Thursday April 29, 2010 James Sajdak

Theme: NIGHT OWLS (54A. Hard-to-see critters lurking in 20-, 28-, 33- and 43-Across) - OWL is embedded in each two-word theme entry.

20A. Indoor gardener's tool: GROW LIGHT. Its emitted light spectrum is similar to that from the sun, allowing indoor growth with outdoor conditions, a la Wikipedia.

28A. Big drinker's "secret": HOLLOW LEG. New idiom to me. Also big eater's "secret", isn't it?

33A. Tutor's charge: SLOW LEARNER. I am one.

43A. Golden retriever?: YELLOW LAB. Labrador. Yellow is the same as "Golden"?

Great rhyming symmetry with the antonymous LIGHT and NIGHT. I don't get the unifier though. Why the addition of "NIGHT"? Just to form a symmetric partner to GROW LIGHT? Aren't all owls hard to see in the evenings?

Lots of excellent Down fill today. My favorite is ROE V. WADE (38D. 1973 landmark case). Also adored the overall cluing today. Very much to my liking.

Across:

1. Ivory alternative: DIAL. Plunked in DOVE.

5. Lumps of earth: CLODS

10. They're full of beans: PODS. Nailed it. Sometimes I just rock!

14. In that event: IF SO

15. Center: HEART

16. Stat start: RHEO. Rheostat. Got me.

17. What the hyphen in an emoticon represents: NOSE. In the emoticon :-)

18. Like many microbrews: ON TAP

22. Vigilant: ALERT

23. "Eek!" elicitor: BOO

24. __ Vandelay, recurring fake "Seinfeld" character who turns out to be a real judge in the final episode: ART. I do recall Vandelay. Can't remember his given name.

25. Reagan court appointee: SCALIA (Antonin). Appointed in 1986.

26. Wing, perhaps: ANNEX

31. Greenish blue: TEAL

32. Come down hard: POUR. Nice clue too.

39. Churlish sort: BOOR

40. Piano, to a pianist: SOFT. Piano can mean "soft" or "softly". Stumper.

48. __ d'Alene: COEUR

49. Hardy and North: OLLIES

50. It brought Hope to the troops: Abbr.: USO. Capitalized H. Bob Hope was actively involved in USO tours. Brilliant clue.

52. Sign of peace: VEE

53. Dr. J's alma mater: U MASS (University of Massachusetts). No idea.

57. Milquetoast: WIMP

58. String quartet part: VIOLA. And OBOES (34D. Wind section)

59. Like Granny Smith apples: TART

60. Wrath, in a classic hymn: IRAE. "Dies Irae", literally "Day of Wrath".

61. Played a part: ACTED

63. Former OTC watchdog: NASD (National Association of Securities Dealers). Who knows?!

64. Visibly moved: TEARY

65. Give up: CEDE

Down:

1. Birdbrain: DINGBAT. Archie's name for Edith.

2. Start of an opinion: I FOR ONE. And OH WELL (11. Words of resignation) & YOU WIN (43. "I give up"). Great entries.

3. Right after: AS SOON AS

4. Movie mogul Marcus: LOEW. MGM cofounder.

5. Gospel singers: CHOIR

6. Pool measure: LENGTH. Five consonants.

7. Curse: OATH

8. "Curses!": DRAT. Nice consecutive "Curse/Curses!".

9. NASCAR sponsor: STP

10. Course for a budding DA: PRE-LAW

12. Sweetheart: DEARIE

13. "In America" novelist Susan: SONTAG

21. Loose: LAX

22. Squash variety: ACORN. Love freshly baked acorn squash.

25. Talk like thish: SLUR. And LISPED (46. Talked like thith). Good pair.

27. Pipe fitting: ELL

29. "William Tell," e.g.": OPERA

36. Cybercackle: LOL

37. Pedro's "that": ESO

41. Nuclear reactor component: FUEL ROD. Not a familiar term to me. Maybe our rod expert Lois knows.

42. Amtrak canyon crosser: TRESTLE. Didn't come to me readily. I am used to the "Bridge support" clue.

44. New York city where Mark Twain is buried: ELMIRA. Unknown to me also.

45. Pack animals: LLAMAS

47. Base player?: BUGLER. Military base. Fooled me last time. Fooled me again.

48. Base bunk: COT. Again, loved the base echo.

51. Not on the up and up: SHADY

54. "Good one!": NICE

55. Scintilla: IOTA

56. Narc suffix: OTIC. Narcotic.

58. Vintner's container: VAT

Answer grid.

C.C.

Wednesday April 28, 2010 Dan Naddor

Theme: Hungry Celebrities (And you will be too, if you click on all these food links) - Common dishes that happen to contain the first name of a well-known person is humorously reinterpreted and clued as if the dish is what the person wants for the meal.

18A. Response to comic Anderson's "What's for dinner?"?: CRAB LOUIE. Louie Anderson.

21A. Response to Spanish tenor Kraus's "What's for dinner?"?: CHICKEN ALFREDO. Alfredo Kraus. The first two theme answers overlap each other.

37A. Response to Revolutionary Arnold's "What's for breakfast?"?: EGGS BENEDICT. Benedict Arnold.

58A. Response to actress Bracco's "What's for brunch?"?: QUICHE LORRAINE. Lorraine Bracco.

64. Response to jazzman Peterson's "What's for dinner?"?: VEAL OSCAR. Oscar Peterson. The last pair of theme entries also overlap each other.

A special 16*15 grid. The extra column is to accommodate the central even-lettered theme entry EGGS BENEDICT.

Hi, all, Al guesting today, and I was gifted with another Dan Naddor puzzle, thanks C.C. I had mixed feelings about this puzzle. Like the rest of Dan's efforts, I thought it was tricky going at first, especially for a Wednesday, with a lot of unknown names and quite a few three letter answers. I usually try to make all the answer explanations interesting, even when it is a bit challenging. There are quite a few answers today where I just couldn't come up with anything. Maybe it's just the pollen and the late hour. I did manage one pun today.

Across:

1. Hist. or sci.: SUBJ. School subjects, consistent abbreviation in both clue and answer.

5. Penn. crosser: TNPK. Early meaning was a piked road barrier used for defense, from turn + pike (shaft.) The meaning changed to "a horizontal cross of timber, turning on a vertical pin", which was used to bar horses from foot roads. This led to the sense of "barrier to stop passage until a toll is paid"

9. "This is for real!": NO JOKE.

