Monday, February 27, 2017 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Give me some skin, bro - One word that can be patched to the start of the entry phrases.

66A. Medical adhesive strip ... and a hint to what can precede the first word of 17-, 25-, 40- and 52-Across: SKIN PATCH

17A. Filled light pastry: CREAM PUFF. Skin cream.

25A. Gronk's position on football's Patriots: TIGHT END. Skintight.

40A. Magician's hand movement: FLICK OF THE WRIST. Skin flick.

52A. Like some pizzas and apple pies: DEEP DISH. Skin deep.

Argyle here, plus Gail with Bruce today. No "B" in this naughty blue Monday. The pics I could have posted boggles the mind but you already have been boggled enow if you watched the Oscars.

Across:

1. Seaweed wrap resorts: SPAs

5. Peaceful: CALM

9. Dozed: SLEPT

14. Small chess piece: PAWN

15. Baseball's Moises: ALOU

16. Flooring specialist: TILER. A tiler earns his pay putting tiles around pipes and the edges of the room.

19. Like good gossip: JUICY

20. Expand, as a collection: ADD TO

21. San __, California: MATEO

23. Comic Margaret: CHO. "I love drugs, but I hate hangovers, and the hatred of the hangover wins by a landslide every time." - Margaret Cho

30. Spiro ran with him: RICHARD. Late-’60s Maryland governor, Spiro Agnew, served as Vice-President under Richard Nixon.

34. Baby's bodysuit: ONESIE. Standard baby shower present.

35. Comm. system with hand motions: ASL. (American Sign Language)

36. Slowly withdraws: WEANS

39. Tablet downloads: APPs

44. RPM gauge: TACH

45. Unifying idea: THEME

46. Pierced body part: EAR

47. Moral values: ETHICS

50. Mob witness' request: AMNESTY, and entry into the witness protection system.

55. Purported UFO fliers: ETs. (Extra-Terrestrial)

56. Bond portrayer Daniel: CRAIG

58. "__ directed": medication warning: USE AS

62. Magna __: CARTA. Runnymede, 1215. It will be on the quiz.

68. Graceland idol: ELVIS

69. Military medal earner: HERO

70. Ivy League school: YALE and 11D. 70-Across collegian: ELI

71. Hosiery thread: LISLE

72. Hullabaloos: ADOs

73. Upright wall timber: STUD

Down:

1. Pet lovers' org.: SPCA. (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

2. Western chum: PARD. 1840-50, Americanism; by alteration and shortening of partner.

3. Left dumbstruck: AWED

4. Grab quickly: SNATCH

5. Bottle topper: CAP

6. University supporter, briefly: ALUM. An alumna or alumnus.

7. Lite, dietwise: LO-FAT. Both words are adspeak.

8. Civilian attire: MUFTI. Origin.

9. Virgin Islands isl.: ST. JOHN

10. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU. Holmes and Watson

12. Ab neighbor: PEC. Muscles, abdominals and pectorals.

13. Give it a whirl: TRY

18. Mostly shaved-head style: MOHAWK

22. Bigheadedness: EGO

24. Double Delight cookie: OREO

26. Hazmat suit problem: TEAR

27. Glimpses: ESPIES

28. Tries to bite, puppy-style: NIPS AT

29. "__ Rides Again": 1939 Western: DESTRY

30. Shot the rapids, say: RAFTED

31. Arrives after the bell: IS LATE

32. Overused expression: CLICHÉ

33. Bonkers: DAFT

37. To the __ degree: NTH

38. Mets' old stadium: SHEA

41. Greenside golf shot: CHIP

42. Plus-size supermodel: EMME

43. Ascended: WENT UP

48. Jewel box: CD CASE

49. Title for Connery: SIR

51. Emerson works: ESSAYS. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882)

53. Recent White House daughter: SASHA. Malia Ann and Natasha Obama.

54. Walked in the woods: HIKED

57. Early whirlybird, for short: GIRO. Autogiro, originally a trademark of Cierva Autogiro Co., is also known as gyro, autogyro, gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane.

