Interview with Alex Boisvert

Today's edgy quote is our second Alex Boisvert puzzle since the TMS switch last year. His last OOK puzzle is also quite unique. It contains no three-letter word at all.

Besides LA Times, Alex's puzzles have also appeared in the NY Times, NY Sun, The Chronicle of Higher Education and the Games magazine.

Today's puzzle is a rather creative approach to a normally boring quote puzzle. How does the "edge" idea come to you?

Thanks! I actually got the idea from Brendan Quigley's Ten Bulls**t Themes post where he talked about the "stepquote." I had never heard of it (if you haven't either, here's an example, but it gave me the idea to run a quote around the outside of a puzzle. Once I found an appropriate quote, I was pretty much set, except that it turns out running a theme around the outside of the puzzle makes it really hard to fill! It took me forever to get something decent. Hope it was worth it. (Incidentally, I don't find quote puzzles boring, but I know a lot of people do)

We seldom see a non-symmetrical grid and quote entries broken into mostly non-recognizable letter strings. What kind of feedback did you expect from average solvers?

(Actually, the puzzle has left-right symmetry, but that's still unusual) I expect a lot of people to hate this puzzle! Still, I hold out hope that some people will love it too. It does strike me as a puzzle that might be polarizing - most puzzles that are out of the ordinary in some way are. Seems just about right for an April Fool's puzzle.

How would you describe your style? I was impressed that there's no 3-word entry in your last LAT.

I'm not sure I have a style, although I guess most of my puzzles fall into one of two categories: easy Monday-Tuesday puzzles, and puzzles that have some sort of unique twist. I've made a couple of pun puzzles but I don't like them - "Puns are the lowest form of communication," I always say - so most of the entries in my puzzles are real phrases. I especially like making crosswords where a defining theme entry crosses several others, but those aren't easy to make! As far as the LAT puzzle you're referring to - I wanted to see if I could write a Monday puzzle with no three-letter entries. So I did it, but most people didn't even notice, so I won't be doing it
again.

What's your background? And how did you develop an interest in crossword constructing?

Like many constructors, my background is in math. I got my undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College in Maine and my Ph.D. at UCLA. Now I help design software for hyperspectral cameras. While I was in grad school a friend showed me a crossword he was making for his girlfriend. That's when I thought to myself "Hey, I can do that too!" So I tried making a few and eventually I got it right, with a lot of help and patience from editors.

Tell us a bit about your website and the tools you've developed for crossword constructors/solvers.

On alexboisvert.com I have a bunch of apps I wrote for myself, but that I thought might be useful for others. The website started off pretty small but I kept finding more ideas for software that I wanted to make and so it kept growing. Right now the most popular app I have is CrosswordButler, which allows people to download bunches of puzzles every day. I also have the Kaidoku blog where Matt Gaffney and I each contribute one puzzle a week. Kaidoku is a crossword variant that I'm starting to like better than typical crosswords, because it requires logical thinking as well.

What's the best puzzle you've made and why?

Boy, that's hard. The puzzle most people seem to remember is this one from September 19, 2008 PDF, Solution. This one from a year previous PDF, second page, Solution garnered a lot of positive feedback too. I'd also point to this puzzle which is unpublishable for obvious reasons but which I think came out rather well (warning: colorful language involved)

What kind of puzzles do you solve every day? And who are your favorite constructors?

I don't solve that many crosswords any more these days. I did when I used to ride the bus to work but these days I bike. I solve the A.V. club crossword whenever Byron Walden constructs it, and I try to do Matt Gaffney's contest puzzle and Peter Gordon's Fireball crossword every week, but mostly I've been solving Kaidoku. As far as my favorite constructors, there are probably too many to mention, but in addition to Byron, Matt and Peter I would say (off the top of my head) Lynn Lempel for early-week puzzles, Pete Muller and Patrick Blindauer for crazy rule-bending puzzles, and Doug Peterson and Karen Tracey for themelesses. Also anyone who's ever been mentioned when you've asked that question before.

Besides crossword, what else do you do for fun?

Well, I have two young children so I don't have that much free time these days. I love hiking and camping. I enjoy trivia and I go to a weekly pub quiz when I get a little free time. I like to cook and I love to eat good food. And sleep ... but I haven't done much of that recently.

Thursday April 1, 2010 Alex Boisvert

Theme: Location, Location, Location - The "Living on the Edge" mantra is placed around the edges of the grid, clockwise.

1A. Start of a thrill-seeker's mantra: IF YOU AR(E)

8A. More of the mantra: (AR)E NOT LIV(ING)

14D. More of the mantra: (LI)VING ON T(HE)

45D. More of the mantra: (T)HE EDGE Y(OU)

67A. More of the mantra: YOU A(RE) - My answers here are in clockwise sequence, same with the remaining theme answers.

66A. More of the mantra: (A)RE TAK(ING)

65A. More of the mantra: (TAK)ING U(P)

38D. More of the mantra: UP TOO MU(CH)

1D. More of the mantra: (MU)CH ROOM I(F). Letter I overlaps with the starting I in "IF YOU AR(E) and closes the quote.

"If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much room", from Jayne Howard, a name I am not familiar with.

Very inventive rendition of an otherwise ordinary quote/quip puzzle. Edgy indeed. When did you glom onto the theme? It took me quite some time to figure out the gimmick due to to its unusual circular theme answer placements and some non-recognizable letter string breaks.

I also did not notice the left to right symmetry until I read Alex's Interview.

Across:

15. Conductor's nickname: MAESTRO. And ALLEGRO (44D. Fast, to a 15-Across). Italian for "cheerful".

16. European car company with a prancing horse logo: FERRARI. Fiat. Sometimes we see its founder ENZO Ferrari in a puzzle.

