Thursday, April 21st, 2016 Gerry Wildenberg

Theme: Fruit B-olio. Scrambles begin the theme entries:

18A. *Unit in a bowl : LUMP OF SUGAR. Plum. It's the UK's Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday today. She takes two lumps of sugar in her tea.

39A. *Website for do-it-yourselfers : WIKIHOW. Kiwi. For a while in the 90's, you couldn't order an entrée in a restaurant without it arriving with a kiwi fruit garnish, or compôte, or drizzle, or glaze, or something. Sanity finally prevailed.

61A. *Fast pace : MILE A MINUTE. Lime. I've got one in my drink as we speak. I just took delivery of a new car, and was startled to discover that it can do rather more than a mile a minute - the top speed is listed as 155 MPH. Yikes.

3D. *Skinflint : CHEAPSKATE. Peach. Seeing the word "peach" always triggers my memory of "Each Peach Pear Plum - Here Comes Tom Thumb" - a book I used to read to my daughter when she was little.

31D. Tasty mélange ... and a literal hint to the starts of the answers to starred clues : MIXED FRUIT. Olio.

Suitably crunchy Thursday from Gerry - I had quite a few blank areas after the first pass, and the theme reveal wasn't helping, but then a couple of missteps corrected (PELTS/PEELS and MOHR/MORA) and things fell into place. I'm always impressed by how constructors come up with the puzzle themes, and how to make the theme work, and this one is a great example of across-and-down organization. Good stuff. Let's see what else we've got.

Across:

1. "Grey's Anatomy" airer : ABC

4. Skins to remove : PEELS

9. Non-shaving razor name? : OCCAM. I always have to look up what Occam's Razor actually states. I can never remember it. Repeat after me: "Among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected."

14. Scrooge word : BAH. Humbug.

15. Brilliance : ÉCLAT. Is a stroke of brilliance a coup d'éclat? *drops mic*

16. San Antonio landmark : ALAMO. The car rental lot at the airport. No?

17. Roger Clemens, for one : ACE

20. Layered rock : SHALE

22. "Sorry, we're full" sign : SRO. Not quite full if there's still Standing Room Only.

23. Test release : BETA. Pre-release phase for software. When I was coding we called the pre-beta a "smoke test" - you'd see if the program caught fire when you ran it.

24. Glimpse : ESPY. If you catch sight of a sports award you might espy an ESPY.

25. Make fun of : JEER AT

27. Sportscast staple : SLO-MO

30. Set boundaries : DELIMIT. This took a while to parse "set" as a verb rather than a noun.

34. Tour de France, e.g. : BIKE RACE

37. Nikon competitor : LEICA

38. LAX datum : ETA. My ETA at LAX on Friday is 10:05PM - end of a long week.

42. Gen-__ : X-ER. "ED" didn't fit, "SCI" was a class I took in England and doesn't exist here (third period on Monday morning, I can still remember the timetable). X-ER finally dawned on me.

43. Don't bother : LET BE. Close enough for a quick link to Sir Paul.

45. Exercise result, all too often : SORENESS

47. Rose support : TRELLIS

50. Made the last move, in a way : MATED. Here's the "Fool's Mate" moves on the chessboard. Checkmate in two moves:

1. f3 e5

2. g4? Qh4#

 
Ooops.

51. Later years : OLD AGE

53. Degs. for writers : MFAS. Masters of Fine Arts.

56. Weakness : FLAW

59. Look over : EYE

60. Sherlock Holmes enemy Colonel Sebastian __ : MORAN. I really wanted MORIARTY but I ran out of squares.

65. One in Paris : UNE

66. Tart : ACERB. Like the lime in my drink.

67. David's role on "Frasier" : NILES. Great character played by David Hyde Pierce.

68. Chemical ending : -IDE

69. Eponymous trailblazer Chisholm : JESSE. The Texas-to-Kansas cattle trail.

70. Davis of "A League of Their Own" : GEENA

71. Thrice, in Rx's : TER. I never remember these. Marti would have eaten this clue for breakfast. I miss her (hugs) on a Thursday.

Down:

1. Belittle : ABASE

2. Family with several notable composers : BACHS

4. Athlete nicknamed "O Rei do Futebol" : PELÉ. "The King of Football" in Portuguese. The Brazilian great. I love the story of the Scottish team (Partick Thistle) coach, who, upon learning that his striker was concussed and "didn't know who his was", responded "Tell him he's Pelé and put him back on".

