Saturday, Sep 29th, 2012, Barry C. Silk

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 33

Saturday Silk~!  This one was 'overdue' according to my schedule, but always a pleasure to see.  Deceptively "easy" looking grid without that "whitewash" look to it, with what I would call manageable 6- and 8-letter corners, and two 14-letter near spanners,  sort of related:

27A. Rocket scientist's calculation: ESCAPE VELOCITY - Husker Gary probably nailed this one; the thrust needed to overcome gravity; since the passing of Neil Armstrong, AMC  has been showing Apollo 13 frequently, and I love that movie

44A. 1979 Einstein Medal recipient: STEPHEN HAWKING - we just had a "PH" Steve on Thursday.  This one became  obvious after I got the "K" from the Star Trek clue

 Lots of proper names had me worried, but in the end, they filled via perps~!

 On-WORD ~!

ACROSS:

1) Heavy D, e.g.: RAPPER - I am familiar with the name, but my crossings weren't cooperating at  first

7) Herb related to oregano: MARJORAM - Did not know this, but then the "J" appeared, and strangely, the last tenant in my apartment put up 'herb' wallpaper in the kitchen, and marjoram is on there - so I am glad I still haven't gotten around to painting over it~!

15) 1960s-'70s San Fransisco mayor: ALIOTO - filled with perps; this guy

16) Natural soother: ALOE VERA - good to see the whole thing; got it right away

17) Suit portmanteau: HAZMAT - I keep forgetting what portmanteau means; once I had ---MAT, I figured it out.  Short for "HAZardous MATerials" - we have a department at UPS dedicated to coming around to collect damaged packages; so far, all I have ever seen are  leakers, and it's usually Mop N' Glo - the containers are a bit flimsy....

18) Scraps: REMNANTS - the noun, not the verb

19) French naturalism pioneer: ZOLA - this guy; once I read this I said "yeah, OK....I'll get back to it"

20) Fury: IRE

21) Without hope: LOST - FUTILE didn't fit

22) Withdraw: WEAN

24) Philosophy that influenced Buddhism: TANTRA

32) Acre's land; Abbr.: ISRael

33) Burst of bad temper: HISSY - usually seen with "FIT", and usually seen at bedtime with 5-yr olds....

34) 2012 Angels rookie standout Mike: TROUT - See here.

36) Purple Label designer: LAUREN - Ralph

38) React when the brass walks in: SNAP TO - not  SALUTE; we have some military here at the blog; probably did both with a "snap to and salute"

39) Janitor's supply: LYSOL - brand name, was not looking for that

40) Invention credited to Bartolomeo Cristofori circa 1700 - PIANO - a lot of clue for a little answer, I had --ANO, and the light came on....

43) Block: BAN

47) Infected: SEPTIC

48) 10th-century Russian Orthodox saint: OLGA - I WAGed OLAF, just because....

49) Modern code letters: HTML - once I had HT--, I confidently put in HTTP, and BZZZZT~!!

53) Make fun of: APE - not RIB

54) Big name in music compilations: K-TEL - oh yeah, I remember them ; - Wow~!!! that's a bargain~!

56) Principal McGee portrayer in the "Grease" films: EVE ARDEN - never watched it all the way through; just not my thing

58) Five-time all-star catcher Santiago: BENITO - C.C., anything to add? (From C.C.: I was surprised to find out that he's National League's Rookie of the Year in 1987.  Mark McGwire for American League the same year. Jose Conseco AL 1986? Wow. * & *.)

61) Suppresses: SMOTHERS - and I had FIRE HOSE at 63A to start, too....

62) Put in a row: ALINED - it's a word, and I wanted the "G" in there, too

63) Crowd-control device: SAW HORSE - oh, uh, yeah, that, too - not what I use them for

64) Ska kin: REGGAE - nailed it

DOWN:

1) Stadium backing: RAH - oh, not the company that owns the place....

2) As per: Á LA

3) Place for toppings: PIZZA CRUST - was thinking Ice Cream parlor

4) City mentioned in the 1964 hit "G.T.O.": POMONA - OK, so I cheated and went to the lyrics on Google to verify that PEORIA was wrong

5) Citation ender, perhaps: ET AL. - Latin, et alia (alii) for "and other(s)" 

6) Gradually substitute: ROTATE IN - used to rotate stock at the hardware stores I worked at, too.

7) "Battle Cry" squad members: MARINES

8) With awareness: ALERTLY

9) Guitarist Ángel or Pepe: ROMERO - I know Cesar....

