Wednesday, April 8, 2015 D. Scott Nichols & C.C. Burnikel

Theme - THE WEARIN' O' THE GREEN.  Nope - nothing to do with St. Pat - that was last month. In fact, this puzzle, for reasons that will soon become clear, is much more timely than that.  The theme refers to the iconic item of apparel given to the winner of a sporting event which will be identified shortly.

17 A. Hold banned in amateur wrestling : FULL NELSON.  This hold is more easily pictured than described.

IMPACT!

Byron NELSON was the winner of the subject event in 1937 and 1942, the latter in a playoff with Ben Hogan - before my time.

24 A. Premier League athlete : SOCCER PLAYER.  The English Premier League is where professionals play a sport known as "football" most everyplace except here in the U.S.  Gary PLAYER, from South Africa was the winner in 1961, 1974 and 1978.

40 A. Innocents : BABES IN THE WOODS.  This is the title of a gruesome traditional children's tale, first published in 1595, then passed into every-day speech to indicate any inexperienced or unwary persons thrust into hazardous situations.  Tiger WOODS is perhaps more famous now for his adventurous personal life that his sporting feats; but he once dominated his sport, and won the subject event in 1997, 2001, 2002, and 2005. Looks like he will participate this year.

52. Influential teams : POWER COUPLES.  From the Urban Dictionary: "A couple who seems to have a fairy tale romance. Also, both parties involved in the power couple have tremendous influence over people around them because of their devastating good looks* and seemingly perfect relationship with their significant other. 

*the most common type of power couple is between a male athlete and an actress and/or singer."

Fred COUPLES, the only one-time winner in the puzzle, took the prize in 1992.

It should be obvious by now that the the sport is golf, and the unifier gives us the event.  65A. April golf tournament, four of whose winners appear in 17-, 24-, 40- and 52-Across : THE MASTERS tournament, an event held every April at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA.  It is the first of golf's four major championships held in 2015.   Each year the winner is awarded the iconic green blazer.

2013 Winner Adam Scott places the blazer on 2014 (and 2012) winner Bubba Watson

This year's MASTERS starts tomorrow, so the puzzle is right on time. And did you notice the constructors?  Our own fearless leader and prolific puzzle maven C.C. along with Monday-Tuesday blogging stalwart, Santa Baby.  More feathers in the corner cap.   Yay team!

Let's see if our friends have given us a rough time or treated us in a fair way.

Across

1. Victorian : PRIM.  As in prim and proper - what the Victorians would have you believe about their behavior.  I have my doubts.

5. Like much 67-Down : ON TAP.  [patience, we'll get there.]

10. Bay of Bengal setting : ASIA.  Broadly speaking.

14. Extinct pigeon relative : DODO.  Flightless bird native to the island of Mauritius, last seen in 1662.  It was destroyed by sailors, their pets, and invasive species.

15. First name in puppetry : SHARI.  Last name LEWIS.  Real name Sonia Phyllis Hurwitz (January 17, 1933 – August 2, 1998)

When we were young

16. __ jar: lab glass : BELL.  Wikipedia says it is an approximately BELL-shaped vessel used to contain vacuum.  There's something oddly oxymoronic about that concept.  Also, a semi-biographical novel by Sylvia Plath.

19. Take one's leave : EXIT.  Don't let the door hit you.

20. Make sure of : SEE TO.  

21. Stretched to the max : TAUT.  Not necessarily to the max, but without slack.

23. Reggae cousin : SKA.  

A sampler

28. Apply gently : DAB.  What does Miss Piggy DAB onto her sunburn?   Oinkment.

31. CBS-owned cable sta. : SHOwtime.

32. Pond gunk : SCUM.  A type of green algae which could be a leading food source in the future.  Yum!

33. Prefix with footprint : ECO-.  The ECOfootoprint is a standardized measure of human demand on the planet's ecosystem.

34. Pulls down : EARNS, as income.

37. Winter pick-me-up? : T-BAR.  Excellent misdirection.  I was looking for something like a hot toddy, not a ski-lift.

44. Mite-sized : TINY.  Even more wee than bite-sized.

45. "Tut-tut!" : SHAME.  Expressions of disapproval.

46. Actress Tyler : LIV.  Daughter of Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler.

Arwen Undomiel, daughter of Elrond Halfelven

47. Important stretches : ERAS.   Of time, not yoga.   Or so I've been TAUT.

50. Beef cut : RIB.  Roast.   More tasty than algae, I'm guessing.

51. Maple syrup source : SAP.  You have to boil it down.

57. Louisville Slugger wood : ASH.   Not exclusively anymore.  The emerald borer has severely damaged the ash population.  You can still find ash bats, but oak, birch and maple are also being used.

58. Comfy footwear : MOCS.  Moccasins. 

Not this

59. Jewish scholar : RABBI.  I will leave the explanation to those who understand it better.

63. Swindle : SCAM.

68. Movie plantation : TARA.   Abode of the O'Haras from Gone With the Wind.

69. Sea-born jewelry material : CORAL.

70. "Right now!" : ASAP.  As Soon As Possible.

