Thursday, November 6, 2014 Gail Grabowski

Theme: "SUR-render!!"

The theme entries are common phrases, rendered pun-ny by the addition of SUR to the beginnings:

17. Scoop a major news magazine? : SURPASS TIME.

27. Sheriff of Nottingham's plan? : SURROUND ROBIN. My favorite entry.

48. Hearst Castle? : SURREAL ESTATE. Situated in the hills above San Simeon.

64. Banner advertising overstocked shelves? : SURPLUS SIGN.

Even though it's a Thursday type of theme with an "add letters" gimmick, the fill seemed incredibly easy, and I finished in nearly typical Monday time. Your experience may vary.


Across

1. Actor who spoke the line, "I'd show him who was king of the forest!" : LAHR. Our cowardly lion from Wizard of Oz.

5. Sharing word : APIECE. DH and I shared a pizza last night, and had three slices APIECE.

11. Newborn nurturer : MOM.

14. Northern terminus of I-79 : ERIE.

15. Frank quality : CANDOR.

16. Andean tuber : OCA.

19. Install, as tiles : LAY. Been there, done that this past year.

20. It often gets blown off : STEAM.

21. Subscriber's gift : TOTE. Handled bag?

22. WWII battleground : ST LÔ. What little was left of the town was bulldozed so troops could advance to the front.

23. Cyberchats, briefly : IMs. Instant Messages.

25. Running wild : ON A TEAR.

32. Bag-screening org. : TSA. Transportation Security Administration.

33. Dent, say : MAR.

34. "The Magnificent Ambersons" director : WELLES. I just watched it last weekend!

37. Pioneering computer : ENIAC.

40. Pony up : PAY.

42. Wool source : LLAMA.

43. Purse counterpart : MAN BAG. Ryan Reynolds sports one well.

45. __ bath : MUD.

47. Gusto : VIM.

52. Anxious place to be : HOT SEAT.

54. Watering hole : BAR. and 36-Down. 54-Across reorder, with "the" : SAME. But not 18-Down. A few rounds, e.g. : AMMO. Another great misdirection.

55. Wind quintet member : OBOE.

56. Ignoring, with "to" : DEAF.

59. Greek restaurant offerings : GYROS.

63. Title for Sean Connery : SIR.

66. President pro __ : TEM. Latin abbr. of "pro TEMpore," for the time being.

67. Release payment : RANSOM.

68. Corrida critter : TORO.

69. Intractable beast : ASS.

70. Sacks out : SLEEPS.

71. Fume : STEW.


Down

1. Not as expensive : LESS.

2. In __: stuck : A RUT.

3. Bring in : HIRE.

4. Get to work again : REPAIR. Great misdirection in the clue!

5. Window units, briefly : ACs.

6. Over : PAST.

7. Fascinated by : IN TO.

8. Text __ : EDITOR.

9. "You can't be serious" : COME NOW.

10. Lyrical "before" : ERE.

11. Eruption output : MOLTEN LAVA. Also MOLTEN LAVA cake.

12. City west of Daytona Beach : OCALA.

13. City boss : MAYOR. RIP, Mayor Menino.

22. Moonshine source : STILL.

24. Dim __ : SUM. C.C. explained to me that Dim SUM and Cha ("tea") are daily fare for retired folks in Hong Kong. The daily social is called Yum Cha ("drink tea.")  YUM!

26. Son of Adam : ABEL.

27. Mushroom part : STEM.

28. Annapolis inst. : USNA.

29. Reasons to pull out the tarp : RAINSTORMS. I wanted RAIN "delays" at first. Slowed me down for about 15 seconds.

30. Rest of the afternoon? : NAP.

31. Emmy category : DRAMA. The 2014 winner was "Breaking Bad."

35. Give off : EMIT.

38. Take unfair advantage of, as a privilege : ABUSE.

39. Attention to detail : CARE.

41. Actor Brynner : YUL.

44. Slow and steady : GRADUAL.

46. Cotillion honoree : DEB.

49. Everlasting, to the bard : ETERNE.

50. Yields to gravity : SAGS. I've been yielding for several years now...

51. Hush-hush hookups : TRYSTS.

52. Shade-loving plant : HOSTA. I have about 6 different varieties in my yard. So easy to take care of!

53. Village Voice awards : OBIES. From "Off Broadway."

57. Sanctuary section : APSE.

58. Probably not a really good show : FLOP.

60. Laugh-a-minute type : RIOT.

61. Big brute : OGRE. Poor Shrek. He seems like such a nice guy to me.

62. Put one over on : SNOW.

64. Many AARP members: Abbr. : SRs. Seniors.

65. Hesitant sounds : UMS.

Um...I think that's all I got!

Marti

Wednesday, November 5th 2014 Gareth Bain

Theme: Nova OVAs - Latin egg-mixes in the middle of the three theme entries.

20A. *"The Sound of Music" heroine : MARIA VON TRAPP. Let's get the day's earworm out of the way courtesy of a pretty cool flashmob in Antwerp's Central Station.

33A. *Common Italian restaurant fixture : PIZZA OVEN. For all the home-cook pizza fans out there, you can get your own from Williams-Sonoma for a mere $5,995,99. The ocean view costs extra.

44A. *Completely in vain : TO NO AVAIL. Just like my hints to Santa Claus for a pizza oven, complete with Malibu-overlook property.

Leading to:

54A. Breakfast serving, and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters : SCRAMBLED EGGS. Also the working title of the Beatles' "Yesterday" before Sir Paul wrote the lyrics.


Hi everyone - Steve checking in with Gareth's fun puzzle. I grinned when I realized what Gareth was up to - I tried some months ago to make the theme work myself, however I was stuck on "Level 1" of looking for anagrams of EGGS, of which there are few. Gareth was a lot smarter than me and added the extra twist of using OVA instead. Bravo!

