Thursday, Jun 23, 2011, Bill Thompson

Theme: Spot a bomb in a bull: Hidden snowmen.

20A. When to say night-night: BEDDY BYE TIME.

28A. Ohio Stadium purchase: BUCKEYE TICKETS. Why would anyone pick this for their team mascot name? The tree species Aesculus glabra is commonly known as Ohio buckeye, American buckeye, or fetid buckeye. It derives its unflattering common name from the disagreeable odor generated from the flowers, crushed leaves, broken twigs, or bruised bark.

42A. Advance sale teaser line: NOT YET IN STORES.

47A. Dubious Himalayan headline and phenomenon in 20-, 28- and 42-Across: YETI SIGHTING.

Hi all, Al here, time is kind of tight, so I'll have to be brief...

ACROSS:

1. Improvise at the jazz club: VAMP. From revamp, to fix or make over. A vamp is the part of a stocking that covers the foot and ankle, so revamping originally meant meant mending socks.

5. Butt (in): HORN. Cowboy slang, comparison to buffalo behavior.

9. Oncle's spouse: TANTE. French: Uncle, Aunt.

14. River to the Fulda: EDER.

15. Its French name means "high wood": OBOE. Hautbois.

16. Sun Valley locale: IDAHO. Scenic.

17. Move, briefly: RELOcate.

18. Monument Valley sight: MESA. Also very scenic.

19. Many a Justin Bieber fan: TWEEN. Know your audience, I guess...

23. Former Mideast org.: UAR. United Arab Republic, Egypt + Syria.

24. Author of the Yiddish memoir "And the World Remained Silent": WIESEL. A common crossword clue, turned into an answer (ELIE).

33. Swiss Guard charges: POPES. Why would there be a Swiss Guard in the middle of Rome, Italy?

34. Quick: AGILE. Almost directly from Latin: agilis, nimble or quick.

35. Chinese tea: CHA.

36. Prunes: LOPS. Verb use to cut, not dried plums.

37. Georgia of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show": ENGEL.

38. "Cinque, dieci, venti, trenta" in "The Marriage of Figaro," e.g.: DUET. Five, ten, twenty, thirty.  Figaro is measuring the space where the bridal bed will fit while Susanna is trying on her wedding bonnet in front of the mirror.

39. Yellowfin tuna: AHI. A sushi staple.

40. Estate home: MANOR. The main house.

41. Sounds content: PURRS.

45. "I love what you do for me" automaker: TOYOTA. Anagrams to: Hey! You motivated a fool or two.

46. Big-house link: AS A.

54. Peer in a box: JUROR. Peer as an equal (from Latin "par"), not "to look" as with "appear".

57. Relinquish: CEDE.

58. Golfer Aoki: ISAO. He only plays with golf balls marked with the number 5. That number is pronounced "Go" in Japanese, and his goal is to never shoot higher than that on a hole.

59. Japanese art genre: ANIME.  Animation (cartoons) often expanded from Manga (comic books).

60. Oregon Trail team: OXEN.

61. Sommelier's prefix: OENO. Wine.

62. Lose it: GO MAD.

63. Distance swimmer Diana: NYAD. At the age of 61, this summer she will attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida (103 miles) without a shark cage.

64. Pont __: Paris bridge: NEUF. The name means "new bridge", but is the oldest bridge across the Seine. It connects the Rive Droit (right bank) with the Rive Gauche (left bank).  Now I have an urge to get my guitar out and re-learn this...

DOWN:

1. 3-Down, e.g.: VERB. Ah, yes, the referential clue mixed with a literal meaning.  It's definitely Thursday.

2. "Zip-__-Doo-Dah": A-DEE. From Song of the South, sung by Uncle Remus (James Baskett).

3. Blend: MELD. Related word: meddle.

4. Yields: PRODUCES.

5. Man of La Mancha: HOMBRE. Spanish man.

6. Mind: OBEY. A strange associative progression from the word mind, originally meaning memory, or remembering: "Mind your Manners", "Never you mind about that". Those kinds of phrases were commands, which instilled the sense of needing to obey: mind your elders.

7. See 12-Down: ROSE. 12D. With 7-Down, Bette Midler classic: THE. A lot of people seem to like Bette, and they are allowed to, but she's not really my cup of tea.  Feel free to provide your own links in the comments.

8. Bourbon order: NEAT. Unadulterated, free from impurities (like water from melting ice).

9. They may be tufted: TITMICE. Having a cardinal's peak.

10. Magazine that highlights Clio winners: ADWEEK. A magazine about advertising.  In other words, a magazine.

11. "Sorry, laddie": NAE. Scottish.

