Monday, January 4, 2016 Janice Luttrell

Theme: Lefty - Can you guess my title?

20A. Canadian flag symbol : MAPLE LEAF. Loose leaf notebook.

52A. Final details to take care of ... and, literally, what the last words of 20-Across and 10- and 29-Down can be : LOOSE ENDS

10D. Preface to Bush Sr.'s "no new taxes" promise : "READ MY LIPS". Loose Lips Sink Ships.

29D. "America's Got Talent" host since 2009 : NICK CANNON. An irresponsible person is a loose cannon. Phrase Finder

Argyle here. Your basic Monday; a nice pin wheel without the pin.

Across:

1. Hockey disk : PUCK

5. Blows, as one's lines : FLUBS

10. Belmont Stakes, e.g. : RACE. The Belmont Stakes is the third and final leg of the triple crown of horse racing.

14. Workplace protection org. : OSHA. (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

15. Parts in a play : ROLES

16. British prep school : ETON

17. Arab League prince : EMIR

18. Deed holder : OWNER

19. Weaponry : ARMS

22. "Farewell, mon ami!" : "ADIEU!"

23. "Put a __ on it!" : LID

24. Prevailing weather : CLIMATE

26. After-dinner brandy : COGNAC 49D. Straight up, cocktailwise : NO ICE

30. Every 24 hours : DAILY

31. "Hold Me" Grammy winner K.T. : OSLIN

32. Rap sheet abbr. : AKA. (Also Known As)

33. Speech therapy subject : LISP

37. Actor Baldwin : ALEC

38. Advertising handout : FLIER

40. Wedding vows : I DOs

41. Honky-__ : TONK

42. Rowboat need : OAR

43. High-80s grade : B-PLUS

44. Like mountain roads : CURVY

46. Mojave or Gobi : DESERT

47. Two-deck rummy variety : CANASTA

50. Dylan or Dole : BOB

51. Hotelier Helmsley : LEONA

58. The Emerald Isle : ERIN

59. Heavenly food : MANNA

60. Injured, as a muscle : TORE

61. Wealthy, in Juárez : RICO. Spanish.

62. In the midst of : AMONG

63. Unexpected problem : SNAG

64. Sharp-edged : KEEN

65. Shopping binge : SPREE

66. Tranquil discipline : YOGA. 84 classic asanas.

Down:

1. Sonnet or haiku : POEM

2. West Point initials : USMA. (United States Military Academy) Remember we recently learned there is a U.S. Mint at West Point.

3. Poker player's token : CHIP

4. Hoopster Malone : KARL. "The Mailman" played 18 seasons (1985–2003) with the Utah Jazz.

5. Play friskily : FROLIC

6. Mooed : LOWED. Down in the lea.

7. Elbow-to-wrist bone : ULNA

8. Sexy photos in women's mags : BEEFCAKE. And brains, too.

9. Ukr. or Estonia, during the Cold War : SSR. (Soviet Socialist Republic)

11. Open-air courts : ATRIA

12. Halley's __ : COMET

13. Occur as a result : ENSUE

21. Stylish vigor : ELAN

22. Have a bug : AIL

25. Unreliable witness : LIAR

26. Winter wear : COAT

27. Capital on a fjord : OSLO

28. Secluded valley : GLEN

30. Eggs and butter market section : DAIRY. At the back of the store.

34. Sit at a four-way stop, say : IDLE

35. Sweet's opposite : SOUR. Sometimes together.

36. Furtive "Hey!" : "PSST!"

38. __ Knox : FORT

39. Psychedelic light source : LAVA LAMP. 30 minutes.

43. Emmy winner Neuwirth : BEBE. Lilith Sternin, on Cheers and Frasier.

45. Land between Can. and Mex. : USA

46. Prescription amount : DOSAGE

47. Supermarket staffer : CLERK

48. Eagle's nest : AERIE

50. Good, in France : BONNE

53. "Want the light __ off?" : ON OR

54. Crafts website : ETSY

55. Taboo : NO-NO

56. Really dull time : DRAG

57. Arcade giant : SEGA

59. Pas' mates : MAs

"Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey"

Argyle

Sunday, January 3, 2016 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "Online Chat" - Each theme entry is in the pattern of I* M*.  (Hello, Irish Miss!)

22A. Fictional detective whose first name is Endeavour : INSPECTOR MORSE

31A. "Somewhere in Time" band : IRON MAIDEN

55A. Times for reflection : IDLE MOMENTS

90A. Best Actress Tony winner in "Wicked" : IDINA MENZEL. I had "Frozen" reference.

111A. Motel convenience : ICE MACHINE

124A. Knowledge seekers : INQUIRING MINDS. Two are plural answers, so no odd man out.

15D. Xanadu locale, now : INNER MONGOLIA. It's called Shangdu in Chinese. Du means "capital" in Chinese.

59D. Sharpie output : INDELIBLE MARK. So neat! Love the guy.

Reveal entry:

124. GroupMe exchanges, briefly, and a hint to this puzzle's eight longest answers : IMs

Simple theme. Very me.

