Saturday, May 12th, 2012, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silk

Words: 72

Blocks: 30

I guessed it this time~!! A great construction with little "clunky" fill - those answers that are so VAGUE (see 53A.) that you get that "ugh" feeling when you solve them some Saturdays. Lots of "A" names and food as well - see the *starred* clues/answers. Two 11-letter climbers today:

11D. D.C. monument that includes a dog : FDR MEMORIAL - Image - we often see "Fala" in puzzles - well, there he is~!!

22D. Film in which Agnes Moorehead debuted as the title character's mother : CITIZEN KANE - did not see this classic movie, but I had enough across to suss this one

Triple stacks of 9's, and two 'stand alone' 9-letter answers worth a mention;

29A. Clue outlets : TOY STORES - now, I was on Mr. Silk's wavelength here, since I was thinking about the board game with its secret passages diagonally across the 'mansion' - not the right "outlet", but....

36A. Four-time Grammy-winning R&B group : BOYZ II MEN - Great letter COMBO, and since this group was a contemporary of the stuff I grew up with, I nailed it, once I solved the "Z"

And Onward~!!

ACROSS:

1. Group of cats : JAZZ COMBO - And I thought we were going to get "clowder" here (or even destruction)- "cool, daddy-o, cool"

10. B's equivalent : C FLAT - a musical rarity, but I screwed up and thought it said B- (B minus), so I started with "C-plus", which strangely gave me the "L" for LOAMY, and so....

15. Mr. Wickfield's clerk : URIAH HEEP - common in CW, but not the whole name

16. They can make you hungry : ODORS

17. Mild : TEMPERATE

18. Grouch : CRANK - not Oscar~!

19. ID issuer : SSA - Social Security Administration - I need a new card - my paper one is showing its age big time.

20. Judge : RATE

21. 1960s-'70s outfielder *Agee : TOMMIE - I defer to our baseball fan C.C. (Center fielder of the "Miracle Mets". Also AL Rookie of the Year 1966.)

22. Application datum : CITY

23.* Sweetened, in a way : HONEYED

24. HBO title agent whose name includes dollar signs in the show's logo : *ARLISS - the Wiki

27. Jazz pianist inspired by Waller : TATUM - more Wiki for those who need more

28. Wasteland : HEATH

33. "__ Love Her" : AND I

34. Forecast word : WINDY

35. Exceptional : RARE

38. Language that gives us "pundit" : HINDI

39. Broke off : ENDED

40.* Part of a product name chosen because it sounds Scandinavian : HÄAGEN - as in Dazs, the ice cream

41. Sunburn-related meas. : U.V. INDEX

44. Cyan relative : TEAL

45. Disgust : SICKEN

46. Recipe direction : SEAR

47. Plant activity: Abbr. : MFG - I suppose it could be 'both' types of plant - the factory, and the organism that can be found ManuFacturinG oxygen....

50. Place with crests : OCEAN - waves

51. Some free downloads : SHAREWARE - I tried PHONE APPS, which gave me the "H" for SHAH; oh, the misdirection....

53. Hard to make out : FAINT - not VAGUE

54. Crystal clear : EASY TO SEE

55. Baseball's Angels owner Moreno et al. : *ARTES - C.C., anything to add~?? (C.C.: Wow, had no idea who owns the Angels. Wiki said he's he first Hispanic to own a major sports team in the US. And he changed Anaheim Angels to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.)

56.* Kraft spread : CHEEZ WHIZ

DOWN:

1. Protrudes : JUTS

2. War deity : *ARES

3.* MillerCoors malt beverage : ZIMA - seen this before on Saturday

4. Stun : ZAP

5. Remember fondly : CHERISH

6. "Nuts!" : "OH RATS~!"

7.* Like some spaghetti sauces : MEATY

8. __ de somme: beast of burden : BETE

9. "... thus wide I'll __ my arms": "Hamlet" : OPE

10.* Indonesian export : COCONUT

12. Like fertile soil : LOAMY

13. Contemporary of Jack and Gary : *ARNIE - Golfers, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer

14. Showed disapproval : TSKed

21. Hotsy-__ : TOTSY - Urban dictionary - this is my idea of "hotsy-totsy"; can a man be "hotsy-totsy, ladies?

23. Mozart contemporary : HAYDN - another great letter combo

24. Pequod skipper : *AHAB

25. City at the foot of the Sierra Nevada : RENO - map, on the left - I hope I can visit from my new home soon~!

26. Jane Grey's title : LADY

27. Fit : TONED

29. Ironman watch maker : TIMEX - funny, 5-letter brand could also be ROLEX, SEIKO, BRERA, FENDI, GUCCI, CASIO




30. Jingled : RANG

31. Earth, to Freud : ERDE

32. "__Language": 1993 best-seller : SEIN - Jerry Seinfeld

34. Add a lane to, say : WIDEN

37. Moves to the right, usually : INDENTS - nothing political, just the "tab" key

38. Israel's oldest daily newspaper : HAARETZ - here is the online version

40. Court call : HEAR YE, hear ye

41. D.C.'s locale, familiarly : U.S. OF A.

42. Parish priest : VICAR

43. Nail down the deal : ICE IT

44. Bait : TEASE

46. Old Mideast ruler : SHAH

47.* Squish : MASH - like potatoes - right~?

48. Emancipated, in Essen : FREI

49. "Yikes!" : GEEZ and a straight clecho at 52A.

51. Short time? : SECond

52. "Yikes!" : WOW

Oh, and here's your "Q"



Answer grid.

