Saturday, January 13, 2018, Alan DerKazarian

THEMELESS SATURDAY

In a Tuesday puzzle of nearly a year ago (1/17/17), Alan posted how he liked reading comments on his puzzles and added, "Armenians get to put a "Der" in front of their names if there's been a significant religious person in their family's history, like a bishop. In my case it was my grandfather's father, who was an important religious figure in Eastern Turkey in the late 1800s."

Alan's puzzle provided entertainment and provided new learning for this cowboy (marked in RED below)! Here are some of his gettable long fills that proved to be useful in solving:

20. '60s counterculture slogan : MAKE LOVE NOT WAR - This iconic Bernie Boston picture for the Washington Star is what always leaps to my mind for this sentiment 

25. Cry of dominance : WHO'S YOUR DADDY - Yankee fans having a good time at Pedro Martinez's expense

45. 20-mile annual Boston-area fundraiser sponsored by Project Bread : WALK FOR HUNGER - The Marathon and this are big in Boston

51. Excuse for rowdy behavior : BOYS WILL BE BOYS - A lame excuse that has definitely fallen out of favor

Now let's see what else Alan has for us:Across  
1. Video file format : MPEG - Moving Pictures Experts Group. Lots of internet videos use this format

5. Offenbach opera "Daphnis et __" : CHLOE - One interpretation of the story of the romance between two shepherd girls on the Isle of Lesbos written 1,800 years ago

10. Jerk's concern : SODA - The jerk is so called for this action of "jerking" the handle to get carbonated water

14. Former Sony brand : AIWA - I once had an AIWA boom box 

15. Aggressive corporate tactics : RAIDS - He played a corporate RAIDER and she played a, uh, Lady of the 24. Poetic night : EEN

16. Fast-food legend : KROC -  Ray Kroc did not invent McDonalds. He took (read stole) the McDonald brothers system and made it huge as seen in the 2016 movie The Founder

17. Presently : ANON 

18. Mail-order outlet for outdoorsy types : ORVIS and 19. Harpsichordist Kipnis : IGOR. A Vermont based outdoor company and a musician I did not know but that's why we have perpendicular fill.

23. Math ratios : SINES - Ah, back to stuff I know, opposite/hypotenuse 

30. "The Yankee Doodle Boy" composer : COHAN - Seeing Jimmy Cagney as Cohan singing Yankee Doodle Boy from the movie of the same name should be part of becoming a citizen! 😁

32. Big letters in toys : FAO - I recently posted the picture of Tom Hanks dancing on the  FAO Schwarz floor piano in Big


33. CBS Sports NFL analyst Tony : ROMO - His body finally said, "That's enough" and he's now in the broadcast booth

34. Map abbr. : RTE - In my part of the world we say "rout" and in other parts they say "root". You?

35. Loosed : SET FREE - Julia Ward Howe wrote, "He has LOOSED the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword"

39. Neat ending? : NIK - Felix not Oscar

40. After-lunch sandwich : OREO - Haven't we had this word before? 😜

42. Word with big or house : CAT - My loving wife with our BIG HOUSE CAT 

43. Together : AS ONE - When the Huskers do their tunnel walk, the fans rise AS ONE

49. "Macbeth" character : HAG - Shakespeare's non-PC designation 


50. Gay leader? : ENOLA - This plate tells you where my Mom worked during WWII and where this particular B-29 that became the ENOLA GAY was assembled

57. Defeat soundly : DRUB

58. Serve : AVAIL

59. Per : A POP - $2 A POP for bottled water makes it way more expensive than gasoline. Talk about marketing!

60. "No prob!" : EASY

61. Merci, across the border : DANKE - DANKE Schön worked for Wayne Newton and Ferris Bueller 

62. Nigerian pop star : SADE - Born in Ibadan, Nigeria

63. Cry of glee : WHEE

64. Orson Scott Card protagonist __ Wiggin : ENDER - Andrew ENDER Wiggin

65. Side for a dog : SLAW - KFC has wonderful cole SLAW



Down

1. Hat-tipper's word : MAAM - Can you tip a ball cap that is on backwards?

2. Fruit in un cóctel : PINA -Pineapple es "piña" en español (Pineapple is piña in Spanish)

3. Fuzzy Endor resident : EWOK - A Star Wars cast member

4. Hindu god with the head of an elephant : GANESHA 

5. Sings smoothly : CROONS - Harry Connick Jr., Michael Buble'...

6. "Family Feud" host since 2010 : Steve HARVEY 

7. Exists simply : LIVES OFF THE LAND 

8. Valhalla VIP : ODIN - ODIN rules over Valhalla - "The house of the slain"

9. ExxonMobil trade name : ESSO

10. Garb for schussing : SKI WEAR - Not much use here for us flatlanders

11. Transplant figure : ORGAN DONOR - This shows 1) I take a lousy picture, 2) my hair is gray and 3) I am a an ORGAN DONOR

12. Way out : DOOR

13. Spanning: Abbr. : ACR - The Royal Gorge Bridge near Canon City, CO spans ACRoss the Arkansas river at 1,000 ft up but all you can do is cross it and turn right around and come back

21. Only NFC team that hasn't played in a Super Bowl : LIONS

22. Talks acronym : TED - Thought provoking online talks about Technology, Entertainment and Design. See more at ted.com 

25. Area of expertise : WHEELHOUSE - Give me the microphone to talk about space and I'm good to go!

26. Nasser's org. : UAR - In last Saturday's puzzle it was 15. Group formed in Cairo in 1945 : ARAB LEAGUE 

27. Caviar : ROE

28. Key of Beethoven's Ninth: Abbr. : D MIN - This choral part still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up!