13. Quite a span: EON. Time, not distance.

21. Goes on and on: YAKS. What I do sometimes.

22. Volunteer's offer: I WILL.

25. Like an encrypted transmission, in theory: SECURE.

26. Old anesthetics: ETHERS.

27. Future J.D.s' exams: LSATS. Law School Admission Tests. Juris Doctor, the first professional graduate degree in law.

28. Melodramatic cry: BOO HOO.

29. Haughty: UPPITY.

30. Greek New Ager: YANNI. I'll spare you the music link.

31. Goad: EGG ON. This sense of egg comes from "edge".

32. Feature of some fancy cakes: TIERS. Related words: tirade and attire.

33. Magician's secret cohort: PLANT. A ringer.

37. Really worry: EAT AT.

38. Term: DURATION. Latin durare, to harden (endure).

40. Like some mail: METERED. Postage is printed on instead of applying individual stamps, allowing for automation and time savings.

41. Sumptuous: POSH. Long explanation for this, but it does NOT mean port out starboard home, that is a backronym from people trying to retrofit a meaning.

43. He has a cello named Petunia: YO YO MA. He was doing a class in Salt Lake City, and a high school student asked if he had a nickname for his cello. he said, "No, but if I play for you, will you name it?" She chose Petunia, and it stuck.

44. Remnant: TAG END.

48. Tiny trash can, e.g.: ICON. On your PC desktop.

49. Hot: SEXY.

50. Thought: IDEA.

51. "Mm-hmm": I SEE.

52. Half a sitcom sign-off: NANU. Mork & Mindy.

53. Flub: GOOF. A gaffe.

54. Spree: JAG. A period of unrestrained activity.

55. The loneliest numero?: UNO. A play on Three Dog Night's first hit "One", written by Harry Nilsson.

56. Drum edge: RIM. Ba-dump Tish. And that's the end.

Answer Grid.

Al

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Solve This Puzzle. Each theme answer is a 3-word, common, in-the-language phrase beginning with the letters S, T, and P, in that order.

16A. Makes an offer more desirable : SWEETENS THE POT. Adds some inducements or incentives to an offer you can otherwise refuse.

27A. Hopelessly ruined : SHOT TO PIECES. Literally destroyed by firearms, figuratively in a bad state for any reason.

36A. Stock trader's goal : SHORT TERM PROFIT. The average holding period of stocks purchased on the NYSE is about 20 seconds. I am not making this up.

44A. "Satisfaction guaranteed" catchphrase : SURE TO PLEASE. Ad slogan.

58A. Editor's "Whoa!" : STOP THE PRESSES. Wait a minute, something just came up . . .

And the unifier:

58. Auto additives co. that hints at this puzzle's theme : STP. A company that makes engine oil and fuel additives, functional fluids and appearance products for your car or truck, and sponsors racers.

Hi gang, it's JazzBumpa, fresh from rehearsal and finishing off a busy day with an outing with our good friends C.C. and Don. Hop aboard and let's see where they take us.

Across:

1. Religious ritual : MASS. Not just any RITE (my first shot) but the Catholic service.

5. Bell sound : PEAL. Ding-dong, not this appealing belle.

9. Like freshly washed hair : DAMP. Or today's weather in S-E Michigan.

13. Skip : OMIT. My peer group demonstrates what can happen if you OMIT your partner.

14. Used cars : RODE. Nice misdirection - not pre-owned vehicles, but motor trips you have taken.

15. Jacob's twin : ESAU. He was the hungry one who gave up his birthright for a not particularly appetizing meal.

19. Entertain at one's loft : HAVE UP. Or, perhaps, invite someone up to your 6th floor walk-up.

20. Big rig : SEMI. Trucking. The tractor part of a tractor-trailer rig.

21. Lookers : EYERS. Lookers use their eyes, for sure; but "lookers" can also mean "those worth looking at." Here is a cross-section.

22. Org. that provides handicaps : U.S.G.A. U. S. Golf Association. A handicap is a numerical representation of a player's ability. A low number indicates higher ability.

24. They appear before U : R-S-T. Clever clue for an alphabet string.

31. Digital comm. method? : A.S.L. American Sign Language - a nice misdirection - here, digital means "of the fingers," rather than something expressed in discrete numerical form.

34. Santa __ winds : ANA. Strong, hot winds from inland towards the sea. Perhaps our California contingent can elaborate.

35. Dumbbell : STUPE. Someone who's not very bright, possibly even stupid.

41. Former country on its own peninsula : KOREA. I guess it's a former country because it has been severed into two separate current countries.

