Thursday April 20 2017 Mike Peluso

Theme: Clecho Cluster - two closely-related pairs of clues.

17A. Breakdown : CATEGORIZED LIST. Like my monthly spending report from BofA. I won't tell you how each category breaks down, but I'm sure you can guess that "Food!" is a significant slice of the pie chart.

25A. Breakdown : ENGINE FAILURE. In all the flying I've done I've thankfully only experienced one engine failure - on a 737 climbing out of Las Vegas. There was a "pop" sound and the plane seemed to slide backwards for a second. Caused a few raised eyebrows, but no-one was heard to ...

42A. Break down : WEEP IN ANGUISH.

55A. Break down : CHEMICALLY DECAY. Aluminum 26 has a half-life of 720,000 years, whereas the isotope Aluminum 29 has a half-life of 6.6 minutes. I have absolutely no idea why.

Fun offering from Mike today. The theme is nicely done; the grid has eight "cheater squares" (Rich calls them "helper" squares) but four of them are the result of the two 13-letter entries so you can't do anything about those. There's some lively fill, two or three new words for me and some canny cluing to keep us on our toes. Throw in a smattering of French, Spanish and Portuguese and it all adds up to a good Thursday challenge. Let's see what jumps out.

Across:

1. Prepare for a car trip : GAS UP

6. Sack : BAG

9. Swedish autos : SAABS. The company went out of business in 2012.

14. Nearly half of New England : MAINE. With GAS UP atop MAINE I was looking askance at some odd letter progressions for the downs but it all came good in the end.

15. In the fashion of : A LA.  For example, the cajun dish Blackened Catfish a la Mer. Food!

16. St. __ Fire : ELMOS

20. Orlando-to-Miami dir. : S.S.E.

21. Hosp. staffer : L.P.N. Licensed Practical Nurse.

22. Ebbs : ABATES

23. Ready : SET

24. Corrida cry : OLÉ!

32. Island near Java : BALI

34. 1945 conference city : YALTA. Where Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill carved up post-war Europe.

35. Snitch : RAT

36. Leche, across the Pyrenees : LAIT. Your café con leche in Spain turns into café au lait in France.

37. "The Fall" novelist : CAMUS

38. Italian beach resort : LIDO. This was my last fill. I couldn't remember RADO and I wasn't sure of the actor URICH so I had to stare this one down. We had an open-air swimming pool in the town where I grew up called The Lido, so something jogged my memory regarding the source of the name.

39. Chicago destination, on airline tickets : ORD. O'Hare was originally named Orchard Field, hence ORD.

40. Higgs particle : BOSON. A Higgs Boson walks into a bar and asks everyone to join in an act of penitence. "What are you doing?" asks the barman. "Giving mass."

41. Object of devotion : ICON

46. Balderdash : ROT

47. Angel dust, initially : PCP. Phencyclidine. I knew this! From the movie "Trading Places", just to be quite clear.

48. Round drill : TREPAN. I think this was new to me - it looks vaguely familiar so perhaps I've seen it before. I find it's a pretty scary-looking piece of surgical equipment.

51. Purpose : USE

52. Clothing dept. letters : SML Small, Medium, Large sizes.

58. It may cause a financial crisis : PANIC

59. Coral __ : SEA. Site of a pivotal naval battle in the Pacific War in 1942.

60. Fast Bolt : USAIN. The world's fastest man holds the world records for both the 100m and 200m sprint.

61. Long range : ANDES. Nice clue! The range is 4,350 miles long from Venezuela in the north to Chile in the south.

62. Half a score : TEN

63. Ltr. holder : P.O. BOX

Down:

1. Acadia and Terrain : GMCS. SUV's.

2. Remote inserts : AAAS. Batteries for your remote control.

3. Location : SITE

4. Article in Arles : UNE

5. Pirate stereotype : PEG LEG. Avast, me hearties!

6. Amish project : BARN

7. Louisville slugger? : ALI. Another nice clue. Muhammad Ali hailed from Louisville.

8. Mediterranean strip : GAZA

9. Missouri State Fair city : SEDALIA. I confidently entered ST. LOUIS when I had the "S" and was singing "Meet me in St. Louis, meet me at the fair" to myself. Then I discovered I was wrong.

