Thursday March 4, 2010 Dan Naddor

Theme: WORD CHAIN - The end of each theme answer and the start of the next consecutive one forms a common word/phrase. The whole chain series is completed by the last word of the last theme answer & the first word of the first theme answer, as indicated by the color codes.

18A. *Place to keep supplies: STOREROOM

20A. *Target at the start of a point, in tennis: SERVICE COURT

30. *Patient record: CASE HISTORY

43A. *Jump around on the sofa?: CHANNEL SURF

52A. *Flying need: BOARDING PASS

57A.*The answers to the starred clues (including this one) form a continuous one -its connections are created by the end of one answer and the start of the next: WORD CHAIN

The words/phrases formed from the word chains are: ROOM SERVICE; COURT CASE; HISTORY CHANNEL; SURFBOARDING, PASSWORD & CHAIN STORE.

Hey gang, it's Dennis. I'm honored to have been asked to blog this puzzle, as it's from our late friend Dan. Very much a fun puzzle, with clever cluing and a theme that should bring back some memories for us.

Back in September last year we were playing a Sausage Sentence Link game on the blog. In our game, the starting letter of your sentence had to be the same as the ending letter of the prior poster's. Dan enjoyed our game so much that he made a special comment on a non-Dan Naddor puzzle day. Here is what he said:

"Hi everyone. I couldn't help but notice the fun you folks are having with your Sausage Link sentences. Especially the "spicy" links. Anyway, I thought you'd like knowing Rich N. recently approved a puzzle of mine that will remind you very much of your SL game. File this message under "coming attractions" (and I'm sure that phrase will get play, too, right?)"

I feel like this one's just for us. Hard to believe it's been over two months since Dan passed away. Still think about him every time I do a puzzle.

Across:

1. Ricochet: CAROM. This guy is either incredibly lucky or incredibly unlucky.

6. 1040EZ issuer: IRS. I love the IRS. No finer organization in the world. Yep, they're the best.

9. Bump off: WHACK. Right on the heels of 'thwack' this week.

14. Single-handed: ALONE

16. Controversially, Jane Fonda visited it in 1972: HANOI. And unfortunately, they let the bitch leave.

17. Check, as a bill: RE-ADD

22. Nickelodeon explorer: DORA.

23. Start of a basic piano lesson scale: CDE. Do, re, mi. I'm sure the musicians here can explain this one better than I.

24. Head, slangily: NOB. Nope. Not gonna go there. But you know.

27. Asia's __ Darya river: AMU. Here.

33. Ore-Ida morsel: TATER TOT. Ah yes, a fine epicurean meal, with melted cheese and sour cream. And check these out!

35. Golden __: AGER. Defined as "an elderly and often retired person usually engaging in club activities."

36. Exchange: TRADE. I do it all the time with sports cards. Just like being a kid again.

37. Hide-hair connector: NOR. Hide nor hair (a trace).

39. Old way to get a number: DIAL O. Pre-buttons, pre-411.

40. "I don't want to be remembered for my tennis accomplishments" speaker: ASHE. One of my favorite Ashe quotes: "True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. "

41. At 41, Kipling was the youngest one ever in his field: NOBELIST. He also turned down knighthood. Another Kipling reference is KIM (13D. Kipling's young spy). In the novel of the same name.

47. Society-page word: NEE.

48. Kal __: pet food: KAN. Been around since 1936; they initially operated as a horse-kill enterprise, owned by a Californian who bred thoroughbreds and promoted race horses.

49. Actress Longoria: EVA. Nothing desperate about her.

50. New Mexico art colony: TAOS. Is Taos the only art colony in New Mexico?

60. Order-restoring tool: GAVEL. And Harry Anderson used it well.

61. São __, Brazil: PAULO. Largest city in Brazil.

62. Homer's bartender: MOE.

63. Twin Cities suburb: EDINA. Just southwest of Minneapolis.

64. When some nightly news shows begin: AT TEN.

65. Next yr.'s alums: SRS.

66. Prepared: READY.

Down:

1. Traffic causes?: CARS. Great clue.

2. Sheltered, at sea: ALEE.

3. Pride warning: ROAR.

4. Like Netflix flicks: ON DVD. Or streaming right to your computer. Anyone doing this?

5. So-so: MEDIOCRE. Not a good way to be.

6. Available and fresh: IN SEASON. Some melons are always in season.

7. Coll. drillers: ROTC

8. Kiss: SMOOCH. Pucker up!

9. "__ the beef?": WHERE'S. Right here, Clara.

10. Stag: HART.

11. "Is that __?": A NO.

12. Loving murmur: COO.

19. Designer Gernreich: RUDI. Famous for inventing both the topless swimsuit and the thong swimsuit. And no Nobel Prize for him??

21. Demo ending?: CRAT. Ending of the word Democrat. I can hear the groaning already.

24. Result of an unsuccessful football play, perhaps: NO GAIN.

25. End of a threat: OR ELSE.

26. One way to learn: BY ROTE.

27. Go after: ATTACK.

28. Actress Mason: MARSHA. What's your favorite performance of hers? I thought she was great in "The Goodbye Girl", and in a multi-episode arc in "Frasier" as John Mahoney's girlfriend.

29. Jazz fan?: UTAHAN. Utah Jazz (NBA).

31. Stiff collars: ETONS.

32. Shadow: TAIL.

34. Paradise: EDEN. This will have to do for me, for the next week or so, anyway. Assuming I won't need a freaking parka.

38. Stand-up acts: ROUTINES.

39. Windshield-clearing aid: DEFOGGER.

42. __ muffin: BRAN.

44. Many an ex-lib: NEOCON. Neoconservative. Ex-lib = Ex-liberal.

45. Cole Porter's "Well, Did You __?": EVAH. From "High Society".

46. St. Louis NFLers, previously: LA RAMS. Never understood why they didn't make it in LA.

51. Black card: SPADE. Deck of cards.

52. Roof shingles unit: Abbr.: BDLE. Short for "bundle', of course, which is how they're packaged and sold.

53. Christian name?: DIOR. Christian Dior. The fashion designer.

54. Sports shoe brand: AVIA. Latin for "fly". An underrated brand - they make an excellent sneaker.

55. iPhone command: SEND.

