Saturday March 19, 2011 Frederick J. Healy

Theme: None

Total words: 72

Total blocks: 27

This puzzle is anchored by a pair of triple stacks of 10s on the upper right and lower left corners:

5A. 32 ounces at Long John Silver's, e.g. : MEDIUM SIZE. I've never been to the restaurant.

16A. Good time for criticism? : OPEN SEASON. Great clue.

18A. Brains : MASTERMIND

50A. Starts an operation : SETS UP SHOP

54A. One who gives things away : TATTLETALE. Informer.

56A. Half-awake : SLEEPY-EYED

All the above 10s are intersected by four 7s, including a stacked triple column. Lots of 7s in this puzzle.

Some excellent clues today. I really liked the below consecutive clechos:

12D. "Did we get the nod?" : IS IT A GO

13D. Nodding, with "out" : ZONKING

14D. Give the nod : ENDORSE

How was your solving? Tough fight for me. Again, the names gave me trouble.

Across:

1. Jags of the past : XKES. Jaguars sports cars.

17. "__ of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world": Emerson : A RAY. Of no hope to me, this kind of quote clue.

15. Actress Thompson : SADA. Here she is. I wanted EMMA.

19. Merrimack River city : NASHUA. In New Hampshire. Wiki said it's twice named "Best Place to Live in America" in annual surveys by Money magazine. Who knows?

21. __-Z: Camaro model : IROC. I rock. Nailed it.

22. Ref's ruling : TKO (Technical Knock-Out). Boxing ref.

23. "Singin' in the Rain" co-director : DONEN (Stanley). Liked the movie. Never paid attention to who directed it.

24. Caspian country : IRAN

25. Refuge : LAIR

26. "Works for me" : OKEY-DOKEY

28. They may be held up by fans : SIGNS

29. Wkly. message : SER (Sermon)

30. Lea ladies : EWES

31. Easy mark : STOOGE. Patsy.

32. "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" screenwriter : URIS (Leon). "Exodus" & "Trinity" are all I know about him.

33. Kinkajou cousin : COON. Dictionary says Kinkajou is related to raccoon and coati.

34. Color on the Irish flag : ORANGE. A gimme after Sallie's green & orange comment.

37. Group that offers free memberships to spouses : AARP. Unaware of this fact.

38. Mauna __ : LOA

41. Baccarat call : BANCO. I've never played Baccarat.

42. Trying to be quiet : TIPTOEING

44. Dominates : OWNS

45. Villain named Julius : DR NO. Title character from the first James Bond movie. I only know him as Dr. No.

46. Bubblegum pioneer : FLEER. Known for its baseball cards. Went bankrupt a few years ago.

47. Chemical ending : IDE. As in chloride.

48. San Francisco's __ Tower : COIT. Wiki said it's "a monument to the firefighters of San Francisco". Paid by a guy named Coit, "a wealthy socialite who loved to chase fires in the early days of the city's history". Oddball.

49. Eminent : OF NOTE

53. Jazz singer Anderson : IVIE. No idea. She sang with Duke Ellington's orchestra. Died in 1949.

55. Marlin's lost son : NEMO. In "Finding Nemo".

57. Opera conductor Daniel : OREN. Who?

Down:

1. Romantic writing? : X'S AND O'S. Oh, romantic letters.

2. Bar staple : KARAOKE

3. He won comedy and drama Emmys for the same role : ED ASNER. As Lou Grant, I presume.

4. Nickname for an athletic "kid" : SAY HEY. Willie Mays. Cold guy.

5. Home of A. Warhol's "Campbell's Soup Cans" : MoMA

6. 1972 DDT banner : EPA

7. They may be fond : DESIRES. I only know fond memory.

8. Work basket : IN TRAY

9. Apply to : USE ON

10. Cougar, e.g., for short : MERC. Car again. Mercury Cougar.

11. Rick's pianist : SAM. "Casablanca". "Play it again, Sam".

20. Have : UNDERGO

24. Clanton and a "South Park" sibling : IKES. Wiki said Ike Clanton was a pivotal player in "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral". Completely stranger to me.

25. Royal Arms of England symbol : LION

27. Scrape, to a tot : OWIE

28. Rest, as at an inn : STOP OFF

31. Database command : SORT

32. Family nicknames : UNCs

33. Pitching device? : CAPO. I only know it's a guitar gadget. No idea on its pitch-adjusting function.

34. Some winds : OBOISTS

35. Unfair treatment : RAW DEAL. Opened 6 boxes of Heritage baseball cards so far, no autograph. Unfair!

36. Warren's "Bugsy" co-star : ANNETTE (Bening)

37. Bears no resemblance to peanuts? : AIN'T HAY. Slang. That ain't hay.

38. Be postponed : LIE OVER

39. Previous : ONE TIME

40. Get together about : AGREE ON

42. Sad, on the Seine : TRISTE. Je suis triste. I'm sad.

43. Current event around Christmas? : EL NINO. D'oh, ocean current.

45. Stupid : DOPEY

48. Star of TV's "Trackdown" : CULP (Robert). Stumped me last time. Again today.

49. Personal column? : OP ED

51. Abbr. in Québec place names : STE

52. Triumphant cry : OLE

Answer grid.

