Sunday, February 22, 2015 Alex Vratsanos

Theme: "The '60s*" - Each theme entry has 6 T's.

39A. *Congressional authorization of its creation was partly contingent on its forbidding

polygamy : UTAH STATE CONSTITUTION. Some sects there still practice polygamy.

45A. *Gossip : TITTLE-TATTLE

67A. *1976 Doobie Brothers hit : TAKIN' IT TO THE STREETS. Gimme, D-Otto?

93A. *Knocking sound, in Joyce's "Ulysses" (longest palindromic word in the OED) :

TATTARRATTAT. Neat trivia. Learning moment for me.

98A. *"No lie!" : THAT'S THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH!

28D. *Jolson classic : TOOT, TOOT, TOOTSIE

So did you get the theme before coming to the blog?

Very seldom do we get an asterisk mark in the theme title. Rich might be worried that the theme is tricky for solvers to grasp. Some might think those long 10's in the Across spots are theme answers. Normally when we have asterisk marks in theme entries, we have a reveal entry.

Construction-wise, this puzzle is technical feat.

Across:

1. Alice's cat : DINAH.  "Alice in Wonderland".

6. Dix follower : ONZE. 11 in French.

10. Site of the house that inspired "American Gothic" : IOWA

14. Bikini specs : C-CUPS

19. "Fear of Fifty" author Jong : ERICA

20. Vacuum : VOID

21. Diagnostic tool : MRI SCANNER. And 25. Criminals are often behind them : PRISON BARS. Lovely stack of 10's crossed by WIIMOTES (12D. Nintendo controllers).

23. Kid : JOKE AROUND. One more 10.

26. Blood-typing letters : ABO

27. Show mastery of : SHINE AT

29. Parrot : MIMIC

30. Tenn. athletes : VOLS. Tennessee Volunteers.

32. Money changers?: Abbr. : EDS (Editors). Money magazine.

33. Purposeless : OTIOSE. Not a word I use.

36. IRS hiree : CPA

46. Skipped town, maybe : MOVED

47. Newsman Roger : O'NEIL. Hey, AILES has the same letter count.

49. Ship staff : MAST. Tricky "staff".

50. From one tone to the next, in music : STEPWISE. New concept to me.

53. Vouchsafes : BESTOWS

56. Han River capital : SEOUL. Of course I was thinking of the Han River in China.

59. Henri's here : ICI

60. Fleur in heraldry : LYS. Or LIS.

61. Ward with Emmys : SELA

62. "So-o adorable!" : AWW

64. Mild, chili-wise : ONE ALARM. How high can you go?

73. Terminus : END POINT

74. With 123-Across, personal annoyance : PET. And 123. See 74-Across : PEEVE

75. Judge : DEEM

77. Pacific finger food : POI. Never had it. But I like baked taros & taro cakes.

80. "You Gotta Be" singer Des'__ : REE. We had this singer before.

81. Zenophile? : STOIC. Zeno the Stoic.

84. "Plum Island" author Nelson : DEMILLE. Marti & Hahtoola might have read this book.

86. Apple sites : ORCHARDS

89. Bone: Pref. : OSTE. Also OSSE.

91. Metroliner successor : ACELA

92. Shrek creator William : STEIG

103. Red team : SOX

104. Little work for a gardener? : BONSAI. Cute clue/answer.

105. Educational org. : PTA

106. The Aragón feeds it : EBRO

107. As a companion : ALONG. Oh, like in "Come along".

109. 1930s Rhine/Zener experiment : ESP TEST. Another learning moment for me.

113. L.D.S. school : BYU. Why did you go to BYU, Barry G? Were you a Mormon for sometime?

114. When vacations often don't start? : SOON ENOUGH. True.

119. Experiment subjects : GUINEA PIGS. Great entry also.

121. Alabaman, e.g. : SOUTHERNER

122. Walked : TROD

124. They're under heads : TORSI. Not NECKS.

125. "A Series of Unfortunate Events" villain Squalor : ESME. No idea. But inferable given Salinger's "For Esme – with Love and Squalor".

126. Six-yr. pols : SENS (Senators)

127. De-pressurized? : EASED

Down:

1. "I've seen this before" feeling : DEJA VU. Sparkling fill.

2. Asimov classic : I, ROBOT

3. Inventor on Serbia's 100-dinar note : NIKOLA TESLA. Full name!

4. Opening day starter : ACE. And 43. One making many calls : UMPIRE

5. 2011 FedEx Cup winner Bill : HAAS. Son of Jay Haas.

6. Egg-shaped : OVOIDAL. Same as Oval, right?

7. Morphological component, in linguistics : NOUN STEM. Another word I never used, but  inferable.

8. Fan mag : ZINE

9. Source of Norse mythology : EDDA

10. Mischief-maker : IMP. Hi there Spitzboov!

11. "Catch-22" pal of Yossarian : ORR

13. St. Francis' home : ASSISI

14. "Is it okay, mom?" : CAN I

15. "Mad Money" network : CNBC

16. Italian article : UNA

17. Rate word : PER

18. Many AARP members: Abbr. : SRs

22. Tailed orbiter : COMET

24. Butler created by Mitchell : RHETT. "Gone With the Wind".

31. Asian mushroom : SHIITAKE. When I worked in Guangzhou, my lunch was often rice noodles with shiitake.

 

34. Blowup cause : TNT

35. U.K. component : ISL (Island)

36. __ service : CIVIL

37. Art of verse : POESY

38. Long range : ANDES

40. 1944 invasion city : ST LO

41. DFW postings : ETAs. Dallas–Fort Worth.

42. Docket item : CASE

44. Trailer, say : TOW

47. Dictionary cousin of arch. : OBS. Obsolete.

48. Bygone depilatory : NEET

51. Out of vertical : TILTED

52. French game in which the king is the highest card : ECARTE. Do any of you play this game?

54. Roam : WANDER

55. Ran through a reader : SWIPED

57. Durham sch. : UNH

58. Jack Reacher creator Child : LEE

63. Yemen became its 160th mem. in June, 2014 : WTO. Unaware of the trivia. But it was a big deal when China joined WTO in 2001.

