Friday, January 27, 2017, Patti Varol

Title: Tennis Anyone?  The real reveal?

Patti is here with her first 2017 puzzle, which structurally is like her last Friday effort. LINK. Using the inspiration of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes who wrote all of his legal works standing, I am here typing at my makeshift standing desk. This may end up being brief, but then brevity is the soul of wit I am told. The theme are all one word clues, which are brought together on the tennis court.

17A. POINT : TAPERING END ( 11). The fill are literal responses to the clue.

23A. GAME : SAFARI ANIMALS (13). There does not appear to be any relation in the fill.

50A. SET : FILMING LOCALE (13). A little more difficult for me.

59A. MATCH : FIRE STARTER (11). Then the unmarked reveal...

34A. With 36-Across, question for the court : TENNIS  (6) and 36A. See 34-Across : ANYONE (6).

For anyone who has played or watched Tennis (the amazing Williams sister are playing for the Australian Open title as I type) point, game, set and match track how a tennis match progresses, and they are skillfully in order here. An appropriate puzzle for the first grand slam event of the year.

Not much else in the longer fill, SEE PAST, IN A RUSH,  HAIRCUT,  EGG DROP, IMPOSE ON and  ORIENTAL but some tricky proper names to be addressed.

Across:

1. Like much of the Southwest : ARID. Deserts are dry; desserts sweet.

5. Summer music? : DISCO. Wonderful old deception but I was a big Donna Summer fan.

10. Org. funded by FICA : SSA. Social Security Administration.

13. Under-the-sink brand : COMET.

15. "Paper Moon" Oscar winner : O'NEAL. Tatum O'Neal won the 1973 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

16. Like ibuprofen, briefly : OTC. Over The Counter.

19. Jiff : SEC.

20. "Nothing planned that day" : I'M OPEN. To suggestion, maybe, or I'm free.

21. Engineering sch. on the Hudson : RPI. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a cso to some of our own. Putting it nest to...

22. Sport with masks : EPEE. Might trick some to think of a hockey goalie.

26. Move a finger or two, maybe : PEEK. a-boo.

28. Physics units : RADS. You cacc call Sheldon to explain THESE.

29. Signs over : CEDES.

30. 1945 Pacific battle site, familiarly : IWO. Jima.

31. Superfan : NUT.

32. Superhero played by Chris Hemsworth : THOR.. So many named Chris.

40. Exercise woe : ACHE.

42. Alex Dunphy, to Luke, on "Modern Family" : SIS. She has grown up.

43. Mojito ingredient : RUM.

44. "Not a problem" : IT'S OK.

47. Stuff in a backpack : GEAR. Not any more.

49. Little stretches : FIBS. Just like the clue/fill.

53. Captain Picard's counselor : TROI. Star Trek:TNG

54. Unexpectedly by itself, as in the dryer : ODD.

55. Kenya neighbor : UGANDA. EAST AFRICA.

58. Storybook baddie : HAG. The ugly witches.

61. Programming pioneer Lovelace : ADA. A gimme for our math and Computer people, but I only knew of Linda. LINK.

62. Stopped lying : AROSE. To tell you the truth, this was trocky.

63. Sphere : REALM.

64. Common scale extreme : TEN. From one to....

65. Org. chart headings : DEPTS. Org. tells you the answer is an abbr.

66. Crack up : SLAY. Comedy.

Down:

1. When Lear disinherits Cordelia : ACT I.  More friday Shakespeare.

2. "Home on the Range" verb : ROAM.
Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam,
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.

3. Take unfair advantage of : IMPOSE ON.

4. "Quantum Healing" author Chopra : DEEPAK. So stale, you might day 9D. Dated : OLD.

5. Throw on : DON. And his gay apparel.

6. Ilsa portrayer : INGRID.

7. Overlook, as a fault : SEE PAST.

8. "A Doubter's Almanac" novelist Ethan : CANIN. I guess I no longer read the NYT Book section on Sunday. This  MAN.

10. Under-the-sink brand : SOS PAD. Or did your family use Brillo?

11. "Remington __" : STEELE.

12. Hacker's goal : ACCESS.

14. Nonkosher : TREF. An americanized word pronounced TRAYF.

18. Pressed for time : IN A RUSH.

22. Manicurist's tool : EMERY. Only when they are bored?

24. Expose, with "on" : RAT.

25. Desktop assortment : ICONS.

26. Cherry center : PIT.

27. Lamb parent : EWE. Not me.

31. "Pink Friday" singer Minaj : NICKI. Lots of names.

