Sunday March 15, 2020 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "No Rhyme, No Reason" - The two words in each theme entry have similar spellings but different pronunciations.
  
23. Costuming choice for a "Cats" performance?: LEOPARD LEOTARD.

37. Proctor's nightmare?: GREAT CHEAT.

41. Tree surgeon's challenge?: TOUGH BOUGH.

51. One skilled at squandering?: MASTER WASTER.

70. Sweeping thoroughfare?: BROAD ROAD.

84. Expert on current energy options?: SOLAR SCHOLAR.

95. Dud of a car that Stephen King might write about?: DEMON LEMON.

100. Chophouse bandit?: STEAK SNEAK.

118. Lazy son, vis-à-vis his lazy dad?: YOUNGER LOUNGER.

Are these called eye rhymes?

I feel English pronunciations are mostly rational, but the above are great examples of the exceptions. And of course, the classic set of Bough, Cough, Through & Dough.
 
Across:

1. Just one of the fam: SIS.

4. Quayle successor: GORE. Not much climate talk lately.

8. Part of PBR: PABST.

13. Brazilian dances: SAMBAS. Rio Carnival goes on.

19. 1881 face-off spot: OK CORRAL.

21. "... only God can make __": Kilmer: A TREE.

22. How some bills are paid: IN CASH.

25. Move to protect a king: CASTLE. Oh, chess move.

26. Put away: EATEN. Look at the empty shelves at the toilet paper section at our local grocery store. Just can't find sushi rice in any of the stores.

27. Mag. edition: ISS.

28. "Hulk" director Lee: ANG.

29. Retired flier, briefly: SST.

30. Fair-hiring abbr.: EOE.

31. Narrow inlets: RIAS.

33. Crowded subway metaphor: SARDINE.

36. Prince in "Frozen": HANS.

44. Just right: TO A TEE.

45. Yucatán's yesterday: AYER. Opposite "Manana"'.

47. Reeves of "Point Break": KEANU.

48. Self-descriptive adjective: OLDE.

49. Prof's assistants: TAS.

57. "Mamma Mia!" song: SOS.

58. See 87-Down: BELT. 87. With 58-Across, area with severely declining industry: RUST.

59. Midori in a rink: ITO.

60. Brother of Macaulay and Rory: KIERAN. I only know Macaulay.

61. Like each succeeding eye chart line: TINIER.

63. Butterflies: NERVES.

66. Broad bean: FAVA.

67. Fathered, biblically: BEGAT.

72. Mont Blanc's range, to its west: ALPES.

73. News source, perhaps: LEAK.

74. Pool slip-up: MISCUE.

75. Author of kids' Busytown books: SCARRY (Richard). Not a familiar name to me.

77. Showing faith in: TRUE TO.

79. Bit of animation: CEL.

80. "We're gonna be late!": C'MON.

81. Utter: SAY.

88. Classic ending?: IST. Classicist. 109. Piece of TNT?: TRI. Trinitrotoluene. 127. Self starter?: ESS.

89. "Mi __ es tu __": CASA.

90. Wide receiver Don who played in five Super Bowls: BEEBE.

91. Shanghai money: YUAN. All have Mao's face.

93. Part of a Norwegian-sounding ice cream name: HAAGEN. I visited Haagen-Dazs Shanghai ages ago.

102. All over: ANEW.

103. Lasagna layer: RICOTTA.

105. More than half: MOST.

106. H.S. dropout's goal: GED.

107. Small shot: BBS.

110. First lady Hoover: LOU.

112. Garlicky spread: AIOLI.

116. "Aladdin" backdrop: ARABIA.