10. 2009 Verizon acquisition : ALLTEL. I don't recall these folks. They were headquartered in Little Rock so that might have something to do with it.

11. Lyon gal pal : AMIE. Funny coincidence with Arles also appearing in a clue today - I got a flyer for a Lyon to Arles wine-tasting river cruise with my wine shipment yesterday.

12. Company leader : BOSS

13. Erstwhile flier : SST

18. __-Free: contact lens solution brand : OPTI. Thank you, crosses.

19. WWII torpedo launchers : E-BOATS

23. Foul mood : SNIT

25. Neglect to say : ELIDE. Another nice clue.

26. Tanzanian border lake : NYASA. I went windsurfing on this lake when I visited Malawi years ago. There are both hippos and crocodiles in the water, so you need to focus on not falling in!

27. Irish statesman de Valera : EAMON. His career had mixed reviews.

28. Heaved : FLUNG

29. "Vega$" actor Robert : URICH

30. Rolex competitor : RADO. Must try and remember this name.

31. 007's alma mater : ETON. 007's creator, Ian Fleming went to Eton. His housemaster disapproved of many things, including "his attitude, his hair oil, his ownership of a car and his relations with women." Not bad for someone yet to turn 18.

32. Lose a big lead in : BLOW

33. Bern's river : AARE

37. Cold + Flu maker : CONTAC

38. Speech therapy subject : LISP. I had speech therapy as a kid to try to correct a stammer that I developed when I was six. It didn't help at all. I finally began to get it under control in my twenties.

40. "Ali" and "Milk," e.g. : BIOPICS

43. Early arrival : PREMIE

44. Daisy preceder : UPSY

45. Got slick after sleet : ICED UP

48. "More __ a Feeling": Boston hit : THAN. Classic ballad. Little late in the blog for a music link but it's too good to miss.

49. Tear : REND

50. Tweed lampooner : NAST. Boss Tweed of the Tammany Ring as portrayed by Nast in 1871.

51. __ Bator : ULAN. One of my school friends was recruited into the British Secret Service. She found it "quite fun" until they wanted to post her to Ulan Bator. Mongolia wasn't quite what she had in mind so she quit.

52. Wound protection : SCAB

53. Spring month in Porto : MAIO. Our Portuguese lesson for the day.

54. Forest feline : LYNX

55. Tax pro : CPA. I hope we all met the tax day deadline this week.

56. Loser to Meade at Gettysburg : LEE

57. That, in Barcelona : ESO. Home of the amazing Sagrada Familia Church. "Que *** es eso?" It's still not finished.

Just time to post the grid, and I think I'm done!

Steve

Wednesday, April 19, 2017 C. C. Burnikel

Theme: Something fishy, right up front.  Each theme answer starts with the name of well known fish.

Let us start with the unifier, to make everything clear.

40 D. Ingredient in some Asian soup, or, literally, what each answer to a starred clue has : FISH HEAD.  So, the named FISH is the HEAD, or beginning of each theme fill.   This gives us our theme song.

17 A. *Droopy-eared dog : BASSET HOUND.   The BASSET HOUND has the awkward combination of long ears and short legs, and a sense of smell second only to the blood hound.  It's low slung contour is indicated by by the French word BASSET, meaning "rather low."  BASS are any of several fresh or salt water varieties, similar to perch, belonging to the order perciformes.  The name BASS is derived from a Middle English word for perch.

25 A. *Testimony preceder : SOLEMN OATH.  This involves an appeal to a deity or revered person or symbol to guarantee that oath speaker is making an honest testimony or promise.  SOLE are several varieties of flat fish.