65. Ophidiophobe's fear, perhaps : ASP. OK, fear of snakes.

66. Great Society program : MEDICARE

68. Shabbily dressed : IN RAGS

69. "My country __ ... " : 'TIS

70. Prov. bordering four Great Lakes : ONT

71. Kids' TV quartet : TELETUBBIES. Four main characters from left to right: Tinky Winky, Laa-Laa, Po & Dipsy.

 

72. Get cash for : SELL

76. __ culpa : MEA

77. Goal pair : POSTS

78. Bug-B-Gon maker : ORTHO

79. Climber's implement : ICE AX

82. World Golf Hall of Famer Aoki : ISAO

83. Corner key : CTRL

85. Falcons quarterback Ryan : MATT

87. Good guess in Battleship : HIT. Another game I never played.

88. WWII weapons : STEN GUNS

90. 1991 Pinatubo event : ERUPTION

94. Common batteries : AAS

95. Sched. opening : TBA

96. Doesn't blow off : ATTENDS

97. Coquette : TEASE

99. Sirloin alternative : T-BONE

100. Writer __ de Balzac : HONORE

101. __ Lie, first U.N. secretary-general : TRYGVE. One more learning moment for me. He's Norwegian.

102. Contained : HOUSED

107. "A Bug's Life" colony : ANTS

108. City near Provo : LEHI. We see OREM more often.

110. Boot camp NCOs : SGTS

111. Immaculate : PURE

112. Gift-wrapping aid : TAPE

114. Retiree of 2003, briefly : SST

115. Winning combo : OOO

116. Possession indicator : OUR

117. Marvel : GEM

118. The Battle of Austerlitz precipitated its end: Abbr. : HRE. Stumper for me.

120. Royal pain? : PEA. "The Princess and the Pea".

C.C.

Saturday, Feb 21st, 2015, Jonathan L O'Rourke

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing Q,V)

Blocks: 27

  Upon reviewing our list of constructors, Mr. O'Rourke has but one prior LAT puzzle, dating back to Oct 30, 2011 - a Sunday, and from the same year I started doing the Sat blog.  I was able to do 75% of this one, but the SW corner was just crash and burn - too many proper names/locations, and as a result, kinda sucked the life out of this otherwise engaging excursion.  Oh well.  Triple 9- and 10-letter corners, and two 11-letter spanners - one which I knew immediately, but didn't know the exact spelling;

30. "Die Hard" cry adapted from an old cowboy song : YIPPEE KI YAY - I was really close - just had an "I" at the end of yippie....one of my favorite movies, all time, and I like to watch it at Christmas

43. Range for some power measurements : ZERO TO SIXTY - in reference to cars, but the definition just doesn't jive with me....it's not really a measurement of the power so much as the rate of acceleration - which might be incredible, but have no reflection on the actual 'power'; take the Jaguar XF diesel - only gets up to 140mph, but it's 0-60 is 5.9secs.  I tested my 2000 Dodge Stratus about two years ago - 11+ seconds.  258,000 miles ago, it probably got close to 140mph.

DCLXVI~!

[Gasp~! The number of the beast~!]

ACROSS:

1. Modern location code : IP ADDRESS

10. Vertical sides : JAMBS - doors and windows, e.g.

15. Ability to stand? : TOLERANCE - I can tell you, my tolerance got pretty high when it came to alcohol, which leads to the next clue/answer;

16. "What I always get" : USUAL - like, say, Scotch, NO ICE~!!!

17. Baby, for one : SPICE GIRL - dah~! Clever. the others;
Scary, Sporty, Ginger & Posh

18. Ward cry? : NURSE - "it's medication time~!"

19. "Bless __ ...": Psalm 68 : YE GOD

20. "Shadow of the Vampire" Oscar nominee : DAFOE - no clue; WAG

22. Mr. __!: old detective game : REE - get it~?  Mister - ree....?  Har-har

23. Churchill's "so few": Abbr. : RAF

25. Chess tactic : PIN - new one to me, since I have played a lot of chess, but I get it

26. [Oh, my!] : "GASP~!"

27. Reagan era mil. program : SDI - the "Strategic Defense Initiative", which the media referred to as "Star Wars", and since I grew up with the movie/myth, found it a little insulting

33. Trap catchings : LINT - This took WAY too long....might be because I was at the restaurant and in a 'lobster' & 'crab' frame of mind

35. Wager : LAY - meh. I get it, but.

36. Get comfy : NESTLE - I do hope to get to nestling, soon - and she's wearing 65a.~!

37. "The Hangover" star : ED HELMS - totally unhelpful for me - not only did I NOT see the movie, but I still have no desire to, either, and I don't recognize the actor - IMDb

39. Is worth something, in dialect : AIN'T HAY - once the first "A" filled in, I got this

40. Fifth-grader's milestone, maybe : AGE TEN - ARGH~!  ELEVEN fit, too, and I was 11 in 5th grade

41. One may involve a homonym : PUN

42. Like the Negev : SERE - Dah~! Not ARID

46. "The Spanish Tragedy" dramatist : KYD - Had to cheat the "K" - Natick, in the truest sense; two names crossing?  Ouch.