71. Song and dance : ARTS.  Along with painting, sculpture, architcture and literature.

Probably not Elrond

72. Urgency : HASTE.

73. Snoopy : NOSY.

Down

1. Sharable digital docs : PDFs.  Portable Document Format files can be shared across platforms.

2. Libertine : ROUE.  From 19th century French, literally "broken on a wheel" referring to the instrument of torture torture that this one's behavior deserved.  Usage of the word peaked around 1850

3. Onetime Palin collaborator : IDLE.  Eric IDLE and Michael Palin of Monty Python's Flying Circus.  Surely, you weren't mislead? 

4. Feathers one's nest, in a way : MOLTS.   Birds of a feather losing their plumage at home.

5. Full of: Suff. : -OSE.  Examples: grandiose - full of affected grandeur; verbose - full of verbs.

6. Gp. with Sharks and Penguins : NHL.  San Jose and Pittsburgh teams in the National Hockey League.

7. Decorator's asset : TASTE.  More so than for a chef?

8. Cheering like crazy : AROAR.  Was the crowd AROAR at your favorite team's opener?  It was for my Tigers.

9. Hangers in lockers? : PINUPS.  Pictures of models pinned up in lockers and various other places.  The practice started in WW II.   Twentieth Century Fox provided over 5 million copies of this iconic picture of Betty Grable - the No. 1 pin up girl of her [and possibly any] era.

Fox insured her legs for $1 Million each

10. Justice Fortas : ABE.  A Johnson appointee who served on the court form 1965 to 1969.

11. Figures in 9-Down : SEX SYMBOLS.   No explanation needed.

12. "Very nice!" : I LIKE.   Vide supra.

13. A proposal may ultimately lead to one : ALTAR.  Wedding venue, and a clever clue.

18. Lasso loops : NOOSES.  For someone on a wanted poster, no noose was good news.

22. Dr. Mom's forte :  TLC. Tender Loving Care.

25. Spiced tea brewed in milk : CHAI.

26. Toe woes : CORNS.  Painful areas of thickened skin resulting from pressure or abrasion.

27. Mustang, for one : AUTO.  Did anybody else enter FORD and then get perplexed by the perps?

28. Chapter 11 factor : DEBT.  Bankruptcy law.

29. Berry in faddish supplements : ACAI.   About which there is actually nothing special. 

30. Star of a classic sitcom set at a Vermont inn : BOB NEWHART.  Aired from 1982 to 1990, the program was simply called Newhart.

35. Imprecise degree : NTH.   But generally considered to be a very high degree.

36. Like provolone piccante : SHARP.  Piccante means strong or spicy.

38. 1998 Sarah McLachlan ballad : ADIA.  I had this recently and still couldn't remember it.

39. Initial request for an answer? : RSVP.  The initial letters of Répondez S'il Vous Plaît - or, Please Respond - typical request to an invitee.  I have no idea why we do this in French.

41. Brontë heroine : EYRE.  Jane, the governess of Thornfield Hall, and eponym of the Charlotte Brontë novel which describes her life and times.

42. German actor Jannings : EMIL. A little bit of a mini-theme here with 53 D, since Jannings  (23 July 1884 – 2 January 1950) received the first one ever awarded in 1929, as best actor in The Way of All Flesh and The LastCommand.  He later went on to appear in a number of Nazi propaganda films.

43. Some outdoor grills : WEBERS.   Brand name.

48. Slot machine part : ARM.  

Ya pays yer money, ya takes yer chance

49. __ tape : SCOTCH.   Magic mending tape.  Is another clue possible?

52. Macaroni Grill selection : PASTA.  Decent Italian chain restaurant, and partial clecho.

53. Acting honor : OSCAR.  A statue awarded or movies, not stage performance.  

54. Golfer Lorena : OCHOA.   Staying with the golf theme, from Mexico.

She retired in 2010

55. AOLers, e.g. : USERS.

56. "Paradise Lost" figure : SATAN.  The Devil, you say!

60. Spanish smooch : BESO.   Like this.

61. Lingerie catalog buys : BRAS.  Last time I had stockings.

It's all business

62. Car trip game : I SPY.  A game in which players attempt to guess what the spy is spying on.  The spy starts by giving a hint such as the color of the object or the letter it starts with.

64. Some advanced degs. : M.A.'s. Masters of Arts.

66. Floor pad : MAT.

67. Part of IPA : ALE.  India Pale ALE is brewed with an abundance of hops, because that stabilized the product for the long sea voyage from England to India.   The thing ON TAP in 5a. And it provides a fitting ending, because after a hot game of golf, a nice cold beer is just the thing.

That completes this round.  Right on par for a Wednesday, I'd say, with nothing to be teed off about, and not a bogey on the course.

Cool regards!
JzB

Note from C.C.:

As Jazzbumpa mentioned, D. Scott Nichols is Argyle, our dear Santa, who came up with this lovely idea. Here are two recent pictures of our sweet Santa, the real Master.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015 David Poole

Theme: SAT prep - There isn't a unifier so my take is that the last word could describe getting a student ready to take something like the SAT's. You're welcome to post a different slant; please do.

17A. Older name for a passenger bus : MOTOR COACH

24A. Wedding gown follower : BRIDAL TRAIN

34A. Like one resisting innovation : OLD SCHOOL

50A. Pirate Blackbeard's real name : EDWARD TEACH

58A. Hole-making tool : POWER DRILL

Argyle here. Looking over past puzzles from David I see he often doesn't give a unifier. The grid is notable for the strong corners,(we like corners). COACH, TRAIN, SCHOOL, TEACH and DRILL answers are all consistently used as nouns in the theme entries at a different context.

