Tuesday, March 7 2017, Ray Hedrick and Mark McClain

Theme: BREAK-IN

Across

17. *Source of money for Medicare : PAYROLL TAX. Tax Break. ’Tis the season.

 

24. *Serving-mom-breakfast-in-bed occasion : MOTHER'S DAY. Daybreak.

 

37. *Asian plant named for the shape of its pink and white flowers : BLEEDING HEART. Heartbreak.

50. *Local hoosegow : COUNTY JAIL. Jailbreak.

61. Rest .. or, literally, what the last word of the answers to starred clues can do : TAKE A BREAK. Tax break is two words, all the others are one word.

Typical Tuesday level solve, with a few pauses due to a couple of unknowns.

1. Concrete support rod : REBAR. Short for RE-enforcing BAR - made of steel and used in foundations and retaining walls. 


6. Aptly named Olympic sprinter Usain __ : BOLT
 


10. 1980s model that saved Chrysler from financial ruin : K CAR. Here's the story.
 


14. Outwit, as a police tail : ELUDE
 


15. Slushy drink brand : ICEE
 


16. "Here comes trouble!" : UH-OH



19. Garden tool : RAKE



20. River to the Seine : OISE. Perps required. 

  
21. Five-spots : ABES. Abraham Lincoln is on the five-dollar bill.
 


22. Pull a fast one on : CON



23. Cut with scissors : SNIP



28. Tied up in knots : TENSE



30. Land bordering Suisse : ITALIE. Suisse is the French word for Switzerland, Italie is French for Italy.



31. Rodeo skill : ROPING



36. Exited, with "out" : WENT



41. Tragic fate : DOOM
 


42. Signify : DENOTE



43. Ready if needed : ON CALL



45. Rises dramatically : LOOMS
 


55. Russian river : URAL



56. Wee bit : TAD



57. This, in Tijuana : ESTO
 


58. Fey of "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" : TINA. Movie.
 


59. Fishing supply : BAIT



63. Ice formation : FLOE

64. E pluribus __ : UNUM. Latin for "Out of many, one." U.S. motto.



65. Archery practice facility : RANGE



66. Snorkeling gear : FINS



67. Dosage amts. : TSPS



68. Joins a poker game : ANTES

 

Down
 
1. Share on Facebook, as a friend's picture : REPOST
 


2. "Seinfeld" regular : ELAINE



3. Joins a poker game : BUYS IN



4. TV spot sellers : AD REPS
 


5. Old Olds creation : REO
 


6. "The Hobbit" hero : BILBO



7. Four pairs : OCTET



8. Dog lead : LEASH
 


9. __-Mex cuisine : TEX
 


10. "Seven Samurai" director Akira : KUROSAWA. Unknown to me. Japanese filmmaker.



11. L.A. Times publishing family name : CHANDLER.



12. Just fine : A-OK



13. Baseball scoreboard letters : RHE. Runs, Hits, Errors.



18. Flee : LAM. Didn't know LAM could be a verb.



22. Dated PC monitor : CRT. Cathode Ray Tube.



25. Four pairs : EIGHT



26. "It __ over till it's over": Berra : AIN'T



27. Up to now : YET



29. Before, in odes : ERE
 


32. "Hard to believe, but ... " : ODDLY
 


33. Baked dessert : PIE



34. Homey lodging : INN



35. Park __: airport facility : N GO. Now I get it.

 

 


37. U2 lead singer : BONO
 


38. Phrasing style : LOCUTION
 


39. Issues (from) : EMANATES
 


40. Sushi fish : EEL
 


41. Medic : DOC



44. Inc., in the U.K. : LTD



46. Beat to the finish line : OUTRAN
 


47. "Murder on the __ Express" : ORIENT



48. Get by : MANAGE
 


49. Quenches : SLAKES. If you say so.



51. Denim trousers : JEANS



52. Invite to the penthouse : ASK UP
 


53. To-do list bullets : ITEMS
 


54. Mauna __ : LOA
 


59. Favorite pal, in texts : BFF. Best Friends Forever.



60. __ Baba : ALI



61. Preteen king : TUT



62. Bikini half : BRA

 

Monday, March 6, 2017 Kathy Jaschke

Theme: Oh No, Oh Yes - The letter "O" is added or taken away, depending on how you look at it.