47. Behan's land : ERIN - Duh.  Sounded IRAN/IRAQ at first

48. Robot extension? : ICS - Robotics

49. Chinese dynasty during Caesar's time : HAN - WAG - but, three letters...?

51. Little : BIT - This puzzle frustrate you~? A "bit".

52. "__ yourself!" : BRACE

54. 1946 Literature Nobelist : HESSE

58. Nice parting : ADIEU - That's "Neece", the Frawnche city

60. Baklava flavoring : ROSE WATER - I thought it was going to be honey-something

62. One removed from the company? : LONER - Two's company, three's a crowd; one's a loner....like me  ;7(

63. Cocktail portmanteau : APPLETINI - I can never remember the definition of portmanteau when I see it in crossword clues; need to remember it's a 'name' derived from parts - in this case, an apple-flavored martini

64. Start using Twitter, say : LOG ON - ugh.  I don't "tweet"

65. Victoria's Secret purchase : BOYSHORTS - I prefer seeing these on a woman over a thong any day, twice on Sunday

DOWN:       

1. Tiny : ITSY

2. Urban, e.g. : POPE - did not fool me

3. Boorish Sacha Baron Cohen persona : ALI G - I saw Borat, and stopped there

4. Style : DECOR

5. 1993 rap hit : DRE DAY - Dr. Dre

6. Low-quality paper : RAG

7. Home of Phillips University : ENID - ugh.

8. Full of spunk : SCRAPPY - I wanted sNappy, but it was too short

9. Instagrammed item : SELFIE

10. __ bug : JUNE

11. Pac-12 sch. whose mascot carries a pitchfork : ASU

12. "Swingin' Soiree" DJ : MURRAY THE K - this would have been a very neat corner were it not for the "K"....and the guy was before my time - his Wiki

13. It doesn't include benefits : BASE SALARY

14. About to crash? : SLEEPY-EYED

21. About 1.8 tablespoons, vis-à-vis a cup : ONE-NINTH - Funny, but "ELEVENTH" worked here, too, and since I don't usually divide my cups this way....

24. "Double Indemnity" genre : FILM NOIR

26. Basic ideas : GISTS

27. Despicable sort : SLEAZEBALL

28. Australian wind : DIDGERIDOO - ah, the musical instrument; I was thinking along the lines of some sort of "DEVIL ZEPHYR" - Bzzzt (pun intended)

29. Willing consequence? : INHERITING - Doesn't look right, but it is - "I bequeath..."

31. Step on stage : PAS - meh meh meh meh - Frawnche

32. Grasp : KEN - and yet I nailed this three-letter fill

34. Jackson Hole's county : TETON

38. Court call : LET - DAH~!  I was in 'law' court, and thought it was OYE

39. TV input letters : AUX - Hmmm, didn't think it was VCR

41. 1980s "SNL" regular : PISCOPO - OK, I cheated - I got as far as PI---, and could not think of his last name - but I knew he was a guest in one episode of Law & Order

44. Sacred beetle : SCARAB - Hey~!  One answer I felt confident about~!

45. Name derived from the Tetragrammaton : YAHWEH - once I had ----EH, there weren't too many names you could think of

50. "Far out!" : NEATO

52. Cheat, in slang : BURN 

53. Notice : ESPY

55. Hullabaloo : STIR

56. Text status : SENT

57. Most massive known dwarf planet : ERIS - fascinating - I did not know about this; did you, Husker~?  The Wiki. Take a look at its orbit

59. Fair-hiring initials : EEO - DAH~! Went with EOE, which is 100% right, and yet still wrong - correct, D-Otto~?

61. 2012 British Open winner : ELS - three letters and an open winner~? Try ELS

Splynter

Friday, February 20, 2015, Frank Virzi

Theme: Where do I find the "F" words? I can't C them.

Wow, it is only February and I already am blogging my second Frank Virzi puzzle this year. To refresh your recollection, Frank is a science teacher working in Townsend (?) Massachusetts (that knowledge might help solving) who gave us an 'ell of time in January with his add a sound offering. This time we have a straight letter exchange where "C" becomes "F" in 5 phrases, three of which are grid spanners. Each of the phrases had a final word that begins with C, but an F is substituted to reveal some visually amusing fill. Having the C in Cover as part of a fill may not be acceptable to some, though it is only Cs in the last word which are switched. The key to this type of theme is the wit of the new fill. I really enjoyed some of them and I hope you did as well. With 71 theme letters encased in only 5 fill we have a puzzle which has no fill longer than 6 letter, except for the theme, with 3,4 and 5 letter words dominating the grid.

17A. Forgeries that are easy to spot? : UPSIDE DOWN FAKES (15). Pineapple Upside Down Cake is the only one I have ever had. Do you get a mental image of the Mona Lisa standing on her head? Getting the theme is very critical because the perp of FIFE which intersects this and the next theme answer, is not easy.

23A. Dude in the CIA? : UNDER COVER FOP (13). I do not think of CIA operatives as Cops but I guess in the generic law enforcement sense they are. FOP is a word I know from reading  English mysteries along with TOFF.  As I said, FIFE is easy if you have the F theme.

37A. Trivial blunder? : MICKEY MOUSE FLUB (15). Ah, they have given us Annette Funicello, Britney Spears, Justin Timerlake and so many other graduates of Disney's Club. I assume we all of heard of the disparaging, what kind of Mickey Mouse operation are you running here?

49A. Pancake cook in pinstripes? : YANKEE FLIPPER (13). I love this; a reminder of Joe DiMaggio, the Yankee Clipper, in his pinstripe uniform.

58A. "My fireplace is defective!"? : I HAVEN'T GOT A FLUE (15). I also laughed out loud for this variation of I haven't got a Clue though we had many, and I hope you filled them all.

