Tuesday, April 11 2017, Lila Cherry

Theme:  FOUR OF A KIND

17. *Pay for your online purchases, say : CHECK OUT

31. *Skip work because of illness : CALL IN SICK

37. *Cause a ruckus : RAISE CAIN

47. *Go out of business : FOLD UP SHOP

62. "Care to wager?" ... and a question answered, one way or the other, by

the first words of the answers to starred clues : WANNA BET?

Melissa here. Raced right through this one, and though the theme was obvious I had everything filled in before I noticed it. I love that RAISE CAIN is right in the middle.

Across

1. Prefix with deed, feed and read : MIS

4. Fave texting buds : BFFS. Best Friends Forever. Technically I suppose this should be BFsF, like Mothers-In-Law, instead of Mother-In-Laws.

8. One looking for something : SEEKER

14. Gorilla, for one : APE

15. To whom Rick said, "We'll always have Paris" : ILSA. Casablanca.

16. Mode of dress : ATTIRE

19. Admirers, as a group : FANDOM

20. Actress O'Donnell : ROSIE

21. Caspian, e.g. : SEA

23. Nick and Nora's dog : ASTA

24. Ancients, for instance? : ANAGRAM. That was sneaky. Three anagrams of ancients are: Canniest, Insectan, and Instance.

27. Big Band __ : ERA

29. White wine apéritif : KIR

30. Kitten cries : MEWS

34. Double curve : ESS

35. One to say "G'day" to : MATE. Cute.

36. Grandmas : NANAS

40. Once more : AGAIN

43. Deal with it : COPE

44. "How cute!" cries : AWS

50. Coin named for a continent : EURO

51. ER staffers : RNS

52. Frying __ : PAN

53. Movie double : STAND-IN

55. Sport shirt brand : IZOD. Not POLO.

57. Male cat : TOM

59. Santa __ racetrack : ANITA

60. Tenor Enrico : CARUSO

65. Tennis great Andre : AGASSI

66. Gung-ho : AVID

67. __ Fáil: Irish coronation stone : LIA

68. Port on the Loire : NANTES. In France.

69. Dickens' Uriah : HEEP. From David Copperfield.

70. Junior nav. officer : ENS. Lowest level of commissioned naval officer.

Down

1. Knot-tying art : MACRAME. 

2. Siri speaks on them : I-PHONES. She speaks on iMACs too, now.

3. Up-and-down playground boards : SEESAWS

4. Hog rider : BIKER. Hog = Harley Davidson motorcycle. Where did the nickname "HOG" come from?

5. Perky spokeswoman in Progressive ads : FLO. Played by Stephanie Courtney. In this commercial, she plays every member of the family.

6. Seminoles' sch. : FSU. Florida State University.

7. Pre-coll. exams : SATS

8. Jungle adventure : SAFARI

9. Approx. touchdown hour : ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.

10. Italian volcano : ETNA

11. Glove leather : KIDSKIN

12. Racy literature : EROTICA

13. Comments : REMARKS

18. Smokes, briefly : CIGS

22. Slippery as an __ : EEL

25. Berry rich in antioxidants : ACAI

26. Wrestling surfaces : MATS

28. Broadway orphan : ANNIE

32. Parasite : LEECH

33. __ Andreas Fault : SAN

35. "Don't be a wimp!" : MAN UP

37. Unburdened (of) : RID

38. Lovey-dovey exchange : COOS

39. Date bk. entry : APPT

40. Like some violets : AFRICAN

41. Spokane school with a strong basketball program : GONZAGA. New to me.

42. Beaten candidate : ALSO RAN

44. Loud enough to hear : AUDIBLE

45. Unlisted vote-getter : WRITE-IN

46. Piano works : SONATAS

48. Regional dialect : PATOIS

49. __-Caps: candy : SNO

50. Sicilian resort city : ENNA

54. Food retailer named for two oceans : A AND P

56. Clean with Pledge : DUST

58. [Air kiss] : MWAH

61. Opposite of NNW : SSE

63. Prop. often named for a state in Monopoly : AVE

64. Nietzsche's "never" : NIE

Monday, April 10, 2017 Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Where AM I? - I didn't notice the constructors til now.