17. Government heave-hos: OUSTERS

18. "Million Dollar Baby" Oscar winner: FREEMAN (Morgan). Loved the movie. With Hilary Swank.

19. Shoppe sign adjective: OLDE

20. Set one's sights on, with "at": AIMED. The tense of "Set" can be tricky, not today though.

22. Big ape: KONG. King Kong.

23. Artery: Abbr.: RTE. Was thinking of blood vessel artery, not road.

24. Poet who won the 1923 Nobel Prize for Literature: YEATS. Irish. I tend to confuse him with Keats, who's English.

25. Juan's uncle: TIO

26. Piles: HEAPS

32. Percentage on a bank sign: CD RATE. Can't fit in INTEREST.

34. 2007-'08 NBA Rookie of the Year Kevin: DURANT. With the Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly Seattle SuperSonics). Total stranger to me. I can only think of Kevin Garnett.

35. Trig, e.g.: MATH

37. Letter opening: SIRS. Oh, DEAR.

38. Sounds of hesitation: UHS

42. Rotate, as a camera: PAN

43. Casual "I'll pass": NAH

46. Floor exercise surface: MAT. Any Pilates/Yoga fans?

48. "Star Wars" saga nickname: ANI. Darth Vader's boyhood nickname. Mystery name to me.

49. Corrida shout: OLE

50. At the ready: ON ALERT

52. Tablet alternative: CAPSULE

54. Dungeons & Dragons creatures: OGRES

55. Farmyard female: EWE. And 64. Farmyard female: MARE. Alliteration.

57. Kept: SAVED. Didn't Tiger expect his text messages to be saved?

58. Bandleader Puente: TITO

59. Step: TREAD

61. __ Mason: asset management giant: LEGG. Our local paper just profiled one of their star investors a few weeks ago. Alex also gave us TITAN (30A. Giant). Giant echo.

62. Nabokov's title professor: PNIN. Here is the book cover. Is P silent?

63. Scorch slightly: SINGE. Alliteration again.

Down:

2. Blamed: FAULTED

3. "Whatever you say, honey": YES DEAR. Sweet clue and answer.

4. Bone: Pref.: OSTE. As in Osteoarthritis.

5. Mountain West Conference athlete: UTE. Utah Utes. Sports team of the University of Utah.

6. Deck out: ARRAY

7. More optimistic: ROSIER

8. Decadent: EFFETE. Like the ELOI in "The Time Machine".

9. Unlikely class presidents: NERDS

10. Mine find: ORE. Assonance in the clue.

11. Hike: TREK

12. "Raging Bull" boxer: LAMOTTA. What's your favorite De Niro movie? My husbands loves "Casino".

13. Shiraz resident: IRANIAN. Shiraz is a city in southwest Iran. I forget what it's famous for.

21. Might: MAY. Would've preferred the season May clue. We are having beautiful spring weather here in MN.

27. Kitchen spray: PAM

28. Hoards: STASHES

30. Root vegetables: TURNIPS. Not my type. I do like thinly sliced daikon though. You?

31. Collection agcy.?: IRS. Nailed it.

33. Bygone anesthetic: ETHER

34. Roman goddess of the hunt: DIANA. The Greek counterpart is Artemis.

36. Mass reaction, perhaps: HYSTERIA. Good clue.

37. Era that began in 1957: SPACE AGE. Started with the Sputnik.

39. Like some drying clothes: HANGING

40. Commence: START IN

43. __ riche: NOUVEAU. Literally "new". Same root as novelty, isn't it?

51. Téa of "Ghost Town": LEONI. Know her. Not the movie.

53. Actress Hayek: SALMA. Here she is.

56. Left: WENT

59. Sound of disapproval: TSK. What's the difference between TSK and TUT?

60. German article: DER. So are DAS and DIE.

Answer grid.

Happy Wedding Anniversary, Windhover & Irish!

C.C.

Wednesday March 31, 2010 Jennifer Nutt

Theme: FOOT PARTS (35A. This puzzle's theme if you listen to the beginnings of 20-, 40- and 59-Across and 11-Down) - The start of each theme answer is a homophone of foot part.

20A. Proverbial advice to a physician: HEAL THYSELF. (Heel). The epithet of St Luke, a patron saint of doctors, as used by Paul in Colossians 4:14. Early 15th century King James version, the meaning is that before attempting to correct others you should make sure that you are not guilty of the same faults. "First do no harm" is part of the Hippocratic oath all doctors must take. If you read the warnings about any drug, "no" must have a rather loose definition.

40A. Scold vigorously: BAWL OUT. (Ball).

59A. Certain no-parking area: TOW-AWAY ZONE. (Toe).

11A. Motown genre: SOUL MUSIC. (Sole). Also a book by Terry Pratchett.

Al here, guesting once more. Yesterday's many three-letter answers have been upgraded to fours and fives, but still a pretty easy puzzle for a Wednesday.

Across:

1. Basic Latin lesson word: AMAT. He/She/It loves.

5. Bedtime story preceder, perhaps: BATH.

9. '70s dance club: DISCO.

14. Dancer Falana: LOLA. Appeared on the Muppet Show and posed for Playboy. Not at the same time.

15. Canyon effect: ECHO. A nymph in Greek tragedy who was condemned to speak only by repeating what others had spoken. She also fell in love with Narcissus, who did not return her love, so Echo prayed that he would fall in love with himself. On his death he was transformed into the flower narcissus and as some varieties of this flower contain a sleep-inducing drug, the word "narcotic" was used to describe it. So, from the interwoven Greek myth, we have gained the word "echo", "narcissism" meaning self love, "narcissus" the flower and "narcotic" the effects of certain drugs.

16. Not whispered: ALOUD.

17. Response bias may affect one: POLL. Very difficult to compose neutral questions, especially around politics. Do they really care about your responses? Or is the whole point to simply influence the person being polled without seeming to...

