Sunday February 13, 2011 MaryEllen Uthlaut

Theme: English Lessons We Never Learned - English grammatical terms are reinterpreted literally and humorously clued with question marks.

23A. Legal dispute over personal property? : POSSESSIVE CASE. The 's ending, as in Dennis' new car.

39A. Oratorical elements? : PARTS OF SPEECH. Verb, noun, pronoun, etc.

52A. Santa's minor children? : DEPENDENT CLAUSES. Sweet clue. Also known as subordinate clause. Incomplete when standing alone. We also have ELF (30D. Yule aide).

69A. Settlement negotiated by one's ancestors? : ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT. Pronoun must agree with its antecedent.

88A. Part of a broken-up prison term? : SENTENCE FRAGMENT. Again, incomplete when standing alone. Subject or verb is missing, or prepositional phrases beginning with although, because, etc.

98A. Rosy answer in a seer's crystal ball? : FUTURE PERFECT. For example: By next May, I will have been living in the US for 10 years.

120A Philatelist or numismatist? : COLLECTIVE NOUN. Words like cast, team, crowd etc. Can be either singular or plural, depending on context.

Hope my understanding of the above grammatical terms is correct. As I mentioned before, I've never received formal education here and my grasp of grammar & common idioms is pretty shaky.

Favorite today is DEPENDENT CLAUSES (52A), thinking of our Dear Santa Argyle, who should be very happy to see how MAGIC (67D. What Muggles can't do, in Harry Potter books) is clued. He's really into those Harry Potter stuff.

Fun theme & smooth solving for me. I grokked the gimmick immediately after I got my first theme answer.

Across:

1. Bojangles specialty : TAP. Bill (Bojangles) Robinson.

4. Gets into : DONS

8. Plains tribe : OMAHA. Hi there, Husker Gary!

13. If all goes well : AT BEST

19. __ mode : A LA

20. CINN-A-STACK seller : IHOP. Hmm, pancakes. What's your regular order there?

21. Unskilled work : McJOB. Added a bit of scrabbly action here.

22. Combat mission : SORTIE

26. Crew and golf : SPORTS. Crew refers to rowing I presume.

27. Map of Hawaii, often : INSET. We also have OAHU (81D. Interstate H-1 locale) & LEI (122D. Wreath of welcome).

28. Film feline : ELSA. "Born Free".

29. Sports car quality : SLEEKNESS

31. Rod's associate : REEL

32. Liquid-Plumr maker : CLOROX. Isn't it too lazy to have the "be" dropped?

35. Aspiring atty.'s challenge : LSAT. And LLB (121. Legal deg.)

36. Generic pooch : FIDO

45. Wyo. neighbor : IDA

48. What the fourth little piggy had : NONE. Does this refer to the "This Little Piggy" nursery rhyme?

50. Some avant-garde art : ARPS. Jean Arp.

51. Playground response to 111-Down : IS TOO. And 111D. Playground response to 51-Across: IS NOT.

58. Cause trouble to : AIL

59. Skipped over : ELIDED

60. U.S. currency : DOL. Chinese currency is called Ren Min Bi, the primary unit is Yuan.

61. As one might expect : NATURALLY

64. Flight segment : STAIR

65. Equip with weapons, old-style : ENARM. OK, old-style.

68. "Hamlet," e.g.: Abbr. : TRAG. Have never seen "Tragedy" abbreviated this way before.

76. Lugs : OAFS. Noun lugs.

77. Smooth move : SEGUE

78. God-fearing : PIOUS

80. Bourbon with a floral logo : FOUR ROSES. First encounter with this brand.

85. Follower of Samson? : ITE. Samsonite.

86. He overthrew Batista in 1959 : CASTRO

87. James's creator : IAN (Fleming). James Bond.

92. Online recruiting site : eHIRE. Was ignorant of this website.

95. Stand up to : DEFY

96. Bold Ruler, to Secretariat : SIRE. Should be an intuitive guess.

97. Reptilian warning : SSS

103. Beer holder : CASK

105. Detective Wolfe : NERO

106. "Tristram Shandy" author : STERNE (Laurence). Stumped me last time. See here.

108. "__ Not Seen the Sun": Dickinson poem : HAD I

112. Committed : DEDICATED

117. Hurt badly : MAIM

118. Peacock and rooster : MALES

119. Real estate hires : AGENTS

124. Walk softly : TIPTOE

125. Euripides play in which the title heroine never goes to Troy : HELEN. Really? Helen never made it to Troy?

126. Lamb alias : ELIA. Charles Lamb.

127. Sgt., for one : NCO

128. Fur fortune family : ASTORS

129. Heavenly path : ORBIT. Heavenly clue.

130. Prog. listing : SKED. Schedule.

131. "__ a life!" : GET

Down:

1. Piglike forest dweller : TAPIR. Hi, there.

2. How the cheese stands? : ALONE. Got me. "The Farmer in the Dell": ... The cheese stands alone.

3. So last week : PASSE

4. Japanese lawmaking body : DIET. Nailed it. Often constructors use "Diet" in clues to trick solvers.

5. Sounds of surprise : OHs.

6. Rocket section with a heat shield : NOSECONE

7. Tell, slangily : SPILL

8. 1998 Masters champion : O'MEARA (Mark). Tiger's best friend. Nice person.

9. Turn-of-the-century year : MCC. 1200.

10. 1977 Steely Dan album : AJA

11. Cartwright son : HOSS. "Bonanza".

12. Genesis shepherd : ABEL

13. Evaluate : ASSESS

14. Palace of the Ottoman sultans : TOPKAPI. Well, maybe Hahtool & Lucina know. Both have been to Istanbul. I've got no idea.

15. 19th-century literary sisters : BRONTES

16. Raison d'__ : ETRE. Also 71. Latin being : ESSE. Two "Be".

17. Is sidelined : SITS

18. Hardy heroine : TESS. "Tess of the D'Urbervilles".

24. Righteous beginning? : SELF. Self-righteous.

25. Cognac initialism : VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale)

33. Like some surgery : ORAL

34. More, in adspeak : XTRA

37. Bony labyrinth : INNER EAR. Tricky clue.

38. Longtime publisher __, Mead and Company : DODD. Stranger to me.

40. Twisted into thread : SPUN

41. Mount south of Olympus : OSSA

42. Series ender : ET AL

43. Curl up : COIL

44. Word with cats or cow : HOLY. Have never heard of "Holy cats".

45. Bad day for Caesar : IDES. Ides of March.

46. Mouth formation : DELTA. River mouth.

47. Beelike : APIAN

49. Put a stop to : ENDED

53. Time management figure : EDITOR. Time magazine.

54. Ring __ : TONE

55. Highland families : CLANS

56. Major addition? : ETTE. Majorette.

57. Unfailing : SURE

62. Mob activities : RAMPAGES

63. Senioritis? : AGEISM. Fun clue: -itis.

66. GPS suggestion : RTE

70. Money-managing execs : CFOs. Real money, not Money magazine.

72. "__ Nacht" : GUTE. Good night.