33. Coiffure : HAIRCUT. $150.00 /$10.00

35. "The End of America" author Wolf : NAOMI. Too POLITICAL for here.

37. Avenue after Reading Railroad : ORIENTAL. Monopoly.

38. Worn end : NUB. Pencil

39. Scrabble three-pointers : EMS.

41. Wonton alternative : EGGDROP. Soup choices.

42. Brazilian map word : SAO. Paulo.

44. "Maybe less" : IF THAT.

45. Intemperate speech : TIRADE. That was almost a trap.

46. Apple's "Think different," e.g. : SLOGAN.

48. Like Meg March, in "Little Women" : ELDEST.

49. Emergency signals : FLARES.

51. Bete __ : NOIRE. I had this recently.

52. Food thickener : AGAR.

56. Poet Walter __ Mare : DELA. Missed him when studying Poetry. LINK.

57. Large number : ARMY.

59. Pokémon Go, e.g. : FAD.

60. French possessive : SES.

Well the month is almost done; this was slow going as some of the proper names were hidden from my brain. Hey it is Friday. My six week wait for an epidural is almost done so maybe I will have more to say next week.  Lemonade out. Thanks Patti.

Thursday, January 26, 2017 Jerome Gunderson

Theme: "SC-ads" - The letters "SC" are added to a plural noun and clued punningly.

17A. What rattlers that never bask in the sun may get? : PALE SCALES. Pale Ales. Plenty of rattlesnakes around the hiking trails in the Hollywood Hills; you need to be careful.

27A. Strikebreakers at a brewery? : SIX-PACK SCABS. Six-pack abs. Try as I did, I never got a six-pack. Something about my body type, according to one trainer.

45A. What berets cover? : FRENCH SCALPS. French Alps. Cute clue. There are alpine regions in France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Germany. I never skied in Germany, but I have skied the other four countries, quite often two on the same day.

'Allo 'allo

60A. Angry looks in the hayloft? : BARN SCOWLS. Barn Owls. I heard an owl close to my home a couple of days ago. Never heard one in LA before.

Nice theme from Jerome; very consistent in adding the letters to the start of the second word of the original noun. The resulting entry and the clues are fun. A good, solid feel to the rest of the fill too. Let's see what jumps out:

Across:

1. Hindu noble : RAJA. RANI for his wife.

5. Like pastrami : CURED. Food! Lovely stuff. I've got the process nailed now. It only takes 18 days to make it.

10. Rum cake : BABA. Two Thursdays in a row for this dessert.

14. "O no! it is an __-fixed mark ... ": Shak. : EVER. The second quatrain of sonnet 116 where the Bard describes what "love" is:

O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wandering bark,

Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.

15. "SNL" alum Cheri : OTERI

16. Restaurant in the same corporate group as Applebee's : IHOP

19. Pool element : GENE. Nice clue.

20. Vegetable __ : OIL. I use coconut oil for general cooking, canola oil for making mayonnaise, olive oil for tomato-based pasta sauces.

21. Sore : ACHY

22. Oaf : LUMMOX. Lovely word, You can completely visualize a person who is a lummox.

24. Careless : SLOPPY

26. "This __ test" : IS A

34. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" creator : DAVID. Crosses for me. Larry David. Talented chap, he was the co-creator of "Seinfeld".

37. Different : OTHER

38. By way of : VIA

39. Controversial sightings : UFOS

40. Demonstrators, often : ANTIS

41. Grammy category : FOLK. Had the "K" and jumped the gun with ROCK. Didn't take long to correct it though. Bruce Springsteen won Best Contemporary Folk Album in 2010 for "The Ghost of Tom Joad" - not the first name that springs to mind in the "Folk" genre.

42. Budgetary waste : FAT

43. Allen who managed the Beatles and Stones : KLEIN. A controversial figure because of sometimes shady business practices. Here's Mick & Co being ultra-cool in 1968.

44. Farmyard noises : OINKS

48. Wee battery : AAA

49. Odorless gas : ETHANE. Certainly looks odorless at first glance, this hydrocarbon.

53. Declare : AFFIRM

56. Comic actor Jacques : TATI. His film "Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot", released in 1953, is still pretty hilarious today.

