Thursday, June 11, 2015 Danny Reichert

Theme: "Chapter and Verse"

Without the reveal, would you have associated the clues with their answers?
32. Words creditors don't want to hear ... or what each starred clue is with reference to its answer :
CHAPTER ELEVEN.

The title of Chapter 11 for each book in the answer, becomes the clue:
16. *"Finds Print of Man's Foot on the Sand" : ROBINSON CRUSOE. I was pretty sure we were looking for this book, but wasn't sure how the clue related to it.

23. *"Wendy's Story" : PETER PAN. Again, I was pretty sure this was a reference to PETER PAN.

46. *"Nightgown" : MOBY DICK. I got waylaid here, thinking it might be about Scrooge. But "A Christmas Carol" wouldn't fit!

53. *"What I Heard in the Apple Barrel" : TREASURE ISLAND. Never read that one, so this one relied mostly on perps.

I believe this is Danny's LAT debut.  He gave us a very difficult Thursday, with some tough crossings and new words. But I got 'er done without any help, so I'm a happy camper. Welcome aboard!


Across

1. Protective garment : SMOCK. I knew enough to check perps before blithely filling in "apron."

6. Nothing like wetlands : ARID.

10. New car stat : MPG. Miles Per Gallon. I couldn't get MSRP out of my head for the longest time.

13. One of four men who managed both the Mets and Yankees : TORRE. Joe TORRE was only briefly a player-manager for the Mets in 1977. The other three were Yogi Berra, Casey Stengel and Dallas Green. (Yeah, right - I totally didn't look that up...)

14. "Eva __": Isabel Allende novel : LUNA. I finished "Girl On the Train" yesterday, and really enjoyed it.  (Did you break down and invest, CanadianEh?)  So, I'm looking for my next read, and think I have to add this one to the list.

15. JFK datum : ARR.ival

19. __ were : AS IT.

20. Excited exclamation : OH! OH!

21. Actress Katey : SAGAL. She played Gemma on "Sons of Anarchy." You may also know her as Peg Bundy from "Married...With Children."

25. Jai alai ball : PELOTA. And the basket is called the "cesta."

26. Arena sounds : RAHS.

27. Foretells : HERALDS.

28. "Psych" finale? : OSIS. PsychOSIS.

30. Is for more than one? : ARE.

31. Moneyed : FAT. As in, "FAT cat." Mine aren't moneyed...they're just FAT.

37. Here, in Havana : ACÁ. Ouch¡ I wanted Aquí. Cuban Spanish.


38. Magic show prop : HAT.

39. Soggy ground : MIRE. The noun form of the word.

40. Like campsites, at times : FIRELIT.

43. Rhett's last word : DAMN.

45. Tops : APEXES.

50. Wednesday Addams portrayer of film : RICCI. Christina, of "The Addams Family."

51. 1998 Australian Open winner Korda : PETR. Awful crossing here.  I bet more than a few people never heard of this guy and the obscure 44-Down. Dugout shelter : ABRI.  Petr's daughter is a successful pro golfer on the LPGA tour.

52. Popular berry : ACAI.

56. ISP biggie : AOL.

57. Ship protected by Hera : ARGO.

58. Ripped at the gym : TONED.

59. Many Sam Goody sales : LPs.

60. It hits the nail on the head : PEEN. Good clue for a crossword staple.

61. "Nope!" : NOT SO.


Down

1. Pump part, perhaps : STRAP. The shoe, not the tire inflater.

2. Maine flag image : MOOSE. "Dirigo" means "I lead."

3. Curved path : ORBIT.

4. Measures : CRITERIA.

5. One of a toydom pair : KEN. Hoo boy, I'm getting old. My first thought was "Ann." (Raggedy Ann and Andy.)

6. Words heard coming and going : ALOHAS.

7. Extended sentence : RUN-ON.

8. Creep : INCH. Move slowly, not the shady looking guy at the playground.

9. Patriotic org. : DAR. Daughters of the American Revolution.

10. __ chai: spiced tea : MASALA.

11. Woods, e.g. : PRO GOLFER. I entered the answer without thinking twice.

12. Marmaduke of the comics is one : GREAT DANE.

17. Jr. preceder : SOPH.omore and junior.

18. Notebook owner : USER.

22. "__ call!" : LAST. Tinbeni's least favorite phrase?

24. Rough file : RASP.

25. Strip : PEEL.

27. Central Eur. power until 1806 : HRE. Holy Roman Empire.

28. __ lobe: brain area : OCCIPITAL. Ouch, I wonder how many knew this off the top of their brain?

29. What tenant farmers do : SHARECROP. Exactly what it says - they share crops with the owner of the land.

30. It's "not what you see, but what you make others see": Degas : ART. Inferable.

33. "What I'm holding ..." : THIS.

