Friday July 23, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Hat Pun - The first word of each two-word familiar phrase is replaced by a type of hat, and the resulting phrase is humorously clued.

20A. Opportunity to examine some headwear? : CLOCHE ENCOUNTER. The base phrase is "close encounter". Cloche hat is bell-shaped & close-fitting, worn by those flappers in 1920s. Last consonant sound change.

33A. Call-in broadcasting for chefs? : TOQUE RADIO. Talk radio. Chefs wear toque. Vowel & last consonant changes.

40A. Northerners who dress with Scottish flair? : TAM YANKEES. "Damn Yankees" the musical. First consonant change.

47A. Hats that are soft and angular? : BOWLER OPPOSITES. Polar opposites. First consonant change also.

Minor inconsistencies. Tough to come up a focused set of theme entries with consistent sound change.

Still a fun theme theme. Wish clues were more consistent though: the first & last theme clues have a direct reference to hat, not the middle two.

Other than one Q, no other expensive letters (J/V/X/Z) today. And plenty of 4-letter words (total 36) in the grid, which always makes the puzzle accessible, to me any way. FYI, the average word length in this puzzle is under 4.97, shorter than our average Fridays.

Across:

1. Stage routines : ACTS. Rare to gain an immediate toehold on Fridays.

5. Full of spunk : SASSY

10. Shenanigan pullers : IMPS

14. Multilayer farm site? : COOP. Hens lays eggs again and again, hence "multilayer"?

15. Twaddle : TRIPE. Twaddle suggests silly talk. Tripe is just rubbish. No equation to my ears.

16. "Ta ta!" : CIAO

17. It's entered and processed : DATA

18. Needle bearers : PINES. Pine needles.

19. Pachacuti, for one : INCA. Have never heard of Pachacuti (literally meant "earth-shaker"), Inca Empire builder.

23. Grub : EATS

24. Recycled T-shirt? : RAG. Not the cryptic signal "recycle".

25. Carol beginning : ADESTE. "Adeste Fideles".

28. Proactiv target : ACNE

30. One of a cup's 48: Abbr. : TSP (Teaspoon). I bet Jazzbumpa saw "... A Cup's...". He's been concerned about the deflation effect on bra size in crossword.

35. Pampas weapon : BOLA

36. "Seinfeld" actress Julia __-Dreyfus : LOUIS. Elaine Benes.

37. Posed : SAT

38. Idol whose fans are known as Claymates : AIKEN

39. Gray area?: Abbr. : ANAT. Gray's Anatomy.

42. Condiment for pommes frites : SEL. French for "salt".

43. Livens (up) : PEPS

44. Delicate : DAINTY

45. Mendicant title : FRA

46. God attended by Valkyries : ODIN. We just had AESIR yesterday.

55. Plant used for first aid : ALOE

56. More than 70% of Earth's surface : OCEAN

57. Stretched just short of the breaking point : TAUT

58. Tidings : NEWS

59. Sudden movement : START. Thought of JERK.

60. Gumbo ingredient : OKRA

61. "Gee willikers!" : GOSH

62. Keep an __ the ground : EAR TO

63. McJob performer : PEON. Did you think of TEMP also?

Down:

1. Versatile, electronically : AC/DC. Didn't emerge easily.

2. Historic Newcastle resource : COAL. Don't know where Newcastle is. Not familiar with the idiom "selling coal to Newcastle" either, a foolhardy or pointless action, a la Wikipedia.

3. Miss Gulch's bête-noire, somewhat literally : TOTO. " The Wizard of Oz" dog, which appears in many of Donna's puzzles.

4. Garb for Apollo : SPACE SUIT. Pictured the Greek god Apollo, not that I know what garb he's wearing.

5. Religious guardian : ST. PETER. For heaven. No abbr. hint in the clue.

6. Astrological ovine : ARIES. Ram sign.

7. __ Fein : SINN

8. Blueprint item, briefly : SPEC

9. "Just give me an answer already!" : YES OR NO. Nice answer/clue.

10. Hockey infraction : ICING. No idea. Don't follow hockey.

11. After-dinner item : MINT

12. Step : PACE

13. Look down on the clouds, perhaps : SOAR. Dudley our pilot guy would love this clue.

21. Can't take : HATES

22. Seven sheikdoms fed. : UAE (United Arab Emirates)

25. Rand's shrugger : ATLAS. "Atlas Shrugged".

26. Shortbread cookie surname : DOONE. Got me. Have never had "Lorna Doone".

27. Peer : EQUAL

28. Apple or ale lead-in : ADAMS. Adam's ale = water.

29. Pierre, e.g. : CITY. I've got to think of South Dakota next time Pierre comes up.

30. Perfunctory : TOKEN

31. Wintry woe : SLEET

32. Flower name derived from the French for "thought" : PANSY. New trivia to me. Pencer is French verb for "to think". Sounds similar. (Correction: It's penser. Thanks, Kazie!)

34. PDQ cousin : ASAP

35. Halter, perhaps : BIKINI TOP. In a way, yes.

38. "Henry & June" role : ANAIS. Stumper. Returned my Netflix on this movie. Could not warm myself to it.

40. Lady Hillingdon is a cultivar of one : TEA ROSE. Yellow and has a tea fragrance. See here.

41. Enlarge, as a house : ADD ONTO

43. Ante- equivalent : PRE

45. Meat : FLESH

46. Victor Vasarely's genre : OP-ART. Victor Vasarely was a Hungarian French artist whose work is generally seen aligned with Op-Art, says Wiki. Total stranger to me.

47. Explosion : BANG

48. It's found in tubs : OLEO. Not bathtub.

49. Awes : WOWS

50. Tetra- times two : OCTA. Prefix for "eight". Tetra, "four".

51. Fruit with a "check the neck" ripeness test : PEAR

52. Steal : TAKE

53. Slovenia capital : EURO. "Capital" always refers to "currency" in late week puzzles.

54. Ollie's sidekick : STAN

Answer grid.

In the next few Fridays, I am going to show a recent photo of our regular blogging contributors. We start today with Darling Santa Argyle. He said: "My cousin took a picture of me saying a prayer before his son attacks my hair and beard. I'm not gonna showing the "after" picture." Argyle's nicknames: Scott, Scotty, Cid/Sid, Skid, Skidney, El Cid and "Hey, you".

C.C.

Thursday July 22, 2010 Pete Muller

Theme: RECYCLED PLASTIC (60A: Useful waste, what's literally hidden in 17-, 25- and 46-Across). - The letters of the word PLASTIC are anagrammed and recycled into a portion of the other three theme answers. In Cryptic crossword, recycled/shuffled signal anagram gimmick.

