Friday, March 30, 2018, Mark Feldman

Title- Close your eyes and listen.

I am never sure how this crowd will react to a sounds like pun puzzle but for me the theme fill is especially fun. I have blogged many of Mark's Friday creations and they all seem to have some sound element, and a very light-hearted approach. If you want to go to the archives, you will have a good time solving them all. We also had so many sparkly fill like BASS DRUM, GAG RULES, SHOELACE, SKI SLOPE, SMALLEST and STUNTMAN.

So let us see where the puns take us.

17A. Religious text for a Texas senator? : CRUZ MISSAL (10). CRUISE MISSILE. The hardest one, as while most know Ted Cruz,the book containing the prayers and rites used by the Roman Catholic priest in celebrating Mass over the course of the entire year.

24A. Pet for a Spanish surrealist? : DALI LLAMA (9). DALAI  LAMA. Salvatore and the two L.

53A. Underage child of a German chancellor? : KOHL MINOR (9). COAL MINER. I also am not sure if many remember HELMUT.

62A. Household help for a 19th-century president? : TAYLOR MAID (10). TAILOR-MADE. My grandfather was a tailor. Zachary, old Rough and Ready was the 12th President who was the second one who died in office in the 1840s.

Across:

1. Like "le" in Fr.: MASCuline.

5. Degrade: ABASE.

10. There's no money in it: SWAP. I love this clue; there are barter companies who broker professional services without money.

14. Prefix with syllabic: OCTO. This is pretty random, though a real word.

15. Starbucks offering: LATTE.

16. Cap with a flat, circular top: KEPI.

19. Flex ending: IBLE.

20. Home of Amboseli National Park : KENYA.
This PARK.

21. Pennant race mo. : SEPtember.

22. Tied accessory : ASCOT. This gets its name fro, the racetrack but historically was part of very formal wear. LINK.



23. Cause of a sleeve movement : TUG.

26. More uneven : BUMPIER.

29. Puts in a vault, in a way : ENTOMBS.

30. Dos Passos trilogy : USA. Do you like reading about the GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL?

31. Mild rebuke : TUT. Does anyone use a single tut?

33. With 44-Across, Hanna-Barbera feline : TOP. 44A. See 33-Across : CAT.

34. Cravings : YENS.

36. Sidekick : AMIGO.

38. Glimpse : ESPY.

42. Not a good start? : MAL. A bad prefix.

45. Shade : HUE.

46. Michigan neighbor : ONTARIO.

50. Baptized boys, often : GODSONS.

55. Milk source : EWE. Sheep milk. Do humans drink THIS?

56. Whac-__ : A-MOLE. Are you a CHAMP?

57. Heating stat : BTU. British Thermal Unit

58. Finnish architect Alvar __ : AALTO. I had not heard of this MAN.

61. Look closely (over) : PORE.

64. Bank offerings : IRAS. Much more than a bank offering.

65. Resort WSW of Denver : ASPEN. My first trip to Colorado was to Denver and thenon to a condo in Snowmass at Aspen. 10D. 65-Across feature : SKI SLOPE. They have lots to do THERE.

66. __ coffee : ICED. Aha, not tea today.

67. Titillating message : SEXT.

68. Silly ones : GEESE.

69. Cong. period : SESSion.

Down:

1. Sham : MOCK.

2. Israeli port : ACRE.  A change for this fill, but very tricky. Acre is the holiest city of the Bahá'í Faith, and as such receives many Baha'i pilgrims. In 2016, the population was 47,808.Acre is a mixed city, that includes Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Baha'is. Wiki.

3. Nonspeaking movie role : STUNTMAN.

4. Ingratiate oneself (to) : COZYUP.

5. "When We Were Kings" subject : ALI.

6. It takes a beating : BASS DRUM. Another really cute clue.

7. Befuddled : AT SEA.

8. Basic : STAPLE. You need to stockpile these around hurrican season here.

9. Sushi selection : EEL. CSO to C.C.

11. Interoffice connection : WEBCAM. Not in my office, but many use them when they are nationwide.

12. Poise : APLOMB.

13. Madonna portrayals : PIETAS.

18. Crèche trio : MAGI.

22. Glee club member : ALTO.

25. Completely : IN TOTO. Funny letters into to.

26. Accept : BUY. That's your story? I guess I buy it.

27. Consumption : USE.

28. List ender : ET ALII.

32. Idiosyncratic contraction : TIC.

35. Of least significance : SMALLEST. Hey, good things come in small packages.

37. They squelch discussions : GAG RULES. This has a bad HISTORY. By statute or court rule, gag orders are often placed on grand jury participants.

39. It goes over the tongue : SHOELACE. You have to think about this one.

40. "Piano is not my forte," e.g. : PUN. I guess we understand where Mr. Feldman's head was when he built this puzzle.

41. With 51-Down, sometimes-sighed line : YES. 51D. See 41-Down : DEAR.

43. French weapon : ARME. Inferrable but I have never heard it used.

46. Congo natives : OKAPIS. The okapi also known as the forest giraffe or zebra giraffe, is an artiodactyl mammal native to the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. Wiki.

47. "That's enough already!" : NO MORE.