Happy 51st Wedding anniversary to Jeannie's parents! And a belated Happy Birthday to Warren!

C.C.

Friday, March 18, 2011 Dan Naddor

Theme: Out, out damn ING. The “ING” ending to the last word of a familiar phrase are removed to reveal a new, and quite amusing phrase.

17A. Lodging surplus?: EXTRA INNS. EXTRA INN[ING]S, when a baseball game is tied after nine innings. The only plural answer.

20A. Versace creation?: ITALIAN DRESS. ITALIAN DRESS[ING], on your healthy salad, Gianni Versace was a famous designer killed by a random gay lover right here in beautiful Miami. His sister has carried on the company.

37A. Misplaced Yogi and Smokey?: LOST ONE'S BEARS. LOST ONE'S BEAR[INGS], losing your way, and my favorite because I can picture Yogi and Smokey doing some serious woodsy stuff.

58A. Plant at Sotheby's?: BRITISH SHILL. BRITISH SHILL[ING]. The now DEFUNCT British coin which was the equivalent of our nickel (20 to the pound); replaced by the five pence piece. Sotheby's is the famous British auction house, and a shill is put in the audience to bid up items to get the crowd to pay more.

62A. Investment in fine fabric?: SILK STOCK. SILK STOCK [ING], the wonderful casing that makes a gam shine like the stars. You do not see SILK used much anymore for leggings. Sad.

And the hint to the theme,

48D. Pleasure trip, and a hint to this puzzle's theme: OUTING. Not to be confused with any gender issues.

Wow, Lemonade here and I am amazed. I better understand the pressure on Argyle and C.C. doing back to back blogging. I feel like Curt Schill[ing] (BTW, shilling comes from schilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times when it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere) must have, as he was all battered, and prepared to take on the Yankees in the 2004 AL championship playoff. Having just blogged a John Lampkin, and now being handed the ball to take on a Dan Naddor, is a thrill, a challenge and a nice balm for other disappointments. In the world of blogg[ing] it does not get any better. The theme jumped out to me after the first fill, and they each were funny, set out in a 9,12,13,12,9 symmetry. Well lets look at what is likely one of the last of his efforts.

Across:

1. Hardly a walk in the park: TREK. STAR TREK?

5. "American __": IDOL. STAR maker? Do you watch the new incarnation?

9. Provoke: ROIL. I think of the sea roiling, but I guess bad habits can begin to roil me.

13. Russo of "Tin Cup": RENE. Best known for her work in the Lethal Weapon movies, she is Pretty.

14. Heavyweight fight?: SUMO.

15. Snoring cause, perhaps: APNEA. Sleep Apnea, where you actually pause in your breathing, has become a treatable condition.

19. Settles in: NESTS. Not my first thought.

22. Blotter letters: AKA. Also Known As; big in the police blotter world.

25. However, contracted: THO. Actually, Although.

26. Bygone Chrysler: LEBARON. The Lebaron, which in recent years was a mid-priced member of Chrysler’s fleet, began as the IMPERIAL LEBARON in the 30’s, their luxury car. It was designed by the Lebaron company, which was from Bridgeport, Connecticut, which was doing car bodies for many companies.

27. Target of a military press: DELT. The Deltoid Muscle is the round top part of your shoulder.

29. Animal rights org.: PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an American animal rights that uses some very odd images to promote their cause IMAGE .

31. Penn et al.: Abbr.: STNS. Stations, in this case railroad, a Manhattan reference.

32. Backed up, in a way: ON DISC.

35. Quad building: DORM.

42. Limo occasion: PROM. Yes, you must have a limo because they all drink.

43. Maker of pianos and bikes: YAMAHA. And much more; the company began when the eponymous founder began making organs.

45. Pacific salmon: COHO.

49. Scholarship drive donor: GRAD. You wonder how much all those schools spend on postage sending out their requests for money.

51. Carnival starting point?: PIER. The cruise line.

52. Blood specification: ONE UNIT.

54. "Gotcha!": AHA. See, I say I am not an O HO, and I get my A HA.

57. Hydroelectric structure: DAM. But we try not to swear, or make Coulee jokes.

61. Busted: RAN IN. Dan's multi word way to say arrested; and a mini-theme, along with 40D. Bust: RAID. Like Elliot Ness in the old days; not like Dolly Parton. And, 47D. Duff: HEINIE. Not old time actor Howard, but the one you sit on.

66. __ acid: AMINO. The body's building blocks.

67. "Night" author Wiesel: ELIE.

68. Way-back-when time: YORE. Days of yore, when men were men.

69. Coat rack items: PEGS.

70. Just slightly: A TAD. Probably a derivative of TADPOLE.

71. Classic theater name: ROXY. Old movie houses, and I will finish part one, with this SONG .

Down:

1. What's a little past due?: TRE. Oh, you multilingual devil Dan. Uno, Due, Tre; one two three in Eye-talian. What a tricky way to start us on our ride down.

