Thursday, November 13, 2014 Jerome Gunderson

Theme: "G-Rated"

Jerome treats us to a GR-r-reat puzzle today.

20-Across. Place for a nagging passenger? : GRUMBLE SEAT. Did you ever ride in a rumble seat? If you did, you would not wonder why they call it that!

38-Across. Prohibition against Confederate soldiers? : GRAY BAN. Ray Ban, the "cool" sunglasses of the '60s.

54-Across. Soup with a prayer? : GRACE COURSE. We have an annual book club meeting at the Saratoga race course.

11-Down. Tribute to a sourpuss? : GRUMP ROAST. Rump roast is a tough cut of meat, but works well for beef stew.

28-Down. Farmer's harvest tradition? : GRAIN DANCE. He also might need to do a rain dance to insure that his crops ripen.


Across

1. Radical diet : FAST.

5. Balkan native : SERB.

9. Old West trail sight : WAGON.

14. Arabian prince : EMIR.

15. Court material, perhaps : CLAY. Hmmm...not "suit."

16. Country-rock artist Steve : EARLE. I don't know his music at all. Any good?

17. You may get one from a doctor : NOTE.
And we have a mini theme going here:
23-Across. Small dose? : MED. "Small" meaning the shortened version of the word medicine.
and
24-Across. Doctor's order : BEDREST. Plus some MEDs.
and
41-Across. Aleve and Advil : PAIN PILLS. Those MEDs will probably help with what ails you, and you don't even need a Rx.

18. Exclude : OMIT.

19. Goody-goody : PRUDE.

25. Peppy : SPRY.

26. Secret motives : ANGLES.

29. Rouse : STIR.

31. Trim (down) : PARE.

32. Its maker traditionally buys the drinks : HOLE IN ONE. Yep, been there.  It was witnessed on the 8th green by one of the members of the Senior league who were playing that day.  A round for 30+ guys? Priceless!

37. Pay back? : OLA. Payola.

40. Bailed-out insurance co. : AIG. American International Group.

43. Movie role played by Skippy : ASTA.

44. Tide table term : NEAP.

45. Played on a green : PUTTED. But not if you get a 32-Across!

47. Weary from overuse : JADE. Your viewpoint can become jaded, if something jades you.

49. Apparent : EVIDENT.

53. In the style of : A LA.

58. Sal of "Rebel Without a Cause" : MINEO. Actor Sal.

60. South American rodent : PACA.

61. Scruff : NAPE.

62. Word from the Latin for "little grandfather" : UNCLE. Nice bit of trivia. Grandfather is "avus" in Latin. The diminutive is "avunculus."

63. Algerian port : ORAN.

64. Bad to the bone : EVIL.  Like George Thorogood?

65. Sneaks a look : PEEKS.

66. Zebras that don't fear Lions? : REFS. REFerees as called "zebras" because of their striped uniforms.

67. Shoot down : DENY.


Down

1. __ shui : FENG.

2. Eros counterpart : AMOR. Greek & Latin lovers?

3. In __: as found : SITU.

4. Shake : TREMBLE.

5. Rebukes : SCOLDS.

6. Funny Fudd : ELMER. Wascally wabbit hunter.

7. Worker's reward : RAISE. Usually, just more work.

8. Units of memory : BYTES.

9. Let it all out, in a way : WEPT.

10. Rhine tributary : AAR.

12. More familiar, joke-wise : OLDER.

13. Poor : NEEDY.

21. Dragonfly prey : BEE. Cool insects, dragonflies. They can change direction in mid-air, hover for up to a minute and even fly backwards!

22. On the briny : AT SEA.

25. Moral lapse : SIN.

26. Per person : A POP.

27. Simba's mate : NALA. From "The Lion King." Nala is on the right.

30. English can : TIN. Not "loo."

32. Kubrick's computer : HAL. "2001: A Space Odyssey."

33. Olive often rescued : OYL. Funny cartoon.

34. Dumbbell abbr. : LBS.

35. Nick at __ : NITE.

36. Quaint expression of surprise : EGAD!

38. Student's fig. : GPA. Grade Point Average.

39. More apt to be picked : RIPER.

42. Word between some last names : NEE. Hilary Clinton née Rodham.

43. Brought into harmony with, with "to" : ATTUNED.

45. Praline nuts : PECANS. Aunt Sally's in New Orleans are the best!

46. Low número : UNO. I thought it was the top number?

47. Traffic congestion : JAM UP. Remember this one?

48. Dress with a flare : A-LINE. Well, I guess supermodel Aline does "dress with a flair."

50. Mist : VAPOR.

51. Comforting words : "I CARE."

52. Joltless joe? : DECAF. HaHa. Cute pun on "Jolting Joe Dimaggio."

54. Takes off : GOES.

55. Talk excitedly : RAVE.

56. __ doctor : SPIN.

57. Hard to hang on to : EELY.

59. Bugling beast : ELK. Wow, ear-splitting!

That's it for this week!
Marti

Wednesday, November 12, 2014 C. C. Burnikel .

Theme: DATA MINING.  Can't do any better than the reveal this time.  The word DATA is hidden amidst two or three (!) words in each theme answer.  

17. Progressive Era muckraker : IDA TARBELL.  "She depicted John D. Rockefeller as crabbed, miserly, money-grabbing, and viciously effective at monopolizing the oil trade."   My kind of girl.

25. "Pretty darn good" : NOT BAD AT ALL.  A little bit better than faint praise.