73. Perils at sea : REEFS

74. Staff additions? : NOTES. Musical staff.

75. They might be left on the road : TURNS. Great clue.

79. Ones sitting tight? : SOTS. Why?

80. Feudal estate : FIEF

82. Army detachment : UNIT. New definition of "detachment" to me.

83. "Momo" author Michael : ENDE. No idea. Was this guy very famous?

84. Joke ending? : STER. Jokester.

86. Siena sweetie : CARA. Cara Mia.

89. Pair of officers? : EFFS. Two letter F in officers.

90. Medvedev's denial : NYET. Just Russian for "No". Medvedev is Putin's shadow.

91. Vegan beverage : RICE MILK. Have never tried it. Soy milk, yes!

93. Meet by chance : RUN INTO

94. Builder : ERECTOR. And 101. Builder's material : CEMENT.

99. Undoes : ERASES

100. Proverbial kettle critic : POT. The pot calling the kettle black.

102. Ford Explorer Sport __ : TRAC. No Gillette razor today.

104. Top Tatar : KHAN. As in Genghis Khan or Kublai Khan.

107. Dark times, informally : NITES

109. How a noted spider came? : ALONG. "Along Came a Spider".

110. Tennis tie : DEUCE

112. Bank deposits? : DATA. Don't get this one either.

113. Sponsorship: Var. : EGIS. Variation of Aegis.

114. Part of LAPD: Abbr. : DEPT

115. Return from the canyon? : ECHO

116. One who walks the walk : DOER

118. Subject of an annual Colorado brewing festival : MEAD. Not familiar with this Mead Festival. A quick Google search shows it's held in Denver.

123. "No mortal could __ with Zeus": Homer : VIE. Easy guess.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday February 12, 2011 Barry Silk

Theme: None

Total words: 68

Total blocks: 27

Barry frames this themeless with eight 9s, six of which are stacked in the upper left & lower right, crossed by another triple columns of Down 8s.

Let's look at his marquee answers:

1A. Breakfast-on-the-run choice for some : COLD PIZZA. Has to be his seed entry. Fantastic answer. Two Zs in action.

15A. Work on a table : OPERATION. For doctors/nurses.

17A. Driven to have : DEAD SET ON

53A. Sitcom array : ONE LINERS. Or Jazzbumpa's blog array. Full of zingers.

57A. Boarded en masse : PILED INTO

59A. Up-and-down time? : SKI SEASON. Tricky clue: "Up-and-down". Maybe HeartRx/Gunghy nailed it.

11D. Album before "Help!" : BEATLES VI. Got via crosses.

30D. Strawberry dessert : SHORTCAKE. Sweet!

How long do you normally spend on a Saturday puzzle? I always punt after 30 minutes. Forgive me, Father, for I always cheat!

Across:

10. Put to shame : ABASH. See this word in "unabashed" form more often.

16. Martinique volcano : PELEE.Not familiar with Mount Pelée. Wikipedia says it's French for "Bald Mountain".

18. Not as bright : PALER. We also have 36D. Having a better chance of recognizing : NEARER TO. Two ER adjective suffixes in this grid.

19. Structural opening? : INFRA. Only know the noun infrastructure.

20. When parents may need to call their kids : MEAL TIME

22. Four-time Daytona 500 champ Yarborough : CALE. Tell us more about him, eddyB!

23. Resident on the Arno : PISAN. We often see ARNO clued as "Pisa's river" or "Florence's river".

25. Sediment : LEES

26. Hot feeling : IRE

27. Corporeal : BODILY

28. Fluid dynamics phenomenon : EDDY. Hey, another shout-out to eddyB. Can't believe your Eros & Eons mix-up on Thursday.

29. Makes privy to : LETS IN ON

31. Arcade game nos. : PTS (Points)

33. Parades : SASHAYS. Lucina has not used this word for some time.

34. Croat's neighbor : SLOVENE. Of Slovenia.

38. München-to-Wien heading : OST. German for "east". München = Munich. Wien= Vienna. I drew a blank.

39. Designer of Dulles Airport's main terminal : SAARINEN (Eero). First time we see his surname in a grid.

40. Service expert : ACER. Tennis.

43. Meat garnishes : ASPICS

45. GPS determination : LAT (Latitude)

46. Encircled : GIRT

47. Busy : IN USE. As in restroom.

48. Entangle : MIRE

49. Knighted son of King Ban : LANCELOT. Wow, I never know Lancelot's father was a king.

51. Speleologist : CAVER. Speleology is the study of caves. I only know spelunk/spelunking.

52. Words after follow or blow : A LEAD. Didn't come to me quickly.

56. Like some investments : RISKY

58. Colorado's __ Park : ESTES

Down:

1. Will supplements : CODICILS. Complete stranger to me. Looks like it's related to code.

2. Place to set up camp : OPEN AREA

3. Ads, perhaps : LEAFLETS

4. Titled rapper : DR. DRE. First time we have his full name.

5. "El Condor __": Simon & Garfunkel song : PASA. Here is a clip. Boomer loves Simon & Garfunkel. He just bowled another 300 this week.

6. Mineral suffix : ITE. As in hematite.

7. ZENMED target : ZIT. Was ignorant of the brand ZENMED. Manufactured by whom?

8. Enhances the details : ZOOMS IN

9. Temper : ANNEAL

10. Range, e.g.: Abbr. : APPL (Appliance)

12. Teamed up : ALLIED

13. Looked : SEEMED

14. Joan of Arc's crime : HERESY

21. Wherever : ANY PLACE

23. Clipped style : PONYTAIL. Like this. Was thinking of JFK's clipped accent. Not hairstyle.

24. Lifetime exchange for many : I DOs

27. Fairness obstacle : BIAS

32. Rocky crests : TORS. Classic crosswordese.

34. Je ne __ quoi : SAIS

35. Invigorates : ENLIVENS

37. Begins : ENTERS ON

39. It means "traveling companion" in Russian : SPUTNIK. I am quite fond of Obama's "Sputnik moment". You? 

40. Blazing : AGLARE

41. Tadalafil brand : CIALIS. Don't know the meaning of "Tadalafil".

42. __ Evans, Chubby Checker's birth name : ERNEST. New trivia to me.