Splynter

Friday, May 11, Thomas Takaro

Theme: It's FFriday not TThursday! Each of the four theme answers are Expressions in which "TT" is replaced by "FF." The classic letter transposition but two for the price of one. The reveal at the end is there just in case. This is our second puzzle from Mr. Takaro, and it is filled with lots of new clue/fill and an amusing bunch of phrases. We have last seen him in February, 2011 and he is my fifth puzzler to have his first LAT 2012 fall on Friday. Let's see:

20A. Legume polisher? : PEANUT BUFFER (BUTTER). First you have to recall peanuts are not nuts. My mind went to a bad place with Mr. Peanut and his fluffer, made my heart flutter.

28A. Singer Al after a jog? : PUFFING (PUTTING) GREEN. More golf and the singer famous for Let's Stay Together.

48A. Reptiles won at fundraisers? : RAFFLE (RATTLE) SNAKES. My Favorite visual, " Imagine Jack's surprise when he got home and opened his prize..."

56A. Cubicle reorganization? : SPACE SHUFFLE (SHUTTLE). And the hint:

70A. Punching tool ... or, read differently, a hint to 20-, 28-, 48- and 56-Across : F IS T. Parsing the word is key to the key. My problem with this as the hint is there are many "T"s in the puzzle and only the double ones become F.

Across:

1. Losing casino roll : CRAP. Well drat, I guess I picked the wrong week to give up cursing!

5. Motorola's Droid __ phone : RAZR. The latest version of Motorola's signature phone.

9. Smart way to think? : TWICE. Or not if you believe this SONG.(3:00)

14. Probate determination : HEIR. Our law clue out of the way.

15. Case for tiny scissors : ETUI. We have had this word a few time already for this decorative case or box.

16. Time to strike : H-HOUR. Not familiar with this term, but it makes sense, D-Day, H-Hour.

17."Guess the joke's __" : ON ME. Every Friday, like clockwork.

18. Rory McIlroy's game : GOLF. Golf's number 1, for now. He had an okay day Thursday.

19. Lightens : EASES. Like loads.

23. Play matchmaker for : SET UP. Are any of our couples the product of a set up? Not me, ever.

24. "Mad Men" revenue : AD FEES. The award winning AMC SHOW.(0:59).

33. Prefix with gram : ANAgram. A true CW puzzle delight. Mr. TAKARO is A RAT, OK?

36. City known for its cheese : PARMA. HOW TO.(5:11)

37. Country rocker Steve : EARLE. No clue, he sings is all I know and appeared on 30 Rock.

38. Matter of opinion : POLL. An appropriate clue in this election year.

40. Powerfully built : BEEFY. Ladies?

42. Level : TIER. There, there dear; I know we did not get good seats but don't cry.

43. First sign, astrologically : ARIES. Really? Jeannie who has a birthday Sunday is an Aries I think. HBDTY.

45. She played Addie in "Paper Moon" : TATUM. Ryan's little girl and McEnroe's ex.

47. Advance teaching deg. : EDD. Better than Kookie Byrnes?

51. Where to take it from? : THE TOP. No, we are not going back to 1A, we march on!

52. Civil rights org. : NAACP. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; isn't CP very un-PC?

61. Expand, as a compressed file : UNZIP. Carol, Lois, Jeannie; where are you when the puzzle calls your banes?

64. Mélange : OLIO. A very useful word and easier to spell than miscellany. Reminds me of OLEO, MARGARINE and BUTTER, a melange à trois.

65. Logic lesson verb : ERAT. I get it already, QED!

66. Soft leather : SUEDE.

67. Plasma bits : IONS. I cannot get the link to stay, but it is physics and both interesting and a little gross.

68. Variable quantity : SOME. Not too many, not too few.

69. Didn't go on : ENDED. Yes, the acrosses did not go on...

71. Sugar and spice amts. : TSPS. and everything nice, right ladies?

DOWN:

1. Preps for the chef, say : CHOPS. I love when someone chops the veggies when I cook.

2. Soprano Fleming : RENEE. Not your typical Opera STAR.

3. Go for : AIM AT. A nice naddorish two word answer, tricky to suss.

4. Celeb wedding feature, often : PRE-NUPtial. Is it love or is it money? More reason to not do domestic cases.

5. U.S. Army unit : REGimenT.

6. Minimal step : A TO B. Followed immediately by:

7. Phonetic alphabet ender : ZULU. Along with, 63D: Down-under 10-point game tile : ZED.

8. 9-Down solo : RIFF. 100 greatest? LINK.

9. U2 guitarist : THE EDGE. At WORK (1:23) riffing.

10. Dock pest : WHARF RAT. Do you like The Grateful Dead or this sculpture?

11. Island in the Aegean : IOS. This is one of the Cyclades, which is the island chain where my oldest worked a dig one summer.

12. Prompt : CUE. Showbiz, here we are.

13. EMS destinations : ERS. Emergecny Room (s).

21. "__ and away!" : UP UP. Many a broadcaster uses this when calling a home run (baseball for you sports haters).

22. Smoke, slangily : FAG. was the popular term when I first smoked in the 60's. We got the term from the British, right Steve? Nice Cuppa? Not to be confused with 29D. "Neato!" : FAB.

25. Weird : EERIE. Followed by another EE favorite...

26. Fished with pots : EELED.

27. Bergen dummy : SNERD. MORTIMER. (1:50) Candice Bergen's dad and one her "brother's."

30. Wrings one's hands, say : FRETS. Do not fret dear, I will buy you a guitar.

31. "Let me try that again ..." : I MEAN. What I am trying to say...

