Sunday October 26, 2014 Melanie Miller

Theme:  "Give It a Go" - GO is added to each theme entry.

27A. Fruit found in the back of the fridge? : DIRTY OLD MANGO. Dirty old man. I don't put mangoes in the fridge. I treat them like bananas.

45A. Class on an African river? : CONGO COURSE. Concourse.

58A. Newspaper issue for arrogant readers? : EGO EDITION. e-Edition. I don't think we'll give up our Star Tribune unless they give up. I need a real newspaper on hand.

 

67A. Google an African nation? : LOOK UP TOGO. Look up to.

83A. Cruise for drummers? : BONGO VOYAGE. Von voyage. Poor Jayce. My high school chemistry teacher was equally discouraging.

95A. Pasta sauce checkout line? : PREGO REGISTER. Pre-register.

35D. Old MacDonald's signature dance? : FARMER'S TANGO. Farmer's tan.

40D. Inexpensive game with cards? : BARGAIN BINGO. Bargain bin.

Very tight theme set, every GO is attached to the end of the first /last word.

A bit of unusual grid set-up, as the first theme answers starts on Row 4 rather than Row 3. The fill reminds me a bit of Gail's Sunday grids, super clean & smooth. No obscure or junky fill. No shock and awe entries either.

Melanie Miller is one of the constructors for the Crossword LA tournament. You can click here to get the puzzle set for only $5. All proceeds go to Reading to Kids. Other constructors include Patti Varol, Byron Walden, Trip Payne, Merl Reagle and David Quartfoot. You'll also get two warm-up puzzles from Andrea Carla Michaels and Susan Gelfand. Amy Reynaldo was the Puzzle Wrangler and she got the very best constructors (all from California or with California ties) for the tournament.

Across:

1. Like many horses : SHOD

5. Wood used in guitar-making : ALDER. Ash too.

10. Bob up and down, say : FLOAT

15. Five tenths : HALF

19. Hefty volume : TOME

20. Fill, as old water bottles : RE-USE

21. Fiennes who played Lord Voldemort : RALPH. I like him in The English Patient.

22. Sandbox boo-boo : OWIE

23. Forearm bone : ULNA

24. Irritate : GRATE

25. Sharp mountain ridge : ARETE. I always think of Spitzboov when I see this word. He knows a lot of geographic term and iceberg related stuff.

26. Distribute, with "out" : METE

30. Lyrical homage : ODE

32. Month named for a general : JULY. Named for Caesar.

33. Russian-born Deco designer : ERTE

34. Given the lowdown : BRIEFED

38. Fish recipe instruction : DEBONE. Did you know that most of frozen salmon we have here in the US are sent to China to debone? So, the fish we eat are twice frozen, at least.

41. Claude's "Thanks" : MERCI

43. Salon service : HAIR CARE. Put some coconut oil in your conditioner.

44. Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium city : OMAHA. Gimme for Gary/Joe/Ergo.

47. Zodiac symbol : RAM

48. Get, as a degree : EARN

49. 1905 Peter Pan player Adams : MAUDE. No idea. The Bond girl is MAUD Adams.

50. Moderate pace : TROT

51. Kid's comeback : AM SO

52. Horse and buggy : RIG. This is a new meaning of RIG to me.

53. Slip : LAPSE

54. Suppressed : SAT ON

56. Belief system : CREED

57. '70s extremist gp. : SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army). They kidnapped Patty Hearst, who was granted a full pardon by Clinton.

60. Lacking manners : COARSE

61. Muslim leaders : IMAMS

63. Place for worms? : CAN. And 64. Places for outlets : WALLS.

65. Chilean lady : SENORA

71. Shop __ you drop : TIL. I can shop for hours without buying anything.

74. Striped cat : TABBY

75. Grammy winner Lena : HORNE

76. Radio station, say : AIRER

77. Excitement : ADO

78. Mayberry sot Campbell : OTIS. I think Gary or Tinbeni mentioned this guy before.

79. Hr. portions : MINs

 

80. Super-small : EENSY

81. Holier-than-thou sort : SNOB

 

82. Web portal letters : MSN

86. Bird with a hooked beak : EAGLE

87. Events with tiaras : PAGEANTS. Have any of you watched Here Comes Honey Boo Boo?  So glad it's canceled.

89. Ryan of "The Beverly Hillbillies" : IRENE

90. Adorn in relief : EMBOSS

91. Newspaper fillers : STORIES

92. Spanish liqueur : ANIS

93. High male voice : ALTO

94. Historic Nevada city : ELY. Historic because?

100. 1998 Apple debut : iMAC

103. Pitchfork feature : PRONG

105. Pay : REMIT

106. More than some : A LOT

108. Remove forcibly : OUST

109. Bangladesh neighbor : INDIA

110. IRS requirement for many : E-FILE

111. Big-time blow : GALE

112. Plate cleaners, at times : UMPS. Great clue. The Royals have to win tonight!

113. Stun gun : TASER

114. Farm fathers : SIRES

115. "__ Enchanted": 2004 film : ELLA. Anne Hathaway movie. She's a good singer.

