Saturday, February 8, 2014, David Steinberg

Theme: None (With the quad-stacks 15's in the middle, this grid has 16 rows)

Words: 73 (pangram~!)*

Blocks: 36

   I have seen David's name before, but this may be his Saturday LAT debut; he collaborated on this SALMON puzzle that gave us fits, and a Friday puzzle with WATER "falling" in the clues.  I "LIKEN" (13d.) this one at about a Wednesday level - done in about half the time I normally allow myself to do a Saturday crossword; but as we've discussed here before, when you have triple- and quad-stacks, it tends to make the perp answers shorter, and therefore, easier.  There were two ten-letter words in the across, plus four nines 'perping' the quad-stack - impressive~!:

31A. Women seen standing at tables : DINER WAITRESSES

40A. Walmart advantage : ONE-STOP SHOPPING

41A. Attempts to best : COMPETES AGAINST

42A. Stretched, in a way : STOOD ON ONE'S TOES

on WA rd~!  ( to Seattle in the fall....)

ACROSS:

1. They're used in British puzzles : ZEDS - nailed it, but I figure most of you did, too

5. Peter Pan rival : JIF - and I was onto this clue, too - the Peanut Butter, not the character

8. "The X Factor" judge : COWELL (Simon) - my only mistake; I did not get my "Ta-DA~!" because I put in "P"owell first; no wonder "PAF" made no sense....

14. Picked locks : AFRO - nice misdirection; hair, not doorknobs

15. Classified letters : EOE - Equal Opportunity Employer

16. God in a temple : ADONAI - a little Wiki for you

17. Lesson __ : PLAN

18. Double shot, say : STIFF DRINK - today marks 9yrs, 1month

20. Many an Urdu speaker : PAKISTANI

22. Appropriate : TAKE - the verb -  "uh pro pri ATE", not "uh PRO pri ate"

23. Rankled : ATE AT

24. Common desktop icon : TRASH CAN - mine's the PC recycle bin

27. QB's stat : ATTempts - there will be no more of these in the 2013-14 NFL season

30. Math group : SET

43. Italian article : UNA

44. MDCLIII ÷ III : DLI - Roman math; 1653/3 = 551

45. Stock problem : STAMPEDE - I had a feeling this was "live" stock, and not Wall Street stock

50. Georgia retreat : DACHA - ah, that Georgia

55. Ending suggesting wealth : AIRE - MillionAIRE, BillionAIRE

56. State treasury : EXCHEQUER - nice fill; gets the 8pts for the "X" and 10 for the "Q"

59. It's used in dashes : GARLIC SALT

62. 51-Down resident : ARAB

63. Old-fashioned "Neat!" : GROOVY

64. Starting to burn : LIT

65. Quail collection : BEVY

66. Looked bored : YAWNED

67. Spinner : TOP

68. Drinks from a stand : ADES

DOWN:

1. Posthumous 1995 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee : ZAPPA - brilliant musician, but I could never get into his music

2. Key of Shostakovich's "First of May" : E FLAT - guess what~! I HAD the "E" to start - so I did NOT have to wait~!

3. Pond swimmer : DRAKE - not to be redundant, since it's followed by;

4. The duck in Disney's "Peter and the Wolf" : SONIA

5. Bon mot : JEST - Frawnch

6. Jot : IOTA - I have heard this before - the smallest Greek letter, thus something miniscule; technically, the word "JOT" is IN IOTA, since there's no "J" in Latin

7. Artful action : FEINT

8. Stimulating substance, briefly : CAF - Caffeine, as in your coffee this A.M.

9*. "That's weird" : ODD - *it's ODD that I have an ODD number of words in a Saturday grid*

10. Net __ : WORTH - my net worth is not within an iota of anything like "-AIRE"

11. Giant with 17,468 vacuum tubes : ENIAC - The computer; short for Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer

12. Sri __ : LANKA

13. Make an analogy : LIKEN

19. From the horse's mouth : FIRST HAND

21. Turned on : STARTED UP

25. Skylight insulation material, perhaps : AEROGEL - Never heard of this stuff being used in skylights, but it is highly effective in reducing thermal transmission

26. Words from one about to take over : STEP ASIDE

28. Black and blue, say : TWO-TONE - more deception, since "BRUISED" fit, too

29. Provençal spreads : TAPENADES - M-W online says: a seasoned spread made chiefly with mashed black olives, capers, and anchovies - I'll pass....

31. JAMA readers : DOCs - I went to the DPM this week - the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, who diagnosed my heel pain as "Plantar Fasciitis"; it started bothering me in my first week of UPS driving, and I finally had to have something done.  Now I have a foot brace I wear at night, and orthotics coming in two weeks - I can't wait to walk properly again~!

