Friday July 26, 2013 George Shayler

Theme: TURN IT AROUND (54A. Recover from a setback, and a hint to 20-, 33- and 40-Across) - IT is turned around and changed to TI.

 

20A. Sloppily kept tents? : CAMPING STIES. Camping sites.

33A. Low clouds on an East Asian island? : TAIWAN STRATI. Taiwan Strait.

40A. Conditions of kids' shoes, too often? : UNTIED STATES. United States.

Boomer here, pinch-hitting for Lemonade, who is sick. He'll be back next Friday.

I just wanted to start by mentioning a bowling tournament I was in last Sunday.  The lane conditions were tough, but I was doing okay, averaged 210 for 6 games and had won 4 of 6 matches.  Then I moved to my next pair, lanes 13 & 14 and tossed 3 splits, (not spltis), and a washout and scored 150 for the game.  I suspect this puzzle for you solvers was a Lanes 13 & 14.

Across:

1. "Little House on the Prairie" merchant ___ Oleson : NELS.  I never watched "Little House" but there are many guys named Nels here in Minnesota, don'tcha know.

5. Bit of trickery : TRAP

9. Genoan chiefs of old : DOGES - You could fill a nostril of a flea with my knowledge of Genoan chiefs.

14. Part of many co. names : INIT

15. Poet Teasdale : SARA

16. Far beyond the norm : ULTRA  -  A good brand.  Fleer made Ultra baseball cards, and there's a golf ball brand Ultra, for those who cannot afford Titleists.

17. See 36-Down : ACTE. And 36-Down: With 17-Across, intermission music: ENTR. Entr'acte.

18. Reunion nicknames : UNCS - If this is short for Uncles, then I suppose Aunts would be AUNS ??

19. Award for John le Carré : EDGAR. Mystery.

23. Tropical rainforest critter : IGUANA.  Many folks keep these for house pets.  They are kind of ugly, so they can replace a husband, (until it's time to fix something).

24. Pacific coast desert : ATACAMA - Of course I was trying to fit Mohave in here, Las Vegas, Southern Calif, etc.  I sort of forgot that Chile also has a Pacific Coast.  Apologies to my buddy, Jorge, from Santiago.

28. Top-selling 1980s game console : NES - Nintendo - Final Fantasy was great.

29. Key of Brahm's Piano Sonata No. 1 : C MAJ

32. Pill bug or gribble : ISOPOD - A crustacean that I've never heard of.

35. Genesis wife : LEAH - Seems Jacob had a couple of wives.

38. Prior to, to Prior : ERE

39. Louisiane, e.g. : ETAT - I get it - Louisiane is French for Louisiana, Etat is french for state.  Do you want fries with that??

45. "A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy" author : STERNE (Laurence)

46. Doctor's specialty? : SPIN - Why pick on doctors?  I prefer politician's specialty as a clue. 

47. "Ta-ta" : BYE

50. Locks without keys : TRESSES - Kind of a hairy answer that I didn't get right away.

52. Cooking surface : TEFLON - A DuPont innovation in the day.  They now have pans with surfaces so hard you can burn a block of cheese and it won't stick.

57. "Why Can't I?" singer Liz : PHAIR - Sorry, not well known to me.

60. "I'll say!" : AMEN - Latin for "So be it".  Often used and mis-clued in Crosswords.

61. Language written right to left : URDU - another virtually unknown reference.

62. Teegarden of "Friday Night Lights" : AIMEE

63. Equal: Pref. : PARI - My first thought was parimutuel betting at the track.  But that never seems to come out equal.

64. Troon turndowns : NAEs

65. Sporty Nissans : Z-CARS - In 1969, Nissan skipped the entire alphabet and produced their first Z-car in Japan.  Not sure why a Japanese company used our English alphabet ... or maybe I am. 

66. Austen heroine : EMMA - Not Ross Geller and Rachel Green's little girl?

67. London flat, perhaps : TYRE. Flat tyre.

Down:

1. Vitamin in liver : NIACIN - I guess this is vitamin B3 - for those who need to know.

2. Coop up in a coop : ENCAGE  - Picky, Picky - I am not sure if encage is a word.  I am pretty sure that a cage is not a coop.  The Metrodome is a cage, Target field is a coop.  (Flying objects can escape).