32. Three-nation pact of the '90s : NAFTA. North American Free Trade Agreement, US, Canada and Mexico.

33. Estranged : APART. my wife and I are...

34. "Don't Know Why" singer Jones : NORAH. Special talent, daughter of Ravi Shankar, Mr. Sitar, but much prettier to look at and LISTEN TO. (3:59).

35. Biography subtitle : A LIFE.

39. Sailor's port : LEFT SIDE. Yay!

41. Laugh syllable : YUK. This is an actual dictionary word, yuk yuk.

44. Fed, in a way : SLOPPED. Soo eee, pig pig pig.

46. Bistro window posting : MENU. More and more have no prices in the window.

49. Clean Air Act org. : EPA. Environmental Protection Agency.

50. Alarmed to the max : SAFEST. I was thinking of being alarmed...

53. Puffy dos : AFROS. and Puffy don'ts LINK

54. Workshop tool : CLAMP.

55. "__ Dragon": 1977 Disney film : PETE'S. LINK. (4:42) 35 years already, wow.

57. Hair affair : COIF. Time for rhyme.

58. Sci-fi race : ELOI. No Yvette today.

59. Wrongs : SINS, Getting all religious, with a very nicely clued 62D. One in an order : NUN.

60. Run the show : HOST. Today you are all my guests at C.C.'s Corner.

61. Make the most of : USE. Hopefully I made the most of this Friday frolic, and you are all filled with fun. It all went too quickly, another case of premature elucidation, I am afraid. Until next time your man Friday...

Answer grid.

λεμονάδα επτακόσιες δεκατέσσερις. Hint λ is a lambda.

Lemonade

Notes from C.C.:

1) Huge congratulations to Mangesh Ghogre & Todd Gross for their Wall Street Journal debut today. Mangesh is an investment banker. He said having a puzzle published by WSJ is "incredible moment for me". You can go to Cruciverb and click/solve the puzzle on the right sidebar.

3) Mangesh is also featured in this week's edition of Open. Read here.

Thursday, May 10, 2012 Pancho Harrison

Theme: "I crabbed about it, but wasn't cowed, fished my way around, and finally got it done...(I kid you not!)" Animals used as verbs, told in a cute sports short story.

20A. I ___ him about never playing Ping-Pong with me... : HOUNDED. "Dogged" is also a word similar to hounded, meaning persistently followed. From the German "hund", for "dog".

22A. I ___ over my string of victories at the rec center... : CROWED. Crows are raucous birds, and tend to make a lot of noise over their accomplishments.

29A. I always thought he'd ___ out on me in fear... : WEASELED. Weasels are very agile, and can slip in and out of tiny nooks and crannies, thus avoiding their predators.

46A. So I ___ him into a game. What a mistake! : BADGERED. Badgers are known to dig ferociously. Very persistent animals!

55A. I ___ to avoid his smashes, and I couldn't touch his serve... : DUCKED. From the Old English dūce or, "diver".

56A. In the end, the score was 21-0. I got ___! : SKUNKED. Did you ever try to win a battle with a skunk? Nope, didn't think so! So when you get skunked, you lose big -- almost, as if you didn't even try!

Marti here, to explain the rest of the entries in this fun puzzle from one of our regular constructors.

Across:

1. Covent Garden numbers : ARIAS. Covent Garden is a popular shopping and tourist area associated with The Royal Opera House, which is also known as "Covent Garden".

6. Drainage areas : SUMPS

11. Documentarian Burns : KEN. Winner of both Academy Awards and Emmys for his documentaries. Here is a glimpse at one of his latest films.

14. Common billing cycle : MONTH

15. '90s FBI head : FREEH. This guy. And yep, that's really how to spell his name!

16. Seine sight : ILE

17. Metal giant : ALCOA

18. Initial strategy : PLAN A. For my retirement, I am about as far as Plan Y right now...(Anyone have a tip on a good scratch ticket?)

19. Spanish root word? : OLE. HaHa, funny punny clue. "Root", meaning to cheer for.

24. Persian greeting : MEOW. Persian cat, that is.

25. Sudden insight : EPIPHANY. I had an epiphany when I finally sussed this answer!

27. Collar : NAB

31. Appian Way, e.g. : ITER. Latin for "road"

33. WWII transports : LSTS. Landing Ship, Tank(s)

34. Make even shorter, in a way : REHEM. In H.S., us girls would always have a needle and thread in our purse, so that we could "re-hem" our skirts as soon as our parents dropped us off at the bus stop.

38. Zilch : NONE. Hey, doesn't this clue / ans. belong in yesterday's blog?

39. Exams for future attys. : LSATS. Law School Admission Test(s)

41. Golfer Isao : AOKI. If you don't know this one by now, file it away: THIS INSTANT!

42. Cortés subject : AZTEC

44. Fla.-to-Cal. highway : I-TEN. Map, in pink. I have driven I-40 across the country, but never took I-10. Anyone else?

45. "The Man Who Fell to Earth" director : ROEG. Nicolas. He also directed "Walkabout" and "Don't look Now".

49. Ltr. afterthoughts : PSs. Post-Script(s). in letters.

50. Unsuccessful contenders : ALSO-RANS

53. Warring Olympian : ARES. I thought "Thor" at first.

59. Hosp. area : ICU

60. Sovereign decree : EDICT

63. Initiative : DRIVE

64. Globe : ORB

65. Chute material : NYLON. Did anyone else think of the playground slide, and "steel"?

66. "The Elements of Bridge" author : GOREN.