57A. Coffee break time ... and a hint to an abbreviation aptly placed in each answer to a starred clue: MIDMORNING

17A. *Niña and Pinta's sister ship: SANTA MARIA

28A. *Leader of the pack: ALPHA MALE

44A. *Yale, for five U.S. presidents: ALMA MATER

11D. *Renamed lemon-lime soft drink: SIERRA MIST. (Mist Twst now)(sic)

27D. *Spot for bargain hunters: FLEA MARKET

Argyle here? this AM. I should have known so much themage on a Monday would have come from our dynamic duo.

Across:

1. "__ Noon": Gary Cooper classic: HIGH. Tex Ritter - The Ballad of High Noon 1952(2:31). Quite different from the Frankie Laine version(2:44).

5. Tippy watercraft: CANOE

10. "Make it snappy," in memos: ASAP. (as soon as possible)

14. Length-times-width calculation: AREA

15. Take place: OCCUR

16. Pleasant: NICE

19. Camper's quarters: TENT

20. Like some rye bread: SEEDED

21. Number of little pigs, in a fable: THREE

22. Decorative theme: MOTIF

24. Crystal ball reader: SEER

25. Up to now: SO FAR

32. Surfing at one's desk, say: ONLINE

34. Places for studs: EARs

35. Fellow: MAN

36. Rod's fishing partner: REEL

37. "__ you go again!": THERE. A Reaganism.

39. Like Solomon: WISE

40. Aunt, in Argentina: TIA. My favorite aunt.

41. Fashionably smart: CHIC

42. Crusty roll: KAISER

47. "SNL" host's monologue, e.g.: INTRO

48. Door-to-door cosmetics seller: AVON

49. Cavalry sword, in Sussex: SABRE. British spelling.

51. Kitchen cover-up?: APRON. Cute alliteration.

53. Granola alternative: MUESLI

56. Luau torch type: TIKI

61. Opinion column, for short: OP-ED

62. Unfamiliar (to): ALIEN

63. Director Preminger: OTTO

64. Baseball's "Amazins": METS. World Series titles 1969 & 1986. Maybe this year?

65. Bamboo lover: PANDA

66. Karate award: BELT

Down:

1. "__ it been that long?": HAS

2. Tax-sheltered plans: Abbr.: IRAs. (individual retirement account)

3. Heredity unit: GENE

4. Venomous letters: HATE MAIL

5. Cleaner sold in green canisters: COMET

6. National park in Maine: ACADIA. On the coast of Maine.

7. ATM maker: NCR. (National Cash Register known as NCR Corporation now)

8. Avignon assent: "OUI". In the south of France.

9. Division of history: ERA

10. "O Canada," e.g.: ANTHEM. A big CSO, eh!

12. Clearasil target: ACNE

13. Rose of baseball: PETE

18. Festoon: ADORN

21. Lipton products: TEAs

23. Takes for a sucker: FLEECES

24. Princess Fiona's beloved ogre: SHREK

25. Somewhat, informally: SORTA

26. NBC newsman Roger: O'NEIL

29. Golfer's goal: PAR. What a finish at The Masters.

30. Surgical beam: LASER

31. January, in Mexico: ENERO

33. Hawke of "Boyhood": ETHAN. Keeping busy. IMDb

38. Triple or homer: HIT, or third baseball clue.

39. One who scoffs at boxed Merlot, say: WINE SNOB

41. "Hurry up, will ya?": "C'MON!"

43. TV network, e.g.: AIRER

45. Sidesteps: AVOIDS

46. Smashed into: RAMMED. An inconsequential AM.

50. "__ sera": Italian "Good evening": BUONA. The Bella Sera wine threw me off at first.

51. Proton's place: ATOM

52. Plumbing unit: PIPE

54. Calorie-friendly: LITE. Ad-speak.

55. Not domestic, flight-wise: Abbr.: INTL. (international)

57. Travel guide: MAP

58. Dockworker's gp.: ILA. (International Longshoremen's Association)

59. Clamorous noise: DIN

60. Understood: GOT

Argyle

Sunday April 9, 2017 Gail Grabowski

 Theme: "Spout Nonsense" - SP is removed from the start of each theme entry.