37. Assume a military posture : STAND AT ATTENTION.  I'd say this grid spanner is even better than NOT BAD AT ALL. This grid is 16*15.

Aboard the Pearl Harbor

50. Waved from the curb, perhaps : HAILED A TAXI.   

Sofia Vergara in Los Angeles

And, of course, the unifier.  61. NSA surveillance activity ... or, the process needed to dig out the info hidden in 17-, 25-, 37- and 50-Across? : DATA MINING.  You can read about the NSA activity here.  For sure, you have to dig into the theme answers to dig out DATA.

Hi gang, It's your humble servant JazBumpa, also your driver on today's TAXI ride, while C. C. navigates.  Buckle up and let's see if we can get to our destination without any mishaps; though I do expect a SNARL.

Across

1. Union foes : REBS.  Union vs REBel forces, American Civil War.

5. Sing like Joe Cocker : RASP.  Take it away, Joe.

9. Cowl wearer : MONK.  A religious ascetic.  Not this guy.

Song is mislabeled.  Should be EPISTROPHY

13. '90s-'00s Lakers great : O'NEAL.  Shaq.

Lakers Nation

15. Kevin's "A Fish Called Wanda" role : OTTO.

16. __ sprawl : URBAN.  City expansion

19. Walk away : LEAVE.  Here's your hat.  Don't let the door hit it you in the . . . [SLAM!]

20. Charms : ENAMORS.  Aha.  I had GLAMORS [perhaps from rereading A Dance With Dragons] but here "charms" is a verb, meaning "becomes endearing to." 

21. Grain Belt st. : KANsas.

23. TV diner owner : MEL.  Did he go with the Flo?

Or was it Alice?

24. "Spring forward" letters : DST.  Daylight Savings Time.  We are now fallen back on Nightdark Savings Time.  Winter is coming.

28. Carte start : A LA.  Make sure you get your A LA before the carte.  This is the normal way of ordering in a restaurant, where each item or combination is individually priced, as opposed to a fixed price - limited menu scheme.

29. Settle up : PAY. Either way, you have to exchange money for goods and services rendered.

30. More unusual : ODDER. 

31. Hobby shop wood : BALSA.

33. "Terrific!" : COOL.

34. With 26-Down, fashionable footwear : UGG.  See 26 D.

42. Child-care writer LeShan : EDA.

43. Stirs in : ADDS.  Kitchen talk

44. Sunburn-causing emission, for short : UV RAY.   Short wave length, high energy.

45. Driving __ : RANGE. Where you practice your golf shots.

47. Readers of MSS. : EDS.  Editors and Manuscripts.

49. Corp.-partnership hybrid : LLC.  Limited Liability Company.

54. One of four in Minnesota: Abbr. : SYLlables.

55. Chicago trains : ELS.  ELevated urban rail system.

56. Sun. address : SERmon.  Stay awake, now.

57. Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchior : THE MAGI.  The three wise guys men of The Christmas Story.

59. In again : RETRO.  Something from the past redone, only better.  We hope.

64. Sink down : DROOP.

 Time doesn't always fly

65. Villainous : EVIL.

66. Proofreader's mark : CARET.   An inverted V-shaped grapheme used to indicate where a punctuation mark, word, or phrase should be inserted in a document.

67. Store : STOW. Put away.

68. "Good shot!" : NICE.  What you might hear after due diligence at the driving RANGE.  Gary?

69. "One more thing ..." : ALSO.  But wait - there's more  .  .  .  Now, on to the verticals.

Down

1. Louis XIV, par exemple : ROI.  King of France

2. Ran over : ENDED LATE.  Ran over the clock, perhaps in A TAXI - which must be why it DROOPS.  Or am I confusing things?

3. Vegetarian side : BEAN SALAD.

4. Occupied, as a booth : SAT AT.

5. Cocktail named for a Scottish hero : ROB ROY.  A manhattan analog, using sweet vermouth with Scotch in place of the rye whiskey.  Not on my list.  I don't mix Scotch with anything.  Tin Man - do you concur?

6. Bikini tryout : A-TEST. Not in a dressing room.  Bikini was a ring-shaped coral archipelago in the Marshall Islands where Atomic bomb testing was conducted.  Is there anything left atoll?

7. Mo. town : ST. Louis.

8. Bikini feature in a 1960 hit : POLKA DOT.  And a clecho!

9. Field fare, briefly : MRE. Meal Ready to Eat, for soldiers in the field.

10. 2009 Peace Nobelist : OBAMA.  Barack.

11. Orange variety : NAVEL.

12. Mournful ring : KNELL.

14. Fast flight : LAM.  Escape.

16. Radii-paralleling bones : ULNAE.  Bones of the lower arm.

18. Gossipy Barrett : RONA.  Columnist, born Oct 6, 1936, and still goin'.

22. Bewilder : ADDLE.

26. See 34-Across : BOOTS.

UGG Boots

27. Network with the slogan "Not Reality. Actuality." : TRU TV.

28. Core muscles : ABS. Abdominals.

One for the ladies

29. Knee protector : PAD.

32. Traffic problem : SNARL.  Too many vehicles and not enough road.  See?  Told ya so. [You'd almost think I had inside information]  Now tell that guy behind me to lay off the horn.

33. Officer-to-be : CADET.  West Point student.

35. Unlikely tomboy : GIRLY GIRL.  Here is Gloria at cold and windy Pensacola beach exactly one year ago today with granddaughters Lauren (L) and Abby (R).  Lauren is for sure a GIRLY  GIRL.  Abby most definitely is not.

