Sunday January 26, 2014 Mark Feldman

Theme:  "Just Say No" - No is inserted into each common phrase.

24A. Congressman lacking influence? : LEGISLATIVE NOBODY. Legislative body.

31A. Inexperienced company leader? : NOVICE PRESIDENT. Vice president.

53A. Conquer one's Pachelbel addiction? : KICK THE CANON. Kick the can. Click here. Jayce probably needs to conquer his Pachelbel addiction. I'm not familiar with the guy or his Canon.

69A. Flight getting in at 12:00? : NOONTIME ARRIVAL. On-time arrival.

85A. Chamber group income? : NONET REVENUE. Net revenue.

103A. Promo line for an open wine bar? : BOTTOMLESS PINOT. Bottomless pit.

116A. Unimportant orbiter? : MINOR SPACE STATION. Mir Space Station.

Last Sunday we had "Oh, No!", today we have "Just Say No". Eager to see what's the gimmick for next Sunday's LAT.

Three NO's are attached to the beginning of the first word, one attached to the start of the second word, three are inserted inside the word. This multiple approach in letter insertion does not happen often with LAT.

Across:

1. Paddle : OAR

4. Peter who produced James Taylor's debut album : ASHER. Unknown figure to me.

9. Stash : STORE

14. Old Dodge : ARIES

19. Pair : DUO

20. Now, in Spain : AHORA. Vowel-rich, like most foreign words in Xwords.

21. Yam, e.g. : TUBER

22. Time-share unit, often : CONDO

23. Investment adviser's suggestion, for short : IRA. Are you still thinking of retiring, TTP?

27. Where you might see "Hello" : NAME TAG. Hello, my name is ...

29. Take on : HIRE

30. O. Henry device : IRONY

36. Wit : CARD

39. Those, in Spain : ESOS

40. Myth ending : ICAL. Mythical.

41. __ room : REC. And 46. __ room : HOTEL.

44. Really enjoyed : ATE UP

49. 1987 Costner role : NESS (Eliot)

50. Slightly, to Salieri : POCO. Italian.

51. Cheerleader's accessory : POM-POM

56. Doe in "Bambi" : ENA

57. Becoming fond of : TAKING TO

61. Rib : NEEDLE

62. "Smokey and the Bandit" city : TEXARKANA. Tex-Ark-ana. Sort of portmanteau word.

64. Scout group : TROOP

68. Tart fruits : SLOES

72. Santa ___ : MARIA

75. "Oklahoma!" aunt : ELLER

76. Gashed : LACERATED

80. Ukrainian port : ODESSA

82. Teacher's concern : ABSENTEE. Me in college. I bet Yellowrocks seldom missed her classes. Great news about your shoulder.

84. Altar vow : I DO

89. Bland stuff : PABLUM

91. Significant periods : ERAS. Cultural Revolution is certainly the most important period in my life. Been through quite a bit of the nightmares in my life.

92. Angry : IRED. Spell check does not like this word.

93. Scrawny : GAUNT

97. Family member : NIECE

98. __ Aviv : TEL

99. FDR's mother : SARA. Oh, I did not know this.

100. They're expected : PARS. For the pros.

102. Keats creations : ODES

109. Slow movement : LARGO

111. "You really think that's true?" : IS IT

112. At : TOWARDS.  I often struggle with one-word clues.

121. See 122-Across : OUT. And 122. With 121-Across, force from hiding : SMOKE

123. Persona : IMAGE

124. First-aid kit item : GAUZE

125. Half and half : ONE. Simple & effective clue.

126. Some are dominant : GENES

127. Colorado resort : ASPEN

128. Bugs' nemesis : ELMER

129. Not many : FEW

Down:

 1. Thor's father : ODIN

2. Ghostly glow : AURA

3. Gad about : ROAM

4. Finnish architect Alvar __ : AALTO. Splynter might have heard of this guy. Not me. What's his most famous work?

5. Bundle, as wheat : SHEAVE

6. Greedy : HOGGISH. Not a word I use.

7. "___ tu": Verdi aria : ERI

8. Most daring : RASHEST

9. Oldest Beatle : STARR. My former boss is named Ringo because he liked Ringo Starr. Most people in Hong Kong have a Chinese name & an English name.

10. One in a class by himself? : TUTEE. Nice clue for a blah fill.

11. Kimono sash : OBI

12. Gun : REV

13. Before, in poems : ERE

14. __ squash : ACORN.  This looks yummy & perfect for D-Otto who just went through a yankage. Never had cranberries before. I bet raisins work as well.

15. Automaton : ROBOT

16. Part of, plotwise : IN ON

17. Whirlpool : EDDY

18. Tofu base : SOY. Have any of you tried fermented Tofu? It's definitely an acquired taste. Sort of like Blue cheese.

25. Sass : LIP

26. Ratings giver : NIELSEN

28. Eventually become : END UP

32. Gentle sound : COO

33. Ruin : SINK

34. "New Jack City" actor : ICE-T

35. Short run : DASH

36. 10th century French king : CAPET. Hugh Capet. Stranger to me.

37. Make amends : ATONE

38. Big name in real estate : RE/MAX

41. Sonata section : RONDO

42. Pierre's school : ECOLE

43. Scoop holders : CONES

45. Hearty entrée : POT ROAST. I just can't seem to like beef.

47. Hosp. test : EKG

48. One who more than just trash-talks? : LITTERBUG. Ha ha.

50. Spanish dish : PAELLA

52. Deadly shark : MAKO

54. Mrs. Dithers in "Blondie" : CORA

55. Special delivery? : CESAREAN. Nice clue also.

58. Classic Welles role : KANE

59. Part of IBM: Abbr. : INTL

60. Clinch : NAIL

63. Liqueur flavorings : ANISES

65. Heraldic border : ORLE

66. Setting for Camus' "The Plague" : ORAN. Gimme!

67. Ancient Celt : PICT

70. Average : MEAN

71. Nixon, in the '50s : VEEP. To Ike.

72. "Haystacks" series painter : MONET. Monet, Manet dilemma.