32. How some NBA games are resolved : IN OT - also in the NHL; the Rangers went INto Over Time last night, then on to the shoot-out, and beat Pittsburgh 4-3

33. Fictional captain : NEMO - of the Nautilus, in Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

34. Hockey Hall of Fame nickname : ESPO - Phil Esposito, one-time Boston Bruin and NY Ranger who helped start up the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning

35. Short retort : "IS SO~!"

36. Rain in scattered drops : SPIT

37. __-Indian War : SINO

38. Bay State motto starter : ENSE - Here's some interesting facts about Massachusetts

39. Friday et al.: Abbr. : SGTs - Sergeant Joe Friday of Dragnet

45. Needing a lift, maybe : SAGGY - boy, it's a good thing this wasn't followed by 48d.~!

46. Papal headgear : TIARA - I thought it was called a MITRE; I did not know about this piece of adornment

47. Common keyboard symbol : ARROW - we just had this discussion on keyboards last week

48. Winter __ : MELON - I like these winter melons - not SAGGY~!  How come THIS isn't in the Olympics?

49. Glorify : EXALT

51. Jordanian city : AQABA

52. Back to normal : CURED

53. Start of a nautical order : HEAVE - Spitzboov could share more

54. Chain with roast beef Mighty Minis : ARBY'S

57. Muse of history : CLIO

58. Start of many addresses : HTTP - the HyperText Transfer Protocol of website addresses

60. "__ had it!" : I'VE

61. Dancer Charisse : CYD

Splynter

Friday, February 7, 2014, Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Follow the waters

For those who attempted this without the circles the theme was most assuredly deeply submerged, but if you know your major world rivers and you understood 34A was the hint, it was a very fun paddle, though some white waters to avoid. JW has become a regular contributor to our entertainment, with this being his 17th publication in the 18 months or so since his first trip to the LAT stage. marti has done most of the explicating, but this will be my 5th, the first almost exactly one year ago. Each has been a very different type, as well from anagrams, to homonyms to definitions. This is the first with any "gimmick" as the theme answers crawl over both across and down fill, giving each name the "bend" which is the hidden treasure.  I hope you enjoy this Friday freshness.  Presenting the theme will be different, but here goes.

River one: PECOS running from 17A down the middle of 3D.

River two: GANGES running up from 5D though 4A.

River three: AMAZON running backwards in 19A and down 1D.

River four DANUBE running from 58A up 41D.

River five: NIGER running backwards in 62A and up 44D.

River six: THAMES running down the middle of 51D and backwards across 67A.

and the Hint/ reveal at 34A. Topographic feature represented in this puzzle's circles : RIVER BEND. This tells you the river names bend around the answers.

The rest of the puzzle does not exactly feel like a Friday with one nine letter fill the longest, but  22 of fill are 7 letter answers including some fun ones. Let's get going

Across:

1. __-de-sac : CUL. Well this dead end is our beginning.

4. Consumes : INGESTS.

11. Privately keep in the email loop, briefly : BCC. Blind Courtesy Copy.

14. New START signatory : USA. Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Double your initial pleasure.

15. Unexpected result : FALLOUT. This was hard for me, I guess I was raised in too sheltered an environment.

16. Bit of cybermirth : LOL. My Romanian friend thought this was Lots of Love for a long time.

17. Upper-bod muscle : PECtoral. Like these...

18. With great energy, in music : AGITATO. The Italian influence, I will defer (yes I corrected it manually, not autocorrect) to JzB.

19. Gp. that declared obesity a disease : AMA. Once again we are seeing lots of initialisms.

20. Natives who met Lewis and Clark near modern-day Council Bluffs : OTOS. More natives, 64D. Cheyenne allies : ARAPAHO.

22. Scent : ODOR.

23. Puts one's feet up : LAZES. This is a word I never see outside of the crossword world, you? Do you laze about?

25. Go the distance : LAST. Why does this sound sexual to me? Followed immediately by...

26. Desire : YEN.

27. Stopper, with "the" : KIBOSH. I had better put the Kibosh on that line of thought.

28. Pretended to be : ACTED AS. Another toughie for me, that perped itself out.

30. Bow tie preference : AL DENTE. Love this clue, it was cooked just right!

31. Likely to tax one's budget : STEEP. Gee honey, the prices here are awfully steep.

32. Corrida cry : OLE.

33. Greenskeeper's supply : SOD. The seniors are back in Boca Raton playing this week; are you going Dennis? The ones I have met and played with are all very nice. 47A. Not good for a pro, usually : OVER PAR.

39. Inflate : PAD. The bill, not a balloon; tricky for three letters.

42. Hyde's birthplace? : LAB. Dr. Jekyll's of course, another wonderful clue.

43. Less furnished : BARER. Why furniture?

50. Traditional process for hammock making : MACRAME. How many crafty people are at the Corner?

52. "The Canterbury Tales" inn : TABARD. Oh the depths of memory, it has been so long since Chaucer. Interestingly according to wiki, it was built by the Abbot of Hyde. A Tabard is the tunic you see in the depictions of the crusades etc.

53. Geometric fig. : CIRcle.

54. Moderate pace : TROT.

55. Dimwit : STUPE. This does not seem very PC.

56. Small opening : PORE. I got that by the skin of my teeth.

57. Exobiologist's org. : SETI.  Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Acronym.

58. Voice actor Castellaneta of "The Simpsons" : DAN. Also he was not the father on The Wonder Years

59. Foolishness : FATUITY. I know fatuous, but not this incarnation; a very much Nero Wolfe word.

62. Cotton __ : GIN. As a kid this always puzzled me because I thought it came from juniper berries, and we had juniper bushes.