Let's see what else we've got today:

Across:

1. Desert partly in northern China : GOBI

5. Allergic reaction : RASH

9. Make overly dry : PARCH. As eastern Asia does to 1A.

14. Air or Mini : IPAD

15. Capital on a fjord : OSLO.

16. Union Pacific Railroad headquarters : OMAHA. It seems pretty logical when you see it's pretty much slap-dab in the middle of the country. Learning moment.

17. Acidic : TART

18. Laser __ : BEAM

19. Up to this point : SO FAR

23. Ho Chi Minh City, once : SAIGON. On my bucket list for the French and Asian influences in the food.

25. Tribute in verse : ODE

26. Part of ETA: Abbr. : EST

27. Fresno-to-L.A. direction : SSE. Hey, I got this one without waiting for crosses!

29. Altar oath : I DO.

30. Conk on the head : BOP. Enjoyed this one.

36. Construction site sight : CRANE

38. "__ Nagila" : HAVA. Musical staple of 3D, among other occasions.

39. '50s vice president : NIXON

41. Snow Queen in "Frozen" : ELSA

42. Unsuitable : INAPT. A member of the crosswords-only lexicon, no?

46. Remains in a tray : ASH

47. Row-making tool : HOE

49. Photo lab blowup: Abbr. : ENL. Enlargement.

50. Had a meal : ATE

51. According to : PER

52. Appeared : SEEMED

60. Soap vamp __ Kane : ERICA. Thank you, crosses. If I had a wheelhouse, this wouldn't be in it, nor anywhere close.

61. Novelist Turgenev : IVAN

62. Laryngitis sound : RASP

65. Handled bags : TOTES. Nouns, not the past verb tense which had me barking up the wrong tree for a moment.

66. Insect eggs : NITS

67. Hockey great Phil, familiarly : ESPO. He played for the Blackhawks, the Bruins and the Rangers, thereby alternately delighting and alienating the good residents of Chicago, Boston and New York.

68. Stimulate : SPARK

69. Swiss abstractionist : KLEE. "Tunisian Gardens" painted in 1919 is a great example of his work.

70. Former Russian autocrat : TSAR. Czar or Tsar? Wait for the crosses.

Down:

1. "Amscray!" : GIT

2. __-Locka, Florida : OPA. Recently popular in these parts?

3. Coming-of-age event : BAR MITZVAH

4. Luggage tie-on : ID TAG

5. "Miniver Cheevy" poet Edwin Arlington __ : ROBINSON. Thank you crosses!

6. Sailing, say : ASEA

7. Moravian or Czech : SLAV

8. __ sapiens : HOMO

9. Like some specialized research, for short : POST-DOC. Post-doctoral. I don't think I've seen the shortened form before, but it slotted right in.

10. Luigi's love : AMORE

11. Nadal of tennis, familiarly : RAFA

12. Become overly dry : CHAP. Lips seem to chap more than anything else.

13. Angelic strings : HARP

21. Activist Parks : ROSA. I took a time-out from business last week and visited the Ford Museum in Dearborn - I stepped aboard the actual bus that she was riding in Montgomery when she refused to give up her seat. Stirring stuff.

22. Show assent : NOD

23. Old Kia model : SEPHIA. I tried SENORA at first for no good reason other than it seemed familiar.

24. Koreans, e.g. : ASIANS

28. Party-planning site : EVITE

29. All-__ printer : IN ONE

30. One of two talking animals in the Old Testament : BALAAMS ASS. That's one heck of a lot of S's and A's in 10 letters!

31. Like some training : ONSITE

32. Rang out : PEALED

34. Ray gun sound : ZAP

35. Outer: Pref. : EXO. Exoskeletons are moving from the realms of sci-fi to sci-fact.

37. Get ready to drag : REV. Gentlemen, start your engines! Drag racing.

40. Drivel : NONSENSE

43. 1994 Jim Carrey movie : THE MASK

45. "Break __!" : A LEG. The acting community deem it ill-fated to wish a fellow thespian "good luck". Instead they exhort them to fall 16 feet from the apron of the stage into the orchestra pit and enjoy a spot of fibula-fracturing. I broke mine when I was a kid, not an experience I'd wish on anyone.

48. Planet, poetically : ORB

51. Hoosier hoopster : PACER. Indiana cager. A youthful Reggie Miller some years before his Hall of Fame induction.

53. Blue heron kin : EGRET

54. Tennis divisions : SETS

55. Field goal? : CROP. Harvesting a crop would be a farmer's goal after the field was planted.

56. Grammy winner Coolidge : RITA

57. Sausage serving : LINK. Food! Let's hear it for the great British Banger.

58. Like some movie twins : EVIL

59. Historian's tidbit : DATE

63. Fancy tub : SPA

64. ESP neighbor, to the IOC : POR. Spain's cross-border chum Portugal, in the eyes of the International Olympic Committee.

That's about all from me. Tonight is Guy Fawkes' Night in the UK - fireworks, festivities and cooking bangers in the bonfire all to commemorate a chap who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament back in the 1600's. Let's say it didn't end well for Mr. Fawkes.

Steve

Tuesday, November 4, 2014 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Land Ho! - Countries of the Northern Atlantic area.

68A. Country, and word that can be appended to the three-letter ending of 18-, 26-, 47- or 60-Across : LAND

18A. Hot-looking dude : STUD MUFFIN. Finland

26A. Unsavory-sounding Cajun side : DIRTY RICE. Iceland

47A. Taiwanese LPGA star who is the youngest golfer to win five major championships : YANI TSENG. England

60A. Nook Tablet rival : KINDLE FIRE. Ireland

Argyle here. Without the unifier, I doubt I would have made a connection. Getting the unifier first wasn't much help getting the entries, I imagine. But all together, a good puzzle. Four good columns, too. I liked the match up of AIR and ACE plus some STRIKES for Boomer.