2. Name fit for a king?: REX. Latin for King.

3. Tonsillitis M.D.: ENT. Ear, Nose and Throat.

4. "Felicity" star Russell: KERI. One of many from the Disney machine, she started out as a MOUSKETEER .

5. Thomas of the NBA: ISIAH. Detroit Piston star, terrible Knick coach, and now coaching Florida International right nearby me in Miami.

6. Maker of tires and tennis balls: DUNLOP. You ask what do those have in common, the answer RUBBER .

7. Present opening?: OMNI. Opening for the word omnipresent.

8. Silicon Valley city: LOS ALTOS. Puzzles are funny, there are many New York centric questions which are easy for we east coast residents, and I am sure this was a gimme for our left coaster, but for me it was a bit obscure. While the town is rich, it is small.

9. Grammy category: R AND B. Another of Dan's patented use of multiples to confuse, as RAND is a word.

10. Met expectations?: OPERAS. The Metropolitan Opera House in Manhattan, which we had recently.

11. Supplement: INSERT. The noun, like the newspaper inserts.

12. Reveals: LETS ON. Dan back to multi word answers.

16. Clubs: Abbr.: ASSNS. Associations, I am suing a number of Condominium Associations this month.

18. One of two authorized U.S. iPhone carriers: ATT.

21. Close at hand: NEARBY. Oops, I used that word in my write up.

22. Flap: ADO. My solitary chance to plug Shakespeare today.

23. __ Ration: KEN-L. I guess ALPO was too much like 24. Designer Gucci: ALDO.

28. "My country __ ...": TIS of thee. Sweet Land of Liberty.

30. Swelling: EDEMA. Not from Latin, but from the Greek οἴδημα,

33. Additive sold at Pep Boys: STP. Andy Granatelli's "Racer's Edge." Not this STP .

34. Pembroke or Cardigan dogs: CORGIS. My oldest brother has two; I also loved the cross of this clue, with BRITISH SHILL, as a tribute to the dog loving QUEEN ELIZABETH II . Can you believe there is a WIKI FIDO?

36. Start of an apology: MEA. CULPA, from Latin. The modern version which our group does not like, is "My bad."

38. View from Edinburgh: NORTH SEA.

39. Band aid?: AMP.

41. 2000 World Series stadium: SHEA. Another MET reference, and more New York.

44. Ready for battle: ARM.

45. Army attack helicopter: COBRA. For those who did not get enough violence yesterday ATTACK .

46. Cloverleaf component: ON RAMP.

50. Flowering plant used for food by the Aztecs: DAHLIA.

53. Yucatán youngsters: NINOS. Spanish.

55. Hoofed it: HIKED.

56. Roker and Rosen: ALs. What an odd couple he picked.

59. Bank deposit?: SILT. Finishing strong with a classic misdirection, the river bank.

60. About 10 trillion kil.: LTYR. Light Year.

63. Valentine symbols: OOO. XXX to you all.

64. '80s-'90s Honda model: CRX. These are very popular as race cars.

65. Critical: KEY. We have reached the critical point in the write up, where I must turn the key and shut off the motor and bid you all farewell, not to be back in the blogging seat for a while. Thank you Dan for another fun ride. Be careful, like Arnold, I will be back.

Answer grid.

Lemonade

Thursday, March 17, 2011, Bruce Venzke

Theme: Air-raising. All four theme answers are in turn clue definitions for the (same) answer to 53 Down: Clue for 17-, 26-, 45- and 60-Across: LIFT.

17A. BRITISH ELEVATOR.

26A. FOOTWEAR INSERT.

45A. BOOST IN SPIRITS.

60A. HITCHHIKERS RIDE.

Hi all, Al here. I guess this makes it as a Thursday crossword because it contains a second, third, and fourth meaning of a word, which you usually see late in the week as a clue, one where you can't just pop in the first answer that comes to mind. I started writing this explanation and struggled with it to the point where I started confusing myself in the attempt to be clear. Let's hope I got this right:

HOMONYMS sound alike, spelling may be either the same or different.

HOMOGRAPHS are spelled alike, sound may be either the same or different.

HOMOPHONES sound alike but have different spellings.

HETERONYMS are spelled alike but sound different.

So, In the theme today for all four cases, LIFT is both a homonym and a homograph, but not a homophone, nor a heteronym. As a side note, heist is related to hoist, because both are the action of something being LIFTed.

ACROSS:

1. Bingo call: B-TEN. Typically there are 75 numbers in play so, "under the B" could be 1-15. However there is a 90 number variant that would make it be between 1-18.

5. Gordon __: Michael Douglas's "Wall Street" role: GEKKO. 1987 Best Actor Oscar.

10. One may require stitches: GASH.

14. German import: AUDI.

15. Slangy negative: IXNAY. Pig Latin for NIX.

16. Control: RULE. The measuring stick is the source for the verb in the sense of to "guide on the straight correct path", with "rule of thumb" appearing somewhere along the way.

20. Fairy tale ender: AFTER. As in "and they all lived happily ever after."

21. Amazement: AWE. From Old Norse agi "fright".

22. Early surgery aid: ETHER. But highly flammable, and with side effects such as nausea and vomiting.

23. Talking with one's hands?: Abbr.: ASL. American Sign Language. Those with delicate sensibilities about language should not click this link, but it is quite well done, with over 1.5 million views and only 207 dislikes.