Down:

1. RV connection? : STU. Alphabet.

2. Own : HOLD

3. Bus lead-in : OMNI

4. Last letter? : DEAR JOHN. Kids nowadays break up via text.

5. Diamond pattern : ARGYLE. Hi there, Santa.

6. First name of boy detective Encyclopedia Brown : LEROY. Is he the inspiration for Bad, Bad Leroy Brown?

7. Like some college majors : DUAL

8. Formed, on a bus. sign : ESTD.  I read it as "Bus sign".

9. Surface again : RE-EMERGE

10. Wrought-up : FRANTIC

11. __-screen TV : LARGE

12. Baking ingredient : OLEO. Never had it before. Does your wife eat butter, Jayce/Barry G?

13. Likely : APT

14. Creative thinker : THEORIST. I guess those guys are creative.

15. Household skills class : HOME EC

16. More than impress : AWE

17. On, in a way : LIT

18. Entry price : FEE

28. Sandwich fish : TUNA

29. Western U.S. service station chain : ARCO

31. Ominous : DIRE

34. Business tycoon : BARON. I was stunned by Mark Zuckerberg's fluent Chinese last week.  He conducted a 30-minutes Q & A in Chinese. Both Facebook and Twitter are blocked in China, by the way.

36. Clears : ERASES

37. Out of fashion, in France : DEMODE. Démodé.

38. Bundles of energy : DOERS

39. Terminal communication : EMAIL.  Terminal made me think of airport.

41. "Eek!" evoker : MOUSE

42. Put a halt to : ENDED

43. Georgian Bay's lake : HURON

45. Tough heads : CAPOS. Mafia bosses.

46. Maestro Klemperer : OTTO. I've been to Appleton, D-Otto. I remember they have a Cracker Barrel there.

49. Volcanic fluid : MAGMA

51. Shrunken inland sea : ARAL

53. "Rescue Me" star Denis : LEARY

54. Commercial interest : STAKE

55. Native of Hokkaido : AINU. Here it is again.

56. Rose or violet : COLOR

59. Picture of an envelope, e.g. : ICON. Wow, so easy in retrospect. Mail me.

60. Cleverly guarded : CAGEY

62. Riot squad concerns : MOBS. China executed 8 Muslim extremists earlier this year for their terrorist act in Oct 2013. In America, the procedure would take forever.

64. No __ for the wear : WORSE

65. Treads heavily : STOMPS

66. Greatly bothers : EATS AT

67. Hungers : LONGS

68. Roughly speaking : OR SO

69. Many a church song : PAEAN

70. Bit : TINGE

72. Fan favorites : IDOLS

73. Hoops may hang from them : LOBES. Earrings.

75. Subtle suggestions : HINTS

79. Financial drain : MONEY PIT. Great fill.

80. Dilapidated buildings, say : EYESORES. Another great one.

81. Deliberate destruction : SABOTAGE. Three in a row.

83. Leave in a hurry, slangily : BAIL

84. Oil partner : VINEGAR. My grandma used to make persimmon vinegar with the persimmons from our front yard trees. Xi'An has a big Muslim Quarters where the persimmon cakes are must-eats. No unrest there. We've been living peacefully together for centuries.

85. Copier insert: Abbr. : ORIG

86. Rescue team, briefly : EMTs

88. Builds : ERECTS

90. Upper crust groups : ELITES

92. Golfer with an "army" : ARNIE. He was at the TPC here a few months ago for the Champions Tour.

93. Nimble : AGILE

95. Sci-fi carriers : PODS

96. Interest-lowering option, briefly : RE-FI

97. Kuwaiti ruler : EMIR

98. Israeli carrier : EL AL

99. It's called in class : ROLL

100. Note in lieu of cash : IOU. Thought of the poor Madame Bovary.

101. Not exactly talkative : MUM. Are you still reading us, LaLaLinda?

102. Dangerous reptile : ASP

104. Genetic messenger : RNA

107. Drink from a bag : TEA. Good for tired eyes also.

C.C. 

Saturday, Oct 25th, 2014, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing F,J,Q)

Blocks: 32

  Nothing like starting the weekend off with a Silkie~!  I did well in the four corners, but the central block was all proper names, and a DNF loomed.  But - much to my surprise, my WAG-fest actually got me the "Ta-DA~!!".  In fact, upon reviewing the answers for the blog, I noticed that there was a whole bunch of WAGs which got me through.  Triple 11's in the across corners, triple 7's in the downs, and a pair of tens towards the center.  A few of the "acrosses";

4. Bulls' arena? : STOCK MARKET - I was curious if this might be a reference to where the Chicago Bulls play - United Center - but it's too long

16. Fighter with a record 131 career knockouts : ARCHIE MOORE - the Wiki

58. Reef dwellers : SEA ANEMONES - I toyed with "ANEMONE", but the "SEA" part eluded me

60. Wheel of Fortune highlight : PRIZE PUZZLE - I have a "DF" T-shirt that I think is hysterical - you'll have to email me for the image

Own a Dr.~!

