Wednesday, January 18, 2017 C. C. Burnikel

Theme - BE NOT AFRAID.  A variety of things are related to the fears they might - or in this case, might not - cause.   This is pretty deep.  Each word relating to a common phobia is placed in a different, much safer context.  This makes it a figurative rather than literal reference.  I don't recall seeing a twist like this before.  Very clever and original.

17 A. Not a fearful place for acrophobia sufferers : BROOKLYN HEIGHTS.  Not sure what the elevation is there, but here in the Detroit area, Dearborn and Dearborn HEIGHTS are pretty flat and even.

36 A. Not a fearful fund for agoraphobia sufferers : MONEY MARKET.  This phobia relates to the fear of open places, or any place that might seem to be difficult to escape from, such as a shopping mall.  In the original Greek, an Agora was a public gathering and commercial location - hence the connection to a MARKET.

45 A. Not a fearful Camus work for xenophobia sufferers : THE STRANGER.  This fear relates to foreigners, who might be thought of as strange.   In the absurdist novel, the protagonist Meursault is a stranger in his own land, due to his emotional disconnection.

65 A. Not a fearful roadster for arachnophobia sufferers : ALFA ROMEO SPIDER. Four wheels instead of 8 legs for this model originally introduced in 1966.

Exotic 2-seater

Hi gang - Jazzbumpa here with quite the intrepid offering from our Fearless Leader.  It hit on a couple of my favorite phobias; but let's gather our courage, and see what we can discover.

Across

1. Early sitcom co-star Arnaz : DESI.  He and Luci had a Ball.  

5. It's over a foot : SHIN.  No bones about it, the shin is literally above the foot.

9. Zagreb native : CROAT.  In Croatia.

14. Wolfs down : EATS.  Gobbles.

15. Madre's boy : NINO.  Spanish kid.

16. Toy in many "Peanuts" panels : PIANO.

20. Casino lineup : SLOTS.  One armed bandits.

21. Starting on : AS OF.  Some particular date.

22. Palette choices : HUES.  Colors.

23. Morose : DOUR.  From Scottish Gaelic, meaning dull, obstinate or stupid; perhaps related to Latin durus, meaning hard.

25. Droop in the garden : WILT.  So - if your cherry tree wilts, it is a drooping drupe.

27. Tight hold : GRIP.  Though suffering from the grippe, the Grip had a tight GRIP on his grip.

29. 401(k) alternative, briefly : IRA.  Individual Retirement Account.

32. Went ballistic : LOST IT.  Had a fit; went ape.

39. Folk rocker DiFranco : ANI.

40. Belittle : ABASE.

41. Showy Japanese school : KOI.  Of ornamental fish.

42. To a degree, informally : SORTA.   I had KINDA, which is more or less the same idea.

44. Haul to the garage : TOW.  

48. Name on the 1967 album "I Was Made to Love Her" : STEVIE.  Here he is, in case you were wondering.

50. Pilot's stat : ETA.  Estimated Time of Arrival.  Good luck with that.

51. Ward of "Sisters" : SELA.

Can you find her?

52. City with ferry service to Copenhagen : OSLO.

Denmark to Norway

54. Damon of "Interstellar" : MATT.

56. Fix, as a pet : SPAY.   Neutering operation.

59. Deft tennis shots : LOBS.  Soft arc.

62. Ragu rival : PREGO.   Pasta sauces.  

68. Prolonged assault : SIEGE.

69. Way through the trees : PATH.

70. Curly cabbage : KALE.  Having green or purple leaves that do not form a head.  This vegetable was common during the middle ages.

71. Wielded an ax : HEWED.  A good old, Anglo-Saxon word meaning to chop.

72. "Button it!" : HUSH.  BE quiet!

73. Actor Byrnes and announcer Hall : EDDS.  Presented for your edification.

Down

1. Cotillion attendees : DEBS.   At formal balls, young ladies of aristocratic birth make their debuts into formal society.  Seems like a sexist and elitist tradition.

 2. Banjoist Scruggs : EARL.  Has a banjo, and knows how to use it.



 3. Admired reverentially, with "of" : STOOD IN AWE. As, for example, of banjo virtuosity.

 4. Elemental forms used in carbon dating : ISOTOPES.  A radioactive form of an element with a known decay rate.

 5. NBC weekend skit show : SNL.  Live from New York, It's Saturday Night Live.

 6. "'Sup" : HI YA.  Slangy greetings.

 7. Travel section listing : INNS.  Quaint lodgings.

 8. "Not happenin'" : NO HOW.  Slangy denial.

 9. Key econ. indicator : CPI.  Usually it's GDP or GNP.  But not this time - It's the Consumer Price Index, which, as you can see, has been quite tame lately.