So that is the theme, just one letter changed, no spelling or sound changes, just interesting mental pictures.

Across:

1. "Invisible Cities" author Calvino : ITALO. I would guess marti knows considerably more than I do about this WRITER. Lately we are getting tough 1A starts to our Fridays.

6. "I ran away from you once. I can't do it again" speaker : ILSA. One of the most quoted films of all time, Casablanca had Ingrid say these lines:

"I can't fight it anymore.
I ran away from you once. I can't do it again.
Oh, I don' t know what's right any longer.
You have to think for both of us.
For all of us."

10. Ford Field player : LION. The stadium where the Detroit Lions play.

14. Surgery acronym : LASIK. Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis or the easier to parse Laser-Assisted Stromal In-situ Keratomileusis. I am sure we all remember KERA is Greek for cornea.

15. It's a gas : NEON. Fun clue. A touch of science.

16. "Snow White" character flaw : ENVY. Poor Queen.

20. By way of : VIA. A Latin word fully accepted into English.

21. French pronoun : TOI. Moi, toi? wait for perps.

22. Habituate : INURE. Both words mean accustom, but inure is more frequently associated with bad things.

28. Essen's valley : RUHR.

29. Spotted : SEEN.

30. Slug relative : SNAIL. A slug living in a motor home?

33. Roll : WAD. Usually seen with 'of dough.'

34. Word after clip or pop : ART.

42. Colorado native : UTE.

43. "About his head he wears the winner's __": "The Two Noble Kinsmen" : OAK. How cool, some Shakespeare that I do not know, with fill that was not easily inferable.

44. Guanaco cousin : LLAMA. This animal got its name from the Qhechua, who live in the Amazon so we are once again back in Ecuador.

45. Beantown athlete : CELTic. Boston is beantown, and they ended up making no deadline trades. Danny Ainge I thought you had the inside track for Dragic? And, 66A. City NNE of Boston : LYNN. Was this a Natick for anyone? Finally, 46D. Bay State motto starter : ENSE. "ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem" "by the sword she seeks quiet peace under liberty" How many of our Bay Staters knew the motto of their home, Massachusetts?

47. Peek follower : ABOO.

54. Some Highlanders : GAELS. Having read extensively about Scotland, this was a gimme. Their STORY. Also, 19D. County on the Firth of Forth : FIFE. I find all of this stuff interesting. LINK.

56. U.N. workers' agcy. : ILO. International Labour Organization. Don't forget the 'u.'

57. Roasting time in Toulon? : ETE. Another variation on cluing the French word for summer (without the accent.)

63. "Footloose" co-star Singer : LORI. She got the Bacon sizzling...

64. Word after "funny" that clarifies its meaning : HA HA. Not, funny odd.

65. 1995 Stallone title role : DREDD. A dreadful film, that has already been remade.

67. Senate Republican leader before Frist : LOTT.

68. Sources of wisdom : SAGES.

Down:

1. Affectionate text : I LUV U. LUV was a way to avoid saying love, when I was young.

2. It's often just inches : TAP IN. You just love those tap in pars and birdies, HG?

3. Syrian leader : ASSAD.

4. Full deck Nero wasn't playing with? : LII. Fifty-two, the number of cards in a modern deck.

5. Gave a thumbs-up : OK'D.

6. Like some soccer games : INDOOR. And football.

7. Pope before Benedict III : LEO IV. All perps; there have been 266 according to the Vatican; do even the best Catholics know them all?

8. Plant : SOW. Juxtaposed with...

9. Taylor of fashion : ANN. There is no such person, it is the name of a retail chain, and it was named after a DRESS.

10. Pressure : LEAN ON. Me.

11. Finish, as a tat : INK UP. My meh fill of the puzzle, don't  you 'ink in' the artwork?

12. Finished : OVER. I am so over this.

13. Where to see MMM : NYSE. New York Stock Exchange.  They were Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company when I was young, known then for Scotch tape. A CSO to our Minnesota heritage.  LINK.

18. "Toy Story" character who draws : ETCH.

24. Composer Satie : ERIK. More marti's STYLE.

25. Gag __ : RULE. In a trial, the judge orders the participants to not speak of the courtroom happenings.

26. Isaac's eldest : ESAU.

27. Team whose logo involves a "wishbone C" : REDS. There are many Cs but only this odd one.

30. Mustangs' sch. : SMU. A return visit for Southern Methodist University.

31. Trivial objection : NIT. You get to pick you own. A tiny clecho with the theme clue.

32. One-spot : ACE. Never heard the term.

33. Pan for Yan : WOK. I guess the rhyme is cute, but YAN is not the most well known of Chinese provinces.(up date, the reference is likely to a tv cooking show You Can Cook hosted by Martin Yan)

34. Recipe words : A LA.

35. Mojito ingredient : RUM.

36. Not yet determined, in skeds : TBA. To Be Announced.

38. It's surrounded by white : YOLK.

39. Game ender : MATE. Why do we have 'check' in chess but not in checkers?

40. Morlock prey : ELOI. Yummy?

41. Bomb : FLOP.

45. He served between Warren and Herbert : CALVIN. Coolidge in between Harding and Hoover.

47. Like most rafts : AFLOAT. Not George.

48. Rorschach image : BLOT. The oldest joke: the man goes to the doctor and is shown inkblots but after each one he tells the doctor he sees naked women fornicating. The doctor expresses amazement with the man's fixation on sex, but the patient says, "Me, Doc? I think it is you since you were the one showing me all the dirty pictures."

49. Ache : YEARN. For better jokes?

50. "__ Men Out": baseball scandal film : EIGHT. Ahhm the 1919 White Sox.