17A. Place for a haircut and a whiskey?: SALOON SALON

27A. Storage solution for Disney?: CARTOON CARTON

43A. Farmer's wake-up duty list?: ROOSTER ROSTER

57A. How to ask journalist Roberts if she'd like an Oreo?: "COOKIE, COKIE?"

Argyle here with what appears to be a debut for this constructor. No reveal Monday. Personally, I liked the mental image of a flock of roosters arguing about whose turn it was to crow.

Across:

1. Scalawag: SCAMP

6. Barber's razor targets, at times: NAPEs. Back of the neck.

11. Folder identifier: TAB

14. Ann __, Michigan: ARBOR

15. "Haste makes waste," e.g.: ADAGE

16. Color: HUE

19. Tiny six-footer: ANT. Cute clue.

20. James Bond is one: SPY

21. Be itinerant: ROAM

22. "Ho ho ho" holiday guy: SANTA

24. "You're it!" game: TAG

25. James Watt, by birth: SCOT

33. Pago Pago's place: SAMOA

34. Singer Edith known as "The Little Sparrow": PIAF

35. Wicked: EVIL

37. Final notice?: OBIT

38. Taps instrument: BUGLE

39. Dust __: tiny house critter: MITE

40. Panhandles: BEGS

41. "Gotcha": "I SEE". Not "Gotcha!"

42. Problem during sleep: APNEA

46. Hawaiian strings: UKEs. Some are oval we've learned.

47. High-tech rte. finder: GPS. (Global Positioning System)

48. Yummy: TASTY

51. Exclusive: SOLE

53. Hockey great Bobby: ORR

56. __ Wednesday: ASH. Timely.

61. 2016 Olympics city: RIO. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

62. Blacksmith's block: ANVIL

63. "Lady and the __": TRAMP. Stored in a carton?

64. Again and again, to bards: OFT. (often)

65. Boglike: PEATY

66. Eye sores: STYEs but then sties can be eye sores, too.

Down:

1. Back talk: SASS

2. Losing casino roll: CRAP

3. How experts do their jobs: ABLY

4. __ juice: milk: MOO

5. Equitably divided: PRO RATA

6. Skylab org.: NASA. 18D. Canceled at 6-Down: NO GO

7. Eve's mate: ADAM

8. Buddy: PAL. 28D. José's 8-Down: AMIGO

9. I problem?: EGO

10. Electric eye, e.g.: SENSOR

11. Word after greater or less: THAN

12. Uncle's mate: AUNT

13. Test version: BETA

23. Efforts: ATTEMPTS

24. Brings forward for inspection: TROTS OUT

25. Mountain climber: SCALER

26. Sidewalk eatery: CAFE

27. Pole tossed in Highlands competitions: CABER

29. Numbered musical works: OPUSes

30. Landlocked African country: NIGER

31. Sheeplike: OVINE

32. Fertilizer ingredient: NITER. Wiki link.

33. Cry hard: SOB

36. Grassland: LEA. Where ovine animals may graze.

38. What muzzled dogs can't do: BITE

42. Sides of an issue: ASPECTS

44. Airport luggage checker: SKYCAP

45. Eye rudely: OGLE

48. Hawaiian food staple: TARO

49. "__ I care!": AS IF

50. Photograph: SHOT

51. "Laugh-In" segment: SKIT

52. Greasy: OILY

53. So-so: OKAY

54. "The __ of the Ancient Mariner": RIME

55. Gym units: REPs

58. "Just __ moment": ONE. "Don't put me on hold!"

59. Egg cells: OVA

60. Leftover morsel: ORT

Argyle

Sunday, Jim Holland, March 5, 2017

TITLE: IN OTHER WORDS

What a hoot! Jim has taken seven common phrases that have the word IN as the second word and he has conjured up the fun gimmick of placing the first word IN the phrase. We solvers had to parse the fact that the phrase's first word was indeed enclosed  by the fill and had to be repositioned to made sense. A lovely idea and very apropos title, don't you think?

As is my occasional wont, I have put the grid at the top of the write-up to highlight the theme. You can see the first word of the correct phrase is IN yellow and ENFOLDED by the muddled phrase. You must mentally move that word to the front or top of the fill to get the desired, common expression with IN taking its implied, correct position as the desired second word. You can also see that Jim moved both one and two words to make this work for the seven phrases.

I think Jim's puzzle was A ONE MILLION and the rest of the puzzle was pretty much THE A WALK PARK.

