Thursday, September 29th, 2016 Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski

Theme: Kitchen Crises - there are legumes cascading all over the grid.

Six types of spilling beans picked out by the circles - PINTO, BUTTER, GREEN, WHITE, SOYA and BLACK are all present and correct and hinted at by grid-spanning reveal across the center.

Tricky little puzzle, this one from Bruce and Gail. The four corners took some unpicking - the southwest caused me the most problems. I liked how the beans were all "spilling" down the puzzle. The fill was tight and clean, just a couple of entries made me wince a little, but that's probably reasonable for a 78 word puzzle. Let's see what jumps out:

Across:

1. "La Vie en Rose" singer : PIAF. Splendid excuse for some gravelly soundtrack from the chanteuse.

5. Ashtray array : BUTTS

10. Interest greatly : GRAB

14. "There __ joy in Mudville ... " : IS NO. From the splendid Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer.

15. Livid : IRATE

16. Cambodian currency : RIEL. A couple of repeats from yesterday - this and ARIA at 64A

17. Lump : CLOT

18. Hasbro soldier : GI JOE

19. Raison d'__ : ÊTRE

20. Lake Michigan port : KENOSHA

22. Dietary need : PROTEIN

24. TriBeCa neighbor : SOHO. The "Triangle Below Canal Street" and "South of Houston" neighborhoods in Manhattan.

26. Backspaced over : ERASED

27. 1974 hit with a Spanish title meaning "You are" : ERES TU

31. Jedi Council VIP : YODA. For the Star Wars fans:

33. VCR successor : TIVO

34. Brief meeting? : SESS. Not my favorite fill today. It's legal, just not very elegant.

36. Army rank above maj. : LT.COL

41. Told ... and a hint to this puzzle's six sets of circles : SPILLED THE BEANS

44. Ivy League sch. : YALE U.

45. "Rebel Without a Cause" star James : DEAN

46. Where a retriever may be retrieved: Abbr. : SPCA. Adopting a mutt from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

47. Blacken : CHAR

49. Prepare : GET SET

51. Kansas motto word : ASPERA. Ad Astra Per Aspera. "Though hardships to the stars". Kurt Vonnegut used it as the motto of the Martian Imperial Commandos in The Sirens of Titan.

55. Omit : SKIP

57. "Moby-Dick" crew : WHALERS. This got me started in this corner. I didn't see the blindingly-obvious ARIA for quite some time.

59. Made possible : ENABLED

64. Italian air : ARIA

65. Cumberland Gap explorer : BOONE

67. Hall of Fame linebacker Junior : SEAU

68. Copper that's mostly zinc : CENT

69. Corned beef __ : ON RYE. Food! I started another batch of corned beef yesterday. Only 17 more days to go!

70. Not fem. : MASC

71. __-Ball : SKEE. I didn't know this thing actually had a name, I just thought it was "that game at Chuck-E-Cheese".

72. Construction rod : REBAR

73. Long haul : TREK

Down:

1. Draft item often traded : PICK

2. Vacation destination : ISLE

3. Erelong : ANON

4. Snap, commercially : FOTO

5. Michigan Stadium nickname, with "The" : BIG HOUSE. The largest stadium in the country with a capacity of just under 110,000

6. Heep of trouble? : URIAH

7. __ Mahal : TAJ. Big marble mausoleum in Agra, India, but more importantly a pretty great Indian restaurant on Ventura Boulevard up the road from me in Encino. Here's their famous Chicken Tikka Masala:

8. Camaro roof option : T-TOP

9. What 15-Across people do : SEE RED

10. Former Fox News anchor Van Susteren : GRETA

11. Ceremonies : RITES

12. Where eagles hatch : AERIE

13. Some of this and some of that : BLEND

21. JFK-to-Heathrow flier, once : SST. Because "Concorde" doesn't fit. By far the noisiest plane that came over my house in London on the way to landing at Heathrow.