121. They bite: MOLARS.

122. Sleep disorder: APNEA.

123. Fib: TELL A LIE.

124. Prominent Syrian family: ASSADS.

125. Bette's "Divine" nickname: MISS M.

126. Editor's backpedaling: STET.

Down:

1. What's underfoot?: SOLE.

2. DIY furniture brand: IKEA. Has any of you tried their cod roe?

3. Robbie Coltrane, e.g.: SCOT.

4. Curling stone: GRANITE.

5. Hockey great: ORR.

6. Salad slice: RADISH. I love daikon.

7. Some annexes: ELLS.

8. Kung __ chicken: PAO.

9. Rose oil: ATTAR.

10. 1971 Peace Prize awardee: BRANDT (Willy). Unknown to me. He looks friendly.

11. Golfer Garcia: SERGIO. His daughter is named Azalea.

12. Talks acronym: TED. Ted talks.

13. Unleashes (on): SICS.

14. Med school subj.: ANAT.

15. Mic wielders: MCS.

16. Flat-bottomed boat: BATEAU. Here is the pic from Wiki.

17. Comparable in distance: AS LONG.

18. "Blimey!" cousin: SHEESH.

20. Run or work: OPERATE.

24. English homework: ESSAY.

29. Rocker Bob: SEGER.

32. Blackjack holding: ACE TEN.

34. "Up and __!": AT 'EM.

35. Zap in the kitchen: NUKE.

36. Indoor buzzer?: HOUSEFLY.

37. Sporty muscle cars: GTOS.

38. Milk Dud rival: ROLO.

39. "CSI" actor George: EADS.

40. Egg-hunt holidays: EASTERS.

42. Sells aggressively: HAWKS. So glad Amazon deleted many accounts of of those price gougers.

43. __ B'rith: BNAI.

46. Deluge result, perhaps: RAIN DELAY.

50. The best one is airtight: ALIBI.

52. Ending for hip: STER.

53. Bilbao bulls: TOROS.

54. Con game, say: TRAP.

55. Roof edge: EAVE.

56. Genetic strands: RNAS. Odd pluralized.

58. Trace: BIT.

61. "Brava!": TAKE A BOW.

62. Cookbook author DiSpirito: ROCCO. What's his signature dish?

64. Protective shot: VACCINE.

65. Dutch wheels: EDAMS.

67. Diner menu staples: BLTS.

68. MIT Chapel designer Saarinen: EERO.

69. Caesar's France: GAUL.

71. Writer of really old stories?: AUEL. Read more here.

72. Valiant's son: ARN.

74. German wine region: MOSEL. Must be gimme for Marti.

76. Abstract expressionist Mark: ROTHKO.

78. Chihuahua choo-choo: TREN. And 96. Juarez winter months: ENEROS. 89. Bar in Baja: CANTINA.

81. Stuffing stuff: SAGE.

82. Well offshore: ASEA.

83. Reb's rival: YANK.

85. Transmitting truckers: CBERS. Thought or Argyle.

86. Sphere opener: HEMI.

92. Dickens title starter: A TALE.

94. Verbal attack: ASSAULT.

95. First European to sail to India: DA GAMA.

97. Gold and silver: MEDALS.

98. Well-armed swimmers?: OCTOPI. Cute clue.

99. Shutout feature: NO RUNS.

101. Good luck charm: AMULET. My friend Roberto used to wear an evil eye.

104. Fork "fingers": TINES.

107. Frequent flier: BIRD.

108. Singer Lance, or the part he sang with *NSYNC: BASS.

111. Leftover scraps: ORTS.

113. Check out creepily: OGLE.

114. Island chains: LEIS.

115. Ticks off: IRES.

117. Barnyard bleat: BAA.

118. Thanksgiving tuber: YAM.

119. Whale group: GAM.

120. World Cup cry: OLE.

C.C.

Tuesday, Oct 23, 2018 Mark McClain

"Beef.  It's What's For Dinner"

18. Controversial coal-extraction method: STRIP MINING.

24. Dues-paying participant: CLUB MEMBER.

40. Broadside accidents: T-BONE COLLISIONS.

50. Format for some tournaments: ROUND ROBIN.

61. Meal suggested by the starts of four long answers: STEAK DINNER.

Yesterday, Ed Sessa had high on the hog, and today Mark brings us ideas for a steak dinner.  Unless you live high on the hog, be prepared for "sticker shock" if  you want to eat at some of these  restaurants on Zagat's 2018 List of Best Steakhouses in Chicago.  We know Bill G would agree to steak.  Prime Rib and Rib Eye would be my favorite cuts.  What cuts do you prefer ?