34. Wear away : EAT.

35. Award since 1949 : EMMY.

36. Indian curry dish : VINDALOO. I wonder if Cindy Lou Who likes VINDALOO.

37. Where some worship from : AFAR.

41. Rises to the top : EXCELS.

42. One of a pair of sci-fi twins : LEIA. Wouldn't ya know, I had the "L" in place and went with Luke at first. Of "Star Wars" fame.

43. Spoil rotten : DOTE ON.

46. Construction area sign : MERGE.

47. "Sorry, impossible" : I CAN'T.

48. Props for Astaire : CANES. Here's a routine I bet you have never seen him perform. (The original dance routine was to the tune "Puttin' on the Ritz.") 4:14

49. Buddy : KIDDO.

51. Word with luck or gold : PURE.

54. Easy mark : SAP.

55. Penn, e.g.: Abbr. : STN. Station.

The End.
Marti

Wednesday June 10, 2015 Jeff Stillman

Theme: WINGSPANS (56. Plane measures ... and, literally, what can be seen in the answers to starred clues) - WING spans across and bookends each theme answer.

18. *Health and prosperity : WELL-BEING

29. *It might require treatment with an EpiPen : WASP STING

36. *Dramatic way to go out : WITH A BANG

46. *Fabergé item auctioned for $9.6 million in 2002 : WINTER EGG

Boomer here.  I have been busy bowling, with little time to complete crosswords, although I occasionally expound cross words at those ten pins.  No 300 games this past season; only a 299 and 297 to brag about, but I did qualify for the National Senior Games in the bowling division coming to Minnesota in July.  The National Senior Games is a multi-sport competition for people over 50 years of age and is set up like the Olympic games.  I am having trouble buying in to all the hype but looking forward to the competition. 

On to the puzzle.  I noticed wings in a few answers, but could not see the centerfielder of the Washington Nationals anywhere.

Across:

1. Pundit's piece : OP-ED

5. Schoolmarmish : PRIM - a PROPER response

9. Something to draw before bedtime : BATH. Does one need a paper and crayon to "DRAW" a bath?

13. Skedaddles : FLEES

15. Four-ring-logo company : AUDI - So, is a three ring car called a "CIRCUS"?

16. Mélange : OLIO

17. Many a Wilde play : FARCE - Not a nice thing to say about Oscar.

20. Sparkly accessory : TIARA - A crowning clue.

22. Toughens : INURES

23. Pour like crazy : TEEM. Rain hard.

24. Glimmers : SHINES - They have glimmering shoe stands in Las Vegas.

27. Miss identification : NEE - A miss does not need a "nee" until she is married.

31. Skinny swimmers : EELS - Also a great golfer Mr. E.Els

32. Loophole : OUT - My clue would have been a pop up or strike three.

33. Wolverine portrayer Jackman : HUGH

34. Most reasonable : SANEST

38. Novelist Graham : GREENE

41. Homer's son : BART - What would a puzzle be without a Simpson?

42. Route word : VIA

45. Realizes : NETS - Found at both ends of a basketball court.

48. Manipulate : USE

49. Serious depression : CRATER - I might have clued "A view of the moon"

51. Cubemaster Rubik : ERNO

52. Exploratory spacecraft : PROBES

54. Make rhapsodic : ELATE

59. Word before box or card : IDIOT - I guess you have to be one to figure out this clue.

61. List catchall : ET AL - "How much breakfast did you have this morning, Caesar?

62. Slender wind : OBOE

63. Seamless transition : SEGUE - How do you spell the one that Paul Blart rode?

64. Remove from a manuscript : DELE - My spell check says this is not a word.

65. Road runner : TIRE - How about a coyote nemesis? beep beep!

66. Parks on a bus : ROSA

Down:

1. Hiker's spray brand : OFF - I think Cutter works better but it didn't fit the grid.

2. Flat highland : PLATEAU

3. Most spine-tingling : EERIEST

4. Put out the fire, pack up the tent, etc. : DECAMP - Rosemary's surname

5. Offer from Rover : PAW

6. Line on a Québec map : RUE - Did not get this one.  Why not Golden Girl McClanahan

7. Waiting at a light, perhaps : IDLING - I'll bet the U.S. wastes millions of gallons of gas per day doing this.

8. Eeyore creator : MILNE

9. Dutch South African : BOER

10. Property recipient, in law : ALIENEE

11. Adds holiday glitter to : TINSELS - Remember the old heavy stuff?  Then you are probably as old as I am.

12. Hardly a sharer : HOG - Also a Washington NFL football player of old.

14. Msg. from the pulpit : SER - I don't care for abbreviations

19. Clear tables : BUS - Why not just call it a Greyhound and leave the clueing to us.

21. Quick on the uptake : ASTUTE

23. Tango need : TWO

25. __ school : HIGH - How about "result of marijuana?"  Legal in several states.

