Friday, June 15, 2012, Marti Duguay-Carpenter

Theme: It's a bird; it's a plane, it's Uperman! Drat, now where did I put that "S"? Each of the theme answers are phrases with one word ending in SS and the next beginning S. The theme has the S removed from the second word to create a new and typically Marti witty phrase. As Marti explains below, many constructors, like the great Dan Naddor use the run on letters to confuse the solver. Here, you have a letter missing, or do you? This woman really has an intriguing mind. I found this to be a really fun, fun solve with many little twists, humor and of course, no "J."

Let's play!

17A. A pint to drown your sorrows? : DISTRESS (S)ALE. A bad situation becomes an excuse for a beer. Thanks Hearti for the beer reference.

27A. Great diner food? : FIRST CLASS (S)EATS. And when you fly first class you get food which is actually edible.

44A. Film clips of a Triple Crown race? : PREAKNESS (S)TAKES. A week after the race, and the disappointment of no chance for a triple crown. Lights, camera, action.

59A. What a hamster wheel requires? : ENDLESS (S)PACE. The vast universe becomes a runner in a rut.

Across:

1. It's often about a yard: FENCE. Wonderful visual and pun trickery to start, yard as a measure and a garden.

6. Nanny's challenges : BRATS. Taking care of little kids, egads, it is the wurst!

11. Milk meas. : GAL. Poor dear lost her pal.

14. Pepe Le Pew's pursuit : AMOUR. Toujours l'amour; tonight l'amour for sure!

15. Sit in on : AUDIT. Like going to classes without registering.

16. Schnozz extension : OLA. We had Inka Dinka Doo this week. Also, 3D. Difference in a close race : NOSE. Hmm, what is she thinking?

19. Co. with Mercury in it's logo: FTD. Florists' Transworld Delivery.

20.Editorial notation : STET. C.C. edits our work without notation or fanfare.

21. Mays, in his last game: MET. Willie, the Say Hey Kid. The CATCH.(0:28).

22. Place strategically : DEPLOY. From the French, also the root of our word, ploy.

24. Clairvoyance: ESP. I sensed this was going to be the answer!

26. Frolicsome : MERRY. Rhymes with...

33. One might make a ewe turn : RAM. Oh, you punny sex person! Ewe turn indeed!

34. Toothbrush bristle material : NYLON. I think mine are no longer nylon.

35. Disregard : SKIP.

36. Annual award org. : AMPAS. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. OSCAR.(1:08).

38. Some six-packs: ABS. Abdominal muscles.

39. "P.S. I Love You." originally : B-SIDE.

40. First name in game shows : MERV. The late great Grififn who brought both Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune to us.

41. Piece maker : REESE. I am a cup man, though I like apiece now and then.

43. Joe and Rose's youngest : TED. Kennedy.

48. Pig feature : SNOUT. Damn, I thought she was going for some obscure movie clue.

49. Sidewalk stand offering : ADE. Lemon____wasn't good enough for you?

50. Speakers' stands: ROSTRA. This comes from a Latin word which means SNOUT; way to go Marti!

52. Army unit : ANT. Little guys are so OPTIMISTIC.(2:39).

54. "That was close! : WHEW.

58. Cognac mate : AMI. A nice change for sneaking French into the puzzle, means friend or mate, Jeannie wherever you are.

62. Most admired, chat-rooms : FAVorite.

63. Nail a test : ACE IT.

64. Black ball: EIGHT. Both the magic one and at pool.

65. Crowd in Calabria : TRE. A double header pun, first you need to know the city is in Italy and then three's a crowd...

66. Eft parents: NEWTS. We had these babies before; I guess little Gingriches would not have worked.

67. Colombian currency : PESOS. Well I guess I earned my peso, but still have the rest to go.

Down:

1. They come and go : FADS. Hopefully house guests as well. Pet rock anyone, you can have it cheap?

2. Discharge : EMIT. Our second did word clue.

4. Coast Guard craft: CUTTER. Also a very effective pitch in baseball.

5. Goof : ERR.

6. Diamond corner : BASE.ball.

7. Tin Woodman's affliction : RUST. 'Beni? HERE? (2:14)

8. Org. concerned with canine health : ADA. Woe, not the aminals (sic) but your incisor teeth!

9. Math squiggles: TILDES. These PUPPIES (I got them in after all)

10. Drives, or driven ones: STEERS. Cars and Cows, how can you beat it!

11. "Get lost!" : GO FLY A KITE. Apparently from an old Bing Crosby song written by Jimmy Burke.

