Saturday, Feb 15th, 2014, Brad Wilber

Theme: None

Words: 70  (missing Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 33

  Either I am getting very comfortable with Saturday puzzles, or this one comes in at about a Friday, maybe even earlier level.  Brad is flying solo this week, as did his partner "DP" two weeks ago, and has what I would call a 'get out of jail free' offering today. A not-so-intimidating grid, with non-chunky corners and two grid-spanners;

17. Norwegian offerings : PLEASURE CRUISES - sort of a mini-theme going, with 31a and 45a, too - I won't go near any type of cruise like this

56. Fails to intervene : SITS ON ONE'S HANDS

ONWARD, wandor, norwad, wordan, donwar, rondaw, etc.

ACROSS:

1. "A Different World" actress : LISA BONET - spin-off from "The Cosby Show", she was once married to Lenny Kravitz and has changed her name - some interesting ones, here

10. More than ready to do : UP FOR

15. Halley's field : ASTRONOMY - as in Halley's comet - a gimme here; you too, Husker?

16. Veronese white : SOAVE - drew a blank until I had S--VE, then the light bulb came on

19. Most like a beachcomber : TANNEST - any one else think "HOMELESS" ?

20. "__ Mutual Friend": Dickens' last completed novel : OUR

21. Royal letters : HRH - His/Her Royal Highness(ness) - as in 35a.

22. Texting gasp : OMG - Oh, My, Gawd~!

23. Profile listing : HOBBY

25. "Yes!" : "I DO" - I did, but I stopped

26. St. Peter's Basilica attraction : PIETA - Michelangelo's marble statue

29. Many roomies : SIBS - Siblings; my brother and I shared a room for 12 years

30. Match : BOUT

31. The first one open on Majorca in 1950 : CLUB MED - I think the clue should be openED; I recall the TV commercials

33. Lake Geneva river : RHONE

35. Princess with a Wookieepedia entry : LEIA - Star Wars

36. "I Lost It at the Movies" author : KAEL - Pauline, never heard of her

37. Narrow vents : SLITS

39. Teaching method based on set theory : NEW MATH

42. Gent : CHAP

43. Moselle tributary : SAAR

45. "The Love Boat" bartender : ISAAC - click for Earworm~!

47. Hit the __ : HAY

48. "Precisely!" : "BINGO~!"

49. Lucy of "Elementary" : LIU - I liked her in the Mel Gibson movie "Payback"

50. Time to look forward : EVE

51. Trot : JOG

52. Aids : SUCCORS

59. Spud : TATER

60. Europe's tallest ferris wheel : LONDON EYE

61. Underhanded type : SNEAK

62. Mississippi has four : AREA CODES - nice bit of ambiguity

DOWN:

1. Telecommuter's tool : LAPTOP

2. Like about 1.5 billion people : ISLAMIC

3. His was the first number retired by the Mets : STENGEL - Casey; I am a Mets fan, but maybe C.C. has more to offer (C.C.: #37. Retired by the Yankees as well.)

4. Ireland's __ Islands : ARAN

5. Audio giant : BOSE - ah, not SONY - had the "O" first

6. Cross to bear : ONUS

7. View from The Hague : NORTH SEA

8. Graph- ending : EME - Grapheme, the smallest semantically distinguishing unit in a written language

9. Cooperstown charter member : TY COBB - Not a baseball guy; I went with "C. Young" to start - can you tell I had the "Y" first~?!?

10. There's a lot of interest in it : USURY - I have one credit card that is 19.99% - getting close to my definition of usury

11. Food cooked in an imu : POI - Hawaiian cooking - more here

12. Method : FASHION

13. Accruing fines, maybe : OVERDUE

14. Did a double take? : RE-SHOT - as in photography

18. Chafes : RUBS RAW

24. Kin of -ish : OID - Roundish object = spheroid

27. Spring bloom : TULIP

28. Distract the security guard, say : ABET

30. Pampas weapons : BOLAS

32. Assignment : MISSION - "Your mission, should you choose to accept it...."

34. Half: Pref. : HEMI - Like Dodge advertises, their "HEMI" engine just means the cylinder shape is half round at the top

36. Fuel that built the Rockefeller fortune : KEROSENE - Learned this from watching "The Men Who Built America" from History channel

37. Adjective for "Pygmalion" or "Major Barbara" : SHAVIAN - of, pertaining to, or characteristic of George Bernard Shaw or his works: Shavian humor.

38. Shower paraphernalia : LAYETTE - Baby shower, that is; an outfit of clothing or bedding

39. Hound : NAG - ah, not DOG - the verb, not the noun

40. Like owls : TALONED

41. Lock-changing tool? : HAIR DYE - nice

42. See 57-Down : CHESTS, 57. With 42-Down, spots for sailors' gear : SEA

44. Luanda's land : ANGOLA

46. Triggers a bleep, maybe : CUSSES - @$#%X~!!!

48. Icelandic singer : BJORK - I had -J-RK to start, and it worked~!

53. Org. that rejects bad eggs : USDA - literally

54. Van. alternative : CHOColate - I saw the "." after Van(illa) and so I wondered if it might be referring to Van(couver), which happens to be in the same area as....

