Saturday, Mar 7th, 2015, Daniel Nierenberg

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing Q,W,X)

Blocks: 27

  I would have to say it depends on one's approach to a crossword that can make all the difference.  Last week I struggled with a Silkie that most others from the corner seemed to do well on.  Today, I cruised through this puzzle with nary a hiccup.  Just over the half-way mark of my personal time, too.  Of course, a lack of personal/proper names did help tremendously, too ;7))    Anyway, triple stacks of 10's and 7's in the corners, and a pair of 8-letter fills on the inside.  Some of the longer answers;

1. It's often swiped at offices : ACCESS CARD - I thought "PAPER CLIPS" - but with "PUNCH in" at 2d., I 'ventured forth' (6d) with APPLE iPADS, which seemed logical - lots of people I know do business with a tablet these days; I'm one of them - my Home Inspections are done thru an app on my tablet, and I send the report via email.  Did you hear about Apple's new tape measure~?  It's called the "iRule"....

61a. Surrounded : UNDER SIEGE - good movie, too; featured Steven Segal as a "CPO" (q.v. 50a.) - the Wiki

O - ah - O - ah - O-ah-O-ah - O - AH  - O - nward~!

ACROSS:

11. Censor's target : SMUT - for those in the area, I had "-MU-" and considered IMUS

15. Deer, e.g. : PLANT EATER

16. Leveret's dad : HARE - huh - I thought this was a personal name, and did not get it until I looked it up during the write-up; new word for me

17. Reminder, often : POST-IT NOTE

18. Largest island in the Tuscan Archipelago : ELBA - once I had -LB-, the rest was 'E-Z' - or is that "E" "A"~!?

19. Slip in a store: Abbr. : RCT - receipt, not the "oops" of a lawsuit

20. Quarters : ROOMS - huh - a WAG that never went away; I like those guesses

21. Olympics coach Karolyi et al. : BELAs

22. "Fooled ya" : I KID

24. Corn lead-in : UNI - unicorn

25. Carbon compound found in crude oil : BUTENE - threw in the first 6-letter "fuel" I could think of; in this case, it was ETHANE, and that's strictly 33% correct

26. Closed up : SILENT - ah, a personal description, not an end-of-day routine

28. Attire for filmdom's The Mask : ZOOT SUIT

30. Month in el invierno : ENERO - Spanish~?  Month~? WAG 'enero', Spanish for January

31. Terminal : DEPOT - I have a question that I'd like everyone's feedback on; see the end of the write-up

32. Member of the fam : SIS - Started with SIB, but I did not think 14d. was going to end with "-TB" - but not unheard of; could have been "Silent B"

33. Tiny time div. : nSEC - nanosecond - or, the equivalent of 1 second to 31.71 YEARS~!  Since light travels 11.8 inches in one nSEC, it's referred to as a "light foot" - could you call that a "Gordon"~!?

35. Govt. collectors : T-MEN - I put in G-men, but T is better; refers to the Treasury

37. "Sweet!" : RAD

40. Norwegian flag feature : CROSS

42. Indian bigwig : RAJAH - Ooops, went with RANEE - that's the missus

46. Intimate : ONE-TO-ONE

48. Words to a savior : "MY HERO~!"

49. Breaks off : SEVERS - huh.  Filled this in, took it out, and ended up putting it back in

50. Naval NCO : CPO - Chief Petty Officer - e.g. Casey Rybeck (who~?)

52. Big name in shaving : ATRA - change up from the usual cluing

53. "The Girl Next Door" co-star Hirsch : EMILE - I have the DVD - but did NOT cheat; all perps

54. Work unit : JOULE - usually, it's "ERG"

56. Much : FAR - my only 'meh' for the day

57. West Virginia resource : COAL

58. Lingered : HUNG AROUND

60. Biblical preposition : UNTO - dah~! Not THOU

62. High school subject? : TEEN - is that a "high" school subject, or a high school "subject"~?  ;7P

63. Commercial success : BEST-SELLER

DOWN:

1. Inform : APPRISE - Oddly, I've heard this word twice this week

2. Start work : CLOCK IN - daH~!  Not PUNCH in

3. Medieval Iberian kingdom : CASTILE - all I had to WAG was the "I" - Love the flag

4. Fictional giant : ENT - ah, from the "Rings" movie trilogy; perps again

5. Activity : STIR

6. Venture forth : SET OUT

7. PowerShot maker : CANON - I like their printers, too

8. Reduce to minute particles : ATOMIZE

9. Soaks, as hemp : RETS

10. Beats Electronics co-founder : DRE - Bought my brother the wireless headphones for Christmas - I have not heard how good they are (pun intended), but for the price, I should be able to hear them from the next town over....

11. Rain may fall in them : SHEETS

12. Hammer-shaped bone : MALLEUS

13. Pope who initiated the First Crusade : URBAN II - the "I-I" at the end did not concern me

14. Dollhouse accessories : TEA SETS - I would love to build a custom dollhouse for my daughter - in fact, I would just love to have "a daughter"

21. Like shortbread : BUTTERY

23. "Blue Velvet" actress : DERN

25. Horizontal spar : BOOM

27. Reason for overtime : NO SCORE - say, in ice hockey.  This Wednesday, we're going to try playing with a puck instead of a ball, so I am planning on modifying a pair of skates so that I can take a shot off my toe without breaking bones - my experience has taught me that taking a ball on the toe stings like a sonofabitch; and the plastic pucks are harder....