Across:

1. Peru's __ Picchu : MACHU

6. Angle iron : L-BAR

10. Highest point : ACME

14. Kindle download : eBOOK

15. SeaWorld performer : ORCA

16. Ellington's "Take __ Train" : THE 'A'

19. Glass darkener : TINT

20. Responded in court : PLED

21. Cape NNW of Cod : ANN

22. Saguaros, e.g. : CACTI

23. Covered up : HID

27. Place in quarantine : ISOLATE

29. Legal thing : RES

30. Came down with : GOT

31. Kate, before Petruchio's "taming" : SHREW. Shakespeare, "Taming of the Shrew".

32. Bit of legislation : ACT

33. U2 lead singer : BONO

38. Die dots : PIPS

41. Thumbs-up : YES

42. Best man's offering : TOAST

46. Santa __ winds : ANA

47. Fellows : MEN

48. Stir-fry vegetable : SNOW PEA

53. Rank below cpl. : PVT.

54. Believer in the Great Pumpkin : LINUS. from "Peanuts".

55. NYC airport : LGA. LaGuardia Airport (code LGA) in New York City.

56. Narrow opening : SLIT

57. Installed, as carpet : LAID

61. Years, to Nero : ANNI

62. Wows, and how : AWEs

63. Stone marker : STELE

64. Droops over time : SAGS

65. Peel in a cocktail : ZEST

66. Filled with cargo : LADED

Down:

1. Tennessee home of the NBA's Grizzlies : MEMPHIS

2. Do away with : ABOLISH

3. French department that translates to "golden slope" : CÔTE-D'OR

4. Robin __ : HOOD

5. Kiev is its cap. : UKR. (Ukraine)

6. Canadian coin nicknamed for the bird on it : LOONIE

7. Lego or Eggo, for example : BRAND

8. Duke Univ. conference : ACC. (Atlantic Coast Conference)

9. Stadium shout : RAH

10. Rose essence : ATTAR

11. Lake Michigan metropolis : CHICAGO

12. Bring up : MENTION

13. Chip away at : EAT INTO

18. Golfer's ride : CART

22. Dollar divs. : CTs Cents

24. Cry out loud : BAWL

25. Curved foot part : ARCH

26. "Dallas Buyers Club" actor Jared : LETO. IMDb

28. Some summer babies, astrologically : LEOs

32. Summer coolers, for short : ACs. (air condition)

33. What winds do : BLOW

35. Like Easter eggs : DYED

36. Emailed : SENT

37. Texter's "From a different angle ..." : OTOH. (On The Other Hand)

38. Spanish rice dishes : PAELLAs

39. Gary's home : INDIANA

40. Hocking : PAWNING

43. Answered a help-wanted ad, say : APPLIED

44. Whence Rossini's barber : SEVILLE. "The Barber of Seville"

45. Spilled the beans : TATTLED

47. Dalloway's title : MRS. Mrs Dalloway is a novel by Virginia Woolf published in 1925.

48. Most judicious : SAGEST

49. Virg. neighbor : N. CAR

51. German cars : AUDIs

52. Actor Cary : ELWES. The Princess Bride, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Days of Thunder, Bram Stoker's Dracula, ...

56. Latina lass: Abbr. : SRTA. (senorita)

58. Peace, in Acapulco : PAZ

59. Be indebted to : OWE

60. High-speed www option : DSL. (digital subscriber line) not high speed.

Argyle

Monday, April 6, 2015 Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski

Theme: Combination of the Two - The first part of the unifier is placed behind the first part of the starred entries to form an unrelated combination.

56A. Process for selecting theatrical performers, and a hint to the first word of the answers to starred clues : CASTING CALL

20A. *Manhattan site of Strawberry Fields : CENTRAL PARK. Central Casting, where all the movie extras come from.

39A. *Prepare for printing : TYPESET. Typecasting, what some actors suffer.

11D. *Untrustworthy, as a business : FLY-BY-NIGHT. Fly Casting, a type of fishing. Clip

29D. *Word processor error finder : SPELL CHECK. Spell Casting, just one of the classes at Hogwarts.

Argyle here. Every letter but the 'J'. Putting the uni-word in the middle of the answer makes it harder to spot. I felt the level of fill was slightly uneven but doable. Some room for cornerites to add their own spin. Have at it.

Across:

1. Halloween costume part : MASK

5. 640 acres: Abbr. : SQ MI. (square mile)

9. Longtime employee : LIFER

14. Death Valley's is the lowest in North Amer. : ELEV. 282 feet below sea level.

15. Mammoth feature : TUSK. Woolly mammoth.

16. China's Zhou __ : ENLAI

17. "Dirty Jobs" host Mike : ROWE. ...but somebody has to do it.

18. County Kerry's isle : EIRE

19. Deep chasm : ABYSS

23. "So long" : "BYE"

24. Young horse : COLT

25. One from Nairobi : KENYAN

27. Ultimate conclusion : UPSHOT. 1530's; originally, the final shot in an archery match, hence the figurative sense of "result, issue, conclusion". ~ Online Etymology Dictionary

30. Made of oak, e.g. : WOODEN

32. Small swallow : SIP

33. Pumps or clogs : SHOES

35. Thin piece of change : DIME

38. __ out a living : EKE

42. Guy's partner : GAL

43. Bank (on) : RELY

45. Glue in a hobbyist's kit : EPOXY

46. "Let me think ... " : "HMM..."

