Sunday Feb 16, 2014 Mike Peluso

Theme: "Kidding Pool" - Y in each familiar phrase is changed into ING.

22A. Taking inventory at the Tropicana plant? : ORANGE COUNTING. Orange County.

39A. Miniature golf with clowns and windmills? : SILLY PUTTING.  Fun clue image. Silly putty.

57A. Boxer catching flies? : SHAGGING DOG. Shaggy dog. Fly balls.

81A. Making bad wagers? : UGLY BETTING. "Ugly Betty" is produced by the beautiful Salma Hayek.

98A. Part of a supermarket uniform? : BAGGING PANTS. Baggy pants. Despite the extreme cold weather here, some kids still drop their baggy pants. Drives me crazy.

119A. Nocturnal animal in a hammock? : ROCKING RACCOON. "Rocky Raccoon". Beatles song.

 

30D. Putting Tonka Trucks in the attic? : TOY STORING. "Toy Story". Woody!

53D. Gently tossing rifles? : GUN LOBBING. Gun lobby. 

Five changes occur in the second word, 3 in the first word. No odd man out. 

There are a few straying Y's in the theme entries. We would not have got the fun phrases had Mike excluded them from his choices.

Very smooth fill. Love those 6's (28) and 7's (14).  Stacked 6's are not easy to fill cleanly, esp if they're quad-stacked & crossed by more stacked 6's and 7's, like Mike's upper right & lower left corners.

Across:

       

1. Two-time '90s US Open champ : EDBERG (Stefan). 1991 & 1992.

7. Red-hot sauce : TABASCO. Sure a hot entry.

14. Studio sign : ON AIR

19. __ Patri: hymn : GLORIA

20. Bunker portrayer : O'CONNOR (Carroll)

21. Frolic : PRANCE

24. Tattered : RAGGED

25. Name on a tablet : BAYER. Aspirin.

26. OR hookups : IVs

27. Most thick, as fog : DENSEST

28. Rogers contemporary : AUTRY (Gene)

32. Laser pointer battery : AAAA

34. Mark successors : EUROS. Oh, German mark.

36. Inter __ : ALIA

37. "This might not be good" : UH OH. So, Don in PA, what did you do when you lost the electricity and internet connection for so long? Read lots of books?

38. Electees : INs

42. Like thrift store bread : DAY OLD. Thrift stores have bread? I go there for sports memorabilia mainly.

44. '60s-'70s Mets coach Eddie : YOST. No relation to Ned.

46. Gp. that funds psychiatric drug testing : NIMH. Stumper. National Institute of Mental Health. 

47. Black or white drink : RUSSIAN. Nice clue.

49. Seriously harms : MAIMS

52. __ Tamid: synagogue lamp : NER. Saw this before. Forgot.

53. Indian state : GOA. Wiki said it's India's smallest & richest state.

56. In-flight stat : ALT

60. Fly off the handle : ERUPT

62. Traveling with the band : ON TOUR

64. Manet's "__ at the Folies-Bergère" : A BAR. The picture looks familiar, not the name though.

65. Score : TWENTY

66. Iberian river : EBRO

68. Listing : ATILT

71. Equipment for 74-Across : SKATE. And 74. Lake Placid Olympics star Eric : HEIDEN

73. Role for Ingrid : ILSA. "Casablanca".

76. "I could __ horse!" : EAT A

78. Emphatic rebuke : NO NO NO

80. Bedding : LINEN

84. ASCAP alternative : BMI. Broadcast Music, Inc

87. H.S. subject : ENG

88. Bandleader Brown : LES

90. Vega of "Spy Kids" : ALEXA. Stranger to me also. She looks sweet.

91. Late riser : LIE-ABED

93. Jai __ : ALAI

95. Hamburger's one : EINS. Not the burger. People from Hamburg.

97. In a scary way : EERILY

104. Brief afterthoughts : PSS

106. Law school tyro : ONE L

107. Gallic phone greeting : ALLO. It's just "Wei" in Chinese.

108. Sunset dirección : OESTE. Is it pronounced the same as "West"?

109. Old draft deferment : TWO A

111. Rims : EDGES

112. Panama relatives : BOATERS. Hats.

114. __ polloi : HOI

116. Alphabetical list : INDEX

118. Tab function : INDENT

125. __ sale : ESTATE. I just love this lower left corner. So clean!