29. Goes (for) : OPTS

31. Maker of the Ultra Set trap : d-CON - becoming a Sat crossword staple

34. Mythical archer : EROS

36. Okinawa's capital : NAHA - bottom left

37. Diamond buyer's choice : ROSE CUT

38. Red flower created from the blood of Adonis : ANEMONE

39. Digress : DEVIATE

41. Motion backing : SECONDS - we have business meetings in AA - which includes motions and seconds and voting

43. Aviation supply : JET FUEL

44. Put in order : ARRANGE

45. Compulsive subject of a former A&E series : HOARDER

47. Rat out : TELL ON

48. Grinders : MOLARS - ah, teeth, not sandwiches

51. __ Sound, part of the Salish Sea : PUGET - DAH~! Shoulda gotten this; I visited Seattle WA some years ago - I'd like to go back, too

54. Alexandrite is one of its birthstones : JUNE - Oh how I love the name Alexandra.  As for the clue, the choices were JUNE or JULY - so I filled in JU-- and waited.

55. Gaelic language : ERSE

58. Center : HUB - Our UPS center is referred to as a terminal - the largest HUB is Worldport in Kentucky; the Medford facility where I'm at is 24 years old - and it's outdated.

59. Whale __ : OIL

Splynter

 OK, so - I am working on my board game, and I have to come up with some clever street names - I have a list of some of my personal favorites, but I'd like to hear what your favorite street name is....

Friday, March 6, 2015, Steve Marron

Theme: There is no "I" in Steve Marron's name

Our own tag team titan from Wednesday's well traveled and witty Steve has taken an old saw and made it into a reveal 61A. Sports cliché that explains 17-, 28-, 35- and 47-Across : THERE'S NO I IN TEAM (15) which spans the grid and explains that all the other nonsensical fill are sports teams with the letter "I" removed from the names. Really cute, and inventive, and a classic Friday structure with lower word count and fewer blocks, with the average word length almost 5 and 1/2 letters. This led to lots of 7 and 8 letter fill like ABYSMAL, ACERBIC,  AD ASTRA,  AMPERES,  ATTACHE, BASKETS, BASMATI, CATBERT, ECSTASY, ENTWINE, SEETHES, STREETS, UTENSIL, VIEWING, MANIACAL, VENDETTA. Very fresh fill and almost no common answers (IRA, TEN and AHA) another rising star emerging in the LAT world from our little Corner. Remember when we used to say, Oh great that is C.C.'s third solo, or marti's? Let's see what this transplanted Brit brought.

17A. Pennsylvania athletes : PITTSBURGH PIRATES (15) I bet it was deducing that this team left 15 letters when the Is were removed that made this puzzle possible for Steve. Well done catch.

28A. Florida athletes : MIAMI DOLPHINS (10) I love seeing my hometown team (they actually no longer play in Miami) and the fact the mirror clue is also an NFL team.

35A. Illinois athletes : CHICAGO FIRE (9). We have soccer, to go with football. Of course to Steve this too is football, so....There also is a current TV Show with this name. Am I the only one who finds it odd that things are named after a terrible disaster?

47A. Michigan athletes : DETROIT LIONS (10). Like the Dolpins they are in a long span of futility.
and the reveal as above
61A. Sports cliché that explains 17-, 28-, 35- and 47-Across : THERE'S NO I IN TEAM (15)
classic 5 theme 15, 10, 9, 10, 15 symmetry.

Across:

1. Biting : ACERBIC. What a witty way to begin.

8. Pulley wheel : SHEAVE. The things I learn here, I never knew THIS.

14. Beyond enthusiastic : MANIACAL. Is this a CSO for marti?

16. __ arch: blood vessel section : AORTIC. Is this a CSO for marti?

19. "Charlotte's Web" monogram : EBW. Elwyn Brooks White. Now I recall why I never remember this AUTHOR's full name. Notice that he likes dachshunds as well as correct use of English.

20. Like dreamers, often : ASLEEP.

21. Word of suspicion, to Tweety : TAWT I saw a puddy tat.

22. Steering aids : REINS. I like this clue so many ways, the misdirection, the sound....

24. __ moment : A HA. Is this two words?

26. Langley-based org. : CIA. Central Intelligence Agency. I had a high scholl classmate who went to work for them and I am hoping he will tell us his adventures at our upcoming 50th reunion.

27. Maritime raptor : ERNE.

32. Booyah, e.g. : STEW. Man this was hard for me, I only know the Stuart Scott version not the FOOD.

33. Tax shelter initials : IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

34. Gray wrote one in a country churchyard : ELEGY.  He originally called it Stanza's Wrote in a Country Church-Yard. LINK.

39. Teatime choice : ASSAM. Leave it to Steve to know his teas.

42. "Un-PC" was added to it in 2014 : OED. Oxford Englsih Dictionary.

43. "Take a Chance on Me" group : ABBA.

50. Company headquartered in Trollhättan : SAAB. WE had the ABBA/SAAB once before and I love it.

51. Fizzy prefix : AERate.

52. Words before hear or see : SO I.

53. Needing to be picked up : MESSY. Or perhaps this ANSWER (for Splynter?).

54. "Let it be" : STET.

56. Address label words : SEND TO.

60. Düsseldorf distances: Abbr. : KMS. The European mind, Kilometres.
,
64. Make final adjustments to, as a concert piano : RETUNE.

65. Family feud : VENDETTA. I recently rewatched one of my favorite Natalie Portman movies.

66. They may be intangible : ASSETS. Goodwill, for example.

67. Setting piece : UTENSIL.

Down:

1. Electrical units : AMPERES.

2. Scott Adams' Evil Director of Human Resources : CATBERT. He has such a strange mind.

3. Wrap around : ENTWINE.

4. Grafton's "__ for Ricochet" : R IS. Between Wheel of Fortune and Sue Grafton there is always a saving fill.

5. Rum desserts : BABAS.

6. Post-op areas : ICUS. Intensive Care Units.

7. Red Sox great Yastrzemski : CARL. Not to be confused with another Carl, 13D. "Understanding is a kind of __": Sagan : ECSTASY.

