Saturday April 11, 2009 Bruce Venzke and Stella Daily

Theme: None

Total blocks: 32

Total words: 70

Another relentless uphill battle. These LAT late week puzzles are so hard for me. Saturday is the worst. I definitely need a theme as my sherpa. The eight 15-letter words are very intimidating, esp the stacks at the top and the bottom of the grid. The below long answers might be the reason why we have a noticeable amount of abbreviations in the grid:

1A: Jealous reaction to a witty remark: I WISH I'D SAID THAT

16A: Broad-based statistical standard: NATIONAL AVERAGE

17A: "The Dreadful Story of Pauline and the Matches" and others: CAUTIONARY TALES

24A: Sousa subject: STARS AND STRIPES

44A: Headed for home: ROUNDED THE BASES

59A: Tried to escape: MADE A BREAK FOR IT

62A: FDR's Fala, e.g.: ABERDEEN TERRIER

63A: Didn't just dive in: TESTED THE WATERS

I know FDR's dog is called Fala, had no idea what breed it is. Also, I don't know Scottish Terrier is also known as Aberdeen Terrier. Have never heard of "The Dreadful Story of Pauline and the Matches". But I got *TALES filled in, so I decided that Canterbury TALES sounds good. And it fit pretty well.

I am feeling just so slow this morning. It took me a long time to understand why SIXTH (29D) is clued as "Like Friday or June". D'oh! Friday is the SIXTH day and June is the SIXTH month. Was also stumped by the rationale of the SET clue (42D: Seinfeld's apartment, say). Only realized a few minutes ago that his apartment is the SET of the whole show. I love "The Nazi Soup" episode.

I still can't believe the answer for 52A: "120/70, 130/80 etc: Abbr." is a simple BPS (Blood Pressures). I thought it would be like HDL/LDL, you know, something sophisticated and unrecognizable to common people. One small quibble: ETC is the answer for 21A: "More of the same, briefly" and then part of the clue for 52A.

Across:

18A: Shoppers' savings?: Abbr.: RCPTS (Receipts)

19A: Roadie's burden: AMP. Blanked on this one. I am used to the "Current/Electric unit" clue.

20A: Unique folks: ONERS. The first Across word I filled in today. I often confuse humdinger with harbinger.

23A: Ger. neighbor: AUS. My answer is always AUS whenever I see a "Ger. neighbor" clue.

34A: Namely: TO WIT

35A: Meter site: TAXI. I was thinking of the parking meter.

36A: Overseas okay: OUI. I like yesterday's "Nice way to beg off?" for NON.

37A: Sheepdog in "Babe": REX. Saw the movie. Can't remember the dog name. Oh, look, there is an ESME, another way to clue the "Salinger girl".

38A: Cleo portrayer of 1963: LIZ. She fell in love with Richard Burton while making "Cleopatra".

39A: Its parts may be eaten separately: OREO. Well, I never eat them separately, nor do I dunk them.

41A: Flavors, in a way: SALTS. Verb. I like this clue.

43A: Starlet's goal: ROLE. I wanted LEAD. Thought starlet wants a leading ROLE.

47A: 1946-'75 nuclear agcy: AEC. This has become a gimme. NRC replaced AEC in 1975.

48A: Marker's end: TIP. Was this a gimme to you? Pen did not come to my mind when I saw "Marker".

49A: Ones wanted by the mil.: AWOLS. Good clue.

55A: Dr. visits: APPTS

Down:

1D: Rise: Abbr.: INCR (Increase). Another unfamiliar abbreviation.

2D: WWII female: WAAC (Women's Army Auxiliary Corps). I can never remember this name. Our fellow solver Southern Belle is a WAAC member. Oh, no, she is WAC. How is different from WAAC?

3D: Words after live or give: IT UP

4D: Jobs for teens: SITTERS. I thought of WAITERS. It has the same number of letters.

5D: Derricks and cranes: HOISTS. I only know HOISTS as a verb. Did not know it's a noun too.

6D: Theban queen of myth: INO. Pronounced like "I know". Clued as "Daughter of Cadmus" in our puzzle last time. She rescued Odyssus from drowing by giving him a veil. I was thinking of Dido, but she is actually "Queen of Carthage". Do you know that Elissa is another name for Dido?

8D: Poetry-reading competition: SLAM. Have never heard of Poetry SLAM. Do you call this a poem?

9D: Group that grows as boomers grow: AARP. I like this clue too.

10D: Brown, but not white?: IVY. Stumped. Very clever clue. The "but not white" part is very tricky and misleading. Brown is an IVY League school. I pictured sauce and then bread. I might have thought the university if the clue were simply "Brown, for one". Hmm, I take it back. This clue might lead me to Michael Brown and the "heck of a job" he did.

11D: Roundabout route: DETOUR

12D: What mailed packages are in?: TRANSIT. Tricky. ENVELOP is the only word that popped into my brain.

14D: Golden __: AGER

15D: Polanski film based on a Hardy novel: TESS. TESS is the only Hardy novel I've read. I had no idea that Polanski made it into a movie.

22D: Bucky of "Get Fuzzy" for one: CAT. Absolutely no idea. I've never heard of this comic strip.

23D: Verizon rival, initially: ATT. AT&T stock ticker is just a T.

24D: Hound's find: SPOOR

25D: Abril-mayo zodiac sign: TAURO. Spanish for Taurus (Apri 20-May 20). I am not into horoscope, so I had no idea which one is for which month. And I don't speak Spanish. Therefore, a complete loss here.

26D: "Farewell, François!": ADIEU. I would like some lively & topical clue for ADIEU rather than the alliteration. They've said ADIEU to each other.

27D: U.S. Canada defense acronym: NORAD. Crossword stalwart acronym.

28D: Lived: DWELT. "Lived" is often a clue for WAS.

30D: California's ___ Verdes Peninsula: PALOS. No idea. See this map. PALOS Verdes is literally "green sticks" in Spanish.

31D: Dictator's fate, perhaps: EXILE. Stupid Saddam should have chosen this route and settled down in Syria. The Iraq War would have been avoided.

32D: Label data: SIZES

40D: Vigilant: ON ALERT. So hard to get used to multiple word answers.

41D: Wall St. watchdog: SEC. The current chairperson is Mary Schapiro, the first woman to head SEC.

43D: Camaraderie: RAPPORT

45D: Marquis of note: DE SADE. Sadism is derived from his name.

46D: Former African secessionist state: BIAFRA. Have never heard of BIAFRA (southeast of Nigeria). It existed from May 1967 to Jan 1970. Wikipedia says "Doctors Without Borders" were created in the aftermath of BIAFRA secession. Oh well, at least something good came out of this conflict.

49D: Latin 101 word: AMAT. "He loves". Amo, amas, AMAT.

50D: "Did gyre and gimble in the__": "Jabberwocky": WABE. No idea. All the "Jabberwocky" stuff drive me bunkers. It simply makes no sense to me.

52D: Writer Harte: BRET. I confused him with "Poet Hart" (Crane). Both appeared in our puzzle before. Wikipedia says BRET Harte is an "American author and poet, best remembered for his accounts of pionnering life in California".

53D: Phnom __: PENH. Plus Pol Pot & Khmer Rouge, that' all I know about Cambodia. Their official language is Khmer. I don't know why Chinese translation for Phnom PENH is "Gold Border". Maybe there are lots of gold there?