56. More than amuse: SLAY. We saw this not too long ago, remember?

57. FDR program: WPA. The Works Progress (or Projects) Administration - it employed millions to work on Public Works projects.

59. Dirt road feature: RUT.

Hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did.

Answer grid.

Dennis

Wednesday March 3, 2010 Ken Bessette

Theme: The Ayes Have It - The last word of each theme answer rhymes with "ayes".

17A. Fibs: LITTLE WHITE LIES. IES spelling.

25A. Seductive peepers: BEDROOM EYES. YES variation. Or is it eyes?

45A. Like large cereal boxes: ECONOMY SIZE. IZE form.

57A. 1963 Elvis hit with the lyrics "You look like an angel ... but I got wise": DEVIL IN DISGUISE. ISE alteration.

Any more long "I" spelling alternatives? I've never heard of Elvis' song "Devil in Disguise". Man, he looks so handsome in that clip.

This puzzle reminded me of Dan Naddor's "Great Food" puzzle. All theme answers end with /ood/ pronunciation, different spellings of course: CAME UNGLUED, POOH-POOHED, FRESHLY BREWED, BUMMER, DUDE, TAKE-OUT FOOD.

Today's is our third Ken Bessette since the TMS switch in March 2009. I enjoyed very much his last STOUT puzzle, in which STOUT is clued as "Heavy brew, and a clue to this puzzle's theme and ST is cut out from all the theme phrases. Very clever interpretation of ST OUT.

When did you catch the theme? I did not glom onto it until I completed the grid.

Across:

1. Hit bottom?: SIDE B. D'oh, hit record. Got me immediately.

6. Irritate: MIFF

10. Excessive elbow-benders: SOTS. Did not know "elbow-benders" means heavy drinkers.

14. Put down: ABASE

15. Sandy color: ECRU

16. World's largest furniture retailer: IKEA. True!

20. Author LeShan: EDA (Thanks, Hahtool!)

21. "Bad" cholesterol letters: LDL. The "good" one is HDL.

22. Scrooge creator: DICKENS (Charles)

23. The first film it aired was "Gone with the Wind": TCM (Turner Classic Movies). Unaware of this trivia.

24. Inauguration Day events: GALAS. I bet there were a few went uninvited at Obama's Inauguration galas.

32. A car with this is often easier to resell: ONE OWNER

33. What quibblers split: HAIRS. Split hairs.

35. Asian on the Enterprise bridge: SULU. Played by George TAKEI, who was just in our crossword the other day. Enterprise is the ship in "Star Trek".

36. Deadens: DAMPS

39. Spanish hand: MANO. Mano-a-mano (one on one) is literally "hand to hand". I used to think it's "man to man".

40. Seagoing mil. training group: NROTC (Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps)

42. Montgomery native: ALABAMAN. Who are the most famous Alabamans?

44. His, to Henri: SES. His or her or its.

48. Online suffix with Net: SCAPE. Netscape. Belongs to AOL. Does anyone actually still use Netscape as browser?

49. Some dashes: ENS. Sometimes it's EMS.

50. Like test papers awaiting grading: IN A PILE. Nice answer, though PILE appears in the clue for AMASS (34D. Pile up)

53. __ chi ch'uan: TAI. Chinese martial art. Cantonese spelling. Mandarin Chinese is Tai Ji Quan. Very scrabbly.

54. Swell, slangily: FAB

61. Signaled backstage, perhaps: CUED

62. "The Da Vinci Code" star: HANKS (Tom). I liked the book more.

63. Shake, as a police tail: LOSE

64. TV's tiny Taylor: OPIE. Another triple alliteration.

65. Typical O. Henry ending: TWIST.

Down:

1. Black Friday store event: SALES. Mayhem!

2. Term paper abbr.: IBID. "Ditto".

3. Excel input: DATA

4. Part of i.e.: EST. Latin "id est" (i.e.).

5. Easily heard herd leader: BELL COW. We also have MAA (29. Barnyard sound). So many lambing in Windhover's farm. Ewe got to be kidding.

6. Feeble cry: MEWL. Baby cry.

7. German "I": ICH. Ich liebe dich.

8. "Dragnet" sergeant: FRIDAY. Sergeant Friday.

9. Useless: FUTILE

10. Jockey's wear: SILKS. Light.

11. Steinbeck migrant: OKIE

12. Suffix with four, six, seven and nine: TEEN. Felt silly not getting the answer immediately.

13. Say freshly: SASS

18. __ Dantès, the Count of Monte Cristo: EDMOND. One of my favorite books.

19. PayPal "currency": E-CASH

23. Brook fish: TROUT. Freshwater fish.

24. On point: GERMANE. Don't see this word in grid often.

25. Cap'ns' subordinates: BO'S'NS. Boatswains. The warrant officers (warship) or petty officers (merchant ship). Never know where to put those apostrophes.

26. Make used (to): ENURE

27. Apollo's birthplace, in Greek myth: DELOS. Birthplace of Artemis too, since they are twins.

29. Home of the Hurricanes: MIAMI. The University of Miami sports team.

30. Cuban-born TV producer: ARNAZ (Desi). Husband of Lucille Ball.

31. United: AS ONE

37. Mideast political gp.: PLO

38. No different from, with "the": SAME AS

41. De Beers founder Rhodes: CECIL. Founder of the Rhodes Scholarship as well. I wonder why he named the company "De Beers".

43. When "They Drive," in a 1940 Raft/Bogart film: BY NIGHT. I've never seen "They Drive By Night". I spotted our crossword stalwart Ida Lupino.

46. Cat of many colors: CALICO. Many colors indeed. The clue is a play on "Coat of many colors", the clothes Joseph owned.

47. Demand from a door pounder: OPEN UP. Frightening!

48. Vindictiveness: SPITE

50. Superstar: IDOL

51. Pixar clownfish: NEMO. "Finding Nemo".

52. Alamo competitor: AVIS. Car rental.

53. Ocean motion: TIDE

54. Done, to Dumas: FINI. Another alliteration.

56. "__ in Show": BEST

58. __ gratia: by the grace of God: DEI. So easy to confuse "Dei gratia" with "Deo gratias (thanks to God").