73. Be gaga over : ADORE

74. Kind of artery : RENAL

77. Did floor work : TILED.  And 113. It may be 77-Down : ROOF

78. Draw out : EDUCE

79. Field protectors : DOMES

81. British bluebloods, informally : ARISTOS

83. Vast amount : SEA

86. Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT

87. ___ Beach, Fla. : VERO

88. Wax-wrapped cheese : EDAM

90. Regional life : BIOTA

94. Steal the spotlight from : UPSTAGE

95. Drop off : NAP. And 101. Drop off : SNOOZE

96. Isotope of hydrogen : TRITIUM. Learning moment to me also.

103. Penniless : BROKE

104. Fairy tale baddies : OGRES

105. Feudal lord : LIEGE

106. City near Düsseldorf : ESSEN

107. Pose : SIT

108. One with a title : OWNER

109. Green shade : LIME

110. Before long : ANON

114. Buggy site : DUNE

115. Brood : STEW

116. Stir-fry additive : MSG. Not in my stir-fry. Nor do I use any cornstarch.

117. Actress Zadora : PIA

118. Morning hrs. : AMs

119. Cover : CAP

120. Singer Bachman : TAL. Canadian singer. Also an unknown figure to me.

C.C.

Saturday, Jan 25th, 2014, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 72 (missing J,Q)

Blocks: 32

    There are three reactions during the solve of a crossword, I believe; 1), the "I know this" and you fill in with confidence; 2), there comes an answer and you go "oh, I get it, that's pretty clever"; and 3), when the V-8 can comes sailing across the room and you think "D'oh, I shoulda known that~!"  Mr. Silk's offerings are like this for me most of the time, but today I had a fourth emotion - one of those rare, "Rrrr", teeth-gritting moments; see below.  Challenging triple 10-letter stacks in the four pinwheels, and two 12-letter climbers:

5D. 69-Across preservation technique : FREEZE DRYING - 69-Across being "rose petals", and it's getting close to Valentine's Day, guys - personally, I have no one to cater to ;(

21d. 1982 James Bamford book about the NSA, with "The" : PUZZLE PALACE - more here, for those curious

onward~!

ACROSS:

1. "Giant" novelist : EDNA FERBER - Once I did a 'Down' pass, there were enough letters to figure this one out; falls into the #1 category

11. Sweeping : EPIC - I started with "WIDE", which slowed me down in the NE corner for too long; falls in to category #2

15. 1971 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year : LEE TREVINO - again, enough Down fill to get this one

16. MillerCoors brand : ZIMA - the "Clear Beer" that was the big thing just as I turned 21, but alas, has gone away

17. Where one can swing close to home? : BATTER'S BOX - nailed it (that's a #1 response), and I am sure C.C. did, too

18. Jaws : RAPS - GABS, YAKS, etc

19. Pitcher of milk? : ELSIE - the spokes-cow who 'pitches' milk in ads

20. Fall preceder : SLIP - started with "TRIP"

22. Japanese drama : NOH - Part of me wanted "OKE", from our earlier-in-the-week discussion

23. Kingpin : CZAR

26. Email program named for a writer : EUDORA - never heard of this software, or the author

28. Union fighter: Abbr. : CSA - REB? or CSA? - I went with the former, of course - that's a #2 in my book - reference to the Confederate States of America

31. Cheese shop offerings : EDAMS - went with "CUBES" first, thinking about samples

34. Peels : ZESTS -  PARES, the verb, RINDS, the noun? ARGHHH~!

35. With it : HEP - Filled in hIp, which was good enough to start

36. Daughter of Jacob and Leah : DINAH - not up on my Bible lineage, so I went with SARAH, and that was - D-otto, check me - 40% correct

37. Letters from Greece : ZETAs - could only be this, "Betas", or "iotas"

38. 1940s command: Abbr. : ETO - we've seen this once this week

39. Traditional Amish toy : RAG DOLL

41. Together : ONE - clever; technically, two = one

42. Evaluate : ASSAY

44. Do away with : ERASE - Had TrasH to start; 60% right

45. 10, at times: Abbr. : OCT - the 10(th) month

46. Eponymous German bacteriologist : PETRI - ah, and his dishes were popular, too

47. Pass a second time, in a race : RE-LAP

48. French article : LES - I put in DES to start

49. Overthrow target : TYRANT - For some reason, I had the image of a Quarterback's spiral in my head, so I was trying to fit "HAIL MARY" here

51. Lee of Marvel Comics : STAN

53. Flying Cloud, e.g. : REO

54. Proceeds : GATE - The noun, in this case, or money collected

57. Ruy __: chess opening : LOPEZ - this falls in to the #1 category, since I learned this from doing crosswords - and it was on a Saturday, no less; a clip for the chess player

61. Car trip game : I SPY - with my little eye, something beginning with "M"

63. Tanks : TAKES A DIVE

66. Pacific salmon : COHO - remembered this from the salmon puzzle we had recently

67. Compound used in photographic film production : ACETIC ACID

68. Was onto : KNEW

69. Florist's decorative supply : ROSE PETALS

DOWN:

1. Dresden's river : ELBE

2. Pass out : DEAL - ah, that kind of "pass out" - I used to do a LOT of the other kind

3. Brooklyn team : NETS - Basketball, and the local NBA team for me, which I don't follow; interferes with hockey, tho not as much this year. 