12. Chorus line? ALTO. Really Marti, more Sax?

13. Lord's partner: LADY. So what is the answer to my query, m'lady?

18. Drain EMPTY. What the Tinman does to his Pinch at sunset.

23. Garlic___: PRESS. Or the fourth estate in Italy?

25. I.R.S. form figures : SSNS. Social Security NumberS.

26. Parsonages : MANSES. From the same root word as mansions, Latin mansa, not related to maison.

27. Hall of ___: FAMER. Like our staff of constructors here at the Corner. They are all quite....

28. Awe-inspiring : IMPRESSIVE.

29. Bordeaux wine : CLARET. Veddy popular in the UK, n' est-ce pas?

30. Places to spot studs : LOBES. Ears, dears, not the guy from 38A.

31. Ocean's motions : TIDES. Not to be confused with TILDES.

32. Went over the limit : SPED.

33. Skatepark feature : RAMP. Who here has skateboarded?

37. Before, in Brest : AVANT. Après is after, as we travel back to France.

39. Drop on a sweater : BEAD. SWEAT by Inner Circle.

42. Sports figures : STATS. Statistics

45. Like Kia Motors : KOREAN.

46. Subtle distinction: NUANCE. It is the nuances which make for great writing and puzzle creating.

47. Collectible doll : KEWPIE. Creepie dolls.

50. Finn's vessel : RAFT. Huckleberry, I wanted George.

51. " A Jug of Wine...." poet : OMAR. First verse.

A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,

A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread-and Thou

Beside me singing in the Wilderness-

O, Wilderness were Paradise enow!....

52. Landed: ALIT. Oh no, and A word!!!!!

53. Brooklyn hoopsters : NETS. They left New Jersey.

55. Cauldron stirrers : HAGS. MACBETH.

56. NATO alphabet"E" : ECHO. I heard that before, be fore, bee for

57. Attends to one's whistle : WETS. I am ready to wet mine, this is fun, but takes time.

60. Mountain ___ : DEW. The drink of champions, but too much caffeine for now.

61. Fall mo. : SEPtember.

Answer grid.

What a great way to start the weekend, Don and C.C. then Hearti. We had our Marti double once again, with her blog yesterday and her puzzle today. Well I am off to play (?) golf. Have a great day.

Lemonade, and now to Comtesse Marti....

1) Constructor's Note:

When I submitted this puzzle to Rich, here is what I said:"It drives me nuts when constructors use three-letter-sequence themes. I invariably drop off one of the letters - and in the grid, it still looks right (except for that blank square at the end of the line...) So I decided to get even with this theme that "looks right", but is missing something..."

2) Note from C.C.:

Congratulations to JD and Bob (Aka "J.D. holder", not ATT), who celebrated
their 43rd anniversary yesterday.  

Thursday, June 14, 2012 Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "What's in store for us?"

35A. Local retailer, and an apt description of eight entries in this puzzle : CORNER STORE
Oh my! Each of the eight entries in the corners of this puzzle are a type of (corner) store:

1A. Little barker : TOY. A toy poodle can be a little dog who barks. Or, a toy store.

10A. Sedate : DRUG. To drug someone means to give them a sedative. Or, a drug store.

63A. Brogue or brogan : SHOE. Brogues and brogans are types of shoes. Or, a shoe store (my favorite kind!)

65A. Favored student : PET. Like a "teacher's pet". Or, a pet store (My cats love PetCo!)

1D. Couponer's skill : THRIFT. If I were thrifty, I would cut coupons. Or go to a thrift store.

13D. Petraeus's rank : GENERAL. David Howell Petraeus is the head of the CIA, and a four-star general. A general store used to be a staple in small towns. Now, they are giving way to Wal-Marts all across America...

38D. More than needed : SURPLUS. I have a surplus of books in my library, but I don't think I will bring them to a surplus store.

46D. Hole in the wall : OUTLET. Fun clue for a type of electric plug. Do they sell those in an outlet store?

Don and C.C. love to pack their puzzles with theme entries. In this one, they have 40 theme letters (excluding the unifier), but their position is in the "corners", rather than stretching across the main part of the grid. Very clever!!

Marti here, to see what else our Dynamic Duo has to offer...

Across:

4. Protect the border, in a way : PATROL.

14. Charlemagne's realm: Abbr. : H.R.E. Holy Roman Empire.

15. "Lawrence of Arabia" star : O'TOOLE. I still like him in "My Favorite Year", best! 0:15

16. Walk in the wild : HIKE. Like the link from CrossEyedDave the other day of El Camino Del Rey. (DO NOT WATCH IF YOU HAVE ACROPHOBIA!)

17. Children's author Asquith : ROS. Her latest is "Letters from an Alien Schoolboy". A must-read?

18. Takes second, maybe : STEALS. Second base, that is. Do you know Rickey Henderson?

19. Amaze : STUN

20. "Ready!" : I'M SET.

22. Done to death : TRITE. Nothing trite in this puzzle, for sure!

24. Ginger ___ : ALE. We only had Ginger Ale or Moxie as soft drinks when we were growing up. Other than those, it was either milk or water as the beverage of choice.