67. ___ salt : SEA. I use Maldon Sea Salt all the time. But I save the "Fleur de sel" (flower of salt) for the most delicate dishes.

68. Lathers : SOAPS

69. Log line : ENTRY. Also, "blog line"!

Down:

1. Asian pram pusher : AMAH

2. Chewy candy brand : ROLO. Caramel and milk chocolate in the US, but dark chocolate in the UK. Why the difference?

3. One trying to keep her seat, maybe : INCUMBENT. Oh gosh, I can't tell you where my mind was going with this one. Are we in a movie theater? A bus? A bar? A restroom?

4. Make amends : ATONE

5. Tail : SHADOW. Or, "hound"?

6. Calif. force : SFPD. Not LAPD...the San Francisco Police Department.

7. Link letters : URL

8. Give-minute link : ME A...ummm, I have to think about this for a min--OH! I got it now!

9. Low-tech recording device : PENCIL. I roared over this one when it appeared. Clever clue!

10. Less dull : SHARPER. Like my low-tech recording device?

11. Oklahoma tribe : KIOWA. With 12,000 members currently.

12. Page of "Juno" : ELLEN. I just think she is so adorable! (Great movie too, BTW.)

13. Hard up : NEEDY

21. "State Fair" actor, 1962 : EWELL. Oh, c'mon. You know this guy, right? (He's the one on the right.) 1:26

23. "Heavens to Murgatroyd!" : OH DEAR. Oh dear, I just loved this clue!

25. Big properties : ESTATES

26. Annoy : PESTER. "Badger" fits, too.

27. Singer Simeone : NINA. "The High Priestess of Soul." Her smash hit of 1958 was this song from "Porgy and Bess". 4:09

28. The whole enchilada : A TO Z. "atoz" always looks so weird in the grid, doesn't it?

30. Give out, as roles : ASSIGN

32. Maker of Ex-O-Fit athletic shoes : REEBOK. I"ll take the red ones, please!

35. Dress that makes a slow dance difficult : HOOP SKIRT. But the polka is no prob! 2:16

36. Scratches (out) : EKES

37. Russian fighters : MIGS. Did you know, that the name is from the founders: Mikoyan and Gurevich? Now, it is called "Mikoyan."

40. Gridiron maneuver : SNEAK. Or, "weasel" your way past the defense?

43. Corners recklessly : CAREENS.

47. Beatnik's bro : DADDY-O. I had "daddio" at first. Arrgh!

48. Lowly worker : DRUDGE. Really? I think his reports are top-shelf!

50. "Later, Luis!" : ADIOS

51. Dinero : LUCRE. Filthy?

52. Salvage crew acronym : SCUBA. Self-Contained-Underwater-Breathing-Apparatus.

54. Infamous Houston company : ENRON. Let's not go there...

56. Short stops? : STNS. Stations, abbreviated ("short").

57. At all : EVER

58. Claim otherwise : DENY

61. Stevedore's gp. : ILA. International Longshoremen's Association.

62. Steal : COP. Cop a squat, cop an attitude...not that I would ever cop out on you!

Answer grid.

See you next week, same time, same channel...

Hugs and shrugs,
Marti

Wednesday, May 9, 2012 Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: I'M BLANKING - the three theme clues all have a "nil" as their answer. The unifier ... wait, what was I saying?

19A. Relationship where three is a crowd : LOVE TRIANGLE. The French might argue that a menage a trois is a perfectly normal arrangement.

28A. "Not another word!" : ZIP YOUR LIP. Nothing here except to make you smile

44A. Original Tevye player : ZERO MOSTEL. Oh Goodness. What a wonderful actor!

53A. "Forget it!", and a hint to the starts of 19-, 28- and 44-Across : NOTHING DOING

Well now, was it just me or was this a real Wednesday challenge? Hello everyone, Steve here and a little bit humbled by this outing from C.C. and Don. Usually I can stroll in on the third day of the week, flex my cruciverb muscles and finish things up pretty quickly. This one - not so much. I was doing a Saturday dance and loved it.

Across:

1. Leaves with a peppery taste : CRESS. In England we at least warn you and call these leaves Mustard Cress

6. Experian, formerly : TRW. Obscure, or just me?

9. FDR's dog : FALA, Cute.

13. Blimp filler : HELIUM

15. Young gang member : HOOLIGAN. I had trouble with this. Mainly because I've known many old hooligans, it's an Irish thing.

17. Pilot Earhart : AMELIA. See later comment

18. Classic sitcom sidekick : ED NORTON.

21. Makes level : EVENS. My first word of the puzzle, and lightly filled.

22. Nats' MLB div. : NL E (National League East). Oh, c'mon guys! Three abbreviations to clue one obscure one?

23. Entering-a-hot-tub sounds : AAHS

27. Revival setting : TENT. Loved this clue/answer.

31. Swamp critters : CROCS. Because Alligators, cottonmouths and ewwwwww didn't fit :)

33. With agility : NIMBLY. Needed crosses to exclude an "E" anywhere here

34. [Headdesk] : DOH. [Faceplant} Been that kind of day.

37. Mineral in the raw : ORE

38. Pebble Beach prop : TEE

39. Capp and Capone : ALS

40. Gamer's screen image : AVATAR

42. Happy hoops sound : SWISH. Go Lakers!

46. Feminizing suffix : ETTE

50. Canal to the Hudson River : ERIE

51. "__ we there yet?" : ARE

52. Roll-on brand : ARRID

57. Warning often shouted too late : IT'S A TRAP!

60. Emulate 17-Across : AVIATE. So I thoroughly SWISHED through the previous eight, then came up short on this one. DISAPPEAR is not a good first reaction; PLUMMET, MISS ISLAND, BAD NAVIGATOR and then I thought I should come back later.