59. Coup d'__: ÉTAT

60. Bill of Rights-defending org.: ACLU. (American Civil Liberties Union)

61. Lawn mower holder: SHED

62. Animation still: CEL

63. "Aladdin" prince: ALI

64. Homes on wheels: Abbr.: RVs. (recreational vehicle)

65. Shop __ you drop: 'TIL

67. Discouraging words: NOs

Owen inspired addition.

Argyle

Sunday, February 26, 2017 Gail Grabowski

Theme: "The More the Merrier" -  IES is added to each theme entry, which is then clued as the plural form of the newly formed word. 

25A. Trendy tots' footwear? : HIP BOOTIES. Hip boot.

27A. Tipsy tour members? : HIGH ROADIES. High road.

45A. Bakery products made with white chocolate? : LIGHT BROWNIES. Light brown.

83A. Complimentary hotel apparel? : GUEST NIGHTIES. Guest night. New term to me.

98A. "Check out those platters of candy and fudge!"? : LOOK GOODIES. Look good.

104A. Tournament-changing scores? : BIG BIRDIES. Golf tournament. Big Bird.

35D. Snacks Batman can't have? : ROBIN COOKIES. Robin Cook.

40D. Protective tops for cattle drivers? : RANGE HOODIES. Range hood.

Notice how most of the root words change drastically. That's the desired effect in this type of theme. Some changes are less strong.

Gail uses her standard Sunday setup. Two Downs and 6 Across. But she used only 68 black squares and no cheaters this time.

  

Across:    

1. Made a mess of : BLEW. Not a gimme clue.

5. Authorizes : OKAYS

10. Audibly jarred : AGASP. Quite a few AGASP moments for me the past two months. 

 

15. Off the premises : AWAY

19. Coastal South American capital : LIMA

20. Unenthusiastic about, with "for" : NOT UP

21. Hard wear : ARMOR

22. "Good job!" : NICE. My comment to 21A clue.

23. Wistful word : ALAS

24. Words after do or before you : I DARE

30. How Steak Diane is traditionally served : FLAMBE. Never had Steak Diane, Big Easy!

31. Ermine cousin : MINK

32. One may be responsible for rain : DEITY. I remember incense sticks my Grandma burned to make the rain stop. Our roof was leaking in various spots. God did not hear for a week.

34. Came down : POURED

38. Gambler's concern : SPREAD

41. "Dog Whisperer" Millan : CESAR

43. Starting point : STEP ONE

44. Extended time off, briefly : LOA. Leave of Absence. I had to Google to see what it means.

49. HVAC measure : BTU

50. It's near the humerus : ULNA

52. Hard to keep up? : POUTY. Also got via crosses.

53. Musical shortcoming : NO EAR

54. Publication sales fig. : CIRC (Circulation)

55. Diploma word : MAGNA. Magna cum laude. Same letter count as SUMMA.

57. Sit in a cellar, say : AGE

58. Opposite of belt : CROON

59. Co-star of Keanu in "The Whole Truth" : RENEE

60. Isn't serious : PRETENDS

62. Stake-driving tools : MAULS. Only know it as a verb.

63. Many a March birth : PISCES

64. Chef's supply : HERBS. Cilantro is widely used in China. Not others. We also have 83. Bouquet __ : GARNI. Just a bunch of herbs. I don't think it has cilantro.

65. Has to repeat, maybe : FAILS. Oh, courses.

66. Mouthy retort : DID SO

67. Superhuman : BIONIC

69. "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" rapper : DR DRE

70. Pay attention : TAKE NOTE. So blessed to have the two Toms to guide me through this computer crisis.

73. More than apologize : ATONE

74. New York governor Andrew : CUOMO. Vowel-rich, hence its frequent appearance.  Same as 78. University town near Bangor : ORONO

75. Catch a bug, say : AIL

76. Amassed, with "in" : RAKED

77. When tripled, a story shortener : YADA

79. Brilliant display : ECLAT

81. Emphatic assent, in Sonora : SI SI

82. Govt.-issued aid : SSI

86. Changed-my-mind key : ESC

87. Protective film : ACETATE. I forgot. We had this before.

89. Boundaries : EDGES

90. Zeroes in on : AIMS AT

92. Stunning instruments : TASERS

93. "The Picasso of our profession," to Seinfeld : PRYOR.  I tried a few Pryor clips and did not find him to be that funny.