25. Nurture : FEED

26. Tenor Carreras : JOSE. Music, from "Carmen"! 4:54

27. Subject of the 2006 documentary "An Unreasonable Man" : NADER. Ralph. 2:16

29. Cold porter fan? : TOSSPOT. Fun pun on "Cole Porter", for a tippler, or drunkard.

31. Soft drink since 1905 : R.C. COLA.

32. On ___ streak: winning : A HOT

34. Brit's academic milestone : A LEVEL

38. Red Cloud, for one : SIOUAN

40. Summers in Arles : ETES. Nice summers!

41. Not picked up : UNTIDY.

42. Ristorante herb : OREGANO. "Ristorante" is Italian, and refers to the ubiquitous Italian herb.

47. "Midnight Cowboy" con man : RATSO. Rizzo.

48. Net enablers, briefly : ISPs. Internet Service Provider (s).

50. Two-generation MLB family name : ALOU. The family name in the Dominican Republic is Rojas!

51. Country club hire : PRO

52. Precise-sounding blade : X-ACTO. They are precise!

54. Quarterback Favre : BRETT

55. Fontanne's dramatic partner : LUNT. Lynne Fontanne never gave up her British citizenship, even though she lived for 60 years in America, and was married to Alfred Lunt.

57. "Miracle Mets" pitcher : SEAVER (Tom). Another baseball reference! From the 1969 season?

59. ___ pal : GAL

60. Org. that dropped "Lawn" from its name in 1975 : USTA. United States (Lawn) Tennis Association.

61. Small-winged creature : PIGEON

62. Salt Lake City collegian : UTE

64. Buffet fuel : STERNO

Down:

2. Beginning of Juliet's balcony speech : O ROMEO, "wherefore art thou?"

3. Green lights : YESSES. In other words, "gives the green light to."

4. Blog update : POST. Like this!

5. J.D. holder : ATT.orney. "Juris Doctor".

6. In direct confrontation : TOE TO TOE. Like this?

7. Has a good laugh : ROARS. One of my favorite things to do...often.

8. Stan's sidekick : OLLIE

9. For fear that : LEST

10. Some A.L. sluggers : DHs. Designated Hitter (s). (I'm starting to get into this baseball stuff!)

11. Poet honored with a 2011 National Medal of Arts : RITA DOVE

12. Island music maker : UKULELE. It means "Jumping flea" in Hawaiian.

21. Mad workers, briefly : EDs. Editors on "Mad Magazine".

23. Put in the envelope : ENCLOSE

26. Familiar latecomer? : JOHNNY. (come lately). I searched for the origin of the saying, but can only (loosely) attribute it to a song by that name...

28. Top server : ACER

30. "I never tell the truth," e.g. : PARADOX. Contradictory statement. Is the quoter telling the truth, or is (s)he lying?

31. Movie critics, at times : RATERS

33. Quattro meno uno : TRE. Four minus one, in Italian. (Uno, dos, tres, cuatro in Spanish)

35. Grow fond of : COTTON TO. Another expression that has vague origins, but probably has more use in the south, where the success of fibers meshing together to form "cotton" was very important.

36. Nice okays : OUIS. See 40A.

37. Drop by : STOP OVER. Verb is two words, Vs. the noun "stopover" which is one word.

39. How looming deadlines may be met : IN A RUSH

43. Spearlike fish : GAR. Indeed.

44. Edge to get in competition : A LEG UP. Hmmm...C.C. and Don G., you have me running all over the place with these idioms! This one originates from the act of a groomsman kneeling down and offering his bent knee to help his master get onto the horse. So giving "a leg up" is literal in that sense.

45. Record using symbols : NOTATE. (Notate to self: get an idiom dictionary.)

48. Seal the deal : ICE IT. Lots of idioms with "ice": Ice over, on ice, on thin ice, cold as ice, break the ice...but "ice it" means to preserve something (usually in writing, but alliteratively "in ice"), so as to keep the intentions of both parties intact.

49. Mount, as a comeback : STAGE. OK, so it's Thursday, and the clues are getting trickier.

53. Nile reptiles : ASPS. Or, maybe they are still Monday-friendly?

54. Former capital of Moravia : BRNO. Second-largest city in the (now) Czech Republic.

56. ___ kwon do : TAE. Or, spelled "Taekwondo", the national sport of South Korea. Here's an interesting tidbit: "In Korean, tae (태, 跆) means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon (권, 拳) means "to strike or break with fist"; and do(도, 道) means "way", "method", or "path". Thus, taekwondo may be loosely translated as "the way of the hand and the foot." (From Wiki)

58. Quite a stretch : EON. I know, it has been quite a stretch, but you are finally done with me! So, on to the comments...

Answer grid.

Hugs,

Marti

Note from C.C. & Don:

The new Walgreens in our neighborhood inspired this theme. Not many specific stores could be meshed perfectly in the corner letter-wise, so we were excited to make the grid work. Don was initially concerned that Outlet stores are not common enough, and we went ahead only after getting positive feedback from our guinea pigs Dennis & Argyle.