59. Mich.-based labor group: UAW (United Automobile Workers)

Congratulations to our LAT constructor Fred Jackson for his Newsday debut today.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Insurance - The first word of the theme entries is related to insurance.

17A: Government declaration of its intentions: POLICY STATEMENT.

25A: Vietnam War defoliant: AGENT ORANGE.

43A: Gold Rush villain: CLAIM JUMPER.

55A: High-octane fuel: PREMIUM GASOLINE.

Argyle here. Ugh! This reminds me my auto coverage is due this month.

I am curious as to how the theme was chosen. I mean Donna did a good job and the insurance meaning of the target words is different from their use in the phrases and it did take me awhile to grok the theme, but still.... You might consider STATEMENT as a bonus word but it doesn't jump out as a related word.

Another low count of three letter fill and stale crosswordese.

Across:

1A: Palindromic title: MADAM.

6A: Ashen: PALE.

10A: Interrupter of a bad act, on an old game show: GONG. From the Seventies. Plenty of clips on YouTube. Remember Gene, Gene, the Dancing Machine and The Unknown Comic? (He performed with a paper bag over his head.)

14A: Word after horse or soap: OPERA.

15A: Elvis __ Presley: ARON.

16A: Mayberry kid: OPIE.

20A: Prefix with gram: EPI. EPIGRAM - A witty saying tersely expressed. Great for Twitter.

21A: Modest shelters: HUTS. Almost time to get these HUTS off the lake.

22A: Madison Square Garden et al.: ARENAS.

23A: Variety of lily: SEGO.

24A: 1998 animated bug movie: ANTZ. With the voices of Woody Allen, Dan Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft.

29A: Speed Wagon maker: REO. Ransom E. Olds.

32A: Velma's rival in "Chicago": ROXIE. Together.

33A: Chat room chuckle: LOL.

34A: Detained at the precinct: HELD.

35A: Electrical network: GRID. Is this your original clue, Donna? Not crossword related?

36A: Pigs and hogs: SWINE.

38A: Etcher's need: ACID.

39A: Leer at: OGLE.

40A: Scepter's partner: ORB. Scepter and ORB with crown.

41A: Emulate Cicero: ORATE.

42A: Betty Ford, __ Bloomer: NEE. Born in Chicago(1918) to William and Hortense Bloomer.

46A: Jockey's tool: WHIP.

47A: Hearing requirements: EARS.

48A: Displaying buoyancy: AFLOAT.

51A: Periodic table no.: AT. WT.. Atomic Weight

52A: Protrude, with "out": JUT.

58A: Having all one's marbles: SANE.

59A: Rotary phone feature: DIAL.

60A: 1988 film farce fish: WANDA. Triple alliteration.

61A: School on the Thames: ETON.

62A: Bobbles the ball: ERRS.

63A: Taboos: NO-NOS.

Down:

1D: Sulk: MOPE.

2D: Each: A POP.

3D: Supermarket section: DELI.

4D: "Entourage" agent Gold: ARI. Entourage is an American comedy-drama on HBO. The series was created by Doug Ellin and chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase, a young A-list film star. ARI Gold (Jeremy Piven) is Vince's abrasive but lovable agent. The role has led to several nominations and Emmy Awards for Piven.

5D: Bushwhacker's tool: MACHETE.

6D: Congregation leader: PASTOR.

7D: Humanities: ARTS.

8D: Mauna __: LOA.

9D: Involve, as in a sticky situation: ENTANGLE.

10D: Morticia's mate: GOMEZ. The Addams Family. The family that the cartoons, movies, games, and television shows have been based on.

11D: Bid one club, say: OPEN.

12D: "Project Runway" judge Garcia: NINA. An American reality television series on Lifetime Television, focused on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. NINA.

13D: Understands: GETS.

18D: '80s-'90s Serbian auto import: YUGO.

19D: One-named Deco designer: ERTÉ. Romain de Tirtoff was a Russian-born French artist and designer known by the pseudonym Erté, the French pronunciation of his initials, R.T..

23D: Insinuating: SNIDE.

24D: Soon, to the bard: ANON.

25D: Fluorescent bulb gas: ARGON.

26D: Stuff (oneself) with food: GORGE.

27D: "The Man Without a Country" hero, for one: EXILE. "The Man Without a Country" is a short story by American writer Edward Everett Hale, first published anonymously in the Atlantic Monthly in December 1863. The novel is the story of American army lieutenant Philip Nolan, who renounces his country during a trial for treason and is consequently sentenced to spend the rest of his days at sea without so much as a word of news about the United States. I can remember hearing an adaptation of it on the radio in my youth.

28D: Suspect's excuse: ALIBI.

29D: Sports show summary: RECAP.

30D: Upper echelon: ELITE.

31D: More strange: ODDER.

34D: Injures: HARMS.

36D: Isolation: SOLITUDE.

37D: Sandwich in a tortilla: WRAP. I'm not sure the clue is worded correctly; maybe Sandwich made from a tortilla would be better?

41D: Thornton Wilder classic: "OUR TOWN".

43D: Spiced Indian beverage: CHAI. And 54D: 43-Down et al.: TEAS.

44D: Gold and silver: METALS.

45D: Shark flick: "JAWS".

46D: Part of NOW: WOMEN.

48D: Church recess: APSE.

49D: Toga party setting: FRAT. Animal House.

50D: Jay seen at night: LENO.

51D: Culture medium: AGAR.

52D: Arabian folklore spirit: JINN. (Genie)

53D: Reverse: UNDO.

56D: Space station for about 15 years: MIR.

57D: Vientiane native: LAO. Vientiane is the capital city of Laos.

Answer grid.

Happy one-year Crossword Corner commenting anniversary to Frank, KQ & Andrea!

Argyle

Monday, March 1, 2010 Jeff Chen

Theme: Drop Down Menu - The word FALL (57D: Drop down, and apt word that can follow the last words of 4-, 8-, 15- and 28-Down) can be added to the last word of each descending theme entry to form a common word.