My girls

36. Pair on a football field : GOAL LINES. Lines that must be crossed to score in American football.

38. "Storage Wars" network : A AND E.

39. Boston Bruins' home : T D GARDEN. Named tor T D Bank, a subsidiary of Canada's Toronto-Dominion Bank.

40. Letters after mus : NUs.  It's all Greek to me

41. Lincoln Ctr. site : NYC. New York City.

46. Man of fables : AESOP.  Also Greek.

47. Sigh with relief, say : EXHALE.  Out with the bad air.

48. Carpe __ : DIEM.  Seize the day.

50. Grazing groups : HERDS.  Cattle

51. Wide awake : ALERT.

52. Insistent words from a sandbox : IS TOO.  Is Not.  [etc.]  Kid talk.

53. Commonly dusty room : ATTIC.  Top floor.

54. Capital of Yemen : SANA'A.  Yeah.  I had to look it up, too.

58. Open __ night : MIC.  For amateur comics.

60. Ticket word : ROW. Also seat.

62. Bird: Pref. : AVI-. I wanted ORN-

63. Sporty Pontiac : GTO.  Gran Turismo Omologato.  [Grand Touring Homologated.]

Much more here

NICE ride with C.C. today, and a classy classic way to end it.  Would somebody please get the garage door for me?

Cool regards!
JzB

Note from C.C.:

 

A bit late, but please click here for "A Time for Remembrance" puzzle George Barany & Michael Shteyman (a well-known NYT constructor) constructed. Oh, TTP & Spitzboov, Boomer went to our local Credit Union yesterday. Showed them his veteran's ID card and got a nice envelop. Guess what's inside? (Correction: envelope. )

Tuesday, November 11, 2014 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "in the zone" - Various zones.

38A. One of two gridiron borders, and what the last words of 17-, 23-, 52- and 62-Across can have : END ZONE

17A. Big Bang, to a physicist : BEGINNING OF TIME. Time Zone

23A. Show stopper : ACTORS' STRIKE. Strike Zone

52A. Like some August sales : BACK TO SCHOOL. School Zone

62A. Alabama Slammer liqueur : SOUTHERN COMFORT. Comfort Zone

Argyle here. Tinbeni should like that last zone. It's made with amaretto, Southern Comfort, sloe gin, and orange juice. Pam's puzzle puts together four words that can have ZONE stuck on their END, included are two grid spanners. The four long columns are strong ones although a bit tame. That about sums it up; tame Tuesday.

Across:

1. Tibetan holy men : LAMAs

6. Voice above tenor : ALTO

10. Boy or girl lead-in : ATTA

14. Traditional saying : ADAGE

15. Sound of pain : MOAN

16. Scientology creator Hubbard : L. RON

20. Snarky state : SNIT

21. What comes before beauty? : AGE. " (apocryphal Dorothy Parker witticism) "The two ladies were trying to get out of a doorway at the same time. Clare drew back and cracked, “Age before beauty, Miss Parker.” As Dotty swept out, she turned to the other guests and said. “Pearls before swine.”" ~ 03.12.2012 blog

22. __-weensy : EENSY

27. Greeter and seater : HOSTESS

30. Frozen drink brand : ICEE

31. Started the pot : ANTED

32. Commercial suffix with Motor : OLA. (Motorola)

33. Pop's favorite root beer? : DAD'S

37. Old man's place, in Hemingway : SEA. "The Old Man and the Sea", a novel published in 1952.

42. Sock part : TOE

43. Hair line : PART. Didn't get me this time.

45. Aegean island : IOS. How's it looking, Montana?

46. Beachcomber's beat : SHORE

48. Selma or Patty, to Bart : AUNT. Simpsons.

50. One of the 3-Down : WISEMAN. so 3D. Gift-bearing trio : MAGI. And 29D. Guide for the 3-Down : STAR. Kalá Christoúgenna on Ios.

56. Cop __: bargain in court : A PLEA

57. Actor McKellen : IAN. The third and final movie in The Hobbit trilogy will be The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, opening December 17th.

58. Partners of cons : PROs

66. Gen. Robert __ : E. LEE

67. Truck maker with a bulldog logo : MACK

68. Mentor's charge : TUTEE

69. Fizzy drink : SODA

70. "Terrible" age : TWOs

71. Single-master : SLOOP

Down:

1. Some are chocolate : LABs. (Labrador Retriever)

2. Arabian Peninsula port : ADEN

4. Stir up : AGITATE

5. Hill VIP: Abbr. : SEN. (Senator)

6. Pamplona pals : AMIGOs

7. One who eschews company : LONER

8. Bag marker : TAG. Tote, luggage, suitcase, duffel, etc.;

9. Lennon collaborator : ONO

10. Let out, say : ALTERED

11. Singer Lopez : TRINI. Still going.

12. Siberian industrial center : TOMSK

13. In the blink of __ : AN EYE

18. 2014 N.L. East champs : NATS. (Washington Nationals)

19. Fancy party : FÊTE

24. Formally relinquish : CEDE

25. Rural skyline feature : SILO. It's come to this on the small farms.

26. Diagnostic test : SCAN

27. Door fastener : HASP

28. Most fit to be drafted : ONE A

32. Parts of lbs. : OZs. (ounces)

34. Physics particle : ATOM

35. Explorer on Nick Jr. : DORA

36. Detected : SEEN

39. Barcelona boy : NINO

40. Web address parts : DOTS

41. Name on some Canadian pumps : ESSO

44. Break for a meal and a beverage, in Britain : TAKE TEA. Steve?

47. Lending a hand : HELPFUL

49. Four Corners state : UTAH

50. Strikes sharply : WHACKS

51. Prefix with sphere : IONO

52. Fenway corners : BASES. Fenway Park, the baseball park in Boston is the oldest ballpark in MLB. Cute clue.

53. Speed skater __ Anton Ohno : APOLO. First appeared on the corner back on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010.

