Saturday, Oct 13th, 2012, Brad Wilber and Doug Peterson

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 28

 Today's puzzle was co-solved with my buddy Mike; we 'chilled' at the fire in the backyard, then came in for the challenge.  Triple stacks of 10- and 11-letters in a classic pinwheel, with some notables;

17A. Hard-hit line drive, in baseball lingo : FROZEN ROPE - perhaps fielded by 35D - anything to add, C.C.? (The hit goes like a straight frozen rope. Baseball has strange slang.)


13D. Sailboat configuration named for its resemblance to a radio antenna : MARCONI RIG - well, I went looking for a picture, and this is the best I could do


57A. Four-time LPGA Tour Player of the Year : NANCY LOPEZ - thanks, Mike; he's going golfing today, I have to work on the ramp again


26D. Makeup kit item : FACE SPONGE - AARGH~!!!  We stared at this one too long; brush, lotion, scrub, cream....all too short


I am working on my 24th hour, so forgive me for being a bit messy and off the mark


Onward~!


ACROSS:


1. It's mounted at the X Games : SKATEBOARD - I just waited on this one; too late, or too early to be getting DF
 
11. Escutcheon depiction : ARMS - I  am in carpentry mode; so this is not the escutcheon I was thinking of
 
15. One studying lines : PALM READER
 
16. Election prize : SEAT

18. Creature-feature prefix : WERE - Where wolf?  There~! There wolf ~!!
 
19. Pigeon : SAP
 
20. These, to Thierry : CES - French
 
21. From what source : WHENCE
 
23. Giant star in three decades : OTT - crossword staple
 
24. Bake in milk, as potatoes : ESCALLOP - HEY~! Not "E-tail", E-zine", "E...."
 

26. River phenomenon : FALLS - Good one, Mike; wasn't thinking of falls as a part of a river, but then again, where else would it occur?

29. Egregious : APPALLING
 
30. Prosaic, as prose : ARID
 
31. Legree-like looks : SNEERS
 
32. Title for Doyle : SIR
 
33. Pallet units: Abbr. : CTNs - I see about 1000 every morning, and they ain't on a pallet
 

34. Mr. Rochester's ward : ADELE - and a clecho at  56A. Instructor of 34-Across : EYRE - from the book Jane Eyre 

35. Handle for a razor : ATRA
 
36. Terrestrial wiggler : EFT
 
37. With some suspicions : WARILY
 
38. Eagles coach Andy : REID - Mike is from Philly, so a no-brainer for him
 
39. Disney's Maleficent, e.g. : SORCERESS - because PRINCESS didn't fit
 
41. Get stuck (in) : LODGE
 
42. Bar : PROHIBIT
 
43. "Stella by Starlight" lyricist Washington : NED
 
44. Red Cloud, notably : OGLALA - well,  I knew we were looking for an American Indian, but I have never heard of this Sioux Nation sub-band
 
45. They're "easy to get but hard to keep": Mae West : MEN
 
46. NYSE watchdog : SEC - the Securities and Exchange Commission
 
49. Dick Van Patten's "Mama" role : NELS - before my time; got it thru perps
 
50. Extinct cat : SABER-TOOTH
 
54. Tests for prospective Ph.D. students : GREs - learning moment for me - the Wiki
 
55. Excessive : INORDINATE


DOWN:

1. Protection nos. : SPFs - From the sun, that is; Mike and I have the same skin and it comes in two colors; transparent, and red 2. Former "Idol" panelist DioGuardi : KARA 3. Cockeyed : ALOP - "A" well.... 4. Tabloid TV debut of 2007 : TMZ - not E-TV 5. Puts up : ERECTS - I am almost done erecting the ramp at the church 6. Either of two brothers with a Pulitzer Prize in poetry : BENET 7. Dory movers : OARS - "great, more boats..." - what movie?  huh, huh? 8. Kerfuffle : ADO 9. Exercise unit : REP 10. "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" moderator : DREW CAREY 11. To boot : AS WELL 12. Said yes to another tour : REENLISTED 14. Road sign often including a percent symbol : STEEP GRADE   22. Dutch Golden Age painter : HALS (Frans) 23. Silhouette maker : OLDS 24. Olympian with a mask : EPEEIST - not enough to see 'epee' in crosswords, now we have the epee - ist 25. Breaks down, in a way : SPELLS - ah, I had SPOILS at first, but we're talking words, not food here 27. Bad pictures? : ART FORGERY - tried ART FILM --- at first 28. Valuable aid for a cat owner : LINT ROLLER 29. "War and Peace" prince : ANDREI 31. Coal-rich area at stake in the Treaty of Versailles : SAAR BASIN 35. Yanks' #13 : A-ROD 37. "The Need for Roots" author Simone : WEIL 40. Gliding dance step : CHASSE - More French(?), more Wiki 41. Soup bean : LENTIL 43. Uncool : NERDY 45. Soldier of fortune, briefly : MERCenary 46. __ dish : SOAP 47. Lay back? : ETTE - LAY-ette 48. Stylish eatery word : CHEZ 51. 2008 French Open winner Ivanovic : ANA 52. Nice approval : BON 53. Tokyo-born artist : ONO Splynter

Friday, October 12, 2012, Joe Samulak and Peter A. Collins

Theme: Now where did I leave that MAN?

