Wednesday April 5, 2017 Mark MacLachlan

Theme: THREE LITTLE LETTERS.  Each theme entry begins with a three letter combination that is repeated, in order, at the end of the entry.  The closest I could come to a theme song is Three Little Words, Eight Little Letters.  Sometimes you just have to make do.  Take three minutes to give it a listen.

Hi Gang, JzB here, as you have probably already guessed.  The Three Little words in the song are: "I love you." A bit of trivia I picked up researching this post is that it was also the name of a 1950 movie about Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. the guys who wrote the song. Ironically, they didn't like each other very much.  My last blog also involved letters in threes.  Maybe this is my new assignment.  Let's delve into the theme. 

17 A. *Process of electron gain or loss : IONIZATION.  Chemistry or Physics?  Either way, I get a charge out of it.  Yes, I'm positive!

24 A. *Beneficial substance in berries : ANTIOXIDANT.  Chemistry or Biology?  Oxidation is a process that might or might not involve IONIZATION.  Either way, an ANTIOXIDANT protects something else from being oxidized by getting oxidized itself.  Greater love no molecule hath!

34 A. *Eating : INGESTING.  Taking something, such as an ANTIOXIDANT into the body, by swallowing or absorption.  Yet another physical process.

48. A *London subway system, with "the" : UNDERGROUND.   Here we have a place about which I know very little.  Maybe Steve can help.  It is the main setting of Neil Gaiman's strange novel Neverwhere, in which people lost from normal society find an existence in an alternate reality.

57 A. Each answer to a starred clue begins and ends with identical ones : THREESOMES.  A group of three people or things doing something together.  What they are doing here is acting as bookends.  What else can we find?

Across

1. Chickens (out) : WIMPS.  Usually a noun, but one may WIMP out, so OK.

6. Lay eyes on : ESPY.  This word, ultimately of germanic origin, comes to us via Old French.  I remember my college German Professor remarking that Old French was Latin spoken badly by Germans.  Compare to "spy." 

10. Judge's setting : BAIL.  Not a location, but a quantity of money set by the judge, paid to assure that an accused person does not run off.

14. Like kindling when lit : AFIRE.  Flaming A-word.

15. Advil target : ACHE.  Analgesic for pain relief.

16. Insulate, as a jacket : LINE.  Install a layer of lining for added warmth.

19. Killer whale : ORCA. Aquatic predator.

20. Cereal with lemony lemon and orangey orange flavors : TRIX.  As I recall, they're for kids.

21. Falling-out : RIFT.  Can't we all just get along?

22. Bryn Mawr undergrads : WOMEN.  This is a women's liberal arts college named for the Pennsylvania town in which it is located.  The name means "Large hill" in Welsh.

23. Have a bawl : SOB.  "Clever clue," he cried.  

26. Lacking the skill : UNABLE.   We all have our limits.

28. Not as much : LESS SO.

29. Katy who voiced Smurfette in "The Smurfs" : PERRY.  I did not know that.

30. "Jeopardy!" creator Griffin : MERV.  Nor that.

33. Takes off the shelf : USES.  If one is able.

37. At the center of : AMID.  Surrounded.

40. Compete in a sack : RACE.  The infamous sack race.

41. Lets up : EASES.

45. Asian rice porridge : CONGEE.  Never heard of it.  Is it congealed?

47. Show up : ARRIVE.  Make an appearance.

52. Bus. card info : TELephone number.

53. Highly recommends : TOUTS.

54. "Monday Night Countdown" airer : ESPN.  All sports, all the time TV network.

55. Cruciverbalist Reagle of "Wordplay" : MERL.   We all knew this - right?  What you might not have known is that he retained all rights to his puzzles, and was thus able to make a living exclusively from puzzle construction.   Sadly, he passed away in August, 2015 from a sudden onset of pancreatitis.

56. Danish shoe company : ECCO.  A family-owned company founded in 1963.    They opened their first retail outlet in 1982.  Products, now including other leather goods, are sold in 14,000 sales points in 88 countries.

59. Big bunch : SLEW.  Derived from the Irish word sluagh, mid 19th century.

60. Golf game spoiler : RAIN.  Baseball, too.

61. Sailor's "Halt!" : AVAST.

62. Gull relative : TERN.  Shore birds.

63. Start of a preschool song : ABCD.  Four little letters?  Probably not.  Nor this one, I'm guessing.

64. __-Bismol : PEPTO.  Pink stuff for an upset tummy.

Down

1. Watches late TV until a teen comes home, say : WAITS UP.   Probably impatiently.

2. "From my perspective ... " : I FOR ONE.  

3. Hotel room amenity : MINIBAR.  Contains small, overpriced liquor bottles.

4. Amount to pay in Calais : PRIX.  The French price.

5. "__ who?" : SEZ.  Users of American slang, that's who.

6. Absorb the loss : EAT IT.  More American slang, for taking a financial loss.

7. "The Martian" genre : SCI-FI.  Science fiction.

8. Snapchat upload : PHOTO.  Pictures.

9. Nikkei index currency : YEN.  Japanese money

10. Diabetic's concern : BLOOD SUGAR.  The amount of glucose present in the blood stream.  Values outside the normal range can indicate a medical condition.

11. High behind a front, e.g. : AIR MASS.  A body of air with horizontally uniform temperature, humidity and pressure.

12. Holy smoke : INCENSE.  A substance burned for it's sweet aroma.  As the clue indicates, it is often associated with solemn religious ceremonies.

