Thursday, January 19th 2017 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Camera Obscura - the three theme entries have a common scrambled word concealed within, as explained by the reveal:

54A. Device found in this puzzle's three other longest answers : HIDDEN CAMERA. You can find these things for next to nothing on eBay and Amazon. Creepy.

20A. Protective charm often adorned with feathers : DREAM CATCHER. Great, fresh entry. They can be elaborate, and quite beautiful:

33A. Stamina-testing ballroom event : DANCE MARATHON. Subject matter for the widely-acclaimed 1969 movie "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"

40A. Forensic analyst's discovery : TRACE MATERIAL. A potpourri of things that might link a person to the scene of a crime.

Thursday rolls around again, and here's a nice scramble-theme from Kurt. The three theme entries are fresh and interesting, and the CAMERA is consistently found scrambled across the two words. There's a couple of nice long downs tying things together. I could have done without either one of  the pairs AAR/SAAR or ERR/ERN but that's probably just me being picky. Let's see what else we've got to talk about:

Across:

1. Naproxen brand : ALEVE. A non-steroidal anti-inflamatory drug of the proprionic acid class. Now we know.

6. Yap : TRAP.

10. Documentary divisions : ERAS. Not my first thought as far as a clue is concerned, but I think I see what Kurt or Rich are getting at - for example, documentary maker Ken Burns has produced programs covering the Vietnam War and the Civil War, as well as the jazz era.

14. Ricoh competitor : XEROX

15. Green-skinned "Return of the Jedi" girl : OOLA. Thank you, crosses.

16. Approaching : NIGH. The End, commonly. Let's hear it from Grumpy Cat:

17. Not shady : LEGIT

18. Action figure? : DOER

19. Site of Shah Jahan's tomb : AGRA. The Taj Mahal. The Shah had it built to house the tomb of his wife, Mumtaj. As an aside, there are approximately two million Indian restaurants in the world called either The Mumtaj Mahal or The Taj Mahal. The other four are called The Red Fort, The New Bengal, The Taste of India and The Lahore Kebab House.

23. Decorative globe : ORB

26. Ice cream maker Joseph : EDY

27. Holed a five-footer, say : PUTTED. Or, in my case, three-putted, commonly.

28. Start of a hands-off declaration? : LOOK, MA! Followed by a trip to the ER or the dentist.

30. Fivers : ABES. We call 'em "Lady Godivas" in England, in the rhyming vernacular. A "tenner" is an Ayrton (Senna). The day one of my co-workers in London told me that he couldn't make it to lunch because "I got to go down the J. Arthur to sausage a Gregory" and I understood him made me feel like I was a  native of the City.

32. Pigs out (on), briefly : O.D.'S

36. Longtime Labor Day telethon org. : M.D.A. Jerry Lewis-hosted event in aid of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

37. Wild bunch : MOB

38. Gold units: Abbr. : KTS. Karats.

46. Swiss river : AAR. Here it is, with the old city of Bern sitting handily in the meander.

48. "Peter Pan" pooch : NANA. In the book, she was described as a Newfoundland, but for some reason Disney in their infinite wisdom turned her into a St. Bernard in their movie adaptation.

49. Travel org. freebie : AAA MAP. I still enjoy printed maps for browsing, but Google Maps for navigation is pretty awesome, especially the real-time rerouting to avoid traffic.

50. Lamentation : PLAINT. Complaint, in old-speak.

52. Miss an easy grounder, say : ERR

53. It can follow directions : -ERN. Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western. Question - why do we say "suh-thern" and not "sow-thern"?

58. Cold drink brand : ICEE

59. Come & Get It! pet food maker : ALPO

60. Annoyed : IRKED.

64. Like some warnings : DIRE

65. Jetty : PIER. The longest pleasure pier in the world is at Southend on the east coast of England. It's almost a mile and a half long and has a railway running from the shore to the pier head. There used to be a pub at the end, but it caught fire in 2007 and took the pier head down with it.