23. Dental care name : ORAL B

25. Seafood found in beds : OYSTERS

27. Website for handmade art : ETSY

28. Electrolux spokeswoman Kelly : RIPA

29. Pernicious : EVIL

30. Something underfoot : SOLE

32. DOL division : OSHA

35. Scandinavian literary work : EDDA. Here's the first verse of Sæmund's Edda. Seems to be sensible advice:

1. At every door-way,
ere one enters,
one should spy round,
one should pry round
for uncertain is the witting
that there be no foeman sitting,
within, before one on the floor.

37. Try out : TEST

38. Toy gun ammo : CAPS

39. Almost never : ONCE

40. Six-part undergrad exam : LSAT

42. Money : LUCRE. Is lucre always filthy? I've never seen a quanity of lucre described as "sparkling".

43. Tech graduate : ENGINEER

48. Abet, in a way : HARBOR

50. Grime-fighting org. : E.P.A. Nice clue - Environmental Protection Agency

51. Spy plane acronym : AWACS Airborne Warning And Control System. I'm not really sure this is a spy plane, just a method of extending your radar detection capability.

52. Toondom ogre : SHREK

53. "Common Sense" writer : PAINE. Crosses. Thomas Paine's 1775 pamphlet advocating independence from Great Britain. Smart cookie, that guy.

54. Give a big lift : ELATE

56. Uganda neighbor : KENYA

58. 40-decibel unit : SONE. Strictly speaking, it's equal to 40 phons, not decibels, but the distinction is minor so I won't stir up trouble.

60. Realty ad abbr. : BSMT. My "uggh" fill of the day. Personally, I'd have tried to fill this section differently to avoid it.

61. "I am a very foolish fond old man" speaker : LEAR. King Lear, Act 4 Sc vii. Crosses filled this in for me, then I was thinking it might refer to Edward, master of the nonsense verse.

They dined on mince, and slices of quince,

Which they ate with a runcible spoon;

And hand in hand on the edge of the sand,

They danced by the light of the moon. 

From The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear

62. Comfort : EASE

63. "Fore!" : DUCK! One of my golfing buddies once hit a screamer of a drive that didn't get two inches off the ground - it hit one of the ladies' tee markers and came back at us so fast that no-one had a chance to do anything except dive for cover.

66. Sun or moon : ORB

That's about it from me. As Yoda would say: "A wrap, it is". Heeere's the grid.

Steve

Wednesday, September 28, 2016 Timothy L. Meaker

Theme: OUT OF SIGHT, MAN.  Five two-word theme entries all relate to someone or something whose identity or existence is covered up.  The non-reveal is in the first word of each phrase.

17. Old-time bandits : MASKED MARAUDERS.   I'm not sure this is a generic expression.  Specifically, there is a so-named villain in the Marvel Comics universe who is the main antagonist in the Daredevil title.  Also, this.

26. Narc's quarry : HIDDEN STASH.  Some quantity of drugs that narcotics agents want to confiscate.  But where is it?

38. Special forces mission : COVERT OPERATION.  This is a military or espionage action that is planned and executed in such a way that the sponsor's identity is not revealed, or plausible deniability is maintained.

46. Anonymous holiday gift giver : SECRET SANTA.  A community or other group of people randomly choose individuals to whom they will give a Christmas present.

60. Air marshal's possession : CONCEALED WEAPON.   Air marshals are highly trained marksmen who blend in with other passengers and serve to deter terrorism and protect the flying public.

Pretty straight forward concept in this thematically rich entry, built with three grid spanners and two more theme fill checking in at 11 characters each.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here to uncover the secrets of today's puzzle.  Let's have a peek behind the curtain.

Across

1. Gain experience (from) : LEARN.  Always important; not always pleasant.

6. Leg muscle : CALF.  The back of the lower leg.

10. World Golf Hall of Famer Karrie : WEBB. [b 1974] Australia's most successful female professional golfer.

14. First host of "The Tonight Show" : ALLEN.   Steve, [1921 - 2000] an American actor, writer, comedian, composer and musician.

15. Like some history : ORAL.  Not written down.

16. Original thought : IDEA.

20. "The Time Machine" race : ELOI.