Across:

1. Makeup or final : EXAM

5. Olympics segment : EVENT

10. Elaborate dance : BALL

14. Golf clinic topic : GRIP

15. "The Lincoln Lawyer" actress Marisa : TOMEI

16. With 41-Across, plant source of cosmetic additives : ALOE 41A. See 16-Across : VERA

17. Rowboat pair : OARS

20. GPS part: Abbr. : SYStem

21. Yeses in Congress : AYEs

22. Labor day arrival? : INFANT

23. Powerful engine : V-TEN. An inherently complex motor in limited use.

25. 650, to Augustus : DCL

31. Does a general's job : LEADS. I always heard they lead from the rear.

35. "Be that __ may ..." : AS IT

36. Work in the cockpit : AVIATE. Unless it's in the air, it doesn't make you an aviator.

38. __-de-sac : CUL

39. Maker of the Air Max athletic shoe : NIKE

40. Rich cake : TORTE. FYI - The difference between torte and cake. Link

42. Extremity sporting a ring, maybe : TOE. Did you get fooled thinking, "Extreme Sports"?

43. Lyricist Johnny : MERCER. He penned "Moon River" but earlier he did this.

44. "Terrible" ruler : IVAN

45. Come next : ENSUE

49. '60s militant campus gp. : SDS. (Students for a Democratic Society)

51. Fax button : SEND

52. Slacks measure : INSEAM

55. It's cut before dealing : DECK

58. Most like it hot : TUB. I'm a showerman myself.

62. Angler's artificial fly, e.g. : LURE

63. Monogram ltr. : INIT.ial

64. Yippies co-founder Hoffman : ABBIE

65. Major exporter of handmade carpets : IRAN

66. "What did I __ deserve this?" : DO TO

67. Takes a chance on : RISKS

Down:

1. Self-perceptions : EGOs

2. One of Superman's powers : X-RAY VISION

3. Bombing attacks : AIR STRIKES

4. AWOL pursuers : MPs. (Military Police)

5. Online marketplace for handmade goods : ETSY. Link

6. Cast a ballot : VOTE

7. Flightless birds : EMUs

8. Actor Beatty : NED

9. Like a mouse : TIMID

10. Confuse : BAFFLE

11. A, in radio code : ALFA

12. Pork cut : LOIN

13. Pre-Easter season : LENT

19. Ben or Sam : UNCLE

21. "__ luck?" : ANY

24. Suffix with kitchen : ETTE

26. "Inferno" poet : DANTE

27. Hourly charge : RATE

28. Old piano key material : IVORY

29. About, in dates : CIRCA

30. Moth-__: tattered : EATEN

32. Pet detective of film : ACE VENTURA. Portrayed by Jim Carrey.

33. "Hungry Like the Wolf" rockers : DURAN DURAN. [spoiler alert] Strange lyrics; I liked the song better before I read them.

34. "Hit the road" or "hit the books" : SLANG. Idiom, yes; slang, I'm not sure.

37. Actress Hatcher : TERI

41. Workbench clamp : VISE

43. Reward for a hero : MEDAL

46. At ease with : USED TO

48. "Shame on you!" : "TSK!"

50. Eyeliner problem : SMEAR

52. "Just joking" : "I KID"{

53. Boy, in Bogotá : NINO

54. Bad mood : SNIT

55. "That's mine!" : "DIBS!"

56. '70s-'80s heartthrob Estrada : ERIK. from TV's CHiPS.

57. So-so grades : CEEs

59. Curve in the road : BEND

61. G-man's org. : FBI

62. "__ Abner" : LI'L

Argyle

Monday, November 3, 2014 David W. Cromer

Theme: Where you hang your hat - Three movies that include a type of home in the title.

18A. 2001 Redford/Gandolfini film, with "The" : "LAST CASTLE". A home for criminals.

28A. 1990 Connery/Pfeiffer spy film : "THE RUSSIA HOUSE". A section of MI6 is called the "Russia House". (not an actual house)

50A. 2003 Eddie Murphy film, with "The" : "HAUNTED MANSION". A movie based on a Disney attraction.

64A. Nostalgic films for family gatherings ... and what 18-, 28- and 50-Across are? : HOME MOVIES. A bit of a stretch calling these movies about homes.

Argyle here. A movie set in a prison, a spy section name, and a tourist attraction. At least "Mansion" has a back story about a family living there. Otherwise, I liked the play.

Across:

1. Spill the beans : BLAB

5. Hindu deity : RAMA

9. Spore-producing plants : FERNS

14. Subtle emanation : AURA

15. Put out : EMIT

16. How food is often sautéed : IN OIL. Or stir fried.

17. Sheepish smile : GRIN

20. Rap session? : SEANCE

22. Aunts in la familia : TIAs. 36A. Barcelona's nación : ESPAÑA. 33D. Año starter : ENERO. (January)

23. Cut down : HEW

24. Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT

26. Letters on a Soviet uniform : CCCP. It is the Russian abbreviation of Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, meaning the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR prior to 1992. 25D. Russian ruler until 1917 : TSAR

