Monday, May 30, 2016 Janice Luttrell

Theme: Murky Monday

20A. Chicago bluesman nicknamed for the creek he played in as a child : MUDDY WATERS

56A. Ill-gotten gains : FILTHY LUCRE

11D. Greeting from an affectionate dog : SLOPPY KISS

29D. Fast one : DIRTY TRICK

Argyle here. SLOPPY doesn't quite match up with the other three themes but this such a smooth puzzle, it can be forgiven. This should be a fair test for our tyros but otherwise a fun solve. Four long pinwheel arms with a good size block of white in the middle. Janice had quite a run this month. (4)

Across:

1. Discussion : TALK

5. Untidy situation : MESS

9. Zodiac transition points : CUSPS

14. "The Time Machine" people : ELOI

15. Fairly large fair : EXPO

16. Guitarist Eddie Van __ : HALEN

17. Reddish horse : ROAN

18. Birthstone for many Libras : OPAL

19. Stopped snoozing : AWOKE

23. "The Raven" poet : POE. Edgar Allan Poe

24. Tenth of ten in a race : LAST. It took a bit for this to sink in.

25. Harvest machine : REAPER. "Don't fear the reaper".

27. Filled with cargo : LADEN

30. Wise guy sometimes "wearing" pants? : SMARTY. (smarty pants)

32. Magnate Onassis : ARI

33. Fancy wineglass : GOBLET

36. Pretty good : OKAY

39. Little more than : MERE

41. Find another purpose for : REUSE

42. Biker's distance unit : MILE

43. Enjoys a buffet : EATS

44. Walked proudly : STRODE

46. Mo. city on the Miss. : STL. St. Louis.

47. New Haven alumni : YALIES

49. "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" storyteller : AESOP

51. Daily food allowance : RATION

53. Bungee __ : CORD

55. Bus station abbr. : ARR. (arrival time)

62. Damp : MOIST

64. Fifth of 13 popes : LEO V. There was 13 popes named Leo. Also, 34D. Family name of three popes : ORSINI

65. Use gentle persuasion on : COAX

66. Game show host : EMCEE

67. Soft French cheese : BRIE

68. Work the copy desk : EDIT

69. Bare : NAKED

70. Agile : SPRY

71. Family rooms : DENS

Down:

1. School session : TERM

2. Matty of baseball : ALOU. Just one of the Alou family.

3. Washer capacity : LOAD

4. Reader with Paperwhite and Fire models : KINDLE. A given for some.

5. Kitty cries : MEOWS

6. Political exile, for short : EXPAT. Expatriate.

7. Tiny tiff : SPAT

8. Shoe bottom : SOLE

9. Beer drunk after a shot : CHASER

10. Detroit labor gp. : UAW. (United Automobile Workers)

1954 Olds concept car

12. Black tea variety : PEKOE

13. Disdainful grin : SNEER

21. Yin partner : YANG

22. Not family-friendly, moviewise : R-RATED

26. Molecule part : ATOM

27. Flimsy, as an excuse : LAME

28. Wallpaper hanger's calculation : AREA

30. Fails to enunciate : SLURS

31. "You've Made __ Very Happy": 1969 Blood, Sweat & Tears hit : ME SO

35. __ noire : BÊTE

37. Range above tenor : ALTO

38. Sharp cry : YELP

40. Actor Morales : ESAI

45. British peer : EARL

48. Hit high in the air : LOFTED

50. Drew out, as latent talent : EDUCED

51. Japanese noodle dish : RAMEN

52. Dunkin' Donuts emanation : AROMA

53. "You're preaching to the __!" : CHOIR

54. Yiddish "Egad!" : "OY VEY!"

57. Barristers' degs. : LL.B.s (Bachelor of Laws)

58. Maryland athlete, for short : TERP. Terrapins

59. Morse creation : CODE

60. Ball game delayer : RAIN

61. Nos. requested by receptionists : EXTs. (Extension)

63. "Get it?" : "SEE?"

                   Not ready to go yet?

Argyle

Sunday May 29, 2016 Pancho Harrison

Theme: - "Pool Party" - The last word can precede "pool".