From the St. Louis Fed

 10. Subjects of the first 10 Amendments : RIGHTS.  The Bill of RIGHTS amended to the U. S. Constitution.

 11. Iolani Palace island : OAHU.  Hawaii.

 12. Kitty starter : ANTE.  For the poker pot.

 13. Throw : TOSS.

 18. Sch. near Topeka : KSU.  Kansas State University, home of the Wildcats.

 19. TurboTax option : E-FILE.  Electronically submit your tax return.

 24. Outer edge : RIM.  Of a crater or coffee cup.

 26. Mucho : LOTS A.  Large, slangy quantities.

 27. Future MBAs' exams : GMATS.  Graduate Management Admission Tests.  I don't remember taking one, but since I have an MBA, I probably did.   IMHO, standardized testing is a huge scam offering very little of value.

 28. High-tech worker : ROBOT.  Not often resembling an anthropomorphic machine, but more often specifically designed for the job at hand [so to speak.]  Estimates are that almost all jobs will be replaced by ROBOTS or AI systems in the next 30 years.  Then, what will we do?

 30. Golf bunker tool : RAKE.  I wanted a WEDGE, which didn't fit.  Golf etiquette is to rake a sand trap [bunker] smooth after taking your shot.

 31. Got up : AROSE.

 33. Online pop-up tailored to individual tastes : TARGETED AD.  After I do a google search for something, that item often then shows up on the right side bar of Face Book.  Big Brother really is watching.

 34. Recon goal : INTEL.  Reconnaissance to gather intelligence.

 35. Pageant headpiece : TIARA.  Winner's crown.

 37. Elusive Himalayans : YETIS. The legendary mountain creatures.



 38. "Batman" actress Eartha : KITT.  She was the KITT Cat.



 43. Picket line placard : ON STRIKE.  Unfair!

 46. Word of greeting : HELLO.  'Sup?

 47. Aries symbol : RAM.  Astrology.  Don't let it get your goat.

 49. Journey : VOYAGE.    Trip.

 53. Zing : OOMPH.  Chutzpa.

 55. Droid download : APP.  Application for your mobile device.

 56. Pageant band : SASH.  A wide fabric ribbon, usually brightly colored worn draping across the body from one shoulder to the opposite hip.

 57. Ballet class bend : PLIE.



 58. Small number :  A FEW.  Less than several.

 60. Main squeeze : BEAU.  Boy friend.

 61. Pub crawlers : SOTS.  Heavy drinkers.

 63. Fix, as a horse : GELD.  Back to neutering.

 64. Tram loads : ORES.  From the mine.

 66. Chinese lantern color : RED.

Traditional Dragon

 67. "Button it!" : SHH.   Quietly, now.

That wraps it up.  See - there never was any danger - except for certain domesticated quadrupeds. Now, with that calm conclusion, we can all go about our business secure in the knowledge that we are safe.

Cool regards!
JzB

Note from C.C.:

Happy 26th anniversary to Jazzbumpa (Ron) and his lovely wife Gloria! 

Tuesday, January 17, 2017 Alan DerKazarian

Theme: New Speak - Our first utterances.

17A. Silly sort : GOOFBALL

25A. Zeros : GOOSE EGGS

37A. Anniversary celebration at the Met, say : GALA PERFORMANCE

50A. Disputed Mideast territory : GAZA STRIP

62A . Infantile vocalizations, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 25-, 37- and 50-Across : BABY TALK. Goo goo, ga ga.

Argyle here. Koochy, koochy, koo.

Across:

1. Baja vacation spot : CABO. We were on Cabo's peninsula just last Friday.

5. Tree's sticky output : SAP

8. Neck mark from necking : HICKEY

14. Razor name : ATRA

15. Suffix with pay : OLA. payola.

16. Taking the place (of) : IN LIEU

19. Polish port where Solidarity was founded : GDANSK. Not baby's first word.

20. Music producer Brian : ENO

21. Dueling sword : ÉPÉE

22. "Hannah and __ Sisters": Woody Allen film : HER

23. Formal pronouncements : DICTA. Legal mumbo-jumbo.

30. Pay with plastic : CHARGE

32. __ of: done with : RID

33. Not at home : OUT

34. The Judds, e.g. : DUO

35. Migration formation : VEE

36. Move in the wind : SWAY

42. Numbered musical piece : OPUS

43. Grunting female : SOW

44. Slowing, on a music score: Abbr. : RIT. (ritardando)

45. Little point to pick : NIT

46. Sick __ dog : AS A

47. Spitball need : SALIVA

53. R&B singer Baker : ANITA

55. "That's all __ wrote" : SHE

56. Fermented honey drink : MEAD

58. The USA's 50 : STs. (states)

59. Nissan model : SENTRA

64. Series of related emails : THREAD

65. Luau instrument : UKE

66. Curved molding : OGEE

67. Fort Bragg mil. branch : US ARMY

68. Boston hrs. : EST. (Eastern Standard Time)

69. Dandelion, e.g. : WEED

Down:

1. Confined, as a bird: CAGED

2. Not accented, as syllables: ATONIC. Seldom seen word.

3. Ornamental pin: BROOCH

4. Doofus: OAF

5. Ivory in the tub: SOAP

6. State without proof: ALLEGE

7. Prefix with -lithic: PALEO

8. Bogart film set in a California range: "HIGH SIERRA", A campy trailer.

9. Truly: INDEED

10. Irish county bordering Limerick: CLARE. Across the River Shannon.

11. Next of __: KIN

12. Wide shoe widths: EEs. I blindly put in EEE.

13. Guffaw: YUK

18. Face adversity well: BEAR UP

24. Cries of triumph: TADAs

26. Layered cookie: OREO

27. Bridal attire: GOWN

28. Avocado dip, for short: GUAC. (guacamole)

29. Eyelid sore: STYE

31. Dates one person exclusively: GOES STEADY

35. Ex-GIs' gp.: VFW. (Veterans of Foreign Wars)

36. Lustrous fabric: SATIN

37. Bell hit with a padded mallet: GONG

38. Samoan capital: APIA. Have we learned it yet?

39. Skating leap: LUTZ

40. Have a good laugh: ROAR

41. Address for a noblewoman: MILADY

46. Traditional Hindu retreat: ASHRAM

47. Delivers a lecture: SPEAKS

48. Facial expression: VISAGE

49. Postwar British prime minister: ATTLEE. Clement Attlee, Prime Minister from 1945 to 1951. 

51. Autumn blossom: ASTER

52. Suffuse (with): IMBUE

54. Queried: ASKED

57. Help with a heist: ABET

59. Actor Erwin: STU. That is way back in the archives.

60. "Come again?" sounds: EHs?

61. FDR agency: NRA. (National Recovery Administration)

63. Illegal parker's risk: TOW

Argyle

Monday, January 16, 2017 Jeff Stillman

Theme: No Reveal Monday - Last names that start with various body parts.

20A. Record-setting aviator of the 1930s : AMELIA EARHART. Ear

29A. 2007-'14 E! comedy talk show host : CHELSEA HANDLER. Hand

46A. Looney Tunes rooster with a Southern accent : FOGHORN LEGHORN. Leg

56A. First to walk on the moon : NEIL ARMSTRONG. Arm

Argyle here. A simple theme that is somewhat hidden due lack of connectedness. The fact they are external parts that usual comes in pairs doesn't really do it. OTH, on the whole the puzzle seemed a bit crunchy to me.

Across:

1. Car roof accessory : RACK

5. __ Romeo: sports car : ALFA

9. Go Fish request : TWOs

13. Cybermessage : E-NOTE

15. Agreement to shake hands on : DEAL

16. Shabbat service site : SHUL. The Yiddish word for synagogue.

17. Hercules types : HEMEN

18. Jazz trumpeter Al : HIRT

19. Opposite of stuffy, roomwise : AIRY

23. Started to eat, with "into" : BIT

24. Apr. is in it : SPR. Is it to early to think spring?

25. Old nuclear agcy. : AEC. (Atomic Energy Commission)

26. Sixth sense, for short : ESP. (ExtraSensory Perception)

33. Hammerhead parts : PEENS. If it's a hammer and not a shark.

34. "All My Children" vixen : ERICA. All My Children (1970–2011); Erica Kane played by Susan Lucci. A crossword regular in the day.

35. Letterhead design : LOGO

38. RBI and ERA : STATS. Baseball

41. Sunset direction : WEST ergo 57D. Sunrise direction : EAST

42. King's decree : EDICT

44. Separate by percolation : LEACH. Home owners know all about perc tests and leach fields. Learn more HERE.  Update: Homeowners with city plumbing, not so much. D-O

51. Singer's syllable : TRA

52. Word before a birth name : NÉE

53. Modern: Ger. : NEU. Are they looking for NEUARTIG? Update: Yes they were. Not just NEW because the German in the clue was abbreviated, hence the answer must be an abbreviation . What I have found is NEUARTIG can mean novel or never seen before. It appears in several spots that German for Modern is ... modern or moderne.

54. Move it, old-style : HIE

60. Letter after epsilon : ZETA

62. Et __: and others : ALIA

63. Down-yielding duck : EIDER

64. Showy perennial : IRIS

65. Half a picking-up tool : TONG

66. Cubic meter : STERE

67. Treaty : PACT

68. Concludes : ENDS

69. Mgr.'s underling : ASST.

Down:

1. Detox program : REHAB

2. Feeble : ANEMIC

3. O'Neill's "The Iceman __" : COMETH

4. "As seen on TV" record co. : K-TEL. CSO to Canada-eh. K-TEL is Canadian. Wiki.

