Friday Nov 25, 2011 Stephen Edward Anderson

Theme: PI Day - PI is inserted in each common phrase.

17A. Field operation run by idiots? : STUPID FARM. Stud farm. Funny clue.

23A. Track meet category for joggers? : LOPING DIVISION Long division.

36A. Views from Hamilton? : BERMUDA OPINIONS. Bermuda onions.

49A. Hook on a raft? : FLOATING PIRATE. Floating rate. The interest rate that changes periodically.

59A. Obsessive cleaners? : WIPING NUTS. Wing nuts.

Three in singular form, two in plural. Nice set. You don't want 4 in singular form, and 1 in plural. No odd man out!

Heavy themage (63 squares). The fill is rather clean. Only wish there's a PIS somewhere to unify the theme, to give a rationale/climax for the letter addition gimmick. March 14 will be a perfect day to run this puzzle also.

C.C. again, giving Lemonade a much-needed break for the holiday. I think this is Stephen Edward Anderson's LA Times debut. Congrats!

Across:

1. Sonar pulses : PINGS. Any Ping in your bag, Husker Gary?

6. Subj. for Aristotle : RHET. OK, rhetoric.

10. Staff note : MEMO

14. Gridiron strategy : SNEAK. Football just does not appeal to me.

15. First name in design : EERO (Saarinen)

16. Like much lore : ORAL

19. Diamond homecomings? : RUNS. Diamond = Baseball in late week puzzles.

20. Thrice, in Rx's : TER. Marti is the authority on this clue.

21. Do the honors : POUR. Boomer poured himself some Scotch yesterday, then he said "I'm grateful I can pig out today".

22. Hallmark : BADGE

27. To __ : A TEE

28. Thick : MIDST

29. Stone measuring 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale : OPAL. Please give stone measuring 10 to your girlfriend/wife.

32. Dojo discipline : JUDO. Ju = Soft/Gentle. Do = Chinese "Dao" = Way

33. Gaelic John : IAN. Ian = John.

41. __ alai : JAI

42. Appoint : NAME

43. Be intimate with : KNOW

44. Scrabble 10-pointer : Z-TILE. I bet Jerome beats everyone in Scrabble.

46. Liqueur flavoring : SLOE

54. Reunion attendees : AUNTS

55. Face-saver of a kind : ALOE. Nice clue.

56. Italian counterpart of the BBC : RAI. No idea. This is the most beautiful RAI (Aishwarya) in the world.

58. Sitter's concern : BRAT

62. Jay with jokes : LENO

63. Ecua. rejoined it in 2007 : OPEC. Hey, they just had a meeting on Wednesday.

64. Alternate version, in scores : OSSIA. Got me, Jazzbumpa. Rooted in "O sia" (let it be), says Dictionary.com

65. Petrol pick : ESSO

66. Slog (through), as tedious text : WADE. "Slog" again. I need to take WADE seriously.

67. Sharp : NATTY

Down:

1. Soft "Yoo-hoo!" : PSST

2. Chip maker : INTEL. Crunchy and fat-free.

3. Surgery opening? : NEURO. Neurosurgery.

4. Disparity : GAP

5. "Never mind" : SKIP IT

6. Place of cover : REFUGE. Can you believe people lie when applying Refugee Visa to the US?

7. Learned : HEARD

8. Bark up the wrong tree : ERR

9. Cartoon cat : TOM

10. Quagmire : MORASS

11. Learning : ERUDITION

12. Juicy fruit : MANGO. Try Whole Foods for SweeTango, Jayce. Or next year. These apples are available for a very short period of time each season. For a limited quantity only. Very precious.

13. '80s-'90s NFL commentator Merlin : OLSEN. His name escaped me again.

18. Cooked : DONE

22. Try to buy : BID ON

24. Date source : PALM. Have you had Medjool dates? So sweet.

25. Groggy words, perhaps : I'M UP. Oh, in bed.

26. Part of an old boast : VIDI (I saw). "Veni, vidi, vici".

29. Vb. target : OBJ. Verb/object.

30. Princess's nighttime problem : PEA

31. Casa Grande residents : ARIZONANS. We have quite a few Arizonans on our blog.

32. Sixpack with no special qualities? : JOE. Joe Sixpack. Disparaging term, no?

34. Yucatán year : ANO

35. Sydney is its cap. : NSW. New South Wales, where Kazie is from.

37. Pecks and feet, e.g. : UNITS

38. Flamboyant surrealist : DALI

39. "Yes!" : AMEN

40. Its headquarters are in Delft : IKEA. Did not know this trivia.

45. Body work? : TATTOO. Any body work, Tinbeni/Ant? You both sound pretty bad.

46. Do some film editing : SPLICE

47. Griffin's rear : LION. Looks majestic!

48. Old trail terminus : OREGON

49. Jean de La Fontaine story : FABLE. French fabulist. "A hungry stomach can not hear". He said.

50. Attracts : LURES. Ah, the macaroni, Dennis!

51. Rubbernecked : GAPED

52. Word on a coin : TRUST. In God we Trust.

53. Weird Al Yankovic song parody : EAT IT. I'm not linking. He's too weird for me.

57. "Indeed!" : I SAY

59. Flabbergast : WOW

60. Type of beer orig. brewed in England : IPA. India Pale Ale.

61. Ultra-secretive gp. : NSA (National Security Agency)

Answer grid.

