Tuesday, December 8, 2015 Ed Sessa

Theme: GRANDMA - Each theme entry is in the pattern of GR* and MA*.

21A. *"I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member" speaker : GROUCHO MARX

54A. *Score-settling competition : GRUDGE MATCH
 
3D. *2005 documentary about a bear enthusiast : GRIZZLY MAN
 
32D. *Brains, figuratively : GRAY MATTER

40A. Artist Moses ... and, when divided into three parts, a hint to the answers to starred clues : GRANDMA

melissa here. Clever wordplay here, was fun sorting it out once I snapped to the theme. Southwest corner was last to fall.

Across      
 
1. __-Saxon : ANGLO
 
6. Swedish quartet : ABBA
 
10. "Woe is me!" : ALAS
 
14. Plain-paper copier pioneer : XEROX
 
15. Rider's strap : REIN
 
16. Hitchhiker's ride : LIFT
 
17. "Revenge" co-star Van Camp : EMILY. Canadian actress.
 
18. Drug cop : NARC
 
19. Words to an old chap : I SAY. Fun clue.
 
20. Doughnut order: Abbr. : DOZ
 
24. Potsdam pair : ZWEI. German for "two." (Potsdam is capital of Brandenburg.)
 
26. Bum kin : HOBO
 
27. In great detail : AT LENGTH
 
31. Keyed into the register : RANG UP
 
35. Votes against : NAYS
 
36. Slender woodwind : OBOE
 
38. Loy of "The Thin Man" : MYRNA
 
39. Belief suffix : ISM
 
42. N.C. State's conference : ACC
 
43. Step : STAIR
 
45. Pitchers Darling and Guidry : RONS
 
46. Singer Lovett : LYLE
 
47. __-weensie : EENSIE
 
49. Paid for the release of : RANSOMED. Thought of bail first.
 
51. Dynamic opening? : AERO
 
53. Cake served au rhum : BABA. Polish rumcake.
 
59. Indent key : TAB
 
62. Forfeited auto : REPO. First thought of adjective.
 
63. __ San Lucas: Baja resort : CABO
 
64. Bandleader Shaw : ARTIE
 
66. Cupid : AMOR. Latin.
 
67. Gradual melting : THAW
 
68. Marsh stalks : REEDS
 
69. With 11-Down, Louvre masterpiece : MONA
 
70. Get wise with : SASS
 
71. Central Park's 843 : ACRES
 
Down:
 
1. Gave the boot : AXED
 
2. Jules Verne captain : NEMO
 
4. Cyberchuckle : LOL
 
5. Scuba gear element : OXYGEN. Liked this clue.
 
6. River of Pisa : ARNO
 
7. Belle's beloved : BEAU. French.
 
8. White state tree of New Hampshire : BIRCH

 
9. News show VIP : ANCHOR
 
10. Payment after a divorce : ALIMONY
 
11. See 69-Across : LISA
 
12. Quite a long distance away : AFAR
 
13. River of Hades : STYX
 
22. Harshness : RIGOR
 
23. 44th president : OBAMA
 
25. Director Craven : WES
 
27. Ouzo flavoring : ANISE
 
28. Aesthetic judgment : TASTE
 
29. Vanishing ski resort apparatus : T-BAR
 
30. Wedding vows word : HONOR
 
33. Cry of surrender : UNCLE
 
34. Measured in steps : PACED
 
37. Poet __ St. Vincent Millay : EDNA
 
40. Norwegian composer Edvard : GRIEG. This gave me a little trouble.
 
41. News network with a six-color logo : MSNBC
 
44. Dancer Duncan : ISADORA. Didn't know this either.
 
46. Return from Venus? : LOB. Love this clue.
 
48. Builds : ERECTS
 
50. North African expanse : SAHARA
 
52. Nebraska city : OMAHA
 
54. Fat measure : GRAM
 
55. San __, Italy : REMO. I needed perps for this.
 
56. In the know about : UP ON
 
57. "Down with," in Paris : ABAS. Had no idea here, tough for a Tuesday.
 
58. Auto club services : TOWS
 
60. Assistant : AIDE
 
61. Porgy's beloved : BESS
 
65. Camcorder button : REC

Melissa

Note from C.C.:
 

Happy Birthday to dear Jazzbumpa (Ron)! Ron and I have collaborated on a few puzzles, his talents & craftsmanship always leave me in awe. He works  hard on each and every clue, trying to squeeze every juicy wordplay out of it. Thanks for always inspiring me to try harder, Ron!

