGY. I like horseradish.

66. Sister of Luke : LEIA. Star Wars' misguided twins. Mini-theme 26D. "Star Wars" surname : KENOBI. Obi Wan.

67. Tom, Dick and Harry, e.g. : TRIO. I liked these better. Before you go further, who are they?

Down:

1. See 15-Down : PENH. Wow more cross-references. At least there is a clue.15D. With 1-Down, Mekong River capital : PHNOM. Anyone been to Cambodia?

2. "That makes sense to me now" : I SEE said the blind the man.

3. Investigator in the USS Cole attack : NCIS. Not

4. Place for a price : TAG. My grandmother made tags in a factory in Southbridge after her husband died.

5. Some Tripoli natives : LEBANESE. Really interesting. The good news is LIBYANS is too short, but they both start with L.

6. One-named "Lonely" singer : AKON. His real name is Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Bongo Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam.  LISTEN.

7. Supportin' : FER. Not agin. More Lil Abner like speaking.

8. Author Dostoyevsky : FYODOR. Of all of his books , Notes from the Underground was my favorite even if Crime and Punishment is more well known.

9. Except : SAVE. Another NYT type clue, where it is quite correct, but not the usual definition of save. For all our resident poets, I would say it is artistic, "All was quiet, save the chirping of a single cricket."

10. Have difficulty dealing (with) : WRESTLE. I wrestled in grammar school, high school and college.

11. Length of a boring class, so it seems : EON. A new (vague) clue for a crossword staple.

12. Green-egg layer : EMU. I was unaware of this fact; now I know where Dr. Seuss got his inspiration. Kazie, did you have green eggs with your ham?

13. Ph.D. students, perhaps : TAS. Teaching Assistants.

18. Feudal land : FIEF. The word is the basis of the legal term Fee Simple, for real property ownership. If you want to read the HISTORY.

22. Whiting cousin : COD.  Another fishy clue. Cod being the base of most fast food fish dishes.

25. Impeded : SLOWED.

27. Claylike : BOLAR. My learning moment of the day, all perps. The word has not appeared in any puzzle since 1987!

28. "Pleeeeease?" : AW C'MON. Are their enough sports fans here to appreciate THIS. (2:49)

29. Turn down : REDUCE. It took a while, but it is like the volume on you car radio.

30. Don Quixote's aunt : TIA. Just Spanish for aunt.

31. Category : ILK.

32. Rizzuto's Brooklyn counterpart : REESE. Phil and PeeWee, Yankee and Dodger shortstops in the 50's and 60's. They were short but good. HOF material.

37. Foot, in anatomy : PES. Latin word, root word for pedicure, pedestrian etc. No sugar coated  knowledge dispensed here.

38. Not quite right : OFF. I am feeling a tad off today; maybe it was breathing in all the bug spray?

39. Great Barrier Reef setting : CORAL SEA. Off the NE corner of Australia, hopefully Kazie has some stories to tell.

42. Distorting : SKEWING.  I hope I don't skew this up; from the old French escuier: to shy away from.  "When ESPN does polls, the the results are always skewed."

44. Short streets? : RDS. Roads, 'short' meaning abbreviation.

46. Filming unit : TAKE. As in take a picture.

47. Sponge, e.g. : ANIMAL. Living creature.

48. Café customer : EATER. Man, I would rather see this clued Purple People ___.

53. Black : INKY. Another Pac-man shout out?

54. Italian wine region : ASTI. Spumante anyone?

55. Harpsichordist Kipnis : IGOR. Nope not on my radar.

56. Prefix meaning "half" : DEMI. So she is half dark-skinned.

57. Estimate words : OR SO.

58. "Silent Spring" subj. : DDT. DICHLORODIPHENYLTRICHLOROETHANE

59. Roth __ : IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

60. From, in Dutch names : VAN. When people started having surnames, they were often about what they did, who their father was or where they were from. De, Von and others.

61. Suffix with ethyl : ENE. She lived next door to Lucy.

62. "Kidding!" : NOT. I really loved when this fad was in. NOT!

I never know what Friday will bring, and once I got Mercury in the middle, I found this went quickly, overall a challenge and different cluing perspective. Welcome Mr. McCoy and be nice, I want to collaborate with him with a puzzle where Walter Brennan and Richard Crenna are theme answers. Lemonade out. Read his words....

 

Constructor notes:

I’m absolutely thrilled to make my LA Times debut!

In the original submission, the theme entries were NEIGHBOR OF VENUS, DIVINE MESSENGER, QUEEN LEAD SINGER, and METALLIC ELEMENT.  Rich Norris pointed out that METALLIC ELEMENT is not specific enough to make for a very good entry and that QUEEN LEAD SINGER doesn’t work because it really needs to include the name FREDDIE. The original grid also lacked MERCURY as an answer, which Rich realized could be placed in the center intersecting two themers. Therefore, I owe him a big thanks for improving the quality of the theme so much!

