Wednesday, February 26, 2014, Bryan W. Young and Jeff Chen

Theme: TO GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE WE GO. Not necessarily over the river, but definitely through the woods, where we encounter THE BIG BAD WOLF in hot pursuit of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD.  Don't be alarmed if you had trouble finding them.  The forest provides lots of hiding places. [Full disclosure: I had to get help from C. C. to spot them.]  

Rich themage, and tight construction, as all of the WOLF's entries are the first words of two word answers (or first part of a compound word), hugging the left margin, and our heroine's entries are the second words of two word answers, hugging the right margin. Note also that from top to bottom, our antagonist's and protagonist's answers alternate. Unusual placement for some theme entries, along with a short letter-count for some of them makes this a bit hard to suss; but high marks for creativity in executing this difficult and original theme. Add in perfect alternating symmetry between the two answer types, and we have a very elegant execution.

16. "Blackadder" network : THE BBC.  British Broadcasting Company

26. Head honcho : BIG CHEESE.   Slang for top dog.

42. Unsavory sort : BAD EGG.  Can one spoil the whole crate?

 53. Borzois, e.g. : WOLFHOUNDS.  Top dog?

Source

20. Impressionist whom Mel Blanc labeled "The Man of a Thousand Voices" : RICH LITTLE.  I found an example that's not political.

 35. Show shame, perhaps : GET RED.  Blushing, when you can't suss the theme.

48. Driving with abandon : JOYRIDING. An automotive pleasure cruise.  Couldn't find an appropriate clip.

63. Prominent Ore. peak : MT. HOOD.  A stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon, formed by a subduction zone on the Pacific coast.  It's last major eruptive period was about 200 years ago. Note abrv. in cl. & ans.

Hi Gang, JzB here. Let's grab our borzoi and see if we can make our way through this forest without getting lost or consumed.  But first, today's theme song.

 Across:

1. McCarthy's dummy friend : SNERD.  Edgar Bergen's pals Charlie and Mortimer.  Here they are with a LITTLE-free impersonation.
 
6. Baltic, e.g. : SEA.  Water you talkin' about?

9. Cougar : PUMA.  Mountain lion, not that other kind.

13. Canadian dollar coin nickname : LOONIE.  Named for the loon on the reverse of its dohller coin.

 

 Source

14. "I threw away my golf shoes when I got a hole in one," e.g. : PUN.  Double meaning word play

15. Computer operating system : UNIX.  Apple's OS X  is a variant.

17. Hosp. heart exam : ECG.  Electro- Cardio Gram

18. Medicinal dose : PILL.  Alternative to a spoonfull.

19. Cutie pie : DOLL.  Like Nancy Wilson.

23. Baltic feeder : ODER.   Does this river smell funny?

25. "... a __ / By any other name ..." : ROSE.  Would still be surrounded by thorns.

30. Tolkien's talking trees : ENTS.  They aren't actually trees. They just look like them.  But not in this forest.

33. Equal: Pref. : ISO.  -bar, -metric, -tonic, -mer, etc.

34. "The Mod Squad" cop : LINC.   He's the man in the middle.

Source

37. Smudge : BLUR.

39. '60s jacket style : NEHRU.

Source

41. UFO-tracking org. : SETI.  Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence

44. Respectful address : MA'AM.

46. From, in some European names : VON.  Like the von Trapp family.

47. Star witnesses? : MAGI.  Clever.  They followed yonder star.

50. Hispaniola, por ejemplo : ISLA.  Spanish island, for example.

52. Poet __ St. Vincent Millay : EDNA.  Famous for her poetry and many love affairs.

57. Gratify : SATE.  Like a basket of goodies, perhaps.

61. Put out : EMIT. 

62. Low numero : UNO. Also a card game, which could have been cited to avoid the Spanish

 65. Wither in the sun : BAKE.

66. Porter's "__ De-Lovely" : IT'S.  Like this DOLL.

67. B beater : A-MINUS.  Making the grade

68. Raised : BRED.  Like a Borzoi.

69. Look at : EYE.   Ogle the DOLLS.

70. Super Bowl XLVII player : NINER. San Francisco Forty-Niner. They lost to the Baltimore Ravens, 34-31.

Down:

1. Area below Greenwich Village : SOHO.  Lower Manhattan area South of Houston St.

2. Sleigh ride song : NOEL. Here we go a-caroling.

3. As a whole : EN BLOC.  I'll bet you have never said this in casual conversation.

4. Kid : RIB. Like an elbow poke there.

5. Making pronouncements : DECREEING.

6. A writer may work on it : SPEC.  Speculation - writing a piece without a contract, in the hope of selling it.

7. Trick-taking card game : EUCHRE.  Pronounced Yooker.  Popular game in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin.  People from other parts of the country might never have heard of it.

