Wednesday, May 10, 2017, Agnes Davidson and C.C. Burnikel

TITLE: MUSH!

Our own Irish Miss and C.C. have doggedly produced a lovely Wednesday puzzle that provided a fun exercise for me while their theme escaped my blood hound instincts. There was also just enough challenge to make my solving experience enjoyable.

What these ladies did was to supply five two-word theme answers wherein both words can serve as a "LEAD" for the word DOG. This is all tied up in their theme reveal:

37. Iditarod front-runners ... or what both parts of the answers to starred clues can do? : LEAD DOGS - As you can see by the picture here, being the LEAD DOG does have its advantages!

The previous puzzle I blogged was last Wednesday's where the phrase OUT OF could precede each word in a two word phrase to give two new phrases and so there was some similarity. 

Now let's take a look at the theme fills, some of which are canine related and some not so much:

18. *Suffering harsh criticism : UNDER ATTACK which yields

55. *Highway patrol group : STATE POLICE and we also get

 3. *Deep trouble : HOT WATER 

6. *Member of a 1960s Chinese paramilitary group : RED GUARD

36. *Hard-to-control blaze : WILD FIRE where Agnes and C.C. also give us

Let's see what else is in their, anything but shaggy, dog story:

Across

1. __ Wednesday : ASH - The day after Mardi (Tuesday) Gras (Fat)

4. Rock of comedy : CHRIS

9. Miata automaker : MAZDA - The star of the movie Husker Gary's Midlife Crisis

14. 6-Down leader : MAO

15. Moocher : LEECH

16. Cannes concepts : IDEES - En France, les bonnes IDEES peuvent impliquer des vin (In France, good ideas can  involve wine)

17. CPR pro : EMT

20. Attach, as a patch : SEW ON 

22. All skin and bones : GAUNT

23. See 39-Down : LEE 39. With 23-Across, "Life of Pi" Oscar winner : ANG - ANG LEE - Lots of CGI required

24. Put up, as wallpaper : HANG

25. Fleecy boot brand : UGGS - Tom Brady was a spokesperson at one time

26. Word on a sample check : VOID

27. Sneaky guy? : PETE

28. Charlotte of "The Facts of Life" : RAE

29. Lawman Earp : WYATT

31. Portable gifts for book lovers : E READERS - Do you like turning the pages like I do?

33. Very long spell : EON

34. Part of mph : PER - Do you really want to get your 'vette going this fast?

35. Exchange rate abbr. : USD - Your Canadian loonie is worth about .73 USD

36. Like some smiles : WRY

37. NYC airport code : LGA

40. Cat, often : PET - We have one of those

LILY

41. Clam : SIMOLEON - Ah, the euphemisms abound

43. "Sailing to Byzantium" poet : YEATS - I did better understanding calculus and relativity

45. Where LeBron plays home games, on scoreboards : CLE - Has any athletes ever meant as much to one city as LeBron has to CLEveland?

46. Yin partner : YANG

47. Standard : NORM

48. Passed down, as folk mus. : TRAD - I didn't understand TRAD until I saw mus. Hence TRADtional music

50. Antique shoppe adjective : OLDE

51. Wilder's "__ Town" : OUR

52. "Mrs. Dalloway" novelist : WOOLF - I ain't afraid of her

53. Bicycle part : PEDAL - Once you attach your foot to the PEDAL there could be issues

58. Have debts : OWE

59. Ancient Aegean region : IONIA


60. Bugs of crime : MORAN - George "Bugs" MORAN was on his way to the garage on Valentine's Day 1929. Good thing he was late.

61. Came down with : GOT

62. Chopper blade : ROTOR  - One horizontal and one vertical

63. Gushes : SPEWS

64. Caution to drivers : SLO 



Down - Picture seemed appropriate here with the clue direction and the theme...

1. Iowa college town : AMES

2. "One for me, too" : SAME HERE

4. Held tightly (to) : CLUNG

5. Coop resident : HEN

7. Glacial periods : ICE AGES

8. Show of indifference : SHRUG

9. Baker's accessory : MITT


10. Electronic security corp. : ADT - The telephone ran them out of their original business

11. Fanatic : ZEALOT

12. Duplicity : DECEIT

13. Posed a question : ASKED

19. Mom's demand for an explanation : ANSWER ME - Been there, heard that!

21. Top draft status : ONE-A - This IV status card was "found" on him on 11/22/63 using an alias

26. Moving vehicle : VAN

27. __ rally : PEP 

28. Road trip convenience : REST STOP


30. Go up and down : YOYO - A lot of this motion is NOT up and down

32. Tune for two : DUET

38. Left base illegally : GONE AWOL

40. Kitchen spray : PAM

41. Edible mollusk : SCALLOP

42. Country singer Lovett : LYLE - Yeah, I know who he was married to for two years and I don't know why either

43. "Right back atcha" : YOU TOO

44. Off the mark : ERRANT - William Tell pulled two arrows and told Gov. Gessler that the second arrow would have been for Gessler if the first shot was ERRANT and had killed his son and then... 

