Sunday Nov 6, 2011 Peter Koetters

Theme: "Do or Dye Situation" (Nice title.) - The first word in each theme entry can follow "Hair".

23A. *Dangerously close call : BRUSH WITH DEATH. Hair brush.

33A. *Attachment for a paint gun : SPRAY NOZZLE. Hair spray.

51A. *Interrogator's approach : LINE OF INQUIRY. Hairline.

67A. *"Nothing to it!" : PIECE OF CAKE. Hairpiece.

81A. *Be up to snuff : CUT THE MUSTARD. Haircut.

96A. *Running back, often : BALL CARRIER. Hairball.

17D. *Greenskeeper's concern : PIN PLACEMENT. Hairpin.

61D. *Where a star prepares to shine : DRESSING ROOM. Hair dressing.

110A. Weaves, or what the starts of the starred answers are, in a way : HAIR EXTENSIONS

Had no idea where I was going until I reached 101A and was pleasantly surprised. Great unifier. It hurts to have extensions braided & glued to your own hair. But it sure looks pretty.

I just adored this theme. I bet Melissa too. Secret to thick and shiny hair often lies in your genetic make-up. But good nutrition is certainly important. Sesame seeds help. And the right brand of shampoos & conditioners.

This puzzle is a pangram. As usual, names gave me pauses.

Across:

1. Makes a short putt : TAPS IN. I'd be happy with a bogey.

7. Dabs with a towel : PATS DRY

14. Macedonian birthplace of Mother Teresa : SKOPJE. No idea. Here. Scrabbly name.

20. Fired up : AFLAME

21. Collectibles from faraway lands : EXOTICA. Some could be erotica.

22. Covets : ENVIES

25. 2010 World Series champs : GIANTS. Boomer loved the Pujols' Jack-in-the-Box I got for him.

26. Bar lineup : SHOTS

27. Derby title? : EARL. Oh, title in Derby, England.

28. Like a drumhead : TAUT

30. Fund-raising gp. : PTA

31. Autobahn distances: Abbr. : KMs

36. Do in, as the Jabberwock : SLAY

37. Glosses over : OMITS

40. Recognizes, briefly : IDs

41. DDE's challenger : AES (Adlai E Stevenson)

42. Tax pro : CPA

43. The eleventh hour : HIGH TIME. Oh? I thought it refers to the time when you're feeling high.

46. Jutland resident : DANE

48. Loses one's poker face, say : REACTS

54. Like a rational number's denominator : NON ZERO. And 64. Type of geometry : EUCLIDEAN. I sucked at math.

55. "Rocky __ to Dublin": Irish jig : ROAD

56. Major or Minor constellation : URSA

57. Leave at the altar : JILT

58. Italian possessive pronoun : MIO. "Mine" as in "O Sole Mio".

59. Wrapped up : ENDED

62. United Nations Plaza array : FLAGS

66. Onetime Italian leader Aldo : MORO. Stumper. The Italian prime minister in '60s-'70s. Was kidnapped and then murdered by a terrorist organization. Brutal.

69. "Splendor in the Grass" writer : INGE (William). Quite a heavy topic.

70. Meaty tomato : BEEFSTEAK

72. Singer Rimes : LEANN

73. Add to a database : ENTER

74. George Strait's "All My __ Live in Texas" : EX'S. I wonder why.

75. Beatles album with "Act Naturally" : HELP

76. Wishes otherwise : RUES

77. Fit for duty : ABLE

79. Rummy action : DISCARD

86. Feeling no pain : STINKO. "Feeling no pain" = "Drunk".

87. Blue-ribbon : A-ONE. Jayce's Mandarin is really good.

88. Foggy state : SEDATION

89. Wedding page word : NEE

90. An NFL Manning : ELI

91. Oral health org. : ADA

93. Sealy competitor : SERTA

94. Certain NCO : SSGT

101. Double curve : ESS

102. Cousteau's sea : MER. Still have not grasped the French"R" sound.

103. Scuttlebutt : DIRT

104. Jekyll's alter ego : HYDE

105. "__ I ever!" : WOULD

108. Arctic garment : ANORAK. This one is stylish.

115. Clock radio button : SNOOZE

116. Actress Francis and others : ARLENES. The other I know is "Dahl".

117. Overwhelming amount : DELUGE

118. It hits the nail on the head : HAMMER. I'm picturing Splynter in action.

119. Bridge support : TRESTLE

120. Pericles, famously : ORATOR. So ancient.

Down:

1. Key beside Q : TAB. Computer keyboard.

2. Egypt's cont. : AFR

3. Grade school operator : PLUS SIGN. I like both the clue & answer.

4. Over-the-shoulder accessory : SASH

5. Texter's "Seems to me ..." : IMHO

6. Mudpuppies' kin : NEWTS. Did not know they're related.

7. Snoopy, to Charlie : PET

8. Neolithic dig find : AX HEAD

9. __ special: menu board heading : TODAY'S

10. Uncompromising : STERN

11. Old way to place a collect call : DIAL "O"

12. Sales slip: Abbr. : RCT (Receipt)

13. Jubilant game-player's cry : YAHTZEE. Never played Yahtzee.

14. Slick transition : SEGUE. More "smooth" than "slick". No?

15. Make a string of purls? : KNIT. Great clue.

16. Fertility clinic cells : OVA

18. Popular Volkswagen : JETTA

19. Swift's "A Modest Proposal," e.g. : ESSAY

24. AOL, e.g. : ISP

29. Roker and Gore : ALs

31. German statesman Helmut : KOHL

32. XIX Olympic Winter Games year : MMII. 2002.

34. It means nothing to Sarkozy : RIEN. Same to me.

35. Off-the-wall : ZANY

36. Jack Blum's "Meatballs" character : SPAZ. Another unknown to me.

38. Legal contract adverb : THEREOF

39. Prepared to sing the national anthem : STOOD. Here is China's national anthem.

42. Prefix with grade : CENTI

44. "__ body meet ..." : IF A

45. Area between goals : MIDFIELD

46. Immoral : DISSOLUTE. Crossing 3 theme answers.

47. Notre Dame's Parseghian : ARA

48. Esther of "Good Times" : ROLLE

49. Post-disaster sorting process : TRIAGE

50. Cornhusker rival : SOONER. Hi there Husker Gary & Avg Joe!

52. Snake oil salesman : QUACK

53. Strongly suggest : URGE

54. Beantown, e.g. : NICKNAME

57. Valdez with a burro : JUAN. Here he is.

59. Sticks in the mud : EMBEDS

60. Sartre play with the line "Hell is other people" : NO EXIT. Good to learn the source.

63. Spring : LEAP

64. PayPal funds, e.g. : E-CASH. For Marti.

65. Family meal setting : DINETTE

67. Wing: Prefix : PTERO

68. Podiatry matters : FEET

71. Tremble in fear : SHAKE

73. "__ Dream": Wagner aria : ELSA'S

76. Go on the lam : RUN

78. Future flower : BUD

80. Online tech news site : CNET

81. Electromagnet feature : COIL

82. Actor Morales : ESAI

83. Ventilated : AIRED OUT

84. Turns bad : ROTS

85. Strands of double helices : DNAS

87. Something with a bag of chips? : ALL THAT. Cool! All that and a bag of chips.

90. Tuner's talent : EAR

91. Full of gusto : ARDENT

92. Philadelphia university : DREXEL

94. Really pound : SMASH

95. Yellow-flowered plant often used medicinally : SENNA

96. Hog owner : BIKER. Harley-Davidson.

97. Pablo Neruda's homeland : CHILE

98. Lew of "All Quiet on the Western Front" : AYRES. Difficult name to remember.

99. Farmyard female : EWE

100. Repetitive musical piece : RONDO

103. Foggy state : DAZE

106. Cybercafé patron : USER

107. Oscar winner Kedrova : LILA. For "Zorba the Greek".

109. Data storage acronym : ROM

111. Flight board abbr. : ARR

112. "The Waste Land" monogram : TSE

113. Vietnam's __ Dinh Diem : NGO. OK, you all know Sandra Oh from "Grey's Anatomy", right? Ngo (Vietnamese)= Oh (Korean) = "Wu" (Chinese). Same surname.

114. Sun. delivery : SER

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday, Nov 5, 2011 Barry C. Silk

Theme: None - well, slightly NY-ish

Words: 68

Blocks: 38

Another Saturday Silkie, with some brilliant cluing ~!! - I think Barry might be on to my regular blogging spot here on Saturdays, as he offers me two wonderful NY clues, in hockey no less;

19. New York team : SABRES - not fooled into thinking the team was from the 'city', these guys are from Buffalo, and do well every year - they were only recently "added" to the sports report down here. They play ice hockey in the....

7. 19-Across org. : NHL - National Hockey League, which has been doing some advertising lately, playing season opening games in Europe, and, since 2008, the annual "Winter Classic" on Jan 1st - this year my NY Rangers are playing at the Phillies ballpark, "rinked" over for an OUTDOOR game versus the Flyers, and if it's cold, dark and snowing, you get a "REAL" hockey game, like I used to play before dinner when I was a kid....ah the memories, right, eddyB?

What's your favorite team, Barry Silk ????

bonus:

39. Flushing Meadows stadium : ASHE - which anagrams to my original guess, SHEA, where the Mets baseball team once played, and

42. Rocker Ramone : DEE-DEE - more New York, the band formed in Queens

definitely a cool-looking, labyrinth-like grid, with (oh well) 6 cheater squares this week - can you spot them? Four 11-letter words, Two 10's, Eight 8's, and Three 7's, and one grid-spanning 15;

32. Scapula mover : TRAPEZIUS MUSCLE - which I half-WAGed by putting in _ MUSCLE, because I knew the scapula was that bone there -



- well, actually I thought it was the clavicle, but I was on the anatomical wavelength....