47. Utter madness : LUNACY

50. Michelangelo masterpieces : PIETAs

52. Tallied, with "up" : RACKED

54. Group after boomers : GEN X

55. "How relaxing!" : "AAH!"

62. Bit of luck : BREAK

64. Place for koi : POND

65. Prefix with distant : EQUI

66. Italian ball game : BOCCE

67. Woodworking tool : ADZE

68. Put on a pouty face : SULK

69. Filled (in), as a comic strip : INKED

70. Frog's kiddie-lit friend : TOAD

71. Yard event : SALE

Down:

1. Bygone Ford division, for short : MERC. A 71-year run ended in 2010.

2. Sunburn soother : ALOE

3. Stitched up : SEWN

4. Complain : KVETCH

5. Furtive : STEALTHY

6. Comforter to get comfy in : QUILT

7. Car sticker abbr. : MSRP. (manufacturer's suggested retail price)

8. Swedish furniture chain : IKEA

9. Didn't hold water : LEAKED

10. Having five sharps, musically : IN B

12. Course that's good for one's GPA : EASY 'A'

13. Ascended : RISEN

21. Barnyard perch : ROOST

22. MGM rival : RKO. (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Radio-Keith-Orpheum)

26. Homer's nice neighbor : NED Flanders.

27. Password creator : USER

28. High-speed highway : PIKE

30. Teary-eyed : WEEPY

31. Bone, in Italian : OSSO

34. Oil gp. with 12 member nations : OPEC. (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)

36. Papa's partner : MAMA

37. Stately shade trees : ELMS

40. Paid out : EXPENDED

41. Making, as a knot : TYING. Tying a fly.

44. Big laugh : YUK

48. Did some smooching : NECKED

49. Aquafresh tube letters : ADA. (American Dental Association)

51. Overabundance : EXCESS

52. Talmud expert : RABBI

53. Brother of Moses : AARON

54. Tokyo shopping district : GINZA

57. Petty quarrel : SPAT

58. Chore list heading : TO DO

59. Greenish-blue : AQUA. A little bigger clue/answer dupe (w/ 49D) than yesterday.

60. Temporary calm : LULL

61. Similar to : LIKE

63. Unreturnable serve : ACE. Tennis.

Argyle

Sunday April 5, 2015 Kurt Krauss

Theme:  "Seeing Stars" - All theme entries are in the pattern of "Superb"+ noun, and are all clued as "Five-star" + noun.

23A. Five-star auctioneer? : BEST SELLER. I went to a barn auction once. So noisy. Had no idea how the owner had so many mini baseball bats (all stadium giveaways).

25A. Five-star bridal accessory? : MODEL TRAIN

36A. Five-star Ponzi scheme? : GREAT PYRAMID. We have a local Ponzi guy named Tom Petters, who owned Polaroid for a few years.

46A. Five-star pageboy? : PRIME CUT

65A. Five-star secluded getaway? : FIRST-CLASS CABIN. Lovely.

83A. Five-star flugelhorns? : TOP BRASS

93A. Five-star spiel? : PERFECT PITCH. Reminds me of Tony Robbins.

 

111A. Five-star competition? : IDEAL MATCH. Happy that Badgers won yesterday.

113A. Five-star headgear? : SUPER VISOR. Massive change from the original theme entry. I do rather like the result.

Last week we have 7 themers. This week 9. With the same theme squares, 9 is harder to grid than 7.  

Kurt Krauss must be a baseball fan. Look at these few entries:

10A. Houston ballplayer, for short : STRO. Astros. Our Vikings are called Vikes by some.

115A. Dodger manager before Mattingly : TORRE (Joe). I have lots of Don Mattingly cards.

8D. Nickname for baseball's Durocher : THE LIP. Leo Durocher. He used to argue with the umpires.

13D. 1993 A.L. batting champ John : OLERUD. He wore a helmet playing defense.

Also 89A. Tuxedo accessory : DICKEY. OK, not clued baseball-wise, but I bet R. A. Dickey was in Kurt's/Rich's mind.

Across: 

1. Ranted (at) : RAILED

7. Texter's "Oh, I should also mention ... " : BTW

14. Building blocks : LEGOS

19. Picador's target : EL TORO. "The bull".

20. "Bingo!" : AHA!

21. One might get caught off base : AWOL

22. "Waterworld" orphan girl : ENOLA. I forgot. Rich used this clue last month in a Barry Silk themeless. He does not use the same clue in the same month.

 

27. About to explode : IRATE

28. Like NASA and FEMA : ALL-CAPS

30. Clear up : RESOLVE

31. __ death: repeat too often : DO TO

32. Longest river in France : LOIRE

33. Sonata, e.g. : OPUS

35. They're hung by drivers : UIES. Sometimes it's UEYs.

40. Explosive experiment : A-TEST

41. Thai appetizers : SATAYS. With peanut sauce. By the way, JJM, I did not find your favorite Hot Giardiniera Relish at our local Walmart. I did get a bottle of Mezzetta Hot Mix. I then chopped the mix finely, added minced olives and made my own soon-to-be-world-famous C.C. Hot Giardiniera.

