Saturday, May 5th, 2012, Doug Peterson

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 28

Plenty of 63D. "D'oh~!" moments for me today. A pleasant offering from Mr. Peterson; lots of clues that made me think, plus a few write-overs. A good-looking grid with triple 9's in the across, triple 8's in the down, and two 'cheater squares' to add to this week's 'blogversation'. Two 12-letter spanners that are 24D., 'hardly easy' to fit;

33A. Evidentiary home movie studied by the Warren Commission : ZAPRUDER FILM - Abraham Zapruder, the man who captured the assassination of President John F. Kennedy with his home-movie camera in Dallas, Nov. 22nd, 1963. Seed entry?

41A. Programs for quick studies : CRASH COURSES - first "D'oh" moment for me - stared at this one for too long.

On - WARD~!

ACROSS:

1. St. Basil's Cathedral locale : RED SQUARE - my next "D'oh" moment, as I was thinking "Basil" is a British Isles kind of name - yet I know this place...

10. "Whereupon ..." : AND SO...

15. What Henry taught Eliza : ELOCUTION - "My Fair Lady", "Pygmalion"

16. Diner choice : BOOTH

17. Rash : HOT-HEADED

18. Did stable work : SHOED - MUCKED didn't fit

19. Heaps : A PILE - meh, I had "PILES", and it wasn't working out

20. Forever, it seems : AGES - Not "EONS"

22. Arctic explorer John : RAE

23. Good-hearted : BENIGN

25. Building with a dome : ROTUNDA - CAPITOL fit, and it has both a DOME and a ROTUNDA, but....

28. Snorkel, e.g.: Abbr. : SGT - Crossword regular, Sergeant

29. Shell mover : OAR - another "D'oh" moment, was stuck on 'shell game', and considered "rat" as the answer....but we're looking for this

32. Angora goat fabric : MOHAIR - and another "D'oh" moment, as I was trying to "59A." Cashmere, Kashmir, and Kasmir in there....

36. Short-term funding source : ATM - Fresher clue for this old answer

39. Site of regular slopping : PIG FARM - ah, you guessed it, I wanted PIG STY, needed another letter....

40. Soap component : LYE

44. Hoodwink : TAKE IN - Like in a Shell Game

45. Catch on : SEE

46. AMEX, e.g. : MKT - stock exchange 'market';  a learning moment for me

49. Indulged in to excess : OVERDID - yep, I overdid the beer (1D.)

51. Aglow in the gloaming : TWILIT - such eloquence, pronounced "TWY-lit", and yet the word looks like an insult - "you Twilit~!!!"

54. Morass : FEN - I tried MUD first, seemed sensible

55. Michael of "Juno" : CERA

58. Colleague of Clarence and Ruth : ELENA - Supreme Court justices;  is this 'annotated'~??

59. Squeeze : WRING - yeah, I get it, but I think of these "compressions" as being different from each other....

62. Target for some keglers : CANDLEPIN - kegler, from German "to bowl", is a perfect score of 300 in American bowling, or 12 straight strikes - isn't Boomer a bowler ??? (From C.C.: Yes. In fact, Boomer just had 9th perfect game two days ago. To me, kegler = bowler.)

64. Dandy's accessory : ASCOT

65. Like many bibliographies : ANNOTATED

66. Bagpipes and saxes : REEDS - not HORNS or WINDS

67. Overdrawn account? : FISH STORY - well said~!

DOWN:

1. Recovery locale : REHAB - been there, done that....

2. Gets together quietly? : ELOPES

3. Prone to spoiling : DOTING - grandparents, not grapes

4. "The beer that made Milwaukee famous" : SCHLITZ - despite my 1D. stay, I never actually had Schlitz, go figure

5. Wouk captain : QUEEG - The Wiki, for those who would like to see more

6. First name in acting instruction : UTA

7. "O patria mia" singer : AIDA

8. "Walkabout" director Nicolas : ROEG - one of those "constructor friendly" names

9. Rear-__ : ENDER

10. Chiseled muscles : ABs

11. Masked drama : NOH - Japanese theatre

12. Epitome of deadness : DOORNAIL - Dead Horse wouldn't work here

13. With regularity : STEADILY

14. "My heavens!" : OH DEAR ME

21. Cheddar's county : SOMERSET - Today's map

24. Hardly easy : NO PICNIC

26. Self-titled jazz vocal album of 1958 : TORME

27. Old dial letters : UHF - TV dial, remember those?



30. Castor and Pollux sailed on it : ARGO

31. Chaka Khan's old group : RUFUS - I do not remember "Rufus"; I grew up with Chaka, and this song

34. Plant pest : APHID

35. Provoke : DARE

36. Pearl Harbor attack, e.g. : ACT OF WAR

37. Pass over : TRAVERSE

38. Act friendly : MAKE NICE

42. Source of Sun. light? : SER

43. Flirt with, in a way : SMILE AT

47. Pick-up artist? : KLEPTOmaniac, a thief; one who uses the "five-finger discount"

48. More minuscule : TINIER

50. Joltless joe? : DECAF - none for me, thanks, I like my coffee with kick

52. Painful paintball mementos : WELTS - and HOW~!! Stings like a mo***f'er

53. Early personal computer maker : TANDY

56. Mumbai royal : RANI

57. Journalists Compton and Curry : ANNs

60. Show boredom : NOD - needs "off" to make more sense, really

61. Alfa Romeo sports cars : GTs

63. Head-slapper's cry : "D'oh~!" - Homer Simpson, and his now dictionary-worthy expression

Answer grid.

