Saturday, May 28th, 2016, Steven J. St. John

Theme: SJSJ

Words: 70 (missing J,Q,Z)

Blocks: 26

  This is my second SJSJ puzzle, the last one being back in Jan of '13.  Very similar grids, with a crossing spanner and climber, triple 10-letter corners in the across, but today we have triple 8's in the down.  I did not get my "ta-DA~!" because of one letter, and switching to red-letters revealed one other mistake - at the crossing of proper names, which was the only fun-sponge today.  The long answers:

35a. Dynamo's asset : BOUNDLESS ENERGY

8d. Brand with a Magicube : KODAK INSTAMATIC

ON(3-day weekend)WARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Instruments mentioned in the Beatles' "Back in the USSR" : BALALAIKAS - the line is at 2:12 of the clip; my Moscow girl did not get out to the USofA....and a semi-clecho at; 19a. USSR component : SOVIET

 

11. Arguably biased, briefly : UN-PC - I saw this "politically incorrect" sign going to get my power painter, and I had to drive back and snap a pic.  I wonder what they discussed....

15. Resolving : IRONING OUT - well, I hope they ironed out the trouble at Hartwood....

16. Nebula Award winner Frederik : POHL - filled via perps

17. Hanging aid : STUD FINDER - I can't keep one in my tool box or van, because I keep setting it off....oh, come on, that's funny.  At least C.C. appreciates it~!!

18. Gin flavoring : SLOE

20. Direction at sea : ALEE

22. "Cat __ Hot Tin Roof" : ON A

23. It can be added to a million but rarely to a thousand : AIRE - millionaire, thousandaire

24. Ham's transport? : ARK - oh, I thought I was so clever putting in RYE, too.  This is Noah's son, however, and I thought "EGG" was a good answer, as well

26. Woodworking tool : PLANER - don't have one, would like one - and a lathe, too. 

28. Adopt : USE - I tried "OWN"

29. Atheist activist Madalyn : O'HAIR - never heard of her, and my first proper name problem; her Wiki

31. Mil. squad leaders : S-SGTs

32. Phys ed teacher Leonard for whom a band was named : SKINNER - Lynyrd Skynyrd for those who did not know; I learned it from the VH-1 rockumentary.  I did not, however, remember how to spell his name, or the band's, for that matter....

34. Maximum : PEAK

39. Tolstoy title first name : ANNA

40. Be less critical of : LET UP ON

41. Narrow landforms : NECKS -there's lots of land forms called necks here on Long Island

43. Do doer : SALON - I pondered BRUSH

44. Baker's amt. : TSP

47. Hailing from Changwon, say : KOREAN - half perps and WAG

49. Hood et al.: Abbr. : MTs

50. Mascot Misha of the 1980 Olympics, e.g. : BEAR - более России (more Russian)

51. Madrid Mrs. : SRA

52. Groups for biologists : TAXA

54. Italian road : STRADA

56. Internet letters : HTTP

58. On tap : AT THE READY

60. Yet to be settled : OWED

61. Gives up : CRIES UNCLE - I had -----UNDER to start, slowed down the SE

62. Start of a tennis point : TOSS - dah~!  Not LOVE

63. One to follow : PACE SETTER

DOWN:

1. Half an African country, or its capital city : BISSAU

2. Half a beer? : ARTOIS - Stella being the other half

3. Where the Mona Lisa smiles : LOUVRE - le Frawnche musée

4. Bill's "Groundhog Day" co-star : ANDIE - Murray & MacDowell

5. "That's __" : LIFE

6. Subject of the 2013 documentary subtitled "Speaking Truth to Power" : ANITA HILL - the other proper name that got me

7. Slot in a car: Abbr. : IGNition - took too long to figure out

9. Writer of really old stories? : AUEL - did not know her; I do recall the title "Clan of the Cave Bear".  I just read The Golden Compass, and now I am on to book II; side note, two stars from the movie also appeared in Casino Royale

10. Throat trouble : STREP

11. Increases : UPs -OK, I shall up this week's leg picture, by request, to a non-skinny, "gams with meat" girl

Charlotte~!

12. Not anymore : NO LONGER

13. Frustrating sequence : PHONE TAG

14. Blue forecast : CLEAR SKY

21. "The Big Easy" of golf : ELS - good WAG

25. Eastern royals : RANEES

27. Winter X Games host : ASPEN - I was not sure if this was the "X" games, or the tenth Olympic games - which, as I looked later, were held in Grenoble, France, 1968

29. Approved : OK'D - OKed, IDed/ID'd, I sometimes wonder which one is "OK"

30. Outcome : RESULT

32. Charmer's target : SNAKE - snake charmer

33. Take back : REPOSSESS

35. Strategy involving a cushion : BANK SHOT - ah, billiard table cushions

36. Less than a few : ONE OR TWO

37. Opens at the warehouse : UNCRATES

38. Confrontational start : NON - non-confrontational

42. Met : SAT

44. Legislation opposed by the Sons of Liberty : TEA ACT

45. Burden : SADDLE - I got "saddled" with sorting this week at UPS, so that a trainee could work my assignment; I think he should have been trained before this holiday week.  I am just glad to have reached my first three-day weekend of the year - but now we're into Cidiot Season....