8. Prefix meaning "English" : ANGLO.

9. Portable shelters : PUP TENTS.  For your young borzoi.

10. Curriculum part : UNIT.

11. Grain grinder : MILL.

12. Rod in a hot rod : AXLE.  Keeps the wheels from falling off.

13. Letters on some Brit. letterheads : LTD. For Private Limited Liability Corporation.  Its shares may not be sold to the public.

21. Dancer Castle : IRENE.  She and her husband Vernon were the best known ballroom dancers of the early 20th century, and appeared in films and musicals.

22. Oracle's opening : I SEE.  Did you see this coming?

24. UPS competitor : DHL.  Shipping, transport, and import-export services company.

26. Lettuce variety : BIBB. A type of head lettuce with a loose arrangement of leaves, known for its sweet flavor and tender texture.

27. Imam's faith : ISLAM.

28. Fondue choice : GOUDA. A Big Cheese!

29. Knucklehead : SCHMO. Typical Yiddish insult beginning with SCH-.  Originally an idiot or cuckold.

31. "Three Coins ..." fountain : TREVI.  In Rome.

32. Resolute about : SET ON.  RED was SET ON getting to Granny's

35. Reserve soldier : GUARDSMAN.  This took a lot of perp help.

36. Minor dent : DING. As in your fender

38. Put a bad present to good use : RE-GIFTED.  If "put to good use" means "got rid of."

40. Like daisies : RAYED.

Source

43. Lillian of the silver screen : GISH.  Her movie career spanned 1912 to 1987.

45. Musical key abbr. : MIN.  Minor.  Here's an example from a major composer. Note the shift into major from 1:43 to 1:57 in this 3 minute clip.

48. Smart-looking : JAUNTY. Sometimes, I'm dumb looking, like when I can't suss the theme.

49. Enter quickly : DASH IN.

51. Character in "Donald's Nephews" (1938 cartoon) : LOUIE.  Along with Huey and Dewey

53. 5'7" Spud who won the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk contest : WEBB.  At 5'7", he's one of the shortest players in NBA history.  His career lasted from 1985 to '98.

54. "Rubáiyát" poet : OMAR. Per Wikipedia, Ghiyāth ad-Dīn Abu'l-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm al-Khayyām Nīshāpūrī was a Persian polymath, philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and poet. He also wrote treatises on mechanics, geography, mineralogy, music, and Islamic theology.  Busy guy.

55. Enjoy : LIKE. 

56. Bouquet : NOSE. Aroma.

58. Top-of-the-line : A-ONE.  Better than A-minus.

59. Visit with a guide : TOUR.  Like this guided tour through the forest.

60. Money mgrs.? : EDS.  Money Magazine Editors.  Sneaky.

64. Texter's "I didn't need to know that!" : TMI.  Too Much Information.

The theme was a tough nut to crack, and the long down fill further complicated the matter.  But still, a well-constructed, fun solve.  Hope you enjoyed it. Jeff Chen, of course, is a wily veteran who showed up in a collaboration when I last blogged two weeks ago. Looks like this might be Bryan Young's first L.A.T. entry.

Cool Regards

JzB

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: R&DXTOO - Not Research and Development but 2(too) R's in the first word and 2(too) D's in the second word.

17A. Dangerously sharp : RAZOR-EDGED

22A. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" creator : LARRY DAVID. This guy.

 

35A. Common pump choice : REGULAR UNLEADED

47A. Gnarly one on the waves : SURFER DUDE

56A. "Star Wars" droid, and a hint to letters shared by 17-, 22-, 35- and 47-Across : ARTOO-DETOO. (phonetically spelling of R2-D2)

Argyle here. Anchored by a grid spanner and some interesting fill; a decent Tuesday.

Across:

1. Lunchbox staple, initially : PBJ. Travels better than BLT.

4. Handy, say : ABLE

8. Hatcher of "Lois & Clark" : TERI

 

12. Pakistani language : URDU

14. Pakistan neighbor : IRAN

15. Tablecloth fabric : LINEN. Who had to get up because "We need the sheets for the table"?

16. Striped fish : BASS

19. Ranch nightmare : STAMPEDE

21. "Wake Up Little Susie" singer Don or Phil : EVERLY. Phil passed away in January.