Five very successful authors who happen to have first names ending with "MAN" are clued with those letters lopped off, and returned only when we learn they are there,  but cannot be seen per the unifier. All the theme except the unifier are present in Down answers, and the grid has a left to right mirror symmetry. Mr. Collins is a very prolific constructor, (INTERVIEW) both alone and with collaborators, though this appears to be the first puzzle effort for Mr. Samulak, who may be a teacher also from Michigan. A confusing, challenging Friday with lots of 3 letter fill but some interesting clues, and a really fabulous theme. Isn't it amazing how constructors notice five authors whose first names all ended in MAN and whose names fit his grid? If you do the acrosses first, you must have been wondering if somehow a themeless snuck in the door until you saw 60A. Lots of nice 7 and 9 letter fill. I am curious what the corner will think.

3D. *"Midnight's Children" author : SALMAN RUSHDIE.(10) One time ENEMY of Islam.

5D. *"Armies of the Night" author : NORMAN MAILER.(9). Another very influential AUTHOR.

10D. *"Breakfast at Tiffany's" author : TRUMAN  CAPOTE.(9) Most probably associate him with In Cold Blood , but he had his light SIDE.(2:56).

12D. *"The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" author : SHERMAN ALEXIE.(10). The least famous of the authors, you might want to STUDY.

25D. *"The Caine Mutiny" author : HERMAN WOUK.(7). My personal favorite he wrote everything from Caine Mutiny , Winds of War and Marjorie Morningstar. Old REALITY TV. (9:09) 

 Well the * may have helped, but here was the unifier:

60A. H.G. Wells (herbert, not herman) classic, and a hint to this puzzle's theme found in the answers to starred clues : THE INVISIBLE MAN. I love how this makes such perfect sense as the MAN is there, you just can't see it.

Across:

1. Like the Knights Templar : MASONIC. This fraternal organization symbolized by the compass, square and capital G claims its origins from the building of King Solomon's Temple. My family were all Mason, and my uncle taught masonry in trade school.

8. Performers, e.g. : ARTISTS. Many masons are artists but not performers, and watching many of the new shows this season on television, it seems many performers are not artists.

15. In : A LA MODE. This is a phrase which was quite common in 40's and 50's literature to show something was stylish, but it is mostly associated with Pie nowadays. Which made 2D. Mobile home?: Abbr. : ALAbama trickier, but Mowbeel (ph) is a coastal city in that fine state.

16. Kiss offerer : HERSHEY. From Hershey, PA.

17. Unit often counted : CALORIE. When dieting became popular, counting calories was the first theory, though it ignored other issues. It is true if you eat 1000 calories per day you will lose weight, and go crazy.

18. Big rigs : HAULERS.

19. Cowboy Tony : ROMO. Poor Tony Romo stuck on America's team and always losing the big one. SAD. (0:44).

20. Writer of creamy messages : ICER. It took me almost two hours to understand this refers to the person whop writes the message on top of the cake.  DO'H(2:04) Skip the ad.

21. Lion's prey : GNU. Who knew?

23. Ancient Greek storage vessel : AMPHORA.

27. Hook, line and sinker : ALL. A fishy image.

30. Mantegna's "Criminal Minds" role : ROSSI.  LINK.(1:38).

32. The Once-___: "The Lorax" character : LER.

33. March of Dimes' original crusade : POLIO. Almost eradicated by Salk and others, but on the rebound. My grandfather suffered as a child in Poland, and they buried his leg with him standing up to keep it from twisting. It did not help.

35. Leaded fuel component : ETHYL. I will let our scientists tell you about this.

36. Rush discovery : ORE. No, not something from Mr. Limbaugh, or a Canadian band, but like the Gold Rush.

37. Pizza places : OVENS. Nice clue, as they all go there.

38. Wimbledon champ before Pete : ANDRE. Agassi; has anyone read his controversial autobiography?

39. It didn't get its no. until 1939 : WWI. Yes, I believe it was the Great War, and the War to end all Wars until they showed they could do better.

40. Urban cruisers : TAXIS. Another nice clue.

41. "___ see" : SO I. Did you?

42. Determination : RESOLVE.

45. Alp ending : INE. Okay, am I the only one who thought of marti landing on her tush at the end of a run in the Alps?

46. Fleece sources : EWES. Youse guys get this one? or perhaps, 51D. Farm female : HEN.

48. People : SOULS.

49. Lines at the hosp. : EEGS. ElectroEncephaloGrams. They appear as lines on a graph.

50. Oscar winners' lines : THANK YOUS. Simple, but elegant answer.

53. On top of things : AWARE. We try here.

56. Make it right : ATONE. back to the sins?

66. "...by yonder blessed ___ I swear": Romeo : MOON.Act II, Scene 2, the balcony scene.

67. Muse of Hughes : ERATO. Langston Hughes. I know my Muses, just not my Hugheses.

68. Author Bagnold : ENID. A CW regular and a non-theme author, best known in the US for National Velvet, which became the movie which launched Elizabeth Taylor's career.

69. Squealed : SANG. The dirty rat, sang like a canary!

70. Sharp rival : XEROX. The old tricky product name deception, I wonder who they copied this clue from?

71. Thickness measures : MILS. .0001 inch. I had this one wired.

Down:

1. Buddy : MAC.

4. "Typee" sequel : OMOO. Gotta love those vowels.

6. Hit the road, say : IDIOM. Jack, and don't you come back no more, no more.

7. Hard part of mathematics? : CEE. Exceedingly tricky for a three letter fill as the letter is pronounced as hard C.

8. "What a relief!" : AHH. Plop, plop, fizz fizz?

