Thursday, July 9, 2015 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: Somersaults.

We have an acrobatic theme, and are given the reveal immediately at 1-Down:

1-Down. With 57-Down, reverse ... and a hint to hidden letters in 6-, 9-, 15- and 21-Down : FLIP.
57-Down. See 1-Down : SIDE.

So it was no secret that we would be looking for the word "SIDE" appearing from the bottom-up. We are even given the theme locations right away.  That took away from the fun of figuring it out on my own, but others may appreciate the leg up. Simple theme entries:

6-Down. Subject of debate : CONTESTED ISSUE.

9-Down. Retail promotion : STORE DISPLAY.

15-Down. Shipwreck movie staple : DESERTED ISLAND.

21-Down. General Electric co-founder : THOMAS EDISON.

Now, let's look at the rest.


Across

1. NFL threes : FGS. Field goals.

4. S&L offering : ACCT. 2 Abbr. to start...

8. Daisylike flower : ASTER.

13. Waikiki wreath : LEI.

14. Overwhelm in abundance : FLOOD.

16. Shoulder accessory : STOLE. At first, all I could think of was shoulder pads. Remember those from the '80s?

17. Place for the night : INN.

18. "Blue Sky" Oscar winner : LANGE. Jessica also won many other awards for her role.

19. Reliable : SOLID.

20. Wear a long face : POUT.

22. "Take __ a sign" : IT AS.

23. Geometric products : AREAS.

24. Having left the water : ASHORE.

26. '70s "Laugh-In" regular Ann : ELDER. I don't remember her.

28. Fat substitute : OLESTRA. It lost favor due to the side effects.

30. Panel with gauges : DASH.

33. Love interest : FLAME.

36. "Rosanna" band : TOTO. The video. 5:28

37. Empire founded by Manco Cápac, in legend : INCA. He was believed to be a fire and sun god.

38. Baltic capital : RIGA. Map.

39. Feints : DEKES.

40. Leave a lasting mark on : SCAR.

41. Energy measures : ERGS.

42. Picked out of a lineup : ID'ed.

43. Used : SPENT.

44. Throw down the gauntlet : DARE.

45. Barely enough : MINIMAL.
Followed by a semi-clecho:
47. Barely bests : EDGES.

49. Staid : SEDATE.

52. Bacall's love, informally : BOGIE. Listen here.

54. Ward of "Sisters" : SELA. I don't think I ever watched that show. She's the one at the upper left.

56. Some raised hands : YEAS.

58. Clear in class : ERASE.

59. __ about: recuperating : UP AND.

61. Pent- minus two : TRI-.

62. You might pass one in a race : BATON.

63. Choosing word : EENIE. meenie, miney, mo...

64. Like too many jokes : OLD.

65. Colleague of Ruth and Sonia : ELENA. Supreme Court Justices Bader Ginsburg, Sotomayor and Kagan.

66. Blissful place : EDEN.

67. Emmy-winning scientist : NYE. Bill Nye, the Science Guy.


Down

2. Italian port : GENOA.

3. Paranasal space : SINUS.

4. Gp. in a historic 1970 sports merger : AFL. The American Football League merged with the National Football League.

5. Actress Danes : CLAIRE.

7. Roman robe : TOGA.

8. Big name in Syrian politics : ASSAD. Bashar Al-Assad is the Syrian president.

10. Permissible variation : TOLERANCE.

11. Charles Lamb pen name : ELIA. "Essays of Elia."

12. Great American Ball Park team : REDS. The Cincinnati Reds, that is.

25. Bullfight cheer : OLE.

27. Thailand neighbor : LAOS.

29. Evidence of esteem? : TOKEN.

31. Do a cashier's job : SCAN. At our local supermarket, you can grab a wand on your way in and scan and bag your groceries as you go through the aisles.  Thus totally eliminating the need for cashiers.

32. Roxie __, Zellweger's "Chicago" role : HART. The name on everyone's lips.

33. Barney's friend : FRED. The Flintstones.  I was torn between Barney Rubble and Barney Fife, because "Andy" also fit.

34. Capital of Turkey : LIRA. The money type of capital, not the principle city.

35. Combined : AGGREGATE.

39. Old phone booth user's need : DIME. Good lord, I feel old!

43. __ sack : SAD.