25. Ante-: PRE. A prefix for a prefix, for example: antecedent (to go before).

34. Washington's Grand __ Dam: COULEE.  Here's a crossword staple, Arlo Guthrie.

35. Fierce anger: RAGE.

36. Carnival city: RIO. I'll spare you from linking to Duran Duran...

37. Old, in Oberhausen: ALTE. German.

38. "Good heavens!": EGADS. and 51D. "Gadzooks!": YIPE. Gad being a euphemism for God.

40. Humdinger: LULU.

41. Relieve (of): RID.

42. Pencil remnant: STUB.

43. Legal-sized fish: KEEPER. Take your pick.

48. Neighbor of Nev.: ORE. Nevada, Oregon. Pronounced like "Or-ee-gn", and the locals appear to get a bit territorial if you pronounce it like the ending of a geometric shape.

49. Reggae singer Kamoze: INI. New to me...

50. Big name in food service: SYSCO. Restaraunt supplier.

53. Brine-cured delicacy: LOX. Smoked salmon.

55. Remove forcibly: EXPEL. Related: repel, dispel, propel, from latin pellere "drive".

63. Andy Taylor's son: OPIE. Little Ronnie Howard from Mayberry, RFD.

64. Submit taxes, nowadays: E-FILE.

65. Kong's kin: APES.

66. Guam, for one: Abbr.: TERRitory. Today's geography lesson.  Very close to the center of the map, you can see the Caroline Islands.  Guam is just above that.

67. 50s experiment, briefly: H-TEST. Off to the right on the same map as Guam are the Marshall Islands.  Look just above that to see Bikini.  The Bikini Atoll is where the test was detonated.

68. Longings: YENS.

DOWN:.

1. Cake with a kick: BABA. au Rhum.

2. Horse racing surface: TURF.

3. Cut, perhaps: EDIT.

4. Nick at __: NITE. "Family" cable channel, reruns and sitcoms.

5. Dogfaces, briefly: GIS. Usually only infantrymen were called that.  Slept in pup tents, stayed in foxholes, wore dog tags, ordered around like a dog.

6. Yoga instruction: EXHALE.

7. Had no doubts about: KNEW.

8. Leafy vegetable: KALE.

9. Santana's "__ Como Va": OYE.

10. Irritates, with "on": GRATES.

11. One may have an agt.: AUTHor.

12. Fruit used to flavor gin: SLOE.

13. Bavarian mister: HERR.

18. Really peeved: IRATE.

19. Fogg's creator: VERNE. Phileas Fogg, Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne.

24. Honeybunch: SWEETIE. What my wife calls me when she is not happy.

25. What might be used when a bomb is hurled on a field?: PIGSKIN. A long pass in football, or a scene from The Mouse That Roared.

26. Port closing?: FOLIO. All your personal investments summarized in a portfolio.

27. Show up: OUT-DO.

28. Flamenco exclamation: OLE. Bravo.

29. Bedouins, e.g.: ARABS. Arabic badawin "desert-dwellers," an already pluralized form of badawi. Silly to pluralize it again, but that's English for you.

30. "Really cool!": RAD. Shortening of "radical".

31. Break out, as violence: ERUPT.

32. Ticks off: RILES.

33. Organized string of gigs: TOUR.

34. Atkins diet taboo: CARB. So close, but too far in the wrong direction with meat. Excess protein is broken down into sugar and urea, which places stress on the kidneys and doesn't really solve the stored fat problem long term.

39. Pistol: GUN. and 50D. Used a 39-Down: SHOT.

40. Island welcome: LEI.

42. Old Detroit brewery name: STROH.  Bottoms up on St. Paddy's Day. (Link wasn't working, so I replaced it. And yes, I know the new one isn't Stroh's)

44. Lakeshore natives: ERIES.

46. World Cup sport: SOCCER.

47. Digital dots: PIXELS. Individual component makeup of pictures, shortened to pics, then pix, a Variety magazine word.

52. Swizzle: STIR. Swizzle of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of switchel "a drink of molasses and water" (often mixed with rum.)

54. Haggard's "__ from Muskogee": OKIE. Even back when times were simpler, people were still resisting change.

56. See-through, in comics: X-RAY. An old advertisement for the unwary, whose money would soon be departed.

57. Meerschaum or brier: PIPE.

58. Genesis locale: EDEN.

59. Subtraction word: LESS.

61. Half a devious laugh: HEH.

62. Living in Ariz., maybe: RETired.

Answer Grid.

Al

Wednesday, March 16, 2011, John Lampkin

Theme: I am Positive this Puzzle is a Plus: Each of Five theme answers are words which when paired with the unifier POSITIVE, which is also presented symbolically by the PLUS sign in the middle of the grid, portray a very upbeat approach to life. Based on his conversations here, I would guess this puzzle presents JL's philosophy.

17A. *Survey response: FEEDBACK. POSITIVE FEEDBACK, the pat on the back children and workers are always seeking.