63. Storied vessel : ARK. I hope you Noah this one.

65. "Middle of Nowhere" director DuVernay : AVA. Indie movie.

66. Ed.'s pile : MSS. Manuscripts.

67. First, second or third person? : BASEMAN. Baseball, but you need the perps to get that.

68. Pinch for Pépin : SEL. French for salt.

Down:

1. Domelike structures : CUPOLAS. There are many kinds, reminds me of Ken Follett

2. Be diplomatic : USE TACT. Nice fill.

3. 1920s tennis great René : LACOSTE. Lives on through all the shirts.

4. "__ tree falls ..." : IF A. in the forest....

5. Noritake headquarters city : NAGOYA. Luckily ODOR and YEN were easy, which helped the section to fall.

6. Moves smoothly : GLIDES. Getting excited about the ice skaters and the Olympics?

7. John of pop : ELTON. As C.C. would say, nailed it!

8. Hang-glide, say : SOAR. Oh oh.

9. Word of disdain : TUT. Usually needs two but the clue does say 'word.'

10. Impassive : STOLID.

11. Displays publicly : BLAZONS. I am familiar with things being emblazoned, but not this verb.

12. Opens one's eyes : COMES TO.

13. Butted heads : CLASHED. My research shows this fill has never been in the LAT or NYT before.

21. Direct : STEER. Fits in with our earlier STEEP and STUPE?

24. First Japanese prime minister born after WWII : ABE. No clue about Shinzō Abe, born in 1954. I read it as the first prime minister after WWII, never seeing the word bord; coincidentally, also a man named ABE.

27. "The Goldfish" painter : KLEE. This WORK. So you think you could have done that?

29. Print resolution letters : DPI. Dots Per Inch, from our old dot matrix printers.

30. Clerical wear : ALB. It is the long white (the word is from Latin for white) dress like garment.

32. Moon, e.g. : ORB.

35. "The Impaler" who inspired Dracula : VLAD.

36. "Who hath a story ready for your __": Shak. : EAR. An obscure quote from Measure for Measure, but easily sussed.

37. 2014 Olympics airer : NBC. So many initials.

38. Moves quickly : DARTS.

39. 1945 Big Three city : POTSDAM. One of the meeting places for the allies, US, England and Russia.

40. Online game icons : AVATARS. If you did not know it before the movie should have taught you.

41. Proves fallacious : DEBUNKS. I myth the mythbusters.

44. Xenon, for one : RARE GAS.

45. Soul-stirring : EMOTIVE. Did the clue move you?

46. __ scan: ID method : RETINAL. Eye had no problem with this one.

48. Knock : RAP. Don't knock rap?

49. Assembly-ready : PREFABricated.

50. Sister of Moses and Aaron : MIRIAM. You need to know MORE?

51. Big name in soul : ARETHA. Finally, a musical INTERLUDE. (2:29)

53. Two-door vehicle : COUPE.

56. School gps. : PTAS. At least the initials are all familiar.

60. __ Pacis: altar of Peace : ARA. This is just Latin for an altar built during the time of Caesar Augustus for the goddess Pacis. It is from her name we get our word.

61. Thither : YON.  Hither and yon, hither and thither, it all sounds silly to me.

Well we are into February, with only 7 more days to prepare for marti's birthday, oh and Valentine's Day.  I thought this was a nice romp and the trick did not give me fits, and I hope none of you. Lemonade out.

Thursday February 6, 2014 Jill Denny and Jeff Chen

Theme:  TOP DOG - Different dog starts each theme entry.

2D. Fruit of ancient Persia :POMEGRANATE. Foodies call those pomegranate seeds arils.

8D. Numbskull : CHOWDERHEAD

11D. Daedalus' creation : LABYRINTH

12D. Combativeness : PUGNACITY

Reveal entry:

60A. With 62-Across, a hint to the starts of this puzzle's four longest Down answers : TOP 62A. See 60-Across : DOG.

And FUR (4A. 62-Across coat) & PETS (38A. Strokes a 62-Across). Also TREAT (37A. Biscuit, maybe). For dogs too.

We also have a grid-spanning  LEADER OF THE PACK (50. Big enchilada). Top dog!!

C.C. here, pinch-hitting for Marti, who needs to fix the house next door as the tenants will move in on March 1.

Jill Danny is Jeff Chen's wife, and we all know Jeff, the genius behind so many creative puzzles.

Today's theme approach is a bit different:

1) Theme entries are arranged vertically for visual effect;

2) Left to right symmetry;

3) Only 72 word (themeless word count) &  50 black squares. 

 

Do you see anything out of those black squares arrangement? Argyle told me "Squint at it or like most of us, remove your glasses. If you can only see it as black and white, it looks like a puppy face."