I originally proposed ILL-MANNERED and IRISH MUSIC as themers also. Rich rejected the former as it's the only hyphenated entry. And he did not feel IRISH MUSIC is idiomatic enough.

Rich changed the theme clues quite a bit, but most of my fill clues survived. Progress! I'm trainable, as Gary often says. Wish I had his cluing talents.

 

Across:

1. Fightin' with : AGIN

5. Avid bird watcher? : CAT. Waiting for Dave to find the perfect link.

8. Tournament passes : BYES

12. Dogie collar? : LARIAT

18. Anderson of "WKRP in Cincinnati" : LONI. No other way to clue her.

19. Anise-flavored aperitif : OUZO

20. Place to have poi : LUAU. Never had poi. But I bake taro roots often. The smaller ones like these.

21. Fall color : ORANGE

25. Reprobate : SINNER

26. "Wanna __?" : BET. Did you notice that all those attendees in Steve's London reunion last month are couples? The lady in front of him must be special to him. Wanna bet?

27. Guitarist Paul : LES

28. Namely : TO WIT

29. Fannie __ : MAE. Older than Freddie Mac.

30. Paranormal power : ESP

34. First-rate : STELLAR. Boomer prepared us a stellar New Year's Eve meal on Thursday. Walleye, wild rice & acorn squash. I also had pickled Daikon slices, Jayce!

37. Apple Watch assistant : SIRI

38. Wichita-to-Duluth dir. : NNE

39. Jobs for grad students : TAs

42. "Now I see!" : AHA

43. Counterfeit watchdog, for short : T-MAN

46. Staying power : LEGS. Splynter's expertise. Legs and castles.

48. 1994 comedy with an oxymoronic title : TRUE LIES. Schwarzenegger film.

51. Plan in detail : MAP OUT

53. Celestial circles : HALOES

57. Self-reflective musing : IS IT ME? Rich's clue.

60. Record book : LEDGER

62. Cheese in some bagels : ASIAGO. Never had it. I guess what cheese is to you guys is like Tofu to me. Fried, fermented, fresh, I love them all.

63. PC hookup : LAN

64. Interstate giant : SEMI

66. Magazine extra : INSERT

68. Sci. concerned with climate change : ECOL

69. Digital readouts, briefly : LCDs

71. Uses a straw : SUCKS

73. Hotel with a Gold Passport loyalty program : HYATT. No idea. Rich's clue.

75. Fruit-eating fictional race : ELOI. Sorry, this answer 71-A.

77. Exercise units : REPS

79. Decorative plaster : STUCCO

81. Fray, say : WEAR

83. Golfer Poulter : IAN. Saw him in practice tee once. Gosh, what a waste of brand new Pro V1 balls. Those pros are so pampered. Guess how many balls in this pyramid?

84. Go by : ELAPSE

86. Tapped into : DREW ON

88. Chocolate-filled cookie : MILANO

92. "No bickering!" : BE NICE!

94. Like some rats : ALBINO

95. Unconventional : OUT THERE

97. Fifth pillar of Islam : HAJJ

100. Pitcher Sparky : LYLE. And 101. Throw hard : GUN. Both Rich's clue. I had Julia Roberts ex reference for LYLE. Rich loves his Yankees.

103. That, to Juanita : ESA

104. Bugs with horns : VWs. Rich's clue as well.

106. Afternoon TV fare : SOAP

108. "Fifty Shades of Grey" author : E. L. JAMES. Two more sequels.

114. Casino convenience : ATM

116. Form attachment? : ULA. This answer 71-A. Formula.

117. Mother __ : EARTH

120. Cortez's gold : ORO

121. Dot follower, at times : NET. And 113. Dot follower, at times : COM

122. Slightly larger than tall, at Starbucks : GRANDE

127. Less stuffy : AIRIER

128. Molokai neighbor : MAUI

129. Nice concept? : IDEE. Nice the French city. This beach looks too pebbly to lie on.

130. Skinny : POOP

131. Nudge : POKE AT

132. "American Dad!" dad : STAN. No idea. Also Rich's clue.

133. Express : SAY

Down:

 

1. Courtroom vouchers? : ALIBIS

 

2. Sister of Cordelia : GONERIL. Bad girl.

3. Coming up : IN STORE

4. Playful bite : NIP

5. Affects adversely : CUTS INTO

6. __ dye: food-coloring compound : AZO

7. Calorie-laden dessert : TORTE. Also 82D. High in calories : RICH. This is our Rich. The lady on the left is his wife Kim. Look at the words on Rich's shirt. ADIN something? That's a crosswordese!

8. Botch : BLOW

9. Cold War KGB chairman Andropov : YURI. Wow, I don't know him. He sounds very important.

10. Bridge positions : EASTS

11. Take to court : SUE

12. County bordering Santa Fe County : LOS ALAMOS. Rich's clue.

 

13. Disney mermaid : ARIEL And 19. Mermaid's home : OCEAN. Rich changed my ARIEL clue so we could have a "Mermaid' clue echo here. Of course, I failed to make the connection.