61. Health program since 1965 : MEDICARE

62. Performer using lots of notes : SINGER. Hmmm

63. Beach toy : PAIL. BALL first. Darn.

64. Hot : MAD

65. West Yorkshire city : LEEDS. I lived here between the ages of two and eight, so just had to figure out whether BRADFORD, SHEFFIELD or LEEDS would fit. I'd tell y'all about my first kiss in the playground, but 7-Yo's don't kiss and tell

Down:

1. Après-ski hangout : CHALET. No, sorry. BAR. The chalet is the après-après-ski hangout :)

2. Do away with : REMOVE

3. Late news time : ELEVEN. Oops, I just missed it. Anything happen today?

4. Bit of muscle? : SILENT C. Wow, I was just about to ask for help here and finally saw it.

5. Looks good on : SUITS

6. Piz Bernina's range : THE ALPS. I said on my last outing that K2 was the most beautiful mountain in the world, but Piz Bernina comes close

7. Dangerfield of "Caddyshack" : RODNEY

8. "The World of Suzie ___": 1960 film : WONG

9. Pistol, e.g. : FIREARM. Not sure whether to hyphenate or not?

10. Player rep. : AGT. The Agent. Sometimes a great representative, sometimes not. SHOW ME THE MONEY!

11. Thai native : LAO. I'll need to research this one tomorrow. A native of LAOS maybe, but Thai? I'm sure this is correct, but I'm really surprised. I had no idea.

12. Former Texas governor Richards : ANN

14. Scuff up : MAR

16. Texter's roar : LOL. Hmmm, no, this is a texter's snigger. A roar would be ROFLMAO.

20. How freshly caught fish should be kept : IN ICE. Ahhhhh, no, sorry. On Ice.

24. Actress Jessica : ALBA

25. Cross-country course feature : HILL

26. 1974 Gould/Sutherland CIA spoof : SPYS.

28. Black-clad, masked hero : ZORRO. zzzzzz, zzzz zsssrrrrp! Love Zorro!

29. Newsman Roger : O'NEIL

30. One-eighties : UIES. Or UYES.

32. Give in to wanderlust : ROAM. This was my favorite clue/answer in the whole puzzle. Elegant, short and sweet, and made me think three times before .. oh, it couldn't be anything else!

34. Stupefy : DAZE

35. Walkie-talkie word : OVER

36. Big name in espionage : HARI. She wasn't that large, actually. Oh well.

38. Experienced trick-or-treater, perhaps : TWEEN. Hmmmm. Anyone?

41. Pedicure focus : TOENAIL

42. Like crosswalks : STRIPED

43. Leading lady : HEROINE

45. About 30% of Africa : SAHARA. Darn, I had DESERT and was so happy with it. Then not so much.

47. Emergency room procedure : TRIAGE

48. Added some color to : TINTED

49. Border neateners : EDGERS. I came back to this after I'd filled it and looked twenty times at it - I'm still not convinced - even so it went in without a thought - I really shouldn't keep second-guessing myself

52. Ibuprofen brand : ADVIL. I had some minor surgery last week. Advil was fine, the optional Oxycontin was the most weird feeling I've ever had and I really don't recommend it.

54. Available sans Rx : OTC. Not the Oxycontin. See above.

55. 37-Across carrier : TRAM

56. Utility bill item : GAS. Ohhhh, c'mon!

57. Little dickens : IMP

58. Spot in the afternoon? : TEA

59. Reagan-era mil. program : SDI

Answer grid.

Well, a Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks to Don and C.C. for what was a brain-stretcher for me. I like the Wednesday puzzles, you're never quite sure what you're going to get!

1) Note from C.C. & Don:

When I first proposed this idea to Don, it's simply a set of three entries: ZERO MOSTEL, ZIP YOUR LIP & LOVE CONQUERS ALL. Don said: "I won't say that it does nothing for me, but it needs more. Maybe a simple unifier like NOTHING DOING. I just like to stir things up, don't I?". This is the way he always improves my ideas.

 
2) One more promotion for our Mother's Day puzzles. Click here for more info.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012 Janice Luttrell

Theme: Cozy Accommodations - Usually in a private residence.

17A. Comfortable indoor setting : ROOM TEMPERATURE

26A. "Wait, I'm not done ..." : "AND ANOTHER THING ..."

43A. Corporate oversight group : BOARD OF TRUSTEES

57. Guesthouse where one would enjoy the starts of the three longest answers : BED AND BREAKFAST

Argyle here. First, fantastic grid spanners and some interesting fill. "Board", in the past, would indicate all meals, not just breakfast. I think you can find B & Bs that do offer meals now.

Unfortunately, many a young couple have bought an old house that they thought would pay for itself by running a bed and breakfast. It's not that easy.

If you ever come to see me, I have a friend with an excellent B & B. Link.

Across:

1. Award sewn on a sash : BADGE. On a Scout sash.

6. Froth in a mug : HEAD

10. Frat party empties : KEGS. These two paired up nicely.

14. Assumed name : ALIAS

15. Italian wine site : ASTI. Map and it isn't the square island, Desper-otto.

16. Hacker's cry of success : "I'M IN!". Computer hacker, unlike the one in 23-Across.

20. Adjust for pitch : TUNE

21. Globetrotting reporter Nellie : BLY. She may have stayed at a bed and breakfast.

22. Struggle : TUSSLE

23. Links "Heads up!" : "FORE!"

25. Out of __: discordant : SYNC

33. Prepare for winter takeoff : DEICE

34. Divisions of history : ERAs

35. Actress Vardalos : NIA. Image. She starred in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".

36. Serenade accompaniment : LUTE

37. "Need __?": "Hop in!" : A LIFT

39. Pablo Neruda works : ODEs. Chilean poet.

40. Drive up the wall, so to speak : IRK

41. Rental car option : AVIS

42. Flavor enhancer : SPICE

47. Sotto __: softly : VOCE

48. "Ah! Say no more" : "I SEE!"