21. Goes out : EBBS.   Like the tide.

22. First extra inning : TENTH.  A regulation baseball game lasts for 9 innings.  If the score is tied, they keep playing until one team wins.

23. Dallas Mavericks org. : NBA.  National Basketball Association.

25. Old Mideast alliance: Abbr. : UAR.  United Arab Republic.  A political union between Egypt and Syria that lasted from 1958 until 1961.  Egypt continued to use the name for another decade.

32. Nova Scotia hrs. : AST.  Atlantic Standard Time.  This time zone is one step to the east of the continental United States, 4 hours off Greenwich Mean Time.  It includes New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia in Canada, as well as Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands

35. City SW of St. Augustine : OCALA.  At ca. 57,500 [2013 census] it ranks as the 45th most poplous city in FLA.

36. Young boys : TADS.   Or LADS, but SLOIC ruined that concept.

37. Place for a pedicure : SPA. A commercial establishment offering health and beauty treatments.

42. Bi- halved : UNI-.   Bi- is a combining form meaning two or twice.  Except when attached to time units, when it might mean either "every two" or "twice per."  Back on topic, consider bi- and uni- -cycles or -valves.  

43. Cambodian cash : RIEL.  Most Cambodians prefer foreign currency.

44. Polar explorer : PEARY.  Robert [1865-1920] might or might not have been the first person to reach the north pole in his 1909 expedition, if he even got there at all.  He might have missed by 60 miles.  Nothing about this is certain.

45. Butter-on-hot-griddle sound : SSS.  Sizzle.

48. Bowl-shaped cookware : WOK.  A versatile round-bottomed cooking vessel of Chinese origin.

49. __ in: surround : HEM.    Specifically to surround in a restrictive manner.

50. Delta rival, as it was once known : USAIR.   Since merged with American Airlines.   The USAIR brand name was discontinued on Oct 17, 2015.

53. Tosca's "Vissi d'arte," e.g. : ARIA.   A vocal solo in the context of a larger work, such as an opera or oratorio.

56. Magic charm : MOJO.  Or spell.

63. "The Mod Squad" role : LINC.   Lincoln "Link" Hayes, portrayed by Clarence Williams III.

64. Automation prefix : ROBO-.  As in ROBO-call.  So looking forward to November 9.

65. Superman's makeup? : STEEL.  He's known as the "Man of STEEL," but this is probably hyperbole.  I suspect he really made of bronze.

66. __ code : AREA.  The regionally assigned 3 digit [in North America] prefix to your telephone number.

67. Mess offering : MEAL.  Through Middle English via Old French this word traces back to the Latin missum, meaning "something put on the table."  In modern times it most typically refers to a location where a specified group of people, such as in the armed forces, take their meals together.

68. Brits' boob tube : TELLY.  Teevee, stateside.

Down

1. Pathetic, as an excuse : LAME.  Or as many of my jokes.

2. Airline to Jerusalem : EL AL.

3. In addition : ALSO. Too

4. Put the spark back into, as a relationship : REKINDLE.

5. Salem-to-Portland dir. : NNE.

6. It may help with a mop : COMB.  For an unruly head of hair.  Good luck.

7. Many a Syrian : ARAB.  Ethnicity inhabiting several middle eastern countries and many cross word puzzles.

8. Metallica drummer Ulrich : LARS.   I have no idea how I know this.  I think their music is ghastly.

9. St. with a panhandle : FLA.  Florida.  Other states with panhandles, formally called salients, are Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia, which has two of them.

10. Three-lane, vis-à-vis two-lane : WIDER.  Larger in the lateral dimension.

11. "I Dream of Jeannie" star : EDEN.  Barbara [b 1931] star of the show which ran for 5 seasons starting in Sept,  1965.  

12. Buddy of Kermit : BERT.  Muppets.  I can't find a vid where they appear together, so I'm not sure how this buddy thing is working.

13. Big party : BASH.  Seems like the word BEER belongs in there somewhere.

18. Leader with a .edu address : DEAN.  The faculty head of a department.

19. Beehive State : UTAH.  This emblem was chosen in 1848 to symbolize the pioneer virtues of thrift and perseverance, long before UTAH became a state in 1896.