44. Peepers : SNOOPS

48. Crosswords in the 1920s, e.g. : MANIA. This is true.

50. Slow Churned ice cream : EDY'S

51. Fungi ending : CIDE. Eww!

54. "The Book of __": 2010 Denzel Washington film : ELI. Have you seen the movie? Good?

55. "__ Troyens": Berlioz opera : LES. Wikipedia says Les Troyens = The Trojans.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Interview with James Sajdak

Some constructors specialize in earlier week puzzles, some focuses on themeless. James Sajdak is one of the very few who have delighted us with both. I always like James's grid layouts because they often feature long, lively non-theme entries.

James only started construction in 2005, but he has been published by LA Times, NY Sun, NY Times. 

Hope you enjoy this nugget-filled interview. I certainly did.

What's your background and how did you get into crossword construction?

I remember watching my father solve the Chicago Daily News puzzle after dinner (pen solver) back in the 1960s. During college, a couple of friends and I did the Chicago Tribune puzzle in the Student Union every morning before classes. My wife Kathy and I moved to Canada where we got busy raising a family, a big garden and chickens. Puzzles, except for the Sunday NY Times puzzle, were put on the back burner. After we moved back to our Midwest roots, I returned to the UW Madison, got a degree in English linguistics and began teaching English as a Second Language in Madison, Wisconsin. I got bit again by the puzzle bug in the ‘90s and in 2005 I felt an urge to try to make a puzzles of my own. My first two were published by Wayne Williams, then I was lucky enough to work with editor Peter Gordon, who shepherded me through an A, E, I, O, U puzzle and I was hooked. Peter, and then Rich Norris, taught me much about theme selection and constructing that I was unaware of. I thank them dearly. They each have their own editorial hand and both gave me an education into what goes into a well-crafted crossword.

How would you describe your puzzle style? I noticed that your grids often feature plenty of long non-theme answers.

Longer fill generally makes for a good puzzle. It opens up the grid so solvers don’t get stuck in a corner that has only one way in, usually through a theme entry. Secondly, longer entries offer many more options in selecting colorful words and phrases that evoke amusing, bizarre or endearing pictures in the mind. The short stuff is limited, so you end up with a lot of unwelcome abbreviations and crosswordese. Of course, as a constructor, I’ve sometimes bitten the bullet and used a less than desirable entry to aid in making the rest of the puzzle better.

Style-wise, I feel like I’m pretty open to anything, but I like feel-good, fun puzzles. For example, BABY GRAND, SWEETHEART DEAL, HONEY TREE, and SUGAR PLUM FAIRY. I love a good love theme and dislike war references. I make a conscious effort to avoid things like A TEST, N TEST, DESERT STORM and other militaristic references.

Which part do you normally spend the most time on, in the construction process: theme brainstorming, gridding or cluing?
 
Theme brainstorming is always a catch-as-catch-can affair. I might go a month without a clever theme idea. Then, in a week, I might come up with a couple of sparkly ideas. I have notebooks and scraps of paper with half-finished, or half-baked, theme ideas. They come from everywhere, but I don’t generally use reference books in adding to my “seed” theme entries. The most in-the-language theme entries come from things I hear, see or read as I go through the day.

Coming up with a decent grid can be a bear when I have a large number of theme letters in a puzzle. And making an acceptable grid for an eight or ten theme Sunday puzzle can be murder.

Cluing, for me, is the most creative part of the whole process. A good mix of straight, humorous, gimme (you’ve got have a way in) and ornery clues is what I like in puzzles I solve. That’s what I strive for when I write clues.
 
You've been constructing both themed and themeless puzzles. Which ones do you enjoy more? And what are the major differences in your approach?

For me, a cool theme is hard to beat and challenges me to place theme entries just-so to allow for a smooth grid. Cluing theme entries is the most satisfying part of constructing. I try to make myself laugh, a first step to making editors and solvers laugh too.

I will often work on a themeless puzzle when the theme muse is busy elsewhere (other contructors?). I keep a list of eight- to fifteen-letter special phrases I have encountered, especially those with a scrabbly quality. I’m not a master of the low word count themeless puzzles or stacked 15 letter entries. When I do a themeless, I try to remember that the whole puzzle is fill, so I’m always looking for colorful shorter fill as well. There’s not going to be any humor added by a set of related theme entries, so the amusement must come from all the entries. I have done a couple of themeless puzzles with “mini-themes,” (GIRL FROM IPANEMA, TOWN WITHOUT PITY, for example, with two balancing song titles) and I like these hybrid types.

What kind of reference books/websites do you use for theme entry selection assistance and clue accuracy checks?

As I said, I try to avoid reference books when I’m coming up with theme entries, since it adds some iffy stuff to my possibilities and takes my mind out of the language as we speak and hear it. Once I do have theme entries, I look for Google hits and check Cruciverb.com website for previous usage. Cruciverb.com is a great site to see if a theme idea has already been done. Google is also good to find some lesser known fact to use in a clue (crosswords as an educational tool.) I use Wikipedia only for broad overviews of a topic or entry.

My go-to dictionary is Random House Unabridged. I also love to dig into my atlas to find geographical names to create alliterative clues. (Barcelona bloom) FLOR.

I read blogs like yours and Amy Reynaldo’s to see how my and fellow constructor’s puzzles are received by our audience. That can be either an ego-boosting or humbling experience, but I think it keeps me from being complacent in making puzzles.

You've been quite prolific since you had your first puzzle with the NY Sun in 2006. Where do you find your theme inspirations and how do you maintain such productivity and originality?
 
Prolific, perhaps, but names like Patrick Berry, Dan Naddor and lately, John Lampkin pop up so frequently that I can’t think of myself as particularly prolific. Theme inspirations may visit anytime and anyplace, and, when they do I gather them in.

What kind of puzzles do you solve every day and which constructors do you find most inspiring?

