Wednesday April 21, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: WHAT'S THAT RACKET? - The last word of each phrase is a synonym for RACKET, meaning loud noise.

17A. Consequence of the subprime mortgage fiasco: REAL ESTATE CRASH

25A. Exit spectacularly: GO OUT WITH A BANG

42A. Punished severely, with "on": LOWERED THE BOOM

55A. Complaint from one trying to concentrate, perhaps, and this puzzle's title: WHAT'S THAT RACKET?

So indulgent in the middle: SHOP, WOK, EAT, WINE, GALLO, CREPE, KEG .. then a GORGE and SPASM at the end.

melissa bee here.

Across:

1. Harpsichord relative: PIANO. A harpsichord looks a lot like a piano, but the sound comes from the strings being plucked, like a harp.

6. Doorframe part: JAMB. The upright pieces that form the sides of the door opening.

10. One of Hammett's Charleses: NORA. Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man series, featured Nick and Nora Charles.

14. Aggressive poker bet: ALL IN. Wiki's explanation.

15. Spooky-sounding lake: ERIE (sounds like "eerie")

16. Musician Clapton: ERIC. Change the world.

20. Start of something? ESS. The letter S in the word Start. Fantastic clue.

21. Accident investigation agcy.: NTSB. National Transportation Safety Board.

22. Lowly assistant: FLUNKY

23. Swindle: ROOK. Synonyms for scam or defraud.

24. Move quickly, as clouds: SCUD. "To run or skim along swiftly and easily." I can never see this word without thinking of Arthur Kent, the scud stud.

31. Get out of bed: ARISE

32. Hunan pans: WOKS. Hunan Food (very hot) is one of the major cuisines in China. From Hunan Province where Mao Ze-Dong was from. "Hunan pan" is a nice rhyming clue for singular WOK.

33. Consume: EAT

35. Cellar stock: WINE

36. Blin, in Blois: CREPE. Dessert anyone? Alliteration. Blois is a city in Central France. Blin is singular of Blini.

38. Chip's buddy: DALE. Disney chipmunks.

39. Frat party staple: KEG

40. Mindless repetition: ROTE

41. Championship: TITLE

46. Guns: REVS.

47. Word after open or seven: SEAS

48. Take big steps: STRIDE. Didn't know stride necessarily implied big.

51. Hit or miss? VERB. Favorite clue/answer, so sneaky.

52. Special __: military force: OPS. Highly trained police or military groups that conduct special operations.

58. Aqueduct feature: ARCH. Like this.

59. Lob: TOSS

60. Narrow canyon: GORGE

61. Cook in the microwave: NUKE

62. Fencer's weapon: EPEE

63. Tic, e.g.: SPASM. i've treated a few of those.

Down:

1. Peel: PARE

2. Martinique et Re'union: ILES. French island in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Nice beaches.

3. "__, poor Yorick!": Hamlet: ALAS. Kenneth Branaugh in my favorite version.

4. Zilch: NIL. Zero.

5. Musically monotonous: ONE NOTE

6. Zippy watercraft: JETSKI

7. Like about 20% of Israeli citizens today: ARAB

8. Univ. near Harvard: MIT. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge.

9. Stud muffin photos: BEEFCAKE. His brother lived next door to my brother in Texas. Everything's bigger there.

10. Chilean poet Pablo: NERUDA. No idea. Interesting guy. Won the Nobel Prize in 1971.

11. Algerian seaport: ORAN. Rote. Yves Saint Laurent was born in ORAN.

12. Game played on a world map: RISK. Have you ever played?

13. Sore: ACHY. Starting to feel like i'm at work.

18. Store in a hold: STOW

19. Clover-shaped suit: CLUBS

23. Artful stratagem: RUSE

24. Engage in retail therapy? SHOP. Not a shopper. I prefer other therapies.

25. Stare in wonder: GAWK. Here.

26. Bay window: ORIEL

27. New Wave band __ Boingo: OINGO

28. Tammany Hall name: TWEED. William Marcy (Boss) Tweed was the political boss of the Tweed Ring and Tammany Hall.

29. "Peachy keen!": NEATO

30. Carlo Rossi winemaker: GALLO

34. Be rife (with): TEEM

36. Sports car named for a small warship: CORVETTE

37. Info in AAA TripTiks: RTES. Routes. TripTiks is a trip planning tool for AAA customers.

38. "That's mine!": DIBS

40. Saxes and oboes: REEDS

41. They usually have strings attached: TEA BAGS. Great clue.

43. Twist in pain: WRITHE

44. Scary African fly: TSETSE. Haven't seen the dreaded 'half a fly' for a while.

45. Frau's spouse: HERR. Courtesy title in German, equivalent to Sir or Lord.

48. Ugly duckling, actually: SWAN. Children's story.

49. Drive-__ window: THRU

50. Pinion partner: RACK. Common steering mechanism.

51. Still life subject: VASE. Like this.

52. Gumbo pod: OKRA

53. Things for hanging things: PEGS

54. Stern's opposite: STEM. From stem to stern.

56. Emulate Kanga: HOP. Kangaroo.

57. Radar gun aimer: COP

Answer grid.

melissa

Tuesday April 20, 2010 Kevin Christian

Theme: RIGHT onyms - Three semantic definitions of RIGHT.

20A. RIGHT: SYNONYM FOR JUST. (meaning the same)

38A. RIGHT: HOMONYM FOR WRITE. (sounding the same, meaning different)

50A. RIGHT: ANTONYM FOR LEFT. (meaning the opposite)

RIGHT is capitalized because normally it's an answer. Clue/Answer shift today.

I'm Argyle and I'm back.

First, let me say there are no helper/cheater squares in this puzzle, ok. Second, welcome to a new constructor today, assuming it's not a new anagram of our editor.

A rather easy Tuesday puzzle but quite nice. We have a good start to the week.

Across:

1A. Indian region known for its tea: ASSAM. Map (from a tea blogger.)

6A. Etta of old comics: KETT. Etta Kett was launched as a single panel by Paul Robinson in Dec., 1925, it originally offered tips to teenagers on manners, etiquette and the social graces. Robinson, however, saw a narrative potential, devising a strip of wholesome humor that maintained a readership over five decades. Drawing with a polished, clean-line style, he expanded his teenage characters into a daily strip and Sunday page about energetic Etta Kett, her middle-class family and friends in a suburban setting (and becoming a crossword staple).

10A. Winery vessels: VATS.

14A. "The Lord of the Rings" hero: FRODO. Portrayed by Elijah Wood in the movie even though Frodo is a middle-aged hobbit in the book.

15A. Trendsetting: EDGY.

16A. Words after laugh or whoop: IT UP.

17A. Lisa of "The Cosby Show": BONET. They say Bill Cosby was not happy when she was in the movie, Angel Heart.

18A. Popular depilatory: NAIR. (a hair removal product)

19A. Frozen breakfast brand: EGGO.

23A. Stephen of "The Crying Game": REA.

24A. Charged particle: ION.

25A. Polar bear's domain: ARCTIC.

29A. Nonpaying train rider, perhaps: HOBO.

32A. Balloon-breaking sound: POP.

35A. Irritant "in your side": THORN.

