Sunday, November 6, 2016 Kevin Donovan

Theme: "Following Up"- Up is added to the start of each familiar phrase.

23A. Profession for the principled? : UPRIGHT FIELD. Right field.

29A. Dr. Seuss, e.g.? : UPBEAT POET. Beat poet.

40A. Promising market indicators? : UPTURN SIGNALS. Turn signals. Bad streak last week.

65A. Toy trains for tycoons? : UPSCALE MODEL RAILROADS. Scale model railroads.

91A. What pillows may do, in a kids' room? : UPHOLD THE FORT. Hold the fort.

107A. Periods of distress? : UPSET TIMES. Set times.

113A. Outperform crew members in the ship play? : UPSTAGE HANDS. Stagehands.

I'm a bit surprised by the "Following Up" title. Normally the key word does not appear in the puzzle title.  

Rich and Kevin might have considered putting FOLLOWING UP as a reveal in the last Across entry. But then decided "Following Up" is better as a title.

Chunky corners in this grid. The upper left & lower right are easier to fill, as they're relatively sectioned off. The upper right/lower left are amazing work. Those 7x4 are just hard, esp when crossing two more long entries.

Across:    

1. Manchester United rival : ARSENAL. Gimme for our Steve.

8. __ En-lai : CHOU

12. Tool used in a box : BAT. Batter's box!

15. Film add-on : FEST

19. Perform again : REPRISE. Not RE-STAGE.

20. Next in line : HEIR

21. U.N. workers' agcy. : ILO

22. The snakes in Indiana Jones' "Why do they have to be snakes?" : ASPS

 

25. Exit quietly, in a Dylan Thomas poem : GO GENTLE. Helpful clue. You don't need to know the poem to obtain the answer.

27. Run ashore : BEACH

28. Bill collector : TILL. Not a person. Same with 9. Pair for date night : HEELS and 45. Grand Canal traveler : GONDOLA

 

31. Sask. neighbor : ALTA (Alberta)

32. Can't abide : DETEST

34. Small cells : AAs

35. Jockey competitor : HANES

36. __ code : BAR. Not BRO (56. Dude) code.

37. Get together on a ranch : HERD.  Tiny "together" clue echo with Also 52. Come together : GEL

39. Catlike : FELINE

47. Weather map depiction : AIR MASS

48. It's not always easy to get into : SHAPE. Thanksgiving is coming.

49. Not a soul : NO ONE. Should not have "Not" in the clue.

50. Tries earnestly (for) : GUNS

51. Piling on, say : ADDING

53. "The Librarians" channel : TNT. Never watched it. Good?

54. More than just cooks : CHEFS. With "More than" in the clue, I can never figure out what part of speech the answer should be.

56. Challenge for Homer : BART. Homer Simpson.

60. Put down : DERIDED

63. ORD posting : ETA

64. Equipped : ARMED

71. Phobias : FEARS

72. __ de mer : MAL

73. Resonator for a jug band bass : WASHTUB. Googled afterwards. Not familiar with Washtub bass.

74. No more than : ONLY

75. Nissan Stadium player : TITAN

77. "... 'tis not to me __ speaks": Romeo : SHE

78. Big name in Bible distribution : GIDEON. Learning moment for me.

83. Delicate : FINE

84. Totally lost : AT SEA

86. Aquarium fish : TETRA

87. Only NATO member with no standing army : ICELAND. Hey, I knew this trivia.

94. Newcomer : NOVICE

95. Nursery resident : TREE

96. Sun Tzu subject : WAR.  The Art of War. You wanted TAO?

97. Where to see stars : SPACE

98. Pursue relentlessly : DOG

99. "The Piano" extras : MAORIS. Great movie.

103. Buck : CLAM

110. Blew the whistle : SANG. Ratted out.

111. What oaks may provide : SHADE

112. Put back in : RE-INSERT

116. Love god : EROS

117. In the past : AGO. This "Bad Request" glitch is not specific to our new template. It happens to other blogs with Full Page comments format, including Rex Parker's.  George Barany got the same "Bad Request" when he hits the Preview & Post Your Comments button  there.

118. Biblical captain : NOAH

119. Crown coatings : ENAMELS

120. Holiday song closer : SYNE  "... for auld lang syne".

121. "Man on the Moon" group : REM

122. Ring jinglers : KEYS

123. Boxing's "Manassa Mauler" : DEMPSEY. I need "Jack" in the clue. 

 

Down:

 

1. First word in the Beach Boys' "Kokomo" : ARUBA. Gimme for all you Beach Boys fans.  

2. Drive off : REPEL

3. Lean-eater Jack : SPRAT

4. "Fear of Flying" author Jong : ERICA

5. Close at hand : NIGH. Not NEAR.

6. Smoke remains : ASH

7. Mail : LETTERS

8. Easter Island's country : CHILE. Boomer's bowling/golf buddy Jorge just went back to Chili. Their Monday morning traveling league has lots of guys in their late 80s/early 90s. Very inspiring. 

10. It may be checked at the station : OIL. Great clue also.

11. Pakistani language : URDU

12. Like a storied wolf : BIG BAD

13. Medicinal plants : ALOES

14. Senate garment : TOGA

15. Tree that typically has paddle-shaped leaves : FAN PALM. Also a new term to me.

16. Baltic republic : ESTONIA

17. Organs sometimes vented? : SPLEENS

18. African menaces : TSETSES. Our old buddy is back.

24. Tailor's concern : FIT

26. Old anesthetics : ETHERS. I don't know what my periodontist used on me. Powerful stuff. She told me "Let me know when you feel nice and numb". I chuckled.