If you're not happy with the new format of LA Times on-line crossword, please click the Feedback button under the puzzle and voice your opinion. You can also click here or here (Chicago Tribute) to solve the puzzle in old format.

C.C.

Headlines that Shocked the World about Santa

#10 of our Kurious Konundrums series.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! To show our appreciation for your continuous support for our work and this blog, Don G and I constructed this puzzle.

Here is PDF (click on File, then Download).

Here is puz file (click on File, then Download).

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid.

Thanks for solving. And a special Thank You to my blogging crew: Santa Argyle, Melissa, Ron, Al, Marti, Lemonade & Splynter. Thank you for your commitment and hard work. You too, Dennis, thanks for always being there for me.

C.C.

Thursday November 24, 2011 Ruth Ann Dailey

Theme: DIG IN !!

This is what is called a "Definition" type theme, where the same clue is used for different meanings in the answers, like so:

17A. Digs : HIPPIES LODGINGS. "Cool digs, man!"

28A. Digs : TAUNTING REMARKS. Now known as "Diss's"?

45A. Digs : VOLLEYBALL MOVES. Saving a spiked or served ball from hitting your side of the court. (Who knew?)

58A. Digs : ARCHAEOLOGY JOBS. Indiana Jones would have answered this one in a heartbeat!

I believe this is the first puzzle in the LA Times for Ruth Ann Dailey, although she is no stranger to crossword constructing. She writes columns for the Pittsburgh Gazette, and constructs Sunday puzzles there as "The Pittsburgh Puzzler".

Marti here. I hope you will all soon be digging into your Thanksgiving meals!

Across:

1. Photo finish : MATTE. Not glossy or semi-gloss. Matte is a dull finish, suitable for formal portraits.

6. Turned right : GEE'D. "Gee" and "haw" are words used to direct farm animals. I always have trouble remembering my "gee" from my "haw".

10. Caen cleric : ABBÉ. Nothing special about "Caen", other than the fact that it is a French city. And ABBÉ is used as the title of a superior of a monastery in France.

14. Meet the need : AVAIL. Funny word, that. "Do the trick", "Be of use". As in, "To no avail..."

15. Chorus girl : ALTO. Or guy.

16. Catch with the goods, maybe : RAID

20. Amateur ending : ISH

21. Sgt. maj., e.g. : NCO . Non-Commissioned Officer.

22. Uncle Sam feature : GOATEE. Top hat would also fit...

23. "A Dog of Flanders" author : OUIDA. Ouida was her pseudonym. Her real name was Marie Louise del la Ramée. The story is about a boy named Nello and his dog Patrasche. Sad story, ending in the tragic death of the boy and the dog when they freeze to death on Christmas Eve in the Cathedral in Antwerp. You can catch it on TCM late night.

26. Trading place : PIT. The trading "pit" of the NY Stock exchange.

27. Angled joint : ELL

32. Textbook unit : LESSON

33. "Air Music" composer : ROREM. Piano Concerto in Six Parts for which he won the Pulitzer Prize in Music. Parts 1 & 2, here.

34. Alberta native : CREE

35. Limited number, with "the" : FEW ...the proud, the Marines.

36. Mosul's land : IRAQ. Map.

40. Not hide : ADMIT

43. Country with six time zones : CANADA . Map.

49. Syst. of sound syllables : IPA. International Phonetic Alphabet.

50. Mil. ranks : LTS . Lieutenants.

51. Very peculiar : OUTRÉ . French for "excessive". Way out there...

52. 1997 Nicolas Cage hair-raiser : CONAIR. Cons in the air...that about sums it up.

54. First name in objectivism : AYN. Ayn Rand. Read here about objectivism, if you are curious.

55. Overseas denial : NAE . No, nae, never...

62. Bus sched. data : RTES . Routes. Abbr. in clue hints at abbr. in ans.

63. Leap for Scott Hamilton : AXEL. I'm sure there's an axel in here somewhere...but I linked this because Scott Hamilton is just such a joy to watch! (And what a finish!!)

64. Reunion group : ALUMS

65. ___ speak : SO TO.