49. Spiritualist Deepak : CHOPRA. I'm not familiar with him, so I read a little and I will say no more.

52. Agt.'s cut : PCT. (agent/percentage)

53. Forest females : DOEs

60. Persian Gulf prince : EMIR

61. "House" actor Epps : OMAR. Just two episodes left, the series ends on Monday, May 21.

62. Must, informally : GOTTA

63. Ice Follies venue : RINK

64. Virtual people, in a popular game series : SIMS. So far, I've resisted getting sucked into any of the SIMS games. Do we have any players?

65. William Jennings __, three-time presidential candidate : BRYAN. He ran against William McKinley in 1896, Theodore Roosevelt in 1900, and William Howard Taft in 1908.

Down:

1. 10-year-old Simpson : BART. His family is on the Fox network.

2. 2000s Giants manager Felipe : ALOU. He and his brothers are from the Dominican Republic.

3. Pop diva Celine : DION. She is from a large family in Charlemagne, Quebec.

4. Competitive demeanor : GAME FACE

5. Approx. figure : EST. (estimate)

6. "Get thee to a nunnery" speaker : HAMLET

7. Catch a glimpse of : ESPY. At the ESPN awards show, you might espy an ESPY.

8. Broke bread : ATE

9. Epithet never actually used by Cagney : "DIRTY RAT!"

10. Lowbrow trinkets : KITSCH

11. Aussie hatchlings : EMUs

12. Young lady : GIRL

13. Dagger of yore : SNEE

18. Iberian river : EBRO. The origin of the River Ebro’s name and map.

19. Family tree members : AUNTS

24. __-eyed jack : ONE

25. Medieval tenant farmer : SERF

26. Wing it, speechwise : AD LIB

27. Surgical opening? : NEURO

28. "Iron Mike" of football : DITKA

29. Crook's caper : HEIST

30. Non-studio flick : INDIE. Indicates it's from an independent producer.

31. Family tree member : NIECE

32. Neon and xenon, for two : GASES

37. Guacamole makings : AVOCADOS

38. Biographical span : LIFE

39. Selected : OPTED FOR

41. Sew sequins on, say : ADORN

42. Chicago-to-Miami dir. : SSE

44. KOA facility : RV PARK. (Kampgrounds of America, Inc.)

45. Kitchen cutters : RICERS. "Where do the blades go?"

46. Netmen's org. : USTA. United States Tennis Association (but it sure looks Spanish)

49. Trucker's "good buddy" : CB'er

50. Half: Pref. : HEMI

51. Norse god of war : ODIN

52. Bristol baby buggy : PRAM

54. Like some high-fiber cereal : OATY. The NYT crosswords use it but few dictionaries do.

55. Señora's "this" : ESTA

56. Jazzman Getz : STAN

58. ASCAP counterpart : BMI. (Broadcast Music, Inc.)

59. Cold War spy org. : KGB. (something)

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, May 7, 2012 David Steinberg

Theme: Monday, Monday - Yes, yes, six fun things to say.

19A. Capital of American Samoa : PAGO PAGO. Atlas image.

51A. South Pacific resort island : BORA BORA. Another Atlas image.

9D. Hawaiian food fish : MAHI MAHI. Image, the way I like to see it.

10D. "Va-va-voom!" : "HUBBA HUBBA!". An Americanism from WW II, a shout in appreciation of a pretty girl. Unknown origin.

27D. Washington city famous for sweet onions : WALLA WALLA. Map.

37D. Disease caused by vitamin B deficiency : BERIBERI. From Sinhalese, by reduplication from beri - weakness. Sinhalese - of or pertaining to Sri Lanka. The only one word entry.

ArgyleArgyle here. A good offering from our wunderkind constructor. Interview. Solid entries, with a few words that if you don't know already, how did you get this far. Emil Jannings, I'm looking at you.

Across:

1. Poi maker's need : TARO

5. Sudden twitch : SPASM

10. "Rumour __ It": Adele song : HAS

13. Muffin ingredient : BRAN

14. Knee-to-ankle bone : TIBIA

15. Free of contaminants : PURE

16. Email folder : SENT

17. Old Testament patriarch : ENOCH

18. New York City theater award : OBIE

21. Weather map air pressure line : ISOBAR

23. Green and Gore : ALs

24. Nebraska city : OMAHA

25. Lumberjacks, often : SAWERS

29. With 43-Across, shrinking Asian lake : ARAL

30. Oft-replaced joint : HIP

33. Disneyland shuttles : TRAMS

34. Train station posting : SCHEDULE

36. Wrinkly citrus fruit : UGLI

37. Persian faith that promotes spiritual unity : BAHÁ'Í

39. Kinda sorta : A BIT

40. Archer's target : BULL'S EYE. What's the consensus on "The Hunger Games".

42. Chance for a hit : AT BAT

43. See 29-Across : SEA

44. Greek god of war : ARES

45. "__ as she goes" : STEADY

46. Collaborative websites : WIKI's. The base word is from Hawaiian.

48. One may be SWAK : LTR. (letter)

49. Like the darkest maple syrups : GRADE B. Link. Darker = more flavor.

56. Pack of quarters, e.g. : ROLL

57. Virtuosic piano work : ETUDE. I would think there are some that aren't virtuosic; it's just we don't hear about them (and a good thing).