48. Middle section of an insect : THORAX. I wish I had John Lampkin to pick a picture.

49. Hoping to get home : ON BASE. Baseball season started yesterday.

52. Religious ascetics : SWAMIS. More religion.

54. Common blood group : O-TYPE.

59. Connections : TIES. I have used facebook to restablish ties with so many with whom I had lost touch.

60. Chances : ODDS. Chances are that most are not very happy with...

62. Identify on Facebook : TAG.

63. Unified : ONE.

I enjoyed this one very much, and hope you all did as well. Happy Passover to those celebrating Passover this evening; we get to cook for my local son and his family after going to Colorado the last few years. Good Friday and Easter also are this weekend and the best to those who celebrate. Thank you Mark, and who come and share. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Below is letter I got from the great Jeffrey Wechsler. It warmed my heart.



"I consider it incumbent upon me to personally and publicly thank several of those whose comments on my Wednesday puzzle, and past puzzles, were so kind that I virtually blushed while reading them. I refer specifically to Irish Miss -- "I hereby nominate Jeffrey Wechsler for Word Play Wizard of the Crossword Community" -- and to Swamp Cat -- "Irish Miss, I second the nomination! JW certainly is a Word Play Wizard!"

For those of you who regularly solve LA Times puzzles, and for those who venture into the wider world of crosswords, I am sure that you know that there many, many constructors equally (and much more) worthy of the title of Word Play Wizard. Indeed, compared to some constructors, my presumed Wizard rank would be reduced to that of Muggle.

However, over the years I have been greatly appreciative by the many kind comments on this blog toward my work. I recall the slow advance of the reception of my Friday LA Times puzzles at the Crossword Corner from occasional befuddlement (and a rare bit of hostility!), to tentative acceptance, to enjoyment (although, of course, not by all). My intent is never to confound -- just to try to come up with something interesting, and perhaps challenging in a positive sense. Crossword puzzles should not be "gotcha" affairs -- they should be engaging, brain-tickling, and providers of enjoyment. And to that end, my favorite comments are perhaps from Misty. How can I resist smiling on seeing Wednesday's "Woohoo! Woohoo! I got a Wednesday Jeffrey Wechsler puzzle without a single error or cheating!" I always look forward to Misty's "Woohoo!" It's that sort of reaction that makes the odd enterprise of puzzle-making worthwhile. And I thank those in general who comprise the community who comment at the Crossword Corner. Especially in comparison to some other crossword blogs, the comments here are overwhelmingly kind, thoughtful, and lacking in unnecessary invective. Thank you all (even those who still misspell my name!).

All the best, and keep on solving,

Jeffrey Wechsler"

Thursday March 29 2018 Jerry Edelstein & Bob Monat

Theme: Circle Scrambles - different kinds of messages scrambled and highlighted by the circles

20A. Surprisingly little, pricewise : NEXT-TO-NOTHING. [TEXT]

27A. Superfast : A MILE A MINUTE [EMAIL] Not really so fast any more, it's only 60 MPH.

37A. Maxim about frugality : WASTE NOT, WANT NOT [NOTE]. Good housekeeping advice from 1914:

45A. It's learned the hard way : BITTER LESSON [LETTER]

and the reveal:

54A. Confusing statements ... and a hint to the circled letters : MIXED MESSAGES

I think this is the first time Bob has appeared in the LA Times, so congratulations on that debut. Jerry is a more familiar face. I found this one tough going - the circles only made sense when the theme entries were complete, so the reveal didn't help any. Some of the clues were pretty tricky too. I basically picked around letter-by-letter, not the smoothest solve.

With puzzles like this which are heavy on the themage, you are going to get a lot of three- and four-letter fill. Four longer downs broke things up a little, CONGRUENT was my favorite word in the puzzle. 

Let's see what else jumps out:

Across:

1. "... __ a puddy tat!" : I TAW. I know it's easy to criticize, but I always think that 1A sets the tone for the puzzle and I liked to come out firing. I might have stopped to rethink this corner.

5. Bygone 26-Down rival : PAN-AM. Pan-American Airways. When it filed for bankruptcy in 1991 the cross-referenced Delta bought out its last remaining viable assets.

10. Limit : CAP

13. Small rodent : VOLE

14. Bold alternative : ITALIC

16. Have a mortgage : OWE

17. "... two fives for __?" : A TEN

18. Helix-shaped pasta : ROTINI. Food! Often used in pasta salads, the spirals hold the dressing nicely.

19. Pince-__ : NEZ. Eyeglasses that sit on your nose. Literally "Nose Pliers" or "Nose Tongs" which I find rather amusing. Moral - don't try to translate words that are understood in your own language. When I first went to France with a friend we went to check our bags at the Gare Du Nord when we arrived in Paris so we were free to explore the city. These places were called "Left Luggage" offices in England. My chum, proud of our high school french, inquired as to the whereabouts of the "Bureau de gauche baggages".

23. Picasso's birth city : MALAGA

24. Desertlike : ARID

32. RR stops : STAS. Stations.

35. Healthy drink : SWIG Healthy as in large or enthusiastic.

36. Immigrant's subj. : E.S.L. 

42. Comic strip cry : ACK!

43. "Deadliest Catch" narrator Mike : ROWE. I actually knew this, one of the few TV references where I didn't need help from the crosses.

44. View from Catania : ETNA. Mt. Etna looms large in the background of this Sicilian city.

50. Put away : STOW

51. Split up : PARTED. Past tense; the clue could be present or past tense. Tricky. The "D" was my last entry.

60. MSNBC's "Morning __" : JOE

62. Add value to : ENRICH

63. Avian digestive system part : CRAW. Also known as the crop, it's just below the throat in some birds, not all birds have one. When I first dressed a wild pheasant, I was surprised to find the craw was full of little pebbles. Apparently the birds swallow them to help start the digestion process when they eat seeds.

