Wednesday, June, 22, Ellen Leuschner and Mary Lou Guizzo

Title: TOPPING OFF

Ellen and Mary Lou have generated a lovely Wednesday puzzle in which they have selected ten compound words or phrases wherein both words can be "CAPPED" (preceded) by the word WHITE to produce two more compound words or phrases. The effect is further enhanced by having all the theme entries appear vertically and thus the word CAP becomes even more apropos as you can see in the grid below! Wonderful!

Theme Reveal:

40. Bit of ocean chop ... or, literally, what each part of 3-, 8-, 10-, 34- and 38-Down can have : WHITECAP - Here is Tom Hanks fighting through WHITECAPS to try to get to his VB friend Wilson

Theme answers: (Yes, I know there is more than one possible answer for some entries) 

3. Privy : OUTHOUSE - Rural restrooms and 

WHITE OUT - Where football could still be played 

WHITE HOUSE - 1600 Pa. Ave in not quite a white out

8. Home builder's purchase : WALLBOARD - Wall covering or

WHITEWALL - Remember when they were stylish tires and cost more than blackwalls? 

WHITEBOARD - A work space for Sheldon and Leonard

10. Equine-like fish : SEAHORSE - Marine creature where the father gives birth or

WHITE SEA - A Russian Sea unbeknownst to me near Archangel'sk 

WHITE HORSE - Prince Charming's ride

34. Award for excellence in the field : GOLD GLOVE - Given to MLB player who is the best fielder at his position or

WHITE GOLD - Gold alloyed with silver or other white metals

WHITE GLOVE  - Attire for Liz which I'm sure she uses to check her dusting! :-) 

38. Fritos snack : CORN CHIP - Longtime nosh in a bag or

WHITE CORN  - A sweet corn option 

WHITE CHIP - Usually lowest value poker chip

Now for the fun remainder of Ellen and Mary Lou's puzzlement:

Across

1. Physics building block : ATOM

5. Barbecue side : SLAW

9. Run-of-the-mill : USUAL

14. Track tipster : TOUT - My favorite is Nicely-Nicley Johnson (Stubby Kaye) in Guys And Dolls

15. "How's it goin'?" : HI YA

16. Grammar topic : TENSE - Piece 'o cake, right?

17. Folk story : MYTH

18. Autobahn auto : OPEL

19. British peers : EARLS - As in the EARL of Grantham

20. It may be coiled in the grass : HOSE

22. Frozen drinks : SLUSHIES - A minor side effect

24. Brownstone entrances : STOOPS - We call 'em porches here

26. Hebrew : Ben :: Arabic : __ : IBN

27. "... that golden key / That __ the palace of eternity": Milton : OPES - Liza Doolittle OPES her key OPES her door

28. "For real?" : YOU DO

29. Alias in a landmark case : ROE - v. Wade

30. Auctioned wheels : REPO

31. Unlikely replies from sycophants : NOS

32. Get dolled (up) : TOG - Merriaman-Webster: To dress especially in fine clothing —usually used with up or out

35. Atlantic and Pacific, in Monopoly: Abbr. : AVES

37. Prefix with magnetic : ELECTRO - A modern source of ELECTROMAGNETIC radiation 

39. Subscriber's order : RENEWAL

43. Like some coffee tables : OVAL

44. Biological building block : DNA

45. "Veep" network : HBO - The first place I heard the "F-word" from a TV.

46. Henry VIII's sixth wife Catherine : PARR - Mnemonic: 
Divorced, beheaded, died
Divorced, beheaded, survived

49. Public health org. : CDC

51. Sends : MAILS

53. Chef's chamber : OVEN

54. NYC airport : LGA

55. Brahms' Opus 18, for one : SEXTET - 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos

56. Messenger bags : SATCHELS

58. Bend at a barre : PLIE - A PLIE complemented by dumbbell arm raises for your delts!

59. Nobelist Root : ELIHU

60. Kentucky border river : OHIO

62. Publisher Adolph : OCHS

65. Samurai without a master : RONIN - In modern Japan it means "between employers" or a grad student not yet admitted to a university