Thursday, August 21, 2014 Mark Feldman

Theme: "Speak!"

17-Across. Tarot card representing union : TWO OF CUPS.

24-Across. Brightening near a sunspot : SOLAR FLARE.

35-Across. Mixer? : BAR KEEPER. Great clue! And this is a scene with my favorite mixer.

49-Across. Ingredient that mimics the flavor of an edible fungus : TRUFFLE OIL. It really doesn't, though. I prefer real truffles, but have only had them on rare occasions.


And the reveal:
58. Checkers' speech? (or what are hidden in 17-, 24-, 35- and 49-Across) : DOG SOUNDS. Checkers is perhaps the most famous dog who never lived in the White House.

Very nice!  Well-hidden dog vocalizations: three split between two words, one hidden totally in the first word. I seem to have had a run of easy puzzles for the past few Thursdays. There may have been a couple trouble spots, but eventually perps revealed the correct answers.


Across

1. Travelocity user's request : AISLE. Nope, I prefer the window.

6. Get too personal : PRY.

9. Prepare a spread for : CATER.

14. Word after open, in retail : UNTIL.

15. Duvall's role in "Gods and Generals" : LEE. The movie focuses on Stonewall Jackson.

16. Rap sheet entry : CRIME.

19. Hobbles : LIMPS.

20. Wind that can be controlled : HORN. And then we have 18-Down. Trumpet protector : CASE. I sense a CSO to Jazzbumpa!

21. Chowed down : ATE.

22. Prairie home : TEEPEE.

23. Fertility lab supply : OVA. Singular ovum.

26. Genre that evolved from ska : REGGAE. Not to be confused with "raga."

29. Spanish article : LAS.

30. Wordless okay : NOD.

31. __ preview : SNEAK.

32. Leveling piece : SHIM.

34. Spruce cousins : FIRS.

38. Auto club amenities : MAPS.

41. Work for : EARN.

42. See 5-Down : SANTA. And 5-Down. 42-Across helper : ELF. Not much to go on here, except 5-letters and three-letters, with "helper," will almost always point to SANTA and his ELF. CSO to Argyle!

46. Mountain ending : EER. Mountaineer.

47. Inclined : APT. I am apt to agree...

48. Pantomime : ACT OUT. Oh, so that's what the little brats are doing at the supermarket when they can't get the candy they want?

53. Citi Field player : MET. Citi Field replaced Shea Stadium.

54. Set of devotional prayers : ROSARY.

55. Genetic stuff : RNA.

56. React to yeast : RISE. You won't get a rise out of me, yeast!

57. Time piece? : ISSUE. Cute misdirection.  The magazine, not the watch.

60. Nickel and dime : COINS. Straight-forward, but nice misdirection as well.

61. Lennon's love : ONO.

62. Swindler : CHEAT.

63. Cut drastically : SLASH.

64. Youngster : TOT. The ones doing pantomimes at the supermarket.

65. Low cards : TREYS. Three OF CUPS? It's meaning is joyful camaraderie.

Down

1. King and Queen : AUTHORS. Great misdirection.  Stephen KING. Ellery QUEEN was actually the pen name of two cousins: Frederic Dannay and Manfred Lee, which were assumed names of Daniel Nathan and Manford Lepofsky. (Quiz, later.)

2. Meshed together : INWOVEN. This answer didn't mesh at first.

3. Place to put things : STORAGE. Simple!

4. Beast in the Royal Arms of England : LION. Lucky WAG.

6. Second-most-massive dwarf planet : PLUTO. The New Horizons probe will visit it next July.

7. Force back : REPEL.

8. __-man : YES. Or in Reggae, "Yeah, mon."

9. Symbols seen in viola music : C CLEFS.

10. "The Tempest" spirit : ARIEL.

11. Percussion instruments : TIMPANI.

12. Beethoven's last piano concerto, familiarly, with "the" : EMPEROR. Officially titled "Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73," it was dedicated to his patron Archduke Rudolf. It was the English publisher  who called it "The Emperor" concerto. I only linked a portion - the full concerto is 45 min. long, and I am sure you would finish reading this post long before it was over!

13. Deals with a patchy lawn : RESEEDS.

22. __ steamer : TRAMP. TRAMP ships carry goods from one port to another, without any fixed schedule. They are still used today, but they no longer are powered by steam.

25. Stranger : ALIEN.

27. Yaks : GABS.

28. Letters in a dossier : AKA. Also Known As.

32. Do lutzes, say : SKATE. Here's an incredible quadruple lutz by Brandon Mroz. Now, that's skating!  0:19

33. The Beatles' "And I Love __" : HER.

34. Host of some off-campus parties : FRAT. With beer kegs and togas.

36. Wedding invitation request : REPLY.

37. "Abort!" key : ESC.ape.

