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.

Thursday, November 6, 2014 Gail Grabowski

Theme: "SUR-render!!"

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

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

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

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

64. Banner advertising overstocked shelves? : SURPLUS SIGN.

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


Across

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

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

11. Newborn nurturer : MOM.

14. Northern terminus of I-79 : ERIE.

15. Frank quality : CANDOR.

16. Andean tuber : OCA.

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

20. It often gets blown off : STEAM.

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

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

23. Cyberchats, briefly : IMs. Instant Messages.

25. Running wild : ON A TEAR.

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

33. Dent, say : MAR.

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

37. Pioneering computer : ENIAC.

40. Pony up : PAY.

42. Wool source : LLAMA.

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

45. __ bath : MUD.

47. Gusto : VIM.

52. Anxious place to be : HOT SEAT.

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

55. Wind quintet member : OBOE.

56. Ignoring, with "to" : DEAF.

59. Greek restaurant offerings : GYROS.

63. Title for Sean Connery : SIR.

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

67. Release payment : RANSOM.

68. Corrida critter : TORO.

69. Intractable beast : ASS.

70. Sacks out : SLEEPS.

71. Fume : STEW.


Down

1. Not as expensive : LESS.

2. In __: stuck : A RUT.

3. Bring in : HIRE.

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

5. Window units, briefly : ACs.

6. Over : PAST.

7. Fascinated by : IN TO.

8. Text __ : EDITOR.

9. "You can't be serious" : COME NOW.

10. Lyrical "before" : ERE.

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

12. City west of Daytona Beach : OCALA.

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

22. Moonshine source : STILL.

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

26. Son of Adam : ABEL.

27. Mushroom part : STEM.

28. Annapolis inst. : USNA.

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

30. Rest of the afternoon? : NAP.

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

35. Give off : EMIT.

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

39. Attention to detail : CARE.

41. Actor Brynner : YUL.

44. Slow and steady : GRADUAL.

46. Cotillion honoree : DEB.

49. Everlasting, to the bard : ETERNE.

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

51. Hush-hush hookups : TRYSTS.

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

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

57. Sanctuary section : APSE.

58. Probably not a really good show : FLOP.

60. Laugh-a-minute type : RIOT.

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

62. Put one over on : SNOW.

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

65. Hesitant sounds : UMS.

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

Marti

Wednesday, November 5th 2014 Gareth Bain

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

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

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

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

Leading to:

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


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

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

Across:

1. Desert partly in northern China : GOBI

5. Allergic reaction : RASH

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

14. Air or Mini : IPAD

15. Capital on a fjord : OSLO.

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

17. Acidic : TART

18. Laser __ : BEAM

19. Up to this point : SO FAR

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

25. Tribute in verse : ODE

26. Part of ETA: Abbr. : EST

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

29. Altar oath : I DO.

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

36. Construction site sight : CRANE

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

39. '50s vice president : NIXON

41. Snow Queen in "Frozen" : ELSA

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

46. Remains in a tray : ASH

47. Row-making tool : HOE

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

50. Had a meal : ATE

51. According to : PER

52. Appeared : SEEMED

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

61. Novelist Turgenev : IVAN

62. Laryngitis sound : RASP

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

66. Insect eggs : NITS

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

68. Stimulate : SPARK

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

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

Down:

1. "Amscray!" : GIT

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

3. Coming-of-age event : BAR MITZVAH

4. Luggage tie-on : ID TAG

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

6. Sailing, say : ASEA

7. Moravian or Czech : SLAV

8. __ sapiens : HOMO

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

10. Luigi's love : AMORE

11. Nadal of tennis, familiarly : RAFA

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

13. Angelic strings : HARP

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

22. Show assent : NOD

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

24. Koreans, e.g. : ASIANS

28. Party-planning site : EVITE

29. All-__ printer : IN ONE

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

31. Like some training : ONSITE

32. Rang out : PEALED

34. Ray gun sound : ZAP

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

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

40. Drivel : NONSENSE

43. 1994 Jim Carrey movie : THE MASK

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

48. Planet, poetically : ORB

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

53. Blue heron kin : EGRET

54. Tennis divisions : SETS

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

56. Grammy winner Coolidge : RITA

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

58. Like some movie twins : EVIL

59. Historian's tidbit : DATE

63. Fancy tub : SPA

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

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

Steve

Tuesday, November 4, 2014 C.C. Burnikel

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

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

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

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

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

60A. Nook Tablet rival : KINDLE FIRE. Ireland

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

Across:

1. Makeup or final : EXAM

5. Olympics segment : EVENT

10. Elaborate dance : BALL

14. Golf clinic topic : GRIP

15. "The Lincoln Lawyer" actress Marisa : TOMEI

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

17. Rowboat pair : OARS

20. GPS part: Abbr. : SYStem

21. Yeses in Congress : AYEs

22. Labor day arrival? : INFANT

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

25. 650, to Augustus : DCL

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

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

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

38. __-de-sac : CUL

39. Maker of the Air Max athletic shoe : NIKE

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

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

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

44. "Terrible" ruler : IVAN

45. Come next : ENSUE

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

51. Fax button : SEND

52. Slacks measure : INSEAM

55. It's cut before dealing : DECK

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

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

63. Monogram ltr. : INIT.ial

64. Yippies co-founder Hoffman : ABBIE

65. Major exporter of handmade carpets : IRAN

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

67. Takes a chance on : RISKS

Down:

1. Self-perceptions : EGOs

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

3. Bombing attacks : AIR STRIKES

4. AWOL pursuers : MPs. (Military Police)

5. Online marketplace for handmade goods : ETSY. Link

6. Cast a ballot : VOTE

7. Flightless birds : EMUs

8. Actor Beatty : NED

9. Like a mouse : TIMID

10. Confuse : BAFFLE

11. A, in radio code : ALFA

12. Pork cut : LOIN

13. Pre-Easter season : LENT

19. Ben or Sam : UNCLE

21. "__ luck?" : ANY

24. Suffix with kitchen : ETTE

26. "Inferno" poet : DANTE

27. Hourly charge : RATE

28. Old piano key material : IVORY

29. About, in dates : CIRCA

30. Moth-__: tattered : EATEN

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

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

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

37. Actress Hatcher : TERI

41. Workbench clamp : VISE

43. Reward for a hero : MEDAL

46. At ease with : USED TO

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

50. Eyeliner problem : SMEAR

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

53. Boy, in Bogotá : NINO

54. Bad mood : SNIT

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

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

57. So-so grades : CEEs

59. Curve in the road : BEND

61. G-man's org. : FBI

62. "__ Abner" : LI'L

Argyle

Monday, November 3, 2014 David W. Cromer

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

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

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

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

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

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

Across:

1. Spill the beans : BLAB

5. Hindu deity : RAMA

9. Spore-producing plants : FERNS

14. Subtle emanation : AURA

15. Put out : EMIT

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

17. Sheepish smile : GRIN

20. Rap session? : SEANCE

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

23. Cut down : HEW

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

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

34. Charged particle : ION

35. Unable or unwilling to hear : DEAF

38. Frame of mind : MOOD

40. "The Twilight Zone" creator Serling : ROD

42. Sought damages : SUED

43. Mercedes-Benz model series : E CLASS

46. More than a few : LOTS

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

53. __ weevil : BOLL

54. PayPal parent company : E-BAY

55. Pan Am rival : TWA

58. Garden nuisance : WEED

60. Saw eye to eye : AGREED

67. Wrist-to-elbow bone : ULNA

68. Kitchen attraction : AROMA

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

70. Garden area : PLOT

71. Varnish ingredient : RESIN

72. Fiddle-playing emperor : NERO

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

Down:

1. Airport carousel riders : BAGS

2. Fish attractor : LURE

3. Solo for a diva : ARIA

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

5. Prisoner's goal : RELEASE

6. Doc bloc : AMA

7. Waterfall phenomenon : MIST

8. 1971 prison riot site : ATTICA

9. Debacles : FIASCOs

10. USN rank : ENS. (ensign)

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

12. River of Egypt : NILE

13. Did in, as a dragon : SLEW

19. Secret supply : CACHE

21. Gunk : CRUD

27. Litter yippers : PUPS. and little nippers.

28. Iconic news magazine : TIME

29. Liquor, in slang : HOOCH

30. First name on a 1945 bomber : ENOLA

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

32. Riyadh resident : SAUDI. Call him Sandy.

37. Port in Yemen : ADEN

39. Apply crudely : DAUB

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

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

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

47. Cajun condiment : TABASCO

48. Unexpected obstacle : SNAG

51. Gridiron quota : ELEVEN

52. IHOP array : SYRUPS

55. "__ she blows!" : THAR

56. Had on : WORE

57. "Famous" cookie maker : AMOS

59. Seedy joint : DIVE

61. First lady of scat, familiarly : ELLA

62. Grandson of Adam : ENOS

63. Dinner and a movie, say : DATE

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

66. Musician's asset : EAR

Argyle