I solve the LAT and NYT every day. On Sunday, I might also try Merl Reagle or the Boston Globe, but that’s a lot of boxes to fill in. I also really like what Patrick Berry is doing in his Friday Chronicle of Higher Education puzzles. I probably solve about 15 to 20 puzzles a week. I am not a speed solver, to say the least.

As for constructors, Patrick Berry has a combination of innovative theme ideas, constructing skill and precision in cluing that’s hard to beat. I like Joe DiPietro and have admired his clever style for many years. Bob Klahn’s clues are to die (laughing) for. Liz Gorski’s grid ideas are out of this world. There are another dozen or more constructors, both those who have been creating for many years and the new generation, that I really admire and would like to emulate.

Besides crosswords, what else do you do for fun?

We’re outdoorsy types. My wife Kathy and I do a lot of hiking and biking. We’re birders, snorkelers, and we’ve even tried snowshoeing (after all, we live in Wisconsin.) Reading, of course, is a big part of our leisure time (after all, we live in Wisconsin—long winters!) I listen to a lot of music, don’t watch much TV.

Finding laughs in everyday life, bizarre news stories and even on the mainstream news is an ongoing goal in my life. Humor is a healing force in our tough times and, I hope, in my puzzles.

Thanks for the opportunity to share my philosophy of constructing (and life) on your blog.

Friday February 11, 2011 James Sajdak

Theme: "D" mand you do better than a D PLUS; the letter "D" is attached to the beginning of the first word of a grid spanning phrase to create a new and humorous new phrase. Each clue is signaled with a "?" to let the solvers know a play on words is involved. In the 4th theme answer, the first word and the third word are the same word, so both have the D added.

17A. Soundly defeat by cheating?: DRUB THE WRONG WAY. A drubbing is a beating, and likely comes from an Arabic word that transliterates as DARB. No one would ever accuse our Dfettes of rubbing the wrong way.

24A. Gloomy Cuban?: DOUR MAN IN HAVANA. What is particularly intriguing about this clue is the Graham Greene novel, and subsequent MOVIE starring among others Alec Guinness and the incomparable Ernie Kovacs, is a dark comedy poking fun at British Intelligence. Greene was a member of MI5, the place from whence James Bond was born. The movie was also filmed in Cuba, with the approval of then newly empowered Fidel Castro.

46A. Discerning pub competitor ?: DART CONNOISSEUR. More little javelins, this week, and a word with Latin, cognoscere "to know, to become well_acquainted with, and some French history.

59A. What loving couples exchange?: DEAR TO DEAR GRINS. Certainly a more romantic concept than xxxx eating grins.

And the unifier,

37. Grade that describes this puzzle’s theme: D PLUS. Well, it is almost a C-

An ambitious use of 4 grid spanning entries, tied together solely by the added "D." The sound of the theme is very entertaining, and there are some nice entries, but overall, I found myself lost in places. Maybe it is just me, as this has been a very hard week.

Well lets look at what has been wrought.

Across:

1. Part of the deal: HAND. We begin with some nice misdirection, as a hand of cards is part of what is dealt.

5. Little pieces, idiomatically: DRABS. Dribs and drabs is the full phrase, with the speculation it was created for the sound, like helter skelter or hurly burly. DRIBS likely comes from DRIPS.

10. Benevolent group: ELKS. BPOE, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks; not to be confused with the Moose Lodge.

14. Great Plains tribe: OTOE. This Sioux tribe was part of the buffalo hunting nomadic Indians of Missouri and Oklahoma. And, 41A. Iroquois enemies: ERIES.

15. Amazing!: OH WOW.

16. House leader during Bill’s presidency: NEWT. Mr. Gingrich is back politicking to be president. He has written 23 books, and overcome being known as NEWT.

20. Henri’s health: SANTE. An alliterative introduction to our French lesson, A votre sante, is the common French toast, "to your health."

21.Critical: DO OR DIE. One of those odd combination of letters which must be parsed as more than one word, or you just sit and stare at the gird. This also brings to mind the Tennyson POEM.

22. Lummox: OAF.

24. Maker of the LX 150 scooter: VESPA. I know no other scooter maker, so this had to be easy.

32. Photo finish?: OPS. Another word play, and what every politician wants.

33. Birthplace of seven presidents: OHIO. Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, McKinley, Taft, Harding; second only to Virginia’s 8 presidents

34. Drive off: REPEL. So many meanings, from warding off, to going down the mountain side. (correction - when you go off a cliff or down a mountain, you 'rappel'. )

35. Ardor: ZEAL. Who is your favorite Zealot in history?

40. "James and the Giant Peach" writer: DAHL. Roald, one bizarre mind.

43. Start of Durante refrain: INKA. Fine childhood memories of listening to this SONG.

45. Olympics participant since 1992, to the IOC: CRO. Croatia after the break up of the Slavic countries.

50.Cheerios: TA TAS. Just for Nice Cuppa, we have a little British wordplay on departing; not to be confused with TATAS, or any cereal products.

51 Music store section: POP. Nuff said.

52. Martyred first Bishop of Paris: ST. DENIS. A complete unknown HISTORY .

55. Notable early student of Bela: NADIA. Nadia Comaneci and Bela Karolyi, the wonderful Romanian gymnastic student and teacher.

63. ___ à feu: ARME. Literally a firearm.

64. Carnival dance: SAMBA. Not the one with cotton candy, but from Brazil, with passion. You too can learn to DANCE .

65. Unite after a break, in a way: KNIT. When a bone breaks, it heals by knitting itself back together.

66. Caring: KIND. Very literal.

67. Magazine for horse owners: EQUUS. Latin for Horse.

68. Sherpa sighting: YETI. The famous mountain guides see a little abominable snow man?

Time to go down:


Down:

1. Mortar carriers: HODS. They actually are used to carry the bricks and the mortar.

2. Handle for a little shaver?: ATRA. Handle meaning name, cute clue.

3. Animal, vegetable or mineral: NOUN. We had this clue before.

4. Unsettled one?: DEBTOR. People are said to settle their debts when they resolve them.

5. Head-slapper’s cry: DOH. Most of us at one time or another and Homer.

6. Scoreboard initials: RHE. Runs, hits and errors at a baseball game. This was a clue in the first puzzle I blogged.

7. How adorable!: AWW. Exactly how a feel about new grand nephew and niece.

8. Big name in Dairy: BORDEN. I do not believe the company was named after Lizzie.

9. Sports logs since 1972: SWOOSH. The Nike logo, made famous by Mr. Jordan.

10. Like cameos: ENGRAVED. I had a hard time with this one, as I was thinking about brief appearance in a film, not the jewelry. I am not sure all cameos are engraved.