10) Actress famous for "The Rachel" hairstyle, familiarly: JENnifer Aniston - one of my personal favorites

11) Cricket infield shape: OVAL

12) Western city with an annual balloon race: RENO - just missed it; next September

13) NEA part: ARTS - we've had this discussion before; it's either the National Endowment for the Arts, or the National Education Association

14) Spar: MAST - meh, I know this was intended to be a misdirection, but I always thought of a 'spar' as a cross-member TO a mast....image

22) 1947 Tony-winning composer for "Street Scene": WEILL (Kurt) - I had "-EILL", and I put in "N" which made sense, but then I had "NEAN", and that couldn't be right....

23) Lamb treats: ESSAYS - HA~!!! Did not fool me - looking for this guy, not the meat

25) Colorado skaters, in sports reports: AVs - who? what? come again?...not familiar with this organization....oh, those people

26) Ad directive: ACT NOW ~!!! - see 54A

28) Impossible Missions Force leader Jim: PHELPS - earworm~!!! dun dun dun da da

29) After-work plan, for short: IRA - I missed the "-" in the clue, so I was thinking about "a toast to all at sunset"

30) What starts get: TOP BILLING

31) Chinese author Lin ___: YUTANG - this guy

35) Kingdom called the Friendly Islands: TONGA - travel guide

37) Sturgeon yield: ROE - hey~! I got one~!

38) Theater feature: SNACK BAR

40) 3-Down topping: PEPPERS - I prefer meat toppings, but not lamb....

41) Strong: INTENSE

42) Hawaiian tuna: AHI

45) Shot from the top?: HEADER - as in soccer, knocking it home with one's noggin

46) Chekov portrayer in "Star Trek": KOENIG - Walter, the Russian character who, along with Uhura and Spock, were part of Gene Roddenberry's vision of a 'unified' future - although the "bad guys" in the original series, the Klingons, were clearly a variation on the 1960's "Commie" threat

49) Name on a collectible toy truck: HESS - I pretty much got one every Christmas, until they started getting silly with jet fighters and such; I still have the '30s tanker truck that was also a coin bank - I'll have to go look and see where I put it

50) "Rescue Me" rating: TV MA - Mature Audiences, along with L, S, D & V - can you name them without looking them up?  ( the "D" is the odd one ).  I know ferm was a big fan of this show

51) "Got milk?": MEOW - cute

52)  Wood strip: LATH - messed up my FIRE HOSE

55) Marketing leader?: TELE-marketing

57) Density symbol, in physics: RHO - I had -HH from my HOSE, so I was thinking lead pencil hardness, which could be HHH - although it is referred to as 3H

59) Party serving: TEA - not KEG

60) Dedicated work: ODE

Answer grid.

 Did not have the website to download the puzzle, and subsequently had no way to "properly" analyze it - sorry for any screw ups ~!

Splynter

Friday. September 28, 2012, Marti Duguay-Carpenter

Theme: TU-day is the Day. TRIBUTE (4:45) to marti.

Welcome to another addition of the Friday funnies, with much joy to come. In today's effort, our own Divine Miss M has managed to find 4 words or phrases which when the letters TU are added to the beginning create a witty new phrase. The first one is TU added to a word, rather than a phrase, but if it is okay with Rich it is okay with me. All highlighted by a perfect hint, with a twist. I hope to have you DANCING  (3:11) by the time this one is done. let us get right to the theme answers.

17A. Quarry for Henry VIII's cat? : TUDOR MOUSE.(10) A Dormouse is a particular type of rodent, which derived its name from the French DORMIR, to sleep, as this tiny group often hibernate for 6 months at a time. Cute? Henry VIII (1:46) was one of six monarchs in this short lived dynsaty that died with Elizabeth I.

26A. Dutch exporter's forte? : TULIP SERVICE.(12) I read the clue as Dutch explorer, so this took a bit. Not to give lip service to one of our resident creative people, but I cannot imagine thinking up this clue. Some how a bulb must have gone in her head.

44A. New Orleans campus sign during spring break? : TULANE CLOSED. My favorite, a shout out to Hahtoolah and a fine southern university, the GREEN WAVE, which was part of how I became part of the Corner.

60A. Garb for a private pupil? : TUTEE SHIRT. I LOVE this one, as it uses one of those stupid law type word combinations, which many hate TUTOR/TUTEE, all from a simple t-shirt.

And the absolutely classic hint:

52D. Words of reproach, and a hint to how the four longest puzzle answers are formed : ET TU Brute? ET is the Latin for "and", and we are adding the TU so it is the word/phrase AND "TU". 

Wow, and there are more clues to come....

Across:

1. It can keep a watch on you : STRAP. I think I have seen this before, but a nice way to start the day.

6. Phi follower? : BETA, you BETA know KAPPA comes next. My oldest has his key.

10. Took the bus : RODE. I am glad it was riding, because they would make you give it back if you took it. Or if you like you have 15A. Transportation option : RAIL.