8. The tenth Muse, to Plato : SAPPHO.

9. Old TV knob : HORizontal.

10. Proof word : ERAT.

11. Diplomatic official : ATTACHE.

12. Taking in : VIEWING.

15. Part of XXL: Abbr. : LGE.

18. Proceed : HEAD. Like head home, or HEAD EAST.(5:17).

23. Air freshener scent : NEW CAR.

25. Ray or Jay : ALER.

28. Emcee's aid : MICrophone.

29. The Era of __: period in Notre Dame sports lore : ARA. Parseghian.

30. Toon with a cat named Bowser : MAGOO. No memory of this feline.

31. Satisfy : PLEASE. It will satisfy me if you say please....

36. Health care orgs. : HMOS.

37. Vintner's prefix : OEN. We usually have Oeno.

38. Hose users: Abbr. : FDS. Fired Departments.

39. Words on the Royal Canadian Air Force badge : AD ASTRA. Latin for 'to the stars.'

40. Is ready to blow : SEETHES.

41. "__ of Philadelphia": Oscar-winning song : STREETS. Not a happy SONG.

44. Court scores : BASKETS.

45. Long-grained Asian rice : BASMATI. We ue primarily Jasmine.

46. Beyond poor : ABYSMAL. Fun word.

48. Pre-game decision makers : TOSSES. Of a coin.

49. Property encumbrance : LIEN. Oh goody, a real property law word.

53. Eiffel's world : MONDE. Just French.

55. Level : TRUE. True dat!

57. Fall mo. : NOVember.

58. "Mon __!" : DIEU. OMG! More Frawnche!!!

59. Salon treatment : TINT. Hair salon.

62. Sinusitis-treating MD : ENT. Ear Nose and Throat.

63. Top __ : TEN. This is absolutley in my top ten favorite Steve Marron puzzles! Great Job! I did get a chance to ask Steve the genesis of this puzzle and he said, "I was working at home one morning and watching the Dan Patrick show on NBC Sports and he started to question the "No "I" in Team" tenet and that's what got me thinking." Remember to set your clocks ahead, and beware the Ides.  lemonade out.

Thursday, March 5, 2015 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "Unchained Melody?"

If you only look at the surface of the answers, the puzzle may have seemed rather run-of-the-mill:

1-Across. *Onetime owner of Waldenbooks : KMART.

5-Down. *Bullseye logo company : TARGET.                  

29-Across. *Seller of Geoffrey Bandages : TOYS"R"US. Geoffrey is their giraffe mascot.

30-Down. *Bergdorf competitor : SAKS.

43-Across. *Craftsman company : SEARS.

46-Down. *Costco rival : SAMS CLUB.

But if you can visualize what C.C. has done with their placements (see the grid diagram at the bottom of the page), she elevates the whole thing with the coolest reveal(s) I have ever seen:
9-Across. With 74-Across, what each of the answers to starred clues is : CHAIN. Each of the theme entries is a CHAIN STORE.
74-Across. With 9-Across, what the answers to starred clues form : STORE. And when linked end to end, they form a STORE CHAIN. Brilliant!

And there was plenty else to like in the grid, with several AHA moments and smiles when I "got" the clues.

Across

6. TiVo predecessor : VCR. Obsolescent now?

14. Ancient Asia Minor region : IONIA. I never knew Asia Minor stretched as far as Michigan! ;-)

15. Mobile setting: Abbr. : ALA.bama.  I was all over the place on this one. Mobile phone? Mobile home? Aha! The city!!

16. __ trot : HOT TO.

17. Ocean tracker : SONAR.

18. Listen : LEND AN EAR. Nice fill.

20. __ Balls: snacks : SNO.

21. Hoedown honey : GAL.

23. 1841 French ballet heroine : GISELLE. The ballet premiered in Paris in 1841, to huge critical and commercial success. It is still performed to this day.

24. Minn. winter hrs. : CST. Central Standard Time, for C.C.!

25. Gets into a seat : ELECTS. You "get" your favorite pol into a seat, but only if you vote!

27. Compete for the America's Cup : SAIL. I think the last winner in 2013 was the USA team "Oracle." 

28. "Gotcha" : AHA.

31. Tic __ mints : TAC.

32. Speck : MOTE.

34. Ryder Cup chant : USA USA.  Do you think Davis Love can bring the USA to victory in 2016?

35. "Lux" composer : ENO. Stunning images, capturing light at different times of day. 4:45

36. Austere : STERN.

38. Halloween reactions : EEKS.

40. Spare pieces? : RIBS. Fun misdirection. DH makes the best spare ribs.

47. First name in shipping : ARI. Onassis.

50. Chalk holder : CUE TIP. Because "blackboard tray" wouldn't fit, and besides that, I really wondered if schools even use chalk any more?

54. Price number : ARIA. Nice misdirection - Leontyne Price is an amazing American soprano. I used to have the album of her and Placido Domingo from "Tosca."

55. "Well, lah-di-__!" : DAH.

56. ESPN Deportes language : ESPAÑOL.

58. Many a Persian : TOM. About half of them, I'd say?

59. Stringed instrument : VIOL.

61. Big headache : HASSLE.

62. "Who Gets the Last Laugh?" network : TBS.