56D: __ dieu: PRIE. The kneeling bench. I learned this from doing Xword.

57D: Large cake layer: TIER

58D: Narrow waterways: Abbr.: STRS (Straits). Again, not a familiar abbreviation to me.

60D: Where Goldilocks was discovered: BED. Anyone uses Sleep Number BED? Is it really that good?

61D: Royal Botanic Gardens locale: KEW. The KEW Garden was established in 1759. Have you been there? Their water lily pads look so strange.

Answer Grid.

C.C.

Friday April 10, 2009 Nora Pearlstone

Theme: The 5K

18A: Sightseeing at The Steppes?: STARK GAZING (Star Gazing)

24A: Dogs' communication systems?: BARK CODE (Bar Code)

39A: Creative executive compensation techniques?: PERK FORMING ARTS (Performing Arts)

51A: Price for the village green?: PARK VALUE (Par Value)

62A: Ones who never know what to use for their salad?: FORK DUMMIES (For Dummies)

Ah, finally an offering from our editor Rich Norris himself. Nora Pearlstone is his alias name, anagram of "Not a real person". Of this list, I like Gia Christian the most (anagram of "Again, it's Rich"). How about you?

It seems that every Friday we have a wordplay puzzle. On March 27, it's PRE prefix. Then last Friday we had an IR-RI-tating IR to RI transformation grid.

Hard struggle this morning. I think I can only handle Monday to Wednesday LA Times. Lots of wite-out. I wrote down RABIN for 3D: Co-Nobelist Arafat (YASIR) immediately. And I thought I was smart. Then I did not know "What's up?" (1A: SKY). What a simple yet tricky clue! Can you picture the V-8 prints on my forehead?

Besides SKY, I also love the clue for NON (30D: Nice way to beg off?). Nice refers to the French city. Can you think of a better way to clue QUA (14A: Sine __ non)? I know one is Latin, one is French, but I still don't like the repetition.

Across:

4A: It may be split at lunch: THE TAB. Nice to see THE as part of an answer.

10A: Big name in shoes: MCAN. Learned several months ago that the brand was named after some Scottish golfer named Thomas McCann. Rory McIlroy, the next Tiger Woods (or possibly just a Sergio Garcia as Lemonade said), shot 72 yesterday. I think he is a more exciting RORY clue than "Golfer Sabbatini".

15A: "L.A. Law" co-creator: BOCHCO (Steven). Unknown to me. Wikipedia says he is also the co-creator of "Hill Streets Blue" & "N.Y.P.D. Blue". His teeth look fake.

17A: Young __: UNS. Is this L'il Abner talk?

20A: Medical suffix: ITIS

23A: Stand at attention: SNAP TO

27A: Wall St. trader: ARB (Arbitrager). What exactly is a arbitrager? Is he part of the hedge fund mess?

28A: Final: Abbr.: ULT

29A: Close-at-hand: IN STORE

33A: Point of view: ANGLE. Slant has 5 letters too.

36A: Cádiz cat: GATO. No idea. It's CHAT in French. I don't speak Spanish. Cat in Chinese is MAO, same spelling but different tone than the Mao in Mao Ze-dong. Mandarin Chinese has 4 tones: flat, rising, falling then rising, and falling.

38A: '50 campaign monogram: AES. Ah, just mentioned yesterday that the E stands for Ewing. He did have an affair with Lauren Bacall, didn't he?

43A: Stowe girl: EVA. I forgot. Saw this clue before. The girl in "Uncle Tom's Cabin".

44A: Hurt: PAIN. And THROE (7D: Severe pang).

45A: Healthy-looking: RUDDY. Ruddy? I really think Rory McIlroy looks like Tony Blair.

46A: Cow country sights: RANCHES

49A: Crooner's asset: EAR

50A: Soft & __: deodorant: DRI. I wonder who will be the first constructor to clue DRI as "Female yak".

57A: Increasing: UPPING

60A: Certain presentee: DEB. Tough one for me. The surrounds provided me with no help.

61A: Old Mercury model: LYNX. No idea. How old? Our local WNBA team is called Minnesota LYNX.

65A: Cool air feature: NIP

66A: Swing era bandleader Cates: OPIE. Which one is he? The only OPIE I know is the "Mayberry boy".

67A: Egyptian god: AMEN RA. Or AMUN RA. See the upper left corner hieroglyph. I am used to seeing only the single AMEN/AMUN. Did anyone think of Osiris?

68A: Windy City "L" runner: CTA (Chicago Transit Authority). This *TA ofen stumps me.

69A: Steamy: SEXY. And GRASP (36D: Get). Is this S & S, G & G repetition on purpose? Does it make the fill peppy in your view?

70A: __ à trois: MENAGE. Reminded me of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". What popped into your mind?

71A: Angry, with "up": HET. Crossword word. I've never used this phrase in my daily conversation.

Down:

1D: Witticism: SQUIB. New definition of SQUIB to me. I wanted BON MOT, but it did not fit.

2D: "Roots" hero: KUNTA. I saw one episode when KUNTA Kinte said the grits/dummy. Can't remember the exact lines.

4D: "Very funny" station: TBS. "We know drama" is TNT.

5D: Family-style Asian dish: HOT POT. Very popular winter food in China. The funny thing is that people seldom make HOT POT at home. Too much work.

6D: American Greetings "mailing": E-CARD

8D: Disgusted cry: ACK. I often use Ugh.

9D: Soft spots: BOGS. Another tricky clue. The swampy BOGS are indeed soft.

10D: Haydn contemporary: MOZART. Pure guess. I don't know those two are contemporaries.

11D: Medical office accessory: CLIP BOARD. Did not come to me immediately.

12D: Isn't wrong?: AIN'T. I like this clue.

13D: Canceled: NO-GO

19D: Literary miscellanea: ANAS

21D: Move stealthily: SKULK

25D: Pitch indicator: CLEF. The musical staff. Not baseball.

26D: Nonviolent protest: SIT-IN. Tiananmen Square Incident started with peaceful mass SIT-IN.

31D: Like Gen. Schwarzkopf: RETD. Oh, I have a question: Can you un-retire a general? For example, can General Shinseki be reinstalled into his previous Chief of Staff of Army post, since he was forced to retire?

32D: Swedish actress Persson: ESSY. No idea. I tried, Google asked me "Did you mean Person Essay"? Only one line entry in Wikipedia. So I guess she is not that famous.

33D: Imitator: APER. Another crossword word.

34D: St. Petersburg's river: NEVA. It's clued as "River to the Gulf of Finland" last time. Wikipedia says it's the third largest river in Europe in terms of average discharge, after the Volga and Danube.

35D: Formula One race: GRAND PRIX

37D: Chartres chum: AMI. Another alliteration. See this tiny map. Chartres is to the southwest of Paris. Unknown to me.

40D: "I __ you liked your drink", sez Gunga Din": 'OPE. Was this a gimme to you? I've never heard of this Rudyard Kipling poem.

41D: Attractive force: Abbr.: GRAV. Gravity.

42D: Kind of comprehension: AURAL. No idea. The only "Kind of comprehension" I am familiar with is reading.

47D: "Holy cow": CRIKEY

48D: Rear: HIND

49D: "La Dolce Vita" actress: EKBERG (Anita). Sigh, I could only picture how she looks in the movie. Could not remember her name.