30. Numbers to shoot for : PARS

32. "Forrest Gump" lieutenant : DAN

33. Compared to : THAN

36. Pop/country singer Lee and others : BRENDAS. I presume Kevin added a cheater to where S is, but the symmetrical part did not yield better fill.

38. Juice for PCs : ELEC

39. Features of many '50s-'60s cars : FINS

40. Ryder Cup team : USA. Winner this year.

41. Advanced deg. : PHD

42. Bit : TAD

43. Reuters competitor : UPI

44. Personal : INTIMATE

46. Celebrated : NOTED

47. Knowledgeable, in Nantes : AU FAIT

50. Move up the corporate ladder : GET AHEAD. My life in the corporate world was pretty fun.

55. "The Walking Dead" veterinarian : HERSHEL. Stranger to me. 

57. Org. for physicians : AMA

58. Wine choice : RED

59. QB stats : TDs

61. Leave a note for, maybe : REMIND

62. Morning phenomenon : DEW

64. Settler? : ARBITER. Nice clue.

65. Project Blue Book subj. : UFO. Never heard of the Project Blue Book.

66. Presidential souvenir : PEN

67. Mineo of "Exodus" : SAL

68. Shout : CRY

69. It may be coiled on a saddle horn : LASSO. Oh, OK.

70. Car nut : LUG. Wheel. I thought of Argyle, who's nuts about old cars.

75. Pitchfork part : TINE

76. What a ponytail partly covers : NAPE

79. OED info : DEF (Definition)

80. Ike's WWII command : ETO

81. Friend of Yossarian in "Catch-22" : ORR. Know the answer. Never read "Catch-22".

82. __ Geo: nature channel : NAT

83. Diamond surfaces : FACETS

85. The bad guys : THEM

87. Gets coverage for : INSURES. Huge increase for my insurance next year. Sigh!

88. Penny-colored : COPPERY

89. Vague answer, say : EVASION

90. Driving need : LICENSE. Also 91. Drive : URGE. Also 104. Guides for drivers : LANES. Love these clue echoes.

92. Suddenly caught on : TWIGGED

93. Possesses : HAS

95. Hand-played drum : TOM-TOM. Oh Hi, D-Otto and TTP! You're my favorite drums.

98. Sorrowful song : DIRGE

100. Test for purity, as gold : ASSAY

101. They're often taken orally : OATHS. Not PILLS.

102. Cellular messenger : RNA

103. Titleholder : CHAMP

105. Confuse : ADDLE

106. Not at all in order : MESSY. Our baseball cards look messy but they're all in some kind of order.  Hall of Famers. Stars (Lots of worthless Bonds/Sosa). Twins. Ex-Twins. Etc.

108. Fabric flaw : TEAR

109. Finished : SUNK. Not DONE.

111. Piece of fiction : SHAM

114. "The Tell-Tale Heart" author : POE

115. Peoria-to-Gary dir. : ENE

C.C.

Saturday, Nov 5th, 2016, C.C. Burnikel

Theme: C.C.C.W.~!

Words: 72 (missing H,J,Q,Z)

Blocks: 28

Another fine puzzle from our Crossword Corner Hostess~!  She has been prolific with her constructions, having two in August, three in September, and four in October for the LA Times alone.  I would like more time to work on my own grids, personally.  Today's offering was a bit heavy on the proper names, but nothing that the perp(endiculars) couldn't help me solve. Triple 8-letter down corners, 9-letter across corners, two climbers of 10 letters and one spanner;

35a. Movie with the subtitle "Dawn of Justice" : BATMAN V. SUPERMAN - I am burned out on the whole superhero movie thing; I enjoyed the Batman Begins series, tho I did not care for #3, and I never got into "X-men", "Iron Man", or any of the others....just not my thing - here's the Wiki on this 2016 release

5d. Classic access provider : OPEN SESAME
 

30d. Sale restriction : ONE DAY ONLY

Want that delivered in one day~?

ACROSS:

1. Money-saving characters : PROMO CODE

10. Complaints : BEEFS

15. Fade : LOSE POWER

16. Pitfall! platform : ATARI

17. Hunt object : EASTER EGG

18. For real : LEGIT

19. "Break Free" singer Grande : ARIANA - I don't know about her music, but I do know about her legs~!

20. Benihana founder Rocky __ : AOKI

22. USN officers : LTs - put in the "S" and waited

23. Early 20th-century first family : TAFTS - Ford was the only other 20th century four-letter name, and he came too late.  As for President Taft, the truth about his bathtub

24. Wine commonly served chilled : ASTI - I pondered "NOIR", but since I am not a wine person, I left it alone

25. Institute in whose logo the first letter is a stylized question mark : SETI

26. Snorting scene : STY - some alliteration for us

27. Hosp. test : EKG - again, filled in the "E" and "G" then waited

29. Flier with a large bill : TOUCAN - Pelican was too long; the "---CAN" part filled via perps, and I started wondering....