126. Tiny dividers : AMOEBAE. Or AMOEBAS.

127. Sailor's omen : RED SKY

128. Ruins : DOOMS

129. Lessees : TENANTS. Hope Marti's tenants treasure her hard work.

130. Braves' div. : NL EAST

 

Down:

1. __ trip : EGO

2. MSRP poster : DLR. OK, Dealer.

3. Flowing scarf : BOA

4. Coastal raptor : ERN

5. Cathy who played Pan : RIGBY. Drew a blank. Peter Pan.

6. Earth goddess : GAEA

7. No challenge at all : TOO EASY

8. Upscale Honda : ACURA

9. Rocker __ Jovi : BON

10. Debate side : ANTI

11. Whine : SNIVEL

12. Roman Republic official : CONSUL

13. Dot follower : ORG

14. Setting for "The Plague" : ORAN

15. Badgers : NAGS AT

16. Seraphim and cherubim, to Giovanni : ANGELI. Plural of Angelo, right?

17. Strands at Chamonix, perhaps : ICES IN

18. Sale indicator : RED TAG

21. Suppose : PRESUME

23. Photo lab color : CYAN

27. Armstrong's admission : DOPING. I was so disappointed in Lance, Jayce.

28. Actress Lindley : AUDRA. Was she a gimme to you?

29. Ryder competitor : U-HAUL

31. Frat letters : RHOS

33. Very, in scores : ASSAI

35. Rembrandt van __ : RYN

38. Pocatello native : IDAHOAN

40. Autobiography featuring Ike : I, TINA

41. Tossed : THREW

43. Lean : LIST

45. Texter's "Yikes!" : OMG. I bet Steve passed by this sign a few times. I had an "OMG, can they say that?" moment when I saw it. Those Chinese characters just mean "Happy Ending". So blatant.

48. Astro ending : NAUT

50. Old British roadsters : MGBs

51. Pierre's home: Abbr. : S DAK

54. Declines, with "out" : OPTS

55. "Back __!" : AT YA

58. "Peer Gynt Suite" composer : GRIEG (Edvard)

59. Praying figure : ORANT. Learned from doing Xwords.

61. Corral, with "in" : REIN

63. Connection point : NODE

65. Converses, e.g., slangily : TENNIES. What's your favorite sneaker brand?

66. Actress Jennifer : EHLE. Crazy spelling. I guess Zhouqin looks crazy to you too.

67. '60s counterculture event : BE IN

69. Like an unreal land? : LA LA. Hi there, LaLaLinda! Creature, too. So glad both of you are back.

70. "Until next time," in IMs : TTYL (Talk to You Later)

72. Slave : TOIL

75. Zhou __ : ENLAI. Loved him. No one compares to him.

 77. Red as __ : A BEET

79. Fancy molding : OGEE

81. Grammarians' concerns : USAGES

82. Live : EXIST

83. Bronze shade : TAN

85. Brawl : MELEE

86. Poems describing rustic life : IDYLS

89. The United States, in Nuevo Laredo : EL NORTE. The north.

92. Controversial infielder : A-ROD. Drafted by the Mariners, Mike's team.

94. Tape speed unit: Abbr. : IPS. Inches per Second.

96. Eager learners, metaphorically : SPONGES

98. Coddled : BABIED

99. King in "The Tempest" : ALONSO

100. "My pleasure!" : GLAD TO

101. Cheerleaders' cheer : GO TEAM

102. Where batters are seen : AT HOME

103. Recent rightist : NEOCON. Oh, I just told you last Sunday that I liked Washington Post. I did not know that they have a paywall. I was informed earlier this week that I used up my free Feb articles already.  Stupid NBC. Now Bill G and I can't bond.

105. __ City, Iraq : SADR

110. Be victorious in : WIN AT

111. Office component : EXCEL

113. Rhinitis docs : ENTs

115. Company name that begins with its founder's initials : IKEA

117. Merit : EARN

119. Singer? : RAT. Very clever clue. Sing-er.

120. Arabic "son of" : IBN

121. Start of a beginner's piano scale : C D E

122. Spanish she-bear : OSA

123. Signs off on : OKs

124. Big Apple news initials : NYT

I think Marti is going to attend this year's ACPT (American Crossword Puzzle Tournament). Anyone else on our blog? Don't miss the Friday night Cru Dinner organized by the super nice Mike Alpern. You'll meet lots of constructors & fellow solvers. Click here for more photos & the buffet dinner menu. Jicama in the salad, Hahtoola!

C.C.

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