34. Charged particle : ION

35. Unable or unwilling to hear : DEAF

38. Frame of mind : MOOD

40. "The Twilight Zone" creator Serling : ROD

42. Sought damages : SUED

43. Mercedes-Benz model series : E CLASS

46. More than a few : LOTS

49. Dr. who has co-produced many Eminem tracks : DRE

53. __ weevil : BOLL

54. PayPal parent company : E-BAY

55. Pan Am rival : TWA

58. Garden nuisance : WEED

60. Saw eye to eye : AGREED

67. Wrist-to-elbow bone : ULNA

68. Kitchen attraction : AROMA

69. Brush fire op : EVAC. (operation/evacuation)

70. Garden area : PLOT

71. Varnish ingredient : RESIN

72. Fiddle-playing emperor : NERO

73. Postage-paid encl. : SASE. (self-addressed stamped envelope) A thing of the past?

Down:

1. Airport carousel riders : BAGS

2. Fish attractor : LURE

3. Solo for a diva : ARIA

4. Welcome sign hung over a street, e.g. : BANNER

5. Prisoner's goal : RELEASE

6. Doc bloc : AMA

7. Waterfall phenomenon : MIST

8. 1971 prison riot site : ATTICA

9. Debacles : FIASCOs

10. USN rank : ENS. (ensign)

11. Senator for whom an IRA is named : ROTH. U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Delaware.

12. River of Egypt : NILE

13. Did in, as a dragon : SLEW

19. Secret supply : CACHE

21. Gunk : CRUD

27. Litter yippers : PUPS. and little nippers.

28. Iconic news magazine : TIME

29. Liquor, in slang : HOOCH

30. First name on a 1945 bomber : ENOLA

31. Poker player's "Too rich for my blood" : "I FOLD"

32. Riyadh resident : SAUDI. Call him Sandy.

37. Port in Yemen : ADEN

39. Apply crudely : DAUB

41. Stephen King's "Under the __" : DOME. Anyone still watching it?

44. Frosty, notably : SNOWMAN. Soon, oh so soon.

45. Canonized fifth-cen. pope : ST. LEO

47. Cajun condiment : TABASCO

48. Unexpected obstacle : SNAG

51. Gridiron quota : ELEVEN

52. IHOP array : SYRUPS

55. "__ she blows!" : THAR

56. Had on : WORE

57. "Famous" cookie maker : AMOS

59. Seedy joint : DIVE

61. First lady of scat, familiarly : ELLA

62. Grandson of Adam : ENOS

63. Dinner and a movie, say : DATE

65. Brit. record label : EMI. Electric and Musical Industries Ltd was formed in March 1931.

66. Musician's asset : EAR

Argyle

Sunday, November 2, 2014 Ed Sessa

 Theme:  "Follow the Money" - Cash can precede the last word in each theme entry.

23A. *Unpredictable influence : WILD CARD. Cash card.

97A. *Abundant yield : BUMPER CROP. Cash crop.

32A. *"No idea" : DOESN'T REGISTER. Cash register.

41A. *Where words may be mangled : KARAOKE BAR. Cash bar.

73A. *Home Depot competitor : TRUE VALUE. Cash value.

109A. *Novel about a world traveler? : THE TIME MACHINE. Cash machine.

16D. *Hold answerable : CALL TO ACCOUNT. Cash account.

57D. *Bend under pressure : GO WITH THE FLOW. Cash flow.

Reveal entry:

 123. Rebate, and, literally, what the end of each answer to a starred clue can be : CASHBACK

I like that the CARD in the theme entries has different meaning than the CARD in the resulting "Cash *" phrase.

Great grid design also. Noticed how 2 pairs of long theme entries intersect each other? This often eases up the filling, but it takes skill and luck to make intersection happen.

Across:     

1. Young boy : LAD

4. Dallas quarterback Tony : ROMO

8. Binding piece : STRAP. I was thinking of contract.

13. Olympics spinner : DISCUS

19. __ pro nobis : ORA

20. Nastase of tennis : ILIE

21. It may be put on a dog : CHILI. I tried ONION first. At least, I was in the right direction.

22. Sci-fi psychic : EMPATH

25. Go around : ORBIT

26. Baseball Hall of Famer Fingers : ROLLIE. Known for  his handlebar mustache.

27. Take over for : RELIEVE. Rollie Fingers was a reliever.

28. Luxury hotel facility : SPA

29. Velvety sweater fabric : CHENILLE. No idea. Googled and found lots of caterpillar images. Turns out it's French for "caterpillar".

31. Turner autobiography : I, TINA

35. Fr. holy woman : STE

36. Regal regalia : ROBES

39. Trail user : HIKER

40. "As __ to breathe were life!": Tennyson : THO'

 

44. Intimidated : COWED

46. Pub quaff : ALE

49. Tranfusion quantity : UNIT

50. Eat in style : DINE. Marti just asked me about Dim sum. Guangzhou is truly a food heaven. Everything is so fresh and cheap. That's why retired folks can afford the afternoon tea every day. Click on the picture, PK, do you see the green pieces on the shrimp rice? Those are scallions (green onions), ubiquitous in Chinese cooking.

52. Comforted : SOLACED

55. __ bag : DOGGIE. I have a question: "Goodie bag" or "Goody bag", which spelling do you prefer?