5. Supporter : ADHERENT

6. Sci-fi princess : LEIA. RIP

7. Fawcett who played one of Charlie's Angels : FARRAH

8. Tennis Hall of Famer Gibson : ALTHEA

9. Russian ruler until 1917 : TSAR

10. "Little" deception : WHITE LIE

11. Couple's word : OUR

12. Guileful : SLY

14. Maroon, as after a shipwreck : ENISLE. Long "I"

21. Vaulted church areas : APSES

22. Stridex target : ACNE

27. "Gimme a few __": "Be right there" : SECS

28. Rear end in a fall? : PRAT

30. Pleistocene period : EPOCH

31. __ get-out: to the utmost degree : AS ALL

32. BBC time traveling hero : DR. WHO

35. Hit the road : LEFT

36. You may get a whiff of one : ODOR

37. Humongous : GIGANTIC

39. "Popstar!" and "Tiger Beat," casually : TEEN MAGs

40. Wise guys? : SAGEs

43. Novelist Morrison : TONI. POLITICAL Interview with Charlie Rose, CLIP(3:00) POLITICAL

45. Ladders partner in a kids' board game : CHUTES

47. Empathize : RELATE

48. "SNL" alum Kevin : NEALON. Matt LeBlanc and Kevin Nealon’s have a new CBS comedy, “Man with a Plan”.

49. Colossus island : RHODES. The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue. Then Hollywood got a hold of it.

50. Bay Area NFLers : NINERS. 49

55. Marsh denizen : EGRET

58. Watermelon cover : RIND

59. "Lovely" Beatles ticket writer : RITA

60. Nil : ZIP

61. Victorian __ : ERA

Argyle

Sunday January 15, 2017 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Say Cheese!" - Cheese puns.

  

 23A. Cheese tray displays? : BRIE ARRANGEMENTS. Pre-arrangements.

 45A. Real cheese? : TILSIT LIKE IT IS. Unfamiliar with Tilsit cheese. Wiki says it "is a light yellow semi-hard smear-ripened cheese, created in the mid-19th century by Prussian-Swiss settlers".

69A. Cheesehead's accessory? : FETA IN ONE'S CAP. Feather in one's cap. Reminds me of this fun picture.

97A. Cheese graters? : ROQUEFORT FILES. The Rockford Files. Golden entry for cheese puns. 

123A. Highland cheese? : LOCH NESS MUENSTER. Loch Ness Monster.

16D. Cheese-growing plot? : GARDEN OF EDAM. Garden of Eden.

63D. Cheese factory supplies? : CHEDDAR BOXES. Chatterboxes.

I absolutely have no grasp on pun theme and admire constructors who can pull it off regularly. Finding soundalike words is a challenge to me, not to mention injecting enough fun and surprising factors to the theme clues.

Ed took full advantage of the manageable 7-entry theme grid  (8/9/10 are trickier, but not for Mr. Ed) and gave us a sparkly puzzle.  He has ten 8-letter fill in the grid.  Just look at the upper left edge. Three 8's and a long themer. Amazing.

Across:

  

1. Put away the leftovers? : EAT. I put in ATE. Right direction.

4. Stagecoach shout : WHOA. For some reason, stagecoaches were not popular in old China. Emperors or other VIPs or new brides all traveled in chair sedans.

8. Charge : ACCUSAL

15. Like much brandy : AGED. 61. Brandy flavor : APPLE. Clue echo. We also have 29. Screwdriver component : VODKA

19. Avian water source : BIRD BATH

21. Heated dispute : RHUBARB. I'm in love with this left edge.

22. Go ballistic : RAVE

25. Scientologist Hubbard : L. RON

26. X-Men co-creator Lee : STAN

27. Full of holes : POROUS

28. GPS info : RTE

30. Jet black : ONYX. Thought of EBON first.

32. Prepare for the prom : DRESS. No prom in our school.

34. Pastina relative : ORZO

36. Moray or conger : EEL

37. Repress : GAG

38. Exams for future J.D.'s : LSATs

41. One-customer link : PER

43. Partners' phrase : YOU AND I

49. Bologna bone : OSSO

50. Dirt cake ingredient : OREO. Unfamiliar with dirt cake or CHESS PIE (9. Classic Southern dessert). Google Images also showed some Dirt pie pictures. Is it the same as Dirt cake?