4. Top story : ATTIC - DAH~!  Gets me every time~!  The top story of a building, not the newscast

6. Election end? : EER - ElectionEER, such as a campaign manager

7. Campground array : RVs - Recreational Vehicles

8. Chest protectors : BIBS - I put in RIBS, and then "EDNA" fixed that

9. Hydroxyl compound : ENOL - such as THIS one, (neat~!, please~!) which often leads to 2d.

10. "Chicago" song : ROXIE - I was thinking of the "wrong" Chicago (the 70's band, not the musical)

11. Book before Neh. : EZR - ARGHHH~!  Here's that fourth response - The book is EZRA, and I had to Google it; dropping the last "A" makes me grit my teeth on this one - and I worked out an alternative solution in this corner to avoid the crummy abbr.  - SLR, which is a camera, SPIC, as in SPIC N Span, Lima and not Zima - done~!

12. Bench alternative : PIANO STOOL - Clearly a #3 moment for me, as I was thinking cars, and therefore BUCKET SEAT.  Here's some piano funny

13. Weight : IMPORTANCE - I had ---NCE at the end, and pondered putting in OUNCE to see if that would lead me somewhere

14. Liquid holdings : CASH ASSETS

24. Song on Sarah McLachlan's "Surfacing" album : ADIA

25. Park __ : RANGER - oh, duh - I couldn't see this on the first pass.  Um, that's a #3

27. Two-point Scrabble tile : DEE - the only other 2pt tile is "GEE", which worked, too

28. "The Flame" band : CHEAP TRICK

29. Observes : SETS EYES ON

30. Sign of possession : APOSTROPHE - very clever, - a #2 in my book -  Splynter's, e.g.

32. Sierra __ : MADRE - OK, I put in LEONE to start - also #2

33. Isles of __: Gulf of Maine locale : SHOALS - A WAG after 83% perps

40. Quarterly half-day exam : LSAT - Saturday cluing for the test for Law School - if you're interested in taking the test, here's the schedule

43. Constellation next to Scorpius : ARA

50. Volga region native : TATAR - The Wiki - I once had a cute pen-pal in Kazan

52. Acknowledge silently : NOD AT

55. Bell or shell lead-in : TACO - Taco Bell, taco shell, nice

56. Squeezes (out) : EKES

58. Type size : PICA

59. Source of harm : EVIL

60. Letters from Lancaster : ZEDs

62. "Ouch!" : YOW

64. Festival d'__ de Québec: annual music event : ETE - Saturday cluing for "Summer in Somme"

65. Taste : SIP

Splynter

Friday, January 24, 2014, Daniel Nierenberg

THEME: From GEEK to CHIC, climb on our word ladder

In the never ending world of Friday puzzles looking for new ways to bamboozle and entertain the solvers, two items from the games page, Crossword Puzzles and Word Ladders, are combined. The Miami Herald runs a word ladder daily, which if you are unfamiliar is a series of words where you go  from word A (the first word) to word Z (the last word) by changing only one letter in each successive word. TEN to PIN would be ten-tin-pin. In this instance we also get a reveal of sorts, commenting on the joy of going from Geek to Chic. Obviously lots depends on the perps since there are no independent clues for the ladder words, though once you get a couple, you know you have a very limited choice for the next step. Some Friday difficulty, but since the theme words are only only four letters long there is  room for some fun fill like GLUTEUS in addition to toughies like OCELLI,  so lets climb down the ladder and see what Daniel used for the remaining fill.

1A. Start of a word ladder : GEEK. (4).
5A. Word ladder, part 2 :       PEEK. (4).
9A. Word ladder, part 3 :         PEEN. (4).
22A. Word ladder, part 4 :         TEEN. (4).
52A. Word ladder, part 5 :           THEN. (4).
64A. Word ladder, part 6 :              THIN. (4).
65A. Word ladder, part 7 :                CHIN. (4).
66A. End of the word ladder :             CHIC. (4).

37A. "West Side Story" song, or a hoped-for response after experiencing the transition in this puzzle's word ladder : I FEEL PRETTY. (11).  CLASSIC. (3:43).

Across:

13. Muscat native : OMANI.  This very common fill saved me from the initial frustration of knowing nothing.

15. Rough words : OR SO. Rough as in estimate.

16. "A Death in the Family" author : AGEE. James Agee is a regular answer, and if you are interested, he did a lot in a short life. LINK.

17. Tech giant : GATES. Interesting, as initially trying for a company name not Bill from Microsoft.

18. Alienated : ESTRANGED. Women left at the altar, or left after marriage used to sue their fiances' (husbands') new love interest for Alienation of Affection. The law still exists in 7 or 8 states.

20. Parts of wedding scenes : AISLES. Perfect juxtaposition for our cheating husband.

23. Buttocks muscle : GLUTEUS. There are actually FOUR, not just our friend Maximus.

25. Clothing : RAIMENT. Related to the concept of ARRAY. A nice old word.

30. Deadly biter : ASP. Cleopatra anyone?

31. Bites playfully : NIPS. The lesson, do not play with an asp.

33. Touch-y service company? : MIDAS.

34. It might be twisted : ANKLE. A very common problem in the NBA where the giant people are forever landing on each other's feet.

36. "!" on a road sign : DANGER. Hmm...

39. Positive particle : PROTON.

41. Advertising target : SALES. Target/ Goal?

42. Like some cereals : OATEN.

43. Filter : SIFT. Sometime, you have to let your brain sift through many choices before entering fill.

44. Political initials since 1884 : GOP. I think the initials have been used since 1874, though the Republican Party itself began in 1854. LINK.