66. Banks on the tube : TYRA. Model, actress, media personality, author and business mogul as well!

67. Rapper's crew : POSSE. A hip-hop retinue.

Down

1. When repeated, a fish : MAHI - mahi.

2. Name on an airport shuttle : AVIS

3. British tavern : TAP HOUSE

4. Service reward : TIP. If someone does not provide good service, do you still tip?

5. Priest in I Samuel : ELI

6. Garage container : GAS CAN

7. Cockney greeting : 'ELLO.

8. WWII command : ETO

9. More evasive : DODGIER. Interesting word. And from Dickens we get "The Artful Dodger". Evasive character, that one!

10. Spotlit solo : ARIA

11. Teasing : BANTER . Lots of banter on this blog.

12. Omaha chief who was an ally of the U.S. in the War of 1812 : BIG ELK

13. 1950s bombs : EDSELS. The Ford Motor Company failures.

18. Conclude with : END IN

19. "I haven't the foggiest!" : GOT ME!

24. Open, in a way : UNSEAL

25. Simpson judge : ITO. Why did I immediately think of the cartoon Simpsons? (Abu? Stu?...) But then again, who am I TO judge?

26. Bow : PROW.

28. Mom's skill, briefly : TLC. Tender Loving Care, of course!

29. Flying prefix : AER. Shouldn't that have an "o" on the end?

30. "On the Record" host Van Susteren : GRETA

31. Key with no sharps or flats : A MINOR

35. Whopper juniors? : FIBS. Fun clue!

37. Famished : RAVENOUS. Are you all getting ravenous for turkey?

38. Ending for lime : ADE

39. ___ in Quebec : Q, AS

41. Screenwrite Ephron : DELIA

42. Big spender's offer : MY TREAT

43. Held on : CLUNG

44. Qty. : AMT. Quantity / Amount

45. Anglican priests : VICARS

46. Wine city north of Lisbon : OPORTO. The second largest city in Portugal. Their flag is quite pretty.

47. Surgeon's tool : LANCET . Also a doctor's magazine. You can read all about Ocrelizumab and relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in the current issue.

48. Common Jesuit school : LOYOLA

53. Semi-serious "I see" : AH SO

54. One of the Sox, e.g. : AL-ER. American League-er

56. Silo contents: Abbr. : ABMs. Anti Ballistic Missles. Not the farm type of silo.

57. Latin 101 verb : ESSE. To be, or not to be...

59. Acne Treatment brand : OXY. Skin car brand. Real People. Real Results. Real Fast.

60. You may be told to shut yours : YAP. Oh, sorry! Have I been yakking too much?

61. "Out of Sight" co-star, familiarly : J-LO. Jennifer Lopez, in case you have been living under a rock for the last few years...

Answer grid.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody, and a very special THANK YOU to C.C. for making this wonderful, fun corner possible!

Hugs,

Marti

Note from C.C.:

If you're not happy with the new format of LA Times on-line crossword, please click the Feedback button under the puzzle and voice your opinion. You can also click here or here (Chicago Tribute) to solve the puzzle in old format.

Wednesday Nov 23, 2011 Jack McInturff

Theme: OPEC MEETINGS (57A. Major oil conferences (they're found, in a way, in 20-, 34- and 42-Across) - OPEC (in different combos) spans each two-word theme answer.

20A. Best Supporting Actress winner for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" : PENELOPE CRUZ

34A. General's level : TOP ECHELON

42A. Quaint storage pieces : HOPE CHESTS

"A young man rode with his head held high, under the Texas sun
And no one guessed that a man so blessed, would perish by the gun.
A shot rang out like a sudden shout, and heaven held its breath
And the dreams of a multitude of men, went with him to his death.
The heart of the world lays heavy, in a helplessness of tears
For a man shot down, in the Texas sun, in the summer of his years."

from "That Was the Week that Was" - November 1963

Boomer here. I had just turned 16 - if you lived that week with me, you understand.

On to today's puzzle. The clues made it tougher than normal. The references to OPEC, made me think of gasoline here in Minnesota - I saw a sign today at 3.04 for a gallon of regular unleaded. In November of 1963, I think gas was about 25 cents and it still had the lead in it. Times change. By comparison, the Thanksgiving turkey in 1963 was around 29 cents per pound. Monday we paid 58 cents. Too bad GM and Ford can't make a car that runs on turkey.

Best wishes to all Crossword Corner readers for a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Across:

1. Co. that makes Motrin and Tylenol : J AND J - Not fond of abbreviations in puzzles. I checked my bottle of Motrin to get this answer.

6. In __ land : LA LA - Matt Kemp will be there for at least 8 more years. 2nd in the MVP voting, I liked Ryan Braun. I think the writers got it right.

10. Flew the coop : LEFT

14. Happen next : ENSUE

15. "Doctor Zhivago," e.g. : EPIC - "Although the snow covers the hope of Spring".

16. __ Lackawanna Railway : ERIE - I've seen ERIE in puzzles twice a week, but this clue is unusual to say the least.

17. Home of the City of 1,000 Minarets : EGYPT - The city would be Cairo, but I wonder who counted all those mosque domes?

