Wednesday, June 8 2011, C.W. Stewart and J.K. Hummel

Theme: double down. nouns that fit into a certain group are used to create a silly, two-word phrase, first word functioning as a verb & second a well-known name.

17A. *Persistently pester journalist Blitzer? : BADGER WOLF. wolf blitzer, cnn reporter. (mammals)

23A. *Evade actor Harrison? : DODGE FORD. harrison ford, actor. (car makes)

51A. *"Look out, Ichabod!"? : DUCK CRANE. ichabod crane. (fowl)

11D. *Spotted rapper MC? : SAW HAMMER. m.c. hammer. (tools). really, you can't. touch these.pants.

32D. *"Step on it, Mrs. Cleaver!"? : MARCH JUNE. june cleaver. (months)

and the unifier:

62A. Biblical cargo, or what makes up the answers to starred clues : TWO OF A KIND

clever  phrases, made me giggle. fun when the theme answers include acrosses and downs. don't recognize these constructors but they have teamed up before in at least one nyt puzzle (1/29/2008.) can you think of any more 'two of a kind' clues and answers?

melissa here, and this will be somewhat brief today. don't blink.

across:

1. Relay, say : RACE

5. Parasol purpose : SHADE. monet's woman with a parasol.

10. Nile biters : ASPS

14. University with a law school in Greensboro : ELON. north carolina. had no idea.

15. Swiss Alps refrain : YODEL

16. Like a blue moon : RARE. van the man.

19. Branch branch : TWIG

20. Business opening? : I MEAN. "i mean business."

21. Ballerina's pivot point : TOE. that's gotta hurt.

22. Dodo : SCHMO. dodo!

25. Carte start : ALA. a menu item ordered and priced separately.

26. Goof up : ERR

27. Office assortment : STAMPS

30. NCR product : ATM. ncr corporation, first made cash registers, now makes atm's (among other things).

33. Moronic : OAFISH.

37. Fictional pirate : SMEE

38. Crumbly soil : LOAM

40. Word with mouth or pool : MOTOR

41. Flu fighters : SERA

42. Taj Mahal site : AGRA

43. Large departure : EXODUS

45. Pirate's potent potable : RUM. yo ho ho.

46. Like some cows : SACRED

48. Take in : NAB. vague clue.

50. "Let me think ..." : HMM.

57. Green-skinned pear : ANJOU

59. Blood system letters : ABO

60. Tease : RAG ON. i don't really think of them as being the same.

61. Chef lead-in : SOUS

64. "Green Gables" girl : ANNE. anne of green gables.

65. Plumber's tool : SNAKE

66. Zeno of __ : ELEA. no idea. 5th century bc greek philosopher. anyone know this?

67. Amanda of "Gulliver's Travels" (2010) : PEET

68. Fall flower : ASTER

69. Paving stone : SETT. a rectangular, quarried stone.

down:

1. Auction action : RE-BID

2. Avis rival : ALAMO

3. Like some wartime messages : CODED

4. Captivate : ENGAGE

5. Turk. neighbor : SYR

6. Instruction book : HOW TO

7. "Every wall is __": Emerson : A DOOR. ralph waldo emerson quote.

8. Edited out : DELED

9. North Pole resident, presumably : ELF

10. Place for a nude : ART CLASS. but welcome in other places also.

12. Proper partner? : PRIM

13. Showy lily : SEGO. utah state flower.

18. Cool time in Madrid : ENERO

22. Made a lap : SAT

24. Set up : FRAMED

27. Diminished : SHRUNK

28. Lima or llama land : PERU. dig the alliteration.

29. Mine line : SEAM. did not know this term. "a stratum of ore or coal thick enough to be mined with profit."

30. "Woe is me!" : ALAS

31. Frat party wrap : TOGA

34. Deceive : FOX

35. "What was __ do?" : I TO

36. Instant lawn : SOD

39. Small monkey : MARMOSET. strange looking.

44. Pelvic bones : SACRA

47. Down Under runner : EMU

49. Traffic stoppers? : BRAKES

51. Suddenly occurs to, with "on" : DAWNS. dawns on.

52. WWII German sub : U-BOAT

53. "Another Saturday Night" singer Sam : COOKE. oldie.

54. Nimble : AGILE

55. The Muses, e.g. : NONET

56. Conclude by : END AT

57. PDQ relative : ASAP

58. Not a lick : NONE. aw.

62. Frisk-y govt. group? : TSA. great clue.

63. Not agin : FER

Answer grid.

melissa

Tuesday, June 7, 2011, Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Swee' Pea. The four theme entries all have the word "pea" split between two words in the phrases. A clever, fun theme from our Dynamic Duo, even if you don't like split pea soup.

17A.Ali ring trademark : ROPE-A-DOPE. Made famous in the '74 Foreman match, where Ali laid against the ropes and let Foreman hit him, until Foreman tired and Ali struck the deciding blow.  

23A. Epcot's "giant golf ball" : SPACESHIP EARTH. I think I would have to use at least a 1-wood on that...

37A. Painter of outdoors scenes : LANDSCAPE ARTIST. Like Clear Ayes! 