13. Campsite shelters : LEAN-TOS.    Simple structures composed of a slanted roof-wall, with or without 2 side walls.  The fourth side is open, generally oriented away from the prevailing winds. 

18. Former Education secretary Duncan : ARNE.   Does anybody remember this man who served from 2009 through 2015?  Does anyone know for sure which name goes first or last?  It goes like this: ARNE Duncan.

22. Golfer Michelle : WIE.   [b 1989] She announced she was turning pro a week before her 16th birthday, and joined the PGA tour in 2009.  Here are some highlights from last year.

24. Kirk __, first movie Superman : ALYN.  He appeared in serialized Superman movies in 1948 and 1950.

25. Last Super Bowl won by the Giants : XLVI.    The game was played on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.    Eli Manning was the MVP as the Giants beat the Patriots 21-17.

27. Capital of Barbados : BRIDGETOWN.  Located at the southwest corner of this island nation.  I had no clear idea of where Barbados is.  It is the eastward-most of any island in that part of the world.

30. "Tell __ story" : ME A.  Once upon a time . . .

31. PC key : ESCape.

32. MapQuest output: Abbr. : RTE.  Way Frm Pt A to Pt B.

35. Oldest Brady boy : GREG.  Played by Barry Williams

36. Geeky sort : NERD.

37. Most severe : ACUTEST.  In this sense, experienced to an extreme degree.   Is this word the awkwardest?

38. Accessory for Mr. Peanut : MONOCLE.

39. Ambien, vis-à-vis sleep : INDUCER.  It aids in falling asleep, but not in staying there.  But still can cause residual drowsiness the following morning.

42. Webpage index : SITE MAP.

43. "Into Thin Air" peak : EVEREST.  Book and movie of the same name that attempt to recreate the disastrous events of a climb that occurred on May 10, 1966.

44. Does business with : SELLS TO.   Or buys from.

46. Workplaces for LPNs : ERS. Licensed Practical nurses and Emergency Rooms.

47. Green Gables girl : ANNE.  An 11-year-old orphan girl mistakenly sent to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a brother and sister team who were expecting a boy to help on their Prince Edward Island Farm, in Lucy Montgomery's 1908 novel.  The story has been adapted many times into movies and plays.

49. Post-op therapy : REHAB.

50. "Hamlet" courtier : OSRIC. A superficial, shallow and insincere plotter.

51. Flip over : UPEND.

55. Bit of chess action : MOVE.  Almost - but not quite - always involves a single piece at a time.

57. __-la-la : TRA.  Sing-song syllables.

58. Con man's target : SAP.  An easy mark.

That wraps up another Wednesday.  Hope all your letters are lining up.

Cool Regards!
JzB

Note from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to dear Irish Miss, our loving & witty Agnes, who cares a lot about everyone on our little corner.

Eileen (sister of Agnes) & Agnes

2) Happy Birthday also to Abejo (Bradley), who's always busy volunteering for various causes. Abejo is Persian for "beer". Bradley worked in Iran for a few years.

Bradley and his Tuba, Church Fat Tuesday Event

Tuesday, April 4, 2017 Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: IM&CC - If you missed them in the NY Times, you can get their LA Times puzzle right here.

17A. Verizon invoice, e.g.: PHONE BILL

30A. Second wife of Henry VIII: ANNE BOLEYN

47A. Country divider that allows unrestricted travel: OPEN BORDER

11D. Molecular link with two pairs of electrons shared by two atoms: DOUBLE BOND

29D. "Button-Down Mind" comedian: BOB NEWHART

63A. Sensitive elbow area, and a literal hint to the circled letters: FUNNY BONE

Argyle here again. I sure hope you found the circles. There is no duplication in the order of the letters.

Across:

1. Complain and complain: CARP

5. Frolic in the field: ROMP

9. Searched for shells in the shallows: WADED

14. Where to find Java: ASIA

15. Governor Kasich's state: OHIO

16. Be a ham: EMOTE

19. Way to get there: ROUTE

20. Saint at a gate: PETER

21. Melt frost from, as a windshield: DE-ICE

23. Self-serve salad site: BAR

24. Old World Style sauce brand: RAGU

26. The "c" in a + b = c: TOTAL

28. Govt. agency that lends to start-ups: SBA. (Small Business Administration)

34. "It's __-brainer!": A NO

35. Humerus neighbor: ULNA

36. "__, black sheep ... ": BAA, BAA

37. Pierced ear parts: LOBES

39. Gives approval to: OKs

41. Horse's harrumph: SNORT

42. Consider carefully: PONDER

44. Coup d'__: ÉTAT

46. Opposite of SSW: NNE

49. Free app annoyances: ADS

50. __ Manor: "Batman" mansion: WAYNE. Stately I heard.

51. Mani go-with: PEDI. What is a decent price for the full works?

53. Sound of disdain: [BAH!]

55. Tot's reply to a taunt: DID SO

57. Shady retreat: ARBOR

61. Appliance maker: AMANA

65. Flat hat: BERET

66. Spring blossom: IRIS

Spring Rain over Wild Iris | Maria A. Bales©

67. Moniker: NAME

68. Perfumer Lauder: ESTÉE

69. Pinup Hayworth: RITA. A comely Rita Hayworth in a form-fitting negligee kneeling seductively on a bed made up in silk sheets.