18. Ben Stiller's mom : ANNE MEARA - Now in her eighties, I remember her most as an airline hostess in "Rhoda".

22. Beehive St. capital : SLC - Another Acronym, - sigh.

23. Aqua Velva alternative : AFTA - Neither are very good. Get out the old bottle of Avon Windjammer.

24. Military division : BRANCH - I always considered a military division to be within a branch of service, like a battalion, regiment, or the like. A branch of service is like the Army or Marines. I think I might have clued as Thompson's role in "Law and Order."

28. Classic sports cars : MGS - another no vowel abbreviation. When I was young, the TR-6 was in vogue.

29. Casino area : PIT - The gaming area with 21, craps, and roulette. And the stuffy looking guy in the suit that stands and watches everything.

30. The Columbia R. forms much of its northern border : ORE - The post office changed states abbreviations to two letters around 1963, but puzzle constructors never got the message.

31. Edit menu command : UNDO

38. Night sounds : HOOTS- Well, these sounds are day or night time at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park.

40. Kilmer of "The Saint" : VAL

41. __ flu : ASIAN- Everyone wants to blame Asia for the flu. I bet they have flu in Iceland and Nova Scotia also, but you never hear about those.

45. Animal rights org. : PETA

46. Arles "A" : UNE

47. "__ Day Will Come": 1963 #1 hit : OUR - I think Ruby and the Romantics recorded it first in 1962. They never reached the popularity of the Beatles or Stones. I do remember the Carpenters version some years later.

48. Set down : LAY

50. Household attention getter : HEY MOM - What really gets the attention is when you turn 16 and start saying "Hey Ma".

52. Ancient Dead Sea land : EDOM

54. Org. offering motel discounts : AAA - My first thought was AARP. With the internet, I don't think any of these organizations offer true discounts. Just more of the same as "get a discount at a hotel dot com".

60. Where many tests are given : CLASSROOM - This puzzle was a test at my kitchen table.

63. Indian princesses : RANIS

64. Lie low : HIDE - See 29 Down

65. Price-limiting words : UP TO - Absolutely!! One of my major pet peeves. Take your AAA membership card to a hotel and get UP TO 40% discount. What does that mean? They can give you a nickel off the price and fall within the "UP TO" range.

66. Playing marble : AGATE - Agates, Peeries, Cats eyes, Steelies, Shooters, but agates and Steelies are the ones that show up in puzzles.

67. Countercurrent : EDDY

68. Noticed : SEEN

69. Nuts for sodas : KOLAS - I think they also use them for chocolate. Now I'm thirsty for an old fashioned chocolate soda.

Down:

1. Wranglers and Patriots : JEEPS - Patriots made me think. I wanted to put TEAMS, Wranglers made me want to try JEANS, (Brett Favre was here). Wish they would have clued Cherokees instead.

2. Theater supporter : ANGEL - I was not aware of this term for a theater supporter.

3. Backstreet Boys contemporary : 'N SYNC - I've heard of them but my musical interest remains in the 60's. Bob Zimmerman was from Hibbing, Minnesota.

4. Con : DUPE

5. Long-distance flier's complaint : JET LAG

6. Jumped : LEAPT - Spell check questions this, but it is a word. I like leaped better, but you know how puzzles are.

7. Sleep disorder : APNEA - sleeping without breathing can be a problem.

8. Omar's "Mod Squad" role : LINC - This threw me a bit. As an old guy, I remember Clarence Williams III playing Lincoln Hayes on TV in the 60s. Omar Epps had the role in the 1999 movie.

9. Harsh, as criticism : ACERBIC - Even the word itself sounds harsh.

10. 2007 "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Gibbons : LEEZA - Sorry, I never watch this show and never will.

11. Horse and buggy __ : ERA

12. Christmas buy : FIR - Or it could be a FUR to please the wife. But then there are those PETA animal rights activists. We used to buy a spruce for Christmas decorating, and a goose for the table. I guess you could call it a Howard Hughes Christmas.

13. Afternoon cup : TEA - The most consumed beverage in Asia and Europe. My afternoon cup is usually a hole on the green of the local course.

19. Longtime Pennsylvania congressman John : MURTHA - One of my favorites. He had very strong opinions about the Middle East wars when appearing on talk shows.

21. Spirit __ Louis : OF ST. - Used to be a plane that Charles Lindbergh flew. Now I think it is Albert Pujols.

25. "Honest!" : NO LIE

26. Zagreb native : CROAT

27. Natural dye : HENNA

28. Bit of dust : MOTE

29. Skin : PELT - Although you skin an animal to get a pelt, I never considered a pelt as skin. Most are used to make a fur you buy for your wife at Christmas. I guess you might call a pelt a hide, but HIDE is laying low up north in this puzzle. But if you do get your wife a FUR made of PELTS for Christmas, you better HIDE it for a while before putting it under the fir, ... or spruce.

31. "Sure" : UH HUH

32. Nary a soul : NO ONE

33. Beardless Dwarf : DOPEY - Hi Ho, Hi Ho, sorry if I seemed a bit Grumpy about this puzzle.

35. Partner of out : OVER - Okay, I get it, but I would prefer Peter Graves role in "Airplane". I still chuckle when I think of Captain Over saying "Over" over the radio.