11. Lascivious: LEWD. In the law these two words go together.

12. Title river in a 1957 film that won 7 Oscars: KWAI. Love the MOVIE. Once again Alec Guinness performs.

13. Eyelid malady: STYE. Yes, those of us with eye problems wish all we had to deal with were styes, or hordeolum, small bumps that can appear on the outside or inside of the eyelid.

18. Latin lover’s declaration: TE AMO. Real Latin, not Hispanic, I love you.

19. Stock term: NO PAR. We have had this many times, it just means the stock has no intrinsic value.

23. Saudi royal name: FAHD. The son of the founder of the country who ruled until his death in 2005; also another Arabic word, meaning courageous, fierce.

24. Talking Heads song, "Sax and ____": VIOLINS. Another SONG .

25. Missed out maybe: DOZED. I never saw this clue, but I guess it personifies if you snooze, you lose.

26. Met tragedy, perhaps?: OPERA. The question mark tells you it is the Metropolitan Opera, many of which are tragedies like OTELLO.

27. It merged with Piedmont in 1989: US AIR. Deregulation leads to consolidation. Not to be confused with 58D. Piedmont wine region: ASTI. Where Italian sparkling wine is made.

28. Playful bite: NIP. Many puppies and a few babies I know.

29. Swiftly: APACE. The dreaded "A" word.

30. Jacket style popular with 60's rockers: NEHRU. The man, and his influence.

31. Words that lead to nothing: ALL OR. Very cute, all or nothing.

36. Educated: LETTERED. The original studies were of letters.

38. Game based on crazy eights: UNO. Once again, this game in my blog, and once again, we played SkipBo to please Ma Grand-Mère. And 39D. Card in 38-down: SKIP.

42. Meager: SCANT. For our Norwegian contingent, from Old Norse SKAMPT.

44. Words after play or for: A SONG. No money, just some singing.

47. Idle: OTIOSE. Our five dollar word of the day, taken directly from the Latin otiosis. American IDLE, where the OTIOSE become OBESE.

48. Where GOOG is traded: NASDAQ. GOOG is the stock symbol for GOOGLE, which is traded on the Over the Counter Market, National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations" controlled neither by the New York nor American Stock Exchange. It is now the largest market of listed companies.

49. Canine mascot of the National Fire Protection Society: SPARKY. A post Smokey rip off, but you gotta love a dog in a yellow slicker IMAGE .

52. Badlands Natl. Park site: S DAK. The abbreviation of NATL tells you the answer will be an abbreviation also.

53. Dustin’s "Tootsies"co-star: TERI. These puzzles haunt me, as dear Teri Garr appears again on my blog day.

54. Denounce: DAMN. Another reminder of Rhett and Scarlett.

56. Wine partner: DINE. The old dating tradition of wining and dining, to replace with the post honeymoon whining and shopping.

57. Down but not out: IN IT. If you are not out, you are in.

60. Bird in the bush: EMU. A call out to our transplant from OZ, Kazie, where these flightless but low in cholesterol birds roam.

61. ___Dhabi: ABU. Part of the UAE and home for a new golf course and golf tournament, owned by Martin Kaymer.

62. ___Tafari: RAS. Ras Tafari Makonnen was crowned Haile Selassie I, the 225th Monarch of the Solomonic Dynasty in Ethiopia in November of 1930. He also was the prophet of the RASTAFARIAN movement which emerged in Jamaica. He claimed to be a direct descendant of King Solomon, and therefore of Moses.

Answer grid.

Well, that was fun, and next week, I should be back to whatever normal is for me; be careful out there especially on Valentine's Day; thanks Mr. Sajdak and all the corner.

Lemonade

Note from C.C.: A special "Thank you" to Al & Lemonade for blogging under very difficult circumstances in the past couple of days. Puzzles were not available in regular hour and Lemonade still needs more time to heal his troublesome eye. Jazzbumpa also blogged on Wednesday with a cold. And the YouTube links in this write-up work now only because the workhorse Argyle stayed up late and helped. Aren't we lucky to have them?! (Oops, forgot our beautiful Melissa!)

Thursday, February 10, 2011 Don Gagliardo

Theme: Shaken, not stirred, the reveal is found in 57 Across: Its components are hidden at the ends of 17-, 20-, 35- and 53-Across: DRY MARTINI.

17A. Delta location: RIVER MOUTH. An "aromatized" wine, flavored with herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, chamomile, marjoram, cardamom.  The inventor was inspired by a wine which in German was called Wermuth (flavored with wormwood, a component of absinthe).

20A. Source of showroom shock?: STICKER PRICE.

35A. Standing by for an on-air appearance: ABOUT TO GO LIVE. The word "oil" in several languages is derived from words for olive and olive tree.  Originally, oil only meant "olive oil".

53A. Risk calculation: SAFETY MARGIN. Shortening of geneva, altered by influence of the similarity of the name of the Swiss city, with which it has no other connection. from Dutch genever "juniper" because the alcohol was flavored with its berries.

Hi all, Al here again on a Thursday.  Today's theme answers were both helpful and yet not helpful for me. Recognizable phrases, so they filled in missing letters, but the endings were disguised as part or parts of words, so that had me scratching my head how the full words could be related. See Don's note at the bottom of the write-up.

ACROSS:

1. Get used to it: ADAPT.

6. PBS moderator Ifill: GWEN. A new name for me..

10. Go for: COST. A yooper scooper for handling large amounts of snow?  How much does that go for?

14. Martinez with three Cy Young Awards: PEDRO. Baseball pitching award.

15. By __: from memory: ROTE.  Bi rote "by heart," of uncertain origin.  I thought for sure this would have a Latin root, but I guess not...

16. Sale modifier: ONLY. And you can have it for ONLY 19.95 per month, and your first born child.

19. Actor Sitka who appeared in numerous Three Stooges films: EMIL. Apparently called "the fourth stooge". Another unknown name for me.

22. Healthy routine: HYGIENE. From Hygiea, daughter of the god of medicine, Asclepius.  His other daughters were Iaso ("Medicine"), Aceso ("Healing"), Aglæa/Ægle ("Healthy Glow"), and Panacea ("Universal Remedy")

25. "Catcher in the Wry" author: UECKER. Bob. Named "Mr. Baseball" by Johnny Carson.

