Saturday, Jan 21st, 2012, Brad Wilber & Doug Peterson

Theme: None

Words: 72

Blocks: 32

Happy Birthday to C.C. and her Crossword Corner Blog - we turn "Four" today ~!!!

To celebrate, we have two of our regular constructors teaming up, much like our host does with her co-conspirator DonG. I got through this one without red-letter, or a Google cheat, but not without waking up some of the darker portions of my sleeping brain....A pinwheel of triple elevens and nines, no spanners or climbers, but a tough solve all the same. Lots of proper names, and foreign ones, too, which never makes it easy, and one name I refused to give up on (17A.).

Onward~!

ACROSS:

1. Fictional Bagne of Toulon prisoner : JEAN VALJEAN - I had not a clue; reference to Les Misérables; here is a little on the location

12. "How relaxing!" : AHH

15. Military sanction : ARMS EMBARGO - the "O" at the end was a big help; not too many words there

16. Friend of Piglet : ROO - Characters from Winnie the Pooh

17. The Hulk, untransformed : BRUCE BANNER - Now, I grew up on the TV series in the 70's, with Bill Bixby as DAVID Banner; I would not let this one go until I started on the blog, and checked this link

18. Double-chevron wearer: Abbr. : CPL - when you don't know rank, take your pick; SGT, ENS, ah - Corporal

19. Universal signal since 1908 : S.O.S.

20. Ultravox frontman Midge __ : URE - Total blank; perps filled this in; Brit pop band

21. Held up : LASTED - anyone else start with ROBBED ??

23. Office orders : REAMS - not FORMS, but paper measures

26. Tessellated artwork : MOSAICS - tessellate, from the Latin for small stone cube, which was lurking in my lobes somewhere; a sample

27. Native American in Connecticut : MOHEGAN - for BarryG, probably a straight fill; for me, a duh V-8 can moment, because I see the commercials for the casino 'Mohegan Sun' in CT all the time....

30. Dylan contemporary : OCHS - More here

31. Gave a shot, say : DOSED - the Doctor who "1D.'s" you with a needle

34. Spica's constellation : VIRGO - we just had these two

36. Sprinkling : FEW - I had "TAD" to start

37. Lacking a point : INANE

38. First name in spy fiction : IAN - Flemming, James Bond's creator - for you, C.C. (Xie Xie.)

39. 2010 Literature Nobelist Mario Vargas __ : LLOSA - More here

41. Ga. airport that serves Hilton Head Island : SAV - D'oh~!! Another V-8 moment; this airport

42. Prefix with -loquent : MAGNI - pompous

44. Highest score possible with a single dart : SIXTY - a triple 20



45. Keen : AVID

47. Missed payment result : LATE FEE

49. Louisiana license plate image : PELICAN - Image

51. Baseball Hall of Famer Cap : ANSON - If it's baseball, I defer to C.C. (From C.C.. Wow, I've never heard of the guy. Died in 1922. The first player to have over 3,000 career hits. He played a record 27 consecutive seasons, the last game with the Chicago Colts (now Cubs) in 1897. Inducted into the Hall in 1939 by the Veteran's Committee. Just a Wiki summary.)

54. Easy to erect : PREFABricated, like houses

55. Crony : PAL

57. Memory unit, briefly : MEG

59. Labyrinth location : EAR - canal #1

60. The Bridge of the Americas locale : PANAMA CANAL - canal #2

64. Gone by : AGO

65. Yellow Brick Road terminus : EMERALD CITY - not "THE LAND OF OZ", but I was never a big fan

66. Remote abbr. : REW

67. "Charlie's Angels" actress : KATE JACKSON - one of eight that I can think of, from TV and movies - Image, on left

DOWN:

1. Ring sequence : JABS - Boxing ring

2. Reason for striking out : ERROR - Ah, not whiff, as in baseball, but in tezt - text

3. Divert : AMUSE

4. White House foreign policy gp. : NSC - National Security Council

5. Certain migratory pattern : VEE



6. Jump : AMBUSH

7. Brace with a 90-degree bend : L-BAR

8. Krakowski of "30 Rock" : JANE - Image; dated a girl who looked just like her

9. Southwest add-on : ERN - SouthwestERN

10. Really drawn-out : AGE-LONG

11. Dunn and Ephron of Hollywood : NORAS

12. Lemming predator : ARCTIC FOX - Image ( a tad rough )

13. Trousseau holder : HOPE CHEST

14. Reigns : HOLDS SWAY

22. __ Miguel, largest of the Azores : SAO - I WAGed SAN, got close enough

24. "Well said!" : AMEN

25. PC peripheral : MODEM

26. Hitchcock title kleptomaniac : MARNIE

28. "B.J. and the Bear" star Greg : EVIGAN - another show I grew up with, and totally believed was real - a truck driver with his co-pilot, a chimpanzee....ah, youth