Wednesday, June 13 2012, Bruce R. Sutphin & Doug Peterson

Theme: shockwaves. each theme answer reveals a shocker from a classic film. sorry for the spoilers if you haven't seen any of these movies.

17A. "Soylent Green" shocker : IT'S MADE OF PEOPLE. 1973 science fiction film starring charlton heston, in which the planet and it's population are suffering due to overpopulation and dwindling resources. 'soylent green' is a rationed food wafer, in short supply. here's the shocker:

28A. "The Sixth Sense" shocker : HE'S ALREADY DEAD. 1999 psychological horror film starring bruce willis and haley joel osment. bruce willis portrays a child psychologist, working with a young patient who sees "dead people, walking around like regular people," who don't know they're dead. the shocker revealed at the end, bruce willis's character was unknowingly dead all the time.

46A. "Psycho" shocker : NORMAN IN A DRESS. 1960 hitchcock suspense horror film starring anthony perkins and janet leigh. perkins's character is norman bates, owner and manager of the bates motel, whose mother apparently lives in the hotel. a motel guest is murdered (the famous shower scene), and it is believed that bates's mother is the murderer. the shocker is when bates's mother's mummified body is discovered in the hotel, and norman has been keeping her alive by dressing in her clothing.

61A. "The Empire Strikes Back" shocker : LUKE IS VADER'S SON. 1980 space opera film, the second of the six star wars series to be released (fifth in chronological order). luke skywalker and darth vader engage in a light saber duel during which luke's hand is severed, and vader reveals the shocker, that he is luke's father.

melissa here. c.c. interviewed bruce back in november, where he mentions he likes movies, and puzzles in which "the entries aren't just entered in the 'usual' way." this puzzle qualifies on both counts. i've highlighted additional clues that (could) have theatrical connections in blue.

Across:

1. "As you wish" : FINE.

5. Plot that's "pulled" : SCAM

9. British racecourse : ASCOT. in ascot, berkshire, the world's most famous racecourse.

14. Sooner than thou thinketh : ANON. fresh and fun clue.

15. Glissade garb : TUTU. did not know this, glissade is a ballet dance move, literally meaning to glide.

16. Yawning fissure : CHASM. yawn, meaning, to open wide, gape.

20. Like some pains : ROYAL. haha.

21. __ tai: rum drink : MAI

22. In the know about : UPON. not sure i've heard it used this way, anyone have an example? (correction: UP ON, thanks marti and c.c.)

23. Attempt : STAB. take a stab at a glissade across a chasm while drinking a mai tai.

26. Put on the market : SELL. speaking from experience, not necessarily the same thing.

34. Campaign staffer : AIDE. interns are sometimes on, um, staffs, too .... (boo hiss)

35. Really irritate : VEX

36. Reinspire, as troops : RALLY

37. Auto dealer datum: Abbr. : MPG. miles per gallon.

38. It's read at registers : BAR CODE

41. Struggle : VIE

42. Amazon's milieu : E-TAIL

44. Barcelona gold : ORO. spanish.

45. Headliner : LEAD

50. Partner of if : THEN

51. Burglar's haul : LOOT

52. Toll lane choice : CASH

55. Eloped, say : WED

57. It's not heard by other characters : ASIDE. a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience, unheard by the other characters on the stage. sometimes called 'breaking the fourth wall.' anyone remember it's garry shandling's show on showtime?

65. Gussy up : ADORN

66. Pound using feet : EZRA. poet.

67. Meas. of how high you are : ELEV. elevation.

68. Western Union transmissions : WIRES

69. Break in the music : REST

70. "Calm down!" : EASY

Down:

1. Ferris wheel locale : FAIR. this is what i thought of.

2. Division preposition : INTO. arithmetic. two goes into four ...

3. Showing unwelcome interest : NOSY

4. As a group : EN MASSE

5. Time zone word: Abbr. : STD. standard, as opposed to daylight.

6. Prompt to enter : CUE

7. Basic unit of matter : ATOM

8. Simba's father in "The Lion King" : MUFASA. james earl jones is the voice of both darth vader and mufasa.

9. Powerful club : ACE

10. Slangy word of regret : SHOULDA. coulda, shoulda, woulda.

11. Abner drawer : CAPP. al capp, cartoonist best known for the comic strip li'l abner.

12. 1952 Olympics city : OSLO. norway.

13. Feds who caught Capone : T-MEN. Treasury agents. T-Men is also the name of a 1947 film noir classic shot in black and white.

18. Utah ski resort : ALTA

19. Like calico cats : PIED

24. The "A." on many a patent : ALVA. thomas alva edison filed 1,093 successful patents.

25. Rabbit's title : BRER. according to wikipedia, The name "Br'er Rabbit", contraction of "Brother Rabbit", has been linked to both African and Cherokee Indian cultures. The Walt Disney Company later adapted this character for its animated motion picture Song of the South."