42. Little piggy, so to speak : TOE. Remember the "low digits" clue from not too long ago?

43. Govt. Rx watchdog : F.D.A. Food and Drug Administration

49. Ranch handle : TEX. Typical nickname for a cowpoke.

50. Votes of support : AYES. I agree.

51. Editor's ruthless overhaul, informally : AX JOB. Not an expression I'm familiar with, though the meaning is clear. "Hatchet job" seems more natural.

55. Blog comment : POST

57. Take to the air : AVIATE. It's plane to see, you can entertain at a much higher elevation than a mere loft.

62. Shock with a stun gun : TASE. "Don't tase me, bro!"

63. Cookie since 1912 : OREO. A cream filled sandwich cookie, in black and white.

64. Ripped : TORE

65. Multicolored : PIED

66. Geeky type : NERD

67. Foul mood : SNIT

Down:

1. Mideast statesman Dayan : MOSHE. MOSHE Dayan was an Israeli military leader and politician.

2. Network marketing giant : AMWAY. Founded by Richard DeVos and Jay Van Andel in Ada, MI.

3. Strainer : SIEVE. Kitchen gadget.

4. Takes the helm : STEERS.

5. SAT practice : PREP. SAT used to stand for something - Scholastic Aptitude or Scholastic Assessment Test. Now it's just a three letter name (like STP) for a standardized test used in college admissions. To PREP is to prepare, which sort of blows the purpose of the test.

6. Long time, even in the singular : EON. Still, two EONS are longer than one.

7. Paper back items? : ADS. More misdirection from the devious duo - not a paper-back book, but the back section of your news paper.

8. "Time to leave" : LET'S GO. ¡Vámonos!" en Español.

9. Regard : DEEM

10. Aim for : ASPIRE TO. To ASPIRE is to aim high, from the Latin word for desire.

11. Statesman on a 100-yuan note : MAO. Chairman MAO Tse-Tung, former leader of the Chinese Communist Party and author of "The Little Red Book.

12. Delay, with "off" : PUT. Never do today what you can PUT off until tomorrow.

17. Fanny : TUSH. Human hindquarters. Does anyone have background on this word?

18. Clunker : HEAP. Either way, a decrepit automobile, possibly in need of STP.

22. __ Reader: eclectic bimonthly : UTNE. Magazine founded by Eric UTNE and Nina Rothschild UTNE.

23. Surprise with a "Boo!" : STARTLE. I stopped when she startled me, and didn't restart because I was estopped.

25. Shoe mark : SCUFF. A mark on the shoe, not a mark made by the shoe. I almost missed the mark.

26. Lukewarm : TEPID

28. Brittle cake grain : OAT

29. 1-Down's land: Abbr. : ISR. Israel. MOSHE Dayan was an Israeli military leader and politician.

30. Words with date or record : SET A. To SET A record you have to break a record. To SET A date, breaking a date is not usually required

31. Seeks, as permission : ASKS. Could I? Pretty please with sugar . . .

32. Loud tone : SHOUT. Tone of voice. I was thinking of a musical tone.

33. Moto player : LORRE. Peter Lorre portrayed Kentaro Moto, a Japanese detective, in a series of eight movies from 1937 to '39, based on the novels of John P. Marquand.

37. Uncover again : REEXPOSE. Imagine something being uncovered, recovered, then REEXPOSED. The imagery is quite amusing

38. What Tweety tawt he taw : TAT. Tweety is the famous EYER of a certain fat cat.

39. "The Simpsons" bar : MOES. Everything I know about the Simpsons I learned from crossword puzzles.

40. Green shade : PEA. From the eponymous legume.

45. Brewery oven : OAST. This is a kiln for drying hops.

46. Long boa : PYTHON. A snake, not a long, fluffy scarf.

47. Keep for later : SAVE

48. Lives : EXISTS. A singular verb, not a plural noun.

52. "Friday the 13th" villain : JASON. Jason is the slasher in an even dozen horror films. Why is there no Friday the 13th 13?

53. Ferrell's partner in "SNL" Spartan Cheerleaders bits : OTERI. On Saturday Night Live, Cheri OTERI and Will Ferrell, as Arianna and Craig, cheered for their High School chess team.

54. Harass : BESET. Cheri OTERI and Will Ferrell, as Craig and Arianna, BESET their H.S. chess team.

56. Guest columnist's piece : OP-ED. A feature or commentary printed on the page OPposite the EDitorial page.

57. 2007 signer of the richest contract in MLB history : AROD, aka Major League Baseball player Alexander Emmanuel (Alex) RODriguez of the New York Yankees. Of course, we will have baseball!

59. Mai __ : TAI. The rum concoction so familiar to cruciverbalists.

60. Long beginning? : ERE. Beginning signifies a prefix fragment. ERElong is an archaic way of saying "before long."

61. By authority of : PER.

Answer grid.