29. Goliath, for one : GIANT

31. Become extinct : DISAPPEAR

32. Typically : ON AVERAGE

33. London street known for high-end haberdasheries : SAVILE ROW - Map-ish

35. His watch signals Superman : OLSEN - Jimmy, the photographer at the Daily Planet; I was thinking Alfred or Commissioner Gordon, but that's BATman

40. Whoppers : LIES

43. Mobile home? : ALABAMA - Mobile, the city

46. Lack of similarity, informally : DIF

48. Holly follower? : FA-LA-LA - Christmas song, Deck the Halls "...with boughs of holly..."

50. "War with the Newts" sci-fi novelist, 1936 : CAPEK

52. Old Dodges with front-wheel drive : OMNIs

53. "Swell!" : NEATO

55. Trim : PARE

56. Key of Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2 : A MAJ - I had the "A" from Pal and the "J" from Jackson, so I had the key, and it was not minor

58. Romance novelist Elinor : GLYN

61. Circus safeguard : NET

62. Quarantine advisory org. : CDC - Centers for Disease Control - Gov't Agcy

63. Speech balloon cry of dismay : ACK~!! - Bill the Cat, Bloom County

Answer grid.

Yes, No, Maybe, Not ~?

Thank you, C.C., for a wonderful way to start the day, and my gratitude for being allowed to help everyone get through a tough Saturday puzzle~!

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

As Splynter mentioned earlier, we turn "Four" today! I want to say a special "Thank you" to Dennis and all my blogging crew. Without their constant nurturing & hard work, this blog would have withered and died last Fall. I also want to thank those who donated, commented and wrote me emails. I appreciate your kindness and readership.

Friday, January 20, 2012, Jack McInturff

Theme: I will B Ceeing you later. Each of the five theme answers are phrases with the last word having a “B” replace the “C” in the original phrase, creating a rib tickling new phrase. I always enjoy this 81 year old constructor, who had his first puzzle published when he was 73. You newbies might want to read his INTERVIEW. And away we go...

17A. Adelaide altercation?: AUSTRALIAN BRAWL, Hi KZ, from OZ, did you learn to swim with the Australian Crawl?

31A. Beginning poet?: GREEN BARD. I wonder if Shakespeare would be able to a Green Card to work in the US?

39A. Fight over the last quart of milk?: DAIRY BATTLE. Being lactose intolerant, no chance, but I do like them Cattle.

46A. One always talking about his MacBook Air?: APPLE BORE. A very accurate image of Apple users, and does bring to mind my favorite APPLE CORE.

63A. Can't color the sky, say?: DOESN'T HAVE A BLUE. I do not have a clue why he did not use AZURE.

And the unifier, which did not help me:

62D. Handle user, and a hint to this puzzle's theme: CBER.

ACROSS:

1. Certain lymphocytes: T-CELLS. Made famous during the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

7. Clumsy sort: LUG. I wanted OAF, but I got LEI'd so I was okay.

10. Kind of signal: BUSY. A cute but almost obsolete concept.

14. Had none left: RAN OUT. Just when he had to go on stage his jokes were gone.

15. Ajman and Fujairah, for two: EMIRATES. One of the seven principalities which make up the UAE; unlike the more familiar Abu Dhabi or Dubai, AJMAN has problems.

19. "Are we ready?": IS IT A GO? TAGO?

20. Pose: SIT. Have anyone here had a painting done?

21. Relay part: LEG. Racing.

22. Singer's yeshiva boy: YENTL. Barbra's MOVIE. (3:15).

25. Samoa's capital: APIA. Pretty.

29. Joint acct. info: SSNS. Social Security Numbers.

34. Jazz __: ERA. Age, Era. Tomato tomato.

37. Keen on: INTO. Man she was really into the Smashing Pumpkins.

38. Pince-__ glasses: NEZ. French for nose. Also an Indian tribe.

42. ESP, e.g. : PSI. This LINK.

44. Palm starch : SAGO. This is a basic food of the southwest Pacific area, where it is used in meal form to prepare soups, cakes, and puddings. See Melville.