58. Words in praiseful titles : TO A Keats' "Ode to a Nightingale" for example.

My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains 

         My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, 

Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains 

         One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk: 

59. Track component : RAIL

63. Military wind : FIFE. And Drums.

64. African herbivore : RHINO

65. Lot : FATE

66. Lost traction : SLID

67. Quaker in the forest : ASPEN

68. Adele's brother : FRED. The Astaires, not the singer. At least I don't think she's got a brother named Fred.

Down:

1. They get carried away : REPOS

2. Be of use to : AVAIL

3. Pudding snack cup maker : JELLO

4. It may come after you : ARE. I am, you are, he is.

5. Bone below the sacrum : COCCYX. Love this word.

6. State on the Colorado Plateau : UTAH

7. Fall back (on) : RELY

8. Before, in verse : 'ERE

9. Doesn't care for : DISLIKES

10. Lunch order with "special sauce" : BIG MAC. Just lunch? You couldn't get a burger for breakfast at McDonald's because the grills were at a lower temperature to cook the McMuffins. However, when the kitchen changed over from breakfast to lunch at 10:30, you could order a secret menu item - the "Mc10:35" which is a combination Egg McMuffin and McDouble burger. (N.B. Just because you could order it doesn't mean that you should).

11. "May I speak?" : AHEM

12. Pro __ : BONO. I'm pro Bono - I'm a big U2 fan. I just got tickets for the Joshua Tree Tour concert at the Rose Bowl in May.

13. High point : APEX

18. Flavorful : SAPID. Great word. Latin sapidus, tasty.

23. Cold War letters : U.S.S.R.

25. Trident-shaped letters : PSIS. These guys - one uppercase, one lowercase: Ψψ

28. Johnnycakes : PONES. Learning moment for me - I'd never heard of either. A corn pone is a Johnnycake - who knew?

29. Top story : ATTIC. This always takes me a couple of beats to see because in England the building level is a "storey", with an "e".

30. Fine __ : CHINA

31. Lady's company? : AVON. Ding Dong! Avon Calling! Do they sell cosmetics door-to-door any more?

32. Take to the cleaners : BILK

33. Fifth Avenue store : SAKS

34. Keister : DUFF

35. Miles off : AFAR

36. Suffrage, with "the" : VOTE

40. Moorish palace of southern Spain : ALHAMBRA. Beautiful building and gardens in Grenada.

41. Sneakily seek, with "for" : FISH

43. Dodge Aries, e.g. : K-CAR. This seems to be cropping up a lot recently. We had it last Thursday too.

44. Eye-related : OPTIC

46. Aced : NAILED. Crossword solver's triumph. Nailed it!

47. Shows one's feelings : LETS ON

50. Battling : AT WAR

51. "48 HRS." co-star : NOLTE. Nick.

52. Moved carefully : EASED

53. Stray sounds? : ARFS. Sounds from the dog pound.

54. Epic __ : FAIL. Popular Internet meme. No marks for grammar, though,

55. Name for a poodle : FIFI.

56. Vacation plan : TRIP. Because "itinerary" doesn't fit.

57. Diarist Frank : ANNE

61. "I get it" sounds : AHS

62. Not quite right : OFF. Much less serious than an epic fail.

I think that just about wraps it up. Here's the grid!

Steve

Note from C.C.:

Dudley went to Wellesley, MA for business yesterday. He said "Next door is none other than Natick, so along the way, I paused for a tourist photo".

So next time you're stumped by a tough crossing, think of Dudley!

Wednesday, January 25, 2017, Bruce Haight

TITLE: HAND JIVE

Bruce has supplied us with a clever puzzle with two switcheroos. First he supplied the names of all the fingers on a hand with cluing/fill that had nothing to do with actual fingers. Secondly he gave the reveal with a two-word phrase DIG IT that could be consolidated to make DIGIT which of course is an alternate name for fingers.

THEME REVEAL

55. "Pay attention, man!" ... and, in a different way, what the end of each answer to a starred clue refers to : DIG IT/DIGIT - Fun! Here are some DIGITS being used to DIG IT.

Here's the "handy" grid with the theme and reveal fill that as you can see is further enhanced by the appearance of the fingers being in order from LITTLE TO THUMB.