50A. Rolling over, so to speak : GIVING UP EASILY. I wasn't going to roll over and let this puzzle beat me, no sir!

And the unifier:

62A. Soup ingredients, and a hint to the hidden theme in 17-, 23-, 37- and 50-Across : SPLIT PEAS

Marti here, trying to fill in, but really, honestly, who could ever fill Santa's shoes? Let's hope his computer is out of sick bay soon!  But I am so happy to have the chance to blog another one of Don and C.C.'s puzzles!

So here's the scoop on all the rest:

Across:

1. Ivan the Terrible, e.g. : TSAR. Ivan IV Vasilyevich. Intelligent, devout, but given to rages and irrational fits of temper. His contemporaries called him Ivan Groznyi (Ivan "Redoubtable" or "Severe"), which means more in lines of might and power, rather than terror or cruelty.

5. Deadly snakes : ASPS. In Egypt, the asp was a symbol of royalty, often shown in hieroglyphs on kings' tombs.

9. Simple hoops shot : LAYUP. Sure, simple for Michael Jordan. For me, at 5'4", not so easy.

14. Restrictive membership word : ONLY. "Members only". Also, a brand of clothing.

15. Digital water testers? : TOES. I loved this clue. Do you stick a toe in the water to test how cold it is, or do you dive right in? 

16. Make laugh : AMUSE. I am easy to amuse...

19. Alumnae, e.g. : WOMEN. Not girls!

20. La la lead-in : OOH 

21. Conestoga-made grooves : RUTS. Conestoga wagons were used by pioneers traveling west. And they made lots of ruts.

22. Church-owned Dallas sch. : SMU . Southern Methodist University.

28. Victoria in Africa : LAKE. Not this one.

29. Comics scream : EEK

30. Easter basket delivery gait? : HOP. Like a bunny. Cute imagery.

32. Miracle Mets' stadium : SHEA. OK, it's C.C., so I know we're going to have baseball involved in the clues/answers. The 1969 World Series was between the NY Mets and the Baltimore Orioles with the winning game at Shea Stadium. 

35. Eyelid annoyance : STYE 

36. Stat for Cliff Lee : ERA. Earned Run Average. Cliff Lee is a Major League baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. The stat is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine. (You should know that I know nothing about baseball!!)

42. Coffee hour vessel : URN. Boy, I could use an urn of coffee right about now...

43. It was often worn over a tunic : TOGA. Who knew? I thought they were only worn at frat parties...

44. Rocks to refine : ORES 

45. Academic address letters : EDU 

46. Carnival resort : RIO. de Janeiro. This looks like fun! 

47. Battling group : ARMY 

56. Fingers for the D.A. : IDS. Identifies, as a perp.

57. Opposite of pre- : POST 

58. Subside, with "down" : DIE . Or "dah", as my southern DH would say...And a nice clecho with 59. Subside : ABATE.  

64. Des Moines resident : IOWAN

65. Slithery fish : EELS. Ah, got me.  "Fish" is plural here. 

66. "Heck!" : DARN.  Drat, dang, damn...

67. Lived : DWELT. Past participle of dwell, or simple past tense. Also, "dwelled".

68. Home run jog : TROT. More baseball !

69. To boot : ALSO .

We have to do the downs, to boot!

Down:

1. Bulls in Argentina : TOROS. My lawnmower is a real bull when it comes to getting the yard done!

2. Poke around : SNOOP. 

3. Pack leader : ALPHA. OK, I just can't resist this one.

4. Corned beef bread : RYE . With a side of slaw, please.

5. Just after sunset : AT DUSK

6. Relieve : SOOTHE

7. "For those who think young" soft drink : PEPSI 

8. Duluth-to-Dubuque dir. : SSE 

9. Member of Congress, say : LAWMAKER 

10. Love in Lille : AMOUR. Splynter, aren't you glad you're not on today? 

11. "Tasty" : YUM.  (I'm still thinking about that corned beef on rye...with a side of slaw.)

12. Exploit : USE. I was thinking of feat . But this is a different USE of the word USE.

13. Con's home : PEN. Short for penitentiary.

18. Vicinity : AREA 

22. "Gotta run!" : SEE YA.  (Not yet...I have to finish the downs.)

24. Dressed : CLAD

25. Red Rose : PETE. Sheez, more baseball.  This is like a foreign language to me, but I am learning! Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds was nicknamed "Charlie Hustle". His gambling on baseball got him into heaps of trouble

26. "A League of __ Own" : THEIR. Aww, c'mon C.C., you're killing me here with the baseball!  (Just kidding: this was actually a wonderful movie about sisters who are professional baseball players during WWII.)

27. Silver in old Westerns : HORSE. Whew, back to something I know about. The Lone Ranger's horse. Hi-Yo Silver, awaaaaay!

31. Loving strokes : PATS . Or, the New England football team.

32. Swing around : SLUE. We had this discussion a while ago, no? 

33. Game start? : HARD G. The word "game" begins with a hard consonant. I have a feeling it was C.C. who came up with this entry...