63. Running things : IN POWER.

65. Excessively : TOO.

66. Common flight path : ARC.

67. Tom Jones' last Top 10 hit : SHE'S A LADY.

69. Birth-related : NATAL.

71. Let up : EASED.

72. Up to, in store signs : TIL.

73. Romantic text : I LUV U.

75. It may have a patch : EYE.  Arrrgh.  This year, Talk Like A Pirate Day is September 19, mateys!

76. Discharge, as from the RAF : DEMOB. DEMOBilization.


Down

1. They catch busses at stadiums : KISS CAMS.  Loved this clue / entry!! The word "buss" means "kiss."

2. NASA launch : MOON SHOT. Another great entry.  Did you know, that mooning someone is not illegal in Maryland?

3. Provide critical comments on : ANNOTATE.

4. Fjord relative : RIA.

6. Depressed areas : VALLEYS. Oh, I was thinking of economic depression.

7. Progressive Field team, on scoreboards : CLE.veland.  If nothing else, know your teams, fields, and baseball stars if you want to nail a C.C. puzzle! 

8. Sounded right : RANG TRUE.

9. Cartoonist Addams : CHAS. You may remember him best as the brains behind "The Addams Family"? I used to love his morbid cartoons in "The New Yorker."

10. Fine-tunes : HONES.

11. Took courses at midnight? : ATE LATE.

12. Salad bar option : ITALIAN. My favorite is Makoto ginger dressing.

13. SensoTouch 3D shaver, e.g. : NORELCO.

19. Neglect : DISUSE. Not to be confused with "misuse."

22. Baseball's Moises : ALOU. See? What'd I tell ya at 7d?

26. Rebel org. : CSA. Confederate States of America.

33. Slip : ERR.

37. "Way to go!" : NICE.

39. "Captain Phillips" setting : SEA. So simple, but would you believe, I had to wait for perps to be sure?

41. Orchard unit : BUSHEL.

42. Take apart : SEPARATE.

44. Fats Waller contemporary : ART TATUM. Here's the two of them together. 5:23

45. Border river, to Mexicans : RIO BRAVO. Gringos call it the "Rio Grande."

Map

47. Counsels : ADVISES.

48. Shower covering : RAIN HAT. I was wondering why anyone would wear anything while they were taking a shower?

49. "Fingers crossed" : I HOPE SO. Nice.

51. Campus aides, for short : TAs. Teaching Assistants.

52. Trendy : IN STYLE.

53. Golf Galaxy buy : POLO.

57. Ex-Soviet leader Brezhnev : LEONID.

60. Sore sort, maybe : LOSER.  How about someone who has snow-blowed and shoveled more than 100" of snow this winter, huh??!?!?!

64. Get one's feet wet : WADE. Which is what we'll be doing when it all starts to melt!

68. Tinkering letters : DIY. Do It Yourself.

70. Pub pint : ALE.

That's it for now - I have to go check out all the sales!!
Marti

Notes from C.C.: 

1) Rich makes the reveal entry cool, Marti, My CHAIN clue is simply: "With 74-Across, what the answers to the starred clues form. Then "See 9-Across" for STORE.  I also clued GISELLE as "Bündchen who's Forbes' highest-paid model for 7 consecutive years". Gosh!

  

2) The Indie 500 tournament is now open for registration. Click on Register for detailed information. The constructors are Erik Agard, Evan Birnholz, Peter Broder, Neville Fogarty, Andy Kravis and Finn Vigeland. 

Wednesday, March 4, 2015 Don Gagliardo

Theme:  SECRET SUPPORT.  The cheering word "RAH!," presumed to be shouted by the fans - e.g. SUPPORTers - of a sports team, is hidden in three theme entries.  So maybe in this instance RAH is whispered, not shouted.

17 A. Seeking lodging : LOOKING FOR A HOME.   I was thinking of overnight lodging, but this is more permanent.  In this answer RAH is divided, or SECTIONED twice.

27 A. Pulling away : FURTHER AHEAD.  Figuratively increasing the gap between the leader and the also-rans.  If it were literal, it would be FARTHER AHEAD.

45 A. More at dinner : EXTRA HELPING.  Refilling your plate, as if one plateful weren't enough.  I do this all too often. 

And the unifier -- 60 A.  Stadium supporters, and a hint to their cry hidden in 17-, 27- and 45-Across : CHEERING SECTION.   Not the architectural elements that buttress the arena's structure.  Instead, this is an area of the grandstand reserved for the SUPPORTers of one of the teams in an athletic contest.  And it also indicates that the cheering word RAH has been SECTIONed, or divided, across two or more words in the theme fill.  The ever-meticulous Don G has made sure that the word RAH has been sectioned in every possible way.  In a different sense, an athletic supporter is any sports professional with a family.

Hi gang.  JazzBumpa here to cheer you on through this excellent puzzle.  Don has taken the rather simple idea of a hidden word, and executed it in a most elegant fashion.  Also, the first theme answer and the unifier are both are grid spanners.  The average word length is hefty 5.25 letters, way above the 4.91 typical of a Wednesday.  Plus, it's only a Q and V short of a pangram.

Across

1. Thin streaks : WISPS.  As smoke or snow in the air.  

6. Influenced by, recipe-wise : A LA.  in the manner of  .  .  .

9. Ones who deal with dealers : NARCS.   Clever clue.  NARCotic agents are concerned with drug dealers.

14. First name in furniture : ETHAN.  Allen.

Functional Elegance

15. Editor's job : REDACTION.  Broadly, REDACTION is simply editing.  More specifically, it is removing or obscuring sensitive text in a document prior to publication.   Despite Monday's BLUE PENCIL, editing can be done with a red pen, so this can also be parsed as RED ACTION.