17A. State of the Union, say: POLITICAL SPEECH. Is this truly informational, or was it ever? Or just another chance to listen to party claims and rhetoric from both sides? As a kid, these always irked me. There were only three channels back then and all of them preempted their regular shows for this. And then just when you thought it was over, the other side got equal air time to rebut. Of course now, with all the cable channel choices, you can just watch something else rather than doing something good, like reading a book instead.

25A. Military tradition: HOSPITAL CORNERS. Tightly tucked sheets for a neat appearance. These make me claustrophobic. I have to have my feet free to move. How about you? Do you prefer being tucked in tight?

46A. Looney Tunes genre: SLAPSTICK COMEDY. Also animation. I guess I always associated slapstick only with live actors, so this threw answer me for awhile.

Al here.

It's kind of a tricky theme, so that's why it is spelled out as one of the answers, you wouldn't get it otherwise. Well, maybe Jerome might... This is the kind of clue you would get for an English Crossword answer, an instruction to rearrange letters. Knowing the theme didn't help me at all, because all the letters I needed were the other ones that weren't part of the word plastic. The last to fall for me today was the middle east, and I had two black marks there. The rest was pretty tough too, more like a Friday, I thought. The jump from Wednesday to Thursday seems to me to be more steep than the one from Thursday to Friday.

Across:

1. NASDAQ debuts: IPOS. Stock market Initial Public Offerings, the first time a stock can be bought.

5. Silly: APISH. The word silly has roots in German: selig "blessed, happy, blissful". It moved from "blessed" to "pious," to "innocent", to "harmless," to "pitiable", to "weak", to "feeble in mind, lacking in reason, foolish". Here it just means acting like a monkey.

10. '60s-'70s pitcher nicknamed Blue Moon: ODOM. John. Supposedly given to him by a schoolmate because his face was so round.

14. Attic-dweller of '70s-'80s TV: MORK. Robin Williams role, a spin-off show from a Happy Days appearance.

15. Home of a mythical lion: NEMEA. A beast eventually killed by Heracles (Hercules). It could not be killed in a usual fashion because its golden fur was impervious to attack. It could only be killed by shooting it or stabbing it in the mouth.

16. Admonition to Nanette?: NO NO. A musical comedy, made into films in 1930 and again in 1940, No No Nanette contains the song Tea for Two, which we just recently had as a puzzle answer.

20. Miniature surveillance gadget: SPYCAM.

21. Rear ends of a sort: CABOOSES. From M.Du. kambuis "ship's galley," from Low Ger. kabhuse "wooden cabin on ship's deck;" probably a compound word whose elements correspond to English cabin and house.

22. What there oughta be: A LAW.

24. Skirmish: ROW. the "ow" here is pronounced like the "ou" in ouch. Of uncertain origin, but perhaps related to rousel "drinking bout", a shortened form of carousal.

33. Sch. with a Narragansett Bay campus: URI. University of Rhode Island.

34. Odin's group: AESIR. Norse gods.

35. Tuned to: SET AT. As with a radio station.

36. Word with mala or bona: FIDE. In bad or good faith.

38. Works in a Catalonian museum: DALIS. Salvadore.

40. Classico competitor: RAGU. Spaghetti sauces.

41. Element 100 eponym: FERMI. Enrico Fermi, who worked on the development of the nuclear reactor, had Fermium named after him. Fermium was discovered in the aftermath dust of the first hydrogen bomb test.

43. Betty Crocker salad topping: BAC-OS.

45. Crosswalk sign word: PED. No abbreviation clue due to common use? Or because that is the way it literally appears, perhaps.

49. Eastern tongue: LAO. Official language of Laos. Also called Laotian or Isan.

50. It might be a close call: SAFE. Baseball.

51. Japanese golfer in the World Golf Hall of Fame: ISAO AOKI. So many vowels...

56. Make a connection (with): LIAISE. Back formation from French liaison (union, binding together). Said to be a coinage of British military men in World War I.

62. Leafy veggie: KALE. Has powerful antioxidant properties, high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium, kale is considered to be anti-inflammatory. Also contains sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties. Supposed to taste better after the first frost.

63. Merge: UNITE.

64. Scot's vacation site: LOCH.

65. Insult: SLUR.

66. Try to persuade, with "with": PLEAD.

67. Sean's mom: YOKO. Sean Lennon, Yoko Ono.

Down:

1. Troublemakers: IMPS.

2. Info: POOP. Military slang. The rich fertile result of the brass passing down their wisdom through to the lower echelons.

3. French touchdown site: ORLY. Airport

4. Alpine wear: SKI CAP.

5. Like many short films: ANIMATED.

6. Workout target: PEC. Pectoral muscles. For the ladies.

7. Jobs creation?: IMAC. Steve Jobs, Apple computer.

8. "The Fugitive" actress Ward: SELA.

9. Easy-Bake Oven maker: HASBRO.

10. Used car selling point: ONE OWNER.

11. Performs: DOES.

12. Singly: ONCE.

13. Mineralogist Friedrich: MOHS. Namesake of the Mohs scale, to compare mineral hardness (scratching one with another).

18. Two-time Oscar nominee Shire: TALIA. Adriannn! from Rocky and Connie Corleone in the Godfather.

19. Standard partner: POORS. You rarely see the names for the S&P index spelled out like this.

23. Horseradish relative: WASABI. It's green and hot, a Japanese condiment. A lot of products here that claim to be Wasabi are actually just dyed horseradish. Real wasabi is difficult and expensive to grow and harvest.

25. Blows: HUFFS. And puffs. I wonder why the big bad wolf never enlisted the kool-aid man

26. Cantilevered window: ORIEL.

27. Libya's Gulf of __: SIDRA.

28. Not a deep purple: LILAC. This is Deep Purple.

29. Pains in the neck: CRICKS. I really wanted a different leading consonant here...

30. Bivouac: ETAPE. A military encampment where a day's stores are kept.

31. Wreaked havoc, as a battle: RAGED. In the manner of a Berserker.

32. Prepare, in a way: STUDY. For a test.

37. Strike target: EMPLOYER. Unions, not baseball.

39. Of questionable repute: SO-CALLED.

42. First name in sci-fi: ISAAC. Asimov. Prolific writer, more than 200 books in his lifetime, also wrote mysteries, fantasy, and non-fiction in the form of popular science. Also was a professor of biochemistry at Boston University.