There you have it folks. Hope you enjoyed the ride. Constructor's notes follow ERElong, PER C.C.

Cheers!

JzB

Constructors' Notes:

Don came up with STP when we were brainstorming a common acronym expanding idea. Rather than going with THE for all the middle words, we tried our best to come up with different S* T* P* phrases. The long theme entries (13x2, 14x2 & 15) made the gridding challenging. Don tried various grids and finally decided to go with Rich's corner blacks suggestion (the three black squares along the top right and lower left edges of the grid). Don call them side pockets. Hope it's a smooth solve for you. A big Thank-you to eddyB for the quick and detailed STP info in our early brainstorming session.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 Norma Steinberg

Theme: Descriptive Earnings - The theme answers (two across and two down) are common financial terms but are clued as if they were descriptions of income.

21. Honky-tonk owner's income? : JOINT RETURN

56. Actor's income? : PART PAYMENT

3. Trawler's income? : NET PROFIT

36. Librarian's income? : HUSH MONEY

Argyle here. Another unusual grid for early in the week.

Our first LAT encounter with Norma Steinberg, a regular constructor for Newsday. We also had more than 20 offerings from her in our old TMS Daily Crossword.

Across:

1. Pained expression : WINCE. Wince suggests an involuntary contraction of the facial features triggered by pain, embarrassment, or a sense of revulsion: to wince as a needle pierces the skin; to wince at coarse language.

6. City in Peru or Ohio : LIMA

10. Disallow : VETO

14. Standard of excellence : IDEAL

15. Satan's doing : EVIL

16. They can take a yoke : OXEN. Did you hear the one about....

17. __ dish: lab item : PETRI

18. Direction indicator : VANE

19. Legends and such : LORE

20. Cassandra's gift, for short : ESP. Not quite what the Greek Miss myth had but close.

24. Byways : ROADS

26. Sampled : TASTED

27. Dress (in) : CLOTHE

29. Rumple, as hair : MUSS

31. 47-Across handle : HAFT. 47A. Fencing weapon : ÉPÉE. You need the perps to decide if you want HILT or HAFT. Norma has used this before.

32. Numbers for Noah : TWO'S

34. Early anesthetic : ETHER

39. Pierre's significant other : AMIE. French.

40. Cut off : SEVER

42. Govern : RULE

43. Take a mulligan in golf, say : RETRY. I took a mulligan; I had REHIT.

45. Workshop gadget : VISE

46. Altai Mountains' continent : ASIA. The Altai Mountains define where Xinjiang meets with Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, the region is studded with prodigious peaks.

49. Political commentator Maddow : RACHEL. MSNBC

51. Spiral-shelled mollusks : SNAILS

55. Capital between Eugene and Portland : SALEM

59. Org. that advises the president in financial planning : OMB. Office of Management and Budget.

62. "We try harder" sloganeer : AVIS

63. Praise : LAUD

64. "Rubber Duckie" singer : ERNIE. Ernie went solo with this one, left poor Bert behind.

66. Consider : DEEM

67. Marseilles miss: Abbr. : MLLE.. French/Mademoiselle.

68. Oscar winner Witherspoon : REESE

69. Ultimatum ender : ELSE

70. Fortuneteller : SEER

71. Watch surreptitiously : SPY ON

Down:

1. Use a dust rag on : WIPE

2. Bad day for Caesar : IDES

4. Wheels, so to speak : CAR

5. Hebrew prophet mentioned during 55-Downs : ELIJAH. 55D. Passover meal : SEDER. Why is There a Cup of Wine for Elijah at the Passover Seder?

6. Casual brand : LEVIS

7. Tennis great Lendl : IVAN

8. Condition like new : MINT

9. Warns : ALERTS

10. Electrical units : VOLTS

11. Remove from text : EX OUT

12. __ Haute, Indiana : TERRE

13. Without stopping : ON END

22. "Golden Boy" playwright Clifford : ODETS. Big in the Thirties, he avoided being black-listed by giving up names, though he never gave a name the committee didn't already have..