95. Folk first name : ARLO

96. Unabbreviated : ENTIRE

108. Gaucho's turf : LLANO

109. Couture monthly : ELLE

110. Kibbles 'n Bits shelfmate : ALPO

111. Brief concession : I LOSE

112. "Don't care what they do" : LET 'EM

113. Upswing : RISE

114. Elaborate ruse : HOAX

115. Cookware brand : PYREX. Two Srabbly Xes at the bottom.

116. Puts one over on : SNOWS

117. Call for : NEED

Down:

1. Hardly thrilling : BLAH

2. Taylor of "Six Feet Under" : LILI

3. Webby Award candidate : EMAG. E-magazine. Do you use E-mag or E-zine?

4. Words written with an index? : WASH ME. This index refers to Windex, right? (Updated: index finger. Thanks, Anonymous!)

5. Party bowlful : ONION DIP. Slight dip dupe with 13. Noodle sometimes served with a dipping sauce : SOBA. Soba time is coming soon.

6. Longtime photo lab supplier : KODAK

7. Somewhat : A TAD

 

8. Doctor Zhivago : YURI

9. Passes in a blur : SPEEDS BY

10. "How relaxing!" : AAH

11. Ill-gotten gains : GRIFT. Not LUCRE.

12. With room to spare : AMPLY

14. Provider of cues : PROMPTER

15. Get in on the deal : ANTE UP

16. __ Fit: video exercise game : WII

17. Par-four rarity : ACE. I guess it can happen if it's a short Par-four.

18. "No doubt" : YES

26. Penetrating winds : OBOES

28. Capital of Yemen : RIAL. Money. Not Sana'a.

29. Scorch : SEAR

33. Strict control : IRON RULE

36. Primary course : ENTREE. Boomer's standard lunch these day is one pork chop and a bowl of coleslaw. Very good for his blood sugar but he gets hungry around 3:30pm.

37. They may be wild : DEUCES

38. Rough patch : SLUMP

39. Really cold : POLAR. Winter is here again. We had gorgeous spring weather last week.

41. Guzzles : CHUGS

42. Novel conclusion : ETTE

43. Phillips of "I, Claudius" : SIAN. Stranger to me.

46. Incites : GOADS

47. Angora and alpaca : WOOLS. Spell check does not like the plural form.

 

48. Modernists, informally : NEOs

51. Signal receiver : ANTENNA

54. Citation Mustangs, e.g. : CESSNAs. Hi there, Dudley!

56. Cliff dwelling : AERIE

58. Coptic Museum city : CAIRO

59. Bill add-on : RIDER

61. "The Blacklist" network : NBC

62. Contingency funds : MAD MONEY. Learning moment for me. Our new PC was bought with the MAD MONEY then.

63. Water__: dental brand : PIK

65. Illegal laundering operation, say : FRONT

66. __ Lama : DALAI. Twin Cities has a large Tibetan community.

67. Reacts to, as a dog does the moon : BAYS AT

68. Minnesota lake : ITASCA. Gimme for me.

69. OutKast and others : DUOs

70. Is inclined : TILTS

71. "The Gondoliers" bride : TESSA. Learned from doing crosswords.

72. Royal order : EDICT

74. First Nations tribe : CREE

75. Heat rub target : ACHE. Boomer has to use the rub (called Blue Goo in our house) before his bowling night. Both his Monday and Friday leagues are very strong. 300 game happens every week. So does 800 series. One guy has over 80 perfect games.

78. Surpass : OUTSTRIP

79. Deep-fried appetizers : EGG ROLLS

80. Elegant cafés : TEA ROOMS

84. Object of adoration : IDOL

85. Rural structure : SILO

88. Driver's starting point : TEE BOX. Golf season starts soon for TTP and Gary. Gary already played this year.

91. In step with the times : MODERN

93. Earlier offense : PRIOR

94. Singer Della : REESE

95. Late-'60s Maryland governor : AGNEW. Only know him as Nixon's VP.

97. In a laid-back manner : IDLY

99. Author Robert __ Butler : OLEN. Another unknown.

100. Green Hornet sidekick : KATO

101. Netman Nastase : ILIE

102. Apart from this : ELSE

103. Flower child? : SEED. Sweet clue. So eager to start our little garden again. Always dismal veggie yield. But flowers grow well.