ONWARD ~!

ACROSS:

1. Useful app for a smartphone : WIFI FINDER - over here on Lawn Guyland, the monopolistic cable company offers it free all over the place, so it's automatic for my phone

11. Meas. : AMT

14. Telephone booth, for Bill and Ted : TIME MACHINE - A clip for you~!

15. "What are you waiting for?!" : NOW

16. Programmer's bane : ENDLESS LOOP endlessloopendlessloopendlessloopendlessloop

17. 1996 Olympic torch lighter : ALI - some cool info on the Atlanta games

18. Organic chemistry topic : ENOL - Wiki says there's a "C=C" bond with adjacent alcohol; I never knew, C.C. ~!!!

21. "99 Luftballons" band : NENA - classic 80's piece of synth music; how would 20D react??

22. Completely flummoxed : LOST - not ASEA, but the next answer....

26. Marina Del Rey sight : YACHT - might be....

27. It may be renewable : RESOURCE

29. Informal voucher : CHIT

30. Attach, in a way : PIN ON

31. Scoville unit veggie : CHILI - I saw the Modern Marvels on "Hot & Spicy", and they mentioned the Scoville unit

37. Was charming? : HEXED - the 'spell' kind of charmed

38. Makes an effort : TRIES

40. Medevac conveniences : HELIPADS - I was thinking about those "crash card" paddles (and HeartRx, too) from all the medical shows, but uh, yeah, a place to land the helicopter IS pretty convenient, too....

44. Origami mishaps : TEARS - origami, the paper-folding art - I can make a cube with a sheet of paper

46. Baltic waterway : ODER - Map on the right side

47. Cut the crop : REAP - oh, so close to rude....

49. Automatic-door feature : SENSOR

51. Actress Campbell : NEVE - Campbell; I know her from "Scream"

52. Engage in a summer activity? : ADD - ah, summer as in "one who sums"

53. "Jeannie Out of the Bottle" memoirist : BARBARA EDEN - a great crossword name, with its consonant/vowel cadence

59. Do stuff? : GEL - for your up "DO", and these guys (always gotta add these guys)

60. Bond's Aston Martin had one : EJECTOR SEAT - one of the most successful Mythbusters projects, IMHO

61. Words of praise : ODE

62. Black Gold and Northern Dancer, e.g. : RACE HORSES

DOWN:

1. One with the gold : WINNER

2. "Ta-da!" : I'M DONE~!!!

3. Guys : FELLAS

4. "__ Mine": George Harrison book : I, ME, Mine - pick it up here

5. Musical fourths : FAs - DO, RE, ME, FA, SOL, LA, TI, DO

6. Suffix for sciences : ICS - Orthorunics, the science of Saturday blogs

8. "O __ Mio": Annette Funicello hit : DIO - you may link your songs now

9. Genesis name : ENOS - tho I was thinking about the band Genesis, with Phil, Mike, Tony and Pete, not featured in this song - Phil is doing the vocals

10. Honor a favor : REPAY

11. Lawless : ANARCHIC

12. Sign of a lawn infestation : MOLEHILL

13. Drawstring alternative : TWIST-TIE - on garbage bags

14. High school subject? : TEEN

20. Musical dynasty : BACHS

22. __ Inácio Lula da Silva: 2003-'10 Brazilian president : LUIZ

23. Bird: Prefix : ORNITHO

24. Left no stone unturned in : SCOURED - didn't we discuss ending on a preposition???

25. Like a bungee cord : TENSILE - GOD, I hope so ~!

28. Meghan Daum piece, e.g. : OP-ED

31. Astrological delineation : CUSP - my dad was born on April 20th, on the CUSP of Aries and Taurus

32. "We're on!" : THAT'S A GO

33. Tended some bald patches : RESEEDED

34. Fellers grasp it : AX HANDLE - love this clue, Fell-ERS, not 3D

35. Classmates : PEERS

36. Rabin's predecessor : MEIR - see yesterday's blog

41. "Gunsmoke" actor : ARNESS

43. File menu command : SAVE AS

45. Able to walk a straight line : SOBER - I have been able to walk that line for seven years come Jan 8th

48. Bottled (up) : PENT

50. Indian dignitary : RAJA

54. TiVo button : RECord - Early DVR device

55. Abbr. in old dates : BCE - becoming a popular 3-letter answer in CWs - "Common Era" - the Wiki on it

56. Greek airport, on itineraries : ATHens

57. Hundred Acre Wood denizen : ROO - alternative cluing to "Tigger's pal"

58. Sheet music abbr. : ARRangement

Answer grid.

Splynter