52D: Pitch specialists?: AD MEN. Great clue.

53D: Madrid monarch: REINA. Spanish for queen. REY is king.

54D: "Mulholland Drive" director: LYNCH (David). He often talks about Transcental Meditation and the incredible "bliss" the practice brings to him. I tried once, and I simply could not concentrate.

55D: Get together: UNITE

56D: Politcal outcast: EXPAT. Really? I am a Chinese EXPAT living in the US, but I am not a "Political outcast".

57D: Sci-fi hoverers: UFOS

58D: Castel Gandolfo resident: POPE. Had no idea that Castel Gandolfo is the summer residence of the POPE. Wikipedia says it's 30km south-east of Rome.

59D: Largest of the Marianas: GUAM. "Where America's Day Begins".

63D: Fr. title: MME. "Sp. title" equivalent is SRA. I penned in STE first.

64D: MS. enclosure: SAE (Self-addressed Envelope). Baseball players will not sign your cards if you don't enclose a SAE. Politicians don't care. I guess their postage is paid by the taxpayers.

Answer Grid.

C.C.

Thursday April 9, 2009 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Tack Together

17A: Tack: TEMPORARY STITCH

26A: Tack: CARPET FASTENER

42A: Tack: SAILOR'S HEADING

56A: Tack: STABLE EQUIPMENT

I learned this morning that the equestrian "Tack" is actually a shortening of "Tackle" in the sense of "equipment". It includes BRIDLE (10D: Horse's headgear") and saddle. So, it's basically the same as harness, isn't it? I forgot to which the straps and bands belong. Also can someone tell me the difference between BRIDLE and halter again? (Note: From Argyle: Bridle has a bit that is placed in the horses' mouths to get them to turn. Reins are attached to it. Halter is with out a bit and you attach a lead to it.)


I am not familiar with the sailing term "Tack". Dictionary explains it as "the heading of a sailing vessel, when sailing close-hauled, with reference to the wind direction". It does not make much sense to me. What is "close-hauled"?

My quibbles today:

2D: Once again: ANEW. Could have changed into "Over again" because ONCE is the answer for 12D: Formerly.

11D: Mountain sighting: YETI. The clue feels like you can spot a YETI in any mountain. But YETI only exists in Himalaya. Actually it only exists as a myth.

40D: Runway VIP: MODEL. Why abbreviated VIP when the answer is a full spelled-out word?

I got PBA (58D: Cops' org) from Across fills. I've never heard of Patrolmen's Benevolent Association. But isn't PBA more well-known as Professional Bowlers Association? Maybe because I live with a bowler. Our house is full of PBA patches, pins, rings and other stuff. My husband's name is inscribed in Bowling Hall-of-Fame, Hometown Boy section.

Across:

1A: Medicine cabinet item: GAUZE. No GAUZE in our medicine cabinet. This puzzle is 2 letters (V, X) away from a pangram.

6A: Holy pilgrimage: HADJ. Sometimes it's HAJJ. And one who has been to Mecca is called HAJI or HADJI. Looks like letter I refers to a person, doesn't it? Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison is the first HAJI of the US Congress. He made his HADJ last year.

10A: Party invite letters: BYOB

14A: Naughty way to live: IN SIN. "Live IN SIN" is a new phrase to me. I am not naughty.

16A: Ashcroft's predecessor: RENO. Learned this morning that she is a Danish American.

22A: In better order: TIDIER

23A: Physics units: ERGS. From Greek Ergon, meaning "work". I used to think ERG is an abbreviation of something. Only realized a few weeks ago that it's a full spelled-out unit.

25A: D.C. attraction, with "the": MALL. The National MALL. King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech here.

32A: Artificial being of Jewish folklore: GOLEM. Ugh. I forgot this word completely. Williams clued it as "Automation of Jewish legend" last time. It's literally "cocoon" in modern Hebrew. Wikipedia says "Frankstein" was inspired by the GOLEM legend, whatever it is.

33A: Sites in la Méditerranée: ILES. I penned in MERS first.

36A: Elixir: TONIC. Is it true that soda pop is called TONIC in New England?

39A: Short cut: BOB. This is perhaps the most well-known BOB haircut in fashion industry. I think Anna Wintour looks very cool, don't you? "Devil Wears Prada" is written by her former personal assitant.

40A: Catchall abbr.: MISC

41A: Ostracizes: SHUNS

47A: Grim film genre: NOIR. Lemonade mentioned last time that Fritz Lang is the pioneer for Film NOIR.

48A: Drapery ornament: TASSEL

59A: "We have met the enemy and he is us" speaker: POGO. The comic strip. John Underwood once tried to clue POGO this way, but Williams changed it to "Stick for hopping".

60A: Pivot: SLUE

61A: Language of southern Africa: BANTU. Include Swahili and Zulu.

63A: In order (to): SO AS

64A: Cotopaxi's range: ANDES. I guessed. I did not know that Cotopaxi is a volcano in the ANDES Mountain. It's the highest active volcano in the world.

Down:

1D: Lights out: GITS. Why? Dictionary says GIT is a British slang for "a foolish or contemptible person". It has nothing to do with "Lights" or "Lights out".

3D: Pres. Grant's alma mater: USMA. Oh, I was unaware of this fact. Only know Ike graduated from West Point.

4D: Like some change purses: ZIPPERED

5D: Ambient music pioneer: ENO. And ELO (57D: "Xanadu" band, for short). Both are crossword stalwarts.

6D: San Simeon castle builder: HEARST. Ah, got it immediately, thanks to Clear Ayes/Crockett's repeated mention of this place.

7D: 160 square rods: ACRE. Easy guess. I did not know the exact measure of ACRE. "160 square rods" sounds like a lot.

8D: Like Syrah wine: DRY. Another guess. I know nothing about "Syrah" or wine. These Syrah/Shiraz grapes look very sweet. Black grapes always taste sweeter than the green ones or the red ones.

9D: "Be right there!": JUST A SEC. Now I am slowly getting used to this kind of 3-word answer and I like it a lot.

13D: Physicist represented in the play "Copenhagen": BOHR. Another guess. I forgot Niels BOHR is Danish. He won Nobel Physics in 1922, and his son also won the prize 1975.

19D: Jousts: TILTS. New definition of TILT to me.

24D: LP's 33 1/3: RPM. I don't know anything about this 33 1/3 or 45. Saw lots of LP's in the flea market. I often wonder if they still work.

25D: Landlocked African nation: MALI. OK, it's indeed landlocked. Can't let MALI go without mentioning Ali Farka Toure. This is for you, Melissa, Embien and all of you who were/are "Unfaithful". It's not the original, but his son did a wonderful job.

26D: Drink with marshmallow: COCOA. Well, I never drink COCOA with marshmallow. I don't like marshmallow.

27D: Cover story?: ALIBI. I like this clue.

28D: Bunting, for one: FINCH. Did not know that bunting is a bird, not to mention FINCH.

29D: Like a shutout: NO RUN. NO HIT anyone?

30D: Southfork surname: EWING. I blanked. Have never seen "Dallas". Williams used to clue EWING as "Adlai Stevenson's middle name".

31D: Weightlifter's stat: REPS

32D: Yaks: GABS. Ah, not the Yaks in my mind. Anyway, my question is: If female yak is dri, why yak milk instead of dri milk?