Now go out and have your tequila with salt, and your Coronas with lime - do one for me

Cinco De Mayo ~!!!

Splynter

Friday, May 4, 2012, David Poole

Theme: Ta Da! Each of the the five theme answers use a sound alike progression from T to D to create a new and thought-provoking witty answer. The long vowel sounds are all different. David has been one of the regular contributors to both LAT and NYT, and his November 5, 2010 work was my first write up as full-time Friday. This is his first of 2012, and continues his interesting use of language. I found the puzzle a challenge both from some Friday words, and the stacking of non-theme answers with the theme. But as a math guy I think it all adds up in the end. Or maybe it is a TouchDown (TD) when we finish.

14A. Weaponry etiquette? : CODE (COAT) OF ARMS. Long O. I got the theme right away, or so I thought...

19A. Corpulent corpuscle? : WIDE (WHITE) BLOOD CELL. Long I. My favorite, as you all should know by now, I loves me some alliteration, and two (2!) great words.

34A. Fanatical bakers? : KNEAD (NEAT) FREAKS. Long E. Also a fun image, in the kitchen, maybe Alton Brown.

53A. Warning sign at a kiddie pool? : WADE (WAIT) UNTIL DARK. Long A. Okay this cute also.

61A. Built the perfect case? : SUED (SUIT) TO A TEE. Long U. Oh goody, a theme answer to remind everyone how much they love lawyers.

No Knead for a unifier, so let's wade in and do the rest.

Across:

1. Track posting : ODDS. Yes, I have been known to bet so this was a good start. And also, a mini clecho 46A. Track transaction : BET

5. Iran and Iraq are in it : ASIA. First thought was OPEC but a glance at the downs had me wait.

9. Fernando's hideaway : CASA. Another deferred answer, hmmm.

13. Pickup on a corner, maybe : FARE. By a taxi cab, not from cruising West Hollywood.

17. Fiber-yielding plant : FLAX. So many choices, more waiting.

18. Receiver improvised in WWII foxholes : CRYSTAL SET. Boom, then came this answer with exactly the same number of letters. I knew I was right about this RADIO, but it was not a sound alike and had no T to D, isn't there a rule? Plus if he wanted to be punny he might have tried Comedian Billy's performance.

21. 1990s-2000s TV attorney : MCBEAL. Ally played by Calista Flockhart, Mrs. Indiana Jones. The show had a nice ensemble cast.

23. Acidity nos. : PHS. A clue to balance the grid.

24. Mets' div. : NLE. Ouch, National League East.

25. Cast a spell on : CHARM. Were YOU? (4:29)

26. Some HDTVs : LGS. The brand name, or the size?

28. Floral cluster : POSY. A really nice old fashioned word. Less than a bouquet?

29. [Not a typo] : SIC. This Latin guy is starting to follow me around, thus we should not forget.

30. Self-defense, e.g. : PLEA. The law related clue of the day.

32. "The Soul of a Butterfly" memoirist : ALI. he really did float like a butterfly and sting like a bee and almost killed me at LAX, by accident.

38. Dadaism pioneer : ARP. Now a classic clue.

39. Ramadan ritual : FAST. Every day until sundown.

40. Frat party purchase : KEG. Beer Pong anyone?

43. When Canada Day is : JULY. Hmm, fireworks in July, wonder where they got that idea? Mr. Poole still lives in Canada, I believe. David?

47. Strongroom : VAULT. As opposed to the weakroom where you keep the toilet paper?

49. A Gabor sister : EVA. The Green Acres Merv Griffin sister.

50. Miss Piggy accessory : BOA. She is a snappy dresser. LINK.

52. "Hudson Hawk" actor : AIELLO, great in this weird Bruce Willis film, Willis also has 6 letters, MOVIE.

57. Did wrong by : ILL TREATED. Nice long confusing fill, and mirror for CRYSTAL SET.

58. Comes to the rescue : AIDS.

62. Bolt holder : T-NUT. Right after suit to a TEE.

63. For the missus : HERS.

64. Direction de Marseille à Grenoble : NORD. Our French lesson, guess? Non? North!

65. They often clash : EGOS. Luckily this never happens here at the Corner, speaking of which time to run for home.

Down:

1. Not quite right : OFF. Okay, I can hear what you all are thinking....

2. Indian lentil stew : DAL. No idea of this DISH but snappier than Texas airport. Anyone know any good lentil jokes?

3. Downside : DRAWBACK. Another nice and long fill.

4. More glamorous, as a car : SEXIER. Like this LINK?

5. Picking up in tempo, in mus. : ACCELerate.

6. Ending for ab or ad : SORB. Yes, it really goes both ways.

7. Bucolic poem : IDYL. I never have finished Tennyson's Idylls of the King. I have finished most of

8. ___ Fables : AESOP'S.