ACROSS:

1. Maker of Select writing products : BIC - sure, I'll start with a gimme

15. "Microsoft sound" composer : ENO (Brian) - WAG

17. Georgia, once: Abbr. : SSR - The Russian version, not the U.S.

18. Deli order : POTATO SALAD

19. Player : THESPIAN - ah, that kind of player

21. Experts : WONKS; clecho at 50a. Experts : GURUS

22. Washes : BATHES

23. Word heard before and after old : SAME - Same old, same old....

25. Elected : OPTED - ah, not VOTED

26. Onetime Klein assistant : KARAN - I'm going out on a limb here and saying this is Calvin Klein and Donna Karan, two fashion superstars; I like DKNY because of these (From C.C.: Anne Klein)

31. Maestro's wear : TUX

32. Academic __ : YEAR

33. Occurred : CAME TO PASS - it came to pass this week that the blue-eyed girl was not at my home group on Tuesday, plus I was unable to get to the meeting I believe she regularly attends - but I do know her sponsor - so something good may still 'come to pass'

35. "The Clapping Song" singer, 1983 : PIA ZADORA - WAG

37. Santa Ana Volcano locale : EL SALVADOR - WAG

40. "La __ Breve": de Falla opera : VIDA - perps, this time

44. Rustic setting : LEA

45. Tanglewood Music Festival town : LENOX - WAG

46. Made aware, with "in" : CLUED

47. Family nickname : MAMA - had to wait on "P", or "M"

49. Target of some reality show hunts : GHOSTS

53. Natural moisturizer : ALOE VERA

55. Cause a dramatic reversal : TURN THE TIDE

57. Buck: Abbr. : DOLLar

59. Deadlock : TIE and a referential at 61a. They may resolve 59-Acrosses, briefly : OTS

DOWN:       

1. Film crew assistant : BEST BOY - I loved working on the movie set; I was not the "Best Boy", but I did do set construction, special effects, stand-in, extra, editing, and I was the "star" of the Bloopers reel

2. Fit : IN SHAPE

3. First name in civil rights : CORETTA - widow of Martin Luther King, Jr.

4. Exhausted : SAPPED - I was sapped yesterday - from UPS at 4am to doing the blog, but in between I did my first independent Home Inspection - I felt like I caught the important things, but I need to get used to the software

5. Nice crowd? : TROIS - Menage?

6. Prefix with -gon : OCTA -  I threw in "POLY" - and that was ZERO % correct

7. "Keeper of the Keys" detective : CHAN

8. Handy set : KIT

9. Shelter cry : MEOW

10. Recess retort : AM SO

11. Colorful mounts : ROANS

12. Capital of the state of West Bengal : KOLKATA - Hey~! Two for the price of one (map); Nepal and Bengal

13. Dutch humanist : ERASMUS - WAG

14. Rock star Nugent : TED 

20. Nepali language : SHERPA - I thought this referred to a 'guide' from the area; live and learn

24. George Strait's "All My __ Live in Texas" : EX'S

26. "On the Waterfront" director : KAZAN - dah~! KAFKA, er, CAPRA, D'oh~! I did notice the crossing of kaRan and kaZan

27. "Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon" author : AMADO

28. Chemical reaction portmanteau : REDOX - reactions are typically one of two types; reduction, or oxidation - the Wiki

29. Decor attachment : ATOR - DecorATOR - meh, but you gotta "33d" sometimes

30. Logical connector : NOR - Neither...

33. Yield : CAVE

34. Pioneer in conditioning research : PAVLOV - HEY~! - guess who was hostess last night at the restaurant where I built the benches~!  I was there to make a space for a new printer and set it up, and the owner told me to "dress smart", because my favorite blonde was back~!  I was drooling, but it was the ribs I had for dinner, I swear.

36. Peaked : ILL

37. American __, North Dakota state tree : ELM

38. Big or Little follower : LEAGUER

39. Kabuto-wearing warrior : SAMURAI

41. "That was normal for me once" : "I USED TO"

42. Ford Field city : DETROIT - Ted is from Detroit ( 14d )

43. Magazine department : AD SALES

46. Swiss, e.g. : CHEESE

48. Lucie of "The Jazz Singer" (1980) : ARNAZ

49. Logician known for "incompleteness theorems" : GODEL

51. __ Reader: eclectic magazine : UTNE

52. Apt collie name : SHEP

53. Comprehensive : A TO Z

54. City on the Danube : LINZ

55. Sugar meas. : TSP

56. Shield supporter on Australia's coat of arms : EMU - WAG

Splynter

Friday, Ocotber 24, 2014, Bruce Haight

Theme: What is funnier than a Latin Pun? "ex nihilo nihil fit."

Those six years of Latin in school certainly paid off today, in this whimsical 'add a letter' theme to get a funny answer to a silly definition. I am not sure if the Latin phrases would be difficult for anyone as they seem fairly known, but I am sure you will let me know. I thought some theme answers were very funny, and other not so much. In each case, the meaning of one of the words in the Latin phrase is preserved with other getting the added letter. Another Friday where we have lots of short fill (sixty-seven 3,4 and 5 letter fill) and only two sparklies, I’M OUTA HERE, HOLY SMOKES, with COE and NAURU being fresh fill. The second LAT puzzle from Mr. Haight, who has 6 NYT publications. He is a mentee of Peter Collins, one of the many constructors I admire. Let's see where he takes us.


17A. Latin for "big idiot"? : MAGNUM DOPUS.(11). Original Latin, Magnum Opus, meaning greatest work. Greatest work ----Greatest idiot. (an echo of magnum opus in the same week, coincidence, no! Or at least Owen says no.)

23A. Latin for "holding a grudge for a long, long time"? : MAD INFINITUM.(12). Ad Infinitum, meaning: to infinity ----Angry forever.

38A. Latin for "fighting over parking spots is not allowed"? : NO LOT CONTENDERE.(15). Nolo Contendere, the guilty plea where one does not admit guilt, but does not 'contest' the charge. This grid spanner might be a seed entry but it confused the crap out of me, as I had an idea with the added D and M, there was going to be some kind of Roman Numeral reveal, appropriate to a Latin based theme, no go. No contest ----No parking lot contest.