51. Pequod co-owner : PELEG. The characters in Moby Dick should all be familiar.

52. Chopin's "Winter Wind," e.g. : ETUDE. Do we like Piano music ?

53. Orchestra group : REEDS. Or do we prefer the ORCHESTRA?

54. Fish feature : GILL. Vince is hurt...

55. "Hi, sailor!" : AHOY.

59. Vezina Trophy org. : NHL. National Hockey League, the award is for the best goalie, named after a Montreal Canadien goalie who died of tuberculosis.

60. Lao Tzu principle : TAO.

61. Some pop-ups : ADS. Too many.

62. Brother : FRA. This is a variant of the word FRIAR; the Catholic encyclopedia says Friars are different from monks in that they are called to live the evangelical counsels (vows of poverty, chastity and obedience) in service to society, rather than through cloistered aestheticism and devotion. Whereas monks live in a self-sufficient community, friars work among laypeople and are supported by donations or other charitable support.

We are now getting ready for spring training baseball while we have parts of So. Fla. experiencing below 40 degree temps for the first time in four years. I realize this is not impressive to all the New England, upstate NY and Canadian readers, but is our harsh winter. Hope you enjoyed Frank V., as I did. Lemonade out (in the cold!).

Note from C.C.:

 

Happy Birthday to dear Argyle, my trusted adviser and close friend. I can't picture my life without Argyle, yet I forgot his birthday! I need to be punished!!

 

Thursday, February 19, 2015 Robert Fisher

Theme: "Error Messages"

Four annoying computer pop-ups you might come across:

17-Across. "You're living in the past," nowadays : UPGRADE REQUIRED.

26-Across. "You can't go there," nowadays : ACCESS DENIED.

45-Across. "Nobody can go there," nowadays : PAGE NOT FOUND.

59-Across. "Never heard of you," nowadays : INVALID USERNAME.

I'm not sure how this ended up on a Thursday, since it seemed very Monday-friendly. Simple, straight-forward theme, without much dreck in the fill.  Maybe some of the names could trip up a Monday level solver, but the perps all quickly came to the rescue for me.

Across

1. Explosive sound : BLAM. Boom?! (The perps said "no.")

5. Outer __ : SPACE. And a cross-referential clue at 7-Down. Prefix with 5-Across : AERO.

10. Not even ajar : SHUT.

14. "Born to Die" singer/songwriter Del Rey : LANA. See? All perps!

15. Stadium divisions : TIERS.

16. Son of Leah : LEVI. No perps needed.

20. Flower celebrated in an annual Ottawa festival : TULIP. It all started with a gift of TULIPs by the Dutch Royal Family to the people of Canada after the liberation of Europe in WWII.

21. Move the boat, in a way : ROW. I suppose you could also pedal it?

22. Painting option : SPRAY. Brush? Color? Latex?

23. Like a typical farmer's market : OPEN AIR.

25. "Gotcha!" : OHO.

32. Peace Nobelist Sakharov : ANDREI. Ironically, he was key in the development of the hydrogen bomb, and later played a role in the Partial Test Ban Treaty.

35. Elijah Blue's mom : CHER. With her second husband Greg Allman.

36. __ de coeur: impassioned plea : CRI. Literally, "Cry from the heart" in French.

37. "Gone With the Wind" setting : TARA.

38. "Whew!" : BOY!

39. Sit a spell : REST.

40. The Pac-12's Beavers : OSU. Oregon State University.

41. Ego : SELF.

43. Citrine or amethyst : QUARTZ. Amethyst is the February birthstone. Citrine is November.

48. A Bobbsey twin : NAN. Bert's twin. I wonder if she likes Indian flatbread?

49. Stops : DESISTS.

53. Early New Zealand settler : MAORI.

56. "Something __, something ..." : OLD. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a lucky sixpence in your shoe." I wonder if brides still follow this old advice for a happy marriage on their wedding days.

58. Bug : EAT AT.

62. Cinch : SNAP.

63. Sci-fi staple : ROBOT.

64. Golf shot : CHIP.

65. Breton, e.g. : CELT.

66. Band tour stop, perhaps : ARENA.

67. Building additions : ELLS.


Down

1. Olive Oyl pursuer : BLUTO. D'ah! I tried to cram "Brutus" in there.

2. Eagerly consume : LAP UP.

3. One with degrees? : ANGLE. This was acute clue.

4. Sauce of southern Italy : MARINARA. Mmmm...

5. Norm: Abbr. : STD. Standard.

6. Capital ENE of Custer : PIERRE. WAG.

7. Prefix with 5-Across : AERO.

8. Intercollegiate sport : CREW. They row, row, row their boats.

9. Lawyer's letters : ESQ.

10. Moccasin, for one : SLIP-ON.

11. Man around the Haus : HERR. German.

12. Layer in the eye : UVEA.

13. Considerable : TIDY. As in "A TIDY sum."

18. Posthaste : APACE.

19. Escort : USHER.

24. "Here," on Metro maps : ICI. Nit: the Paris subway is called the Métro, with an acute accent.

25. "__ to Billie Joe" : ODE.

27. Act the cynic : SCOFF. "Scorn" fits, too. Just sayin'...

28. Coming up short : SHY.

29. Bakery specialist : ICER.

30. Before, to a bard : ERST.

31. Scatterbrain : DITZ. I use that word all the time, usually describing myself.

32. On the highest point of : ATOP.

33. Apollo's creator : NASA. No hint of abbr. because it is Thursday?

34. Pharmacopeia listing : DRUG.

38. Abbreviation on a lunch menu : BLT. Oh, so now we get the abbreviation hint!

39. Splendor : RADIANCE. Somehow "Radiance in the Grass" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

41. Gastropod for a gourmet : SNAIL.

42. Geochronological span : EON.

43. "¿__ pasa?" : QUE. "'s up?"