58. Sources of energy : CARBS

61. YouTube video source : WEBCAM

62. Eclectic musician Brian : ENO

63. Greeted, with "to" : SAID HI

67. Clodhopper : OAF

69. Pilotless plane : DRONE

70. Mimicked a mouser, maybe : MEWED

75. Pan-fry : SAUTE. I "stir-fry" all the time and I don't use a wok.

76. Crème de la crème : ELITE

77. Cap seen on a brae : TAM

78. Venues for French courses : ECOLES

80. SSA IDs : NOs

81. Percussion instrument : RATTLE

83. Nastiness : SPITE

85. Fly over Africa? : TSETSE. Noun Fly.

88. Without much forethought : IN HASTE

90. Muppet with a unibrow : BERT

92. Lego buys : KITS

93. New Year in Hanoi : TET. Same day as Chinese Spring Festival. Feb 19, 2015.

94. Pertinent, in legalese : AD REM

 

102. Really selling : HOT

105. Shows astonishment : GASPS

107. Martini's partner : ROSSI

108. Antipollution gp. : EPA. I don't remember a clear morning day in Beijing. Always foggy.

113. Verbal attention-grabbers : PSSTs

115. Work on, in a way, as furniture : RE-FINISH

116. TV spots : ADS

117. Reaffirming response : YES IT IS

119. Doles out : ALLOTS

120. Present one's view : OPINE

124. It may be lined with cedar : CLOSET. Not STREET.

125. Cowl wearers : MONKS

126. Plus : ALSO

127. Menlo Park monogram : TAE. Thomas Alva Edison.

128. Spire sites : TOWERS

129. Dadaist Max : ERNST

130. "That smarts!" : YEOW

131. Jack __, lead singer for the Kingsmen in "Louie Louie" : ELY. I only know Ron.

Down:

1. With little at stake : LOW RISK

2. Diva's encore : ARIETTA. Diminutive of Aria.

3. Slowpoke : DALLIER

4. Brand made with vermicelli : RICE-A-RONI. So many flavors. By the way, has any of you tried boiled green peanuts?  So tasty.

5. Norwegian saint : OLAV

6. Slimy soil : MIRE

7. Wordsmith's ref. : OED

8. Accessory for a marksman : SCOPE

9. Defeat badly : THRASH

10. Eve's genesis : RIB. Easy in retrospect.

11. Baba or a boxer : ALI

12. Re-tiring workforce? : PIT CREW. Great clue/fill.

13. Removal of restrictions, informally : DE-REG

14. "Let me take care of this!" : I'M ON IT

15. "__ Splash": Bobby Darin hit : SPLISH

 

17. Serving a purpose : UTILE

18. See-through : SHEER

24. Unpleasant noise : DIN. This sounds extreme, but can you imagine being disturbed 5 times a day?

28. "What a shame" : SO SAD

30. Start of an Ed McMahon intro : HERE'S (Johnny)

32. Belle of the ball : DEB

33. More kindly : NICER

34. Ring result, briefly : TKO. Boxing.

37. Steinbeck migrants : OKIES

38. Parlay, e.g. : BET

42. Summer mo. : AUG

43. Nouveau __ : RICHE

45. Wall St. Journal concern, with "the" : DOW. You can find the Wall Street Journal in almost all hotels in Hong Kong. Not always the case with the NY Times. Hong Kong is very business-oriented.

47. Basic shelters : LEAN-TOS

48. '80s attorney general : ED MEESE

51. Ingénue quality : NAIVETE

53. Watch displays, for short : LEDs

54. Incantation start : ABRA

55. Misconduct mark : DEMERIT

56. Like some country bridges : ONE LANE

 

59. Scout's neckwear : BOLO

60. Author Bellow : SAUL

64. One pressing a suit: Abbr. : ATT

65. Nest eggs for srs. : IRAS

66. Run-down joint : DUMP

68. Charge : FEE

71. Kett of old funnies : ETTA

72. Convention goers: Abbr. : DELS (Delegates)

74. Acid-tongued : ACERB. Same root as "Acid". Should have used another clue.

 

79. Pigpens : STIES

82. Two after epsilon : ETA

84. Longtime high-tech compatibility standard : IBM PC. So good to have you back, TTP.

86. Burlesque feature : STRIP SHOW

87. Corner key : ESC

89. Jigsaw puzzle starters : EDGES

91. Goes bad : TURNS

92. Some mil. mess duties : KPS

95. Make in a big way, as a point : RAM HOME

96. That: Sp. : ESA

98. One of a pie-throwing trio : MOE. I'd better pay attention to what Chairman Moe says when Masters approaches next year.

99. Say again : RE-STATE

100. Kind of illusion : OPTICAL

101. Hotel housekeeping need : PASS KEY

103. Idle : OTIOSE. Not a word I use, Yellowrocks.

104. Salon specialist : TINTER. Never been a TINTEE. Never heard of this specialist.

106. Ossobuco cuts : SHANKS

109. Stretch of land : TRACT

110. Greeting word : HELLO

111. Seaside phenomena : MISTS

112. Latin clarification : ID EST

114. One of a quint's four : SIB. Oh, quintuples. The little girl on the left has 4 siblings.

117. Harvard rival : YALE

118. Red-letters-in-a-blue-oval gas logo : ESSO

121. Spanish preposition : POR

122. Comfort __ : INN

123. Little island : CAY

Here are these pictures of JD's adorable grandsons and their mom in Halloween costumes.

 Cameron

 Dylan

Dylan and Mom Shelby

C.C.

Saturday, Nov 1st, 2014, Victor Barocas

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing F,J,Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 29

  Today marks Victor's Saturday themeless debut - as far as I can tell - for the LAT.  I just dove right in, not having had any experience with this constructor on the weekend; his last LAT contribution was almost a year ago - Nov 20th, a Wednesday.  Got to talking to the waitress about her costume, with the cat ears and the tail...WHERE WAS I~? - Oh, yes - Nothing terribly obscure, a few witty clues, and alas, one bad cell, so no "Ta-DA~!"  Two triple 9-letter corners, a pair of 9-letter downs, and two 8-letter acrosses intersecting a pair of 8-letter downs;

3d. Blue wall decorations : EROTIC ART - Hmmm, let me see if I can find any - I really like the implication in this piece - sort of M.C. Escher

Julian Murphy art

32d. Salad ingredients : SCALLIONS - I like to read about how friends here at the blog trade food advice and recipes - just not in the place to try them myself - yet

Asian Scallion Salad

O-rabbit N-rabbit W-rabbit ARD~!