9. Show again : REAIR. Yes the Alka Seltzer commercial often was re-aired.

11. ___ Royale: Lake Superior national park : ISLE. As with many, we get a shout out to the constructors' home state of MICHIGAN here.

13. Thrice, in Rx's : TER.  Ter in die, mean three in a day in Latin, is also known as TID in scrips.

14. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYStem.

21. ___ monkey : GREASE. I get the grease part, but why monkey, for that matter why monkey wrench, and why monkey around? Well I know why, but why call it that?

22. "This is a bad time" : NOT NOW. But it must be now!

24. Continues despite hardship : PLOWS ON.

26. Radar of TV : O'REILLY. Of grape Nehi fame on M*A*S*H.

28. Common boot feature : LINING. But who among us would ever wear a common boot?

29. They affect stock prices : LOSSES. Which then create losses in the stock prices, the circle of investing, though making or losing money does not always decide a stock price.

31. UAR member : SYRia. No politics.

34. Fertility clinic cells : OVA. here we are in three letter land, like munchkins.

43. That, in Oaxaca : ESA. Spanish is spoken in this Mexican town.

44. Brandy letters : VSO. Very Special Old, like many of you on the blog.

47. Quaint memory aid : STRING.  FACTOID?

49. Respect : ESTEEM.

52. "Friendly skies" co. : UAL. United Airlines

53. Casino fixtures : ATMS. Automated Teller Machines; I know I will win it all back and more, I just need to keep playing!

54. "Halt!" : WHOA. What Gamblers Anonymous would tell you, also appropriate for Tonto and the Lone ranger.

55. Near-eternity : AEON. Charlize Theron, an artist?

57. Upscale hotel chain : OMNI.

58. Get exactly right : NAIL. Our own C.C.'s favorite expression when getting a tricky clue. I nailed it!

59. Culminates : ENDS.

61. Annoy : VEX. What we get by many anons, but we never show our

62. Anger : IRE.

63. Men's patriotic org. : SAR. Sons of the American Revolution, is a SOCIETY; I grew up in New England and when I started school, I was told Mrs. Sochor was a DAR, I was 6 but did the math and that meant she was at least 170 years old, she did look it. She was only 88.

64. Skater Midori : ITO. A truly appropriate tribute to dear CA who along with Robin were the FIGURE SKATERS on the Corner.

65. Enclose, in a way : BOX. Well I guess I have boxed myself into a Corner, which is where you are at, so it is time for me to go; Joe and Peter, thank you and for the rest, the sense of community here is awesome. be well and be careful.

Lemonade

Thursday, October 11, 2012 Jeff Crandall

Theme: # (That little symbol that you hit on your phone when you want to return to the main menu...)
I believe this is a debut puzzle for Mr.  Crandall. If so, congratulations!  It's a great feeling to see your first puzzle published in the LA Times, isn't it?

And here are the stars of the show:

17A. Pound : BEAT WITH A HAMMER

25A. Pound : STRAY DOG SHELTER

43A. Pound : MEASURE OF WEIGHT

58A. Pound : BRITISH CURRENCY

It's Thursday again, so I must be Marti. Four 15-letter themers. Pretty impressive, with totally different meanings in each entry. Pretty straightforward, so any questions?

Across:

1. Breakfast brand : TOTAL. I like Special K, myself.

6. Omega, to an electrician : OHM. Or a yoga chant, to Marti.

9. Stage : PHASE. I'm still trying to grow out of my "awkward" PHASE.

14. Hippodrome, e.g. : ARENA. So, is that what I now have to call those saddles below my waist?

15. Yellow ride : CAB. Not submarine? 2:26

16. Come again? : RECUR. I love to recur!

20. Ocean flatfish : SOLE. Oh, sole mio!

21. Half a dance : CAN.-can. Or, cha-cha?

22. Beginnings : ONSETS

23. Church title: Abbr. : REV.erend

24. Ship destroyer in Sinbad's fifth voyage : ROC. Yikes!

34. Dilemma for Jonah : WHALE. Yikes!

(I am going to have nightmares tonight, for sure!)

35. Eggs : OVA

36. Coastal raptor : ERNE

37. Astrological Ram : ARIES

38. Econ. yardstick : GNP. Gross National Product. Jazzbumpa?

39. ZZ Top and Cream : TRIOS

40. Campus military org. : ROTC. Reserve Officer's Training Corps.

41. Hat with a tassel : FEZ. I thought of Abejo!

42. ___ City, Oklahoma : PONCA. Map. Famous for? (Bullwinkle had relatives there!)