24. Next-to-last Greek letter : PSI

26. Difficult turn on the slopes : ESS

27. Fellows : MEN

28. Cape Town's land: Abbr. : RSA. (Republic of South Africa)

31. 1983 Streisand film : "YENTL"

33. "From __ to shining ..." : SEA

34. Has-__ : BEEN

39. Early garden : EDEN

40. La-Z-Boy room : DEN

41. Very unpleasant, weather-wise : NASTY

42. Country south of Turk. : SYR. Turkey/Syria

43. Costly cracker-topper : ROE

44. 35-Across, e.g. : GAS. (35A Common pump choice)

46. Boxer's stat : KOs. (knock out)

50. "Beat it, kid!" : "GO HOME!"

53. "I'm serious!" : "NO, REALLY!". Cute string.

                               LINK

58. Eyelid trouble : STYE

59. Taxi fixture : METER

60. Clothier Strauss : LEVI

61. Traffic sound : HORN

62. Glimpse : ESPY

63. Lose sleep (over) : FRET

64. Mario Brothers console : NES. (Nintendo Entertainment System)

Down:

1. Stout servers : PUBS

2. Unruly kid : BRAT

3. Holden Caulfield creator : J.D. SALINGER. The Catcher in the Rye (1951)

4. Cable stations, e.g. : AIRERs

5. Vintage sitcom stepfamily : BRADYs. The Brady Bunch (TV Series 1969–1974)

6. Vegged out : LAZED

7. Ambient music pioneer Brian : ENO

8. Assisted through a tough time, with "over" : TIDED. Verb phrase: 15. tide over, to assist in getting over a period of difficulty or distress. Dictionary.com

9. Caltech grad, often: Abbr. : ENGR.

10. Hose holder : REEL

11. Race nickname : INDY. (Indianapoli) Big racing news: Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins Daytona 500!

13. West Point letters : USMA. (United States Military Academy)

15. "Deathtrap" playwright Ira : LEVIN

18. Disclose : REVEAL

20. Suave shelfmate : PRELL. Hair care.

23. "So true!" : "AMEN!"

24. Funereal piles : PYREs

25. Like some rye bread : SEEDY

28. Comedian who ended his show with "... and may God bless" : RED SKELTON

29. Make arrangements for : SEE TO

30. Raggedy dolls : ANDYs. (brother to Raggedy Ann)

32. Winery cask : TUN

33. Baltimore daily : SUN

34. Cry from a flock : [BAA!]. A bit down on the farm today. 47D. "Here, piggies!" : "SOOEY!"

36. Loved to pieces : ADORED

37. Scuba spot : REEF

38. Come after : ENSUE

43. Gossip fodder : RUMOR

44. Vinyl record feature : GROOVE

45. Cleverly skillful : ADROIT

48. "It's open!" : "ENTER!"

49. Imprecise cooking measure : DASH

50. Pool or polo : GAME

51. Raw rocks : OREs

52. Web address opening : HTTP

54. Harp kin : LYRE

55. Strong urges : YENS

57. Pixie : ELF

Argyle

Monday, February 24, 2014 Melanie Miller

Theme: "Are You Ready to Par-tay?" - Party, party, me hearties. A different party can be found aft of both words in the starred entries.

20A. *Powerful stratum of society : RULING CLASS. Ruling party; Class party, mostly for the younger grades.

11D. *Picturesque spot for a warm drink : TEA GARDEN. Tea party; Garden party, cue Ricky: (3:56)

58A. *When brandy may be served : AFTER DINNER. After party, think Oscars, Emmys; Dinner party.

35D. *Place for changing out of a wet suit : POOL HOUSE. Pool party; House party, at Dudley's.

40A. Continue with the fun, and a hint to each part of the answers to starred clues : PARTY ON

Argyle here. A pin wheel grid around a central unifier. Strong blocks around the outside and some interesting fill for a Monday. Ms. Miller has come through again although something is lacking.

Across:

1. To-do list item : TASK. Not any particular task.

5. Short-lived crazes : FADs

9. Destroy beyond repair : TOTAL

14. Yodeler's feedback : ECHO

15. Landed : ALIT

16. "Laughing" critter : HYENA

17. Teensy bit : A TAD

18. A hop, skip and jump away : NEAR

19. Savanna antelope : ELAND

23. In high spirits : GAY

24. Spread out, as one's fingers : SPLAY

25. __ New Guinea : PAPUA

27. Large seaweed : KELP

30. Mixed in a glass : STIRRED

33. Travel book inserts : MAPS

36. Bard's nightfall : E'EN

38. Take care of : HANDLE

39. Game with Wild Draw Four cards : UNO. Most kids love it.

42. Keebler cookie character : ELF

43. Stone-faced : STOLID

45. Side with green eggs : HAM

46. Part of MIT: Abbr. : INST. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

47. Unit of explosive force : KILOTON

49. Anjou, e.g. : PEAR. A firm-fleshed green-skinned variety of pear. Also, red-skinned.

51. Memorable labor leader Jimmy : HOFFA

52. Rinsed the soap from, as a car : HOSED. Or, rinsed the salt from.

56. GI R&R provider : USO. (United Service Organizations)

62. __ and crossbones : SKULL. We hear about Eli's and Bulldogs but the Skull and Bones Society at Yale...not so much.