38. Poet's art : METRICS.

39. Spray : AEROSOL.

40. Frederick the Great's realm : PRUSSIA.

43. Party choice : NOMINEE.

44. Time associated with graceful children : TUESDAY. I'm a Wednesday child. You?

Monday's child is fair of face,

TUESDAY's child is full of grace,

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Thursday's child has far to go,

Friday's child is loving and giving,

Saturday's child works hard for a living,

But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day

Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.

45. Swears (to) : ATTESTS.

47. From the beginning : AFRESH.

48. "That's a shame!" : ALAS.

50. Mythical goat-men : FAUNS.

Rubens

51. Academic Maine town : ORONO.

52. Gold brick : INGOT.

56. Oberhausen's region : RUHR. Germany.

58. Period, for one : DOT. It was already filled for me by the across answers, but did anyone want "era?"

59. Autumn mo. : OCT.ober. Coming soon to a neighborhood near you!!

And that's all I have to say about that...0:05

Marti

Wednesday, August 20, 2014 Amy Johnson

Theme:  PUZZLING PROVERB PARTS.  Portions of proverbs are clued with slightly askew hints at their missing segments.  I went on a quest to determine what the differences are among the PROVERB, aphorism and adage, and found nothing definitive, or even worth a link.  They all are various pithy, often quip-like sentences that literally or figuratively capture some bit of truth, wisdom or belief.  

17. Proverbial flying companions? : BIRDS OF A FEATHER flock together.  You can judge them by the company they keep, on land or in the air.

24. Proverbial pavers? : GOOD INTENTIONS.  The road to hell is paved with them, it's said.  This can either suggest that “The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, Gang aft agley,” or be an admonition not to let your good intentions languish due to lack of action.   Which meaning do you take?

42. Proverbial loser? : HE WHO HESITATES is lost.  On the other hand, look before you leap.  So - who ya gonna believe?

56. Proverbial pyrite? : ALL THAT GLITTERS is not gold.  This could be interpreted as meaning that gold does not glitter.  As a child, I found that to be confusing.  In German, IIRC, it's Alles ist nicht Geld was glänzt, or all is not gold that glitters.  Not so easy to misinterpret.  Pyrite, iron sulfide, is a yellowish glittery mineral, called fool's gold.

Hi gang, JzB here.  Let's boldly plunge into this puzzle.  After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained., and fortune favors the bold.  So onward - there's no time like the present.  I've included some pictures and videos, thereby saving thousands of words.

Across

1. House of Dana fragrance : TABU.  Perfume.



5. Hiccups cure, so they say : SCARE.  BOO!

10. Wilson's predecessor : TAFT.  U. S. Presidents.  Is the plural of POTUS POTI?

14. Economist Greenspan : ALAN.  Famous quote from the emeritus Fed Chairman.  "Clearly, sustained low inflation implies less uncertainty about the future, and lower risk premiums imply higher prices of stocks and other earning assets. We can see that in the inverse relationship exhibited by price/earnings ratios and the rate of inflation in the past. But how do we know when irrational exuberance has unduly escalated asset values, which then become subject to unexpected and prolonged contractions as they have in Japan over the past decade?"
    — "The Challenge of Central Banking in a Democratic Society", 1996-12-05

15. Senate aides : PAGES.  To the best of my knowledge, they are not characterized as recto and verso.  They serve primarily as messengers, distribute copies of The Congressional Record and other relevant documents, and assist in other ways.

16. On a cruise : ASEA.  Literally, upon the sea.

20. Bare runners : STREAKERS.  Also literally.

21. Explosive trial : N-TEST.  Nuclear bomb testing.

22. GPS suggestion : RTE.  Route.  Note Abrvs.

23. __ Miguel, largest of the Azores : SAO.  This scenic archipelago is an autonomous region of Portugal, located in the north Atlantic, about 850 miles off the coast of continental Portugal.

Source

33. Fencing equipment : EPEES.  Dueling swords, not pickets.

34. Bow (out) : OPT.  To OPT is to make a choice among various possibilities.  This clue is far too specific.

36. Real bore : DRAG.  Time DRAGs when you're bored.

37. Station : DEPOT.  For trains or buses.

38. Sorority letters : PHIS.  Though  groups could OPT for other letters, such as alpha and gamma.  The letters are the initial letters of the organization's motto or slogan in the Greek language, which is often a secret.

39. Tended little ones : SAT.  Baby sitting.

40. President before and after Medvedev : PUTIN.  Hero or villain, depending on which position you OPT for

41. Move stealthily : SLINK.  Sneaky.

45. Sue Grafton's "__ for Outlaw" : O IS.   One  book of the Kinsey Millhone [English] alphabet mystery series.  I got bored with it somewhere around E.

46. Ocasek of the Cars : RIC.  You know what he wants.



47. Unskilled workers : PEONS.

50. Lose it : GO BANANAS.  Or berserk, have a fit, hit the ceiling.

58. Muse of history : CLIO.

59. Gauchos' gear : BOLAS.  South American cowboys alternative to the lariat.

 Source

60. Whistle-blowing Brockovich : ERIN.  She built a case against Pacific gas and Electric for contaminating drinking water with highly toxic hexavalent chromium.