47. Tut, e.g. : PHARAOH.  Most memorable TUT (2:39)?

49. Pudding starch : TAPIOCA. So confusing...

54. Picnic downer : SHOWER. The rains fall down? A pun?

55. Get-together request : CAN WE MEET?

60. Blue dyes : ANILS.

61. Word of dismissal : SHOO. Kitty, kitty.

62. "__ kidding?" : IS HE.

63. Part of an address, maybe : TITLE. What do you say to a Duke? LINK.

Down:

1. Be extremely excited : GO GAGA. While this was a perfectly fine clue/fill, the absence of any crossing words, made starting out very tricky. Great set of letters, like COO COO for Cocoa Puffs.

2. Modern messages : EMAILS. Is it one word, or E-Mail?

3. Devours : EATS UP. Do not parse E-atsup.

4. Showed reverence, in a way : KNELT. Just before you are knighted by the King, his majesty.

5. "The Gold-Bug" author : POE. Not my favorite of his short stories, but he won a $100.00 prize for it, which was probably the most he earned for any writing in his lifetime.

6. Once, old-style : ERST. Another old word.

7. Fragrant compounds : ESTERS.

8. North or South follower : KOREA. With all the North/South combos, this is the only 5 letter one I could think of.

9. God of shepherds : PAN. There was a wonderful movie called PAN's LABYRINTH.(1:04), sorry about the 15 second ad.

10. Whisking target : EGG. That clue should stir things up around here. No beating around the bush.

11. Broad size : EEE. None of the broads I know are triple Es.

12. "The Simpsons" character who says "Okily-dokily!" : NED. For all the non-Simpson fans...you should last 7 seconds

14. "Got it!" : I SEE.

19. Bring to life : ANIMATE. Just like Ned Flanders; I see, it all fits together and makes sense.

21. Submerged : SUNKEN.

24. Cat's perch, perhaps : SILL. I will let CED do his cat magic for cat's on sills, though my challenge will be to find a video of a feline with Beverly Sills.

26. Diner freebies : MINTS. When I was a baby in the crib, my parents said they would give me the mints the restaurants gave out, and I would just fall asleep holding them in my hand.

27. Anxious : EDGY. The sugar rush never made me edgy.

28. Glaswegian's negative : NAE. One from Glasgow is a Glaswegian for the same logical (?) reason someone from Norway is a Norwegian.

29. Original Dungeons & Dragons co. : TSR. Interesting I heard on the radio that this is the 40th anniversary of D&D which was created by people who called themselves TACTICAL STUDIES RULES. The first of the modern complicated role playing games, left in the dust by WOW and Magic the Gathering.

32. Brand originally named Brad's Drink : PEPSI. Oddly, I recently linked this piece of bubbly history.

34. "__ you" : AFTER. A part of vaudeville and silent movie HISTORY. (1:11).

35. One just born : NEONATE.

36. Change symbols, in math : DELTAS. If I were on Who Wants to be a Millionaire I would use Fermat as my lifeline, and have Bill G. ready. In the meantime LINK.

37. Wee bit : IOTA. Another Greek letter doing double duty.

38. It may be inflatable : RAFT. So was George's ego, I heard.

39. Father : POP. My youngest is currently calling me Pop or Pops.

40. Cheerleader's shout : RAH. Rah ree, kick'em in the knee. Rah rah rass, kick'em in the other knee.

43. "Holy cow!" : SHEESH.  They say this is a euphemism progression from Jesus. LINK. I wonder about the Lebanese, Sheesha, or shish.

44. Accompany : GO WITH. Will you accompany me to the senior prom?

45. Spots on a peacock train : OCELLI. From the Latin, diminutive of OCULUS, an eye, because they look like little eyes.

46. Astronomical distance : PARSEC. Another area where I have little KNOWLEDGE. Followed immediately by....

48. Resistance-related : OHMIC. OHM (symbolized by the Greek Omega!) is a measure of resistance named after Georg Ohm.

50. Slangy "Superb!" : PHAT. You can learn about BACKRONYMS.

51. Corinthian cousin : IONIC. Doric being his brother?

53. 90-year-old soft drink : NEHI. Go Radar.

55. Missouri hrs. : CST. Central Standard Time, and the official time of the Corner.

56. Sound at a spa : AHH.

57. "There's __ in 'team'" : NO I. Nor an O or U...

58. Prevailed : WON.  (almost looks like wonton, wonten and of course then to the wanton).

59. Sign of perfection : TEN. still classic?

Well with Bo in your view, running toward you, I am going away for another week. I do not recall if we have ever had a ladder puzzle in the LAT, though they appear in the NYT often. It looks like Daniel was busy as this was his second LAT barely 2 weeks after his maiden. Look forward to hearing the response from all; I wish you all a wonderful final week end in January 2014.  Lemonade out.

Thursday, January 23, 2014 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "Rockin' Robin"


3-Down. "Sesame Street" segment with Dorothy the goldfish : ELMO'S WORLD.

4-Down. Combat with one survivor : FIGHT TO THE DEATH.

9-Down. Input for a personnel interviewer : FIRST IMPRESSION.

31-Down. "Dolphin Tale" co-star : ASHLEY JUDD.

And the reveal:

39-Across. Lullaby setting, and a hint to the starts of 3-, 4-, 9- and 31-Down : TREETOP. My reaction? 62-Down: AHA! "Now it's clear!"  I honestly did not see the theme until the reveal.  Nicely done, with the four theme answers going down the grid, with the TREE at the TOP of each one, all three letters. Very consistent. Let's see what else Jeffrey has to offer.