19. Unidentified Jane : DOE.  John Doe's female equivalent.  These are placeholder names for a party whose true identity is unknown or must be withheld in a legal action, case, or discussion.

20. Tugboat sound : TOOT.   The relatively high pitched sound of its horn or whistle.

21. Commodities dealer : TRADER.    A partial clecho with 9 A.

22. Summit meeting goal : PACT.  A strategic agreement of some sort between or among governments.

24. 18-Down, with "down" : JOT.   Write something for future reference.

26. Rearing place : NEST.  It's for the birds.

31. This and that : OLIO.  A miscellaneous collection of things - what you might find in your junk drawer.   Or, perhaps, this.




32. Deep gulf : ABYSS.





33. Global financial org. : IMF.  International Monetary Fund.

36. Mexican supermodel Elsa : BENITEZ

39. Hardly transitory : ETERNAL.  For ever and ever.

41. Gig session : SET.  A group of songs played between breaks.

42. Venetian island : ISOLA.  Any Italian Island

44. 1998 Sarah McLachlan hit : ADIA.





48. Suffix with school : MARM.   A lady teaching in a one room schoolhouse, stereotypically prim and strict.

51. CIA predecessor : O.S.S.  Office of Strategic Services.

52. London home of Constables and Sargents : TATE.  Not Scotland Yard.  Outstanding misdirection to the museum where you can finds works by John Constable and John Singer Sargent.

53. Block deliverers of yesteryear : ICE MEN. Here they cometh.

55. Powerful lobby for seniors : A.A.R.P.    American Association of Retired Persons.

57. Cape Canaveral's st. : FLA.   Florida.

63. Self-control : RESTRAINT. 

64. Felt poorly : AILED.

65. "Golden Boy" playwright : ODETS.  Clifford (July 18, 1906 – August 14, 1963.)

66. "Hello, ewe!" : BAA.   Sheep talk.

67. Mausoleums : TOMBS.  Dead spaces.

Down

1. Metalworking union : WELD.   Another great misdirection - not a trade or labor union, but a technique for fastening metal pieces. Very important in vehicle construction.

2. "Was __ hard on her?" : I TOO.   I'm not going to answer this question

3. Crime scene clue : SHOE PRINT.  Finger and toe don't fit.  But if the SHOE fits  .  .  .

4. K2 is on its border: Abbr. : PAKistan.   Per Wikipedia: "K2, also known as Chhogori/Qogir, Ketu/Kechu, and Mount Godwin-Austen (Urdu:شاہ گوری), is the second highest mountain in the world at 8,611 metres (28,251 ft), after Mount Everest. It is located on the border[2] between Baltistan, in the Gilgit–Baltistan region of northern Pakistan, and the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China.[3] With a peak elevation of 8,611 m (28,251 feet), K2 is the highest point of the Karakoram Range and the highest point in Pakistan."

5. State secrets? : SNITCH.  Sing like a canary. One more great misdirection.  Here, state is a verb.

6. Cornstarch brand : ARGO.  Nothing about golden fleece?

I understand it makes lump-free gravy

7. Right hook setup : LEFT JAB.  Boxing maneuvers.

8. Noisy scene : ADO.

9. "Mayberry R.F.D." setting : N. CAR.   North Carolina.

10. Nearby : AT HAND.

11. __ la Plata : RIO DE.  "River of Silver" - located between Uruguay and Argentina along the Atlantic Ocean, this is the the estuary of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers.

12. Attends : COMES.  As to a meeting or church service.

13. Dik Browne pooch : SNERT.   Hägar's Hound.

 Image found here [of all places]

16. Evaluation for creative types : ART TEST.

 I think van Gogh would have failed

18. Make a memo of : NOTE.  Or JOT it down, as per 24A.

23. Yours, to Yvette : A TOI.   French possessive pronoun.

25. "Now I remember!" : OH YEAH.

27. Watch chains : FOBS.

 Right on time

28. Peter Fonda's beekeeper : ULEE.  From the movie

29. Medicine cabinet items : RAZORS.   Close shave

30. Suffix with malt : ASE.  -ASE makes it an enzyme;  -OSE makes it a sugar; -ESE makes it a Falcon.

33. Low-budget pic, usually : INDIE FILM.  For Independent - not produced by a major studio,

34. Chief : MAIN.  Most important in a list of items.

35. Coach's challenge indicator : FLAG.  Pro Football - If the coach disputes a referee's call, the challenge causes a video replay review.  There have been so many missed calls of goalie interference in the NHL this year that a similar challenge is being considered [or at least wished for] in hockey.

37. StubHub offerings, briefly : TIX.   Tickets to arena events

38. Latvia neighbor : ESTONIA.  Baltic Sea countries.

40. Spellbound : RAPT.  Having one's attention tightly held, as if by magic.

43. Baked, layered entrée : LASAGNA.   Sauce, Noodles, Meat, Cheese, Repeat.

45. Clown Kelly : EMMETT.

Weary Willie, based on Depression Era hobos

46. French I infinitive : ETRE.  To be French

47. Purring snuggler : LAP CAT.  Furry pet.

Typical?

48. Extremely tiny : MICRO.  Adjective or prefix?

49. Needed liniment : ACHED.  Muscle soreness.

50. Creator of many pieces? : REESE.  Candy, not musical compositions.

I scream

54. Writes the wrong zip code, say : ERRS.  Makes any sort of mistake

56. Pooch in whodunits : ASTA.  Nick and Nora's hound.

 The Thin Man movie series

58. Award-winning comic book writer Jeph : LOEB.

 Interview

59. Additions : ANDS.  Afterthoughts, maybe.

61. Pointed end : NIB.  of a calligraphy pen.

62. South-of-the-border uncle : TIO.   Mexican relative.

Nit free, with musical interludes, and despite having gone to the dogs a couple times, then even to the sheep, I'm still willing to cheer for this puzzle.  RAH!  What do you think?