14. French fry? : SAUTÉ. What a simple but brilliant clue.

16. Carafe kin : EWER. Can you pitcher that?

19. Word in a boast : VENI. This of course ties into the Roman hint from Julius Caesar.VIDI VICI to you .

20. King of fiction : STEPHEN. I wonder if our own Mainiac has run into this man?

21. Martin Luther, to Pope Leo X : HERETIC. No religion, no politics.

23. European wine region : ASTI. Spumante is Italian for sparkling.

25. Bouquet : AROMA. Most sparkling wines do not have a "nose."

32. The Olympic Australis and others : OPALS. The world's LARGEST and a shout out to our Kazie.

33. Slippery : EELY. Is this really a word?

34. Pop-ups, often : ADS. Mine are often TARTS. (0:26).

37. Hollywood VIP : IDOL. They too are often TARTS.(3:18)

38. "The Prince of Tides" co-star : NOLTE.  LINK. (2:58).

40. Bend at a barre : PLIE. Pronounced Plee ay in the Ba'al ay world.

41. LAPD section? : LOS Angeles Police Department.

42. Pay stub abbr. : FICA. Federal Insurance Contributions Act. Your funding of SSA and medicare, no religion, no politics.

43. Origami staple : CRANE. LINK. Do you know the meaning?

47. Way up : STAIR. But it is rude (boorish) to stare when she goes up the stair, no matter how.....

50. Desperate : DIRE. your personal situation. It never is a reason for you to...

51. Horns in : MEDDLES.

54. Puts in a lower position : DEMOTES. The opposite of PROMOTE, but no one is ever just moted.

59. Melville's "grand, ungodly, god-like man" : AHAB. A whale of a tale.

62. Two after do : RE MI. A bonus clue, DO(ugh) not D(ew).

63. Go like mad : TEAR. I did not tear through this one, but savored it.

64. Pitched perfectly : ON KEY. paired with the mini clecho: 

65. It's pitched : TENT.

66. Strong arms : UZIS. The Israeli made machine guns which do make a lot of

67. Racket : NOISE.

Down:

1. Former fleet : SSTS. Super Sonic Transports. Did you know the Soviet's had the first one? LINK. My brothers both flew on the Concorde and said it was amazing but cramped.

2. Tense : TAUT. I was taught this word young.

3. Boorish : RUDE.

4. Sitting on : ATOP. marti used an A word, marti used an A word.

5. Noncommittal response : PERHAPS. I should not nit pick, the nitpicker.

6. "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" author Anne : BRONTE. The youngest of the three sisters, she died young and I was not familiar with this BOOK, only Agnes Gray, and of course Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

7. Seine flower : EAU. Water in French, and the old, flower/flow-er trick.

8. Addams family nickname : TISH. MORTICIA was well LOVED.(3:31).

9. Toward shelter : ALEE. marti used an A word, marti used an A word.

10. Put on a pedestal : REVERE. Like Paul.

11. Have an outstanding loan from : OWE TO.

12. Durable fabric : DENIM. Just like Bret Favre.

13. Evergreen shrub : ERICA. This PLANT is known as HEATH,. from which the name HEATHCLIFF is derived, if you ever read Emily Bronte.

18. Muddle : MESS. I was in a the SE until TUTEE popped in my head.

22. Risqué : RACY. Like this TEASE? (3:38)

24. Swift's birthplace : IRELAND. Jonathan who wrote Gulliver's Travels and other political satire. oops, no religion, no politics. Anyway, it was great to see this answer instead of EIRE or ERIN.

26. Drudgery : TOIL. Blogging is work but not toil.

27. Prom night style : UPDO. Trying to look older so it is okay to have sex in the car.

28. Myanmar neighbor : LAOS. MAP.

29. Bugged? : ILL.He came down with the flu bug.

30. Spot checker? : VET. Really cute but are there any dogs except the one we see run named Spot anymore?

31. ___-de-France : ILE. Did we have this wealthy part of France recently, or am I having a senior  Déjà vu  moment?

34. Melodramatic moan : ALAS. Alas, a lass fell on her ass, it wan't rounded and pink as you probably think, but had long ears and ate grass..

35. Wine partner : DINE. Perhaps because she had just been wined and dined?

36. Word with poppy or top : SEED.

38. Zilch : NIL. Last week it was bupkis.

39. Andean tuber : OCA. I Yam quite familiar with these VEGGIES.

40. Arnie or Tiger, e.g. : PRO. Simple, but PGA popped into my head.

42. Roll up : FURL. Funny little word, comes from the same stem as FIRM.

43. South Carolina university : CLEMSON. The Tigers, Arnie went to Furman, also in SC. Jonathan Byrd, Lucas Glover, Kyle Stanley and Tommy Biershenk all went to Clemson.