38D: Graham Greene novella, with "The": THIRD MAN. Have heard of the movie. Did not know it's written by Graham Greene.

41D: Reagan era prog.: SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative). The Star Wars program.

43D: City from which Vasco da Gama sailed: LISBON. Da Gama was a Portuguese explorer.

48D: An oz. has six: TSPS (Teaspoons). Chinese people seldom measure. We cook by feel. TBSP is tablespoon.

50D: Big account: SAGA. My favorite clue. Thought of major client "Big account".

51D: Color similar to turquoise: AQUA. Let's see, turquoise. And an AQUA clock. Similar? I think so.

53D: Tear: REND. "Tore" would be RENT, tricky past tense.

55D: A/C spec sheet units: BTUS

Answer Grid.

C.C.

Interview with Dan Feyer

Dan Feyer is fast, very fast, one of the fastest (if not the fastest) crossword solvers in the US. His solving time for today's "Un-State-ly State" puzzle is 2:12.

Dan is the ACPT (American Crossword Puzzle Tournament) B Division winner this year. He is also the C Division winner in 2008.

We've heard from several constructors & our editor Rich Norris on crossword constructing and editing. I thought it would be interesting to glean some wisdom from a speed solver.

By the way, it's Dan who informed me last week that I made a mistake on LAT Sunday rating. Rich Norris later confirmed that difficulty level of Sunday puzzle is indeed similar to that of Thursday. So it's a 3 instead of 4.

Enjoy the interview. I hope you find his answers educating and inspirational. Me? I am in "Shock and Awe".

What's your overall impression of LA Times Daily puzzles? How are they different from NY Times in terms of difficulty and cluing style? Those multiple words really give me trouble. We seldom encountered them in Wayne R. Williams edited TMS Daily puzzle.

Rich Norris's LA Times crossword is second only to the NY Times for its quality and entertainment value. I'm not sure I can describe a particular difference between the styles of Norris and Will Shortz, except for slight trends toward local-interest cluing. (E.g. more entertainment clues in LAT, more NYC-specific nuggets in the NYT.) The NYT is definitely more difficult; as a rough measure, they're about one day apart: LAT Tuesday = NYT Monday; LAT Saturday = NYT Friday. Roughly. This doesn't apply to the LAT puzzles we've had since the big switch, because Rich is taking is easy on his new solvers now.

I solved the TMS puzzles for a few weeks this year, and found them noticeably inferior to the NYT/LAT. I don't understand why Mr. Williams would outlaw multi-word phrases, or allow FOUR Roman numerals in a single grid! I know your readers were used to his style - and many still miss him, as those poll results indicate - but believe me, you all are lucky to have the LAT (or Newsday) puzzle now. I also encourage avid solvers to explore the other first-rate free puzzles out there, from the daily syndicated CrosSynergy to the weekly Chronicle of Higher Education and Wall Street Journal crosswords. Links can be found at Puzzle Pointers.

Can you give us an estimate of your solving times of LA Times (Monday to Sunday)? How do you normally tackle the puzzles? Do you use only Across/Down clues like some other speed solvers do for early weekday grids? Do you use Google to cheat immediately when the fill stumps you or you walk away and come back later with an inspired answer?

It's been a while since I couldn't finish a newspaper puzzle in one sitting. I almost never Google - when I get stuck on a really hard puzzle in a book, for instance, I'll come back to it later, and usually end up figuring out without "cheating". I have dabbled a bit with Downs-only solving, which is a fun challenge, in the pocket-size "Sit & Solve Crosswords" books. (Across-only solving is even harder and not recommended).

My LA Times solving times in Across Lite range from 1:30-2:00 on a Monday to 2:30-3:30 on a Saturday. Of course, sometimes they're tougher, but even a Saturday rarely takes me more than 4 minutes now. Sunday usually runs 5-6 minutes, but this past Sunday's by Will Nediger was my record at 4:17. If I'm solving on paper, it's at least 30 seconds slower (60 seconds on Sunday). I started keeping track of my times a few months ago on my "blog", so check in there if you're ever curious how fast I solved the day's puzzles. (Why you might be curious, I have no idea...)

The second most important tip for speed-solving is to use the letters you already have in the grid, because they can steer your brain toward a word even before looking at the clue. The most important tip is to solve truckloads of crosswords, because you'll learn all the strange fill words and cluing tricks until they're second nature.

What's your background? Who developed your interest in crossword solving? How many puzzles do you solve each day now?

Dad was born in Hungary, Mom's parents immigrated from Russia to New Jersey. Oh, crossword background? None to speak of. I enjoyed puzzle books and magazines as a precocious kid, and in college would solve the NYT Sunday crossword whenever I got my hands on a Sunday Magazine. In my 20s (I'm 31 now), I mostly forgot about crosswords until a friend gave me a NYT puzzle collection, which I'd work on every once in a while.

The spark for my current obsession was the movie "Wordplay", which I watched on PBS in October 2007. I quickly learned that the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament was moving to New York City (where I live), and that there was a thriving online community of solvers. I bought the NYT crossword subscription, started solving all the daily puzzles, and read Orange's and Rex's blogs for more insight. Not only was I addicted to puzzles, but I was getting better and faster very quickly. Since the beginning of 2008, I've solved an average of 20-25 crosswords a day. (Which is a bit frightening, but many of those are on my subway commute, and a normal-sized puzzle usually takes me 2-3 minutes.) That's what took me from "fast" to "tied for the fastest in the country" in a year... that, and the right kind of brain wiring.

Who are you favorite constructors? Who gives you the most trouble? And why?

I am not sure I have a constructorial "nemesis", aside from the folks who make hard puzzles as a matter of course: Bob Klahn, Byron Walden, Brad Wilber (a frequent LAT themeless Saturday creator), David J, Kahn. My favorites: Trip Payne, Matt Gaffney, Karen M. Tracey, Patrick Blindauer, Brendan Emmett Quigley, Doug Peterson, Barry C. Silk, John Farmer, I could go on for hours... Dan Naddor, who only contributes to the LAT, is incredibly creative and prolific. And there are three wordsmiths who I consider the best in the world: Patrick Berry, Frank Longo, and Henry Hook. Buy a crossword book by any of them, and you won't be disappointed! (You might be seriously stumped, however.)

What would people find one thing that's most surprising about you?

You've probably noticed this, but for a supposed word expert, I'm not a very good writer. My left brain (analytical) is very strong, my right brain (creative) not so much. Similarly, I play the piano and conduct and arrange music for a living, but I have no talent or interest in composing music!

Thank you, C.C, and I look forward to following your journey with LAT puzzles.

Wednesday April 8, 2009 Patrick Jordan

Theme: Un-state-ly State

18A: "Show me" state?: SKEPTICISM

24A: Empire state? SUPREMACY

37A: Volunteer state?: WILLINGNESS

53A: Beehive state?: DILIGENCE

59A: Granite state?: DURABILITY

Not an easy battle this morning. If those states were real states, I bet I would struggle too. I can never remember those state nicknames. Minnesota is "North Star State". Our state motto is "L'Etoile du Nord" (the Star of North). Maybe you can educate me today with your state nickname and why it's named so.