25A. Try : GIVE IT A WHIRL. Whirlpool.

31A. Track runner? : TROLLEY CAR. Carpool. Great clue.

46A. Removable engine : OUTBOARD MOTOR. Motorpool. Same as "carpool", isn't it?

63A. Pickup spot : BOX OFFICE. Office pool.

79A. Undeveloped ability : RAW TALENT. Talent pool.

96A. Certain trait carrier : RECESSIVE GENE. Gene pool.

110A. Pond prohibition : NO SWIMMING. Swimming pool.

121A. Unscrupulously competitive : DOWN AND DIRTY. Dirty pool.

Basic theme. The key word meaning in the original phrase mostly remains unchanged when pool is added. We don't often see words that precede/follow theme type on Sundays. They're mainly the early week domain. Not easy to get a "Go ahead" from Rich with this type.
 
So nice to see Pancho Harrison back. He was the very first constructor when we shifted to the L.A Times Daily Crossword. He and Barry Silk will always have a special place in my heart. Hopefully Barry will come back to us in a few months.

 

Pancho Harrison (XWord Info photo)

 Across: 

1. Keystone officer : KOP

4. Judicial seat : BANC

8. Frat house letter : SIGMA. Not DELTA, KAPPA or THETA.

13. Lowers oneself : STOOPS

19. Org. with a caduceus in its logo : AMA. Wiki says caduceus is "a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings." Hermes's staff.

20. 1847 novel with the chapter "What Happened at Hytyhoo" : OMOO. Easily guessable.

21. Rocking the stadium : AROAR

22. Chinese restaurant offering : HOT TEA. Chinese seldom drink iced tea, unless you're in Hong Kong, where Iced Lemon Tea is hugely popular.

23. Lacking benefits, perhaps : PART TIME. I thought this might be a theme entry.

27. Pakistani language : URDU

28. Collars : ARRESTS

30. "Spellbound" malady : AMNESIA. About this old movie?

34. Graduation hanger : TASSEL

36. Took a verse alone : SOLOED. OK, sang alone.

37. Travesty : FARCE

39. Romance novel emotion : LUST. Not LOVE, Splynter! Hope love finds you in the summer.

43. Mostly shaved style : MOHAWK. Hair style. Still remember the "Mohawk Guy"?

50. Oklahoma native : OTO

51. "Sorry, you __ me" : LOST

54. Suffix with proto- : ZOA

55. Minuscule part of a min. : NSEC

56. Mont. neighbor : IDA

57. Arcade pioneer : ATARI

59. Lowest points : NADIRS

61. MTV's parent company : VIACOM

 

65. Old auto named for an explorer : DE SOTO

69. Purina rival : IAMS

70. Pacino title role : SERPICO. I should watch the movie again.

72. Germinates : SPROUTS

74. Kipling's Rikki-Tikki-__ : TAVI

77. "Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it's __": Anthony Bourdain :  A START. 6-letter partial.

 

83. Like some surprise endings : IRONIC

85. Sweater pattern : ARGYLE. Hi there, Santa!

87. Mythical servant : GENIE. Got via crosses.

88. Young Skywalker's nickname : ANI

89. Pickup at a stand : FARE

92. Rapa __: Easter Island : NUI

93. One of TV's Mavericks : BRET. Also via crosses.

95. Dockworker's org. : ILA

100. President, e.g. : LEADER

102. "Modern Family" daughter : ALEX. Gimme for Bill G, probably.

103. More agreeable : NICER

104. Sportscaster Ahmad : RASHAD

107. Bunch : PASSEL

114. "We're headed for overtime!" : IT'S A TIE

117. Really cool : AWESOME. Oh, TTP/PK, the lilies Boomer bought from Walmart are indeed not Tiger Lilies. They're Asiatic lilies. Your wife rocks, TTP!