29. Tie on the farm : YOKE 

30. Talk big : CROW - Peter Pan's self aggrandizing anthem 

31. Not esta or esa : OTRA - Not esta (this) or esa (that) but OTRA (another)

36. "Foucault's Pendulum" author : ECO - Umberto ECO's satirical novel

37. Crew member : TAR - Or gob, swab, swabbie, salt, sea dog...


38. Apollo 11 lander : EAGLE - "Houston, Tranquility Base here, the EAGLE has landed"

41. "See ya later" : OKAY BYE 

44. Fish market offering : SEA BASS

46. NFL threes : FGS - The behemoths play for 59 minutes and then the smallest guy on the squad comes in to decide the game with his kicking

47. Facebook reversal : UNLIKE - I had to "UNFRIEND" several people in 2016 because I got tired of them 56. Expel strongly : SPEWing their political opinions whether I agreed or not. There's a time and place

48. Word in Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy : NOBLER - Sometimes it is NOBLER to "suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" than to "take arms against a sea of trouble." Hill worth dying on?

51. "My man!" : BRAH - Brother -> Bro -> BRAH

52. Cross a stream, perhaps : WADE

53. English : John :: Slavic : __ : IVAN In Spanish, it would be Juan and 约翰 in Chinese

54. Girasol, e.g. : OPAL - Yeah, I didn't know either. Also called Moon Opal

55. Sci-fi character voiced by Frank Oz : YODA - Oh, that's how it's done!

57. Green moisture : DEW - Early golfers are called "DEW Sweepers"

Time now for your pertinent or impertinent remarks:

DA GRID

Friday, January 12, 2018, Priscilla Clark & Jeff Chen

Title: Welcome to Punnsylvania

Priscilla makes her LAT debut with one of the master mentors- Jeff Chen. He previously helped her to publication in the NYT in 2016. Jeff is a prolific constructor, writer, editor and very nice man. He writes daily about the NYT puzzles, where he has 46 collaborative publications. Each theme fill takes a phrase with the "ens" sound word converted to the "ins" sound.

Finding two grid-spanning fill was nice and the grid was very open.  Jeff and his partners always include a great deal of sparkly fill and here we have ROTUNDA,  VINTNER, ALLOPATH,  CURTAINS,  REAR EXIT,  REGICIDE and TIDEPOOLS. My only unknown was TILSIT a cheese I guess I should remember. As with all sound puzzles YMMV.


17A. Instruction for dolphin riders? : STRADDLE THE FINS (14). Straddle the FENCE. Does the sound of dolphins and fins grate?

22A. Flashy genetic enhancements? : DNA SEQUINS (10). DNA SEQUENCE. They started rerunning the original CSI on ION TV.

34A. Groaners in a routine? : SINS OF HUMOR (11). SENSE of humor. The central themer has the change in the first word, the rest the last word.

50A. Time capsules? : FUTURE TINS (10). Future TENSE. Capsule = tin? Maybe.

57A. Use second fiddles in a pinch? : RESORT TO VIOLINS (14). Resort to VIOLENCE. I am not sure why they needed to be second fiddles, but this is my favorite.

Across:

1. Compass output: ARCS. Last week it was EAST. The other compass.  LINK.

5. Gershwin title color: BLUE. This is a wonderful piece of music. RHAPSODY IN BLUE.
He also wrote BLUE LULLABY.

9. Presidential daughter Reagan: PATTI. Ms. Davis changed her last name to her mother's maiden name in an effort to have an independent career.

14. Bird's-nest, e.g. : SOUP. I put this in and took it out and then put it back.  INFO.

15. Ounce: IOTA. If you had one iota of gumption...

16. Zac of "Baywatch": EFRON. He was in the movie version with the Rock.

20. Reader with reprints: UTNE. A popular crossword fill, the Utne Reader is a quarterly American magazine that collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment, generally from alternative media sources including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music, and DVDs. Wiki.

21. Flight attendant's indication: REAR EXIT. Too many politically incorrect thoughts to comment.

25. Ticket: CITE. That is why it is called a citation.

26. Oscar role for Forest: IDI. Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV_QgKJFZP0

27. Piña colada liquor: RUM. Mixed with pineapple juice and coconut cream.

28. Like "black diamond" slopes: STEEP.

29. Hot-dog it? : PANT. A warm canine pants, the tongue is their sweat gland..

31. New England cape: ANN.

33. __ generis: SUI. This TERM has importance in the Law, likely misunderstood by me and others.

38. "I'm such a moron!" : D'OH. Not just Homer Simpson uses this phrase.

39. Car nut: LUG. Not someone who loves cars, but the lug nut which holds your tire in place on the wheel.

40. Campbell of "House of Cards": NEVE. The puzzle was likely written before the Kevin Spacey scandal, but apparently, Neve was an interesting character. I had stopped watching before the kerfuffle.

43. Filled entirely: SATED.

46. What bills may become: LAW.

48. "Amscray!" : GIT. Our first pig latin in a very long time.

49. Pace often rapid: CLIP.

54. Alternative medicine practitioner's term for a mainstream doctor: ALLOPATH. The expression was coined in 1810 by the creator of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843).In such circles, the expression "allopathic medicine" is still used to refer to "the broad category of medical practice that is sometimes called Western medicine, biomedicine, evidence-based medicine, or modern medicine." Wiki. I learned this while auditing a course in alternative medicine that my massage therapist was taking.

