Wednesday, May 3, 2017, Thomas Takaro

Title: I CAN'T GET NO... 

Thomas has given us a fun mid-week puzzle which was a pleasure to solve. However, like the cartoon below, the gimmick evaded me and then hit me OUT OF left field!

Every starred answer was a two word phrase to which OUT OF can be added to either word and make two more common phrases. Very nice.

The fill went very smoothly with only this proper noun speed bump on the way

11. Tony-winning actress for "Miss Saigon" : LEA SALONGA - A name we had recently and I had already forgotten but it solved itself.

THEME ANSWERS, (plus adding OUT OF to first word):

18. *Cubicle, e.g. : WORK SPACE - becomes OUT OF WORK and OUT OF SPACE. - Conducting research while OUT OF WORK?

27. *Singing skill that enables good phrasing : BREATH CONTROL - OUT OF BREATH and OUT OF CONTROL - Breath holding is now a sport called Static Apnea. Here German Tom Sietas beats Brazilian Ricardo Bahia

45. *Number after a circled "c" : COPYRIGHT DATE - OUT OF COPYRIGHT and OUT OF DATE - In Canada, books are OUT OF COPYRIGHT 50 yrs after the author's death. That's January, 2015 for Ian Fleming

60. *Unobstructed view : SIGHT LINE - OUT OF SIGHT and OUT OF LINE - Less is more.

...and the reveal

69. Lacking, and what can go with each word in the answers to starred clues : OUT OF - This silly 1920's song tells of the vendor who is OUT OF bananas!

Now, before I am OUT OF time...

Across

1. Greek played by Anthony Quinn : ZORBA

6. Small plateau : MESA

10. Slick-talking : GLIB - Have I got a lemon car for you!

14. "That is to say ... " : I MEAN

15. Channel showing many games : ESPN

16. Sommelier's prefix : OENO - What he probably won't tell you

17. Incessantly : NO END

20. Kids' racing vehicles : GO KARTS

22. Chicken __ king : ALA - A high school favorite of mine when served on homemade biscuits

23. Prefix with pass or plus : SUR

24. Cultural funding org. : NEA

25. Mottled : PIED

26. MGM motto word : ARS

32. Get an __: ace : A ON

33. Casino gratuity : TOKE - Short for TOKEN of appreciation

34. Overseer : BOSS - The dealer above must call out "TOKE for the dealer" and tap the table to satisfy the pit BOSS that he or she is not stealing.

37. Harbor protectors : JETTIES - The Bussleton JETTY in Western Australia is well over a mile long and has its own railroad

39. "Vitruvian Man" artist : DA VINCI - Robert and Sophie find her dead grandfather in the Louvre posed as the Vitruvian Man at the beginning of The DA VINCI Code

42. Pacific Rim continent : ASIA

43. Mozart's "__ fan tutte" : COSI - "All women behave the same"

44. Jupiter or Mars : GOD

50. EPA pollution std. : AQI

52. Wetland plant : REED

53. Capri suffix : OTE - CAPRIOTE - A resident of the beautiful island of Capri or a conical hat worn by Spanish Clerics. Yeah, I know what they look like.

54. Bit of wordplay : PUN

55. Aviation stat. : ALT - At an ALT of ~50 miles, the sky starts to turn black and you are on the threshold of space


56. "Flags of Our Fathers" setting : IWO JIMA - The Marine Memorial is a sculpture of the raising of the flag on IWO JIMA's Mt. Suribachi and is just "a stone's throw" north of Arlington National Cemetery

63. Inn postings : RATES

64. Cosmopolitan rival : ELLE

65. Gold diggers' objectives : ORES

66. First in a line of Russian princes : IVAN I - 14th century Grand Duke Of Moscow

67. River crossed by Charon : STYX

68. Old or Wild follower : WEST - A 9-part series that tells all you need to know about The West and how it was won/stolen. It may not make you feel very proud.

Down

1. Zest : ZING - "ZING, ZING, ZING went my heartstrings"

2. Melville novel set on Tahiti : OMOO - His second novel - a sequel to Typee and four years before the one about that big fish, uh, mammal

3. Really stink : REEK

4. Split fruit? : BANANA - ~800cal but...

5. Mario who won IndyCar races in four different decades : ANDRETTI

6. Sussex stable area : MEWS - A row of houses or apartments converted from stables. Now you know as much as I do.

7. Anka's "__ Beso" : ESO - This has been a frequent visitor this spring


8. Common sports injury : SPRAIN - The Morris Boot is a way to ice 'em down and still be somewhat mobile

9. Short sock : ANKLET - When you don't need the boot

10. Rep. group : GOP

12. Run up, as debts : INCUR - $19,000,000,000,000 and counting here in the U.S.A. Your share is ~ $61,290.

13. Afrikaans speakers : BOERS

19. Iraq's __ City : SADR

21. Western border lake : TAHOE - Or a humongous SUV




25. "The Purloined Letter" writer : POE - Dupin replaces The Purloined Letter with a fake

27. Westernmost Mexican state, familiarly : BAJA - BAJA California is the home of my best friend from school (I'd say ELHI if I didn't despise that word)

28. Small deer : ROES - A Eurasian deer

29. With allure : ENTICINGLY

30. Bank statement listings: Abbr. : CKS - I can't be out of money, I still have some CKS!

31. Japanese sash : OBI


35. Edinburgh native : SCOT - Edinburgh native Stu Sutcliffe quit the Beatles to pursue an art career. They did however, picture him on this famous cover - Far left, third row from the top. I doubt that he got any royalties.