64. Brewpub order : ALE

65. School bud : ROOMIE

66. Singer Horne : LENA

67. "Not __" : YET

68. Bond and others : SPIES. Agent 007 James, of course.

69. Macron's state : ÉTAT. President of France Emmanuel Macron suggests the french word for "state".

Down:

1. Nobelist Pavlov : IVAN. He of the "conditioned reflex".

2. Revered emblem : TOTEM

3. Singer/songwriter __ Ray Joel : ALEXA. Who? I think she's better known for being the daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley.

4. Followed the crowd? : WENT LAST

5. European dumpling : PIROGI. More correctly pierogi. Steamed dumplings.

6. Not exactly hummable : ATONAL

7. Post-WWII alliance : NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

8. Settled on a branch : ALIT

9. Ho Chi __ City : MINH. I have to think twice about the order of the "N" and the "H".

10. Harmonious : CONGRUENT. Word of the day. I first learned it in geometry class to describe triangles which could be proven to be identical.

11. Leave open-mouthed : AWE

12. Candy with an Emoji dispenser set : PEZ

15. VI x XVII : CII. 102.

21. Flat-topped cap : TAM

22. Editor Talese with a Doubleday imprint : NAN. I had the "A" in place and jumped in with GAY, even though at the back of my mind I knew he was a writer, not an editor.

25. "Show time!" : IT'S ON!

26. Co-founder of the SkyTeam alliance : DELTA

28. Skin care name : ESTÉE

29. "That is sooo cute!" : AWW!

30. Wasikowska of "The Kids Are All Right" : MIA. Crosses all the way. She looks familiar now that I look her up:

31. Engine starter: Abbr. : IGN. Ignition.

32. DNA lab items : SWABS

33. Unspoken : TACIT

34. Call for an appointment : ASK TO MEET

38. Before, in ballads : ERE

39. Scand. land : NOR.

40. Temple athlete : OWL

41. Squid appendage : TENTACLE. I've got fried calamari on the brain now.

46. Light opener? : TWI-

47. Coined money : SPECIE. A little obscure. When I worked for a marine insurance company I learned that "specie" described cargo that was bullion, usually silver or gold.

48. Pageant bands : SASHES

49. Anesthesiologists' work sites, briefly : OR'S. Operating Rooms.

52. White-plumed wader : EGRET. Egads! An egret!

53. "Strawberry Wine" country singer Carter : DEANA. Not familiar, the song has a nice lilt to it.

55. Gen-__ : X'ER

56. First family grandson? : ENOS. Adam and Eve's son Seth was 105 when Enos was born, according to biblical text.

57. Let go of : DROP

58. Actress Rogers : MIMI. Tom Cruise ex, also appeared in Playboy magazine. She's a professional poker player too.

59. Rescue team acronym : SWAT. Special Weapons And Tactics. I did not know that.

60. Word with hawk or walk : JAY. If a Kansas U hoops player wanders across the street, he's a jaywalking Jayhawk.

61. "¡Viva el matador!" : ¡OLÉ!

... and ¡olé! 

I took a client to a hockey game on Monday night - LA Kings vs. Calgary Flames at the Staples Center. I don't think I could have scored better seats! He could coach his own team, he's been a Flames fan since he could skate (probably before he could walk!)

And .. here's the grid:

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

Argyle is out of the hospital. He has moved to the Wesley Center on Lawrence St. in Saratoga Springs. His room has no phone at the moment. Hopefully he'll be back on line soon. Tough road ahead for dear Santa: rehab, prosthesis, etc.

 

Wednesday, March 28, 2018 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: What happened to the Pope?   Let's start with the unifier.  It will make all clear.

54. Minister or imam, say ... and, in two ways, a hint to words hidden in 17-, 29- and 38-Across : RELIGIOUS LEADER.  The titles of RELIGIOUSly ministerial people are indicated at the beginning of each theme answer - thus LEADing the way in.  Let's see how that works.

17. Secondhand wave of excitement : VICARIOUS THRILL.  This is an imagined experience based on the actions or feelings of someone else.  The position of VICAR varies among different Christian denominations, but always involves some level of LEADERship responibiity.

29. Place to get delivery instructions? : LAMAZE CLASS.  This teaches a method of preparation for natural childbirth.  A LAMA is a teacher of the Dhamma, a principle of cosmic order, in Tibetan Buddhism.

38. Hare care site : RABBIT HUTCH.  Clever clue for a place where bunnies are nurtured [not the Playboy Mansion.]   In the Jewish faith, A RABBI is a teacher in Jewish law who also provides pastoral counseling and represents the community.

With two grid-spanners and two more entries of 11 letters each, this is quite rich for a 4-part theme.  Also, I found this to be a bit on the tough side for a Wednesday.  But, it's Jeffery, who we usually see on Fridays, so that might explain it.  In fact, word count, length and freshness are all in the Thursday- Friday range.

Hi, gang, JazzBumpa here to guide you on this pilgrimage.  Remember, religion is off-topic here, so we'll make our excursion secular and apolitical.

Down

1. Touch, e.g. : SENSE.  Along with sight, smell, taste, taste and hearing, the typical 5 SENSES.    Modern thinking identifies a longer list.

6. Model in a bottle : SHIP.

Scale model, not fashion model

10. SALT weaponry : ABMS.  Strategic Arms Limitation Talks/Treaties concerned Ballistic Missiles and Anti Ballistic Missiles [ground to air] designed to defend against them.