31. Most Hong Kong Airport travelers : ASIANS

34. "Fab!" : NEATO - had it, took it out, put it back in

39. First-stringers : A-TEAM

40. Greetings from American Greetings : eCARDS - I did consider this, but let it slide

41. Showtime title vigilante : DEXTER - my buddy Mike keeps harping on me to watch this series - and I have the first season on DVD

43. BBC World Service alternative : VOA - this is "news" to me; filled via perps.  The Wiki

44. Loyal follower? : IST - loyalist

47. Enemy of un ratón : GATO - Spanish rats and cats

48. Part of un drame : ACTE - Frawnche drama and acts

51. Grapevine planter? : YENTA - I thought it would be something along the lines of "rumor"

53. 2012 British Open champion : ELS - Ernie, the popular crossword golfer

54. Work on a bone : GNAW

55. "Time, Love and Tenderness" singer : BOLTON - I did not know he was the lead singer of a classic 70's hard rock band called "Blackjack" - the Wiki

56. More ready, in a way : RIPER

58. Weathering : RIDING OUT

60. Duck : EVADE - AVOID~? ELUDE~? Had to wait

61. Refreshing espresso drink : ICED LATTE - man, I toyed with putting "--LATTE" in, but hesitated

62. Software giveaways : DEMOS

63. Historic sewer : BETSY ROSS - the Truth about the US Flag

DOWN:

1. Kilt features : PLEATS

2. Find really funny : ROAR AT

3. Harden : OSSIFY

4. Used for a rendezvous : MET AT

6. "Around the World in 80 Plates" co-host Cat : CORA

7. Red state verb : OWE

8. Big name at the Musée d'Orsay : DEGAS - he had a thing for women's legs, too

The Ballet Class

9. Rye blight : ERGOT - oops, thought it was "A"RGOT

10. Denpasar's island : BALI - total WAG

11. Dog days in Haiti : ÉTÉ

12. Big bird watcher : EAGLE-CAM

13. Quiche cousin : FRITTATA

14. Audits : SITS IN ON

21. Parts for a model : KIT - I loved to build car kits when I was a kid; still have about 4 that I have not finished in a closet somewhere

24. Tequila plant : AGAVE

25. Court figures : SUERS

28. Blood : KIN

31. REO Speedwagon guitarist Dave : AMATO

32. Situation Room gp. : NSC - filled via perps

33. Sophisticated : SUAVE

35. Nagged : BADGERED

36. Completely dominated : ATE ALIVE

37. Cellphone annoyance : TEXT SPAM - new term for me, tho I have had one or two text messages that were essentially Spam

38. Expert : PRO

42. Took off : RAN

44. Completely : IN TOTO - and now we have Latin to add to the 'foreign' language answers

45. Dark drafts : STOUTS

46. Tours relatives : TANTES

49. Suriname native : CARIB

50. Now and again? : TWICE - har-har

52. "Enigma Variations" composer : ELGAR

54. Hurdles for srs. : GREs - Graduate Record Examinations

55. eBay action : BIDS - I was thrown by the plural/singular, but then if you think "action" as a noun, it works

57. Tokugawa shogunate capital : EDO - I suppose this would have been my guess, but it filled via perps before I even read the clue

59. Crime solver: Abbr. : DETective

Splynter

 
Note from C.C.:

Here is a message from Alex Boivert:
 
"We recently launched Crosswords LA 2016 - an online "tournament" entirely for charity. Fro a small fee, you can purchase a puzzle pack, solve the competitive puzzles within, and submit your times and scores (honor system!) for friendly comparison. Even if you choose not to submit your scores, you can purchase eleven fun puzzles - and know that *all the money* (minus PayPal fees) will be donated to the wonderful Reading to Kids charity.

The Five tournament puzzles were made by top Southern California constructors (Alex Boivert, Rich Norris, Doug Peterson, David Steinberg and Patti Varol) and the six  bonus puzzles are from a variety of puzzle luminaries (Matt Gaffney, Joon Pahk, Brendan Emmet Quigley, Alex Boivert and Doug Peterson). One of the bonus puzzles (by Peter Muller) is a contest crossword - solve it and submit the answer to mail@crosswordnexus.com by December 15 to have a chance at winning a year's subscription to the Indie puzzle service of your choice.

Thanks and happy solving!

Alex"

Friday, November 4, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: It's election time, please call the Spin Doctors! Interesting that this group was mentioned Monday.

I will keep this politically correct, adding no SPIN of my own. A truly non-partisan puzzle, or is it? JW gives us another example of adding to an existing phrase to create a new and amusing fill. Today, it is four letters (the word SPIN). JW has really come up with so many ways to present the add a _ _ _ that I wonder what could be next. He also infused this puzzle with some very excellent non-theme entries such as NON-MOTILE,  SNOW ANGEL, STEP-PARENT,  SO THIS IS IT,  ONE NO TRUMP, LORGNETTES.

17A. Vito Corleone talking bobblehead? : RASPING DOLL (11). Rag doll gets Marlon Brando's voice.

22A. Goal of a holistic chiropractor? : SPINE HARMONY (12). Well-advertised dating site E-Harmony gets well adjusted.

38A. As a group, emulate Popeye? : BE SPINACH LOVERS (15). We beach lovers get to eat spinach also.

50A. Maiden aunt mascot? : TEAM SPINSTER (12). maiden aunt and spinsters probably are no longer PC terms, and the TEAMSTER's union isn't what it used to be.

And the reveal
59A. Enjoying the new car ... or what four puzzle answers are literally doing : TAKING A SPIN (11).
Really well played as they all take on a spin.

Well I hope your head is not spinning so we can get to work on this fun Friday.


Across

1. Start of something : ESS. Something. So simple it becomes tricky.

4. Know-it-all : BRAIN
.

9. Sticky roll : TAPE. Not food....

13. Title car in a Ronny + the Daytonas hit : GTO.

14. Michelangelo's "The Last Judgment," e.g. : FRESCO. Per wiki:
The Last Judgment, or The Final Judgement (Italian: Il Giudizio Universale), is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance master Michelangelo executed on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. It is a depiction of the Second Coming of Christ and the final and eternal judgment by God of all humanity

15. Australian export : OPAL. And dear Kazie.

16. Like Gen. Powell : RETired.

19. N.T. book before Phil. : EPHesians come directly before the Phillipians. These are two of the epistles ascribed to Paul.