56. One might have tears in it: DUCT. Not if it is the TAPE. Lots of fun stuff.

61. Quick: AGILE.

62. Name of kings in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden: ERIC. This was an easy guess, but there is much more to learn about these Constitutional MONARCHIES.

63. Light bulb, metaphorically: IDEA.

64. Pioneer of song who "crossed the wide mountains with her lover Ike": BETSY. This was hard. I did not remember much of this SONG. The lyrics are not the same as the Johnny Cash version.

65. Risqué: RACY. Two old fashioned words.

66. APB quarry: PERP. Two weeks in a row for this fill.

Down:

1. Jenny's offspring : ASS. Not poor Jennny McCarthy, but the female Donkey. All you need to know about ASSES.

2. Capitol sight : ROTUNDA. Just think round, usually with a dome.

3. Disastrous end : CURTAINS. My mental image:

4. Extends over : SPANS. Like the bridges we discused recently.

5. Compete for the job : BID.

6. Online chuckle : LOL.

7. Female marsupials have two : UTERI. The poor male marsupial. Kangaroos have three vaginas. ... Koalas, wombats and Tasmanian devils all share the three-vagina structure. The side ones carry sperm to the two uteruses (and males marsupials often have two-pronged penises), while the middle vagina sends the joey down to the outside world. I can't make this stuff up.

8. Taken back, as words : EATEN.

9. Equal : PEER.

10. Love : AFFECTION.

11. Ed's wife on "The Honeymooners" : TRIXIE. She was played by five different actresses during the life of the SHOWS from 1951 to 1970.

12. Ad time : TONITE.

13. Shoe part : INSTEP.

18. Lots of bucks : DEER.

19. Is afflicted with : HAS.

22. Depression : DIP.

23. Put down : QUASH. A rebellion?

24. "Did you really think I'd go for that?" : UM NO.

28. Largest number in many a column : SUM. This added up for me.

30. Homes for creatures of the not-so-deep : TIDE POOLS. Tide pools provide a home for hardy organisms such as starfish, mussels and clams. Inhabitants must be able to deal with a frequently changing environment — fluctuations in water temperature, salinity, and oxygen content. Wiki.

32. Org. in a 1966 merger agreement : NFL.

33. Raw, brown or white stuff : SUGAR.

35. Third of a kid's poem trio : NOD. I was winken and blinken through this one.

36. TV streaming option : HULU. I have not tried them, using only Netflix and Amazon. Anyone have a review?

37. "Game of Thrones" evilness : REGICIDE. Killing the King- we have both Cersei and her brother, the Kingslayer. Add that to doing away with Joffrey....well it is not a nice place to visit.

41. Wine label info : VINTNER. A CSO to Chairman Moe.

42. "Hitchhiker's Guide" beings, for short : ETS.

43. Many a hieroglyphic insect : SCARAB. Odd to see this again- two weeks in a row.

44. Claim : ALLEGE. A very popular legal word.

45. Semihard Swiss cheese : TILSIT.

47. Declaration at a group wedding : WE DO. I think they each say, "I DO" but I do not know. Oo said I could have only one wife.

50. Target of budget trimming : FAT.

51. Complete : UTTER.

52. Birch of "American Beauty" : THORA. I have had her in a few friday write-ups.

53. Showy bulb : TULIP.

55. Hunted one : PREY.

58. Ford's Crown __ : VIC.

59. Like comets : ICY.

60. Easy mark : SAP. Beacuse they get sucked dry?

Well there was a lot there and much to discuss. Hope you had fun and look forward to all the comments. Lemonade out.

Thursday, January 11th 2018 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Yes, you can .. Of course you can - do all these things that the theme suggests:

17A. Step on it : WELCOME MAT. Mine reads "Hello!" when you walk in, "Goodbye!" when you leave.

39A. Sleep on it : BUNK BED

62A. Count on it : TALLY SHEET. This one looks serious:

11D. Bet on it : HORSE RACE

35D. Bank on it : POOL TABLE. Bank shot. Satisfying if you pull it off.

Very nice theme from C.C. - the theme is in the clues rather than the solutions, and both across and down. They both play their part in a fun puzzle. I liked TALLY SHEET particularly

Across:

1. Splendor : POMP

5. Lara Croft targets : TOMBS. Lara Croft, Tomb Raider. I had a maquette of her on my desk when I worked at Warner Bros. Of course, it was all in the cause of accuracy with merchandise product development.

10. In that case : THEN

14. Jamba Juice berry : ACAI. This, or Goji. Wait for the crosses.

15. "Tommy" is one : OPERA. The first "rock opera". Here's Elton John as the Pinball Wizard.

16. Chewy Hershey candy : ROLO

19. Activates, as a security system : ARMS

20. Tossed course : SALAD

21. Company that introduced Styrofoam : DOW. Really? That's a new one. I'd have guessed 3M if someone held my feet to the fire.

22. Spacek of "Bloodline" : SISSY. Ha! I had you at "Spacek".

23. Things to avoid : NO-NOS

25. Foamy pick-me-up : LATTE

27. Defeat decisively : TROMP. There's something very satisfying about this word, especially the past tense "trompled".

30. Tied in the harbor : MOORED

33. Flowing garment : CAPE

36. __ Paulo, Brazil : SÃO. The first time I flew into here I was stunned by how large the city is. I had no idea.

37. Roman poet who coined "carpe diem" : HORACE

Be wise, strain the wine; and since life is brief, prune back far-reaching hopes! 