24. Animal symbolizing the 25-Down : BEAR.  This symbol of Russia [and by extension the USSR] has been used in cartoons, articles and drama since the 16th century.

25. World power inits. until '91 : USSR.  Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, aka the Soviet Union.

26. Magical start : HOCUS.  Pocus.   Feel the magic.

27. Tappable cellphone images : ICONS.  Used to launch various apps.

28. "Miles Smiles" trumpeter : DAVIS.   I can find the whole album on YouTube, but not just this song, as played by Miles, so no link.   There are covers, but that just feels wrong.

29. Poker-faced : STOIC.  Indifferent to either pleasure or pain, referring to the Ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism, founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium.  The IDEA is that the highest good comes from knowledge, and living in harmony with divine reason allows one to disregard fortune, pleasure and pain.

30. Come to a point : TAPER.

31. Fred's dancing sister : ADELE.  Astaire siblings.  Sadly, I can't come up with a video of her dancing.

32. Chinese or Japanese : ASIAN.  Originating in that continent.

33. Hurling or curling : SPORT.  Hurling, similar to field hockey, is the regional game of Ireland and is thousands of years old.  Curling is played with flat stones slid on an ice surface into a target circle.

34. Tucker of country : TANYA.

39. Taxing trip : TREK.

40. Semicircular church section : APSE.  Traditionally, the dome covered recess where the altar is located.

41. One who might go to bat for you? : TEAM MATE.  Baseball reference.

46. Achy : SORE.  Hurting.

47. January warm spell : THAW.  When the ice melts, for a while.

48. Modern witch's religion : WICCA.  A modern pagan belief system with no central authority that exists in many variations, generally based on a god and goddess duality.

50. Home of the NCAA's Bruins : UCLA.   College sports.

51. Evening in Quebec : SOIR.   French.

52. Klein of fashion : ANNE.   [1923 - 1974] Clothing and accessories.

53. Lotion additive : ALOE.  Ubiquitous in skin care products and cross word puzzles.

54. Singer McEntire : REBA. [b 1955, McAlester, OK ] While in high school, she and her siblings sang on local radio and at rodeos. Her performance of the National Anthem at the Oklahoma City rodeo in 1974 got her invited to Nashville, where she signed with Mercury records.  In 1984 she signed with MCA Nashville, and took over creative control of her recordings.

55. Star adored by many : IDOL.   

57. Autobahn auto : OPEL.   German subsidiary of G. M. headquartered in Rüsselsheim.

58. "Piano Man" man : JOEL.   For six months in 1972, William Martin JOEL [b 1949] worked at the Executive Room piano bar on Wilshire Blvd in L. A.  This sad song, released in 1973, commemorates that time.

59. __ child : ONLY.   My sister and I are 6 1/2 years apart.  It's almost as if our parents had 2 ONLY children.

61. Branch : ARM.   Extension.

62. Approx. repair cost : EST.   Who establishes this ESTimate?

Well, that wraps it up, but does not put it under wraps.  Hope you enjoyed unraveling all the mysteries.

Cool regards!
JzB

Note from C.C.:

Our own Peg (C6D6 Peg) made today's WSJ. You can click here to print out the PDF. Congratulations,  dear Peg!

Peg and her husband Steve

Tuesday, September 27, 2016 Lonnie Burton and Nadine Anderton

Theme: Jumbles - Take a word, change up the letter order and hide it an answer.

18. Churchgoer's "If it's meant to be": LORD WILLING, and the creeks don't rise.

26. Another name for the gladiolus: SWORD LILY, because of their sword-shaped leaves.

38. Post-Cold War hierarchy ... and what is literally contained in the circled squares: NEW WORLD ORDER

51. Out-of-the-office assignment: FIELD WORK

60. They're often passed on the road: SLOW DRIVERS

Argyle here...or is it Garley? First LAT puzzle for Lonnie and a debut for Nadine. Sure'd be nice if they dropped by.