54. In the loop, with "in" : CLUED

55. __ de Mayo : CINCO. Fifth of May.

59. Tiller lead-in : ROTO. Rototiller.

60. Black-and-white treat : OREO

61. Setup instructions word : STEP

63. 911 respondent, briefly : EMT. (Emergency Medical Technician)

64. Rarer than rare : RAW

65. Places with peaks and passes: Abbr. : MTs. (mountains)

Argyle

Monday, November 10, 2014 Teresa Colby

Theme: "The Visit" - Hi. Come in. Stay awhile. You have to go? So long.

20A. Taking the top spot : COMING IN FIRST

38A. With 40-Across, remaining focused : STAYING and 40A. See 38-Across : ON POINT

54A. Betting it all : GOING FOR BROKE

53A. Parting words, perhaps after the visit suggested by the starts of 20-, 38-/40- and 54-Across : "SEE YA!"

Argyle here with a new constructor. A good debut puzzle. The reveal may not have been needed but is a nice touch. And that's no lie.

Across:

1. Digital periodical, briefly : eMAG

5. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYSTem

9. Comics title character who married Irving : CATHY

14. Kitchen floor covering, in Kent : LINO. (short for linoleum)

15. __ Ness monster : LOCH

16. Earth pigment : OCHER

17. Sooner State city : ENID

18. Architectural S-curve : OGEE

19. Rays of light : BEAMS

23. Roman fountain : TREVI

24. Volcano in Sicily : ETNA

25. "What's happenin'?" : "'SUP?"

28. In the least favorable case : AT WORST

31. Brit's "Bye-bye" : "TATA"

32. Cleopatra's undoing : ASP

35. Slim and muscular : WIRY

36. Annie with a gun : OAKLEY

41. Gold purity measures : KARATS

42. Brother of Cain : ABEL

43. Item in a P.O. box : ENVelope

44. This, in Seville : ESTO

45. Fed up with : TIRED OF

48. For what reason : WHY

49. Capricorn's animal : GOAT

50. Creates : MAKES

58. "Hot corner" base : THIRD. (baseball)

60. Cowboys quarterback Tony : ROMO. (football)

61. R&B singer India.__ : ARIE

62. Exposed : BARED

63. Explorer __ the Red : ERIC. Leif's old man.

64. Reject as false : DENY

65. Brass or bronze : ALLOY

66. CPR pros : EMTs

67. It's a long story : SAGA

Down:

1. Put into office : ELECT

2. Insignificant : MINOR

3. Japanese cartoon style : ANIME

4. Premium chocolate brand : GODIVA

5. Walk laboriously, as through mud : SLOG

6. Quotable Berra : YOGI

7. The stuff of many postcard photos : SCENERY

8. Burglaries : THEFTS

9. Hooded snake : COBRA

10. King beaters : ACES

11. "It's not true!" : "THAT'S A LIE!"

12. Pants bottom : HEM

13. Decade tenths: Abbr. : YRs

21. Knucklehead : NITWIT

22. Chanted : INTONED

26. Sch. with a Chattanooga campus : UTENN. University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The picture is of Chattanooga, home to UTC, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

27. Subscription-based home entertainment : PAY TV

29. Churchill of the United Kingdom : WINSTON

30. Charity's URL ending : .ORG

31. Fight stopper, for short : TKO. (Technical KnockOut)

32. Cockeyed : ASKEW

33. Hidden supply : STASH

34. Free-spirited socializer : PARTY GIRL

37. Poise : APLOMB

39. Former NBA center __ Ming : YAO

40. U.K. award : OBE. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

42. Painting or sculpture : ART FORM

46. "No argument from me" : "I AGREE"

47. Electrical capacitance units : FARADs. The farad (symbol: F) is the SI derived unit of electrical capacitance, the ability of a body to store an electrical charge. It is named after the English physicist Michael Faraday. ~ Wiki

49. Dizzy with delight : GIDDY

51. Divided country : KOREA

52. Barely managing, with "out" : EKING

55. Twistable cookie : OREO

56. Fail to mention : OMIT

57. Mythical birds : ROCs

58. TV schedule abbr. : TBA. (to be announced)

59. Actor Holbrook : HAL

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to Buckeye Bob, who was very active on the blog until a few months ago.  Bob did not reply my last email, so I'm quite concerned. Hope it's not health issue.

2) Happy 68th birthday to Gary's wife Joann & her twin sister as well!

 Left to Right: Boomer, Gary, C.C. & Joann

Sunday November 9, 2014 Joel D. Lafargue

 Theme: "Make It Count" - IT is added to each theme answer.

23A. Diminutive flower? : PETITE ROSE. Pete Rose, who still thinks he'll make the Hall someday.

25A. Cultural pursuits with limits? : FINITE ARTS. Fine arts.

47A. Musician to feel sorry for? : PITIED PIPER. Pied Piper.

70A. Novel set in a church? : PULPIT FICTION. Do you like "Pulp Fiction"? Too much for my taste.