66. Nix : VETO

67. Wailuku's island : MAUI 

68. Speaks harshly : SNAPS

69. Endor villager : EWOK

70. Design detail, for short : SPEC


Down

1. All-hrs. cash source : ATM

2. Fisher-Price product : TOY

4. Ore. skiing destination : MT HOOD - Wonder Carpet has replaced rope tow on MT HOOD's bunny slope there

5. Crocs, e.g. : SHOES - They're ugly or cool depending on your perspective

6. Guff : LIP

7. "Yes, cap'n!" : AYE SIR

9. Salt Lake City team : UTES - Not the JAZZ

11. Not ready for harvesting : UNRIPE

12. Catching some z's : ASLEEP - Kitty is fighting it!

13. To a smaller degree : LESS SO

21. Commercials on the tube, in adspeak : SPOT TV

23. In need of leveling : UNEVEN

24. Holiday song ender : SYNE

25. Level, e.g. : TOOL - I'm never without one!

33. Ancient source of prophecy : ORACLE

36. Nail polish : ENAMEL - We used Windex to get it out of our carpet successfully

41. Up to it : ABLE

42. Too far off the trail : LOST

46. Tough questions : POSERS

47. Land of Arthurian legend : AVALON

48. Eye part with rods and cones : RETINA - Ah, it's the teacher in me!

50. Kidney-shaped nut : CASHEW

52. Geometry rules : AXIOMS - Transitive AXIOM -  I have two legs. George Clooney has two legs. Ergo, I am George Clooney!

55. Hobgoblin : SPOOK

57. Followers of Attila : HUNS

61. Skater Midori : ITO

63. Palette shade : HUE

64. Incite to go after, with "on" : SIC

Ah yes, at one time our state's low taxes make it this. Oh well, lets move on to comments:

Tuesday, June 21, 2016 Janice Luttrell

Theme: Thereby Hangs a Tail - A tale of a jumbled TAIL.

21A. "Let's say we're even" : CALL IT A WASH

54A. It's all in your mind : MENTAL IMAGE

3D. Off-ramps : EXIT LANES

34D. Sudden downturns, and a literal hint to this puzzle's circles : TAILSPINS

Argyle here. The letters of TAIL are spun into different orders. I found this not as intriguing as Monday's offering but still quite nice. I hope our regulars would catch the meaning of the reveal and find the permutations even without the circles.

Across:

1. Think tank nuggets : IDEAs

6. Party freebies : SWAG

10. Hurricane response org. : FEMA. (Federal Emergency Management Agency)

14. Confusion : MIX UP

15. Shakespearean villain : IAGO. (Othello)

16. Ink color, to Shakespeare : EBON

17. Flower symbolizing freshness : DAISY

18. Turkish money : LIRA

19. Barnes & Noble reader : NOOK

20. Sandwich initials : BLT

24. Some corporate jets : LEARS

26. Internet hookups? : E-DATES

27. "Oh my goodness!" : "DEAR ME!"

29. Like much barley soup : BEEFY

31. Marriott competitor : OMNI

32. Tuneful : ARIOSE. This was seen on a Sunday back in September.

34. Line on a restaurant receipt : TIP

37. Slice of pie : PIECE

39. Car starter: Abbr. : IGNition

40. Bitcoin, e.g. : E-CASH

42. UFO crew, supposedly : ETs

43. "Golly!" : "BY GOSH!". Will we have to hear about this being sacrilege from anon again?

46. Like some garage floors : OILY

47. Raise aloft : HOIST

48. "How do you like them __?!" : APPLES

50. Baltimore athlete : ORIOLE

53. What undercover cops may wear : WIRES. Spy stuff.

57. Fido's foot : PAW

60. Proactiv+ target : ACNE

61. Eins, zwei, __ : DREI. ...und es ist ein zwei drei Schläge Sie auf dem alten Ballspiel sind out.

62. Suspected perp's story : ALIBI bolstered by 58D. Provide a fake 62-Across for, e.g. : ABET

64. Downpour that can hurt : HAIL

65. Has a snack : EATS

66. Rolled to hold fries, as paper : CONED

67. Does impressions of : APES

68. Bug repellent ingredient : DEET

69. Rapidity : HASTE

Down:

1. Website with movie trivia : IMDb. (Internet Movie Database)

2. Use a rotary phone : DIAL

4. Vienna's land: Abbr. : AUStria

5. Surveillance device : SPYCAM. More spy stuff.

6. Window shelves : SILLS

7. Cry miserably : WAIL

8. Prefix with culture : AGRI. Agriculture.

9. Chin growths : GOATEEs

10. Green Monster ballpark : FENWAY

11. WWII German torpedo craft : E-BOAT. The submarines were U-boats.

12. Bullwinkle, for one : MOOSE. Rocky's friend.

13. Egyptian crosses : ANKHs

22. __ rug: small carpet : AREA

23. Magazine revenue source : AD FEE

25. Actor Dane of "Grey's Anatomy" : ERIC. Dr. Mark Sloan.

27. Lowdown : DOPE. Info that isn't as dumb as it sounds.

28. Exude : EMIT

29. Intolerant sort : BIGOT

30. Years on end : EONS

33. Tractor trailers : RIGS

35. Dot on the blue part of a map : ISLE

36. Sci. class : PHYSics

38. Deadly African virus : E-BOLA

41. Handle it as well as one can : COPE

44. Produced, as crops : YIELDED. That bottom land has produced/yielded a bumper crop three years running.

45. Reagan's first secretary of state : HAIG. Al “I’m in charge here” Haig

47. Monopoly buys : HOTELS

49. Lead the flock : PREACH

50. City name famously used by Peyton Manning when calling signals : OMAHA

51. Summarize : RECAP

52. Navel type : INNIE

53. Slacks measure : WAIST. at the innie.

55. "Dies __": hymn : IRAE

56. Ration (out) : METE

59. Like EEE shoes : WIDE

63. Mauna __ : LOA

Argyle

Monday, June 20, 2016 Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: At the Top of the Hour - For your busy commute.

20A. Lena Horne classic that begins "Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky ... " : STORMY WEATHER

26A. Measure of a store's visitors : FOOT TRAFFIC

48A. Bright spot in tough times : WELCOME NEWS

53A. What a Geiger counter measures ... or, as two words, what the ends of 20-, 26- and 48-Across are : RADIOACTIVITY. Radio Activity

Argyle here. A text book Monday. Easy but not stupid easy with interesting themes. I do wonder if it is a new collaboration from Don and C.C. or has it been waiting in the wings. Another appearance of PETSIT makes me wonder.

Across:

1. Birthstone between sapphire and topaz : OPAL. October.

5. Frees (of) : RIDS

9. Russian ruler until 1917 : TSAR. Nicholas II.

13. Get a better mtge. : REFI. (refinance)

14. Take by force : USURP

16. Germany's von Bismarck : OTTO. Prussian statesman.

17. Biting remark : BARB

18. "Divine Comedy" poet : DANTE

19. Auntie of Broadway : MAME. The original Broadway production starred Rosalind Russell.

23. Historic time : ERA

24. Earth tremor : SEISM

32. Tic-tac-toe win : OOO

34. Dryer screen buildup : LINT

35. German-born sex therapist, familiarly : DR. RUTH. PSA? She has her own YouTube channel.

36. Neither here __ there : NOR

37. Choir members : ALTOs

39. John, in Scotland : IAN

40. "All My Children" vixen : ERICA. Susan Lucci.

42. "Not so hot" : "MEH"

43. Tangerine kin : ORANGE

46. Subj. for nature lovers : ECOLogy

47. Before, to Byron : ERE

50. Sales talk : SPIEL

52. U.N. advocate for workers' rights : ILO. (International Labour Organization)

60. Tiny "smashing" target : ATOM

62. Gem measure : CARAT

10-Carat-Forever-Brilliant-Lab-Grown-Moissanite

 

63. __ of expertise : AREA

64. Works on the lawn : MOWS

65. Subway entrance : STILE. I tried STAIR first.

66. Fish home, at home : TANK

67. Game on horseback : POLO

68. Piped up : SAID

69. Grinds to a halt : ENDS

Down:

1. Planets, to poets : ORBS

2. Gardening moss : PEAT

3. Oversize coif : AFRO

4. Opera text : LIBRETTO. First of the four excellent long columns.

5. Poet Kipling : RUDYARD

6. "__ Mommy kissing ... " : I SAW. Santa doesn't kiss and tell ... unless it is Lois.