36. Ballerina's step : PAS

37. Glimpse : ESPY - We now have awards on ESPN called ESPYS, so we could use that as a clue now and then.

39. News exclusives : SCOOPS

43. Funny-sounding bone : HUMERUS - Makes you wonder just how much whiskey was consumed at the table when the Gray's Anatomy writers sat down and started naming bones. I think they picked a bone, like the arm bone; then selected Scrabble tiles until they had enough to make what looked like a word. Tibia, Fibula, Ulna, Scapula, - or maybe they just used words that were left over after they finished naming the Greek mythology gods and goddesses.

44. Plumlike fruit : SLOE - I never knew this was like a plum. All I remember is that it was the Gin choice of many before we turned 21 and discovered Scotch.

49. Pacific Surfliner operator : AMTRAK - I kind of miss the days when more people traveled by train than airline. And you could board the train without being X-rayed, patted down, or told to remove your shoes. "Northern Pacific, really terrific, that's what everyone who rides it says."

51. Walk casually : MOSEY

52. Overact : EMOTE

53. Mischievous kid : DEMON - I don't like this clue. We were all pranksters at times as kids. No reason to call us demons. That term is reserved for Beelzebub, and CC Sabathia.

54. Year's record : ANNAL - I call these Annuals, but once again the puzzle constructors have to make words fit because of construction need. I get it.

55. Tums target : AGITA. Hmmmm, Tums target is a stomach ache. Are you going to step away from Thursday's feast and say "Oh, I have a bit of AGITA."??

56. Beasts of burden : ASSES - Also people who call stomach aches "agita".

58. Make do : COPE

59. Rival of Cassio : IAGO - Not a Shakespeare lover here. This guy was in Othello. I only read "The Merchant of Venice" and learned about Shylock. You know, the guy the Wall Street protesters are DEMONstrating against these days.

60. Ally of Fidel : CHE - Or could it have been Clay Shaw??

61. It may be flipped : LID

62. Insert : ADD

Answer grid.

Boomer

Tuesday Nov 22, 2011 Kurt Mengel and Jan-Michele Gianette

Theme: PUTTING ON THE DOG (54A. Assuming an attitude of importance, and a hint to what ends 17-, 26- and 41-Across ) - The last words of all three phrase are hot dog toppings.

17A. Is well-versed in a subject : KNOWS ONE'S ONIONS. Don't know much about onions. I do know a lot about apples.

26A. Achieves required standards : CUTS THE MUSTARD.

41A. Obviously enjoys a meal : EATS WITH RELISH. "Ah, food!", said Steve.

Notice all the theme answers are in third person singular form. Very consistent.

C.C. again. Delighted with the theme. I bet Seen likes it too. Brings him right back to Marge Schott's $1 hotdogs. She made lots of bad decisions, uttered lots of thoughtless and offensive remarks, but she truly loved the Reds and baseball. And her dogs of course.

Across:

1. Filled with wonder : AWED

5. Trade punches : SPAR

9. Shire of "Rocky" : TALIA. Also Connie in "Godfather" series. Drove me crazy.

14. Hurry : RACE

15. Opportunity to play : TURN

16. Shi'ite leaders : IMAMS. So Sunni's leaders are not IMAMS?

20. Salon service : SET

21. Samoa's capital : APIA

22. Makes an offer for at auction : BIDS ON. I like E-Bay's Buy It Now.

23. Fertile desert spot : OASIS

25. Parisian summers : ETES. Wow, real summers.

31. Quick raid : FORAY

32. Hung. neighbor : AUST (Austria). Been there, Jayce?

33. "Who, me?" : MOI

34. __ rain : ACID

35. More than bad : WORSE

37. Skier's transport : T-BAR. Marti has probably been to every famous skill resort in the US.

38. Uno follower : DOS

39. One of those things : THAT

40. Prepare (oneself), as for a jolt : BRACE

45. Essence : PITH

46. Out of order : AMISS

47. Early birthday milestone : AGE ONE

50. Work subtitled "A Life": Abbr. : BIOG. Oh, biography.

51. Pale or brown brew : ALE

57. Pop singer John : ELTON

58. Herbal balm : ALOE. So, Lucia, can I grow aloes in Minnesota?

59. Roman robe : TOGA

60. Like hash in diners : SLUNG. I drew a blank.

61. Atlantic, to Brits : POND. I enjoy very much Steve & Nice Cuppa's British wits.

62. Acceptability on the street, in slang : CRED (Credential)

Down:

1. Torah holders : ARKS

2. Dwindle : WANE

3. Traveler to an environmentally protected area : ECO-TOURIST. I bet Melissa likes this answer. Great one.

4. Morning glistener : DEW

5. "No more!" : STOP IT

6. Discipline : PUNISH. Spanking was very very common in the neighborhood where I grew up.

7. Vicinity : AREA

8. MDs' co-workers : RNs

9. Most minuscule : TINIEST

10. Surrounded by : AMIDST

11. Vientiane's land : LAOS. They keep Kip there.

12. "__ expert, but ..." : I'M NO

13. The "A" in many org. names : ASSN

18. Cheeky : SASSY

19. Dense : OBTUSE. Tinbeni used this word a few times in the past, I always thought he meant "obscure", not "dense".

24. Ever so slightly : A TAD

25. Avian Aussies : EMUS. Funny clue, Kazie. Jimbo is doing well, by the way. Still bowls. 150 average. Not bad for a 87-year-old. His team leads in the league again this year.