38 A. *Garage alternative : CARPORT.  A more or less protective structure, with a roof but fewer than four walls.  CARP are several species of oily fresh water fish native to Europe and Asia.

52 A. *Common cause of food poisoning : SALMONELLA.  This is a bacterium that can be found in contaminated food.  It is named for Daniel Salmon who was leading the team in the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture that discovered the pathogen.  SALMON fish are born in fresh water.  Some varieties migrate to the sea, then return to where they originated to spawn.

61 A. *Garment with a fitted waist and flared bottom : SKATER DRESS.

Pair with stilettos and a clutch

The SKATE fish are similar, but not identical, to rays.

Hi gang, an ailing Jazzbumpa here to guide you through this aquatic offering from our fearless leader. Despite the theme, you'll see there is nothing fishy going on here. 

Across

1. Overzealous : RABID. Like certain sports fans,

6. Emotional states : MOODS.  They can be good or bad.

11. Big name in home security : ADT.   The largest security company in the U.S. and Canada with over 6.5 million customers.

14. Work together : UNITE.  Many hands make light work.

15. Golfer's birdie, often : THREE.  One under on a par 4 hole.  Cf. 33D.

16. "I've seen better" : MEH.

19. King Kong, e.g. : APE.  One of the really great APES.

20. Home buyer's choice : CONDO.  A private residence owned by an individual or family in a building or community with multiple units.

21. Annoyed reply to "Are you awake?" : I AM NOW.  It's about time!

23. Hog fare : SLOP.

28. Pan flying : PETER.  Children's story hero.

30. Present mo. : DEC.  The present month is April; the month for presents is December, which is in the future.

31. Bone, to Botticelli : OSSO.  Italian

32. Quick snooze : CATNAP.

34. "Darn it!" : SHOOT.  Phooey!  Drat!

37. Pop singer Grande's fragrance : ARI.  A steal at $28.82 per oz.

40. Price of admission : FEE.

43. The Euphrates flows through it : SYRIA.  Originates in Turkey, also flows through Iraq into the Persian Gilf.

Conflict

44. Like King Kong : SIMIAN.  Referring to apes and monkeys.  Also a clecho.

46. Shepherd's dinner, perhaps : ALPO.  German shepherd.

49. Coffee maker unit : CUP. Equivalent to one Keurig pod.

51. Impudent : SASSY.  Don't be that way.

56. Perlman of "The Mindy Project" : RHEA.  Also Carla from "Cheers."

57. Racer's swimwear brand : SPEEDO.  

Fitness

58. __ setter : IRISH.  Possible ALPO eater.

60. Country that won the most Olympics medals in Rio : USA.  Winning 46 gold, 37 silver and 38 bronze for a total of 121, next were Great Britain with 67, China with 70 and Russia with 55.

66. Something to chew : CUD.  If you're a cow.

67. Ship with liquid cargo : OILER.  Oil tanker.

68. Security breaches : LEAKS.  Unauthorized information escaping through unofficial channels.  

69. Officejet printers : HPS.  Hewlett-Packard

70. Polishing targets : NAILS.  On your fingers and toes.

71. Pearl Jam frontman Vedder : EDDIE. [b. 1964]   He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, just this month.

Down

1. Barbecue spice mixture : RUB.

2. Santa __ Mountains : ANA.   A short range extending for about 61 miles southeast of the Los Angeles basin.

3. Twice-baked cookies : BISCOTTI. They are oblong, dry, crunchy, and intended for dipping - traditionally in Vin Santo, a style of Italian desert wine of variable sweetness.

4. "Come right on in!" : IT'S OPEN.  The door, that is.

5. Celebrity chef Paula : DEEN.  Known for traditional southern comfort food.

6. Highest peak in Ore. : MT. HOOD.  It's height is approximately 11,240 ft.  It is a "potentially active" volcano, with the odds of an eruption during the next 30 years estimated to be between 3 and 7%.