21A. *Trying to remember: THINKING. POSITIVE THINKING means Norman Vincent Peale to me.

26A. *Prospects: OUTLOOK. POSITIVE OUTLOOK is what public companies and political spin masters are peddling.

48A. *Disposition: MINDSET. POSITIVE MINDSET is a way to get yourself ready for a difficult task, allowing you to use the full power of your mind. I read the works of Jose Silva.

55A. *Cocky manner: ATTITUDE. POSITIVE ATTITUDE is difficult to achieve as a teenager, and must not be confused with arrogance.

And the unifier,

63A. Word (suggested by the black shape in this grid's center) that can precede the answers to starred clues: POSITIVE. The black shape being a Plus Sign, also used as symbol for POSITIVE in chemistry, on batteries etc.

Happy day all, your pseudo-guest blogger Lemonade here,(?)once again amazed by Mr. Lampkin's mind. His originality and creativity is not limited to the cluing or the theme, but to the visual aspect of the puzzle, where like Don G's L-BAR puzzle, he creates a grid which itself is a clue. He includes his humor, his music and delivers another wonderful time had by all. On to the specifics....

Across:

1. Inedible Swiss cheese part?: HOLE. A simple but witty visual clue to begin.

5. Sched. uncertainty letters: TBA. To Be Announced, what shows up on your cable tv guide when the power goes off.

8. Greets the bad guy: HISSES. A shout out to our friend Snidely Whiplash?

14. Bard's black: EBON. Sing a long now? SONG 1.

15. "__ Latest Flame": Presley hit: HIS. Or sing later SONG 2; when I first heard the Beatles and Elvis, I was not impressed, proving my total lack of musical knowledge.

16. Bird that hangs its nest from a branch: ORIOLE. I grew up admiring this BIRD.

19. Rang: TOLLED. "Ask not for whom the bell tolled..."

20. Juliet's volatile cousin: TYBALT. We have seen this recently, but I love how John worked 68A. Oppressive boss: TYRANT into the grid.

23. Suffer defeat: LOSE OUT.

25. Cubic roller: DIE. Nice visual again, 1 DIE, 2 DICE.

29. Cartoon skunk Le Pew: PEPE. He's back.

32. Mideast political gp.: PLO.Palestine Liberation Organization.

33. UPS delivery: PKG. Package.

34. Know-it-all: SMARTIE. I don't see the normal continuation, "PANTS"

38. "Tomorrow" musical: ANNIE. Does anybody recall Sarah Jessica Parker as Annie on Broadway?

40. Push-up sound, perhaps: GRUNT. While not a simple clecho, I love the added 46A. Push-up garment: BRA, which emphasizes how tricky our language is, and therefore our puzzles. A twisted clecho master.

41. Longtime Dodgers manager: LASORDA. Tommy who said he bled Dodger blue.

44. Org. with shrinks: APA. American Psychological Association.

47. Software buyer: USER.

50. Chinese menu general: TSO. Chicken anyone?

53. Beethoven's only opera: FIDELIO. I am not familiar with this OPERA but I knew we would have some of John's music knowledge, and this and 30D. 19th-century Italian violin virtuoso: PAGANINI did not disappoint. Also, 49D. Like staccato notes: DOTTED. I no longer remember musical notation, but I am sure our resident composer does, as well as JzB.

58. Draw into wrongdoing: ENTRAP. A very complicated issue, and John's shout out to an old criminal defense lawyer?

62. __ Tomatoes: film review website: ROTTEN. Initially an irreverent little site, but now the most mainstream central location for movie critiques. Anyone ever throw a rotten tomato at a performer?

65. "Wait!": ONE SEC. Literally man!

66. Calendar col.: THU. COL. abbreviation for COLUMN, eh.

67. Weighty production: EPIC.

69. Short flight: HOP. I guess because you go up and down so quickly; quiet LOIS!

70. Cubicle furnishing: DESK. Dilbert lovers unite.

Okay a short nap, and moving on.

Down:

1. Test the weight of: HEFT. Not a good idea when wooing a new girl friend.

2. Carry out: OBEY. Not a good idea when wooing a new girl friend.

3. Leopold's co-defendant: LOEB. A most horrendous CRIME .

4. Ultimate goal: END ALL. That is the BE ALL and END ALL.

5. "Not to worry": THAT'S OK.

6. Cristal maker: BIC. I could not fit Louis Roederer in three spaces, so it had to be the see through PEN which was the object of my earliest memories, and which betrayed me.

7. Mail an invitation for, as a wedding: ASK TO. I am going to one on the 26th, my ex-anniversary?

8. Best-seller: HOT ITEM.

9. Age opening?: IRON. Right after Bronze in your history books.

10. Hairlike corn feature: SILK. None better than our own BARRY.

11. Like a rock: SOLID.

12. Nicholas Gage memoir: ELENI. Do not confuse him with NICHOLAS CAGE.

13. Rushlike plant: SEDGE. This includes the water chestnut plant.

18. "SportsCenter's Not Top Plays" videos, e.g.: BLOOPERS.