7. Sandy hill : DUNE

8. Madrid miss: Abbr. : SRTA. Señorita.

9. Marisa of "My Cousin Vinny" : TOMEI

10. Touring figure skating show : STARS ON ICE. Tinman approved use of _ _ _.

11. Emer. cash source : ATM

12. Caviar : ROE

15. Feed the neighbor's cat, say : PET SIT

21. "The A-Team" muscleman : MR. T

22. Actress Anne : HECHE

25. Milked animal, in kiddie-speak : MOO-COW

26. Olympic stadium centerpiece : FLAME

27. Mideast ships : OILERS

28. Hunting, catlike : ON THE PROWL

29. Common typeface : ARIAL

30. Old French money : FRANC

31. Practice fly ball, e.g. : FUNGO. Usually hit with a FUNGO bat. (1865-70, Americanism; of obscure origin)

33. Postgrad tests : ORALs

38. Spread, as seed : SOWED

41. Do over, as a kitchen : RENOVATE

44. They're dug up at digs : RELICS

45. Gave off : EMITTED

49. Yalie : ELI

51. "You are not!" rebuttal : "I AM SO!"

54. Cheerios grain : OATS

55. Opera showpiece : ARIA

56. Colombian city : CALI

57. Persia, now : IRAN

58. See to : TEND

59. Jabbers : YAKs. I dunno...they may have been yaking.

60. Rock band need : AMP

61. As well : TOO

Argyle

Sunday June 19th, 2016 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme:  "I Ching" - CHING is added to each theme entry.

23A. Job for the philharmonic's publicist? : ORCHESTRA PITCHING. Orchestra pit.

41A. Sign over a woodcarver's shop? : NOTCHING FOR SALE. Not for Sale.

 

83A. Country club mentors? : TEACHING CADDIES. Tea caddies.

106A. Crowding on the barbecue grill? : HAMBURGER BUNCHING. Hamburger bun.

 

16D. Marriage of theater performers? : BROADWAY HITCHING. Broadway hit. Two pairs of Down entries intersect two Across entries. Nice!

36D. Late-shift laundry job? : EVENING STARCHING. Evening star.

This is the kind of the theme I'd not have dreamed of, adding a rare 5-letter string to each theme answer. Jeffrey is very creative when it comes to letter(s) addition/deletion/replacement gimmick.

Total 96 theme squares. Very manageable.  Jeffrey went low with 138 words. Our average is 144. Low word count often produces some snazzy entries like TRUE/FALSE (19. Type of question) and MT. SHASTA (77D. Highest peak in the Calif. Cascades). It also produces some wobbly long fill like REPACKER (78D. One changing hotels, perhaps) and abundant  3-letter words (total 42). Constructors are risking it when they go over 40 3-letter on a Sunday grid.

For those Sunday-only solvers, I met with the great Jeffrey last Sunday at the MN Crossword Tournament. He was busy with the event, but we managed to talk a bit about our blog & puzzle-making. He's passionate about crosswords and we're lucky to enjoy his talent & hard work on a regular basis.

 

Left to Right: David Liben-Nowell, Cathy Long (David's friend), Tom Pepper, Jeffrey Wechsler, David Hanson & C.C.

Across:

  

1. H.S. equivalency tests : GEDs

5. Hold on : WAIT

9. Mollusk named for its earlike extensions : SEA HARE. Helpful clue.

16. Tool used at home : BAT.  Home plate. Also 48A. Reliever Robb with 314 career saves : NEN. 79A. Target Field player : TWIN

21. One responsible to an officer : PAROLEE. Simple in retrospect.

22. Narrow inlet : RIA

25. Hockey legend : ORR

26. Rock bands : STRATA. Great clue.

27. Made tracks : RAN

28. Essen-to-Leipzig direction, locally : OST

29. Chief justice before Hughes : TAFT. Got via crosses, despite the CHIEF JUSTICE puzzle I made with George.

30. Sun. message : SER

31. Where narcs may be found : ON A BUST. Not a fan of this type of entry. Or IN A JAR/CAN. 

34. Headline makers : MEDIA

35. Weaving components : WEFTS

38. Kitchen appliance : JUICER. Mine is Jack Lalanne. 

39. Nielsen unit : VIEWER

40. Michelangelo masterpiece : DAVID. Did you try PIETA first?

44. Cell users' concerns : OVERAGES. Not a word I use.

46. Chaplin of "Game of Thrones" : OONA

47. QB's stats : YDs

49. Side-to-side movement : YAW

50. Devon demolition work : RASING. Crossing 50. Refresh one's knowledge of, to a Brit : RUB UP. The latter is new to me.