4D: "Cutting to the chase ...": "...LONG STORY SHORT". SHORTFALL. Not meeting expectations.

8D: "The Price Is Right" signature phrase: "...COME ON DOWN". The phrase comes from the TV game show where guessing the wrong price is a contestant's DOWNFALL. A regretable DOWN/down (57D clue) duplication.

15D: Going nowhere: DEAD IN THE WATER. You're going to go somewhere if you go over a WATERFALL.

28D: Like here-today-gone-tomorrow businesses: FLY BY NIGHT. They might FLY(flee) under the darkness of NIGHTFALL

Argyle here.

I hope this is a taste of what is to come this week. Sweet! It is a different look with all the themes dropping down. Very vivid FALL visual.

I considered EDEN (12D: Notable 57-Down site) a cross-referenced bonus, even though it's symmetrically placed opposite FALL in the grid. I am somewhat vertically challenged at recognizing down words but had no trouble today.

We last saw our constructor on Friday July 3, 2009. I wouldn't mind seeing more of his work. Only 8 three letter entries...and how about that THWACK? Not much to comment on so I linked a few songs. Enjoy!

Across:

1A: Word-of-mouth: ORAL.

5A: Plastic clog footwear brand: CROCS. Do they make boots?

10A: Before: Pref.: PRE.

13A: Quash, as a bill: VETO.

14A: Fathered: BEGOT.

15A: Monopoly card with a mortgage value: DEED.

16A: Mary Kay rival: AVON.

17A: Alabama march city: SELMA.

18A: Sea eagle: ERNE.

19A: Breathing organs: LUNGS.

21A: Finely sharpened: KEEN. We have seen a second meaning related to a wailing lament.

22A: Long, long time: AEON.

23A: Playground piece that has its ups and downs: SEESAW. Another down duplication.

25A: Caught 40 winks: DOZED.

27A: Relieved end-of-the-week cry: TGIF.

29A: Country west of Botswana: NAMIBIA. And 68A: Ivory Coast neighbor: GHANA. Both are on the west coast of Africa.

33A: Jackson 5 brother: TITO. TITO today.

36A: Musher's transport: SLED. (Dogsled)

38A: Traffic tangle: SNARL.

39A: Cold War empire: Abbr.: USSR.

40A: Compulsive fire starters, informally: PYROS. (Pyromaniacs)

42A: Lobster catcher: TRAP.

43A: Has (an audience) rolling in the aisles: SLAYS.

45A: Wail: BAWL.

46A: Coop group: HENS.

47A: Provider of kisses?: HERSHEY. Um,m,m,m

49A: Cyrano had a big one: NOSE.

51A: Reddish-orange dye: HENNA.

53A: Hit with a paddle: THWACK. Five consonants!

57A: Stereotypical dog name: FIDO.

60A: __ the lily: overembellish: GILD. Shakespeare wrote: “To gild refined gold, to paint the lily," but the years have cut out the middle, leaving just "to gild the lily".

62A: International Court of Justice site, with "The": HAGUE.

63A: Allege as fact: AVER.

64A: Radiant: AGLOW.

66A: Word after duct or ticker: TAPE.

67A: Time for fasting: LENT.

69A: Bad to the bone: EVIL. George. "He's bad, but he's not EVIL."

70A: D-Day craft: LST. Landing Ship, Tank (LST).

71A: Early anesthetic: ETHER.

72A: Cincinnati team: REDS. (Baseball)

Down:

1D: Egg shapes: OVALS.

2D: Variety show: REVUE.

3D: Make amends (for): ATONE.

5D: "The Amazing Race" network: CBS.

6D: Smell really bad: REEK.

7D: Leered at: OGLED.

9D: Poem part: STANZA.

10D: Pierre's pop: PÉRE. Alliteration again.

11D: "The Biggest Little City in the World": RENO. And 41D: 11-Down machine: SLOT.

20D: Drop in the middle: SAG.

24D: Thin smoke trail: WISP.

26D: There are three in "mommy": EMS.

30D: In the buff: BARE.

31D: Shah's land, once: IRAN.

32D: Swiss peaks: ALPS.

33D: Buttocks, in slang: TUSH. ZZ Top

34D: Bermuda, e.g.: ISLE.

35D: Old Russian despot: TSAR.

37D: Pitching stat: ERA.

44D: Ship, to its captain: SHE.

48D: Interlock, as gears: ENGAGE.

50D: "Quiet!": "SHH!".

52D: Koran deity: ALLAH.

54D: Tequila source: AGAVE.

55D: Deity with a bow and arrow: CUPID.

56D: Topples (over): KEELS.

58D: Singer Burl: IVES.

61D: Finished: DONE.

65D: Original Cabinet department renamed Defense in 1949: WAR.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday February 28, 2010 Peter Wentz

Theme: Gross Income - ICK is inserted into common phrases/words.

22A. Martial artist's autobiography?: THE KICKING AND I. "The King and I".

37A. Protest against fiery roadsters?: RED CAR PICKET. Red Carpet.

57A. Really cool security device?: WICKED LOCK. Wedlock.

78A. Price tag in the meat department?: HAM STICKER. Hamster.

93A. Communication from perverts?: SICKOS' SIGNAL. SOS Signal.

113A. Competition for greased-up pooches?: SLICKED DOG RACE. Sled Dog Race.

16D. Preserved a liquor bottle?: PICKLED THE FIFTH. Pled the Fifth. I did not know that a bottle of liquor is also called "fifth", meaning one fifth of a gallon.

44D. Aggressive policy to increase box office sales?: TICKET OFFENSIVE. Tet Offensive. Vietnam War.

I loved the theme title "Gross Income". Very nice wordplay on the accounting term. The gross "ICK" literally comes into every theme phrase.

Last time both Hahtool and I were expecting this kind of ICK insertion in Gail Grabowski's "Gross Word" (Letter C in common phrases is changed into letter G) Sunday puzzle.

Letter K always spices up the whole grid. I counted total 16 Ks in this puzzle. The record is 30, held by Don Gagliardo (Feb 21, 2008, Thursday LAT).