36A. Verdi's title princess: AIDA. Opera.

37A. Brett Favre's number: FOUR. Football quarterback.

41A. Thor's father: ODIN. Thor is the Norse god of thunder. He is a son of Odin and Jord.

42A. Mideast bigwig: EMIR.

43A. __, meenie ...: EENIE.

44A. Anatomical egg holder: SAC. The "egg sac" or ovary.

45A. Maxwell Smart's nemesis: KAOS. The bad guys on the TV spoof of spy shows.

46A. Make plump: FATTEN.

47A. That boat: SHE.

49A. Ending for refuse: NIK.

58A. Comedian Roseanne: BARR. She does have Chutzpah: 64A. NERVE.

59A. "One giant leap for mankind" site: MOON.

60A. Figure of speech: IDIOM.

62A. Colored part of the eye: IRIS.

63A. Feel concern: CARE.

65A. Use a keyboard: TYPE.

66A. Help badly?: ABET. (help illegally)

67A. Prepare to be knighted: KNEEL.

Down:

1D. Langley or Laughlin: Abbr.: AFB. (Air Force Base) Langley AFB is in Hampton, VA, and Laughlin AFB is located near Del Rio, Texas.

2D. Sellout signs: SROS. (Standing Room Only)

3D. PlayStation maker: SONY.

4D. Yemen port: ADEN.

5D. Ramada, for one: MOTOR INN.

6D. Land of Obama's father: KENYA.

7D. Cheese in red wax: EDAM.

8D. "Yay, tomorrow's Saturday!": TGIF.

9D. Neophyte: TYRO.

10D. Mission __, California: VIEJO. A city located in southern Orange County, California in the Saddleback Valley. There is no Spanish mission in Mission Viejo, and the name is an ungrammatical use of a masculine adjective with a feminine noun. The correct Spanish term meaning "old mission" is "misión vieja." Per Wikipedia.

11D. How banks are usually robbed: AT GUNPOINT.

12D. Port pullers: TUGS. Aliteration

13D. Dog in a primer: SPOT. Do they still use, "SEE SPOT RUN. RUN, SPOT, RUN."?

21D. Japanese information technology giant: NEC. NEC Corporation is one of the world's leading providers of Internet, broadband network and enterprise business solutions.

22D. Brazilian hot spot: RIO.

25D. One of the Musketeers: ATHOS

26D. Valerie Harper role: RHODA. A spin off of the Mary Tyler Moore TV show.

27D. "FoxTrot" or "Dilbert": COMIC STRIP.

28D. Suffix with cyclo or jumbo: TRON.

29D. Old sound systems: HI-FIS.

30D. Febreze target: ODOR.

31D. Ingot: BAR.

33D. Bellybutton type: OUTIE.

34D. Fuss over oneself: PREEN.

36D. Bullets and such: AMMO.

37D. Worry: FRET.

39D. Affirmative vote: YEA.

40D. Vulnerable spot in a chain: WEAK LINK.

45D. Barbie's guy: KEN.

46D. Christmas tree choice: FIR.

48D. Trigger, e.g.: HORSE. Let's play match the horse and rider. Roy Roger and Trigger. Dale Evans and ?

49D. Three trios: NONET. A group of nine.

50D. More than 51-Down: A BIT.

51D. Not even 50-Down: NARY. Cute combo.

52D. Village People disco hit: YMCA.

53D. Ancient kingdom near the Dead Sea: MOAB.

54D. "Look out, golfers!": "FORE!".

55D. Snake-and-fruit story setting: EDEN.

56D. Blaze: FIRE.

57D. "Slithy" thing in "Jabberwocky": TOVE.

61D. Filmmaker Gibson: MEL.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday April 19, 2010 Mike Peluso

Theme: Fantasy Baseball Players - Common phrases are humorously interpreted and clued as if they were baseball players.

20A. San Francisco players not paying attention?: SLEEPING GIANTS. San Francisco Giants. NL West.

25A. Minnesota players from old Bangkok?: SIAMESE TWINS. Minnesota Twins. AL Central.

49A. Anaheim players tripping over their own feet?: FALLEN ANGELS. Anaheim Angels, or rather Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. So awkward. AL West.

57A. Pittsburgh players from old Algiers?: BARBARY PIRATES. Pittsburgh Pirates. NL Central.

Ha ha, no AL/NL East is represented. Loved the theme. Very creative.

Two more baseball references:

35A. DH's stats: RBIS.

12D. Throws wide of the base, say: ERRS.

Besides my beloved Minnesota Twins, Mike also gave us my hometown XI'AN (18A. Central Chinese tourist city) and ANG (40D. Director Lee). Ang Lee is from Taiwan. Ang is simply spelled as An (meaning "peace") in Mandarin Chinese, just like the An in Xi'An.

Also, An/Ang is spelled as Ahn in Korean, like Philip Ahn, the "Kung Fu" actor, who stumps many solvers every time he appears in our puzzle.

Across:

1A. Anti-fur org.: PETA. They sure hate Anna Wintour.

5A. Ambassador's forte: TACT.

9A. Eggs on: URGES.

14A. Oft-palmed cards: ACES. Ah, this could be clued as baseball related too.

15A. Prefix with cultural: AGRI.

16A. H.H. __: author known as Saki: MUNRO. I only know his alias name Saki, which appears in our puzzle often.

17A. Conks: BOPS.

19A. Tall tale tellers: LIARS. Triple alliteration.

23A. Haberdashery accessory: TIE TAC.

24A. URL ending for 52-Across: EDU. And 52A. Longhorn State sch.: TCU.

32A. Hot time in Alsace: ÉTÉ. Summer in French. We also have IDÉE (22D. __ fixe: obsession).

36A. Artist M.C. known for illusionary work: ESCHER. Here is his "Drawing Hands" again.

37A. Snacks at the bar: NUTS.

39A. Robert E. Lee's org.: CSA.

41A. Classify: SORT.

42A. African with pierced lips: UBANGI. New word to me. Man, Painful to look.

45A. Terminates: ENDS.

48A. iPhone, e.g.: PDA.

53A. Word in an oxymoronic Michael J. Fox movie title: FUTURE. From his film "Back to the Future".

62A. Omega's opposite: ALPHA. Greek alphabet.

63A. Eye, on the Eiffel Tower: OEIL. As in the illusional Trompe L'oeil. French for "trick the eye".

64A. Anchovy containers: TINS. Salty, salty!

65A. Trig function: COSEC.

66A. Double Dutch need: ROPE.

67A. Slurpee alternative: ICEE.

68A. Adjust a little: TWEAK.

69A. Overwhelms: AWES.

70A. Crows' cries: CAWS. CC alliteration.

Down:

1D. Blue Ribbon brewer: PABST.

2D. Bacteria in rare meat: ECOLI. In veggies too. Like the spinach scare a couple of years ago. Terrifying!

3D. Plains dwelling: TEPEE.

4D. Balance sheet heading: ASSETS.

5D. Hack with a meter: TAXI CAB.

6D. Backwoods "anti": AGIN. Opposite "Fer".

7D. Jagged rock: CRAG.

8D. Faint hues: TINGES.