45. Exhaust: USE. Use up?

49. Court team: Abbr.: ATTS. Attorneys, but the ATTY, is the preferred abbreviation.

53. Org. at 11 Wall St.: NYSE. New York Stock Exchange.

54. Rubs the right way?: ROLFS. Named after IDA.

57. Big Apple subway div.: IRT. Interborough Rapid Transit.

58. Sneeze, cough, etc.: AIL.

61. Certain college member: ELECTOR. The antiquated Electoral College, too much politics.

68. Stuff in the back: APPENDIX. In the back of the book, not the body.

69. Soaks: STEEPS. Tea bag, or tea bagging?

70. Cleaning challenge: MESS. Yes, I am not very good at this, my excuse being my poor vision.

71. Date: SEE. Why I wonder?

72. Swarms: HORDES. Not bees.

and then:

DOWN:

1. Gets behind: TRAILS, like in the polls; immediately followed by 2D. Things to get behind: CAUSES; all these behinds and I cannot talk politics. Dennis, WH, help me. Buckeye, Crockett, where are you when I need you?

3. Naval officer: ENSIGN. I am now hooked on NCIS.

4. Early 2000s Senate minority leader: LOTT.

5. Virginia's __ Caverns: LURAY.

6. Life time: STAGE. Really, it is just a stage I am going through, just very slowly.

7. Island welcome: LEI. Where are our Hawaiian friends? Mahalo.

8. Emma's portrayer in "The Avengers": UMA. 11D. Hagen of Broadway: UTA. Don't you just love a man who gets these two in so close together

9. Wins a certain card game: GINS. Gin Rummy, not 'and Tonic'.

10. Drink listing: BAR TAB. I had how many GINS?!?

12. Alter, maybe: SEW.

13. Fashion monogram: YSL. Yves St. Laurent

16. Slugger's stat: RBI. For you KZ, baseball, Runs Batted In.

18. Pine: LONG. Very tricky for a simple clue as TREE also has 4 letters.

23. Bridge renamed for RFK in 2008: TRIBORO. Spanning the Harlem River, the Bronx Kill, and the Hell Gate (part of the East River), the bridges connect the boroughs of Manhattan, Queens, and The Bronx via Randall's Island and Wards Island, which are joined by landfill. (WIKI).

24. Olin of "Alias": LENA. A Swedish actress who has done everything from TV's Alias to a role in this great MOVIE. (2:30).

26. Glass piece: PANE. Window pane.

27. Wrath: IRE. Don't get angry if there is some crosswordese fill.

28. Wood-smoothing tool: ADZ. You must memorize this one.

30. Place for buoys and gulls: SEA.

32. Words spoken before the Senate: ET TU. And you, Brutus? By poor dying Julius.

33. Have-__: disadvantaged: NOTS.

35. Gentle slope: RISE. A bunny run, hearti?

36. __ League: ARAB.This has 22 countries, and none of the old UAE as members.

39. Market fluctuations: DIPS. All peaks and valleys in the Stock Market, not the produce market.

40. Wolf Frankenstein shoots him, in a 1939 film: YGOR. The SEQUEL (0:40).

41. Green span: LEA. A nice erudite federal reserve pun.

42. Trash, in a way: PAN. A bad review, not garbage; well sometimes garbage.

43. Alias user: SPY. This MOVIE? (1:21).

47. Landlord's fileful: LEASES.

48. Mtn. stat: ELEV. ation.

50. Like nobility: TITLED. Milady...

51. Band on the road: TROUPE. A french word co-opted and used synonymously with troop and company.

52. Burnout cause: STRESS.

55. Crayola color renamed Peach in 1962: FLESH. Yes finally colored people would appear in different colors. No politics, just fact.

56. Cold War defense acronym: SEATO. Southeast Asia Treaty Organization

59. B&B: INN. This will always be Brandy and Benedictine to me, rather than Bed and Breakfast.

60. Fords of the past: LTDS. Ford made lots of them, mostly big behemoth cars like the Galaxie 500 and the Crown Vic.

63. Impede : DAM. Dam, some of these clues impeded my solving and writing. I was such and eager beaver.

64. Unlock, in verse: OPE. "Ere Heaven shall ope' her portals ...": Byron.

65. Mini-albums, briefly: EPS. Extended Plays.

66. Make haste: HIE. One of those great English words that has so many Homonyms, Hi, High, Heigh, and of course HAI.

67. Fire: AXE. A pretty dramatic word for termination, which I guess is pretty final sounding as well, and the name of the band, and a perfect place for me to exit.

Answer grid.

A real honor to be a part of this group and to prepare the last write up of year 4. An exciting time here at the corner, a wonderful week of puzzles continues, and hope to C you all next time. B good.

Lemonade