Across:

1. Colorist's concern: HUE.

4. Light brown pear: BOSC.

8. Hillary Clinton, née __: RODHAM.

14. Horace's "__ Poetica": ARS.  The Art of Poetry as written by Roman poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus

15. "The Mammoth Hunters" author Jean: AUEL. "Jean Marie Auel is an American writer who wrote the Earth's Children books, a series of novels set in prehistoric Europe that explores human activities during this time, and touches on the interactions of Cro-Magnon people with Neanderthals." - Wikipedia

16. Low-scoring tie: ONE ONE. Nil Nil would be a no-scoring tie.

17. Big wheel, briefly: VIP.

20. Wine lover's prefix: OENO.  Reds with boeuf.

22. Sport shown on TV Japan: SUMO.

23. Beer extraction gadget: TAP. 

27. Spanish lady: DONA.  Lucina explained the nuance of dama and doña to us about a week ago.

30. Acquire: GET.

31. Isle of Arthurian legend: AVALON.  And a Toyota.   Avalon is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend, fitting it in with Toyota's tradition of naming their sedans the word for "crown" in various languages (Crown, Corona, Camry, Corolla), types of crowns (Tiara), or other things associated with royalty (Scepter). - Wikipedia.

33. Woodland deity: SATYR.

36. Developmental insect stage: LARVA.

39. Luau accessory: LEI.

43. A, in Augsburg: EIN.  Una, in Acapulco.

44. Small stores: SHOPS.

45. Rather nasty: SNIDE.

46. "__ Fideles": carol: ADESTE.


48. Corrode, with "away": EAT.

49. Macy's section, e.g.: Abbr.: DEPT.

57. "__ y Plata": Montana motto: ORO.   Gold and Silver.

59. Bit of talk show self-promotion: PLUG. 

60. Opal of the comics, to Earl Pickles: WIFE.

65. Deli salmon: LOX.

66. Philadelphia campus: TEMPLE. Temple University.  Their sports teams, like Rice, are the Owls.

67. Building lot unit: ACRE.

68. __-ray Disc: BLU.

69. Volkswagen family car: PASSAT.

70. Rough file: RASP.

71. Some ER cases: ODs.  Over Dose cases.

Down:

1. Wreaked condition: HAVOC.  Also, recently in the news from the folks at NASA:

Project Summary

2. One of the archangels: URIEL.

3. College sports channel: ESPNU.

4. Music majors' degs.: BAs. Bachelor of Art degrees.

5. First stage: OUTSET.

6. Blood bank supply: SERUM.

7. Upward trek: CLIMB.

8. Film genre prefix with com: ROM. Ranking the best RomComs of all time...

9. Words after work or sleep: ON IT.

10. "Gracias" response: DE NADA.  Thank you /  You are welcome.

11. Common people: HOI POLLOI.

12. Raggedy doll: ANN.

13. Eldest of the "Little Women": MEG.

19. Author of eerie stories: POE. Edgar Allen.

21. Delivery MD: OBGYN.

25. Least: MEREST.

26. Shankar on the sitar: RAVI.

28. Interminably: NO END.

29. Ouzo flavoring: ANISE.


32. Poughkeepsie campus: VASSAR.  One of the "Seven Sisters", Vassar became coed in 1969.

33. Place: STEAD. In his place...  in his stead...  

34. Put up with: ABIDE.

35. Symphonic stories: TONE POEMS.  Never saw this clue / answer when solving.  Looked it up. 13 Symphonic Poems Every Classical Music Lover Should Listen To

 36. British john: LOO.

37. European peak: ALP.

38. Dr. Jekyll creator's monogram: RLS. Robert Louis Stevenson at Britannica.com

41. "Burlesque" co-star: CHER. née Cherilyn Sarkisian, aka "The Goddess of Pop".