9. Math subj. : CALCulus. Remember he is a math guy.

10. Prefix for element #33 : ARSENO. Of or relating to Arsenic, I am sure all the mystery readers knew this one; anyone buying Ace Atkins writing Spenser?

11. Gets a whiff of : SMELLS. Wow a literal clue.

12. "Never Gonna Give You Up" singer Rick : ASTLEY. No idea, and missed the whole Rickrolling FAD.(3:36)

15. Texter's "conversely" : OTOH. On The Other Hand I learned this one.

16. They're fleeting : FADS. Oops, anyway; time is fleeting. (4:03).

20. Piano string vibration control : DAMPER.

21. Roast VIPs : MCS. Master of Ceremonies, the host.

22. Psi preceder : CHI. Learn your Greek alphabet.

26. Directed : LED.

27. Faux pas : GAFFE. Another cool word. Like faux pas, French.

28. Suffix with Water, commercially : PIK. A waterpik pic?

31. Overtake on the track, in a way : LAP. I think this is the month Dale junior breaks through.

32. '50s pres. candidate : AES. Adlai E. Stevenson. My earliest political memories, he was an"egghead" and "divorced." Ucky. Since he and Ike were both bald, I thought they were both eggheads.

33. The Western Dvina flows through it : LATVIA. If you knew this, you did not grow up in the US. I have many clients from Riga, but ...

35. Aye offset : NAY.

36. Scoundrel : RAT. An impressionist's DREAM. (1:00).

37. Staying in the shadows : SKULKING. So many nice long words.

41. Bracket shape : ELL. Oh what the 'ell, they can't all be long.

42. '60s-'70s muscle car : GTO. My eldest brother had a 1968. Gran Turismo Omologato, a Pontiac creation of DeLorean among others.

43. Like most seder celebrants : JEWISH. We had many who were not this year out of our 20+.

44. Heat transfer coefficient, in insulation : U-VALUE. The test is Tuesday.

45. Certain kitchen server : LADLER. The one who wields the ladle?

46. WWII Philippine battleground : BATAAN. Als the site of the beginning of the horrible death march.

48. Fizz up : AERATE. Time to offset that mood with a bubbly clue.

50. Composer Bacharach : BURT. Very prolific WRITER.(3:27).

51. Basie's "___ 'Clock Jump" : ONE'O. We have linked this a few times.

52. Went on to say : ADDED. Yes, that is what I am doing.

54. BWI listings : ETDS. Estimated Times of Departure from Baltimore Washingtom International.

55. "Suffice ___ say..." : IT TO.

56. Immodest look : LEER. Now we are talking...

59. Couple : DUO.

60. MA and PA : STateS, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, the double caps are the recognized form of abbreviation for states now.

Answer grid.

Well good golly Miss Molly, we are done for another Friday. Limonāde714 saying enjoy the spring, play in the pool after you finish this Poole effort.

Thursday, May 3, 2012 Bart Beisner

Theme: Bottom's Up!

17A. Tension-easing activity : ICE BREAKER. "You come here often?"

23A. Music to a collector's ears : MINT CONDITION. C.C. has a few of these baseball cards, I bet.

47A. New Orleans tourist spot : BOURBON STREET. Hahtoolah can tell us all about it!

58A. Starlet's benefactor, perhaps : SUGAR DADDY.

37A. Drink suggested by the starts of 17-, 23-, 47- and 58-Across : JULEP
and

56A. Mixer that completes 37-Across : WATER. (OK, same color as "ice".)

Kentucky Derby is this Saturday, so our constructor is getting us ready by preparing mint juleps for us - they serve over 80,000 of them on race day! This reminds me of one of Don G's puzzles from last year, where he cleverly hid the components of a dry martini in the "mix". I really enjoyed this one, too. Fun fill and clever clues make me want to see more from our constructor.

Marti here, with what I believe is Bart Beisner's debut puzzle. Congratulations! And only a "Q" missing for a pangram. I hope you stop by to tell us what was the germ of this idea, Lt. Col. Beisner! (Update: Our constructor today is now a retired Colonel. Thanks for stopping by!)

ACROSS:

1. River movement : FLOW. Go with it.

5. Your can count on them : ABACI

10. Braff of "Scrubs" : ZACH. This cutie.

14. Cleanse : LAVE

15. Does a scrapbooking task : GLUES

16. Away from the wind : ALEE

19. Breathing organ : GILL

20. In accordance with : PER

21. Road trip respite : INN

22. Triangular architectural feature : GABLE. Really? Triangular?

28. Pursue quietly : STALK. I swear, I only wanted his autograph!

30. IRS business designation : S-CORP. They are untaxed, because this type of corporation passes all profits on to the shareholders, who then must claim them on their individual tax returns.

31. Partner of ciencias : ARTES. Spanish for "Science" and "Art". But you knew that, right?

32. Perfect : UTOPIAN

36. Warsaw ___ : PACT. The Russian response to NATO.

39. Ancient gathering place : STOA. "Stoa" is a covered walkway for public use. Here is the stoa of Attalus in Athens.

41. Fried filled tortilla : CHALUPA. Lucina, do you make these, in addition to your wonderful tamales? Chalupas are named for the canoe-like boats that the Aztecs used to navigate the waters around Tenochitlan (Mexico City).