Even while we speak, envious time has passed: 

seize the day, putting as little trust as possible in tomorrow!

38. Creator of Iceland's Imagine Peace Tower : ONO

41. "SNL" writer/actor Michael : CHE

42. "Becket" star : O'TOOLE

44. Auction ending? : -EER

45. Inert gas : NEON

46. Not very often : SELDOM

47. Like some poll questions : YES/NO

49. Youngsters : TYKES

51. Hamlet cousins : TOWNS. Very nice. First I had my mind running down the Shakespeare track, then the stogie (Hamlet was a brand of cheap cigar in the UK.) The commercials were fun. Here's a 1977 example.

54. Put down : ABASE

56. Crone : HAG

59. Knuckleheads : TWITS

61. Wild bunches : MOBS. Mobs of twits? That would be scary.

64. Lawn pest : MOLE

65. "That's too bad" : AW, GEE!

66. It might be a whole lot : ACRE. That's a good-sized lot in my part of town: 6,000 square feet is normal. An acre is 43,460 - quite some difference.

67. Follow instructions : OBEY.

68. Covert agent : PLANT

69. Safari shelter : TENT

Down:

1. Bear feet : PAWS

2. Aquaman's realm : OCEAN

3. __ Cup: classic candy in a yellow wrapper : MALLO. Thank you, crosses.

4. Hot and spicy : PICANTE. My first thought with the "P" in place was PIQUANT. French comes before Portuguese in my mind.

5. Young Spider-Man portrayer Holland : TOM. Merci, les croix.

6. Pundit's piece : OP-ED

7. Short note : MEMO. Because "Grace" didn't fit.

8. Wild fight : BRAWL

9. Suppressed, with "on" : SAT

10. False friend : TRAITOR

12. Shade trees : ELMS

13. Way too interested : NOSY

18. Dumpster output : ODOR

22. Put up with : STOOD

24. "Well, sorrrr-ry!" : SO SUE ME!

26. Massachusetts college or its town : AMHERST. I had AMHURST at first, which made BUNK BED a little troublesome. Bunk Bud?

28. "Holy smokes!" : MAN!

29. Stir : POKEY. Slangy "Jail". Good Thursday-level clue.

31. Letter between Delta and Foxtrot : ECHO. At Atlanta-Hartsfield airport, the "D" stop on the tram is announced as "D-David" as too many passengers were alighting thinking they were at the Delta Airlines terminal. There, you get Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, David and Echo.

32. "It Ain't All About the Cookin'" memoirist Paula : DEEN. She is a true culinary colossus. Here's her recipe for "English Peas" from her Food Network website:

Ingredients
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 cans (14 1/2-ounces) English peas, drained
Directions
Melt the butter in small pot and add the peas. Cook over medium heat until peas are warm.

Wow. Genius.

33. Pigeon calls : COOS

34. Poker stake : ANTE

39. Chap : BLOKE

40. Cause of a buzz : BEE

43. Adventurous trip : ODYSSEY

45. "Another problem?" : NOW WHAT? Welcome to my world.

48. Forget-me-__: flowers : NOTS

50. Shoulder warmer : SHAWL

52. Jenna, to Jeb : NIECE.When I see "Jeb", I immediately think "Clampett", which is hopeless because he was a "Jed". These two are members of the Bush clan.

53. Unsmiling : STERN

54. Firing range supply : AMMO

55. Doofus : BOOB. Stop snickering at the back.

57. Pond plant : ALGA

58. Small valley : GLEN

60. Editor's mark : STET. As you were!

62. You may feel one on your shoulder : TAP

63. Even so : YET

I'm heading back from the frozen East Coast to unpack the scarf and gloves and pack for warmer Delhi tomorrow. However, the weather summary, usually "cloudy", "sunny", "rain" or similar shows "smoke". That's a first! If all goes well, next week's blog will be from the Taj Mahal, and that's not the Indian restaurant in Westwood.

As much flying as I do, I never fail to be in awe of nature. Here are the Rocky Mountains last Monday from 38,000 feet on my flight from LA to New York. I love the window seat.

Keep well, everybody! Get a flu shot if you've not had one yet. This winter's strain is a nasty one.

Steve

Wednesday, January 10, 2018 Paul Coulter

Theme: Why should you never starve at the beach?  Because of all the sand which is there.  [Let the groaning begin.] Three common sandwich fillings are wrapped up inside the theme answers, in each split across the two word fill.  Let's have a taste.

20 A. Blindsided : CAUGHT UNAWARE.  Thus, by surprise.  The infallible internet tells me that UNAWARE is an adjective, but CAUGHT needs an adverb complement - in this case, UNAWARES. I am not making up this not.  Anyway, TUNA is a common sandwich filler, popular with both humans and felines.

33 A. Pumpkin pie maker's tool : NUTMEG GRATER.  A handy little gadget that comes in many designs and varieties.  NUTMEG is not just for deserts, though.  It goes wonderfully with pasta, spinach and Gruyere cheese.  Trust me on this one.  Concealed in this answer is an EGG.  I have not tried this with NUTMEG.  Could be promising.

41 A. One of a global septet : NORTH AMERICA. The other 6 continents are South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica.  HAM is of course another classic sandwich filler.  I like mine grilled with Swiss cheese.  Perhaps another NUTMEG opportunity?

And the unifier, or in this case, container -- 56. Flatbread lunch items ... and, as shown by circles, what 20-, 33- and 41-Across are? : SANDWICH WRAPS.  Typically, these are some variety flat bread, literally rolled and wrapped around the filling.