42. Being hauled to the garage: IN TOW.

47. Sundress features: STRAPS.

48. Lawn maintenance tools: EDGERS. My leaf blower broke the other day.  Had to replace it quickly.  So many leaves.  I can relate with Hondo about "chasing leaves."   Was surprised to learn that leaf blowers are banned in many localities in California.    

51. Maker of Cajun Shrimp nail polish: OPI.  Thank you perps.  Never heard of it.  A California company that was originally a dental supply company.  Since 2010, a subsidiary of Coty, Inc.

52. Like the "funny bone" nerve: ULNAR.

53. Never, in Nogales: NUNCA.  Niemals, in Nuremberg.

54. "The Hobbit" hero: BILBO.  Baggins.  So much detail at Tolkien Gateway

55. Bluffed-out words, perhaps: I FOLD.

56. Connection: NEXUS.

58. Sooner St.: OKLA.  Boomer Sooners.  And a CSO to Anonymous -T and his eldest as collegians.

61. Car care brand: STP.  Lesser known as Scientifically Treated Petroleum, marketed in advertisements as "The Racer's Edge". 

62. Pot contents: TEA.

63. Police rank: Abbr.: DET.  Detective.

64. Weight-training unit: REP.  Repetition. 

Wednesday, March 21 2018, Mark McClain

Theme: CHECKING IN- The first words can be CHECKED.

17. *Many a museum piece : OIL PAINTING. Oil Check.

36. *Choice spot at the opera : BOX SEAT. Checkbox.

11. *Family crest : COAT OF ARMS. Coat check.

27. *Ellington genre : SWING MUSIC. Check swing. (Baseball.)

56. Words to a server ... or a hint to the first words of the answers to starred clues : CHECK PLEASE.
 

Melissa here. I struggled more than I should have with this one, due to a handful of tricky clues and a few unknowns. The theme didn't help with solving much because sometimes CHECK preceded the first word of the answer, and sometimes it followed. Only short a Q and Z of a pangram.

Across        

1. Jordan's capital : AMMAN

6. Amounts to : COSTS

11. Cleveland hoopster : CAV

14. Tour leader : GUIDE

15. Popcorn brand whose logo resembles a movie marquee : ACT II

 
16. Corrida cheer : OLE

19. "MSNBC Live" co-anchor Velshi : ALI

20. Big Dipper's constellation : GREAT BEAR

 
21. Birth-related : NATAL

23. Couple of gags? : GEES. Wording of clue seems odd. Couple IN gags would make more sense.

24. Tied-on protectors : APRONS

25. Without : ABSENT

28. Not even close : WAY OFF

30. Vise features : JAWS

31. British nobles : EARLS

32. Roger Federer's org. : ATP. Association of Tennis Professionals (males). Female counterpart is WTA (Women's Tennis Association), founded by Billie Jean King in 1973.

35. French buddy : AMI. AMIE is the feminine form.

38. Pi follower : RHO

39. Stood for office : RAN

40. Powerful Japanese dog : AKITA. Much like yesterday's SHIBA INU.

41. Black bird or black cat, to some : OMEN

42. Go round and round : GYRATE

44. Messed (up) : LOUSED

46. Obtain : COME BY. Stumped me.

48. Is not misused? : AINT. Nice clue.

49. Very serious, as a water shortage : ACUTE. Medically speaking, ACUTE does not always mean serious, but indicates sudden or recent onset - as opposed to chronic, which is long-lasting.

50. Blunder : FALSE STEP

55. Humanities degs. : MASE. Master of Arts in Special Education. Not sure why this clue is plural. (Correction: the answer is MAS. Master of Arts. Thanks, everyone.)