44. Balkan capital: SOFIA. Bulgaria.

47. Install needed equipment: TOOL UP.

48. Like five per cent, to a server: MEASLY. An "insulting" tip amount.

51. Nettles: IRKS.

52. Sea World clapper: SEAL.

53. First Amendment advocacy gp.: ACLU. American Civil Liberties Union.

54. __ Ration: KEN-L. Dog food brand.

55. Romeo's last words: I DIE. O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. — Thus with a kiss I die.

57. "Am __ late?": I TOO. Yes, Juliet. Yes you are too late. And now you're late, too.

58. Twisted: SICK.

59. Comeback: ECHO.

61. Harper Valley org.: PTA. Song written by Tom T Hall, performed first by Jeannie C Riley. Made into a movie, and then a TV series starring Barbara Eden, after she lost her magical genie (I dream of Jeannie) powers.

Answer grid.

Al

Wednesday July 21, 2010 Dan Naddor

Theme: OFF TO A FAST START (59A. First out of the gate, and what 17-, 22-, 38- and 51-Across all get) - Each theme begins with a word meaning FAST.

17A. It may be drawn without thinking: HASTY CONCLUSION.

22A. Sylvester Pussycat nemesis: SPEEDY GONZALES. A little undercurrent of cartoons in today's effort, including a second appearance for 60D. Sylvester, to Tweety: TAT.

38A. Dubious diet ad promise: RAPID WEIGHT LOSS. Three grid-spanners, occupying a total of 73 theme squares. Heavy themage!

51A. Mentally agile: QUICK ON THE DRAW. One of my favorites QUICK DRAW .

Happy hump to you all; Lemonade here with my second Dan Naddor.

It has been more than 6 months since his passing, and it does not get easier. His theme answer are all unique and long, while not too difficult, they show his creativity. He also uses most of the tough letters in the alphabet, missing only J, V and X.

Across:

1. Turkish title: AGHA.

5. Kind of appetizer platter: PUPU. I believe this is an Hawaiian word that means appetizer; help me out here our Hawaiian contingent.

9. Refs throw them: FLAGS.

14. Nobleman's mistress: COURTESAN.

16. Artist Neiman: LEROY. The best sports artist ever, you can go and see his work at ORIGINALS .

19. In the know: HIP. With 8D. Not 19-Across: UNCOOL.

20. Buck's partner: DOE. Did you ever think that a Buck is a dollar, and Dough (DOE) is also money? No? Oh well, I did.

21. Emergency PC key: ESC.

27. A/C unit: BTU. British Thermal Units. I know they say Brits are cold, is that why they named the A/C measurer after them?

28. Paul's "Exodus" role: ARI. Paul Newman, and amazing book and MOVIE , which was produced by MGM. which coincidentally (?) is next. 29A. MGM co-founder: LOEW. His story was interesting, MARCUS LOEW . And then we have, 64D. Early MGM rival: RKO.

30. Fridge or freezer: Abbr.: APPL. It is amazing how clues are seen in bunches.

32. Pollution-policing org.: EPA.

34. Fountain orders: SODAS. The days of soda fountains are long gone....

42. Record needles: STYLI. Is your clue "Record players"? Read Rich Norris' note at the end of my write-up. Now we know the rest of the story on Monday 42A D.O.A. boo boo.

43. Response of feigned innocence: MOI. Of course you must think of HER .

44. Spill the beans: SING. Often done by criminals, who are also known as CONS....

45. Con: ANTI.

48. Powder parter: SKI. Alliteration and trickery all wrapped into one clue, wonderful. "Powder snow".

50. Asian occasion: TET. Followed by a wonderful rhyme, even if the reference is offensive to some (Dennis?).

56. Network absorbed by The CW: UPN.

57. Long-jawed fish: GAR.

58. ICU test: EEG.

66. Synagogue scroll: TORAH.

67. First felony conviction, in some states: ONE STRIKE. More alliteration.

68. Poet's Muse: ERATO. A real crosswordese, we all should have this one down.

69. Certain squad member: GEEK. Some say Best Buy has spent all the money on ads, and not training for their MEMBERS , I am prejudiced because my nephew is one.

70. "__ off?": ON OR. Dan really liked the word strings as answers.

Down:

1. German cry: ACH. This is for you Windhover, SING A LONG .

2. ___ few rounds: GO A.

3. Item in a fried side with catfish: HUSH PUPPY. Was the fried necessary?

4. "The Sopranos" chef Bucco: ARTIE. Did anyone remember his last name, which in hindsight sound like OSSO BUCO.

5. Delt neighbor: PEC. Muscles, shoulder and chest...

6. GI entertainers: USO. Gee, we can get Jayne Mansfield again with BOB HOPE .

7. Co. that has sponsored many soaps: P AND G. Proctor and Gamble; I wonder if I will ever do the "AND" words easily.

9. __ shot: FLU.

10. Guitarist Paul: LES. Just BEAUTIFUL .

11. The Little Mermaid: ARIEL. MB, Jeannie, ladies, is she a role model?

12. Ninny: GOOSE. Or just a silly...

13. Matches audio to video, say: SYNCS.

15. Aggressive sort: TYPE A.

18. He preceded and followed O'Brien: LENO.

22. March VIP: ST PAT.

23. Attracted: DREW. This ONE?.

24. "Holy Toledo!": YIPE.

25. Energy: ZEST.

26. Mil. truants: AWOLS.

27. Ivory units?: BARS. Loved this ones, could not figure out how to squeeze tusks in here.

31. The purple one is New Hampshire's state flower: LILAC.

33. Fire preceder?: AIM. Another Naddor left fielder. "Ready, AIM, fire!"

35. "Encore!": DO IT AGAIN.

36. Good __: repaired: AS NEW.

37. USMC rank: SSGT.

39. Drop shot, in tennis: DINK. Like this MEMORY .

40. "No kidding!": GOSH.

41. Increase: HIKE. Another one that took a while to see.

46. Frat party attire: TOGA.

47. Dazed: IN A FOG.

49. Latin clarifier: ID EST.

51. Bit of term paper color: QUOTE. Okay he fooled me again.

52. Enthusiastic about: UP FOR.

53. Prefix with structure: INFRA.

54. Big name in air conditioning: TRANE. They used my friends' SONG .

55. In once more: RETRO.

61. "So that's your game!": O HO.

62. "What'd I tell ya?": SEE.

63. "That wasn't nice!": TSK.

65. Three times, in Rx's: TER. I actually remember TID.

Answer grid.

All in all a fun Wednesday, that perhaps was softened by the editor. Keep the cards and letters coming, especially you newbies, tell us what you think.