14. "Ta-ta, mon ami" : ADIEU.  French word of departure.

15. Students' lunchroom : CAFETERIA.

19. Surprised cries : EEKS.  Responses to rodent sightings.

20. Court plea, briefly : NOLO contendere, in full.  A plea that neither admits guilt nor claims innocence.

21. Bridal path : AISLE.  Not a horse trail, but the route a bride takes to the altar.

22. "Uh-uh--however ... " : NO BUT.  Always, an objection.

24. They may be raised in casinos : STAKES.  Betting levels.  Are you in or out?

25. Saudi neighbors : OMANIS.  Middle-eastern geography.

27. Google Apps component : G-MAIL.  21st century communication device.

31. Pro bono TV ad : Public Service Announcement.

34. "Hamilton" climax : DUEL.  I'm not familiar with the ending of the musical - but this event ended Alexander Hamilton's life.  After missing with his first shot, Hamilton was struck by Burr's shot, and died the following day from the wound.

35. 27-Across alternative : AOL.  An internet service provider.

36. Has second thoughts about : RUES.  This rather understates what would be better defined as "bitter regret."

37. Member of the fam : SIS.  I have one.  No bro, though.

42. Thick : DENSE.  Figuratively speaking, a not particularly bright person can be called dense.  In more physical terms, these words refer to a linear dimension and relative heaviness, respectively.

43. Off the beaten path : REMOTE. Or, alternatively, far away.

44. Arcade activity : GAMING.  Generally of video or pin ball varieties.

47. Welcome words to a hitchhiker : HOP IN.  Feel free to enter the vehicle.



48. Kicking partner? : ALIVE.  Words that go together in a vernacular phrase.

49. Ancient France : GAUL. A vast region of Western Europe north of Iberia inhabited by Celtic peoples, that includes parts of several other modern countries.

51. St. Petersburg's river : NEVA. In Russia, not Florida, therefore remote.

57. Jaguar's jaguar, e.g. : TRADEMARK.  A word, phrase or symbol that is registered or established by use to represent a company or product.

58. Clarence Odbody in "It's a Wonderful Life," e.g. : ANGEL.  Specifically, a 2nd class angel, who after 200 years, had still not earned his wings.  Sad.

59. Give a finer edge to : HONE.  Sharpen on a whetstone, or figuratively, refine one's skills.

60. Word with bill or ball : PLAY.  "PLAY ball" announces the start of a baseball game.  A PLAYbill is a poster announcing a theatrical performance.  Here is my lovely wife, Gloria,  admiring a recent PLAYbill featuring granddaughter Amanda.

1. In __: unborn : UTERO.  Still in the uterus.

Down

1. Hockey announcer's cry : SAVE.  The average NHL goalie's save percentage has been .913 to .915 for the last 5 seasons.

2. Actress Falco : EDIE.  Nurse Jackie, and before that Carmela Soprano.

Biography

3. The Sultan of Swat and The Splendid Splinter : NICKNAMES.  I've had a few.  Didn't like most of them.  The ones listed here refer to baseball legends George Herman "Babe" Ruth and Ted Williams, respectively.

4. Like produce at farm-to-table restaurants : SEASONAL.  Fresh and locally produced, unlike strawberries in Michigan in March.

5. The Danube's cont. : EUR. The continent of Europe.  Note abrv. in cl. & ans.

6. "Run along now" : SCOOT.  Get a move on.

7. Pull with effort : HAUL.  Schlep.

8. "Assuming it's true ... " : IF SO.  Conditional.

9. Guinea pig, e.g. : PET.  A domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship or amusement.

10. Taken from above, as photos : AERIAL.  Formerly from a plane, now probably from a drone.

11. Invigorating : BRISK.  Like a cool breeze or cup of hot tea.

12. Jacque's thousand : MILLE.  French number.

13. Cyber Monday events : SALES.  Along with Black Friday, President's Day, the 4th of July and Boxing Day.  All designed to separate you from your money.

16. "To clarify ... " : THAT IS.  What I meant to say  .  .  .

18. Operating : IN USE. Verb form used as a modifier.  Some grammarian help me with the vocabulary.

23. Show __ : BIZ.  There's no BIZ like it.

24. Copenhagen carrier : SAS.  Scandinavian Airlines.

25. Former GM division : OLDS.  It WAS your father's Oldsmobile.

26. Haleakala National Park locale : MAUI.  Oahu would have been my 2nd guess.  It includes both mountainous and coastal regions.

27. Round Earth map : GLOBE.

28. Landlocked African nation : MALI.  South of Algeria, west of Niger.  Chad also fits - it is east of Niger and south of Libya.

30. Airport lineup : CABS.  Taxis.  Alternate definition: red wine line up.

31. Made tense : PUT ON EDGE.  What puts you on edge?

32. Doctrinal faction : SECT.  Another tilt in the direction of religion.  I was going to join my carpenter friend's church, until I found out it was a splinter group.

33. Tennis great Arthur : ASHE.  In the early 80's Ashe is believed to have contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion he received during heart surgery.  He died at age 49 in 1993.

36. Cud-chewing mammal : RUMINANT.  A hoofed animal with a rumen - an extra stomach where plant matter is digested with the aid of bacteria.   Includes cattle, sheep, antelopes, deer and giraffes.

38. Go back (on) : RENEGE.  Fail to honor a promise or contract.

39. Director Lee : ANG.  [b 1953] Also screenwriter and producer whose often emotionally charged works explore cultural and personal conflicts.