5. Old French coin : ECU

6. Name of more than 5,000 U.S. streets : ELM. Plenty of Nightmares.

7. Sign of forgetfulness : LAPSE

8. Kept in reserve : STORED

9. Western defense gp. : O.A.S. The Organization of American States. I didn't know this was a thing.

10. Neckwear denoting affiliation : CLUB TIE. Here are three members of the MCC (the founding body of English cricket) at Lord's ground in London, proving that an august organization doesn't necessarily exhibit the best judgment in color coordination. The tie is nicknamed "the scrambled egg".

11. Zoo sight : CAGE

12. Latin 101 word : AMAT. AMA- and wait for the cross.

13. UCLA Bruins coach Jim : MORA

19. A conspicuous position, with "the" : FORE

21. Singer Lovett : LYLE. Could have been golfer Sandy, prone to yelling 19D, and also being Scottish, AKA a ...

25. College athlete : JOCK

26. Completely incorrect : ALL WET. A new one for me. I'd never heard this phrase before.

28. "Big Brother" creator : ORWELL. The wonderful novel "1984", not the execrable reality series.

29. Le cinquième mois : MAI. Portuguese and French today. The fifth month. Janvier, Février, Mars, Avril, MAI. Thank you, high school French classes.

32. Secures, as a victory : ICES

33. Sailors : TARS

34. Corn __ : BELT

35. Road to the Forum : ITER. Seems to be familiar, it's cropped up a few times lately.

36. Mixgetränk cube : EIS. Oh, add German to the language mix today. Mixed Drink. Which is what my lime is in.

40. Strikes may cross it : HOME. C.C. undoubtedly nailed this one. Home Plate. Strike Zone. Baseball. STRIKE THREE! I love dramatic umpires.

41. Man-mouse connector : OR A. Are you?

44. Fall noisemakers : BLOWERS. Fall? Not here in LA - year-round.

46. Verne captain : NEMO.

48. As above, in a footnote : IDEM. Compare and contrast with ibid. Your essays are due by Friday, please.

49. Saw : SAYING

52. Lamp output, if you're lucky : GENIE. "And ix-nay on wishing for more wishes".

54. "Intervention" channel : A AND E

55. Expression for Ozymandias : SNEER. I love this poem. Shelley's masterwork:

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said—"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert . . .Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

56. Key of the first two Brandenburg Concertos: Abbr. : F MAJ - -M-- and wait for the crosses!

57. Bothersome bugs : LICE. Eew.

58. Pub quaffs : ALES

60. Southwestern sight : MESA

62. Fiver : ABE. Mr. Lincoln gets the $5 bill.

63. Suffix with glob : -ULE

64. Half a score : TEN. Or two Abes.

And ..... here's the grid.

Steve

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 Clive Probert

Theme: Since FDR is in the grid: CIVIL CONSERVATION CORPS -  or - Do you C the C's I C?  Or, 1.5 x our gracious hostess.  Near as I can tell, that's it. Three-word themers, all with the initial letter C.  Though the middle one is a grid spanner, and the other two fall only one letter short, seems like a rather thin theme concept.

20. Part of the Three Little Pigs' chant : CHINNY CHIN CHIN.  As in, not by the hair of.  Here it is, if you have a spare 8 1/2 minutes.



37. The "Original Formula," soda-wise : COCA COLA CLASSIC.  New COKE fizzed.  No extra charge for the additional 2 C's.

54. Provincetown rental : CAPE COD COTTAGE.  Ours is on the south-west shore of Black Lake.

Not sure what else can be said about it.  Let's proCede and C what we can C.

Across

1. Jellied garnish : ASPIC.  Natural gelatin derived from meat stock, aka glop.

6. Northwestern pear : BOSC.  European variety grown in the NW U.S.

Kinda golden looking

10. Farm youngster : CALF.  Or COLT or LAMB.

14. Good, in Granada : BUENO.   Spanish. Foreign language fill is often indicated by alliteration.

15. Chorus syllables : LA-LA.   Tra followers.

16. Give __ to: approve : A NOD.

17. Trader for whom a northwest Oregon city was named : ASTOR.  John Jacob.

18. __ impasse : AT AN.  I've been there

19. Texas flag symbol : STAR.  

Lone Star State

23. Baby beaver : KIT.

Easy to assemble?

24. Mouse-spotter's shriek : EEK.

25. Extremely well-pitched : NO HIT.  Baseball!

26. Gray shade : ASH.

Hair dye

27. Multilayered, as cakes : TIERED.  Or theater seating.

30. Clean Air Act administrative gp. : Environmental Protection Agency, established in 1970.

33. Heads, in slang : NOBS.   

Up Jack got, and off did trot 
as fast as he could caper; 
to old Dame Dob, 
who patched his NOB
with vinegar and brown paper.

