Thursday, April 12 2018 Bruce Haight

Theme: Hard Ates. I'm in Las Vegas, so "ates the hard way" was little craps-inspiration. Except there's no such thing. Sometimes when the reveal is so slick naming the theme becomes a challenge. Which I failed. Moving on:

17A. Carnivores: MEAT EATERS. That's me.

24A. Appliance needed for a hot bath: WATER HEATER

38. Latvia and Lithuania, once: SATELLITE STATES. Satellite states of the old Soviet Union.

47A. 2015 NFL controversy involving air pressure: DEFLATEGATE The Watergate cover-up has a lot to answer for, but at least you know that the latest "gate" is a controversy. The equipment manager for the New England Patriots was accused of letting air out of the match balls that QB Tom Brady would throw that game.

58A. It consists of a couple of couples ... and, when divided differently, a hint to something hidden in 17-, 24-, 38- and 47-Across: DOUBLE DATE. When divided differently, we get "DOUBLED ATE" for the very neat reveal.

I think this is a great puzzle from Bruce. The theme entries are snappy and the reveal is genuinely clever. Even with the quite heavy themage, Bruce still finds a way to add eight- and ten-letter entries in the downs.

We bloggers were discussing the quality of the fill in the LA Times, which C.C. describes as "gluey" on occasion, a polite term for "not very good". There's very little glue in the fill today, this is a high-quality puzzle.

Let's see what jumps out:

Across: 

1. Jay-Z output: RAP CD

6. Reach great heights: SOAR

10. Attempt: STAB

14. White house?: IGLOO. Nice clue!

15. Fair: EXPO

16. Bear in the heavens: URSA. Two sizes of bear up there. Bear Major and Bear Minor. Sounds like two brothers at private school (or public school in the UK, which is the very opposite of what you would think it means).

19. Invite abbr.: BYOB. Bring your own B(ottle) or B(ooze). I'm not sure I'd be terribly impressed if I received an invitation that actually told me to bring a bottle. BYOB restaurants are great, you can take a great bottle of wine and not get held hostage by the wine list prices.

20. Job application fig.: S.S.N. Do you put your Social Security Number on a job application? I'm not sure this is a thing.

21. Hang around: STAY

22. "National Velvet" sister: EDWINA. Solid crosses filled this in for me. I saw the movie starring Elizabeth Taylor many moons ago.

26. Got the ball rolling?: PUTTED

30. Smooth-talking: OILY

31. "60 Minutes" regular: STAHL. Moderator Lesley.

32. Improvised jazz part: VAMP

34. Element Prometheus stole from Olympus: FIRE. Didn't go well, I seem to recall.

41. Harbinger of spring: THAW

42. "Beetle Bailey" dog: OTTO

43. 1990s-2000s skating champ Slutskaya: IRINA. I always try IRENA first and have to correct it when the cross doesn't work.

44. Davenport's place: IOWA

46. 1974 hit with Spanish lyrics: ERES TU. "It's you". Great 70's video, lots of camera-staring and men with questionable facial hair. I don't recognize the song, I have to confess.

52. Italy's __ Coast: AMALFI. This has been a regular reference recently, it seems.

53. Like arf and meow: ORAL. Fiendish clue. Very nice.

54. Hallucinogenic letters: LSD. Lysergic acid diethylamide

57. "Pleeease?": CAN I?

61. Writer Shere: HITE. Writer on feminism and women's sexuality.

62. Avant-garde: EDGY

63. Font flourish: SERIF. The default font on the blog is a "serif'ed" one.

64. "Regrettably ... ": ALAS

65. Grasps: SEES

66. Like horror films: SCARY

Down: 

1. What "nothin' but net" shots don't touch: RIMS. No clanging on the basketball hoop. Just a swish as the ball goes through.

2. Periods: AGES
.
3. Not leave things to chance: PLAN

4. Foldable bed: COT

5. Succeeds: DOES WELL

6. Tuned to: SET AT

7. Daisy variety: OX-EYE. Pretty things.

8. Car ad abbr.: APR. Interest rate on the loan. You pay cash, no loan, no APR.

9. Botanical source of vitamin C: ROSE HIPS.

10. Commuter's cost: SUBWAY FARE. Could also be the picnic you eat on a long commute on the subway.

11. "Have a taste": TRY IT!