26. Make __ dash for: A MAD.

27. Hershiser with a Cy Young Award: OREL. And some more baseball pitching excellence.

30. Wind instrument vibrator: REED.

31. Send: THRILL. Sam Cooke: You send me.

33. Battle gp.: REGT. Armed Forces group, Regiment.

40. Bauble: GAUD. A large ornamental bead in a Rosary.

41. Citi Field org.: NY METS.  And baseball again.  I'm catching on to this sub-theme, you don't have to hit me over the head with a bat...

43. Central Chinese city: XIAN. Today's geography lesson.

46. Jazzman Stan: GETZ. I get misty.

48. Some are named for music genres: ERAS.

49. Carrying limit: ARMFUL.

51. Fit for consumption: EATABLE. This seems odd, I hear "edible" more often, but it's been around since the 15th century.

56. Beard-preventing brand: ATRA.

61. Forest denizens: DEER.

62. Capri, e.g.: ISLE.

63. Quilt filler: EIDER. Duck down harvested from nests after the young leave.

64. Used too much: OD'ED.

65. USNA part: Abbr.: ACAD. United States Naval Academy.

66. Puts in a hold: STOWS. Sometimes you have to wrestle it down the stairs...

DOWN:

1. Mortgage no.: APR. Annual Percentage Rate.

2. "De Civitate __": "The City of God," St. Augustine work: DEI.

3. -ly word, usually: Abbr.: ADV. Get your Adverbs here.

4. Spanish fort: PRESIDIO. From Latin præsidium, from præsidere "to sit before, protect". Related word, preside.

5. Rich dessert: TORTE.

6. Food merchant: GROCER. One who buys and sells in gross quantities.

7. "The Caine Mutiny" novelist: WOUK. Herman.

8. Cigar tip?: ETTE. A suffix clue: cigarette.

9. Early Indian leader: NEHRU. Jawaharlal. Prime minister having the longest time of service to date, 1947-64

10. Strong-arm: COERCE.

11. Wired for sound: ON MIKE.

12. Did a deli job: SLICED.

13. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" singer Bonnie: TYLER. Obligatory link.

18. Camera company that merged with Konica: MINOLTA. I hope they didn't mind.

21. With some sauce: PERTLY. Saucy, variant: sassy, giving off a little heat, using spicy language.

22. One of many jobs, in metaphor: HAT.

23. Jewish social org.: YMHA. Young Men's Hebrew Association.

24. Things to wear: GARB. "Elegance, stylishness," from M.Fr. garbe "graceful outline", from It. garbo "grace, elegance,"

28. Wear away: ERODE. Originally a gnawing-away at, as of rodents.

29. Relay runner's assignment: LEG.

32. Wheel securer: LUG NUT.

34. Spokane university: GONZAGA. The bulldogs.  It all started on Thanksgiving Day, 1892. A new sport – then often referred to as American rugby – was played for the first time on the Gonzaga campus in front of 500 fans. The sport soon became known as football and Gonzaga was able to compete until 1942, when there were not enough male students to field a team due to their service in World War II.

36. Play with a dog toy, maybe: TUG.

37. Response to "You were kidding, right?": I MEANT IT.

38. Word of action: VERB.

39. And friends, facetiously: ET AL.

42. Capt.'s heading: SSE.

43. Like DVDs in a restricted room: X-RATED.

44. "We can talk now": I'M FREE.

45. Terrified, to the bard: AFEARD.

47. Designated: TERMED.

49. South American grilled meat dish: ASADO. A barbecue.

50. Croesus' kingdom: LYDIA. Now Anatolia (Asia Minor)

52. Exhausts: TIRES.

54. "Happy Days" mom, to the Fonz: MRS. C. Marion Cunningham, played by Marion Ross.

55. Auel heroine: AYLA. Jean Auel, The Clan of the Cave Bear. Played by Daryl Hanna.

58. Altar promise: I DO.

59. Fresh: NEW.

60. Letters seen in many forms: IRS. Sigh.Yes, it's that time of year again.

Answer Grid.

-Al

P.S., Thanks to C.C. for getting me the puz file last night after Cruciverb made some changes again.

A note from Don about today's theme:

"As a solver, I really like puzzles where words just pop out of nowhere to form new words.  I wanted to hide something at the end of phrases where, when all was solved, one could take those items and put them together to make something.  A mixed drink sounded like a good possibility.  ICE and GIN came to mind, and I thought this would be easy.  OLIVE?  The phrase “About to go live” popped out of my head as something that I have heard a million times on TV.  But how do you clue it?  Rich and I struggled with that one.  I don’t know yet how it ended up.  I was afraid VERMOUTH from RIVER MOUTH was going to be too obvious and tip the whole puzzle theme from the getgo.  We’ll see!"

Wednesday February 9, 2011 Samuel A. Donaldson

Theme: Only $29.95 Plus shipping and handling. And now, for something completely different, today we get a laundry list of infomercial catch-phrases.

22A. With 24-Across, infomercial appeal : BUT WAIT

24A. See 22-Across : THERE'S MORE

38A. With 49-Across, infomercial appeal : OUR OPERATORS ARE

49A. See 38-Across : STANDING BY

54A. Infomercial appeal : CALL NOW

Not quite sure how I feel about this theme. Are you buying it?

Hi, gang, it's JazzBumpa reporting from the frozen wasteland of South-East Michigan, on a day when nothing has gone quite according to plan. I pulled the puzzle from Cruciverb, saw that it was one of John Lampkin's and thought - this is going to be good. And it was. Too bad I was a day late. We spent the day in Toledo, and I got home in time to blog, with about an hour to spare. Then worked THE WRONG PUZZLE. Ah, well. We've seen the theme, now let's find out if THERE'S MORE to this puzzle.

Across:

1. Utopian : IDEAL Utopia is the perfect place; an ideal is a concept of perfection. Sir Thomas More captured his ideal of the perfect place, in all its social, political and moral aspects in his book, UTOPIA, published in 1516.

6. Home censorship aid : V-CHIP A device in your TV to keep your kids from watching South Park, or your husband from watching the Playboy Channel.

11. Journalist's last question? : HOW Along with "What?", "Where?", "When? " and "Why?" HOW do I know this?

14. "Au contraire!" : NOT SO. French for "To the contrary."

15. "You think I'm to blame?" : WHO, ME? NOT SO!