43. All-out : UTTER

44. Be gaga over : ADORE. Do you adore Lady Gaga?

46. Keystone State team, familiarly : PHILS. Philadelphia Phillies, I assume?

52. Patron saint of girls : AGNES. St Agnes of Rome. The nuns used to pray to her on my behalf...

53. Campaigned : RAN.

54. www address : URL

57. Men's clothing cut : SLIM. Maybe in your younger days, but how about now?

62. Alien-seeking org. : SETI. Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence.

63. Circle : EVADE. "Evade the wagons!" (Doesn't quite sound right, does it?)

64. Thunder sound : PEAL. Who else wanted "clap"???

65. African antelope : ORYX. Hello, there!

67. Start of North Carolina's motto : ESSE...quam videri. ("To be, rather than to seem.")

DOWN:

1. Turn on a griddle : FLIP. flop.

2. Doily material : LACE. C'mon Rich, who wants to look at doily material?

3. Outclass : OVERMATCH. OK, this one was a stretch.

4. "Charlotte's ___" : WEB. Email me if you need an explanation of this one!

5. Cut taker : AGENT

6. White wine cooking liquids : BLANCS. As in Sauvignon blanc. It adds wonderful flavor to many dishes - especially fish.

7. Diving bird : AUK. Sweet!

8. Hook shape : CEE. See?

9. Leb. neighbor : ISR. Lebanon and Israel.

10. Big name in restaurant surveys : ZAGAT

11. Out : ALIBI

12. Yo-Yo Ma's instrument : CELLO. Whoa! I finally get to link music! I hope you find this link as interesting as I did...4:17

13. Abductee of Paris : HELEN. of Troy.

18. Skating venues : RINKS

22. George who famously asked Knute Rockne to "win just one" for him : GIPP.

24. Ellington's "___ Song Go Out of My Heart" : I LET A. More music. 4:13. This one has Ella Fitzgerald singing.

25. Eyepieces : OCULARS

26. Thing to pass in class : NOTE

27. Word with gum or rain : DROP

28. Gullible sort : SAP

29. Gillete's ___ II : TRAC

33. "Tender ___ Night" : IS THE. 1934 F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.

34. Rebellious dispositions : ATTITUDES

35. Wassailer's song : NOEL

37. Olympic sport in which belts are worn : JUDO

38. Second word of many fairy tales : UPON. Once...

40. They're rolled in Spain : ARS. You perro, you!

42. Chocolate critters : LABS. Since we just had Easter, I was thinking of bunnies and chicks...

43. Turn over : UPEND

45. Company with a spokesbaby : E*TRADE. I have no problem with this "E" word - it is a legitimate company logo. Plus, I love the baby commercials! 0:31

47. ___ profundo: low voice : BASSO

48. Obvious flirt : OGLER. "Come here often?"

49. Kwanzaa principle : UNITY. "Umoja""

50. Alternate song recording : REMIX. How about a pop remix? 4:36

51. Less grilled : RARER. That's how I like it!

55. Nutritional figs. : RDAs. Recommended Dietary Allowance(s). But that is an old initialism. Nowadays, it is RDI, or "Recommended Daily Intake".

56. Singer Lovett : LYLE. Country singer. Sorry, no link for this one.

58. Hem, say : SEW. And "haw"?

59. Sch. founded by Jefferson : UVA. University of Virginia.

60. Heater : GAT. Gangsta gun.

61. King Kong, e.g. : APE. And for our final act, here are the Kinks. 3:41

Answer grid.

See you all next week!

Hugs,
Marti

Wednesday, May 2 2012, Steven L. Zisser

theme: well let's not give it away just yet. here are the theme answers (pay attention to the highlighted words):

20A. 2002 DiCaprio/Day-Lewis historical drama : GANGS OF NEW YORK

28A. 1968 Davis/Lawford spy spoof : SALT AND PEPPER

45A. 1940 Grant/Russell comedy : HIS GIRL FRIDAY

did anyone get the theme without the unifier?

55. 1962 Rat Pack remake of "Gunga Din" ... or collectively, the ends of 20-, 28- and 45-Across : SERGEANTS THREE

ohhh, i get it. each of the theme answers are movie titles - and the ending words are names of a famous 'sergeant.'

SERGEANT YORK, according to wikipedia, sgt. alvin york was the most-decorated american soldier of WWI - the 1941 film starred gary cooper. SERGEANT PEPPER, title song of 1967 beatle's album. and SERGEANT FRIDAY, one of the lead characters (played by jack webb) in the original tv series dragnet. "just the facts, ma'am."


across:

1. Skiing need : SNOW. i tried boot first. and 62. 1-Across vehicle : SLED

5. Color Me __: 1990s R&B group : BADD

9. Wait for a light, perhaps : IDLE. we do that a lot in california.

13. Debate choice : TOPIC

15. Hardly __: rarely : EVER

16. French company? : DEUX. cute clue. french for two. and 60. German crowd? : DREI. german for three.

17. __ acid : AMINO

18. Lamebrain : DOPE

19. Behold, to 57-Down : ECCE

23. Ending with stamp : EDE. stampede.

24. U.S.'s Ryder Cup foe : EUR. golf competition between the US and Europe.

25. Letters from Greece : NU'S. 13th letter of the greek alphabet.

26. The past, in the past : ELD. new to me. a word, meaning old age, or olden days.

32. "Me __": "My name is," in Spain : LLAMO

33. Mrs. Gorbachev : RAISA

34. Big Island city : HILO. how many times have we seen hilo hello as a clue? this is rainbow falls in hilo. and 59. Island goose : NENE. hawaii's state bird.