Across:

1. Took in : ATE.

4. Cartoon huntsman : FUDD.

8. One of the five Olympic rings : AFRICA. The original designer (Pierre de Coubertin) chose the colors from the flags of all the countries involved in the Olympics.  Before 1951 the Olympic Charter did specify that blue = Europe, yellow = Asia, black = Africa, green = Australia/Oceania and red = America. That statement was later removed, since it did not appear to be the designer's original intention.

14. __ Harbour, Fla. : BAL.

15. Memo term : IN RE.

16. Jeweled headgear : DIADEM.

17. Electrical unit : OHM. And 28-Across. Power units : WATTS.

18. France, in the time of the 6-Down : GAUL. And 6-Down. Pre-Christian Celtic priests : DRUIDS.

19. Julio's partner in wine : ERNEST. The Gallo Brothers.

20. Sponge : MOOCH.

22. The Beatles' "__ Just Seen a Face" : I'VE.  I refuse to link songs any more. You Tube has put annoying ads on every page now.

24. ERA and others : STATS.

25. Enchant : BESOT.

26. Mark : DENOTE.

30. Thought before taking a risk : DO I DARE? (Oh sure, go ahead!)

34. Excessively affected : TOO TOO.

36. First name in Chicago politics : RAHM. Rahm Emanuel, mayor of Chicago.

37. Pathetic : SAD.

38. Good Friday mo., often : APR.

41. Group __ : HUG.  Awww, how sweet!

Group Hug

42. 4-Across frame : CEL.

43. Golden __: Drake's ship : HIND. Forgot the name of his ship - she was originally called Pelican, but he changed the name half way around the world.

44. How aspirin is taken : ORALLY.

46. Single sock, e.g. : ODDMENT. I don't think I've ever seen this ODD word before.

48. "We hold __ truths ..." : THESE.

49. Superfan : ADORER.

51. Art nouveau, say : STYLE.

54. Musical flip : B-SIDE.

57. Sumac of song : YMA.  She could span more than four octaves with her voice.

58. Man of letters? : SAJAK. "Wheel of Fortune." (Can I buy an __ ?)

59. Hard to believe : UNREAL.

61. __ B'rith : B'NAI.

63. Down Under school : UNI. Late week doesn't indicate "for short." Kazie, do you call university "UNI"?

64. Mutual respect : COMITY. Another word that took all the perps to see.

65. Second : ECHO. "I ECHO your thoughts."

66. "Football Night in America" co-host Patrick : DAN.

67. Envelop : SWATHE. Another late-week word.

68. List maker : DEAN.  DEAN's List.

69. More than scratch the surface : DIG.

Down:

1. Enola Gay payload : A BOMB.

2. Lake bordering the Silver and Golden states : TAHOE.

5. Actress Merkel : UNA. She was big in early Hollywood.

7. Go deeply (into) : DELVE.

8. Citrusy drink : ADE.

10. Carried on : RANTED.

11. "The very __!" : IDEA.

12. "__ la vie!" : C'EST. "That's life!"

13. Figs. : AMTS. Amounts. Not to be confused with FIGs from today's tree.

21. Oft-checked item : COAT. Nice misdirection.

23. Use as a terminus : END AT.

27. "I know! Pick me!" : OOH OOH!

29. Città on the Po : TORINO. "Turin," in Italian.

32. Castro of Cuba : RAUL. Fidel's little brother.

33. Neither cool nor collected : EDGY.

34. Food truck offering : TACO.

35. Non-news page : OP ED. "OPposite the EDitorial"

36. It may precede meat and potatoes : RED. I was thinking of an appetizer or salad at first. RED meat / RED potatoes.

40. Sweepstakes mail-in : ENTRY.

45. Sleuthing films canine : ASTA.

47. Got there : MADE IT.

48. Semiconscious state : TRANCE.

50. Set : EMBED.

52. Island only 2% owned by Hawaii : LANAI. The other 98% is privately owned by Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle.

53. Barely acquiring, with "out" : EKING.

54. Tampa NFL team : BUCS. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

55. Bamboozle : SNOW. We only got about three inches of bamboozle from the big storm this week.

56. "__ la Douce" : IRMA.

60. Pipe cleaner : LYE. I wanted those fuzzy arts & crafts things...

62. "Now it's clear!" : AHA. Just as I said at the beginning!

That's it for me today. See you next week!

Marti

Wednesday, January 22, Kurt Krauss

Theme: THEM'S THE BREAKS or LEMEE OUTA HERE or BREAKING FREE.  In each theme answer, the letters of the word FREE are broken, and make bookends for the rest of the letters in the answer.

17A. *Genealogist's tool : FAMILY TREE.  A graphic representation of parental relationships.  Here's ours.  I misread this as Geologist's tool, and was BAFFLED for a while.

24A. *"Top Hat" leading man : FRED ASTAIRE.  Stage name for Frederick Austerlitz, actor, singer, dancer and choreographer, most famous for his dancing in 31 musical films.  Here he is with Ginger Rogers. (3:28)

34A. *Stewed chicken dish : FRICASSEE.  In which the meat is cut up, sauteed or braised, and traditionally served with a white sauce.  Almost, but not quite paprikas.

50A. *Most serious or least serious : FIRST DEGREE.  Most serious for crimes, least for burns.

Note that the second and third theme entries are each broken differently, while the first and fourth are broken in the same way, making another kind of book end.

And the unifier:  58. Escapes, and, literally, what each of the answers to starred clues does :

BREAKS FREE.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here. I don't recall blogging one of Kurt's before. Let's see if we can BREAK FREE some of this fill.