61. Great Smokies st. : TENNessee.

62. "I'm at your disposal" : USE ME.  Could be a dangerous offer.

63. Lays down the lawn : SODS.  Green side up.  Nice word play.  A clue can be both straight-forward and clever.

Down

1. Keep __ on: observe : TABS.   To keep "tabs" (or "a tab") on someone, is short for "tablet" in the sense of "writing tablet," i.e., an account book or written record. Thus, when Santa Claus is described as "making a list and checking it twice," he is "keeping a tab" (or "tabs") on all those naughty and nice kiddies. This use of "tab" is relatively recent, first appearing in the late 19th century. The same sense of "tab" meaning "written account" is found in "tab" meaning "restaurant check."   [Edited quote from here.]

2. Came down to earth : ALIT.   Remember when returning astronauts ALIT ASEA?

Apollo 14 Splash down

3. "Last Comic Standing" judge Roseanne : BARR.  Occasionally funny.

4. Long shot : UNDERDOG. Proverbial loser.  Occasional winner.

5. Already claimed, with "for" : SPOKEN.  The meaning is clear enough, I guess, but I can't find any history on this usage.

6. Stylish eatery : CAFE.   This comes from the French word for coffee, and can indicate a small restaurant selling light meals and drinks, not necessarily upscale.

7. Biology lab gel : AGAR.  A gelatinous material obtained from red sea weed.

8. Officiates, briefly : REFS. At a sporting event.  Briefly indicates a shortened form of referee.

9. Jargony suffix : ESE.  I guess this means the suffix indicates jargon, as in legalese, rather than being jargony itself.

10. Parlor art : TATTOO.  Skin decoration.  Pick an image.

11. Stadium named for a tennis great : ASHE.  Arthur, 1943-1993, winner of three grand slam titles. 

12. Late charges, e.g. : FEES.  Also payments made for services rendered.

13. Lemony : TART.   Sour.

18. Nightie material : SATIN.  A smooth glossy fabric. Pick an image.

19. Diarist Nin : ANAIS.  She was free-spirited before it was cool, acted in movies, was a pioneer in female erotica, for which she was supremely qualified and had two simultaneous marriages in New York and California.  Must have been tiring.

23. Never mind, to an editor : STET.  Let it stand as written.

24. Meanders : GADS. To meander is to take a winding route to your destination.  To GAD about is to visit many pleasurable places, while avoiding other duties and responsibilities.  I don't see the equivalence.

25. Talk show for 25 seasons, familiarly : OPRAH.

 Source

26. Deliver an address : ORATE.

27. Spots for caps and crowns : TEETH. Not têtes.

28. "Silas Marner" foundling : EPPIE.  "The narrator describes her as 'a creature of endless claims and ever-growing desires, seeking and loving sunshine, and living sounds, and living movements'; she loves flowers and butterflies, and birds and animals. Basically, she's the exact opposite of Silas."

29. Glowing signs : NEONS.  Light bulbs in which ionized gases [not necessarily NEON] emit light via fluorescence.

30. Like four Sandy Koufax games : NO-HIT.  A baseball game in which one team finishes without reaching base via a hit.

31. Book back : SPINE.   Writing there usually identifies the title and author.  But don't judge a book by its SPINE.

 Here is an example

35. Chiding sounds : TSKS.  Disapproving tongue clicks.

37. Teams on police shows, often : DUOS.  They usually travel in pairs

38. Calms using concessions : PLACATES.  Only works for a little while.  Then they want more.

40. Scam using spam, perhaps : PHISH.  Internet slang for an attempt to fraudulently obtain confidential information or personal data.  The scammer wants to snag you like a fish.

41. Stretch in the service : STINT.  The length of time a member of the armed forces commits to serving.

43. Chinese dumpling : WONTON.  I think every nationality has their equivalent.

44. Hold 'em declaration : I RAISE.  Poker term for raising the stakes of a bet on a given hand.

47. Kyoto Protocol, e.g. : PACT.  A formal agreement among the involved parties.

48. Fashion monthly : ELLE.  Named for a French female pronoun.  Here is the French Canadian edition featuring Elle, an Australian model on the cover.

49. Lena of "Chocolat" : OLIN.   A movie she was in.

Source

50. Pontiac muscle cars : GTOS.

Classic car from 1964 to 1974

51. Eye lasciviously : OGLE.  Something a gentleman would never do.

52. "Kapow!" : BLAM.  Explosion noises.

53. Wolfe of fiction : NERO.  A armchair detective created in 1934 by American writer Rex Stout.

54. Like Arizona's climate, largely : ARID.  Hot and dry, difficult for vegetation to survive.

 From Natoinal Geographic

55. Some employee IDs : SSNS.  Social Security Numbers.

57. __ Dhabi : ABU.   The largest of the seven emerates in the United Arab Emirates, a country at the Southeast end of the Arabian peninsula, and also the name of the capital city. Plus it's almost as much fun to say as Kuala Lumpur.