Your humble servant Lemonade

Rich Norris' email to C.C. yesterday:

"... and I'm pretty sure I figured out what happened. Tomorrow's 42A clue is supposed to be changed to [Record needles]. I suspect it will show up in the paper as [Record players], which isn't totally wrong, maybe just a bit ambitious, since the answer items need help to play records. Evidently, whoever made clue changes at Tribune changed the 42A clue on the wrong day, resulting in yesterday's error. The online puzzle is handled separately; the error doesn't appear there. My apologies to the confused newspaper solvers. "

Tuesday, July 20, 2010 Fred Piscop

Theme: Musical Numbers - Songs with a number in the title.

17A. Temptations number : "CLOUD NINE". Song

64A. Doris Day number : "TEA FOR TWO". Song.

9D. Josh White number : "ONE MEAT BALL". Song

24D. Tennessee Ernie Ford number : "SIXTEEN TONS". Song

Two Across theme entries with numbers in the back. Two Down entries with numbers in front.

Argyle here.

Fred Piscop is a renowned constructor but this is only the second time we have seen him. The other was a Sunday. He seems to be fond of cross-references too.

There are plenty of songs with a number in the title but if there is a particular reason he chose these four, I don't see it. Do you?

Across:

1. Letters on the Ronald Reagan : USS. Aircraft Carrier CVN-76.

4. Student of Socrates : PLATO. And 29A. 4-Across, to Aristotle : TEACHER. They're all Greeks to me.

9. Travel like Eris or Ceres : ORBIT. Eris is the largest and Ceres is the smallest of the five identified dwarf planets in ORBIT in our Solar System.

14. Zippo : NIL. Nada, zero, nothing.

15. Put to work : HIRED.

16. Source of some urban pollution : NOISE. Tricky, but not as tricky as light pollution.

19. First name in TV talk : ELLEN. Ellen DeGeneres.

20. CIA boss Panetta : LEON. The man doesn't look like a secret agent.

21. Ward, to Beaver : DAD. From the old TV show, "Leave it to Beaver". And 52A. 21-Across, slangily : OLD MAN. Theodore wouldn't call his father that but Wally might.

22. Brunch fare : OMELET.

23. Tell-all news story : EXPOSÉ.

25. Market special : SALE.

27. Guinness serving : PINT.

34. Pre-fax communication : TELEX. Variations called Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDDs) are still used by the hearing impaired for typed communications over ordinary telephone lines.

37. Mob hit victim, often : RAT.

39. Worthless talk : TRIPE.

40. __-garde : AVANT.

41. "Thrilla in Manila" boxer : ALI. The third and final famous boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier,

42. School rides : BUSES.

43. Soprano Fleming : RENÉE. At the The Obama Inaugural Celebration Concert: You ll Never Walk Alone

44. Spray graffiti on, say : MAR.

45. Stocks or bonds : ASSET.

46. Swap the old for the new : TRADE UP.

48. First name in scat : ELLA.

50. Legendary loch : NESS.

56. Having just exercised : SWEATY.

60. Returns pro : CPA.

62. Move carefully : EASE.

63. Convention nametag word : HELLO.

66. Poland Spring competitor : EVIAN. (Bottled water)

67. Carriage return, these days : ENTER. Carriage, (the moving part of a typewriter) when it returned at the end of a line, would drop down a line which is what happens when you click on ENTER.

68. Catch some rays : TAN.

69. Campus VIPs : DEANS. And 4D. Deg. for many 69-Across : PHD.

70. Tractor maker John : DEERE.

71. USNA grad : ENS..

Down:

1. "I give!" : "UNCLE!".

2. Proctor __ appliances : SILEX. Frank Wolcott, in 1919, started a company in his own name as a distributor of electric heaters and appliances, using the trade name Torrid. In 1924, he bought from H.M. Bridges, the Silex Co. of Malden, Mass., which had introduced into the U.S., the German vacuum coffee maker. So does SILEX mean something in German?

3. Single -masted ship : SLOOP.

5. Tree also known as basswood : LINDEN.

6. Andrea Bocelli delivery : ARIA. He is a multiple Classical Brit-winning and Grammy and Emmy nominated, Italian pop tenor and crossover artist. Duet with Elmo.

7. Works the bar : TENDS.

8. "To a ..." poem : ODE.

10. Thespian's résumé listing : ROLE.

11. Fin or sawbuck : BILL. Fin is slang for a five-dollar bill and sawbuck is a ten. The term, sawbuck, comes from the Roman numeral for ten, X, and X looks like a sawbuck (for cutting up wood).

12. "Now it's clear!" : "I SEE!".

13. Backpacker's shelter : TENT.

18. Still in the crate : UNOPENED.

22. Soccer shout : "¡Olé!".

26. Things to wear : ATTIRE.

28. Homeless itinerants : TRAMPS.

30. One with a cause : CRUSADER.

31. Greet the villain : "HISS!".

32. Blunted blade : ÉPÉE.

33. Remainder : REST.

34. Like sourballs : TART.

35. "Rarely, if __ ..." : EVER.

36. Lang of Smallville : LANA. From Superman's youth.

38. In the style of : À LA.

47. Slangy reversal of direction : UEY. A U-turn.

49. Work shirker : LOAFER.

51. Movie segment : SCENE.

53. Dull finish : MATTE.

54. Egypt's __ High Dam : ASWAN. The newer Aswan High Dam is located a further 7.3 kilometres upriver from the Aswan Low Dam.

55. Vegas signs : NEONS.

56. Storage building : SHED.

57. "__ Only Just Begun": Carpenters hit : WE'VE. Song

58. Director Kazan : ELIA.

59. Actor Arkin : ALAN.

61. Chopped spread : PÂTÉ.

64. Fenway Park's Williams : TED. Boston Red Sox home park.

65. It usually ends in "ite" : ORE. i.e. Bauxite, Iron Pyrite.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Yesterday's "Record needles" clue for 42A (D.O.A.) in some papers are mysterious errors. Rich Norris (LA Times Crossword Editor) said his final clue was "1988 film noir remake". How the needles dropped into your local paper is still yet to be found.

2) Al solved my Firefox browser gray links problem. Thanks, Al!

Monday, July 19, 2010 Gareth Bain

Theme: Another Year Older - Four things (first word of the theme entries) associated with celebrating surviving another year and a unifier.

18A. Sure thing : CAKEWALK.

23A. Official political philosophy : PARTY LINE.

36A. Now, with "the" : PRESENT MOMENT.

52A. Deck marker, maybe : CARD SHARP.

58A. Event for the first parts of 18-, 23-, 36- and 52-Across : BIRTHDAY.

Argyle here.