59. Say and mean : AVER

60. Competent : ABLE

61. Ruffles chip feature : RIDGE

62. Lightsaber wielder : JEDI

63. Arthur of "Maude" : BEA. Don't get her ruffled.

64. Magnified map detail : INSET

65. Yankee slugger, to fans : A-ROD

Down:

1. Cookbook abbr. : TBSP

2. Geometric calculation : AREA

3. Pushed the doorbell : RANG

4. Not snowed by : ONTO

5. Makes off with : STEALS

6. Worrisome engine sounds : PINGS. From using too low a grade of gas or the timing is off.

7. Peek ending : ABOO

8. Incite to pounce (on) : SIC. Oh, the [sic] is pronounced seek; I did not know that. This "sic" is pronounced sick even though it came from 'seek'.

11. Opera showstopper : ARIA

12. Futurist : SEER

15. Bear who loves "hunny" : POOH (Winnie)

20. Most golfers' goals : PARS

22. Red tag event : SALE

24. Black-and-white ocean predator : ORCA

25. Hard pencils to sharpen : STUBS

26. Debate : ARGUE

28. Oscar winner Jannings : EMIL. But what else do you know about him? Link.

29. Fire remnants : ASHES

31. Homer epic : ILIAD

32. Not worth the bother : PETTY

35. Go out with : DATE

38. Roll call replies : AYEs

41. Drink with sashimi : SAKE. Sashimi - raw fish cut into very thin slices.

42. Gillette razor : ATRA

45. Space between curbs : STREET

47. Just sitting there : IDLE

48. Ski resort building : LODGE

49. Snatch : GRAB

50. Judge Judy's garb : ROBE

51. Blossoms-to-be : BUDS

52. Cabo's peninsula : BAJA. Cabo San Lucas together with San José Del Cabo is known as Los Cabos. Capo means cape. Map

53. So last year, as a fad : OVER

54. Start again : REDO

55. Desertlike : ARID

58. __ Pan Alley : TIN

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday May 6, 2012 Patti Varol

Theme: "H-Hour" - H is added to the start of the first word of each familiar phrase.

26A. Presidential stylists? : HAIR FORCE ONE. Air Force One. John Edwards would have needed this, given his obsession with his hair.

45A. Helipad fee? : HOVER CHARGE. Overcharge.

71A. Fireside deity? : HEARTH GODDESS. Earth goddess. This one and 45A experienced sound changes.

97A. Punching range? : HARM'S LENGTH. Arm's length.

117A. Furs worn in a spring parade? : HIDES OF MARCH. Ides of March.

16D. Closet consultant's concern? : HANGER MANAGEMENT. Most shopaholics probably need this course. Anger management is the base phrase.

38D. What the winner of a catered wedding gets? : HALL-EXPENSES PAID. All-expense paid.

Easy to spot theme, isn't it? When I downloaded the puzzle and saw the title, I figured the theme entries might consist of 2 words, the first ends in H, the second starts in H.

The first theme entry on Sundays normally starts in Row 3, unless it has 19 or more letters. Today's first entry is of average length and it starts in Row 4. It's because the constructor wanted two 16's placed in Down slots and this gave her the best arrangement.

Patti Varol is Rich's assistant. I think this is her first LAT Sunday. Congrats, Patti!

Across:

1. Memorable touchdown maker, briefly : LEM (Lunar Excursion Module)

4. Girl having a ball? : DEB. Nailed it.

7. "Arabian Nights" woodcutter : ALI BABA. I just thought he was a thief.

14. Moral climate : ETHOS

19. Tchotchke holder : ETAGERE. Rooted in ETAGE (Floor). Tchotchke is difficult to spell.

21. CPU jointly developed by Apple, IBM and Motorola : POWERPC. Unaware of this joint effort.

22. Cook just below a boil : POACH

23. Intrinsically : AT HEART

24. First woman on the Supreme Court : O'CONNOR. Replaced by Alito. O'Connor was born in El Paso. An Avid golfer.

25. Sleeper's difficulty : APNEA

28. Apt. feature, in ads : EIK (Eat-in Kitchen)

30. "Criminy!" : EGAD

31. Plant deeply : ENROOT. New word to me. EN/EM prefix is so irrational. Why EMBED?

32. Banned pesticide : DDT

34. "Martin Chuzzlewit" novelist : DICKENS

36. Blond shade : ASH

39. Bk. read at Purim : ESTH (Esther)

40. Holdup : HEIST

42. __ beer: low-alcohol beverage : NEAR

43. Snowman's eyes : COALS

48. Humanities degs. : MAs

51. Perry of fashion : ELLIS. The model for Perry Ellis Night is very handsome. The Gucci Guilty guy has a wandering eye.




52. Narrow waterway : RIA

53. Filing aids : TABs

54. Like aged cheddar : SHARP

56. Kewpie, e.g. : DOLL

57. Still going : ACTIVE. Dennis just met & greeted The Beach Boys on Saturday night.

60. Canapé spread : PATE. Are those hot peppers on the left?

62. Enjoying a lot : INTO

63. Viscounts' superiors : EARLS

65. "I'm hunting wabbits" speaker : ELMER (Fudd)

67. Live-in helper : AU PAIR

69. Gift holder : BOX

75. Trick : GET. You got me!

76. Bird of prey : RAPTOR

78. Dalmatian, for one : CROAT. So the Dalmatian dogs came from this region originally?

79. Hasidic teacher : REBBE. Wanted RABBI.

81. Company that makes the Ektorp sofa : IKEA. What does Ektorp mean? Sounds like desktop.

82. "GWTW" plantation : TARA. "Gone with the Wind". And 58D. "GWTW" side : CSA. Should have been a full clue for former.