9D. Mötley Crüe duo?: UMLAUTS. The two diacritical dots above Mötley Crüe.

10D. Destroy: RUIN.

11D. Pesky biter: GNAT.

13D. Sailor's "Mayday!": S-O-S.

21D. Duo: PAIR.

26D. Voice amplifier, briefly: MIC.

27D. German steelworks town: ESSEN.

28D. English johns, briefly: WC'S.

29D. Chain restaurant with a blue roof: I-HOP.

30D. Dweeb: NERD.

31D. Mlle., in Barcelona: SRTA.

32D. A sufficient amount, in slang: ENUF. Quite a few abbreviations in this grid.

33D. Oompah brass: TUBA.

34D. List shortener. Abbr.: ET AL..

38D. NBC show where Chase, Belushi, Radner at al, got their big breaks: SNL.

43D. Recoup: GET BACK.

44D. Machu Picchu builder: INCA. Both Sallie & Clear Ayes have been there.

46D. Makes dirty: DEFILES.

47D. Derogatory remark: SLUR.

50D. __ borealis: AURORA.

51D. Radio interference: STATIC.

54D. City on the Erie Canal: UTICA.

55D. Take again, as vows: RENEW.

56D. Mountain curves: ESSES.

57D. Huff and puff: BLOW. Rhyme.

58D. Church section: APSE.

59D. Emu cousin of South America: RHEA. Both flightless.

60D. Cry of pain: "YEOW!".

61D. Sherlock Holmes's smoke: PIPE.

62D. Perform: ACT.

Answer grid.

Argyle & C.C.

Sunday April 18, 2010 Kathleen Fay O'Brien

Theme: T for Two - Second letter T in each double T containing common phrase is dropped, changing mostly short vowel sound into long vowel sound.

23A. Outwitting a Plymouth parent?: MIND OVER MAT(T)ER. Mind Over Matter. Mater is British for "mother". Plymouth is a seaport in England. Short A to long A sound shift.

29A. Loony misanthrope?: MAD HAT(T)ER. Mad Hatter, the character from "Alice in Wonderland". Short A to long A.

44A. Japanese sleuth who always follows you around?: PERSONAL MOT(T)O. Personal Motto. Moto = Japanese sleuth. Short O to long O.

67A. Farm child of destiny?: FAT(T)ED CALF. Fatted Calf. Killing the fatted calf to celebrate something. Calf = Farm child. Short A to long A.

88A. Reservation about smoking?: CIGARETTE BUT(T). Cigarette Butt. No sound change.

103A. Like an Idaho farmer?: IN TAT(T)ERS. In Tatters. Taters = Idaho potatoes. Short A to long A.

113A. Recollections of an aggressive dog?: BIT(T)ER MEMORIES. Bitter Memories. Short I to long I.

37D. Bulletin board hardware blueprint?: PLAN OF A T(T)ACK. Plan of Attack. Tack = Bulletin board hardware. No sound change.

42D. Muppet monster quote about a more adorable snack?: COOKIE CUT(T)ER. Cookie Cutter. Have never seen "Sesame Street" and don't know Cookie Monster. Short U to long U.

No double T containing phrase with possible short E to long E sound shift, Al/Argyle?

I liked the title. Nice play on "Tea for Two". Neat theme concept too. Also liked the consecutive clues for ALIAS (71A. Perp's red herring) and ALIBIS (72A. Perps need good ones). Wish LATINA (95D. Selena, for one) is clued as "Sonia Sotomayor, for one". J.Lo played Selena in the movie.

Quite a challenging puzzle to me. So many unknown names. I definitely need a partner to solve a Sunday crossword. Anyone? Anyone?

Across:

1. Hides with evil intent: SKULKS. Nice string of consonants.

7. Take by force: HIJACK

13. "Grease" doo-wop group: SHA NA NA. Easy guess.

20. Surfing at one's desk: ON LINE

21. Singer Ray with the Glenn Miller Orchestra: EBERLE. Total stranger.

22. Eastern Mediterranean city: TEL AVIV. Must be an instinctive fill for Haltool.

25. Go in for: REPLACE

26. Pilot's announcement, briefly: ETA

27. Fuse: WELD

28. Boundary: Abbr.: LIM (Limit). Meh on the abbr.

30. Abbr. on a store door: HRS

31. Rots: GOES BAD

33. Farm crawler: ANT. Ant farm.

34. Pre-knotted tie: CLIP-ON

38. 19th Greek letter: TAU. Cross shaped. Greek has 24 letters.

39. "Do it, __ will!": OR I

40. Abalone products: NACRES

43. AA co-founder: BILL W. Bill Wilson. Got me again.

47. Lanchester of "Bride of Frankenstein": ELSA. Just the clue Lemonade wanted last time.

48. Source of "Once more unto the breach": HENRY V. Not familiar with the line. Only know "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers ...".

49. Relevant: ON TOPIC

53. Clancy hero: RYAN

54. Daisy lead-in: UPSY. Upsy-Daisy.

55. Man with a respected thumb: EBERT (Roger). Film critic.

59. Cub Scout leader: AKELA

60. Online "Jeepers!": OMG

62. Borneo sultanate: BRUNEI. I like this map. It's on the South China Sea.

63. Drink from a press: CIDER. Thought of JUICE first.

64. "Mazes and Monsters" novelist: JAFFE (Rona). No idea. See the book cover.

70. "Steppenwolf" writer: HESSE (Hermann)

73. Present mo.: DEC. I wanted APR, our current "present" month, not the gift "present".

74. Fountain treats: MALTS

75. Made higher: UPPED. As an ante.

76. Pre-1917 Russian ruler: TSAR

79. Native Americans with a Sundance ceremony: UTES. I thought many Native Indian tribes have this ceremony.

83. Pick a lock, say: BREAK IN

85. "Does no one else think this way?": IS IT ME

87. Anklebones: TALI. Plural of talus. We also have ULNA (3D. Forearm bone).

92. H.S. health class: SEX ED

93. Chat with: TALK TO

96. Hard lumber: ASH

97. Son of, in Arabic names: IBN. Like Scottish Mac or Mc.

98. Flourish: THRIVE

99. Transfer __: RNA

100. Menu listing: OPTIONS. Computer menu.

102. Detective's cry: AHA

107. Bounced check letters: NSF (Not Sufficient Funds)

108. Gazed at: EYED

109. Electronic surveillance gp.: NSA (National Security Agency)

112. Lands: ALIGHTS

116. Having teeth: DENTATE. New word to me.

117. Spotted wildcat: OCELOT. Hi, there!

118. "Dallas" dynasty: EWINGS

119. Mussel eater: SEA STAR

120. Crystal-lined stones: GEODES

121. Magnate: TYCOON

Down:

2. Sweater choice: KNIT

4. Flipped top?: LID. Oh, flipped coffee top.

5. Expertise: KNOW-HOW

6. Shropshire's river: SEVERN. Got from crosses.

7. Roundup group: HERD

8. Apple alternative: IBM. Not MAC?

9. "All the fun you think they had": Erica Jong: JEALOUSY. No idea. I bet Lois was thinking of something else. What does "Jealousy is all the fun you think they had" mean?