47. Homer's neighbor : NED. All I know about the Simpsons, I learned in crosswords!

48. Chaired, say : LED

49. Degenerate : EFFETE. Spoiled, burned out, corrupt, debased.

53. Rte. provider : AAA. American Automobile Association. "Triple 'A'"

54. Astrological edge : CUSP. I believe the Libra-Scorpio CUSP is coming up on 19-October. Any astrologers out there?

61. Capital on the Aar : BERNE. Another map.

62. Holiday ___ : INN

63. Church centerpiece : ALTAR

64. Place : STEAD

65. One may have a sitter : PET. Or, a sematary

66. Small world? : GLOBE. It's a small world, after all. (Caution: "ear worm") 6:04


Down:

1. Bar obligations : TABS

2. Longtime Hydrox competitor : OREO. Did you hear about their new candy corn cookie?

3. Freshwater duck : TEAL. Yumm!

4. Chip in a new pot : ANTE. Poker chip.

5. Principle : LAW

6. Common choir music book size : OCTAVO. About 6 x 9 inches.

7. Chemistry Nobelist Otto : HAHN. The "Father of Nuclear Chemistry".

8. CEO's degree : MBA. Masters of Business Administration. Chief Executive Officer.

9. Ride proudly : PRANCE

10. Haws' partner : HEMS. Not "gees?"...geez!! Oh, wait: here we have it at 38D. Opposite of hawed : GEED.

11. Top : ACME. Also, Road Runner's supplier. ("Meep, meep!!")

12. Cooking fat : SUET. Southern for "lard."

13. Overthrows, maybe : ERRS. This one gave me fits. I wanted "usurps," but it wouldn't fit. Of course, we are talking about a baseball error here, I think?

18. Coffee, tea or milk option : ICED. Yay!! Not "Ice" tea...

19. Fuss : HOOHA. Oh yeah! 0:05

23. Whiskey orders : RYES

24. Invitation initials : RSVP. Répondez s'il vous plaît, meaning "Please respond.”


25. Group in a hive : SWARM

26. Severe pang : THROE. I really, really, really wanted "Throb"...

27. Eastern yogurt condiment : RAITA. Learning moment. I'll have to try this recipe, made with cucumber, yogurt, coriander, cumin, mint and cayenne. Serve with Seekh kabab.

28. Smart guys? : ALECS. Baldwins, et al.?

29. "Great" Muppet daredevil : GONZO

30. "Vive ___!" : LE ROI. ("The King")

31. Camera-to-telescope adapter : T-RING. Another new one for me.  Any amateur photographers out there who have one?

32. Methuselah's father : ENOCH

33. Posed again : RESAT. meh...

39. Adorned in a prankish way : TP'ED. Short for "Toilet Papered". It is getting to be that time of year when pranksters will adorn your trees.

41. Lets go : FREES. And a clecho:

44. Let go, as a prisoner : UNTIED

45. Show off : FLAUNT

46. Fray, e.g. : WEAR

49. Abates : EBBS

50. Worry : FRET

51. Camper's cooker : FIRE. Anyone for BBQ?

52. Europe's highest active volcane : ETNA.

53. Promgoer's concern : ACNE. Not to be confused with 11D.

54. Basic organic unit : CELL

55. Golden rule word : UNTO. "Do unto others..."

56. Healing sign : SCAB

57. Flammable pile : PYRE

59. Trendy : HIP

60. Joplin piece : RAG. And I leave you with this, until next week! 3:34


Hugs,
Marti

Wednesday, Oct 10 2012, Matt Skoczen

theme: smile to hide the tears

17A. *Role in the films "Wichita" and "Tombstone" : WYATT EARP

3D. *Protection for jousters : PLATE ARMOR

9A. *2000s documentary whose first episode was "From Pole to Pole" : PLANET EARTH

24A. *One who was held up, most likely : LATE ARRIVAL

30A. *Indoor antenna : RABBIT EARS

62A. Rip to pieces, and a hint to what's hidden in the answers to this puzzle's starred clues : TEAR APART

melissa here. i love theme-heavy puzzles, so this was fun for me. just right wednesday level. definitely needed perps for the theme answers. what's not to love about a full grid with long downs & theme entry intersection?

gonna be quick today,  internet connection a bit unstable, and it just started raining, which seems to make it worse (?). all my fault - i washed my car yesterday. 

Across

1. Aphid's meal : SAP. i only know they like tomato plants, never knew it was the sap they were feeding on.

4. Marsh bird : EGRET

9. Neil Simon's "__ Suite" : PLAZA. simon's early work is stellar. especially love this scene from the odd couple.

14. Communication at Gallaudet U. : ASL. graduate school for deaf and hard of hearing students. did anyone know this?

15. Concert venue : ARENA

16. Bona fide : LEGIT

19. Opposite of après : AVANT. french for after / before.

20. Place for un chapeau : TETE. more french. head / hat.

21. Miracle-__ : GRO

22. Get-up-and-go : ENERGY

23. Opera featuring Iago : OTELLO. based on shakespeare's othello.

25. Lint collector : NAVEL. snort.

27. It may be set or set off : ALARM. off is best.

29. Glowing, perhaps : LIT. no comment.

30. Cleaning closet item : RAG

33. Nautical pole : SPRIT. had no idea. where's jeannie? 

35. Spry : AGILE

37. Will Smith title role : ALI

38. French noble : COMTE. new to me. also a french raw milk cheese.

39. Trail behind : LAG

40. Grape-growing spot : ARBOR

42. Back when : AGO

43. Put to shame : ABASH

45. Mutineer : REBEL

46. Neither mate : NOR

47. Noisy quarrel : ROW

48. "Hotel Rwanda" tribe : TUTSI

50. Compote ingredient : FRUIT

52. Fired on : SHOT AT

55. __ of Gibraltar : STRAIT

58. Source of lean red meat : EMU. tastes like chicken?

60. Pertaining to planes : AERO. hmm. i thought it was relating to air …?

61. Pope after Sergius II : LEO IV. don't have these things memorized.

64. Lexus competitor : ACURA

65. Malady with swelling : MUMPS

66. "Norma __" : RAE

67. Potter's apparatus : WHEEL. as in pottery.

68. "Count me out" : I PASS

69. Part of DOS: Abbr. : SYS. the old days … disk operating system. anyone else feel old?

Down

1. Managed : SAW TO

2. So far : AS YET

4. "Mangia!" : EAT. italian.

