Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - Bruce Haight

Theme - HOMOPHONIA.  Silly three-word phrases starting with the letter A, and having the indefinite article A in the middle constitute internal echoes.  Actually, the clues themselves are also quite silly.  Call me crazy, but I love the word play in this theme.

17 A. Fall in love with something at the home improvement center? : ADORE A DOOR.  Furniture and appliances are OK, but seldom give you this kind of an opening.

25 A. Bring Bugs into harmony? : ATTUNE A TOON.  TOONS, of course, are cartoon characters.  Bugs is one of the truly great TOONs, and great TOON singers.  And how could he be more ATTUNED than this?



37 A. Get voices in all ranges? : ACQUIRE A CHOIR.  Sopranos, altos, tenors and basses [not to be confused with 61A.]  Anyway, there are no bugs here.



52 A. Severely criticize the store special? : ASSAIL A SALE.  This is a correct usage for ASSAIL - I checked.  Any time you come to The Corner, you get your money's worth

61 A. Criticize the stringed instrument? : ABASE A BASS.  More like degrade than criticize.  But bassist Christian McBride, who I had the great pleasure of preforming with a couple years ago, is above reproach.




Hi, Gang.  JazzBumpa on duty.  Let's see what else Bruce has in store for us.

Across

1. Got taller : GREW.  Use gruesome in a sentence.  OK.  I visited my grandchildren in PA last week.  Since the last time I saw them, they gruesome.

5. Etching supplies : ACIDS.  A mask is used to protect the rest of the surface, and ACID etches into the exposed area to create an image.

10. Ski area in Utah's Wasatch Mountains : ALTA.

Mt Superior from ALTA's Albion Base

14. See 66-Across : RACE.   Here it is --

66. With 14-Across, event with batons : RELAY.  A track and field event of a set distance in which each team has several runners [usually 4.]  At the end of a runner's turn, the baton is handed off to the next runner.

15. Bad news for the waiter : NO TIP.   Rude, too.  We give a minimum 20%, and usually in cash.

16. Classic cars : REOS.   Ransom E. Olds started the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897.  This later became Oldsmobile, a division of General Motors.  He left the company on 1905 and started the REO Motor Car Company in 1905.  It remained in operation until 1975, when assets were liquidated in a bankruptcy proceeding.

19. "Pretty please?" : MAY I.  Childish begging.

20. "Frasier" role : NILES.  Brother of the eponym, Frasier Crane, played by David Hyde Pierce and Kelsey Grammer, respectively. 

21. Debuting on screen : NEW.

23. iPhone, e.g., briefly : PDA.  Personal Data Assistant.  Anyone still have a Blackberry?

24. Scooby-__ : DOO.  Toon dog.  I was never a fan.

30. Golf tee, e.g. : PEG.

31. "Flashdance...What a Feeling" singer Cara : IRENE.

32. Barbecue pair : TONGS.  A device with two movable arms, either joined at one end or in the middle, used to pick up and hold things.

33. Solo in a spotlight : ARIA.  This is the Italian word for air [not to be confused with Ned Stark's younger daughter.]  An air is simply a song, but an ARIA is a dramatic solo in a opera.   I'm not a fan.

35. Smallish batteries : AAs.

36. Med. condition with repetitive behavior : OCD.  Obsessive Compulsive Behavior.  Every time I type that, I have to go wash my hands.

42. Colony resident : ANT.  Usually under ground.

43. Gallery filler : ART.

44. Went like crazy : SPED.

46. Second thought : DOUBT.

49. Get fuzzy, as vision : BLEAR.

51. Grand __ Opry : OLE.  A weekly country music concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 1925.   Not a fan of this either.

54. "Breaking Bad" org. : DEA.  Drug Enforcement Agency.

55. Org. offering written and road tests : DMV.  Department of Motor Vehicles.

56. Mason jar attachment : LID.  That tops it off.

57. Humdrum : BANAL.  Vapid, insipid, old-hat.

59. Start bubbling : BOIL.  No toil, no trouble, just turn on the heat.

65. Greek peak : OSSA.   Because Etna is in Sicily.

67. Site with tech reviews : c|net.  Technology oriented website

68. __ end : DEAD.  The termination of a road or passage with no exit.  Figuratively, any kind of impasse.

69. Wild West transport : STAGE.  A stagecoach was a closed, horse-drawn vehicle used to carry passengers and mail along regular routes

70. Run-of-the-mill : SO-SO.  Mediocre.

Down

1. __ Joe, Charlie's companion on his tour of Wonka's chocolate factory : GRANDPA.

Not everyone's favorite

2. Time before TV : RADIO ERA.  Back in the day.

3. Environment-related : ECOLOGIC.

4. "Where __ you?" : WERE.  Time for excuses.

5. Actress Ortiz of "Ugly Betty" : ANA.  [b 1971] Singer, actress, and domestic abuse advocate.

Acts in movies and on TV

6. Fish sticks fish : COD.

7. Midori on the ice : ITO.  Olympic skater.  Many videos of various length here.

8. Pop singer Warwick : DIONNE.

9. Binge : SPREE.

10. Reliever's asset : ARM.  Baseball relief pitcher.

11. Seize, as an opportunity : LEAP ON.

12. Pooch in your lap, maybe : TOY DOG.  A breed of dog that has been bred to a reduced size.

13. Most people : ASIANS.  Asia is by far the largest continent, and has by far the highest population density.

18. Actor Morales : ESAI.  Frequent crossword visitor.

22. Keep an eye on : WATCH.  Would you keep an eye on my WATCH, please?

26. Personal attribute : TRAIT. A genetically determined characteristic.

27. Rip (up) : TEAR.  Forcefully pull apart

28. Opens, as an official document : UNSEALS.  Without TEARING it, one would hope.

29. Commotions : TO-DOS.  Disturbances, fracases, brouhahas.

34. Jordan's only port : AQABA.  Located at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba, which extends N-N-E from the Red Sea.