26. Occupy : INHABIT

28. Ballpark fig. : EST - I don't care for abbrev.

30. Climb, in a way : SHIN - Come on, it's the front of an ankle!

31. Subj. including grammar : ENG - I don. care for ABB.

34. 1964 Nobel Prize decliner : SARTRE

35. Kitty starter : ANTE - It's a pot starter - cats have nothing to do with it.

36. "The Grand Budapest Hotel" director Anderson : WES

37. Destructive agent : BANE

38. Serengeti grazer : GNU - I never gnu that.

39. Time to catch one's breath : RESPITE

40. Neverending : ETERNAL

42. Reeling feeling : VERTIGO - I gnu this one

43. Like volcanic rock : IGNEOUS

44. Gone by : AGO

46. Sushi bar condiment : WASABI - This is strong stuff.  You need it to kill the raw fish taste.

47. Study hall occupant, often : READER - Or the guy who checks your meter.

49. "Blue Bloods" network : CBS - Also frequently on WGN

50. Transplant to a new container : RE-POT

53. Look up and down : OGLE

55. Fleur-de-__ : LIS

56. Get hitched : WED

57. Neither partner : NOR

58. Understand : SEE

60. It may be iced : TEA

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

1) Jazzbumpa (Ron) was scheduled to blog today, but his mom suffered a stroke on June 2. She's 94 years old, so Ron is quite worried about her future.

2) Spitzboov (Al) had an ambulatory surgery yesterday to repair an umbilical hernia.

Let's beam positive thoughts to them.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015 Susan Gelfand

Theme: This and That - Take two related prefixes and send them in different directions with these new roots.

18A. Daniel Boone portrayer : FESS PARKER. Profess / Confess

24A. Cookie-cutter abode : TRACT HOME. Protract / Contract.

37A. Both sides of an argument ... and what can literally precede the starts of 18-, 24-, 53- and 60-Across : PROS AND CONS

53A. New car trial run : TEST DRIVE. Protest / Contest

60A. Unexpected source of cash : FOUND MONEY. Profound / Confound

Argyle here. Susan had a puzzle in '13 and again in '14; she's baaack. Neat, four entries with eight answers. Some unknowns to keep it interesting.

Across:

1. Lioness in "Born Free" : ELSA

5. __ optic cable : FIBER

10. It must be made with one hand : FIST

14. Ruth's husband, in the Bible : BOAZ and 15A. Massey of old films : ILONA. Two names I shan't remember.

16. "My treat" : "ON ME"

17. Rush off : BOLT

20. In the mail : SENT

22. Double play pair : OUTS

23. Road repair consequence : JAM

27. "If __ King of the Forest": Cowardly Lion's song : I WERE

29. Lend a hand : AID

30. Channel for bargain hunters : HSN. (Home Shopping Network)

31. Joan of Arc, e.g. : MARTYR

32. Forsaken child : WAIF

34. MASH system : TRIAGE

41. Slip by : ELAPSE

42. Falling out between friends : SPAT

45. "__ as she goes" : STEADY

48. Fireplace residue : ASH

51. UPS driver's assignment : RTE

52. Rush hour sounds : HONKS

56. Pumper's pride : ABs. "pumping iron"

57. Fairy tale bad guy : OGRE

59. Oodles : A LOT

63. Osbourne of rock : OZZY

66. Made haste : TORE

67. Supreme Court justice since 2006 : ALITO. (Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr)

68. Visionary : SEER

69. Slow-cooked meal : STEW

70. Spotless : CLEAN

71. Very, in Versailles : TRÈS

Down:

1. Flow out : EBB

2. London lav : LOO

3. Tortilla chip topper : SALSA DIP

4. Templo Mayor builder : AZTEC

5. Some whiskey purchases : FIFTHs

6. Project extension? : ILE. (projectile)

7. __ buddies : BOSOM

8. Happen as a result : ENSUE

9. Immersed (in), as a book : RAPT

10. In support of : FOR

11. Printer choice : INKJET

12. Easily smudged : SMEARY

13. First-__: rookie Congressman : TERMER

19. Italian cheese : ASIAGO

21. Ultimate degree : NTH

24. Noticed, to Tweety : TAW

25. Narrow waterway : RIA

26. Ready to draw, as ale : ON TAP

28. Little songbirds : WRENS

31. Big __: fast-food buy : MAC

33. One-in-a-million : FREAK

35. "M*A*S*H" staffers : RNs

36. Inspirations : IDEAS

38. Ireland, affectionately : OLD SOD. "ould sod"

39. Vocalize : SAY

40. Wine-and-soda drink : SPRITZER

43. Rugged transport, briefly : ATV. (all-terrain vehicle)

44. Casual top : TEE

45. Mine passages : SHAFTS

46. As well : TO BOOT

47. Make certain : ENSURE

49. Visit a bit longer : STAY ON

50. "Good" cholesterol letters : HDL. (high-density lipoprotein) We had "Bad" cholesterol letters last month.