27. Instrument played with a plectrum : LYRE. plectrum is latin, an instrument for striking the lyre.

28. In the know about : HIP TO

29. Award named for a mystery writer : EDGAR. this year's nominees and winners.

30. Former pen pal? : EX-CON. penitentiary.

31. Middle-earth residents : ELVES. fictional setting of tolkien's the hobbit and lord of the rings books (and movies).

32. John Smith may be one : ALIAS

33. Turned blue, maybe : DYED

34. Prayer period? : AMEN

38. No great shakes : BLAH

39. Like some exams : ORAL

40. Extinct bird : DODO

43. "Count me in" : I'M THERE

45. "Hmm ..." : LET'S SEE

47. It might be late-breaking : NEWS

48. "What nerve!" : I NEVER

49. Crowd cacophony : ROAR

52. Feline weapon : CLAW

53. TT automaker : AUDI. from wikipedia: The Audi TT takes its name from the successful motor racing tradition of NSU in the British Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) motorcycle race. The TT name has also been attributed to the phrase "Technology & Tradition".

54. Toffee candy bar : SKOR

56. Bewildered state : DAZE

58. One of las Canarias : ISLA. spanish for island.

59. Sees to : DOES

60. Emotion akin to jealousy : ENVY

62. Officeholders : INS

63. House and Watson : DR'S

64. Down a hero, say : EAT. sandwich.

Answer grid.

melissa

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 Mark Vago

Theme: Let 'Em Play Through - Three legends of golf, all born in 1912.

17A. Born February 4, he had 52 official wins on the 40-Across : BYRON NELSON

25A. Born May 27, he had 82 official wins on the 40-Across : SAM SNEAD

40A. FedEx Cup-sponsoring org. : PGA TOUR

50A. Born August 13, he had 64 official wins on the 40-Across : BEN HOGAN

64A. Milestone 17-, 25- and 50-Across would have all reached this year had they lived until their birthdays : CENTURY MARK

Argyle here. The Professional Golfers' Association of America was created in 1916. The PGA TOUR (all capitals), was formed in 1975, after the "Tournament Players Division" became  separate from PGA of America in 1968. So, technically, these three gentlemen played on the PGA tour (no caps).

Now about the puzzle.... A nice drive straight down the fairway for me. Non-golfers may have found themselves in the rough. 40-Across should be considered the unifier and the fill was par for the course. Great debut, Mark.

Across:

1. Made into bundles, as cotton : BALED. Common bales these days.

6. Twitch, e.g. : SPASM. Known as "The Yips" on the putting green.

11. Spider's specialty : WEB

14. "Star Trek" character who famously kissed Captain Kirk in a 1968 "Star Trek" episode : UHURA

15. "Cosi fan __" : TUTTE. "All the women do so..." A bit more colloquial sense in English might be: "Women Are Like That".

16. Tokyo affirmative : "HAI"

19. DSL user's need : ISP. (Digital Subscriber Line/Internet Service Provider) My sympathies to anyone still on dial-up.

20. Borscht base : BEET. (also borsch, bortsch, borstch, borsh, borshch; Ukrainian: борщ)

21. Michigan's __ Peninsula : UPPER. They have their own "band", Da Yoopers.

22. Eyelid malady : STYE

23. Help out : ASSIST

27. Pic takers : CAMS

29. "Holy Moses!" : "WOW!"

30. Fighter formerly known as Clay : ALI

33. Jury members : PEERS

36. Theater 56-Downs : OBIES. Tony's would have been more timely.

39. Got together : MET

42. Like a debut : NEW

43. Search engine giant : YAHOO

45. Queen's tenure : REIGN. And a long one it's been.

46. Stately tree : ELM

47. Tel Aviv's land: Abbr. : ISRael

48. Yalies : ELIS

55. One way to pay : IN CASH

59. "__ Dinka Doo" : INKA. "Jimmy" Durante's signature song.

60. Being kept cold : ON ICE

62. "Horton Hears __" : A WHO!. 1954 book by Dr. Seuss.

63. Harry Potter friend : RON. Weasley.

66. Bout ender, briefly : TKO. (technical knock out)

67. Take the wheel : STEER

68. Shopper's indulgence : SPREE

69. Single or double : HIT. No, not shots. Behave!

70. The ones here : THESE

71. Watergate co-conspirator : LIDDY, G. Gordon.

Down:

1. 2012 Masters champ Watson : BUBBA. I expected more golf references, frankly.