66. "Keen!" : NEATO!

67. Fresh answers : SASS

68. Quick on one's feet : SPRY

69. "Business @ the Speed of Thought" co-author : GATES. Collins Hemingway gets the co-writing credit, but Bill's is the only name on the cover.

Down:

1. Guns N' Roses' Rose : AXL. He of the X-rated anagrammatic name.

2. Sheltered side : LEE

3. Bit of work : ERG

4. Cancel : VOID

5. More than just edgy : EXTREME

6. Morning fare since 1952 : TODAY. The Today Show on NBC.

7. Study, e.g. : ROOM

8. Actor Baldwin : ALEC

9. Rampart topper : PARAPET. Merriam-Webster has rampart and parapet as synonyms, but they're two separate things. Here's a diagram of Hadrian's Wall, built by the eponymous roman Emperor to keep the marauding Scots out of northern England (some people still say that it should never have been abandoned).

Now, all this begs the question as to whether Francis Scott Key knew the difference. Either "From the ramparts we watched" or "O'er the parapet we watched" would make more sense. Probably too late to change it now.

10. Legislate : ENACT

11. Punctual : RIGHT ON TIME. Swiss Railways, famously. Amtrak, less so.

12. Concurred : AGREED

13. Result of a messy breakup? : SHARDS. Glass, usually.

21. Wax-coated cheese : EDAM

22. Rear : TUSH

23. Ancient : OLD

24. Gad about : ROAM

25. Wall Street figures : BOND TRADERS. 007 memorabilia collectors?

29. 1980 Chrysler debut : K-CAR

30. Something in the air : AROMA. There's my coffee brewing, in a K-CUP.

31. Cake with a kick : BABA. Rum-soaked confection.

34. "Too true!" : AMEN

35. Creole vegetable : OKRA. Popular in Indian food too.

39. German industrial region : SAAR. Don't confuse your Ruhr and your Saar.

41. Youngest Brontë : ANNE. Cheerful-looking bunch, and this was painted by their brother, Branwell. He painted himself out of the portrait, evidently quite poorly.

42. Short rests : CATNAPS

43. Weight allowance : TARE

44. Stud, e.g. : EARRING. Now, wait a minute. A stud is a stud, an earring is an earring, and ne'er the twain shall be confused. Docking a point for this one.

45. ICU worker : LPN. The "N" was my final fill. I wasn't sold on that whole "North-ern" thing at 53A, and I didn't know Licensed Practical Nurse.

46. Rose garden pests : APHIDS

47. "The Good Wife" wife : ALICIA. Thank you, crosses. Never saw the show.

51. Nice thoughts? : IDÉES. Nice, in the south-ern part of France, located in a south-erly direction from Lyon. OK, I'll stop now.

52. Bishop John for whom a Georgia university was named : EMORY. Knew the school, learned today he was a bishop.

55. Movie trailer unit : CLIP

56. Imitator : APER. I've been peeved about this word before, I'll just let it go.

57. One-half base times height, for a triangle : AREA. For a right-angled triangle only, if I recall correctly.

61. Dennings of "2 Broke Girls" : KAT. Crosses to the rescue again.

62. Juillet's season : ÉTÉ. Summer in Nice is nice.

63. Big affairs : DOS

And .... here's the grid.

Steve

Wednesday, January 18, 2017 C. C. Burnikel

Theme - BE NOT AFRAID.  A variety of things are related to the fears they might - or in this case, might not - cause.   This is pretty deep.  Each word relating to a common phobia is placed in a different, much safer context.  This makes it a figurative rather than literal reference.  I don't recall seeing a twist like this before.  Very clever and original.

17 A. Not a fearful place for acrophobia sufferers : BROOKLYN HEIGHTS.  Not sure what the elevation is there, but here in the Detroit area, Dearborn and Dearborn HEIGHTS are pretty flat and even.