12. In harmony: AS ONE

13. Kiddie lit elephant: BABAR. The perfect gentleman, always doffed his hat to a lady. Which prompts a question - can you doff anything other than your hat? If you can't, the "his hat" part of the phrase is redundant, you should just "doff". If you can doff other stuff, what does doffing your shoe look like? We should be told.

18. Somewhat: A TAD

23. __ Taco: DEL. Not your first choice of venue for taco dining in Los Angeles

25. Lover of Shakespeare?: ROMEO. Nice cluing.

26. Sibilant "Yo!": PSST!

27. Its motto is "Industry": UTAH. Thanks, crosses.

28. "Cheerio!": TA-TA!

29. Jittery condition: THE WILLIES. Loved this one.

32. Curriculum __: résumé: VITAE. CV is the term in the UK and elsewhere for your job history.

33. Brief writer, briefly: ATT. Attorney. Took me a while to see this one.

35. Words before and after "what": IT IS

36. Dollars for quarters: RENT

37. Biblical twin: ESAU

39. Good times for beachcombing: LOW TIDES

40. Indefatigable: TIRELESS

45. Lummox: OAF

46. Lat. shortener: ET AL. Et alia if you want to be long-winded about it.

47. Russian country house: DACHA

48. Online message: EMAIL

49. Crush rival: FANTA. Fizzy fruit-flavored drinks. Fanta is most often associated with the orange version, but there are more than 100 flavors worldwide.
.
50. Overcharge but good: GOUGE

51. Chain known for roast beef: ARBY'S. "We Have The Meats"

54. Actress __ Flynn Boyle: LARA. Best known for her role in Twin Peaks, she appeared in all the episodes.

55. Show signs of life: STIR. I wasn't sure I'd be showing signs of life this morning. I'm at a convention in Las Vegas and last night was the industry association party at a nightclub. With an open bar. I actually felt rather jaunty.

56. Stand up to: DEFY

59. Laudatory poem: ODE

60. Usual Hanukkah mo.: DEC.

I think that does it for me today. Just need to add the grid and I'm done!

Steve

Wednesday, January 11, 2023 Tom Pepper and C. C. Burnikel

 Theme: Bad Beginnings.  Two-word in-the-language phrases are given new meanings by adding the prefix MAL- to the first word.  This prefix ordinarily indicates a bad or evil version of the root word, but here it results in a totally new, unrelated word.  Very clever, and I don't know how Tom and C. C. were able to find them.

17 A. Soft feathers on a croquet implement?: MALLET DOWN.   This is a silly image, so - right up my ally.  Maybe wielded by an iron fist in a velvet glove?  A LET DOWN is a disappointment.  None here, though.

30 A. Negotiations over the ingredients of a milkshake?: MALTED TALKS.  The silliness continues.  Here is a recipe to TALK about.  I got a 100 point glucose spike just looking at the nutrition facts. "TALKS" often refers to serious negotiation over treaties or arms limitation  A TED TALK is a recorded public-speaking presentation that was originally given at the main TED (technology, entertainment and design) annual event or one of its many satellite events around the world. TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks, often called "TED talks."

47. Place to park one's spiteful feelings?: MALICE SHELF.  Are you on silliness overload yet?  I'm enjoying it.  Malice is ill will or the intention or desire to do evil.  A bit abstract to be stored anywhere other than the depth of your psyche.  An ICE SHELF is a floating sheet of ice permanently attached to a landmass.  Until it collapses, that is.  This is not good.   You can learn more here.

64. Karl's years with the Utah Jazz?: MALONE TIME.  Karl Anthony Malone [b. 1963] is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mailman", he is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history.  He spent his first 18 seasons (1985–2003) in the NBA with the Utah Jazz.  He was a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 14-time NBA All-Star, and an 11-time member of the All-NBA first team.  Malone Time was a good time. ONE TIME can refer to some one or some thing from the past, or it can relate to a single, unique occurrence or event.

Hi, Gang - JazzBumpa here to assure we don't have a bad beginning, middle or end.  Let's dive into today's puzzle and see what we can find.