16. "If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologize" boaster : ALI. The erstwhile Casius Clay -- I knew he floated like a butterfly.

17. Spanish silver : PLATA. The Spanish word for Silver. Also, el caballo del Llanero Solitario.

18. "The Lion King" king : SIMBA. From the Disney movie. SIMBA is the Swahili word for LION (and that's the truth!)

19. Londoner's last letter : ZED. Here in the U.S. we call a spade a spade, and a Z a Z. Over there, they call a Z a zed. I don't know why. Kazie?

20. Raising : UPPING. In the sense of "increasing." For example, one does not "UP" one's children.

27. St. Louis landmark : ARCH. Interesting ARCHitecture.

28. Likely loser in war : DEUCE. War, the card game; DEUCE, the lowest card. The famous quote from General U.S. Grant was, "I know what war is. Hell - any kid can play that silly game!"

29. Like stale jokes : OLD. Or, like misquotes of dead generals. (I saw that in MAD Magazine about 50 years ago.)

30. Riches' opposite : RAGS. Opposite ends of the economic spectrum.

34. Struggle : VIE. Now, that's more war-like it.

35. "The change is yours" : KEEP IT.

41. Conditional promise : IF I CAN.

42. Yves or Yvette, e.g. : NOM. French names indicate the French word for "name."

43. Some votes : AYES. The opposites are NAYS. Or, if you're just horsing around, "neighs."

44. Clearasil target : ZIT. AKA ACNE -- We don't need an image.

45. "__ the G String": Bach work : AIR ON The theme song for those who line-dry their lingerie. I always try to err on the side of G strings. When asked what he thought of Earth girls, Valentine Michael Smith answered, "Gee!"

47. Chichén __: Mayan ruins : ITZA. We need an image. The first time I saw this, I misread it as CHICKEN ITZA, and thought it was competition for the Colonel.

56. Verdi opera with a Shakespearean plot : OTELLO. From Shakespear's OTHELLO. We want Moor!

57. "Yes, Yvette" : OUI. Alliteration often signals a foreign language answer. I always want to pronounce this "OOWIE." Yes, I do.

58. Nook download : E-BOOK. Th Nook is a device for reading books in electronic format. You can read a Nook in a nook, or by the brook; or a Kindle by candle light.

61. Inflict, as havoc : WREAK. These words are pair-bonded for life. Nobody ever WREAKS anything besides HAVOC, and HAVOC is never inflicted in any other way.

62. Las Vegas-to-Salt Lake City dir. : NNE. Which way to Tahoe? The voice on my GPS is Samantha

63. Sparkle : VERVE. Synonyms for twinkle and GLEAM. Well, sparkle is, anyway. Here, they indicate liveliness.

64. "Do ___ to eat a peach?": Eliot : I DARE. Line 122 of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.

Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?
I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

I do not think that they will sing to me.

65. MI and LA : STS. Abrv n cl & ans. Sts. of the U. S.

66. Alan of "Little Miss Sunshine" : ARKIN. Miss Sunshine in the 2006 movie is Abigail Breslin. Cute kid. I didn't see it.

67. "So Much in Love" singers, with "The" : TYMES. The time was 1963. I remember the song, and the 60's, alas.

Down:

1. Feedback : INPUT. The more I ponder this answer, the more correct is seems to be.

2. Actor Lundgren of "Rocky IV" : DOLPH. I'm assuming he was the bad guy, lack of black hat not withstanding.

3. Troops encampment : ETAPE. I've seen this before, but never remember it. Here is some detail, from dictionary.net, "Supplies issued to troops on the march; hence (Mil.), the place where troops on the march halt over night; also, by extension, the distance marched during a day."

4. Buzzing with activity : ASTIR. The set was ASTIR with Rogers and Astair.

5. Advanced : LOANED. My dad advanced me some money. Then, when I got a job, I retreated it to him.

6. Rd. Rabbits : VWS. Mr. abbrv. The VW Rabbit was produced from 1975 through 1984, when it was replaced by the Golf.

7. X, to Greeks : CHI. It's all Greek to me. Please pass the triglyceride esters of OLEIC acid.

8. "Mean" señor : HOMBRE. In B westerns, we get the cliche, "Mean hombre." But "HOMBRE" simply means man.

9. Permeate : IMBUE

10. Gardening moss : PEAT

11. Incentive for dangerous work : HAZARD PAY. My Brother-in-law, a chaplain in the army reserve, will be off to a combat zone in a few weeks - but he doesn't know where.

12. Acid used in soap : OLEIC. It is a fat-derived acid named for the olive, and its triglyceride esters make up the majority of olive oil. Salts of fatty acids are called soaps, and OLEIC acid salts "will add conditioning properties and moisturizing properties to your soap. It will not produce a very good lather though. Some say that oleic acid is what gives your bar that slippery feel."

13. Volume component : WIDTH. Along with length and height. Do the math.

21. International finance coalition : G-SEVEN. This is a formal meeting of the finance ministers of the seven major industrialized countries, that started the year after the VW RABBIT (which I'm sure is only a coincidence) when Canada joined the Group of Six.

23. Polish Solidarity leader : WALESA. Lech WALESA started as an electrician in the Lenin shipyards, became a labor activist, got fired and arrested several times. Eventually, he overcame all of this and was elected President of Poland in 1990. After that, his popularity began to wane. He left Solidarity in 2006 over policy differences. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983.

25. Sierra Club founder : MUIR. John MUIR (1838-1914) was America's most famous and influential naturalist and conservationist.

26. South Pacific island region : OCEANIA. Haven't we always been at war with OCEANIA?

29. "__ the ramparts ..." : O'ER. Is this the line that caused so much trouble at the Super Bowl? If you watch it on your computer, is it gallantly streaming?

30. Lyon king : ROI. King of France (where Lyon is a city,) a nifty pun, and a bilingual clecho. How 'bout dat!

31. "__ Wiedersehen" : AUF. Buh-bye in German. Actual, closer to "Till we meet again."

32. University of Montana athletes : GRIZZLIES. Don't mess with them mammas.

33. Gregarious : SOCIAL. In the SOCIAL butterfly sense.

35. __ dragon: largest living lizard : KOMODO. It was once believed that this lizard's nasty bite sickened its prey with multiple strains of toxic bacteria. Now, we know it's venom.