46. Slight chance : PRAYER

48. Org. founded on the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth : NAACP - seems fitting

50. Sportscaster Musburger : BRENT

53. More, in ads : X-TRA

55. In alignment : TRUE - gotta keep my studs level and true - the bathroom project progresses, and yesterday I began the process of moving in to my new space~!

57. APB senders : PDs - All Points Bulletin, and Police Departments

59. Half a bray : HEE - did you try the other half, HAW~??

Splynter

Sunday May 29, 2011 Matt Skoczen

Theme: For the Record - Each two-word phrase start with L & P.

27A. George Bush in late 1992, say : LAME-DUCK PRESIDENT. Bush Sr.

43A. Delivery lead-in : LABOR PAINS

72A. Make-believe intro : LET'S PRETEND. I like this answer.

97A. Heads-up discovery : LUCKY PENNY

118A. Danube School artists : LANDSCAPE PAINTERS

16D. Edward Lear output : LIMERICK POETRY. Carol is our queen of limerick.

52D. Kaufman play based on the Matthew Shepard incident, with "The" : LARAMIE PROJECT. Not familiar with the book. The story happens in Laramie, WY.

Lake Poets, Launch Pad, what other L* P * phrases can you think of?

Simple theme. Easier to find phrases that spell out two letters than three letters. Still a daunting task to ferret out sparkly entries with matchable letter count. The whole grid feels very smooth to me.

Across:

1. Modern letters : E-MAILS

7. Surprise at the end : TWIST. Do you like "The Crying Game"?

12. Hot air : GAS. Empty talk.

15. Sight from Salzburg : ALPS. Salzburge is the setting of "The Sound of Music".

19. Trumpet relative : CORNET

20. Bandleader Shaw : ARTIE

21. Job: Abbr. : OCC. OK, occupation.

22. Dismiss : FIRE

23. Even (with) : ON A PAR

24. Composer Saint-__ : SAENS. French composer.

25. Like some bandits : ONE-ARMED. This refers to the slot machines, correct?

30. Green gp. : EPA

31. Persian Gulf prince : EMIR

32. Unruly crowds : MOBS

33. In-flight no. : ALT

34. Rip into : TEAR AT

36. Oaxaca "Of course!" : SI, SI

37. "It Ain't All About the Cookin'" memoirist Deen : PAULA. She doesn't like Tofu, Jayce!

40. Cut off : LOP

42. Houston school : RICE

47. Bolts again : RE-LOCKS

50. Animation frame : CEL

53. Wine bottle word : CRU. Grand Cru.

54. Requiem Mass hymn word : IRAE. "Dies Irae".

55. Nook download : E-BOOK

56. 60 minuti : ORA (Hour). 60 minutes.

57. Souped-up wheels : HOT ROD

60. "Psst!" : HEY YOU

62. How a player may turn : PRO

65. "Have __!" : MERCY

67. Missed __ : A CUE

69. It's charged : ION. True.

70. Either 2007 Best Director : COEN. The Coen Brothers. For "No Country for Old Men".

71. H.S. freshmen may take it : PSAT

76. Webster's entries: Abbr. : DEFs (Definitions)

77. Twenty somethings? : ATMs. The clue confuses me grammatically.

78. Poet's preposition : ERE

79. Prehistorical author Jean : AUEL

80. "Understand?" : GET IT?

81. Who, in Quebec : QUI

82. "Soap" actor Robert : MANDAN. Stranger to me.

85. Phone button : REDIAL

88. Code carrier : RNA. Genetic code.

89. Take away : ERASE

91. Noggin : DOME. Slang for head.

93. "Ciao!" : BYE

94. "__ Blues": Beatles "White Album" song : YER. I've never heard of the song.

95. Facets : ASPECTS

101. Field shield : TARP

102. Numerical prefix : TRI

104. He replaced Gumbel on "Today" : LAUER (Matt)

105. Old U.S. gas : ESSO

109. Soldiers : TROOPS

112. Baby docs : OBs

114. Hi's spouse, in comics : LOIS. "Hi and Lois".

116. At what point : WHEN

117. Old rule in India : RAJ

123. Pub : ALEHOUSE

125. Worst or best conclusion? : OF ALL

126. Like olde England : MERRIE

127. Winans of gospel : CECE

128. Former Giants closer Robb __ : NEN

129. __ Islands: autonomous Danish province : FAROE. No idea. See this map. Quite a way from Denmark.