55. Recent Yankee star named for Jackie Robinson : CANO - Robinson Cano is now with the Seattle Mariners, 10yrs, $240mil.  Yeah.

58. Scand. kingdom : NORway - not q u i t e ...a duplication of the name in 17a.

Splynter

Note from C.C.:


Happy Birthday to dear Skip (Hondo on the blog), who is a huge fan of UConn women's Basketball. He's also an expert on vintage sports cards & attends shows often on weekends. Besides Marti, Dudley & Montana, Hondo also met Irish Miss in person.

Left to Right: Marti, Dudley, Hondo & Montana

Friday, February 14, 2014, Xan Vongsathorn

Theme: U anagram U! Ryder truck rental competition.

The first & second letter of a familiar phrase is reversed to form a new word beginning with the letter "U" and clued whimsically. I guess since Valentine's Day is all about 'you', this all fits. Our second anagram based theme in a row.  So we have another variation of an anagram theme to add to the Friday fun, with a little teeny reveal. The constructor has been absent from the LAT for quite a while having had only one previous puzzle published back in 2009, though he does have 7 NYTs under his belt. Like Michael Sharp (a/k/a Rex Parker) he is from Pomona College. XAN. With two grid spanning answers we have 60 letters in the theme. This leads to a really high 3 and 4 letter word count for a Friday. There were a few fun longer fill, ADAM'S RIB, ASTEROID, I-POD NANO , SCREWED UP,  UP FOR SALE, but I leave the verdict up to you the jury, I am merely the court reporter.

17A. Vessel storing a cash stash? : URN FOR ONE'S MONEY (15). (RUN for one's money). I thought maybe we were also going to get some homonym action (EARN:URN).

25A. Layered computer connections? : USB SANDWICH (11). (SUB sandwich).

44A. Pet named for writer Sinclair? : UPTON THE DOG.(11). (PUT on the dog).  I think of it as Putting on the RITZ, (2:03) not the Dog.

58A. Tantrum that devolves into hysterical gibberish? : UNCLEAR MELTDOWN (15) NUCLEAR meltdown).

and the hint...

62A. "Lead the way!", and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme : YOU FIRST (8) (U first).

Across:

1. Hedge row : SHRUBS. I admit shrubbery always make me think of this LINK. (2:06)

7. Fox's "X-Files" partner : DANA. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully?

11. Rite Aid rival : CVS. A New England success story, a small local retail store Consumer Value Store started in the 60s in Woonsocket, RI, where my uncle Richard lived, eventually got in the pharmacy business and now has more stores than anyone.

14. Cozy spot? : TEAPOT. Really cute, as you put the cozy over the teapot to keep the tea warm.

15. Tiny tunes player : I-POD NANO. Another cute clue/fill.

19. Earlier : AGO.

20. Strong adhesive : EPOXY. Back when I played lacrosse we used epoxy and fiberglass tape to strengthen our wooden sticks. Now they are all some compound. "Today’s players use sticks with heads made of plastic; shafts made of aluminum, graphite, titanium, Kevlar®, or alloys of aluminum, magnesium, scandium, and zinc; pockets made of nylon mesh..." The Encyclopedia of Earth.

21. Some poker tells : TICS.

22. "Lady Jane Grey" playwright : ROWE. This play apparently was not a success, but we have seen the writer before. He put out some editions of Shakespeare's works. For fun you can read a 2008 C.C. blog.

24. Farm cry : OINK.

31. Bundle : SHEAF. A biblical word? Next to a pseudo-biblical clue?

32. Tracy/Hepburn battle-of-the-sexes film : ADAM' S RIB.

37. "You're on!" : DEAL.

38. Impact sound : SPLAT. Good comic book word.

40. Stoic philosopher : CATO.  He was of course the YOUNGER.

41. Telescope sighting : ASTEROID. Do you have a telescope Tin? This could be a reason for a quick belt. Speaking of belts...

43. Hunter of myth : ORION. Another star-crossed lover who ended in the sky.

47. Sudden blow : GUST.

50. Lined up, with "in" : A ROW.

51. Part of one's inheritance : GENE. Yes, my luck, I ended up with Rayburn.

52. Tend : SEE TO.

55. Oft-bruised item : EGO.

63. Actor Hugh : LAURIE. A really fine comedian, he was always very popular in my brother the medical researcher's house.

64. Gathered dust : SAT. For three letters, this took a while.

65. 2012 N.L. East champs : NATS. Nationals, success did not seem to suit them.

66. Had dinner : SUPPED. Wouldn't it be DINED and the other supper?

Down:

1. Handle for a chef? : STU. I fought against this what I guess is just a pun, but once the USB revealed the U, and I already had the S and T...

2. Juno, to Homer : HERA. Roman is to Greek as...

3. Chimed : RANG.

4. On the market : UP FOR SALE. Another U turn for me.

5. Discontented cry : BOO. Hoo thought of this first? I did not? Bah!

6. Scattered : STREWN.

7. T. Rex, e.g. : DINO. Flintstones?

8. Summit : APEX. The old Acme Apex challenge.

9. Getting into the wrong business? : NOSY. Stick your nose where it does not belong...

10. Nav. bigwig : ADMiral.

11. "Emperor of the Air" novelist : CANIN. I thought this was particularly obscure, and I would never have gotten this answer but for it being filled before I saw the clue. I have seen the movie Emperor's Club, and being a prep school product I knew a little about his work, but not his name. ETHAN. The film was also filmed at Emma Willard (from yesterday's comment by IM about Scent of a Woman).