Across:

1. Big cat of Narnia : ASLAN. From the C. S. Lewis classic, The Witch, The Lion and The Wardrobe.

6. Salad alternative : SOUP.  Olive Garden choice. We always get the salad.

10. No more than : MERE.  Also a C.S. Lewis title word.

14. Pope after John X : LEO VI.  His short term lasted only from June 928 to his death in February 929.

15. Facility : EASE. 

16. Iowa State's city : AMES.  College town.

19. Political syst. : GOV'T.  Government.  Note abbrv in cl & ans.

20. Priestly robes : ALBS. Long white tunics, coming down to the ankles, usually girdled with a cincture.

21. Suffix with Capri : OTE.  A Capriote is a person from Goat Island.

22. Door sign : ENTER.  Sometimes [ironically] with the lead in "DO NOT."

23. __ Fáil: Irish coronation stone : LIA. The "Stone of Destiny," where all the Irish high kings were crowned until the 5th century A.D.

27. Abandon : FORSAKE.  Not to be done at High Noon.

29. British throne? : LOO.  AKA toilet or W.C. Word game of thrones?

30. Churchillian sign : VEE.  VEE for Victory in WW II; Winston Churchill, 20th century British statesman and toper.

Source

31. Compound conjunction : AND/OR. Presented for your edification AND/OR enjoyment.

32. Uppercut target : JAW.  An upward thrust in boxing.  The jaw is the logical target.  Mind your tongue.

33. Take a break : REST.

 38. First Greek consonant : BETA. Follows Alpha. Together, they give us the word alphabet.

41. Go a few rounds : BOX.  Watch out for uppercuts.

42. Petting zoo critter : LLAMA.  South American camel analog, beast of burden, food source, and comedian.

  Source

46. Pulitzer poet Lowell : AMY (1874 - 1924)

Vernal Equinox

The scent of hyacinths, like a pale mist, lies
 between me and my book;
And the South Wind, washing through the room,
Makes the candles quiver.
My nerves sting at a spatter of rain on the shutter,
And I am uneasy with the thrusting of green shoots
Outside, in the night.

Why are you not here to overpower me with your

 tense and urgent love?

The scent of hyacinths, like a pale mist, lies
   between me and my book; And the South Wind, washing through the room, Makes the candles quiver. My nerves sting at a spatter of rain on the shutter, And I am uneasy with the thrusting of green shoots Outside, in the night. Why are you not here to overpower me with your
   tense and urgent love? - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/22831#sthash.KxdLSHw9.dpuf

More here.

47. Gloss target : LIP.

 Source

48. Concession speech deliverer : ALSO RAN.  He came. He saw. He lost.

53. Former telecom co. : MCI.  Now part of Verizon.  You can see its checkered history here.

54. Toga party hosts : FRATS.  Fraternities, like Delta House.

55. HDTV brand : RCA makes High Definition TV's.

56. Amazed sounds : OOHS.  Often found with aahs.

57. "Lois & Clark" reporter : LANE.  Clark Kent, Lois Lane.

61. Blues singer James : ETTA.  Nee Jamesetta Hawkins; January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012.

62. Carded at a club : ID'ed.  Abrv. for "Identification," transformed into a verb.

63. Catorce ÷ dos : SIETE.  Fourteen by two leaves seven, in either Spanish or English.

64. Work station : DESK.

65. Billy of "Titanic" : ZANE.  Did he always play someone warped AND/OR crazy?

66. Extra : ADDED.  Here, an adjective, not a bit part player.

Down:

 1. "Our Gang" kid with a cowlick : ALFALFA.

Source

2. Circus barker : SEA LION.  Literal, not figurative.

3. Gable's third wife : LOMBARD.  Carole, third of five, and, as the story goes, the great love of his life.  She died in a plane crash on January 16, 1942, returning from a trip selling war bonds.

 Source

4. Thrifty alternative : AVIS.  Rental cars.

5. Zilch : NIL.  Usually NADA, but here only three letters were available.

6. Parlor piece : SETTEE.  An upholstered seat for more than one, smaller than a SOFA, usually with a back and arms.

7. Propelled, as a galley : OARED. Another poor innocent noun, kidnapped and verberized.  Rowed seems more in the language.  But let's all sing:  OAR, OAR, OAR your boat  .  .  .   Or maybe not.

8. Capitalize on : USE.  A bit of a stretch, but OK.

9. Peruvian capital? : PEE.  Ugh!

10. __ cum laude : MAGNA.  Graduation honors.  SUMMA also fits.

11. Eliciting feeling : EMOTIVE.

12. Really looks up to : REVERES.  I really look up to Paul, for his midnight ride.

13. Springsteen's __ Band : E STREET.  Jersey boys.

18. N.Y.C. part : YORK.  New YORK City.  The Big Apple.  

22. DDE's WWII arena : ETO.  European Theater of Operations.

24. Klinger portrayer on "M*A*S*H" : FARR. Jamie. Though he's famous and from Toledo, I could not remember his name, and had to rely on perps.  Ah, me.

25. "Ah, me!" : ALAS.  Word spoken by a jilted lad?

26. Porcine moms : SOWS.  Piggies.

28. Cushioned seat : SOFA.  Bigger than a SETTEE

32. Fla. NFL team, on scoreboards : JAX.  The rather hapless Jacksonville Jaguars.

33. Move for the job, briefly : RELOcate.

35. Abbr. referring to a previous citation : IBID.  Short for IBIDEM. Latin for "in the same place."

36. Make do : COPE.  Sort of like "eke out."

37. "What __ can I say?" : ELSE.   Don't ask this question unless you're willing to deal with the answer.