44. Gossip morsel : TIDBIT. You like that bit.

45. Down sources : EIDERS. I would mak a bad pun, but you might throw something and I would have to duck.

46. First Nations tribe : CREE.  For all of our TEACHERS.

47. Sting : SMART. OO, that clue ..

48. Chuckle relative : TEHEE. I always say teehee.

49. Not worth ___ : A DAMN. Not to be confused with a Tinker's Dam.

53. "The Highway to India" canal : SUEZ. No idea but how many four letter canals are there?

55. "That's terrible!" : OH NO. Oh yes.

56. ___ torch : TIKI.

57. Cockney toast starter : 'ERES to you 'Enry 'Iggins.

58. Ocular nuisance : STYE.which rhymes with....

61. Clavell's "___ Pan" : TAI. Which sounds like THAI which land is next to Laos, so we have come full circle, so it must be time for me to go and find someone to squeeze some Lemons and see where that gets me. Always a pleasure to to write up a DuGuay-Carpenter (see Splynter there is another one here) creation. I hope you all have a wonderful time. 

Answer grid.

Lemonade

Thursday, September 27, 2012 Alex Boisvert

Theme: "You've got a lot of balls!"

If you are like me, you probably glance at the down clues as you solve on Thursday-Saturday, just to get a toe-hold. So I bumped into the unifier early on. (Didn’t help!)

Here it is:

7D. Diamond gambit, or a hint to a different concealed word found in each answer to a starred clue: HIDDEN BALL TRICK. When I saw “diamond”, my heart sank.  “A baseball theme?  I’m doomed!!” It took me all the perps to come up with the answer.  But from there, I could go back and find all the balls hidden in the starred entries. I have highlighted them in red for your convenience.

17A. *America's most popular dining-out occasion: MOTHER'S DAY. I remember the smell in my mémé’s closets!

28A. *Place setting item: DINNER FORK. The only “ball” that spans two words. “Nerf” is actually an acronym for “Non-Expanding Recreational Foam”. Who knew?

33A.*Last chance in court: CLOSING ARGUMENT.  A Wal-Mart staple.

42A. *Where some plates are made: STEEL MILLS . Foul!  TEE ball is a kid’s baseball game…

58A. *Political propagandist: SPIN DOCTOR . You knew I would have to link music at some point!! 2:55

Marti here, because it's Thursday. So, let's get to the rest. 

Across:

1. Map site : ATLAS

6. Senate figure : WHIP

10. Brash : BOLD

14. Winner of the 2005 Best Picture Oscar : CRASH. Not my taste. Trailer. 2:25

15. Verdi title princess : AIDA. More my taste. (I won't torture you with more opera links this time!)

16. Rapier cousin : EPEE

19. Flavorful plant : HERB. I grow my own dill, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, chives, basil and tarragon. In the fall when I bring them in to dry, the aromas are heavenly!

20. Spot : EYE. "I spy with my little eye..."

21. Shows the way : LEADS

22. Heaven-sent food : MANNA

23. Academy freshman : PLEBE

24. Give way : FALTER. Because "blink" was too short.

25. Chess announcement : MATE. I like to say "check mate", better.

30. One way to sing : ALONG. Fun clue! I almost started filling "in tune" before I ran out of room...

32. Smack on the head : BONK. Anyone else have "conk"? (Anyone?)...(Anyone??) (With thanks to TTP!!)

40. Semitic deity : BA'AL. Meaning "Master" or "Lord".

41. Frigid : POLAR

48. Vodka in a blue bottle : SKYY. Gimme!! Shaken over ice, with a squeeze of lime.

49. Rug often groomed : TOUPEE. Funny!

50. Honor, in a way : TOAST. With SKYY, of course!

52. "...but I could be wrong" : OR NOT...maybe with Scotch?

53. Wear slowly : ERODE

54. ___-mo video : SLO

57. Old stage line? : REIN. This one had me going in circles, until I realized they were talking about the reins of a horse on an old stage coach!

60. Department store founder Rowland Hussey ___ : MACY. Appropriate clue for a Thursday.  "'Miracle On 34th Street' store owner " would have been too easy...