26. Hershey's drink : COCOA

27. Worm's milieu : EARTH

28. Diplomatic official : AMBASSADOR. Here is our ambassador (Gary Locke) to China. Lovely family. He does not speak Chinese.

29. Motel victim? : ROACH. I don't understand this clue. All I can think of is "Psycho".

30. Desperate : DIRE

31. Lose brightness : FADE

35. Bleach : WHITEN

36. Promise : OATH

37. Baseball Hall of Famer Speaker : TRIS. Enshrined in the hall in 1937. Same year as Cy Young. Tony Oliva 2012!

39. Interweaving : TWINING

40. Bounty captain : BLIGH. From "Mutiny on the Bounty".

42. Exactly right : SPOT ON

43. Spoil, as a parade : RAIN ON. Three "On" dupes in this grid.

44. Hammed it up : EMOTED

47. Kong's kin : APES

48. Shore squawker : GULL

49. Caesar's disbelieving words : ET TU. "Et tu, Brute?"

50. Western tie : BOLO

52. Theater box : LOGE

53. "Yipes" : EGAD

55. Trendy clothing giant : GAP. Love Gap Jeans.

56. And more: Abbr. : ETC

Answer grid.

C.C.

Monday Nov 21, 2011 Donna S Levin

Theme: Whatever Argyle would have title - Theme answers are 4-word noun phrases all in the pattern of "*ILL OF THE + noun".

17A. National consensus : WILL OF THE PEOPLE

38A. Deerstalker's excitement : THRILL OF THE HUNT. So literal. For me, it's "Flea market
lover's excitement".

62A. Dark, quiet period : STILL OF THE NIGHT

C.C. here. I hope I did not miss anything on the theme cohesion. No easy job to be Santa. I just could not think of a clever title.

A bit surprised to see ILL (25D. Unwell) due to the pattern of the first theme words. Changing 24A into SPARE would give us an ALL for 25D, which dupes ALL'S in 12D. So, all's good.

Across:

1. Soccer great Mia : HAMM. Bill G meets her at his biking path occasionally.

5. Spider's creations : WEBS

9. "Beat it!" : SCRAM

14. Steinbeck's Tom Joad, e.g. : OKIE

15. Afghanistan's western neighbor : IRAN

16. Fabric with a repeated scenic pattern : TOILE. See here, with a repeated pattern and often in one color.

20. Metal playing marble : STEELIE. Never played it.

21. Sincere : EARNEST

22. Propelled with sculls : OARED

23. Camembert cousin : BRIE. So what's your favorite cheese?

24. Malice : SPITE
27. Cooks on a spit : ROASTS

32. Biol. or chem. : SCI

35. Burn soothers : ALOES. JD grows them. I wonder if Creature does also.

37. Turn on a pivot : SLUE

42. Grows darker : DIMS

43. Clark Kent's birth name : KALEL. On Krypton.

44. Sound of fan support : RAH

45. Garlicky shrimp dish : SCAMPI. Chives on top, right?

48. Ran at an easy pace : LOPED

50. Not taken in by : ONTO

52. Hairdresser Sassoon : VIDAL

56. "The Four Seasons" composer : VIVALDI. Nicknamed "The Red Priest" due to his red hair, and he was a priest.

60. Rock fissure : CREVICE. Look! Nature is amazing.

64. Davis who was married to Ruby Dee : OSSIE

65. Word with pyramid or chain : FOOD. Yes!

66. Cut down on 65-Across : DIET. No. Maybe after Thanksgiving.

67. Hymn of praise : PAEAN

68. Females with pig tails : SOWS. What a funny clue.

69. Means' justifiers : ENDS Down:

1. "In what way?" : HOW SO

2. Japanese canine : AKITA. Dennis' last dog. Couldn't picture him in tears. Hard man.

3. Long-distance runner : MILER

4. Brawls : MELEES

5. Hi-tech airport connection : WI-FI

6. One-named Deco artist : ERTE. 4-letter word starting/ending in vowels, very grid-friendly, hence his frequent appearance.

7. Scroogean exclamation : BAH

8. Derisive look : SNEER

9. More than mono : STEREO

10. Masked critter : COON

11. Ready for picking : RIPE

12. "__ well that ends well" : ALL'S

13. Track competition : MEET

18. Longtime chum : OLD PAL

19. Part of a poker full house : PAIR

23. Bovine hybrid : BEEFALO. Never had it. But have you ever tried SweeTango apples? It's a hybrid between Honeycrisp & Zesta. Oh, man, it tastes so good.