7. "Well, looky here!" : OHO.  Thar she blows!

8. Christian sch. in Tulsa : ORU.  Founded by its eponym in 1965, Oral Roberts University has a high academic standing and a checkered administrative past.

9. Vest fabric : DENIM.  More famous for blue jeans, probably.

10. It often has four doors : SEDAN.  An automobile with front and rear seating suitable for adults, and a cargo compartment, typically in the rear.

11. Some kitchen appliances : AMANAS.  The company manufactures a variety of kitchen and household appliances.

12. Bus stations : DEPOTS.

13. "Tommy" band : THE WHO.

18. Pts. by Vikings : TDS.  Touch Downs scored by a professional football team from Minnesota.  Do we have any RABID fans?

22. Irrelevant : MOOT.  This is the secondary meaning.  The primary meaning is "open to dispute."

23. Critter rescue org. : SPCA.  Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 

24. Big name in business jets : LEAR.   The LEARJET company was founded in the 1950's by William Powell LEAR.

26. Electric guitar pioneer : LES PAUL.

27. Cave feedback : ECHO.   Reflected sound.

29. Like "Fifty Shades of Grey" : RACY.  Risqué, suggestive, naughty, sexy, spicy, ribald.

33. Golfer's four, often : PAR.  The number of strokes needed by a first class player to complete the hole.  Cf 15A.

35. Hosp. areas : ORS.  Operating Rooms in hospitals.

36. Handle on many elevators : OTIS.   "Handle" here denoting the name.

39. Bento box staple : RICE.  A bento is a single-portion take out or home made meal common in Japanese cuisine.  It usually contains rice along with meat or fish and cooked vegetables.  The actual box can be anything from a cheap disposable to hand-crafted laquerware.

41. Facility : EASE.

42. "Only Time" songwriter : ENYA.  It seems that Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin shows up at least half the time when I blog.

43. A handful : SOME.  Not too many.

45. Color named for a planet : MARS RED.   Benjamin Moore 2172-20.

46. In itself : AS SUCH.  Exactly as described or suggested.

47. Devours eagerly : LAPS UP.  To accept something with great enthusiasm.

48. Responds in court : PLEADS.  Presents or argues for a position.

50. Tool box item : PLIERS. Pincers, typically having parallel, flat, serrated surfaces intended for gripping. 

53. Has too much of, briefly : O Ds ON. Technically, to take more than the recommended dose of a medication, or in drug culture to have too much of a narcotic, resulting in a dangerous and potentially lethal condition.  In loose vernacular, to have too much of anything, frex, Easter ham. 

54. Finnish tech giant : NOKIA.   Multinational communications and information technology company founded in 1865.

55. Flight stat. : ARRival time.  

59. On the sidelines : IDLE.  Not currently in use.

62. Legendary fighter : ALI.  Professional boxer Muhammad Ali, originally Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. [1942-2016.]   He was also famous and controversial as an activist and draft resistor.

63. Business card no. : TELephone.

64. Hit the slopes : SKI.

65. Dallas-to-Houston dir. : SSE.  Texas geography.  Three and a half hour drive via I-45 covering 239 miles.

That wraps it up - a fine puzzle, indeed.  My only nit is the glaring lack of a baseball reference. What's up with that?  

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, April 18 2017, Jeffrey Wechler

Theme: Size Matters

17. Mom-and-pop stores : SMALL BUSINESSES
 

29. Alfalfa, Darla and friends, with "the" : LITTLE RASCALS
 

39. "God bless us, every one!" Dickens character : TINY TIM
 

47. Game with windmills, ramps and such : MINIATURE GOLF

62. Waterspout climber of song : ITSY BITSY SPIDER


Melissa here. This was probably the fastest Tuesday solve I can remember. I held back on a few guesses waiting for perps to be certain. Only one word I wasn't sure of - FILIAL, and one misspell. Theme was simple and obvious - and still a fun solve. The first two theme answers are plural and the rest are singular - but still a tight theme.