OK.  That's it.  Hope you kept your nose to the grindstone.  If not, don't cry over spilt milk.  You'll live to  fight another day.

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, August 19, 2014 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Various kinds of drops - The last word in the theme entries can be backed with DROP.

17A. Stuffy room need : FRESH AIR. Airdrop - Getting supplies in without actually landing.

21A. Smith, to Abigail Adams : MAIDEN NAME. Name-Drop - Claim to know famous people. Abigail was the wife of John Adams.

33A. Mello Yello rival : MOUNTAIN DEW. Dewdrop - A bead of water that forms overnight on blades of grass, if the humidity is high enough. Also the name, Dew Drop Inn; a bar of my ute.

42A. Door-controlling sensor : ELECTRIC EYE. Eye Drop - Used to try to hide the redness after staying too long at the Dew Drop.

54A. 1984 Prince hit : PURPLE RAIN. Rain Drop. The song seems to have a vigorous copyright defense. No clip of the original.

62A. Painted setting behind stage actors, or what the ends of 17-, 21-, 33-, 42- and 54-Across can literally have : BACKDROP

Argyle here. Not as tough as yesterday's but probably some can find some nits.

Across:

1. Curtain hanger : ROD

4. Exec's "Now!" : ASAP. "As Soon As Possible" but they really want sooner than possible.

8. Works for People, perhaps : EDITS. People Magazine.

13. '50s political slogan name : IKE. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower: "I Like Ike"

14. "Because Freedom Can't Protect Itself" gp. : ACLU. (American Civil Liberties Union)

15. Dead Sea discovery : SCROLL. Ancient text found in caves.

19. Overly affected : TOO TOO

20. Cab ride cost : FARE

23. UFO navigators, so they say : ETs

25. One-one, for one : TIE

26. Messy type : SLOB

27. In and of itself : PER SE

30. Tip holder : JAR

31. Me, to Matisse : MOI. or to Miss Piggy.

32. Language of Southeast Asia : LAO

38. Recipient of much Apr. mail : IRS

39. Baby seal : PUP

40. Overnight stopping place : INN. Do drop in for the night. And 48A. 40-Across postings : RATES

41. Anger : IRE

45. Like very familiar jokes : OLD

46. Acidity nos. : PHs. Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline. Pure water has a pH very close to 7. - Wikipedia

47. Road crew goo : TAR

50. Resort near Ventura : OJAI

52. Spanish month : MES. No particular month, just the word for month.

53. El Al home: Abbr. : ISRael

57. Purina rival : IAMS. Pet food manufacturers.

61. Error-removal aid : ERASER

64. DVD player error message : [NO DISC]

65. Lago filler : AGUA. Water in a Spanish lake.

66. Bustle : ADO

67. Uses Avis, say : RENTS

68. Put in order : SORT

69. Kentucky Derby action : BET

Down:

1. Repeated musical accompaniment : RIFF. JzB, what say you?

2. Pod vegetable : OKRA. Another podded plant.

3. XING sign critter : DEER

 4. "That's the spot" : AAH

5. Takes for a ride : SCAMS

6. Et __: and others : ALIA

7. 17th-century New England settler : PURITAN

8. First name in makeup : ESTÉE Lauder.

9. Anti-rodent brand : D-CON

10. Attaches, as patches : IRONS ON

11. Complete dolt : TOTAL IDIOT

12. Like many NFL replays : SLO-MO

16. Pop singer Lisa : LOEB

18. Dates : SEES

22. More in need of cleaning : DIRTIER

24. Entices : TEMPTS

27. Ballet bend : PLIE

28. Viscount's superior : EARL

29. Traditional New Year's Day procession : ROSE PARADE

30. Planet with the most moons : JUPITER

31. Gold rush figures : MINERS

34. Your and my : OUR

35. Unspecified number : ANY

36. Author Gardner : ERLE. Best known for the Perry Mason series.

37. Gets married : WEDS

43. Contributes for a joint gift : CHIPS IN for the married couple.

44. Melons with wrinkly rinds : CASABAs

49. Very dry : ARID

50. Start serving customers : [OPEN]

51. Courtroom panelist : JUROR

52. Former Ford autos, briefly : MERCs. (usual Mercury Grand Marquis)

53. Acquire, as debts : INCUR

55. For fear that : LEST

56. Shakespearean villain : IAGO. A character in Othello.

58. Many a Syrian : ARAB

59. Airplane __: cellphone setting : MODE. Wiki

60. Parking space : SPOT

63. "Krazy" comics feline : KAT. A fine note to end on.

Argyle

Monday, August 18, 2014 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Mom and Pops' bane - The start to the theme entries, taken together, put a lot of little stores out of business.