23. Comfort : EASE

25. Aquatic frolicker : OTTER

27. Sear : CHAR

28. Hobbling : LAME

29. Film : MOVIE

30. Functions : USES

33. "__ Only Just Begun": Carpenters hit : WE'VE. So sweet.(3:07)

35. Smidgen : TRACE

37. "Night" author Wiesel : ELIE

38. Tangible : REAL

41. Aired again : RERAN

44. Cry from the litter : YELP

48. Biblical poems written partly by King David : PSALMS

50. Changes : ALTERS

51. Gardening tool : SPADE

52. Bellybutton : NAVEL

53. Sign of spring? : ARIES. The Ram, first astrological sign in the Zodiac.

54. "Who's there?" reply : "IT'S ME"

57. Clinton's alma mater : YALE

58. Stubborn animal : MULE

60. Sushi bar soup : MISO

61. "How've you __?" : BEEN

65. Salesperson, briefly : REP

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, June 20, 2011 Kelly Clark

Theme: Blunt-force Trauma - (Non Sequitur comic) I counted four synonyms surrounding a fifth in the middle of the squared ring. The unifier is standing alone in the NW corner and an extra standing in the SW corner.

1A. "Yipe!" (or an apt title for this puzzle?) : "OUCH!". The unifier.

The protagonists:

17A. It's roughly between a batter's chest and knees : STRIKE ZONE

39A. Maynard G. Krebs of old TV, notably : BEATNIK

64A. Begin traveling : HIT THE ROAD

11D. Whence fruity drinks are ladled : PUNCH BOWL

34D. Pie-throwing comedy : SLAP STICK

and

58D. Animal hide : PELT. The extra.

Argyle here. Somewhat unusual Monday. Our first puzzle from Kelly but by no means her first puzzle. Read here. She constructed one ACPT tournament puzzle this year.  I was struck by the imagery and the lack of abbreviations and yet still a doable Monday.

Across:

5. San Antonio shrine : ALAMO

10. "__, sesame!" : OPEN

14. Skin cream ingredient : ALOE

15. Popular plastic wrap : SARAN

16. Without a stitch on : NUDE

19. Terminates : ENDS

20. Ryan who played Granny on "The Beverly Hillbillies" : IRENE. Image.

21. Cornerstone abbr. : ESTD. Established.

22. "Shoo!" : "SCAT!"

23. Polynesian wrap : SARONG. Tutorial.

25. Quarter half : EIGHTH

27. Puts to work : USES

29. Within view : SEEABLE

32. Put in the "circular file" : TOSS

35. Recent: Pref. : NEO

37. Sing soothingly : CROON

38. Actor Holbrook : HAL. Image.

42. "Ease on Down the Road" musical, with "The" : WIZ. Clip(2:39).

43. Self-mover's rental : U-HAUL

45. 2,000 pounds : TON

46. __-ran: loser : ALSO

47. Visible means of __ : SUPPORT

50. Pesky little biter : GNAT

52. Mad magazine specialty : SATIRE

54. Play in the pool : SPLASH

58. Brad of "Ocean's Thirteen" : PITT. Image.

60. Attorney's matter : CASE

62. Expensive fur : SABLE

63. Arab ruler : EMIR

66. Doily material : LACE

67. Like neon and xenon : INERT

68. Crisscross pattern : GRID

69. Toddler : TYKE

70. Slalom curves : ESSES

71. Europe's highest active volcano : ETNA. Image.

Down:

1. Desert refuge : OASIS

2. Extreme : ULTRA

3. Gadget to remove apple centers : CORER

4. Abominable, as a crime : HEINOUS

5. Enzyme suffix : ASE

6. Stretch out in the recliner, say : LAZE. "Ahhh!"

7. Stood up : AROSE

8. "Praying" insect : MANTIS. No image.

9. Tense : ON EDGE

10. Poor movie rating : ONE STAR

12. Old Norse poetry collection : EDDA

13. Bird's home : NEST

18. Barbie counterparts : KENS

24. Kelly of song and dance : GENE. Does our constructor like to get her name into the puzzle? I wonder.

26. "What the __!" : HECK

28. Dead __ Scrolls : SEA. A collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 at Khirbet Qumran on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea from which it derives its name.

30. Superman's Lane : LOIS

31. Automaker Ferrari : ENZO. Fast lane.

32. Therefore : THUS

33. Pearl Harbor's island : OAHU

36. Giant Mel of Cooperstown : OTT

39. Sponge up : BLOT

40. Yuletide cupful : NOG

41. Travelers' havens : INNS

44. Like a cornered cat : UP A TREE

46. Not yet captured : AT LARGE

48. "Hello" singer Lionel : RICHIE. Clip(4:04).

49. Lionels under the tree : TRAINS. Cute connection.

51. Church recess : APSE

53. __ Park, Colorado : ESTES

55. Scrub the launch : ABORT

56. Done in, as a dragon : SLAIN

57. Hopper of old gossip columns : HEDDA. Trivia: She had one child, actor William Hopper, best known for playing Paul Drake in the Perry Mason series.