20. Denver-to-Wichita dir. : ESE.

21. Oppressive atmosphere : MIASMA. What a fun word which we have not had since marti was doing Thursdays.

26. Renewal notice feature, briefly : SASE. Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope.

27. Like a well-written mystery : TAUT. But hopefully not tautological.

28. Hammer user's cry : SOLD. At the auction!

32. Payment in Isfahan : RIALS. In Iran, old Persia.

LINK

35. Chem. and bio. : SCIS.

37. Drift (off) : NOD.

41. Singer DiFranco : ANI. Some music...

42. Pop : SODA.

43. TV oil name : EWING. The show finally died when JR (Larry Hagman) died.

44. "The Good Wife" figs. : ATTS.

46. Fabric rib : WALE.

48. Its home version debuted at Sears in 1975 : PONG. At Sears?

54. Israeli prime minister after Barak : SHARON.

57. "__ Gotta Be Me" : I'VE.

58. Way to go: Abbr. : RTE. Nice, was thinking atta boy.

62. Great Basin native : UTE.

63. Saharan : ARID.

64. Hydrocarbon gas : ETHENE. I did not know this was the official NAME for ethylene.

65. Rx item : MED.

66. Inheritance factor : GENE.

67. Tends : LEANS.

68. Humanities maj. : PSYchology. My major in college. My youngest as well, who recently asked, "Dad how could you let me major in psychology?

Down:

1. Way out : EGRESS.

2. Mike or Carol on "The Brady Bunch" : STEP-PARENT. As are my wife and I. She got to be an instant grandmother.

3. "I guess the moment has finally arrived" : SO THIS IS IT. Not sure, but this was my thought.

4. Impetuous : BRASH.

5. Find a new table for : RESEAT. More glue.

6. Nile slitherer : ASP. Another big week for this snake.

7. It's here in Paris : ICI.

8. Anchored for life, as barnacles : NON-MOTILE. A really fun five dollar word.

9. Word in morning weather forecasts : TODAY'S.

10. Mil. mail drops : APOS.

11. It faces forward in a stop sign : PALM. very cerebral.

12. Big name in jazz : ELLA.

14. Like IHOP syrup : FREE. Really?

18. Alabama Slammer liquor : GIN. This is tricky, it has sloe gin, but no plain gin. But SLOE is made with gin.

23. Type of tide : NEAP.

24. Troublemakers : RASCALS.

25. Often : MUCH.

29. Bridge bid : ONE NO TRUMP.

30. Glasses with handles : LORGNETTES. What a fun fill.  For sale on Amazon.

31. One working on a bridge: Abbr. : DDS. Dental humor.

33. Fleur-de-__ : LIS. The flower of the lily is very important in French and English heraldry, religion and apparently in post-Katrina New Orleans.

34. What a kid is prone to make in winter? : SNOW ANGEL.

36. Farm mom : SOW. She does not say....

38. Pastoral call : BAA.

39. Early exile : ADAM.

40. Ones with clout : VIPS.

45. Variable distance measure : STRIDE. I love the dictionary
1. a long step in walking.
2. (in animal locomotion) the act of progressive movement completed when all the feet are returned to the same relative position as at the beginning.

47. Hand-held allergy treatment : EPIPEN. Timely clue after all the recent scandal.

49. Insatiable : GREEDY.

51. Very long time : EON.

52. Political columnist Molly : IVINS. She was a very quotable woman, but it was mostly politics.
“Margaret Atwood, the Canadian novelist, once asked a group of women at a university why they felt threatened by men. The women said they were afraid of being beaten, raped, or killed by men. She then asked a group of men why they felt threatened by women. They said they were afraid women would laugh at them.”
― Molly Ivins, Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?

53. Island bird named for its call : NENE. Hawaiian Goose.

54. Doe beau : STAG. My eyes first saw "Doe Bean" Therefore I missed the rhyme.

55. Long-eared critter : HARE. Lots of animals in  today's grid.

56. Similar : AKIN.

60. Snacked : ATE.

61. __ Na Na : SHA. I had never heard of them until seeing themat Woodstock. 47 years ago.

Well we had lots of music today of all kinds, so I will leave you trying to remember to set your clocks back Sunday morn. Thanks JW and all of you. A ride back in time.

Thursday, November 3rd 2016 Mary Lou Guizzo

Theme: Rocky Horrors, or Let's do the Time Warp. Allow the reveal to explain:

52A. Period needed to fulfill a request ... and a hint to words hidden in three long puzzle answers : TURNAROUND TIME. 

The turnaround time for getting your car repaired when rats have chewed the main wiring harness to bits is three weeks. The dealer just called me to tell me my car is finally ready.

20A. Goal for some college-bound students : EARLY ADMISSION. (Day.) A higher percentage of early applications to the top schools result in admissions, vs. regular applications.

34A. Record-setting slugger in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame : SADAHARU OH. (Hour.) He olds the world lifetime home run record with 868. Like Babe Ruth, he started his career as a pitcher.

41A. Ocular organs of cephalopods, say : CAMERA EYES. (Year.) We have camera eyes too - apparently the octopus's version is superior to ours as the optic neve doesn't penetrate the retina, causing our blind spot in each eye.

Two genuinely obscure theme entries here (for me at least). It might be World Series fever time, but if you're going to throw me a fastball, a breaking ball, a curveball, a slider, a change-up and a knuckleball all in one baseball clue, you'd better be sure that the crosses are solid.

I'm also not a squid squint expert, so once again, please give me some help!

Fortunately, Mary Lou and Rich are good at this stuff, made tougher by the fact that five of the crosses intersect the two theme entries, Bravo!