84. Church ceremony : RITUAL

87. Yemen neighbor : OMAN

90. Gives in : BENDS

92. Bits of wordplay : PUNS

94. Down for the count : OUT

95. Gun-shy : LEERY

96. Nav. rank : ENs

101. Palmer of the links : ARNIE. Hopefully he'll be at the 3M Championship this year. Was so happy to see Tom Watson last year.

102. 572-year-old school : ETON. Quite old.

104. Sets, as a trap : BAITS

105. Neurol. readouts : EEGs

107. Ink spots, briefly? : TAT (Tattoo)

108. Hollies hit featuring a shared umbrella : BUS STOP. Argyle will find you the perfect link.

111. NYC subway org. : MTA

112. Longtime "Sexually Speaking" host : DR. RUTH

114. View from Neuchâtel, to locals : ALPE. , Wikipedia says Neuchâtel is the capital of the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel on Lake Neuchâtel.

115. Courtroom VIPs : DAs

122. Cal __ : STATE

124. It's based on past legal decisions : CASE LAW

126. "If you ask me ..." : I, FOR ONE. I like this answer.

127. Like Samuel Beckett : IRISH. Hi there, Irish Miss (Agnes of Troy)!

128. Off the charts : EXTREME

129. Geico spokespeople with a short-lived sitcom : CAVEMEN

130. Puts on cargo : LADES

131. Has a conniption : SEES RED

132. Nor. neighbor : SWE

133. "Doctor Who" creatures : ETs

Down:

1. Sister of Rachel : LEAH. Both were married to Jacob.

2. Jazz legend James : ETTA

3. Half a food fish : MAHI. Got a good recipe for mahi-mahi?

4. "Children of a Lesser God" subject : DEAFNESS

5. Box score statistic : ERRORS

6. Affiance : BETROTH

7. Yeats's "__ to His Beloved" : A POET. Guessed.

8. Bonkers : LOCO

9. "Hmm, maybe ..." : I WONDER

10. Eggs __: brunch fare : BENEDICT

11. Prince Valiant's son : ARN. His wife is ALETA.

12. Fraternal org. : BPOE. For Abejo.

13. Nose-burning : ACRID

14. Org. concerned with climate change : EPA

15. Sunflower State capital : TOPEKA

17. Main : OCEAN

18. Roe sources : SHADS

20. "Brooklyn's Finest" co-star : GERE (Richard)

27. Partner in crime : COHORT

29. January honoree : KING

33. Like some road sign symbols : T-SHAPED

35. Ho-hum grades : CEEs

36. Solved with ease : ACED

37. Chorister's big moment : SOLO. And 88. Operatic 37-Down : ARIA.

40. Likely consequence of kicking dirt at the ump : HEAVE HO. Fun clue.

41. Knight wear : TABARD. New word to me. See here.

44. Philanthropist Wallace : LILA. No idea. Wiki said she co-founded "Reader's Digest" with her husband.

46. Sundial number : VII

47. Trio before U : RST

49. Clarinetist Shaw : ARTIE

50. Good-time Charlie : SPORT

55. Fanny pack spot : HIP

57. All eyes and ears : ALERT

59. "Pomp and Circumstance" composer : ELGAR(Edward)

61. Gallery stand : EASEL

64. P-like letter : RHO

66. What bored people may go through, with "the" : MOTIONS

68. iMac-to-iPhone connector : USB

69. Grease, as it were : BRIBE

70. Like bourbon barrels : OAKEN

72. "Keep on Truckin'" cartoonist : R. CRUMB. I just solved a puzzle with his name in the other day.

73. Classic muscle car : TRANS AM. Not a car person. I don't know what makes a car a muscle car.

74. Division of time : ERA

77. Wee bit : TAD

80. Dutch South African : BOER

83. When some Tauruses are born: Abbr. : APR

85. Jerk : TUG

86. Vocalizes : UTTERS

89. Kremlin vote : NYET. No!

91. Bar order : SHOT

93. Leaves no footprints, in a way : SLITHERS

95. Checkmate, e.g. : LAST MOVE

98. "And giving __, up the chimney ..." : A NOD

99. Web merchant : E-TAILER. Do any of you shop at Etsy?

100. Derring-do : HEROICS

103. Dangerous fly : TSETSE. The half fly was a staple at Wayne R. William's old puzzles.

106. Hearty chuckle : GUFFAW. I think this couple if fun to be with.

108. Spaghetti sauce herb : BASIL

109. Violet opening : ULTRA

110. Tries to walk off nerves : PACES

112. Like morning grass : DEWED. Spellchecker does not like this word.

113. Hound's prey : HARE

116. __-Altenburg: old German duchy : SAXE

118. Helen Mirren's title : DAME.She is so beautiful. My friend Maggie met her in a restaurant in Paris last year.

119. "I, Claudius" setting : ROME

120. Popular tech review site : CNET

121. Coop crowd : HENS

123. Quizzical sounds : EHs

125. Canonized Fr. woman : STE

Answer grid.

I'll Have Another! Thanks for the tip, Tinbeni. I wish I bet more against Boomer's Union Rags.

C.C.