.Across:

1. Bit of pond growth: ALGA.   A simple, nonflowering, and typically aquatic plant of a large group that includes the seaweeds and many single-celled forms. Algae contain chlorophyll but lack true stems, roots, leaves, and vascular tissue.

5. Snatches: GRABS.   Grasps or seizes suddenly and roughly.

10. Map out: PLAN.   As indicated, plan out the details of program or course of action.

14. Earsplitting: LOUD.  Extremely loud.

15. Anti-harassment movement: ME TOO.   A global social movement that seeks to expose and prevent sexual harassment and assault, especially against women, by raising awareness and holding perpetrators to account publicly.

16. Perfect gradually: HONE.   By analogy to sharpening a knife.

19. Billions of years: EONS.  Indefinite and very long periods of time.

20. Stick on: AFFIX.  Stick, attach, or fasten (something) to something else.

21. Bow (out): OPT.   Make a choice from a range of possibilities.   One could also opt in.

22. Judi Dench and Helen Mirren, for two: DAMES.   DAME is an honorific title and the feminine form of address.  Originally this was the female equivalent of knighthood, but now is extended to recognize accomplishment in other endeavors.  The two mentioned DAMES are film actresses.

23. Emeril catchword: BAM.   

25. "No thanks": I PASS.  I'll opt out of whatever this is.

27. Proverb: SAW.   An old saying, often repeated; maxim; proverb.

35. CBS forensic franchise: CSI.   Crime Scene Investigation.

36. Animated film about a bird from Brazil: RIO.  

37. Some unauthorized creations: FAN ART.   Artwork created unofficially by fans of a book, film, etc., and based on that work.

38. All the __: RAGE.    Very popular at a particular place and time.

40. Font flourish: SERIF.   A slight projection finishing off a stroke of a letter in certain typefaces.

42. Rascal Flatts, e.g.: TRIO.   Rascal Flatts was an American country music band founded in 1999. The band members were Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. DeMarcus is LeVox's second cousin, a brother-in-law of country music singer James Otto, and a former member of the contemporary Christian music duo East to West. 

43. Casting director?: ANGLER.   Nice misdirection here.   Casting is the act of the angler throwing the bait and hook (or a lure) out over the water, typically by slinging a fishing line manipulated by a long, elastic fishing rod.   Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook or "angle" attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. 

45. "Shea Butter Baby" singer-songwriter Lennox: ARI.   Courtney Shanade Salter [b. 1991] known professionally as Ari Lennox, is an American R&B singer from Washington, D.C.  She is the first female artist to be signed to J. Cole's record label, Dreamville Records. 

46. Day-__ paint: GLO.   The Day-Glo Color Corp. (also styled as DayGlo) is a privately held American paint and pigments manufacturer based in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1946 by brothers Joseph and Robert Switzer and is currently owned by RPM International. It specializes in fluorescent paint and pigments, such as those used in safety applications, artwork and signage. It invented black-light fluorescent and daylight fluorescent paints and nondestructive testing methods using fluorescent dyes.

50. Bracket shape: ELL.  Same shape as the letter "L".

51. Drop out of the conversation?: ELIDE.   Omit (a sound or syllable) when speaking.  Misleading clue.

52. Stately tree: ELM.   A tall deciduous tree that typically has rough serrated leaves and propagates from root suckers.

54. Herb piece: SPRIG.   A small stem bearing leaves or flowers, taken from a bush or plant.

56. SoFi Stadium NFL player: RAM.   Member of the L.A. Rams professional football team.  They were the victims of horrendous officiating on Sunday that gave a playoff spot to the Seahawks.  If they had lost or tied, that spot wold have gone to the Lions.  Wait until next year.

59. Psyched: EAGER.  Slang term for being highly enthusiastic about some activity.

63. Landing spot for a cannonball: POOL.   A cannonball is a diving style where the diver hugs their knees and attempts to enter the water with their body shaped as much like a sphere as possible. The goal is to create a large splash.

66. Unflappable: COOL.   Calm and composed, especially in a potentially tense situation.

67. Honeycrisp, for one: APPLE.   The round fruit of a tree of the rose family, which typically has thin red or green skin and crisp flesh. Many varieties have been developed as dessert or cooking fruit or for making cider.