61. Asian staple : RICE. Anyone else want "sake"? (Anyone?)...(Anyone??)

62. Standard : USUAL

63. Arise : STEM

64. Gross : ICKY

65. Swing era dance : LINDY

Down:

1. Fictional corporation that sells earthquake pills and portable holes : ACME. In old Looney Tunes Road Runner cartoons. Yes, earthquake pills. 5:49 (Go ahead, watch the whole thing- we could all use some cartoons in our lives!!) And 46D. ___ Tunes : LOONEY

2. Hector's home : TROY

3. Behind schedule : LATE...which is what I am getting to be. So I'd better move this along!

4. Flooring wood : ASH. Anyone else want "oak"? (Anyone?)...(Anyone??)

5. Yellow-and-red gas station symbol : SHELL.

6. Sushi condiment : WASABI. Great for the sinuses...

8. Lupino and others : IDAS. Go ahead, name another famous one...

9. Salary : PAY

10. Sake : BEHALF. I wanted "Asian staple" for the answer...

11. Not against trying : OPEN TO.

12. Loewe's partner : LERNER. Of "My Fair Lady", "Camelot", "Brigadoon"and "Paint your Wagon" fame.

13. Get off at the pier : DEBARK

18. Clarinetist's need : REED

22. Retail price component : MARKUP

23. Writers : PENS. I dunno..."pens" with "writers"?

24. ___ shui : FENG

25. Scot's nickname, maybe : MAC

26. Tide rival : ALL. Detergents.

27. As well : TOO

29. "___ any drop to drink": Coleridge : NOR. From "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner":

"Day after day, day after day,

We stuck, nor breath nor motion;

As idle as a painted ship

Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, every where,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, every where,

Nor any drop to drink."

31. Kind of gravy : GIBLET. Thanksgiving is fast approaching!

34. Tag information : NAME

35. Moo goo ___ pan : GAI. Yumm.

36. Lion's share : MOST

37. Caribou cousin : ELK

38. Disagreeing word : NAY

39. Give it a go : TRY

42. Leaves in a huff, with "out" : STORMS

43. Attacked eagerly, as a wrapped gift : TORE AT. Or, as your wife's clothes?

44. Kennedy who married Sargent Shriver : EUNICE. Being from MA, this was a gimme.

45. Euclid vis-à-vis geometry : EPONYM

47. Road safety gp. : SADD. Students Against Drunk Driving.

51. Han River capital : SEOUL

53. Large in scope : EPIC

54. Floor : STUN

55. Truck filler? : LOAD

56. Airport south of Paris : ORLY

58. ___ Lanka : SRI. Map. Just below India.

59. TV franchise since 2000 : CSI. Crime Scene Investigation. One of the most popular dramatic series on TV. Me? I prefer TBBT, with a season premiere tonight!

Answer grid.

See you next week!

Hugs,
Marti

Wednesday, September 26th 2012 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Pluralised Apostrophe Mayhem

18A. "Gotta hit the hay" : I NEED SOME Z's

23A. Elementary school fundamentals : THE THREE R's

37A. Mom's behavior warning : MIND YOUR P's AND Q's

 49A. Marks to brag about : STRAIGHT A's

 

 57A. Canned pasta brand: SPAGHETTI O's

Oh goodness - Steve here and what a wonderful Wednesday to walk into. I've spent way more time than is good for me wondering how to punctuate today's theme entries to the point of downloading the style guides for the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post and the (UK) Guardian. I'm none the wiser, so I'm going with my own instinct and I'll take the knocks if I'm wrong. Thanks to Jeff for a fun puzzle and a head-scratcher of how to write it up!

Across:

1. Stir-fry additive : MSG. Monosodium Glutamate. Sounds nasty, but it's all natural - distilled soybeans. I use a lot of it. Food!

4. [frog lands in pond] : PLOP [big smile]

8. Remote control battery : AA CELL [small frown]

14. Baba of folklore : ALI. He of the magic phrase and 40 thieves.

15. Bindle carrier : HOBO. So funny - I looked on Wikipedia last night for the definition of a "duffel bag" that I used to carry my stuff to school in back in England, and there was a link to other bags - including the bindle. Awesome.

16. "Zip your lip!" : STOW IT! I think there might have been a derogatory noun after the STOW IT command. We have military readers of this blog who can confirm.

17. Diarist Anaïs : NIN 

20. Future snakes, perhaps : EGGS. Hmmm

22. Regards highly : ESTEEM. I loved this. I've not seen the verb form before. Do we ever use it?

25. Cut from the same cloth : AKIN 

29. Lemon and lime : TREES. OK, I guess they are. Grade: D-

30. Swift means of attack? : SATIRE. Jonathan Swift. Super, super clue and answer. Grate: A++. Made up for 29A

32. Put into words : SAY 

33. Poe's "ungainly fowl" : RAVEN. I wanted CHICKEN or TURKEY. Ravens don't seem so ungainly to me. Maybe Poe had some drunken ones.