26. Stole : TOOK

28. Volcanic output : ASH

29. Defamatory remark : SLUR

30. Yellowfin or albacore : TUNA

31. Fourth man : SETH. His mom would have loved SweeTango.

32. Norms: Abbr. : STDs

33. Fashionable : CHIC. Blake Lively always looks great, no matter what she wears.

34. Culinary author Rombauer : IRMA

36. WWII Normandy battle site : ST LO

39. Doctrinal suffix : ISM

40. Cool, like a cat : HEP. Our Jazzbumpa is super cool! Raw, natural talent in entertaining.

41. Craps natural : ELEVEN. Never played Craps.

46. Hay fever sufferer's nemesis : POLLEN

47. __-European languages : INDO

49. Split : DIVIDE

51. Petty quarrels : TIFFS

53. "Bon appétit," from mom : DIG IN

54. Was sore after a workout : ACHED

55. Riga natives : LETTS

56. Cognac bottle letters : VSOP. Very Superior Old Pale.

57. "__ Small World" : IT'S A

58. Carpenter's clamp : VISE. So no need to spruce up the room in the past months, Splynter? I don't buy it. The date part.

59. Et __: and others : ALIA

60. Vittles : CHOW

61. Cinncinati team : REDS. Hi there Seen, do you hate or love Marge Schott?

63. Also : TOO

Answer grid.

C.C.

Sunday, November 20, 2011 Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "Pair Options" - Three options: 1. The complete humorous answer to the clue. 2. The stand alone partners that begin the answer. And 3. The last word of the pairs changes its meaning and used in another stand alone phrase.

23A. Ring from Chuck Berry? : ROCK AND ROLL CALL. ROCK AND ROLL, ROLL CALL.

32A. Tiny decathlon entrant? : TRACK AND FIELD MOUSE. TRACK AND FIELD, FIELD MOUSE.

54A. Contest for a free night at the inn? : ROOM AND BOARD GAME. ROOM AND BOARD, BOARD GAME.

71A. Trait of a gentleman in training? : HIT AND MISS MANNERS. HIT AND MISS, MISS MANNERS.

92A. Show that makes teens cringe? : MOM AND POP CONCERT. MOM AND POP, POP CONCERT.

107A. Fixture that refunds money for unused time? : FAIR AND SQUARE METER. FAIR AND SQUARE, SQUARE METER.

125A. Mess hall handout? : RANK AND FILE MENU. RANK AND FILE, FILE MENU.

Surprise! Argyle here. I had my doubts about this puzzle when it started with AGITA but it all worked out in the end.

Across:

1. Gut feeling : AGITA. A physical feeling, like indigestion.

6. Vegging out : IDLE

10. Bratz product : DOLL

14. "Ain't happening" : "NO HOW"

19. Receive useful information about : GET A LINE ON

21. "East of Eden" director Kazan : ELIA

22. French story : ÉTAGE. Today's French lesson: maison à deux étages - two-storey house.

25. Bizarre : WEIRD

26. "Off the Court" author : ASHE. Tennis great, Arthur Ashe.

27. Willingly : LIEF. Akin to love. I believe we had this before.

28. Lummox : OAF

29. Small batteries : AAs

31. Frat party purchase : KEG

37. Writer who worked on Friday? : DEFOE. Friday is a character in Daniel Defoe's novel, "Robinson Crusoe".

40. Monopolize : HOG

41. Bank features : SAFES

42. Nueve menos ocho : UNO. Spanish, 9-8=1.

43. Off! ingredient : DEET

47. Duck, say : REACT

50. Cybermemos : E-NOTES

58. Respite : LULL

59. "Flash of Genius" actor Alan : ALDA

60. Entrance : DOOR

61. See eye to eye : JIBE

62. Lofty home : AERIE

63. Tex-Mex snacks : NACHOS

65. World leader who said "Every little thing counts in a crisis" : NEHRU. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first prime minister of independent India (1947–64).

68. __-en-Provence, France : AIX

70. Homer's neighbor : NED. From The Simpsons.

76. "That's it!" : "A HA!"

78. Downed : ATE

79. Passé : DATED

80. Party catchphrase : SLOGAN

83. Like frat parties : NOISY

85. Timbuktu's land : MALI

88. [Oh my God!] : [GASP!]. The brackets indicate the response is non-verbal and why my GOSH was wrong.

90. "Star Trek: T.N.G." counselor : TROI. I believe because the abbreviation was within the quotes and that T.N.G.(The Next Generation) is the common way the show is written, that an abbreviated answer is NOT indicated.