12. Certain tee : V-NECK.

13. Sauces for sushi : SOYS. Are there more than one soy sauce for sushi? Did you remember sushi means rice?

16. Denier's words : NOT I.

18. Column with a slant : OP ED. I will not OP EN that argument door.

23. Big galoot : OAF.

24. Electrician's unit : OHM. Yes, my nephew is a master electrician, who wires lots of kitchens; their anthem is Ohm Ohm on the Range.

25. Rib-eye rating gp. : USDA. United States Department of Agriculture.

26. Witches, but not warlocks : SHES. Simple, but tricky.

27. Knocked out : BEAT. Nope, do not see these as synonymous unless you know you are fighting.

28. Character found in kids' books : WALDO. I would have loved the clue to be 'sometimes found'  but I applaud the concept.

29. Peak of Crete : IDA. Interesting HISTORY in mythology, but I think of CHARLEY WEAVER. And the odd coincidence that Emma Willard School is on Mount Ida overlooking Troy, NY.

30. Victim of curiosity : CAT. Killed no less!

33. Made a mess of : SCREWED UP.

34. Surprise strike : RAID.

35. "__, Sing America": Hughes : I TOO. The poem by Langston Hughes, the ORIGINAL. (1:09).

36. Low bell sound : BONG. I wonder if this was the author's clue...

38. Dip, as in gravy : SOP.

39. Nectarine core : PIT.

42. Symbol of boredom : RUT. Are we in an anagram rut?

43. "Well, looky here!" : OHO. Meh.

45. "Six Feet Under" son : NATE. Never watched this SHOW.(4:28).

46. High-tech troublemakers : TROLLS. How funny, a shout out to my Friday fans.

47. Italian port on its own gulf : GENOA.

48. In its original form : UNCUT. Are they talking circumcision here?

49. Help beneficiary, at times : SELF. Libraries and book stores are overflowing with self help books, but if you buy them is it really self help?

51. Blokes : GUYS. It was nice to NICE CUPPA.

52. First name in the freezer section : SARA. Nobody does not like Sara Lee.

53. Once, in days past : ERST. Did it take you a while to get this one?

54. CPR specialists : EMTS. Emergency Medical Ttechnicians.

56. Hiker's supply : GORP.

57. Boo-boo : OWIE.

59. A, in Stuttgart : EIN.

60. St. Anthony's Cross shape : TAU. Greek to me.

61. Nancy Drew's guy : NED.

Well I want to wish our dear friend, constructor, blogger, poster, ski bum, wine connoisseur and house renovator the happiest of birthdays and perhaps an early spring. Thank you marti for all you have done for me and the Corner. For the rest of you I hope you enjoyed our visit and the puzzle, until next time Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Lemonade said it all. Thank you, dear Marti, for being there for me and the Corner. Happy Birthday!

Marti & her husband Allen

Thursday, February 13, 2014 Susan Gelfand

Theme: "Green Anagrams"

17-Across. "Sommersby" actress : JODIE FOSTER. Forest green.

28-Across. Shortcut, perhaps : DIAGONAL LINE. Nile green.

39-Across. Freaked out : GONE APE. Pea green.

49-Across. Measure used by navigators : NAUTICAL MILE. Lime green.

65-Across. Packaged produce buy, and a literal description of the ends of 17-, 28-, 39- and 49-Across :

MIXED GREENS.

Whenever I see something like "mix" in the reveal, I immediately look for anagrams. I start with the shortest - "pea" - and then work on the longer words.  But L-I-N-E had me stumped for the longest time - I just couldn't think of a green color with those letters. Light finally dawned, but there were other challenges for me in this one (as a Thursday puzzle should…)

Across:

1. Asian noodles : RAMEN.

6. Quick looks : PEEKS.

11. "The __" : WIZ.

14. Poke __ in : A HOLE. Odd partial.

15. Game console button : RESET.

16. __ polloi : HOI.

19. 1992 figure skating silver medalist : ITO. Midori.  A clue with at least part of her name would have helped!!

20. What "will be" will be? : ARE. Tricky: what "ARE" now, will be later...

21. Actress Dolores __ Rio : DEL. Big starlet in the '20s-'30s.

22. Post-blizzard creation : SNOWMAN. Which I will not be making on Friday...

24. "The Federalist Papers" co-writer : HAMILTON. Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison. They promoted the ratification of the US Constitution.

27. Part of UNLV: LAS. University of Nevada LAS Vegas.

33. Kobe's home : JAPAN. Not KOBE Bryant - he was born in Philadelphia. But the city in the Hyogo prefecture. (Home to Kobe beef. - Argyle))

36. Energy : VIM.

37. Environmental sci. : ECOL.ogy

38. Hosp. areas : ORs.

43. Org. for analysts : APA. American Psychological Association.

44. Dickens clerk : HEEP. Uriah, to friends, from "David Copperfield."

46. __ Aviv : TEL.