3. Substance in acid tests : LITMUS - Red is for acid, blue is for Alkaline, (Hall of Famer who played right field for the Tigers, before Detroit went broke.)  Purple is neutral, Vikings training camp opened this week. 

4. Process start : STEP A

5. Earthquake consequence : TSUNAMI - I never heard this term until a few years ago.  We always called them tidal waves when I was a kid.

6. Gave a buzz : RANG - Didn't like the clue.  Gave a buzz is what the barber did to your head a few days before boot camp.  Rang is more of a chapel bell sound.  It used to be a phone call before ring tones and vibrates.

7. Curved pieces : ARCS

8. It may be corkscrew-shaped : PASTA - yeah, Rotini, but it won't open a bottle of wine.

9. 90 degrees : DUE EAST - Only if you're facing North or South. 

10. It takes time to settle them : OLD SCORES

11. Ta-ta, to texters : GTG (Got to Go) - I don't text or tweet. 

12. Cheer competitor : ERA - Soapy Sales

13. Genealogically-based patriotic org. : SAR (Sons of the American Revolution) - TMAITP (Too many acronyms in this puzzle).

21. Andean native : INCA - Believe it or not, the Incas populated an area from Columbia to the ATACAMA Desert.  24 Across anyone?

22. Medical office closing? : ITIS - Arthritis? Hepatitis? Gingivitis? PLEASE, this is a suffix, not a closing.

25. ___ on the back : A PAT

26. Manny who ranks third in MLB lifetime pinch hits : MOTA - A great pinch hitter, mostly for the Dodgers and Pirates.

27. Colliery entry : ADIT

30. Blows away : AWES - Sorry, not really awed by this puzzle.

31. Horseshoes-like game : JARTS  - They changed the name to Lawn Darts, but then I think they had to pull it from the market due to injuries caused by accidents or misuse.  Later there was Posy Pitch, but it just didn't seem to catch on. Jarts was easier if you used a hula hoop instead of those small plastic rings they gave you.

33. Wanting more : THIRSTIER

34. Biweekly tide : NEAP - comes during the first and third quarters of the moon.  I think it could happen three times a month, say once every blue moon or so.

35. Zest : LUST - Zest is soap.  Lust is something for which you may need the soap.

37. Fits to ___ : A TEE - I have heard the expression but I still like golf peg or field goal kickers need.

41. Cinches : ENSURES

42. Ruminants with racks : DEER - Yeah, but only in the male deer.  Unlike humans where the females have the racks. 

43. Oberon's queen : TITANIA - I rest my case.

44. Cabinet dept. : ENER - I have only seen energy abbreviated this way when a pen runs out of ink.

47. Disc storage format : BLU-RAY - I hardly got used to standard DVDs when along comes Blu-Ray.  I suppose teeny discs for Google Glassed are next.

48. Over there : YONDER - "Lookie Yonder" was a standard phrase in the South.  Probably still is.

49. Ultimate purpose : END USE

51. Dumbledore's slayer : SNAPE - I have sent people on Snipe hunts.  I have never heard of Snape but he could be of the snipe family.

53. Source : FOUNT

55. Quran authority : IMAM

56. Period with limits : TERM - Frank Smith's term was over 250 episodes

57. Bolivia's La ___ : PAZ

58. Minute Maid brand : HIC - Took me awhile to see HI C.  I was thinking more the result of too much Scotch.

59. GP's gp. : AMA

I think I am done.  Thank you for reading this far.  Have a pleasant Friday, and for your trivia question of the day - Who was Joe Friday's original partner on Dragnet, before Bill Gannon?  If you have to Google it, you cannot win the prize.

Boomer

PS:  There is no prize.

Thursday, July 25, 2013 Matt Skoczen and Patty Varol

Theme: "Counterfeit Crossword."

The last shall be first:

59A. Swimming infractions, and what the first words of the answers to starred clues can all have :

FALSE STARTS. All the theme entries start with words that can make a common expression by adding "false" before them.

18A. *Union VIP : LABOR LEADER. False labor. Also known as "Braxton Hicks" contractions.

24A. *You might sleep through it : ALARM CLOCK. False alarm. Like false labor?

39A. *Self-esteem essential : POSITIVE IMAGE. False positive. As in, an incorrect laboratory result. (Whew, you mean I wasn't really pregnant??)