36. Agree (with) : SIDE

38. Eastern spiritual path : TAO

39. One may be fetching : DOG

40. __ of hands : A SHOW

41. Director De Sica : VITTORIO - Did you see his academy award winner Il Giardinao dei Finzi-Contini? Me either.

43. Spanish hero El __ : CID

46. Start to fall? : PRAT - A PRAT fall by Patrick Swayze in Ghost

47. Soccer penalty card color : YELLOW

48. Make more time for hobbies, say : RETIRE - Yeah, like crossword puzzles

49. "Here we go again" feeling : DEJAVU - Didn't I just blog a puzzle recently...

50. Cathedral areas : APSES 

51. Blanket that's often hand-sewn : QUILT

56. Superlative suffix : IEST

57. "Do __ once!" : IT AT


58. Less, musically : MENO - With (Un) slightly (poco) less (MENO) motion (mosso) as you see here

59. "Not a chance!" : AS IF - AS IF I knew what Un poco meno mosso meant!

61. Bad spell : HEX

62. Game console letters : NES


Now for some comments from you that hopefully are not OUT OF whack:

The Grid

Tuesday, May 2, 2017 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Chin up, bucko - No need to abandon all hope ye who enter here, so long as you parse 37-Across as AB and ON.

37. Leave high and dry ... or, when divided into three parts, what the answers to starred clues are encompassed by: ABANDON. AB-AND-ON

16. *Bath towel material: ABSORBENT COTTON

22. *Bart and Lisa's grandpa: ABE SIMPSON

49. *"Falcon Crest" actress: ABBY DALTON

59. *Book that's been shortened: ABRIDGED VERSION

Argyle here with our fearless leader. Two grid spanners and a couple long climbers are practically her signature.

Across:

1. Accessory for Supergirl: CAPE

5. Volkswagen Routan, for one: VAN. Model years‎: ‎2009–2014

8. Put into words: SAID

12. Andes animal: LLAMA. The Andes Mountains are the longest and one of the highest mountain ranges in the world. They are located in South America and stretch 4,500 miles from north to south, along the west coast of the continent.

14. Belgrade native: SERB

15. Pinnacle: ACME

19. Pilates class need: MAT

20. Note from the boss: MEMO

21. Data storage media: DISKS

26. Washroom bowls: BASINS

28. "People are saying ... ": "RUMOR IS ... "

32. Saudi's neighbor: OMANI

33. Neeson of the "Taken" films: LIAM

35. Rare Hawaiian goose: NENE. The Hawaiian name nēnē comes from its soft call.

36. Huff Post owner: AOL. The Huffington Post. AOL acquired the Huff Post in 2011.

40. One of a golfer's pocketful: TEE

41. Mex. ladies: SRAs. (señora)

43. Loosen, as laces: UNDO

44. Spew lava and ash: ERUPT

46. Online live-stream lecture: TED TALK. TED(Technology, Entertainment, Design)

48. __ Rico: PUERTO

52. "Haven't the foggiest": "GOT ME"

55. "It's __": "Nobody wins": A TIE

56. Cookie fruit: FIG

63. Male with a thick mane: LION

64. Totals: ADDS

65. "Yes and no": "SORTA"

66. Bluesy James: ETTA

67. Believe, as a story: BUY

68. Tuckered out: BEAT

Down:

1. Chowder ingredient: CLAM

2. Jessica of "Good Luck Chuck": ALBA.  A fish monger?

3. Picnic side dish: PASTA SALAD

4. Revealing rock genre: EMO

5. Scorpion's poison: VENOM

6. Gallery showing: ART

7. "The Voice" network: NBC

8. Audited, as a class: SAT IN ON

9. Circus performances: ACTs

10. "Everything's fine": "I'M OK"

11. Many man caves: DENS

13. Country south of Georgia: ARMENIA

14. 18-wheeler: SEMI

17. "Porgy and __": BESS

18. Former NBA forward Lamar: ODOM

23. Coal holder: BIN

24. Museum with a Goya Gate: PRADO. Puerta de Goya (Goya Gate), at Prado Museum's north façade, features statue of famed painter outside.