130. Eye slyly : PEEP AT

131. French bean? : TETE. Head again.

132. One may have several scenes : ACT

133. Some grenades, briefly : FRAGs

134. Lifts : STEALS

Down:

1. Places to study anglais, perhaps : ECOLEs. French for "school".

2. Endearing words from Étienne : MON AMI. "My friend". Splynter probably wants something different. Mon cheri, maybe, from a girl.

3. Friend of Athos : ARAMIS

4. At risk : IN PERIL

5. Heavy metal : LEAD

6. Pick alternative : STRUM

7. Launches may originate from one : TASKBAR. Computer.

8. Concludes : WRAPS UP

9. Roman road of yore : ITER

10. Trig ratio : SINE

11. "Veronica Mars" actress Thompson : TESSA. Who?

12. Treating nicely : GOOD TO

13. Proactiv target : ACNE. Proactiv is quite good.

14. Essence : SCENT

15. Liberia's cont. : AFR

17. Assortment for sale as a unit : PRE-PACK

18. Gets ready for surgery : SEDATES. Glad Bob is fine, JD.

26. Dined : ATE

28. Quit (on) : COP OUT

29. "Maybe" : I'LL SEE

35. Back for a buck? : AROO. Buckaroo.

38. Home in bed, perhaps : LAID UP

39. Word with ball or guitar : AIR

41. Exploit : PREY ON

44. Sore : ACHY

45. Monastic title: Abbr. : BRO

46. "Uh-uh" : NAH

48. WWII issue : E BOND

49. Actor __ Diamond Phillips : LOU

50. 2002 Hewlett-Packard acquisition : COMPAQ. Pushed by Carly Fiorina.

51. Title words repeated after "Como una promesa," in a 1974 song : ERES TU. Sounds familiar?

58. Gave two stars, say : RATED

59. It produces lieuts. : OCS. Officer Candidates School.

61. Return : YIELD

63. Purify : REFINE

64. GM tracking system : ON STAR

66. Dol. parts : CTs

68. Generation : ERA

70. B-F span : CDE. Alphabet.

72. Not under, with "at" : LEAST

73. One of the Gallos : ERNEST. The wine brothers. Ernest Gallo & Julio Gallo, a la Wiki.

74. "Aha!" : EUREKA

75. Casual shirt : TEE

80. Secluded valley : GLEN

82. Big __ : MAC

83. They're extemporaneous : AD LIBS

84. __-TURN : NO-U

86. Spanish airline : IBERIA. Easy guess.

87. Author Rand : AYN

90. Bank seizure, for short : REPO

92. 12th-century date : MCL. 1,150.

95. Engage : ATTRACT

96. Hillshire Farm parent company : SARA LEE. Hillshire Farm is their meat brand.

98. Holiday warmer : YULE LOG. Hi there Santa!

99. Community inhabitants : PEOPLEs

100. Longbow wood source : YEW TREE. New trivia to me.

103. Porcupine, e.g. : RODENT

106. Himalayan leader : SHERPA

107. Soap, e.g. : SERIAL. Soap opera.

108. Starts : ONSETS

110. Mideast org. since 1964 : PLO

111. Gym plus : SAUNA

113. Sneer (at) : SCOFF

115. Ninnies : SIMPs

119. Tiny amt. of time : NSEC. Nanosecond.

120. At a distance : AFAR

121. Chute opener? : PARA. Parachute.

122. Old Nair rival : NEET

124. Bit of a laugh : HEE

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday, Jun 29th, 2013, Mark Bickham

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing C,F,Q,W)

Blocks: 30

   Mark's "hair styles" puzzle appeared on Sunday, June 2nd, so he has "bookends" for the month~!  Again, we have a non-intimidating grid, with the long answers inside the edges - seems to be a new trend in Saturday puzzles....although we do have triple stacks of 2-9's and a 10-letter word top and bottom.  Some of the notables;

19. Powerful military tactic : BLITZKRIEG - "Lightning War"

53. Clownfish host : SEA ANEMONE - Can you "find" Nemo~?

32. "Halo: Reach" and "Kinect Adventures!" notably : X-BOX GAMES

 

26. High point in 1980 news : Mt. St. HELENS - Great fill, with 5 consonants to start

O+N+W+A+R+D = 75

ACROSS:

1. "Dad Is Fat" author/comedian Gaffigan : JIM - One of my favorite comedians, he's also acted in Law & Order, too