70. Raised, as cattle: BRED

Down:

1. "Li'l Abner" creator Al: CAPP

2. Arthur with three Grand Slam singles titles: ASHE

3. Civil mayhem: RIOT

4. Bakery-café bread company: PANERA

5. Steal from: ROB

6. "Hmm, gotta think about that ... ": "OH, I DUNNO ... "

7. Eight furlongs: MILE

8. Well-mannered: POLITE

9. "Mom's gonna kill us!": "WE'RE TOAST!"

10. Latin "I love": AMO

12. Sundance's sweetie: ETTA. Etta Place was a companion of the American outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

13. Bambi, for one: DEER

18. Hurler's stat: ERA. (earned run average)

22. __ salad: COBB. Serving suggestion.

25. Guy's partner: GAL

27. Actor Alda: ALAN

28. Nosy one: SNOOP

31. Not wearing a thing: NAKED

32. Tall tales: YARNS

33. "Big" comics kid: NATE. I must have missed him.

34. Dog food brand: ALPO

35. Milk-souring warning number: USE BY DATE

38. Novelist Ferber: EDNA

40. "Hit the gas!": "STEP ON IT!"

43. Rice-A-__: RONI

45. "__ we alone?": ARE

48. Colorful timber tree: RED FIR. The name red fir derives from the color of the bark on old trees.

49. Online rent-a-room option: AIRBNB. It started out as AirBed & Breakfast.

52. Week segment: DAY

53. Yankee Ruth: BABE

54. Iowa college town: AMES

56. TomKat's daughter: SURI

58. Wild hog: BOAR

59. "I'll pick up the tab": "ON ME". "I've got dozens of friends, and the fun never ends ... That is as long as I'm buying" ~ Styx – Too Much Time on My Hands.

60. Oboe or bassoon: REED

62. Marriage announcement word: NÉE

64. CIA cousin: NSA. (No Such Agency)

Argyle

Monday, April 3, 2017 Brock Wilson

Theme: April Showers - from mist to inundation.

16A. Awkward situation: FINE HOW-DO-YOU-DO

24A. Weekly paycheck, e.g.: STEADY INCOME

46A. Golf practice facility: DRIVING RANGE

60A. Start of a hopeful rhyme about bad weather, and a hint to what the first word of 16-, 24- and 46-Across may describe: RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY

Argyle here. Brock continues to produce Monday puzzles with the same solve, three different words brought together by the unifier. Nothing wrong with that, plus, he provides me with swell set-ups for the theme titles.

Across:

1. Spiders' fly catchers: WEBS

5. It forms over a healing abrasion: SCAB

9. Casual talk: CHAT

13. Mine, to Marcel: À MOI

14. Batted ball into the dugout, say: FOUL

15. Lane at the Daily Planet: LOIS

19. Mournful poem: ELEGY

20. IDs shown at airports: LICENSES. Passports for international flights though.

21. Close tightly again: RESEAL

23. Business suit go-with: TIE

31. Pose a question: ASK

34. Actress Shire: TALIA. Yo! Adrian!

35. Courtroom hammer: GAVEL

36. Sheet music symbol: CLEF

38. Henry or Jane of "On Golden Pond": FONDA

40. Walrus feature: TUSK

41. Vague emanations: AURAs

43. Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA. She received a perfect score of 10.0 at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

45. Live __: Taco Bell slogan: MAS. "Live More!"

49. Bullring shout: ¡OLÉ!

50. Anatomical sculpture subjects: TORSOS, or TORSI but not TORSIS.

54. Signed, as a deal: AGREED TO

59. Skin transplant, e.g.: GRAFT

62. Catcher's glove: MITT

63. Swedish furniture giant: IKEA

64. Scrabble square: TILE

65. Hearty meal: STEW

66. Where Anna danced with the king: SIAM. "The King and I"

67. Doesn't feel well: AILS

Down:

1. Nilla product: WAFER

2. Novelist Zola: ÉMILE. I think it's time for Émile Zola to go back on the crossword shelf.

3. What fillets lack: BONES

4. All-out attacks: SIEGES

5. Northern Cal. airport: SFO. (San Francisco International Airport)

6. Monastic hood: COWL

7. Quattro automaker: AUDI

8. Political alliance: BLOC

9. Genetic duplication: CLONING

10. Shelter adoptee: HOUSECAT

11. Helper: AIDE

12. General __ chicken: TSO'S

17. High-end hotel chain: HYATT

18. Bigfoot cousin: YETI

22. Metaphorical new thing to "turn over": LEAF

25. As a companion: ALONG

26. Iraqi money: DINAR

27. When tripled, "and so on": YADDA, YADDA, YADDA.

28. Egg cell: OVUM

29. Flat-topped elevation: MESA

30. Lodge fellows: ELKS

31. Many a prep sch.: ACAD

32. Speak indistinctly: SLUR

33. Emmy nominee Russell of "The Americans": KERI. She's come a long way from the Mickey Mouse Club. Also she has nice 61D. Pinup's leg: GAM

37. Underdog's opposite: FAVORITE

39. "__ Misbehavin'": AINT

42. Feature of words beginning with "wr": SILENT W

44. Disco era term: À GO-GO

47. At no time, to bards: NE'ER

48. List of mistakes: ERRATA

51. 2005 slasher film sequel: SAW II

52. Considering everyone: OF ALL

53. Eyelid maladies: STYES

54. Weapons: ARMS

55. Trot or gallop: GAIT

56. Orator's platform: DAIS

57. Polynesian carving: TIKI

58. Most eligible for service: ONE A

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Dear Agnes (Irish Miss) made her New York Times crossword debut today. Congrats, Agnes!