36. Persian Gulf cargo : CRUDE.  Oil

41. "__ go!" : GOTTA.  I'm outa here - but not for a while.  My work here is not yet done.

42. French 101 verb : ETRE.   To be.

43. Pot contents : TEA.  We have a cup of TEA mid-afternoon most days.

44. Bakes, as 50-Acrosses : SHIRRS.   Word derived form the name of the flat bottomed dish in which EGGS were traditionally baked.

Ask me if I'm shirr, but don't egg me on

46. "Star Wars" staples : ETs.  Many varieties of Extra-Terrestrials in those movies.

48. Exit poll target : VOTER.  We'll just do a grand jeté around the politics, and move right along.

Gravity?  What gravity?

50. Breakfast food : EGG.  Cereal doesn't fit.  I'm SHIRR.

51. "Pow!" : BAM.  Bat Man or Emeril - your choice.

57. Roast, in Rouen : ROTI.

58. Antelope Island state : UTAH.  The bee hive state.

59. Lesson at the end : MORAL.  As in Aesop's fables.

60. Arabian Peninsula port : ADEN.   Probably handles some of that CRUDE.

61. Went by skateboard : RODE.   Why skateboard?  Car, bus, SUV, moped, trained mule, Conestoga wagon  .  .  .

62. Take in : ADOPT.  As an orphan.

63. Get one's feet wet : WADE.

64. Mesozoic and Paleozoic : ERAS.  Geological time spans.

65. Slangy craving : JONES.  Gotta have it.

Down

1. One way to be taken : ABACK.

2. Japanese finger food : SUSHI.   Items of vinegar-flavored, cold cooked rice that accompany raw fish, vegetables or EGGS.  SHIRR enough!

3. __ four: teacake : PETIT.  Meaning "small oven," since that's where they were often made, next to the main oven.

4. Privy to : IN ON.  Knowledgeable of.

5. Eye part : CORNEA.   The transparent layer covering the front of the eye.

6. Subject for Stephen Hawking : BLACK HOLE.  Astronomy.

7. Promise : OATH.  

8. Killed, as a dragon : SLAIN.

You go, girl!

9. Is unable to : CAN NOT.  Killing dragons is hard!

10. Supermarket employees : CASHIERS.   Ring 'em up!

11. Like the Sherman Act : ANTI-TRUST.   Anti-monopoly legislation designed to promote competition in industry, passed into law in 1890.

12. Deal with interest : LOAN.  Most bankers find loans to be quite interesting.

13. New Deal pres. : FDR. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd president.  

21. Basic question type : YES / NO.

22. Spanish girl : CHICA.

28. Falco of "Oz" : EDIE.   And "The Sopranos,"and "Nurse Jackie."

29. Prefix with pod : DECA-.  Denoting 10-legged critters, an order of crustaceans that includes crayfish, crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.   What - no love for squids?!?

30. They record beats per min. : ECGs.  Electrocardiograms check the electrical activity of the heart.

31. Friend of Tigger : POOH.   

Once in a while someone amazing comes along and here I am

32. Switched on : ACTIVATED.

34. Compete in a box : BAT.   Batter's box, the designated place to stand while batting - more baseball.

This kid has hit 8 dingers already.

35. Braking sounds : SCREECHES.   Indicating the linings are worn.

38. Medication used for dilating pupils : ATROPINE.   Also a toxic alkaloid found in nightshade, mandrake and jimson weed.

39. Bistro offering : CARTE.   A French menu.

40. "Unhand me!" : LET GO.  

45. Tie tightly : SECURE.

47. High-ranking NCO : SGT MAJ.  Sargent major, the highest NCO rank in the U.S. Army or Marines, above master sargent and below warrant officer.  

49. Turbine blade : ROTOR.   They go round and round.

51. Industry honcho : BARON.

52. Wide open : AGAPE.

53. Runs down the mountain, maybe : MELTS.  As snow in the Spring.

54. Musical finale : CODA.   From the Italian word for tail.  Often it is an addendum to a formal musical structure containing different but similar and compatible musical content.  

It works like this

55. Man Ray genre : DADA.   Man Ray [1890- 1976] was an American visual artist who spent most of his career in France.

A visual pun

56. Commotion : TO DO.  As in hockey playoffs.

57. Wet behind the ears : RAW.    Expressions indicating someone lacking experience.

OK. All done.  I SHIRR had a BUENO time.  How about you?