44. Three-time Indy winner Bobby : UNSER.

46. Transported : ENRAPT.

47. Favored to win : ODDS ON. E.g., a bet of "2 to 1 on" means that the team is twice as likely to win as not.

50. "60 Minutes" regular : STAHL. Leslie.  I really admire her.

51. Sri Lankan language : TAMIL.

52. What a pedometer counts : STEPS. I bought DH a FitBit for Christmas, thinking it would encourage him to exercise more.  The first day he wore it, he announced that he had done almost two miles by just doing his usual stuff around the house.  (I was humbled...)

53. Catchall file abbr. : MISC.

54. Archer of "Fatal Attraction" : ANNE.  I had forgotten about her role as Michael Douglas's wife.

55. Common face shape : OVAL. ANNE's is a beautiful OVAL, don't you think?

56. Redolence : ODOR.

57. Jiffy __ : LUBE.

60. "Science Friday" radio host Flatow : IRA. He used to be on NPR, but moved to PRI (Public Radio International), which now airs the show.

61. Greek "H" : ETA. Or, Greek "n"?

It's omega for me!
Marti

Wednesday, February 18th, 2015 Jeff Stillman

Theme: Soupçons and Smidgeons, or five featured fractions!

17A. Abe's youngest son : TAD LINCOLN. The presidents have been getting a crossword work-out over the last couple of days or so. "Tad" was Abe's nickname for his son - he was "wiggly as a tadpole" as a baby.

25A. Exhortation from Santa, in Moore's poem : DASH AWAY ALL. Clement Clarke Moore's father was the Bishop of New York, and officiated at the inauguration of George Washington. More presidential trivia!

38A. Halls product : COUGH DROP.  I needed these last week, I get the mentholyptus variety.

54A. Late-inning substitute : PINCH HITTER. Tinbeni's our resident pinch-hitting specialist.

63A. Gets the unspoken message ... which includes one of five synonyms found in this puzzle's longest answers : TAKES A HINT. I rather like how the "hint" entry is literally a hint.

Today's Wednesday Workout courtesy of Jeff Stillman. A neat enough theme, and plenty of nice fill to enjoy along the way.

Let's get to the rest ...

Across:

1. Recitals showing promise : OATHS. I enjoy how "swearing an oath" can be a good or a bad thing, depending on context and circumstance.

6. A way off : AFAR

10. Big name in PCs : ACER. I can't remember the last time I saw one of these - I confess I thought the company was long-defunct.

14. Braid : PLAIT

15. Where to get a bite on the street : CAFE. One of the great pleasures in life is people-watching from a table at a Parisian pavement café over a cup of coffee.

16. Clue weapon : ROPE. I tried "PIPE" first, that didn't work out so well.

19. Friend on "Friends" : ROSS

20. West Point newbie : PLEBE

21. Latin phrase usually shortened : ET ALIA

23. Old hand : PRO

28. Wrestling maneuver : HOLD

30. Term of respect : SIR. Especially when a wrestler has got you in a full-nelson and is trying to dislocate both your shoulders.

31. "Liar!" in a playground : IS NOT

32. Nerdy types : DWEEBS

35. Target : GOAL

37. Shipping wts. : TNS. I'm guessing this refers to the tonnage of the vessel, not the cargo, but I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.

41. NCR product : ATM. Does anyone else make them? NCR are certainly the crossword-friendliest.

44. Reed in a hall : OBOE. We seem to have seen a lot of oboes recently.

45. Stable rides for kids : TRIKES. Fun rides for adult too.

49. Whodunit surprise : TWIST. I spell "dunnit" with a double-n. It reads like "who dune-it" to me when the "n" is singled.

51. Org. with Eagles : B.S.A. Boy Scouts of America have Eagle Scouts. It took a moment for the penny to drop here - when I see "BSA" I think motorcycles, and when I see "Eagles" I think NFL.

53. Coin with 12 stars on its reverse side : EURO. The stars are often erroneously thought to represent the number of countries in the European Community or the members of the Eurozone - they don't.

58. Like some grins : WRY

59. Crate up : ENCASE. Ready for weighing and shipping per 37A.

60. Organisms of a region : BIOTA. A learning moment for me. I'll add it to my lexicon.

62. Not fer : AGIN

68. 53-Across fraction : CENT

69. Maui music makers : UKES. The crossword orchestra comprises ukes and oboes accompanying diva arias.

70. Lingerie fabric : SATIN

71. Envelope-pushing : EDGY

72. Huff and puff : PANT

73. Bard's "between" : TWIXT. Juliet: "Give me some present counsel, or, behold, 'Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife"

Down:

1. Go (for) : OPT

2. __ française : A LA. I was surprised when I learned that "Service à la française" in a restaurant means that all the courses are served at once, rather than one at a time. "Service à la russe"describes the serial method. Who knew that Russia created this concept?  Not me.

3. Pond juvenile : TADPOLE. Wow, this is very close to breaking one of the cardinal rules of not duplicating an answer in a puzzle, especially as it crosses "TAD", which, as we've learned, was derived from TADPOLE. Maybe this was done intentionally but I'm a little uncomfortable with it. What do you all think?

4. "This Kiss" singer Faith : HILL

5. Kept in a pen : STIED

6. Tap into : ACCESS

7. __ Schwarz : FAO. Frederick August Otto founded the store in Baltimore.

8. CIO partner : AFL. Not CIO in the top-banana geek sense of the word. The Congress of Industrial Organizations.

9. Keep up on the issues? : RENEW

10. Neat arrangements : ARRAYS

11. Nuclear reactor need : COOLANT. I'm a little sketchy on the physics involved, but given a cocktail of carbon rods, enriched uranium and water, I'm voting for plenty of water.