Hi, gang, JazzBumpa here.  Let's head for the dining room and see what else Paul has cooked up for us.  Bon appetit!

Across

1. Share-a-ride pickup hrs. : ETAS. Estimated Time of Arrivals.  Er - Times of Arrival. 

5. Go wild with Wild Turkey, say : TOPE.  Drink to excess, especially if done on a regular basis.

9. Golden Horde member : TATAR.  It's complicated.

14. Pope __ VI (1963-'78) : PAUL.   Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, as Pope, continued and implemented the ecumenical reforms started under Pope John XXIII. 

15. Copied : APED.  APE see, APE do.

16. Be nuts about : ADORE.  

17. "The Simpsons" bus driver : OTTO.

Lovable stoner 

18. Drink garnish : RIND.  Citrus, typically.  Or possibly melon.  I don't claim to know all.

19. Old-time actress Shearer : NORMA.  An accomplished performer who was nominated for 5 Oscars, and best actress winner in 1930 for THE DIVORCEE.

The Queen of MGM

23. "Let's see ... " : HMM.  Thoughtful non-comment.

24. German city on the Danube : ULM.  Along with Regensburg, Passau, Donauschingen, Ingolstadt and Donauwörth, all of which have far to many letters.

25. Set ablaze : IGNITE.  Arson is suspected.

28. The hit in the baseball mantra "A walk is as good as a hit" : SINGLE.  Just as good in the lead off spot.  Not so much with a man on 3rd and two outs.

30. Sugar source : CANE.  Here in the midwest, BEET also works.

32. Cultural funding gp. : National Endowment for the Arts.

36. Beef inspection org. : United States Department of Agriculture.

39. 401(k) alternative, for short : Individual Retirement Account.  N. B. Abrvs. in. Cl. & Ans.

40. __ stick: incense : JOSS.  A thin stick made of paste and a fragrant substance burnt before a Chinese idol.  News to me.

46. Suffix with percent : -ILE.  Each of the 99 intermediate values that divide a frequency distribution into 100 groups.

47. College city on I-35 : AMES. Located in the center of Iowa, and home to Iowa State University.

48. Sharp : SHREWD.   Mentally.

52. Yom Kippur month : TISHRI.  From an Akkadian root meaning "beginning."   The first month of the civil year and 7th month of the eclesaitical year in the Hebrew calendar.

54. "Who am __ judge?" : I TO.  Who, indeed?

55. China's Chou En-__ : LAI.  Or Zhou Enlai, first Premier of the People's Republic of China, and a highly skilled diplomat.

60. Work really hard : SLAVE.  I don't suppose working hard at surfing counts.

62. '60s-'70s pitcher nicknamed Blue Moon : ODOM.  Johnny Lee ODOM, b. 1945 won three consecutive World Championships in 1973-4-5 with the Oakland A's.  He also had a pretty sever substance abuse problem.

63. Huge : EPIC.  

64. Awards for Asimov et al. : HUGOS.  Named for HUGO Gernbach, founder of the magazine Amazing Stories, they are presented each year at the World Science Fiction Convention.   Isaac Asimov is an American biochemist who became a science-fiction and then non-fiction author and editor of hundred of books

65. Computer list : MENU. Or cafe.  We do have a sandwich theme!

66. Concerning : AS TO.  In re:

67. Suits : EXECS.  Corp big wigs.  I've met a few and was not impressed.

68. Musically low : BASS.  

69. Floral neckwear : LEIS.  Flower garlands associated with Hawaii.

Down:

1. Geological timespans : EPOCHS

2. Woven Japanese mat : TATAMI

3. Colorful period : AUTUMN

4. Plod (through) : SLOG

5. Small pastry : TARTLET

6. Poppy drug : OPIUM

7. Keystone State Ivy : PENN

8. Scandinavian literary work : EDDA

9. Brightly colored songbird : TANAGER

10. Deck out : ADORN

11. Attacked with gusto : TORE INTO

12. Limb with biceps and triceps : ARM

13. "In Dreams" actor Stephen : REA

21. Netflix competitor : HULU

22. Flying aid : WING

26. Light shirts : TEES

27. All __: listening : EARS

29. Annoying bug : GNAT

30. First known asteroid : CERES

31. Lab gel : AGAR

34. Play charades, say : MIME

35. Open just a crack : AJAR

36. Ton, for one : UNIT

37. Songs for one : SOLI

38. Equestrian event : DRESSAGE

42. Equestrian equipment : HARNESS

43. In the center of : AMID

44. Panama landform : ISTHMUS

45. Grub : CHOW

49. Go by : ELAPSE

50. Elk : WAPITI

51. Where much Bee Gees music was played : DISCOS

53. Mayhem : HAVOC

54. Graphic symbols : ICONS

57. Berth before birth : WOMB

58. It can come to mind : IDEA

59. Concrete : REAL

60. Cow or sow : SHE

61. Unilever soap brand : LUX

Well, that [ahem] WRAPS is up for another Wednesday.  Sadly, no love for peanut butter.  Hope you didn't EAT A TON.

Cool regards!

JzB

Tuesday, January 9, 2018 ~ Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

Theme: TCOB - "Taking Care of Buisness"

17A. *Crimes of violence, e.g.: SERIOUS OFFENSES. Serious business.

23A. *Jungle gym: MONKEY BARS. Monkey business.

37A. *Not-so-humorous humerus spot: FUNNY BONE. Funny business.

54A. *Young boy's role model: BIG BROTHER. Big business.