CAKEWALK - Something easily accomplished. It appears the term started on the slave plantations as a dance. "Chalk-line dance" was the slaves mocking the formal galas thrown by their masters. Participants followed the chalk with exaggerated made-up dance steps. There may have been a cake as a prize but my feeling is that isn't really the phrase comes from. More likely, to me, is that it comes from "a chalk walk".

CARD SHARP vs card shark - We've had this word before and determined that both terms fill the same bill(a card cheat), they developed from separate sources.

Across:

1. Corrected, as text : EDITED.

7. Hunger symptom : PANG.

11. Taylor Swift received its 2009 Entertainer of the Yr. award : CMA. (Country Music Association)

14. Swiss convention city : GENEVA. The Geneva Conventions are international treaties that contain the most important rules limiting the barbarity of war(1949). Little bit of trickery in the cluing.

15. Emmy winner Falco : EDIE. from The Sopranos.

16. Stimpy's pal : REN. Premiered on Nickelodeon.

17. Won a game without knocking : GINNED. Help!

20. Slim fish : EEL.

21. Salary : WAGE.

22. Devil's work : EVIL.

26. Donald Duck, e.g. : DRAKE. A female duck (Daisy Duck) can be referred to as a Duck or a Hen. A shout-out to MJ's grandson & Crazyhorse's son, both named Drake.

27. Blackjack need : ACE. In the card game, also called "21", an ACE can count as "11" and all face cards are worth "10" as is the ten card. Together they total "21", a winner. In other combinations, the ACE can be counted as one point.

28. Mute assent : NOD.

29. Jeanne d'Arc, par exemple : SAINTE. French for saint.

31. __-purpose: serving two functions : DUAL.

33. Penalty caller : REF.

35. "__, humbug!" : BAH.

41. Energizer size : AAA. (Battery size)

42. 1988 film noir remake : D.O.A.. It starred Dennis Quad and Meg Ryan. (cover image)

43. Civil rights icon Parks : ROSA. In 1955, refused to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus.

45. Use Listerine, e.g. : GARGLE.

48. Nest egg initials : IRA.

50. Highland hat : TAM.

51. Skater Henie : SONJA. Olympic Champion (1928, 1932, 1936). Clear Aye's inspiration when she first learned skating. You are dearly missed, Clear Ayes!

55. Ye __ Shoppe : OLDE.

56. Site of Napoleon's exile : ELBA.

57. Give in to gravity : SAG.

60. Peace, in Arabic : SALAAM.

63. Night before : EVE.

64. Les États-__ : UNIS. French

65. Lubricating : OILING.

66. Tape deck button letters : REW. (rewind)

67. Red planet : MARS.

68. Mixes smoothly : BLENDS.

Down:.

1. Its yolk is used in mayonnaise : EGG.

2. Agnus __ : DEI. Latin term meaning Lamb of God.

3. Cochlea location : INNER EAR.

4. Church doctrine : TENET.

5. Author Waugh : EVELYN. Despite the name, this author was a man. (1903 - 1966)

6. Third-Sunday-in-June honoree : DAD.

7. Pie nut : PECAN.

8. Old saws : ADAGES. Sayings, truisms.

9. Reebok rival : NIKE.

10. "__ whiz!" : GEE.

11. Necktie : CRAVAT.

12. "I approve," Tarzan-style : "ME LIKE".

13. Often twisted body part : ANKLE.

19. Rocket scientist Von Braun : WERNHER.

21. Add lanes to : WIDEN.

23. Note taker's need : PAD.

24. "We'll tak __ o' kindness yet": Burns : A CUP. For auld lang syne.

25. French cosmetics giant : L'OREAL.

26. Circle meas. : DIAM..

30. On deck : ABOARD.

32. VIP's aircraft : LEAR JET.

34. Busy co. on Mother's Day : FTD. Flowers by Wire.

37. Galsworthy's "The Forsyte __" : SAGA. The Forsyte Saga is a series of three novels and two interludes published between 1906 and 1921. They chronicle the vicissitudes of the leading members of an upper-middle-class British family, only a few generations removed from their farmer ancestors. from Wikipedia.

38. Ballerina Shearer : MOIRA. Image, from the lead role in the 1948 film "The Red Shoes".

39. "Why does this keep happening to me?!" : "NOT AGAIN?!".

40. Winter Palace ruler : TSAR.

44. Load for a roadie : AMP.

45. Start using a successfully tested system : GO LIVE.

46. Composer __ Lloyd Webber : ANDREW.

47. Cream-filled treat : ECLAIR. "Uummmm, eclair!"

49. Lay into : ASSAIL.

51. Like a teetotaler : SOBER.

53. Deep chasm : ABYSS.

54. Oscar winner Berry : HALLE. Her birthday is next month.

56. Dame who's a man : EDNA. Comedian?

59. Sing with one's mouth shut : HUM.

60. Cry out loud : SOB.

61. "Then what?" : "AND?".

62. Classic Brit. sports cars : MGs. And avatar.

Answer grid.

Here is part IX of Kazie's Oz series. The final installment. Olio of nuggets. Noticed how high-priced those Pink Lady apples are? Solid reasoning from Kazie, don't you think? Thank you for showing us the beauty of Northern Territory and for allowing us to "vacation" with you again, Kazie!

Argyle

Sunday July 18, 2010 Corey Rubin

Theme: Not I - You! Long U sound (in various spellings) is added to consonant-beginning parts of common phrases, the resulting theme phrases, some of which experience spelling changes, are then humorously clued.

23A. Organize guards? : UNITE WATCHMEN. The base phrase is nightwatchmen.

31A. How the Knicks of 1985-2000 may have rested their hopes? : ON A EWING AND A PRAYER. On a wing and a prayer. Patrick Ewing.

43A. Where the Oregon swim team practices? : EUGENE POOLS. Gene pools.

59A. Backlash from a Canadian territory? : THE WRATH OF YUKON. The Wrath of Khan.

68A. Reverse course against one's better judgment? : TAKE A U-TURN FOR THE WORSE. Take a turn for the worse. Perfect grid spanner.

78A. Answer to "Man, where can I find good music videos online?" : TEST YOUTUBE, BABY. Test tube baby.

95A. Grateful words for a delivery company? : UPS I LOVE YOU. P.S. I Love You. Very sappy movie.

103A. Headline about declining sales of Nesquik? : YOOHOO'S LAUGHING NOW. Who's laughing now? I've never heard of Nesquik or Yoohoo chocolate milk. Don't eat any dairy products.

121A. Card in the game Car Flop Monopoly? : DO NOT PASS YUGO. Do not pass go. Yugo is the worst car in history, isn't it?