25. Sport with silk-clad referees called gyoji: SUMO

26. Brag: BOAST

27. Love, to Casanova: AMORE

29. Shoot back: RETURN FIRE

30. Ham-handed: INEPT

31. Take care of: SEE TO

33. Tall and lean: LANKY

34. Gary's st.: IND. (Indiana)

38. Onion or shallot: BULB

39. Fixes, as Fido: NEUTERS

42. Mountain climber's need: STAMINA. This had me thinking of equipment. I blame it on PITON from the other day.

45. Rock's __ Speedwagon: REO

47. Still in the sack: ABED. A word, sorry.

48. Ballet knee bend: PLIE

50. Papa: DADDY

51. Off-road rides: Abbr.: ATVs. (all-terrain vehicle)

52. Wind warning indicated by two red flags: GALE

53. "In memoriam" piece: OBIT

54. Relaxed gait: TROT

57. Bitty bit: IOTA

58. Bitty biter: GNAT

60. Shoot the breeze: GAB

61. Academic URL ending: .EDU

62. Have a good cry: SOB

Argyle

Monday, May 1, 2017 Bruce Haight

Theme: Down in front - Allow me to ush you to your seat. Let me see your ticket. Right this way.

20. Bygone airplane area: SMOKING SECTION

36. Line up: STAND IN A ROW

43. Position behind the steering wheel: DRIVER'S SEAT

57. "Exactly!" ... and a hint to where 20-, 36- and 43-Across' ending words may be found: "THAT'S THE TICKET!"

Rabbit rabbit! Argyle here. Not an arena ticket either, no aisle or tier. Easy-peasy but not insulting our intelligence puzzle, IMHO. Interesting note: no J,Q,U,X,Y,or Z.

Across:

1. Sacrificial __: LAMB

5. Paintball impact sound: [SPLAT!]

10. "__ of Green Gables": ANNE. "Are we facing Anne overload? With a new series and 3 TV movies, we might find out soon." CBC News

14. Geometry calculation: AREA

15. Largest city in North Africa: CAIRO

16. Yule song: NOEL

17. Some toy dogs, for short: POMs. (Pomeranians)

18. Llama habitat: ANDES. The South American mountain range.

19. Weekend-starting letters: TGIF. (Thank God It's Friday)

23. Subsided: EASED

24. Statutes: LAWs

25. Electric car brand: TESLA !!

29. Apple music players: i-PODS

33. Home for mil. jets: AFB. (Air Force Base)

39. Be concerned: CARE

41. "Cut corners" or "slash prices": IDIOM

42. Landlocked African republic: MALI

46. Part of a relay race: LEG

47. Coffee lightener: CREAM

48. "Rubber Duckie" singer on Sesame Street: ERNIE

50. Mocking remark: GIBE

53. Works with a needle: KNITS

62. Mop, as decks: SWAB

63. "Fingers crossed": "I HOPE"

64. "Drinks are __!": ON ME

65. Unit seized by a narc: KILO. (kilogram, 2 lb 3 oz)

66. Some surrealist paintings: DALIs. (Salvador Dalí)

67. Info: DOPE

68. Composer Stravinsky: IGOR. The story of "The Rite of Spring". (40:56)

]

69. Pass, as a law: ENACT

70. Wide-spouted pitcher: EWER

Down:

1. Forgetful moment: LAPSE

2. Cinnamon roll lure: AROMA

3. Notes to staff: MEMOs

4. Slam dunk or lay-up: BASKET ball.

5. Read electronically: SCAN

6. Twinge of hunger: PANG

7. Tupperware covers: LIDs. [Urp!]

8. Staggering: AREEL. I don't want to hear about A-words.

9. Puccini opera: TOSCA. More traditional than "The Rite of Spring".

10. Designed to minimize junk email: ANTI-SPAM

11. Scrubbed, as a NASA mission: NO GO

12. Nuremberg no: NEIN. (negation)

13. North Pole worker: ELF. They're off for the summer.

21. "Beware the __ of March": IDES

22. Bed size: TWIN

26. Mix: STIR

27. Chaps: LADS

28. Licorice-flavored seed: ANISE

30. Spoken: ORAL

31. Big name in pineapples: DOLE

32. Big gulp: SWIG

33. Band with a voltage symbol in its logo: AC/DC

34. Jamie of "M*A*S*H": FARR. Max Klinger.

35. Soft French cheese: BRIE

37. Not just a talker: DOER

38. "__ idiot!": "Doh!": I'M AN

40. "Green Acres" co-star: EVA GABOR

44. Radiate: EMIT

45. Word with bar or torch: TIKI

49. Make cryptic: ENCODE

51. Back of a hit 45 record: B-SIDE. But sometimes a hit, too.

52. Patriot Allen: ETHAN

54. "No need to tell me": "I KNOW". Teenager's answer to everything.

55. Phoenix suburb: TEMPE

56. Take the wheel: STEER. Hands up for those that have switched drivers while moving.

57. Bird's nest component: TWIG. Big twigs in an osprey's nest.

Live Feed

58. Symbol of sanctity: HALO

59. Mexican "Hi!": "¡HOLA!"

60. Grand-scale film: EPIC

61. Experiment: TEST

62. Schuss or slalom: SKI

Argyle

Sunday April 30, 2019 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "Haiku" - LINE can follow each word of the three-part phrase.