36 A. Not a fearful fund for agoraphobia sufferers : MONEY MARKET.  This phobia relates to the fear of open places, or any place that might seem to be difficult to escape from, such as a shopping mall.  In the original Greek, an Agora was a public gathering and commercial location - hence the connection to a MARKET.

45 A. Not a fearful Camus work for xenophobia sufferers : THE STRANGER.  This fear relates to foreigners, who might be thought of as strange.   In the absurdist novel, the protagonist Meursault is a stranger in his own land, due to his emotional disconnection.

65 A. Not a fearful roadster for arachnophobia sufferers : ALFA ROMEO SPIDER. Four wheels instead of 8 legs for this model originally introduced in 1966.

Exotic 2-seater

Hi gang - Jazzbumpa here with quite the intrepid offering from our Fearless Leader.  It hit on a couple of my favorite phobias; but let's gather our courage, and see what we can discover.

Across

1. Early sitcom co-star Arnaz : DESI.  He and Luci had a Ball.  

5. It's over a foot : SHIN.  No bones about it, the shin is literally above the foot.

9. Zagreb native : CROAT.  In Croatia.

14. Wolfs down : EATS.  Gobbles.

15. Madre's boy : NINO.  Spanish kid.

16. Toy in many "Peanuts" panels : PIANO.

20. Casino lineup : SLOTS.  One armed bandits.

21. Starting on : AS OF.  Some particular date.

22. Palette choices : HUES.  Colors.

23. Morose : DOUR.  From Scottish Gaelic, meaning dull, obstinate or stupid; perhaps related to Latin durus, meaning hard.

25. Droop in the garden : WILT.  So - if your cherry tree wilts, it is a drooping drupe.

27. Tight hold : GRIP.  Though suffering from the grippe, the Grip had a tight GRIP on his grip.

29. 401(k) alternative, briefly : IRA.  Individual Retirement Account.

32. Went ballistic : LOST IT.  Had a fit; went ape.

39. Folk rocker DiFranco : ANI.

40. Belittle : ABASE.

41. Showy Japanese school : KOI.  Of ornamental fish.

42. To a degree, informally : SORTA.   I had KINDA, which is more or less the same idea.

44. Haul to the garage : TOW.  

48. Name on the 1967 album "I Was Made to Love Her" : STEVIE.  Here he is, in case you were wondering.

50. Pilot's stat : ETA.  Estimated Time of Arrival.  Good luck with that.

51. Ward of "Sisters" : SELA.

Can you find her?

52. City with ferry service to Copenhagen : OSLO.

Denmark to Norway

54. Damon of "Interstellar" : MATT.

56. Fix, as a pet : SPAY.   Neutering operation.

59. Deft tennis shots : LOBS.  Soft arc.

62. Ragu rival : PREGO.   Pasta sauces.  

68. Prolonged assault : SIEGE.

69. Way through the trees : PATH.

70. Curly cabbage : KALE.  Having green or purple leaves that do not form a head.  This vegetable was common during the middle ages.

71. Wielded an ax : HEWED.  A good old, Anglo-Saxon word meaning to chop.

72. "Button it!" : HUSH.  BE quiet!

73. Actor Byrnes and announcer Hall : EDDS.  Presented for your edification.

Down

1. Cotillion attendees : DEBS.   At formal balls, young ladies of aristocratic birth make their debuts into formal society.  Seems like a sexist and elitist tradition.

 2. Banjoist Scruggs : EARL.  Has a banjo, and knows how to use it.



 3. Admired reverentially, with "of" : STOOD IN AWE. As, for example, of banjo virtuosity.

 4. Elemental forms used in carbon dating : ISOTOPES.  A radioactive form of an element with a known decay rate.

 5. NBC weekend skit show : SNL.  Live from New York, It's Saturday Night Live.

 6. "'Sup" : HI YA.  Slangy greetings.