68. Video snippet: CLIP.    Video clips are short sections of video, usually parts of a longer recording. The term is also more loosely used to mean any short video less than the length of a traditional television program.

69. Private employer?: ARMY.  Also a Major employer and a General employer. 

70. Sauce for gnocchi: PESTO.   Pesto is a sauce that traditionally consists of crushed garlic, European pine nuts, coarse salt, basil leaves, and hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano.

71. Sandogasa, beanie, etc.: HATS.  Various head coverings, some rather obscure..

Down:

1. __ mater: ALMA.  Literally, "nourishing mother;" an allegorical Latin phrase used to identify a school, college or university that one formerly attended or/and graduated from.

2. Be a couch potato: LOAF.  Be lazy.

3. View from Florida's west coast: GULF.   A large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodies of salt water that are enclosed by the coastline.

4. Embrace spontaneity, in a way: AD LIB.   In music and other performing arts, the phrase ad libitum, often shortened to "ad lib" or "ad-lib", refers to various forms of improvisation. 

5. Clock-setting std.: GMT.   Greenwich Mean Time is the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, counted from midnight. 

6. Give the decor a face-lift: RE-DO.   Redecorate.

7. Resting on: ATOP.   On the top of.

8. Neckwear worn by Matt Smith on "Doctor Who": BOW TIE.   The bow tie is a type of necktie. A modern bow tie is tied using a common shoelace knot, which is also called the bow knot for that reason. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar of a shirt in a symmetrical manner so that the two opposite ends form loops.

She forgot the shirt

9. Male offspring: SON.   A boy or man in relation to either or both of his parents.

10. Ring-necked state bird of South Dakota: PHEASANT.   Birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasia. 

Wikipedia

11. Has tremendous influence: LOOMS LARGE.    Becomes or seems highly important and often causes worry.

12. Baby photographer Geddes: ANNE.   Anne Elizabeth Geddes [b 1956] MNZM [New Zealand Order of Merit] is an Australian-born, New York City-based portrait photographer known primarily for her elaborately-staged photographs of infants. Geddes's books have been published in 83 countries. 

13. Loch in tabloid photos: NESS.   Home of the Monster.

18. Final, e.g.: EXAM.   A test given to students at the end of a course of study or training.

22. Spreadsheet contents: DATA.  Facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis.

24. Color akin to brick: MARS RED.   A Fine Arts red pigment used in painting, artificially made from an iron oxide base and characterized by strong film-forming properties and permanence. 

26. Common email attachment: PDF FILE.   Portable Document Format - a file format that provides an electronic image of text or text and graphics that looks like a printed document and can be viewed, printed, and electronically transmitted.

27. "Buzz off!": SCRAM.   Go away.

28. Yoga position: ASANA.   An asana is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose, and later extended in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise, to any type of position, adding reclining, standing, inverted, twisting, and balancing poses.

29. Leeway in a negotiation, say: WIGGLE ROOM.   Capacity or scope for negotiation or operation, especially in order to modify a previous statement or decision.

31. Falsehood: LIE.   Dishonest statement intended to mislead.

32. Text at a bat mitzvah: TORAH.   The compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

33. Whale food: KRILL.   Small crustaceans of the order Euphausiacea, found in all the world's oceans. The name "krill" comes from the Norwegian word krill, meaning "small fry of fish", 

34. Seat at the bar: STOOL.   A seat usually without back or arms supported by three or four legs or by a central pedestal. 

39. Prozac maker: ELI LILLY.   Eli Lilly and Company is an American pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, with offices in 18 countries. Its products are sold in approximately 125 countries. The company was founded in 1876 by, and named after, Colonel Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical chemist and veteran of the American Civil War. 

41. Ring of Kerry's isl.: IRE.   Ireland.  The Ring of Kerry is a scenic drive around the Iveragh Peninsula in southwest Ireland’s County Kerry. Its 179 km-long, circular route takes in rugged and verdant coastal landscapes and rural seaside villages. 

44. Vaping device: E-CIG.   E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine—the addictive drug in regular cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products—flavorings, and other chemicals that help to make the aerosol. Users inhale this aerosol into their lungs. Bystanders can also breathe in this aerosol when the user exhales into the air.