104. "What nonsense!" : BAH

105. Worldwide workers' gp. : ILO

106. Scholastic meas. : GPA

107. It sells in advertising : SEX

Here is a sweet picture of Dear Santa Argyle, who celebrated his birthday last week with his sister Laura and cousin Merle.

Merle, Laura & Argyle

Saturday, Feb 25th, 2017, Julian Lim

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing Q)

Blocks: 29

I always cringe when I see Julian Lim as the constructor for Saturday's puzzles, and it was looking pretty bleak at the beginning.  I did manage to get some solid fill in all the corners, was able to work through this challenge with only a half-cheat (I have the periodic chart app on my phone, so I looked that one up) and then it was just a matter of some healthy Wild-Ass Guesses.  Just a few too many proper names in the puzzle for me, but then again, they all filled with the crossings.   Not a terribly intimidating grid, two 9-letter fills on the inside and 8-letter corners

16. One way to serve fowl : À L'ORANGE - We have a duck farm near my place, and it's a stop on my UPS "Q" truck ( the town is Aquebogue )

 39. Herbal beverage : ANISE TEA

65. Name on many bars : HERSHEY'S

 3. Pepper with punch : JALAPEÑO - D'oh~!! Spelled it with an "H" to start

 And there you have a four-course meal....

Vay-Cay-ShON-WARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Muslim veils : HIJABS

7. Curly's dad on "Sesame Street" : PAPA BEAR - I don't remember him

15. "For unto us a child is born" source : ISAIAH

17. "See?!" : "TOLD YA~!"

18. Counterbalanced, say : WEIGHTED - I had all but the first two letters, and tried "AR-ighted"....

19. Penn., for one : STA - I passed through Pennsylvania Station last weekend; came this close to staying for the Rangers/Capitals game in the Garden right above.  I love going in to New York City.

20. Thing to do with your fingers : SNAP - my first thought, but I hesitated

22. Attain, as great heights : SOAR TO

23. Brewmaster's need : HOPS

25. Plenty of horn? : KLAXON - got it off the "X", but went with a "C" and not a "K"

27. Payless box letters : EEE - Saturday cluing for a common fill

28. It often follows 12 : ONE PM - nailed it, tho I had AM, not PM

30. "Anthem for Doomed Youth" poet Wilfred __ : OWEN - the "W" was my last fill

31. Thirsts : YENS

32. Structure from the Arabic for "lighthouse" : MINARET - learning moment

34. Low bar? : DIVE - I was in one on Thursday to see a friend do her stand-up routine, but she went on too late - UPS comes early.  I did get to shoot some pool with a guy from one of the restaurants - man am I out of practice

36. Green machine : ECO-CAR - PRIUS did not fit

37. Some timeshares : VILLAS - I am friends with the nuns in my area, and they live at a "Villa"; there's usually a 12-step retreat there each spring and fall

41. Poet friend of author Ernest : EZRA - filled via perps

43. Point of view? : EYE LINE

44. Downtime? : FUNK

47. Like some ukuleles : OVAL

49. Many a group vacation photo, in slang : WEFIE - the expanded "Selfie"

50. 2008-'09 Japanese prime minister Taro __ : ASO - perps

51. __ chief : TRIBAL

53. Urquhart Castle's loch : NESS - four letters~? Good WAG

Hey, what's that in the lake~?