120. Naysayer : ANTI

123. Orchestrator, perhaps : ARRANGER

126. Maroon : ENISLE. Not a word I use.

127. Coffee maker brand : BRAUN

128. KOA patron : RV'ER

129. Night school subj. : ESL

130. Sights along old Route 66 : MOTELS

131. Gelatin garnish : ASPIC. My grandma always had fried Tofu in her aspic.

132. Many millennia : AEON

133. ACLU issues : RTS (Rights)

Down:

1. On the fritz : KAPUT

2. Astrologer Sydney : OMARR. Learned from doing crosswords.

3. NBC-affiliated announcer in nine different decades : PARDO (Don)

4. AI game competitor : BOT. AI =  Artificial Intelligence. I got via crosses also.

5. "__ dreaming?" : AM I

6. Deli order : NO MAYO

7. Compel by force : COERCE

8. Bacharach collaborator Carole Bayer __ : SAGER. Unfamiliar figure to me. She looks gorgeous.

9. Georgia O'Keeffe subject : IRIS

10. Bond issuer: Abbr. : GOVT

11. Podium tapper, at times : MAESTRO. I was picturing someone who's giving a speech.

12. D-backs, on scoreboards : ARI

13. Phonies : SHAMS

14. "Chinatown" screenwriter Robert : TOWNE. Also an unknown figure to me. Wiki says he also wrote the first two Mission Impossible films.

15. The lord in "O beware, my lord, of jealousy!" : OTHELLO

16. Soulful Redding : OTIS

17. Prefix with scope : PERI. Used to be clued as "Persian fairy" in our old Tribune days.

18. Room next to la cocina, maybe : SALA

24. Oral Roberts University city : TULSA

26. Electrode shooters : TASERS

29. Pricey watch : RADO. I fail  to see their appeal.

32. Reprobate : LOWLIFE

33. Nevada city on I-80 : ELKO. Not RENO.

35. Open __ of worms : A CAN

37. Former Calif. base : FT ORD

38. Belittles : ABASES

40. City near Syracuse : UTICA

41. Doomed Genesis city : SODOM. Also 43. Ancient Dead Sea kingdom : MOAB

42. Monorail transports : TRAMS

44. Conductor Klemperer : OTTO. Hello D-Otto!

45. Put-on : HOAX

47. Compact automatic weapon : UZI

48. Reverent : DEVOUT

49. Old AT&T rival : MCI

52. Salon sounds : SNIPS. Also 90. Did a salon job : RINSED

53. Implied : TACIT

58. Cellist's need : ROSIN

60. Twice penta- : DECA. Prefix for "ten".

62. Flier's option : AISLE. Boomer's choice.

64. Melee : FRACAS

66. Nimble : SPRY

67. Big name in dental care : ORAL B

68. Control __ : TOWER. Not FREAK.

71. Disneyland's county : ORANGE

73. Ring pair : TAG TEAM. Boxing ring. (Correction: Wresting ring. Thanks, Robert!)

74. Wonder Woman accessory : TIARA

75. Synthetic fiber : ARNEL. We see NYLON or ORLON more often.

76. NBC musical reality show, with "The" : VOICE

78. More accurate : TRUER

80. Geraint's wife : ENID

81. Shade of green : NILE

82. Go like crazy : TEAR

84. Consideration complications : IFs. Tricky clue for a little word.

86. __ mill : GIN

91. '60s pop singer Sands : EVIE

94. K thru 12 : EL-HI. Gluey entry.

97. Wide-open space : EXPANSE

98. Pastries made with choux dough : ECLAIRS

99. Switch add-on : EROO. Gluey entry. Hard to make clean Sunday puzzles.

101. Clio contender : AD MAN

105. Capital of Eritrea : ASMARA

106. Change course suddenly : SWERVE

108. To any extent : AT ALL

109. Trig ratios : SINES

110. Boy band with an acronymic name : NSYNC

111. Actress Stevens : INGER. Forgot. We had her before.

112. Explosive trial : N TEST

113. Lena Dunham HBO series : GIRLS

114. Footnote word : IDEM

115. __ avail : TO NO

116. Houlihan portrayer on "M*A*S*H" : SWIT (Loretta)

118. Finish shooting : WRAP

119. Decorative sewing case : ETUI. It's back!

122. Trade name letters : DBA (Doing Business As)

124. Classic roadster : REO

125. Prince Valiant's son : ARN. He's back too!

C.C.