34. Listless feeling : ENNUI 

35. Hot tub : SPA 

38. Grating : STRIDENT. All I can think of is Edith's voice in "All in the Family".

39. Nickel and dime : COINS.  Great clue.

40. Wide-eyed : AGOG. From the old French "en gogues" meaning in jest, good humor or joyfulness.

41. Kids' stuff : TOYS. r Us

47. 17-mission NASA program : APOLLO. Did not know they had 17, but knew that Apollo went to at least 13.  So I wagged this one.

48. Fight back : RESIST 

49. Damon of "Invictus" : MATT. He is becoming the Pola Negri of modern crosswords, no?  

51. Indispensable : VITAL 

52. Berth place : UPPER. Clever play on "birth place". The UPPER berth is the one you have to use the little ladder for on the overnight train. But it's not so bad, even if you have to share with someone.

53. Perfect : IDEAL 

54. Some storytellers : LIARS. No, really??

55. Like some limited-choice questions : YES/NO 

59. Help : AID 

60. Gift decoration : BOW. I always have trouble tying those things. Thank goodness for the ready-made ones at Hallmark!  

61. Blow away : AWE 

62. Tennis unit : SET 

63. iPhone, e.g. : PDA. Personal digital assistant. It kinda makes me feel important, when you put it like that...

Answer grid.

Say Good Night, Marti.

Note from C.C. & Don:

Preparing Split Pea soup inspired this theme. We originally had HELP EACH OTHER instead of GIVING UP EASILY as 4th theme entry. Rich pointed out the differences between "in the language" and "Ordinary language" phrases and explained how former made for a strong theme entry. The theme idea seemed easy on the surface, but when it came time to matching up phrase lengths, etc., this was a challenging theme to put together. Which is your favorite fill? Mine is 33D of course.

Monday, June 6, 2011, Jack McInturff

Theme: Stop stuttering and spit it out! Each of the four theme answers are combined with a double version of the three letters which begin the answer. To introduce this puzzle, I want you to listen to this SONG. Happy Mon Mon Monday all, Lemonade stepping in for Argyle to kick off your week. Too bad it is not 2006, then the puzzle would be 06-06-06. Let us see how a Monday feels;

17A. Mechanic's excessively affected gadget box?: TOO TOO TOOLCHEST. Gadget box? I was puzzled, but got the theme for certain with the next one.

26A. Fashionable farm nestling?: CHI CHI CHICK. CHICHI is actually one word, but nestling I knew and worked backwards.

47A. Dance contest winner?: CHA CHA CHAMP. Time to SHAKE.

61A. High-kicking dancer at an audition?: CAN CAN CANDIDATE. I guess we really are the Dancing with the Stars generation, I hope you get a KICK out of this link. Okay, now to a really fun bunch of clues, with a lot going on for a Monday.

Across:

1. "Gone With the Wind" plantation: TARA. Frankly, I don't give a damn.

5. Interactive Facebook feature: WALL. I do facebook so I can see pictures of my kids, but I have reconnected to some old friends.

9. Prefix with sonic or violet: ULTRA. And violence too, if you like Kubrick.

14. Press, as pants: IRON. Why not shirts? I hate ironing shirts!

15. Most fit to serve: ONE-A. Draft status, military service.

16. Sodas for Radar O'Reilly: NEHIS. They have to be Grape for Radar.

20. Ready to be drawn from a keg: ON TAP. Oh, goody a beer reference.

21. First Japanese golfer to win a PGA Tour event: ISAO AOKI. Nice to see his entire name, with all those vowels; I will never forget how he tilted his putter. No comments Lois, Carol.

22. Rajah's wife: RANI.

25. Damaged, as mdse.: IRR. Irregular.

31. Gallantry-in-combat mil. award: DSC. Distinguished Service Cross.

34. Dryer screen target: LINT. Yes, mother it is really lint and can be thrown away.

35. Collaborating group: TEAM. There is no I in team, but one in collaborating.

36. Blacksmith, at times: SHOER. I am sure you all found this easy and nailed it.

38. "The King __" : AND I. I had the pleasure of seeing Yul Brynner perform the part on Broadway, as well as shaving his head as he drove into the city. Sadly, he smoked and died of lung cancer.

39. Take everything off: STRIP. Okay, I saw that show too, but not on Browadway.

41. Letters on a cross: INRI. Iesus Nazerenus Rex Iudeaorem. No J in Latin, so this Jesus, King of the Jews.

42. City near Syracuse: UTICA. It is in between Syracuse and Schenectady.

44. Blade's sharp side: EDGE.

45. Wildebeests: GNUS. You all knew this right?

46. Govt. ID issuer: SSA. Social Security Administration.

50. Revival prefix: NEO. Latin for new.

51. Easy gait: TROT. If the horse is well shod.

52. "They'll ambush you if you go in there!": IT'S A TRAP. I love this clearly complicated clue. A Dan Naddor type of multi-word fill.

57. Agreed (with): SIDED. From debate, where you picked one side of the aisle or the other.

64. Reveal impulsively: BLURT. As in "it out."

65. Cafeteria carrier: TRAY. Are there many left, Morrison's, Picadilly?

66. Tar Heel State university: ELON. This NC college was the alma mater of our senior partner who died last year. It also is crosswordese.