The constructor covered all the possible spellings for the long U sound, no? U, EW, EU, YU, YOU & YOO. Rather exhaustive.

Amusing theme. Heavy themage too. Nice & long theme entries. I like the title too.

Also a pangram. And no cheater square. Very John Lampkin like. But I spotted no cross-reference or clue echos, which are heavily featured in John's puzzles.

Across:

1. To blame : AT FAULT. He's to blame/AT FAULT.

8. Porch tune, maybe : CAROL. The "tune" is a duplication with the answer TUNE in 2D.

13. Spa treatment : MASSAGE. Hi, Melissa.

20. Washington's coin : QUARTER

21. Yoga posture : ASANA. Thought of Lucina and her always cheerful posts!

22. Fancy furs : ERMINES

25. Friday show? : DRAGNET. Sergeant Friday.

26. Prefix with plane : AERO. Aeroplane.

27. Lavish affection : DOTE

28. Roman's 103 : CIII

30. Oenophile's concern : NOSE. Oenophile = One who loves wine.

37. Take a shot : TRY

40. Post-OR area : ICU

41. Caspian feeder : URAL. Tried ARAL first.

42. Major ISP : AOL

48. Auto designer Ferrari : ENZO. He has become a gimme.

50. Chat room "Incidentally ..." : BTW. Needs to be reclued to avoid the "chat" duplication with the answers IDLE CHAT (29D. "Nice weather we're having" and the like).

53. Was too sweet : CLOYED

54. Meter opening : ODO. Opening for the word odometer. The clue needs a question mark. To be consistent with 92A.

55. Lab animals : MICE

57. Not stuffy : AIRY

58. Roll call response : HERE

63. Agt. under Ness : T-MAN

66. Retailer with blue-and-yellow megastores : IKEA

67. Lure sneakily : ROPE IN

75. Set straight : ORIENT

76. Execute perfectly : NAIL

77. Hun king of myth : ATLI. Same as Attila the Hun.

83. Ernest's unseen friend, in films : VERN. No idea. What film?

87. Chop finely : HASH

88. Mineo and a mule : SALS. Fun clue. A man and a mule.

89. Resistance unit : OHM

90. Andy's deputy : BARNEY. "The Andy Griffith Show".

92. Mock ending? : ERY. Ending for the word mockery.

93. McGregor of "Star Wars" films : EWAN

97. Maker of Good Grips kitchen tools : OXO. Annette was just talking about Oxo products.

98. College srs.' tests : GRES. Foreign students take GRE too, if they want to study for Masters in the US.

101. A, in Avignon : UNE. Alliteration.

102. Set, as a price : ASK

111. Summer quaffs : ADES. Can picture the groan in Barry G's face.

112. Navigate : WEND

113. Jumble wordplay: Abbr. : ANAG. Man, we really have some anagram experts on the blog. Awesome blossoms!

114. In __: stuck : A JAM

118. Rise again : RESURGE

125. Bridge call : NO TRUMP

126. Papal garment : ORALE. The cape over his vestments.

127. Fail : GO UNDER

128. Show contempt for : SNEER AT

129. Normand of silents : MABEL. Her name escaped me. Saw this clue before.

130. Reagan A.G. : ED MEESE

Down:

1. Turquoise hue : AQUA

2. Use a fork, in a way : TUNE. Tuning fork?

3. Off the foul pole, e.g. : FAIR. Baseball.

4. Threepio's pal : ARTOO. Stumper. "Star Wars" droid.

5. Salt Lake City athlete : UTE

6. "Ben-Hur" author Wallace : LEW. Stranger to me.

7. Switch to a better model : TRADE UP

8. Saguaros : CACTI. They are in Gunghy's photos.

9. Visibly terrified : ASHEN

10. Try to sink, maybe : RAM. OK.

11. Like a family sharing a vehicle : ONE CAR

12. Pacific weather phenomenon : LA NIÑA

13. TV and radio : MEDIA

14. Sheet music abbr. : ARR. Arranged?

15. "'S a __ request": Burns : SMA. Better than the "Wee" clue yesterday.

16. Cell user's need : SIGNAL. Cellphone.

17. Tee off : ANNOY

18. Canada __ : GEESE

19. Perfumer's compound : ESTER

24. Drag : TOW

32. Number of Dvorák symphonies : NINE. Needed crossing help.

33. Breezed through : ACED

34. Astronaut Grissom : GUS

35. Guerra's opposite : PAZ. Spanish for "Peace". Guerra is "war". Got me.

36. Milne tyke : ROO. Kanga's kid in "Winnie-the-Pooh".

37. PC troubleshooter : TECH

38. Have power over : RULE

39. Lab assistant in a 1939 film : YGOR. Or IGOR.

44. Some canines : EYE TEETH

45. "Impressive!" : OOH

46. Work of Sappho : ODE. Sappho is the Greek poet. A Lesbian. The word "lesbian" is derived from her birthplace island Lesbos.

47. In a funk : LOW

49. "The Matrix" hero : NEO

50. Helmet wearer : BIKER

51. Mousquetaires count : TROIS. Three. Did not know Mousquetaires = Musketeers in French. 'The Three Musketeers".

52. Crossword inventor Arthur : WYNNE. In 1913.

55. Hammerhead cousin : MAKO

56. Anatomical passage : ITER

57. Way to make steak : AU POIVRE. Poivre is French for "pepper".

59. Demolition supply : TNT

60. Biathlete's gear : RIFLE

61. Agonize : FRET

62. Cry of distress : YOWL

64. Umpteen : MANY

65. Self starter? : AUTO. Like autograph/autobiography. "Self" prefix. Somehow I am not fond of this clue.

68. "__ moon, Alice!": Gleason catchphrase : TO THE

69. Toward the back : AREAR. I checked. It's in the dictionary.

70. Inviting, as lips : KISSY. Only know kissable.

71. Straighten out : UNTANGLE

72. Brother of Fidel : RAUL. The Castros.

73. Birds' bills : NIBS

74. Stable staple : HAY. Nice alliterative & rhyming clue.

79. Dream Team's team : USA

80. Gillespie's genre : BOP

81. Doctors hear a lot of them : AHS

82. ASCAP competitor : BMI. Broadcast Music Incorporated. New abbr. to me.

84. "The Council of Elrond" singer : ENYA

85. Flying Clouds, e.g. : REOS. Had this identical before.

86. Syllable from Curly : NYUK. Nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk. Three times.

90. Beethoven's birthplace : BONN

91. Chevy subcompact : AVEO. What's the name origin, Santa?

93. Prefix with skeleton : EXO. "Outside" prefix.

94. Court : WOO

95. Pres. before RBH : USG. Ulysses S. Grant. RBH = Rutherford B. Hayes. Blank spots for me.

96. Carousel sight : LUGGAGE. Carousel is the revolving belt in the airports.

97. "Yeah, right!" : OH SURE

99. Like coin flips : RANDOM

100. Author Welty : EUDORA. Peeked at the answer sheet.

103. Fish stories : YARNS

104. Cinema name : ODEON

105. Compass dirección : OESTE. "West" in Spanish.

106. Took four of four, say : SWEPT

107. Oahu outsider : HAOLE. Just remember it as A HOLE.

108. Drone's gathering, briefly : INTEL. Intelligence.

109. Be off one's guard : NAP

110. __ Manor: "Batman" mansion : WAYNE. Learning moment.