Across:

1. Kept afloat: BUOYED

7. Big sizes: JUMBOS

13. Things drawn across windows: DRAPES. Not enough letters for my CURTAINS.

19. Like books for long-distance road trips: ON TAPE

20. Bob Hope Airport city: BURBANK. Near LA. I had no idea that there's a Bob Hope Airport.

21. Savor: RELISH

24. Combo wager: EXACTA. Pick the first two finishers in order.

25. "Attention!": HARK

26. 1973 Stones ballad: ANGIE. Here is the clip.

27. Columnist Bombeck: ERMA. The "Joy of Cooking" author is IRMA (Rombauer).

29. Short timetable?: SKED. Schedule.

30. Theater level: TIER

32. Foofaraw: ADO. Foofaraw is a new word to me.

33. Formal orders: DICTUMS. Or DICTA.

36. "College GameDay" football analyst Corso: LEE. For ESPN. I've never heard of this guy.

40. Neruda works: POEMS. Neruda got Nobel Literature in 1971.

42. ATF employee: AGT (Agent). ATF = Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

45. Like dried soil: CAKY. Only know this word in make-up sense.

46. Emotional work: ODE. I like this new clue.

47. Try to keep, as a title: DEFEND.

49. Madden coached them in the '70s: RAIDERS. Was unaware that John Madden coached the Oakland Raiders.

51. Pirate riches: BOOTY

53. When Hamlet feigns insanity: ACT TWO. This ACT One/Two/IV combo often gets me.

56. Not marked up: AT COST. And PROFIT (80A. Entrepreneur's goal).

60. Mortar trough: HOD. Brick hod.

61. "Classic" drinks: COKES

62. "The queen of sciences": Gauss: MATH. Maybe our Fermatprime knows this quote.

63. Thought-revealing drama techniques: ASIDES

64. Genre of the band Fall Out Boy: EMO. First encounter with the rock band Fall Out Boy.

65. Charlemagne's reign: Abbr.: HRE (Holy Roman Empire)

66. Come out with: SAY. Dictionary gives an example: Always comes out with (SAYS) the truth.

67. Check for authenticity: VET

68. Sibs, uncs, etc.: FAM. OK, Family.

69. Boxing writer Fleischer: NAT. Was he very well-known?

70. Piercing cry: SHRIEK

73. Storage facility: SHED

75. Curing solution: BRINE

77. Vow after reading vows: I DO. Nailed it.

81. LL Cool J label: DEF JAM. No idea. Does DEF stands for Definite?

83. Actor Feldman or Haim: COREY. Obtained the answer from crosses.

84. Jewish pancake: BLINTZE. Always thought it's spelled without the last E.

85. Alarm setting for one with a paper route, maybe: FIVE AM. Too late, don't you think?

89. Globule: BEAD

90. That ship: HER

91. __ brûlée: custard dessert: CRÉME. Dennis' favorite dessert.

97. Over there, back when: YON

98. Gear on the slopes: SKI MASK

100. Google had one in Aug. 2004: IPO (Initial Public Offering). I remember the hype.

101. W. Coast enforcer: LAPD

104. Letter sign-off: BEST

106. Organic compound: ENOL. Instinctive fill.

107. "__ the Boys": Katy Perry album: ONE OF. See this cover. Unknown to me.

109. Didn't hold, as dyes: BLED

111. It'll put you under: OPIATE. Great clue.

117. Energizes: REVS UP

118. Sky lights: AURORAS. Aurora is the Roman goddess of dawn.

119. "Knocked Up" director Judd: APATOW. Also the director for "The 40-Year-Old Virgin". Recognized him when I googled.

120. Does an usher's job: GREETS

121. Football bettor's concern: SPREAD. Same as "The Line"?

122. Buds at sea: MATEYS

Down:

1. Inclusive choice: BOTH

2. Doff a bowler: UNHAT. Bowler hat.

3. Castmate of Gasteyer, Ferrell et al.: OTERI (Cheri). All "SNL" cast.

4. Gas bag: YAKKER

5. Dermal opening: EPI. Epidermal.

6. Prefix with -gon: DECA. Decagon. Polygon with ten angles and ten sides.

7. Son: JUNIOR

9. W.'s degree: MBA. Bush got his MBA from Harvard.

10. Blackball: BAN

11. Batting next: ON DECK. So happy that Twins got Jim Thome.

12. Got around: SKIRTED

13. Night vision?: DREAM. Sweet clue.

14. Latin king: REX. Regal is rooted in REX.

15. "Unfortunately ...": ALAS

17. High regard: ESTEEM

18. Hipster's accessory: SHADES. Sunglasses.

20. It may be circled on a calendar: BIG DAY

23. Special gifts: KNACKS. Was thinking of real gifts.

28. Remote control?: MUTE. Have seen this clue before. Still like it.

31. Break: RECESS

33. Got a B-minus, say: DID OK

34. Summer refresher: ICE TEA. Iced Tea, please!

35. Traces: SPECKS

38. Tavern flier: DART

39. Hound: POOCH

41. Niagara Falls prov.: ONT (Ontario)

42. Spider, e.g.: ARACHNID

43. Drink named for a football team: GATORADE. Named after the University of Florida Gators.

48. Phase: FACET

51. Series of jokes: BIT. Was ignorant of this BIT meaning.

52. Football stat.: YDS

54. Emulate Don Juan: WOMANIZE

55. Gas mileage calculating aid: ODOMETER

57. Can't tell which __ up: WAY IS. I wrote down ONE IS first.

58. Onions partner: LIVER. Because you always cooks liver with onion?

59. Had too much: OD-ED. Overdosed.

62. Old school add-on?: MARM. "Add-on" to the old-time schoolteacher Schoolmarm.

66. Humiliate: SHAME

70. They may be close: SHAVES

71. And so forth: Abbr.: ETC

72. Convention booths: KIOSKS. Two Ks in this word.

73. Misrepresents: SKEWS

74. "I'm talking to you!": HEY

75. Like some gowns: BRIDAL. Bridal gowns.

79. Swindler: CROOK

80. Seating __: PLAN. I wanted DUCK.

82. Bowie at the Alamo: JIM

84. Parent's reminder: BE GOOD

87. Brunch drinks: MIMOSAS. Champagne & orange juice.

89. Humans and ostriches, e.g.: BIPEDS

91. Many a sci-fi villain: CYBORG. Cyb(ernetic) Org(anism). Mechanically enhanced human.

92. Former "At the Movies" co-host: ROEPER (Richard). The other co-host is Roger Ebert.

94. Bring to the majors: CALL UP. Major League Baseball.

95. "Nothing Compares 2 U" singer O'Connor. SINEAD. I love this song.