46. Nasty sort : MEANIE.

48. Davis of "A League of Their Own" : GEENA. I loved her in that movie.

50. Wyoming's __ Range : TETON. Breathtaking.

51. Ahead of time : EARLY.

52. Tiny tot, in Toledo : BEBE. Good thing this was already filled by perps. My mind would have been on Tater Tots and Toledo, Ohio, I'm sure.

53. __ exam : ORAL.

55. Parrier's tool : EPEE.

60. Place to solve a puzzle : DEN. My go to places are the deck in summer, or the solarium in winter.


See you on the FLIP SIDE!

Marti

Wednesday, July 8th, 2015 Jack McInturff

Theme: Meeting your Match

20A. Formal education : BOOK KNOWLEDGE. Matchbook. I was unfamiliar with the clued definition; I understood it to allude (in a somewhat derogatory fashion) to a person who has no practical knowledge of a subject but got everything out of a book.

31A. Hold firm : STICK TO ONE'S GUNS. Matchstick. The English artist L.S.Lowry, who was famous for depicting scenes from the industrial north, was sometimes derided by art critics for painting "matchstick men and matchstick cats and dogs". One of his paintings sold at auction in 2011 for around $8.6m. Not bad for a "Sunday artist".

41A. Sweets for one's sweet : BOX OF CHOCOLATES. Matchbox. When I've got some time on my hands I like to make dark chocolate truffles. I have to give most of them away or I'd eat the lot myself, and you have to make quite a few (at least five dozen) to justify the effort. That's a lot of chocolates!

57A. Smoker's superstitious no-no ... and hint to the starts of 20-, 31- and 41-Across : THREE ON A MATCH. I was familiar with the superstition, but not the actual phrase (In the UK, we referred to the superstition as "third light".) I discover that it was also a 1932 movie and a 70's daytime game show airing on NBC.

Jack Mac is back! When I blogged his previous puzzle on June 17th he commented that it was "probably" going to be his last puzzle. This one was fun - a lot of learning moments for me, and I didn't have my grumpy trousers on either, unlike the prior time blogging Jack, so I'm glad for the opportunity to let him go out on a happier note if this turns out to be his last.

Let's see what else we've got going on here.

Across:

1. One in a semi circle? : CB-ER. Great clue. One of a group of truckers.

5. "Peer Gynt" playwright : IBSEN

10. Chopped-up fare : HASH. Food! If you're ever anywhere near Napa, make a bee-line for the Boon Fly Cafe for breakfast. They make the world's best corned beef hash (in my humble opinion, of course). Here's the evidence before I ate it:

14. In the style of, on trattoria menus : ALLA. Two Food! in a row! Thanks, Jack.

15. Mount in Exodus : SINAI

16. Mighty Dog alternative : ALPO

17. Links star McIlroy : RORY. He tore a ligament in his ankle last weekend playing a pick-up soccer game with his buddies. He's probably going to miss the next four tournaments, including the Open Championship at St. Andrews next week. That's an expensive game of footie.

18. Court star Borg : BJORN. A very topical name as the Wimbledon tournament is currently underway. He won the Men's Singles there five times in a row.

19. Spiffy : NEAT

23. "Heidi" author Johanna : SPYRI. Crosses - I can never remember how to spell this name.

24. Entry before a password : USER ID

25. Mil. training academy : O.C.S. Officer Candidate School.

27. Legendary 15-Across climber : MOSES. He apparently came down with the Ten Commandments, which have been causing us miserable sinners trouble ever since.

38. Rent alternative : OWN

39. Pasty : ASHEN

40. Quaint quarters : INN

46. "Ah, Wilderness!" mother : ESSIE. This Eugene O'Neill play was completely unknown to me, so thank you, crosses.

47. Fifth scale note : SOL

48. 1950s-'70s TV heroine : LASSIE

53. Collect : AMASS

59. All-birds comic strip : SHOE

61. Matter of fact : DATUM

62. Big Apple neighborhood above Houston Street : NOHO. North of Houston. Soho is south. My next-door neighborhood here in LA is also a NOHO - North Hollywood.