115. Hardy's "obscure" stonemason : JUDE. Hardy's novel "Jude the Obscure". Too obscure a clue for me.

116. Seemingly forever : AGES

117. Greedy cry : MORE

119. 1921 Capek play : R.U. R. Where the word "robot" was first used.

120. ABC talk show, for short : GMA

122. Put the cuffs on : NAB

123. Grass in strips : SOD

124. Bottom line : SUM

Answer grid.

Here is Part VIII of Kazie's Oz series. Various Sydney Harbour pictures. Brilliant night shots. The last installment of her trip will appear tomorrow.

C.C.

PS: I have a question for Firefox Browser users: Do the links today appear in blue color in your screen? They look gray in my computer, but blue when I go to Internet Explorer.

Saturday July 17, 2010 Barry Silk

Theme: None

Total words: 70

Total blocks: 27

Average Word length: 5.66 (Our normal Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday is often under 5.)

This puzzle is anchored by two 12s:

26A. Plotting problem, perhaps : WRITER'S BLOCK. Story plotting.

43A. Plan to minimize losses : EXIT STRATEGY. Could be the seed entry.

Barry also placed triple stacks of 8s in the NW & SE quadrants and triple columns of 9s in the NE and SW quadrants.

No scrabbly J/Q/Z, normally a Silk hallmark.

Across:

1. Voter reaction of sorts : BACKLASH. Had BA* immediately.

9. Come forward : STEP UP

15. Liqueur often used to flavor tiramisu : AMARETTO. Also WHISKEY (37. Jell-O shot ingredient).

16. Benedict XIII's family name : ORSINI. No idea. Wikipedia says the Orsini family has produced three popes.

17. Emeril might make one with provolone : TUNA MELT. Emeril is a fun guy.

18. Slangy "got that right!" : BETCHA. You betcha!

19. Certain Honshu native : OSAKAN

20. Followers: Suff. : ITES. Filled in ISTS first.

22. Auntie Em's st. : KAN. "The Wizard of Oz".

23. A transfer might entail one, briefly : RELO. Thought of plane/bus transfer. Not job transfer.

24. Gang follower? : STER. Gangster.

25. High guy : ALTO. Oh, high voice guy.

30. Office efficiency meas. : WPM (Words Per Minute)

33. Jungian archetype : ANIMA. Jung's inner self, as opposed to "persona".

34. Café drinker's request : LECHE. "Milk" in Spanish.

35. Big talk : ORATION

39. Simple organism : MONAD. New word to me. Single cell.

40. Milo, e.g. : GRAIN. I've never heard of milo, an early-growing, usually drought-resistant grain sorghum, resembling millet.

42. Tom Hayden's '60s org. : SDS (Students for a Democratic Society)

46. Luxor's river : NILE. Luxor is city in Central Egypt. On the Nile. I bet our Mr. Ed knows.

47. High in the French Alps? : HAUT. The feminine is Haute, as in Haute Couture/Cuisine.

48. Organization with many boomers : AARP

52. Wee : SMA. Small.

53. __ Mawr : BRYN

54. Google Earth, e.g. : MAPPER. Er word...

56. Apt to change : LABILE. Another new word.

58. Ojibwa speakers : CHIPPEWA. They are a big tribe here in MN.

60. Torino's home : ITALIA

61. Cramped : HAMPERED

62. Past : BEYOND

63. Waits for, at an intersection : YIELDS TO

Down:

1. Ulan __ : BATOR. Mongolia capital.

2. Tickle : AMUSE

3. Place for a low bridge : CANAL. Did not come to me readily.

4. Former capital on the Vistula River : KRAKOW. No idea. Capital of Poland (1038-1596).

5. 1964 British Open winner : LEMA. The Champagne Tony. It sure would not be British Open without wind, would it? Rory, Go!

6. Rate __: be perfect : A TEN

7. N.L. Central team : STL. St. Louis Cardinals.

8. Brisk seller : HOT ITEM

9. Gets serious : SOBERS

10. A third of nueve : TRES. Spanish for "three". Nueve is "nine".

11. Pawtucket hrs. : EST

12. Thieves' tools : PICKLOCKS

13. Like a dinosaur embryo : UNHATCHED. I don't get this clue. Know nothing about dinosaur.

14. They activate hammers : PIANO KEYS. Ear hammers? I was stumped.

21. Huge amount of power : TERAWATT. Equals to one trillion watts. Tera is a prefix for "one trillion". (Sorry for the "suffix" error earlier.)

24. 1963 Chevrolet debut : STINGRAY. Don't know the history.

25. They're often drawn : ALES

27. Speakeasy owners' concerns : RAIDS

28. Rescuer of Odysseus : INO. Pronounced like "I know", right? Sea goddess who rescued Odysseus from drowning by giving him a magic veil.

29. Rappers' accessories, in slang : BLING

30. Betty Friedan cause : WOMEN'S LIB. Have dimly heard of the name Betty Friedan.

31. Close : PROXIMATE. Awesome entry.

32. 1898 battle site : MANILA BAY. Spanish-American War battle site.

36. Where Gainsboroughs hang : TATE. Tate Galleries.

38. Step on it : HIE. Was thinking the clue is asking for the "it", you know, like PEDAL.

41. Like dirty jokes : RAUNCHY

44. Nut feature : THREAD. Again, I was picturing edible nuts. Not nuts/bolts/screws.

45. Went on and on : YAPPED. Man, John Daly just can't stop talking to the reporters.

49. Some parodists : APERS

50. Keep from drying out : REWET. I rewater, so I suppose it's OK to REWET.

51. Madrid must-see : PRADO

53. Russian pancake : BLIN

54. Some street art : MIME. Needed crossing help.

55. Kitchen item: Abbr. : APPL. OK, appliance.

57. 1969 Peace Prize-winning agcy. : ILO (International Labor Organization)

59. River through Beijing : HAI. Hai River. Hai is literally "sea" in Chinese. Love the new clue.

Answer grid.