18. Weak, as a novel plot: THIN.

19. Piccolo, e.g.: FLUTE. A half-sized one.

23. "__ Miz": LES. Les Misérables, the miserable ones.

24. Stick: ADHERE.

25. Reasoned belief in a supreme being: DEISM. Derived from the latin word "Deus", meaning god, which also gave us Zeus.

27. Scaredy-cat: SISSY.

30. Appoint as a posse member, say: DEPUTE. This word is technically correct, but my preference outside of crosswords would be to use "deputize" instead. Too many old westerns, perhaps.

33. Huck's transport: RAFT. Huckleberry Finn.

36. Consider: DEEM. To pronounce judgment on something or someone.

38. Obama's younger daughter: SASHA. Natasha. Her older sister is Nalia, lots of vowels and common consonants. (Correction: It's Malia, not Nalia.)

39. "The Name of the Rose" writer: ECO. Umberto.

42. Damaged, as mdse.: IRR. Irregular is not necessarily damaged. Navajo blankets anyone?

43. BP merger partner: AMOCO. Beyond Petroleum. They kind of downplayed the original British Petroleum name when they bought the AMerican Oil CO.

45. Stretch of time: SPAN. Interminable if you are forced to watch C-SPAN.

46. Bra size: B-CUP. Made you look...

47. Falling star: METEOR. Meteor vs meteorite vs meteoroid

49. Lesley of "60 Minutes": STAHL.

51. Model's array: POSES. What were they thinking?

53. "Get lost!": BEAT IT. Don't 'cha make me repeat it.

57. Defense gp.?: ABA. American Bar Association. Why "Bar"? In the 1550s, from the railing that separated benchers from the hall in the Inns of Court. Students who had attained a certain standing were "called" to it to take part in the important exercises of the house. After c.1600, however, this was popularly assumed to mean the bar in a courtroom, which was the wooden railing marking off the area around the judge's seat, where prisoners stood for arraignment and where a barrister stood to plead.

62. Brink: VERGE. Edge, rim. Different origin than Converge, which is "bent together".

64. Hit the ground: ALIT.

65. 1814-'15 exile site: ELBA. Napoleon technically ruled there during exile, but wasn't allowed to leave.

66. River romper: OTTER.

67. Titicaca, for one: LAKE. Borders on Peru and Bolivia, one of the highest navigable lakes in the world. The largest lake in South America by volume.

68. Cause a stench: REEK.

69. Natural homes: NESTS.

70. Author Bagnold: ENID. National Velvet.

71. Norms: Abbr.: STDS. Standards.

Down:

1. Top dog: ALPHA.

2. Was heard from the herd: MOOED.

3. Muslim god: ALLAH. Apparently has more than 99 names.

4. Like a basketball team's center, usually: TALLEST.

5. National Institutes of Health city: BETHESDA. Maryland.

6. In need of a massage: ACHY. I'll spare you from linking Billy Ray Cyrus today...

7. "Now hear __!": THIS.

8. Sharpened: HONED.

9. Most goofy: DAFFIEST.

10. Laid up: ILL.

12. Adorable: CUTE. A Japanese Bento box. (someone's lunch)

13. Shelley works: ODES. Percy Bysshe Shelley.

21. Prefix with sect or cycle: TRI. Trisect: to divide a line or an angle in three equal parts.

22. Captained: LED.

26. Hot tub: SPA. Balneotherapy

28. Monopolizes, with "up": SEWS.

29. Kennel sounds: YELPS.

31. No __ traffic: THRU.

32. O.K. Corral fighter: EARP. Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan.

33. 500 sheets: REAM. 24 sheets: quire. 10 reams: bale.

34. Zenith: ACME. From the Greek word: Akme. Apex is from Latin.

37. Defensive trench: MOAT. Similar to a ha-ha around a British garden (to keep cattle out originally).

40. Fans: BOOSTERS.

41. With sustained force: UNABATED. Unlike your breath, when you wait for something important.

44. Jobs, vis-à-vis Apple Inc.: CEO. Steve Jobs, (not employment jobs).

46. Oregon NBA team, familiarly: BLAZERS. Portland Trailblazers.

48. Old touring car: REO. Ransom Eli Olds.

50. "Yo!": HEY. Yo, Adrian!

52. Low, moist area: SWALE.

54. Apartment sign: TO LET.

55. Asleep, probably: IN BED.

56. Tropical hardwoods: TEAKS. That would be multiple species of teak, I guess...

57. Stratford's river: AVON.

58. __ noire: BETE. Literally "black beast", an insufferable person.

60. Actor Rickman: ALAN. Professor Snape from Harry Potter, Hans Gruber in Die Hard, and Metatron (the voice of God) in Dogma. He can play any character type, good, bad or in-between.

61. Collaborative Web site: WIKI. "Simple" database software so that anyone can contribute without having database experience. A Hawaiian word for "fast", it has been "bacronymed" to mean "What I Know Is". A Bacronym is a made up phrase after a word is already in use to try to make an acronym of it, such as POSH, which does not actually come from port out starboard home...

63. Figure out: GET.

Answer grid.

Al

Tuesday March 30, 2010 Robert A. Doll

Theme: Scenes from a Horror Movie? - First words of all the theme phrases are all synonyms of "cleaving". Pretty rough stuff for the breakfast table.

17A. Critters with powerful jaws: SNAPPING TURTLES.

27A. Program interruption: BREAKING NEWS.

46A. Spurning learning: CUTTING CLASS.

60A. Discontinuing relations of any kind: SEVERING ALL TIES.

Argyle here. An interesting theme but not very hard. More Monday than Monday was.

Across:

1A. Casey and Kildare: Abbr.: DRs. Ben Casey and Dr. Kildare were medical drama series which ran from 1961 to 1966 on ABC and NBC, respectively. Dr. Kildare goes back much farther with movies and radio shows.