67. Fibber of old radio: MCGEE. Don't forget Molly and the closet. We did not have a TV until was 7, so I listened to many radio plays.

68. Terrier variety: SKYE. Named for the island in the North Sea.

69. Emailed or faxed: SENT. I have a friend who does not email, so I get lots of faxes.

Down:

1. Former Yugoslav leader: TITO. Like Spain's Franco, he is still dead.

2. Presley's middle name: ARON. Too bad they could not spell.

3. Cheer (for): ROOT.

4. South Pole continent, with "the": ANTARCTIC. One of two continents with Australia which was the Final Jeopardy answer last week.

5. Seek as a spouse: WOO.

6. Tiny hill crawler: ANT. Oops there goes another rubber tree.

7. Sainted fifth-century pope: LEO I. A very influential LEADER .

8. Cambodia neighbor: LAOS.

9. Opens, as wine: UNCORKS. Good, this balanced the earlier beer reference.

10. "The Merry Widow" composer: LEHAR. The opera by FRANZ

11. "The Cosby Show" boy: THEO. malcolm jamal warner.

12. Insurer's exposure: RISK. So simple, it fooled me for a second.

13. Italian wine city: ASTI. Spumante to you.

18. Colorful fish: OPAH. Do you think it is PRETTY.

19. Of the flock: LAIC. As opposed to cleric.

23. "Picked" complaints: NITS. My favorite clue of all, especially having had my nit picked by many anons.

24. Summer drink: ICE TEA. I know you want ICED, sue them.

26. Santa __: CLAUS. Our special Argyle shout out for Monday, that I am usurping.

27. Clues: HINTS. Sometimes, that is all they are a hint.

28. Taj Mahal home: INDIA.

29. Cola's first consonant: HARD C. Not to be confused with HARD G., coming to a theater or puzzle near you.

30. "Put me down as a maybe": I MIGHT. I might not.

31. Designer Karan: DONNA. DKNY.

32. Inoculated fluid: SERUM. This is a Latin word that refers to the "whey", the watery liquid that separates from the curds in the process of cheese making.

33. Like well-cooked bacon: CRISP. How many like it really crisp?

37. Times when sand castles are destroyed: HIGH TIDES. Another great fill.

40. Tree fruit: PEAR. Home to partridges.

43. Film material: ACETATE. Actually, it is Cellulose acetate.

48. Traffic jam honker: HORN. In Florida it is against the law unless it is an emergency. Nobody pays attention to the law.

49. Mozart's "__ fan tutte": COSI. Thus do they all; Mozart's take on women.

50. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE.

52. Long-range warhead carrier, briefly: ICBM. Another acronym, InterContinental Ballistic Missile.

53. Soft mineral: TALC. Talcum powder anyone?

54. Like a bug in a rug: SNUG. My mother used to say that when she ticked me in.

55. Play divisions: ACTS.

56. Amusement __: PARK. Did you know the Ferris Wheel was invented specifically for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, to out do the Eiffel Tower?

58. Carnegie or Evans: DALE. Don't forget Chip's buddy either.

59. Thames school: ETON. ELON, we love these schools.

60. Fender damage: DENT. Ding, ah well.

62. Rejecting vote: NAY.

63. Blonde's secret, maybe : DYE. Seldom a secret, but my exit line. My first Monday, and one I really enjoyed, now to try and keep from being confused about the day of the week. Argyle is fine, but his computer is not so bear with us as we soldier on. A different experience, enjoy the week.

Answer grid.

Lemonade

Note from C.C.:

Here are three pictures of JD's grandsons. Click on each one for enlargement. They'll brighten your morning.

Sunday June 5, 2011 John Lampkin

Theme: Low and Behold - Part of each common phrase is replaced by a sound-alike cow related term.

27A. Farm vet's reference? : GRAZE ANATOMY. Grey's Anatomy,

51A. Milkmaid? : THE UDDER WOMAN. The other woman.

89A. Calf's folks? : MA AND PA CATTLE. Ma and Pa Kettle.

112A. Where orphans go while their adoptive moms give milk? : DOGIE DAYCARE. Doggy daycare, right?

14D. Santa's backup bovines? : SLEIGH BULLS. Sleigh bells. Hope Argyle returns to his seat tomorrow. I love when he's around.

16D. Expensive cuts? : HIGH STEAKS. High stakes.

67D. Bovine hitmen? : COWS OF DEATH. Cause of death.

73D. Easy listening in the pasture? : MOOED MUSIC. Mood music.

John sure loves nature & all its creatures. This is his third animal related theme we've encountered. Remember this delightful "Pet Food"?  

Again, no cheater square, elegant looking grid. The clues are fantastic, as we always expect from John. Clechos & word associations abound. Just look at this consecutive clue pair:

84A. "The Way We __" : WERE. Loved the movie.

86A. The way we word : SYNTAX.

Across:

1. Bovine milieu : RANCH. Bonus entry.

6. Pasture units : ACRES

11. Terrible twos types : TOTS

15. Crack in a lip : CHAP

19. Fine Japanese porcelain : IMARI. No idea. See here. Noisy colors.

20. The Pemaquid Point Light is on its state quarter : MAINE. See this picture John took last Labor Day weekend. He said "Remarkably, tourists in the reflection have to walk upside down to get to the lookout".