38. Bewildered : BAFFLED.  Bollixed, confused, at a loss.

39. Kuwait or Qatar : EMIRATE.  Last time I had EMIR, a high ranking sheik.  This word can refer variously to his rank, lands, or reign.

40. Ruthless rulers : TYRANTS. Frex, Joffrey, the First of his Name, from Game of Thrones.

43. Like a Brink's truck : ARMORED.  Brinks hauls money, hence the extra protection. 

44. Jungle explorer's tool : MACHETE.  A big knife for slashing through the vegetation.

45. Ouzo flavoring : ANISEED.  Pimpinella anisum, also called ANISE, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia.  It's flavor is similar to licorice.

47. Capt.'s underlings : LTS.  Even when shortened, captains are still over lieutenants.

48. Game venue : ARCADE.  A room full of game machines.

49. Pipe problem : LEAK. During the coldest part of January, there always water main breaks in the Detroit Metro Area. 

51. Porterhouse, e.g. : STEAK.  An oversize T-bone containing more of the tenderloin than the loin.  Hope you're hungry.

52. Putting spot : GREEN.  For all you golfers out there.

56. "The Wizard __" : OF ID.  Comic strip.  And a reminder why we don't discuss politics.   Gandolf he ain't.

58. Line of work, for short : BIZ. Corrupted abrv. of Business.

59. Nutritionist's abbr. : RDA.  Recommended Daily Allowance.

60. Fed. retirement org. : SSA.  Social Security Administration.  Thank you FDR.

Pretty good for a Wednesday.  Hope you were able to crack this one.

In other news, the polar vortex is back.  We're not able to BREAK FREE from winter's grip.

Cool [maybe even freezing] regards!

JzB

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy 68th Birthday to dear John Lampkin, who helped me greatly in my earlier days of blogging and constructing. We talked on the phone once. I was very nervous as I always have problem make myself understood. He was incredibly kind and patient. Love this picture!

Lemonade & John Lampkin, March 21, 2012

2) Happy 82nd Birthday to dear Marge! Hope you've long recovered from the fall last year and are doing well.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014 David Poole

Theme: I think I saw something?! - While two of these elusive critters remain hidden, the head of a jackalope may be found mounted on walls in bars all cross this land.

17A. Sighting in the Scottish Highlands : LOCH NESS MONSTER

33A. Sighting in Douglas, Wyoming : JACKALOPE

38A. Sighting in the Pacific Northwest : SASQUATCH

53A. One studying this puzzle's sightings : CRYPTOZOOLOGIST

Argyle here. How's this for a theme? Some fun and the fill isn't half bad either. (Not sure what that phrase actually means.)

Across:

1. Speeder's undoing : RADAR

6. TiVo ancestor : VCR

9. Wherewithal : MEANS

14. Erie Canal city : UTICA. A shout-out to our locals.

15. Letters for debtors : IOU

16. Big name in computer chips : INTEL

20. Accident scene fig. : EMT. (emergency medical technician)

21. Gallop or canter : GAIT

22. "By Jove!" : "ZOUNDS!". "Egads!"

23. Cream of the crop : BEST

24. Like plugs vis-à-vis outlets : MALE

                        "Get the picture?"

25. Using only ones and zeros : BINARY

28. __-cheap: for a song : DIRT

29. Recipe amt. : TSP. (teaspoon)

32. Air freshener targets : ODORS

35. Belgrade citizen : SERB

36. Singer Horne and actress Olin : LENAs

37. Continental coin : EURO

40. Grammy winner Carpenter : KAREN. Tragic loss.

41. Pub brew : ALE

42. Christie's "Death on the __" : NILE

43. Large crowds : MASSES

44. Mani's salon go-with : PEDI. (manicure/pedicure)

45. Uncovered : BARE

46. Find a new table for : RESEAT

49. Gaucho's weapon : BOLA. A throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of an interconnected cord.

50. "__ the season ..." : 'TIS

56. "Je __, donc je suis": Descartes : PENSE (French), "Cogito, ergo sum" (Latin), "I think, therefore I am" (English)

57. Corn unit : EAR

58. Shade of green from Ireland : KELLY

59. Promotional ploy : TIE-IN

60. Skid row affliction : DTs

61. Lauder of cosmetics : ESTÉE

Down:

1. Run the kingdom : RULE

2. Electron home : ATOM

3. Webster's, e.g.: Abbr. : DICT.

4. Essen exclamation : "ACH!"

5. Madison Square Garden hockey team : RANGERS

6. Drop in on : VISIT

7. What you pay : COST

8. Piña colada liquor : RUM

9. Konica __: Japanese conglomerate : MINOLTA. 13D. Camera types, for short : SLRs

10. Happen next : ENSUE

11. Business letter abbr. : ATTN.

12. On a __-to-know basis : NEED

18. "A snap!" : "EASY!"

19. Missouri range : OZARKS

23. Potato chip flavor, briefly : BAR-B-Q

24. Prophet whose name sounds like a mineral : MICAH. (mica)

25. __ nova: Brazilian music genre : BOSSA. A lyrical fusion of samba and jazz.

                              LINK

26. Exemplary : IDEAL

27. Viking language : NORSE

28. Hula or hora : DANCE

29. Travels with the band : TOURS

30. Binge : SPREE

31. Lowly laborers : PEONS

33. Beijing-born martial arts actor : JET LI

34. Apartment contract : LEASE

36. Stopped the ship, in nautical lingo : LAID TO

39. Still on the plate : UNEATEN

40. Bar sing-along : KARAOKE

43. Expanse near the Capitol, with "the" : MALL

44. Coke competitor : PEPSI

45. Churlish types : BOORS

46. Sales slip: Abbr. : RCPT.

47. "... __ saw Elba" : ERE I. Palindrome, "Able was I ere I saw Elba".