15. Composer Schifrin: LALO. Famous for writing many movie and TV scores, such as the Mission Impossible theme.

16. Noah of "ER": WYLE. Dr. John Carter.

17. Singer Morissette: ALANIS.

20. Forceful, as an argument: COGENT. Necessary, urgent. Borrowed from French.

23. 1861-'89 territory: DAKOTA. It means friendly in the native language. Sometimes translated as "allies".

25. MFA, for one: DEG. Master of Fine Arts or Master of Financial Analysis.

26. Oater okay: YEP. In old westerns on lonely cattle drives, this response from a taciturn cattle hand was sometimes considered to be loquacious. They didn't call him Gabby for nothing.

27. Get ready: PREPARE.

29. Bighorn sheep, at times: RAMMERS. This is what it feels like at work sometimes...

33. What's up?: SKY.

34. Like machine-stamped mail: METERED.

42. Most proximate: NEAREST.

43. Cold and wet: RAW.

46. Flute relative: PICCOLO.

49. Leather source: OSTRICH. A "big sparrow." The Greeks also knew the bird as strouthokamelos "camel-sparrow," for its long neck. Among its proverbial peculiarities are indiscriminate voracity (especially a habit of swallowing iron and stone to aid digestion), want of regard for its eggs, and a tendency to hide its head in the sand when pursued. "Like the Austridge, who hiding her little head, supposeth her great body obscured." Ostriches do put their heads in the sand, but ostrich farmers say they do this in search of something to eat.

53. Tokyo, once: EDO.

54. Sitter's handful: IMP.

57. Sly: CRAFTY.

63. Dump: UNLOAD. The Goldman-Sachs 'Fraud'

67. "Eventually ...": ONE DAY.

68. Nastase of tennis: ILIE.

69. Maestro Klemperer: OTTO. German first name, four letters? This usually works.

70. They're sometimes worn under helmets: DO-RAGS. A colorful large handkerchief worn on the head, usually tied with a tail.

71. Building extensions: ELLS.

72. 1966 Jerry Herman musical: MAME. "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death."

Down:

1. Beehive St. capital: SLC. Salt Lake City, Utah.

2. Old Mideast org.: UAR. United Arab Republic, formerly Egypt and Syria.

3. Mark of shame: BLACK EYE. But you should'a seen the other guy...

4. Change positions often: JOB HOP. You know you're getting old if you remember this as a bad thing. Corporate attitude now is if you stay in a job more than five years, they think you aren't good enough to get hired elsewhere.

5. Like many garages: TWO CAR.

6. Stooges' laugh: NYUK.

7. Practiced, as a trade: PLIED.

8. New Hampshire college town: KEENE.

9. Table salt, to a chemist: NA CL. Sodium (NA stands for Latin: Natrium) Chloride.

10. Swedish statesman __ Palme: OLOF. First Swedish politician to be assassinated.

11. Five-time NHL scoring leader Jaromir: JAGR.

12. Cyclops feature: ONE EYE. Two "EYE"s as fill (See 3D: BLACK EYE). Tsk-tsk!

13. More considerate: KINDER. Or German for "children".

14. Prevents, legally: ESTOPS.

19. __ fire under: LIT A. You know what really burns my butt? A fire about three feet high.

22. Accept: AGREE TO.

23. Infielders' stats: DPS. Double Plays.

24. Indy's pursuit: ARK. Indiana Jones, The Ark of the Covenant. Said to have held the ten commandments.

28. Involve, as in conflict: EMBROIL.

30. Dull finish?: ARD. Suffix added to make the word: dullard. I wanted to squeeze MATTE in there somehow...

31. "Something tells __ goofed": ME I.

32. CLX x X: MDC. 160 times 10 = 1600

35. Wide shoe spec: EEE.

36. Heavy wts.: TNS. Tons.

38. Health food co.: GNC. General Nutrition Centers

39. Former GM division: GEO. Metro, prizm, storm et.al.

40. Actor Mineo: SAL. More famous for who he played opposite of in movies (James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause").

41. Potentially lucrative track bet: TRIFECTA. a parimutuel bet in which the bettor must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third in exact order.

44. Do something: ACT.

45. "Give me a reason": WHY.

46. Ahab's whaler: PEQUOD. From Moby Dick.

47. "Don't ask me!": I DUNNO.

48. Menacing snake: COILER.

50. Libra symbol: SCALES. Libra is why pounds are abbreviated "lbs".

51. Small band: TRIO.

52. Kidnapper's demand: RANSOM. Money demand. Or Oldsmobile's first name, as in REO Speedwagon.

55. Dinner companion?: MOVIE. Dinner and a movie.

56. Head & Shoulders competitor: PRELL. Do they really still make this shampoo?

59. Musical finale: CODA. From Latin cauda, a tail.

60. Den __, Netherlands: HAAG. The Hague: the site of the royal residence and the western capital in the Netherlands.

61. Nestlé ice cream brand: EDY'S. Cheesecake.

62. Track fence: RAIL. When your trifecta loses you can be a rail-bird, stand at the rail, and rail at the rails.

65. PIN requester: ATM. Automated teller machine. Sometimes called an ATM Machine, which must mean a machine that dispenses machines?

Answer grid.

Al

Tuesday April 27, 2010 Pete Muller and Sue Keefer

Theme: Rhyme Time - Two word colloquial expressions that rhyme. Tinbeni note: and contain a part of the body. Also noted, the constuctor's first names were worked into the puzzle fills.

20A. Blondness: FAIR HAIR.

22A. There may not be one "in the house" during a tearjerker: DRY EYE.

32A. Cat's pajamas: BEE'S KNEES.

37A. Like some stockings: THIGH-HIGH.

47A. Captain Ahab feature: PEG LEG.

50A. Fan of Jerry Garcia's band: DEADHEAD.

3D. Flight of scientists to another nation, e.g.: BRAIN DRAIN.

27D. "The original gourmet" candy bean: JELLY BELLY.

Argyle here. Easy peasy theme but some of the fill...oomph! And a high DF quotient; I can hardly wait to see some of the comments today!

Also, many of the entries have a groovy feel to them but, of course, that is no problem for our groovy solvers.

Across:

1A. Subway alternative: CAB.