Across:

1. Easter season: Abbr. : SPR

7. Interest fig. : PCT

10. Long, on Molokai : LOA. As in Mauna Loa ("Long Mountain").

11. Experience with enthusiasm : LAP UP

13. Pi follower : RHO

14. "Out" crier : UMP

15. Chic "Bye" : ADIEU. Chic?

16. Charged particle : ION

17. Detox place : REHAB

19. Bridal emanations : GLOWS. Sweet clue.

21. Reminiscent of venison : GAMY. Never had venison. You?

22. Dweeb : NERD

23. Red state? : ARREARS. Oh, now I see why it's red. Debts.

26. Easy gaits : CANTERS

29. Given a hand : DEALT IN

30. Annabella of "The Sopranos" : SCIORRA. Drew a blank. Anon-T might know her. So how do you pronounce her name?

31. Chased (after) : RAN

32. Whirling : IN A SPIN

34. Farm feed : HAY. Hi there Spitzboov!

35. Computer that once came in "flavors" : iMAC. Other than my iPod, I own iNothing.

39. Greek cheese : FETA

40. First name in one-liners : HENNY (Youngman). "Take my wife, please!".

41. Actress Charlotte et al. : RAES

42. Fountain near the Spanish Steps : TREVI

44. Buddy : KIDDO

45. __'acte : ENTR

48. Flute part : STEM

57. Babysitter's handful : IMP

58. New evidence may lead to one : RE-TRIAL

59. Fawn spawner : DOE

61. Slogan sites : T-SHIRTS

Down:

1. Bit of mudslinging : SLUR

3. Vatican Palace painter : RAPHAEL

4. Pet rocks, e.g. :  FAD 

5. News agcy. since 1958 : UPI

6. Regret bitterly : RUE

7. Preceding : PRIOR TO

9. Bunches : TONS

18. Cremona artisan : AMATI. I'm so glad they caught the Strad suspects  yesterday. Art thieves!

20. Red Square honoree : LENIN. My childhood hero.

23. Lacking purpose : ADRIFT

24. Juice extractor : REAMER. I just call mine Juicer.

25. Grab, as a line drive : SNARE

26. D.C. network : C-SPAN. And 33. Fig. on 26-Down : SEN

27. Like most bawdy films : R-RATED. Or RATED R.

28. Lays down the law : SAYS SO

36. Gave in : CAVED

38. Groom with care : PRIMP

43. Unmoving : INERT

44. Hull stabilizers : KEELS

46. "__ bien!" : TRES

47. Big name in IRAs : ROTH

48. Rustle : STIR

49. "Take __!" : THAT

50. Aflame : LIT

51. Angst-filled genre : EMO

52. Killer Birds, e.g. : APP. Is it related to Angry Birds?

53. Calendar abbr. : FRI

54. Recipe instruction : ADD

55. Soft murmur : COO

56. Barrel at a bash : KEG

I have a question for all of you: Which is your go-to site for news? NBCNews went live on Tuesday night (Feb 4, 2014) and I really dislike the new format, which is more suited for mobile devices. I tried CNN and Google News yesterday but liked either.

C.C.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014 C.C.Burnikel

Theme: Spelling Homophones - Aaron and Tori's TV tour-de-force (or tour-de-farce depending on your viewpoint) made these numbers famous outside of Los Angeles. The first word of the five theme answers are each sound-alikes for the digits.

18A. Polite refusal, in Nuremberg : NEIN DANKE. German "No, thank you".

24A. "Fall on your knees" carol : O HOLY NIGHT. This was a new one for me. I couldn't shake "Silent Night", especially after the previous theme answer - I believe the original was written in German and titled "Stille Nacht". Crosses eventually to the rescue.

35A. Somewhat : TO A DEGREE.

51A. Only just broke the tape : WON BY A NOSE. My first thought was "NECK" until the crosses told me otherwise.

58A. "You gotta be kidding!" : OH BROTHER!

and the two unifiers, crossing each other:

44D. With 63-Across, city whose zip code is suggested by the starts of 18-, 24-, 35-, 51- and 58-Across : BEVERLY

 63A. See 44-Down : HILLS

Happy Geico Commercial day everyone. Steve here with the pleasurable task of writing up C.C.'s latest, and I thought this one was pretty slick. I liked the crossing unifiers, I liked the homophones and I naturally liked plenty of food! references in the fill.

Beverly Hills is close to me geographically - maybe not so close socio-economically. That's fine, I'll take my little neighborhood and my 91602 zip code any day.