14. Sought a seat : RAN

16. Years and years : AGES. Hard to believe I've been married for almost 15 years.

17. U. of Maryland player : TERP

23. Spreading tree : ELM

24. Spanish peak : MONTE. So Monte Carlo is Spanish then?

29. "Whatever" : MEH

32. Time to see stars : NIGHT. Steve sees stars every day. Some of his friends are actors. He lives in Studio City.

33. Remiss : DERELICT

 

35. Stun with a gun : TASE

36. Resting easy : AT PEACE

40. Make true : ALIGN

41. Circus attraction : SIDESHOW

44. Car owner's obligation : AUTO LOAN

45. Some Windows systems : NTS. This answer totally 71-A. Sorry, guys.

47. Popular buying club : SAM'S

49. Put to work : USE

50. The king of Spain? : EL REY

52. De Beauvoir, to Sartre : AMIE. Enduring love, though both had other lovers.

54. Wranglers alternative : LEES

56. Lipstick characteristic : MATTE. Lower one.

57. Not up to par : ILL

58. With reverence : SACREDLY. Waste of a 8-letter spot. Such a boring word. But I did not have better option.

61. Unconnected : DISCRETE

 

 65. __ du Louvre : MUSEE. What's your favorite piece there?

67. Sensitive thing to touch : RAW NERVE

70. Lady in a 1955 film : SPANIEL. "Lady and the Tramp".

72. Intrusive vine : KUDZU

74. "Dust to Dust" author Hoag : TAMI

76. Rescuer of Odysseus : INO. Learned from doing xwords. 71-A as well.

78. Bridge measure : SPAN

80. TD Garden NBA team : CELTS

85. Environmental warning : SMOG ALERT. I worked for a company in Tsingtao after I graduated. The big boss often took me to Beijing for business. Gosh, always so foggy.

87. 2008 honor for Joe Cocker: Abbr. : OBE

89. Spot check? : LEASH

90. Potent ending? : IAL. 71-A. Potential.

91. Squat : NONE

93. Uninherited wealth : NEW MONEY

96. Creole-speaking island nation : HAITI. And  110. 96-Down governing group : SENAT

98. Icon after "Not a member?" : JOIN NOW. And 99. Anonymous one : JANE DOE. And 107. Upscale boarding facility : PET SPA. Pretty happy with the triple stack. This is made possible by the gluey OWE A (134. __ debt of gratitude).

102. She played Fantine in "Les Misérables" (1998) : UMA

105. Boot camp nickname : SARGE

 

109. Roman province governed by Pontius Pilate : JUDEA

112. Rock of comedy : CHRIS. Funny guy, Chris Rock.

114. Thing to fill or bridge : A GAP. Partial. 71-A.

115. Rush or Cream : TRIO

118. Water color : AQUA

119. Downfall : RUIN

123. Never, to Nietzsche : NIE

125. Where I-86 and I-15 meet : IDA. Rich's clue.

126. 2015 Etsy milestone, initially : IPO. Our cousin has an Etsy store.

C.C.

Saturday, Jan 2nd, 2016, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing J)

Blocks: 27

A tragic start to the New Year, in terms of crossword solving for this blogger.  Too many proper names turned this into a fun sponge for me (*, I count 16).  I skipped red-letters and went straight to Google for one-off answers in an effort to solve the NE and SW corners, but even then I struggled up top.  I blame brain-lock, and doing the puzzle much too late to stay open- minded.  Can't even blame UPS - that's all over now, and I'm on a 3-day weekend....Triple 9-letter corners in the 'recto', triple 7's in the down on the 'verso' (trying to use what I have learned doing crosswords, uh, sort of), and two 10-letter spanners;

23. eBay feature : UPPER CASE B - and I got this one, but it was in a corner I solved

46. Silk Road component : KHYBER PASS - did not know the exact spelling

O       N      W    A   R  D~!

ACROSS:

1. Diamond surprise : UPSET - yeah, and just about any sport, really

6. Change keys often? : ISLAND-HOP - I was just plain stuck in a musical frame of mind - USE A CAPO was clever, but too short.  Florida Keys never crossed my mind

15.* "You've got me on my knees" woman in a 1971 hit : LAYLA - I 51-acrossed this one; I happen to prefer the acoustic version to the original

16. Competition covering many miles : SPACE RACE - again, stuck in a sporting frame of mind, so TRIATHLON, IDITAROD (too short), etc.

17. Wing : ANNEX

18. Unix guru, e.g. : POWER USER - I just don't get this; are we talking "power" user as in a computer maven, sort of like wearing a "power" tie to the big business meeting~?