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, April 19, 2016 Bruce Haight

 Theme: F-F

17. Maximum impact : FULL FORCE

21. Get dizzy : FEEL FAINT

34. Close pal : FAST FRIEND

43. Healthy, with "in" : FINE FETTLE

58. Beach footwear : FLIP FLOPS

66. Achilles' heel : FATAL FLAW

4. Office cabinet document holder : FILE FOLDER

9. British Invasion nickname : FAB FOUR

32. Six for you, six for me, e.g. : FIFTY-FIFTY

44. On the house : FOR FREE

Argyle here. Underwhelmed by the theme but overwhelmed by the execution of said theme. Ten theme entries covering ninety squares.

Across:

1. "Yeah, like that's gonna happen" : "AS IF ..."

5. "That's clear now" : "I SEE"

9. Honored with a big bash : FETED

14. New Jersey or California city : LODI.



population 24,136



            

15. French champagne maker founded in Germany : MUMM. The French confiscated all of the Mumm's property, although they had lived in Champagne for almost a century before World War I, because they had never become French citizens.

16. Bakery lure : AROMA

19. Olympic racer since 2008 : BMXer. More trouble in Rio.

20. Staggering dizzily : AREEL

23. "__ out!" : FAR

25. Suffix with switch : EROO

26. DJ's stack : CDs

27. Accessory for note-taking : MEMO PAD

31. __ Wiedersehen : AUF. "until we see again"

33. Lang. of Florence : ITAL. (Italian)

40. Slush __ : FUND. Often used to pay for monkey business.

41. JFK overseer : FAA. (Federal Aviation Administration)

42. Food Network's "Beat Bobby __" : FLAY. Is it worth watching?

47. IRS agent : T-MAN

48. Ukr. neighbor : ROM. (Ukraine/Romania)

49. Softball of a question : EASY ONE

51. Little newt : EFT

54. Pokes fun at : RIBS

57. Baseball : ump :: football __ : REF

61. British elevators : LIFTS

65. What the suffix "phile" means : LOVER

68. Stood : AROSE

69. Italian automaker since 1899 : FIAT. Check out the front seat facing backwards!

70. Melt fish : TUNA

71. Tentative bite : TASTE

72. Airing, as a sitcom : ON TV

73. Safecracker : YEGG. Just one of the retro entries.

Down:

1. __ Romeo: sports car : ALFA

2. Like lemons : SOUR

3. Doing nothing : IDLE

5. Texter's "If you ask me" : [IMO]. "in my opinion"

6. Browse websites : SURF

7. Oscars host, e.g. : EMCEE. (master of ceremonies(MC)

8. Mideast VIP : EMEER. One of several spellings.

10. Humorist Bombeck : ERMA

11. Poisonous : TOXIC

12. Correct, as text : EMEND

13. Game that drives home a point? : DARTS. (2:45)

18. Envelope part : FLAP

22. Pumpernickel buy : LOAF

24. U.K. fliers : RAF. (Royal Air Force)

27. Annoy : MIFF

28. Storage case for tiny scissors : ETUI

29. "Death in Venice" author Thomas : MANN. A novella first published in 1912.

30. Senseless : DAFT

35. Posed : SAT

36. Bit of folklore : TALE

37. Giggly Muppet : ELMO

38. Tandoori bread : NAAN

39. Physics unit : DYNE

45. Disney's "__ and the Detectives" : EMIL. From an old German story. Wiki

46. Place for a hoop : EAR

50. Get bought up quickly : SELL

51. Key above D : E FLAT

52. Fauna's partner : FLORA

53. Records for later, in a way : TIVOs

55. Super, at the box office : BOFFO

56. Where rain falls mainly on the plain : SPAIN

59. Bothersome insect : PEST

60. Doc's "Now!" : "STAT!"

62. Santa's access : FLUE. Sure.

63. Zesty flavor : TANG

64. Loot : SWAG

67. Off-road transport, briefly : ATV. (all-terrain vehicle)

Argyle

Monday, April 18, 2016 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Simian set-up - The last word of the unifier can precede the last word of the indicated phrases.

60A. It more or less coincides with 2016 on Chinese calendars ... and a hint to this puzzle's circles : YEAR OF THE MONKEY

16A. Ready to admit customers : OPEN FOR BUSINESS. Monkey business. It was a Howard Hawks film in 1952 with real monkeys, no monkey business. (mischievous or deceitful behavior)

38A. Outfit for the slopes : SKI SUIT. Monkey suit, slang word for a tuxedo.

10D. Seller's come-on : FREE TRIAL. Monkey trial. Scopes

34D. Snickers and Milky Way : CANDY BARS. Monkey bars, aka, Jungle gym. Found on playgrounds everywhere.