10. Clarinetist Shaw: ARTIE

11. South Carolina university: CLEMSON

12. Plunk opener: KER. Kerplunk.

13. Pricey strings: STRAD. AMATI too.

14. Listen to: HEED

15. Coleridge's "sacred river": ALPH. Barry just clued it as "River of Xanadu" yesterday.
.
16. Simba's mate: NALA. In "The Lion King".

17. Rama, to Vishnu: AVATAR. Hindu incarnation.

18. __ Creed: NICENE

19. Wards off: AVERTS

24. Ernie of the PGA: ELS

29. Post office sackful: MAIL. Mostly ad now.

31. Comic Shandling: GARRY. First encounter with this guy.

32. Victoria's Secret buy: BRA. What's your favorite bra color?

34. Trucker with a handle: CB'ER

35. Flower with a pad: LILY. And SEGO (110. Type of 35-Down).

36. "You used to be a much better liar, Sam" speaker: ILSA. In "Casablanca".

38. Addition column: TENS

40. Start to stop?: NON. Nonstop.

41. Diplomatic specialist: ATTACHE. My ex-boss the Marine worked in American Embassy in Taiwan for some time.

44. Energy: PEP

45. Went too far: OVER DID IT

46. Central theme: MOTIF

48. Show of affection: HUG

50. Brand of women's socks: PEDS. Have never heard of this brand.

51. Guadeloupe has cinq: ILES. Guadeloupe is an island in the eastern portion of the West Indies; an overseas territory of France. Cinq = Five in French.

52. Give a hoot: CARE

56. Florida pros: BUCS. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

57. Bambi's aunt: ENA

58. Cath. or Luth.: REL (Religion)

61. Portable utensils set: MESS KIT. Military utensils.

62. Loyal Nixon friend Rebozo: BEBE. Gimme for Melissa.

64. Door feature: JAMB

65. Banned fruit spray: ALAR

66. Manicurist's need: FILE

67. Flora's partner: FAUNA. Flora and Fauna.

68. Mont Blanc, e.g.: ALP. Did you think of PEN also?

69. Helpful hint: TIP

73. Rap's Dr. __: DRE

76. 1970 Poitier title role: TIBBS (Virgil). From "In the Heat of the Night". My favorite Poitier movie.

77. Wow: STUN

78. Qty.: AMT

80. Shout to a driver: TAXI

81. Contour map no.: ELEV (Elevation)

82. Potato salad, say: SIDE

84. "__ Crazy": Paul Davis hit: I GO

86. Self-named sitcom: SEINFELD

89. Chats: RAPS

90. Body shop fig.: EST

91. Precarious place, metaphorically: THIN ICE. Nice entry.

92. Like late-afternoon castings: SHADOWY

93. Basic chords: TRIADS

94. Mother of the Shakers: ANN LEE

98. Lincoln Center landmark: THE MET

100. Skater Brian: ORSER. His name escape me again.

101. Bony prefix: OSTEO

102. Sailor's okay: AYE. Aye, Aye, Sir.

104. FBI personnel: AGT

106. James of jazz: ETTA. Etta James.

108. CPR pros: EMTS

109. Bolivian boy: NINO. Alliteration.

111. Part of AMA: Abbr.: ASSN

113. Cranberry source: BOG. Nice play on "Cranberry sauce".

114. Shad delicacy: ROE

115. Rocker Ocasek: RIC

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday April 17, 2010 Barry Silk

Theme: None

Total words: 68

Total blocks: 33

No three-letter entry. A pair of stacked ten-letter entries in each of four quadrants. 34 Across answers and 34 Downs. Very similar to Barry's Sept 26, 2009 themeless Dennis blogged. Same number of blocks/words too.

A good opportunity for us to see variations of a grid with several identical answers, including the seed entry COLE HAMELS (10D. Pitcher who was a 2008 post-season standout for the Phillies), B-CUP, T-TOP & SLEDS. The previous puzzle has a scrabbly JAZZ in today's BRED slot.

My favorite clue today is POTATO CHIP (48A. It's hard to eat one). Deliciously clued. Wish LULU (25D. Pip) were clued differently to tie in with TO SIR (46D. "__, With Love": 1967 hit).

Across:

1. Stood for: MEANT

6. Lingerie spec: B-CUP. Jennifer Anison's bra size.

10. Collectible frames: CELS

14. Within legal provisions: AT LAW. Attorney-at-law is the only phrase I know that contain this phrase.

15. Quite: OH SO. Didn't come to me easily. Quite/OH SO tough. OK.

16. German auto: OPEL. Crockett's first car.

17. "I Fall to Pieces" singer: PATSY CLINE. Here is a clip. Always nice to see a full name.

19. Court zero: LOVE. Tennis court.

20. Silently activated signal: STILL ALARM. Defined as "A fire alarm transmitted silently, as by telephone, rather than by sounding the conventional signal apparatus". New to me.

21. Crossed (out): EX'ED

22. Left __: rewarded: A TIP

23. Words before "I remember it well," in a "Gigi" song: AH YES. Too bad, I don't remember it. Gimme for Clear Ayes, I am sure.

24. Hardly thrilling: BLAH

28. Model: EXEMPLAR

31. Gernreich of fashion: RUDI. Learned his name from doing Xword.

32. Party occasion: RETIREMENT. Nice clue.

35. Passed by: ELAPSED

37. Goes ballistic: LOSES IT. Made me think of Lois again. I imagine she has a hot, hot temper.

38. Gravel transports: DUMP TRUCKS. Great entry, good use of letter U.

40. Start to type?: LINO. Linotype. Can't get stereo out of my mind. At least, I was in the right direction.

41. Doesn't get hung up on: SEES PAST

42. Center's job: SNAP. Football.

43. Authoritative orders: FIATS

45. Excellent, in recent slang: PHAT. How recent?

47. Glimpse: ESPY

54. River of Xanadu: ALPH. Stumped me. From Coleridge "Kubla Khan".

55. Factory outlet: SMOKESTACK. Oh, always thought it's just called chimney.

56. Bit of Realtor lingo: RELO

57. Not at all pleased: SORE

58. Destined for markdown: Abbr.: IRREG

59. Choreographer's unit: STEP

60. Get rid of: TOSS

61. Like non-oyster months, traditionally: R-LESS. Like May/June/July/August. Nailed it.

Down:

1. Some are genetic: MAPS. Have never heard of this gene term.

2. Division politique: ETAT. French state.

3. Some choir singers: ALTI. Plural of ALTO, which is in Barry's old puzzle.

4. Org. that included the New York Cosmos: NASL (North American Soccer League)

5. Choreographer Tharp: TWYLA. Can never remember her name.

6. Made a mess of: BOLLIXED UP. Got me again. For a while I actually used bollixed in the blog write-up.

7. Collectible involving seeds: CHIA PET

8. Seagoing mil. readiness force: USNR (United States Naval Reserve). Was unaware of this abbr..

9. Work with feet: POEM. Poetic feet. Barry's previous puzzles have POETS, clued as "Meter experts". Poetic meter.

11. Strong adhesive: EPOXY RESIN. See EPOXY alone more often.

12. It holds water: LEVEE. Of course I was thinking of the idiom "hold water".

13. They have runners: SLEDS. Was picturing baseball runners rather than skating blades.

18. Reception staff: CATERERS

23. They may be brown or cream: ALES. I just loved the "It", "They" & "They" words in the clues I highlighted in green.

24. Gave rise to: BRED

26. Lump in one's throat: ADAM'S APPLE

27. 51-Down's pace: HIPPETY HOP. And HARE (51. Leveret, e.g.). Leveret is a young hare. I was stumped.