47A. Latin for "cheating on one's timecard"? : TEMPUS FUDGIT. (12). Tempus Fugit. Time flies ----Time is fudged (faked).

59A. Latin for "fish trading"? : SQUID PRO QUO.(11). By far my favorite, where Quid Pro Quo gets all tentacles on us. This for that ----fish(sort of) ----for that.

Across:

1. Critters who worshiped C-3PO as a god : EWOKS.

6. Penicillin precursor : SULFA. Being allergic to Penicillin and growing up before the antibiotic explosion, I remember this.

11. Like Beethoven's Second Symphony : IN D. You like this better than the abbreviation?

14. Museum piece : RELIC.

15. Central Florida city : OCALA. Gainesville's bedroom community and great horse country.

16. Wild West : MAE. I got this immediately when I saw it was three letters but still love the clue/fill.

19. "Certainement!" : OUI. Vraiment! Aussi, 66A. Idée sources : TETES. French for heads, from whence we get our ideas.

20. Blotter letters : AKA. Also Known As. It has a cousin, FKA.

21. Good, in Genoa : BUONO. Just the Italian word.

22. Hides in the closet? : FURS. Another witty use of the confusion of the verb really being a noun here.

26. Classic pops : NEHIS. Pop=Soda; easy for those in the Midwest and a clue without Radar.

29. Charles of old mysteries : NORA. Married to Nick and played by Myrna Loy.

30. Bustles : ADOS. A new clue for a crossword staple.

31. Steam table fuel : STERNO. You get a nice ONE but it won't be cheap.

35. "Good" cholesterol initials : HDL. High-density lipoprotein.

41. Adams of "The Muppets" : AMY.

42. Owl, at times : HOOTER. Oh, so they named the restaurant chain after some owls?

43. Turkmenistan neighbor : IRAN.

44. Where change is welcome : SLOT. Though slot machines no longer have slots for change.

46. "Choose taste" sauce brand : PREGO.

53. Son of Aphrodite : EROS.

54. Cell terminal : ANODE. Battery positive, I am positive.

55. Cry made with a raised index finger : AHA!

58. Torah holder : ARK.

62. Journalist William Shirer's alma mater : COE. I remember the MAN well but had no idea where he went to college, nor any real memory of the existence of a Coe College. I read the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich when it came out, but not with....

63. Verve : GUSTO. As a ...

64. Hefty portion : CHUNK. of the book was very upsetting.

65. Shop door nos. : HRS. Hours.

67. Salon and others : E-MAGS. It sounds all POLITICAL so I have never read it.

Down:

1. First name in wit : ERMA. Ms. Bombeck I believe is more famous as fill than as anything else.

2. Watery, as a drink : WEAK. Am I the only one who thought of the talented Molly Sudgen as Mrs. Slocombe telling the men they were "weak as water?" LINK.(2:53).

3. One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters" : OLGA. Called Olya, Maria (Masha) and little Irina.

4. Blood : KIN. I ken kin.

5. Takes a dive? : SCUBAS. Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.

6. Agreeable words : SO DO I.

7. Sch. originally endowed by the Storrs brothers : UCONN. An ultimate gimme, as it was the place of undergraduate and graduate study for me. Go Huskies!

8. __ luxury : LAP OF.

9. Viral ailment : FLU.

10. Remote power sources : AAS. We get a lot of battery clues to go with our wide feet clues.

11. "See ya!" : I'M OUTA HERE. Not yet,  still working away.

12. Pacific republic near the equator : NAURU. This was hard. LINK.

13. Voltaire's world-view : DEISM.

18. Joe with some oomph : MUD. For those who like Starbucks.

22. Holiday buy : FIR. FUR fits as well, and many a husband is up a tree if all he buys is the tree.

23. Sapporo soup : MISO. Healthy or not. You DECIDE.

24. __ circle : INNER. Fun Jamaican band. Listen.(3:42).

25. "High __" : NOON. Gary Cooper at his best.

26. Family nickname : NANA.

27. Biblical kingdom near the Dead Sea : EDOM.

28. "Yikes!" : HOLY SMOKES. I like this thought I struggled for a bit.

31. Glaswegians, e.g. : SCOTS. I also like this name for those from Glasgow.

32. Furthermore : TOO.

33. Tolkien creature : ENT.

34. Series of turns: Abbr. : RTE. I guess this is accurate, but again not my first thought.

36. Snoozefest : DRAG.

37. 2014 Television Academy Hall of Fame inductee : LENO.

39. Biblical pronoun : THOU.

40. Gossip : DIRT. It would not be worth repeating if it were not a bit 'dirty.'

45. Vinyl spinners : LPS. Long Plays.

46. Go through : PIERCE. Another perfectly correct fill that slowed me.

47. Emulate Anne Sullivan : TEACH. The famous guide to Helen Keller, herself a handicapped person who was taught at the Perkins School for the blind in Boston. In high school I wrestled against one of there students in a tournament.