92A. Indispensable poet? : VITAL KILMER. Val Kilmer, who was in "Top Gun". The clue has to shift away from base phrase and here it refers to Joyce Kilmer.

115A. Departure from the bookstore? : EXIT LIBRIS. Ex Libris.

117A. Giant gods waiting for tickets? : TITAN LINES. Tan lines.

33D. Acerbic fruit? : BITING CHERRY. Bing cherry. Sweet! Tart cherries bite.

43D. Serious transport? : GRAVITY TRAIN. Gravy train.

A rare 146-worder. This does not happen often, as Rich wants constructors to cap the word count at 144 and black squares at 78. 

Nine theme entries with total 99 squares are not easy to deal with, and you'll see a few strained fill here and there. Gridding is so much easier when theme answers occupy about 90 theme squares.

 

Across:

1. Tatters : RAGS

5. Cousin of a Tony : OBIE. The clue works without "a" also.

9. Staples Center player : LAKER

14. Certain candidate's goal : SEAT. And 21. Romney foe : OBAMA. 2012. I crossed the party line and voted Erik Paulsen (from the ritzy EDINA) last Tuesday. He has a super smart aide who helped me deal with the VA bureaucracy last time.

18. On : ATOP

19. Legally binding, as a contract : VALID

22. See 98-Down : TALE. And 98. With 22-Across, extravagant account : TALL

27. Ladder parts : RUNGS

28. Datebook notation : ENTRY

30. Kindle Fire, for one : TABLET. The only iStuff I have is my aging iPod Classic.

31. Overzealous : RABID

34. Scriabin piece : ETUDE. Not familiar with Scriabin, Russian pianist.

36. They may be cut by perps : DEALS

38. Choice group : ELITE

39. Mexican bread : DINERO

41. '50s/'60s character actor Lyle : BETTGER. Totally unknown to me.

46. After all adjustments : NET

50. "Rule, Britannia" composer : ARNE

51. Discoverer of Vinland : ERICSON (Leif). I never heard of Vinland. I thought it's Norse for Finland.

54. French governing body : SENAT

55. Sewer cover : GRATE

56. Prevailed : WON OUT. So, any news on that blue-eyed girl, Splynter? Or the nice AA lady?

57. Brylcreem amount : DAB

60. 401, to Marcus : CDI

61. Randy of country : TRAVIS

62. Czech. neighbor : GER

63. Near East inn : SERAI. Alien to me as well.

65. Shocked : IN AWE

67. Hot condition : IRE

68. "Just a __" : SEC

73. QB's targets : TES (Tight Ends)

74. Sneaky chuckle : HEH

75. Granada grain : ARROZ. Spanish for Rice. Lemonade, has your  girlfriend treated you with sticky rice & mango?

76. One needing a lift : SKIER

77. Beatles' "A __ in the Life" : DAY

79. Ominous words : OR ELSE

81. __ milk : SOY. I drink it every day, yet I tried RAW first.

83. Audio receiver? : EAR. Nice clue.

84. Middle of England? : CENTRE. D'Oh! All I could think of was the middle ELL in England.

87. Michelin products : TIRES

88. Pea pokers : TINES

90. "__ Pierce": Kate Winslet miniseries : MILDRED

91. Prefix with space : AERO

96. Brief reply? : ANS (Answer)

97. Met on the sly : TRYSTED. This "Derailed" is terrifying. Tryst is not fun.

99. Party rides : PONIES

100. Ralph of "The Waltons" : WAITE. I can never remember this guy.

102. TD Garden, e.g. : ARENA

105. Everything, in Essen : ALLES.  Also 16D. Old, in Oberhausen : ALTE. Alliterative clues.

 

106. Historical record : ANNAL

107. Miami daily : HERALD

111. Vatican vestment : ORALE. Haven't seen this word in a grid for a long time.

113. Commandment word : SHALT

122. Lhasa __ : APSO

123. Awakens, with "to" : COMES

124. Small silvery fish : SMELT

125. Coastal irregularity : COVE

126. Browning work : POEM

127. Diner "raft" : TOAST. I got sick eating toast at the highly touted Peppermill (Las Vegas). It's buttered without my knowledge. Their fruit plate is huge, enough for four Da Fan Tong, Jayce!

128. Shield border, in heraldry : ORLE

129. Belt : SWAT

Down:

1. Eminem genre : RAP

2. Put away the groceries? : ATE

3. Understood : GOT

4. Enthusiasm : SPIRIT

5. Hot spot : OVEN. Nice clue as well.

6. Entered rudely : BARGED IN

7. Lame answer to "Where's your homework?" : I LOST IT. Too lame.

8. Grafton's "__ for Evidence" : E IS

9. Artist's digs : LOFT

10. Free as __ : A BIRD

11. West of Georgia : KANYE. Got via crosses. I did not know he was born in Atlanta.

12. Former "big four" record company : EMI

13. Coiled menace : RATTLER

14. Attempt : STAB

15. Peerage member : EARL

17. Screen __ : TEST

20. Political pundit Myers : DEE DEE. She was the spokesperson for Paula Broadwell. Remember Broadwell & General Petraeus? Ari Fleischer worked for Tiger Woods for a short period as well. Told you tryst is not fun.