51. Queen Victoria's toy, for short : POM. I only knew the current queen loves Corgis.

52. Looks at : BEHOLDS

54. Shaky : IFFY

57. They may be good losers : DIETERS. Fun clue.

60. Coke by-product : TAR

61. One-named "Skyfall" singer : ADELE

62. Meager : SCANT

64. Strip stake? : BET. Oh, strip poker. (Correction: Strip here is The Strip. Thanks, Peter.)

66. Lever in a limo : GAS PEDAL

68. Unspecified degree : NTH

 74. iPhone purchase : APP

75. Abandoned buildings, say : EYESORES. There's a big office building complex near our home. Been empty for a few years.

77. D.C. insider : POL

78. Raw bar selection : CLAMS. Never had raw clams. You? We also have 107. Shell-shedding creature : CRAB

80. Catkin producer : ALDER

81. Half a dance : CHA

83. "My 60 Memorable Games" author : FISCHER (Bobby). Chess players seem to have fantastic memory.  Speed chess astonishes me.

86. Change the decor of : RE-DO

87. Diamond nickname : THE BABE (Ruth)

90. Affliction : WOE

91. Creamy color : ECRU. Creamy makes me think of food. Not cream color.

95. Puffin relatives : AUKS. Learned from doing crosswords.

100. Bunch of clowns in a circus stunt, say : CARLOAD. Vivid clue.

103. Word of enjoyment : YUM

104. Wipe out : ERASE

105. "__ been a puppet, a pauper ... ": Sinatra lyric : I'VE

106. "Foolery ... does walk about the __ like the sun": Shakespeare : ORB. Constructors work hard for fresh clues.

109. Syrian president : ASSAD

111. Title for Helen Mirren : DAME

113. Foam : FROTH

115. Make hay? : MOW. Lovely.

117. Like the talus : TARSAL

120. First name in desserts : SARA

122. Idée __ : FIXE

126. Twilight times : EVES

127. Packs, in a way : ENCASES

128. Military encampment sight : ARMY TENT

129. Take it easy : REST

130. Prepare, as dough for zeppole : DEEP-FRY. Never heard of zeppole. Look like mini donuts.

131. Early depictor of today's Santa Claus : NAST (Thomas)

132. Muddy quarters : STY

Down:

  

1. Goes out : EBBS

2. Like missiles in a dogfight : AIR TO AIR

3. Percussion instrument : TRIANGLE. Also 5. Instrument featured in "Waltz of the Flowers" : HARP

4. Ring org. : WBA

6. Other, to Quixote : OTRO

7. Grief : A HARD TIME. Not fond of the extra A.

8. Have a row : ARGUE

 

10. Summa __ laude : CUM

11. Lyft competitor : UBER

12. __ Domingo : SANTO

13. Channel with many branches : ARTERY

14. Avg. newborn's 7.5 : LBS. What's yours? Boomer was a big baby: 9 lbs and 10 oz.

15. "Alice's Restaurant" arrestee : ARLO

17. Summoned : EVOKED

18. North America's highest peak : DENALI

20. Naysay : DENY

24. Language of Oslo, in Oslo : NORSK

29. Paris pronoun : VOUS. You.

31. First year of Claudius' reign : XLI. 41. Got via crosses.

33. Meyers of late-night TV : SETH

35. Places staffed by vets : ZOOS. Ed wanted us to think of Army vets.

37. Old Pontiac with a V8 engine : GTO

39. Key holder in much religious artwork : ST PETER. I never paid attention to what's in his hand. Wiki says it's the key of heaven.

40. Scads : A LOT

42. Hoot : RIOT

44. Off-topic remark : ASIDE

46. It's often drawn through straws : SODA

47. Clampett portrayer : EBSEN

48. Forms into metallic waste : SLAGS

53. Stoker creation, briefly : DRAC (Dracula)

55. Plane features : FLAPS

56. Shepherd's cry : YELP. Dog.

58. Likely to experience : IN FOR

59. Batting stat : RBI. "Batting" shouldn't be part of the clue.

62. Distinctive manner : STYLE

65. Premier : TOP

67. Potpourri holders : SACHETS

68. Get close to : NEAR

70. Debugging pro : TECH. Dear TTP lost his dog Charlie last weekend. They were very close, taking walks every day, rain or snow. I sobbed reading his email about driving Charlie to the vet for the last ride.

71. "My Name Is __ Lev": Potok novel : ASHER

72. Like some ATM withdrawals : NO FEE

73. Cotton gin inventor Whitney : ELI

76. East Asian capital : SEOUL

79. "Whose woods these __ think ... ": Frost : ARE I. Some partials are tricky to clue.

82. Birth announcement words : A BOY

84. Athos, for one : SWORDSMAN

85. "The Last of the Mohicans" sister : CORA. No idea.