36. D.C. athlete : NAT.  A Washington National baseball player. C.C., much more expert in these matters than I, might explain why the Nats just shut down their best pitcher going into the post-season when all he'd done was win games.(From C.C.: Wiki has a good explanation. In short: "It's a good conversational piece, it's a good debatable subject. But most of the people that have weighed in on this know probably 10 percent of the information that we know, and that we've made our opinion based upon.")

41. __ of Good Feelings : ERA. Being a Notre Dame fan, I prefer Ara of Good Feelings - a national championship with Parsegian.

42. Gives the heave-ho : OUSTS 

43. Rap's __ Wayne : LI'L. Apostrophe-challenge again. With or without?

44. With-the-grain woodworking technique : RIPCUT. Now, this is odd. I learned at rip-cut was across the grain, that's why the wood rips. UK- USA difference again?

46. Theater sections : LOGES 

48. Canadian pump sign : ESSO. Funny how Standard Oil of Texas became Canadian (or UK) with ESSO.

54. "Why bother?" : NO POINT 

56. Color property : TONE

61. "Characters welcome" network : USA 

62. Receive, as a radio signal : TUNE IN 

63. South American country at 0 degrees lat. : ECUA. Ouch. Way to wait until the end of the clue for an abbreviation hint and then arbitrarily lop off the last three letters.

64. Looney Tunes collectible : CEL

65. Structural threat for many a house : DRY ROT 

66. Gels : SETS 

67. Towel lettering : HIS

Down:

1. "The Balcony" painter : MANET. Do you think Monet and Manet used to high-cinq and discuss how confused art collectors would be a hundred years hence?

Manet:

Monet:

2. Insult : SLIGHT 

3. Cookies with a bite : GINGER SNAPS 

4. Chi preceder : PHI. Hand up for TAI. Took me a while to fix that.

5. Solitary sorts : LONERS 

6. Beyond zaftig : OBESE.  Zaftig should be enshrined in the Awesome Words Hall of Fame.

7. Baudelaire, par exemple : POETE. Bein sur

8. Evaluates : ASSESSES 

9. Quark's locale : ATOM. Not so fast - doesn't a quark also appear a zillion miles away from it's original location pretty well instantanously? Or is that some other particle? I'm confused.

10. Global networking pioneer : COMSAT 

11. Girl in a pasture : EWE. Dejeuner sur l'herbe. Got a nice theme working here :)

12. Gossipy Smith : LIZ 

13. OCS grads, usually : LT's Another apostrophe challenge! We know Officer Candidate School graduates are Lieutenants, but are they LTs or LT's?

19. "__ Rosenkavalier" : DER 

21. Bed or home ending : STEAD 

24. "Over here!" : HEY YOU 

26. Reader with a sensitive screen : KINDLE TOUCH. Aw. So cute!

27. Modern site of Mesopotamia : IRAQ. "Site" seems a little small for an entire country, and the birthplace of written language, but hey, I'm just Kindle-ly today.

28. Keeps after taxes : NETS. Don't get me started.

31. Like Big Ben : ANALOG. Ahhh - now, the clock is analog, but it's the bell which is actually called Big Ben, so not a really accurate clue/answer. I know, splitting hairs but ...

The clock is acually just "The clock" in St. Stephen's Tower ... you can't actually see Big Ben, it's inside the tower ...

33. Big chunk of Eur. : RUS. Funny, Russia used to be a big chunk of the United Soviet Socialist Republics. Not any more, it's European now.

34. Framed work : ART 

35. No. twos : VP's Apostrophe for plural Vice Presidents as Number Twos or no?

 

37. Nothing more than : MERE. I always felt sorry for the majestic lakes in the UK which are "meres" and insprired wonderfu poetry - Windermere, Grasmere, Buttermere, Thirlmere. I never thought of them as "mere" puddles.

38. Eye part : IRIS 

39. Surpassed in extravagance : OUTSPENT 

40. Elie Wiesel work : NIGHT 

45. Large eel : CONGER. I wanted MORAY and could not let it go, in spite of the fact it was one letter short and I already had the "E".

46. Took it on the lam : LIT OUT 

47. Grandchild of Japanese immigrants : SANSEI. My Nisei friend would be mad that I wanted to spell this SENSEI and messed up "Straight E's" for quite some time

50. Little one : TOT 

51. Traditional doings : RITES 

52. "That has __ ring to it" : A NICE 

53. Elite Navy group : SEALS 

55. Kent State's home : OHIO.  I wanted Kent. And kept wanting Kent. Finally - penny drops. Ohhhhhh - O-High-Oh. I'm a dummy.