Now let's look at Bruce's well-executed theme fill:

18. *"C'mon, loosen up!" : LIVE A LITTLE - A PINKY swear gives us an alternate name for our tiniest DIGIT

23. *Place for lefts and rights : BOXING RING - Waddaya think? A little gaudy?

40. *Compromise : MEET IN THE MIDDLE - George was sure she was giving him the infamous MIDDLE finger. 

52. *Market measure : STOCK INDEX - Several Husker VB girls had their INDEX fingers raised after winning the 2015 National Championship.

62. *General principle : RULE OF THUMB - A good use of that DIGIT that separates us from most of the animal world and my assessment of C.C. and the rest of you word warriors here at our little conclave!

Now let's explore some more of the fine fill Bruce has, uh, fingered for us today:

ACROSS

1. Put a spell on : HEX

4. Organizes from best to worst, say : SORTS - One of my favorite Excel features

9. Arizona landforms : MESAS

14. Wrath : IRE

15. Longtime "At the Movies" co-host : EBERT - He listed Casablanca and Citizen Kane among his ten best

16. One bit : AT ALL

17. Shake up : JAR - Definitely a little JAR! Cell phone user?

20. Do penance : ATONE

22. Certain string musician's need : VIOLA BOW - Re-hairing a bow

26. "Star Wars" extras : ET'S

27. Word of passione : CARA - Ya gotta love Jay and the American's singing CARA Mia - My Beloved in Italian

28. Cheek : SASS

31. "Alas!" : AH ME

34. Elementary bit : ATOM

37. Water nymph : NAIAD

43. Orchard trees : PEARS

44. "Ready are you? What know you of ready?" speaker : YODA

45. Low in fat : LEAN

46. Supermodel Banks : TYRA

48. Gross : ICKY

50. PD alert : APB - Calling all cars!

58. French president Hollande : FRANCOIS - His progression of domestic partners in chronological order. He didn't always tell them that someone else was coming in from the bullpen.

61. Sees red : BOILS

65. Bygone muscle car : GTO

66. Holiday visitor : IN-LAW

67. "Science of Logic" author Georg : HEGEL

68. Shy person's note? : IOU - A day late and a few dollars shy

69. Branch quarters : NESTS - Nests are fine, but... 

70. Philadelphia pro : EAGLE

71. "Major Crimes" network : TNT

DOWN

1. Muslim veil : HIJAB

2. Sister of Calliope : ERATO

3. Maker of ColorQube printers : XEROX

4. One-named singer portrayed by Jennifer Lopez in a 1997 film : SELENA - SELENA on the left and JLO on the right playing Selena in Jennifer's breakout role.

5. Japanese sash : OBI

6. Gun, as a V8 : REV

7. Roman fountain : TREVI

8. Spot : STAIN

9. Pony Express concern : MAIL - Orphans preferred? Yikes! 

10. Vocalist James : ETTA

11. Plopped down next to : SAT BESIDE

12. Apportion : ALLOT

13. Boatloads : SLEWS

19. Stack under a tarp : LOGS

21. "Close, but no cigar" : NICE TRY 

24. Family nickname : GRAN(ny)

25. Threadbare : RATTY

29. Boy in "Star Wars" prequel films : ANI

30. "I wish I could" : SADLY NO

31. Bit of band gear : AMP

32. Small snicker : HEE

33. Sub filler : MEATBALLS

35. "So THAT's what's going on here!" : OHO - I'm shocked there is gambling going on in here!

36. First responder : MEDIC - At Omaha Beach

38. It borders the Fla. panhandle : ALA

39. Hideout : DEN

41. Medit. country : ISR

42. Big name in big rigs : MACK - Inside the most expensive MACK truck 

47. Dating from : AS OF

49. Cat dish tidbit : KIBBLE

50. Nasal spray brand : AFRIN

51. Danish fruit : PRUNE

53. Parishioner's pledge : TITHE

54. Milo of "Barbarella" : O'SHEA - Sorry, Milo, yours is not the first name that leaps to mind when I think of Barbarella 

56. John of The Red Piano Tour : ELTON

57. Strikes through : X'S OUT

59. "Far out!" : NEAT

60. Stockholder's assets? : COWS

63. Trendy boot brand : UGG

64. Blanc heard but not seen : MEL - Not necessarily as in this classic routine (Si, Sy, Sue, Sew) with Jack Benny.

Now let's get your DIGITAL comments:

Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Five-letter Jumble - Use circles if you got 'em.