12. Delta-zeta connection : EPSILON. The "Alphabet Song" is a little different in Greek. Or E-Z-er?

13. Seasons a bit more : RE-SALTS. My "Oh no, really?" of the day. You don't "re-salt" an under-seasoned dish, you add more salt. Straw poll - have you ever asked anyone to re-salt something? I've asked for salt, I've mentioned that a dish needs more salt, I've wondered if I've under-seasoned something - but- re-salt? Maybe a frozen road needs to be re-salted. Best I can come up with.

18. Pistons' org. : NBA. Detroit hoopsters.

22. Worker who gives people fits? : TAILOR

23. Honorary deg., perhaps : PH.D. Shaquille O'Neal earned his the hard way. That's a big gown.

24. Fracas : ROW

26. Uppermost : HIGHEST

27. Three-time MLB home run king : A-ROD. He gave what seemed to be a genuine apology yesterday regarding his suspension for PED usage.

29. Advent mo. : DEC

33. Voting enclosures : BOOTHS

34. Deli order : SUB

36. Word with modern or cave : ART

39. Mongolian expanse : GOBI

40. Key lime __ : PIE. Could this fill be anything else?

41. Free from strife : AT PEACE

42. Hurt suddenly, as a muscle : TWINGED

43. Preparing garlic, in a way : MINCING. I wallop my garlic cloves on the chopping board with the side of a chef's knife. It peels and minces them all in one go, and is thoroughly satisfying.

46. Persian Gulf native : KUWAITI

47. Make a faux pas : ERR

48. Traditional Asian sauce base : SOY.

50. Like a string bikini : SCANTY. Scanty bikinis and satin lingerie in the same puzzle? How salacious!

52. If all goes according to plan : AT BEST

55. Hopping mad : HET UP

56. Frozen Wasser : EIS. Just right to drop in your schnapps. Look away, Tinbeni

57. Holiday entrée : ROAST. Not just for holidays in my native UK. The Sunday roast was a traditional highlight of the week's meals.

61. Turn to slush : THAW

64. Letters in a police record : A.K.A. I was originally "also known as" "Stephen", my given name. My mother always refused to take a phone call asking for "Steve".

65. Novelist Kesey : KEN

66. Eighty-six : NIX

67. Explosive stuff : TNT. Boom! Trinitritoluene. Here's the recipe:

And with that I'm done! Here's the grid, with "TAD" causing me problems:

Steve

Tuesday, February 17, 2015 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Tao - As Steven Tyler sang, "Walk This WAY".

18A. Particularly welcome casino visitor : HIGH ROLLER. Highway.

23A. Court case that generates a media frenzy, say : CAUSE CÉLÈBRE. Causeway.

52A. Abe Lincoln nickname : RAIL SPLITTER. Railway.

60A. Irritate to the breaking point : DRIVE CRAZY. Driveway.

39A. "Nice job!" ... and, in another sense, a hint about the first words of 18-, 23-, 52- and 60-Across : WAY TO GO

Argyle here. What with the golf clues, I thought I'd find a fairway but like my drives, nope. The reveal was right in the middle though. Still a little crunch to 1-Across but Gail and Bruce's offering seems a tad easier than Monday's.

Across:

1. Command from a bailiff : "OYEZ"

5. Circle calculation : AREA

9. They smell : NOSES. lol

14. Like Mini Coopers : BOXY. The new BMW version and the old Austin Mini.

15. Pond croaker : TOAD. "Ribbit!"

16. Swine squeals : OINKS

17. Gave the once-over : EYED

20. Alpine song : YODEL

22. Ear-splitting : LOUD

30. Handsome god : APOLLO. 47A. Handsome god : ADONIS. Greeks.

32. Get really angry : SEE RED

33. Granada gold : ORO

34. Irritate : ANNOY

37. "CSI" facilities : LABS

38. Tee sizes, for short : SML. (small, medium, large)

42. Geese formation : VEE

43. Leafy veggie baked for chips : KALE

45. Bitten by bees : STUNG

46. Angled pipe fitting : ELL

50. __ Raiders: consumer advocates : NADER'S. (Ralph Nader)

55. Principal role : LEAD

56. Diet food phrase : [NO FAT]

66. Shredded : TORE

67. Construction beam fastener : RIVET

68. Former South Korean leader Syngman __ : RHEE

69. Golf club used for chipping : IRON. 7D. One below birdie : EAGLE. 57D. Warning from a driver? : "FORE!"

70. Blissful settings : EDENS

71. Jedi guru : YODA

72. Small change : CENT

Down:

1. Do as directed : OBEY

2. Toy with a spool : YOYO

3. Deleted, with "out" : EXed

4. Louisiana music style : ZYDECO

5. Olympics fig. : ATH. (athlete)

6. French monarch : ROI

8. Specialized, committee-wise : AD HOC

9. Bit of pasta : NOODLE

10. Frying liquid : OIL

11. NBC show since 1975, briefly : SNL

12. Barely manage, with "out" : EKE

13. Ukr. or Lith., once : SSR. (Soviet Socialist Republic)

19. Feels remorse over : RUEs

21. Bochco legal series : "L.A. LAW"

24. Forearm bone : ULNA

25. Some DVD players : SONYs

26. Sinuous swimmer : EEL

27. Less cowardly : BRAVER

28. Insurgent group : REBELS

29. '50s four-wheeled flop : EDSEL

30. 16th-century Spanish fleet : ARMADA

31. Hoi __: the masses : POLLOI

33. Heroic Schindler : OSKAR. He had a list.

35. Giants Hall of Famer Mel : OTT

36. Brewers Hall of Famer Robin : YOUNT. Shortstop and center fielder.

40. Pest in a swarm : GNAT

41. Utah city near the Golden Spike : OGDEN. The "Golden Spike" at Promontory Summit, north-west of Ogden, is where the ceremonial final spike joined the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869.