61A. Fledgling enterprise ... and what the first word of the answers to starred clues can literally do: START-UP BUSINESS

Former businessman Argyle here. Great puzzle from Bruce and Gail. Two spanners and triple seven letter columns in all the corners. A few nuggets to crunch on.

Across:

1. Groups of orcas: PODs

5. Quaint "Holy moly!": "EGAD!"

9. Teases: JIVES. 1928, "to deceive playfully", like gibe but not as mean.

14. Scott Turow memoir: ONE L. Crossword staple, "The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School"

15. Stubborn critter: MULE

16. Calendario page: ENERO. Spanish for this month, the one named after Janus.

20. School sport, or its setting: TRACK

21. Inheritance recipient: HEIR

22. "Singin' in the Rain" dance style: TAP. What a production number! I found this tidbit: "The title number, filmed on a street set two blocks long on the MGM backlot, took seven days to film, with six hours of fake rain each day. The water was mixed with milk to make it show better on camera, but the mixture made Kelly’s wool suit shrink. The perpetually drenched Kelly had a bad cold and fever the whole time. Dancers Gwen Verdon, Jeanne Coyne, and Carol Haney dubbed Kelly’s tap sounds and splashing noises in post-production." >Huffington Post<

  

26. Operatic princess: "AIDA". Verdi opera.

27. Mo. with no holidays: AUG. (August) But there are some observances. Link

28. Patriotic org. since 1890: DAR. (Daughters of the American Revolution)

29. Lightly colored: TINGED

31. Fraction of a min.: NSEC. (nanosecond) A very small fraction of a minute, I'd say.

33. Go quickly: RUSH

36. Golden __: seniors: AGERS

40. Formal will?: SHALL. A small misdirection, following 'seniors'.

43. Trampled (on): TROD

44. Doesn't keep up: LAGS

48. Lightweight straw hat: PANAMA

50. Swiffer product: MOP. Any personal reviews?

52. Divide before the deal: CUT

53. Departure notice?: OBIT

58. Game with matchsticks: NIM. Link

59. "Catch a Falling Star" singer Perry: COMO

60. Verdi opera "__ Miller": LUISA. Not seen here nearly as much,if at all, as "Aida". Wiki link.

65. __ limits: extremes: OUTER

66. The life of Riley: EASE

67. Folk singer Burl: IVES. Too late for one of his many Christmas songs.

68. Snorkeling spots: REEFs

69. Inventor's spark: IDEA

70. Formally surrender: CEDE

Down:

1. One who "rings twice," in an old film: POSTMAN. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946 film) A short clip.

2. Burdensome: ONEROUS

3. Drive up the wall: DERANGE

4. Smooth-talking: SLICK

5. Avian Aussie: EMU

6. Astronaut Grissom: GUS

7. "Welcome to Oahu!": "ALOHA!"

8. Schedule for later: DEFER

9. Boo and hiss: JEER

10. Stopover with a "keeper": INN

11. Slight trace: VESTIGE

12. Barnes &amp; Noble Nook, for one: E-READER

13. Steel wool scrubbers: S.O.S PADS

18. Gave one's blessing to: OKed

19. It may be pumped in victory: FIST

24. Knitting need: YARN

25. Full force: BRUNT

26. Well-behaved tot: ANGEL

30. English golfer Poulter: IAN. Leaving no doubt he's English.

32. Key equivalent to B: C FLAT

34. Damascus is its cap.: SYR. (Syria)

35. Weapon in a 1952 test: H-BOMB

38. Einstein's birth city: ULM

39. Baking-soda-in-the-fridge target: ODOR

40. One buying time, perhaps: SPONSOR

41. Regular patron: HABITUÉ

42. Bring to life, as cartoons: ANIMATE

45. Accomplish: ACHIEVE

46. Acted desperately on "Jeopardy!," perhaps: GUESSED

47. German street: STRASSE

49. "__ Ben Adhem": ABOU

51. __ sci: POLI

55. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame architect: I.M. PEI

56. Spoil: GO BAD

57. Roman garment of yore: TUNIC

59. NBA big men: Abbr.: CTRs. (centers)

62. Whistler between baskets: REF

63. Take advantage of: USE

64. Beach house view: SEA

Argyle

Monday, January 8, 2018 ~ Parikshit S. Bhat

Theme: Parental Guidance - Two word phrases that fit the P and G format.

21A. Admit to wrongdoing in court: PLEAD GUILTY

31A. Location-based smartphone game release of 2016: POKÉMON GO

41A. Similar set of individuals: PEER GROUP

52A. Inland sea between Iran and Saudi Arabia: PERSIAN GULF

41D. Like many animated films ... and a hint to 21-, 31-, 41- and 52-Across: PG-RATED

Argyle here. Straight forward letter plus letter puzzle. There are four of them and a neat reveal. I think the column crossings were intentional. (See grid) It's also a pangram.