4. Wipe away __ : A TEAR - ugh, an "A" word

9. More popular song, usually : SIDE A - ugh, ANOTHER "A" word

14. Not getting by the censors : UNAIRABLE

16. How some errors are shown : IN RED

17. Tough taskmasters : MARTINETS - this filled in mostly via perps, and so I had to look it up; essentially, that's the definition - one who is a strict disciplinarian, especially military

18. Panache : STYLE

21. Basic Latin verb : ESSE - "to be"

22. Big cheer : OLÉ

23. Giant Giant : OTT - Crossword Baseball standard

24. Greenstreet co-star in "The Verdict" (1946) : LORRE - not the Paul Newman version

26. Letters above WXYZ : MNO - I semi-cheated, and looked at my house phone to save time

27. Team Frisbee game : ULTIMATE - I prefer Frisbee Golf to this game

30. Place cheek by jowl : JUXTAPOSE - I love this word

34. Pocket protector? : MISER - I was thinking "GUARD", as in the QB pocket in football, but in this case, it's a metaphor for money

35. Altar attire : ALBS - ah, not GOWN

36. Dog seen with Kvack the duck : SNERT - Hagar the Horrible, in comic strips

38. Signs of affection : X O X O - hugs and kisses in letters and cards

39. Bad marks : BLOTS

41. Some auditors : I.R.S. AGENTS

43. Tuba relatives : SAX HORNS

45. '60s pop group __ Bravos : LOS

46. Eponymous California museum founder : GETTY

47. Brighton beer, briefly : BEV - all perps; thought it was "IPA" at first

48. Mo. in which Caesar was born : JUL - this is odd; he is credited with reform of the calendar, which prior to JULIUS Caesar, did not contain JULY and AUGUST; so how could he be born in July?

51. Caspian feeder : URAL - map, at the top

56. Staycation locales : HOMES - "Stay-at-home" vacations becomes "staycations" - My Aunt and Cousin are here from England; we went to my brother's house for a BBQ last night, and tonight we are having a bonfire.  Here's the pic I took of them; Ann, Brother Kev, Mom, and Carole

58. Kakadu National Park site : AUSTRALIA - map, at the top

59. Admits customers : OPENS

60. What many tests measure : RETENTION

61. "The Glass Bead Game" author : HESSE

62. Places for runners : SLEDS - ah, not LANES

63. Couple in "Annie" : ENs - did not fool me;  a-N-N-i-e

DOWN:

1. Egg size : JUMBO - My queen size Sleep Number bed came Wednesday; in the store, I 'selected' 45 as my number - now I am experimenting at home

2. Collectively : IN ALL

3. Women's magazine __ Claire : MARIE

4. Cardinals' home : ARIZONA - Baseball for C.C.  - OOPS~! This is the football team~! (Splynter)

5. Warm-weather wear : TANK TOPS - today we will go with one for the guys, and one for the gals

6. "I would rather eat a golf ball than see this movie again" writer : EBERT - we just had his B-day puzzle~!

7. Voices in il coro : ALTI

8. Property flippers, e.g. : RESELLERS

9. Family gal : SIS

10. Blends : INTERMIXES

11. When many grazing animals migrate : DRY SEASON

12. Fish without pelvic fins : EELS

13. Chick follower? : ADEE - chickadee

15. Morticia's cousin : ITT - Love the theme - earworm~!

20. Nabbed : GOT

25. Glass part : RIM - ah, not CUP

27. Mouse movers : USERS

28. Droid message : TEXT

29. "__ Turannos": E.A. Robinson poem about a complex marriage : EROS

30. Ring tactics : JABS

31. "The Producers" bombshell : ULLA

33. No spring chicken : ON IN YEARS

37. Bearing gifts? : TALENTED

40. One on a liquid diet? : SOT

42. Controls : GOVERNS

44. Some NFL linemen : RTs - Right Tackles

47. Vigorously denounce : BASTE

48. Voight's actress daughter : JOLIE - Took me a moment to recall that Angelina is Jon's daughter

49. Strike caller : UNION - Today is my 3-year anniversary working at the UPS terminal - no strikes in my future; UPS seemed WAY too happy to give us what we asked for in the new contract; I expect to be full-time by the end of August, and not as a driver - I passed the test, but passed on the position; my Home Inspection license arrived the day that Mark's last puzzle was posted.

50. Lists in a regatta : LEANS - List is the nautical term for not being on an even keel

51. "Oops!" : UH-OH

52. Sheet in a regatta : ROPE - more nautical terminology

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

55. Framing item : MAT - I thought CEL first; this is this

57. Compass dir. : SSE

Splynter  - Hey, I'm down to 193lbs from sweating at UPS~! (C.C.: Way to go! Meet Me in St. Louis for 4D!)

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Barry G, whose posts I look forward to every morning. Barry's comments are consistently constructive. I value very much WBS (What Barry Said/Says).