5. Genetics pioneer Mendel : GREGOR. i'm studying anthropology and environmental science right now, otherwise i wouldn't have known this. the father of genetics - he studied pea plants. quite fascinating.

6. Derrière : REAR

7. 2001 bankruptcy filer : ENRON

8. Brew source : TAP

10. Video game stage : LEVEL

11. Ice cream thickener : AGAR. more science. a polymer, made from algae.

12. Criticize with barbs : ZING

13. DOJ employee : ATTY. department of justice - attorney.

18. "We want to hear the story" : TELL IT

22. Devil's work : EVIL

26. Land : ALIGHT. verb.

28. Mozambique neighbor : MALAWI

31. Lotion addition : ALOE

32. Gibson __ : GIRL

33. Diagnostic test : SCAN

34. Comic strip possum : POGO

36. Beetle juice? : GAS. ohhhh …. vw beetle. beetle juice is pretty spendy these days.

41. Lather again : RE-SOAP. 

44. Flu fighter's episode : BOUT

49. Seizes unlawfully : USURPS. never knew the 'unlawful' part ….

50. Renaissance __ : FAIRE. 

51. Start a hole : TEE UP. reminds me of work. the fry's tournament is this week. will be glad when it's over.

53. Variety : ARRAY

54. Big name in raingear : TOTES

55. Picnic side : SLAW

56. One helping after a crash : TECH. computer crash.

57. Cad : ROUE. beast!

59. Cass's title : MAMA. for eddyb:

62. "Spare me the details," in brief : TMI. too much information.

63. Backpacked beast : ASS

Answer grid.

Melissa

Note from C.C.:

I'm sorry to inform you the passing of dear Clear Ayes, whose wisdom and advice I relied on in the early days of this blog. Thanks for letting us know, Windhover.

                     Clear Ayes (Lois) & GAH (Golf Addicted Husband) Fred

Tuesday, October 9, 2012 Neville Fogarty

Theme: Aerated - The word, AIR, may be added to both halves of the starred entries.

18A. *Ginger ale brand : CANADA DRY. Air Canada, our northern neighbor's largest airline and Air dry, Hanging the wash on the line.

20A. *It gets you a ticket to ride : BUS FARE. Air bus, Image and Air fare, what it would cost to ride the Air Canada airbus.

34A. *Hold that might precede a noogie : HEAD LOCK. Air head, not really a loon, and Air lock, often seen in sci-fi movies.

41A. *Umpire's call : PLAY BALL. Air play, time sought by politicians this time of year and Air ball, a basketball that misses completely.

55A. *Sack with letters : MAIL BAG. Air mail, doesn't mean so much today as most first-class mail goes by air anyway and Air bag, those automotive devices that might save you in a serious crash and harm you in a minor crash.

60A. *Neck-and-neck election campaign : TIGHT RACE. Air tight, a frequent claim of plastic bag manufacturers and Air race, flying planes too fast, too close to the ground.

61D. Word that can precede either part of each starred clue's answer : AIR

Argyle here. Overslept, no time to talk. Good job, Neville.

Across:

1. Actor Lorenzo : LAMAS. IMDb.

6. Crumbly cheese : FETA. Strong taste.

10. Mt. Rushmore's state : S. DAK. (South Dakota)

14. Where Crockett famously fought : ALAMO. Mission in Texas.

15. Disappearing Asian sea : ARAL. East of the Caspian Sea.

16. Running rate : PACE

17. Design theme : MOTIF. From French.

22. Badminton target : BIRDIE. Also called the shuttlecock.

23. "Arrested Development" star Jason : BATEMAN

 

26. Rushing units: Abbr. : YD's. Ground gained in football, measured in yards.

27. "Star Trek" weapon : PHASER. Could be set from mild tingle to deep fry.

31. Makes an appearance : COMES

33. Investor's online destination : E*TRADE

38. Give out, as a signal : EMIT

39. Loser to DDE : AES. (Dwight D. Eisenhower/Adlai E. Stevenson)

40. School near Burlington, North Carolina : ELON

44. Fix on a stake : IMPALE. "Vlad, don't look at me that way!"

46. Loggers' contest : ROLEO. A little reinforcement of our recent entry. Clip (0:34)

47. Get the better of : OUTFOX

48. Cup rim : LIP

51. Tom Brokaw's domain : NBC NEWS

53. French president's palace : ÉLYSÉE

 

 

63. "Cheers" barmaid : CARLA. (Carla Maria Victoria Angelina Teresa Apollonia Lozupone Tortelli LeBec)

64. Broadway auntie : MAME. 1,508 performances.

65. Bleacher feature : TIER

66. To no __: fruitlessly : AVAIL

67. Nestlé ice cream brand : EDY'S or Dreyer's.

68. Air France hub : ORLY. A little more air?

69. Drink with steamed milk : LATTE

Down:

1. Baby bleater : LAMB. A round-about shout-out to Windhover.

2. 1966 N.L. batting champ Matty : ALOU

3. Protective floor coverings : MATS

4. "I __ you are!" : AM IF

5. Convenience for an overnight guest : SOFA BED

6. Emerald side : FACET. or any cut gem stone.

7. Hurler's stat : ERA. (earned run average) Important but not as important as the win/loss figure.

8. Sunbather's shade : TAN

9. The Heart of Dixie : ALABAMA

 