ACROSS:

1. End of a digression : "WHERE WAS I~?" - as I was saying....

10. Christmas flier : COMET - Ah....SLED and SLEIGH did not fit; then the V-8 can flew....and then a clecho, to boot; 42d. Christmas flier : DASHER - Reindeer~!  This Christmas season is a 'short' one at UPS; just 3 weeks, 3 days between Thanksgiving and Dec. 25th - I already know I am working a full 8hrs on Black Friday - at triple time.  Nice~!

15. Like Gene Kelly's dancing : ACROBATIC

16. Ski resort north of Mount Snow : OKEMO

17. Pollster's challenge : CLOSE RACE

18. Stand in for : ACT AS

19. Wear out : TIRE - FLAG, FAIL, WANE

20. Haywire : KABLOOIE - Odd spelling, but the "word" is common enough

22. Circus prop : STILT - because tent pole was too long ( get it~?)

24. Lyra's brightest star : VEGA - Nailed it - but I am a big fan of astronomy

25. Rosencrantz or Guildenstern : ROLE - Shakespeare characters; DANE anyone~?

26. Netlike : LACY - I threw in "HOLY", but I knew it should have been HOLEY

27. Cabs may be lined up at one : WINE BAR - HAR-HAR~!!! Cabernets - but then again, I would hope to see taxis, too....

29. After : A LA - "in style of", "modeled after"

30. Soaks (up) : SOPS

31. Like some bread : YEASTY

35. Reasons for some low scores : BIRDIES - Ah, golf; I was thinking FICO scores ( I am having an issue with mine right now ), and then SAT/school test scores

37. Handy thing to have when you need a break? : POOL CUE - Har-har~!!  I have two pool cues; a Sneaky Pete for playing, and another for the break - usually puts a lot of stress on the stick

38. Zen awakening : SATORI

39. Arabian checker : REIN - Clever misdirection; I was thinking of some type of Middle Eastern game piece - but we're looking for the Arabian, as in the horse, and the check-er

40. Turkish honorific : AGA

41. Expose a card, say : MIS-DEAL

43. Narrow strip : SLAT

44. Cuisine with a condiment called nam pla : THAI - WAG

47. Body __ : MASS

48. Attacks, as with snowballs : PELTS

49. Campaign fund : WAR CHEST

51. Vier minus eins : DREI - German, 4 minus 1

52. Sundance showing : INDIE - I tried MOVIE, knew it was too simple for Saturday; still, I was 40% right, right?

53. It's usually an eagle : HOLE IN ONE - Here I was on the golf wavelength, but I couldn't s-t-r-e-t-c-h TWO UNDER to fit; on a par-3, a two-under would be a "one"

57. "A Confederacy of Dunces" author : TOOLE - learning moment for me; published after the author's suicide

58. Clinton had a big role in its construction : ERIE CANAL - ah, that Clinton - a little history

59. Begat : SIRED

60. Held in : REPRESSED - I will refrain from my favorite Monty Python movie....um, no, I won't....see it @2:00

DOWN:

1. WWII female : WAC - Women's Army Corps

2. Digestive aid, to chemists : HCl - Hydrochloric Acid

4. How a pollyanna sees the world : ROSILY

5. "I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie" author : EBERT - Roger's take on the movie "North", and how it went on to become more

6. Hard or soft finish? : WARE - HardWARE,  SoftWARE

7. __ loss : AT A

8. Nauseates : SICKENS

9. Glaciation period : ICE AGE

10. Combustible rock : COAL

11. 1881 trouble spot : O.K. CORRAL

12. "I'm with you" : "ME TOO~!" - also the name of Luke Skywalker's other, self-centered, R2 unit

13. Outlook service : E-MAIL

14. "__ a world in a grain of sand": Blake : TO SEE - I could not parse this in the 'down', and having it cross OKEMO did not help

21. Nursery bottle contents : BABY OIL

22. Hunks : SLABS

23. Shire in films : TALIA

24. Limo riders : VIPs

27. "Alack!" : "WOE IS ME~!"

28. Many millennia : AEON - I had EONS first

30. iPhone speaker : SIRI - I have an Android phone and tablet; did you hear that Apple is working on a vacuum to compete with the Dyson?  It's called the "i-Suck"

33. Try to dislodge, perhaps : TUG AT

34. "Leda and the Swan" poet : YEATS

36. Home : DOMICILE

37. Pod occupants : PEAS

39. Make whole again : RESTORE

43. Perceived to be : SEEN AS

44. Ridicules : TWITS - I do not know why I went with twiPs, and Poole, especially with POOL CUE in the puzzle and my mother's favorite insult for the Rangers when they're losing ( "those twits" ) - but I did....

45. Asian capital : HANOI

46. Zeal : ARDOR

48. Haggler's target : PRICE

50. Mind : HEED

51. Roebuck, but not Sears : DEER - nyuck-nyuck-nyuck

54. Word with stick or service : LIP - Lipstick, Lip Service; the smell of some lipsticks is very erotic; see 3d.

55. "Auld Scotland wants __ skinking ware": Burns : NAE

56. Days of yore, in days of yore : ELD

Splynter

Friday, October 31, 2014, Doug Peterson

Theme: A, that's a wrap.

One word of a common phrase is wrapped in As, with an A inserted at the beginning of the word, and an A inserted at the end of the word. Doug has been a prolific and skilled constructor for the past 12 years, and was among the early INTERVIEWS C.C. did after the change to LAT puzzles. He was very forthcoming and helpful. Doug also edits and collaborates with others. Doug does many themeless puzzles, but this version of add a letter was fun with the added layer of complexity adding both beginning and end. Not a crusher Friday, and some nice long non-theme answers like I’LL PASS, BAD PATCH, GOTTA RUN, MEAL TIME, RAIN DROP, all of which are compound fill. Multi word fill seems to be the focus here, but most were not obscure. Well I see the bat-signal so it is time to save Gotham and solve the puzzle.

