Wednesday, January 3 2018, Ed Sessa

Theme: 

19. Deliberately damage : VANDALIZE

24. Smoke from Cuba : HAVANA CIGAR

35. Milk : TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 

43. Some Downton Abbey staff : MEN SERVANTS 

52. Starting at 19-Across and ending here, vehicle making its way through five long answers : MOVING VAN

Did you spot the MOVING VAN? Some of those theme answers filled in slow - especially TAKE ADVANTAGE OF and MAN SERVANTS. My favorite Van, below.

Across:

1. Lighthouse emission : BEAM

5. Routine material : JOKES. Now I get it.

10. Mystery novelist Paretsky : SARA

14. "Sesame Street" giggler : ELMO

15. How cut-up raw veggies are often served : ON A PLATTER

17. "Bridge of Spies" spy Rudolf __ : ABEL. Tom Hanks movie. 

18. "Casablanca" actor : PETER LORRE

21. Some running shoes : AVIAS

22. Made oneself scarce : HID

23. Bingo-like game : BEANO. As Johnny Carson would say, I did not know this.

30. Euro pop? : PERE

31. Go from pillar to post : ROAM. New phrase to me.

32. Gaza Strip gp. : PLO

40. Classified postings : ADS

41. Word with hall or house : TOWN

42. __ pricing : UNIT

47. 38th-parallel land : KOREA

 
50. Many millennia : EON

51. Just enough to taste, with "of" : A HINT

58. Expressed with only gestures : PANTOMIMED

60. Greasy : OILY

61. Walk-in emergency center : URGENT CARE. Popular destination this time of year.

62. Mess setting : BASE

63. Zap with a weapon : TASE

64. Like giraffes and horses : MANED.

65. Token receiver : SLOT

Down:

1. Young Cleaver, for short : BEAV

 
2. Idris of "Luther" : ELBA

3. Service call? : AMEN. Great clue.

4. Penicillin source : MOLD

5. She sang about McGee : JOPLIN. Arlo's lead-in to "McGee" from his great Live in Sydney album.

6. Iroquois tribe : ONEIDA

7. Willy or Lenny of Manhattan deli fame : KATZ

8. Pentathlon sword : EPEE

9. 35mm camera type : SLR

10. Russell __ Candies : STOVER

11. Heart chambers : ATRIA. Moving too fast, saw the A and tried AORTA.

12. Played over : RERAN

13. "You __ cool!" : ARE SO

16. Selma's state : ALABAMA

20. "So that's the puzzle theme!" : AHA

24. Torso topper : HEAD

25. Torah chests : ARKS. Jewish Virtual Library.

26. One of a vivacious pair? : VEE

27. Origami bird : CRANE

 

28. Discontinued Saturn model : ION

29. Noir weapon : GAT

30. School support org. : PTA

32. Cooped (up) : PENT

33. Co-worker of Clark : LOIS. Superman.

34. "The good is __ interred with their bones": Antony : OFT. From Shakespeare's Julius Caesar - Act 3, Scene 2.

36. Stuffed one's face : ATE A TON

37. Throw on : DON

38. Jettas, e.g. : VWS

39. Rev : GUN. As an engine.

43. Protégé : MENTEE

44. Midnight rider : REVERE

45. Like a ripped-up check : VOIDED

46. Taylor of fashion : ANN

47. On the blink : KAPUT

48. Maureen of "The Quiet Man" : O'HARA

49. Wedding bands : RINGS. Sneaky.

52. Layered mineral : MICA

53. Arabian Sea sultanate : OMAN. Wiki.

54. Loads : GOBS

55. Vaccine holder : VIAL

56. "Not only that ... " : ALSO

57. Politburo no : NYET. Politiburo = the principal policymaking committee in the former Soviet Union.

59. "Newhart" production co. : MTM

Tuesday, January 2, 2018 ~ John Lampkin

Theme: A Pressing Issue - if you want to look your best.