48. "Auld Lang __" : SYNE

49. Tub toy : BOAT

50. Pinball foul : TILT

51. __ of Wight : ISLE. "Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight

If it's not too dear"

52. Eye sore : STYE

54. Last letter, in Leeds : ZED or the Isle of Wight.

55. Some refrigerators : GEs

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy 6-year anniversary to our blog! Thanks for making us part of your daily routine.

A special "Xie Xie" to my blogging team: Argyle, Jazzbumpa, Steve, Melissa, Marti, Lemonade & Splynter. Thank you for your hard work, commitment and your always quick & solid advice when I'm in trouble.

I also want to thank our regular commenters. This blog thrives because of your honest & respectful feedback about LA Times Daily Crosswords, your daily poems, funny cat/dog/animal track links, potato dumpling recipes, grandkids photos, expert tips on how to solve a computer glitch, thoughtful musings or just random observations.

Thanks for being here!

Monday, January 20, 2014 Matt Skoczen

 Theme: Double Talk - Double up a word but use a different connector each time.

17A. Gradually and steadily : STEP BY STEP

26A. Like a private tutoring session : ONE ON ONE

39A. Back up talk with action : WALK THE WALK

52A. Considering everything : ALL IN ALL

64A. In person : FACE TO FACE

Argyle here with Matt Skoczen making one of his infrequent Monday appearances. He even gave me a shout out. A great start to the week.

Across:

1. Bailiff's repeated cry : "OYEZ!"

5. Captain's order to stop : "AVAST!"

10. Amo, __, amat : AMAS

14. Prefix with scope or meter : PERI

15. Like many pretzels : SALTY. Cute, too.

16. Money owed : DEBT

19. Nebraska tribe : OTOE

20. Fellow members : BRETHREN

22. "Ben-__" : HUR

23. 2000s White House nickname : DUBYA

28. CIO partner : AFL. (The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations)

29. Not used : NEW

32. Senior-to-junior address : KIDDO

33. Betty of cartoons : BOOP. Saucy wench.

35. Lantern fuel : LAMP OIL. FAQ

42. Make like new : RESTORE

43. Ventilates, with "out" : AIRS

46. "Ivanhoe" author Sir Walter : SCOTT. My middle name.

49. The Tar Heels of the NCAA : UNC. (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

51. Forget-me-__ : NOT

56. Stows away : HIDES

58. Naughty : BAD

59. Condition of being forgotten : OBLIVION. Oblivious - the condition of being soused. Have you heard it used that way?

62. Hosp. area for urgent care : EMERgency

68. Got to one's feet : ROSE

69. Not quite right : AMISS

70. Word after something or anything : ELSE

71. Mex. miss : SRTA. (señorita)

72. Eccentric : BATTY

73. Mass transit option : RAIL

Down:

1. Chances to get pics : OPs. Short for photo opportunity.

2. Up to now : YET

3. Before, in odes : ERE

4. Go past fast : ZIP BY

5. "__ sow, so shall ..." : AS YE

6. Expansive : VAST

7. Even if, briefly : ALTHO

8. Violinist Isaac : STERN

9. Melville work subtitled "A Peep at Polynesian Life" : "TYPEE"

10. "Much __ About Nothing" : ADO. Shakespeare

11. Way of doing things : METHOD

12. Teem (with) : ABOUND. Later in the week, rain hard.

13. Audio system : STEREO

18. Dietary fiber : BRAN

21. Finnish mobile phone giant : NOKIA

23. Blot gently : DAB

24. ET transporter : UFO

25. Squander, as a wad of cash : BLOW

27. Nabisco wafer brand : NILLA

30. Antlered grazers : ELKS

31. "W" on a light bulb : WATT

34. First installment of a miniseries : PART I

36. Old reciprocal electrical unit : MHO. (ohm backwards)

37. Lima's land : PERU. Down by Lake Titicaca.

38. Wilson of "Marley & Me" : OWEN. Marley is a dog.

40. "... __ man put asunder" : LET NO. But Marley might.

41. Compassionate : KIND

44. __ v. Wade : ROE

45. Ave. crossers : STs (street)

46. Cavalry blades : SABERS

47. Loud uproar : CLAMOR

48. Most senior : OLDEST

50. When doubled, tot's train : CHOO. Whoo Whoo!

53. BBC sitcom, to fans : AB FAB. Short for "Absolutely Fabulous".

54. Andes pack animal : LLAMA

55. Permitted by law : LICIT

57. Get by reasoning : INFER

60. Sleeveless garment : VEST

61. "The __-bitsy spider ..." : ITSY

63. "The Crying Game" actor Stephen : REA

65. Pie __ mode : A LA

66. CBS series with Miami and NY spin-offs : CSI. (Crime Scene Investigation)

67. Wriggly swimmer : EEL

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Here is another precious picture of JD's  four grandsons. JD joined our blog when Truman was about one-year-old. Also, I hope you did not try the Balsamic Chicken Breast recipe I linked 2 weeks ago. I did not like the result. Nether did JD. The smell was very unpleasant.  JD said:

"I usually cut my chicken breasts into pieces, let them sit in an orange or some kind of bottled marinade for about an hour, then cook them quickly in a  frying pan (10 min. max) and put over rice. It's always moist."

Maybe JD will tell us what orange marinade brand she's using, but this recipe looks very appealing to me.

Left to Right: Dylan & his bigger brother Cameron, Truman & his little brother Grady