36. In base eight : OCTAL.  My eyes glazed over pretty quickly, but if you're interested in base 8, you can read about it here.

38. No later than : UNTIL.

39. Space : AREA.

40. Tiny tunes player : IPOD NANO. A portable media player, now in it's 7th generation.

41. Big events for film studios : RELEASES.

45. Gives a hand : DEALS TO.   Aha - cards, not a helping hand.

46. Somewhat flabby male physique, informally : DAD-BOD.   Never heard this term before, but I guess I have one.

47. Diffuse slowly through a membrane : OSMOSE.   Moving from the side of the barrier with greater concentration to the side with lesser concentration.

48. Permit to enter the States : U.S. VISA.  Allows the visitor to enter, leave or stay for a specified period.

49. Unwise wager : BAD BET.

50. Country's McEntire : REBA.  [b 1955] Singer, song writer, actress, record producer, and eponym for a TV show.

53. Whopper creators : LIARS.  Prevaricators, not burger flippers.

58. Basics : ABCs.  Early steps.

60. Young chap : LAD.

62. According to : A LA.  Common in English, adopted from French. (Cf. 46 D)

63. Give in to gravity : SAG.  As telephone wires, or protruding body parts.

64. Word after eagle or hawk : EYE.  Either way, sharp vision.

That wraps it up.  Hope you had fun with it.

Cool regards!

JzB

Tuesday, September 26, 2017 ~ Peter Gordon

Theme: Sing, Sing, Sing! - Three musical numbers from a 1957 Broadway production.

20. Julie Andrews' "The Sound of Music" role: MARIA VON TRAPP

25. Jimmy Fallon hosts it: THE TONIGHT SHOW

43. Avengers member with a patriotic shield: CAPTAIN AMERICA

50. 9/26/1957 Broadway debut featuring the consecutive songs found at the start of 20-Across, the middle of 25-Across and the end of 43-Across: WEST SIDE STORY

Argyle here. The theme was lost on me until I read the full reveal. Clever.

Across:

1. Sales pitch: SPIEL

6. Outback birds: EMUs

10. Sunup: DAWN

14. Café lure: AROMA

15. Clickable webpage word: LINK

16. Home to billions: ASIA

17. Grass shortener: MOWER

18. Apart from that: ELSE

19. Slightly wet: DAMP

23. Risk, e.g.: GAME

24. Healthful berry: ACAI

31. "Homeland" spy org.: CIA. (Central Intelligence Agency) Homeland is a TV series on Showtime and is in its sixth season.

32. Taxi: CAB

33. Nebraska city: OMAHA

34. "Apocalypse Now" setting, familiarly: NAM

35. Gathering for fans of graphic novels, anime, etc.: COMICON. (comic book convention or comic-con)

38. Delivery vehicle: VAN

39. Painting need: BRUSH

41. Microwave: ZAP

42. Valuable rock: ORE

48. Tolstoy's Karenina: ANNA. 864 pages; too late for a summer read.

49. Dutch cheese: EDAM

55. With 50-Down, tightrope walker's place: HIGH. 50-Down. See 55-Across: WIRE

56. Oscar winner Kazan: ELIA. Best Director—"Gentleman's Agreement"(1948) and "On the Waterfront"(1955) Also, Academy Honorary Award—Lifetime Achievement(1999)

57. Aquafina rival: EVIAN. Bottled water products; Aquafina - Pepsi, EVIAN - Danone(French)

59. Craving: URGE

60. Accelerates, with "up": REVS

61. Foolish: DIPPY

62. Military meal: MESS. 63. Cafeteria carrier: TRAY. Good pairing.

64. V-formation fliers: GEESE. They are starting to form up now.

Down:

1. "Casablanca" pianist: SAM

2. Formal school dance: PROM

3. Corn Belt state: IOWA

4. Rise into view: EMERGE

5. Cattleman's rope: LARIAT

6. Late morning hr.: ELEVEN AM

7. Venus de __: MILO

8. Disentangle: UNSNAG

9. Quick drawing: SKETCH

10. Arp's art movement: DADAISM. Dada was not so much a style of art like Cubism or Fauvism; it was more a protest movement with an anti-establishment manifesto.

11. Right away, in a memo: ASAP. (as soon as possible)

12. Namby-pamby person: WIMP

13. Midday snooze: NAP

21. Gas brand that had a torch in its logo: AMOCO

22. Florida's Boca __: RATON

25. Pageant winner's crown: TIARA

26. Exaggerate, as a stage role: HAM UP

27. Spanish island in the Mediterranean: IBIZA

28. Devastation that's wreaked: HAVOC

29. Scarlett of Tara: O'HARA. Gone with the Wind

30. Decrease in intensity: WANE

31. "Closing Bell" channel: CNBC. (Originally, the Consumer News and Business Channel.) The show is named after the bell that is rung to signify the end of a trading session.