Across:

1. Green gem: JADE. Tori earrings.

5. Actress Greta: GARBO

10. Ponzi scheme, for one: SCAM

14. Boy in "The Kite Runner": AMIR. Book, film, play. Wiki link

15. Toward the back: AREAR

16. When tripled, a 1970 WWII film: TORA. Roger Ebert review.

17. Spanish "nothing": NADA

18. Free, in France: LIBRE

19. Reddish-brown horse: ROAN

20. Israeli submachine gun: UZI

23. Embark from a dock: SET SAIL

25. Spaniel's welcome: ARF

26. Indian-born storekeeper on "The Simpsons": APU

27. Bening of "American Beauty": ANNETTE

35. Half a bray: HAW. HEE being the other half.

36. Radio knob: TUNER

37. 1998 biopic about model Carangi: GIA. She died at 26. (1986)

38. Travelocity ad figure: GNOME

40. Ctrl-__-Delete: PC reboot combo: ALT. Mine starts Task Manager.

43. Reveal: DIVULGE

46. Help: AID

47. Negative connection: NOR

48. Climbing plant: CREEPER

57. Dockworkers' gp.: ILA. (International Longshoremen's Association)

58. Soothing plant extract: ALOE

59. Pageant headgear: TIARA

60. Prefix with lateral: EQUI

61. Arctic seabird: SKUA. "Oh yeah?" "Yeah!"

62. No __ sight: END IN

63. Bugs Bunny adversary Elmer: FUDD

64. Smartphone message: TEXT

65. Gave medicine to: DOSED

66. Golf ball supports: TEEs

Down:

1. Two-faced god: JANUS. January's namesake.

2. Fill with wonder: AMAZE

3. Completed the task: DID IT

4. Significant period: ERA

5. Steel-gray metallic element: GALLIUM. Element in many semiconductors.

6. Disney mermaid: ARIEL

7. Country star McEntire: REBA. And TV.

8. The __: Shakespeare: BARD

9. Pizza herb: OREGANO

10. Conflict: STRIFE

11. Like much fall weather: COOL

12. "I smell __!": A RAT

13. Lots of: MANY

21. Daily news source: PAPER

22. Coffee vessel: URN

24. Japanese alcoholic beverage: SAKE

27. Ice cream thickener: AGAR

28. Old-style you: THOU

29. Pack (down) firmly: TAMP

30. Sheep girl: EWE

31. Sheepdog from Hungary: PULI. Cute when they're puppies.

32. Being aired: ON TV

33. S-shaped molding: OGEE

34. Never, in Dortmund: NIE. Germany.

36. Little bit: TAD

38. Bereavement: GRIEF

39. Bump on a branch: NODE

42. Floral wreath: GARLAND

44. Remove from office: UNSEAT

45. Law, in Lille: LOI. France.

48. Madame of physics: CURIE

49. Arouse, as interest: PIQUE

50. Avoid capture by: ELUDE

51. Surprise attacks: RAIDS

52. Good old days: PAST

53. Actress Sommer: ELKE

54. Gumbo thickener: ROUX. (equal parts of flour and fat by weight) Moi?

55. El __: weather phenomenon: NINO

56. Wanders restlessly: GADS

60. Baby newt: EFT

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Patti Varol, Rich's assistant and editor for the Crosswords Club. Like Rich, Patti is incredibly efficient, patient and generous with her time. She is also sharp-eyed and notices every little dupe that might have escaped constructors. In one of the Club puzzles, Patti clued BLOG as [L.A. Times Crossword Corner, e.g.]. She does lots of little things for constructors. Thank you, Patti!

Sunday Jan 7, 2018 Pancho Harrison

Theme:  "According to Your Résumé ... " Each noun phrase is rephrased as a verb phrase related to the applicant in the clue:

22A. "... you've repaired planes for civilian pilots, but can you __?" : SERVICE ACES

34A. "... you've made indie films, but can you __?" : DIRECT HITS

40A. "... you've made decorative bowls, but can you __?" : FASHION PLATES

69A. "... you've conned small-time dealers with your forgeries, but can you __?" : SNOW FENCES

74A. "... you've monitored planets with your telescope, but can you __?" : TRACK STARS
 
100A. "... you've coached gymnasts, but can you __?" : TRAIN SPOTTERS

107A. "... you've run dining rooms, but can you __?" : HANDLE BARS

125A. "... you've written non-theatrical prose, but can you __?" : SUPPLY LINES

Notice that the first nouns all become verbs, the second nouns all change meaning drastically: tennis shots become fighter pilots, bomb hits to movie hits, clotheshorses to dinner plates, etc. Very consistent.

Train spotters is a new word to me. Google shows they're just train buffs.

Across:     

1. Join the cast of : ACT IN

6. Apt. listing unit : BDRM (Bedroom)

10. Golden __ : AGER

14. Biblical verb : DOST

18. Bara of the silents : THEDA. Nicknamed "The Vamp".

19. Exonerate : CLEAR

20. Judicious : SAGE

21. Sundance's sweetie __ Place : ETTA

24. One guilty of disorderly conduct? : SLOB. Ha ha.

25. Slightly : A TAD

26. Quasimodo's love : ESMERALDA. Great fill.

27. Trendy greeting : CIAO. Why "trendy"?

29. "The Optimist's Daughter" Pulitzer winner Welty : EUDORA

31. Biblical beast : ASS

32. Some Miles Davis groups : OCTETS

36. Govt. loan agency : SBA

37. Web page standard : HTML. Woo hoo, Misty, you rock!

39. Game show host : EMCEE

46. Lightweight hats : PANAMAS

50. It may be restricted : AREA

51. Artsy Manhattan neighborhood : SOHO

52. Latin clarifier : ID EST

54. Desert trial : N TEST. Some old North Koreans still can't believe that Chinese eat rice any time we want. During the Great Leap Forward when tens of millions of people died of famine, many Chinese escaped to North Korea for food.