47. Respectful refusal : NO SIR

49. Destinations in Clue : ROOMS - The original ROOMS

50. Pops the cork from : OPENS

52. Be dressed in : WEAR

54. Jared of "Suicide Squad" : LETO

56. Juan's uncle : TIO - An Almost Perfect Uncle

57. Bit of cornfield cacophony : CAW

Now, after my DOG and pony show, let's have some good comments 

THE GRID

Tuesday May 9, 2017, Victor Barocas

Theme: On the Fence. Each theme answer hides a word (in circles) for a type of fencing sword.

17. Gadget used on carrots : VEGETABLE PEELER

28. Deepwater Horizon catastrophe : GULF OIL SPILL

44. Inhales : TAKES A BREATH

58. Activity one might see at a circus ... or in the Across answers containing circles? : SWORD SWALLOWING

Melissa here. Clever theme - must have taken a lot of effort to come up with phrases that contained these hidden words. Reminds me of the Cross Swords puzzle in the Wordplay documentary.

Across     

   
1. TV drama whose title appeared on a California license plate : LA LAW

 

6. Beatrix Potter's "The __ of Peter Rabbit" : TALE
 

10. "Right away!" letters : ASAP
 

14. Yellow-and-white daisy : OXEYE

 15. Goat with recurved horns : IBEX
 

16. Circle dance : HORA (spelling variation HORAH)

20. Inventor Whitney : ELI
 

21. No-win situation : TIE. Favorite clue.
 

22. Expression of woe : LAMENT
 

23. Seasonal sack toter : SANTA
 

26. Whisperer's target : EAR
 

27. Utter : SAY

32. Slanted type : ITALIC
 

33. Bronze component : TIN. Damien Hirst's Verity sculpture.

34. "Baseball Tonight" network : ESPN
 

38. Swamp reptile : GATOR
 

39. Lobbying gp. : PAC
 

40. __ New Guinea : PAPUA
 

41. Mets' home through 2008 : SHEA
 

42. Roguish : SLY
 

43. Arcade machine inserts : TOKENS

47. Key near Caps Lock : TAB
 

50. Spy org. : CIA
 

51. Time to chill, briefly : R AND R. Rest and relaxation.
 

52. Dozing : ASLEEP
 

54. CDX x V : MML
 

55. Extinct New Zealand bird : MOA

62. Sharp flavor : TANG
 

63. Rummikub piece : TILE
 

64. React to pain : WINCE
 

65. Wraps up : ENDS
 

66. Attacking the problem : ON IT
 

67. Soft drink size : LITER

Down

1. Adore : LOVE
 

2. Skater's leap : AXEL
 

3. Make laws : LEGISLATE
 

4. Shipboard affirmative : AYE
 

5. Like an unfun blanket? : WET
 

6. Related to the shinbone : TIBIAL
 

7. Up to the task : ABLE
 

8. Calm side : LEE
 

9. Clarify : EXPLAIN
 

10. "If I may interject ... " : AHEM
 

11. Shoe undersides : SOLES
 

12. Sports venue : ARENA
 

13. New Year's Eve staple : PARTY
 

18. High point of a home tour? : ATTIC
 

19. British nobleman : EARL
 

24. Bobbing on the waves : AFLOAT
 

25. Gritty film genre : NOIR. Literally 'black film or cinema,' developed during and after World War II, taking advantage of the post-war ambience of anxiety, pessimism, and suspicion. It was a style of black and white American films that first evolved in the 1940s, became prominent in the post-war era, and lasted in a classic "Golden Age" period until about 1960. Classic Film Noir title screens.
 