Even when I'd filled in Mr. Oh, I simply couldn't parse his name. SADA HARUOH was my best guess, so I went to go look him up.

Let's see what else we've got:

Across:

1. Workbench gadget : CLAMP

6. Antlered beast : STAG

10. Glasses, in ads : SPEX. In comics, usually the X-Ray variety. I'd post you a punk rock link to the quite appalling Poly Styrene who had  her 15 minutes of fame with the band X-Ray Spex in 1970's London. I quite liked them at the time, but the passage of time has not done them any favors.

14. Popular depilatory : RAZOR. Occam makes a reliable brand, I hear.

15. Campaign staffer : AIDE

16. Rochester's bride : EYRE

17. Part of the soft palate : UVULA

18. Lady of the knight : DAME

19. Concussions generally aren't visible on them : MRI'S

23. "What was __ was saying?" : IT I

24. Tie __ : ONE ON

25. Rat Pack member : LAWFORD. Peter. JFK's brother-in-law among other things.

29. Growing concerns? : FARMS

33. Like a used hibachi : ASHY

38. General on a menu : TSO. Never tried this concoction. Anyone?

39. Gadgets : DEVICES

40. One of 34-Across' 2,170 : R.B.I. Runs Batted In. I guess you'll get a ton of these when you hit a boatload of homers in your career.

43. Aspirin target : PAIN

44. Nocturnal carnivore : HYENA

45. Perambulates : STROLLS

47. Piece of cake : CINCH. Tried CRUMB, was wrong.

51. Poet's contraction : O'ER

Gliding o'er all, through all,

Through Nature, Time, and Space,

As a ship on the waters advancing,

The voyage of the soul—not life alone,

Death, many deaths I'll sing.

Walt Whitman.

58. Homey : COZY

59. Pack firmly : TAMP

60. "__ making this up" : I'M NOT

61. Spigot issue : DRIP

62. Site with tech reviews : C-NET

63. Trilateral trade agreement, briefly : NAFTA. North American Free Trade Agreement. Mexico, USA and Canada.

64. Tag line? : COST

65. Grinder : HERO

66. Speed units : KNOTS. Nautical miles per hour. The yacht I used to charter from Marina Del Rey would make somewhere around eight knots in a good sailing wind across to Catalina Island if the sails were trimmed just right. There's formula to calculate the maximum hull speed of a yacht, you can't just keep getting faster.

Down:

1. Mötley __ : CRUE. Should be pronounced "murt-ly" if we're going to pay attention to the umlaut, but of course we don't.

2. Fiery flow : LAVA

3. Bleu hue : AZUR. The French Riviera between Toulon and the Italian border is also known as the Côte d'Azur. The first time I saw it I couldn't believe a sea could be so blue, Growing up in England, I thought all seas were gray.

4. Placate : MOLLIFY

5. Beseech, as a deity : PRAY TO

6. Anti-DWI gp. : SADD. Tried MADD first, natch!

7. Venetian valentine message : TI AMO. This is a serious declaration in Italian.

8. Ones in charge, for short : ADMIN

9. Sixth-day Christmas gift : GEESE. A-laying. That's a lot of omelets just after Christmas.

10. Workshop : SEMINAR

11. One who likes to light up? : PYRO

12. "__ go bragh!" : ERIN. "Ireland Forever".

13. Chooses, with "in" : X'ES

21. Two-front, as a Coast Guard rescue : AIR-SEA.

22. Divans : SOFAS

25. Trunk piece : LATCH

26. Put a value on : ASSAY

27. Words before "Yeah, you!" : WHO, ME?

28. Brubeck of jazz : DAVE

30. Like much of New York : RURAL. Not "URBAN" then. Steady on there, Turbo!

31. Company with a longtime travel guide : MOBIL

32. They often have guards : SHINS

35. Self-help letters : D.I.Y.

36. Super-duper : ACES. I suppose that "aces" can mean "Super-duper" but I can't find a reference anywhere. Accept and move on.

37. 1959 Ben-Hur portrayer : HESTON. I think all that I remember of this movie is Charlton yelling "heYAR heYAR" at his horses in the chariot race.

39. Let out gradually : DRAIN

42. Use an Enigma machine, say : ENCRYPT

43. "Black Swan" Best Actress Oscar winner : PORTMAN. The very talented Natalie. Many people think she's related to British actor Eric - she's not.

46. Bad bottom line : RED INK

48. "No prob!" : NATCH!

49. Origami staple : CRANE. According to Japanese lore, if you fold 1,000 cranes in a single year, you will be granted a wish (or eternal good luck, depending on who you believe).

50. Reason to trot : HOMER. 868 reasons, in Oh-san's case as we heard earlier.

52. Corrida beast : TORO. Food! Oh, no, wait - that's tuna belly. Darn.

53. Israeli weapons : UZIS

54. Until : UP TO

55. Scoop : INFO

56. Suffragist Lucretia : MOTT. Her maiden name was Coffin, and her uncle, Mayhew Folger, was a whaling boat captain who found the last living "Mutiny on the Bounty" mutineer on Pitcairn Island. The things we learn.

57. RR station predictions : ETA'S

58. Govt. health org. : C.D.C. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Someone forgot the "P" in the abbreviation.

Oh look - here's the grid creeping up on me. I'd better skedaddle before I get flattened by it.

Steve

Wednesday, November 2, 2016 Craig Stowe

Theme - Do You See What I See? Or My EYES Are Crossed [Up.] or  I-Yigh-Yie.  An anagramish theme in which the letters of the word EYES are scrambled and tucked into theme answer phrases of 2 or 3 words, in each case spanning two of those words.  If you're lucky, you got these letters circled for easy identification.