49A. *1998 Sandra Bullock film : HOPE FLOATS. False hope. Oh well, we can always adopt a puppy.

Marti here with this week's Thursday contribution. And there were plenty of tricky spots that could have been my undoing, but I finished in almost my typical Monday time.

Across:

1. "The Walking Dead" network : AMC. I always skip these type of "network" clues until I have some perps in place. AMC used to be known as "American Movie Classics," but now they have de-emphasized the abbreviation because of a shift in focus. So no need for Abbr. in the clue.

4. Home of William, known for his logical "razor" : OCCAM. We are not talking Gillette here.  A philosophical "razor" is a premise that lets you eliminate the unlikely explanations for something.

9. Dubuque native : IOWAN. Because "Siouan" didn't fit.

14. John of England : LOO. Was anyone fooled by this toilet humor?

15. "Guess again!" : WRONG.

16. Aria response, perhaps : BRAVO. Because "encore" didn't fit.  See how easy this was?

17. Poet's eye : ORB.

20. Image on Irish euro coins : HARP.

22. Weigh station unit : TON.

23. Kitchen extension? : ETTE. Kitchenette.

27. Abates : EBBS.

30. Feedback for a masseuse : AAH.

31. Tip for smokers : ASH. Because "quit" didn't fit.

33. José's hooray : OLE.

34. It may contain a $10 bottle of water : MINI BAR. Funny clue, but alas - so true! And 54-Down. High-end : STEEP. "That water sure is steep!"

37. Bicker : ARGUE.

41. Super 8, e.g. : MOTEL. You won't find $10 bottles of water in their mini-bars.

42. The Big Easy, to locals : N'AWLINS. Hahtoolah, is that really how you say it?

43. "Yuck!" : UGH.

44. S.A. country : ARG.entina. For some reason, I thought they were talking about "South Africa." Duh!

46. Inc. cousin : LLC. Limited Liability Corporation. [Update: It stands for Limited Liability Company. Thanks Vidwan827!]

47. Silk road desert : GOBI. Map.

55. Peas, at times : AMMO. I can just picture DH and I flinging peas at each other across the table.

57. "Deathtrap" playwright Levin : IRA.

58. Horseradish, e.g. : ROOT. I love fresh horseradish.

63. An invitation might include one: Abbr. : RTE. Route.  Is that still true? I used to include a map when I sent invitations to our house, but now I just give them the GPS coordinates!

64. Small landmass : ISLET.

65. Prepare to be dubbed : KNEEL.

66. Casual top : TEE. and 67. Sculpted works : BUSTS. [snicker]...how about sculpted BUSTS with wet TEEs?

68. Après-ski drink : TODDY. Brandy, honey, lemon, hot water and tea.  I usually ask for mine without the tea, hot water, lemon and honey.

69. Intensify, with "up" : AMP.

Down:

1. Sign of tropical hospitality : ALOHA. Because "lei" was too short...

2. Parable message : MORAL.

3. Hooded slitherer : COBRA.

4. Hooter : OWL.

5. Tiny Tim's surname : CRATCHIT. Do you remember this Tiny Tim's surname?

6. Early computer language : COBOL. COmmon Business-Oriented Language.

7. "That's ___!" : A NO-NO.

8. Ball club VIP : MGR. Manager. And now we move into the baseball portion of the puzzle...

9. Skeptic's reply : I BET.

10. Speak with style : ORATE.

11. Besides Derek Jeter, only Major Leaguer whose 3,000th hit was a homer : WADE BOGGS. Did not know that. Did know Wade Boggs from x-words. More baseball.

12. City map abbr. : AVE.nue.

13. Here-there link : NOR. "That's neither here nor there!"

19. Change in Albania? : LEKS. Not sure this one really needed the "?"

21. Laud : PRAISE.

25. Tropical capital : MANILA.

26. Seven-time A.L. batting champ : CAREW. Of course C.C. knows him - he played for the Minnesota Twins at one time. Baseball, again.

28. Really bummed : BLUE.

29. Observe : SEE.

32. Skater known as "America's sweetheart" : HAMILL. Dorothy. She developed the "Hamill Camel" skating move. (at 0:22-0:28 on the clip.)