54. Created with : MADE OF

56. Ran : BLED

58. Cool : HEP

59. Rule broken by deities? : I BEFORE E - nailed it

61. Target of a whacking : PIÑATA

63. "Mad Men" actor John : SLATTERY - half perps, half WAG

64. Elicits : EDUCES

66. Acknowledge subtly : WINK AT

DOWN:

1. Strikes a chord : HITS HOME - ah, not a guitar clue; I love the chords of this song

And for the guitar players, a lesson

2. Kind of muscle contraction : ISOTONIC

4. First __ : AID

5. Canine sounds : BAYS - not ARFS

6. Osso buco cut : SHANK

7. Tree with green-skinned fruit : PAWPAW

8. Maugham's "Cakes and __" : ALE

9. Irritating growth : POISON IVY - oh, it's irritating alright

10. Chlorine's periodic table follower : ARGON - cheatcheatcheat

11. __ Men: one-hit wonders of 2000 : BAHA - vague recollection of this band

12. Carte part : ENTRÉE

13. Tatum O'Neal received her Oscar at it : AGE TEN - got it off ----EN

14. Overhauls : RE-DOES

21. Seas : A LOT

24. Best Actress after Field : SPACEK - made me change my AM to PM @28a.

26. Struck (out) : X-ed

29. "Yes!" singer Jason : MRAZ - another one up from the dredges

31. #3 on the 2016 Forbes "World's 100 Most Powerful Women" list : YELLEN - of the Federal Reserve - her Wiki.  There's a Ms. Yellen on one of my UPS trucks who gets at least a box a day; Hey - we're going drone~!

33. Like 100 on most tests : ERROR FREE

35. Mountaineer's expectation : VIEW

Hey now....

38. Productivity-increasing trick, in modern parlance : LIFE HACK

40. Overlooks, as a fault : SEES PAST

42. Prefix with fauna : AVI

43. Airline to Eilat : EL AL

44. Starve, to Shakespeare : FAMISH

45. Worth keeping : USABLE

46. Tender turndown : NO, DEAR

48. Some retreats : ABBEYS

51. Sweet __ : TOOTH

52. Toon pursuing l'amour : Le PEW

55. Small salamanders : EFTS

57. Conn of "Grease" : DIDI

60. Trick ending? : ERY - trickery

62. One in an order : NUN - and a villa~!

Splynter

Friday, February 24, 2017, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: G, where shall you go? Of course, to the beginning!

JW returns with a simple add a letter to the start of a phrase to create a new one, with a humorous definition. As with any puzzle based on humor, YMMV. I was Greatly impressed at the inclusion of 2 grid-spanning fill that worked. I would guess one of the 15 letter fill popped in his head, and this puzzle followed. He also included some very sparkly fill: ROADSIDES,  I'LL GO NEXT,  RADIO DIAL and ONION DOME a term which I did not recall. I found a hidden treasure but that might just be a product of the pain killers. We will now examine all the evidence....

17A. Domestic shamelessness? : GALL IN THE FAMILY (15). The ground breaking TV SERIES (0:56) gets re-purposed with a an impudent definition clue.

26A. Near giveaway at the liquor store? : GIN FOR A PENNY (12). In for a pound...they do sell many of the airline size bottles at my local liquor store but no GIN and not for a penny.

41A. Fort Knox? : GOLD DOMINION (12). I doubt if Jeffrey had this BREWERY in mind when he chose Old Dominion as his seed phrase but I like the juxtaposition.

53A. Result of way too many leaves in the eaves? : GUTTER CONFUSION (15). This is my favorite themer, both the rhyme and the picture painted by the clue/fill. Maybe he started here?

Okay on to the rest...

Across:

1. Test in which contrasts are helpful, briefly : MRI. As this test  (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) has played an important part in my current disability, this was easy. I am allergic to the contrast dye.

4. __ stiff : SCARED. When words are derived from the sound we call it onomotapoeia. What should we call it when an  expression gives a great mental picture like this phrase?

10. Minor set-to : TIFF.

14. Huffington Post owner : AOL. This is true - since 2011 - but AOL was bought by Verizon in 2015 which last year bought Yahoo, also. 

15. Wedding offering : CANAPE. From the French word for SOFA.

16. Defunct food coating : ALAR. It was sprayed on apple trees to control the growth and color of the apples. Much debate about the 1989 scare.

20. Boundary : EDGE.

21. Legal tender with a torch : DIME, On the obverse? Reverse?

22. Dealer's offering : LEASE. Car dealer, not HIT ME for card dealer.

23. __ voce : SOTTO.