2. "Now I get it" : "AH, YES"

3. Fishing aids : LURES

4. Sexy : EROTIC

5. Sportscaster Patrick : DAN. Dan puts a golf simulator in his studio. Video.(0:56)

6. Staircase part : STEP

7. Cheap novels : PULPS

8. On the briny : AT SEA and 9. Concern on the briny : STORM

10. Chess pieces : MEN

11. Chardonnay, e.g. : WHITE WINE

12. No-brainer course : EASY A

13. Two-footer : BIPED. Also, those short putts that give you the "yips".

18. Eggnog sprinkling : NUTMEG. Unofficially (but popularly) Connecticut is known as "The Nutmeg State".

22. Stuffed shirt : SNOB

24. 1972 Olympics city : SAPPORO. Japan. The first Winter Olympics ever held in Asia.

26. Ready to testify : SWORN IN

28. Blacken : SEAR

30. Author Tan : AMY. (The Joy Luck Club)

31. Grazing area : LEA. Poor LEA is getting overgrazed lately.

32. "In my opinion, uh-uh" : "I THINK NOT"

34. GPS offering : RTE

35. Silk on the Seine : SOIE. French, tie-in with 65-Down?

37. Snakelike fish : EEL

38. Guy in a personal ad, for short : SWM. Single White Male.

41. Harder to look at : UGLIER. Tanning mom?

44. Fed. workplace watchdog : OSHA

49. Shrimp dish : SCAMPI

50. __ certificate : BIRTH

51. Japanese mushroom : ENOKI

52. "Pride __ before ..." : GOETH

53. Year, to Yves : ANNÉE. A tie-in with 65-Down.

54. Evenings, in ads : NITES

56. Prize : AWARD

57. Make into confetti : SHRED. If you have a crosscut shredder.

58. Phony : HOKEY

61. Antidote : CURE

64. Minnesota hrs. : CST. (Central Standard Time)

65. Couture monogram : YSL. (Yves Saint Laurent) He was the first designer to use black models in his catwalk shows.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, June 11, 2012 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: What's your story? - The tail-end of the starred entries can follow story... and that's my story & I'm sticking to it.

11D. *Cigarette lighter alternative : MATCHBOOK. Story book.

35D. *14-Across-like sporting equipment : SNOWBOARD. Story board, used to pitch an idea.

17A. *Financial institution employee : BANK TELLER. Story teller, like Uncle Remus.

41A. *Sunbather's transition point : TAN LINE. Story line, the plot.

64A. "That's all she wrote," and literally, what the last word of each starred answer can be : END OF STORY

Argyle here. See? Mondays don't have to be short on theme. Just a note: I spent way too much time looking at TAN LINEs so I decided to link "tanning lady", but I just couldn't. She doesn't pass the breakfast test. I do think many of the photos of her have been altered, though.

Across:

1. Venomous snake : ASP

4. Classify : ASSORT

10. "We gotta get going!" : "C'MON!". Quit looking at tan lines.

14. Enjoy Aspen, say : SKI

15. "Pinball Wizard" rockers : "THE WHO". Link. (3:02) in stereo.

16. Repair for a tear : TAPE

19. Move a muscle : STIR

20. Do penance : ATONE

21. Versatile WWII vessels : LST's. For any 47-Downs out there, "Landing Ship, Tank".

22. Kept in the loop with a dupe, briefly : CCed. What a clue!

23. Loathe : DETEST

25. Synagogue scroll : TORAH

27. Challenging Chopin piece : ÉTUDE

30. Folder for arriving email : IN BOX

33. Low singing voice : BASS

36. Election Day list to choose from : BALLOT

39. Make a choice : OPT

40. Suffix with east or west : ERN

42. It's stroked by a rower : OAR

43. Personality component : EGO

44. Parka wearer, perhaps : ESKIMO

45. Dust Bowl st. : OKLAoma

46. Dots on a map : TOWNS

48. Up to this point : SO FAR

50. Outperforms : BESTS

53. Lied in a small way : FIBBED

57. Load, as cargo : STOW

59. Barrel of laughs : RIOT

62. Distance runner : MILER

63. "Moby-Dick" captain : AHAB

66. "Me neither" : "NOR I". "Art not".

67. Chairperson's list : AGENDA

68. Even, as a score : TIE

69. Landlubber : ship :: __ : ranch : DUDE

70. Sahara, for one : DESERT

71. Lesson about sin, say: Abbr. : SERmon

Down:

1. Equally undesirable : AS BAD

2. Do toe loops, e.g. : SKATE

3. Wine grape : PINOT

4. Swear (to) : ATTEST

5. One of the girls : SHE

6. Go like hotcakes : SELL

7. Avian symbols of wisdom : OWLS. More owls.

8. He could make Scarlett see red : RHETT

9. Sculpture subject : TORSO

10. Med. imaging procedure : CT SCAN. A computed tomography (CT) scan uses X-rays to make detailed pictures of structures inside the body. (cross sectioned)

12. Sheriff Taylor's son : OPIE

13. Geeky type : NERD

18. Miniskirts reveal them : KNEES. You know what Bob Hope said ....

24. Marching band instruments : TUBAS

26. Solemn event : RITE

28. Unpleasantly humid : DANK. And unpleasantly chilly.

29. __ Island: former immigration center : ELLIS. If you care to visit, ferry routes.