Let's see what else we've got

Across:

1. Really mix up : ADDLE

6. Fashion : MODE

10. Alma mater of many gens. : U.S.M.A. The United States Military Academy at West Point.

14. Manitoba natives : CREES

15. Other, to Diego : OTRO, English, German and Spanish so far today.

16. "Cool!" : NEAT

17. Glass-half-empty sort : CYNIC

20. Resistance units : OHMS. These things: Ω

21. Bottom row key : CTRL. Does a Mac keyboard have ESCs and CTRLs? I can't remember.

22. "A Death in the Family" author : AGEE

23. North __ : SEA

27. Mammoth traps : TAR PITS

30. "Hometown proud" supermarket chain : IGA

31. "How relaxing!" : AAH

32. Fighting stats : TKOS. Or Technical Knock-Outs for those that don't follow boxing.

33. She dedicated Imagine Peace Tower to Lennon : ONO

34. Roy Rogers' birth name : SLYE

39. Mudbath offerers : SPAS

42. Clear (of) : RID

43. Ball honorees : DEBS

46. Tulsa sch. named for a televangelist : O.R.U. Didn't we just see Oral Roberts recently?

47. __ leaves : TEA

48. Hardly the latest buzz : OLD NEWS

54. Through : VIA

55. Symbol for Macy's : STAR I think it's neat how the star replaces the apostrophe in the logo.

56. Prime time rating : TV-PG

57. Give a darn? : MEND

60. Big Apple restaurateur : SARDI. Food! His eponymous restaurant has been at the current location in Manhattan since the 1920's.

61. Go-getter : DOER

62. Remedy : CURE

64. Duel tool : EPEE

65. "My word!" : I SAY

66. Until now : AS YET

Down:

1. Confront boldly : ACCOST

2. Arizona climate : DRY HEAT

3. Where Lego headquarters is : DENMARK. I don't want to see a picture of the building, I have a dearly-held hope that it's built out of giant Lego bricks.

4. Luau neckwear : LEIS

5. Top row key : ESC. Partner clue with 21A

6. Quite a while : MONTHS

7. New Mexico county : OTERO. This is where clever constructing and cluing works so well - crosses all the way for me.

8. Boring activity : DRILLING

9. Quite a while : EON

10. Eel, at sushi bars : UNAGI. Food! Say no more.

11. Mali neighbor : SENEGAL. SOMALIA went in, then quite rapidly came out. At least I had the right continent.

12. Seize the opportunity, sunshinewise : MAKE HAY.  Favorite clue/answer of mine today.

13. Had a bite : ATE

19. Comical Carvey : DANA

21. Private bed : COT. "Private" in the Army sense. West Point cadets also sleep on cots, methinks?

25. "Son of Frankenstein" role : YGOR. I always need the cross for IGOR/YGOR

26. Everyday article : THE

28. Supplies on TV's "Chopped" : POTS. Food! I love this show - I hear MC Ted Allen clearly saying "Chefs, you must each use all of the mystery ingredients in your basket in some way. You also have access to pantry and fridge". They also have access to pots, it would be a little tough otherwise.

29. Prefix with bar : ISO

33. Multivolume ref. : O.E.D. The Oxford English Dictionary. There's an awful lot of it if you get the full version - the second edition runs to 20 volumes. The third edition is expected to be completed in 2037!

34. Witnessed : SEEN

36. Locale : AREA

37. Carnation genus : DIANTHUS. I want to jump up and down and shout "I KNEW THIS! I KNEW THIS!" It's only taken fifty-mumble years, but I finally know the genus of a flower. Thank you crosswords!

38. Byrnes who played Kookie : EDD

39. Piglet's mother : SOW

40. Place to have a racket restrung : PRO SHOP

41. Opie's guardian : AUNT BEE

45. Shortchange : SWINDLE

47. Newbie : TYRO

48. Taloned predator : OSPREY

49. Cut of lamb : LEG. Food!

50. Inhumane person : SADIST. Did you know that fashion guru Pierre Cardin is current owner of the Marquis De Sade's castle?

52. Dance studio fixture : BARRE

53. __ barrel: in hot water : OVER A

57. Bordeaux "but" : MAIS, Adding French to today's language list.

58. Dedicated lines : ODE

59. Cable co. acquired by AT&T in 1999 : TCI

60. __ Na Na : SHA

That's it from me. I'm spending an unexpected night in Houston due to flight cancellations onwards to Cincinnati. I can't make it to my meetings tomorrow in time so I'm heading back home to LA. The Four Seasons bar is nice though - Cheers!

Steve

Tuesday, February 4, 2014 Kevin Christian

Theme: Snakes on a Grid - Six snakes and the unifier. Relax; I am not showing any pictures except through a link.

17. Hosiery support item : GARTER BELT. Garter snake. The Massachusetts state reptile. Link

23. Barbecue veggie eaten with one's hands : CORN ON THE COB. Corn snake. Link

31. Snorkeling site : CORAL REEF. Coral snake. It possess one of the most potent venoms of any North American snake. Link

40. Ice cream drink : MILK SHAKE. Milk snake. An early myth about milk snakes is that they suck cow udders to get the milk. Link

47. 1988 U2 album and movie : RATTLE AND HUM. Rattlesnake. Often a plot device in Westerns. Link

60. Wimbledon feature : GRASS COURT. Grass snake. It is a Eurasian non-venomous snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians. Link

67. Kind of reptile found at the starts of 17-, 23-, 31-, 40-, 47- and 60-Across : SNAKE

Argyle hisss. I've done Kevin's puzzles before but he seems to have been on a hiatus. A smooth return even if some folk might be a little squeamish about the subject. Missing: {X,Z} Let us snake our way to the bottom.