4A. Clairvoyant's claim, for short: ESP. (extrasensory perception)

7A. Courses for coll. credit: APs. Advanced Placement classes to earn credits while still in high school.

10A. Ball support: TEE. (golf)

13A. Actor McKellen: IAN. Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings.

14A. Classic Jag: XKE. Sweet ride

15A. California fruit: RAISINs. Short clip.

20A. Server on skates: CARHOP. I want to see the hands of any former carhops here.

21A. Sniggler's prey: EEL.

22A. Eliel Saarinen's son: EERO. Eliel Saarinen was a Finnish architect. Eero Saarinen was also a Finnish architect and furniture designer.

23A. Normandy battleground: ST. LO. LOL A map from previous CrosswordCorner puzzle.

24A. Chinese government bigwig: PREMIER.

32A. Bedroom set piece: ARMOIRE. With the doors open

35A. Sun. speech: SER.. (Sunday sermon)

36A. Catch a few z's: NAP.

37A. "Green Eggs and Ham" author: SEUSS. Another Dr.

38A. Writer Jong: ERICA. "Fear of Flying" was her 1973 novel.

40A. USNA grad: ENS. (United States Naval Academy) (Ensign)

41A. Sephia automaker: KIA. South Korea's second largest automobile manufacturer, behind Hyundai. Sephia is a small family car(or a car for a small family).

44A. Took, as advice: ACTED ON.

49A. Caribbean isl. belonging to France: ST. BARTS. Map.

50A. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTÁ. Spanish for "How are you?".

54A. The Phantom of the Opera: ERIK. One name star? "Erik" was not, in fact, his birth name.

57A. River inlet: RIA.

58A. Game in which love is expressed frequently?: TENNIS.

63A. Apple-polishers: TOADIES.

64A. __ canto: singing style: BEL.

65A. Post- opposite: PRE. Pre - before, Post - after.

66A. Govt. ID: SSN.

67A. Frequently, in verse: OFT.

68A. Words in a simile: AS A.

69A. Old JFK arrival: SST. (airport/airplane)

Down

1D. 45s, e.g.: DISCs.

2D. Charged: RAN AT. Also, could be RAN UP.

3D. Watchdog's warning: SNARL.
.
4D. __ 67: Montreal World's Fair: EXPO. Short for Exposition.

5D. Ship's captain: SKIPPER. Who else but...?

6D. Proverbial sword beater: PEN. "The pen is mightier than the sword"

7D. Apollo's twin sister: ARTEMIS. The twins. Apollo was a God of Music, Artemis was Goddess of the Hunt.

8D. Movie girl with "perils": PAULINE. "The Perils of Pauline" Was she an equivalent of Indiana Jones?

9D. "To __, With Love": SIR. 1967 British drama film starring Sidney Poitier as a teacher.

10D. Mah-jongg piece: TILE.

11D. Cabinet dept. formed after the 1977 oil crisis: ENER..

12D. "Tiger in your tank" company: ESSO. Old commercial and the old name(except in Canada and overseas.)

16D. Bow's opposite: STERN. (on a boat)

18D. Greek god of fear: PHOBOS. Where we get the word phobia.

19D. Nerd: GEEK.

25D. Actress __ Dawn Chong: RAE. Tommy (Cheech&Chong) Chong's daughter.

26D. "Snowy" wading birds: EGRETS. (a small white heron)

28D. Take a chance: RISK IT.

29D. Arthurian lady: ENID. Geraint, one of King Arthur's men, married the beautiful Enid. They met while he was on a mission to defeat a cruel knight, and her family provided him with armor and food. They later had domestic difficulties.

30D. Texas city on the Brazos: WACO. The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers (translated as "The River of the Arms of God").

31D. Wing tip-to-wing tip distance: SPAN.

32D. "Just __!": A SEC.

33D. Contact lens solution brand: RENU. I got it this time.

34D. Is required to: MUST.

39D. Take offense at: RESENT.

42D. "To sum up ...": "IN BRIEF ...".

43D. Not with: AGAINST.

44D. Cockpit abbr.: ALT..

45D. Sand structures: CASTLE. Anybody watch Castle last night?

47D. Tut-tutted: TSKED.

48D. Rugged rock: CRAG.

51D. Haircut sounds: SNIPS. Much gentler than our theme.

52D. Stadium levels: TIERS.

53D. Balance sheet item: ASSET.

54D. Approximations: Abbr.: ESTS..

55D. Classic autos: REOs. But don't forget GTOs and LTDs.

56D. 58-Across star Lendl: IVAN. Former No. 1 professional tennis player in the world.

59D. Cinders of old comics: ELLA. The daily version was launched June 1, 1925, and a Sunday page followed two years later. It was discontinued in 1961. Book.

61D. __ de Janeiro: RIO.

62D. Lawyers' gp.: ABA. (American Bar Association)

Answer grid.

Happy 96th Birthday to Irv, the oldest LA Times crossword solver on our blog.

Argyle

Monday March 29, 2010 Barry Silk

Theme: "Keep it Under Your __" HAT (73A. The last word of this puzzle's five longest answers is a type of one)

18A. Gyroscopic toy: SPINNING TOP. A child's toy. Top hat.

24A. Central American fishing mecca: GULF OF PANAMA. On the Pacific end of the canal. Panama hat. (No, I don't know who he is.)

40A. Pretender in a ten-gallon hat and boots: DRUGSTORE COWBOY. Ersatz cowboy. Cowboy hat. Regrettable hat/HAT duplication.

52A. Proverbial backbreaker for a camel: THE LAST STRAW. One step over the limit. Straw hat. This is one of many styles; they just have to be made of 'straw'.

63. Arctic solar phenomenon: MIDNIGHT SUN. When the Earth's axis is tilted towards the sun, it never sets. Sun hat, extreme.