31. Fall birthstone : OPAL

32. More, in adspeak : XTRA

33. Pickled veggie : BEET

34. Jason's vessel : ARGO

37. VIP's ride : LIMO

38. Like basic switches : ON/OFF

41. Thomas Hardy heroine : TESS Of The D'Urbervilles.

45. Planetary path : ORBIT

47. Rookie : NEWBIE

49. Points toward : AIMS AT

51. Tire pattern : TREAD

52. Burn a bit : SINGE

54. Uses a paper towel on, as a spill : BLOTS

55. Goosebump-causing : EERIE

56. Salon blower : DRYER

57. Beach makeup : SAND

58. "__ shalt not ..." : THOU

60. Verses of praise : ODES

61. Muscle quality : TONE

65. HST was his last VP : FDR. Harry S Truman/Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Here is the final installment of Kazie's trip to Spain. Thank you for carefully selecting the best of your photos and labeling each one, Kazie. Thanks also for the opportunity of seeing Spain through your eyes!

Sunday June 10, 2012 John Lampkin

Theme: "Baby Talk" - One word in each common phrase is replaced by a tot word.

23A. Kissing game? : SPIN THE BABA. Spin the bottle.

44A. Thing sliding down an aisle? : BRIDAL CHOO CHOO. Bridal train.

68A. Popular party appetizers? : PIGGIES IN BLANKIES. Pigs in blankets. This is similiar to the Cantonese sausage bun. The sausage there is sweet though.

91A. Dire circumstance, idiomatically? : HELL OR HIGH WAWA. Hell or high water.

118A. "Ego Trippin'" rapper? : SNOOP BOWWOW. Snoop Dogg.

26D. Waistline concern? : WUV HANDLES. Love handles.

64D. Romantic night out? : DIN DIN DATE. Dinner date.

Look at how the two Down theme entries intersect PIGGIES IN BLANKIES? Lovely! I can picture John's excitement when he discovered that he could make them interlock.

Interlocking theme entries creates compromises at times, but also creates smoother grid when you have lots of theme entries.

As always, brilliant clecho (clue echo). Just look at this list:

16A. Spot order? : SIT

19A. Tile with ordered spots : DOMINO

120A. Spot : EYE

127A. Scary spots in suspense movies : LEDGES

92D. Try to spot, with "for" : LOOK

Across:

1. A bundle, maybe : MOOLAH. And TILL (7. Money box)

11. Fully fills : SATES

20. Anderson who sang with Ellington : IVIE. Learned her name from doing Xwords. Wiki says she was born in Gilroy, CA, where our Garlic Girl lives.

21. The 31-Across's Quakers : U PENN. 31A. College hoops org. : NCAA

22. Stout relative : ALE

25. Recessed photo frame : SHADOWBOX. I think Dennis has one with all his medals/ribbons.

27. With 98-Across, "The most beautiful face in the world? It's yours" speaker : ESTEE. 98A. See 27-Across : LAUDER. Nice to have both filled in the grid.

28. Turner of records : TINA

29. "__ a Lady" : SHE'S. Tom Jones. I like his "Sex Bomb".

30. Lousy-sounding sausage : WURST

33. Movie promo : TRAILER

36. Wine holders : VATS

37. Compassionate : HUMANE. Foreign word to the despicable troll on our blog.

41. Some are tributarios : RIOS

42. Tchaikovsky's middle name : ILICH. Who knows!

48. Old ad challenge to wannabe artists : DRAW ME

52. Leer at : OGLE. Thought of Jazzbumpa' OGLE definition a while ago.

53. Rest atop : LIE ON

54. Filmmaker Lee : ANG. Literally "Peace".

56. Cause of kitchen tears : ONION

57. Brooks of comedy : MEL

58. Waterfall sounds : ROARS

59. Wordplay user : WIT

61. Iditarod front-runner : LEAD DOG. JD once met with an Iditarod winner. Jeff King, I think.

63. Half a 45 : B-SIDE

65. Zeno, e.g. : STOIC

67. Like sack dresses : BELT-LESS

72. Fran Drescher sitcom : THE NANNY. I can hear her nasal voice.

74. Miller's Willy : LOMAN. From "Death of a Salesman".

75. Lab protection org.? : ASPCA. Lab dog.

78. Andy with record-setting serves in excess of 150 mph : RODDICK. He's quite witty.

79. Barnyard beast : ASS

80. Cheney's successor : BIDEN

83. Dorm VIPs : RAs

84. Words often heard before a large number : ONE IN (a million)

85. Big Papi's team : SOX. For Linda. Big Papi is the nickname of David Ortiz, who used to be with the Twins. The ex-Twin I miss most is Johan Santana.