4A. Floppy storage media: DISKS. A floppy disk is a data storage medium that is composed of a disk of thin, flexible ("floppy") magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangular plastic shell. (Wikipedia)

9A. Stop by unexpectedly: POP IN.

14A. Bruin legend Bobby: ORR. (Boston hockey)

15A. Apples since 1998: iMACS.

16A. Ivory neighbor?: EBONY. Ebony and Ivory - Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder video.

17A. "Michael Collins" org.: IRA. Sinn Féin member and early leader of the Irish Republican Army.

18A. Honda Accord, for one: SEDAN.

19A. Has a proclivity (to): TENDS. Proclivity comes from Latin(loosely) down slope.

23A. Neural impulse junction: SYNAPSE.

24A. Big hairdos, for short: FROS. And 1D. Elaborate dos: COIFS.

25A. Cart for heavy loads: DRAY. Interesting that most pics involve breweries.

26A. Coalition: BLOC.

27A. Boeing product: JET. (airplanes)

30A. County on San Francisco Bay: MARIN. Map.

34A. "__ See for Miles": The Who hit: I CAN. YouTube video.

35A. Houdini's family name: WEISS. Houdini's father and mother were Rabbi Mayer and Cecilia Weiss and he was named Ehrich. He began calling himself "Harry Houdini" because he was heavily influenced by the French magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, and his friend erroneously told him that in French, adding an "i" to Houdin would mean "like Houdin" (Wikipedia)

36A. Promise in the dairy aisle: OLEO. Promise margarine.

39A. Van Gogh setting: ARLES. "The Garden at Arles". (in the south of France)

40A. Word with Big or top: TEN. Big Ten (athletic conference) or top ten(best of a list, from songs to Letterman's)

41A. "Great" dog: DANE. Big dog, too.

42A. "It's __!": bargain hunter's words: A BUY.

43A. Coffee holders: URNS.

44A. "Flying" toy: FRISBEE.

51A. Author Jong: ERICA.

52A. "What are you gonna do about it?!": "SUE ME!".

53A. Shirt size: Abbr.: LGE.

54A. Laid vinyl on, as a floor: TILED.

55A. Speak off the cuff: AD LIB.

56A. Quarterback Dawson: LEN. his card.

57A. Ingress: ENTRY.

58A. Befitting a slob: MESSY.

59A. Soph and jr.: YRS.

Down:

2D. Striking spread: ARRAY.

4D. Old-style kitchen washing receptacle: DISH PAN.

5D. "No argument from me": "I'M EASY".

6D. __ Hawkins Day: SADIE.

7D. 1980s Chrysler product: K-CAR. Most common were the Dodge Aries and the Plymouth Reliant sedans.

8D. Tax form ID: SSN.

9D. Faddish '70s toy that came in a box with air holes: PET ROCK.

10D. Does as told: OBEYS. Also, 39D. Follow, as rules: ABIDE BY.

11D. Fried Dixie bread: PONE.

12D. __ 500: INDY. The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race is held annually over the Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.

13D. Big Board letters: NYSE. (The New York Stock Exchange)

21D. __ to go: psyched: RARING.

22D. Metallic refuse: DROSS.

24D. Shylock's pound: FLESH.

26D. Light brown: BEIGE. Both 24D and 26D can be shades of 37A.

28D. Very wide, shoewise: EEEE.

29D. General __ chicken: Chinese dish: TSO'S. I ate one of the peppers while watching TV(instead of what I was eating). Wowser!

30D. Catcher's glove: MITT.

31D. Throb: ACHE.

32D. Some '60s war protests: BE-INS. The Human Be-In was a Happening in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the afternoon and evening of January 14, 1967.If you were there and don't remember it, it's ok, we understand.

33D. "You can get it to me later": "NO RUSH".

35D. Cymbal sound: WHANG.

38D. Like many large-screen TVs: HD READY. Bet you can't find one now that isn't HD(high-definition) Ready.

42D. A Musketeer: ARAMIS. (Athos, Porthos, and Aramis)

43D. Stomach woe: ULCER.

44D. Senses: FEELS.

45D. Ready for action: EAGER.

46D. Paradises: EDENS.

47D. Tennis's Sampras: PETE.

48D. Common name for an Irish lass: ERIN.

49D. Gold-plated: GILT.

50D. Bro: DUDE.

52D. Uncle on a poster: SAM. From the Committee to Help Unsell the War, 1971, Poster.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday April 26, 2010 Jeff Chen

Theme: Theme? What Theme? - Phrases we have to use because people are talking softer more and more these days.

20A. "What?": "DIDN'T CATCH THAT?".

32A. "What?": "EXCUSE ME?".

45A. "What?": "SAY AGAIN?".

58A. "What?": "I BEG YOUR PARDON?".

Argyle here...I said "ARGYLE HERE!" Another fine offering from Jeff Chen. Very few three letter or abbreviation entries. No THWACK this time but, in keeping with hard of hearing, there is 19A. Corrective eye surgery: LASIK. (A type of refractive surgery, laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, for correcting myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.)

Across"

1A. Life histories, briefly: BIOS.

5A. Atkins diet concern: CARB. (carbohydrates)

9A. Bogus: FALSE.

14A. Drub in a game: ROUT. It can be said "to own" the other team; beat soundly.

15A. Exploitative type: USER.

16A. Author Zola: ÉMILE. Émile Zola (1840 – 1902) was an influential French writer; he is used enough in crosswords to be a considered a Monday entry.

17A. Not in favor: ANTI.

18A. Italian tower site: PISA. (leaning tower of ...)

23A. Nova __: SCOTIA. The Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

24A. Gentleman's offering on a crowded train, perhaps: SEAT.

25A. Scratch (out), as a living: EKE.

27A. Reason to grab a tissue: SNIFFLE.

37A. Lost color: PALED.

38A. Watered-down: WEAK.

39A. Hangs ten, say: SURFS.

42A. Actress Campbell: NEVE. See here.

43A. Finished: ENDED. Ironically, my last fill.

47A. Back-talking: SASSING.

50A. Big bang producer: TNT.

51A. One running in a pusher, for short: NARC. A DEA agent arresting a perpetrator.

53A. Circles the Earth: ORBITS.

62A. Toothbrush company: ORAL-B.

63A. Metallurgist's raw materials: ORES.

64. Choir voice: ALTO.

65. Modeling wood: BALSA.

66A. CC ÷ XXV: VIII. 200 ÷ 25 = 8 (took some time to find the ÷ symbol.)