29. Offerings at some parlors: MILKSHAKES

30. Male gland: PROSTATE

33. Historic Atlantic crosser: NINA. Nina, Pinta and the Santa Maria.

34. Sporty sunroof: T-TOP

36. Bernadette et al.: Abbr.: STES. Have never heard of this Sainte Bernadette. French, obviously.

39. Takers of prisoners: CAPTORS

43. Chill causes: FEARS. Alliteration. Did you think of fever also?

44. Key: ISLET. Clues are just tricky today.

48. "Hey, you!": PSST

49. Novel with the chapter "Farming in Polynesia": OMOO. Sequel to "Typee". Melville novel.

50. PC key: CTRL

52. Summer coolers: ICES. Fell into ADES trap, Barry G.

53. FedEx truck filler: Abbr.: PKGS (Packages).

Answer grid.

C.C.

Friday April 16, 2010 Dan Naddor

Theme: Losing (bat)TLE - TLE in a *TTLE ending common phrases are dropped.

17. Princeton jazzman?: JERSEY CAT(TLE). Jersey Cattle. Princeton = Jersey. Jazzman = Cat.

21. "Egg-laying for Dummies," etc.? : CHICKEN LIT(TLE). Chicken Little.

27. What a New York baseball owner would do to ensure player fitness?: TEST ONE'S MET(TLE). Test One's Mettle. Owner for the NY Mets.

42. Sign outside a boarded-up JFK?: AIRPORT SHUT(TLE). Dan also gave us ARR (37A. LAX datum) and TSA (31D. Airport safety gp.). TSA = Transportation Security Administration. Established after 9/11.

50. Little Londoner?: PEANUT BRIT(TLE). Peanut Brittle.

56. Carpet-cleaning android?: VACUUM BOT(TLE). Vacuum Bottle. Android = Bot. Short for Robot.

Besides battle, I could also think of mottle, scuttle, whittle. What else?

Today's Dan Naddor Index (non-theme entries with 6 or more letters) is 20. Pretty high, esp considering the 60 theme squares. And a themeless like 72 words.

Across:

1. Fire starter?: MIS. Start of the word Misfire. Awesome clue. We also have 5D. Fired (up): PSYCHED. Fire echos.

4. Squabble: SPAT. And 41D. Quarrels: DUST-UPS

8. Exorbitant: STEEP

13. Mo. in 1781 in which Cornwallis surrendered: OCT. Cornwallis was the British general who surrendered to George Washington on October 19, 1781. Unknown to me.

14. "__ Really Going Out With Him?": Joe Jackson hit: IS SHE. Easy guess.

16. Volcanic flowers?: LAVAS. Flow-ers = Things that flow. I can hear Lois utter "Holy hotwick!".

19. Retirement legislation acronym: ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act).

20. One way to run: AMOK. Run amok.

23. Disappear: VANISH

25. Par __: AVION

26. Subj. including grammar: ENG. Instinctively filled in ESL.

32. It's hard to cut through: RED TAPE. Thought of DIAMOND.

33. Company with toy trucks: HESS. Some old beat-up toys are worth quite some money.

34. Young hooter: OWLET

38. Its youngest British member, Elise Tan Roberts, was admitted at age 2: MENSA. This girl is smart indeed. I drew a blank.

39. Pres. Jefferson: THOS. Was unaware that it's short for Thomas.

40. Like Wiener schnitzel: BREADED. Have never had schnitzel.

44. Joker: WAG

47. Figure of speech: TROPE

48. Hard to endure: SEVERE

54. Rte. through Houston: I-TEN

55. Litmus reddeners: ACIDS

58. Indian royal: RANEE. So is RAJAH. Also 5 letters. (Update: Sorry for the error earlier.)

59. Parts of some support systems?: D-CUPS. Bras. We also have AREOLA (45D. Colored circle around the pupil). Are(a) + ola. So, A or B Cup?

60. 100%: ALL

61. Imitators: APERS

62. Latin infinitive: ESSE. To be.

63. Hope unit: RAY. Ray of hope.

Down:

1. Desert known for Joshua trees: MOJAVE. I forgot again.

2. Nickname for a player who performs under pressure: ICEMAN. Not familiar with this slang. Thought of CLUTCH player.

3. Like espresso: STRONG

4. Bonn pronoun: SIE. German "you".

6. Author Sholem: ASCH. Author of "The Nazarene". Pronounced like ASH, right?

7. Pad __: Asian noodle dish: THAI. Rice noodle.

8. Record holder: SLEEVE

9. Sullied: TARNISHED

10. Not a good sign: EVIL OMEN

11. Facility: EASINESS

12. Jr.'s exam: PSAT

15. Abbr. often following a comma: ETC.

18. Brew follower?: SKI. Brewski.

22. Classic Welles role: KANE. "Citizen Kaze". Rosebud.

24. "Let it stand": STET. For editors.

28. Genesis: START

29. Shipping container weights: TARES. The old shipping allowance is TRET.

30. Day star?: OPRAH. Daytime talk show star. Meh!

32. Squad car cop, often: RESPONDER

34. Taxonomic suffix: OTA. A plural suffix occurring in taxonomic name. The singular is OTE, according to the dictionary.

35. Choppy seas feature: WHITECAP

36. Nancy's region: LORRAINE. Here is a good map.

38. Dole: METE

40. Author Harte: BRET

43. Works: OPUSES. Plural can be opera too.

44. Bachelor pad amenity: WET BAR

46. One way to break the news: GENTLY. Nice clue.

49. Get-up-and-go: VIM

50. Legal hire: PARA. Need "for short".

51. Underwear initials: BVD. What's your brand? I like Etam's thongs.

52. Sprint: RACE

53. "ER" areas: ICUS

57. "What's the __?": USE

Answer grid.

Happy 82rd Birthday, Dot!

C.C.

Thursday April 15, 2010 Nancy Salomon

Theme: FILLING IN (65A. Subbing, and taxpayer's responsibility vis-à-vis the ends of 17-, 29- and 49-Across) - The end of each common phrase can be filled in.

17A. Doing what's just not done: IN BAD FORM. Fill in the form.

29A. You can't go back from it: POINT OF NO RETURN. Fill in the return. Excellent entry. Great clue too.

49A. Early: AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. Fill in the schedule. Another nice grid-spanner.

Rich saves this particular puzzle for the Tax Day. Perfect!

Jerome understands Nancy's style better than I do. But I feel that Nancy is not into heavy themage. She likes to use three or four phrases for a very focused and pointed theme.

Lots of entertaining clues in this puzzle. My favorite is DENT (18D Unwelcome impression). But after Annette's "Accidentally on Purpose" crossword & sex revelation last night, this FILLING IN suddenly takes a different meaning.