Cool Regards!
JzB  [who will play a set including OLEO later this Spring]

Tuesday, March 3, 2015 Mike Buckley

Theme: The game is afoot! - "The Transient Associate Adventure" The various Dr. Watson portrayers.

Let's start with the author.

15D. With 48-Down, 1-/69-Across creator Arthur : CONAN.

48D. See 15-Down : DOYLE. And then:

1A. With 69-Across, subject of this puzzle : DOCTOR

69A. See 1-Across : WATSON ...and our cast.

7A. Portrayer of 1-/69-Across in "Sherlock Holmes" (2009) : JUDE LAW

38A. Portrayer of 1-/69-Across in the BBC's "Sherlock" : MARTIN FREEMAN



Freeman



68A. Portrayer of 1-/69-Across in CBS' "Elementary" : LUCY LIU



Liu



Argyle here. Mike's puzzle two years ago was a pip. Link Scroll down to the grid to see the genius of that puzzle. Some fill and theme entries are the same length while four verticals are only bested by the central theme for length. It isn't a detriment to the solve. It has a fresh feel to it and I liked it.

Across:

14. Not straying from the subject : ON TOPIC

16. Satan : EVIL ONE

17. "The Diary of Anne Frank" police : GESTAPO

18. Muscle-to-bone connectors : TENDONS

19. Audio jack label : MIC

20. Took charge of : RAN

21. Wise folk : SAGES

22. Rewrite for the screen : ADAPT

24. Set a price of : ASK

26. Northern California town that once had a palindromic bakery : YREKA. Yreka Bakery is no longer in business.

29. Mentally sound : SANE

30. Live, in the studio : ON AIR

32. Kool-Aid instruction : STIR

33. Ostrich kin : EMU

35. "I __ Fine": Beatles hit : FEEL

37. Antlered beast : ELK

42. World games org. : IOC

43. A bit open : AJAR

44. "C'est la __" : VIE

45. Cry for seconds : MORE

47. Battery end : ANODE

49. Rise dramatically : SOAR

53. Sticking point : PRONG

55. Game won by discarding all your cards : UNO

56. Iditarod jacket : PARKA

57. Wood finish : STAIN

59. DKNY rival : YSL

61. Press __ : KIT

62. Dannon yogurt brand : ACTIVIA

64. Natives of Tibet's capital : LHASANS

66. Unlisted candidate : WRITE-IN

67. Erode, as savings : EAT INTO

Down:

1. Rigid beliefs : DOGMAs

2. Tableware company named for a New York town : ONEIDA. NNE of Elmira.

3. ER diagnostic tool : CT SCAN

4. Day care attendee : TOT

5. Eyeball-bending gallery display : OP ART

6. TV host Kelly : RIPA

7. Watercraft rider : JET SKIER

8. Eye layer containing the iris : UVEA

9. Dull-colored : DINGY

10. Senior officials : ELDERS

11. It's brewed in infusers : LOOSE TEA

12. Political writer Coulter : ANN

13. Director Anderson : WES. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel, as well as for Best Animated Feature for Fantastic Mr. Fox.

23. Jury member : PEER

25. Paella spice : SAFFRON

27. Ceramics oven : KILN

28. Noah's flood insurance : ARK

30. Message-spelling board : OUIJA

31. Superman player Christopher : REEVE

34. Former Boston commuter org. : MTA. (Metropolitan Transit Authority)

36. "Welcome to Hawaii" gift : LEI

38. Secure in a harbor : MOOR

39. Quotation puzzle : ACROSTIC

40. Mork's sign-off : NANU NANU. 50D. Mork's people : ORKANS

41. Southwestern tableland : MESA

42. Tough kid to handle : IMP

46. Thing : ENTITY

51. Quite like : AKIN TO

52. Gives away to the cops : RATS ON

54. "Sold!" punctuator : GAVEL

56. Spanish silver : PLATA. Remember the state motto, "Oro y plata"?

58. Four, on some sundials : IIII

60. "Major Barbara" playwright : SHAW. (George Bernard Shaw)

62. Hole-making tool : AWL

63. French wine word : CRU. It means vineyard; we had it last month.

65. "Grab a chair" : "SIT"

Mike Buckley, Tuesday 3/3/2015

Argyle

Monday, March 2, 2015 Roland Huget

Theme: What's your mood? - Colors from a mood ring, and they're all used as verbs in each theme entry.

17A. Give the okay : GREEN-LIGHT

27A. Bring lunch from home, say : BROWN-BAG

46A. Dismiss from the job : PINK-LIP

59A. Alter a manuscript, e.g. : BLUE-PENCIL

11D. Gloss over : WHITEWASH

34D. Ostracize : BLACKLIST

Argyle here with a new constructor. He has a few crunchy nuggets in there but given the ease of the theme, it's all good.

Across:

1. Norms: Abbr. : STDS. (Standards)

5. Channel with a "Congressional Chronicle" online archive : C-SPAN

10. In an unexpected direction : AWRY

14. Hawkeye State : IOWA

15. Curly-tailed Japanese dog : AKITA

16. Old conductance units : MHOs. The reciprocal of an ohm.

19. Trusted assistant : AIDE

20. Move it, old-style : HIE

21. Thames islands : AITs. Crosswordese.

22. Northern Ireland province : ULSTER

24. Leaves for a cigar : TOBACCO

26. Came up : AROSE

29. __-Mart Stores, Inc. : WAL

32. Walks leisurely : AMBLES

35. Christmastide : YULE

36. Boxing legend : ALI

37. Manicurist's tool : FILE

38. Tit for __ : TAT

39. Baking amts. : TSPs. (teaspoon)

40. Pie __ mode : À LA

41. "Never Wave at __": 1952 film : A WAC. Starring Rosalind Russell and Paul Douglas. I could link the whole movie but couldn't find a clip!