Across:

1. Find the answer to : SOLVE

6. Chicago mayor Emanuel : RAHM. We had Rahm Emanmuel last month.

10. "The Wizard __": comic strip : OF ID. Last month as well.

14. Bird-related : AVIAN

15. Blue Bonnet spread : OLEO

16. Musical symbol : NOTE

19. Astronaut Shepard : ALAN

20. Jai __ : ALAI

21. Suffix with billion : AIRE

22. Subway entrance : STILE. From turnstile.

26. Southwestern desert : MOJAVE

29. Actor Stephen : REA. Born in Belfast.

30. Washer maker : AMANA

37. "Wheel of Fortune" purchase : AN I

38. Hose nozzle option : SPRAY

39. HDTV brand : RCA

43. Play the coquette : FLIRT

45. Debtor's letters : IOU

46. Award hung on a wall : PLAQUE

53. Be a ham : EMOTE

54. Oboe insert : REED

 55. Fancy cracker spread : PÂTÉ

59. 1990s vice president : GORE

62. Curling appliance : IRON

63. Mexican-American War president : POLK. James Knox Polk was the 11th President.

64. Damaging bug : BORER. The emerald ash borer is threatening our nation's ash trees.

65. Cong. meeting : SESSion

66. Dazzles : AWES

Down:

1. It's a long story : SAGA

2. Avocado shape : OVAL

3. Coin once tossed into Italian fountains : LIRA

4. Pope's place, with "The" : VATICAN

5. WSW's opposite : ENE

6. Red-breasted bird : ROBIN

7. Olds model : ALERO

8. Trojan beauty whose face launched a thousand ships : HELEN. Remember the "millihelen".

9. Witty remark : MOT. From French.

10. Painting the town red : ON A TEAR

11. __ acid: prenatal vitamin ingredient : FOLIC

12. "Boot" country prefix : ITALO. Italy is said to be shaped like a boot.

13. Star in the constellation Cygnus : DENEB. "Tail" of the Swan.

18. Red inside : RARE

22. "The Giving Tree" author Silverstein : SHEL

24. Egg cells : OVA

25. Highchair feature : TRAY

26. Sir counterpart : MA'AM

27. Bygone science magazine : OMNI

28. The slammer : JAIL

31. Tax season VIP : CPA

32. Mork's planet : ORK. From the TV show.

33. Arctic explorer John : RAE

34. "ER" actor La Salle : ERIQ. From the TV show.

35. Stationery hue : ECRU

36. Karma : FATE

38. Cage's "Leaving Las Vegas" co-star : SHUE. Elisabeth Judson Shue

41. Little tabbies : KITTENS

42. One and only : SOLE

43. Winter malady : FLU

44. Satirize without mercy : LAMPOON. So what is satirize with mercy?

46. Degrees for many profs. : PHDs

47. Longtime morning co-host, familiarly : REGIS

48. What it is "when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie" : AMORE. Song(3:05)

49. Barcelona bulls : TOROs

50. Archery missile : ARROW

51. Harlem Renaissance writer Zora __ Hurston : NEALE. Biography

52. Classroom fixtures : DESKS

56. Subtle glow : AURA

57. Arduous journey : TREK

58. French I word : ÊTRE. (to be)

60. Student's stat. : GPA. (Grade Point Average)

61. "CSI" network : CBS

Argyle

Monday, February 3, 2014 Peter Schaefer

Theme: Make your Bed - Items found on a bed.

17A. Linus' trademark in "Peanuts" comics : SECURITY BLANKET

27A. 1959 Hudson/Day film : PILLOW TALK

48A. Song publisher's output : SHEET MUSIC

63A. Waistline concern : MIDDLE-AGE SPREAD

Argyle here. I believe this may be a debut puzzle. An oddment is the two grid-spanners have their theme word at the end while two shorter ones begin with a theme word. The fill is good. On the whole, a fine Monday. Missing: {J,Z)

Across:

1. NetZero and AOL : ISPs. (Internet Service Provider)

5. Winter precipitation : SNOW

9. "Poison" plant : SUMAC

14. NBAer O'Neal : SHAQ

15. Classic film character whose last word was "Rosebud" : KANE. (Citizen Kane, 1941)

16. "The Devil Wears __" : PRADA. Novel and movie(2006).