19. Biblical miracle component : LOAVES - the other part being fishes, specifically 5 barley loaves and two "small" fish - the Wiki

21.* ''Wedding Bell Blues'' songwriter : NYRO - no clue

22. Last Hebrew letter : TAV - no clue

25.* Designer Ricci : NINA - no clue

26. D.C. United's org. : MLS - I did know this was soccer

27. King ratsnake's defense : ODOR - I tried FANG to start - that's 0.0% any way you slice it

28. Arctic : GELID - and strangely, I 51-acrossed this one

29. Pencil contents, perhaps : EYELINER

32.* "Particularly small and particularly wicked-looking" villain : Mr. HYDE - I had MRH---, which led me to parse it as "Mr.----", and that helped.  Reminds me of a song I just downloaded;

Men At Work

33. Fateful day : IDES

34. Pick up : HEAR

35. Neighbors of Frauen : FEMMES - German & Frawnche women

38.* "The Roosevelts" documentarian : KEN BURNS - total perp and WAG

42.* Jordan's only port : AQABA - Google #1 - the "Q" was not happening

43. Benefit from work : PERK

44. Classified initials : EOE

45.* Tamblyn of "West Side Story" : RUSS - not AMBER, seen here in House, M.D.

I liked the way her character dressed....

49. Down : EAT - dah~! Not SAD

50. Bug : FLAW

51. Ace the test : NAIL IT

52. Dogfish Head sellers : ALE HOUSES

55.* Mobutu's land : ZAIRE

56. Most unforgiving : STRICTEST

57. Inception : ONSET

58. Slinky spots : TOY CHESTS - I figured this was the toy, and not the gentleman's club

59. Learning methods : ROTES

DOWN:

1.* Poe title answer to " ... 'What is written ... / On the door of this legended tomb?'" : ULALUME - got it via perps, but had to look this up to see if it was one word/name, so here's the Wiki

2. Impressive array : PANOPLY - again, I 51-acrossed it

3. Neural junction : SYNAPSE

4. Professeur's charge : ELEVE

5. Government, often : TAXER

6.* Juno, e.g.: Abbr. : ISP - Internet Service Provider; I was stuck on Roman God/2007 movie

7. Back : SPONSOR - ugh, my sponsor will never forgive me for missing this one

8. Many a president : LAWYER

9. Having a bite : ACERB

10.* 50s-60s emperor : NERO - ugh - literally, from the years 54 - 68

11.* R&B group __ Hill : DRU - no clue

12. With urgency : HASTILY

13. Mythological sea nymph : OCEANID - all I knew was that it most likely ended with "-ID"

14. Fill : PERVADE - such as conversation in crowded restaurant

20. Tea cart items : SCONES

24. Vitamin C sources : ADES - oh, I didn't know you were a source of vitamin C, LemonADE....

25.* Prime minister sworn in by Mountbatten : NEHRU

28. Land __ : GRAB - I'd heard the term, but wanted to read more

30. An arm and a leg : LIMBS - har-har

31. Bean product? : IDEA

32.* "The Little Mermaid" composer Alan : MENKEN - more no clue

34. Wormwood, e.g. : HERB

35. China setting : FAR EAST

36. On a par with : EQUAL TO

37. Domination : MASTERY

38. Site of Truman's winter White House : KEY WEST - semi-clecho~???

39. Dreamer's opposite : REALIST - if I said this is my girlfriend - am I a dreamer or realist~?

Yep, her name is Gabriella, er, I mean Cora

40. "Ain't happening!" : "NO SIREE~!" - right, the clue just after my posted pic

41. Sonnet parts : SESTETS - I had SEPTETS, and 46a. ending in "-SP" seemed unlikely

43. Stages : PHASES

46.* 1971 title detective : KLUTE - heard of it, but never saw it

47. Carry-on no-no : RAZOR

48. Schroeder's love : PIANO - no clue - not a "Peanuts" fan at all

50.* WWI French marshal : FOCH - les Frawnche

53. It's heard at 52-Across : [hic]

54. D and C, in D.C. : STs

Splynter

Friday, January 1, 2016, Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: Happy New Year! Oops. No. New year resolutions! Nope. OK, I get it....

Let's put away the holiday decorations; but where? How fun!

We have five common phrases with the last word a place you can store things, with each clued humorously to create new images. I had a hard time parsing the JUST IN to reflect newest until I said it out loud, removing Justin from my brain. This is my second PAK puzzle, the other from December, 2010. Most of her puzzles are Sunday efforts but this is clearly a Friday with some deceptive cluing and some hard to remember fill. There was not much in long fill outside the theme, BB SHOT, a bit of crosswordese, EDEN, À LA. Off we go into 2016.

17A. Where to keep the newest merchandise? : JUST IN CASE (10). This gave me such a hard time. Of course the phrase has nothing to do with that kind of case, which is where the humor is.

26A. Where to keep papal headgear? : MITER BOX (8).  Really cute, and I will defer to Splynter for discussion of the original meaning.

38A. Where to keep bustiers and halters? : TOP DRAWER (9). Again a phrase that has nothing to do with the storage space morphs into where women keep their tops.

53A. Where to keep tunes? : DITTY BAG (8) The last two do not have same dramatic change as ditty bag holds ditties both way. A tough fill unless you are familiar with either the musical definition LINK,  or the new ONE.

64A. Where to keep clock components? : HAND BASKET (10). Well this puzzle went to hell quickly, though a basket filled with the hands from clocks is a cute image.