40. Disruptive forum visitor : TROLL.  One whose comments serve to cause dissension and conflict for its own sake rather than move the conversation along in a rational manner.

41. With it, once : HEP.  What once was HEP became hip, then rad.  I don't what it is now.

42. Cut into parts : DIVIDE.

44. Brooks with two Grammys : GARTH.  Counrty singer

45. Last 25-Down model : ALERO.  It was built in Lansing, MI from 1998 until 2004.

46. Italian fashion city : MILAN.  The capital of Lombardy and 2nd most populous city in Italy.  It is also a leader in the arts, commerce, education, research and tourism.

47. Iditarod runner : HUSKY.   Sled dog.

The dogs do not have conflict of interest.

49. Hockey announcer's cry : GOAL.  Average number of goals against this year is 2.77, up from 2.59 last year and 2.51 the year before.  Average shots against per game have been 31.8, 30.1 and 29.6, respectively.  More shooting --> more scoring.

50. Pervasive glow : AURA.

52. Turn sharply : VEER.  Suddenly change direction.

53. Guthrie who sang about Alice : ARLO.  Here, for you listening enjoyment, if you have 18 spare minutes.



55. Little trickster : IMP.

56. Seine filler : EAU.  Water in a French river.  A purse seine filler would be poisson, on a good day.

Eau que, that wraps things up for another Wednesday.  Hope you enjoyed the journey.

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, March 27, 2018 Bruce Haight and Loren Smith

Bruce Haight and Loren Smith team up to delight us with a puzzle where each of the theme answers start and stop with a W. 

18. "You think anyone cares about MY opinion?" : WHAT DO I KNOW ?

24. Boatload (of) : WHOLE SLEW

39. "Let's see here ... " : WELL NOW.

52. Overall concept of the universe : WORLD VIEW

58. Eye-of-newt concoction : WITCHES BREW

And the reveal:
49. Crammed (into) ... and, when aptly hyphenated, like 18-, 24-, 39-, 52- and 58-Across : WEDGED.  Aptly hyphenated as W-EDGED.

ACROSS:

1. "__ show time!" : IT'S.    So many movie scene choices.  This supercut that's 3:45 in duration must have taken hours to edit. 

The cited list of films.

4. Get some rays : BASK. Sunbathe.

8. Weak, excuse-wise : FLIMSY. Lame.  If it is important to you, you will find a way.  If not, you will find an excuse.

14. Stanley Cup org. : NHL.  National Hockey League. Things you might not know about the Stanley Cup

15. "See ya" : TATA.  We recently had the initialism TTFN for Ta Ta For Now.  I thought it originated as texting shorthand, but it apparently originated in the '40s.

16. Change from five stars to three, say : RERATE

17. Drink with jam and bread, in song : TEA.  Lyric in the song "Do-Re-Mi", from the movie Sound of Music.

20. Nocturnal birds : OWLS.  See 50D.

22. HBO miniseries "Big Little __" : LIES.  Haven't seen any episodes.  Wikipedia indicates it's a  mystery drama set in Monterey, CA.

23. Easy-to-scam people : SAPS

27. Caramel-filled candy : ROLO

28. "Hold the Hellmann's" : NO MAYO.  Qué ?  Tengo muchas ganas de mayo.  (see Google Translate, as required.)

29. Protein-building acid : AMINO

31. Mother in Calcutta : TERESA

35. "On the Beach" novelist Shute : NEVIL.  Thank you perps.   Found this overview of the author  Editor Eric's Greatlit: Authors and the novel.     Might be a handy site to bookmark.

36. Texter's #1 pal : BFF.   Best Friend Forever.

41. Finish : END

42. "You win" : I LOSE

44. Ophthalmologist's concern : MYOPIA.  Today's co-constructor, Bruce Haight, is "an ophthalmologist in the San Diego area, originally from Wisconsin."

46. Myanmar, once : BURMA

47. Gives the go-ahead : ALLOWS.  Also lets, but not let's.  Punctuation matters.  

51. Scent : ODOR

55. Guthrie of folk : ARLO

56. Manufacture : MAKE

57. Designer Gucci : ALDO

62. Sense of self : EGO

63. "You can say that again!" : AND HOW !   We are all looking forward to Argyle's return. AND HOW !

64. Christmas season : YULE

65. U.S. House member : REPresentative.

66. "You can say that again!" : YES YES

67. City near Tulsa : ENID.  Located about 105 miles WNW of Tulsa,  about 70 miles NNW of Oklahoma City, and about 110 miles SSW of Wichita.    Nicknamed the "Wheat Capital" of Oklahoma and the United States.

68. Radical '60s campus gp. : SDS.  Students for a Democratic Society.

DOWN:

1. Visiting the area : IN TOWN

2. "My Generation" rock band : THE WHO. OK, I could have linked the song in the clue, but decided to link "Love, Reign o'er Me" instead. The songs were ranked #3 and #5 respectively in Rolling Stones magazine's list of the Top 50 Greatest Hits by The Who.

 
3. Zigzag ski event : SLALOM

4. "Before I forget," in texts : BTW. By The Way. 

5. "Say __": doctor's directive : AAH

6. Buy time : STALL

7. Longtime "Today" co-host Couric : KATIE.

8. Some big dos : 'FROS.  Hairdos, Afros.  NBA Hall of Famer Julius Winfield Erving II. More widely known as Dr. J.

 

9. Kauai garland : LEI

10. Exasperating : IRKSOME

11. "Holy smokes!" : MAN ALIVE

12. Drop by, colloquially : STOP ON IN.  Homey. Welcoming.

13. Evergreens shrubs : YEWS

19. Drops on the grass : DEW

21. Wood strip : SLAT

25. Glasses and goggles : EYE WEAR.  Corrective and protective, and sometimes both.  An ophthalmologist, such as Dr, Bruce Haight, might recommend these.