67A. Swerve: VEER.

68A. Shoreline irregularity: INLET.

69A. Hankerings: YENS.

70A. Salinger heroine: ESMÉ. "For Esmé – with Love and Squalor" She is used enough in crosswords to be a considered a Monday entry.

Down:

1D. Thin nails: BRADS. Small heads so as to not be noticeable. In this picture, the top item is nails that can be loaded into an automatic nailer.

2D. Architectural order: IONIC. Pic.

3D. One-up: OUTDO.

4D. Stretch in the service: STINT.

5D. Hostess offerings: CUPCAKES. Not on an Atkins diet, for sure. Yum!

6D. Continent crossed by Marco Polo: ASIA.

7D. Score silence symbols: RESTS. (musical score)

8D. Sources of teen angst, dentally: BRACES. And more angst: 57D. Source of spousal angst, nocturnally: SNORE.

9D. Sharpie feature: FELT TIP. Magic marker.

10D. Asian nurse: AMAH.

11D. Edelstein of "House": LISA. Lisa Edelstein as Dr. Lisa Cuddy. Cuddy's role in House is that of Dean of Medicine and hospital administrator.

12D. Use a letter opener on: SLIT.

13D. Scared comics cry: EEK.

21D. Connections: TIES.

22D. Solo of "Star Wars": HAN. Space Cowboy

26D. Cousin of an ostrich: EMU.

28D. Vampire tooth: FANG.

29D. Insect in a circus: FLEA.

30D. First name in jeans: LEVI. (Levi Strauss & Co.)

31D. First family's home?: EDEN. Did anybody get caught by this?

32D. Rams' ma'ams: EWES. Rhyme (WH, have you got a final count on your ram's ma'ams.)

33D. TV warrior princess: XENA.

34D. No-goodniks: CADS.

35D. Hawaiian strings: UKES.

36D. Hosp. areas: ERS.

40D. Sprat's taboo: FAT.

41D. Book report, e.g.: SYNOPSIS.

44D. Edith, to Archie: DINGBAT. From the Norman Lear's TV show, All in the Family.

46D. Gillette razor brand: ATRA.

48D. Aye's opposite: NAY.

49D. Old-fashioned "Cool!": GROOVY. Old-fashioned indeed!

52D. Radium co-discoverer: CURIE. Marie or Pierre.

54D. Atlanta athlete: BRAVE. Baseball player.

55D. Dawdles: IDLES.

56D. Symbol on a pole: TOTEM.

58D. Persia, nowadays: IRAN.

59D. Formal dance: BALL.

60D. Apart from this: ELSE.

61D. Jockey strap: REIN.

62D. Kimono sash: OBI.

Answer grid.

Happy Wedding Anniversary, Barry G!

Argyle

Sunday April 25, 2010 Mark Bickham

Theme: Missing (Miss ing) - ING in each familiar phrase is dropped and the resulting phrase is punnily clued.

23A. Admiral's tryst?: FLEET ROMANCE. Fleeting Romance. Admiral commands a fleet.

37A. Water cooler gossip?: BREAK NEWS. Breaking News.

40A. Knockoff of an Intel product?: BARGAIN CHIP. Bargaining Chip.

68A. Site of a surprise?: START POSITION. Starting Position.

99A. Issue for the media?: PRESS MATTER. Pressing Matter. Media = Press.

101A. Where insects learn to use their wings?: FLY SCHOOL. Flying School.

121A. Museum featuring bamboo art?: SHOOT GALLERY. Shooting Gallery. Bamboo Shoot.

3D. Golf tournament commentary?: OPEN REMARKS. Opening Remarks. British/US Open.

14D. Voice teacher?: PITCH COACH. Pitching Coach. Baseball.

28D. Creek footage?: STREAM VIDEO. Streaming Video.

52D. Units for timing a track event?: MEET MINUTES. Meeting Minutes.

72D. First-quarter shipments?: MARCH ORDERS. Marching Orders. March is in the first quarter.

75D. Angry lineman?: CROSS GUARD. Crossing Guard.

Very heavy themage. 13 relatively long entries. No isolated stand-out. Each theme answer crosses at least one other theme entry.

Fun clues too. I don't get START POSITION (68A. Site of a surprise?) though. What site? Racing?

ALL I want is for the ALLI (2D. Weight loss brand) entry clued as a partial also. Probably too many fill-in-the-blank partials in the grid already. But I've never heard of ALLI brand.

Across:

1. Confucian principle: TAO. Literally "way".

4. You don't get credit for one: EFF.

7. Do-say connection: AS I. Do as I say.

10. Entrance boundary, perhaps: GATEPOST

18. Mont Blanc site: ALPS

20. Graduate: ALUMNUS. Nice to see a full word rather than ALUM.

22. Seat of Potter County, Texas: AMARILLO. Literally "yellow" in Spanish.

25. Drink: POTATION

26. __ Alley: TIN PAN

27. Biz bigwig: EXEC

28. Atlanta-to-Miami dir.: SSE

29. Lea group: COWS.

30. "Mr. Mojo __": Doors lyric that anagrams into the lead singer's name: RISIN. "Mr. Mojo Risin" is an anagram of Jim Morrison.

32. Jump for joy: EXULT

34. Borrrring: BLAH

45. Sleep acronym: REM (Rapid Eye Movement).

46. Show co-anchored by Robin Roberts, for short: GMA. "Good Morning America".

47. "Yes __!": SIREE

48. Sussex scents: ODOURS. British spelling. Alliteration.

51. Squalid: SEAMY

53. "Paradise Lost" figure: SATAN

55. Woeful cry: ALAS

56. Raptor's roost: AERIE. Alliteration

58. Sharp-tongued: ACERB. Maureen Dowd.

60. Flavor enhancer: MSG

61. Defeatist's words: I CAN'T

62. Word with match or money: MAKING

64. Asian lead-in: EUR. Eurasian.

65. Slip away: VANISH

67. Some map lines: Abbr.: STS (Streets)

72. Colo. is on it: MST (Mountain Standard Time).

75. Usual practice: CUSTOM

76. "Spy vs. Spy" magazine: MAD. The Mad Magazine.

77. Put on the staff?: NOTATE. Musical staff.

79. Impolite look: STARE

82. __-Wan Kenobi: OBI. "Star Wars".