64. Innovator's spark : IDEA

65. Additional : MORE

66. Studio stand : EASEL

67. Line in blue cheese : VEIN

68. Diva's solo : ARIA

69. Rose parts : STEMS

70. Comes to a close : ENDS

71. Require : NEED

Down:

1. Glum drops : TEARS. An original clue? I like it.

2. Behave poorly : ACT UP

3. "I __ return": MacArthur : SHALL

4. Large Alaskan bears : KODIAKs. Out for a family stroll. See JD's from yesterday.

                            LINK

5. Vampire tooth : FANG

6. Baldwin in Capital One ads : ALEC

7. Call on a retro phone : DIAL

8. Bra parts : STRAPS

9. Many an Actors Studio member : THESPIAN

10. Popeye's Olive : OYL

12. Actress Paquin of "True Blood" : ANNA

13. British noblewoman : LADY

21. TV educator Bill in a lab coat : NYE

22. Didn't go out : SAT HOME

26. Vessel on a mantel : URN

28. Bat first : LEAD OFF

29. Each : PER

31. Angled pipes : ELLs

32. Adept : DEFT

33. Cologne scent : MUSK

34. Not pro : ANTI

37. To the __ degree : NTH

40. Traps for the unwary : PITFALLS

41. Big mouth, informally : YAP

44. John of London? : LOO

46. Armored superhero : IRONMAN

48. One who was born there : NATIVE

50. Yellowfin tuna : AHI

53. Noise from a sleeper : SNORE

54. Otherworldly : EERIE

55. Deep anxiety : DREAD

56. Capitalizes on : USES

57. Three-handed card game : SKAT

59. Blissful place : EDEN

60. Senator Harry of Nevada : REID

61. Aykroyd and Quayle : DANs

63. Moon lander, for short : LEM. (Lunar Excursion Module)

Did you notice what's missing? Foreign words!

Argyle

 

Sunday Feb 23, 2014 Gail Grabowski

Theme:  "Age Isn't Everything" - AGE is removed from each familiar phrase.

25A. Plight when the caterer cancels? : HOST CRISIS. Hostage crisis.

27A. Kit with a parachute? : BAILOUT PACK. Bailout package.

45A. River project evaluation? : DAM ASSESSMENT. Damage assessment.

82A. Psychiatrist who falls asleep during sessions? : SHRINK PROBLEM. Shrinkage problem.

97A. Pedicured tootsy on a video-sharing website? : YOUTUBE FOOT. YouTube footage.

103A. Course for new cattle farmers? : STEER CLASS. Steerage class.

35D. Scenes of Oscar Madison's room? : RECORDED MESS. Recorded message.

40D. Cleaning out a clothes closet? : GARB DISPOSAL. Garbage disposal.

I normally don't touch letter addition/deletion/altercation theme type as I'm awful making sense of those wacky phrases. I do know, however, it's harder to delete than to add.

Have you all read this article about our 100-year-old constructor Bernice Gordon? Very nicely written. 

Scroll down a bit: "...Bernice's themes and puzzles are almost always straightforward, not at all gimmicky or tricky," said Rich Norris, puzzle editor at the Los Angeles Times. "Yet there's an elegance in her simplicity. She finds relationships among words that are so obvious when you first see them that you wonder why you've never seen this before."

I thought of Gail when I read Rich's comment. She's not going to shock and awe you, but there's an elegance & beauty in Gail's simplicity, often the result of hard work.

 

Across:

1. Reach across : SPAN

5. Scraps : SPATS

10. Resort city along the Roaring Fork River : ASPEN

15. Harbor vessel : SCOW

19. Hokkaido native : AINU. Here they're in their traditional Ainu dress.

20. Words to a hopeful traveler : HOP IN

21. Make a point : SCORE. Nice clue.

22. Asian beef center : KOBE

23. Current designation : AC/DC

24. Down East university town : ORONO. University of Maine.

30. One who shouldn't be looking : PEEKER

31. Fangorn Forest denizens : ENTs

32. Publicized : AIRED

34. Words on jackets : BLURBS. So I read "What Falls Away". I guess we all have a cross to bear.

38. Strays on the range : DOGIES

41. Western formation : BUTTE

43. Most conceited : VAINEST

44. Spat end : ULA. Spatula. And 75A. Front end? : IER. Frontier. 63D. Super finish? : IOR. Superior. Necessary evils. 

49. Round fig. : CIR. OK, circle.

50. Multipurpose : VERSATILE

52. Boss of Tammany Hall : TWEED. Was he as important as this book suggests?

53. Programmer's output : CODE

54. Held in check : AT BAY

55. Rare indication?: RED. Meat.

56. Appears to be : SEEMS

57. Crowd, supposedly : THREE

58. Woman's title : LADY

59. "Doctor Who" creatures : ETs

60. Rickman role in Harry Potter films : SNAPE. He was in "Love Actually" also.

61. Surrounded by : AMIDST

62. "If only!" : I WISH

64. "Ocean's Eleven" job : HEIST

65. Recurring sequence : CYCLE

66. Tapered-top piece : BISHOP. I don't get this clue. What is "Tapered-top"?

68. Exhilarating : HEADY

69. Contemporary of Bela and Boris : LON (Chaney)

70. Gathering dust : IDLE

73. Stock phrase : AT PAR

74. Shooting Starr : BELLE. I only know Annie Oakley.

76. Tutorial features : DEMOS

77. Soak up : BLOT

78. Folksy accounts : TALES

79. Broadway designer's jobs : STAGE SETS. Nice fill.

81. They, in Calais : ILS

85. Sault-Marie link : STE

86. Santa portrayer in "Elf" : ED ASNER. Super crossword-friendly name.

88. Woman "in my dreams," in song : IRENE. Oh, "Goodnight, Irene".

89. Commonly sculpted figures : TORSOS

91. Went wild on the drums, maybe : SOLOED

92. Diminishes : WANES

94. Nora was his mistress : ASTA

95. Get the factory going again : RE-OPEN

107. Spin-off starring Valerie Harper : RHODA

108. Arctic sight : FLOE

109. Stroked tools : OARS

110. Arena for MacArthur : KOREA. Korea War is heavily covered in Chinese history books.

111. Doughnut-shaped : TORIC

112. Do nothing : LAZE

113. Kindergarten handful : BRAT

114. Manner : STYLE

115. Tried to wake, in a way : SHOOK

116. Seeing things : EYES. Indeed, eyes see things. Great clue.

Down:

1. 9-3 automaker : SAAB

2. Type type : PICA

3. "__ quote:" : AND I

4. Cell centers : NUCLEI

5. Gives an earful : SHOUTS AT

6. New York and Los Angeles : PORTS. Where the Saturday Stud & Monarch Steve I of Studio City live. 

7. Per : A POP

8. Turner on stage : TINA

9. Treaded transports : SNO-CATS

10. Grate refuse : ASH

11. Sharpshooter's tool : SCOPE

12. Sat : POSED

13. "Symphony in Black" artist : ERTE

14. Strip around a collar : NECKBAND. Never wore one.

15. Downhill course : SKI RUN

16. NYSE listings : COs

17. It's a cinch in Sapporo : OBI

18. Jazz guitarist Montgomery : WES

26. Kindled anew : RE-LIT

28. Eventually : ONE DAY

29. Popular beach toy : KITE

33. Quit worrying : REST EASY.  Sometimes you just can't.

36. They're rarely hits : B SIDES

37. Bourbon __ : STREET

38. 2001 British Open winner David : DUVAL. His only major. He always seems so distant. Probably the sunglasses.

39. Jazz singer Adams who collaborated with Tears for Fears : OLETA. Nope. No memory of her.

41. Barn dance seating : BALES

42. Like many auction items : USED. Argyle likes to visit those auction events.

43. Winning signs : VEEs

46. Gaiety : MIRTH

47. Won every game : SWEPT

48. Internet __: fast-spreading item : MEME. I don't find those Ryan Gosling "Hey Girl" meme funny. You?

51. "Come again?" : SAY WHAT

53. Spicy pods : CHILIES. I imagine Lucina puts chiles in everything she cooks. How about you, spicy or mild?

56. Cutting : SNIDE

57. HBO competitor : TMC

59. Mentalist's claim : ESP

60. Mukluk material : SEALSKIN. See here.

61. Author Rand : AYN

64. Hunt of "Cast Away" : HELEN

65. Pinkish shade : CORAL

66. Treats carefully : BABIES

67. "I suppose that's okay" : IT'LL DO. Very good.