59. "If __ make a suggestion ..." : I MAY

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

65. Elevs. : HTS. Elevations/Heights.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday June 19, 2011 Pamela Amick Klawitter

Theme: Broadway Showstoppers - The last word in each theme entry is a well-known one-word Broadway show.

23A. Airport pickup spot : BAGGAGE CAROUSEL. The conveyor belt in baggage claim area. "Carousel".

39A. Norman landmark : UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA. "Oklahoma!". Hi, Lois!

56A. Troublemaker's credo? : NO REST FOR THE WICKED. "Wicked". My favorite entry.

82A. One might prompt a curtain call : BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE. "Applause". Unknown to me.

99A. Fleeting celebrity : FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME. "Fame".

120A. Relax : LET DOWN ONE'S HAIR. "Hair".

C.C. here. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers who read this blog.

When I first read the puzzle title, I was worried that each theme entry might be a truncated Broadway show, you know, the names just stop suddenly, like our absurd Thursday puzzle. Was hugely relieved when I nailed the third entry and grokked the gimmick.

We often see 7-9 theme entries on Sunday. This grid only has 6,  mainly because all the answers are very long. Hard to negotiate the maze and build a clean grid.

Across:

1. Cotton-picking handful : BOLL

5. Like pro football players : MALE

9. Libreville is its capital : GABON. I know capitals of all Asian countries. Not African.

14. Seasonal crew? : ELVES. For Darling Santa.

19. Moises of baseball : ALOU

20. One often thickens on stage : PLOT. Nice clue.

21. Word with soap : OPERA. Soap opera.

22. Corporate reward : RAISE. Salary.

26. Ballet __ : RUSSE. So the plural is Ballets Russes?

27. "__ and his money ..." : A FOOL

28. Toledo toast : SALUD. French is SALUT.

29. Certain Honshu resident : OSAKAN

31. __ Sauer: handgun : SIG. Not familiar to me.

33. Library ID : ISBN

35. Urges : ITCHES

46. Prop- suffix : ANE

47. Captain Hook's last words are its motto : ETON. What's their motto?

48. Gives an earful : YELLS AT

49. Frat characters? : PSIs. This clue often stumps me.

50. Some HDTVs : RCAs

52. Sunscreen additive : ALOE

54. Alas., once : TERR (Territory). Alas! I did not notice the . at first.

55. Iona College athletes : GAELS

61. British miler Steve : OVETT. Total stranger.

62. One in a pool : STENO.  Office pool.

63. Trendy tea : CHAI. Spiced tea.

64. Some NFL linemen : RTs

67. Class unit : LESSON

69. Assistants and such : STAFF

72. Like a wake : ASTERN. Wave wake.

74. 2000 Gere title role : DR T

75. It may be fenced : LOOT. Not yard fence.

78. Mrs. Gorbachev : RAISA

81. Relative of -ish : ESQUE. As in Rubenesque vs. zaftig.

86. Dressing target : SALAD

89. "Let __!" : IT GO

90. Inventor Sikorsky : IGOR

91. Cheese holder : RITZ

92. Nutmeg covering : ARIL. Classic crosswordese.

93. Like most sandals : TOELESS

96. Fictional futuristic race : ELOI. "The Time Machine" race.

98. Big foot letters : EEE

103. Some kitchens : EAT-INS

104. Gossip : DIRT

105. Moral slip : SIN. Forgive me, Father, for I slipped.

106. Cellist awarded a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1989 : CASALS (Pablo)

110. Second-deepest U.S. lake : TAHOE

113. Convertible alternatives : T-TOPS

117. Burst of activity : SPASM

123. Come to terms : AGREE

124. Many a chat room visitor : AOLer

125. __ Center: N.J. arena : IZOD. Learned from doing Xword.

126. Italian hot spot : ETNA

127. Like some bulls : PAPAL. Papal bull. Got me.

128. Hoity-toity types : SNOBS

129. British tax : CESS

130. Voicemail accumulation: Abbr. : MSGs

Down:

1. Radner's Wawa : BABA

2. Minnesota's St. __ College : OLAF. Gimme, gimme!

3. Company symbol : LOGO

4. 1931 count portrayer : LUGOSI (Bela). Count Dracula.