35. Repetitive shout at a protest: CHANT

36. Required little effort: CAME EASY

37. Newspaper opinion pieces: OP ED's

40. Secret supplies: STASHES

44. Add to text, as a missing letter: INSERT

45. Carpenter, at times: NAILER

46. Suitable for all ages, filmwise: RATED G

47. Apple software for creating videos: iMOVIE

51. Omelet ingredients: EGGS. Gotta break 'em to make an omelet.

52. Prima donna: DIVA

53. Ready for picking: RIPE

54. Toy dog's barks: YAPS

55. Play a kazoo: HUM

58. TV's "Science Guy": NYE

Argyle

Monday, September 25, 2017 ~ C.C. Burnikel

Theme: ROAR! - A set of four lions but don't be scared; they are encircled.

16-Across. "Is that your __?": "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" inquiry: FINAL ANSWER. Nala, from The Lion King.

10-Down. Quaint light during a power outage: GAS LANTERN. Aslan, from The Chronicles of Narnia series.

61-Across. Colorful burger topper: PURPLE ONION. Leo, mascot of MGM.

28-Down. Secure places for guests' valuables: HOTEL SAFES. Elsa, from Born Free.

36-Down. Hostile place ... and where to find the circled animals in this puzzle: LIONS DEN

Argyle here with a classic pinwheel from C.C., very Monday friendly. All theme entries span two words. A vertical reveal, if you needed it. If you didn't have circles, you probably did.

Across:

1. Party thrower: HOST

5. Seasoned rice dish: PILAF

10. Practical joke: GAG

13. Classroom "I know this one!": "OH!, OH!"

14. Sandwich chain known for artisan bread: PANERA

15. "__ you kidding?": ARE

18. Moral wrong: SIN

19. Blender brand with an -izer product suffix: OSTER. Osterizer but their web site only calls them Oster® Blenders.

20. Spam container: TIN

21. Board in a window shutter: SLAT

22. Amazon: Alexa :: Apple: __: SIRI

24. Malia Obama's sister: SASHA

26. Canyon feedback: ECHO

29. Surg. facilities: ORs. (operating rooms)

31. Touch of color: TINCT. Got me, tried TINGE.

34. Request for eye contact: "LOOK AT ME!". More often a demand.

36. Utterly detest: LOATHE

37. Acct. earnings: INT. (interest)

38. Start of a formal letter: DEAR SIR

40. Shade tree: ELM

41. Time-tested: AGE OLD

43. Library return spot: BOOK DROP

45. Nick of "A Walk in the Woods": NOLTE. A Walk in the Woods, a 2015 film by Ken Kwapis, based a 1998 book by Bill Bryson. Two friends attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail..

46. __-dried tomatoes: SUN

47. Bills in a tip jar: ONEs

48. Remove sheets from, as a bed: STRIP

51. Tiny time meas.: PSEC. picosecond - one trillionth of a second.

53. "See ya, Luigi": "CIAO"

55. Alumna bio word: NÉE

57. Monopoly cards: DEEDS

60. Punch-in-the-gut reaction: [OOF!]

64. Broke a fast: ATE

65. Annual golf or tennis tournament: US OPEN

66. "Yay me!": "TA-DA!"

67. "Viva __ Vegas": LAS

68. All wound up: TENSE

69. Thick cut of meat: SLAB

Down:

1. Sports inst. in Cooperstown: HOF.(Hall of Fame)

2. Akron's state: OHIO

3. Family boys: SONS

4. "Don't sweat it": "THAT'S OK"

5. Omelet cooker: PAN

6. The "I" in MIT: Abbr.: INST. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

7. Novelist C.S. __: LEWIS. Author of The Chronicles of Narnia series.

8. Concert venue: ARENA

9. In the distance: FAR

11. Diva's solo: ARIA

12. Courteous fellow: GENT

14. Repeated mindlessly: PARROTED

17. Flower wreath: LEI

21. Muslim denomination: SHIA

23. "__ la Douce": IRMA

25. Bird on birth announcements: STORK

26. González in 2000 headlines: ELIAN. The young boy embroiled in a heated international custody and immigration controversy. Wiki

27. Second longest African river: CONGO

30. Belgrade natives: SERBS

32. Actress Sevigny: CHLOË  Wikipedia

33. Weather numbers, briefly: TEMPs

35. Psychologist Alfred: ADLER. Founder of the school of individual psychology.

39. Salad go-with: SOUP

42. "Beetle Bailey" dog: OTTO

44. Museum guides: DOCENTs

49. Unavailable at the moment: [IN USE]

50. Evita's married name: PERON

52. Fair-hiring abbr.: EEO. (Equal Employment Opportunity)

53. Stuff for Frosty's eyes: COAL. the Snowman.

54. Greek "i": IOTA

56. "Almost Christmas" actor Omar: EPPS. Almost Christmas is a 2016 American Christmas comedy-drama film written and directed by David E. Talbert and starring Kimberly Elise, Mo'Nique, Nicole Ari Parker, Gabrielle Union, Keri Hilson, Jessie Usher, Danny Glover, Omar Epps, John Michael Higgins, D.C. Young Fly and Romany Malco. The film follows a dysfunctional family that comes together for the holidays for the first time since their mother's death. Wiki.

58. Rotary phone part: DIAL

59. Coke or ginger ale: SODA

61. __ up with: tolerate: PUT

62. Director Spike: LEE

63. Arrest: NAB

Argyle

Sunday September 24, 2017 Matt McKinley

Theme:  "Encapsulating" - N is added to each theme entry.