96. Experimental runner: LAB RAT

99. Stays fresh: KEEPS

102. Fundraising dinner unit: PLATE

103. Plastic duck, e.g.: DECOY

105. Subdue by shocking: TASE. Don't Tase Me, Bro!

107. Fried Cajun veggie: OKRA

108. Flat beer's lack: FOAM

112. King whose tomb was found in 1922: TUT. Poor lad!

114. Bargain bin abbr.: IRR (Irregular)

115. "Take This Job and Shove It" songwriter David Allan __: COE. Sorry, dude, don't know you.

116. College résumé fig.: GPA (Grade Point Average)

Answer grid.

C.C.

Interview with Brad Wilber

Brad Wilber's puzzles are just plain hard. He's a master at creating Augusta National - style late week themeless puzzles. I am just a weekend duffer who still has not figured out how to fade/draw.

Brad made his LAT debut in March, 2008. Since then, he has made 15 puzzles for the LA Times. Brad has also had 17 puzzles published by the NY Times. All of them are challenging themeless.

Hope this interview helps us get to know Brad a bit and understand the wide range of knowledge needed in order to solve his puzzles.

What is the seed entry for this puzzle? And what kind of troubles did you go through to make the grid work?

I started out with TRICK CANDLE. It was one of those moments where the entry and the clue came to me almost simultaneously, although as I write this I don't know if Rich went with my original clue or not ("It's wind-resistant?"). I found multiword entries to go on top of it, and then the Elton John song "ISLAND GIRL" presented itself as a possible crossing and as something I wanted to keep if I could. The whole northwest corner of the puzzle has been in existence for about 3 years; the rest of the puzzle went through several half-hearted drafts over a long period before I arrived at something I liked enough to submit.

Which are your favorite entries in this puzzle and which ones do you expect a few groans from solvers?

Well, as I mentioned above, I kept the upper left stacks "alive" and intact for a long time, because I saw an opportunity for a couple of new entries. I hope people have fun in that area of the puzzle. WALDO PEPPER was the opposite of a "favorite," but maybe some out there will remember the movie. Nice early role for Susan Sarandon. Interestingly, there was a real-life screenwriter named WALDO SALT, who won Oscars for "Midnight Cowboy" and "Coming Home." There must be a connection, eh?

What is your background and how does that influence your puzzle style?

I'm the son of two teachers and I now work as a college librarian. I have to field questions from students in all disciplines, and I have to help develop the collection in all those disciplines, as well. A lot of my regular work life is about "something for everyone," or "be ready for anything," and maybe that is reflected in my puzzle philosophy. I tend to mix eras as well, without thinking much about it. For some, that adds charm, and for others, I'm letting the nostalgic overshadow the contemporary. Back in my teens I used to tackle the Sunday New York Times puzzle with almost complete dependence on a phalanx of crossword dictionaries and the patient coaching of a dear "Phone-a-Friend"--a school colleague of my dad's. My pop-culture radar was so narrow--she had to do all the heavy lifting on Big Band singers and Hedda Hopper and Ipana toothpaste and goodness knows what else. Maybe the way I work sometimes is an unconscious tribute to the breadth that Roberta tried to give me over those many years.

None of the five Wilber LAT puzzles I've blogged is themed. What are the reasons behind your preferences for themeless?

The sad-sack copout answer is that theme ideas don't come easily to me any more. Once upon a time I was as guilty as anyone of overworking the rebus, or the letter-drop, or whatever, so that when some editors declared certain theme avenues officially dead, I felt I had fully participated in the flogging. Now, with the moratorium in place, even though I have a sincere interest in jump-starting that side of my puzzle brain and becoming more versatile by doing some early-week or mid-week themed puzzles, I have an idea that it's harder than ever to break in. I'm tough on themes as a solver, too, which scares my constructor side. I'm pretty much on board with Brendan Quigley's essay "Ten Bullshit Themes," which you link to in your December interview with him. To deliver a theme with "wow factor" in today's market, it takes at least some inspiration, not just determination to get more mileage out of an old jalopy of a theme. Fortunately, we have many constructors out there who maintain good connections to their Muses.

I guess I've managed a modest bagful of nice themes over the years, especially in my early work with Dell and with John Samson at Simon & Schuster. I wouldn't mind seeing a stronger comeback for some of the kinds of themes the late Frances Hansen did--like where each theme entry is the response to an interview question. I did one in that vein called "The Chicken and the Ego," which read like sound bites from a celebrity rooster with poultry puns in each one. It's probably still kicking around out there in reprints. Well, you may see me on a Wednesday or Thursday someday. Since October I haven't done any puzzles for publication except a few for the student newspaper--the Houghton Star--at the college where I work. That forced me into themed mode a bit. We'll see. Themed or themeless, I'd like to get back into constructing again now that some other writing projects are finished.

As far as the "hurray for themeless" side of the coin, I like the potential for more multiword entries and the challenge of trying to engineer the first appearance of a word or phrase. I think most constructors are tinkerers, in that we look at many, many different fill configurations before we commit ourselves. Themeless puzzles allow for maximum indulgence of tinkering, since you're not working around letter combinations that are locked in because of the execution of a theme.

What makes a themeless sparkle for you? The fresh multi-word entries? The never-appeared cool names?

Yes, all those things, plus great cluing--tricksy but fair, with a few clues where I learn something. Like most people I admire unimpeachably "clean" fill in a themeless. The Patrick Berry plateau. And I'm often intrigued by themeless puzzles with a dual byline--I find myself speculating on how the collaboration actually worked. I'd love to try it sometime. Who's game?