26. Achy : SORE

27. Acted without restraint : RAN WILD

30. Overused, as jokes : OLD

32. Shade tree : ELM

33. Foxy : SLY

34. "I'll take that as __" : A NO

36. Lobster eater's protection : BIB 

37. The "F" element in CFC : FLUORINE. Chlorofluorocarbon.  CFCs are widely used as refrigerants. Not good for the ozone. Many will recognize the DuPont brand name of Freon.  Paraphrased from Wikipedia. 

38. Full-size cars of the 1960s-'80s : FORD LTDs.  A brother-in-law bought a new one in '73 or '74 after getting a significant job promotion.  The car was huge, well-appointed, and had a very comfortable ride, along with a large V-8 gas-guzzling engine that was standard equipment back in the day.

40. Lustrous white gem : OPAL

43. Kissy-kissy : SMOOCHY

45. Thomas __ Edison : ALVA

48. Persian Gulf ships : OILERS

50. Descends suddenly : SWOOPS.  Great Gray Owl swoops in for a rodent. Beautiful photograph.

52. Used to be : WAS

53. "All right, so long" : OK BYE

54. "Friends" episode, now : RERUN

55. Not 1-Down : AWAY

56. Kitty sounds : MEWS. CrossEyedDave links the best kitty cat videos, but I'll give it a shot with mews.

59. Groundbreaking invention? : HOE.  Nice clue. Also, long clue for such a short answer.

60. Quarterback Manning : ELI.  QB of the "N.Y. football Giants."   Two-time Super Bowl MVP. 

61. Marry : WED

See all y'all later n'at ! 

TTP

Monday March 26, 2018 Paul Coulter

Theme: LA LA LAND (40. 2016 Gosling/Stone film ... and, as shown by circles, what each of four answers is) - Each theme entry is a place with *LA* and *LA* in it.

 17A. Narrow land formation along the Bering Sea : ALASKA PENINSULA

 33A. Upstate New York Winter Olympics village : LAKE PLLACID

 42A. Washington city with a repetitive name : WALLA WALLA

 58A. Scottish archipelago : SHETLAND ISLANDS
 
Boomer here.

Hi everyone.  Wishing you all a glorious Monday!  I used to hate Mondays but then I retired.  Now I bowl three of seven games on Mondays and in the fall I coach high school bowling so Mondays come and go quickly.  I join all of you in wishing Argyle a speedy recovery, but in the meantime, you are stuck with me.

Today's puzzle was a bit of a challenge and I had trouble with some of the clues.  Plus, I never could get used to calling Los Angeles "LA LA Land". 

 Across:    

1. Norway's capital : OSLO

5. Central Florida city : OCALA - Spring training land.  Major League baseball starts next week!

10. Distillery containers : VATS

14. Procrastinator's promise : SOON - "I'll get around to it" had too many letters

15. Something in the air : VAPOR - Some smokers are trying e-cigs.  I am not sure if they help cut down on tobacco, but they are banned in most places where you are not allowed to smoke.

16. Building beam : I-BAR

20. Price hike: Abbr. : INCR. Not too happy with abbreviations in puzzles.

21. Bard's "before" : ERE

22. Billionaire Bill : GATES - Yup the president and CEO of Micro something.  I think I have heard of him.

23. Puts on the line : RISKS

25. Marshy area : BOG -  This answer makes me remember Wade Boggs first a Red Sox, then a Yankee.

26. Most despicable : BASEST

29. "Citizen Kane" sled : ROSEBUD - I am not a "Citizen Kane" groupie, but I am looking forward to see if the rose bush in our garden survived the winter.

36. Acapulco article : UNA

37. O. Henry specialty : IRONY - I thought O'Henry was a candy bar

38. It was thrown into the harbor in a 1773 "party" : TEA  - I was not there, but it was a legitimate protest.  I object that the renegades chose to disguise themselves as native Americans.

39. Ingenious : SLICK

41. __ long way: help considerably : GO A

44. Intertwined : ENLACED

47. Not as cold, as weather : MILDER - We in the North are looking forward to milder weather.  It's getting there, but we have not seen 50 yet.

48. Hi-tech worker : BOT - A Robot is a machine in a factory.  I thought a BOT was an internet thing that steals your preferences so it will know how you vote.  I must watch too much CNN.

49. Hindu deity : SHIVA

51. "Nonsense!" : PSHAW - My 4th grade teacher had a blast teaching this word for our spelling test.

54. Spy org. called "The Company" : CIA - "The CIA's subversive, and so's the FCC.  There's no one left but thee and we, and we're not sure of thee."  Have fun and name that tune.

55. Hamburg's river : ELBE - Did not know that one.  Remember I said I only visited Hardheim/Wertheim

62. Hot under the collar : SORE

63. Ball girl : BELLE

64. Bothers no end : NAGS

65. Like golf balls at the start of a hole, usually : TEED - Then I get "TEED" off when I hit it into the lake.

66. Nuclear trial : A TEST

67. Weight loss plan : DIET - Many people try the "Seafood Diet" - See Food, Eat it.

Down:

1. Mama bear, in Mexico : OSA

2. Songs sung alone : SOLI. - Plural of solo. Fooled me.

3. Student aid : LOAN - It's really too bad that young people have to borrow money to get an education.

4. In the movies : ON SCREEN

5. Egg cells : OVA

6. "RUR" playwright : CAPEK

7. Copycats : APERS

8. Word with wolf or Ranger : LONE - Clayton Moore once visited a bowling center in St. Paul.  I don't think Jay Silverheels was with him though.