23A. *What it often is on a summer day : HOT OUTSIDE. Hotline. outline. Sideline.

36A. *One-to-one conversation : PRIVATE PHONE CHAT. Private line. Phone line. Chat line.

59A. *Scuba divers' bash : UNDERWATER PARTY. Underline. Waterline. Party line.

83A. *Highly sought-after charter captain : TOP FISHING GUIDE. Top line. Fishing line. Guideline.

99A. *Iconic suburban symbol : WHITE PICKET FENCE. White line. Picket line. Fence line.

15D. *Awkward TV silence : DEAD AIR TIME. Deadline. Airline. Timeline.

68D. *Sale indicator : RED PRICE TAG. Red line. Priceline. Tagline.

Reveal:

119A. Feature of haiku, and of the answers to starred clues : THREE LINES

I think this is the first time we see such a three-part theme in LAT. Some of theme entries are not quite solid in-the-language. Just nature of the game.

We've seen a few both words that can precede/follow gimmick, which is already very hard to make. Three part is just incredible.

Across:     

1. Word heard in Bedrock : YABBA. "Yabba Dabba Doo!". From "The Flintstones". I drew a blank.

6. West Point letters : USMA. We also have 10. Military setting : BASE

10. Dark horses : BAYS

14. Sam seen in bars : ADAMS. This Sam.

19. Scott who wrote "Island of the Blue Dolphins" : O'DELL. Any of you read the book?

20. A golf green may be shaped like one : PEAR. Like this. I thought of OVAL.

21. Face cream additive : ALOE

22. Paganini's birthplace : GENOA

25. Rodeo goad : SPUR

26. Bother a lot : EAT AT. Not NAG AT

27. WWII spy gp. : OSS. Office of Strategic Services

28. Big mouths : MAWS. Not YAPS.

29. Tampico trio : TRES. We also have 7. José's half-dozen : SEIS

31. Mask wearers : BANDITS. Wanted GOALIES.

33. Salem-to-Portland dir. : NNE

34. Chihuahua or Maltese, in dog shows : TOY

35. Slangy sib : SISTA

43. Texter's "Just a thought ... " : IMHO

47. Candy aisle choice : ROLO. Not SKOR.

48. Kid in a '60s sitcom : OPIE. And 37. 48-Across player : RONNY

49. K-12, in brief : ELHI. El(ementary) + Hi(gh school). Often draws objections from our retired teacher crowd.

50. Its flag features a six-pointed star : ISRAEL

52. Scale starting words : ONE TO

54. 911 responder : EMT

56. Barbecue supply : BUNS. Not RUBS.

58. Functional : UTILE

63. "Wayward __": Shyamalan TV series : PINES. New to me.

64. Salon supply : DYE. Not GEL today.

65. Ancient region of Asia Minor : GALATIA. This clue often calls for IONIA.

66. Longship crew : NORSEMEN

68. Half a track? : RAIL. Two rails on a track.

69. London's "Ye Olde Mitre," e.g. : PUB. Steve might have been here many times.

71. "The Way __": 2007 Timbaland hit : I ARE. I thought it might be I WAS.

72. Loud speakers : STENTORS. Ha ha, I actually know this word. 

76. Travelocity enticement : LOW FARE

79. Pooh, to Roo : PAL

82. Broadway restaurant founder : SARDI. Sardi's.

86. Office holders? : CLIPS. Great clue.

87. Gilbert who created TV's "The Talk" : SARA

88. The Silver St. : NEV

89. Graphic start : ORTHO. No "Garden products brand" today. By the way, Anon-T, we planted both seeds and flowers. The flowers survived the cold weather, thankfully.

90. Warns : ALERTS

92. Frees : RIDS

94. They catch a lot of shrimp : NETS

97. Continue : GO ON

98. Sitcom pioneer, familiarly : DESI

103. Word with link or letter : CHAIN. Lovely clue as well.

105. French article : UNE

106. Damage : MAR

107. Haunted house sounds : SCREAMS

110. Lacking : SANS

112. Eye opener? : OPTI. I thought the clue was asking for DEAD/EVIL/SHUT.

113. Improve, in some cases : AGE. This qualifier makes me smile.

116. Cutie : TOOTS

117. Chop __ : SUEY

 122. Charged : RAN AT

123. Sport with double touches : EPEE. New clue angle.

124. Slices of history : ERAs

125. Minnesota's "10,000" : LAKES. Wisconsin says it has  more lakes than Minnesota. They count big puddles.

126. Play area : STAGE

127. Cold War initials : SSRS

128. Hide from an animal : PELT. Another nice clue.

129. Treacherous type : SNAKE. Girls who were born in Year of the Pig should not date guys who were born in Year of the Snake.