44. Author Follett : KEN

45. E.U. member : SWE

 

49. "Big four" record company : EMI

51. Leather ending : ETTE. Leatherette.

53. 0.0000001 joules : ERG

56. 1953 Pulitzer-winning dramatist : INGE (William)

57. "SNL" alum alongside Hartman and Carvey : NEALON (Kevin)

59. Thinks better of it : DARES NOT

61. Once called : NEE

62. Go-to guy : MAIN MAN. Argyle is my main man then. On and off the blog.

64. Cigar size : ROBUSTO

69. CNN news anchor __ Paul : CHRISTI. Looks familiar. But I don't recall her name.

72. Baronial headpiece : CORONET

73. Hardly around the corner : FAR

76. Put under : ETHERIZE

78. Knocks on : RAPS AT

79. Purina product : ALPO

80. Qing Dynasty general of culinary fame : TSO. Don't be surprised if you can't find General Tso's Chicken in China.

81. Deutschland donkey : ESEL. So surprised to see this word.

82. Slip-__: shoes : ONs

86. Backstabber : RAT

87. Acquisition transaction, briefly : LBO (Leveraged Buyout)

90. Carried on : RAGED

99. Times to get ready : EVES. And 108. Break for mom : NAP TIME. Tiny clue/answer dupe. Hard to avoid in a 21*21.

100. Five-O booking agent : DANO

101. Golden : AURIC

102. Magi origin : EAST

106. Mythological hybrid : CENTAUR. Part-man, part-horse.

110. Trumpeter Louis : PRIMA. Another stranger to me.

116. Bad end : DOOM

117. Like some phone nos. : UNL. Unlisted.

118. Designer McCartney : STELLA. Paul McCartney's daughter.

119. Related maternally : ENATE. "Related paternally" is AGNATE.

120. Massachusetts motto opener : ENSE. Learned from doing crosswords.

121. The Carolinas' __ Dee River : PEE

122. Strengths : ASSETS

Down:

1. Bridge action : RE-BID

2. Last Olds made : ALERO

3. Where __ : IT'S AT

4. Pick 6, for one : LOTTO GAME. Lovely long answer.

5. Language that gave us "galore" : ERSE

6. __-eyed : DOE

7. Cast selection? : BALLOT. Great clue.

9. Shout during a charge : WAR CRY. Battlefield charge.

10. Native corn porridge : SAMP. Never used this word. Same as grits I suppose, D-Otto.

11. Couple : TWOSOME

12. Hot __ : ROD

14. "Why don't we!" : LET'S

15. Coming or going : EN ROUTE

16. Deke victim : GOALIE. My favorite, of course!

Splynter the Goalie

17. Tapenade ingredients : OLIVES

18. Least likely to blow : SANEST

24. Like a fantasy land? : LA LA. La La Land. Hi there, LaLaLinda!

26. Beethoven's "__ Adieux" sonata : LES

29. Bubbly beginning? : AER.  As in "Aerator", adding air to the fish tanks.

34. Yearned : PINED. Did you ever meet with that Philly girl again, TTP?

37. Manhattan part : RYE. The drink.

38. Bailout key : ESC

39. Like, with "to" : AKIN

40. Slightly : A WEE BIT

41. Remedy from a doctor? : SPIN. Spin doctor.

42. "Alfred" composer : ARNE

43. Buster Brown's dog : TIGE

45. Photographer's accessory : STROBE. And 91. Fashion photographer Richard : AVEDON. He's incredible. Tina Brown brought him to the the New Yorker in 1992.

47. Fitting most people : UNI-SIZE. Like helmets.

48. Home on the range : TENT

49. Hebrew for "skyward" : EL AL

50. Rainier, for one : MONACAN

52. Port on Italy's "heel" : TARANTO. Any of you been there?

53. Some dashes : ENS. Or EMs.

54. "Balderdash!" : ROT

55. Flip side of Ronny & the Daytonas' "Hot Rod Baby" : GTO

58. Station for film buffs : AMC

60. Nearest star to Earth : SUN

62. Not see properly : MISREAD

63. Whistler, e.g. : ARTIST. This lady's son.

65. Old cry of disgust : FIE

66. Illegal payments : SOPS

67. Mortarboard sporters: Abbr. : SRs

68. A wall may need a second one : COAT. Fun clue.

69. This, in Toulouse : CET. Gosh, I've forgot most of what I learned. How is this different from Ceci?

70. Brooklyn __, N.Y. : HTS

71. Density symbol, in physics : RHO

73. Criticism : FLAK

74. Abbey nook : APSE

75. Looking up : ROSY

77. Actress Barkin : ELLEN

78. Rain protection : ROOF

79. Bow-and-arrow sets : ARCHERIES. Spell check does not like the plural form.

84. Wash. summer hrs. : PDT

85. Lighter name : BIC

86. Remedy for a freeze : RE-START

88. Back-to-back '90s Super Bowl champs : BRONCOS

90. Reel off : RECITE. My dad could recite every line of Mao's Little Red Book. He learned how to write his name only after he joined Chinese Army.