37. Aquarium fish : TETRA

40. Fed. crash site investigator : NTSB. national transportation safety board.

41. Assured way to solve a crossword puzzle : IN INK. for me, an assured way to make many mistakes.

43. Moved, as a dinghy : OARED

49. First National Leaguer with eight consecutive 100-RBI seasons : OTT. mel. one of the players portrayed in the movie field of dreams.

50. Society page word : NEE

51. Pier gp. : ILA. international longshoremens association - maritime workers union.

52. Circle segment : ARC

61. Word after dog or lop : EARED

63. Memo words : IN RE. latin for in the matter of.

64. Franklin heater : STOVE. metal-lined fireplace named after its inventor, benjamin franklin.

65. Frizzy do : AFRO

66. General __ chicken : TSO'S

67. Members of the flock : EWES

down:

1. Put on : STAGE

2. Wanderer : NOMAD

3. Adds one's two cents : OPINES

4. Chicken snack : WING

5. A headboard is part of it : BED FRAME. i guess so.

6. Noted bell ringer : AVON. ding-dong, avon calling.

7. Rely : DEPEND

8. Drafted : DREW UP

9. Prefix with graphic or logical : IDEO. ideological.

10. Dilapidated : DECREPIT. it just sounds painful.

11. Like Vegas losers, so they say : LUCKLESS

12. Program file suffix : EXE. computer speak.

14. Sportscaster who wrote "I Never Played the Game" : COSELL. howard.

21. Lash __: attack verbally : OUT AT

22. Belgian river : YSER. could not find a good visual, but wiki says it originates "in the north of France, enters Belgium and flows into the North Sea at the town of Nieuwpoort."

27. Not at all colorful : DRAB

29. As a companion : ALONG. along for the ride.

30. __ this world: alien : NOT OF

31. Bamboo lover : PANDA

34. Onetime Ritz competitor : HI HO

35. Per se : IN ITSELF

36. SiriusXM subscriber, say : LISTENER

38. Once-in-a-blue-moon events : RARITIES. anyone else think of this?

39. Seed covers : ARILS

42. High card : KING

44. Online connections? : E-DATES. rarely satisfying.

46. Change further, as text : RE-EDIT

47. Gets the lesson : LEARNS

48. Peter of Peter, Paul & Mary : YARROW

53. Christopher who played Superman : REEVE. also in a lesser-known, hilarious movie, noises off.

54. Gives up : CEDES

56. Take from the top : RE-DO

57. Fabled fiddler : NERO

58. Can't stand : HATE

59. Secretive org. : NSA. national security agency.

Answer grid.

melissa

Tuesday, May 1, 2012 Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: What has many eyes but cannot see? - No, not Mississippi but good guess. Today we are looking for POTATO and five words that may precede(HEAD) it just as they do in their individual phrases.

17A. *Steady, unobtrusive background sound : WHITE NOISE. White potato.

24A. *Highly charged, as a topic : HOT BUTTON. Hot potato: an awkward or delicate matter.

31A. *Sleeper sofa : COUCH BED. Couch potato: subject of many TV ads.

44A. *Nouveau riche : NEW MONEY. New potato: a young potato of any variety.

50A. *Especially favorable agreement : SWEET DEAL. Sweet potato, a favorite at holidays. Are sweet potato fries common in your area?

62A. Mr. who debuted 5/1/1952, or in a way, what the first word of the answers to starred clues can be : POTATO HEAD. Also, a star in the Toy Story movies.

Argyle here with a semi-tough Tuesday offering from the Dynamic Duo. Only 13 three-letter entries and no cheater squares. Two long descenders and some old and some new fill. Yes, there are more potato phrases but they can't all be mentioned ... in the puzzle but can be in the comments. Try not to duplicate someone else's suggestion.

Across:

1. Short trips : HOPS. I know that isn't the way HOPS would be clued by some of you.

5. Daylong march : ETAPE. Hello, old friend.

10. Baseball cards unit : PACK

14. Swiss river : AARE

15. Stereotypical dog name : ROVER

16. __ Bator, Mongolia : ULAN

19. Pixar fish : NEMO

20. "Roots" hero __ Kinte : KUNTA

21. China's Mao __-tung : TSE

22. Gap rival : J.CREW

23. The Blue Jays, on scoreboards : TOR. (Toronto)

26. Bustle of activity : ADO

28. Kids' touching game : TAG

30. Automaker with a four-ring logo : AUDI

34. Soothing words : SOLACE

38. Bk. before Job : ESTH.

39. Slow-moving tree-hanging animal : SLOTH

41. Fingered, as a perp : ID'ed

42. Arnaz-Ball studio : DESILU

46. Feudal slave : SERF

48. Chou En-__ : LAI

49. Intractable beast : ASS

54. Dallas sch. : SMU. (Southern Methodist University)

56. Shopping meccas : MALLS

57. D-Day craft : LST. (Landing Ship, Tank)

58. They're often cluttered in offices : DESKS

61. Entr'__ : ACTE. French, means "between the acts".

64. Hershey's toffee bar : SKOR

65. __ Gay: WWII plane : ENOLA

66. "See ya" : "TA TA"