17. 1962 hit by The 4 Seasons : BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY

25. Underpass drainage channels : BOX CULVERTS

43. Products with "Walgreens" on the label, say : STORE BRANDS

55. Target convenience, and a hint to the first words of 17-, 25- and 43-Across : ONE STOP SHOPPING

Argyle here. The reveal was a help today getting the theme. Some interesting fill makes this a good start to the week.

 

Update: I didn't realize CROSS TIE and BOX CULVERT would be so unknown.

 

 

 

 

Across:

1. Arctic hazards : BERGS. Not so much a hazard...if they stay out of the shipping lanes.

6. Artist Chagall : MARC

10. Washington MLB team : NATS. Nats Insider.

14. To no __: useless : AVAIL

15. Monkey see, monkey do sort : APER

16. "Law & Order: SVU" actor : ICE T

20. Bar pint : ALE

21. Need for an Olympic vault : POLE

22. Additional assessment : SURTAX

23. Note after fa : SOL

24. In the matter of : AS TO

30. Dramatic unit divided into scenes : ACT

33. Dizzying painting genre : OP ART

34. Childlike sci-fi people : ELOI. from "The Time Machine".

35. __ Lee: dessert brand : SARA

36. Ankle-length skirt : MAXI. Doesn't necessarily mean demure.

37. Provide, as with a quality : ENDUE. If you want to ENDUE a maxi with sexuality, add a slit.

 

38. "Star Trek: T.N.G." counselor : TROI

39. Radar image : BLIP

40. Sidewalk stand drinks : ADES

41. Empty stomach sound : GROWL

42. Sizzling sound : SSS

45. Marquee name : STAR

46. Like veggies served with dip : RAW

47. How-to handbook : MANUAL

50. Ballroom blunder : TRIP

52. Key lime __ : PIE

58. Against : ANTI

59. "In your dreams" : "NOPE"

60. Turn loose : LET GO

61. Zap with a stun gun : TASE

62. Designer Schiaparelli : ELSA. "Along with Coco Chanel, her greatest rival, she is regarded as one of the most prominent figures in fashion between the two World Wars. Wikipedia" But is she Monday suitable? I think not.

63. Makes simpler : EASES

Down:

1. Ali __ : BABA. He was not a thief.

2. Rotten to the core : EVIL

3. Extreme anger : RAGE

4. Band booking : GIG

5. Exit without fanfare : SLIP OUT. "Elvis has left the building."

6. Retail complex : MALL

7. Cathedral section : APSE

8. Wine list heading : RED

9. Transverse railroad timber : CROSS TIE

10. The "N" in TNT : NITRO

11. Money in the bank: Abbr. : ACCT.

12. Trillion: Pref. : TERA

13. Underworld river : STYX

18. Throw of the dice : ROLL

19. "Darn it!" : "NUTS!". After rolling snake eyes.

23. Direction to a pharmacist, briefly : SCRIP. A shortening of prescription.

24. Stir up : AROUSE

25. Total failures : BOMBS

26. October birthstones : OPALS

27. Horizontal graph line : X AXIS

28. Ballpark hot dog seller, e.g. : VENDOR

29. Church leader : ELDER

30. Vice President Burr : AARON

31. Ballpark throng : CROWD. Can we get a picture of a ballpark thong?

32. Coin toss call : TAILS

35. Soda-sipping aid : STRAW

37. What bachelors often do at mealtime : EAT ALONE

41. Struggle (with) : GRAPPLE

43. Sports page datum : STAT. Singular.

44. Vigor : BRIO

45. "Wake Up, Little __": Everly Brothers hit : SUSIE

47. Protective trench : MOAT

48. "The King and I" role : ANNA

49. Acrobat catchers : NETS

50. Cookbook amts. : TSPs

51. Perlman of "Cheers" : RHEA

52. La Brea Tar __ : PITS

53. "Picnic" playwright : INGE. I never knew his full name, William Motter Inge.

54. They may clash on a set : EGOs

56. D.C. regular : POL. A shortening of politician.

57. Podded plant : PEA. A play on potted plant.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

I goofed again! Belated Happy Birthday to River Doc, originally Vegas Doc, then later on Doha Doc. I mis-remembered his birthday as August 18 rather than August 16. Sorry, Doc, blame the pickles! By the way, Dave/Irish Miss, click here for the recipe I like. Similar to the Claussen raw pickles. But not so garlicky.

Sunday August 17th, 2014, C.C. Burnikel

Theme:  "Treasure Hunt"

Hi Yo Silver Away! C.C.'s puzzle takes the chemical symbol for Silver, Ag (argentum in Latin) and uses the A as a caboose for one word and the G as the engine on the next in this Silver Streak exercise. Every fill has a silver lining!