43. Tread water to check out the surroundings, as a whale : SPY HOP. Whale, tread water?

45. DVR button : REC

48. "Hogan's Heroes" colonel : KLINK

50. Oft-rented suits : TUXEDOS

54. Insert new film : RELOAD

56. Spice Girl Halliwell : GERI

57. One: Pref. : UNI

58. Settled on the ground : ALIT

62. Savior in a Bach cantata : JESU

63. Path for a drink cart : AISLE. Tinbeni clue?

64. Kitchenware brand : EKCO. Buy some NOW. Link

65. Play segments : ACTS

66. Like some private communities : GATED

67. Coloring agents : DYES

Down:

1. Vision : SIGHT

2. "Road __": 1947 Hope/Crosby film : TO RIO. Another old movie; this one starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour.

3. Nerdy sort : DWEEB

4. Enc. with some bills : SAE. (Self Addressed Envelope, no stamp)

5. Colorful cats : CALICOS. My favorites.

6. Chair lift alternative : SKI TOW

7. Sty residents : PIGS

8. Sports fig. : ATH. (athlete)

9. Kin of organic, at the grocery store : NATURAL

10. Stockpile : AMASS

12. Went by scooter : RODE

13. River of Flanders : YSER

18. Mother-of-pearl : NACRE

23. Theater box : LOGE

25. Equal to the task : ABLE

26. Border on : ABUT

28. New York City suburb on the Hudson : NYACK





Nice place for a wedding, I guess.



30. Dog food brand : ALPO

31. Speech problem : LISP

32. At a distance : AFAR

33. Runner's distance : MILE

38. Propane container : TANK

39. Use a keypad : TYPE

41. Samoan capital : APIA. The city, not the money.

42. Blowhard : WINDBAG

43. Ate noisily, as soup : SLURPED

44. Playful sprite : PIXIE

47. "Remington __": '80s TV detective show : STEELE

49. Cross-legged meditation position : LOTUS

51. Dr. Mallard's apt nickname on "NCIS" : DUCKY. He puts the emphasis on the last syllable.

52. Chilling in the locker room, as champagne : ON ICE

53. Storage towers : SILOs

54. Indian royal : RAJA

55. Util. bill : ELEC.

56. Sudden wind : GUST

60. __ Fáil: Irish coronation stone : LIA. On the Hill of Tara in County Meath, Ireland

61. Actor Beatty : NED

So what's your mood?

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

I'm excited to share with you that the SLIDE puzzle Jazzbumpa (Ron) and I made last year was nominated for the Orca Best Easy Puzzle. Sam Donaldson even remembered that it's Ron's debut. Thanks, Sam! And Ron is 2 for 2 with his LA Times submissions.

Sunday March 1, 2015 Pamela Amick Klawitter

Theme:  "Say What?" -  The spoken phrase in each clue modifies the first word of each theme answer & serves as an example of the whole theme answer. 

22A. "I got a C" : PASSING COMMENT. In my school days, it's 60.

37A. "Edison was born in 1847 and died in 1931" : LIFE SENTENCE

67A. "This is my fishing spot--please find your own" : BANK STATEMENT. Barry G loves fishing. But he's too polite to utter that statement.

96A. "Heart, liver, kidneys, ... " : ORGAN RECITAL

117A. "I survived boot camp!" : PRIVATE MESSAGE. Love the clue/answer.

16D. "That's the worst synopsis I've ever read!" : SUMMARY JUDGMENT

45D. "Do you know how to copy this disk?" : BURNING QUESTION

Fun theme. I like Sundays when the theme answers are all solid in the language and the clues play a major part in the gimmick.

Nice theme placement also. Those top/bottom 6/7 breaks are not easy to fill in cleanly.

Across:     

1. Prohibition specifics : TABOOS. And18D. Prohibition notable : NESS (Eliot). Clue echo.

7. Embodiment : EPITOME. My first Across fill.

14. Bad flareup? : ARSON. Great clue. Was thinking of arthritic flare-up.

19. Yukon neighbor : ALASKA

20. Supermodel Schiffer : CLAUDIA. The iconic Guess girl.

21. Ring bearer, often : SPOUSE. Another great clue.

24. Causes for pauses : COMMAS. Rhyming clue.

25. Bordeaux bud : AMI

26. End of a series, briefly : ET AL

27. Worldwide cultural org. : UNESCO

29. Adams and Grant : AMYs

30. Fish order : SOLE

32. Exeter exams : A-LEVELS. Got via crosses.

35. 1986 rock autobiography : I, TINA. Big gimme for all crossword vets.

41. Bases for deviation : NORMS

44. Put up with : ABIDE

46. '80s IBM models : XTs. No idea.