 Ron and his wife Gloria

Monday, December 7, 2015 Debbie Ellerin

Theme: [RING!] - You can Ring my Bell(3:30).

17A. *One held above criticism : SACRED COW. cowbell

21A. *Magician's secret exit : TRAPDOOR. doorbell

 

 

 

 

55A. *Swanson frozen meal : TV DINNER. dinner bell

          from the TV show, The Nanny.

59A. *Traditional : OLD SCHOOL. school bell

36A. Day ender on Wall Street ... and, literally, what each answer to a starred clue has : CLOSING BELL

Argyle here with bells on. Our constructor has gone solo today. Interesting grid. Four eight-letter columns as well as two of the theme entries. The other two entries are nine-letter. The unifier is eleven-letter blocked in with black spaces. BELL can easily follow the last part of the theme entries but it is funnier to picture it as part of the whole entry.

Across:

1. Supplier of fake tunnels to Wile E. Coyote : ACME

5. Dictionary entry : WORD

9. Attempt to scam using email : PHISH

14. Small songbird : WREN

15. "Am __ early?" : I TOO

16. Saul Bellow's "The Adventures of __ March" : AUGIE. Unknown to me, published 1953. “the universal eligibility to be noble”

19. Gossip spreader : YENTA

20. What push may come to : SHOVE

23. 1953 Alan Ladd Western : SHANE. Classic.

24. Subject in which Freud is studied, briefly : PSYCH

25. Boring routine : RUT

26. Ballpoint, for one : PEN

27. Goose egg : NIL

29. Popular thesaurus : ROGET'S

31. Most populous continent : ASIA

33. Sign offering freebies : [TAKE ONE]

39. Hyundai sedan : ELANTRA

40. Increase dramatically : SOAR. 5th generation Elantra sales have soared.

43. Bearded spring blooms : IRISES

46. List shortener, for short : ETC. (et cetera)

48. Carry a balance : OWE

49. Lion's lair : DEN

50. Set one's sights on : AIM AT

53. Caught with a lasso : ROPED

57. Closet pests : MOTHS

58. Made public : AIRED

62. Blinding driving hazard : GLARE

63. Dam in a stream : WEIR

64. Giggly Muppet : ELMO

65. "Night Moves" singer Bob : SEGER

66. Ginger cookie : SNAP. I heard from Lois last week; she promised me more ginger snaps for Christmas (and molasses cookies).

67. Rod companion : REEL

Down:

1. Reactions to puppies and kittens : AWs

2. Falls asleep from exhaustion, in slang : CRASHES

3. Pit crew worker : MECHANIC. Different crashes.

4. Scandal-plagued energy company : ENRON

5. Like EEE shoes : WIDE

6. Needing no Rx : OTC. (Over-The-Counter medicine)

7. Carrots and turnips : ROOTS. I haven't had turnips in ages.

8. Bridal estate : DOWRY

9. Obsolescent streetcorner communication device : PAY PHONE

10. Tinted : HUED

11. Give the cold shoulder to : IGNORE

12. Take a break from : SIT OUT

13. Valentine symbols : HEARTS

18. Not odd : EVEN

22. One in a human pyramid : ACROBAT

23. Mud bath site : SPA

24. Ordinary : PLAIN

28. "That's just wrong" : "IT'S A SIN"

30. Takes shape : GELS

32. Tavern orders : ALES

34. Round Table VIP: Abbr. : KNT. (knight)

35. "Snowy" bird : EGRET

37. Poisonous ornamental : OLEANDER

38. Contract ambiguity to exploit : LOOPHOLE

41. More than cool : AWESOME

42. VIP carpet color : RED

43. Dog collar attachments : ID TAGS

44. Malign : REVILE

45. Wearing opposite-sex clothing : IN DRAG. (Usually refers to a man wearing women's clothing.)

47. Gator cousin : CROC

51. Cat calls : MEOWS

52. "Over the Rainbow" composer Harold : ARLEN. Harold Arlen (1905 – 1986)

54. Significant __ : OTHER

56. "Able was __ ...": palindrome start : I ERE..."I saw Elba". palindrome end.

57. Dealership sticker fig. : MSRP. (manufacturer's suggested retail price)

60. Day, in Spain : DIA

61. "u r 2 funny!" : LOL

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Windhover, who was once an active runner, Petraeus-style (sans Broadwell). Hope all is well in your quiet land, Windhover!

Windhover & Lucina, July 24, 2015

Sunday, Dec 6, 2015 Gail Grabowski

Theme: "Second Shift" - The second letter is shifted into the third letter, and the third letter becomes second letter in each new theme entry. 