Across:

1. Civil __: WAR

4. Tropical fish with large peepers: BIGEYE. "I've got my eye on you."

10. Add to the staff: HIRE

14. Jungle swinger: APE

15. Rapper whose professional name sounds like a candy: EMINEM

16. Sport, for ports: Abbr.: ANAG. Nag a ram.

17. Kindled: LIT

20. Explorer Ericson: LEIF

22. Kitchy-__: KOO

23. Blame taker: GOAT. A scapegoat.

24. Curtain material: SCRIM. The term scrim has two separate meanings in terms of fabric. For curtains, it is the light gauzy material.

30. Cable box display: TEEVEE

32. Dispensable candy: PEZ

33. High bond rating: AAA

34. Geological epoch in which mammals arose: EOCENE

37. Leave __: reward the waiter: A TIP

42. Mortar carriers: HODs

43. __ Fables: AESOP'S

44. Nonprofit URL ending: ORG.

45. Adherent's suffix: IST. Cruciverbalist.

47. Muscat residents: OMANIs

55. Point of view: SLANT

56. Peau de __: satin-weave cloth: SOIE

57. Wide shoe width: EEE

59. In any way: EVER

64. Holiday threshold: EVE

65. Starting course: SOUP

66. Austrian capital: VIENNA

67. "__ Misérables": LES

68. Chris of "The Good Wife": NOTH

69. First female Shuttle pilot __ Collins: EILEEN

70. H.S. 12th-graders: SRs

Down:

1. NYSE locale: WALL ST. (New York Stock Exchange/Wall Street)

2. Per unit: A PIECE

3. Head to bed: RETIRE

4. Brussels' land: Abbr.: BEL. (Belgium)

5. "Don't worry about me": "I'M OK"

6. Copter predecessors: GIROs or GYROs.

7. Provide with funding: ENDOW

8. Evergreen that's a homophone of a vowel: YEW

9. Political refugee: ÉMIGRÉ

10. Judaism: kosher :: Islam: __: HALAL

11. Start: INITIATE

12. Took part in a marathon: RAN

13. Cake mix need: EGG

19. City southwest of Warsaw: LODZ. Łódź.

21. Reporter's quintet of questions: FIVE W's. Who, What, When, Where, Why.

25. Ask for Whiskas, perhaps: [MEOW?]

27. Opinion columns: OP EDs

28. Lion's den: LAIR

29. Jabber: YAP

31. Prefix with friendly: ECO. (Environmentally friendly)

35. Muse of poetry: ERATO

36. Marlins' MLB div.: NLE. (National League East)

37. Source of media revenue: AD SALE

38. "Me neither": "NOR I"

39. Barely beats: EDGES OUT

40. Valentine card hugs: OOO. XXX - kisses.

41. LP measures: RPMs. (vinyl records)

42. Baseball inst. in Cooperstown: HOF

45. "__ it my way": I DID

46. Turn sharply: SWERVE

48. Orange choices: NAVELs

49. "Well, __!": "What an outrage!": I NEVER

50. Blood pressure elevator: STRESS

52. Acid test outcome, possibly: LOW PH. Conversely, alkaline test outcome, possibly: HIGH PH.

53. Party hearty: REVEL

54. Nancy Drew creator Carolyn: KEENE. Somewhat bogus clue. The Nancy Drew books were written by ghost writers, all of them given the name Carolyn Keene. The mystery fiction series was created by publisher Edward Stratemeyer.

58. White-tailed coastal bird: ERNE. We see his name but never the bird.

60. Nine-digit ID: SSN. (social security number)

61. Lav, in Bath: LOO

62. Three on a sundial: III

63. __ Antonio: SAN

Argyle

Monday, September 26, 2016 Lila Cherry

Theme: Tickets, Please - A night at the opera.