Argyle here. An ambitious if somewhat ambiguous offering from C.C. to start the week. The use of circles instead of stars seems odd as does 29-Across clue/answer. Nice to see the two grid spanners and the two long columns, as well as the center of the pinwheel being used.

Across:

1. "That was close!" : "PHEW!"

5. Fictional whale hunter : AHAB

9. Dying-out sound : [PFFT!]

13. Affectionate email closing : LOVE

14. Farmer's place, in song : DELL. Hi-ho, the derry-o.

15. Cuisinart setting : PUREE

19. Al __: firm, as pasta : DENTE. (firm to the bite)

20. "Splish Splash" singer Bobby : DARIN. A far cry from Mack the Knife

21. Inexact no. : ESTimate

22. Baseball card figs. : STATS

24. Skillful : ADEPT

26. Blot up the moisture on : PAT DRY

29. Like a perfect game : NO-RUN. While a perfect game IS a no-run game, so are many others that are far from "perfect".

32. Cinderella's horses, after midnight : MICE

35. "I __ you one" : OWE

36. Like wolves : LUPINE

37. Springsteen's "Born in the __" : USA

40. TV program breaks : ADs

41. Cocktail party bite : CANAPÉ

43. Envoy's bldg. : EMB. (Embassy)

44. Thicken, as cream : CLOT

45. Many-headed monster : HYDRA

46. Potato or rice, e.g. : STARCH

48. Gulf of Aden republic : YEMEN

50. False name : ALIAS

53. Texter's "Hang on a minute" : [BRB]. (Be Right Back)

55. Super-fun party : BLAST

58. Planet attacked in some sci-fi films : EARTH

63. Fortune-teller's deck : TAROT

64. Coke, e.g. : COLA

65. Like a 2-2 game : TIED

66. "What __ is new?" : ELSE

67. Wait on the phone : HOLD

68. Memo starter : IN RE

Down:

1. Walk with difficulty : PLOD

2. Crosses one's fingers : HOPES

3. The World Series, e.g. : EVENT

4. Came unglued : WENT APE

5. Hue and cry : ADO

6. Buffalo group : HERD

7. "Dark Angel" actress Jessica : ALBA

8. Movie disk format : BLU RAY

9. "I used to be a banker but I lost interest," e.g. : PUN

11. Come clean, with "up" : FESS

12. Dry run : TEST

15. Pesto ingredient : PINE NUT

17. Brine-cured Greek cheese : FETA

18. Vicious of the Sex Pistols : SID

23. Tend, as a fire : STOKE

25. Dad : POP

27. SADD focus : DWI. Students Against Destructive Decisions, formerly Students Against Driving Drunk.

28. Put back to zero : RESET

30. Bring to ruin : UNDO

31. Hornet's home : NEST

32. "__ obliged!" : MUCH

33. Words to an old chap : "I SAY ... "

36. Sign of many an October baby : LIBRA

38. Program that sends unsolicited messages : SPAMBOT

39. Thurman of "The Producers" : UMA

42. "__ you nuts?" : ARE

44. Wine in a straw-wrapped bottle : CHIANTI

46. Grab : SNATCH

47. 1963 Liz Taylor role : CLEO

49. Helper for Santa : ELF. I'd rather have Liz.

51. "Argo" actor Alan : ARKIN. Got enough A's?

52. T-bone source : STEER. Talk about going to the source!

53. Computer memory unit : BYTE

54. Genuine : REAL

56. "Beat it!" : "SHOO!"

57. Be a snitch : TELL

59. Jekyll's alter ego : HYDE

61. Lobster eggs : ROE

62. Fuming : MAD

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) I finally figured out why Rich put circles in this puzzle (no circles in my original submission). My original reveal clue for YEAR OF THE MONKEY is  [2016, on Chinese calendars, and a hint to the ends of answers to starred clues]. As you can see, I made a big mistake in putting part of the answer in the clue. Thanks for fixing my goof, Rich!

2) Constructor Todd Gross took these pictures while he visited the Bellagio in Feb. He said they had an elaborate display celebrating Chinese New Year there. Thanks for the pictures, Todd!

3) Wish Bluehen a successful hip surgery today! You're my our thoughts and prayers, pal.

Sunday April 17, 2016 Matt McKinley

Theme:  "A Storm Is Brewing*"- The first words in starred answers all lightning and thunder- related.

 23A. *Vegas visitor's hope : STREAK OF LUCK. See The Mirage on the back? This is outside Caesars Palace. No streak of lightning, but it rained two days while I was there this year. Highly unusual.