55. Derring-do, e.g. : DEEDS

57. Disciplined, in a way : FINED

59. Many a Prado painting : GOYA

61. Windy City rail initials : CTA. Chicago Transit Authority.

62. Longtime Pro Bowl site : OAHU

64. Closer's stat : SAVES

66. B vitamin used to treat high cholesterol : NIACIN

76. Sparkly strands : TINSEL

77. Rhone tributary : SAONE

79. Standstill : HALT

80. Theater chain letters : AMC

81. "__ bigger than a breadbox?" : IS IT

83. Sprain site : ANKLE. My grandma used to rub hot alcohol on sprained ankle.

86. Like some coincidences : EERIE

90. Fairway adjoiner : ROUGH

93. Nike competitor : ASICS. According to Wiki, the name is an acronym for the Latin phrase anima sana in corpore sano: which translates as "a healthy soul in a healthy body".

95. Lang. of Livorno : ITAL

97. Kind : SORT

98. Cilium, to the layperson : EYELASH. Cilium sounds like a drug.

103. Tuckered out : ALL IN

105. Like falling off __ : A LOG

106. Frat letters : NUS

111. Thickets : COPSES

114. Actor Daniel __ Kim : DAE

117. Was crazy about : ADORED

118. Greeted the judge : ROSE

120. Prospector's disappointment : FOOL'S GOLD. Another sparkly fill.

122. Actress Delany : DANA. She made a puzzle for the NYT a long while ago.

123. "Oh, nuts!" : DANG

127. Spellbound : AGOG

128. Early role for Ronny : OPIE

129. Takes the Black Friday plunge : SHOPS. Tried once. Not fun at all. So rushed.

130. Sorbonne enrollee : ELEVE

131. Melanie's "Working Girl" role : TESS

132. Drive, for one : GEAR

133. Catch a glimpse of : ESPY

134. Pittsburgh product : STEEL

Down:

1. Between ports : AT SEA

2. Fischer's forte : CHESS

3. Contract conditions : TERMS

4. "If only __ known ... " : I'D'VE

5. African capital on its own river : NAIROBI. Vibrant night lights.

6. Ice skate part : BLADE

7. Summer Olympics event : DECATHLON

8. Actress Charlotte : RAE

9. "Happy Days" mom, to Fonzie : MRS C

10. Very, in music : ASSAI

11. In quantity : GALORE

12. Id controller : EGO

13. The first Mrs. de Winter, in fiction : REBECCA. The second one has no name. That was a scary movie.

14. Tie : DEAD HEAT

15. 10th-century emperor : OTTO I. First of four Holy Roman Emperors. Then the House of Otto decided to move to Roman Forest, Texas!

16. Get cracking : START

17. "Yay me!" shouts : TADAs

19. Breton or Gael : CELT

23. Chocolate trees : CACAOS. I bought a bag of cocoa nibs out of curiosity. Then I ground them into cocoa powder.

28. Was in a jam? : IDLED

30. Sch. in Knoxville : U TENN

33. Penn, e.g.: Abbr. : STA

35. Insincere, as a promise : EMPTY

36. Sunny-day shapes : SHADOWS. Awfully cold the past two weeks, thankfully Sun has been visiting us daily.

38. Crete's highest elev. : MT IDA

40. Hula hoops, say : FAD

41. "__ we good?" : ARE

42. Spot : SEE

43. Party-pooperish : NO FUN

44. Honor society letter : PHI

45. "Turn the Page" rocker : SEGER. Also 60. "Diana" singer : ANKA

47. Hajji's destination : MECCA

48. Up and at 'em : ASTIR

49. Kenton and Getz : STANs

53. Cubs' all-time home run champ : SOSA. Shunned by the Cubs these days.

56. Burglar's challenge : SAFE

58. Exxon, formerly : ESSO

63. Prefix with port : HELI

65. Powerful engine : V TEN

67. Man, but not woman : ISLE. Isle of Man.

68. Swears to : ATTESTS

69. Rubberneck : STARE

70. Spock portrayer : NIMOY

71. Well-timed : ON CUE

72. Forensic detectives, for short : CSIs

73. Take the loss : EAT IT

75. Chintzy : CHEAP

78. Like Willie Nelson vocals : NASAL. Boomer listens to his "On the Road Again" often.

82. Indian title : SAHIB

84. Michael Jackson compilation album : KING OF POP

85. Many OCS grads : LTS

87. Salmon-to-be : ROE. I enjoyed TTP and Yellowrock's continued miso and miso soup discussions. Dashi too.

88. Discount abbr. : IRR

89. Some "X-Files" characters : ETs

91. Fancy threads : GLAD RAGS

92. Oscar winner Berry : HALLE

94. Unrefined : CRASS. My Dashi is very unrefined, just dried anchovies, but good enough to make a simple Ramen noodle broth. No appetite for miso soup these days.

96. Remote : LONELY

99. Iditarod team member : SLED DOG. This race might end soon.

101. Winter Games org. : IOC

102. Grapples : TUSSLES. Next year I'm getting the flu shot.

104. Whence Aslan : NARNIA

107. Went after : HAD AT

108. Saw : ADAGE

109. Taboos : NO-NOs

110. NFL commissioner Goodell : ROGER. Powerful guy.

112. Flanders Fields flower : POPPY

113. Beethoven's fifths? : SOLs. Got via crosses.

114. Beneficiary : DONEE. Spell check does not like this word.

115. Naproxen brand : ALEVE. Heal quickly, Chairman Moe!

116. Ford finned flop : EDSEL. All alliterative.

119. In __: existing : ESSE

121. Snazzy coating : GILT

124. Barbary beast : APE

126. Hesitant speaker's sounds : UHs