 25A. Plumber, at times? : ELL CHECKER. Spell checker.

27A. Boxer in the wrong profession? : RING CHICKEN. Spring chicken. I don't get the "wrong profession" and "chicken" connection.

44A. Herb-carrying semi? : RIG OF PARSLEY. Sprig of parsley.

83A. Unlikely to get sick? : ILL-RESISTANT. Spill-resistant. Like some keyboards.

  

104A. One with a questionable sense of fashion? : IFFY DRESSER. Spiffy dresser. I hope their love endures. They're great together.

106A. News of a crude carrier sighting? : OILER ALERT. Spoiler alert.

 

35D. Flat-bodied fish depiction? : RAY PAINTING. Spray painting.

43D. "Jush one more, bartender," e.g.? : LIT DECISION. Split decision.

I'm thinking Gail tried to remove SPIEL (47D. Infomercial pitch) with no good result. It has the only stray SP in the grid.

I got the theme immediately, having messed around with a SPIN/SPOUT idea long time ago. Never made it happen. Just could not get enough entries to work. The more I work on puzzles, the more I admire Gail's grids. So much hard work goes into her grids. 

Across:

   

1. Criticize severely : BASH. Not SLAM.

5. Very little : SCANT

10. Musical with the song "A New Argentina" : EVITA

15. Roll on a farm, maybe : BALE

19. Major attachment : ETTE. Majorette. We also have 18. Market closing? : EER. Marketeer.

20. Many an emailer : AOLer. Rich is an AOL-er. 

21. Pay : WAGES

22. Northern terminus of I-79 : ERIE

23. Totally unlike wetlands : ARID

24. Golf goof : SLICE. Most men slice.

30. Finished behind : LOST TO

31. NBC show anchored by Lester Holt : DATELINE

32. "Pagliacci" clown : TONIO. I can never remember his name. CANIO fits also.

34. Muzzleloading aid : RAMROD

38. It holds water : DAM

39. Snowblower brand : TORO. Based here in MN.

40. Light beer? : PALE ALE. Nice clue.

41. Big bucks, briefly : MIL

49. Monogram on L'Homme products : YSL

50. Put up with : ABIDE

52. Menu words : A LA

53. They're not fast reads : EPICS

54. Help in the gym : SPOT

55. Allow access to : LET AT

56. Pay ending? : PAL. Not our old pal OLA.

57. Considerable care : PAINS. Take pains.

58. Is sympathetic (toward) : LEANS

59. "This Gun for Hire" actor : LADD (Alan). Never saw the film.

60. Mag man with a mansion : HEF

61. Under attack : BESET

62. Actor Morales : ESAI

63. Affected by tears, as makeup : SMEARED. Waterproof mascaras work wonders.

65. Winter air : CAROL

66. "I thought it was a secret" : YOU KNEW? Got via crosses.

69. Biblical brother : CAIN. We see ESAU more often. ABEL too.

70. Sported : HAD ON

71. Pester for payment : DUN. My brother knows this word.

72. Quattro competitor : ATRA

73. Base with a coach : THIRD. Also FIRST.

75. What an iron often causes : DIVOT. All pretty deep.

76. Pen name : BIC

77. Gonzalez in 2000 news : ELIAN

78. Ones not itemized : REST. Oh, the rest.

79. Willamette River capital : SALEM

80. Crescent component : ARC

81. Have an inkling : SENSE

82. Ristorante suffix : INI. Suffix for pasta. So which country do you think have the best food?

87. H.S. dropout's exam : GED

88. Environmental destruction : ECOCIDE

91. Congenial : NICE

92. Wine flavorer : OAK

94. Filibuster site : SENATE.

95. Not in anymore : PASSE. What Filibuster is.

97. Most shabby : TATTIEST

102. Took the wrong way? : ROBBED

110. Mumbai money : RUPEE

111. Stallion's mate : MARE. Also 10. Flock mom : EWE. And 60. Female lobster : HEN

112. Skedaddle : FLEE

113. Lacked roots : ROVED

114. __ Gay : ENOLA

115. Island off Tuscany : ELBA

116. It may cause quakes : FEAR. Not Jayce's earthquakes.

117. How-to units : STEPS

118. Ill-fated Ford : EDSEL

119. It's usually graded : TEST. ROAD too.

Down:

1. Darwin wore one : BEARD

2. Sunlit courts : ATRIA

3. Hitch : STINT

4. Wouldn't commit : HEDGED

5. Sushi bar order : SASHIMI. 刺身 in Japanese/Chinese. Literally "Pierced Body".

6. 2014 U.S. Senior Open winner Montgomerie : COLIN. He's quite engaging & friendly. Biting wit.