 7. Travel section listing : INNS.  Quaint lodgings.

 8. "Not happenin'" : NO HOW.  Slangy denial.

 9. Key econ. indicator : CPI.  Usually it's GDP or GNP.  But not this time - It's the Consumer Price Index, which, as you can see, has been quite tame lately.

From the St. Louis Fed

 10. Subjects of the first 10 Amendments : RIGHTS.  The Bill of RIGHTS amended to the U. S. Constitution.

 11. Iolani Palace island : OAHU.  Hawaii.

 12. Kitty starter : ANTE.  For the poker pot.

 13. Throw : TOSS.

 18. Sch. near Topeka : KSU.  Kansas State University, home of the Wildcats.

 19. TurboTax option : E-FILE.  Electronically submit your tax return.

 24. Outer edge : RIM.  Of a crater or coffee cup.

 26. Mucho : LOTS A.  Large, slangy quantities.

 27. Future MBAs' exams : GMATS.  Graduate Management Admission Tests.  I don't remember taking one, but since I have an MBA, I probably did.   IMHO, standardized testing is a huge scam offering very little of value.

 28. High-tech worker : ROBOT.  Not often resembling an anthropomorphic machine, but more often specifically designed for the job at hand [so to speak.]  Estimates are that almost all jobs will be replaced by ROBOTS or AI systems in the next 30 years.  Then, what will we do?

 30. Golf bunker tool : RAKE.  I wanted a WEDGE, which didn't fit.  Golf etiquette is to rake a sand trap [bunker] smooth after taking your shot.

 31. Got up : AROSE.

 33. Online pop-up tailored to individual tastes : TARGETED AD.  After I do a google search for something, that item often then shows up on the right side bar of Face Book.  Big Brother really is watching.

 34. Recon goal : INTEL.  Reconnaissance to gather intelligence.

 35. Pageant headpiece : TIARA.  Winner's crown.

 37. Elusive Himalayans : YETIS. The legendary mountain creatures.



 38. "Batman" actress Eartha : KITT.  She was the KITT Cat.



 43. Picket line placard : ON STRIKE.  Unfair!

 46. Word of greeting : HELLO.  'Sup?

 47. Aries symbol : RAM.  Astrology.  Don't let it get your goat.

 49. Journey : VOYAGE.    Trip.

 53. Zing : OOMPH.  Chutzpa.

 55. Droid download : APP.  Application for your mobile device.

 56. Pageant band : SASH.  A wide fabric ribbon, usually brightly colored worn draping across the body from one shoulder to the opposite hip.

 57. Ballet class bend : PLIE.



 58. Small number :  A FEW.  Less than several.

 60. Main squeeze : BEAU.  Boy friend.

 61. Pub crawlers : SOTS.  Heavy drinkers.

 63. Fix, as a horse : GELD.  Back to neutering.

 64. Tram loads : ORES.  From the mine.

 66. Chinese lantern color : RED.

Traditional Dragon

 67. "Button it!" : SHH.   Quietly, now.

That wraps it up.  See - there never was any danger - except for certain domesticated quadrupeds. Now, with that calm conclusion, we can all go about our business secure in the knowledge that we are safe.

Cool regards!
JzB

Note from C.C.:

Happy 26th anniversary to Jazzbumpa (Ron) and his lovely wife Gloria! 

Tuesday, January 17, 2017 Alan DerKazarian

Theme: New Speak - Our first utterances.

17A. Silly sort : GOOFBALL

25A. Zeros : GOOSE EGGS

37A. Anniversary celebration at the Met, say : GALA PERFORMANCE

50A. Disputed Mideast territory : GAZA STRIP

62A . Infantile vocalizations, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 25-, 37- and 50-Across : BABY TALK. Goo goo, ga ga.

Argyle here. Koochy, koochy, koo.