54. Med. research agency : NIH

56. Much Arctic Ocean coastline : ASIA Also 93. North Atlantic perils : BERGS

58. "Don't even try" : IT'S FUTILE. Reminds me of Jeffrey's I WAS MAD a while ago.

61. Modern storage unit : CD FILE. Also new to me. I don't use CDs any more.

64. Heartless role for Jack Haley? : TIN MAN. Nice clue/fill.

66. Union grievance figure : ARBITER

67. "We've Got Tonight" duettist with Rogers : EASTON (Sheena). Wiki says it was a hit in 1983. Was 1983 memorable to you? We were able to eat meat once a week then.

68. Marx collaborator : ENGELS. Heroes when I grew up.

69. Dodgeball taunt : YOU MISSED. Never played Dodgeball.

71. Twice tetra- : OCTA. 8.

72. Long-running NBC comedy : SNL

73. Self-described toon "dust magnet" : PIG PEN. "Peanuts".

74. Snitch : RAT

76. Engine room noise : HUM

77. "I pity the fool" speaker : MR. T

81. "A kind of library," to Borges : PARADISE. Unfamiliar with the saying. 

90. Symposium group : PANEL

91. Unexpected twist : SPRAIN. Not plot twist.

92. Raise : PARENT

94. Modern break-ins : HACKS

95. To whom Alice said, "Why, they're only a pack of cards" : HERSELF. Unexpected clue.

97. Stylish '60s Londoner : MOD

98. Liniment target : ACHE

99. Half a drum : TOM. This "Half a drum" solved a nagging problem for me yesterday. I just could not understand what the guy was talking on a YouTube clip, neither could Boomer. The "Half a drum"  came back to me in a few minutes.

100. Half of MXII : DVI. All crosses. I was not going to calculate.

101. Ring combo : ONE TWO

105. __ slope : SKI

111. High end of many a scale : TEN. On a scale of 1 to 10...

112. "The poetry of reality": Dawkins : SCIENCE. Jeffrey likes quote clues.

113. Initiates, as a conversation : STRIKES UP

114. Uru. neighbor : ARG

115. "Dylan & __": 1989 rock album collaboration : THE DEAD. Also unfamiliar to me. Bob Dylan. The Grateful Dead.

116. Song : TUNE

117. "Nice" Laurel and Hardy predicament : MESS. Got via crosses as well.

Down:

1. Car in a '60s hit : GTO

2. Goes astray : ERRS

3. Air line : DUCT. Loved the clue as well.

4. Very, in Mannheim : SEHR. A bit more challenging than TRES.

5. Doesn't use efficiently : WASTES

6. Vow site : ALTAR

7. Lod's land: Abbr. : ISR

8. Remove, as a coupon : TEAR OUT

9. Strength-building food of comics : SPINACH. Have any of you tried water spinach? So good.

10. Snack on : EAT. And 12. Snack cake brand : HO HOs

 11. Line on a globe : ARC

13. High-profile group : A-LIST

14. Flat charge : RENT. We've seen [Flat rate] clue before.

15. Med. recording : EEG

17. Control tower vista : AIRFIELD. There's one a few miles from our home. 

18. Raw beef dishes : TARTARES. This is plurable? Irish Miss likes steak tartare.

20. Dedication to a saint : FEAST DAY

24. Fast-spreading emotion : PANIC

29. Driving areas : TEES

32. "Cursed __ that did so!": "The Tempest" : BE I. Gluey entry. By the way, Bei means "North" in Chinese. Jing means "capital". So Beijing means "northern capital". 

33. Caterer's vessel : URN

34. Landmark case name : MIRANDA

35. Signals to try to score : WAVES IN

37. Christmas buy : FIR

38. __ A. Bank Clothiers : JOS. None in our neighborhood.