Across

1. Valuable stone : GEM
 

4. Hamilton and Burr, notably : FOES

 

8. Find incredibly funny : ROAR AT

 

14. Word for a Latin lover : AMO

 

15. Cookbook author Rombauer : IRMA
. Not ERMA.
 

16. Not certain : UNSURE



20. Vietnam's capital : HANOI

 

21. Part of MST: Abbr. : STD
. Waited for this one to fill in, since it could have been anything.
 

22. FDR's successor : HST

 

23. Serpent's tooth : FANG
. At first I misread this as Serpent's tongue - and wondered why there weren't enough letters for FORKED.
 

26. Irreverence : IMPIETY



33. Biblical verb ending : ETH
.
 

34. Quick hellos : HI'S

 

35. Curbs, with "in" : REINS
. This was my mispell, my fingers wanted to type REIGNS and the G got entered before I could stop them.
 

38. Blackjack half : ACE



42. Wedding notice word : NEE

 

43. What hares and mares do : RHYME
. Sneaky.
 

45. Long, long time : EON

 

46. La Brea __ Pits : TAR



52. Coiffures : HAIRDOS
. Those are both great words.

54. Move, in real estate lingo : RELO
. Relocate.
 

55. Part of MST : ESS
. Also sneaky (and clever), especially after 21A.
 

56. Tango maneuver : DIP

 

58. Higher than : ABOVE

 

67. California's San __: Hearst Castle locale : SIMEON

 

68. Filming locales : SETS

 

69. 401(k) kin : IRA

 

70. Six times cinq : TRENTE

 

71. VCR insert : TAPE

 

72. Gov. Cuomo's domain : NYS

 

Down
 

1. Deep cut : GASH

 

2. 2016 Best Actress Stone of "La La Land" : EMMA

 

3. Pained sound : MOAN

 

4. Like a child's love for a parent : FILIAL
. "Of or due from a son or daughter."
 

5. Heavenly sphere : ORB

 

6. Grounded bird : EMU

 

7. Fresh talk : SASS

 

8. Pioneering hip-hop trio from Queens : RUN DMC


9. Single : ONE

 

10. Beast of burden : ASS

 

11. Does without much thought : RUSHES INTO

 

12. "Give it __!" : A REST

 

13. Cantankerous : TESTY

 

18. Barn storage space : LOFT

 

19. "How sweet __!" : IT IS

 

24. Classic grape soda : NEHI

 

25. Smile that may be silly : GRIN

 

27. Eggplant __: Italian entrée, briefly : PARM

 

28. L'eau land? : ILE

 

29. Shakespearean king with three daughters : LEAR

 

30. Nagging desire : ITCH

 

31. College freshman's comment about why his parents call so often :  THEY MISS ME
. Aw.
 

32. Until now : AS YET

 

36. Patricia of "Hud" : NEAL


 

37. Medieval laborer : SERF

 

39. Take care of : TEND

 

40. Vacation option : TOUR

 

41. Memo heading : IN RE

 

44. Defunct Soviet space station : MIR

 

48. First-aid fluid : IODINE

 

49. "__ happens ... " : AS IT

 

50. Pass, as time : ELAPSE

 

51. Mongolian desert : GOBI


52. Bank holdup : HEIST

 

53. No longer sleeping : ASTIR

 

57. "Hey, get a load of this" : PSST

 

59. Chief Norse god : ODIN

 

60. Quite : VERY

 

61. Significant periods : ERAS

 

63. Kyoto cash : YEN

 

64. Droid : BOT

 

65. Positive vote : YEA

 

66. Gas additive brand : STP

Monday, April 17, 2017 Bruce Haight

Theme: Change Lanes to Pass - but as always, keep to the right.