Across:

1. Prynne punishment : RED A. Scarlett letter actually for Hester.

5. Family that wrote a lot of notes : BACHS. An amazingly prolific FAMILY.

10. Chief of Staff after Haldeman : HAIG. Alexander quite famous for I'M IN CHARGE.

14. Summer quenchers : ADES. Cool we begin the year with a CSO to me.

15. Let go : ALLOW.

16. It's all around you : AURA. It certainly seemed so in the 60's and 70's.

19. Tabloid perennial : IDOL. Simon Cowell is coming to AGOT!

20. Circus couple? : CEES.

21. Strength : SINEW.  Really?

23. Andalusian article : UNA.

24. Fictional destroyer of Chamberlain, Maine : CARRIE. Maine and you know it is Stephen King.

28. Powerful Giant : OTT. Mel and all his home runs.

29. Green eggs advocate : SAM. But they need Ham...

31. Food Channel adjective : SAVORY.

32. High flat : MESA.

34. "American Pastoral" Pulitzer-winning author : ROTH. Philip has written so many books but this ONE earned him the Pulitzer Prize.

37. Actress Russo : RENE. She is 61

41. Long, long time : AEON.

43. No hassle : EASE.

44. Cheek : SASS.

48. Sponge : ABSORB.

50. Super __ : PAC.

52. Sign of summer : LEO. and the Clecho 61A. Sign-changing area : CUSP.

56. Church counter? : ROSARY. Beads me what this means.

58. Styled after : À LA.

59. Big name in beauty : ESTEE. Let's praise her in Latin. I love inter-lingual puns.

62. Sees : GETS. Mira!

67. DOE division?: Abbr. : ENERgy.

68. End of a host's query : OR TEA? Coffee or?

69. Hair piece : HANK. Not a toupee.

70. Hill meeting: Abbr. : SESSion. Capitol Hill.

71. Quaint retort : 'TIS'NT. Again so soon after yesterday's 'Tis.

72. Enjoying a lot : IN TO.


Down:

1. Koothrappali on "The Big Bang Theory" : RAJ.

2. Teach : EDUCATE. Happy New year especially to all here who TEACH. The world depends on you.

3. Leaves without leave : DESERTS. The military.

4. Daisy lookalike : ASTER. Aster to the left

Daisy.... 




5. Proscription : BAN.

6. MLB best-of-seven series : ALCS. American League Championship Series.

7. Assertion : CLAIM.

8. Egypt's Mubarak : HOSNI. No way to COMMENT.

9. Candy : SWEETS. I still miss HIM.

10. Osaka okay : HAI. Yes in Japanese.

11. "The Birds of America" author : AUDUBON.

12. You can dig it : IRON ORE. Very vague but it is Friday.

13. Place to see stars : GALAXY. Riding in an old Ford?

18. Goddess with cow's horns : ISIS.

22. "__ Family": 1979 R &B hit : WE ARE.

24. Dot follower? : COM.

25. Tombstone VIP : EARP. Wyatt. I liked Hugh O' Brian better. He is still alive and married for the first time at age 81.

27. Camping enthusiasts, for short : RV'ERS.

30. How it's done : MODE.

33. Reveling, after "on" : A TOOT.

35. Vocal syllable : TRA. LA LA Linda.

36. Door fastener : HASP.

39. Deli request : ON RYE.

40. Common sign of age : WEAR. And tear.

41. Kansas site of the Eisenhower Presidential Library : ABILENE. The town also had Wild Bill Hickok as Marshall for a while and 186 miles from Dodge City.

42. They're left behind : ESTATES. Real property, probate and estate planning...my current life.

45. Yakutat native : ALASKAN. Just a simple guess.

46. Garden snake? : SERPENT. Which helps with 60D. Utopia : EDEN.

47. __ sauce : SOY. Do you use it with your 57D. Bite-sized Asian dish : SUSHI.

48. Words from the wise : ADAGES.

49. Red Ryder ammo : B B SHOT. Did you watch the marathon A CHRISTMAS STORY? (2:12).

51. 1952 "Your Show of Shows" Emmy winner : COCA.

54. Arcade pioneer : ATARI.

55. Fellows : GENTS.

63. Gp. receiving diplomas : SRS.

65. Cavern critter : BAT.

66. Ring ruling : TKO. Technical Knock Out.

Technical or otherwise I am out of here; I thank PAK for starting us in the New Year; thank you C.C. for still being here after almost 8 years and all of those who read and write and those who just read: may 2016 be a banner year for all. Lemonade out.

Thursday, December 31st 2015 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Weight Room Workout. Pretty much a top-to-bottom progression with, in order, LATS, DELTS, PECS, ABS and GLUTES.

18A. Red-eyes, e.g. : LATE FLIGHTS. I pretty much unilaterally declared a few years ago that I won't take red-eyes anymore. I fly the day before and get a good night's sleep.