48. Flub : ERROR.

49. Gounod opera : FAUST. Only 2 hours plus. LINK. (2:19:06).

50. Form an alliance : UNITE.

51. Extinct Mauritian birds : DODOS. A CSO to our dear friend.

52. Econ. stat : GDP. Gross Domestic Product.

55. Blue hue : AQUA.

56. Like curtains : HUNG. So many inappropriate comments come to mind.

57. NASA go-aheads : A-OKS.

59. Friday is one: Abbr. : SGT. Badge 714, hmmmm.

60. Prov. on the St. Lawrence : QUEbec. Is that used in Canada Eh?

61. Electrical unit : OHM. Umm, I guess I am out of power here and must leave for another week. Well as this month comes to an end I have tons of birthdays ahead, including Miss Charlotte. Thanks Bruce and thank you all for stopping by.

Lemonade out.

Thursday, October 23, 2014 Gareth Bain

Theme: MOBILE HOTSPOT


19-Across. Poet friend of Jonathan Swift : ALEXANDER POPE. Together, the friends formed the Scriblerus Club.

The current Pope Francis scoots around town in a Ford Focus, instead of this POPEMOBILE.

33-Across. Kipling story collection, with "The" : JUNGLE BOOK. The original edition is worth a couple of bucks, I bet.

The BOOKMOBILE is becoming another victim of the computer age.

38-Across. "Poetry Man" singer : PHOEBE SNOW. I had the pleasure of seeing her in person twice - such a talent. She died in 2011.

SNOWMOBILEs are not just for recreation!

48-Across. Title phrase that rhymes with "he lightly doffed his hat" : CASEY AT THE BAT. Is there any joy in Mudville?

The original BATMOBILE is a far cry from its modern counterpart.


And the reveal is found at 44-Down. Vehicular attachment for the ends of 19-, 33-, 38- and 48-Across : MOBILE.

Just missing a V for a pangram.



Across

1. Bodybuilder's pride : ABs. And a clecho at 20-Down. Bodybuilder's pride : LATs.

4. "Wizards of Waverly Place" actress Gomez : SELENA.

10. Like crudités : RAW.

13. Helpful URL link : FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions. They never seem to have the answer I am looking for.

14. Literary postscript : EPILOG.

15. Townshend of 22-Down : PETE. And 22-Down. "Pinball Wizard" band : THE WHO.

16. Cross-shaped letter : TAU. It's also an empire in this video game.

17. Forecast words golfers like to hear : NO RAIN. Husker, do you golf in the rain?

18. Glade target : ODOR.

22. Frequent Hepburn co-star : TRACY.

23. Take a load off : SIT.

24. __ rhythm: brain waves pattern : THETA.

25. Old-style "For shame!" : FIE.

28. Soothing sprinklings : TALCS. I was thinking along the lines of Jimmies on ice-cream.

32. Rink VIPs : REFs. Ice hockey rink, REFerees.

35. Iconic WWII setting, familiarly : IWO. Jima.

36. Missouri tributary : OSAGE.

37. Garden product word : GRO.

41. Water-to-wine site : CANA. As shown in this painting of "The Wedding at Cana" by Veronese.

42. __ voce: softly : SOTTO.

43. Longing : YEN.

44. Gourmet mushroom : MOREL. Do these look "gourmet"?

45. Storage media : CDs.

47. Theorize : POSIT.

54. Leave off : OMIT.

55. Hummus ingredient : TAHINI.

56. "Run to __": Bobby Vee hit : HIM. Blast from the past. 2:05

59. Galvanizing metal : ZINC.

60. Like many Schoenberg compositions : ATONAL. Here's a small sample from his "Pierrot Lunaire." 1:15

61. Possible reply to "Got milk?"? : MOO. And 2-Down. Ewe cry : BAA.

62. Shout of success : YES! (With or without fist pump.)

63. Seuss reptile : YERTLE. the Turtle.

64. Classroom fill-in : SUB. Another CSO to HG!


Down

1. Not fore : AFT.

3. Storage unit? : SQUARE FOOT.

4. Iroquois Confederacy tribe : SENECA.

5. Powerful adhesive : EPOXY.

6. Turkish bread? : LIRA. Anyone else think about filling in "na'an"?

7. Gusto : ELAN.

8. Reason to be turned away by a bouncer : NO ID.

9. Patron saint of girls : AGNES. CSO to Irish Miss!

10. Edit menu choice : REDO.

11. Straddling : ATOP.

12. "While __ Young": USGA anti-slow play campaign : WE'RE.

15. Can convenience : POP TAB. Anybody else fill in POP Top?

21. Religious ceremony : RITE.

24. Vacation plans : TRIPS. We're still trying to decide where and when to travel in Europe next year.

25. Persnickety : FUSSY.

26. Lacking sense : INANE.

27. Encourage : EGG ON.

29. Shortcuts for complex multiplication : LOGARITHMS.

30. Trumpet cousin : CORNET. In what song were there 110 CORNETs "close at hand"?

31. Toaster's word : SKOAL.

33. Beanery cuppa : JOE.

34. "Ben-Hur" author Wallace : LEW.

39. "... and all that jazz," for short : ETC. ETC. Yadda, yadda...

40. Fullness of flavor : BODY.

41. __ Nostra : COSA.

46. Skewered Thai dish : SATAY. With peanut sauce - yummm!

47. Serving to punish : PENAL.

48. Like a warm nest : COZY.

49. Nice lady friend : AMIE. "Nice" misdirection.

50. Confession details : SINS. On this site, you can apply for a SIN, obtain a confirmation of your SIN or amend your SIN record! (Might be a useful link for CanadianEh?)