5. SUV stat : MPG

6. Some draft picks : ALEs. Can't fool me again.

7. Like "la vida" in a Ricky Martin hit : LOCA. Crazy!

8. And others, to Cicero : ET ALII

9. Splitting word? : GOODBYE. Nice clue too.

10. Springfield storekeeper : APU. "The Simpsons".

11. Carlos's kiss : BESO. Remember your first kiss? How old were you?

12. Mined finds : ORES

13. "The Lion King" lioness : NALA

14. Slips : ERRATA

15. Takeoff place : LAUNCH PAD. See, only on Sundays can you have 9-letter non-theme fill.

16. Before and after "à," compared with : VIS. Vis-à-vis.

17. Safe opener? : ESS. The opening letter in Safe.

18. Have a look : SEE

24. Better way to be wanted? : ALIVE. Dead or alive. I drew a blank.

25. Needing practice : RUSTY

30. Clan attire : KILT

32. Gain access to : GET AT

34. "Peaceful Warrior" actor : NOLTE (Nick)

36. Flimflam : HOSE

37. Silents star Jannings : EMIL. First Oscar Best Actor.

38. Sign of freshness : SASS

39. Find out : UNCOVER

40. Most handy : NEAREST

41. Massages deeply : ROLFs. Stumped me last time. Again today, Melissa!

42. Hoity-toity type : SNOOT

43. Took off : FLEW

44. "Hamlet" courtier : OSRIC

45. Olympic volleyball medalist __ Kiraly : KARCH. No idea. Great shot.

46. Big name in traitors : ARNOLD (Benedict). Schwarzenegger too I suppose.

51. Match parts : SETS

53. Part of a Spanish 101 conjugation : ERES. You are.

55. Seuss, actually : GEISEL

57. Not easily excited : STOLID

58. "The Closer" channel : TNT

59. Stock and then some : HOARD

60. "The Jungle Book" python : KAA. Complete unknown to me.

64. Passing notes? : REQUIEM. Xchefwalt would have loved this clue.

65. Chairman of the board, for one : TRUSTEE

66. Blessed event? : SNEEZE

68. Fireside quaff : NOG

70. __ Schwarz: 5th Avenue toy store : FAO

71. '30s-'40s actress D'Orsay : FIFI. Man, that's old. Nope. Nope!

73. Former despot : TSAR

76. Hunter of the stars : ORION

77. Carved pole : TOTEM

79. Prudent advisers : SAGES

80. Skating gold medalist __ Anton Ohno : APOLO

82. Latvia-Sweden separator : BALTIC SEA. Another highlight of the grid.

83. Grapefruit relative : UGLI. I tried one last year. Quite sweet.

84. Eternally : NO END

85. Faculty mems. : PROFs

86. Heist target : SAFE. Dupe with earlier ESS clue.

87. La Scala highlight : ARIA

88. Garage apparatus : LIFT

93. Angel Clare's love, in an 1891 novel : TESS

94. Lochinvars : SUITORS

95. Turkey's place, in song : STRAW. What song?

97. "__ Lovin' That You Want": Rihanna hit : IF IT'S. Not a Rihanna fan.

100. Crown cover : ENAMEL

101. Like some restaurants : ETHNIC

102. Game opener : ANTHEM

107. It might precede bad news : ALAS

108. 2009-'11 CIA director Panetta : LEON. Next Secretary of Defense.

109. City of NW France : ST LO

111. Slow flow : OOZE

112. "The Dukes of Hazzard" deputy : ENOS. Slaughtered me. No idea.

114. Porridge base : OATS

115D. Ball game opener? : PING. Ping pang. (Correction: Ping Pong.)

116. Ladies of Sp. : SRAs

117. It's tapped for syrup : SAP

118. FedEx Cup org. : PGA. 8-shot lead for McIlory. The kid is good.

119. Ernst collaborator : ARP (Jean)

121. Belle of the ball : DEB. Lovely "ball" clechos.

122. People people, briefly : EDs (Editors). "People" magazine.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday, June 18, 2011 Peter A. Collins

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 28

A tough offering from one of our regular constructors - I went with the Downs first, and so I didn't nail the first grid spanner right away-

17A. Top 10 single on the 1970 album "Abraxas" : BLACK MAGIC WOMAN - Santana

...had me a grid that was predominately blank for most of the time, until I hit on

29A. They're not near the action : CHEAP SEATS

... which broke it open for me; before that, I was considering throwing in the "red-letter" towel; and the other spanner,

54A. Didn't just go : ASKED PERMISSION - a simple, yet thoughtful fill

Splynter, here with another Saturday offering for your perusal

Across:

1. Old Eurasian letters : USSR - did anyone else start with CCCP, the Cyrillic version?

5. Bean counter : NUMBERS GUY - stared at "_u_bers guy" for a long time...

15. Home of H. Rousseau's "The Sleeping Gypsy" : MOMA - TATE? had to be a museum or art gallery, I figured

16. How travelers' bags are screened : ONE AT A TIME - I have not traveled by air for 8 years, was thinking "IN AN XRAY _ _"

19. Old-style street show : RAREE - I have heard of this

20. Tub contents : BATH - I had oleo to start

21. Depend : REST - I had RELY to start

22. Affected : ARTSY

23. A, B or C, perhaps: Abbr. : ANS - thought KEY, GRADE, etc.

24. Like an alias : FALSE - I usually hear "FALSE ALIBI", not FALSE ALIAS

25. Writ word : HABEAS - we have legal experts on the blog who can step in here

27. Wane : SAG - I had EBB to start

28. 1992 gold medal-winning Dream Team coach Chuck : DALY - I don't do basketball - personally, a waste of time and good hardwood....