68. Prefix with pad : HELI

69. Leave alone : LET BE

71. Game rarely won : LOTTO

72. Fussy twosome? : ESSES. Two letter S in "Fussy".

74. Mystery writer Nevada : BARR. Needed crossing help.

75. "Help __ the way" : IS ON

76. Reduce in rank : DEMOTE
 

78. Waterfront area : THE DOCKS. Pricey area.

80. Recoups : GETS BACK

82. Villainous look : SNEER

83. Victimize, with "on" : PREY

84. Honeymoon destinations : RESORTS

87. Most angry : SOREST

90. Fund-raising event : RAFFLE

92. Worn down : WEARY

93. First name in nature photography : ANSEL (Adams). Or John (Lampkin).

94. Speaker's output : AUDIO

96. Conspiracy : PLOT

98. "Could be a problem" : UH OH

99. Mower maker : TORO

100. Big name in skin care : OLAY. Discovered Simple last year. Love their toner.

101. Trickle : OOZE

102. Driving aids : TEES

103. Blubber : SOB

104. Car wash challenge : TAR

105. Notable time : ERA

106. MS. enclosure : SAE (Self-Addressed Envelope)

Happy 75th Birthday to dear Keith Fowler! You can read more about Keith here. He even lived in Stratford-upon-Avon for sometime. Keith said:

"My branch of the family is not known for longevity, so it will be an enormous leap for me to reach 75 this coming Sunday--Feb 23 at 7:19 pm PST!  At that day/time I will be two years older than any recorded Fowler (of the Shryvenham to London to NY to CT to TN to CA tribe of Fowlers) ever got to be.

My mom (actually a Hocking) reached 73, and my dad's grandfather hit that number too.  while a great many folk live much longer, it just feels mighty strange to me, like teetering on a very high pole, or maybe soloing for the first time, and very slowly."

 

Keith Fowler

Also, if you are going to New York for the ACPT (American Crossword Puzzle Tournament), say hello to George Barany, who will be there competing. Maybe Rich Norris and Patti Varol will be there too, both are fast solvers. (Added later: George will be judging!)

Also, don't miss the Friday night Cru Dinner. Marti can tell you how friendly Mike Alpern is.

C.C.

Saturday, Feb 22nd, 2014, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 72 (missing Q,X)

Blocks: 28

   Considering the last two Saturday puzzles, I expected to take a beating today, and I was not all that surprised when it happened to be a Silkie - and a pinwheel of triple-10's at that~!  Yet despite my first pass looking like the front yard ( here on LI, we're still knee-deep in snow ), my second pass pretty much wrapped it up.  Have to admit, there were some s=t=r=e=t=c=h=e=s in the clues, but what else do you get on a Saturday?  Some of the longer fill today;
 

17a. What "c" might mean : LIGHT SPEED - E=mc²

12d. Response to a knock : WHO CAN IT BE - gotta have this musical link

28. Caspian Sea republic : AZERBAIJAN - Scrabbly fill~!

69a. Pronunciation aid : STRESS MARK - see 29d.

ON - the - WAshington - RoaD~!

ACROSS:

 1. Honolulu memorial : USS ARIZONA - I get this a lot in crosswords

11. Stroked : SWUM - oh, uh, that kind of stroked....

15. Approached : CLOSED IN ON

16. Quite : OH SO - ah, not "VERY"

18. Cold War capital : BONN

19. Befogged : AT SEA

20. Beginning for metric : BARO - BAROmetric

22. Hipster : CAT - I went with "KAT" first

23. Rat : SING - a slight meh, since I think it should be "rat OUT"

26. Do maintenance on, as a roof : RE-SLATE - I'd love a slate roof on my house - but the weight and cost is prohibitive

28. Inlet : ARM - meh #2; I get it, but, well....meh

31. Adopted great-nephew of Claudius : NERO

33. Self-titled 1991 debut album : ALANIS - Morisette; this was her 'dance-pop' album she recorded at the age of 17; 4 years later came the album everyone else knows, the 33million-copies-sold "Jagged Little Pill"

34. Fashionable '40s garb : ZOOT SUITS

37. Jumbles : OLIOs

38. Nervous : EDGY

39. Honored, in a way : FETED

41. 8 for O, e.g. : AT. No. - Atomic # 8, for Oxygen

42. Lively dances : REELS

44. Apple Store tech support station : GENIUS BAR - I'm PC - the genius is in ME

46. Cram : BONE UP

48. Cheer : ROOT

49. One wearing a "Y" shirt, perhaps : ELI - we had this yesterday; NOTE: if you punch in "Y shirt" on Google, and leave the ELI or YALE part out, you get much raunchier pictures~!