Saturday, May 28th, 2016, Steven J. St. John

Theme: SJSJ

Words: 70 (missing J,Q,Z)

Blocks: 26

  This is my second SJSJ puzzle, the last one being back in Jan of '13.  Very similar grids, with a crossing spanner and climber, triple 10-letter corners in the across, but today we have triple 8's in the down.  I did not get my "ta-DA~!" because of one letter, and switching to red-letters revealed one other mistake - at the crossing of proper names, which was the only fun-sponge today.  The long answers:

35a. Dynamo's asset : BOUNDLESS ENERGY

8d. Brand with a Magicube : KODAK INSTAMATIC

ON(3-day weekend)WARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Instruments mentioned in the Beatles' "Back in the USSR" : BALALAIKAS - the line is at 2:12 of the clip; my Moscow girl did not get out to the USofA....and a semi-clecho at; 19a. USSR component : SOVIET

 

11. Arguably biased, briefly : UN-PC - I saw this "politically incorrect" sign going to get my power painter, and I had to drive back and snap a pic.  I wonder what they discussed....

15. Resolving : IRONING OUT - well, I hope they ironed out the trouble at Hartwood....

16. Nebula Award winner Frederik : POHL - filled via perps

17. Hanging aid : STUD FINDER - I can't keep one in my tool box or van, because I keep setting it off....oh, come on, that's funny.  At least C.C. appreciates it~!!

18. Gin flavoring : SLOE

20. Direction at sea : ALEE

22. "Cat __ Hot Tin Roof" : ON A

23. It can be added to a million but rarely to a thousand : AIRE - millionaire, thousandaire

24. Ham's transport? : ARK - oh, I thought I was so clever putting in RYE, too.  This is Noah's son, however, and I thought "EGG" was a good answer, as well

26. Woodworking tool : PLANER - don't have one, would like one - and a lathe, too. 

28. Adopt : USE - I tried "OWN"

29. Atheist activist Madalyn : O'HAIR - never heard of her, and my first proper name problem; her Wiki

31. Mil. squad leaders : S-SGTs

32. Phys ed teacher Leonard for whom a band was named : SKINNER - Lynyrd Skynyrd for those who did not know; I learned it from the VH-1 rockumentary.  I did not, however, remember how to spell his name, or the band's, for that matter....

34. Maximum : PEAK

39. Tolstoy title first name : ANNA

40. Be less critical of : LET UP ON

41. Narrow landforms : NECKS -there's lots of land forms called necks here on Long Island

43. Do doer : SALON - I pondered BRUSH

44. Baker's amt. : TSP

47. Hailing from Changwon, say : KOREAN - half perps and WAG

49. Hood et al.: Abbr. : MTs

50. Mascot Misha of the 1980 Olympics, e.g. : BEAR - более России (more Russian)

51. Madrid Mrs. : SRA

52. Groups for biologists : TAXA

54. Italian road : STRADA

56. Internet letters : HTTP

58. On tap : AT THE READY

60. Yet to be settled : OWED

61. Gives up : CRIES UNCLE - I had -----UNDER to start, slowed down the SE

62. Start of a tennis point : TOSS - dah~!  Not LOVE

63. One to follow : PACE SETTER

DOWN:

1. Half an African country, or its capital city : BISSAU

2. Half a beer? : ARTOIS - Stella being the other half

3. Where the Mona Lisa smiles : LOUVRE - le Frawnche musée

4. Bill's "Groundhog Day" co-star : ANDIE - Murray & MacDowell

5. "That's __" : LIFE

6. Subject of the 2013 documentary subtitled "Speaking Truth to Power" : ANITA HILL - the other proper name that got me

7. Slot in a car: Abbr. : IGNition - took too long to figure out

9. Writer of really old stories? : AUEL - did not know her; I do recall the title "Clan of the Cave Bear".  I just read The Golden Compass, and now I am on to book II; side note, two stars from the movie also appeared in Casino Royale

10. Throat trouble : STREP

11. Increases : UPs -OK, I shall up this week's leg picture, by request, to a non-skinny, "gams with meat" girl

Charlotte~!