Across:

1. Baja vacation spot : CABO. We were on Cabo's peninsula just last Friday.

5. Tree's sticky output : SAP

8. Neck mark from necking : HICKEY

14. Razor name : ATRA

15. Suffix with pay : OLA. payola.

16. Taking the place (of) : IN LIEU

19. Polish port where Solidarity was founded : GDANSK. Not baby's first word.

20. Music producer Brian : ENO

21. Dueling sword : ÉPÉE

22. "Hannah and __ Sisters": Woody Allen film : HER

23. Formal pronouncements : DICTA. Legal mumbo-jumbo.

30. Pay with plastic : CHARGE

32. __ of: done with : RID

33. Not at home : OUT

34. The Judds, e.g. : DUO

35. Migration formation : VEE

36. Move in the wind : SWAY

42. Numbered musical piece : OPUS

43. Grunting female : SOW

44. Slowing, on a music score: Abbr. : RIT. (ritardando)

45. Little point to pick : NIT

46. Sick __ dog : AS A

47. Spitball need : SALIVA

53. R&B singer Baker : ANITA

55. "That's all __ wrote" : SHE

56. Fermented honey drink : MEAD

58. The USA's 50 : STs. (states)

59. Nissan model : SENTRA

64. Series of related emails : THREAD

65. Luau instrument : UKE

66. Curved molding : OGEE

67. Fort Bragg mil. branch : US ARMY

68. Boston hrs. : EST. (Eastern Standard Time)

69. Dandelion, e.g. : WEED

Down:

1. Confined, as a bird: CAGED

2. Not accented, as syllables: ATONIC. Seldom seen word.

3. Ornamental pin: BROOCH

4. Doofus: OAF

5. Ivory in the tub: SOAP

6. State without proof: ALLEGE

7. Prefix with -lithic: PALEO

8. Bogart film set in a California range: "HIGH SIERRA", A campy trailer.

9. Truly: INDEED

10. Irish county bordering Limerick: CLARE. Across the River Shannon.

11. Next of __: KIN

12. Wide shoe widths: EEs. I blindly put in EEE.

13. Guffaw: YUK

18. Face adversity well: BEAR UP

24. Cries of triumph: TADAs

26. Layered cookie: OREO

27. Bridal attire: GOWN

28. Avocado dip, for short: GUAC. (guacamole)

29. Eyelid sore: STYE

31. Dates one person exclusively: GOES STEADY

35. Ex-GIs' gp.: VFW. (Veterans of Foreign Wars)

36. Lustrous fabric: SATIN

37. Bell hit with a padded mallet: GONG

38. Samoan capital: APIA. Have we learned it yet?

39. Skating leap: LUTZ

40. Have a good laugh: ROAR

41. Address for a noblewoman: MILADY

46. Traditional Hindu retreat: ASHRAM

47. Delivers a lecture: SPEAKS

48. Facial expression: VISAGE

49. Postwar British prime minister: ATTLEE. Clement Attlee, Prime Minister from 1945 to 1951. 

51. Autumn blossom: ASTER

52. Suffuse (with): IMBUE

54. Queried: ASKED

57. Help with a heist: ABET

59. Actor Erwin: STU. That is way back in the archives.

60. "Come again?" sounds: EHs?

61. FDR agency: NRA. (National Recovery Administration)

63. Illegal parker's risk: TOW

Argyle

Monday, January 16, 2017 Jeff Stillman

Theme: No Reveal Monday - Last names that start with various body parts.

20A. Record-setting aviator of the 1930s : AMELIA EARHART. Ear

29A. 2007-'14 E! comedy talk show host : CHELSEA HANDLER. Hand

46A. Looney Tunes rooster with a Southern accent : FOGHORN LEGHORN. Leg

56A. First to walk on the moon : NEIL ARMSTRONG. Arm

Argyle here. A simple theme that is somewhat hidden due lack of connectedness. The fact they are external parts that usual comes in pairs doesn't really do it. OTH, on the whole the puzzle seemed a bit crunchy to me.