57. Norm: Abbr. : STD 

58. Water filter brand : PUR 

59. Whichever : ANY 

60. Airline to Oslo : SAS  Scandinavian Air Services. I flew them many years ago between London and Stockholm. Very pleasant.

Answer grid.

Well, that's it from me. I have no idea if I've incurred the ire of the apostrophe police, or if I was having a good day. Enjoy yours!

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Dennis. Hope it's your best one yet.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012 Kurt Mueller

Theme: "Bad girls, bad girls, whatcha gonna do when they come for you."

17A. 31/42-Across in a 1967 Dustin Hoffman film : MRS. ROBINSON

 

 

23A. 31/42-Across in a Ken Kesey novel : NURSE RATCHED

 

 

51A. 31/42-Across in a 1961 Disney animated film : CRUELLA DE VIL

 

 

64A. 31/42-Across in a Shakespeare tragedy : LADY MACBETH

 

 

31A. With 42-Across, a 1975 hit for 41-Across : EVIL and 42A. See 31-Across : WOMAN

 

 

41A. Rock gp. known for its symphonic sound : ELO. (Electric Light Orchestra)


Argyle here. A nice change of pace for the theme today. I'd say more but I have some evil women to round up.

Across:

1. Spell starter : ABRA. (Abracadabra)

5. Scours : SCRUBS

11. "Viva __ Vegas!" : LAS

14. Roller coaster feature : LOOP. Hands up for you daring individuals who have ridden a loop coaster.

15. Muscat natives : OMANIs. Muscat is the capital of Oman.

16. Blow away : AWE

19. Detroit labor org. : UAW. (United Auto Workers)

20. "Volunteers?" : "ANY ONE?"

21. Precious stone : GEM

22. Shrek, e.g. : OGRE

26. Director Craven : WES

29. Shar-__: wrinkly dog : PEI

30. Seashell seller : SHE. She sells seashells by the seashore. The shells she sells are surely seashells. So if she sells shells on the seashore, I'm sure she sells seashore shells.

33. Writes briefly (to) : DROPS A LINE

39. Neighbor of Chad : NIGER. Map.

43. Loving feelings : TENDERNESS

46. Like Granny Smith apples : TART

47. "Golly!" : "GEE!"

48. Looney Tunes dynamo, familiarly : TAZ

50. Injection amts. : CC's

57. Man around the Haus : HERR. German.

58. Actress Lupino : IDA

59. Win the heart of : ENAMOR

63. Batting stat. : AVG.

66. Take to court : SUE. For selling sea shells without a license.

67. Necessarily involve : ENTAIL

68. Suffix with switch : EROO

69. Septiembre, por ejemplo : MES. Spanish "month".

70. Without a musical key : ATONAL

71. On sale, say : LESS. This seems a little odd.

Down:

1. __ mater : ALMA

2. Brought into existence : BORN

3. Like a good outlook : ROSY

4. It may have strings attached : APRON. Cool.

5. Put all kidding aside : SOBERED

6. Roman 901 : CMI

7. Mountain chain : RANGE

8. Indy great Al : UNSER

9. Organic matter used for fuel : BIOMASS

10. Payroll ID : SSN

11. Cackle or chuckle : LAUGH

12. Clued in : AWARE

13. Put in stitches : SEWED

18. "Movin' __": "The Jeffersons" theme : ON UP. Closing theme. Much jazzier than the opening.

22. Spotted wildcat : OCELOT. What would you do if you spotted a wildcat?

24. Police car warning : SIREN

25. Winter warmer of a sort : THAW

26. "They __ thataway!" : WENT. From the old oaters.

27. Singer/songwriter Sands : EVIE. Poor quality but interesting video.(4:08) Wiki entry.

28. Omen : SIGN

32. Bookkeeper's book : LEDGER

34. Corrida cheer : ¡OLÉ!

35. Madame's mail : POSTE. French.

36. 14-year-old Apple : iMAC

37. Drug cop : NARC

38. Sinusitis docs : ENT's. (ear, nose, and throat)

40. Movie roll : REEL. Outdated.

44. Dependent : RELIANT

45. Receptacle for preventing waste : SAVE-ALL. I am unclear on what this is. Anyone with personal experience that would like to weigh in on it, please do.

49. Metal in pennies : ZINC. Thin veneer of copper.

51. Deep fissure : CHASM

52. Song-and-dance program : REVUE. Another outdated.

53. Impulses : URGES

54. Supplement : ADD TO

55. Six-Day War leader Moshe : DAYAN

56. Clothing tag : LABEL

60. Piddling : MERE

61. Midwest Native Americans : OTOs. Without the E this time.

62. P's on sorority sweaters : RHOs

64. Meadow : LEA

65. Jane Eyre portrayer Wasikowska : MIA. Image.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, September 24, 2012 Adam Prince

Theme: Alternative to soup? - Four entrées with a salad on the side, two of which came first and two that followed.