Normally I don't like clues-as-theme style grid, but I do like this puzzle. I thought it's quite creative. I also love the 5 K's. Just heard on the radio the other day that the K in Kn combination (knock, knot, knife) was pronounced 500 hundred years ago. Nobody k-nows why it suddenly became silent.

I don't like the clue for SHUTS (68A: Turns (off) because OFF is the answer for 55A: Not working. Wish APR (22A: Car loan letters) were clued as "19D month". It would be a great crossing with IRS (19D: Treasury Dept), don't you think so?

To those who worked on Barrel of A Pencil's "Get the Lead Out" puzzle, here is the answer sheet. He also provided additonal information on his pencil theme at the Comments section.

Across:

1A: Summon the genie: RUB. My answer was ASK. Genie is the English transliteration of the Arabic jinn.

4A: Stacy who played Mike Hammer: KEACH. Unknown name to me. I have no idea who Mike Hammer is.

9A: Fischer man?: PAWN. Bobby Fischer. Great clue. Play on fisherman.

13A: Greek goddess of discord: ERIS. Discordia for the Romans. She is the sister of Ares, god of war. She indirectly caused the Trojan War, correct? Since she threw the Apple of Discord at the party.

16A: Pentathlon event: EPEE. Oh, I did not know this. According to Wikipedia, modern penthathlon consists five events: pistol shooting, EPEE fencing, 200-meter freestyle swimming, show jumping and a 3 km cross-country run.

17A: Almanac tidbit: FACT

20A: Anxious feeling: UNEASE. Who else thought of QUALMS?

23A: Lunched or brunched: ATE. or "munched".

32A: A unicycle has one: TIRE

35A: "Men in Black" extras: ALIENS. Have never seen the movie. I remember we had ETS clued as "Men in Black" extras once.

40A: Broadway opening?: SCENE I. Tricky. I wanted LETTER B, thinking of the first letter of Broadway, but I needed one more blank.

42A: Cork sources: OAKS. Learned a new phrase this morning: Blow/Pop one's cork, meaning "to lose temper". Give another dimension to wine/whine.

44A: With 6-Down, it's "bitter" in England: PALE 6D: See 44-Across: ALE. New to me. I don't drink beer.

46A: Francisco's farewell: ADIOS. Alliteration in the clue again.

51A: Leading the pack: ON TOP

56A: Instrument sometimes made from koa wood: UKE. Learned this when I researched for "Hawaiian acacia" last time. KOA wood is valued for furniture and musical instruments.

65A: East Asian capital: SEOUL. Tokyo is another 5-letter word that might fit. Beijing, Pyongyang (North Korea), Taipei, Ulan Bator (Mongolia) have too many letters. But those are all the East Asian capitals.

66A: Trig ratio: SINE

67A: "Sneaked" look: PEEK. Lovely clue.

Down:

1D: Scow load: REFUSE. Hmm, noun. Verb would be good too, since we have I CAN (33A: Optimist's credo) in the grid.

2D: First planet discovered using a telescope: URANUS. In 1781, by William Herschel. Can you believe telescope was already developed in 1608?

3D: Weightlifters's pride: BICEPS. And PEC (9D: Push-up muscle). Thought of the pump-ous Dennis.

4D: Casey who provided Shaggy's voice in TV's "Scooby-Doo": KASEM. Only knew him "Deejay Casey". He is a Lebanese-American.

5D: Bugling grazer: ELK. I forgot ELK bugles. It only bugles during the rut season, right?

7D: Common HMO requirements: COPAYS

10D: They're abuzz with activity: APIARIES. Learned this word a few months ago. Can't be BEEHIVES since it's part of the clue for 53A.

11D: Gene Autry film: WESTERN. Thought the clue was asking for a specific film title. I often confuse his horse Champion with Lone Ranger's Silver & Roy Roger's Trigger/Bullet.

12D: Luthor and Brainiac, to Superman: NEMESES. An educated guess. Wow, FRIENDS also have 7 letters.

14D: Unsettling look: STARE

21D: Declining from old age: SENILE. Really like Julie Christie's "Away From Her". To me, she is more beautiful than Sophie Loren.

26D: Sicilian pastry: CANNOLI. Have never had CANNOLI before. Are those cherries on the open ends?

28D: Elevator man: OTIS. His given name is Elisha. Hebrew for "God is salvation". Interesting, Dictionary says El is "God" and yesha is "salvation". So, the ELIHU Yale's name is God related too then. Oh, my god, Dictionary further explains that ELIHU means "He is my god" or "my god is he".

34D: Movie excerpt: CLIP

36D: "Gil Blas" novelist: LESAGE. Sigh, I forgot all about this novelist. Identical clue a few months ago. I quoted his "Pride and conceit were the original sins of man" and "Facts are stubborn things" last time. Need to split his name into LE SAGE to remember him.

37D: Was released: WENT FREE. Had trouble obtaining this phrase. Kept thinking of parole.

38D: Not __ many words: IN SO

39DL One who may converse in Erse: GAEL. CELT is 4-letter too.

40D: Failed to meet as planned: STOOD UP

41D: Befuddle: CONFUSE

45D: "The Story of __"L 1975 Isabelle Adjani film: ADELE H. Complete unknown to me. ADELE H refers to ADELE Hugo, second daughter of Victor Hugo. Wikipedia says it's destructive story of her unrequited love to a naval officer.

47D: Collection agency concerns: DEBTS. And IOU (61D: Debtor's concerns). Do you have a better clue for IOU? I am just not fond of this debtor/DEBT.

49D: Gas rating: OCTANE

50D: Get riled: SEE RED. You won't believe the trouble I had parsing SEERED.

52D: Dartboard setting: PUB. Or BAR.

54D: Pastoral poems: IDYLS. More familiar with IDYLL.

57D: Sleeping Beauty awakener: KISS. What's the name of the prince who kissed her? I thought the clue was asking for him.

60D: Scriptural ship: ARK. I am surprised that Noah's ARK is also mentioned in Qur'an.

62D: Disapproving word: TUT. No waffling between TUT and TSK this time due to the crossing SEOUL.

Answer Grid.

C.C.

Tuesday April 7, 2009 Don Gagliado

Theme: Slabber's Pals

17A: Astound: FLABBERGAST

39A: Gossipy types: BLABBERMOUTHS

62A: Classic baking powder brand: CLABBER GIRL

Wish CLABBER GIRL were one word, then the theme answers would be more consistent.

My favorite clue today is AB CRUNCH (11D: Six-pack enhancer?"), so many consonants. I also like seeing OBAMA (6A: 44th president) crossing OPRAH (6D: Talk's Winfrey). I wonder if he would have gained that much momentum without OPRAH's earlier endorsement. Do you know that Barack means "peach" in Hungarian?

I am surprised by our poll result so far. I was also surprised to read this piece in Naples Daily News. One reader wrote: “We do not like the L.A. Times daily crossword puzzle that you’ve started to use. We find it to be very ‘gimmicky’ and difficult to solve as many of the answers aren’t logical or able to be found through a reference manual...".

That's exactly what makes Rich Norris puzzles entertaining. He works hard to be "illogical" and gives us the twisted V-8 moment "gimmicks".

It takes time to adjust to a new editor and his cluing style. I hope you all have patience. If you don't understand the clue or the answer, just go to the Comments section and ask. Don't be shy or feel intimidated by the regulars there. We were all strangers once. And remember, no question is stupid in this blog. I am not afraid to ask question, nor should you be.