What references tools do you use for cluing and fact checks? And from where do you draw puzzle inspiration?

Ah, this is where working in a library comes in very handy. I don't stock my home office with reference works aside from the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, because I have ready access to so many items that can help with verifications. Having said that, sometimes I make a beeline for Wikipedia like everybody else, even after I've issued caveats to students about it. (This question reminds me that I went to grad school with someone who was pursuing a library science degree specifically to further his puzzle career. The puzzle career ended up being relatively brief from what I can see, but I hope he recouped his investment!)

Puzzle fodder can come from everywhere. The nice thing about having lots of friends who are writers is that I'm not the only one to whip out a notebook in the middle of conversation and write down an idea somebody else gave me. Sometimes my friends realize instantly what I am doing and even propose their own clues! The best puzzle entries are usually ones that you just run into in daily life, not ones you have to unearth, so I make a point of not "trolling" for puzzle entries. Enough of them come along without me doing that.

What is the highlight of your crossword career? And why?

It's hard to beat the first time you see your name in print. For me that was in Dell Champion [magazine] in the early 1990s sometime. I wasn't too long out of college, and I remember setting the magazine on the coffee table, open to the right page, and trying to go about my day but feeling drawn back to stare at the puzzle.

The beginning of my regular appearances in newspaper markets and the emergence of the crossword blog kind of coincide, and lots of rewarding moments have come from the instant-feedback world constructors now live in. An entire puzzle getting a good reception...or individual entries solvers liked, or clues I wrote that the editor kept and then the blogosphere approved, etc. Criticism, especially memorably worded, can turn into a favorite moment because it's the quickest route to insights on what the audience needs from you. There's not much point in being defensive about minutiae in a puzzle that doesn't go over well--you just let it shape your approach and hone your instincts on how to deliver something that has plenty of rigor but also has "solver empathy."

I made my L.A. Times debut during the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament a couple of years ago, and that was a highlight. I was flattered that Rich felt the piece had the kind of panache that would please everybody at ACPT using it as an incidental practice puzzle, and it was the beginning of an ongoing working relationship that I really value.

What kind of advice would you give to solvers who struggle with your puzzles? Personally I just feel so inadequate tackling your work.

Yikes, that sounds like a question for somebody else to answer. Some of you will know Joon Pahk, who's a frequent blog contributor and a talented constructor in his own right. He used to experience epic frustration levels over puzzles of mine, but I think he'd say he's kind of "cracked" me in the last year. We have some common interests--we both are tennis fans, I think, and have strong literature/art/theater backgrounds--so perhaps that helped him stick with me a bit longer. Maybe he'll write in to say that there IS hope!

I haven't set out to be anybody's nemesis, but I do like my puzzles hard, and I admit I tend to construct and clue for the Solver Who's Seen Everything--the Amy Reynaldos and the Dan Feyers of the world. I would hope that part of the answer to getting better at my puzzles is simply getting better at late-week difficulty in general. But I'm always open to the idea that if solvers find me continually inaccessible then the onus is on me to do something about it. Making puzzles vocabulary-based rather than a minefield of proper nouns is something I've become more conscious of. I'm known in my circle for having the best memory for names and titles--nobody will play "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" with me, for example--so I've found I must take care to adjust my ideas of "well-known." It's such ticklish territory, isn't it-- discussions of what solvers "should" know? One person's first fill-in is another person's last.

Even if it is a constructor's responsibility to keep to the familiar, I think solvers--myself included--can expand their "familiar" and make great leaps in proficiency by even just nudging up their alertness to stuff in their environment, in the media, etc. Did your neighbor get a new aquarium fish originally bred in Japan? Did the TV chef use a fancy liqueur in a recipe? New baby in "Baby Blues" or botanically-named character in "Brenda Starr"? A mental note--or a literal note--on any one of these things could rescue you on a given day. Laura CHINCHILLA just became the first woman president of Costa Rica--how long before some enterprising constructor does something with that? And look for new twists on the old standby entries. Brian ENO just scored the film version of "The Lovely Bones"--I haven't run across that clue yet, but you can bet there is a puzzle already in the pipeline somewhere that leaped on that little nugget.

What kind of crosswords do you solve daily and who are your favorite constructors?

As far as newspaper puzzles I stick mostly to the New York Times and the L.A. Times. I pick one or the other to solve Monday through Thursday, and then Friday through Sunday I do pretty much all the puzzles on Orange's blog. There are quite a few themeless constructors who get a fist pump from me when I see their byline because I enjoy them so much: Byron Walden (not just for his august initials), Joe Di Pietro, Patrick Berry, Paula Gamache, Barry Silk, Doug Peterson, Brendan Emmett Quigley, Tony Orbach, Mark Diehl--I've left people out, I'm sure. For themes I look for Liz Gorski, David Kahn, and Joe Krozel. I do buy crossword puzzle books, too. I'm waiting for Frank Longo to do another Cranium Crushing Crosswords--and I haven't gotten The Wrath of [Bob] Klahn yet, but I look forward to it.

Besides crosswords, what else do you do for fun?

Another milieu where I have some name recognition is in the opera blogosphere, because I write about New York's Metropolitan Opera (even though I don't live in New York City and only go to the Met once or twice a year!) When I'm at the ACPT event in Brooklyn [the latest edition completed just last weekend], I always meet a few people who know of me both in the puzzle context and the opera context. That's really fun for me. These are the people for whom opera entries are gimmes--a small population!

I collect antique editions of juvenile mystery series, like the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, and quite a few others. I read a lot in contemporary fiction and history, and I'm a new convert to online book swapping. I'm a big sports watcher; I visited Vancouver B.C. last summer so I spent more time on the Olympics this year than I do normally. I'm also a film buff. I've said before on the Wordplay blog that I'm nearing the end of a long project to watch every film ever nominated for an Oscar in "major categories." I'm good with most genres except for monster movies and horror. Since childhood I've had an overactive startle response--not an asset in the movie theater, although I guess I'm glad to be a source of mirth for my friends! I enjoyed stuff like "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Exorcist" as part of the Oscar project, but I have to say that when I got around to "Aliens" (1986), I watched most of the last act on fast-forward. Does that still count?