51. London gallery : TATE.

52. Superhero with a hammer : THOR.

53. Help for a solver : HINT.

57. Letters of credit? : IOU.

58. Group gone wild : MOB. Like the one at Keene, N.H.'s pumpkin festival last week. Link credit: HG!

Marti, over and out.

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014 Jerome Gunderson

Theme: Four-part epic - the theme entries reference the Russian classic, published in four volumes.

17A. Bird between the partridge and French hen : TURTLE DOVE. "Between" in the context of the "12 Days of Christmas" carol.

29A. Species of falcon also called an American kestrel : SPARROWHAWK. Not a good thing to look up and see (if you're a sparrow):

47A. Epic novel symbolized by the ends of 17- and 29-Across : WAR AND PEACE. Interestingly, the author hesitated to call the work "a novel". He describes Anna Karenina as his "first true novel".

64A. Author of 47-Across : LEO TOLSTOY The man himself in 1906:

Hi everyone! Steve here with today's Wednesday offering. I have to confess I'm a little confused about this theme - I checked to see if there is some anniversary related to either the publication of the book or Tolstoy's lifeline, but drew a blank on both.

It bothers me that DOVE and HAWK are in the wrong sequence in the grid when considering WAR and PEACE, and it also bothers me that neither bird-endings are symbols for war nor peace, rather for warmongers and peacemakers. It just all seems a little contrived, but I'd love to hear other opinions.

Perhaps I'm being Mr. Grumpy today; there was some fun stuff in the grid, so let's move on.

Across:

1. Snoop's former "surname" : DOGG. Why the quotation marks - am I missing some subtlety in the cluing?

5. Sinatra's "The Lady Is a __" : TRAMP. Sinatra is just one of many artists who recorded this standard. I much prefer the recent duet from Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.

10. Fine : OKAY

14. Polynesian capital : APIA. Formerly capital of German Samoa, there is still a proud German heritage in the region today.

15. __ roll : HONOR

16. Hard-to-explain feeling : VIBE

19. Exile isle : ELBA. Napoleon's first exile following the war with Russia during 1812-1813, which forms a large part of the narrative in the second half of "War and Peace".

20. In dreamland : ASLEEP

21. Smashes to smithereens : DESTROYS

23. Pique condition? : SNIT

25. Univ. aides : T.A.s I thought it stood for "Teacher's Aide" but it must be "Teacher's Assistant"

26. Jamaican music : SKA

35. Boot parts : TOES

37. __-Ball: arcade game : SKEE

38. "I'm not kidding!" : NO LIE

39. Dreads sporter : RASTA, and a proponent of SKA music.

41. What's always in poetry? : E'ER

42. "__ So Vain": Carly Simon hit : YOU'RE. Was the subject of the song Mick Jagger? (No). Warren Beatty? (No, but he was vain enough to claim that it was, so that's rather fun). Apparently it was David Geffen, but Ms. Simon continues to refuse to confirm or deny any speculation.

43. Sci-fi regular : ALIEN

44. Optic layer : UVEA

46. Feds under Ness : T-MEN

50. Future 32-Down: Abbr. : SRS. Seniors become alumni or alumnae, I assume they actually have to graduate first.

51. "Go for the Goal" author Hamm : MIA. US Women's National Soccer Team legend who retired in 2004. She married All-Star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, consequently their three kids have more sporting genes in their DNA than most small towns.

52. Sales rep's tool : DEMO

54. Gym gear : BARBELLS

59. Musical ineptitude : TIN EAR. Ah, so that's why the cat hides when I play my guitars!

63. 1998 Sarah McLachlan hit : ADIA.  I thought I'd never heard this track before, so I trotted off to YouTube to check that there was no punctuation in the spelling and to listen to it and ... "Oh! It's that song!" I'd always thought it was "Eddie, I do believe I've failed you; Eddie, I know I've let you down ..". Funny how it can be one of your favorite songs and you have no idea what it's called.

66. Witty remark : JEST

67. Pasty : ASHEN

68. Italian volcano : ETNA. This seems to "erupt" in PuzzleWorld at least once a week. It's a darn handy letter combo though.

69. Egyptian symbol of life : ANKH

70. Garden path piece : STONE

71. After-school mall frequenter : TEEN

Down:

1. Crunched stuff : DATA

2. Magnum __ : OPUS. How about a magnum of Opus One from Napa? The 1997 vintage is priced at around $800 if you can find one. Just a tad outside my price range.

3. Lass : GIRL

4. "Pirates of Silicon Valley" figure : GATES. Microsoft's Bill, as portrayed by Anthony Michael Hall.