Down:

1. Pirate's syllables : YO HO. Partial.

2. They're often about nothing : ADOs

3. Adds to the pool : BETS

4. Rain-__ bubble gum : BLO

5. Smith grad : ALUMNA

6. High hairdo : UPSWEEP

8. Satiric magazine founded in 1952 : MAD

9. Kid-to-kid retort : ARE TOO

 

11. Hurdle for Hannibal : ALPS

12. Mirror image? : YOU. Not MOI.

13. Homeland of tennis star Novak Djokovic : SERBIA

14. "The X-Files" extra : AGENT. Normally a clue for ETS.

16. Protester : ANTI

17. Defensive ditch : MOAT

18. H.S. hurdles : SATs

24. Ma non __: not too much, in music : TANTO. No idea. I can't read sheet music.

30. Cub great Sandberg : RYNE

32. Bubbly source : ASTI

34. Lincoln Center attraction, familiarly : THE MET

35. Eastern faith : SHINTO. Shin - God. To has the same meaning as Chinese TAO (way).

36. Word in a Marines slogan : PROUD

 38. __-France : ILE DE. Very limited way to clue this partial.

39. Register a preference : VOTE

40. St. Peter's Basilica sight : PIETA

41. Exile isle : ELBA

42. Make, as butter : CHURN

44. Katahdin is its highest peak : MAINE. Never hard of Mount Katahdin.

45. Beatrix Potter's real first name : HELEN. Also a new trivia to me.

46. Cries after fútbol goals : OLEs

51. Freudian conscience : SUPEREGO

53. Player in a loft : ORGANIST

55. Vacation choice : TRIP

57. Aleppo native : SYRIAN

60. Reservations can help avoid one : WAIT. You have to have a reservation at our neighborhood Fantastic Sams. Otherwise, 30 minutes wait, at least.

61. Apportions : ALLOTS

62. Eighth-century pope : PAUL I. Not PIUS I.

67. Puppeteer Tony : SARG

 70. Cap'n's aide : BOSN

72. Room at the Louvre : SALLE

73. Doesn't give up : TRIES

74. Enter noisily : ROAR IN. Not a phrase I use.

75. Nautical pole : SPRIT. Forgot. We had this before. Spell checker flashes it.

77. Word of origin : WHENCE

78. Marathon practice run : FIVE-K

79. Spike for Hillary : PITON. Edmund Hillary.

80. Like some focus groups : AD HOC. We often have "committee" in the clue for a fat gimme.

81. Freetown currency : LEONE

82. Slew : SCAD. Normally plural, right?

84. Grow pale : FADE

85. Push : URGE

91. Did a few laps : SWAM

93. Made on a wheel : SPUN

95. Play set on an island, with "The" : TEMPEST. Got via crosses as well.

96. Cabinet department : STATE

100. Greets the villain : HISSES

101. Conforming : IN STEP (with)

102. Elegant trimmings : FRILLS

104. Speed : HASTE

107. Orch. section : STRS. Strings. Gluey fill constructors dread to use.

108. Primer layer : COAT

109. Novelist Jaffe : RONA

110. Psychic : SEER

111. Motion carriers : AYES. I like this clue also. Lots of S's in this little section.

112. Tough test : ORAL

113. Self-titled 1974 pop album : ANKA

114. Many a techie : GEEK

115. Latin being : ESSE

118. FedEx rival : UPS

120. Otto I's realm: Abbr. : HRE

121. Knighted McKellen : IAN. He was on Fresh Air a while ago. Funny guy.

Thanks for letting me know the puzzles in your local paper. I fear I'm the lone voice here asking our local Star Tribune to change the puzzles. So sad. Why their syndicate does not publish LAT crosswords is beyond me. I start to doubt if the Trib Variety Editor even solves crosswords.

C.C.

Saturday, Apr 29th, 2017, Gail Grabowski

Theme: GG double double spanners

Words: 68 (missing J,K,Q,V,Z)

Blocks: 25 

 This one from Gail was a bear - and I am better off for the challenge. While I did find some of the clues to be a bit of a s-t-r-e-t-c-h, all in all, it was a healthy brain buster that took me over my personal allotted time and into red-letter cheating, but I did manage to stay away from Google.  Lowest block count I have ever seen, 26 being the previous low, and the structure of the puzzle lent itself to that most cruel feature of all crosswords, the "I can't get there from here" dilemma; I could not get into the mid-east section from "-FRIEND" to "REPOT" without some real Wild-Ass Guesses.  Two double-stack spanners;

15. Classic dessert : COCONUT CREAM PIE - I was looking to get ICE cream in there and then chocolate, since I am not a fan of coconut (don't like the texture) - but this is what fit

17. Childhood playmate, perhaps : IMAGINARY FRIEND - my first guess, but I can't say why I didn't fill it in

46. Find another way : ALTER ONE'S COURSE - I had LEAVE - -, which screwed that corner up until I went red-letter, and the SW lit up like we were on high alert

50. Least accessible areas : DEEPEST RECESSES - I had DARKEST - that's 4/7ths correct

Get it~?