35. Some six-pack contents : ALE - Felt good about my "ABS" here

36. Six-pack alternative? : BEER GUT - great answer, I had BEER KEG

37. It's best if it's well-seasoned : WOK - cast iron pans, too

38. Party stipulation : NO CHILDREN - I agree

40. Gentle way to go : EASY

41. Picker-upper's concern: Abbr. : ETA - Did anyone else think "Bounty", the paper towel?

42. Shuts out, in slang : SKUNKS - Both the Bruins and Canucks got shut out twice in the Stanley Cup finals; Vancouver in game 7, at home - they just plain "STUNK" in the series.  My brother drove up to Boston for the parade

44. Takes it slow : LOLLS

47. Eastern way : TAO - getting to be a crossword standard

49. '70s toothpaste with "green sparkles" : GLEEM

51. Call, in a way : HAIL - as a cab

52. Pot user : CHEF - uh, not my first thought....

53. Language that gives us "shampoo" : HINDI

57. Very loud : STENTORIAN - A STRAIGHT UP ADJECTIVE I HAVE NEVER HEARD BEFORE - BUT TYPING IN CAPITALS TENDS TO IMPLY SHOUTING; DOES IT BOTHER YOU ????

58. Wood fastener : T-NUT - this do-dad

59. Certain tax determinant : ASSESSMENT

60. They may be first class: Abbr. : SGTS

Down:

1. Sunspot center : UMBRA - Latin for shadow; in this case, it's actually a "cool" spot on the sun's surface, relatively speaking

2. Phenomenon caused by ice crystals between the Earth and sun : SOLAR HALO - I don't think I have witnessed this; I have seen something similar, at night with the moon, so I thought "LUNAR" at first - I did have the HALO part....and two Astrological clues in a row....

3. One making cracks : SMART ALEC

4. Happens quickly : RACES BY

5. Camus, for one : NOM - see 43D - Albert Camus was "French", hence his "name" in French

6. Brazen : UNABASHED

7. Kid-lit Judy Moody series author McDonald : MEGAN - new movie coming out based on this popular character when I was a kid - but I was a boy, I didn't read about 'girls', with their cooties....

8. Entices : BAITS

9. Permanently mark : ETCH

10. Word with deal or nerves : RAW - First fill for me

11. Possible reason for folding : STORAGE

12. Letter on a dreidel : GIMEL  - I am not up on my Hebrew alphabet

13. Sch. with a Lowell campus : UMASS - so here's a map, just because there isn't much to link today

14. "Fiddler on the Roof" matchmaker : YENTE - Did consider YENTA to start

18. __ Luke of Charlie Chan films : KEYE

24. Ritual abstinence : FAST

26. Rapid Northeast train : ACELA - AMTRAK

27. Moxie : SPUNK

28. Castellaneta who voices Homer Simpson : DAN - the man who improvised "D'oh", which is now in the dictionary

30. Transpose digits, say : ERR

31. Golden, Silver, Bronze and Iron, to Ovid : AGES OF MAN - tried "precious" here

32. One may be rude : AWAKENING

33. Ejected : TOSSED OUT

34. Diving milieu : SKY - had SEA first

36. Smithereens : BITS

39. Athens native : HELLENE - Tried GRECIAN early on

40. Volunteers : ENLISTS

43. Disgusted chorus : UGHs - like seeing French in my crosswords....

44. High capital : LHASA - DENV'R didn't fit

45. Hops driers : OASTS

46. Fancies : LIKES

47. 100,000 BTU : THERM - Learning moment for me

48. John Denver album with an eagle's silhouette on the cover : AERIE - I am a HUGE fan, but this one I did not know - came out when I was 9 months old....nice alternative to "high nest"

50. Cashier's counter bowlful : MINTS - the progress was PENNY, COINS, CENTS, MINTS

52. Naval noncoms : CPOs - Chief Petty Officer

55. AA issue : DTs - Delirium Tremens, more of a medical issue - THEN they suggest you start going to meetings....trust me, I have been there, and I am still there - see "Leaving Las Vegas" for a good example

56. QB's miscue : INT-erception, that is, passing it to the other team

Answer grid. 

Splynter