Astounded Argyle here. A Barry Silk with five long theme entries plus a unifier (Total 64 theme squares) on a Monday, what is Rich Norris smoking? A 'Z' short of a pangram. I better get busy.

Across:

1A. Calligrapher's need: INK. Calligrapher- One who is highly skilled in decorative handwriting, as with a great many flourishes. Example

4A. Hilton alternative: HYATT. (Hotels)

9A. Fragrant wood: CEDAR.

14A. Lair: DEN.

15A. Surrounding glows: AURAE. (or AURAS)

16A. Fuming: IRATE. When I had AURAS instead of AURAE.

17A. Day "Grey's Anatomy" airs: Abbr.: THU.

20A. Archery projectile: ARROW.

22A. Time past: YORE.

23A. Comic Philips: EMO. Is he still around, besides in cw?

28A. At liberty: FREE. Often said of escaped prisoners.

29A. "Flying kangaroo" airline: QANTAS. An acronym of Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services. 'Q' without a 'U'. Plane.

33A. The Beatles' "__ the Walrus": I AM.

36A. Skin layer: DERMA.

39A. British nobleman: EARL.

44A. Division word: INTO.

45A. __ Bruce, '30s-'40s Dr. Watson portrayer: NIGEL. The good Doctor

46A. Scand. nation: SWE.. (Scandinavia) (Sweden)

47A. Be lenient: GO EASY.

50A. Chinese leader?: INTO. (Indochinese)

58A. IV squared: XVI. 4x4=16, in Roman numerals.

61A. The same, on the Seine: EGAL. French: Remember "Liberty, Egality, Brotherhood".

62A. Bush successor: OBAMA.

67A. __ alai: JAI.

68A. Kindle download: E-BOOK. Amazon Kindle is a software and hardware platform for the rendering and displaying of e-books and other digital media.

69A. Gizmo: THING.

70A. Ques. response: ANS.. (Question and Answer)

71A. Homes in trees: NESTS.

72A. Letters after thetas: IOTAS. (Greek Alphabet)

Down:

1D. Dog collar attachment: ID TAG.

2D. India's first prime minister: NEHRU.

3D. Small knob: KNURL. A knob, knot, or other small protuberance. Also, a small ridge or bead, esp. one of a series, as on a button for decoration or on the edge of a thumbscrew to assist in obtaining a firm grip.

4D. Argues: HAS WORDS.

5D. "Fer sure!": "YUP!".

6D. The Diamondbacks, on scoreboards: ARI. Arizona Diamondbacks are a baseball team.

7D. Tucker of country music: TANYA. Delta Dawn.

8D. Part of a carpenter's joint: TENON. Here

9D. Movie theater: CINEMA.

10D. Fraction of a joule: ERG. Joule is equivalent to 10 to the power of 7 ergs

11D. Dinner and a movie, say: DATE.

12D. Tiny particle: ATOM.

13D. Seized auto, for short: REPO. Repossessed.

19D. Big oil exporter: IRAQ.

21D. Not quite right: OFF.

25D. There are three in every yard: FEET. And a cross-referred SIT (65D. Get off one's 25-Down).

26D. Eva of Argentina: PERÓN. "Evita" is the musical based on the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón.

27D. From square one: ANEW.

30D. Folder features: TABS.

31D. Get one's ducks in __: A ROW.

32D. Leonard __: Roy Rogers's birth name: SLYE. Roy was a cowboy and actor before he became a fast food chain.

33D. "Got it, man!": "I DIG!".

34D. Pisa's river: ARNO.

35D. "Turn off the sound" button: MUTE.

37D. X-ray cousin, briefly: MRI. (Magnetic resonance imaging)

38D. Auspices: AEGIS. (patronage, support, sponsorship)

41D. Nanny __: GOAT. WH?

42D. Penny: CENT.

43D. Numbers on 45s: OLD SONGS. Musical numbers on 45RPM records, from an earlier time.

48D. Arab chieftains: SHEIKS.

49D. Safecracker: YEGG. (unknown origin)

51D. Gambling parlor letters: OTB.

53D. "Chicago Hope" actress Christine: LAHTI. Her picture.

54D. Even if, informally: ALTHO.

55D. Indian prince: RAJAH.

56D. Kenmore competitor: AMANA.

57D. Spot for a belt: WAIST.

58D. Mutant superhero group: X-MEN.

59D. Hard-to-describe feeling: VIBE. Shortened vibration.

60D. Nuptial vows: I DO'S.

64D. "Wayne's World" catchword: "NOT!".

66D. Italian article: UNA.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday, March 28, 2010 Pamela Amick Klawitter

Theme: From the Produce Department - Different fruit is embedded in each theme answer.

23A. Chancellor Angela Merkel leads it: GERMAN GOVERNMENT. Mango. I love tropical fruit, esp pineapple.

32A. Bologna location: DELI MEAT COUNTER. Lime. Thought of the Italian city Bologna first.

54A. 1989 Fred Savage comedy: LITTLE MONSTERS. Lemon. Have never heard of the film.

70A. Houdini et al.: ESCAPE ARTISTS. Pear. Asian pear is the best. Sweet and crisp.

91A. Proving ground NW of Vegas: NEVADA TEST SITE. Date. I love almond stuffed Medjool dates. Heavenly!

105A. 50:1 bet, e.g.: EXTREME LONG SHOT. Melon.

122A. Striped reef dweller: EMPEROR ANGELFISH. No idea. Looks fake.

112A. A different one is hidden in each of this puzzle's seven longest answers: FRUIT

All of the fruit spans across two word, quite consistent. Lime, lemon & orange, Ms. Klawitter must love citrus fruit then.

Also a bit of Italian undercurrent:

58A. Firenze's land: ITALIA. Firenze is Italian for Florence.