25. Body shop supply : SOLDER.

30. 2016 Billboard Top Artist : ADELE. She swept the Grammys as well.

31. Besides Linus, the only Nobel laureate in two fields : MARIE. Pauling: Curie. LINK.

32. Take badly? : ROB. Robbing requires use or threat of force. Nicely deceptive clue.

35. Alluring : SEXY.

36. Postgame staple : RECAP.

37. Candy __ : CANE.    



                                   








38. Feb. setting in Spokane : PST.

39. Artist at Giverny : MONET. This is where the ARTIST painted his most successful works. This is a very Friday type clue. I will always have a Monet/Manet block in my mind.

40. Opposite of 56-Across : NADIR. 56A Opposite of 40-Across : ACME.

13. Philosophers' group : SCHOOL. Similar to fish, but not as good for you.

46. "Cutthroat Kitchen" host Brown : ALTON.

47. Second name, perhaps : ALIAS.

48. "Zounds!" : EGAD. Two wonderful old words.

51. They're often tough to beat : ODDS. 45D. Request to a dealer : HIT ME. 50D. Forced bet : ANTE
.
57. Album contents : PHOTOS.

58. ENT's group : AMA.

59. Arcade trademark word : SKEE.

60. Part of many art museum names : MODERN.

61. Table support : LEG.

Down:

1. Ancient spell caster : MAGE.

2. Produce stand sites : ROADSIDES. We have a bunch in the Redlands is SW Miami-Dade, but all the ones in Broward are gone. Now they gather at farmers' markets.

3. "My turn" : I'LL GO NEXT.

4. Part of NSF: Abbr. : SCIence.

5. Telling it like it is : CANDOR.

6. Opposition leader? : ANTI. And later ANTE.

7. First name in Chicago politics : RAHM. Interesting - he was elected as Chicago's 44th mayor, while his mentor Mr. Obama was the 44th POTUS. LINK.

8. It's thrust in competition : EPEE. Love the soupçon of naughtiness in this clue. 

9. Phone button letters : DEF. Glue, I would prefer Mos.

10. Without aggression : TAMELY.

11. Zeus remains largely neutral during its narrative : ILIAD. A really odd way to get to these puzzle friendly letters.

12. "A dagger of the mind, a __ creation ... ": Macbeth : FALSE. Back with Macbeth for our Friday Shakespeare lesson.

13. Potatoes may be cooked in one : FRYER.  Pommes frites for Splynter.

18. Unloose : LET FLY. Quiz: Who said, "unloose the dogs of war?"

19. How stand-up comics usually work : ALONE. True but there have some great duos. I loved the Smothers Brothers.

24. Ring site : TOE.

25. Salon sound : SNIP,

26. [I'm shocked!] : GASP.

27. Enhance through change : AMEND. Big word in the law.

28. Showed impatience, in a way : PACED.

29. Poetry Muse : ERATO. You know all of the muses yet?

32. One moving with frequency? : RADIO DIAL. Another really fun clue, with the frequency pun.

33. Russian Orthodox church feature : ONION DOME. LINK. For our Cornerites.

34. City on the Aare : BERN.


36. Kaiser, for one : ROLL. Misdirection here is placement of the clue/fill.


37. Songs of Seville : CANTOS.




39. Maine road sign image : MOOSE.

40. Nothing : NIL.

41. Buffalo Bill feature : GOATEE. Oh yes!


42. Really loving : MAD FOR. My mental picture. LINK.


43. Generational tales : SAGAS.


44. Barnyard sound : CLUCK.

48. Verify the story of : ECHO. No idea what this clue/fill means.

49. Above the crossbar and between the uprights : GOOD. Not wide RIGHT!

52. Obstruction : SNAG. "Damn, our reno hit a snag!"  Do you watch Property Brothers.

54. Tach stat : RPM. Revolutions Per Minute.

55. SEAL's org. : USN. United States Navy.

Well we made it through another JW Friday and I had so much fun finding the never intended but exciting Buffalo mini theme. Call me crazy but call me. Thanks Jeffrey. Lemonade out.