63. New Rochelle college : IONA

64. Reason to wear shades : GLARE

65. __ mater : ALMA

66. Bird's place : NEST. 59A locale.

67. Ruhr Valley city : ESSEN. My first German text book in high school featured the Müller family who lived in Essen. I recall they were proud of the zoo and the river.

68. Congeal : CLOT. I  had "CLOG" first, which made my final entry a "what on earth is a shoag? moment."

Down:

1. Pasta nutrients : CARBS. My pasta nutrients are much more likely to be San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil and grated pecorino.

2. Hit just over the infield : BLOOP

3. Judy Jetson's brother : ELROY

4. Fast-food tycoon : RAY KROC. Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler wrote this song about him.

5. Dust jacket ID : ISBN. The International Standard Book Number.

6. Delicate piece of jewelry : BIJOU

7. Bamboozles : SNOWS. Learning moment for me. I don't recall  seeing "snow" used in this context before.

8. Country star Steve : EARLE

9. Former Candlestick Park NFLer : NINER. The 49ers have decamped to a new stadium at the southern end of the bay in Santa Clara. I saw Paul McCartney playing the final concert at Candlestick last year. I couldn't hear the music though - I was on a plane taking off from SFO heading home to LA. Great timing!

10. Intimidated, as a look : HANGDOG

11. Protected from gusts : ALEE

12. Place to relax : SPA

13. On a streak : HOT

21. Fourth-down call : KICK. Strictly speaking, it's usually called a punt on fourth down, but we'll let this one slide.

22. Lowers with a switch : DIMS

26. Like a dotted note, in mus. : STAC. Staccato. One of these things:

28. Court filing : SUIT

29. Kin of -ess : -ENNE

30. Fed. IDs : SSNS

31. Drink brand with a lizard logo : SOBE

32. Bills with Jefferson on them : TWOS. When I first got one of these when I moved to the US I thought it was a fake.

33. "What You Need" band : INXS. I thought the band name was pronounced "Ink-sis" when I first saw it in a music magazine.

34. __Kosh B'gosh : OSH. Kid's clothing chain, the clothes are no longer made in Oshkosh, which seems a shame.

35. "My, my!" : OHO!

36. Japanese chip maker : NEC. Microchips, not these cheeseburger-flavor ones from Tokyo:

37. Grandson of Eve : ENOS

42. Homeowner's winter option : OIL HEAT. Never heard of it until today. Heating oil, yes.

43. Reaction from a chicken : FEAR. Nothing to worry about from the Muppet's Swedish Chef though.

44. Rich topsoil : LOAM

45. Annual reference volume : ALMANAC

49. Marsh plant : SEDGE

50. "Captain Phillips" military group : SEALS. U.S. Navy Special Forces. Not to be trifled with.

51. Greek vowels : IOTAS

52. Harden : ENURE. Variant of the more common INURE.

54. Ring-shaped reef : ATOLL

55. Noodlehead : SCHMO

56. Young pig : SHOAT. My erroneous CLOG had me wondering what a SHOAG was. Then I read the clue. Aha!

57. A whole lot : TONS

58. Response to a sermon : AMEN

59. Offense : SIN

60. Ground breaker : HOE

That's Game, Set and Match from me! Here's the grid:

Steve

Tuesday, July 7, 2015 David Poole

Theme: Enough to make your head spin. - The sets of four circles are in the four corners spelling out DOOR.

49A. Hotel entrance, often, and, literally, what each set of four puzzle 35-Across contains : REVOLVING DOOR

23A. How a 49-Across goes : ROUND AND ROUND

35A. Paths described when things go 23-Across : CIRCLES

Argyle herereh elygrA. Quite the go-around. Note how the D revolves to be in the four corners so as to make a complete revolution. The reveal may have led to some head-scratching, I dare say, especially if you're missing the circles because the clue doesn't seem very clear.