47. Plant circulatory tissue : XYLEM.

53. Some govt. lawyers : DAs. District Attorneys. English is so capricious. Why isn't the plural spelled "attornies"???

54. Kind of memory : AUDITORY.

58. Golfer and his buddy, say : TWOSOME.

62. Barbecue item : RIB.

63. Never, in Nuremberg : NIE.

64. Trash holder : BIN. Anyone else want "can" at first???

68. Word before or after blue : SKY.

69. Paris pupil :  ÉLÈVE.

70. Picture : IMAGE.

71. "Mr. __ Passes By": Milne play : PIM.

72. A.J. Foyt, e.g. : RACER.

73. Flies alone : SOLOS. Dudley!

Down:

1. Hindi for "king" : RAJAH.

2. Now, in Nicaragua : AHORA.

3. Surfing equipment : MODEM. Anyone else want "board"???

4. Ransom __ Olds : ELI.

5. Locker room exchange : NEEDLING.

6. Opening words : PROLOG. I thought it was "prologue"?

7. Some RPI grads : EES. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  Electrical Engineers. Spitzboov & Splynter - any others out there?

8. Body shop figs. : ESTS. Estimates.

9. Sharp : KEEN.

10. Easy pace : STROLL.

11. Playfully kooky : WHIMSICAL.

12. Minute amount : IOTA.

13. Utah national park : ZION.

18. Crumbly cheese : FETA.

23. Corduroy ridge : WALE.

25. Biographer Tarbell : IDA. Most notable for "The History of the Standard Oil Company." (Hmmm…note to self, do NOT put that on your reading list!)

26. Extended short story : NOVELLA.

29. Singer/actress Peeples : NIA. Best known for her role as Nicole Chapman in "Fame."

30. Energize, with "up" : AMP.

31. "Not a chance" : NOPE.

32. Character actor Jack : ELAM.

33. Doe in many films : JOHN.

34. Specialty : AREA.

35. Lewis Carroll, for one : PSEUDONYM.

40. Non-Rx : OTC. Over the Counter.

41. Museum funding org. : NEA. National Endowment for the Arts.

42. Bookplate words : EX LIBRIS. Latin for "From the library of…"

45. Educ. collaborators : PTAs.

48. As of now : YET.

50. Glucose, to fructose : ISOMER.

51. Geese : gaggle :: crows : __ : MURDER.

52. Beatnik's "Gotcha" : I DIG.

55. "Barry Lyndon" actor : O'NEAL. Ryan. Did not know this film. All perps.

56. Musical nickname related to jewelry : RINGO.

57. Survey answers : YESes.

58. Cook's meas. : TBSP. Tablespoon. None of my cookbooks have this as the abbr.

59. Collaborative Web project : WIKI.

60. Kunis of "Black Swan" : MILA. Great film. Have you seen it? It gives me a whole new appreciation for the gruelling training that ballerinas have to go through.

61. Corporate VIP : EXEC.

66. Holiday starter : EVE.

67. Rock genre : EMO. Characterized by expressive lyrics. Short for "emotive."

I'm all in for now. If I didn't cover all your questions, let me know!

Hugs,

Marti

Wednesday, February 12, 2014 Jim Horne and Jeff Chen

Theme: What - the H?  or The H you say!   When you see a strikingly unusual grid, that's a strong hint that something out of the ordinary is up, and we got it today in spades. I guess the big block H in the center of the grid, surrounded by horizontal and vertical brackets, serves as a unifier, of a sort.  Instead of a conceptual theme, today every horizontal and vertical entry contains the letter H, which occurs 43 times.  I can't even imagine what was involved in putting this together.  For most of the fill, it's exactly one H each, but there are a few two H words. 

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa at the helm.  No Hemming and Hawing, let's have at it.

Across:

1. Scale on which diamond is assigned a "10" : MOHS.  Hardness of minerals.  Talc is softest. 

5. Owl's question? : WHO.  How should I know?

8. "Music __ charms ..." : HATH. To soothe a savage breast.  The actual quote has the word "HAS" not "HATH."  This is the first line of the play The Mourning Bride by William Congreve, spoken by Almeria in Act I, Scene 1.

12. The sego lily is its state flower : UTAH.  Hibiscus is Hawaii's.

13. Map out : CHART.  Here are some of my charts [graphs, actually], if you're interested. Six Decades of U. S. Population Growth.

15. Nymph rejected by Narcissus : ECHO. He loved his image. She loved her voice. Unhappy ending

16. Actress Elisabeth : SHUE.  Heroine?

17. Deck opening : HATCH. For loading cargo.

18. Work on jerky : CHEW.  Holy mouthful, Batman.

19. WWII aircraft carrier plane : HELLCAT.  High performing flyer.

21. Iowa native : HAWKEYE.

23. Tax-sheltered nest egg : ROTH IRA.

25. Hippy dance : HULA.  Hips in motion, not from the Haight-Ashbury hangout

28. 1963 Newman film : HUD.  Anti-hero.