58. "The Book of __": 2010 Denzel Washington film : ELI

59. Exorbitant interest : USURY

60. Ceremonial place : ALTAR. I like this clue 💕.

61. Fond du __, Wisconsin : LAC

62. Closed : ENDED

63. Braid : PLAIT

Down

1. Twittering : AGOG. In this internet age, twittering has a new meaning.

2. "Studies in the Sierra" writer John : MUIR. Originally appeared in 1874 and 1875 as a series of seven articles in the Overland Monthly, which were later (1915 to 1921) reprinted in the Sierra Club Bulletin. 

 
3. Fitbit unit : MILE. Not STEP.

4. Much of the Sunday paper : AD PAGES. Not ADVERTS.

5. Spruce (up) : NEATEN

6. Walking sticks : CANES

7. Penta- plus three : OCTA

8. Cup-a-Soup direction : STIR

9. Pewter component : TIN

10. Footpath aid : SIGNPOST 

12. Poe's middle name : ALLAN

13. Concealing accessories : VEILS

18. "Probably not" : I BET. Sneaky because it's sarcasm - normally "I bet" indicates total agreement.

22. "Wanna go out?" response : ARF

24. Protagonist of Auel's "Earth's Children" novels : AYLA

25. Somewhat open : AJAR

26. Auburn rival, familiarly : BAMA

28. Squander : WASTE

29. Surface product : AREA. For rectangles and squares - height x width = AREA. Area calculator.

31. Bright word in a dark theater : EXIT

33. You, back in the day : THEE

34. Koi habitat : POND

36. Kansas City cuisine : BARBECUE. Variation is BARBEQUE. That and a Z would make for a pangram.

37. Not bad : OKAY

41. Fly off the shelf faster than : OUTSELL

43. To date : YET

44. Struggle with sisters? : LISP. Great clue.

45. 400 meters, on many tracks : ONE LAP

46. It has one hump or two : CAMEL

47. Florida's __ National Forest : OCALA

48. Binder for some paints : ALKYD. New to me.

50. 2017 FX miniseries subtitled "Bette and Joan" : FEUD. Anyone watch this series?

51. Spacious lot : ACRE

52. Part of TTFN : TATA

53. Actor Morales : ESAI

54. Cheeky : PERT

57. QVC sister station : HSN. Home Shopping Network.

Sunday March 18, 2018 Matt McKinley

Theme:   "PT Exercise" - P is converted into T, changing spelling as needed.

23A. Most highly regarded seasoning? : TARRAGON OF VIRTUE. Paragon of virtue.
 
46A. Brusque orchestral violinists? : TERSE STRINGS. Purse strings.

67A. Actress Helen with her personal programmer? : HUNT AND TECH. Hunt and peck.

91A. Kids responsible for breakfast bread? : TOASTER GIRLS. Poster girls.

114A. Well-ventilated chef's hat? : TOQUE FULL OF HOLES. Poke full of holes.
  
36D. Chocolate-loving gang? : COCOA TOUGHS. Cocoa puffs.

42D. Measurement for meat rotating on a spit? : ROAST TORQUE. Roast pork.
   
Four first-word changes. Three last-word changes. All went through considerable spelling changes while the sound remain the same. So consistent. Very creative approach.

I never head of "Poke full of holes", I figured it's "Pocketful of holes", which actually has plenty of  Google support. Then I asked D-Otto about the extra sound drop.

Across:       


1. Peaks : ACMES

6. Two-letter pop group : ABBA

10. Prepares potatoes, in a way : WHIPS. Here is how D-Otto prepares his potatoes. Authentic! Boomer said the dumplings we had in one of the buffets were made of potato flakes.

15. Card in a wallet : VISA

19. Zagreb native : CROAT

20. Vanishing sound : POOF

21. Seating option : AISLE. Boomer's spot. He needs to stretch often. So I'm always in the middle.

22. It gives you the big picture : IMAX

26. Side : EDGE

27. Call for icing, maybe : SWELL UP

28. Author Binchy : MAEVE

29. Limo amenity : MINI BAR

31. Literally, "shady side" : YIN. So in winter, I eat adzuki bean soup (Yang). In summer, I have mung bean soup (Yin). I don't really see the differences, but I was told to do so from an early age.