68A. Ristorante dessert: TIRAMISU. "Pick-me-up" in Italian.

77A. Con __: spiritedly: BRIO. Most musical terms seem to be rooted in Italian.

95A. Olive Garden specialty: PASTA

50D. Sistine Chapel ceiling figure: ADAM

93D. Slowly, to Liszt: ADAGIO. Ad agio is "at ease" in Italian.

Smooth sailing for me today. Simple & sweet theme. Very few unknowns.

Across:

1. Pamplona parlor: SALA. Spanish for "room". Inside a casa (house). Alliteration in the clue.

5. 1912 Nobelist Root: ELIHU

10. New Balance rival: ASICS. Wikipidia says ASICS is an acronym of the Latin phrase "anima sana in corpore sano" which translates to "a healthy soul in a healthy body" or "a sound mind in a sound body".

15. Ancient symbols of Egyptian royalty: ASPS

19. 2005 A.L. MVP, familiarly: A-ROD. I've never liked him.

20. They get carried away: REPOS. Great clue.

22. First name in "Popeye"?: SWEE. Swee'Pea.

26. Clue: LEAD

27. Historical records: ANNALS

28. Oft-named period: ERA. Victorian Period, Obama Era, etc.

29. __-a-brac: BRIC

30. Cathedral feature: APSE

36. Top cards: ACES

38. Radio CD players: DJS

39. "Mad Men" airer: AMC. I guessed ABC first.

40. Tubs with jets: SPAS

46. Internet commerce: E-TAIL. So many nice baseball cards on Ebay.

49. Truman's Missouri birthplace: LAMAR. Can never remember this name.

57. Tussaud, for one: MADAME

59. Luau fare: POI

60. Friend of Rover: FIDO. And ARF (47D. Corgi comment). Dogs.

62. Neural impulse conductor: AXON. Are you a impulsive person?

63. 1983 self-titled debut album: MADONNA. The answer emerged itself.

65. Pigged out (on): OD'ED. Overdosed.

73. Do covers: HAIR NETS. Hairdo.

78. Furniture movers: CASTERS. Man, I never know the wheels under my chair are called casters.

83. Salinger character who said "I prefer stories about squalor": ESME. "For Esme with Love and Squalor".

84. Ply a scythe: REAP

86. School name follower in many addresses: EDU

88. Eye maliciously: LEER AT

89. Car shoppers' options: LEASES

96. Had an effect on: FAZED. Big effect then. Now, what does this Marisa Miller have an effect on you, guys?

97. Bigfoot cousin: YETI. The Abominable Snowman.

98. Come across as: SEEM

99. Genealogically based men's gp.: SAR (Sons of the American Revolution). Got me.

101. "Norma __": RAE

103. Rave partner: RANT. Rant and Rave.

117. Ditzy waitress on "Alice": VERA. No idea. Which one is Vera?

118. Trompe l'__: OEIL. "Eye' in French.

119. Winter coat: ICE

120. Sault-Marie filler: SAINTE. Sault Sainte Marie.

121. Dhow sailor: ARAB. Dhow is sailboat used by the Arabs. New to me.

126. Diana's escort: DODI (Fayed). I remember the tragic car crash. I like ARAB sits atop DODI in the grid. Dodi is an Egyptian Arab.

127. Lingerie shade: BEIGE

128. "__ a Grecian Urn": ODE ON. Keats poem.

129. Heavy reading?: TOME. Can't fool me.

130. Crossed (out): EX'ED. We often see X'ED.

131. "Consequently ...": AND SO

132. Jane of "Father Knows Best": WYATT. Have never heard of this lady.

133. NY Giants lineman Chris: SNEE. Also a mystery figure to me.

Down:

1. Epics: SAGAS

2. Ain't like it oughta be?: AREN'T. Lovely clue.

3. Doone of Devon: LORNA. "Lorna Doone". Alliteration.

4. Hyper?: AD MAN. Oh, I get it: hyper = one who hypes up.

5. Coastal raptors: ERNS

6. Something to shake or break, so to speak: LEG. Shake/break a leg. Nice rhyme.

7. NYSE launch: IPO (Initial Public Offering)

8. Ramshackle home: HOVEL

9. PIN relative: USER ID

10. Philip of "Kung Fu": AHN. Of Korean descent. Chinese for Ahn is Ang, as in Ang Lee.

11. Carnival dance: SAMBA

12. Like helium: INERT

13. Like dunce caps: CONICAL

14. "The Big Bang Theory," e.g.: SITCOM

15. Lewis lion: ASLAN. C.S. Lewis's lion in "Chronicles of Narnia".

16. Used a broom: SWEPT

17. Veggies in a porridge: PEASE. Pease porridge hot... Our split pea soup.

18. Passover feast: SEDER

24. "Flash of Genius" actor: ALDA

25. Certain aircraft engine: RAMJET. No idea. Know nothing about airplane.

32. Regard: DEEM

33. Prohibit, legally: ESTOP

34. Right on a mapa: ESTE. Spanish for "east".

35. Golden State sch.: UCLA

37. Spot removers: CLEANSERS

40. Unlikely: SLIM. Unlikely/slim chance.

41. Gyro bread: PITA. I am hungry.

42. The slightest bit: A TAD

43. Manche department capital: ST. LO. The D-Day Normandy town.

45. Poke around: SNOOP

48. Last Supper query: IS IT I. And IT'S ME (115. Shout upon arrival).

51. Modest skirt: MAXI

52. Cookie guy Wally: AMOS. The real "Famous Amos".

53. Eye care brand: RENU. Bausch & Lomb contact lens brand.

55. Sheets and such: LINEN

56. Hit back?: SIDE B. Nailed it. Side A is the hit side.

57. Sermon subject: MORTAL SIN. Rich Norris is really in the alliteration mood.

61. Record: DISC

64. French play part: ACTE

66. Kernel holder: EAR

67. Did a dishwashing chore: DRIED. Dishwasher does the job for us.

69. Plus: ASSET

71. Yoga position: ASANA (AH-suh-nuh). Sanskrit for "sitting down". New word to me also.

72. USA __: TODAY

73. Troubleshooting menu: HELP

74. Cruising, maybe: ASEA

75. "__ shocked as you are!": I'M AS

76. Musical symbol: REST

79. Alec D'Urberville's slayer: TESS. "Tess of the D'Urbervilles". She killed the jerk Alec.

80. Northern terminus of I-79: ERIE. New clue for a tired entry.

81. Matter of interest?: RATE. Interest rate. Another awesome clue.

82. Apple projection: STEM. Hey, one more fruit, though in the clue.

85. Candy originally from Austria: PEZ. I have a few Twins Pez. Most of the Pez are still marked "Made in Austria".

87. Unborn, after "in": UTERO

90. Effortlessness: EASE

92. Offscreen friend in "Ernest" films: VERN. I peeked at the answer sheet. Names often kill me. Why is Vern "offscreen"?

94. Coup d'__: ETAT

96. Citizens: FREEMEN

100. Lab slide critter: AMOEBA

102. Third-party account: ESCROW. Holding account

104. Nonstick cookware brand: T-FAL. What does T-FAL stand for?

105. Dodge: EVADE

106. Copy: XEROX

107. Diamond deal: TRADE. Bloody!

108. Beyond gung-ho: RABID

109. Oily compound: LIPID. Fatty!

110. Designer Cassini et al.: OLEGS. Cassini is the only Oleg I know of.

111. Intoxicating, as wine: HEADY

113. Breaks in relations: RIFTS

114. Strike caller: UNION. Thought of UMPIRE first.

116. Little laugh: TE-HEE

123. Vintage auto: REO

124. Museum funder: Abbr.: NEA (National Endowment for the Arts)

125. Figured out: GOT

Answer grid.

Picture of the Day: Here is a great photo of Jeannie's Mom & Dad on their wedding day heading off to their honeymoon in 1960. They just celebrated their 50-year anniversary on March 19, 2010.

C.C.

Saturday March 27, 2010 Brad Wilber

Theme: None

Total words: 70

Total blocks: 29

No extra-long stacks this week. More words and fewer blocks than last Saturday. Pretty open-looking grid. These are not details I usually pay much attention to.

Hi gang, it's JazzBumpa taking a big step out of the comfort zone. C.C. wished a Brad Wilbur puzzle on me, and her wish came true. Regular readers will know themeless Saturday Puzzles are not my favorite. This one seems perhaps a bit easier than usual, though I went for technical assistance early and often, in the interest of getting to bed before dawn.

Pretty good puzzle. By my reckoning, only a Q away from a pangram. Three Js.

Across:

1. Google oneself: EGOSURF. First thing tomorrow, I'm googling myself!

8. Produce greenery: FOLIATE. Burst out in leaves.

15. Exceeded, as a time limit: RAN OVER. If I exceed my time limit tonight, tomorrow I'll feel like something RAN OVER me.

16. Scale used in summer weather forecasts: UV INDEX. A warning of sun exposure danger, a bit like a terrror alert.

17. Way back when: AGES AGO. "When I was a young man, never been kissed . . ."

18. Researcher's garb: LAB COAT. Traditional protective garment for all sorts of experimentation. What you wear with it is optional.

19. Mlle. counterpart: SRTA: Abbrv. for Señora. Now how can you possibly know this is looking for a Spanish answer? (Update: from Anon@7:46 AM Señorita, not Señora.)


20. Card game declaration: I CALL. Guessed, and got it. In poker, a call is a decision to match the latest bet. Alternatives are to raise or fold.

22. Start to dominate? PRE. Start of the word predominate. Where would we be without the mandatory affix?

23. Want-ads fairness pledge: Abbr.: EEO. Equal Employment Opportunity, a promise to be fair, according to Federal guidelines.

24. Only non-actor ever chosen as People's Sexiest Man Alive, familiarly: JFK, JR. I didn't know this, but it's not a surprise. His was a very poignant story, on many levels. He and his wife and her sister died when he crashed his plane in bad weather. He had a leg injury and shouldn't have been flying. Here he is as a man, and in a famous sad picture as a boy.

25. Like some kitchens: EAT IN. A kitchen with a place to eat at - either a dinette set or standing at the sink.

27. Apology element: REGRET. No RUER today. I don't regret that.

29. Cockpit reading: AIR SPEED. I know one of our regulars will be able comment on this one better than I can.

31. MGM co-founder: LOEW. I had no idea. MGM is Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Maybe this explains the MGM lion since the name LOEW is not indicated by the initials. LOEWE is "lion" on German.

32. Dagwood's boss: MR. DITHERS, shown here with some of his peers. Not the best boss, ever.

33. "Star Trek" (2009) villain: NERO. This guy. Nope. Never watched any of the later generations.

35. Case for notions: ETUI. A little decorative box for storing doodads. My notion is, I'd almost rather have RUER.

36. Life partners: TRUE LOVES. If you're lucky enough to find each other. I mean, really - what are the chances?

40. Chimes in: ADDS. Makes a comment that advances the conversation. Presumably.

43. Extemporized: WINGED IT. Hemmed, hawed, add libbed (my original answer - I know, it doesn't fit), improvised, made stuff up, read crib notes off your hand . . .

44. Faux: ERSATZ. We've discussed this at length in the past. Poor quality substitute for the real thing.

46. Crawling with creepers: IVIED. I was relieved by this answer. It could have been something creepy crawly, that I don't want to link.

47. In advance: EARLY. They both indicate before some specified time, but they seem non-equivalent to me. What do you think?