48. Brightly colored wrap: SERAPE.   A long blanket-like shawl/cloak, often brightly colored and fringed at the ends, worn in Mexico, especially by men. 

49. Escape in a hurry: FLEE.  Scram.

53. Stick in a book: MATCH.   A short, thin piece of wood or cardboard used to light a fire, being tipped with a composition that ignites when rubbed against a rough surface.

54. Animal rescue org.: SPCA.   Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

55. Not great: POOR.   Worse than is usual, expected, or desirable; of a low or inferior standard or quality.

57. Austrian peaks: ALPS.   The Alps are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe,[b][2] stretching approximately 1,200 km (750 mi) across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia.

58. Lose feathers: MOLT.   The process of an animal to shed old feathers, hair, or skin, or an old shell, to make way for a new growth.

60. __ monster: GILA.   A species of venomous lizard native to the Southwestern United States and the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. It is a heavy, typically slow-moving reptile, up to 56 centimetres long, and it is the only venomous lizard native to the United States.

61. Give off: EMIT.   Produce and discharge something, especially gas or radiation.

62. Counts at a gym: REPS.  Repetitions of an exercise or action. 

64. Diagram at a visitor center: MAP.  Floor plan of the building.

65. Opposite of paleo-: NEO.    A new and different form of something that existed in the past, such as a theory, style, language, or philosophy.

There goes another Wednesday.  Hope you enjoyed it from the beginning to the ending.

Cool regards!

JzB

Sunday January 24, 2010 Gail Grabowski

Theme: Gross Word - Letter C in common phrases is changed into letter G.

27A. Tammany Hall expo?: GRAFT FAIR. Craft Fair. Wikipedia says Tammany Hall served as "an engine for graft and political corruption". And the term "Tammany Hall" is now used to refer to a corrupt system of buying or controlling votes.

29A. Result of a run?: STOCKING GAP. Stocking Cap. A bit of clear nail polish can fix the stocking run.

52A. Glutton for fuzzy fruit?: PEACH GOBBLER. Peach Cobbler. Sweet! My favorite theme entry today.

79A. Low-priced drink holder?: ECONOMY GLASS. Economy Class.

105A. Mr. Clean?: GRIME SOLVER. Crime Solver.

109A. Telemarketing at dinnertime?: PHONE GALL. Phone Call. Gall indeed.

37D. Award for the best flop?: GOLD TURKEY. Cold Turkey. Flop = Turkey. Fun answer.

42D. Kid in a ditch?: TRENCH GOAT. Trench Coat. Kid = young goat. Thought of Windhover and his kidding/lambing.

Normally I love the theme titles on Sunday puzzles. Always clever, succinct and to the point. Not today though. I was expecting real "gross" words embedded in each theme entry. The "Gross Word" & "Crossword" play somehow does not work for me.

The theme concept itself is marvelous. All the original base phrases are common and solid. Sometimes an unfamiliar idiom or slang can stump a non-native speaker in understanding and the subsequent appreciating of the rationale/cleverness of the newly formed theme phrase.

There's always a simple & quiet elegance with Gail's puzzles. They seldom intimidate me (I nailed most of her tricky wordplay today) and I often feel fully engaged. Sometimes I zone out halfway on Sunday puzzles. Had to peek at the answer sheet for a few person's names.

Across:

1. Junk, e.g.: BOAT. Did not fall into the MAIL trap.

5. Lawrence's men: ARABS. "Lawrence of Arabia".

10. Adapter letters: AC/DC

14. Sired: BEGOT

19. High style: UPDO. High hair style.

20. Principle: TENET

21. Stadium replaced by Citi Field: SHEA. The old Mets' stadium. Replaced in 2009.

22. Brand on a range: AMANA

23. Hard to fathom: DEEP

24. Monthly reading for some: METER. Utility meter.

25. Markers: IOUS. New meaning of "markers" to me.

26. Railroad car: DINER

31. Before now: EARLIER

32. Cultivate: RAISE. And GREW (105D. Cultivated). I am very into clue weaving.

33. Talk about salvation, e.g.: Abbr.: SER (Sermon)

36. Wealthy widow: DOWAGER. Someone please count the total alliteration in this puzzle.

40. Childish retort: AM TOO

43. Single-minded sort: NERD

44. Excuse that's often exaggerated: SOB STORY. Got me.

45. Mystery writer Nevada: BARR. Sure a mystery to me. Have never heard of this writer. She was born in Nevada.

46. "Quit fidgeting!": BE STILL

49. Gp. that supports malpractice damage award limits: AMA. So do I.

50. Sculptor Nadelman: ELIE. Nope. Another mystery figure to me. Elie is Hebrew for "high".

51. Thing to grind: AXE. An axe to grind.

55. Inferior cookware: TIN POTS

57. Day-care charges: TOTS. My sister-in-law owns a Day-care center.

58. Put in stacks, say: SORT. So simple in retrospect.

61. Dais VIP: EMCEE

62. 2009 A.L. MVP Joe Mauer, e.g.: TWIN. Hmm, this is for KQ and me. Thanks, Gail/Rich.

66. Pirate's loot: SWAG. Slang.

68. Makeup item: ROUGE

71. Ones acting badly: HAMS. Every actor hams, bad or good.

73. It's sometimes enough: ONCE. Once is enough.

75. Like Dorothy's magical shoes: RUBY RED. Silver in the original novel. Ruby red films better.

77. Identify: PEG

84. Frat party supply: KEG. And BEER (8D. Brewski).

85. Wide-eyed: AGOG

87. "Told you so!": SEE?

88. "Too much information!": SPARE ME. What I always want to say to Jose Canseco.

89. __ majesty: high treason: LESE. Literally "injured" in French.

90. Open-bodied antique auto: ROADSTER

92. Verve: ELAN

93. Vestibule: FOYER

94. Posh properties: ESTATES. Alliteration again. Posh Spice jumped into my mind first.

95. Font flourish: SERIF. Another alliteration.

97. Film noir blade: SHIV. The prison knife.

100. Carrier more likely to be tipped: CANOE. Very descriptive clue.

101. Accumulates: PILES UP. Put in AMASSES first.

112. Burn slightly: SEAR. Or CHAR.

113. Ad infinitum: NO END

114. Utah ski resort: ALTA. The name escaped me. Close to the Salt Lake City.

115. Cybermemo: E-NOTE. I'd like to see E-LOVE someday.

116. Nail to the wall: HANG

117. Oklahoma native: OSAGE. O Sage!

118. Jupiter neighbor: MARS

119. Lost strength: WANED

120. Affectedly flamboyant: ARTY

121. Try to prevent: DETER. And HINDER (98D. Impede).

122. Dutch cheese: EDAM. Named after the Dutch town where the cheese was first produced.

Down:

1. Move slightly: BUDGE

2. Verdi work: OPERA. Have not seen AIDA for a while.

3. "Be __ ...": start of a polite request: A DEAR

4. Penthouse place: TOP FLOOR

5. Charge for cash: ATM FEE. Sigh. ATM itself or ATM combined answer often give me fits, no matter how easy it's clued.

6. Get back, as lost trust: RE-EARN. And RE-RIG (32D. Get (a ship) ready to sail again). One RE prefix is enough.

7. Start to knock?: ANTI. Start of the word antiknock. Nailed it.

9. Orchestra sect.: STR (String)

10. The way things stand: AS IT AS

11. Go for: CHOOSE

12. Court tie: DEUCE. Tennis court.

13. Port container: CASK. "Port" here is wine.

14. Half of a "Which do you want first?" pair: BAD NEWS. Great clue/answer. I always want good news first. You?

15. Leave the country, perhaps: EMIGRATE

16. Turf controller: GANG. And EDGER (70D. Turf tool). Another clue weaving.

17. Draft status: ONE A

18. Infield protector: TARP. Baseball reference is always welcome!

28. DVR brand: TIVO

29. Urban play area: SANDLOT

30. Indicators of equal pressure: ISOBARS

35. Adam's third: SETH. Brother of Abel and Cain.

36. Capitol cap: DOME. Another alliteration.

38. One of a noted quintet: ERIE. The five Great Lakes "quintet".

41. Saying: MAXIM

43. White House advisory gp.: NSC (National Security Council)

44. Topping for chips: SALSA

46. Push in some chips: BET

47. Right direction?: EAST. Right on the map. My favorite clue today.

48. Heavily financed deals, briefly: LBOS (Leveraged Buyouts)

52. Pound product: POEM. Pound here is poet Ezra Pound.

53. Incidentally, in chat rooms: BTW

59. Heavenly bodies: ORBS. Poetically.

60. Hall of Fame goalie Patrick __: ROY. No idea. Don't follow hockey.

63. Beau: WOOER

65. Two-stripers, e.g.: Abbr.: NCOS

67. Fat unit: GRAM. 1 G = 9 calorie.

69. Ninnies: GEESE. Wanted ASSES again.

72. Sonnet sections: SESTETS. The last six lines of a sonnet.

74. Augustus, for one: EMPEROR. Augustus was the first emperor of the Roman Empire.

76. Benefit: USE

77. Whittle: PARE

78. Bigheads: EGOS

80. Bocce pair?: CEES. There are a pair of letter Cs in the word Bocce.

81. Certain Ivy Leaguer: YALIE

82. 1980s-'90s women's tennis player who was #1 for a record total of 377 weeks: GRAF (Steffi). And LOVE GAME (89D. Shutout for 82-Down). Shutout game.

83. Actor Cariou: LEN. Easy guess.

86. Sydney salutation: G'DAY MATE. For Kazie.

91. Drenched: STEEPED

93. Grind, in a way: FILE. Oh, nail.

95. Scholar: SAVANT

96. Get-up-and-go: ENERGY

97. Spot remover: SPONGE

100. Spelled-out: CLEAR

102. Dressing recipient: SALAD. Love Waldorf Salad.

103. Part of UHF: ULTRA. UHF = Ultra High Frequency. Not a familiar abbr. to me.

104. Suffix with proto-: PLASM. Suffix meaning "tissue"/"living substance".

106. Sofer of soaps: RENA. One more alliteration.

107. Pic to click: ICON

108. Org. concerned with ergonomics: OSHA

109. Masquerade (as): POSE

110. Pressure: HEAT. Why? I don't get it.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday, Jul 27th, 2013, Brad Wilber

Theme: None

Words: 68 (missing J,Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 31

   Today's offering actually seemed better than the DNF I had yesterday (NE corner remained blank).  I have to say, I did use red-letter help in the Mid-West to solve Mr. Wilber's solo effort, but only because of a foreign word, a nick-name and an acronym I was not familiar with.  Something new in the grid - stair-stacked triple 10's off-center, to go with two 10-letter climbers and the usual triples in the corners.  Some fill from today:

20A. Herodotus and Thucydides, for two : HISTORIANS - I was thinking they might be Titans or Greek Islands, but it's really these Greek guys

45A. Homemade defense against a mind-control ray : TIN FOIL HAT - nailed it - such a great visual

12. Stephen Colbert bestseller subtitled "(And So Can You!)" : I AM AMERICA - I read it; typical TV fame-to-books money maker

25. Pessimistic J. Geils Band hit with the line "It's gonna make you cry" : LOVE STINKS - Music Link

O  w  r  ~!
  n  a   d

ACROSS:

1. Many a knockout punch : UPPERCUT - always a good feeling to start out with the correct 8-letter answer~!

9. There's a charge for it : OPTION - I have observed that a LOT of new cars do NOT come with turn signal indicators as standard; must be an expensive option - they were standard on my 2000 Dodge Stratus, and I use them all the time~!

15. Navigator's creator : NETSCAPE - ISP; I was trying to stretch Lincoln to fit - Navigator is their SUV

16. Mind the sitter : BEHAVE - The children, that is

17. Signs at a rally : PLACARDS - Eh, OK - I think of placards as the metal HAZ-MAT plates on trucks

18. Showed signs of being : SEEMED

19. These, in Tours : CES

22. Disk-shaped safety device : SMOKE ALARM - the Town inspector came out to look the apartment over Wednesday; must have been psychic, he left his car running in the driveway....He did point out that the building code requires the smoke alarm in the apartment to be hard-wired to the one in the house, so we could know if there was a fire over there - makes good sense to me