17A. Corfu or Crete : GREEK ISLE

25A. Salute heard at the Forum : "HAIL CAESAR"

37A. Classic Frances Hodgson Burnett children’s novel : "THE SECRET GARDEN"

45A. Once-common childhood ailment : CHICKEN POX

56A. Entrée go-with, or the aptly placed part of 17-, 25-, 37- or 45-Across : SIDE SALAD

Argyle here. Debut for our constructor, I believe. The grid spanning entry and the two long down fill is impressive. The overuse of plurals, not so much. The solid blocks in two of the corners is back on the impressive side again. I'll feel the fool if Adam Prince is an anagram for our editor.

Across:

1. Sitcom’s test episode : PILOT

6. Sitcom interrupters : ADs

9. Holy Roman emperor crowned in CMLXII : OTTO I. (962)

14. In on, with “to” : PRIVY. Yes, PRIVY can mean something else.

15. Keg attachment : TAP

16. “Yep” : "UH HUH"

19. Hopping mad : IRATE

20. Close again, as a Ziploc bag : RESEAL

21. Volkswagen sedan : JETTA

22. Scary Nile snakes : ASPs

27. Friend of Monica and Rachel on “Friends” : PHOEBE

29. Dumbbell abbr. : LBS. Abbreviation found on a dumbbell, not of a dumbbell.

30. Selfish sort : TAKER

31. Snow-block home : IGLOO

34. Ab __: from day one : OVO. Latin, literally, from the egg.

40. CIA precursor : OSS. (Office of Strategic Services)

41. Arkin and Alda : ALANs

42. Queen, in France : REINE. (feminine form of roi)

43. End of a professor’s email address : .EDU

44. Makes sense : ADDS UP

51. Flower stalk : STEM

52. Boca __ : RATON. Ever wonder about the name? Wonder no more. Wiki.

53. Young bird of prey : EAGLET. Are all the bird-cams shut down now?

55. Primitive calculators : ABACI. Yes, early but primitive...?

60. Spiced rice dish : PILAF

61. Cinque meno due : TRE. Italian. 5-2=3

62. Prefix with -dactyl : PTERO

63. Keep in the warehouse : STORE

64. IRS W-4 info : SSN

65. Saudi Arabia neighbor : YEMEN

Down:

1. NBA scoring stat : PPG. (points per game)

2. Like some reduced mdse. : IRR. (irregular)

3. Commit perjury : LIE

4. Supervises : OVERSEES

5. Trike rider : TYKE. Very similar.

6. On the ocean : AT SEA

7. __ Lama : DALAI

8. Wizard’s incantation : SPELL

9. Séance accessory : OUIJA BOARD

10. Good scores on par-fours : THREEs. I started BIRDIE before THREES.

11. “__ a wrap!” : THAT'S

12. “__ sight!” : OUTTA

13. “Word on the street is ...” : "I HEAR ..."

18. “__ Dead?”: Mark Twain play : IS HE. Written in 1898, published in print in 2003. Why the lag? Wikipedia.

22. Probably will, after “is” : APT TO

23. Persian sovereigns : SHAHs

24. Jabs in the ribs : POKES

26. Thick-soled shoe : CLOG. Cousin of a sabot.

28. Serrated kitchen tool : BREAD KNIFE

31. Pension supplement, for short : IRA. (Individual Retirement Arrangement) Update: (see IRS Publication 590, "Individual Retirement Arrangements")

32. First Bible bk. : GEN. (Genesis)

33. USN officers : LTs. Pay grade O-3, Lieutenant.

34. Keats, notably : ODIST

35. Change of __: trial request : VENUE

36. Early aft. hour : ONE PM

38. Game with rooms and weapons : "CLUE". And colorful characters.

39. Republican region, on a political map : RED STATE

43. Toyota Prius, e.g. : ECO-CAR. Ecologically Friendly.

44. Wheel-supporting shaft : AXLE

45. High roller’s game : CRAPS. Betting on the roll of the dice.

46. Nun’s wear : HABIT

47. __-Turkish War : ITALO

48. Homes in trees : NESTS

49. Sock purchases : PAIRS

50. Humorous poet Nash : OGDEN

54. Catch sight of : ESPY

57. NASA moon craft : LEM. (Lunar Excursion Module)

58. “We __ the World” : ARE. Video(7:43) Original recording from 1985, "USA for Africa". Now there is "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" and "We Are the World 25 for Haiti (YouTube edition)". I'll have to listen to them when I have more time.

59. Mafia boss : DON

Answer grid.

Argyle