83. Year in Augustus' reign: ONE BC. Was expecting Roman numeral.

86. "She __ Yellow Ribbon": 1949 John Wayne film: WORE A

87. Bananas: LOCO. I am a banana.

90. Factotum: DO-ALL. Handyman. Factotum is a new word to me. So close to factum.

92. Tapers?: VCRS. One that tapes. Fooled me.

93. Beginning: OUTSET

95. Like many a dirt road: RUTTY

98. Half a laugh: HEE. Tee hee. Reminds me of our old "Half a fly" for TSE.

104. "Holy cow!": GEEZ

105. Military camp: ETAPE. Forgot the word again.

107. Roundup critter: STEER

108. Isaac's eldest: ESAU. He sold his birthright to Jacob.

111. Nods, perhaps: OKS. I was picturing a dozing person.

113. Valued frames: CELS

115. Showy, in a way: GILDED

118. Botswana desert: KALAHARI. No idea.

123. More than accepts: EMBRACES

124. Sneaks on the court?: TENNIES. Tennis court. Sneakers. I was clueless.

125. Wholly __ part: OR IN

126. Way behind everyone: DEAD LAST. A rare last repetition with LAST GASP (91D. Desperate).

127. "I'm so glad!": YAY

128. Good name, for short: REP (Reputation)

129. Take in: SEE

Down:

1. 1920s chief justice: TAFT. The only president who also served as chief justice.

4. Profit: EARNINGS

5. Andy Capp's wife: FLO. Obtained the answer via crosses.

6. Become enraged: FUME

7. Building wing: ANNEX. Rhyme.

8. She-demons: SUCCUBI. No idea. Plural of succubus. Dictionary defines it as "demon in female form, said to have sexual intercourse with men in their sleep". Opposite of incubus.

9. Expert finish?: ISE. Expertise.

10. Memory problems: GAPS

11. One-celled protozoan: AMOEBA

12. Body art, briefly: TAT. Tattoo.

13. Baseball stat: ERA

15. Hodgepodge: OLIO

16. School zone sign: SLOW

17. Scads: TONS

19. Retro photo: SEPIA

21. __ out: uses up, as credit: MAXES

24. Job: TASK

31. Site of Hercules' first labor: NEMEA. And LION (35. Victim of Hercules' first labor).

33. Metallica drummer Ulrich: LARS. Sigh. His name escaped me again.

36. Additionally: AND

37. Deep-bodied fish: BREAMS. Don't know this fish. Quite big.

38. Do an usher's job: RESEAT

39. WWII noncombat unit: WAAC (Women's Army Auxiliary Corps). One of our fellow solvers Southern Belle served with WAAC.

41. Suggests: GETS AT

42. Sinuous dance: HULA

43. Pakistan neighbor: IRAN

44. Attention-getting sound: PSST

47. Ice cream soda ingredient: SYRUP

50. "Richard __": III. Rich III.

54. Latin lambs: AGNI. Plural of Agnus. Agnus Dei is "Lamb of God".

57. Happen next: ENSUE

59. Antacid, briefly: BROMO. As in Bromo-Seltzer. Stumper.

61. "__ a bad time?": IS NOW

63. Alfa Romeo sports cars: GTS

66. Carbonium, e.g.: ION

69. Bit of physics: ATOM

73. Dorm room setup: STEREO

74. Prickly plant: TEASEL. Another alliteration.

78. "Mazel __!": TOV

79. Unappetizing serving: SLOP

80. Hit the road: TOUR. Nice clue.

81. Entr'__: ACTE

84. It may be carried or dropped: BALL. Nailed it.

85. Becomes sickeningly sweet: CLOYS

88. "Don't look __!": AT ME. Wanted BACK.

89. Editor's mark: STET

94. Jargon ending: ESE. Jargonese? Dictionary only has jargonize, to talk in jargon.

96. Internal airway: TRACHEA. The windpipe.

100. Island group that includes São Miguel: AZORES. Here is a good map. Islands west of Lisbon.

101. Joint tenant?: FELON. Joint = Prison. My favorite clue today.

102. Plaster, as a room cover: CEIL

103. "Duh!" relative: HELLO?

106. Indiana state flower: PEONY. Very popular flower in Chinese painting.

112. Commercial suffix with Star: KIST. StarKist.

114. Cookbook direction: STIR

116. Buffalo's county: ERIE

117. Fraction of a newton: DYNE

119. Golfer Sutton: HAL. Ryder Cup captain once.

120. Here, in Juárez: ACA. Again, got the answer via crosses.

121. Chester White's home: STY. Have never heard of pig breed Chester White. Originated in Chester Country, PA.

122. Turn to the right: GEE. "Turn to the left" is HAW.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday April 24, 2010 Samuel A. Donaldson

Theme: None

Total words: 68

Total blocks: 30

Very scrabbly puzzle, with 5 Zs, 2 Xs, 2 Js, 1Q and several Ks. Seven-letter entries abound, and triple stacks in each Down quadrant. Pack & Stack, in Clear Ayes' words.

A disaster for me, Krakatoa style. Couldn't even nail XIA (26A. First chronicled Chinese dynasty). Xia Dynasty existed between 2070 and 1600 BC. Xia literally means "summer" in Chinese.

Across:

1. Psychs (up): PUMPS

6. Frolicker in a Peter, Paul and Mary song: PUFF. "Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea/ And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called honah lee...". Love the tune, even though I don't truly understand the lyrics.

10. Sith rivals: JEDI. From the "Star Wars".

14. "Cut __!": IT OUT. And A NICE (58. "What __ surprise!"). Two fill-in-the-blank partials.

15. Evaporating sea: ARAL. I like how it crosses another crossword stalwart URAL (7D. Kazakhstan river).

16. Utah home of the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival: OREM. Pure guess. The crossword answer for Utah city is either OREM and PROVO.

17. Symphony section: CELLI. What? I thought the plural for cello is just cellos.

18. Go back and forth: PACE

19. It can be hard to get over: HUMP

20. Big name in publishing: KNOPF. Publisher for Bill Clinton's "My Life". Random House imprint.

21. Costanza portrayer: ALEXANDER (Jason). George Costanza, from "Seinfeld".

23. Requests: ASKS FOR

25. Even considering: DESPITE

27. Bind: JAM

29. Washington et al.: STATES

30. "Gentlemen's Agreement" Oscar winner: ELIA KAZAN. Nice to see his full name. (Sorry for the error earlier.)