39. Beethoven opener? : VON. Ludwig van Beethoven.

40. Give : DONATE. Grateful for all constructors/volunteers who donated time and puzzles to the MN Crossword Tournament, esp Jeffrey.

41. Mature eft : NEWT

42. Ill-fated ones : GONERS

43. Golden Gate phenomenon : FOG

45. Investors' goals : GAINS

51. Grisham's "__ to Kill" : A TIME

52. Protest tactic : SIT IN

53. Martinique et Réunion : ILEs

55. "In that case ... " : IF SO

57. "I heartily agree" : AMEN

59. Adage : SAYING

60. Cleft-tongued critter : FROG. I never paid attention to frog's tongue.

61. Fragrant conifer : CEDAR

62. Chinese water garden staples : LOTUSES. Subjects of many Chinese poems. It stands for purity & tranquillity. Here are two plants Irish Miss sent to me back in March. The  frosty nights killed the third one. Do you know their names?

63. Paint choice : ENAMEL

65. What "can be yours ... if the price is right!" : ALL THIS. 7-letter partial.

70. Important times : ERAs

73. Etui item : PIN

75. Obsolescent music source : TAPE DECK

80. Take the gold : WIN

81. Guinea pig, for some : PET

82. Patriotic org. : DAR

84. Food to celebrate with : CAKE. Sorry for the Z crossing yesterday, Dave! Thanks to all who solved my puzzle and gave me valuable feedback. Yes, FermatPrime, I have two more in queue.

85. "Kiss of life," briefly : CPR

86. Small batteries : AAs

87. Saved from obscurity, with "up" : DREDGED

88. Probe : DELVE

89. Leading : IN FIRST

93. Sports journalist Bernstein : BONNIE

95. Pal : HOMIE

96. Nestle securely : EMBED

97. Express bereavement : MOURN

99. Measurer of rpm : TACH

102. Movie about giant ants : THEM. The poster looks too scary.

103. Impudent : WISE

104. Burden : ONUS

106. 33rd pres. : HST. Did you know the answer immediately? I know JFK was the 35th, then counted back.

107. A, in Arles : UNE

108. Red Seal label company : RCA. Wiki says RCA Red Seal is a classical music label. Jeffrey loves classical music.

109. Heating stat : BTU

110. New car feature, for short : GPS

C.C.

Saturday, Jun 18th, 2016, Ed Sessa

Theme: None

Words: 68 (missing J,K,Q)

Blocks: 29

 I bounced back from last week's disaster pretty well with Mr. Sessa's latest, even though it did not look promising to start - but I have to admit to one Google in the NE. Again the grid was replete with proper names, but I was pleased with myself for getting some of the longer fill right off, and that gave me some traction in the other corners - big chunky corners of 8x5s and nearly 9x6s, and two 9s and two 10s in the Down as well.  The two "B" climbers;

9. Britain's Yeoman Warders, familiarly : BEEF EATERS - I knew the term "beef eaters", but not the 'proper' name for the now ceremonial royal guard - the Wiki

 27. Some house-to-garage links : BREEZEWAYS - nailed it

 

(~!)

ACROSS:

1. Alaska's Alaskan Malamute, for one : STATE DOG - It fit, so I went with it

9. Have rounds all around : BAR HOP - The "P" showed via perps early, so I pondered "something - UP"....bzzzt

15. Locks maintenance : HAIRCARE - tresses or transportation for ships~?

16. Tennyson's "lily maid of Astolat" : ELAINE - my one cheat....the Wiki

17. Volcanic glass : OBSIDIAN - nailed it

18. Omitted from a speech? : ELIDED

19. Calms : ALLAYS - I had --LA-S, and was tempted to go with RELAX(e)S - har-har

20. Spells out : DEFINES

22. __ United: English soccer team : LEEDS - my dad was a Manchester United fan

23. Serious order shortage? : MELEE - stared at this too long, then the V-8 can flew; when a riot breaks out, there's little order to be found

24. Ideal: Abbr. : STD

26. Where Andorra is : IBERIA - nailed it, but then SPAIN didn't fit at the true clecho; 36a. Where Andorra is : EUROPE, so I contemplated ESPANA - dah~! Europe is too easy~!