12. Not anymore : NO LONGER

13. Frustrating sequence : PHONE TAG

14. Blue forecast : CLEAR SKY

21. "The Big Easy" of golf : ELS - good WAG

25. Eastern royals : RANEES

27. Winter X Games host : ASPEN - I was not sure if this was the "X" games, or the tenth Olympic games - which, as I looked later, were held in Grenoble, France, 1968

29. Approved : OK'D - OKed, IDed/ID'd, I sometimes wonder which one is "OK"

30. Outcome : RESULT

32. Charmer's target : SNAKE - snake charmer

33. Take back : REPOSSESS

35. Strategy involving a cushion : BANK SHOT - ah, billiard table cushions

36. Less than a few : ONE OR TWO

37. Opens at the warehouse : UNCRATES

38. Confrontational start : NON - non-confrontational

42. Met : SAT

44. Legislation opposed by the Sons of Liberty : TEA ACT

45. Burden : SADDLE - I got "saddled" with sorting this week at UPS, so that a trainee could work my assignment; I think he should have been trained before this holiday week.  I am just glad to have reached my first three-day weekend of the year - but now we're into Cidiot Season....

46. Slight chance : PRAYER

48. Org. founded on the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth : NAACP - seems fitting

50. Sportscaster Musburger : BRENT

53. More, in ads : X-TRA

55. In alignment : TRUE - gotta keep my studs level and true - the bathroom project progresses, and yesterday I began the process of moving in to my new space~!

57. APB senders : PDs - All Points Bulletin, and Police Departments

59. Half a bray : HEE - did you try the other half, HAW~??

Splynter

Friday, May 27, 2016, Roland Huget

Title: Hush little baby.

Roland Huget appears in his 4th LAT, and his first Friday. This minimalist puzzle seems to have just three theme fill all references out of the 60's with a common thread of "shhh"and no reveal. It is very unusual for a Friday to have only three theme answers. If there is more to this effort I missed it. Of course there is the inclusion of the entire English alphabet (A PANGRAM!). Is this a themeless gone bad?  In any event, there is quite a bit of fresh intermediate fill, with THE MET, HIPPIE, ROASTS,  TRACES, ED MEESE,  ST. SIMON,  DEFANGS,  BEANERY, FISH TAIL, NETIZENS, RANGE WAR (odd with all the peace and quiet) and TAX HAVEN. Well let us see what Roland has done to befuddle us. If you do not know references the theme does not help.

17A. '60s executive order creation : PEACE CORPS (10). HISTORY.

35A. Societal change begun in Quebec during the '60s : QUIET REVOLUTION (15). HISTORY.

52A. '60s aviation nickname : WHISPERJET (10). HISTORY.

Across:

1. Man of many words : ROGET. Thesaurus guy.

6. Course designer : CHEF. Not a golf course, one part of a meal.

10. Hiker's map, briefly : TOPOgraphic. A legitimate word, but unsatisfactory fill for me. LINK.

14. Words spoken on a star? : I WISH. I may, I wish I might.

15. Virna of "How to Murder Your Wife" : LISI. A movie I remember.

16. Organic compound : ENOL.

19. Combine : MELD. Pinochle, anyone?

20. Locks in a zoo : MANE. Those kind of locks.

21. Human Be-In attendee : HIPPIE. Were any of you a human bein' in the 60's?

23. 1988 Cabinet resignee : ED MEESE. An underrated political SCANDAL No comment.

27. Apostle known as "the Zealot" : ST SIMON.

28. Facetious tributes : ROASTS. Do you all watch Comedy Central? I now listen on the radio.

29. Steady : BEAU. From the French for handsome.

30. Comfort and others : INNS.

31. Avid surfers : NETIZENS. A portmanteau of Internet and Denizens.

39. Money-saving refuge : TAX HAVEN. Anyone do business in the CHANNEL ISLANDS?

40. Subway purchase : HERO. Really.

41. Blue dye : ANIL. Indigofera suffruticosa.

42. Hints : TRACES.

44. Renders harmless : DEFANGS. Sorry Count D.

48. Greasy spoon : BEANERY. A word from 1877.

49. It's not widely understood : IN JOKE. I guess this is intended as an abbreviation of Inside Joke.

50. Small flaw : WART.

51. Cozy spot : NOOK.

58. Quattro competitor : ATRA. An off semi-clecho with 59. Quattro, e.g. : AUDI. No mention of  SUZI who is missing a "T"

60. 2013 One Direction hit : DIANA.