Let's start with the theme fill:

23. At center stage, literally : THE THICK RIGHT OF THINGS/RIGHT IN THE THICK OF THINGS - Example

36. Start the day cheerfully, literally : A GOOD WAKE UP MOOD/WAKE UP IN A GOOD MOOD - Yeah, right!

70. Stinging rebuke, literally : THE SLAP FACE/SLAP IN THE FACE - Hey Spock, No means No on her planet too

104. Request reassignment, literally : FOR A PUT TRANSFER/PUT IN FOR A TRANSFER - He PUT IN FOR A TRANSFER many times

121. Delivers, literally : THE COMES THROUGH CLUTCH/COMES THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH - Mason Crosby COMES THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH to beat the Cowboys

35. Now and then, literally : A ONCE WHILE/ONCE IN A WHILE - No matter what he does the rest of his career, Blair Walsh will be remembered for one of those ONCE IN A WHILE moments where he didn't come through in the clutch for the Vikings

48. Pay no admission price, literally : FOR GET FREE/GET IN FOR FREE - "Papa, tell me again what this place is and how did you GET IN FOR FREE"

Let's see what else Jim did as he HIS PUT TIME:

Across

1. For every one : A POP

5. Attempts : STABS - Casca, Brutus, et al each wearing a 29. Floor-length garment : TOGA

10. Asian vine leaf : BETEL

15. Came down to earth : ALIT  Ma and Pa Kent find Clark after he ALIT from Krypton

19. Cadenza, e.g. : SOLO - An improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists. You're welcome

20. Kidney-related : RENAL

21. Together : AS ONE

22. Suvari of "American Beauty" : MENA - Mena Suvari. You can google her famous picture lying on a bed of roses

27. Pond buildup : ALGAE

28. Talk about incessantly : HARP ON - I heard you the fourth time!

30. Asian New Year : TET 

31. Lao Tzu principle : TAO

33. Apple core, for short? : IOS - My phone runs on Internet Operating System 10.2.1


34. Chopin work : POLONAISE - I heard a familiar melody while walking by  our radio last week and used the SHAZAM app to find out it was this Chopin work. Do you Shazam?

42. Numskulls : DOLTS

43. Rock's __ Lobos : LOS - La Bamba

44. Start a pot : ANTE

45. Tazo offerings : TEAS - C.C. is our resident expert and I suspect she is familiar with this brand

46. CPO's org. : USN - A Chief Petty Officer equals a 1st sergeant in the US Army

47. Links transport : GOLF CART - They are now street legal in my home town

49. Smart Simpson : LISA

51. Made out : NECKED - See Drive-In above

55. Milne character : POOH

56. Elevator innovator : OTIS

59. Pic(ture) source : NEG(ative)


60. "A Streetcar Named Desire" wife : STELLA - One site rated this as the 33rd best movie moment of all time

61. Gather : REAP

63. Collar : NAB

65. "What's the __?" : USE

67. Withdraw by degrees : WEAN 

68. Track runner, to a tout : NAG - Theater-savvy people will know the tout who sang, "I've got the horse right  here, the name is Paul Revere..." and the play that produced it

74. Farm house dweller : HEN

75. Get into shape, with "up" : TONE

76. "Not __ long shot" : BY A 

77. Gob : TAR - Also sailor, mariner, sea dog or salt

78. Start to freeze? : ANTI


80. 1956 Triple Crown winner : MANTLE - C.C., what do you and Doug estimate this signed 1956 picture written to Ted Williams would be worth?

82. Pampering place : SPA

85. Linguist Chomsky : NOAM

87. Logician Turing : ALAN - Portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game

90. Rubs the wrong way : CHAFES

91. Johnny's 2014 Olympics figure skating co-commentator : TARA - Lipinski

93. Fills with cigarette output, as a room : SMOKES UP - Home of many a political decision back in the day

96. Squealer : RAT

97. Part of DMV: Abbr. : DEPT - Much of their work can be done online now

99. Withered : SERE

100. "Sweet as apple cider" girl of song : IDA

101. Spirited mount : STEED


108. Iron-attracting magnetite : LODESTONE - This was a compass from 200 B.C. China made from naturally-occuring magnetic LODESTONE