87. Old Russian dynast : TSAR

88. Blue-green color : AQUA

89. Lead that misleads : BUM STEER. Learned from doing crosswords. Not a phrase I use.

92. Subarctic and Mediterranean : CLIMATES

93. Deferential : REVERENT

94. "What's the ___?" : USE

96. NYC mayor after Beame : KOCH

98. Therapy subjects : FEARS. Fears are natural.

99. Gratified : FED

100. Valuables holder : COFFER. This is similiar to my mom's, except hers was red color. Her parents gave it to her when she married my dad. In it there were pretty bed sheets, quilts and other exquisitely hand-made clothing items. Also a small jar of precious sugar, which was rationed then. She was worried that my little brother and I would put our fingers in the sugar jar. Sugar was only used for goodies during Chinese Spring Festival.

101. Come : ARRIVE

102. Brooklyn crooner Vic : DAMONE

108. Italian bowling game : BOCCE

110. Likely to talk back : SASSY

112. Kind of D.A. : ASST

114. Acid __ : TEST

116. Sound of a blow : WHAP. Is this a common word? My WHAM would not work.

118. Ambient quality : AURA

119. NASA lunar transports : LEMs

121. Like some gallery patrons : ARTY

123. Headed up : LED

124. Bad check letters : NSF. We go burned at a card show. The guy bought a few pricey jersey & signed cards and wrote us a bad check. Such a painful & costly experience. St Peter will not give him the key.

125. Ochs Sulzberger pub. : NYT

To those who get the wrong grid today, please click here for the correct puzzle. On the top right, you should see Print or Download button. The above link will disappear in a week. If you still have trouble, please email me crosswordc@gmail.com, I'll send you the correct grid.

C.C.

Saturday, Jan 14th, 2017 Roland Huget

Theme: None

Words 68 (missing B,F,J,K,Q,Z)

Blocks: 25 

A perfectly symmetrical construction with chunky corners and no way to get from one to the other without going through 15-letter spanners and climbers makes this possibly the most difficult grid to work with;  I have to own up to one Google cheat, but other than that, I call this one a win - no fun-sponge answers, and solid fill throughout.  The last Saturday puzzle from Mr. Huget was nearly an identical grid, and I re-read my write-up and it was a struggle then as well.  Still, I liked the challenge, and I was within my personal allotted time, so one cheat is fair, right~?  Anyway, the four spanners and climbers;

31a. Classic children's story about healing : THE SECRET GARDEN - I'd heard of it, but knew nothing about it, so I went to the the Wiki

36a. '60s TV sidekick : AGENT NINETY-NINE - from Get Smart - one of my favorite openings for a show and theme song - here's the 60's Agent 99; I liked Anne Hathaway in the 2008 movie myself

GET SMART

7d. Find the weakness of : HIT WHERE IT HURTS

8d. Accessory for FDR : CIGARETTE HOLDER - see also 55d. for a WWII contemporary

bONnieWARD~!

ACROSS: 

1. "Yikes!" : "OMIGOSH~!"

8. Whitewash : COVER-UP

15. Ancient Roman coins : DENARII - I took Latin for four years in school, so the couble "I-I" at the end was acceptable

16. "It's not an option for me" : "I HAVE TO." - I have to add a leg image - it's not an option for me

17. Court exhibit, perhaps : DNA TEST

18. Squared up : GOT EVEN - I was not sure if this was a carpentry clue, or an "I.O.U." one

19. Customs : MORES - dah~! Not NorMs

20. '70s org. for 21-Down : WHA - I immediately filled in NHL, as I knew who we were looking for at 21d - and I was wrong~!  The WHA was the World Hockey Association, a league I had never heard of - I grew up with the NY Rangers, the team my dad followed before the birth of the Islanders - who got their start from the legal battles of the NHL with the WHA - the Wiki
 

22. Viking family dog of comics : SNERT - Hägar the Horrible

23. Notable periods : ERAS - a gimme for Saturday

24. Side issue? : THORN - a "thorn in one's side" - har-har

26. Piano __ : TRIO - yeah, this one was vague, at best; I pondered LEGS

27. Hound : NAG - oops, not the 'other' hound - DOG - I have an idea for a new board game that I have been working on all week, and there's a good chance I can produce it if the prototype is good - my friend Mike works with China to produce backyard games and such

28. Little ones : PEE-WEES

30. "Microsoft sound" composer : ENO - perps

34. "What's Hecuba to him, __ to Hecuba": Hamlet : OR HE - OK, the only fill that was "meh", but not too bad when you quote Shakespeare

35. St Ives gallery : TATE - a WAG off  '--TE'

43. Discount tag abbr. : IRRegular

44. One giving a thumbs-up? : HITCHER - Always makes me think of the Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

45. Put the kibosh on : NIX - ARGH~! not HEX, not POX

46. Actors Glass and Silver : RONs - both have died; I knew Ron Silver - he was a lawyer on Law & Order, but I had to look up Ron Glass - ah, from Barney Miller, just before my time