 

50. Formal talk : ADDRESS - Harrison's Inaugural Address was 8,445 words - see 35d.

52. Messenger molecules : RNAs

54. SS supplement : IRA - Social Security and Individual Retirement Account

55. "Deputy __": old toon : DAWG

57. "The King and I" group : HAREM - Gotta get me one of these

61. Nonsense : JIVE - "excuse me miss, I speak JIVE"

63. Don't bother : LEAVE ALONE

66. 2013 Zipcar acquirer : AVIS

67. Pinocchio, for one : MARIONETTE

68. Composer Rorem and others : NEDs

DOWN:

1. Pauley Pavilion team : UCLA

2. Fine cut : SLIT

3. Soaks, in British dialect : SOGS - My parents were born and raised in England, though I can't say I ever heard them say this

4. Fire proof : ASHES - Fire PROOF, not FIREproof

5. Hires to handle the case : RETAINS

6. Names : IDs

7. Letter number : ZIP - code; great clue for one of the numbers on a written letter

8. Spoiler of a perfect semester : ONE B - funny, because I got straight A's in my first semester at Island Drafting except for "one B"

9. Musical deficiency : NO EAR - because TIN EAR would not fit

10. Tenor Bocelli : ANDREA - that's a man, baby - and my ex-wife's name.  Awkward.

11. Sound of distress : SOB

13. Amer. citizen, e.g. : U.S. NATIONAL

14. Education innovator : MONTESSORI

21. __ Accords: 1993 agreement : OSLO

24. Huit follower : NEUF - 8 and 9, in Frawnche

25. Composer who incorporated Norwegian folk music into his work : GRIEG

27. Singing syllables : LALAs - Shout-out to Linda~!

29. Haute couture shopping area : RODEO DRIVE - because it's "haute couture", the pronunciation is rho-'DAY-o; everywhere else it's 'RO-dee-o; sort of like Marty Brodeur, goalie for the NJ Devils; when he makes a spectacular save, he becomes 'MAR-'TAN 'BRO-'DOOOR~!

30. Hexagram on the Israeli flag : MOGEN DAVID - Because Star O' David seemed too Irish to me; I did not know about this 'speculative' astronomical idea

32. River player : OTTER - ah, not a Texas Hold 'em reference

35. Harrison's successor : TYLER - US Presidents; the former for 30days, 12hours, 30minutes

36. Toledo title : SEÑOR

40. "I Wonder Why" lead singer : DION - someone else's turn

43. Took to court : SUED

45. St. George residents : UTAHANS

47. Job follow-up? : PSALMS - ah, Bible reference

51. Part of Churchill's offer : SWEAT - Winston Churchill - more here

53. Capital on the Willamette : SALEM

56. "Mr. Mom" actress : GARR

58. Personnel list : ROTA

59. Start of an intermission? : ENTR'acte, Frawnche for "between the acts"

60. Yielding : MEEK - ah, not "WEAK"

62. Winding path : ESS

64. Contend : VIE

65. Aurora, to the Greeks : EOS

Splynter

Friday, February 21, 2014, Peg Slay

Theme: I need to break you the LLs up!

Great symmetry in this letter replacement puzzle,  with the first "L" of double Ls in four letter words ending 'ALL', are replaced with an I (the first word in theme 1,3 and 5; the last word in theme 2,4) to give a new phrase clued with humor. This is our second offering from Ms. Slay, with marti expostulating on a letter add on in May of 2013. I found this on the easy side for a Friday, but since it is gimmick free that may be all I needed to make me happy. The pallbearers morphing into milkmaids seemed a bit macabre, but the rest were amusing. Let's look over the puzzle.

17A. Device that tracks certain weather? : HAIL MONITOR. (11). (HALL monitors prowl dormitories) This would be a very limited use device, but we do get a few hailstorms every year, once in a while enough to dent cars.

23A. Make a mournful cry louder? : DRIVE UP THE WAIL. (somebody wailing, like at the dentist, would drive me up the WALL).

39A. Follow, oater-style? : TAIL IN THE SADDLE. (TALL in the saddle will always conjure this IMAGE) (1:05).

48A. Run-of-the-mill letters? : PEDESTRIAN MAIL. ( I visited the 16th Street MALL when last in Denver)

61A. Eight maids a-milking? : PAIL BEARERS. (This combination cast a slight PALL on my solving experience, because images of funerals bring back memories). I think their are usually 6 pallbearers. Are Jack and Jill the most famous pail bearers?

Across:

1. "Sesame Street" lessons : ABCS.

5. Logo, e.g. : EMBLEM.

11. NASA vehicle : LEM. An actual acronym Lunar Excursion Module.

14. Word spoken con affetto : CARA. Some Italian, with affection dear.  22A. Together, in music : A DUE. Italian again, due is two.

15. Lead ore : GALENA. This is something I know only from doing puzzles; do we have geologists in our midst? I have a nephew who works in that field.

16. "Should I take that as __?" : A NO. Yes.