16A. Celebrate with abandon: LET OFF STEAM

27A. Lift a few weights: PUMP SOME IRON

46A. Sunday NBC public affairs show: "MEET THE PRESS"

60A. Like a shirt condition suggested by the ends of 16-, 27- and 46-Across: WRINKLE-FREE

Argyle here. For some reason, I was surprised to see a Lampkin puzzle. It doesn't appear to be a typical Lampkin puzzle either.

Across:

1. More hot under the collar: MADDER

7. Topper with a tassel: FEZ

10. Managed care gp.: HMO. (Health Maintenance Organization)

13. Repetitive World Cup cheer: OLÉ OLÉ

14. Commuter vehicle: AUTO

15. Alley __: OOP. Basketball play, comic strip, or this by The Hollywood Argyles.

18. Boring routine: RUT

19. Teen sleuth Nancy: DREW

20. Exchange for cash: SELL

21. Deep opera voice: BASSO

23. Razor sharpener: STROP

25. Corn serving: EAR

26. "Uh-huh": ISEE

31. "Wheel of Fortune" purchase: AN 'I'

34. High-priority task: MUST DO

35. __ Jones' locker: DAVY

36. Mob enforcer: HITMAN

38. Girls in the family: NIECES

40. Island off Tuscany: ELBA

41. Arts and __: summer camp activity: CRAFTS

45. Before, poetically: ERE

49. "The Well-Tempered Clavier" composer: BACH. Here is just a taste.

50. Long-armed primate: APE

51. Bit of prevention: OUNCE. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

55. Soak in the tub: BATHE

56. Ignoring, with "to": DEAF

58. Parliament member: LORD

59. Ride for Jesus on Palm Sunday: ASS

63. Edge of a glass: RIM

64. One shaken to seal a deal: HAND

65. Keen judgment: ACUMEN

66. SSW's opposite: NNE

67. Tweeter's "Wow!": OMG!

68. Parable messages: MORALS

Down:

1. Jell-O shapers: MOLDS

2. Warn: ALERT

3. Ward off: DETER

4. "Grease" music genre: DOO-WOP

5. Munchkin kin: ELF

6. Gridiron zebras: REFs

7. Nuclear reactor tube: FUEL ROD

8. H-like Greek vowel: ETA

9. "Shaun of the Dead" creature: ZOMBIE. Title is a riff on "Dawn Of The Dead".

10. Kentucky Derby, e.g.: HORSE RACE

11. Position the cursor without clicking: MOUSE OVER

12. Vision: Pref.: OPTO

14. "About time!": AT LAST!

17. Goes (through) slowly: SEEPS

22. "All kidding __ ... ": ASIDE

24. Saucony rival: PUMA. Athletic shoes.

28. Chew noisily: MUNCH

29. Three-card game: MONTE. A shell game played with three cards.

30. Wall St.'s "Big Board": NYSE. (New York Stock Exchange)The big shell game.

31. "Pardon me": "AHEM"

32. River drainage region that covers 11 African countries: NILE BASIN

33. "I haven't a clue!": "IT BEATS ME!"

37. Fire lighter: MATCH

39. "That __ awesome!": IS SO

42. Poetry performance: READING

43. Add as a supplement: APPEND

44. Flip (out): FREAK

47. "Pinball Wizard" band: THE WHO. From the rock opera "TOMMY".

48. Gunpowder element: SULFUR

52. Bellini opera: NORMA. Norma Synopsis.

53. Angler's basket: CREEL

54. Utopian places: EDENS

55. Place for a Deere, but not deer: BARN

57. Hoax: FLAM. Three-card montge.

61. Crash into: RAM

62. Green prefix: ECO

Argyle

Monday, January 1, 2018 ~ Ross Trudeau

Theme: Party! - That is if you aren't partied out from last night.

17A. 2006 best-selling Elizabeth Gilbert spiritual memoir: "EAT, PRAY, LOVE"

24A. Place to go blond: BEAUTY PARLOR

39A. Breakfast-in-bed surface: LAP TRAY

51A. Carnivorous plant: VENUS FLYTRAP

61A. Political organization founded in 1995 by 35-Down ... and a literal hint to each set of circled letters: REFORM PARTY

And 35D. '90s presidential candidate: ROSS PEROT

Argyle here and RABBIT, RABBIT for a new year. Ross Trudeau makes his debut with us but he has been published in NYT. Okay, I'll be quiet now.