 

10. Practice with gloves : SPAR

11. Papa : DADDY

12. Harsh-smelling : ACRID

13. Conservative pundit Alan : KEYES. This man.

19. Ate in style : DINED

21. Hard to come by : RARE

24. Level of authority : ECHELON

25. "The Simpsons" watering hole : MOE'S

27. Nestling noise : PEEP

28. Webmaster's file type : HTML. (HyperText Markup Language)

29. Verdi's "Caro nome," e.g. : ARIA

30. Lascivious cloven-hoofed creature : SATYR

32. Took a siesta : SLEPT

35. Name of several Norwegian kings : OLAF

36. Neb. neighbor : COLO.rado. and 44D. Nebraska neighbor : IOWA

37. Plastic construction toy : K'NEX

39. Novelist Waugh : ALEC

42. Lisa of "A Different World" : BONET. and the Cosby Show.

43. 2005-'07 attorney general Gonzales : ALBERTO

45. Broadway fare : MUSICAL

48. "I insist!" : "LET ME!"

49. Trojan War epic : ILIAD

50. Miniature : PYGMY

52. Nail file material : EMERY

 

 

54. Mariners' pronouns : SHEs

56. Volcanic flow : LAVA

57. Sitter's handful : BRAT

58. Hit the ground : ALIT

59. Powerful wind : GALE

62. Animation frame : CEL

Answer grid.

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

Thanks for the touching words on Eddy yesterday. I'd like to share this story with you:

Eddy went into a self-exposed exile in the summer of 2010 due to an incident on the blog. But he could not resist the pull of the blog, one day he left a couple anonymous comments. I recognized him immediately (as his style was so unique), so I wrote to him & teased him about the posts. I started calling him Lurker B from then on.

Some of you might remember these wonderful sand sculpture picture I linked on August 23, 2010. It's an email forward from Eddy. He commented at 12:07pm (as Lurker B). Read also Tinbeni's comment @1:24pm (You knew our little secret?!).

I was pleased and comforted that Eddy was later welcomed back as eddyB and enjoyed his time in the Corner. He'd love what Yellowrocks said yesterday: "We are a true virtual community. I eagerly look forward to sitting at the table with you daily."

Eddy, JD & Chickie attended Warren & Ruth's pottery & jam sale last September. Here is a photo of them together. From left to right: Warren, JD, Eddy & Chickie.

Monday, October 8, 2012 Dave Sarpola

Theme: Three Homonyms - But the trick is the homonyms are in the clues.

20. It makes sense : COGENT ARGUMENT

37. It makes cents : THE DENVER MINT

53. It makes scents : PERFUME FACTORY

Argyle here, putting in his three cents. Interesting note; our constructor had debut puzzles last spring in both the NYT and the LAT. Today he has puzzles in both papers. All four are catchy and innovative. Three long entries today. Kudos.

Across:

1. Fermented honey drink : MEAD

5. Put in the pantry : STORE

10. Prepare email : TYPE

14. Fairly large fair : EXPO. (exposition)

15. Symphonic wrap-ups : CODAs. Remember yesterday's clue, Beatles hit with a four-minute coda.

16. Fuel for a firepit : WOOD. The wood stoves are heating up around here now. And afterwards, 24A. Firepit residue : ASH

17. Take an ax to : CHOP. -to get the wood for the firepits and stoves.

18. Place for sporting events : ARENA

19. Money in Milan : EURO. Cabbage in Córdoba. Give me some more.

23. Roses-red link : ARE. Plus these red links. 25A. Seeing red : ANGRY. And 32A. "Little Red Book" chairman : MAO

27. __ au poivre : STEAK

29. Takes a downturn : DIPS. Implies there will be a upturn. Like yesterday's theme?

33. Nightstand spot : BEDSIDE. I understand that is where a mountain of books resides.

36. Camping trip dampener : RAIN

40. Easy pace : TROT

41. Rested on one's laurels : COASTED

42. Parking facility : LOT

43. Lines of pews : ROWS. I wasted time overthinking this one.

44. Painter of ballerinas : DEGAS

 

48. California's __ Mesa : COSTA. In Orange County but Newport Beach is between it and the coast.

50. "Just __ thought!" : AS I

52. Wagon wheel groove : RUT

58. Boyfriend : BEAU

59. Threescore : SIXTY. A score is twenty.

60. GI sought by MPs : AWOL. (Absent WithOut Leave)

61. Uneaten morsels : ORTS

62. They're blue when they're fair : SKIES. song(3:46) from 5D. Sings like Ella Fitzgerald : SCATS

63. Inca territory : PERU

64. Hissed "Hey!" : [PSST!]

65. Fashionably dated : RETRO. From an earlier era.

66. Periods in history : ERAs

Down:

1. Popular tourist destinations : MECCAs

2. Caution earnestly : EXHORT

3. Highest point in a satellite's orbit : APOGEE. The low point of the orbit is called the perigee.

4. Info : DOPE

6. Synagogue reading : TORAH

7. Poland-Germany border river : ODER. The much smaller river, Eder, shows up occasionally.

8. Sounded the bell : RANG

9. Biblical twin : ESAU

10. Many a junior high student : TWEEN

11. Violin-playing comedian : YOUNGMAN. "Take my wife...please."

 

12. Rogues' gallery item : PORTRAIT

13. Shogun's capital : EDO. Early name for Tokyo, Japan.

21. In the buff : NAKED

22. English Lit. majors' degrees : MA's. (Master of Arts)

26. Over there, back when : YON. Sometimes partnered with 'hither'.

28. Act the accessory : ABET

29. Opera headliners : DIVAs

30. Foreboding March day : IDES. I suppose it's not foreboding in other months.

31. Fresh-mouthed : PERT

34. Artistic style of the Empire State Building : DECO

35. Hoped-for Christmas weather : SNOW. Especially by the locals with plow truck payments. They didn't make much last winter.