Eileen (sister of Agnes) & Agnes, Nov 22, 2013

Sunday April 2, 2017 John Lampkin

Theme: "All in Favor" - PRO is added to each theme entry.

23A. Website search response with an attitude? : PAGE NOT PROFOUND. Page Not Found error.  Normally the author has removed or moved that page.

37A. Competition at the geometry fair? : PROTRACTOR PULL. Tractor pull.

54A. "A penny saved is hardly worth the effort"? : IRREGULAR PROVERB. Irregular verb.
  
81A. "I'll give you five bucks for your Egyptian water lily"? : LOTUS PROPOSITION. Lotus position.

98A. Positively charged vehicle? : ONE- PROTON TRUCK. One- ton truck.

117A. Miscreant handling letters? : MAIL IN REPROBATE. Mail- in rebate. The only entry where PRO is inserted inside a word.

16D. Quality control job at a maraschino factory? : PROBING CHERRIES. Bing cherries.

42D. Feature of Charlie Brown's head? : CIRCULAR PROFILE. Circular file.

We have total 120 theme squares in a 138-word grid. The average themage for LAT is about 94-100. Average word count is between 142 and 144. Doesn't look like a lot to non-pros, but it's very hard to reduce word count on Sundays. 

I mentioned before that this addition/deletion type works best when the new word is not related to the old word etymologically. John did just like that.

He also intersected two long themers. And of course, John's trademark cluing style: clue echoes, wordplay, fun & vivid clue images.

Across:
        
1. Worker on the floor : TILER

6. Second-rarest blood type, briefly : B NEG. Any B- or AB- on our blog?

10. Really big : VAST

14. Worked at home : UMPED. Great clue.

19. "Lordy me!" : I DO DECLARE. Never used "Lordy me!"

21. "Hamilton" accolade : OBIE. You wanted TONY?

22. "Ici on __ français" : PARLE. Speaks. Also 37D. Famille member : PERE

25. Spirits strength : PROOF.  Drinks.


26. Seven Wonders lighthouse : PHAROS. Got via crosses. Could only think of Alexandria.

27. They often have runners : SLEDS. Another great clue.

28. Mite : WEE BIT

29. "Round __ virgin ... " : YON. "Silent Night".

30. "My turn" : I'M UP

33. "Guys and Dolls" composer : LOESSER (Frank)

36. Archipelago part: Abbr. : ISL (Island)

40. Marshal at Waterloo : NEY (Michel). Learned this guy from doing crosswords. Had Bob Ney not been involved in the Jack Abramoff scandal, he would be a power player today and we would have had a great clue for NEY.

 41. Pre-A.D. : BCE

43. "So long" : SEE YA

44. Vexing : IRKING

46. Ballerina Shearer : MOIRA

48. Like some out-of-favor suffixes : FEMININE. Like ETTE. Got me.

52. Lats relatives : PECS


58. You, at one time : THEE

60. "In a __" : SEC

61. Burkini wearer, perhaps : ARAB

62. Saltimbocca herb : SAGE. Never had Saltimbocca,

63. Acquiesce : ASSENT

65. Moo __ pork : SHU. Never heard of this dish until I came to the US.


66. "'Scuse Me While __ This Guy: and Other Misheard Lyrics": Gavin Edwards book : I KISS

68. Fella : SPORT. New meaning of "sport" to me.

71. Booster's cry : RAH

72. 89-Across' Illinois headquarters : MOLINE. And 89. Farm equipment giant : DEERE

74. Primary part : LEAD

78. Germ's future? : IDEA. This clue so John.

79. 66, e.g.: Abbr. : RTE

80. Carrier known for tight security : EL AL

86. Spanish 101 word : ERES. You are.We also have 75. Spanish pronoun : ESA.

88. Gorilla, for example : GREAT APE
 
90. Actress __ Sue Martin : PAMELA

92. Do fair work : GET A C

95. Mule's father : ASS

96. Cabinet dept. : AGR

103. Also : TOO

104. "Probably ... " : ODDS ARE

105. River past Logroño : EBRO. Not familiar with Logroño. Northern Spain. We also have 4. River of Germany : EDER

106. Sun or moon : ORB

109. Obliterate : EFFACE. I've only used "self-effacing".

111. Outfit again : RE-RIG

114. Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto : ALOMAR. When I first came here (2001), he was with the Indians. So was CC Sabathia.

116. "If I Were __ Man" : A RICH

121. Fracas : MELEE

122. Chow : EATS

123. Overhear : LISTEN IN ON. Have you used a bug detector, Anon- TTP?

124. Ranked tournament players : SEEDS

125. "Let's Get It On" singer : GAYE

126. Many 99-cent purchases : APPS. Might stump those who are not into tablets/smartphones.

127. Stretch : STINT
  

Down:
 
1. Unstable : TIPPY

2. Snake state : IDAHO

3. New England touchdown site : LOGAN. Not Gillette Stadium.

5. "The Bathers" artist : RENOIR. Saw it at Musée d'Orsay.