28. __-American : AFRO

29. Picketing displays : PLACARDS

33. Iranian city known for its carpets : TABRIZ - OK, so I went with PERSIA, which IS  Iran, I know....

35. Rest : REPOSE

37. Ascribe (to) : IMPUTE - one of a few new words for me today

38. Few are chosen : SURNAMES - ah.  Clever.

40. Hamlet : DORP - went down the four-letter list; TOWN, BURG, BURB - but this one is new to me; it's Dutch

41. "Moulin Rouge" (1952) co-star, familiarly : ZSA-ZSA - once I had a "Z"....

43. Storm dir. : ENE - total WAG, considering the combinations, but this one always fits best

44. __-wip : REDDI - I knew that the "ready" part was spelled wrong, but never noticed the "H" was missing from the other half

45. Underhanded undertaking : THEFT

50. Bonus : THROW-IN

52. Southwestern native : PUEBLO - oops, not NAVAJO

53. Hyphenated frozen food brand : ORE-IDA - I like mini-taters

54. Ear-piercing : OVERLOUD - what do you wanna do with your life~?!?!?

I wanna rock

56. Analgesic rub : BENGAY - this was in another Saturday puzzle not too long ago

57. Gave the business : TORE INTO

58. Auto options : SEDANS

59. Blows : EXPLODES - I just watched the "Lego Movie", which was really funny in parts - Batman especially - but the explosions were done with the blocks, too, and I can only imagine the work that went into them - the ocean waves, too

The Kra--gl-e~!

DOWN:

1. Marine hazard : SHOAL - ah.  Not sToRM

2. China setting : TABLE

3. Theater access : AISLE

4. F-A-C, e.g. : TRIAD - musical reference; I got it, but only because I play guitar; leave off the open e string from the chord below, and you have F-A-C.  I've been toying with this song, which has really great power chords

5. One barely working? : ECDYSIAST - this is new to me, too - according to Dictionary, it's a euphemism for stripper - one "bare"ly working....

6. Place of honor : DAIS - or the pole, if you're part of the previous clue's working class

7. __ pro nobis : ORA - also a learning moment; "pray for us"

8. Pair in many languages : GENDERS - um....

10. "Hyperbole and a Half" blogger Brosh : ALLIE - all perps and a WAG

11. __ check : RAIN

12. Avoids being seen by : HIDES FROM

13. Private sign? : ONE STRIPE

14. __ XING : PED

21. "The Good Wife" crisis manager Gold : ELI - I don't watch the show - IMDb

23. Rx : MEDication(s)

25. Drops off : DOZES

28. Yellow Pokémon species that ultimately evolves to Alakazam : ABRA - total unknown; and the "B" was my last fill

29. Roaring group : PRIDE - Lions, get it~?

30. What "love is like," in a 1960s hit : LEMON TREE - before my time; I can't justify posting it here along with Twisted Sister - so here's a link

31. Take in : APPREHEND - ah, not the ALTER clothing kind

32. No small feat : COUP

34. Bare : AU NATUREL - I think a woman is sexier in clothing

38. Bad news metaphor : SAD NOTE - and on a "Sad Note", the hockey season is over, and unfortunately, the trophies were awarded to the "wrong" players....just one Ranger fan's opinion....

39. Eponymous weapon : UZI

42. Star Wars, initially : SDI - Space Strategic Defense Initiative - I do that all the time....

44. Godzilla ally, at times : RODAN - how I miss those Saturday afternoon matinees

46. Prefix with tropic : HELIO

47. FDR bought the first one in 1941 : E BOND - "war" bonds - the Wiki

48. Champagne holder : FLUTE

49. Kerfuffles : TO-DOS - more MELEE

51. University of Latvia locale : RIGA

52. Lineup member, hopefully : PERPetrator, not the perpendiculars of crossword fame

53. Delivery pros : OBStetrician - I had "OB-" early, so it was not UPS

55. __ populi : VOX

Splynter

Note from C.C.: 

I made today's Daily Celebrity Crossword. You can click here (Washington Post site) to solve online if you're not on Facebook. The puzzle is co-edited by Amy Reynaldo (Diary of a Crossword Fiend) and Trip Payne (3-letter ACPT champion). The grid is smaller than our weekday puzzle, only  13*13.

Let me know how long it takes you to solve or where your trouble spots are.