67. Sugar pies : HONs. Not pastry but words you might call your sweetie.

68. Heat-resistant glassware : PYREX. For baking your potato casseroles.

69. Out of control : AMOK

Down:

1. Taloned bird : HAWK. Cornell red-tailed hawk cam.

2. Pacific island on which much of "Lost" was filmed : OAHU

3. Hard copies : PRINTOUTS

4. Contentious confrontation : SET-TO

5. Directional ending : ERN

6. Dental whitening agent : TOOTH GEL

7. French order-carrying craft : AVISO. Another old friend.

8. Former coin of Spain : PESETA. 70 pesetas = 1 U.S. dollar, circa 1970.

9. Cockney's "in this place" : 'ERE

10. Strict observance of formalities : PUNCTILIO. based in Latin.

11. Warning : ALERT

12. Brief acting role : CAMEO

13. Familiar : KNOWN

18. Only planet with exactly one moon : EARTH

22. Sensei's teaching : JUDO

25. Baloney : BUSHWA. It has been around since the Twenties.

26. Scored a hole-in-one on : ACED

27. Unit of reality? : DOSE. A dose of reality, a wake-up call.

29. Silly : ABSURD

32. Con men : CHISELERS. From back in the day when coins were made of precious metal. This took me WAY too long to find. Link.

33. King of the ring : DON. (boxing promoter) Cute clue.

35. On and on and on and ... : AD NAUSEAM

36. Average marks : CEE's

37. Ice cream brand : EDY'S

40. Revealing, like the heart in a Poe title : TELL-TALE

43. "We're in!" : "LET'S!". You might think of this as responses from in a group to a suggestion to go for pizza.

45. Mess up : MISDO

47. More than a misdemeanor : FELONY

50. Hard tennis shot : SMASH

51. Screwball : WACKO

52. "Your Song" singer John : ELTON

53. Fur tycoon : ASTOR

55. Zubin with a baton : MEHTA. Something to get your blood going 'Carmen' Overture.(3:34)

59. Green Hornet's sidekick : KATO. From the comic, movies, radio and TV show. In the television series he was portrayed by Bruce Lee.

60. State west of Minn. : S. DAK.

62. Get-up-and-go : PEP

63. Income __ : TAX

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C. & Don:

Don came up with this theme. We originally had KANYE WEST for 35D, but it resulted in a few weak entries. I learned not to get attached to any entry from constructing this puzzle.

Monday, April 30, 2012 Kevin Christian

Theme: Three Italians - An adjective for three Italian cities begin these phrases.

20A. Christian led by the Pope : ROMAN CATHOLIC. Rome

39A. Equine that originated in Italy's Campania region : NEAPOLITAN HORSE. Naples (Wikipedia - Neapolitan horse).

55A. Slatted window treatment : VENETIAN BLIND. Venice.

Argyle here. I am not sure of the intent of the theme today. Based on three Italian cities, Venice in northern Italy, Rome in the middle and Naples in the south, but not presented that way in the grid. Any ideas? Love to hear them.

Across:

1. Ginger cookies : SNAPS

6. Take down __: humble : A PEG

10. 1040, for example : FORM

14. Stand-up in a club : COMIC

15. Close by : NEAR

16. Ireland's best-selling solo artist : ENYA. SailAway.(4:28)

17. Plentiful : AMPLE

18. __ Bell : TACO

19. Sinister look : LEER

23. Passionate : FIERY

24. "Amadeus" subject : MOZART. Amadeus Trailer.(2:24)

27. Paper with NYSE news : WSJ. (New York Stock Exchange / Wall Street Journal)

30. 300, to Caesar : CCC

31. Federal agency support org. : GSA

32. Michele of "Glee" : LEA.

33. Lotion ingredient : ALOE

35. Road for Caesar : ITER

37. Brook or lake fish : TROUT

42. Iraqi currency : DINAR

43. "Pleeeeeease?" : "CAN I?"

44. Wedding cake level : TIER

45. Part of USDA: Abbr. : AGR. (agriculture)

46. RR depot : STA

48. Big name in kitchen gadgets : OXO. Mid-range prices. (OK, desper-otto?)

50. Harris and McMahon : EDs

51. 1862 Tennessee battle site : SHILOH. Also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing. Map.

53. Dolly the sheep, e.g. : CLONE

60. Tiny dog biter : FLEA. My first thought was of those little ankle biters.

62. Balkan native : SERB

63. Eagle's dwelling : AERIE. Can we get an update?

64. Nerd : DORK

65. Machu Picchu resident : INCA

66. Boa or mamba : SNAKE

67. Like an optimist's point of view : ROSY

68. Big Dipper component : STAR

69. Facilitated : EASED

Down:

1. Capone facial mark : SCAR

2. Pitcher Hideo : NOMO. Hideo Nomo was the first Japanese-born Japanese major leaguer to permanently relocate to MLB when he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995.