36. Ferris wheel, e.g. : RIDE. A wheely big idea. Link

37. Speed trap setters : TROOPERS

38. Under-the-gun situations : HOT SEATS

39. Company doctor : MEDIC. Fuzzy clue.

40. Comfort from mom, briefly : TLC. (Tender Loving Care) but Mom also had the 51D. Last word : SAY SO. "...because I said so. Yes, Mom."

43. WWII fliers : RAF. (Royal Air Force)

45. Produce producer : GROWER. Boy, aren't farmer's markets the big thing now?

46. __ borealis : AURORA. Feel free to link to this.

47. Touchscreen-touching tool : STYLUS

49. Expect loyalty from : TRUST

50. In pursuit of : AFTER

54. Georgia was a part of it: Abbr. : USSR. Map, on the east end of the Black Sea.

55. Emcee's need : MIKE

56. Leave : EXIT

57. Sprinter's goal : TAPE

58. Jazz genre : BOP

Answer grid.

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) I'm sad to tell you that we lost eddyB on Sept 15, 2012. He was 73 years old. Eddy actually left two posts on that day (4:16am & 4:47pm). His comments were always succinct, funny and often appeared cryptic to those who didn't know him. But he was a kind soul, always giving me timely response on any racing or hockey related fill. Thanks to Seen for the alert & Argyle for the research on Eddy's final posts on the blog.

2) Happy Birthday to Jayce, whose cheerful & caring comments I look forward to everyday. 生日快乐!

Sunday Oct 7, 2012 Amy Johnson

Theme: "High Jinks"- UP is inserted into common phrases.

23A. Dear John? : BREAKING-UP NEWS. Perfect clue. Breaking News.
 

34A. Extortion amount, perhaps? : COVER-UP CHARGE. Cover charge.

66A. Raise some prices in the 19th-century literature section? : MARK UP TWAIN. Mark Twain.

97A. Revolting Oscar also-rans? : UPRISING STARS. Rising stars.

116A. View from the Transamerica Tower? : BALTIMORE SUNUP. Baltimore Sun.

15D. Hired prankster on the set? : DIRECTOR'S CUTUP. Director's cut.

 50D. One-liner from the pulpit? : UPSTANDING JOKE. Standing joke.

So, 3 insertions are in the middle, 2 in front and 2 in the back. Very consistent. You don't want an odd man out in your theme selection.

Looks like this is Amy Johnson's debut, and a Sunday! Congrats.

Across:

1. Saucers in the air : UFOs

 

5. Jewelry holder : CHEST. Sounds old-fashioned.
 

10. You won't see them in N.L. ballparks : DHs (Designated Hitter)

 

13. Shanghai : ABDUCT
 

19. Raise Cain : RANT
 

20. Miniseries opener : PART I
 

21. Turn state's evidence : RAT. Not famliar with the term "Turn state's evidence".

22. Book with Dick and Jane, say : PRIMER

26. Alice Walker title color : PURPLE. "The Color Purple".
 

27. Playing marble : AGATE
 

28. Response to "Was it that bad?" : DON'T ASK. I'll never tell...

 

29. What liars lack : HONESTY
 

30. So-called : NOMINAL
 

32. Mordor monster : ORC. "The Lord of the Rings".
 

33. Colorado-based sports org. : USOC (United States Olympic Committee)

39. Greenish blue hue : TEAL
 

43. James and Natalie's "Rebel Without a Cause" co-star : SAL (Mineo). Never saw the movie. You? I do like James Dean in "East of Eden".

46. Yemeni seaport : ADEN
 

47. Rest stop sights : SEMIs

 

48. Star of the 1981 revue "The Lady and Her Music" : HORNE (Lena).
 

49. "Ice cream castles in the air," in a Mitchell song : CLOUDS. "Both Sides, Now". This constructor might be a Joni Mitchell fan.
 

52. H.S. math course : ALG
 

54. Fabled flier : ROC
 

55. Frito-Lay chip : DORITO. Speaking of chips, what are your must-buys in Trader Joe's? I like their salsa & fig butter.
 

56. Manufactured goods : OUTPUT
 

57. Sullen look : POUT
 

59. Graduate's award : SHEEPSKIN. How does it become diploma? Strange.
 

61. Opulent : PLUSH
 

62. Stocking shades : ECRUS. Splynter's leggy girls often wear black colored stocking.
 

64. Of the flock : LAIC
 

65. Steinbeck title starter : EAST. "East of Eden".

70. Where Brigham Young settled : UTAH
 

74. Bio lab gel : AGAR
 

76. Glad alternative : SARAN. Wiki says "Saran" was coined by a combination of Sarah and Ann, the names of the Dow Chemical engineer's wife and daughter.