60A. Lakota chief at Little Bighorn, and what's literally found in this puzzle's circles: CRAZY HORSE

17A. Golf stroke played from sand: BUNKER SHOT

40A. Tire-inflating aid: AIR HOSE

11D. "Wish me luck!": "HERE'S HOPING!"

25D. Historic educational center of Paris' Latin Quarter: THE SORBONNE

Argyle here(in very nice company). The circles span two words and don't (I believe) spell any actual words. And where else can you find an entry like "Neener neener!"?

Across:

1. Foot-in-mouth incident: GAFFE

6. Blue ox of folklore: BABE. Worked with Paul Bunyan.

10. Pork or lamb cut: CHOP

14. Indian or Iranian: ASIAN

15. Tag sale condition: [AS IS]

16. Helen of Troy's mother: LEDA. Somebody just had to sneak a Troy reference in.

19. Wrinkle remover: IRON

20. Remarkable times: ERAs

21. Homes of blue-plate specials: DINERS

23. "The Simpsons" creator Groening: MATT

26. Apple mobile platform: iOS

28. __ fit: tantrum: HISSY

29. Readily available: ON HAND

31. Jerry of "Law & Order": ORBACH. It's been thirteen years since he died.

34. Act division: SCENE

35. Irritated incessantly: ATE AT

36. Canadian Thanksgiving mo.: OCT.. CSO, eh.

39. Hesitant sounds: UH's

42. Part of rpm: PER

43. John of England: LOO

44. Softens, with "down": TONES

45. In an unfriendly way: ICILY

47. Bitterness: RANCOR

49. Skippers on ponds: STONES. Year round sport.

50. Torah teacher: RABBI

52. Napoleon or Nero: Abbr.: EMP. (emperor)

54. Rainbow flag letters: LGBT. (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender)

55. Digital library contents: E-BOOKS

57. Bone-dry: ARID

59. Hit the runway: LAND

66. Skin breakout: ACNE

67. Poker pot starter: ANTE

68. Longtime NBC newsman Roger: O'NEIL

69. Classic Jaguars: XKEs

70. Recent returnees to Los Angeles: RAMS

71. Oft-poached fruit: PEARS. So many recipes.

Down:

1. Chatter away: GAB

2. Sun Devils sch.: ASU

3. First sign of a shark: FIN

4. Faux glow: FAKE TAN. "Lady's eyes go off and on with a finger full of glue

Lips are drawn upon her face in come-to-me tattoo

Creamy suntan color that fades when she bathes" - Greasy Heart by Jefferson Airplane

5. Part of DOE: Abbr.: ENER. (Department of Energy)

6. Low voice: BASSO

7. Blond shade: ASH

8. Short life story?: BIO

9. Abbr. on a cornerstone: ESTD. (Established)

10. Treatment facility: CLINIC

12. Smells: ODORS

13. Cultivated violet: PANSY. Think spring.

18. Roach spray brand: RAID

22. Critic's harsh words: "I HATE IT!"

23. City in northern Iraq: MOSUL

24. Dried chili pepper: ANCHO. When fresh they are referred to as poblanos. Anchos are flat, wrinkled, and heart shaped. The ancho is the sweetest of the dried chiles; and is most commonly used in authentic Mexican cooking and is a staple in red chili and tamales.

27. "Neener neener!": "SO THERE!"

30. Clutter-averse type: NEATNIK

32. Vintage cars named with the initials of their company's founder: REOs

33. Music majors' degs.: BAs. (Bachelor of Arts)

35. River of Florence: ARNO.  Ponte Vecchio.

37. Fanzine figure: CELEB

38. Romantic rendezvous: TRYST

41. Org. with a five-ring logo: IOC. (International Olympic Committee)

46. Brewski: COLD ONE

48. Dwellings: ABODES

49. Agile: SPRY

50. "Just chill!": "RELAX!"

51. Taken __: shocked: ABACK

53. Puzzles with dead-end paths: MAZES

56. Lasting mark: SCAR

58. Chain famous for breakfasts: IHOP

61. Genetic letters: RNA

62. All-hrs. cash source: ATM

63. Belfast-born actor Stephen: REA

64. McCartney's title: SIR

65. Golf Hall of Famer Ernie: ELS

Argyle