Across:

1. NYPD alerts: APBS. APB = All-Points Bulletin.

5. Disdainful upperclassman?: SNOB. Got me. Great clue.

9. Greeting often requiring lip-reading: HI MOM

14. Jacob's first wife: LEAH. Sister of Rachel, Jacob's second wife. Here is Chickie again. Our Leah.

15. Numerical prefix: OCTA. Prefix for "eight".

16. Hersey's bell town: ADANO. Hersey's "A Bell for Adano".

19. Sank in a cup: HOLED. Golf hole is also called cup. Another golf reference is TEE (43D. Links launching point).

20. Citi Field NLer: NY MET

21. Crunch targets: ABS

23. 26-Across supply: ICE. And OPEN BAR (26. Place where liquor flows freely?)

24. Cupid's master?: SANTA. Was thinking of the love Cupid rather than Santa's reindeer. I am a dummy, Argyle!

32. Museum pieces: ART

33. Paid player: PRO. Alliteration.

34. Elastic wood: YEW

35. Not for neatniks: MESSY. Sometimes I just can't tell what part of speech the clue is asking for.

38. Sphere: ORB

40. March honoree, briefly: ST PAT

44. Many a lap dog: TOY

46. Stereo jack letters: MIC

48. Fish story: LIE

55. Way back when: LONG AGO

56. Vincent's successor as baseball commissioner: SELIG. Bud Selig is the only commissioner I know of.

57. Dickens pen name: BOZ. I forgot.

58. Tattoo site: ARM

60. Part of MO: MODUS. MO = Modus Operandi.

62. Tennyson work: IDYLL

68. Where Hercules slew a lion: NEMEA. No idea. Ancient Greek city.

69. Former VOA overseer: USIA (United States Information Agency).

70. Spicy Spanish stew: OLLA. Triple alliteration.

71. "Awake and Sing!" playwright: ODETS (Clifford). Also the playwright for "Waiting for Lefty".

72. Crash site investigator: Abbr.: NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board)

Down:

1. Three-time '60s-'70s heavyweight champ: ALI

2. Quakers of the Ivy League: PENN. Did not know Penn's sports team is called Quakers. Is there a SHAKERS also?

3. Watches for money: BABYSITS. Did not come to me immediately. We also have TYKE (73A. Little shaver).

4. Medicine man: SHAMAN

5. Convertible type: SOFT TOP

6. Cpl. or sgt.: NCO

7. __ vez: again, to Alonso: OTRA. I am used to the "other" clue.

8. Shoots in a forest?: BAMBOO. Nailed it.

9. "Gotcha!": HAH

10. Marriage agreement: I DO

11. Pricey Southern California beachfront city: MALIBU

12. Like some garages: ONE CAR

13. Contemporary: MODERN

22. Agile: SPRY

25. High style: AFRO. Can't keep HAUTE out of my mind.

27. Wide shoe markings: EEES

28. Cereal box abbr.: NT WT

29. Dawber who played Mindy: PAM

30. Miner's matter: ORE. Alliteration.

31. Benchmarks: NORMS

36. Unaccompanied: STAG. Wanted LONE.

37. "Ready are you? What know you of ready?" speaker: YODA. He lives to be 900 years old, right?

39. Popular pens: BICS. I am using Paper Mate. You?

41. Thug: PLUG-UGLY. New word to me.

42. Affect adversely: AIL. Alliteration.

45. Tranquil discipline: YOGA. Made me think of Lucina.

47. Site of many a student experiment: CHEM LAB

49. Lacking pigment: ALBINO

50. Like some sweatshirts: HOODED

51. Digestion aid: ENZYME. Al is an expert on this stuff. I just know that if you eat plenty of raw veggies/fruits, you won't need any enzyme supplement.

52. On a lark: FOR FUN

53. "The Time Machine" race: ELOI

54. Terse childish denial: DID NOT. We also have NAE (67. Scottish refusal).

59. Niagara Falls feature: MIST

61. Epitome of smoothness: SILK. Oh, Barry!

63. Certain do-over: LET. Tennis.

64. Scale syllables: LAS

66. Fleur-de-__: LIS. Literally "lily flower".

Answer grid.

C.C.

Interview with Gary Steinmehl

Gary Steinmehl, whose surname means "stone flour" according to our regular poster Spitzboov, has had over 165 puzzles published by various major newspapers, including LA Times, NY Times, NY Sun, USA Today, Chronicle of Higher Learning, etc.

No more introduction is needed. This interview is definitely one of the most inspiring and inspired ones I've conducted.

What is your background? And how did you get into constructing crossword puzzles?

I started making crosswords at the age of 12. My mother was a very good solver, and I noticed that it didn’t seem hard for me to make them. I eventually made books of them for her and her friends. It all seemed to come to me naturally. Eventually, I sold a puzzle to Senior Scholastic magazine, what a thrill. (By the way, not long ago a junior editor of the NYT wrote me and said that he thought he had found the first crossword I ever sold, Dec. 1954 (That’s the one - I have a copy.) While in the Army, I made crosswords for the Army Newspaper using names of our personnel as the “theme”; later when working at ITT Gilfillan, I also made name and product crosswords for their newsletters (I retired there as a Publications Manager after 36 years). And, as an aside, all my Christmas cards for the past 25 years have been puzzles of one sort or another.

How does becoming a constructor affect the way you solve & enjoy a puzzle? Do you mentally rework a portion of others' grid when the part is surfeited with obscure answers/crosswordese/abbreviations?

For me, the main link between maker and doer primarily involves admiration for the very things I attempt to do: use of a good theme, interesting words, and clever clues. However, when some parts get a bit clumsy for my taste. I have been known to jot down in the margin a better version of a given corner.

You've had over 126 puzzles published by major newspapers since 2003. How do you maintain such productivity? What kind of magazines/books do you read every day for theme inspirations?

I am happy to report that, with today’s puzzle, I now have 165 puzzles published in the LAT, NYT, USA Today, Chronicle of Higher Learning, a large number of them in the NY Sun (no longer in business), and recently, one in GAMES magazine.

Motivation: about 6 years ago I was diagnosed with cancer, and was told that I should keep my mind stimulated by reading and doing crosswords. Well, I had been constructing them as a hobby since I was 12 years old, so I decided to step-up my hobby activities. I began constructing dozens of them, circulating them around to my friends, convinced that they were as good as the newspaper versions. Sadly, for quite a while. … rejection… , rejection… , rejection… , and finally, an acceptance by USA Today. What a thrill! It seemed to be a version of a glass ceiling breakthrough – because for a while thereafter, I was accepted more and more, particularly with the NY Sun. Since I was dealing with cancer, I was interested in fast turnarounds since my personal time frame was a priority. NY Sun received a submission and responded with yes or no in a day or two. Most of them were completed within a week; (NYT turnaround is about 4 months; LAT is a comfortable one month or so - I also enjoy working with Rich Norris.)

Typically, everyday news, advertisements, phrases, movies, events and names provide my inspiration - involving these elements and interesting words in clever ways. Sometimes my “cleverness” is so obscure that my editor wife doesn’t know what I’m talking about. They get discarded or seriously reworked.