20. Bone: Pref. : OSTEO

21. U-shaped river bend : OX-BOW. (The Ox-Bow Incident (1943))

22. USN rank : ENS. (Ensign)

23. NYC dance troupe : ABT. (American Ballet Theatre, usually a later in the week entry)

25. Daunting duty : ONUS

33. Emulated Michael Phelps : SWAM. I may not sink but I couldn't emulate! 51D. Olympians' dreams : GOLDS

36. School subj. with a lab : SCI.

37. Link with : TIE TO

38. Stable newborns : FOALS

39. Chatter : YAK

40. Mistaken : IN ERROR

42. Wine, on le menu : VIN. Vino on il menù or el menù.

43. Increasing in vol., musically : CRESC. (crescendo)

45. __ firma : TERRA. (solid earth)

46. Decline : EBB

47. Rope material : HEMP

50. Othello's confidant : IAGO. Shakespeare's bad guy and a crossword mainstay.

52. Barnyard clucker : HEN

53. Former Texas governor Richards : ANN. Played herself on "King of the Hill".

55. Church keyboard : ORGAN. Somewhat odd clue.

59. Say : UTTER

66. Without a break : ON END

67. "Not a problem" : "SURE"

68. Sky bear : URSA

69. Fizzy fountain drinks : SODAS

70. Lowly laborer : PEON

71. CPR pros : EMTs. (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation/Emergency medical technician)

Down:

1. "That __ last week!" : IS SO

2. Females : SHEs

3. War-ending agreement : PACT

4. Rat on the gang : SQUEAL

5. Hit the slopes : SKI

6. Belg.-based peacekeeping gp. : NATO. (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

7. Black stone : ONYX

8. Jack who played Sgt. Joe Friday : WEBB

9. Breed, as salmon : SPAWN

10. Keats' Grecian vase : URN

11. Disturbs the status quo : MAKES WAVES

12. Port in Yemen : ADEN

13. Litter box users : CATS

18. Like some high-tech machines : ROBOTIC

19. Search (for) : LOOK

24. Bed with a mate : TWIN

26. GI show gp. : USO. (United Service Organizations)

27. TV show about a consultant thought to have ESP : "PSYCH". On USA Network Original Series.

28. "As if __!" : I CARE

29. Having similar opinions : LIKE-MINDED

30. Canines and molars : TEETH

31. "But only God can make __": Kilmer : A TREE

32. "The Maltese Falcon" actor Peter : LORRE. (1941)

                            LINK

34. Suspect's story : ALIBI

35. "Hardball" airer : MS NBC

38. Case of false incrimination : FRAME-UP

41. Surg. branch : ORTH. (orthopedics)

44. Restful retreat : SPA

48. Achy : SORE

49. False : UNTRUE

53. "Famous" cookie guy : AMOS

54. Chile boy : NIÑO

56. Surprised sound : [GASP!]

57. Fluish feeling : AGUE

58. Wolfe of detective fiction : NERO

60. Time in office : TERM

61. Sunrise direction : EAST

62. Nutritional stds. : RDAs. (Recommended Dietary Allowances)

64. Forensic ID : DNA. (deoxyribonucleic acid)

65. D.C. bigwig : SEN. (senator)

My bed's made, now I'll go lie in it.

Argyle

Sunday February 2, 2014 Matt McKinley

Theme: "VW Showroom" - Each two-word theme entry starts with V & W.

23A. Sparkling French refreshment : VICHY WATER

29A. Pre-singing routine : VOCAL WARM-UP

45A. Lively European dance : VIENNESE WALTZ

 72A. Retiree's pursuit, perhaps : VOLUNTEER WORK

97A. "A Room of One's Own" author : VIRGINIA WOOLF

113A. Cellar prize : VINTAGE WINE

125A. Woman of letters : VANNA WHITE

38D. Competes against : VIES WITH

63D. "Okay" : VERY WELL

Simple theme. We've had this VM gimmick before, a more narrowly defined set of women's name only. Love Argyle's title there.

The theme entries 38D and 63D are shorter than a few non-theme entries. This does not happen often with LAT grids. We see longer non-theme answers when all theme entries are placed horizontally.  

I think the constructor chose this approach because he wanted theme intersection. Plus, the gimmick is quite self-evident that solvers won't have trouble locating theme entries.

 

Across:

1. Ottoman title : PASHA. Another Ottoman title we see in xwords is AGHA.

6. Orderly place?: Abbr. : HOSP. Nice clue.

10. Maleficent : BAD

13. __ of hands : A SHOW

18. Used for dinner : ATE ON

19. Within: Pref. : ENTO

20. Tarzan portrayer Ron et al. : ELYs

22. "Paint Your Wagon" composer : LOEWE (Frederick)