6. Short lunch order? : BLT

7. Midday refresher : NAP. Not TEA.

8. Writes ths clue, say : ERRS. Self-referential.

9. Rock sci. : GEOL. Field of Misty's husband.

10. __ doll : VOODOO

11. One overstepping bounds : ABUSER. And 12. Seriously overstepped bounds : SIN

13. Brother of Jack and Bobby : TED. The Kennedys.

14. What may be stiff when trouble arises? : UPPER LIP. Fun clue.

15. Farm girl : MARE. This clue makes me smile also.
 
17. Plaza Hotel imp : ELOISE

18. With skill : DEFTLY

20. Sagan series : COSMOS

24. Touched : FELT

28. Bandleader Lawrence : WELK

31. Sport-__ : UTE

32. Modular homes : PREFABS

34. Holder of disks : SPINE

35. More steady : SURER

38. British philosopher A.J. : AYER. No idea. Wiki says he's known for "logical positivism".

39. Sides sharing views : CAMPS. Oh as in Sanders Camp/Clinton Camp.

41. Mining passage : BOREHOLE. Also a learning moment for me. I sure don't want to go in.

45. Migratory bird banding equipment : NETS. What is "banding", D-Otto?

46. Homecoming query : MISS ME?

47. "Encore!" : AGAIN

49. Lyricist Gershwin : IRA

50. Eggy quaff : NOG

51. Composer Charles : IVES

53. Hill hundred : SENATORS

55. Classic TV nerd : URKEL. "Family Matters".

 56. Chou En-__ : LAI. Probably the best loved politician in China. He protected many good people from being prosecuted during Cultural Revolution.

57. Denudes : BARES

59. Fruit-ripening gas : ETHENE. I tried to put bananas & apples in a brown bag to hasten the ripening. Never seemed to help much. Unlike Bill G, I prefer bananas with plenty of brown spots

64. Prim and proper : STAID

67. Revolve on an axis : SLUE

69. Lab dispenser : PIPETTE.. Another learning moment for me.

70. Prefix with meter : ODO

73. Intestinal divisions : ILEA

76. Suitable : APT

77. "Rocky IV" boxer Ivan __ : DRAGO. This stumped me last time.

82. Watched at the beach, maybe : OGLED

83. Hems in : TRAPS

84. Transparent : OPEN

85. Deck wood : TEAK

87. Osculates : SMOOCHES. Do you osculate in real life? It's a new word to me. I actually read it as "oscillate".

91. German finale : ENDE

93. Wall St. hedger : ARB (Arbitrager)

94. Arrow poison : CURARE.Another learning moment.

96. You won't find subs on them : A TEAMs

97. Get out : GO FREE

99. Hole-in-one, for one : RARITY. And 110. Got a hole-in-one on : ACED

100. Otherwise : OR ELSE

101. Actress Hatcher : TERI

102. Time periods? : COLONS .Had to ask dear Santa, who gave me this: Today, 8 : 29 AM

106. Muscat native : OMANI

107. Give up to the cops : RAT ON

108. Retired sportscaster Musburger : BRENT

112. At a Dodger game, for short : IN LA

113. Handle : GRIP

115. Parting words? : OBIT

117. Bit of RAM : MEG. OK, short for megabyte.

118. Drivers' org. : AAA. Not PGA.

119. What Zener cards purportedly tested for : ESP

120. NBA nos. : PTs

Saturday, Apr 1st, 2017, Brad Wilber

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing J,Q,Y)

Blocks: 32

  We have not seen a solo Saturday from Brad since 2015; he contributed on two Saturdays last year.  I struggled with this one from Mr. Wilber, mostly by filling in the wrong answers on my first pass, and unwilling to let  them go.  Lots of one-word clues which can run into ambivalence and vagueness very quickly.  One 13-letter and two 11-letter spanners, chunky 8x6 corners in the NW and SE, and almost triple 8s in the opposing down corners.  Separation of the corners from the rest of the puzzle made it difficult to move from one area to another, too.  Some of the longer fill;

35a. Chart-topping instrumental of '76: THEME FROM SWAT

32a. Headed for a stall, quite possibly: OVERHEATING

38a. Time's Best Comedy Sketch of the 20th Century: WHO'S ON FIRST

19d. Fish with a prehensile tail: SEAHORSE

23d. Essentially:  IN EFFECT

24d. 1992 Nestle acquisition: PERRIER

O

   N
     W
        A
           R
              D~!

April FOOLs~!

And now for the real puzzle....

Saturday, April 1st, 2017, Bruce Haight

Theme: Gotcha~!!!

Words: 72 (missing J,Q,V,W,X,Z)

Blocks: 29

Sorry, I couldn't resist~!  Three out of four weeks with a Bruce for a constructor - isn't that the nick-name for any guy from Australia~?  Anyway, a slightly themed puzzle for today, with a clever visual in the grid depicting something akin to the last Across clue featuring escalator; S T A I R S.  As for the rest of the challenge, it was looking grim on the first pass, but again, I did better with my first Down pass, which gave me something to work with on my second go.  Finished within my personal time, and nary a cheat or Google.  Chunky 8x8 and 6x6 corners with an ascending trio of "escalators" in the center.  Some of the longer fill;

15a. Slender smoke : PANATELA - I am making my way through Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware novels, and his detective, Milo Sturgis, occasionally smokes a panatela

11d. Concert tix flashed at a singles bar, say : DATE BAIT - never heard the phrase; if they're offering Rangers tickets, I'm in - I hope she would be, too....

32d. It could involve a disappearance : MAGIC ACT

57. Like an escalator, and, aptly, like the six-letter word that begins where 40-Across ends : AT A SLANT

                            !