24A. Wouldn't accept excuses : DEMANDED RESULTS

31A. Hospital department : PEDIATRICS

41A. Black suit component : ACE OF CLUBS. I wanted "Ace of Spades" to mark the passing of Motörhead's Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister on Tuesday. I saw the band in LA about 15 years ago and I'm not sure my eardrums have recovered. RIP. Not to everyone's taste, so no link.

51A. Retirement party speeches, typically : GLOWING TRIBUTES

58A. Like some weightlifters, and a hint to this puzzle's circles : MUSCLE-BOUND. Lovely reveal - the muscles start and finish - so bind - the theme entries.

Well done, Jeffrey. I'm not sure if the head-to-tail order of the theme entries was intentional, but I hope it was. I loved this puzzle. It took me almost as long as the Sunday LAT and I enjoyed every minute of figuring out where I was going wrong. After my first pass, I had so much white space and a few "maybe" entries that I thought I'd post the grid I had at that point to show you the mess I was in:

Oh dear! Bottom-up and right-to-left corrections fixed everything eventually, but it certainly was a fun journey.

Across:

1. Dernier __ : CRI. The latest fashion. I'm not familiar with the term, but it's a crossword staple.

4. They may have EIKs : APTS. Eat-In Kitchens. I'm not familiar with the term. Do you sense a pattern here?

8. Savory Asian pastry : SAMOSA. Food! I'm familiar with the term. Yay! (Crafty cook tip - if you want to make quick and easy samosas, slice a flour tortilla across the equator and fold & fill from there).

14. Kareem, once : LEW. Alcindor/Abdul Jabbar. A UCLA basketball legend in my home town.

15. Berth place : SLIP. The yacht I've chartered lives in a slip in Marina Del Rey.

16. Took to the stump : ORATED

17. Reminiscent of : A LA

20. Fail to meet : MISS

22. Pinky-side arm bone : ULNA

23. Points for a free throw : ONE. Kareem made a few of these on his way to 38,387 career points.

29. 14th-century Russian prince : IVAN II

30. "Grandma" co-star : TOMLIN

35. "Nothing special" : SO-SO

36. One on the shelf, in Christmas decor : ELF

37. Epic creator : POET

48. Number in a Verne title : EIGHTY. Not TWENTY as I confidently entered at first. "Around the World in Eighty Days". I've done the round-the-world route twice (once in each direction) on business. Burbank - Denver - Frankfurt - Mumbai - Hong Kong - San Francisco - Burbank was the most fun. LAX - Hong Kong - London - LAX seemed more of a chore.

50. "60 Minutes" humorist : ROONEY

55. Suffix with part : IAL. Boo. A suffix isn't "three letters at the end of a random word".

56. Bide __: stay briefly, to Scots : A WEE

57. "Phooey!" : DRAT

62. Choler : IRE

63. Willow flower cluster : CATKIN

64. Erase : UNDO

65. Shade source : ELM

66. To a smaller degree : LESS SO

67. Annoyance : PEST. That "Part-ial" is a pest.

68. Bad start? : DYS. Whoa! Here's a pattern.

Down:

1. Cocktail party bowlful : CLAM DIP. OK, Chex Mix - you're toast

2. Substitute for : RELIEVE

3. "That really got my goat!" : I WAS MAD

4. Silent comm. method : ASL. American Sign Language. My friend has a Masters degree in deaf studies and has taught me some rudimentary signs, enough to make a polite exit from otherwise awkward social situations.

5. Enthusiastic praise : PLAUDIT

6. King or queen : TITLE

7. Drop at a shop : SPEND. Fun clue

8. Fifth in a familiar series : SOL

9. Melodic passage : ARIOSO. I think I remembered this. Took a couple of tries after the ARI--- though.

10. Wine buys : MAGNUMS. Two bottles, or 1.5 liters. Here's a couple I pulled out of the fridge in anticipation of the holidays. They don't fit in the rack. The one on the left is signed by the winemaker.

11. "... And when I love thee not / Chaos is come again" speaker : OTHELLO

12. Three of a kind, in poker lingo : SET

13. Much spam : ADS

19. Word with fetched or flung : FAR

21. __-Wipe: cleaning brand : SANI

25. Actress Peeples : NIA

26. "Star Trek" staples : ETS. Extra-Terrestrials. Pretty much all you're going to meet on a mission to explore unknown galaxies.

27. Quaint contraction : 'TIS. I mark my annual "oh really, is that all you've got" calendar by the first of the ADS I hear using this. This year was "Sleep Number" beds, who proclaimed in mid-November that "'Tis the season to save money on a mattress". Shame on you.

28. Nestlé's __-Caps : SNO

32. __ hall : REC

33. Martinique, par exemple : ILE. Isle, for example. What differentiates an isle and an island in English? I don't believe any other language makes the same distinction. Discuss.

34. Bus. bigwig : CFO

37. Dowel : PEG

38. Venezuela export : OIL

39. Ones who are me-deep in conversation? : EGOISTS

40. Sharp blows : THWACKS

41. Writer Rand : AYN. Gimme, thank you very much. I was struggling in the middle (and top, and bottom and left, and right).

42. '90s-'00s hit sitcom for 10 seasons : FRIENDS Cue the music. I challenge you not to clap. Pa Pa Pa PAH!