32. Like two Beethoven piano sonatas : IN E

33. Groom on a 1952 Life cover : ABNER. Stumper.

34. B, in a sandwich : BACON

37. Bridget Riley's "Movement in Squares," e.g. : OP-ART

40. 23rd of 24 : PSI. Greek alphabet.

41. Gets more friendly, with "up" : WARMS

45. __ collar : ETON

49. Alley in comics : OOP

50. Soft shoe : MOC

51. Portends : BODES

52. Bush boss : REAGAN. Bush Sr. So sad his reputation is tainted now.

53. Singer DiFranco : ANI

54. Card game shout : UNO

55. "Trinity" novelist : URIS

56. "__ Not There": Zombies hit : SHE'S

58. Child with a sponsor, maybe : GODSON

60. Homer's "Northeaster," for one : SEASCAPE

62. Wall covers : PANELS

65. Quick quality : WIT

66. Italian noble family : ESTE

70. One of a program dozen : STEP. Now AA has branches in China. We also have 78. Lit : SOUSED
 
73. Big-eyed bird : OWL

75. "Tristram Shandy" author : STERNE

76. Bag by the barbecue : CHARCOAL. Also in my face wash.

 
81. Honey beverage : MEAD

82. "Hamilton" award : TONY

83. 97-Across output : RTE. And 97. See 83-Across : GPS

84. Holiday drink : NOG

85. Knockoff hr. : FIVE PM. Mine is often 4:00pm.

88. Glittery rock : GEODE

89. Logician's letters : QED

90. Granite St. campus : UNH. University of New Hampshire.

94. Town : BURG

95. Low choristers : BASSI
 
98. Golf bag set : IRONS

99. "Not a chance!" : MY EYE

100. Pie nut : PECAN. Do you have Sweetgreen in your area? We don't. They have so many nice & hearty salad bowl choices.

102. Kiss at the mall, briefly : PDA

103. Security briefing org. : CIA

104. Lunch with fish : TUNA SUB

107. Large crosses : ROODS

109. Head honcho, e.g. : MAGNATE

113. Finished : OVER

117. It's often stained : DECK. Oh hey, I fixed our deck hole last year at the guidance of D-Otto and TTP.

118. Language that gives us "kayak" : INUIT

119. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" author : AUEL

120. Old Eurasian rulers : TSARS

121. Wine adjective : OAKY

122. Ideal areas : EDENS

123. Letters before Q? : LGBT. LGBTQ.

124. Limited-choice, as a question : YES-NO. Big Easy, at The Orleans, the extremely slow internet connection is part of the "Resort fee". You can also pay an extra $10/day, then you can have faster connection, download speed up to 25 Mbps. I think TTP has the fastest download speed in our corner.

Down:

1. John follower : ACTS

2. Sticking point? : CRAW

3. Extra : MORE

4. Near the start : EARLY ON

5. Yalta Conference notable : STALIN

6. Informal pricing words : A POP

7. __ vivant : BON

8. High time : BOOM

9. __ de coeur: amorous relationship : AFFAIRE. Funny how we write "heart" so differently.