22. Marching syllables: HUPS. And a quick salute to Dennis and our other veterans!

24. Pre-op test: EKG.

26. Play-of-color gem: OPAL. Nice phrase, again very visual, you picture how the light changes color when you move an opal around.

27. Forearm bone: ULNA. Not very HUMERUS anymore.

28. Lots: TONS.

31. Commit 18-Down: ERR. It is after all human.

35. Old boats: TUBS. I think this comes from the boats they used to teach people to row, but I cannot confirm.

36. Memo "apropos of": IN RE. A semi-legal term for me!

37. Pierre's state: ETAT. Our French lesson, Jeannie; we see État often, it just means "STATE" like I live in Florida, and as Kazie explained many moons ago, the English word is the French word where the accent became an "S"

39. Paper in a pot: IOU. Not rolling papers, but in a gambling pot.

42. Gone: DEFUNCT. Like the Studebaker and the DeSoto.

43. Bone-dry: ARID. And a fine deodorant, which really do not de-odor, but mask our smells?

44. Pierre's soul: AME. More French; do you all have "l'âme soeur?"

45. More than fills the inbox: PILES UP. A clue that is only visual.

50. Medium's medium: TAROT. Nice internal clue.

51. Expressionless: STONY.

52. Playful swimmer: OTTER.

54. Diver's concern: DEPTH. Be careful before you dive in strange waters.

56. "__ girl!": ITS A. No, not many in my family, though we do have little Amelia (Mia).

57. Former girls' magazine: TEEN.Aha, the real theme, girls!

59. Ready to eat: RIPE. Not like I am now, but the Orange in the kitchen.

60. Brutus' bird: AVIS. Followed immediately by 61D. Eat like a bird: PECK. Another theme, because we had Oriole above!

64. "Now I get it!":O HO. I am more of an A HA man myself. Now I have done it.

Answer grid.

A treat to solve and blog with the greatest visuals in the grid and the clues; John also sent us some beautiful pictures from his many adventures. Where did ewe hide the LAMB reference Mr. Lampkin?

Until next time, see you soon (hopefully, eye doctor today).

Lemonade

Note from C.C.: Lemonade won't be available next week, so he's blogging twice this week.

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011 Gary Steinmehl

Theme: "ET TU, BRUTAL"?  -

Exercise and workout terms for today, the 15th, and Ides, of March.

20A. Last leg of a race : HOME STRETCH - Highly recommended activity before any activity; as a goalie, it is imperative that I STRETCH first.

27A. Chocolate bar with crisped rice : NESTLE CRUNCH - Too many of these, and you'll need to do more CRUNCHES, those sit-ups for 'rock hard ABS', a crossword staple (but not today).

49A. Overseas news-gatherers : FOREIGN PRESS - Leg, bench PRESS, etc., as I am sure there are others.

59A. Very little, in slang : DIDDLY SQUAT - wonderful phrase to speak, like "my pay is diddly squat", and a SQUAT; bend at the knees with a straight back - harder than it sounds, let me tell you.

and the unifier at 57D: PR specialists, and a word associated with the ends of 20-, 27-, 49- and 59-Across : REPS - PR Public Relations REPresentative, (ixnay on Mr. Sheen) and a REPetition, the number of times each exercise is performed within a set - and I am not a gym rat; all my exercise comes from 4 straight hours of carrying varying sizes of packages from the conveyor to the UPS truck.

Splynter filling in for a Santa with a sick "Elf".

And away we GO~!

ACROSS:

1. Cote bleats : BAAS - [koht] - noun: 1. a shelter, coop, or small shed for sheep, pigs, pigeons, etc.

5. Further : ALSO - also: hence, therefore, ergo, and, then....

9. Big name in restaurant guides : ZAGAT - established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979; see the Wiki article.

14. Flattop opposite : AFRO

15. Steady fellow : BEAU - French

16. Author Zola : EMILE - French Author, a regular in crosswords.

17. Plane or sander : TOOL - got me several of these. Plane.

18. Elongated fish : EELS - the plural implication on "fish" got me on this one.

19. Turning point : PIVOT

23. Nice season? : ETE - oh man, French, again, I seem to get a lot of this - Nice, the city in France, and the French word for summer (season).

24. Snail mail need : STAMP - I just used one yesterday, first time in forever....

25. Color in the four-color process : CYAN - CYMK, the process that uses CYAN, Yellow, Magenta, and blacK; as opposed to the RGB, two of the options in Photoshop and printing processes.

34. Plug-and-play PC port : USB - another computer term, Universal Serial Bus, for connections between devices. The abbr. of PC for Personal Computer = the abbr. answer.

37. Borat creator Sacha Baron __ : COHEN - love him, or hate him, I guess I am on the fence....

38. Trapper's gear : SNARE

39. Sheltered Greek walkway : STOA

41. Number-guessing fund-raiser : LOTTO

43. IRS agent : T-MAN - Tax Man, like a G-man, a Gov't Agent.

44. False __ : ALARM

46. Paris's __ la Paix : RUE DE - Eh, more French. Map, middle right going diagonally right.

48. Ambulance initials : EMS

52. Run or ruin : DASH - as in "dashed hopes"

53. Times spent in prison or in office : TERMS

57. Dusting aid : RAG - thought MOP first

64. Remove from the videotape : ERASE

66. Cleveland's lake : ERIE

67. DDE's alma mater : USMA - Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th president, and the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY.