43. Ear piece? : COB. What? Oh! Sweetcorn (sound of coin dropping slowly).

44. Ear-piercing : LOUD

45. Not yet tested : UNTRIED

46. Arrive ahead of time : BE EARLY

47. __ analyst : SYSTEMS. I was one of these once. I'm not sure I really knew what I was doing. Thankfully I was working for a bank, not Boeing.

49. "Coca-Cola Cowboy" singer : TILLIS? Who?

52. Chew the fat : GAB

53. Leading 5-3, e.g. : TWO UP

54. See one's old college chums, say : REUNE. Here's my most recent "reune" in London last month with my chums. I'm the only one wearing glasses, but everyone else needed me to read the menu. What does that tell you?

58. Commonly injured knee ligament, briefly : MCL. The medial collateral ligament, not the anterior cruciate, which was my first attempt. A rugby-playing friend of mine once tore his ACL, but he insisted on describing is as his "crucial ligament" which drove me to distraction. It's on a par with someone saying "pacifically" or "supposably". You're off my Christmas Card list with any of those.

59. Federation in OPEC : UAE. The United Arab Emirates, a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. It all sounds rather quaint. Are Venezuela in on the OPEC act?

60. "Small Craft on a Milk Sea" musician : ENO. Not ONO. Wake up, Steve.

61. Semicolon? : DOT. Lovely. Half a semi-colon is a single dot. Wonderful.

And with that, here's the grid, circles and all, for those of you who didn't have them in your publication. It's been a fun year, and on this New Year's Eve, please all of you be safe, love your friends and family (and tell them that you do), remember with joy all who have passed and lit up your life and be ready for a new adventure tomorrow.

Steve

Wednesday, December 30, 2015 Michael Dewey

Theme: Having a go at it -  or - disappointing Yoda.  The last word of multi-word in-the-language phrases are all synonyms for striving to achieve something.



17 A. It may lead to an acquisition : TAKE OVER ATTEMPT.  One corporation ATTEMPTS to take over another.

28 A. Coalition : JOINT ENDEAVOR.  Working together for a common goal.  Rather a different shade of meaning, as compared to ATTEMPT.

48 A. With "the," one's best shot : OLD COLLEGE TRY.  This is a wild and desperate ATTEMPT to achieve something, perhaps with a bit of showboating along the way.

62. Sincere intention to be fair : GOOD FAITH EFFORT.  This is actually a legal term, relating to "what a reasonable person would determine is a diligent and honest EFFORT under the same set of facts or circumstances." Troutt v. City of Lawrence, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61641 (S.D. Ind. Aug. 8, 2008)

As I see it, all except JOINT ENDEAVOR carry some implication of failure, realized after the fact. Does that seem right?

Hi, gang, JazzBumpa here.  Nicely constructed theme, with a couple of grid-spanners.  The rest of the puzzle lies before us.  Shall we do or not do?

Across

1. Coors "malternative" : ZIMA.  A kinda-sorta quasi-beer-like fluid from a company that makes other beer-like fluids.

5. NFL ball carriers : RBS.  Running Backs.   Who will be the first to take this DF?

8. Silently understood : TACIT.  That's one sense of it.  Another is simply remaining silent.  I have several segments of The Nutcracker marked TACIT.

13. National Air and Space Museum movie format : IMAX.    Large screen movie presentations.

14. Culturally affected : ARTY.   

16. Shrine to remember : ALAMO.   As the phrase "Remember the ALAMO" reminds us.

20. Bucket filler : ICE.   One of many possibilities.

21. Cooking oil brand : MAZOLA.   Corn oil.

22. Sport with masks : EPEE.   Fencing.

23. Nag's comment? : NEIGH.  Just horsing around - not emulating the Bickersons.

25. Binding words : I DO.   Marriage.

27. Stately tree : ELM.  Once upon a time.

32. SeaWorld swimmer : ORCA.  Shamu the killer whale.

33. Strauss' "__ Rosenkavalier" : DER.  The knight of the Roses.   DER is the nominative singular masculine definite article in German.

34. Source of ultraviolet rays : SUN.  And infra-red, and visible light, and even a small amount of X-Rays.  The solar spectrum actually peaks in the visible light region.  I'm not delighted with this clue.

35. Evidently is : SEEMS.  Appears to be.

37. Enthusiasm : VIM.   Usually travels with vigor.

39. The Masters or The Open : MAJOR.   Golf tournaments.

43. Aurora's Greek counterpart : EOS.   Goddess of the dawn.

45. Beat a hasty retreat : LAM.   Here a verb - not it's most common usage.

47. Yawner : BORE.   Uninteresting performance or presentation.

51. Dashboard meas. : MPH.  Miles Per Hour.

53. __ Jose : SAN.   California city.   Do you know the way?

54. Race paces : TROTS.   Well this interesting and brings out the pedant in me.  In harness racing, there are two varieties of races, for TROTTERS and PACERS.  They have distinctly different gaits, and breaking stride can lead to disqualification from a race.  In other races, where you sit down right on the horse, running is done at a full gallop.  So I'm not sure what this clue is getting at. 