 

23A. Gust that rattles the blinds? : SLAT SHAKER. Salt shaker.

25A. Humor among buddies? : CRONY JOKES. Corny jokes.

44A. Where mixologists learn the ropes? : TRAINING BAR. Training bra.

55A. Commonplace ballet technique? : STOCK PLIE. Stockpile. One word.

76A. Holiday season store statistic? : WRAP SPEED. Warp speed.

84A. Buzzers that can't be seen? : HIDDEN FLIES. Hidden files.

108A. Ordinary dolt? : COMMON CLOD. Common cold.

110A. Termite? : WOOD CRAVER. Wood carver.

37D. Tools for removing reputation stains? : BLOT CUTTERS. Bolt cutters.

40D. Complaint department? : CRAB COUNTER. Carb counter. Notice the O and the C in 37D's CUTTERS are the only connectors between two huge sections of the grid? Ideally there should be more flow.

Can you imagine the amount of research work involved collecting these theme answers? Don and I discussed a similar theme a few years ago, ours with a "Bottoms Up" approach though.

Gail likes to put two themers in Down slots. She also carefully designed her puzzle so none of the fill is longer than 8-letter long.

Typical Gail grid, smooth and clean. I did flounder in the SNEVA/NA'VI area.

Across:

1. "SOS" group : ABBA

5. Race site for more than 300 years : ASCOT. Not EPSOM.

10. Traffic stoppers? : NARCS. Drug traffic.

15. Goes on and on : YAKS

19. Tradition born under King Kamehameha II : LUAU. All crosses.

20. The "It Girl" Bow : CLARA. Alexa Chung has been the "It Girl" for a few years.  

21. Youngest of three dramatic sisters : IRINA. Chekhov's "Three Sisters". MASHA is the middle sister. Five-letter also. Olga the oldest.

22. Inner: Pref. : ENTO

27. No longer used : OBSOLETE

28. Tweeting source : NEST

29. "Très sexy!" : OO LA LA

30. Rich deposit : LODE

31. Nouveau-Mexique, e.g. : ETAT. I thought it's some kind of cuisine.

33. Put away : SAVED

 

35. Plumbing piece : ELBOW. I had to ask Boomer. Turns out it's the same as Ell.

38. 1983 Indy 500 winner Tom : SNEVA. We had him before. His name just constantly escapes me.

39. Sprint, for one : TELECOM

43. Colorado tributary : GILA

48. Genetic info carrier : RNA

49. Heaps : A TON

50. "Rubáiyát" rhyme scheme : AABA

51. Rare indication? : RED. PINK as well.

52. Peanuts, say : SNACK

54. Gere title role : DR. T. Three-letter Gere answer has to be Dr. T. 

 

59. Steadfast : STABLE

60. NYSE regulator : SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission)

61. Cancellation of a kind : STET. Another tricky clue.

62. "__ we all?" : AREN'T

63. Tracks down : TRACES

64. Made judgments on diamonds : UMPED. Lovely clue.

66. Winner of 82 PGA Tour tournaments : SNEAD (Sam). Nailed it. Golf trivia rarely stumps me.

67. Pipe cleaner : DRANO

68. Zen enlightenment : SATORI

70. "That sounds bad!" : OH GOD

71. Chiefs coach Andy : REID. Easy crosses.

72. Short lines at the register? : UPC. Short stands for Abbr. Good old clue.

75. Garfield, e.g. : PET CAT

78. PX customer : NCO. PX = Post Exchange.

79. Start of an attorney's conclusion : I REST (my case)

80. Masters gadget : TEE. Golf again.

81. Kiddie-lit monster : OGRE

82. D-Day city : ST LO

83. Round fig. : CIR (Circle)

88. Split-resistant lumber : TEAK

89. "Whatever you say, honey" : YES DEAR. Nice colloquial phrase.

92. Sends : MAILS

93. Cheap shots : BARBS. Please don't engage those mean anonymous posters. They don't deserve your time or attention. My hard-learned lesson over almost 8 year's work with this blog.

94. Greenery-covered, as walls : IVIED

96. Liable to snap : EDGY

97. Heath-covered wasteland : MOOR

99. Captivate : ENAMOR

102. Mystery writer Buchanan : EDNA

104. Solitary sort : LONE WOLF. Evokes a dark image.

112. Generous offer : ON ME

113. Backspace over : ERASE

114. Did some whittling, say : IDLED

115. Hindu melody : RAGA

116. American-born Jordanian queen : NOOR. The beautiful Queen Noor.

117. Trifled (with) : TOYED

118. Tips off : TELLS

119. Keycard receiver : SLOT

Down:

1. "One more thing ... " : ALSO

2. Light source : BULB. Lovely clue as well.

3. They're heard in herds : BAAS

4. Bank offering : AUTO LOAN

5. Had a yearning : ACHED. How I wish my grandma were still alive. She never complained. Just quietly dealt with the pain of her bound feet and arthritic hands.