Across:

1A: Working on, as homework: DOING. We did not have light in our house until 1979. So I had to do my homework under the candle.

14A: The blahs: ENNUI. I am glad I did not know what ENNUI was when I was a child.

16A: "Big" London clock: BEN. From Dr. Dad: Big BEN is not the clock. It's not the tower. It's the BELL inside the tower. A common mistake to say it is the clock.

20A: Pickle holder: JAR. Gingers turn pink naturally when pickled.

21A: Oater actor Jack: ELAM. I can never remember this guy's name. Rich Norris clued ELAM as "Placekicker Jason" last time.

24A: Cyclotron particle: ATOM. Easy guess. I don't know what "Cyclotron" is. Sounds nuclear and dangerous.

30A: Litter cries: MEWING. No plural for MEWING? I penned in S at the end of blanks immediately, and had trouble with the ING.

32A: "Married ... With Children" dad: AL BUNDY. Unknown to me. Wikipedia says the show was notable for being the first prime time TV series to air on Fox, debuted on April 5, 1987. Oh, I just found out that Rupert Murdock's Fox was launched only in 1986.

35A: One hanging around: LOITERER. Only know the verb loiter.

38A: Suffix with web: CAM. Looks so high-tech to me.

42A: Letter after sigma: TAU. I know the letter, ignorant of the exact order though. It's before upsilon.

43A: Refined grace: ELEGANCE. Did Grace Kelly pop into your mind also? She is the epitome of ELEGANCE. I really like her in "To Catch a Thief".

44A: Kate of "The Reader": WINSLET. Another elegant actress. She won Oscar for "The Reader".

46A: Sarge's order: TEN HUT. Nope. I could only think of AT EASE. Wikipedia says TEN HUT is an American military term meaning "Come to attention!" It was shortened from "a-ten-hut" and came into use because it is easier to say at full shout than "attention." I feel "attention" is easier to shout, don't you?

50A: "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz" brand word: ALKA. I guessed. I've never heard of the song.

51A: Hard to recall: HAZY

54A: "Don't __ me, bro!": TASE. Here is the clip again. You will hear "Don't TASE me, bro!" around 1:58. It's played and replayed and replayed on various stations ad nauseam.

58A: Darn with thread: MEND

61A: Saturn SUV: VUE. French for "sight" as well.

66A: Hang in midair: HOVER. Thought of the kestrel the windhover immediately.

67A: Kate's sitcom pal: ALLIE

68A: '60 "trip" drug: LSD

69A: 33-Down's field: OPERA. And LEONTYNE (33D: Price known for Verdi roles), who was a completely unknown to me. Wikipedia says she was the the first African-American to become a leading prima donna at the Mets and best known for her title role "Aida".

70A: Like really old bread: MOLDY. STALE came to me first.

Down:

1D: Hip-hop record label: DEF JAM. Here is their logo. New name to me. Not into hip-hop or rap or their bling-blings.

2D: Airing after midnight, say: ON LATE. I wanted ON TAPE.

3D: Way to organize all your ducks?: IN A ROW. Lovely clue.

4D: Pencil remnant: NUB. I wonder why pencils instead pens are provided at the golf course. Easy to cheat?

5D: Scoff at: GIBE. I keep forgetting this taunting meaning of GIBE. Vaguely remember we had some GIBE & jibe discussions several weeks ago.

7D: USS Missouri nickname: BIG MO. New to me also. Wikipedia says it's also called "Mighty Mo".

10D: Aptly named shaving lotion: AFTA. After? Holy moley! No idea. I've never paid attention to what brand my husband is using. I don't like the bottle.

12D: Open porches: VERANDAS

18D: Qualified: ELIGIBLE

23D: Like "algae" or "termini": Abbr. PLU. Chinese nouns have no plural form.

27D: Italian cheese city: PARMA. Oh, is that how we get Parmesan cheese?

31D: Prize founder: NOBEL. Harsh words on Geithner's BAILOUTS (39D: Large-scale financial rescues) from Paul Krugman, NOBEL economics winner.

34D: "How to Talk Dirty and Influence People" author Lenny: BRUCE. Have never heard of the book, a parody of Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People".

37D: Bit of work: ERG. Both ERG and JOULE are often clued as "Work unit". JOULE is ten million ERGS.

40D: Bozo: LUNKHEAD. Know blockhead. LUNKHEAD is new to me.

41D: Revival structure: TENT. Thought of yesterday's earthquake in L'Aquila. So many landmark buildings are destroyed.

42D: "Up, up and away" defunct flier: TWA. Owned by Howard Huges from 1939 to 1966.

47D: Skating gold medalist Dorothy: HAMILL. 1976 Olympics champion. She looks very pretty.

48D: Log-in requirement: USER ID

49D: Lipton rival: TETLEY. Owned by Ratan Tata's Tata Group. He was actually educated in the US (Cornell & Harvard). He probably should not have gobbled up Jaguar and Land Rover.

52D: "Waves of grain" color: AMBER. I guessed. I had no idea that it's from "America the Beautiful".

59D: Apothecary's weight: DRAM. One eight of an ounce, or sixty grains, according to Dictionary.

64D: Mop & __: floor cleaner: GLO. I don't know what's the brand in our house, but it's definitely not Mop & GLO.

Answer Grid.

C.C.

Monday April 6, 2009 Elizabeth A. Long

Theme: BE QUIET (36A: "Shh!" (and a hint to the feature shared by the answers to starred clues))

20A: *Shari Lewis puppet: LAMB CHOP

52A: *Act all innocent: PLAY DUMB

11D: *Duster's find at a crime scene: THUMB PRINT

28D: *Precariously situated: OUT ON A LIMB

Hmm, no scrabbly JAMB. All B's are silent. Great puzzle. I like how BE QUIET is positioned in the very middle of the grid. Very creative theme title. I also like how letter B starts the puzzle (1A: Narrow-necked pear: BOSC) and ends the puzzle (65A: Swedish auto: SABB). Nice touch!

B is such a strange letter. Sometimes it's also silent when it's in the middle of the words like debt, subtle, doubtful, etc.

I did not know CALEB (21D: Biblical spy). But "spy" should not be part of the clue as SPY is the answer for 46D: "James Bond, e.g.". Come to the Comments section if you have a better clue for CALEB. Dictionary says it means "dog" in Hebrew.

Will be busy in the next few weeks, so my blog Comments will be very limited.

Across:

5A: James who robbed trains: JESSE. Learned this name on my first day with Pinkerton China. We focused on Intellectual Property investigation and surveillance/debugging. Several of my ex-colleagues are EX-COPs (6D: Many a security guard), ex-Marines, British/German military force, etc. Most speak fluent Chinese.

17A: "Pow!" relative: WHAM. Also George Michael's ex-band. His original Greek name is insane, lots of vowels. I like "Careless Whisper".

18: Immune system agent: T- CELL. T stands for thymus. The B in B-CELL stands for bursa. Anyone knows the difference between T-CELL and B-CELL?

19A: Litter's littlest: RUNTS. I like this clue.

24A: Open-bodied truck: FLAT BED. Oh, I did not know this kind of trailer has a special name.