17A. *Media member with a curly tail? : PRESS AKITA, (10). Press kit + AA=

25A. *With 50-Across, travel guide that touts Oranjestad's worst hotels and restaurants? : ARUBA THE. (8) 50A. See 25-Across : WRONG WAY (8). Rub the Wrong Way becomes a travel guide from hell.

38A. *"Whatever you say, wise goddess!"? : ALL RIGHTY ATHENA. (15). All right then, let's read about this GG. LINK.

 61A. *Refrigerator on the front lines? : AMANA OF WAR. (10). I like this one best
And the reveal.

64D. Smallish batteries, and a hint to how the answers to starred clues are formed : AAS.(3).

Across:

1. Common telenovela theme : AMOR. Spanish soap operas are all about LOVE.

5. Travel needs for many : VISAS. Another area I know very little about.

10. Lose, in a Vegas game : BUST. Isn't it odd how this repeat fill can be both so sad and so nice?

14. Amplify, in a way : MIKE. I have heard the phrase 'mike-up' so I guess this makes sense, but it took a while.

15. Not available : IN USE. Also known as Occupied, Occupado.

16. Fit : ABLE.

19. Word with barn or storm : DOOR. I think we have a puzzle where DOOR was the hidden end to the theme answers.

20. Sorceress jilted by Jason : MEDEA. Well, thanks for the CSO, but she was not a nice WOMAN . With the mini-theme: 67A. Legendary galley : ARGO. Galley is a type of ship (I linked recently that discussion) and this was Jason's.

21. "Not interested" : I'LL PASS.

23. Seahawks' org. : NFC. National Football Conference. Interesting, especially as they began in the AFC.

26. "Time to split!" : GOTTA RUN. Modern shortspeak spelling.

30. Ore. setting : PST. Pacific Standard Time.

31. José __: frozen Mexican food brand : OLE.

32. Sitar selections : RAGAS. Read all about IT. Raga to Ragga to Reggae?

34. Santa __ Mountains: coastal California range : CRUZ. West Coast Warriors, you want to expand?

42. In-land link? : LA LA. This may have begun with bedtime music but as a phrase is attributed to Los Angeles and the attitudes there.

43. Henie on the ice : SONJA. Back again so soon? Never forget Carol.

44. Grammy-winning "We Are Young" band : FUN.

45. Cybernotes : IMS. Instant Messages.

48. Six, for many : MEAL TIME. Sadly here in So.Fla, this is when the second shift eat dinner.

54. "King Kong" studio : RKO. Radio-Keith-Orpheum.  HISTORY.

55. Franklin's note : HUNDRED. It is all about the Benjamins.

56. "Cheers," e.g. : TOAST.

60. Qatari potentate : EMIR.

65. In __ parentis : LOCO. A hark back to last week's Latin exercise, "in the place of parents."

66. What a shin guard protects : TIBIA.

68. __ school : PREParatory. Been there.

69. How-to units : STEPS.

70. Actor Gosling : RYAN. We end this part with this face: His eyes do not match, but don't tell Eva.

Down:

1. Digital clock toggle : AM/PM.

2. Squishy area : MIRE. I enjoy the Ocean Spray commercials in the bog in Maine.

3. Didn't deny : OKED. Tricky, as I was thinking verbal assent.

4. Feel offended by : RESENT. Context, as it looks just like RESENT.

5. Itinerary word : VIA. More Latin.

6. India __ : INK.

7. Fashion designer Anna : SUI. For me a mostly unknown DESIGNER who reminds me of C.C. Only because of Target have I heard her name.

8. Buzzing with activity : ASTIR. A word!

9. Close securely : SEAL UP.

10. Run of lousy luck : BAD PATCH. I guess if you fix your clothes and do a bad job might be where this phrase meaning a run of bad luck comes from?

11. Threat to a WWII destroyer : U-BOAT. A German submarine.

12. Splash clumsily : SLOSH. People who are sloshed often splash clumsily.

13. Clipped : TERSE. All perps, but reasonable in retrospect.

18. Trip to see the big game? : SAFARI. Really nice mis-direction, no Super Bowl here.

22. Birth announcement abbr. : LBS. Lesbian Baby Sister? Oh, pounds.

24. Climbing challenge : CRAG.

25. Subject for da Vinci : ANATOMY.

26. One may go into an empty net : GOAL. Very common in Hockey where teams pull the goalie in the last minute when down.

27. Earthenware pot : OLLA.

28. Bluff betrayer : TELL. The TV popularity of poker seems to be waning, though I think everyone learned about 'tells' from watching the World Series of Poker, Rounders etc.

29. Words of disgust : UGHS.

33. Holiday song closer : SYNE. Scottish for 'since.'

35. S&L offering for homeowners : REFInance.

36. Word on the Great Seal of the United States : UNUM. And still more Latin, E Pluribus.

37. Novelist Grey : ZANE. Great writer of westerns.

39. Shower harbinger : RAIN DROP.

40. Cracked open : AJAR. When is an A word not an A word.

41. Have words with : TALK TO.

46. Dept. head : MGR. Manager.

47. Workout garb : SWEATS.

49. Beyond reasonable limits : TOO FAR. All right this time you went too far!

50. Young wolf : WHELP. I used to love reading Jack London's books.

51. One may be going around : RUMOR. better than the flu.

52. Ready if required : ON ICE.

53. Not turn away : ADMIT. Not turn away, oh as in they had to turn away thousands who went to see Taylor Swift at Times Square.