25A. *Seemingly impromptu public performance : FLASH MOB. Isn't flash of lightning same as streak of lightning?

 

45A. *Classic 1974 sports contest : RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE. Odd that they held the match in Africa.

68A. *Solution for a forgotten combination : BOLT CUTTERS. Lock. 

 

92A. *Historic 20th-century disaster : CRASH OF TWENTY NINE. 20th should not be in the clue.

 

115A. *Bama rallying cry : ROLL TIDE

118A. *Arrange hastily : CLAP TOGETHER. Never heard of this phrase before. 

I feel there's a slight sequence. Argyle is not fully convinced.

Matt stacked his 8-letter themers with two more 8-letter entries. Pretty daring. Those chunks of whites in the upper right and lower left are  hard to fill cleanly.

Across:        

1. Office alerts : MEMOS. Smooth start.

6. Lubricate : GREASE

12. Golfer for whom the original web.com Tour was named : BEN HOGAN. Unknown trivia to me. Wiki said it's originally named Ben Hogan Tour. Minor league for golfers.

20. Vols' school : U Tenn

21. Family reunion attendees : NIECES

22. Baja tourist city : ENSENADA. Google shows it means "bay" in Spanish. Sure it's a long word.

26. Brief and on point : SUCCINCT

27. Corn serving : EAR

29. Buffalo NHLer : SABRE

30. Director Jean-__ Godard : LUC

31. Formal opening : DEAR SIRS

36. Troon turndowns : NAES. Troon is known for its golf course. Host of many British Opens.

37. Greek earth goddess : GAIA. Or GAEA.

41. Caught in __ : THE ACT. Rare 6-letter partial. The norm is 5-letter.

43. Frisbee golf starting point : TEE PAD

48. Word to a restaurant host : TWO

51. Barcelona bye : ADIOS

52. Chargers linebacker Manti __ : TE'O. I remember the girlfriend hoax story a few years ago.  So cruel.

53. Unusual : ODD

54. "Honest!" : I SWEAR

56. Sales chart, e.g. : VISUAL AID. Thought of Husker Gary, my very first Facebook friend! (Can you spot my mystery friend in the group?) Also 59. Sales chart metaphor : PIE

60. Attic function : STORAGE

61. Reputed UFO fliers : ETS

62. Arcade no-no : TILT

63. Where to find "The Blacklist" : ON NBC. I thought it's ON HBO.

65. "Mr. __ Passes By": Milne play : PIM. Learned from doing crosswords.

66. Time fraction: Abbr. : NSEC

 

72. USAF noncom : TSGT. Never know which one to choose: MSGT, SSGT, or TSGT.

75. Driver's lic. info : DOB

77. Aired for binge-watching, say : RE-RAN

78. Film princess : LEIA

80. Screened leader? : PRE. Pre-screened.

81. Nestlé candy with a white covering : SNO-CAPS

84. "Another thing ... " : AND

85. Old-style delivery man : TOWN CRIER

87. Exotic pet : IGUANA

88. Bermuda hrs. : AST

89. Word in discount store names : SAV

90. Long-eared critters : HARES. Not ASSES.

91. Base bed : COT

97. "Frankenstein" genre : GOTHIC. Not HORROR.

98. Cause to be : RENDER

99. Old Roman road : ITER. Root for itinerary.

100. Word from a doll : MAMA

103. Extreme folly : INSANITY

105. 120-Down source : TAP. 120. Scottish __ : ALE. How is it different from the Irish ale, Steve?

107. 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year Stoudemire : AMAR'E. Forgot. My computer showed that I googled him before.

109. Brian of ambient music : ENO

110. Fish pond treatment : ALGICIDE. New word to me. Wiki said it can also be "algaecide".

122. It established Congress : ARTICLE I. Also 83. Saga opening : PART I

123. Ancient serfs : HELOTS

124. Dental treatment : CROWN

125. Box for bags : TEA CHEST. Like this? I just call them tea boxes.

126. Plant swellings : EDEMAS

127. Best Game and Best Upset : ESPYs. Easy in retrospect.

Down:

1. Disarray : MUSS

2. Words to a traitor : ET TU

3. Grand Marquis, for short : MERC

4. 100 smackers : ONE C

5. Mail modifier : SNAIL

6. Ristorante dumplings : GNOCCHI. Need good sauce, TTP! What's your handicap, by the way? Boomer shot 103 in his first round of golf, about his average.