34. Sorry lot?: RUERS. Lovely spin on a tired answer.

35. Curious: QUIZZICAL. Such a scrabbly answer.

37. About to bloom: IN BUD

40. Saw only good qualities in: IDEALIZED

44. "__ Boom-de-ay": vaudeville song: TA-RA-RA. Have never heard of this song.

46. Withdrawal aid, for short: ATM

47. I, to Claudius: ONE. Roman numeral. I was thinking of "I", me. Great play on "I, Claudius".

48. Lit conditions?: STUPORS. Lit = Intoxicated.

50. Fanatics: ZEALOTS

53. Aircraft accelerators: TAILWINDS

55. They precede finals: SEMIS

56. "Play it, Sam" speaker: ILSA. From "Casablanca".

57. Fed. anti-discrimination org.: EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)

59. Demeanor: MIEN. The "Pouty look" is MOUE.

60. Eye protector: LASH

61. Roadside sign: DINER. And UTENSIL (2D Part of a place setting).

62. Soothe: EASE

63. Half an arcade trademark: SKEE. Skee-Ball.

64. Inner turmoil: ANGST. The red sky in Munch's "The Scream" is said to be the global effect of the 1883 eruption of the Karakatoa, which appeared in Jerome's puzzle yesterday.

Down:

1. Groundbreaking invention: PICKAXE. Excellent clue.

3. Island where Father Damien cared for lepers: MOLOKAI. Where's our Hawaiian gang? They were quite active for a few days.

4. Dime novels: PULPS

5. Lucky one?: STIFF. Why? I don't get this clue.

6. Star chasers: PAPARAZZI. Another scrabbly answer.

8. Confronted: FACED

9. Shows off at the gym: FLEXED

10. 33-day pope, 1978: JOHN PAUL I. Got me. Such a short reign. I remember a pope was poisoned in "The Godfather". Was it our guy?

11. Learned: ERUDITE

12. Greek goddess of agriculture: DEMETER. I can only think of her Roman counterpart Ceres. That's how we got the word cereal.

13. Wow: IMPRESS

22. Stellar: ASTRAL

24. California city near Los Padres National Forest: OJAI. Clear Ayes' daughter graduated from a high school in Ojai.

28. Tribute maker: MAZDA. "Zoom-zoom". I was not thinking of car at all.

31. Water skis alternative: AQUAPLANE

32. "Friends" actress: KUDROW (Lisa)

33. Übermensch philosopher: NIETZSCHE. Übermensch = "Superman" in German. I am suffering from language Aphasia. Used to know how to spell his name properly.

36. Attended: CAME

37. "Let's go now": IT'S TIME

38. Russian supermodel Vodianova: NATALIA. Faintly remember this girl. Prosopagnosia is an awesome word, Gunghy.

39. Bumps' partners: BRUISES

41. Moving quickly: ZOOMING

42. Lures: ENTICES

43. Finishing course: DESSERT

45. __ Grotto: ocean-themed Disney World play area: ARIEL'S. Not familiar with this place at all.

49. Quarterback's play: SNEAK

51. Carne __: Mexican beef dish: ASADA. Literally "roasted meat". Not a Mexican food fan. I do love avocado though.

52. October Revolution leader: LENIN

54. Shot amount: DOSE

Answer grid.

C.C.

Friday April 23, 2010 Jerome Gunderson

Theme: W(in)! - W is inserted into the start of the first word of each common phrase.

17A. Stonemason's goal?: (W)ALL IN A DAY'S WORK. All in a Day's Work.

27A. Flirt's mascara stains?: (W)INK BLOTS. Ink Blots. Fun clue. Vivid image.

48A. Dermatology class videos?: (W)ART FILMS. Art Films. I sure don't want to see those videos.

62A. Inherited wealth?: (W)ILL- GOTTEN GAINS. Ill-gotten Gains.

One of the easiest letter (or letter string) addition/deletion/substitution Friday puzzles I've done. But it's packed with fun. Jerome's playfulness is in full display.

Seeing GELDINGS (4D. Kelso and Funny Cide) made me smile. Thought of Dan Naddor's suggested clue for Jerome: "Gone nuts, horsewise?". Probably too much for Rich.

Across:

1. Lively Cuban dance: CONGA. Obtained the answer from Downs.

6. They can be loose or tight: ENDS. Loose/tight ends. Awesome clue.

10. Shade of red: BEET

14. Sharon of Israel: ARIEL. Still in coma.

15. Bobby's informant: NARK. New to me. Looks like a variant of NARC, doesn't it? Bobby = Cop in Britain.

16. Moisturizer brand: OLAY. My favorite brand.

20. Word before or after dog: SLED. Nice clue too.

21. Islamic spiritual guide: IMAM

22. Contemptible people: SWINE.

25. Biography opener?: AUTO. Autobiography.

30. Fanciful idea: WHIM. I've got a lot.

34. "It's what's hot in pain relief" brand: BENGAY

35. Feudal estate: FIEF. Can you think of any other 4-letter word starting and ending in letter F?

37. Caesar's morning meal?: OVA. Eggs in Latin.

38. "Man is __ himself when he talks in his own person": Wilde: LEAST. Not familiar with this line.

39. Chain with pieces, briefly: KFC. Chicken pieces. Got me.

40. Rose petal pest: APHID

42. PC program: APP (Application)

43. French 101 infinitive: ETRE. To be.

45. Bustle (with): ABOUND

46. High-tech unit: BYTE

50. With wild abandon: AMOK

52. Chiwere speaker: OTOE. Easy guess. Chiwere is a new word to me also.

53. End of a series: OMEGA. Greek alphabet series.

58. Curdle: CLOT

65. Celtic language: ERSE

66. Whitecap formation: FOAM

67. Befuddled: AT SEA

68. Feat: DEED

69. Minnesota __: FATS. Pool player. He's in Paul Newman's "The Hustler".

70. Antares or Betelgeuse: M STAR. No idea. Star classification often stumps me. M is the tiny orange dot.

Down:

1. Crow cacophony: CAWS. CC alliteration.

2. Like much lore: ORAL. Like some of the Minnesota Fats stories.

3. River from Lake Victoria: NILE

5. Frazier foe: ALI. Joe Frazier. Boxing.

6. Glossy paint: ENAMEL

7. Zip, to Zapata: NADA. Alliteration again.

8. Like many a rescue: DRAMATIC. Great clue & Answer.

9. Something to look up to: SKY. Fooled me last time. Again today.

10. Certain pet, in totspeak: BOWWOW. Dog.

11. Childlike Wells race: ELOI. From "The Time Machine".

13. Kid: TYKE. I liked the consecutive kid clues in this corner.

18. "Build it somewhere else" acronym: NIMBY (Not In My Backyard)

19. Flier with a bent nose: SST

24. Shark or Penguin footwear: SKATE. San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins. NHL teams.

27. Obviously sad: WEEPY

28. Unsuitable: INAPT

29. Buyer's proposal: OFFER

31. Boring: HO-HUM

32. Political columnist Molly: IVINS. She had a sharp tongue, esp when she lashed out against W.

33. Anti-DUI org.: MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)

34. Betray a confidence, perhaps: BLAB

36. One-named male model: FABIO. Not my type.

39. Volcano in the Sunda Strait: KRAKATOA. Also the name of the island, between Java and Sumatra. Violent eruption in 1883.

41. Skunk relatives: POLECATS. I like the four long Downs.

44. Company quorum?: TWO. Two's a company. Three's a crowd.

45. "Sweet" river in a Burns poem: AFTON. "Flow gently, sweet Afton".

47. Made 3 on a par-5: EAGLED. Two under par (on a par-3 hole, that would be hole-in-one). One under par = Birdie. One over par = Bogey. Loved Al's Eagle, Albatross, Condor, Ostrich & Turkey list last time.

49. Clan emblems: TOTEMS

51. Mad, e.g., briefly: MAG. The Mad Magazine.

53. Due: OWED

54. Bog down: MIRE

55. Word suggesting options: ELSE. Or Else.

57. Doc's "Now!": STAT

59. Tilt: LIST

60. Pre-military rank?: ONE A. Top draft status.

61. Royal Russian of yore: TSAR.

63. Amiss: OFF

64. Pinup's leg: GAM. Jennifer Aniston has the perfect gams.

Answer grid.

Here are a few beautiful pictures from Jazzbumpa's last Florida trip. Click on each one, it will enlarge. My favorite is the one titled Picnic. Lovely colors. Lovely clan. Is that you in "A Message in a Bottle", Jazz?

C.C.

Thursday April 22, 2010 Jack McInturff

Theme: LILY TOMLIN (57A. "All of Me" actress whose first name is a hint to this puzzle's theme) - The first word of each theme answer is a type of lily.

18A. Father of Sam and Charlie: TIGER WOODS. Tiger Lily. See this photo. Tiger's wife Elin holds their daughter Sam, and Charlie is in Tiger's arms. The clue struck me as obscure, esp for non-golfers who don't follow the Tiger scandal.

20A. South Pacific site of large stone statues: EASTER ISLAND. Easter Lily.

35A. Continuously: DAY AFTER DAY. Daylily. The dried flowers of some daylilies are commonly used in Chinese cuisine, though the word daylily itself is new to me. We just call them golden needles.

54A. Asian draft animal: WATER BUFFALO. Water Lily. Did not know water buffalo are used as draft animals.

Hmm, we seem to have a trend for longer unifier now. At least, Jack loves longer ones. In his last PO' BOY puzzle, PO is inserted into each common phrase and no BOY is to be found.

A year ago, we would just have four theme entries with a defining LILY at the lower right corner of the grid. I do love the LILY TOMLIN hook. Symmetrically it balances out TIGER WOODS nicely. Jack also provides us with lots of nice long words with 6 or more letters. I counted 20. Awesome!

Favorite clue today is BED (12D. Something that goes with breakfast?). Bed and Breakfast. I was thinking of crossword.

Across:

1. Tsp. and tbsp.: AMTS

5. Old orchard spray: ALAR

9. Abu __: DHABI. Capital of the United Arab Emirates.

14. Separate by color, say: SORT. Wanted CODE.

15. Angle function: SINE

16. Barely flowed: OOZED

17. Hairy "pet": CHIA

22. Casual evenings: NITES. Nice clue.

23. Dull: TIRESOME

27. One might be snappy: DRESSER. Great clue too.

30. Anti vote: NAY

31. __ Kan: Alpo rival: KAL, Kal-Kan. What's the name origin for this pet food company?

32. Some game enders: MATES. Chess game.

34. They come and go: FADS. Nailed it.

39. Enter: GO IN

41. Search stealthily: PROWL

42. Abate: EBB

43. Rosemary's portrayer: MIA (Farrow)

46. Hides: STASHES

50. Mind: LISTEN TO

53. Clinton Labor secretary Robert: REICH. Man, I can never remember his name.

60. __ on the shoulder: A TAP

61. Author __ Rogers St. Johns: ADELA. I confuse her name with Fred Astaire's sister ADELE.

62. __ sci: POLI. Political science. Not a familiar abbr to me.

63. Pointed end: CUSP

64. Feature of Oregon sales: NO TAX. Got the answer from crossings.

65. Singles: ONES.

66. Latin I word: ESSE. To be.

Down:

1. Go up: ASCEND

2. Angora fabric: MOHAIR. Angora goat.

3. Sad, to Sarkozy: TRISTE. Good alliteration.

4. Churchill or Roosevelt, e.g.: STATESMAN

5. Star sci.: ASTR. Astronomy.

6. 10% of DXXX: LIII. 10% of 530=53.

7. Apprehension: ANGST

8. Catch from a pier: REEL IN

9. "The Soloist" co-star: DOWNEY. Robert John Downey, Jr. I've never seen "The Soloist".

10. Robbery accessories: HOODS

11. Nitrogen-based dye: AZO. Azo dye. Learned from doing Xword.

13. Psyche parts: IDS. Id, ego, and super-ego are the three parts of Freud's psyche definition. Lois is a master at this stuff.