77. Screen partner : STAGE

78. Not even slightly different : IDENTICAL. Cute haircut for these quadruplets. From left to right, 4, 1, 3 & 2 in Chinese. So the teachers can tell them apart.

 
 

 

83. New Eng. state : CONN
 

84. Boosters, often : ALUMNI
 

85. Once in a blue moon : SELDOM
 

86. Landscaper's purchase : SOD
 

88. Mine in Rome : MIO. "'O sole mio" = "My sunshine".
 

89. Took a short trip : HOPPED
 

90. "American Psycho" author : ELLIS. Bret Easton Ellis. Unknown to me.
 

91. Aweigh : ATRIP
 

93. NASDAQ competitor : NYSE
 

95. "__ Grew Older": Hughes poem : AS I
 

96. Vivacity : ELAN
 

101. H.S. dropouts may earn them : GEDs

 

103. Cat lead-in : SNO
 

104. School : EDUCATE
 

108. Beatles hit with a four-minute coda : HEY JUDE

111. Measure that's often square : FOOTAGE
 

114. Household cleanser : BORAX
 

115. Fútbol shout : OLE OLE

 
 118. Dairy worker : MILKER. And 97D. 118-Across targets : UDDERS. The cow looks very burdened, PK/Spitzboov.

 

119. Quad bike, for one : ATV
 

120. Pigeon shelters : COTES
 

121. Two-time All-Star Martinez : TINO
 

122. Fishermen with pots : EELERS. Every puzzle has a few undesirable fill to glue things together.
 

123. Raised golf course feature : TEE
 

124. Strengthen's opposite : ERODE
 

125. Film crew locales : SETS

Down:

 1. __ sprawl : URBAN
 

2. Wells's partner : FARGO. The bank was hacked a couple of weeks ago.

3. Late show hr. : ONE AM

4. At a standstill : STATIC
 

5. Inflation no. : CPI (Consumer Price Index)
 

6. Dealt with : HANDLED
 

7. Cogito __ sum : ERGO
 

8. __ gun : STUN
 

9. Best of the best : TIPTOP
 

10. "Happily Divorced" star : DRESCHER (Fran). A "Fran" in the clue would make the fill easier.

11. Aggressive type : HAWK

12. Part of USA: Abbr. : STs

13. Place beside : APPOSE

14. German philosopher Bauer : BRUNO. No idea. What's his philosophy?

16. Out callers : UMPS
 

17. Gael or Breton : CELT
 

18. Small diamond : TREY. I was picturing a real diamond.
 

24. Popular bar game : KENO
 

25. Busters : NARCS
 

29. Half of XOXO : HUGS
 

31. Sailor's "Stop!" : AVAST
 

35. Grim guy? : REAPER
 

36. Open, in a way : UNLOCK
 

37. "Famous" cookie creator : AMOS
 

38. Drummer Buddy : RICH
 

40. Christine's phantom admirer : ERIK. "The Phantom of the Opera".
 

41. Prefix with knock : ANTI
 

42. "Exodus" author Uris : LEON
 

43. Check (out) : SCOPE
 

44. "Be-Bop-__": Gene Vincent hit : A-LULA
 

45. Meditative position : LOTUS. I can't seem to meditate. Deep thinking does not fit me.
 

48. Navajo neighbor : HOPI

51. Cry with a head slap : DUH
 

53. Spiritual leaders : GURUs

 

55. List maker : DEAN
 

58. Rapper __ Shakur : TUPAC. Dennis likes Pitbull, the rapper. Can you picture Dennis raps?
 

60. Yale Bowl rooter : ELI
 

63. Longtime senator Thurmond : STROM. Where is Trent Lott nowadays?

66. Seriously impair : MAIM
 

67. Crescent component : ARC
 

68. Diminishing : WANING
 

69. Rattles one's cage : ANNOYS
 

71. Florida city on the Gulf Coast : TAMPA. No OCALA  today.

72. Mother Teresa's birth name : AGNES. Also the name of our Irish Miss.
 

73. "Project Runway" host Klum : HEIDI. She's always so bubbly.

75. Souped-up Pontiacs : GTOs

77. __-mo : SLO
 

78. Following words : I SEE
 

79. HP competitor : DELL
 

80. Big name in scat : ELLA
 

81. Celestial sci. : ASTR
 

82. Petty of "A League of Their Own" : LORI. The movie is OK.
 

84. Winning : AHEAD
 

87. Break up, as a union : DISSOLVE
 

91. Notre Dame recess : APSE
 

92. Red choice : PINOT
 

94. Guided : STEERED
 

98. It may be given before leaving : NOTICE
 

99. Massages : RUBS
 

100. Youngsters in uniforms : SCOUTS
 

102. Swiss mathematician : EULER
 

105. Masters champ between Gary and Jack : ARNIE (Palmer). Gary Player. Jack Nicklaus.
 

106. Tease : TAUNT

107. Olympic Stadium team through 2004 : EXPOS. Now the Nats.

108. Five-sided plate : HOME

109. Author Wiesel : ELIE

110. Hardly one's library voice : YELL

111. It can be cruel : FATE

112. Valentine's Day deity : AMOR. To this guy, it's the girl in white.

113. Good kind of guy to have around : GO TO. I have two on the blog.

116. Belfry denizen : BAT

117. Oakland-to-Vegas dir. : ESE

Answer grid.

C.C.