I constantly am on the lookout for theme ideas in newspapers, literature, trivia sources, and I scribble notes of “good stuff” on little pieces of paper that clutter my pockets, and I mentally stack letter groupings for future use. My wife often kids me about staring off into space at inappropriate times, working on thematic ideas. It’s true, all quite puzzling. Since I am retired (now 73 years old) I have plenty of time to work on my creations. So far, the ideas just keep coming from deep inside somewhere. I don’t question or analyze the process, I’m just happy it happens.

What is a perfect puzzle to you? And what kind of themes/fill appeal to you and what kind do you try to avoid in your puzzles?

I enjoy clever word themes and amusing ideas – I am surprised when a particularly simple one appears. As far as fills, I can’t help but admire multiple words stacked up. I constantly play with trying to make them, but have some difficulty. I recently read where computers are used fill grids. That probably explains some of the stupendous built-up groupings. I still like to do them by hand. I try to keep crosswordese down to a minimum. Interestingly, solvers don’t seem to realize that we don’t want to use “those” words; rather (unfortunately) they’re a necessity when other good parts come together.

Which puzzles do you solve every day? And who are your favorite constructors?

My wife and I do the LA Times and NY Times crosswords daily over breakfast (on NYT Fridays and Saturdays we occasionally “cheat” with a Google answer or two.)

As far as favorite constructors, strangely enough, I don’t have any. I just approach each solution on its own merits. (Although out of curiosity, I recently have followed some of Dan Naddor’s work in the LAT more closely after sadly finding out about his passing from cancer.) Our syndicated version of the NYT does not carry the author’s name, so I don’t know who did them anyway.

Besides crossword, what are your other hobbies?

I am an avid amateur piano player (jazz and standards). I had two years of lessons when I was nine years old, and have played by ear ever since. I have also made a number of films as a hobby: a documentary to explain Jazz to non-jazz folks, one for each of my girls for their wedding program, one to commemorate my uncle's 90th birthday, and another more recently for my grandkids so when I'm gone they can see what their "Pops" was all about. I enjoy sports of every kind (as can be seen by many of my puzzle entries). All of which leads to activities with my wife and our five children and twelve grandchildren: trips by plane to Hawaii, by cruise ship to Mexico, and by pool parties in our backyard. And by the way, yes, those kids do make my life fuller and make me feel younger!

Wednesday April 14, 2010 Gary Steinmehl

Theme: SOAP (68A. This puzzle's theme) - The end of each theme answer is a brand of soap.

16A. Ingredient in some glazed chicken wings: ORANGE ZEST. Needs a bit of honey too.

30A. Dashboard tuner: RADIO DIAL

37A. 1982 McCartney/Wonder hit: EBONY AND IVORY. Here is a clip.

44A. It became Ghana in 1957: GOLD COAST. I only know Ivory Coast. Dennis uses Coast, I think.

62A. One of two in a Christmas song: TURTLE DOVE. "The Twelve Days of Christmas".

Nice theme, simple & clean! As the norm with most of the "unifier" puzzles, all of the above soap brands come out of a non-soap context phrases.

I love Olay and Lux brands, can't think of a similar way to phrase them though. What other soap brands are missing?

We also have BATH (67A. Bad thing to take in Vegas?), though clued as financial loss "Take a bath". I penned in ODDS.

Across:

1. Talk back to: SASS. Normally the right or down edge word.

5. Super Bowl XXXIV winners: RAMS. St Louis Rams, 2000.

9. Dance move: STEP

13. Super stars?: NOVAE. Have seen this clue before. Still like it.

14. Singer Brickell: EDIE

15. Land of the Incas: PERU

18. Bring in: REAP

19. Land a plane: SET DOWN

20. Charlie of "Two and a Half Men": SHEEN. Rich always gives us either a given name or a surname in the clues for Wednesday puzzles.

22. Morales of "Jericho": ESAI. Only know him as Tony from the "NYPD Blues".

23. Classified letters: EOE (Equal-Opportunity Employer)

25. Ming things: VASES. Ming Vases. Rhyme.

28. Throat problem: STREP

33. Hood's "piece": GAT. Slang for gun.

35. Drum effect: ROLL. Wrote down ECHO.

36. That, in Toledo: ESO. Alliteration.

41. Carte lead-in: A LA. A la carte.

42. Sanctuary section: APSE. Alliteration.

43. Elongated swimmer: EEL. Long indeed. Nice new clue.

47. American revolutionary who recruited Lafayette: DEANE (Silas). His name rang a faint bell. American's first foreign diplomat.

51. Conductor Previn: ANDRE

52. Rice or Curry: TIM. Fell into the ANN trap.

54. War deity: ARES. Greek god of War.

55. Chicago Eight defendant Bobby: SEALE. No idea. He co-founded the Black Panthers.

58. Gold diggers?: PANNERS. Great clue.

60. "NFL Live" airer: ESPN

64. Political group: BLOC

65. Bond's first movie foe: DR. NO

66. Fax predecessor: TELEX. I first saw a fax machine in 1994. Thought it was a miracle thing.

69. Ladies in Mex.: SRAS

Down:

1. Hurting the most: SOREST

2. 2009 film set in 2154: AVATAR. Several regulars on our blog have seen this movie.

3. City known for its zoo: SAN DIEGO

4. Bell-shaped lily: SEGO. Sego lily.

5. Nine Inch Nails founder Trent __: REZNOR. This dude stumped me last time. Again today. Lethologica!

6. Punch cousin: ADE

7. Overlook: MISS

8. Father of Enos: SETH

9. Large ranch, say: SPREAD. Oh, well, I suppose you can clue RANCH as "Large spread" too, though Dennis might come up with a different answer.

10. More minuscule: TEENSIER

11. Significant time: ERA

12. Litter yipper: PUP. Man, I have difficulty pronouncing the clue. You?

13. They're rubbed in Eskimo kissing: NOSES. Lovely clue.

17. Lea lady: EWE. Nice alliteration also.

21. Slowly developed: EVOLVED

24. Heartfelt: EARNEST

27. __-mo replay: SLO

29. It'll cure anything: PANACEA. Wish it were true.

31. Pentagon tenant, briefly: DOD (Department of Defense)

32. "Would __?": I LIE

34. Secretary's slip: TYPO. Another alliteration.

37. Tar Heel State university: ELON. In Elon, North Carolina. I can never remember it.

38. Comb-over target: BALD SPOT

39. Big-house link: AS A

40. Poisonous ornamental: OLEANDER

41. Ottoman VIP: AGA. So are BEY and PASHA.

45. Soak: DRENCH

46. Of the highest quality: TIPTOP

48. Ring of color: AREOLA. Ah, here you are again. JD, is your lily still blooming?

49. Reason for shaking hands?: NERVES. Your hands are shaking because you are nervous?

50. Devereux's earldom: ESSEX. Easy guess. Don't know who Devereux is.

53. Prefix with content: MAL. Malcontent.

56. 1960s-'80s Fords: LTDS

59. Circus safety features: NETS

60. Go out: EBB. Good clue too.

61. Gp. that kidnapped Patty Hearst: SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army). Any other way to clue SLA besides the Patty Hearst connection?