Across:

1. Edible epitomes of redness: BEETS

6. Insurance giant with a spokesduck: AFLAC

11. "No chance!": HAH!

14. Heap praise upon: EXTOL

15. Fortune-telling prefix with "sayer": SOOTH

16. "Dude!": BRO!

19. Texter's "Egads!": OMG!

20. Self-satisfied: SMUG

21. Salon goop: GEL

22. Frozen waffles: EGGOs

28. Capital of Zimbabwe: HARARE

30. Celestial bear: URSA

31. Honda luxury brand: ACURA

32. iPhone assistant: SIRI

34. Dull-colored: DRAB

38. Teen blemish: ZIT

42. Lowest Scrabble tile value: ONE

43. Biblical garden: EDEN

45. One signing the checks: BOSS

46. Ejects: OUSTS

48. Western gas chain: ARCO

50. End-of-day photo op: SUNSET

55. Like environments where you can walk on air?: ZERO G. Cute.

56. Deserved: DUE

57. Unwanted lawn plant: WEED

60. Means justifier: END

65. Key & Peele, e.g.: DUO

66. Modify to fit: ADAPT

67. Remote-controlled flying camera, say: DRONE

68. "Gimme a __": SEC

69. Brass band heavyweights: TUBAs

70. Crumbly cheeses: FETAs

Down:

1. Hive denizens: BEES

2. Oral or final: EXAM

3. Caesar's last question: "ET TU, BRUTE?"

4. Fifth, often, for a manual transmission: TOP GEAR

5. Nikon product, briefly: SLR. (single-lens reflex camera)

6. To this point: AS YET

7. Seward's __: Alaska purchase: FOLLY

8. British john: LOO

9. Off-road transp.: ATV

10. Sitcom title bar: CHEERS

11. Streaming option for "Game of Thrones": HBO GO. Site. New to me.

12. Knight wear: ARMOR

13. Ones who don't share: HOGS

18. Fever and chills: AGUE. Best wishes, C.C.

23. Kitchen bag brand: GLAD

25. Decimated Asian sea: ARAL

26. Runs smoothly, as an engine: PURRS

27. Diva's highlight: ARIA

28. Visibility inhibitor: HAZE

29. Alkali neutralizer: ACID

32. "Spaceballs" or "Scary Movie": SPOOF

33. "__ your turn": IT'S. As in, "Throw in a chip; it's your turn to ante!"

36. First chip, maybe: ANTE

37. Oscar adjective: BEST

40. Kindergarten basics: ABC'S

41. Part of MYOB: YOUR. (Mind Your Own Business)

44. iPod model: NANO

47. In the dark: UNAWARE

49. Nickelodeon toon tot: RUGRAT

50. Champagne flute feature: STEM. Apt.

51. Trial locale: VENUE

52. Triage MD: ER DOC

53. Parkinson's drug: L-DOPA

54. Mongolian tents: YURTS

55. Pizza pieces in London?: ZEDS

58. Sicilian volcano: ETNA

59. Hair-coloring agents: DYES

62. Harvard URL ending: .EDU

63. Terrif: FAB. slang, terrific / fabulous. Have a great year!

64. Adobe file format: PDF. (Portable Document Format)

Argyle

Sunday, Dec 31, 2017 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: "Alien Nation" - Last word in each theme entry is an anagram of a country.

23A. *Menace to society : PUBLIC ENEMY. Yemen.

25A. *Old-school letters : SNAIL MAIL. Mali.
 
49A. *Tropical cocktail : MANGO TANGO. Tonga.

68A. *Neckwear for which Mr. T was once famous (but no longer wears) : GOLD CHAIN. China.

89A. *Hobby shop purchase : MODEL PLANE. Nepal.