9. Shapiro of NPR : ARI - Also a news guy on MSNBC

10. Countenance : VISAGE

11. Adjoin : ABUT - Add a "T" to the clue and the answer and you will have a busy bar stool.

12. "A __ of Two Cities" : TALE - "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times".  Here we are 150 years later and "after changes upon changes, things are more or less the same." Name that tune.

13. Mmes., in Madrid : SRAS

18. __ Kreme: doughnut brand : KRISPY - They mad a grand entrances in Minnesota, had cars lined up dozens deep at the drive thru, but I think they left Minnesota and took the doughnuts with them.

19. Private nonprofits: Abbr. : NGOS. Non-Governmental Organizations.

24. Mo. town : STL - Motown is Detroit.  Cardinal town is STL where Ozzie and Stan the Man played.

25. Physique, informally : BOD

26. "Mudbound" actress Mary J. __ : BLIGE

27. Composer Copland : AARON - I don't know composers, but I do know who hit 755 home runs in his career.

28. Norwegian toast : SKOAL - I have seen it spelled this way, however when you salute the Minnesota Vikings it's "SKOL".

29. Mideast money : RIAL

30. Erect a house : BUILD - This is an interesting word, because when you finish building, you have a building.

31. Parent's brother : UNCLE - Holler "Uncle" - "I Ain't down" -I'm gonna learn to read and write, I'm gonna see what there is to see, and if the house is red and there's a big brass bed ......"  Name that tune.

32. Senegal's capital : DAKAR

34. Barely more than not at all : A TAD

35. Animation frame : CEL - Some of these by famous cartoonists and animated movie makers are now valuable collector's items.  I only like baseball cards.

39. Turn like a chair : SWIVEL

42. Dripping __: soaked : WET

43. Parisian pal : AMI

45. Died down : ABATED

46. Monastic hood : COWL

49. Move furtively : SIDLE

50. Waves for, as a taxi : HAILS - Sometimes rain turns to ice and you wish a taxi would get you outta here.

51. Hissed "Hey!" : PSST - I am waiting to see a four letter word with three vowels, but this isn't it.

52. Loafer or moc : SHOE - And neither are the next four

53. "Take this" : HERE

54. Tech news site : CNET

56. __ B'rith : BNAI

57. Barely beat : EDGE

59. Attorneys' org. : ABA

60. Filming site : SET - 6-11 games of tennis

61. Retired flier, briefly : SST - Super Sonic Transport.  No sure why it quit flying.  I think people liked to get to Europe in 2-3 hours,  But I know it was pretty pricey.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

I finally talked to Argyle for a few minutes yesterday. I was happy that recognized my voice. No details on how long he'll stay in the hospital and when/where he'll be headed for rehab. He has no internet access at the moment. Hopefully soon he'll be back on line solving and reading our comments. 

 

Sunday March 25, 2017 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "Word for Words"  - The words (all acronyms) are re-phrased as if they are real words:

23. Pet Airways security device? : CAT SCANNER

25. Narrative from novelist Levin? : IRA ACCOUNT. Ira Levin.

37. The Yankees during the Babe Ruth era? : SWAT TEAM. His nickname was "The Sultan of Swat".

45. Wine glass-making component? : STEM EDUCATION

69. Alley designation? : PIN NUMBER

90. Seminar on Hughes' poetry? : TED CONFERENCE. Give TED Radio Hour a try. Very well-curated.

99. Hockey contract negotiator? : ICE AGENT. ICE here stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

115. Association of gamblers? : BET NETWORK

117. Injury treatment for a top pitcher? : ACE BANDAGE

Hey, I don't need to send a Bat-Signal to Roman Forest for help. Grokked the theme before I even started.

Was happy to find a set where the change happens with all the first words. Probably should have gone with 8 theme entries. With 9, the fill suffer in a few spots.

Across:
      
1. Did a triathlon leg : BIKED. Swim. Bike. Run

6. Pepper spray alternative : MACE

10. At full speed : AMAIN

15. Slightly : A BIT

19. Taste enhanced by shrimp paste : UMAMI. Our Asian store carries various shrimp pastes. All made in Oo's homeland.

20. Otherworldly glow : AURA

21. Multi-colored spring bloomer : PANSY

22. Bugs or Porky : TOON

27. MIT, for one : SCH

28. Govt. investment : T-NOTE

29. Grand Mosque locale : MECCA

30. Luxury hotel chain : OMNI

31. Essence : MEAT

33. Pyrex sister brand : EKCO

35. It precedes Flames' home games : O CANADA. Calgary Flames.

40. True : ALIGN

43. Chicago Blackhawks' broadcaster : WGN

44. Give : CONCEDE

50. "Your point being?" : AND

51. Betel nut tree : ARECA. Never saw the tree in person. So fruitful.

53. Church reading : PSALM

54. Memorable Louis : XVI

55. A/C measures : BTUs

57. Agenda : TO-DO LIST

59. Dress policy at some fancy restaurants : NO DENIM. Crossing NIMES (49. City in southern France). Origin of the word "Denim".