6. Political list : SLATE

7. Encrust : CAKE

8. Smelter raw material : ORE

9. Carwash challenge : TAR

10. Line at the beach? : NICE TAN. Not Bikini line.

11. LAX postings : ARRs

12. Real cards : RIOTS

13. "Inside Politics" airer : CNN. Hosted by John King.

14. Repeat : SAY OVER

15. Start of a quaint business sign : YE OLDE

16. "Diana" singer : ANKA

17. Co. known for music compilations : K-TEL. What does the K stand for?

18. Former Cubs slugger : SOSA

24. Brake : SLOW

26. "Piano Man" pianist : JOEL (Billy)

28. "Avatar" race":  NA'VI . Another old friend whose name escaped me.

31. Room-size computer unveiled in 1946 : ENIAC

32. Jack's value, sometimes : TEN. Asked Boomer. He said it's Blackjack.

34. Somewhat : A TAD

35. "Holy moly!" : EGADS

36. Bath quantity? : LITRE. Bath city.

38. Clog cousin : SABOT. Do people still wear Sabots?

 

41. Rouen relative : ONCLE. Or TANTE.

42. Fabricates : MAKES

44. Mom's mealtime encouragement : TASTE IT. Is/was your mom a good cook? Mine wasn't. But my dad was. So was my grandma.

45. Critiqued : RATED

46. Drudgery : GRIND

47. Veggie sometimes pickled : BEET

52. High-end violin : STRAD. Or AMATI.

53. Tandoori bread : NAAN

56. She adopted Tigger : KANGA

57. Hospital holding area, briefly : PRE-OP

58. Principal roles : LEADS

59. Big steps : STRIDES

61. Fat-shunning fellow : SPRAT. So sad. Eat real stuff, just in small amounts.

65. Hang-around-the-house wear : MOCs

66. Scintilla : SHRED

67. Mower handle? : DEERE. Nailed it.

68. Highly seasoned : SPICY. Have you tried Trader Joe's spicy sushi rolls?

69. High-altitude home : AERIE

70. Was in the hole : OWED

71. First host of "America's Got Talent" : REGIS

73. High-tech classroom : PC LAB

74. Concocts, with "up" : COOKS

77. Tom Sawyer's aunt : POLLY. I don't think UNCLE TOM is allowed in LAT grid.
 

80. Lose energy : TIRE. Verb.

82. Sci-fi film classic : STAR WARS

84. Do cover : HAIR NET. Hairdo.

85. Fixed : EMENDED

86. Zip, in Zaragoza : NADA

87. Pudding fruit : FIG

90. Romantic evening switch : DIMMER

91. Rachael Ray sautéing initialism : EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil). Actually, EVOO is good for salad. Regular olive oil is ideal for sautéing, right?

93. Transvaal settler : BOER

95. Hold up : DELAY

97. Item sold in a kit : MODEL

98. How music may be sold : ON CDS

99. Business sch. subject : ECON

100. Prohibition : NO NO

101. It's used in rounds : AMMO. Too hot a topic to touch.

103. Shot contents : DOSE

104. Lounge around : LOLL

105. Mirror shape : OVAL

106. Component of some small Ferraris : LEGO. Got via crosses.

107. Kegger venue : FRAT

109. HUN neighbor, to the IOC : CRO. OK, Croatia.

110. It may be dry or sparkling : WIT. Not WINE!

111. Laudatory verse : ODE

Happy Birthday to our sweet Lucina, one of the few blog regulars I've met in person. Always a joy to read her cheerful and upbeat posts.

Windhover & Lucina, July 24, 2015

C.C.

Saturday, Dec 5th, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing G,Q,Z)

Blocks: 31

  I fi-ured we'd be -etting a Silkie, and happy to see that I was correct.  However, I seem to have -otten into a 'comfort zone' with Mr. Silk, expectin- to sail throu-h without a lot of trouble.  Today's puzzle was just enou-h of a challen-e, leavin- me with mere seconds of my personal allotted time left.  Some proper names slowed me down, and one or two bad -uesses; I did actually have a couple of -uesses that were astoundin-ly correct - but I hesitated to fill them in.  Triple 10-letter corners, and a two pairs of inner climbers, 10- and 11-letters;

6. Demon : EVIL SPIRIT

12. "The American Crisis" author : THOMAS PAINE

24. Blather : IDLE CHATTER

31. Oregon Treaty president : JAMES K. POLK

[ is there a mini-theme here~!  ;7)  ]

OgNgWgAgRgD~!