57. Not right : AWRY. And then everything went awry.

58. Multigenerational tale : SAGA. Not related to RAGA.

59. Suffix with Jumbo : TRON. A shout out to the scrappy KC Royals.

62. Mount Rushmore figure, familiarly : ABE.

63. Tang : NIP. Nope, no idea.

Well this is the last day of this month; remember to turn your clocks back on Sunday, and enjoy the extra sleep. Thanks Doug P. always good to see your work; also thanks for an amazing performance by Madison Bumgarner. Lemonade out.

Thursday, October 30, 2014 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: Capital Anagrams

Today I'll start with the reveal. 35-Across. With 37-Across, sentence openings, and what the ends of 16-, 23-, 47-, and 57-Across can be when rearranged : CAPITAL 37-Across. See 35-Across : LETTERS. I had to stare at my grid for a few seconds before the theme hit me.

16-Across. Postal service : EXPRESS MAIL. LIMA, Peru.

23-Across. Brigades, e.g. : ARMY UNITS. TUNIS, Tunisia.


47-Across. "You made your point" : SAY NO MORE. ROME, Italy.


57-Across. Form small teams at school : WORK IN PAIRS. PARIS, France.

Do you know why London was not included in the theme entries?

Across

1. Crawled, perhaps : SWAM.

5. Broadway show whose title woman can "coax the blues right out of the horn" : MAME. I had to hum a few bars before I remembered her name. And I never knew about 26-Down. Arthur who won a Tony for 5-Across : BEA. I have only seen the film version starring Rosalind Russell.

9. Renege, with "out" : COP.  I had "opt" and then "bow" before the perps finally led me in the right direction.

12. Andalusian appetizer : TAPA.

13. Accord competitor : ALTIMA. Honda Accord and Nissan ALTIMA.

15. Hole starter : AWL.

18. __-pitch : SLO.

19. Kanakaredes of "CSI: NY" : MELINA. This lady. I recognize her face, but had no clue about her name. All perps.

20. Plastered : SLOSHED.

22. Curled-lip look : SNEER.

25. The tar, in Spanish : LA BREA. Yes, we knew that, didn't we?

27. Anonymous John : DOE.

28. "The Black Cat" author : POE. Three letters? No hint of Abbr? Go with the flow and enter POE.

31. __ moss : PEAT.

32. Mountains dividing Europe and Asia : URAL.

40. Hop follower : SKIP. and a jump.

41. Modest dress : MIDI.

42. NASCAR __ : DAD. A rather derogatory term for middle class men, synonymous with "redneck." The term was used during the 2004 election, referring to the democrats' attempts to regain the southern male vote.

43. Lion or tiger : CAT.

45. Exercises begun in a supine position : SIT UPS.

50. "... if you want to __ man's character, give him power": Lincoln : TEST A. The partial could have been avoided by clueing it as "Head of Italy?"

54. Part of 56-Across : LOCATOR. 56-Across. Google hit : URL. Uniform Resource Locator.

55. Eats pretzels, say : NOSHES.

60. What "I" may indicate : RTE. Interstate. I-90, I-91, I-93 and I-95 all run through Massachusetts. Did you know that even numbered interstates run east-west, and odd-numbered ones run north-south?

61. Common soccer score : ONE ONE.

62. Only : MERE.

63. June honorees : PAs.

64. Blind component : SLAT.

65. Breyers competitor : EDYS.


Down

1. Restrains : STEMS. I'll try to stem my nit-picking.

2. Like Madame Tussauds figures : WAXEN.

3. Traditional temptation : APPLE.

4. "Manhattan" Oscar nominee Hemingway : MARIEL. 1979 Woody Allen film. Her career has spanned nearly 40 years, and she still looks great.

5. Galaxy gp. : MLS. I was clueless.  The Los Angeles Galaxy are a team in Major League Soccer.

6. Source of 20s, briefly : ATM.

7. Harmful gas : MIASMA. Great word.

8. One of the Brontës : EMILY.

9. Dishonorably dismissed : CASHIERED.

10. Bird that's probably not wise and certainly not old : OWLET. Cute.

11. Trudges : PLODS.

13. Fit __ fiddle : AS A.

14. One way to think : ALOUD.

17. Mesmerized : ENRAPT.

21. Porcine sniffer : SNOUT.

23. Kazakhstan border sea : ARAL.

24. Collecting Soc. Sec. : RET.

28. IBM 5150s, e.g. : PCs.

29. Furniture wood : OAK.

30. Inner circles, in astronomy models : EPICYCLES. The Ptolemaic universe used EPICYCLES to explain the movement of the planets.

33. Coach Parseghian : ARA.

34. '60s hallucinogen : LSD.

36. Old Bristol-Myers toothpaste : IPANA.

37. Beer choice : LITE.

38. College email ending : EDU.

39. Extreme summit : TIPTOP.

41. Former space station : MIR.

44. "Solve __ decimal places" : TO TWO. I was much more ambitious, and wanted to solve "to ten" decimal places.

45. Reddish-brown horse : SORREL.

46. Bagel choice : SESAME.

47. Eat loudly : SLURP. Like cowboys eating beans...

48. Main artery : AORTA.

49. Mars pair : MOONS. Phobos and Deimos.

51. Drew back : SHIED.

52. NFL analyst Bradshaw : TERRY. Former Pittsburgh Steeler. How about those crazy uniforms last Sunday? They looked like jailbird bumblebees!

53. Beasts of burden : ASSES.

55. St. Louis-to-Chicago dir. : NNE.

58. Place to see RVs : KOA.

59. NFL mistake : INT.erception. None for Brady last Sunday.

That's it from me - your turn!
Marti