62. Enzyme ending : ASE

64. Shot at a bar : DRAM

65. Big name in anti-itch cream : LANACANE

66. Slow-cooked dishes : STEWS

72. "The Highwayman" poet : NOYES

73. "Don't sweat it" : NO BIGGIE Also 94. "Amen to that!" : I HEAR YA And 36. "It'll be fun!" : AW C'MON Also 95. "Hold your horses" : EASY NOW

75. "Of course!" : SURE

76. __ Paese cheese : BEL

77. Like some celestial paths : ORBITAL

78. Isn't being used : SITS IDLE

81. Dust jacket ID : ISBN

85. City bus path: Abbr. : RTE

86. Expose : RAT ON

88. Where __ : IT'S AT

89. Green Day drummer __ Cool : TRE

97. Inseparable : ONE

98. Utterly lost : AT SEA

100. Solo performance : RECITAL

103. Actor Cumming : ALAN

105. Lat. and Ukr., formerly : SSRS

106. SpaceX CEO Musk : ELON. He just deleted his and SpaceX's Facebook pages.

107. Put a damper on : DETER

110. Memorize things, maybe : STUDY

112. Part of U.S. : SAM. Oh, Uncle Sam. My submitted clue refers to the singer Sam Smith.

119. Not worth __ : A SOU

120. Resort rental : CANOE

121. Apple Watch assistant : SIRI. Also 12. Apple since 1998 : iMAC

122. Exposed : OUTED

123. Body imperfection : DENT

124. Dover souls : BRITS. Nice clue. Also Rich's.


125. Warmhearted : KIND

126. Plot spoilers? : WEEDS
  
 Down:
 
1. Tampa NFLers : BUCS

 3. Nepal Airlines headquarters : KATHMANDU. Never been to this city. Almost mythical.

4. First-responder letters : EMS

5. Call the shots : DICTATE

6. Hand, to Jorge : MANO

7. Uncle Henry's wife : AUNT EM. I can watch this movie again and again.

8. Wading spot : CREEK

9. Corn holder : EAR

10. Cap-__: from head to toe : A PIE

11. Jacobs of fashion : MARC. Pricey label.

12. Jungle crusher : ANACONDA

13. Genesis father of twins : ISAAC

14. 1785-'90 U.S. capital : NYC. Oh, I did not know this trivia. But Xi'an was the capital city of China for many many years also.

15. Ferocious Flea foe : ATOM ANT

16. Like hardcovers : BOUND

17. Ancient neighbor of Lydia : IONIA

18. Big bang producer : TNT

24. Come before : ANTEDATE

26. Dance in a line : CONGA

29. Beauty mark : MOLE

32. And so on: Abbr. : ETC

34. Language of Andorra : CATALAN

37. Striker's bane : SCAB

38. Habit : WONT

39. Flying start? : AERO

41. Little devils : IMPS. Our Spitzboov! Hope all went smoothly with Betty yesterday.

Spitzboov, Betty and Argyle, August 23, 2014, Washington County Fair

42. Daring exploit : GEST
 
45. Reject with contempt : SCORN. Also 66. Show contempt : SNORT

46. Forearm-related : ULNAR

47. Slangy rejection : IXNAY

48. Like critters counted at night : OVINE

52. One of the Van Halens : EDDIE

56. 2005 horror sequel : SAW II

58. "If __": "So be it" : I MUST

60. Hamlet, for one : DANE

61. Alfalfa sprouts concern : ECOLI. Had Alfalfa sprouts once. Did not like the taste. Love bean sprouts though.

63. USMC rank : SSGT

65. West Yorkshire's largest city : LEEDS
  
67. Sacher dessert : TORTE

68. Receded : EBBED

69. Risotto relative : PILAF. Here is Blue Hen's "Cheater Risotto". Here are the two potato dumplings I made earlier this week. I did not use the pillowcase to squeeze out the extra water as D-Otto instructed. Then I needed more flour. There's definitely a method in D-Otto's madness, but my dumplings had more integrity. The extra water was nutritious.

70. Show with numbers : MUSICAL

71. Shiny, in adspeak : BRITE

74. January birthstone : GARNET

76. Home to the Congressional Country Club : BETHESDA

78. Variety : SORT

79. "__ of My Soul": Isabel Allende novel : INES

80. Not of the cloth : LAIC.  I did not have "Not".

82. Took a course under duress? : STRESS-ATE

83. __ Mawr College : BRYN

84. In order : NEAT

87. "Madam Secretary" star : TEA LEONI. Nice to put her full name in.

91. Almond Joy ingredient : COCONUT. We also have 100. Creator of tasty cups : REESE

92. Cat-__-tails : O NINE

93. Close : NEAR
 
96. Cabinet dept. : AGR

99. Apprentice : INTERN
 
101. John of rock : ELTON. Sir.

102. Ugly marketing battle : AD WAR

104. Computer acronym : ASCII

108. Home run pace : TROT

109. Scrapes (out) : EKES

111. eBay competitor : UBID

113. Like fine cheese : AGED

114. Doc's orders : MEDS

115. Unenviable : BAD. So sorry to hear your troubles, Picard. I feel your frustration.

116. Doing the job, briefly : TCB. Take Care of Business. Picard's old host certainly did not.

117. "Don't __ me!" : ASK

118. Deserving : DUE

Jennifer, Argyle's "adopted" niece, said he's holding steady and doing well. Santa has received many cards from our blog and enjoys them. I'll keep you updated when I have the update. Santa, call me, maybe?