7. Break : RIFT. And 35. Breakup : SPLIT

8. Anago or unagi : EEL

9. Start to pressure? : ACU. Acupuncture.

10. Champagne label word : SEC

11. Glacial ridge : ESKER. The mountain ridge is ARETE.

12. Get close to : BEFRIEND

13. Photo lab svc. : ENL

14. DOD intel arm : NSA

15. Company with toy trucks : HESS. I see lots of rusted Tonka trucks at the flea market. Not many Hess. Tonka is based here in Minnesota.

 

16. Available : ON HAND

17. Viola da __ : GAMBA. Learning moment as well.

18. Cherish : ADORE. And 64. Cherished : BELOVED

19. Theaters in the area, briefly : NABES. Know the word. Never used it in real life.

24. Immortal coaching name : KNUTE (Rockne)

28. Dean's list topper : A STUDENT

31. Not exactly new : DATED

32. Repeat : ECHO

33. Picked at, say : ATE

34. Coffee order: Abbr. : REG

37. Second Commandment word : GRAVEN. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image". Difficult clue for me. 

38. Annual reviews : AUDITS

39. Rueful words about an opportunity : I MISSED OUT. And 48. It may be affected by a tough loss : TEAM SPIRIT.  A pair of 10's.

40. "__ Ben Adhem" : ABOU. Also learned from doing crosswords.

42. Give the right : ENTITLE

44. Legendary storyteller : AESOP

46. Future D.A.'s hurdle : LSAT

47. Like some custody : JOINT

49. Tail movement : WAG

50. Salem home: Abbr. : ORE. Where our Melissa Bee now lives.

55. Lawyer's petition : WRIT. Got via crosses.

57. Women's __ : LIB

58. Then, in Toulouse : ALORS. Et alors... 

59. Egyptian currency : POUND

60. Hardware fastener : SCREW

 

67. Half a soft drink : COCA

69. Place for deleted files? : TRASH CAN. On your PC.

70. Spanish song : CANTO. Spanish for "song"?

71. Offense : SIN

73. "The Quiet American" author : GREENE (Graham)

74. Not so wordy : TERSER. Argyle knows I'm in trouble if I send him long emails.

76. Baccarat call : BANCO. Never played Baccarat.

79. Sore : ACHY

81. [Originally shown this way] : SIC

82. Park __: airport facility : 'N GO.  Google shows that we have a Park 'N Go here in Minneapolis. Never used their service though.

85. Like a lion's coat : TAWNY

86. Hindu royal : RANI

88. "In my opinion ... " : AS I SEE IT. Nice entry also.

89. Editor's mark : STET

93. Master Kan portrayer on "Kung Fu" : AHN. Felt guilty using it in our Squad puzzle last Sunday.

94. Part of TGIF: Abbr. : FRI

95. Disappointing result : NET LOSS. Great clue.

96. "Perry Mason" lieutenant : TRAGG. Stranger to me.

97. Spaghetti sauce staple : GARLIC. Have you tried Hasselback Potatoes, D-Otto?

100. Corday victim : MARAT

101. Luigi's love : AMORE

102. European island nation : MALTA

104. Night in Nogales : NOCHE

106. Composition : PIECE

108. Engrave : ETCH

110. "__ boy!" : ATTA

111. Part of CDC: Abbr. : CTRS (Centers)

112. Rooty Jr. server : IHOP. Never had Rooty Jr.

113. __-eyed : DEWY

114. Sea eagles : ERNS

116. Key for Ravel? : ILE. Last time Rich clued it as "Key for Debussy?" for mislead. Nothing musical.

117. __ Moines : DES

119. Played the first card : LED

121. Fluffy toy, briefly : POM

C.C.

Saturday, Apr16th, 2016, Debbie Ellerin

Theme: Debut~!

Words: 70 (missing F,J,Q,Z)

Blocks: 31

  This is Debbie Ellerin's debut Saturday puzzle for the LA Times, as far as I can tell.  She has had two other puzzles, one duo with Jeff Chen on a Sunday, and a solo effort on a Monday - which to me seems to be the hardest day to construct a puzzle; there has to be a simple theme, simple answers, and simple clues.  I have tried my hand at construction; it's a lot harder than you think earlier in the week.  This one looked a bit daunting at the outset, but then a few solid fills led me to finish in half my personal allotted time.  A pretty pinwheel grid today with triple 9's and almost triple 9's - and nothing longer than that.  And a gratuitous shout-out to yours truly at 46d.~!  Debbie is already in my good books~!