44. Photo blowup: Abbr. : ENL. (enlargement)

48. Sea spots? : ISLETs

49. Blueprint detail, for short : SPEC. (specification)

51. Sexy : EROTIC

53. Cable Guy of comedy : LARRY

54. The Gem State : IDAHO. It is the "Gem State" because nearly every known type of gemstone has been found there.

58. Elvis __ Presley : ARON

59. No-frills shelter : TENT. Thrown up by a pitcher.

60. Hip-hop Dr. : DRE

61. Free (of) : RID

62. "__ changed my mind" : I'VE

63. Caracas' country, to the IOC : VEN. (Venezuela)

64. Athens : omega :: London : __ : ZED. The end of the alphabet in Greek and English.

65. Assenting vote : YEA

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Chairman Moe, who has been quiet lately. What's up, pal?

Monday, February 16, 2015 Garry Morse

Theme: Huh? I must have dozed off - which might be excused because of all the Z's.(9)

17A. Teen's budding facial hair, informally : PEACH FUZZ

56A. Speculation leading up to a February 22 awards extravaganza : OSCAR BUZZ

11D. Semi-autobiographical 1979 Fosse film : "ALL THAT JAZZ"

25D. Bubbly plum-flavored drink : SLOE GIN FIZZ

Argyle [yawn] here. Garry returns after his debut back in July last year. That was a Sunday but now he tackles the always tough Monday. Two 3-word 11's in the verticals and two 2-word 9's in the horizontals. I do wonder if the timely reference to the Oscars was the seed entry or just Rich's reason to publish it now.

Across:

1. Ray Charles' genre : R AND B. (rhythm and blues)

6. "Thank God" day: Abbr. : FRI.

9. Swedish autos : SAABs

14. Borden mascot : ELSIE

15. Cereal grain : OAT

16. Come from behind : RALLY

19. Place for a perm : SALON

20. One of many in a Lipton bag : TEA LEAF

22. Home buyer's debt: Abbr. : MTGE. (Mortgage)

23. Ceases : DESISTS. Cease and Desist partners; stop what you're doing and don't try it again.

26. Sister of Rachel : LEAH. Rachel and Leah were two sisters who married the same man - Jacob. Their father, Laban, was Jacob's uncle.

28. Distributes by shares : ALLOTS

29. Group nickname for Ringwald, Sheedy, Lowe, Estevez et al. : BRAT PACK

33. "Let's go!" : "C'MON!". "What do I have to do? Goose you?"

34. Name of 18 French kings : LOUIS

35. "Toto, __?": Dorothy : TOO

36. Caviar, e.g. : ROE

37. Country-drive view : SCENERY

39. Jam holder : JAR

40. Nonprofit URL ending : .ORG (organization)

41. Carpentry bit : AUGER. Type of drill.

42. Uncommon : RARE

43. Next-door resident : NEIGHBOR

45. Gabor with an echoic name : ZSA ZSA

47. Florida State player, for short : NOLE. (Seminoles)

48. Native : CITIZEN

49. Living room piece : SOFA

51. "No chance of that happening!" : "DREAM ON!"

54. Relax, in slang : CHILL

60. Open, as a jacket : UNZIP

61. Tex. clock setting : CST

62. Theater offering : MOVIE

63. Takes a nap : DOZES

64. Fancy carp : KOI

65. Former Steeler star Lynn __, who ran for governor of Pennsylvania in 2006 : SWANN. Swann ran as a Republican against the Democratic incumbent Ed Rendell. He lost by almost 850,000 votes.

Down:

1. Sales agent : REP. (Representative)

2. Bass brew : ALE

3. Govt. intel org. : NSA. [no such agency]

4. Style of wording : DICTION

5. Command : BEHEST. It would behoove you to remember this word.

6. Hoops ref's calls : FOULS Hoops=basketball

7. Demolish, as a building : RAZE

8. Chichén __ : ITZÁ

9. Yearbook sect. : SRs

10. Road travel org. freebie : AAA MAP

12. Opinion website : BLOG

13. "Auld Lang __" : SYNE

18. Pool legend Minnesota __ : FATS

21. Natural aptitude : FLAIR

23. Wrinkle-resistant synthetic : DACRON

24. Author Leonard : ELMORE. Elmore John Leonard, Jr.

    Raylan - Get Shorty - Three-Ten to Yuma - Mr. Majestyk

27. Online market for handmade crafts : ETSY. Link

29. Dumb mistake : BONER

30. Penitent sort : RUER

31. Like a woodworker's rasp : COARSE

32. Seoul native : KOREAN

34. Toy block brand : LEGO

37. Humorist Mort who wrote jokes for Kennedy : SAHL

38. To the third power : CUBED

42. Colorful post-cloudburst phenomenon : RAINBOW

44. Hockey mask wearer : GOALIE

45. Alcopop brand : ZIMA

 46. Hurricanes, e.g. : STORMS

48. Spiny desert plants : CACTI

49. Gulf War missile : SCUD

50. "Don't tell me!" : "OH NO!"

52. Relax on a porch chair, perhaps : ROCK

53. Standard Oil brand : ESSO

55. Hi-fi platters : LPs

57. Charlottesville sch. : UVA. (University of Virginia)

58. Red or blush wine, familiarly : ZIN

59. Buddhist sect : ZEN

How many CSO's did you count?

Argyle