23A. Designated meditation area? : CHANT ROOM. Chat room.

25A. Key to a discography including "Purple Rain"? : PRINCE INDEX. Price index. 

46A. Vacant look, e.g.? : TRANCE ELEMENT. Trace element.

69A. Tirade from an underground worker? : SEWER RANT. Sewer rat.

90A. Elegant knight's accoutrement? : SATIN AND LANCE. Satin and lace.

112A. New Englander from Lhasa? : TIBETAN YANK. Tibetan yak. We also have 34. Lhasa __: small dog : APSO

114A. Viper's bar order? : SNAKE PINT. Snake pit.

32D. What to click in response to an offensive tweet? : RESENT BUTTON. Reset button.

42D. Insufficient medley? : SCANT SINGING. Scat singing.

Most of N's are added after A, two are after I.

The grid is also very nicely designed, with 7 Across, 2 Downs. Four of the non-theme fill (all sparkly) are of the same length of the theme entries. Sometimes solvers can mistaken them for theme entries, but today's ? in the theme entries should make things clear.

Across:

      

1. Parcel of land : TRACT

6. Confused state : FOG

9. Chapter XXVIII of "Moby-Dick" : AHAB. Obtainable. Never read the book.

13. Creator of a quirky cartoon family : ADDAMS. The Addams Family.

19. Island veranda : LANAI. What a luxury.

20. Old cereal box no. : RDA. Also 75. Cereal brand since 1955 : SPECIAL K. Do you all eat cold cereal for breakfast? 

21. __ Alto : PALO

22. Vacation option : CRUISE. Lemonade just had a short one.

27. Writer known for his surprise endings : O. HENRY

28. Old lemon : EDSEL. Not our Lemonade.

29. Pick : ELECT

30. Longtime TV host Carol : BURNETT

33. Expansive : VAST

36. Dots in l'océan : ILEs

37. Lift : UPRAISE. I use RAISE UP.

40. Exist : ARE

41. Library attention-getter : PSST. I have not been to our local library for years.

45. Purity meas. : KTS (Karats)

49. Annual report VIP : CEO. And 77. 49-Acrosses lead them : COs

50. Quaint "before" : ERE

51. High school phase for many : ANGST

52. Testing site : LAB. I've been eating more meat. Hope my CBC results trend better next time. 

53. Oral dozen : MOLARs

55. Got out of the stable, say : RAN FREE

57. "Platoon" setting : NAM. Marc Maron had a great interview with Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.  

60. Atlantic and Pacific, e.g. : TIME ZONES. China only has one time zone: Beijing Standard Time.

62. Lincoln in-law : TODD

63. One who doesn't stay put : NOMAD

65. Bard's bedtime : EEN

66. __ Reader : UTNE

67. Southampton sword : SABRE. Alliteration.

71. Smartened (up) : WISED

72. Stopper : PLUG

73. Water control project : DAM. Tough hurricane season.

74. Hound attraction : SCENT

75. Spanish ayes : SI SI

76. Fashionable sort? : LATECOMER. Fashionably late.

79. Witch : HAG

80. In abundance : APLENTY

83. Emcee responsibilities : INTROS

84. Opposite of pref. : SUF. OK, suffix.

86. Dominated : OWNED

88. "That's surprising" : GEE

89. Loving murmur : COO

94. Tap choice, for short : IPA

95. Lombardy Castle city : ENNA. Have not seen this fill for a few months.

97. USO show audience : GIs

98. "Me too" : SO HAVE I

99. Tech news website : CNET

100. Browning, e.g. : POET

102. Rocky areas?: Abbr. : MTNs. Rocky Mountains.

103. Oversees : MANAGES

105. Unemotional : STOIC. My grandma was a stoic. Never complained about her bound feet.

108. Farewell that's bid : ADIEU

110. One of two using matched weapons : DUELER

118. Storied restaurant : ALICE'S. Alice's Restaurant.

119. Suit to __ : A TEE

120. Fallen space station : MIR

121. Rink fakes : DEKES

122. Hems in : BESETS

123. Hires competitor : DAD'S. Never had root beer.

124. BART stop, e.g. : STA

125. Rarely ordered food? : STEAK. Great clue!

Down:

  

1. Comfort during a tough time, for short : TLC

2. Bleachers sound : RAH

3. California's Santa __ River : ANA

4. Camera choices : CANONS

5. 10% donation : TITHE

6. Like the biggest stories : FRONT PAGE. Boomer has to have his breakfast with newspaper.

7. Smell : ODOR

8. Reminiscent of venison : GAMY

9. Soothe : APPEASE

10. Aggressive marketing : HARD SELL. CenturyLink has been aggressive.

11. Posh party invitees : A-LIST

12. Doggy bag item : BONE

13. Expert : ACE

14. Hangs on a line : DRIES

15. Longtime rubber company : DUNLOP. They make golf balls also.

16. Personal assistant : AIDE

17. PC speed unit : MSEC. Millisecond.

 

18. Suggestive message : SEXT. Hey, it's cool to own a flip phone. Look at Anna Wintour.

24. Took back : RETURNED

26. Shannon's county : CLARE

30. Yamaha user : BIKER

31. Extreme : ULTRA. Look at these dirty jeans at Nordstrom. $425. This will drive our PK nuts.

33. Fight (for) : VIE

35. Writers : PENMEN

38. ICU personnel : RNs

39. Infomercial urging : ACT NOW

40. Completely surrounding : AMBIENT

43. Calm : SERENE

44. Like green salads : TOSSED.  Dole's Sesame Asian salad kit is tasty.

46. Time for una siesta : TARDE. Afternoon.

47. Down : EAT

48. From A __ : TO Z

54. Title name that "Every little breeze seems to whisper," in a Chevalier song : LOUISE. Here it is. Boomer knows the song. I don't.

56. One may be exposed by an expert : FORGER

58. Iowa State city : AMES

59. Spring time : MARCH

61. First got acquainted : MET. Oh read this story (Facebook Figured Out My Family Secrets, And It Won't Tell Me How).

63. Serious foe : NEMESIS

64. De Matteo of "The Sopranos" : DREA

67. Do film editing work : SPLICE

68. Program with steps : AL-ANON. Good luck with the interview tomorrow, Splynter!

69. Green eggs advocate : SAM. And Ham.

70. Namibia neighbor : ANGOLA

71. Author who wrote "Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life" : WILDE

73. Two pills, perhaps : DOSAGE

78. More than trot : RUN

80. "Archie Bunker's Place" co-star : ANNE MEARA

81. Plains dwelling : TEPEE

82. Dublin-born poet : YEATS

85. Nailed, say : FASTENED

87. Sound file suffix : WAV. A la Wiki: Waveform Audio File Format (WAVE, or more commonly known as WAV due to its filename extension).

91. Business baron : TITAN

92. Cold War protest sign slogan : NO NUKES

93. They don't play the field: Abbr. : DHs (Designated Hitters)

96. Each : APIECE

99. Floor covering : CARPET

101. Two trios and a duo : OCTET. Eight-piece. Here is the Eight-Treasure Porridge I make in the cold months. You must have glutinous rice. I also prefer Aldi's Medjool dates.

102. Mazda sports car : MIATA

104. Requirements : NEEDS

105. Shot in the dark : STAB

106. Floor covering : TILE

107. Kimono holders : OBIs

109. Twosome : DYAD

110. Mil. awards : DSMs. DSM: Distinguished Service Medal.

111. Quart, say : UNIT

113. Pack animal : ASS

115. '50s White House nickname : IKE

116. 1995 Tony honoree for Excellence in the Theatre: Abbr. : NEA. Unaware of the trivia.

117. Sound of reproach : TSK

C.C.

Saturday, Sep 23rd, 2017, Mark Diehl

Theme: None

Words: 68 (pangram~!)

Blocks: 27

  This one looked like it was going to be brutal, but I must have been on the Mr. Diehl's wavelength, because I ended up sailing through after the first DOWN run.  A lot of my success had to do with being open-minded about two-word answers, and there were a lot of those this week(*).  Several answers were squarely in my wheelhouse, too - like 50a.  A crushing amount of 6-, 7-, and 8-letter answers - nothing longer - and a mere four 3-letter answers.  Here's some corner connector answers;

19. Former Haitian president : ARISTIDE - Unknown, filled via perps; his Wiki

47. Immortal Kiev-born pianist : HOROWITZ - LIBERACE fit, but Bzzzt

10*. D, P or S, on quarters : MINT MARK - I put in MINT CITY, which in retrospect seems odd, if not correct

 31*. Fleming work : SPY NOVEL - gratuitous Daniel Craig as James Bond image for C.C.

ACROSS:

1. The punch in Planter's Punch : ETHANOL - I guess I must be getting sober-er, because ALCOHOL never crossed my mind, even if it was the wrong answer

8*. Set overly easy goals : AIM LOW

14. Disk problem : SCIATICA - my first thought was SCRATCH, like a Compact Disc, but it didn't fit, and so I switched mental gears and figured it referred to one's back

15. Curly-haired "Peanuts" character : FRIEDA - not a big fan of the strip, this filled via perps and a WAG

16. Foreshadows : PORTENDS

17. Like rattlers : FANGED - ah, the snake, not the baby toy

18*. Drawn : IN A TIE - ah, not sketched or saddened

21*. Policy at certain clubs : NO MEN

22. Display some guns : FLEX - the "20-inch biceps" kind of guns; curiosity got the better of me, so I measured my own - a little over 12 inches.  Now you try doing it with a standard metal tape measure....

23. "Wuthering Heights" setting : MOOR

24. Gulf States leader : EMIR

25. Taylor of "American Crime" : LILI

26. Wedding announcement : BANNS - I knew this from doing crosswords, and yet I was unsure of the origin, so I went looking for an answer - here - ironic that one outcome could be that the marriage is "BANNed"

27. It's in many poems : 'TIS

28. Sachet filler : LAVENDER - FRAGRANCE was too long

30*. Informal passing remark? : 'SCUSE ME

32*. Repository for spare or unused parts : JUNK BOX - more likely to be a junk DRAWER around here

36*. Cheerleading outfit? : PEP SQUAD - nailed it (and that helped a lot because I am familiar with 37d.)

38. Lummox : APE - oops, not OAF

39. Covered carriages : SHAYS

42. Reverse of a knit : PURL - the 'mechanics' of knitting, if you will

43. Selfish sort : USER

44. Be the first to say : COIN - I "coined"  STOG two weeks ago, and Dennis gave us "clecho" long before I got here

45. Pâté base : FOIE

46. Month after diciembre : ENERO - good guess on my part

49. Company whose name appears in an odometer in its logo : CARFAX

50. Commonly seen brown vehicle : UPS VAN - my UPS days are numbered, one way or another - I have come to the conclusion that the benefits are not worth the aggravation, and the pay is pitiful; I've already got an interview set up on Monday - it's at 9:30am, so I guess I'll have to take the day from UPS....

51. Gross out : NAUSEATE

53. It may be rolled up on a farm : SLEEVE

54. Like the praying mantis : ONE-EARED

55. In Tupperware, say : SEALED - clever; I got it

56. Ready to ride : SADDLED - I just got "saddled" with a $60 "use tax" on my work van's registration; what, I need to pay more to USE my registration~?

DOWN:

1. Cost-effective : ECONOMIC

2. Dessert with a kick : TIRAMISU

3. Mad __ : HATTER

4*. Took courses at home : ATE IN - meals, not school courses

5. West Coast ZIP starter : NINE - the show "90210" (CA) helped here; goes all the way to Bellingham WA, 98229 and beyond

6. Neatnik's possible condition, briefly : OCD - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

7. Mississippi explorer : LaSALLE - perps

8. Tack on : AFFIX - I had ANNEX; 100% 40% correct

9. Line 32 items on 1040 forms : IRAs

11. Vast multitude : LEGION

12*. Had way too much of : ODed ON - life itself

Blue Öyster Cult

13. Angler's gear : WADERS

14. Grand children? : SPINETS - piano offspring~?

20. Pull over, say? : RE-INJURE - think 'pull a muscle', again

22*. Fin : FIVE SPOT - cash, moola, money

25. Lighter : LAMP - I don't associate light-er with lamp, but I guess I'll just have to.... 

26. Give a little : BEND

28. Wranglers alternative : LEES - jeans

29. Part of DINK : DUAL - Income, No Kids

33. Ride cost before taxes and such : BASE FARE

34. Ran : OPERATED

35. Ran off : XEROXED - Scrabbly

37. Subway alternative : QUIZNO'S - hero sandwich shops

39. Speed down a slope : SCHUSS

40. Rockers Mott the __ : HOOPLE

41*. Like some offshore rescues : AIR/SEA

43. "Are you kidding me?!" : UNREAL

45. Punished in court, in a way : FINED

46. Let up : EASED

48. Parade greeting : WAVE - my parents were born and raised in England, so....

Aye up, me duck~!

49. Helped on stage : CUED

52. Literary assortment : ANA - learned from doing crosswords

Splynter

Friday, September 22, 2017, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: The LA Times has gone to the dogs.

JW is back with one of his whimsical puzzles. There is no conventional theme, but a common denominator. The clues all reference noisy dogs. Each in the language phrase has one word changed. The changes are simple and the results fun. If you do not see the humor you will not enjoy the puzzle. Some of the clues are not easily sussed, but this is a Friday puzzle. Also, before excoriating the constructor, bear in mind that a large percentage of clues are changed by the editors. Meanwhile Jeffrey did include the very sparkly fill -BELLY RUB, QUICK SET, RAN AFTER, TOM JONES, I'M NOT READY.  The theme:

21A. Hogwarts chronicler imitating noisy dogs? : J.K. GROWLING (10). Gee, this is the simplest one to grok.

26A. Devices that record data on noisy dogs? : BARKING METERS (13). My favorite change - parking meters - where doggies mark their territory.

47A. Photographer of noisy dogs? : YIPPER SNAPPER (13). I heard the term whipper snapper often as a child.

52A. Paintings depicting noisy dogs? : WORKS OF ARF (10). The ART of the woof woof.

Across: 

1. Hubbub : STIR.

5. Thompson of "Westworld" : TESSA. Not a great start for me as I never have watched that series. She has had a busy CAREER and is pretty.

10. One way to lean : BACK. Not a political comment. Hmm, 19A. Reclined : LAIN.

14. Stephen Hawking subject : TIME. He has persevered in life despite the effects of ALS. READ.

15. Tough tests of knowledge : ORALS.

16. Offer the same opinion as : ECHO. I think they must now pay a royalty to Amazon.

17. Princess Royal of Britain : ANNE.This is a formal title which she received in 1987. LINK.

18. -, at times : MINUS.

20. Setup provider's abbr. : BYOB. Bring Your Own Bottle.

23. Like many deli orders : TO GO.

25. Western peer of Tex and Gene : ROY. Rogers.

32. Part of XL: Abbr. : LGE.

33. Toon cat since the silent era : FELIX. The first animated STAR  with an amazing history.

34. Reacts to bad news, perhaps : SULKS.

37. War-torn land : IRAQ. There are many such lands, sadly.

39. More rational : SANER.

41. All in : BEAT. Not an easy meaning to suss, the poker implications kept invading my thought.

42. St. Anthony's home : PADUA. You can read about this MAN. The first Catholic school in Fort Lauderdale is St. Anthony's.

44. It's not exactly a pick-me-up : DECAF.

46. Airport approx. : ETA.

50. Disney Store collectible : CEL.

51. Semi bar : AXLE. Semi truck.

58. First name in folk : ARLO. Hasn't he faded into oblivion yet?

61. Choppers : AXES.

62. Stop by : VISIT.

63. Printer function : SCAN. Copy, scan, fax and print - an all in one work station.

64. News article intro : LEDE. A total learning moment.  LINK.

65. Gradually weaken : ERODE. Another correct answer but difficult to suss.

66. It can be hard to get out of : MAZE. I like the combination with the clecho....

67. It can be hard to get out : KNOT.

68. Call attention (to) : REFER.

69. Bellicose god : ARES.


Down:

1. Attempt : STAB. C'mon take a chance.

2. Like a mite : TINY.

3. "Give me a few minutes" : I'M NOT READY. How many couples argue over the time it takes to get ready?

4. Adidas subsidiary : REEBOK. I linked the purchase of Reebok before.

5. He beat out Sonny and Cher and Herman's Hermits, among others, for the Best New Artist Grammy : TOM JONES. An interesting LIST. We watched Peter Noone in concert last year and he was great.

6. Christine's phantom admirer : ERIK. The popularity of the play and musical has inspired people to write their own ENDING.

7. Emulated 5-Down : SANG.

8. Nasty comment : SLUR. Comes, I believe, from the slurry left over from coal etc.

9. Categorize : ASSORT. In 2017 we mostly sort, but we still buy assorted cookies etc.

10. Source of much canine delight : BELLY RUB. A bonus doggy fill. And a classic example of a gif. See 24D.

11. Nutritious berry : ACAI.

12. Gym exercise : CHIN. verb 1. draw one's body up so as to bring one's chin level with or above (a horizontal bar) with one's feet off the ground, as an exercise. I always add the "UP."

13. Giant film primate : KONG. The King.

22. Burdens : WOES.

24. Desktop animation image suffix : GIF. HG introduced this handy link style to our blog.

26. Control tower signal : BLIP. On the radar screen.

27. Indian shrine site : AGRA. Taj Mahal anyone? LINK.

28. Forest clearing : GLADE.

29. Member of the underground economy? : MINER. This clue/fill sounds like JW's wit. My favorite in this puzzle.

30. CFOs, e.g. : EXECS.

31. Orient Express feature : SLEEPER CAR. As I mentioned, another movie based on Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot. I do not know why because you cannot beat David Suchet.

35. Shakespeare's shrew : KATE. Very un-pc to talk of taming one's wife now.

36. Vega, for one : STAR. Or a Chevrolet.

38. Cement type for home repairs : QUICK SET. My Uncle Harold was a mason, and taught masonry at the local trade school. He showed me how to use this product on the small jobs, as well as the difference between cement and concrete..

40. Pursued vigorously : RAN AFTER.

43. Homo sapiens relatives : APES. Do you like the re-imagination of the Planet of the Apes movies?

45. 63-Across alternative : FAX.

(space left intentionally blank)


48. Small wading bird : PLOVER.

49. State of matter : PLASMA.

52. Constitutional : WALK.                                                              

53. Strong farm team : OXEN.

54. Overhaul : REDO.

55. Gift from Prometheus : FIRE. Prometheus (/prəˈmiːθiəs/ prə-MEE-thee-əs; Greek: Προμηθεύς [promɛːtʰeús], meaning "forethought") is a Titan in Greek mythology, best known as the deity in Greek mythology who was the creator of mankind and its greatest benefactor, who stole fire from Mount Olympus and gave it to mankind. wiki.

56. Beginning : AS OF.

57. Play polo, say : RIDE.

59. Relax : LAZE.

60. Word that can replace "your" : ONES. I hear that use with "opinions."

 A different offering, with lots of JW's wit on display.  I am curious how those who don't like themes which are hard to grasp will react to this effort. I had fun, hope you all did. I think of crosswords as entertainment. L'shanah tovah -Happy New Year to those who celebrate the coming of year 5778. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Here is the latest picture of Lemonade's cute grand-kids at the grocery store:

 Harper, Owen and Charlotte

Thursday, September 21st 2017 C.C.Burnikel

Theme: "King of Horror" - to celebrate Stephen King's 70th birthday, four of his very extensive fiction catalog begin the four theme entries:

17A. Measurement based on inflation and unemployment rates : MISERY INDEX. For 2016 Venezuela was ranked most miserable and Japan least miserable.The US was ranked towards the least miserable end of the scale.

24A. "Postcards From the Edge" author : CARRIE FISHER. Sadly, recently passed.

38A. Smart comment? : IT HURTS. Nice! Smart in the lemon-juice-in-the-nick-in-your-finger sense.

52A. Semipermeable biological barrier : CELL MEMBRANE. Osmosis: "a process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one, thus equalizing the concentrations on each side of the membrane.". Phew.

and the reveal:

62A. Author born 9/21/1947 who penned the starts of 17-, 24-, 38- and 52-Across : STEPHEN KING

C.C.'s tribute to Stephen King on his birthday. The reveal did nothing to help me, as I've mentioned before, I don't do horror books nor movies, they scare me to death and make me cry. I saw "The Exorcist", "The Omen" and "Carrie" in short order in my youth. I slept with the lights on for about a year, and even now I can't listen to Side 2 of "Tubular Bells".

Fun puzzle, crunchy Thursday cluing and a couple of trademark long downs - and A-ROD making an appearance on C.C.'s watch.

Let's see what else we've got to talk about:

Across:

1. Hopped out of bed : AROSE. Oh, the energy of youth. I stagger out of bed nowadays, stumble on a good day on the way to go hike.

6. Challenge for Santa's dry-cleaner : SOOT. I remember as a small boy asking my mother if we were getting our chimneys swept in time for Christmas. Then we got central heat installed, and I could not figure out how Santa was going to get into the house.

10. Medicine __, Alberta : HAT. Nailed it!

13. OPEC, for one : CARTEL

15. Radius neighbor : ULNA. Arm-bone pairing.

16. Sworn statement : I DO. "... the truth, the whole truth and nothing but .."

19. X, at times : TEN

20. Tesla Motors co-founder Musk : ELON. Space-X bloke too. He seems to know his tech. Did you see that Tesla came in for a lot of flak when they remotely "turned on" the extra mileage range capability of the cheaper models for drivers evacuating Florida in advance of Hurricane Irma?

21. "Inside Politics" channel : CNN

22. Poet laureate, e.g. : TITLE. My favorite UK Poet Laureate was Ted Hughes, a surprising choice as his poetry was often about subjects such as dead carrion and lines such as:

"... Till, with a sudden sharp hot stink of fox

It enters the dark hole of the head."

Not exactly the stuff of "Happy Birthday to the Queen" poems, a requirement of the Laureate.

28. Where Moses received the Ten Commandments, for short : MT. SINAI

31. Colorful fall tree : MAPLE

32. Put together : BUILT

33. Instagram upload, briefly : PIC. Apparently I have an Instagram account, which comes as something of a surprise considering I've never used it.

34. Three-time A.L. MVP : A-ROD. The first with the Texas Rangers, the subsequent two with the Yankees.

37. "Is there more?" : AND?

42. Baja she-bear : OSA. OSO is he-bear. A bunch of bears of mixed sexes are OSOS, the plural takes the male form. Can you tell I've been paying attention in Spanish class?

43. Understands : SEES

45. Solar wind particle : ION

46. Song of worship : PSALM

48. Off-white color : PEARL. I tried PEACH first, mentally justifying this highly curious solution to the fact that there are white peaches. I question my decision-making sometimes.

50. It may be reckless : ABANDON

55. Big glitch : SNAFU. I think it was last week we had the conversation about the meaning of the "F".

56. Inhospitable : ICY

57. 2000s Chevy : AVEO. Thank you crosses, never paid attention to one.

61. Signature piece? : PEN and ink. My signature is now a couple of wiggles and a line tailing off

66. Biblical craft : ARK

67. Roof edge : EAVE

68. "Mad About You" co-star : REISER. Thank you, crosses.

69. "But, mom!" evokers : "NO"S

70. Zoomed : SPED

71. Drumroll drum : SNARE

Down:

1. Top : ACME

2. Scenic overlook safety feature : RAIL. There's a lot of these on Mulholland Drive a the top of Hollywood Hills near me. It still doesn't stop cars plunging off the road, there's generally an incident every couple of years.

3. Driving directions qualifier : OR SO. "Make a right, then go half a mile or so and it's on the left. Oh wait, no. Make a LEFT, then go a quarter mile or so, then it's on the RIGHT. No, wait ...". Thank goodness Google Maps is more precise.

4. Sign maker's aid : STENCIL

5. Always, in sonnets : E'ER

6. Denomination of most Iraqi Kurds : SUNNI

7. Unlike spring chickens : OLD. Hand up. See 1A for bed-staggering.

8. Person : ONE

9. Advice for an e-filer : TAX TIP

10. Get going : HIT THE ROAD. Cue Ray Charles

11. One-named "All I Ask" singer : ADELE. Sorry, Ms. Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, Ray just snuck in with my music link for the day.

12. Skin care product : TONER

14. Sports bra fabric : LYCRA

18. Cross characters : INRI. Christian imagery.

23. Land surrounded by agua : ISLA. Yay! More Spanish!

25. Not pro : ANTI

26. Bahrain bigwig : EMIR

27. One of John Adams' "stubborn things" : FACT. "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." Smart chap, that Adams fella.

28. Corp. execs' degrees : MBAS

29. Use a fork, perhaps : TUNE. I have a tuning fork in E to tune my guitars to concert pitch. I never use it, the electronic ones are quicker.

30. Exercises that strengthen obliques : SIDE PLANKS. I came across the most bizarre leotard design ever when I went to look for an example of the side plank. I can't not use it.

33. "Sign language is pretty handy," e.g. : PUN

35. Nobel Prize city : OSLO

36. Butler's last word : DAMN. That's when he dropped the teapot in her Ladyship's lap. It was his last word before he was fired. Or, it might have been "Gone with the Wind". Perhaps.

39. Flag : TIRE

40. "Chariots of Fire" Oscar nominee Ian : HOLM. He played the legendary athletics coach Sam Mussabini.

41. Time period : SPAN

44. __-service : SELF

47. Enter surreptitiously :  SNEAK IN

49. Makes giggle : AMUSES

50. Cat's back shape, at times : ARCH. Accompanied by hissing, if said cat is riled about something.

51. Tylenol rival : BAYER

52. Political channel : C-SPAN

53. Calendario month : ENERO. Nailed it! I can confidently recite them all now.

54. Two-footer : BIPED

58. Authorization to enter a country : VISA. I first came here on an H1B visa which allowed me to work, but only for the company who sponsored me. Mutterings of "Indentured Servitude" accompanied bad days at work.

59. Fed. power dept. : ENER.

60. Barbarian : OGRE

63. __ water : TAP

64. Holiday threshold : EVE

65. Nintendo's Super __ console : NES. All together everyone: "Nintendo Entertainment System".

Cue the grid!

Steve