34. Puts in storage : MOTHBALLS. Interesting article about "mothballed" ships.

35. Word shouted at church : BINGO. Because "amen" was too short...

36. Actress Gardner : AVA.

38. Bitterness : RANCOR.

39. Kelly's possum : POGO.

40. Like star-crossed lovers : ILL-FATED.

41. Ham it up for a shooter : MUG. I was always the one who ruined the family photos by crossing my eyes just as the flash went off.

45. P-like letters : RHOS.

48. "You ready?" answer : I'M SET. (Then GO!!)

50. Grand ___ : PIANO.

51. Had to say "Oops," say : ERRED.

52. Vital conduit : AORTA.

53. Clan symbol : TOTEM. Thinking of Scottish clans here, I wanted "plaid."  But the Scots call the pattern "tartan." To them, "plaid" means a tartan cloth slung over the shoulders, or even a simple bed blanket. Who knew?

56. Ball club whose colors are blue and orange : METS. Enough with the baseball!

59. Little white lie : FIB.

60. Sch. with a Mesa campus : ASU. Arizona State University.

61. Box office buy: Abbr. : TKT. Ticket.

62. Slick : SLY. Since MS-PV did not allow me any other opportunity, I will close with this particularly appropriate link!

See you next week!

Marti

Wednesday, July 24th, 2013 MaryEllen Uthlaut

Theme: Clue! (or in my case, Blockhead!). Fun and Games!

17A *Vessel with heavy armor: BATTLESHIP

30A *Rodent catcher: MOUSETRAP

47A *Military campaign: OPERATION

24D *Professional pursuits: CAREERS

26D *Shakespeare play that inspired a Verdi opera: OTHELLO

and the reveal

64A What the answers to starred clues are: BOARD GAMES

Top of the morning to you. Steve here with MaryEllen's foray into the world of squabbling kids. I liked the theme, the longer downs and some nice fill, both across and down. While I was solving I got the feeling there were a lot of abbreviations in the 3- and 4-letter answers, but when I looked it all over at the end it didn't seem to be the case, so no complaints. I hit a couple of humps along the way, but that's what Wednesday's all about, right?

Let's take a look at everything else:

Across:

1 Small thicket: COPSE. I'd be hard-pressed to tell a copse from a thicket. If you told me a thicket was a small copse I wouldn't argue. Throw in a coppice and a spinney and it's woodland confusion.

6 Dry cleaner’s target: SPOT

10 Simple rhyme scheme: A-B-A-B

14 Like many who tweet: AVIAN. TEENS was my first thought here, but I resisted. I have a pair of sparrows nesting in the street sign outside my front door, those guys get up early and don't hold back with the vocals.

15 John’s love: YOKO. Their ballad popped up on my iPod yesterday.

16 “Compliments guaranteed” corn syrup: KARO

19 “Take __ from me!”: A TIP. Your server would say "thank you very much, 20% should do it".

20 Foxy: SLY

21 Without pretense: ARTLESS. I realized I didn't know the true definition of this word. I'd always thought of it as meaning "without class" or something along those lines. Learning moment.

23 Suffix with malt: OSE

24 Algonquian language: CREE

25 Bridge over the Arno, e.g.: PONTE The Ponte Vecchio is the best-known bridge in Florence, but there are plenty more.

27 61-Down prison: GULAG

34 Having a steeple: SPIRED. This is Salisbury Cathedral in England - a beautiful example of a medieval spire. It was built in the 1300's and is more than 400 feet tall - the tallest in the UK.

36 __ Cucamonga, California: RANCHO

37 Trident part: TINE. One of the three prongs. I wonder why the bident and the quatrodent never caught on?

38 Evoking the past: RETRO

40 Continental capital: EURO. "Capital" in the sense of "currency" here.

43 Ranking angel: SERAPH. I find it odd that there's a pecking order of angels. I get that Gabriel has got bragging rights being the Annunciator, but once you've got your wings shouldn't you all be on equal clouds?

45 Protruded: BULGED

50 Snow coasters: SLEDS

51 Versifier’s art: POESY. Thank you, crosses. New word for me today, I'll need to see it at least five more times before I finally can remember it.

52 Varied mixture: OLIO. I've seen this one five times, so now I remember it (and C.C. taught me the difference between this and OLEO when I first started out here!)

54 “The Fox and the Hound” fox: TOD. The old English "todde" means fox. I met someone called Todd Fox once, which seemed a little unfair.