5. Knight crew? : THE PIPS. It took a moment for this penny to drop, but finally it did.

6. Bit of fishing tackle : ROD

7. Give __ to: okay : A NOD

8. Relocate : MOVE

9. Magic word : PRESTO

10. Miss, as an intended target : OVERSHOOT

11. Roughly 2.2 pounds, briefly : KILO. We were taught that "two and a quarter pounds of jam weighs about a kilogram" when we were transitioning to the metric system in the UK in the early 70's. We also learned that "A litre of water's a pint and three-quarters". That wouldn't work in the USA, where a pint is 16oz, not 20 (and a litre is a liter, just to add to the confusion)

12. First name in advice : ABBY

13. Votes for : YEAS. "Votes" in the noun form. Neat clue.

18. Eyepiece piece : LENS

22. Lion-colored : TAWNY. Uh-oh ... I think I'll get my coat and make a dash for it

24. Start, as a new hobby : TAKE UP

26. Camel's undoing : STRAW

27. Tree-dwelling marsupial : KOALA

28. Pantheon led by Odin : AESIR. Fellow Pantheon-chums were Frigg, Thor, Baldr and Týr, all good crossword-fodder!

30. Superman player : REEVE

31. Enjoy again, as a cherished book : RE-READ

32. Ones who no longer have class? : ALUMS

33. Cable installer, at times : WIRER

34. Wails : KEENS

36. Post-workout relaxation spot : STEAM BATH. Nit alert. I had STEAM ROOM first, and gradually changed it to BATH as the crosses proved me wrong. However - the "spot" bothers me - I'd take a steam bath in a steam room.

40. Musical set in an orphanage : ANNIE

45. Salon solvent : ACETONE

48. Texas city that spans five counties : DALLAS

49. Oscar winner Jannings : EMIL. He won the award for Best Actor in 1929, the first to do so. I can't quite remember what he wore on the red carpet. He was a native of Rorschach in Austria, famous for the ink-blot factory and exclusive supplier of suggestive images to psychoanalysts everywhere. (I might need to fact-check that last bit).

53. Start : ONSET

54. __ California : BAJA. My neighbor to the south. When I first moved to LA and visited San Diego, I couldn't understand why there were so many cars and trucks with Canadian license plates, until I realized that "BC" probably didn't stand for "British Columbia". Oh.

55. Yemen port city : ADEN

56. Put on the line : RISK

57. For fear that : LEST

58. Artsy Manhattan district : SOHO

60. Cigar butt? : -ETTE

61. Primo : A-ONE

62. Meg of "Sleepless in Seattle" : RYAN

65. Down-for-the-count count : TEN. One of the most famous sports photographs of all time, through the lens of someone I really admire, SI's Neil Leifer:

... 8-9-10 ding! And I'm out!

Steve

Tuesday, October 21, 2014 C.C. Burnikel & Steve Marron

Theme: Short Order Sandwich - Sound out the first words of the entries and you have one of America's favorite diner sandwich, the BLT.

17A. Scout's motto : BE PREPARED. B is for Bacon.

36A. Actress who is Dakota's sister : ELLE FANNING. L is for Lettuce.

43A. Japanese ritual including an iron pot : TEA CEREMONY. T is for Tomato.

66A. Holders of the sandwich homophonically described by the first words of 17-, 36- and 43-Across : TOOTHPICKS

Argyle here. Hmm, Steve + food...go figure. Actually, surprisingly little food beside the theme and even more amazing, the lack of baseball references. Good thing they published the names of our constructors, I might not have guessed today's Dynamic Duo.

Across:

1. Puzzles on kid-friendly place mats : MAZES

6. 1965 Beatles concert stadium : SHEA

10. FedEx rival : DHL. Interesting origin. Wiki The letters stand for the combined initials of the last names of the founders, Dewey, Huey, and Louie. (I kid)

13. Sheeplike : OVINE

14. Fuse with a torch : WELD

15. "Amen to that!" : "YEAH!"

19. Nevada city on the Humboldt River : ELKO

20. Ho-hum : SO-SO

21. Showed penitence : ATONED

23. Gave permission : LET

24. Indian bread : NAN

26. Like a watch with hands : ANALOG

28. Giant slugger Mel : OTT

31. Tool-hanging spots : PEGs

34. Explorer Sir Francis : DRAKE

35. Soap unit : BAR

39. "Just teasing" : "I KID"

41. Organ with a canal : EAR

42. "Hooked on Classics" record co. : K-TEL

48. Dam-building org. : TVA. (Tennessee Valley Authority)(since 1933)

49. By oneself : ALONE

50. Bela's "Son of Frankenstein" role : YGOR

51. Thanksgiving veggie : YAM

52. Former Seattle team now in Oklahoma City, familiarly : SONICS

54. Where Mandela was pres. : RSA. (Republic of South Africa)

56. DOJ division : ATF. (Department of Justice/Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives)

57. Not-too-bright sort : DIMWIT

60. Coarse file : RASP

64. Not out : SAFE

68. Was aware of : KNEW

69. __ code : AREA

70. Rocker Joplin : JANIS

71. Dr. of rap : DRE

72. Not as much : LESS

73. Took a nap : SLEPT

Down:

1. Rowdy crowds : MOBS

2. Chevy hatchback : AVEO. Also available as a sedan, it started out as South Korean Daewoo.

3. Closes a jacket, with "up" : ZIPS

4. Scandal-plagued energy giant : ENRON

5. "Get my point?" : "SEE?"

6. Whack : SWAT

7. Wartime honoree : HERO

8. Justice Kagan : ELENA

9. Tacked-on sections : ADDENDA

10. Turn red, maybe : DYE

11. Cartoon character with a red bow and whiskers : HELLO KITTY

12. Body of water on the Swiss/French border : LAKE GENEVA. Site of "Smoke on the Water".

16. Fresh from the oven : HOT

18. Group of judges : PANEL

22. "Phooey!" : "DARN!"