29. Ousted Iranian : SHAH.  Horrible despot.

33. Arctic "snowshoe" critters : HARES.

34. Quizzical sounds : EHS.

35. Bears owner/coach who won eight NFL titles in four different decades : HALAS.  Highly successful.

37. Singer Piaf : EDITH.  Huge in France.

38. Soup base : BROTH.

39. Luxury craft : YACHT.

40. Quiet "Quiet!" : SHH.  Hush.

43. "Ulysses" actor Milo : O'SHEA.

44. Quaint pronoun : THEE.

45. "Isn't __ bit like you and me?": Beatles lyric : HE A.  Where is he?

46. Solvers' cries : AHAS.  Having that AHA moment.

47. Tremulous glow : SHIMMER.

50. Except : SHORT OF.

54. Beeline : MAD DASH.  Hurrying.

59. "Hava Nagila" dance : HORA.  Hold hands; dance in a circle.

60. Different : OTHER. Who are you?

62. Worker welfare org. : OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Adminitration.

63. Progress slowly : INCH. 

64. Organ with chambers : HEART.  Has auricles and ventricles.

65. Son of Odin : THOR. Hammer guy.

66. Sinister chuckles : HEHS.

67. "Revenge is __ best served cold" : A DISH.  Has uncertain origin.

68. Seven: Pref. : HEPT-.  Is a member of a cool HEPTet a HEPT cat?

Down:

1. Soft stuff : MUSH.

2. Will-wisp link : O' THE.  Hinkypunk - per Wikipedia, atmospheric ghost light seen by travelers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes. It resembles a flickering lamp and is said to recede if approached, drawing travelers from the safe paths.

3. Truck : HAUL.

4. Poet Silverstein : SHEL.  He wrote Where the Sidewalk Ends.

5. Words said with a double take : WHAT THE.  Often followed by H  .  .  .

6. Fez, e.g. : HAT. Head cover.

7. Corsage flowers : ORCHIDS.

8. "Consarn it!" : HECK.  Not the H  .  .  . word I had in mind.

9. Motrin target : ACHE.  Hurts!

10. Those folks : THEY. 

11. Suffragette Julia Ward __ : HOWE. (1819-1910) Also abolitionist and poet, she wrote The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

13. Former Labor secretary Elaine : CHAO. Only cabinet member to serve under President George W. Bush for his entire administration; Wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

14. Where she blows : THAR.  Whale.

20. Vehicle safety measure : CRASH TEST.

22. Jug band percussion instrument : WASHBOARD.  Here's how it's done.

24. "Say what?" : HUH.

25. Tackled : HAD AT.  Attempted

26. "Vega$" actor : URICH.  Robert.

27. Mythical river of forgetfulness : LETHE.  Hades river, flowing around the cave of Hypnos and through the underworld.

30. Grating : HARSH.

31. "Hello, wahine!" : ALOHA. Hi.  Howaya?

32. Can't stand : HATES.

33. "You, there!" : HEY.

36. Doo-wop syllable : SHA.

40. Went from first to second, say : SHIFTED.  Ha - gears.  I wanted a stolen base.

41. Jeans bottom : HEM.  Stitchery.

42. Pounds : HAMMERS.  Like THOR.

48. Ado : HOOHA.  Or Brouhaha.

49. Mars neighbor : EARTH.  Heavenly orbs.

50. __ Tzu : SHIH.  Hairy hound

51. Fine-tune : HONE.

52. B'way seating area : ORCHestra.

53. Sounds from the stands : RAHS.  Hooray!

55. Shakespearean verb : DOTH.  How DOTH the little crocodile?

56. 1975 Wimbledon winner : ASHE. Tennis star Arthur.

57. Hit the mall : SHOP.

58. Antlered deer : HART.

61. Ginza agreement : HAI.  はい "Yes" in Japanese.

How did you like this puzzle by Messrs. Horne and Chen?  Jeff, of course is a veteran constructor.  Looks like this is Jim's first time in the L.A.T. They had previously collaborated on a themeless puzzle for the NYT in 2012. Has a couple of force-fit entries, but over-all pretty smooth construction, and quite an original concept.  Did anybody else think of Hard and soft G's? 

Cool Regards!

JzB

Note from C.C.: 

Happy Birthday to dear LaLaLinda, who's been through a lot the past year. Despite the physical pain and severe diet restrictions, Linda never complained. She's always attentive and supportive of our regulars who's in need of advice & comfort. (Dave: Think of cats, Red Sox & sweetness.)

Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Ed Sessa

Theme: B A D - Normally there is only two ways to break a three-letter word but Ed found another.

57. Vince Gilligan TV drama, and a hint to something happening in 20-Across and 11- and 29-Down : BREAKING BAD. The series premiered in 2008 on the cable channel AMC, and closed 2013.

20. They swim with the fishes : SCUBA DIVERS

11. Bookmarked link, say : WEB ADDRESS

29. Start of a rhyme featuring a butcher and baker : RUB-A-DUB-DUB. This rhyme exists in many variations.

Argyle here(and in the puzzle). The most notable thing is the pinwheel layout of the answers. Bit odd to have a roach in the middle though.