17. "Gotta go!" : SEE YA LATER.   Adios, amigos -- except I can't leave now, I'm just getting started.

24. Peter Parker's alarm system : SPIDEY SENSE.  To be a bit pedantic, Peter Parker's SPIDER SENSE is a kind of ESP that causes a tingling at the base of his scull, thus alerting him to danger. SPIDEY SENSE is a slangey generalized derivative phrase applied to anyone's [possibly uncanny] ability to suss out danger.

50. Henry VIII's third wife : JANE SEYMOUR.  JANE [1508-1537] was Queen of England for a little more than a year, following the unfortunate Anne Boleyn.  Sadly, Jane died of postnatal complications a few days after the birth of her son, who eventually went on to become King Edward VI.  Queen Jane is not to be confused with Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg [b. 15 February 1951] from Hayes, Middlesex, England, the daughter of Mieke (van Tricht), a nurse, and John Benjamin Frankenberg, an obstetrician.

Medicine Woman

58. Sign of deceit, and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters : SHIFTY EYES.  Supposedly, a liar cannot look you straight in the EYES.  In reality, this only apples to rank amateurs.  The good ones can pull it off, no prob - without batting an EYE, so to speak.  Here, SHIFTY gives us a clue that the letters of the word EYES have been tampered with.

Hi gang.  JazzBumpa here, complete with bifocals.  Let's give this puzzle the EYE and see what we can discover.

Across

1. Less-played song, usually : B-SIDE.   Takes me back to my yute, when 45 RPM records typically contained a hit song on the A-SIDE and some other less commercially successful song on the B-SIDE.

6. Big name in big projections : I-MAX.   Big screen theater.

10. Skips, as TiVoed ads : ZAPS.  I guess you can ZAP something to make it disappear.

14. Like Andean pyramids : INCAN.  Of or pertaining to the INCA people.

15. Bumpkin : RUBE.  Simple farmers, people of the land, the common clay of the new west  .  .  .

16. Touched down : ALIT.  Landed, as a bird, plane, or lunar module.

19. Without serious thought : IDLY.  As in chattered IDLY.

20. Cuts down : HEWS.  HEW is one of those odd English language verbs that means two wildly different things.  Here, it means to chop or cut with an AXE or other tool.  The other meaning is to adhere to some idea or set of principles.

21. Single : ONE.  As a dollar bill.

22. Garson of Hollywood : GREER.  Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson [1904-1996] was a very popular movie star with MGM in the 1940's.

Real Redhead

23. "Do it, __ will!" : OR I.  Is this an offer or a threat?

27. Bed blossoms : PANSIES.  Flowers.

29. Hyundai rival : KIA.  Korean cars

30. Vineyard cask : TUN.   A large cask holding 252 gallons.

31. Stainless __ : STEEL.   An alloy containing chromium that is highly resistant to rusting.

32. Agent : REPresentative.

33. "Looney Tunes" stinker, familiarly : PEPE. Le Pew, a skunk.

Provide your own caption

34. Kaiser roll topping : POPPY SEED. A pinwheel shaped soft bread roll with a crisp crust, topped with seeds that actually do come from the opium poppy.

38. Hide from a hunter? : PELT.   Cute misdirection, hide and PELT both referring to the skin removed from the hunted animal.  Cf. 53 A.

41. "Yet cease your __, you angry stars of heaven!": "Pericles" : IRE.  From scene I of Shakeseare's play.  IRE, of course, meaning anger.

42. E-cigarette output : VAPOR.

46. Firefighter's tool : AXE.  For HEWING.

47. Lanai music maker : UKE.  Not exclusively for Hawaiian songs - but there are strings attached.

48. Has a conniption : GOES APE.  A way of manifesting IRE.

53. "Noah kept bees in the ark hive," e.g. : PUN.  Word play based on similar sounds and [often awkwardly imposed] double meanings.

54. __ acid : AMINO.  The building block of life.  This organic compound has both carboxylic acid and amine functionality.  These two reactive groups can react with each other, and thus form long complicated molecular chains.  The rest is history.  Or maybe chemistry.  Or biology.  It all gets a little muddy.

55. Capp and Capone : ALS.  Two guys names AL.  One was a rum-running crime boss and the other gave us Li'l Abner.

56. Poet Whitman : WALT.  An American poet [1819 - 1892.]  His collection, Leaves of Grass, was considered to be pornographic at the time.

57. Manner : MIEN.  From the same root as "demeanor."  A way of presenting one's self.  This word was popular ca. 1800, and has been in decline since, especially after 1900.

61. Years, to Livy : ANNI.  Latin and plural.

62. Navigation hazard : HAZE.  It impairs vision, shifts the EYES, and comes in many colors.



63. __-garde : AVANT.  From Olde French into late Middle English - meaning the most forward part of an advancing military force.  Now, by extension, anything at the cutting edge of technology or culture.

64. Establishes : SETS.

65. Fancy jug : EWER.

66. Nutty green sauce : PESTO.  Olive oil based sauce containing pine nuts, basil and garlic, typically served over pasta.

Down

1. Vatican personnel : BISHOPS.  Also chess men.

2. Show disdain for : SNEER AT.   With a contemptuous or condescending facial expression.

3. Dessert drink made from frozen grapes : ICE WINE.   The grapes are frozen on the vine, concentrating the sugars and other solids, yielding a smaller amount of concentrated very sweet wine.