17A. End that "I face," in Sinatra's "My Way": THE FINAL CURTAIN

30A. It has 32 pieces and a 64-square board: CHESS SET

37AA. Prepare to fly: SPREAD ONE'S WINGS

44A. Vital phase: KEY STAGE

58A. Broadway do-or-die philosophy, and a hint to the ends of 17-, 30-, 37- and 44-Across: THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Argyle here with Lila Cherry, an anagram for "Really Rich", showing us what a Monday should look like. You didn't stop looking for themes after the three spanners, did you? (I'd understand.) Parts of a theater theme is easy enough but Rich did add some nuggets to munch on. (Like 1-Across)

Across:

1. First assassin to attack Caesar: CASCA. The few I knew wouldn't fit.

6. Marvel Comics mutants: X-MEN

10. Folk singer Joan: BAEZ

14. Arctic or Indian: OCEAN

15. Bit of trickery: RUSE

16. In the style of, in ristorantes: ALLA. Penne Alla Vodka With Chicken.

20. Feudal laborer: SERF

21. Popeye's Olive: OYL

22. Given to giving orders: BOSSY

23. Grounded Aussie birds: EMUs. Flightless.

25. Twirl or whirl: SPIN

27. Gentlemen's partners: LADIES

34. Surrounded by: AMONG

35. __ accompli: FAIT. A thing that has already happened or been decided before those affected hear about it, leaving them with no option but to accept

36. Often rolled-over investment: IRA. (individual retirement account)

41. Kind: ILK

42. Self-images: EGOs

43. Gold bar: INGOT

47. Decadent, as the snobs in a historic Agnew speech: EFFETE

48. Blessed: HOLY

49. Get-out-of-jail money: BAIL

50. Drinks with floating ice cream: SODAs

53. Windy City summer hrs.: CDT. Central Daylight Time)

54. Jersey or Guernsey: ISLE. Islands in the English Channel.

62. Informal negative: AIN'T

63. "No __!": "Easy!": PROB. (problem)

64. Brief: SHORT

65. Activist Parks: ROSA

66. Words meaning the same thing: Abbr.: SYNs. (synonyms)

67. Furry swimmer: OTTER

Down:

1. Emergency shelter beds: COTS

2. Throb: ACHE

3. Fortuneteller: SEER

4. The jolt in joe?: CAFFEINE. Joe is slang for coffee.

5. "Give me __!": start of a Hoosier cheer: AN INDIANA

6. Diagnostic tests: X-RAYS

7. Ponder (over): MULL

8. Top-left PC key: ESC. (ESCAPE)

9. Modern, in Munich: NEU

10. Twirled sticks: BATONS

11. "That's a shame": "ALAS"

12. Yale alumni: ELIs

13. Madcap: ZANY

18. We, to Henri: NOUS

19. Grand slam homer quartet, briefly: RBIs. (run batted in) 3 runners already on base plus the batter.

24. Prefix with hit or store: MEGA

25. Backs up in fear: SHIES. Often said of a horse.

26. Cats and dogs: PETS

27. Eye surgery acronym: LASIK. (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis)

28. More than enough: AMPLE

29. Foolish, in slang: DORKY

30. Easily tipped boat: CANOE

31. Burn slightly: SINGE

32. Rye grass disease: ERGOT

33. Try, as food: TASTE

35. Swimming in pea soup?: FOGGY

38. Hand out cards: DEAL

39. Coffeehouse connection: WiFi

40. Like airplane services: INFLIGHT

45. California peak: SHASTA

46. British balderdash: TOSH

47. Food, in diner signs: EATS

49. Buffalo Wild Wings nickname based on its initials: B-DUBS. Catch ya'? BWW - Bee Double U Double U. B-Dubs® is sports bar. Web page

50. Marquee name: STAR

51. Cincinnati's state: OHIO

52. Family rooms: DENS

53. "Let's get goin'!": "C'MON!"

55. Chimney sweep's sweepings: SOOT

56. Passed-down knowledge: LORE

57. __'acte: intermission: ENTR

59. Covert or black doings: OPS. (Operations)

60. Droll: WRY

61. Chinese menu general: TSO. Spicy.

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy birthday to Dennis, who helped me greatly with this blog the first few years. JimmyB and I talked about the days when you used to post first, Dennis. Hope it's a fantastic day! 

2) Best of luck on your first day at the new office, Barry! I hope they'll let you work from home again soon. Our blog is not complete without your daily comments.