Across:

1. Financial "soaking" : BATH

5. Open wound : GASH

9. Dots on maps : TOWNS

14. Queens stadium named for a tennis legend : ASHE

15. Eastern honorific : AGHA. Turkish, literally: lord.

16. Outmaneuver : ONE-UP

17. Munich mister : HERR

18. Track section : RAIL

19. In a gallant manner : NOBLY

23. Gore and Smith : ALs

24. Wrestling venue : ARENA

25. Scottish pirate : KIDD. The long version here. Wiki Or the short video. LINK

27. Checkpoint Charlie city : BERLIN

30. O'Brien of CNN : SOLEDAD

33. __ Dhabi : ABU

34. Chain store selling gates and crates : PETCO. Headquartered in San Diego.

37. Twilled suit fabric : SERGE

38. Gently tosses : LOBs

40. Nocturnal scurrier : ROACH. The Orkin Man isn't here yet.

42. Big intro? : MEGA

43. African antelope : ELAND

45. Company targeting 40-Acrosses : ORKIN

47. Transgression : SIN

48. Man Ray or Arp : DADAIST. Artwork from Man Ray.

50. Some 36-Down deals : LEASES

52. Fruit that's not cute : UGLI. Orange and tangerine hybrid.

53. With regard to : AS FOR

55. Priest's garment : ALB

62. Freeload : CADGE

64. Billy goat's bluff : CRAG. Bluff is a headland with a broad, steep face. You might find goats on the steep rugged rock.

65. Meditative practice : YOGA

66. Less likely to betray : TRUER

67. Where sheep sleep : COTE

68. Creditor's claim : LIEN

69. Wooden shoe : SABOT

70. Power dept. : ENERgy

71. Movie lioness : ELSA

Down:

1. Grumpy cries : BAHS

2. "Got __?": "Can we talk?" : A SEC

3. Informal street sign word : THRU

4. Like some folk remedies : HERBAL

5. One with growing concerns? : GARDENER. Gearing up; sharpening the tools.

6. "Here we go __!" : AGAIN

7. Hindu deity : SHIVA. “The Destroyer,” the third member of the Trimurti, along with Brahma the Creator and Vishnu the Preserver.

8. Of sound body : HALE

9. Oft-removed throat tissues : TONSILS

10. Artist Yoko : ONO

12. __ and void : NULL

13. 1974 CIA spoof : "SPYS"

21. "What __!": "I've been had!" : A RIP

22. MGM rival : RKO. The original RKO Pictures ceased production in 1957. MGM went through bankruptcy in 2010 but is still at it.

26. Judge : DEEM

27. Bundled, as cotton : BALED

28. African virus : EBOLA

30. Foot warmer : SOCK

31. Texas A&M athlete : AGGIE

32. Campus heads : DEANS

35. Tugboat blast : TOOT

36. Hybrid, perhaps : CAR

39. Setback : SNAG

41. Designer Tommy : HILFIGER

44. Toon with an upturned tie : DILBERT

46. Gas in glass tubing : NEON

49. "To __, With Love" : SIR 1967 Song(2:48)

51. 30-Down pattern : ARGYLE

53. Slugger known as Hammerin' Hank : AARON

54. Use a rink : SKATE

55. "Hamlet" fivesome : ACTS

56. Doctor Zhivago's love : LARA. Her theme. Video(5:47) Warning: Lots of snow.

58. Caesar's "Behold!" : "ECCE!"

59. Recipe instruction : BOIL

60. Years and years : AGES

61. Funny Carvey : DANA

63. Former automaker with a globe in its logo : GEO

Argyle

Monday, February 10, 2014 Bruce R. Sutphin

 

Theme: Make Them Laugh - Three funny characters.

                                    LINK

17A. Bil Keane comic strip : THE FAMILY CIRCUS. Circus Clown. Family Circus web site.

28A. Bygone Honda CR-V rival : ISUZU RODEO. The very important Rodeo Clown.

44A. Flier's upgrade : FIRST CLASS. Class Clown

60A. Sondheim song, and a hint to the ends of 17-, 28- and 44-Across : "SEND IN THE CLOWNS". Clip(4:11) by Judy Collins with lyrics and an extensive write-up.

Argyle here and one time 44-Across. Two spanners today and some sneaky fill. Some nits that if you're doing LAT puzzles, you should know and get over it. I think Bruce(interview) had fun constructing this one.

Across:

1. Class with numbers : MATH

5. One making a coffee run, say : GOFER. (from 'go for')

10. Spot to shop : MALL

14. Lot measurement : ACRE

15. Skip over, in speech : ELIDE

16. Reed to which an orchestra tunes : OBOE

20. Briny : SEA

21. Buzzing homes : HIVES

22. Tree houses? : NESTS

23. Journalist Sawyer : DIANE

25. Chess pieces : MEN

26. Chess piece : PAWN. If a pawn makes it all the way across the board, it may become any man it wants, excepting the King.

34. Teacher's Apple : iMAC

35. Expansive : VAST

36. Gardner of Hollywood : AVA

37. Strip of latticework : LATH. Makein' lath the old way.

 

38. Low card : DEUCE

40. "It's Your Space" rental company : AVIS

41. Gobbled up : ATE

42. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" author Jean : AUEL. I almost remember her now.