21. Throw : HURL

22. 1953 Original Music Score Oscar-winning film : LILI. Got via crosses.

23. Alluded to : GOT AT

24. Skirt : EVADE

25. Tribe affiliated with the Missouria : OTOE. One of the most popular tribes in Xword.

26. Long look at a looker : OGLE. Fun clue.

30. Wings choice : SPICY HOT. Don't eat chicken.

32. Elite : SELECT

33. Perp chaser, with "the" : LAW

34. New York city or county : OSWEGO. Was it also named after a tribe?

36. Where the bucket slops? : STY. Tried PEN first.

37. Pueblo people : HOPIs

39. __ Brasi, "The Godfather" hatchet man : LUCA. The guy who "sleeps with the fishes".

40. Offend : HURT

42. Type : SORT

46. Casino roller : DIE

47. Berlin's "Call Me __" : MADAM

48. Procreates : BREEDS

54. Fish alternative? : CUT BAIT. So "Fish" is a verb here, right?

55. Fine fiddles : AMATIs. Always reminds me of "The Red Violin".

56. Sheet purchase : REAM

57. Email letters : AOL

58. Arcade game starter : SKEE

59. Guitar string choice : NYLON. Could also be?

60. Uni- + uni- + uni- : TRI. And 113D. Tetra- + tetra- : OCTA. Prefix for "eight".

62. Log processor : SAWMILL

65. Logical conclusion? : SUM. Cogito, ergo sum.

66. Loser's demand : RECOUNT. Election loser.

69. Ratings name : NIELSEN

71. Father of the bride's offering : ARM

74. Exactly correct : SO RIGHT

76. Pharm. receipts : RXs

77. Crier of Greek myth : NIOBE. This used to stump me.

81. B&B offering : ROOM

83. Colorless : WAN

87. Imprudent : FOOLISH

92. Nautical patron : ST ELMO. And 93A. Nautical maneuvers : TACKS. And 95A. Nautical storage : HOLD. Three in a row.

94. Avis output : OVA

96. Like heedless ears : DEAF

97. Stately trees : OAKS

98. Pang of conscience : QUALM

100. Improvise with the band : JAM. Jazzbumap might jam occasionally.

102. Jewel box : CD CASE

104. "__ House": 1970 CSNY hit : OUR

105. Like feet of no concern to a podiatrist? : IAMBIC. I don't get this clue, Clear Ayes!

110. Squad cars : CRUISERS

115. Revolutionary sewer : ROSS. And 43D. "Heavens to Betsy!" : OH MY.

116. River islets : AITs. Classical crosswordese.

118. Assertion of faith : CREDO

119. Filmmaker Welles : ORSON

120. Exude : EMIT

121. Tax evasion investigators : T-MEN

122. Jackson Hole's county : TETON. Grand Teton the big boobs.

123. Wet season events : RAINS

124. City on the Brazos : WACO. What does "Brazos" mean? Nothing bra-related I presume.

125. Rescuer, e.g. : HERO

126. AARP and NAACP : ASSNs

127. Meaning : SENSE

Down:

1. "Lethal Weapon" cop : RIGGS. Gibson's role. Got me.

2. Sardinian passion : AMORE. Love. "That's Amore".

3. Birth-related : NATAL

4. Fad : CRAZE

5. Like "CSI" procedures : HI-TECH

6. Call from the flock : AMEN

7. Supercilious : CAVALIER

8. Vaqueros' ropes : RIATAs. Or REATAs.

9. Provide with funding : ENDOW

10. Appear : SEEM

11. Small but : THO

12. Beat in an individual medley : OUTSWAM

13. Figure of speech : TROPE. Remember this stranger, Splynter?

15. Overdo the sweetness : CLOY

17. Distribute : ALLOT

18. Religious devotion : PIETY

28. Disagreeing like bookies? : AT ODDS. Does this clue amuse you?

29. "Way to go, bro!" : YOU DA MAN. Great answer.

31. Place to press a suit? : COURT. Law suit.

35. Scrutinize : SCAN

38. Graphic symbol : PIE

39. Asian teachers : LAMAs. I don't associate them with "teachers". Just monks.

41. CSA soldiers : REBs

42. Baseball's Musial : STAN. Stan the Man.

44. Down-to-earth : REAL

45. Aid for a struggling student : TUTOR. Hi Bill!

47. Curly poker : MOE. The Stooges. We've seen this clue before.

49. Godot's god : DIEU. French for God. Mon dieu!

50. Watch projection : STEM

52. Sups : DINES

53. Twist and squeeze : WRING

54. Helices : COILs

57. Green-card maker : AMEX.  Not the green card for immigrants.

60. Numbers is part of it : TORAH. Not what I had in mind.

61. Trash : RUIN

63. Sent a message to, old-style : WIRED

64. "The Threepenny Opera" star : LENYA (Lotte)