10. Forgo : WAIVE

11. Put on : HIRE

12. Musician's suffix : IST. Oh, like pianist.

13. Pipes and such : PLUMBING

14. Welcome : SEE IN

15. Former "Today" co-host : VIEIRA

16. Source of film trivia : IMDB

17. Complex story : SAGA

18. Lumberyard supplier : AXER. Gluey fill.

24. Staple __ : GUN

25. Doesn't hold back : VENTS

30. Ski resort refreshment? : NEW SNOW. Still plenty of snow on our ground. No more please!

33. It borders three oceans : ASIA

34. Mystify : BEMUSE

35. Does penance (for) : ATONES

37. Rex in the classics : OEDIPUS

38. It may be given with a bow : PRESENT

39. Saddlebag carrier : ASS

40. Radio tuning shortcut : PRESET. Our Chrysler van clock loses a few minutes every year, so weird.

43. Like many Bing Crosby records : MONO

44. Slant : SPIN

46. Sacred scroll : TORAH

47. Got hot online : TRENDED. I figure those bitcoin mining machines get hot all the time, since mining is a 24/7 job.

48. Joke : GAG

51. Florida NFLer : BUC

56. Words often about details : SPARE ME. Guilty of oversharing at times. Forgive me.

57. Yogi Bear co-creator : HANNA

59. CD part : DISC

61. Bastes, say : SEWS

63. Talking point? : LECTERN. Great clue.
 
64. Educates : SCHOOLS

68. Lures : TEMPTS

69. Straights and flushes : HANDS

71. Place to grab a bite : EATERY. Really miss those neighborhood dim sum places in Guangzhou. So affordable. So fresh.

72. Promise : PLEDGE

74. Randy Johnson and Aroldis Chapman : LEFTIES. Kids these days probably don't know Sandy Koufax. We also have 88. Nats pitcher González : GIO

77. Deli choice : RYE

78. Oscar __ : SNUB

79. O'Neill's daughter : OONA

80. Giuseppe's god : DIO. Italian for "god".

86. Wanderer : VAGABOND

87. 80%-Disney-owned channel : ESPN
 
92. Done with : RID OF

93. Slow and steady : GRADUAL. My speed.
 
94. Just barely, at the track : BY A NOSE

96. Animated : SPARKY

99. Powerful : MIGHTY

101. Adorable one : CUTIE. Do you have these sweet Cuties in your local grocery store?

102. "Dead __ Society": 1989 film : POETS

103. Half-__: coffee order : CAF

104. Stink : TO DO

105. Middle eye layer : UVEA

106. Part of the woods? : NECK. Neck of the woods.

107. Really mess up : RUIN

108. Hit hard : SLUG

109. Shed : MOLT

110. Start of a sad tale : ALAS

111. Bird related to the noddy : TERN. Unfamiliar with "noddy". Jet black.

112. Brand that's a homophone of its company's initials : ESSO. Standard Oil.

115. N.Y. neighbor : QUE

116. Where some pounds are spent: Abbr. : LEB. I thought Lebanese use lira.

I'm so glad that PK's grandson Aaron has bounced back and Agnes' brother Jack (a retired firefighter) is responding better to the new antibiotic. Also relieved that Santa's surgery went smoothly and he's stable. Thanks for the love and care you've shown to our blog regulars. This means a lot to me.

I've removed last Sunday's puzzle from the cloud. Just email me (crosswordc@gmail.com) if you still need the PDF file. Please don't blame Rich Norris. It's the paper's fault. Rich won't make mistakes like this.

C.C.

Tuesday, February 20, 2018 ~ John Lampkin

Theme: ?, ?, ?, ?, and ? - The five things a reporter should report.

17A. *"Never!": "WHEN PIGS FLY!"

37A. *"Not another problem!": "WHAT NOW?!"

58A. *"I don't need a second opinion!": "WHO ASKED YOU?!"

11D. *"Happenin' scene, man!": "WHERE IT'S AT!"

28D. *"Cool your heels!": "WHY THE RUSH?!"

46D. Journalism's traditional set of questions, obliquely addressed by the answers to starred clues: FIVE "W"s

Who? Argyle. When? Tuesday. What? A nifty puzzle. Where? On the Corner. Why? Because YellowRocks wanted a John Lampkin puzzle yesterday.