19. Avis lead-in: RARA. Rara avis.

21. Samuel Johnson work: ESSAY

24. "You bet": OKAY

25. Alfred E. Neuman is its mascot: MAD. The Mad Magazine.

26. Overhead transports: ELS

28. LAX posting: ETA

29. Court decision maker: REF. Tennis court. (Update: Basketball court. Sorry for the error.)

33. Indy 500 advertiser: STP

34. Mask: FALSE FACE

35. Ownership call: DIBS

36. Speech hesitations: ERS

37. Malarkey: ROT. Malarkey is a new word to me.

38. Happy, for one: DWARF. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". Stymied me.

39. Hair stiffener: GEL

40. Geisha's sash: OBI

43. Spareribs separator: MEAT AX. It's just called cleaver, isn't it?

44. Keen on: INTO

45. Musical direction after ritardando, perhaps: A TEMPO. No idea. Waiting for Jazzbumpa for more explanation.

47. Gap: HIATUS

48. Mercedes sedan category: E-CLASS. So, E stands for executive, Dennis?

49. Quaint retail word: SHOPPE. Ye Olde Shoppe. I used to think Ye stands for "you" until I read Spitzboov & Jazzbumapa's "the" discussion on the blog a few days ago.

51. Tony winner Tharp: TWYLA. Got her this time.

52. Sweater synthetic: ORLON

55. Peevishness: BILE

56. Les États-__: UNIS. The US in French.

57. Data-sharing syst.: LAN (Local Area Network).

58. Chapel vow: I DO

59. Ease, with "up": LET

Answer grid.

I just added "Search This Blog" box below "Blog Archive" at the right end of the blog front page. Simply type in "Jeannie's Meatloaf" or anything we've discussed at the blog writeup or Comments section, the related posts should appear at the very top of the blog.

C.C.

Wednesday April 21, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: WHAT'S THAT RACKET? - The last word of each phrase is a synonym for RACKET, meaning loud noise.

17A. Consequence of the subprime mortgage fiasco: REAL ESTATE CRASH

25A. Exit spectacularly: GO OUT WITH A BANG

42A. Punished severely, with "on": LOWERED THE BOOM

55A. Complaint from one trying to concentrate, perhaps, and this puzzle's title: WHAT'S THAT RACKET?

So indulgent in the middle: SHOP, WOK, EAT, WINE, GALLO, CREPE, KEG .. then a GORGE and SPASM at the end.

melissa bee here.

Across:

1. Harpsichord relative: PIANO. A harpsichord looks a lot like a piano, but the sound comes from the strings being plucked, like a harp.

6. Doorframe part: JAMB. The upright pieces that form the sides of the door opening.

10. One of Hammett's Charleses: NORA. Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man series, featured Nick and Nora Charles.

14. Aggressive poker bet: ALL IN. Wiki's explanation.

15. Spooky-sounding lake: ERIE (sounds like "eerie")

16. Musician Clapton: ERIC. Change the world.

20. Start of something? ESS. The letter S in the word Start. Fantastic clue.

21. Accident investigation agcy.: NTSB. National Transportation Safety Board.

22. Lowly assistant: FLUNKY

23. Swindle: ROOK. Synonyms for scam or defraud.

24. Move quickly, as clouds: SCUD. "To run or skim along swiftly and easily." I can never see this word without thinking of Arthur Kent, the scud stud.

31. Get out of bed: ARISE

32. Hunan pans: WOKS. Hunan Food (very hot) is one of the major cuisines in China. From Hunan Province where Mao Ze-Dong was from. "Hunan pan" is a nice rhyming clue for singular WOK.

33. Consume: EAT

35. Cellar stock: WINE

36. Blin, in Blois: CREPE. Dessert anyone? Alliteration. Blois is a city in Central France. Blin is singular of Blini.

38. Chip's buddy: DALE. Disney chipmunks.

39. Frat party staple: KEG

40. Mindless repetition: ROTE

41. Championship: TITLE

46. Guns: REVS.

47. Word after open or seven: SEAS

48. Take big steps: STRIDE. Didn't know stride necessarily implied big.

51. Hit or miss? VERB. Favorite clue/answer, so sneaky.

52. Special __: military force: OPS. Highly trained police or military groups that conduct special operations.

58. Aqueduct feature: ARCH. Like this.

59. Lob: TOSS

60. Narrow canyon: GORGE

61. Cook in the microwave: NUKE

62. Fencer's weapon: EPEE

63. Tic, e.g.: SPASM. i've treated a few of those.

Down:

1. Peel: PARE

2. Martinique et Re'union: ILES. French island in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Nice beaches.

3. "__, poor Yorick!": Hamlet: ALAS. Kenneth Branaugh in my favorite version.

4. Zilch: NIL. Zero.

5. Musically monotonous: ONE NOTE

6. Zippy watercraft: JETSKI

7. Like about 20% of Israeli citizens today: ARAB

8. Univ. near Harvard: MIT. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge.

9. Stud muffin photos: BEEFCAKE. His brother lived next door to my brother in Texas. Everything's bigger there.

10. Chilean poet Pablo: NERUDA. No idea. Interesting guy. Won the Nobel Prize in 1971.

11. Algerian seaport: ORAN. Rote. Yves Saint Laurent was born in ORAN.

12. Game played on a world map: RISK. Have you ever played?

13. Sore: ACHY. Starting to feel like i'm at work.

18. Store in a hold: STOW

19. Clover-shaped suit: CLUBS

23. Artful stratagem: RUSE

24. Engage in retail therapy? SHOP. Not a shopper. I prefer other therapies.

25. Stare in wonder: GAWK. Here.

26. Bay window: ORIEL

27. New Wave band __ Boingo: OINGO

28. Tammany Hall name: TWEED. William Marcy (Boss) Tweed was the political boss of the Tweed Ring and Tammany Hall.

29. "Peachy keen!": NEATO

30. Carlo Rossi winemaker: GALLO

34. Be rife (with): TEEM

36. Sports car named for a small warship: CORVETTE

37. Info in AAA TripTiks: RTES. Routes. TripTiks is a trip planning tool for AAA customers.

38. "That's mine!": DIBS

40. Saxes and oboes: REEDS

41. They usually have strings attached: TEA BAGS. Great clue.

43. Twist in pain: WRITHE

44. Scary African fly: TSETSE. Haven't seen the dreaded 'half a fly' for a while.

45. Frau's spouse: HERR. Courtesy title in German, equivalent to Sir or Lord.

48. Ugly duckling, actually: SWAN. Children's story.

49. Drive-__ window: THRU

50. Pinion partner: RACK. Common steering mechanism.

51. Still life subject: VASE. Like this.

52. Gumbo pod: OKRA

53. Things for hanging things: PEGS

54. Stern's opposite: STEM. From stem to stern.

56. Emulate Kanga: HOP. Kangaroo.

57. Radar gun aimer: COP

Answer grid.

melissa