3. Clock radio letters : AM/PM. Ha! I was looking for the switch from AM/FM this time.

4. Seasoned rice dish : PILAF

5. Like many postcard photos : SCENIC

6. Continent with penguins : ANTARCTICA

7. Like bogs : PEATY. And some single malts, eh Tinbeni?

8. Apiece : EACH

9. Cleans and brushes, as a horse : GROOMS

10. __ Navidad : FELIZ. (Merry Christmas) Written and sung by José Feliciano in 1970.

11. Diet soda claim : ONE CALORIE

12. Deli bread choice : RYE

13. Fold, spindle or mutilate : MAR

21. Director DeMille : CECIL. Are you ready for your close-up?

22. Disinclined : LOATH

25. Acted in an environmentally conscious way : REUSED. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

26. Spuds : TATERS

27. Comedian Sykes and a fish : WANDAs. The movie, "A Fish Called Wanda" came out in 1988. Cleanest clip I could find for Sykes.

28. "... in a one-horse open __" : SLEIGH

29. "Can We Talk?" comedienne : JOAN RIVERS

31. Nature Valley snack : GRANOLA BAR

34. Govt. antipollution org. : EPA

36. Inbound flight approx. : ETA

38. Decay : ROT

40. Welles of "Citizen Kane" : ORSON

41. Watergate president : NIXON

47. Grad student's paper : THESIS

49. Having just hit a double, say : ON BASE. Not the daily kind.

52. Like a faulty pipe : LEAKY

53. Approximately, in dates : CIRCA

54. Supreme Court justice Kagan : ELENA

56. Camping gear : TENT

57. Some nest eggs, briefly : IRA's

58. Swoosh logo company : NIKE

59. Accomplishment : DEED

60. WWII leader : FDR

61. Brit's bathroom : LOO

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday April 29, 2012 Alan Arbesfeld

Theme: Amazing! - Each 3-word theme entry start with WOW.

23A. Steal : WALK OFF WITH

29A. Wouk work, with "The" : WINDS OF WAR.

35A. 2000 Sean Penn film, with "The" : WEIGHT OF WATER. Generally I'm not a fan of dropping articles for theme needs. But both "The" are dropped here. Quite consistent.

59A. Have a drink : WET ONE'S WHISTLE

80A. Last book in Robertson Davies' "Deptford Trilogy" : WORLD OF WONDERS

99A. Sage advice : WORDS OF WISDOM

106A. Laurel and Hardy film set in Brushwood Gulch : WAY OUT WEST

118A. '30s show tune that became a 1960 Dion and the Belmonts hit : WHERE OR WHEN. Not familiar with the song. Waiting for Argyle to link.

So four OFs in the middle, the other O's are different. I like the variety.

Have not seen Alan Arbesfeld's by line since Dec 2009. Excited to have the chance solving and discussing his puzzle. He is a veteran constructor and has been a regular contributor to the NY Times.

Only 67 black squares in this grid, and no cheater! Lots of nice fill today.

Across:

1. Colorful talker : MACAW

6. Hair net : SNOOD. This is similar to the one my Grandma used to wear.

11. Thai currency : BAHT. No plural form in Thai language. But "Bahts" seem to be in common use here.

15. Legal opening? : PARA. Paralegal.

19. Prominent period : EPOCH

20. New Mexico county whose seat is Alamogordo : OTERO. Sounds like Spanish. What does it mean?

21. Buck chaser? : AROO. Buckaroo.

22. Elliptical : OVAL

25. Shows no restraint : LETS LOOSE

27. Hit sign : SRO (Standing Room Only)

28. Work out an agreement : SETTLE

30. Honorary Muslim title in old India : NAWAB. I only know Nabob.

32. Fed. auditing agency : GAO

34. Crib sheet users : TOTS. I was thinking of cheat sheet.

40. Spoils : GOES BAD

45. WWII Italian beachhead : ANZIO. You did not think of OMAHA?

46. Waterfront org. : ILA (International Longshoremen's Association)

47. It's gone in less than a flash: Abbr. : NSEC (Nanosecond)

49. Go for an ace, maybe : SERVE

50. Corporate honcho : SUIT

51. King in "The Tempest" : ALONSO

53. Bilko and Klinger, e.g.: Abbr. : NCOs

56. "The Namesake" director Mira : NAIR. Excited about this new clue. She also directed "Amelia". She's an Indian.

57. Busy, design-wise : ORNATE

62. Blowup source, briefly : NEG (Negative). Photos.

63. Shield border, in heraldry : ORLE. Troublesome word for me. I can never remember it.

65. Germany, to Meg Ryan: Abbr. : ANAG (Anagram). Tricky clue.

66. Conference clip-on : NAME TAG

67. Defended : STOOD BY. Stand by Your Man.

69. Nailed down : SECURED

71. "It's my fervent wish!" : I HOPE SO. Splynter will need lots of luck in Las Vegas.