48. Total confusion : CHAOS - I mentioned this word last week - and KAOS was in Get Smart, too

49. High seas adverb : THAR - she blows~!

50. Creamer of the LPGA : PAULA - perps and WAG

52. Search result : URL - oops, not HIT

53. "Rocky IV" antagonist Ivan : DRAGO - this was "my time", but Rocky movies were not my thing; 1985 was a good movie year - Back to the Future, A View to A Kill, and a tie-in to 28a. - see here

54. Being tracked, in a way : ON RADAR

56. Think it likely : DARESAY - I pondered DEEMS SO

58. Reference : RESPECT - should this have been reVerence~?  I'm calling blooper

59. Hyundai 1990 launch : ELANTRA - Nailed it, even if it was a WAG

60. Locks : TRESSES

61. Unfair treatment : RAW DEAL 

 DOWN:

1. Leftover : ODDMENT

2. Festival of Lights symbol : MENORAH - big help in the NW

3. Really ticked : IN A RAGE

4. 36-Down areas : GATES - did not work with my NorMs

5. They may be picked out : ORES - ah, a fresh clue for an old fill

6. Family nickname : SIS

9. "Look what I found!" : "O HO~!"

10. Brewery fixtures : VATS

11. What happened : EVENT

12. Venerated : REVERED - still calling blooper at 58a.

13. Womb-related : UTERINE

14. Floatplane feature : PONTOON

21. Six-time Hart Trophy winner : HOWE - either HOWE or HULL

24. Lego line that may include gears and motors : TECHNIC - my favorite collection of Lego sets; I have several kits still in a closet at mom's house, including the "old" helicopter set - here's the latest helicopter, but all the new kits have pre-molded parts that take some of the fun out of building

25. Countermands : NEGATES

28. Capital of Western Australia : PERTH - ooh, good WAG off just the "H"

29. Faun look-alike : SATYR

32. Male issue : SON

33. Cartoon canine : REN

36. Site with scanners : AIRPORT

37. It usually doesn't get a laugh : GROANER

38. Hospital triage pro : ER NURSE

39. Mayberry's home: Abbr. : N. CARolina

40. At the last minute, say : IN HASTE

41. New York county north of Erie : NIAGARA - my one cheat - and living in NY, I shoulda known....

NW corner - polar opposites; I'm in Suffolk, SE

42. 2016 World Series MVP Ben Zobrist, e.g. : EX-ROYAL - hockey is my thing, not baseball

47. Sharp rebukes : SLAPS

49. General direction : TREND

51. Citrus coolers : ADES

53. Main attraction : DRAW

55. Dogfight participant : ACE - Iron Maiden's Aces High

57. Like : À LA

Splynter 

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear JD, who joined our blog after she retired in 2008. Below is the first picture JD shared with us back when her daughter Shelby got married. Truman was only a baby then. How time flies. You can click here for many beautiful pictures JD shared with us over the years.

Friday, January 13, 2017, Bart Beisner

Title: Any PORT in a storm. Maybe we can go drinking at that place on the left in Oporto, where they hook you to an IV to get you the liquor quicker.

We return this Friday with another one clue fits all puzzle; this time the word is PORT and all four themers are 15 letters! There are many other meanings for PORT in the DICTIONARY but Bart picked some entertaining ones. It is also our first Friday the 13th of 2017....I assure you unlike Splynter I have never worn a hockey goalie mask.

We also continue our trend to bring back constructors from the past, this time with Lt. Col. (ret.) Beisner who had ONE previous publication that I have located.  He did stop by to say hello that day, perhaps he will again. With all the gridspanning you would expect little room for long sparkly fill, but we do have ESCROW,  TUNEUP,  FANNED, AWAY TEAM,  TARHEELS,  PRINCESS and  ROSE OILS. Now it is time to look at the theme:

20A. Port : CITY WITH A HARBOR (15).

25A. Port : AFTER DINNER WINE (15).

43A. Port : LEFT SIDE OF A SHIP (15).

48A. Port : CONNECTION POINT (15).

A nice set; now the rest.

Across:

1. Cabo's peninsula : BAJA.  Cabo San Lucas, a resort city on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, is known for its beaches, water-based activities and nightlife. Playa El Médano is Cabo’s main beach, with outdoor restaurants and numerous bars. Past the marina is Land's End promontory, site of Playa del Amor (Lover's Beach) and El Arco, a natural archway in the seacliffs.

5. Stupefy : BESOT. Getting drunk with love.

10. Earthy shade : ECRU. They really do not agree on this simple ("Raw") color.

14. "Don't have __, man!" : A COW. Bart must be a fan of his namesake Simpson. A nice subtle Selfie SO.

15. Jennifer Saunders' "Ab Fab" role : EDINA. The frumpy one; Patsy was Joanna Lumley who was a replacement for Mrs. Peele when they tried the New Avengers.