26. "Iliad" or "Aeneid" : EPIC
 

28. Jobs for a band : GIGS
 

29. The Beehive State : UTAH
 

30. Corset stiffeners : STAYS. Corset vs. Stay.
 

31. Released without authorization : LEAKED
 

35. Gum flavor : SPEARMINT
 

36. Many a fourth-down play : PUNT
 

37. Singer with Crosby and Stills : NASH
 

39. Courtroom entry : PLEA
 

40. Lewd literature : PORN 

42. Reaches without reading the intervening pages : SKIPS TO
 

43. Pre-Little League game : T-BALL
 

45. Scored 100 on : ACED
 

46. Sleeve band : ARMLET

47. Sense of style : TASTE
 

48. Egypt's __ High Dam : ASWAN. New to me.

49. Fair-haired : BLOND
 

53. Work units : ERGS
 

54. The Niger River flows through it : MALI

56. "__ upon a midnight dreary ... " : ONCE
 

57. Stress, so they say : AGER 

59. Come out on top : WIN
 

60. Nocturnal hunter : OWL
 

61. Nintendo console : WII

Monday, May 8, 2017 Steven L. Zisser

Theme: No Reveal Monday - As easy as one, two, three ... um, four.

17A. Mega-mall convenience: ONE-STOP SHOPPING

25A. Small-time bad guy: TWO-BIT GANGSTER

42A. Office attire with a vest: THREE-PIECE SUIT

56A. Barbershop quartet blend: FOUR-PART HARMONY

Argyle here. Great symmetry, tight consistency, and outstanding length; two fifteens and two fourteens. The theme has undoubtedly been done before but has it been done as well? Our constructor hasn't been very productive with his puzzles but has been published in various venues, including the LAT and the NYT.

Across:

1. Word with ball or driver: SCREW

6. Great Salt Lake state: UTAH

10. Sharp knocks: RAPS

14. 1971 Clapton classic: "LAYLA"

15. Pre-Columbian prefix with America: MESO. Mesoamerica, Wikipedia.

16. Director Kazan: ELIA. "On the Waterfront", "A Streetcar Named Desire", "East of Eden".

20. Horror director Craven: WES. "A Nightmare on Elm Street", "Scream", "The Last House on the Left".

21. Foot or inch, e.g.: UNIT

22. Founder of Taoism: LAO-TSE

23. Has office hours: IS IN

24. Bro and sis: SIBS

31. Pueblo-dwelling people: HOPI

32. "Whatever floats your __": BOAT

33. Igor's workplace: LAB. "... it's pronounced "eye-gore."

35. Drops the ball: ERRs

36. Shrimp relative: PRAWN

38. Adriatic resort: LIDO. If you prefer something closer to home.

39. Federal hush-hush org.: NSA. (No Such Agency)

40. Common-interest voting group: BLOC

41. State after North Dakota, alphabetically: OHIO

47. Online auction site: E-BAY

48. Part of many old German duchy names: SAXE

49. Belief systems: CREDOs

52. Razor brand: ATRA

53. Photo taker: CAM. Both photo and CAM are shortened words.

59. Other, in Oaxaca: OTRA

60. Moniker: NAME

61. Fountain drinks: MALTS

62. Broadway offering: SHOW

63. God with a hammer: THOR

64. Baker's dough raiser: YEAST

Down:

1. Like snail-mail, compared to email: SLOW

2. Mr. Peanut prop: CANE

3. Deli breads: RYEs

4. LLL: ELs. I've never seen this before.

5. '60s dance: WATUSI. "Wah-a, wah, wah-a Watusi

Oh, baby, it's the dance made-a for romance".

6. Calling balls and strikes, say: UMPING

7. Exam: TEST

8. Fireplace remains: ASH

9. Ruffian: HOOLIGAN

10. Share, as an internet meme: REPOST

11. Dismounted: ALIT

12. Kegler's targets: PINS

13. "Parsley, __, Rosemary and Thyme": SAGE

18. Getting the job done: ON IT

19. Blue Ribbon brewer: PABST

23. Sacred bird of ancient Egypt: IBIS

24. Winter bank makeup: SNOW

25. Partner of now: THEN

26. Bottom-of-the-barrel: WORST

27. Daytime TV celeb who founded Harpo Productions: OPRAH

28. Beaded calculators: ABACI. Hello, old friend.

29. Root or Yale: ELIHU. Elihu Root was Secretary of War under Theodore Roosevelt. Elihu Yale was the benefactor of Yale University.