87. One of the Minor Prophets : HOSEA

88. Bloke : GENT

89. Animation pioneer : DISNEY

95. Critical times : D-DAYS

97. Pos. and neg. : OPPs

99. Large land mass : ASIA

102. Court activity : MOTIONS

104. Noah's eldest : SHEM. So, how many people boarded Noah's Ark?

106. Keebler cracker : ZESTA

108. 15th-century English ruling house : YORK

109. Going nowhere : IDLE

111. Doctor Bartolo, in "The Barber of Seville" : BASSO. Is Doctor Bartolo a bad guy? I know nothing about "The Barber of Seville".

116. Observatory tool : TELESCOPE

121. Cut off during pursuit : HEM IN

122. Aural cleaner : Q-TIP

123. "The Hairy Ape" playwright : O'NEILL (Eugene)

124. Coral isle : CAY

125. Bring joy to : ELATE

126. Steinway's partners? : SONS. Steinway & Sons. Both John & Rich are pianists.

Down:

1. Catalog stuff: Abbr. : MDSE

2. "Forgetful me!" : OOPS

3. Forget to include : OMIT

4. It may be broken on the road : LINE. White line on the road?

5. Beetle's appendage : ANTENNA

6. Water, to chemists : HOH. Reminded me of the HOO puzzle Bruce Sutphin & Doug Peterson constructed last Dec. They mistakenly thought water is HOO.

7. Talus neighbor : TIBIA

8. Terrible tsar : IVAN

9. Booze, facetiously : LIBATION

10. Low area? : LEA. Low is "Cattle call" here. Noun. And 50. Lows : MOOS. Verb.

11. Japanese restaurant staple : SUSHI

12. Orbital point farthest from the sun : APHELION. Gimme to Spitzboov/Bill G. New word to me.

13. Thistlelike plant : TEASEL

14. Stop : END

15. Winter blanket : SNOW

16. Native Israeli : SABRA

17. Runner-up's lament : I LOST

18. Campus armful : TEXTS

24. JFK posting : ETA

29. Merit badge site : SASH

32. String quartet member : CELLO. And 96. Musician with a 1712 Stradivarius : YO-YO MA.

34. Sinbad's giant egg-layer : ROC

35. Relieve (of) : RID

37. "Ivy Mike" test weapon : H-BOMB. Never heard of "Ivy Mike".

38. Eggs on : URGES

39. Multi-legged critters : MILLIPEDES

40. Juice drink suffix : ADE

41. Sits in a cage, say : ROOSTS

43. Zagreb resident : CROATIAN

45. Covert govt. group : CIA

46. "A Bell for Adano" author : HERSEY. Hey, "Adano" as a clue!

47. Feedbag morsel : OAT

49. Common : WIDESPREAD

51. Many MIT grads : ENGS

55. Watkins __: N.Y. road-racing town : GLEN. No idea, but Argyle knows all the road racing in N.Y.

58. Won back : REGAINED

59. Skid row figures : WINOS

60. Long-range nuke : ICBM

62. Grazer with a rack : ELK

66. Paints for Pissarro : OILS

67. Exile : BANISH

69. Health supplements co. : GNC

70. Colonial well fillers : INKS

71. Dwells on to excess : LABORS

72. Plodded : TROD

73. Hägar's daughter : HONI. Pronounced as "Honey", correct?

76. "Please, Daddy?" : CAN WE? John has two daughters.

77. "__ Is Born" : A STAR

79. Drop from the staff : AXE. Fire.

81. Agnus __ : DEI

82. Aerie builder : EAGLE. Fun to see "Aerie" as clue too.

86. "Come on, that's enough!" : OH STOP IT

87. Enters, as a cab : HOPS INTO

88. D.C. school named for a president : GWU

90. Verb for Popeye : YAM. "I yam what I yam..".

93. TLC provider : LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse)

94. Fido's Easter treat : HAM BONE. The clue made me smile.

99. Montezuma, e.g. : AZTEC

100. "Later!" : SEE YA

101. R&B's __ Brothers : ISLEY

103. Sherlock's adversary Adler : IRENE

104. Feeds, as pigs : SLOPS

105. Cool, old-style : HEP

107. Tennis legend : ASHE (Arthur)

110. Rub out : DO IN. Kill.

112. Quite impressed : AWED. The other day I marveled at Marti's eclectic hobbies & skills to Boomer. He said: "But what's her bowling average?"

113. Moonshine mouthful : SWIG. Quite a few alliterative clues in this puzzle.

114. Like some providers : SOLE

115. Feathered head-turners : OWLS. Wow, all the owls will be pleased with this clue!

117. Animation collectible : CEL. Speaking of collectibles, do any of you own the original Stratego? Splynter is looking for one.

118. Quilting units: Abbr. : SQs

119. Arg. neighbor : BOL (Bolivia)

Answer grid.

C.C.