Across:

1. Rope-a-__: Ali boxing style : DOPE

5. French wine valley : LOIRE

10. Tough : HARD

14. Agile deer : ROEs

15. Widish computer key : ENTER

16. "Typee" sequel : "OMOO"

17. Craggy outcroppings : TORs

18. Fielder's gear : GLOVE. (baseball)

19. Goes down in the west : SETS. The action, not the thing.

20. Nautical distance unit : SEA MILE. 1,852 metres(about 6,076 feet).

22. Twyla Tharp forte : DANCE. Wiki link

26. Weaver turned into a spider by Athena : ARACHNE. Spiders are the largest order of arachnids.

27. Zodiac division : SIGN

28. Roping and riding contest : RODEO

29. Daddies : PAs

30. Height: Pref. : ACRO. From Ancient Greek for “highest, at the extremity”.

34. L.A.-to-N.Y. direction : ENE

39. Rowing need : OAR

40. Flag maker Betsy : ROSS

42. Bon __: quip : MOT

43. Much of Santa's mail : LISTS

45. Big name in hair trimmers : WAHL. Not on many lists.

47. Marshmallowy treat : MOON PIE

51. Actress Kelly of "The Cutting Edge" : MOIRA. (Moira Kelly)

Filmed mostly in Canada

53. Earns : TAKES IN

54. Airing, as a miniseries : ON TV

55. Some plum tomatoes : ROMAs

56. Concerning : AS TO

59. Move like sludge : OOZE

60. China company based in Stoke-on-Trent : SPODE

61. Jordan's Queen __ : NOOR. The widow of King Hussein of Jordan. Wiki link.

62. Prohibitionists : DRYs as opposed to the WETs.

63. The "A" in YMCA: Abbr. : ASSOC. (Young Men's Christian Association)

64. Yankee who passed Willie Mays on the career HR list on 5/7/2015 : A-ROD

Down:

1. "__ & the Women": 2000 Gere film : DR. T

2. "Hollywood Squares" win : O-O-O

3. Convinces : PERSUADES

4. Basic nature : ESSENCE

5. Errand runner : LEGMAN. Using one's shanks' mare.

6. Ready to chat, nowadays : ONLINE

7. "__ you so!" : I TOLD

8. Unfavorable change of fortune : REVERSAL

9. Before, in verse : ERE

10. Hallelujah kin : HOSANNA

11. Improve : AMEND

12. Campus recruiting org. : ROTC. (Reserve Officers' Training Corps)

13. Medicinal measure : DOSE

21. Like a specially formed committee : AD HOC

22. Grooved on : DUG

23. Not as well-done : RARER

24. University of Maine town : ORONO

25. Seine tributary : OISE

29. Cut for an agt. : PCT. (%)

31. Jointly underwrite : CO-SPONSOR

32. Math relationship : RATIO

33. Skater Brian : ORSER. He is the 1984 and 1988 Olympic silver medalist, 1987 World champion and eight-time Canadian national champion. ~ Wikipedia

36. "As I see it," in textspeak : IMHO. (in my humble opinion)

37. Popular antique desks : ROLLTOPS. Out of my price range.

38. Trudges (through) : SLOGS

41. Tries to avoid a pothole : SWERVES

44. State whose name is part of its capital : INDIANA. (Indianapolis)

46. Actress Gardner : AVA

47. Operetta set in Japan, with "The" : MIKADO. (An archaic name for the Emperor of Japan.)

48. "Be right there!" : "ONE SEC!"

49. Swanky : RITZY

50. "Let's go, amigo!" : "¡VAMOS!"

51. Frame of mind : MOOD

52. __ about: approximately : ON OR

55. Pres. Mandela's land : RSA. (Republic of South Africa)

57. Also : TOO

58. Command from a maj. : ORD. (order) (ick!)

Argyle

Monday, July 6, 2015 Gareth Bain

Theme: Too Big To Fail - Initials T B.

60A. Diagnostic skin injection, and, based on the initials of their answers, what the starred clues represent : TB TEST

18A. *Military bigwigs : TOP BRASS

58A. *Home mortgage payer's benefit : TAX BREAK

6D. *Off-road two-wheeler : TRAIL BIKE

10D. *Fairy tale porridge eaters : THREE BEARS

27D. *Salon device for one who wants color but not sun : TANNING BED

35D. *"Beetlejuice" director : TIM BURTON

Argyle here. Not much for a theme but Gareth gave us a lot of it.

Across:

1. Hockey stat : ASSIST

7. Hill-building insect : ANT

10. Decorate, as a Christmas tree : TRIM

14. Post office patron : MAILER

15. Podded plant : PEA

16. Sharpen : HONE

17. Ancient region ruled by Athens : ATTICA

20. Section of town, for short : NABE. (neighborhood)

21. Not well : ILL

23. Notifies : ALERTS

24. Indefinite number : ANY

25. Be overly sweet : CLOY

26. "Glee" cheerleading coach : SUE

actress Jane Lynch

27. Marching band member : TUBA

28. Black, in poesy : EBON

31. Triteness : BANALITY

35. Earthquake aftershock : TREMOR

37. Chief Norse god : ODIN

38. Dull uniform color : KHAKI

40. Top-shelf : A-ONE

41. __ the Pooh : WINNIE

43. Roll call setting, for most teens : HOMEROOM

45. Frau's refusal : NEIN

46. Basic lessons : ABC'S

47. Slap the cuffs on : NAB

49. Electrical outlet insert : PLUG

50. UV-blocker rating syst. : SPF. (sun protection factor)

53. Cheap cigar : STOGIE. "I smoke old stogies I have found short, but not too big around"

56. Blade that makes a wake : OAR

57. Slip-on, e.g. : SHOE

62. Olympian's blade : EPEE

63. Revolutionary Guevara : CHE

64. Threat-ending words : OR ELSE

65. __ one's way: proceed : WEND

66. Squirreled away : HID

67. Port in southwestern Italy : NAPLES

Down:

1. GE competitor : AMANA

2. The devil : SATAN

3. Show indifference : SIT BY

4. "Would __ to you?" : I LIE

5. Part of a min. : SEC.

7. In a fitting way : APTLY

8. Prefix with natal : NEO

9. Spanish bar snacks : TAPAS

11. Sound of the surf : ROAR

12. The "I" in VMI: Abbr. : INST. (Virginia Military Institute)

13. Sloppy situation : MESS

19. More deeply colored, as a clear sky : BLUER

22. Reluctant : LOATH

25. __-de-sac : CUL

29. 1847 Melville novel : "OMOO"

30. Taboo : NO-NO

31. Gift decoration : BOW

32. Game point, in tennis : AD IN. Last month.

33. Yellow-striped pool ball : NINE

34. Slangy agreement : "YAH"

36. Sleep stage letters : REM. (Rapid Eye Movement)

39. Cuddly-looking Australian marsupial : KOALA

42. " ... bombs bursting __" : IN AIR. Lot of that Saturday night.

44. Heart exam: Abbr. : ECG. (go argue among yourselves)

48. Tree that sounds like a sandy shore : BEECH

49. Elbowed : POKED

50. Snail's protection : SHELL

51. Old West search party : POSSE

52. Big celebrations : FETEs

53. Hearty meal : STEW

54. Scotch __ : TAPE

55. Plow-pulling team : OXEN

57. Staircase part : STEP

59. Yellowfin tuna : AHI

61. Maidenform garment : BRA

Argyle

Sunday July 5, 2015 Mark Bickham

Theme:  "All Together Now" - Each theme answer is a group of surnames of well-known people with the same given names hinted in the clue.

22A. Gene pool? : KELLY RODDENBERRY AUTRY. All in entertainment business.

39A. Bills piling up? : GATES MURRAY COSBY BLASS. I recall seeing  OUTSTANDING BILLS clued with a group of Bill's.

68A. Art gallery? : GARFUNKEL MONK BUCHWALD

92A. Robins' nest? : QUIVERS TUNNEY WILLIAMS. The first two might be challenging to some. Robin Quivers is with The Howard Stern Show. Robin Tunney is known for her role in The Mentalist. 

113A. Buddy list? : RICH EBSEN HACKETT HOLLY. All famous. Works perfectly with the clue.

In the old Tribute Media Daily puzzles, this type would be clued just as "Three Mikes", "Three Toms", "Three more Toms",  etc, regardless whether the clues are solid in-the-language phrase hinting at the collection of surnames.

Mark furthers restricted his theme entries to 21-letters, hence the omission of Carney and Linkletter for 68A, in case you wonder. Five spanners are very hard to maneuver on Sundays.

 Across:

1. National animal of Malaysia : TIGER. I know this trivia.

6. Place for a speaker : DAIS

10. Paper pieces : OP-EDS

15. Hand-off recipients: Abbr. : RBS. Running backs. Got me.

18. Tone sequence : SCALE

19. Many an Indian : HINDU

20. It doesn't happen often enough : RARE TREAT. Love the clue/answer.

25. 1989 World Champion figure skater : ITO (Midori)

 26. Plant : SOW. Not SPY.

27. Unimpressive bunch : SAD LOT

28. Beatles song with the line "And she promises the earth to me" : GIRL

29. 1898 chemical discovery : NEON. Look at this neon text message. Amazing.

31. Eye or sun : ORB

33. Chairman __ : MAO

34. Emilia's husband : IAGO.  "Othello".

38. Wedding column word : NEE

44. Jazz guitarist Montgomery : WES

45. Hammock happenings : NAPS. I could not find that picture of you solving crossword in a hammock, Dave. Where did it go?

46. Animal groups : FAUNAE. Crossing 43. Onion cousin : LEEK. So no *E or *S dilemma.

47. Rock band with the hit "Edison's Medicine" : TESLA

50. Square with roots : SOD. Nice clue.

51. Name names : SING

52. Shoulder muscle, for short : DELT

55. Come into : INHERIT

57. Map of Alaska, often : INSET

60. "Think this looks good on me?" : LIKE IT?

62. Frozen Four org. : NCAA

63. Bar entertainment : KARAOKE. Weekly actively when I lived in Tsingtao area.

65. Pool color : AQUA

67. Rain-__: bubble gum brand : BLO

72. Seer's supposed skill : ESP

73. Work with feet? : POEM. Noun "Work" here. Also 122. Type of 73-Across : ODE

74. Part of it is now a desert : ARAL SEA

75. Staging __ : AREA

76. Go back and forth : SEESAW

78. ___ Islands: Taiwan Strait archipelago : MATSU. It's spelled as Mazu in Chinese.

79. Flash drive slot : USB PORT

81. Mouth build-up : SILT. River mouth.

82. Utah city on I-15 : OREM

84. Shipping rope : TYE. Wow, have not seen this word for a long time.

86. Conditioner bottle directive : RINSE

87. (Having) come up : ARISEN

89. Hatchet relative : ADZE

91. It may be made or laid : BET

100. Member of the fam : UNC (Uncle)

101. Morales of "Caprica" : ESAI. He needs to get into a big movie to stay relevant.

102. Deadly snake : ASP

103. Toledo title: Abbr. : SRA

104. Lose it : SNAP

105. Busy : AT IT

107. Sugarcane-scraping machine : RASPER. Learning moment to me. Like this?

110. Pack animal : ASS

112. Warning from a small house : GRR

119. Showed, in a way : TELEVISED

120. Picked : CHOSE

121. Ninja Turtles' human pal April __ : O'NEIL. Stranger to me as well.

123. More than ready to go : ANTSY. Boomer got his National Senior Games credentials on Friday. Inspiring crowd. The guy behind us in the check-in line is a 91-year-old golfer from New Mexico.

124. Company with collectible trucks : HESS

125. Very small : TEENY

Down:

1. It may be accompanied by finger-wagging : TSKING

2. Arnold Palmer ingredient : ICE TEA. I still prefer Iced tea.

3. Stumblebum : GALOOT.  Also 70. Hardly dexterous : KLUTZY

4. Legal side? : ELL. Legal.

5. Husband-and-wife creators of Curious George : REYS

6. Impersonated : DID

7. Afterthoughts : ANDs

8. Brainstorming tool : IDEA MAP

9. Components of a very long month? : SUNDAYS.  Month of Sundays.

10. Milk go-with : OREO

11. Biased : PARTISAN

12. Goof : ERR

13. "N __ Say": Nelly song : DEY. Not familiar with the song. What does N Dey mean?

14. RR stop : STA

15. Eye part : RETINA

16. Dance studio aids : BARRES

17. Dos : STYLES

19. Texter's greeting : HOW R U?

21. Persian, e.g. : RUG

23. Shares a place (with) : ROOMS. Those idealistic college years.

24. Allied group : BLOC

30. Symbol of a fresh start : NEW LEAF

32. Moravian city : BRNO. Largest city there. Second largest in Czech.

35. Put __ in one's ear : A BUG

36. MD for women : GYN

37. One of the Minor Prophets : OBADIAH. Here is the list.

40. Barely burn : SEAR

41. Goodyear offering : RADIAL

42. Out __: confused : OF IT

47. Nuances : TINGES

48. Fully surrounds : ENCASES

49. Chinese dog breed : SHAR PEI. Literally "Sand skin". Cantonese.

50. Claim, with "out" : STAKE

51. Taken for : SEEN AS

53. Early upscale Chrysler : LeBARON. Another unknown to me.

54. Farm machines : TILLERS

56. "__, right?": "You said it!" : I KNOW

58. Polite refusal : NO MA'AM

59. Hybrid tennis garment : SKORT. Golf too.

60. Vader creator : LUCAS (George)

61. As of now : TO DATE

64. "Everybody Hurts" band : R. E. M.

65. Six-pack makeup : ABs

66. Netflix list : QUEUE

69. In hot water : UP A TREE

71. Forest rangers? : WAPITIS. Cute clue.

77. Pole, for one : SLAV

78. Source of many an order : MENU. Have any of you tried sesame balls before? For many years, two freshly-made sesame balls were my standard breakfast.

80. Belgian balladeer Jacques : BREL

82. Mount between Pelion and Olympus : OSSA

83. Ones out of work : RETIREES

85. Conifers yielding elastic wood : YEWS

88. Org. with complex schedules : IRS

89. Susan of "Five Easy Pieces" : ANSPACH. Another stranger to me. This puzzle is quite name-heavy.

90. __ Mode: English band : DEPECHE. What's their most famous song?

91. Great time : BLAST

92. Book size : QUARTO

93. Trip-inducing, as shoelaces : UNTIED

94. Eaves dropper? : ICICLE

95. "Candy is dandy" poet : NASH

96. Fuming : IRATE

97. "Eat Drink Man Woman" director : ANG LEE. I saw the movie ages ago. Food feast.

98. Miami athlete : MARLIN

99. With pep in one's step : SPRYLY

106. Widely read article? : THE. Indeed. I often skip THE. Chinese does not have definite article.

108. Hardy of old films : ANDY

109. Bygone theaters : RKOs

111. No longer usable : SHOT

114. Green of "Penny Dreadful" : EVA. Also the Bond Girl in Casino Royale.

115. Bargain __ : BIN

116. JFK sight, once : SST

117. It has two of itself in it : ESS. Easy in retrospect.

118. Unified : ONE

C.C.

Saturday, July 4th, 2015, Alan Olschwang

Theme: Star-spangled Saturday

Words: 68 (missing J,V,W,Z)

Blocks: 27

  The fireworks have started already - I bombed on this one.  Alan's last Saturday slog was over a year ago, and I got just as beaten up then as I did today - but for some reason, this one seemed to be a complete fun-sponge instead of a chance to enjoy myself by learning some new things.  Oh well.  Way over my personal time, and yes, I caved in to red-letters.  Triple 9-letter corners with two 11-letter spanners and another pair of 9-letter climbers on the inside;

30a. Miner matters : ORE DEPOSITS - my cousin Carole, who lives in England, was just here for 10 days - her brother Trevor was a miner

40a. Traveler's alternative : HILTON HOTEL - alternative~? pretty specific if you ask me; I'm taking a vacation in two weeks and staying in a hotel in Dover - with a JACUZZI~!  :7))

 (OK, I'm exaggerating)

7d. Fungus usually considered poisonous : TOADSTOOL

 33a. Words before taking off : I GOTTA RUN - BBQ and bonfire - right after I'm done here~!

NO ReWArD....

ACROSS:

1. Washington music festival named for a legend : SASQUATCH - Alan had this fill in that last Saturday puzzle, too - I wonder if he knows something....

10. Prima __ case : FACIE - hear this all the time on Law & Order, but I went with an "A" at the end; later it dawned on me that I might not have it right

15. Apprehended : IN CUSTODY

16. Old Bristol-Myers dental product : IPANA - put it in, took it out....do the hokey-pokey...

17. Hot spot : FIREPLACE - the house I like in Dover has a real fireplace - love them

18. __ panel : SOLAR - dah~!  This took W-a-a-a-a-y too long to come to me

19. Autocrats of old : TSARS

20. Sports radio host Patrick : DAN - can never remember his name

21. Meteorological conditions : CLIME - I always think of Monty Python & The Holy Grail when I hear this word

@0:54, regarding swallows....

22. Finalist-to-be's hurdle : SEMI

23. Indian silk-producing region : ASSAM

25. Biting : ACID - meh.  I prefer acidIC

26. Remove chemically : ELUTE - a Natick for me; I did the alphabet run for the "L", as it crossed the unknown "LETHE"

28. __ rod : AARON'S - ah.  Biblical. The Wiki.  It suggests that the rod may be in the Ark of the Covenant

34. Slamming door, perhaps : CUE - do you think they're angry~?

35. Bouvier __ Flandres: herding dog : DES - Frawnche - just can't get away from it

36. Way of the East : TAO - or ZEN~?  which one, which one....

37. 1998 title role for Angelina : GIA - Don't recall this one; sounds racy.  IMDb

38. __ loss : AT A

39. Code word : DIT - or DAH~? which one, which one....

43. Unsettling sort : STARER

(I pondered this one, as well)

45. Ordered room service, e.g. : ATE IN

46. Dispense, with "out" : METE  - Dah~!  Not DOLE; 25% right

47. "A Town Like Alice" novelist : SHUTE - Perps

49. Title VII enforcer: Abbr. : EEOC - Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - I looked up "VII" because it was enacted before my time

53. Where the action is : ARENA

55. Altar on high : ARA - the constellation

 

(in keeping with my comment last week, I also like the name Andromeda)

56. Chevy Corvair option, briefly : TURBO - I pondered T-TOPS first; I did not know this was a rear-engine car; more here

57. __ Stone, winningest woman coach in college hockey : KATEY - never heard of her, but if she coaches hockey, that's cool with me~!

58. Unsportsmanlike conduct : DIRTY POOL

60. Eiffel Tower level : ÉTAGE - more Frawnche, but this was in last week's puzzle, too

61. Like some pliers : SNUB-NOSED - or dogs and revolvers

62. Curly-coated cats : REXES - got it via perps, but had to Google after to see

63. Masseur's concern : TENSENESS - God, I need a massage~!

DOWN:   

1. Scrutinizes : SIFTS

2. Absinthe flavoring : ANISE

3. "Git!" : "SCRAM~!"

4. Asked : QUERIED

5. Carrier's org. : USPS - oh, those carriers - Pbbbbt~!!!

6. A&P part: Abbr. : ATLantic & Pacific

8. Holders for holders? : CD CASES - mostly perps; the clue doesn't jibe for me

9. Shenzi, Banzai or Ed, in "The Lion King" : HYENA

10. Kind of yr. : FISCal

11. Like some nerve cells : APOLAR

12. Multicolored pet : CALICO CAT

13. Words betraying lack of readiness : IN A MINUTE

14. Sea lion, for one : EARED SEAL

23. Some domestic workers : AU PAIRS

24. Broadway offering : MATINEE

27. Infernal flower? : LETHE - well, I was not fooled by flow-ers - I knew we wanted a river in Hell (Hades); just didn't know there were FIVE

29. Kirin competitor : ASAHI - I knew Kirin was Japanese beer, but none of its competitors

30. One working on lines : ODDS MAKER

31. Continue to stress : REITERATE - ah. stress as in insist, not 'pace'

32. Heir's headache, maybe : ESTATE TAX

41. Bullish : TAURINE

42. Slightly ahead of : ONE UP ON

44. Back out : RENEGE

48. "... tell'st me where thou __ this ring": Shak. : HADST

50. Irregularly notched : EROSE - remembered from doing crosswords

51. Mellow winds : OBOES

52. They're easily caught : COLDS

54. All those in favor : AYES

56. Newcastle's river : TYNE - toyed with AVON at first

59. Current "American Dad!" airer : TBS - have to close on the Fourth of July with this

Good Morning U.S.A.~!!!

Splynter