Across:

1. Car roof accessory : RACK

5. __ Romeo: sports car : ALFA

9. Go Fish request : TWOs

13. Cybermessage : E-NOTE

15. Agreement to shake hands on : DEAL

16. Shabbat service site : SHUL. The Yiddish word for synagogue.

17. Hercules types : HEMEN

18. Jazz trumpeter Al : HIRT

19. Opposite of stuffy, roomwise : AIRY

23. Started to eat, with "into" : BIT

24. Apr. is in it : SPR. Is it to early to think spring?

25. Old nuclear agcy. : AEC. (Atomic Energy Commission)

26. Sixth sense, for short : ESP. (ExtraSensory Perception)

33. Hammerhead parts : PEENS. If it's a hammer and not a shark.

34. "All My Children" vixen : ERICA. All My Children (1970–2011); Erica Kane played by Susan Lucci. A crossword regular in the day.

35. Letterhead design : LOGO

38. RBI and ERA : STATS. Baseball

41. Sunset direction : WEST ergo 57D. Sunrise direction : EAST

42. King's decree : EDICT

44. Separate by percolation : LEACH. Home owners know all about perc tests and leach fields. Learn more HERE.  Update: Homeowners with city plumbing, not so much. D-O

51. Singer's syllable : TRA

52. Word before a birth name : NÉE

53. Modern: Ger. : NEU. Are they looking for NEUARTIG? Update: Yes they were. Not just NEW because the German in the clue was abbreviated, hence the answer must be an abbreviation . What I have found is NEUARTIG can mean novel or never seen before. It appears in several spots that German for Modern is ... modern or moderne.

54. Move it, old-style : HIE

60. Letter after epsilon : ZETA

62. Et __: and others : ALIA

63. Down-yielding duck : EIDER

64. Showy perennial : IRIS

65. Half a picking-up tool : TONG

66. Cubic meter : STERE

67. Treaty : PACT

68. Concludes : ENDS

69. Mgr.'s underling : ASST.

Down:

1. Detox program : REHAB

2. Feeble : ANEMIC

3. O'Neill's "The Iceman __" : COMETH

4. "As seen on TV" record co. : K-TEL. CSO to Canada-eh. K-TEL is Canadian. Wiki.

5. Supporter : ADHERENT

6. Sci-fi princess : LEIA. RIP

7. Fawcett who played one of Charlie's Angels : FARRAH

8. Tennis Hall of Famer Gibson : ALTHEA

9. Russian ruler until 1917 : TSAR

10. "Little" deception : WHITE LIE

11. Couple's word : OUR

12. Guileful : SLY

14. Maroon, as after a shipwreck : ENISLE. Long "I"

21. Vaulted church areas : APSES

22. Stridex target : ACNE

27. "Gimme a few __": "Be right there" : SECS

28. Rear end in a fall? : PRAT

30. Pleistocene period : EPOCH

31. __ get-out: to the utmost degree : AS ALL

32. BBC time traveling hero : DR. WHO

35. Hit the road : LEFT

36. You may get a whiff of one : ODOR

37. Humongous : GIGANTIC

39. "Popstar!" and "Tiger Beat," casually : TEEN MAGs

40. Wise guys? : SAGEs

43. Novelist Morrison : TONI. POLITICAL Interview with Charlie Rose, CLIP(3:00) POLITICAL

45. Ladders partner in a kids' board game : CHUTES

47. Empathize : RELATE

48. "SNL" alum Kevin : NEALON. Matt LeBlanc and Kevin Nealon’s have a new CBS comedy, “Man with a Plan”.

49. Colossus island : RHODES. The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue. Then Hollywood got a hold of it.

50. Bay Area NFLers : NINERS. 49

55. Marsh denizen : EGRET

58. Watermelon cover : RIND

59. "Lovely" Beatles ticket writer : RITA

60. Nil : ZIP

61. Victorian __ : ERA

Argyle