7. "I've had such a curious dream!" speaker : ALICE

8. Part of a violin : NECK

9. Spot with a bird's-eye view : TREETOP

11. "Grease" singer : VALLI

12. Domed dwelling : IGLOO

13. Sleuths, for short : TECS. Detectives.

14. Many bars no longer have them : ASHTRAYS. They live forever at the casinos.

15. Turn into eventually : BECOME

16. Old Testament sanctuary : ARK

17. Deliberate omission, some say : LIE

 

26. What makes lists briefer, briefly : ET AL

28. Red wine choice : CLARET

29. "A Doll's House" heroine : NORA

33. "Just curious" : NO REASON. Also 86. Like paste, jewelry-wise : NOT REAL

 36. The Christina in Wyeth's "Christina's World" : OLSON. I forgot. We had this clue before.

37. Lats relatives : DELTs Also 40. Lats relatives : PECs

39. Maker of nonstick cookware : T-FAL. My stir-fry pan.

 

41. Places to browse : MALLS

42. Steel girder : I BEAM

45. Rubbernecked : GAPED

46. Minnesota's St. __ College : OLAF. They're in the same place as Carleton College, alma mater of Amy Reyhaldo (Crossword Fiend).

48. It's trapped in house traps : LINT

51. Ernst genre : DADA ART

54. Broad-leafed maritime plant : SEA KALE. Never heard of it. Is it edible?

57. 1995 Reform Party founder : PEROT

58. Baton Rouge sch. : LSU

 

61. Throwing out a chain letter, and others : BAD OMENS. Never got a chain letter.

62. Really big stretch : EON

64. Relieved (of) : RID

65. Spelunker : CAVER

66. New Mexico state flower : YUCCA. Ours is Lady Slipper. Some spell it as  Lady's Slipper.

67. Remove : ERASE

68. Subsided : WANED

70. Natural elevation : HILL And 75. 70-Down's opposite : DALE

71. Scuttlebutt : DIRT

73. Tastes : TRIES

74. As a result : HENCE

 

76. Private home : BASE. Army private. And 77. Opulent home : ESTATE

79. Court conferences : SIDEBARS

84. Obedient response to un capitán : SI SI

85. Like navigable Arctic waters : ICE-FREE

 

89. Life's work : CAREER. I was thinking of prisoners.

90. "... like __ not" : IT OR

93. Fate : KISMET. Love this word.

95. "Pet" problem : PEEVE

96. Mag sales staff member : AD REP

97. Proofer's finds : TYPOS

98. Two-time Billboard Top Artist awardee : ADELE

99. Virtual transaction : E-SALE

100. Novi Sad natives : SERBs. Wiki says Novi Sad is the second largest city of Serbia.

101. Pleasant surprise : TREAT

103. Rorschach image : BLOT

105. Provide money for : FUND

106. Wrong : OFF

107. Key for Ravel? : ILE. French for Island. Not CLE.

108. Grazing area : LEA

109. Some OT winners : TDs

C.C.

Saturday, Apr 8th, 2017, Mike Buckley

Theme: Spiral Galaxies

Words 66 (missing F,J,Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 36

I did not recognize the name of the constructor, but I did see the unique grid, and my first thought was that it was one of those layouts that make it impossible to move from one corner to another because a lack of word connections - but then I got to 4a, 34a, etc, and realized we had ourselves a "theme". One I picked up on right away, because I am a nerd, and I love watching shows on astronomy, so I knew the "local group", and the reveal at 56a.  A nifty spiral shaped pattern to go along with the theme, with triple 9-letter corners and 8-letter tie-ins between them.