22. *Source of mohair : ANGORA GOAT - Angora wool was the preferred material for this in my high school

28. *Runner-up to Einstein as Time's Person of the Century in 1999 : MAHATMA GANDHI- His peaceful, civil disobedience inspired Martin Luther King

47. *Super Nintendo rival : SEGA GENESIS

44. *__ Tibbets, eponymous mother of a WWII pilot : ENOLA GAY- This Omaha-built airplane changed the world

67. *1965 Beach Boys hit : CALIFORNIA GIRLS - Now for a musical interlude

91. *Black-necked honker : CANADA GOOSE- these birds and, uh, their refuse populate our golf course

94. *Hue akin to avocado : PEA GREEN

110. *Gainesville team : FLORIDA GATORS - Many memorable games against the Huskers


Reveal entry:

118. Where to find the metal whose symbol spans the words in the answers to starred clues : SILVER MINE - An episode of Bonanza had the boys figuring out how to make the SILVER MINES in Virginia City safer. Also a fun theme!!

The theme was fun to discover although not helpful to this solver out here on the prairie, so let's see what nuggets our mistress of the blog has left for us.

Across:

1. Nannies' handfuls : IMPS - I've heard 'em called worse

5. "Now hear __!" : THIS 

9. Leak indicator : HISS - Another forbidding hiss

13. Those, in Toledo : ESOS

17. First king of Israel : SAUL

18. Court statements : OATHS -Somebody's lying Judge Judy!

20. Capone associate : NITTI  - I first NITTI and NESS on this 60's TV show

21. Running __ : MATE - "You like going to funerals? Have I got a job for you!"

24. Hard-nosed : STERN

25. Land south of Moab : EDOM

26. Three, for Kentucky Derby horses : AGE - No one seems to pay any attention to horse racing except on the first Saturday in May

27. Mule parent : ASS

31. Watch a pet for a friend : CAT SIT

33. Silent movie femme fatale Theda : BARA - A little heavy on the L'Oréal eye makeup?

34. V-J Day pres. : HST - Harry wasn't told about the atom bomb until 3 1/2 mos. before he had to decide whether to drop it

35. L x XXXI : MDL -The year chocolate was introduced into Europe

36. Loaded one : SOT

37. Highest U.S. capital : SANTA FE - Santa Fe - 7,000', Cheyenne 6,400', then the mile high city

39. Pinkerton logo : EYE

41. School address ending : EDU

50. Ostentatious, in a way : LOUD - Didn't Herb Tarlek of WKRP write the book on that?

51. Key above G : A FLAT

54. Proof goofs : TYPOS - Typos were a bigger pain when we had to use typewriters

55. Tragic fate : DOOM

56. Yahoo! rival : MSN

57. Manxmen, e.g. : GAELS - Occupants of the Isle of Mann (also called Manx) where a branch of the Gaelic language is spoken

58. Fire dept. volunteer, perhaps : EMT - On July 3rd, EMTs had to save my doctor's life at his lake house when he had a heart attack

59. High chain : SIERRA

61. Car buyer's choice : SEDAN - Joann's now an SUV gal and ain't goin' back to a sedan

64. Knock on : RAP AT - Knock, knock, knock Penny. Knock, knock, knock Penny. Knock, knock, knock Penny.

66. They may be planted : KISSES

72. "Full House" actor : STAMOS - A 90's heartthrob

74. Stifled laugh : SNORT - milk out your nose?

75. Produces interest, say : EARNS - Banks here are paying a whopping 0.95% on savings

79. Cup holder : SAUCER - Does anyone really put one under your coffee cup at home?

80. Sphere : ORB

83. Fish similar to the stingray : SKATE - Forms of rays and skates predate trees

85. One-third of an inning, to a pitcher : OUT - Great line by Robin Williams in Good Morning Vietnam - Sgt. Major Dickerson: [Pointing to his rank insignia] What does three up and three down mean to you, airman? Adrian Cronauer: End of an inning?

86. Longfellow's "The Bell of __" : ATRI  

87. Spine-chilling : EERIE

89. Easy basket : TIP IN 

90. Words before dash or pinch, in recipes : ADD A

96. iOS part: Abbr. : SYS - My iOS doesn't necessarily like OSX let alone Windows 8

97. "Hold On Tight" rock gp. : ELO

98. Biblical quartet : GOSPELS - the four that made the cut

101. Pooh pal : ROO

102. Old jazz standard "__ Liza Jane" : LIL

104. Chip, say : MAR

106. Windex target : PANE - Nia Vardolas explains the use of Windex in My Big Fat Greek Wedding

107. Do a pitcher's job : PEDDLE

114. Stooge with bangs : MOE - Brothers Moe and Shemp Howard were two of the original Four (yes, four) Stooges

115. Clear (of) : RID

116. "Here's the thing ..." : LOOK

117. Continuously : ON END


121. Church recess : APSE

122. Ugli coats : RINDS

123. Where el-Sisi is president : EGYPT

124. Uniform : EVEN - Some our greens are still not uniform due to winter kill

125. Bane in a bed : WEED - Maybe Denver can be higher than Santa Fe...

126. "Transcendence" actress Mara : KATE

127. Capone nemesis : NESS - Nitti's too

128. Telescopic __ : LENS


Down

1. First name in sci-fi : ISAAC

2. Japanese comics : MANGA - Okay.

3. Washington State Ferries setting : PUGET SOUND - Here's Joann at the top of the Space Needle  two weeks ago with the Puget Sound as a lovely background

4. __-mo replay : SLO - Umpires and referees get it right now

5. It usually pops up : TOAST - Great for holding up PB&J

6. Fairy tale staples : HAGS

7. Midori on the ice : ITO

8. Tribal healer : SHAMAN - White Bull was a Cheyenne SHAMAN who foresaw a great victory coming over Custer. Some say he may have killed Custer.