55 Very hot and dry: SAHARAN. This took me a little while because I had a "C" where the "H" should be. See 57D for explanation of muddled thinking on my part.

59 Big bird: EMU

62 Megastar: IDOL

66 Ad writer’s award: CLIO. Check out the Wikipedia description of the 1991 ceremony "The Most Bizarre Event in Advertising History" if you'd like a chuckle today.

67 Actress Petty: LORI. Thank you,  crosses.

68 Military divisions: UNITS

69 Get rid of, in a way: SELL

70 Omar of “House”: EPPS. This is another "I've seen it five times so now I remember it" entry for me.

71 Peeling device: PARER. And a paring device is a peeler.

Down:

1 Fare dealers?: CABS. Nice.

2 Like Humpty Dumpty: OVAL

3 “No beast so fierce but knows some touch of __”: “King Richard III”: PITY. Two Bard references today.

4 Emulated Humpty Dumpty: SAT. Two eggman references also. I learned somewhere that Humpty Dumpty was a siege engine deployed to scale the walls of the defenders' castle during the English Civil War in the 1640's.

5 Swell: ENLARGE

6 Part of DOS: SYSTEM. The Disk Operating System is the foundation of Microsoft's fortunes. Bill Gates wrote MS-DOS which ran the IBM Personal Computer, and all PC-compatibles thereafter.

7 “Jem” sci-fi author Frederik: POHL. Thank you, crosses.

8 Migrant on the Mother Road: OKIE

9 First-rate: TOPS

10 APB letters: AKA. Because it was quicker than saying "All Points Bulletin - be on the lookout for Alphonse Capone, AKA Scarface Al". You just say "APB BOLO ....

11 Southern capital with a French name: BATON ROUGE. Red Stick. The red stick was a tree on the banks of the Mississippi festooned with dead animals marking the boundary between two tribal hunting grounds.

12 Record label owned by Sony: ARISTA

13 Crook carrier of rhyme: BO PEEP. Not a police car.

18 Present, Cockney-style: 'ERE. Orl present an' correct, sah!

22 Design detail, briefly: SPEC

27 Clock std.: GST. Greenwich Sidereal Time. You can stand astride the zero meridian line with one foot in each hemisphere at Greenwich (pronounced Grennitch) Observatory in London.

28 News org.: UPI United Press International.

29 Flax product used in paint: LINSEED OIL

31 Gardener’s brand: ORTHO

32 Old Mideast gp.: UAR. The short-lived United Arab Republic comprising Egypt and Syria.

33 Condescending one: SNOB

35 “Oh, fudge!”: DRAT

39 Prefix with center: EPI. We had a little earthquake yesterday morning in LA - a mild 2.5 with the epicenter close to the airport and my office.

41 Color in a Crayola eight-pack: RED

42 Has too much, for short: OD's

44 Light beams: RAYS. Weird stuff, light. In physics terms, it exhibits the behavior of both a wave and particle depending on how you observe it, and it seems to know that you're looking at it and changes its behavior just to mess with your head.

46 Consuming entirely: USING UP

47 Eye doctor’s science: OPTICS

48 Curly-haired dog: POODLE

49 Chuck of “The Delta Force”: NORRIS. "Death once had a near-Chuck Norris experience". One of the many Chuck Norris sayings.

53 Youngster: LAD

56 Not all thumbs: ABLE

57 Cager’s target: HOOP. I forgot the "cager" slang for a basketball player, and instead went off at a barking mad tangent and filled in the missing letter with "C". I decided that the cager was a person who needed to lock up a bunch of chickens, and therefore his target was the coop. Didn't exactly make SACARAN easy.

58 50-and-up group: AARP. This is no longer an abbreviation, it's the official name for the organization and therefore no cluing issue with cluing "group" rather than "gp."

59 Arabian chieftain: EMIR

60 Dole (out): METE

61 Cold War inits.: USSR. Our old friends the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and another clue-pair with GULAG. (Side question to our constructor experts - could you use "CCCP" as an answer to this clue, or is that cheating because the the letters are actually Cyrillic rather than Roman?)

63 Texter’s chuckle: LOL. Isn't laughing out loud more than a chuckle?

65 Gasteyer of “SNL”: ANA

I think that wraps it up. Have a great day and see you all next time.