109A. *Deluge : HEAVY RAIN. Iran.

33D. *Soap, often : DAYTIME SERIAL. Israel.

39D. *Flu symptoms : ACHES AND PAINS. Spain.

113A. Remote region ... and what literally ends each answer to a starred clue : WILD COUNTRY

C.C. here. Down with a flu. A repeat of that awful episode in 2015. Relentless coughing.

Skeletal write-up today. If you have any question, please ask in the Comments section.
 
Across:  

1. Turn in the box : AT BAT

6. Pour out forcefully : SPEW

10. Sailing : ASEA

14. Dip providing potassium, for short : GUAC. Guacamole.

18. Drink with an umbrella : MAI TAI

20. Scat legend, familiarly : ELLA

21. Diamond slip-up : BALK

22. Austen classic : EMMA

27. A or Angel : ALER. American Leaguer.

28. "Immediately, if not sooner!" : ASAP

30. Jeweler's assortment : RINGS

31. Doc's orders : MEDs. Do you guys all get the flu shot? I never had one.

34. Ryan in a 1998 film, e.g.: Abbr. : PVT. Saving Private Ryan.

36. Macho guys : HE-MEN

38. Party animals? : STAGS

42. BWI posting : ETA

43. Word on a wanted poster : ALIAS

45. Canine protection : ENAMEL

47. Prefix with polis : ACRO

48. Kind of milk or sauce : SOY.  I only want cold water and hot jasmine tea.

51. Pledged, in a way : TITHED

53. Common FM radio fare : HIT SONG

55. Hands over : CEDES

56. Sign off on : AGREE TO

57. Bring out : ELICIT

58. "Can I have a __ of your drink?" : SIP

59. "That was close!" : PHEW

60. Coll. term : SEM (Semester)

61. Trial version : DEMO

62. Look forward to : AWAIT

64. Coolly dispassionate : CLINICAL

66. MLB stat : ERA

70. Issue opener? : NON. Non-issue.

71. They're sold as is : USED CARS

73. Choral composition : MOTET

74. Former Laker star Lamar : ODOM. Probably more famous for his marriage to Khloe Kardashian once.

77. Manhattan suffix : ITE

78. Partner : MATE

79. Pine __ : TAR

80. Spot on a horse : DAPPLE

82. Not insist on payment of, as a debt : FORGIVE

84. Weasel-like animal also called a honey badger : RATEL

87. Pirate's ship : CORSAIR

88. Hydrocodone, e.g. : OPIATE

91. "__ Got a Secret": old game show : I'VE

92. Hemsworth of "The Hunger Games" : LIAM. Boyfriend of Miley Cyrus.

93. Justice replaced by Gorsuch : SCALIA

95. Major artery : AORTA

96. Zilch : NIL

97. Broad valleys : DALES

99. Divvy up : ALLOT

100. Part of Q and A: Abbr. : ANS (Answers)

101. "By Jove!" : I SAY

102. "Gone With the Wind" family name : O'HARA

104. Nothing to write home about : SO SO

107. Loads : A TON

118. Wheel connector : AXLE. Also 37. Fancy wheels : MAGS

119. "In that case ... " : IF SO

120. Leg up : EDGE

121. Body shop application : PRIMER

122. Close by : NEAR

123. Legal document : DEED

124. What Jack Sprat's wife couldn't eat : LEAN
 
125. Factions : SECTS
 
Down:
  
1. Power-increasing gadget : AMP

2. 19th Greek letter : TAU

3. Lobster eater's accessory : BIB

4. Aid in planning a trip : ATLAS

5. Follow : TAIL

6. One percent of a D.C. group--or the group itself : SEN. Senator or Senate.

7. Earnest request : PLEA

8. O'Neill's "Desire Under the __" : ELMS

9. Winning by a mile : WAY AHEAD

10. Six-pack set : ABs

11. Italian Riviera resort : SAN REMO

12. Friend of Jerry, George and Cosmo : ELAINE. "Seinfeld".

13. Comparable : AKIN

14. Idaho nickname : GEM STATE

15. Actress Thurman : UMA

16. Brest friend : AMI

17. Silent __: White House nickname : CAL
 
19. Factory with frozen assets : ICE PLANT

24. "Dr." with MVP awards : ERVING. Dr. J.