68. Rapped with something flat : THWACKED. Always a crowd pleaser.

70. Climactic inning, often : NINTH

71. Barking sounds : ARFs

72. Tree anchor : ROOT

75. Hardwood trees : TEAKS

78. German aviation pioneer Lilienthal : OTTO. Well, maybe Dudley knows him. Not me.

79. Black eight, e.g. : BALL. Magic 8-Ball?

80. Struck (out) : EX'ed

82. Fr. miss : MLLE (Mademoiselle)

85. Some OR staffers : RNs (Registered Nurses)

86. Longest-serving current Supreme Court justice : SCALIA (Antonin)

88. Desktop models : iMACs

89. Serpico's biographer : MAAS (Peter). Another unknown. John might have clued it as farm calls related.

90. Covered with liberally, as a liquid : POURED ON

91. "The Barefoot Contessa" star Gardner : AVA

93. Browning gadget : TOASTER

98. Calms : QUIETS

99. City chiefs : MAYORS

100. Polo competitor : J. CREW

101. Scent : AROMA

103. Job that doesn't pay? : CRIME. But some are paid.

104. Shrek and Fiona : OGRES

106. Bluesy Carmen : McRAE. Any trouble this time, Barry G?

107. "__ Street Blues": Dixieland classic : BASIN

108. Fairway choices : IRONS. Golf clubs.

109. Burn sandalwood, say : CENSE

111. :, in analogies : IS TO

114. Family heads : DONs. Mafia.

117. Cone head? : SNO. Sno-cone.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday, June 4, 2011 Gareth Bain

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 32

Four criss-crossing "theme"-like answers, two spanners, two climbers;

20A. Line before "Et tu, Brute?" : SPEAK HANDS FOR ME - Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

54A. Ethical concern for a bar association : AMBULANCE CHASER - I shoulda known this

3D. Symbol of phoniness : THREE-DOLLAR BILL

11D. Dearborn attraction : HENRY FORD MUSEUM - this one I nailed

Wow, this one kicked my butt - too many obscure references in the NW for me to complete it without red-letter help

ACROSS:

1. Candy vehicle : SCTV - Canadian skit show, at least I guess - I have no clue on the "Candy" part....{ it just came to me, about 2 hours later - John Candy }

5. Imported wheels : SAAB - I once owned an '83 900

9. Gone crackers? : HIHOS - crackers, no longer available; Sunshine, then Keebler, then Kellog's were the companies

14. Education acronym : ELHI - ugh, I don't think of this as an acronym; it's abbreviation for EL-ementary thru HI-gh school....

15. Brad's role in "Inglourious Basterds" : ALDO - great movie; this guy's performance outdid Brad's

16. Certain Yemeni : ADENI - again, ugh, really? Am I a "Long Island-i" ?

17. Brings out : AIRS

18. Side of beef part : SLAB

19. Like some raincoats : LINED

23. Tailless mammal : APE - had "MAN" first

24. Self-titled 1988 R&B album : LATOYA - one of the Jacksons

25. Initial response to a yenta? : MYOB - Mind Your Own Business - Yenta is yiddish, originally a woman's name, comes to mean a "busy-body" or gossip

26. Skyscraper feature : LEDGE - UGH~!  There are ledges here in my one-story house....

28. Part of psi?: Abbr. : LBS - now this was a good one - psi, for Pounds per Square Inch, like tire pressure,  and the imperial abbreviation for pounds - lb., from the Roman libra, a weight measure.

30. Dom alternative : FRA - not really sure; I think this is airport codes, but it could be types of champagne for all I know....

31. Metaphors, e.g. : TROPES - never heard this; from Greek tropos "to turn"

33. Ice cream parlor order : MALT - hey, I got one ~!

34. "... lay the sod __ me": "Streets of Laredo" lyric : O'ER - poetic contraction, over

35. Celebrity mentioned in Warren Zevon's 1978 hit "Werewolves of London" : LON CHANEY, JR. - super fun song 2:38

38. World Chess Champion after Botvinnik : TAL - sure, OK

40. Valley in the first book of Samuel : ELAH - um, OK, here's a map?

41. Heavy hitter : SLEDGE - I typo'ed Stylish as styhish, so it took a moment for this to appear.

44. Santa __ : ANA - California

45. Some signatures : XES - makes me think of the Blues Brothers, right Melissa Bee?

46. Blend : IMMIX - yup, it's a "word", from Latin

47. "Beetle Bailey" cartoonist Walker : MORT

49. Members of an Afrocentric movement : RASTAS -short for Rastafarian

53. Exhaust : USE

57. Daughter of Muhammad : LAILA - the boxer, Ali - she boxes, too.

58. Court ritual : OATH

59. Green : GELT - a long way to go, from Yiddish for money to dollar bill color

60. Coty Award winner Perry : ELLIS - designer

61. Fonda's beekeeper : ULEE - from the movie, Ulee's Gold - popular crossword answer

62. Golden __ : RULE

63. Willowy woman : SYLPH

64. Polanski film based on a Hardy novel : TESS

65. Wrote, as an AOL buddy : IM'ed - Instant Message

Down:

1. Epicure's condiment : SEASALT - an epicure is a connoisseur, did not know

2. Fast ship : CLIPPER - I went down my list of ships, and forgot this one

4. Traveler's need : VISA

5. White House girl : SASHA - Obama

6. __ once : ALL AT - "all at once, it came to me that I was NOT going to finish"

7. Hersey setting : ADANO - "A Bell for Adano", by John Hershey.  Total stumper - was thinking Pennsylvania for the park

8. Winner of a 2008 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture" : BOB DYLAN - not a fan

9. Game division : HALF - really only soccer; all others are quarters, periods and innings

10. Way of putting things : IDIOM - I wanted a Monty Python link; this is, um, the scene, at 1:19

12. Encore, basically : ONE MORE ~!!!

13. News supplement : SIDEBAR - this is more legalese than news related, for me

21. Box for a cold : KLEENEX - had tissues to start, funny how a lot of words and phrases have same letter-number commonality

22. Luxury furs : SABLES

27. Mail hub: Abbr. : GPO - General Post Office, more British

29. In : STYLISH

32. White of the eye : SCLERA

33. __-jongg : MAH - a game

36. Isn't trapped : HAS AN OUT - always leave yourself an "out" when driving - I have avoided many a cell-phone driver this way....

37. "To Kill a Mockingbird" brother : JEM

38. Cantina servings : TAMALES - not the Cantina I was thinking of....

39. Unusual occurrence : ANOMALY - like in Star Trek, or the X-files, an "anomaly" was usually the seed for the episode.

42. Princess in Disney's "Enchanted" : GISELLE - image

43. Applied : EXERTED - as force

48. __ mania, 17th-century Dutch phenomenon : TULIP

50. Model aspect : SCALE -had ratio to start

51. Sorbonne heads? : TETES - French for head, Sorbonne, France

52. Inflammation symptoms : ACHES

55. Tie securely : LASH - had bind to start

56. Business intro? : AGRI - frequently appears in crosswords. Agribusiness.

Answer grid.

OK, I am ready for a Monday/Tuesday now ~!

Splynter

Friday, June 3, 2011, Pancho Harrison

Theme: Sounds Like I ate it. The first word in each of the two-word theme answers is transformed  from a  "EYT" sound ending into a different word with the similar "EYD" sound ending, creating  a new, and rib tickling phrase. There is a A B B A pattern to the replacement word ending.

Well, our first offering in some time from Mr. Harrison, who was the very first constructor we encountered when the original cast of the Corner was switched to the LA Times puzzles. Lemonade here, so let's see what Pancho has learned in the last two years.  

17A. Family member whose age is showing?: GRAYED UNCLE. The beautiful boy and girl whose pictures I have posted make me a GREAT UNCLE, who also happens to have GRAYED.

27A. Horse-cavalry soldier who's hardly capricious?: STAID TROOPER. Most STATE TROOPERS are rather serious, scaring looking people.

46A. Aggressive drug enforcement strategy?: RAID INCREASE. I wish the bank would arrange a RATE INCREASE on our savings accounts; my first thought was it could have been clued as needing more bug spray.

61A. Bride's unraveling problem?: FRAYED TRAIN. Well, I guess a few honeymooners without any cash hopped on a FREIGHT TRAIN to see the world, and the brides were likely to have an old gown.

On to the show:

Across:

1. Pilfer: SWIPE. Well, STEAL also has five letters, starting with S, tough start.

6. Massenet opera: THAIS. Wow, follow that up with this opera (pronounced TA EES) based on the novel of the same name by Anatole France, and we are going very slowly. It is from the French lack of a soft TH we get T'ank You, T'ursday and T'em.

11. JFK, but not LGA: DEM. Not the airports, but the politicians they are named after, as Kennedy was a Democrat, and Fiorello LaGuardia was a Republican.

14. Distinctive characters: AURAS. I think this must be a typo, as an aura is a distinctive CHARACTERISTIC.

15. Wrap-up: RECAP.

16. Chill: ICE. Dear, it is time to chill the champagne.

19. Co. led by David Sarnoff until 1970: RCA. They owned NBC also for many years; his son went to the Rectory School, which is the reunion I am just back from attending.

20. Tivoli's Villa d'__: ESTE. This magnificent home and grounds were built by Cardinal Este, who was a son of Lucrezia Borgia, if anyone is watching the new miniseries. It has magnificent GARDENS.

21. Staff entry?: REST. This tricky clue refers to a musical notation, I believe. JzB?

22. Worn down: EATEN. The waves of the ocean eat away the shoreline.

24. Solid alcohol: STEROL. Sterols are also known as steroid alcohols. We all are familiar with the important animal one called CHOLESTEROL. They are not Scotch, frozen and eaten with a fork.

26. Vortex: EDDY. A shout out to Eddy B.

33. Line of clothing?: HEM. My mother was a wonderful nurse, but we used to have to stand by a staircase to mask the different lengths of our pant legs.

36. Jubilant cry: HOORAY. Hip, hip!

37. Pool game, perhaps: POLO. Nice deception, as water polo is played in a pool, a serious game, unlike its cousin MARCO POLO. Not to be confused with 11D. Unsportsmanlike conduct: DIRTY POOL. And as Jerome would point out a POOL can become a POLO.