30. Wheel spokes, essentially: RADII

34. Cowboy's footwear: BOOT

36. Agreeable: PLEASANT

37. Stringy: ROPY

38. Diet successfully: LOSE

40. Jazz genre: BEBOP

43. Make a new sketch of: REDRAW

44. Bible book named for a woman: ESTHER

45. Adored one, in Asti: CARA. "Cara Mia mine." Province of Asti.

46. Formerly in the military: EX-ARMY

49. Corp. fiscal execs: CFOs. (chief financial officer)

50. __ IRA: ROTH

51. Continental coin: EURO

52. Prefix with sphere: ATMO

53. Coca-__: COLA

54. "Carpenter" crawlers: ANTS

55. Computer adventure game: MYST

57. Cheerleader's word: RAH

58. Wisecracking West: MAE. "One and one is two; two and two is four; and "five will get you ten" if you work it right!"

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Our TTP went morel hunting yesterday morning. He said below. He normally sautes the fresh morels in butter. D-Otto likes them deep-fried in beer batter. There are wooded area in our neighborhood, but no morels.

"Not a lot this morning, but enough.  Found 10 but only 7 were worth bringing back home.  The other 3 were already dried out and decomposing.

We had an overnight frost advisory, so I think most of them crawled back under the leaves.

4 of them were good sized at over 3" long and 1.5" thick.  The largest was over 4 and 2 inches thick."

Sunday May 7, 2017 Paul Coulter

Theme: "French Connection" - Two words of the same meanings & same letter count are placed side by side. The first one is of French origin.

22A. Outcome : DENOUEMENT. Notice all the French-rooted words are English words.   J'AI FAIM & I'M HUNGRY won't work. Wrong letter count also.

24A. Outcome : RESOLUTION

38A. "Win some, lose some" : C'EST LA VIE

41A. "Win some, lose some" : THAT'S LIFE. Same clues too of course.
 
65A. Bare : AU NATUREL

68A. Bare : BUCK-NAKED
  
91A. "Confidentially ... " : ENTRE NOUS. Also the title of this popular book. The author is actually an American.
 

94A. "Confidentially ... " : BETWEEN US
 
110A. Fine dining aficionados : BON VIVANTS

113A. Fine dining aficionados : EPICUREANS. Our Steve is one. Does the new consulting gig mean you've left Oracle?

All the French words are placed in front. Very consistent.

The separate 10 theme entries work like grid-spanners, in a way. I don't believe Paul put those black square stair steps in the middle on purpose. Just the result of grid design restrictions.

Across:    

1. Starbucks serving : LATTE. Not MOCHA.

6. Pound foot? : IAMB. Ezra Pound.

10. Busy co. on Mother's Day : FTD. Our flea markets here officially kick off on Mother's Day. Some open today. Yay!

13. Put forward : POSED

18. Get too close to : CROWD

19. Françoise's friend : AMIE. 98. Coup target : ETAT. Stray French.

20. __ moment : AHA. Not IN A.

21. Capricious : FICKLE

26. It's a long story : SAGA

27. Advanced legal deg. : LLM. Master of Laws. Not LLD today. Also 44. Legal agreement : LEASE

28. Souvenirs with three holes in them : TEES. I was picturing a bowling ball. Pricey souvenir.

30. Is down with : HAS

31. Dr.'s order : MRI. Not EEG/MED


32. Keisters : CABOOSES

35. 640 acres: Abbr. : SQ MI. Drew a blank.

37. Hosea contemporary : AMOS. Biblical prophets. Also 52. Mount delivery : SERMON

 
45. Countryman of Gary Player : ERNIE ELS. George (Big Easy on our blog) has met Ernie Els a few times. Different format at Zurich Classic this year.

47. Training group : CADRE

50. One may be named for a president : ERA

51. Spread out : SPLAY
 
53. Onward in time : FORTH. Not AHEAD.

56. Often elided pronoun : YOU ALL

58. Grandpa Walton portrayer : GEER (Will). Used him in my own grid once.

60. Like Perot in the 1992 pres. election : IND (Independent)

61. The '70s, in a Tom Wolfe essay : ME DECADE

63. "When We Were Kings" subject : ALI

64. __ club : GLEE. Not GOLF.

70. Put __ appearance : IN AN. I had ON AN.

71. Org. with lanes : PBA.  Lisa, one of Boomer's bowling friends, had two perfect games in a row in February. Their Monday league has many top bowlers.