55. Met showstopper : ARIA.  Opera song

57. "We can do it, team!" : LET’S GO.   Closely related to the theme, but not in an appropriate location.

59. Belittle : DIS.  Disrespect, in street talk.

65. Maneuver around : EVADE.   Or avoid.  I'm never sure.

66. Jordanian queen dowager : NOOR.  Lisa Najib Halaby [b. 1951, Washington D. C.] is an American woman who became the 4th and final wife of King Hussein [d. 1999] of Jordan.   She works on behalf of several international organizations.

67. Vacationing, perhaps : AWAY.   Perhaps on a business trip, the lam, or playing hooky.  Several possibilities.

68. Know without knowing why : SENSE.  Oh, what a feeling.

69. Second afterthought: Abbr. : PPS.  Post Post Script.  For when your thoughts are really untimely or disorganized.

70. Daughter of Elizabeth II : ANNE.  Born Aug 15, 1950.  She had two marriages and survived a kidnapping attempt.  She also has a criminal record, having violated both the speed limit and the Dangerous Dogs Act.  She is not to be confused with anther royal Anne who was the eponym for a common weed, a furniture design, and a neckline with a raised back and open front.   Oh, yeah - the earlier ANNE was also Queen of Great Britain from 1702 until her death from a stroke in 1714.

Down

1. Pasta choice : ZITI.   Medium sized pasta tubes.

2. All-in-one Apple : i-MAC.    Desktop computer system.

3. Act in a conciliatory way : MAKE NICE.   Whether you want to or not.

4. Log splitter : AXE.   Log splitter's tool.

5. Plundered : RAVAGED.   Plunder is the violent and dishonest acquisition of property.  Ravage is damage severely.   Not at all the same thing.

6. Khrushchev's successor : BREZHNEV.  Leonid, born 1906, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 until his death in 1982.

7. Texas ALer : STRO.   Astros, an American League baseball team, inexplicably named after George Jetson's dog.

8. What Tweety tawt he taw : TAT.   Like this.

9. Out of the wind : ALEE.  Gimmee shelter.

10. Pitcher in the woods : CAMPER.   Tent pitcher.

11. Spur on : IMPEL.  Basically the same meaning as propel.   The use of "IMPEL" has been steadily declining for 200 years.

12. Tribal symbol : TOTEM.   A spirit being, sacred object or symbol that serves as emblm for a clan or tribe.

15. Connecticut Ivy Leaguer : YALIE.    Student or graduate of Yale University.  These people are also know as Elis.

18. Fail to say : OMIT.   Leave out.

19. "Voilà!" cries : TADAS.   "There you are," or "I did it."

24. Glossy coating : ENAMEL.   Paint or the natural covering layer on your teeth.

26. Egg cell : OVUM.  Female reproductive cell in humans and animals.

28. "__ Boys": Alcott sequel : JO'S.   A Sequal to "Little Men," occurring 10 years later.

29. Rock to refine : ORE.   Pay dirt.

30. Practice exercise : DRILL.   A method of training and discipline.

31. How money might be lost : ON A BET.  One of many ways.

36. Fixes the fairway, say : SODS.   Here, a verb, meaning to install sod.

38. Soda jerk's workplace : MALT SHOP.

40. Makes a note of : JOTS DOWN.

41. Boston Garden hockey immortal : ORR.  Bobby.   YouTube has several long video compilations of his highlight moments.  Here is just one, and perhaps the most famous.

42. Spanish king : REY.  

44. Milan's Teatro alla __ : SCALA.   Opera house since 1778, one of the world's leading venues for opera and ballet.

46. Business deals : MERGERS.   The joining of two companies to make a new, bigger entity.  The opposite of what I had the last time I blogged.

48. John Glenn, for one : OHIOAN.   Do you know any others?

49. Words often starting a long shot : ONE IN . . .  Often followed by . . .  a million.

50. Blunder : GOOF.  All GOOFs [in this sense] are mistakes.  A blunder is a stupid or careless one.

51. Dungeons & Dragons spellcasters : MAGES.   D & D has several categories of characters, each with its own unique powers, potentials and vulnerabilities.

52. Demonstrate as true : PROVE.  Provide convincing evidence.

56. Tacks on : ADDS.  Emends.

58. Sporty car roof : T-TOP.   Removable roof panels make a vehicle so equipped into an almost-but-not-quite convertible.  

60. Farsi-speaking land : IRAN.   Across the gulf from Saudi Arabia, and contiguous with several other countries.

Part of the World

61. Eye sore : STYE.   An inflammation of a sebaceous gland in the eyelid, generally caused by a staph infection. I opted not to show any pictures.

63. Membership cost : FEE.   AKA Dues.

64. LAX overseer : FAA.   Federal Aviation Administration.   Are they lax?   I haven't flown in years.  You can enlighten me in comments.

Did you get the TADA, or did you not do?  That is the question.

That's all, folks.

Cool regards!
JzB