24. Insolence, in modern slang : TUDE

26. Bridge position : EAST

29. Uncool types : NERDS

31. Agree to more issues : RENEW

32. Olds compact : ALERO

35. Flinders in Adelaide, e.g., briefly : UNI. Aussie for "university". I never heard of Flinders though.

37. Help in a burglary : ABET

40. Cartel acronym : OPEC

42. Twelve Oaks neighbor : TARA

44. Having all the pieces : ENTIRE. And45. Pieces of peanut butter? : REESE'S

47. Kitty with no fur : POT. Ha ha.

48. Messages on packages : INDICIA. Learning moment for me. Dictionary says it's "postal markings often imprinted on mail or on labels to be affixed to mail".

49. Atelier figure : PAINTER

52. Iowa campus : COE

53. Do better than : SURPASS

55. Beowulf's foe : GRENDEL. Got via crosses.

57. Passbook entry : DEPOSIT

58. Home of the Pac-12's Wildcats : ARIZONA

59. Hitter's "lumber" : BAT

61. Seesaw complement : TWO. Did you nail the answer immediately or get via crosses? I was confused by "Complement".

63. 35mm camera option : SLR

64. Uncertainties : IFs

66. Studio sign word : AIR

68. Fired on : SHOT AT

69. More spooky : EERIER

71. Press closing : URE.  Pressure. I wish it has a ? to indicate wordplay.

72. Clanton gang leader : IKE

78. "Not to mention ..." : AND

80. Some summer births : LEOS. And 104. Spring births, perhaps : ARIES

82. Dog's "Ouch!" : YELP

84. Round fig. : CIR (Circle). I thought of EST first.

85. __-Wreck : RENT-A

86. Ford fiasco : EDSEL

88. Destroyer of some castles : TIDE

89. Scandinavian toast : SKOAL

90. Part of the "M*A*S*H" set : MESS HALL

92. It may be reached : VERDICT. Great clue/answer.

93. Coastal irregularities : INLETS

94. Short, shortened : LIL. Got me again. Saw similar clue before.

95. Leighton of "Gossip Girl" : MEESTER. She had an usual childhood. Read here.

100. Outlet site : WALL

101. Escapades : ANTICS

103. Bellini opera : NORMA

107. Bucket of bolts : HEAP

108. Athlete who's now a National : EXPO. Hey, I got this one!

109. Provoked reaction : RISE. Kind of like "Handled bags" for TOTES clue.

110. Basic building block : ATOM. Not LEGO.

112. Little helper? : ASST."Little" indicates an abbr. answer.

114. Pay for a hand : ANTE

116. Word Casper seldom uses : BOO. The Friendly Ghost.

118. "That's what I think," in chatspeak : IMO

119. This minute : NOW

120. Model/actress Mendes : EVA

121. Collector's goal : SET

C.C.

Saturday, Nov 8th, 2014, Bruce Venzke & Victor Fleming

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing Q,X)

Blocks: 28

   I did today's puzzle in two stages; I had to stop about 80% of the way through, but that was OK, because I was drawing a blank in the NW and SW corners.  Upon returning to the game, I noticed the WAGs I was reluctant to try were actually the correct answers - go figure.  Oh, and an alphabet-run technical DNF, which bummed me out(*). Bruce last appeared on a Saturday, Dec 7th, in 2013, and Victor's last Saturday was back on July 7th, 2012 (LAT) - two Victors in a row~!  Triple 10-letter pinwheel design with a pair of 7- and 8-letter fills as well;

17a. Group with many hits : COSA NOSTRA - Learning moment; I did not realize this was another name for the Sicilian Mafia - hence, the "hits" - more like whacks

12d. Get romantic : BILL AND COO - I have heard of the "COOing" part, but the "BILL"~?  I looked it up; it's a bird reference - now I get it

63a. They go down to the wire : CLOSE GAMES - I tried HORSE RACES

28. Some astronauts : SPACEWOMEN - Dah~! My first thought, and yet it seemed too simple - here's a list

O N W Ra Ds~!

ACROSS:

 1. Staff leaders : MAJORDOMOs - no clue to start, then I got as far as MAJOR----

11. Common rhyme scheme : ABAB - Good guess to start

15. In top form : AT ONE'S BEST

16. Wheels : RIDE - I am hoping to buy a new ride this weekend - a 2002 Ford Escape

18. Menlo Park middle name : ALVA - Thomas Edison

19. Fuse, as ore : SMELT

20. Comic strip about a high schooler : ZITS - I like it

22. She plays Watson in "Elementary" : LIU - Lucy

23. Fourth most populous U.S. island : OAHU - I threw in GUAM;  BZZZT~!  50% correct in all the wrong places

26. Reach : CONTACT - as on one's phone

28. Surveillance aid : SPYGLASS - I'd like to live on Spyglass Lane - there's one in my neighborhood

32. Steelers ownership family name : ROONEY

33. Nanki-__ : POO - I have heard this, but I went and looked it up afterwards - oh right - the Mikado

34. Prowler : SNOOP

36. Landlord's assets: Abbr. : BLDGs

37. "... men in __" : A TUB

39. Locks that are picked : AFROs

41. Victoria's Secret spec : D CUP - HA~! I threw this in, and upon doing the write-up realized I was right - I'm sure Dennis nailed it

Hello, blue-eyes - I bet you didn't even notice they were blue (her eyes)

42.* Longtime name in baseball broadcasting : CARAY - the "Y" was my downfall, in 43d., too

44. Inset site : ATLAS

46. Valuable elemento : ORO - goldo, in Spanisho

47. "And wilt thou pledge me this for time __?": Aeschylus : ETERNE - mostly perps