4. Weekly septet : DAYS.  Check your calendar.

5. Disney doe : ENA.   Bambi's aunt appears alliteratively.

6. Modern Persians : IRANIS.  Ancient Persia ---> modern Iran.

7. Subdued : MUTED.  Even on the trombone.



8. Civil War nickname : ABE.   President Lincoln

9. Boomer's kid : X-ER.  Those in generation X.   The baby boomers are the demographic cohort born from ca. 1946 to 1964, in the aftermath of WW II.  Generation X has historically been a disparaging term used to describe alienated youth.   It was only after 1991, when Canadian writer Douglas Coupland came out with his novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, that it was applied to the previously unnamed cohort that followed the boomers.  There are cultural implications to identifying with a particular cohort, and Gen X-ERs, not specifically limited to the after 1964 crowd, could have been born as early as 1956, and up until some vague date in the neighborhood of 1980.

10. '70s-'90s African state : ZAIRE.  Now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

11. Pasta preference : AL DENTE.  Cooked until still firm, and not mushy.

12. Forms a big stack : PILES UP.  I'm thinking of all the leaves yet to land in my yard.

13. Compound in many disposable coffee cups : STYRENE.   Vinylbenzene, a genuinely nasty chemical that also is found in other commercially important plastics.

18. Easy pace : LOPE.

22. Govt. property overseer : GSA.   The General Services Administration is an independent government agency that helps manage and support other government agencies.

24. Corn Belt sight : SILO.  Commonly a cylindrical tower used for storing grain.

25. Barely makes, with "out" : EKES.   Commonly EKES its way into a crossword.

26. "Geez!" : YIPE.   I prefer YIKES!

28. When the NFL's regular season begins : SEPTember brings us football at all levels.

32. Canadian whisky : RYE.  Is all Canadian whiskey RYE? I know not all RYE is Canadian.

33. BlackBerries, e.g. : PDAS.  Personal Data Assistants.

35. Seattle's __ Place Market : PIKE.   One of the oldest continuously operating farmers' markets in the U.S.

36. Antelopes, to lions : PREY.  A step lower on the food chain.

37. At any point : EVER.

38. Sleepover need : PAJAMAS.

Sleepwear for the whole family

39. Check out : EXAMINE.  Take a gander at those jammies!

40. Lax : LENIENT.  Not strict.

43. Tropical fruits : PAPAYAS. The fruit of a tree native to Central America that has been locally cultivated for many centuries.

44. Rich : OPULENT.  Displaying conspicuous or ostentatious wealth.

45. Charges for use of, as an apartment : RENTS TO.

47. GI hangout : USO.  The United Services Organization, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides programs, services and live entertainment to U.S. military personnel and their families.

48. Club owner? : GOLFER

49. Toss from office : OUST

51. County seat of County Clare : ENNIS

52. Thanksgiving decoration : MAIZE

56. "__ Only Just Begun": Carpenters hit : WE'VE

58. Ship, to its crew : SHE

59. "Hee __" : HAW

60. Go on and on : YAP

That wraps it up for today.  Hope your vision didn't get blurred or HAZY.  And that's the truth!

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, November 1, 2016 Janice Luttrell

Theme: Word Link - A single word that may be used in conjunction with four other dissimilar words.

55A. Leave hurriedly ... and, literally, what the first words of the answers to starred clues can do: TAKE A POWDER

20A. *Shake off one's daydreams: FACE REALITY. Face powder.

39A. *Cause of chubby cheeks, perhaps: BABY FAT. Baby powder.

11D. *Ingratiate oneself (with): CURRY FAVOR. Curry powder.

29D. *Bargain hunter's venue: FLEA MARKET. Flea powder.

Rabbit Rabbit! Argyle here. Needed the reveal today, that's for sure. I did think of Marti; she would love some fresh powder for skiing. The first two powders you could mix up but not those last two!

Across:

1. Working stiff: PEON

5. Brief timetable: SKED. (schedule)

9. Racing venue near Windsor Castle: ASCOT

14. "Beetle Bailey" dog: OTTO

15. Greet from a distance: WAVE

16. Waste not: REUSE. "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without"

17. Inch or foot: UNIT. Unit of measure.

18. Actor Bana of "Closed Circuit": ERIC. I don't remember it.

19. Singer Haggard: MERLE

23. Towel holder: ROD

24. Strokes on greens: PUTTS

25. Rap fan: B-BOY. Think breakdancing.

27. Little child, in Cannes: ENFANT

30. Decanter relatives: CARAFEs

33. Richly adorn: GILD

34. "Born Free" lioness: ELSA

37. Carne __: Mexican dish: ASADA

38. Old AT&T rival: GTE. Formerly General Telephone & Electric Corporation. Update: That should be Electronics. It appears Wikipedia has it wrong.

41. Perp's prey, in copspeak: VIC. (victim)

42. French floor: ÉTAGE

44. Like the lama, but not the llama, in a Nash poem: ONE L

45. Foot warmer: SOCK

46. Switches for mood lighting: DIMMERS

48. Boardroom illustrations: CHARTS

50. Farmland measure: ACRE

51. Tawdry: SEAMY

53. Trojan __: WAR

60. Joint commonly sprained: ANKLE

62. __ facto: IPSO. (by that very fact or act.)

63. "__ a heart!": HAVE

64. Stout mug: STEIN

65. Property claim: LIEN

66. Biblical garden: EDEN

67. __ four: small cake: PETIT. Not suitable for handing out on Halloween, mores the pity though.