Steve

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 Gareth Bain

Theme: Alternative to Mad Magazine(LINK) - See 36-Across.

18A. Best kind of wrinkles to have, arguably : SMILE LINES. Crack a smile.

36A. What the starts of 18- and 57-Across and 3- and 28-Down can be : CRACKED

57A. Port in a storm : SAFE HARBOR. Crack a safe.

3D. Kid : JOKE AROUND. Crack a joke.

28D. Social agency employee : CASE WORKER. Crack a case.

Argyle here. I hope I can make you crack a smile by cracking a joke about a detective who cracked the case of the yegg.

Although skillfully constructed, I'm afraid Gareth's offering seem a bit flat despite some sparkly fill.

Across:

1. West African amulet : JUJU

5. Repelled a mugger, in a way : MACED. 53D. Shock, as a perp : TASE

10. Study at the last minute : CRAM

14. Loads (of) : A TON

15. Garlic mayonnaise : AIOLI. I wonder if Garlic Gal has a recipe.

16. Principle governing play, as in golf : RULE

17. Feint on the ice : DEKE. Or a juke if on the field.

20. Afore : ERE

21. Either "Fargo" director : COEN. Joel and Ethan.

22. Prepares, as salad : TOSSES

23. Infield shape : DIAMOND

25. Kilt wearer : SCOT

26. Flag maker Betsy : ROSS

27. Skipped the subway and bus : TOOK A CAB

31. Sparkly stone : GEODE

33. Prepare for vacation : PACK

34. Olympic pool division : LANE

35. Tempe sch. : ASU. (Arizona State University)

39. Caribbean music : SKA

40. Telephoned : RANG

42. Three-part cookie : OREO

43. First-string squad : A-TEAM

45. Capital on the Danube : BUDAPEST

47. Cornfield bird : CROW

48. Passion : LOVE

49. Home of the NHL's Blackhawks, familiarly : CHI-TOWN. (Chicago)

52. Hitting bottom, spirits-wise : AT A LOW

55. Elvis __ Presley : ARON

56. Letter after pi : RHO

59. Lose traction : SKID

60. Japanese golfer Aoki : ISAO

61. Melt glaze from, as a windshield : DE-ICE

62. Soccer immortal : PELÉ

63. Bit of a florist's greenery : FERN

64. Blunted swords : EPEEs

65. Mars : Rome : : __ : Greece : ARES. Gods of War. (sounds like a video game title)

Down:

1. Blasé : JADED

2. Where embryos develop : UTERI

4. Half of deux : UNE

5. Bricks-and-mortar workers : MASONS

6. Used a scope : AIMED

7. Piggy bank addition : COIN

8. Letter-shaped annex : ELL

9. Drink for the calorie-conscious : DIET COKE

 

 

10. Pricey brand of bubbly : CRISTAL

11. Seeks an office : RUNS

12. Away from the breeze : ALEE

13. Untidy heap : MESS

19. "Over there!" : "LOOK!"

21. Trig function : COSEC

24. Chic : MOD

25. Deserving of a standing O : [SOCKO!]

27. "Be quiet," in music : TACET

29. "My Way" lyricist Paul : ANKA. 38D. "Mack the Knife" singer Bobby : DARIN. 49D. "Time in a Bottle" singer Jim : CROCE

30. Laser emission : BEAM

31. Clothing : GARB

32. Son of Isaac and Rebekah : ESAU

33. Break down grammatically : PARSE

37. 1973 landmark court decision : ROE V. WADE

41. Spanish Main ship : GALLEON

44. Playground squealer : TOT

46. "The House at __ Corner" : POOH

47. Weekly allowance earners : CHORES. Not who but what.

50. Vague time period : WHILE

51. Bumps on a log : NODES

52. "I don't think so!" : "AS IF!"

54. Not near here : AFAR

55. "__ Baby": "Hair" song : ABIE

58. Exercise unit : REP

59. Massage locale : SPA

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

The beautiful Lea and her parents visited Grandma Kazie and Grandpa Barry a few weeks ago. Here are a few photos. Click here for more.  I love seeing her smile!

 On a blanket in the back yard

 With Grandpa and Dad in our kitchen

With Grandpa and Grandma

Monday, July 22, 2013 Billie Truitt

Theme: It will floor you - The last letters of these two word phrases will knock you out, K. O.