26A: Moon mission name: APOLLO. Reminds me of JD's comment on Pan the FAUN. She said Pan "created panic by showing up unannounced and scaring "people." He fell in love with the moon, but the moon said he was too ugly to marry and smelled like a goat. So he dressed up as a sweet fluffy lamb and lured the moon into the woods.When she recognized his voice, she hid behind the earth's shadow for many days, creating the 1st eclipse."

30A: No-goodnick: LOUSE. Just noticed that the plural for "No-goodnick" LOUSE is louses. But the plural for the insect LOUSE is lice.

31A: Really punch: SLUG. Hence slugger.

32A: Hops. scanners: MRIS

39A: Legal Lance: ITO. Has he written a book about the Simpson trial as well?

42A: Hit, in billiards: CUED. I like the ambiguity in tense.

45A: Jeff Gordon was its 1993 Rookie of the Year: NASCAR. Oh, I don't know this trivia. Do remember his messy divorce though.

47A: Cavern: GROTTO. And the person who explore caves is a spelunker.

50A: Gucci of fashion: ALDO. No idea. He looks like a mafia too. His father, the founder of Gucci, is named Guccio Gucci.

57A: Soft-tipped pen brand: FLAIR. Another unknown. FLAIR is just a baseball card brand to me.

60A: Dole's 1996 running mate: KEMP (Jack). I forgot. His name appeared in our puzzle before. Someone mentioned his football career last time. Wikipedia says he was a quarterback for 13 years. Reminds me of Senator Jim Bunning (KY). He was a former pitcher. Hall-of-Famer.

61A: Give up: WAIVE. Forgo also has 5 letters.

62A: This, in Tegucigalpa: ESTO. Or ESTA. "That" is ESO. Crossword editors seem to be very fond of alliteration. I had no idea that Tegucigapla is the capital of Honduras. What do you associate Honduras with? Me, banana.

64A: Force units: DYNES. Rooted in Greek dunamis (power), the same origin of "dynamic".

Down:

3D: Pillow covering: SHAM. Wonder when Rich Norris will take a shot at the ilks of Bernie Madoff/Allan Standord. I don't think I will buy Topps Ponzi Cards of Shame. Certain card inserts hold no attraction to me.

4D: Drummer's crashers: CYMBALS. Same pronunciation as symbols, correct? I'd love to hear how UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pronounces bad/bed, sax/sex. I think he might have the same problem as I do.

5D: Rockers __ Tull: JETHRO. No idea. What's their most famous song? Al mentioned the British band ELP yesterday. Look at side two of this album. Isn't it interesting? The Three Fates (Clotho, Lachesis & Atropos).

10D: Layer: STRATUM. Can you think of another clue?

12D: Tennessee-born country singer Ford: ERNIE. His face looks very familiar. I must have googled him before. So many ERNIES to clue: ERNIE Els, ERNIE Banks, who else?

13D: Like a subdued trumpet: MUTED

22D: Paw's mate?: MAW. Comic book? I don't know. I've never heard of MAW & Paw.

25D: Opera box: LOGE. The Italian magistrate is DOGE.

27D: Protruded-lip expression: POUT. Thought of Angelina Jolie and her POUT. Do you think she is beautiful than Chinese actress Gong Li?

31D: Cheerleader unit: SQUAD

37D: Pilate's "Behold!": ECCE Pilate is the guy who said "Ecce homo!" Here is Titian's painting "ECCE Homo". Williams once clued ECCO as "Behod, to Guido". I thought he made up the word.

41D: Trounces: WALLOPS

44D: Annoying people: NOODGES. Variant of nudge. New to me. I only knew the "gentle push" meaning of nudge.

47D: Piercing looks: GLARE. Probably the most piercing and unforgettable eyes in the world.

50D: __ and kicking: ALIVE. I like Celine Dion's "I am ALIVE."

52D: It can be chronic or shooting: PAIN. What is shooting PAIN?

53D: Bear among the stars: URSA. URSA Major & URSA Minor. Latin for "bear". I also found out this morning that Latin for duck is anas.

55D: "We're not serving liquor," briefly: BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle).

57D: Bk. introduction: FWD

58D: Make, as a wager: LAY. Mine was BET. I am not familiar with the term "LAY a wager".

Answer Grid.

C.C.

Sunday April 5, 2009 Will Nediger

Theme: In the Nonfiction Section (Add HOW to a familiar phrase)

23A: Handbook of euphemisms?: HOW TO PUT IT MILDLY

37A: Manual for talk show guests? HOW TO BE ANNOUNCED

44A: Guide for sore losers?: HOW TO BLAME

62A: Self-help book for compulsive liars?: HOW TO BE PERFECTLY FRANK

78A: Reference work for modelists?: HOW TO SCALE

85A: Vade mecum for neologists?: HOW TO COIN A PHRASE

105A: Therapeutic book for blowhards?: HOW TO SAY THE LEAST

I did not know a modelist is a person who makes models (as of planes). And I also did not know the meaning of "Vade mecum (manual, literally "go with me" in Latin). I think I need a dummy's "How to Read Rich Norris' Mind" crossword guide.

Look at these tricky clues he devised:

56A: Bouncer?: BALL. Sure, BALL bounces. I saw the question mark in his clue. And I know he is trying to play with my mind, yet I was still fixed on the bar bouncers.

13D: Take-out order?: DELE. Once again, the question mark did nothing to prevent me from thinking of food. I am so used to the "Editor's mark" clue.

30D: Notions holder: ETUI. To me, "notions" are just ideas. So I wanted HEAD. I was totally ignorant of the "small articles, such as buttons, thread, ribbon, and other personal items" meaning of "notions".

They are clever and entertaining clues once you understand the rationale. But quite frustrating if you can't think outside the box and see where the editor is trying to mislead you. Anyway, I picked up where I left yesterday. Another round of struggle.

Now looking back at my finished grid, I feel that I know lots of answers. But the cluing is so vastly different from the old Williams style that the puzzle was made so much harder to solve.

Oh, why "Ring site" for EAR (107D)? The "Ring" here is not earring, isn't it?

Across:

1A: Motorists' warnings: HONKS. My husband loses patience easily and HONKS when I don't think he should.

6A: A great deal: GOBS. And A TAD (103D: To a slight extend).

15A: "Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer" musical: CATS. Know the musical. Have never heard of the song. Very intimidating clue.

20A: Nimbus: AURA

21A: Humble home: HOVEL. I like the alliteration.

22A: Where Camus' "The Plague" is set: ORAN. Camus was born here, so was Yves Saint Laurent.

26A: Opening word?: MAMA. I thought of opening word in a letter, so I wanted DEAR.

27A: MD's workplaces: ORS. ERS too.

28A: Film introduction?: MICRO. Microfilm.

29A: Close call: SCARE

30A: Hinder: EMBAR

31A: Thread-spinning Fate: CLOTHO. No idea. Have never heard of the Moirae the Three Fates before. Only knew the three Furies (Erinyes) who are chasing Orestes.

33A: It's commonly twisted: ANKLE. I was thinking of PLOT.

34A: Sight in le ciel: ETOILE. Might be tough for those who don't speak French. "Le ciel" is "the sky". "Star in le ciel" would have been an easier clue.

40A: Large envelope feature: CLASP

43A: Patty Hearst alias: TANIA. Unknown to me. Surprised to learn that Patty Hearst is still alive.