74. French monarchs : ROIs

76. Dr. visit : APPT

77. "Cheers" bartender : SAM

83. Mexican man, say : LATINO

85. Summer treat : ICEE

86. Whim : LARK. Made me think of CrossEyedDave, who's full of whimsical ideas, as you can see from his fun & creative links.

87. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer David : CROSBY

89. Had too much : OD'ED

90. Sole protectors : SHOES

92. Said three times, a story shortener : YADA. "Seinfeld".

94. Sudden death cause : TIE

95. Last word in doughnuts : KREME. Krispy Kreme.

96. Self-important boss, facetiously : HIS NIBS. Is there a "Her nibs"?

102. Aid factor : NEED

104. Sun Valley loc. : IDA (Idaho)

105. Parts of some area calculations : RADII

111. They take things in stride : STOICS. Most East Asians are.

114. Go downhill, in a way : SKI

117. Basically : IN ESSENCE

120. Fictitious : TALL. Tall tales.

121. Time co-founder : LUCE (Henry)

122. Board : GET IN

123. Topple : UPEND

124. 1944 Normandy battle site : ST. LO. So is CAEN.

125. Unwanted messages : SPAM

126. Prevailing tendency : TREND. This eye make-up is very trendy, black eyeliner on the upper lid and a little wing tip around eye corner. I'm thinking only LaLaLinda will notice it.

127. Giving lip : SASSY

Down:

1. Cat calls : MEWS

2. On __ with : A PAR

3. Empire-building activity : COLONIZING

4. "Eew!" kin : ACK

5. A-list : WHO'S WHO

6. Cook for three minutes, say : SOFT BOIL. Do you like soft boiled eggs? .

7. Abbr. on many a can : NT WT

8. Eye, in Versailles : OEIL. Irrational spelling.

9. Maker of Taco Kits : ORTEGA. I've never had tacos.

10. "How stupid of me!" : D'OH!

11. Indonesian island on its own sea : BALI. I bet Dennis wants a "Bra brand" clue since he's an expert in the field. Lovely color, isn't it?


12. Isn't for couples? : AREN'T. Cute clue.

13. Show off : HOTDOG

14. Have an easy catch with : TOSS TO

15. Disappearing word : POOF

16. Declare : AVOW

17. Tabula __ : RASA

18. Tiger, e.g., briefly : AL-ER (American Leaguer). Detroit Tigers, for Jazzbumpa & Linda's husband, though I doubt they use AL-ER.

24. Something to be proud of : FEAT

26. Fails to prevail : LOSES

29. Troubles : WOES

31. Bad gut feeling : AGITA

33. When a memorable movie gunfight occurs : AT NOON. "High Noon".

35. Aired, as a TV show : WAS ON

36. Harden : ENURE

37. Ran smoothly : FLOWED

38. Dwindle : WANE

39. Break a promise : RENEGE

41. Had a feeling : SENSED

42. Benjamin of "Law & Order" : BRATT. Curtis! Who's the coolest TV cop? To me, it's Bobby Simone of "NYPD Blue".

43. Walled Spanish city : AVILA

44. Easing of govt. restrictions : DE-REG

48. IV amts. : CCs

51. Spray : AEROSOL

52. Extend one's visit : STAY ON

54. Confess : OWN UP. So, Bill's crush is Sofia Vergara. Mine is Daniel Craig. How about yours?

55. How rebukes are administered : SHARPLY

58. Schlepped : TOTED

60. Sadat's predecessor : NASSER

61. "__ man who wasn't there ..." : I MET A. What's the poem about? I read a few lines. Sounds creepy.

64. Bath scrubber : LOOFA

67. Anger : SPLEEN

68. Rather rival : BROKAW (Tom)

70. Othello's lieutenant : CASSIO

71. "If only!" : I WISH

72. __ Minh City : HO CHI. Saigon.

73. Hydrox rivals, once : OREOs

75. Driver's license, often : ID CARD

77. Fries and slaw : SIDE DISHES

78. Prefix with meter : ANEMO. meaning "wind".

79. Computer accessory : MODEM

81. Like some humor : WRY

82. Spoils : ROTS

84. Sculptors' subjects : TORSI. Plural of torso.

88. Get close to : BEFRIEND

91. One may get congested : SINUS

93. "Go ahead!" : DO IT

95. Former children's clothing chain : KIDS R US. Was it related to Toys "R" Us?

97. Chewable Asian leaves : BETELS

98. Clinched : SEWN UP

100. Reindeer name : DASHER

101. Baylor University site : WACO

103. "Rock Around the Clock" label : DECCA

106. Mental faculties : WITS

107. Gray area?: Abbr. : ANAT (Anatomy). "Gray's Anatomy" (Henry Gray). The TV series "Grey's Anatomy" is a play on word on former.

108. Whoop it up : YELL

109. Munch Museum city : OSLO

110. Appear to be : SEEM

112. Nice bean? : TETE. Again, Nice the French city.

113. Online __ print : OR IN. Drew a blank.

115. Guy dolls : KENS

116. Fedora-wearing adventurer, familiarly : INDY. Oh, Indiana Jones.

118. Driver's lic. stat : WGT. OK to lie a little.

119. FDR program : WPA. Works Project Administration.

Answer grid.

Happy 18th Wedding Anniversary to Ron Worden!

C.C.