ACROSS:

1. Fulfilled : CARRIED OUT - I tried 'SATISFIED', but it didn't satisfy the number of letters required

11. Powerful engine : V-TEN - like the one found in this car

Even looks like a snake

15. Prior name of Burkina Faso : UPPER VOLTA - I was thinking we were looking for a someONE, not a somePLACE....

16. Understanding words : "AH SO"

17. Raises may be tied to one : PRICE INDEX - here I thought we needed something like 'work review'.  I get reviewed at UPS, but it does not affect my yearly raise.  I was going to link a definition for price index, but despite being a relatively simple concept, it just seemed too complicated, even for me

18. Opinion piece : POST - as found here daily

19. First name in 1950s politics : ADLAI - one of those clues where I was going to throw this right in, then thought "eh, maybe we're getting misdirected here...."

20. Chemical relative : ISOMER - seen this in crosswords, so I did fill it in

22. Key with one flat: Abbr. : Dmin - slightly more complicated than just putting in "-M--OR" for any other "key of ---" clue; this one relates to the circle of keys, and I can never remember them - so I went with Fmin, and look how close I was

25. Slumgullion, for one : STEW

27. Remove : ERASE - second time in as many Silkie puzzles with a 'meh' clue for ERASE

28. Washington's forte? : RED TAPE

30. "I Love Music" group, with "The" : O'JAYS - got my apostrophes in their proper places this week....

32. Grandpa Munster portrayer : AL LEWIS - he drove the coffin car, which reminds me of this song

33. Big ape : OAF

34. Ltr. extender : P.P.S.

37. Birdwatcher's lure : FEEDER

38. Point in the wrong direction : MISAIM

40. Sam Spade, e.g. : TEC - deTECtive

41. Wrong : SIN

43. Fawning : SERVILE

44. Night calls : HOOTS - put it in, took it out, put it back in

46. Understanding words : I SEE NOW - which screwed up my "I SEE" at 16a.

47. Gushing flattery : SMARM - ah, not CHarm - but that's all of 60% correct

49. 1994 Polka Music Hall of Fame inductee : WELK

51. Eastern holidays : TETS

52. Feels sorry for : PITIES

54. Landlocked Asian country : NEPAL - or TIBET~?

56. Arbitrary stake : ANTE

57. Pine Tree State college town : ORONO, MAINE - one of those that I knew, but hesitated to fill in - and I knew it fit, as well

62. One still maturing : TEEN

63. Most common dolphin : BOTTLENOSE

64. Clarify, with "out" : SORT

65. A.1., for one : STEAK SAUCE

DOWN:

1. Sports prize : CUP - personally, the ONLY one worth fighting for~!!!

2. Patriots' Day mo. : APR - oops, not PATRIOT day

3. Home of the NCAA Engineers : RPI - been there....

4. Took back : RECANTED

5. Hot : IRED

7. Gives : DONATES

8. Number from the past : OLDIE

9. Off-road traveler, for short : UTE - dah~!  Not ATV

10. Sitcom set in a garage : TAXI

11. Misty : VAPORY

13. Assistance trio? : ESSES - aSSiStance

14. Hugo title word : NOTRE - as in The Hunchback of....

21. Marine bioluminescence : SEA FIRE - you get all sorts of fighter planes, boat extinguishers and restaurants if you do a search

22. First try : DRAFT

23. Free-for-all : MELEE

26. Romance : WOO

29. Way more than cool : AWESOME - I have to redeem myself for last week with a tasteful image

35. Experimental : PILOT - always makes me think of the opening scenes from Pulp Fiction; "she starred in one of the ones that became nothin'"

36. Diving ducks : SMEWS

39. Ballerina Zakharova : SVETLANA

42. Sydney's state: Abbr. : NSW - New South Wales

43. Team characteristic? : SILENT A - and still no "I", either

45. Familiarize : ORIENT

47. Fancy footwear : SPATS - I did not know this was a shortening of spatterdashes

48. "Exodus" actor : MINEO

50. Online reminder : eNOTE

53. Bad news reactions : SOBS

55. Skunk River city : AMES

58. Spoil : ROT

59. Obligatory letters : I.O.U.

60. White House advisory gp. : NSC - the National Security Council

61. Wide size : EEE

No Gs~?

Splynter