48A: He played Sheldon in "Misery": CAAN (James). Someone mentioned this film at the Comments section a few months ago.

50A: Future elm: SEED. Oh well, I thought there might be a special term for the seed, like ACORN for "Future oak".

54A: Sushi fish: EEL. Or AHI occasionally.

55A: Item stolen in Pope's "The Rape of the Lock": TRESS. Uh-uh, nope. Have never heard of this Pope poem. I was confused by the title, thinking of the door lock.

57A: Bareback rider's lack: SADDLE

59A: Hindu god who rides a bull named Nandi: SHIVA. This detailed clue only makes the answer harder for me to obtain. I know SHIVA the "destroyer". Had no idea that he rides a bull. Why those male gods are pictured as feminine is beyond me.

60A: Programmer's output: CODE

61A: Bronze coatings: PATINAS. Heard this word a lot in Antique Roadshows.

67A: U-Haul rental: TRAILER

68A: Drift gracefully: WAFT. Why "gracefully"?

69A: Hard thing to kick: HABIT. Good clue. What's the one bad HABIT you want to get rid of now?

70A: Penn pal: TELLER. Tough clue for me. I am not familiar with Penn & TELLER . Are they very famous?

71A: Nincompoop: BOZO

72A: Lord's home: MANOR. Thought "Lord" was God.

76A: Facebook user's nudge: POKE. No idea. Not into Facebook or Twitter.

77A: Stand-up comic's need: MIKE. "Karaoke need" too.

80A: "Use your head": THINK. Well, obviously I don't know how to "Use my head". The answer did not come to me readily at all.

84A: Antidote target: TOXIN. What's the difference between antidote and antibody?

93A: Jason's vessel: ARGO. His band mates are called Argonauts. I can't remember the story. Did they find the Golden Fleece in the end?

94A: Melodious: ARIOSE. Need to chew some acorn. I can never remember this word.

95A: Drinks for Radar: NEHIS. Very odd poster. What is she holding on her hands?

96A: Get lovey-dovey: CUDDLE. And NESTLE (88D: Get cozy). So sweet!

98A: "Bingo!": RIGHT

99A: Quaint denial: TISNT. No idea. It isn't?

100A: Fencer's move: LUNGE

101A: Flapper's wrapper: BOA. Love the rhyme in the clues. All these flappers seem to have short hair.

104A: Venetian elder of yore: DOGE. Learned this word from doing Xword. It's like English "duke".

108A: __ Girl: former teen fashion mag: ELLE. Oh, I was unaware the short life of ELLE Girl (August 2001-July 2006).

109A: Colorado senator Mark: UDALL. No idea. He needs to appear on Chris Matthews' "Hardball" often for me to pay attention to him. Last time Wayne Williams clued UDALL as "Morris or Stewart of Arizona". I suppose they are all related somehow.

110A: Court statement: PLEA

111A: Jazzman Hines: FATHA. No, I don't know this Earl Hines nickname. What does it mean? Father?

112A: React in shock: REEL

113A: Ready to ship: BOXED. My first reaction is CRATED.

114A: "Sesame Street" guy with a unibrow: BERT. Learned his name from doing crossword. Who's the guy on the left?

115A: Walk, often lightly: TREAD. Really? If TREAD already means "Walk, often lightly", why do we often say TREAD lightly?

Down:

1D: "The Farmer in the Dell" syllables: HI-HO

2D: Wavy lines, in comics: ODOR. I like this clue.

3D: Scrolling 25-Down feature: NEWS CRAWL. And MSNBC (25D: 24-hr. news source)

5D: Replay technique: SLO-MO

6D: Pampean cowboy: GAUCHO. Does GAUCHO and gauche have the same root?

7D: Beat in a regatta: OUTROW. Holy cow! This is a real word. I thought it's made-up.

8D: Con__: spiritedly: BRIO. I bet it's a gimme for Crockett.

9D: Took a load off: SAT

10D: Actor Alan: THICKE. New actor to me. A Canadian. Wikipedia says he was in "Growing Pains".

11D: "Très chic!": OO LA LA

12D: Blockbuster transaction: DVD RENTAL. The cluster of 4 consonants at the beginning of the fill looks quite cool together.

15D: Utterly ordinary: COMMON AS DIRT

16D: Mauritania's official language: ARABIC. I don't where Mauritania is. Dictionary says it's a former French colony. I am surprised that ARABIC is their official language then.

17D: Food wrapped in a corn husk: TAMALE

18D: Trapped: SNARED

24D: Heart: PITH

32D: Complex ABC drama: LOST

36D: Baffin Bay sighting: FLOE. See this map of Baffin Bay. I need an "Arctic" clue for the answer to leap to me.

38D: Rolaids rival: TUMS

41D: Road problem: POTHOLE

45D: Hush money payer: BRIBER

46D: Obsolescent vote finalizer: LEVER. Unknown to me. Here is a picture of a LEVER voting machine when I googled.

47D: Exec's "Fast": ASAP

48D: Citadel student: CADET. Would have got the answer immediately if the clue were "West Point student". I am not familiar with the military college The Citadel.

52D: Panache: ELAN

53: Student's station: DESK

56D: Big, in Variety: BOFFO. Here are more Variety jargon.

57D: Make a peep: SAY BOO. Why? I don't grok it at all.

58D: To begin with: AT FIRST

59D: Part of a femme fatale's outfit: STILETTO HEEL. Great answer.

60D: Pet rocks, once: CRAZE. We had a wild Twins medallions CRAZE several years ago.

65D: Fighter in the Battle for Endor: EWOK. Once again, the extra information in the clue is useless to me. I am used to the "Furry "Star Wars"creature" clue.

66D: Spring event: THAW

71D: Sunbather's depilatory: BIKINI WAX. Another great fill.

72D: Heath: MOOR

73D: 2008 economic stimulus provision: TAX REBATE. I like this answer also.

74D: Sacha Baron Cohen persona: ALI G. Were you thinking of Borat?

77D: 6, on a phone: MNO

79D: West Virginia resource: COAL. China accounts for almost 4/5 of the total deaths in COAL mine accidents.

81D: Party giver: HOST

82D: Bar stock: ICE

83D: Barely rains: SPITS. Dictionary defines SPIT as "fall in scattered drops or flakes, as rain or snow". New to me also.

85D: Higher on the Mohs scale: HARDER. Good clue. Diamond is 10 in Mohs scale.

86D: Colorful songbird: ORIOLE. Cal Ripken Jr. is an ORIOLE too. The price of his baseball cards really does not reflect his achievements.

87D: Toe movement: WIGGLE

89D: California's governor, facetiously: AHNOLD. Because of his accent? I got the answer. Don't understand the reason.

90D: More intense: ACUTER

91D: Beach topper: SUN HAT

92D: Trim or rim: EDGE. D'oh. Of course! V-8 moment for me.

97D: Jan Vermeer's hometown: DELFT. I like Vermeer's "Milkmaid" and "Girl with a Pearl Earring"(the Scarlett Johansson movie is good too). But I don't know he was born in DELFT, a city noted for its fine blue-and-white pottery.

99D: List heading: TO DO

102D: Wrokplace stds. org.: OSHA

105D: Where spokes meet: HUB

106D: LAPD alert: APB. This is probaly the only LA reference today.

Answer Grid.

C.C.