Across:

1. Hebrew scholar: RABBI. A teacher, sometimes; a scholar, always.

6. Borden spokescow: ELSIE

11. With 25-Across, "Scream" director: WES. 25-Across. See 11-Across: CRAVEN

14. Watery expanse: OCEAN

15. Double-check, as totals: RE ADD

16. Shakespearean prince or Broadway producer Prince: HAL. Prince Hal, later to be King Henry, in Henry IV, Part 1, is portrayed as an irresponsible, fun-loving youth, Prince of Wales. or, Harold Prince, his IMBd.

19. Incoming flight info: ETA

20. Flower parts: SEPALS. Ah! The petals trap.

21. Visit: SEE

22. Fedora feature: BRIM

23. Valley with wine cellars and sellers: NAPA

27. Rock gently: SWAY

29. "Is this a good move for me?": "SHOULD I?"

31. Folk singer Phil: OCHS

32. Steeped beverage: TEA

33. Become a pro at: MASTER

36. After "no," "Not possible!": WAY. (No way!)

39. State: SAY

40. Appetizer follower: ENTRÉE

42. That woman: HER

43. Tortoise racer: HARE

44. Carpenter's cordless cutter: HAND SAW

46. Temper tantrums: FITS

47. Tank type: SEPTIC. If you're a home owner, this might be the first tank you'd think of.

48. Mix: STIR

50. Jelly holders: JARS

51. Turf roll: SOD

53. Olympic segments: EVENTS. Timely.

57. Outback bird: EMU

60. Sit-up targets: ABs. Me? 63A. "Nope": "NAH"

61. Sporty Chevy: VETTE

62. Angler's danglers: WORMS

64. Portfolio part: ASSET

65. Snooty sorts: SNOBS

Down:

1. Lettered theater locations: ROWS

2. Post-workout soreness: ACHE. Me? 63A. "Nope": "NAH"

3. Warning toot: [BEEP!]

4. Fruit that grows in bunches: BANANAs

5. Like catchable foul balls: IN PLAY. Soon.

6. Physicist's work unit: ERG

7. Not so pricey: LESS

8. Seattle's __ Field: SAFECO. Since the Inaugural Game on July 15, 1999, Safeco Field has been the home of the Seattle Mariners.

9. Unsubstantiated bit of gossip: IDLE RUMOR

10. Ice cream maker Joseph: EDY

12. Enjoy home cooking: EAT IN. 32-Down. Things to "do" after you 12-Down: THE DISHES. Me? 63A. "Nope": "NAH"

13. Shut angrily: SLAM

18. Web access co.: ISP. (Internet Service Provider)

22. Brief briefs?: BVDs. Founded in 1876. Wikipedia

24. On the water: ASEA

26. "There oughta be __!": A LAW

27. Read quickly: SCAN

30. Yoga system: HATHA. Moi? 63A. "Nope": "NAH"

31. Be in debt: OWE

34. Glasses holders: EARS

35. Pumpernickel grain: RYE

37. Took one's turn: WENT

38. Latest buzz: NEWS

41. Knocks quickly: RAPS

43. Joined the staff: HIRED ON

45. Skedaddles: SCOOTS

47. Brazilian dance: SAMBA. Not a boot scootin' boogie(3:20)

49. "__War": Shatner novel: TEK

50. Novelist Auel: JEAN

52. Time stamp component: DATE

54. "Stoned Soul Picnic" songwriter Laura: NYRO

55. Archaeological site: TOMB

56. Figure (out): SUSS

58. Harpers Ferry st.: WVA. (West Virginia)

59. Jazz gig unit: SET

Time to scurry and scoot outta here.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Santa Argyle, who turned 73 today. If I recall correctly, Santa's first comment on our blog is "Ahem...."

Santa just wrote his 836 blog post for us this morning. He was a Marine, and he continues to protect us and this blog like a Marine. He never complained, even when he broke his ankle last summer. It was hard for him to walk from his bedroom to the computer desk to check on our blog.
  
Hard to believe that I've been talking with him nearly every day for nearly 10 years. Thanks for being here for me, Santa!

 

  Santa was a fifteen year old and a Freshman (1960)