ACROSS:

1. Chaotic : IN A MESS - tough way to start the puzzle, with a phrase, and one that just didn't quite 'click' for me with the clue

8. Wunderkinds : PHENOMS

18. Gave up : CEDED

19. Carnival follower : LENT - Mardi Gras and the religious period after - I did not know the celebration was referred to as a "carnival"

20. Long of "In Too Deep" : NIA - perps

21. Rested : LAIN - I had laiD

22. First AFL-CIO president : MEANY - had MEA--, tried MEADE

23. Beat : BEST

24. Projection in the sky, briefly : ETA - dah~! Not etS, as in aliens - I can't wait to see the new Alien movie, "Covenant", even though I think it's going to be nothing more than a "remake" of the 1979 classic

25. Contractual arrangement : LEASE

26. One of the Visayan Islands : LEYTE - filled via perps; the "Y" was my last fill

27. Fields with multiple "Ed Sullivan Show" appearances : TOTIE - figured it was not "SALLY", and the crossings took care of most of it; her Wiki

28. Sushi fish : SEA EEL - total WAG, and a total cringe moment

29. Household current : AC POWER - meh.  Never "called" it that.

32. Becomes unproductive : RUNS DRY

33. Body shop convenience : LOANER

34. Provide room for growth, in a way : REPOT - if you have to send another message over the telegraph, is that remorse~?

35. Vaulted alcoves : APSES - NOOKS~? bzzt.  NAVES~? bzzt.  Eventually....

36. Its site has tracking tools : FedEx - the "other" guys.  Self-promoting advertisement

In my case, UPS is usually the 'down' side....

37. "So there!" : HAH - DAH~!!  Not A-HA; is that 100% zero correct~?  I had the right letters....

40. Cons : NAYS - ah, the votes, not the artists

41. Families : CLANS

42. It was founded to build engines for The Bull Tractor Company : TORO - learning moment.  And then when I read it again, "duh."  Toro = bull....

43. Garage sale buys : LPs

44. Adriatic resort : LIDO

45. Express __ : TRAIN - too easy, I left it out the first few passes

51. Suit goal : DAMAGES

52. Minority legal filing : DISSENT 

DOWN:

    

1. Frozen formation : ICICLE - ugh, I put in ice CAP

2. Dietary restriction : NO MEAT

3. National park SE of Bangor : ACADIA

4. Jewish star : MOGEN - I knew it as the Star of David; more from Wiki

5. City near Vance Air Force Base : ENID - a WAG

6. Word with block or screen : SUN - sunblock, sunscreen

7. Result of poor ventilation : STALE AIR

8. Hawthorne heroine : PRYNNE - dammit - I went with HESTER, and was right, but totally wrong

9. Substantial : HEFTY

10. Stirrup site : EAR - the little bones....

11. Feature of a two-ltr. monogram : NMI - No Middle Initial

12. Alert : OPEN-EYED - ah.  Not sure if it was the noun, or the verb - turned out to be the adjective

13. Service provider : MINISTER - ah.  That kind of service

14. With equanimity : SEDATELY

16. Pleat feature : CREASE

22. Monthly reading : METER

23. Brute : BEAST

25. The Home Depot rival : LOWES - I avoid shopping there at all costs - I'm a Home Depot guy

26. Service provider? : LENOX - got me.  That kind of service

27. Shades : TONES

28. Some caretakers, for short : SUPES - like building superintendents

29. "Two Years Before the Mast" star : ALAN LADD - oh man....I tried ALAN ALDA, and was again so right, with all the letters in the wrong places....

30. Get off easy, perhaps : COP A PLEA

31. Message medium : P.A. SYSTEM - I so could not parse this in the down - I had PA-T ST--, and could not make anything out of it

32. Descriptor akin to shiny, in song : RED-NOSED - that reindeer with the shiny nose

34. One involved in a plot? : READER - my latest book is 'Prague Fatale' from Philip Kerr; I found him through a book called "The Grid", which had a totally different writing style and feel

36. Spark producers : FLINTS

37. Husky : HOARSE

38. Off one's rocker? : ARISEN - har-har

39. Frank : HONEST

41. Confined, as quarters : CLOSE

42. Bind : TRUSS

45. Ring sites : TOES

47. Org. concerned with climate change : EPA

48. Short rule? : REGency - I learned more here

49. LXVII x III : CCI - Roman 67 x 3 = 201

Splynter

Friday April 28, 2017 Alan DeLoriea

Theme: H-BOMB (29. Its testing awakened Godzilla ... and what's dropped, facetiously, into five puzzle answers) - B is added to the start of each common phrase. (I meant H. Thanks, CanadianEh!.)

17A. Cool site? : HIP ADDRESS. IP address. Every computer has one. You can google "What's my IP address" to find out yours.

38A. Android greeting? : HI ROBOT. I Robot. Crossing the reveal H-BOMB. Very nice.

62A. Congress taking some R and R? : HILL AT EASE. Ill at ease.

 

11D. When the punch line hits? : HAHA MOMENT. Aha moment.

27D. Lonely banquet reservation? : HALL FOR ONE. All for one.