17a. Agitated : STIRRED UP - I had stEAMed up at first

13d. They're turnoffs : EXIT LANES - oooh, so close with EXIT RAMPS

52a. Vanity case? : EGOMANIAC

28d. Sci-fi emergency vehicle : ESCAPE POD - my first experience with an 'escape pod';

oNEW-WARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Ring pairs : TAG TEAMS - on the first pass, I was not sure if this was wedding rings or boxing rings - turned out to be wrestling

9. Result of hitting the bar? : SPACE - I thought we might be looking for something like DRUNK

14. Some strays : ALLEY CATS

16. Plant from the Greek for "flame" : PHLOX - the clue led me to discover this interesting reading

18. Garlicky sauce : AIOLI - my first fill; crossword staple

19. Present, say : TENSE - ah.  Took too long to see this definition of "present"

20. One to keep closer? : ENEMY - one only keeps the friends "close"

22. Setting for a Det. Tigers game : EDT - Went with CST - central standard time; of course, the baseball season is only during Daylight time, and Detroit is not that far from the east coast, really

23. Designer of many Harper's Bazaar covers : ERTE

24. Golden Horde members : TATARS - learning moment for me

25. Dancer Chmerkovskiy of "Dancing With the Stars" : VAL

26. Rutabagas, e.g. : TUBERS - nailed it

27. Chicago Cubs' spring training city : MESA - filled via perps

28. Squired : ESCORTED

32. Lethal phosphorus compound : SARIN

one can just look this up these days

33. Lose control, in a way : SPIN OUT

34. Grind : RAT RACE

36. Evasive : CAGEY

37. Epitome of slowness : MOLASSES - "AS A SNAIL" did cross my mind

38. Parted sea : ARAL - I thought it was the "RED" sea, but in today's geography, this sea has split

39. "Rent" Pulitzer-winning dramatist : LARSON - half crossings, half WAG

41. __ se : PER 

42. Fortune : KISMET - ah, fate, not riches

43. Private dining room? : MESS - clever

47. "Yada yada yada" letters : etc.

48. Place to get clean : REHAB - BT, DT.

49. "Affliction" Oscar nominee : NOLTE - did not see the movie

50. Key location : PIANO - I was trying to be overly clever and pondered Florida; it was only after I came here that I see the answer filled itself in

54. Bean seen on-screen : ORSON

55. "Aha!" : "NOW I GET IT~!"

56. Many a combine model : DEERE

57. Some seniors : OLDSTERS

DOWN:       

1. Kind of buds? : TASTE - I tried BOSOM to start

2. Size up, maybe? : ALTER - tailoring humor

3. Sparkle : GLINT

4. Far from flowery : TERSE

5. Title narrator in an 1847 novel : EYRE

6. Deck top : ACE - ah.  Cards, not carpentry

7. Entered the pool? : MADE A BET

8. Hindered the development of : STUNTED

9. Fixes : SPAYS

10. Golden ratio symbol : PHI - φ

11. Some succulents : ALOE VERAS

12. Frigid : COLD AS ICE - look away Tin~!  Look away~!

15. Stick a fork in : SPEAR - "me...I'm done"

21. "__ Robinson" : MRS.

24. Peace Nobelist of 1984 : TUTU - Desmond

26. Metal-measure word : TROY - precious metals; the Wiki

27. Men's home? : MARS - the women from Venus

29. Fifth wheel : SPARE TIRE - ah, the actual definition, not the guy who tags along on a double date

30. Cuban home? : CIGAR CASE - I'm a cigar smoker (not Cubans, mind you ), and so this one was sort of a gimme

31. Law school newbie : ONE-L

32. Kenton of jazz : STAN - filled via perps

34. Bruins' home : ROSE BOWL - I was of course, in an NHL Boston Bruin's mindset - this is UCLA

35. Beaucoup, with "of" : A LOT - "I made beaucoup bucks betting on the game last night"

37. Onetime Sterling Optical spokesman : Mr. MAGOO - seemed logical to me

39. Piece of fiction : LIE

40. Beyond the pale? : ASHEN - cute.  Skin tone

42. Scandinavian capital : KRONE - dah~!  Fell into the trap; not Oslo, Stockholm, nor Helsinki - the money kind of capital

43. "Bouquet of Sunflowers" painter : MONET - I had the "M", so it was an "A" or "O" WAG for the artist - I got it

44. Choice : ELITE

45. Flight segment : STAIR - my lovely Siberian friend got sticker shock when she discovered how much it would cost to come to America

46. Splinter groups : SECTS - I am a part of a lot of groups; this blog is one (LOL)

49. Badgers or hounds : NAGS

51. Negative link : NOR

53. Prefix with life or wife : MID - mid-life, midwife

Splynter