Saturday February 27, 2010 Brad Wilber

Theme: None

Total blocks: 31

Total words: 70

Brad Wilber mentioned in his interview that "As far as the "hurray for themeless" side of the coin, I like the potential for more multiword entries and the challenge of trying to engineer the first appearance of a word or phrase". In today's puzzle, he packed 17 multiword entries, including the stacked 11s in the top and bottom of the grid.

Interesting to learn that his seed entry is TRICK CANDLE (17A. It won't go out). I had guessed SPRUCE GOOSE (15A). Brad's original clue is "It's wind-resistant?". Which one do you like better?

I struggled again. It's really a Herculean task to complete a Brad Wilber puzzle.

Across:

1. Game with a hollow ball: TABLE TENNIS. We just call it Ping-Pong in China.

12. Pink Floyd guitarist Barrett: SYD

15. Unexpected nickname of a Hughes Aircraft plane built mostly of birch: SPRUCE GOOSE. Should be a gimme for those regulars who follow this blog. Carol & Dick's "Spruce Goose" photo was featured in our "Picture of the Day" last August.

16. Iberian land, in Olympic shorthand: POR (Portugal)

18. 2008-'09 Japanese prime minister Taro __: ASO. I confused this dude with Shinzō Abe, another Japanese prime minister.

19. Hitchhiker's need: RIDE

20. 1960s "New Left" org.: SDS (Students for a Democratic Society). Was unaware of the "New Left" moniker.

21. Hypothetical links: APE-MEN. The evolutionary hypothetical links. I was in the "IFS" direction.

24. Annual event won five times by Fred Couples: SKINS GAME. Was thinking of a regular PGA tournament. SKINS GAME is held each Nov/Dec after the PGA season. Fred Couples was nicknamed "Mr. Skins" due to his incredible dominance in this event.

26. False: Pref.: PSEUDO. As in pseudo-intellectual.

30. Announcer Hall: EDD. Announcer for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno".

31. Slick, in a way: GLIB. In talking.

32. "Car Talk" airer: NPR. "Car Talk" has a tremendous podcast followers as well.

33. Worthless thing, in slang: DOG. New slang to me then.

34. Table d'__: HOTE. Literally "Host's Table". Same as "prix fixe".

35. Trees in giraffe diets: ACACIAS. Oh, I did not know this. Wikipedia says giraffes have a tough tongue that can withstand the thorns of acacias.

39. Upset winner at the 1992 Kentucky Derby: LIL E. TEE. No idea. What does E stand for?

41. "Dream Along With Me" singer: COMO (Perry). Here is the clip.

42. Teachers' gp.: NEA (National Education Association). I am used to the National Endowment of Arts abbr.

44. "Citizen X" actor: REA (Stephen). I've never seen "Citizen X".

45. Brand of daminozide, a growth regulator: ALAR. It's always clued as "Banned apple spray".

46. Predatory fish: GAR. The needlefish, having long jaws with needlelike teeth.

47. Men's periodical, in British slang: LAD MAG. Have never heard of this slang. Makes sense though.

51. Fixture near a playground, perhaps: PARK BENCH

54. "Yo, Hadrian!": AVE. Latin for "Yo". Hadrian is the Roman emperor from 117 to 138, total stranger to me.

55. Information technology giant: UNISYS

56. Hawk's cause: WAR

58. __ to the city: A KEY. Got the answer from Down entries. Not fond of this partial.

59. Med. checkup initials: LDL. The bad cholesterol.

60. Treasured correspondence: LOVE LETTERS. Ah, my sweet high school days!

63. Hanna-Barbera collectible: CEL

64. Ibsen classic: A DOLL'S HOUSE. Awesome entry.

65. Metal precioso: ORO. Precioso is Spanish for "precious".

66. 1975 Robert Redford title role: WALDO PEPPER. My first encounter with "The Great Waldo Pepper".

Down:

1. Instep coverer, at times: T- STRAP

2. Blooming times: APRILS. Fell into the trap and misread the clue as "Booming times".

3. Show indignation: BRIDLE

4. Time management expert?: LUCE (Henry). The founder of Time magazine. Great clue.

5. Johann __, 16th-century defender of Catholicism: ECK. Simply forgot. He argued against Martin Luther.

6. Film-noir heroes: TECS (Detectives)

7. "By Jove!": EGADS

8. Demand-based, briefly, as charter plane services: NONSKED. Nonscheduled. Got me.

9. Tacit approval: NOD

10. 1975 Elton John chart-topper: ISLAND GIRL. Didn't come to me readily.

11. Runs very slowly: SEEPS

12. Musical that parodies Arthurian legend: SPAMALOT

13. El Capitan's locale: YOSEMITE. Was ignorant of the rock formation El Capitan (The Captain) and its location.

14. One in service to the queen?: DRONE BEE. Was too slow to connect "queen" with "queen bee".

22. Anti-intellectual epithet: EGGHEAD

25. Loved one: IDOL

27. Pops open: UNCORKS. Wine.

28. Printer resolution meas.: DPI (Dots Per Inch)

29. Sunkist offering: ORANGE SODA. I've never developed a taste for soft drinks.

35. Cliff-diving mecca: ACAPULCO. JFK honeymooned here.

36. Holey vessel: COLANDER. I was picturing a leaking ship "vessel" rather than the kitchen utensil.

37. Texas Panhandle city: AMARILLO. Literally "yellow" in Spanish. All of the triple 8s in this corner are one-word entry.

38. Hannity of punditry: SEAN. He drives me nuts.

40. Rustic expanse: LEA

43. Fuse, in a way: ARC WELD. New phrase to me.

48. Reconcile: MAKE UP

49. Disinclined: AVERSE. It needs "with "to"', no?

50. Natural steam source: GEYSER

52. Constitution part, perhaps: BY LAW

53. Fox hunt cry: HALLO

57. Opp. of a petitioner, in court: RESP (Respondent)

58. Perched on: ATOP

61. 3-D stat: VOL (Volume). Why? I don't understand the rationale for this clue.

62. Handy article: THE. Definite article. "Handy" indeed.

Answer grid.

C.C.