                         ~

                    D

                R

            A

        W

    N

O

ACROSS:

1. Shuttle facility : SPACE LAB

9. Auto shop purchase : RADIAL - I suppose "tire shop" would have been too easy for Saturday

16. Thorny shrub : ACACIA

17. Emotionally withdrawn : IN A SHELL

18. Buries : INTERS - I tried EMBEDS

19. Little laughter : TITTER

20. In a pinch : IF NEED BE

22. Autumn shade : OCHER - oops, not OCHRE

23. Many profs : PHDs

24. Oktoberfest supply : BIER

25. Transportation option : UBER

26. Whopper inventor : LIAR - ah, that kind of whopper....

27. Unites for a purpose : BANDS - usually with "together"

28. Jaunty topper : TAM

Jaunty

29. __ golf : MINI - oh, I would have gone with SKIRT; at least it could be answered MAXI, too

30. Ja, across the border : OUI - Yes, in German and Frawnche

31. Beezus' little sister, in Cleary books : RAMONA - learned from doing crosswords

33. Perfect : SPOT ON - I had SUPERB first, but then wondered if it was the verb perfect, and not the adjective perfect

36. Proper : APT

37. Delight at the comedy club : SLAY

38. Super __ : PAC - ugh, I had no clue

40. Hitches : SNAGS

43. Punxsutawney headliner : PHIL - the groundhog winter/spring weather forecaster for all of us, located in PA

44. Default result : REPO - default on payments

45. Doughnuts, geometrically : TORI - Latin plural of torus

46. "Growing Up in New Guinea" author : MEAD - just had to guess the "A"

47. Joint component : TENON - partnered with Mortise.  I am buying a biscuit joiner this weekend for two projects - fixing a split table, and building a new side station top

48. Hatchling from a green egg : EMU CHICK

50. Art incorporating architectural elements : MURALS - I considered this, and then it filled via perps

51. Judge's declaration : NO BAIL

52. Rule with many exceptions : I BEFORE E - seen this recently, too

54. Software giant : ORACLE

55. Yak, yak, yak : RATTLE ON

56. One way to break the news : GENTLY

DOWN:

1. Say scornfully : SPIT OUT

2. Emergency exit device : PANIC BAR

FAIL

3. Something detested : ANATHEMA

4. Furniture mover : CASTER

5. Heavens : ETHER

6. Creepy look : LEER

7. Entirely : ALL

8. Its sung in the same act as "Some Enchanted Evening" : BALI HA'I

9. Comes down : RAINS - yesterday and today, in my neck of the woods

10. Unpopular spots : ACNE

12. Stuck at the ski lodge, maybe : ICED IN - run away Tin~!

13. Sack for company? : AIRBED

14. Surgical tools : LASERS

21. Wartime prez : FDR

23. Fruity cocktail word : PIÑA

26. Fuzz : LINT

27. Lift : BUOY - good WAG on my part from the "Y"

29. Challenging locks : MOPS

30. Colorful ring tone producer? : OPAL - I watched this cool NOVA episode on gems while I was in Delaware

33. Arrived home evasively : SLID

34. Clearing : OPEN AREA

35. Layered dessert : NAPOLEON

37. Colombian singer formerly a coach on "The Voice" : SHAKIRA

39. Agree : CONSENT

40. Hearing aid, briefly? : STENOGrapher - a bit meh, but the clue sort of salvages the "non-word" fill

41. "That's it for me" : NO MORE - "NO MORE  for me thanks, I'm drivin'"

Daffy Duck

42. Oranjestad native : ARUBAN

43. Pumping target, for short : PECtoral

44. Casino table do-over : RE-ROLL - I had REDEAL to start, slowed down the SE corner

46. Daughter of Billy Ray : MILEY

47. Medford school with a Boston campus : TUFTS - perps.  I work at UPS in Medford, LI - but it's not the same place....

49. Tobogganing spot : HILL

50. Prefix with carpal : META

53. Swing in a box : BAT - Baseball reference; I am sure C.C. is all keyed up for the new season

Splynter 

Friday, March 31,2017, Andrew Woodham

Title: It is Greek to me

I love this first time puzzle from Andrew Woodham, who we invite to stop by and tell us more. As you all know I love word play puzzles and this adds a new variation by using sound alike Greek letters to replace words in known phrases. Each of the three themers uses two letters to replace the beginning of each phrase. The reveal is the simple referential answer GREEK LETTERS. We also have some nice fill RECEIVE,  LAB TEST,  ZEROES IN,  SHOTGUNS, SNARE DRUMS  and LIQUID SOAP to finish off this debut. Many of the short fill are clearly clued to make sure this Friday is not too easy.

20A. Unused car using some 56-Across? : NU ALPHA ROMEO (12). NEW ALFA ROMEO is clued appropriately.

35A. Movies using some 56-Across? : PSI PHI FILMS (11). SCI-FI FILMS

42A. Compulsive sort using some 56-Across? : PI RHO MANIAC (11). PYROMANIAC.

56A. "Antigone" characters? : GREEK LETTERS (12).

The 2500 plus year old play by Sophocles is the somewhat hidden reveal.

Across:

1. Serious service : MASS. Religion, no comment.

5. Toaster opening? : HERE'S. My first thought was "popup."

10. Moxie : ZEAL. Meh.

14. Settled down : ALIT.

15. Treasure : ADORE. Je t'aime, je t'adore.

16. Crop, say : EDIT. Pictures.

17. Taboo : NO NO.

18. Parade instruments : SNARE DRUMS. Begun with snare drums, but they were led by  trombones.

22. It can be bid : ADIEU. Hopefully is a fond one.

23. Coin toss winner's option : RECEIVE. NFL.

27. Large Eurasian group : SLAVS. But where are the Northern SLAVS?

31. Very, to Puccini : ASSAI. Italian word.

32. DJIA company alphabetically following Home Depot : IBM. The THIRTY.

38. PC alternatives : MACS.

40. Dreamers have big ones : IDEAS.

41. A scarf can protect it : NAPE.

45. Yahoo! alternative : MSN. Nope, replaced by Microsoft Edge.

46. "Silas Marner" author : ELIOT. This woman who reminds me of Amy Farrah Fowler.