24. Baby shower gift : SLEEPER SET - sounds like Sleeper Cell, but I never saw this show

26. Recordholder's suffix : EST - "World's BiggEST ____" - you fill in the blank....

29. Ridge studied in forensics : WHORL - Fingerprints

30. One with "Esq." on the door : ATTorney

31. Liveliness : BRIO

32. Citrus-marinated South American fish dish : CEVICHE - Total unknown, so it got me; popular with 46D~?  More here

35. High-level disagreement? : YELLING - high decibels, that is

37. Not kosher : TREF - Learned doing crosswords

38. Styled after : À LA

40. Deep purples : PUCES - sounds so unappealing

41. Faltering sounds : UMs - OK, who started with ERs?

42. "The Winds of War" actress : ALI MacGRAW - 1983; her IMDb

47. Hotly contested area : SWING STATE

49. Riddle of the Sphinx answer : MAN - What goes on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three at night? - More here

52. Scratch : CANCEL - Makes me think of dictation - "Dear Sir or Madam...scratch that..."To Whom It May Concern..."

53. Fortifications : BASTIONS - I tried RAMPARTS, but had to take it out because it couldn't cross the "MOAT" at 49D

56. Acid neutralizer : ALKALI

57. Like Buckley's columns, say : LITERATE

58. Close again, in a way : RE-SNAP

59. In orbit : ECSTATIC - I was on this wavelength, but ELATED was too short

DOWN:

1. Insensitive, in a way : UN-PC - Not Politically Correct

2. Mononymous kicker : PELÉ - actually, his, er, "triptonym" is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, so I thought you'd like to know more

3. K-12 fund-raisers : PTAs

4. Backup key : ESC - Escape, top left on the keyboard - In AutoCAD, it is THE go-to key for ending any command; drawing a line, making a selection set, typing text.  What irks me is when I switch to Photoshop, it does NOTHING at all....

5. Dave Matthews Band label : RCA

6. Meals-on-wheels worker? : CAR-HOP - Har-Har~!

7. "Rabbit Is Rich" Pulitzer winner : UPDIKE - John, and this novel, one of four

8. Mosaic piece : TESSERA - I had heard this before, but I needed perps first; a small tile of glass, stone, etc.; through Latin, from Greek, meaning 'four'

9. Horse-and-buggy : OBSOLETE - I find drivers on cell phones to be really annoying; I wonder if 100 years ago horse-and-buggy types felt the same way about the 'new' automobile....and neither one is going away

10. Examine closely : PEER AT

11. "... __ finest hour": Churchill : THEIR

13. Roast spot : OVEN

14. Beatty and Rorem : NEDS

21. Scrumptious : TASTY

22. Font flourish : SERIF

23. Sporty Spice, familiarly : MEL C - Melanie Chisolm, from the "Spice Girls"

24. Col. Potter on "M*A*S*H," to pals : SHERMan T. Potter

27. Tough tissue : SINEW - animal tissue, that is

28. Garb : TOGS - a WAG that stayed

29. Pro-prohibition org. : WCTU - Women's Christian Temperance Union - never heard of it, but then again, I was anti-prohibition for 15yrs (LOL)

31. Spill, with "out" : BLURT

33. Petticoat alternative : HALF-SLIP

34. "Four Quartets" poet : ELIOT

36. Annika Sorenstam's gp. : LPGA - Ladies Professional Golf Association

39. Good-natured : AMIABLE

42. German chancellor Merkel : ANGELA

43. Language family including Turkish : ALTAIC - Turkic, Mongolian, and Tungusic, sez the dictionary

44. Drawer holders : CHESTS - The furniture, not this chest, ladies

46. Old Peruvian : INCAN

47. Trauma consequence : SCAR

48. Corduroy rib : WALE

49. Zoo trench : MOAT - Dinosaur Parks, too~!

50. Debate side : ANTI

51. One of 60 billion in a min. : NSEC - Nanosecond

54. Three-day festival : TET

55. SS supplement : IRA - Social Security, and Individual Retirement Account - changing it up from Monday level cluing

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

Melissa & her friends had their annual Girls Weekend Getaway a few weeks ago. Here are all the fun pictures. She said "there was a friend who was unable to join us this year, that's why we made those pics of her so that we could bring her along with us. it was almost like she was really with us - so funny."