43. Diet label word : LITE

48. Fruity quenchers : ADEs

49. It may be doffed : HAT

50. Backup strategy : PLAN B

52. Like an enthusiastic crowd : AROAR. …asmell of the greasepaint, aroar of the crowd…(sic)

55. Guiding principle : ETHIC

57. Sub sandwich dressing item : OIL

63. Wear a hole in the carpet : PACE

64. Dance studio rail : BARRE

65. Actress Fey : TINA

66. Winter transport : SLED

67. Prints and threads, to detectives : CLUES

68. __ in Show: dog prize : BEST

Down:

1. Wrestling surfaces : MATS

2. Workout woe : ACHE

3. Stay afloat in place : TREAD WATER. Do you remember Bill Cosby's, "Noah, how long can you tread water?"

4. Pajamaed mogul, familiarly : HEF. (Hugh Hefner)

5. Zodiac's Twins : GEMINI

6. Martini garnishes : OLIVEs

7. Store in a folder : FILE

8. Ice cream brand : EDY'S

9. TiVo button : REC

10. Multitalented Rita : MORENO

11. Basic lessons : ABCs

12. Big oaf : LOUT

13. Not as much : LESS

18. "Figured it out!" : "A-HA!"

19. Unmoving : INERT

24. Creep (along) : INCH

25. Source of inspiration : MUSE

26. Rice dish : PILAF

27. Vintage violin : AMATI

29. Throat dangler : UVULA

30. Tween heartthrob Efron : ZAC

31. "Life on Mars?" singer : DAVID BOWIE. Video(3:57)

32. Online party notice : EVITE

33. Desert retreats : OASES

38. Conduit for tears : DUCT

39. Slippery swimmer : EEL

40. Oscar winner Arkin : ALAN. Best Supporting Actor for "Little Miss Sunshine"(2006)

42. Arcade pioneer : ATARI

45. Out of the sun : SHADED

46. Region of influence : SPHERE

47. Cuts for a sandwich : SLICES

51. Commonly injured knee ligament, for short : ACL. (anterior cruciate ligament)

52. Deadly snakes : ASPs

53. Genuine : REAL

54. A single time : ONCE

55. List finisher: Abbr. : ET AL.

56. No __ traffic : THRU

58. Travelers' stops : INNs

59. Future D.A.'s hurdle : LSAT. (Law School Admission Test)

61. "The Voice" network : NBC

62. Gambling letters : OTB. (off-track betting)

 

Argyle

Sunday February 9, 2014 Pawel Fludzinski

 Theme:  "Universal Truth" -  Theme answers are all related to 42. See here for rationale.

 

23A. His number 95-Across is now permanently retired : JACKIE ROBINSON. Mariano Rivera is the last one to wear #42. 

36A. It's roughly 95-Across kilometers : MARATHON

55A. President number 95-Across : BILL CLINTON

80A. It contains 95-Across crude gallons : BARREL OF OIL

112A. Its first printing had 95-Across lines on most pages : GUTENBERG BIBLE. Unknown trivia to me.

9D. It has 95-Across spots : PAIR OF DICE

16D. King who died at 95-Across : ELVIS PRESLEY

59D. 95-Across appears on street signs near this Big Apple landmark : GRAND CENTRAL

 

74D. Its atomic number is 95-Across : MOLYBDENUM. New word to me. I had a terrifying chemistry teacher in high school.

Reveal entry:

95A. Douglas Adams' facetious answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything : FORTY- TWO. 

  

This puzzle is for Barry G, who has mentioned Douglas Adams & "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" several times on the blog.

Only 138 words in this grid (our norm is 144). Dr. Fludzinski's grids always have low-word count. But quite a few partials (7). Rich normally allows for 4 on Sundays.

Pawel Fludzinski

 Across:

1. Gene splicer's field : BIOTECH. Nice start.

8. They have strings attached : APRONS

14. In __: sort of : A SENSE. A rare 6-letter partial.

20. Astronaut Fisher, the first mother in space : ANNA LEE. Unfamiliar figure to me. Was her name mentioned in Chris Hadfield's book, CanadianEh?

21. He played House : LAURIE (Hugh)

22. Spreads out : SPLAYS

25. Scholar : SAVANT

26. Fit to __ : A TEE

27. Habituate : ENURE. Or INURE.

28. Move up and down : BOB. Hi there Buckeye "Move up and down"!

30. Piece of cake : CINCH

31. Peruvian coin : CÉNTIMO. I thought it's unit of Peseta, Wrong. 

34. Makes bubbly : AERATES

39. Busy co. on Valentine's Day : FTD. A few days away.

41. Short-lived 1765 statute : STAMP ACT

45. Hardly virtuous : AMORAL. And 92A. Vulgar : INDECENT

46. Classical theater : ODEON

48. Effervesce : SPARKLE

49. Avoids detection : HIDES

50. Pacific archipelago : MARIANAS

53. In __ and out ... : ONE EAR. And 90A. Biblical words before and after "for" : AN EYE

54. Singer DiFranco : ANI

57. Gracile : SLIM. Gracile is a new word to me.

58. Dog's age : LONGTIME

61. Op-ed pieces : ESSAYS.  I tried every news source you all mentioned last Thursday and liked Washington Post the most. Loved Sally Jenkins' article last week.