19. Ken. neighbor : INDiana.

20. Handle : SEE TO.

21. Karaoke need : MIC. I guess the world has decided this is an independent word.

27. Bulldog, perhaps : ELI. Yale has more than one nickname. This sort of ties to 37D. Annex, maybe : ELL, which I thought would not be in the puzzle because of the LL.

28. German article : DAS. The neutral (non-masculine or feminine) LINK. 1D. Rhine whines : ACHS. Little pun on wine/whine. Maybe you need a dictionary? LINK. Our multilingual crowd (Kazie, marti, etc., will tell you more).

29. Lollapalooza gear : AMPS. Another abbreviation (amplifiers) that appears to now be a word.

33. They may be in columns : ANTS. Army ones anyway.

36. More ironic : DRIER. senses of humor I guess, I thought this was very hard to suss.

42. Short exile? : EX-PAT. He is only  5'8" For all my New England Patriot cornerites.

43. Tops : A-ONE.

44. __-portrait : SELF. Selfies from the phone are taking over.

45. Watch : EYE.

46. 64-Across opposite : NAY. 64A. 46-Across opposite : YEA.

56. Pie crust ingredient : LARD. Not many big companies use pig fat anymore.

57. Tidy sum : WAD. He had quite a wad of cash.

58. Warmer for a snowy day : COCOA. Maybe this would WORK; I will mail you the A.

60. Tree ring revelation : AGE. Yes when the sequoias get together for a reunion, it is always a circus.

65. Jeans measure : INSEAM. Just be careful who is doing the measurements for you.

66. Auditor's mark : TICK. The check mark.

67. Humerus locale : ARM. Near the funny bone.

68. Expels : EGESTS. IN = into: E = from, immigrate, emigrate. Just simple Latin.

69. Santa __: dry winds : ANAS. A day late for our own Santa baby.

Down:

2. Sounded like a flock : BAAED. The were baaed to the bone.

3. Old-time newsman : CRIER. Really going back when you got your news from the town crier, who did not whine.

4. 1972 missile pact : SALT I. Strategic Arms Limitation Talks ; I was ratified, II was abandoned when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan.

5. Id checker? : EGO. Nice Freud lesson, our ID (as in libido) is kept in check by our EGO.

6. "Holy cow!" : MAN.

7. Skycam carrier : BLIMP. Goodyear I lives nearby me. Come for the TOUR, then stop by for a snack.

8. The Beatles' "__ Be" : LET IT.  You want to be in this STUDIO. (3:09)

9. Cain's oldest son : ENOCH. Exile or not.

10. Deface : MAR.

11. Saved for the future : LAID ASIDE. In this context I always say PUT aside, but this WORKS.

12. Blasé state : ENNUI.

13. Hobby shop purchase : MODEL.A shout out to Dennis who is tolerating the Florida winter rather well. Speaking of models, Kate Upton.

18. Stir : MOVE.

22. Accolades : AWARDS. Comes from a Latin word for neck (collum) because recipients got stuff to wear around their neck. We still give out medals (see Olympics) that way.

24. Panache : ELAN.

25. Utah's __ Mountains : UINTA. We have had these a couple of times before, but they have not stuck in my mind.

26. Norse mythology source : EDDA. Classic crossword answer.

29. Put away : ATE.

30. "Where the Wild Things Are" boy : MAX. My youngest loved the story and we went to the movie when it came out many years later; he loved it. I did  not.

31. Winning the lottery, usually : PIPE DREAM. From the dreams of OPIUM DENS?

32. Left rolling in the aisles : SLAYED. Comedians, kill, slay,

 crush...

34. E'en if : THO'.

35. Medicinal shrub : SENNA. A multi-talented PLANT.

38. Instant replay watcher : REF. The third abbreviation which is in this puzzle which has apparently become a stand alone word.

40. Jersey add-on : ITES.

41. Hannity of "Hannity" : SEAN. hard not link something political HERE.(2:37).

47. Gesture-driven hit : YMCA. The boys from the Village.

48. __ del Carmen, Mexico : PLAYA. mean beach in Spanish. Lucina?

49. Bright-eyed : EAGER.

50. Country sound : TWANG. All you ever wanted to know and MORE.

51. Put up : RAISE. Or shut up?

52. Isn't busy : IDLES.

53. It originates from the left ventricle : AORTA.

54. Trap at a chalet : ICE IN.

55. Spanish poet Federico García __ : LORCA. I wish Clear Ayes was here to speak of this POET, a very influential Spanish writer killed by Franco's men during the civil war.

59. Queries : ASKS.

61. __ chart : PIE.

62. Cricket club : BAT. Cute misdirection.

63. 911 response letters : EMS.

Well I am not in Kansas any more, only passing through to Colorado, but I hope this Friday frolic left you smiling and confident in your skills. Lemonade out.