72. Elegantly, to Vivaldi : GRAZIOSO. New word to me. Sounds thankful.

74. Offense : SIN

75. Bell curve figure : MEAN. Got via crosses.

76. Like a quarter's edge : REEDED. Not a word I use.

77. Coagulates : CLOTS

81. Rifled : LOOTED

83. In the cards : FATED

84. Routine first baseman? : WHO. Who's on First?

85. Go after : ENSUE. TTP is chasing morels these days. Do you eat them fresh or do you dry them?

86. Mushers' transports : DOG SLEDS

89. "I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie" author : EBERT

96. Gospel singer Winans : CECE. Same pronunciation as my name, right?
 
99. The 3rd Avenue line was the last of them to operate in Manhattan : EL TRAINS. Drew a blank.

101. Beatle bride : ONO

102. Actress Garner, familiarly : JEN. Wish they were still together.

103. Fill past full : SATE

105. Singer DiFranco : ANI

106. Sorts : ILKS

 116. Senescence : OLD AGE. Senescence sounds old.

117. Even so : YET

118. Take-out order? : DELE. Gimme for regulars.

119. Snowy __ : EGRET

120. Holds up : LASTS

121. News letters : UPI

122. Cheek : SASS

123. Chinese toys, for short : PEKES. Toy dogs.

Down:

1. Some SLR displays : LCDs

2. Side squared, for a square : AREA

3. Chinese secret society : TONG. A bit obscure.

4. Feature of many Broadway musicals : TWO ACTS

5. Email ending : EDU

6. 1975 Jackson 5 hit : I AM LOVE. The answer filled in itself.

7. Autobiographical subtitle : A MEMOIR

8. Time div. : MIN

9. Actress Davis : BETTE

10. Make out : FARE

11. Site of Mount Olympus : THESSALY. Somewhere here.

12. "__ Kapital" : DAS

13. Name of 12 popes : PIUS

14. Fall mo. : OCT

15. Whole alternative, in Nottingham : SKIMMED MILK. Skimmed makes better sense.

16. Ecuadoran province once famous for its gold : EL ORO

17. Patron saint of France : DENIS. Sometimes it's DENYS.

21. Swing wildly : FLAIL

23. Island near Corsica : ELBA. BunnyM is going to her little island in the Mexican Caribbean next week. They go there every year to celebrate their wedding anniversary, I think.

25. Resistance units : OHMs

29. Co-star of Bea, Betty and Rue : ESTELLE. "The Golden Girls"

33. Amber __ : ALE

34. Erotic : SENSUAL

36. Parts of gals. : QTs

37. A long way off : AFAR

38. Pitch indicator : CLEF. Musical pitch!

39. Architect Saarinen : EERO

40. Coal-rich German region : SAAR

42. Get better : HEAL. Positive thoughts to our Lemonade and a few others. Hope all's good, Spitzboov!


43. Champagne bucket, e.g. : ICER

46. Apple variety : iPAD

48. Actress Blakley : RONEE. Forgot. We had  her a while ago.

49. Cut off : ENDED

52. Watch word? : SEIKO. Tricky clue. Plus, so many five-letter watch brands.

54. Fed after tax evaders : T-MAN

55. Worked (up) : HET

56. __ Buena, town that became San Francisco : YERBA

57. Continental divide? : OCEAN. Great clue.

58. Surgical dressing : GAUZE

59. Castilian hero : EL CID

62. Had : DUPED

64. Canterbury pen : GAOL. Jail.

65. Bridal path : AISLE. Side by side with 66. Wedding : UNION

67. They go by in a flash : NANOSECONDS. Another great clue/fill combo.

68. Banker's bane : BAD DEBT

69. Pres. advisory team : NSC

72. Prepares : GETS SET

73. It holds the line : REEL

75. Face : MEET

76. Popular pasta topping : RAGU. Staple in our household.

78. Actor Wilson : OWEN

79. By way of, briefly : THRU

80. Tipplers : SOTS

82. Air : TUNE

83. One may echo in an alley : FOOTSTEP. The image reminds me of the frequent plot device in Chinese movies about 1940's.

86. Chain letters? : DNA. Fun clue also.


87. Obstructs the progress of : DERAILS

88. Batting positions : STANCES

89. Poetic dusk : E'EN. Evening.

90. Surround : BESIEGE

92. Superman player : REEVE

93. It towers over Taormina : ETNA. Not familial with Taormina. I do know 104. Italian wine center : ASTI

95. 2012 Nintendo debut : WII U

96. Early computer language : COBOL

97. __ Gay: WWII bomber : ENOLA

100. West Yorkshire city : LEEDS

102. Sprightly dances : JIGS

107. Frolic : LARK

108. Cap site : KNEE. Kneecap.


109. Retired fliers : SSTs

111. Winery sight : VAT

112. Manhattan sch. : NYU

114. Patch grower : PEA. No peas in our small garden. I do love sugar peas.

115. Gym unit : REP