68. Argentine grassland : PAMPA - Image

69. Ole Miss rival : 'BAMA - Alabama, crossword regular.

70. Modern Roman, e.g.: Abbr. : ITALian

71. Take badly? : STEAL - Good clue

72. Disappearing slope apparatus : T-BAR Skiers' assist getting up a hill.

73. Big Board letters : NYSE -New York Stock Exchange - I think this was in my first blog, too....

DOWN:

1. They're drawn in tubs : BATHS - very good clue; did anyone think "rings"?

2. In progress : AFOOT - "Strange things are AFOOT..."

3. Bakery quality : AROMA

4. Serious : SOLEMN

5. Aid's partner : ABET

6. Look that may be accompanied by a smirk : LEER

7. Shopping news : SALE - another great clue

8. Bounce, as from a bar : OUST

9. Gentle winds : ZEPHYRS

10. Porthos, to Athos : AMI - uh, French !

11. Abraham, to Lincoln : GIVEN NAME

12. Oodles : ALOT - never liked this answer

13. Place for a beret : TETE - yup, it's French

21. Risky business, briefly : SPEC - Speculation, that someone might come along and buy, as a house.

22. Brutus' 300 : CCC - Hey~! Ides related~! Roman 100 = C

26. Bee or Em : AUNT

28. Fa follower : SOL

29. Rose feature : THORN

30. Rain more gently : LET UP

31. Rectangular computer key : ENTER - Space, too

32. Stuff (into) : CRAM

33. Lady birds : HENS

34. DoD fliers : USAF - Department of Defense, U.S. Air Force.

35. D-Day target city : STLO - Oh, man, French - Conan had a guest last week who claimed in shock, he "turned white as a Frenchman's Flag" - that's funny....

36. Monopoly, for one : BOARD GAME - one of my favorites; you can get them custom made to any city, and movie, too.

40. House painter's calculation : AREA - height is a factor, too - ever try to paint a stair well?

42. Dedicated verse : ODE

45. Card player's goof : MISDEAL

47. Ballpark figs. : ESTS - Estimates. - What's your Ballpark, C.C.?

50. Letters under a 4 : GHI - duh, got me. Look at your phone.

51. Fashion sparkler : SEQUIN

54. Out of practice : RUSTY

55. Cass and Michelle, famously : MAMAS

56. Old hat : STALE

58. "I smell __!" : A RAT

60. Unpaid loan, e.g. : DEBT

61. Not bright at all : DRAB

62. Bean town? : LIMA - ah, not a Bahston reference, but the Peruvian city.

63. Wine taster's guesstimate : YEAR - our friend Tinbeni, any good at this ? I did not drink for the "year", let me tell you....

65. Healthful resort : SPA - after a good workout, head for the SPA~!

Answer grid.

Thanks for the chance to "pinch hit", C.C., look forward to more opportunities.

Splynter

Monday March 14, 2011 Billie Truitt

Theme: What can I say? Each two-word theme answer consists of a present participle functioning as adjective & a three-letter noun ending in G. Did I miss something?

17A. Lather-holding cup : SHAVING MUG - I shave my mug every morning, but the lather comes from a can.

25A. Sock mender's tool : DARNING EGG - I'm not sure why it's called an egg. Looks more like a bowling pin to me. But then, everything looks like a bowling pin to me.

36A. Violin knob for pitch adjustments : TUNING PEG - The clue reminded me of Frankie "Sweet Music" Viola adjusting pitches in the 1987 World Series.

48A. Retriever or pointer : HUNTING DOG - Ours was a German Shorthair named Bruno. He could scare up pheasants 100 yards away.

57A. Joke that gets funnier with repetition : RUNNING GAG - See Jack Benny later in this blog.

Can you find a phrase in the above pattern but ending in a three-letter noun ?IG, which would allow us to   have different vowel variable in the last word.

Good Morning All. Argyle's computer is sick. This is the Boomer from snowy Minnesota, but Spring is in the air - finally.

Across:

1. World Wide __ : WEB- Gets more tangled every day.

4. Gunpowder element : SULFUR - that great firecracker smell on the 4th of July.

10. Turns seaward : EBBS - Hmmmm - I thought ebb just meant recede - like my hairline.

14. Firefighter's tool : AXE

15. Dream up : CREATE

16. Losing strategy? : DIET - Losing weight. I was trying to think of a four letter word defining the play of the NBA Timberwolves or Cavaliers.

19. Homely fruit : UGLI

20. Eye part containing the pupil : IRIS

21. Timeline divisions : ERAS - Eras divided by Timelines are indefinite. I would have used "Pitcher's stats"

23. Habit wearer : NUN - I was taught by the good Sisters of St. Joseph, and there is a great Benedictine Convent in Clyde, MO, but the long black robes are becoming a thing of the past, not worn by many sisters any longer.