49. Dude: BRO. Just some guy. By the way -- Don't tase me, DUDE.

50. Tip for an exam taker?: NIB. The tip of a pen, not a bit of good advice, like study, or write the answers on your hand.

51. Key of Mahler's "Symphony of a Thousand": E FLAT. Never heard of it. Had to get perp help, then it was easy.

52. "Kisses Sweeter __ Wine": Jimmie Rodgers hit: THAN. I like dry red wine and sweet wet kisses.

53. Italian pistol: BERETTA. An actual firearm. Not this son of a gun.

56. Database with openings: JOB BANK. They have a web site for job seekers

58. Deforestation concern: EROSION. Trees and other green growing things stabilize the soil and prevent runoff. But you knew that.

59. Orchestrate: ARRANGE. Assign the notes to the specific instruments. I've done a bit of that. Ravel was the master.

60. "__ Creek," TV series that launched Katie Holmes's career. DAWSON'S. The show, Dawson's Creek, which I never watched, had my homie girl Katie in one of the starring rolls. What is it about Tom Cruse and gullible Catholic girls?

61. Pack rat: HOARDER: Designation for somebody who can't throw anything out. Know anybody like that? But they, speaking of creepy crawlers, are also real critters.


Down

1. Tip for an exam taker? ERASER. Aha! the tip at the other end of the pencil. Misdirection, in more ways than one. Very clever.

2. Common DVD bonus feature: GAG REEL. This often contains humorous out-takes, mistakes, etc.

3. Pizzeria shout: ONE TO GO. Alright. this is a legit answer, but I don't think much of it. We had Costco pizza tonight. Not bad.

4. Cubs' all-time home run leader. SOSA. A pretty good baseball player, and the other Slammin' Sammie.

5. The Cavaliers of the ACC: U. VA. University of Virginia Cavaliers of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

6. Wrap again, with questionable etiquette: REGIFT. Got a gift you're not fond of? Next time around, wrap it up and give it to someone you're not fond of.

7. Monastic attire: FROCK. That about wraps it up for monks, but they can still have a fine time.

8. Enviable scholarships: FULL RIDES. An all expense paid excursion at the University that choses you.

9. Many a racetrack: OVAL. For cars, sure. What about horse races? Are those tracks oval or round? Don't ask me. I'm not a racist.

10. Empowerment word: LIB. As in "Women's LIB," I suppose. Does liberation = empowerment? To me, this looks close, but not quite on target.

11. Entrepreneurial monthly: INC. : The perfect magazine for the kick-ass start-up promoter in you.

12. Anne of Green Gables, for one: ADOPTEE. One who is adopted, generally after being orphaned. Presumably, a better second chance. I don't know anything about Anne.

13. Less stoic: TEARIER. Shedding more tears. I guess big stoics don't cry.

14. Stretches: EXTENDS. For example muscles, before and after exertion, or the mind, by taking on a Saturday puzzle.

21. Slightly cracked: AJAR. Neither quite opened, not quite closed. A slightly cracked jar is something all together different.

24. Like Faberge eggs: JEWELED. Just in time for my family's early Easter celebration. Though they may be slightly too elaborate for our humble tastes.

25. Puget Sound, e.g.: ESTUARY. An estuary is a water passage where the tide meets a river current. Your current events item of the day.

26. Rose garden bane: APHIDS. They will eat your plants. Lady bugs will eat them. I believe it's bugs, all the way down.

28. Back out: RENEGE. Just this morning, I reneged the car from my garage. Otherwise, it means to fail to carry out a promise or commitment. For shame!

30. Slowing, in mus.: RIT. Abbrev. for RITARDANDO, literally, slowing down in Italian.

32. Oscar night devotees: MOVIE FANS. I guess I'm not one, since I just don't care.

34. Poet McKuen: ROD. An American poet. Here is his home page. Clear Ayes, do you have a favorite?

36. Half a sleeping pair: TWIN BED. Another nice misdirection. A pair of matching beds, each suited for a single sleeper. I wanted jammies.

37. Mediterranean hot spot: RIVIERA. The Mediterranean coast of France and Italy with many nice beaches. Those who have been there can tell us about it.

38. Bert has one, but not Ernie: UNIBROW: A single continuous eyebrow extending over both eyes, or a condition with enough hair between the brows to suggest that effect. Here's the boys.

39. "Too many more to mention" abbr.: ET. AL. Latin for, "and others."

41. Expert: DAB HAND. Evidently, this is a British Isles expression.

42. Idiosyncratic: STRANGE. Close enough, I guess. One of my favorite novels was Idiosyncratic in an Idiosyncratic Land.

44. Banderillero's foe: EL TORO. In bullfighting, El Banderillero sticks little flags into the bull's shoulders. Don't ask me why.

45. "Doonesbury" hippie: ZONKER. A cool dude, BRO.

48. Indian royal: RAJAH

51. Hugh Laurie's alma mater: ETON. Is ETON everybody's alma mater? And Who is High Laurie? Anyway, nice EAT IN - ETON echo.

52. Vanishing slope sight: T-BAR. A device to pull you up the ski slope, so you can slide back down again. Why are they vanishing?

54. Three dots, to Morse: ESS. Three dots indicate the letter "S" in Morse code. Hence the famous dot-dot-dot, dash-dash-dash, dot-dot-dot for SOS.

55. Familia member: TIO. Tio is Spanish for uncle.

57. Top at the shore: BRA. The top part off a lady's two piece swim suit, and a great way to top off this puzzle.

Well, I might not have EXCEEDED my time tonight, but I certainly EXTENDED it.

Answer grid.

Picture of the Day: Here is a great photo of our fellow LA Times solver Dodo and her late husband. Here is a closer look at Dodo's avatar picture. Dodo is a 84-year-old retired teacher living in Stockton, CA.

Cheers!

JzB