25. Big primate : APE

27. Tall and thin : LANK

28. "In memoriam" essay, briefly : OBIT

29. Make one's position known : TAKE A STAND

30. New-customer incentive : TRIAL OFFER

32. TV show about a high school choir : GLEE

33. Like the sordid side of life : SEAMY

37. Pond croaker : FROG

38. Glittery rock music genre : GLAM

40. Anti-mice brand : D-CON. Have you seen their new ads?

44. Oklahoma city : ENID

45. Pianist's concert, e.g. : RECITAL

46. Tulsa-to-Topeka direction : NORTH

47. Many mos. : YRs.

53. Campfire treat : S'MORE

55. Kin of Helvetica : ARIAL. Fonts.

56. Request : ASK

58. Maladies : WOES

59. "Take __ a compliment!" : IT AS

61. Skin breakout : ACNE

62. Leave out : SKIP

63. Hissed "Yo!" : "PSST!"

65. Meadow mom : EWE

67. Slumber party attire, for short : PJs

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

1) I originally had MAYONNAISE as a reveal entry, but it's too weak a unifier to Rich. Naturally I sought help from our foodie Steve, who quickly came up with BOWL OF SOUP/TOOTHPICKS. Rich liked the latter. Thanks for making it happen, Steve!

2) I just noticed why Rich changed our YEAR/ROT for 15A/16D spots to YEAH/HOT. Do you know why? Thanks, Rich!!

Monday, October 20, 2014 David W. Cromer

Theme: [WILL WORK FOR HAY] - Three old oater stars get answers to their questions.

20A. "What is our flatware made of, Lone Ranger?" : "STERLING, SILVER"

36A. "What does it take to succeed in Hollywood, Tonto?" : "TALENT, SCOUT"

43A. "What makes up my mane, Roy Rogers?" : "HAIR, TRIGGER"

57A. Start of the "Mister Ed" theme song, and hint to who is asking 20-, 36- and 43-Across : "A HORSE IS A HORSE"

Argyle here. David gave us a cute concept today with very few missteps. Not much to comment on.

Across:

1. Toast spreads : JAMS

5. Head-and-shoulders statuette : BUST. Reprise.

9. Charitable sort : DONOR

14. Cain's victim : ABEL

15. Lotion additive : ALOE

16. "Drab" color : OLIVE

17. Ashram authority : GURU. Ashram - a religious retreat or community where a Hindu holy man lives.

18. Agent Scully on "The X-Files" : DANA. 1993 to 2002 on Fox.

19. Rubber tree product used in paint : LATEX

23. Pea container : POD

24. "Sonic the Hedgehog" developer : SEGA. The title character and protagonist of a series released by Sega, as well as numerous spin-off comics, five animated shows, and a Original Video Animation.

25. NFL scores : TDs

28. Red, White or Black : SEA. Update: White Sea

 

 

30. Reddish-yellow : ORANGE

35. Toward the ship's rear : AFT

39. Quahog, for one : CLAM

41. In the past : AGO

42. Write with acid : ETCH

48. Environmental prefix : ECO

49. Meryl who played Julia Child : STREEP

50. Nine-digit-number issuing org. : SSA. (Social Security Administration)

51. Bad-mouth : DIS

52. Rock concert gear : AMPS

55. CBS forensic drama : CSI. (Crime Scene Investigation)

64. North Carolina fort : BRAGG

65. "It's a __!": "Easy!" : SNAP

66. Abound : TEEM

67. Quotable Yogi : BERRA. "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore." More

68. "Canterbury" story : TALE

69. Eve's mate : ADAM

70. Bakery array : CAKES. A CED specialty.

71. Google find : SITE

72. VAIO PC maker : SONY

Down:

1. Sporty English autos : JAGS. (automobiles/Jaguars)(M's company car is a Jaguar XJ L)

2. Lie against : ABUT

3. Nothing more than : MERE

4. Drink inelegantly : SLURP

5. "I wouldn't do that if I were you" : "BAD IDEA"

6. __ Bator : ULAN

7. Top 40 numbers : SONGS

8. Poke fun at : TEASE

9. Cents partner : DOLLARS

10. One of five Norwegian kings : OLAV

11. Evening, in ads : NITE

12. Above : OVER

13. Tyrannosaurus __ : REX

21. ABC drama about a missing plane : "LOST"

22. "__ Rhythm" : I GOT. An American in Paris - I Got Rhythm(4:52)

25. Dials next to speedometers, for short : TACHS and 45D. Readings on 25-Down: Abbr. : RPMs

26. C sharp equivalent : D FLAT

27. Step in a flight : STAIR

29. Jai __ : ALAI

31. Blackjack half : ACE

32. Pre-eminent : NOTED

33. Designer Aldo : GUCCI

34. Spirit of a culture : ETHOS

37. With 38-Down, yuletide quaffs : EGG

38. See 37-Down : NOGS

40. G.I. field ration : MRE. (Meals Ready to Eat)

44. Riot squad's supply : TEAR GAS

46. Bloodhound's quarry : ESCAPEE

47. Unthinking : RASH

53. Orkin targets : PESTS

54. Mount in Exodus : SINAI

56. Greek i's : IOTAs

57. Field of expertise : AREA

58. Quaint "Listen!" : "HARK!"

59. Fairy tale baddie : OGRE

60. Crystals in a shaker : SALT

61. Change the decor of : REDO

62. Actor Connery : SEAN

63. Television award : EMMY

64. "Doctor Who" network : BBC. (British Broadcasting Corporation)

Argyle