47. Eagle-eyed raptors : ERNES

49. Word from a pro : YEA. The "in favor of" pro.

50. Rig : TRUCK

51. C-ration successors : MREs

53. __ set : JET

54. Obstacle to progress : LOGJAM

56. Atmospheric prefix : AERI. Always want AERO.

57. French for "under" : SOUS. Underground: Sous terre.

58. Tries to buy, on eBay : BIDS ON

60. Arrivals at home? : RUNS. Home plate.

61. Bach choral works : CANTATAS

63. Market order : SELL

64. Worked (up) : RILED

66. Govt. assistance program : SSI

70. Econ. yardstick : GNP. No GDP error today due to the easy NANOS (71D. Some iPods).

73. North of Nogales : NORTE. Same root.

75. Hammer sites : EARS. Nailed it.

76. Grade school exhibits : DIORAMAS

78. They're deliberately broken so they can be fixed : EGGS. I love banana egg pancakes.

80. Oft-swiped item : ID CARD

82. Vicious and others : SIDs

83. Little houses on the prairie : PENS. All crosses. Clever clue also.

84. Kitchen toppers : TOQUES

86. Gator tail? : ADE. Gatorade.

87. Hairy "pet" : CHIA. So, do any of you eat Chia seeds?

88. "Ready __ ... " : OR NOT

89. R&B group __ Hill : DRU

90. Start to foam? : STYRO. Styrofoam.

92. White wine apéritif : KIR

93. FDR and JFK : INITS. Tricky clue. Makes you think of DEMS

94. Moves very slowly : SEEPS

100. Farm call : SOOEY

102. StubHub offerings : TICKETS. Husker Gary buys concert tickets from StubHub.

103. Actress Gilbert of "The Big Bang Theory" : SARA

107. Riga resident : LETT

109. Pinpoint : LOCATE

112. "Let __ There": Newton-John hit : ME BE. Not familiar with the song.

114. Price __ : WAR

115. Panini cheese : ASIAGO.  And 15D. It's often grated : ROMANO

121. Exactly right : SPOT ON

122. Control on a wing : AILERON. For Dudley.

123. Just-in-case items : SPARES

124. Ecclesiastical council : SYNOD

125. Weatherproofing application : SEALANT

126. City where the Alcázar is located : TOLEDO. Lucina might have visited this place.

Down:

1. Salamanca snacks : TAPAS

2. Memorable shrine : ALAMO

3. Pho soup garnish : BASIL. I don't like basil at all.

4. Org. that employed Julia Child during WWII : OSS. She graduated from Smith College. OSS employees were mostly from prestigious colleges those days. 

5. Steinbeck's Tom Joad, e.g. : OKIE

6. Capital east of Gallup : SANTA FE. Never heard of Gallup, NM. What's it famous for, Owen?

7. "Turn! Turn! Turn!" source: Abbr. : ECCLES. No idea.

8. Gaza Strip gp. : PLO

9. "Who __": 2001 #1 country hit : I AM. Unfamiliar to me also. I don't like country songs.

10. Uproars : TUMULTS

11. Danish seaport : ODENSE

12. "Battle Hymn of the Republic" possessive : MINE. Was it gimme for you? I was stumped.

13. Wolfs down : EATS

14. Pvt. address : APO

17. Anthem opener : O SAY

21. Alexander Graham Bell, e.g. : SCOT

23. Major blow : GALE

28. Diez squared : CIEN. Diez = 10.  Dix in French.

31. Draw out : ELICIT

33. Aggravates : VEXES

34. Frodo's forest friends : ENTS

36. Words before many words : IN SO.  Far trickier a clue than " ___  many words".

38. Texting shrug : IDK. I Don't Know.

39. Space __ : NEEDLE

40. Increasingly rare screens : CRTS

42. Average : MEAN

43. Shopping club : SAM'S

44. Gray ones are debatable : AREAS. Gray areas.

48. Causes of unusual weather : EL NINOs. It's plurable, D-Otto?

50. Tic __ : TACs

51. Sounded like the wind : MOANED

52. '60s secretary of state : RUSK (Dean). JFK era.

53. Leaves painfully : JILTS. Not an easy clue for me.

55. LSAT cousin : GRE

57. Supporter of a strong, centralized government : STATIST. New word to me.

58. What a sports star may sport : BEARD

59. Company founded by Gem State brothers : ORE-IDA. I did not know this trivia. 

62. Condensed, condensed : ABR (Abridged). The second "condensed" indicates abbr.

63. Gawk : STARE

65. Paper size: Abbr. : LTR

68. Salt : SEA DOG

69. 16th-century date : MDII. 1502.

72. Head-turner of a sort : PSST

74. The Cowboys of the Big 12: Abbr. : OSU. Oklahoma State.

77. March followers : APRILS

78. SFO postings : ETDs

79. Quayle follower : GORE. VP.

81. Vocalist Vikki : CARR

82. Green 2001 title hero : SHREK. Easily obtainable via crosses.

85. Canadian pump name : ESSO

87. Pub. concern : CIRC. Circulation. Pub is for "Publisher" I suppose.

88. "Bird-Wire" link : ON A. Bird on a wire.

91. It has a string attached : YO-YO

92. Big name in stunt jumping : KNIEVEL

93. "We did the right thing" : IT'S BEST. Not a phrase I used.

95. Chip source : POTATO

97. Number one Hun : ATTILA. We learned a lot about Genghis Khan in school. Somehow not Attila the Hun.

98. Binding material : CEMENT

99. Column couple : ITEM. Oh, newspaper columns.

101. Tar Heel State campus : ELON

104. Tuned in : AWARE

105. Flowed furiously : RAGED

106. Sandbox rebuttal : ARE SO

107. Girl : LASS

108. Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, e.g. : ESPY. Never heard of  Jimmy V.

110. Bk. reviewers? : CPAS. I nailed it also.

111. Singer India.__ : ARIE

113. Old Bruin nickname : ESPO. Phil Esposito.

116. Word on U.S. coins : GOD

118. Celestial altar : ARA

119. Gross __ : TON

120. Muppet monkey Minella : SAL. Stranger to me also.

 C.C.