36. Wrath : IRE. As in "day of wrath."

37. French possessive : TES. Having now learned this fact, I am sure to forget it almost immediately.

39. Back stroke? : PAT. Nice clue. A pat on the back is recognition for a job well done.

40. Conflicted : TORN

45. On the job : AT WORK. Where you might get a pat on the back.

46. Knucklehead : NITWIT. One who gets no back strokes.

47. Desktop images : ICONS

48. Needle : TAUNT. Here, "needle" is a verb.

49. Neither stewed nor pickled? : SOBER. Another nice misdirection. Stewed and pickled are two of the 11,742,289 synonyms for intoxicated.

50. Hardly cool : NERDY

51. Twinkle : GLEAM. He had a twinkle in his eye until that awful tooth brushing accident. Then he had GLEAM in his eye.

52. Trumpet sound : BLARE. That's for sure. I sit in front of them and wear ear plugs.

53. Joins, as oxen : YOKES

55. Lake Tahoe's aptly named Cal __ Casino : NEVA. The casino is on Crystal Bay at the north end of the lake, which straddles the California-Nevada border.

59. Egg: Pref. : OVI As in OVIform, meaning egg-shaped.

60. Baseball's Griffey (Jr., too) : KEN. Ken and Ken, Jr. - two of baseball's greats.

Answer grid.

Well, there it is. What do you think? MHO -- Fun puzzle, fun to blog, many good clues, and quite a bit of new information for this old trombonist.

Cheers!

JzB

Tuesday, February 8, 2011 John Lampkin

Theme: Last, but not Least - The end of four theme entries(see 39A for #) are synonyms for the unifier, 39-Across.

17A. Side-to-side skid: FISHTAIL. Unfortunately, tail isn't a separate word.

24A. Have no place to go but up: HIT ROCK BOTTOM. Too many celebs seem to just keep bouncing on that rock bottom.

39A. Pistol handle, and what 17-, 24-, 50- and 62-Across each have: BUTT END

50A. Bus driver's request: "STEP TO THE REAR"

62A. Idler at the shore: BEACH BUM. The other three I understand but how did BUM become a synonym our backside?

Argyle here. This seems a good fit for a Tuesday. I'm not feeling too sharp, so feel free to pick up the slack. But please, not too DF.

Across:

1. Unconscious state : COMA

5. Big Apple line : MAC. Steve Jobs' creation.

8. Buster who played Flash Gordon : CRABBE. Actor Buster Crabbe starred as Tarzan before moving on to such roles as Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, plus numerous westerns, from the 1930s. He was a swimmer and won medals in two Olympic Games: 1928 and 1932. Like a Louis L'Amour hero, broad at the shoulders and narrow at the hips. Image.

14. Rat-__ : A-TAT

15. Texter's "I think ..." : IMO. "In My Opinion ..."

16. Cosmetics giant founded in 1932 : REVLON (Clecho) 20A. Cosmetics giant Lauder : ESTÉE

19. Top-priority : URGENT

21. Doodad : GISMO. Thingamajig

23. In the past : AGO

27. Old man's domain, in a Hemingway work : THE SEA. A real fish tale. Image.

29. "¿Cómo __ usted?" : ESTÁ. Spanish.

30. With perfection : TO A T

31. Bite like a rat : GNAW

34. Get all A's : EXCEL

38. From the past : OLD

41. Gentle-lamb connector : AS A

42. Wallpaper goo : PASTE

44. To be, in Bordeaux : ÊTRE. French.

45. FBI guy : G-MAN

46. Mtn. stats : ALTs.. Mountain altitudes.

48. Virgil epic : AENEID. A epic poem written by Virgil, in Latin, in the late 1st century BC.

55. Point, as a pistol : AIM

56. Disinfectant brand : LYSOL

57. Port near Kobe : OSAKA. Japan.

60. Ex-Soviet leader Brezhnev : LEONID. Russia.

64. Nonsupporter's political sign words : VOTE NO (Clecho) 54D. Supporter's political sign word : ELECT

65. U.N. Day mo. : OCT.. United Nations Day on the 24th of October.

66. Wild West's Wyatt : EARP

67. Monopod feature : ONE LEG

68. Mo. town : ST. L.. St. Louis, Missouri.

69. Some NCOs : SGTs.

Down:

1. Hard Rock __ : CAFE

2. Bluesman Redding : OTIS

3. Newspapers' staff lists : MASTHEADs

4. Nonbeliever : ATHEIST

5. Athletes for Hope co-founder Hamm : MIA. Athletes for Hope is a nonprofit organization that works to educate professional athletes about philanthropy, connect them with charitable causes, recognize these efforts and inspire others to get involved in the community. (Wikipedia)

6. Chum in Chihuahua : AMIGO and 28D. Chihuahua greeting : HOLA and 47D. Chihuahua, e.g. : TOYDOG. Triple clecho!

7. What drives a baby buggy? : COLIC

8. Cookie jar morsels : CRUMBS

9. Transplanted successfully : REROOTED

10. Batting no. : AVG.

11. Lamb's greeting : BLEAT

12. Salsa drum : BONGO

13. Bug sci. : ENTOM. Entomology.

18. Head, to Henri : TETE. More french

22. Cookout holder : SKEWER

25. Maker of Mama's Special Garden Sauce : RAGU. Look for it on your grocer's shelves.

26. Invoice add-on : TAX

27. Sports car option : T-TOP

32. Big bomb blasts : N-TESTS. Triple alliteration.

33. Courtroom VIP : ATT.

35. Photographer's tote : CAMERA BAG

36. Morales of "NYPD Blue" : ESAI. And of crosswords ever since.

37. Arrive, in a way : LAND

39. Spare tire site? : BELTLINE

40. About to arrive : NEAR

43. Light hit : TAP

45. Grinds, as teeth : GNASHES

49. Fair-hiring org. : EEOC. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

50. Round of gunfire : SALVO

51. Attach, as to a hitching post : TIE ON

52. Ham it up : EMOTE

53. Vagabonds : HOBOs

58. Super Bowl XXXIV MVP Warner : KURT. Quarterback for the St. Louis Rams at the time.

59. Gig gear : AMPs

61. "__ Blu Dipinto Di Blu": 1958 hit : NEL. Dean Martin.(3:04) "Volare"

63. Eur.-North America divider : ATL. Atlantic.

Answer grid.

John is enjoying Costa Rica this week and hopes you all enjoyed his puzzle. However, if you feel like killing him for a tricky clue or difficult crossing, he has a special message for you.

Argyle