38. "Unlimited free mileage" rental pioneer: ALAMO. This company began in Florida back in the 70s and was a boon to the business traveler with mileage free.

40. Washington Sq. campus: NYU. Greenwich Village New York.

41. Bikini, e.g.: ATOLL. Not the bathing suit, the islands.

42. Vacation site: ISLE. More islands.

43. Baker's container: PIE PAN. Whatever happened to the Mother Butler's Pie Shops?

45. Golfer Westwood who replaced Tiger Woods as World #1 in October 2010: LEE. Since replaced by Martin Kaymer and now Luke Donald.

49. H.S. math course: CALC. Calculus, not your easy math.

50. One who digs your jive: HEPCAT. Old beatnik talk from the 50s.

54. Swindle decoy: SHILL. The paid associate who plays the game and wins, so others will try.

56. Feint on the ice: DEKE. Any BRUIN or CANUCK fans out there? It is just an abbreviation of DECOY.

59. 39-Down recipient: HERO. 39D. Award for a 59-Across: MEDAL. One of those combinations that can't be solved on their own.

60. John of England: LOO. Not Elton, but the WC.

64. Homer's donut supplier: APU. Are you doubters beginning to see the Simpsons are an important part of Americana?

65. Dog-__: EARED. As a reader, I do not like when people do this to books.

66. Western party: POSSE. Again, deceptive, not a hoe down, but a group put together to chase bad guys.

67. Junio, por ejemplo: MES. June for example, months. We have had this before.

68. Titles: DEEDS. Titles to real property, and our first legal word of the day.

69. Unsettling expression: SNEER. My favorite is this FACE

On to the other half.

Down:

1. Wise guys: SAGES. Not the Sopranos, actual smart people.

2. Knack attachment?: WURST. This German food is not spelled KNOCKWURST

3. Hot: IRATE. I wanted to put in HOT DOGS in the wurst way.

4. Sugar daddies, e.g.: PAYERS. Finally old enough to be one, and I spent all the money already, damn.

5. Ethnic ending: ESE. Japanese, Portuguese etc.

6. "__ Lies": Schwarzenegger film: TRUE. I liked the MOVIE but maybe not anymore.

7. Brooding group: HENS. Nice imagery.

8. Invoice abbr.: ACCT. Usually followed by NO.

9. Editor's add-on?: IAL. Editorial.

10. Muscle beach brand: SPEEDO. Tight and tighter.

12. Behold, to Livy: ECCE. A bit of Latin crosswordese, meaning BEHOLD.

13. Ornery: MEAN. A good western word.

18. Traveling circus organizer in a 1964 film: DR LAO. A wonderful MOVIE with Tony Randall

23. Take in: ADOPT. I would love to adopt those four puppies.

25. First century Roman emperor: OTHO. Ah, the unexpected benefit of having a son who wants to be a Roman Archaeologist, and explaining to me about the YEAR OF FOUR EMPERORS . A very obscure answer.

26. Hatch back?: ERY. HATCHERY, another way to disguise a suffix.

28. Greek column style: IONIC. Which do you like best, Doric, Corinthian or Ionic?

29. Where some pairs are separated: DRYER. The case of the missing sock.

30. Brownish gray: TAUPE.

31. Glamour rival: ELLE. The magazines.

32. Part: ROLE. In a play.

33. Narrow margin: HAIR. He won by a hair.

34. "Lohengrin" soprano: ELSA. If you click no other link, listen to this MUSIC .

35. Motivated by spite: MALICIOUS. From the Latin MAL, meaning bad.

41. "As I Lay Dying" father: ANSE. One Faulkner's best NOVELS .

43. __ Park: Pirates' field: PNC. I can never remember if this is for Pittsburgh National Corporation or Provident National Corporation, so I looked it up, and they merged to form PNC.

44. Sounded satisfied: AAHED. Are you ooers or aahers?

47. Skinny or small, probably: ILL-FED. I associate this with skinny only, but I guess it is correct.

48. "You've Got Mail" writer/director: EPHRON. NORA is a very talented woman.

51. Belay: CEASE. A nice nautical term as we near the end.

52. Surface: ARISE. What kind of problems were coming out for Jim Tressel at Ohio State?

53. Office supply: TONER. Messy stuff.

54. Grand __: SLAM. How fitting during the French Open.

55. Optimism: HOPE. I hope you have enjoyed this Friday presentation.

56. Show gumption: DARE. I dare to believe it has turned out well.

57. Got a load of: EYED. Once you have eyed the work of this resident eye patient.

58. Converse competitor: KEDS. Yes, I wore, as converse were for basketball players and I was too short after 7th grade.

62. Actress __ Dawn Chong: RAE. Tommy Chong's pretty little daughter is now 50 .

63. Decorates in a prankish way: TPS. Toilet Papers, which I guess will be my exit line as we have put another Friday to bed. Enjoy all.  No French lesson, but a very fun and doable puzzle with a couple of very hard clues, and a witty, concise theme. Thanks Pancho (oh Cisco!).

Answer grid.

Lemonade