92. Family subdivisions : GENERA

93. Strut : PARADE

94. "The Purloined Letter" monogram : EAP (Edgar Allan Poe)

95. Dices : CUTS UP

96. Godhead, for one : TRIUNE

97. Blemish : PIMPLE

98. Java Freeze brand : ICEE

100. Doo-wop syllable : DUM. Thank crosses.

103. United divider? : AISLE. United Airlines.

104. Young salmon : SMOLT

105. "__ Bulba": Gogol novel : TARAS

107. On the safer side : ALEE

109. World-weary words : AH ME

110. Ryan and Benjamin: Abbr. : PVTS (Privates)

112. Big load : TON

114. Golfer Ernie Els' homeland : RSA. JD visited his winery there.

Happy Birthday to Irish Miss, our gentle & kind Agnes. Agnes always asks & follows up on the blog whenever a regular has some health, job or family issue. She also writes me privately whenever a regular is missing for quite some time (like Owen, PK and Jayce). We're so lucky to have a caring and attentive friend like Agnes.

Eileen (sister of Agnes) & Agnes, Nov 22, 2013

Happy Birthday also to Abejo (Bradley), who's always busy traveling and volunteering for various good causes. Brad worked in Iran for a few years before the Shah was toppled. Abejo is Persian for "beer". Brad loves and is very knowledgeable about beer. Oh, gardening too.  He's a master gardener.

Bradley and his Tuba, Church Fat Tuesday Event

Saturday, Apr 4th, 2015, John Lieb

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing J,Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 27

   I have done well with Mr. Lieb's puzzles in the past, but today it was looking pretty bleak.  The first across pass yielded only about 5 answers, and then on the down run, little more.  Caught a break with a few well-placed W.A.G.s, and I happened to know a few of the proper names, too.  Alas, I did cheat - one look-up, and one verification - so I have to admit to a DNF.  Drat.  Two spanners, two 10-letter movie reference* climbers, and triple 9-letter corners made up the long fill;

17a. Donkey in "Shrek" et al. : ANIMAL SIDEKICKS - when one "ponders" other animal sidekicks, one might recall a TV show from '79-'81;

54a. "Been there, done that" : "NOT MY FIRST RODEO" - I found a little history here

13d. 2014 A.L. MVP : MIKE TROUT

28d. Wet blanket, in modern lingo : FUN SPONGE - new phrase to me, but I do like it - I'll use it to describe the way vague circumferential Saturday clues suck the joy out of some puzzles

Down-ar~!

ACROSS:

1. Franchise spawned in the '60s : STAR TREK - my personal favorite of the show's variations was "The Next Generation", which was my generation's version; the original was a bit too dry for me, and the latest version of the franchise, the "young" original crew, just doesn't do it justice, IMHO

9. Away for the summer, maybe : AT CAMP - nailed it; felt like I was off to a good start

15. White Sox nickname, with "the" : PALE HOSE - I thought this might be a specific person, but it's a reference to their uniform - white socks = pale hose

16. Longtime Ottoman Empire territory : BOSNIA

19. Dedicate : DEVOTE

20. Lug : TOTE

21. Worked (up) : HET

22. They're just looking : EYERS - oh, those 'socket sets'

23. Cries for attention : "HEYS~!"

24. NFLer Ronnie for whom a defensive award is named : LOTT - the Wiki

25. Remote power source : AA CELL - almost got me thinking "distant", and not TV/DVR

27. Land overseas : TERRE - I had terrA to start; good enough for me

28. Univ. staff : FACulty - not TAs; made the SW very slow in solving

31. Prevent from going to seed : MOW

32. Organization level : ECHELON

34. Sam Samudio's spoken opening in "Wooly Bully" : UNO DOS - link away~!

36. Sea-dwelling Greek god : NEREUS - Poseidon didn't fit; neither did NEPTUNE, the Roman version

37. Most populous OPEC nation : NIGERIA - OK, I cheated - sort of....I went and found a list of OPEC nations, because I had ---ERIA; ALGeria would have worked, too, but only 23% the population

39. Ask to be excused, with "off" : BEG

40. It merged with Sprint in 1983 : GTE

41. Command before a click : SMILE - dah~! Stuck in computer, not camera mode

42. Treated for traction, in a way : SALTED - Did anyone else think of this traction~?

45. Cocktail party fare : PÂTÉ - ya know, I have always heard this word in jokes, on TV, etc., but never actually knew what it was

46. Securely : FAST - as in "the bolt held the door fast"; there's quite a few homographs for 'fast'

47. Overseas denials : NEINS - Ach~! German~!

51. Taxonomic suffix : OTA - what I found was that this guy is of the subclass "pterygota"

52. "The Secret of __": 1982 animated movie : NIMH - I remembered the name, but not the movie - IMDb trivia

53. "Working Class Hero" songwriter : LENNON

57. "Brighton Rock" author : GREENE - I was missing the first letter, and "G" seemed to make the most sense, but I did Google to check

58. Doing a lawn job : AERATING

59. Lamb treats : ESSAYS - oh, so crafty - Charles Lamb, not "KEBABS" as I first tried

60. Hoodwinks : MISLEADS

DOWN:

1. Garden aid : SPADE - I tried "STAKE" off the "S" in Star Trek

2. Second-longest-serving Chief Justice : TANEY - perps

3. Not out of the game : ALIVE

4. Suckerfish : REMORA

5*. Song featured in "Moonstruck" : THAT'S AMORE

6. Break for a certain wannabe : ROLE - ah.  Crossing the "Sox" clue, this was way too vague for me; now I get it - an actor wannabe