25. Small change : CENT

26. Seine tributary : MARNE. Needed crossing help. Quite a few 5-letter French rivers.

27. Dramatic words of accusation : ET TU

28. Thomas __ Edison : ALVA

31. Niagara ambience : MIST

33. Seriously impair : MAIM

35. "Something tells __ goofed" : ME I

36. Prefix meaning "bee" : API

37. Colorado NHL team, in headlines : AVS. Avalanche. Where does the S come from?

40. Unnamed degrees : NTHS

42. Snoopy persona : JOE COOL. Cool entry.

44. Required investment of a kind : ANTE

48. Key of Beethoven's Ninth : D MINOR

50. Word heard in the choosing process : EENY

51. Full of life : SPRY

52. Fading star : HAS-BEEN. Sad to see Justin Bieber in trouble again and again.

55. Maker of the Inspire Food Processor : OSTER

57. Draw a bead on : AIM AT

60. Letter before sigma : RHO

61. Barrel support : STAVE

65. Better informed : WISER

67. Formal promises : OATHS

69. Biased : ONE-SIDED.  And 88. King of hearts feature : TWO EYES

71. Tail fastener, in a party game : PIN. What game?

75. Arg. neighbor : URU

76. Lists : ITEMIZES

78. Migraine omens : AURAE

79. Onion roll : BIALY. How do you pluralize this word? Bialies or Bialys?

81. Daphnis' lover : CHLOE

82. It employs a movable mirror: Abbr. : SLR. Tough clue for me.

84. Buffalo hockey player : SABRE. I think Splynter roots for the Rangers. Or Islanders? I can't remember clearly.

86. Makes less tense : THAWS

91. Martin or swift : BIRD.  Another tricky clue. What came to your mind first?

93. Part of a staircase : STEP

94. "For shame!" : TSK TSK

101. Hurries : HIES

102. Homework shirker's lame excuse : I LOST IT

105. One might be in a pool : GENE. Gene pool.

106. Literary monogram : RLS. Robert Louis Stevenson. And ERB (70D). Tarzan creator's monogram).  Edgar Rice Burroughs. I think one monogram is enough for a grid.

107. Suffix with morph- : EME

108. Convent dweller : NUN

109. Stargazer's focus? : IDOL. Loved the clue.

111. Las Cruces or Las Vegas : CITY

117. Org. that investigated Alger Hiss : HUAC. House Committee on Un-American Activities.

119. Presley's middle name : ARON

123. Intestinal : ILEAC

124. Big fishhook : GAFF. I don't think any fishing term will stump Barry G.

127. Wallop : PASTE

128. Thereabout : OR SO

129. This, to Juanita : ESTA

130. __ society : HONOR

131. Misses overseas: Abbr. : SRTAs. Spanish.

132. Palme __: movie prize : D'OR. French.

133. Leicester lockup : GAOL. British English.

134. Teamed, as oxen : YOKED

Down:

1. Do roadwork : PAVE

2. Bickering : AT IT

3. Split-off group : SECT

4. Blah : HO HUM

5. At least one : ANY

6. Place for refreshment : HEALTH SPA. We have 4 9-letter long Downs. The other three are SERIOUSLY (41D. "You're kidding"),  SHOWERING (53D. Post-game activity) & ERIE CANAL (85D. Waterway engineered by Clinton). DeWitt Clinton.

7. Airing in prime time, say : ON TV

8. Boiling sign : STEAM

9. "__ favor" : POR

10. Turneth into : BECOMETH

11. George Smiley portrayer Guinness : ALEC

12. Live wire : DYNAMO

13. __ mater : ALMA

14. Fly high : SOAR

15. Author Hesse : HERMANN

16. Admit : OWN UP TO

17. Crying more : WEEPIER

21. Florida University named for a pope : ST LEO

24. Fails to recycle : WASTES

29. Six-stringed instrument, usually : VIOL

30. Dorian Gray creator : WILDE

32. Vacation stopover : INN

34. Steely Dan album : AJA. This is Jeannie's favorite album.

37. Chevy subcompact since 2004 : AVEO

39. Watchdog : SENTINEL

43. Industry VIP : CZAR

44. "__ a stinker?": Bugs Bunny line : AIN'T I

46. Bill and Louis : NYES

47. "Johnny Belinda" Oscar winner : WYMAN (Jane). Got me. She was Reagan's first wife.

49. Soldier's set : MESS KIT

54. Pro __ : BONO

56. Entertainment section staples : REVIEWS

58. "__ girl!" : ATTA

59. NATO founding member : THE US

62. Big fan : ADULATOR

64. College URL ending : EDU

66. "Frasier" role : ROZ

68. Some body fluids : SERA

71. Little shot? : PIC. "Little" in the clue suggests a shortened answer.

73. __ majesty: high treason : LESE

74. Temple leader : RABBI

77. "Nutrition that starts with apples" sloganeer : MOTT'S

80. "I see," facetiously : AH SO

83. Short turns? : REVS. Ah so!

87. Tanning nos. : SPFs

89. Authorizing : OKING

90. Replace for now : SIT IN FOR

92. 2008 Indy Japan 300 winner __ Patrick : DANICA

94. 1963 Burton/Taylor film : THE VIPS. Did anyone see this film?

95. Alike : SIMILAR

96. Most zealous : KEENEST

98. Midway attraction : RIDE

99. Classic muscle car : GTO

100. Not just damp : WET

103. Later, to Luis : LUEGO. "Hasta luego."

104. "Let's keep moving!" : ONWARD! Splynter's trademark.

110. Himalayan capital : LHASA. I saw several Free Tibet activiests at the flea market last year. They're selling pretty bracelets to raise money. Of course, I did not buy any since I don't support their cause.

112. Search giant : YAHOO

114. "So long" : TA TA

115. Breezes through : ACES

116. Assumption-to-conclusion segue : IF SO

118. Passé preposition : UNTO

120. Place for checking or saving : RINK. Ha ha, Santa!

121. Early Nebraskan : OTOE

122. Uncool sort : NERD

125. Laze about, with "out" : VEG

126. Wondering word : WHY

C.C.