C.C. here. Some of you are aware that Lemonade had a scare following his sciatica surgery. He was hospitalized for six long days to deal with a few terrifying health issues. He's now at home recovering. Hopefully he'll be back guiding us next Friday.

Today we have a classic Friday letter addition/deletion/replacement theme with a pinwheel design, which is frequently used when there is a reveal entry. Pinwheel often allows smoother fill, but it also limits long fill (8+ letter answers). In today's case, we only have two: LAST GASP (20. Like a Hail Mary pass) and  ALCATRAZ (57. "The Rock" (1996) setting). Both sparkling.

Across:     

1. Smears : DAUBS

6. Warthog weapon : TUSK. What do you call the pair above his tusks?

10. Leave behind : SHED. As in fur. I was thinking of LOSE.

14. __ de l'air: French Air Force : ARMEE. Helpful clue

15. Bart Simpson's bus driver : OTTO. D-Otto's surname is Uttormark. I forgot what it means. Burnikel means "Don't kill the child".

16. Vendor offering : WARE. Was picturing food.

19. Melville's "grand, ungodly, god-like man" : AHAB

21. "Animal House" rivals : FRATS. Got via crosses.

22. "Suicide Squad" actor Jared : LETO

23. TV fantasy drama inspired by iconic brothers : GRIMM. Helpful clue.

25. Post-run feeling : ACHE

28. Younger Simpson sister : ASHLEE. Jessica's sister. Not LISA or MAGGIE.

30. Mining target : ORE. Also 18. Mining target : DATA

33. Clutch : GRASP

35. DealDash offers : BIDS. Never used DealDash. You?

36. Do a DJ's job : MIX

37. Press output : OIL. Not "The Press" press.

41. N.C. winter hours : EST

42. Seminary subj. : REL

43. Former L.A. Laker Lamar __ : ODOM. Troubled life.

44. Capp chap : ABNER

46. "Speak" follower : ARF

47. Liable to spill the beans : BLABBY. Never used this word.

50. Mediterranean hot spot : ETNA

51. Willow twig : OSIER. Learned from doing crosswords. This tree is very Osier-y.

53. CPR pros : EMTS

55. Show tune that begins, "The most beautiful sound I ever heard" : MARIA

61. Conductive nerve part : AXON

64. Wilder acting : GENE. I know "Acting Wilder" will lose the  "capital W" trick, but it sounds better grammatically.

65. Digging : INTO. So what was your sciatica surgery procedure called, Dave? You're so lucky that it's totally gone.

66. Up : ASTIR

67. Whole mess : SLEW

68. "The Hunger Games" president : SNOW. Stranger to me.

69. __ pad : STENO. Not LEGAL/MOUSE.

Down:

1. Oompa-Loompa creator : DAHL

2. Song from Strauss : ARIA

3. Frequent callers? : UMPS. Great clue.

4. Apple Records founders : BEATLES

5. Swamp growth : SEDGE

6. Trunks : TORSOS

7. Sch. that calls the Sun Bowl its home : UTEP. University of Texas at El Paso.

8. New Eng. sextet : STs (States)

9. Mayweather stat : KO'S

10. Be like bees : SWARM. Not STING.

 

12. Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT

13. Society newbies : DEBS

21. Gala gathering : FIESTA

23. Slick-talking : GLIB

24. Second shot : RE-DO

25. Prefix with 34-Down : AGORA. And 34. Irrational aversion : PHOBIA. Agoraphobia = Fear of public spaces

26. Town __ : CRIER

31. Up : RISEN

32. More than expected : EXTRA

39. "Spamalot" lyricist : IDLE (Eric)

40. Loud cry : ROAR. And  48. Loud cry : BELLOW

45. Childish descriptor of a childhood friend : BESTEST. Are you still in contact with your childhood bestest friend?

49. Where "It's fun to stay," in a disco hit : YMCA

52. Tendon : SINEW

54. Exit lines : TA TAs

55. Money and Fortune, briefly : MAGS

 

56. Winter Olympics leap : AXEL

57. Adele, vocally : ALTO

58. Use a Yelp account, say : RATE

59. Words used for a spell? : AS IN. Spelling.

60. Cold temperature : ZERO. It was so warm last weekend that Boomer and I started our garden. Then we had a  few cold days. Snow on our deck yesterday morning. 

62. Half a matching set : HIS

63. Place to stay : INN

Some of you probably still remember Wayne R. Williams, who used to edit our old Tribune Media Daily crosswords. He passed away on Tuesday morning.

Our local Star Tribune now carries Timothy Parker's crosswords and the 6-week-behind New York Times crosswords. Does your paper have two puzzles or only one puzzle? Do they give bylines? Let me know in the Comments section.


C.C.

Thursday April 27th 2017 Neville Fogarty

Theme: Hash-Slinging - as the reveal tells us, the theme entries have the word ORDER reading upwards:

40D. Diner call ... and what the answer to each starred clue literally contains : ORDER UP!