7. Mariner cap insignia : ESS

8. "Reservoir Dogs" actor : KEITEL - and a lot of other Tarantino movies, too

9. Disables the alarm, say : ABETS - cute

10. Tip in Vegas : TOKE - seen this in crosswords before; not the 'toke' I grew up with

11. TV franchise since 2000 : CSI

12. Relay part : ANCHOR LEG

14. Acceptable form of back talk? : PAST TENSE - Har-har~!

18. His epitaph includes "knight" and "man of letters" : DOYLE - Sir Arthur Conan

23. Fell : HEW

24. Creepy look : LEER

26. Mozart title starter : COSI

27*. 1927 Buster Keaton film : THE GENERAL - totally not my generation - IMDb

29. Some film artists : ANIMATORS - q.v. 52a

30. Ponders : COGITATES

33. "For a life gone digital" news source : CNET

35. Editor's mark : DELE - or STET~? I can't tell with these crossings~!

38. "Same here" : "AS AM I"

39. Deli order : BLT

43. Hindu community : ASHRAM - dredged this one up from the depths

44. Represent : DENOTE

46. High winds : FIFES - ah, not like "zephyr", but high-pitched musical instruments

48. Bhopal locale : INDIA - well, the spelling should have clued me into a 'general' idea of where to find it

49. Continuously : NO END

50. Makes out, across the Pond : SNOGS - learned from "Harry Potter"

52. Part of a Fifth Ave. address : NY, NY - I'm here in LI, NY

53. A and P, e.g.: Abbr. : LTRS - More deceptive if it had been clued A & P - as in the mrkt

55. Apology opener : MEA - culpa

56. Dante's half-dozen : SEI - Italian "six"

Splynter

Friday, April 3, 2015, Jim Quinlan

Theme: Double a letter, double your pleasure.

A debut puzzle from a familiar poster who was a rookie this year at ACPT where he finished 392nd. In a consistent theme, the last letter of a two letter word which begins a common phrase is doubled to create a new and visually fun answer. The choices for this theme are very limited (I thought of some not very good ones like ADD NAUSEAM and OFF HUMAN BONDAGE) because the theme is so tight. The rest of puzzle was similar to many Fridays we have had lately with average word length less than 5 letters, but it also the first pangram (puzzle containing all 26 letters) I have seen on a Friday in a very long while. I found the cluing not only difficult in places, but confusing. Perhaps this comes from the ambitious inclusion of all the letters. I did like seeing two Js in the grid.  There are some interesting intermediate fill like  AIRBAG, IMAGES, LETS GO, MATHIS, SEARCH, STIGMA, THINGS, XANADU, EMERGENT and  JAILBIRD and two which were as long as theme answers, OVERWATERS and  SOUTH SUDAN. There are also many fill with double letters (DDAY, TEEMS, ROOT, ROSS, ERRS, APP, OTTO, LEVEE, RAGG and OSS). None of these confused the issue of the theme for me.

18A. Quibble about accommodations? : INN DISPUTE (10). The second N appeared early from the perps, so I had an idea about the theme quickly.

27A. Marshmallow that's been toasted too long? : GOO UP IN FLAMES (13). My favorite of the answers, as I could picture the gooey mess I have made when trying to do marshmallows with my sons.

48A. Small group of tiny monarchs? : WEE THREE KINGS (13). Also a very cute variation on the Christmas CAROL  (2:28).

63A. Worthless buzzer? : BEE OF NO USE (10). We all know bees are very useful but I guess there is a Gilligan in every hive.

A good Good Friday, and a Happy Passover to those who celebrate; looking forward to another delicious seder. On to the rest...

Across:

1. Spell : JINX. We are going to have one of those Fridays where I am constrained to comment too vigorously, not knowing if the clue is the author's or Rich's, but I do not see these terms as interchangeable. The dictionary may disagree, but to me 'cast a spell' (or curse) would be the synonym for the verb JINX, and 'bad luck' or 'black cat' for the noun.

5. Traitor : JUDAS. A rather timely clue/fill on this Good Friday which commemorates the crucifixion of Christ after his betrayal by Judas.

10. Letters causing a rush : ASAP. As Soon As Possible.  Since people say, 'A Sap,' so is this an acronym?

14. Property measurement : AREA. As most must have, I began with ACRE.

15. Flopped financially : ATE IT. I understand the generic 'ate it' means failed miserably, but I know of no connection to financial failure.

16. Bonkers : LOCO. Some un-pc terms for mentally ill.

17. Response to a drone : YAWN. Not the one with camera or delivering from Amazon, or even from a beehive, but like my Real Property professor, D.T. Smith.

20. Zeus' beginning? : ZETA. In ancient Greek it was spelled ''Ζεύς'' with Zeta the first letter, but if you are transliterating to English, it should be Zee or Zed? I believe in modern Greek they now spell the name of the chief of the Greek gods as Δίας which aligns the name with Latin Deus. Hopefully we have a reader who can shed more light on this subject.

21. Forgives : LETS GO. The cluing so far had me scrambling, again I understand one letting go of the anger can be forgiving, but...well I will just let it go.

22. Director Burton : TIM. Wow, an easy one. Johnny Depp is his favorite.

23. Little bit : DAB.

25. "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" duettist : MATHIS. The soulful Johnny with Deneice Williams in 1978. (3:04) reminds me of going to Peaches to buy 45s.