47. Static source : DRYER.

49. Doctor's order : LAB TEST. I have had more than my share this year.

52. Latin dance : SAMBA. Samba is a Brazilian musical genre and dance style, with its roots in Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions, particularly of Angola and the Congo, through the samba de roda genre of the northeastern state of Bahia, from which it derived. Wiki.

60. Dawn, for example : LIQUID SOAP.

63. Place for pins and needles : ETUI.

64. Amazon ID : ISBN.  International Standard Book Number.

65. Unlimited free mileage pioneer : ALAMO. Part of the building of a success story for the Florida based COMPANY.

66. Mapmaking name since 1872 : RAND. Cannot forget McNally.

67. What much insurance covers : LOSS.

68. Family nicknames : NANAS.

69. Wild plum : SLOE.

Down:

1. Heavenly food : MANNA.

2. Audibly : ALOUD.

3. Decalogue delivery site : SINAI.  Deca=10: Logue=laws.

4. Wraps not made in delis : STOLES. Do women wear them any more?

5. Jumble : HASH.

6. Poet __ St. Vincent Millay : EDNA. She wrote, " My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night; but ah, my foes, and oh, my friends -- it gives a lovely light!"

7. 2013 Katy Perry chart-topper : ROAR.

8. Diamond mishap : ERROR. Baseball.

9. Teacher's note : SEE ME. The dreaded note.

10. Focuses (on) : ZEROES IN. Back again. Maybe as wiki suggests the phrase comes from adjusting a sighting mechanism of a firearm to minimise the discrepancy between where the sight points and where a bullet lands on a target. 12D. Focus : AIM. clecho

11. Part of an academic address : EDU.

13. 62-Down protectors : LTS. Since most quarterbacks are right handed, the "blind side" tackle is critical.  LINK. 39D. Common football passing formations : SHOT GUNS. 62D. Snap receivers: Abbr. : QBS.

19. It may be served from an orange-handled pot : DECAF.

21. Orange stuff : PULP.

24. Faith with Five Pillars : ISLAM. Faith, Charity, Praying, Pilgrimage, and Fasting. More religion, no comment.

25. Sirens : VAMPS.

26. Innsbruck iron : EISEN. Now we have German this week.

28. "... __ sure you know" : AS I'M.

29. "Livin' la __ Loca": Ricky Martin hit : VIDA. Dupe? 44D. "__ la vie" : C'EST. Whatever happened to Ricky?  LINK.

30. Lighten one's wallet : SPEND.

32. Press : IMPEL.

33. Sri Lankan pop music : BAILA. No idea. Anyone get this without perps?

34. Periodic McDonald's pork sandwich : MCRIB.

36. What alopecia sufferers lose : HAIR.

37. "My word!" : I SAY.

43. Cheri of "SNL" : OTERI. She is a little hyper for me.

48. Yelp users : RATERS. True but ich.

50. 65-Across choice : SEDAN.

51. Roadster maker : TESLA. Wow,  not on my list. LINK.

53. Music genre word : METAL.

54. Musical Mars : BRUNO. Any watching the new Season of The Voice?

55. Better half? : A-SIDE. Nice rendition of the oft forgotten A-SIDE.

57. Zen riddle : KOAN.

58. Buddhist teacher : LAMA.

59. "Beowulf," for one : EPOS. A singular epic poem..

60. Adjective for rapper Jon or Kim : LIL.

61. Tonic go-with? : ISO. Made famous with gloves.

Hard week healthwise, but we are hanging in. Enjoyed the diversion; hope you all did. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Splynter (Richard) and I made today's The Chronicle of Higher Education  "Shellacked" puzzle. You can click here to solve it. Congrats on your crossword debut, Splynter!

Thursday, March 30th 2017 Richard F. Mausser

Theme: Quadratic Locations - Four quadrangles, four seats of learning as the grid-spanning hint tells us:

39A. What the groups of circled letters graphically represent : UNIVERSITY QUADS

The schools in question are Tulane, Rice, Temple and Yale. Here's Rice:

I enjoyed the symmetry in this construction - two six- and two four-circle themers located in opposite corner blocks, the "quad quads", two intersecting 15's, both college-themed, and the journey around each quadrangle starts at the north-west corner. There's a lot else to like with the lively longer entries - two each of ten, nine and eight letters and very few threes.

I was surprised to find that "TOTAL BASES", "FINAL FOUR" and "NY JETS" have only been seen once before in the LAT crossword since the Cruciverb database records began.

Let's see what else we've got:

Across:

1. "Yeah, sure!" : PSHAW!

6. Some CPAs and MBAs : CFOS. Top Bean Counter. Sorry, Chief Financial Officer.

10. __ bean : FAVA. LIMA or SOYA are also possibilities - you need more than the "A" before deciding.