Here is Part VII of Kazie's Oz series. The last ones of the Northern Territory, still in Kakadu.

C.C.

Friday July 16, 2010 Joon Pahk

Theme: ZZ Top - ZZ is inserted to familiar two-word phrases, changing mostly long vowel sounds into short vowel sounds.

17A. Amaze a racing legend? : DA(ZZ)LE EARNHARDT. The base phrase is Dale Earnhardt, the racing legend.

26A. Simple but exciting abode? : PIZZA(ZZ) HUT. Pizza Hut. Pizzazz is also spelled as pizazz. No long vowel to short vowel sound change in this one. What is the English word with the most Zs?

48A. Headgear delayed in shipment? : LATE FE(ZZ)ES. Late Fees. Did not know the plural for fez is fezzes. The only theme answer ZZ is added to the second word.

61A. Furniture design flop? : FI(ZZ)LING CABINET. Filing Cabinet.

Total 11 Zs. The record is 18. Low black square count too. Only 33.

Must be a bear to construct this puzzle. Hard to come up with common Z containing words to conveniently intersect those Zs in the theme answers, esp when Z is the second letter in a word. AZIZ (23D: Saddam Hussein adviser Tariq) the "Who?" dude just has to be there. No other good alternative. It's easier when the slot has a *ZE ending pattern, like 3D & 41D.

Additionally, the constructor tried to be original & tricky in his clues, hence quite a few unfamiliar references. Just a slog for me.

Puns are always subjective, don't you think? What tickles one might not work for another. Even good puns can be painful.

Across:

1. Place to get clean? : REHAB. Clean the bad addiction.

6. Dip : SWIM

10. Grade-schooler's reward : STAR

14. Roasted, on Mexican menus : ASADA. As in Carne Asada (roasted meat).

15. Animal in two constellations : URSA. Bear. Ursa Major & Ursa Minor (constellation).

16. "Hiya, José" : HOLA

20. Seek retribution, in a way : SUE

21. Prefix with meter : ALTI. Altimeter is an instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level. New word to me.

22. Unchallenging courses : EASY AS. Learned Easy A courses from doing Xword.

23. "I ain't got no quarrel with the Viet Cong" speaker : ALI. Not aware of this quote.

24. A goner, in slang : TOAST

30. On the road : AWAY

34. When Macbeth kills Duncan : ACT II. Had ACT?? there forever.

35. Blender brand : OSTER. We also have T-FAL (53D. Maker of nonstick cookware). Two kitchen appliance brands.

37. Knock out, so to speak : AWE

38. Brainchild? : WHIZ KID. Was in the "idea" line of thinking.

40. Iris parts : AREOLAS. Was only familiar with the nipple ring definition.

42. Time Warner spin-off of 2009 : AOL. Did its stock price rise after the spin-off?

43. America's most wanted? : A LIST. Playing on the TV show "America's Most Wanted".

45. Yvette's "our" : NOTRE. As in Notre Dame.

46. "__ chic!" : TRES. Two French in a row.

50. Draw out : EDUCE

52. "Maa" ma : EWE. Nice clue.

53. Basic religious tenet : THEISM

56. Silents star Naldi : NITA. Can never remember this lady's name.

58. Four-song discs, briefly : EPS. EP = Extended Play. Got me.

64. Toward shelter : ALEE

65. Stooge chuckle : NYUK. Curly's chuckle: Nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk.

66. Off one's trolley : LOOPY. "Off one's trolley" is a new idiom to me.

67. House member : LORD. House of Lord. British Parliament. Stumped.

68. Choosing word : EENY. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe". Mystery for me.

69. Newark's county : ESSEX. No idea. Only knew the Essex in England. Not NJ.

Down:

1. Angular measures: Abbr. : RADS. Radians. See this diagram.

2. Twin in the Torah : ESAU. Jacob's twin. Was picturing the animals in Noah's Ark.

3. Skyline obscurer : HAZE

4. Tool whose blade is at right angles to the shaft : ADZ. Know the word. But the clue stymied me.

5. Russian instrument with a triangular body : BALALAIKA. A complete stranger.

6. Bird feeder filler : SUET. Really? My neighbors use millet.

7. Ghostly figures : WRAITHS

8. Knesset's land: Abbr. : ISR. And EZER (55. Weizman of 8-Down), whose name escaped me again.

9. Femme fatale : MAN EATER. Another new slang to me.

10. View from Weed, California : SHASTA. Mount Shasta. I've never heard of Weed. It's 10 miles west-northwest of Mount Shasta.

11. Labourite's opponent : TORY. The British Conservative party. Labourite is a person who supports the Labour Party. Another new word to me.

12. Robert of Broadway's "Guys and Dolls" : ALDA. No idea. He's the father of Alan Alda.

13. "Phooey!" : RATS

18. Daughter of Henry VIII: Abbr. : ELIZ. OK, Elizabeth I, daughter of Anne Boleyn.

19. Is down with : HAS. I don't get this clue.

25. Defeated in an annual Nathan's contest : OUT ATE. Know the repulsive hot dog contest, not the venue.

26. Grab for roughly : PAW AT

27. Blood of the gods : ICHOR. Learned from doing Xword also.

28. Scrabble 10-pointer: Z TILE. Could be an alternative theme title, no?

29. 12-sign system : ZODIAC

31. Minute piece? : WALTZ. Chopin's "Minute Waltz".

32. Not ignorant : AWARE

33. Sycophants' replies : YESES

36. Like wind energy : RENEWABLE. Terrific answer.

39. Shed light on : ILLUMINE. Only know illuminate.

41. Slow mover : OOZE. And ICKY (57. Like 41-Down, perhaps).

44. Simply designed British firearm : STEN GUN. We seen STEN often.

47. Appropriated : SEIZED

49. Crumbly cheese : FETA

51. Broadband option: Abbr. : DSL

54. Big Island city : HILO (Hee-loh)

58. Chimp in the Mercury program : ENOS. I forgot.

59. Skunk Le Pew : PEPE. Pepe Le Pew.

60. Charon's river : STYX. The Hades river. Charon is the ferryman.

62. Emmy-winning scientist : NYE. Bill Nye the Science Guy.

63. Cyclades island : IOS. Another stumper. Homer is said to be buried on this island.

Answer grid.

Here is Part VI of Kazie's Oz series. Day 2 on their Kakadu tour. That resting place under the rock looks dangerous, doesn't it? Click here to see all the pictures from her Oz trip.

C.C.