63. Genetic initials: RNA

Answer grid.

C.C.

Interview with David W. Cromer

Today is our 12th David Cromer puzzle since the TMS switch in March 2008, making him one of our most productive LAT contributors.

David had his crossword debut in January 2007. Since then, he has had 34 puzzles published by the LA Times. David's byline also appears regularly in Newsday.

What is your background and how did you develop an interest in crossword constructing?

I am 38 and have formal training in music, namely percussion instruments. I have been both a musician and songwriter. I always enjoyed solving crosswords but never gave much thought to their construction other than how difficult it must be to make them. I admired those who could do so. I was spurred by a friend to try to make one. That was a disaster, but I realized I could do it and by my third puzzle I was published.

How would you describe your style? Most of your puzzles we've had seem to focus on early week puzzles.

I guess I would describe my style as casual. I seem to gravitate toward easy themes. It is my experience that the majority of solvers prefer them as oppose to a "brain-buster". However, it can make my job harder to develop a theme that hasn't been done before so the key is to find a new angle.

What's the most proud puzzle you've made and why?

The puzzle I am most proud of would be a Sunday puzzle from the LA Times of June 2009. That was my first Sunday puzzle to be published and was a milestone for me.

I see your byline in other publications often. How do you maintain your productivity? And what kind of newspapers/magazines/websites do you read for theme inspirations?

I work at some aspect of crosswords everyday whether actively constructing or brainstorming themes. I read voraciously and theme ideas strike at any time. Most of my ideas come from a crossword dictionary. I will just peruse and can come up with something. I have also found ideas while solving a puzzle. A single clue sometimes leads me to a theme.

What puzzles so you solve every day and who are your favorite constructors?

I do the LA Times puzzle daily and the Sunday puzzle from both the NY Times and LA Times. I also do the Newsday puzzle on occasion. My favorite constructors are Elizabeth Gorski and Dan Naddor. Both of them really have a gift for this.

Besides crossword, what are your other hobbies?

When not wiling away at crosswords, I am usually reading. I am also a novice stock market investor which is more than enough excitement.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 David W. Cromer

Theme: "GIMME A BREAK!" (63A. 1980s Nell Carter sitcom, and a hint to the puzzle theme found in the ends of 17-, 32-, 39- and 46-Across.)

17A. Manhattan rail hub: PENN STATION (STATION BREAK)

32A. Mattress support: BOX SPRING (SPRING BREAK)

39A. Cherished: NEAR TO ONE'S HEART (HEART BREAK)

46A. "Hold your horses!": "NOT SO FAST!" (FAST BREAK). FAST and fast duplication in the clue for LOOSE (52A. Fast partner?). Play fast and loose.

Argyle here.

Gimme a Break! was aired on NBC from 1981 until 1987. The series stars Nell Carter(in red) as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief and his three daughters.

PENN STATION and 47D. New York tribe, city or lake: ONEIDA. gives this puzzle an East Coast SKEW.(61D. Depict in a biased way)

FAST BREAK is when a basketball team attempts to move the ball up court and into scoring position as quickly as possible, often ending in a LAY-UP.

A nice Tuesday puzzle.

Across:

1A. Fuzzy fruit: KIWI. Alliteration.

5A. Royal headgear: DIADEM. And 48. Pageant winners' wear: TIARA.

11A. "...__ an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers": "Romeo and Juliet": 'TIS

14A. Viking war god: ODIN

15A. Draw in: ENTICE

16A. Pictures on the wall: ART

19A. Vert. opposite: HOR.. Old TV knobs. (vertical and horizontal)

20A. Lose support: SAG Reminds me that Lois would have a b...a good time with the DF in this puzzle.

21A. Go bad: ROT

22A. Ida of Hollywood: LUPINO. Nice to have her surname as answer for a change.

24A. "The March King": SOUSA. John Philip Sousa

27A. British boarding school: ETON

28A. First name in spydom: MATA. 6A yesterday.

35A. Like many notebooks: SPIRAL Pertaining to the binding.

38A. Unmoved: ALOOF

44A. Hi-tech greeting: E-CARD

45A. Dogpatch cartoonist: AL CAPP. "Li'l Abner" comic strip.

50A. Highland toppers: TAMS Flat Hat.

51A. Part of BTU: UNIT

55A. Social service?: TEA SET. Alliteration.

58A. R.E. Lee follower: REB He was the leader CSA army; REBELS to the Northerners.

59A. Hef's party wear: PJs. Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner hosted parties in his pajamas.

62A. Downed Russian orbiter: MIR. It was deliberately de-orbited on March 23, 2001.

67A. Educator LeShan: EDA. Crosswordese.

68A. Worldwide: GLOBAL

69A. Gutter site: EAVE

70A. One of the states of matter: GAS

71A. Summer ermines: STOATS. (Weasel)

72A. Oedipus' arrogance, e.g.: FLAW

Down:

1D. "Keystone" bunglers: "KOPS"

2D. Inventor's starting point: IDEA

3D. Hospital section: WING

4D. Quaint stopover: INN

5D. "Star Wars" surname?: DETOO. Droid, first name: Artoo.

6D. Where to find three men?: IN A TUB. In the nursery rhyme, "Rub-a-dub-dub, Three men in a tub, The butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker".

7D. Firm pro: Abbr.: ATT. Law firm attorney.

8D. CCLI x 11: DII. 251 x 2 = 502

9D. Earth Day sci.: ECOL.. (Ecology)

10D. List of options: MENU

11D. Island from which the Bounty sailed: TAHITI. But the crew didn't want to leave.

12D. Attach, as a patch: IRON ON

13D. Able-bodied: STRONG

18D. 18-yr.-old high schoolers, usually: SRs

23D. Ideal: PERFECT

25D. What's-her-name: SO-AND-SO

26D. Car bar: AXLE

28D. AOL rival: MSN

29D. Barbary beast: APE. The Barbary Macaque population in Gibraltar; they are known locally as Barbary Apes or Rock Apes, because they are a tailless species, despite the fact that they are monkeys.

30D. Relative of Juan: TIA

31D. Rap sheet listings: ARRESTS

33D. Former Cubs slugger: SOSA (Sammy)

34D. Sci-fi author Frederik: POHL. Any readers out there?

36D. The Coasters' record label (coincidentally, all its letters appear in their name): ATCO. Don't Talk Back.

37D. Bread knife target: LOAF

40D. Like some tough tests: ORAL

41D. Org. for drivers: AAA

42D. Tach no.: RPM

43D. "Decorates" with bathroom tissue, for short: TPs. Throwing rolls of toilet paper(TP) in the trees around someone's house.

46D. Nog spice: NUTMEG. Connecticut is known as the NUTMEG state.

49D. Tried to rip open: TORE AT

53D. Shuts tight: SEALS

54D. Recede: EBB

56D. Quiche base: EGGS

57D. Pinball foul: TILT

59D. Ring out: PEAL

60D. Joe: JAVA. Coffee.

64D. Bovine bellow: MOO. One more alliteration.

65D. Wall St. exec's degree: MBA

66D. NFL whistle blower: REF. Great clue.

Answer grid.

Argyle