14. What choir members have to carry : A TUNE, Not "A NOTE" then. Quick work with the "backspace" key fixed that one.

15. Lined up, with "in" : A ROW. So when you have your ducks in a row, what happens? I've always wondered.

16. 2001 Winslet/Dench title role : IRIS. Novelist Iris Murdoch and her lifelong relationship with her husband. I might need to go back and re-watch this one.

17. Hero makers : DELIS. Food! You need a big appetite for one of these. Classic ingredients are meat, cheese, tomato, green pepper, lettuce and Italian dressing on a baguette. Innumerable variations abound.

18. Window shopper's buy : PANE. Nice.

19. Bottle part : NECK. The only other bottle part I can think of is the "punt", the deep indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle.

20. Double-helix molecules : DNAS

21. Stat for which Babe Ruth's 457 is the single-season record : TOTAL BASES. The 1921 season. He also set the record for extra base hits that year.

23. Site of many Ansel Adams works : YOSEMITE. Iconic photography from this fella:

25. Online chortle : LOL. Laughing Out Loud.

26. Wide awake : ALERT

28. Joan __ : OF ARC

32. Aplenty : GALORE

36. Carmelite, perhaps : NUN

38. Muffin topper : OLEO. I wanted OREO first. I'm guessing this reference is to a dollop of margarine on an English muffin. The splendidly-named Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès invented oleomargarine in France back in 1869.

42. Labyrinth : MAZE

43. Plop down : SIT

44. Legal scholar : JURIST. Not a juror. An expert in or a writer on law.

45. "Obsessable series" movie channel : STARZ. Thanks, crosses.

47. What "two" meant to Paul Revere : BY SEA. One if by land, I believe. "The British are coming!" Three if by air, in my case.

49. Bow __ : TIE

51. Billboard charts : HIT LISTS. My friend Fred Bronson writes the weekly Chart Beat column in "Billboard" magazine.

56. Tart vodka cocktails : LEMON DROPS

60. Petunia part : STEM

61. Greenish blue : CYAN

62. Use the escalator, about half the time : GO UP. Go down, roughly the other half, unless you ride up and take the stairs down.

63. Plant swelling : EDEMA

64. What a stet cancels : DELE. Editing marks. Does anyone edit manuscripts this way any more? I know print newspapers moved to digital production a long time ago.

65. Alternatively : ELSE

66. Cheap mags : PULPS

67. Old jet-set jets : SSTS. Concordes. The USSR brought out a strangely-similar looking aircraft that the UK media nicknamed "Concordski". Sadly the second production aircraft crashed while performing at the Paris Air Show in 1973, killing the six-person crew and eight people on the ground.

68. Bob or dog attachment : SLED

69. Canines, e.g. : TEETH

Down:

1. Irrigated grain field : PADDY

2. Courtroom figure : STENO

3. Hippy dances? : HULAS

4. Italian cookie flavoring : ANISE

5. Filmmaker Craven : WES

6. Holly Golightly's creator : CAPOTE. Truman's short story Breakfast at Tiffany's adapted as a screenplay and starring one of my all-time favorite actresses, the lovely Audrey Hepburn. I love this scene.

7. Place for annual pledging : FRATERNITY HOUSE. I liked that the two 15-letter grid spanners crossing each other have a college theme.

8. Chaplin of "Game of Thrones" : OONA

9. Balloon : SWELL

10. Elite Eight survivors : FINAL FOUR. Topical NCAA Basketball reference. This year's Final Four face off this Saturday with South Carolina vs. Gonzaga followed by Oregon vs. North Carolina.

11. War god : ARES

12. Target of many a New Year's resolution : VICE

13. Poses : ASKS

21. Floor installers : TILERS

22. Savior of Scout and Jem, in "To Kill a Mockingbird" : BOO. A good excuse for some super-cheeerful Britpop from the early 90's courtesy of The Boo Radleys

24. Filly, eventually : MARE

27. Mild rebuke : TUT

29. End of a ball game? : ALAI. Tricky clue. The ball-wall game Jai Alai.The ball can travel up to 188mph. it's 3/4 the size of a baseball and harder than a golf ball. It was bad enough getting hit by a squash ball back in the day.

30. Great American Ball Park team : REDS. Cincinnati, Ohio.

31. COLA component : COST. Cost Of Living Adjustment. Nice clue.

32. 69-Across holders : GUMS

33. Vet school subj. : ANAT.

34. Joel's "Cabaret" co-star : LIZA. Ms. Minnelli was a gimme, but I had to go and look up Joel. Joel Grey, he played the Master of Ceremonies.

35. Hinted-at hidden meanings : OVERTONES

37. AFC East team : NY JETS

40. Sis or bro : SIB.

41. Grade of excellence: Abbr. : QUAL. Quality, a "degree or standard of excellence, esp. a high standard".

46. Cab alternative : ZIN

48. Opposite of guzzled : SIPPED

50. Cube's dozen : EDGES

52. Expectant mom's words : IS DUE. I went for "I'M DUE". Not sure about "is due".

53. Inscribed pillar : STELE

54. Lead on : TEMPT. 

55. Blockbuster : SMASH

56. Some TV screens : LCDS

57. They work better when they focus : EYES. Unless you're trying to "see" one of those Magic Eye posters that gave us all fits in the 1990's. Here's one that resolves pretty quickly:

58. Dairy Queen order : MALT

59. Lucky streak : ROLL

63. Skillful, facetiously : EPT. "Opposite" of "inept". I like these "false" opposites. Mt. Etna is definitely "ert", unlike Vesuvius, and I hope my blogging is "ane" rather than the alternative!

With that, here's the grid!

Steve