2D. *One of a romantic dozen : RED ROSE

8D. *Neighborhood TV host? : FRED ROGERS. Here he is with a model of his bailiwick:

17D. *Computer network component : WIRED ROUTER. Routers were just plain routers until wireless routers came along.

26D. *Many a dorm accommodation : SHARED ROOM

This is a neat theme from Neville with the four "ORDER"s breaking at the same place in each two-word answer. The theme answers are all downs, as obviously you need to have the word reading upwards. The central 11 creates the blocky feeling with the two black squares top and bottom which are required. The grid must have been a little tricky to fill because there are six more helper squares in addition to those four. However, there's a lot of fresh fill here, nice work.

There were quite a few unknowns in here for me, but solid crosses made everything fall into place. Let's see what jumps out:

Across:

1. Letter from school : GRADE. Nice clue!

6. Tabloid fodder : AFFAIR

12. Pop singer Spektor : REGINA. Russian-born American singer-songwriter.

14. Safari guide's weapon : DART GUN

16. Saws with wisdom : ADAGES

17. Auburn University's avian battle cry : WAR EAGLE! Who knew? (Well, apart from Auburn alums). The mascot is a tiger.

18. Jewish ceremony for a newborn son : BRIS. Yikes.

19. Photographer's buy : TRIPOD

21. Elastic wood : YEW

22. __ fide : BONA

23. Four-time discus gold medalist : OERTER.  Al took the gold in four consecutive Olympic Games (from 1956 to 1968), the first track and field athlete to do so.

24. "The Gold-Bug" author : POE. This came courtesy of crosses, but I read the fascinating synopsis of the book here on Wiki. Now added to my reading list.

25. Admin. aides : ASSTS.

27. Bentley of "Ghost Rider" : WES. Nice looking chap. He had a bad heroin problem for a while but appears to have got that particular demon out of his system.

28. 1930s N.Y. Giants star Lefty : O'DOUL

30. Earn : GET

31. Pay attention to : HEED

33. Land mentioned in the spiritual "Go Down, Moses" : EGYPT

Go down, Moses,

Way down in Egypt's land

Tell old Pharaoh

Let my people go

34. 1959 Gidget player : SANDRA DEE.

36. Classic V-8 : T-BIRD. Cue The Beach Boys. Did Gidget drive a T-Bird?

38. What the nose knows : ODOR

39. "That's amazing!" : WOW!

42. Blow one's top : GO APE

43. Chum : BUD

44. Alarm : SCARE

46. Remote button : REC. RE and wait for the cross.

47. Ohio aviation city : DAYTON

50. Literary alter ego : HYDE. Dr. Jekyll's dark side in Robert Louis Stevenson's novella.

51. Comic strip outburst : ACK!

52. Matures : RIPENS

53. Treated with a pack : ICED

54. Nabisco chocolate treat : MALLOMAR. News to me. I must have walked past these things thousands of times in the store and never noticed them.

56. Extra number : ENCORE

58. Hose connections : SPIGOTS

59. Tottenham tint : COLOUR. North London soccer rivals of my club Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur play in white at home, blue on the road. We beat 'em 4-2 last weekend in the FA Cup semi-finals. Yay!

60. John of "Fuller House" : STAMOS

61. Gives a hand : HELPS

Down:

1. Source of party gifts : GRAB BAG

3. Versus : AGAINST

4. Tries to unearth : DIGS AT

5. Storm's dir. : E.N.E.

6. Learns new technology, say : ADAPTS

7. __ Islands: Danish archipelago : FAROE. Although part of Denmark, they have their own soccer association and as such enter the World Cup and European Championships independently. The players are all part-timers and they play their international fixtures in Sweden because there are no grass pitches on the islands.

9. __ crossroads : AT A

10. The Stooges frontman : IGGY POP. His "Lust for Life" was used as the theme to the movie "Trainspotting". Not for the weak of stomach.

11. Remove from consideration : RULE OUT

13. Regarding : AS TO

15. Banister post : NEWEL

20. Took another plunge? : RE-WED. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, for example.

29. Vat filler : DYE

32. Last part : END

33. Istanbul : Constantinople :: Tokyo : __ : EDO. Where Noh was performed.

34. Nurse : SIP. As one's drink. Cheers!

35. Extra purchase : ADD-ON

36. Boot reinforcements : TOECAPS

37. Like some e-readers : BACK-LIT

39. "Outstanding!" : WAY COOL!

41. Gardening tools : WEEDERS. I wasn't quite sure what one of these was, so I went to look:

42. Lab units : GRAMS

43. Way around the city : BYPASS

45. Chewing gum ingredient : CHICLE. Natural gum sourced from trees.

48. "We __ please" : AIM TO

49. Tiny bit of time: Abbr. : NSEC.

55. Airport near Citi Field: Abbr. : LGA. La Guardia in New York, a few miles from the Mets' ground in Flushing Meadow.

57. Masked drama : NOH. Japanese cultural staple dating back to the 14th century.

That's about it from me. Time to post the grid, and then a stroll down the Strip. I'm in Las Vegas for a convention.

Steve