16. Room service challenge : SLOB.

17. Simba's mate : NALA. Disney's Lion King Queen.

18. Pack animal? : HIKER. This was hard for being so easy.

19. Shrewd : CUTE. I understand it now, nut also hard to suss.

23. Heavy weight : TON.

24. It may need a boost : EGO.

34. "Mean Girls" actress : LOHAN. Rumored to be trying to get a sequel going to revive her now dead career.

35. Instrument heard in the Doobie Brothers' "Black Water" : VIOLA. Their producer, the great Ted Templeton did not see it as a hit.

36. Lived and breathed : WAS.

37. Uncompromising : GRIM. Hmm.

38. __ nus: barefoot, in Bordeaux : PIEDS. High level French. A very pedestrian clue.

39. Hilarious one : RIOT.

40. Scotch datum : AGE. I pass this to the Tinman to explain.

41. Construct : ERECT.

42. Friend of Jerry and George : COSMO. Kramer.

46. Org. with a square-rigger on its seal : USN. See the square-rigger? You all can discuss.

47. Jungle swinger : APE. I always heard it was tarzan who was a swinger who would go both ways.

57. Ointment additive : ALOE.

58. De Valera of Ireland : EAMON. The perps were solid and I needed 'em all. New York City native, Éamon de Valera was a prominent politician and statesman in twentieth-century Ireland. His political career spanned over half a century, from 1917 to 1973; he served several terms as head of government and head of state, as taoiseach (prime minister; 1932–48, 1951–54, 1957–59) and president (1959–73) of Ireland. (various)

59. "Dies __" : IRAE.

60. Array of options : MENU.

61. Urban air problem : SMAZE. No thanks, this all sminks to me.

62. Reposed : LAIN.

63. Rear deck : POOP. Is that why we call...oh never mind.

64. Blush-inducing H.S. class : SEX-ED.

65. House meas. : SQ FT. Why are square feet not square? Why not call them SQUEET?

Down:

1. Judicial seat : BANC. Literally bench in French (take that Owen and Moe!)

2. Smoothie fruit : ACAI. Ah  I See

3. Cola named for its intended effect : JOLT. A Louisiana slant.

4. Football squad in white jerseys, typically : AWAY TEAM. Why? Television I bet. LINK.

5. Lagging : BEHIND.

6. Time change? : EDIT. huh?

7. Turbaned Punjabi : SIKH.

8. Selective Service classification : ONE-A.

9. Blue Devils' rival : TARHEELS. Duke University and U. of North Carolina. ETYMOLOGY.

10. Homeowner's account, perhaps : ESCROW. Most financial institutions require borrowers to pay into such an account every month to insure money is available to pay taxes and insurance on property. It also is where we hold deposits until closing.

11. Kind of sandwich or soda : CLUB. Or something I can hit you with, or deal to you.

12. Tiller opening? : ROTO. Want to know how to BUY one?

13. Taxi alternative : UBER. How many of you have used Uber or Lyft?

21. Unlike new clothes : WORN. Most of my new clothes get worn...

22. Indian tourist mecca : AGRA. Want to book a TOUR?

25. Like some pond growth : ALGAL. I know it is probably legit but all I see is
The POEM.

26. Blacksmith's need : FORGE.

27. Copper? : THIEF. A nice reversal here, as the copper is not the cop but the one who cops what is not his.

28. Like Wrigley Field's walls : IVIED.

29. Many a flower girl : NIECE. Mine was a granddaughter.

30. Acknowledge, in a way : NOD TO.

31. "It'd be a dream come true" : I WISH.

32. Judd matriarch : NAOMI.

33. Legally prohibit : ESTOP. We also obtain estoppel letters from Condo associations etc.

38. One of Disney's official eleven : PRINCESS.  As of 2015, the eleven characters considered part of the franchise are Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel and Merida.

39. Perfume staples : ROSE OILS.

41. Forum infinitive : ESSE. Latin to be.

42. Yokum cartoonist : CAPP. Alfred Gerald Caplin, better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip Li'l Abner, which he created in 1934 and continued writing and drawing until 1977. Wiki.

44. Garage service : TUNE-UP.

45. Agitated : FANNED. Fanning the fire? Again, not me.

48. Where much tie-dyeing takes place : CAMP. Really?

49. Kitchen bar : OLEO.

50. Prohibition : NO NO.

51. Tone down : TAME.

52. Camera that uses 70mm film : IMAX.

53. Move like honey : OOZE.

54. Modern-day Mesopotamia : IRAQ. Iran is Persia.

55. Newbie : NAIF. The same root as Naive.

56. Commonly anchored shelter : TENT.

Well it is time for me to fold my tent and rest my weary legs. Lucky 13 to all,  thanks and come talk Bart. Lemonade out.