4a. Largest galaxy in the Local Group : ANDROMEDA

34a. With 35- and 36-Across, second-largest galaxy in the Local Group : THE

35a. See 34-Across : MILKY

36a. See 34-Across : WAY

56. By some calculations, projected fate of 4-Across and 34-/35-/36-Across in three to four billion years : COLLISION

 More Here

 O                       ~!

      N               D

          W  a   R

            w A r

         W   a    R

     N                D

O                         ~! 

ACROSS:

 1. Mirthful sounds : HAs

13. Stop : AVERT - I tried CEASE

16. Strains at the balcony : SERENADES

17. "Birth of the Cool" trumpeter : DAVIS - a WAG, but today's difficulty level seemed lower, probably due to the cool theme

18. Protesters, in '60s slang : PEACENIKS

19. Talmud letters : ALEPHs

21. Cheerleaders may raise it : MORALE - and a few other things, too

22. Crashing and burning : TANKING

24. Urban legends website : SNOPES

25. Lobby, often : ANTEROOM

27. Saturn SUV : VUE

28. Trail for a hound : SCENT

29. Zaps : TASES - I had LASES first

31. Ne'ertheless : THO

37. Poetic twilight : E'EN

38. Japanese box lunch : BENTO - filled via perps; did not know this 

39. Elemental makeup : ATOMS

41. With 14-Down, "Iron Man" of sports : CAL - with 14. See 41-Across : RIPKEN - Junior, who played 2,632 consecutive MLB games for the Baltimore Orioles - the Wiki

42. Is demanding : ASKS A LOT

44. Friday revelation? : I'M A COP - "Just the facts, ma'am" - but never spoken in the show

47. Had some impact : HIT HOME

48. Treat with scorn : DERIDE

49. Something hit on a range : DRIVER - oops, not TARGET

50. News dispatch lead-ins : DATELINES

53. Deli qty. : ONE lb

54. Test : CHALLENGE

55. Intensifying exclamation ending : SIREE - yes----

57. SOP part: Abbr. : STD - Standard Operating Procedure

DOWN:

1. Sampled some : HAD A TASTE

2. Serious downfall : AVALANCHE

3. Whitney Houston appeared on its cover in 1981 : SEVENTEEN

4. Critter in Egyptian art : ASP

5. Born identity intro : NÉE

6. Wee nips : DRAMS

7. Carry on? : RECONVEY

8. Weighty : ONEROUS - oops, not OMINOUS

9. Marvel Comics hybrid supervillain : MAN-APE - never heard of  'him'

10. Roman magistrate : EDILE

11. Fakes on the ice : DEKES - oh we are there~!  The Stanley Cup playoffs begin~!

 Top Ten Shootout Dekes

#3 is unbelievable

12. Pack animal : ASS

15. Brando wore one in "Streetcar" : T-SHIRT

20. __-cone : SNO

23. Finally became a member : GOT IN

26. Valletta is its capital : MALTA

30. Trifling amount : SKOSH

31. 2008 Phoenix/Paltrow romantic drama : TWO LOVERS

32. Brunch order : HAM OMELET

33. Precious gem source : OYSTER BED - and featured in the lyrics of a Blue Oyster Cult song, aptly titled "Blue Oyster Cult" on their 1988 concept album Imaginos

@0:55

35. Earworms, say : MELODIES - I read this as EARTHworms, even after I solved it and thought, is that a typo~?

38. Rod-shaped bacteria : BACILLI

39. Minute Maid Park team : ASTROs

40. Sesame seed paste : TAHINI - I was stuck on HUMMUS, which is chick peas

41. "The Office" star : CARELL - spelled it wrong; CARREL

43. Rib : KID

44. State with a 45-mile Canadian border : IDAHO - I took a train ride from Ronkonkoma LI through Chicago all the way to Seattle back in 2003, and sadly I fell asleep for that 45 mile part of the journey, so I "missed" Idaho; I did pass through Minnesota, C.C.

45. Calcium, e.g. : METAL

46. Former Finnish coin : PENNI

50. XX x XXXV : DCC - Roman math, 20 x 35 = 700

51. Id controller : EGO

52. Sanders or Cruz: Abbr. : SENator

Splynter