53. Fairy tale bad guy : TROLL

54. Start of an elimination rhyme : EENIE

55. Pigeon perch : ROOST

58. Former auto financing co. : GMAC. (General Motors Acceptance Corporation, now Ally Financial)

61. Never done before : NEW

62. Approx. landing hour : ETA

64. New York's Tappan __ Bridge : ZEE

65. 12-mo. periods : YRs

Argyle

Monday, June 8, 2015 Gareth Bain

Theme: Peanut Butter - but no jelly. Two word entries that start with a P & B.

60D. "America's largest classroom" network ... or, read as a plural, a hint to 20-, 28-, 46- and 53-Across : PBS. (Public Broadcasting Service)

20A. Ursine kiddie-lit character with a battered suitcase : PADDINGTON BEAR

28A. "Love Is a Battlefield" rocker : PAT BENATAR

46A. Superman's "dressing room" : PHONE BOOTH

53A. Venerated dancer : PRIMA BALLERINA

Argyle here. Feel free to come up with your own "PB's".

Across:

1. Sourpuss' expression : SCOWL. The look anon gets when he sees PLED.

6. Greek god of love : EROS

10. Shakespeare's nickname, with "the" : BARD

14. Finnish telecommunications giant : NOKIA. Wiki Site

15. Egg holder : NEST

16. Three-part cookie : OREO

17. Chorus in church : AMENS

18. Cuba, to Cubans : ISLA. (Island)

19. Campus head : DEAN

23. Low-fat, as milk : SKIM. Bzzzt! Skim is no-fat.

24. Fall behind : LAG

25. Missile storage facility : SILO

34. Tracks down, as a UPS package : TRACES

36. Bakery fixture : OVEN

37. LPGA golfer Michelle : WIE

38. Puts on the line : RISKS

39. Termination : END

40. Skip over in pronunciation : ELIDE

42. Biblical beast : ASS

43. Ambassador's skill : TACT

45. Valued (at) : PRICED

49. Truman's first lady : BESS. (Elizabeth Virginia "Bess" Truman (née Wallace)) First Lady should be capitalized, IMHO, as a title preceding a name.

50. Higher than, in poetry : O'ER

51. Parisian lover's word : AIME

60. Answered a charge : PLED

61. __ horse: long shot : DARK. No dark horse this year to derail American Pharoah.

62. Prom gown material : SATIN

63. Fillet's lack : BONE

64. New York canal : ERIE

65. Court reporter : STENO

66. Sheltered Greek promenade : STOA. More of a mid-week word but we've had it on Monday before.

67. Like a battery needing a charge : DEAD

68. Saudi Arabia neighbor : YEMEN

Down:

1. Simple fastener : SNAP

2. Unconscious state : COMA

3. Approved : OK'ED

4. Airport breeze indicator : WINDSOCK

5. High-tech eye surgery : LASIK

6. Hard puzzle : ENIGMA. Not today.

7. Get some shuteye : REST

8. Norwegian capital : OSLO

9. The Hulk's co-creator : STAN LEE

10. Hispanic grocery : BODEGA

11. Region : AREA

12. Backside : REAR

13. Dodgers manager Mattingly : DON

21. Puppy bites : NIPS

22. Large cloth sign : BANNER

25. Camera attachment : STRAP

26. "When __ Eyes Are Smiling" : IRISH

27. Wrangler's rope : LASSO

29. Kemo Sabe sidekick : TONTO

30. Skivvies brand : BVD

31. A couple of times : TWICE

32. Senate staffers : AIDES

33. Marsh grasses : REEDS

35. Think highly of : ESTEEM

39. Author Umberto : ECO. See 66-Across.

41. Set free : LIBERATE

44. Rubbed roughly : ABRADED

45. Golfer Mickelson : PHIL

47. "Search me" : "NO IDEA"

48. Had a heart-to-heart : TALKED

52. Like Buffalo wings, eating-wise : MESSY

53. Scheme : PLOT

54. Nevada gambling mecca : RENO

55. Devoid of artwork, as walls : BARE

56. Opera solo : ARIA

57. List entry : ITEM

58. Common opening time : NINE

59. In a short time, poetically : ANON

Argyle