91. Potent start? : OMNI. Omnipotent.

96. Lipton rival : NESTEA

98. "Bummer" : "AW, GEE"

99. Small monkey : TITI

100. Summer overseas : ÉTÉ. In France.

101. Perp's cover : ALIAS. Or 123A. Perp's cover : ALIBI

103. "Uh-uh" : "NAH"

105. Grannies : NANAs

115. Affair twosome? : EFs. The letters 'F'.

116. General on a menu : TSO

117. Dull finish? : ARD. Dullard.

118. Worm, often : LURE. In this computer age, VIRUS was the first thing to come to mind at the word, WORM.

119. Egg cell : OVUM

129. 9 to 5, e.g. : RATIO. Tricky.

130. "The Neverending Story" author : ENDE. German fantasy novel by Michael Ende, first published in 1979.

131. Some bed makers : HOTEL MAIDS

132. Offspring : SCION

133. "Agreed!" : "DEAL!"

134. Spanish cordial : ANIS

135. Letter-shaped opening : T-SLOT

Down:

1. Tourist city SE of New Delhi : AGRA

2. Metros and Prizms, at first : GEOs. Little vehicles.

3. Longing : ITCH

4. Grow fond of : TAKE TO

5. __ carte : À LA

6. Hindi is a subgroup of it : INDIC

7. 12-time All-Star Jeter : DEREK

8. Bath sponge : LOOFAH

9. Photographer's order: Abbr. : ENL.

10. Morning brew order : DECAF

11. Norwegian king, 995-1000 : OLAF I

12. Rap name adjective : LI'L

13. "Deck the Halls" sequence : LA, LA, LA. Do rappers have Christmas albums?

14. Some anchors : NEWS MEN

15. Suffix with Capri : OTE. A native or inhabitant of Capri.

16. Verse often about nature : HAIKU

17. Fairy tale baddies : OGREs

18. Divisive element : WEDGE

20. Attending a Dodgers home game, say : IN LA. A stadium without a corporate name, wow!

24. Tenant : LODGER

30. Google revenue source : AD FEE

33. Prynne's stigma : RED A. From Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.

34. "I Feel Bad About My Neck" author Ephron : NORA. A collection of essays.

35. Abbr. on a shingle : ESTAB.

36. Neapolitan song title opening : 'O SOLE

37. Boxer who held titles at four different weights : DURAN. "No mas"

38. __ Gay : ENOLA

39. What-eats-what orders : FOOD CHAINS. Great explanation.

44. Wraps up by : ENDS AT

45. Tokyo, before 1868 : EDO

46. Govt. security : T-BOND

48. Fine-tune : ADJUST

49. Special effects technique, briefly : CGI. Computer-Generated Imagery.

51. Gets jealous : TURNS GREEN

52. "Night" author Wiesel : ELIE

53. Vehicle on a Christmas card, perhaps : SLED

55. Half a fish : MAHI

56. Central Utah city : OREM

57. Average : MEAN

62. Rink maneuver : AXEL

64. Our Gang assent : "OTAY!"

66. Covering up : HIDING

67. Golfer Gary Player's homeland: Abbr. : RSA. Republic of South Africa.

69. Place to be : IN SPOT

72. Pixar fish : NEMO

73. "Let __!" : ME GO

74. One way to cope : ADAPT

75. Drilling gp. : ROTC

76. Like Mr. X : ANON

77. Main website page : HOME

81. Main artery : AORTA

82. Evenings, in ads : NITEs

84. George Harrison learned it in the '60s : SITAR

86. Rack up : AMASS

87. Bar code? : LAW. The legal bar.

89. __-fi : SCI

92. Big pipes : MAINS

93. "Gracias" reply : "DE NADA"

94. High-fiber fruit : PEAR

95. "Ladies dancing" carol contingent : NINE

97. Joy : ELATION

102. Was gaga over : ADORED

104. Got a grip : HELD ON

106. Kitchen drawers? : AROMAs

107. Dreads : FEARS

108. Big name in supplemental insurance : AFLAC

109. Last Supper question : "IS IT I?"

110. Brief interview? : Q AND A

111. "Family Matters" nerd : URKEL

112. Civilian garb : MUFTI

113. Ohio natives : ERIEs

114. Divulge : TELL

120. Concealing garb : VEIL

121. Erase : UNDO

122. Has to : MUST

124. Short life story? : BIO

126. "Wheel of Fortune" buy : AN 'E'

127. FDR home loan org. : NHA. National Housing Agency.

128. ER staff member : EMT

Answer grid.

Argyle

1) Constructors' Notes:

"Don came up with this theme. It is a little inspired by the "Wheel of Fortune" "before and after" trick, or the similar "Jeopardy" occasional category. Don cannot recall the inspirational phrase that kicked it off. It may have been MOM AND POP CONCERT. We reviewed many potential phrases, trying to come up with entries where the shared middle word has a different meaning in the newly formed phrases. The grid went through a couple revisions. We had too many proper names in the first submission."

2) Personal Note:

Very sad news from Creature. She lost her husband yesterday from a fall he took at their cabin. She would like to thank everyone for the birthday wishes. Our condolences go out to her from here at the Corner.