49. Takes a powder : SKIPS OUT - 'round here, SKIPS OUT means someone ran off in the night without paying the rent

51. Goes south : WORSENS

53. Rested from flight : ALIT

54. "He's mine, __ am his": "Coriolanus" : OR I - two quote partials doesn't sit well with me

55. Lases or tases : ZAPS

57. Verdi aria : ERI TU

61. Star followers : MAGI - 'Tis the season once again

66. Repeat : ECHO - 'Tis the season once again
- is there an echo in here~!?

67. Revealing : TATTLE-TALE - like a sign

68. Table tennis club's supply : NETS - um, I guess they would

69. Plots : STORY LINES - ah, that kind of plot

DOWN:

1. Apple array : MACS

2. It may be ionized : ATOM - see "onward"

3. Muralist Orozco : JOSÉ

Jose Orozco's Prometheus

4. Where a turtle might be seen : ON A LOG - sure, why not; the last one I saw was trying to cross Rt 25, which is a 50mph road - I believe he made it

5. Some prom night wear : RENTALS - oh, the tux....never mind....

6. Brit. military award : DSO Distiguished Service Order

7. Delivery pros : OBStetrician - from the Latin "to stand by"; the medical specialist that deals with pregnancy and childbirth

8. City on the Moselle : METZ

9. "Hamlet" courtier : OSRIC

10. Electric generator component : STATOR

11. Celestial altar : ARA

13. Amy Dickinson, e.g. : ADVICE GURU

14. Mole, maybe : BEAUTY SPOT - I do not think of them as beauty; just spots

21. Stereotypical status seeker : SNOB

24. Rival of Martina and Chris : HANA - Mandlíková, Czech tennis star

25. Patriotic nickname : U.S. of A.

27. Spoiled the surprise : TOLD

29. Kid's birthday party contest : POTATO RACE - never had one

30. "No argument" : YOU'RE RIGHT - upon returning to the grid, I was able to get past "YOU", which was all I had filled, and started thinking "YOU'RE" - Duck~!

31. Prepares for filing : SORTS

35. Grammy category eliminated in 2009 : POLKA - I did not know this

38. Illegalizes : BARS - I had BANS, and that threw me

40. Zip (through) : SAIL

43*. Santa __ Valley: California wine region : YNEZ - ugh - really~? Oh well - I'm sure our California contingency got it no problem

45. Catalog giant : SPIEGEL

48. Adopts : ENACTS

50. Low clouds : STRATI

52. Paint-spill sound : SPLAT - uhhh, whooo(ups)~?

56. __ speak : SO TO - ugh - all perps

58. "Project Runway Canada" host : IMAN

59. Commuting leader? : TELE - telecommuting

60. Doesn't let sit : USES

62. Cyclades island : IOS

64. Harp, e.g.: Abbr. : STRing instrument

65. Bridge expert Culbertson : ELY

Splynter

Friday, November 7, 2014, Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Are you feeling N T?

Four in the language phrases with words beginning with "ST"  are transformed by changing the T to N. This is a more traditionally structured Friday, with only 72 words, and average word length in excess of 5 letters. It does have however 10 "cheater squares" and 42 blocks in all which is an awful lot of black in a puzzle. There are three cheaters in the NW and SE corner and 2 at each end of the central answer POTSTICKERS.

JW who has returned to constructing with the enthusiasm of a very young man has me puzzled not by the puzzle but by the grid. The theme answers were not immediately obvious, but SNORES opened the door for me, along with lots of down fill. There was almost none of the usual filler fill with only NEE and ALI very common. The midrange included BLOWS IT, CREEP IN, FUR COATS, PEACE NOW, BYPLAY, TOO LOW and BUMMER. continuing the trend to multiple word fill.

Okay let's solve this.

16A. Why the kids can hardly sleep at night? : MOM AND POP SNORE (14). In So.Fla. there always seem to be new people willing to open a mom and pop store to compete with Walmart and Costco.

25A. With 49-Across, motto for Jessica Fletcher? : SHE SNOOPS. (9). 49A. See 25-Across : TO CONQUER. (9). She Stoops to Conquer. This 1773 PLAY requires some Friday memory, though the perps made it relatively painless. I think my kids studied it in their high school theater; Goldsmith was popular with them.

36A. Chuckles over a small kitty? : POT SNICKERS.(11). This was the tricky, awkward one, having to think of the gambling term "kitty" and its synonym "pot." Pot Stickers became the rage here as appetizers in the 90s. Maybe C.C. will give us more insight. (From C.C.: We call them Jiaozi in Xi'An. Traditional food for Chinese New Year's eve. You can get frozen Jiaozi/Potstickers/Dumplings/Gyoza at Trader Joe's. Their Thai veggie Gyoza are so good.)

59A. Acerbic opinion piece? : SNEERING COLUMN(14). I like the fill, but steering column did not excite.

Across:

1. Chronicles : ANNALS. I wanted Narnia or Riddi[c]k.

7. File extension : TAB.

10. Double Down sandwich maker : KFC. I had forgotten about this monstrosity which uses chicken breasts instead of bread with two kinds of cheese and bacon in the middle.

13. Space-sharing bud : ROOMIE. How many of you have had to share a living space as an adult with someone other than family?