24. Kimono sashes : OBIs

28. Magi : WISE MEN - Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar.

30. Sweden neighbor : NORWAY - Ya sure, you betcha!

31. Utmost degree : NTH

32. Church instrument : ORGAN

35. Flag maker Betsy : ROSS

38. "__ to that!" : AMEN

40. Ecstatic way to walk : ON AIR

41. Roman 700 : DCC

44. 1992 Olympic skating champ Yamaguchi : KRISTI. A past champion of "Dancing with the Stars".

46. As an alternative : INSTEAD

51. Heidi's heights : ALPS - I liked her better on the "Good Ship, Lollipop".

52. 2011 minus year of birth, roughly : AGE

53. It replaced the franc : EURO

54. Handling the job : ON IT

55. Member of an Iraqi minority : KURD. 17% of Iraq's population.

61. "Now ___ me down ..." : I LAY

62. Complete : ENTIRE

63. Hurry, old-style : HIE

64. Clearance event : SALE - See 65A.

65. Smells to high heaven : STINKS - Yeah, Stinks could also be a "Clearance Event."

66. Blasting sply. : TNT - I wasn't sure of "sply". TNT is in a lot of puzzles.

Down:

1. Used to be : WAS

2. Lettered piece of court evidence : EXHIBIT - I get it. I watch "Law and Order" on TNT.

3. Pessimistic about Wall Street : BEARISH - Not sure about the bear, but Wall street has been "ISH" for a couple of years.

4. Biol. and chem. : SCIs

5. Coffeepot for a crowd : URN

6. Jeans part : LEG

7. Hall of __: enshrined athlete : FAMER - My all time favorite is Harmon Killebrew, now fighting cancer. On his left is C.C.'s avatar Justin Morneau.

8. One-eighty : U-TURN

9. Win back : REGAIN

10. Campus e-mail address letters : EDU

11. Special report subject : BIG NEWS - Lots of special reports on CNN coming from Japan this week. Mother Nature can be nasty. I feel sad for those who lost loved ones, homes, and had their lives disrupted.

12. Sturgeon yielding expensive caviar : BELUGAS - I have heard of Beluga whales. The St. Croix River will sometimes yield Sturgeon over 90 pounds, but I had never heard of a beluga sturgeon. Also known as Huso huso, these sturgeon are found in the Caspian Sea, and their eggs are the most expensive caviar around. Would you believe $7,000 to $10,000 per kilo?

13. Tight-fisted : STINGY - This word was invented for Jack Benny. Once a crook held him up, saying "Your money or your life!". The robber became impatient with Benny's silence, until he finally responded - "I'm thinking, I'm thinking".

18. Workbench clamp : VISE

22. Noisy sleepers : SNORERS - I stayed up all last night to see if I was one, but I didn't hear me snore at all.

24. Part of BYOB : OWN

25. Bruce of "Coming Home" : DERN

26. Prefix with -plasty : ANGIO

27. Pirate's quaff : GROG - Those ballplayers from Pittsburgh haven't had champagne for a while, but Snowshoe grog is wonderful on a cold day. A mixture of brandy and peppermint schnapps - keeps you warm in the winter.

29. Canadian lawman on horseback : MOUNTIE - Of course the most famous was Dudley Do-Right, constantly in pursuit of Boris and Natasha.

33. Raggedy doll : ANN - A wonderful simple kid's toy from years gone by. She had a twin brother Andy.

34. Whodunit writer Marsh : NGAIO. A Kiwi writer.

36. Try out : TEST

37. Unwelcome engine sound : PING - Has anyone noticed an engine ping doesn't sound like a ping at all. I once had a Ping putter - that thing could really ping. They don't make them like they used to.

38. Peppery salad green : ARUGULA - I use green peppers, or grind some fresh black pepper. Arugula sounds more like a former relief pitcher for the Twins and Mets: Rick Aguilera.

39. Twenty Questions choice : MINERAL - Toss in Animal and Vegetable and you've already used up 3 questions.

41. "Afternoon __": suggestive #1 hit of 1976 : DELIGHT

42. Ship's leader : CAPTAIN - Okay, but most military branches have captains. Those big ships like the USS Nimitz are actually led by Admirals. I don't remember Captain Kangaroo leading a ship, but I do remember that Mr. Green Jeans' pants had legs.

43. Jewel box contents, briefly : CDs

44. Military pants : KHAKIS - Khaki is a strange word. I think it actually describes a color, which is a light brown. The khaki uniform was between fatigues and full dress, and consisted of pants, shirt, and a soft cap.

45. Hardens : INURES

47. Zesty taste : TANG - Also an orange drink that astronauts made famous.

49. McJob holder : GRUNT - A bit condescending - I sold burgers for a few years back when they were 15 cents. Earned money for a car, a date now and then, and tuition, but never felt I was a grunt - (until I went into the Army).

50. "__ know you?" : DON'T I

54. Vending machine bills : ONES - Sad but true. Used to be you could buy most anything from a vending machine for a quarter or less. Now they have slot machines that accept $100 bills!

56. Hair coloring agent : DYE

58. Author Anaïs : NIN

59. Rub the wrong way : IRK

60. Retrieve : GET

Answer grid.

Boomer