17A. Genre with listener participation : TALK RADIO

25A. Homeric protagonist : GREEK HERO

38A. Some fight endings, and a hint to the word endings in 17-, 25-, 46- and 60-Across : KNOCKOUT PUNCHES

46A. Three-time Masters winner : NICK FALDO. Congratulations to Phil Mickelson on his British Open victory.

60A. Enter forcibly, as a home : BREAK INTO

Argyle here. Tough Monday (in more ways than one). Cool span reveal that didn't help me until it was too late. Just something about the way the clue was written that I didn't get. Your mileage may vary.

Across:

1. "__ to you, buddy!" : SAME

5. Mon. or Jan., e.g. : ABBR. abbreviation, not date

9. Ringo of the Fab Four : STARR

14. Fan club focus : IDOL

15. Painfully tender : SORE

16. __ for: sublime : TO DIE. Sublime - exalted, noble.

19. Cook in an oven : ROAST

20. Clean air org. : EPA

21. Olympics sword : EPEE

22. Harboring a grudge : BITTER. Looks like a place for the QOD.

23. Milkshake insert : STRAW. But not hay. Glad we got that straightened out.

27. Den piece : SOFA. It's what bears sleep on during hibernation.

29. Pitching whiz : ACE

30. Outfielder Suzuki : ICHIRO. Plays for the Yankees.

33. Mexican Mrs. : SRA. Señora

34. Ice cream drink : SODA

41. Tonsillitis-treating MDs : ENTs. (ear, nose, throat)

42. Have a bite of : TRY

43. Boozehounds : SOUSES

44. "__ Believer": Monkees hit : I'M A

45. "Class dismissed" sound : BELL

51. Very very : ULTRA

55. Like some clothing patches : IRON-ON

56. Grand-scale tale : EPIC

58. Have a bite : EAT

59. Eva of Argentina : PERON

62. Leaving nothing out : IN ALL

63. "__ your pardon" : I BEG

64. Rain like crazy : TEEM

65. Singer Furtado : NELLY. Sorry about the ad. Update: The 30 sec. ad only appears if you watch it directly on YouTube.

66. Keyboard goof : TYPO

67. Avg. levels : STDs (standards)

Down:

1. Web destinations : SITES

2. Get used to new conditions : ADAPT

3. Place for a dental crown : MOLAR

4. Broad-antlered deer : ELK

5. On the double, in memos : ASAP

6. Latino corner store : BODEGA

7. Prickly shrub : BRIER

8. Vintage touring car : REO. Vintage crossword.

9. Swing and a miss, say : STRIKE

10. Incisor, for one : TOOTH

11. See 61-Down : ... A DATE". 61D. With 11-Down, "See you then!" : "IT'S ...

12. Choir platform : RISER

13. Nostalgically styled : RETRO

18. Edit considerably : REWORK

22. All-purpose answer to "Why?" : "BECAUSE!"

24. Sneaker brand : ASICS. Colorful.

26. Lawman Wyatt : EARP

28. Butler's underling : FOOTMAN

30. Prez after Harry : IKE

31. MSNBC rival : CNN

32. Sweltering : HOT

33. Pig's place : STY

34. Racing shell : SCULL

35. Sounds of surprise : OHs

36. Barely passing grade : DEE

37. Donkey : ASS

39. __ Mountains: Eurasian border range : URAL

40. "Can't catch a break" : "NO LUCK"

44. "Wouldn't that be nice!" : "IF ONLY!" These two seem to fit together.

45. She lost her sheep : BO PEEP. (nursery rhyme)

46. __ the bud : NIP IN

47. Goodnight girl of song : IRENE

48. Snorkeler's vista : CORAL

49. Hillock : KNOLL

50. Churchill Downs event : DERBY. at Louisville, Kentucky.

52. Basis of a creed : TENET

53. Given four stars, say : RATED

54. Tiny elemental components : ATOMS

57. Othello's confidant : IAGO

60. Bridle mouthpiece : BIT

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

JD's new grandson Dylan Flint arrived on July 19th Friday evening "just in time for Grandma to slip in to witness his arrival". JD said: "Words cannot express that miracle. He weighed in at  8'9".

Hello, Crossword Corner!

 Big brother Cameron, Dylan & the proud Dad