61. Victor's "Samson and Delilah" co-star : HEDY. Lamar

62. Line holder for a cast : REEL. Fishing, not acting.

63. Lustrous synthetic : RAYON. Lustrous...a regenerated, semisynthetic textile filament made from cellulose, cotton linters, or wood chips by treating these with caustic soda and carbon disulfide and passing the resultant solution, viscose, through spinnerets.

Down:

1. Swindle, with "off" : RIP.

2. Run a tab, say : OWE.

3. 1998 Angelina Jolie biopic : GIA. Lots of nudity.

4. F1 neighbor : ESC. Know your keyboard.

5. It's across from Alice Tully Hall : THE MET. Don't get LOST.

6. One of many in "Orphan Black" : CLONE. This actually looks interesting.

7. Engage : HIRE.

8. Sixth of five? : ESP. Did you make sense of this clue?

9. Skid : FISH TAIL. Out of control.

10. Largo and presto : TEMPI. More than one Tempo.

11. Matinee hr. : ONE P.M.

12. March of Dimes' original crusade : POLIO.Now we march for all babies.

13. Ancient : OLDEN.

18. Mama in music : CASS.

22. Trooper's outfit? : ISUZU. A very tricky clue as this automobile has been out of production since 2002 and the Company out of the US since 2009. Poor Joe.

23. La Salle of "ER" : ERIQ.  A fellow Connecticut native who continues to work.

24. Fried treat : DONUT.

25. Obsession : MANIA. Donuts?

26. Thomas Cromwell's earldom : ESSEX. He was important to HENRY VIII but then he was not. His descendant (through his sister Katherine) Oliver Cromwell also had his day in the British sun.

27. Determined about : SET ON. Which do you like better, this or ________Hall?

29. Oblique cut : BEVEL.

31. Half a Caribbean federation : NEVIS.

32. Tom's "Mission: Impossible" role : ETHAN. Time to work on our Italian? LINK.

33. Reunion attendee : NIECE. Pick any family member ...

34. More put out : SORER.

36. "__ heaven" : THANK. I always think of this LINK. Of course now that I am older, it seems creepy.

37. American West conflict : RANGE WAR.

38. Overly curious : NOSY.

42. Former Blue Devil rival, briefly : TERP. Maryland in the ACC before they moved to the Big Ten.

43. Not suitable for kids : RATED R. No links from me.

44. Shore show of the '70s : DINAH. A classic CLIP.

45. Modern message : ENOTE.

46. Alaskan cruise sight : FJORD. Fjocus? 54. 46-Down kin : RIA.  A fjord is created by inundation of a valley formed by a glacier. They typically have very steep walls and very deep floors allowing ocean-going vessels to navigate them. A ria is a former river valley that has subsided below sea-level and flooded. It is usually shallower than a fjord and often become estuaries with little fresh-water flow into them.

47. Jim-dandy : A OKAY.

48. Pizza sauce herb : BASIL. I like both Italian and Thai basil.

50. Off-target : WIDE.  "Wide right!"  Mean anything to any college or pro football fans out there?

53. Color distinction : HUE.

55. Magpie relative : JAY. Oh not again.

56. "Microsoft sound" composer : ENO.

57. Brown shade : TAN.  A perfect way to end this Friday frolic.  Did you all appreciate the pangram? Welcome to my world Roland and have a great holiday weekend all. With the beer and brats do remember all who have passed while serving our country and all of us. Lemonade out heading to the beach.

I leave you with some pics from the restaurant where Oo is working

Bon Appetit! On the left spicy oxtail soup
On the right, shrimp, bacon and lychee.