17A. Friends of man's best friend: DOG LOVERS. Lovers Lane.

24A. Sport involving some rolling on the grass: LAWN BOWLING. Bowling lane.

37A. Forgetting the unpleasant parts: SELECTIVE MEMORY. Memory lane.

47A. Tidy sum that doesn't sound like much: PRETTY PENNY. "Penny Lane" Beatles (Back story)

58A. Highway segment for slower traffic ... and, literally, what 17-, 24-, 37- and 47-Across each has: RIGHT LANE

Argyle here(in the middle lane, usually). Except for two corners, NE and SW, everything is well interconnected and a fun solve.

Across:

1. Drop a line from the dock, say: FISH

5. Normandy battle town: ST. LO

9. Massage targets: ACHEs

14. Together, musically: A DUE. (in Italian)

15. Chips __!: cookies: AHOY

16. Formal-sounding will?: SHALL

19. Columbus craft: PINTA. The actual name of Pinta is unknown. Wiki link

20. For each one: APIECE

21. Diving lake bird: LOON. Our crossword bird.

22. Knight's title: SIR

28. QB-to-receiver six-pointer: TD PASS. Touchdown pass.

30. Rent-a-car giant: AVIS

31. Landed: ALIT, leading to 43. Sitting on: ATOP

32. TV show shown before: RERUN

34. Banned bug spray: DDT. The U.S. banned DDT for agricultural use in 1972.

41. "Good" cholesterol initials: HDL. (High-Density Lipoprotein)

42. Wishes: HOPES

44. List of computer options: MENU

45. "Movin' right along ... ": "ANYHOO...". Humorous alteration of ANYHOW.

52. Overhead trains: ELS. Shortening of elevated trains.

53. Steak order: RARE

54. Contemporary radio station named for its former "easy listening" playlist: LITE FM. (generic name)

56. Leaves out: OMITS

61. Used up: SPENT

62. "So THAT'S what you mean": "I SEE"

63. Physics particle: ATOM

64. Bacon work: ESSAY

65. Lysol target: GERM

66. Drive-__ window: THRU

Down:

1. Craze: FAD

2. Knot-tying words: I DO

3. Drug test placebo: SUGAR PILL

4. Beatles' second film: "HELP!"

5. File-renaming command, at times: SAVE AS

6. "Supernatural" network: THE CW. The "CW" name is an abbreviation derived from the first letters of the names of its two parent corporations (CBS and Warner Bros). OK then.

7. Oscar winner Sophia: LOREN. In 1962, she won a Best Actress Oscar for "Two Women", a foreign-language film.

8. Kvetching cries: OYs

9. Nile snake: ASP

10. Flu symptoms: CHILLS

11. Asian capital: HANOI

12. "Tiny Dancer" singer John: ELTON

13. Much street talk: SLANG

18. Many Rembrandts: OILS

22. Squirrel away: STASH

23. Loafed: IDLED

25. Exposes: BARES

26. Reproductive cell: OVUM

27. Cellar reds and whites: WINE

29. Gobbled down: ATE

32. Tear to pieces: RIP UP

33. New Year's __: EVE

34. "Duh ... figure it out!": "DO THE MATH"

35. Slobber: DROOL

36. Printing goofs: TYPOs

38. Newscaster Huntley: CHET

39. Broadway award: TONY

40. Possibly will: MAY

44. Medit. volcano: MT. ETNA

45. Song before the game: ANTHEM

46. Vladivostok veto: NYET. Russian.

47. Narrative writing: PROSE

48. Boat launching aids: RAMPS

49. Great Lakes natives: ERIES

50. Beethoven dedicatee: ELISE. Für Elise(3:38)

51. Algeria neighbor: NIGER

55. London apartment: FLAT

57. Muddy pen: STY

58. Fix, as a fight: RIG

59. Neither here __ there: NOR

60. Down Under bird: EMU

Argyle