26. Some smartphones : LGs

29. Rigatoni alternative : PENNE

31. Fit together : MESHED
 
32. French star : ETOILE
 
35. Playground game : TAG
 
40. Storybook sister : GRETEL

41. Doomed biblical city : SODOM

43. Mine, in Metz : A MOI

44. Church gatherings : SOCIALS
 
46. Three-star mil. officer : LT GEN

50. Hardly gung-ho : TEPID

52. "Crocodile Hunter" Steve __ : IRWIN
 
54. Brahms creation : SCORE

56. "Ooh! I know this! Gimme __" : A HINT

58. Promised : SWORE

59. Tradesperson : PLIER

 62. Type type : AGATE

63. Channel for film buffs : TCM

64. Tree with long beanlike pods : CATALPA

65. Houses with layers : COOPS. Lay-ers. Hens.
 
67. Fess up : ADMIT

69. Monopoly piece : HOTEL

71. Word from the Greek for "not a place" : UTOPIA

72. Succumbs to pressure : CAVES

75. Singer Newton-John : OLIVIA

76. Just : MERELY

77. Music to a bluffer's ears : I FOLD

80. "Keep going!" : DON'T STOP

81. Square measurement : AREA

83. Words a pinball wizard hates to see : GAME OVER
 
84. Hot streak : ROLL

85. "So long, José" : ADIOS

 86. Kitchen cloth : TEA TOWEL

87. "The Tonight Show" character with a turban : CARNAC

89. Vague unease : MALAISE

90. Mauna __ : LOA

94. Wine choice : CARAFE
 
98. Short : SHY

101. Navel type : INNIE

103. Extremely dry : ARID

105. Debate team, for example : SIDE

 106. Gymnast Korbut : OLGA

108. Yours and mine : OURS
 
109. Solo in "Star Wars" : HAN

110. PC file suffix : EXE

111. SEC powerhouse : ALA

 112. Drop off : NOD

114. Man cave setting : DEN

115. HBO competitor : TMC

116. Collecting Soc. Sec. : RET

117. What birthday candles represent: Abbr. : YRS

C.C.

Saturday, December 30, 2017, C.C. Burnikel

THEMELESS SATURDAY

Husker Gary here to review a puzzle submitted by our "Swiss Army Knife" leader C.C. She runs this blog, blogs Sunday puzzles, mediates contentious issues, partners with many of us on constructing and produces puzzles for every day of the week at all levels of difficulty! Wow!

Let's see what our mistress has for us on this day before the last day of 2017 and our final Saturday of the year:


Across


1. On-the-go frozen breakfast : EGGO BITES - Just another good reason to enjoy syrup!

10. "Love, all alike, no season knows, nor __": Donne : CLIME - DONNE did "Git 'er done" would have two homophones

15. Sinatra's wife after Ava Gardner : MIA FARROW - Ava on Mia - "I always knew Frank would wind up in bed with a boy"

16. "Breaking Bad" toxin : RICIN - Chemistry teacher Walt cooked meth but used this deadly product of the castor bean to kill a rival

17. Exercise for the lower leg : CALF RAISE - This is called a Donkey CALF RAISE

18. In the presence of : AMONG

19. Creator of the album "Reflection," which consists of one 54-minute track : ENO

20. Tijuana pronoun : ESA - Me gusta ESA música ENO (I like that ENO music)

21. Gulf of Finland republic : ESTONIA

23. 2001 bankruptcy headliner : ENRON - Their bankruptcy cost my uncle his retirement and dignity and here is their CEO Ken Lay doing one of his 34. Controversial police procedure practices : PERP WALKS

25. Shaper in a shop : LATHE and 64. "My bad" : OOPS SORRY

27. Minor player : COG - That describes me here

28. Tuscany city : SIENA - We walked in SIENA where bareback horse races around the town square have been run twice a year for hundreds of years

29. Kind of butter used in skin care : SHEA - Is that why the Mets are "butter fingered"? Yeah, I'll keep my day job!

30. Pop, in Paris : PERE

31. __ jump : SKI -  Remember the show where the tagline for this mishap was, "The agony of defeat"?