14. She-bear, in Sevilla : OSA. Spanish A = feminine, O = masculine.

15. Gang leader? : OUR. Fun misdirection, but young solvers may have no idea about this group.

19. Privy to : IN ON.

20. When Iago acquires Desdemona's handkerchief : ACT III. This is the easy one as 6 spaces can only be Act III.

21. Apple's Tim Cook, e.g. : CEO. Chief Executive Officer. Not quite as famous as Jobs. Wonder if he thinks he is one of the...

23. Some intellectuals : NERDS.

27. "Hopelessly Devoted to You" musical : GREASE. The role originated with Carole Demas, but I  remember OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN. (2:48). It is interesting to read the list of actors who played DANNY.

29. Net letters : EMAIL.

30. Pampas rider : GAUCHO.

35. 13 for Al, e.g. : AT. NO.  Atomic Number.

39. Mensch lead-in : UBER. Wow a discussion of Nietzsche and his PHILOSOPHY should ensue.

41. How some bars may be set : TOO LOW. This so cool because UBERMENSCH challenged man and mankind to strive for more.

42. Commercial center : PLAZA.

44. Skewered fare : KEBABS. My preferred spelling.

54. Malted ingredient : SYRUP. Milk shakes.

55. Come up short : OWE.

56. Beaverlike rodent : NUTRIA. Sounds more like a non-sugar sweetener, but these large river rats have damaged the Louisiana marshlands.

58. Apple or pear : POME. MW says it is a fleshy fruit (as an apple or pear) consisting of an outer thickened fleshy layer and a central core with usually five seeds enclosed in a capsule. From the Latin POMUM (fruit) from which the French get POMME (apple), and of course POMME DE TERRE (fruit of the earth = potato).

62. Bromide, e.g. : ION. You can STUDY this on your own.

63. "The Soul of a Butterfly" memoirist : ALI. Our boxing poet. Some QUOTES.

64. Took out : ERASED. An alternative to rubbing out.

65. Couple : TWO. This seemed almost too easy.

66. Society page word : NEE.

67. Source of much salon noise : DRYERS.

Down:

1. Preparing for combat : ARMING.

2. Lunchtime meeting : NOONER. More like lunchtime assignation.

3. "Uncle!" : NO MORE.

4. Activist/heiress Hearst : AMANDA. How cool the day after the surreal Castle, we get the incredibly lucky great-granddaughter who is not only rich, she went to prep school in Connecticut and is 5'3" and a part-time model

5. Jeremy of the Lakers : LIN. The one time darling of the Knicks and Harvard has landed in LA to play with Kobe. How is that going?

6. "Homicide: Life on the Street" actor Jon : SEDA. He was lucky enough to give up boxing before it rearranged his face. He now works on Chicago PD.

7. Zipper part : TOOTH.

8. Easy __ : AS PIE. This puzzle was not easy as pie, the compound word answers always are a bit of a challenge. ASPIC made no sense.

9. Underpinnings : BASIS.

10. Kitchy-__ : KOO. Again so easy, it was hard.

11. Valuables often stored : FUR COATS. For the three days a year you can wear them in So.Fla.

12. Enter surreptitiously : CREEP IN. Creepy.

17. Lenovo IdeaCentres, e.g. : PCS. Personal Computers.

18. Lowest stripe : NINE. This filled from the perps with both Ns being part of the T to N theme, but it took a few minutes to understand that the clue relates to pool (billiard) balls, where 1-8 are all solid colors and 9-15 are all striped in American pocket billiards.

22. Akershus Fortress city : OSLO. All perps.

24. U.S. Army E-6 : SSGT. Staff Sargent.

26. Co-star of Hugh on "House" : OMAR. Mr. Epps; a Thursday night ritual with many friends.

28. Captain's heading : EAST. Go east young man?

31. 108-card game : UNO. My grandmother loved this game.

32. 1955 labor merger gp. : CIO. Congress of Industrial Organizations merged with American Federation of Labor in 1955, an event I did not understand but recall.

33. Gastric acid component, to a chemist : HCL.

34. "I heard you the first 10 times" : OK OK. Enough already.

36. Antiwar organization based in Tel Aviv : PEACE NOW. This GROUP, has high hope.

37. Rice-shaped pasta : ORZO. A fun food and you can make THIS but use Thai basil for zest.

38. Pastoral moms : EWES. Really fun clue.

39. Not more than : UP TO. I will pay...

40. Fails utterly : BLOWS IT. Blow is such a versatile word, but I could not find the history of this phrase. Often accompanied by 47D. "Sorry, dude" : BUMMER

43. __ of Cleves : ANNE. She was the lucky 4th WIFE of Henry the VIII, whom he found so unattractive he never consummated the marriage, which saved her life.

45. Action on the side : BY PLAY.

46. Shake awake : AROUSE. So which arouses you 1 (4:01) or 2  (4:41)?

48. Whiles away : SPENDS.

50. Arabic religious text : QURAN. Transliterating from a different alphabet is such a slippery slope; I am trying to understand the Thai alphabet, and explain the Hebrew alphabet.

51. Functional : UTILE.

52. Els with tees : ERNIE. The Big Easy from RSA.

53. Oil facility : RIG.

57. Got 100 on, say : ACED.

60. Roxy Music co-founder : ENO. Brian, more known for his elevator music left the GROUP early on.

61. #4 at Boston Garden : ORR. Along with number 4 for the New York baseball Giants (Mel OTT) this name will always be a handy fill word.

Well another Friday in the books, another joyride for me. It was not too easy and not too hard. Thanks Jeffrey, again. This was a fun way to prepare for more parties for sweet Charlotte this weekend.  Have a great November all. Lemonade out.