62. Bridge coups : SLAMS

63. Tiller opening? : ROTO. Just roto-tiller.

64. "Understood" : I SEE

66. Bochco series : L.A. LAW. Steven Bochco created NYPD Blue as well.

69. Gambler's strategy : SYSTEM

75. Pedicab, e.g. : TRICYCLE

79. Persian Gulf land : IRAN

82. Wine: Pref. : OEN. Or OENO. As in Oenophile, wine lover.

83. Sean Combs stage name : P. DIDDY

85. Like some wine glasses : STEMLESS

86. Hosiery hue : TAUPE

88. Degree of interest? : PERCENT. Nice clue.

91. Bearing : MANNER

94. Tarzan creator's monogram : ERB. Here he is again. Edgar Rice Burroughs.

97. Arctic blast : NORTHER. Never used this word before.

99. Phil Collins gear : DRUM SET

101. Like some landings: Abbr. : INSTR. Instrument landing. Dudley knows. Not me.

104. But, to Brutus : SED. Learned from doing Xwords.

105. Verdun's river : MEUSE. I don't even know where Verdun is.

106. Den __, Nederland : HAAG. In Dutch.

110. Aquarium favorites : TETRAS

116. Hatch, as a plot : CREATE

117. Increase gradually : ACCRUE

118. Kind of watch or warning : TORNADO

119. Funny blunder : HOWLER

120. Quakes : SEISMS

121. Cheaters, to teachers : ANAGRAM. Nailed it.

Down:

1. Tijuana locale : BAJA

2. Take __ the waist: alter : IN AT

3. Back in the day : ONCE

4. Parting wish : TAKE CARE. EddyB always closed his comment with "Take care".

5. Yale student : ELI

6. Checkered start? : CEE. The first letter.

7. Legalese adverb : HERETO

8. Philatelist's item : ALBUM

10. Mysterious character : RUNE

11. Hosp. areas : ORs

12. Mournful mother of myth : NIOBE. She appeared often in the old Tribute Daily puzzle. So glad we shifted to LA Times.

13. Spanish titles : SENORS

14. Stubborn one : ASS

15. Distant traveler : SPACEMAN

17. Bread brushed with ghee : NAAN

18. Harmonize : SYNC

19. O.T. book : ESTH. Needed crossing help.

24. Getting __ years : ON IN

29. Night fliers : BATS

32. LAX postings : ETAs

33. Columbus Blue Jackets' org. : NHL

34. Aphrodite's love : ADONIS

35. Hit lightly : TAP ON

36. Taj __ : MAHAL

37. Protein-building acid : AMINO

38. "The Gates of Hell" sculptor : RODIN

40. Pond ducks : TEALS

42. "The Jungle Book" pack leader : AKELA

43. Lien, say : CLAIM

44. Contract stipulations : TERMS

46. Magic, on scoreboards : ORL (Orlando)

47. Grandma : NANA

50. Brunch cocktail : MIMOSA

51. Draft choice : ALE

52. Farm abode : STY

55. Bridle part : BIT

56. Egyptian god of the dead : OSIRIS. Brother & Husband of Isis.

60. Pull : TOW

62. NYSE overseer : SEC. Guess who was SEC's first chairman?

65. Part of RSVP : SIL

66. Painter Fra Filippo __ : LIPPI

67. Makeup mogul Elizabeth : ARDEN

68. Scottish landowner : LAIRD

70. Revolutions, perhaps: Abbr. : YRS. I liked this clue also.

71. Arg. miss : SRTA

72. High schooler : TEENER. What's wrong with TEEN?

73. Iconic bull : ELMER

75. Lean-__: sheds : TOS

76. Jazz title : COUNT

77. Cartoon stinker : LE PEW

78. Part of un año : ENERO

80. Impressionist John : BYNER. Another unknown to me. Please link in the Comments section his most famous work.

81. Honorarium : FEE

84. Adorn : DECORATE

86. London gallery : TATE

87. Sometime it goes : ANYTHING. Oh, anything goes.

89. Explosive compounds : TNTs

91. __ Butterworth : MRS

93. Brake neighbor, informally : THE GAS

95. Melt together : FUSE

96. Mobster's code of silence : OMERTA. Also Mario Puzo's book.  I also read "The Last Don".

98. Elicit : EDUCE

100. Hayseeds : RUBES

101. Longing : ITCH

102. First-century emperor : NERO

103. Cassoulet, e.g. : STEW. Never had Cassoulet. But D-Otto, Lucina and TTP might. They're serious foodies.

105. Cousteau's milieux : MERs

107. "This guy walks into __ ..." : A BAR

108. "M*A*S*H" star : ALDA

109. Subj. for Euclid : GEOM

111. Sun. delivery : SER

113. Cable co. that merged with AT&T : TCI

114. Poly- ending : GON. Polygon.

115. Uplifting wear : BRA

Happy 43rd Birthday to dear Splynter, our talented and hard-working Saturday Stud, who  always gives me solid feedback on my theme entry selection & other life issues. Thanks for being here, Splynter!

C.C.