33. To a large degree : IN SPADES - Highest Rank suit in Contract Bridge

35. Most likely : APTEST

38. Car system : STEREO

39. Homemade crystal products : AM RADIOS - I first listened to Husker football on an AM CRYSTAL RADIO over 60 years ago

41. "Entourage" agent Gold : ARI - Played by Jeremy Pivens who I really like


42. Driving force? : UBER - Worked well for us. The app shows you the nearest UBER driver and displays her progress as she drives toward you

43. Twin Cities daily, familiarly : TRIB - Our constructors hometown paper

45. Historic times : PASTS

49. Address-ending word : NET 

50. Overplay : EMOTE


51. Tabbouleh grain : WHEAT - A Levantine (from the Levant) grain and herb salad

52. Walked-over : TRODDEN

54. Energy Star co-mgr. : EPA - Environmental Protection Agency

56. Modern art? : ARE - How Great Thou ART! vs. How Great You ARE!

57. Decluttering maven Kondo : MARIE - MARIE, thy name ART a mystery to me!

58. Branch : AFFILIATE

61. Strange : ALIEN

62. Wasted call? : DRUNK DIAL - The call isn't wasted, the caller is!

63. Literature Nobelist who served in the Irish Senate : YEATS - and now a  tourist attraction

Down

1. Runs the show : EMCEES - Remember Bert Parks and his famous song?

2. Designer Versace : GIANNI - His murder in his Miami mansion will lead off FX's America's Crime Story next month

 3. See 33-Across : GALORE - Did anyone else think of a Bond Girl?

4. Inaccurate : OFF 

5. Completely uncovered : BARE NAKED - I only know of the group called BARE NAKED LADIES because they wrote and recorded the theme song to this fabulously successful TV show

6. Nest egg accts. : IRAS

7. Court affairs : TRIALS

8. Sister of Helios : EOS - We usually see her and her friendly letters as the goddess of dawn

9. Improves, as an offer : SWEETENS

10. Box : CRATE

11. Long ride? : LIMO

12. "You win" : I CONCEDE - Rhoda says "I give up!"

13. Cookie in Snak Saks : MINI OREO - There's no where to hide from OREOS of any size in crossword puzzles

14. Keeps occupied : ENGAGES - A teacher who ENGAGES an angry student in an argument can't win

22. View from Yreka : SHASTA - A Cascade Range Mountain as seen from Yreka, CA

24. GM security system : ONSTAR - We have it at no cost for 3 years with our car but have never used it

26. Often-grilled tuna : AHI

30. Outcast : PARIAH - Can you say Harvey Weinstein?

32. "Am I off-base here?" : IS IT ME - "Yeah, it's you Harvey! You're a creep!"

35. Light-brown brew : AMBER ALE

36. Seat of South Africa's executive branch : PRETORIA

37. Olds luxury car : TORONADO - Also the name of Zorro's horse

39. Peter Parker's adoptive mother : AUNT MAY - Some Spiderman purists thought Marisa Tomei was "too hot" to play this role compared to her predecessors Rosemary Harris and Sally Field.

40. Parking order? : SIT - "Park It!"

44. Strengthen : BEEF UP

46. Oceanside home asset : SEA AIR

47. Fried shrimp sauce : TARTAR

48. Unwavering : STEELY - Calling someone this is very high praise in NASA parlance

50. Wonderlands : EDENS

53. Losing effort : DIET - What is the world's record for getting off of these after New Year's Day?

55. Flagsticks, to many golfers : PINS

59. To and __ : FRO

60. Veiled reply, perhaps : I DO

Rail away about this Saturday puzzle:

DA GRID: