Saturday, Aug 22nd, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing F,J,Q)

Blocks: 30

  A pleasant challenge from Mr. Silk this week - in fact, I was not expecting a Silkie, but there it was~!  A smooth blend of phrases, common and not so common, with a smattering of proper names and a touch of the obscure to make it just a little tougher than last week's puzzle - speaking of "Z"s, we have 7 in today's grid, and three "X"s, as well.  Triple 9- and 10-letter corners, with a pair of nine's in the middle;

20a. Positive : ABOVE ZERO - ah, like temperatures, not emotions

51a. Mythological boundary : RIVER STYX

 Wiki Mythology

ACROSS:

1. "60 Minutes" symbol : STOPWATCH - well, I knew it was a something "watch", but I thought it was more of a pocket one than this type; can you tell I don't 'watch' the show~?

10. "Private Practice" star Kate : WALSH - I recognize her from a Law & Order episode, but that's all

15. "Whatever!" : "LIKE I CARE"

16. Its southeasternmost county is Bear Lake : IDAHO - tried MAINE first

Idaho Counties

17. For the time being : AD INTERIM - Literal Latin "in the time between"

18. Centrifuge component : ROTOR

19. Effectiveness : TEETH - mostly perps, but a clever clue/ answer

22. Purpose : AIM

24. Castle and others : IRENEs - tried DRAMAS, because I like the show "Castle"

25. "Live Well" retail chain : GNC - General Nutrition Centers

28. Steering system parts : TIE RODS - I have been through several tie rods during the 273,500 miles of driving my Dodge Stratus; in fact, the front wheel came off two Sundays ago; had my friend Ed help me put it back on.  Sheared the lug bolts. 

32. Special treatment : TLC - I try to give my car all the Tender Loving Care I can; has to last me about 4 more months

33. Parent : REAR - the verb.  Lost my dad two years ago, BarryG.  My condolences.  Today is one year since the passing of a waitress who worked at A Lure; she was 20.  Must be tough on her parents; her younger sister works at aMano. 

35. Smooth coat : GLAZE

36. Current: Pref. : RHEO - as in Rheostat - literally, a device for setting the flow of current - e.g. the volume knob on a stereo or guitar - the Wiki

37. When Tony sings "Maria" : ACT I

38. Muppet rat named for a movie character : RIZZO - dah~!  I put in RATzo, which can't be right with "RAT" in the clue; oh well.

39. With 2-Down, twice-monthly phenomenon : NEAP and 2d. See 39-Across : TIDE- nailed it, even getting the words in the right positions

40. It investigates RR accidents : NTSB - National Transportation Safety Board

41. __ Era: old name for Earth's pre-life period : AZOIC - well, I had the --OIC part, but crossing ELIZA, I pretty much had to WAG

42. Goalie's goal : SAVE - how true this is~!  I played a stellar game for 52mins last week, only to have my defense flag in the heat and humidity, and we ended up losing.  I love making the "glove save"

43. Who __ Nation: New Orleans Saints fans : DAT

44. Eye : STARE AT

46. French possessive : TES - aww, Frawnche

47. It became the TV Guide Channel in 1999 : PREVUE

49. Big mouth : MAW

55. Like some French vowels : NASAL - aww, more Frawnche

59. Sluggish : INERT - eh.  At least you're moving when you're sluggish.  Inert to me means hungover & bedridden

60. Underlying layers : SUBSTRATA

62. Where Rudolf of Ruritania was imprisoned : ZENDA - perps & WAG; more here

63. Get around bigtime : GLOBETROT - I would like to do this

64. Lake Placid's county : ESSEX

65. Large, to some Southwesterners : TEXAS SIZE

DOWN:

1. Blind piece : SLAT - as in Venetian blinds

3. Dust Bowl victim : OKIE

4. Gram lead-in : PENTA - pentagram; these guys worked the "Satanic" heavy metal image

5. Hip : WITH IT - or is it "WIT HIT"~?

6. Whiz : ACE

7. Johnny's partner in the 2014 Olympic figure skating telecasts : TARA - WAG; Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski - hello, Legs~

8. Nursery item : CRIB - oops, went with the other kind of nursery, and tried TREE

9. Circulation prefix : HEMO - blood circulation; semi-clecho with;

10. Circuit creators : WIRERS - those who wire

11. Napping : ADOZE - a 'meh' "A" word

12. Thermodynamics topic : LATENT HEAT

13. Liberty : SHORE LEAVE

14. Charts featuring houses : HOROSCOPES - I had a feeling HOME SCAPES was not right

21. Picture taker : VIDEOCAM - moving pictures, that is

23. Moves periodically : MIGRATES

25. Winner's reward : GRAND PRIZE

26. Peach mutations : NECTARINES

27. "Moonshadow" singer : CAT STEVENS

29. Broadway role for Julie : ELIZA - ah. Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle

30. Cutting device : RAZOR

31. Former White Sox manager Guillén : OZZIE - Baseball for C.C.

34. Needle : RIB

36. ER workers : RNs

44. Unpopular Vietnam War-financing vehicle : SURTAX - is any tax popular~?

45. Nice relatives : TANTES - aww, more more Frawnche - sounds close to its English translation of aunts

48. Mesa __ National Park : VERDE

50. Partner of all? : WARTS - I pondered "end all, be all" and "Once and for All" - ah - the phrase "I'll take it as is, warts and all"

52. USAF E-6 : T-SGT - A wordless clue/answer.  I just found out that the hostess I talked about last year is ROTC, and will graduate with the rank of second lieutenant - she's got er, um, three years to go....

53. Festive time : YULE

54. Wii alternative : XBOX - home video game computers

56. Indian wrap : SARI

57. All-inclusive : A TO Z - popular lately

58. Behind : LATE

61. Entrepreneur-aiding org. : SBA - Small Business Administration

Splynter

Friday, August 21, 2015, Mark McClain

Theme: Is this the Gamblers Anonymous meeting? I bet it isn't! How much  you want to put on it?

GA, which is better known as the two letter abbreviation for Georgia is added into three thirteen letter phrases to create a new and whimsically clued phrase for which another 15 letter reveal is presented. With four grid spanning answers, Mark needed lots of short fill to make the grid work, primarily using four letter words, but not THE four letter words. This is the third of Mark's LAT publications that I have had the pleasure of blogging and so far the easiest. Mark has come by the Corner to comment on puzzles as well. The sparkly 6 letter fill came easily and while the gimmick hid for a while, once you see the added letters the long ones were done. This made the rest of the solve go quickly. I enjoyed seeing AMORAL,  BORING,  DADDY-O,  EPONYM,  MITTEN,  RICOHS in the grid. There were some Friday clues/fill and some use of cheater squares to make it all fit. My unknown was COTE, which comes from the same strain as COTTAGE and I struggled with the vaguely recalled CAEN and LALO. Well let's look it over.

17A. Missed the bird's nest under the eaves? : FLEW INTO A GARAGE (14). I try not to rage.

26A. Red army unit? : BLUSHING BRIGADE (15). Do brides blush anymore?

44A. Druid baker's recipe? : PAGAN CAKE BATTER (15). Since I knew Druids were pagans, and pancake batter popped out, this is where I got the theme. Also my favorite.

57A. Carmichael/Gorrell classic, and a hint to this puzzle's theme : GEORGIA ON MY MIND (15). my favorite version. LINK.

Across:

1. Goof : SLIP. Betwixt the cup and the lip.

5. Barnyard cries : MAAS. I think of this defunct retailer.

9. Cook, in a way : BOIL.

13. Scheduled 2022 FIFA World Cup host : QATAR. More scandal there.

15. "As Time Goes By" requester : ILSA. She will live on.

16. Procter & Gamble cosmetics brand : OLAY. Katie Holmes did ads for them.

20. Toon cat : TOM. TomKat divorced.

21. Farm shelter : COTE. A new word for me, apparently home to pigeons among others. I would have done better with this one. LINK.

22. Records, nowadays : TIVOS. I think they are mostly generic DVRs.

23. Study intently, with "over" : PORE.

24. City SW of Le Havre : CAEN. This CITY was the base for William the Conqueror and the site of many war deaths.

33. Thirsts : LUSTS.  Oh my! 41A. Drive : URGE. Oh my!

34. Bit attachment : REIN. Horses.

35. Luau dish : POI. Yummy!

36. Here, in 24-Across : ICI. Just the French word.

37. Barber's "Vanessa," for one : OPERA. An easy guess. I appreciate the skill but do not get a thrill.

39. Throw in : ADD.

40. Time meas. : MINute..

42. Musical lament : DIRGE. Pray for the dead and the dead will pray for you. LINK.

48. Future execs, perhaps : MBAS. Not to be confused with MAAS.

49. They're full of beans : PODS. Fun clue.

50. It was removed from the Dow 30 the same year Nike was added : ALCOA. It happened in 2013.

53. Protective cover : HOOD.

54. Court : WOO, A nice old fashioned word.

61. Nike competitor : AVIA. Not sure  about competitor anymore,  but it has an interesting HISTORY.

62. Art medium : CLAY. I am better with play doh.

63. Shred : OUNCE. Your Honor there is not one shred of evidence...

64. Tiny stream : RILL.

65. Damage : HARM.

66. Hits the road : GOES.  Was it George Carlin who pointed out how ridiculous this expression is? He did COMMENT on much life.

Down:

1. Real estate ad no. : SQFT.  SQuare FeeT. Any Q without a U is tricky.

2. "Symphonie espagnole" composer : LALO. Compose yourself then read. LINK.

3. Couple in the news : ITEM. Another celebrity and a nanny?

4. Dog's dog : PAW. Do young people remember feet are called  dogs, and the old 'my dogs are barking complaint? Is it true they name Hush Puppies because of that?

5. Winter warmer : MITTEN.
When I was first smitten
With a perfect white mitten
It wasn't my true love
With her leather glove
But a purrfect little kitten.

6. Natural soother : ALOE.

7. "__ rule ..." : AS A.  Was it Groucho who said, " As a rule I do not smoke, but as a habit I do."

8. Subside : SAG. Not what brings sag to my mind.

9. Likely to elicit a nod? : BORING.

10. Norwegian saint : OLAV. Not OLAY!

11. "It is the green-eyed monster ..." speaker : IAGO.

12. Strong cleaners : LYES.

14. Some copiers : RICOHS.

18. "Me neither" : NOR I.

19. Canceled a reservation, maybe : ATE IN.

23. Ore. setting : PST. Pacific Standard Time.

24. Speaker of words like alpha and bravo : CBER. Semi clecho: 29D. Like alpha, but not bravo : GREEK.

25. It's frequently in Italian : ARIA.

26. Aerial view provider : BLIMP.

27. Saint __: Caribbean island nation : LUCIA.

28. Via : USING. I go to work by I-95.

30. Split : APART. Ben-Jen. TomKat, where will it all end?

31. Sidestep : DODGE. Impossible to not get into politics with this fill.

32. Where to get down : EIDER. My favorite clue, as the misdirection really works. My mind went to this SONG (3:03)with the rare female lead guitar.

37. Ocean predator : ORCA. Whale of a good answer.

38. Two of Rory McIlroy's major wins, familiarly : PGAS. A record breaking  performance last week by Jason Day and Jordan Speith knocked Rory out of world number 1.

41. Put away, as groceries : UNBAG. Really?

42. Beat address : DADDY-O. I think of Maynard G. Krebs but see

43. "__ a trick!" : IT'S.

45. Unscrupulous : AMORAL.

46. Sousaphone, for one : EPONYM. The instrument is names after the inventor.

47. Loud noise : BOOM.

50. Food thickener : AGAR, Cool to this so soon on its own again.

51. Son of Jacob : LEVI. One of 12 sons, Reuben · Simeon · Levi · Judah · Dan · Naphtali · Gad · Asher · Issachar · Zebulun · Joseph · Benjamin.

52. Stamp purchase : COIL. The hardest clue for an easy fill.

53. Icy coating : HOAR. This and rime must be known.

54. Lush : WINO.

55. "The Sea of Faith / Was __, too, at the full ... ": "Dover Beach" : ONCE. All perps.

56. Laudatory verses : ODES.

58. Berlin pronoun : ICH. Wer ist da? — Ich bins! Who's there? — It's me!

59. In the fashion of : À LA.  A little more French.

60. Actor's exaggeration : MUG. For the camera dear...

Well another Friday in the books and a nice workout from Mark, who I hope will stop by and tell us his inspiration for this puzzle. I had fun and hope you all did, Lemonade out.

Thursday, August 20, 2015 Alan DerKazarian

Theme: Back to School

39-Across. School area workers, and what the four pairs of intersecting starred answers depict : CROSSING GUARDS.
Eight synonyms for GUARD cross each other in this puzzle.  Here they are:

21-Across. *Former Ford compact : ESCORT. crossing 4-Down. *Hypnotist's prop : WATCH.
23-Across. *Orlando newspaper : SENTINEL. crossing 10-Down. *Janitor : CUSTODIAN.
59-Across. *German __ : SHEPHERD. crossing 49-Down. *Regulation-sized fish : KEEPER.
66-Across. *"Heaven Can Wait" (1978) Oscar nominee Jack : WARDEN. crossing 42-Down. *Lawyer, at times : DEFENDER.

70 theme letters is a whole ton, leaving very little wiggle room to sparkle with the fill.


Across
1. "__ go, into ... " : OFF WE. So yes, off we...

6. Top level : ATTIC.

11. Night school subj. : ESL. English (as a) Second Language.

14. Boggy tract : MORASS.

16. Verdi aria : ERI TU.

17. Poor grade : DEE.

18. Determined : GRITTY. Like him?

19. Terms for a student loan : SEMESTERS. Not the conditions of the loan, but the length of the program it pays for.

24. Egyptian symbol of life : ANKH.

25. March time : IDES.

27. Put in one's two cents : OPINE.

28. Grammar best-seller "Woe __" : IS I.

29. Halifax hrs. : AST. Atlantic Standard Time. (UTC -4:00)

30. Not even : ODD.

32. Low island : CAY.

33. Cinque times due : DIECI. 5 x 2 = 10. It comes out the same, even in English.

36. Abysmal : HORRID.

44. Beat : PATROL.

45. Duma votes : NYETS. The Russian State Duma consists of 450 members, each one having "da" or NYET vote on any given matter.

47. Mayall of "Drop Dead Fred" : RIK. Absolutely no clue. He died last year from cardiac arrest after a run.

50. Arctic bird : AUK. The great AUK is extinct, but other birds of the family alcidae still survive in northern waters.

51. "Too many to list": Abbr. : ETC.

54. __ Fighters: Dave Grohl's band : FOO. Feel free to link away!

55. Millennium-ending year : ONE BC.

57. Month after Shevat : ADAR.

58. Optical device : LENS.

62. Historic Honolulu palace : IOLANI. So pretty!

64. Condense : CAPSULIZE.

68. __ Miss : OLE. Shout out to DH - his Alma mater.

69. Defamatory text : LIBEL.

70. Strip, as of rights : DIVEST.

71. Poetic adverb : E'ER.

72. Rodeo catcher : LASSO.

73. "Star Wars" title : DARTH. It is reserved for Sith Lords.


Down

1. Shocked letters : OMG."Oh My Goodness..."

2. Like much court evidence : FORENSIC.

3. More kittenish : FRISKIER.

5. This, in Toledo : ESTO.

6. JFK's UN ambassador : AES. Adlai Ewing Stevenson.

7. Barrette target : TRESS.

8. "Pencils down!" : TIME!

9. Coast-to-coast hwy. : I-TEN.  The southernmost east-west hwy. in the continental US.

11. Blissful : EDENIC.

12. Star sometimes eclipsing Venus? : SERENA. The Williams sisters of tennis.

13. Stahl of "60 Minutes" : LESLEY. I can never remember if it is "ie" or EY at the end.

15. Fertile Crescent land : SYRIA.

20. Reward in a jar : TIP.

22. NFL six-pointers : TDs. Touch Downs.

24. Come to the rescue of : AID.

26. Prefix with biology : ETHNO-.

30. URL ending : ORG.

31. Actress Joanne : DRU. Born Joan Letitia LaCock. (Really!)

34. Steal ... or the one who catches the thief : COP.

35. War of 1812 commodore : ISAAC HULL. No clue.

37. Considered figures carefully? : OGLED.

38. Like some wit or wine : DRY. I like both that way.  ;-)

40. "The Simpsons" disco guy : STU. I don't even have to think about these characters any more.
disco = STU
store = APU
bar = MOE
smart = LISA
etc etc etc...

41. Rankle : IRK.

43. Most unemotional : STONIEST.

46. "Help! We're sinking!" : SOS.

47. '70s-'80s tennis star Tanner : ROSCOE. He was not a huge star, and might be more well known to the police than to any tennis fan.

48. Yoga instructor's direction : INHALE.

52. Mai __ : TAI.

53. Get too close to : CROWD.

56. ER vitals : BPs.

57. Carpentry tools : ADZES.

58. Cocoon dweller : LARVA.

60. Director Kazan : ELIA.

61. Pokes fun at : RIBS.

63. Ascribed, as blame : LAID.

65. "Telephone Line" rock gp. : ELO. Electric Light Orchestra. "The British guys with the big fiddles."

67. Last degree : Nth. So we have reached the Nth...

And I'm out!
Marti

Wednesday, August 19, 2015, Mary Lou Guizzo

Theme - INTO THE WOODS.  The theme answers are the names of trees, but clued differently, of course [though cluing as the trees' woods or fruits is only slightly different] and they are located at the puzzle's periphery, thus surrounding all the other fill.

1 A. Hearth dust : ASH.   That is what is left of the wood when the fire is done burning.  Sadly, the ASH tree is under attack from a green boring beetle.  I thought this might be why fewer baseball bats were being made from ash and more from MAPLE, but that turns out not to be the case.  The word is derived from Latin, via Old English, meaning spear in both languages, which can provide another hint as to one of its uses

4 A. Snapple's __ Madness : MANGO.  A fruity beverage made of kiwi and vegetable juices, MANGO puree and other stuff.  The eponymous tree is tropical and cultivated for its fruit.

9 A. Jet black : EBONY.  A deep black color, named for the wood of the EBONY trees - several species of the genus Diospyros native to Africa and Asia. The wood is used for decorative and ornamental purposes.  

65 A. Syrup type : MAPLE.  Made by boiling down the sap of the tree of the same name.  There are other syrups made from corn and sugar cane, but only pure MAPLE syrup will adorn my pancakes!

66 A. __ Rapids, Iowa : CEDAR.   Iowa's second largest city straddles the CEDAR River, named for the red CEDAR trees that grow in its Minnesota and Iowa watershed.

67 A. C&W's __ Ridge Boys : OAK.  They started in the 40's as country group Wally Fowler and the Georgia Clodhoppers [I am not making this up] who evolved into the OAK Ridge Boys [because that was where they usually performed,] a gospel singing quartet that changed their focus in the 70's, thus generating several country and crossover hits. Of course many personnel changes occurred over the years.  The tree whose name is at the heart of all this is native to the northern hemisphere.

1 D. Jam fruit : APRICOT.  Well, this could have been just about anything - but as is it is one of my favorites.  Apricot trees are from the genus prunus - bearing fruits with a stone seed at the core.

13. Robin Hood's bow wood : YEW.  Again, the wood and its tree.  "The secret to the Yew bow’s strength and beauty is it’s natural laminate of heartwood and sapwood. The heartwood is where the power comes from, it’s ability to be compressed and return back to its original shape is almost unmatched in any other wood. The sapwood of the tree is superior under tension and protects the heartwood from being able to break, but also adds beauty. This is why some Native North American tribes believe this tree was put on earth for the making of bows and referred to it as the chief of the forest, being a small tree mostly almost vine-like under towering Old Growth forests."

27. Cookie fruit : FIG.   Fruit and tree - an Asian species in the mulberry family, cultivated since ancient times.

Newtons

39. Trident, e.g. : GUM.  Well - this is different - and confusing.  Trident is a brand name for sugar-free chewing gum.  People have been chewing gum made from various tree bark extracts for millennia. In recent decades, though, natural gums have been replaced by polybutadiene, a synthetic polymer (yum!)  GUM tree can refer to various types of trees from the eucalyptus, angophora or corymbia genera, native to Australia and/or Tasmania.   The American Sweet GUM tree is completely different, native to the southeastern U. S., Mexico and Central America.

46. Poison drunk by Socrates : HEMLOCK.   Here, we have a case of mistaken identity.  Socrates' bane, corium maculatum, is a poisonous biennial herb of the carrot family, also known by several other names such as carrot fern, poison parsley and devil's bread.  These plants contain several chemically similar highly potent alkaloids that attack the nervous system leading to paralysis of resperitory muscles.   The completely unrelated and nontoxic HEMLOCK tree includes several species of the genus tsuga, tall conifers in the pine family, pinaceae.  The crushed foliage exude an aroma similar to that of the poisonous plant, hence the name.

58. Common street name : ELM.   Many American cities once had shady tree-lined streets - hence the name transfer from the tree.  In the mid 20th century, elm growth in North America and Europe was devastated by dutch ELM disease, an affliction caused by three related fungus species spread by the ELM bark beetle.   It's ben a mightmare.

And the unifier: 36 A. Like a shady boulevard ... and like this puzzle, in terms of its 12 border answers : TREELINED.  Which by this time should need no further explanation.

Hi gang, it's JazzBumpa, back after a long hiatus.  Despite what you may be thinking, I was neither lost in the woods nor up a tree.  Wood you like to go exploring in today's sylvan adventure?   I wood, so let's discover if we can find the forest for the trees.

But beware -- there may be danger!

Across

14. Shade of green : PEA.  Like olive drab, but slightly less exciting.

15. Exemplary : IDEAL.  Serving as a good example.  Am I exemplary when I DEAL at the poker game?

16. "Irma la __" : DOUCE.  Sweet Irma, the central character in a 1956 romantic comedy about prostitution, intrigue and moral degradation, starring Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemon.   Sweet, indeed!

17. Flock member : RAM.  Likely to be an old goat.

18. Intimate : CLOSE.  I guess this explains white intimate apparel is close fitting.

never out of style

19. Trailing : IN TOW.  Pulling something along.

20. Provence pronoun : ILS.  Google translate tells me this means "they."

21. Structures with many layers? : HEN HOUSES.  Would you like more of this kind of yolk?  Do you think I'm egging you on? Are you shell shocked? [Extra credit for anyone who can make a pun involving "albumin."]

23. "My Antonia" novelist : CATHER.  Willa, 1873 - 1947.   After growing up first in Virginia, which her family left in 1882 to avoid a TB outbreak, and Nebraska, she graduated from Nebraska U, thus becoming an official Husker!  She then lived in Pittsburgh for 10 years and finally settled in New York City, though "settled" is probably a bit misleading, since she traveled extensively and spend her summers in New Brunswick.

25. To some degree : SORT OF.   So you might say she SORT OF lived in New York.

28. Situation before a two-run homer : ONE ON.  Baseball! The condition of having ONE runner ON base - any base.  

29. "Barnaby Jones" star : EBSEN.  Buddy (1908-2003.)   I remember him as Holly Golightly's [Audrey Hepburn] abandoned husband, Doc, in Breakfast at Tiffany's, a thoroughly ghastly movie, in a way that only something from the early 60's could be.  But that gives me an excuse to link to this wonderful Henry Mancini song featuring Dick Nash on trombone, from the score album.   Mysteriously, the song is never heard in the movie.

he did not go lightly into that good night

32. Lilly of pharmaceuticals : ELI. (1838-1898)  He was a successful pharmacist, Union army hero in the Civil War, and unsuccessful plantation owner after the war.  He returned to pharmacy and became wealthy by making several advances in the manufacture of medicines.

33. Hardly talkative : TERSE.  And that's all I have to say.

34. Strange: Pref. : XENO-.   From the Greek

35. Take down __ : A PEG.   Reprimand someone for being arrogant.

39. Long-jawed fish : GARS.   No hint that a plural is needed.

"wicked-cool" teeth

42. Order in the court : WRIT.  Clever, but I'm not sure it's correct.  A WRIT is an order issued by a court, but generally sent to a recipient outside of the court.  That may be a lower level court, but still.  I rest my case

43. "Happy Pills" singer Jones : NORAH.  Ravi Shankar's daughter.

47. Game with Skip cards : UNO.

and reverse, and draw 4 - fiendish

48. Lavish affairs : FETES.   Borrowed from the French, meaning holiday or party.

49. Ambition : DRIVE.  Get up and go.

50. Ally in a TV courtroom : McBEAL.   I totally misread this one, having forgotten about the TV show I might have watched once or twice.

52. Payment for a return : RANSOM.  Of a hostage or kidnapped person.

53. Brunch cookware item : OMELET PAN.

57. Like mil. volunteers : ENL.  Enlisted, I presume.

58. "MacGyver" actor Dana : ELCAR.  Gone for 10 years, now.

You can click to blow up this picture

60. Get (a ship) ready to sail again : RERIG.   Or, simply to upgrade a ship with new riging.

61. __-pitch softball : SLO.  What justifies dropping the "W" from this word?

62. Second of 13 popes : LEO II.  (611-683) Served as Pope from Aug 17, 682 until his death on June 28, 683.

63. "You beat me" : I LOSE.  

64. Gumshoe : TEC.  DeTECtive.

Down

2. Maritime route : SEA LANE.   Best route across a large body of water, as determined by land masses and prevailing winds.  "Whale road" to Beowulf.

3. Wheel-spinning rodent : HAMSTER.   Do hamsters get caught up in the rat race?

stop - I want to get off

4. Author of "Hawaii," "Alaska," and "Texas" : MICHENER.  James Albert (1907 - 1997)  His novels are too big and sprawling for me.

5. Psychologist Alfred : ADLER. Alfred (1870-1937) founder of individual psychology, a post-Freudian method influential in counseling.

6. Lamp gas : NEON.  It glows.

7. Cut that may need stitches : GASH.

8. Parkay, say : OLEO.   Ersatz butter.  What do Hungarians put on their toast?  Magyarine!  [Actually, we're pretty big on bacon grease.]

9. New Jersey township named for an inventor : EDISON.  Thomas Alva (1847-1931.)

10. Silly blunder : BONER.   Probably derived from making a bone-headed play. 

11. Walk faster than : OUT STEP.   I wanted OUT PACE, which seems more in-the-language.

12. PX shopper : NCO.  Non Commissioned Officer at the Post Exchange.

22. Try to tempt with : USE ON.  You can use all your charms on your next victim.

24. Party throwers : HOSTS.   Etymology, via Wictionary:   From Old French oste (French: hôte), from Middle Latin hospitem, accusative of hospes (“a host, also a sourjourner, visitor, guest; hence, a foreigner, a stranger”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰóspot- (“master of guests”), from *gʰóstis (“stranger, guest, host, someone with whom one has reciprocal duties of hospitality”) and *pótis (“owner, master, host, husband”). Used in English since 13th century.

26. "Hip, hip, Jorge!" : OLE.  Spanish cheer, here presented as a ghastly pun and a reach too far.

29. Wield : EXERT.   As force, as in using a weapon.

30. Prove otherwise : BELIE.   Debunk.

31. Piques : SNITS.  Little anger episodes.   Aren't they cute?

35. Beautify : ADORN.  Decorate.

37. "The Seven Year Itch" actor Tom : EWELL.   Star of the stage play and the movie.

38. Jeopardize : ENDANGER.  As one's marriage, per the above clip.

40. Anti-apartheid org. : ANC.  African National Congress, the ruling national political party of the Republic of South Africa since 1994.

41. 1987 title law-enforcing cyborg : ROBOCOP.

44. Meets, as a challenge : RISES TO.

45. "Anne of Green Gables" community : AVONLEA.  A fictional community on Prince Edward Island

48. Spenser's "The __ Queene" : FAERIE.    Read all about it.

51. Online letter : EMAIL.

52. Mrs. Gorbachev : RAISA.  (1932-1999)

Unsuccessfully treated in Germany for leukemia

54. Old Norse explorer : ERIC.  (Eiríkr Þorvaldsson; 950 – c. 1003) The turn-of-the-millennium Norse had spent the previous couple of centuries earning a reputation as nasty people.  Þorvald Ásvaldsson was so nasty that the other Norse could not tolerate him.  He was exiled from Norway and settled with his family on the West coast of Iceland.  Continuing the family tradition, his son Eric - called "The Red" due to his Marxist leanings the color of his hair and beard - was exiled in turn for committing "some killings" in Iceland, ca. 982.  Per Wikipedia, he spent his three years of exile exploring Greenland, and established the first successful Norse settlement there.   Lovely fellow.

55. Marketing leader? : TELE.  TELEmarketing is a rude intrusion.  This type of affix clue always annoys me.

56. Nudge : PROD.  As with an elbow.

59. Pastoral expanse : LEA.  From Middle English for a grass land, and what you might find when you emerge from the woods.

Well, here we are on the lea-ward side, safe and sound.  IMHO we had a successful excursion.  We were able to branch out a bit, and I only barked my shins a couple of times. Hope you enjoyed it, too. [Full disclosure: I used Wikipedia and Mr. Google to root out the information contained herein.]

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, August 18, 2015 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: AR rears - Both parts of the theme entries end in 'AR'.

17A. *Arctic carnivore : POLAR BEAR

31A. *1969 #1 hit used in a cereal promotion : "SUGAR SUGAR". A picture is worth a 1000 words.

48A. *Puréed fruit drink : PEAR NECTAR

66A. *Period between consecutive spring equinoxes : SOLAR YEAR

11D. *Gelatin made from algae : AGAR AGAR. (alternate name)

40D. *"Well said!" : "HEAR, HEAR!"

47D. Unpaid debts ... or, read differently, what both parts of the answers to starred clues have? : ARREARS. AR rears.

Argyle here. When IS talk like a pirate day? 'Ar matey, 'tis a fine offerin' from Cap'n C.C. Six theme entries with a properly hidden reveal. A couple of columns longer than the theme entries but it wasn't confusing due to the stars.

Across:

1. Somewhat : A BIT

5. Garter material : LACE

9. Level of learning : GRADE

14. Entitled to the entire estate, as an heir : SOLE. (unique clue/answer)

15. Org. with a "Speak Freely" blog : ACLU. (American Civil Liberties Union) Easy guess.

16. Seth of "Pineapple Express" : ROGEN. 2008 movie with no pear nectar.

19. Texas mission : ALAMO

20. Outward flow : EBB

21. Shout from a knocker : "IT'S ME". It's Dave, man.

22. Postal motto word : NOR, 46A. Post office buy : STAMP

23. Strong-arm : COERCE

25. Tyke : KID

27. Home for mil. jets : AFB. (Air Force base)

30. Expo freebie, often : TOTE bag

35. Autumn bloom : ASTER

37. __-Lorraine: former German region : ALSACE

38. Blockhead : SCHMO

41. Little bark : YIP

43. Major artery : AORTA

44. Make available, as time : FREE UP

50. Breaks bread : EATS

54. German article : DER

55. Spicy lentil stew : DAL. Wolfgang's recipe.

56. Like raffle drawings : RANDOM

58. Airport with many connecting flights : HUB

60. "Well, shucks!" : "OH, GEE!"

63. "Girls" cable channel : HBO. (Home Box Office)

64. French darling : CHERI

68. Distributed cards : DEALT. Be careful with these, 6D. Highest deck quartet : ACEs

69. Mideast bigwig : EMIR

70. Egg on : URGE

71. Not very chatty : TERSE

72. Anti-Union figures : REBs

73. Some August births, astrologically : LEOs

Down:

1. Viewpoint : ASPECT

2. Owie : BOO-BOO

3. "As if!" : "I'LL BET!"

4. Herbal drink : TEA

5. Cholesterol check, e.g. : LAB TEST

7. Chowder morsel : CLAM

8. "I got it!" : "EUREKA!"

9. Bases loaded opportunity : GRAND SLAM

10. Cylindrical caramel candy : ROLO

12. Rep.'s counterpart : DEM.

13. Brian who co-produced many U2 albums : ENO

18. Wrestler Flair : RIC

24. Citrus juice extractor : REAMER. Help thin out that pear puree.

26. Tax shelter initials : IRA. (Individual Retirement Account)

28. Reference book tidbit : FACT

29. La __ Tar Pits : BREA

32. Slangy turnaround : UEY

33. Fodder for a mill : GRIST

34. Major event in golf or tennis : US OPEN

36. Brief broadcast clip : SOUNDBITE

38. "48 HRS." law gp. : SFPD. (San Francisco Police Department)

39. Canadian tribe : CREE

42. School meeting org. : PTA. (parent-teacher association)

45. Veggie often in fried rice : PEA

49. More intimate : CLOSER

51. Cling (to) : ADHERE

52. Trinidad and __ : TOBAGO. Argyle Falls, Tobago.

53. Messy campfire treats : S'MORES

57. __ Lingus : AER. The airline of Ireland.

59. Bing search results, for short : URLs. "Web addresses"

61. Where the heart is? : HOME

62. Smooth-talking : GLIB

64. Mo. summer hrs. : CDT. (Central Daylight Time)

65. Half a giggle : HEE

67. Actor Brynner : YUL

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Say "Hello" to Kazie's granddaughter Mila Josephine! Kay said that Mila was born Thursday in Germany and she weighed in at 3340 grams and 78 cm.

Kay further said that "I love Lea's smile in the first one--she looks so delighted. But Geoff told us Friday that she thought it was "her" baby. Maybe the delight will wear off now Mila is home, though I hope not."

Mila, her older sister Lea and Mom

Mila and her parents

Monday, August 17, 2015 Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski

Theme: vowel progression - Monday starts with B-vowel progression-D.

17A. Shuttlecock swatter : BADMINTON RACKET

23A. Footwear with pajamas : BEDROOM SLIPPERS

40A. Competitive struggles at Sotheby's : BIDDING CONTESTS

50A. Collective expertise in a field : BODY OF KNOWLEDGE

62A. Spending plan approximations : BUDGET ESTIMATES

Argyle here. So...we have five grid spanners, a Q short of a pangram, and decent fill but it was still 22-Across for me.

Across:

1. "Hooked on Bach" record co. : KTEL

5. Cool cat's music : JAZZ

9. Sudden muscle contraction : SPASM

14. "Rule, Britannia" composer Thomas : ARNE. Clip(3:32)

15. Suffix with sock or smack : EROO. sockeroo - a notable success / smackeroo - 1. a hard slap or swat, 2. a dollar, 3. a noisy kiss.

16. Scrumptious : TASTY

20. Concert hall : ODEUM

21. Hat tipper's word : MA'AM

22. "I'm underwhelmed" : "MEH"

27. Org. for marksmen : NRA. (National Rifle Association)

28. Last word of "Gone With the Wind" : DAY

29. French lady friend : AMIE

33. Take __: doze : A NAP

36. Pie cover : CRUST

43. Online business : eTAIL

44. Capital of 42-Down : OSLO and 42D. Neighbor of Swed. : NORWay

45. TV warrior princess : XENA

 

46. Sunshine State rapper __ Rida : FLO

 

48. Tax-collecting agcy. : IRS. (Internal Revenue Service)

59. Bird: Pref. : AVI

60. Actress Sorvino : MIRA

 

61. Figure skating leaps : AXELS

66. Otherworldly : ALIEN

67. Face hider : MASK

68. "__ Lisa" : MONA

 

69. Rips to shreds : RENDS

70. Sommer of Hollywood : ELKE

 

71. PlayStation maker : SONY

Down:

1. Shish __ : KABOB

2. Baseball transaction : TRADE

3. Wrapped up : ENDED

4. Madagascar tree climber : LEMUR

 

5. Actress Garner, familiarly : JEN. CIA officer Sydney Bristow in the ABC series Alias, 2001 - 2006.

 

6. Museum display : ART

7. Goes like heck : ZOOMS

8. Broken into regions : ZONAL

9. 1765 statute imposing a tax on printed documents : STAMP ACT

10. Oregon's ocean: Abbr. : PACific

11. "I welcome your questions" : "ASK ME"

12. Range rover : STEER

13. Urban legends, e.g. : MYTHS

18. "That's my cue!" : "I'M ON!"

19. Fridge foray : RAID

24. Algerian seaport : ORAN

 

25. Tropical fruit : MANGO

26. Oven-safe glassware : PYREX

29. Civil War prez : ABE. (Abraham Lincoln [1809 - 1865] 16th President 1861 - 1865)

30. Cambridge sch. : MIT. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

31. State east of Wash. : IDAho

32. Spiritually enlighten : EDIFY

34. Apt. coolers : ACs. (air conditioners)

35. Salk vaccine target : POLIO

37. Draw upon : USE

38. Dot on an MTA map : STN. (station)

39. Bag-screening org. : TSA. (Transportation Security Administration)

41. Foreboding phenomena : ILL OMENS

47. "Think nothing __" : OF IT

49. Close with force : SLAM or 57D. "Fatal Attraction" actress Close : GLENN

50. Elephant in picture books : BABAR

 

51. Elementary seed : OVULE. Wiki.

52. Brought to ruin : DID IN

53. Doughnut brand word : KREME. (Krispy Kreme)

54. Twangy-voiced : NASAL

55. Academic hurdles : EXAMS

56. Artoo's "surname" : DETOO

58. Opinion piece : ESSAY

63. H.S. equivalency test : GED. (General Educational Development)

64. "That's a no-no" : "TSK!"

65. Cold War prez : IKE. (Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower [1890 – 1969] 34th President 1953 - 1961.)

 

Argyle