68. "A __ of Two Cities": TALE

69. Bird's home: NEST

Down:

1. High hair style: POUF. Can you find a Winnie the Pouf hair do?

2. Active European volcano: ETNA

3. Of the ears: OTIC

4. Tablet: NOTEPAD

5. Sugary brewed drink: SWEET TEA

6. K, to a jeweler: KARAT

7. Lesser of two __: EVILS

8. Metric prefix: DECI

9. Kid in a military family: ARMY BRAT

10. Observe: SEE

12. Norwegian capital: OSLO

13. Ready to be kicked off: TEED. Are you ready for some football?

21. Gallop: RUN

22. Ltrs. in an unfilled TV time slot: TBA. (to be announced)

26. Western treaty org.: OAS. (Organization of American States)

27. Urged (on): EGGED

28. Gangster Frank in "Road to Perdition": NITTI

30. Street eatery: CAFE

31. Order from on high: EDICT

32. Pink-slips: SACKS

35. Debt-heavy corp. deals: LBOs. (leveraged buyout)

36. Word in a thesaurus: Abbr.: SYN. (synonym)

39. Temporary Oktoberfest structure: BEER TENT

40. "The Untouchables" gangster: AL CAPONE

43. Yukon automaker: GMC. (General Motors Truck Company)

45. Drink pourer's words: "SAY WHEN"

47. Actor Stephen: REA

49. Wellness gp.: HMO. (Health Maintenance Organization)

51. Vintage photo hue: SEPIA

52. Painter's stand: EASEL

53. Hornet, e.g.: WASP

54. Poker bet that's not optional: ANTE. No ante, no cards for you!

56. Highland garb: KILT

57. Florida's Miami-__ County: DADE

58. Times to call, in ads: EVES. (evenings)

59. Apartment payment: RENT

61. 52, in old Rome: LII

Argyle

Monday, October 31, 2016 Jerome Gunderson

Theme: Western Williams - Threre Bills from the old West.

20A. Bovine skin once used as a painting surface by Native Americans: BUFFALO HIDE. Buffalo Bill Cody

33A. Untamed equines: WILD HORSES. Wild Bill Hickok.

40A. Rio Grande feeder: PECOS RIVER. Pecos Bill of Texas. (I apologize for the non-PC lyrics that are offensive by today's standards.)

52A. Stack for the bookkeeper to pay ... or, literally, what 20-, 33- and 40-Across' first words constitute: PILE OF BILLS

Argyle here. We haven't had a Jerome for almost year now and with all the CSO's to me, I'm not saying one bad word about it.

Across:

1. Words before "Tricked you!": "HA-HA!"

5. Whirled: SPUN

9. Exxon merger partner: MOBIL

14. Musk of Tesla Motors: ELON

15. Syllables from Santa: "HO, HO"

16. Get away from, as pursuers: EVADE

17. Tooth anchor: ROOT

18. Border on: ABUT

19. Female 33-Across: MARES. 33A. Untamed equines: WILD HORSES

23. Nocturnal flier: BAT

24. Partner: ALLY

25. Peruvian peaks: ANDES

27. Music room system: STEREO

30. Zsa Zsa, to Eva: SISTER. Magda, Zsa Zsa, and Eva. Zsa Zsa is in frail health as she nears 100 but is still with us at this point.

32. Toasty: WARM

37. Baba who outwitted thieves: ALI. And there was forty of them!

38. Actor Mineo: SAL. He lives on in crosswords.

39. Med. care option: HMO. (Health Maintenance Organization)

45. Italia's capital: ROMA

46. Halloween goodies: TREATS. I think I'll hand out Sky Bars if I can find them.

47. Equal to, with "with": ON A PAR

49. Like sheep sans wool: SHORN

50. Pained cry: MOAN

51. Guerrilla Guevara: CHE

58. Western writer Bret: HARTE. He created a character called Yuba Bill.

60. Many: A LOT

61. Tidy: NEAT

62. "Know what __?": I MEAN

63. Rural storage cylinder: SILO. Some are repurposed.

64. Scarlett O'Hara's home: TARA

65. IRS examination: AUDIT

66. Go berserk: SNAP

67. "Not great, not bad": "OKAY"

Down:

1. Basil or rosemary: HERB

2. Baseball family name: ALOU

3. Pig's foot part: HOOF

4. Insect nest with tunnels: ANT FARM. Tried hill first.

5. Perfect for wading: SHALLOW

6. N'awlins sandwich: PO'BOY. New Orleans, yum.

7. "Nope": "UH-UH"

8. "The Little Red Hen" denial: "NOT I". "Nope, UH-UH"

9. Souvenir: MEMENTO

10. Eggs in a lab: OVA

11. Clip joint?: BARBERSHOP. Are they holding their own against salons?

12. Imagination output: IDEAs

13. For fear that: LEST

21. Stein filler: ALE

22. Pinch from a chef: DASH

26. German article: DER. "der", "die" and "das".

27. Trade: SWAP

28. "Cautionary" account: TALE

29. Leif's father: ERIC, THE RED. Norwegian Viking explorers.

30. Poles and Serbs: SLAVs

31. Not doing much of anything: IDLE

34. "What time __?": IS IT

35. Poet Lazarus: EMMA. She penned, “Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

36. Fly high: SOAR

41. Guatemala gold: ORO

42. Eden tempter: SERPENT

43. Rajah's mate: RANI

44. Santa's landing spot: ROOF TOP

45. Met by chance: RAN INTO

48. Catch, as a crook: NAB

49. SeaWorld orca: SHAMU

50. Dough in a wallet: MOOLA

51. "Pet" with Smiley and Winky versions: CHIA

53. Young lady: LASS

54. Model Nordegren once married to Tiger Woods: ELIN

55. Radiator problem: LEAK

56. Tomb Raider's __ Croft: LARA. Video game.

57. Stick around: STAY

59. Mai __: TAI

Argyle