33. 4x4, e.g. : ATV. All Terrain Vehicle.

34. "1984" worker : PROLE. A really fine Friday CLUE, but no politics.

35. Get used (to) : INURE.

38. Assembly stage : STEP. How many have bought furniture from IKEA?

40. Hit from a tee : DRIVE. Ah some golf as we near the Masters.

42. Start of Operation Overlord : D-DAY.

43. Scrutinized, with "over" : PORED. His notes? Books and records?

45. Abounds : TEEMS. This reminds me of THIS.(2:16).

47. Generation : AGE.

51. Google, say : SEARCH.

53. Canyon part : RIM.

54. "A Bug's Life" extra : ANT.

55. It might blow up in a crash : AIRBAG. Nicely thought-out deception.

59. Shade at the shore : AQUA. Also cute as we are talking shade of color not an umbrella.

65. [I'm doomed] : GULP. Very nice cartoonish visual.

66. Goes wrong : ERRS. Do not forget to forgive.

67. Bridge expert on some "Sports Illustrated" covers : GOREN. If you ever played the game and are about my age you know and have read books by CHARLES. I do use Blackwood.

68. Mozart's "a" : EINE.

69. Soft-spoken painter Bob : ROSS. All perps for me, thought it sounds like it was an interesting SHOW.

70. Irish hero, briefly : ST. PAT.

71. Pringles competitor : STAX. I tried them once and they were not good. I do tend to try every food product once.

Down:

1. Now hyphen-less rapper : JAYZ. DKDC. He is attempting to take over streaming of music with TIDAL.

2. "Dies __" : IRAE. More religion.

3. Spotted aquarium dweller : NEWT. Mr. Gingrich's image is fading in the mirror.

4. Film estate with a championship golf course : XANADU. Took me way to long to dredge this ESTATE from my brain.

5. "Avian" for whom flight is often futile : JAILBIRD. A little prison humor.

6. __ Reader : UTNE.Does anyone actually read this?

7. It may be hammered out : DENT. Not an agreement but a literal hammer job.

8. Help providers : AIDS.

9. Stain : STIGMA. So many connotations; we also have the related STIGMATA but that sounds like religion.

10. European attraction : ALP. marti, a gimme for you?

11. Independent country since 2011 : SOUTH SUDAN.  All you wanted to know and MORE.

12. When Hamlet says, "The play's the thing ... " : ACT II. Well I got a very small taste of some Shakespeare.

13. Dickinson output : POEMS. Emily.

19. "Amen!" : SO AM I. So be it? I agree?

24. Trivia Crack, e.g. : APP. Sounds vaguely obscene, but this GAME sounds and looks like electronic Trivial Pursuit.

26. Mind : TEND. All perps, did not even see the clue and hope you all will explain. Children? One's business?

27. Horrified reaction : GASP.

28. One of the Ringling brothers : OTTO. No Sgt. Snorkel for this puzzle, but this somewhat obscure  figure who died in 1911. Per wiki the Ringling Brothers Circus was a circus founded in the United States in 1884 by five of the seven Ringling Brothers: Albert (1852–1916), August (1854–1907), Otto (1858–1911), Alfred T. (1862–1919), Charles (1863–1926), John (1866–1936), and Henry (1869–1918). In 1907 it acquired the Barnum & Bailey Circus, merging them in 1919 to become Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, promoted as The Greatest Show on Earth. It does not say which 5, but John and Charles were the most famous and did much to put Sarasota, Florida on the map.

29. Drowns in the garden : OVERWATERS. A thoughtful clue; I do love gardening but in April one should not need to water often.

30. __ Star : NORTH. No love for Kanye and Kim?

31. Circular : FLIER.

32. Chevy's "American Pie" destination : LEVEE.

36. Woolen yarn : RAGG. Nope, sorry, I do not know this WORD. I do know MOP.

37. Socket set : EYES. Oh my, what a great alliterative misdirection.

39. Review target : PEER. Peer review is very big in many professions, especially medical ones.

41. Newly formed : EMERGENT.

44. Joe sans jolt : DECAF. Love those Js.

46. Take on moguls : SKI. I will be Colorado and the snow will be fresh. Who wants to meet me there? marti?

49. The Cat in the Hat's numbered cohorts : THINGS.

50. Visuals : IMAGES.

51. Word with tooth or saw : SABER.

52. Año starter : ENERO.

56. Repeated word in "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" : ROOT.

57. Do a new mom's job : BURP. Oh those burping moms, watch out.

58. On a cruise : ASEA.

60. Gave notice : QUIT.

61. Radius neighbor : ULNA.

62. Pinnacle : APEX. Apex, Acme? My favorite golf ball in the 80s. Second day in a row for this fill.

64. '40s spy org. : OSS. Office of Strategic Services.  The predecessor of the CIA.

Well enjoy Friday, I will be out of pocket most of the day in preparation for the first night of Passover, so smoke em if you have them and happy holidays to all. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

1) Our own Minnesotan constructors George Barany and Marcia J. Brott constructed today's CHE "Sea Shells" puzzle. Tasty and timely. Please click here  to download the puz file.

2) The fourth Minnesota Crossword Tournament will be held on June 14th. Please click here for more details.