9. Work out : HIT THE GYM

10. Newsy tidbits : ITEMS - We don't need no stinkin' three sources. Print/tweet it!

11. Flag-capturing board game : STRATEGO

12. Join the chorus : SING

13. Polish, as text : EMEND -I did my best...

14. Achy from riding : SADDLE SORE - Bike and horse saddles

15. Texter's "Then again ..." : OTOH - On other hand, I have a wart ;-)

16. Truck stop sight : SEMI - Steeds for Interstate cowboys

19. Kick off : START - The Huskers kick off the season August 30th

20. "Defending Our Nation. Securing the Future" org. : NSA - Okay

23. Indian yogurt dip : RAITA - A dip, condiment or salad made with yogurt

29. Two-time Senior PGA Championship winner Jay : HAAS

30. "Right on!" : AMEN

32. Closing word : SOLD - Remember the old TV cigarette ad that ended "SOLD American"

33. Pungent spice : BAY LEAF - I wish I could link to a scent


37. Wild adventures : SAFARIS - I'd do a photo SAFARI

38. Honor in style : FETE

40. Private reply? : YES SIR - SIR! YES SIR!

42. Gowns for the rich and famous : DIORS - I don't "wear" DIOR, It's usually Haggar

43. West Point inits. : USMA - Honor Code -  "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do."

44. O'Neill's "Desire Under the __" : ELMS - or the oaks or maples or ash or...

45. Sniffer dog's asset : NOSE - They'll stick those NOSES in embarrassing places

46. Laugh line : GAG

48. Well-put : APT

49. Historic Mesopotamian city : EDESSA - Due north of EDOM

52. Chow chow : ALPO

53. "God Save the __!": Russian Empire anthem : TSAR - Uh, he didn't

60. Resort spot : ISLE - Our favorite ISLE - Capri

62. Golden wattle, for one : ACACIA - Lovely National Floral Emblem of Australia

63. Dub : NAME

65. Heavy wts. : TNS

66. Pots on a table : KITTIES - Kitties who have anted into the, uh, kitty

68. Lancôme parent company : L'OREAL

69. RPI or MIT : INST

70. Benihana founder Rocky __ : AOKI - Nori AOKI plays right field for the KC Royals

71. Wrestle (with) : GRAPPLE

72. Skewered Thai dish : SATAY - SATAY/ATRI was a struggle por moi

73. Sets free : TURNS LOOSE

76. California street with a Walk of Style : RODEO DRIVE - I wonder how much C.C. would spend for a pair of shoes on RODEO DRIVE

77. Studio subject : NUDE - Google away

78. Musial in Cooperstown : STAN - One of the finest gentlemen to ever play the game

79. Pollen production pouches : SACS

80. Montana motto word : ORO - Oro y Plata (gold and silver)

81. River to the Gulf of Mexico : RIO GRANDE - A very busy place these days

82. Kiss, in Cádiz : BESO - Paul Anka singing Eso BESO (That Kiss)

84. Doe in "Bambi" : ENA - Bambi's mother-in-law

88. Dorian Gray's flaw : EGOMANIA - See below

90. Single-season record holder for most HRs by a shortstop : AROD - The opposite of 78 Down

92. Where to pick lox : DELI

93. Hockey's Phil, to fans : ESPO

95. Garson of "Mrs. Miniver" : GREER

99. Dissect, in a way : PARSE - It's all part of the fun here

100. Navy flag : ENSIGN - Is Frank Pulver the most famous movie one?

103. Bugged : IRKED

105. Bond, for one : AGENT - Mine'll always be Sean Connery

107. Poe and Pope : POETS - Dead POETS Society was a great Robin Williams film

108. White sale item : LINEN - How did a white sale get tied to President's Day?


109. Pristine places : EDENS

110. Chip, perhaps : FLAW - One undetected FLAW in the number 2 oxygen tank fill line DOOMed Apollo 13

111. Move with long strides : LOPE

112. Nerd : DORK - 30 years later he's a zillionaire


113. Reasons for end zone dances: Abbr. : TDS

114. LeBron James has won four of them: Abbr. : MVPS - Many people loved seeing him move back to play in Cleveland

119. Drano ingredient : LYE

120. "The Producers" (1968) director Brooks : MEL - Yup, MEL was a Jewish man who wrote and directed a play containing the song Springtime For Hitler

NOW HEAR THIS! NOW HEAR THIS! The bloggers are about to speak!



Husker Gary