110. Byron's "before" : ERE

111. Sass : LIP

112. Sentimental sounds : AWS

113. Heavy reading? : TOME

114. Is incapable of : CANNOT - CAN NOT is also acceptable

117. Comes up short: LOSES if your tout give you a, uh, 130. Bum __ : STEER 

125. Skinny fish : EELS

126. Sambuca flavoring : ANISE - Sambuca didn't even make the list

127. "On Narcissism" author : FREUD

128. Went lickety-split : TORE

129. Staff symbol : REST

131. Nourishes : FEEDS

132. See 4-Down : SPUD






DOWN

1. Movie role played by Skippy : ASTA

2. Sci-fi writer Frederik : POHL

3. First name in fashion : OLEG

4. Oft-fried food : POTATO - It is not the potatoes!!

5. Indian title of respect : SRI

6. High-__ : TECH

7. "Diana" singer : ANKA

8. Tinker Bell's creator : BARRIE - A lovely character for him and a corporate symbol for Disney

9. Make a subtle exit : SLIP OUT

10. German road : BAHN - Only areas near congested cities have a speed limit on the AUTOBAHN 

11. Approx. repair cost : EST

12. Oh so very : TOO TOO

13. Surround : ENFOLD

14. Release : LET GO

15. Pal of Pierre : AMI

16. Soup bean : LENTIL

17. Swallow : INGEST

18. Preferences : TASTES

24. Annoying situation : HEADACHE

25. Mark, for one : GOSPEL - Some didn't make the cut

26. Office phone unit : HANDSET

32. "__ piece of the rock": Prudential slogan : OWN A

34. Support for the sheriff : POSSE

36. Subj. with x's : ALG - BTW, x = 5 in this 3/4/5 right triangle.

37. Yucky stuff : GOOP

38. Nobel Peace Prize city : OSLO

39. Degenerate from disuse : ATROPHY - A big issue when returning from prolonged weightlessness on the ISS

40. Toon flapper Etta : KETT

41. Primary : MAIN

46. Hidden : UNSEEN

50. Río contents : AGUA

52. "Red Balloon" painter : KLEE

53. Dash : ELAN - As I said before, I think Sean Connery had more ELAN than the other 007's

54. Blocker of "Bonanza" : DAN - DAN might want to forget some of his earlier work

57. Elite group : INS

58. '40s-'50s pitcher Maglie : SAL

62. Ideally : AT BEST - This seems more like "The best you can hope for under the circumstances" 

64. Cricket club : BAT

66. Brooklyn Bridge seller, say : SCAMMER

68. First captain? : NOAH - Uh, Captain Noah, who's going to clean out the bottom of the ark?

69. Vogue editor-in-chief Dame __ Wintour : ANNA - I'm sure Ms. Wintour is always just TOO TOO chic!

71. Bridge position : EAST

72. Mythical flutist : PAN

73. Back again : FRO

75. Film watcher's channel : TMC - The Movie Channel (edited from Turner Movie Classics - Gary)

79. (Has) come down with something : TAKEN ILL

81. Causes : LEADS TO

83. San Diego player : PADRE

84. __ code : AREA - 212 is still very coveted here

86. Little helper? : ASST

88. "Yeah, right!" : AS IF

89. Art class subject : NUDE

92. Show up : APPEAR

94. Word with hygiene or history : ORAL

95. Two more than an eagle : PAR 


98. Disgust : TURN OFF - 'nuff said/shown

101. "The Name of the Rose" actor Christian : SLATER

102. American sparrow relative : TOWHEE - Unknown to me but is a cutie!

103. Citation and Corsair : EDSELS

104. Stir up : FOMENT 

105. Toddler's outfit : ONESIE

106. Academic security : TENURE - Once you've got it...

107. Parts of kettles : SPOUTS

109. Inquisitor __ de Torquemada : TOMAS - Being around him is torture!

114. "Moonstruck" Oscar winner : CHER



115. Arch style : OGEE - A plethora of OGEEs in Venice

116. Sound of a flop : THUD - Also poor acting in the NBA

118. Train station : STOP

119. Stocking shade : ECRU

120. Wood finisher? : SHED

122. Chicago winter hrs. : CST - Also true for  Indiana around Chicago but otherwise, who knows?

123. "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" monogram : TSE - Any book that inspired the song Memory is great to me!

124. Burnable media : CDS



Don't THE THROW TOWEL  yet, you THE DYED WOOL solvers should now comment!