Saturday, December 30, 2017, C.C. Burnikel

THEMELESS SATURDAY

Husker Gary here to review a puzzle submitted by our "Swiss Army Knife" leader C.C. She runs this blog, blogs Sunday puzzles, mediates contentious issues, partners with many of us on constructing and produces puzzles for every day of the week at all levels of difficulty! Wow!

Let's see what our mistress has for us on this day before the last day of 2017 and our final Saturday of the year:


Across


1. On-the-go frozen breakfast : EGGO BITES - Just another good reason to enjoy syrup!

10. "Love, all alike, no season knows, nor __": Donne : CLIME - DONNE did "Git 'er done" would have two homophones

15. Sinatra's wife after Ava Gardner : MIA FARROW - Ava on Mia - "I always knew Frank would wind up in bed with a boy"

16. "Breaking Bad" toxin : RICIN - Chemistry teacher Walt cooked meth but used this deadly product of the castor bean to kill a rival

17. Exercise for the lower leg : CALF RAISE - This is called a Donkey CALF RAISE

18. In the presence of : AMONG

19. Creator of the album "Reflection," which consists of one 54-minute track : ENO

20. Tijuana pronoun : ESA - Me gusta ESA música ENO (I like that ENO music)

21. Gulf of Finland republic : ESTONIA

23. 2001 bankruptcy headliner : ENRON - Their bankruptcy cost my uncle his retirement and dignity and here is their CEO Ken Lay doing one of his 34. Controversial police procedure practices : PERP WALKS

25. Shaper in a shop : LATHE and 64. "My bad" : OOPS SORRY

27. Minor player : COG - That describes me here

28. Tuscany city : SIENA - We walked in SIENA where bareback horse races around the town square have been run twice a year for hundreds of years

29. Kind of butter used in skin care : SHEA - Is that why the Mets are "butter fingered"? Yeah, I'll keep my day job!

30. Pop, in Paris : PERE

31. __ jump : SKI -  Remember the show where the tagline for this mishap was, "The agony of defeat"?

33. To a large degree : IN SPADES - Highest Rank suit in Contract Bridge

35. Most likely : APTEST

38. Car system : STEREO

39. Homemade crystal products : AM RADIOS - I first listened to Husker football on an AM CRYSTAL RADIO over 60 years ago

41. "Entourage" agent Gold : ARI - Played by Jeremy Pivens who I really like


42. Driving force? : UBER - Worked well for us. The app shows you the nearest UBER driver and displays her progress as she drives toward you

43. Twin Cities daily, familiarly : TRIB - Our constructors hometown paper

45. Historic times : PASTS

49. Address-ending word : NET 

50. Overplay : EMOTE


51. Tabbouleh grain : WHEAT - A Levantine (from the Levant) grain and herb salad

52. Walked-over : TRODDEN

54. Energy Star co-mgr. : EPA - Environmental Protection Agency

56. Modern art? : ARE - How Great Thou ART! vs. How Great You ARE!

57. Decluttering maven Kondo : MARIE - MARIE, thy name ART a mystery to me!

58. Branch : AFFILIATE

61. Strange : ALIEN

62. Wasted call? : DRUNK DIAL - The call isn't wasted, the caller is!

63. Literature Nobelist who served in the Irish Senate : YEATS - and now a  tourist attraction

Down

1. Runs the show : EMCEES - Remember Bert Parks and his famous song?

2. Designer Versace : GIANNI - His murder in his Miami mansion will lead off FX's America's Crime Story next month

 3. See 33-Across : GALORE - Did anyone else think of a Bond Girl?

4. Inaccurate : OFF 

5. Completely uncovered : BARE NAKED - I only know of the group called BARE NAKED LADIES because they wrote and recorded the theme song to this fabulously successful TV show

6. Nest egg accts. : IRAS

7. Court affairs : TRIALS

8. Sister of Helios : EOS - We usually see her and her friendly letters as the goddess of dawn

9. Improves, as an offer : SWEETENS

10. Box : CRATE

11. Long ride? : LIMO

12. "You win" : I CONCEDE - Rhoda says "I give up!"

13. Cookie in Snak Saks : MINI OREO - There's no where to hide from OREOS of any size in crossword puzzles

14. Keeps occupied : ENGAGES - A teacher who ENGAGES an angry student in an argument can't win

22. View from Yreka : SHASTA - A Cascade Range Mountain as seen from Yreka, CA

24. GM security system : ONSTAR - We have it at no cost for 3 years with our car but have never used it

26. Often-grilled tuna : AHI

30. Outcast : PARIAH - Can you say Harvey Weinstein?

32. "Am I off-base here?" : IS IT ME - "Yeah, it's you Harvey! You're a creep!"

35. Light-brown brew : AMBER ALE

36. Seat of South Africa's executive branch : PRETORIA

37. Olds luxury car : TORONADO - Also the name of Zorro's horse

39. Peter Parker's adoptive mother : AUNT MAY - Some Spiderman purists thought Marisa Tomei was "too hot" to play this role compared to her predecessors Rosemary Harris and Sally Field.

40. Parking order? : SIT - "Park It!"

44. Strengthen : BEEF UP

46. Oceanside home asset : SEA AIR

47. Fried shrimp sauce : TARTAR

48. Unwavering : STEELY - Calling someone this is very high praise in NASA parlance

50. Wonderlands : EDENS

53. Losing effort : DIET - What is the world's record for getting off of these after New Year's Day?

55. Flagsticks, to many golfers : PINS

59. To and __ : FRO

60. Veiled reply, perhaps : I DO

Rail away about this Saturday puzzle:

DA GRID:

Friday, December 29, 2017, David Alfred Bywaters

Title: Theater 101

I am back serving as DAB's caddie for the third time. He had his debut on a Friday at the end of last year and now he has another December offering. Today he has terms from theater (theatre to some) hiding them in words and phrases. There is no reveal but each clue refers to "theater" letting you know which fill are art of the theme. You then have a hint to what the fill will be. I enjoyed CAST IN STONE and FLOOD STAGE the most. My youngest directed and appeared in a play that took place in a pool they constructed onstage. Anyway, back to my last review of the year, David has some sparkle in the fill THIRDLY, SPIDERWEB and  STORMS OFF, but again with 5 themers there was not much room for more. With the cluing giving you the theme, I thought this was a late gift to you all. Let's get detailed.

18A. Text for a mailroom theater production? : POSTSCRIPT(10). This is outlier, as it is but one word, but imagined as POST SCRIPT. If you look at it that way we have 1/5 with the theater word at the end and 2/3/4 with the first word the theater word.

23A. Statue of a theater troupe? : CAST IN STONE (11). I love this as the mental picture of an entire cast sculpted in stone is cool.

38A. World leader in the theater? : ACTING PRESIDENT (15). Ronald Reagan anyone? Or perhaps you like KIRKMAN.

48A. Squawker in a theater performance? : PLAY CHICKEN (11). It conjures up non-theater images. LINK.

56A. Theater backdrop for a biography of Noah? : FLOOD STAGE (10). Cute.

Across:

1. Ovation fraction: CLAP. I was pleased that I filled this and the perps confirmed I was right.

5. Overstress, with "on": HARP.

9. "Hungarian Rhapsodies" composer: LISZT. How about number No. 2.

14. Shout: YELL.

15. Notion: IDEA.

16. Let down, as hair: UNPIN. My thought: LINK.
Walk right in, sit right down
Baby, let your hair hang down
Walk right in, sit right down
Baby, let your hair hang down

17. Silents star Naldi: NITA. I do not know why I remembered this name, but it must be related to doing crossword puzzles.

20. Much Byzantine art: ICONS. You ready to BUY?

22. Put on: HIRED. My mind went to the other meanings.

27. CPR provider: EMT.

30. Upside-down forest hangers: SLOTHS.

31. Scottish landscape feature: BRAE. Luckily I read Hamish Macbeth novels. LINK.


32. Dorm VIPs: RAS. Resident Advisors,

35. "... __ saw Elba": ERE I. We are seeing a lot of ELBA these days.

36. Shellfish order: PRAWNS. Time we all understood this CRUSTACEAN.

41. Literary family name: BRONTE. Three sisters. Very Chekov.

42. Ottoman officials: DEYS. I knew of the beys, but not these OFFICIALS.

43. Large inlet: BAY. A different bey.

44. Shipping hazard: BERG. ICEBERG?

45. Shepherds' charges: FLOCKS.

47. Brief belief: ISM.

53. Taters: SPUDS. Very common in the hills and mountains.

55. Consolation beginning and ending: THERE. There, there dear it will be all right.

61. Auto club recommendations: INNS. I need advice on the outs.

62. Clear of mist: DEFOG. Not as necessary as deicing.

63. Measure of skills: EXAM.

64. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYST.

65. Prepare beans, Mexican-style: REFRY. Refried beans are really just beans with some seasoning, mushed up. It’s like hummus, actually. And the word “refried”? Well, that’s not even what you think. It doesn’t mean fried twice (horrors!) – It’s just an English translation of “refrito” which is Spanish means “well fried” or “cooked well.” See LINK.

66. Nonpayment consequence: REPO.

67. Yoga needs: MATS. Last week we had poses.

Down:

1. Pessimist: CYNIC.
- A cynic is someone who refuses to believe;
- A pessimist is someone who has given up on believing;
- A skeptic is someone who is reluctant to believe. Psychology Today.

2. German camera: LEICA.                       LINK.

3. Choir parts: ALTOS.

4. Photosynthesis users: PLANTS.

5. Trendy: HIP.

6. Stir: ADO.

7. Hi-__ image: RES, I initially wanted DEF.

8. Compassion-evoking quality: PATHOS. I minored in English and we were taught all about Pathos, Bathos and other criticism from a wonderful TEACHER.

9. It may be filthy: LUCRE. Money; originally, money obtained dishonestly. For example, She didn't like the job but loved the filthy lucre in the form of her weekly paycheck. This term comes from the Bible (Titus 1:11), where it refers to those who teach wrongly for the sake of money. In time it came to be used loosely, and usually jokingly, for money in general, and in the mid-1900s gave rise to the jocular slang term the filthy for “money.” Dictionary.com.

10. As to: IN RE.

11. Catcher of small prey: SPIDERWEB. Very fun clue/fill, though I have seen some big spiderwebs. Like many big things, the picture is from Texas.

12. Close, as a parka: ZIP.

13. Explosive letters: TNT.

19. Reason for regret: SIN.

21. Like the last letter in a column? : SILENT. I love this kind of simple misdirection.

24. Norway, in Norway: NORGE. Norge is Norwegian, Danish and Swedish for Norway.

25. Dance part: STEP. Step by step; slowly I turned....

26. Adverb after a second contract item: THIRDLY. Not really. the word is not in fashion in contract drafting.

28. Food for the wandering Israelites: MANNA.

29. Irritable: TESTY.

31. Serious, as an injury: BAD.

32. Jewish teacher: RABBI. Master, teacher —used by Jews as a term of address (Webster's). Not a religious figure historically.

33. Farm parts: ACRES.

34. Departs in anger: STORMS OFF.

36. "Fooled you!" : PSYCH. Did anyone see the MOVIE?

37. Take a chance: RISK IT.

39. Having one sharp: IN G.

40. Anti-discrimination agcy. : EEOC.

45. Like the tortoise in the fable, ultimately: FASTER. Does winning the race make him faster? I think not.

46. Religious division: SCHISM.

48. Rotund: PUDGY. Pugsley? He is GONE.

49. Mormons, initially: LDS. Latter Day Saints.

50. African nation on the Indian Ocean: KENYA.

51. Surrealist Max: ERNST. I love elephants.

52. Forest homes: NESTS. All you needed to know and MORE.

54. Needy: POOR. These days needy is more associated with emotional issues.

56. HST predecessor: FDR. Harry S. Truman. Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

57. "Fever" singer Peggy: LEE.

58. Hatchet: AXE. 40 years after I met the people who would become the band AXE, they are putting out a new album. Listen to a rock and roll ballad.

59. Space: GAP.

60. Punk rock offshoot: EMO. Did you KNOW?

2017 was quite a year for me, as Charles Dickens wrote "It was the best of times. it was the worst of times." I end the year very grateful for my life, my friends here at the Corner, my wonderful family and all the excitement of the roller coaster ride that is my life. I also am grateful for Mr. Bywaters and the 27 other constructors who provided the puzzles which I (and my pinch hitters) have brought you every Friday. Special thanks to C.C.and Rich Norris and wishing you all a great 2018. For all of you being beset by the cold and snow, be careful. Hope to see you back here next year. Lemonade out.

Thursday December 28th 2017 Jeff Stillman

Theme: Top 'O The Morning - Homophones. Vaguely. With an Irish twist?

17A. Author Gertrude's Irish friend? : PAL O' STEIN. Palestine. My dad was stationed in Palestine in the 1930's. He had nothing but good things to say about the county and the people.

59A. Irish physician? : MAN O' CURES. Manicures. Guinness and Jameson's whisky. Those are the Irish cures. My mom was given Guinness in hospital after I was born; she was anemic. You've got to love those kinds of diagnoses.

11D. Irish hotel that offers perfumed pillows? : INN O' SCENTS. Innocents. Here's Dublin's finest - The Clarence:

31D. Change tossed into an Irish busker's hat? : PAIR O' DIMES. Paradigms.

I'm not totally enthused by this theme. Homophones depend on how you speak, and some work for me, and some don't. Your mileage may vary. Let's leave it at that.

The North-west was a challenge, the rest was a regular Thursday experience. Let's see what jumps out:

Across:

1. Sugar amt. : TBSP. Tablespoon. Three of them in my sushi vinegar. 4-3-1 is the magic combination - 4 tbsps rice wine vinegar, 3 tbsp of sugar and the one is a teaspoon of salt.

5. Swimmer's regimen : LAPS. I once swam 334 laps of an Olympic pool for a charity event. It was a 10-mile marathon swim. I was dizzy when I got out of the pool.

9. Margaret Atwood's "__ Grace" : ALIAS. Thank you, crosses.

14. Cosmetic additive : ALOE

15. Alternatively : ELSE

16. Small drum or large antelope : BONGO. I knew the drum, not the antelope. Now I do. They're stripey:

r

19. Prepared to tackle : RAN AT

20. Foul odor : STENCH

21. Liquid-Plumr rival : DRANO. Probably to fix the above from a blocked drain.

23. Brewer's kiln : OAST

26. Black Sea port : ODESSA

29. Like some time-release pills : CAPSULAR. New word for me.I got there eventually, but it took some time.

33. Old Toyota subcompact : TERCEL

34. "Don't interrupt!" studio sign : ON AIR

35. Inflexibility : RIGOR

37. Head lines, for short? : E.E.G. Electroencephalography, but we all knew that.

38. Fail to attend : SKIP

39. Checkout choice : PAPER. Or Plastic. The latter is not available in LA anymore, the former you pay for. BYOB - bring your own bag. I like it.

40. Latin word on a cornerstone : ANNO. Domini. There's a new PC term for it now, but it's hard to replace all those foundation stones.

41. Road goo : TAR. Macadam. I love the smell of freshly-laid tar.

42. Church law : CANON

43. Buzzing : ASTIR

44. Pleasant emanations : AROMAS. See TAR above.

46. Antipathy : DISTASTE

48. Air traffic control devices : RADARS

49. Assist, as a theater patron : SEAT

50. Puts a dent in one's gas mileage : IDLES

52. Herbal cough drop brand : RICOLA. The commercials are annoying.

57. Carved piece of jewelry : CAMEO

62. Alaskan native : ALEUT

63. Straddling : UPON

64. "Let me know if you're coming" letters : RSVP. "Répondez s'il vous plaît". It annoys me when I see "Please RSVP". But I get annoyed with "ATM machine" and "PIN number". I guess I'm easily annoyed.

65. Mud nest builders : WASPS

66. Dinner summons at the manor house : GONG. I tried "RING" first. Was wrong.

67. Young fellows : BOYS

Down:

1. Melody from a bugler : TAPS

2. Sour note from a bugler : BLAT. Completely unknown, thank you, crosses. Any musicians amongst us care to explain?

3. Dover flatfish : SOLE

4. Menial employee : PEON

5. Quite destructive : LETHAL. Quite? Something of an understatement.

6. Bass, e.g. : ALE. Loved this clue/answer. The world's first trademark was the red triangle on the label.

7. Pressure meas. : PSI. Pounds per Square Inch. I rate cheesecake on how many pounds I gain per square inch of cheesecake eaten.

8. Dispatch : SEND

9. Carpenter's rasp, for one : ABRADER. More thank you, crosses. I'm sure an abrader is a thing, but I'm sure I'd never walk into a hardware store and ask for one.

10. Dealership vehicle : LOANER

12. Turkish title : AGA

13. Tosspot : SOT. Yet another learning moment. A tosspot in England is a loser.

18. Search far and wide : SCOUR. Great word.

22. Common pump part : ROTOR

24. Wrap for leftovers : SARAN. Plenty of these after Christmas.

25. Photography gear : TRIPODS.

27. "Already caught that movie" : SEEN IT!

28. 1990s veep : AL GORE I'm drinking some Tom Gore wine right now. Any relation?

29. Share the marquee : CO-STAR

30. Capital ESE of Istanbul : ANKARA

32. Sample some soup : SIP

36. "Arabian Nights" spirit : GENIE

39. Behind the times : PASSÉ

40. Actor Butterfield of "Ender's Game" : ASA. Hello crosses! Thank you!

42. Where lemons may be sold : CAR LOTS

43. Cobwebby place : ATTIC

45. Fictionalized : MADE UP

47. Polynesian garment : SARONG. I looked for a link, this was the first one that came up. I thought I'd keep it.

51. Self-righteous : SMUG

53. HBO's "__ Your Enthusiasm" : CURB

54. Guesstimate phrase : OR SO.

55. Tax : LEVY

56. Nile serpents : ASPS

57. Cornfield sound : CAW. Why do crows like corn so much?

58. Menu phrase : A LA. Carte. Mode. King. What was the last one?

60. Mil. mail drop : A.P.O.

61. Haitian negative : NON. You need to know French is spoken in Haiti.Crosswords teach you a lot of things.

With that, I'm done. Merry Thursday, falling between Christmas and New Year! I couldn't find any music links - have at it!

Steve

Wednesday Dec 27, 2017 Jason Mueller

 Theme: BRANDED (40A. Labeled ... or, divided into three parts, what surrounds the answers to starred clues)- Read it as BR and ED.

 17A. *More than just indoctrinated : BRAINWASHED.

62A. *Brunette : BROWN-HAIRED.

11D. *Hit at an intersection, maybe : BROADSIDED.

28D. *Alert and peppy : BRIGHT-EYED.

Boomer here.

Good morning or afternoon as the case may be.  I am excited to notice that daylight hours are getting longer again, but not too enthused about double digit below zero temperatures.  You would think after 70 years in Minnesota I would be used to winter, but I am already looking forward to Springtime.
  

Across:       

1. Bottomless gulf : ABYSS

 
6. See 8-Down : MAJOR 8D. With 6-Across, prime minister before Tony Blair : JOHN - I don't pay much attention to British politics.  I remember Tony Blair and Winston Churchill.

11. Murphy __ : BED - tough clue.  Not many homes have a Murphy bed anymore.

14. Lerner collaborator : LOEWE

15. "That's my wish" : I HOPE

16. "Fahrenheit 451" novelist Bradbury : RAY - 'Twas also a good movie.

19. Ducks' home: Abbr. : ORE - Strange name for a college football team, almost as odd as Gophers or Badgers.

20. Hindu retreat : ASHRAM

21. Available to watch anytime : ON DEMAND

23. Classic Fords : LTDs I owned one years ago.  An affordable but upscale model.  I believe it competed with the Chevy Impala.

25. Pomegranate bit : SEED - There are about 100 seeds in one fruit.  Said to be very healthy.

26. Three-time Pulitzer-winning playwright : ALBEE - most famous for "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf" (About a middle aged couple named Martha and George).  I'm not sure if George chopped down the pomegranate tree.

29. Big letters in home security : ADT - American District Telegraph - Their security packages are pretty expensive though.

32. Costume items for horror movie villains : MASKS

35. __ of paradise : BIRD - HOF Indiana Pacer.  Larry is on a 1981 rookie card with Magic

36. Top : BLOUSE - Blouse is a good word.  Top is a lousy clue.

38. CD yield : INT - Yes, and not very much these days.

39. "Rope-a-dope" boxer : ALI - The Greatest ?

41. Actress Ruby : DEE - I remember her in "A Raisin in the Sun" with Sidney Poitier.

42. Pester : NAG

43. Irritated reply to "Aren't you ready yet?" : I AM NOW

44. Toolbar button with a question mark : HELP

45. Messenger service replaced by Google Hangouts : GCHAT - Is this one of those social media things ?

47. Suffix with front : IER - I get it but I am not sure about suffixes in Crossword Puzzles.

48. Area component : WIDTH - times length and you got it.

49. Lipstick holder : TUBE

51. High-five sound : SLAP - We do high and lower fives in bowling, but no slaps.

53. Homers, in baseball lingo : GOES YARD - Dinger, four bagger, outta here, Sportscasters must have thousands of names for a home run. 

57. Have high hopes : ASPIRE - Frank Sinatra - "Once there was a silly old ram, thought he'd bust a hole in a dam."  He had high hopes.

61. At all : ANY - Again, I did not like the clue.  It's like people saying "As Well" instead of "Too".   

64. Frozen water : ICE - Plenty up here in MN.  People drive their vehicles on the lakes.  (We have 10,000 of them.  Not me though.  Every year we have stories of cars breaking through to the bottom of a lake.

65. Cry after a golfer's ace : IT'S IN - I don't think so, but I have never witnessed a hole in one in person and I have never made one either.

66. Human __ : BEING

67. Journalist Koppel : TED

68. The ones here : THESE

69. Newspaper copy : ISSUE

  

Down:

  

1. "Sin City" actress Jessica : ALBA - A couple of "Sin City" s and a "Good Luck Chuck".

2. Knight of the Round Table : BORS - Never heard of him. OK, he was a buddy of Lancelot.

3. "You said it!" : YEAH

4. Blew in circles, as the wind : SWIRLED - Or how Dairy Queen makes a Blizzard.

5. 100-lawmaker group : SENATE - You probably heard that one of our senators resigned.  As of January 2, 2018, Minnesota will be one of only four states represented by two female senators.

6. Actress Farrow : MIA - Gossip tabloids exploded with stories about Mia and Frank Sinatra.  She got her career started on "Peyton Place" which I never watched.  I remember her in "Rosemary's Baby" - Although I hated the movie.

7. "Got it" : AH SO  - I have never been to Japan, but I doubt if they say this.

9. Newspaper essays : OP-EDs - Opinion / Editorials.  Not my favorite section.

10. Used, as credit card rewards : REDEEMED - Could be, however - Has anyone ever redeemed Gold Bond Stamps?  How about S & H Green stamps?

12. Merit : EARN

13. Made blue, in a way : DYED - Tricky clue

18. Iraq War concern: Abbr. : WMD

22. "Do __ favor ... " : ME A

24. Sandwich meat : SALAMI - Baloney had too many letters

26. Go out with __ : A BANG

27. Flowery candle scent : LILAC  -  Green grow the lilacs all sparkling with dew.

30. "No man is an island" poet : DONNE

31. Henry VIII et al. : TUDORS - The Tudor Monarchy lasted from 1485 - 1603.  I did not know that, I Googled it.  I thought Tudor was a body style of a car.

33. Prepared to pray : KNELT

34. Two-time NBA MVP Curry : STEPH - Turned down a trip to the White House. 

36. Bikini half : BRA

37. Wrap (up) : SEW - Once again, I feel the clue does not fit

40. Gradually : BIT BY BIT - Nothing gradual about these coins.

44. Many Woodstock attendees : HIPPIES - Could be an opinion.  Woodstock was in New York State.  Hippies were flower children of northern California.  I am not sure how many could travel 3000 miles when they made their living begging for quarters. 

46. Ger. neighbor : AUS (Austria) - A relatively small country near Munich.

48. Sushi condiment : WASABI - really bad tasting mustard.  I think you need granite taste buds to put this in your mouth. 

50. Third of eight : EARTH - Used to be nine, then Pluto ran away.

52. "Well, __-di-dah!" : LAH

53. Walking pace : GAIT

54. Previously : ONCE

55. Wine choice : ROSE - To be a true Rose wine, you need one of those little hash marks above the "E".  Otherwise, it's just a flower.

56. Sobriety checkpoint concerns, for short : DWIs - We have DWIs in Minnesota, (Not Me), but I have never seen a sobriety checkpoint. Other states?

58. Spring flower : IRIS

59. Bausch + Lomb product : RENU - A must for contact lens users.

60. Brink : EDGE - Or could be a Ford SUV.

63. Peoria-to-Green Bay dir. : NNE - If you really want to go to Green Bay.  Some guys were shirtless Saturday at Lambeau's 4 degree Packers/Vikings game.  What a way to get on TV!

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Dudley, who's been with our blog since April 2010. Dudley started the "Rabbit, Rabbit" tradition, WBS (What Barry Said) and a few other popular blog Abbrs. This picture was taken during Montana's visit to Northeast in September, 2013.

Left to right: Marti, Dudley, Hondo & Montana

Look at this special pizza Christmas gift Dear Gary and his wife Joann made for their granddaughter Elise!

Tuesday, December 26, 2017 ~ Parikshit S. Bhat

Theme: Turning Circles - Take a word, rearrange the letters one at a time, moving the first one to the last one

18. Jamaican term for hot chocolate: COCOA TEA

22. Greek salad ingredient: GOAT CHEESE

34. Car accessory that may be faux leather: SEAT COVER

50. Glowing barbecue lump: RED HOT COAL

55. Traitor, and a literal hint to this puzzle's circles: TURNCOAT

Argyle here with Pari's third offering in LATland. Tinbeni will be happy.

Across:

1. Champagne cocktail: MIMOSA

7. Wrist-to-elbow bone: ULNA

11. Young newt: EFT

14. Prepared (oneself), as for a shock: BRACED

15. Be unsuccessful: FAIL

16. The "A" in 59-Across: ALE. 59A. Hoppy beer, for short: IPA. (India pale ale)

17. Dogs from Japan: AKITAs

20. Suffix with hip or tip: STER

21. Stormy weather sound: THUNDER

26. Board game cubes: DICE

27. French friend: AMI

28. "__-ho!": "Everybody lift together!": HEAVE

29. Scrutinized, with "over": PORED

30. __ majesty: high treason: LESE. Lèse-majesté: from Latin laesa majestas ‘injured sovereignty.’

32. Letter before omega: PSI

33. Leftover food bits: ORTS

38. Actor Brad: PITT

40. __ kwon do: TAE

41. Start of a magical chant: ABRA. ABRAcadabra.

45. Longed (for): PINED

46. Minor fight: SET-TO

48. Tyrannosaurus __: REX

49. Norwegian patron saint: OLAF

52. Records again: RETAPES

54. Wolf's cry: HOWL

57. Ex-Soviet leader Brezhnev: LEONID

60. Use a stopwatch for: TIME

61. Painter or sculptor: ARTIST

62. Cleopatra killer: ASP

63. Winter coaster: SLED

64. Balance sheet items: ASSETS

Down:

1. Management deg.: MBA. (Master of Business Administration)

2. Annoying: IRKSOME

3. Rum cocktails: MAI TAIs

4. Two foursomes: OCTET

5. Look online: SEARCH

6. App interruptions: ADs

7. Mixed martial arts org.: UFC. (Ultimate Fighting Championship)

8. "Tao Te Ching" philosopher: LAO TSE

9. Specialized market segment: NICHE

10. Baseball's Felipe or Moises: ALOU

11. Humbly accept blame: EAT DIRT

12. Swindles: FLEECES

13. Got emotional, with "up": TEARED

19. Republic between Spain and France: ANDORRA. Their web site.

22. __ pal: GAL

23. Air filter acronym: HEPA. (high-efficiency particulate air) filter.

24. Sunrise direction: EAST

25. Kicked out: EVICTED

29. Poet for whom the Edgar Awards are named: POE

31. Miami Sound Machine singer Gloria: ESTEFAN

35. Scheduled leaving hr.: ETD

36. Pledge: OATH

37. White House no: VETO

38. Multi-car collisions: PILE-UPs

39. Ensnared: IN A TRAP

42. Chocolate treat: BROWNIE

43. Practical thinker: REALIST

44. Rock singer Rose: AXL

45. "The Merchant of Venice" heiress: PORTIA

46. Opening word for Ali Baba: SESAME. Not the first word spoken but the word that got the

cave to open.

47. Unlisted stuff: OTHERS

50. Lubricate again: REOIL

51. Codgers: COOTS

53. Cuts for agts.: PCTs. %

56. Danson of "The Good Place": TED. Cheers!

57. Anaheim MLB team, in crawl lines: LAA. (Los Angeles Angels)

58. Souse's woe: DTs. (Delirium Tremens) When the pink elephants come to dance with you.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Many regulars are aware that D-Otto and his wife make potato dumplings every Christmas. You can see his recipe here. Quite a challenging project.

Here is a great picture of D-Otto working on the dumplings yesterday. He said below. I was amazed that he still has the original box.

"The grinding is finished and the roast is in the oven.  We're in a brief window before the mixing/boiling stage has to begin.  Here's me with at the controls of the Shred-O-Mat (in glorious Harvest Gold), attired in the official dumpling uniform of the day -- blue jeans, sacrificial tee and no watch."

D-Otto (Tom)

Monday, December 25, 2017 ~ Peter Koetters

Theme: Just another Monday - A non-Christmas theme.

1. Babysitting nightmares ... or relatives of the ends of the four longest puzzle answers: BRATS. Yeah, don't have nightmares about sausages.

20. Piltdown Man, purportedly: THE MISSING LINK

26. Really skimpy, like the polka-dot bikini of song: TEENIE WEENIE

42. Hangover remedy, so they say: HAIR OF THE DOG

50. "Honestly speaking ... ": "TO BE QUITE FRANK ..."

Argyle here. I suppose a lot of people won't get a paper today so they wouldn't have a puzzle to do. Many others may skip today's puzzle so I understand giving us this rather generic piece. It's not a ruiner of your celebrations, I hope.  Ol' Man Keith gets a present today.

Across:

1. "See ya": "BYE"

4. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey __: OSWALD

10. Mediterranean exile isle: ELBA. The houses look fake.

14. Managed: RAN

15. Rain, to a picnic: RUINER. A bit strong; it's more like: Barbarian. to Rome.

16. Stereotypical techie: NERD. Once uncool sort who's now sort of cool. (Sunday)

17. Play part: ACT

18. Innermost foot digit: BIG TOE

19. New Mexico art community: TAOS. Historic Ledoux Street.

23. Vain gaits: STRUTS

24. Less hospitable: ICIER

31. River rollicker: OTTER

34. Finance guru Suze: ORMAN

35. Bearded Serengeti critter: GNU

36. Word after milk or meter: MAID

37. Confederacy foe: UNION

38. Stock holders?: POTS

39. Biblical craft: ARK

40. Where the heart is: CHEST

41. Dugout craft: CANOE

45. Playwright Chekhov: ANTON. "... considered to be among the greatest writers of short fiction in history." Wiki. quote: "Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."

46. What drinks like Jolt provide: ENERGY. "All the sugar, twice the caffeine!"

55. Birth announcement word: GIRL

56. Like the bed of someone rushing out: UNMADE. Were you made to make your bed before presents?

57. Cell occupant: CON

58. A single time: ONCE

59. Big app for Apple: iTUNES

60. Angsty rock genre: EMO

61. Amazed sounds: OOHs

62. Deputized bands: POSSEs. They went thataway!

63. Lawn coating: DEW

Down:

2. Luxury boat: YACHT

3. Go in: ENTER

4. Moon, e.g.: ORBITER

5. Credit __: Zurich bank: SUISSE. Yes, I tried a W before changing to a U.

6. Powdered headwear: WIGS

7. Naysayer: ANTI

8. Writer Uris: LEON. "Exodus"

9. Bit of wine sediment: DREG. Usually plural.

10. Lure: ENTICE

11. Using for support: LEANING ON

12. Forcefully entered: BROKE INTO. Santa never did!

13. Website pop-ups: ADs

21. Muffled, as a trumpet: MUTED

22. Bank's claim: LIEN

25. Employ again: REUSE

27. Nine-piece combo: NONET

28. "When __ Eyes Are Smiling": IRISH. CSO to Troy Miss.

29. Overact: EMOTE

30. Pale: WAN

31. Nebraska city: OMAHA

“The Beautiful Old Market Entry to V. Mertz (in back to the right)”

32. "Pulp Fiction" writer/director Quentin: TARANTINO

33. Luau lamp: TIKI TORCH

37. TV dial letters: UHF. (Ultra high frequency), back in the days of tubes.

38. "Your table's ready" signaler: PAGER

40. Ice cream holder: CONE

41. Come clean: CONFESS

43. Paso __: California wine city: ROBLES

44. Political pundit Myers: DEE DEE

47. Sped: RACED

48. Garden-guarding figurine: GNOME

49. Informal "Catch my drift?": Y'KNOW?"

51. Witticism: QUIP

52. Golden rule preposition: UNTO

53. Irreverent radio host Don: IMUS. Still around.

54. Sunbathers' goals: TANs

55. Sticky stuff: GOO

Since the lyricist has a local connection to my area, I'll leave you with this song.

Argyle

C.C.: Here is Argyle Our Dear Santa

Notes from C.C.:
  

Happy Birthday to our Yellowrocks (Kathy), who's celebrating today with her son David and their family in New York. I thought of her every time I see a picture of vichyssoise or sand tarts or hear Butterfly Lovers, the classic Chinese music inspired by a great love story. Sending our best wishes to David as well.

Yellowrocks and son David, Sept 2016

Happy Birthday also to Lorraine (Fermatprime), who's been with the blog since Nov 2009.  Lorraine is an accomplished math professor and does many puzzles every day.

Thanksgiving, 2015

Snipped this great picture from Chairman Moe's Facebook. The Chairman (Chris) is a wine connoisseur.

Sunday, Dec 24, 2017 Paul Coulter

Theme: "Magnetism" - Each theme entry has a pair of opposites.

22A. *Criminal justice supervisor : PROBATION OFFICER. On/off.

33A. *"Hail to thee, blithe Spirit!" poet : PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY. He/She.

53A. *Get worse, with no way to stop : SPIN OUT OF CONTROL. In/Out.
 
80A *Nero Wolfe title that plays on the start of an old adage : WHERE THERE'S A WILL. Here/There.

96A. *1985 #1 hit for Paul Young : EVERY TIME YOU GO AWAY. Me/You.

Reveal:

113. Maxim that applies to pairs hiding together in the answers to starred clues : OPPOSITES ATTRACT

What a great reveal. It describes the gimmick perfectly. Quite challenging to come up with a set where the antonyms are together.

I love the first two the most, as the key words ON/OFF, HE/SHE fully contained in other words.

Across:

1. 16th-century date : MDL. 1550.

4. Big name in shoes : MCAN. Not ECCO/NIKE.

8. Batted : WAS UP

13. See 2-Down : LINE. And 2. With 13-Across, write (to) : DROP A

17. Rail commonly found in water? : SORA

18. Perry of fashion : ELLIS

20. Kind of acid in proteins : AMINO

21. Any minute, old-style : ANON

25. Saturn vehicles? : UFOs. Nailed it.

26. Placing side by side : APPOSING

27. Cries of support : OLES. Had RAHS first.

28. Golf shot : STROKE

30. Wrinkly dog : SHAR PEI. Cantonese. Shar = Sand. Pei = Skin. So "Sand skin".

31. Common conjunction : NOR

32. Hanker : ACHE

41. __ Dictionary : URBAN. So many blush-worthy entries there.

44. Arles assents : OUIs

45. Bury : INTER

46. Amber __ : ALE

47. Delhi wrap : SARI

48. A little lower? : CALF. Low-er.

50. Paper size: Abbr. : LTR

51. Anime cousin : MANGA. Called Man Hua in Chinese. Same characters as Japanese. Man = "Whimsical". Ga/Hua just means "picture". Can also be a verb, meaning "draw".

59. Do serious damage to : SCAR

60. Hwy. : RTE

61. "My man!" : BRO. Clue echo with 107. "My man!" : DUDE

62. Notched, as a maple leaf : EROSE. 

63. Back in the bay : ASTERN

65. 1965 King arrest site : SELMA

67. Shortened, as a dict. : ABR. We use Abbr. as a hint in crossword clues.

68. Ballade's final stanza : ENVOI. You would think this is French for "envoy".

70. Complete : ENTIRE

73. Assume as fact : POSIT

75. Assist : AID

76. Eats or drinks : HAS. We're going to have Hormel Cure 81 Ham today. Boomer said it's the best. Do you have it in your area?

79. Israel's Golda : MEIR

85. Looked like a wolf? : OGLED

87. Oral health org. : ADA

88. Dovetail : MESH

89. In the Aegean : ASEA

90. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" newsman : TED

91. Word coined by writer Capek : ROBOT. In his "R.U. R" play.

93. Creek croaker : TOAD. Not FROG.

95. Tube, so to speak : TV SET

101. All the time : A LOT

102. Bit of work : ERG

103. Pretenses : FACADES

107. Poetic foot : DACTYL. Often the answer is  IAMBUS

110. __-up: hybrid musical piece : MASH

111. Church contribution : OFFERING

112. Wrinkly fruit : UGLI. Our local grocery stores have them. Pretty juicy.

117. Like Beethoven, late in life : DEAF . We also have 92. Ear specialist's science : OTOLOGY 

118. Agree to : GRANT

119. Composer of the short piano pieces "Le Yachting" and "Le Golf" : SATIE. I need "Erik" in the clue.

120. Hockey's Bobby et al. : ORRs. Only know one.

121. Go around in circles : EDDY

122. Goes up and down : YO-YOS

123. Once uncool sort who's now sort of cool : NERD

124. Inquisitive-sounding letter : WYE.

 Down:

1. Transmute : MORPH
 
3. Sensation before a delivery : LABOR PAIN. Nice fill.

4. Specialty : METIER

5. Medical center : CLINIC

6. Sleep like __ : A LOG

7. "Delta of Venus" author : NIN. Imagine my surprise to find this book at our dusty flea market.

8. Symbols of thinness : WAFERS

9. Author Martin : AMIS
 
10. [Not a typo] : SIC

11. Arles article : UNE

12. Company whose German pronunciation has two syllables : PORSCHE. Its Chinese name has three characters.

13. Victory symbol : LAUREL

14. Dope : INFO

15. Cozy corner : NOOK

16. Massachusetts motto opener : ENSE. Our old buddy is back.

17. Healthful retreats : SPAS

19. André Previn's adopted daughter : SOON-YI. Such a complicated life.
 
23. Quaker in the woods : ASPEN

24. Dentist's directive : FLOSS

29. Heat unit : THERM

32. 2017 World Series champ : ASTRO. Don't cheat. How many teams have never won a World Series?

34. Texter's "seize the day" : YOLO. You Only Live Once.

35. Devotee : BUFF
 
36. Sword handles : HILTS. Sometimes it's HAFTS.

37. It's usually just before dessert : ENTREE

38. Tilter's tool : LANCE

39. Knighted English composer : ELGAR (Edward)

40. Thirst (for) : YEARN

41. Cold War initials : USSR

42. Deeply engrossed : RAPT

43. Cracker topper : BRIE
 
48. Long-billed wader : CURLEW. Thank God I don't have that bill. I would have broken mine easily.

49. Elementary particle : ATOM

52. Stop on the Turin-Genoa railway : ASTI. The wine town.
 
54. Upper, in Ulm : OBER

55. Break off : CEASE

56. Comet's path : ORBIT

57. Needle point? : NORTH. Great clue.

58. Deluxe : LAVISH

64. Pop : SODA

65. Many a retired racehorse : SIRE
 
66. Tarzan's realm : APEDOM. Spell check does not like it.

69. Dundee disagreements : NAEs

70. Ham it up : EMOTE

71. Israeli desert : NEGEV

72. Piña colada garnish? : TILDE. Garnish, OK.
 
74. Declaim : ORATE

76. Boo relative : HISS

77. Sheltered in the Aegean : ALEE

78. Bed board : SLAT
 
81. Hard thing to kick : HABIT

82. Slate or Salon : EMAG

83. Change the decor of : REDO

84. Winding-road sign image : WAVY ARROW. Debut entry.

86. How Steven Wright jokes are spoken : DRYLY
  
93. Trunks : TORSI

94. Moral obligations : OUGHTS. Ought can be a noun also?

95. "Be silent," in music : TACET

97. Formally approve : RATIFY

98. Baking supplies : YEASTS. I've been eating this to increase my B12 intake. Won't buy again once this bottle is empty. Not fond of its taste. I'm thinking of trying Steve's Marmite next.

99. Fling : AFFAIR

100. Drifted gently : WAFTED

104. Book with a lock : DIARY
 
105. Yves' ink : ENCRE. Also new to me.

106. PD ranks : SGTs
 
108. Kept in barrels, maybe : AGED
 
109. Decked out : CLAD

110. Like early Elvis albums : MONO

111. Bone head? : OSTE. Prefix for "bone".
 
114. Adept : PRO

115. Wages : PAY
 
116. Suffix with Caesar : EAN

C.C.